AN: This is my second OC Persona fic, after Persona Duality. I had a different edition of this fic on this site once before, but started it all over again as I wasn't happy with the way it was turning out. Hopefully you guys like it - please read, review, favourite, etc!

Once again, these characters and events are pure fiction, and any resemblance they bear to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental.


·女神転生

SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI

Persona: Gnosis - The Knowledge Seekers

Prologue: The First Test


Flowing through the sea of information, the sons of man built a new paradise.

Weary of struggle, all man yearns for is bliss, without any pain to invade their peace.

Yet these sons of man, their minds have no bounds when the world's information lies at their fingertips.

They pursue knowledge of many kinds, never satiated. And there are many who would use that disaffection.

To cause pain, enough to end bliss and peace for eternity

They will justify this pain as 'waking the world up', ignoring the true devastation of their methods.

Yet they have acquired evil means to carry out their aims.

To those who can hear my call.

The true knowledge you need to survive is not within the reach of modern technology, nor is it within the annals of history.

Rather, the truth of your own psyche. The full limits of your heart and mind.

That, one of a strong will, is called Gnosis.

It will begin soon. And it shall commence with one step.

Here, in the world of the unconscious, do you still remember your own name?


Chapter 1: Spring Days


|April 10th 2017|Shinshuto City, Totsuka – Nakahara Household|1:21 am|

Long past the witching hour, it was the middle of the night. For most of Japan's students, they were fast asleep, preparing for the start of a new school year. One such student had gone to bed early, his bag already packed and his crisp, spotless uniform ready. The uniform consisted of a dark purple blazer with black slacks, and for the second year students, a red tie. Beneath the bed was a new pair of shiny black shoes, the smartest he had been able to find.

This teen, fast asleep, was quite the academic. A black-haired boy of average height - five-foot seven - he had started growing a small ponytail, in an attempt to stand out from his peers. It gave him a somewhat feminine look, but he cared little about the comments of others. After all, he had finished his first year of high school as one of the two best students of his year. And he intended to continue that record, while getting through his growing backlog of novels.

Surrounding his bed were piles and piles of books. He had tried to organise them many times, but his shelves and cupboard were jammed full. Trying to digitise his library had not been particularly successful, for he preferred the feel of traditionally printed books. The sensation of turning a page felt so much more exciting than tapping a button to advance a screen. He had tried to read an e-book on his phone earlier, but decided to stop, leaving the phone on his bedside table.

His slumber was cut short, however, by the sound of the phone vibrating on his desk. Startled, he sat up in bed, sweating. Anxious, he grabbed the phone, and cursed himself for not turning off the vibration setting. Technology wasn't his forte, despite the number of books he had read about the history of mobile phones and computers.

He glanced at the screen, which was almost punishingly bright compared to the utter darkness around him, and saw a new text message. However, the name and number of the sender were completely hidden. Initially, he dismissed it as a spam message, but curiosity overtook him. He opened the message, and grabbed his black-rimmed glasses so he could read it.

Shintaro Nakahara. We'll meet again soon enough. You, me, and everyone else. I swear I'll figure everything out.

"...What?"

This didn't make sense. Meet 'again', the message sent. They knew his full name. And mentioned 'everyone else'. And they intended to figure 'everything' out.

Who the hell sent this? This isn't like anyone else I know. Everyone I know from school wouldn't send me a text this late. Damn, just when I was trying to get a good night's sleep for once.

He considered whether to reply or not. If they withheld their number, no message could possibly be sent. Yet, it wasn't like he would lose anything by replying. So, still half asleep, he managed to send a reply.

Who are you?

Anxiously, he waited a few seconds, wondering if anything at all would happen. Yet there seemed to be no response. Annoyed, he put his phone back on top of one of his stacks of horror novels, and tried his hardest to go back to sleep.

|Kansei High School, Classroom 2-1|8:15 am|

Kansei, known for its white walls and many solar panels, was the oldest high school in this city, established in April 1917. In terms of academic rankings, it held joint-first place with the Chieki Academy of Mizuho. Surrounded by eight huge skyscrapers, it made up the area called the 'Divine Nine'. Recently, the school had been completely refurbished on the inside. Most classrooms had pale blue walls and light wooden floors, complete with sleek, stylish desks. Being in the centre of the Divine Nine, it was dwarfed by the towering companies surrounding it, yet managed to become somewhat of a landmark in its own right.

Most of Kansei's students were groomed for success, and the students in Class 2-1 were no exception. In this room, one girl sat at one of the desks, quickly brushing her long brown hair, the tips of which she had recently dyed orange. She had only done it on a whim, but she liked the way it complemented her orange blazer – different from the purple most of the other students wore. Her features were soft and delicate, and as she was prone to smiling, she seemed to light up the room. She took a look at one of the papers in her bag, which contained some complicated sheet music.

"Morning - wow Kohaku, look at your hair!" A shorter girl said. "It looks so pretty!"

"Thanks, Akari-chan!" Kohaku Teruya said, blushing. Akari Ito was one of Kohaku's best friends from school last year, and it was a relief that they were in the same class this year as well. "I like what you've done with yours too!"

"Oh...thanks!" Akari said, a little embarrassed. Her hair was a short bob cut, it having been slightly longer during her first year. She had added two pink horizontal bar hair clips to complete the look. Akari sat in the desk behind her friend, which meant they were at the front of the class. "So, what's new? Your parents still working away in boring government stuff?"

"You bet. I barely saw them during spring break. Remind me never to get a job in politics." Kohaku said, sadly. "We were going to go somewhere like Beppu, but then all kinds of work got piled on. There was a music festival there I wanted to see, too..."

"That's annoying. My parents took us to Nara. Those deer were so cute! I got to feed a whole family of them!" Akari said, happily. "Did you and Shintaro-san at least hang out?"

"Yeah. Well, it was the same as usual..." Kohaku said, smiling, thinking back on her and her best friend's Spring Break. Always the bookworm, he kept telling her about all the new books and authors he had discovered. At the same time, she kept giving him new CDs to listen to, or dragging him to the karaoke bar so she could hone her vocal cords – and mock his tone-deaf efforts. "I guess some things don't change. This year probably won't be any different."

"Oh, there he is!" Akari said, pointing at the door. Kohaku waved him over, but as he approached, she looked concerned. He wasn't usually this tired when he came to school. Normally, he couldn't wait to get started with the lectures, leading to irritated looks from those less inclined to study.

"Morning, Haku-chan... Hey, Akari-san..." Shintaro said, yawning.

"H-Hey..." Kohaku said. "What's up? You memorised the dictionary yet?"

"Nah, just couldn't sleep. My darn phone went off during the night." Shintaro said, now looking worried.

"Really? You didn't put it on silent?" Kohaku asked.

"I forgot, like always. Still, it was a really weird text Here, let me show you.."

While Akari got distracted by a bird flying by the window, Shintaro showed Kohaku the weird message he was sent this morning. Disturbed, Kohaku frowned.

"They know your full name? Who do you think would send you someone this?" She asked. "You don't think it's one of the twins, do you?"

"No way. After Junior High, they forgot all about us. And this doesn't seem like anything they'd write. It's not like one of those stupid scams either, like I've been in an accident that apparently happened five years ago or something." Shintaro said. "I didn't tell mom or dad. I want to think it's just a prank, but..."

"Calm down, Taro-kun. There's no point worrying about it for now. It's not like it's a death threat or anything, right? If you get anymore, just ignore them." Kohaku said, although she didn't seem to convinced herself. "It might have been someone at school. Like a secret admirer. I can always try and listen in on the gossip later."

"A secret admirer? Would they really send such a creepy message?" Shintaro asked. "Oh, I just had a thought. Maybe it's to do with those Bythos weirdos."

"Bythos? Those total psychos? Everyone's been going on about them. Lots of government criticism on their website, but they're so vague about everything. I dunno why they're getting so much buzz." Kohaku asked. "I did find one of their leaflets outside when I was getting off my bicycle...here. It's rather eerie." She pulled the leaflet out from her pocket, and Shintaro took a closer look.

WISE UP

For too long, Shinshuto's City Council has hidden the true depths of their corruption. They have trapped us all in a despicable, ugly world. One you have been conditioned to believe is Paradise!

They can hide behind their success stories, their new developments, but they only wish to satisfy themselves!

Yes, you must all open your eyes! They believe themselves to be the true power of Japan! Someday soon, they will conquer the Land of the Rising Sun, and from there, the world!

Do not give in to such tyranny, friends! Join us! For the sake of a better, brighter tomorrow, we must do what is necessary!

B.Y.T.H.O.S - Bright Years for The Honest Ones of Shinsuto - shall become the new hope of the world.

"That's one aggressive marketing campaign." Shintaro said. "Since when were the city council after world domination?"

"You always get anti-establishment creeps in places like this." Kohaku said. "I mean, look how much Shinshuto City is in the news. 'Kansei High sets new record for academic performance in Japan.' 'Shinshuto economy soaring.' 'Government begins construction of artificial island resorts.'"

"Hmm. So you think these Bythos guys hate all the new construction? What's so bad about this city's prosperity? Look at all the money that's coming in. Before they designated this place a city, hardly anyone knew this place existed."

"I just hope these Bythos guys don't do anything horrible..." Kohaku said, worried. "Everything's going so well for the city these days. I don't want it to go to hell."

"Relax. As long as we're together, we'll be fine." Shintaro said.

"You do realise that if you keep saying those things out loud, people will start to get the wrong idea." Kohaku said, smirking.

"Wrong idea about what?" Akari asked, curious, finally focusing on her friends.

"It's nothing. Just school rumours, the usual." Shintaro said. He looked at the door, and saw a woman approach. His face lit up as soon as he saw who it was. "Ah, she's finally here!"

The door swung open, and there was a beautiful teacher – at least, in Shintaro's eyes – with long black curly hair and a pink blouse and white skirt, she was known for her elegance and her kind, motherly approach to her students.

"Your favourite teacher! I knew you were dying to see her again!" Kohaku said, playfully nudging Shintaro with her elbow.

"The best teacher I've ever known..."

"It's a shame for you that's she's married, I bet. You'll have to stick to being a teacher's pet!" Kohaku said, grinning.

"Oh, come on! As if I'd go after a married woman!" Shintaro said. "It's not like I'd have much luck, anyway. Remember Ayano from last year?"

Kohaku sighed. "To be hair, you turned your entire date with her into a character study of Macbeth. Not the happiest of plays to discuss over coffee and curry, you know."

"But...I thought we had a lot in common." Shintaro said, bitterly.

"Well, you might have better luck this year," Kohaku said. "You never know, there might be a new student or two."

"Alright, settle down, everybody!" Suzuki said. "Welcome back to school, everyone. Looks like most of you were in my class last year. But to those new to my class, my name is Michiko Suzuki." She wrote the name down on the electric whiteboard, the school's new approach for modern-teaching.

"I was worried we'd end up with that toothless old guy..." Akari said quietly.

"As you can see, this school's gone through quite a few changes since last year. But don't forget that you're here to learn. To grow, to change, and to always improve yourselves. That much will never change, as long as you're here. As your teacher, of course, I'll always be here to support you."

She always likes giving these speeches. Just like last year. Wow, we are so lucky to stay in her class!

"Before I go any further, I'd like to introduce a new student," Suzuki said. Shintaro gasped. He had been so distracted by his new teacher that he hadn't even noticed there was a girl in uniform standing right next to her. Yet now that she had his attention, he could see that this girl was something else.

"Hmm..." Kohaku said, staring at the new student. "She's unique, at least."

She was nothing like anyone he had ever seen before. Short teal hair in a bob cut, with a blue and silver hairpin resembling a pair of scissors. Her eyes twinkled when she stared at her new classmates, revealing their bright blue hue. While she wore the uniform without customising it, like Kohaku often did, she seemed to have a blue sleeve under her shirt, on her left arm. She had a dark purple satchel, nearly the same shade as her uniform.

Well, she's pretty. Perhaps Kohaku was right about better luck this year. She looks kind of sullen, though.

"My name is Kei Kakusa." The new student bowed politely to everyone, yet kept her stoic expression. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." Her eyes moved towards Shintaro, who froze on the spot.

"Is she looking at us?" Kohaku asked quietly.

"I'm not sure..." Shintaro whispered.

"She has to tell me where she got hairpin from..." Akari said, eyeing it enviously.

"I'm from Yokohama. I transferred here for the school year." Kei said. "I'm looking forward to making some good friends here."

"Thank you, Kakusa-san," Suzuki said, smiling. "Now then, we'll need to find you a seat. There's only a couple to choose from..."

"I'd like to take that seat, Suzuki-sensei. Is that alright?" Kei asked politely, pointing to the desk behind Shintaro and Kohaku.

"That's fine!" Suzuki said. Kei quickly sat next to Akari, all eyes in the room on her.

"H-Hi! I'm Akari!"

"Hello." Kei said. "...Are you okay?"

"She's always like this when meeting someone new." Kohaku said. "Like when we first met, and I asked her if she had a spare pencil, and she froze for like two minutes. Shyness is a hard demon to conquer."

"Ah." Kei said. "No need to worry. I don't bite."

"I'm Kohaku Teruya, by the way." Kei and Kohaku shook hands. "And this is Shintaro Nakahara!"

"Nice to meet you." Shintaro said, smiling. "Oh, and welcome to Shinshuto City."

"...Thanks." Kei said, with a faint smile. "It's a very welcoming place, no matter where I go. I'm looking forward to this year."

LATER

"Okay, that's it for today. Your normal lectures will start properly tomorrow." Suzuki said. "Just so you all know, our new practice building and gym mean there will be a lot more clubs to sign up for."

"There's only one club for me." Shintaro said, as the school day finished.

"Oh yeah? Which club?" Akari said, in all seriousness.

"The Literature Club, Akari. What else would it be? Shintaro practically inhales books, the amount he reads in a week." Kohaku said, amused.

"What can I say? I love reading." Shintaro said, eagerly. "There's always something new to read. Like, just the other day, I bought a full collection of Stephen King books, and then there was a Victor Hugo set my mother bought me."

"You seem like a perfect student, Shintaro-san." Kei said, slightly amused.

"I don't know about that. Kohaku got better grades last year. Top of the class, as usual." Shintaro said.

"Stop it!" Kohaku said, embarrassed. "Shintaro and I always achieve better results when we work together."

"Is that so? I may have to join your study sessions, then." Kei said. "What clubs are you joining, Akari-san?" she asked, politely.

"I think there's going to be a pet club of some kind. I really wanna be a vet after school, so I'm gonna join it if I can!" Akari said.

"Kohaku plays the flute. She'll be in the school band." Shintaro said. "How expensive was your flute, anyway? The really nice silver one?"

"¥98000." Kohaku said.

"That's somewhat pricier than the local music stores." Kei said, impressed.

"I know. My parents work with the government. They get a lot of bonuses." Kohaku said. "What with the city's huge growth in the past couple of years."

Kei nodded. "Yes, of course. This city's certainly made a name for itself. Before the late 90's, this was just a rural community, right?"

"More or less. We were basically a group of small towns in the same prefecture." Shintaro said. "Then in 1999, the government decided they wanted to build a new model city. Totsuka was the first step. After all, it's basically the heart of the city, starting with the Divine Nine. This school predates all of that, of course."

Akari rolled her eyes. "Eh, those builds aren't so divine to me. Just a bunch of boring companies you need like a hundred degrees to work for."

"I'm not sure about one hundred..." Kei said, laughing awkwardly. "Well, it's been nice meeting you, but I should be getting back to my school dorm -"

"Oh, are you sure?" Shintaro asked. "We could show you around the city first. There's a lot of places you should see, like -"

"The cat cafe down the road!" Akari said, positively beaming. Kohako looked at her, her eyebrow raised. "Please? I wanna see Mocha again!"

"...Perhaps another time," Kei said, politely. "Actually, I did read up on one place that looked like fun. The Bella Donna Shopping Centre. Would you three like to come with me and take a look?"

"Certainly, that would be great! That place is the best shopping centre I know!" Kohaku said, excitedly. "There's a great music store, and for Shintaro, a huge book shop, and there's now one of those toys you can build your own stuffed animal -"

"Really?!" Akari said, gleefully. "I never knew that! Let's go now!"

"Even better, I think there's a good pizzeria on the top floor," Kei said, cheerfully. "I'd like to treat you all to dinner if that's alright. My way of saying thank you."

"That's very kind, but shouldn't it be us treating you?" Kohaku asked.

"Not at all." Kei said. "How do we get to Bella Donna from here?"

"There should be a bus...hold on," Kohaku said. She pulled out her smartphone, protected by a leather orange case with a musical note charm, and searched for the bus stop. "Nine minutes to the next bus. Let's get going!"

"Okay!" Shintaro said. The four of them left the classroom, with the remaining students gazing at Kei in wonder.

"He's spending the day with three girls...?!" One male student said. "Even the new transfer student? How does that bookworm do it?"

"I dunno. Maybe we ought to hit the library more." Said his friend.

|Kansei High School – Entrance Path|3:45 pm|

Before long, they were out in front of the grand entrance, surrounded by cherry blossom trees on either side. In the centre of the main path was a grand fountain. Upon this white and bronze fountain were meticulously painted statues of mermaids, the favourite mythical creature of the principal. The sun was shining overhead, and pigeons were flying from tree to tree. There was a slight breeze, and thus blossoms were falling to the ground, creating the idyllic image of spring.

As the group walked, Kei gazed wistfully as several blossoms landed near her feet.

"Ah, just like always."

"What do you mean?" Shintaro asked.

"Duh! Spring, dummy!" Akari said. "It's always beautiful here at this time of year. With this pretty scenery, love blossoms too. Not for us, though. But this is a new year. Maybe finally, my friend Suzu will stop trying to steal the guys I like."

"Hmm. A school romance. Perhaps that would be nice..." Kei said. "Although perhaps not. After all, I'll have to go home after this school year is over."

"Better not break too many hearts, then." Kohaku teased. Kei and Akari laughed, while Shintaro smiled in silence. The group made their way to the bus stop, and their bus, the No. 29, was due shortly.

"So, where exactly in the city is your dormitory?" Shintaro inquired.

"In Asakita." Kei answered, looking deep in Shintaro's eyes. He shivered slightly, but kept quiet.

"Oh cool, that place is so much fun!" Akari said, joyously. "That's where the park with the big Ferris wheel is! And there are super cute squirrels there at this time of year!"

The red and chrome bus arrived, sporting dark wooden floors and comfy beige seats. The group boarded it, managing to get seats nearer the back. As the bus departed, they watched the school vanish in the distance.

"I dunno about you guys, but I think this is going to be one great year!" Akari said.

"You always say that, Akari-chan. But you know what? I think you might be right!" Kohaku said.

"I hope so." Kei said, staring at the city in front of her. It was as if she was trying to memorise every single detail. She noticed Shintaro staring at her, and blushed. "I'm fine. This city is just all new to me still."

"Hey, that's what we're here for. Right?" Shintaro said.

"Of course. I'm counting on you." Kei said, with a faint smile.

The city's changing so much, so quickly. I just hope this Kei girl can cope with everything. Kohaku and I are going to have to keep an eye on her. And Akari, if she starts running after a stray kitten again.

The bus made its way through the streets, approaching its destination. Yet there would be more than shopping and dining happening here today.

More than Shintaro had imagined.