Battle log

Year 2092, Defense battle of Okinawa

Authorization 759964- tenth level

Classified information

As of 1500 hours the battle has taken a turn for the worse. The invasion force is beginning to reach the shores and send out troops. Approximately 17 minutes into the hour, agent Ooguro Ryuuya uses 'Material Burst' destroying 1/10 of the ships invading. The immediate response of the ships is to open fire and cause general destruction and further pandemonium. 32 minutes into the hour, an unidentified magician uses an AOE spell. Upon activation white light encompasses most of the invasion fleet rendering our scouting equipment useless. When the light subsides the enemy soldiers on the beach are silent, face down on the ground. A majority of the enemy fleet is completely still, except for their slow bobbing as they float in the water. The remaining ships that are still being aggressive are targeted by Ooguro Ryuuya and shortly after, the battle is won. Upon inspection of the soldiers on the beach and the enemy ships we have come to the conclusion that they all have died, but we are uncertain of the cause. The citizens have been told an illusion-based magic was used to crush the fleet as cover up. The name given to the spell caster is Reaper.

Log entry end.

The year is 2095, 5 years have passed since my near kidnapping. The clan wanted to take me away to a secure facility, but after hearing about my past, Kyouko was adamant on being my guardian and refused to give me up. In the end Retsu decided that I would continue to live in Kyouko's home, but with improved security. Alarms, guards and emergency escapes were only the tip of the iceberg, but I am happy to stay with Kyouko. The incident has released everything. All my persona are now available to me, but the strain of having them equipped was still a worry. I continued my training and weekly visits to Minoru, learning about the magical world. Surprisingly, Masaki and I stayed in touch. He came to support me upon hearing about the death of Ayumi. He felt he was to blame and that his childish contest cost me the life of my caretaker. Although he has been told repeatedly otherwise, I can still see the guilt in his eyes. On the occasional weekend the three of us would meet. These meetings were usually at Minoru's mansion, but if his health permitted it we would visit the Ichijou estate.

In 2092 the Defense battle of Okinawa and the Sado invasion took place. At the age of 13 Masaki and I volunteered to join the front lines to halt the invasion. It is here that I earned the title of Reaper, although this is only known to Kyouko and Retsu. I called upon to use the Persona fusion spell Armageddon, which obliterates one's soul. Since the battle, our group of three earned another member by the name of Shinkurou Kichijouji or Cardinal George. Although it is rarer for him to visit, he has become a fast friend. The year after, Kyouko approached me saying she may have found a way to recreate or to supplement my evoker from my past life. She knew a man by the name of Tauras Silver that could probably replicate the effects I was looking for. I was taken to a lab and tested, but the results have been slow. Now the year is 2095 and I am going to attend one of the magical schools across the nation, First High. The concern for my safety has been accounted for. In school, my official name will be Minato Arisato to avoid my connection to the Kudou clan. A body guard by the name of Bryan has been hired from the USNA. He was hired as a counselor at First High, to double as a body guard. He is a kind man. Although he takes his job quite seriously, he gives a calm air about him. His personality was perfect for a counselor at the school.

"Minato!" I snap out of my thoughts and Masaki and Minoru laugh at me. "Are you paying attention?" Masaki asks again and I shake my head. Minoru suggested we gather one last time before my school year starts. So we are enjoying our final afternoon together, for the foreseeable future.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought." Masaki playfully scoffs at me, but repeats his question.

"I said, why don't you join Third High instead? School doesn't start for another week and we would be able to see one another constantly."

"That's the point, he doesn't want to see your face on a day to day basis." Minoru called out from bed and George and I burst out laughing to a disgruntled Masaki.

"Come on Minato," Masaki tries again. "If you join, we can be the golden duo." This was followed by indignant sputtering from George. "Alright, golden trio or whatever. Imagine it, Crimson Prince, Cardinal George and… you." Masaki finishes lamely looking directly at me. "Minato, you need to man up and get a title." I shrug him off. While I do have a title I have no pride in it. I decide to change the subject.

"That's beside the point; you know why I can't change schools. I already passed the entrance exams for First high and Byran has already been placed on staff. Besides the staff know my identity and-"

"Yeah, I heard you the first three times so be quiet already." Masaki scowls.

"Still it would have been nice if you could join us." George says, disappointment evident on his face. I nudge him in the shoulder and give him a small smile which he returns.

"I suggest we make the most of this afternoon, time is almost up." Minoru points out, looking at his clock. We nod and soon are lost in a conversation about magical schools and our expectations. It is nice having friends, that I can laugh with. I am not talking with the Kudou heir or the Crimson Prince or Cardinal George. I am talking with Minoru, Masaki and Shinkurou. The pressure to act mature and represent the clan doesn't feel so heavy in days like these. As we leave for the day we once again revert to what society expects of us. As I shake hands with Masaki, he gives bids me goodbye and I return the farewell. We will still be in contact, just not as often.

The full moon shines brightly as I am driven back to my home. I laugh silently to myself. If it was a full moon in my old life then there would be no way I would be hanging out with friends. I am reminded by Bryan that I will need to arrive at school early tomorrow as he needs to complete some paper work. Soon I am beneath my covers and I slip into sleep.

"Hey it's been a while." My eyes flash open and I turn to stare into the darkness. A boy in a black and white striped shirt stares back at me, a smile plays on his lips. "How have you been?" I continue to stare blankly at the boy, Pharos. I notice then that my surroundings are not the dark hour's usual tone of green, it is plain night. By now the boy's face has grown sad. "So you don't remember me?"

"No, I-I do, but – Pharos." The words jumble out of my mouth as my surprise is too great to form words. The boy before me is my death social link, but he disappeared once we had defeated the 12 major shadows. I believed him all but lost to me. The bigger problem is he represented that death was locked inside me. Once death left me, he left as well. "Why are you here?" I question once I have calmed down.

"A friend can't visit another friend, have the rules changed?" He looks worried like he has committed some sort of taboo. I shake my head and assure him that he has done nothing wrong. I rephrase my question to ask how he is here. At this Pharos perked up in understanding that he was not at fault. "The miss in the blue dress resealed me in you." My jaw drops. Though the idea seems crazy, there are few alternatives. In my 16 years here, Nyx has not descended and destroyed mankind. The possibilities are that mankind no longer yearns for death, which I doubt. Secondly is someone is destroying Erebus faster than it can form. Although Elizabeth is powerful, I don't think she is spending every waking hour in the Sea of the Soul. Another option is a soul to replace mine. This is doubtful as only a handful of humans have a soul strong enough to power the seal to resist Erebus. Lastly, the most likely conclusion is that Nyx's avatar was once again sealed. Once sealed, the avatar would be unable to beckon Nyx. As my mind whirls with this new information I remember a few of the last words Elizabeth said to me.

"He is too deeply integrated with your soul. We were unable to seal him away." Elizabeth answers the unspoken question. "We hope you use him wisely as your new body will be unable to take the strain of using him. Avoid him please."

Unable to seal away, huh? Though they lied to me, I can't muster up any anger towards them. Telling me that I was once again death's seal would have only put me on edge. It was their last gesture of kindness. I am shaken from my thoughts as Pharos speaks again.

"You seem tired. We can talk again some other time." He smiles softly at me as he begins to fade. I blink and he is gone. Sighing, I lay back and eye the clock. 2:30am. Let's hope that that's the most important thing that happens today.

[Break]

I hold back another yawn as I wander the campus. I know Bryan needed to get to the school early, but 6am is a bit much, even for me. Either way, I was able to tour the campus to my heart's content. I once again try adjusting my stiff uniform. My Gekkoukan uniform was nowhere as stiff as this. As I do, my glance falls once again on the eight petal insignia on my shoulder. Earning Course 1 or 'Bloom,' as I have heard, was not the most difficult task. In the end, I placed first among the male freshman. My thoughts move to the bottom 100 students, the 'Weeds' that are spares to us 'Blooms.' The irony is not on lost me. I have been treated as a spare my whole life and only now, 16 year old, I am treated as an equal. The thought sickens me. As if a patch on one's shoulders and breast, prove one's power. Overconfident and superiority complexes only lead to death on the battlefield. I shake myself from my rambling thoughts. My legs have begun to ache from my constant walking. I am out in the courtyard and beginning to tire. If memory serves, a bench should be around this corner. I turn the corner only to be dismayed as there is another student who has already taken the bench. The alarm on my terminal beeps alerting me that there is 30 minutes till the opening ceremony starts. I glance back to the bench where the boy is talking with beautiful female. No matter, the opening ceremony will be starting soon and I quickly pass the talking students.

"Eh, You're that Shiba?!" The female exclaims. I stop as she lists off "Shiba's" more than impressive achievements. The written portion was not difficult, but even I had trouble with a few of them. The boy must be some genius. I chance a look at the boy's shoulder. My eyes lock onto the blank space on the shoulder. Odd, if what the girl said was true he should have been a bloom with those scores. Perhaps the tests were weighted? The conversation fades out of hearing range as I approach the auditorium. As I step in I take a cursory glance. Course 1 in front and Course 2 in back, quite a clear separation. I move forward to avoid drawing attention, now to find a seat. I come across two girls talking and ask if the seat beside them is open. The girl turns to face me, grey eyes meeting mine.

"Oh sure, go ahead." I slide into the seat, finally able to give my feet a break. As I turn to introduce myself, the girl on the other side of my neighbor speaks.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Honoka Mitsui, and this is Shizuku Kitayama." The girl beside me nods and I return the gesture.

"My name is Minato Arisato." Before I can continue the ceremony starts and the first speaker takes the stage. Finally, the freshman representative, Miyuki Shiba, took the stage. The black haired beauty stood gracefully and dove into her speech. Honoka's eyes glazed over with pure elation as she watched Miyuki gracefully deliver her speech.

"What's with her?" I lean over to Shizuku.

"She apparently saw Miyuki during her practical exams. Her control was beyond impressive. Ever since then she wouldn't stop talking about her." She replies rather monotonously. I nod in understanding.

"Have you known each other for a while?"

"I have known her since middle school," Shizuku replies, "we considered each other somewhat as rivals." She is shushed from Honoka, who has finally come back to her senses. The opening ceremony comes to an end and the students slowly file out of the auditorium. As I leave with Honoka and Shizuku in tow, a commotion catches our attention. It seems that the freshman representative has met up with her brother the "Tatsuya" character I saw earlier. As we watch through the crowd, whispers of "weed" and "course 2" fill the air. I sigh, suppressing my disgust. It seems even after all this time, even with all these evolutions, humanity will always be flawed.

"It's him…" Honoka's words bring my attention back to the girls. "During the entrance ceremony, there was someone who could use amazingly efficient and graceful magic… It was really something benefiting a magic high school, I had though." I exchange a questioning glance with Shizuku, who keeps a concerned gaze on Honoka. "So why is he a second course student?!" distress clearly covers her face as she tries to come to terms with this revelation. I place a hand on her shoulder, gathering her attention.

"It doesn't matter if he is course one or not. If you believe he has potential, then there is a possibility that it will be revealed over the school year." My words sound hollow to me. Even if Tatsuya has some hidden potential, he will be restricted to course two unless a course one student falls out of the program. Fortunately, my words have the desired effect and Honoka brightens up considerably.

"Yeah, you're right Minato, no need to be negative." She shows me a smile and bids me farewell. Shizuku gives me a small wave to which I return and soon I find myself alone. I glance at my terminal, time to pick up my bodyguard from the office. I quickly navigate the halls and find myself knocking on the door to the staff room. Bryan opens the door and with a smile and ushers me inside.

"You could have gone home, you don't need me to guard you." There is truth in his words. While Bryan is superior in his physical abilities, his magical abilities leave much to be desired. In reality I have no real need for a guard as I can take on nearly anything with my arsenal of Persona. The real reason is for public appearance more than anything. Although my identity is hidden, people in positions of power still know my appearance. The show of a bodyguard is also a show from the Kudou clan reinforcing the idea that I am well protected.

"There was no need. Waiting for you makes no difference to me." I shrug off Bryan's concerns.

"So, how was the first day? Meet anyone of interest?" The underlying question of a potential girlfriend aside, I discuss my examination the school during my walk. The conversation leads to facilities the school has to offer to the general feel the school has.

"The only think that sickens me is the attitude towards the course 2 students. Not very effective in a school environment, especially when you are training to become a magician." I present my distaste with a light scowl. Bryan nods.

"No matter where you go, there will be people who lose themselves in rank, no matter how small." The next hour passes in comfortable silence. I work on my terminal while Bryan finishes the remainder of his work. Eventually his finishes and we proceed back to Kyouko's home. The evening is a peaceful one. Kyouko is away on another mission and Byran and I have already spoken of my school day so no topic is brought to the dinner table. As night falls, I retire to my room to rest.

The next morning holds a surprise as Kyouko is sitting at the breakfast table when I walk in. A smile graces her lips as she sees me enter. "How is the student this morning?" I chuckle and respond which how the entrance ceremony was and what happened yesterday. The conversation drifts from my school experience to Kyouko's mission, at least the non-classified parts. Sooner than I would have liked, Bryan calls from the front saying it is time to leave. I begin to leave when Kyouko calls to me.

"Don't I get a hug?" Usually I would deny such an action, but Kyouko is practically a mother to me. Her infrequent appearances make our time together limited. Even so, I treasure every second with Kyouko, thus I give into her gentle demand. As I approach, she surprises me by leaning forward and pulling me into a strong hug.

"Kyouko?" I question. She is acting strangely. I soon realize why.

"Please be careful," Her voice soft against my ear, "I don't know why, but.." She trails off her concern filling in the words she cannot say. The investigation from the murder of Ayumi turned up one interesting fact. The likelihood that one of the ten master clans wanted to kidnap me is high. I am going to a school with two known members, Saegusa and Juumonji. Although I am skilled, two master clans may be more than I can handle. I return the hug, reassuring her.

"I will. We both know it is unlikely that either clan at first high tried to kidnap me. I will be on guard." With that, Kyouko loosens her grip and I step away. A small, sad smile in on Kyouko's face, but I manage to keep my smile genuine. I bid her farewell and I leave for school.

[Break]

Once again, he leaves and all I can do is stand and hope he comes back. I try to provide him momentary comfort, but in the end he is comforting me. I am terrified of leaving him alone. Ever since that day where he told me everything, I have been trying to support him to my fullest. No child should have gone through what he did. And yet… he does not complain. Why is life so unfair? He saves the world and is reincarnated into freezing tundra, goes through a childhood with little to no friends and for what? Where are his rewards for his work? While power is the most obvious answer, it only causes him more grief. The loss of Ayumi hit him harder than anyone. Regret, guilt, hate, anger, sadness. These emotions keep building inside of him and I am afraid that one day he will lose control. The boy holds the universe, nothing is outside of the realm of possibility. No matter how far I reach, he always seems to slip out of my fingers. But there is hope, even now he still smiles like the child I found all those years ago. I will always be there for him, no matter the cost.

[Break]

The school day starts rather simply for me. I reach my classroom with ease and sit in my assigned seat. As more students flow in, Honoka and Shizuku walk in talking with one another. I wave to them and they walk over to me. Shizuku takes her assigned seat beside me while Honoka continues to stand.

"Good morning Minato, how are you?" Honoka smiles.

"Fine, how are you?" Morning greetings are exchanged and soon the conversation moves to school life and expectations. Our conversation is interrupted as the door to the classroom opens and the class representative, Miyuki Shiba, walks in. The murmur from the crowd increases as she walks past us to be seated behind Shizuku. Shizuku takes this chance to mutter to Honoka.

"Honoka, this is your chance to introduce yourself." Shizuku urges, pointing discreetly at Miyuki.

"Yeah, don't mess up," I add jokingly, but Honoka still sends me a glare in response. Honoka quickly calms herself and steps forward to introduce herself.

"Umm, Shiba-" As fate would have it Honoka's back foot catches beneath her heel causing her to face plant as magnificently as possible. It takes every fiber in my body not to laugh. Surprisingly, Miyuki takes this in stride and kneels down to help the fallen girl. The graceful girl helps up Honoka and introduces herself. Names are exchanges and soon the group of three is swept up in their own little world. Shizuku seems to notice this and she motion for me to join.

"Nice to meet you Miyuki." I bow in greeting, my formal training kicking in before I can stop myself. This could be awkward. To my surprise, she bows back, alleviating the tension I feel.

"Miyuki Shiba, likewise." At this, the bell rings breaking up our greetings. I wave to the group to dismiss myself, taking my seat again. Soon, the teacher walks in and discusses what to expect during our school year. He then urges us to go to the laboratories and to use the buildings facilities to the greatest extent. He then leaves to address another class the same as he did us. The laboratories sound interesting enough, I should see if any of the girls want to come as well. I turn to Shizuku, but as I do I see her looking backwards. Following her line of sight I see boys have already surrounded Miyuki asking her what she plans on doing.

"I was planning on following sensei's-" Miyuki starts only be cut off by the overexcited male.

"What a coincidence! Me too!" His overly positive enthusiasm makes my skin crawl. His actions scream alternative motives. As I move closer, the male continues his rant.

"As first course students we should take the lead! Can you imagine having to work along with those substitutes?" Ouch…not even a blind man would have missed the grimace that appears one Miyuki's face as he speaks. I may be not a genius, but clearly Miyuki is uncomfortable with the course barrier. Her opening speech said as much. I decide to try to salvage the situation, but Honoka beats me to it and slips into the conversation and brings Miyuki away. I move to follow, but a hand stops me.

"Blue hair, we need to talk." The creativity is strong with this one. I face the group of boys who were seconds before smiling in Miyuki's presence. "Don't think of getting so close to Miyuki." Seriously? I raise my eyebrows in challenge causing the leader of the trio to step forward.

"I will keep that in mind." I leave trying to locate my female friends. I meet them at the lab a few minutes later and we begin listening to the lecture. Finally lunch rolls around, and we proceed to the cafeteria. The room is packed and a cursory glance reveals only one or two four person tables available. Our "Group" has 8. Shun and three other blooms, then Miyuki, Honoka, Shizuku, and myself. The larger tables only hold six people, not enough for everyone. I decide to sit separately, hoping to avoid eating with Shun, which would result in an awkward lunch.

"Miyuki!" A call cuts through the air as we enter the cafeteria. A red haired girl is calling out, gesturing for Miyuki to join their group of four. Miyuki began to excuse herself from the group when the blooms stop her.

"You shouldn't sit with weeds..." Shun says to the general agreement of the other blooms.

"We need to draw a line between course 1 and course 2." Did these guys not listen to ANY of Miyuki's speech? What happens next though, has me doubting mankind.

"Hey you lot, please vacate these seats," Shun steps forward and has the gall to tell them to give up their seats. "Second course is just a reserve for First course. Both in the classroom and the dining room, it's only natural to give up your seats if a First course wants to use them right?" My eye twitches slightly. He can't seriously be that much of an asshole, right? Some of the second course student's jaws have openly dropped from the insult. If a fight breaks out, I have no doubt that Shun will be in the hospital. Fortunately for Shun, Miyuki's brother decides to defuse the situation by vacating his seat. The rest of the students follow after him leaving an empty table for the group. Shun and his friends immediately fill the gaps leaving two seats available. I direct myself to a vacant table on the other side of the dining area.

"Minato, where are you heading?" Shizuku calls slightly concerned. Seeing as there are only two seats left, and Miyuki is expected to take one of them, a dilemma occurs. Honoka and Shizuku are unlikely to break up and I am headed to the other side of the cafeteria. This will leave Miyuki to eat lunch with a lovely bunch of blooms. Not the best situation… Still I tell them.

"The other side," At this I send a look at Shun, "I can see I am particularly wanted." Ignoring Shun's self-satisfied smirk and depart and reach my table in relative peace. Soon Shizuku and Honoka join me and then, Miyuki takes the final seat at the table.

"You didn't want to sit with them?" I lightly joke. Miyuki nods.

"I would rather sit with friends, rather than simple acquaintances." Her answer receives nods from all of us and soon the table is filled with talk. The day passes quickly after that and soon the final bell rings. I bid the girls goodbye and leave the room headed to Bryan's office.

"Are you Minato Arisato?" Halfway to my guard's office, a voice calls to me. I turn around to face two beautiful girls. One is the girl that was talking with Tatsuya before, the other I do not know.

"Yes, who are you?"

"Ah, yes introductions," The first girl nods and gestures to herself. "My name is Mayumi Saegusa, I am the student council present. The girl beside me is Mari Watanabe, she is the Public Morals Committee Chief." The girl gives me a short nod which I return.

"Alright, how can I help you?" Outwardly I appear relaxed, but I am internally on high alert. Saegusa, one of the clans I am watching out for. Who knew that they would make their move on the first day.

"We are here to ask you if you would like a position on the Public Morals Committee." My blank stare gives them enough encouragement to elaborate. "Every time a member of the moral committee graduates, new members are selected from the newest course. This year the teachers selected you as their first choice. We wanted to know if you would like to accept." I stare at them speechless, this was not what I was expecting. Before I can answer them, another voice enters the conversation.

"There is a fight breaking out at the front gate." My eyes widen as the figure of Pharos stands behind the two girls in front of me. His black and white stripe outfit and size make him stand out, yet no one seems to notice or hear him.

"What?" I choke back my surprise at Pharos' appearance.

"The Public Morals Committee," Mayumi says again a gentle smile on her face. Crap this could get confusing. Thankfully a girl calls to the beauties before me, before I can further embarrass myself.

"Mayumi! Mari! There is a fight breaking out at the front gate!" She informs breathlessly.

"Sorry Minato we will leave this for another day. Please come to the Student Council office tomorrow afternoon, have a decision made by then." With that they run off not paying attention to the boy who stood right behind them.

I look to Pharos who has a Cheshire cat smile. "We need to talk about this." I ground out.

"Later, you should head to the front gate as well." The reply from the phantom boy is quick and to the point. I nod and walk after the pair of elites. I eventually reach the front gates, where Mari is finishing her lecture to the students. As I guessed, the group of Blooms from earlier and Tatsuya's group are at the gate. As Mari and Mayumi walk away, I approach, picking up the conversation as I do so.

"Tatsuya Shiba, I do not acknowledge you. Miyuki is a bloom and will be brought down from hanging out with weeds. She should be hanging out with us." It is here I choose to step in.

"What you mean to say is sorry, right?" This single line attracts all the attention of both groups. "When someone covers for you and your mistakes, you apologize, it's common sense."

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Shun practically screams.

"Minato Arisato," I give a mock bow, "pleased to meet you." Shun snarls and almost goes for his gun again before one of his friends grab him.

"He is the top male candidate for the school, control yourself," comes the harsh whisper. Shun huffs and walks away calling for his lackeys to follow. This leaves me with the other group of course 2 students. I turn to them and gave a deep bow.

"I apologize for my classmates actions." I hear a few gasps and murmurs from the group. I straighten myself and look at the shocked faces of the group. Tatsuya finally step forward to reply.

"You have nothing to apologize for. It wasn't you who started the argument."

"Then I ask you to forgive my classmates ignorance, their pride clouds their judgment. Please do not think too badly of them."

Honoka takes this chance to apologize for her actions as well and soon the tension from the earlier incident fades. We exchange names and greetings, Honoka surprises the group expressing her want walk home with them. As they begin to leave Miyuki calls to me.

"Minato, do you want to come with?" The offer is tempting. Miyuki smiles as I agree to walk with them. Why not? This school might keep me from boredom for quite a while.

https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4325312/Death276

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