Chapter 6: Tartarus

The air in the room was odd, honestly this feels like a crappy joke: A robot and a demon walking to a room. It was a stupid joke. But no one was laughing. Instead everyone was dead serious.

Ikutsuki patiently wait that everyone sit down, they were all shocked because of the toaster standing beside the headmaster. Aigis disturbed all the kids on the room, except Naoki, who was intrigued. For some reason, the robot had the essence of a Magatama.

How? They didn't even know what he was until he told them, so they couldn't recreate a Magatama. Shit, he doesn't know if that is humanly possible. Whatever the reason, the bug hasn't evolve yet. It was still on the larva state, so he doesn't have to worry about her…at least for the moment.

"What you're looking at?" He was the first one to start a conversation. The moment he got inside the room, her eyes were on him and never leave him. It was amazingly obnoxious and her robotic demeanor (no pun intended) annoying him even more.

"My task is to supervise you 24/7 with no exceptions, Naoki-san. If you have any complains about my endeavor, you can talk with my superiors."

"Alright, there's no need to get aggressive, Kashida-kun. Aigis is doing what she was programed for. And I don't think that you should complain. After all, you accept it this condition."

"Doesn't mean that I have to like it."

"Understandable but I ask you to bear with us, Aigis is an important asset for us. So I will be grateful if you don't…get violent on her."

"Em, headmaster?"

"Yes, Takeba-kun?"

"I'm trying to make sense of this….that girl over here…is a robot."

"I'm an Anti-shadow suppresser weapon, Yukari-san."

"And how do you know my name?"

"I had been informed of all of you. I know all your personal information and your combat abilities."

"Ikutsuki-san, how is that I was never informed about Aigis existence?" Kirijo was the one who talked. "Someone like her could have help us on our first years in the Tartarus."

"Your father and the board didn't seem necessary to re-use Aigis in Shadow operations."

"Re-use?"

"Before the founding of S.E.E.S. the Kirijo group investigated the way of create an artificial Persona user to fight the shadows for us. Unfortunately, the project bring us more problems than solutions. So the project was shut down after years of research."

"Then why use her to….watch over him?"

"Because she is completely expandable." It was the demi-fiend who answer the red head, making all the students glare at him.

"Can you not be a dick for a day?"

"It's true. Think about it, she is not human. So they don't have to worry about her getting hurt because they can just fix her or improve her. Besides, he just said it: they shut down the project meaning that she was just collecting dust on a storage, so if they can use something that merely has any value the better for them."

"Aigis is a splendid unit, Kashida-kun. She had being recently re-calibrated in order to improve her proficiency on battle."

"Let me be her judge on that, Ikutsuki. Now, what's next?"

"We're going to Tartarus."

"The abyss of the Greek hell?"

"Is just a coincidence, although is probably the closest place to hell on earth."

"I doubt it…"

"Excuse me?"

"He said: 'I doubt it'" Aigis repeated what he just said, making the boy frustrated. It was supposed to be a comment that they shouldn't hear but now everyone will wonder what he mean.

"Wait, does it-?"

"Can we go to that fucking place?"

"Hold it, I want-!"

"Absolutely, let's go everybody. Remember, being kind and answer all the questions that Kashida-kun has about our operations. You all have an hour to prepare."

"Understood."

"Got it."

"Are you guys sure this is good idea? Are WE actually bringing a DEMON with us?"

"Do not worry, Yukari-san. I have orders to eliminate Kashida-kun if he oversteps his boundaries with any of you."

"You make me blush."

"Does my statement make you feel embarrassment?"

"…I'll see you in an hour." He left the room and walk downstairs but there was something that bother him during his walk. Or rather someone "Why are you following me?" Behind him was the mechanical girl, following his steps.

"I'm fulfilling my task."

"And following me around is part of it?"

"Affirmative."

"Even inside my room?"

"Affirmative."

"…."

"…"

"…"

"Whatever." They both went inside his room. "Does it bother you if I change my clothes?"

"It doesn't. Proceed." Naoki started to undress in front of the girl, who didn't bother at all to see him losing his clothes. "May I ask you something, Naoki-san?"

"What?"

"I'm doing a scan on your body and nothing seems out of the normal. You're a normal human being."

"Your question being?"

"You told Kirijo-Sama and Ikutsuki-san that you are a demon."

"Are you going to repeat everything you know?" Naoki walked towards his wardrobe and took up a shorts. "Or are you going to ask what you really want to know?"

"Are you a demon?" He turned his head back to her and stare at her. "Demons are supernatural beings, considered evil and harmful spirits spawn in the depths of hell. Know to bring misfortune and tragedy to humans."

"And you are not wrong."

"Tell me, how a being like you could benefit us?"

"Didn't your owners tell us about our deal?"

"They did and they order me to monitor you all hours, and stop you if I considerate you dangerous."

"And how do you find me?"

"My initial analysis couldn't find any distortion or hints that could make you a threat."

"Is that so?" Naoki face his body to Aigis. Suddenly, his body was covered on tattoos and his eyes turned yellow. "How about know?" Suddenly, he was being point by her fingers that now had holes on it. "Nice manicure."

"You're dangerous."

"How so?"

"Your readings are higher than any shadow I ever encounter. All my systems are on high alert. Conclusion: You are dangerous."

"If I am, then tell me…." He approach her slowly. "Why I am not death?" From her fingers bullets were shot. Dozens of projectiles hit his body, around 88 rounds were fire.

His torso was smoking but there was no blood or wounds. The floor was full of crushed bullets, like if they hit a steel wall. Naoki looked at her eyes, they show no fear but he wonder if she didn't feel it or she didn't know it. Before she could attack, he grabbed her hands and covered them with his own. The girl tried to escape but his strength was superior.

She didn't hesitate to kick with both legs on his face. Aigis was a robot, so her strength was above humans. And thanks to that, she was able to push the demon across the wall. No to the, across. He went pass the wall that separated his room and the other one. He let her go but she wasn't able to throw him down.

On the floor of both rooms had two straight line made by his foot. Once again, he was unharmed.

"I believe that I was gentleman enough to let you have the first strike." He calmly said. "Now it's my turn…"

"STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" Before he could counter, Ikutsuki came into the brawl with all the members. "Aigis! This is a direct order, you will cease your attack! NOW!"

"Understood." She retrieve all her weapons immediately.

"Kashida-kun, I deeply apologize for her behavior. Please, do not destroyed Aigis or try to harm any of us. I take full respon-"

"Don't apologize."

"But-"

"Believe or not, I got what I want."

"Do you provoke her?!"

"Maybe, I just show her how I look. She is the one who pull the trigger." His body turned back to normal. "I'll be at the dinner room, see you later."

Night fall on Tatsumi Port, not a single souls could be seen on the streets. Only the van that were carrying the students.

"K-Kashida-san?"

"What?"

"Why are you not wearing a shirt?"

"Why are you people wearing your school uniforms?" Kashida was only wearing shorts pants as clothes while all his schoolmates were on their respective school uniforms. "And I'm pretty sure that she is naked."

"I do not possess human anatomy, therefore, the act of being naked is impossible to me." Aigis was sitting across him, not leaving her sight. "Besides, using clothes will be useless. Because they will be shredded when I utilize my weaponry."

"There you have it. We have the same reason."

"How?"

"Do you know a fire proof clothing?" It was a good excuse but in reality, his magic doesn't scratch his clothing but his horn pierces any fabric and it makes him feel uncomfortable. But he won't tell them that. "How long until we reach that place?"

"We arrive." The vehicle stopped and went outside. Naoki realized where he was.

"School?"

"For the moment it is, but wait until midnight." Ikutsuki look at his wrist watch. "Which should be-"

*BA-DUMB*

The night sky become green and the moon yellow. All the lights went down and the headmaster's watch stop working. In other words, the dark hour has begun. But suddenly, the floor started to shake and the building in front of them started to morph into something else.

It grow considerable larger and grow other parts, all of it started to pile up each other. The building was becoming a deformed amalgamation of multiple structures trying to overcome one another. If the structure could resemble something, it would be a tower.

A giant and overwhelming tower was reaching the center of a spherical world, that place was empty. Dead. A vast desert world which was the ruins of a recent civilization. This tower was the center not only of the world but the universe. Where the fate of the next world will be decided.

Before that tower were three individuals: one of them was a teenager who was wearing only short pants but his body was covered in tattoos. There was other teenager, about his same age but this one had more clothing than the former. The boy was wearing an old fashioned school uniform with a long cape and a shoka cap. And the last individuals was a black cat.

"Tower of Kagutsuchi, somehow I expected more of it." The cat spoke like any other normal person but if they were any humans around they will not hear him. "We must reach to the top but don't be cocky, we aren't the only ones trying to reach the top."

"Then Hikawa must be there waiting for us." The tattoo one commented, never stopping watching the tower. He was lost on it.

"And some other people as well."

"Do you have something to say, Kuzunoha?" He looked at the student with defiance.

"I'm not calling you or anything. But is more than obvious that Nitta Isamu and Tachibana Chiaki are inside the tower as well."

"You think I don't know that?!"

"All I want to know is that when the moment arrives if I can on you." Kuzunoha stared at him with his dead fish eyes. "I know that is-"

"YOU DON'T KNOW NOTHING!" He grabbed him by the collar.

"Enough! You two can make up after we deal with this! We don't have time to spare in here, if any of those people reaches Kagutsuchi and show him their reason, is over for us. So stop whining and-"

"Kashida-kun?" Before him was the headmaster who looked worried. "You space out for a moment."

"It's nothing." He ignored the older man and went inside the tower. He found intriguing how big the room was. The floor was a black and white squared like a chess board, at the end where stairs that conduce into a giant clock door.

"Kashida-kun, I welcome you to the Tartarus."

"Very clean for being call hell."

"Wait until you climb up the floors, there is where things get interesting." Sanada speak with excitement. "To be honest, I want to see you in action."

"You think I'm going to fight?" All the members stare at him in silence. "So you actually think that I was going to fight?"

"What else you will be doing here? You actually make a deal."

"Doesn't mean that I have to start now. I said I'm going to help you but like shit I'm going to do all the heavy lifting to you. So before I help you, I want to see what you guys are capable of."

"So you're going to watch and do nothing?"

"Think of it as an evaluation but don't worry. If I see that you people can handle it, I will intervene." He stated then he looked at the only adult in the room. "What about you?"

"As a matter of fact…" He grabbed a small phone from his pocket. "I was going to do same."

"Ikutsuki-Sensei, what's that?"

"It's a transmitter, it allows me to see what Aigis is seeing."

"Couldn't you do that from the dorms?"

"The signal is not to strong but this was supposed to be a one thing day. It's a shame that I won't be able to see it."

"Can we stop wit this? Kirijo, how many floors does the tower have?"

"I can answer it, Naoki-san." Aigis was the one who answered. "Tartarus has a total of 264 floors."

"And how far did you get?"

"The farthest we get was the 18th floor."

"18th floor? Of 264?"

"Each floor becomes more difficult than the last. And we don't possess the recourses to fast travel between floors, nor the power and stamina to push forward."

"Then how you suppose to reach the top?"

"It is not necessary to reach the top, Kashida-kun."

"Then what's the point of being here?"

"To become stronger, of course."

"What?"

"The more we train against shadows, the stronger we get."

"I see….actually, you guys want to know a way to get stronger fast?"

"Tell us."

"Go to gym." All the students glare at the demon boy. "I'm hoping that what your personas does impressive me because this is getting to annoying."

"PERSONA!" Sanada invoked his Persona Polydeuces to kill a shadow. His summon was enormous, with a giant torso and long blond hair. Perfect for a himbo like him.

"Penthelisea" Now it was the turn of Kirijo, her Persona was perfect for her. An armored queen warrior with two rapiers. What stand out was that she used magic, ice magic.

"I should have bring a magazine or something." Honestly, this was too boring. He expected something more….cool for what they told him. For what he saw until know, they were a heavily nerfed version of the demon he summoned constantly.

But not everything was a waste.

He learn some things about Personas: One, they always have to shot themselves on the head. Their guns weren't real, they were some kind of device that help them to invoke their creatures. He noticed that they don't last very long, after attacking they disappeared and if they wanted to use them again they have to shoot themselves again.

Something curious about their personas was their names. Penthelisea was the name of an Amazonian queen, daughter of Ares and Otrera. A warrior who killed her sister by accident, her punishment was to lead the amazon on the Trojan war. Her life saw its end by the hand of the famous hero Achilles.

Polydeuces had his origins on the greek mythology as well. Twin brother of Castor and part of the hero twins of the same mother but different father. Polydeuces's father was the ruler of the Olympus, Zeus. Meaning that he was immortal but his brother wasn't. Death arrives for Castor, in his grief, he asked his father to share part of his immortality with his brother so they spend eternity together. So, the god of thunder turned into twin stars making the Gemini constellation.

Were just a coincidence? Or they name their personas because they liked those stories?

Aigis wasn't engaging. All this time she was focus on him, never leaving him for a second. IT didn't help that the Ikutsuki was literally watching what she was seeing.

"Aigis."

"Yes?"

"Aren't you going to help them?"

"Unless they are on imminent danger or heavily wounded, my orders are to monitor you and evaluate your fighting abilities."

"I'm pretty sure that you did it back then."

"The data I collected is useless. It didn't give us more information about your abilities." She answered. "Why won't you engage into battle?"

"Don't wanna."

"Why?"

"Because I don't' want to."

"I find you answer unsatisfactory."

"Not my problem." He saw Takeba in front of a shadow, until know she was fighting by shooting arrows. But she was out of them, so she had to use her Persona now. She grabbed her gun and point her forehead.

But she didn't pull the trigger. Instead she froze in fear while a massive shadow was approaching her.

"TAKEBA!" Kirijo screamed but she was too far from the brunette.

"Persona!" The robot girl yelled at his side while she summon her Persona. A woman on a blue long dress with a golden collar. On her head was a paladin helmet, like the ones the roman centurions were. Her face was the same as a statue, literally, like an old statue you see in a museum. But her head suddenly turn into pieces and a giant spike came from inside her body.

Seeing the robot girl riding her own Persona and run over a shadows was the most entertaining thing that happen tonight.

Aigis was standing before a frighten Takeba. Sanada and Kirijo immediately went to check on her.

"What the hell, man?!" Sanada walked towards him with clearly a piss off expression. "Why didn't do anything?!"

"The robot did it for me and she is totally fine."

"It doesn't matter! The point is that we are a team and we suppose to help each other!"

"Didn't know I was part of your club."

"You are now! So stop fucking off and do something, you asshole!"

"Akihiko!"

"I'm sorry but I don't want to trust my back to this guy!"

"He-He is right…" Takeba managed to recovered and looked at him. "I admitted that I'm scared but if Aigis didn't help me, this…"

"Trust me, you were fine."

"I'm almost die!"

"Believe me, everything was under control."

"How?"

"I'm detecting strong shadows approaching!" They all look at the end of the hallway and saw five giant shadows approaching them. They were extremely muscular, the five of them were wearing a sports briefs similar to wresting fighters.

AS a matter of fact, those shadows were imitations of Hulk Hogan.

"Akihiko! Takeba! Prepare!" Kirijo and Sanada prepare their weapon, Takeba did the same but with less confidence.

"Those are wrestlers."

"Their official names are steel gygas."

"If you don't going to do nothing then shut up!"

"You what me to do something?"

"YES!" The three persona users screamed at the same time at the demon boy.

"Alright." Naoki transformed into his demon form, making all the robot girl's alarms go on and stand where he was in silence. His eyes were on the over-size monsters at the end of the hallway. His entire head was starting to spark with lighting and out of nowhere a beam came out of his eyeballs. The attack obliterated the five shadows and leave no track.

The students didn't have words or expressions to express the sheer confusion and disbelief that they were experience right now.

Right now, he directed his eyes toward the robot. "Did you catch that on camera, Ai?" He said to her with his flat tone. "Let's go to the next floor." And with that, the boy left the three students while the robot follow him behind.

"I think that I should measure my words next time I talk to him…"