I know I said I wouldn't post a new story till my other one was finished. But I couldn't contain myself and wrote this whole chapter in, like, two days. Let's see how this goes.

Hound of Kirijo

Prologue: A Premade Decision

July 11th 2008

Mitsuru Kirijo was many things. Heiress to a large conglomerate, a 2nd year in high school, and as of last May, had just turned 17. These were all facts that could easily be found with just a little research. However, one fact that was kept very well hidden was her nightly activities, that of a persona user. With powers beyond that of normal humans, Mitsuru was more than capable of protecting herself from the horrors of the night. That's what she believed anyway, which led to her current discussion.

"A bodyguard? Do you truly believe this is necessary, father?" She was currently sitting across from her father, Takeharu Kirijo, in his office at the Kirijo Headquarters. She had been curious when she received the summons to see him as they didn't see each other as often as they liked, not that either would admit it.

"Were it up to me, I'd have had someone to watch over you from day one, but the lack of persona users up until now made that impossible," he said, taking a deep breath.

Mitsuru took note of her father's statement, "Until now? Are you saying this bodyguard is a persona user?"

Takeharu nodded, "Indeed he is, a very interesting one too if Ikutsuki's report is anything to go by. Plus, he's capable of protecting you during the day as well."

Mitsuru frowned, "I won't deny we need more persona users, but I feel a personal bodyguard is unnecessary."

"Regardless of how you feel, this is one decision I'm holding firm on. Not only because of shadows, but the yakuza world has been very erratic and unstable over the last three years. I want to make sure you're protected from both," Takeharu said firmly.

Mitsuru sighed internally, she knew there was no winning this argument, "Yes, father."

Takeharu nodded, "Good, now then." He pressed a button on the speaker on his desk, "Kinomoto-san, send him in."

"Right away, Kirijo-sama," came the swift reply.

It took only a few seconds for the doors behind her to open. Mitsuru stood up and turned so she could greet the man entering.

What she saw was a man with short black hair, almond shaped brown eyes, and a standard suit she expected her own father's bodyguards would wear. She guessed he would be well built, but the suit covered him enough that she wasn't certain. However, what caught her attention was the finer details. While he was definitely Japanese, there was a softness to his facial features that spoke of some western influence.

He bowed deeply, as he entered the room, "You called for me, Kirijo-sama?"

Takeharu nodded, "I did. Mitsuru, I'd like you to meet-"


Chapter 1: Emergence

June 2nd 2008

The last two years had not been kind to Ryuden Yamamoto. Two years ago, just two short months after starting his 3rd year of high school, his father had been killed in a car accident. He had dropped out of school and went to work to support himself and his grieving mother.

He was thankfully able to make his way into a job at 17, but bounced around a bunch of part time positions. Once he turned 18 he was able to find something more permanent, a security guard for one of the Kirijo Groups warehouses near the coast. The warehouse held general supplies: hospital resources, emergency generators, and much more. As such, the actual danger related to his job was very low. Today, he was the gate guard working his least favorite shift, the graveyard shift.

He was currently in the gate house manning the gate, sitting in a swivel chair. Music was playing on the radio, but he didn't really pay it any attention.

Ryuden sighed, "Maaaan the graveyard shift is the worst. Nothing ever happens, and I forgot to bring a book with me." He took a look at the clock radio. 11:57pm. "Ah well, at least I'll be the first one to wish myself a happy birthday tomorrow…actually that could be pretty funny. Where's my water bottle?" He quickly went to his backpack under the desk and fished out a bottle of water, "Perfect, now I gotta try and time this right." The second the clock hit 11:59pm, he started counting down from 60.

59

58

57

As he approached the final countdown, he opened the bottle of water.

5

4

3

2

1

"Happy birthdaaa-eh? Really?" He commented as he noticed the power went out. He closed the water bottle and put it down. He grabbed his radio, "Yoshida-san, everything good inside?" He radioed his coworker.

No response

Ryuden sighed again, "Oi, Yoshida-san, can you hear me?" Nothing, not even static. "Ugh, seriously, he could at least-" he froze as he turned around and saw the sky. The moon looked bigger than normal, and the sky was a sickly color. "What the fuck…" He was starting to panic, so he took some deep breaths to try calming himself down, but he found that breathing was hard. It was as if someone put a weight on his chest. He tried to focus, but his mind felt foggy due to the difficulties breathing.

He stepped out of the gate house and walked into the road, holding onto the bollards as he passed them. It was at this point he noticed the random puddles of blood all over the road.

"This can't be real. I must be dreaming. I must have fallen asleep in my chair."

He heard bubbling. A grotesque, gurgling, bubbling. He looked down the road and saw what looked like a big black blob with a blue mask. Their eyes met, and the creature howled.

"Oh fuck!" Ryuden panicked as the thing began charging at him. He ran between the bollards and towards the warehouse, he knew which access door should work, but… "Shit, my key card!" He had left his card at the desk back in the gatehouse. There was no way he'd chance going back for it.

In his current state, he could only think of one thing, 'I'll try losing it near the shipping containers.' He didn't know if he could outrun the monster, and he certainly wasn't going to look back and check.

Ryuden didn't know how close or far the monster was, but he was able to outrun it enough to reach the shipping containers. He twisted and turned in between the containers, eventually stopping to lean against one to try catching his breath. It still felt like he couldn't breathe and could pass out at any moment.

'NO! Can't pass out here, that'd be a death sentence with that THING around.' He listened carefully…he could hear it moving, crawling along the ground. His breathing was already shallow, it took everything in his power to not take off running until he knew where the creature was…

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he could still hear it stalking him.

RAAAHHHH*

The monster appeared on his right, and he took off running to the left. He exited the maze of containers and saw a different door. The door to the employee break room.

'That door is always unlocked, maybe Yoshida is there.' He sprinted towards the door, and went through it. As soon as he did he realized the door swung outward, so there would be nothing he could do to brace it or lock it out. Unless the monster couldn't open doors. Taking a quick look, he could see Yoshida was not there.

That said, he did grab a folding chair as he ran through the room. On the other side of the room was the entrance to the warehouse. Yoshida should be in there.

As he went through the door to the warehouse, he could hear the monster break through the other door.

"Yoshida! Help!"

Still nothing. 'Did he get attacked too? Please let him be alive.' He ran through the rows of boxes and shelves in the warehouse. 'Come on, where is he?! He's gotta somewhere in he-' he thoughts were interrupted when he saw a tall dark coffin in between a row of shelves.

"What in the-"

RAAAAAA*

"SHIT!" Ryuden dove as the monster caught up to him and swung with its claws. He felt it nick his pants, but thankfully it hadn't gotten his leg.

With the monster this close, Ryuden knew it was time for fight or flight. He chose flight before, but this time he chose to fight. He held the chair in front of him, almost holding it like a spear, despite its bulkiness.

The sludge monster came at him with its claws. Ryuden timed it right and swatted the arm away with his makeshift weapon. The two then proceeded to play keepaway for the next few exchanges.

The creature roared again, and suddenly,

BOOM*

"AHH!" Ryuden was sent to the ground from a sudden explosion of fire from seemingly nowhere. He dropped his weapon due to the searing pain. Now he was on the ground, burnt, hurt, and bleeding. He struggled to move, but found himself unable.

'This can't be real…

Time seemed to slow to a stop as the monster crawled towards him. A singular thought running through his head.

'I'm going to die'

"Do you wish to live?"

'Huh? Who said that?'

"Do you wish to live and fight? Or would you rather let it end here?"

Ryudens vision blurred, and two terrifying images made themselves known to him.

The first was a grave, his own, right beside his father.

The other was his own mother, hanging from a rope.

'No, NO! I can't die here! I REFUSE!'

"Then we shall make a pact, a solemn vow."

"I'll do it, I need to survive!"

His head started hurting, the pain was immense, he thought his brain was about to burst from his skull.

"I am thou, thou art I. If you swear by the very geas that made me, then all I am shall also be yours."

Ryuden grabbed his head and screamed. His eyes closed, he could still see a huge burst of light, before passing out.


Location Unknown

Ryuden woke suddenly, sitting up quickly. The first thing he noticed was how hard the thing he was laying on was. Looking down, he saw he had been sleeping on a large flat rock. He looked around and noticed he was in the middle of what looked like open fields. Rolling fields of grass with the occasional rock and tree to break it up. If he looked carefully, he could see what looked like a giant bull in the distance. It was a beautiful sight, only ruined by the fact that…

"Why's everything blue?"

"Welcome," the voice behind him caused him to jolt, "to the Velvet Room."

Ryuden turned and was greeted by a very unusual sight. An old man with a VERY long nose, sitting in a chair with a desk in front of him. And yes, both the chair and desk were blue.

The old man continued, "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

Ryuden just stared, unable to form a response.

"You are here because someone wishes to form a contract with you, and you with him."

"What are you-" a brief flash, and he remembered everything that just occurred. "Wait a minute, that monster, am I…" He didn't dare finish the question.

Igor raised a hand, "Do not be alarmed, you are very much alive, and your body is recovering in the real world."

Ryuden sighed, relief filling his heart, "Thank God, so where exactly am I?

Igor replied, "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter."

"Like a limbo of sorts?"

Igor nodded, "If you wish to view it as such."

"Ok, and what am I doing here?"

"It is as I said, you agreed to form a contract, and I am here to facilitate said contract," Igor elaborated.

"With who?"

"With me," a voice said, it was a higher pitch voice than he last remembered. A boy faded into existence beside Igor. It was a young looking boy, but he was well armored and held a spear in his hand. His hair was short, and Ryuden couldn't tell what color his hair was. It looked like a mixture of blond and brown, but depending on his angle it sometimes appeared red.

"My name is Setana of Ulster, and I wish to form a contract with you."

Ryuden was speechless. The name sounded very familiar, but he couldn't place it…regardless he knew he had to say something so he didn't look like an idiot, "...with me specifically?" Setana nodded, "Why me?"

Setanta crossed his arms, still holding his spear, "I can sense something coming. I can't tell what it is for certain, but I wish to lend my aid to humanity. The only way I can do so is through a contract. I chose you to form a contract, as to why…let's chalk it up to instinct for now."

Ryuden thought back to before. "So the fight with that monster…that was all real?"

"Very real. Had I not chosen to form a contract with you, you would most certainly be dead."

Ryuden gulped, "Alright, so what does this contract entail?"

"In exchange for swearing to a geas, I will provide you with the powers I had in life."

"Geas?" Ryuden asked.

"Think of it as a type of promise," Igor explained, "If you promise to do or not do what is stipulated, then you will be gifted extraordinary powers in return."

"Ok, that makes sense. What are the geas?" Ryuden asked.

"Geas one, you shall never decline a meal offered to you by a lady. In exchange, you will have the strength I had in life."

Ryuden nodded, "So by 'lady', you mean a girl of any age?"

"Correct,"

"Easy enough. What's the next one?"

"Geas two, you shall never consume food meant for a dog. In exchange you will have the speed I had in life."

It seemed simple enough, but… something didn't sit right with Ryuden. He sat and thought for a moment, thinking things over. Eventually he realized why something was off.

"Wait a minute, what if a woman offered me dog food?"

Both Setanta and Igor smiled, though Igor was always smiling.

"I'm glad you thought of that. It was that very loophole that assisted in my demise."

Igor nodded, "Addendum 1-ab, in the event that fulfilling geas A breaks geas B, or vice versa, the contract follower, that's you Ryuden, may choose to disregard either geas in that scenario without repercussion."

"...so to confirm, if following geas a or b would cause me to break the other, then I can ignore either one for that instant?"

Igor nodded again, "You are again correct."

"Got it, that's helpful. Is there anything else I should know about?"

"One last geas. If a woman makes a request of you, then you must do all in your power to complete it. In exchange you shall receive my knowledge. From Sencha mac Ailella to Fergus mac Róich, all shall be known to you."

This one caused all kinds of problems just thinking about it, and that's ignoring the fact Ryuden didn't know who Setanta was talking about.

"I have several issues with this one."

"And that's why I am here to help you. Merely state your grievances, and I shall help amend the contract," Igor said happily.

"Well for starters, what if someone said something in jest? Like if they told me to jump off a bridge?" Ryuden asked.

"Addendum 1c, In the event that the request is malicious in nature, or clearly intended as a joke, the contract follower may disregard the request. I'll also add addendum 2ac, in the event that said request is from someone you deem an enemy, any request may be disregarded. This also applies to disregarding geas A."

"That's good," Ryuden thought a bit more, "What if the request is counter productive to my own goals? Like if someone told me to quit my job?"

"Addendum 3c, in the event that the request is in conflict with the goals or morals of the contract follower, then the request may be disregarded. That should cover most common issues. Does that sound acceptable?"

Ryuden nodded, "Much better. Anything else need to be done?"

"Only one thing remains," Igor said before waving his hand, a paper contract appearing before him, "And that's for you both to sign. In summary, by following the geas mentioned above, Setanta of Ulster will grant his strength, speed, and knowledge to Ryuden Yamamoto, and that you're both signing this contract of your own free will."

Setanta was quick to approach the paper and read it. He removed his gauntlet and pressed his thumb to the contract. Instead of leaving a fingerprint, his signature could be visible.

Ryuden stood up and went to the table. He read the contract from start to finish. Nothing that wasn't discussed was on it, and everything that they did discuss was added in writing. Before he could react, a feather pen appeared before him in a flash of light. Gathering himself, he grabbed the pen and signed.

Ryuden Yamamoto

"Very well, Ryuden Yamamoto. Know now that should this contract be broken, all powers you received will be null and void," Igor warned.

"I'm aware, I'll abide by it."

"I shall be with you as well. Call upon me when you need me in battle. Whenever you have need of me, I shall always be with you," Setanta spoke.

"Arigato, both of you," Ryuden said, grateful, but still not fully grasping what this truly meant.

"Before you go," Igor said, and with a flash, a blue key appeared before him, "Take this key with you. Should you ever need to review the contract, or wish to make further amendments, please come visit us."

"...alright," Ryuden said with hesitation.

"Very good, I'm sure we'll see you again soon, young Yamamoto."

His vision blurred, and everything went dark.


June 5th 2008

No two ways about it, Ryuden felt like shit. He slowly opened his eyes and groaned.

"Oh God, Ryuden!" A woman's voice shouted. Ryuden immediately recognized it as his mother's voice, Asami Yamamoto. Asami was a small and petite woman, with long black hair and brown eyes, just like her son, but she held no semblance of western heritage. She was clearly of Japanese descent.

"H-hey ma," he tried to answer, his voice raspy due to his dry throat.

"Hold on, I'll get the doctor," it was then that Ryuden was able to focus on his surroundings. He was clearly on a hospital bed, in a hospital room. He noticed bandages wrapped around his body and arms, they felt painful. His mom had left the room to get the doctor.

'Was all of that…real?' he thought to himself. He tried adjusting himself, and felt something in his hand. Looking down, he saw a small key. 'It was real…' he tucked the key underneath his pillow.

"Here he is sensei," his mother had returned with a doctor.

"How do you feel, Yamamoto-kun?" the doctor asked.

"Thoat, sore," he figured that was natural.

"Let me get you some water," his mother poured him a cup of water, elevated his bed, and was able to help him drink some water.

"Much better, thanks mom," he turned back to the doctor, "What happened sensei, and what's the damage?"

"Well, I was hoping you could tell us what happened. Your coworker Yoshida-san said you just appeared before him covered in burns. As for damage, it's mostly minimal burns, you should be cleared to leave by tomorrow," the doctor answered.

'...that means it wasn't just the velvet room stuff…that fight was real…and that monster was real…'

"Ryuden?" His mother broke him from his thoughts.

"Sorry ma, I can't remember. One minute I was in the guard house, the next I'm waking up here," he lied. There was no way either would believe his story. Both his mother and the doctor looked a bit disappointed.

The doctor nodded. "I see. Well, nevermind then. Let me check you over real quick." The doctor checked his vitals, took a look under his bandages, and examined his throat. "Everything is looking pretty good. The sore throat should go away quickly. Just drink a little extra water and you should be good. I'll have a nurse come in to change your bandages in a bit."

His mother got up and bowed, "Arigato, sensei." The moment the doctor left, his mother turned to him, "I told you this security job was going to be dangerous."

"Ma, I don't know what happened, but it clearly wasn't something ordinary, otherwise I'm pretty sure I'd remember it," Ryuden was grasping at straws. He didn't know how to form an argument here that didn't involve telling the truth.

She sighed, "I just…when I got the call that you were hurt, I started flashing back to your father…" The despair was evident in her voice.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to be more careful. The last thing I want to do is make you worry." The mother and son duo had a moment of silence. "How long was I out for?"

"...Two days."

"Please tell me you didn't take that time off work to visit me," her silence spoke for itself. Ryuden sighed, "Ma, it wasn't worth it, we need every cent we can get. I'll be fine, and hopefully back to work the day after tomorrow."

"I know we need the money, but no good mother would have left their child in the hospital by themselves," Asami defended herself.

"Can you at least promise me you'll go home tonight and get some sleep? I can tell you haven't been sleeping much again," Ryuden asked.

His mother sighed, "Alright, I think I can do that. Now that you've woken up, I do feel relieved."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a nurse sent to change his bandages. Ryuden could see his skin was definitely burned, it must have been worse when he first showed up, but now it looked like it would heal as long as they continued to apply some ointment and bandages for another few days. Eventually, the nurse finished and left the two to resume their conversation.

"Has work been busy?" Ryuden asked.

"No busier than usual, office staff is the same as always if you don't include the women gossip," said Asami.

"I meant the other business."

"Oh…same as always, nothing to worry about," Asami tried to dismiss the subject.

"I'm serious, if any other guy starts getting touchy and management does nothing about it, I'm visiting the pervert myself," Ryuden said frustrated.

"Calm down, Ryuden. I told you there's nothing going on, now please, you should be resting, not getting upset over something irrelevant."

He took a deep breath, "Yeah, you're right. Sorry mom."

"It's OK Ryuden, I know you've been very protective of me since your father passed," she paused to take a deep breath, "You look more and more like him every day."

The two sat in silence.

"I'm going to close my eyes for a bit, I'm still feeling tired. You should go home and get some rest too mom. Between the marketing job and the hostess club, you've been overworking yourself again," it wasn't that Ryuden didn't want her there, but he needed some time to think. Luckily for him, his mother would agree with his suggestion.

"Alright, but I'll keep my phone on all night. Please call me if you need anything," she insisted.

"I shouldn't need anything, but I promise I'll call if I do."

"I love you, Ryuden," said Asami.

"I love you too, mom," Ryuden replied.

Asami left the room, leaving Ryuden alone with his thoughts.

'So, I guess it's safe to assume everything with that monster really happened, but what exactly DID happen? One minute everything is normal, and then all hell breaks loose, like something out of a movie.' He took a moment to think over everything with the monster. 'No good, can't think of any answers regarding why this happened or what that thing was. Time for a different train of thought.' Ryuden started to think of everything that happened in the "Velvet Room," and one line in particular came to mind. 'Whenever you have need of me, I shall always be with you…I wonder…Setanta?...Are you there?'

"Greetings young Ryuden, I am indeed here."

It took everything in Ryudens power to not jump out of the bed. This sole act confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything he remembered really DID happen…but now what?

'So, like, what am I supposed to do? I'm a little confused,' Ryuden admitted shyly.

Setanta responded, "Your confusion is natural. However, I believe your first priority should be to recover and leave this hospital."

'Well sure, that's fine and all, but then what?'

"As I said before, I can sense a grave threat to humanity, but it's purely instinctual. I have no concrete proof at this time, other than the monster you saw for yourself."

Ryuden nodded, 'That's true, whatever that thing was, it would be bad if there were more of them.'

"Indeed, I believe you should perform some 'Intelligence gathering?' I believe it's called?"

'Sounds like a plan, thanks Setanta."

"You are most welcome, young Ryuden."

Their conversation finished, Ryuden closed his eyes to get some much needed rest.


July 6th 2008

Despite his exhaustion, Ryuden didn't sleep the best last night. He kept waking up, expecting to be surrounded by that weird sky and moon like before. If it HAD happened again, then Ryuden assumed he must have slept through it or something. In the morning, a nurse came to help change his bandages and showed him how to do it on his own. Now he was waiting on discharge papers, but the wait felt long. Too long.

'You'd think they'd have gotten them by now, what's the hold up?'

He heard some discussion outside his room. He couldn't make out what was being said, but he caught the words "I'll wait out here," before there was a knock on his door. When the door opened, a tall, lanky gentleman walked in, with wavy brown hair and thin glasses across his face. Ryuden thought the guy needed some extra vitamin D.

"Hello there, Yamamoto Ryuden, correct?" Ryuden nodded, "My name is Ikutsuki Shūji. Sorry for the tongue twister of a name, it's a pleasure to meet you," he smiled brightly.

'He's clearly not a doctor, why is he here?' Ryuden thought to himself.

Ikutsuki readjusted his glasses, "Now I'm sure you're wondering exactly who I am and why I'm here."

'Spot on,' thought Ryuden.

"Let me start by saying that you're not in trouble in any way, but I was sent by the Kirijo group to discuss the events on the night of June 2nd."

'Hmm, probably with HR or higher up in the food chain of security,'

"Well, like I told the doctor, I don't really remember what happened. Sorry I can't be of more help," Ryuden chose his words carefully.

Ikutsuki leaned back into his chair, looking like he was mulling over Ryudens words.

"What if I told you," Ikutsuki paused, "That there was more than 24 hours in a day? That there's actually 25" the look Ryuden gave him clearly said 'I'd think you're crazy'. Ikutsuki smiled, "and what if I told you that during this extra hour of the day, the sky changes colors, blood fills the streets, and that creatures known as shadows exist to attack humanity?" That got Ryudens full attention, and it must have been written all over his face. "I take it you know what I'm talking about?"

Ryuden hesitated, but only for a moment, "Ok, I'll come clean, but only because you seem to know more about what happened than I do." Ikutsuki nodded, and motioned for him to continue. "Yeah, I was attacked by a creature that looked like a giant black blob with a mask. I tried running from it for as long as possible, but it caught up when I got distracted by this glowing coffin. At that point I tried fighting it off, but a random explosion knocked me down and practically out."

Nodding, Ikutsuki interjected, "That creature was indeed a shadow. They take many forms and have a wide range of abilities. This includes creating bursts of flames."

"So that's what caused the explosion that hit me."

"I would assume so, but now we're getting off topic. What happened next?" Asked Ikutsuki.

Ryuden was thankful that Ikutsuki seemed to know what was going on about the monster, the shadow, he corrected himself. But what about the voice? Setanta? Would he believe him about that, or would he think he's crazy?

'Only one way to find out,' Ryuden took a deep breath. "The shadow lunged at me. I thought I was going to die, but I heard a voice asking me if I wanted to live. I said yes, then my head hurt badly. Like REALLY badly. Then I screamed and saw a white flash, then nothing until I woke up here." He decided to omit the Velvet Room for now. Perhaps he'd bring it up another time but he didn't want to overload Ikutsuki with information. Speaking of, the man suddenly looked ecstatic.

"Fascinating! We knew you had the potential, but to think you've most likely already called your persona is astounding!" He said excitedly.

Ryuden was, understandably, confused, "You lost me on that one. What are you talking about?"

Ikutsuki seemed to regain his composure, "Ah, right. Forgive me for getting a little excited. Allow me to explain." He cleared his throat. "We call this extra hour the dark hour, and only a select number of people are able to operate in it. After monitoring you here in the hospital, it appears you definitely have this ability, and with it, comes the potential to use a persona."

Ryuden was following along so far, "I'm guessing you studied me while I've been here?"

"That is correct, and that is how we determined you have potential," Ikutsuki confirmed.

"I'm with you so far, and I'm sure you know my next question." Ryuden prodded.

Ikutsuki nodded, "A persona, as we know it, is a manifestation of your innermost self. Or something like that. For now, all you need to know is that we refer to those with the ability to summon a persona as persona users, and they are the only ones with the powers to combat the shadows."

To Ryuden, that explanation left a lot to be desired, but it DID answer a few questions. "So you think I'm one of these persona users?" He asked.

"I'm almost certain of it. Which is why I'm here today to give you an offer." Ikutsuki leaned forward. "We would like to invite you to join a group of fellow persona users in eliminating the shadows and protecting humanity."

'This sounds too good to be true. I was just debating on what I should be doing with these powers. Still…'

"Ikutsuki-san, I appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid of losing my current job. My mom and I are tight on money, and my income really makes a difference," Ryuden admitted.

"I see. I'll be honest, while you were unconscious we did do a background check. I'm sorry to hear about your father, and helping your mother the way you are is nothing short of admirable. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement or sorts?" Ikutsuki asked.

"What do you have in mind?" Ryuden asked in return.

"You work as security, that much is certain, but do you know any martial arts? Anything that would count towards self defense?"

Ryuden was about to say no.

"Tell him that you can box," came the voice of Setanta.

He didn't hesitate, "I can box, does that count?"

Ikutsuki smiled, "It just might. Mind if I make a quick call to confirm?"

"Yeah, go for it," Ryuden motioned with his right hand.

Ikutsuki stood up, and pulled out his phone while heading to the door. The instant he left he had an important question.

'Setanta, why did you have me say that?! I don't know how to box!'

"You may not have known up until now, but I do know how to box. Remember that you now have my knowledge, which includes boxing. At half your age I was already defeating men twice your age and with more experience than the average warrior." Setanta explained.

'So because you knew how to box, I should know now?'

"Indeed, you should know how. However, actually putting it into practice and learning the techniques for yourself is on you," elaborated Setanta.

'Now I get it. I have your power, speed, and knowledge, but I have to learn how to use and master them.'

"Yes, but I will be here to help guide you along the way. Depending on how you do, I may even offer to teach you some of my skills if you prove yourself worthy. Otherwise, I can offer the mastery of one of my skills in exchange for a new geas."

'Yeah, let's hold off on that for now. I'd rather not sign up for a new geas unless it's an emergency.'

"Very well, young Ryuden. But may I ask you a question?"

'Yeah, what is it, Setanta?'

"Will you truly decline his offer if it doesn't sufficiently pay you?"

'Hmm…to be honest, I'm not sure. I know I should be using these powers for the benefit of others, but I need the money to support us. Mom isn't making enough by herself to support us and keep the house.'

"I see, then I hope this deal will work out to your advantage."

The door opened up, with Ikutsuki walking back in.

'So do I…'

"I have some good news for you Yamamoto-kun, I've got a job offer for you that pays quite handsomely if I do say so myself. I had to pull on the best strings I had available, but it looks like the stars aligned for you today," Ikutsuki said flamboyantly.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense, what'd you get for me?"

Ikutsuki smiled brightly, "How about a bodyguard position for a VIP?"

Ryuden whistled, "That sounds very promising. Who's the client, and who am I protecting?"

Ikutsuki continued to smile, "Your client is none other than the head of the Kirijo Group itself." Ryudens eyes widened.

"Wha?"

Nodding along, Ikutsuki continued, "As for who you'll be protecting, you'll be responsible for none other than the company heiress, Mitsuru Kirijo." Ryuden sat with his jaw hanging open. Ikutsuki either didn't notice or didn't care. "While I'm sure the salary is well beyond your minimum requirements, there ARE two stipulations that Kirijo-san has requested."

Ryuden shook his head to regain his thought, "What are the requirements?"

Ikutsuki held out a finger to symbolize the number one "First, Kirijo-san wants you to undergo a training course. This course will help teach you additional forms of hand to hand combat, and even some basic weapons training."

"How long will that take?"

"About a month. It's a very intensive course, and you'd be staying on Kirijo property to ensure the most is made of your time."

"Hmm, sounds rough, but very beneficial. What's the other requirement?"

Ikutsuki held up another finger to symbolize the number two, "Once you start your job proper, you are to report in every week. He wants a detailed report of any incidents or potential incidents that you foresee being a problem."

"Any paperwork involved in that?"

"I would assume so, but I wasn't given a definitive answer since I didn't ask."

Ryuden thought over everything for a moment.

"If you need some time to think about-"

"I'll do it," Ryuden said with conviction. "I'll act as a bodyguard for Kirijo-sama and protect his daughter."

Ikutsuki beamed, "Wonderful! I'll let Kirijo-san know, and have the paperwork sent straight to your house. You should receive it before the end of the day. I have a feeling you've made the right choice today Yamamoto-kun."

"Yeah, so do I."


"And that's what happened before I left the hospital this morning," Ryuden sat at the table with his mother and a small bundle of papers, having regaled his meeting with the eccentric Ikutsuki.

Asami was also looking over the paperwork, "It all looks official. I still can't believe it. To think the head of the Kirijo group selected you of all people to act as his daughter's bodyguard. Not that I doubt you or your abilities, but I can't imagine why he chose you above a more seasoned professional."

Thankfully, Ryuden had thought about making up answers for anything his mother could have asked, "It's apparently part of a program to help young professionals accelerate their careers, or something like that. This is a perfect opportunity."

"Yes, but…I still don't like the thought of you being in danger, nor do I like the fact that you have to move out."

"Ma, this is exactly what we need to even KEEP the house, have you seen the annual salary?" Ryuden pulled out one of the pages and handed it over to Asami.

Her eyes widened as she saw the amount, "10 million yen…"

"That's enough monthly to pay for the house and then some. You wouldn't have to keep working at that sketchy hostess club, and could start enjoying some time off," Ryuden reasoned.

Asami looked torn. On one hand, everything Ryuden said was true, she couldn't deny that. Logically there was no reason to hold him back. Emotionally, she was still scared to see her son go.

"You're…you're right. And I shouldn't hold you back from this…but I'm going to miss you terribly," Asami admitted.

"Mom…"

She took a deep breath, then smiled. She had put aside her feelings as a mother to do her part AS his mother. "Right, make sure you have everything you need. It's going to be warm over the next month so be prepared for that. You should also take at least one semi-formal outfit in case there's a special event. And hey, I've seen some pictures, Kirijo-sans daughter is quite striking. You're so lucky to be protecting such a beautiful girl," she said, trying to tease her son.

"Oh shut up," he said jokingly with a smile, appreciating the banter the two shared. "Anyway, was the laundry done recently? I want to start packing as soon as I'm done filling out this paperwork."

Asami stood up, "I did it recently, I'll start sorting everything you might need, and you can choose from there."

"Thanks ma, love you."

"I love you, too" Asami would miss her son, but letting him spread his wings was the best thing for him. She just hoped he would stay safe.

July 11th 2008

The last month had been absolute hell. Ryuden had expected the training experience to be similar to boot camp, and he wasn't far off. Only the amount of people "enlisted" was much, MUCH smaller. There were only 10 people, and that INCLUDED him.

He was shown various types of hand to hand combat, and had to practice against his fellow trainees. He fought, lost, learned, practiced, and fought again until he won. While training, he started experimenting with his strength and speed. He was, without a doubt, faster and stronger than his peers. Ryuden knew this was thanks to his geas, as he was nowhere this strong before. However, it quickly became clear that this training course had nothing to do with persona. Everything was structured around training with other people who were not persona users. Therefore, while he was fighting with others he did his best to hold back "just enough" that he didn't badly hurt them. However, the boost to his strength and speed did nothing to bridge the gap in technique and experience. While he knew how to pull off some moves, in theory, his body did not. He was forced to run through the same drills again and again until he finally completed them to his instructors approval.

As such, while Ryuden was able to improve his own martial abilities during the month, he never once had the opportunity to call upon his persona, simple conversations with Setanta not included. He was itching to try it out, but was not only uncertain where to start, he didn't want to risk trying anything inside the facility and causing an accident. Overall, the training was intense on a physical level, and his mentality also underwent large amounts of stress.

Thankfully, there were two things he had on his side that kept him strong mentally. The first was Setantas near constant guidance and support. It turned having someone exceptionally knowledgeable in hand to hand combat was a boon, go figure. He also tried out some simple weapons, but he leaned closer to weapons that Setanta himself had experience with. After all, he couldn't teach Ryuden how to use a weapon he himself never used or trained with.

The other thing that kept him going was using what little free time he had to call his mother. Their bond was close. It had to be. Without such a bond and conviction over the last two turbulent years, they could have easily ended up homeless.

It was an absolutely grueling experience, but now it was finally about to pay dividends. He was currently sitting just outside the office of Takeharu Kirijo, the head of the Kirijo Group itself. He was sitting alongside the desk of Takeharus secretary, one Asuka Kinomoto. Ryuden was taking some deep breaths to calm his nerves. Everyone knows first impressions are critical, and he was about to make one of the most important first impressions of his life.

The intercom on Asukas desk came to life, "Kinomoto-san, send him in," Takeharus voice could be heard.

Trained as she was, Asuka quickly pressed the button to reply "Right away, Kirijo-sama," she let go of the button. "Alright Yamamoto-kun, that's your cue. Good luck!"

"Thank you very much," Ryuden said while getting up from his seat 'I hope I don't need it.' He walked to the doors, took one more deep breath, and then entered the room.

He locked eyes with Takeharu Kirijo first. The man radiated strength. Ryuden had no doubt the strength was both physical and mental. The eyepatch reminded him of a hardened yakuza member. Then he saw her turn around to greet him, Mitsuru Kirijo. Her long red hair styled to perfection reminded Ryuden of a supermodel.

Standing on the opposite side of her fathers desk, he felt the same level of strength coming off her, but perhaps to a lesser degree.

'Focus, you can study them both later,' he thought to himself.

Ryuden bowed deeply. "You called for me, Kirijo-sama?"

Takeharu nodded, "I did. Mitsuru, I'd like you to meet Ryuden Yamamoto. He'll be your bodyguard moving forward, as well as a new member of SEES."

I'm excited about this one. Now I have two story's going on once that involve redheads…yeah, I have a type, lol. Don't expect chapters to come out in a timely fashion. They come out when they're done.