PERSONA 3 DEVIL'S HERALD

...15/08/2009 Saturday; Midday...

The gentle winds brushed against the windows of the third-year classroom at Gekkoukan High School.

The Japanese teacher was discussing the meanings of kanji, a subject Hiro despised.

He could barely keep his eyes open, boredom overwhelming him as he propped his chin on his hand, fighting the urge to fall asleep.

Sitting just behind him, Mitsuru noticed his impending nap.

Without hesitation, she reached out and gave his ear a firm tug.

The sudden pain jolted Hiro awake, and he glared at her in annoyance.

"You know that hurts, right?" he whispered, rubbing his ear.

Mitsuru, ever composed, replied in a stern tone, "Of course I know. That's exactly why I keep doing it. I won't let you sleep in class!"

Still irritated, Hiro leaned closer to her, his voice low. "Oh, come on, Mitsuru! In a boring class like this, who wouldn't want to sleep?"

Before Mitsuru could respond, the teacher, noticing their conversation, struck the desk with an eraser.

"Kirijo! Mikoshi! Stop chatting and pay attention, please!"

Mitsuru nodded in apology, while Hiro let out a frustrated sigh, slumping back into his chair.

He yawned, unable to hide his boredom, but soon turned back toward Mitsuru.

"Alright, I'll pay attention," he muttered reluctantly. "But you'll pay for this!"

Mitsuru, satisfied, gave him a faint smile. "Très bien. I don't want to see your grades drop."

Time dragged on, but soon the bell rang, signaling the start of lunch break.

Hiro sighed in relief, slumping over his desk, while Mitsuru stood up.

"I'm heading to the student council room to take care of some tasks," Mitsuru said, gathering her materials. "If you need help, I'll ask Chihiro to get you."

Hiro lifted his head, smirking sarcastically. "Why not just text me?"

Mitsuru glanced over her shoulder as she walked toward the door. "Because you never reply to my messages. Am I wrong?"

Hiro was left speechless, scratching his head, embarrassed to admit she was right.

Over the past few days, he'd indeed been ignoring most of his messages—except for those from Fuuka and Akihiko.

As soon as Mitsuru left, Hiro grabbed his bag to get lunch, but his phone started vibrating. It was a message from Minato. The title immediately caught his attention:

"Hiro, we've got a problem. I can't explain much here. Meet me on the school rooftop—I'll explain everything there."

Intrigued, Hiro pocketed his phone, muttering to himself, "He wants to talk. Doesn't seem like it's anything small."

Leaving his lunch behind, he headed for the rooftop.

On Gekkoukan High's rooftop, Minato stood motionless, gazing at the view stretching out before him.

The large blades of the wind turbines spun tirelessly, as if trying to match the pace of his racing thoughts. In the distance, Tatsumi Port Island loomed silently.

Hiro pushed open the rooftop door, instinctively shielding his eyes from the sunlight streaming in.

A gentle breeze ruffled his dark hair, causing his clothes to sway lightly.

He approached Minato, who remained with his back turned, headphones over his ears, his blue hair slightly disheveled, and his piercing blue eyes fixed on the city below.

Walking closer, Hiro called out, "Minato, just looking at your face, I can tell something's up."

Minato paused the music playing in his headphones, removing them before turning around.

He nodded, confirming Hiro's suspicions. "Yeah, something happened. And it's not good."

Hiro stepped beside Minato, his gaze shifting to the panoramic view the rooftop offered.

He took a deep breath, as if the momentary calm brought a fleeting sense of peace.

"Sometimes I forget how good this view is... Anyway, what's the deal?" he asked, his voice tinged with mild curiosity.

Minato, hands in his pockets, responded with a heavier tone. "A few days ago, before we came to school, Elizabeth called me..."

Hiro, visibly shocked, turned sharply to face Minato, his eyes wide. "Hold on. Elizabeth called you? How does *Elizabeth* even have a phone?"

A rare smile crossed Minato's face—almost imperceptible, but undeniably there.

He, too, had been surprised by the unusual call. "I had the same reaction. But yeah, she called. She said five people wandered into Tartarus."

Hiro frowned, a pang of unease hitting him.

Just imagining ordinary people entering Tartarus without the protection of a Persona was unsettling enough.

"People went into Tartarus? How?" he asked, his concern evident in his voice.

Minato scratched his head, as if organizing his thoughts before answering. "Remember what Chairman Shuji told us? About how some people accidentally slip into the Dark Hour?"

Hiro nodded, the warning resurfacing in his memory. "Yeah, I remember. If I'm not mistaken, those people can lose their souls if they accidentally enter the Dark Hour."

"Exactly." Minato continued, his tone now more serious. "Apparently, when people get caught in the Dark Hour, Tartarus sometimes pulls them in to consume their souls. And so..."

Hiro crossed his arms, closing his eyes as he followed Minato's reasoning. "... they get trapped..." he finished.

"Exactly," Minato confirmed. "And if they're trapped for too long, the Reaper might find them."

A chill ran down Hiro's spine.

The Reaper was already a nightmare for them. For ordinary people, it would be like staring death itself in the face.

"Shit... The Reaper already kicks our asses. A normal person wouldn't stand a chance... So what do we do?" Hiro ran a hand through his hair, thinking over the gravity of the situation.

Minato turned to Hiro, his gaze cold and resolute. "We'll act like we didn't know about these people. I'll tell Mitsuru we need to go to Tartarus tonight because Fuuka will probably sense them once we're there."

Hiro met his gaze, doubt lingering in his mind. "What about Yukari? You know she still hasn't recovered."

Without losing focus, Minato offered a simple and effective solution. "She can stay with Fuuka at the entrance while we search for the people."

Hiro considered the plan. It was risky, but it seemed like their only viable option.

With time working against them, the Reaper could find those people at any moment.

He nodded, acknowledging the logic behind the proposal. "Alright. I'll admit, it's a solid plan."

Minato gave a faint smile, placing a hand on Hiro's shoulder. "Thanks, Hiro. Let's save those people."

...15/08/2009 Saturday; Dark Hour...

All the members of S.E.E.S. walked toward the entrance of Tartarus, ready for yet another climb through the tower.

Hiro adjusted his trench coat as he walked beside Shinjiro, his eyes fixed on the massive war axe slung across Shinjiro's back.

Hiro, confused, thought to himself, "This axe..."

Shinjiro, adjusting his armband, noticed Hiro's stare. "You say something?"

Hiro, startled, shook his head.

"Ahh... no, I didn't say anything. It's just... this is the first time I've seen you with your combat gear. But where's your suit? You're wearing the same outfit as always."

Shinjiro shrugged as he adjusted his gloves. "Don't need it. Just put on the armband. And this holster."

As soon as everyone stepped into Tartarus, Fuuka stopped abruptly.

A chill ran down her spine, and she quickly pulled her Evoker from its holster, pressing it to her temple.

"Persona!"

She pulled the trigger, activating the Evoker. A burst of light flared behind her head, and Lucia, her Persona, appeared above her.

Mitsuru immediately became alert, noticing the sudden change. "Yamagishi, what is it?"

Closing her eyes, Fuuka focused, scanning the floors of Tartarus.

She sensed five people scattered across different floors: three in the first block of Tartarus and the other two in the third block.

"I detected five people inside Tartarus. Three of them are in the first block, and the other two are in the third."

Junpei's eyes widened in surprise. "What? People inside Tartarus?"

Akihiko's expression hardened, his brows furrowing. "Damn it, how did they get in?"

Mitsuru paused, contemplating the best approach.

Having everyone move together wasn't feasible, as it would leave Fuuka alone at the entrance.

Then an idea struck her. "I've got a plan. Arisato, I want you to take Iori, Akihiko, and Aigis to rescue the people in the first block."

Koromaru, observing the conversation, barked in Mitsuru's direction, as if asking a question.

Aigis, understanding the canine's intention, translated, "Koro-chan said, 'Who's going to rescue the people in the third block?' A valid question, Koro-chan."

Hiro, incredulous, looked at Aigis. "Wait, you can understand what Koromaru says?"

Aigis offered a small smile before responding, "Yes, I installed a canine dictionary in my system."

Hiro scratched his head, still struggling to believe Aigis could actually understand Koromaru.

Looking down, he saw Koromaru staring at him, wearing his canine vest with a small medical kit strapped to his back.

Hiro patted Koromaru's head, smiling.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not a robot like Aigis."

Koromaru barked in agreement, and Mitsuru, suppressing a smile, stepped closer to the pair.

"Alright, the second team will be me, Hiro, you, and Aragaki. We'll handle the people in the third block."

Yukari, her voice raspy, coughed a few times before asking, "And what about me?"

Minato responded quickly. "You stay with Fuuka. Even if you're feeling a little better, we're not taking any risks."

Yukari considered arguing, but seeing the concern on her friends' faces, she accepted that staying behind was the better option.

She sighed, unfastened the clasp of her quiver, and went to sit on the stairs of Tartarus.

Shinjiro knelt on the floor, tightening the strap on his Evoker holster.

Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed in his mind, and as he looked forward, he saw Kastor's silhouette glaring at him, fury burning in its eyes. The haunting neigh of a horse echoed in his ears.

Fuuka, adjusting her headset, noticed Shinjiro's distant expression. "Aragaki-senpai, are you alright?"

Shinjiro shook his head, trying to dispel the disturbing vision. He grunted in irritation before grabbing his axe and resting it on his shoulder.

"I'm fine. I just forgot how weird this place is," he said in a serious tone.

Junpei, massaging his shoulder, seemed to understand Shinjiro's sentiment. In a sincere tone, he said, "I won't lie. It always feels like something's watching us..."

Akihiko, slipping on his sparring gloves, threw a few punches in the air as he focused. "Time to get some training in, using Shadows as punching bags."

Mitsuru sighed, drawing her rapier, mildly irritated. "You never change..."

Hiro knelt beside Koromaru, adjusting his collar and vest.

After making a few small corrections to the straps, Hiro patted Koromaru on the head.

"Ready, boy?" he asked with a curious tone.

Koromaru barked in response and walked toward the teleportation pad, where Mitsuru was already waiting.

Shinjiro and Hiro followed close behind, stepping onto the teleportation pad alongside Mitsuru and Koromaru.

Fuuka typed a few commands into the terminal, calibrating the teleportation to the third block of Tartarus.

With a serious expression, she addressed Mitsuru, "Kirijo-senpai, I'm sending you to the floor right before the people's location. You'll arrive on floor thirty-eight."

Mitsuru nodded before turning to Minato and warning him, "When you go after the people in the first block, make it quick! The Reaper is probably already hunting them down."

Minato gave a sharp nod, and the teleportation pad lit up, its glow intensifying.

Mitsuru, Koromaru, Hiro, and Shinjiro vanished in a flash of light.