The next night had been quiet; no visits from the Velvet Room, leaving Goro in comfortable silence as he drifted off to sleep. That night he'd dreamt of boats, of a sea that threatened to drown him, and he woke up in a cold sweat, chest heaving for air. There was the odd taste of metal in his mouth, as well- he'd bitten the inside of his cheek in his sleep, apparently, but there was no pain. Just the taste of blood.

Sojiro had been kind enough to make him breakfast, a mild-tasting curry that Goro finished in an instant, craving more afterwards but too embarrassed to ask for seconds. If he hadn't been running late for school, he would've asked for a cup of coffee, as well- something just felt right about it. I'll ask him when I get back.

The trains were full of people, despite yesterday's accident, and he clung onto his bag for dear life as a stampede of people went to and fro, gently nudging his way to his line and getting on just in the nick of time. He took the moment to stare out the window, watching as the storm clouds began to accumulate and darken. Droplets began to patter at the train window.

I forgot an umbrella.

Shoes splashing up rainwater, Goro hurried along the street before ducking under a storefront awning, running a hand through damp brown locks- at this rate, he'd be late. When he checked his phone for the time, the strange red icon came up again, flashing over a map with his location- but he paid it no mind for the moment. He watched a couple of other Shujin students hurry by, huddled under umbrellas, and felt a twinge of envy. The soft sound of panting, followed by the growing noise of footsteps, caused him to turn his gaze away from them.

She was nearly drowning in a large pink hoodie, her leggings soaked by the puddles she splashed into- Goro could barely see the poor girl underneath the hood, which looked soaked right through. Without saying a word she hurried underneath the canopy as well, her delicate yet calloused hands slowly going up to her hood...

When she tugged it down, wringing it out, her soft brown hair cascaded out, curls framing her face nicely. She looked tired, so tired, yet Goro couldn't help but frown. It took a moment before the girl turned to acknowledge him, brown eyes darting up and a soft smile spreading across her face, but Goro could see the flicker in her eyes- she was just as taken aback as he was.

"Um, excuse me, have we m-"

Her gentle voice was drowned out by the sound of a car, sending up rainwater and coming to a halt in front of them. The girl seemed to recoil at this, taking a step back as the window began to roll down. Both of them seemed to frown at the man sitting inside.

"Good morning! Do you want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late," He spoke politely enough, and seemed to be a teacher- a gym teacher, going by the looks of his outfit. Yet the girl seemed to be uncomfortable, even as she approached him.

"Um, sure... Thank you," She spoke one last time, nearly being drowned out by the sound of the rain. Turning back to Goro, the look in her eyes was hard to place- she looked worried, as if asking for help, but when she turned to look at the man in the car she quickly changed back to a soft smile. She's faking it, was Goro's first thought, that smile isn't genuine.

"Do you want a ride too?" The teacher turned to him, asking in an innocuous tone, and Goro quickly turned him down with the politest 'no thank you, sir' that he could muster. As the window rolled up, he got a final glimpse of the girl, downcast brown eyes staring at her lap, her hands gently wringing at the bottom of her hoodie.

He's using her. For what, Goro couldn't figure out from their body language, but his skills at deducing things were sufficient enough to gain that small bit of information, at least. He kept his pleasant mask up, giving her a gentle smile as the car began to roll away.

With the girl gone, Goro looked off in the direction of the school, sighing. Maybe he should've taken that ride, as awkward as that would've been... He slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and turned to hurry down the street, when he heard footsteps again. These were much clumsier, and slower, and were punctuated with a very loud splash- Goro turned around quickly in shock.

There was someone, face-down on the sidewalk- his uniform was Shujin's, but now it was muddied with rainwater. Goro dropped his bag- making sure it was safe and dry- and quickly hurried over to the boy, helping him sit up. His dark hair, also damp and dripping, fell in front of one of his eyes.

"Are... Are you alright?" His pleasant facade returning- though the concern he felt for this stranger that had randomly collapsed was genuine- Goro checked the boy for any scrapes. His skin was chalky pale, concerningly so, and while his legs were long and he looked tall, his figure was so thin. Yet, he looked unfazed by it.

"I'm quite alright, thank you. This is a common occurrence," The boy spoke, his voice deeper, smoother than what Goro would've expected. He pushed his hair back and got up to his feet, legs wobbling. "I suppose a visit to the nurse's office is in order, though."

Uh, yeah, of course you will, Goro bit back the retort and let the boy lean on him for a moment- it seemed that he was feeling better enough to stand on his own, anyway. Curiosity eating away at him, Goro piped up with a question. "Excuse me, do you know who that was? The man that just came by to pick that girl up."

"Kamoshida?" Not Kamoshida-san, Goro noted- whoever this boy was, he didn't seem to like Kamoshida very much. Then again, Goro couldn't help but agree: he'd only seen a glimpse of him, but there was just that feeling that he should hate whoever Kamoshida was. Surprisingly enough, the boy could notice the slight surprise on Goro's face, and quickly added- "He acts as if he is the king of his castle. We respect him, but mostly out of fear- when he's not around, we don't have to stay as cordial."

"The school's his castle, then..." From the girl's body language, Goro could guess whatever Kamoshida was doing was as reprehensible- yet, what could they do about it? Checking his phone quickly for the time, he sighed. At this rate, they were going to be late. The boy didn't seem very fazed by it, and simply gestured at him to come along as he walked down an alleyway- a shortcut?

Both of them seemed to cringe, though- Goro held his head as a searing headache began, with the strange boy doing the same. The world seemed to darken, tinge red, yet neither of them spoke up as they walked down the alleyway- Goro supposed talking would make the headache return in full force, anyway. Yet, when they actually got to where Shujin was supposed to be, he couldn't help but speak up.

"This... Is the school, isn't it?"

Where his school had been only a day before, Goro stared up at a large castle, complete with a drawbridge, a moat, and high parapets that loomed over the two of them and cast shadows on the already darkened area surrounding them. The strange boy accompanying him seemed to be taken aback by it, quietly staring up at the large structure for a moment before coming back to reality, facing Goro.

"We didn't take a wrong turn anywhere. This is where the school should be, I believe..."

I believe? Oh, wow, that's helpful. "I guess we'll just have to go inside and ask then, right?"

The inside of the castle was lit by flickering candles and a large chandelier that sung precariously above their heads, shadows long and shrouding the very edges of the front hall. Goro's eyes trained on a painting of the man that he'd seen before, but romanticized, sword in hand as he stood against his castle. Stranger still, when he looked too long, his vision flickered- sometimes he saw the castle, other times he saw what looked like the school. The strange boy slowly walked forwards, looking around- his hands twitched at his sides and he slowly raised them, as if framing the scene before him.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm... Not quite sure myself. It just feels as if I need to remember what all of this looks like."

The clanking noise of armor caught their attention, and both of them turned to see a castle guard- something deep down told Goro that whatever it was, it wasn't human. Goro quickly took hold of the strange boy's wrist, tugging him along and making a beeline for the entrance. "We have to get out of here, hurry-"

It seemed the guards emerged from the shadows, as more began to surround the two. Neither of them were equipped for a fight, and with nowhere to run, Goro pressed his lips into a thin scowl- the strange boy was frowning as well, and his expression sent chills down Goro's spine. He looked absolutely livid, or maybe that was just what his face looked like when he was angry, but expressions couldn't win fights.

The guards went for the other boy first, bringing their shields down on him- he staggered to the ground, and Goro made a move to help him up and run, but they quickly came after him as well. A hard shield collided with the back of his head, and the next thing Goro was aware of was his cheek, up against the plush carpet of the castle floor, being unceremoniously dragged by his feet towards...

"Take them away!" A voice, distorted and wrong, was the last thing he heard before his vision faded to black.

...

Someone was shaking him awake. A voice, smooth and deep, was trying to reach out to him, gentle prodding in stark contrast to the pain he felt throughout his body. "Wake up, please."

Goro partially opened one eye, vision spotty and swimming in the darkness of wherever he was- his back was up against something hard, and he could just make out the outline of shackles on the wall.

Another cell. I hope waking up in a prison doesn't become a running thing this year.

Sitting up, he glanced at the boy crouching next to him, concern etched on his face. Goro could notice the slight relaxing of his expression- at least they weren't alone in this mess. "I... Suppose this isn't a dream, then," the boy spoke, almost incredulously. "Though, as strange as this place is, I have to admit it has its own unique aesthetic..."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Pleasant facade be damned, Goro was not in the mood to talk aesthetics. He recoiled at the sound of his own voice, harsh and a little hoarse, but got up from his bed to look around. Shackles on the walls, the sound of screaming that echoed through the halls- staggering to the bars, the clank-clank-clank of armor began to grow louder. The guards had returned.

"Be glad your punishment has been decided upon," the distorted voice spoke again- they were being charged with unlawful entry, and... "thus, you will be sentenced to death."

"Oh, hell no," Goro muttered under his breath, hands clenching at the bars. There were footsteps again, and as he looked up to see who was approaching, he wished he'd turned away.

"No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle," came a distorted, yet familiar voice- both boys found themselves looking into the golden gaze of what looked like Kamoshida, but notably without pants. The strange version of Kamoshida had a crown on his head, and a red cloak that was painful on the eyes but thankfully covered any parts of him the two didn't want to see. 'Kamoshida' glanced over at the strange boy, disdain in his face, and he smirked. "Is that you, Kitagawa? I'd have thought you learned your lesson by now."

"Not only did you intrude in my castle, but you insulted me- the king! It's time for an execution," 'Kamoshida' turned to the guards, who nodded back at him without a second thought. "Take him out."

What happened next was a blur- the guards had come in, had pushed Kitagawa to the ground despite his best attempts at fighting back, battering him with their shields- Goro was acutely aware of one of them stomping onto Kitagawa's right hand, and hard. The door was wide open, and all of their attention was on Kitagawa, but Goro stood in place, watching- waiting, but for what? Kitagawa raised his head just barely, a pained expression on his face as he called out to Goro- "Run."

He wasn't paralyzed in fear- no, he would never be scared stiff- but Goro couldn't move. He stepped forwards to try and pull the guard closest to him away from Kitagawa, but the gesture was feeble. 'Kamoshida' smirked at him, his voice teasing and condescending in the worst way. "What, too scared to run away? Pathetic scum like you isn't worth my time."

Pathetic scum...?

'Kamoshida' turned his attention back to Kitagawa, punching him a few times before letting him hit the floor with a dull thump. "A peasant like you isn't worth beating. I'll just have you killed right here-"

"Have you lost your mind?!" Finding his voice, Goro quickly distracted 'Kamoshida' and the guards before any of them could raise a weapon- at the cost of having 'Kamoshida's' attention on him. The man loomed over him, but Goro didn't feel fear- no, the fear had gone away a long time ago, replaced with something that burned inside him, something that caused him to narrow his eyes up at the man purely out of spite. That cold expression, judging him, acting high and mighty- it reminded him of the principal from the day before, the residents of the Velvet Room, and everyone who'd spoken to him after the trial, during his probation.

You're not better than me. Stop acting like you're hot shit.

'Kamoshida' kicked him down to the ground with a surprising amount of strength, but it only made Goro's rage burn brighter, hotter- the guards had converged on Kitagawa, had held him back and pinned him against the wall, but he fought, and struggled to get free. A blue butterfly fluttered across his vision, a soft voice reaching him from somewhere beyond.

This is truly an unjust game... Your chances of winning are almost none.

Tell me something I don't know, butterfly. Goro found it in himself to quickly retort to the gentle voice, which paused- apparently, she hadn't been expecting a reply.

But my voice is reaching you- there is still a possibility open to you!

His vision went white for a minute, but he could hear another voice- one deeper, less gentle, that broke through his thoughts with a wild tone to its voice.

Look at him, lording over you like this. It makes you furious, doesn't it?

You want to put him in his place, don't you? No, you want revenge- to trample him underfoot like the scum he is.

You want to enact your 'justice' on him, do you not?

The voice sounded like his, but different- free, but in a way Goro never would've imagined. Kitagawa was still fighting, even as the largest guard picked him up and held the blade to his throat- any longer and Kitagawa would be dead, and Goro would be next. 'Kamoshida' smirked, watching the scene play out.

What will you do if you stay complacent? He will die, and that man will never face the consequences.

But you- you can be the judge. You can be the jury.

Rage flared through him just as his headache returned in full force- his heartbeat quickened, he knew what he had to do.

You can be the executioner.

He could only nod, his thoughts clouded with the need for revenge- not just on Kamoshida, but on everyone who'd done him wrong, memories of things that he couldn't recall flashed through his mind, only fueling the fire. If the voice inside his head could've smirked, Goro was sure that it would've.

Very well. I've heeded your resolve.

The pain was beginning to become unbearable, red-hot and aching throughout his entire body. His heart beat faster, and he tried his hardest not to make a noise, but it hurt- he thrashed around like his body was being controlled by a puppeteer who jerked his movements, fighting wildly against the pain inside him, the guards holding him back.

I am thou, thou art I, thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice!

Call upon thy name, and release thy rage!

Show thy strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!

The pain, while it didn't subside in the slightest, seemed to be drowned out in something else- Goro slowly, slowly looked up, resolve in his eyes, as 'Kamoshida' called for the execution.

"That's enough." The voice that came out of Goro's mouth didn't feel like his own, rough and deep and dark- it shocked 'Kamoshida' into turning around, and the guards into dropping Kitagawa to the ground. The boy laid there, motionless, but still breathing.

"You desire to be killed that much? Then fine." A wave of 'Kamoshida's' hand, and a shield collided with Goro's face, but he didn't stagger. There was a blade at his throat, and the pain had come back, and yet... 'Kamoshida' raised his hand again, ready to give the signal.

No. I'm not done yet.

A surge of power caused everyone to brace themselves, and Kitagawa slowly sat up against the wall, an odd look crossing his face. Goro's hands shakily went up, touching the mask that had seemingly materialized on him- it was a black mask, tinged a deep scarlet at the ends, cold to the touch. He knew what he had to do, he knew, and curled his fingers around the edges, staggering with the pain of ripping it off in one motion, blood spattering his clothes, the floor, the mask- running in rivulets down his face and dripping down.

The scream he released even sent a chill down his spine, one that only gave way to the velvet-colored flames that engulfed his body, that threatened to spread to the guards, which were blown away by the sheer amount of power that came off of him. Kitagawa was thankfully unharmed, but the expression he was making...

Goro was too busy to think about what was going on in the strange boy's head, and gripped the sabre that seemingly appearing in his hand. As the flames began to subside, Goro realized his entire appearance had changed- pitch black clothing that clung tightly to him, intricate stripes that wrapped around his body. For the first time since coming to Tokyo, he felt in control of himself, of the situation- and a smile crossed his face, the power surging up and threatening to spill over, as if he couldn't control himself. Reaching deep into his mind for the name, he called his true self out- his tone wild, just as the voice had been.

"Come to me... Loki!"

pleasant boy who ?

yusuke hits the ground like, three times in this chapter,

the deck is shuffled, just poorly i guess, whoever changed things is really shitty at shuffling