PERSONA 3 DEVIL'S HERALD

...24/08/2009 Monday; Afternoon...

A table sits empty in the middle of a room, the camera recording its view—this is the desk of a reporter, who enters carrying a few documents.

The reporter adjusts his red tie, which contrasts with his black suit, and looks at the camera with a serious expression.

"Last night, the body of Higuruma Makashe, a security guard at Paulownian Mall, was found. Police reported that Higuruma suffered severe electrical burns all over his body."

Behind the reporter, images show the body being removed from the mall, covered and surrounded by officers using high-pressure washers to clean what appears to be a gruesome scene.

The censorship over the footage only reinforces the grim weight of the incident.

"The autopsy was conducted this morning. The report states that his ribs, along with his spine, were completely crushed. The police also confirmed that the exact place of death has not been identified. Security footage shows Higuruma in the guard post one minute, and exactly a minute later, he appears inside the mall's fount—"

Before the reporter could finish, the screen goes black with a dry click.

President Shuji had turned off the TV. He looked at the S.E.E.S. members, his usual calm demeanor unchanged, though his gaze was filled with understanding.

Yukari felt her hands tremble slightly, the heavy silence in the room pressing down on her.

She stared at the dark screen as if hoping for an explanation that would ease her unease.

Akihiko was the first to break the silence, his voice firm. "That has to be a Shadow. There's no other explanation."

Sitting beside Mitsuru, Hiro exchanged a glance with her before turning to President Shuji, who was holding a clipboard.

"Do we have any reports of Shadow activity in the area, President?" Hiro asked, crossing his arms.

Shuji adjusted his glasses, a calm smile forming on his lips. "A Kirijo Corporation agent was sent to investigate the mall. And yes, there was Shadow activity. But it's something you won't like."

Shinjiro, who had been standing, walked up to the President and took the clipboard from his hands.

His eyes scanned the numbers, and once he understood them, his expression darkened.

"It's an Shadow Arcana," Shinjiro said grimly, extending the clipboard toward Hiro.

Junpei stood up abruptly, shock evident on his face. "You're kidding, right? Already?"

Hiro took the clipboard, studying the numbers. Mitsuru and Akihiko leaned in to look as well, their expressions shifting to surprise.

Mitsuru frowned, her mind already processing the new threat.

"But it appeared without a full moon?" Akihiko asked, scratching his head in confusion.

Fuuka looked at Shuji, her voice filled with concern. "So... we lost an Arcana?"

Shuji leaned back in his chair, his tone remaining calm. "That's the point I wanted to reach. Normally, it should only appear during a full moon."

He paused, adjusting his glasses before continuing. "But since we've been eliminating the other Arcanas, the remaining ones are looking for ways to grow stronger. They're appearing in random locations to consume souls."

Minato, arms crossed, locked eyes with Shuji. "Can we kill them when they appear like this?"

Shuji slowly shook his head. "Yes and no. When they manifest, we can attack them, but..."

Mitsuru, now holding the clipboard, analyzed the data, noticing the spike in energy followed by an abrupt drop to zero exactly two minutes later.

"But there wouldn't be enough time," she said, looking at the others with seriousness. "Even if an Shadow Arcana appeared right outside the dorm, we'd only have two minutes to fight it. And any damage it takes will be completely healed by the next time it appears."

"Two minutes?" Yukari looked at Mitsuru, her voice trembling with disbelief. "That's impossible! There's no way we can take it down that fast!"

Shuji discreetly glanced at his wristwatch. It was 4:47 PM.

With a satisfied smile, he stood up. "It's almost time," he said firmly.

Junpei, as curious as ever, leaned forward. "Time for what?"

With an almost solemn air, Shuji rose fully, as if about to announce something of great importance. "I want to inform you all that last night, I located a new Persona user. They should be arriving any moment now."

Mitsuru's eyes widened in surprise. "What? A new user? President, why didn't you inform us earlier?"

Before Shuji could respond, a knock sounded at the dormitory door.

Shuji walked to the entrance, opened the door, and exchanged a few words with the person outside—words that none of the others could hear.

Then, he turned back, wearing a satisfied smile.

"Let me introduce the newest member of S.E.E.S.," he announced. "Ken Amada."

All eyes turned to the door, and to everyone's surprise, the person who stepped inside was a boy. A child, around ten or eleven years old, with short brown hair and matching brown eyes.

He wore a black coat over an orange jacket and had sneakers with white socks.

The room fell into stunned silence. The idea of a child being involved in the world of Tartarus and Shadows seemed almost absurd.

Junpei was the first to break the silence, muttering, "A kid?"

Ken looked at everyone, then turned to Chairman Shuji with a serious expression. "Mr. Ikutsuki, do they know about Personas?"

Chairman Shuji simply nodded, his smile never fading as he adjusted his glasses.

Understanding, Ken clasped his hands together and bowed respectfully before everyone. "My name is Ken Amada. It's a pleasure to assist you in fighting the Shadows. I won't let you down!"

Yukari, Fuuka, and Aigis smiled softly, finding the boy's attitude both courageous and endearing.

Mitsuru, on the other hand, stood up and walked toward Ken, stopping right in front of him.

"It's alright, you can raise your head," Mitsuru said with a gentle smile.

Ken slowly lifted his head, his eyes meeting Mitsuru's before noticing Koromaru approaching, rubbing against his leg.

Smiling, Ken crouched down to pet the dog.

As he stroked Koromaru, he looked back at Mitsuru. "Aren't you Mitsuru Kirijo, the student council president at Gekkoukan's main building?"

Mitsuru crossed her arms and smiled. "Yes. Are you also a Gekkoukan student, Amada-kun?"

Ken stopped petting Koromaru and straightened his posture. "Yes, I'm in the elementary division."

Hiro, watching the scene with a somewhat reluctant expression, scratched his head. "Mitsuru, no offense to Ken, but… are we really taking a kid into Tartarus?"

Fuuka frowned, confused. "What do you mean by that, Hiro?"

"Look." Hiro crossed his arms, trying to organize his thoughts. "I think it's good to have more people in the group, but… First, there's Koromaru, and it's already weird enough that a dog has a Persona. And now, a kid? All that's missing is a talking cat with a Persona. If I ever see one, I swear I've lost my mind."

Junpei, leaning against the couch, nodded with a sigh. "Gotta agree with you on that, Hiro."

Shinjiro, who had been silently observing, locked his gaze on Ken. Something about the boy's presence unsettled him.

A flash of memory surged through his mind—the moment Kastor went berserk for the first time and attacked the innocent woman.

And in that memory, a child… A child witnessing his mother being executed right before his eyes.

A chill ran down Shinjiro's spine. He took a few steps back, running a hand over his face as he tried to push the memory away.

Without a word, he turned and began to leave the room.

Hiro, always observant, noticed the movement. He slowly got up and followed Shinjiro, leaving the others to continue their conversation with Ken.