Sitting on Yukari's bed, Aigis held the envelope that was given to her by Katsuya. The police detective told her that an acquaintance of his had asked him to deliver this letter to her. Katsuya also told her that something big was going on behind the scenes and advised her to be prepared. Other than that, he didn't elaborate about it any further.
The mechanical maiden looked at the name of the sender, which was on the back of the envelope. "S. Chandraputra…" She agreed with Junpei's comment about the name being a rather exotic-sounding one. After making a quick search in her database, the name was rather prevalent around Indonesian archipelago, and she deduced that the sender was Indonesian in nationality. She also assumed that the "S" initial might be the sender's first name, with Chandraputra being his or her surname.
Opening the envelope, Aigis took out the plain, white paper within it. Written on it was a simple sentence, and nothing else.
Faceless King has stirred.
Frowning, Aigis studied the paper, thinking that she might have missed something. There was nothing else written besides the simple message.
"Analyzing for hidden message," Aigis muttered as she started analyzing for anything that might be hidden, but she found nothing. There was no hidden message in the letter. Even the ink used to write the message was an ordinary, cheap one.
After she was done analyzing, Aigis put down the letter, mulling over the content.
"Faceless King…" Aigis muttered. She had no idea who or what that was. She took out the card that Katsuya had given to her, and there was his contact number. She thought that she might need to ask the police detective regarding the message and the matter about the Faceless King.
As the android girl quietly thought to herself, the door was opened, and Yukari stepped into the room. She was dressed in a tank top, predictably pink in color, and a pair of denim shorts. She seemed to be holding a box as she entered her room.
"Oh, are you busy, Aigis?" Yukari asked. "Are you doing something important?"
Aigis looked at her best friend's face before she tilted her head. "Well… I am unsure whether to call this important or not." She took the letter and showed it to Yukari.
"Umm… are you sure this isn't a confidential one or something?" The actress asked uncertainly.
"It is not if it only has four words," Aigis deadpanned robotically.
Scrunching up her face after hearing Aigis' trademarked sarcastic voice, Yukari took the letter from the android girl and studied it before she frowned. "Well, this is certainly spooky in so many ways. 'Faceless King'? What in the world is that?" Then, Yukari made an exaggerated shrug. "And what's up with this vagueness? While being enigmatic is good to set the mood, it's not exactly helpful in the long run."
"Are you referring to the subplot in Phoenix Ranger Featherman R where King Sealion's right-hand man, General Tiger Shark, is doing something incomprehensible, even to his superior, just for the sake of being vague?" Aigis asked. "I recall the subplot having mixed receptions from the audience, as it wasn't well-received by the intended demographic."
Yukari sighed. "Well, at least that wasn't as bad as the Golden Week Special last year…" She seemed to be recalling some past events that she would rather not remember. "It was a disaster. It was the screenwriter's fault for losing the original scripts and having to rewrite it on the spot."
"Oh? So was that the reason why the actress who played Feather Parakeet briefly fell into depression? I remember keeping the news clip about it back at the laboratory…" Aigis said.
Yukari's eyes widened. "Y-you keep that sort of thing?"
"Of course. My best friend is a main character of the series. It is only prudent for me to be up to date with the story…" Aigis smiled slightly.
Yukari blushed. "A-are you teasing me?"
"How did you reach such a conclusion?" Aigis asked in a rather innocent tone.
"W-well…" After a while, Yukari let out a sigh. "Never mind. Let's get back to the things we're currently talking about, shall we? We're not discussing about King Sea Lion's latest diabolical plot to take over the world anytime soon." She looked at Aigis. "Do you know this guy? This S. Chandraputra?"
Aigis shook her head. "No, but I intend to ask Katsuya-san regarding the sender's identity. He told us that S. Chandraputra is his acquaintance. I am very certain that if the message sent by him is important, however vague it is, Katsuya-san may explain everything to us. If everything goes well, he may also tell us the real identity of this Faceless King…" she said.
"Well, one can hope, right?" Yukari nodded. "Still, are you going to inform Mitsuru-senpai about this?"
"If this has something to do with what we are currently dealing with, then I will. But for now, I would like to handle this matter by myself," Aigis stated.
Yukari knew the kind of face Aigis was displaying. It was a face that indicated that she was being stubborn. Sometimes, this attitude of hers worried her because if she went on by herself, she might end up getting herself into some trouble, especially ones that she couldn't handle all by herself. While she had acknowledged that Aigis was a very capable person who was even considered by Mitsuru herself as her replacement in the future, she still couldn't help herself. Over the years, she had developed this overprotectiveness towards Aigis, partly out of guilt for hurting her that one time, and partly out of love as a dear friend.
"Aigis," Yukari began, "you do realize that you don't have to deal with everything all by yourself, right?"
"What do you mean by that?" Aigis asked, seemingly confused.
Yukari sighed. "You may have to deal with that lone wolf attitude of yours, Aigis. What I am trying to tell you is that you can ask for my help, okay? I understand your concern about others, but you don't have to disconnect yourself from others because of that concern. Even if you want to protect others from any sort of harm, you don't have to face everything head-on by yourself. You know what I'm saying, right?"
Aigis understood what Yukari was trying to tell her. As a senior operator of the team, she was often sent into missions alone. While she could do teamwork just fine with others, she mostly preferred doing her missions alone. It could have been dangerous, but being a machine, she knew that she could handle the danger just fine.
"I… I only want to protect everyone…" Aigis stated sympathetically. "I cannot bear to see anyone close to me getting hurt. I cannot bear of having to lose anyone precious to me. Not again. Physical pain is nothing compared to…" she brought her gloved hand to her chest as she recalled the time when Asia Argento breathed her last. It was more painful than taking a direct hit on herself. "…having to see someone I cherish being hurt."
"Aigis…"
Yukari then gave Aigis a hug.
"Yukari-san?"
"You big dummy…" Yukari mumbled. "Don't you know that people are worried about you too?"
Yukari stroked the back of Aigis' head as she buried her face against her neck.
"And don't give me that 'I want to protect everyone' stuff…" Yukari continued. "It's all good that you want to protect people around you, but do you have to let yourself get hurt? You're making people worry with that attitude of yours, you know?" After a pause, she added, "I know you're strong, but being strong can only get you so far. Sometimes, being strong alone isn't enough…"
Aigis didn't say anything as she continued to listen to Yukari.
"And you remember that we reached the top of Tartarus together, right? You know what I'm saying, right?"
"…Yes," Aigis finally responded. "I… I'm sorry…"
"D-don't apologize, you big dummy. Just be quiet and let me hug you…"
"…Thanks, Yukari-san…"
"Hush!"
Heart of a Butterfly
Persona 3 and High School DxD Crossover
Chapter 16: Broken Heart
The heartwarming moment between Yukari and Aigis instantly vanished the moment the door was opened, revealing Labrys, whose eyes were widened upon seeing both Yukari and Aigis hugging each other in a rather intimate manner.
"Umm…" Labrys said after a few moments of silence. Both her sister and the actress looked at her, each of them was still in each other's arms. "Am I intrudin' on somethin'?"
"Uh…" Still hugging Aigis, Yukari stared at the ponytailed mechanical maiden. "N-no, you aren't, and what are you doing here, Labrys? I thought you were at the lab."
Aigis and Yukari then let go of each other as they focused on Labrys. "Well, I'm here to tell ya somethin', Sis. We're gonna remain on standby here for a week before we can continue with our mission."
"Ah, I see…" Aigis nodded. "I take it that Mitsuru-san has notified the school board regarding our absence."
"Yeah," Labrys replied. "So, see ya two later!"
And so, Labrys left. Yukari gave the still-opened door a bewildered look.
"Aigis, I mean no offense, but your sister is getting a little weirder with each passing day," Yukari commented. "Did something happen to her?"
"None taken, and I'm not sure," Aigis stated truthfully. "But I have noticed that her behavior seems to be a tad erratic these last few days." Aigis brought her gloved hand to her chin. "Perhaps she's not used to this long-term mission?"
"Well, I guess all we can do now is give her some time…" Yukari sighed. "There's probably something that's been bothering her these last few days, so let's just give her some space before we can ask her about it."
"Yes, I suppose that is acceptable," Aigis said.
"So… now that you're here, you got anything important to do?" Yukari asked.
"Huh? Well, besides having to remain on standby, I have nothing else to do. Why are you asking, Yukari-san?" Aigis gave Yukari a strange look due to the question she gave to her.
Yukari grinned. "If you have nothing else to do, why don't we go out for a bit? Do a little shopping, sightseeing, stuff like that," Then, she looked at the suit the mechanical maiden was wearing. "And don't you think you should wear something else at this point? I know you pull off this professional look quite well, but wearing a dress once in a while won't hurt either."
Aigis looked down at herself, examining the Chesterfield coat she was wearing. "I prefer wearing something practical, like this one."
"But now you're having a break, so let's put you in something else, okay?" Yukari suggested.
"But-"
"And no 'buts', lady! I'm gonna doll you up and you have to deal with it!" Putting her hands on her waist, Yukari showed Aigis a strangely predatory grin. "C'mon now! You're pretty cute, so let's not waste that cuteness of yours, you hear me?"
"Umm… if Yukari-san says so, then I suppose I will have to follow," Aigis said, resignation seemed apparent on her expression. "I shall be in your care for the time being, then."
Yukari's cheeks reddened a bit. "Don't make it sound like I'm going to do something indecent to you, s-silly! People are gonna get the wrong idea!"
Aigis could only blink in confusion upon hearing Yukari's words.
Wielding her great axe in one hand, Labrys stood in the middle of a specialized training room. A few scientists were seen overseeing her from outside the room.
"Dark Hour in three, two, one…"
The scientists triggered the devices which allowed a miniaturized Dark Hour to occur within the training room, localizing the phenomenon within a limited space. The training room was filled with eerie green lighting, and a few blood-like spots could be seen on the floor, walls and ceiling.
"The time limit will be ninety seconds. See what you can do within the timespan, Labrys."
Upon hearing the instruction, Labrys nodded.
"Releasing Shadows."
A few creatures, shapeless and black in color, manifested themselves around the mechanical maiden. The creatures seemed to have masks as their faces.
"Initiating summoning procedure." With a robotic tone, Labrys spoke. "Come forth, Ariadne!"
Wreathed in a blue aura, Labrys summoned her Persona, Ariadne. The moment Ariadne appeared, red, thread-like substances appeared in the air, surrounding her. Seeing the Persona, the Shadows backed off a bit before they charged forward, attacking the one who summoned her.
Before they could reach her, however, they were crushed under the weight of Labrys' great axe.
What happened next was a massacre. The Shadows never stood a chance against the Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon as she used her Persona to bind them with the crimson threads, immobilizing them, before she annihilated them with her heavy weapon. Her movement was graceless. There was no beauty in her technique as she slaughtered the Shadows with the combination of her Persona and her weapon.
In the gracelessness, therein lies the beauty. She was a perfect killing machine, built solely to destroy her enemies utterly. She used to hate the fact that she was built solely for that purpose, but after going through so many events, she began to realize that it wasn't so bad after all. So what if she was made to destroy Shadows? If she could use those abilities to help others, she could live with the fact that she was a weapon.
Ninety seconds had passed, and dozens of Shadows were reduced to nothing but black paste on the walls and ceiling. The miniaturized Dark Hour ended, and her surroundings reverted back to normal. Any signs of the Shadows were nowhere to be found, and Labrys then dismissed her Persona, giving her a thankful nod before she dissipated into motes of blue particles.
After the training session had ended, Labrys walked out of the training room and was given a quick check-up by the scientists. While the scientists were checking her condition, a certain red-haired woman approached her.
"Mitsuru-san?" Labrys blinked as she looked at the leader of the Shadow Operatives. She was attired in a black jacket, a pair of high-waist riding pants, and a pair of black boots. If her sister Aigis was around, she might be commenting on her choice of clothing, but she wasn't her sister, so she decided to keep any sort of commentary about Mitsuru's choice of clothing to herself. "Is there somethin' ya need from me?" She asked.
"Well, I just saw your training simulation, and I must say… I'm very impressed…" Mitsuru admitted. While her fighting style was a tad graceless for her taste, she definitely couldn't deny its effectiveness. Like her sister Aigis, Labrys was built to combat multiple opponents. While Aigis used a multitude of firearms and finesse in battle, Labrys relied on sheer brute strength in order to overpower her enemies. And it was worth noting that in terms of physical strength, Labrys was superior when compared to Aigis.
Upon hearing the compliment from Mitsuru, faint shade of red could be seen on Labrys' face. "Aw shucks. It ain't that much…" she said, seemingly embarrassed. "Well, thanks. It's kinda nice to get compliments from ya."
Mitsuru smiled. From what she could tell, Labrys was the kind of person who was eager to prove herself, especially after being formally inducted as an official member of the Shadow Operatives. And she couldn't help but think that the eagerness from Labrys' part was quite endearing.
"Well, what can I say? You're a member of the Shadow Operatives. As your leader, it's my responsibility to give out compliments to my subordinates…" Mitsuru shrugged as she spoke dryly.
"Even to Junpei-kun?" Labrys asked.
"Even to Iori, yes…" Mitsuru nodded. "Then again, you should give him some credit, too. He can be a little… eccentric, but he's also one of my operatives. He is as capable as many others, and also an important asset." Mitsuru sighed. "His Persona, Trismegistus, allows him to self-regenerate, which is a very important thing to have."
Labrys knew about Junpei's self-regeneration, Spring of Life. From what she had read, it was an ability he inherited from one named Chidori Yoshino, a rogue Persona-user whom he fell in love with. She sacrificed her life to save Junpei, who was mortally wounded at that time, and in turn, she transferred her power to him, fusing both their Personas, Hermes and Medea, into one Persona, Trismegistus. Due to their love for each other, their Personas, or the manifestations of their souls, became one. Love could make the impossible possible.
Labrys furrowed her eyebrows as she thought about it, and Mitsuru noticed the expression the ponytailed android made.
"Is something bothering you, Labrys?" Mitsuru asked.
"Mitsuru-san…" Labrys looked at Mitsuru. "What is love?"
Mitsuru gave Labrys a weird look.
"Umm… well, this is sort of sudden," Mitsuru began. "What's with the question, Labrys?"
"It's… kinda hard to explain, y'see…" Labrys said sheepishly.
"Wait, let's go to my office. We can talk about…" She glanced at the scientists, who seemed to be a little interested in their conversation. "…love in details over there."
"O-okay…" Labrys nodded. So, both Mitsuru and Labrys went to Mitsuru's office.
After closing the door of her office, Mitsuru sighed and went to her desk.
"So, let's… talk," Mitsuru said uncertainly. "About… whatever you want to talk, that is."
"W-well, y'see, I've been lookin' into books and stuff, read some novels, watched some melodramatic drama, things like that to understand this emotion I've been feelin' these last few days, a-and… I dunno, I think…" Labrys scratched her cheek. "I-I'm in love."
"Uh…" Mitsuru wasn't sure what to say about this. "W-well, I can't believe we're having this conversation. But, okay… since you are a member of the Shadow Operatives, it's my responsibility to help you to figure out the things that have been bothering you. So, tell me… about the person you fell in love with."
"Umm… th-that's the most complicated part, Mitsuru-san," Labrys admitted. "And I bet you're not gonna believe it."
"Try me," Mitsuru challenged.
"I… I fell in love with… Minato Arisato…"
For almost a minute, Mitsuru was silent.
"How... is that even possible?" Mitsuru finally said after her long silence. She never even met him, she thought.
"Th-that's another complicated part," Labrys said. "Ya do know 'bout the nature of ASWs, right? Both me and Sis are linked, complicated stuff like that, in one way or another, and somehow, her memories… spilled into my head."
"Th-that's… well, it baffles me how much it makes sense," Mitsuru admitted. "So, due to your proximity with your sister, her memories somehow were transferred into you, and you saw… Minato Arisato. But, how can you fall in love with a person who you can only see through someone else's memories?" Mitsuru asked.
"It's… umm…" Labrys seemed hesitant.
"Another complicated part?" Mitsuru asked.
Weakly, Labrys nodded.
"I-I've been dreamin' 'bout him…" Labrys said. "I made my own hypothesis 'bout my dreams. The Minato-kun I've been seein' in my dreams is nothin' but a construct based on Sis' memories. And in my dream, he interacted with me, a-and…" She blushed again.
"Ah, I see…" Mitsuru mused. "So, the Minato you saw in your dreams is made of Aigis' memories of him, and when you interacted with him, you… fell in love with him." Then, she brought her palm to her face. "I'm surprised that this doesn't surprise me," she said after she lowered her hand.
Even though he was nothing but a fragment of someone else's memories, he still managed to make someone fall in love with him. Even in death, he still managed to seduce someone. That was quite an accomplishment.
"So, you're bothered by the fact that you fell in love with someone who is essentially dead and made up of your sister's memories?" Mitsuru asked. Of course someone had to be bothered by that.
"Y-yeah, somethin' like that…" Labrys said. "B-but, then again, he told me to stop chasin' after him." She looked down. "He told me that there's no use in chasin' after a ghost…"
Mitsuru finally understood what was happening to Labrys. She was essentially conflicted over the fact that she fell in love with someone who she never even met, and the one that she had been interacting with was essentially the ghost of her sister's lover. It might have been hard for someone like her, a machine who grew a heart.
"I'm sorry…" Mitsuru said. "I'm sorry that you have to experience such a heartbreak, Labrys. I actually understand how it feels…" she smiled dryly.
"Y-you do?" Labrys looked at Mitsuru curiously.
"Let's just say that it wasn't your sister alone who desired for his affection…" Mitsuru said in a gentle tone. It was a painful fact to accept, but in the end, she had no other choice. In the end, Aigis was the one who gained such affection. "But after everything that she had gone through, she deserved it. She was the one who set his destiny in motion, and even if she was tormented by her memories of him, those memories also made her happy."
"Made her happy?" Labrys said. "I see… I'm really glad t' hear that." Labrys looked down. "When I think 'bout it again, it makes me feel kinda bad. I kinda took her memories of him for myself, and I shouldn't have done that." She gave Mitsuru a worried look. "I'm stealin' her memories of him and takin' 'em for my own. D-does that make me a bad person?"
"Labrys…" Mitsuru showed the ponytailed android a motherly smile. "You're not a bad person. And you didn't hurt anyone when you took the memories. It just… happened. And it's normal for you to fall in love, Labrys." She restrained herself from saying that it wasn't normal to fall in love with a construct made of memories because it was just plain weird thing to say. "Now, what else I can do for you, Labrys? Do you need more time to sort out your feelings? I can call for Aigis so that we can discuss about this matter."
"Umm… I-I'm not prepared for that yet," Labrys said, averting her eyes.
"Well, I suppose all I can do now is provide support," Mitsuru said. "And whoever you are meeting in your dream is right, Labrys. There's no use in chasing after a ghost." She closed her eyes, as if recalling some past events. "Once, we also tried to chase after that ghost, and in the end, we did nothing but hurt each other and ourselves. I don't want you to be hurt, too. Just tell me if you need more help from me and the others. We are the Shadow Operatives; we watch each other's back."
"I'll keep that in mind." Labrys nodded. "Thanks again, Mitsuru-san."
"You're welcome."
"Is this alright?"
"Yup! You look cute in those!"
Instead of in her usual Chesterfield coat, Aigis was attired in a dark blue dress that had a floral pattern and was long-sleeved so that her robotic joints were hidden. She was also wearing dark-colored pantyhose as well as a pair of ankle-length boots.
"Hmm…" Checking out the clothes she was wearing, Aigis then looked at Yukari and spoke, "Not restricting and quite accommodating for my movement." She smiled. "Thank you for choosing this dress for me, Yukari-san."
"Umm… I take it that you're comfortable in those," Yukari said. "Well, let's get going, then. Those clothes aren't going to buy themselves, are they?" She pulled Aigis' hand and brought her out of her room so that they could go to the city for their shopping trip. And Aigis had no choice but to go along with her without complaining.
So, Yukari ended up dragging poor Aigis around the city, buying clothes and dresses for the mechanical maiden to wear. It had become her habit to dress her up whenever she had her chance.
"Well? What do you think about this one, Aigis?"
"Umm… it's quite… frilly?"
"Let's try a Gothic Lolita style after this!"
"Gothic Lolita? Ah, so that explains the frills…"
While she was mostly dragged by Yukari during their shopping trip, Aigis would never say that she didn't enjoy her time together with her best friend. At times like this, she was very grateful to have someone like Yukari by her side. For her, Yukari was someone precious to her, and despite their history, she truly cherished her and her presence. There was no longer lingering bitterness between them as they finally acknowledged the feelings towards each other. For Aigis, she had already accepted the fact that she would never be like Yukari, a real girl made of flesh and blood. For Yukari, she had already accepted the fact that Aigis was special. When she thought about it again, she felt silly for being jealous of her a few years ago.
Both girls acknowledged their shortcomings, and in turn, they became best friends.
"Quite a haul we got here, don'tcha think?" Yukari asked as she carried some shopping bags which contained the clothes that they bought during the shopping trip.
"So, is this what we call 'excessive spending'?" Aigis spoke, carrying more bags than Yukari. Being a robot, she could carry more than what a normal girl could carry.
"Well, that's one way to describe what we're doing now…" Yukari said sheepishly. "But, no matter. I don't mind spending a lot of cash if it's with you, Aigis." She grinned at her best friend. "Now, what else do you want to do next?"
"Hmm… I'm thinking about visiting an aquarium," Aigis said.
"Ah, the one that was recently opened, you mean?" Yukari raised one eyebrow. "I wanna visit that place too, y'know? It's just that I didn't really have time for that, being an actress and all."
"I see. Let's go and visit the aquarium together, shall we?" Aigis suggested.
"Sure. Well, let's find a way to get these bags sent to my house first," Yukari said.
As both Aigis and Yukari were talking to each other, someone walked past them. Unlike others, that someone seemed to be wearing some sort of robe, like the one that is usually worn by a Hindu monk underneath a long, orange jacket. He was also wearing a turban on top of his head. His attire made him stand out among the crowd like a sore thumb, and both girls couldn't help but notice his presence when he entered their views.
The peculiar, fully-bearded man stopped walking and glanced over his shoulder, and Aigis was able to see his face. The mechanical maiden jerked her head a bit as she noticed the peculiarity of the man's face. The man looked human enough, but his visage seemed mask-like. There were two white stripes over each side of his face, and his eyes were blank.
After a while, the man walked away, and both girls just watched as the man disappeared into the crowd.
"That guy…" Yukari spoke first. "Is he human?"
For someone who had encountered inhuman entities a few times before, it was a legitimately valid question to be asked.
"I… have no idea," Aigis said. For her, the man somehow reminded her of herself; someone who was trying to blend into society by pretending to be human, but unlike her, the man didn't seem to be putting much effort in trying to keep up his appearance as a human. She also noticed that the others who saw the man being disturbed by his appearance.
In the end, though, she decided that it's probably another inhuman entity who decided to walk among the crowd. After knowing that there were supernatural entities among them, she shouldn't be that surprised anymore.
The man continued walking down the street, ignoring the curious looks from other people. After living for so many years within the collective unconscious, he somehow had forgotten how to appear like a normal human being. Well, after losing his real body, acting like a normal human being had to be quite an ordeal for someone like him.
The most important thing was that he had seen her, Philemon's newest champion, and the only hope for humanity's survival. He chuckled, noticing the irony that humanity's only hope was, decidedly, a non-human. Well, considering that he even had a cat who could summon a Persona, he shouldn't be too picky about who was about to be chosen as humanity's savior.
"Well, what do we have here?"
The man stopped as he heard a voice behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, and he saw a tall man clad in a dark violet suit. He noted that his golden bang made him look conspicuous among the crowd.
Not that he was doing any better, considering his look and his getup.
"It's been a while, old friend…" the man spoke, his voice sounded composed and calm. "I received your letter, Azazel, and it's quite a surprise that you somehow managed to find a way to send it into the collective unconscious where I live…"
The tall man, Azazel, grinned. "Well, let's just say I have my ways. So, how are you?"
"Besides still having no physical body, I'm quite sure that I'm doing fine…" The man walked over to Azazel's direction. "Still, it is good to see you again, Azazel, or should I call you Governor General of Grigori?" He held out his hand, offering the Fallen Angel a handshake.
Azazel looked down on the held out hand, noticing that it was made of something like ceramic before he shook the hand.
"It's good to see you again, Randolph Carter, or should I call you… Swami Chandraputra?" Azazel smiled meaningfully.
TO BE CONTINUED
Author's Note: Huzzah! Another chapter completed after procrastinating for so long! So, here we go, Chapter 16 of Heart of a Butterfly, I hope you like it. This chapter is P3-centric, which focuses on the interactions between Aigis and Yukari as well as between Labrys and Mitsuru. Also, I am also introducing a rather obscure Persona 2 character, Swami Chandraputra, who only appeared in Eternal Punishment, or rather, in its remake, and exclusively in Tatsuya's scenario. For your information, Swami Chandraputra is a legendary Persona-user whose real identity is Randolph Carter. And this character is also a character from H.P. Lovecraft's work, who first appeared in his short story, The Statement of Randolph Carter, written in 1919.
And Carter is one of the unlucky few who had encountered a certain mad god of chaos in one of the stories written by Lovecraft, The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, written in 1926. Also, Swami Chandraputra is Carter's alias when he appeared in Out of the Aeons, written in 1933. Certain adjustments have been made so that this character can fit into this story. Let's just say that Tatsuya's scenario didn't happen like how it did in Eternal Punishment.
So, I hope you'll like this chapter, and of course, feel free to leave some reviews for me, or else the author may end up being driven to insanity by some Lovecraftian horrors. And special thanks for Sorata Shioya for beta-reading this chapter. It's so nice working alongside you.
See you guys in the next chapter, Chapter 17: Priestess and Dragon. Bye!
Prince Arjuna (2015)