Chapter 28 – Face of a Mask


He wasn't surprised that Ciel tried to impale him with her crystals again. Actually, he'd been hoping she would. It proved that she was focussed on him and wasn't trying to hit Mei. On the other hand, his axe couldn't break them, so he was forced to either dodge or use his axe as a shield to block the blow long enough to outrun it. So far she'd only attacked from the sides, which had made it easier to dodge her spikes, but wasn't what he was hoping for.

No, he was hoping for something much… riskier.

Finally, when he was only a few feet away, she decided that now was the time to end this battle. Focussing, she created a huge crystal spire directly in front of him. If he didn't dodge at the exact right moment, he would be impaled by it and all he had fought for would have been for nothing.

Just before the spike reached his face, he bent back as far as he could, the crystal barely missing his forehead, cutting his hat but missing him by barely a millimetre. But he made no efforts to move afterwards. Instead he did something that Ciel could honestly say she didn't expect. Just as the spire roared past him, he extended his arm and grabbed onto it and she could ony watch as it carried him high into the sky, high enough for everyone to see him.

The moment the crystal stopped he pulled himself up with all his strength and planted his feet on the clean cut surface. And just like he expected, he started to slide down it, the combination of the angle and the fact that he was standing on such a smooth platform causing him to reach incredible speeds in an incredibly short amount of time. Ciel tried to create more spikes to stop him now that he couldn't dodge them, but he was moving so fast he just soared past them.

Just as before, she realised this wasn't working and once again tried to strike him from the front, anticipating that there was no way he could stop himself before he hit it. And she was right, he didn't stop.

He just jumped over it and continued flying at her at incredible speeds. She barely had enough time to summon two crystals over her head to stop him from slamming into her with the sped of a bullet and the force of a bulldozer. Even then, he still struck with enough forces to push the crystals back into the earth and a distinct crater to form where she had once stood.

Ordinarily, that kind of impact would have killed the target. Unfortunately, Ciel was far from normal and she soon forced the crystals off of her, both of them slamming Shinji back as they did. She was bleeding a little, but the psychotic girl still looked ready to fight. And that smile. That damned smile was still on her face, still as creepy as ever.

"That's it! Go all out! It just makes it more fun when I finally kill you!" Her last word was accompanied by her summoning a whip made of hundreds of tiny crystals, some jutting out to form small spikes, and then swinging it with enough force that it wrapped around Shinji's chest and arms. Since it was so close to his shoulders, it was nigh impossible for him to break free, not helped by the numerous spikes digging into his flesh.

Ciel gave a maniacal laugh as he struggled in vain. "YES! Suffer more! Just watching you suffer gives me such pleasure! Come on! SCREAM FOR ME!"

With a sharp tug, Ciel lifted Shinji over her head and slammed him into the ground with tremendous force. Then, before he could recover, she did it again, this time slamming him into the side of one of the spires she had summoned before immediately changing directions and spinning him around over her head. When she finally got bored of doing that, she finally slammed him down, directly onto a nest of spikes, each of them stabbing into his back, some of them going all the way through his chest. All he could fell was pain flowing throughout his entire body. He wanted to scream, but he refused to give his enemy the satisfaction.

She seemed pleased though, the sight of his blood flowing making her giggle almost in ecstasy. "Ohhhh~! No matter how many times I see it, that's still the most beautiful thing I'll ever see~! I mean, maybe if HE were taking your place it'd be different but… Ahhh~! It's just such a wondrous sight!"

He could only groan in response, to do any more would make her even happier, and he REALLY didn't want that. His hat fell from his head but that was hardly the most pressing matter at the time. Naturally Ciel soon got bored of watching him lie perfectly still on a bed of spikes and turned her attention back to Mei, who was still unconscious. Summoning her whip again, she slowly advanced on the dying Demon, her joy at the prospect of killing her shining brightly.

He had to hurry, his strength was fading fast. There was only one option left. He could just flex his hand enough to feel the glowing card float into it. The moment he did, Castor appeared above him, his form flickering as if he would fade at any moment. Not wasting time, he ordered the Persona to stop Ciel at all costs.

Castor complied with the order and immediately charged at the rose haired girl. Turning around, she was more than happy to attack the being with her whip.

The second it collided with Castor's body, it shattered like glass, the Persona not even slowing down. She wasn't smiling now. She'd never seen anything break her crystals before. Suddenly, genuine fear entered her mind. If she didn't get out of the way, this thing was going to kill her.

Doing the first thing that came to mind, she summoned a giant spire underneath herself, carrying her far above the charging apparition's range of attack. That didn't change the fact that when Castor collided with the pillar, it too shattered, sending the upper half tumbling to the ground. Ciel landed less than gracefully, but managed to avoid serious injury.

The real problem was that Castor had slammed into the wall she had created, cracking it. Another hit and the whole thing would shatter and in her current state she couldn't afford to fight all the people still trying to get through. She had to stop that thing somehow.

Then she noticed Shinji and the mysterious being were emitting the same glow. She highly doubted that was a coincidence. Running at incredible speed, she summoned an extra sharp, sword sized crystal and grabbed it as she darted past. Then, with Castor right on her tail, she lifted it over her head and swung down.

Castor vanished.

And something blood soaked fell to the ground.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH HHHHHH!"

"Heh heh heh~. Even though I missed, I finally made you scream~." The words barely reached him, all he could feel was pain. He didn't want to believe what he knew to be true. With what little strength he had, he looked over to his right arm.

Or rather, where his right arm used to be.

Now, there was just a stump just below his elbow. The pain and shock were unimaginable. The blood flowed like a stream and he could tell that if he didn't stop it soon, missing an arm would be the least of his worries.

The blade-like crystal struck again, this time stabbing straight through his left hand. Ciel simply smiled down at him before leaving the blade there. With his right hand gone, his left hand impaled and his body too weak to summon Castor, there was no way for him to free himself. Ciel knew this as several more sword shaped crystals began floating around her, their tips all pointing at him.

He had to escape, but that was impossible. He had to save Mei, but he couldn't find the strength. He had to make it home, but it seemed too far away. Now it was even too much for him to keep his eyes open. He could feel his mind slowing down as his body leaked blood all over the ground. The last thing he saw was Ciel raising her arm, ready to send her blades straight into his heart. But he could do nothing to stop her.


"You're seriously giving up?"

That sentence felt like a jolt of electricity going through his mind and he felt his eyes snap wide open. He was surprised to find that he was standing on the very same platform he had stood on when he faced Castor and finally gained control over it. Sure enough, the being in question stood before him, his mask still missing from their battle.

"Weren't you the one who was so determined to never lose? Weren't you the one who did everything he could just to get a shot at making it home? Where'd that bravado go?"

"In case you didn't notice, SHE CUT OFF MY ARM!"

"So? You must have known that there would be consequences to your actions! Did you really think you could wage war throughout an entire world and not suffer for it!?"

"I'm not the one who vanished when shit hit the fan!"

"I only did because you were too weak to sustain me!"

"Do you want my job!? Do you want to be the one who gets the shit beaten out of him every day, just on the slim hope that something good will happen if he endures it!?"

"…And what if I could be?" the statement, mixed with the sudden change in Castor's attitude made Shinji confused. He stared at the Persona, waiting for it to answer him. Castor chose to walk up to him before doing so. "You hold me before your face, but a mask is meant to be worn. You can hide behind me, but my true strength goes to the ones who becomes me."

"Either give a straight answer or shut up."

"Hmph. You always summon me, like I'm some separate being. But what if instead, you and I became one? My strength, your body." Shinji couldn't help but take a step back when he heard this.

"T-that… That's possible!?"

"Yes, though only to those strong enough to contain A personas power within their own flesh. Despite your injuries, you possess that strength, but only enough to last a few minutes."

"Is it… Safe?"

"You will suffer no consequences from the fusion. However I must warn you, it won't be you calling the shots out there."

His mind was racing. If he accepted Castor's offer, he might just stand a chance. On the other hand, Castor had killed before and there was no guarantee he wouldn't lose his temper again. But what could he do? If he didn't accept, he would die and so would Mei. He HAD to take this chance.

"…Okay. I'll do it."

Castor smiled at this before placing his hands on the Shinji's shoulders. "Repeat after me. I accept the mask to become my face…"

"I accept the mask to become my face…"

"I give my form to the being within…"

"I give my form to the being within…"

"I accept my other self as me! We shall rise together!"

"I accept my other self as me! We shall rise together!"

Light filled the void they stood in. Quickly it engulfed all as Shinji felt something enter his mind and mix with his own.


In the real world, not a single second had passed. Ciel had her arm raised high over her head and the crystal swords floated around her, eager to strike their prey. After waiting a moment, she finally decided to put him out of his misery, as painfully as possible.

But just as she lowered her arms and the blades travelled forwards, a huge shockwave was emitted from the unconscious warrior, blasting her and her blades back. Looking up, she couldn't believe what she saw. Somehow, Shinjiro was pulling himself off the crystals she had impaled him with and was getting to his feet. Turning around, he stared at her, his eyes now a bright gold. After seeing his target, he stared down at the stump where his arm used to be. After releasing a small chuckle, he began shaking and, with resounding force, a new arm shot out of the wound, this one much more muscular than the previous one. Breathing heavily, he clenched his fist and the rest of his muscles expanded to match his arm. After admiring his new form for a moment, he released a sinister smile as his gaze returned to his enemy.

"Tch. Muscles or not, you can't beat me Shinjiro!" Ciel screamed before sending another spike towards him. He made no effort to dodge it as it got closer and closer. Then, when it was close enough, he swung his arm and punched it head on. It shattered in an instant.

"You're not dealing with Shinjiro anymore." He spoke, just as his hair changed to a pale blond colour and grew to such lengths that it reached his waist. "I. Am. CASTOR!"

He moved so fast she could barely see him move. All her efforts to stop him were in vain, as her attacks couldn't even penetrate his skin. She was just as defenceless when he finally got to her and slammed his fist into her gut with all his strength. The sheer force was enough to send her flying back into her own wall with enough momentum to break it. Everyone watched as she sailed over head before crashing into the Sophomore's battlements.

She barely had a chance to stand before Castor body slammed her, with enough force for the ground to crack. While pain still griped her body, Castor lifted her into the air and began repeatedly reintroducing her back to the fractured floor.

Many had stopped to watch what was happening, the battle with the Seniors having ended a while ago. Some of them were tempted to help defeat Ciel, but fear of what they could only assume was Shinjiro, held them back. They didn't want to risk becoming his target. Only Sapphire and the remaining healer weren't watching the fight. They had instead slipped to the other side of the wall and began healing Mei's wound. The damage to her body was severe and numerous tiny crystal shards were embedded in her. They didn't have the power to heal the wound completely, but they could stabilise her long enough to reach a proper medic.

Castor had finally grown bored of dealing sever damage to Ciel's back and, sensing that his time was short, decided that now was the time to end this battle. Throwing the dazed girl across his shoulders, he pressed down on her head and legs, stretching her back as far and as painfully as he could. When he finally decided she was in enough pain, he leaped into the air, so high and so fast that most of the spectators to the battle could hardly believe their eyes. After reaching what had to have been at least a hundred feet, he finally stopped and began to descend. As he did, he twisted his body so his legs were pointing up and that he would land on his back. Or at least he would have if he didn't still have Ciel stretched across it.

When he landed, the entire battlefield shook and almost everyone was propelled back by the blast. When the dust cleared, a huge crater had formed, stopping just short of the bridge, which had been devastated by the shockwave. In the centre of the crater was Castor, still smiling with an almost sadistic glee, and Ciel, who was lucky that she had survived being crushed between the ground and a gravity propelled man that would make some Demon's feel small in comparison.

"Was that to your liking Shinjiro? I know I had a lot of fun!" He said to his other self, not bothering to get off of Ciel.

"I think you went a little overboard…"

"It worked didn't it?" Shinji was about to yell at him for putting the fight before helping Mei, when someone interrupted.

"That was glorious! Such power! Such ferocity! You're perfect!" Castor barely glanced at the new arrival. The one who spoke was a man with golden blonde hair and extremely noticeable blue eyes. He wore a blue sleeveless hoodie over a white t shirt. His read jeans were rolled to halfway up his calves and had a noticeable contrast against his dark green shoes. A pair of white headphones hung around his neck with lightning bolts decorating them. He was smiling with barely contained joy. "I've been looking for someone strong like you! This'll be fun!"

The mystery figure cracked his knuckles before drawing an axe and walking towards Castor, who merely rolled his eyes at this. "So, you're in a hurry to die? OK, I can obl-"

Before he could finish, a sharp pain surged through him. Looking at his arm, he could feel it fading away. His muscles were shrinking and his hair was returning to its normal size and colour. "N-no! I need more time!"

But no matter how hard he fought, his time had run out. If he stayed in Shinji's body any longer, his power would overload it. He had already pushed it to its limit and now it was pushing him out. When he collapsed, Shinjiro was back in control, his hair brown, his body normal and his arm once again missing. The newcomer looked disappointed.

"So, you're just a host body for a stronger being? Then you're as good as trash!" In anger, he raised his axe to kill the unconscious man. The only reason he didn't was that he felt a bullet his him in the shoulder. How Kirijo pulled that shot off from that distance was anyone's guess, but the important fact was that he had gotten the man's attention off of Shinji.

Or at least long enough for Agnus to reach him and begin trying to skewer him with his spear. Dai soon joined in, followed by Saiduq and Samantha. They didn't know how skilled this guy was but there was no way he could dodge and block the attacks of all four of them for long. Eventually, he had reached the centre of the crater, where Ciel's harsh breathing could still be heard.

He knew that he couldn't win against all these enemies, but Ciel had a unique power, one his allies could use. The moment he got the chance, he grabbed the injured girl and somehow managed to jump straight over Dai's head and landed in the same portal he had come out of. It closed before anyone could follow him.

Kirijo rushed to Shinji's side. "Aragaki! Aragaki, answer me!"

Only a pained moan answered him, but that was enough. The important thing was that he was alive. To make things better, Allowing Castor into his body had apparently sealed his wounds, so he wasn't at risk of bleeding to death before they could get him healed. Feeling that he had to get Shinji back to safety, he quickly grabbed the Persona user's one good arm and slung it across his shoulders. Turning to the Demons who were gathered around him, he got the distinct impression that they were waiting for him to say something.

"Someone grab Mei and take her to the infirmary, the rest of you should stay with Mao and help resolve this situation. Agnus, Aragaki told me you'd been a leader in the past. You guide the others for now." Agnus nodded at this and Juro had already run off to get Mei. The others looked like there was something they wanted to say, but couldn't find the right words.

"What… What do we do about… That?" Samantha finally said, while signalling towards where Shinji's right arm used to be.

"If you can retrieve it, do so. Other than that… Just hope that something can be done for him."

No one said a word. Kirijo took that as his cue to leave, as Juro had already done. As he walked, he gazed down at the younger man. He couldn't help but feel that this was his fault. If he had just stopped the experiments, Shinjiro wouldn't even be here. He'd be home, his arm still attached to his body, his hands clean of blood and the girl he loved so much by his side. But thinking about what ifs and blaming himself wasn't what Shinji needed. Right now he needed a doctor and Kirijo would make sure he got to one.


I hope you all like this new power I've created for this story and the direction I'm taking it. Also, since he's sort of a different character, here's Castor's character sheet:

Castor

Title: Persona

Weapon types: None

Skills:

Fatal End (Castor jumps into the air and slams onto his enemies) Description: Too… Heavy… Range: 1

Crushing blow (Castor lifts his opponents onto his shoulders before jumping into the air and crashing back down on top of them) Description: He's a fan of wrestling. Range: 1

Last Charge (Castor transforms into his Persona form and rushes through his enemies) Description: This is his true self! Range: 9 (Triangle formation) (Note: Use of this attack will automatically turn Castor back into Shinjiro)

Description: The result of Shinjiro fusing with his Persona. He loves to fight and is nigh unstoppable. He fights only with his hands as he hates weapons. Because of how powerful he is, Shinjiro's body can only sustain him for a few minutes at a time. He has an irrational fear of spears.

Evility: True Power: Triples all stats, but is replaced by Shinjiro after three turns.

And here's Ciel's:

Ciel

Title: Cruel Psychopath

Weapons: Monster type

Skills: Debuff skills and Ice and Star spells up to Omega

Crystalized thorn whip (Ciel creates a long and sharp whip made of crystals and starts whipping the enemies mercilessly while laughing maliciously, then she wraps the enemies with her whip and repeatedly bangs them on the ground until finally she sends them high in the air and sending them back to the ground with crystal spikes emerging from the ground, piercing the enemies.) Description: Is she a dominatrix? Range: 6 (6 tiles, inflicts poison)

Crystal Boundaries of Emptiness (Ciel summons several purple crystalline swords and manipulates the swords to stab the enemies, then while the enemies are speared by the swords, Ciel blasts her opponents with a barrage of sharp crystal rocks until there are purple powder dust surrounding them which creates a huge mountain of purple crystals, trapping the enemies inside. Finally the crystals slowing cracks and completely breaks and disintegrate and consumes the surrounding enemies in a black void.) Description: This shows how cruel she really is! Range: 10 (4 targets in a cross, chance of deprave)

Appearance: She has the appearance of a sweet, innocent, serene and cute young girl despite being a demon. She has pinkish white hair that is kept in a girlish twin tail style, which are secured with matching black ribbons with two red roses in the middle of the ribbon. She also has pointy ears and bluish violet eyes that seems to be quite innocent, but can turn to a crazed expression once she drops her façade. She wears a black and dark pink Gothic Lolita short dress that has elegant sleeves with red rose ribbons, black and dark pink frills and white quilling's. Her hands are covered in bandages to give out a 'frail' appearance. She wears red and black roses around her neck. She also wears long black stockings with rose pattern designs and red Mary-Jane-like shoes that buckle over the top of the foot and around the ankle. Despite her aura of innocence and cute looks, there is more to her that meets the eye...

Description: A mysterious girl. At first glance, she appears to be an extremely shy and gentle girl who stands at odds with the place she is held in. In truth, this reserved, innocent and quiet personality is just a ruse that she projects to make those around her feel secure, and to mask her true nature; that of a calculating, merciless, sadistic psychopath who has an extremely twisted personality and has no value for the life and only cares about relieving herself of boredom. She is very sadistic and is willing to kill and sacrifice anything or anyone for her own amusement as well as being exceedingly playfully cruel as she enjoys witnessing others suffering and repeatedly tortures others until she gets bored of them and kills them. She will join anyone who has a sick and deranged that involves killing only for the condition for the person she follows to keep on being interesting and entertaining, until the person outlived their usefulness of being her entertainment that she will get bored and kill them herself. Despite her being twisted, she gets along well with others who are just as deranged and sadistic as her with a sick view on life.

Evility: Crystal Fragments: Increases normal and special attacks' range per enemies on the field, but spell effects are reduced

Special thanks to KO for his OC (The one at the end).