Naito's Falling Empire [Prime Awakening]

The male Tsurinai's head would be forced back by the sting from the two whip lashes. It had been quite some time since he had been on the receiving end of one of his sister's beatings. Raising a hand to his nose, he'd brush the pain away while narrowing his eyes towards her. This little game had become quite dull, and from this point on he'd make sure it was all serious. Kiyomi Mio played her part, but she wasn't needed for this anymore. The human decoy had taken the hits, and now it was time for him to deliver Soki's reward for being ever so patient. A thin smirk slowly came across his face as the azure tarot card fell before him. He wasted no time to extend his gloved hand and crush the card within his palm, calling forth the First Emperor of Japan, Jinmu-tennō. The Persona stood before Naito in all its splendor, pointing its blade towards the cracked memory fragment and awaiting its master's orders to attack. The Tsurinai would cross his arms and give a slight nod, signifying his Persona to go crazy, and as such the warrior sprung forward into action. Doing a short hop off the ground it would come down and stab its blade into the ground sending a powerful shockwave towards the Fragment of Soki. Thanks to the Power Charge it had recently cast upon itself, the attack was even more powerful than usual, and caused the very fabric of the room to become unhinged. The ground would shake and crack, books would fall from their shelves, and desks would be utterly destroyed by the physical pressure. Lucky for Kiyomi Mio, the Tsurinai had ordered his Persona to focus the attack forward only, so it would only damage Soki and not her. He did this on a whim, and honestly didn't care if she did or didn't get hit by the attack. In the end she was nothing but a liability just like everyone else he had come across in Ueitawa. Why they had the audacity to try and get involved in his personal life perplexed him, but this surely wasn't the time to think of such matters. Not in the middle of battle, atleast.

Once the attack was complete, the armor clad Persona would vanish back within Naito's subconscious. The silver haired teenager eagerly awaited the results of the attack. He was completely confident that it'd do some damage since he removed any change of the Fragment being immune or resistant to his physical attacks. And since he also debuffed her, that just meant her defense was down and she was more vulnerable for punishment. Having such prep time came in handy, and allowed for him not to cogitate over his attack in the least. His current expression was once of indifference, even though the shockwave from the attack knock debris towards his being. With a nonchalant pat, he'd brush the dust from his sleeves while keeping his eyes on the battlefield. It almost seemed like his mind was in a whole nother world doing battle. It didn't phase him, and taking the lives of the creatures that dwelled in the world of the supernatural was becoming more than just a hobby. It was becoming one of his main roles in life. Of course after the role of being a restorer of human evolution. That always came first no matter the circumstance. If the Fragment of Soki was to fall from this display of power, the Tsurinai would de-summon his blade and turn towards the door as if he were leaving. "I see what kind of place this is now. These memories are being corrupted by something.." He spoke to himself in a low tone as he thought about it. Was it his own ego corrupting them? Or perhaps his own antagonistic ways when dealing with those who shared his blood? Well, most likely he'd find his answer the further he pushed within the dungeon. But before he would leave this room, he'd have another talk with the intruder that made her way into his mind without an invitation. Kiyomi Mio. She needed to go before she learned far too much about him, his family, and his personal motives.

Tsurinai Naito:

Chance of Crit:

With the powerful blast from the shockwave, the smaller form of Soki Tsurinai would go flying back against a wall. Once hitting it with a thud, she'd begin to break apart similar to a glass sculpture. First her right arm fell off, then her leg shattered into pieces, causing her to fall face first onto the ground. Her remains were slowly crumbling away, and she'd slowly look up towards her younger brother with a surprising smile. Tilting her head to the side, Soki would force out a few last words. "You've grown strong, Nii-chan. What you're looking for is located in block four, surrounded by the Shadows that are invading this world. The cause of your memories going haywire is none other than yourself. When you achieved the power of Persona, you only received half of its true power. The other has hidden away, in the deep corners of your mind, and has slowly began to corrupt everything you know." She coughed as her remaining arm shattered into what appeared to be shards of glass. What was left was just her torso and one leg, as she laid there in a pitiful position. "Naito-kun, I know you remember we've always had a sort of rivalry between us, but you should also remember that I truly cared for you. Me, Miki, Mother, and even Father care for you. Though I guess Father has an odd way of showing it, huh? Hahaha..- egh." There went her torso and her remaining leg, only leaving her head behind. "Memories of Father, Mother and Miki are also here. Father is in block seven; Mother and Miki are in block eight. You can face them, or go directly towards the source of this problem. No matter your decision, Nii-san, don't let your own memories cause such strife in your life. You have the power to fix your past mistakes and rekindle the bonds you've lost. After all, without family, what else would we possibly have?" The Fragment of Soki looked towards Mio with one last bashful smile. "Take care of Nii-san for me, or I'll haunt your dreams forever~" With those final words, Soki's memory returned to shards of glass and then turned into dust. Though the physical manifestation of Soki was gone, Naito would feel as if a large burden was lifted off his shoulders when it came to memories of his sister. The feeling could be compared to one learning something about themselves they had always known, but never discovered. When all was said in done, the two Persona-Users would be left alone and the memory of Soki would be watching from her intangible space in Naito's subconscious.

Fragment of Soki:

Mio was left on the ground unable to do anything but watch the continuous battle before her that came to its near end. She watched as Soki started to become more annoyed with them, cracking her whip before sending it flying toward Naito's direction with Mio's head followed the whip but could only see the strikes that connected smacking him twice and he rubbed the pain away as if it were nothing. Summoning his persona once more he commanded it to go attack Soki and sent a shockwave attack through the ground though it only seemed to effect the area toward Soki instead of the whole place. Mio watched Naito and how he controlled and used his persona fighting Soki and could see the difference not only in strength but technique, was there actually skill that was required to use a persona instead of just shouting their names and shouting commands. She looked down on herself for not being weak but throwing herself somewhere were she didn't belong in terms of strength and skill, this place was to strong for her to dwell into especially with her small knowledge of Limbo and Personas.

Mio just watched and waited still on the ground waiting to see how this will turn out in the end. His blade disappeared within his grasp which surprised her once again, thinking that he had brought it from the outside world, she watched as he moved his lips but couldn't hear anything from her position. Though Soki was thrown against the wall and with a large thud she started to crack more and more before parts of her body began to break apart as she touched the ground one after the other. She began to force words out from her mouth little by little to Naito explaining of whats further within this large palace. A stronger power that was laid deeper within himself and other things about the past that he may fix. Soki turned to Mio threatening her to keep an eye on Naito or else she'll haunt her dreams for eternity making her spine shiver. And with that she began to crack once again before slowly turning to dust, with Mio lifting herself up from the ground and dusting herself off.

"Uh...Um...Hm..."

She tried to say something but she couldn't think of anything to say after her little performance of her's. All she could do was stay quiet with her head looking over to the side away from him and in the direction of where Soki was. He'd probably want her to leave, being she did more bad then good in this fight.

The male Tsurinai didn't say a word to his sister, as she slowly broke apart before him. His face was one of indifference and his eyes were narrowed and gazing down before her. Could he have possibly been unfazed from Soki's appearance now that she was breaking apart? More like, ever since his childhood he was trained to keep his emotions in check, even when it came to events such as these. He was rather surprised to hear the information, however; and that there was a greater power he had yet to still obtain. The Fragment of Memory gave him a choice to continue on throughout his subconscious, righting the wrongs of his past and fixing the corrupted memories one by one. Or, he could head straight for the source of the dilemma and face himself one last time. In all honesty that sounded much easier than coming across the memory of his Father, or of his younger sister Miki. Unlike Soki, where he had always had short scuffles with her, these two others were more driving forces in his life. Their words held weight against his conscious, and in all honesty he didn't feel like he was ready to face such a negative memory of either of them. If there was one thing Naito hated, it was a display of weakness. Surely compared to them he'd show nothing but it..., and that simply could not do. As he thought to himself, he watched his sister utter a few last words towards Kiyomi before turning into shards and then dust. He had not known what she said, but the moment she disappeared he somewhat felt... easy. Like a large burden was lifted off his shoulders, and alot of hate he had for his family was slowly beginning to disappear just as she had done. He couldn't help but close his eyes and tilt his head back in surprise at this sudden wave of bliss that washed over him. Was this how it felt to suddenly accept something? To accept his standing with the rest of his family, and his rivalry with his sister? If he were to do the same vs the memory of his father or Miki, would he feel even more fulfilled as he did right in that moment? It was strange. For once, Tsurinai Naito finally felt at peace with something. He slowly lowered his head as a smile came to his blank face, and he'd speak to himself under his breath. "I understand now... Is this why my other self called me in here? To fix the mistakes I made in the past?" For some reason things were different this time. His "Shadow" was not actively trying to kill him, but was instead making him correct the things he had done before. This was interesting, and he couldn't help but be rather curious at what his other self had to say once they came face to face again.

Snapping back to "reality", Naito would suddenly catch a glimpse of Kiyomi Mio from the corner of his eye. He'd straighten his composure and lose the smile he had previously had. He was getting careless and had forgot she was even there at that current moment. Looking at her, it seemed she was hurt. Hell, he wasn't doing extraordinary himself after those two blows hit him square in the face from Soki's infamous whip. This dungeon seemed to be a battle of endurance and it was to say he wasn't prepared enough to go to every block and defeat each memory one by one. He needed to head straight for the problem if they were to have a chance. This meant he'd need to just confront his remaining family members in person sometime after this was over. Taking this moment to walk up behind Kiyomi, he'd place his left hand on her shoulder and turn her around slowly. "I don't agree with you being here in my subconscious, you already know this. The reason for this being I don't enjoy people learning too much about me, or my past. However, now I feel you've seen enough to get a good picture of what it was like in a Tsurinai household, so there's no point risking your life or mine by trying to escort you to the exit." Naito's silver eyes gazed down towards Mio's as his gloved hand moved up to touch the red spot on her cheek where his sister had hit her. "..Also I am responsible for any damage you've taken in here, as technically it is my memories going rampant. Let me fix this for you." The silver haired teenager spoke in a calm tone as his tarot card slowly fellow down between them. Taking a step back, he'd crush the azure card in his hands and his Persona would appear above them both. Sending a healing aura over Kiyomi Mio and Tsurinai Naito, Jinmu-tennō would perform a bow before vanishing back within Naito's subconscious. It had performed a simply Mediarama that would be more than enough to get them both back on their feet. With this done, Naito would begin to abruptly head towards the door they had entered from, already knowing mentally where his other self was currently residing. It seemed like there were a few more battles up ahead, and he'd need to be careful of what to expect. If he was to fight Shadows in his own subconscious, he could only imagine how strong they were when compared to the ones in Limbo. "Things are going to get more serious from now on, so let me give you some advice, Kiyomi Mio. That light spell works wonders against regular Shadows, but when it comes to the stronger ones it may do more harm than good. Keep that in mind. Sometimes you need to have something you can fall back on just incase that does occur." The Tsurinai spoke bluntly, but not in an insensitive way, before leaving the room and heading back towards the way they came. For once in almost his whole life, he was in a rather good mood. Was it because of Soki's memory? Heh, useless thoughts.

Making his way through the palace hallways, the scenery didn't mean much to him anymore. It was almost as if his mind were blocking it all out now, thanks to what had just happened. Of course some thoughts lead him back to memories of his Father and Sister, but it wasn't anything he couldn't just brush off his shoulders. He needed to keep his head in the game if he were going to take care of the Shadows in this world belonging to his past. Some things would be different once this was all over, and he'd make sure of it. Even if it took some time for him to prepare his pride for encountering his family members he had once antagonized before coming to Ueitawa to being with. These thoughts would soon come to an end, however; as he heard what appeared to be a Shadow up ahead. Stopping infront of the doorway where he had initially entered the palace, Naito would raise a hand towards Kiyomi to stay silent and he'd summon his blade back within the palm of his right hand. To think they'd have to jump back into combat so soon, this was going to be a problem if things got out of hand.

Tsurinai Stats:

Travel:

And with that it was over and done with, the Soki that once stood in their way had disappeared into the air turned to dust and floated away. Mio was left to stand aside and watch in silence once again and look upon this as a learning experience for the future, rubbing her cheek once again feeling a repeated sensation of her face being whipped as if it was still happening over and over again. She feels a heavy sensation on her shoulder she shrugs them in surprise from it as Naito turned her toward him. Though from what had just happened she couldn't look him directly in the face and kept her eyes slightly to the left only giving him small looks as he began to speak. As she assumed he still doesn't want her to be here like before, not wanting her to know more of what happening within his past and from whats she's seen now even she was getting second thoughts herself about continuing on.

"Ok then I understand. I uh..."

She began to speak before he started to place his hand on her red cheek making her stop talking completely. Just seeing him to be more concerned about her felt different, every time she was with him he'd had changed even just a little bit they'd meet. He said of taking responsibility of whatever happens within this place of his. He summoned his persona once more and appeared above them both, sending a soothing aura down onto them both. Feeling better then before Mio placed her hand on the wound to see that it didn't hurt as much as before and looked over to Naito who was already leaving. Chasing after him he began to speak again  as they headed back to the room they've entered from, he spoke of how things would continue to be more harder in the future and that her light techniques were all well and good against normal shadows that roamed the area but stronger bosses were more likely to not be effected by it. She looked into her hand to see that this power wasn't as great as she thought it was from her first time using it, but it wasn't totally useless, she'd just need to get stronger.

"Alright then I'll be leaving then. I guess I would just bring you down, so I'll just take my leave then. Come back safe."

She said before taking her leave.

[Exit]

(I didn't know if I could just leave and enter as I pleased, so please let me know so I can change it. Thanks)

The silver haired student would watch the young blonde exit the way she had entered, and a sigh of relief would leave his lips. With her gone, that meant he didn't need to force himself to protect her if things went south fast. Now it was just the Tsurinai, his corrupt memories, and his other half left. He made a pledge to himself that he'd be the one to leave this place alive. He had too many things at stake to simply roll over and die because of the mistakes he had made in the past. With a goal clear in his head, the young teenager would close his eyes and take a deep breath. He always worked his best when alone and isolated. He didn't need anyone's help, nor didn't he crave anyone's assistance whatsoever. This was what it meant to be one with Tsurinai blood running through your veins. When there was something that needed to be done, you did it at any means necessary, even if that meant cutting loose strings. Naito's loose strings were the ones he met the moment he moved out to Ueitawa. They were making his resolve weak, and his will was beginning to waver because of them. He had almost forgotten his mission because of them, but now he remembered alto well why he achieved the potential of Persona, and what he wished to do with it. Grasping his scabbard with a firm grip, the modern day swordsman would continue with a confident stride through the Palace hallways. Up on his left was a Shadow that he could hear around the corner, and luckily thanks to his current positioning he could run up on it and get the first attack. Picking up his pace to a light jog, Tsurinai Naito would grasp the hilt of his blade with his left hand and turn the corner with a sharp shift of the body. Just before him was what appeared to be some kind of large golden beetle or some sort. Apparently a Japanese Scabbard, perhaps? Did these Shadows have no bounds when it came to what appearances they took when attempting to hunt their prey? Well whatever, the young male would analyze the enemy with his silver hues, looking at its golden husk. It was worth the assumption that physical attacks would probably be a foolish thing to do here. Most likely it'd block or be resistant, and the Tsurinai was too low on his own energy to cast another strike break to remedy the issue.

Shaking his head, he figured the best bet was to try a magic attack first. Atleast if the beast reflected it or was strong against it, Naito would be able to take the reflecting with ease, since he himself was resistant. Appearing before him would be nothing but his tarot card, showing the sign of the Emperor. In one quick draw, the Persona-User would slice through the card and unleash his hidden potential. "Obey my command, Jinmu-tennō!" With that statement, the samurai armored Persona would erupt out from Naito's soul. Pointing its blade towards the heavens, a small bolt of lightning would come down upon the beetle in an attempt at doing some light damage. Once the attack was complete, the Persona would vanish back within the Tsurinai's subconscious. The young man, himself, would spinning his blade upon the palm of his hand before sheathing it back within the scabbard. He hadn't noticed it until now, but the Shadows were getting much stronger than when he just started off as a User. Was it possible they were growing in strength with him? If that was the case, was there ever going to be an easy battle? Hmph, regardless of that useless nonsense, whatever came his way he vowed to destroy it. Those blessed with the gift of strength only needed to flaunt it when the weaklings needed to know their place, after all.

Tsurinai Naito:

Travel:

Well wasn't that convenient? It seemed more than luck was on his side for this battle. The young Tsurinai stood there with a surprised look for several seconds after the beetle went down before shaking his head and calling back the tarot card. Once more, he'd crush the card and summon his Persona to perform a secondary zio. The small bolt of lightning would come crashing down upon the Shadow, and the Persona would vanish back within Naito's subconscious. He hoped the second bolt was just as powerful as the first, but one could never be too sure when it came to the Shadows. They seemed to have many tricks up their sleeves these days. From invading the minds of others, to assisting in corrupting previous memories, they had no bounds to how low they'd go. This made the Tsurinai sure of it.. Sure that Shadows were the enemies to mankind in whole. They didn't differentiate who their next prey were going to be; no matter who it was they would take advantage of them without any regrets. Apparently they played the role of the predators? Tch, well the young Tsurinai didn't agree with their plans, nor their current standing on the food chain. Those so called predators would soon be the prey, and he'd be the ones hunting them down. After all, Shadows had no use to him, and those without any use needed to be removed. The only possible thing they could ever do would be to hinder his plans of forcing subjugation. After all, when the world was created by Naito, the Shadows would have a harder time overcoming humanity. In that new world order, humanity would have evolved to such levels to where they wouldn't need to hide secrets in the dark corners of their mind. Shadows wouldn't be able to prey on insecurities because humanity would relinquish such weakness the moment it reared its ugly head. To put it quite frankly, the world would be a better place. Lives would be saved from these supernatural creatures. Of course, when you have people who fear change and attempt to stand in the way of it, the Tsurinai was sure the Shadows took great pleasure in them. If only the dregs knew they were hardly fighting for the right side when they stood against his plans. They were pathetic. "Whatever... I'm beginning to ramble to myself.." The silver haired student spoke with a mumble as he slouched over slightly a place a hand on his opposite shoulder. "..Tch, and I'm feeling slightly fatigued aswell. I need to finish this as soon as possible before this place takes its toll on me.." This was true, he was on his last line. Of course he had items to keep him in the fight, but he didn't wish to use them until absolutely necessary. After all, if he used them now there was a great chance he'd need them later for a battle that was much more dire. Such an annoying dilemma.

Stats:

"Tch, out of energy. I don't have time for this." The silver haired student mumbled under his breath as he reached into his jacket pocket and removed a cellphone. Flipping open the cover, he'd begin to dial a few numbers and then immediately close it. The Tsurinai were a proud family, that was obvious, but they weren't foolish. Especially when it came to the dealings of mankind. He was not asking for direct assistance, but there was a reason Naito had gathered tools. To use when he, himself, could not finish a job alone with the possible rate of 100% completion. He knew being in his own mind, he had no service to send a message to an actual person, but he was not. He was sending a message to his attendant who seemed to be able to contact him in various ways, even without cell service. For example: Sending messages from within the Velvet Room. There was a fifty fifty chance the message actually worked, but regardless, Naito would begin to walk back to block three. One would think he was sending a message to his Attendant for back up, but in reality he was sending a message only based on information. The young man wished to know if the Attendants had more details on the enemy he would be encountering so he could plan ahead for the outcome. He didn't need assistance here, nor would he ask for it. The young man would make a "Hmph" sound and continue on his way throughout the dungeon. He wouldn't make it that far, however; only traveling three blocks forward. He needed to be careful about how he proceeded now, and he would need to save the Soma he had in his possession for the correct moment. No use using it now when he was in full health and only low on his spirit energy. The more information he knew about the enemy of this mental dungeon, the more absolute his victory would surely become.

Travel:

An azure light would appear within block three of Naito-san's memory based dungeon. Entering from the glowing blue light would be a slender figure that wore blue. Their honey golden eyes with shift around, marveling at the palace they had found themselves in. "Wow, I never expected Naito-san to have such an expansive domain within the bowels of his mind. How interesting." The Attendant seemed to have stars in their eyes as s/he looked around and tinkered with the various decorations. Chance had only seen something such as this in movies and never in person. One could only guess how excited s/he was to experience such scenery in person! But wait, there were important matters to attend to here. Chance had seen a young woman leaving the blue door, yet did not see Naito-san leaving with them. This meant Chance's guest was in this strange world alone, and as an Attendant, the otherworldly being wished to do a hands on check up on the young man. Making their way into the corridor, they'd begin to head left to the sound of what appeared to be lightning of some sort. Perhaps this as the right direction his/her guest had gone? Chance couldn't help but see the various family portraits and the faceless drawings and pictures of Naito-san. It was quite unsettling, almost as if s/he had walked into one of those fabled horror movies s/he had in his/her possession.

Not only this, but Chance had a strong feeling Naito-san was not the only being within the memory domain. There was a strong chance that Shadows were also present in this world. Just to be safe, the Attendant would summon their compendium to their hand and begin to walk down the beaten path of the palace. "So is this place what Naito-san thinks of himself? It surely seems to mirror the King complex he may be housing somewhere within his soul. Or maybe even more; the rejection of family?" Chance shook the thoughts from their head. It was his/her job to assist their guests and nothing more. Looking into their personal lives could lead to an Attendant neglecting their duties, which was a major taboo amongst their siblings. After all, it was an Attendants duty and purpose to assist their guests, and without guests they had no reason to exist. This is what Chance had lead him/herself to believe.

With continued advancement, the Attendant could hear Naito-san just a few more paces ahead. It was possible he had slowed down since coming in there, but Chance would soon find that out him/herself. S/he was there only to observe, and not directly get involved, after all.

Spoiler:

As Naito was about to continue on, his silver eyes would take notice of a familiar figure waltzing around the palace hallways. It was none other than his Attendant who must have recently came into the strange world looking for him. The silver haired student didn't say a word as Chance continued on pass him.  He'd raised a glove fist to his lips and let out a cough to get his attendant's attention. "Enjoying the scenery here, Attendant?" He spoke with a calm tone towards the inhuman fe/male infront of him. Telling by the way the Attendant was looking, this was their first time setting foot in an environment such as this. Hell, they looked like a child with how exciting they got from the simplest things. What were these Attendants anyway? Clay models given life like the origin of Wonder Woman or the putty soldiers from the Power Rangers? The Tsurinai shook the thoughts from his skull as he narrowed his eyes towards Chance and began his confident stride forward. "Do you have any other information on what I may be facing in the center of this dungeon? I ran into a fragment of my memory and she told me it was an incomplete part of myself. Apparently the Persona I have in my possession now is not in its full form." Naito shifted his gaze forward, looking further down the hall to where he could see a Shadow blocking the doorway into block four. He had the choice of facing the Shadow and forcing his way into the block to find the culprit behind this madness, or go the long way around. "Chance." The young man spoke suddenly while narrowing gaze towards the tool. "Care to demonstrate how your compendium works on the Shadow ahead? As a request from a guest to an attendant in the hopes of forming a.. bond.. between us, of course." Naito almost scoffed at his own words, but they were necessary here, weren't they? Psh, whatever the case he continued on forward with his arms crossed upon his chest. He'd continue forward, infront of the door where the Shadow was protecting, and await what form the beast would take this time around. This was all almost over... Just beyond this doorway was the annoying cause of this minor dilemma.

"Oh, and if you tell anyone what you see in here, Chance.." The Tsurinai spoke with a calm tone before facing back towards the Attendant. "..Your life will be forfeit." This was the second time those of the Velvet Room had witnessed the secrets in his soul. Naito was not a fan of this, but he knew they really did not speak much about it to others. It was better them than any of the dregs that thought they were his friends. Also alot less annoying. Kiyomi Mio was decent enough, probably because Naito began to take a liking to her, but the rest were still trash in his eyes.

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