I began to drift off, my mind in a calm state. As I stared up at that flawless face, into those sharp blue eyes that appeared almost sad, for the first time I felt assured that everything would be okay. That life would go on and everybody would be fine, that the world would correct its mistakes in due time. The thought was refreshing, and comforting. In a world where the people had wished for death, life had flourished and changed those wishes, thanks to the work of a few select individuals; the work of my beloved friends - no, my beloved family - and I. The long journey we traversed together had been rough, and filled with pain, loss and misfortune. Yet, it had also been filled with experiences of accomplishment, friendship and love. Those were the experiences I would cherish the most, that I would never forget, no matter what happened now or in the future.

As my eyes began to inch closed into a deep sleep, small movement off to the side caught a sliver of my attention. Gently glancing to my right, I looked just in time to see several people barging through the door. I would've complained to them for interrupting my silence, but it was such a nice, peaceful day. And I was so tired... and beside that point, I wasn't about to yell at these intruders, not after I realized who they were... My friends were too wonderful to do that to. In an instant, I knew exactly why they were here. It was quite obvious actually. It could've made my heart break, knowing that these wonderful people didn't know what was about to happen. But the day was too hopeful, too peaceful feeling to succumb to such emotions. Right now, all I wanted was to rest for a while.

I turned my gaze back to the face above mine, my eyes almost shut completely, and a small smile on my face. Unlike the others who just recently became part of the scene, it seemed this person here, whom was carefully cradling my head in her lap, knew exactly what was to commence. My eyelids finally closed for the last time. In the back of my mind I registered a splash of wetness come in contact with my cheek. It could've been a raindrop, but I knew what it really was. And before I completely drifted off into unconsciousness, I heard one last, choked whisper.

"Goodbye..."

After that, my senses went dull. Then, following a few more strained, hesitant seconds, my heart ceased beating forever.

A door.

That is what stood before me at that moment. The last thing I remembered was closing my eyes to a great sight, of my rag-tag family all gathered in one place. To see me. They were all smiling at me, and the girl who held me at those last few moments had been trying to keep in her obvious tears. It didn't work, as I deftly recalled the wet feeling on my cheek as I fell asleep. That girl's name... what was it... ...Aigis? That was it. I wonder why it was so hard to remember...

Thinking about Aigis and the rest of my friends really pulled at my heart. They looked so happy to see me there, up on the school's rooftop, that they didn't realize what was happening... I had finally died on that day. I tried keeping the dreaded day at bay, but it had to happen eventually. At least I had stayed there in that world to see them when they remembered again. Remembered our times of friendship and care. That sight was what finally triggered it. My death. For all living things are mortal, we must remember that we will all die some day. My death just came sooner than most.

I should've been grieving, but I was truly at peace, and knew that my journey had come to an end. There was nothing else I could do for Earth, and I was okay with that. I had even smiled in those last minutes. That was probably the first time my friends had seen my lips curve in such a way. I was always a neutral guy, but in the end, I had proven that I had a soft spot in my heart for them.

My gaze was still locked on the door in front of me. It was enormous, and seemed to be emanating a sort of pale, yellow glow. It looked holy, there was no better word to describe it. In fact, it was currently the only thing penetrating the darkness surrounding me. Above, below, and all around my body seemed to be a black void, almost as if I were standing in the middle of space. And I very well might have been, who knows? My attention was then slowly drawn to the center of the door, where it seemed to split into two separate doors. I watched in calm curiosity as right door gently caved in without a sound, letting a stream of bright light out into the open. When this happened, the darkness around me was suddenly ablaze with shining clouds of light, which could soon be identified as galaxies. It was a magnificent view, that any astronomer would go slack jawed upon witnessing. Any color or pattern imaginable, and more, could've been found within the landscape. Truly brilliant...

Yet my eyes were still focused on the crack in the door, not even fazed or distracted by my new surroundings. Silently, a glowing figure stepped from the threshold, revealing itself completely. It was... Ryoji. Ryoji, whom was trapped inside my body since childhood. Ryoji, whom was the the thirteenth arcana, Death. Ryoji, whom was the Appriser to Nyx. Ryoji, whom brought about the end of the world. Ryoji, whom gave us a choice. Ryoji, whom was first and foremost a treasured friend of mine. Spirit and body, there was no mistaking that it was really him. This bright figure wore a small, warm smile on his face, and he began to approach me without hesitation. When he was but a mere few feet away, the boy held out his hand for me to take.

"It's nice to see you again," Ryoji greeted, his smile widening slightly. "I was waiting for you to arrive. I'm sorry this had to happen to you."

I smiled in return, taking his hand without a second thought.

Ryoji gestured with his other hand to the open door. "Your time has finally come, my friend. I'm glad to see you had made peace with your mind at your last moments. But now you must come with me. You are now the guardian of this universe, that you see before you. The guardian of this door, so that evil and fear may never infiltrate the minds of the living like it had during your journey. You are the savior, the messiah of your world, and others like it. This is a job you can never quit, that you couldn't ever back out of since the decision you made that day." The boy bowed his head, looking almost sad. "I'm sure you already know the conditions of this task, and what terrible things come with it. But..." Ryoji looked up at me with resolve and hope. "...I believe you can protect the people you love. So I have no qualms with putting this up to you, no matter how much I wish you don't have to deal with this. I wouldn't be able to find a better person for the position anyways... But promise me, please, to never regret your choice. Because if you do, I'm afraid that... that something terrible will happen... But I can't give you those details now. Hopefully I'll never have to."

I nodded towards the scarf-wielding teen, understanding my role. I had understood it since the moment I obtained the ultimate Arcana. And I wasn't about to give up now.

"Very well then," Ryoji spoke with a chuckle as his smile turned into a friendly grin. "Let's go, shall we Arisato?" We then began walking, our hands gripping eachother's tightly as we passed through the towering door, not once looking behind us.

Immediately, my body became considerably lighter, and a feeling of release passed through myself; like letting go of something I once held dear. It wasn't a worrying or concerning feeling, but more in the manner of comforting and relaxing. The light from within the door engulfed my vision, rendering me blind from all except the light. There was no darkness here, nothing but bright, warm glee.

"This must be heaven," I eventually whispered, to nobody in general. Yet Ryoji responded anyways.

"It just might be... but if it is, why am I here?"

The statement was laced with a hint of sadness, and that worried me a bit, but soon the almost nonexistent emotion was washed away when a sensation of near-unconsciousness suddenly cradled me.

As if knowing of this feeling, the boy next to me gently let go of my hand, and turned to me. "I'll see you on the other side, friend..." After that, my mind drifted off into deeper places, and the image of Ryoji was lost.

A sharp pounding in the back of my skull is what awoke me, to find myself sitting straight up in bed, gripping my hair, with a wince on my face. My head hurt like /hell/. Groaning, I swung my legs over the side of my bed, cautiously inching my eyes open as the pain almost had me doubling over. Noticing an empty trash can next to the mattress, I deftly took a hold of it, and impulsively vomited into its depths. Except I didn't cough anything up; instead I was dry heaving, not even a drop of water in my stomach.

As the gag reflex slowly abated, so went the intense headache. After just a few more moments, I was back to normal, and felt better than ever. Now, all I had to figure out... was where I was. A quick glance around the room revealed several clean-cut beds, each separated by a thin hospital curtain. It seemed to be some sort of school nurse's office. And, as my mind finally woke up, I registered that it really was a school nurse's office. But not one I had ever seen before. The one at Gekkoukan had been much smaller, and there would have been at least one adult in here. Most likely Mr. Edogawa. But here, in this mysterious room, it seemed I was alone. There was definitely something weird going on here. And unless I explored this unusual circumstance, I would never know what it was.

Naturally, I decided I wanted to investigate. But first, I wanted to be prepared. Months of exploring Tartarus had drilled this into my brain, to always have the materials necessary to come across every obstacle. Hmm... Tartarus... That reminded me. I was supposed to be dead right now. So where am I? And why aren't I? Last I remembered, I had walked through the glorious door of light, and experienced what I thought to be heaven. And... Ryoji was there. What was it he said to me? That last phrase. 'I'll see you on the other side...' What did that mean? Was this the other side after all, was this heaven? The afterlife? What a strange setting for the afterlife. I wondered who would make it so... hideous. It was always made out to be such a wonderful and free thing. Well, this proved how wrong humans could be... Then again, my death could've just been a dream.

Anyways, I still wanted to see what I had on me that could be useful. Looking down at my clothing, I found I was wearing a blue uniform, with an unfamiliar school logo emblazoned on it. I was also wearing some black slacks, and nice shoes. Not too shabby. But what did surprise me, however, was an almost unnoticed presence on my left thigh. Attached to my belt, with great pleasure was the holster for my Evoker. But, why would I have that with me? My Evoker itself happened to be missing, so what use was the empty holster to me? But, if I really thought about it, maybe I did have the gun with me... Looking around the patient bed I awoke in, my eyes quickly find a lone wooden chair, most likely used for guests. Hmph, nonexistent guests. It didn't look as if anybody got sick at this supposed school. If they did, there should've been some nurses around. But no.

The chair in question however, was not empty. The contents it held lifted my spirits tremendously, despite my awkward and confusing situation. There, laying in front of me, was my S.E.E.S. armband. It even seemed to have all of wear and tear from the last time I saw it. It sure did bring about some painful memories. Nonetheless, I felt happy that it was here with me. Upon closer inspection, it became even more clear that something was wrapped inside it. Of course, I had no doubts that it wasn't something potentially dangerous, so I just picked it up and began to unwrap it with ease. When I finally got the contents unwrapped, I sighed and shook my head. I was worrying over nothing earlier. My Evoker was right here, no tricks or pranks. But... I wondered... could I even use a persona in the afterlife? That is, if this really was the afterlife. It didn't seem likely, but you never know.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed something small fall silently to the floor. When I looked down at it, it appeared to be a slip of paper, with something written on it. It must have been wrapped in the armband with the gun. I swiftly bent to pick it up, as I placed the Evoker in its holster. Taking a deep breath, I then sat on the edge of the bed as I read the words to myself. It was a note:

"I brought you a few things. I hope you like 'em! They might be useful in this world, so I hope you use them well. And don't forget what I told you earlier ;3

~ R. Mochizuki"

What a strange letter. At least it confirmed that what I had seen wasn't really a dream. I had my suspicions before, honestly. So... does that mean this was the afterlife? That sucks. Heaven is the harbinger of peace and freedom. I was hoping for something that didn't relate to... school. Like, what kind of freedom is that?

Rubbing my forehead in exasperation, I casually attached my armband to my new uniform, and checked to make sure I had everything before exiting the room.

Unlike the unoccupied nurse's office, the hallway was bustling with teachers and students alike. It must've been lunchtime, or afternoon for it to be this crowded. Unfortunately, there were no clocks around to help me out, so I was out of luck. Out of nowhere, a female teacher I didn't know approached me and nodded. "I hope you're feeling better now, Mr. Arisato," she said monotonously, before carrying on to her duties. So they knew my name. What a curious acquisition. It's almost as if I had attended this school the entire time. But I just got here, so... why did the afterlife have to be so complicated?

Glancing around, I noticed that the general flow of people was heading one specific direction. That must've either been towards the exit of the school, or the lunchroom. It all depended on the time of day. Geez, I really needed to find a clock, or a watch or something. Well, I would've found out soon enough. I was kind of hungry, so I hoped it was noon.

It turned out to be afterschool after all. Shit. I was really hungry. Sighing, I sat against the wall in a new hallway, distraught. I was hoping for some ramen, or maybe some beef udon. If they offered it here. I didn't even find out where the lunchroom was, all the students headed to their dorm rooms, according to some guy I asked. What a fancy school. Even fancier than Gekkoukan, which didn't offer such sleeping quarters.

I was also curious if there was anybody else here that was like me. Somebody who died and was sent here. Lunch would've been the perfect place to investigate. It shouldn't be all that unlikely, should it? Because all of these people around here had to have come from somewhere. Yet... I got a strange feeling from those people around me before. Almost like they didn't belong, like they shouldn't exist. Not in a brash, disrespectful manner, but more like they... weren't real. But what could they be, if they're not real? Maybe they were like the shadows? Ugh, I was getting a headache just thinking about it. Why did things have to be so difficult for me? I needed to get out of here, do something worthwhile. Paulownia mall wasn't nearby anymore, so I had to find entertainment somewhere.

Standing back up, I rubbed the bridge of my nose in exasperation. I began trudging down the school's long hallways once more, searching for the lunchrooms despite the time. This fucking school was impossible. It had to be three times as large as Gekkoukan, which was a decent-sized high school to begin with. So finding one specific room had proven to be three times harder. No matter the size. Yet despite this, I was determined. What kind of universal guardian was I if I couldn't find a measly place to eat?

Speaking of which, was all of that really true? Had Ryoji really described my entire future to me, a future that seemed like an impossible feat? It felt so unreal, still like a dream... But that note proved otherwise, and I was pretty sure I was awake at the moment.

... Oh well. If I was destined to protect the inhabitants of the tangible and intangible worlds, so be it. I had been more than capable of completing the job, considering I defeated a god myself. Its almost like I could've been a god now. I mean, to be able to defend these oddball people, I had to have more strength than the average joe, right? ... I don't know. I'd felt pretty normal to me. Maybe it's more of like a mental strength that I possessed. I wasn't all too informed on this occupation, I realized then. Who else would really know the specifics of the job anyways? I was all alone here. And I probably always would be.

At one point I came across a cork noticeboard in the hallway. Much like the ones at the school in Iwatodai, except this one was almost empty. Actually, the few posters on the board were all the same thing; It was an advertisement for a band, it looked like.

"Hm. Girls Dead Monster," I recited out loud, reading the bolded band title. "It sounds like a sort of... punk rock band," I commented to myself, noting that it wasn't my first choice of music.

"Not necessarily. I'd say they're more like a pop band, than anything. They're the best! You should come to see their concert tonight, their new lead singer kicks ass!" Some random kid wearing an identical uniform to mine appeared near me without any warning, spewing those comments. But given the circumstances, I was a fan of pop music, plus I was missing my mp3 as well. A bit of live music should be a nice replacement until I could find a personal radio. I thought then that I should listen to the enthusiastic student, and go to find out just how well this afterlife band performed. It couldn't be too bad.

I spent a moment pondering this before deciding. "I might check it out. Where is it?"

"In the cafeteria, dude. Better hurry though, they're gonna start soon!"

Ugh. The lunchroom again. I've yet to find the place. "Would you mind if I asked you to escort me there? I don't have the slightest clue where cafeteria is." Might as well be honest about it.

"Oh, man, you new here dude? That's fine, I'll take ya there. Come on, it's in another building," The guy replied casually, turning to walk away. I followed after, keeping up with his long strides easily.

At one point, I realized that I had an actual person here, in earshot of any question I threw at him. Maybe I could dig for answers while I was at it. "My name's... Arisato Minato. How about you?"

"Nakita Hiroshi. Y'all can call me Hiro though. I don't much care for the formal stuff." Hm. Real or not, this Hiro guy had a believable personality, and his own personal interests. I had a hard time believing the people in this world were fake, just plainly based off of this information. It was just too unbelievable of a theory to be true. So, I decided this guy was trustworthy. But that didn't keep me from drilling questions onto him.

"So, uh... how long have you been... in the afterlife?" It was an unusual question to speak out loud, that was for sure. But I needed an answer

"Huh? Afterlife?" Hiro glanced at me. "Are you on crack, man? What kind of question is that?" So the residents here didn't realize that they were dead. Interesting. Or maybe he was faking it...

"Oh, uh, nothing. Sorry, I took a nap in class earlier, and I guess I'm still stuck in my dreams. Ignore that." Yes, please forget about it. It wouldn't be good if rumors spread that I was a sadistic freak who thought about death. Even under these ironic circumstances. I knew how rumors went. But unfortunately, I aimed to be the cool guy in this world. Not a disgruntled outcast with no friends. Even if I technically was dead.

"You sure are one weird dude," he sighed. Hiro was a moderately tall guy, a bit taller than me. He had dark, royal purple hair that almost reached the bottom of his ear. His bangs hovered just below his eyeline, so it seemed his eyes were hidden a lot of the time, as well. He looked as if he had a laid-back personality, yet was cheerful at the same time. Like a mix between... Junpei and Shinjiro's personalities. Except more on the Junpei side. Ah, those guys. Lots of memories I didn't want to remember at the moment tugged at my consciousness, but I decided to leave reminiscing to a different time.

"I used to get that a lot. I usually don't socialize very much." Well, generally speaking, that was a lie. What I should've said was that I didn't like to socialize. Because lord knows I've spoken to every citizen in Iwatodai. But that was mostly because I needed to.

"Well I think you're pretty cool, man. You probably used to get all the ladies in your hometown before you came here, am I right?" Hiro wiggled his eyebrows at me, anticipating my answer. And he was spot on with that assumption, too. Of course I dated a lot of women, not only did I enjoy it, but I also needed to do it for humanity's sake. Quite literally speaking, I saved the world by going out with every girl I knew.

I paused for a second to let the suspense of the moment completely envelop my companion, before responding. "Yeah. I dated a lot."

"What!? Really? You're so lucky Arisato, I've never went out with a girl before..."

"So you're saying you've gone out with a guy before?"

"... Wha-! What the hell, dude!?" His look of surprise was so genuine, almost more so than the absolute serious look I was giving him.

"You have, haven't you? You didn't respond to my question, so I have to assume it's true," I deadpanned, making my act look as believable as possible. It wasn't hard.

"N-no, I've never had... I've n-never dated a guy before!"

"Don't think that I can't hear that stutter."

"H-hey man! Come on! You dont really believe I'm gay do you?" Honestly, I wasn't so sure anymore. I was just joking before, but his behavior in reply was more amusing than imagined. Hiro was blushing out of insane embarrassment, and seemed to be deeply unsettled. It sounded like he was trying to say more to me, but just couldn't think of anything. Either that, or what he was trying to say just wouldn't come out.

I stepped forward in his confusion and gave him a hard pat on the back, allowing a small chuckle to escape my lips. "I'm just joking, don't take it so seriously." Huh. What was I gonna do with this guy, really.

"Don't do that man, you're mean," he mumbled, shoving my shoulder lightly as his blush slowly abated. "Let's just get to the concert already..."

I knew Hiro didn't want to talk about it anymore, so I let the topic go for now. It would be a fun joke to remind him of in the future though. I nodded to the violet-haired student, glancing ahead at the building in front of us. We had left the main school building in search of the lunchroom in question. Who would've known it was in another location entirely. Goodness, I never would've found it alone. It was getting dark outside, so the faint glow coming from inside was more visible. So there really was a concert going on.

I watched in silence as more and more students appeared out of seemingly nowhere, and entered the large room. They must've been a pretty decent band, to have so many followers. I might end up liking them as well, who knew? But that didn't mean I wasn't going to want my mp3 back. If it was even in this world. Most likely it wasn't. If I couldn't find a constant source of music during my time here, I'm pretty sure I would die all over again. Nonetheless, I didn't feel like thinking about such a dreary idea at the moment, so I sighed to myself and continued on as we finally arrived in front of the entrance.

Somewhere in the frighteningly large crowd, a small group of people waved towards us, or rather, towards Hiro. He noticed quickly, and waved back with a smile, before glancing towards me. The guy looked uncertain for a moment, but made up his mind eventually as he gestured towards his friends. "You can join us if you want, bro. I'm sure the guys won't mind, since you're pretty chill. We always appreciate seeing a new face in our group. Whaddaya say Arisato?"

This caught me off guard. I fully expected Hiro to ditch me once we arrived, especially after that little stunt I pulled. But... he wasn't half bad of a guy after all. He was willing to accept me into his group, which truly touched my heart. But unfortunately, I didn't think I could do it. Join in with his niche, that is. It would be painful, and I would just end up ignoring them all in favor of the memories of my earthbound friends. The friends I had to leave in order to save the world-however cliché that sounds. Junpei, with his lame-ass comments, Akihiko, with his intense training schedule and obsession with knowing where I've been all day, Mitsuru, with her money and great manager skills... but mostly her money... Them and all the rest of the gang. I could never forget about them, and even if I tried making new friends, I would just feel like I'm betraying the people who have been my family for the past year. Abandoning them. And I would never have abandoned those guys for the world... figuratively speaking. Ironically, I'd already achieved it in literal terms. But still, I dont want to feel such remorse and pain.

"Dude are feeling alright? You look a little sick."

What? Sick? ... I probably got lost in my thoughts again. Damn, my emotions were probably written all over my face, weren't they?

"If it bothers you that much, you don't have to join up with us. It was only a suggestion," Hiro gently said, his words laced with concern and a bit of sadness. Geez, he only met me, like, 10 minutes ago. What is there to be sad about? He must've been really hoping I would become friends with him and his gang.

"Huh? Oh, no, that's not it..." I looked down at the ground, a small half-smile finding its way to my lips. "I'm just... having some upsetting memories resurface is all. I very much apologize, but at the moment... I'm afraid I can't really stomach being around too many people. I'm just going to stay in the back here, behind everybody. My apologies, maybe I could meet your buddies another time. At school, maybe?" He nodded in understanding, and began to turn to walk away through the excited crowd to his friends.

Hiro held up his right hand to wave back at me as he left. "If you need anything... Minato... just gimme a shout, a'ight?" After that the purple-haired boy disappeared, and I was once again all alone.

A/N: So here we have it guys. The first chapter. Please ignore any grammatical errors, I'm working on it. I'm still not exactly sure where I'm taking this story, but I have a rough idea. Suggestions are always nice, but not a necessity. As for OC characters, I'll try to keep them at a minimum. Of course It'll be hard not to have a couple, considering Minato didn't wake up to the Afterlife Battlefront members. So I'm creating at least one NPC. Hence Hiro Nakita. That is, if he really is an NPC… well, anyways, I'll try to keep him from getting too boring of a personality in the future, if he ever comes back. And expect some more people from both P3 and (obviously) Angel Beats too, in late chapters. Gotta keep it exciting.

Also, I'll try to respond to reviews, if I can. If you don't wish to see my responses, just skip over them each chapter. Any and all questions/critiques are welcomed, and very much appreciated.

So, in conclusion, Reduce, Reuse, and Review! I'll see you all next time!