Persona 4 RP Story/Dungeon

Shinta chuckled, "Good point, but I may as well just to see your reactions. The reason I'm doing all this is actually pretty simple: I hate people like you."

"What?"

"Just like those gangs I joined and beat, you're all the same. You're weak but you cling to others and pretend you're actually worth something. Especially you Karin. 'I'll follow you anywhere, Aniki.' 'I've finally found you, Raiha.' Fuckin' dumbass. You have any idea how many times I wanted to barf?"

Karin looked down and bit her lip, saying nothing.

"I could go on about all of you but all it does is irritate me. Tell ya what: The real me's at the end of this maze. Find your way through and we can finish this. Of course, if you can't, enjoy fumbling through her forever." Shinta chuckled as all the images disappeared.

"Maze my ass." Masuyo said.

"My thoughts exactly." Yomiko said.

"MIND CHARGE!" they both shouted. They then unleashed a combination of an inferno and hurricane, completely leveling the maze.

"We're done dancing in your hands like puppets. Fight your fight like a man, quit running like a pussy." Masuyo said pointing a Shinta who was a little distance away from the group at the so-called end of the maze.

Shinta chuckled, "Wow, tough crowd. Although now that I think about it,the first time we fought like this you were so impatient that you actually tackled me to the ground. That's not a good trait to have. But what the hell? If your that eager..." The fragments of the mirror began to shake violently and disperse into a black haze that converged on Shinta, "Then let the final boss battle commence."

"...Final boss battle?" Stefan repeated. "...Hardly. You're just another fucking stepping stone Shinta. Worthy of being only a distraction. 'Cling to other people'? .....I've been a loner all my life. I've never been stronger than now, with others by my side, giving me the support I need. What do you have? Shadows? We've pummeling them one after another, in mass, face it Shinta, you're gonna lose." Stefan took a battle position. "We're of a similar ilk, but with such different results. Ongyo-ki! Masukukaja!" Ongyo-ki appeared and increased the speed of the team. Stefan charged for Shinta.

"Marakujaka!" Masuyo shouted as he gave the group a protective barrier. He then lit Stefan's axe on fire. "Get em!"

"And there it is," Shinta shot several ice shards at Stefan before pulling a cleaver from his coat and making his own charge, "when they support you it's all good, but the minute there's an argument you're ready to step out. And you Masu? You say you care about your friends but tell me, what did you do after Kishin was shot? Nothing. Natsuyama and Fujioka were written off long before the trip even ended. And do you even remeber Kurou? Such tenuous things and yet they're supposed to help? Fuck that shit!"

Karin readied herself to charge in to aid Stefan but a woman's voice echoed through the room.

People come and people go. That's just the way of the world. They may return someday, but not as the person you knew. It's better to just let things end where they are and save yourself the pain.

Remember that...Akira.

"What the..."

"Hey. I do what I can, but im not gonna fucking BABYSIT anybody." Masuyo said. "Dont get so full of yourself you annoying little prick!" he said swinging his Kendama in a fashion that wrapped it around Shinta's arm stopping the knife. "What could I do about Kishin? You want me to live with him so the guy wouldn't have been shot? Wanted me to become a nurse within half a minute and magically cure him? Rai and Reika went back early because they wanted to." he said tightening the grip around Shinta's arm. "Unlike YOU, im letting people live their own fucking lives! You want to criticize and control everything around you and if you cant you write it off as shit. Whatever they do, is on them. Sure i'll intervene if its something that I CAN do something about, but get a motherfucking grip on reality! Im not going to be everywhere to hold everyone's hand to please a sack of shit like you!"

"He's lost his grip a long time ago." Yomiko stated. "And don't you DARE try to guilt trip Masuyo after everything he's tried to do for us! Yeah he screws up, and he can get on peoples nerves but at least HE tries doing things in the best interest of us! You're just using everyone you know, and trying to justify it by guilt tripping them for not being some crazy fucked in the head maniac like you are. Unfortunately, people aren't as warped in the head as you are." she said as she dashed up to him, roundhouse kicked him in the face and grabbed his arm as he stumbled back and snapped it.

"Enough of this crap." Stefan, grabbed Shinta from Yomiko, slamming him into the wall, then tossing him onto the ground. "I'm not gonna argue that I'm perfect. And I'm going to try to be as good a person as I can, but I'll make mistakes. One thing that I'll never do, is put someone's life at risk on purpose. And if I do, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that person survives." Stefan kicked Shinta down, and slashed at the back of his knees, cutting his tendons. "No more running for you."

"Fine then," Shinta summoned Lucifer who held him in one hand before calling forth a fierce blizzard, "then why don't you prove to me just how strong your beliefs are. In this world where truth and lies are blurred to the point of singularity can you stay as resolved as you claim to be?"

"Of course," Karin stepped between Shinta and the others, summoning Valkyrie to slash apart every bit of ice, "That's how a team works. We all put our power together, and we all protect each other. We share our pain, our laughter, everything. Someone like you would never understand." A man's voice then resounded in the room:

It's...pretty tricky. No one can live completely on their own, but at the same time there are people you really don't need in your life. The important thing to do is to find people you could truly call your friends and hold on to them.

"Very well then," Shinta stood as the black haze restored his body, he jumped down and formed another cleaver, "then I guess it's time we end this. Whatever happens here, don't go regrettin' it. We've all made our choices. This is just the result of them."

"...Yeah, get ready Raiha, no...Shinta Nagase." Karin readied herself and the two charged for each other. As they fought a young boys voice echoed.

They're scary aren't they? People. They'll look at you and say one thing, then turn around and say another. When you can do something for them they love you but when you can't they'll discard you. Sano...Kouta...I...I don't want that! I don't want that! I don't want that!

Karin sidestepped an attack while trying to make sense of the situation, What's this all about? You fight us, you give us information, you try to screw with our heads and now it's like you're encouraging us. And these voices, whose are they? No don't think about it. Don't let it distract you. Don't think about the voices, our pasts, anything. Just think...about... The two made one final charge. Karin's bat wasn't close enough to hit before Shinta's blade would. At that moment Shinta's own voice rang through the room:

I wonder, is everything here happening a result of my sins? This feeling...is it guilt? Self-loathing? All I know is: if it meant making up for what I've done, I'd give anything. ...Even my own life.

"ICE!" Karin shouted as several spikes of ice erupted from her bat and impaled Shinta's stomach. For a split second a faint smile could be seen on Shinta's face before he backed away letting the blood pour out of his stomach and mouth.

"I see," he said weakly, "so that's what it is. Not bad at all, you just might..." He coughed up blood and fell on his back. Karin let out a deep breath and let the bloodied ice on her bat melt. "It's over, Shinta."

"So...what now?"

"I dunno. If we help him he'll probably backstab us AGAIN." Masuyo said.

"Yeah.......as coldhearted as it seems...........he did screw us over.....three times in one visit." Yomiko said

"Technically it was only twice," Shinta quipped, "but it's up to the winner to decide."

...Something feels wrong here. Karin stood over Shinta, "Well aren't you a graceful loser. How do we know this isn't another trap?"

"You don't. That's the point. This should be easy for you."

Karin tightened her grip and raised her bat in the air, "...Yeah. You're right. Easiest decision I ever made."

Masuyo and Yomiko turned away

Karin swung the bat down wit all her might, leaving a small crater next to a shocked Shinta's head "This is too perfect. This setting is really like something out of a game or anime. You gave me this bat, did everything to egg us on, made us lose all hope in you and now I'm supposed to kill you with the weapon you gave me. ...This is it, isn't it? This is what you were after. You want to die. You want me to kill you."

"...Who knows?"

"CUT THE CRAP!" Karin swung her bat across Shinta's face, "DON'T GIMME THAT VAGUE SHIT NOW! NEARLY EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE CONTRADICTS ITSELF! YOU HELPED ME WHEN I DIDN'T HAVE A WEAPON YOU COULD'VE OUTRIGHT KILLED YOMI IF YOU WANTED. AND YOU SEEMED HAPPY WHEN I STABBED YOU. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE SHINTA?"

"You should know by now that questions are irrelevant. This space will not disappear unless I die or will it to. You have only one option. But if you're still not convinced," Shinta shakily got up and summoned his card, "I'll just have to force you. LUCIFER!" Lucifer materialized again and let out a mighty roar that shook the room. Shinta laughed as Karin stumbled about, "I told ya, don't regret whatever choice you..." Shinta's eyes widened as Lucifer vanished he could feel his eyes glowing like at Yomiko's auditorium, "No! Why now? I'm so close. Why are you interfering now?"

"Just stop it Shinta," Shinta turned behind him to see his own reflection speaking to him, "Can't you see all this is doing is hurting people? How will this help anyone?"

"Youichi," Shinta growled and lurched toward the mirror, "that sort of softhearted attitude is exactly why I have to be in control. You all want to just sit on your asses and do nothing but I'm not like that. I'm gonna settle everything once and for all."

"Sorry Shinta, it's not your call anymore." Four more Shinta's appeared on the mirrors, each with varying expressions.

"Come on, Shinta, does it really make things better if all you do is make people sad?" Kazuki asked, "Besides, dying sounds...scary."

"I won't say I'm scared of dying," Saito stated bluntly, "but don't drag others into it. You should have the balls to kill yourself."

"Sorry Shinta, them's the breaks," Raiha said with a smirk, "Better luck next time. Or not."

"All of you..." Shinta growled.

"You've really done quite a job here," the final Shinta image said looking bored, "but honestly why go through such drastic measures? Supplanting that facade, tampering with his Persona, taking control of that body and this little show. Surely you didn't have to go this far."

"Akira, you'll understand. This was the only way to convince them. If I hadn't done this no one else would've. They're all trapped in their own experiences and couldn't see the big picture. They lacked resolve, but thanks to this world I was the only one who could fulfill our goal. You understand, right Akira?" pleaded Shinta.

"When did I say I was Akira?" the reflection answered, "My name...is Shinta."

"...Shinta?"

"Yeah. Shinta."

Shinta laughed weakly before slashing at the mirror repeatedly, "SHINTA! SHINTA! SHINTASHINTASHINTASHINTASHINTA!" He coughed up more blood and dropped to his knees. "Shin...ta...dammit all." He turned to the others with an angry defeated look, "Fine then, I get it. Don't blame me for whatever happens." With that, Shinta fell to the ground unconscious and everyone returned to the arcade.

"Okay. If that wasn't so fucking weird i would have laughed my ass off at that "SHINTASHINTASHINTASHINTA" part." Masuyo stated. "Anyways, what now. Should we just leave him? He seems fucked up beyond help."

Stefan walked over and picked him up, carrying him on his back. "...I'll regret this later, I'm sure. ....But I don't have it in me to lose another friend today. Even if it was all an act...." Stefan silently began walking.

Karin watched Stefan carry Shinta off. She took one last look around the arcade before leaving, "...Fuck this day."

"Hey Karin, I know it's not much..." Stefan said awkwardly. "...I know you had it rough today...if there's anything I can do to help, just ask..."

Masuyo remained silent as he followed Stefan

"I'm pretty sure it was tough on everyone," Karin smiled weakly at Stefan, "I mean Hell you and Masu there had to come in here twice, right?"

"Weariness of the soul is a lot more tiring then weariness of the body. I know that Shinta's an important guy to you...at least the Shinta that we remember. Honestly....part of me thinks that that Shinta's still around, and does exist....Then another part of me wants to hit myself for being so stupid...." He sighed, then chuckled. "There I go again, jumping to all different thoughts...The best thing we can do now is rest up, and not think so hard. We're all here for each other.."

Karin sighed, "Yeah...I guess your right. Thanks."

Stefan gave her an encouraging smile. They reached the oarsman. "Are we all gonna fit on this boat?"

"We fit four before, I dont know why four wouldn't fit now since you're holding shinta." Masuyo said.

"Alright then." Stefan got into the boat, lying Shinta down to give his back a break. "By the way, how're you feeling Yomi? What happened in there?"

"Can it wait?" she asked