(A/N)
Hello and welcome to a new story I never thought I would make, but things changed. This is Persona Renegade.
I'll admit, this was a last minute thing and I didn't intend to make it right away, but playing Persona 3 Reload and talking to Third Dragneel and a couple more friends has given me inspiration to write this.
How is this going to work? Well here are a few things to clarify.
The characters will be AU versions of themselves, but will have references from their original shows.
As much as I love P5, this will be mainly inspired from Persona 3 and Persona 4 in terms of the Shadow World, theme, and tone. The only thing I'm taking from P5 are the Nuke and Psy affinities. Gives a lot more versatility.
Instead of High School, I'll be doing a college setting. I want to mix things up.
One character per series. Though some will have a few exceptions.
Now that we got the rules out of the way…
What you see before you is an event that'll not only change the life of one person…
but the entire world…
One must have the will and courage to survive any tragedy..
But one must also gather spirit to unlock their true potential.
[4/7/2019]
"Attention passengers. We'll be arriving at our Last Stop for today in Mertal City, Japan." The Subway Announcer spoke up. "Please gather your belongings and exit out on the left side of the train."
Upon hearing the announcement, a young man with black short hair and blue eyes snapped out of his trance. He's wearing a white shirt, black pants, and white sneakers that look slightly worn out.
"This is it…" The boy looks at his phone before getting up from his seat. He grabs his bag and luggage before exiting out of the train.
As he exited out of the train, he could hear people muttering amongst themselves. Ranging from adults talking about business plans to high school girls gossiping about rumors.
"Welcome to Mertal City." An announcer from the intercom spoke up as the boy took the down escalator. "Here in Mertal City, we have plenty of opportunities for the future thanks to our advanced technology and private schools. Our duty is to fill your life with happiness, hope, and endless possibilities…"
The boy looks down at the ground with a frown on his face as he can hear rather unpleasant words echoing in his head.
'Oh my gosh, can someone call an ambulance?!'
'I can't believe that girl just died!'
'Why couldn't it be you!? What does my daughter do to deserve this?!'
'Watch out. One step closer to that cursed boy and you're dead.'
'Maybe it would be better if you didn't exist, you little shit!'
The boy gasped and his eyes widened in horror before taking a look at his surroundings. He's now at the bottom floor and lets out a sigh.
"Wish I could get rid of these thoughts… But some of them aren't entirely wrong…" He lamented before walking out of the station.
"Hey, there you are!" The boy perked up upon hearing a male voice. He looks up and sees a tall man with brown eyes and short reddish-blonde hair with short bangs on the front, wearing a dark gray business suit with a white collar shirt and black tie. "Are you Yuta?"
"Y-Yes.. I'm Yuta Okkotsu."
The business places a hand on his chin and takes a closer look at Yuta, noticing the small bags under his eyes.
"You haven't even changed one bit. Well, you did get taller. You even look like your father."
"P-Please don't get too close to me!" Yuta begged as he backed up a bit.
"Whoa, hold on. I'm not going to bite you." The businessman said.
"S-Sorry.. Force of habit." Yuta apologized. "Wait… You knew my father?"
"Yeah. We were good friends until he and his wife passed away. Sorry for your loss, by the way." The businessman told Yuta, a look of sympathy in his eyes. "I hope you got the flowers I sent for them."
"I did." Yuta reassured before looking at the businessman with confusion.
"What's with that look, kid?" The businessman asked before snapping his finger. "Oh right, you don't remember me! Allow me to refresh your memory. My name is Reigen Arataka, I'm a professor and dorm master at Caldea University. You may not remember, but your dad used to be a professor here and I would visit you whenever I have time off."
Yuta looked at the man for a few seconds before his eyes widened.
"Ohh, I remember now. You threw a bunch of salt around the house." Yuta recalled. "My mom really chewed you up for that."
"T-That was to banish the evil spirits." Reigen sweated while clearing his throat. "Sure, I may have gone overboard and I did make a mess, but it's better to be safe than sorry."
"R-Right." Yuta said with an awkward laugh before thinking- 'Does he still believe evil spirits exist? I thought grown ups stopped believing in these things.'
"Anyway, I'm sure you know why I'm here and why you're here." Reigen says. "I promised your parents to take you in if anything happens to them. I made arrangements for you to attend Caldea and you'll be staying at the dorm I manage. "
"T-Thanks for your hospitality, Arataka-dono." Yuta says with a bow.
"No need for the formalities. It's kinda embarrassing." Reigen held a hand up before a prideful smirk forms on his face. "Although if you want, you can address me as Master Reigen."
"Okay… M-Master R-Reigen?" Yuta says with an awkward smile.
"Close enough." Reigen chuckles before turning away from Yuta. "Come on, I'll show you to the dorm. It's not far from here."
Yuta proceeds to follow Reigen, but keeping a few feet away from him with a small gulp. During the walk, Yuta can see a few people on moving walkways and drones patrolling the perimeter.
"I have never seen technology like this before." He admitted.
"Impressive right? Mertal City is very advanced. All the way from big companies to simple homes and apartment complexes." Reigen then points at the moving walkway on their right. "Here. This way is to the school campus."
"So uh… what major did you exactly pick out for me?" Yuta asked as he and Reigen stepped onto the walkway, making them move forward.
"Why would I change someone's major like that?" Reigen asked, raising an eyebrow. "Your major will still be the same as your previous college. Wait, do you even have a major?"
"Well… To tell you the truth, I haven't figured out what I want to do with my life." Yuta confessed.
"Well, that's the beauty of college. You'll find out what you want eventually." Reigen reassured with a soft smile before turning away. "Bit of advice: don't live in a frat house. It isn't fun."
"Have you lived in one before?" Yuta questioned.
"Been there, done that. It sucks." Reigen answered before hopping off the walkway and walking up a flight of stairs. "This is where you'll be attending. Caldea University."
Yuta felt like his eyes lit up for the first time in forever as he saw a giant building that looked like a fancy science facility surrounded by a green field. On the left, Yuta can see a few students chilling while playing sports, even some wearing sports uniforms. On the right is a park with some students relaxing, including a few couples.
"Whoa.. I would never have imagined studying here." Yuta says before shaking his head. "Not even my part time job back at home wouldn't be enough to help cover the cost."
"Consider yourself lucky." Reigen smirked while pointing his thumb at himself.
"So uhh, will I be taking classes online or will I be actually entering the building?" Yuta asks as he follows Reigen who begins walking to the right
"It's really up to you. Some students here take online courses." Reigen explains. "But there are others who prefer learning in person. It shows how flexible Caldea University is with its courses."
"Surprised some students are still around the area even if it's close to nighttime." Yuta says, remembering how empty his old college was at night.
"Some like to come here to be inspired. Although, the security guards do patrol around the campus grounds and let them know when the area is closed." Reigen says. "So be careful if you plan to be rebellious."
"H-Huh!? I-I would never do that!" Yuta denied with a panicked tone before hearing Reigen laugh.
"I'm just messing with you, Yuta-san." He says. "I know you're smart to not break the rules."
Yuta sighs in relief from realizing it was just a joke. He continues to follow Reigen as the two arrive in another area of the campus, this time filled with multiple buildings and homes.
"This right here is the dormitory area. It's where most of the students live." Reigen said.
"Most?" Yuta asked.
"Some students live in the city, but only those that are incredibly rich or want to be closer to their jobs." Reigen explains. "Speaking of, I think it'll be wise for you to find a job during the start of your term."
"I hope I can find one… I had terrible luck at my previous job… It wasn't pleasant." Yuta nervously scratched his cheek.
"If you need help, I can make a few calls." Reigen offers with a genuine smile.
"I appreciate it, but no thanks." Yuta declined. "I want to find one on my own merit."
"I respect that. But the offer still stands if you change your mind." Reigen smiled before leading Yuta to the right side of the campus before stopping in front of a frat house made of bricks with a black rooftop. "Here we are. Welcome to your new home, Spiritual Dorm."
"Uhh Master Reigen?" Yuta slowly turned his head, giving Reigen a deadpan glare. "Isn't this a frat house? Didn't you say staying at one is a bad idea?"
"Whaaat? It's not a frat house. It's a school mansion, there's a difference." Reigen corrected, trying not to sweat nervously.
Yuta opens his mouth to counter his statement, but sighs as he feels like there's no point in arguing.
"Besides, this only houses a few students. Some who are considered misfits." Reigen's words caught Yuta's attention.
'M-Misfits!?' Yuta's eyes widened in horror. 'Don't tell me there are bullies in here!? I already had to deal with them back home!'
"Honestly, their opinion on us is complete bullshit. I like to see ourselves as talented in a unique way." Reigen says with pride, walking up to the door.
'No, stay calm Yuta.' Yuta thought to himself with a serious game face. 'I'm sure it's just Reigen scaring me. All I have to do is make a good first impression. I'm sure this place is filled with people I can make friends with.'
"TAKE YOUR FEET OFF THE TABLE NOW!" Yuta got spooked by a loud voice as he and Reigen can see two students by the lounge area, which is a big area consisting of four couches surrounding a long table, a tv on top of a stand. Behind the couch is a longer table with chairs.
The student who shouted is a tall bespectacled male with short dark blue hair that's flattened and combed nicely, and blue eyes. His attire consists of a navy blue collar polo shirt, tan khaki pants held up by a black belt, and black shoes.
The other student, who is sitting on the left couch with his feet on the table, is a slightly shorter male, but with a punk-like appearance. He has two different colored hair, a light gray hair at the top, black hair at the sides, stylized to look like a mohawk. The most noticeable feature is the straight line mark surrounded by three pairs of dots on his left forehead. His attire consists of a white shirt underneath a black leather jacket with a skull and fire logo on the back, navy blue jeans with a brown belt and semi tears on the knees, black fingerless gloves, a chain attached to his trousers, blue shades, and black running boots.
"Dude, why the hell are you yelling at me?" The punk looked up at the bespectacled student. "I'm just chilling."
"It's your first year in Caldea and you're already disrespecting its property!" The bespectacled student reprimanded.
"It's a dormitory, not a freaking classroom!" The punk shouted back with a glare.
"You're still dirtying the tables with your boots!"
"They're not super dirty!" The punk growls before standing up. "Just because you're taller than me that doesn't mean you get to boss me around!"
"I'm not bossing you around! I just can't condemn actions of disrespecting school property! Especially when they were used by graduates!"
As the two bicker, another student is reading a science book at the longer table. This student has round, brown eyes and matching spiky brown hair, and he keeps a pair of safety goggles around his head like a headband. His attire consists of a white undershirt under a blue V-neck shirt, dark pants, blue sneakers, and brown suspenders in the shape of an x.
"Okay… Hmm… Ohh, this chemical reaction." The science boy smiles while writing down notes, though he immediately winces when he hears the other students bickering. He sighs and turns around. "Hey, can you two keep it down? I'm trying to study this new book I got."
His request went unnoticed as the other two kept on bickering. The science guy stood from his chair before walking over.
"The hell do you want?" The punk glared at the science guy.
"Can you two please keep it down? I'm trying to learn some new chemical reactions from my book." The science requested.
"Who cares about your stupid science crap!" The punk shouted.
"Excuse me!?" The science guy gasped before getting angry, clenching his fist. "Science is not stupid! Did you get hit in the head by a rock, dumbass!?"
"WHO YOU CALLING A DUMBASS, SCIENCE FREAK!?" The punk howle, grinding his teeth together.
"Now you're calling people names? What are you, a child?" The bespectacled man sighed before turning to the science guy. "And I ask you to rephrase what you just said. We can't have upperclassmen be a bad influence to th-"
"NO ONE ASKED FOR YOUR OPINION!" The punk and science guy shouted at the bespectacled man in unison before the three ended up in a bickering free for all.
"Uhh Master?" Yuta asked with a sweatdrop. "Is it always like this?"
"Yes. It's actually pretty normal here." Reigen said with an unamused tone.
'Now I know why people say this place is for misfits.' Yuta thought before he saw Reigen going behind the registration desk, rummaging around to find something. He then opens one of the drawers and sees an airhorn.
"Ah ha! There you are." Reigen grabs the airhorn and holds it up before turning to Yuta. "Might wanna cover your ears."
Yuta nods and puts his hands over his ears before Reigen presses down on the button of the airhorn, unleashing a loud sound that prompts the three students to scream and cover their ears.
Once Reigen sees the students stop bickering, he places the airhorn down on the counter. "Good. I was wondering when you three would stop acting like kids."
"Master Arataka!" The bespectacled man gasped before walking over. "Please forgive us for seeing such vulgar behavior!"
"Sheesh, you almost killed my eardrums!" The punk groaned while walking over with hands in his jacket pockets. "Where did you get that!?"
"I bought it for certain occasions." Reigen answers sternly. "If you have a complaint, then your advisor is all ears."
"Advisor or Annoyance?" The punk said under his breath, only to hear the air horn go off and prompted him to cover his ears. "What the hell!?"
"I heard that." Reigen said in offense.
"We're sorry!" The science guy bowed before glancing at Yuta. "Who's that?"
"He's the transfer student I told you about. We've been over this before." Reigen answered, causing the three boys to gasp. "He'll be living here starting today, so please be considerate towards him."
"H-Hello." Yuta greeted awkwardly. "I'm Yuta Okkotsu and I'm going to be a first year student at Caldea University… It's nice to meet you all."
"Greetings, my name is Tenya Iida. I'm a fourth year student as well as the student council president." The bespectacled man introduced. "Sorry you had to witness our disagreement earlier."
"I-It's okay." Yuta reassures before turning to the punk, who's giving him a glare. Yuta felt his entire body shiver in fear. "C-Can I help you?"
"You're a first year, huh?" The punk approached him closer, looking up at Yuta. "Name's Magna Swing. You better not forget it or else."
"Wait, you're American?" Yuta asked, noticing the slight accent in the punk's voice.
"You got a problem?" Manga asked back with a growl.
"N-No I don't." Yuta assured nervously.
"Huh.. Well anyways, you're not the only first year here." Magna lowers his glare before jabbing a thumb to himself. "I'm in the same grade as you."
"It may not look like it, but Magna is pretty nice." The science guy says before smiling. "Nice to meet you, Okkotsu-san. I'm Chrome Yamauchi, a second year student."
"So umm… I have a question for you all." Yuta says.
"I bet you're wondering why this frat house is considered a place for misfits?" Tenya predicted. "Well, it's for students that have some issues. Swing immediately got transferred after picking a fight."
"It's because some assholes decided to pick a fight with me!" Magna clarified with anger.
"Watch your anger, Magna." Reigen sighs before holding up an airhorn, causing Magna to grumble.
"I ended up here because of a chemical accident." Chrome rubbed the back of his head. "I was trying to help out with the plants in the school garden, but it didn't go well."
"What did you do?" Yuta asked.
"I might've made them grow at a rapid pace." Chrome confessed with a laugh. "But hey, the gardening club is happy at least."
"You should've gotten permission first." Reigen told Chrome.
"I said I was sorry!" Chrome exclaimed.
"As for why I'm here… The head of the university requested me to monitor the frat house so the students here don't do anything reckless." Tenya explained. "So I accepted their request."
"Now what about you? Why did you join?" Magna questioned Yuta.
"Well…" Yuta starts until he takes a deep breath. "I didn't have a choice. Master Reigen made the arrangements for me. He didn't even tell me about what place I'm living in until we arrived."
'What? He didn't even bother telling him about the frat house?' Magna, Tenya, and Chrome glare at Reigen with unamused expressions.
"Don't look at me like I did something wrong." Reigen held his hands up. "Me and the other board members tried to find a room for him in the other dorms beforehand, but they were all unavailable. This is the best we can do."
"Well, I'd rather have a place to stay than sleep outside." Yuta says with a sheepish smile.
"That's what I want to hear." Reigen smiles before walking over to the boys. "Now then, let's begin the tour. Iida, I'll be appointing you as my assistant for this assignment."
"Understood!" Tenya saluted.
"Dude, this is college. Not the military." Magna rolled his eyes.
"Wait a minute." Chrome spoke up. "Master Arataka, didn't you say there was one more first year student joining the dorm? Where is she?"
"There's a female student?" Yuta questioned with an eyebrow raised. "I thought this was for guys only."
"No, it allows both genders." Reigen explained before looking at the door. "As for our missing girl, I'd assume she's lurking around the city."
"What could she be doing out so late?" Tenya asked. "Isn't she aware that all students must return to their dormitories at a specific time?"
"She was here last night and early this morning." Chrome recalled before scratching his head. "I tried talking to her, but she didn't respond and just walked out."
"I'll have a word with this bad girl once I run into her." Reigen shook his head in disappointment. "But for now, let's begin the tour. As you can tell, this is the lounge area. You can hang out or study here."
"There are even a few computers over there and outlets for your laptops." Tenya added. "However, we prefer using computers for school purposes. I don't want any shady sites in the browser history."
"Is there a kitchen on this floor?" Yuta asked.
"There is. However, we don't have our own chef." Reigen answered. "If you want to eat here, then this is a good opportunity to learn the fine arts of culinary."
"Not a problem for me." Magna chuckles. "All I have to do is pop ramen in the microwave and boom. Easy cooking."
"That's not really considered cooking." Chrome said with a sweatdrop. "But if anyone needs help, I'm happy to lend a hand. I'm no expert chef, but I know the basis."
"Did you pick up cooking skills when you took your science course?" Yuta asked.
"Correct. I was crap at cooking, but with enough practice I'm able to make a decent meal." Chrome answered with a thumbs up.
"It is better than zero culinary skills." Tenya says as he and Reigen start walking to the stairs.
"Wait, this place has a basement?" Magna asked, noticing two stairs, one for the upper floor and the other for the lower floor.
"Yes, but the basement is off limits." Reigen says. "That's the one rule you should never break."
"Don't worry, I won't go snooping around. Probably a boring basement anyways." Magna placed his arms behind his back as he walked up the stairs.
"Well here's something that's not boring. The 2nd floor is for the guys." Reigen explained. "The 3rd floor is for girls. So unless you have a legit excuse to be on the girl's floor, don't you go peeking around. Understood?"
"I understand, sir. And I will do everything in my power to ensure no one does anything to our fellow classmates." Tenya glares at Magna intensely.
"Why are you looking at me!? I'm not a damn rulebreaker!" Magna shouted in offense. "And I'm not a pervert!"
"Well, at least he was honest. But remember I have cameras so no funny business." Reigen warned before leading the boys to the fourth floor. "This is the upper floor and where my office is located. If you ever have any questions, I'll most likely be in here."
Reigen then opens the door to reveal his office, which has two couches in between a coffee table, two shelves with various books and files, a desk with his laptop and mug that reads "World's Best Man" on it, and a futon on the right side.
"Do you sleep in your office?" Chrome asked after noticing the futon.
"Of course. It's not all bad once you make some rearrangements." Reigen answers before the gentlemen exited out of the office.
"Hey Master Reigen. There was a door on the opposite side of the hallway." Yuta spoke up before pointing at the door. "Is that also off limits?"
"Oh it's not. It leads to the rooftop." Reigen leads the boys to the door before opening it, revealing a rather bare rooftop. "I never really added anything here, but it's not a bad location for a hangout spot."
"I gotta say, this place sure has one hell of a view." Magna whistled as everyone got a beautiful night scenery of the campus and university in the distance.
"Maybe we can get some tables and equipment in here." Chrome suggested before his eyes sparkled with ambition. "I can only imagine the amount of bad science experiments conducted here!"
"Bad!?" Yuta jumped in concern.
"You might want to change your phrasing." Tenya told Chrome with a dissatisfied sigh.
"Oh come on, Iida-senpai. Doesn't it sound cooler?" Chrome pouted.
"Though you're right on one thing." Tenya places a hand underneath his chin. "It could double as a study area."
"You can use it for studying, games, gardening, whatever you guys want up here." Reigen told the boys. "As long as you don't cause a commotion. Anyway, let's head inside. It's getting late. Be sure all of you head to bed. You have classes tomorrow."
"Yes Master Reigen!" The students shouted in unison before entering inside.
Spiritual Dorm, 2nd floor, Yuta's bedroom
After everyone went to their rooms, Yuta set his stuff down and unpacks in his new room, which has a desk for studying, a dresser for his clothes with a mirror, a television on a stand, and a drawer.
"This is going to take some getting used to." Yuta sighs before changing into his pajamas and laying down in bed. 'Rika.. If only you could attend with me.' Yuta looks at his hand trembling before clenching it and closing his eyes, slowly falling asleep.
[Dream]
[Aria of the Soul - Persona OST]
Yuta groans and opens his eyes before realizing he's no longer in his room. Rather he's in a completely different area colored in various shades of blue and multiple doors moving around like spotlights.
"H-Huh!? Where am I!?" Yuta panicked as he stood up and looked around the mysterious room.
"Please remain calm, my child." Yuta screamed and looked back, only to see nothing
"W-Who are you and where are you hiding?" Yuta demanded in fear and confusion.
A mysterious laugh appears before the bright light appears in front of him before a table and couch appears. Another light occurs before fading away, revealing a bizarre elderly man with a long pointy nose, bulging bloodshot eyes, and pointy ears wearing a black suit with white gloves. On his right is a beautiful girl around Yuta's age with blonde hair, blue eyes, and pointy ears. Her attire consists of a blue bodysuit with gold accents and a cutout-style chest design, black high heel boots, and carrying a big brown book.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room, Yuta Okkotsu." The elderly man greeted the paranoid boy. "My name is Igor and I am delighted to make your acquaintance."
"I-Igor? Am I dreaming?" Yuta pinched his right cheek hard, causing him to squeak in pain before holding a hand over a red mark. "Nope, I felt that.."
"You're certainly an interesting guest." The girl giggled in amusement. "Rest assured, you are not in danger in any way."
"And you are..?" Yuta questioned, though he couldn't help but blush at how revealing the girl's attire is.
"My name is Alpha. I'm a resident here in the Velvet Room and one of Igor's assistants." She introduced. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"L-Likewise." Yuta greeted back awkwardly. "So what is this Velvet room?"
"Glad you asked." Igor giggled with a grin. "The Velvet Room is a special location that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. Only special individuals can enter this place and now you've become my most recent guest."
"Special individuals? How am I special?" Yuta asked.
"Only time will tell you." Igor answered. "All you must know is you're required to hone your abilities and forge bonds along the way. I can help you with the former, but I ask for one thing in return."
"Which is..?" Yuta is left in suspense.
"You must abide by your contract with the velvet room and assume full responsibility for the choices you make." Igor instructed.
Yuta raised an eyebrow and was left pondering to himself. He has no clue on what's going on and who these people even really are. However, he has this strange feeling that if he declines, things won't end well.
"I have no idea about everything, but I do want to know what you're talking about." Yuta confessed before exhaling to relax. "So yes, I'll follow your rules."
"Then we have a deal." Igor smiled. "Alpha."
"As you wish." Alpha sets her book down on the couch before approaching Yuta. "Give me your hand. Don't worry, I won't bite."
Yuta gulped and hesitantly held his right hand out before Alpha covered it with both of her own hands, causing it to glow blue. Alpha released his hand to reveal a silver key with an insignia on the bow, which resembles an opera mask with multiple triangles circling around to resemble a sun.
"What is this key for?" Yuta asked, holding the key up.
"It'll give you access to the Velvet Room." Alpha answered before standing next to Igor and picking her book back up.
"Until we meet again." Igor waved. Yuta suddenly left a wave of exhaustion hit him like a truck, causing his eyes to close and his consciousness to cease.
[Dream End]
[4/8/2019]
Yuta can hear the alarm of his phone go off, causing him to groan and reach for it before waking up to see it's now 8am.
"What a weird dream…" Yuta sits up and stretches. He looks out the window and sees it's getting cloudy today. "I better bring an umbrella with me."
Yuta gets out of bed and gets dressed in his usual attire before noticing the key falling out of his pajama pants pocket.
"The key!?" Yuta gasped before crouching down and picking it up. "So it wasn't a dream after all?"
*KNOCK, KNOCK*
"Hey Yuta-san! Are you awake?" Yuta can hear Magna's voice from the other side of the door.
"Yeah, I'm coming." Yuta puts the key in his pocket before grabbing his bag and opening the door. "Oh, morning Magna-san."
"Morning…" Magna grumbled.
"Did I do something wrong?" Yuta asked with a sweatdrop.
"No, but Master Reigen woke me up and ordered me to go fetch you, saying it should be a bonding moment between the first years." Magna sighed in annoyance. "I'm just glad he didn't use that stupid air horn this time, but he shouldn't treat me like I'm some errand boy."
"Maybe he's busy. He is also a professor." Yuta theorized as he exited out of his room.
"I guess... Oh right, he also asked me to give you this." Manga gives Yuta a sheet, which has his full name on it along with his schedule.
"Only three classes for today and Saturday?" Yuta read his schedule to get a better understanding of his schedule. "Two for Tuesday and Friday. One for Wednesday, Thursday."
"Everyone's schedule is different, but school ends at 4 for all of us." Magna explains. "Come on, Reigen says we shouldn't be late and rather not deal with his stupid air horn if he finds out."
"But I haven't even eaten breakfast yet." Yuta spoke up.
"I got two breakfast burritos with me. I can give you one." Magna offered. "But you'll have to get your own food starting tomorrow."
"T-Thank you." Yuta bowed as the two headed to the boys bathroom and brushed their teeth, though Magna also combed his mohawk so it stays in its cool shape.
Once they're done, the two exited out of the dorm and started walking to the university.
"Here. You're gonna need your stamina." Manga takes out a burrito wrap and holds it out to Yuta.
Yuta grabs the burrito and opens the wrapping before taking a small bite. He then sees Magna taking out not just his burrito, but also a small bottle of hot sauce before the punk pours a bit of the substance in his burrito. "You put hot sauce in your burrito?"
"Yeah, so what?" Magna shrugged before taking a bite out of his burrito before getting an idea with a grin. "Say, would you like to try it out?"
"WHAAA!?" Yuta's eyes bugged out in fear. "I-I've never eaten anything with hot sauce before!"
"Oh come on, it's pretty good. Or are you too chicken to try it?" Magna mocked with a chuckle.
"N-No." Yuta denied, though he still has fear written all over his face.
"I'll just do one small drop." Magna moves closer to Yuta while slowly holding the hot sauce over Yuta's burrito. "I promise you won't regret it."
Yuta's literally in a state of panic as he feels like Magna is slowly turning out to be those bullies he had to deal with back home. He gulped before snatching the hot sauce before pouring a small drop into his burrito.
"Whoa! I was just messing around, dude!" Magna laughed. "You're more ballsy than I thought."
"Well I made it this far…" Yuta looks at his now hot burrito with intensity before closing his eyes and taking a bite until he feels the hot sauce kicking in before his entire face turns red from the heat. He then screams and taps his foot rapidly. "HOT HOT HOT HOT!"
"I would've done a small bite if I were you." Magna told, though he couldn't help but laugh at his reaction.
"Not funn- H-Huh?" Yuta suddenly feels the pain fading away as he begins savoring the after taste. "Whoa, it's really good! And I feel more awake than before!"
"Riiiight?" Magna grins. "Hot Sauce makes anything taste better once you have the guts to eat it. But I don't recommend chugging down a bottle unless you want to stay in the bathroom for a long time."
"Yeah, it doesn't sound pleasant." Yuta couldn't help but laugh alongside Magna.
"Sorry for scaring you like that earlier." Magna smiles genuinely. "I just wanted to see how tough you are."
"It's okay. It's thanks to you, I think I like hot sauce." Yuta says before sweatdropping. "Though it's going to take a lot of time to have endurance for it."
"Just take your time with it. Nobody's rushing you." Magna patted Yuta's back.
"Scuse me." The two boys heard a voice until someone slightly bumps into Magna.
"Hey! Watch where you're going punk!" Magna shouted until he and Yuta could see what appeared to be a young woman with naturally white hair and red-purple eyes. She wears light red eyes and lip makeup. Her hair is cut in a split bob (with her left side slightly longer) and dyed with a colorful pastel rainbow gradient. Her attire consists of a black top with spaghetti straps, a white jacket, white cargo pants, long black boots, and matching leggings.
"You know, it's rude to call a lady a punk when you practically dress up like one." The girl said dryly.
"What did you say!?" Magna growls with rage, seemingly close to popping a vein.
"T-That's enough!" Yuta blurted out before getting in between the two. "We don't want to cause a commotion!"
Magna and the girl looked surprised at how Yuta managed to get in between the two.
Yuta glances at the two before sheepishly laughing.
"P-Please?"
"Wow, you're more brave than I thought, Okkotsu." Magna slapped his back with a laugh before looking at his phone. "Shit! I better get to class. I'll chat with you later, man."
Manga gives a quick nasty glare at the girl before bolting towards the university.
"I better head to class too." Yuta says to himself before he felt the girl grabbing him by the back of his collar. "Ahh! Y-Yes?"
"Your name's Okkotsu, right?" The girl asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Y-Yes, I'm Y-Yuta Okkotsu. Why?" Yuta gulped while sweating intensely. He was then turned around by the girl before grabbing his shoulders.
"Hmm, you don't like you're around from here." The girl leans in close, causing Yuta to blush hard.
"Y-Yeah. I'm from a small town before being transferred here." Yuta stuttered.
"Ahh, a country boy." The girl smirked. "So tell me. How did someone like you wind up in the misfit dorm?"
"Misfit dorm? You mean the one Master Reigen runs?" Yuta blinked. "Wait, how did you know I was in the dorm?"
"I saw you and Reigen heading over there yesterday evening." The girl answered. "Don't worry, I won't judge you because I live in that crappy place too."
"Wait…" Yuta paused before recalling what Reigen told him yesterday. "You're the girl that was missing? Does that mean you're a first year student like me?"
"Bingo. You catch on pretty quickly. My name's Lucy Kushinada." She introduced herself.
"N-Nice to meet you, Kushinada-san." Yuta greeted. "Umm… can you back up a bit?"
"Why~? Never been this close to a girl before~?" Lucy smirks before laughing and backing up. "I'm just messing with you."
"Not funny.." Yuta pouted.
"Hey, you got to at least build up some courage. Especially when you're attending this university." Lucy says before walking ahead of Yuta. She stops and turns to wave. "See you around."
"R-Right. S-See ya." Yuta waves awkwardly as he sees Lucy leave. He lets out a huge sigh before walking to the university.
'I never thought a girl would get this close to me. Wait. Crap! I forgot to ask her why she wasn't there! Oh well, I'll be sure to ask her about it once I run into her again.' He thought.
Caldea University, main lobby
As Yuta swipes his ID for entrance, he walks inside and sees the interior is way bigger than he imagined as the main lobby area is filled with a bunch of students and professors either chatting amongst themselves or studying for their courses and exams. Yuta gulps as feels overwhelmed by the atmosphere before taking out his schedule.
"Let's see… My first class is General Literature... and my teacher is Professor Forger." Yuta reads to himself. "Wait, he's also my advisor?"
Yuta was about to wonder why Reigen isn't his advisor until he realized that wouldn't be the best idea. Yuta then puts his schedule away before looking around the main floor area… only to get lost as he ends up in different rooms from food court to bathrooms.
"Wish Master Reigen or Magna at least gave me a map to this place.." Yuta groans while sulking.
"Is everything okay?" Yuta jumps and turns around to see a gentleman around Reigen's age, but with smooth blonde hair and blue eyes. His attire consists of a green tuxedo jacket over a white collar shirt and red tie, matching dress pants, and black dress shoes. "It's not ideal to stand in the middle of the hallway."
"O-Oh! Sorry sir. It's my first time in this university." Yuta confessed. "I'm uhh… I'm looking for Professor Forger."
"That would be me. I'm Professor Loid Forger." He introduced. "And you're Yuta Okkotsu?"
"H-How did you know who I am? Did Master Reigen tell you about me?" Yuta asked, freaked out at how Loid was able to figure out his name.
"Uhh no. It's on your ID." Loid answered while pointing to Yuta's ID around his neck. "Is there something you need me for? If so, make it quick. I got a class to teach in a few minutes."
"That's what I'm here for." Yuta hands his professor the sheet of paper as the gentleman skims through it.
"So I'm your literature teacher and advisor..." Loid pondered before giving the paper back. "You can follow me."
"Thank you so much, Professor." Yuta bows.
"My pleasure." Loid says while walking with Yuta following behind him. "By the way, you know Reigen Arataka?"
"I-I do." Yuta answers. "He's an old friend of my father and he got me to attend here."
"Word of advice. Don't hang around him for too long." Loid sighed in annoyance. "While he's knowledgeable in business, Reigen is a complete buffoon."
"R-Right." Yuta nodded before smiling awkwardly. 'Kinda hard to avoid him since he's my dorm master.'
As the two entered the elevator, Loid pressed the number 3 button as the elevator closed before it started to ascend.
"My office will be on the 2nd floor if you want to talk to me after school." Loid told Yuta. "As your advisor, I want to make sure I guide my students to succession."
"I'll be sure to remembe-." Yuta suddenly felt like time had stopped and the entire world just turned black and white. "H-Huh? What's going on?"
"Unleash your rage…"
Yuta heard a deep voice calling out to him before seeing a silhouette of a tall bulky figure, causing him to stare at it in the distance.
"Become the storm!"
The shadowy figure begins to glitch out as Yuta felt a huge gust of wind hit his face before getting a vision of himself with a dead serious face, slicing a blob like creature into half with a katana, causing blood to gush out from the creature before the vision of Yuta grinning rather intimidatingly.
"Okkotsu?" Yuta hears the sound of fingers snapping, causing him to gasp as his senses come back to him.
"S-Sorry Professor Forger. I was lost in thought." Yuta apologized with an awkward chuckle. "I was thinking of what to expect in your class."
"I'll explain the criterias to everyone." Loid said before he and Yuta exited the elevator.
'Who was it that spoke to me?' Yuta thought. 'And why did my vision look like I'm a killer!? I don't want to be a psychopath! Man… I wish I knew what's really going on…'
(A/N)
And that is it for the first chapter of Persona Renegade!
Hope you guys enjoy the first chapter and I know, it's quite a few characters introduced, but I thought I might take a page from Persona 3 with how they're introduced. Aside from Yuta, can you guess which ones will be persona users and which ones will be social links?
And yeah I'm going off of the 2019 calendar. It was going to be 2022 or 2023, but I scrapped it and settled with an earlier year.
This one, I'm gonna be looking forward to as there's so much potential with this one!
See ya in the next chapter where the real fun begins! But before I end things…
Epilogue
Back at the Spiritual Dorm, completely empty now that everyone went to school. The scene changes from the bright room of the lounge to the stairs leading to the bottom floor.
Through the door is a completely pitch black room filled with boxes and other items that are hard to see. In the corner of the room, a small spark can be heard as something seems to be flickering on and off. The flickering grew rapidly before it disappeared.
