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Persona Intertwined Souls
Chapter 1: The Return To Eternity … … … …
…At times, a trickster may rise to challenge the order of authority and hierarchy, it is then that fate is altered under the very power that can alter destiny's course, and to that, you are given yet another chance to set things right … … for in becoming the Great Seal, you have sealed forth another "contract", come forth, the lone soul who has risked your own life and flesh in order for your comrades to reform the world, and your rehabilitation shall commence … … … …
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…At the city of Iwatodai, near Port Island station … … … …
…The usual crowd of punks and tough chicks are gathered here, with them doing their usual routine of gathering and loitering around this part, it didn't changed even now … … … … and that is why this world must change … … … … for in society's behest that society should be reformed under the morality that is learned through one's experience of the Fool or Trickster, under their judgment that this world shall be reformed under the rehab of those who been shunned by society … … … …
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…At what seems to be a dungeon of some sort … … … …
…Minato Arisato opened his eyes to find a Velvet colored dungeon scenery before him, and he realized that he's chained tightly with both arms being chained to heavy metallic cuffs that are tied to two metallic chain and balls … …
"… … This place is … … … … " Minato said looking around, and finds someone else here beside him, someone covered in rugged cloak that it prevents him to identify them as male or female and this cloaked figure seems to have noticed him, as well … … … … focusing on the chains and cuff around him, he can't help but groan … … "… … … …" The last thing he remembered, is that - - or rather, the last thing he has seen last time before passing out for a long slumber, being the Great Seal and all, is Elizabeth destroying Erebus, the manifestation of self-destruction of the nature of man, that which is calling forth what he's trying to prevent them from reaching - - Nyx.
…He's able to do this by being the Great Seal - - the power he mustered with the power of his bonds with his loved ones, a pity he didn't had much future back then - - but … … … …
"…I am a fool." Minato said to himself, cursing his own situation … … … …
"…You're only a fool if you give up, my boy." The rugged cloak, now the cloak being slightly removed, Minato could see the face of … … Igor, the master of the Velvet - - wait, Velvet…? … … This place looks all Velvet in colored in all of its surrounding, could it be … … "…Welcome To The Velvet Room, my dear young man … … or is it, Welcome back? *Chuckle*"
"….What is this?" Minato asked, gesturing at the cuff, chain and ball around him, and Igor, using a cane to walk, approached him.
"…A lonely prisoner, am I, same as you. Or like yourself. *Chuckle* But together, perhaps we can be more than that … … " Igor said with a bit of smile on his face, as Minato could notice or see … … … …
"…I'm listening." Minato said, paying attention to this near omniscience kind of individual, Igor.
"There is a "contract" sealed, my boy, when you became the Great Seal that is your only reason for not passing on to the Afterlife, even though at the moment, you don't have flesh and blood, but your body is that of an homunculus that resembles your appearance, hence, you have acquired quite the feat of immortality, similar to what transpiring between you with Death, but that of the Wild Card as well, and … … the one who cannot be defeated." Igor, of course, referred to the one thing or individual, if you can even call her that, a great entity that has bestowed "Death" during ancient times in this world, and Minato did spoke with her, the mother of all Shadows … … … … … … … … … …
"But I'm sure you have many questions, but one thing I could impart to you, is that we both have gained something of a … … fidelity. That of which this place resembles that of your own heart is none other than, as you have probably have assumed by now, the Velvet Room. *Chuckle*" Igor said and Minato can't believe this, first an elevator now a prison cell .,.. …? … … or a dungeon, they're all the same, actually. … … Only it's underground, of course.
"…How did I … … wait, by becoming the Great Seal, I pretty much gained a "contract" …?"
Igor nodded. "That is precisely how it has developed into this sequence of events that I, myself, is a prisoner here, but I still have influence of the functions of this room as well as the one that can do the arts of fusion, *Chuckle*"
"…Fusion? Then, my personas … … "
"…I can see a development in your growth in character and as a person, though you have already acquired the Universe Arcana, but for some reason, you still have not fulfilled the World Arcana .. … *Chuckle*, it just means your Journey is far from done. Now then, now that it has cometh to this, let us begin your rehabilitation." With a snap of a finger, the cuffs around Minato are snapped, and he could just rub them to remove the stinged sensation on them, and the numbness, too.
"Now then, please follow me." Igor, using a cane to walk, beckons Minato to follow, which he does - - then, they enter around the back to find a door … … Minato is familiar with it, and he could only guess and conjecture that it leads to Paulonia Mall, or not … … "Where does this lead?" He asked.
"…Who knows? This place is connected to anywhere, plus, perhaps it could lead to somewhere where you are fated to begin your rehabilitation." He said with another chuckle. "But for now, let us take a look at your future, shall we?" Igor sat at the nearby desk and summoned forth a deck of tarot cards, and spread them with just a wave of his hand. "Do you believe in fortune telling? Each reading is done with the same card, yet the results are always different. Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?" He said, and he flips one card. "…Hm, the Temperance in the Upright Position represents the immediate future. This represents … "Balance" … … and "Learning", this implies that you are undergoing a new journey, fu fu, and you may find things differently with the experiences you have. But, it may also suggest a new journey, where after undergoing the Death stage, you will undergo metamorphisis in your character and find new views in your enlightenment. In saying that, the personas you have mustered. They all have disappeared from your possession, but it seems you still can harness them along the way in your journey. *Chuckle*, right now, the only persona you can summon is … … Hm, it's … … " … … Minato could see … … Nyx Avatar, or rather, someone or something that resembles Nyx Avatar, it has that same smiling mask that may represent one's innocence or death, and it's … … Minato suddenly got a mask on, which is shaped like a butterfly … …
…Like before, without hesitation, he starts to remove it - - forcefully and painfully - - until, he managed to remove it, with blood dripping from his face as a result of the violent tendency - - but, what comes afterwards is … … a sinister smile with blood dripping from his face, and he muttered … … "…Per … So … Na … … " A burst of blue flames rose about Minato, and the one that resembles Nyx Avatar, albeit smaller, about 10 size bigger than Minato, appeared, and with its mask suddenly being manifested into Minato's face, - - or rather, Minato gains a similar mask to its own mask's appearance and image.
"…I am thou. Thou art I … … from the sea of thy soul, I've cometh. You have cometh forth to be the Messiah like figure that has once sacrificed himself, but, in three more light years, you shall be resurrected and show that one deserves a second chance in redemption and in life, come forth to the journey to the beyond, and into your own freedom of expression - - Vow to me, and together, we shall bring forth ruin and then later, rebirth, into the flames of the depths of hell itself! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Minato started to laugh manically along with his new persona, Mephistopheles. "I am Mephistopheles, I am now you, and you are I. Let us go then, to the rehab you've been eager to find - - a place where you belong, the haven where everyone craves for, a place to go back to! HaHahahahahahahahahaha!" Minato gains a new persona now. With him satisfied with a manic smile on his expression.
"*Chuckle* Magnificent." Igor commented. "I always knew there was something special about you, but, there is more to discuss. Another time, perhaps. Now then, perhaps you shall find your own place in reality for now. Until then, we shall see each other again in this very place. Until then, farewell … … " Minato passed through Igor and into the door, to the Beyond … … … …
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…Minato finds himself in … … Osaka!?, he could see the Big Ben Clock kind of place and there is the usual Osaka comedy on television right now, and Minato is kinda new here … … he looked around, it seems like no one here recognized him - - no surprise there - - so he just decided to have a walk around, see what the wheels of fate would do for him.
...Soon enough, he reaches an alley - - with him hearing a man and a woman arguing, or rather, a man forcing himself onto a woman in an alley, he goes to check it out - - and sure enough, a drunken suit man is forcing himself to a woman, and he seems arrogant enough to mention that he doesn't mind the police as they are his "lapdogs", as he claimed, and of course, Minato had to do something, like … … summon Mephistopheles, and seeing the Shadow Self of the man, and … … kill it, or rather, bring death, to it, by using the same kind of force that Nyx used onto him, Death, that he made it his own power, but it costed him all of his SP, as a result, and he is brought to his knees, and the drunken man, too. "Gyah…!" The woman is frightened by the reaction of the man.
"Graargh, wha—what is this … …!? Hm!?" The man finally noticed Minato, who is also on his knees, that attack *Death*, seems to have happened to another reality, the Metaverse, as Minato just saw its app on his phone, and it was an instant. "You…! What did you do to me!? You shouldn't even loiter around here, this ain't a show! Anyway - - Urgh!" The man holds his chest, painfully, as if something, like a stroke, has triggered onto him.
Minato decided to run before something else happens, and he is very exhausted from the ordeal which caused him to collapse on the ground. A capable looking woman, who somewhat resembles an assistant of Igor who assisted Souji Seta, the former guest of the Velvet Room, tend to him with a worried expression, (Note: This is NOT Sae, in case some readers are wondering.) "Hey, are you okay?! Geez, are you drunk? Or are you just very exhausted from studying, or … … " Minato could faintly hear her, as his vision becomes dark … … but, he suddenly smiles in satisfaction, knowing he has finally made it to society's problems, as if he graduated from high school, which, by the way, he should have by now, considering it's been three years after his death during the battle with Nyx … … … …
End of Chapter 1
