Shin Megami Tensei: Bleached

OCTOBER 25, 2018
NARUKI CITY, JAPAN
'knock, knock'
"Rin-chan! Wake up, Rin-chan!"
"Urrrf, so noisy..." grumbled Ringo Kubo. The girl brushed her brown hair away from her face. She'd nodded off while writing. Again. A frequent occurance, to be certain. She'd go on such a writing tangent that eventually she'd fall asleep without even realizing it. She'd just accepted it as a good sort of problem to have, so full of ideas she was.
What was knocking at her bedroom door was a different kind of problem.
"Uggh, what is it, mom?" she grumbled as she opened the door. "I already told you, that camel in the commercial isn't really talki--" "It's not about the TV, Rin-chan. It's Tohru. He still hasn't come home."
Even though she was half-asleep, Ringo understood how serious this was. Her brother had left for the market about a half-hour before she'd fallen asleep. She looked over at her wall clock. 10 p.m. He'd been gone for close to three hours now. For her schedule-oriented brother this was hugely abnormal, especially given that the market was only a few minutes from their apartment. And it was the night before the elections at his school. He'd been campaigning for class president, and there was no way he would risk staying out late on a night like this.
"OK, just let me throw on something decent. I'll go and see what's up." "I'll come with you. I don't have a good feeling about this..."
So the pair left for the market. Ringo insisted on splitting up to look for Tohru, and despite some hesitation, her mother agreed. After a short while and no luck, Ringo walked past an alleyway, and...
"...help...me..."
Even with a somewhat busy crowd, Ringo heard just enough to notice something amiss. She walked over to near the source of the noise, a dumpster. Next to it, largely out of sight from the street, lay a young man, battered and bruised, blood coming from his mouth. Ringo recognized him. He was a classmate of Tohru's who worked at one of the local markets. "What happened?!" shouted Ringo. "You're...Rin-chan...? It was...they ambushed us...me and..." he grogged. Even before the words came out, Ringo knew. By this time, others walking by had noticed and came to see what was the matter. "Where is he?!" Rin demanded. "...took him...that way..." He pointed weakly to behind the building they were next to. Without hesitation, Rin sprinted away. She turned to look.
Her brother wasn't missing anymore.
Slumped next to the wall, beaten even more severely than his friend, was Tohru. Splotches of blood dotted the wall. His glasses lay shattered next to him. Rin sprinted to him. "Tohru! What happened?! C'mon, say something..." She was in full panic mode now. He could say nothing. She screamed for help. With his last ounce of strength, he grabbed her hand. With his other, he grabbed his school blazer. The blazer of Naruki Ascension Academy, the school he'd been so proud of. He weakly motioned towards the logo. Then, his hand meekly slumped to the ground. Tearfully, Rin tried to stir him awake. "Hey, come on, don't...don't do this, Toh...please, I can't, not again..." 
Only silence answered her. Then, the sound of footsteps as the emergency personnel arrived. And soon after that, her frantic mother. After a while, only the sounds of weeping could be heard.
The blade of fate, so merciless, so absolute...had dropped.
---
AUGUST 20, 2019
NARUKI ASCENSION ACADEMY
Ringo stared up at the imposing school building. This is what she had been working towards for the past ten months. Even before Tohru's death, she had been working towards transferring to the academy for her sophomore year. No easy feat by any means, but her brother's murder had given her the extra motivation to push through the school's arduous entrance exams. 
Her brother used the last ounce of life he had to point her towards the school. Whoever had taken his life had ties to the school, that much she was certain of. She looked at her necklace, a skull-mask design with red stripes on one side. A gift from Tohru for her birthday a few months prior to his demise. She'd refused to take it off until his killer had been found. With Tohru's associate unable to give police a good description of the attackers, she knew that finding hints as to the culprit's identity would be difficult.
Difficult, but not impossible. With resolve in her heart, she walked through the gates.
A pure white butterfly fluttered past. Close by, a figure in a blue cloak looked on as Rin walked into the school building. Next to the figure was a man wearing an orange tropical shirt, his face obscured. He was jutting notes into a pocket handbook. "Are you certain this girl is suitable for our needs, father?" the blue-cloaked girl asked. "The blades of fate are never incorrect, my dear. Her potential is vast, her resolve clear. She will make for a wonderful Fool for our tale. As for who the supporting cast shall be..." The man smirked. "Well, that is for fate to decide, isn't it?" He pocketed his book. The pair walked away.
Rin made her way to the newly-built dorms. The school had been in the process of building on-campus housing for a while, but Tohru's murder off-campus had given more urgency to the process. Even though he was just a sophomore at the time, Tohru was highly respected by the student body and administration. His death was not taken lightly.
Rin entered the girls' dorm building. It was a couple of days before classes, but the moving process was in full swing. "330...331...332..." She walked through the hallway, skimming the doors for her room number. "Aaaaand, 333. Bingo." She took out the key and opened the door.
Inside, it had the standard structure: a pair of rooms, each with a bed, a small kitchen area and a bathroom. Rin had brought one suitcase with her clothes with her; her mother was bringing the rest of her necessities later on. "Welp, better go drop this fella off..." She walked into one of the rooms, and right when she was about to drop the suitcase onto the bed...
"WHOAZERS, HOLD UP ONE SEC!"
A figure frantically leapt from under the covers, startling Rin. "MEEP!" "Haven't even introduced ourselves and you're already trying to squish me?! I can already see how swimmingly this is gonna go!" "Maybe don't hide under the covers like a creeper, then!" The girl got up from the floor. She had short brown hair, and was wearing a green and black jacket. "So-REE, I was testing the beds for their softness. Trying to make the choosing process easy." "More like trying to leave me with a less comfortable bed to deal with!" "Hey, for the record they're both pretty darn comfy!" 
The girl shook her head. "Okay, okay, let's rewind a bit. We're gonna share a bathroom for a year, we can't be at each other's throats two seconds in." Rin sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I'm Ringo Kubo. Sorry about almost squishing you." "See, that's a bit better. Nice to meet ya, Rin-Rin! I'm Tenko, Tenko Kitsunezaru. As a present for not making me a Tenko sandwich, I'll let ya have this bed. It's ever-so slightly more...enchanting...than the other one." Tenko sighed as she said this.
Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Hooooold on a sec, my mind's making a baby!" Rin looked confused. "I'VE GOT IT! Lemme take ya to the best café Naruki's got to offer!" Tenko grabbed Rin by the arm and hurried her out the door. "W-wait a sec, I haven't finished unpacking--!" "Aww, it can wait! You'll need an extra energy boost, anyway! While we're at it we can get to know each others' deepest, darkest secrets..." "I immediately regret several of my life choices."
Tenko dragged Rin along until they reached a small black-colored building. Atop the building was a sign reading "Yamada's Den", with an image of a stylized skull enveloped in black-and-blue flame. "This is where pretty much every student of the academy heads to when they've got the time. The owners' son's a student there too. Sometimes he even gives us discounts on the teas!" explained Tenko. As they were about to walk in, a bespectacled young man with messy brown hair and a white button-down shirt walked out. He stared at Rin for a moment. Then, "Well hello there, Kitsunezaru. Fancy running into you here. Have you been keeping well?" "Well I was until I saw your mug, Kyohei. Off to go scare some grade-schoolers?" "Cute. That tongue of yours is still razor-sharp, I see. And who might your friend here be?" "Don't even think about it. Last time I let you talk to one of my friends they were in tears for a solid ten minutes." "Hmm, sensitive soul. And how is our good Hiyoko doing?" "Soon as I find out I'll make sure you're the last to know." "Well then. I suppose that's my cue to depart. Nice catching up with you." He began to walk away, before turning back towards Rin. "Keep her within distance, Ms. Kubo. I hear she's weak around the drink." "Huh? How do--" began Rin, but he had already turned and continued walking.
"UGGGGH. That guy is such a CREEP." groaned Tenko. "Who was that guy? And how did he know who I was?" asked Rin. "Oh, just the neighborhood slimeball. You'll hear about him soon enough. Probably met him once and just blocked it from your mind." Tenko answered. Rin pondered to herself. "Is that really all there is to it? I don't know if I'd forget someone with that...unnerving of an aura.", she thought. Still shaken from the strange encounter, the pair proceeded to enter the café.
"Alright, let's not let the little creep spoil our day before it's even started. We've got discounts to grab!" exclaimed Tenko. Behind the counter was a blonde-haired young man wearing an apron with the same skull design as the store's sign. Tenko waived to him. "Yoohoo, Yūji-senpai!" The young man looked over. "Oh, well if it isn't our local sake queen. Didn't take you long to come back." he said with a smirk. "Well, you know me. When the liquid of love calls, I have to answer it." Tenko answered. "Quite. And who might your friend here be?" "She's my new roommate-slash-bestie! I'm giving her the grand tour." "I've barely gotten two words in, and we're already besties?", thought Rin. "Well then, I suppose that means she'll be a frequent visitor alongside you. Oh, but where are my manners? I'm Yūji Yamada. I'm a senior at the academy. Pleasure to meet you." "I'm Ringo Kubo. I'm this girl's hostage. The pleasure's all mine." Tenko bore a cheeky expression at the remark. Yūji, however, bore a look of surprise.
"Did you just say your name was Kubo? As in..." Rin stopped him before he could finish the thought. "You don't have to ask, I already know. And the answer is yes. As in Tohru Kubo. He is...was...my older brother." "Wait, really?!" exclaimed Tenko. "Jeez, I thought it was just a coincidence..." "Oh, I see...forgive me for prying. It would seem my curiosity overcame my better judgement. My sincerest apologies, and my condolences." "No, it's fine. Sure it won't be the last time someone asks." "No no, I've made a rather poor impression here. Tell you what, I'll give you some of my family's specialty tea, on the house. Least I can do for digging up such unsavory memories." "Well, if you're that insistent..."
The girls sat down at a table. After a few moments of awkward silence, and noticing the look of sadness on Rin's face, Tenko spoke up. "Hey, so...what's it that brought you here?" "You mean, aside from you dragging me here?" "I meant to the academy, silly. What super-mega-ultra talent were you wanting to hone?" "Oh, um, well...to tell you the truth, I wanted to transfer here for a while. I hear the writing program's one of the best offered in the country. And I...thought going to the same school as my brother would be fun..." Tenko paused. "Oh..." "But after...it happened, well...the last thing he did was grab his school jacket. He gestured at the school's logo. So that makes me think that someone from this school knows what happened to him. No serious suspects have come up and I'm scared the police'll never solve it. So even..." Rin began to fight back the tears. "Even if it's just chasing ghosts, it's the only thing I have. I just can't...I can't let Tohru's death go without closure like..." Before she could finish, she suddenly felt herself being grabbed. Tenko, visibly crying now herself, was hugging her. "Awwww, shoot, Rin-Rin, I had no idea...tell you what. I'll help you out, any way I possibly can. It's against the friend code to let your bestie suffer alone, after all." Rin was stunned. At first somewhat annoyed by the rapid jump to "bestie" status, now it didn't feel so bad. No objections came, just a simple "Thank you."
"OK, so..." Rin began, "Sorry I keep turning this into a downer party. Why don't you tell me about why you're in this happy neck of the woods?" "Oh, little old me? Well...the academy has probably the best fencing team in this part of the country." "Fencing, huh? You mean with the masks and the stabby stabby?" "Something along those lines. It took everything I had to make the team last year, but did I ever do it. And thanks to all that training, I know about 87 different ways to stab at somebody!" She made a jabbing motion with her hand. "That's...probably not something you want to say while smiling." said Rin. "But hey, you should let me know when your season starts, I'd love to come and watch." "Wait, you mean it?" "Yeah, I mean, I dunno the first thing about fencing but hey, supporting your bestie's rule number one of the friend code, right?" Tenko's eyes lit up. "Yep, totally!"
After finishing and then chatting for a while, the girls returned to the dorms. "Oh, rats!" Tenko exclaimed, "I think my room key fell out at the café. I'm gonna run back and look, hopefully Yūji-senpai grabbed it. Fingers crossed!" Tenko ran off. Rin checked her watch. Still a few hours until her mom arrived. She began walking towards her room. When she reached the door, however, she was met by an odd sight. A figure wearing a blue cloak was standing next to her door. Rin could see what appeared to be silver-grayish hair beneath the hood of the cloak. "Ummm, can I help you?" Rin asked. The figure looked up, her eyes shown to be a bright yellow. "You are Ringo Kubo, correct?" "Um, yeah. That'd be me. And who exactly am I speaking to?" "Someone with a keen interest in how your tale will progress." "Uh-huuuuuh. Look, sweetie, I don't mind having a fan but the vibes you're giving off are leaning towards--" "I am here to help with the progression of your tale." "'Kay then, calling the cops it is." As Rin grabbed for the door, the cloaked girl grabbed her arm. "Hey, what's the big idea?!" "Apologies. But progression first requires a trial." An odd symbol began to glow on the girl's hand. She smacked the door and it flew open, revealing what looked to be a portal. Before she knew what was happening, Rin was flung inside.
Rin shortly after fell through the other side. She looked up and saw that she appeared to still be in the dorm. However, the halls were now tinted a dull green and red, as opposed to its earlier vibrant color scheme. "The hell? What is this? Did that little brat drug me or something?" "This is not the result of substance-induced hallucination, Ringo Kubo." Rin looked up and saw the cloaked girl standing upside-down on the ceiling. "This is...Tartarus. This is where all of humanity's hidden desires and emotions congregate into one plane of existence." "Tartarus...like in the Greek myths? Are you off your meds or something? Look, wherever the hell this is, just take me back home!" "I cannot." "Why not?!" "You cannot leave this place until you finally come to accept the truth of your situation. That...or die. Die at the hands of the Shadows that populate this realm." "Shadows, huh? We're just throwing everything out there, aren't we? And what are these so-called 'Shadows'?" Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from behind the entrance door to the dorm. Shadowy claws could be seen from behind the window. "Them." said the girl.
As the door began to give way, Rin made a break for it. As she began to run up the stairs, she turned and saw a glimpse of the door breaking down. The rumbling grew louder. She could see the featureless forms making their way down the hall. She ran to the second floor, and as she sprinted down the hall, the girl continued to appear in front of her. "Nothing can be gained by running." "What do you suggest I do, then?!" "Stand and face the truth." "More like 'stand and get ripped apart by monsters'! Thanks but no thanks!" She ran to the third floor, then the fourth. Reaching the end of the hall, she tried to break open the window. No luck. She turned around to look. The rumbling grew louder. "Dammit, DAMMIT! Why is this...why does this have to be how it ends? Never even coming close to--" She turned back towards the window. Reflected in the window was herself, but with glowing yellow eyes. "Huh?" Shocking her was that the reflection didn't mirror her movements. Then...
"What do you think you're doing, Ringo?" the reflection asked in a voice almost matching Rin's own, but distorted. Suddenly, Rin found herself in a deserted playground. "Wait, what is this? I was just..." She noticed a crow flying about. And it landed on the finger of the reflection, now in physical form. "Time is running out, Ringo. The creatures will be upon you soon. I have brought your mind here so that we can finally talk, face-to-face." "Who...who are you?" "Who am I? Shouldn't that be obvious? I'm you. Or rather, I'm who you truly are. I am a Shadow, of your true inner self. And I'm giving you this one chance to fight back against that which would cause you harm." She began petting the bird. "Ringo...do you truly know what it is you want?" 
"What I want? What I've been saying all along...I want to know what happened to Tohru." "And then what?" "Huh?" "When you find the one responsible, what do you want to see done? Justice? Vengeance? And what of anyone who would journey with you on this quest? What I'm trying to say is this: you need to realize that this will not be as simple as you believe it to be. This will be a long, grueling road, one that will most assuredly bring consequences for many, yourself included. You hesitate because you do not know what it is that will be uncovered, and you fear the consequences that it may bring to those you care about. You claim to seek the truth, yet you fear what that truth may mean for you. You need to understand that your actions will have consequences, but that there is no other way for you to proceed." "I fear...the truth? I...all I want is for the one who hurt Tohru to pay for it...because he did nothing wrong. Dad...nobody ever paid for what happened to him, and I can't let that happen to Tohru...but I can't let anyone else get hurt by this."
"So yeah, I'm afraid of the truth...but I can't go forward if I don't know it! And those consequences? I'll take full responsibility, but that won't be necessary. Because...I refuse to let anybody else get hurt! Not while my heart's still beating!" "...yes, very well. I have heeded your resolve." The Shadow moved towards a tree, and plucked an apple from it, presenting it to Rin. "Let us push through together. I will lend you my strength, so that none may suffer as we have. Let us forge a contract." Taking the cue, Rin took the apple, and bit into it. Suddenly, she found herself in the hallway once more. She felt a jolt of pain in her head, and clasped it. The Shadows drew nearer.
I am thou, thou art I...thou who would tread the path of strife to achieve thine own justice. Take up this blade, and cut through to the truth! Let no pain, no obstacle halt thy path! The wings of thy fortitude shall be your guide! Those who would obstruct your path to the truth, let it be known, shall know what it is to experience true hell!
Rin stood up, and opened her eyes, which were now tinged with yellow. She took on a sinister grin, as blue flames enveloped her form. When she emerged, she was cloaked in a black shihakusho robe, and was now wielding a pitch-black colored katana. Behind her stood a figure wearing armor black as night, its cape constructed with dark feathers, its eyes glowing a piercing red. Grasping her blade, Rin dashed straight through the approaching hoard. The next moment, the monsters erupted in a fountain of blood, before dissipating into nothingness. Rin sheathed her blade. "Let's do this together...Karas."
The cloaked girl appeared. "Yes, that is it. The Persona...the guise one assumes to combat life's challenges. It is now yours to command. Now our tale can begin properly." "Yeah, great. So would you mind explaining what any of that I just experienced was?" "In due time. First, before I let you return to your world, my employer would like a word." The girl's hand began glowing again, and she grabbed Rin. "Oh we're doing this again, huh? Lovely." 
Rin found herself sitting inside a carriage on a ferris wheel. Across from her sat a bespectacled man wearing an orange tropical shirt, jutting down notes. The cloaked girl was sitting next to him. The carriage itself sported a velvet hue. "I have been looking forward to this meeting." said the man. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. Or perhaps 'Velvet Carriage' would be more apropos. My name is Farquhar. I am the interim overseer of this room. I believe you have already met my assistant Rosemary." The girl bowed her head. "A pleasure to formally make your acquaintance." "Uhh, likewise. Glad this time doesn't involve you sending me to evil monster land."
"Allow me to first explain where we are. This room occupies a space between the conscious and the unconscious. It is where we can monitor those who have forged contracts with their true selves. Such people are the only ones who can percieve this place." Farquhar explained. "The reason we have brought you here..." Rosemary took out a card. It depicted a picture of what appeared to be a jester, and bore the words "The Fool". "It is because the whims of fate have chosen you for a greater purpose. Destiny has brought you here, to this place, at this moment, for a reason." "But why me? I'm just a normal girl. I write and I listen to music. All this 'destiny' stuff is way above my pay grade..." "You have come to the academy seeking truth. But that truth is submerged beneath an ocean of secrets and ill deeds. Hearts that have been twisted and corrupted dwell within its walls. To change those hearts, and to unearth the truth you seek...this is what we have brought you here for. That is what the Persona you have been bestowed is for."
"I just...don't know how to respond to any of this. Personas and Shadows and fate...this all sounds like stuff I've written. I don't know if I'm really cut out for something like this. But...if this is what I need to do to get to the truth...and if it can change things for the better, then I guess I don't have much choice. So, what exactly do you need me to do?" "Excellent. Now, in order to proceed..." "Father, if I may?" Rosemary interjected. "Hmm? What is it?" "If it is not too much trouble, I wish to accompany Ringo on her quest." "Hm? And where is this coming from?" "I have come to the conclusion that I could effectively guide her through Tartarus, and explain everything involved. Also...I have been intrigued by the human world for a long time. I am curious as to how human emotions and relationships work. I surmise that accompanying her and experiencing this firsthand would be beneficial." "Ahh, I see. Very well then. Ms. Kubo, I would hope this is not too much to ask?" "Umm, well, I don't know how we're gonna make a living situation work but...if she can help me out then I guess it's alright." "Splendid. There is your answer, Rosemary. I look forward to hearing of your findings." "Thank you, Father. I will do my best to meet your expectations. As well as yours, Ms. Kubo." "Just don't try another stunt like earlier and we'll be A.O.K."
Rosemary grabbed Rin's hand. "Good luck to you both. I shall wait with bated breath to see how your tale unfolds. I will be in touch..." The two teleported away, and Rin found herself in her own bed.
She heard a knock. Tenko popped in. "Hey there, sleepyhead! Found my key! Oh yeah, your ma's here with your stuff. Chop chop, not polite to leave her waiting, ya know!" Rin slowly got up. Sheesh. I can't imagine how the rest of this year's gonna go... she thought.
AUGUST 21, 2019
'Knock, knock'
"Uggh, seriously, at this time of day?" Rin grogged and rubbed her eyes as she went to the door. Tenko peeked her head out of her room. "Oy, can't a girl get her beauty sleep around here?" "Don't blame me, we've got a visitor, apparently." Rin opened the door, and was startled by who was there.
The blue-cloaked girl from before. Rosemary. Only now instead of a cloak, she was wearing a dark blue standard issue school uniform, revealing long platinum blonde hair and an accompanying blue hairband. Her once-yellow eyes were now the same shade of blue as her clothing. "Good morning, Ringo." she said. "The hell are you doing here?!" "Riiiin, what's going on?" questioned Tenko. Before Rin could answer, Rosemary walked into the room. She respectfully bowed her head. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is Rosemary Farquhar. I will be staying here as your roommate for the foreseeable future." "Wait that's what they meant by accompanying me?!", Rin thought. "Ohhh, aren't you just the cutest?!" Tenko sprung toward Rosemary and grabbed her hand. "Wait, you're cool with this?!" Rin questioned. "I have followed all the necessary parameters for attending and living at this school. I hope this is not an issue?" "Oh, of course not! Always room for one more on the fun train! Right, Rin-Rin?" exclaimed Tenko. Rin was speechless. "I...uh...*sigh*. Yeah, sure." she finally said, defeated.
"OK, so, plans for today!" began Tenko. "Since this is the last day before classes start, I wanted to get ahead of the curve and introduce you to some of my mates. You can come too, Rosey!" "Your 'mates'? So are humans akin to other animal species that may take multiple partners?" asked Rosemary. "Hehe, looks like we've got a joker on our hands, Rin-Rin!" "I don't think she was joking...", Rin thought. "Are you sure this is a good idea, though? I mean, is there even a guarantee your friends'll like me?" she asked. "Well, I like you. And my friends are all super nice, too, so I'm sure they'll feel the same way! Just be yourself and you'll be OK!"
Rin was silent. Be myself, huh..., she thought. "Hey." she finally said. "You guys go on ahead. I have some things to take care of. I'll give you a call when I'm done." "You sure? Well OK, then. I'll take Rosey over to Yūji's in the meantime. See ya soon!" Tenko went out the door. "Is something the matter? Was this too abrupt?" Rosemary asked. "I-it's nothing to do with you. I just have a few things to sort through. You'll be OK with Tenko, she's a fun girl. Just give me a few..." Rin rubbed her wrist as she said this. "...very well. Good luck with your objectives." Rosemary left.
Rin sighed. She went to the bathroom, and took off her jacket. Both of her arms were wrapped in bandages. She rubbed one softly. She sighed again. "Baby steps, Rin..." She turned the shower on.
A short while later, at the Yamada café, Tenko and Rosemary were at a table. "So, um...where did you say you were from, Rosey?" "I am from...a land of velvet." "Right, but where exactly?" "I am not at liberty to disclose that." "Ooooh, secretive. You some kind of undercover agent?" "Would an undercover agent openly reveal that fact in a public setting?" "...got me there." Rin approached the table. "Yo." she said. Tenko looked up. She appeared shocked. "Eh?! Rin-Rin, your hair..."
Rin's formerly brown hair was now a stark crimson. "Yeah, I know. It's a lot to take in." "So you were coloring your hair this whole time?" "I wasn't coloring it. I was doing the opposite. This is my real hair color. You said I should just be myself, right? Well I figured this was a good starting point." "Why would you ever cover it up? It's so cute!" "That's what I think! I hated having to cover it up, but people wouldn't stop joking about it and I got sick of it." "Were people making fun of it because your name translates to 'apple', and having that color hair meant the jokes were simple to make?" asked Rosemary. "Boy, just cutting right to the point, huh? But yeah. It's already unusual enough that people would point it out regardless, but having the name I do just cinched it. So I covered it up. But no more. I'm going into this little adventure as the real me."
"Segueing from that point, we gonna go see these friends of yours, Tenko?" asked Rin. "Well, about that...one of them isn't planning on leaving their dorm until tomorrow. Personal reasons. The other one's working. At their big fancy job." There was a hint of sarcasm in the last statement, but Rin didn't press it. "But it's alright! I've got the last one free down at the fishing docks. It's a little bit of a walk, but that gives us more chatting time!" The girls paid for the meal, bid Yūji farewell, and departed.
After walking for a while, the trio reached the docks. "Bleh, this is where your bud hangs out? A smelly joint like this?" Rin asked, holding her nose. "It ain't the usual hangout spot, but he works here part-time. Now where the heck is he?" Tenko looked around. "Oh, there he is! JOJOOOOOOO!" she shouted. "'JoJo'?" said a confused Rin.
A short distance away, a young man stood looking out to the sea, and turned in response to the shout. He had messy, shoulder-length brown hair, beard stubble, and wore a green leather jacket. He had a stick in his mouth stylized to look like an oar. "Good grief, you gotta yell so loud?" he grumbled. Tenko ran over to him and hugged him. "Don't squeeze so hard, dammit!" he griped. Rin and Rosemary walked over. "Sorry 'bout that, hehe. Anyway, these are the friends I was telling you about." Rosemary bowed. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is Rosemary." "Yo. And I'm Ringo. Nice to meet ya, 'JoJo'." "Gettin' used to that already, huh? Well that's great." gruffed the young man. "Name's Shūjo Higashikata. Or as everyone else in the world calls me, JoJo." 
"Hey, Tenko...you heard anything from Hiyoko lately?", Shūjo asked. "Well, she says she's coming to class tomorrow, but isn't gonna step outside her dorm until then." she answered. "Hrrrm. Well after the way last year ended, can't say I blame her much." Tenko looked out towards the ocean. "Huh?! Hey, look at this!" She had caught sight of a pod of small whales swimming near the docks. She ran closer to see. "Hey, wait a sec--" began Rin, but Tenko had already sprinted away. "Shall I make sure she does not fall over in her excitement?" Rosemary asked. Shūjo sighed. "Yeah, go for it." he replied. She did so.
"That girl...she's an energetic one, all right." said Shūjo. "I'm really starting to see that." added Rin. "She really means well. She's basically our 'designated group mom'. Really takes it personal when someone close gets hurt, like..." "Hiyoko?" Rin spoke up. "Heh. How'd you guess?" "It's come up before. This one dude with glasses mentioned her yesterday..." Shūjo's eyes took a darker tone. "Oh. So you've had the pleasure of meeting that rat fuck." "Oh, yikes. He's that bad?" "The worst. Kyohei Ishimaru. You'll be seeing plenty of him and his cronies whether you like it or not. Even if he is in the class above ours. Dude walks around like he's the damned god of the whole school. Talks like he's complimenting you when he's actually talking down to you. Just a Grade A slimeball. Only reason he won the class presidency last year was cuz..."
That caught Rin's attention. "He's the...junior class president?" "For better or worse. Almost didn't happen, though. His one serious opponent was about to crush him like nothing else. Dude matched Ishi in brain power, but has the added advantage of, y'know, not being Ishi. But then the night before the election, he was--" "Stop." "Hm? What's up? That the sun or did your face just get pale?" "You were about to say that his opponent was murdered the night before the election, right?" "Hm? You know about that already?" "...I was holding his hand as he took his last breath. He was...he was my older brother." "Oh, shit. I didn't know. Sorry about bringing it up that way." "No, it's perfectly OK. Do you think..." "Do I think Ishimaru and his flookies had something to do with it? Hell yes I do. Everyone in the school does. Problem is, having parents with money and power can do a lot for steering suspicion away from you...that's just my thinking."
"That the reason you came here, though? Find out what happened? Well, good luck with that. There'd be a lot of roadblocks." "You saying I can't do it?" "I'm saying you'd need help clearing them. And I'd be more than happy to give those self-righteous punks a piece of my mind. You hang around us long enough, they'll come after you. Especially if they know who your brother was. You'll need the help of some friends if and when that happens." "Just...who are these guys?" "It'd be better if I showed you at school tomorrow. You're gonna need a visual for the shit I'm gonna tell you. Cuz it is some shit."
Tenko and Rosemary walked back over. "Ohhhh, you guys getting chummy over here?" Tenko joked. "As if." gruffed Shūjo. After some more playful teasing, the girls departed. "Yo, Ringo." called Shūjo. "Don't forget what I said. We'll talk tomorrow." As they walked further away, Rin pulled Rosemary aside. "Hey, so...your boss was talking about fixing the twisted stuff in the school, right? About changing hearts to get to the truth?" "Yes. That is correct." "Well...back there, what me and Shūjo were talking about...about the bad people in the school, and how they're connected to my brother. That's what I have to fix, right? So...once he tells me what's going on, will you help me? Show me what it is I need to do?" "Of course. That is what I am here for, after all. However...if the people you meet along the way express the desire to aid you on this endeavor, I will have to bring them into this treacherous world. Will you be fine with that?" "One-hundred percent. The more the merrier. And..." Rin looked over at Tenko, who was playing with a dog she had walked past. "I think I know who I want to bring along for the ride first."
As the girls walked away, a figure emerged from the shadows. "Well then..." the figure sneered. "It would seem this little walk has proven fruitful after all..." They walked into the distance, still sneering to themselves.
---
EIGHT YEARS AGO
KARAKURA TOWN, JAPAN
The rain pours down, much as it does so often in this town. On this day, however, the downpour brings with it a danger of a different sort. Inside one of the local shops, a woman flanked by numerous children is in a panic.
"Ma'am, please, we need to stay calm here." said the store owner. "Stay calm?! You expect me to stay calm?! You saw the news report! There's a fugitive on the loose and I'm missing a student, and you want me to stay calm?!" the teacher yelled back. "I understand that, ma'am, but there's police out there by the dozens now. He's probably already safe with them." "How can you be so sure?!"
She ran over to one of the girls. "Tenko! You were supposed to keep close to Jinichi! How'd you lose sight of him?!" "I-I-I don't know. I...I turned away for a minute cuz I saw a puppy. I turned around and he was gone. Is...is Jin gonna be okay?" "...just stay put. I'll try to sort this out."
The teacher turned back to the store owner. Tenko looked over and saw a display with baseball equipment. A moment later, the store owner looked up. "Um, miss? I think we have another problem..." The door was opened, the display was missing a bat, and Tenko was gone.
Tenko ran through the pouring rain. Eventually, she overheard an argument coming from an alleyway close to where she had last seen Jin. She moved closer, and hid behind one of the walls. She peeked over and saw a man screaming at a group of police officers pointing guns at him. The man was holding a child in his arms, and had a gun pointed at his head. It was Jin.
"Put the kid down!" yelled one of the officers. "Sure, I'll put him down. Won't be in one piece when I do. You think I'm fucking around?! I'll blast this brat's insides right onto that pavement if you pigs don't back off! I already got me a life sentence, think I won't kill a kid?!" the man screamed, alternating between pointing the gun at Jin's head and towards the officers. "Go ahead. Take your shot. Can't guarantee you won't hit the brat, can ya? I can live with it, how 'bout you?" Tenko watched as it unfolded, and then, when the man next pointed the gun away from Jin, she made her move.
The man turned around to see the girl running at him with the bat, and before he could react, she swung and hit him in the chest. He let go of Jin and reeled back, before swinging his arm and hitting Tenko. He pointed his gun at her. "Little bitch! I'm gonna--" Before he could finish the sentence, a gunshot rang out. His head recoiled, and he fell to the ground. One of the officers had shot him in the head, killing him instantly.
As the officers scrambled to see if he was truly dead, Tenko got up and saw Jin sitting up against the wall, crying. She went over to him. Shortly after, the teacher arrived, calling for Tenko, who was now hugging a still-weeping Jin. "It's OK, Jin. I'm not gonna lose you again. I won't lose anybody ever again. I'll keep you safe forever if I have to..."
"I promise...I won't let one friend get hurt ever again."
---
AUGUST 22, 2019
NARUKI CITY, JAPAN
Tenko sat on her bed, staring at her phone. "Hey, Tenko! Up and at 'em, it's the big day today!" yelled out Rin. "Uh, yeah! Just give me a sec!" She stared at her phone and sighed. "I said I'd keep you safe, Jin...don't shut me out like this." With another sigh, she put her phone down and started getting ready for class.
A short while later, the girls made their way to their homeroom, where Shūjo and several other students already were. Sitting talking with him was a girl who had her brown hair in braids. "Hey ho, girlie!" she exclaimed upon seeing Tenko. "Hey, you're alive!" Tenko said, embracing the girl in a hug. "Well, if you could call all the loveliness happening to my body alive." "Oh, don't be such a downer. Too early in the school year for that. Oh yeah, these two ladies are my new roomies."Yo. I'm Rin." "And I am Rosemary." She bowed her head. "I'm gonna take a guess and say that you're the Hiyoko I've heard so much about." said Rin. "You guess right, girlie. Hiyoko Taiyō, to be precise. Nice to meet ya." "Or as we call her, our human medical experiment." said Shūjo. "Oh, hush." Hiyoko retorted, slapping him playfully.
"Hey, you heard anything from Jin?", Shūjo asked Tenko. "...no. Nothing." she answered. "Man, what the hell's that guy doing? He's usually twenty minutes earlier than anyone else..." "Uh, sorry to pipe in but, is this Jin guy the other friend you were talking about yesterday?" Rin asked. "Yeah. Jinichi Mirai's his name. He's Tenko's--" Shūjo began, but was quickly silenced. "He's an old friend that got a fancy job that told him to forget we existed." Tenko said bluntly. "O-oh, I see..." said Rin. Rosemary turned her head to the door. "Would he happen to be this tired-looking fellow at the door?" she said.
Sure enough, at the door was a boy with short, dark-colored hair, and what looked to be the beginnings of a goatee. He had a tired look on his face, and he yawned loudly. He wordlessly made his way to his seat. He put his head down. "Jesus, he looks like shit." said Shūjo. "What's wrong with him?" Rin asked. "Few months ago he got this job selling cable door to door. Seems convinced it'll lead to something big, but from what I see they work him to death. We've barely gotten sight of him since." said Hiyoko. Without a word, Tenko walked over to his desk. "Aw c'mon, don't, we don't need a--welp, we're doing it." said Shūjo.
"...not even gonna say hi, Jin?" said Tenko, a tinge of anger in her voice. He lifted his head, saw who it was, and promptly put it back down. "Aw for Christ's sake..." he grumbled. "You can't ignore me forever, Jin." "Who said I was?" "You don't even answer my calls anymore." "Cuz I'm busy." "You can't be busy 24/7. Or has that job of yours evolved to where you have no free time?" "Are we seriously doing this?" "I'm worried about you, Jin." "Worried cuz you can't control me anymore, right?" Tenko was taken aback by the words. "I know you think it's your job to save my ass, but I don't need saving, OK? I'm not some kid with a gun pressed to his head anymore, I know what I'm doing. If you were really my friend you wouldn't be arguing with me about this." Tenko clenched her fists. "I'm arguing with you because you're my friend, Jin." He put his head down. "Just leave me alone..." he grumbled. She walked away in a huff.
Tenko went to her seat, and put her head down with a frustrated groan. Hiyoko began to pat her on the back, trying to calm her down. "It's OK, hun. You know he doesn't mean it." Shūjo sighed. "Good grief. He'd never talk to her like that. The hell are those people telling him..." Rosemary looked over at Jin with a curious expression. 
Class came and went with no further drama. Lunch period arrived, and the group made their way to the dining hall. At their table, Rin noticed Tenko staring off. She looked in the direction Tenko was looking, and noticed Jin sitting away from everyone else. He appeared to be nodding off. "Don't fret about it. I told you she was basically the group mom. It's a different story when it comes to him, though. Those two go way back..." said Shūjo. Rosemary looked over at Tenko. "Is what you are feeling right now 'sorrow'?" she asked. "Huh?" Tenko snapped out of her trance. "My apologies. I simply wish to better understand what it is you are feeling." "Why would I be sad? What'd give you that idea?" "Your shoulders are slumped. Your previously energetic movements have become more subdued. And your sight has been directed towards him this entire time." Tenko was speechless. 
"Hey, what's with all the questions all of a sudden?" asked Rin. "I do not mean to pry. I am simply curious into the nature of human emotion. It is the whole reason why I came here, to better understand what causes people to feel a certain way. And perhaps, to experience those feelings myself." "You're talking as if you're not human yourself, sweets." said Hiyoko. Rin got a nervous look on her face. Then, Shūjo peered over at another table. "Yo. Speaking of not human."
Shūjo gestured towards a table on the opposite end of the room. Sitting at the head of the table was Kyohei Ishimaru, Junior Class President. Three other young men were sitting with him: a dark-haired boy wearing a black military-style school uniform, a boy with long, silver hair and a white uniform, and a boy with messy brown hair and a brown uniform. "The Council of D-Bags, ladies. You wanted to know what the root of all evil in this school was, Rin, there you go."
"The dude in the military getup is Kurojū Mishima. He's the head of the school's disciplinary committee. You act any sort of way he isn't fond of, you're gonna hear about it. He's Ishimaru's primary muscle."
"The girly-haired creep is Ginmaru Hibiki. He's the head of the school's news broadcast division. Meaning, he heads Ishimaru's propaganda machine. Any writer puts out even a sliver of negativity about Ishimaru, well, they won't be a writer for much longer."
"And that scruffy, bored-looking guy is Taikutsu Kyōshinja. His father heads the school's athletics committee, meaning that if there's a team or person not living up to Ishimaru's standards, he'll let daddy know about it. In the three years he's been here we've had seven coaches lose their jobs. Some damn good ones too, but disagreeing with these guys is like an automatic pink slip."
"And at the center of it all: Kyohei Ishimaru. Wanna know how these guys can have this much influence when they're only students? This dude's uncle is a high-ranking government official. Meaning a lot of shit can just disappear if he wants it to. Including..." Shūjo looked over at Rin. "Any kind of investigation that could implicate these bastards in a crime."
While listening, Rin noticed that Hiyoko's expression had become similar to Tenko's. "I'm guessing they made something involving you disappear." Rin said. Hiyoko sighed. "Well, let's just say there's a reason I was camped in my room the last few days."
Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of the table. Taikutsu was sneering, and standing next to Hiyoko. "Hey ho, nerds. You done spying on people eating yet?" "You-!", uttered Shūjo. "'Sup, dollface? Over your end-of-year illness, I see." "Don't talk to me like we're friends, you slime." said Hiyoko. "*sigh*. Guess all those meds can't help with attitude. Anyway, just wanted to catch up with you folks. And meet our little redhead here." Rin didn't say anything. "Ooooh, staring right through me. Just like broski. Shame what happened to him. But uhhh, maybe you should take note, dollface. Sometimes it's better to just mind your tongue." Suddenly, Shūjo jolted up and grabbed Taikutsu's collar. "Ah ah aaaah, JoJo." He pointed over to Kurojū, who was watching with a smirk on his face. "Wouldn't want to make a scene where our disciplinary chairman can see, would ya? Expulsion within a day would be a record, even for someone of...your breed. Now get your hands off." Shūjo gritted his teeth, and reluctantly did so. "Later, nerds." Taikutsu walked back with a smirk.
"Piece of shit-!" Shūjo growled. "Wow. You guys weren't kidding. I could feel the slime oozing out of every word." said Rin. "It's so much worse than you know." piped up Tenko. Hiyoko remained silent. "What did they do to you, Hiyoko?" asked Rin. "...last year, when the elections were happening, I was doing some pieces on all the nonsense these guys get away with. Ginmaru didn't like that, and so he cut me from the news program altogether. So I started posting them to my own blog. And well..." Hiyoko opened the bag she'd been carrying, and it was full of medicine. "There are...quite a few things wrong with my body. The kind that requires quite a few different meds. But one day at the end of last year, I took some pills from my locker. I ended up with stomach cramps worse than any I'd ever dealt with. Coupled with all the other things wrong with me, I was in the hospital for weeks." "Good God, that's horrible. Did they ever find out what happened?" "Nope. The police took the pills for testing. Months later and I still haven't heard anything." "What'd I tell you, Rin? These bastards can make shit just disappear. I've heard from some people that they saw Taikutsu walking around tossing a pill bottle up in the air. Of course nobody that could be pressured will do anything, so the little shit basically got away with poisoning. It's unreal what these freaks can get away with." said Shūjo.
Lunch passed, and the students started walking back to class. Rosemary turned to Rin. "Ringo. I need you to meet with me after school. Tenko, I want you to come too." "Hm? Me? What for?" Tenko asked. "Rin. What we talked about yesterday, it is time to begin the quest." She looked over and saw Taikutsu with the others from his table. "He will do nicely." said Rosemary.
After classes had concluded, the girls returned to their dorm. "OK, what's with all the secrecy, Rosie?" asked Tenko. "We're getting to that, Tenko. I'm just gonna warn you now, though: you're about to see some things that you won't even believe." said Rin. "Let me ask you one thing, Tenko: do you desire to keep your friends from harm?" Rose asked. "Well, yeah, I mean of course." "And do you wish to see the one responsible for harming your friend punished?" "This about that weasel Taikutsu? Well in any case I'd like nothing more than to see him get what's coming to him." "Very well. Then let us not waste any more time."
Rose took out a phone. "To begin, I have procured a lock of hair from the D-Bag in question. By the way, I meant to ask this earlier, but what exactly is a 'D-Bag'? Are there bags pertaining to the other letters of the Latin alphabet?" Neither of the girls knew quite how to answer that. "Well, I mean, you see--" stuttered Tenko. "We're getting off-track here." said Rin. "Apologies. Let us get back to it." Rose pressed a button on the phone, and a green light appeared from it to scan the lock of hair. "Ah, yes. There are the coordinates. Let us go." "Wait is that some kinda fancy GPS thing? We gonna go beat him up at his house or some--" said Tenko. Rose pressed another button, and another light appeared, this one causing a door to materialize. Rin and Tenko looked stunned. "Shall we?" asked Rose. "...did y'all book me on one of those practical joke shows?" asked a bewildered Tenko. The girls entered the doorway.
On the other side of the doorway was what appeared to be a large pagoda, with the words "Taikutsu Den" scrawled across the top. The sky was a warped palette of red and green. Rin noticed that she was now wearing the shihakusho once more. Rose's eyes had returned to their original yellow coloration. Tenko was looking at everything, utterly speechless. "...what did you slip into my lunch, Rosie?" she said flatly. 
"This place has been designated as 'Tartarus'. This is where the thoughts and feelings of all mankind gather, where the conscious and the unconscious intersect. And within this realm lie the Palaces: distortions given form, reflecting the warped worldview of certain individuals whose perception of the world has been altered in some way. This is one of those Palaces, specifically that of one Taikutsu Kyōshinja. What we are here to do is seek out the source of the distortion, and cleanse it from here. To put it simply: we are here to purify his heart." Rose explained.
"OK, OK, time out!" Tenko interrupted. "I have so many questions! What's with all this magic stuff, why did your eyes change, what the heck is Rin-Rin wearing, and what did you slip me before this?!" "Calm down, Tenko. I told you it'd be a lot to take in." "That's putting it lightly! And what was that about 'purifying his heart'?! How's that even supposed to work?" "This is where the Persona comes in." said Rose. "The guise that one takes upon conquering themselves, that aids in combatting life's challenges...that is the Persona. The threats within this world are numerous, and powerful. Only through using the power you've obtained can you overcome these threats."
Tenko raised her hand. "Hey, uhhh, so where could I get one of these fancy Persona thingies? There a store around here or something?" "It is not something nearly so simple. To attain the Persona, you must confront the enemy that dwells within. Confront thoughts that you may not even be cognizant of. Trust me, before this day is done...you will understand." "Really a fan of the foreboding tone, aren't we?" "Just stay close behind us. If things go bad, we'll take care of it." said Rin. 
The girls approached the building's entrance. The gates were guarded by a pair of red-clad ninjas, who were letting off a dark aura. "Seriously? These guys are so well-off they can afford ninjas?" said Rin. "These are products of Kyōshinja's cognition. They are not physical beings, but rest assured they can hurt you all the same." "Great, so I can just run in and cut them down, right?" "The direct approach is not always the best, Ringo. I believe I may prove useful here." "Huh? What're you gonna--"
Rose snapped her fingers, and suddenly a being radiating a dark aura appeared behind her. It resembled a marionette of a woman, purple with unruly grey hair. "What the--?!" began Tenko before Rin covered her mouth. "Don't give us away with a freakout! And as for this...you've got one of those too?!" "Huh? Is that what a Persona is?" asked Tenko. "You are correct. This is Calcabrina, my Persona. And with it...I will clear the path forward." Rose motioned towards the guards. Her Persona released a number of transparent strings from its hands, making contact with one of the guards. The guard suddenly turned towards his comrade, and swiftly cut him down, causing him to dissipate into shadow. The girls approached the gate. The still-controlled guard opened the gate using a nearby lever. "Thank you for your aid. Now, commit seppuku." said Rose. The guard plunged his sword into his chest, causing him to fall over and dissipate.
"So, how exactly are we supposed to change this guy's heart?" Rin asked. "There is something in the center of the Palace. Something related to the distortion within his soul. We have to retrieve it. But in all likelihood, it will be heavily guarded. So that is why we must--"
"Well well well. I didn't realize I had a rat infestation in my castle." 
The girls were caught off guard. They were inside a large room lined with pillars, as well as a second floor. Ninjas had swarmed the entire room, weapons drawn. And on the top floor, wearing red warlord-style armor, was Kyōshinja. His eyes were glowing yellow.
"Rebellious girls strolling around my quarters. How deplorable." he said with a distorted voice. "Kyōshinja?! You're here, too? What's with the getup?" asked Tenko. "Don't be fooled. That is not his true self. This is his Shadow. A manifestation of his inner consciousness." said Rose. 
"Dirty girls shouldn't speak out of turn in the king's presence. Don't they teach manners any more?" he said. "What would you know about politeness, freak?" Rin asked. "Such utter lack of respect in the presence of greatness. Only one thing you strumpets will respond to. Take them!" The ninjas swarmed. "All right, been waiting for this. Get back, Tenko!" shouted Rin. "Let's go, Karas!" Her Persona appeared, grabbing Tenko and disappearing into shadow. Dropping her away from the fighting, it disappeared again. "Hey, wait u--" Tenko began, before being grabbed from behind. 
Rin was fighting off the ninjas, when her Persona reappeared, picking her up to where the ninjas couldn't reach. However, more manifested above her, and gang tackled her to the ground. Rose, meanwhile, was controlling several ninjas, and attempting to fend off the rest. "Nngh...too...many..." Her control waned, and she too was subdued.
Kyōshinja's Shadow had made his way to the lower level, holding Tenko at knifepoint. "See what happens when you broads get bright ideas about rebelling? Breaking and entering, spreading nasty lies about people...you're all better off just laying down and learning your place. Maybe that way your precious friends won't get hurt...isn't that right, Kitsunezaru?" 
"Always gotta be hovering around them, sticking your nose in business you don't belong in. No wonder Mirai wants nothing to do with you anymore. You save his sorry butt from a mess you made, and the minute he does something you don't like, you try to reign him back in. How many of your little friends have you gotten hurt, anyway? You girls DO know it's her fault our dear miss Hiyoko got the bug, right? All those nasty lies she was spreading about Kyohei...it might've been Hiyoko's site, but it was this chick's words. And so, I gave her a little warning dose. A little reminder that Kyohei Ishimaru is someone you don't screw with." "You bastard!" Tenko yelled. "Shut your mouth! Me, a bastard? I damn near added an extra dose to that little concoction. It could've been so much worse than a stomach ache. You should be thanking me for my mercy!" "You are SO full of shit!" snapped Rin.
Tenko slumped her head. "It...it really is my fault, isn't it...Hiyoko, and Jin...I promised I'd keep them safe, but they got hurt because of me..." "That's right, let's peel back all those layers. Just how it should be." Kyōshinja gloated. "Don't listen to this asshole, Tenko!" Rin shouted. "Huh?......no. You're right. They didn't get hurt because of me. These pieces of shit decided on their own to hurt them. I...I've had enough of this. Enough of creeps like you thinking they can hurt people and get away with it. And I'm SICK...and TIRED...of that SHIT-EATING GRIN ON YOUR FACE!!!" "Huh?!" The Shadow reeled in surprise.
My, you've kept me waiting.
Tenko reeled. She began struggling in apparent pain. The voice, so much like her own, continued.
You see now what needs to be done, don't you? The need to keep them safe, is the need to wipe clean the scum infesting the world around you. To be the shield, you must become the sword. Such is the desire of the other you that dwells within. Do you understand me?
"Yeah. I understand you completely."
Very good. Then, let us forge a pact.
The pain intensified, and the force of Tenko struggling was enough to knock the Shadow away. Tenko grabbed her head. 
I am thou, thou art I...the world has become dark with the hateful desires of the wicked. To protect those you cherish from these sinful desires, thou must become their unmoving shield. From this moment forward, let this solemn vow be the shield that vanquishes the dark!
Tenko's eyes opened, revealing a yellow colouration. With a yell, she became enveloped in blue flames. "What the hell?!" shouted the Shadow. 
When the flames faded, Tenko was garbed in viking-style leather and chainmail. Behind her was a ghostly woman with bright orange hair, yellow eyes, golden armor, and a brilliant golden shield. The Shadow panicked. "Don't just stand there, kill them all!" The ninja army lunged at Tenko, only for the woman to appear in front of her. When the army struck the shield, a bright light enveloped the room, causing the ninjas, including those holding the girls, to dissipate. More ninjas appeared, only for Tenko to leap above the shieldmaiden, sword in hand, and cut them down. She stood up.
"Think I'm some floosie that's gonna lay down and let you hurt my friends? Think again, dirtbag." "Bitch--!" More guards manifested, and the Shadow made a break for it. "I'm not gonna stand by and watch anymore. Anyone who hurts my friends is going to feel my boot against their neck. Me and Brunnhilde are gonna make sure of that!" She cut down the remaining guards.
Rin and Rose got back up. "Whoa..." Rin uttered. "This is...remarkable." said Rose. Tenko sheathed her blade, and her Persona faded out. "Guess this is what you were talking about, huh Rosie? Feels even better than I thought it would. Hey, Rin-Rin. You know how this works. If you're gonna go after these guys, you're gonna need a shield. And maybe some extra stabby stabby." "So...guess this means you're on board?" "Two-hundred percent. That's what besties are for, after all." 
"So, what are we gonna do about that weasel?" Tenko asked. "We're going to head back and regroup, for now. The next phase of the plan needs to be performed back in the normal realm." said Rose. She pressed a button on her phone, the door reappeared, and the girls left.
The girls returned to their dorm. "Well...not exactly how I saw the first day of classes going." said Tenko. "Ditto. So, what's next? We gonna go put that freak in his place before he squeals?" said Rin. "You do not need to fear that. As I said, that was not Kyōshinja himself, merely his Shadow. The real one has absolutely no knowledge of what transpired." said Rose. "OK, so...why did we need to come back?" Rin asked.
"As I had predicted, we cannot progress towards the source of the distortion quite yet. The only way to make it appear is to notify the host in some way that something is amiss." "OK, so...we're just supposed to walk up to him and say 'yo, we're gonna take your heart from your weird ghost self now', is what you're suggesting." said Tenko. "Nothing so brazen. Leaving a message for him would suffice."
"Well...leave that bit to me, then." said Rin. "I'm not a four-time defending city writing contest champion for nothing. Give me some time, and I can cook something up 'real' nice." "Right on, Rin-Rin. Gotta use an alias, though...something mysterious and cool. Something like, I dunno, 'the Phantom Thieves'." said Tenko. "I like it...but I think it's taken." said Rin. "In any case, just give me the night and I'll make the sweetest art you can imagine."
"Welp, guess we're gonna be breaking for today. How about we go get some grub before it starts to get all spooky out?" said Tenko. "Guess it can't hurt. How about it, Rose?" "I suppose there would be no harm in that." "Right on! Today, we eat. Tomorrow, we kick scumbag butt!" said an ecstatic Tenko. She and Rin started walking.
Rose paused for a moment. "Hmmm. This feeling...this is what they call 'friendship', is it not? Hm..." She followed after Rin and Tenko.
A figure emerged from around the wall. It was Shūjo. "The hell was that all about...?" he wondered.
---
3 MONTHS AGO
NARUKI GENERAL HOSPITAL, ROOM 15B
Shūjo was seated in a chair, asleep.
"Oy, wake up. Waaaake uuuuuup."
He stirred awake. Seated in the bed was Hiyoko. "Anyone ever tell you you sound like a pig when you sleep?" she said. "Some have. You, mainly. Several times." "Bit snippy this morning, aren't we?" "You bring that out in me."
"So, any more stomach pains?" "Ahh...not really. Actually got something of a good night's sleep. No bathroom trips at all." "Good. Cuz if there's one thing I don't need more of, it's your shit." Shūjo had a cheeky grin when he said this. Hiyoko playfully stuck her tongue out. 
"You know, you don't have to stay around here 24/7, JoJo. Grab yourself a bite, or something. I'll be OK for a few hours." As if on cue, her expression changed, and she put her hand over her mouth. "Oh boy. That isn't a good look." Shūjo grabbed a wastebasket and handed it to her. After a short while, she calmed back down. "All better now?" he asked. She nodded. "OK. Don't work yourself up more than you need to. Take another nap if you have to. I'll be back in a few." She nodded again, and laid back down. After she had fallen asleep, Shūjo went into the bathroom and changed his clothes. As he left, he heard a voice. "Hey, JoJo?" said Hiyoko. "Hm?" "...thank you." "...don't mention it." He walked out.
As he walked down the hall, he thought to himself. "That girl...she has enough to deal with already. Doesn't need whatever garbage those fucks gave her added to it. To do that to someone like that...it's unforgivable."
He stepped into the elevator. He was sweating, and pulled up his shirt to wipe away the sweat from his face. Underneath his shirt, displayed across his chest, was a large, black snake tattoo.
"People like that...can't be forgiven."
---
AUGUST 23, 2019
NARUKI ASCENSION ACADEMY
"You sure this is gonna work?" asked Tenko. It was lunch period, and the girls were staring down at the courtyard from one of the second floor classrooms. Sitting on a bench, saying some snide remark to nearly everyone who passed by, was Kyōshinja. "Uggh, you can feel the douchebaggery from up here." Rin quipped. "Is that what 'D-bag' stands for, Ringo? What exactly is this 'douche', and why are their bags synonymous with terrible humans?" Rose asked. "...I'll tell you when you're older." "How much older, exactly? Because technically speaking I am currently older than when you first made that statement." "Focus, people!" said Tenko.
"Apologies. Now then, Ringo, do you have the message?" "Course I do. Gotta say I'm pretty proud of this one. Now how are we gonna get it down to him without him knowing it's us?" "Leave that to me." said Rose.
Rose took the letter, and then promptly tossed it like a shuriken towards Kyōshinja. It landed right beside him, much to his shock. He looked up, but the girls had already moved out of sight. He looked at the letter.
Taikutsu Kyōshinja, For the past three years, innocent students have been made to suffer under your wrath for ultimately inconsequential reasons. Rest assured that your crimes have not gone unnoticed, nor will they go unpunished. As such, we have resolved to bleach your soul clean, until you have no other desire than to confess to your sins. You have been warned. -The Shinigami Order
"What the hell is this?!" he said in disbelief. "Some high and mighty morons think they can threaten me?! And 'Shinigami Order'? Am I supposed to buy that the gods of death are coming for me cuz of a little poison?" His Shadow, deep inside his Palace, repeated the sentiment. "These morons just don't get it. Whole departments live and die at my leisure. Some petty thieves won't be taking that away from me." He crumpled up the note and tossed it.
The girls peeked back out. "Did it work?" asked Tenko. Rose looked at her phone. "Ah, there it is. Security levels within his Palace have been upped to 100%. He knows we are coming." "So what now?" "Let us meet up again after school. From there, we end this." 
The school day passed, and the girls gathered in a deserted classroom. "You catch a look at that wormy moron at all? Dude reeks of paranoia." said Tenko. "By the way, Rin-Rin..." "Yeah?" "That name you gave our little squad..." "Oh, that? Well, you can't really spread the fear if you don't have a name to do it. What better way to get the point across than to make these lunks believe the gods of death are coming for them?" "Not saying it's not a great name. Just saying that it's such an author thing to come up with." "In any case..." Rose interrupted, "Let us make haste. The real Kyōshinja knows that something is amiss. If we do not act fast, he may seek retribution upon whoever he can." "Yeah. And it doesn't take a scientist to figure out who he'd go after first." added Rin. "OK. Let's go dish out some good old-fashioned karmic justice."
Rose opened the doorway, and the girls entered. Immediately after, Shūjo entered the room. Surprised but undeterred, he also entered the door.
The girls appeared in front of the pagoda. "His security must be gathered inside. Let us hurry, but be extremely cautious." said Rose. The girls hurried inside. Shortly after, Shūjo passed through the door. "What the actual hell...?" He was so speechless at what he was seeing that he failed to notice the pair of ninja guards who had appeared behind him.
The girls made their way through the Palace, with no resistance whatsoever. "Talk about your cold receptions. All that hoopla and there's barely anyone here." said Rin. "I don't have a good feeling about this..." added Tenko. Suddenly, a distorted laugh could be heard coming from the intercom system. "Well, it appears that uppity girls are what pass for death gods nowadays. It's to be expected when you give the sheep of the world bright ideas. Oh, well." "That voice...! Kyōshinja, you slime! Get out here and face the music!" yelled Rin. "Yes, keep making demands you're in no position to make. In case you haven't noticed, I make the rules here. And my rules decree..." Suddenly, purple smoke began to fill the room. "...that appearances at sporting events are mandatory!" As the room filled with smoke, the girls each passed out.
When they awoke, they found themselves in an underground stadium that was empty save for themselves. Rin tried to get up, but they had been tied down. She looked up, and saw a gigantic cloud of fog covering the top of the stadium. In the center of the stadium was the Shadow. "Welcome to the illustrious Emperor Kyōshinja's latest bout of gladitorial combat! We have a very special fight card set up for you, dear audience, as you will get to watch yet another pitiful hero of justice meet his end at the hands of a superior opponent!"
"First, the home team! The thousand strong Legion of the Emperor!" Countless ninja guards manifested. "And now, for our brainless sacrifice, in all his true glory!" Rising up via an elevator, was Shūjo. He was standing, held in place by chains tied to his arms, and was devoid of his shirt, laying bare the snake tattoo across his chest. "JoJo?!" exclaimed Tenko. "How did he even get in here?! And that tattoo..." added Rin.
"Grrr...what the hell is all this, you bastard?! I knew you were fucked in the head but this takes it to new extremes!" growled Shūjo. "Hahahahahaha, as if you have any room to throw insults at me, you hypocritical rat! Or is that little mark on your chest just to impress the ladies?" "Tch..." "Nothing else to say, huh? Well that's alright. I don't expect much from someone who takes the side of that harpy."
Rin noticed that there was an odd noise coming from the fog, almost like moaning. "That moaning...is that...Hiyoko?" "Hmmmm, very perceptive." said the Shadow. "The ever-present fog over my soul, that harpy. All those nasty little lies, all that moaning about her illness, and yet she has the nerve to call me disgusting! If only she'd thrown herself on me when I gave her the opportunity, she might not have ended up with nuclear insides for those weeks." "Piece of shit...!" growled Shūjo, who was struggling even more to break free from his chains. "Heeee, touched a nerve, did I? But your little insults won't do you any good here. All it is is petty insults from a petty little man. Only one person here's spent the night in a prison cell, and it sure isn't me, JoJo."
"...call me out on whatever. I don't care. I deserve it for being such a screw-up. But none of the shit I've done gives you any right to hurt Hiyoko like you did!" The Shadow laughed. "I'm sorry, I'm just laughing over how the actual criminal is giving me lessons on morality. Since you're not making it out of this any time soon, I'll let you in on the lesson I've prepared for our dear miss Hiyoko."
"You see, that little letter of yours was cute. But not so cute that I would just ignore its warning. So I took a guess, and delivered a little warning shot. I found the nicest bit of cyanide I could find, and dabbed it onto a letter of my own. That letter is currently sitting in Hiyoko's mailbox as we speak." The group looked shocked. "Is he being serious...?!" said Tenko. "What is wrong with this man...?" added Rose. "So, it's going to be another trip to the ER for your little girlfriend. Only this time, she probably isn't going to be exiting in anything other than a wooden box. If only she'd learned when to keep her trap shut." "You little shit! I'm gonna kill you so hard!" yelled Shūjo. "Unfortunately, you're in no position to give me orders. But, I'm in a rather generous mood today, so I'll make you a deal. Be my hired gun. Go after the people I need going after. And maybe, I'll see that that letter never reaches her hands."
"Don't worry yourself, JoJo. You'll settle all your debts in no time. Too bad your life will be in complete shambles by then!" The Shadow cackled to himself. "...thank you, Kyōshinja." "Hm? Are you actually going to agree to my demands?" "Oh, hell no. I'd sooner die than take orders from you." He rose his head. "I wanted to thank you for giving me absolutely no reason to let you live." "Tch, stubborn little worm. Be that way. But don't worry. You and the harpy will be sharing a lava pool in Hell soon enough!" He snapped his fingers, and the guards all drew their weapons.
"...so this is what I get for all the shit I've pulled, huh? Karma straight from a weasel like you? Well, if you think I'm gonna just lay down and take it, you're wrong. I'm a warrior, dammit. So I'm gonna go out like one: staring you right in the face, and telling you TO GO FUCK YOURSELF!
Finally ready to embrace your true self, are we?
Shūjo's eyes widened. He began struggling in pain. 
Hiding your true nature has availed you nothing. Only through accepting the truth can you rend this blustering fool asunder. The you that dwells within desires it thus.
Shūjo opened his eyes, which were now yellow.
There is the look I was hoping for. Now, my cursed liege, let us forge a contract.
I am thou, thou art I...only through the river of strife can you reach the ultimate prosperity. Now accept my power, so that we may escort the cowardly wretches of the world to the fiery beyond!
Shūjo broke out of the chains, shattering them. He let out a roar, and was consumed by blue flames. "What the hell, this one too?!" griped the Shadow. When Shūjo appeared, he was clothed in a black trenchcoat adorned with chains and a giant anchor symbol on the back. Behind him floated a skeletal figure wearing a dark cloak, possessing fiery yellow eyes and riding atop a wooden boat. It wore a chain of golden coins around its neck, and wielded a giant oar. "Your next stop is the underworld, you pile of shit." said Shūjo. "Charon! Sink his ass!" The skeleton's eyes glowed brighter, and a giant wave of lava appeared, engulfing the ninja army as well as the Shadow.
Rin, meanwhile, had managed to break free from her bonds, and proceeded to free Rose and Tenko. "Such incredible raw power..." Rose noted. The girls leapt from the stands and ran to Shūjo. The Shadow rose up, trembling and heavily damaged. "You tried to hurt an innocent girl, then came up with every excuse in the book to justify it. But there's no hiding your garbage from me. You tried to destroy my friend for nothing. Now it's your turn." said Shūjo.
The Shadow got to his knees. Aahahahaha...is that right? You still think...you have a chance? You still...don't get it. I'm the one in control. I make the rules here. And I won't let you, or that miserable harpy destroy everything I've worked to achieve! I'll see you all burn before that happens!" Shadows began to swarm around him, combining and building up into a gigantic mass. Eventually, they congregated into the form of a giant, red toad, its giant tongue constantly out.
"Grahahahahahahaha! Look at how tiny you all are! You're all going to fit nice and snug inside my stomach! Now DIE!" Warts on the toad's back began to erupt flames, which were then directed towards the group. Tenko jumped in front. "Come on, Brunnhilde!" Her Persona appeared, and blocked the flames with her shield. "I dunno how you pulled it off, but you've managed to get even uglier than before." Shūjo quipped. The Shadow ceased spewing flames. "You worms don't know when to quit, do you?! Hmmm...? Where'd the redhead run off to?"
Rin then appeared in a burst of shadowy feathers atop the Shadow's head. "Boo." She then plunged her sword into the toad's head, causing him to react violently. He shook about, as Rin held on for dear life. Eventually, she leapt off with the sword. "Where do you think you're--?!" The toad turned and saw Shūjo running at him. Surrounding his hand in flames, he punched the toad right in his underbelly. This began a rapid flurry of punches directed at the same spot, ending with Shūjo summoning forth the boatman to swat the Shadow upwards with his oar. Once he hit the fog, he began screaming in agony. "GRAAAAAH! NO, GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OOOOOOOFFFFF!" The contact caused the toad to build up and explode in a cluster of shadow. The Shadow, now returned to human form, fell back to the ground.
The group looked up, and saw that the fog had dissipated. "Did we do it?" asked Tenko. Rose looked at her phone. "The distortion levels...appear to have plummeted. I think it is done." Shūjo walked over to the Shadow, who was now whimpering, and stepped onto his stomach. "Give me one good reason why I should let you live. Clock's ticking." Rose walked over. "Stop. Nothing will be gained from further violence. He will not be a problem any longer. Isn't that right?" The Shadow whimpered. "P-please, don't...I just couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand that girl saying all those horrible things about a friend. Surely you must understand? It's the natural, human thing to do..." Shūjo increased the weight he put on his foot. "Natural humans don't try to commit murder over small stuff like this, dumbass. Just face it, you couldn't stand that a girl was giving you the finger, and wanted to teach her a lesson. That about sums it up?" "Y-yes...you're right. I...I'll confess to everything. I won't bother you all anymore. Not that I'll last long once the truth gets out..." he dissappeared into shadow.
The palace began to shake, as if an earthquake were happening. "The hell's going on now?!" asked Shūjo. "With the distortion erased, the palace has lost the main source of its energy. It's collapsing in on itself. We must make haste." The four made a break for it, returning to the entrance, where Rose used her phone to open the doorway, allowing them to exit. 
Back in the real world, the group caught their breaths. "A fine display. Now, it is simply a matter of waiting." said Rose. "OK, could someone here politely enlighten me on what any of that was?!" Shūjo demanded. "I'll fill you in later." said Tenko. Then, Shūjo's eyes widened. "Oh shit...! Hiyoko!" He ran for it. "Crap, that's right! We've gotta hurry!" said Rin. The girls gave chase.
They arrived at the girls' dorm, just as Hiyoko was about to grab the mail. "Oh, hey all. What's going--" "Don't touch the mail!" Shūjo yelled. "Eh? What for?" "That letter has been tainted with poison. Please, let me dispose of it." Rose, wearing gloves, carefully grabbed the letter and placed it into a plastic bag. "This will need to be taken for testing, after what is to come." "Umm, you all want to fill me in?" Hiyoko asked. "It's a long story." said Shūjo. 
Before leaving, the girls pulled Shūjo aside. "So, what the Shadow was saying...about you being a criminal." said Rin. Shūjo was silent for a moment. He motioned towards his chest. "This is...part of a past life. This is my reminder to never screw up again. I was so ashamed of people seeing it, so ashamed by what it represents. But I realized something back there. This is part of who I am. And if I needed to be a screwup before getting it together, then that's how it was supposed to go. I shouldn't have to hide any part of myself just cuz of what people might think." Rin was silent at this. "Anyway, that's all done now. I'm gonna stay around here for the night in case Kyōshinja tries anything funny. We'll see how tomorrow goes."
The girls returned to their room. "So, it's just a matter of waiting now, right?" Rin asked. "Yes. By tommorow he should experience a full change of heart. He will confess to everything." said Rose. "Ooooh, I can't wait to see the look on that little creep's face!" said Tenko. "Well, unfortunately I won't be able to see it for myself." said Rin. "I have some errands to take care of tomorrow. I'm gonna be leaving early, too, so I'm probably gonna miss out." "Aww, shoot. Well OK then. Guess that just means more bonding time with Rosie." "I see no issue with that. I have some queries I would like you to help me with." 
Rin returned to her room. She took off her jacket, revealing her bandages. "*sigh*. Whirlwind wouldn't even begin to describe all this..." She picked up a photo on her nightstand of Tohru. "If all this craziness'll help get you your justice, Tohru, then I just have to push through it." 
She looked at her bandages. She thought back to what Shūjo had said. I shouldn't have to hide any part of myself just cuz of what people might think. "Is it...really that easy?"
She sat on her bed. She put her head in her hands. She thought of her brother, and her arms. And she wept.
"No. Not that easy. Not for me."