Okay I guess this chapter will be shorter than the last one cause i kinda jammed it full with plot advancements. Whoops. Vibe writing i guess? I should make promises haha. Enjoy.
This chapter is a gift to user Killerspider. Thank you for the motivation dude!
-Raoul
"ShadOps messenger?" Morgana muttered.
"Those fuckers," Ren groaned.
"Ren!" Morgana exclaimed.
"That cat might be light on his feet. He still hasn't been caught!" the teacher suddenly said. "I wonder what startled him…"
"Sorry, Morgana, it's just… I'm absolutely positive they know about the Metaverse and now they're just rubbing it in my face."
"How so?" Morgana whispered. "Are you sure they can be trusted? As far as I know, we should be the only people able to go there. Unless Igor gave them the app?"
"Shad. Short for Shadow. Op. Short for operation or operatives."
"You're probably overthinking it," Morgana said, sounding unsure.
Looking through the app, Ren wasn't shocked by its sophistication. Fuuka always told him about programming and computer stuff. She taught him how to think algorithmically. Sometimes it hurt more than it helped. She warned him about the dangers of using cause and effect as a means to navigate relationships. But it was difficult for him to put into practice. Lately, however, it had been coming to him easier.
What shocked him was how professional it was. It even had a shared note-taking feature that allowed the members of the group to send files. Why would a teenager need this?
After registering a profile, he couldn't determine anything about it that would keep the conversations private. It was just an app. The contacts of the Inaba and Iwatodai groups were even neatly organized and loaded despite him just making the profile!
---
A dark room.
"Oh? Attic crime boy installed something new to his Phone? Mehehehehe."
Her stomach rumbled.
"Hm, it can wait. First. SOJIROOOOOOOOO, I REQUIRE SUSTENANCE!"
---
Finding nothing wrong with the app, and knowing Fuuka wouldn't harm him in any way, he sent her a message within the app and asked her if he should just send the installation file to everyone. Fuuka just replied with an X emoji, followed by a gif of an anime character saying, "You can count on me!"
Smiling, he put his phone away.
"Amamiya!" the teacher yelled.
Snapping his head up, Ren saw a white blur come flying at him. His eyes narrowed.
It felt like time had slowed. He could fully see the path that the object was coming in, and as it passed through the air exactly as he predicted, he dodged to the side.
SMACK
The chalk shattered against the wall behind Ren.
"Tch… Pay attention," the teacher clicked his tongue.
"Wow, that was cool."
"How the hell did he do that?"
"I'm impressed, I'd definitely get hit by that."
"Delinquents are just different, huh?"
The classroom buzzed in awe.
"Enough, quiet, quiet!"
'Arsene? What was that? This is reality,' Ren asked, dumbfounded.
'The third eye,' Arsene chuckled in pride.
'Huh?'
'Focus on class. Learn from the mistakes of the past,' Arsene changed the subject.
Ren sighed and turned his attention to class.
---
The group met up on the roof.
"Ren, this Lucia person is scary," Ann shivered.
"Huh? She's an angel," Ren said.
"Yeah, she was really nice to me," Shiho said in confusion, Ryuji nodding along.
"I left her on read because I didn't want to install anything or reply yet," Ann revealed. "She just sent a frowning emoji and somehow installed it herself."
She turned her phone to the group, showing that the screen was locked on the create profile screen of the app.
BZZT
[Lucia]
I'm sorry!!!!!!!!
"IT'S SCARY THAT YOU'RE STILL LISTENING!" Ann retorted.
The phone didn't buzz again.
But Ren's did.
[Lucia]
I didn't mean it. Tell her I'm sorry. She's too loud right now!
Ren simply paused.
"Don't be afraid of her. She's pretty harmless," Ren chuckled. "Her boss, however."
He suddenly had a hollow look in his eyes.
"She's scary. But nice. But scary."
'I really hope Mitsuru isn't with Fuuka right now.'
---
Sitting in her office, Mitsuru Kirijo looked up from her phone with a sigh. She had just finished reading Yu's message.
"It's happening again."
"…and we are forgetting you, why?" she said in deep sorrow.
She put on a look of cold determination, replying to her wildcard subordinate. It was weird for her to think about even still.
Suddenly, she blinked and her face shifted to confusion.
"Why did I just think that Ren needed to be punished?"
---