Aigis's POV
We've been searching this castle for a full week, and we still haven't found the way forward.
We seem to be inside a Chapel of Rest, with coffins all around us nailed to the walls, bearing names I do not recognize.
The whole place has an eerie feeling, and there are shadows everywhere.
Finding the door to the main hall was easy. The issue is we need 9 keys to unlock the door, yet we can't seem to find ONE.
Fuuka: "We've searched this place up and down, but we still can't find any keys."
Rise: "She's right. It's just too big, and we can't scan for everything. Our specialty is shadows and people, but objects? Not so much."
Mitsuru: "There has to be a way forwa-"
RAWRRRRR!
Another shadow, this is getting tiresome.
"Athena! God's hand!"
A giant fist appears above the shadow and lands a blow on its head, killing it instantly.
For some reason, I haven't been able to use Orpheus since I came back to the TV world. He isn't even in the half-complete persona compendium that Igor gave me and Yu.
Which reminds me, Igor mentioned that two others would be joining us... are there other Persona users?
The so called Phantom Thieves come to mind. If Shadows are products of human cognition, then it stands to reason if, one could manipulate a person's shadow they could have a "change of heart".
This is all speculation; I have no way to know if it's true or not. But if we go by the pattern, each team of Persona users has only one person with the Wild Card power as well as the Fool Arcana. So, if we assume the Phantom Thief leader is one, who is the last?
If this castle is full of coffins, maybe it's possible that, in here at least, he's...
No. I know better than to believe such a thing. Makoto is gone, he'll never come back. It's time for me to wake up.
As we run through the castle, something makes Akihiko stop in his tracks.
Mitsuru: "What's wrong?"
Akihiko: "It can't be."
I turn to see what he's looking at, and I don't believe my eyes.
Akihiko: "Aragaki?"
Aragaki?: "Yeah, what do you want?"
Ken: "It can't be."
Aragaki: "What can't be? Upset you didn't kill me well enough the first time?"
Akihiko and Ken are stunned. I think we all are.
Ken: "What?"
Aragaki: "You got cotton in your ear? I said you killed me."
Chie: "Who's that?"
Fuuka: "..."
Rise: "Uhhh... he doesn't read like a human. He's a shadow, but he's a shadow of... no one?"
But he looks so...
He even sounds like him.
Akihiko: "What are you talking about? He didn't."
Shadow Aragaki: "Of course not... Alone, you're just as guilty, old friend."
Me: "Don't listen to it, it's lying. Aragaki would never say that."
Shadow Aragaki: "Nope, nothing but the truth from me, robot. Not like you know what truth is."
Me: "What is that supposed to mean?"
Shadow Aragaki: "Convincing everyone that you have feelings, pretending to care, but human life is meaningless to you, right?"
Me: "That's not..."
Shadow Aragaki: "Oh but it is, I bet you had a smile on your face when Amada killed me, I bet you smiled when Yuki died too!"
Mitsuru: "THAT IS ENOUGH!"
Shadow Aragaki: "Shut up, Mitsuru. It's not like you cared. All you care about is praise and power."
I'VE HEARD ENOUGH!
"ATHENA!"
Shadow Aragaki: "Yeah, kill me like you killed Yuki."
...
The investigation team took over.
Yu: "Let us handle this, we'll take him down."
That's probably for the best, we're too close to this battle.
Yu: "IZANAGI!"
Shadow Aragaki: "CASTOR!"
Yu uses Zionga to blast back Ara... Shadow Aragaki.
Shadow Aragaki: "God's hand!"
Kanji: "Vile Assault!"
Yukiko: "Agilao"
Slowly but surely, the investigation team is pushing back Shadow Aragaki...
Until he runs straight at Yu and hits him with his giant hammer.
Yu is blown back.
Shadow Aragaki: "Castor, let's do it!"
I recognise that move... his theurgy! He'll kill Yu!
I ran straight at Yu.
Shadow Aragaki: "This'll end it!"
I pushed Yu out of the way, just in time. It seems Ken and Akihiko have snapped out of it too.
Akihiko: "CESAR!, Rakunda!"
Ken: "Kala-Nemi! It's my turn! Arrows of light, RAIN DOWN ON HIM!"
Shadow Aragaki screams in defeat and starts to fade away as light.
Aragaki: "Isn't this exactly what you wanted? It's alright, you can let go of your anger now. You've found something new to live for... never let it go."
He fades away completely.
Amada looks like he wants to cry, but he stays strong.
Me: "For a moment at least, maybe it really was him."
Akihiko chuckled.
Akihiko: "That idiot has to stay the cool guy till the very end."
Yu: "Thanks, Aigis, you saved me."
Me: "It was nothing."
What happened to me? I couldn't keep my emotions in check, and someone almost died because of it. I can't let that happen again.
My body feels weightless. I hear screaming.
"Yu! Aigis!"
Everything goes black.
When I open my eyes I... is this the dorm? How is that possible?
"Aigis? Aigis!"
I'd recognise that voice anywhere!
I turn around and see...
It can't be him; it must be another Shadow.
I will not be fooled again!