Jin x Makoto Stories

Hope SIN

Chapter 3: Promise.

Jin found himself laying on the floor. Pain seething his very soul, the pain of losing to his brother, the pain of physical damage done by the Azure. He was awash in a sea of it, yet he was still conscious; if, for a bit.

A man clade in purple walked towards them, he had an elegant yet, a quiet and dangerous aura. His mask intimidated all who saw him, The Mad Pupeteet, Relius Clover. Nanaya felt cold sweat, this man was creeping her out and the top reason, she needed to get Jin to a medic as soon as possible...but with this man, could she walk away?

No, she HAD to. Jin had to be treated and he began to open himself to her.

Open...himself? why did she feel concern or rather curiosity for that? it wasn't the moment for self-debates though, Relius, a smile in his face walked near her. His steps sounding on the lonely cathedral.

"His eyes are obscured by that mask…It feels as if he were looking down on me. As if people were playthings to him." Makoto said to herself.

"Ah, your soul looks more "robust" since I last saw you." the puppeteer said with satisfaction.

The girl swallowed, maybe she could get to reason with him, as Jin was injured, yet that fear...she couldn't shake it off.

"Out of the way please, I have to take Major Kisaragi…!"

"Jin Kisaragi, the power of order…Why do you value him as such?" The blonde man inquired.

"I just…" she said, with hesitation. "He needs help and..."

"No. I want the REAL reason." He said in an elegant, yet intimidating tone.

Silence. Relius' stoic face met her doubtful own. Why indeed? While he was a precious friend, back in the golden days, even then, Tsubaki had a hard time with him and his coldness, in another circumstance she simply would ditch him out. With those ridiculous ideals of nihilism and whatnot...

"I just can't do it." she smiled to herself.

Since she refused to answer the caped man smiled."Well, I shall find out."

"To hell with your babbling! If you won't move I'll pawn your ass!" Makoto said taking her usual stance.

"Do as you like but…be careful, for my experiment has begun." Relius said with a stoic voice.

Makoto knew it was dangerous, but for Jin, she...No. She had no time to doubt, it was do OR DIE.

"Astral impact!" Makoto announced.

"Led ley." The man said simply.

As Makoto was about to punch him, he spinned in a sort of magical circle. And it felt as if she went right through thin air. When her attack was over, the puppeteer was behind her with a small smile.

"Such Vitality. It's to be expected, as it's a priority in a material for the detonator."

Before Makoto could respond, an image came to her eye. The defeated Jin. she had lowered her guard and now he was vulnerable. Without even thinking about her, she charged at Relius Again."

"Corona Upper!"

"Led Ley."

Again, she went through him. However hitting him wasn't her aim. When she landed, she bent one knee and extended her hand to Jin. much to her surprise, she caught his own. Somehow, that gave Makoto confidence and calm.

"Ah. A reaction. This is quite interesting indeed."

"What are you going on about?!"

"Up to now, your pulsations had been high, but now, when you made contact with him...You calmed down. I see...Jin Kisaragi is your real goal is it? Then, let's try this..." Relius snapped his fingers. "Val Lanto."

A kind of pink doll appeared beside him and right then, it began to spin its claws as if in a chainsaw fashion. The squirrel, made for Jin and jumped, barely managing to avoid the doll. What was it? It's as if it thought on its own.

"As I expected...so it was him indeed."

"I won't let you hurt my precious friend!" she remarked.

Jin was still in this world, he wanted to speak. "leave me." "Go away!" "Run." yet no words came out and he wasn't able to tell her anything. He wanted to get up and fight, but he couldn't. What could he do? This feeling of vexation and frustration...somehow it wasn't new to him.

"Friend? drop that veil of lies. There is a reason, a VERY DEEP reason..." The puppeteer said with seriousness.

"What?! Stop meddling in my business...!" Makoto said tightening her grip on Jin. "Mars Chopper!" it hit Relius right. Yet he came back up as if nothing happened. "I punch over and over but…no result what's with him?!"

"Detonator Activate! Ignis!"

The doll grabbed Makoto and she was at Relius' Mercy. Relius walked towards his defeated prey and stood a few inches away from her, Jin was dropped right behind him along with his sword.

"Hey…let go…" she protested.

"N…Nanaya…Stop...You can't...win...!" Jin protested internally.

"I was correct; your soul is hale and hard indeed! Now I understand why you were able to survive the boundary back then!" The researcher smiled."Let's see...ah, deep bonds, yes."

It felt as if Relius' white hand had entered her head and messed around with what he saw, she felt a disturbing sensation. The hand was cold and unforgiving, digging depper into her memories and feelings.

"This is...what you feel for him. Indeed a powerful force, yet restrained."

"No! Sempai is...!"

"Affection...trust...understanding...AH! Longing! you have longed for him, it began long ago!"

"That is..."

"Yes! Craved for his eyes looking hungrily into yours. You thought he was wonderful ever since the first time you saw him. You've wanted to be in his embrace, feel his warmth...longed for his heart."

"No! That's not...that's not..." she protested weakly.

With each argument Relius drew out, her heart skipped a beat. how could he know all that? what if he was merely bluffing? But somewhere, she knew the man was right and...

"Is it not? Then, why go to such lengths for a man who ignores you? He earned a spot in your heart and it has grown bigger...yet, you've tried to destroy them, this feelings and you almost had it. Alas, Love can be so cruel."

"You're wrong! I...I..."

"Let me see...Ah! You used to watch him secretly back then. Waiting for him to see you, waiting for at least a look."

"Stop...please...ah..."

"You've got quite an impressive soul! you've carried this burden for years and yet you haven't collapsed!"

"My soul…?"

"Makoto Nanaya…what is it that you value most in this world?"

"What I care the most for? What I hold on to strongly…?" Makoto closed her eyes. "Tsubaki and Noel. came to mind, and a faint image of Jin...her sempai who she had admired secretly, who he had wanted a look from. His serious face, green eyes, blonde hair and stoic expression...

In a moment like this...why did he come to mind?

"I see. The Yayoi Frauline and number 12…You've managed to avoid the Calamity I see." Relius said as if he was processing lots and lots of data.

"Are you inside my head?" she said vaguely.

"You're as promising as Ada…no, MORE promising…! You're more than enough material for the detonator…" he smiled with twisted satisfaction.

"Stop it…get out…of my head!"


"Come on...get up! GET UP!"

Jin mentally ordered himself yet the only thing he could do was tighten his grip on Yukianesa. He wanted to save her, as she had at least once, saved him. But he couldn't move. He felt light, as if his should had left his body. Probably some dimensional interference. Despite this, his pain was doubled, whosoever desgined this place wanted his victims to suffer, that was for sure.

When he was able to look, he found himself in sort of prison. Bars were everywhere. When he looked to his left, lots of corpses were...hanged, their shadow reflecting on the bloody wall.

Disgusted the blonde youth tried to move, but he was kneeled and trapped by some sort of yello energy chains. No matter how he tried to move, the chains only increased the amount of pain he felt.

"What? Guh..." As Jin struggled right in front of him a sort of vision appeared. A man, clade in white armor, apparently crucified by a sort of yellow circle, with chains pretty similar to the one holding him. Jin knew this man...Hakumen. Yet was it the real one, or a vision?


"A fascinating thing, the soul. And focused one as yours…is superior to a vague scattered one. In fact hm…yours is focused and yet, points in multiple directions."

"Stop…STOP!"

If felt as if an invisible hand shoved through her skull and squeezed her brains. It stirred her memories, taking out what it pleased. Fun, happiness…

"Those are my precious memories, my dear memories, stay away!" Makoto begged, now her tone was powerless.

"So friendship is the core of your soul? No, there is more. Let's delve deeper…"

"Ah…it hurts…"

"Why look! Discrimination, abuse, Betrayal…hatred. I would seem you HATE HUMANS… how interesting."

The fear she'd suppressed…the resentment she had to hide…Relius saw it all.

"It hurts…it hurts! Please stop I never did anything to anybody, so why…why does everyone hate me?! I was just…just…" Makoto said, as if she had returned into time.

"Pain….violence …loneliness…for the course…what's THIS?"

"Don't please…that…!"

She came face to face with memories she'd hidden away. The puppeteer's hand left nothing hidden.

"You call them friends, but, you don't trust them. Not really, deep down you're waiting for others to start the conflict! In nature, oppressed creatures often cozy up with those controlling them. You're doing as animals do."

"They probably laugh…while I'm not around…they hate me…they hate me. NOOO! Stop…Stop!"

Relius was twisting her beliefs, using the darkness of her heart as a toy. She could not endure it any longer and tears began to fall.

"You've just given me the fulcrum I need to topple your soul and rebuild it however I choose."

"Can't move my body…Can't speak…my head's hazy…Major…Kisara…gi…I feel…I…Feel nothing…Sempai…plea…se…save…your…self…I…no longer have anything…."


"NOOO! Stop…Stop!"

"Nanaya?! Gah! These chains...!"

"Hmph. You trying to save people? what type of joke is that?"

"What? shut up! You know nothing...!" Jin snapped back at his other self.

"Why do you care? after all if she dies...it isn't your concern is it? this world is nothing but lies."

As he talked, Jin felt as if Ōkami was driven to his chest. Lots of images came to him, one however disturbed him the most, him, holding a bloody Tsubaki. She was impaled by some sort of daggers.

"What?! What's this?!" The young man said shaking in agony. "Tsubaki!"

"Again why do you care? You're a man who has thrown all away for battle. For Destiny, are you not?" the masked man asked.

"That is...I..." he said through his teeth.

"An error of long ago, and now, the same error has been made. Jin Kisaragi, it seems your foolishness knows no end."

An image came to him, Makoto who was bleeding from her forehead, was being held by a doll and Relius Clover's hand was touching her forehead.

"You bastard! let her go!" Jin ordered as if he didn't knew it was pointless.

"This is what you lack. Self-sacrifice, bonds. By calling all those things ridiculous, you thought all would be well. But it was an excuse, you were afraid, of living on. Of carrying other people's burdens..."

"Shut up...you...ghost of the past! I don't need a lecture from you!"

"You were afraid to live." The man in white continued undaunted. "And by living like this you thought nothing precious would be lost anymore. What a pitiful man indeed..."

"SILENCE! What can you know?! What?! I...lost all and now I..."

Jin grit his teeth and was unable to finish, frustration and anger getting all over him. He didn't want to see...what was going on with Makoto...but...

"...I lost her." Hakumen ended his phrase.

"NO! I don't...care...I...!"

"Is that so? Then, simply let her be."

"I...Can't. I...it's like when I saved her from Hazama...why?"

Right then, voices came all over him, he knew them all, and knew...they were from the past, and the future...he heard Tsubaki's voice...

You yourself are one of the Praetorian Guard. The Imperator's closest and most loyal soldiers…

Order...what order?! This isn't order! It's just a travesty!

Even if what you say is true …order is necessary. Order can be imposed when those with absolute power maintain it. The peace this world Enjoys is because of the Librarium. This is why the NOL, must have order.

Absolute power? The library has no such thing, it only holds power imposed by fear. It can't be trusted for order.

It seems you can't get up anymore? please, just give up.

Give up…you've got to be kidding me...I already gave up on life…on the world…!

Next, he heard Jubei's voice...

Just remember…this is yer fight. If things tip on one direction, the world needs somethin' just as powerful to push 'em back. The bigger the difference, the bigger the power of order. Hell, it's so powerful it'll threaten the entire world. This power shows up to restore balance, it ain't good but it ain't evil either. So you think harder about that power, son. That's what my friend told me.

It's happening again…will life only be satisfied until it destroys what's left of my sanity?!

Finally, Makoto's smiling face...

Look I know we may not be your favorite people but I'm not Intel right now…I'm Makoto! And I won't leave you here in a bloody heap!

Sempai…Everyone needs something to live on…

I've decide to cast my apathy away! Not only against this travesty called order but…against the world!

"No problem sempai. How are you feeling?

Why her? I shouldn't care but...but...!

"Truly! But that makes you, you!"

I won't let you go away from me again! I won't make the same mistake twice! As if I could let them take Makoto away from me!

"But if you let me, I can help you. I can understand you…Kisaragi senpai."

I...will protect...

"No matter how dark the night, the morning will come."

I will protect, that which I lost!

"If the moon's that big of a problem…I'll crush it with my Planet Crusher."

I am the Just Sword…the blade that will restore balance to the world! Nox Nyctores…Yukianessa activate!


"Interesting indeed...I...what?! what is this sensation?!"

As if made from glass, Relius' altar was destroyed and they were back on the base. Upon looking at his hand, it was frozen.

"Why? who could..."

Behind Relius Jin was standing, his gaze however had no light, no signs of life. The puppeteer deduced he was standing, by mere will and reflex.

"How? he's a dead man, and yet..."

"..." No word or anything was done by Jin.

"You're nothing but a living corpse. I don't like to be interrupted in my experiments so...I bid you goodbye. Req-Vinum."

Cogs appeared beneath the gravely injured major he just extended his word sideways and...a large blue circle appeared in front of him.

"Kokūjin Ōgi: Akumetsu."

"What?!" Relius was astonished by this. That move was...

Relius was stopped and as his sword made slash after slash and finished in the blink of an eye. Jin sheathed his sword as if he had made his Artic dungeon, while the researcher could not believe this.

"Am I...too naive?" Relius said dropping to the floor.

Instantly Jin took Makoto and made a run for it. Relius got up, still damaged by the move.

"If you think I'm going to let you walk away..."

Instantly a nodachi stopped Relius.

"Two against one seems like a much fairer fight. I trust you have no objections." Hakumen said pointing his weapon to Relius.

"So...you came to save your past self? Don't think that your arrival will even the odds."

"You misunderstand me. I said this would be a fairer fight. I DID NOT SAY THE ODDS WERE EVEN."

As Jin ran, he felt a familiar smell, roses. He'd experienced this before...this Ars...


When he came to. A red full moon was in the sky and he stood in front of a garden filled with roses of all colors and a creepy yet magnificent castle stood in front of him.

"This place again."

"Good evening Mr. Hero. You gave me quite a performance." an elegant voice said.

"Hmph. I have little use for your sarcasm witch." Jin replied as he saw Rachel coming out to greet him.

"Hm? Maybe you've grown too much...but still, saving you twice. You've got a long way to go."

Jin turned to the injured Makoto and felt himself tremble. Would she be alright? what should he do? As he thought, a warping sound was heard. Hakumen stood besides Rachel.

"Welcome. We have the 2 heroes now."

"...Hm." Hakumen merely saw his former self.

"Liutenant! Nanaya! Nanaya! Answer me!" Jin said while calling out to the woman in his arms."

"It's no use Mr. Hero, most of her soul has been taken. At best she will say her last words."

"Silence, I didn't ask for your opinion!"

As Rachel said, the tailed girl opened her eyes, weak shiny brown eyes, met concerned emerald ones. It was an expression Jin had tried to destroy long ago, one filled with care, and concern.

"Than...k you for...saving me...sempai..." she said coughing up a little blood.

"Save your strength...don't talk." Jin said in a tone, unknown to anyone who knew him.

"The same error...I made." Hakumen said in a somewhat hurt tone.

"Bonds are beautiful, like these roses, but they're as fragile too..." Rachel pointed out.

"I'm so...rry..."

"What are you talking about? And save your strength! don't say any nonsense!"

"I...wanted to...make you smile. To make sempai...believe in people once again. But..."

Tears appeared in Makoto's eyes despite the fact that she was smiling, even Jin was moved by this. Honest, shiny tears, for him. For once in a long time, the hero felt his heart be torn into pieces once again.

"If only we had more time...I could...be...with...you...I really wanted to know...all of you sempai...If only I could redo things...again...I...wou...ld..."

"Nanaya...Makoto..." he mustered to say in a weak tone.

"That concerned face...that's what I wanted to see...Sempai's concern for me...makes me happy..."

"Stop! It's not over yet!"

"I'm sorry...to go this way...I wanted...to..." Makoto with, the last of her strength grasped Jin's hand with her own, weakly and tenderly.

Jin simply closed his eyes with frustration, indignation and sadness...he felt a knot in his throat and his chest being pierced, again.

"Sempai...promise me..."

"What...?"

"Please, live on...believing in people..."

"Makoto..."

"I don't want to leave sempai alone again...I...I...sempai...please...keep me in your heart, as a memory...please?"

"I...will..." Jin said solemnly.

"Good...I'm sorry for...the...tro...ble I cau...sed..."

"Makoto? Makoto? Hey, hey!"

"Mr. hero, I'm sure you know..." the witch said with coldness.

Jin felt 2 tears falling to her smiling face. cry, not in a million years he thought he would cry again, less for someone like her, yet here he was. Hakumen, knew that feeling, there wasn't a day of his existence he didn't remember his own error and his own loss; now, that incident had been repeated.

"...Ghost of the past." the blonde called out.

"Hm?" Hakumen asked.

"...Time can be so cruel. I understand now."

"...I see." the masked man said with no emotion in his voice.

"Witch."

"What do you need of me, Mr. Hero?"

"I'm sorry but, can I grab some of your roses?"

"Go ahead, but don't grab all of them." the small girl answered.

Jin put Makoto on the rose garden. He gathered some red roses, and as he put both her hands together, he let the roses on her hands. With that done, he carried her and began to walk away.

"Where are you going Mr. Hero?"

"To find my purpose." he answered simply.

One of the many possibilities...of the Continuum Shift.