Ken went to the back of the shrine to the cemetery and prayed late at night. He had played football a lot today and accidentally slept for many hours. He couldn't skip a day of visiting his mother. If he did then his wish might not come true.
But when he opened his eyes again after he had prayed, the world wasn't the same.
...
Koromaru opened his eyes. He smelt the scent of iron.
The dog sat up to see pools of blood here and there. He whimpered. He hated blood. It always reminded him of that day his owner passed away. He also hated how blood was on the shrine floor. Koromaru lifted his head. The sky was weird. It was… lighter than usual, a lighter shade of grey. The large moon is half full.
Everything was lifeless. It was too quiet. Then Koromaru heard something coming up the stairs.
Aigis heard the noise from the dorm. Her ears had always been good, in human terms. She didn't have ears, only the sound amplifiers disguised as red headphones.
She followed the sound and arrived at the Naganaki Shrine. Ken Amada was unconscious. Koromaru was injured. Minato was kneeling next to the dog, doing first aid.
Minato was still shocked. He saw it with his own eyes. Three heads creature shouted flame. That was a Persona. Koromaru was a Persona-user. And Ken, well, at least he took the hit.
The rest of SEES arrived. The dog whined.
"Koro-chan!" Fuuka ran forward. "Are you okay? The, the Shadow!"
"No internal organs were damaged," Aigis reported. "His life was not in danger."
'This is a place of peace, so I protected it,' Koromaru said. He really protected the shrine for his master. There were flowers placed near the side of the shrine gate.
"Uh, Ai-chan?" Junpei asked. "Don't tell me you can translate dog language…"
"Canines do not have their own language, but I have scanned the image he was sending." Aigis explained. "I am able to receive similar images from all living things. They are weaker versions of the voice communication human beings use."
Mitsuru prepared to call a vet and they had to carry Ken back to their dorm. They would have to explain everything to him. Calling it a bad dream or his own imagination wouldn't work. Minato scoffed at that.
"So he has to get involved, huh…" Akihiko sighed.
"I shall explain Koromaru's Persona," Aigis spoke up. "Its name is Cerberus. It is proficient in fire and darkness skills. Very fitting for the guardian of Hades."
Mitsuru thought of Koromaru as a replaceable soldier. Yukari was attracted to something cute. Junpei was jealous of a dog. At least Fuuka really cared for Koromaru and Akihiko respect the dog's will to protect what he should.