Chapter Six - Confession
HELP: YOU CAN SAVE YOUR GAME AT THE SIGN-IN SHEET.
"Shut up," bitterly spat Junpei, despite knowing the game couldn't respond back to him.
After being greeted by Mitsuru's avatar, Junpei had Minato enter his room, since there wasn't much else to do, and the game said Minato was feeling tired anyway. But just as Junpei and the rest of the team thought they'd transition into the next day, a cutscene played out.
It was set in the lobby of the dorm. Mitsuru was reading on the couch as another student approached her.
[Confident-looking Student: I'm going out for a bit.]
Even Akihiko himself had to admit, he was pretty handsome in his youthful days. At least by the cutout's standards. But come to think of it, had he left that bandage on his head the entire school year?
[Mitsuru: ...Hm?]
The cutout smirked. [Confident-looking Student: Didn't you see the newspaper? There's a lot going on.]
[Mitsuru: ...I know. People who had no problems before are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome...I've seen it in the news quite often lately. They say it's due to stress, but...]
[Confident-looking Student: Yeah, right. It has to be THEM. Otherwise, it's not worth my time...] His voice itched with excitement.
Okay. Okay. They were going to have to face the Shadows again. Junpei and the others had prepared themselves for this eventuality. The Shadows. Again. After they'd spent all that time getting rid of 'em.
[Mitsuru: You have a one-track mind...] she said, somewhat scoldingly. [Will you be okay on your own? The Chairman will be here for the next few days, but after that, I can...]
[Confident-looking Student: Don't worry. I'm just getting a little practice.]
Yes, Akihiko acknowledged that this was the Akihiko from before; the one who cared all about fighting and training and thought everything was just some competition. No, that did not make this game any less the monstrosity that it was, and in fact only made it much more of a monstrosity to the former school boxing champion.
Mitsuru sighed. [Mitsuru: This isn't a game, Akihiko...]
Junpei almost spouted a great, big "HA!" at that sentence, considering the thing that was inside his PS2 right now. Almost. It would have been in terrible taste, had he done so.
4/8/09
/Early Morning
There was a voiceless conversation taking place at the front of the gates, as Minato's avatar started walking into the school building. Two other 3D models started speaking to each other, Minato appearing to eavesdrop.
[Gossiping Student: Did you hear the rumor...?]
[Listening Student: Oh, um... something about... a bathroom?]
"Even this, the game remembered to put in," Junpei whispered to himself, remembering how Minato would simply get information about any scheduled quizzes through word of mouth, sometimes on the day of the quiz itself, and still pass them all.
[Gossiping Student: N-No! Not that one! I mean the one about the first-year student! Not only did she stop coming to school, she does nothing but sit and stare at the walls all day.]
The only word that could form in everyone's mind (except for Koromaru) was What.
[Gossiping Student: If her mother tries to talk to her, she only mutters to herself, "It's coming... It's coming...!"]
Everyone turned rather queasy, remembering how Apathy Syndrome had been a persistent and nightmarish problem in society perpetrated by the Shadows. And then their queasiness turned into horror, remembering that the Shadows were spawned from Nyx, and then the thought of facing down Nyx again forced itself into their heads.
Aigis stiffened. Yukari bit her lip. Fuuka looked heartbroken. Junpei gripped the controller harder. Ken cupped his head in his hands. Akihiko narrowed his eyes, glaring at the screen all the while, and Mitsuru was unmoved. Even Koromaru looked uncomfortable.
[Listening Student: Huh. How about that.]
[Gossiping Student: You don't believe me...?]
The first bell then rang, and the protagonist entered the school alongside the two students.
Afternoon
Aigis and Mitsuru briefly pondered if the game were actually going to dare pulling off the entire year, in real time, but then they realized the processor of the console wouldn't have been able to handle it. Although, considering who or what had sent them this game, maybe the game would have dared.
Fortunately for them, that wasn't the case; the game would only take specific segments from the year. The scene would have rushed them with nostalgia again, if they had not been really miffed at everything the game had to offer.
Their composition teacher, Ms. Toriumi, was busy teaching her subject to a bunch of non-listening students. Still, nobody had any voices.
[Ms. Toriumi: Hakushu Kitahara is great, but I think I prefer Fuyuhiko Yoshimura. His works aren't as famous, but that's what I like about him. My personal favorite is "Mangekyo." Why isn't it ever in textbooks...? I'll bring it next time so you can write an essay on it.]
Yukari groaned, "Stop rambling..."
[Ms. Toriumi: ...Hey, Junpei! Were you listening? Who did I say was my favorite author?]
"They recorded this!?" Junpei exclaimed, startling everyone. "Are you kidding me!?"
[Junpei: H-Huh? U-Ummm...] Junpei directed his statement to Minato, [Psst! Who does she like?]
{Hakushu Kitahara.}
{Fuyuhiko Yoshimura.}
{Junpei Iori.}
Yukari and Fuuka chortled a bit at the fact that the third option was even an option, while Junpei raged.
"I knew it!" Junpei shouted, pointing at the screen like a child. "I knew he knew! He gave me the wrong answer on purpose —!"
Ring
He opened it, and screamed, "What!?" despite the fact that texts can't respond to screams.
2
"...No way," he gritted his teeth, "he's breaking his own rules!"
"What are you screaming about?" Yukari chided him, having been unfortunate enough to have sat next to him.
"Minato gave me the first option!" Junpei responded. "He gave me the wrong answer, and I ended up being reamed by Toriumi. Why the hell...?" He groaned, "Doesn't matter, let's just —" X, "—get this over with!"
[Ms. Toriumi: That's right! So you were listening to me after all!]
[Junpei: Eheheh... Well, you know how I like to pay attention!] He then turned his attention to Minato, presumably whispering, [Man, you saved my bacon, Minato!]
You hear your classmates whispering...
[Classmate: Minato gave him the answer... He must pay attention in class!]
Yukari in particular looked a little wary at the game's bringing up of people's rather keen observations on Minato's attentiveness. "What—?"
You became slightly more popular. Your Charm has increased.
At that, everyone was speechless.
"It's...a stat?" was all Junpei could mutter, as Yukari and Fuuka both looked at each other in bewilderment.
The next scene, however, would replace their incredulity with rage.
Evening
Minato returned to the dorm, spotting Yukari speaking with a sophisticated-looking, bespectacled gentleman. Both Yukari and the man were seated.
Everyone recognized the gentleman's character model all too well. Koromaru let out a low growl as the conversation took place.
[Yukari: Oh, he's back.]
[Sophisticated Gentleman: So, this is our new guest...]
Yukari and the gentleman stood up from their seats.
[Sophisticated Gentleman: Good evening. My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school. "Ikutsuki"... Hard to say, isn't it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes... Please, have a seat.]
Mitsuru said nothing but get up and leave the room. Everyone understood. Nobody dared dignify this monster's presence through any sort of meaningful response. No one said a word. No one made any sort of violent reaction or even emotion whatsoever. They just...continued playing.
The three characters then sat down; Ikutsuki on that blasted old red armchair, Yukari and Minato on the couch.
[Shuji Ikutsuki: I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive a proper room assignment. Is there anything you'd like to ask?]
Mitsuru stood outside the door of Junpei's apartment room and that was all she did. She tried to keep everything as bottled in as possible. She couldn't stand being anywhere that had a reminder of that trash, and to think that he was on screen, smiling that same smile, that same face, that same voice...
She had missed Minato dearly. Of course she had. And she had overcome the despair of her father's death on her. Yet even she could have been a little justified in her rage at seeing Ikutsuki again, couldn't she?
All the bitterness, all the "What if I had"s, all the "I should have just"s. They all came back in full force upon seeing his smug, deceiving smirk. How. How could she have let herself trust him? She had been such a fool.
But she couldn't blame herself any longer. Her father wouldn't have wanted such a thing. Nor would Minato have wanted it. And so, with renewed vigor, she laid her hand on the doorknob and stood there for another two minutes or so.
Before finally returning to the living room.
After finishing up with Minato's choices.
[Shuji Ikutsuki: You must be tired from all the excitement. You should go to bed early. As they say, "The early bird catches the bookworm!" ...Please forgive the bad pun.]
Again, no response from the players. But Junpei's phone rang again. He opened it.
Please don't swear, not even in your heads
It's rather unpleasant
Junpei deleted the conversation. He knew the person would have been able to text him again anyway.
Ikutsuki then left, thankfully before the players could throw any furniture at the television.
[Yukari: ...You'll get used to his lame jokes.]
Minato's avatar was then peacefully shown sleeping in bed, contrasting greatly with the effect this game was having on its players.
Mitsuru took her seat again, and the sight of Minato sleeping in bed stirred something in both her and Yukari that made them both feel a pang of guilt.
Aigis felt something in her as well, although it was more out of nostalgia and mild embarrassment.
And then the next scene happened.
Mitsuru, Yukari, and Ikutsuki were are all standing in the control room everyone so distinctly remembered from back at the dormitory. Mitsuru and Yukari were sitting in front of the monitors, on wheeled seats.
[Shuji Ikutsuki: Working hard? So, how's he doing?]
Mitsuru and Yukari both stood up from their seats and addressed the chairman.
[Mitsuru: He went to bed a little while ago. He's asleep now. Mr. Chairman, do you think he's...?]
Ikutsuki took a seat on a nearby cushioned stool. [Shuji Ikutsuki: Well, let's wait and see for now.]
And then the five words they'd all dreaded were spoken.
[Shuji Ikutsuki: ...The Dark Hour is approaching.]
At that, Junpei twitched at his controller. Yukari and Fuuka took in deep breaths. Mitsuru and Akihiko steeled themselves for another round of the Hour. Aigis and Ken straightened their backs. Koromaru's ears raised.
Junpei proceeded with X.
What they did not expect to see was yet another animated cutscene.
Several punks and youths were gathered around a specific spot in Iwatodai, the night sky looming over their ignorant heads. There were smokers, drinkers, people with chains in their pants, music playing over the scene from a radio; all those present chatted with each other casually and ignorantly. Unaware of the horrors they'd been spared from knowing.
Then, one of the youths appeared, tapping away at his cellphone before shutting it violently. The camera got a good look on his face. He was scowling, angered. Maybe at the world, maybe at his parents, maybe at himself. It was forever to be a mystery. He let out a Tch as four shady people left the area.
Voices and sounds and the ambiance just kept on going over the clock in his now open phone reading 11:59. The suspense would have killed the players, had they not already anticipated this outcome. Then an incomplete moon started coming into view, the clouds peering it into frame.
Junpei shook his head and closed his eyes.
The sky turned green and the moon turned amber, and the young man realized what hell he had entered. He stared at a looming coffin, one that had used to be a woman his age.
And then the black started coming out of his head, and he started holding himself in a desperate attempt to not fall apart—
"Oh, please, no," said Yukari, prompting Junpei to look at the screen again.
Everyone had their mouths agape in horror as the realization of what was to happen to that poor boy struck them.
The phone rang as the memories began coming back, and the message stated:
You may skip the cutscene if you want.
Junpei pressed whatever button his fingers could have gotten themselves on, and then the cutscene passed by.
Focus returned to Mitsuru, Yukari, and Ikutsuki in the control room of the dormitory.
[Shuji Ikutsuki: Hmm... He's still sleeping. The Dark Hour occurs every day at 12 midnight; you could say it's the "hidden" hour. During this time, an ordinary person Transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to all that occurs.]
"That's it," Junpei got up from his couch and threw the controller down, before turning off the console immediately. He then stormed out of the apartment, much like how Mitsuru had.
Yukari did the same, and the shock just would not wear off on Aigis; the android's eyes remained planted on the screen and she looked like her entire world had come crumbling down.
Fuuka had her hands on her mouth and was beginning to cry. Mitsuru and Akihiko cringed and felt utterly terrible. Ken just ran into the bathroom, and Koromaru had run under the couch the moment the cutscene had begun.
Junpei and Yukari stood outside of his apartment, Yukari making her way to the stairs and Junpei gripping the steel railings. Junpei apologized, "I am so sorry for bringing you guys here, I shouldn't have—"
Junpei turned back to his door, and he saw Fuuka dashing down the stairs, moving past Yukari, tears in her eyes and shambling. Mitsuru and Akihiko soon followed suit, but the two of them were far more composed than normal. Ken exited the bathroom, wiping his mouth with some toilet paper, and Koromaru was not far behind.
Yukari held Fuuka and comforted her while Fuuka wept at the bottom of the stairs, and Mitsuru said, "The game should be destroyed. If information about the Dark Hour were to get leaked through this—"
Ring.
Junpei would have thrown the phone down a drain pipe by now if not for the fact that this person was watching them.
I know how hard it must have been to see that.
But you have to keep playing. Circumstances are dire.
The intention is not to horrify you; it is to make a confession.
"What do you mean!?" Junpei screamed at the phone before screaming at the air, at the buildings across from his own, "What do you mean by that!? What confession!?"
Ring.
Junpei forced himself to read the next message.
There is much about him that you never knew.
This is the only way you'll ever be able to know everything that had been kept in the dark.
Junpei weakly dropped his phone to the floor and sank down. Yukari realized what this must have meant, that they had to keep playing, and Fuuka still just kept on weeping into her shoulder.
Mitsuru picked up the phone and read it out loud. Everyone knew the situation now. And knew that they could not turn back any longer. They had to finish the game. The circumstances, the danger, the horror — all of it might as well have been cosmic in scope.
"Come on," murmured Junpei, picking up his phone, "let's go back in."
Ring.
...
Phone opened.
Do not worry; you'll only have to play until the first "boss," for today
And he's coming up very soon.
Junpei didn't feel good about that fact at all.
So, understandably, Junpei and the rest of the team just powered through the next dialogue options; not caring to listen for the rules of the Dark Hour, for Yukari's reaction to spying on Minato, for any blabberings from Ikutsuki...
Fuuka had asked to stay in the kitchen for the duration of their game time. Of course, the team let her.
And then on the final block of dialogue, Junpei got another text.
Next part is another animated cutscene
I'm sorry; you cannot skip.
Junpei held his finger over that X button for a long time. Until he found it in himself to press it.
A startling whooshing noise then sounded off as a checkered-tile pattern rushed through on the screen. For the briefest of moments, the screen was black, and then a blue door suddenly appeared into frame — and opened, leading to a white transition.
The screen was blank for a second or so before displaying the scene before the players; a chain-link elevator of sorts moving downward. Before the players could even comprehend what was happening, the screen shifted focus to a strangely-dressed woman wearing blue. She had ominous yellow eyes, pale skin, and a dead stare. Next to her, on a blue couch, was a long-nosed and hunchbacked man in a suit.
Speaking of blue, the world itself seemed to be a deep shade of blue.
The camera zoomed in slowly on the long-nosed man, and he said with an insidious voice, "Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear young man..."
"What the—?"
Nobody could have any violent reactions at the moment, for they were far too confused. However, the confusion only furthered with the next few scenes.
The game then appeared how it normally did, big heads and cutouts and all, and Minato's avatar was now in a seat shaped like a lyre. Facing him were the two surreal, vaguely humanoid beings from the cutscene that'd just passed. A beautiful aria started playing in the background...an aria of the soul.
The hunchback began, his cutout showing him with a bald head, wicked white sideburns, and wildly deranged eyes which unsettled even Mitsuru, [Man with a Long Nose: My name is Igor. ...I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This is Elizabeth. She's a resident here, like myself.]
"What is going on...?" Yukari wondered aloud, her palm on her forehead. They'd had enough with all this confusion! And now, there was yet another confusing addition to it all! What did all of this mean!? What had Minato seen!? This was what he'd seen!? This game had got to be kidding!
[Elizabeth: Pleased to meet you.] The girl said, a malevolent and sinister tone of voice.
Akihiko couldn't believe what he was seeing. Even with everything he already had seen about Personas and Shadows...he couldn't even describe what he was feeling. He knew Arisato had to have seen some weird things, but...he had never even mentioned...
[Igor: This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter...]
Mitsuru and Ken's eyes widened. The implications, the sheer implications of it all were enough to just break their spirits. Mitsuru remembered something, how the Shadows were the darkest parts of the human psyche, and what these people were saying was that they were—!
And Arisato had been in contact with these people!?
[Igor: It's been years since we've had a guest.]
Years? Years?
Since they've had a guest...! There have been multiple guests in this Room!?
And then Junpei realized why it was called Persona 3.
"This game is a sequel!"
It was the contract Minato had signed at the dorm.
[Igor: Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place... Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask one thing in return... that you abide by the contract, and assume responsibility for the choices that you make.]
{I understand.}
{I don't understand.}
{Is this a dream?}
Ring.
3
Down. Down. X.
[Igor: Precisely... You are fast asleep in the real world as we speak. This visit of yours is merely a dream. However, you will come here of your own accord, sooner or later. Hold on to this...]
Obtained Velvet Key.
[Igor: 'Til we meet again...]
The players were too weirded out to make sense out of any of it. The next few scenes were powered through, rushing through the dialogue segments. X, X, X, X, X. Not knowing there was a function to skip large segments of dialogue, they moved on and just wanted to get the day over. This boss, whatever it was going to be, had to be killed.
But they couldn't help but have the shadow of the previous scene hang over their heads. Who were those two? What relation had they with Minato? If Minato had dreamt all of that, then...he had gone an entire year without telling them something as ridiculous as that!? Worse yet, they were obviously important! Beings from a realm between mind and matter...!? It couldn't have been! They couldn't have been...!
Just what had all of this meant?
And more importantly, how had Minato coped with this as well as he had!?
But then they all progressively remembered. They remembered — Aigis, back after the events of the Abyss!
They'd encountered that Room before, where Aigis had accepted her "sister," Metis...! It was brief, it was...it was surreal. It was entirely forgettable, as well...the years had passed by, and they'd remembered mostly the events that'd transpired before, when they'd fought that...that thing that was clawing at the Seal, the Great Seal, Minato!
And what was up with the contract!? And the boy!? All of this! What was going on!?
However, Aigis remained completely placid. Completely still. She refused to show any emotion whatsoever. Even in the face of all this. Only one statement ran through her mind, even up till now.
You never told any of us this...why?
These thoughts poured into their minds until they realized they'd skipped out on yet another large portion of text! The beeping noise in the next scene brought them out of their stunned stupor.
Mitsuru, Yukari, and Ikutsuki were in the command room of the dormitory when the beeping sound occurred.
[Mitsuru: Command room. ...Is that you, Akihiko?]
Akihiko throated out, over the transceiver, his face shown from a screen-like backdrop, [Akihiko Sanada: You're not gonna believe this...! This thing is huge!] Baited breaths. Wounded. Loving it. Loving the challenge. [Unfortunately, I don't have time to talk... It's chasing me... I wanted to let you guys know. I'm almost there.]
Akihiko, Yukari, and Mitsuru all remembered this. This must what be what the text had meant.
This was the first boss.
[Yukari: Does that mean... he's bringing that thing here!?]
Junpei checked the corner, only noticing it now in the worlds' worth of horror he'd seen.
Dark Hour
Full Moon
He got his fingers ready for whatever this boss was about to pull. If it was going to be as hard as Tartarus fights had been? Better get ready.
[Mitsuru: Mr. Chairman! Let's suspend our observation for now. We'll prepare for battle!]
[Shuji Ikutsuki: ...R-Right! Be careful!]
Tension. Spiked. Up.
Akihiko slumped to the floor. Holding his arm. Mitsuru and Yukari, horrified, ran over to him.
[Mitsuru: Akihiko!]
[Akihiko: Agh...!]
[Yukari: Senpai!?]
"Can you skip?"
"Huh?" asked Junpei.
"Can you skip all of this?" Yukari asked him. "The boss is coming, we can get it over with if we skip all of this!"
"I-I think we...!"
Ring.
Phone opened. Junpei shook his head. Yukari cursed.
[Akihiko: Get ready to be surprised... It'll be here any second.] Akihiko assuredly said, a big smirk on his face.
[Mitsuru: This is no time to joke around!]
[Shuji Ikutsuki: It's one of them, Akihiko?]
[Akihiko: Yes, but not an ordinary one— ]
Get to the combat already, Junpei silently urged. If there was one thing that was good about this game, at least he was now able to get the chance to re-kill all those Shadows again.
The scene progressed. They knew. They knew what was happening. They let it play out like normal.
[Yukari: Wake up! Sorry, I'm coming in!]
The nightmares. The horror. The eventual self-loathing.
These reached Yukari. All these horrific memories came back full force. She remembered how she could not even have protected him. How he'd saved her even though she was supposed to have saved him. How he fought and killed and got himself hurt for her safety. How she had thrust that short sword into his hands and how after he had died she had blamed herself for thrusting that sword in his hands.
But now, he was in front of her. Alive. Ready to save her again. And she was...again...afraid.
[Yukari: I don't have time to explain. We have to get out of here, now!]
{What's going on?}
{Okay.}
Ring.
1
X.
An earthquake, at their dorm.
[Yukari: Hurry! Downstairs! We'll leave through the back door! Wait! ...Take this, just in case.]
Yukari handed you a short sword.
Yukari seethed. Mostly at herself.
Junpei moved Minato's character swiftly through the next few scenarios. He progressed up and around the staircase with sweat beading down his head and his teeth chattering as the thrill of the up and coming battle charged his fingers.
It was nice of this game to have some form of stress relief. Even though the game itself was the one giving him and all his friends stress.
Mitsuru and Akihiko watched; the former gripping the couch armrest, the latter stoically crossing his arms and awaiting the battle that was to unfold. Or, rather, the beatdown. Ken and Koromaru watched intently, as their former teammate was about to display his powers before them again, again, after years. They were witnessing Minato's awakening. They had to watch.
Aigis was still not making any moves. Not saying anything. Not showing anything. Processing the fact that she was to bear witness to the moment the most precious person in her life was about to change forever. The moment he would sign his own death sentence...
Fuuka still remained in the kitchen, her head in her arms.
Yukari and Minato had made it to the rooftop. Yukari locked the door behind them in a vain attempt to keep themselves safe from the horrors about to unfold.
Yukari sighed, [Yukari: I think we're okay for now...]
But they were not. The ground shook again, and Yukari appeared terrified.
The scene shifted.
The sky was black, if not a sickly green. There were blood puddles on the roof. Yukari had a closeup of her face, and she looked like she was about to face her death. Minato was next to her, but his face was not seen.
"What!?" screamed Yukari as she whipped around and saw what was coming, the camera focusing on her eye.
The music picked up again. A crescendo of coming horrors. Something black emerged from the side of the roof and hung on to a ridge. Horrible squelching noises started emerging from the black thing. The screen glitched, and it showed the audience a puddle of blood on the roof.
Yukari was done turning away from this. She stared down the upcoming black monstrosity on the screen with everything she had. Mitsuru and Akihiko advanced in their seats.
Multiple black things rose, revealing themselves to be hands, and they clutched at the ridge of the rooftop. Then, a hand, one single hand, slid upwards while holding a blue mask. The mask of the Magician. A small groan bored its way into the minds of the players. It turned and looked around for a few seconds before eventually staring down our two current protagonists.
And it unleashed a flurry of its own arms, revealing that it was grasping several silver knives.
Junpei gave his best psycho smile. "Come get some."
"Those monsters...," Yukari started, the scene focusing on her, and then on the Shadow charging at her and Minato, "We call them Shadows!"
Yukari whipped out her Evoker. But still, still, she could not pull the trigger. She breathed and breathed and breathed longer than she had any right to, but she still. Couldn't. Pull. The trigger.
Yukari furiously shook her head. "Shoot, shoot," she whispered, even though she knew she would not do it.
Spirals emerged from the ground, and just as Yukari seemed to have finally gotten the courage to fire the gun, spirals emerged from the ground. And then, in a moment too quick to be tracked by the human eye, Yukari fell to the ground. A knife had made it between her and her Evoker.
The gun had made it to Minato's feet. In a puddle of blood. The camera then drew upwards, getting a good look at the hero of the story. He looked. Terrified. As terrified as someone as stoic as he could have been, anyway.
Minato.
Terrified.
That was enough for Junpei to almost stop playing. But then.
"Go on..."
It was the boy. The boy from the lounge. The boy who had Minato sign the contract. The corpse-boy. The dead-eyed one. The ghost. The frightening one. He said Go on, like he was trying to urge Minato, but it felt more like a command. He wasn't even moving his mouth the right way.
Minato's mouth was then seen. He looked contemplative. But he seemed to steel himself for something.
Everyone just stopped talking. Nobody could have said anything to make the situation less terrifying than it already had been. The boy had just told Minato to go on the path which would cost him his life.
"There!" Akihiko exclaimed, spotting Minato from the cameras. He and Mitsuru nodded and grunted, getting up to leave. Ikutsuki was then shunted into frame, and he had a rather peculiar glint to his glasses as he simply said one thing to make Mitsuru and Akihiko stop and look at the cameras again.
"Wait."
"Oh, no," said Yukari.
Minato picked up the gun. A deafening ringing noise came upon him. The world was white. He was the only one who had any sort of presence. He was alone. He was alive.
The scene focused on his eye, before panning into white pulse lines over a blue backdrop, and a heartbeat sounded off, showing Yukari with her Evoker at her head.
Yukari felt like she wanted to cry, and she didn't know why.
Minato's eye. His quivering, fearful eye. Another heartbeat as he saw Yukari with the gun to her head again.
Junpei breathed heavily, his hands shaking.
Minato's eye closed, and his eyelid shook, trembling. A heartbeat, and an oversaturated image. He began raising the gun.
Ken held Koromaru tightly. Fuuka knew what was happening. She could see it even with her face in her arms. And cried silently.
Yukari and the gun again. A heartbeat. Minato, seen cradling the gun in his hands like he was making a decision, one that would impact him for the rest of his life. The most important decision anyone could ever make: the decision to die. Yukari and the gun again, a heartbeat.
Mitsuru and Akihiko were on the edge of their seat, and were more than determined to see the fruit of their labor, the culmination of their search, come to light.
The moon. Minato raising the gun. The gun at his feet.
Aigis held a hand to her mouth, and knew, knew exactly why she herself was crying.
Minato, gun, head, boy. Minato, gun, head, Shadow. Heartbeat. Moon. Dark Hour. Shadow. Heartbeat. Heartbeat. Heartbeat.
A white line. A surge of power. And a promise of more.
Minato breathed. He breathed, knowing what he had to do. Knowing exactly what had to be done. Knowing that if he were to do this, he would never turn back. He breathed, he was scared, and he knew he was scared, but he knew that he could do nothing else but live.
He then...
...smiled.
Simply put...none of the players could react anymore. But Junpei's phone rang. And Junpei's phone opened.
"Persona."
This is his confession to you.
"...what—?"
BANG!
A/N:
Okay. Bit of a confession to make: I have not played any of the spin off titles of P3 or P4 — no Arena, no Ultimax, no PQ, no Golden. I have played P3P, if you count that as a spin off.
So if anything seems contradictory to the timeline here, please say so. If it is contradictory...someone help me out, then; but if not, this story, I suppose, would take place a few years after Ultimax. Which means, by implication, I should have to have the P4 cast cameo.
I am uncertain if they should, really. I'd like the story to focus on the P3 characters in this mess. Should I?