Hey! UknownHero here and welcome to my first collaboration! Say hello to JGResidentEvil, who is helping me with fic. I admit, this is gonna be strange considering I'm not the biggest fan of Senran Kagura (seriously, the only game from that series I distinctly know is that cooking one)… but I am in love with the Persona series and an excuse to make a P5 story is good enough for me. Damn it, I already have two other fics I just started and I have almost a baker's dozen others, and let's not forget I have at least 3 other stories that are in my head right now.
So… let the thievery begin!
New Game… Start!
Chapter 1: A Ninja's Mission
This is a work of fiction.
Similarities between characters or events to persons living or dead are purely coincidental.
Only those who have agreed to the above have the privilege of continuing.
I agree.
…The contract has been sealed.
The world is not as it should be. It's filled with distortion, and "ruin" can no longer be avoided.
Those who oppose fate and desire change… from time to time, they were referred to as Tricksters.
The main characters in this story are Tricksters… so rise, young ones, rise against the abyss of distortion and show the world that darkness can brighten even the smallest of lights.
(4/8 Early Morning)
Within a darkened room, illuminated by a single flame, two people stared at each other in kneeling positions with serious expressions.
One of them was a short girl who had her dark brown hair tied in a ponytail with a white ribbon, wearing just a yellow shirt and a pair of short shorts.
Her true name is not known, and those who do know will die before they would even speak a syllable of it, but to the public she was only known as Asuka.
In front of Asuka was a rather old man sporting a beard, wearing dark, traditional garbs and his long silvery hair in a pony tail.
This man was only known as Hanzō, a legend amongst the modern day shinobi...and the grandfather of Asuka.
"Huh!? You're sending me to Tokyo?" Asuka exclaimed in shock and confusion. It had come out of nowhere, and Tokyo wasn't exactly a place she was familiar with. "W-Why Jii-chan!?" She then asked in concern.
The elderly man sighed as he expected this reaction from his granddaughter. "There have been...unusual phenomenon that having been occurring in Shibuya and it has been gaining a blackening aura." He revealed. "Rumors within the city itself have been going on about cases known as mental breakdowns or also known as the psychotic breakdown incidents...which in turn are causing the deaths of many people." He then stated.
To hearing that, the girl's eyes widen as she remembered hearing about it. "Mental breakdowns...!?" Asuka gasped quietly. "Do you know what's causing them?" She then asked.
Hanzō in response shook his head to that. "It's unclear, but clearly there is something in Shibuya that could endanger innocent lives and disrupt the peace." He replied in a serious tone. "Like all missions I have given you before, you should not treat this lightly. You will be attending Shujin Academy under the alias Asuka Shirokage, our original maiden name before your mother married your father, for one year to investigate this and if possible stop it." He then explained.
Asuka in turn nodded to that mission description before realizing something. "But...I don't have a place to stay there Jii-chan." She then reminded. "We don't have relatives there, do we?" She soon asked in concern.
The legendary shinobi in turn stroked his beard to that. "You do not need to worry about that." Hanzō reassuringly replied. "I have found an apartment not too far from the Academy, though you do have to share with a roommate. I mustn't remind you to maintain your cover at all costs." He stated. "Do you understand?" He soon questioned.
"Yes, Jii-chan..." Asuka replied with a respected bow.
"Good." Hanzō responded with a nod. "Now, your strength is still raw. You must learn to channel that strength as sword and shield." He then advised.
"Sword and shield?" Asuka repeated, looking a little confused.
"You must not flout your strength." Hanzō continued. "But do not think for a second that strength comes from the body only. A sharp mind and a strong soul will never fail you." He explained as his granddaughter nodded to that. "Now, you may go! And start packing, your train is leaving at 6am tomorrow!" He then declared.
"Hai!" Asuka happily responded as she stood up. "I promise I'll fulfill your expectations and become a first-rate ninja!" She excited declared.
(4/8 Early Morning)
In another room with poor lighting, were two women. Even if they were sitting down or relaxing, there was a dangerous aura around them that told anyone remotely in their vicinity that they were dangerous, trained in so many ways to kill and sabotage not even they knew how skilled they truly were.
The one kneeling down had tan skin and her dark brown hair is tied in a long ponytail with a white ribbon, the ends of the ribbon standing straight up. She wore black sailor fuku with a red trim, the standard Hebijo Academy uniform, wrist guards on her forearms with bandages underneath and white loose socks with brown dress shoes.
She had long abandoned her real name long ago. She hated it with a passion. Now, she was only known as Homura, one of the best shinobi in the school.
Her master was in the shadows, but the tan skinned girl could clearly see what she was wearing and who she was. Long, purple hair tied up in a long ponytail and a black mask hiding the lower half of her face. Donning a tight sleeveless shirt that stops exposing her stomach that is connected to a piece that covers her nose and mouth. Around her neck is a red triangular shaped scarf with white triangle marks and white dots inside of the triangles. She also wore baggy red pants with knee-length black high-top sandals, with a gray cloth wrapped around her waist.
Another who abandoned her name long ago, she was simply known as Suzune, a teacher of Hebijo Academy with "mercy" being no longer part of her vocabulary.
"You know why you're here." Suzune said, her voice barely a whisper.
"Of course." Homura replied. "...Who do I have to-" She started to ask however...
"This isn't a normal assignment." Suzune interrupted. "Your mission will take one year to complete." She then revealed.
"A year?" Homura said, surprised. "What kind of mission is that?" She soon asked.
"One that could possibly change the world." Suzune answered in a serious tone.
Homura held back a gasp before asking one more question. "When do I start?" She soon asked.
(4/9 Early Morning)
"Bye Jii-chan!" Asuka called out, waving good-bye to her grandfather. She was currently in her Shujin uniform, which was given to her only hours ago.
"Good luck, Asuka." Hanzō replied as he patted her head, before handing her a box. "It's going to be long journey, so I've made this for you." The girl didn't even have to look inside to see what her grandfather gave her; she just hugged him in response. "Now, your train is leaving. You better hurry." He soon advised.
"Right!" Asuka said as she dashed onto the train, before giving him one last wave. "Bye! I won't let you down!" She then declared.
"You never will!" Hanzō called back as he waved his granddaughter good-bye as the train moved.
On the train, Asuka quickly took a seat and pulled out her phone.
"An entire year…" Asuka tried to squeal as quietly as possible. "Well, let this mission...BEGIN!" She then excitedly declared.
"HEY! SHUT UP!" Someone yelled in annoyance.
This in turn caused Asuka to jump and blush. "S-Sorry!" She soon apologized.
(4/9 Daytime)
Homura, well Homura Shinkukage, her former last name before she was exiled from her family, now being her name from this day forth until her mission was complete, was sitting on a crowded train, waiting for her stop. She had tan skin, dark brown hair tied in a long ponytail with a white ribbon and wearing a heavily modified version of the Shujin uniform.
Unlike Hebijo Academy, or any other school for that matter, this school had a very lax enforcement of uniform as long as they at least wore at least one piece of it, so Homura took it upon herself to change it just so she wouldn't stand out.
So at the moment, she had her wrist guards on as well as cutting her dress shirt to expose her belly button, leaving her blazer open and making the Shujin skirt a little bit higher than its standard length. Adding on her loose white socks and brown dress shoes, she was ready for her mission.
That mission?
Attend Shujin Academy for one year, investigate the strange happenings within Shibuya and acquire its power.
From what she knew about Tokyo...it was a complete and utter shithole. Past the sights and sounds of this bustling city were extremely corrupt government officials and law enforcement, injustice being dealt out on a daily basis and apathetic or cowardly citizens who'd ignore everything just so they wouldn't get hurt. And to say nothing about whatever the hell is happening there in the first place.
Not that she cared anyway, it was just a simple observation after going over all the information she could get her hands on before she left.
This was only a mission for her. Even if she had to share an apartment with someone, they would not get away from obtaining the power Hebijo needs to fight the Just.
"Still...my old last name..." Homura muttered in slight depression at remembering what happened that day.
Getting bored, however, she looked around the train to see if there was anyone that she should take of note. She did spot one or two people wearing the Shujin uniform. Actually, she recognized one of them since she was on the same station as her, who was now currently playing with her phone. It was some girl around her age with her brown hair in a ponytail, wearing a ribbon similar to her own. She must've gotten the memo about Shujin's lax uniform policy as she wore a red scarf and her skirt was just as high as her to where she could even see her green and white panties...
And now that she noticed, her panties could clearly be seen by the other Shujin student on the train.
The teenage boy meanwhile had wavy black hair and dark gray eyes underneath round, black glasses and wearing the uniform to code...and completely killing it admittingly. He seemed to be staring into space for quite a while before snapping out of it. He seemed really tired.
Homura did also note that he was there in that seat before she got on, so she assumed he had a much longer journey. Plus the luggage he had only supported her theory.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for riding with us today." A woman's voice came from a speaker, snapping a lot of people out of their thoughts. "We will be arriving at Shibuya shortly. This is the last stop of this line. Please transfer here for all subway line. The doors to your left will open." She then advised.
"Looks like I should be getting off soon..." Homura muttered to herself as she made sure all her bags were safe. As she did, she overheard a few girls in different uniforms chatting and gossiping with each other.
"What are you for real? A mental shutdown?"
"It's the truth!"
"To a person though? It's gotta be a joke! You really love all that occult stuff, don't you?"
Homura meanwhile narrowed her eyes to hearing that. "Mental breakdowns..." She muttered to herself before shaking her head. This didn't involve her. Not in the slightest.
(4/9 Afternoon)
(Shibuya)
"Oh...where am I...?" Asuka groaned to herself. "This place so much bigger than home..." She admitted as was currently; well, lost as she searched up directions on her new phone.
She had to be updated on today's technology or else people would get real suspicious of her very quickly. She swore if she could use her shinobi abilities, she could search for her apartment in no time flat, but there was too many people and not enough hiding spots to allow her to use them.
Somehow, she made her way to Scramble Crossing, one of the busiest intersections in Tokyo. It was a wonder how she hadn't bumped into anyone yet.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"Hm? Is someone calling?" Asuka muttered to herself in confusion as she closed the GPS app, only to spot something that wasn't there before on her Home screen. It was a red icon with an eye on it, a star replacing the pupil. "That wasn't there before." She got out in confusion. "Don't tell me I got a virus on this thing already!?" She exclaimed with a pale face.
Though, there was something in the back of her mind telling her it was safe. Suddenly, the icon expanded and took up the bottom half of the screen.
"Stupid piece of..." Asuka then heard someone growl from her left over the noise of the crowd. Looks like she wasn't the only one having phone troubles.
Still, Asuka tried turning off her phone, but it didn't work. "How did this break already?" She soon wondered out loud before looking up...
Just in time to see time slow down to a halt.
"What the..." Asuka got out in confusion before quickly realizing that she wasn't the only one as she saw a boy with pale skin and a girl with tan skin looking around frantically, all of them in the same uniform.
"What the hell..." The boy muttered, wondering what was causing this to happen.
However this was before all three saw something in front of them at the middle of the crossing.
"What?" The three soon thought in confused unison at the sight.
FWOOOOSH!
There were three colored flames. One in Crimson Red, one in Emerald Green and the final one was in Sky Blue. All forming into...something.
All they could do was stare at the flames as it started to form into humanoid shapes before seeing menacing smiles appear on them...all focusing on those not frozen in time.
Suddenly, there was a flash of an image in Asuka's mind. One of her smiling wildly without a care in the world, her eyes going from brown to golden as bright green flames surrounded her, engulfing every inch of her body as her grin became wider and wider.
And strangely enough, it felt good.
And, as quick as the image appeared, it disappeared as she snapped out of it. Looking around, Asuka gasped as she saw that time had resumed and everyone was going about their day like it was nothing. She then looked around to see where the boy and girl were, but they were lost in the crowd so she was unable to locate them again.
There was definitely something going on here.
Or maybe she was just really tired from the trip. So she just went into her settings and deleted the mysterious app without a second thought and continued her way to her apartment. "I hope my roommate is nice..." Asuka mumbled to herself as she reopened the GPS app and melted into the crowd as well.
(One subway ride later...)
"Let's see...it says here to take a left then..." Asuka whispered to herself, still making her way to the apartment. She stopped as she noticed there was something interesting on a nearby TV.
"A public transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with its customers still in it!" A male tabloid host exclaimed. "The citizens can't live in peace if this keeps up." He then declared.
"Something really is going on here..." Asuka muttered to herself as she frowned, ignoring the whispers of worry around her. "I need to find the source of this fast." She mentally told herself as she then continued walking, following the directions to the apartment.
(Elsewhere...)
Meanwhile, Homura felt like she was being followed. Ever since she left the train station, she had this feeling she wasn't alone on her way here. Was it an enemy? Someone who was planning to steal the power that Hebijo Academy wanted? Or someone was wanted to take advantage of her? It didn't matter. All she wanted know was if she needed to eliminate them before they got in her way.
Still, she chose to ignore it for now. If she attacked first, someone was definitely going to notice and there was going to be too much trouble which would mean she would have to abandon the mission before it even truly began.
'I need to lose them.' Homura hastily thought before sped up her walking speed.
"Hey, looks like there's a shortcut through here!" Asuka exclaimed as she cut through the alleyway to get out of the crowd of people.
"Damn it, they're catching up to me." Homura meanwhile cursed before breaking out into a sprint. Someone was definitely following her.
"I can see the apartment building!" Asuka happily got out as she started running. "I can't wait to meet my new roommate!" She got out before sweatdropping. "Hopefully she won't be like Katsu-nee liking to grope me..." She then mumbled out in embarrassment and a red face.
"I can see the apartment..." Homura muttered to herself. "I can fight them there, but I have to hurry." She mentally told herself.
(4/9 Evening)
"And...I'm here." Asuka said as she looked at the map as she started to approach the front entrance. "Let's see...it was Room 269...WAH!" She exclaimed as she bumped into someone, causing both of them to crash to the ground. "Ow..." She got out as she rubbed her butt from the pain.
"Oh..." Homura groaned as she held her head before she stood up. She looked to see who she crashed into, only to realize she recognized her. It was that girl from the train. "Hey, are you alright?" Homura asked in a kind tone as she held out her hand.
"I think I am..." Asuka replied as she grabbed the other girl's hand and got up with her help. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention..." She then apologized with a small bow.
The tan skinned girl however waved it off. "It's fine. I should've watched where I was going as well." Homura sheepishly replied before she rubbed the back of her neck. "I was in a rush." She then revealed.
"Well, I hope I didn't make you late." Asuka responded as the other girl took out a piece of paper before looking at the door of the building.
"Actually, this is where I should be." Homura realized as she looked at the address.
"Really?" Asuka questioned in surprise. "Because this is my destination as well. I'm actually moving in for the year to attend Shujin Academy." She then revealed.
Homura in turn slightly narrowed her eyes at that. "Me too..." She muttered to the coincidence before turning to the entrance. "Well, let's not waste anymore time." She decided as the other girl nodded in agreement as the two girls entered the building. "Why don't you go ahead and get your room first? I'm willing to wait a bit." She soon offered.
"Sure, thank you." Asuka replied with a bow before heading up to the front counter and ringing the bell. "Hello?" She soon called out.
After a few seconds, a middle-aged woman came to the counter. "Hello, welcome to the Shin Megami Apartment Complex. How can I help you?" The middle-aged lady asked.
"Um, I'm moving in here." Asuka said. "My grandfather rented an apartment for a year under the name Asuka Shirokage?" She revealed.
The middle-aged lady then looked through her book as she nodded to that. "Ah, yes!" The lady replied. "Room 269." She then revealed.
"That's my room." A familiar voice from behind Asuka revealed. Asuka turned around and saw it was the girl she crashed into. "I'm Homura Shinkukage. My guardian requested for me to have a roommate." She then revealed.
"My Jii-chan also requested me to have one too." Asuka replied with a smile before gasping. "Wait, that means you're my roommate!?" She soon exclaimed her question in realization.
"I guess so..." Homura answered as the lady left to get their keys. "So I guess we should formally introduce ourselves. The name's Homura Shinkukage, it's a pleasure to meet you." She greeted as held her hand out.
"Um, I'm Asuka Shirokage. I hope we get along." Asuka replied with a bright smile as they shook hands.
"Well, we are roommates for a year so we don't have a choice." Homura chuckled out that reminder. "But I hope we do." She then added.
After the lady gave them their keys, they headed up the stairs to get to their apartment.
"Oh man..." Asuka yawned out as they walked. "I'm so tired from that trip. I just wanna sleep." She then added.
"It's only 6 o'clock PM." Homura pointed out. "And it's a Sunday tomorrow so we should at least unpack everything we have then if you're that tired." She then suggested.
"But don't we have to report in to confirm our enrollment tomorrow?" Asuka asked before hearing her stomach growl. "Plus, I'm too hungry to go to sleep..." She moaned out before remembering her gift Jii-chan gave her before she left. She quickly took off her bag and reached into it to grab a box. "Here we go!" She said as she opened it up, revealing rather five long, thick, and moist...rolls of sushi. She took one out and started eating. "Want one?" Asuka offered to her new roommate. "Jii-chan made these before I left, Homura-chan." She then revealed.
Homura in turn nodded to that as she took the sushi roll. "Thanks." She said before taking a bite, her eyes widening in amazement. "Wow, this is really good Asuka-san!" She soon complimented as she continued eating the roll.
Asuka in turn rubbed the back of her head to that. "Yeah well, Jii-chan did used to run a sushi restaurant." She giggled out as she put away the sushi box for later. "He's retired now though and my parents have been taking care of it ever since." She then added.
"It shows..." Homura muttered before sighing as quietly as possible. "Anyway, this should be it." She said as they approached their new apartment. She pulled out her key and unlocked the door. They entered and saw what they would be living in for the next year.
The entire apartment was pretty large, but only having the bare essentials. A living room, a bedroom and a kitchen.
Asuka looked inside the bedroom and saw it was just two beds with their own bedside tables and a closet.
In the living room was an old CRT TV, a couch, an empty bookcase and a table, however the kitchen didn't have any food already stocked, so they had to go shopping very soon. It also had a decent view of the city.
"Well, this isn't so bad..." Asuka muttered as she opened up her luggage. "And it's near the school, so we shouldn't be getting affected by all those transport incidents." She then admitted. "That I need to figure out soon." She mentally added.
"Yeah, it's causing so much trouble for people here..." Homura agreed with a nod. "And that's why Hebijo Academy needs it." She silently added.
"But most of all I can't let her know as I finish this mission." Both kunoichi thought as Asuka pulled out a few scrolls while Homura pulled out a wooden katana before they quickly stuffing them back into their bags upon realizing they were unpacking the wrong ones.
"Well, we can always do the rest of it tomorrow." Asuka quickly declared as she pulled out her futon while gathering up her other bags. "I'm going to sleep early. Feel free to eat the rest. Night!" She quickly got out.
And with that, she slammed the door to the bedroom, threw her futon on the bed and threw herself face first into it.
The other girl meanwhile sighed as she looked back at her stuff. "So this will be my life for a year." Homura muttered to no one in particular before sighing and went to eat more of her roommate's sushi rolls. She wondered how life would be with her new roommate, if she would get in her way or somehow help her in her mission. She didn't seem too bad, maybe a little annoying like some of her friends back in Hebijo, but she could tolerate it. After eating the rest of her sushi roll, she decided to start unpacking after placing the leftovers in the fridge before going into the same bedroom to sleep in her own futon.
However under her covers, Asuka was already in her pajamas as she was searching up what was going on with Tokyo, hoping the internet would give her at least a starting off point of her investigation. But, all the information she found wasn't any helpful, all of it saying the cause of the mental breakdowns plaguing Tokyo couldn't be explained. After an hour or two, she gave up and quit to the Home Screen, reminding her of that eye app from before. It wasn't there anymore, but it was quite strange.
"What was that...from before..." Asuka mumbled to herself. She sighed before placing her phone on her bedside table, shifting a little to get comfortable. "One year..." She muttered to herself before yawning. "I wonder what school will be like here..." She mumbled tiredly.
'I hope I can complete my mission.' The two kunoichi then thought before they both drifted off to sleep.
Who knew that school or even their missions for that matter, would be the very least of their worries.
Save Game… Quit!
Whew! Done! Now… to figure out their whole Confidant storyline centered around their Arcana. Ugh…
UknownHero signing off, my friends!