Chapter 0; The memory

...PERSONA 3 DEVIL'S HERALD...

...Attention, this novel is faithful and strictly follows some of the events of the game Persona 3, if you don't want to receive spoilers about the game and want to know the story completely from scratch, don't read this novel....

...It is not necessary to play the game to understand the novel....

...The warning has been given!...

...Good reading....

...17/06/2006 Saturday; Morning...

The wind blew gently against the classroom windows, signaling yet another exam period at Gekkoukan High School.

The hallways were bustling, with students moving back and forth, heading to their respective rooms.

Inside the classroom, Mitsuru Kirijo sat at her desk, focused on her Japanese assignment while waiting for the class to begin.

Suddenly, the door opened, and the teacher entered, accompanied by an unfamiliar student.

He had black hair, dark eyes, and a strong, athletic build.

As he walked with the teacher to the front of the room, his gaze locked directly onto Mitsuru, who noticed the intensity in his eyes.

The two stopped in front of the blackboard while the other students settled in, preparing for class.

A quiet murmur spread through the room, especially among the girls.

"Who is he?" one girl whispered to her friend nearby. "He's actually pretty cute."

"He must be the new transfer student," the other replied, with a hint of unease in her voice. "But that look... he gives me the creeps. He doesn’t seem like a good person."

The teacher, noticing the whispering, clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention.

The murmuring stopped immediately, and she began to speak with authority.

"Enough whispering, all of you. As you can see, we have a new transfer student."

She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote on the blackboard: "Hiro Mikoshi."

After setting the chalk down, she gestured to the young man beside her.

"This is Hiro Mikoshi." she announced. "He will be our new classmate. Now, Kirijo!"

Mitsuru set her pencil down on the desk, standing up with a respectful look toward the teacher.

"Yes, sensei." Mitsuru replied firmly.

The teacher nodded, acknowledging Mitsuru's impeccable posture.

Then, she turned to Hiro with a authoritative tone.

"Choose a place for Mikoshi to sit. I’ve lost count of how many times I've had to reorganize your seats."

Mitsuru looked around and, with an elegant gesture, pointed to the empty desk beside her.

"Please, sit here." she said in a polite but firm tone.

Hiro began to walk toward the empty desk Mitsuru had indicated. As he approached, Mitsuru felt a sudden discomfort.

A subtle pressure formed in her head, and a voice began to call to her insistently, repeating her name over and over.

She raised a hand to her forehead, trying to identify the source of the voice that seemed to echo in her mind.

“Mitsuru... Mitsuru...” The voice continued, insistent.

Closing her eyes, she tried to concentrate, attempting to recognize whose voice it was, but the sensation was oppressive, as if she were trapped in a dense fog.

...23/07/2009 Thursday; Afternoon...

When she finally opened her eyes, blinking to adjust her vision to the room's light, she noticed a young man in front of her, his hand on her shoulder.

He had short, neatly kept silver hair and gray eyes that held a look of concern.

It was Akihiko Sanada.

His well-fitted uniform revealed a strong, athletic stance.

"Mitsuru, Mitsuru, are you okay?" The familiar voice of the young man brought her back to reality.

She blinked again and found herself sitting in an armchair, adjusting herself on the cushion with a tired yawn.

Akihiko, now fully visible, was one of her teammates and a close friend, known for his seriousness and determination.

"Akihiko... don’t worry." Mitsuru replied, her voice still slightly weakened from exhaustion.

Her long, red hair fell lightly over her shoulders, standing out against the room's soft lighting.

Her eyes, red as rubies, usually expressive, appeared heavier, revealing the weariness she felt.

"I'm fine. I’m just exhausted… after yesterday. The Shadows appeared out of nowhere, and I was the only one who brought an Evoker."

Akihiko smiled slightly, crossing his arms as he watched Mitsuru get up and walk over to the bag on the bed.

Her movements were graceful, reflecting her natural elegance, even in moments of fatigue.

While she organized her belongings, Akihiko took his phone from his pocket and checked the time.

It was 4:50 PM.

"Well, I think it's time for us to go." Akihiko said, his tone relaxed yet firm. "Everyone’s already on the boat, waiting. You're the only one left. So I came to get you."

Mitsuru picked up her bag and the phone lying on the bed.

After checking her messages, she gave Akihiko one last look, her eyes reflecting the usual determination despite her obvious fatigue.

"Alright, let’s go," she replied, putting her phone in her pocket and adjusting the bag strap on her shoulder. "Our little vacation in Yakushima is over. Time to head back home."

...23/07/2009 Thursday; Sunset...

Mitsuru and Akihiko walked toward the port of Yakushima Island, ready to return to the mainland.

The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange.

As they approached the pier, they noticed a young man leaning against some crates, his disheveled blue hair and eyes of the same color seeming lost in the sky.

He was listening to music, oblivious to the activity around him.

When he noticed Mitsuru and Akihiko approaching, the young man removed his headphones and looked at them with a calm expression.

Akihiko, keeping his relaxed posture, crossed his arms.

“Minato, is the rest of the group already on the boat?” Akihiko asked, straight to the point.

Minato Arisato, the blue-haired young man, paused the music on his cylindrical MP3 player, a small clip resembling a necklace around his neck, and walked toward Akihiko with his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, we were just waiting for you two.” Minato replied in a low, calm voice. "Oh, and President Shuji will be joining us this time."

Mitsuru raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear this. It wasn’t what she had expected.

"President Shuji?" she asked, confused. "Arisato, didn't the president say he wouldn’t return until tomorrow?"

Minato shrugged casually as he began walking toward the boat’s boarding ramp.

"You know, I wondered the same thing." he admitted, glancing over his shoulder.

"But he mentioned something that got my attention. Apparently, he found a new Persona user and will give us the details during the trip."

Minato’s words caused Mitsuru and Akihiko to exchange surprised looks.

The idea of a new Persona user, and possibly a new member for the group, was both intriguing and unsettling.

As Akihiko watched Minato join Junpei and Fuuka, who were chatting near the ramp, he turned to Mitsuru, still pondering the news.

"Already?" Akihiko asked, clearly intrigued. "Aigis just joined the team the day before yesterday, and now there’s already talk of another user."

Mitsuru shook her head, reflecting on the situation. Her usually composed eyes showed a hint of concern.

"I find it strange too." she admitted. "The number of Persona users has increased significantly since Arisato joined us. Why? And besides, the Apathy Syndrome has started spiking again."

With these thoughts in mind, both Mitsuru and Akihiko began to walk up the boarding ramp onto the boat.

Still puzzled and reflecting on recent events, Mitsuru spoke in a thoughtful tone.

"Sometimes I wonder if we’re on the right path… how far will the Shadows and the Dark Hour continue to haunt us?"

Akihiko placed a hand on Mitsuru’s shoulder, his firm touch and reassuring expression offering support.

He smiled, trying to ease the visible tension in Mitsuru.

"Of course we’re on the right path," he said, with a confidence that seemed to lift the mood. "After all, we’ve managed to reduce the peaks of Apathy Syndrome over the past few months, not to mention the people we’ve saved from inside Tartarus."

Mitsuru, a faint smile on her lips, nodded. "You’re right. Let’s see what President Shuji has to say."

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