Hello, one and all to the sixth chapter of Persona: Outsiders!
Man, to think I'm already on this chapter after starting this story earlier in 2024. Just shows how much Persona has motivated me. And with the reveal of Persona 6 coming soon and HOPEFULLY Phantom X getting an international release, us Persona fans are eating well this year.
To recap: Things seem to be going well for the trio as Kinji and Asta went about their day. However, Kinji and his classmate Chisato were caught off guard when Kai Tsubaki fell in front of them, forcing the school to call an ambulance. Later that day, Raphtalia was informed of what had happened and offered Kinji and Asta a way to make Sato confess: By stealing his Treasure. Before they could make up their minds, Kinji was called by Erika, who explained everything about Kai. Kinji reassured her that what had happened wasn't her fault, much to her relief. The next day, Asta overhears Sato's plan to forcefully search the school, eyeing Kinji as a potential trouble. With newfound determination, the two decide to search for Sato's Treasure with Raphtalia, unintentionally dragging Erika into the Palace. Having been captured by Sato's Shadow guards, Erika was about to be tortured when Kinji and the others arrived. Giving her words of encouragement, Erika soon awakened to her Persona, Tomoe.
What new abilities does this new Persona carry? And will Erika join the team? Let's find out…
*Play Will Power - Persona 5*
Asta thought nothing would surprise him. Especially after he had seen inside the Palace, and especially after he had awoken his Persona.
But the sight of Erika standing there, her clothes changed and her Persona behind her, still shocked him.
"I'm done letting you hurt my friends, Sato." Erika said in a cold tone as she drew out her katana, aiming it at Sato. "Now, you'll face the cold steel of vengeance!"
"Holy crap! She looks so cool!" Asta shouted in awe. He knew Erika was a badass already, but seeing her in the Palace like this was something out of an anime!
"What are you fools doing?! KILL HER!" Shadow Sato shouted as his larger Shadow guard stepped forward.
"Yes, warden." The guard said before transforming. Now, it took the form of a human with charred skin, red tribal tattoos, a loin cloth, brown sandals, a bone crown and fire for hair. The most noticeable feature is the lower body getting narrow to the point it looks like a ghost.
The smaller Shadow guards joined suit, transforming into fairy-like creatures with blue suits, shiny wings and long red hair.
"Send the rest. I'll take each and every one of you down!" Erika declared before getting in a battle stance. "Let's give them hell, Tomoe!"
The female Persona crossed her blades, creating a ball of ice before launching it towards one of the fairy Shadows, causing some damage.
"She can't fight them all alone." Raphtalia said before she and the others quickly rushed in to join Erika.
"Holmes, Straight Slash!" Kinji ordered as his Persona appeared behind him, drawing out his cane sword before thrusting it into the fire Shadow. However, much to Kinji's shock, the attack didn't seem to faze the Shadow at all. Frowning at the masked teen, the fire Shadow shoved Holmes away before launching a sizable fireball at Kinji, striking him hard in the chest.
"Guah!" Kinji fell on the floor with a grunt, his stomach slightly smoking.
"Echo, are you okay?!" Asta asked as he rushed to help him up.
"That Shadow isn't like the rest. We need to be careful!" Raphtalia told them as she stepped forward. "Azeban, Garu!" Her Persona appeared before launching a tornado of wind onto the fire Shadow, doing some damage.
The fairy-like Shadow on the left used a Garu spell on Asta. "AAHHHH!" Unlike with Kinji, the attack seemed to hurt Asta a lot more than he expected, causing him to fall on his knees. "Holy crap, that really hurt!" Before the second fairy Shadow could attack Asta, Erika jumped in, slashing the Shadow with her katana.
"I got your back, Asta." Erika said in a serious tone before putting a hand over her mask. "Tomoe, Sukunda!" Her Persona did a small dance, causing a green aura to surround the fire Shadow as it groaned a bit. Angered by this, the fire Shadow tried to throw a punch towards Tomoe, only for the Persona to dodge it. "And Bufu!" Like before, Tomoe launched a ball of ice, knocking the fire Shadow off its feet.
"She knocked it down…" Kinji managed to get back on his feet before he pulled out his handgun, firing two shots at the fairy Shadows as they also fell. 'I guess guns work on those fairies. Noted.' Realizing what had happened, Kinji quickly aimed his gun at the fire Shadow, with Raphtalia and Asta doing the same. Erika, having no gun, watched in confusion. "Come with me. Be my mask."
"DUMBASS! I'll never betray the warden!" The fire Shadow shouted in anger, much to everyone's surprise.
"Ummm, what's going on? He isn't turning to a mask." Asta asked, not lowering his shotgun.
"Come on. Join me and… I'll… I'll be your friend?" Kinji tried to pursue the Shadow, only to piss it off.
"You… I AM NO FOOL!" The fire Shadow tried swinging at Kinji, causing him to jump back.
"Looks like he won't be swayed." Raphtalia muttered with a frown, disappointed that they couldn't capture such a strong Shadow. "Echo, you know what to do."
"Right. Let's do an All-Out Attack!" Kinji ordered as he, Asta and Raphtalia leapt in the air, diving down onto the Shadows before striking at them. Erika watched in awe at the dust cloud before the trio jumped away, allowing the two smaller Shadows to disappear. However, much to their horror, the fire Shadow still stood, though it looked noticeably weaker.
"Dammit. It's still not down!" Asta shouted in frustration.
"Our blades couldn't hurt it. But…" Kinji slowly turned towards Erika. "Chiba-san, can you use your ice skill on that Shadow again?"
"What, the big guy?" Erika asked, earning a nod as she smiled. "For sure. Bufu!" Tomoe launched another ice ball. This time, the ice began to encase the fire Shadow, stopping it in its tracks.
"You froze it! Good." Raphtalia complimented with a smile. "We need to finish it together."
"Kouha!"
"Eiha!"
"Garu!" The three used their skills together, creating a tornado of light and darkness before they strike the fire Shadow, causing it to explode and dissolve to nothing.
"Damn brats…" Shadow Sato gritted his teeth before running towards the door and turning his radio on. "I want all units to regroup at the interrogation room!"
"Get back here, coward!" Erika shouted before grabbing her sword in a reverse grip. She then throws her sword at Shadow Sato, stabbing right through his left hand and making him drop his radio.
"YOU BITCH!" Shadow Sato howled as he pulled the sword out of his hand, dropping a piece of paper in the process before he ran away.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" Erika began to run after Shadow Sato, only to fall on her knees. "W-Woah…"
"Hey, calm down. That won't solve anything." Raphtalia told Erika as the three masked individuals rushed to the redhead's side.
"Are you okay, Chiba-san?" Kinji asked in concern.
Erika took a few breaths before calming down. "Yeah… just tired." She confessed before looking at the trio in surprise. "Wait, why are you all dressed like that?" She then looked at her own clothes before gasping. "And what am I wearing?!"
"We can talk about this later." Kinji told her urgently, the alarm buzzing loudly. "More Shadows will be here."
"Damn. I wanted to explore the Palace more. Guess we don't have a choice. Let's go!" Raphtalia shouted as the group began to run towards the exit. Asta, however, stopped once he saw the paper Shadow Sato dropped.
"What's this?" He kneeled over it and gasped. "This'll help a lot!" Quickly grabbing the paper, Asta rushed to catch up with the others
'Real World, a few minutes later'
"You have returned to the real world."
Everyone ignored the notification as they panted slightly, having rushed out of the Palace.
"We… made it…" Asta said through pants, lying on his back.
"No kidding. I thought we'd be stuck in there again." Kinji added as he leaned on the wall for support.
"Okay, now that we're out of… wherever that was…" Erika started, catching her breath before looking at the boys with a frown. "Can someone please tell me what the hell I just saw?! Why'd the school turn into a prison? What was Sato doing there? And why did my clothes change back?!"
"Whoa, take it easy, Erika." Asta held his hands up, getting back on his feet to calm his friend down.
"He's right." Raphtalia, now in tanuki form, walks up to Erika and looks up at the red head. "Take a deep breath, Erika."
"Right.. Right. I better ca-" Erika starts before widening her eyes at Raphtalia. "THIS TANUKI SAID MY NAME! AND IT CAN TALK?!"
"It took her this long to realize?" Raphtalia asked with a flat tone.
"Look, we can explain everything." Kinji told the red head gently.
Grrr*
"Can we talk somewhere that has food? I'm starving…" Asta muttered, holding his stomach.
'Shibuya, sometime later'
"Okay! I have one Calvary Chicken Combo, two Squire Meals and an order of chicken bites." A waitress, wearing a fast food uniform designed like a knight, said with a smile on her face as she put the trays of food in front of the customers. "Enjoy!"
As she walked away, Asta slid everyone their respective orders, though Eika had a rather thoughtful expression on her face.
"So… let me see if I got this right." Erika began to say. "That prison we were in was Sato's… Palace?"
"Right." Kinji nodded while eating a fry.
"And those guards that turned into those monsters are Shadows?"
"Mmhmm!" Asta agreed, chomping down on his burger.
"And the Sato we saw in there wasn't the real one, but his Shadow?" Erika finished.
"Precisely." Raphtalia spoke up, poking her head out of Kinji's bag.
"Hey, what did I say? You shouldn't get out of the bag when we're in public." Kinji reminded the tanuki with a stern tone.
"You try saying that when your bag smells like sweat! I was THIS close to ripping out my nose!" Raphtalia countered before she ducked down a bit. "Pass me some fries."
Kinji sighed before grabbing some fries and lowering them down to Raphtalia, who began eating them.
"And the tanuki has been helping you with stopping Sato?" Erika asked, still trying to get used to the fact she's having a conversation with a talking Tanuki.
"Yeah. Her name is Raphtalia." Kinji answered.
"I see… You know, if you told me all this yesterday, I'd call you crazy." Erika said with a sigh before smiling a little. "But after the crap we went through, and when I summoned my… Persona, I believe you. But why go to that Palace?"
"Bnehendh hsbwbj hanh." Asta said with a mouth full of food, earning looks from his friends. He quickly swallowed before smiling. "Sorry. I was saying it was to make Sato confess to his crimes."
"Sato has a Treasure inside his Palace, and if we take it, it'll cause him to admit to everything he's done." Raphtalia explained, nibbling on a fry. "We were on our way to find it when we heard the guards talk about you."
"Chiba-san, were you nearby when we went in?" Kinji asked with narrowed eyes, making Erika nod.
"I… heard what you guys were talking about on the roof and figured I'd follow to see what was up." Erika confessed before giving a bow. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
"You were doing it for Tsubaki-san. We can't get mad about that." Kinji told her, making her look up in surprise. "Besides, we kept all this a secret so you wouldn't be hurt. I'm sorry."
"See, we're all sorry. So we should make up!" Asta told everyone with a smile. Kinji and Erika looked at him, then each other before they began to chuckle. "Still, I can't believe you have a Persona, Erika! And a really cool one at that!"
"You have some experience fighting, don't you?" Raphtalia inquired with a curious tone.
"Well, you don't become one of the top kendo players in the school for nothing." Erika couldn't help but boast.
"Hmmm…" Raphtalia hummed in thought before she smiled. "In any case, would you join us?"
"Raphtalia…" Kinji gave the tanuki a frown.
"What? She has some experience when it comes to fighting. Plus, having a fourth person would help us with our infiltration." Raphtalia countered.
"She's got a point. Erika's really tough." Asta agreed with the tanuki.
"Even if she is, we can't force her." Kinji told them before looking over to the red head. "You don't need to do this-"
"I'll do it." Erika cut him off. "I might not be able to help Kai out here. But in that place, with you guys and Tomoe, maybe we CAN stop Sato." She slowly clenched her hand, remembering what Shadow Sato was about to do to her. "I'm so sick of just watching everything happen and not doing anything to help. Maybe this is my chance." She then lifted her head and looked at Kinji. "Please let me fight with you guys."
Kinji was conflicted.
On one hand, he didn't want Erika to be targeted by Sato, even if he doesn't remember what happened inside the Palace. Not to mention how dangerous the Palace was thanks to the Shadows.
But he couldn't deny having a fourth person on the team would make things easier. And since her Persona had ice skills, they could cover each other's weaknesses.
After some deep thinking, Kinji made a decision. "If you really wanna do this… then we'd be happy to have you, Chiba-san." Kinji told her with a smile as Erika widened her eyes before she returned the smile.
"Thanks. But you don't need to call me Chiba-san anymore." Erika said while giving Kinji a wink. "Call me Erika and in return, you let me call you Kinji. Is that okay?"
"Ummm… sure. If you're okay with it." Kinji felt his cheeks warm up at the smile she was giving him. Still, knowing that he and the others would have such a capable fighter on the team made him feel at ease.
SMASH*
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast established a new bond…
It shall become the wings of rebellion that break thy chains of captivity…
With the birth of the Strength Arcana, thou have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…
Kinji watched as the Strength tarot card appeared over Erika, who was none the wiser. 'Of course she'd have an Arcana. Why wouldn't she?' Kinji thought with an inward sigh.
"Now that it's been settled." Erika looked at her food as her stomach grumbled a bit. "Let's eat before this gets cold."
The group spent the next few minutes eating their late lunch, chatting a bit and having some laughs. It felt really nice for Kinji. The last time he had this was… when Kinichi was still alive.
'No. Don't focus on that right now. You have to move on, Kinji.' The raven haired teen told himself, finishing the remains of his burger.
"Oh man! I am stuffed." Asta sighed happily, leaning against the booth while patting his belly.
"Yeah. The food wasn't that bad." Raphtalia added, letting out a cute little burp. Quickly cleaning her face while blushing, she gave a serious look on her face. "Now onto business. Since we couldn't do much today and Sato's Shadow has been alerted, we should refrain from going to the Palace tomorrow."
"Well, yeah. We can't go anyways." Erika replied, earning a look of confusion from Raphtalia. "The school's closed on Sunday and some Saturdays, so the chances of Sato being there is slim to none. Plus, I wanna go see Kai tomorrow." Noticing Raphtalia about to speak, Erika stopped her. "I know, don't tell him."
"I see. Well, I suppose that's okay." Raphtalia muttered with her ears down before she perked up. "Another thing we need to talk about: our gear."
"What's wrong with what we have?" Asta asked with a head tilt.
"Nothing. But we can't just rely on the same weapons every time we go inside the Palace." Raphtalia answered. "Not to mention we're running a bit low on medicine. We can't just rely on luck whenever we find a treasure chest on the way."
"She's right. Our weapons aren't gonna last." Kinji agreed before frowning. "Still, where can we get new gear? I doubt anyone would sell us the gear we need."
"It doesn't need to be real. As long as it can resemble the real thing, it'll be effective in the Palace." Raphtalia reminded them.
"Needs to look real…" Asta closed his eyes in thought before opening them, snapping his finger. "OH! I know a place!" The group turned to him in wonder. "There's this place that sells airsoft guns and stuff, and a lot of it looks real."
"Oh yeah. The captain in the Kendo club mentioned it once. The owner is kinda stingy though." Erika added with her arms crossed. "Come to think of it, there's a pharmacy close by too."
"I guess I don't know the area as well as I do." Kinji muttered.
"Then how about we go shopping tomorrow?" Asta suggested with a smile. "That way, we can get what we need AND show Kinji around!"
"As long as we don't take too long… Okay, I'm in." Erika nodded before a thought crossed her mind. "But what about Raphtalia?"
"I can't go back to my old home." Raphtalia whined at the thought of wet fur before she perked up and smiled. "So one of you will need to bring me with you!"
"Seriously?" Kinji asked with a blank expression.
"Sorry. My mom and dad would kill me if I brought home a pet, especially a tanuki." Asta said with a head shake.
"I wish I could, but my mom's allergic to fur." Erika held her hands up.
"Well… I guess it's your place." Raphtalia deduced by looking up at Kinji.
"Wait…? Me?" Kinji gasped while pointing at himself.
"You can just think of me as your pet for a coverup." Raphtalia said with a smile.
"I don't think tanukis are allowed to be pets." Kinji countered.
"W-Well… think of this as payback for me saving you guys the first time we met!" Raphtalia said while perking up. "After all, if it wasn't for me, you guys wouldn't know anything about the Palace!"
"You have a point…" Now that he thought about it, Kotetsu and Anzu don't usually check his room since they're busy with work. And as long as Raphtalia didn't do anything bad, he could hide her. "Alright. But we have to set some ground rules."
"Awesome! Then we can all meet up at Shibuya station tomorrow! Man, I'm getting hyped!" Asta said in excitement. Soon, the group exited the burger joint. "Man, I didn't know it'd get this late! Neo Featherman Oblivion's gonna start soon!" The ash blonde teen began to run towards the streets, though not before looking back at his friends. "See you tomorrow!"
"That guy's as hyper as a little kid." Erika chuckled in amusement before she began to walk in the opposite direction. "I'd better get going too."
"Take care, Ch- I mean, Erika." Kinji corrects himself as the red head smirks.
"You'll get there, Kinji~" Erika teasingly said. However, she soon had a melancholy look on her face. "But seriously… thank you." She soon walked away before Kinji could speak.
"You definitely have an effect on people." Raphtalia remarked as she poked out of his bag with a smile. "Let's go home."
"Yeah… sure."
Kinji prayed no one would find out about Raphtalia.
'Cafe Midnight, evening'
Kinji was able to return to the cafe with no issues at all. He then sees Anzu behind the counter.
"Good evening, Kinji-kun." Anzu greeted with a kind smile.
"Hi, Anzu-san." Kinji greeted back, making sure to hold his bag in place.
"How was school?" Anzu inquired.
"It was good." Kinji answered before looking around the cafe. "Where's Kotetsu-San?"
"He's out working late. He should be back soon." Anzu answered. "Are you hungry? I can make you some curry."
"Ooh, something smells good~" Raphtalia moaned as she moved the bag, only for Kinji to subtly slap it.
"Keep it down…" Kinji muttered super quietly to Raphtalia.
"Are you okay?" Anzu asked, wondering who he was talking to.
"Y-Yeah! Sorry about that. Just thinking out loud." Kinji replied with a nervous smile as he made his way to the stairs. "I'm gonna go to my room."
"Well, okay. Have a good night." Anzu waved to him as he went upstairs. Once he reached his bed, Kinji opened his bag, allowing Raphtalia to jump out and give him a glare.
"Geez! You know that hurts!" Raphtalia shouted in anger.
"Well, next time, try not trying to speak out loud. Otherwise, Anzu-san will hear you." Kinji countered with a frown.
"She can't understand what I'm saying. No one can." Raphtalia said, much to Kinji's confusion. "You see, when you go into the Metaverse, like the Palace, you see me in my other form, walking and talking. Because of that, when you return to the real world, you can understand me because your cognition of me has changed. To everyone else, I'm just making noise."
"Huh. Come to think of it, no one in the restaurant reacted to what you were saying, even though you were talking out loud." Kinji realized. "Still, do me a favor and don't walk around downstairs. At least while Anzu-san, Kotetsu-san and the other customers are down there. Otherwise, they'll make me throw you out."
"I guess that's okay…" Raphtalia mumbled before finally taking in the room. "Wow. So this is where you live? It's big."
"I'm only living here for a while. My home's in Kyoto." Kinji told her as he sat next to her. "As long as Anzu-san and Kotetsu-san don't come up here, you can roam around." A yawn escaped Kinji's mouth as he took out his phone, looking at the time. "It's not too late, but I'm really tired."
"Makes sense. After all, we did just go through the Palace." Raphtalia agreed before pushing in the bed with her paws. "This is really soft…"
"I guess you never slept on a bed before, huh?" Kinji asked as he began to remove his tie, unbuttoning his shirt. He stopped when he saw Raphtalia looking at him. "Can you look away for a minute?"
The talking tanuki shrugged as she turned, letting Kinji get dressed in his pajamas before he got in bed.
"Hey, Kinji?" Raphtalia spoke up with a timid tone. "Do you think… Will I ever remember my past?"
"Still thinking about it, huh?" Kinji asked with a frown. That's right. Raphtalia still didn't remember a damn thing about her past. Aside from her knowledge about Personas and the Metaverse, she knew nothing about what she was before. "How long have you… forgotten?"
"A few days, I think. Every time I think about that, my head hurts. Almost like I'm blocking it off." Raphtalia muttered while lowering her head. "Even if something bad happened in the past, I'd wanna know. Without my memories, do I even exist?"
"You do to me." Kinji answered, making the tanuki widen her eyes and turn to see his serious expression. "Raphtalia, without you, none of us would know anything about what was going on. And like you, you saved us. I might not know exactly how to do it, but one day, I wanna help you get your memories back. That's a promise."
"Kinji…" Raphtalia didn't realize how much his words meant to her until that very moment. Knowing that there was one person, one friend, who was willing to help her with this ordeal. It was enough to make her cry. Quickly wiping away her tears, Raphtalia gave Kinji a genuine smile. "Thank you. That makes me feel better."
"What are friends for?" Kinji replied with his own smile. He knew the chances of them actually succeeding was very low, but he could tell just how much this amnesia was eating at Raphtalia. Plus, he didn't wanna see another friend so sad.
At that moment, Kinji felt like he understood Raphtalia a bit more…
SMASH*
Kinji watched as the Magician Arcana appeared over Raphtalia before the roman numeral for two appeared in front of the card.
The Magician: Rank 2
'... Okay, this is an RPG now?' Kinji thought with a sweatdrop on his head as the tarot card disappeared.
"We should get some sleep. Tomorrow, we need to prepare for the next infiltration!" Raphtalia shouted with sudden energy in her voice. She curled up in a ball at the end of the bed, letting out a sigh. "Hmmm. I can get used to this…"
A chuckle escaped Kinji's mouth as he pulled the covers over his body, closing his eyes.
'Velvet Room, Kinji's dreamscape'
"Of course I can't go one day without coming back here…" Kinji grumbled as he found himself back in the Velvet Room, with Igor and Vivy patiently waiting for him.
"You have done quite a bit, trickster." Igor said with a gravely chuckle. "Not only have you found another Persona user, you were able to obtain another Confidant."
"Strength, an Arcana that represents inner strength, self control and the capacity for overcoming challenges." Vivy listed. "Very interesting."
"And I'm guessing Erika won't be the last one, right?" Kinji asked rhetorically. "How will I know if someone can be a Confidant?"
"Some will come to you by choice. Others will be approached by you. But I cannot say who it will be." Igor answered as he leaned on his hand. "Just know that the more Confidants you meet, the more bonds you will create. Speaking of, you recently discovered your hidden gift, correct?"
"Gift?" Kinji pondered for a moment before his eyes widened. "Are you talking about me taking Jester as a Persona?"
"Correct." Igor smiled, satisfied to see Kinji put the pieces together. "While most can only possess one Persona, a wild card has the ability to hold multiple Personas. That is the power behind the Fool."
"So… Jester and Holmes won't be my only Personas?" Kinji asked in shock. Raphtalia mentioned this, yet to get a confirmation from Igor was something else. That meant new strategies, new powers, new ways to get by.
"Yes. However, at your current level, you may only possess six Personas at a time." Igor spoke up, getting Kinji's attention. "However, obtaining a Persona through combat is not the only way. As a reward for discovering this gift, I will open a new method for you. Consider it a fusion of Personas." He then snapped his fingers, causing Vivy to walk towards the right wall, where a large wooden wheel was located. Grabbing the wheel, Vivy began to turn it down, causing two holes to slowly open in front of Kinji's cell.
"What the…" Kinji watched as two metal coffins arose from the holes before they opened, revealing the inside to have multiple spikes.
"It is time for an execution." Igor revealed, his smile growing darker.
"Execution?! What are you talking about?!" Kinji demanded before he felt something tugging at his heart. Two blue blobs of energy came out of his chest before floating in front of him. They soon took form, revealing Kinji's Personas. "Holmes? Jester?"
"Allow me to explain, inmate." Vivy spoke up as she walked over to the coffin on the right. "What you see before you are the tools needed to perform a Persona Fusion. You will choose two Personas in order to sacrifice so that a new one can be formed. Do not be concerned. A Persona is not alive as it is merely a personality. Even if one dies, you will not be harmed."
"Yeah, but still…" Kinji looks at Holmes with a frown. It was his first Persona, so of course he was going to have a difficult time letting go.
"Do not be concerned, boy." Much to Kinji's surprise, Holmes spoke to him. "Though I may leave now, know that I will always be a part of you. I am thou and thou art I. We are bound by our hearts."
"Holmes…" Hearing his Persona's words helped put Kinji at ease. With a small sigh through his nose, Kinji made up his mind. "Okay. I'll fuse them together."
"Excellent. Vivy?" Igor asked as the blue haired woman nodded. She pulled out a dark sheet before throwing it over Holmes, then Jester. Guiding the two Personas to their respective coffins, Vivy walked to the middle, a metal lever appearing out of nowhere. Igor grinned as he stared at Kinji in the eyes. "Begin."
Vivy pushed the lever forward, causing the two coffin doors to close on the Personas.
SLAM*
Kinji closed his eyes at the sound of the doors slamming shut. Cautiously opening one eye, Kinji expected to see blood leaking out from the bottom as the coffins began to open up. Instead, he saw two blue blobs of energy in the place of his Personas. They soon flew towards the middle before merging together, taking a new form.
The new Persona was a white fur wolf that had its hair sticking out, red claws, sharp fangs, a red flame insignia on its forehead, yellow eyes and a white tail with a blue tip at the end.
"I am Raijū. My claws tear through like thunder!" The new Persona said with a growl before a screen appeared in front of Kinji, showing him all the skills and stats.
"What you see before you is a list of your new Persona's powers." Igor explained, noticing Kinji's confused expression. "In addition to its own skills, every new Persona you create has the power to inherit the skills of its predecessors. Choose which skill Raijū will inherit."
'Yup. Definitely like a game.' Kinji thought as he looked at the available skills: Kouha, Agi and Tarunka. It seemed like Raijū already had a buff ability, so Tarunka was out. And so far, there was no need for a fire skill like Agi. "I choose Kouha." A brief flash of light appeared around Raijū, granting it Holmes' previous skill.
The screen vanished as the wolf Persona transformed into a mask that looked a lot like Kinji's. It then flew towards him, colliding with his face before disappearing. Kinji placed a hand over his chest, feeling Raijū inside.
"Good. You are now one step closer to your rehabilitation." Igor chuckled in amusement.
"I guess…" Kinji still frowned at sacrificing Holmes, even if it led to a new Persona.
"Do not frown, inmate." Vivy spoke up as she walked up to his cell, showing off her book. "You can resummon your past Persona at any time."
"Wait, what?" Kinji looked at the blue haired woman in shock.
"This book is the Persona Compendium. It contains records of every Persona you obtain, whether through combat or Fusion." Vivy explained as she opened the Compendium, showing Kinji the names of three Personas: Holmes, Jester and Raijū. He raised a brow as he noticed the category each of them were put in.
Fool: Holmes
Magician: Jester
Emperor: Raijū
"I see you have noticed the categories they fall in." Vivy said, as if reading Kinji's thoughts. "Each Persona belongs to a certain group based on the Major Arcana. Note that the fusion of two Persona of the same group will only result in a Persona from that group only. I recommend experimenting should the chance arise."
"So I can bring back a Persona without looking for it in the Palace." This was a major relief for Kinji. If he had to go back, fight Shadows until the exact Persona he wanted appeared, that would just be a huge pain in the ass.
"Of course, you will need to pay the fee." Vivy's words caused Kinji to do a double take.
"...I'm sorry?"
"The fee. It is on the right." Vivy pointed to the line where Holmes was, showing the price to be 1,785 Yen. "In order to re-summon a past Persona, you must pay the fee in front of you. The stronger a Persona, the higher the cost."
"Wait, wait, WAIT! I have to pay REAL money to bring back Holmes and Jester?!" Kinji shouted in disbelief. He couldn't believe this. He was being forced to PAY for their services! Wasn't it their job to help him? "And what do you even need the money for?!"
"Things." Vivy said bluntly. "Do you not purchase things out of necessity? How is this any different?"
"Because you… I mean it's… I…" The more Kinji tried to think of a counter while stuttering, the more he couldn't. As much as he hated this, it made some sense. "... Nevermind."
"Do not fear, Trickster. This is but a temporary setback." Igor reassured him. "If you can fill more of the Compendium, there may be a chance to lower the costs."
"Would you like to resummon a past Persona?" Vivy asked, her book still open.
"I don't know if I can." Kinji said as he shoved a hand in his pocket. "It's not like I have my-" However, his finger touched a very familiar object, causing Kinji to pull it out. "... Wallet. I… wanna know how this is possible, but at this point, I'd rather not have a headache."
"Which Persona would you like back?" Vivy questioned. While having Jester would be good for fire skills, Kinji felt like he needed to keep Holmes with him, at least for now.
Reluctantly, Kinji pulled out some Yen and handed it to Yen, who took it before putting it in a little purse bag she had. Once the money was distributed, Vivy closed her eyes, causing Holmes' name to glow before said Persona appeared in front of Kinji.
"Hehehe. You could not wait a day to resummon me, can you?" Holmes asked with a chuckle, though Kinji could tell it was all in good fun. "Very well. Let us go and punish the wicked!" With that, he transformed into a mask and joined Kinji, who couldn't help but smile at their quick reunion.
"Know this, Trickster. The more Confidants you have, the stronger your Fusions will become." Igor's words caught Kinji's attention as the pointy-nosed man took out three tarot cards: Chariot, Magician and Strength. "For example, should you create a new Persona of the Magician Arcana, depending on the strength of your bond, it may gain even more power. Cherish these bonds, nurture them. They may lead to new discoveries or even new Confidants."
"More Confidants…" A part of Kinji felt guilty as this felt like using his friends, as well as the other potential Confidants he would meet. However, Igor mentioned how this would not affect them and that it would make his Persona stronger. 'God, when did my people get so damn complicated?'
"You are impressing me more and more each day. Kinji Tohyama. I believe your rehabilitation will be most exciting." Igor confessed. Kinji didn't know how, but he felt like he understood Igor just a little bit…
SMASH*
'Oh, you have got to be kidding me.' Kinji thought as he saw the Fool Arcana appear over Igor. Just like with Raphtalia, the roman numeral for two appeared in front of it.
The Fool: Rank 2
"My my. It seems our bond has grown." Igor commented with a chuckle. "As a gift for this occasion, I will bestow upon you a skill: The Third Eye." Opening his hand towards the inmate, Igor created a small ball of light, which flew towards Kinji before hitting his eyes. The raven haired teen jumped a little before his vision returned to normal.
"I don't really feel any different." Kinji said as he blinked a few times, not noticing anything off.
"Patience. It will come to you in due time." Igor explained to him before putting his hands together. "I wish you good fortune. The challenges you face will surely test you. Prepare yourself and those who follow you."
RING*
"The time for talk has ended." Vivy said as the bell began to ring.
"When will I see you again?" Kinji couldn't help but ask.
"The next time we meet will be of your own accord. I look forward to it." Igor's words echoed through Kinji's head as he began to close his eyes.
'4/16, morning, Shibuya subway'
Sunday had finally rolled by, indicating Kinji's first day off since coming to Daiki High.
Of course, as much as he would like to spend it recuperating, he and the others had other business in mind.
"Looks like we made it on time." Kinji muttered as he looked at his phone. Forgoing his school clothes, Kinji wore a yellow V-neck shirt under a red jacket, black pants and red sneakers.
"They'd better be here. We need to check out that weapon place." Raphtalia spoke up from the small opening in Kinji's bag.
"KINJI!" A familiar loud voice called from the left. Turning his head, Kinji saw Asta and Erika walking up to him, with the former waving his hand in the air. And like Kinji, they wore more casual clothing.
Asta wore a white shirt under a black open hoodie, blue jeans and black running shoes.
Erika wore a red-striped shirt, blue denim skirt, black tights and a pair of brown boots.
"Looks like we decided to come early." Erika said with a chuckle.
"How are you feeling? Still tired?" Kinji questioned, only to get a head shake from the female.
"Alright. You ready, Kinji? Today, me and Erika will be your tour guides!" Asta declared with a smile.
"Just don't go too overboard. Remember, we still need that gear." Raphtalia reminded everyone.
"We'll get it. But I wanna make sure Kinji knows what's up here in Shibuya." Asta replied before he turned towards Central Street. "Follow me. We need to cross here to get to Central Street."
With that, the group made their ebay past the Shibuya crosswalk, making sure not to get too separated.
Eventually, they made it to Central Street, which had a lot of stores Kinji didn't even notice the first few times.
"Wow. It's definitely something." Kinji said to himself with an impressed tone as he noticed a few of the stores nearby: a bookstore, a DVD rental place, a gym, an arcade, a convenient store, Lenny's and even the beef bowl restaurant Asta brought him and Raphtalia to. In addition, he could see the burger place they went to, its sign 'Burger Kingdom' above the door. At the fair end of the street was a large movie theater and what looked to be a nightclub, though it was closed for obvious reasons.
"Right? I sometimes get lost looking at everything." Asta agreed with his hands on his hips. "Sometimes, you find a lot of new things around here."
"The stores's over… there, right?" Erika asked as she pointed to the alleyway not too far from them.
"Yup! Follow me!" Asta began to run towards the alleyway. Kinji and Erika looked at each other before they followed soon after. They passed by several discarded bikes, turning around corners before they found the store they were looking for.
"Okay, this definitely has shady writing all over it." Erika said out loud as she, Asta and Kinji stood in front of the store, with the sign 'Wolf's Den' on the top. It was painted a dark gray color, with several weapon stickers on the window and even a smaller sign on the bottom. [We buy, sell, trade. No refunds.]
"Asta, are you sure about this?" Kinji asked with a frown. There was something about this place that rubbed Kinji the wrong way.
"For sure! This place has what we're looking for." Asta reassured his friends. "None of the stuff in here is real, so some cosplayers come by to get things for their costumes. If we need weapons that look real, this is the place."
"We don't have much of a choice in the matter." Raphtalia spoke up as she poked her head out of Kinji's bag. "Before we go in, I think we should decide who's buying the gear. I nominate Kinji."
"Are you seriously just gonna make me do everything?" Kinji asked, giving the tanuki an annoyed look.
"What? You are the leader of the group. I trust you to handle our funds more than I trust myself." Raphtalia countered with a shrug.
"She's right. I think you should handle the money." Asta added before he reached into his pocket and pulled out some Yen. "It's all I got on me right now, but I think it should help."
"Here. I got some money too." Erika took out two Yen bills, giving them to Kinji. Sighing in acceptance, Kinji took the money from his friends before counting it all up.
"Asta has 2,000, Erika has 2,500, I have…" After doing some mental math, Kinji gave a nod. "We should have about 10,500 Yen in total. Not too much, but it should be fine."
"Let's do this!" Asta cheered while Kinji shoved Raphtalia back in his bag (much to her annoyance).
The three then entered the store, with a small bell chime ringing above them. The interior of the Wolf's Den was interesting to say the least.
Placed along the walls, aisles and even some boxes were several weapons, ranging from guns to swords and even some axes. In addition to the weapons, there were vests, pants, even magazines here and there.
Sitting behind a particularly large glass counter was what looked to be the owner. He definitely looked older than the group, with short jet black hair, medium brown skin and eyes concealed by a pair of shades. His attire consists of a simple black suit with a white button-down shirt underneath, and a formal pair of golden brown shoes.
The show owner either didn't notice them coming in or didn't care as he continued to read from his magazine.
"Let me try talking to him." Asta suggested before he went over to the counter with a smile on his face. "Hey!"
"..." The shop owner said nothing as he filled the page.
"Ummm, excuse me? We're here to buy something." Asta asked politely.
"If you need a cosplay or something, just check in the box." The shop owner finally said with a rather bored tone.
"Talk about crappy customer service…" Erika muttered with a frown before she stepped up. "We'd like to hear some recommendations, if you don't mind."
"Hmm?" The shop owner lowered his magazine, sparing the group a glance. "High schoolers, eh? And you want my recommendation?"
"That's right! We've never been here, but some friends of mine said you sell some real-looking guns and stuff." Asta lied with a smile.
"... I don't know, just pick whatever you think's cool. I don't care." The shop owner shrugged before looking back at his magazine. Noticing the teens still standing there, he sighed before putting down the magazine. "Fine. What are you looking for? An automatic? A revolver?"
"Automatic? Like a car?" Asta questioned with a confused look, getting an annoyed glare from the older man.
"Look, if you don't know what you need, then I can't help you. Go order this stuff online." The shop owner shot back. "If my regulars saw you shopping here, they'd get mad. This is a place for gun enthusiasts."
"Sorry about that, sir." Kinji, deciding to step in, apologized. "We were just looking for guns that look realistic. And any weapons that can pass for the real thing."
"Oh? Planning on a heist or something?" The shop owner asked with a curious tone.
"What?! No! We just like stuff that looks real!" Asta countered, shocked to hear such a question.
"Relax, kid. I'm just messing with ya." The shop owner said with a chuckle. "Sounds like you wanna be an enthusiast. I guess I can help, but we gotta talk about a few things." He gave a serious look on his face. "Don't go waving them around other people. Keep them in a bag when you're outside. I don't need the police showing up and blaming me, got it?"
"We promise." The trio said in unison. It wasn't like using these fake weapons in the real world would do anything anyways.
Seeing how serious they were, the shop owner gave a nod. "Okay then. If you look closely, you can tell these are models." To help get his point across, the show owner took out a model handgun, showing it to the teens. "Real guns feel different, heavy. These model guns are pretty light, so you won't have too much trouble. Maybe one day, I'll show you the real stuff… if you're brave enough." It was clear from his tone that he was joking. He then stood up. "For now, I'll let you choose from the beginner's selection. I'll be right back." The shop owner soon walked away.
"Alright! Looks like we get to shop after all!" Asta cheered with a grin. "I wonder what we can get!"
"Well, we shouldn't spend all our money at once." Raphtalia reminded the group. "If anything, we should try to buy a few weapons, maybe some armor. Hopefully, the next time we go back into the Palace, we can find more money."
Soon, the shop owner returned to the counter, opening a small catalog titled 'Beginner's Guide for Model Guns.' "Go ahead and take a look. These prices are non-negotiable, by the way."
Kinji and the others spent the next few minutes looking through all the available model guns, weapons and protection wear the Wolf's Den had to offer. Much to their surprise, even with the beginner's catalog, there was still a decent amount of stuff for them to buy.
'Me, Asta and Raphtalia all have our own guns. But Erika still doesn't. What gun would fit her?' Kinji thought as he glanced over to the red head. However, he noticed her attention was focused on a model Uzi gun.
"Ahhh. You thinking about the Uzi, Red?" The shop owner asked out loud, catching everyone's attention. "Not a bad choice. Submachine guns have a bigger clip capacity compared to a handgun, but they fire faster than most assault rifles. Just a bit of knowledge for ya."
"Do you want it, Erika?" Kinji questioned, earning a smile from his friend.
"Yeah. Think it'll work for our… cosplay." Erika answered, smartly hiding her real intention.
After a few minutes, the trio were given three bags, filled with a few new guns, a new knife for Kinji, a vest for Asta, and even something for Raphtalia.
"Alright. Looks like you're all set." The shop owner said with a nod, handing back the change to Kinji. "If you like what you got, come back. Who knows? Maybe I'll have more stock open for you."
"Thanks a lot, mister!" Asta thanked the older man, holding two of the bags.
"Wolfwood." The shop owner revealed with a small smile. "Call me Wolfwood. Have a good one." The group exited the Wolf's Den, feeling all the more satisfied with their purchases.
"It's not as much as I'd like, but it'll do. Great work, everyone." Raphtalia congratulated the group as she looked at the bags.
"I think from now on, we should let Kinji handle the gear. And if you need help with cash, let me know." Erika informed Kinji before taking out her phone with a frown. "Sorry guys, but I gotta go."
"Oh yeah. You're gonna see Tsubaki." Asta remembered before giving his friend a smile. "Let us know how he's doing."
"We'll stop Sato, Erika." Kinji told her with a serious tone, with Raphtalia nodding in agreement. Erika gave them all a smile before she went her separate way.
"I guess we should go get the medicine now. The pharmacy here isn't that expensive and they get some good deals every weekend." Asta told Kinji and Raphtalia before they went over to the nearby pharmacy. True to what Asta said, the prices were lowered today, which meant they could buy more than what they needed. With the remaining Yen they had, the group bought some over the counter painkillers, as well as some cold medicine (per Raphtalia's recommendation), some protein shakes and much to Kinji's shock, some bandages.
"Are you sure they'll work?" Kinji whispered to Raphtalia as he and Asta waited in line.
"If you can believe they'll work in the Metaverse, they will. Even a little." Raphtalia answered. With a shrug, Kinji went and purchased the items, with about 1,000 Yen to spare. "Okay. We should be all set for tomorrow."
"Awesome! I'll tell Erika and tell her to meet us at the alleyway." Asta said as they exited the pharmacy.
"Actually, I don't think the alleyway is a good place to go." Kinji spoke up, much to Asta's confusion. "Think about it. If Erika was able to get dragged into the Metaverse, that means anyone can."
"And the more people who know, the more complicated this whole situation will be. Kinji's right." Raphtalia agreed before frowning. "But we can't choose a place too far away from where the Palace is. It needs to be nearby while also being secluded."
"Hmmmm…" Asta crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought. So they needed a meeting spot that was near the school, but also kept anyone nearby from going into the Metaverse with them. "Wait… OH! What about the roof?!"
"The roof… the roof." Kinji's eyes widened in realization. "Not many people go up there after school, and it's close to where the Palace is. Great thinking, Asta."
"Awww. I was just thinking off the top of my head." Asta said with a chuckle while grinning bashfully.
Bling*
Kinji watched as two black music notes with blue outlines appeared over Asta briefly before disappearing. 'Okay… that's new.'
"Okay. Let Erika know what's going on. And after school tomorrow, we resume our infiltration." Raphtalia told them with a serious tone.
'Cafe Midnight, evening'
The rest of the day went by rather smoothly. After informing Erika where they would meet tomorrow, Kinji and Asta spent some time eating lunch while chatting. It felt nice to simply relax for a day, even with the deadline slowly approaching. Once lunch was over, Asta had to leave to do some errands for his parents.
Opening the door to the cafe, Kinji was greeted by the smell of grounded coffee beans and curry.
"Hello, Kinji-kun. Did you have a good day off?" Anzu asked with a smile.
"I did, thanks. I hung out with some friends from school." Kinji told her with a small smile. "How was your day?"
"Oh, it was nice. You'd be surprised how many customers come on the weekends for coffee. Not that I mind." Anzu answered while cleaning a mug before putting it back on the shelf. "Still, it's nice to hear you enjoying your youth. Don't take it for granted. And please try to avoid trouble."
'A little too late for that…' Kinji thought before he saw Kotetsu walking down the stairs to his room, rolling his arm.
"Alright, mom. I put it together. Hopefully the kid-" Kotetsu stopped once he saw Kinji. "Likes it… didn't expect you home so fast."
"Hey, Kotetsu-san. Did you do something to my room?" Kinji questioned curiously, making the older man grin.
"Remember when I said I might have an old TV for you? Well, I found it and set it upstairs." Kotetsu answered before scratching the back of his head. "I was gonna surprise you for making it through your first week of school, but I just got home."
"Oh… you didn't need to do that." Kinji told him as Kotetsu waved his hand.
"It's fine. Least I can do so you aren't bored. The TV's got a built-in DVD player, so if you have any discs on you, pop one in. It's not a flat screen, but it should do." Kotetsu explained before sitting at the bar. "Go ahead and check it out."
"Okay. Thank you again." Giving the older man a bow, Kinji went up the stairs to his room, missing the smile on Kotetsu's face.
Once he reaches his room, Kinji finds an old CRT Television on the table facing his bed. Just like Kotetsu said, it looked to have a DVD player at the bottom, as well as a remote next to it.
"Can I come out now?" Raphtalia spoke up from Kinji's bag, allowing him to let her out. Stretching on the floor, the tanuki soon caught sight of the TV. "So this is a TV... It's very… square."
"They can let you watch shows and movies." Kinji explained as he picked up the remote. Since it was still a bit early, he might as well try out the new TV. With that in mind, he pointed the remote at the TV before pressing the power button…
…
Only for nothing to happen.
"Huh?" Kinji pressed the button a few times before inspecting it closely. "Damn. Looks like the remote's busted."
Raphtalia jumped up to the table, sniffing the DVD player before letting out a cute sneeze. "Maybe you can fix the remote."
"Me? But I never repaired anything before." Kinji confessed with a frown.
"It's okay. I can show you." Raphtalia offered before looking around the room. Soon, her eyes caught sight of the small workbench in the corner. "Aha! Wecan use this desk. Go and see if there's any tools here."
Kinji proceeded to look around the room for any tools he could use. Walking over to the workbench, Kinji opened the drawer on the bottom, only to find several tools, including a screwdriver. "These should do."
"Okay. First thing to do is take it apart." Raphtalia instructed.
Kinji sits down and begins to take apart the remote with the tanuki's guidance, making sure to remove the batteries in the event he gets shocked.
30 minutes later
After examining the remote, cleaning the interior and what not, Kinji puts the remote back together before inserting the batteries back in.
"Okay, let's test it out." Raphtalia says as Kinji aims the remote at the tv before pressing the power button. A moment later, the TV came to life, though at the moment, it was just static on screen.
"It works." Kinji laughed lightly with a smile before turning to Raphtalia. "Where did you learn all that?"
"Well.. I learned it by making lockpicks." Raphtalia confessed while wagging her tail. "It's not hard once you have the right tools. Hey, I know. I can show you how to make tools we can use in the Metaverse."
"Lockpicks? For doors and stuff?" Kinji asked, only to get a head shake from Raphtalia.
"No. Some chests in the Metaverse have locks in them. Breaking them will let you score really good treasure." Raphtalia explained, much to Kinji's interest. If these chests were as valuable as she said, then they could make more money or even find better gear. He would definitely need to make some lockpicks now…
Bling*
Two music notes hover over Kinji's head before they disappear as he sees a star in front of his face. The star was in the middle of a large star-shaped hole, which had five categories on each point: Knowledge, Guts, Proficiency, Kindness, and Charm. The two music notes enter the star point for Proficiency, making it grow a bit before regressing to the current size.
'Huh. The more I look at these, the more I feel like I'm in a game.' Kinji thought as the stat board disappeared.
"Whoa…" Raphtalia hopped off the table and walked to the tv before literally sitting in front of it with bright eyes "What kind of magic is this?"
"It's not magic." Kinji answered before he pressed the DVD play button. The static screen soon changed, showing what looked to be an old Sherlock Holmes movie. "Huh. Kotetsu-san never said there was a movie in here."
"So this is a movie?" Raphtalia muttered as she watched the film play out. "Can I watch it?"
"Alright. Just be sure you turn it off once you're done." Kinji says, leaving the remote on the couch before going to change into his pajamas.
"So cool…" Raphtalia said in awe as she saw Sherlock investigating a crime scene. 'I wonder if we can take inspiration from these movies for the mission. I'll have to focus hard!'
As Kinji got under the covers, he looked over and smiled a bit as Raphtalia continued to watch the movie. 'Hehe. Guess this is her first ever movie.'
With that, he went to sleep.
Tomorrow, he and the others would go back to the Palace and stop Sato.
And there we go! The final set up before the real infiltration starts!
I gotta say that writing these chapters to lead up to this point has been a blast. Especially since replaying P5 helps with certain ideas.
As for Erika's Persona, it is based on Tomoe Gozen. Who was also Chie's Persona from Persona 4. I know it might feel like I'm cheating for using another Persona that already exists, but considering that P3 and P5 have different versions of Loki, anything can happen.
Like I mentioned before, I am willing to take new Persona ideas from you guys if you have an idea. Everyone has their own unique ideas and I'd love to hear them. In fact, tell me who YOU would have in a Persona team from the different anime series that exists.
Here are Kinji's Confidants at the moment.
The Fool: Igor. Rank 2
The Magician: Raphtalia. Rank 2
The Chariot: Asta Staria. Rank 1
The Strength: Erika Chiba. Rank 1.
There's still plenty of Arcana still empty, so if you have a suggestion, please let me know. And make sure you check out my buddy TheExcadrillComics' story as well. We just finished chapter 3 and let me say it was AWESOME.
Here are Tomoe's affinities for those who are curious.
Tomoe
Strike: Neutral
Slash: Resistant
Gun: Weak
Fire: Weak
Ice: Immune
Wind: Neutral
Lightning: Neutral
Nuke: Neutral
Psychic: Neutral
Light: Neutral
Dark: Neutral
Follow, Fav, Review and PM for anything relating to the story.
Next time: Mission start!