Yo! It's ya boy back at ya again with my writing. Short chapter today. Not exactly inspired but i still wanted to write. Enjoy. Maybe there will be another chapter today. It's still quarter to 9:00am in my timezone! Thanks for reading!
-Raoul
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"Well, since you seem heavily invested in this library puzzle, you're up, Skull. Put the last book in its place," Ren said with a smirk.
"You'll see," Ryuji grumbled as the girls smiled at the banter.
"Hey Ren, you saw it right?" Morgana whispered as Ryuji approached the shelf.
"The button? Yeah, my eyes have been getting sharper and sharper lately. It's almost like things of interest glow sometimes," Ren whispered back. "Anyway, I do agree that the library has some kind of puzzle."
"Mhmm," Morgana nodded.
'Zorro, do you know anything about that?'
'Likely a manifestation of his connection with Arsene. What thief does not have an eye for detail?' Zorro chuckled. 'He will be fine.'
Ren focused his eyes and concentrated his senses. He could see vague outlines around the edges of all three specific books. There was also some kind of flickering on the floor leading from one area of the bookcase to another.
'Footprints?'
Ryuji waited in anticipation after inserting the queen book into its presumed spot. "Oh, by the way, there is an entire book dedicated to Ann here. Wanna take a look?"
As Ryuji held the book aloft, he suddenly heard a snort. Carmen briefly appeared to set the book on fire.
"Yeah, I would do the same," Shiho groaned.
"Looks like it wasn't a puzz—" Ann began before the library started to rumble.
"You were saying?" Ryuji boasted proudly.
"We can't tell him that you pressed a button," Shiho whispered to Morgana and Ren.
"I think Panther noticed it too, but shhh. I'm pretty sure he's going to be right about a lot of that stuff. He was just sort of wrong this time…" Ren shared his thoughts quietly as Ryuji cheered, a bookcase shifting slowly with a loud groan, revealing the path into a new room.
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…
The team entered the room in trepidation. The vibe was weird in Ryuji's words. And he was correct. The room was disgusting. It was plastered with candid photos of girls and women changing. Mirror selfies of Ann wearing a strained fake smile in her underwear. Even a photo of Shiho unclipping her bra. Thankfully nothing explicit was shown. At least of the two girls present. There were, however, quite disgusting photos of other girls.
"Panther. This is what you were doing to protect me?" Shiho whispered shakily, completely ignoring the photos of herself.
"Ugh, gross!" Morgana suddenly groaned. "It's wet in he— URK."
Turning around, the team saw Morgana shaking off his paws aggressively. A mixture of some kind of viscous red and white liquid on them.
"It's so sticky! This better not be what I think it is!"
The team was silent for a moment before going back to observing the room. Ann and Shiho were taking down photos of themselves and gritting their teeth before crushing them. Streams of curses flowing from their mouths.
"This girl… she transferred last year. I hope this photo doesn't imply what I think it does," Shiho said quietly, her face pale, before Ann yelled.
"Fuck this room! Everyone move out!" Ann demanded. "Out out out!"
She shooed the group out of the room quickly.
"Morgana! Get over here!" Ann growled.
"Yes ma'am!!" Morgana saluted as he ran up to her. Panther was relying on him!
"MARAGI!" Ann yelled, setting the room ablaze before collapsing to her knees, out of breath.
"Wait! You learned a 'Ma-' spell?! It's your second day with a Persona, you shou—" Morgana panicked.
"Cast your damn wind into that room," Ann said in anger, her eyes locked on the burning room.
"Haaa. Okay. Garu!" Morgana gave up. He was weak to beauty and conviction!
The room essentially exploded with the introduction of excessive oxygen to the blaze. Ann's lips curled into a smile.
"Take that, asshole…" she whispered before passing out.
"PANTHER!" Shiho yelled, pushing Ryuji out of the way.
"Hey!—"
Luckily, Ren was already at Ann's side. He checked her breathing and pulse, determining she was unconscious.
"Let's get her to the doctor I know," Ren said seriously. "We don't know what might have happened because she went over her limits."
'You don't want your soul to explode, now do you?' Ren remembered Justine's words, swallowing his fear.
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