The crew entered the castle entered the castle and when they did they heard loud voices.
"All hail king kamoshida!!"
"Death to the intruders!!"
They opened a gap in a door and saw a hoard of knights who were chanting at kamoshida.
Ann was surprised by the sight for a moment but when she saw kamoshida she was about to enter into the room but max stopped her.
Max: if you go there it will be suicide not to mention if we kill that version of him he will die in the real world.
Akira: I get what you're going through but don't get yourself killed by being impulsive and remember you still don't have control over your abilities.
Ann wanted to say something but she knew that the boys were right.
Morgana: come on let's check the other room.
They did just that but when they opened the door a knight was there and they quickly hid leaving the knight confused.
Max summoned moline and she swiftly knocked the knight into a wall of books.
It then turned into a pixie and max made black whips and restrained the pixie from escaping.
Pixie: don't kill me.
Ryuji: after what you're king did you suzui do you expect us to give you mercy.
Morgana: unless you can give us something.
Ann: are you serious?
Morgana: what? They could have something valuable.
Pixie: I don't have anything on me.
Morgana: well. This is awkward.
Max: damn it Morgana.
Akira: well we might as well send her to hell.
Pixie: oh aren't you the cool guy.
Akira: uhhh.
Pixie: i like those kinds of people.
Max: what the hell is wrong with her?
Moline: no clue.
Pixie: oh now I remember!
Max felt a sudden force and his whip were destroyed by that force.
Pixie: I don't just belong to kamoshida I exist within the sea of human souls. I am thou thou art i.
The pixie then transformed into a mask that looked like akira's and flew straight to his face.
Ann: what was that!?
Ryuji: dude did it possessed you!?
Max: calm down I think-
Knight: what with all the noise in here!?
A knight saw the crew and it transformed into a bicorn and was charging at them.
But akira feeling a new power within him stepped in front of the group and from his hand lightning came out shocked the bicorn until it died.
Max: looks like I was right.
Ryuji: what the hell just happened?
Morgana: don't tell me. Did he absorb that shadow and it's powers and change your abilities?
Akira: I guess I can I didn't even know about this.
Max: obviously or else you would have done it a long time ago.
Ann: so that makes akira a massive power house.
Morgana: alright we did enough gaslighting let's get moving.
The group kept on going through the castle and there was some puzzles and powerful shadows but they still haven't found the treasure but one good benefit is that Ann started to combat and got good control over her fire manipulation skills.
Currently they were in a safe room which is basically a place in the palace that kamoshida has less control over and they were there to think of strategies and rest.
Morgana: oh right I completely forgot about this but we need code names.
Max: why?
Morgana: well we're phantom thieves and it be cool to have code names and plus we don't know what effect yelling our real names could have.
Max: I have a good answer for both of those. One it's pointless since the ruler already knows who we are. The four of us enters his castle and if my memory serves me correctly we didn't have code names and when we got out kamoshida didn't came directly towards me or Ryuji and akira.
Akira: he has a point.
Ryuji: but having code names would be cool though.
Max: no this is serious and thinking of code names is a massive waste of time plus like I said before it doesn't matter about exposing our real names in this place.
Morgana: then we will be thieves with no sense of style.
Max: oh for god's sake we aren't thieves we're exorcist we do things under the radar without getting public attention and there's a killer out there using this to kill people without getting caught and you are here complaining about us not being stylish!? Get real. This might a mission to expose kamoshida but this another thing a mission! And we had a direct order from one of our surpiriors to get information on how this place works so get it through your thick skull this could give us information on how the killer operates and if you only care about looking cool then you really don't understand how really works.
Everyone was silent at max's out burst and Morgana didn't know how to respond.
Max: look I get it you guys just got cool powers and all but this is life or death and we can't afford to get sloppy just because we wanted to get some attention. And there's a killer out there and we have to do this carefully if we want to capture him or her so we're not doing this whole thing as thieves we're doing this as exorcist.
Ann: I agree if there's a killer out there causing all of this suffering they might be worse than kamoshida and I want to stop them.
Ryuji: yeah count me in two because for all I know my mom could end up as a victim of a mental shutdown incident and if we find this guy I can at least rest easy.
Morgana: alright fine we're doing this the exorcist way.
Max: thank you now come on let's keep going.
They kept on investigating the castle but they were starting to get tired.
And so they decided to call it a day and when they got to the real world they went there separate ways and max called Miguel to request an order of weapons and special medicine and to also give him some storage rings.
Miguel was a little mad that max got another civilian in exorcist business but he understood why after all the intelligence department of the EXO corporation were good at getting information from other sources.
After that was settled he went to his house and went to sleep and tomorrow was going to be a free day of school so he doesn't have to deal with kamoshida for now.
The next day came and max was planning to go around Tokyo because seeing it in videos and anime's were one thing but experiencing it in person was something else.
He went to a place called the Big Bang burger and he saw something called the Big Bang challenge which it was basically like an eating contest.
He didn't have time to go shopping thanks to the whole thing with the metaverse but know this could benefit him he gets a big meal and he doesn't loose much money.
He accepted the challenge and he was honestly surprised at the big burger.
But regardless he ate the whole thing getting impressed looks from the customers and some of the workers.
His reward was a card of a full month discount since which he probably won't use it tomorrow but he wouldn't mind coming here for a big meal again.
Next he went to the arcade he spent a minutes with the games but when but when he glanced at the entrance he saw akira and ryuji.
He decided to see what those two were doing and to make sure they don't get into trouble.
He managed to catch and the two were a bit surprised to see him.
Ryuji: hey max what are you doing here?
Max: exploring Japan what are you two doing?
Ryuji: getting some fire arms.
A brief moment of silence passed over the 3.
Max: run that by me again?
Ryuji: we're getting some fire-
Ryuji was interrupted by max grabbing him by the ear and dragging him to an nearby alleyway.
Max: what the hell is wrong with you!? Are trying to get involved in criminal things!?
Ryuji: no of course not! I look during my day in the track team I found this place that sells model guns they aren't real.
Max: so you aren't going to buy real guns?
Ren: yeah remember that I had a fake gun in the metaverse are real to our opponents.
Max: fine but if things go south we're getting out.
They got inside the gun store and max had to admit that this place had good guns he wasn't a gun person but that doesn't mean that he won't use it to fight.
Ryuji bought a shotgun and akira got a better gun and they got Ann an smg pistol.
Max told them to have moline eat the bags because it would be pretty suspicious to carry them around and moline's stomach is a pocket dimension that stores his weapons.
The two were wierded out but he told them to get over it.
They got to they got to the entrance of the underpass and they got to talking.
Ryuji: we should probably get some medicine any ideas?
Morgana: well there was a doctor that lives near akira's place we could get medicine from their.
Max: that won't be necessary.
Akira: why?
Max: I gave Miguel a call and he hook me up on some stuff that we might need like weapons medicine and storage rings you are going to need those.
Ryuji: storage rings?
Max: there basically rings that have a pocket dimension like moline's stomach that holds objects for you and it's better than figuring out how to hide them.
Akira: so when is it coming?
Max: tomorrow.
Ryuji: for really? Nice.
Max: this to not raise any suspicion and remember the EXO branch of Japan is allowing us access to their building and we will go there tomorrow.
Ryuji: really? why?
Max: for one to pick up your weapons and I have somethings to talk about with Miguel.
Akira: so are we walking there?
Max: oh hell no Miguel will send me a cap to pick us up.
Morgana: didn't you say to keep things on the down low?
Max: don't get smart with me. Obviously the cap is working for EXO so he or she is the only one who knows we're the place is.
Ryuji: so what do we do with the guns?
Max: well their not real so you'll probably be fine though Miguel will raised some questions about that.
Akira: actually now that we are here can we get something to eat?
Ryuji: oh yeah I completely forgot. I mean to go to this beef bowl place and it has some good food.
Morgana: sounds to me that you just like to get greasy food.
Ryuji: shut up! Anyway since you're new around Japan we can take you there.
Max: sure I don't mind.
The 4 of them went to the beef bowl place and max had to admit Japan puts effort into their food.
After that they separated and went home.
The next day max got a call from Miguel telling him that his order was ready and sent a cap.
It took a while but the cap managed to come and he go to pick up Ryuji,ann,akira and Morgana.
They were picked up while they were walking and max recommended this so that their parents or guardians don't find out.
The 3 students and cat felt like they were in a spy movie because this felt really off
Max told them that field were the exorcist are isn't in plane sight and it's thanks to his mom that the exorcist can keep themselves hidden more than before.
They asked about his mom and he answered that his mom who is named mikado has the ability to make talismans that have various effects and the one that EXO corporation use to keep themselves hidden is via invisible tags and illusion tags that it makes them invisible to Normal people.
They got dropped off at a forest area that was covered by caution tapes and signs.
Morgana: is this the place?
Max: yup looks like they use the same method as in the USA.
Ryuji: wait so this is how it is back there?
Max: yeah our place has the caution signs and tapes and my moms talismans are around to cause hallucinations that drives non exorcist out.
Ann: so do we just walk in?
Max: yup come on.
He walked pass the caution zone and walked towards the forest with the others following suit.
Max told them to flare up their spiritual energy to protect themselves from the fog that causes hallucinations akira didn't know why but he felt like the fog gave him some form of ptsd.
Somewhere else you narukami sneezed and he felt like someone was talking about a supernatural fog
They continued until the fog cleared and they got to an area that was had buildings
The sight was one to behold to the rookies.
Max: come on.
With that they followed max to a building that Miguel was there talking to an owl looking creature.
Mono: so are you going to punish the kid?
Miguel: as much as I want to I can't because he has something to do.
Shujin students/morgana: that's a freaking owl/is that a talking owl.
Max: hey mono.
Mono: heya kid. Meggy here is really cross with you.
Miguel: keep talking and I'll will be having cooked chicken.
Mono: sure sure.
The owl noticed the students and figured that these were the new ones.
Mono: got to say these kids don't look like much but they sure have potential.
Miguel let out a sigh getting a mind grain from his guide and decided to just get to the point.
Miguel: come on let's get inside.
With that they got inside the building.
The shujin students saw people in lab coats and some are in computers gathering data and they started to realize especially Morgana that them alone can't hide from the public unless they have some sort of support system.
And the EXO corporation seemed to be that support.
They got to an armory room full with model guns and others weapons and ryuji was just gawking at the many guns and weapons.
But there was a small desk that had 3 brief cases.
Max guess that it was their custom made weapons.
Miguel opened them and showed the teens and cat their custom made weapons
The 4 gawk at their at their weapons and to say they were star struck was an understatement.
They got out their individual weapons to try them out.
Akira's weapon is a dagger that when it cuts someone it drains vitality and restores the wielder's energy.
Ryuji's weapon is a kanabo that when its imbued with his electricity when it strikes it lets out a burst of electricity that increases the amount of damage.
Ann has a whip sword that can change from whip to sword on command and it can be imbued with her fire.
Morgana was given an cutlass sword that can be mix elements with wind.
Like for example if Ann's weapon and Morgana's made contact his cutlass would absorb the fire then it can let out a fire wind slash.
Currently they were in an empty gym trying out their weapons on dummies.
Fortunately akira told max and Miguel that Morgana can now change between his cartoonish form and his cat form so there was no problem on Morgana being behind in training.
Max and Miguel were watching them train and they also gave some pointers on what they are doing wrong.
Ryuji was too reckless in his attacks and doesn't strategies much.
So Miguel took it upon himself to teach Ryuji to use his head in a fight and not just attack with no plan.
As for Ann akira and Morgana.
Max helped Ann in her sword play.
And he did 2v1 against him the two were Morgana and akira.
After a few rounds of training Miguel gave them their storage rings so that they can store their weapons.
Morgana's storage ring had to be put with a small black rope so to others it looks like he has a ring necklace around his neck
The group were happy about their own weapons and they thanked max a lot.
But as for the medicines Miguel said that it might take some time because they have to transfer the necessary supplies to make the specialized medicine.
He also said that theirs a surprise back at his house which obviously max didn't get.
But after visiting the base they went back to Shibuya and their separate ways.
However morgana told akira to check out the doctor near him to see if she can supply them.
As for max he went home and he was expecting some sort of box left behind by an exorcist.
Max: Miguel isn't one for surprises usually he just gets to the point. Let's hope that he is doing a surprise punishment.
"Well you would have to know that he actually called for us.
Max stopped at the voice he looked at the living room and saw a boy with red hair smiling at him.
He smiled back happy to see a familiar face.
Max: Pete!
He ran toward Peter and they clasped their hands in a arm wrestling possession.
Peter: happy to see you to max.
Max: what are you doing I thought I was the only one who Miguel asked for.
Peter: yeah about that. Sophia actually dragged me here because her and Miguel kinda have a thing going on.
Max: oh yeah I get it know.
Peter: yeah I'm not opening that can of worms. But anyway what's your story how's your time in Japan?
Max: well about that.
He explained everything about the metaverse and a killer on the loose and also his mission at the school.
Peter: wow you've been through a lot huh?
Max: tell me about it I thought getting dirt on a principle was my main job. But no this shindig happens.
Peter: so if I got this right this metaverse and the killer are the causes of the mental shutdowns?
Max: yeah but mainly the killer we don't know who it is but we will make sure that they don't cause any problems.
Peter: well if that's the case since I'm already here in Japan I might as well help you and those other guys.
Max: you sure? It took me a while to get used to the metaverse.
Peter: you said that there kinda like territories so I think I'll be fine.
Max: well if you say so Pete.
He stuck out his hand and Peter shook it with a smile.
Max: it's good to see you man.
Peter: let's be honest you and I both know that we make a killer team.
Max: hah yeah no denying that.
Max told Peter that there's an extra room in the building and he can used that as his room.
Now that the group has another member things will be less difficult to deal with.