Chapter 5

Before I start the story, let's have someone do the disclaimer. Let's see... Aigis, I choose you.

Aigis: You wish me to do the disclaimer?

Me: Yes, please.

Aigis: Understood. Rwanime442-san does not own Persona 3. Persona 3 is owned by Atlus. However, Nagito-san is owned by Rwanime442-san and co-owned by Immortal Thunder-san.

Early morning – April 17 – Gekkoukan High school gate

The next day after waking up, Nagito was cleared to leave the hospital and go to school.

Just as he was about to walk through, he heard a familiar voice calling his name behind him. He turned around to see his cap wearing friend, Junpei.

"Yo, what's up?" Junpei greeted him with his trademark goofy grin.

"Hey, Junpei-kun." Nagito said with a smile of his own.

"You were out for a long time. Yuka-tan said you got sick. I was worried about you. Glad to see you're feeling better, buddy." Junpei said.

"Thank you." Nagito said, happy that Junpei called him buddy.

"Nagito-kun!" Another familiar voice called behind him. They both turned around to see Yukari.

"Hey, Yukari-chan." Nagito said.

"You look a lot better than you did yesterday." She said.

"Thanks." He responded.

"I'm sorry to spring this on you early in the morning, but the Chairman wants to speak with you. Come to the command room on the 4th floor when you get back, okay?"

"Alright." He replied.

"You two seem real friendly with each other." Junpei said.

"Just what are you implying?" Yukari said, giving Junpei a death glare.

"N-N-Nothing!" Junpei stammered.

"That's what I thought." She said.

The three then headed to their class.

Today, class was being taught by Mr. Ono. Nagito admitted this school had some... colorful staff. Mr. Ono was no exception. He was wearing a kabuto! The history teacher asked Junpei a question, and once again Nagito had to bail him out by telling him the answer. After he gave him the answer, he was surprised by some of the students complimenting him.

"Nagito sure is smart. Maybe I should ask him to help me study for exams." A male student said.

"Nagito gave Junpei the answer. He's so smart." A female student said, practically squealing.

"Yeah, and he's really cute, too." A female student beside him said.

That last comment made Nagito blush. C-Cute? He thought to himself.

After school, Nagito decided to get some takoyaki from the Octopia stand. The takoyaki tasted the same as it did ten years ago. The lady running it even remembered him.

It was evening when Nagito arrived at the dorm. There was no one in the lounge. He wondered where everyone was until he realized that everyone was waiting for him on the 4th floor.

April 17 – evening - dorm

He went to the 4th floor to see Yukari waiting for him. "Oh, you're here. Everyone's waiting." She said. They opened the doors to see Mitsuru, Ikutsuki, and an unfamiliar boy that Nagito assumed was Akihiko Sanada.

"Hello there. I'm relieved to see that you're out of the hospital." Ikutsuki said with a smile, which again made Nagito feel unnerved. "Please, sit down."

"O-Okay." Nagito replied, taking a seat next to Mitsuru. He then looked at the silver hair guy. "Are you that Akihiko Sanada guy Ikutsuki-san mentioned earlier?" He asked.

Akihiko nodded. "How ya doin?" He said with a friendly smile.

"Is alright if I asked you something?" The bespectacled man asked.

Nagito nodded.

"Would you believe me if I said a day contained more than 24 hours?" He asked.

"Yes. Yes I would." Nagito replied. "I've been aware of that hour since I was a little kid."

"We call it the Dark Hour. It's the hidden hour between one day and the next." Mitsuru explained.

"Hidden?" Nagito asked.

"It guess it's something people aren't aware of, but the Dark Hour does happen. It'll happen tonight, and every night to come." Ikutsuki said.

"Trust me, I've seen it every night for the last ten years. People turning into coffins, the power outages, that ugly green monn." He said with a frown. He didn't notice it, but Mitsuru was looking at him apologetically.

"Although I've been aware of it for a long time, it was my first time seeing those things." He said.

"Those creatures you saw, we call them Shadows. They appear during the Dark Hour and attack anyone who's not in a coffin. It's our job to defeat them. Sounds excting, huh?" Akihiko said with an excited smile.

"Akihiko! Why are you always like that?! You just got hurt the other day!" Mitsutu said, annoyed.

"Now, now. He does his job well." Ikutsuki said, trying to calm her down.

"Anyway, the Shadows are responisble for most of the recent incindents, if not all of them. The shadows feed on the minds of humans, the victim becomes a living corpse." She said.

"Are you talking about Apathy Syndrome?" Nagito asked.

"That's correct." She said.

"How do you fight them?" He asked.

"Although it's rare, some people awaken to a power that allows them to function during the Dark Hour, which is also the only power to combat the Shadows. It is called Persona, the power you used the other night. So it's all up to you guys." Ikutsuki said.

"I-I see..."

Mitsuru opened a briefcase on the table. It contained that gun-looking object and a red armband with the word SEES on it. "What he's saying is, he wants you join us. We had an Evoker made for you, we'd like you to lend us your strength."

"I-I don't know. I may have a Persona, but I don't know how use a weapon." Nagito said.

"You don't need to worry about that, Ishikawa. I can gladly teach you fencing." She reassured.

"U-Um..."

"Please, we need your strength." She begged. That took Nagito back. She said she needed him. No one has ever said they needed him.

"Leave the guy alone, Mitsuru. He doesn't have to join us if he doesn't want to." Akihiko said.

"I'll join you." Nagito said.

"Thank you. We really appreciate you joining, Ishikawa." Mitsuru said with a relieved smile.

"I thought you were going to say no. Welcome aboard!" Yukari said with a cheerful smile.

"Welcome to the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad." Ikutsuki also said with a smile.

"I'm looking forward to see what you're made of." Akihiko said.

As soon as Akihiko said that. Time froze.

"W-What's going on?"

He then heard a mysterious voice in his head.

Thou art I

And I am thou

Thou hast established a new bond

Thou shall be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana

Time then suddenly flowed again.

"I have one more thing for you." Mitsuru said. She took a small metal case out of her skirt pocket. He then handed them to Nagito.

He opened it to see a pair of contact lenses.

"Contact lenses?" He asked.

"Since wearing your glasses will hinder you in battle, I decided to get these lenses made for you."

"Thank you." He said.

They actually need me. The whole town needs me.

"I swear I won't let any of down." He said with a newfound determination.

Chapter 5 end