Chapter 1: A Twisted Tango
Chapter Text
It has been almost a month.
Was it a month already?
It felt as though he could no longer grasp the exact passage of time since that fateful day. He just couldn't wrap his head around it.
Can you really blame him, though?
First, there is a hidden hour between midnight and the next day. Then the sky turns puke green, and the moon becomes like some kind of eldritch fantasy glowing shit. This is when the world enters the dark hour, people turn into coffins, and electronics cease functioning.
Hoo boy, and then there's this monstrosity of a tower structured like a clusterfuck of building styles. It's called Tartarus, and it pops up every single damn night on top of the Gekkoukan High School. And finally, the cherry on top: you fight anime style with some potential ego power within you, taking the form of a "persona".
Oh, let's not forget the part where you shoot yourself in the head with a gun-shaped instrument called an "evoker" every time you need to use said persona.
The average person's reaction to all that spiel would be: Nah, you have to be out of your mind to say such things could happen.
He only wished that all that was some headcanon fantasy and that he could wake up the next day, brushing it off as a dream.
Nope, it happened alright. If you think last year was one hell of an ordeal, you found out that the whole series of events was a fuckfest a decade in the making. The dark hour, the shadows, the personas, and the embodiment of death itself. One slip-up, and it's all over.
Come to think of it, none of that really mattered to him after he left S.E.E.S.. All the glum and "end of the world' stigma meant nothing to him after what happened two years ago.
He was on a mission to pursue rogue shadows outside of Tartarus. In the heat of the battle, he lost control of his persona, which resulted in the death of a civilian.
There are no ifs, ands, or buts to that. He is guilty, and he should be punished. The only reason he got away, unwillingly, mind you, was that ordinary people without power of persona could not function during the dark hour.
The only evidence the police could find was just the mangled body of the victim. It did not help with the case because it happened in sketchy slum areas of Tatsumi Port Island Station.
Bad shit happens at shady places; maybe if you don't go there, you might spare yourself the trouble.
The mentality of that is poppycock, but what could the police do? Apathy syndrome was at a record high, and crime relating to apathy victims skyrocketed too. There's only so much a limited force could do. So he was let go, scot-free, only to marinate in his own guilt.
S.E.E.S. knew their actions had risks and consequences, but nothing mentally prepared them for that incident. They were just middle school students, young and feisty, using their newfound power against the unknown.
The incident hit them hard regarding team morale; they questioned their reasoning for joining the cause. For Akihiko, he seeks power to find justice and to finally be strong enough to protect the ones he cherishes. For Mitsuru, she seeks to undo the destruction her late grandfather has committed to mankind. She wants to repent for the calamity brought to innocent people due to the sins of the Kirijo group. Having to sway the police into writing the death of Mrs Amada as a freak accident did not sit well with her either. Alas, what are the alternatives then?
S.E.E.S. cannot disband, at least not now when the dark hour still exists.
He understands her reasoning, but it feels like everything is wrong. He shouldn't be allowed to go waltzing around pretending to be some savior while his involuntary slaughter of an innocent is left unpunished. If the law cannot right the wrong, he must seek penance on his own accord.
He never asked for power.
Heck, he joined because his closest resemblance to a family is risking his life, charging head-first into danger. He's no saint or hero. He was just there to keep tabs on his knucklehead of a partner—nothing more, nothing less.
Seeking justice and ending others' suffering didn't initially manifest as a cause for him. It was for Aki and Aki alone. As time progressed, he got to know more about Mitsuru, and being mature enough as a person, the idea of being able to do something for other unfortunate people did not seem too bad at all.
Until that day happened anyway.
Ever since he cast himself into a voluntary exile in the slums of Iwatodai. He took to downing meds that could put a leash on his persona. It was some shady Kirijo Labs product meant for another nefarious purpose. He didn't care if that was going to slowly eat away his life force or have every waking moment of his life in pain and suffering. He deserved every single bit of it. It is how it should have been.
At least, that was his conviction for the longest time until she barged into his life and turned it a 360.
Back then, he thought she was just a naive errand girl doing Aki's bidding because he still suffered from survivor's guilt.
But no. She was way more than that.
The first encounter was brief, but she still left quite an impression on him.
Kotone Shiomi, huh?
He hasn't really interacted with many females in life. His mom has been practically absent since he was born, and his old man didn't live long enough to tell him about her. As for time spent in the orphanage, it was mostly with Aki and his sister Miki. Then the fire happened, and that's about as many interactions he had with females.
He met Mitsuru when he joined S.E.E.S. in middle school. Even when she was younger, she's always having this intense aura around her. Not that it's bad, but sometimes he felt sorry for her. She is a Kirijo, but none of what transpired from a decade ago was her fault. Yet she chose to bear all the burden. The three of them started off being in an awkward camaraderie. Eventually, they got older and wiser, and the three became close friends, maybe even family if his understanding of that is correct.
But Kotone, though? She's a real piece of work.
She's an auburn with piercing bright eyes. Although she has a small stature, her general demeanor and mannerisms suggest she is quite the athlete. Maybe that's why she can brave Tartarus with much grace and gets along with Aki quite well.
Maybe a little too well sometimes.
But heck, who wouldn't want to befriend her?
She was quite energetic and always seemed confident in what she did. Her conviction was quite admirable, too. Her eyes always had that shine that made it sometimes hard to look at them directly. Like her personality, she was bright, like the sunshine that S.E.E.S. needed at a dark time.
He returned to S.E.E.S. after Ken joined the force. He knew what the kid was trying to do, and he's not gonna let it happen. For whatever time he has left in him, he's gonna make sure the kid doesn't go off doing something stupid. It's a handful dealing with one hot-headed kid, way to go having a smaller kid coming into the fray.
The S.E.E.S. rooster grew so much after he left, but it didn't matter anyway. He kept only to himself, distancing himself from the rest of the team. He had to because he had no place there. Heck, he wouldn't even be there for long anyway.
Or so he thought.
The other kids read the room and kept their distance from him. Aki, who never listened to him, was always the same old pain in the ass. Misturu did try to rehash the camaraderie but gave up and kept the exchange purely business. That was how it should have been. You only put effort into spending time with people who will be there to stay for you.
But man, she was a tenacious one.
Kotone just can't take no for an answer, so she barged into his mind and stayed there rent-free. He couldn't really be rude to her because she took her leadership role very seriously and wanted to spend time with him.
He never put thought into their time together; he just entertained her goodwill cause he doesn't have any shit going on in his life anyway.
He's not a talker nor a good listener, or so he thinks. None of that mattered to her; she always had so much vitality and so many things to say to him. Not in a bad way, just all the trivial stuff he never considered could be a part of one's life. He was still a teenager, and he could've had a lot going for him if the circumstances weren't such bullshit.
It started off with them grabbing some grub at Hagakure. Then, there were the occasional walks together with Koromaru. She saw his softer side and enjoyed their time together even more. Heck, she even managed to persuade him to cook for a S.E.E.S. team party.
He was surprised, too, that he had a youthful social side within him. Grabbing groceries and walking Koro-chan with her became a routine. He was dangerously close to considering the newfound lifestyle, the days at the dorm, and her presence something that he could be allowed to have in his life.
He was never the sharpest tool in the shed.
It's not that he never thought things through; it's just that time is a luxury he doesn't have. Thinking about anything more than a day after is a fat waste of effort.
Was it, though?
He had the opportunity back then, but he had to fuck it all up. Now, the lingering regret makes every breath he takes a pain that ravages his soul.
The signs were obvious, but he just had to act like a dick and hurt her feelings, and in turn, hurt himself even more.
She looked the best when she laughed. Although it might sound wrong and morbid, she's cute when she cries too. Regardless, the thought of seeing her cry still pains him. She was beautiful, but her appearance was the least prominent part of her charm. Her existence in itself was a ray of hope for him. For once in his life, he felt like there was something worth looking forward to; there was somewhere, maybe even he could belong.
If only, if only in another lifetime, they could have met under better circumstances...Maybe, just maybe...the thought of it is so beautiful that it hurts.
He's not gonna last long even if the kid or that asshole didn't take him out. The suppressants are chipping away at his life, and he won't live long enough to see the end of Tartarus. Why would he give himself or her false hopes?
Still, he's gonna make sure to not leave anything behind... No doubts, no regrets...
Thinking back, he's one selfish bastard. He was always telling her what to forget and what to remember...Trying to decide for her what to want and to not want...
He forced their relationship into some sick, perpetual dance of tango. He distanced himself when she made a move. He reached out to her if she was dejected and took a step back.
Total asshole was what he was.
He wasn't some expert in romance, but he wasn't oblivious to her or his feelings.
He had a premonition that something was going to happen. He was prepared for it, yet he felt a tight knot in his stomach.
Was that fear? No.
It was more of an unhealthy combination of anxiety and emptiness within. He was ready for death, but that feeling was bugging him; it made him restless.
Now he knew what that was; it was regret. It was regret that he never reciprocated her affection, regret that he did so much damage to her, pushing her away when she opened her heart to him, and regret that he did it to her when she was the most vulnerable. He shunned her away when all she needed was acknowledgment, something she showed him unconditionally, and he robbed her of it.
Then was that night.
His last memory of her was her crying face, holding him in an embrace when he drifted into unconsciousness.
That's it, he thought. It's finally over. No more guilt, no more regret.
Or so he thought.
He always imagined death meant being consumed by emptiness and eventually drifting into nothingness. Yet, what came after was entirely unlike what he expected.
He seemed to have fallen into perpetual nothingness.
One thing was sure: a girl with auburn hair appeared from time to time. He felt a sense of familiarity and longing for this stranger, but he could not remember her or interact with her. He felt the urgent desire to reach her, but the lack of a physical body made him feel hopeless.
He had fallen into a coma after being shot by Takaya back in October. Six months after the doctors gave up on his recovery, he miraculously regained consciousness and awoke from a coma.
Mitsuru and Aki came to see him at record speed. Everyone was emotional and cried tears of joy. He was so close to becoming flustered with their overreaction and sappiness.
Everyone...?
For a while, he was confused. Every person he knew at the time was in the room with him. Still, he had a gut feeling that something was wrong. He felt the coma made him forget something or someone significant to him.
No one seemed to understand his concern. Aki shrugged it off as disorientation caused by being in a prolonged coma. Mitsuru told him he should attend their upcoming graduation ceremony when he recovers.
He was stuck in the hospital after what he considered a full recovery. The doctors kept him way too long because they wanted to study him. They thought he was some medical wonder.
Apparently, after surviving critical conditions, he healed at a rate that was humanly impossible. His medical records stated he was already dying before being shot. If the gun wound didn't take him out, his deteriorating body eventually will. But he survived. He survived because someone found his dead old man's pocket watch, and he kept it in his breast pocket when the asshole shot him.
Back then, he never put much thought into it; he got to cheat death, and that's all he needed.
Then came graduation day. To the doctor's dismay, he decided that he was done with all those experiments and checkups and was leaving.
Although he didn't finish high school, it is still important for him to be there for Aki's major life event.
That was when he came to a realization.
He was packing his belongings, and he saw the pocket watch. The impact of the bullet dented the outer casing and completely shattered the interior. He noticed a thin slip of sticky notes inside the watch.
Curious, he pried the broken watch open to find a crumpled note. The writing was barely readable due to the damage to the watch. He made out the message, which was written in female handwriting.
"Can't wait for the next party, Shinjiro Senpai!"
His heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach. His head felt like someone was repeatedly running a sledgehammer to his temple. All the memories came rushing back at him. The ominous green sky, the behemoth of a tower, the supernatural personas...and her.
Kotone Shiomi.
He didn't even let the sharp migraine subside before he sprinted out of the hospital on pure instinct.
He almost ran into oncoming traffic, but he didn't care. He needed to see her, and if he didn't find her soon, she might be gone forever.
Sometimes premonitions that become a reality suck.
He ran past Aki and Mitsuru at full force, neglecting the intense pain on his sides for sprinting too fast. He almost broke down the door to the roof when he finally saw her lying on Aigis' lap. He rushed over and embraced her tightly.
He feared that she might vanish like a mirage if he didn't feel her existence for himself.
Thank god she was still there.
He barely had the time to take in the happiness of reunion before a nauseating feeling hit him.
Something was off.
Kotone was pale like a ghost. Her once athletic build was no more; she was feeble and scrawny. He could barely feel her body temperature in his arms. And her eyes, which used to be bright like rubies, had lost its shine. Her gaze was unfocused, and her breathing was getting more and more shallow as if she were suffocating.
"Shinjiro?" her voice was barely audible.
"I'm here." He is drowning in the dangerous concoction of panic and fear.
She fell silent, trying her best to keep her eyes open. With great difficulty, she lifted her hand to touch his face as if to confirm that he, too, exists.
"Don't make a sick guy push himself so hard..." it is almost impossible for him to hold back tears.
"It's pretty pathetic of me to forget the way I did...But even then, my feelings for you were the same as always." It's now or never. He needed to tell her.
"Please, stay with me...." the last few syllables were him choking in anguish.
Aigis suddenly stood up, and for the first time, he saw confusion and shock on her android face.
"No." She muttered
That does not sound good.
"NO!" She croaked in sorrow.
It doesn't take her outburst to confirm his suspicion. Kotone closed her eyes, and her chest ceased all motion.
She was no longer breathing.
And all that still felt like it was yesterday.
*click* *click* *click*
Shinjiro was opening and closing the now-repaired pocket watch.
A faint hum of machines can also be heard. It was monotonous, and it had a hint of somberness.
Visiting her daily became a habit; he was religious about it, too. The others used to come every day. They stopped eventually because the doctor told them she was clinically dead and no science of the modern age could reverse death.
They resented him for keeping her here like this, and he was surprised that Mitsuru even entertained the idea of keeping her like this.
She was an orphan like him. Her family passed away in a fatal car crash long ago. S.E.E.S. was closest to what family she could have had.
Her passing was so abrupt that it hit the team like a truck. They were torn between acceptance and denial. She did come back alive after stopping the fall, but Nyx's final words ended in a grim tone.
Shinji caressed the cold glass that separated her from him. It was a custom-made resting place for Kotone, a sort of frozen glass coffin. The Kirijo labs put her into cryostatis upon his request.
He was selfish before, and he is way worse now.
"You don't have to forgive me...but forgive everything else..."
He tried saving a life, and he almost died for it. She tried saving all lives, and she died.
If only, if only...
They could have made a good couple.
He scoffed at the thought of that.
She gave everyone, even him, a second chance at life, but she had to lose it all herself.
Deep down, he knew that she was gone. But it just felt like if they buried her, a part of him would die with her, too. Heck, they might as well just throw him six feet under with her.
She gave her best, did all she could for everyone, and deserved rest.
It is time.
It is time for a final goodbye.
He has to let her go...
His trail of thought was disrupted by the sound of hasty footsteps.
The door opened with an abrupt click.
"Shinji..."
"Aki." His lips twitched slightly.
Well, I'll be damned.
Chapter 2: Denial
Summary:
Akihiko drifted into his memories of his time spent with Kotone.
He felt broken and regretful for not confessing.
He struggles with his resentment of this predicament.
He felt guilty about placing his grudge on Shinji.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It seemed an eternity before Akihiko unclenched his hand from the doorknob, and the door closed slowly with a faint thud.
Then, a deafening silence.
Shinji stood idly basking in the late afternoon sun, his face expressionless. The familiar pair of brooding grey eyes stared him down with a gaze that made him uncomfortable.
There was a prying intensity. He felt like Shinji could see through the darkest, most intimate parts of his soul if he didn't break eye contact.
Of course, he does.
He always does.
Aki and Shinji are not siblings but might as well be blood brothers. Life is tough, and it was exponentially more challenging for orphans who were tossed from foster homes to foster homes like some second-hand toy.
Aki and Shinji were always close. They stayed with each other through thick and thin and had been through living hell together. They trust each other with their lives. No bullshit, just unconditional faith.
It's a relationship that Aki is confident will not change. Things could happen, happy or sad, tragic even, but he never stopped believing in their relationship to remain strong.
Then it happened so abruptly.
One moment, Shinji stood frozen in the aftermath of his uncontrolled rampage, and next, he just up and vanished.
Aki's life then became an endless wild goose chase to keep tabs on Shinji. For a long time, he thought he was probably done dealing with losing important people, but the schism between him and Shinji suggested otherwise.
And fate repeatedly proved him wrong because he had so much more to lose.
His life used to consist of only mundane training repeated at nauseam because he needed the power to protect things and people he cherished.
His joining S.E.E.S. seemed appropriate and convenient because it added challenge and extra oomph to his training. It was quid pro quo, with the added satisfaction of protecting the powerless from the menace of the dark hour.
Sure, Mitsuru could be considered a friend, a close one, even a sibling of sorts. But things have always been him and Shinji. Mitsuru has her charms. Not questioning things and keeping to herself most of the time is the better.
He and Shinji could get volatile sometimes. Still, it was nothing harmful, just immature hot-headed jocks squaring things out. Outsiders sometimes bat an eye or two about it, but Mitsuru sees it as their unique communication method. It could get messy occasionally, but they mature gradually through their brotherly antics.
The early S.E.E.S. days were engaging and, most of the time, shits and giggles for them. Sure, they were committed to responsibilities that carried crushing pressure. It was still worth every bit of their time and effort. It was a lot of trial and error, but life was manageable and fun. Things weren't bad at all, and they finally acquired the power to make changes for the good.
It was all fun and games until someone died.
Nothing could justify taking any life, accident or not. Murder is a sin of the highest degree, and it's a fact that most could agree with. His impartial self fully understood that Shinji's actions were criminal. Yet, his subjective side desperately searched for justification to underplay the consequences.
Despite his towering physique and threatening aura, Shinji is a gentle soul. The younger kids back in the orphanage always liked to hang out with him, and stray animals seemed to be fond of him, too. Shinji could deny all he wanted, but the kindness others showered him with was a dead giveaway that he was a likable fellow.
It was a shame that Shinji lost faith in himself and the possibilities he could have in his future. The death of Mrs. Amada drastically changed the man. He closed himself from the world with almost impregnable walls and cast himself into a voluntary exile. He became cold as ice wallowed in guilt, and committed himself to a path of self-destruction.
Aki never questioned why Shinji behaved this way because he knew ignorance and uncalled-for positivity were never a blessing. But he always hoped that at least Shinji could continue to rely on him like before.
But he didn't.
The last two years were grueling. It was an excruciating cycle between unsuccessful ventures in the Tartarus and desperate attempts to keep Shinji within grasp.
His every waking moment was spent training, locating Shinji, and getting nothing out of Tartarus. Rinse and repeat. The only variation was the occasional study session slapped in because of exams. The whole process was exasperating and painfully hopeless.
When is the end of all this?
He was two years on a one-way descent into oblivion until his first disposition of positivity appeared. It was on the first full moon encounter with the Arcana Shadows. She arrived just in time for S.E.E.S., just in time for his miserable life.
Kotone Shiomi.
He had concerns with Mitsuru's decision to appoint her as a field leader. Not that he was sexist or misogynistic. It was a feeling that he couldn't place his fingers on. It didn't take long for him to realize that he was uneasy about it because of how much she reminded him of Miki, his sister who died too young, too soon.
At one point, he considered her a mental image of his sister that he never had a chance to care for or spend time with. But she was nothing like Miki. Heck, she was nothing like any girl he had come across in his life, not that he interacted with many, to begin with. He never understood why spiteful male classmates always called him a 'chick magnet', and he never enjoyed or asked for excessive attention from squealing girls who called themselves his fans. Yeah, he is an athlete, and he boxes. So are many others in his club. What gives?
Her awakening to her persona hit that shadow like a truck, and her coming into his life caught him in the face like a TKO.
Kotone was a bright, energetic, bubbly girl with overwhelming optimism. Despite being a petite female, she is one heck of a powerhouse to be able to catch up with his training routines. Mitsuru has been at Tartarus operations long before Kotone. Still, she stepped in gracefully and took over the operations with her spot-on tactics. She had no issues tackling shadows with surgical precision even before Fuuka joined the team.
Kotone's choice of weaponry was a testament to her unique character. She wielded a naginata taller than her, yet she moved with an inspiring and serene grace. Her strikes were lethal, and she brimmed with confidence and sunny warmth that inspired courage in those around her. Her ability to utilize multiple personas was another facet of her impressive skillset.
She had a heart of gold and was a selfless philanthropist. She was always there for her friends in need. There were unfavorable or even dire situations, but she always managed to break through for our sake. She cared too much about all of us and too little about herself. Seeing her often with faint dark circles under the eyes after an arduous exploration up Tartarus greatly worried him. She was pushing herself too hard, yet her radiant smile never faltered. She firmly trusted her teammates and never ceased to find hope in the worst of situations.
She took her responsibility as a leader and a supportive friend very seriously. Despite her loaded schedule balancing school and S.E.E.S., she always had time for those who needed her. She spent time with everyone and showed genuine concern for the well-being of those she held dearly.
He had his fair share of time with her—a time that he could never have enough of and is now forever denied. The memory of those moments, now lost, only deepens his longing for her presence.
It started as pure business chatter. Then they hit off, talking a lot about tactics and fighting skills. He was pleasantly surprised to find someone besides Shinji, a girl, mind you, who could appreciate and understand his methods in battle. This understanding grew as she spent more time with him, enjoyed his favorite food together, and tagged along on his favorite hobby, training.
He didn't crave company but was surprised to find hers comforting. In time, he even actively sought her company. He never understood why that was before, and he bottled up that desire so he didn't take too much of her time when others needed her. His generosity in sharing the time he could have spent with her was among the regrets he has now.
He was a dense guy. He is still somewhat the same even now.
He never had much enjoyed or concerned himself with socializing. It caused him a fair share of issues, but none was severe. He didn't see it in himself as a talking type. Yeah, he is fine talking with Shinji, Mitsuru, and the teammates on the boxing team, but not about personal or philosophical things. It wasn't because he was that dense but because he didn't need to. Sentimentality always did more harm than good to him anyway.
Teenage girls at school squirmed at the sight of him, which made things worse. Those interactions left bad memories because he was harassed too many times. He never understood how someone could have affection for a total stranger. They talked too rapidly and too loudly. They denied him any opportunity to express his opinions, and their onslaught always resulted in migraines. After subjecting himself countless times to such nuisances, dating, love, or attempting a relationship with the other gender became a burden that he considered himself not strong enough to carry. Not when there are school and S.E.E.S. duties, his true priorities to devote himself to.
Kotone, on the other hand, is of a different caliber. The female rooster of S.E.E.S. is solid and brilliant. Still, even with their many uniquenesses, Kotone stood out with her appeal. It was a uniqueness that had a gravitational pull to it, so much so that being in her proximity during battle and spending casual dorm time with her was not enough.
He was restless when he wasn't in her orbit or when he wasn't spending time with her. A searing sensation bubbled within him when he had to witness intimate interactions between her and Junpei. The interactions seemed so natural that watching them even caused him discomfort. The incomprehensible foreign feeling peaked when rumors of them seeing each other reached his ears. He felt lingering irritation and he failed to shake them off. It bothered him so much that he ended up confronting her about it.
The vexation instantly ceased when she reassured him that Junpei was her best friend. It was a therapeutic relief when he could confirm that they weren't dating. He even berated himself a bit for being a dick for believing in rumors.
Rumors? When was he such a man-bitch about such trivialities?
His unwanted entourage of jealous fans was trying to stain Kotone's reputation by starting a rumor. It later went out of hand that even the upperclassmen started giving him judgemental looks. He wasn't a girlfriend stealer, and she sure as hell didn't deserve all the negativity for unsubstantiated bullshit.
Jealousy is a bitch, it's ugly, and it makes you do the dumbest of things.
It applied to those rabid fans, and it sucked to admit it applied to him too. He found out the hard way about his feelings and her lack of feelings toward him. It wasn't that she disliked him; it was just that she didn't like him enough to love him.
It hit home when he realized she had loved someone else all along—someone she devoted every bit of herself to until the very end.
It is still an argument with himself: Could everything have ended differently if he'd been wiser and acted sooner? What does she see in an ideal lover that he is lacking?
The most shameful question: Why him?
Would it feel better for him if she loved someone else? Why does he have to be so bitter about it? Just because he can't have it doesn't mean others should be denied it. His twisted sense of disgusting entitlement made him sick. He couldn't believe he'd fallen so low.
She was not Miki.
He wanted to know her because of the person she was. His need to protect her was not to alleviate his survivor's guilt. His perpetual anger towards her interaction with other males was not because they were terrible influences.
All that turmoil and struggle had a simple answer: he loved her.
He loves her with every fiber of his existence, so much so that the congestion of feelings caged within his chest suffocates him.
Alas, it wasn't meant to be.
He didn't decipher his true feelings early enough to muster the courage to confess. He hated it even more when even during her last moments, his stupid mouth stayed shut, he stood there like a fucking idiot.
A fucking idiot that stood and watched her during her dying moments, casting one last longing look at Shinji as if it was the final memory she wanted to carry with her to the afterlife.
It hurts. An ungodly sense of ugly jealousy mixed with devastating sorrow exploded in his chest, and it hurts.
How despicable, how treacherous.
"I'm going back," Shinji said quietly as he walked out the door behind him.
His words snapped Aki back to reality. He seemed lost in thought, and he stood in the same spot for quite some time.
It turned dark after what seemed to be an eternity. He sat beside her silently, reminiscing every minute detail of their time together. He persisted in remembering them to the utmost detail, even if it felt like his heart would give out to the excruciating pain. He wanted to brand every moment of it to his bones.
He is scared.
He is scared to let any part of those tender moments slip out of his mind. He is scared to accept that there will be no future with her. He fears that forgetting any bit of the details would become a betrayal to her.
He fear the dreadful unanimous decision to finally give her her well-deserved closure, in the form of a funeral and a burial, would finally cripple him.
He left the dorm after that fateful day. Mitsuru moved out soon after she completed her registration at the university. Junpei and the rest of the second-year students still reside there, alongside Ken and Koromaru, but they will be moving out not long after.
Everyone seemed to have their reason for leaving or staying in Iwatodai. But their collective reason for leaving the dorm probably was that they couldn't bear to stay there without the company of their leader, best friend, and cherished family member.
After a good look at her, he stood up and returned to the dorm.
Notes:
Akihiko has a longer chapter to himself because he technically has spent a whole year with Kotone.
He takes the place of Yukari in the original 'The Answer.'
I struggled a lot trying to portray him cause I didn't want to make one of my favorite characters a bitchy boy.
His struggle to comprehend love had him convinced that he had lost to Shinji just because he was dense.
He knew that it was Kotone's right to choose who she loved.
Since he regrets that he never officially confessed and to be shot down, this builds a seeping resentment against the brother who caused him too many troubles along the way.
He didn't mean actual harm; they were too naive and too young.
Chapter 3: Raging Thunder
Summary:
It is time for S.E.E.S. to prepare for a final farewell to Kotone.
They met at the dorm one last time before starting a new life.
Akihiko seemed to behave very differently today.
Something sinister is happening in the background.
What was the mystery voice?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The Iwatodai dorms is a residential building that stands out in the middle of the CBD like a sore thumb. Anyone with an eye for investment would never waste prime real estate by making it into a dorm. You'd think they would make the dorm spacious enough to house more students so the residents could cover the expenses if they even cared about profiting from it.
Of course, they would build it like a garrison and leave vast areas of the building empty for 'defensive' purposes.
The Kirijo group owns the property, as they almost own Iwatodai. The dorm is not a conventional student residential building; it is at the forefront of S.E.E.S. operations, a covert headquarters under the guise of a student residence. This is a place where the shadow execution operatives reside. Most of them still do, except the senior students who graduated a month ago. The odd one out is Aragaki, who moved back after the graduation ceremony.
The younger team members often complained about the peculiar interior design. They never understood why the kitchen is tucked away from the lounge like a vault or how every floor has a chunk of wasted space to house the same vending machines when they only need one.
After spending a year on the journey of a lifetime, they'd warm up to the place. The dorm became their shared comfort zone after their extended missions. It was a second home to their newfound family of a charismatic cast. It will also become a starting point for the next journey of their lives and forever a place with fond memories that they will carry to their new lives. All good things come to an end, but good memories should be a driving force to fuel positive changes.
The juniors seemed to occupy their usual space in the lounge as before, hustling and bustling like the antsy teens they were. But the air was strained and heavy in anticipation of the coming discussion.
Ken and Koromaru sat at their usual chair and seemed extra occupied with brushing Koromaru's coat.
Mitsuru sat on the sofa in her usual spot, sipping a fresh pot of tea she had brewed while waiting for Akihiko's return. Her hand held a slightly tighter grip on her cup, and she discreetly glanced at the door several times.
Yukari and Junpei are casually discussing their upcoming plans after moving out. Conversations between the two no longer cause prolonged bickering. They are genuinely having a heart-to-heart. Yukari will work part-time as an actor while she prepares for the college entrance exams. Junpei scored a baseball scholarship and will attend a sports academy.
Aigis and Fuuka are on the laptop, enjoying their enthusiastic discussion of the latest technology.
Shinjiro was in the kitchen finishing tomorrow's breakfast while listening to their conversation absentmindedly. Fortunately, cooking is like a natural calling to him, or he could very well cut or burn himself with the level of distraction he is experiencing right now.
Tomorrow is the day when the dorm finally closes down for repurposing. Everyone has decided that this date is the deadline for them to move on. It is time for them to start working on their future—the future that Kotone gave them through her sacrifices. It is time for them to see her off to the final destination, providing closure to everyone.
Knowing Kotone for the little angel that she was, this is precisely what she would want for all of them. She completed her journey and found the answer to the meaning of life. She established unbreakable bonds with those she loved and developed an understanding of humanity's most prominent mystery in death. It was a shame her life ended prematurely, but rest assured, she had no regrets. She always brought a smile to those around her, and in her selfless sacrifice, she preserved the future so they could live life to the fullest and continue to smile.
The end of one's life is not in death. Only being forgotten truly marks the end.
Easier said than done, especially when the wound is still so fresh, so raw.
It was getting pretty late when the front door handles finally clicked, announcing Akihiko's arrival. He's usually punctual and wouldn't have anyone wait for him, but he can't push himself to return straight after departing the hospital. Not when she could be only inches away from him, with only the frozen barrier of a glass slab between them. Not when he knows that with the coming of tomorrow, he would have to finally let go of her, reaching the epilogue of their brief relationship.
"You're back," Mitsuru said with a nervous smile, gesturing for them all to gather at the dining table.
The last time everyone was together at the table was when Kotone helped Shinjiro host a dinner party. It was a while ago, and it seemed like an eternity had passed. The previous occasion was probably the happiest moment for the team, enjoying an innocent moment of relaxation by temporarily putting all the torment and suffering aside. It was happy while it lasted.
On the other hand, the present situation is a gathering in a constricted atmosphere heavy with emotions of all sorts. Everyone shuffled here and there. No one seemed to have the moral capacity to initiate the conversation. Shinjiro and Akihiko leaned at adjacent walls. A silent standoff was brewing between them in the background.
"It-It is good to see you all again," Mitsuru started with a dried mouth after what seemed to be forever.
"Yeah, we missed you two, Senpai, h-how is university doing for y'all?" Junpei chimed in, less confident than usual, carrying a slight hint of uneasiness.
"Business school is not a novelty for me. The Kirijo Group has had me take private lectures on it for quite some time now, although it is a new experience—" Mitsuru stopped abruptly. She felt a sense of guilt for sounding so cherry at this moment and awkwardly looked for something else to say.
Junpei glanced at Akihiko, and his question was meant for both of them. But judging from the dead air around his stone-faced senior, he decided against continuing this topic or including him in any following topics. He knew Kotone and Aragaki senpai were an item, and he also knew that the titanium level of dense Sanada senpai was oblivious to all that while being hopelessly in love with her. Junpei tried hinting at his senpai to go all in or give up entirely. The poor fellow didn't catch any of that and just struggled with himself running in circles. Even idiots like Junpei know that confessing to a taken girl is pointless, but it could provide a definitive answer to socially inept people like Sanada Senpai.
The man looks like he's dead inside. He can't get over the fact that it's too late to confess, and the lingering 'what ifs' on his mind also kill him on the outside. His hair is unkept, dark circles hang under his once vibrant grey eyes, and he grows unruly stubble. This broken man standing before them has become a ghost of his former self.
Junpei's glance darted back to his other Senpai, Aragaki. They had chats here and there. He is a telltale example of why someone's appearance could be deceiving. The man is a gruff, caring big brother who's clumsy at expressing himself. For someone who lost his girlfriend straight after waking from a six-month coma, Aragaki Senpai seemed to overcome his grief slowly. He could see why the dude is a perfect match for Kotone. They have a mutual understanding that makes them seem like the same person. It may not have seemed that way last October, but it all made sense now. Kotone fully trusts him to do the right things. She knew he'd pull through and find his bearings. Aragaki Senpai honors her legacy by moving on to live his life to the fullest in her stead, too.
Time was closing in on midnight, and zero progress was made. Fuuka shifted uncomfortably in her seat and eyed Yukari several times. Ken nervously patted Koromaru and stared at his shoes. Aigis sat bemused, making no comment. For someone who could usually grasp most situations, Mitsuru seemed quiet, lips pursed, uncertain of what to say.
"Alright, we're wasting time," Shinjiro said, breaking the silence with a voice that almost sent the others out of their chairs. Akihiko raised his head to look at him with a strained expression.
"Look, tomorrow is the deadline we've decided on for us all to move on," he slowed down, purposely not addressing her by name, "and for her to finally rest in peace."
They knew what was coming, but having it drop on them right now is still hard to stomach. No one knows what to say to this, but they know it is only proper to give Kotone a final and official goodbye.
"Who are you to make that decision?" To everyone's surprise, Akihiko muttered through clenched jaws. Mitsuru and Junpei shifted uncomfortably in their seats, Aigis eyeing them curiously.
Aw shit, this again.
It's the deja vu standoff routine. Only this time, Shinjiro doesn't think snarky bantering and a few uppercuts can settle things.
"Look, I don't get to decide shit," this is probably the only time in his life he has to try to juggle around with words to say to Akihiko, "...it was something we all discussed..."
He wanted to say more, but he'd rather hear what Akihiko had to say first. He knew that look on Akihiko's face; he'd seen it before when Miki died. The brawl that followed her funeral almost turned deadly for them. But this time, scrapping in full-blown adult glory is too much of a risk.
"Did you ask if she wanted to be an ice statue in some frozen coffin?" Akihiko is starting to lose it, "aren't you two soul mates? If anyone should know, it's you. She always valued her free will and was damn stubborn in doing reckless stuff to preserve it."
A familiar static seemed to be bubbling in his veins. Part of him understands Shinji's reasoning, but he is so sick and tired of Shinji's solo bullshit. He was supposed to be the brother and the shoulder he could lean on when he was vulnerable. He should have been there having his back during their dangerous expeditions of Tartarus. Shinji should have talked to him and tried to rely on him, too. At least let him know that their bonds stayed strong. But no, everything was always about him and his hell-bent obsession with punishing himself. Zero consideration of the unwanted collateral damage done to anyone who gives a single fuck about him.
The outburst was so out of character for Sanada that the rest of the team seemed to have stopped fidgeting except for tiny whines from Koromaru. No one has anything appropriate for the moment to say.
"No... You. Do. Not. Get. To. Decide. Shit!" Akihiko squeezed every word out, still trying to contain the boiling rage. "She poured her heart and soul to you, and you just played her like a damn fiddle!"
"......" What? What is he supposed to say to that? What he did was selfish, and there were no excuses. But there was no playing of anything. Kotone was a lot of things; a vulnerable damsel was not one of them. The least he could do to contain his brother was not to break eye contact and make him look like some guilty coward. He was a coward, but now is not the right time to further agitate Akihiko.
"Akihiko..." Mitsuru is at a loss for words.
"Where are the snarky fucking comebacks now? Aren't you so full of yourself that you think you can get away with doing whatever you want to those who gave a shit about you?"
"......" Shinjiro's eyebrow hitched slightly. Okay, he was an immature brat who did things that hurt many people. He was guilty. He caused people around him a lot of trouble. Aki had dealt with the worst of scenarios and had every right to do this.
The rest of the team tensed up considerably. None of them shifted a single bit since they started arguing.
"Got nothing to say? You knew my feelings for her and never bothered to tell me she was taken. Taken by my fucking brother, of all people! You kept me in the dark and robbed me of any chance to tell her how I felt! You pushed her away when she tried to mend your heart, and you broke hers! You made her cry! I could have protected her if her foolish obsession with you didn't blindside her! All this saving the world shit meant nothing! She didn't even get to spend time with you, asshole, and I am left all alone again, like the same powerless, useless trash all those years ago! I lost the love of my life while you, you piece of shit, were still messing with her after she died. Fuck you! And screw her too!"
Not cool, moron. What the fuck, man.
"You can say whatever about me. I deserve every bit of it," A vein twitches on Shinjiro's forehead, still holding in his temper, "but don't you run your mouth about what she did! You don't get shit on her. Is this how you 'love' someone? Throwing a pissing tantrum and belittling her selflessness? Is stopping the fall not worth a single fuck to you because the lives and futures of countless people aren't as important as your self-pity? You just told me that neglecting her opinions was against her will. Did you think I could make her love or not love someone because I said so? Have you any respect for Kotone? If this is what you think of her,"
Fuck. Too late to regret now. It's gonna get ugly.
The clock struck midnight, and the usual clock chimed 12 times with a familiar eerie tone. The power went off, and a loud sound of something exploding nearby rang through the lounge. The team collectively jumped out of their seats to asses what just happened. Akihiko stood entirely still, breathing heavily, his eyes emitting an ominous blue glow. Static started to gather around his limbs, and he seemed to have gone into a trance. His eyes are locked on Shinjiro. Not wanting to provoke his brother further, especially not when anomalies like this are happening, Shinjiro stood still, continuing the stare-off.
"Wait, what? It's not...the dark hour, right? It can't be." Yukari asked.
"I don't think it is the dark hour because the moon seems to retain its regular color," Fuuka suggested.
"Then what the hell was that?" Junpei asked anxiously.
"It seems that the power went out," Aigis reported.
"I think you guys should check the phone. Something's wrong," Ken said, trying to calm Koromaru.
"Our phones? Why?" Mitsuru asked. She flipped open her phone only to realize the time and date had reverted to 00:00 April 4th,2010. "What is going on? The date and time reverted to yesterday's midnight."
"For real? Let's check ours, too," Junpei suggested.
The collective phone check confirmed their situation; they may not be in the dark hour, but it is apparent that time has turned back and something is going on with Akihiko. He still struggles to move on and has some pent-up resentment against Shinjiro's bad choices in life. But this is messed up. He is a hot head, not a possessed human power line. Sparks are shooting off the man like the Hermit's shadow. Things are getting real bad real quick.
"Yukari," Mitsuru looked at her partner, "go to the command room and retrieve our stashed evokers. It might not be useful, but just in case..."
Yukari nodded in silence and proceeded to go upstairs.
"The rest of us, into a defensive position. Back up Aragaki when needed," Mitsuru said, "and be careful. Aragaki..."
Shinjiro slightly waved his right hand to make them stay put, "Look, Aki, we don't gonna do this to the others. I messed up, and I've hurt people. It is all on me."
"......" Akihiko remained inhumanly still while an electric charge steadily built up around him, sending off occasional sparks in the vicinity.
"Sanada Senpai is emitting Zio energy," Aigis said after initiating a scan on Akihiko. "I do not sense a persona. How..."
"How are we supposed to stop that?" Junpei exclaimed.
"Even if we still have our personas, I don't think I can attack one of our own," Ken pointed out.
"Tch, tch, tch, how gullible." An ethereal voice said, "To think the children of men imprisoned my sister..."
"Who are you!? Show yourself!" Mitsuru exclaimed, "What did you do to Akihiko?"
"No spoilers! You'll know in due time." the mystery voice chuckled, "If you live long enough to find out, that is."
And then there's radio silence. The only sound is the crackling of electricity surrounding Akihiko. A set of rushed footsteps descended from the stairs. Yukari ran back with the briefcase containing everyone's evokers. The team gathered to pick up their evokers. Without breaking eye contact with Akihiko, Shinjiro gestured for them to toss him his evoker.
What the hell is going on?
Notes:
I had no problems with the branching storyline, but portraying Akihiko was another struggle for me.
I crafted my own unique interpretation of 'the answer' in this version of my fanfiction.
Akihiko's one of my favorite character resonated with me deeply, and I don't wanna ruin him
Although it wasn't blatantly stated in all the P3 games, I'd like to imagine that Akihiko could have resent Shinji because he left Aki's life.
I took some inspiration from the hospital scene after Shinji got shot.
He mentioned that Shinji always does things alone and never considers his feelings.
Yes, Aki loved Kotone, but it would be too petty to go berserk just for that.
I don't think he could go from socially inept to a hopeless romantic, so the writing was adjusted to fit my narrative.
Chapter Text
What happened a split second ago was beyond anyone's guess. It went by so quickly that whatever happened just now felt surreal.
The space went white briefly as if someone had flash-bagged the place. A deafening thunderclap rang, and all the windows on the first floor exploded. There was a metallic clang followed by a sizzling noise of damaged electronics, and then the gust of debris slowly started to settle down.
It is hard to see in the night's darkness, and what happened just now made it even harder. The dust wafting around made their eyes tear up, and the debris scattered in the air made it difficult to breathe. The whole place was a mess, and their collective minds felt like a puddle of mush right now.
"Aigis!" Fuuka ran over and cradled the collapsed android. "Please, please respond!"
Upon finally gaining visibility of the environment, they saw Aigis lying in Fuuka's embrace, her left arm heavily damaged with mechanical parts covered in large burned spots. She protected them and intercepted whatever attack Akihiko had fired. Aigis' affinity means she is weak against Zio magic. Taking a full-on assault from Akihiko without her persona could end very badly.
"What...is wrong with you!" Mitsuru glared at Akihiko, trying to find her composure.
Silence. Nothing, only the sizzles coming from Aigis' severely damaged arm.
Akihiko remained silent, his face contorted by rage. He stood there like a mad specter in the darkness. If he didn't wear the skin of Sanada, they'd think a demon was standing in front of their eyes. A glowing mass slowly solidified behind him; it was his persona—Caesar.
"He can summon without an evoker?" Junpei croaked. He nervously fumbled with his evoker.
"Korochan, no!" Ken used all his strength to restrain his canine friend from running into the fray, "You have to stay put, not before we have a grasp on the situation, please."
Koromaru whined.
"We need to find cover and move Aigis there with us," Mitsuru said after carefully assessing the situation. "Fighting in closed space is dangerous. Try to summon your personas. We are going defensive. We need to knock some senses back into Akihiko. Aragaki... You are his target. Proceed with caution. Please..."
Whatever evil that is possessing his brother right now has a fucked up sense of humor. They've fought a lot, more than anyone could in a lifetime. It was just physical bonding therapy between them. But this, this is some bat shit.
He may look like Aki, but he certainly is not him. If the two years of being homeless in the slums had taught him anything, it would be of an animal's survival instincts. Whoever stands in front of him is deranged, and he is ready to kill.
"Die." It came out like a whisper that only Shinjiro can hear.
Caesar lifted his sword; a gigantic fist was coming Shinjiro's way. Shinjiro jumped behind the kitchen counter to dodge the deadly attack. The oak dining table was instantly pulverized, and bits and chunks of wood were sent scattering all over the lounge.
"Aragaki!" Mitsuru yelled. They were slowly moving towards the sign-in counter when that happened. The impact almost sent them crashing onto the walls.
"I'm fine," Shinjiro replied, wiping off trickling blood from his left eye. The counters shielded off the majority of the shock wave, but it still wasn't enough to keep him unscathed. He ducked behind the remains of the counters, then took his evoker and aimed it at his temple. He needs to buy time for the rest of them to find cover. And he sure as hell going to free his brother from whatever the fuck is controlling him.
Aki would never do this to him, or anyone else.
Whoever or whatever did this is going to pay for it.
Say my name...
Shinjiro winced.
Come on now, boy. Say my name. You need me. Go on.
The static coursing in Akihiko's veins caught a presence at where Shinjiro was hiding. Caesar thrusts his blade again to cast god's hand into the area.
"Castor!"
The sound of broken glass rang in Shinjiro's head. A menacing skeletal knight materialized in front of him. Castor let out a gutted roar and used all guard, calling up a defensive barrier to intercept the incoming attack. The attack connected with the barrier and caused another shock wave.
"Aragaki Senpai!" Junpei called out from behind cover, trying to see what was happening across the lounge.
Shinjiro is panting heavily, kneeling on one knee, trying to catch his breath. Some barrier skills require life force to summon, and all guard was one of them. The shield siphoned a considerable amount of his health to dampen the impact. As Castor only deals physical damage, going full offensive would have to take more of his health. The last two attacks from Aki ended up completely demolishing the lounge. If the fight drags on, everyone could be in serious danger.
"We have to do something. Aragaki Senpai is in danger!" Junpei bellowed.
"Aigis is still down, and we aren't even sure if we can summon our personas. What should we do?" Yukari asked in a panicked voice.
"Yukari, try to call Isis and cast diarahan on Aragaki," Mitsuru said in the calmest voice she could muster. "Yamagishi, I need you to call Juno and conduct a full analysis on Akihiko." She adjusted herself and pointed her evoker against her head: "Artemesia, Salome's Kiss!"
The ice queen appeared before Mitsuru. With the crack of her whip, a tricolor debuff shot straight to Akihiko, taking the form of binding chains. Akihiko turned his head to face Mitsuru, still expressionless, and cast thunder reign towards them.
"Juno!" Fuuka shouted as she fired her evoker at her temple. Juno appeared and spread her wings, attempting to deflect the incoming severe Zio attack. Fuuka's persona excels only in perception and analysis; her offensive and defensive capabilities were not a strong suit. The murderous thunder attack landed on Juno and sent a dangerous current spike down Fuuka's body. "Urgh!"
"Fuuka!" Yukari screamed. Her hands shook, then she took her evoker and pointed it at her forehead. "Isis, please."
Isis hovered over them, a faint green hue sheltering them. She released a healing wave of Mediarahan. Junpei was about to summon when Mitsuru touched his shoulder, "Iori, I need you to go to the storage room right now."
"Seriously? Right now?" Junpei exclaimed in disbelief.
"Look, we need our old gear if we even want to try surviving this," Mitsuru replied while paying full attention to the situation. "As you can see, I can't ask Ken to do this. You are the only one with enough physical strength. I'm sorry, Iori."
"No, it's fine. You're right. We'll take any chances we have. Hang in there before I come back", Junpei hurried off.
"Ken, I need you to focus on casting reflecting skills." Mitsuru said, "I know it is mentally taxing, but only your persona has protective skills against physical and magic attacks."
"No, I can do this. I have to do this." Ken steadied his evoker, "Kala-Nemi!"
A mechanical-looking persona cast Tetrakarn and Makarakarn, preparing them for any incoming attack.
"Arf! Arf?" Koromaru nuzzled Mitsuru as if he were asking: What about me? Me?
"Koromaru, please stand by and guard Fuuka and Aigis while they recover" Mitsuru patted Koromaru reassuringly. The canine barked in agreement.
Meanwhile, Shinjiro rapidly assessed the situation. His options are limited, and he must be careful about his next steps. Ken can only cast so many supportive skills before his stamina runs dry. Mitsuru and Takeba are working on resuscitating the navigator and the android. Iori is sent off somewhere in the building. Korochan is better off being on guard duty. It means that he's on his own now.
What to do...
As they say, the best defense is a good offense.
That's a dangerous thought, boy.
Shut up. Are you doing it or not? We don't have whole day here.
Be my guest, you beast.
"Bloody charge!"
Castor reached out and held Shinjiro's in a choke hold as red buffs began to flow into his body. A sensation of feral brutality is building up in his body.
"What...is this...?" Mitsuru gasped.
Try not to kill him.
You're such a sentimental wuss.
Come on now.
Fine.
Shinjiro channeled his energy, Castor drained considerable health that Takeba's mediarahan had replenished, but he got a massive boost in raw power. Caesar may not be weak to physical attacks, but surely, if it hits hard enough, it could be knocked down. If he could land a solid blow, maybe Aki could come to his senses.
"Bleeding Fury!"
Shinjiro let out a ferocious scream, and his life energy rapidly flowed into Castor. Castor leaped mid-air and slung his power-charged lance at Caesar.
Unable to gauge the damage of an unknown attack, Caesar braced himself to protect Akihiko.
Adios, asshole.
The impact caused by Castor left a crater where Akihiko was standing. Had Caesar not focused energy on shielding his host, Akihiko would have been more than just knocked out. The aftermath rendered the already destroyed interior of the lounge practically unrecognizable. What remained of the couches and armchairs blew up like oversized balloons, and the insides were flying everywhere.
With no more health and stamina to sustain his persona, Akihiko's knees gave in, and he collapsed face-first onto the floor.
Another faint thud was audible across the now limp Akihiko. After successfully subduing his brother, Shinjiro finally passed out from extreme exhaustion.
Tch, what a letdown.
Notes:
Maybe I was a bit disappointed that P3R didn't have our sunny FemC :P
To make me less upset, I stole Shinji's theurgy.
I never really wrote anything about fighting, it was fun doing it.
Castor is the manefistation of Shinji, he cares for his host should Shinji speak up.
(Which is why Aki was upset for so long cause Shinji shunned him away)P.S. I actually used skills from all games that these characters appeared in, including Q and Q2 :D
Business trip of 2 weeks coming up soon, might have a small hiatus...
Chapter 5: Phantasmagoria
Summary:
I suck at writing emotional stuffs.
But FoolMoon fans gets me right?
Shinji miss Kotone >:'(
Chapter Text
"What in the world happened?" Junpei stumbled down the stairs when everything subsided. "I barely unlocked the storage and thought there was an earthquake!"
"It might as well have been one," Mitsuru breathed heavily, trying to calm down, "I think the situation is under control for now, but we need your help to get them in their rooms. I'm sorry, Iori."
"Right away, ma'am," Junpei replied.
What was supposed to be a friendly union of S.E.E.S. to honor their late leader turned into a total shitshow. The lounge was trashed beyond recognition. Aigis and Fuuka took a beating. Akihiko, probably possessed by god knows what, tanked a hit that almost tore down the dorm. Somehow, he suffered nothing more than scratches here and there. The most damage was done to his face because he face planted into the debris. On the other hand, Shinjiro was wiped out after the rapid replenishing and draining of health during combat. No one has any idea how he had the brute force to knock down a frenzied Akihiko, but judging from Castor having a blast, it was likely very draining for Shinjiro.
Fuuka is still feeble after suffering a diluted Zio shock when she attempted to intercept Caesar's Thunder Reign. Lucia had demonstrated defensive capabilities. She'd figure Juno's wings could have done one better, but it was a Tier 5 Zio attack. She's lucky that she only passed out from intense pain and suffered nothing else. Even though she got injured, she didn't regret her actions. She could only imagine the agony Kotone went through to defeat Nyx, and dying as a process surely would have been excruciating for her. Healed and well-rested, she is cleared to be back in action.
After intercepting Caesar's first Zio spell, Aigis damaged the mechanisms in her left arm. She initiated hibernation mode to temporarily cut power off her main frame to divert the overflowing current. During the brief shutdown, she dispersed excess Zio in her system. One reboot later, she is working on her gear maintenance with help from the now-recovered Fuuka. Thankfully, the Kirijo Group technicians always left them with spare limbs, appendages, and other weaponry. With some modifications and tweaks here and there, she is more than prepared for battle.
Gently messaging a throbbing vein, Mitsuru is assessing the damage to their lounge. Aside from the whole showdown between Akihiko and Aragaki, the only thing out of the ordinary was the apparent time loop that was going on. That may not be the only thing wrong. There is a lack of human activities within a large radius of the dorm. It's a dead giveaway that something's gone awry. The sudden blackout last night was less supernatural but was due to rapid power drain by Caesar to amplify its Zio attacks. After figuring out which of the circuit breakers to turn on, power is restored.
"The stove is completely busted, but at least the fridge managed to survive," Ken said, looking at last night's aftermath. "No wonder some movie protagonist could survive a bomb explosion by hiding in a refrigerator..."
Arf? Arf!? Did food survive, too? Koromaru wags its tail excitedly.
Technically, the fridge barely made it past last night. It is still working, but the door is hanging loosely on the hinge, and the lights inside blew up. What remains of the kitchen looks like a set from a post-apocalypse movie.
"Man, I never thought my bad diet habit could come in handy one day," Junpei said, scratching the back of his neck. "I accidentally bought too many instant noodles on sale the other day."
"Fortunately the water cooker in Fuuka's room still works," Mitsuru sighed, "We need to find the cause of the anomaly soon, or we will be running out of supplies."
She tried to contact the Kirijo staff assigned to the dorm but to no avail. They seem trapped in time and space unless they break the loop. This pocket dimension that their dorm is in is very different from the Dark Hour. Appliances are functional, and the summoning of personas is no longer limited to certain times of the day. She is worried about Yukari. Her partner exhausted herself after a prolonged healing session. She was still going at it before Mitsuru practically forced her to bed and tucked her in.
A distant chime of church bells was audible.
He is in a flower field that smells like midsummer sunshine. The sky is bright and clear, with occasional clouds drifting across. It is a scenery of perfect harmony. There is a sensation he hasn't felt for god knows how long. For once in his lifetime, he feels he could enjoy himself now. The place looked too perfect to be of the mortal realm; it looked like the ideal interpenetration of heaven.
Perhaps his resurrection was short-lived, and finally, he will meet his end. If death is as enjoyable as this, he'd take it in a heartbeat.
Maybe he could finally see her again and never be apart.
He's tired of running away, tired of messing up over and over again, tired of being the stubborn bonehead who hurt so many people because he was a coward.
There will be no more self-imposed exile or isolation. He wants to let it all go and finally be normal again.
"Shinjiro"
His heart skipped a beat.
Accompanied by two blue butterflies, Kotone stood in front of him, beaming the familiar warm, sunny smile. She waved at him, beckoning him to come closer.
He held his breath in anticipation and walked towards her.
Faster and faster, he'd wish he could make it just one step, reach her, hug her, and never let go again.
It seemed an eternity before he came close enough to her.
He let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. His heart could break if this is just a figment of his imagination. He is trembling.
"Kotone..."
She smiles, her ponytail moving slightly in the light floral breeze.
"Please, please don't leave."
Her brows furrowed in concern. Then she smiles again, reassuringly.
"Tell me this is real," his voice tightens, "I'm so sorry..."
She slowly walked toward Shinjiro and held him in a tight embrace. Her warmth melted into his body.
"Kotone..."
I love you.
And she dissolved into blue butterflies.
"Kotone, no!" Shinjiro jolt up from his bed. His room is dark from the curtains pulled over his bed.
It was a dream. Of course, it was a dream.
She's gone, long gone. What was he even expecting?
His body is aching all over, reminding him of the harsh reality. It reminded him that something took control over his brother and almost had him and his friends killed. Panting heavily, he decides to clean himself up and check in on the rest of the team.
It's time to have the long-due talk with Akihiko after he's awakened from the K.O.
Chapter 6: Reconciliation
Summary:
Shinjiro and Akihiko needs to talk.
They need to settle things before giving their full attention to getting out of the situation.
Just when they are figuring things out, a familar looking stranger appeared.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter VI: Reconciliation
Not in a million years could anyone imagine that one day, everyone in S.E.E.S. would huddle up in the small control room and go town on their instant noodles—Mitsuru included. Yeah, their residential chef Shinjiro was also included; the awkward noodle slurping fest was also joined by their good boy Koromaru but sans Akihiko. For being trapped in some time-space anomaly, this brief moment of leisure is remedial.
“I remembered trying out fast food with, um, her,” Mitsuru said after finishing her meal. “It was quite delightful. I guess instant noodles are not bad at all; perhaps I could also enjoy them once in a while.” She looked at the different brands of instant noodles with mild interest.
“Oh yeah, there’s a huge variety of instant noodles at different stores,” Junpei said enthusiastically. “There are also those from other countries, too, like Chinese Noodles and Vietnam Pho, which are very affordable and a quick fix for meal options.”
Typically, Shinjiro would jab at such blatant denial of balanced meals, but today, he will let it slide. The kitchen is out of commission, and emergency kits only have what looks like rations. Whatever the contents inside could be, it’s probably some nasty stuff providing just enough to function and survive. The lack of options means they are on a tight schedule to get out of this.
“From what brief time I could scan Sanada Senpai,” Fuuka said, “I did not sense any foreign existence in our proximity, and it seemed that aside from his mental shift, nothing was out of the ordinary.”
“Well, that’s not reassuring...” Ken muttered. “Sanada Senpai is strong and all, but we could all agree that what happened last night does not seem humanly possible.” He nervously started messaging Koromaru’s cheeks. Koromaru lets out content yips here and there, and the conversation continues.
“Indeed, his combat style suggested the intention to kill,” Aigis added. “Humans sometimes use violence to settle disputes, but I don’t see why Sanada Senpai would have any reason to kill Aragaki Senpai. They may have misunderstandings, but nothing warrants a murderous assault.”
“I was so worried that he’d hurt Aigis so bad that we would have lost her too,” Yukari sniffled. Mitsuru placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, “We were so close to losing someone again, I-I can’t.” She tried holding back her welling tears.
“Here’s what we know now,” Mitsuru said, firmly holding Yukari’s shoulder. “This is not the dark hour. We are currently trapped in a space-time pocket dimension of sorts. We are able to use our personas at all hours of the day. Some otherworldly being is possibly the culprit, and it may or may not have mind-control powers over humans.”
“Wait, how do you know there’s this being thingy?” Junpei asked, skeptical.
“Right before Akihiko lost control,” Mitsuru recalled, “there was a brief moment I could hear a disembodied voice taunting us.”
“Come to think of it, I think I caught that voice too,” Ken seemed to recall. “It mentioned something about children of men imprisoning his sister.”
“Sister? I don’t think any of the S.E.E.S. operations had anything to do with imprisoning a female,” Mitsuru’s eyes narrowed, “the tests ran on Strega had long been concluded after my grandfather’s death. The Kirijo Group since then had no means to cause harm to civilians anymore.”
“It has to be Nyx then,” Shinjiro suggested, surprising the team, as he was oddly quiet just now, “from what I could recall, the closest to us detaining a ‘female’ only happened twice. Once was to that Strega girl,” Junpei shifted uncomfortably. “the other time was when you guys confronted Nyx.”
Although that abomination of black wings, lanky limbs, and a nightmare-fueled Noh mask that looked like Mochizuki doesn’t remotely give off a feminine vibe, it is a possibility that shouldn’t be dismissed carelessly. Nyx was known as the maternal being that birthed all shadows, so it is possible that the sister could refer to her. She has the power to erase life on earth, and it made sense that her sibling would also have some godly powers of his own.
“I think Aragaki has a point,” Mitsuru agreed, “whatever it was created a pocket dimension and stopped time. He may be trying to wake Nyx. We are the final resistance to his plan. Hence, he used Akihiko as a proxy to try killing us.”
“My question is,” Shinjiro continued, “how do we stop it?” He’s getting weary already. “I wasn’t around when you guys took on Nyx, and none of us was present when she faced Nyx off on the moon. We have no answer to what had happened up there. Especially,” He inhaled a bit too sharply, “how she slowly started dying after that night.”
“Aragaki...” Mitsuru whispered, not knowing what to say. The rest of the team seemed quieter, too.
There was a faint shuffle down the hallway. The team almost jumped out of their seats when they heard it.
"It's you, right, Aki?" Shinjiro muttered without having to look behind the corner.
The rest of the team eyed each other in silence. It felt like even Koromaru held his breath in anticipation.
Slowly, a disheveled Akihiko stepped out from behind the corner, his eyes still dead, as if he had just risen from the grave. He stood there, eyeing Shinjiro.
"Wanna grab a bite?" Shinjiro waved his hand at the remainders of the cup noodle stash, "Not ideal, but we could do with all the energy we can have." He didn't sound like someone who was talking to the man who tried to kill him several hours ago.
"Shinji, I-" Akihiko whispered with trembling lips.
"Can it." Shinjiro bit back, "Eat first, talk later. You ain't got the physical capacity to hear what I have to say. So eat."
The rest of the team nodded in agreement, and Fuuka stood up to boil more water. The rest of the team decided it was a cue for them to vacate the area and take five.
It was an excessively miserable moment for Akihiko. Not that the past month was anything enjoyable, but the exhaustive sense of guilt was too crushing. Shinjiro casually maneuvered around the quiet place. The only sounds were the crackling of removing some packaging, sloshing of water, pacing of feet, then a quiet squeak of Shijiro settling down on a chair in front of him, laying down the cup noodle onto the coffee table.
Another painstakingly strenuous 3 minutes of cooking time for the noodles went by. Shinjiro removed the coverings to the noodles and neatly placed a pair of chopsticks in front of Akihiko. He gestured for him to dig in and retreated back to his seat. Without further distractions, the disconcerting silence kicks in, and Akihiko feels like he's about to puke on the spot.
"Eat." Shinjiro gestured at the noodles again. "It's getting soggy."
Holding back the stomach churns, Akihiko picked up the noodles and started to eat. He is a ramen enthusiast and usually finds all kinds of noodles enjoyable, but the meal right now just feels like chewing on boiled cardboard strips. The soup tastes like bland salted water, and the noodles felt like insipid tangles of flour. It took more effort to finish this meal than having to free himself from a clinch in a boxing match. Weaving to steer clear of harm's way got him through one too many close calls, but it won't do jack shit for the coming confrontation. There's no wriggling out of this. He needs to man up.
Shinjiro sat quietly, hands stuffed in his jeans pockets while Aki's insides were going through the roller coaster ride of a lifetime. Truth be told, he may also be mentally preparing himself for the overdue talk with Aki. He considered himself a dauntless and sometimes reckless person when facing his adversaries. Facing himself, though, is a totally different story.
Addressing his mess-ups, admitting his shortcomings, coming to terms with the loss of the love of his life - and absence from Aki's life for such a long time, it's flipping open Pandora's box. It would make him feel exposed and vulnerable.
Not that Aki would hurt him (last night doesn't count, it was some possessed shit), but he just feels cowardly because revealing his true feelings would tear down his final line of defense. Maybe...maybe deep inside, he's still a sorry teenager struggling to accept the fact that - he deserved to live and have a place to be beside those who cared for him. He choked on the ashes of his regret for doubting Kotone's faith in believing he was and would be loved. All the time they could have spent together, he ran away and broke her heart. Till the very last moment of her life, she stood firm in her beliefs, and she loved him more than anything in the world.
It took Akihiko quite some time and effort to down the noodles. He sat clenching his chest, staring blankly at the broth, it seems that he is struggling to keep the food in. This is cue for Shinjiro to take the seat directly in front of Akihiko. Akihiko set the cup down and clenched his hands together, he stared at the ground.
"Aki, look at me," Shinjiro said, trying to keep his voice calm. He, too, is afraid.
There's no use in hiding. Shinji always gets his way, just like when they were kids. Akihiko slowly raises his head to meet Shinji's gaze. Only this time, it wasn't the familiar irritated expression but an amiable smile that reminded him of a forgotten memory from the distant past. Shinjiro's teenage features overlapped with the fuzzy, youthful smile he showed him when they first met. It was then their fate intertwined, and unyielding trust was established. Akihiko's nose feels hot on the tip, and his eyes are tearing up.
"I'm sorry," They said simultaneously.
"Well, look at that." Shinjiro chuckled a little.
"Shinji, I-" Akihiko's voice croaked in an effort to try to say something.
"Look," Shinjiro inhaled deeply, trying to figure out the appropriate words. "I know you have a lot to say, but hang in there. I need to get this out of my system." His hands in his jean pockets balled into fists.
Akihiko nodded.
"Aki, I'm sorry I am such an idiot." Shinjiro squeezed the words out slowly.
Akihiko tried to say something, but Shinji gestured for him to wait. He closes his mouth and waits patiently.
"You're the most important person in my life, and I am to yours, but the idiot that I was betrayed you." Shinjiro's jaws tightened. "I was supposed to be a pillar of strength to you, but I ran away like a coward, leaving you to deal with so much shit all alone. I'm so sorry, Aki." He choked on the last few words, fighting back tears.
It's not that he was too proud to admit his mistakes but too pained in regret for not being the brother that Aki needed. He's ashamed of himself for leaving Aki alone when he was most needed.
Akihiko cries in silence, he never for once doubted Shinji. But there were times that it was just too much to shoulder alone. He was afraid, afraid that Shinji will withdraw from his life like Miki and the others, abandoning him to be corroded by anguish.
"I should have listened to you, to Kotone, to Mistsuru." Shinjiro continued. "I was too stubborn for my own good. I made decisions that hurt everyone, and in turn hurt myself." He knuckles are white from the strain. Akihiko sniffles.
"I got blindsided by guilt and cowardice. I chose to ignore all goodwill." Shinjiro croaked. "All you wanted is for me to overcome, to truly live a life and atone for the past. Refusing to confront the problem was what almost got me killed and what actually killed a part of Kotone's heart." His chest tightens. The floodgates are open now. There's no backing out.
"She went all the way to find the pocket watch and gave me a second chance that I don't deserve." Shinjiro is trembling. He didn't overcome grief. He just chose not to acknowledge the fact that he had lost her. Saying it out loud right now makes his chest feel like a blade digging into a fresh wound. "All that time, I knew I was going to die, but I didn't leave her when I could have. I loved her, and I couldn't stay away for too long. I wanted to, as long as our time together lasted, to feel alive. To love and be loved..." Words cannot express how much he missed her and how guilty he was that he hurt her.
"You were right about me, about my selfishness in making decisions for her. Part of me knew you had feelings for her, and you just didn't know it was love." It was utterly despicable of him, and he should admit this. "I thought that if I die, she's in good hands. I was such a jackass. I abused her trust, and I belittled your feelings for her. She was far more remarkable than anyone I know. She wouldn't have loved me if she was the shallow person I made her sound like."
Part of him expected to be socked by Aki, but he just sat there, still crying, waiting for him to finish.
"I wanted to - I want us to move on," Shinjiro continued. "because knowing Kotone, it would be what she wanted us to do. She insisted that I try living a different life. She told me it takes bravery to make a change, but she firmly believed that I deserved a second chance. Choosing death was just an easy way out, and she believed I was more than that. She believed that I could make it. She had the bravery to face Nyx alone and triumphed. Her sacrifice gave everyone the chance to move on and be better."
Shinjiro stood up, walked to Akihiko, and pulled him into a bear hug. Now also crying, he blurted, "I'm sorry."
It took a while until the hitching sobs of two grown men settled down. The atmosphere lightened up considerably.
"To think that you became a voice of reasoning..." Akihiko laughed dryly. "I guess she saw this part of you that I didn't. We've known each other for god knows how long, and I didn't see shit."
"Yeah, being dead for a while does that to you." Shinjiro chuckled a bit.
"But that's still no excuse for what I did last night." Akihiko's jaws tightened up. "I could've killed you! I hurt our teammates and caused so much damage. I-"
"Could've but hadn’t. I'm still shamelessly alive, so drop it." Shinjiro cuts in. "If you're really sorry, man up and go tell that to their faces. Although I think neither of them would hold grudges against you."
"Yeah...I will do just that." Akihiko mumbled.
"Before that," Shinjiro added. "we need to get our collective asses out of this mess."
"Senpai! I am sorry to interrupt but I sense a foreign presence in the lounge!" Fuuka came running.
"Did you call the others?" Akihiko asked.
"Yes, they are already going to investigate." Fuuka urged.
"Right after you," Shinjiro said.
"Tsk Tsk. His penchant for wreaking havoc." A familiar sounding voice said. "Some things never change." The voices chuckled cheerfully.
"Who's there!" Mitsuru asked defensively.
"What the fuck...?" Shinjiro gasped in disbelief when he saw the intruder.
"Language, young man." The stranger said in a casual tone as if he'd known Shijiro since forever. "You always worry me, little brother."
The shocking revelation of the identity of this stranger who appeared from nowhere struck S.E.E.S. like a wrecking ball. This stranger looks like an identical twin to Shinjiro except for the pale grey hair and crimson pupils. His attire also feels out of place as his clothes is a mix between a tuxedo and a Shinto priest garment. His hair is neatly tied into a small pony tail, and he wears a monocle. This man sticks out like a sore thumb.
Everyone is too flabbergasted at the moment to even say anything. These teens are no strangers to the supernatural or the occult, but this is something else. To say this is something 'out of the ordinary' is an understatement.
"Who the hell are you?" Shinjiro asked defensively. There's no way he has biological siblings around, and this dude here definitely feels off,
"How hurtful." This 'brother' of Shinjiro replied, faking a small, sad tone. "You going to abandon me for these 'friends' of yours?"
No, fuck this.
What kind of grade-A bullshit is this?
Notes:
This intruder is the Metis for Shinji.
Don't know how much time before my business trip.
Trying to update more before that.
Until I update again :D
Chapter 7: Metamorphosis
Summary:
First a self proclaimed god brother.
Now a blue clothed young man.
Shinjiro's life is changing constantly.
Now, he has the new power to wield Messiah.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Shinjiro stopped taking suppressants after he woke from the coma. The fiasco with personas ended with the destruction of the dark hour, and he is now free from his inner demons. Kotone has given him a second chance at life, and it would be sacrilege to squander it.
Today, though, if he hasn't been clean for so long, he would swear up and down that he's tripping on the suppressants' side effects. He was an orphan and the only son of his late parents. There is no way he has any genetically related siblings. But this snobby guy wearing funky clothes is virtually a carbon copy of himself, but with different hair and eye colors. The man's existence feels like an illusion, messing around with his head. This is only possible if...
"Are you the brother of Nyx?" Shinjiro demanded.
The team was slightly taken aback by the suggestion but understood where he came from. This stranger seemed capable of entering a pocket dimension and could probably shapeshift. No mortal could achieve such feats unless the mastermind tried to mess with them.
"What? No," the stranger replied, looking utterly bewildered."Are you hallucinating because of those toxins again? Because you are genuinely worrying me now." The man readjusted his monocle.
"... you're messing with me," Shinjiro muttered through gritted teeth. "Only Aki and Kotone knew about this. Who the hell are you!?"
The team exchanged nervous glances. The stranger seemed to have exclusive knowledge of Shinjiro's private life. Shinjiro appeared just as baffled as they were, and Akihiko looked visibly irritated.
"Where are my manners?" the stranger flashed an eerie smile. "Salutations, friends of Shinjiro. I am Chronos, the avatar of time and Death. I am also the brother of Aragaki." He bowed slightly.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your horses!" Junpei needs clarification. "What are you? A god or something? You don't even have a Japanese name! Chronos and Aragaki have zero resemblance. What are you going on about?"
"Nyx was the avatar of death," Mitsuru said cautiously. "Since you claim also to be an avatar of Death, is it correct to assume that you are related to her?" How is any of this related to Aragaki?
"No. I govern the Abyss of Time." Chronos shook his head. "Death is sometimes considered to be the result of a being's exhaustion of time. Hence, I am often known as the avatar of Death."
"It still doesn't make sense why you look like Aragaki San," Ken retorted, "and why you would appear here all of a sudden," Koromaru growled in agreement.
"Look, we don't nose around other people's business," Yukari said skeptically. "But since you seemed genuinely trying to look out for your 'brother,' you should help him out of this mess."
"That was indeed the reason why I came." Chronos nodded. "Come now, big brother is here to bring you back to the original reality." He extended a gloved hand to Shinjiro.
The whole scenario feels unreal. What is this man getting at? Is he just here to help Shinjiro out of this time-space confinement, or is there more to what he is letting on?
Shinjiro is getting worked up. What the hell is with this man? Why did he choose to mirror his appearance, and what is he going on about being his brother? He doesn't even know the man and has never heard of anyone called Chronos, let alone some god of time or something. Infuriated, he slaps away Chronos' extended hand.
"Fuck off." Shinjiro bellowed. "I don't know who you are, and I don't care about what you want. You better stop messing with us, or you'll get hurt."
"Aragaki Senpai, if you can get out of here, you can find out how to let us out, too. So-" Fuuka was cut off abruptly.
"No, Yamagishi. We can't trust this man," Akihiko said defensively. Who knows what he really wants with Shinji? I am not going to risk it. If we want out, we do it together. No one left behind." He cracked his knuckles and took a battle stance.
"This man seems to hold great power within him," Aigis added after she finished a power scan. "We need to be cautious," she said as she readied herself for attack.
"You can't stop me, not even with your combined powers," Chronos replied in a cold voice, very different from the cheery tone upon his arrival. "I will take him with me, even if it's by force."
"Is he a persona user?" Junpei is alert, reaching for his evoker in its holster.
"Personas?" Chronos scoffed deprecatingly. "Do not judge me by your mortal standards." The eye behind the monocle glowed bright red, and a strong current stirred around the man. He raised one hand slowly and pulled a silver lance out of thin air.
"Now," Chronos looked at them with a cold, expressionless face. "which of you is going first?" His voice had a tinge of provocation.
"I guess we're done talking then." Shinjiro raised his axe and braced himself for battle. "Either you leave us alone, or we'll put you down. I decide where I am going, not you."
Chronos' brow twitched, trying to keep his composure. "Teenagers and their rebellious stage..." He glared at Akihiko. "So you have a problem with me? Who are you?"
"I am Shinji's brother. He's not going anywhere without me." Akihiko bit back.
"Alright then, I'll start with you." Chronos decided.
Chronos lunged at Akihiko at an incredible speed, his lance aims to strike the chest. The sheer velocity of Chronos came straight at him like no other opponent before. He barely had the time and reflex to duck away when the tip of the lance narrowly grazed his neck. This man is serious. He will not hesitate to kill if he has to. Breathing heavily, he tried to calm his racing heartbeat. Akihiko steadied himself to prepare for the next strike.
"Oh my gosh, Senpai! Are you okay?" Fuuka gasped.
"Holy shit, this guy is not kidding!" Junpei was frantic. "We need to cover for Senpai!"
"Kala-Nemi! Myriad Arrows!" Ken decided to take the initiative.
A volley of light arrows rained down on Chronos, causing a debris cloud to kick up in the surrounding area. When they thought the attack was connected, the arrows turned back at Ken. Chronos has deflected the attack.
Arf! Grawooool!
Koromaru pounced onto Ken, violently knocking him out of the arrows' trajectory while narrowly dodging it himself.
"Ken! Koromaru!" Mitsuru asks, fearing the worst.
"I'm- I'm okay. " Ken struggles to sit back up. "Korochan is fine, too."
Arf! Arf!
"He can cast spells without a persona? " Fuuka exclaimed. "There's no way we could predict his next move..."
" Is this all you've got? " Chronos grimaced. "My turn."
His left eye glowed again, energy rapidly surrounding him, building up in a dangerous manner.
"It's megidola! " Fuuka screams over the commotion. "We don't have anything that could block almighty spells!"
"Then we'll do what we can, " Aigis said. "Athena! Marakukaja! " If shielding is not an option, buffing up is the only alternative. "Masukukaja!"
"I'll have Isis ready for healing! " Yukari called out her persona.
"Block to reduce impact! " Mitsuru urged.
This is the rare occasion when Shinjiro feels debilitated because of Castor's inability to use magic. His only supportive skills were physical deflective barriers, which are practically nails to the hammer when facing elemental damage. He doesn't have weaknesses but is also a sitting duck because his only option is to tank every magic attack. If a garu here and there already hurt like a bitch, he could only imagine how much pain a tier 2 almighty attack could do. He's worried the others might not be as durable as he is in enduring the possible onslaught coming their way.
The megidola connected without any resistance. They survived the hit while trying to hold off muffled screams of pain. Yukari immediately used mediarahan on all of them.
Now what?
"You cannot triumph over me," Chronos pleads. "How many more attacks can you take? Mortals have limited potential, and resistance is futile. Spare yourselves the suffering."
"I'll be the judge of that. " Shinjiro shot back.
Chronos' eye glowed again, his lips edging into a sinister smile. "Can you?"
A sudden sense of fatigue hit Shinjiro as a flux of colorful energy was drained from his body. He felt groggy, and his movement seemed more sluggish.
"Senpai! That was debilitate ! " Fuuka diagnosed.
As one seasoned executioner once said: C'est Magnifique!
But he can't pronounce that! So...
"Fan-Fucking-Tastic!" Shinjiro muttered under his breath.
After one too many near-death experiences later, and now it comes to this. The gods must really hate his guts.
You like running away from your problems, you say?
You like ditching Aki and leaving him alone and suffering, you say?
You left Kotone alone to face the perils of Tartarus, you say?
Well, have a taste of THIS!
"We need to watch Shinji's back, " Akihiko warned. "and find an opening..."
"So naive. " Chronos waved his lance again. "You can't even watch your own back."
“Sanada Senpai, watch out! It's Heaven's Blade! " Fuuka gasped. It is one of the few tier 4 slash attacks. Should the hit land, she shuddered at the thought.
Even if the lounge wasn't trashed like it is right now, he doubted any of the furniture could be of any good to stave off a Heaven's Blade. He's seen Kotone's persona, Michael, use that attack once on a sturdy guardian. It almost busted the floor open. Being the barren wasteland right now , Akihiko nearly wanted to call it a day and just take it.
"Tetraka- " Ken was about to summon.
"Castor!"
The ghastly knight stood in front of Akihiko, his host Shinjiro also. "Get your damn acts together. " Shinjiro scoffed.
Castor let out a vicious cry. Shinjiro's life force is rapidly sucked into the persona, taking a firm stance. Not that he doesn't believe in Ken's ability, but the collateral damage from reflecting the blow could do more destruction than trying to absorb it. Kotone defended everyone with her life, and he was willing to do the same.
"Tch, " Chronos scoffed in bemusement.
The blade hit like a truck and knocked Shinjiro and Akihiko over with the shock wave, the others struggled to maintain a standing position. Yukari immediately cast mediarahan to rejuvenate the lost health.
Shinjiro is taking long, rugged breaths of air. This asshole is relentless. Struggling not to die is hard enough. How the hell are they going to win?
"My patience is waning. " Chronos sneered. "Now, die."
With another glow in the pupil, the room temperature suddenly dropped acutely.
"The hell is this? " Junpei asked in fear.
"I have only seen this in research materials from former Kirijo scientists... " Aigis stated in a grim tone. "If the current power ratings are correct...this is...the strongest ice spell...Ice Age."
Grrr! Arf! Koromaru growled, calling Cerberus to cast Agilao to raise the temperature. The fire only melted a little of the rapidly crystallizing air around the room. Ice was forming at an alarming rate.
"Trismegistus! Agidyne! " Junpei makes another attempt at thawing the room. His persona's wings light up with raging flames, and it conjures more flames to strike at the rapidly growing ice.
How does one triumph against a god? Shinjiro wondered. He could only imagine what the battle against Nyx was like. Turns out, he's not even close to being strong enough. If he dies here, what would Kotone say about that?
"Shinjiro." Her voice was soft and soothing.
Huh?
A searing headache shot through Shinjiro's skull . Kotone's voice speaks inside his mind.
I am thou, and thou art I.
You are the hierophant seeking the truth to prevent an apocalypse.
I welcome you on the fool's journey to find the answer.
Say my name.
Castor's frame is engulfed in blinding light. Chronos turns to face Shinjiro, looking mildly curious. The rest of S.E.E.S. huddles together to stay warm and ogles at the spectacle, equally confused.
"Shinji Senpai!" She calls to him again.
"Come! Messiah! " Shinjiro screamed in pain as Castor morphed into Messiah.
There is a spear that could pierce the heavens behind its body and a chain to contain Death gripped in one hand, juggling the coffin shields with grace. They've seen this persona once before. It was when they faced off Nyx on top of Tartarus.
It was Kotone's persona.
"Messiah! Unleash the Blazing Hell! " Shinjiro commanded. “Ken, Makarakarn, please.”
Ken nodded and called his persona to cast multiples of Makarakarn on each member, anticipating Shinjiro's next step.
Messiah hovered over Shinjiro, and the chained coffins unwind. The coffins surrounded Shinjiro and unleashed what could only be described as - literal hell.
Flames shot out from the summoned lava pits. Licks of flame sprawled and crawled all over the surroundings, melting ice at a rapid pace. The brightness of the orange flames hurt the eye. It left lingering shadows on one's irises like the morning sun. The whole thing was utter chaos until it finally settled down.
The already battered lounge had again suffered more damage, and everything in the vicinity was scorched pitch black from the unforgiving flames.
" Tch," Chronos sounds irritated. "You brat! I'll knock you out before dealing with them! " He aims his lance at Shinjiro, charged up for a primal force.
"That is enough. " Another unfamiliar voice interjected.
The incoming lance collided with what looked like a grimoire in mid-course. The impact sent out yet another shock wave. By now, S.E.E.S. is painstakingly accustomed to this. Angered by another party's unwanted intervention, Chronos turned to see who the meddling one was.
Surprise! Surprise!
It is another eccentric stranger with an unconventional taste in clothing. This time, it is a courteous-looking young man with platinum hair and bright yellow eyes. He is apparently wearing a full bellboy outfit with a matching hat, but everything from head to toe is all blue.
" I would be in trouble if my guest could not make it to see my master," the blue man said as he walked towards Shinjiro.
Shinjiro pinched his thigh very hard, and it hurt like a bitch. So it is NOT a dream.
You've gotta be kidding me, right?
Notes:
Oooh trip at T-1 day.
Can't wait
Chapter 8: My Dearest Guest
Summary:
Might have to edit some small mistakes here and there
Still on biz trip
Xoxo
Chapter Text
By now, no one in S.E.E.S. has any reactions to any mystery newcomer who decides to appear. They have had enough abnormalities in one day to suffice for a lifetime. No, seriously, they are probably due to several changes of clothes and a dire need to get out of the dorm. Maybe they could do with some decompression by getting themselves out of Iwatodai for a while, too.
As the epicenter of all the first-hand action, Shinjiro felt the inner wiring in his skull frying up. Trying to get the hang of what is going on and why everything seemingly has to be related to him is proving to be too over his league of intelligence. Whatever is going on right now is just a shitshow tailor-made for yours truly, and he hates every minute of this. It blows even more, considering his teammates are in this mess with him, too.
Chronos proceeded to stand in front of Shinjiro. He conjured his lance and stood in a shielding stance. He eyed the stranger with burning scrutiny, then his expression eased into a mocking jeer, "What does Philemon's lacky want with my brother?"
Philemon? What the fuck is that? Some Zintendont collaboration with Famefreak RPG? More importantly, why was some gaming fantasy's servant with power en par with Chronos, looking for him, of all people?
Shinjiro could relate to Kotone now. She used to be the center of attraction for anything and everything. Clubs, friendship activities, S.E.E.S., and spending time with him, she managed to utilize every bit of her spare time to accommodate the slew of things on her to-do list with much grace and efficiency. He wouldn't be her best boy if he can't do the same, right? Well, it's too late now. She won't be the guiding hand on this one, and he is failing it colossally.
Unfazed by the condescending remark, the bellboy, still affable as ever, replied, "I see the other twin seemed quite the observant one. What business my master has with our guests is not something I was allowed to disclose. I am afraid our guest here would have to find out himself by joining us in the velvet room." He smiled wryly at Choronos, "You and I are not much different. I know who you are. But that's irrelevant to the current predicament." He then turned to everyone and bowed slightly, "As the situation at hand is quite perplexing, my master would also like Aragaki's teammates to join us in the velvet room."
"No! I am nothing close to being the same as the likes of you. I was born from humans; you and your kin are nothing like me. Not even that omnipotent baldo is close to the likes of me." Chronos seemed riled up by the stranger's commentary. He almost felt like a plausible contender for being related to Shinjiro when he lost his cool. If they'd heard one, the vile and snarky clapbacks sound like an Aragaki. Akihiko's eye twitched a little.
Unaffected by the small outburst from Chronos, the bellboy urged them again, "Although my master could not tell you about the exact situation at hand, we attendants of the velvet room are always willing to assist our guests in completing their journey. If you may."
With a slight wave of hand, a blue four-panel door appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the now-destroyed lounge; it had a faint blue glow emanating from it. An extrinsic door juxtaposing the two equally out-of-place strangers that stood in front of it in a mirroring position makes a jarring image. The cacophony of the whole situation felt hallucinatory.
"First, you want to ask Aragaki Senpai to go to some weird dimension with you, now you want us to go with?" Junpei blurts out, feeling incredulous, "You people need to talk normal human Japanese, not some Haiku riddle crap. Stop messing with us, and let us go already!"
My thoughts also Junpei, Shinjiro thought. He can feel the vein throbbing at the back of his neck that had built up into a full-fledged migraine.
"The velvet room..." Yukari was lost in thought, "Junpei, do you remember the first time we were sent on the Tartarus exploration mission?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Junpei tried to recall, "What are you getting at?"
"Well, whatever he's getting at, I don't give a damn. These people should stop messing with Shinji," Akihiko deadpanned, his tone very irritated.
"Mitsuru remembered too, right? Before we headed off into the tower, she stood still for a short while at the entrance," Yukari recalled, "I remember she asked us if we saw the blue door, and we thought she was just too nervous and was hallucinating."
Mitsuru shifted slightly, caught in her thoughts, perhaps also trying to recollect the events of that night. Ken listened intently, oblivious to all of it, but still put up the mature act to save himself the face that no one was trying to steal away from. Koromaru looks at the door with his red beady eyes, huffing here and there as if pondering what lies behind it. Fuuka stood on the side, and her eyes darted from one person to another as if scanning everyone mentally in the head with Juno. Aigis stood expressionless and unfazed, and she was either performing a scan or genuinely had no fucks to give at the moment.
"What? So she went to the velvet room that night?" Junpei interjected.
"Actually, Iori-San, she came to the velvet room many more times proceeding that night," the bellboy politely interjected, "but you need to seek your answer from my master, not me. Time is of the essence. Being trapped in the augmented portion of the Abyss of Time is merely the tip of the iceberg to the grand scheme of things that will happen if no actions are taken." He bowed lightly again, gesturing them to enter the peculiar single door in the middle of the room. Then his eyes meet Chronos', "As for you, was that also why you've come?"
"My reason is none of anyone's business, don't include me in this illusive bullshit," Chronos snapped back, irritated at something the others could not understand. "I am here to release my brother from the distorted part of my dominion. As for whatever schemes you and that woodpecker nose are going on about, I don't care, and I don't want Shinjiro and myself to be dragged into it. Go get those nosy brats to do whatever bidding Philemon wants and let them earn their freedom out of this." He edged a bit closer to the now having a complete intellectual constipation and almost a mental meltdown Shinjiro.
Any other day, Shinjiro would probably ask Chronos or anyone who noses around his business to fuck off. Today, he'd let it slide. He has exhausted every single possibility to get their collective asses out of this mess, and nothing worked. If someone or something could genuinely give some heads up to get the team out of this, he's gonna bend his rules for this time.
Although he didn't feel like he was correlated to anything capable of causing such a chain of events, he at least owed it to the team to get them out of this bullshit. Every way to Sunday suggested he was the source of their current situation, and it's only fitting he will fix it for them.
Seeing the stubbornly unmoving teens' reluctance to enter the velvet room, the bellboy sighed with a hint of minor frustration. He should not be bringing his only and dearest guest into this. Her journey has long concluded, but deep inside him, he wants the outcome to end differently so she doesn't have to suffer from the unjustified sacrifice she was forced to make.
His master warned him he would get hurt if he let his heart roam free and venture too deep into her orbit. Eternal separation hurt him less than the unfair fate thrust upon her; she was such an angelic person, yet her end was so unjust and so unnecessarily agonizing. The duties of the velvet room confined him from meddling with the course of fate. Now, his soul burned in the eternal inferno of regret that he wasn't brave enough to rebel and take action. His seemingly endless and timeless life meant nothing to him. He'd rather lose it all if she could be given a fair second chance to her already tragic life.
Deciding to make the right call finally, the bellboy drew a deep breath, "Look, I shouldn't be telling anyone this, but," his brows tightened as he fiddled with the proper words to say, "my previous," his voice is slightly strained, "dearest guest Kotone, has suffered a fate too terrible for an angel like her." His hands clenched into fists.
Shinjiro's head perked up hearing the mention of Kotone; even better, someone was shedding light on something that bothered him for the longest time.
"Wait, what?" Akihiko has been relatively silent for the longest time, trying to fight off the pent-up frustration, "You've got to be kidding me. That's a low blow. You just want to fuck with Shinji's head 'cause you knew he cared so much about her!" Actually, he has his own agenda, but that's irrelevant to their current conundrum.
"I have no reason to play with your emotions," the bellboy said quietly, "my master and my siblings serve a greater being as an assistance to guests chosen to be the wildcard to fulfill a role as a possible catalyst in impending cataclysmic events. Whether these guests succeed or not, we do not interfere, but only assist in the creation of personas and managing the guest's collection of personas so they could be useful when the time comes."
Akihiko's jaw moved. Perhaps he tried to say something, but he clenched it shut again abruptly.
"She was my first guest, and probably," His voice trailed off as if he was thinking about something, "my last too." His clenching fist tightened as he became determined. "Of all the guests that come and go, why does she have to face an opponent that's impossible to defeat? Why does she have to be subjected to such inequity? It was a lose-lose situation. She was forced to choose between letting the world fall or a final gambit with her life to save it all. Utter injustice." His voice seeps of unmaintainable misery. "...and now, a lurking evil surfaced to undermine her sacrifice. The last increment of her benevolent soul found you..." He looked at Shinjiro, the sorrowful face had a tinge of complex emotions within, "and entrusted the savior within her to assist you on your journey to find the answer you sought. She trusted you to do the right thing should a challenge arise," He slowed down as if struggling with his following words, "She truly treasured you to meld the last of her secular existence into your soul so she could cure you and empower you. As you may have noticed," His words become almost inaudible, "you are the new wildcard. Hence, the velvet room summons you."
The gigaton revelation caught them in a mental mushroom cloud; the multitude of information shook them to the core. Their leader had a tragic upbringing already haunting her before her return to Tatsumi Port Island. But upon all that, she was chosen by some uncompromising deity to risk her life and fight a battle that she was doomed to lose in the beginning. What did she do to deserve so much pain and suffering in her prematurely cut short life?
Mitsuru held her arms together and tugged tightly at her elbows. A crippling sense of guilt welled within her. If her grandfather never dabbled in powers that weren't meant for humans to use, could it have ended in a better way for Kotone? Shadows exist when human minds exist, but without the synthesized thirteenth arcana shadow, could their duty end up as only policing occasional stray shadow that accidentally entered our realm, no Tartarus, no more Nyx?
The juniors are fuming at the utterly unfair hand dealt to the already suffering Kotone. If a godly figure can have servants who govern personas, why can't they deal with the misfortunes themselves? Why do you play with fragile humans to carry such a burden in a clearly rigged game?
Shinjiro stood there like like a ghost, silent and pale while trying to breathe from the feeling of his lungs caving in from the mixed feeling of rage and anguish. The more he lives this undeserving life she cherishes, the more he learns about how much she loves him and how much he loves her because of who she is. She stood proud and confident as ever, braving the battles that came her way. She was unyielding until the very end with an all-in. She may have lost, but she let everyone else triumph over every living things' unconquerable adversary - Death. He's proud of his girl.
She saved him once with the pocket watch, a second time by entrusting him with the last remainder of her soul to heal his broken body. And for the final time, her soul joined with his to empower and protect him till they could finally meet again in the afterlife.
Words cannot convey how much he misses her.
If someone were to undo her effort and let all the pain and suffering she had endured go to waste, Shinjiro is going to hunt it down and pulverize it. No more cowardice; it's for her and everything she loved and believed in.
A lot of things went on in Akihiko's head for the past 12 hours or so. He cycled through varied emotions of hatred, regret, jealousy, powerlessness, sorrow, and happiness. He could pinpoint exactly what emotion he was going through up to this point. What the velvet room attendant dropped on them is on a scope beyond a lot of people's jurisdiction. How many in the world could deal with an impending apocalypse with such grace and positivity? How did she even manage to smile when she probably knew the odds were most likely against her favor?
She was many steps ahead of everyone. She even entrusts Shinji with what may have been the final element for survival or resurrection. She had to leave a trump card with them in case offering her life to Nyx wasn't a failsafe. She did all this even when she knew she was thrown into a rigged game.
There he was, yapping about letting Miki's misfortune be the last on his watch because he would never let anyone else he cared about suffer any more injustice. He never had the power to break free from the grasp of the adults restraining him from running into the fire to save Miki. He thought growing up would change that if he became stronger. No, he just watched her go to her death match against Nyx, while he was pinned down by Death's unholy prowess.
It turned out it was all in vain. Shinji had to constantly clean up after his mess for being a reckless brawler and finally snapped and did the unthinkable. Kotone had to constantly deal with his prepubescent dick moves of being a jealous asshat. Maybe he's still that insufferable little weakling.
"I'll go," Shinjiro said after a long moment of silence.
"Thank you," the bellboy said quietly.
"What? Then I am going as well," Chronos blurted out, slightly louder than usual. "I am not giving elephant nose a chance to trick my brother."
"Look, I know I am this new guest thing and probably going into deep shit moving forward." Shinjiro said slowly, "Judging from how things might turn out to be Nyx-related, I could do with any extra manpower." He doesn't want to drag them in, but knowing he is nowhere as brilliant as Kotone, he could do with voluntary assistance. "Those who want to can join me; those who have second thoughts, it's fine as well. None of you are obligated to join me."
"Do you even need to ask?" Akihiko almost cussed, "Ride or die, Shinji."
Shinjiro laughed approvingly.
"That's gross; stop being so chummy with my brother; go get a life, or better, a girlfriend." Chronos jabbed with the loaded toxin, "I go where my brother goes, so no need to ask me."
"This has nothing to do with the sins of the Kirijo Group; I need to make sure the efforts and sacrifices that my comrade... no, my best friend, would not go to waste because some egoistic god was incompetent," Mitsuru said with great determination.
"She was my best friend, my sister from a different mother," Junpei angrily added, "If that son of a gun wants to screw with Kotone's plans, imma beat the living shit out of it. I am in!"
"She saved my life during the first full moon encounter, and she saved my soul since," Yukari said, tearing up, "she's done too much for everyone and not nearly enough for herself. This is the last chance I could do something for her, and I am going."
"She believed in me and saw all of my potential within me even when my blood kin failed to," Fuuka's voice trembled, "she inspired courage in me to find the answer to how to live my own life. For everything she did for me, my calling was to stay in for a final fight in her honors. I am coming too."
"Do you even need to ask, Aragaki Senpai?" Aigis said firmly, "She helped me overcome the confusion about my existence after committing one too many errors when I was supposed to be an almighty android with no room for failures. She helped me achieve sentience because she told me it makes me more human when I make mistakes and even more human if I could correct them. She helped me found a purpose in life, and whatever was her wish, it would be my command. I am also assisting."
"She trusted me and gave me guidance as a friend but not a Senpai." Ken said, "I wasn't nearly as mature or capable back then, and I was blinded by rage that hurt the most important person in her life." He looked at Shinjiro apologetically. "Even after all that, she never hated me. Her belief in me never wavered, and she continued aiding me in battles and life. Opting out of the only chance to do something in return doesn't sit well with me. I am on board as well."
Arf! Arwool! Koromaru stuck his head high, wagging his tail furiously as if he were screaming: Bring me!
"Well, look at that," Shinjiro beamed a genuine smile, "I promise this time I am gonna be chill and work with all of you. No mo solo cholo shit." Shinjiro winces a little, "Teamwork makes the dream work, right?"
"You did not just say that!" Junpei cringed. "Well, Mr. Blue, lead the way! Watch out! Junpei is gonna save the day!"
"You morons!" Yukari feels exasperated already.
"Well, then." The bellboy bowed a little, "To the velvet room."
Chapter 9: Velvet Room Resolution
Summary:
Shinjiro and Akihiko really hates Philemon and his servants.
Of all the wildcards we know, the Arisato siblings seemed to have the worst endings.
Guess what lol I hate that too.
I didn't want the ending to be less impactful but it still stings after ALL these years lol!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Shinjiro placed a hand on the brass handle of the blue door. The coolness of the knob prompts a sense of realism to the current circumstances.
Kotone is a wildcard, a persona user capable of wielding more than one persona, and is contracted by the velvet room to be the catalyst for some imminent cataclysmic events. The velvet room and the deity they serve do not interfere with the choices made by the wildcard, making it a 50-50 chance of them instigating either a miracle or a disaster. After a whole year of Nyx annihilation events, being ahead of the game, Kotone has entrusted a part of her soul to him. Now, he is her successor, the new wild card.
The sequence of incidents that transpired within the last 24 hours indicates some new evil has surfaced, and said evil is looking to awaken Nyx from her slumber. Whatever or whoever that was is clearly aware of the existence of S.E.E.S. and possibly of his status as the new wildcard. Whether it is to protect the peace that Kotone sacrificed herself to bring or another forced obligation due to the status of being a wildcard, Shinjiro has decided that he needs to get to the bottom of this. He needs some answers.
Without further hesitation, he opened the door to a blinding white space and stepped through the doorway with S.E.E.S. and Chronos on his heels.
For a moment, it seemed as if they were sucked into a void of blue and was funneled toward a bright exit. When they were about to be engulfed by the whiteness of the exit, the surroundings became still and too blinding to see. When his vision recovered, he had already sat on a chair in front of what looked like a counseling desk, and the rest of the group stood huddled together in the relatively tight space. The room is wholly colored blue, and it looks like they are in a perpetually ascending vintage Otis elevator.
An old bald man with a comically long nose and eerily wide and bloodshot eyes appeared from another door with the bellboy at his heel. He settled down at the desk and said, "Welcome to the velvet room," He beckoned the bellboy to come forward, "I am Igor, and this is my assistant Theodore." Theodore bowed slightly. "We are the attendants of the velvet room, and our duty is to aid our guests in creating and managing their arsenal of personas." Igor flashed an uncanny grin, "Ah, Aragaki San, quite a unique guest. Yes..."
"Lemme guess," Shinjiro jeered, "I was chosen not by your master but by the previous guest." He scoffed, "It used to be the tamable wildcard. Now you have an actual wild one on your hands." For all you've done to Kotone, verbal abuse is the least you should tolerate. Chronos snickered.
"Why yes, quite an observant one." Igor continued, neglecting the hostility from Shinjiro, "However, it seems that we might have a misunderstanding. Whatever my master has in mind has nothing to do with the velvet room. We only have one duty: to aid our guests in efficiently utilizing personas. How they are using it is not our concern."
"Of course, handing lethal mental weaponry to teens and letting them run amok sounds like the right thing to do." Shinjiro bit back, "You know what? I'm not a talking guy. Let's cut to the chase, alright? Who is trying to free Nyx, and where can we find them?" His teammates shifted slightly in anticipation.
"I believe Theodore did not provide such leads?" Igor shot a cold look at Theodore.
"Your bellboy didn't show until that asshole possessed my brother and tried to kill us all." Shinjiro is losing patience. "That thing personally taunted my teammates. I think it just begged for attention." Theodore seemed unfazed by the exchange, still standing patiently beside Igor.
"There is indeed such entity attempting to awaken Nyx. Due to the special nature of your awakening to the wildcard, it causes the entity to be stranded in the Abyss of Time." Igor said, gesturing for Theodore to come up. "As I have mentioned, our duties are strictly persona-related. But, due to the nature of your destination, I will let Theodore provide entry points for you and your companions to travel to and from the Abyss from your current dimension."
"I know it's not very polite to cut in," Junpei said, "but why are we here? Everything is now Aragaki Senpai's duty. How's that fair? You are not going to pull the same bullshit."
"Iori San, I can explain in my master's stead," Theodore said politely. "The awakening of Aragaki San's wildcard caused a great distortion in the Abyss." Chronos shifted uncomfortably. "The distortion cut off the entity's intended access point to Nyx. Some special guardians were spawned from the burst of distortion. You need to find them to find the answer you all sought."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Junpei is quizzical. "What guardians? Do you mean the ones in Tartarus? I thought that was behind us now!"
"Technically, Iori," Mitsuru recalled. "before the existence of Tartarus, shadows have existed as long as humankind has. Every human mind has its respective shadow. It is the alter ego that most want to hide. The previous Kirijo research records stated that the shadows have always existed before escaping into the real world through Tartarus but in the Sea of Consciousness...Perhaps the Abyss is correlated to the Sea as well?"
"My my, the new guest's companions are quite knowledgeable." Igor chimed in enthusiastically. "You are more than prepared for your coming journey."
"Don't give me this false positivity bullshit." Akihiko antagonized, "Don't pretend you never victimized Kotone and coaxed her into doing your bidding without any second thoughts or showed any remorse about how excruciating you made her 'journey.' Don't you downplay the fact that you capitalized on her kindness and selflessness and practically involuntarily slaughtered her!"
"Sanada Senpai..." Fuuka seemed overwhelmed by the interpretation. The rest of the team shifted uncomfortably at this revelation. No words were minced. It was so raw that it hurts the mind to consider it. They have no idea about other wildcards that came and went before her, but from her journey's progression and the result, it seemed she was doomed from the beginning.
It's a sickening sense of deja vu. What these authoritative figures did to Kotone was no different from those incompetent orphanage workers who valued their good-for-nothing lives over giving a young dying girl a second chance at life. No shits were given to all those kids who have to perish in a hellish inferno so young to have their future snuffed out in a fiery purgatory. They can be selfish because these ruthless fuckers were given power that they don't deserve. Their negligence caused Miki's premature Death, and these velvet hypocrites' gaslighting cost Kotone her life.
She died for everyone's sake but for her own; her selflessness had no recognition from anyone outside of S.E.E.S. because humans without potential don't even know the existence of the dark hour. She went through hell and didn't make it back, and these antisocial velvet room dickbags didn't even raise an eyebrow knowing she had died for such a noble cause. The audacity for them acting nonchalantly after learning what happened to her and having the gall to coax Shinji into a round two.
Oh, hell no.
"Who do you think you are?" Akihiko is done with any sickening devaluing of human lives. "You got some nerves to try this with Shinji." Akihiko went into a fight stance. "Your shitty excuse of a god found another mass destruction crisis of the humans? Tell him to get his ass out of his chair to fix shit himself. Shinji is not doing anything for anyone but himself. And if you have a problem with that, I'll fight you. I don't care if I have to die for this; I am done with authority figures toying with the lives of my loved ones. No more!"
Igor seemed utterly unfazed by his outburst, like some war-hardened veteran who eats death threats for breakfast. Theodore shifted uncomfortably in his corner. He seemed conflicted as if his standpoint was wavering. He was the one to voice his distaste for what the velvet room had led Kotone to. It made sense that he questioned the validity of them doing all this.
Shinjiro knows exactly what Akihiko is on about, but there is crucial information about what happened to Kotone that day that he needs to piece together. This reason brought the rest of the team together with him. However, this is different from what Shinjiro was looking for. Knowing the nature of his unique awakening, he wondered about one thing: If her soul could regenerate his dying carcass, and if he could find some supernatural potential in the Abyss, perhaps her resurrection could be a possibility. The hospital still hosts her physical body in cryostasis. Who can say there's no feasibility of another miracle?
Not that anyone should die prematurely, but she deserved way more than living an already tragic life and getting persuaded to gamble her life away. Her actions were noble, but if a cowardly scoundrel like him could have a second chance in life, why should she be denied that possibility?
"Aki, I understand this," Shinjiro comforts his brother, "but I did not bring you all into this because I'm some new zealot of the velvet room and what they stand for. I want to - No, scratch that, we want the truth about why Nyx's slumber was at the cost of Kotone's life. We also need to ensure that after all her efforts, Death will not be awakened again to finish what it started." Shinjiro grasped his brother's shoulder, "Even if the chance to bring her back is slim, at least we tried and finally knew the truth." Shinjiro is a terrible liar. Since this is half of the truth, he's so relieved that it came out smoothly, and from the look on Aki, he could tell Aki bought his story.
"As we have said before," Theodore carefully added, "our only job is to assist in managing the wildcard's personas." He conjured the grimoire they'd seen before. "How you use the compendium is at your liberty. If you are feeling evil," Theodore chuckled a little, "the harm that you could do to the world is extreme as well." He quickly stopped jesting, "The potential is yours. Should you wish to utilize it, my master and I shall be here to assist." He bowed a little.
"Look," Shinjiro told his teammates, "Kotone was a steadfast girl. She does things her way and charges headstrong towards her goals. We are not here to judge her actions. We are here to honor that. This is the last chance before going into the realm of the unknown. I am asking for the last time: Who is leaving? It's okay, I understand the suspicions and concerns."
"I think we're past that point now," Yukari replied. "We are old enough to be responsible for our own choices. I wouldn't have joined S.E.E.S. if I was so scared of new territories." She tightened her bowstrings and proceeded to warm up her body.
"Look, I may still be a kid," Ken replied, "that doesn't mean I could just choose to be an ungrateful brat who only takes and never gives. S.E.E.S. work is dangerous. How is it different now? No need to worry about me," He readied his spear, "Plus, I trained with Korochan. We are both ready." Arf! Arf! Arf! You bet!
"Anything for Kotone," Aigis chimed in, "like Junpai always says 'nuff said' bro." She even gave a thumbs-up.
"Hehe, Aigis knows some jokes of her own too now," Fuuka laughed warmly, "I am going. I am strong enough now to help protect the world that Kotone loved so much."
"I'm not gonna repeat myself," Junpei smirked, "anything trying to undo Kotone's effort is looking for some serious ass-kicking from yours truly." He flashed a wink.
"For Kotone," Akihiko added, "and my brother."
"Back off, get your own brother." Chronos interjected, "You're getting on my nerves. You can't even lay a scratch on me. Stop acting like a big man and find your own brother to pester. The Abyss is my domain. I will give you all the help you need." Chronos flashed a childish grin to Shinjiro.
Okay, that's a little creepy-looking, Shinjiro said mentally. But he needs all the help he can get; the more, the merrier; no complaints here.
"For our leader," Mitsuru concluded, "and to secure the future for humanity."
"Alright then," Shinjiro turned to Theodore. "Before we head off to the Abyss, could you give me a crash course on persona management, and could I see what current personas she's left me with?"
"Certainly," Theodore nodded.
What awaits us in the Abyss could be heaven or hell.
Let's get our fingers crossed that it's the former.
Nah! Who am I kidding, my luck was in the shits since I was born!
Notes:
I always come up with loads of persona conspiracies haha
I decide to put some of that into my fic too.
Most of the other wildcards have bad and good endings.
Makoto and Kotone seems to be the only ones who was given the lose-lose endings.
One way or another you're screwed.
Damn you Philemon!
Chapter 10: Monad Madness
Summary:
Finally my boy Thanatos A.K.A. lover boy Ryoji makes appearance (sort of)
Time to venture into the unknown!
Let's GOOOO!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
At the brink of S.E.E.S.’s conception, the three original members struggled with controlling their newly awakened personas. Even with the help of Japan’s top-tier scientists, managing and manipulating this newfound power was challenging. Mastering the summoning was already demanding enough. Controlling them for combat was another demon. To think someone freshly tossed into the fray without prior training could gracefully take down an Arcana Shadow, Kotone was indeed a born warrior. Perhaps that was what earned her the cursed status of a wildcard.
Thinking back, Shinjiro remembered how physically and mentally demanding it was for him to use Castor. Ensuring Castor would obey him while dishing out glorious damage to decimate shadows has always been heavy mental gymnastics in every battle. To think someone could utilize a varied collection of vastly different personas while strategizing their Tartarus runs was, even now, still considered an unthinkable miracle.
Shinjiro browsed through Kotone’s compendium of personas, all now his to command. The collection was astounding, to say the least. Castor was always a powerhouse, but he hits only physical and practically has zero magic or support capabilities. Yes, he has impressive endurance status, but he is less of a tank and more of a walking target. Although he didn’t really get the gist of how to cycle through different personas (Theodore attempted to guide him through it, but the word vomit of instruction did nothing but make his head hurt), he feels more at ease knowing he has more options now. After picking out a lineup of personas, he is ready to go.
“How are you holding up?” Akihiko asked, slightly nervous for some reason. “I’m still skeptical about those velvet room attendants, especially how they lead you through this ordeal. I-”
“Nah, you can trust me.” Shinjiro gave his brother a small pat, “My goals are quite simple: Get us out of this mess, find out the truth of Kotone’s final battle, and beat Nyx’s brother’s ass if he tries something funny.”
Do you know what makes one the Messiah? A voice in his head asked.
I do.
Then you already know one answer to your questions.
...
“Mitsuru, what’s everyone’s status?” Shinjiro asked.
“We are ready for deployment,” Mitsuru replied.
“What is the Abyss like anyway?” Yukari questioned.
“It is called the Abyss for a reason,” Chronos answered. “Let’s just say most who’ve been there consider it a purgatory frozen in time. It doesn’t have a fixed shape or form. It is similar to the Sea of Consciousness but is a constantly warping hellscape.”
“What does that even mean?” Junpei gulped. “It can’t be worse than Tartarus, right?”
“What? You scared?” Yukari jested, “We’ve seen worse, but if you want to back out-,”
“That’s not what I mean, and now is not the time to joke,” Junpei deadpanned, “bellboy told us Nyx’s brother entered the Abyss and caused distortions that spawned some guardians. We need to be prepared.”
“Iori is right,” Mitsuru agreed, “its existence caused a time loop, and it showed us the power of mind control.” Akihiko shifted uncomfortably. “If Chronos can provide more insight, we can go prepared and be less exposed to possible dangers.”
“Are the enemies there shadows, or are there other opponents?” Ken inquired, “Only Aragaki San, Sanada San, Kirijo San, and Takeba San are trained in real-life combat skills. The rest of us will be liabilities if we have to physically fight.”
“I was built an anti-shadow weapon,” Aigis said, “but Ken has a point. If there are other types of enemies, my limited ammunition could pose a problem.”
“Could Juno even scan entities that are not human or shadows?” Fuuka seemed concerned.
“Look, I get it,” Chronos ensured, “but the Abyss is similar to the Sea: only shadows or personas exist. All you need is to brace yourself for difficult battles because the distortion riled up the dwellers there. But rest assured, the only threat is that thing trapped in there.”
“Nyx’s brother?” Aigis asked.
“Yes,” Chronos replied, “I was considered one of the stronger ones of the Abyss denizens. Even I couldn’t cause a distortion of that scale, I suggest we proceed cautiously.”
“What even is Nyx’s brother, though?” Junpei asked, “Long nose and Theodore refused to give us further information. If we run into that, what could we do?”
“And I don’t like the whole wildcard thing.” Akihiko said, “I am in on saving humanity, but what happened to Kotone...”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Shinjiro interjected, “we need to find our way out first. The rest we can figure out after. So, are we ready?”
“In that case,” Mitsuru looked at everyone, “I’d say yes. We are indeed ready.”
“Show the way, Theo.” Shinjiro nodded at Theodore.
“Yes,” Theodore smiled, “this way.”
They walked through the door, and once again, they returned to the familiar wasteland that was their lounge.
“Now what?” Junpei asked,
Theodore conjured the compendium and summoned what looked like a demon. After an inaudible chant, an ominous glowing red double door appeared. The door was covered with glowing red veins with energy coursing through them. It looked like some sci-fi gateway combined with an old Victorian arched double door.
“What the hell is this?” Junpei asked.
“This,” Theodore gestured for them to go closer, “is the monad door.”
“Mo- what?” Shinjiro blurted out. “Forget it. So we must go through this to reach the Abyss, right?”
“Indeed,” Theodore replied.
“If we need to recuperate,” Misturu inquired, “how do we return here?”
“This door will remain at your entry point should you find the need to return here,” Theodore answered.
“Alright then,” Shinjiro shifted the weight of his axe a bit, “let’s kick some ass.”
After their recent experience with the Velvet door, they have a hunch about what happens if they go through a similar door. Shinjiro rubbed his combat gloves on the sides of his thighs for a bit, took a deep breath, and pushed the doors open.
As expected, the doors opened to a blinding white space devoid of all existence. After the brightness settled down, they walked in one after another and arrived in the Abyss. Chronos’ impression of the Abyss as somewhat of a purgatory was an understatement.
They arrived at a corridor that resembled that of Gekkoukan High but had all sorts of misplaced things slapped onto it like some psychedelic collage from hell.
Parts of the ceiling look like the charred aftermath of some crazy fire. Some unknown medical instruments jut out from a piece of a wall like they were embedded there by sheer force. There was a tungsten orb with busted glass, but the wiring is still lit up and emits a faint, eerie glow. Swirls of dust particles dance around it, adding to the uneasy feeling.
LCD flatscreens on one wall played a repeated video of a man speaking inaudibly but his facial features are distorted and splashed with mosaic. One corner to a dead end has one statue of a bowing male figure seemingly apologizing. On closer inspection, the limbs of this man bend at a humanly impossible angle, and the twisted facial feature seems to portray the thing showing tortured glee.
Some of the locked rooms had faint mumbling coming from them. However, multiple scans from Juno and Aigis have confirmed whatever was making those sounds was neither human nor shadow. It seemed no life form even existed behind the barricaded rooms. Occasionally, random sounds of shattered glassware could be heard echoing down the hallway, the source unknown.
The team had it worse when, in one section of the whole length of the hallway they walked in, an unknown woman began screaming ceaselessly. It made their eardrums hurt, and the hairs on the back of their necks shot up. The place was like some over-the-top horror house, and it is very demented.
The uncanniness of the situation even made slums-adapted and scuffle-hardened Shinjiro feel a bit uneasy. He thought he was mentally prepared for the worst when Chronos told them the Abyss was messed up. Nothing really prepared him for this. It felt like some suppressant hopped up high mixed with an acid trip from H-E double hockey sticks. Everyone besides Chronos seemed to have gone quiet, and their faces grew pale as they traversed the labyrinth.
What a fitting place indeed to be a previous access point to where Nyx is in her slumbers. The place looks like the soul baby of a true homicidal maniac. On some dark corners, you would come across wandering shadows that resemble primordial ooze than typical arcana shadows from Tartarus. They seemed to lack sentience and were hell-bent on destroying everything in their path. They weren’t tough to take down, but the guttural sounds they made when they charged at them while bleeding to their death were hard to watch.
When you think the unhinged and aggravating scenery is dreadful enough, a sickening purple fog accumulates at ground level as they move from one area to another.
“This shit better not be poisonous,” Shinjiro scoffed.
“No, it’s not,” Chronos answered quietly.
“Then why do they need this here!” Yukari sounds frustrated, “We get it already! This place manifests humanity’s dark side and confines it in a temporal limbo. Message received! But is this really necessary?” She grudgingly tore through some comically thick cobwebs.
“What even makes a place like this?” Junpei quietly gasped, “How is this structurally possible? I used to think Tartarus floor plans were ridiculous, but this just takes the cake!”
“How does Chronos San live in here? This is my question.” Ken panted, seeming to struggle to keep up with the arduous trek. “How does anything besides primal and mindless shadows survive in THIS?” Koromaru whined occasionally, seeming very disturbed by the surroundings.
“The place didn’t look like this before,” Chronos answered, “the distortion morphed it into this.”
“That thing wasn’t even from our secular world,” Akihiko mumbled. Something distracted him. “but the scenery here is mostly related to genuine human fears...”
Fuuka gasped, and the chatting team followed her gaze to find the source that surprised her. From a distance in the fog, a set of silhouettes moved away from them. The silhouette of a petite female seemed to be sitting on the shoulder of a tall humanoid-looking shadow. As they squinted and focused to make out the figures, Aigis stepped forward and readied her hand cannons.
“Thanatos!” Aigis exclaimed.
“What?” Shinjiro is confused, “that’s not possible...” One of the personas he took from the compendium was Thanatos, the most powerful of the Death Arcana.
The large shadow turned his head halfway to cast his gaze from his hollowed mask. Now, they could see faint outlines of the coffin shields behind him. A moment of tension passed, and the shadow turned around and continued walking out of sight. A long yellow scarf fluttered behind the female shadow, and then, they disappeared into the fog.
“Was that Ryoji?” Junpei said in disbelief, “It can’t be him...He was absorbed into Nyx. He doesn’t exist anymore!”
“Wait, if,” Yukari panicked a bit, trying to piece together what they just saw. “if that was truly Ryoji Kun, then that girl he was carrying, the one wearing his scarf...It has to be...” She was shuddering a little from the thought.
“Kotone...?” Akihiko’s voice is barely audible. His heart is hammering against his rib cage as if it’s trying to escape his chest. Could this be? Could she really be alive here but as a shadow?
“Normal humans can’t survive here, right?” Mitsuru asks Chronos, and she, too, is baffled. “Was she even real? Was that...a shadow?”
“That thing was not normal, and she certainly is not a shadow,” Chronos answered a bit overly curtly. He seemed reluctant to answer that question.
Shinjiro could see his teammates visibly shaken by what they had just seen. He, too, could tell immediately that the female figure had to be Kotone. But he could also know that she was not human, and that thing was undoubtedly not Thanatos. He unsheathed his evoker and pointed at his temple.
You called?
Yes.
Very well, human, command me to bring demise.
“Come! Thanatos!”
The glass shattering within his head sounds aggressive as black mist accumulates behind him, conglomerating into a humanoid figure. A fan of coffins spreads behind the figure, shielding it. A metallic mask with two eye holes covers where the face of it should be. The lower half of the mask resembles a gaping jaw with jagged teeth. The white-gloved hands clenched into tight fists, then it spreads his arms and lets out a blood-curdling wail.
It is unmistakably the same Thanatos that Kotone accidentally summoned during her awakening back in the first full moon encounter. Yukari, Mitsuru, and Akihiko immediately recognized the persona.
“If you can summon the real Thanatos...” Mitsuru mumbled, still in awe.
“Then what the hell was that?” Akihiko didn’t even realize he was screaming.
The rest of the team was equally perplexed. No one knew what to think.
“I would want to know the answer myself, too.” Shinjiro winced. Thanatos hovers dead still above him.
What the hell is going on?
This is probably a trap, but he will be a willing victim.
Notes:
Still travelling from place to place, update schedule is unstable!
Sorry :(
Chapter 11: Harbinger of Chaos
Chapter Text
"It was her," Akihiko mumbled frantically. You all saw her, right? It was Kotone..." He dreamt of various scenarios of being together in another lifetime but never fathomed a reunion like this: A shadow that wore her skin appeared in a distorted hell hole.
"But that can't be Thanatos," Junpei sounds confused, "We just saw Aragaki Senpai summoning the real one. So what the hell was that?"
"She's not real," Chronos answered abruptly.
"Then what is she?" Akihiko is trembling. "Why does she even appear here of all places?"
"I cannot answer you," Chronos said briskly.
"Then what good are you for?" Akihiko rebutted, agitated. Seriously, this stranger just shows up wearing a disguise that looks like an identical twin of Shinji and goes on and on about needing to take him away from the group because he is Shinji's brother. The absurd act was infuriating enough, now that they are stranded in this hellscape and this little shit has to act all weird again. "Aren't you some ruler here? So enlighten me. Do you know anything about this?"
Chronos didn't seem offended by the sudden outburst. He stayed quiet and avoided Akihiko's searing gaze.
Although Chronos is still a stranger to Shinjiro, his first impression of this man is alright. He may have stolen his looks (which he didn't understand because he's clearly not a handsome lad, but to each their own.), but Chronos seemed quite genuine about trying to help. Aside from the minor scuffle, he appeared tame most of the time. They are in a foreign territory, and Chronos is their best bet at getting crucial information and lending them a hand at combat. Akihiko lost his composure after seeing the Kotone look-a-like, but now is not the time to play the blame game when everyone is still on edge.
"I want to see Kotone more than any of you," Shinjiro said, carefully choosing his words, "but everything about the Abyss is obscure. We are in an alternate dimension, and it's dangerous out here. We know the place changes over time, and Nyx's brother's existence caused unforeseen distortion." He clenched hard on his axe handle, "Our objective here is to find our way out of the time loop and see if we will deal with them. I know it is hard to maintain a straight mind in this psychedelic atmosphere, but we don't have much time or options left. Please, work with me, work together."
Anyone who knows Shinjiro long enough would be surprised if they heard him giving a pep talk. The man was like a lone wolf vigilante for so long, and people swear he's lost his social skills. He was grateful that at least someone saw his innate leadership potential and that someone was Kotone.
"This current arrangement of the Abyss is completely foreign to me," Chronos said, thankful for Shinjiro speaking for his defense, "but I could sense seven unique existences here. It stood out because the scent resembles neither a shadow nor a persona. None of them feels as strong as anything you could consider a sibling of an eldritch Death God." He looks slightly dejected, "As for now, I guess my only use to you is lending my combat powers. I am sorry."
"No, Chronos San, that's more than enough information for now. Please," Fuuka said, "Don't worry about us. As long as we work together, we can get through this."
"There may not be a correlation here," Mitsuru said, hypothesizing, "but there are seven special signatures in the Abyss, and there are ten of us here. If we exclude Aragaki, Chronos, and Koromaru, we have seven of us here..." Her brow furrowed.
"Mitsuru..." Yukari seemed concerned, "I had a gut feeling, but..."
"What does that even mean?" Junpei seemed a little hysterical, "Stop it with the cryptic shit. What's going on."
"I think Kirijo Senpai meant the seven entities are somehow related to us," Ken said, his face paler than usual, "I suspected that the horrific scenery here has something to do with our fears. I swear," His small hand clenched on his spear, "I swear I saw identical blood smears from that night appearing numerous times on the walls." Shinjiro felt like someone kicked his gut. "I would guess the other setup here probably had something to do with the inner fears of our other members."
Fuuka let out a small gasp after considering Ken's words. Koromaru looked slightly puzzled and whined curiously. Aigis seemed perplexed after going through her video log and replaying the scenes she'd seen.
"And why am I exempted from this?" Shinjiro asked, "Chronos, I get it. He's from here. But why am I the odd one out?"
"Because you already saw her," Mitsuru said quietly. "I presume her appearance alone is shocking enough for you." And Akihiko, but that's a can of worms for another time. "Koromaru stayed with us to repay our kindness for healing him. He settled his grudge with the shadow that hurt his master. He literally has nothing to fear, no regrets, which didn't cause a manifestation of an anomaly."
Chronos' gaze seemed to shift slightly. Shinjiro caught the turbulence, but he left it at that for now.
"...the fire." Akihiko whispered, "It was Miki..."
"Long Nose said that his place was distorted when a piece of Kotone's soul awakened Aragaki Senpai's wildcard," Junpei ponders, "it made sense her shadow or whatever left of her shows up here."
"We were caught in the time loop because we're a threat to Nyx's brother," Yukari said, "It's natural they want to take us out, and their modus operandi is to mentally break us down..."
"So we can assume that tackling down the guardians could lead us closer to breaking the loop," Aigis said, "and maybe also find out about Kotone's final moments."
Arf! Arwoooo! Koromaru jumped in agreement. Let's beat down the evil shadows and get out of here.
"For a bunch of mortal children, you lot seemed quite intelligent."
"It's that voice!" Ken exclaimed.
"What voice?" Junpei asked.
"It's Nyx's brother," Mitsuru gasped. "Stand guard! He may be close!"
Everyone entered a defensive position and held their weapons close. Aigis prepared her shoulder missiles, and Koromaru held his trusted blade ready.
"Oh, you remembered?" The voice chuckled playfully, a cacophony to what it actually embodies, "Where are my manners? I am Erebus, brother of Nyx and the harbinger of chaos."
"Great, we have another God on our hands," Junpei deadpanned. "And what do you want, Mr. God?"
"You want out, No?" Erebus jested, "How about I let you out, and you let me out. Fair? Yeah?"
"What kind of idiot are you?" Yukari scoffed, "Let you out and undo what Kotone did? You really think we are stupid like that?"
"I was merely offering a viable option," Erebus said, seemingly amused by their exchange. Enlighten me, children of men. What do you intend to do then?"
"Get our asses out of here, and maybe beat the shit out of you while we're at it." Shinjiro bit back, "For some God-like figure, you sure are a pain in the ass."
"Yikes, we have a gritty youngin in here!" Erebus chuckled, sounding maniacal. "Ah! It's you! It's the lovebird of that wretched cunt that put my sister into a slumber!"
"Hey, watch your mouth!" Akihiko bellowed.
“So you know.” Shinjiro’s jaw tensed up. He is closer to finding his answer and closer to finding a possible miracle.
“Oh, I more than know,” Erebus sounds agitated, “your little fairy girl was shrewd. She knew Nyx was unbeatable, so she had to keep a fail-safe after she was gone. It was a shame she trusted you instead of that sentimental knucklehead, or I wouldn’t have been caught in her petty trap.”
“Don’t even try!” A vein throbs on Akihiko’s forehead, “ I am not falling for your bullshit again. Who are you to judge Kotone’s decision?” It infuriates him to know that if Kotone had entrusted him with the wildcard, he would have let his inner demons take over and ruined it all. Somehow he always knew although Shinji looked like a careless numbskull, deep inside, he was always the level-headed big brother. The recent brainwashed rampage further proved that maybe, deep inside, he’s just a bigger version of that crying boy at the burnt-down orphanage.
“So, can we have a deal?” Erebus said mockingly, “I could wait as long as I like. But can you? Humans can’t last long without sustenance. It would be wise to take my offer.”
“Actually,” Shinjiro said through gritted teeth, “how about NO.”
“No?” Erebus sounds bemused, “Do men not fear death? Surely this charade I put up for you is persuasive enough to make a point? No?”
“We may end up dying here,” Yukari said, “but letting you and Nyx out isn’t any different.”
“Actually,” Aigis said, “letting them free means everyone else dies too.”
Grrrrr! Arf! No way!
“So I guess your offer doesn’t mean jack shit to us,” Junpei interjected, “could you kindly fuck off.”
“For mortals grounded in a psychotic limbo,” Erebus mocked, “you lot have quite the bravado! Why struggle and suffer when I can let you off easily. Your inevitable ends could be much less grueling should you accept my offer.”
“Says some Death God,” Junpei shot back, “been there, heard that, and triumphed in the end. Ryoji- No, Thanatos said the same spiel and told us Nyx is unbeatable, but look at us now.”
“That traitor of a nephew!” Erebus sounds infuriated, “To think an almighty existence would fall for a mortal damsel!” He clicked his tongue in irritation, “Should he have had enough power, he would have committed matricide to please that wicked lass! Look at him now, a tamed mutt of Philemon!”
“Hm...” Mitsuru tries to piece together the slew of new information.
“I swear!” Akihiko yelled, “One more word about Kotone! I will kill you! Or die trying!” Shinjiro tries to calm him down by holding him from jumping into the deep fog.
“Now you know why you weren’t chosen, eh?” Erebus mockingly said, “Enough pleasantries. Are you going to choose an innocuous death, or do you wish to fight to the bitter end?”
“Do you even hear yourself?” Yukari scoffed, “That sounds like a lose-lose situation if I see one.”
“Junpei would say,” Aigis chimed in, “‘I’d go out in a bang than die a nobody,’ so I would decline this offer of yours.”
“Man, I sounded cool,” Junpei jested, “you heard the gang, we ain’t giving up.”
“Your threats mean nothing to us,” Fuuka said.
“We could have a chance if we tried something,” Ken said. “1% is better than 0.”
“Well said, all of you,” Mitsuru smiled. She looked at Shinjiro. “Your choice?”
“Tch, the repulsive optimism.” Erebus mocked, “Should I remind you that your little princess didn’t kill Nyx? She barely stopped her by putting her asleep using her life force.” He chuckled gleefully, “It was some stupid luck you got one miracle. How many more can you perform?”
“...I am so going to torture you if I find you,” Akihiko muttered under his breath.
“As many as I want,” Shinjiro said bluntly, “stop acting like you have the upper hand. You don’t.” He ran his hand through his hair. “For one, if your powers are like what you’ve blabbered about, you could’ve taken us out personally. But you chose to yap nonstop without as much as showing your true form. You can’t get out of here unless we do it for you. The odds are on our side, bimbo.” He sets his axe on the floor, “So quit being a pussy and show us what you’ve got for us. We’re gonna tear it all down, get to you, and finish this once and for all.”
“Hahahahahahaha.....” Erebus laughed hysterically, “The big boy with his big words! You and that minx are indeed cast from the same mold. The revolting righteousness, absolutely abhorring! If only your little faction here are all like you! Oh, you will have so much fun with the toys I have for you! Farewell! And let the games begin!”
Silence.
Shinjiro could only hear his raging heartbeat and Akihiko’s rugged breathing.
“So...” Junpei asked, after an awkward silence, “our plan of attack is?”
“Not yet,” Shinjiro said, “we take five back at the dorm. I have something to confirm with Theo. Better get more information before we tackle that potty-mouthed jackass.”
“I agree,” Mitsuru added, “now we know who Erebus might be. We should rest well and prepare to fight our way to him.”
“I will wait here for your return,” Chronos said. He had been quiet for some time now, “I have matters to settle before we proceed.”
Shinjiro noticed Chronos’ unusual behavior since they entered the Abyss. He didn’t question it because whatever was on Chronos’ mind didn’t seem like he meant harm to the team, so he didn’t nose about it.
“Alright then, we’ll see you in a bit,” Shinjiro replied.
Chronos looked surprised and returned the comment with a genuine sunny smile. Shinjiro was taken aback for a bit. Seeing someone with the same face as his beaming a bright smile felt unsettling. It also felt nostalgic for some reason. Maybe he used to smile like that back when Miki was still around. Or perhaps he unconsciously smiled a lot when he was with her.
“How do we get back to the Monad door?” Ken asked. “The environment seemed to morph again after our conversation with Erebus.”
Arf! Whine. Koromaru seemed turned around, too.
“Actually,” Fuuka said, “I’ve worked with Aigis to calibrate her sensors. Although cardinal directions seem to not apply here, Aigis managed to record the general directions we took on our way here.”
“Dang! You go, girl!” Junpei exclaimed joyfully.
“I got worried for a bit,” Yukari wiped her forehead.
“Lead the way, please, Aigis,” Shinjiro said.
“Yes, follow me,” Aigis replied.
It took a lot of crisscrossing, busting through small gatherings of shadows, and some struggles through heavily littered hallways before they saw the familiar red double doors. Trudging through so many obstacles and all sorts of disturbing mental imagery was getting physically taxing. There stood Theodore, nonchalantly standing idle by. It almost seemed like he never left the spot.
“Shall we return to your headquarters?” Theodore asks.
“Hell yes, I need a hot shower and piping hot ramen,” Junpei complained, “dang, this is Tartarus 3.0!”
Yukari felt so tired that she didn’t bother to do a witty clapback. The rest of the team seemed more than ready and eager to go through the door. Theodore looked around a bit, but Shinjiro spoke first before he could say anything.
“He’s got something to do before rejoining us here,” Shinjiro filled Theodore in.
“I see,” Theodore answered.
“Something on your mind?” Shinjiro asks.
“Nothing important,” Theodore answered.
“Alright then, let’s go.” Shinjiro pushed the doors open and went in. The team followed one after another.
After the blinding whiteness settles down, they are again in the trashed lounge space.
“I can never get enough of this, alright,” Junpei frowned, “Man, I have to climb upstairs to sit my ass down.”
“Before I let you all go,” Shinjiro turned to Theodore, “I have a few things to ask.”
“Please, go on,” Theodore replied.
“Who is Erebus, and how do we kill him,” Shinjiro said.
“I see. So you have met each other,” Theodore said, slightly surprised at how efficient their first run in the Abyss was.
“Uh, no,” Ken said, “it was still his voice talking to us.”
“Erebus is the brother of Nyx. He is the avatar of chaos.” Theodore said, “he was known for being a god of manipulation and an instigator of conflicts.” He frowned slightly, “He is also known to be impossible to kill.”
“Wait, what?” Junpei exclaimed, “So you and your Velvet Room assholes are gonna set up Aragaki Senpai again!”
“I knew it!” Akihiko grabbed Theodore by the collar.
“Aki, stop that. Let him finish,” Shinjiro said patiently. He doesn’t care if he needs to offer his life to defeat Erebus. One way or another, he could finally reunite with Kotone, and he is okay with it. It would be more meaningful if he did it to save the world and the people she cherished. He just needs to find the answer before doing all that.
“Unlike Nyx, you can slay Erebus,” Theodore fixed his clothes, unfazed by Akihiko’s hostility, “but as long as humanity craves chaos and has ill will against each other, he will be revived over time. You cannot permanently kill or destroy Erebus.”
“So he is similar to Nyx, too,” Mitsuru said, “ before her slumber, she said that as long as humanity seeks death to end suffering in life, she could never be defeated.”
“Yes.” Theodore nodded.
“Okay,” Shinjiro nods, “can you now tell us why Kotone died putting Nyx into slumber? Igor said the Velvet Room offers auxiliary information when we’ve found the bigger pieces to the puzzle, so can you tell us now?”
“I’m afraid I cannot,” Theodore shrugged, looking slightly dejected, “it is intertwined with the answer you seek, Aragaki San.”
Shinjiro’s heart skipped a beat. Does Theodore know about his ulterior motive? He briefly glanced at Akihiko, seeing no new emotions on his tired face. He calmed himself down.
Theodore waved his hand, and a holographic image of a blue key appeared before them.
“This was the Velvet Key that belonged to Kotone San,” Theodore explains, as the image of the key diffused into eight minor keys. “Her awakening to the Universe Arcana allowed her to pass her wildcard to Aragaki San and subsequently distort the Abyss to trap Erebus.” With a hand wave, the keys flew toward all human S.E.E.S. members before disappearing. “The key was shattered into eight pieces. To remake the original, you need to find all eight.”
“I have one, too?” Shinjiro asks, confused.
“Yes,” Theodore said.
“But there were only seven guardians?” Shinjiro replied.
“That’s part of the answer you are looking for,” Theodore replied a hint of melancholy in his tone.
Shinjiro blinked several times, dumbfounded. Now, that complicates things. This is food for thought of another time. His teammates are clearly showing signs of fatigue. Now is a good time for a break.
“Whatever,” Shinjiro said quietly, “thanks for the info. Alright then, let’s grab food and rest before returning.”
The team muttered some see you later and byes, and they dispersed off to their own rooms. Shinjiro is about to leave for his when Theodore speaks to him.
“What you were seeking,” Theodore said quietly, “has a possibility, but it is impossible to achieve as of now.”
Shinjiro’s hair on his neck stood up.
“Even for the likes of me,” Theodore said sadly, “I have no permanent solution to this.”
Shinjiro nods silently.
“But maybe,” Theodore flashed a self-deprecating smile at Shinjiro, “because you are human, you hold more possibilities. Maybe you can save her...”
Shinjiro doesn’t know what to say. But one thing’s obvious: He felt blessed that she made it open to everyone that she’d chosen him because it’s pretty apparent Theodore has feelings for her. The exchange was just now getting slightly awkward.
“Well now,” Theodore said, “rest well, Aragaki San.” He bowed a little.
Rest well he should.
But he can’t.
His real journey is about to commence, and anticipating the answer makes his mind run wild.
Chapter 12: Viper in the Bosom
Summary:
As the embodiment of chaos, Erebus looks to mentally scar S.E.E.S before finally facing them off.
He thinks subjecting them to mental anguish could finally make them cave.
Hit them where it hurts.
Ouch Akihiko.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
There was a period when Shinjiro was a nomad hopping from alley to alley in the slums of Tatsumi Port Island. Surviving assaults and preventing rogue infections essentially occupied his daily life. People generally don’t like being homeless or vulnerable in forgotten rat holes of the cities. But to him, it felt like his habitat, being denied of basic comforts, is the least he should endure after the atrocity he had committed.
An orphan orphaned an innocent child.
The irony.
Sustenance could only be earned but not given. The struggles to survive honed him to be eagle-eyed and alert at all times. Monetary income was blood money, and fresh sheets and a change of clothes were a privilege, not a right. Showers? It depended on if it rained or if he felt like taking a dip in the lake. The burnt-down orphanage was shabby, but at least the kids had a roof, enough food, a bed, and functional bathrooms.
He forgot exactly when, but not long after Miki’s passing, Aki became a Sanada, and they briefly parted ways.
Shinjiro was then transferred to a foster home. He never considered himself congenial, but his sullen demeanor left people with wrong impressions. He was always kept in one place for only a brief while. Gradually, he conceded that perhaps, in this lifetime, he would stay unwanted and should not be allowed to have anything of worth.
The reunion with Aki and joining S.E.E.S. could have been a turning point. He thought he’d found a place to settle down, have a proper education, and have a second chance at life.
He should’ve realized sooner why he was kicked around all the time. He did end up being the bad seed that turned into a murderer.
Sentimentality did more damage than good to him. There was a part of the past he’d chosen to forget, yet recent happenings made his mind wander down memory lane. Perhaps it was the scalding showers doing tricks to his head, or maybe the momentary peace in the refuge of the dorm had caught him off guard.
The brief window of withdrawal was mending while it lasted, but the time has come to face the music. The world that Kotone sacrificed herself to preserve is again at the risk of annihilation, and they need to take action.
Using suppressants was a slow progression to organ failures and to systematic neurosis. It was a period when he suffered from incessant internal organ pains and was also unable to maintain a stable body temperature. The constant freezing sensation left him with a bad habit of taking sizzling hot showers whenever he could get one. Old habits die hard, but he still does it after he makes a complete recovery.
Wary from the reminiscence and dreading what was to come, he rinsed out the last bits of shampoo and hopped out of the shower. He carelessly dried his hair with a clean towel and poked around for clean clothes. Living on the streets fostered another bad habit of his. He only turns lights on in his living quarters if he is in complete darkness. The moonlight was bright enough, and he found it more at ease, functioning as a ghost of the night.
After an affirmative whiff of the lone sock to confirm the freshness, he then searches for a shirt.
Two butterflies...
...
“Shinjiro!”
The field, the flowers, the lazily drifting clouds, and the woman he loves.
Then, there were two fluttering butterflies encircling her.
He stood transfixed at the mirror’s reflection of his now-healed gun wounds. The bullets left maroon scars that resembled two fluttering butterflies, one on his chest and one on his abdomen. The pale moonlight cast upon the fleshy parts of it glistens in an eerie shade of scarlet, making the butterflies look animated. It’s a vivid reminder that a part of her lives within him, and they are now figuratively one and the same.
He had just noticed them. He gently ran a finger over the scars as if attempting to feel her existence.
“Another reason why I shouldn’t let you down.” He mumbled gently. “Not again.”
He put on the rest of his clothes and his peacoat and took a last look at his pocket watch before shoving it into his breast pocket.
Time is of the essence, the longer they linger here, the more risks they are taking. Lack of supplies is one thing. The uncertainty of what Erebus is up to is a greater issue. They don’t know how long Erebus could be trapped in the Abyss and desperately need answers. With a final bit of mental preparation, he stepped out of his room and was immediately greeted by Akihiko's question.
“Not in a resting mood?” Aki asked quietly.
“Got used to shallow sleep back when I was in the streets,” Shinjiro smiled wryly. “You?”
“Shinji...” Aki's voice constricts at the sudden change of tone, “It has to be her-”
“-Her lookalike,” Shinjiro said bluntly. He knows exactly where this is going, and he’s not handing Aki’s sanity to Erebus on a silver platter.
Akihiko looks at Shinjiro with bloodshot eyes, his face contorted in anguish, as he struggles to utter a coherent sentence.
“Shinji-” Akihiko was desperate.
“NO,” Shinjiro cuts him off. “She is gone.” Shinjiro held his brother’s shoulders firm. “You can’t let Erebus get you. Please.”
“Shinji... No,” Akihiko is on the verge of breaking down. “Even if she’s a fake, I need to see her again, please...Shinji.” He is trembling under Shinjiro’s grasp.
“She’s not real,” The words hurt Shinjiro just as much as it would hurt Akihiko. Still, it has to be said, “The longer we waste time, the better the chance Erebus gets to escape, and we would be no closer to finding the truth about anything. We- No, you will not bring the world down for her lookalike.”
Akihiko’s lips tremble, and he heaves heavily from the internal struggles to make the right choice.
A set of familiar clacking footsteps came around the corner, “Akihiko...”
“Are the rest of us well rested?” Shinjiro asked Mitsuru.
“Thoroughly? No,” Mitsuru said warily, “but enough to return to the field. We are running out of supplies soon. No time to spare.” She worriedly looked at Akihiko.
“I’ll go,” Akihiko said almost inaudibly.
“Let’s get the team together,” Shinjiro suggested. “We have our mission now: Find the guardians and get the keys.”
“Yes,” Mitsuru answered.
The daylight cycle still functioned the same in the pocket dimension, but no one keeps track of it anymore. Like the flow of time, there are no other alternative paths for S.E.E.S. but to move forward. Whether they face the mental warfare Erebus has in store or face the devil himself, there’s no turning back.
Visible dark circles seemed to hang under most of their team’s eyes (Aigis and Korochan didn’t, for reasons.). Still, they all quickly gathered at the demolished lounge after Mitsuru summoned them. With their weapons maintained and evokers holstered, they approached Theodore, who stood there on the same spot as if he had never budged since their return.
“What even are you?” Junpei joked warily, “Did you wait for us here? How are you still so energetic?”
“That is a question that my master and my sibling have yet to find the answer to.”Theodore said politely, “But I did return to the Velvet Room while you took a break.”
“Really? What for?” Yukari was intrigued.
“To confirm that Thanatos was indeed in Aragaki San’s possession,” Theodore hesitantly looked at the monad doors, “and to confirm that what you have witnessed was not the real Kotone.” His voice becomes quieter.
“Then was that her shadow?” Aigis asked while readying her arm cannons.
“That, I do not know for certain.” Theodore sounded perplexed.
“I ran a scan with Juno during our brief encounter,” Fuuka said, retracing her memories. “She didn’t give off a reading of a human or a shadow, but I picked up something I am familiar with but cannot pinpoint exactly what it was.”
“Whatever she was,” Ken mumbled, “we have to keep in mind that she’s gone,” Koromaru whined, and Akihiko’s breath hitched. “And we are not to be fooled.”
“In addition,” Mitsuru said pensively, “there are guardians to deal with. Chronos warned us about the dangers of engaging in combat with them. They hold the clues to finding the pieces of the Velvet Key, but we have to be careful.”
“Yeah,” Shinjiro lets out a dry laugh, “we don’t know what to expect.”There are too many mysteries, too little truth. “But we have no other paths to go but forward,” he shoulders his poleaxe. We need out, and Erebus needs to go down.”
“Shall we?”Theodore asked.
“Yep.”Shinjiro nodded.
The double monad doors opened to a now familiar bright nothingness. One by one, the team walked back into the ever-warping Abyss. This time, Theodore did not come with them.
“You’re done with your thing?” Shinjiro asked.
“Yeah,” Chronos answered. He had been waiting for their arrival.
The hallway where the monad doors were changed form into a different configuration. The path was split into nine separate corridors, with the entire area still shrouded in purplish-black fog. Each individual corridor was of a different motif. The setup looked more like a haunted house attraction rather than some alternate dimension abyss. After carefully assessing the current structure, they noticed the central corridor was gated off with chains and a blue butterfly-shaped lock.
“My guess, this opens to where Erebus is,” Shinjiro examined the lock, “and these corridors-”
“-leads to the guardians,” Chronos finished his sentence.
“Yeah, seven known guardians, but eight corridors?” Junpei sounds confused.
“One was meant for me,” Shinjiro said quietly.
“It has to be Kotone, right?”Akihiko sounds hysterical, “My corridor leads to Miki...”
“Akihiko...”Mitsuru is worried.
“Erebus is such a dick.” Yukari scoffed, “Nyx kills you, but Erebus mentally tortures you.”
“We are the final resistance before he can awaken Nyx,” Aigis analyses. “Nyx brings demise, and he brings chaos. The morally destructive chaos.”
“As I have nothing to do with Erebus,” Chronos said, leaning onto the wall, “I will stand by waiting for your return.”
“You are not lending us your combat powers?” Ken asked, bewildered.
“Only the person it was intended for could enter,” Chronos gestured at one corridor.
“What? We are facing them alone?”Yukari is startled, “We don’t even know what they are!”
“Juno has no combat capabilities,” Fuuka is concerned, “and I didn’t have melee training before.”
Arf! Arf! Arf! It’s okay! I can go with you! Koromaru then ran towards a corridor and crashed headfirst into an invisible barrier. The pain caused the little guy to whine.
“Are you okay, Korochan?” Ken picked up Koromaru and messaged its head. Koromaru nods.
“Well, that confirmed what Chronos said,” Shinjiro grimaced, “and this is going to be a problem.”
“Chronos and Koromaru stand by here...” Mitsuru said, trying to assess the situation, “I think Aragaki should stay until the others have returned from their respective encounters.”
“Sure,” Shinjiro leans his axe onto the wall, “whatever awaits me isn’t one of them, makes sense.”
“Alright then,” Akihiko flexed his limbs to warm up, “should we go?”
“I suggest we go one by one,” Misturu said. “If we all went at once, only two of us and Koromaru would be here.” She glanced over at the central gate. “If something happens, it would be too dangerous to handle. Erebus is still out there.”
“Sounds right,” Junpei unsheathed his katana, “who’s up first? I am ready to go.”
“Ladies first, Junpei.” Yukari adjusted her archery gloves, “Plus, the first corridor has the arcana symbol of the lovers, and that’s me.” She drew her unloaded bow and aimed in its direction. “Erebus is pissing me off. I’ll teach him and his guardian lapdogs a thing or two about messing with a girl’s heart.”
“Be careful,” Mitsuru is worried cause whatever happens in there, no one could go and help if something terrible occurs.
“Oooooh, a feisty femme fatale!” Erebus said mockingly, “You have me shivering in my boots.”
“Don’t.” Yukari said through gritted teeth, fuming at the provocation, “You don’t want to make it worse for when we finally get to you.”
“I shudder in excitement!” Erebus said, sounding absolutely maniacal, “After you’re done with what I’ve prepared for you, our meeting would be tantalizing!”
“Your carnival tricks can’t fool anyone,” Misturu shot back at him. “Do not underestimate our resolve.”
“I didn’t,” Erebus said in an abnormally calm tone. “The travesty wasn’t meant for all of you anyway.” He sounded smug. “It takes one viper in your bosom to undo everything.”
He knew it.
This condescending shitface’s target has been Aki all along. It sucked ditchwater when Shinjiro had absolutely nothing he could do to prevent this. Erebus set this up so everyone has to enter alone to face whatever awaits. The others may run into some trouble, but he’s almost sure that in Aki’s chamber, something is finally going to cripple his fragile sanity.
“What the hell does that even mean!” Junpei yelled at Erebus’ disembodied voice, “Why don’t you man up like the god you claimed to be and show yourself!”
“Patience,” Erebus giggled sickeningly. “We will settle our differences eventually. Just enjoy the show now!”
What’s the fun of slaughtering brittle mortals without some sideshows? He is the god of chaos. Martyrizing them before their confrontation would be pretty fitting. At least they could put up an entertaining fight after being provoked and psychologically damaged.
“I swear...” Akihiko’s lips turned pale in anger, “you’ll be sorry.”
“Now, now,” Erebus jeered, “enjoy! Adieu, children of men!”
There he goes again.
A sickening silence in a hellscape.
“Whatever,” Yukari said after a while, “I am going in.”
“Sois prudent...” Mitsuru muttered. Yukari nods and walks down the corridor of the Lovers Arcana. Her silhouette disappears into the fog.
Shinjiro gripped hard on his poleaxe, anxiety intensifying by the minute. No wildcard prowess can do shit about the brewing catastrophe. The possessed skirmish back in the lounge was devastating enough. He could only imagine what Aki, in the mental status of a cornered animal, could do to everyone.
“You okay?”Chronos asked, looking concerned.
“Probably not,” Shinjiro said with a dry mouth.
“You’ll be fine,” Chronos said, firm in his belief.
“And howdya know that?”Shinjiro asked, skeptical.
“From my godly instincts.” Chronos joked.
“Fuck you.” Shinjiro laughed a bit.
“You’ll all be fine...”Chronos said quietly, gazing behind the fog-shrouded gates.
Notes:
I was back a few days ago when someone in my company had an accident, and I lost my day off to fill in for her.
I don't want to post half-assed updates, so proofreading took me quite a while.
As English is not my first language, this probably came out wrong, but at least proofreading could reduce typos :D
Chapter 13: Burgeoning Chaos
Summary:
I had something else planned for their encounter with Kotone.
I split the part where the MC uses every member's persona.
It was too long to fit into one chapter, so I spliced them into different parts.
Easier to read and easier to edit :D
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chamber of the Lovers
Yukari was a determined girl. Once she found her target, she got her way one way or another. She always strikes the bullseye when needed, whether it's academics or other things in life. An alluring facade is the least of her charms.
She had insecurities and doubts but never stopped believing in her father. His disappearance sparked conspiracies and sprouted many nasty rumors, but she firmly believed in his innocence. Her mother wasn't convinced, or maybe she was just a lonely young woman back then, and their relationship became sour.
Before officially participating in S.E.E.S. operations, her objective was simple: find the truth about the explosion a decade ago. She needs to know that her conviction that served as a pillar of her mental strength was valid and that she wasn't being delusional all those years.
Looking back, she was slightly ashamed, as her reason for joining S.E.E.S. was nothing noble but just for her personal agenda. All that changed when Kotone stepped into her life. She wasn't selfish or cunning. She just used the mean girl's ego as a self-preservation mechanism. If she didn't care, she couldn't get hurt.
Being wronged by ill fate and subjected to unbearable suffering didn't dishearten Kotone. It was her unswerving optimism that sparked a change in Yukari. It gave her the courage to seek a new purpose, to find the answer to what her life should be: not just as Eiichiro's daughter, but as Yukari.
Kotone's faith in a better future inspired her to tackle challenges and be brave enough to confront her mother. She may not have succeeded in every endeavor, but Kotone was always there when she needed her. She supported her when she lacked self-esteem and caught her when she fell. Kotone's devotion as a best friend gave her the confidence to hold her head high and reassure her late father that she would finally be okay.
They were still teenagers. Who would've expected the final battle against Nyx would be the last time Yukari could help her friend? The loss of memories robbed her of any chance to do something for her dying friend. After all Kotone had done for her, it was already too late when she remembered their time together.
It's not that Kotone would mind being a giver, but it still hurts Yukari that she hasn't done nearly enough for her best friend, her soul sister. Even with so much on her plate, Kotone never ceased believing in the future. She remained smiling until her last moments alive.
Theodore told them that Kotone spent every moment of her final year spreading love and positivity to those she endeared to. Not even mankind's perpetual fear of death could shake her stance. She lived every day to the fullest and did all it took to save the world she grew to love, even at the expense of her own life.
Fate may have done Kotone wrong, but her friends on her journey rekindled her faith in humanity and their collective future. This alone is enough for Yukari to step up and preserve her selfless efforts. Whatever torment Erebus had in mind for her, she would tackle it head-on fearlessly. Kotone is watching her, and she will not disappoint.
The foggy hallway seemingly has no end. The surroundings were uncannily quiet, with only the faint humming of the flowing fog. The corridor walls were plastered with ineligible old newspaper cuttings yellowed from the years. There were hanging plasma T.V.s here and there, playing a muted video of a man with distorted facial features making a speech.
She knows exactly who he is: it was her father. It was Erebus' twisted interpretation of her fear: her fear that the man she firmly believed in was indeed the rumored culprit.
As she walked further down the apparently endless hallway, she could hear the emulated crying of her childhood self and the hurtful words that her mother once said. The ephemeral imagery of the Lovers arcana slowly contorted into the gruesome imagery of the lovers uprooting the tree that represented their bond.
Anything over a certain degree would be harmful. Love is no different. Lovers, in reverse, signifies someone who has lost their discipline by giving in to temptations.
That was the Yukari before finding her answer. She uses her crass attitude and the guilt-shaming of Mitsuru as a temporary fix for her pathological self-loathing.
She knows her mother did not abandon her, and her father was never the villain.
After god knows how long moving down the corridor, Yukari sees a familiar set of silhouettes at what seems to be the entrance to another area. This time, the faint glow from the superficial moonlight lit up the figures enough to identify them.
It was Kotone, wearing a dark hooded cape, standing beside what looked like Thanatos. She'd seen Thanatos before, but this persona seemed very different from the Thanatos she remembered. Thanatos is the most formidable Death Arcana persona. That persona already had an ominous display, but this portrayal looked far worse.
This Thanatos looks roguish and dons a golden mask with spikes protruding from its head. The menacing spikes continue down its spine, making it look like it's wearing a demented straight jacket of sorts. The clothing, if you can even call it that, has a portion of it in a sinister shade of red. The binding chains to fasten the coffin shields are golden instead of black. The changes made this variant of Thanatos look more foreboding.
As Yukari carefully approached the two, this Kotone made eye contact with her, sending chills down her spine. What used to be bright rubies was now cold and emotionless. It felt as though the gaze pierced through her. Ken had warned them before that this entity was not the real Kotone, but seeing someone identical behave in such a way still made her go into an uncomfortable shiver.
'Kotone' suddenly raised her hand to signal Thanatos. Yukari hastily loaded her bow, anticipating an attack. Her heart begins pounding rapidly in her chest. It turned out they were exiting the scene. Immediately after the gesturing, the two leaped out of the corridor window into what looked like an infinite pit of darkness.
Dumbstruck at the rapid change of events, Yukari took deep breaths to calm her heart rate. The real deal is beyond the door in front of her.
Erebus is indeed a cunning bitch.
That was the familiar door of her forgotten childhood home.
After double-checking her evoker and mentally preparing, she pushed open the door to enter the Lovers Chamber.
She was greeted with her late father, or what Erebus' reimagined image of her father is. He stood rigid like a reanimated corpse, with almost identical features to how she remembered him, except with bright yellow pupils. She quickly placed her evoker against her temple.
"You think you're a funny one, aren't you?" She said through a tight jaw, seething anger welling within her.
"Is that how you talk to your father?" Shadow Eiichiro said provokingly.
"Isis, lend me strength," Yukari said, every syllable resonating within the chamber that looked like her childhood home.
The sound of broken glass rang like crisp church bells as Isis materialized behind her. She aimed her loaded bow straight toward the shadow before her. Garu energy flowed steadily from Isis to her arrow, and a raging cyclone built around Yukari.
"Don't you dare," She said through gritted teeth, "messing with my feelings again."
She drew the string, and the exceedingly strong breeze blew items in the surrounding areas astray.
"Go down," She said, "Cyclone Arrow!"
After a painstakingly long silence, an explosion rang down the corridor, sending a minor shock wave to the main entrance hall. The waiting members almost jumped up, startled by the aftermath. Mitsuru hurriedly went to the entrance of the Lovers Chamber. To her surprise, the invisible barrier had been lifted. Worried about her partner, she decided to go check on her.
"Mitsuru," It was Yukari, slightly shaken but completely fine. "I'm back."
Yukari appeared out of the fogged-up corridor. She flung a small key in her offhand. Although she looked slightly roughed up, there were no visible wounds.
"Told you I'd be fine," Yukari hugged back at her worried partner. "One down, seven more to go."
"Damn straight, Queen!" Junpei said, slightly teary-eyed and flashing a thumbs up.
"You did it!" Fuuka said, running over to make it a group hug with Aigis on her heels.
"I'm up," Junpei readied his katana, "can't let Yuka-tan steal the show, right?" He grinned, brimming with determination.
"Be careful," Yukari said softly, "Oh, and beware, the imposter and her persona could be hostile."
"Wait, what?" Shinjiro cuts in, "You saw her?" Akihiko listened intently.
"She was with Thanatos," Yukari recalled, "but not the one Senpai and I remembered." She shuddered, remembering the ice-cold gaze, "We made eye contact, and she is definitely off. It felt like she was almost inhuman."
"What do you mean?" Akihiko asked urgently. "Was she a shadow?"
"She's not," Chronos said impatiently.
"Like he said," Yukari answered, "but she gives off bad vibes. So please, Junpei, be careful."
"Gocha, Yuka-Tan," Junpei said reassuringly. "Be back in a mo." And he disappears into the corridor to the Chamber of the Magician.
Chamber of the Magician
Moving into the dorms was like divine intervention to Junpei when it happened. For once in his lifetime, he could be the one to make a choice. Whether for good or worse, he finally has control over his life.
Everyone has their skeleton in the closet, and he is no exception.
Junpei grew up in a shithole of a family missing a mother figure with only a bat-shit crazy father. Mom was someone that he never came to know because she left the world too early, too painfully. He once morbidly thought maybe it was for the better that she didn't live long to endure more of that sorry excuse of a man.
His old man is a cesspool of the worst attributes you find in a person. He's repulsive, egoistic, aggressive, and obnoxiously violent sometimes. He was a capricious, selfish shit that never fails to hurt anyone in his vicinity, whether physically or mentally.
Junpei knew he should ignore the putrid words that the asshole showers him with, and he was and will never be the same man his father is. Still, bits of the incessant toxicity permeated into his fragile soul, casting hard, cold shadows deep within him.
Part of him wanted to man up and set a course to change for the better. But his bleak self often gives up on everything, even if it takes him on a one-way descent to oblivion.
He really hated the ugly sides of himself. That was why he tried so hard to act like some idiot to keep the growing ugliness in check. It was an ugliness that matured into what shockingly resembled his wretched father. He felt powerless from his inability to stop his mind from deteriorating, and it made him sick. He is sick of this predicament and, mostly, of himself.
Kotone has always been the star, the lumineer to many, and a beacon of strength. She was so close to what a being of perfection should be.
He was torn between wanting to protect this precious girl or wanting to take his frustrations out on her because he was a god-awful asshole. He was jealous of her because she was someone he could only dream of becoming.
His jealousy birthed resentment against her because she always one-upped him at everything. She already had everything in the world that he didn't and still outshone his only usefulness of being a persona user with her being a wildcard and an outstanding tactician.
He lashed out at her one too many times during his quest for answers. She held back all the hurt from his actions and continued to smile because she had faith in him. She never backed down from their confrontations. Her genuine care for him gave him the determination to change himself.
Finally, he had the bravery to face his own demons. He realized everyone is unique and should never force themselves to become someone else. Your lineage has nothing to do with who you are. You alone decide your future.
Kotone had tirelessly assisted him on his journey. She tore away the chains that enslaved him to his insecurities and self-loath. At the end of their journey together, he was a reborn man. She became someone he held dear, like a family member.
She was the only dear thing to him besides Chidori. He would do anything to protect her. Chidori was blessed with a second chance, but Kotone didn't. It hurts to think he received so much from her and has not given her anything.
He was wallowing in regret that he could never love her again, and then Erebus busted into their lives. This is the last chance to do something in her honors, to let her know he's strong enough to carry on her legacies. He is ready to defeat and conquer whatever awaits him in this twisted chamber ahead.
The corridor he took looked like one in a run-down apartment building, similar to the one he grew up walking home to. The place was mostly quiet, but the occasional muffled sounds of two people arguing were audible. Small piles of trash littered the floor, and a familiar stench of rancid food and tobacco drifted around the claustrophobic area.
Erebus is such a son of a bitch, drawing inspiration from his childhood fear of a turbulent household.
Then, he could see a familiar silhouette wielding a naginata. The rogue Thanatos that Yukari warned him of stood ominously still beside her. Heeding Yukari's advice, he tightens his grip on his katana and prepares to initiate battle.
To his surprise, the figure turned to look at him, and then she walked silently away from him into the depths of the fog. Thanatos was closely behind her.
"What the hell was that supposed to mean?"
Time is running out, and he needs to get this over with. He hastens his pace and finally reaches the end of the corridor. He is greeted with the battered door to his apartment, the two mystery figures nowhere to be found. As he closes in, he can hear the faint sounds from the T.V. his dad always forgets to turn off. Taking a deep breath, he opens the door.
The familiar, sad living room he had escaped from appears before him. The only family photo that hung on the wall was vandalized, with his mother's face scratched out. Broken dishes and cutlery littered all over the floor. Sitting smugly at the dining table was his filthy-looking father, smoking his favorite brand of cheap cigarettes. He was just how Junpei remembered him to be, but more psychotic, and his pupils were in a sickening shade of bright yellow.
"How many fucking times have I told you," The madman yelled, like he always did, "to not open the door so loudly?"
"The fuck I care what you think." Junpei's brow twitches from the build-up of anger.
"You're like that disobedient slut," His 'father' spits the cigarette onto the floor, "too bad you survived the beating. What a shame."
Calm down, big boy.
Erebus is fucking with you. This is the best opportunity to beat your old man's ass without repercussion. Beat his ass, get Kotone's key, and beat Erebus' ass for messing with you.
"Trismegistus," he points his evoker to his head, "make this asshole toast!"
Wisps of flames gathered around Junpei as he shot his evoker to summon Trismegistus. The burning wings of his persona flared out like a rising phoenix.
He is Junpei Iori, not anyone's son. He lives for himself, as himself.
"Go down." Junpei said, "To me! Trismegistus!"
The fiery shadows of Hermes and Medea merge with his blade. The scorching inferno cackles with the brimming energy.
"Blaze of Life!" Junpei bellowed, "Let us reborn from the ashes of the past!"
It was a difficult period of anticipation for the S.E.E.S. members waiting for Junpei's safe return. Different from Yukari's experience of the Lovers' Chamber, the temperature of the main hall had risen sharply as time progressed.
Koromaru was panting uncomfortably as the temperature continued to rise. Aigis had to tune up her fan speeds to ensure she could function efficiently. Everyone was getting worried. Junpei has Agi affinity, but he took too long to return.
Then, a blistering heat wave swept the main hall, and a fiery flash could be seen down the Magician's hallway. Everything fell silent again. A faint set of footsteps could be heard closing in on them.
Worried about Junpei, Koromaru rushed towards the baking corridor, yelping as his paws traversed the hot ground. The rest of the team held their breath, waiting for Junpei.
"Aw! That tickles!" Junpei's gleeful voice could be heard from the shadows of the corridor, "Thank you, Korochan." Koromaru's cheerful barks could be heard.
Junpei returned, his clothes slightly burnt. He held the small blue key and waved it at the team.
"Yes!" Fuuka exclaimed, "Well done, Iori San!"
"Gotta say," Yukari laughed a little, "'You da man' Junpei!" She even flashed a thumbs-up.
"Iori Senpai!" Ken chimed in, "That's so cool!"
"Excellent work, Iori," Mitsuru smiled, "six left."
"I would like to volunteer to go next," Aigis said, "may I?"
"Don't have a reason to say no," Shinjiro nodded, "You watch yourself, m'kay?"
"Will do." Aigis readied her weapon system.
"I don't know what they were," Junpei added after breaking out from Koromaru's licking spree, "just don't let the fake Kotone get to you."
Akihiko winced.
"Okay," Aigis said, "I will trust my scans, not my memories." She then proceeds down the corridor of the Chamber of Aeon.
Notes:
Yukari's part is shorter than that of the rest of the members. This is because, in the games, her story was spread out in the main story before you could start the social links.
Chapter 14: Rising Anarchy
Chapter Text
Chamber of Aeon
In the database of famous quotes, there was a saying, "Ignorance is bliss." It was a line that Aigis used to find incomprehensible as her existence relies on the directives issued to her. She was made an ultimate weapon against shadows and programmed to carry out commands from the Kirijo group.
She is an android, a state-of-the-art weapon with the singular protocol of protecting humanity and obliterating shadows. Advanced artificial intelligence was introduced to her system to emulate a human soul, thus allowing the use of a persona in combat.
The newfound enlightenment in the form of a computer-generated 'soul' was both a curse and a blessing in disguise. As Aigis spent more time with S.E.E.S. and experienced the broader social circles of human activity, her resolve to execute her directives strengthened.
Yet, the saying 'Curiosity kills the cat' constantly reminded her of her struggles. This curiosity sparked a flux of 0s and 1s in her mechanical body, forming a puzzle she had no answer to.
She felt her flawless programming ran into one error after another for a long time. She struggled to untangle herself from the cycle of errors, with not a single apparent answer to be found.
The subsequent revelation was harrowing.
Aigis realized that the only person she had a primal urge to protect, even at the cost of her own destruction, was the same person she had caused all the misfortune in the world.
Aigis was the culprit who orphaned her. She was the reason Kotone became an unwilling vessel of Thanatos. She was remorselessly why Kotone had to shoulder all the unfair expectations and burdens forced upon her.
She was the hypocrite who went on and on about protecting Kotone, all the while being the same android menace that had zero second thoughts about inflicting the most profound of pain and suffering on her.
Sentience is nurtured within her like a power source that jump-starts machinery. Kotone spends much of her spare time with Aigis, encouraging her to seek her answer to life. She ushered her to the life she truly desired, to break free from metaphysical commands that others thrust upon her. Kotone stayed close and guided her through the awakening of true sentience, comforting her when she was in doubt or pain.
She never held grudges for the devastating accident on Moonlight Bridge. She believed what was done was the only way to prevent further destruction. Even if Aigis had done something else, the pursuing Chaos still could have harmed Kotone. Even if there were other options, it could have ended for better or worse.
Kotone was glad that she met Aigis and enjoyed every bit of their journey of discovery together. Aigis ultimately found her answer to the purpose of life, and Kotone found solace in protecting everyone she loved. It brings Aigis great sorrow that her dearest friend can never share the joy of finally finding the soul that suits her.
The information that Yukari and Junpei shared confirmed her impression of Erebus. The guardians spawned were Erebus' manifestation of each intended member's greatest fear. Although they didn't disclose what the entity they faced off was, one thing is sure: the harbinger of Chaos meant to do harm to all of them.
The shrouded corridors that Aigis ventured onto familiar sterilized isles of the old Kirijo Labs. Although she has no functional nose, her odor detection system registered a faint trace of silicon oil and medical-grade alcohol in the air. Loose wiring sparkling with electric current dangles across the otherwise pristine white walls.
The blocked-off examination rooms sometimes emit faint humming sounds of intricate machinery. Some windowed rooms have flashing warning lights that cast spectral shadows on the corridor walls.
As she progressed down the corridor, sounds of heavy artillery combat and distant screams of traumatized people could be heard. The pristine walls become scarred with damage, and gradually, chunks of the wall have been destroyed, transforming the scene into some post-war desolation. Metal foundations jut out from here and there, and portions of the corridor were caught in perpetual fires that her built-in extinguishing agents could not put out.
The longer she spends her time walking down the infinite corridor, the more apparent to her that she is walking toward the Moonlight Bridge of that fateful night. Erebus hand-picked this memory out of her database to mock her for being the superficial android who pretended to be a protector of Kotone when she was the one who caused every misfortune to her short-lived life.
There is a reading of two unidentified entities ahead. Aigis activates her targeting system and steps forward. From other's accounts, the readings are most possibly the imposter Kotone and her Thanatos. They have been non-hostile, but she still prepared for battle in case her encounter differed.
"Identify yourselves!" Aigis demanded, her arm cannons aimed in front of her.
There was silence, no answer, not even the sound of breathing as Aigis approached the two. The silhouettes became clearer in her view as the fog thinned ahead of her. That's where she stood, wearing a dark hooded cape, looking back at Aigis with a mechanical degree of calm. Thanatos stood alert, guarding her from behind.
"What even are you..." Aigis is confused. Her retina scan came back with an error, which is a first. This imposter in front of her is neither human nor shadow, but her visual system clearly registers the existence ahead of her.
Is this the manifestation of her fear? Aside from the appearance, this entity is nothing like the Kotone she remembered. Whether it was the weakened young girl after the fatal crash or the late team leader to S.E.E.S., whatever is in front of Aigis right now is entirely foreign to her.
The imposter's cold eyes scrutinized Aigis and caused a temporary standoff. After a brief moment, the imposter opened her mouth, and in Kotone's voice, she said, "It's not you..."
"I'm not what?" Aigis probed, hoping to find clues to who these rogues could be.
Before Aigis could get a reply or do anything, the imposter Thanatos tossed Kotone onto his shoulder and flew off with her into the distance. Their readings quickly disappeared from her radar. Confused, Aigis retracts her weaponry and proceeds further down, finally reaching the entrance to the Chamber of Aeon.
A pristine white lab double door juxtaposing the post-apocalyptic corridor appears before her. She enters the chamber to find herself in Yakushima's desolate lab. There alone in the charging station, surrounded by nothing but four walls, was...herself. It was Erebus' chosen image of her then-robotic self as an attempt to make her recall bad memories from a distant past.
Without any change in readings, the room suddenly shakes rigorously like an earthquake. The walls recede, and the chamber morphs into the middle of the heavily damaged Moonlight Bridge. Damaged vehicles are everywhere, and coffins are scattered here and there, signifying the time of the Dark Hour. The slumbering android then activates herself. She points her weapon at Aigis and speaks, "What are you?" a robotic voice similar to hers asks.
"I am Aigis," She replied, locking the target with her artillery weapons.
"No," The android replied coldly, "you cannot be Aigis. You're a faulty weapon that grew sentience. A weapon that cannot complete its mission is useless."
"I am not a weapon," Aigis said firmly, remembering Kotone's encouragement, "and I will not allow you to hurt Kotone again, even if it was just a simulated version of her." Erebus is indeed true to his name as an avatar of Chaos. He even went as far as recreating the Kotone from a decade ago.
"Hand over the key," Aigis warned, "or I must destroy you."
"Like you destroyed her parents?" The android said callously.
"You're not trying hard enough, Erebus." Aigis activates her full arsenal, "Athena!"
A mechanic maiden appears above her. She waved her lance in triumph, showering Aigis with buffs.
"Then I will have to take it from your remains." Aigis soars in the air, "Let me show you Maximum Firepower!"
Whatever was happening, Aigis' chamber greatly startled the idling members in the central area. Every now and then, violent sounds of explosions and loud crashes came out of the corridor. Gushes of debris spilled through the corridor, and they were generally worried about what was going on in there.
"Holy shit!" Junpei ducked out of the way as a chunk of metal flew past him, narrowly missing his head, "what the hell is going on in there?"
"I cannot sense anything besides Aigis," Fuuka said as she was scanning with Juno. "I hope she is okay." Another loud bang in the distance muffled her voice.
"This is the first time I'm grateful for the Abyss' regenerative properties," Chronos said, amused, "your robot girl is tearing shit down, alright."
"You're not worried if we destroy your home?" Shinjiro asked.
"Nope," Chronos answered casually. "This isn't my home anyway." His tone darkened suddenly.
"Huh," Shinjiro caught the minute change, but he decided against pressing on. "Not a very caring person, huh."
"Haha," Chronos chuckled, "having more respect for your big bro?"
"Shuddup," Shinjiro scoffed, bending back to dodge a chunk of a bus stop coming at him.
It suddenly became silent after a full-on war in the background. The silence made the resting member highly alert. They perked their ears up to try to pick up any sounds. Not long after, the familiar mechanical clanks of Aigis' hooved feet came closer from the completely blown-apart corridor.
Finally, after holding their breath in anticipation, a very dirtied Aigis emerged from the filthy cloud of debris mixed with fog. Her white exterior is covered with debris, scratches, and traces of gunpowder. Held tightly in one hand was the third small Velvet Key.
"Thank God you're back," Junpei said, tapping her shoulder. "You made such a racket, and we were getting worried."
"I'm sorry for worrying you guys," Aigis said apologetically. "I don't know about your guardians, but mine was a replica of myself."
"What?" Akihiko is confused, "Erebus wants us to face our ego?"
"Nah," Junpei said, a little embarrassed at something, "I think it differs from person to person."
"I don't get it," Akihiko doesn't sound convinced.
"I think Junpei San means everyone has their own fear," Aigis said bluntly, "and that memory is private to them."
"Oh," Akihiko's cheeks flushed from embarrassment, "Sorry about that."
"Three down," Yukari said, "five to go."
"May I?" Ken stood up, holding his spear in a battle stance.
"You sure?" Shinjiro asked, concerned about sending a literal child alone to some death match. "You don't have to go right now. Later is fine."
"I'm sure," Ken said, seemingly very determined.
"Alright then," Shinjiro nodded.
"Take care, Amada." Mitsuru lightly patted his shoulder.
Arf, arf! Arrooooo.... Koromaru whined slightly as he was worried about Ken.
"Don't worry, Korochan," Ken rubbed Koromaru's fluffy cheeks. I'll be back soon, I promise!" After Shinjiro gave him another affirmative look, he stepped down the corridor of the Justice Arcana.
Chamber of Justice
Life in a single-parent family had difficulties, but nothing was impossible to overcome. As long as Ken becomes a happy boy, his mom can overcome all the wariness and pressure of being a single parent.
Unfavorable things occurred once in a while, but they were manageable. He was getting prepared for the middle school entry exams, and the thought of coming of age to be able to support his mom was exciting. He had so much of the future planned out for himself and his mother.
Any innocence was stripped away when they forcefully crushed a part of his premature soul.
Under the sickening green hue of midnight, there it was, his mother's mangled, bleeding body strewn in front of him like some beast-torn rag doll. Then there it was, the humanoid beast towering over the bloodied mess that was once his mother.
He was a young man drenched in crimson, standing in deafening silence, and trembling slightly. There was a menacing, ethereal projection of a ghastly man riding a skeletal steed behind him. The being had glowing blue pupils like the bloodied man glistening with hysterical pleasure.
His mother was brutally murdered that night, and they chalked it off to some mugging that resulted in a crime of passion.
He couldn't recall the time that passed before he could no longer shed tears. The shifting of refuge from one relative to another went by in a blur. Hopelessness builds up after one too many times the police brushed his witness of her murder off like he was just some incoherent blabbering of some grief-stricken kid.
He was lonely, enraged, and powerless for what seemed like forever. He wandered every night between the crime scene and the shrine with nowhere to go and no place to belong. Ken was a small specter of wraith roaming the ominous dark hour.
Ken accidentally found himself in the custody of the former S.E.E.S. chairman, Shuji Ikutsuki. Before he could master the power of a persona user, he spent some time with the ragtag bunch of senior students who were members of a peculiar club—S.E.E.S.
That was where he met the inspirational and sometimes mischievous Senpai - Kotone Shiomi. She was a social butterfly and an active participant in many clubs. Despite her overwhelming schedule, she still seemed capable of finding opportunities to check on fellow teammates. She even bothered herself with a kid like him.
The day came when he finally found out about Aragaki. He was the beast that murdered his mother, the beast that destroyed his future. It's the time to end all the suffering. Revenge was all he had in mind and the sole reason to neglect the burgeoning nihilism within him.
He welcomed his persona and laid his life on the line to fight in the dark hour because he needed to be stronger to finally execute his plans. After everything was done and dusted, he could tell Mom in her face that he had avenged her.
Kotone may seem a klutz at times, but her mind was like an all-seeing prophet who was compassionate. She's seen through his mask, yet she kept her distance and never pried or questioned him of anything.
She knew his and Aragaki's intentions, but she never intervened. Aragaki must find his answer and closure on his own, and the same goes for Ken. She gave them both support and liberty even though possible outcomes could result in her losing the love of her life. She stood firm and supported both of them with utmost devotion.
He was consumed by hatred, and it nearly cost Aragaki's life and the sanity of Kotone. There was a while during Aragaki's coma when she was visibly shaken. She never once wavered in her beliefs in him or Aragaki.
Both of them found their answer to what life should be: to live to the fullest so they could honor those who perished due to the ill fate brought forth by the Dark Hour.
With his newfound clarity and promising outlook, he wanted to repay Kotone's kindness. He wanted to grow up and become someone she could depend on.
She even promised to be a good mentor should he need her, but that promise could no longer be kept. He missed her a lot and hated himself for being a child who couldn't do much when she was alive.
Nothing could undo death. What he could do is to honor her sacrifice by ensuring her efforts did not go to waste. The battle against Nyx was the closest he was to facing his demise, and the vestigial fear was soul-rending. He could only imagine how Kotone felt when she was alone on the moon, fighting Nyx without help.
The corridor to the Chamber of Justice resembled the wretched back allies of the forgotten slums in Tatsumi Port Island. It was a setting he was very familiar with. He spent the last year wandering from alley to alley, morbidly hoping someone could hurt him so bad that he, too, could die.
You'd think an entity with unparalleled powers would do a better job toying with measly humans. Apparently, Erebus didn't get the memo. As if the over-the-top exaggerated scenery wasn't enough, Erebus went all the way to emulate a distressed woman wailing in pain. Ken still remembers his mother's voice. It did get on his nerves, but that's all the credit he's giving Erebus.
The further he travels down the corridor, the more derelict the surroundings become. The incessant screaming gradually dampens down into a maniacal male laugh. Blood splatters, and what looks like entrails appear to be smeared onto the walls. Ken scoffed at Erebus' lousy taste and continued down the path.
"Halt!" A familiar female voice said.
Ken squinted to try to make out who was hiding in the fog. His heart raced. He held his spear firmly, and his offhand reached for his evoker. He had a hunch, but he needed to confirm.
"No," Ken replied, "you show yourself."
"You're not the right one." The imposter Kotone stepped into the moonlight, a grotesque-looking Thanatos behind her.
"Neither are you!" Ken rebutted, "Who are you? What even are you?"
The imposter remained silent. Her lifeless eyes stared with an intensity that made it feel like she saw through his soul. She shakes her head in disapproval, and then the rogue-like Thanatos grabs her by the waist and drags her into a conjured portal beneath them.
"Wait!" Ken exclaimed, startled at the sudden behavior. "What the heck..."
After seeing the imposters in person, he is confident that the thing is not Kotone. He can't even tell if it is living or not. Something about its rigid demeanor makes him feel on edge. Whatever Erebus did, he did a good job making the imposters. They are uncanny, to say the least.
The end of the corridor can be seen as the fog thinned as it opens to the Chamber of Justice. Just as he expected, he walked into what looked like the back alley where his mother was murdered. He expected Erebus' proxy to emulate Aragaki, but to his surprise, his mother was the guardian waiting for him.
It was not his mother who greeted him every day after school but what became of her after the carnage.
She stands on a limp, her extremities bent in humanly impossible angles. She is covered in blood, and her abdomen is partially opened. Bits and pieces of her organs are spilling out from the open wound. She raised her head to 'look' at him. One of her eyes hung on a thin strand of tissue as if it was popped out like some tic tacs. Her face, if you can call it that, contorts into a menacing scowl.
What kind of sick joke is this?
No, what the literal fuck.
Ken's vision whited out momentarily from the instantaneous rush of blood to his head due to his explosive anger. How sick and psychotic could someone be to capitalize on other people's tragic memories?
"How could you..." that thing wearing his mother's skin said, "You befriended the man who murdered me! You traitor!" It flings the disgustingly broken limbs rabidly.
"No!" Ken screamed in anger, "How dare YOU!" He tore his evoker from its holster violently,
The guardian rapidly extends its limbs like tentacles, trying to grab hold of Ken. Acting on the sudden adrenaline rush, Ken ducks behind a broken bench. He aims his evoker behind his ear: "Kala-Nemi!"
An android-like persona appeared in front of him. The mechanical structures in its limbs spun as it flexed.
The guardian then grabbed a stray bike and threw it at Ken. Without enough time to respond, he ordered his persona, "Tetrakarn!"
Just before the projectile could hit him, Kala-Nemi conjured a physical barrier, and the bike broke into pieces upon impact.
"How dare you," Ken drew light energy from the surroundings, "make my mother this hellspawn!"
Kala-Nemi conjured a spear imbued with light energy above him. The energy accumulating around Ken slowly drained into his persona.
"Go down, fiend." Ken whispered, "Divine Intervention!"
After several successful ventures of their teammates, the members in the central area became more at ease, waiting for the current challenger to return. Ken's affinity was light, with a minor in Zio and support skills. Most of his skills in combat are flashy holy attacks, but today's battle between Ken and the guardian is on a whole new level.
Rigorous clashing of metal came down the corridor. Occasionally, the corridor lit up like someone had set off a flash bang. As time passed, the sounds of metal clanging on hard surfaces grew louder, and the flashing became more frequent.
After a brief silence, the last flash of light dimmed, and the corridor became still.
"He did it," Junpei is getting worried, "right?"
Koromaru ran around the entrance, whining in anticipation.
"You bet," Ken said as his silhouette approached them.
"Alright!" Yukari cheered, "Another key down!"
"We are halfway done," Mitsuru said, getting more confident.
Ken returned with the key and sat beside Koromaru to rest after an exhausting battle with the guardian. The remaining four members eyed each other, deciding who to go next, when Fuuka stepped up, "I'm up."
"Can Juno even fight?" Aigis said she had no recollection of Juno participating in any active combat.
"I'm going to be fine," Fuuka said. "I have brought our combat items with me." She showed them the satchel she carried with her. "Even if Juno could not fight, I could use the elemental gems and combat mirrors on the opponent."
"Wait, what!" Junpei exclaimed, "That's way too risky! What if your aim is bad? We can't come in to help you!"
"I have to go," Fuuka said, determined, "if I can't get the key, we can't progress!"
"Yeah, but," Akihiko sounded bewildered, "we still can't progress if you get hurt or incapacitated. No one could go in to save you!"
"I understand," Fuuka said calmly, "but Kotone faced Nyx alone. If she could do it, I can as well." She smiled, "Chronos San already told us. The guardians are nothing close to being as powerful as Erebus or Nyx. I will be fine."
"If you insist," Shinjiro said, "but please, be really careful, 'kay?"
"Yes!" Fuuka said. She took a deep breath, tightened her grip on the satchel strap, and then walked into the corridor to the Chamber of the Priestess.
Chapter 15: Lawlessness
Chapter Text
Chamber of the Priestess
Life has been a monotony of projected expectations that she could never live up to. Fuuka's extended family, or clan, were mainly doctors or distinguished practitioners in the medical field.
Her parents didn't bother to tell her why they decided to break the pattern by choosing a different career path. But somehow, they insisted that she continue the 'Yamagishi' legacy in their stead.
Initially, she fought for the right to make decisions for her own life. She tried to prove that she, too, has her purpose in life and should not be forced into some predestined path decided by someone else.
After countless fights and arduous verbal abuses, she's accepted defeat. She is finally convinced that she is nothing more than an ungrateful and useless daughter that her parents wasted their resources on raising.
Eventually, everything went numb. She took it all in, and she forfeited the struggle. Just study hard, try your best to play the designated role of a useless human, and just take whatever animosity that was thrown at her because she is a worthless excuse for existence.
Although it sounded nihilistic now, she had to admit that being trapped in Tartarus before her awakening made her feel more at ease than at home. The aggressive shadows were intimidating, but knowing that apart from physical harm, she could finally let her heart unwind.
That was also the first time she met Kotone, a fellow second-year student who was a petite female like she was, who braved the dangerous tower to rescue her, of all people. She's seen talented students, but Kotone seemed to be on another level.
Everyone in S.E.E.S. has their own specialties: Junpei takes care of the agi and flash damage. Yukari masters in healing arts and Garu damage. Ken deals O-KO light damage and reflective shields. Korochan deals mudo and low-tier agi damage. Mitsuru Senpai specializes in status ailments and Bufu damage. Sanada Senpai specializes in strike damage and Zio magic. Aragaki Senpai can only deal physical damage, but his raw power was exceptional to compensate for the lack of magic power.
Kotone, though, does everything. From magic to melee, from strategic managing to healing. She could utilize countless different personas while being nimble enough to strike physically. She was one of a kind.
As for herself, she was the navigator and battle analyst(it was the title Kotone gave her). Her persona excels in analytical scans of shadows, personas, and telepathic communication within a large radius. Her powers work hand in hand with Kotone's field operation.
Before getting to know Kotone, she considered joining S.E.E.S. as an act of rebellion to prove to her parents that she was an important asset. Being able to assist the shadow operatives on a noble cause made the decision even more meaningful. The cherry on top was moving into a Kirijo Group-sponsored dorm.
Being invited by the chairman of the prestigious Gekkoukan High to join the 'Special Extracurricular' student group even brought an unexpected smile to her snobby parents. This made her stressed. For once in her life, she could actively prove her worth. She worked the hardest on every operation to ensure she didn't disappoint the other members because she couldn't afford the humiliation if she got kicked out.
She was grateful to be given the long-sought-after liberty but also thrown into another cycle of stress and depression. She cannot fail because it would prove her parents right.
Kotone saw through her bravado and approached her with genuine kindness as a friend and leader. She used her steadfast support and actual actions to guide her through her journey to find her answer to what life is.
She proved to Fuuka that those caring for her don't need anything in return for the love they give her. She showed Fuuka that everyone has strengths and weaknesses and that being unique is not shameful. It was her warm encouragement that helped her find her path and finally able to face her parents with her head held high.
Just when life is getting better, especially after conquering the Fall, Kotone passes away abruptly after the fated battle with Nyx.
She was devastated. After everything Kotone did for the world and for everyone she held dear, karma still failed her. She secured a future for mankind but surrendered her own because fate was a bitch.
It would be a lie to say she's not afraid. In fact, she's shuddering slightly as she paces down the seemingly endless corridor.
As each corridor was designated for different team members, she never knew what the others saw during their trip to the Chamber. Her journey now seems almost bland, considering all she sees are news cuttings of established members of the Yamagishi clan.
The worst scenario she sees on her way is shattered mechanical parts of projects she used to work on as a kid. Her parents were never shy in expressing their disapproval of her hobbies. She accepted the difference with her parents. If Erebus had his interpretation of them stand in as guardians, she was fully prepared.
She's only scared because she's not confident she can beat the guardian using items. Dying never was a fear for her if it was for a worthy cause. Defeating Erebus and preventing a second Fall is worth it. Her concern is whether or not she could get the key for her members because it is their only option now.
Her knuckles grew white from the rigid grip on the satchel. She was also slightly lightheaded from incessant scanning using Juno. Then, Juno registered two familiar readings. Unsure of what to expect, she called out to the distance.
"Hello?" Her voice was slightly trembling.
No response. The readings have increased in numbers. She could not determine what was happening as the distance and fog disrupted her view. Suddenly, one reading with diminishing life force came hurling towards her. Panicking, she ordered Juno to shield her with her wings. It turned out to be a dying shadow tossed aside violently by the imposter Kotone.
The small cluster of readings quickly dispersed. A brief moment passed, and the readings seemed to disappear one after another. Finally, only two readings remained, and they were approaching her.
Not knowing what could happen, she dug into the satchel to find elemental gems. Before she could grasp the situation, 'Kotone' approached her.
"You are not the one." The imposter said coldly.
"Who?" Fuuka is confused.
The imposter then threw a small, blood-stained blue key onto the floor. She waved her hand to beckon the peculiar-looking Thanatos. Without further explanation, she opened a portal and disappeared with her persona.
"Huh?" Fuuka stands there, dumbstruck. "Was that commotion...?"
After double-checking the aftermath in the Chamber of the Priestess, she confirmed that the imposters seemed to have slaughtered everything in it. Bewildered and confused, she picks up the bloodied key and returns to the main hall.
"It seems oddly quiet this round," Aigis said, her scanners running, "I am not picking up anything down the corridor. This is suspicious."
"Yeah, I am on edge, too," Yukari said. We've been met with guardians who put up a tough fight. This is too quiet for someone with no offense options but using items."
Arf! Arf! Arffff! She's back! Koromaru excitedly ran in circles, then pointed his nose toward Fuuka's corridor.
"Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked carefully.
"I'm here, Senpai!" Fuuka said, her silhouette emerging from the shadow. "I am okay!"
There was a collective sigh of relief. After the painstakingly long silence, the team was getting worried. Fuuka came back, slightly pale but looking completely fine, with a bloodied key in her hand.
"Whoa, what the hell happened there?" Junpei points at the key, "You did that?"
Fuuka shakes her head, "I didn't even get to the chamber before the imposters killed everything in there."
"They what?" Akihiko sounds bewildered. "Do you mean she recognized you?"
"Don't be stupid," Chronos snapped at him. "She's not human or shadow. Whatever she is has nothing to do with the real one."
"How would you know?" Akihiko clapped back.
"If Erebus could create all this shit," Chronos said, gesturing to the surroundings, "he can make anything. Including that girl."
"I think Chronos San is right," Fuuka recalled the brief encounter. "She and Thanatos still have the unique readings from before, and she didn't converse with me. She just ignored that I was there." Not going to lie. It made Fuuka feel a bit lonely.
"Regardless," Mitsuru said, unsheathing her épée, "I am glad you made it back safely."
"You goin'?" Shinjiro said, absentmindedly sharpening his axe.
"Yes." Mitsuru double-checked the status of her evoker, "I am."
"Bon Voyage then," Shinjiro nodded.
"Oui," Mitsuru nods, and she walks down the corridor to the Chamber of the Empress.
Chamber of the Empress
The Kirijo Group is considered one of Japan's top financial conglomerates. It is a mega-corporation based in Tatsumi Port Island. It is a megalith specializing in finance, technology, medicine, and real estate.
Locals of the town jokingly say that the city itself is owned by the Kirijo Group. They are not exaggerating with the comment. Almost every profitable business in the town is owned by the group.
Being the only heir to this behemoth of commerce, Mitsuru's childhood was stressful, to say the least. Bystanders only saw her life in luxury but never the crushing pressure her family and peers forced on her.
Every waking moment, she has to be at her best and act like the distinguished Kirijo that she is. She sees her butler more than she could ever see her parents. Being the group's heir means her parents are occupied with managing the group and socializing with other prominent families of high society.
Her nannies told her that the group did great things for Japan's economy and played significant roles in the flourishing of Tatsumi Port Island. For a long time, she took pride in being a Kirijo.
She was steadfast in that belief until the unbearable weight of the truth hit her.
Her grandfather, who established the group, dabbled in accursed science and caused irreversible calamity to mankind. Under the guise of medical and theological research, her grandfather conducted discontinued Nanjo's research on shadows. If he had kept it strictly academic, nothing that plagued the world in the following decade could have happened.
Her grandfather strayed from his original intention and was tainted by the hunger for authority. He was obsessed with trying to make the group the greatest of Japan. At one point, he even proposed taking over the political systems and running the country himself. When the degrading sanity hit rock bottom, he did the unthinkable.
He wanted to wipe every living thing out to start anew as the ruler of a brand-new world.
Fortunately, her grandfather failed and died for his transgressions against humanity.
Unfortunately, it was at a cost too much for the later generations to pay.
The old site of the Kirijo Labs blew up after a botched attempt at creating the forbidden thirteenth arcana. The summoning of Nyx has been disrupted, but an ominous tower that houses the shadows born from Nyx has appeared every night since the accident. It was when people started falling ill due to apathy syndrome.
She remembered that night, her mother cried as she brought Mitsuru to the I.C.U. of Kirijo Medical Center. Lying in the bed with an array of medical instruments connected to him was her father. It was fortunate that he survived the explosion, but it marked the beginning of his grueling path to retribution. It was a path he trekked tenaciously to the day he died.
Every day since her father's full recovery went by in a blur. Her life was a strict routine of studying, combat training, and experimentation.
Mitsuru was the first of S.E.E.S. to awaken to a persona. It happened when she was ten, during her first exploration attempt of Tartarus. She still remembers the power surge coming to her when she tried to protect her father from the shadows.
The path to redemption was just as lonely for Mitsuru as for her father. Not long after going to middle school, her mother passed away. What remaining warmth of a family died with her. From that point on, it was she and her father's strenuous trudge to atone for the sins of Kirijo.
Years of effort by hardworking Kirijo scientists discovered Plumes of Dusk and created weaponry and devices to harness the power of personas. She didn't know that the deranged lead scientist, Shuji Ikutsuki, had done more than that. The results were at the expense of immoral human experiments on orphans.
The shadow operatives started off being just her and the Sanada boy from middle school. It later kicked off with the addition of Sanada's foster brother, Aragaki. For once, they have enough manpower to properly explore Tartarus.
Things were getting hopeful as they ventured into the dangerous tower, gathering valuable data for the future development of gears. All the confidence went out the window when an accident happened. In the heat of the battle, Aragaki lost control of his persona and fatally wounded a civilian, ultimately resulting in her death.
The dangers and consequences of helping to repent for a Kirijo have been actualized. What they are doing could have them end up dead, or worse, kill someone. Progress was stagnated, and team morale was at an all-time low. It hit bottom when Aragaki left after completely losing faith in himself.
She never considered being a Kirijo should make life easy, but her struggles back then were exceptionally frustrating. After a long period of running in circles, the first hint of positivity came with the arrival of Kotone. She was someone the group found to have the potential due to her capability of functioning in the Dark Hour.
A possible new member for S.E.E.S. would be crucial for continuing their research of destroying the Dark Hour. Kotone's ability to use multiple personas was more than they bargained for. It was the first in Mitsuru's life when she felt blessed, and maybe good luck was coming for her.
Although Mitsuru never admitted to anyone, sometimes even she felt tired of the responsibilities thrust upon her. As a teenager, she sometimes envied the happy-go-lucky lifestyles of her underclassmen. They seemed genuinely happy about their lives and enjoyed their youth, which she couldn't have.
She finally took the initiative to change when she saw Kotone acing her studies while she dealt with being the leader of S.E.E.S. and tending to her friends. For someone with an equally, if not more tragic, upbringing, Kotone seemed a stark contrast to what Mitsuru grew up to be.
For someone risking their life for a Senpai she had just met, Kotone was brave, intelligent, and tenacious in reaching her goals. Whether for her studies, her groups, or her S.E.E.S. duties, she seemed to have endless energy and optimism when she tackled them. It was like nothing Mitsuru had seen before.
Being in Kotone's shoes doesn't differ from her crushing responsibilities as a Kirijo, yet Kotone seems graceful and efficient. Mitsuru's curiosity made her question her way of life and want to seek an alternative answer to her future. She wants to enjoy her life while carrying the burden and duty of a Kirijo, and Kotone is always there for her, supporting and guiding her.
After finally ending the Fall, she can breathe easier as she can now live the life she wanted to. Before she could share the joy and give heartfelt gratitude to her leader, mentor, and best friend, Kotone passed away suddenly.
It pained her more, knowing she had wasted a month that could have been used to preserve Kotone's life. Destroying the Dark Hour temporarily removed their memories of being a persona user. Like a wicked twist of fate, they finally remembered Kotone on the day she died.
They remembered because Erebus was trying to reawaken Nyx. Kotone entrusting her powers to Aragaki reinstated the contract with the Velvet Room, thus allowing their continued usage of personas.
And now, she can finally do something for her late friend. She is ready to face whatever inner demons Erebus has in store for her. Kotone saved the world at the expense of her own life. She is not going to let that go to waste.
Contrary to Misturu's expectations, the corridor leading to the Chamber of the Empress is relatively tame. It looks like a hallway in most research or medical facilities, with matching machine beeps intermittently heard. Although Artemesia's perceptive powers sensed nothing out of the ordinary, she still continued with her weapon drawn.
When she almost reached the end of the corridor, Artemesia felt the presence of the rumored imposters. She was sure of their identities, as previous members who faced their guardians reported encountering them before their fight. Uncertain of their intents, she readied herself for a duel.
"Who goes there?" Mitsuru asked.
There was no answer. A set of footsteps approached her from in front, and then the familiar image of her late leader appeared, with a peculiar-looking Thanatos behind her. She was wearing a dark hooded cape, and her gaze was chillingly emotionless.
"It's not you." The imposter said.
"Who?" Mitsuru sounds confused.
The imposter ignored her question and sheaved her naginata. She then walked past Mitsuru, Thanatos silently following behind her. Slowly but gradually, the two disappeared out of sight.
"What was that about?" Mitsuru was bewildered.
Whatever that was, as long as they meant no harm to her, she could ignore them. Her mission is to get the key piece from the guardian. Without further distractions, she walked up to the gates to the Chamber and opened it.
To her surprise, Ikutsuki was waiting for her. He wore a lab coat and had a maniacal expression. His pupils were an eerie bright yellow. He smirked smugly as she entered the Chamber. She spent her childhood in the familiar lab as a test subject.
"Well, well, well," said the deranged shadow of Ikutsuki, "the entitled princess of Kirijo!"
Mitsuru quickly took her evoker from the holster and pointed it at her temple.
"Exercising your rights as a Kirijo?" the shadow jeered mockingly, "Stop it with the righteousness bullshit! A Kirijo will always be a Kirijo. You are no different from your grandfather."
"Is that so?" Mitsuru grimaced. Erebus must be pretty desperate to try provoking her with that.
"He used us to help his ascension to Godhood," the shadow said, disgusted at something, "Just like you used those kids to make yourself justified."
"Artemesia!" Mitsuru fired her evoker. The ice queen appeared beside her, angrily cracking her whip.
"For a descendant of a man of sins," the shadow said mockingly, "you dared to trick an innocent girl into doing your bidding. Your existence was the reason she suffered so much, and you went your way to kill her off involuntarily." He chuckled as he dodged Artemesias whip attack. "How shameless of you."
"You done?" Mitsuru said coldly, "This is a cheap trick to buy time." She calmed her heart, focusing on drawing bufu energy to her épée. " You have no idea what I've been through to get to where I am now," her pupils glow blue. "Be gone. Artemesia! Unleash the Blade of Execution!"
The room rapidly freezes as the temperature falls toward the sub-zero. An arctic gust swept down the corridor, and the members shudder at the sudden temperature change.
"Ah, brings back the memories," Shinjiro jested.
"Of what?" Chronos asked, curious.
"Of being executed back in the days," Akihiko said, wincing a little.
"I can only imagine," Junpei shuddered at the thought.
"I hope Senpai's okay," Fuuka seemed worried.
Arf! Arf! Achoo! Koromaru sneezed.
"She's fine," Yukari said quite confidently.
After a while, parts of the central area's walls began to crystallize due to the rapid drop in temperature. The waiting members huddled together to slow down the decrease in their body temperature. Ken stuffed Koromaru in his sweater to warm up the little guy. They were worried about their well-being before a familiar high heels clacking could be heard from the corridor.
"'Bout time, Kirijo," Shinjiro scoffed, "you were enjoying yourself too much." He shivered a bit from the cold.
"My apologies," Mitsuru said, "here." She handed the key to Shinjiro. Yukari gave her a tight hug in approval.
"Alright!" Junpei cheered, "Only two left!"
Shinjiro stands up from his kneeling position. Akihiko extends his arm to block him.
"Please," Akihiko said, his brow slightly furrowed, "let me go first."
Shinjiro squatted back down, waving one hand at the corridor, "Be my guest."
"Thank you, Shinji," Akihiko nodded.
"Be careful," Mitsuru said.
"I will," Akihiko replied. Without looking back again, he went down the corridor.
"You're just gonna let him go like that?" Chronos asked, squatting down beside Shinjiro.
"Yeah," Shinjiro raised a brow in curiosity, "Problem?"
"I mean," Chronos scratched his head, "dude looks fresh out of his straight jacket."
"I know," Shinjiro said, his brow hitched a little. "We don't have a choice, he's gotta face whatever shit Erebus prepared for him one way or another."
"So you knew," Chronos said, his expression darkened.
"It's dead obvious," Shinjiro scoffed, "with Kotone out of the picture, he's the only weapon Erebus has against me."
"Aite, then," Chronos said, defeated, "it's a countdown to a grandiose shitshow."
Shinjiro rolled his eyes.
No good deed goes unpunished. Let's just hope Aki doesn't go too overboard.
Chapter 16: Pendemonium Commences
Summary:
After all the work S.E.E.S. went through, it's almost time for them to assemble the velvet key.
There's only 2 fragments left. The chamber of Emperor, and the Chamber of Hierophant.
Akihiko insisted to go before Shinjiro as he has waited long enough.
He wants to find out for himself, was she really existing in this reality... somwhere?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chamber of the Emperor
Since being recruited as a member of S.E.E.S., Akihiko has found a proper outlet for all the frustration and mental gymnastics he has to deal with. For once in a long time, he has found his bearings in where he wants to lead his life.
Or so he thought.
Kirijo lab's rigorous specialized training and numerous Tartarus exploration attempts were a good distraction that was abruptly cut off when the first case of collateral damage occurred.
Intentional or not, Ken's mother died as a direct result of their Dark Hour escapade. To add a cherry on top, the tragedy was caused by Shinji's persona going rogue.
The newfound sense of justice and control over life quickly derailed into a fresh wave of panic within S.E.E.S. What little progress they had made in an attempt to restore chaos brought by the Dark Hour seemed to revert back to zero.
Not only they made little to no progress up the damned tower, but now they found out that being able to wield a persona may be a curse in disguise.
It wasn't until very recently they revealed that the toxic reassurance that Ikutsuki talked into them was pure bullshit. They were coaxed into thinking their efforts were for the good, but instead, it was all for finishing what Mitsuru's grandfather had started.
Any sense of regaining control over life was stripped off of Akihiko. 2 years of risking his life in hopes of gaining strength to prevent tragedies became a joke. He felt powerlessness drown him again, this time with unforeseen ferocity.
Not only an innocent bystander was killed, but he also had to witness his brother's psyche spiral down a one-way path to self-destruction.
Years have passed since the fire at the orphanage, and he is still the incapable kid from back then. He's stuck in a limbo of guilt and hopelessness.
Kotone's arrival in his life rekindled his hope for a better future. She sparked a flame in his soul, never to give up, to fight back against the odds pitched against them. She was a role model who encouraged him to savor every bit of hope and relentlessly trudge on because hope is only given to mentally resilient people.
She proved to him time after time that as long as they held their ground, the pain would eventually end.
While their time together in S.E.E.S. was brief compared to his whole life of misery, it was so beautiful that he swore that nothing could ever best it in the future.
And he was foolish to believe that there could be a future between the two of them.
After all the pain and hardships they went through, he was still not prepared for Nyx. Nightmares of that fated night are still vividly plaguing him. The feeling of dread in its purest form crushed him that night. He was immobilized by fear and the overpowered pressure induced by a malicious god.
He had to watch Kotone struggle alone to put down an almighty being while being completely useless in all facets.
It was just like the day he was forced to watch Miki die.
Help...
Help her! Please...
A loud explosion from a distance down the corridor broke his train of thought. He quickly ducked behind a stray shelf to find cover.
He berated himself for being distracted. He is in an unknown dimension, for fucks sake. He quickly gauged his concentration to assess the situation. Then, reality hits him.
The walk down the corridor was way too quiet and uneventful. For a set-up made by some god that governs chaos, they clearly didn't put in much effort. He was expecting Erebus to capitalize on Miki's death or Kotone-related imagery to try to mess with him. But somehow, he was almost halfway done with the corridor, and absolutely nothing happened until the distant explosion.
Bewildered by the current predicament, Akihiko stealthily came out of cover to go find out what happened. An odd sense of foreboding begins to build up within him.
He senses a foreign reading of static bubbling in his veins, and the odd occurrence is confirmed after he feels out the environment with Caesar.
"What on earth is going on down there?"
As he cautiously edged towards the source of the commotion, an argument between two familiar voices came within earshot.
"What the hell?"
"You piece of garbage!" a childish female voice uttered from gritted teeth, seemingly trying to keep her voice down.
Whoever the insult was intended for did not reply. Akihiko almost forgot to maintain his stealth as his heart raced in anticipation of who was ahead of him. As he gets closer to the end of the corridor, the condescending young female voice can be heard clearer now. He squints to try to make out the silhouettes in the dust-whirling chamber. His heart begins to pound furiously in his chest.
"Stop." Another familiar voice said, in an overly calm manner while being in such madness.
It's her...
"YOU STOP!" the other voice snapped back in exasperation. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you meddling with my plans? What even are you?"
To Aki's lack of surprise, the other voice was what looked like a Miki wannabe screaming from a burnt and disfigured body. Should this happen in any other scenarios, Akihiko would have gone mad at such a sick sight.
But today, shit has hit the fan at a whole new level.
He almost scoffed out loud at Erebus' distaste as what appeared to be a small pile of Miki's (if not for the grimly comical scene, he would have been devastated) broken bodies piling up at Kotone's foot. It is apparent that the puppets that Erebus conjured were all brutally beaten down by...Kotone.
Or whatever she's become.
It's felt like an eternity since their last encounter when they first entered the monad doors. Only god knows how much he wanted to see her again.
"Who's there?" she asked, aware of his presence. She readied her naginata and entered a defensive position.
"Kotone..." Akihiko said as he walked out of the shadows to approach her. Whatever caution and alertness went all out the window now.
Fuck the weird dimension, I need to see her again. I need to talk to her again.
I need her.
"And who's that?" She asked in an oddly indifferent tone.
Wait what? Akihiko is confused. So confused that zero fucks was given to the imposter Miki as he walked mindlessly towards Kotone.
"Oh for fucks sake," the imposter seems to speak in Erebus' voice now. "You dense idiot! She is not the wildcard."
"Shut up." Akihiko bit back. He doesn't give a shit who she could be. He needs her. Heaven or hell, he needs to be there, be with her. He's done being left behind.
"Back off." She raised her naginata.
He stopped. She scrutinized him up and down. The room went quiet. The only commotion was the rugged breathing noises of the feral-looking Thanatos behind her. It seemed ready to pounce at anything that could do her harm.
"No, you're not the one." She mumbled after eyeing him down.
"Even now," Akihiko struggles to speak, feeling crushed by disappointment and hurt. "Are you still thinking about Shinji?"
Why?
"Shinji?" She seemed genuinely confused. "Is he the one?"
Huh?
"You don't know Shinji?" Akihiko asked in bewilderment, "Then, who do you know?"
"Mitsuru Kirijo," She answered in a monotonous voice, "Yukari Takeba, Iori Junpei, Shuji Ikutsuki..." she paused and looked him in the eye, "and you. Akihiko Sanada."
He let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding.
"It's you...Kotone... right?" Akihiko begins to move closer to her.
"No." She raised her weapon again, "Who is Kotone? Why is everyone calling me this?" Her genuine annoyance caused her feral Thanatos to stir violently behind her.
"Could you not?" Erebus said, "Is it not obvious that she's not human?" It raised an arm, prepping for a mudo attack.
"No, you don't!" Akihiko shot his evoker at his temple at record speed to call out Caesar. "I will protect her!"
"Tch," the Kotone lookalike seemed impatient. "Unless you come to face me yourself, you can't defeat me with this rag doll." She raised her hand, and her persona let out a deafening yell. "Get her, Pharos!"
Pharos? Is that Thanatos lookalike called Pharos? Is it a completely different persona? What on earth is going on?
"Fuck," Erebus cursed under his breath. Whatever this bitch is, she can really put up a fight. That monstrosity of a persona seemed much more ferocious than what his nephew could ever be. "You'd think I don't want to smother you out myself? "
These shells that he created while confined in the Abyss are too fragile for his liking. His full power is locked behind that wretched damsel's little trickery. Channeling his powers into these puppets would destroy them instead of giving them power.
He hoped to tear down Sanada for another chance to possess him psychologically. It was a last-ditch effort to force S.E.E.S. to cough up the velvet key fragments so he could be released. And now, even in her afterlife, this cunt has to come and ruin everything.
"Just give up already," she seemed bemused by Erebus's struggles. "If this is all you got, I can do this all day."
Now that sounds like her, alright. Akihiko is still in a defensive stance, and Caesar is hovering beside him, both ready to make a move.
"What even are you?" Erebus's voice had a genuine tone of frustration as his shell narrowly evaded a full-fledged boulder throw from Pharos. "How could you be invulnerable to most of my attacks? How is any of this humanly possible?"
That's something Akihiko would like to know too. From Fuuka's account, it is clear that this figure has been in continuous combat sessions since their first encounter. How could she accomplish this in such a distorted realm without proper sustenance with just the two of them?
"Too many questions," Kotone readied her naginata to strike, "not enough answers." She pounced like a mad beast. Her intentions were clear as day: she was striking for the kill. "Begone!"
The polearm impaled Erebus' puppet with such grace that it almost made it seem inhumane. She then threw it down like trash, to bleed out on the floor like the rest before her. It let out a primal scream and went into a fit of grotesque spasms.
"Urggggghhh! How dare you! How could you!" the rag doll struggles in hellish manners, cursing under its breath, "YOU DIE! FUCK YOU!"
Wait! Was that...?
"Hm?" She seemed to sense the growing unease. "Wha---"
"Let's see you survive THIS!"
The rag doll lets out a maniacal laugh, and it happens instantly...
It blew itself up.
A deafening explosion accompanied by an intense shock wave sent an immense amount of debris shooting out of the corridor that Akihiko went through. The impact almost knocked over the rest of the team, idling in the main hall.
"What in the world?" Junpei asked in pure dismay after he found his footing. "Are you guys alright?"
"Yeah," Yukari reached for Junpei's hand to help herself up after being knocked over by the strong shockwave. "Holy shit..."
"Aragaki!" Mitsuru asked urgently, "...do you think?"
"......" Shinjiro doesn't really know what to say. In all honesty, he's worried about Aki, but alas, what can he do? It's not like they could bust open the barrier.
"Worry about yourselves," Chronos said in Shinjiro's stead, "Sanada's fine."
"And how would you know that?" Ken asked, still shocked by what just happened, his voice slightly trembling. Koromaru was yelping in his embrace.
"Chronos san was right," A slightly disheveled Fuuka said after performing a large area scan with Juno, "Juno picked up Sanada senpai's life signatures from a distance. He's alive...but..."
"He'll be fine." Chronos immediately said as if to convince them of something.
"And you are sure of this how?" Junpei asked, skeptical.
"You'll know soon," Chronos looked at Shinjiro with an unseen grim expression. "Welp looks like you're up."
"Am I?" Shinjiro felt slight unease, but he readied himself regardless. They, no, scratch that. He's in too deep to back off now.
"First things first," Chronos walks towards the corridor to the Emperor's chamber. "We need to pick up that Sanada boy."
"Huh?" Junpei is confused.
"It seems the barrier went down after the impact," Aigis said after her retinal scan.
"Alright then," Shinjiro led the way down the corridor.
Hang in there, Aki.
As they proceeded down the corridor, a looming sense of dread seemed to grow.
What the hell just happened in there?
Notes:
I am back from the dead! (no I was on work tours, sorry for being so lazy.)
After playing the DLC last week I am back for more with a change in my original plans!
Thanks for the patience :D
Sapphiremoonlight22 on Chapter 2 Wed 08 May 2024 04:31PM UTC
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Sapphiremoonlight22 on Chapter 6 Tue 14 May 2024 05:07PM UTC
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Sapphiremoonlight22 on Chapter 6 Wed 15 May 2024 11:35PM UTC
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