Prologue: The Wild Card...

In a secret school institute called Persona Academy...

Normal P.O.V

..."Oi, Springfield! Wake up! Our final examination will start up at any second!" Hayate Ayasaki, a student of the academy, tries to wake up his roommate and best friend in the academy, Negi Springfield.

"Hmm... Huh...? Ayasaki-san..." He rises up from his bed. "What is it? What time is it...?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Moo, Negi!" Anya, Negi's childhood friend and classmate, entered the room.

Bonk! "Ah!" She throwed a book at Negi's face.

"You're so lazy! Can't you see that Ayasaki-san is gonna be late for the final examination because of you!"

"No, it's okay. Besides, I can't go to the exam without you two. It requires three students in a group." Hayate said, trying to defend his best friend.

"Ahh... Anya... You don't have to throw books at me in the morning..." The ten year old boy said rubbing his face.

"Anyway, hurry up and get dressed up! We're gonna be late for our final examination!" Anya said.

"Okay, okay. I'll just changed into my uniform." Negi said removing his pajamas while Anya is still in the room, much to her embarrassment.

"Gyaah! Baka Negi! Wait for me to come out of your room first!" She said as she exited the room.

"Ha ha... You two really know each other very much, don't you, Springfield?" Hayate said.

"Ah. She and I have known each other for ten years now. She always come and visit me and Nekane-onee-chan." Negi puts on his green school unform.

"Ah... Your cousin will be coming over to see you here in the academy. This is will be our final test so let's give it all we got!"

"Ah! Let's!"

Later, at the academy's auditorium...

Igor, the academy's grandmaster, is at the pondium on the stage, about to give the students some encouragement. "My dear dear students, you all have done a splendid performance in your training and study here in our academy. I am proud of all of you and now we shall reward you with the opportunity to prove yourselves once and for all, that you can now leave the academy and use your powers to seek the Truth that you all have searched in your lives. I bid you all the blessing of Truth, and good luck!"

"Yay!" "Yeah!" A lot of the students are enlightened by Igor's words.

"Yeah! Let's do it!" Hayate said with enthuasm.

"Yeah!" Negi cheered.

"Well then, everyone, please proceed to your assign groups and proceed to the field outside of this auditorium where your final trial will begin." Margaret, an assistant of Igor, said. A lot of students exit the auditorium.

"Ja, we better get outside as well." Negi said to Hayate and Anya.

"Hm. Our final test is about to start at last!" Anya said excitedly.

"Ara, you three seems very prepared for your final test." Nekane Springfield, Negi's cousin, said as she approached the trio.

"Ah, onee-chan! You came!" Negi said.

"Nekane-san, it's nice of you to come." Hayate said.

"Ha ha. I could never miss Negi's final test. He will soon become a full pledge persona-user after all."

"That's right. But... Negi still needs someone to watch over him since he's only ten." Anya said putting Negi's spirit down.

"Hey come on, you don't have to discourage Springfield, Anya-san. Ora, everyone is already outside. We better get there too. Come on." Hayate said gently pushing Negi towards outside. Anya and Nekane follow.

At the field...

All of the candidates are all line up with three members on their group. Margaret is in front. "Well then, I shall now explain to you on how to proceed through your final trial. We have dispatched some Shadows in the forest up ahead. All of you are required to dispatch only one of them. Once you dispatch one of the Shadows, return here immediately. If any of you failed however, you will be immediately transported out of the forest and into the infirmary and will be marked that you have failed your final trial and will have to repeat for an entire year. Understood?"

"Hai!" All of the candidates said.

"Well then, I wish you all good luck! And please do be careful! Grand master Igor would not want any of his beloved students to be harmed in this trial."

"Hai!" All of the groups have split up and head for the forest with weapons in hand.

"Sa, we better get moving." Hayate said.

"Ah!" Negi said with enthuasm.

"But we only need to defeat one Shadow right? Once we do that, we should get back here immediately." Anya adviced.

"Ah, we know. Sa, we'll be going now onee-chan."

"Hm. Please do be careful you three." Nekane said.

"Hai!" Negi and Anya said as they headed for the forest with Hayate taking the lead.

In the woods...

Rustle, rustle, rustle... The three made their way through woods with no suprise attacks from any Shadows that could be anywhere in the woods. "..." Anya is feeling nervous because of the silence that is surrounding the three of them as they walk further into the forest. "Hey... Don't you guys think that it's kinda odd that is so quiet in here...?"

"Hmm... Well, everyone went to different directions so... I guess this path that we took is kinda far away from theirs." Hayate said.

"Y-Yeah... I guess..." Anya's nervousness didn't fade as they continue deeper into the forest.

Rustle, rustle... Rustle! "...!" The three of them heard a loud rustle sound from their left.

"Wh-What was that!"

Negi observes their surrounding. ...Nothing is seen moving so... Rustle! "...!" The loud rustle is heard again! This time at their right.

Hayate draws our his rapier just in case danger approaches. "Something... is here..." He said being observant of the surrounding. Negi and Anya also draws out their weapons with Negi as a short sword and Anya is a staff.

...Rustle! "Grooaarr!" ...! Two Shadows!

"Two!" Anya exclaimed.

"Guh..." Hayate and Negi take a few step back.

"Grooaarr!" "Grrooaarr!" The two Shadows, that have the appearance of a bull with a humanoid body, draw closer.

"Tch. This is our test..." Negi thought. "I won't back out!" He charges towards the two Shadows!

"Springfield!" "Negi!" His two group members yelled.

"Ahh!" Flash! Negi summoned his persona card, crushed it then...! "Come, Izanagi!" *Ziodyne* Shock! A lightning bolt struck down one of the Shadows but was not enought to incapacitate it.

"Grooaarr!" Angered by Negi, the Shadow puts its hands together and raise it for a slam attack on the boy.

"Springfield!" Flash! Hayate quickly summoned his persona card, crushed it, summoning his persona, Helel, and blocked the Shadow's attack with his rapier and his persona.

"Grooaarr!" The other Shadow performs the same attack on him.

"Hn!" Slam! Whoosh! He managed to jump out of the way!

"Grr...Ahh!" Not wanting to just watch, Anya charges forward with her staff in hand. She summons her persona card, crush it, summoning her persona, Alice, then...! "Alice!" *Mamudoon* A black mist surrounds the two Shadows.

"Grooaarr!" ...It did not do anything to them however.

"What!"

Clash! "These Shadows are immune to darkness! Don't use it Anya-san!" Clash! Hayate exclaimed as he fight off the two Shadows along with his persona, Helel.

"Hiyaa!" Clash! Negi, along with his persona, Izanagi, jumped upward and attacked the second Shadow with his sword but the Shadow stopped it with its bare hands. Claaash...! Clash! The Shadow pushed him back.

"Grooaarr!" The Shadow then jumps toward him with its mouth wide open!

"Hn!" Whoosh! Crash! Negi managed to avoid the attack.

Clash! Clash! Slash! Hayate continues battling the first Shadow. "Hn! Hnnggh...!" He pushes it back.

"Grooaarr!" It then performed the same first attack that it performed earlier on him again!

Whoosh! Crash! Hayate jumped out of the way again. Anya watches her two group members fight while she just stands there, feeling helpless. "...I... ...I'm useless... Why can't I... Why can't I...!" She thought as she holds her staff tightly. "I want to help!" Tap, tap! She charges forward again.

"Anya, look out!" Negi yelled out.

"Huh!"

"Grooaarr!" Crash!

"Gyaah!" One of the Shadows slammed the ground, causing her to lose balance.

"Grooarr!" The Shadow then grabbed her.

"Gya!"

"Anya!" "Anya-san!" Negi and Hayate exclaimed.

"Negi! Save me!"

"Dammit...! Now what...!" Hayate thought.

"Anya!" Negi exclaimed.

"If we don't do something, we're going to fail our final examination. There must be something we can do...!" He thought of a way and then...

"Ja, take this then..." ...! A voice said in his head... Flash!

"...!" Both he and Negi are suprised at the two glowing cards that appeared in front of them.

"Grr...?" The Shadows turn to the glowing cards.

"Gghh... Hm...?" Anya, while struggling to break free of the Shadow's grasp, also noticed the glow. "That's..."

Flaash! The two cards merged with Hayate and Negi. "..." They feel stronger... renewed... as all of the fog within them has lifted, allowing their true selves to emerge...

"Now, go show there delusionary beings reality!" The voice said.

"...Hmph." The two smile confidently then... "Persona!" Flash! They summon their personas then...! "Hiyaa!" Slice, slice!

"Grooaarr!" Negi managed to cut off the Shadow's arm that is holding Anya and Hayate sliced off the left arm of the other Shadow.

"Ah..." Anya is freed from the Shadow's arm and watches the two take care of the Shadows.

"Hiyaa!" Slice, slice, slice! Hayate and Negi performed various slash attacks on the Shadows!

"Grooaarr!" Causing them to fall on the ground!

"Now's our chance! Let's go for an all out attack!" Hayate exclaimed.

"Ah! Let's go Ayasaki!"

"Huaa!" They both charge towards the Shadows then...! Slice, Shock, Ablaze! Various attacks are performed on the Shadows, creating a smoke screen. Both Hayate and Negi then jumped away from the two then..! "Huaa!" *Thunder Reign* *Morning Star* They fire their most powerful attacks!

BOOM!" Grooaarr!" The Shadows are defeated and dissolve into nothing.

"Yeah!" "We did it!" Hayate and Negi exclaimed happily.

"Ah..." Anya is left staring at the both of them. She then turns to Negi. "Negi... You..." The word "Awesome" is on her thought as she continues staring at Negi.

The two then turn to her. "Anya! Thank goodness you're safe!" Negi said smiling.

"Negi..." She smiles at her childhood friend... and crush.

"..." Hayate gives off a delightened smile at the two childhood friends.

"Hua...! Fua... Fua...!" Negi is suddenly about to sneeze.

"...!" And Hayate knows that's not good! "O-Oi! Springfield! Don't-!"

"Achoo!"

"Gyaah!" Anya's clothing is blown away by his sneeze, stripping her! "Negi, you idiot-!"

Later... At the field...

"Hmm... Those three still haven't return..." Margarete said checking the time.

"I wonder what happened to those three..." Nekane said worriedly.

"Ah, they have returned." Igor, who came to check on the students, said as he spotted the trio coming out of the forest.

"Ah! There you are." Margarete said.

"Negi! Anya! Hayate-kun!" Nekane exclaimed relieved.

"Heeyy!" "Well done Ayasaki!" "You too Negi!" "Way to go Anya!" The other students ran up to the trio, praising them.

"Ha ha. Thanks!" Hayate said rubbing the back of his head.

"Thanks a lot everyone." Negi said smiling.

"It was nothing!" Anya said pridefully.

"Negi..." Nekane embraces her little cousin. "Congratulations. You have passed."

"Ah. It's thanks to Anya's and Ayasaki-san's help that I have passed."

"Well done. You did a marvelous performance you three. Now, all of you are full pledged persona-users! You all have now the strength to seek the Truth that you all are searching for!" Igor praised.

"Yeah!" All of the students exclaimed happily.

Later... After the graduation...

All of the students passed their test and were given specific locations on where to begin their journey for the Truth. Hayate, Negi, Anya and Nekane are walking down the hall, talking about where the three are assigned to. Anya is assigned to London. "I'll be going to Londo! Negi, Ayasaki-san where are two headed for?" She asked the two.

"Well..." They both look at their "contract" papers.

"It's showing now..." Negi said as the location is shown magically on their papers.

"Get... Back...kers... In Japan!" They both exclaimed.

"Hey! That's where I'm from!" Hayate said.

"Getbackers! What does that mean!" Negi asked.

"Well... Uh... We... Well it's a job that is... well, we give back those that has been stolen. We also rescue those who have been kignapped. It's like a detective job... ha ha... ha."

"EH! Isn't this too dangerous for you two!" Nekane asked.

"Yeah! And besides, Negi is still too young for this kind of job!" Anya said looking at Negi's "contract" paper.

"W-Well... I'm 16 so I'm qualified for it but as for Springfield..." Hayate turns to his best friend. He remembers what they did to the woods earlier. He thinks that he'll be able to watch over Negi and that he is capable to defend himself from dangers but as for his... "...What do you say, Springfield? Are you up for it?"

"...Yes! I'll do my best!" Negi said with determination.

"...Okay. Ja, I'll watch over him." Hayate said.

"And so the journey begins... To the Promised Land..." The voice earlier said.

End of Prologue.