PERSONA 3 DEVIL'S HERALD

...28/08/2009 Friday; Dark Hour...

Hiro looked around, confused, and took a few steps forward, moving toward the center of the fork in the path, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of interference.

Suddenly, Fuuka shouted, her voice filled with urgency. "Watch out! A Shadow is rushing toward you!"

The group quickly formed a circle in the middle of the intersection, all ready for action.

Hiro, the fastest among them, drew his kukri, spinning the blade between his fingers as he prepared for battle.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor, a monstrous noise reverberating against the narrow walls.

Yukari's heart pounded, and she felt a drop of sweat slide down her forehead.

Everyone turned their attention to the left corridor. From the depths of the darkness, a colossal Shadow emerged.

It was a massive golden hand, nearly five meters tall, its fingers writhing as if they were alive.

Hiro couldn't hold back his shock. "Holy shit… look at the size of this thing."

The group stared at the Shadow in stunned silence, bracing for the imminent fight.

Yukari let out a high-pitched scream of surprise, unable to control her reaction upon seeing the Shadow.

But to everyone's surprise, the giant golden hand screamed back, as if it had been just as startled, and suddenly turned around, sprinting down the corridor and vanishing into the darkness.

The group remained silent for several seconds, dumbfounded.

No one knew exactly what had just happened.

Confused expressions were plastered on everyone's faces as they tried to process the bizarre event.

Yukari, still in disbelief, slowly shook her head. "It… it screamed and ran away…?"

Hiro scratched his head, incredulous, then let out a nervous laugh. "Okay… that might be the weirdest thing that's ever happened here."

Ken squinted, trying to see into the dark corridor where the giant Shadow had fled.

From within the shadows, a new figure emerged.

It was another Shadow, its upper body slowly spinning, cloaked in a long black cape.

Where its stomach should have been, a sinister lantern glowed, while an orange mask with a single hole covered its eerie face.

Everyone assumed a combat stance. However, Hiro suddenly felt a strange throbbing in his mind, as if something were trying to crack open his skull. He shook his head, pushing the sensation away.

Minato was the first to act, charging at the Shadow with his sword. He unleashed three strikes—two horizontal and one upward diagonal—hitting the lantern embedded in the Shadow's torso.

The creature shrieked in anger but didn't retreat.

Hiro wasted no time. Sprinting toward the Shadow, he pulled out his Evoker and aimed it at his own head. "Lucifer!" he shouted before pulling the trigger.

A bright flash of energy surged through his head, and in response, Lucifer materialized behind him.

With a powerful beat of its wings, the Persona positioned itself for the attack.

Several purple energy spheres appeared around Lucifer, firing like bullets toward the Shadow.

The spheres struck the creature's head and lantern, but they inflicted no damage.

"Shit," Hiro muttered, biting his lip. "Darkness doesn't work."

Yukari, with impeccable precision, fired an arrow directly into the hole in the Shadow's mask, leaving it disoriented.

At that moment, Mitsuru's voice echoed through Fuuka's telepathy: "Amada-kun, use your Persona now!"

Ken took a deep breath, planting his spear beside him before grabbing the Evoker from its holster.

He looked at the weapon, fear evident in his eyes, but he gathered his courage. Holding it with both hands, he pressed the barrel against his forehead.

"Come on… you can do this… Don't underestimate me just because I'm a kid!" Ken muttered to himself, summoning all his strength.

"Appear, Persona!" he shouted, pulling the trigger.

A flash burst behind his head, and Ken's Persona, Nemesis, materialized.

Nemesis had a nearly fully mechanical body, with robotic components, and instead of a head and torso, massive orange eyes glowed menacingly at the Shadow.

A grotesque grin, filled with sharp teeth, adorned its face.

Nemesis spun its arms, and the saw blades attached to its body began whirring frantically.

A beam of light shot from its eyes, and Kouha—a spell of pure light—was fired directly at the Shadow.

The Shadow screamed in pain as it was struck, falling to its knees.

Seeing his opportunity, Ken grabbed his spear and rushed toward the Shadow.

With a decisive leap, he drove his weapon straight into the hole of the mask.

The Shadow began to dissolve into black mist, slowly vanishing as Ken, in a stylish motion, twirled his spear in his hands.

However, the weapon's shaft accidentally smacked the back of his head, and he fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Ow… damn it," Ken muttered, rubbing his head, visibly embarrassed.

Yukari, holding back laughter, stepped forward and offered him a hand. "You almost nailed it. Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

Hiro, on the other hand, continued staring at the spot where Nemesis had disappeared, a visible look of disgust on his face.

"Dear God…" he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "That Persona looks like a pizza cutter."

Fuuka's voice came through telepathy. "I've managed to capture Amada-san's Persona's energy levels. You can return now."

Ken looked at Hiro and Minato, a mix of anxiety and pride on his face. "How did I do?"

Minato, sheathing his sword, gave a small smile. "You did well. You've got a good fighting spirit."

Hiro, spinning his kukri before sliding it back into its sheath, added, "You just need to get used to the weight of that spear. It's way different from training ones—they're much lighter."

Suddenly, a sharp ringing sensation pulsed through Hiro's head.

He let out a pained groan and dropped to his knees. Immediately, Yukari and Minato rushed to his side, alarmed, trying to understand what was happening—only to realize Hiro had lost consciousness.

"Hiro!" Minato grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. "Hey, Hiro! What's wrong? Hiro!"

Ken watched, frightened by the situation. "What's happening?"

Yukari looked at Hiro, her expression filled with growing concern. "It's just like that time… when he heard something from the laptop. Fuuka! Teleport us back to the entrance, now!"

...??/??/???? The illusion...

Hiro found himself immersed in a black void, his mind lost in that strange realm of torment.

The darkness was suffocating, as if trying to crush him with its silence.

When he finally found the strength to move, he realized he was in a vast field where pools of blood spread across the blackened earth.

The metallic scent filled the air, and the grotesque sight sent a shiver crawling up his spine.

He stood up, confused, his heart pounding.

"Guys?" He shouted, hoping to hear the voices of someone from S.E.E.S. But nothing.

His voice echoed through the field, fading into the distance until only silence remained.

The feeling of isolation was overwhelming, and desperation began to tighten around his chest.

Then, a sinister laugh echoed behind him.

Hiro turned abruptly and, before him, saw Lucifer materialize.

His short white hair glowed under an invisible light, and his ruby-red eyes stared at Hiro with a mix of amusement and disdain.

His pale skin, contrasting with the black feathers tearing through his muscular body, made him appear both divine and terrifying.

The white wings—somehow unsettling in his ominous form—completed the infernal image.

Lucifer examined his own nails, indifferent, before speaking with a tone full of contempt. "I was wondering if you had forgotten about me. After all, after that... little fit of rage, you haven't summoned me since. Why is that? Are you avoiding me, Hiro?"

Hiro felt his anger bubbling inside.

"You son of a bitch... What do you want?" He spat the words, the nervousness creeping in.

Lucifer took a few steps toward Hiro, laughter echoing from his lips as his crimson eyes fixed on Hiro's. "Oh? Didn't I say? You haven't used me in quite some time. You're rejecting the power you yourself carry... Am I wrong? After all, you've come to understand that your role is to kill things."

The words hit Hiro like a weight, but he reacted immediately, clenching his fists tightly. "I don't want to kill innocent people! What I kill are monsters that devour people's souls and leave them in an eternal vegetative state!"

Lucifer spread his arms wide, his gaze sharp. "And yet, that's exactly what you're doing."

Hiro felt the ground tremble beneath his feet, his eyes widening in pure shock. "What?"

Lucifer stifled a chuckle, almost theatrically. "Shadows are born from human emotions. And what do they do? They devour the souls of their own humans. And what do you and S.E.E.S. do? That's right! You kill innocents!"

Lucifer's laughter echoed through the empty field, a sound that sliced through Hiro's sanity like a sharp blade.

Hiro looked down at his hands, feeling rage explode within him.

"I... AM NOT A MURDERER!" Hiro shouted, his voice filled with desperation.

Lucifer feigned wiping away a tear, still laughing. "But I never said you were a murderer... Did I? But that doesn't mean there's no blood on your hands. You kill and kill, without realizing you're trapped in an endless cycle. A well-crafted lie that keeps you killing more and more. Are you seriously not seeing that you're stuck in a wheel that never stops turning?"

Lucifer's words struck deep, tearing apart any sense of reality Hiro desperately tried to cling to.

And then, something inside him snapped. His eyes turned red, a bestial glow overtaking his vision.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He roared, charging furiously at Lucifer, his fists swinging at him.

But every punch went right through Lucifer's body as if he were made of air. Lucifer only laughed harder.

"Yes… You're becoming exactly what you don't want to be. A monster!" Lucifer taunted.

"I AM NOT A MONSTER!" Hiro bellowed, throwing himself at Lucifer.

He pinned Lucifer to the ground and started punching his face repeatedly, blinded by fury.

With each strike, Lucifer only laughed louder, and blood started splattering across Hiro's face.

Blow after blow, the blood covered his vision, but he kept going.

His fists, now stained red, his heart racing, the murderous look in his eyes—fury consuming everything.

He felt the raw strength in his muscles, letting out a primal scream as he kept punching Lucifer. But then, he noticed someone standing behind him.

"And what exactly are you doing now? Yes, hypocrisy. You claim you're not a monster, yet here you are, screaming like one."

Lucifer's voice was close to his ear, laced with scorn and irony.