It took until the shinigami introduced himself that Aigis finally realised why he seemed so familiar. She may not have met the man himself while he was alive, but there were plenty of discussions about the second coming of the Detective Prince with Naoto (who complained that he was on television more than he was actually working), and with Ren after the Phantom Thieves and the Shadow Operatives started working together (who mostly just lamented that he was unable to save Akechi's life in Shido's Palace).
He looked older than when he died, like he was in his early to mid-twenties. His hair was still long, with the tips sitting on his shoulders. His features were sharper. He had a friendly smile on his face that looked a little too wide, but there was a hint of a hard glint in his red eyes. He wore a standard shinigami shihakusho matched with a pair of plain black gloves, along with a katana that was looped on the right of his belt.
She has no strong opinions on Akechi, as she made a habit of withholding her judgement of people she never met, but Aigis wondered what the other Phantom Thieves would think of their traitor here as a shinigami. In a way, the work fit him — it was the closest he could get to work for the government again. Maybe this time, for a non-corrupt individual too.
Maybe this is his second chance?
Aigis led Akechi to the little outcrop overlooking the orphanage, her usual stargazing spot. The sun was still high in the sky, but this was the best place for her to keep an eye on the orphanage in case anything happened while she was away.
"Is there anything you would like to know?" She kept her tone carefully neutral. She knew this would be some form of interrogation about her own abilities, her fight, or the cult. There was no point in delaying.
Akechi caught on quickly. "I see you have an idea of what this is then," he replied. "I'll be direct — how did you beat Namba?"
She pondered on how best to answer the question. "Can you explain a little more on what you mean by that?" she asked, buying some time for herself.
Akechi blinked, but then turned thoughtful. "I don't think I need to tell you this, but most Rukongai citizens can't — shouldn't be able to — beat a shinigami unless they were trained as one or were former nobles," he explained. "And I know for a fact that you weren't trained as a shinigami, and you most definitely aren't a noble. So I hope you understand that my captain is quite concerned by the fact that you managed to beat one, even if you did us a favour."
So he wants to assess if I am a danger to Soul Society.
Perhaps as much of the truth as she can divulge without mentioning anything Persona or Shadow related then. Or mentioning the fact that she recognised him.
Aigis felt that she would lose her credibility if she tried to tell Akechi that she knew of him before he died.
"I was experienced in combat in life," she started. "I simply translated my skills here, though I agree there was some luck involved in that fight."
He nodded along with her explanation. "Were you in the army then?" Akechi mused. "No, perhaps a special organisation. You defused your caretaker easily, and you have the confidence of someone who's experienced enough to lead in combat. While it's possible that you defeated Namba and his cultists by yourself, the townspeople maintained that you only defeated Namba himself. I don't see any reason why they'd lie, so that means you worked in a team, most likely with the orphanage."
Aigis resisted the urge to open her mouth in shock.
Despite the fact that Akechi may have been somewhat of a phony detective, his deduction skills were apparently legitimate.
"I believe you were the leader, or at least, the person who came up with the plan to defeat Namba. Unagiya-san is too short-tempered for this, and the rest are children. Am I correct so far?" He looked at Aigis for confirmation.
"…Yes. You are quite spot on," she admitted. "I worked for Public Security when I was still alive."
"I don't recall Public Security had people as well-trained as you, though."
"I worked for a special branch. But yes, I was the one who came up with the overall plan to defeat Namba. By the time I had enough evidence of his plot, it was too late for me to do everything alone, so I enlisted the help of the orphanage." Aigis moved the topic back on track before Akechi could deduce too much, and hoped that he would not notice. "I punched him into a house that collapsed on itself to trap him, then I disabled his sword hand."
"Ah yes, I did see the house on my way here. And your account matches the injuries on Namba." Akechi agreed. He looked like he was trying to hold back his own surprise, but disguised it as thoughtfulness.
"When did you arrive in Soul Society?" he asked. "Situations like what you experienced are rare I admit, but your reiatsu is so high it should've attracted the attention of the Gotei rather quickly."
"Eight years ago." Aigis answered easily. She had been keeping track of time, a habit that was difficult to lose. "I've stayed with Unagiya-san all this time."
Akechi turned away and muttered something that suspiciously sounded like needing more patrols, before his expression smoothed out. "I see. Relatively speaking, you'd be considered a rather young soul. Of course, that does not take into account your age when you died, but most residents won't care about that."
"Does this have something to do with how some residents do not remember their time from when they were alive?"
"Yes." Akechi folded his arms across his chest. "For shinigami, it's incredibly rare that anyone remembers their previous lives. It's not completely unheard of, but much rarer than residents in Rukongai."
"What about you?" Aigis asked.
"Hm?"
"Do you remember anything from when you were alive?" she clarified.
"Aigis-san, I've lived in Soul Society for three hundred years now," he replied pleasantly. "I'm practically a native at this point."
She chose not to mention that Akechi did not answer her question.
"Out of curiosity," she began, "are there any theories on why more shinigami can't remember their pasts compared to Rukongai citizens?"
He looked at her sideways with interest. "Hmm, I've been curious about it too." he shrugged. "However, I've only heard of vague guesses. No concrete theories so far, I'm afraid."
Disappointing, and rather odd, especially if this phenomenon had been widely accepted as fact. It was…somewhat indicative of what she guessed the Gotei, as his organisation is apparently called, is like, on a government level.
Akechi turned to fully face Aigis. "What prompted you to attack Namba?" he asked. "I understand that he tried to burn the town down, but it seems like a rather drastic action to take, compared to the many other options that you could've tried."
Aigis gazed out to the fields that the orphanage tended, still brown from fallowing. Now that he pointed it out, she realised that she could have simply routed him to another place, maybe another town. However, her long years of being the director of the Shadow Operatives made her forget any other pathway unless the problem was solved at its root.
As the saying goes, old habits die hard.
"If I didn't stop him here, he would've gone on to destroy other towns. Already had done so, multiple times in the past." she said at last. "Someone had to stop him, and I would rather that burden fall on me."
Akechi went quiet.
Amidst the peaceful chirping of birds and the gentle spring breeze, the silence stretched on.
"You remind me of someone I once knew," he said at last. His gaze drifted to her bandaged arm. "The same sense of responsibility, even at the cost to themselves. Just so they can protect their loved ones."
She smiled warmly. Aigis knew exactly who he was talking about, though she didn't think she and Ren had all that many similarities apart from their Wild Card abilities.
"In some ways, maybe." she replied. "But I think we're quite different people."
Ren was boisterous, spontaneous and wild in a way many Wild Card users were not in combat, but outside of that, there was a quieter, deep seated sense of justice for the people he cared about, which was partially why it was difficult to convince the Phantom Thieves to cooperate with the Operatives — Mitsuru was a little too authoritative and intimidating, and Ren did not want to subject the Thieves to a working environment where they would not be treated fairly.
A combination of Fuuka and Yukari demonstrating what the Operatives actually did, and a transparent explanation of their methods finally allowed them to meet the rest of the Thieves. The rest, as they say, is history.
Akechi looked up at the sky. "While I admire your sense of responsibility, I can't say I approve." he decided. "Hurting yourself for the sake of others with no guarantee of reciprocation…it seems stupid to me."
"Is that how you see it?" Aigis asked, trying to sound as non-judgemental as she could.
"Connections like that just hold people back." he sighed. "Relying on something as fickle as human emotional connection never worked out for me."
This was unsurprising, considering his past, but it still stung.
"What about your…" she struggled to find the right word, then gave up, "…the people you work with at Seireitei? Do you not rely on them for missions like this?"
A grimace flashed across his face just as quickly as it was replaced with an impassive mask. "My 'colleagues' are just that, nothing more. We work together, but we don't have a connection." Akechi said matter-of-factly. Aigis detected the barest hint of resentment. "My captain prioritises individual ability, and missions involving group work are rare."
"What about the one you are on right now?" she pressed.
"I left my subordinates to deal with Namba." He gave a nonchalant shrug.
"Then are you not relying on them to complete their part of the mission right now?"
"You call that a connection?"
"Yes."
"I barely know their names." Akechi sighed again. "They're just unseated officers, subordinates that happened to me. I didn't pick them, and I will part ways with them once this mission is complete. Would you still call that a connection?"
"Perhaps not a long-lasting one. But I still consider it a connection nonetheless." Aigis replied. "They don't need to last forever. But as long as they influenced you in any way, that is what I would call a connection."
"That's a very broad definition of connection you have there." His voice was dry.
"That's what leads to bonds in my opinion." She did not relent.
Akechi paused.
"My belief is that bonds are an important part of me." Aigis continued. She leaned back on a tree. "They…are my source of strength. I don't think I would've been able to do anything I achieved without them."
The quiet returned to the area.
"…I envy you," he said at last. "For having people you can trust as such. It's…difficult for me to wholeheartedly trust anyone."
"It's never too late to try." Aigis replied.
"Are you offering?"
"If you would like that." She did not hesitate. Aigis turned around from her position to directly look at him.
Akechi was openly gaping, his mouth forming shapes but unable to make a sound. Eventually, he settled on a laugh.
"That was the best joke I've ever heard in a long time!" he wheezed. "Oh, I needed that!"
Aigis smiled faintly as she waited for him to calm down. She was not joking, but perhaps he was not quite ready for that right now, and she had no intention of pushing. After a few giggles, he smoothed his expression out.
It looked much more relaxed than what she saw in Akechi earlier at the household. The small, genuine smile he now had on him suited his face better than the celebrity smile.
"I think you'd do well in the Gotei Thirteen, Aigis-san." His tone turned back to the serious one he used earlier. "Do you want to join the shinigami?"
She blinked.
"You have the right mindset for it," he continued. "You have a strong sense of responsibility. Your reiatsu level is easily high enough for a seated position. You have plenty of combat experience, enough to beat a shinigami—"
"That involved a good amount of luck." she interrupted.
"Doesn't matter. You still beat one." He barrelled on. "The truth is, you're more than qualified. And the Gotei always have a need for soldiers like you."
Somehow, the way Akechi said 'soldiers' made her uncomfortable. Almost as if…they were disposable.
"I'm not sure." Aigis replied after a moment of hesitation. "The Gotei does not sound like the type of organisation that I would want to work with."
Akechi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What made you think so?"
"When was the Gotei established?" she asked.
Akechi frowned, one gloved hand on his chin. "The records go all the way back to around two thousand and four hundred years ago, and that is generally agreed to be when the Gotei, along with Seireitei was first established. Unfortunately the founder died about three hundred years ago." He shifted. "Is there anything wrong with that?"
"I have some reservations." Aigis replied. She held one hand over her chest, deep in thought. "If the Gotei has existed since the B.C. era, why is the development of this world seemingly stuck in the Japanese feudal era? It sounds like either they are hoarding all technological development for themselves, or the rate of development is incredibly slow compared to the Living World. Neither option makes the Gotei the kind of organisation I expect out of what should be Soul Society's police force."
Akechi's face was set in a serious scowl, the kind that she wasn't sure if it was annoyance, or grudging respect. Possibly a mixture of both.
"I can see where the confusion comes from," he said neutrally. "For most Rukongai residents, us shinigami are most visible when we're apprehending criminals or protecting souls from Hollows. However, that is only a small part of what we do. Foremost of which, we're charged with the protection of the balance of souls."
Aigis honed in on the phrase.
"Which means, ferrying souls still in the Living World to Soul Society," Akechi continued, unaware of her increased focus, "making sure no realm has an imbalance of souls, whether it's too many or too little, and protecting living people from Hollows as well. All of this does generate a large amount of paperwork, so at least half of our work is just filling in that too."
She was not surprised, but kept silent.
"To handle that amount of work, we split into thirteen divisions, with some in charge of different aspects of our work," he explained. "For example, I'm part of the Second division, and we handle apprehending criminals and assassinations."
Aigis frowned. "Assassinations?"
"The Gotei has its share of enemies, both inside it and outside." he said. "Though, I don't think we've needed to assassinate anyone in over two hundred years, so it's relatively uncommon."
She hummed. "That aside, I didn't know that the Gotei has divisions."
"Yes, well, this isn't exactly common knowledge in the further districts." Akechi looked sheepish. "It's also common for shinigami to move between divisions if the need arises, so your role isn't fixed."
She mulled over the information. "What do the other divisions do then?" she asked. "I guess that each division has a specific role to perform."
"Not all of them. Some divisions aren't specialised in any kind of work, so they can support other divisions if need be." He started counting fingers off his hand. "First division is also the division where the central command is, considering that its captain is also the captain-commander of the Gotei Thirteen, so they're in charge of overall coordination between divisions. Fourth division specialises in healing, so they also run the general hospital within Seireitei. Seventh handles major threats within the Living World and has the most number of connections to people living there. Ninth handles Seireitei's internal affairs and runs the Seireitei newspapers and magazines—"
"I'm sorry?"
"Yes, us shinigami need some form of entertainment, after all." Akechi continued blithely. "Eleventh is where the…ah, battle-happy shinigami go. Overall, they're the strongest division in terms of combat prowess. Lastly, Twelfth is where the research labs are stationed, so they're in charge of monitoring Hollow activity and scientific research."
Aigis filed the knowledge away for later. "And all of them are supposed to work towards the goal of preserving the balance of souls?"
"That's the general idea, yes."
She briefly wondered how their understanding of souls would support, or contradict, her understanding of the Sea of Souls. However, she knew her own knowledge was lacking too, considering that she only knew about the basics of the place because Elizabeth made a point to crash into her life, quite literally, every now and then. Apart from her and the other Velvet Room attendants, maybe only Igor would know more about the true nature of souls.
Aigis recalled the first time she saw the Sea of Souls, when she and SEES fought Erebus. It seemed more like a snapshot of the universe itself, each star representing a tiny speck of humanity. The souls in Soul Society were solid humans, a reflection of their life from when they were alive.
Both were beautiful, in their own ways.
A sigh to her side snapped her out of her thoughts.
"You don't have to make a decision now, but please consider it." Akechi said. "If you don't like the system, or don't consider the Gotei as an organisation that you'd like to work with right now, you can instead join and make a difference within."
The thought was tempting to Aigis. Then she remembered that there are thirteen different divisions, and if a military organisation can afford to split into this many divisions, there are at least a few thousand people — shinigami — within the Gotei.
There was no way she would be able to do this alone.
However, if Akechi is a shinigami, there was a decent chance that other Persona users became shinigami too, and she had faith that they would be willing to help.
"It would be much easier than trying to fight it from the outside." Akechi added. "I'll even write a recommendation letter for you if you wish."
"…Huh?" The banality of the statement caught her off guard.
"Well, I think you've earned yourself one." He shrugged, then pushed himself off the tree he was leaning on. "You need to pass an exam before you can enter Shin'ou Academy, which is the school that trains shinigami, but the letter will let you skip it. Of course you can still get expelled from the academy if your scores are too low or you did something that pissed off the faculty, but at least you don't have to worry about passing the exam to even step foot in the academy."
Akechi gestured to himself with a flourish. "I'm the fourth seat for Second division, so my word carries quite a bit of weight. I can guarantee entry easily."
"I don't think I have to worry about an exam either way," Aigis stated. "But, thank you for the offer regardless."
Akechi flashed a picture-perfect smile and opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by shouts from below.
"Sir! Hollow attack!" The yell bordered a screech, causing both Aigis and Akechi to whip around in alarm. A mousy man with dishevelled red hair ran up the dust path to their position, with various cuts and bruises dotting his body. Aigis noted his odd attire, different from the shihakuso that Akechi and other shinigami she saw before. The man was dressed from head to toe in tight fitting black cloth reminiscent of a stereotypical ninja, along with a black face mask covering most of his facial features.
"What's going on?" Akechi almost barked out. "Where's the attack at?"
The man supported himself on his knees, panting heavily. "We were about to ready the kido to secure the prisoners for transport but a Garganta opened up right above us and we now have ten Hollows attacking the townspeople!" He almost tumbled out the entire sentence, his voice still rather highly pitched for a man.
"What about Mutsu?" Akechi continued asking, tone slipping into a harsh, authoritative voice.
"Guarding the prisoners and fending off the Hollows, but I don't think he can do it by himself!" The mousy man replied in a hurry.
She heard Akechi curse to himself, then turned to Aigis. "Stay inside your house." he ordered. "I need to get back—"
"Where is Namba-san?" she interrupted before Akechi could finish.
"They're still at the warehouse, ma'am." The mousy man said.
Akechi did not look happy, but kept quiet.
"Let me guide you." Aigis continued. "You're not going to get to the warehouse using the main roads on time otherwise."
Akechi almost looked like he wanted to argue, but gave up after a second. "Just to be clear, I will not be able to protect you when we get there, so get out of the way and protect yourself." He grumbled.
Aigis gave a muted nod, then waved her hand in a 'follow me' gesture. She did not wait for the shinigami to acknowledge it, instead opting to jump off the outcrop to the fields below. The surprised yelp she heard behind her was the only indicator that the shinigami were at least aware of where she was, so without looking back, she extended her arms behind and took off, alternating between small alleyways and the rooftops.
She did not mention that she wanted to see Hollows for the first time herself.
They heard sounds of fighting in fifteen minutes, and saw the extent of the battlefield in another three. Then she saw the Hollows, and her first thought was: giant Shadows?
That was what they looked like to Aigis at first glance. They were all bipedal, about two or three stories tall, their skin in various shades of ashen. Almost all of them had thick, bone white armour covering various parts of their body, but by far their most prominent features were their similarly white masks covering their face, and a giant, perfectly round hole in the middle of their body, where a heart would normally be.
That was probably where they got their name from.
The bone white masks bore quite the similarity to Shadow masks at first glance, along with the glowing yellow eyes, but then she realised that the mask connected to their jaw and opened like giant maws.
Not so similar to Shadows then.
They acted more like wild beasts, swatting and smashing a small figure darting nimbly around them, whom Aigis recognised as probably Mutsu, since he was dressed similarly as his mousy counterpart. Namba and his cultists were some distance away, within sight of Mutsu but also far enough from the action. As she slowed down, she saw a Hollow graze the shinigami with a punch, and he spun into the warehouse that originally housed the cultists.
The situation, put simply, did not look good.
The situation was not going well, Goro decided.
They somehow had to arrive right as Mutsu went down, so now it was two shinigami against ten Hollows. Credit to where it was due though, Mutsu at least managed to keep the prisoners relatively unharmed.
They can't stand trial if they're dead, after all.
So he unsheathed his zanpakutou along with Akai beside him, slipping into shunpo to give himself a speed boost. He'd almost used it earlier following Aigis, because she was unusually fast and the way she vaulted over obstacles made her difficult to track. Multiple times he thought he saw a green glow around her feet, but then another blink and it was gone. In the end, he decided he wanted to save as much energy as possible for the fight.
It turned out to be the correct decision, as the battlefield quickly devolved into a chaotic mess of blades and limbs. Out of the corner of the eye, he saw Aigis settle at a vantage point a few houses away, a perfect place to keep an eye on both the prisoners and the battle, yet keep herself safe from any stray attacks.
Goro turned his attention back to the Hollows. They were infuriatingly tough, their carapace acting as armour that even his released zanpakutou could not cut, and there were very few things that Robin Hood could not.
At least the ray sword functioned just fine as a flashbang, even in broad daylight. Incredibly handy for dazzling anyone and setting up sneak attacks. But it still wasn't enough to kill the Hollows, and Goro was starting to lose his patience.
Akai was having even worse luck, as his tanto functioned more like an ineffective needle against the Hollows. Goro watched him resort to a hastily chanted kido, pulling a Hollow off balance with Hainawa. It barely missed the Hollow next to him, and the Hollow tripped into the ground. When it came up again, the side of its mask was cracked.
Well, that was an idea.
"Kougaon!" Goro fired a ray of light from his sword straight at the eye socket of the nearest Hollow. It howled in pain, clutching its eyes. With the distraction set up, he jumped up to a nearby rooftop and took aim.
"Bakudo number sixty three: Sajo Sabaku!"
A snake of yellow chains extended out of his right hand, snagging the blinded Hollow by the leg. He gave the chain a good pull, and the Hollow toppled along with it, crushing another Hollow below its bulk.
One Hollow down, nine more to go. Unfortunately, the rest immediately wisened up, spreading further away from each other.
Closer to Aigis's position.
Goro swore under his breath. Akai was too busy trying to not get killed and keep collateral damage to a minimum. He was trained as an assassin, not as a Hollow hunter. So Goro left Akai to his devices, and moved towards where Aigis was, dodging stray debris along the way.
She looked grim. Her eyes darted between the lumbering Hollow and the prisoners, and she was crouched on the rooftop, ready to spring into action.
Goro mentally reviewed his options. He still had enough energy for a few more kido spells, but that won't be enough to take all of the Hollows down. His zanpakutou was near useless, except as a distraction. Aigis, the only one who looked like she still had energy to spare, wouldn't be helpful in a fight like this.
There is an option that he can take, but it wasn't something he wanted to use in front of other people.
A loud crack startled him out of his thoughts, and he instinctively raised his sword to defend himself. Goro's initial reaction faltered when he saw what caused the sound though.
Aigis had swung her leg directly at the arm of one of the Hollows lumbering her way. It wasn't fazed in the slightest, but there was a hairline crack on its gauntlet. She pushed herself off the arm, landing on a nearby rooftop, her leg coated in a faint swirl of orange and purple reiatsu. Her face was an impassive mask, devoid of her thoughts.
Something stirred in the back of his mind.
Goro's eyes widened. She had given the last bit of confirmation he needed of her strength — there are few shinigami who are able to hurt a Hollow with such thick armour using simple punches and kicks, and Aigis managed that feat without formal training.
He really needed to recruit her to the Gotei.
"Aim for the mask! Break that and you can kill it!" Goro yelled over the din of battle. The shout seemed to trigger something in Aigis, as she narrowed her eyes and lowered her body to a ready position. She flawlessly took advantage of the distraction that the sound caused in the Hollow, and launched herself up into the air, far above the monster. With an elegant twist, she fell, her leg positioned in a perfect axe kick.
A streak of orange light impacted the Hollow, fracturing its mask in half. Aigis landed heavily next to Goro, skidding a few metres back. As he watched, the Hollow disintegrated without much fanfare.
"Okay, eight more to go!" He instructed.
"I…don't think I can do that again." Aigis's voice came out in a slight waver.
Goro turned to her in alarm. He hadn't noticed it before, but her kimono was torn on the side, and her leg — the one she used to smash the Hollow, was swollen in an ugly tapestry of purple and blue. She swayed slightly on her feet.
"I had to put all my power into breaking the mask, so I couldn't protect my leg as much as I wanted to." she stated.
"Oh for–" His curse was cut short when another Hollow attempted to smash them where they stood. Goro scooped up Aigis in a rough carry and shunpoed to another rooftop just before they were smashed into pancakes, then dumped her on the thatched hay.
"Thank you." she said simply.
"You're welcome." he replied, an eye still on the Hollow trying to find them. Aigis's gaze followed his.
The sudden spike of reiatsu from her had attracted all remaining Hollows to their area, away from Akai and Mutsu (who was still out cold). They at least have some breathing room now, but the grim situation hasn't changed.
"Akechi-san."
Goro glanced distractedly towards Aigis. She sat on the rooftop, leaving her injured, possibly broken leg stretched straight. "Do you still have Loki?" she asked casually.
His mind screeched to a halt.
"Your sword's name was Robin Hood, correct? That was one of your Persona's name."
It was a statement, not a question.
"Back when you were alive, you committed your crimes by using Loki's ability to induce psychotic breakdowns in people's Shadows." she continued. "I don't think Robin Hood is the only side of your abilities. Can you still invoke Loki's power to cause psychotic breakdowns in the Hollows and make them attack each other?"
Goro finally realised what was nagging at him ever since he saw Aigis in combat.
The different colours of her reiatsu wrapped around her were the same shade as the spells he used for enhancement as a Persona user.
He felt his throat constrict.
Aigis is a Persona user that knows his past.
A/N: Mweeheehee :3
Have a long chapter everyone! This was already cut down a little from the original draft, and I heavily thought about splitting this into 2 chapters instead, but there was no good place to end the chapter that way. I had already finished the draft last weekend, but I wanted to give it some polish, so I delayed uploading this till today.
In other news, Steam is having their summer sale, so I took the chance to get Persona 5 Royal, Strikers and Stray! I'm currently at the start of Kaneshiro's arc, and it's been a blast playing the game so far (major headache to actually level up Personas unlike P3P or P4G though). Of course, please don't spoil anyone here - yeah I know all the plot points, but not everyone does. On the other hand, you WILL get majorly spoiled if you read this fic anyway, so if you're here you either don't care about them or already know them anyway.
Like usual, this is not beta'd. Let me know if there are any mistakes and I'll correct them ASAP!