Helloooo~ long time no see guys! Here we go for the chapter 4!
I won't blabber anything from start, I just stated that the next chapter is my favorite chapter ever~ XD
Thanks for everyone who drop in reviews~ I'm really grateful for it! Now onto the story!
Disclaimer - I don't even own any of K-ON amazing character, and I don't own any of Persona series characters and other resources, I only own the story idea ^^
Perspective 04
Perjury
Much to Yui surprise, she does awaken in the Velvet Room, again. She's still sit in the same comfy blue sofa, faced the long-nosed owner of the room with his irreplaceable, yet elegant assistant in white hair and blue uniform as dark as the color of the room, sits in the longer couch. The elevator background still never stops, it's like a never ending life cycle.
There's no difference in the room—besides Igor who is smiles more sophisticated than ever—even Margaret frowned upon the look of her master, the brunette doesn't notice it, though.
"What's wrong, Igor-jiisan?"
"Nothing," he chuckles. "I am impressed about your journey, that's all I can say now."
"Then, what's the problem today?" Yui asked.
"Ah…so you can tell…" he shrugged. "I want to ask some word to you, young lady. This is... rather complicated. Please listen carefully."
Yui silenced. She then seriously heard the details.
"Light and darkness, action or reaction, friendship or betrayal…what'll you chooses?" he tilts her head. "That's what I'm asking into you. Answer it carefully, I will not give you any time limit, you can answer those at anytime."
The words dazed Yui, she want to answer, but she doesn't have any answer she wants to. It's just…the question wasn't hard but, she felt something differently. Like Igor telling something regarding her future.
"Until then, farewell…"
/
Rather long weekend with an addition of national holiday finally passed, and today the whole group starts the school again. It has been a good two weeks without any missing info, and good news, Mio has been fully recovered, so she can join the party now. They highly hope that Mio can make a good addition for the party—well, as hopeless hope from Ritsu and Yui said. Well, Mio's skill with lance advanced rapidly—her Persona also has a great agility so it can match her own spear's improvement. Sometimes, they'll go to Remnant Time to practice if Azusa isn't coming to club to bombard her usual airhead senpai who's always prefer to enjoy Mugi's cakes instead of practicing. They have been balanced their music skill as well as the Persona's—behind Azusa's supervision, though.
Quite bright Tuesday morning greeted the town, engulfed the town with a shine of peace.
Not for that girl.
A girl inside a tiny room that morning, restlessly breathed through the air while crouches to the corner. Shards of glass scattered on floor, kind of bright liquid filled the floor, the bed is all mess, and clothes crumpled everywhere in sight.
The room's really messed up as how that girl look. She looks…hurt, lifeless and pale, like a zombie who avoid sun—or rather, a psychotic person who runs out of its insanity. Her sweat's dripped down like there's no tomorrow while her hand clutched her chest. She mumbled something in between her pants.
"Wait..." she said. "A little...longer..."
/
Another girl taking a hard time today, too.
She dashed from her home—didn't have any chance to take her breakfast or bring her lunch box—right to the train station and finally arrived at school fortunately before the bell rang. Her black long hair forgot to be tied, too. Yeah, Nakano Azusa seems to have a bad day, she overslept because she watched some horror movie late to midnight and here she are, flustered, out-of-breath and she looked quite a mess—not only because she didn't tied her hair, she forgot to put into her shirt and tied her tie.
"Huff…" she pants while falls to her knees, keep her breath in order. "Note to self, don't over watch any horror movies, even on weekends…"
Azusa takes more steps forward to her class in hurry after hearing the bell chimes. She stopped abruptly when she hears some familiar person chatting over the hallway.
"You have been acting more serious, Yui. What's up?" Ritsu walked beside Yui, her hand shoved inside her blazer pocket.
"I-Is it?" Yui looked at Ritsu—almost in disbelief. "O-oh, maybe because I think something too much,"
"H, huh? You think about something?" Ritsu stood agape. "Why, don't think too many, that isn't like you! You must be like your usual self—well, like you once told me!"
"Okay…~?" Yui replied with an innocent look. "Okay then, Ricchan! It's not good to be all serious!"
"What're you thinking about?"
"Ehehe, I dunno myself~" said Yui with cheerful tone.
"Oh well…Yui is Yui after all…" Ritsu slapped her own forehead. "Then, what's the plan for today? We don't have anyone to rescue again, right?"
"H, Huh? Ritsu-senpai…?" Azusa stops and silently hides below the stairs. Something floods her mind about what her drummer senpai said earlier. "What is she talking about?"
"I dunno Ricchan," Yui replies. "Since Azunyan doesn't come to the club, why don't we relax and have some tea?"
"Uhh, okay then…?" Ritsu couldn't help but grinned. "Save it for later. Better go, or Sawa-chan'll whip our foreheads!"
"R-Roger, Ricchan!"
After the two senpais dashed through the upper stairs, the black cat reveals herself from her disguise. She looks somewhat frown, she mumbles as she walk through to her class. She's silenced as have been hearing some bad issues.
'Persona? Remnant Time? W, what in the world are those?' she kept with her thoughts. Why they didn't tell me anything…? Or I must ask them myself?'
The school lessons passed quickly, and Azusa doesn't lift off from same topic on her mind.
Persona, Remnant Time...
Why they keep those things as a secret from her? And about her senpais recent disappearance. Something bothers her very much, she keep herself company between classes while her chin rested on her hands. She wants to ask her senpai about this, but in other hand she thinks that it'll be futile attempt to do. Besides, she would be uncomfortable for asking those questions. Why they keep it secret from her in first place?
"Azusa-chan, what's wrong?" the younger Hirasawa approached her desk, giving a wary-look.
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just thinking," Azusa replied solemnly. "Ui, Is there anything different from Yui-senpai lately?"
"Different…? Now that you mention it…" Ui hanged her head low. "She seems to hang out more with Dojima-san,"
"Dojima? You mean that new transfer student at our class? Why?"
"Sorry, I dunno." Ui shook her head. "I asked nee-chan yesterday and she said it's a coincidence for them to meet,"
"I see," Azusa's black eyes darts off somewhere. "Then, I must prove it myself…"
"Wait, about our study plan?" Ui reminded her.
"Sorry, I need to do this today so…I declined it."
She packs all her belongings and goes off the classroom straight to the clubroom. But, she doesn't come inside, she waits outside and eavesdrop the conversation—what a trick to stalk someone. She hears some voices inside, look like her four senpais are inside with the transfer student Dojima Nanako that Ui talked about earlier.
'They seem to be having fun without me…huh?' Azusa frowns.
"Hello everyone!" a cheerful tone of Nanako can be heard.
"Yay! So from now on I wouldn't be in charge for party stuff because we already have Mio-chuan!"
"You idiot! You should repair more your way of fighting!" Mio slaps Ritsu's head.
"Hmhm, it's okay Mio-chan, we'll counting on you!" Mugi cheered as she brewing tea to the teapot and shares the usual cake. "Nanako-chan, your appearance today is truly different!"
Now that Mugi mention about it, that's actually right. Instead of her brown hair being pigtailed like the rest of other day, she kept her hair untied—also with pink-framed glasses that now hung in front of her eyes.
"It really suits you, Dojima~" Ritsu commented shortly.
"Ah, my eyesight going bad recently so I kept using my glasses…"
"Um, everyone, you should at least take this seriously. We're risking our life in line, remember?" The raven-haired girl sighed. "Ritsu, you rely too much on your Fire skills! I know your Persona have a great agility but it can't endure heavy attacks!"
"Y, Yes madam!" Ritsu practically defeated.
"You too, Yui! Don't mess up on the front line because you're the leader. Your weaknesses are high priority to be avoided for, thanks you have great amount of luck in your Persona."
"Ehh, okay I'll do my best~" Yui grinned, quite as defeated as how Ritsu looks now.
"Mugi, you should watch over yourself more." Mio changed to look over the blonde. "Your Persona agility and vitality is low, you can be knocked easily if you aren't aware of it."
"But Mugi-chan has a lot endurance more than my Persona and others have right?" said Yui. "She can endure everything~"
"But still…" Mio sighed. "She's our main healer after all,"
"It's alright, Mio-chan. I'll be sure to watch over myself." The blonde smiled.
"So, what'll we do today, senpai?" Nanako asked, curious.
"At first I wanna practice music today but…" Ritsu told her plan. "It'll be best for us to visit Remnant Time to train!"
"Geez, it must be another excuse to miss the club activity, huh?" Mio sighed as she tastes her strawberry cake that's in front of her. "Then what about Azusa-chan?"
"She doesn't have any Persona yet, so we still shut up about this thing," Ritsu answered.
Yui already stand by in front of her strawberry cake. "Ui said that Azusa will study today—"
Without more consideration, Azusa clears her own throat, and calls loudly in front of the club room, "Senpai…"
Meanwhile, Junes
Sawako, after the last homeroom session goes here in her own accord alone. She needs to talk with Yukari about the matter they discussed some while ago. It has been weeks since the last time Sawako contacted Yukari. They decide to meet in the food court inside some new-branded supermarket which's open sometime ago—named Junes. The nurse said that she'll call over her friends today and discuss the info that she finds, but after a certain thirty minutes, Yukari didn't showed up. The glasses-teacher sighed in discontent while gulped down her fourth can of coffee she bought from nearby drinking machine.
"Sorry, we're late, Sawako!" Yukari high-pitched voice can be heard through the alleyway of food court, she comes to vision with a green short-haired woman who is wearing a green turtleneck below her raven cardigan.
"It's okay, at least I got what I wanted," Sawako grins. She's grateful, because it's not Ritsu who makes her angry.
"Let me introduce my friend first, she's Yamagishi Fuuka. She currently works for Kirijo Group's computer administrators."
"Kirijo…? I think I have heard that name…oh well." Sawako tilted her glasses. "So, got any good thing to report?"
"Right, here's papers of detailed information about the pills," Fuuka handed out few papers to Sawako's hand. "The medicine is banned to be produced over years, but how do she get it?"
"No one knows that for sure, Fuuka." Yukari sighed. "I hope it doesn't any more Strega or whatnot…"
Sawako flipped off the papers, suddenly her eyes turned wide. She then skimmed through all the pages with terrified look. "H, Hey… are you serious about this side effect!"
Yukari sweated. "I-I thought you know it already!"
"I thought it only makes people paralyzed!" Sawako panicked. "But…it can make the user died?"
"Y-Yes, after a certain test in 2000, they prove it. That those medicines' side effect is lethal." Fuuka explained the content. "It will restrain the Persona from killing their master, but they'll be killed instead by the medicine's side effects."
"O-Oh my god…" the glasses teacher dropped the entire pages she holds to the floor. "This is bad, really bad."
"Huh? What do you mean, Sawako?
"You two, come with me to the town police office, now!"
/
The lively conversations are broke by only one word that the twin-pigtailed girl made. The blonde ojou-sama even drops her expensive teapot; Yui drops her own strawberry, while the other looks in terror.
Azusa, that girl hears everything.
"Azu-nyan, I can explain this!" Yui is the first person who breaks the silent moment between them.
"No, I don't need to hear more. I understand!" she barely yells. "Do whatever you like!"
The raven pigtailed kouhai jets back through stairs, the brunette quickly follows her direction while keep calling the kouhai's name.
"Uhh—what're we waiting for? Let's chase after them!" Mio hitting the desk, four of them rashly follow where Azusa and Yui go. They splitting up roads, yet Azusa keeps on running. Her crimson eyes already wet with tears—unknown from the angry or sad feelings. Before Yui knows, Azusa twists her direction to the toilet—bumping some of her friends in process.
"W, Wha—! H-Hey! Was that Azusa?" Ui asked Jun. "She was crying…"
"Dunno, but she's goes to the restroom direction…" Jun shifted her way. "Wanna chase her?"
CLICK!
Azusa locked herself in one of the room, she begins to sob uncontrollably. 'Why… am I crying? I should be happy, right…?' she desperately wiped her tears. 'They abandon me, and they're happy—what more I can ask…? I should be happy if they're happy even without me… I'm—!'
"Are you in a problem?" rustic voices suddenly echoes, Azusa yelps in surprise. "I'll help you out of your problem."
"W, who's this?" she steps back to the door, shivers. "What's the thing that you offered to me?"
"I repeat, I'm offering you my help." the voice answers. "But I'll ask one thing in return."
"What is it…?"
"Revenge,"
After seconds passed, there're no more sobs can be heard through the toilet—even from the room that the raven-haired kouhai entered.
…
"Azunyan! Azunyaaaan!"
Yui shrieked from hall to hall. There's no answer. Instead, she's meeting again with Ritsu, Mugi, Nanako and Mio at the intersection of second floor.
"Found anything, Mugi?" Ritsu panted.
"N, No, I have been into entire sophomores' classroom but there's no clue of her," Mugi shook her head.
Nanako cued her senpais. "Let's search for her once again. We must clear up this misunderstanding."
At a minute, Ui and Jun comes to the party together with a relieved mixed anxious look upon their faces. "There you are neechan!"
"…What's up, Ui? Are you taking a jog with Jun-chan?"
"Sorry senpai, this is no joke." Jun barely added, "Azusa's missing!"
"WHAT!"
"F, for real! Don't be kidding!" Ritsu stuttered a little while looks upset.
"It's the truth, senpai. When we're following Azusa, we can't found her anywhere inside the toilet!" Ui frowned, crystal of tears streaming down from her brown eyes. "Neechan, w, where's Azusa…?"
The older Hirasawa wiped the tears on the younger one cheek. "Calm down, Ui. We'll be sure to find her!" she comforting her little sister with a big thumb of promise.
"You're pretty confident, senpai." Nanako amazed by how her senpai act.
"Do you mean that Azusa's still somewhere inside school, Yui?" Mio signaled.
"That means—"Mugi's words cuts by Ritsu's.
"Yeah, she must be there."
Yui nodded by the party reaction, she then patted the two of her underclassmen—which is puzzled. "Ui-chan, Jun-chan, wait here, okay?"
"I'll call Sawa-chan and we need to prepare ourselves, we'll be there in time!" Ritsu said restlessly.
As the two underclassmen watching their senpais retreating back, they begin to wonder. What have happened and what they have been missed.
Meanwhile, Police Office
As three women bombards inside the empty police station, there's only a detective available behind the counter. He looks more speechless as his dark brown eyes caught the sight of women excluding Sawako. The women which saw the detective even looks more in disbelief.
"Shinjiro-senpai…?" Fuuka's the first person who broke the silence.
"Huh? You guys already know him?" Sawako tilted her glasses. "This'll be easier then…"
"W, why are you guys here?" Shinjiro shrugged. "And, it seems you already have your own question for me, don't look at me with those terrified eyes, I hate it."
"Senpai, excuse us for asking this but…is the girl named Dojima Nanako lived here with you?" Yukari interrogated. "You must know what's my next question is, regarding your job."
"I see that the teacher figured it out…huh?" the male detective moves his eyes unconsciously. "Yeah, she's been in Aki's care for two years as her father's somewhere outside Japan…"
"Then what about the suppressants, senpai?" Fuuka directly asks. "She…ingested those things, right?"
"…She…, well…"
Shinjiro's explanation was interrupted by the loud voice from Sawako's cell phone—a heavy metal one ringtone. Ritsu's calling in.
"What's up, Ricchan?" Sawako suddenly gasps after she heard the explanation of the Houkago Tea Time drummer. "Miss…missing! O-Oh right, I'll be late but I'm sure I'll be there…right…yes, just go without me…"
"What's wrong, Sawako?" Yukari asked in concern.
"One of my pupils has been gone missing in the Remnant Time…" Sawako sighed heavily. "She doesn't have any potential…at all,"
"Then…Nanako must be there too, huh?" Shinjiro's eyes widened, he punches the police counter rather abruptly. "Damn, this is dangerous! I forgot something! I forgot what today is!"
"H, Huh? Forgot about what, senpai?" asks Fuuka.
"Hey you, teach! Show us the Remnant Time; I'm going to stop this!"
/
The whole party members gather inside the clubroom. Yui isn't around, Mio suggested to find the school map instead of waiting for Sawako to come—it'll be wasting their time—so Yui decide to find the map herself while others preparing for infiltrating the Remnant Time. With a sudden quick mind-set inside her brain, she paced herself to go to the Student Council Room, she's confident that the map would be there—with her bestfriend.
"Nodoka-chan!" she opens the door room while calls for the Student Council President as well as her long-last best friend—Manabe Nodoka. The mentioned person is currently inside the room, checking some papers and books.
"Hmm? Oh, it's rare for you to be here, Yui." Nodoka gives a deep statement. Yui only pouted for reaction. "What's up?"
"Do you have school map, Nodoka-chan? I want to borrow it now, please!"
"…Well, just get it inside the drawer…I'll get it for you." The council president stands up from her seat and pulls out rather large piece of paper from the drawer. "Here, umm… what's this for?"
"Sorry, can't tell you yet!" Yui take out the paper from Nodoka and runs away outside the room.
"Hey Yui, wait—Oh boy…"
/
Light Music Clubroom
Four remaining party members are sitting calmly, rotating the square table with wary-look. They're waiting for their leader to come back, they already prepared what's available—weapons, medical kits, and such. Nanako and Mugi still busy with their weapons as Ritsu and Mio restlessly waited for Yui.
"Are we going separately, senpai?" asks Nanako.
"That may be the quickest way to find Azusa, but…I don't know if Yui will agree or not. Besides, Sawako-sensei isn't here, so we're out of reach for scanning floors." Mio replied matter-of-factly. "Oh there she is!"
Yui arrived with a big grin across her face. "Here's the map!"
"Then, what's the plan, leader?" Ritsu smiled—hoping for a genuine answer. "If you don't have any plan then…I'm agree with Nanako's plan for going separately,"
"But don't go alone!" Yui interrupted. "Ricchan, you're with Mio-chan. I'll go with Nana-chan and Mugi-chan!"
"Sounds fine," Mio agreed. "Then, let's go!"
/
Remnant Time, Dark Sakuragaoka High
The school layout changed. It's different from the first time that Mugi trapped inside. It's more…plain and simple rather than fancy. The school is wrapped with bright light— and it's not from a light bulb—the whole wall is painted white and the floor is colored by checkered black and white. As for the atmosphere, it's far beyond where Mugi and Mio was—the air feels lighter and happier.
Ritsu and Mio group starts from third floor, Yui and the rest starts from the lowest floor. Their only help is a piece of map, no Sawako for scans the enemies or floors.
"Nana-chan, watch out where you step." Yui patted Nanako's shoulder.
"Oh, right away, senpai!"
"Mugi-chan, don't attack first. Remember what Mio-chan said earlier?" Yui took one of Mugi's hands gently.
Slow but steady, the three advancing through. They checked every room in the first floor that they can see. But for some reason, they can't reach the second floor—even they can't found the stairs as well.
"Wow, Yui-chan, you're like a great leader!" Mugi grinned in awe. "Your direction's really helpful!"
"Hehee, thanks for the compliment, Mugi-chan~" Yui smiled. "It's Ricchan's way to command so I followed it!"
SCREEECH!
"What's over there, senpai?" Nanako pointed at teacher room. "I hear some sounds coming from that direction,"
/
Meanwhile, Dark Sakuragaoka High, 3rd floor
Mio and Ritsu have been searching all the way up there, clubrooms, even their classroom, everything is empty. Same as the other party, they found no stairs to go down, so they're stuck inside their own homeroom, 3-2, after double-checking all the rooms.
"Mio…How 'bout we check the restroom, too?" Ritsu playfully sat on her own desk, faced Mio who's standing next to her.
"Come to think of it, Azusa was missing inside the toilet, right? Maybe we can find some clues!" Mio's grey eyes are flashing. "How can you be this smarter, Ritsu?"
"Aww, that's hurt, Mio-chuaaaan~" Ritsu comically moves like she has been hit with a crucial attack. "I don't know…maybe because of Yui's influence,"
"Huh? Yui? What do you mean?" Mio puzzled.
"Well, she seems a bit serious and matured, don't you feel?" Ritsu thoughtfully explained. "She's so…responsible, and has a sense of leadership,"
"I see what you mean…" Mio nodded in agreement. "…Now, we need to hurry."
/
Faculty Office, Dark Sakuragaoka High
As the three students entered the room, there is only one thing that caught their eyes. There's a big shadow blocking the way to the other door of the room—it's not shadows of true self, it's like an ordinary shadow, but indeed, a powerful and a big one.
They greeted by mass spam of electricity skill—which made the shadow gain an initiative moves. Nanako followed shadow's pattern, she releasing her Cruel Attack quite in timing, Yui shot out her series of Garu skill and Mugi in charge for healing. The shadow's attack has its pattern, it constantly attacking with electricity and casting few stat-lowering skills, but it's not easy to dodge.
"Gh—!" the bespectacled girl recovered after been knocked back. "Nemesis, Cruel Attack!"
Strangely, in short period of time, the shadow vanished completely.
"Wow, it's weaker than I thought~!" Yui exclaimed, puffed her chest. "It was reaaaaally big."
"Maybe that shadow was the key to reach next floor?" Mugi shrugged.
"That's possible; now let's go check it out, senpai."
/
Dark Sakuragaoka High, 3rd Floor restroom
"Mio…" Ritsu sighed heavily. "How come there's buncha shadows here…?"
The two are standing back to back, surrounded by numerous black things inside the tiny restroom. Mio gripped her spear tightly as she began to thrust back for opening road.
"Onmoraki, Maragilao!" fire made its way to pierce some shadows, but more shadows are coming near them.
"I said before, don't overdo your skills—Grh, Mizuchi, Mabufula!" few of shadows that made its way to Mio's leg had been frozen and vanished.
Ritsu ducked down the ice skill that Mio unleashed, she slashes back at the shadow. "I know, I know. But this is emergency, we're surrounded!"
"Yeah I see…-hey, watch out!" Mio held Ritsu's hand tight, made the brunette dodged ice attack that shadows targeted to her.
"Thanks!" the brunette somersaulted and managed to get some shadows down with both of her kunai. "Be careful, some of them are using fire skills!"
Mio circled forth, she thrusting her spear in twisted way. "Got it!"
/
Dark Sakuragaoka High, 1st floor hallway
They finally found unblocked stairs after some routings against hallways. The trio rose up to stairs quickly, but sadly, a force pulled Mugi and Nanako backwards—forbid them to go upstairs while Yui already stepped into the next floor.
"H, Huh? Why can't we go forward?" Mugi blinked twice as she tried.
"I, It's no use senpai. I think we have to wait—" Nanako's dialogue stopped as she realized something. She then poked into her blonde senpai shoulder, requesting her to turn back from her useless tries. "S, Senpai? Please look back,"
"What's wrong Nana—"
Mass number of shadows has been gathered behind the two, as Yui realized that she's alone reaching the 2nd floor with no option to go back to the previous floor. She's worried, but she can't go back. Sudden silence drifted along the shiny hall.
"Who's that?" a heavy, rustic voice echoed through walls.
"Kyaaaa~" Yui shrieked rather cutely.
"Whoa, sorry! Did I surprise you?" a silhouette of boy came to sight. He has a messed silver hair, and wore green hooded jacket with a black short. "I-I-I apologize!"
"That's okay," Yui grinned at him. "Do you happen to see Azu-nyan?"
"Azu-nyan? Who's Azunyan?" the boy's puzzled.
"O, oh, you don't know about her?" Yui pouted.
"You mean that pigtailed girl? Oh, she's my brother's client." The boy signaled.
"So you know her! Then where's her?"
"I dunno, but she must be on this floor." The boy darted his eyes everywhere. "Why are you searching her? You're Persona-user, eh?"
"W-Whoaaa~ you know about me!" the brunette grinned widely. "You're really smart! What's your name, little kid?"
"I'm not little!" the boy denied. "Me? I'm Hypnos."
"Hypnos…? That's a strange name…" Yui tilted her head; she offered her hand to the boy. "Whatever… It's nice to meet you, Hypnos-kun! My name is Hirasawa Yui!"
"H, Hm? I-It's nice to meet you, Hirasawa-san." The boy somehow felt embarrassed as she took the other girl's hand, doing a friendly handshake.
Thou art I, and I am thou
Thou have been blessed to bestow skills of Persona of Fortune Arcana
After some idly chat, the boy is going to leave her alone.
"Umm, Hirasawa-san was it?" the boy named Hypnos turned back before he goes. "You're…quite similar to my client."
"…Huh?" was only the brunette reaction before the boy disappeared into the bright light.
Downstairs, the fight wasn't going alright. The two's outnumbered and out skilled. Nanako panted heavily as she finished the 10th shadows that busted their way. The kouhai attempted to keep her senpai in minimal action—as how Mio have warned, but…
"Nemesis—urgh!"
Suddenly Nanako fallen to her knees, her evoker released abruptly from her hold. She broke in cold sweat, and she looks pained.
"Nanako-chan? W-What's wrong!" the blonde want to checked to her kouhai, but shadows made their way to swarm the two.
"N, No, senpai…stay…back!" she coughed, supporting her body with both hands.
"…You're the ones who must rest." Mugi patted the kouhai's head gently. "I know from the beginning you're unusually pale, Nanako-chan."
"H, Huh? You…know…?"
"That's why I told you you're different today, but I decide to keep it secret so everyone didn't have to worry more but it turned out like this…I'm sorry."
"No…need to be sorry, sen…pai." Her voice struck inside her throat. "I don't want anyone…to worry…"
"Yeah, me too. But you need to worry about your condition now." Mugi took out her evoker from her blazer pocket. "Maybe I'm not that strong as Ricchan or as awesome as our leader, but it's time to fight." She put her evoker gently to her forehead.
"Persona,"
/
Outside the school gate, four adults standing in determined face. Two of the four releasing her Persona, began to look inside the school.
"Found anything, Yamagishi?" Shinjiro quietly spoke.
"Yes, there's some unbelievable amount of shadow gathered in two areas. The first floor and the third floor," Fuuka explained thoughtfully. "But I don't sense any Persona-user…not even a life."
"But Yamagishi, I found persons, not shadows. There's two person each first and third floor, and only one inside the second floor." Sawako interrupted. "This is really a confusing reading."
"How about we splitting our way then, senpai?" said Yukari. "I'm into first floor; you can handle the third floor."
"…Okay." The mentioned senpai clenched his axe then jumped inside school gate.
/
"Hamaon."
One by one, shadow disappeared as Mugi casted as many as instant death skills that she could do. She could risk herself for casting bigger skills but she wouldn't have any chance to heal herself by then. She adapted to fight in astonishing rate; at least she can do all work, stabbing shadows with her knife, temporarily disbanded few of them with skills and heals herself if she's severely wiped. However, she's badly outnumbered.
"Sen…pai…are you okay…?"
"It's alright; I can keep up with this."
"So that's why…" Nanako paused. "Person…who awakened to…ugh…pure Persona…can do this far…"
Mugi could hear the words. "…What do you mean?"
"N-Nothing…" she coughed again.
One of numerous shadows in front of Mugi is casted darkness skill. The blue orbs twitched as the darkness began to swell around her, absorbing and not letting her go.
"S—Senpai, NO!" Nanako reached for her senpai's hand.
"Isis, Garudyne!"
Too bad the gust of wind came seconds to late. Gladly that Mugi's Persona has a high level of endurance so she can endure that Mudo, although she's severely injured.
"You guys okay?"
"You—Nurse Takeba!" Nanako coughed after responded. "H, How! Why are you here?"
"It's long story." Yukari sighed. "Here, Mediarahan!"
Gentle light warped around the three, made Mugi stood again on her own two feet and made Nanako felt somehow relaxed, she finally recovered from her sudden collapse.
"Now, help me out with this handful of shadows!" Yukari aimed her bow to the group of shadows, her commands remained sharp. "C'mon, it has been years since I last encountering shadows, you need to help me! We need to be quick, and we must reach upstairs!"
/
"Mio…huff, a-are there more of them?" Ritsu inhaled deeply.
"Y, yeah, here they are." Mio pointed at the restroom door.
"This is the end of my power…RAAAAAAAAH! AGILAOOO!"
"…Deathbound!"
Few shadows head scattered around and vanished as stir of skill formed in center of them. A stern figure of young man with messy long hair and heavy axe is reflected by the restroom's mirror.
"S-Shinjiro-san!" Ritsu cried.
"You guys look beat." Shinjiro smiled wryly, he offered his hand. "Here, stand up. I've been clearing the hall."
"T, Thanks…um, Shinjiro-san…" Mio silently stood up.
"Why are you here? Sawa-chan called you?" Ritsu asked. "And from where you came? This is third floor, right?"
"…I have some urgent errand, which is why." Shinjiro solemnly replied. "Let's go downstairs then. I don't see any enemies on this floor."
"O, okay, let's go!"
To be continued.
See you next chapter! Sorry there's no After Remnant Tea Time this time regarding to the chapter, but I'll give something instead, enjoy! You may skip this part, it's just an addition.
K-ONSONA = PERSONA COMPEDIUM
I. Main Party
-Hitokoto-Nushi
Arcana: Fool
Owner: Hirasawa Yui
Physical Description: It looks similar to what it was on Persona 4, but in addition he has big red ribbon on center and some long black hat, just imagine it.
Compendium Info: Hitokotonushi is also known as katsuragi no hitokotonushi no ōkami in the Kojiki. A mountain deity who is able to utter oracles of good or evil in a single word, or hitokoto. Kojiki relates the story of an emperor, accompanied by an entourage, who climbed Mount Katsuragi and meeting another group who appears similar to his entourage. Enraged, the emperor demanded to know where they come from. The leader proclaimed himself as "hitokotonushi no okami". The emperor and his entourage then paid their respects by surrendering their clothes to the deity.
Status: Strong against Wind, vulnerable against Light and Electricity.
Misc: Its level of Luck is high, others are average.
-Onmoraki
Arcana: Tower
Owner: Tainaka Ritsu
Physical Description: It still looks like normal chicken, but with broader wings than usual.
Compendium Info: In Shinto mythology, an Onmoraki is a bird-demon created from the spirits of freshly-dead corpses. They resemble a black crane, and if a person is caught sleeping in a temple's sermon hall, the Onmoraki will rebuke them while flapping its wings. Onmoraki are also said to shout the Degeneration Sutra in the household altar of priests who neglect to read their sutras.
Status: Strong to fire, vulnerable to ice. She able to casts some physical skill, too. Junpei-alike.
Misc: High in agility.
-Otohime
Arcana: Empress
Owner: Kotobuki Tsumugi
Physical Description: Look up to the original art.
Compendium Info: Toyotama-hime (豊玉姫?) (Japanese for "luminous jewel"), also known as Otohime (乙姫?), is a goddess in Japanese mythology, and the daughter of Ryūjin, the god of the sea. She married the hunter Hoori and gave birth to a son, who in turn produced Emperor Jimmu, the first Emperor of Japan. After giving birth, she turned into a dragon or an alligator and flew away.
Status: Strong against ice and light, vulnerable to dark. Her power of healing skill is better than Mio.
Misc: Despite its low vitality and agility, its endurance is highest among the group.
-Succubus
Arcana: Devil
Owner: Yamanaka Sawako
Physical Description: Its look more evil than the original work.
Compendium Info: A demon from European folklore during the medieval ages, which takes the form of an attractive female to seduce men. Its male counterpart is the Incubus. They draw energy from men to sustain themselves, often until the point of exhaustion or death of the victim. Lilith and her daughters, the Lilim, are considered succubi.
Status: Party scanner.
-Mizuchi
Arcana: Moon
Owner: Akiyama Mio
Physical Description: Just like Gorgon did, look into the original work.
Compendium Info: Mizuchi are Japanese dragons and water deities. They are sometimes reffered to as rain-controlling snake are sometimes contrasted with other river dragons or snake-like beings, such as the Chinese Jiaolong, the Indian Naga, the Aztec Tlaloc and the Greek Gorgon.
Status: Weak to Fire, strong with Ice. Almost like counterpart of Ritsu, it able to cast medium healing skills
Misc: Her Persona is well-balanced, besides that its Magic stats are low.
-Nemesis
Arcana: Justice
Owner: Dojima Nanako
Physical Description: Imagine Ken Amada's initial Persona from P3 in bloody red color.
Compendium Info: In Ancient Greek myth, Nemesis was the goddess of divine retribution against those who succumb to pride and arrogance. One of her acts of retribution was to punish the beautiful Narcissus for spurning his many suitors. Nemesis caused him to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, which led him to perish there from despair and regret.
Status: same stats as Ken Persona does, weak to dark, and strong against light. Skill varieties are same.
Thanks and stay tuned!