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Ann Takamaki had never really considered herself impulsive…
Okay there was the occasional cute outfit or a limited time special crepe but when it was important, Ann would think before she acted.
...Then Kamoshida touched her hair… he did it so subtly when no one was looking while not so subtly complimenting it.
“Everyone’s saying such nasty things about your hair but I think it looks quite lovely on you, Ann-chan.”
...And she felt so disgusted like a thousand showers would never make her clean…
...Which is why when she came home from school that day, she grabbed a pair of scissors and proceeded to chop off most of her hair. When she finally looked in the mirror, she saw what a mess it was and how Kamoshida couldn’t possibly be able to hide his hands if he tried to touch it again.
Perfect.
Of course every gossip in Shujin had something to say.
“Did you see what Takamaki did to her hair!?"
“I know! And I thought Americans were supposed to be stylish.”
“I saw her talking with Mr. Kamoshida yesterday. He was complimenting her hair.”
“Ew do you think she cut it for him?”
That last one stung especially since she cut it to spite him.
Well at the very least, Kamoshida seemed to have gotten the hint…
Except he didn’t… he tried to get her alone and she ended up slapping him in the face and kneeing him in the stomach to get away. And that was when everything changed.
Rumors started spreading about how she was the one to come onto him rather than the other way around. Then they mutated into claims about her sleeping with teachers for good grades. At some point the rumors spread beyond Shujin and Ann found herself losing jobs and clients.
Who wanted to work with the girl who was willing to sleep around for favors after all?
After that, Ann stopped giving a damn. Everyone wanted to see her as some bad girl? Fine, she'll give it to them.
The only people she trusted to be the real her were Shiho and Ryuji Sakamoto, a boy she remembered from their middle school years…
...At least she thought she could trust him. When he came back from school after his accident, she found him taking orders from Kamoshida. She refused to look him in the eye after that.
Then at the start of the new school year, she met Haru Kurusu and the two found themselves in a castle and with the help of some weird demon thing that appeared with Haru and a bizarre monster cat, they escaped with their lives.
Ann Takamaki had never really considered herself impulsive…
...But she NEEDED to go back to the Castle.
Ann looked up at the enormous castle.
Somewhere in there was Kamoshida and this time she wasn’t going to let him get away.
They met up with the Monster Cat, Morgana again (Ann initially misremembered the name as Monamona but he quickly and gently corrected her.)
He was hesitant to go back into the castle but agreed as long as Haru (who was wearing that strange outfit again) came with them. Fine by her, Ann hasn’t known her for long but she knew she could trust her.
The three moved through the castle, Haru and Morgana fighting off any guards they encountered, until they encountered a banner that declared the next room to be…
“ Kamoshida’s Training Hall of Love !? Ugh I think I’m gonna be sick.”
Even though Ann really REALLY didn’t want to go in, she had a mission and so she, Haru, and Morgana stepped into the… training hall. (Like hell she was going to call it by its full name again.)
As soon as they entered, they could hear a strange noise echoing throughout the hall. They rush through and are horrified to find Kamoshida’s knights whipping a bunch of students.
Haru covered her mouth, “How awful.”
Ann growled, “That sick bastard is not going to get away with this!”
“Lady Ann please, you need to keep your voice down. We can’t do anything if we’re caught.”
“...I know, I know it’s just... we can’t just stand here while…!”
“It’s pointless. Please stop.”
Haru and Ann turned to the voice and saw one of the boys limping towards them from the other side.
“Leave us alone… it’s useless...”
Another boy came to them and gave them a pleading look.
“It could be so much worse! We just… we just gotta keep quiet. Better this than what he does to those who fight back.”
“FUCK THAT! None of this is okay, we gotta get you outta here!” Ann shouted in anger
“Wait, you were going to try to break them out!?”
Ann looked over at Morgana, “We can’t just leave them here.”
Morgana sighed and gave her a sad look.
“Your kindness is to be admired, Lady Ann but we can’t do that. These aren’t real people who entered from reality like you two, they’re only humans in Kamoshida’s cognition, think of them like realistic dolls.”
“So… we can’t save them.” Said Haru
“Precisely. With that said… this is still horrible. It must mean he treats them as slaves in the real world too.”
Ann looked at the scene before them and then suddenly had an awful realization.
“I… I recognize some of these guys… these are the members of the school’s volleyball team...”
“...They must be physically abused every day...” Morgana added
“All the bruises and bandages I’ve seen on them...” Whispered Haru
Oh god… if this is what he’s doing to the guys…
Immediately Ann pulled out her phone, if she could get video evidence of this maybe they could stop him before…
“Shit! My camera isn’t working! The Navigation app works fine, why can’t the camera!? Haru what about you?”
Haru takes her phone out and tries to bring up the camera app but instead she just shakes her head.
“It isn’t working for me either.”
“Hey, whatever you two do, we need to head back. We’ll be caught if we stay here too long.”
“Give me a second.”
Ann looks at each of the players and memorizes their faces. If she can’t get recordings of this maybe she can get some information from the real ones.
Afterwards, the three attempt to make their way back from where they started. Along the way, they noticed more and more tortures inflicted on the volleyball team. Ann found herself becoming angrier and angrier especially when she thought of Shiho… all the bruises and the excuses she’d make about them… every time she assured her they weren’t that bad when Ann would ask where they came from...
‘Just you wait you bastard...’
Before long Haru, Ann, and Morgana made it to the front entrance but they were blocked by Kamoshida and more of his knights.
“Oh, it’s you two again. Finally saw the error of your ways and came crawling back?”
Before Haru or Morgana could say anything, Ann stepped forward.
“The school isn’t your castle, you scumbag! And we’re going to bring you down!”
Kamoshida just chuckled and shook his head.
“Oh Takamaki, you never learn do you? Throwing your friends under the bus for your own little vendetta.”
Haru looked over to Ann, “Ann-chan what’s he talking about?”
Ann just stared instead of answering because… she had no idea. What the hell was he talking about!?
“Oh whoops, I forgot that you wouldn’t know, after all I told Suzui to keep it our little secret.”
“What the fuck does Shiho have to do with this?”
“My my such language from you, Takamaki. But I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell you, these are your last moments after all. After that little stunt you pulled assaulting me, I was ready to go to the next Board Meeting and recommend your expulsion. I don’t know how but Suzui found out and begged and pleaded with me to let you stay at the school. So we made a little deal. She’d come by for some… private lessons and you would be spared. You should be lucky, Takamaki, to have such a kind, loyal friend.”
She began to see red… her hands were shaking…
“Ann-chan?” Haru asked in concern
“Shiho… threw herself… to this monster… all to protect me…” Ann muttered to herself
Ann Takamaki had never really considered herself impulsive…
...But the only thing she could think of was taking down that sick son of a bitch!
She let out a loud scream as she charged at Kamoshida but she was suddenly stopped by one of the knights stepping in front of him and slapping her out of the way.
As Ann tried to stand up, the same knight quickly rushed at her with its weapon, ready to strike.
“MILADY!”
However with a shout, the knight was knocked down and Ann looked to see Haru with her persona (that was Morgana called it right) along with Morgana and his ready to fight.
“So even after all that, you wish to save her. How tragic for you, Takamaki, you keep on finding friends to defend you but you just continue letting them down. EXECUTE THEM!”
“LEAVE ANN-CHAN ALONE! GO MILADY!”
Milady shot some kind of what Ann could only describe as a weird explosion of colors but it didn’t seem to affect the knights who proceeded to transform into more creepy monsters.
They surrounded Haru and Morgana and with one hit each, both of them were brought down.
Kamoshida placed a foot on top of Morgana while an untransformed knight placed its foot on Haru.
The sight made Ann’s blood run cold.
“This wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t so cruel, Takamaki. I was only just complimenting you and then you reacted by chopping off most of your lovely hair. I only wanted to talk to you in private and you responded by assaulting me. Then you turned yourself into… this .”
“YOU WEREN’T JUST COMPLIMENTING MY HAIR YOU WERE TOUCHING IT! I TOLD YOU TO STOP AND YOU DIDN’T! YOU TRIED TO LOCK ME IN A ROOM WITH YOU! ...I… felt violated by you...”
“...Lady Ann...”
Kamoshida just chuckled as he pressed his foot harder on Morgana.
“Once these two are dealt with, you’re next. And I have a special punishment in mind for you Takamaki...”
For the first time since the incident, Ann found herself crying.
He was right if she just shut up and accepted it, maybe Shiho wouldn’t be suffering… Haru and Morgana wouldn’t be…
“Shiho… Haru… I’m so sorry...”
“ANN-CHAN PLEASE DON’T LISTEN TO HIM!”
“Huh?”
Despite being underfoot by one of Kamoshida’s goons, Haru gave Ann a determined look.
“Like you said, he’s a monster! He would have done all the same things whether or not you defended yourself! Suzui-chan isn’t suffering because of you! It’s because of him! It’s all because of him!”
“...You’re right… what the hell was I just thinking!? Letting this piece of shit, toy with me!?”
Ann fully stood up and glared at Kamoshida.
“I’ve had enough of this! You ruined my life and Shiho’s and who knows how many others all because I said “NO!” Well guess what? I’m done with this. YOU’VE PISSED ME OFF, YOU SON OF A BITCH!”
My… it’s taken far too long.
Ann lets out a gasp as an awful pain pierces through her skull.
You know that nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. But letting your rage run wild solves nothing either.
Ann whimpers as she falls to her knees, her head in her hands. It wasn’t just the pain in her head, her whole body felt like it was burning up.
How can you save anyone when those you wish to protect keep fighting your battles?
She needs to stop the pain! How? HOW? HOW!?
Such is the cry of the other you that dwells within. I am thou, thou art I.
Suddenly Ann felt a mask appear on her face and she knew, she knew it needed to go.
Forge a contract with me and we can focus your fire and strike down the one who truly deserves to burn!
With one pull, Ann rips the mask from her face and lets out a blood-curdling scream.
Kamoshida and the knights were knocked back, Haru and Morgana quickly stood up, and were then joined by Ann looking proud as a beautiful dancer stood at her side.
“I’m done running away. I’m done watching my friends hurt themselves to save me.”
The three watched as another knight transformed and joined the others.
“I’m ready… LET’S DANCE CARMEN!”
Ann Takamaki had never really considered herself impulsive…
But now with Haru, Morgana, and Carmen on her side...
She felt like she could finally save her friends. And she was going to start by burning down this fucking castle to the ground.