Persona 2: Innocent Sin Novel, Chapter 2 (English Translation)
On the day the accident occurred, there was a light drizzle of rain.
Anna was rushing on the way back home from school. Not only had her club activities gone late, but the weather was bad and it was already dark out. Since the walk signal had turned green, she started to cross the street.
Then, it charged into her. A speeding sedan.
She remembered the headlights, that were like a monster’s eyes. She felt like she was going to scream. The umbrella and bag she’d been holding were sent flying. Once Anna’s body had been tossed into the air, she slammed into the ground. She couldn’t remember anything. She immediately lost consciousness with the first impact.
An ambulance called by a witness brought her to the hospital. She wasn’t in serious condition since she hadn’t hit her head, but there was a compound fracture in her right leg.
The assailant had attempted to flee right after, but because the witness had memorized the license plate number, he was quickly apprehended. It was a middle-aged office worker. Being extremely intoxicated, he was in no condition to comply with the investigation. As one would expect from a hit and run, he was confused, but when he heard about Anna’s condition, he spoke in an unclear, drunken voice, “She isn’t dead? What, she isn’t dead? So there wasn’t anything for me to run away from then.”
The doctor performing Anna’s medical examination spoke in a mechanical tone, “It’s unfortunate that you were injured to this degree, but there is a silver lining. You’ll undoubtedly recover. Be patient and do your best in rehabilitation. You may develop a bit of a limp, but it should pose no inconvenience.”
She was scared to ask questions. Staring intently at the cast on her leg, she finally mustered up some courage. Ensuring there was no quiver in her voice, she struggled to ask, “—I do track and field. Will I be able to run again?”
The doctor didn’t respond right away.
“—I’m afraid not.”
He spoke frankly, giving a clear explanation.
“To continue as an athlete would be impossible. But, a mishap like this could be a blessing, if you think about it. It’s not unusual for these sorts of incidents to end much worse.”
For one month after being discharged from the hospital, Anna would go in for rehabilitation. But when she got to the point where she no longer needed to use crutches, she stopped going in for treatment. Since she wouldn’t be able to run anyway, she figured whatever they’d do would be pointless.
For awhile, she also stopped going to school. She’d shut herself in her room, listening to music with her headphones on and vacantly passing time. This, however, made her mother cry, so she reluctantly started going back to school. Three months had passed since the incident.
As soon as she set foot in the classroom, her classmate’s shocked eyes were cast upon her. Everyone’s gazes pierced her, making her skin crawl. Some girls with bewildered expressions timidly approached her.
“—Good morning, Yoshizaka-san.”
“—Oh, feeling better now?”
“—It’s been awhile. You seem to be doing well.”
Their reception was like an awkward school arts festival.
Without saying a word, Anna just looked around the classroom. Some other student’s bag was in her usual seat.
“—It’s because I changed seats.”
“—Your new seat’s over there.”
The classmate looked embarrassed as she pointed at a lone desk that stuck out, all the way in the back of the class.
Without a word, Anna made her way back and lowered herself into the seat. Everyone else had lost the nerve to say anything else, and just observed her from a distance.
She hadn’t come back. Irritated by her classmate’s annoying behavior, which felt like salt in the wound, Anna thought to herself.
She had never come back after all. To school.
Everyone looked over at her. Their faces showed sympathy, but on the inside they were laughing. The truth was that they found this horribly amusing. With her athletic career cut short by a traffic accident, the tragic heroine had made her debut.
Was she supposed to be moved to tears? If she bit her lip and hung her head, would everyone weep for her? What a joke.
Anna was untalkative and bad at socialising with others to begin with, and was the type to have few friends. She felt a bit out of place in her class. She’d garnered national attention as a short distance runner, and there were many who envied her. Of course nobody expressed it publicly, but the reality was that people were invested in Anna’s accident.
She heard the whispering. Maybe they wanted her to hear the things they were saying.
—pathetic.
“—It’s a tragedy that you had to stop running ‘cause of the accident. It’s just like in a drama or a manga, isn’t it?”
“—but isn’t she unexpectedly composed? You’d think she’d be more depressed.”
“—if it were me, I’d wear myself out from crying. How does Yoshizaka-san stay so composed? She’s the same as ever, I don’t understand.”
During lunch break, Noriko Katayama, a lower classman in the track and field club, had heard the news of Anna’s return and came running to her.
When she saw Anna, she cried, “Onee-sama!”, tears streaming down her face. Noriko looked much more like the tragic heroine in this situation.
This was all a joke. Annoyed, Anna coldly drove Noriko away.
In the end, she’d only come back to school for a few days. Anna began to skip school. She’d leave her house with her bag, and wandered aimlessly around town to keep her mind off of returning to school. Before long, after being invited by a kid she’d become acquainted with at the arcade, she started visiting Club Zodiac regularly.
Up until that point, Anna had never had anyone from track and field to consistently hang out with, but after she’d entered this sort of venue for the first time, she quickly became familiar with it.
At first, Anna was seen as just another unimpressed, out of place regular, but soon enough that perception changed. Anna, who had trouble starting conversation with the other regulars (though occasionally, there were laid-back exceptions like Mitsuo), became the talk of the club because of the intrigue surrounding her. Anna overheard a group of boys with pimply faces as they whispered to each other.
“—That Anna chick is seriously dangerous.”
“—She has a deadly look in her eyes.”
“—I’m not on drugs, man.”
“—Whatever you do, don’t get into a fight with her.”
Anna blended into Club Zodiac. The venue was dimly lit, and the loud music made her thoughts melt away. There were tons of people who were enjoying themselves, but no one in this space was truly open to one another. It was a space where she didn’t have to think and could abandon herself to the music, where she could go off into a corner and smoke while aimlessly killing time.
If an earthquake were to suddenly strike, the whole place would be crushed and everyone would die—it was a daydream Anna often indulged in.
She didn’t think about suicide. It was too much effort.
She wondered if she even could die. A death like sleep, without suffering, without being conscious of it. That’s how she’d stagnate and pass her time everyday, until the day Mitsuo told her the rumor, and she came across Joker.
Anna would always go to Club Zodiac. Sitting alone in a seat by the wall, she let her gaze wander. Tonight wasn’t particularly crowded. Several customers were streaming on and off the illuminated dance floor like fish.
It was a sight she’d become familiar with, but it looked different from before. Now, she knew the hidden side of the store.
But for the time being, she wasn’t thinking about that room upstairs. She knew that this was one of the bases of the Masked Circle. Despite that room being the meeting place for the Masked Circle, she doesn’t yet know how to feel about all of this.
Anna slowly looked around the store.
Amongst the customers should be several participants in tonight’s ceremony. How about that girl with the shrill laugh over there? Or the boy in the seat over there who’s possessively putting his arm around a girl’s shoulders?
Well, it didn’t really matter. It wasn’t Anna’s business, who joins the Masked Circle, who is hiding what desires.
She was reaching for her drink when it happened.
“Onee-samaaaaa!”
She heard the familiar voice from far away. She turned her bored face towards the sound. It was Noriko Katayama, running up to her.
She probably wasn’t used to these kinds of stores. Her face was stiff with anxiety. With her childish face and lack of style, she was very out of place. Even worse, she was wearing Sevens’ track and field uniform.
A number of customers giggled while looking at them. Noriko stopped in front of Anna, took a deep breath, and spoke in a voice that almost sounded like she was crying.
“Fi-finally I found you…...I, I went around and asked everyone…...I was told that you come to this store a lot…... I went to look for you right away. I was wondering where on earth you could be since you don’t come to school anymore.”
Her voice was sweet. Anna was annoyed.
Anna ignored her and took a cigarette out. Then, as if she’d come across a monster, Noriko let out a scream and began to tremble.
“Ple-please stop that Onee-sama! Smoking is a delinquent sort of thing! Please stop drinking alcohol as well! It’ll destroy your body, and you’ll never be able to run again……”
Anna inhaled smoke from the cigarette, and exhaled it in Noriko’s face.
Noriko’s face scrunched up. She rapidly blinked her big eyes as tears welled up.
“......Onee-sama, you idioooot!”
Shouting like a child, Noriko ran off.
Anna sighed and put out the cigarette, and downed the rest of the alcohol in her glass. It was disgusting. It was that weird girl’s fault.
“You’re real cool, Anna-san. That girl was a second year, Katayama-san, wasn’t it? She seems a little pathetic though……” Came Mitsuo’s voice, who had apparently witnessed the scene. When Anna glared at him, he replied with a fearful “sorry,” then ran away.
How irritating. Why was she constantly pestered by these people? Why couldn’t everyone just mind their own business?
As Noriko opened the door to leave, she passed new customers as they entered. A group of five. Two of them wore Sevens uniforms, one wore a Cuss uniform, and two were older women……
Anna’s eyes stopped on the boy wearing the Sevens uniform. She recognized his face.
It was Tatsuya Suou. Anna’s classmate…...no, former classmate.
Anna was a little surprised. This was unexpected. This was the first time she’d seen his face around here.
Tatsuya had a similar situation to Anna as a student. He didn’t fit in with the rest of the class, and was always distant with others. He barely has any friends at school, and he has a reputation of being an oddball. She didn’t think he’d be the type to hang out at this sort of place.
Following Tatsuya closely was a girl wearing a similar Sevens uniform. Her appearance indicated that she was white. Blonde hair, blue eyes, white skin, long legs. Her looks made her stand out. Anna’s seen her a few times at school and Club Zodiac. She’s definitely a second year student.
The boy with the Cuss uniform had blue dyed hair and came off as a narcissist. He glared across everyone in the store with eyes that were looking to pick a fight, rolling his shoulders back. He seemed too self-conscious.
She couldn’t tell much about the last two. Both were women in their twenties. One woman wore a two-piece outfit with a bold design and knee-high boots. The other one had a more rough style. Neither of them looked like office workers, but they also didn’t seem like university students. Altogether, it was an odd assortment of people.
If Tatsuya saw her, it could turn into an awkward situation. But still, it wasn’t that big of an issue. Although they were in the same class, they’d never really spoken to each other.
Both Tatsuya and Anna are the type to hate concerning themselves with others’ business. Even if Tatsuya did notice her, he’d undoubtedly pretend he didn’t recognize her and walk past.
Anna took out another cigarette. There was about 30 minutes until the start of the ceremony. Is it possible Tatsuya’s group came in order to join the Masked Circle……?
Anna put the cigarette in her mouth, but the second she lit it, it disappeared.
The feat happened in the blink of an eye. Before she knew it, one of the women in Tatsuya’s group had come up to her and snatched the cigarette away.
Anna stared at the woman. The woman looked down at Anna with a harsh gaze.
She looked to be an orderly woman. She wore a black turtleneck under a grey jacket, and yellow pants. With her eyebrows tensed, she truly seemed strong-willed. Because she was tall, being looked down on gave her a sense of intimidation.
“Quit overdoing it. It’s not cool.” The woman said in a threatening tone.
Anna sighed, unamused. She’d rather be anywhere else now. This woman was the type to be in a public morals committee.
She acts like an older sister, thinking she has authority over those younger than her, gloating with self-satisfaction.
“Who’re you?”
“Me? I’m Yukino Mayuzumi.”
“Why are you fussing over me? Why not just leave me alone?”
Anna took out her box of cigarettes from her pocket. The second she placed one in her mouth, the whole box went missing this time. The look on the public morals officer’s face was angrier, and she’d crushed the box in her hand.
“You’re Anna Yoshizaka, yeah?”
The woman had guessed correctly, and Anna furrowed her eyebrows.
“I’ve seen a picture of you. When you were at an inter-high school meet. Why’d you……”
Not listening until the end, Anna stood up. Tonight’s been nothing but weird customers. Noriko, this woman, she was fed up with it all. Why won’t they leave other people alone?
The Yukino Mayuzumi woman’s voice called out to Anna from behind her.
“You’re not mad?”
Anna stopped and looked over her shoulder.
Did she want her to be angry? Strange woman.
“I don’t like being bothered,” Anna replied, then made her way to the exit. As she tried to slip past the group, her eyes met Tatsuya’s for an instant. It looked like he wanted to say something, but ultimately kept quiet.
Anna left Club Zodiac. An unpleasant feeling spread in her chest like a black smoke.
Yukino Mayuzumi. Anna’s least favorite type of person. The type full of confidence, who would firmly believe she could never be wrong. Despite her appearance, her mindset was that of a stubborn PTA mom. “You’re not allowed to smoke, you’re not allowed to frequent these kinds of stores, I can’t say why, but I’m only thinking of what’s best for you” is something she’d say.
It was irritating and unbearable. She hated it. People like that, with encouraging eyes. People whose faces overflow with unyielding confidence, without even a trace of doubt.
—It would be best if those people disappeared.
In the end, Anna didn’t return to Club Zodiac that night after rushing out. She’d abandoned the induction ceremony she was told to come to. She was prepared to be reprimanded.
The next day, she promptly got a phone call from Taurus. The three other leaders of the Masked circle had gathered in the VIP room. As per usual, Joker was not present.
“Have a seat.”
When Anna arrived, Taurus spoke to her in a tone more harsh than the last time. Doing as he said, she sat down. Immediately, he began his attack.
“Why did you neglect the ceremony last night?”
“No particular reason.”
“Just ‘no particular reason’? Because of your departure, we had a serious problem.”
“Problem?”
“You’ve probably met them. Tatsuya Suou and Maya Amano……”
Anna was reminded of the woman that made her stomach churn from yesterday.
But, her name wasn’t “Amano”. She’d definitely called herself “Mayuzumi”.
“Who’s Amano?”
“—A witch.”
The voice that replied came from a different direction, and Anna turned to face it.
It was King Leo. Resting his chin in his hands on the armrest, he looked at Anna.
This was the first time she’d heard his voice. It was a hoarse, sullen voice.
Just like the other day, the right half of his face was concealed with a mask. The long hair that hung over his mask could’ve been bleached, natural, or extremely pale and dried out.
Judging from the uncovered half of his face, he looked to be in the later half of his twenties, but as evidenced in Queen Aquarius’ case, his real age was unknown. His face was pale, and he had prominent cheekbones.
Out of everyone else here, this man was the one Anna knew the least about. Taurus was a vain and deeply insincere man, Aquarius was a woman with corrupt ambitions, those were for certain. But what kind of character Leo was remained unclear. He had narrow, sunken in eyes that gave a ruthless and sinister impression. He was the type that she didn’t want to acquaint herself with, if possible.
“Witch…….?”
Having trouble understanding the meaning of his words, Taurus answered.
“Maya Amano is a journalist for an information magazine. It seems she became acquainted with Suou and the others while in the middle of covering rumors spreading around the city.”
The image of the mini-skirted woman in Club Zodiac came to Anna’s mind.
A journalist for a magazine? Anna could accept that. She figured her attire was too distinctive for an ordinary office worker.
“They are enemies of the Masked Circle. They’ve been said to be Joker’s greatest threat.”
“Why’s that?”
“There’s a reason. An old reason. Joker harbors an intense hatred for them. As we fulfil the In Lak’ech, revenge shall be enacted on them. That is Joker’s wish.”
“Revenge?”
“Well, I don’t know the details. At any rate, they intend to sabotage our plan. From here on out, they will be an interference. You should at least memorize their names and faces.”
She couldn’t care less about the affairs of Suou and Amano. Anna only felt animosity towards one individual.
“And Yukino Mayuzumi? She also a journalist?”
“Mayuzumi?........Ah, she’s a photographer. She works for the same magazine that Amano does.”
A photographer. Anna wasn’t impressed by her occupation. She hated photos. Photos mercilessly expose the things people want to keep hidden. She hated those who made a career out of photography even more. They chase after people who’ve met misfortune, trample on others’ privacy, and assault you with their inconsiderate camera flash. Her first impression of the woman, with her brash interference, was strengthened further. Just the thought of Yukino Mayuzumi’s strong-willed face irritated Anna.
Anna made a sour expression. Aquarius mockingly asked, “Lady, do you resent this Mayuzumi woman?”
“Not really.”
“Your face doesn’t say ‘not really’. You had a frightening look in your eyes just a second ago.”
“None of your business.” Anna turned away from her.
Aquarius looked disappointed, but Taurus changed the subject.
“Lady, you need to make up for your failure at Club Zodiac. Our next objective is Kasugayama high school.”
“Cuss?”
With that said, there was a boy wearing a Cuss uniform in Yukino Mayuzumi’s entourage. Anna remembered the blue haired boy as overly self-conscious and a narcissist.
“What’s up with Cuss?”
“There’ll be a school festival. The student council is hosting a masquerade. We’ll steal the Ideal Energy of the students that gather there.”
“I will go,” King Leo interjected.
Taurus looked startled. Anna thought he seemed quite scared of Leo.
“No, Leo, surveilling the high school students is Lady’s duty. The place you need to go is......”
“Do you order me?”
Leo’s voice was quiet. More than quiet, he sounded careless and indifferent. However, Taurus frantically shook his head.
“No, that wasn’t the plan. Of course, it would be reassuring if you accompanied her. Lady going alone would be worrisome.”
Anna tried to glance at King Leo’s expression, but she could only see the profile of his mask, so she couldn’t make it out.
By nature, Anna didn’t like doing things with others. Much less with a man she didn’t know what to think of. As much as she’d like to complain, Anna had no say in the situation.
“My my. What a tough situation.” Aquarius said, voice laced with laughter.
At this point, Anna couldn’t figure out if she was talking about the mission itself or about her teaming up with Leo.
It was the ideal weather for an autumnal school festival.
A cheerful sign announcing the school festival leaned against Kasugayama’s front gate, which was adorned with colorful paper streamers. The normally dull school had a cheerful atmosphere, with music playing in the background.
“This is the art club. Please check us out!”
“We’re the volleyball club, the match will start soon!”
“We’re running the refreshment booth!”
The students of Cuss were in high spirits, inviting guests over loudly and handing out flyers. Students from other schools as well as parents came to visit.
As Anna passed through the school gate she was greeted and given a flyer.
It announced the masquerade party. It was being hosted by the student council in the gymnasium. Entrants must wear the masks distributed to them by the student council.
Along with an illustration of a mask was writing that said “we await your participation!”, as well as a remarkably large signature by the student council president, Yasuo Inoue. Anna carelessly crumpled the flyer up and shoved it in her pocket.
Will Leo show up? Anna looked around but couldn’t see anyone that resembled him.
Instead, several strange kids caught her eye.
Strange—but nothing about their behavior was off. Their attire was unremarkable and they weren’t causing any commotion. Rather, they were completely immersed in the environment, and didn’t stand out at all. Even still, something about them seemed weird to Anna.
Although some students wore the Cuss uniform, some of them wore other schools’ uniforms and some were in casual clothes. The groups consisted of both boys and girls. There were kids walking alone, and some in a group.
Though they all had different clothes and behavior, they all shared the same peculiarities. Their expressions showed a complete lack of vitality. Their eyes were vacant, and it looked like they weren’t thinking of anything. They passed by like ghosts.
It was the same with those in groups as well. On the surface, it appeared they were chatting with each other about something, but upon closer inspection, there weren’t any conversations being formed. Their sentences were random, and spoken without any intonation.
Their faces were covered in a black shadow. Anna’s eyebrows furrowed lightly.
They’re shadowmen. Those who, according to the Masked Circle, have had their Ideal Energy leached from them.
It was different from what Anna had expected. In order to fulfill a dream, the ability to dream is relinquished.
For a second, Anna remembered her hatred for Joker’s methods, but immediately reconsidered.
Whatever. It wasn’t any of her business.
It’s not like Joker forced those people to call him. They get their wish granted, and become servants in return. They didn’t deserve sympathy.
“Lady Scorpio?” A breathy voice asked.
Anna turned her head to see a pale, skinny boy standing there.
He wore a Cuss uniform. The glasses he wore matched his studious appearance.
When Anna stared at him wordlessly, he nervously asked,
“Uh…...You’re Lady Scorpio…...right?”
When she nodded in response, a grovelling smile stretched across his miserable face.
“Ah, I thought so. I heard that an executive of the Masked Circle would show up today. I apologize, I was planning on meeting you at the school gate, but got caught up in some things…...oh, I’m Kasugayama high school’s student council president. My name is Yasuo Inoue, and I’m a second year. I’m honored to meet you.”
He held his hand out to give her a handshake. Anna didn’t acknowledge the gesture. The student council president withdrew his hand awkwardly, and continued in an increasingly grovelling tone.
“The Masquerade starts at 2. There’s still some time left. Um…...I’d like to talk with you about something. Would that be alright?”
Inoue led Anna to the side of the school building, where others couldn’t see.
Once alone, Inoue lowered his voice.
“We almost had an issue with today’s school festival.”
“Issue?”
“Do you know Tatsuya Suou?”
The instant she heard that name, the face that came to mind wasn’t Tatsuya’s, but Yukino Mayuzumi’s.
Anna erased the image from her mind and nodded.
“He, accompanied by his colleagues, tried to infiltrate our Kasugayama high school in order to put a stop to the school festival. What an outrageous idea! Of course, I wouldn’t allow such a thing. How could I allow this? I love this school. I won’t allow those elite Sevens snobs to defile my school……”
Inoue laughed a laugh that rang from the back of his throat.
“And because of that, using my quick wit, I locked them up. In the basement of this school is a bomb shelter. I heard it was used during the war. It normally isn’t used at all, but a rumor about it’s been spread. It’s terrifying. The grudge of the people who died in there long ago remains, and once you enter you can’t find the exit…...the grudge is definitely with them right about now. Indeed, I lured them into the trap I set. Heh heh…… until the end of the Masquerade they won’t be an issue.”
Inoue looked at Anna expecting to be praised, but Anna made no indication that she was paying attention.
The student council president’s expression changed to disappointment, but he quickly recovered.
“Well then, I have a request. You have the crystal skull that collects Ideal Energy, right, Lady Scorpio?”
Anna nodded.
“Uh…...could you lend it to me?”
“Huh?”
“Ah, uh, of course it’s fine if that’s not allowed.”
Inoue was afraid of making her upset. He spoke in a nervous tone.
“But, If you were to lend it to me, I definitely think you’d be satisfied. I want this school festival to be an absolute success. Up until now my school has been made fun of, but this is my chance to prove that we’re superior to Sevens. I really didn’t want to go to this kind of school. If it weren’t for my health getting worse on the day of entrance exams I wouldn’t go to this kind of school. It’s unreasonable. After all, it was only one day that my condition worsened, and my true abilities aren’t suited to this third-rate school that I was forced to attend, and after this my future will be uncertain. Meanwhile, those jerks got into Sevens by pure luck. Don’t you think that’s funny? Don’t you think? I cannot excuse such injustice. I studied unrelentingly to no reward, and those guys don’t have to do anything to look good. No, it’s not just me. There are others who think so too. I must make this school festival a success for those unfortunate students. If it’s a success, then no one will call us scum anymore. Kasugayama high school will surpass Sevens, and become a first-class school……”
His logic was inconsistent, but he spoke enthusiastically. Behind his glasses, his beady eyes began to glimmer.
Anna turned her head back to see a crowd people flowing through the school gate. Leo was still nowhere to be found. What should she do?
“Lady Scorpio, I am loyal to the Masked Circle and Joker from the bottom of my heart. Because of that, I trapped Suou’s party in the bomb shelter, without regard to my own safety. If you lent me the Crystal Skull, you absolutely wouldn’t……”
“I get it.”
The boy’s incessant chattering was irritating. Fed up, Anna grabbed the bag.
If Leo wasn’t going to show up, then she didn’t have a supervisor. She supposed she could act as she wanted. This student council president seemed small-minded, but also seemed very willing. If she left the work to him, then she wouldn’t have to do anything to obtain Ideal Energy.
Anna took out the Crystal Skull, imposing the task on the student council president. Inoue’s eyes glimmered deviously.
“Incredible…...so this is a Crystal Skull…...Thank you so very much, Lady Scorpio. I will do my best not to betray your expectations.”
Inoue held the Crystal Skull above his head reverently, then bowed deeply and turned his back to Anna.
Ardently, he ran off in the direction of the gym. After seeing off his fleeing form, she turned her heel.
For now, she was able to save herself some of the work. The rest was up to him, regardless of how he displayed his ability. It was more or less confirmation that she could go home.
Anna remembered the bomb shelter he spoke of. Anna looked down at her feet.
Was there really an enormous cavern hollowed out beneath her? A bomb shelter that was used during the war?
Was Tatsuya Suou and his team really imprisoned there right now? Was that strong-willed expression of Yukino Mayuzumi’s twisted in fear and distress? Unable to find the exit, frantically walking around in the dark, clawing at the solid walls of rock with their nails……
Well, it wasn’t her business. Anna shook off the grim vision that had popped into her head.
Whatever they were doing wasn’t any of Anna’s concern. As long as the mission with the Masquerade was a success, Anna’s work was complete.
When Anna went back to the lively schoolyard, she almost didn’t notice. Before she knew it, looming near the wall of the school building was King Leo, looking over at her.
As per usual, a mask concealed half his face, and a long coat enveloped his tall figure. If he were downtown, he’d probably draw attention to himself, but today was different. Since people were milling around wearing masks distributed by the student council for the Masquerade, his mask didn’t stand out at all. Anna approached Leo, and stopped a few steps away. Leo’s lips formed a cruel smile as he looked back at Anna.
“The Masquerade begins at 2,” Anna informed him, but he had no reaction.
“I left the crystal skull with the student council president. He seemed willing. He also seemed to be more capable of handling it than me.”
Leo nodded silently.
Anna was losing some of the wariness she had for him. She wasn’t criticized for giving up the Crystal Skull, so she felt a sense of relief. Compared to Taurus’ nagging, he appeared to be a companion that was easy to deal with.
Leo asked, “You seen the witch?”
Witch. He meant Maya Amano. Anna shook her head.
“It sounds like they’re in the basement.”
“Basement?”
“There’s a bomb shelter. The student council president trapped them in there.”
Leo stared fixedly at the ground as if to see through it.
“Why do you call her a witch?” She asked casually. Leo’s lips slowly twisted into a smile, as if he were laughing.
“That woman……” His tone was exceedingly carefree.
But Anna hadn’t yet realized what Leo was trying to do.
He arduously lifted his arm, grabbing hold of the mask that covered his face.
The half of his face he had hidden was now visible.
Anna gasped. The right side of his face had been horrifically burned.
The scar from the burn was hideous. The discoloration of his skin was reddish-brown, like lava. He was missing his right eyeball, all that remained was a gaping black eye socket.
“I’d call her a demon,” Leo said in an eerily pained tone, as he gently stroked the skin with his fingers.
Anna couldn’t say anything. Completely dumbfounded, all she could do was stare at his unsightly face.
“Ten years ago in the summer…...at Alaya Shrine. The witch and the brat called on some demons to attack me. The girl shouted from inside the shrine. The brat appeared out of nowhere. A demon burst out of the brat’s body and sprang at me. There was fire…...flames burst out like a serpent, and stuck out like a bright red tongue…...it was blazing hot. I can’t forget it. That pain I felt……”
It was awful.
She was late to realizing it.
Leo’s voice was tinged with passion, and it was difficult to understand him with how rapidly he spoke. The instant his voice jumped to a shrill tone, his hand quickly reached out and seized Anna’s neck.
There was no room for escape. Within a second, Anna, with her throat squeezed in Leo’s large hand, had the back of her head slammed against the wall.
Sparks scattered in her vision. Leo gripped her neck with one hand effortlessly, brought his indulgent face close to Anna, and burst out laughing in a hoarse voice.
“Don’t you interfere. They’re killing me. I’ll do as they did to me, I’ll set them ablaze until their skin is charred and peels off of their faces, until there’s nothing left but bone. You hear me? It’s the voices. Tzitzimitl has the nerve to ridicule me. It’s the voices, the voices! They have the nerve to order me around!”
Her throat was being constricted so forcefully that tears began to well up. She couldn’t breathe. She was tacked to the wall like an insect specimen, her feet dangling midair.
He’ll kill her.
She was terrified. She wasn’t afraid of anything, is what she’d previously believed. But now, Anna was covered in goosebumps from the terror she felt.
Not for the premonition of death. King Leo peered at Anna point-blank with his one eye, which evoked a purely visceral, primitive terror. His pupil was the size of a pin, an evil look. It was not the eye of a sane person.
Anna remembered the whisperings of some boys she overheard in Club Zodiac. “That Anna chick’s real dangerous. She’s got a dangerous look in her eyes.”
She wanted to tell those naive boys. Ask them if they’d still say that upon seeing this scene. Compared to this psycho bastard, Anna was a perfect, sensible person.
Just before she was about to pass out, Leo let go of her, seeming to lose interest.
Anna’s body was lowered down slowly.
Her knees suddenly buckled, and she collapsed. Air rushed into her lungs. She coughed violently as tears ran down her face.
During Anna’s coughing fit, she finally understood. The reason Taurus had panicked, and Queen Aquarius sneered. Leo’s job wasn’t to oversee Anna. It was the opposite. It was far too dangerous to leave this man unchecked, so the task fell on Anna.
Gradually, Anna’s coughing fit calmed down. Anna lifted her face, wiping her tears away. But, Leo had already disappeared.
At the entrance of the gym, boys wearing the Cuss uniform were lined up.
“To enter, please wear your mask.”
It seemed to be the student council. Ignoring him, Anna tried to enter the gym.
“Ah, you there. Hold on, you can’t go in without a mask……”
Anna glanced over at him.
When the serious-looking student met eyes with Anna, he suddenly became flustered. He probably had orders from the student council president.
“Ah, sorry, never mind. Please carry on.”
He hastily left Anna’s side. The iron door before Anna opened up.
The intense beat made the air vibrate. A laser beam flew around the dim dance floor. All the parts of the machine were in place. The masked guests danced to the music.
Anna avoided people as she advanced further into the gym, then went up the narrow spiral staircase in the stage wing.
She continued along the overhanging catwalk above the gym. Since there was no one else in the area, she could observe the scene below.
It was a considerable success. The high school students’ dancing was a lively exchange. Seeing everyone wearing their white masks looked strange from above. A blue gem glittered on the forehead of each mask.
Anna scowled at the clamor of the music, rubbing her arm.
—Why?
In general, people were bustling around and fervently moving their limbs as they danced, but no heat was being circulated.
How was it cold in here? It was as if they were dancing in a giant refrigerator.
The song changed. A tumultuous breakbeat track. Because the sound was distorted and there were multiple reverbs, a much more abnormal rhythm could be heard.
Someone came out on the front stage. The student council president. He was holding the crystal skull Anna lent to him reverently with both hands.
Inoue was triumphant. Even from a distance she could see his face flushing with pride.
He shouted something as he touted the crystal skull above his head. He probably called out for attention, but his voice was drowned out by the music.
The demeanor of those dancing changed. Their movements became stiff. It wasn’t just one or two people, but everyone who was gathered here, everyone’s limbs began to crack when they moved, as if they’d suddenly forgotten how to dance. It looked more like they were puppets being manipulated on strings rather than dancing.
Anna returned her gaze to the top of the stage. The student council president shook the skull furiously over his head, and opened his mouth and laughed.
Suddenly, a light flashed in the skull’s eyes.
Placing her arms on the handrailing, Anna rested her chin in her hands and surveyed the gym.
The masked crowd raised their arms and continued to dance as if they’d gone mad. Blue light surged from each of the gems embedded in the forehead of the masks towards the Crystal Skull held by the student council president.
Many beams were emitted towards the Crystal Skull. The Crystal Skull absorbed the beams, and the sparkling of the gems increased drastically.
—Is that the Ideal Energy? People’s ability to dream. For Joker’s collection.
While watching the scene, the student council president’s behavior became strange. Up until now, his reaction has been very unexpected.
His triumphant face quickly changed into a pitifully tearful one. His face distorted in fear as he continued to hold the Crystal Skull with both hands raised above his head in a banzai-like position.
During this time, the lights emitting from the masks converged at the skull in succession. The skull became so bright that it looked like an explosion. As bizarre as it was, it glowed beautifully.
Inoue had no ability to control the Crystal Skull. Anna realized this too late. At this rate, they needed to collect energy from people before Inoue got burned.
That was when it happened. A sharp voice tore through the music.
“Anna?!”
Anna looked down at the dance floor. The face that she couldn’t possibly forget, that she despised, looked up at her in shock.
Yukino Mayuzumi. The photographer who’s an ally of justice.
She was with Tatsuya and the others. It appears they’ve escaped the bomb shelter. They’re a stubborn bunch.
“What are you doing here? You should get out of here quickly!” Yukino said in a worried tone. She pointed at the people who continued to dance,
“Look. Their energy is being absorbed and they become like shadows. There’s no time for a detailed explanation, but you need to leave as soon as possible. It’s dangerous.”
“I’m aware.”
Yukino’s concern was annoying. The interference. That fake-considerate expression.
The skull that the student council president was holding became increasingly brighter. The boy accompanying Yukino—the blue-haired narcissistic Cuss student—yelled as he rushed up to the stage.
“Yasuo! What are you doing? That skull, let go of it!”
“G….....get away!”
Yasuo screamed and then staggered as he disappeared out through the stage wing. He continued to hold on to the Crystal Skull.
“Hey, wait!”
The boy scrambled to pursue Inoue. Yukino looked at her companions, then at Anna, but ultimately decided on chasing after the boys.
Once again, things become more troublesome. Why couldn’t they have just stayed quiet in the bomb shelter?
Anna dragged her heavy legs and descended from the catwalk.
Upon exiting the gym, Anna looked up at the towering school building in front of her.
She realized it was where Inoue was located. Rather, it was where the Crystal Skull was.
The path taken by the skull was depicted by a blue line displayed on Anna’s retina. It’s upstairs. The student council president was headed towards the rooftop.
Anna entered the school building and climbed up the stairs. She could feel the skull’s power surge stronger as she approached it.
She made it to the top floor. However, when she tried to open the door to the rooftop, someone grasped her shoulder from behind.
She looked back to find Leo. She had no idea where he’d been up until now, but she hadn’t noticed until he was right behind her.
Half of his face was once again covered by a mask.
“Inoue went to……” She tried to explain, but Leo cut her off.
“The witches will catch up soon. Let the small fry deal with them.”
“But……”
Without listening to what Anna was saying, Leo handed over a white mask.
It wasn’t one of the cheap looking masks that the student council had handed out. It was a lot like the one Leo was currently wearing.
There was a blue crest engraved in the forehead of it.
Without any explanation, Anna understood.
It was a scorpion crest. The Scorpio mask.
Anna tried pressing it to her face. It gently clung on.
The mask controlled her personality. Something inside Anna changed the moment she concealed her face. Anna’s personality, her failure as an athlete, retreated into the depths of her unconsciousness, and a colder, more powerful mentality awakened.
Lady Scorpio. Anna knew that it wasn’t merely a code name, that when she put the mask on another personality appeared.
There’s Yasuo Inoue.
He was muttering something with his back pressed against the chain-link fence. Fearing the Crystal Skull, he was trapped in a panic. His eyes were bloodshot behind his glasses, and froth clung to the edges of his mouth. Lady Scorpio and King Leo looked down at his state from above the entrance to the roof. It was the ideal position because they could overlook the rooftop while remaining in the blindspot of those on the roof.
Just as she heard what she thought were hurried footsteps, the door swung open. The blue haired boy from before leapt out. Tatsuya’s party followed right behind him.
“Yasuo! You bastard! Whatever you’re planning, turn everyone back to normal!”
At the boy’s intimidation, Inoue began some excuse in a quivering voice.
As the scene played out, the exchange between the blue-haired boy and Inoue quickly broke down. Inoue yelled something in a shrill voice.
The air trembled. It was more akin to the roar of a beast than anything human, as if intending to destroy the listener’s spirit.
“Come, Persona!”
At the same time he cried out, Inoue’s body was enveloped in a blue light.
The blue-haired boy flinched for a second. However, his body released a tremendous fighting spirit a moment later.
His fighting spirit immediately formed into something human-like. Glowing limbs bent gracefully, then attacked Inoue. Inoue was sent flying and tumbling.
At the same time, Tatsuya Suou sprung into action. A figure resembling a god of war clad in gold armor appeared from his body.
A fire attack. It was a bright red whip aimed at Inoue.
Inoue wrenched his body away, narrowly avoiding a direct hit, and at the same time he sprung back up, he shot back a blade of wind.
The sound of cutting into flesh was heard. The blonde girl had received the slice and collapsed.
Maya Amano spread both arms out to protect her. From Maya’s body sprung a goddess emitting a light pink aura. The figure had a comforting, gentle smile.
A sparkling spray came from the goddess’ fingers. The gentle rain struck, and healed the injured girl……
“Is that…...a Persona?” Lady Scorpio muttered, looking down on the fight.
King Leo let out a muffled laugh from behind his mask, and muttered something. However, Anna couldn’t make it out.
Anna shuddered. The average person wouldn’t be able to perceive such high speed movements, but Anna was mesmerized.
The scene was unimaginable. It couldn’t be of this world. It was a fierce battle of legend…...it was beautiful.
This is the power of Persona.
The complexity of the self, a flurried transformation like a kaleidoscope.
With a sharp yell, Yukino unleashed her Persona.
Her Persona was the embodiment of a ferocious empress. She backed Tatsuya up with an orange pillar of flame aimed at Inoue.
The victor was obvious. It didn’t take long. Inoue was overwhelmed, cornered, and finally collapsed to his knees.
Tatsuya’s party didn’t finish him off. They surrounded him and asked him something. More than likely, they were interrogating him about the Masked Circle or the Crystal Skull.
Lady Scorpio leapt out. Her body moved before she could think. Her injured leg moved with ease. In fact, it seemed to move better than when she was an athlete.
The leap wasn’t something a human was capable of. Maybe it was from the Persona battle she’d witnessed—or maybe the scorpion mask attached to her face that had pulled out a dormant power. Without making a sound, she landed directly behind Yukino and the others.
Everyone turned around simultaneously. Yukino’s expression stiffened in shock as she cried out.
“An…...na?”
With a single lash of her whip, she took back the Crystal Skull that had rolled away from Inoue.
“Anna. You’re Anna, aren’t you? That mask…...you couldn’t possibly…...what the hell is going on?”
Yukino was uncharacteristically flustered.
Lady didn’t look over there. For some reason, she couldn’t look.
The personality repressed by the mask was made aware of the distress. Yukino’s voice was…...terrifying.
Lady lightly shook her head, brushing off those useless thoughts. As long as she took back the Crystal Skull, she had no more business at this school. It was time for her to leave.
A horrible scream rang out.
When Lady turned towards the sound, she was speechless.
Inoue’s body was burning. Flames erupted out from the center of his chest, and he swung both his arms around desperately in a grotesque dance.
The incident only lasted momentarily. Where the fire came from was unknown. The student council president was suddenly engulfed in flames, becoming a human-shaped pillar of fire.
His screams of agony soon disappeared. He was no longer in any condition to use his voice. His body, now a carbonized stump, lurched forward and collapsed. In an instant, his dried-out body crumbled and dissolved with a dry sound.
A woman’s scream rang out.
“No…...Nooooo!”
The scream sounded like it tore up her throat.
It was Maya Amano. The woman that Leo called a witch was screaming and cowering.
The blue-haired boy, flustered, held out his hand for her, but it was no use.
“No…...Nooo…...ahhhh…..I’m scared…...I’m scared, dad…...I’m scared I’m scared dad dad dad……!”
Maya covered her ears with her hands, continuing to raise her voice in a panic. Her voice sounded like a little girl’s.
Someone had suddenly burst into flames before their eyes. It was reasonable to feel fear, but even so, Maya’s reaction was abnormally intense. It was as if she was the one who was set ablaze.
A loud laugh rang out. The voice was heart wrenching, tinged with a metallic quality.
“Witch, Cursed Star, do you remember?”
Before she knew it, the man with the lion mask had descended and stood next to Lady. He was the one responsible for turning Inoue into a pillar of flame. He probably intended it as a warning to Maya.
“The things you both did ten years ago…...the fire that night was beautiful, wasn’t it…...even now it’s seared into my brain. With my right eye melted, I’d say it’s sufficiently burned into my memory.”
Maya’s screaming stopped. She became limp, and appeared to lose consciousness.
“This is merely a warning. When it’s your turn, it won’t be such a meager fire. Witch, Cursed Star, you bastards will go to purgatory. Your fate is in his hands. You can’t escape it. Look forward to it, for the flames I ignite will be beautiful. It’ll be just like that night ten years ago…...I’ll ignite a fire so lovely it’ll sear itself into the depths of your brain…...”
Tatsuya stood as if to protect Maya, and glared at Leo. Leo burst into laughter again. His laughter scraped at their eardrums, as if irritating a nerve.
Then, Yukino shouted as if to suppress the laughter.
“Anna…...Are you insane? Did you willingly join the Masked Circle!?”
Her voice was thick, full of both surprise and fury.
Lady still didn’t look Yukino’s way. No matter what, she was unable to look over there.
—Was she scared?
Am I afraid of Yukino’s gaze?
That’s stupid.
She didn’t want to admit that. Lady Scorpio endured the annoyance, and with her eyes still averted, muttered something to Leo.
“Leo, don’t get involved with that woman.”
While taking a step back, she gave a warning.
“Yukino Mayuzumi—I’ll take care of her. She’s my kill. Don’t get in my way.”
She didn’t know whether or not Leo agreed. With no time left to make sure, she quickly turned away.
“Wait, Anna!”
The last thing she heard was Yukino’s furious voice.
Lady pursed her lips tightly, then vanished.
Translation notes:
There’s mention of Noriko’s use of “onee-sama” on her Megami Tensei wiki page:
“In the Japanese version, Noriko calls Anna Onē-sama (お姉様), a very respectful way of saying "older sister". In Japan, it is common to call young people who are older than you "big brother/sister" (for older people, it's "uncle/aunt") as a form of respect or admiration even if they aren't related, which can be compared to calling someone "mister" or "miss/ma'am" in the West. The fact that there isn't much of an age gap between Noriko and Anna and the use of the -sama honorific demonstrates how devoted Noriko is. The American release translates it as "big sis", implying that they are related even though they aren't.”
I decided to keep the original Japanese term here since I feel “sister” or “big sis” doesn’t aptly describe Noriko’s feelings towards Anna.
Anna was rushing on the way back home from school. Not only had her club activities gone late, but the weather was bad and it was already dark out. Since the walk signal had turned green, she started to cross the street.
Then, it charged into her. A speeding sedan.
She remembered the headlights, that were like a monster’s eyes. She felt like she was going to scream. The umbrella and bag she’d been holding were sent flying. Once Anna’s body had been tossed into the air, she slammed into the ground. She couldn’t remember anything. She immediately lost consciousness with the first impact.
An ambulance called by a witness brought her to the hospital. She wasn’t in serious condition since she hadn’t hit her head, but there was a compound fracture in her right leg.
The assailant had attempted to flee right after, but because the witness had memorized the license plate number, he was quickly apprehended. It was a middle-aged office worker. Being extremely intoxicated, he was in no condition to comply with the investigation. As one would expect from a hit and run, he was confused, but when he heard about Anna’s condition, he spoke in an unclear, drunken voice, “She isn’t dead? What, she isn’t dead? So there wasn’t anything for me to run away from then.”
The doctor performing Anna’s medical examination spoke in a mechanical tone, “It’s unfortunate that you were injured to this degree, but there is a silver lining. You’ll undoubtedly recover. Be patient and do your best in rehabilitation. You may develop a bit of a limp, but it should pose no inconvenience.”
She was scared to ask questions. Staring intently at the cast on her leg, she finally mustered up some courage. Ensuring there was no quiver in her voice, she struggled to ask, “—I do track and field. Will I be able to run again?”
The doctor didn’t respond right away.
“—I’m afraid not.”
He spoke frankly, giving a clear explanation.
“To continue as an athlete would be impossible. But, a mishap like this could be a blessing, if you think about it. It’s not unusual for these sorts of incidents to end much worse.”
For one month after being discharged from the hospital, Anna would go in for rehabilitation. But when she got to the point where she no longer needed to use crutches, she stopped going in for treatment. Since she wouldn’t be able to run anyway, she figured whatever they’d do would be pointless.
For awhile, she also stopped going to school. She’d shut herself in her room, listening to music with her headphones on and vacantly passing time. This, however, made her mother cry, so she reluctantly started going back to school. Three months had passed since the incident.
As soon as she set foot in the classroom, her classmate’s shocked eyes were cast upon her. Everyone’s gazes pierced her, making her skin crawl. Some girls with bewildered expressions timidly approached her.
“—Good morning, Yoshizaka-san.”
“—Oh, feeling better now?”
“—It’s been awhile. You seem to be doing well.”
Their reception was like an awkward school arts festival.
Without saying a word, Anna just looked around the classroom. Some other student’s bag was in her usual seat.
“—It’s because I changed seats.”
“—Your new seat’s over there.”
The classmate looked embarrassed as she pointed at a lone desk that stuck out, all the way in the back of the class.
Without a word, Anna made her way back and lowered herself into the seat. Everyone else had lost the nerve to say anything else, and just observed her from a distance.
She hadn’t come back. Irritated by her classmate’s annoying behavior, which felt like salt in the wound, Anna thought to herself.
She had never come back after all. To school.
Everyone looked over at her. Their faces showed sympathy, but on the inside they were laughing. The truth was that they found this horribly amusing. With her athletic career cut short by a traffic accident, the tragic heroine had made her debut.
Was she supposed to be moved to tears? If she bit her lip and hung her head, would everyone weep for her? What a joke.
Anna was untalkative and bad at socialising with others to begin with, and was the type to have few friends. She felt a bit out of place in her class. She’d garnered national attention as a short distance runner, and there were many who envied her. Of course nobody expressed it publicly, but the reality was that people were invested in Anna’s accident.
She heard the whispering. Maybe they wanted her to hear the things they were saying.
—pathetic.
“—It’s a tragedy that you had to stop running ‘cause of the accident. It’s just like in a drama or a manga, isn’t it?”
“—but isn’t she unexpectedly composed? You’d think she’d be more depressed.”
“—if it were me, I’d wear myself out from crying. How does Yoshizaka-san stay so composed? She’s the same as ever, I don’t understand.”
During lunch break, Noriko Katayama, a lower classman in the track and field club, had heard the news of Anna’s return and came running to her.
When she saw Anna, she cried, “Onee-sama!”, tears streaming down her face. Noriko looked much more like the tragic heroine in this situation.
This was all a joke. Annoyed, Anna coldly drove Noriko away.
In the end, she’d only come back to school for a few days. Anna began to skip school. She’d leave her house with her bag, and wandered aimlessly around town to keep her mind off of returning to school. Before long, after being invited by a kid she’d become acquainted with at the arcade, she started visiting Club Zodiac regularly.
Up until that point, Anna had never had anyone from track and field to consistently hang out with, but after she’d entered this sort of venue for the first time, she quickly became familiar with it.
At first, Anna was seen as just another unimpressed, out of place regular, but soon enough that perception changed. Anna, who had trouble starting conversation with the other regulars (though occasionally, there were laid-back exceptions like Mitsuo), became the talk of the club because of the intrigue surrounding her. Anna overheard a group of boys with pimply faces as they whispered to each other.
“—That Anna chick is seriously dangerous.”
“—She has a deadly look in her eyes.”
“—I’m not on drugs, man.”
“—Whatever you do, don’t get into a fight with her.”
Anna blended into Club Zodiac. The venue was dimly lit, and the loud music made her thoughts melt away. There were tons of people who were enjoying themselves, but no one in this space was truly open to one another. It was a space where she didn’t have to think and could abandon herself to the music, where she could go off into a corner and smoke while aimlessly killing time.
If an earthquake were to suddenly strike, the whole place would be crushed and everyone would die—it was a daydream Anna often indulged in.
She didn’t think about suicide. It was too much effort.
She wondered if she even could die. A death like sleep, without suffering, without being conscious of it. That’s how she’d stagnate and pass her time everyday, until the day Mitsuo told her the rumor, and she came across Joker.
*
Anna would always go to Club Zodiac. Sitting alone in a seat by the wall, she let her gaze wander. Tonight wasn’t particularly crowded. Several customers were streaming on and off the illuminated dance floor like fish.
It was a sight she’d become familiar with, but it looked different from before. Now, she knew the hidden side of the store.
But for the time being, she wasn’t thinking about that room upstairs. She knew that this was one of the bases of the Masked Circle. Despite that room being the meeting place for the Masked Circle, she doesn’t yet know how to feel about all of this.
Anna slowly looked around the store.
Amongst the customers should be several participants in tonight’s ceremony. How about that girl with the shrill laugh over there? Or the boy in the seat over there who’s possessively putting his arm around a girl’s shoulders?
Well, it didn’t really matter. It wasn’t Anna’s business, who joins the Masked Circle, who is hiding what desires.
She was reaching for her drink when it happened.
“Onee-samaaaaa!”
She heard the familiar voice from far away. She turned her bored face towards the sound. It was Noriko Katayama, running up to her.
She probably wasn’t used to these kinds of stores. Her face was stiff with anxiety. With her childish face and lack of style, she was very out of place. Even worse, she was wearing Sevens’ track and field uniform.
A number of customers giggled while looking at them. Noriko stopped in front of Anna, took a deep breath, and spoke in a voice that almost sounded like she was crying.
“Fi-finally I found you…...I, I went around and asked everyone…...I was told that you come to this store a lot…... I went to look for you right away. I was wondering where on earth you could be since you don’t come to school anymore.”
Her voice was sweet. Anna was annoyed.
Anna ignored her and took a cigarette out. Then, as if she’d come across a monster, Noriko let out a scream and began to tremble.
“Ple-please stop that Onee-sama! Smoking is a delinquent sort of thing! Please stop drinking alcohol as well! It’ll destroy your body, and you’ll never be able to run again……”
Anna inhaled smoke from the cigarette, and exhaled it in Noriko’s face.
Noriko’s face scrunched up. She rapidly blinked her big eyes as tears welled up.
“......Onee-sama, you idioooot!”
Shouting like a child, Noriko ran off.
Anna sighed and put out the cigarette, and downed the rest of the alcohol in her glass. It was disgusting. It was that weird girl’s fault.
“You’re real cool, Anna-san. That girl was a second year, Katayama-san, wasn’t it? She seems a little pathetic though……” Came Mitsuo’s voice, who had apparently witnessed the scene. When Anna glared at him, he replied with a fearful “sorry,” then ran away.
How irritating. Why was she constantly pestered by these people? Why couldn’t everyone just mind their own business?
As Noriko opened the door to leave, she passed new customers as they entered. A group of five. Two of them wore Sevens uniforms, one wore a Cuss uniform, and two were older women……
Anna’s eyes stopped on the boy wearing the Sevens uniform. She recognized his face.
It was Tatsuya Suou. Anna’s classmate…...no, former classmate.
Anna was a little surprised. This was unexpected. This was the first time she’d seen his face around here.
Tatsuya had a similar situation to Anna as a student. He didn’t fit in with the rest of the class, and was always distant with others. He barely has any friends at school, and he has a reputation of being an oddball. She didn’t think he’d be the type to hang out at this sort of place.
Following Tatsuya closely was a girl wearing a similar Sevens uniform. Her appearance indicated that she was white. Blonde hair, blue eyes, white skin, long legs. Her looks made her stand out. Anna’s seen her a few times at school and Club Zodiac. She’s definitely a second year student.
The boy with the Cuss uniform had blue dyed hair and came off as a narcissist. He glared across everyone in the store with eyes that were looking to pick a fight, rolling his shoulders back. He seemed too self-conscious.
She couldn’t tell much about the last two. Both were women in their twenties. One woman wore a two-piece outfit with a bold design and knee-high boots. The other one had a more rough style. Neither of them looked like office workers, but they also didn’t seem like university students. Altogether, it was an odd assortment of people.
If Tatsuya saw her, it could turn into an awkward situation. But still, it wasn’t that big of an issue. Although they were in the same class, they’d never really spoken to each other.
Both Tatsuya and Anna are the type to hate concerning themselves with others’ business. Even if Tatsuya did notice her, he’d undoubtedly pretend he didn’t recognize her and walk past.
Anna took out another cigarette. There was about 30 minutes until the start of the ceremony. Is it possible Tatsuya’s group came in order to join the Masked Circle……?
Anna put the cigarette in her mouth, but the second she lit it, it disappeared.
The feat happened in the blink of an eye. Before she knew it, one of the women in Tatsuya’s group had come up to her and snatched the cigarette away.
Anna stared at the woman. The woman looked down at Anna with a harsh gaze.
She looked to be an orderly woman. She wore a black turtleneck under a grey jacket, and yellow pants. With her eyebrows tensed, she truly seemed strong-willed. Because she was tall, being looked down on gave her a sense of intimidation.
“Quit overdoing it. It’s not cool.” The woman said in a threatening tone.
Anna sighed, unamused. She’d rather be anywhere else now. This woman was the type to be in a public morals committee.
She acts like an older sister, thinking she has authority over those younger than her, gloating with self-satisfaction.
“Who’re you?”
“Me? I’m Yukino Mayuzumi.”
“Why are you fussing over me? Why not just leave me alone?”
Anna took out her box of cigarettes from her pocket. The second she placed one in her mouth, the whole box went missing this time. The look on the public morals officer’s face was angrier, and she’d crushed the box in her hand.
“You’re Anna Yoshizaka, yeah?”
The woman had guessed correctly, and Anna furrowed her eyebrows.
“I’ve seen a picture of you. When you were at an inter-high school meet. Why’d you……”
Not listening until the end, Anna stood up. Tonight’s been nothing but weird customers. Noriko, this woman, she was fed up with it all. Why won’t they leave other people alone?
The Yukino Mayuzumi woman’s voice called out to Anna from behind her.
“You’re not mad?”
Anna stopped and looked over her shoulder.
Did she want her to be angry? Strange woman.
“I don’t like being bothered,” Anna replied, then made her way to the exit. As she tried to slip past the group, her eyes met Tatsuya’s for an instant. It looked like he wanted to say something, but ultimately kept quiet.
Anna left Club Zodiac. An unpleasant feeling spread in her chest like a black smoke.
Yukino Mayuzumi. Anna’s least favorite type of person. The type full of confidence, who would firmly believe she could never be wrong. Despite her appearance, her mindset was that of a stubborn PTA mom. “You’re not allowed to smoke, you’re not allowed to frequent these kinds of stores, I can’t say why, but I’m only thinking of what’s best for you” is something she’d say.
It was irritating and unbearable. She hated it. People like that, with encouraging eyes. People whose faces overflow with unyielding confidence, without even a trace of doubt.
—It would be best if those people disappeared.
*
In the end, Anna didn’t return to Club Zodiac that night after rushing out. She’d abandoned the induction ceremony she was told to come to. She was prepared to be reprimanded.
The next day, she promptly got a phone call from Taurus. The three other leaders of the Masked circle had gathered in the VIP room. As per usual, Joker was not present.
“Have a seat.”
When Anna arrived, Taurus spoke to her in a tone more harsh than the last time. Doing as he said, she sat down. Immediately, he began his attack.
“Why did you neglect the ceremony last night?”
“No particular reason.”
“Just ‘no particular reason’? Because of your departure, we had a serious problem.”
“Problem?”
“You’ve probably met them. Tatsuya Suou and Maya Amano……”
Anna was reminded of the woman that made her stomach churn from yesterday.
But, her name wasn’t “Amano”. She’d definitely called herself “Mayuzumi”.
“Who’s Amano?”
“—A witch.”
The voice that replied came from a different direction, and Anna turned to face it.
It was King Leo. Resting his chin in his hands on the armrest, he looked at Anna.
This was the first time she’d heard his voice. It was a hoarse, sullen voice.
Just like the other day, the right half of his face was concealed with a mask. The long hair that hung over his mask could’ve been bleached, natural, or extremely pale and dried out.
Judging from the uncovered half of his face, he looked to be in the later half of his twenties, but as evidenced in Queen Aquarius’ case, his real age was unknown. His face was pale, and he had prominent cheekbones.
Out of everyone else here, this man was the one Anna knew the least about. Taurus was a vain and deeply insincere man, Aquarius was a woman with corrupt ambitions, those were for certain. But what kind of character Leo was remained unclear. He had narrow, sunken in eyes that gave a ruthless and sinister impression. He was the type that she didn’t want to acquaint herself with, if possible.
“Witch…….?”
Having trouble understanding the meaning of his words, Taurus answered.
“Maya Amano is a journalist for an information magazine. It seems she became acquainted with Suou and the others while in the middle of covering rumors spreading around the city.”
The image of the mini-skirted woman in Club Zodiac came to Anna’s mind.
A journalist for a magazine? Anna could accept that. She figured her attire was too distinctive for an ordinary office worker.
“They are enemies of the Masked Circle. They’ve been said to be Joker’s greatest threat.”
“Why’s that?”
“There’s a reason. An old reason. Joker harbors an intense hatred for them. As we fulfil the In Lak’ech, revenge shall be enacted on them. That is Joker’s wish.”
“Revenge?”
“Well, I don’t know the details. At any rate, they intend to sabotage our plan. From here on out, they will be an interference. You should at least memorize their names and faces.”
She couldn’t care less about the affairs of Suou and Amano. Anna only felt animosity towards one individual.
“And Yukino Mayuzumi? She also a journalist?”
“Mayuzumi?........Ah, she’s a photographer. She works for the same magazine that Amano does.”
A photographer. Anna wasn’t impressed by her occupation. She hated photos. Photos mercilessly expose the things people want to keep hidden. She hated those who made a career out of photography even more. They chase after people who’ve met misfortune, trample on others’ privacy, and assault you with their inconsiderate camera flash. Her first impression of the woman, with her brash interference, was strengthened further. Just the thought of Yukino Mayuzumi’s strong-willed face irritated Anna.
Anna made a sour expression. Aquarius mockingly asked, “Lady, do you resent this Mayuzumi woman?”
“Not really.”
“Your face doesn’t say ‘not really’. You had a frightening look in your eyes just a second ago.”
“None of your business.” Anna turned away from her.
Aquarius looked disappointed, but Taurus changed the subject.
“Lady, you need to make up for your failure at Club Zodiac. Our next objective is Kasugayama high school.”
“Cuss?”
With that said, there was a boy wearing a Cuss uniform in Yukino Mayuzumi’s entourage. Anna remembered the blue haired boy as overly self-conscious and a narcissist.
“What’s up with Cuss?”
“There’ll be a school festival. The student council is hosting a masquerade. We’ll steal the Ideal Energy of the students that gather there.”
“I will go,” King Leo interjected.
Taurus looked startled. Anna thought he seemed quite scared of Leo.
“No, Leo, surveilling the high school students is Lady’s duty. The place you need to go is......”
“Do you order me?”
Leo’s voice was quiet. More than quiet, he sounded careless and indifferent. However, Taurus frantically shook his head.
“No, that wasn’t the plan. Of course, it would be reassuring if you accompanied her. Lady going alone would be worrisome.”
Anna tried to glance at King Leo’s expression, but she could only see the profile of his mask, so she couldn’t make it out.
By nature, Anna didn’t like doing things with others. Much less with a man she didn’t know what to think of. As much as she’d like to complain, Anna had no say in the situation.
“My my. What a tough situation.” Aquarius said, voice laced with laughter.
At this point, Anna couldn’t figure out if she was talking about the mission itself or about her teaming up with Leo.
*
A cheerful sign announcing the school festival leaned against Kasugayama’s front gate, which was adorned with colorful paper streamers. The normally dull school had a cheerful atmosphere, with music playing in the background.
“This is the art club. Please check us out!”
“We’re the volleyball club, the match will start soon!”
“We’re running the refreshment booth!”
The students of Cuss were in high spirits, inviting guests over loudly and handing out flyers. Students from other schools as well as parents came to visit.
As Anna passed through the school gate she was greeted and given a flyer.
It announced the masquerade party. It was being hosted by the student council in the gymnasium. Entrants must wear the masks distributed to them by the student council.
Along with an illustration of a mask was writing that said “we await your participation!”, as well as a remarkably large signature by the student council president, Yasuo Inoue. Anna carelessly crumpled the flyer up and shoved it in her pocket.
Will Leo show up? Anna looked around but couldn’t see anyone that resembled him.
Instead, several strange kids caught her eye.
Strange—but nothing about their behavior was off. Their attire was unremarkable and they weren’t causing any commotion. Rather, they were completely immersed in the environment, and didn’t stand out at all. Even still, something about them seemed weird to Anna.
Although some students wore the Cuss uniform, some of them wore other schools’ uniforms and some were in casual clothes. The groups consisted of both boys and girls. There were kids walking alone, and some in a group.
Though they all had different clothes and behavior, they all shared the same peculiarities. Their expressions showed a complete lack of vitality. Their eyes were vacant, and it looked like they weren’t thinking of anything. They passed by like ghosts.
It was the same with those in groups as well. On the surface, it appeared they were chatting with each other about something, but upon closer inspection, there weren’t any conversations being formed. Their sentences were random, and spoken without any intonation.
Their faces were covered in a black shadow. Anna’s eyebrows furrowed lightly.
They’re shadowmen. Those who, according to the Masked Circle, have had their Ideal Energy leached from them.
It was different from what Anna had expected. In order to fulfill a dream, the ability to dream is relinquished.
For a second, Anna remembered her hatred for Joker’s methods, but immediately reconsidered.
Whatever. It wasn’t any of her business.
It’s not like Joker forced those people to call him. They get their wish granted, and become servants in return. They didn’t deserve sympathy.
“Lady Scorpio?” A breathy voice asked.
Anna turned her head to see a pale, skinny boy standing there.
He wore a Cuss uniform. The glasses he wore matched his studious appearance.
When Anna stared at him wordlessly, he nervously asked,
“Uh…...You’re Lady Scorpio…...right?”
When she nodded in response, a grovelling smile stretched across his miserable face.
“Ah, I thought so. I heard that an executive of the Masked Circle would show up today. I apologize, I was planning on meeting you at the school gate, but got caught up in some things…...oh, I’m Kasugayama high school’s student council president. My name is Yasuo Inoue, and I’m a second year. I’m honored to meet you.”
He held his hand out to give her a handshake. Anna didn’t acknowledge the gesture. The student council president withdrew his hand awkwardly, and continued in an increasingly grovelling tone.
“The Masquerade starts at 2. There’s still some time left. Um…...I’d like to talk with you about something. Would that be alright?”
Inoue led Anna to the side of the school building, where others couldn’t see.
Once alone, Inoue lowered his voice.
“We almost had an issue with today’s school festival.”
“Issue?”
“Do you know Tatsuya Suou?”
The instant she heard that name, the face that came to mind wasn’t Tatsuya’s, but Yukino Mayuzumi’s.
Anna erased the image from her mind and nodded.
“He, accompanied by his colleagues, tried to infiltrate our Kasugayama high school in order to put a stop to the school festival. What an outrageous idea! Of course, I wouldn’t allow such a thing. How could I allow this? I love this school. I won’t allow those elite Sevens snobs to defile my school……”
Inoue laughed a laugh that rang from the back of his throat.
“And because of that, using my quick wit, I locked them up. In the basement of this school is a bomb shelter. I heard it was used during the war. It normally isn’t used at all, but a rumor about it’s been spread. It’s terrifying. The grudge of the people who died in there long ago remains, and once you enter you can’t find the exit…...the grudge is definitely with them right about now. Indeed, I lured them into the trap I set. Heh heh…… until the end of the Masquerade they won’t be an issue.”
Inoue looked at Anna expecting to be praised, but Anna made no indication that she was paying attention.
The student council president’s expression changed to disappointment, but he quickly recovered.
“Well then, I have a request. You have the crystal skull that collects Ideal Energy, right, Lady Scorpio?”
Anna nodded.
“Uh…...could you lend it to me?”
“Huh?”
“Ah, uh, of course it’s fine if that’s not allowed.”
Inoue was afraid of making her upset. He spoke in a nervous tone.
“But, If you were to lend it to me, I definitely think you’d be satisfied. I want this school festival to be an absolute success. Up until now my school has been made fun of, but this is my chance to prove that we’re superior to Sevens. I really didn’t want to go to this kind of school. If it weren’t for my health getting worse on the day of entrance exams I wouldn’t go to this kind of school. It’s unreasonable. After all, it was only one day that my condition worsened, and my true abilities aren’t suited to this third-rate school that I was forced to attend, and after this my future will be uncertain. Meanwhile, those jerks got into Sevens by pure luck. Don’t you think that’s funny? Don’t you think? I cannot excuse such injustice. I studied unrelentingly to no reward, and those guys don’t have to do anything to look good. No, it’s not just me. There are others who think so too. I must make this school festival a success for those unfortunate students. If it’s a success, then no one will call us scum anymore. Kasugayama high school will surpass Sevens, and become a first-class school……”
His logic was inconsistent, but he spoke enthusiastically. Behind his glasses, his beady eyes began to glimmer.
Anna turned her head back to see a crowd people flowing through the school gate. Leo was still nowhere to be found. What should she do?
“Lady Scorpio, I am loyal to the Masked Circle and Joker from the bottom of my heart. Because of that, I trapped Suou’s party in the bomb shelter, without regard to my own safety. If you lent me the Crystal Skull, you absolutely wouldn’t……”
“I get it.”
The boy’s incessant chattering was irritating. Fed up, Anna grabbed the bag.
If Leo wasn’t going to show up, then she didn’t have a supervisor. She supposed she could act as she wanted. This student council president seemed small-minded, but also seemed very willing. If she left the work to him, then she wouldn’t have to do anything to obtain Ideal Energy.
Anna took out the Crystal Skull, imposing the task on the student council president. Inoue’s eyes glimmered deviously.
“Incredible…...so this is a Crystal Skull…...Thank you so very much, Lady Scorpio. I will do my best not to betray your expectations.”
Inoue held the Crystal Skull above his head reverently, then bowed deeply and turned his back to Anna.
Ardently, he ran off in the direction of the gym. After seeing off his fleeing form, she turned her heel.
For now, she was able to save herself some of the work. The rest was up to him, regardless of how he displayed his ability. It was more or less confirmation that she could go home.
Anna remembered the bomb shelter he spoke of. Anna looked down at her feet.
Was there really an enormous cavern hollowed out beneath her? A bomb shelter that was used during the war?
Was Tatsuya Suou and his team really imprisoned there right now? Was that strong-willed expression of Yukino Mayuzumi’s twisted in fear and distress? Unable to find the exit, frantically walking around in the dark, clawing at the solid walls of rock with their nails……
Well, it wasn’t her business. Anna shook off the grim vision that had popped into her head.
Whatever they were doing wasn’t any of Anna’s concern. As long as the mission with the Masquerade was a success, Anna’s work was complete.
When Anna went back to the lively schoolyard, she almost didn’t notice. Before she knew it, looming near the wall of the school building was King Leo, looking over at her.
As per usual, a mask concealed half his face, and a long coat enveloped his tall figure. If he were downtown, he’d probably draw attention to himself, but today was different. Since people were milling around wearing masks distributed by the student council for the Masquerade, his mask didn’t stand out at all. Anna approached Leo, and stopped a few steps away. Leo’s lips formed a cruel smile as he looked back at Anna.
“The Masquerade begins at 2,” Anna informed him, but he had no reaction.
“I left the crystal skull with the student council president. He seemed willing. He also seemed to be more capable of handling it than me.”
Leo nodded silently.
Anna was losing some of the wariness she had for him. She wasn’t criticized for giving up the Crystal Skull, so she felt a sense of relief. Compared to Taurus’ nagging, he appeared to be a companion that was easy to deal with.
Leo asked, “You seen the witch?”
Witch. He meant Maya Amano. Anna shook her head.
“It sounds like they’re in the basement.”
“Basement?”
“There’s a bomb shelter. The student council president trapped them in there.”
Leo stared fixedly at the ground as if to see through it.
“Why do you call her a witch?” She asked casually. Leo’s lips slowly twisted into a smile, as if he were laughing.
“That woman……” His tone was exceedingly carefree.
But Anna hadn’t yet realized what Leo was trying to do.
He arduously lifted his arm, grabbing hold of the mask that covered his face.
The half of his face he had hidden was now visible.
Anna gasped. The right side of his face had been horrifically burned.
The scar from the burn was hideous. The discoloration of his skin was reddish-brown, like lava. He was missing his right eyeball, all that remained was a gaping black eye socket.
“I’d call her a demon,” Leo said in an eerily pained tone, as he gently stroked the skin with his fingers.
Anna couldn’t say anything. Completely dumbfounded, all she could do was stare at his unsightly face.
“Ten years ago in the summer…...at Alaya Shrine. The witch and the brat called on some demons to attack me. The girl shouted from inside the shrine. The brat appeared out of nowhere. A demon burst out of the brat’s body and sprang at me. There was fire…...flames burst out like a serpent, and stuck out like a bright red tongue…...it was blazing hot. I can’t forget it. That pain I felt……”
It was awful.
She was late to realizing it.
Leo’s voice was tinged with passion, and it was difficult to understand him with how rapidly he spoke. The instant his voice jumped to a shrill tone, his hand quickly reached out and seized Anna’s neck.
There was no room for escape. Within a second, Anna, with her throat squeezed in Leo’s large hand, had the back of her head slammed against the wall.
Sparks scattered in her vision. Leo gripped her neck with one hand effortlessly, brought his indulgent face close to Anna, and burst out laughing in a hoarse voice.
“Don’t you interfere. They’re killing me. I’ll do as they did to me, I’ll set them ablaze until their skin is charred and peels off of their faces, until there’s nothing left but bone. You hear me? It’s the voices. Tzitzimitl has the nerve to ridicule me. It’s the voices, the voices! They have the nerve to order me around!”
Her throat was being constricted so forcefully that tears began to well up. She couldn’t breathe. She was tacked to the wall like an insect specimen, her feet dangling midair.
He’ll kill her.
She was terrified. She wasn’t afraid of anything, is what she’d previously believed. But now, Anna was covered in goosebumps from the terror she felt.
Not for the premonition of death. King Leo peered at Anna point-blank with his one eye, which evoked a purely visceral, primitive terror. His pupil was the size of a pin, an evil look. It was not the eye of a sane person.
Anna remembered the whisperings of some boys she overheard in Club Zodiac. “That Anna chick’s real dangerous. She’s got a dangerous look in her eyes.”
She wanted to tell those naive boys. Ask them if they’d still say that upon seeing this scene. Compared to this psycho bastard, Anna was a perfect, sensible person.
Just before she was about to pass out, Leo let go of her, seeming to lose interest.
Anna’s body was lowered down slowly.
Her knees suddenly buckled, and she collapsed. Air rushed into her lungs. She coughed violently as tears ran down her face.
During Anna’s coughing fit, she finally understood. The reason Taurus had panicked, and Queen Aquarius sneered. Leo’s job wasn’t to oversee Anna. It was the opposite. It was far too dangerous to leave this man unchecked, so the task fell on Anna.
Gradually, Anna’s coughing fit calmed down. Anna lifted her face, wiping her tears away. But, Leo had already disappeared.
*
At the entrance of the gym, boys wearing the Cuss uniform were lined up.
“To enter, please wear your mask.”
It seemed to be the student council. Ignoring him, Anna tried to enter the gym.
“Ah, you there. Hold on, you can’t go in without a mask……”
Anna glanced over at him.
When the serious-looking student met eyes with Anna, he suddenly became flustered. He probably had orders from the student council president.
“Ah, sorry, never mind. Please carry on.”
He hastily left Anna’s side. The iron door before Anna opened up.
The intense beat made the air vibrate. A laser beam flew around the dim dance floor. All the parts of the machine were in place. The masked guests danced to the music.
Anna avoided people as she advanced further into the gym, then went up the narrow spiral staircase in the stage wing.
She continued along the overhanging catwalk above the gym. Since there was no one else in the area, she could observe the scene below.
It was a considerable success. The high school students’ dancing was a lively exchange. Seeing everyone wearing their white masks looked strange from above. A blue gem glittered on the forehead of each mask.
Anna scowled at the clamor of the music, rubbing her arm.
—Why?
In general, people were bustling around and fervently moving their limbs as they danced, but no heat was being circulated.
How was it cold in here? It was as if they were dancing in a giant refrigerator.
The song changed. A tumultuous breakbeat track. Because the sound was distorted and there were multiple reverbs, a much more abnormal rhythm could be heard.
Someone came out on the front stage. The student council president. He was holding the crystal skull Anna lent to him reverently with both hands.
Inoue was triumphant. Even from a distance she could see his face flushing with pride.
He shouted something as he touted the crystal skull above his head. He probably called out for attention, but his voice was drowned out by the music.
The demeanor of those dancing changed. Their movements became stiff. It wasn’t just one or two people, but everyone who was gathered here, everyone’s limbs began to crack when they moved, as if they’d suddenly forgotten how to dance. It looked more like they were puppets being manipulated on strings rather than dancing.
Anna returned her gaze to the top of the stage. The student council president shook the skull furiously over his head, and opened his mouth and laughed.
Suddenly, a light flashed in the skull’s eyes.
Placing her arms on the handrailing, Anna rested her chin in her hands and surveyed the gym.
The masked crowd raised their arms and continued to dance as if they’d gone mad. Blue light surged from each of the gems embedded in the forehead of the masks towards the Crystal Skull held by the student council president.
Many beams were emitted towards the Crystal Skull. The Crystal Skull absorbed the beams, and the sparkling of the gems increased drastically.
—Is that the Ideal Energy? People’s ability to dream. For Joker’s collection.
While watching the scene, the student council president’s behavior became strange. Up until now, his reaction has been very unexpected.
His triumphant face quickly changed into a pitifully tearful one. His face distorted in fear as he continued to hold the Crystal Skull with both hands raised above his head in a banzai-like position.
During this time, the lights emitting from the masks converged at the skull in succession. The skull became so bright that it looked like an explosion. As bizarre as it was, it glowed beautifully.
Inoue had no ability to control the Crystal Skull. Anna realized this too late. At this rate, they needed to collect energy from people before Inoue got burned.
That was when it happened. A sharp voice tore through the music.
“Anna?!”
Anna looked down at the dance floor. The face that she couldn’t possibly forget, that she despised, looked up at her in shock.
Yukino Mayuzumi. The photographer who’s an ally of justice.
She was with Tatsuya and the others. It appears they’ve escaped the bomb shelter. They’re a stubborn bunch.
“What are you doing here? You should get out of here quickly!” Yukino said in a worried tone. She pointed at the people who continued to dance,
“Look. Their energy is being absorbed and they become like shadows. There’s no time for a detailed explanation, but you need to leave as soon as possible. It’s dangerous.”
“I’m aware.”
Yukino’s concern was annoying. The interference. That fake-considerate expression.
The skull that the student council president was holding became increasingly brighter. The boy accompanying Yukino—the blue-haired narcissistic Cuss student—yelled as he rushed up to the stage.
“Yasuo! What are you doing? That skull, let go of it!”
“G….....get away!”
Yasuo screamed and then staggered as he disappeared out through the stage wing. He continued to hold on to the Crystal Skull.
“Hey, wait!”
The boy scrambled to pursue Inoue. Yukino looked at her companions, then at Anna, but ultimately decided on chasing after the boys.
Once again, things become more troublesome. Why couldn’t they have just stayed quiet in the bomb shelter?
Anna dragged her heavy legs and descended from the catwalk.
*
Upon exiting the gym, Anna looked up at the towering school building in front of her.
She realized it was where Inoue was located. Rather, it was where the Crystal Skull was.
The path taken by the skull was depicted by a blue line displayed on Anna’s retina. It’s upstairs. The student council president was headed towards the rooftop.
Anna entered the school building and climbed up the stairs. She could feel the skull’s power surge stronger as she approached it.
She made it to the top floor. However, when she tried to open the door to the rooftop, someone grasped her shoulder from behind.
She looked back to find Leo. She had no idea where he’d been up until now, but she hadn’t noticed until he was right behind her.
Half of his face was once again covered by a mask.
“Inoue went to……” She tried to explain, but Leo cut her off.
“The witches will catch up soon. Let the small fry deal with them.”
“But……”
Without listening to what Anna was saying, Leo handed over a white mask.
It wasn’t one of the cheap looking masks that the student council had handed out. It was a lot like the one Leo was currently wearing.
There was a blue crest engraved in the forehead of it.
Without any explanation, Anna understood.
It was a scorpion crest. The Scorpio mask.
Anna tried pressing it to her face. It gently clung on.
The mask controlled her personality. Something inside Anna changed the moment she concealed her face. Anna’s personality, her failure as an athlete, retreated into the depths of her unconsciousness, and a colder, more powerful mentality awakened.
Lady Scorpio. Anna knew that it wasn’t merely a code name, that when she put the mask on another personality appeared.
There’s Yasuo Inoue.
He was muttering something with his back pressed against the chain-link fence. Fearing the Crystal Skull, he was trapped in a panic. His eyes were bloodshot behind his glasses, and froth clung to the edges of his mouth. Lady Scorpio and King Leo looked down at his state from above the entrance to the roof. It was the ideal position because they could overlook the rooftop while remaining in the blindspot of those on the roof.
Just as she heard what she thought were hurried footsteps, the door swung open. The blue haired boy from before leapt out. Tatsuya’s party followed right behind him.
“Yasuo! You bastard! Whatever you’re planning, turn everyone back to normal!”
At the boy’s intimidation, Inoue began some excuse in a quivering voice.
As the scene played out, the exchange between the blue-haired boy and Inoue quickly broke down. Inoue yelled something in a shrill voice.
The air trembled. It was more akin to the roar of a beast than anything human, as if intending to destroy the listener’s spirit.
“Come, Persona!”
At the same time he cried out, Inoue’s body was enveloped in a blue light.
The blue-haired boy flinched for a second. However, his body released a tremendous fighting spirit a moment later.
His fighting spirit immediately formed into something human-like. Glowing limbs bent gracefully, then attacked Inoue. Inoue was sent flying and tumbling.
At the same time, Tatsuya Suou sprung into action. A figure resembling a god of war clad in gold armor appeared from his body.
A fire attack. It was a bright red whip aimed at Inoue.
Inoue wrenched his body away, narrowly avoiding a direct hit, and at the same time he sprung back up, he shot back a blade of wind.
The sound of cutting into flesh was heard. The blonde girl had received the slice and collapsed.
Maya Amano spread both arms out to protect her. From Maya’s body sprung a goddess emitting a light pink aura. The figure had a comforting, gentle smile.
A sparkling spray came from the goddess’ fingers. The gentle rain struck, and healed the injured girl……
“Is that…...a Persona?” Lady Scorpio muttered, looking down on the fight.
King Leo let out a muffled laugh from behind his mask, and muttered something. However, Anna couldn’t make it out.
Anna shuddered. The average person wouldn’t be able to perceive such high speed movements, but Anna was mesmerized.
The scene was unimaginable. It couldn’t be of this world. It was a fierce battle of legend…...it was beautiful.
This is the power of Persona.
The complexity of the self, a flurried transformation like a kaleidoscope.
With a sharp yell, Yukino unleashed her Persona.
Her Persona was the embodiment of a ferocious empress. She backed Tatsuya up with an orange pillar of flame aimed at Inoue.
The victor was obvious. It didn’t take long. Inoue was overwhelmed, cornered, and finally collapsed to his knees.
Tatsuya’s party didn’t finish him off. They surrounded him and asked him something. More than likely, they were interrogating him about the Masked Circle or the Crystal Skull.
Lady Scorpio leapt out. Her body moved before she could think. Her injured leg moved with ease. In fact, it seemed to move better than when she was an athlete.
The leap wasn’t something a human was capable of. Maybe it was from the Persona battle she’d witnessed—or maybe the scorpion mask attached to her face that had pulled out a dormant power. Without making a sound, she landed directly behind Yukino and the others.
Everyone turned around simultaneously. Yukino’s expression stiffened in shock as she cried out.
“An…...na?”
With a single lash of her whip, she took back the Crystal Skull that had rolled away from Inoue.
“Anna. You’re Anna, aren’t you? That mask…...you couldn’t possibly…...what the hell is going on?”
Yukino was uncharacteristically flustered.
Lady didn’t look over there. For some reason, she couldn’t look.
The personality repressed by the mask was made aware of the distress. Yukino’s voice was…...terrifying.
Lady lightly shook her head, brushing off those useless thoughts. As long as she took back the Crystal Skull, she had no more business at this school. It was time for her to leave.
A horrible scream rang out.
When Lady turned towards the sound, she was speechless.
Inoue’s body was burning. Flames erupted out from the center of his chest, and he swung both his arms around desperately in a grotesque dance.
The incident only lasted momentarily. Where the fire came from was unknown. The student council president was suddenly engulfed in flames, becoming a human-shaped pillar of fire.
His screams of agony soon disappeared. He was no longer in any condition to use his voice. His body, now a carbonized stump, lurched forward and collapsed. In an instant, his dried-out body crumbled and dissolved with a dry sound.
A woman’s scream rang out.
“No…...Nooooo!”
The scream sounded like it tore up her throat.
It was Maya Amano. The woman that Leo called a witch was screaming and cowering.
The blue-haired boy, flustered, held out his hand for her, but it was no use.
“No…...Nooo…...ahhhh…..I’m scared…...I’m scared, dad…...I’m scared I’m scared dad dad dad……!”
Maya covered her ears with her hands, continuing to raise her voice in a panic. Her voice sounded like a little girl’s.
Someone had suddenly burst into flames before their eyes. It was reasonable to feel fear, but even so, Maya’s reaction was abnormally intense. It was as if she was the one who was set ablaze.
A loud laugh rang out. The voice was heart wrenching, tinged with a metallic quality.
“Witch, Cursed Star, do you remember?”
Before she knew it, the man with the lion mask had descended and stood next to Lady. He was the one responsible for turning Inoue into a pillar of flame. He probably intended it as a warning to Maya.
“The things you both did ten years ago…...the fire that night was beautiful, wasn’t it…...even now it’s seared into my brain. With my right eye melted, I’d say it’s sufficiently burned into my memory.”
Maya’s screaming stopped. She became limp, and appeared to lose consciousness.
“This is merely a warning. When it’s your turn, it won’t be such a meager fire. Witch, Cursed Star, you bastards will go to purgatory. Your fate is in his hands. You can’t escape it. Look forward to it, for the flames I ignite will be beautiful. It’ll be just like that night ten years ago…...I’ll ignite a fire so lovely it’ll sear itself into the depths of your brain…...”
Tatsuya stood as if to protect Maya, and glared at Leo. Leo burst into laughter again. His laughter scraped at their eardrums, as if irritating a nerve.
Then, Yukino shouted as if to suppress the laughter.
“Anna…...Are you insane? Did you willingly join the Masked Circle!?”
Her voice was thick, full of both surprise and fury.
Lady still didn’t look Yukino’s way. No matter what, she was unable to look over there.
—Was she scared?
Am I afraid of Yukino’s gaze?
That’s stupid.
She didn’t want to admit that. Lady Scorpio endured the annoyance, and with her eyes still averted, muttered something to Leo.
“Leo, don’t get involved with that woman.”
While taking a step back, she gave a warning.
“Yukino Mayuzumi—I’ll take care of her. She’s my kill. Don’t get in my way.”
She didn’t know whether or not Leo agreed. With no time left to make sure, she quickly turned away.
“Wait, Anna!”
The last thing she heard was Yukino’s furious voice.
Lady pursed her lips tightly, then vanished.
Translation notes:
There’s mention of Noriko’s use of “onee-sama” on her Megami Tensei wiki page:
“In the Japanese version, Noriko calls Anna Onē-sama (お姉様), a very respectful way of saying "older sister". In Japan, it is common to call young people who are older than you "big brother/sister" (for older people, it's "uncle/aunt") as a form of respect or admiration even if they aren't related, which can be compared to calling someone "mister" or "miss/ma'am" in the West. The fact that there isn't much of an age gap between Noriko and Anna and the use of the -sama honorific demonstrates how devoted Noriko is. The American release translates it as "big sis", implying that they are related even though they aren't.”
I decided to keep the original Japanese term here since I feel “sister” or “big sis” doesn’t aptly describe Noriko’s feelings towards Anna.
Also, just some reminders: Tzitzimitl is one of the demons, and "Cursed Star" is a term Leo uses in the official English translation that I assume is in reference to Tatsuya.
GOOD WORK, PLEASEE CONTINUEEEE TWT
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