Chapter 1: The Hero Today & the Text Message
The night was still. No sound could be heard. It wasn't like this a few minutes ago until that man appeared. No animal or insect dared to make a sound in the presence of that man. He was swaying slightly while walking; dragging what looked like corpses along with him. Under the moonlight, The Patchman grinned. His distorted mask is already showing a big grin but he couldn't help smiling for real.
"I've found it! I've found it!" he jumped up and down, unable to contain his glee. "Hehehe, soon my friends! We'll bring hell to this place! Ah…HAHAHAHA!!!" The Patchman laughed hysterically and trampled all over the corpses of the people he just killed. Two were adults while the other two were mere children.
A family, he guessed. Probably had dinner in town and were on their way back home. Too bad they had to 'accidentally' run into him on the dark road… He grinned more maniacally. "Ahh, I just loooovvvee kids" he toyed with the small corpses.
Souji Seta sighed. Sitting on his chair, he took out a bunch of pink letters from his bag and put it on his desk. "Really, what do girls see in me?" The letters were all written by his admirers. He sighed again.
Ever since he entered the new school his parents had enrolled him he was swamped with girls confessing to him and asking him out and guys wanting him to join their sports team.
The third year of Souji Seta was really boring. Not that he didn't make any new friends but… He looked at his bedroom wall. There was a picture that he had framed on the wall. He smiled as he watched the people in the picture.
At the top-left of the picture was his best friend, Yosuke Hanamura, posing while holding onto his headphones. Next to him jumping energetically was Chie Satonaka, a slightly tomboyish girl who loved martial arts. Her hands were pushing against Kanji Tatsumi, a rebellious teenager with bleached blonde hair. Although he looked like a biker gang, everyone knew that he was actually good inside, albeit being a 'bit' rough.
Souji could see that Kanji's face was nervous because he was bumping shoulders with Naoto Shirogane. A female detective, Naoto preferred to be thought of as a boy. She was also blushing in the picture as she was shy to these kinds of things.
In front of her he could see Teddie, wearing his Frenchmen suit, holding hands with Souji's little cousin, Nanako Dojima. Yosuke had mentioned that Teddie is still staying with him and working as Junes' mascot. Nanako was smiling cheerfully in the picture. His cousin had enjoyed their company last year as they had hung out often, and the gang had adored her, practically Yosuke, when she started singing the Junes theme song.
Souji had seen himself in the picture, in between two girls. On his right was Yukiko Amagi, his classmate last year. She was the daughter of the manager of the Amagi Inn, a famous local inn in Inaba. Her long, black hair softly touching his face as her hands were holding his arm. The other was Rise Kujikawa, or Risette, as the public calls her. When they met for the first time Rise had taken a break from her idol work, but it seems she had started her debut back. She was hugging his arms rather tightly while looking at his face (It was a well-known fact to the gang that Rise had a crush on Souji).
The last person he remembered was the man who took this picture, his uncle, Ryotaro Dojima. A strict detective and single father, Ryotaro worked hard to raise Nanako ever since his wife died. Souji had been close with his uncle, sharing a familial bond with him. After all, his uncle was more of a 'real' father to him than his biological father.
Leaving Inaba was the hardest thing he had to do...His closest friends and Yukiko and Rise's face came into his mind.
Souji shook his head. Remembering the past isn't getting him anywhere. He took out his books and began doing his homework. Suddenly, his cell phone rang, it was a text message. He didn't recognize the number but he read the message anyways.
Suddenly, the room turned pitch-black. Any trace of light disappeared. "What the hell…" Souji stood up, preparing himself. He had experience enemies attacking him in the dark before so he took his baseball bat and listened for any sound of footsteps or voices. Fighting with Shadows has given Souji the ability to act rationally in irrational events.
"Do not be afraid, I am no enemy of yours…" a voice spoke to him. He spun around and saw a figure covered in light. As he squinted he saw that it was girl, no older than he is, smiling at him.
"Who are you?" Souji asked, but did not lower his bat. She gave him a look as if checking him out.
"You are a wielder of a Persona are you not, Seta-kun?" She responded.
Souji was mildly surprised. How'd she know about Personas? "…I asked for your name" Souji asked again.
The girl smiled. "My name…is Aigis. I am in need of your help Seta-kun."