Persona BLEACHED 2: Part 24

Chapter 24: A Girl Named Tsu
2021
"Sakutarō."
"That isn't my name, Father."
"That is the name you were bestowed with at birth. Your name and body were gifts from the gods themselves. Would you declare that they were wrong?"
"My name is Sakuya. I'm a girl. Stop calling me by that other name."
The child was crouched at the bottom of the charm-laden basement. Surrounding the father was a group of eight other men, all of them garbed in robes and prayer beads.
"Those are the words of the foul spirits that have congregated inside you, my son. They have deceived you, and led you to reject the form the gods granted you. We are going to cleanse these impure thoughts from you now."
"Please, stop it, Father..."
Sakuya closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable. Her father had tried this several times before. His behavior towards her had degraded to an extreme degree ever since her mother left him. Her father blamed Sakuya for this, told her repeatedly that her mother couldn't stand the sight of her. 
Now she was going to be forced to endure another round of "re-education". This is what happens when you reject the gods' love. She couldn't understand any of it. She didn't feel like a boy, never did. Why did she have to be punished for living the way she felt? Why couldn't she get her father to understand? Why was she made to feel this way?
After a few seconds, she opened her eyes. Her father and the other men were gone. Only one person was standing there now. He had a large frame, was garbed in an azure robe, and wore a mask.
"It's alright. They can't hurt you anymore."
He placed his hand on her head.
"The followers of the gods have harmed you. The world as it is now could never see you for who you are. It lacks proper leadership. I can make the world you desire. Will you help me?"
He extended a hand to her. She took it.
Sakutarō could finally disappear. Sakuya could finally live.
---
February 15, 2029
The students were away from the stage. Sakuya, garbed in her robes, held her long sleeved arm over her mouth. "There is no need for words. You're here to enact your justice." she said.
The group continued walking towards the stage.
"The past means nothing. I am your enemy. An enemy who betrayed you from the beginning. I wonder how you must see me. Do you see me as the same kind of monster as Shōta Kagami and Iruka Hirano? An unrepentant monster who only wants to satiate their base desires?"
"Your friends are safe and sound. Other than keeping them restrained, I have no intent to harm them. What is this all for, then?"
The group made their way onto the stage.
"I have been taught that all those who serve the gods of this world are responsible for my continued misery. That I could never be accepted so long as the world remains as-is. Never realizing that the same judgement that had been heaped upon me, I was now heaping onto others. I was seen for what I was, never who. I viewed others through the same lens. My own worldview was just as tainted as those whom I despised so much."
"So what, you realize you're a giant hypocrite and you're gonna play nice? You really expect us to believe you after everything?" Max chided.
"If you're really serious, then why not release the others? Why do you still look ready for a fight?" Natalia asked.
"The Master taught me from a young age that this world is broken, and that only he had the power to change it for the better. His cause, I believed, was just. Yet, as the months passed, and I came to know you all...and I began to see the kind of people that served the Master...I became conflicted. And I started to wonder whether there was indeed another path to a better future."
"I want to know for sure. I have to see for myself that you have the strength and fortitude necessary to challenge the Master, and change the world." She gestured at Kibō. "You have been contacted by those who observe humanity. Designated a wild card that can alter the course of what is to come. I will face you in combat. You, and you alone."
"That's not how this works, we're doing this--" Barbara objected.
"Barb. It's fine." Kibō assured.
"But--"
"I've got this. I have to earn that leader mantle sometime, right?"
Reluctantly, she and the others backed away.
"You, who would rebel against the world for the sake of justice...unsheath your sword. Show me the power that can change the heart of mankind."
Kibō obliged, and brought out his sword. "Persona!" Percival appeared behind him in a burst of flame.
Pink petals began to float around the stage. "Yes. It is time for the curtain to rise. Now I will show you all that I am." Sakuya grasped her mask, and tossed it aside amongst a torrent of petals.
"Come, Hua Mulan!"
Appearing from the storm of petals was the visage of a woman, garbed in ancient Chinese battle garb, said garb and her eyes colored a stark pink. Her long, dark hair flowed about, and she wielded a crimson-hilted wōdāo.
"Knight of the Round, wielding iron blade and the will of rebellion. Prove to me the extent of your conviction."
The sound of clashing blades echoed through the theater. Kibō was quickly put on the defensive.
"There is hesitation in your blade." Sakuya said. "Why is that? Faced with an enemy you have doubts about cutting down? Uncertain whether you can win on your own?"
"Hmph."
"Take it from somebody who's led a largely solitary existence. Teammates can be a priceless boon...or a hindrance. Fight alongside them for too long and you come to rely on them. You lose the ability to fight competently on your own. You've yet to even use the sword in your hands."
Mulan kicked Percival back towards Kibō.
"You've remained static. Your power is no different from the day you gained it. Is that by design?"
"What do you mean 'by design'? Why would I want to stay weak?"
"Sahir-san told me much about you. How you dislike drawing attention to yourself. Your fear of strength, of gaining power. That if you gained more power, you might desire more of it. More and more until eventually you become the power-mad tyrant your parents exiled themselves to keep you from becoming. Am I wrong?"
"....."
"You can't challenge the world with your current strength. And you won't be able to rely on your friends for everything. A blade crippled by fear could never harm the Master. How will you expect others to follow your lead when you're hesitant on even attacking your enemy?"
Percival weakly attempted another strike, but was blocked, and cut down. The damage reflected onto Kibō, who fell to his knees, clutching his stomach.
Barbara took a step to intervene. "Barb, stop! She told us to leave it to him!" Natalia protested.
"I'm not leaving him to die! To hell with just standing around watching!" Barbara exclaimed.
"Forget this. I'm jumping in." Max said.
"Stop."
"Wait." Carrie objected.
"Wait, what? Keeb can't take much more of this!" Max griped.
"He needs this."
"Just give him time. Don't you believe he can win?" Carrie questioned.
"I..." Barbara clenched her fist. "If he dies..."
"He won't. He has the strength. He just needs to realize it."
Kibō was on his hands and knees, panting and bleeding.
"How unfortunate. Who is really the enemy here, Kibō Ishimaru? Is it me? Or is it your own inhibitions? 'Knights are supposed to be fearless'. That is the ideal. In truth, no creature is completely devoid of fear. But it is the most noble of them all that can set aside that which terrifies them, for the sake of others."
"Don't sit there and insist that you are the one who can lead me to an accepting world, when you cannot accept that you need more to do so. If you cannot learn to defy your own terror and strike me down, then I will unleash the full extent of my power upon you. Think carefully about what you truly desire. Because no matter what it is, you will never be able to grasp it with this paltry display of power." Sakuya dictated.
Kibō was left to his own thoughts. Suddenly, a voice.
"You know she is right. The last time you faced an enemy like her alone, you ran and cowered, and needed the others to bail you out. You've purposely allowed your growth to come to a halt, all because you fear that it will lead to ruin. You've repeated it to yourself countless times. 'I am not Kyohei'. Yet you yourself are not so sure."
"You do not treat your friends as expendable pawns. You tread a righteous path. You embody everything he does not. You are not him."
Kibō struggled to his feet.
"Will you walk the path of strife? Take up the blade of nobility, even knowing of the trials that lie ahead of you?"
"I will not allow you to stagnate any further. True justice requires a steady hand to guide it. The hand of a true knight."
Kibō found himself surrounded by darkness. All that was before him was a glimmering sword, embedded into a rock. 
"I...am me. I am Kibō Sōzen Ishimaru. Nobody else. I swore that I would free the world from the corrupt adults running it from the shadows. I want to make a world that will accept everybody for who they are. For my parents, for my friends. And for you, Sakuya. I'm done cowering in fear. I'll accept power. The power to change the world, not to take it. I am me. And I...am..."
"Take the blade. Unleash the strength that lies within. If you desire it thus, then my power shall be yours. I am Galahad. The power of the greatest of knights...the power to cut down the darkness...from this day forward, my strength is yours!"
Kibō grasped the hilt of the blade. He pulled, and with a roar, he dislodged it from the stone.
Outside of his mind, he was consumed by a pillar of blue flames.
"What the hell is this?!" Max exclaimed.
Carrie sighed, and smirked. "Oh ye of little faith."
The flames died down. Kibō emerged completely unscathed. The spirit that stood in front of him was adorned in shimmering silver armor, possessed mid-length, light-colored hair and beard, and pupil-less eyes. He wielded a silver longsword in one hand, a shield bearing a vermillion-colored cross in the other hand.
"His Persona...it changed?" Natalia questioned.
"This feeling...it's entirely different from what he was before..." Barbara mused.
Sakuya brought out Hua Mulan once more. "So, this is the form birthed by your resolve...a splendid, immaculate form, indeed."
"You were right, Sakuya. I was afraid that more power would lead me down a dark path, like my brother. But if I can't face that fear, then I have no chance of making a better world. For my parents, for my friends...even for you. My mind is clear of any doubt. Now, we can settle this for real." Kibō declared.
"Very well. Let us test this newfound resolve. Honor me with a duel, that I may see firsthand the power you wield."
Blades clashed once more. Mulan's deft, swift strikes were blocked by Galahad's shield, and countered with powerful sword blows.
"Tell me, Kibō Ishimaru. Did you mean what you said? Is there room for someone like me in the world you desire? Even after I betrayed your trust?"
"I meant every word. I can't even begin to understand what your life up to this point was like. But I can tell you aren't like the others. This world hasn't treated you very well. All of us can relate to that. But you were taken advantage of. Used by selfish people for their own goals. This might be reckless of me to say, but I believe that your end goal doesn't align with theirs."
"Hm. Optimism mixed with idealism. I can see why Barbara-senpai adores you. I can tell..."
Galahad overpowered and cut down Mulan.
"...yours is a path worth following."
Sakuya closed her eyes, resigned to her defeat. She fell to her knees. "A righteous display. Just as I suspected. The others are in the back, unharmed. You may punish me as you see fit."
Kibō gestured for the others to go to the back.
He walked over to Sakuya. He extended his hand out. "I don't want to walk out of here with you in chains. After everything, you're just like the rest of us. But if you follow us out of here, it'll mean that you're going against the people you swore loyalty towards. It's what has to be done, for the people of this city. Will you help me?"
Sakuya stared in amazement. "Compassion towards your beaten foe. I had wondered what Senpai saw in you. Now I understand. I hope you can keep your word. I'll probably die if you lose."
She took his hand, and stood up.
The rest of the group emerged from the back. Kitty stomped over to Sakuya and punched her in the stomach. "That's for tying me up!" she griped.
"Ugh...I definitely deserved that." Sakuya groaned. "Nnh...I know this will sound hollow given...well, everything. But..." She bowed. "...I'm sorry. I won't ask for forgiveness, nor do I expect it."
"I don't want words. I want you to prove it with actions." Max chided.
"You took us for a right ride, Ms. Tsumomo. You'll need to work to regain our trust." Kenji added.
"Sakuya." Sahir began. "I won't lie. This hurts. Knowing that you were selling us out to the bad guys...it's a tough pill to swallow. I still can't wrap my head around it. I'm sorry for everything you've gone through. I hope you can trust us enough to tell the truth from now on."
"I'm so sorry...I really hurt you all. I really want to make up for it."
"You can start by telling us everything you know. About Death's Hand. And the Master." Barbara answered.
"Hm...I may not have all the answers you want. But I'll tell you as much as I can provide."
"Please do." Kibō said.
"Don't make us feel stupid for this. You're gonna be under a microscope from now on." Kitty insisted.
"I suppose that's only fair." Sakuya said.
"There's one more condition." Carrie said. "There's somebody you'll have to explain this all to."
"Oh, okay...to whom?"
---
A knock on the door of the Kubo residence.
"I've got it." Rin called out. She opened the door. 
"Hey, Teach. Sorry to barge in this late." Sahir said.
"Do we have a story to tell you..." Kenji added.
The other students all stared at one person in particular: a very guilty-looking Sakuya.
A short while later, Sakuya finished her explanation.
"...I see. That's quite a bit to take in." Rin said. "But why choose now to reveal yourself? You were entirely above suspicion before today. Did something happen?"
"To be honest, I had been intending to do this for a while. If Kenji-san hadn't stumbled into both of my secrets, it might have been an even longer while. I've been conflicted about whether I had made the right decision following the Master...and whether betraying the person that got me to where I am was a good idea." Sakuya said.
"You must understand that we have many, many more questions that need answering. Who is this Master? Why does he hate Rin so much? What's the end goal? Why do some of you have Personas and others possess something completely different? Why can we use these powers in the real world now?" Rose asked.
"I'll try to answer as much as I can. First, where our powers come from. As you likely know already, not everyone has the aptitude to manifest their inner selves as a Persona. The Master tests this through use of an ancient mirror."
"A mirror...yes, Mimi mentioned something like that." Rin said.
"Mirrors are a gateway into the soul. The one the Master possesses has unique properties that can force a Shadow Self to appear and submit instantly. It's not a natural process by any means. And for those who don't have the ability to wield a Persona, the forced fusion results in what you saw from Kagami and Hirano. People becoming more Shadow than human."
"I suppose that's why they appear as one or the other on radars." Kibō surmised.
"The Master began putting this method to more excessive use about a year ago. My theory is that this has led to an erosion between reality and the cognitive world. Hence why your powers and ours have started to appear in this world."
"Okay, let's quit beating around the bush. Just who is His Spookiness, anyway?" Kitty asked.
"I'm afraid even I haven't seen the face beneath. He takes every precaution possible to preserve his secrecy. He taught me much in that department. He is...like a chameleon. He is everything to everyone. He sells you on his ideal vision while guaranteeing that you will get everything you desire in that vision. Whatever he needs to say, he will say it and convince you that he means it. But what he truly seeks...is what you all seek. Complete societal upheaval."
"Death's Hand has agents in every field you can imagine. Medicine, education, entertainment, business, law enforcement. He utilizes that corruption to break the public's trust in the establishment. Once that trust is sufficiently weakened, he intends to rise from the shadows, and do what he does best: tell the public what they want to hear. With the connections he's already solidified, and with the people's faith in the world around them irreparable, his rise to power would be child's play."
"Wait...so, then, when we reveal his people's secrets to the public..." Natalia uttered.
"We're causing the erosion in trust that he wants?" Carrie asked.
"Unbelievable. So we're just doing his dirty work for him?" Max questioned.
"Yes, and no. What you all are doing is providing an alternative to what he offers. What he seeks is an answer to what the public will choose once distrust takes hold: the order and control he will represent, or the freedom and anarchy you all offer." Sakuya explained. 
"Well that's a dumb question. Who would want to be controlled?" Sahir asked.
"You would be surprised. There is an appeal to having all of your decisions made for you and not having to think for yourself. So he believes." Sakuya responded.
"That's crazy talk. I can't believe people would actually want to live under someone else's thumb..." Barbara said.
"So how does the Professor fit into all of this? Why is he targeting her?" Kibō asked.
"The Master holds a great deal of hatred towards society's foundations. And most of those foundations lie in the people's belief in the gods of this land. I can...understand that resentment, to an extent. People's belief in higher powers remains his greatest obstacle to getting people to submit to him fully."
"Hang on...I remember hearing something like this. They called the Professor 'the goddess' chosen warrior'. What's that about?" Barbara asked.
"I suppose I should be the one to explain that." Rin began. "I told you all about the mission me and my friends went on ten years ago. The forces that were at play back then were far greater than any of us knew at the time. And when it came time to challenge those forces...I was given unspeakable power. The power of a goddess. Granted to me by the Sun Goddess herself, Amaterasu."
"Wait...okay, I know that we've seen a lot these past few months, but now you're telling us you have the power of a god?" Kitty questioned.
"Not just any god. But one of the most revered and important gods in the entire country. When you think about what she represents, it's no surprise that the Master hates her so much." Kibō said.
"It isn't as straightforward as that." Sakuya began. "You do possess great power, Professor Kubo. The kind that the Master has yet to find a solution for. But to him, you are merely another servant of the gods. No, his hatred and fixation lies elsewhere. The one who he really wants to destroy..."
"...is you, Ms. Rose."
"Me? What on Earth could I have done?" Rose asked.
"Hang on, what? Even after what you said about Teach? Did you maybe mess up a flower arrangement for him one time, Ms. Rose?" Sahir asked.
"I don't make poor arrangements." Rose retorted, offended. "Regardless, I doubt it would be something that innocuous."
"Hmmm." Kenji muttered. "I'm wonder. Given what the Professor has been hiding, it stands to reason that you also have your own share of secrets. You're clearly not from around here. You know an inordinate amount about the Metaverse, cognition and the nature of Personas. And now the man trying to destroy us is stated to hate you most of all. What exactly are you?"
"....."
"Rose. It's alright. They'll understand." Rin assured.
Rose sighed, and closed her eyes. Her skin turned pale, her hair turned platinum, and when she opened her eyes, they took on a yellow coloration. "It's as you say. I'm not from around here. Or anywhere, truthfully."
"I am a synthetic organism made to observe and study humanity, on behalf of the Moon God, Tsukiyomi. It was I who taught Rin the ways of cognition and the Metaverse, and first gifted her with a Persona. In truth, I am more akin to a robot than an actual person."
"Moon God, Sun Goddess...unbelievable..." Carrie uttered.
"So you were built for the Moon God...and here you are with someone empowered by the Sun Goddess." Kibō said.
"It is that sense of fickle purpose that leads the Master to despise you. Freely abandoning one master to serve another. He sees you as an inhuman being manipulating humanity on behalf of the deities he hates so much. An unfeeling automaton disguised as a human." Sakuya explained.
"Sounds about right." Rose deadpanned.
"Rose!" Rin exclaimed.
"The Master believes that destroying you both is the key to shattering the public's faith in the heavens. Prove the gods aren't infallible, prove that human strength is superior." 
"So how do we win?" Barbara asked.
"From the sound of it, no matter what we do, he'll get what he wants." Natalia said.
"Simple. Convince the public that your path is the correct one. Prove that the freedom to choose is needed, rather than willful submission."
"So just keep doing what we're doing, and hopefully make people see things our way." Kibō surmised.
"Professor?" Barbara asked.
"...sorry. It's nothing. I need to think over everything. We'll talk tomorrow morning." Rin replied.
The students departed.
Rin gave Rose a pensive look.
"What's troubling you now?"
"Rose. You're doing it again. Talking about yourself like you aren't human."
"Because I'm not."
"I told you that doesn't matter."
"To you."
"I don't know what else I can say to make you stop talking like that."
"Doesn't much matter. I'm going to bed. Or to recharge my batteries. Whichever applies." Rose walked away.
"Rose! Ugh..." Rin sat on the couch, thinking.
Rose stood in the hall. "Ngh..." Tears streamed down her face. "Cruel father...why was I given...functioning tear ducts..."