[Deleted]

The photo and the directions to the area which the captive was held led to this warehouse. The crates and shipping containers were aligned to look almost like the entrance to some grand arena, or perhaps a circus. The first thing visible besides the arrangement is a man, tied up in shackles and hung from the roof. He's still alive, and it's clearly the man from the photo... He screams out, calling for help as he wiggles helplessly from the ceiling.

"Oh GOD! Please! Please help me! Please he's gonna come back! W-We need to go before he comes back! Y-You... NO! NOOOO!"

The sounds of some music begin to play, sending the captive into a frantic and blubbering frenzy, crying and screaming... circus music?! Who appears is a most harrowing sight. A clown, sinister and unusual... His attire looked like something out of a hellish nightmare.



"WELCOME BOYS AND GIRLS, TO THE ONCE AND ONLY LIFE SPHERE BLOOD-CIRCUS! WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST! MINAKO! OHHH THE SOOTHSAYER TOLD ME MUCH ABOUT YOU, MY DEAR."

He leaps from his perch, landing face first before rising up. A massive tent slowly lowers from... seemingly nowhere, covering the area that the man was suspended from. An audience out of nowhere cheers and claps. They look almost like Shadows from Minako's world, cheering and whistling.

"AHHH, BUT WHO WOULD I BE IF I DIDN'T INTRODUCE MYSELF?! I AM JIIINGLEEEES! NOW, INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO THE CROWD! REVEAL THAT TASTY SOUL POWER, SO i CAN DEVOUR IT!"

A powerful, Persona-like surge seems to drown out the area, as though this Clown, too, had one. Or something like it at the very least, it permeated all around Minako. Seemed the clown was giving her the first swing.

"LET'S SEE HOW YOUR PERSONA STACKS UP TO AN ASTRAL GUARDIAN! THE BIG! BAMBOOZLE! GYAAAAHAHAAAAH!~"

Jingles
HP:??
Status: None
Guardian Status: ??

[TheSpatialWeeg]

"This is it."

Minako looked at the warehouse, then back at the photo to assure herself she was on the right place. Picking up the naginata perched on her back, she moved inside. Once she was in, she noticed the man in the letter, hanging on the ceiling and tied up in shackles, begging her to get him out of here. "Looks like I got here in time. Hang on, I'm gonna-"

Before she could finish what she said, music began playing from...nowhere, sending the poor man into a screaming frenzy. Minako was on the alert, as the responsible for the letter and kidnapping showed up. The redhead leered at him as he spoke to her. "Soothsayer? Who are they and how do they know about me?" she asked, though on second thought, maybe she should've expected this clown to not answer her questions.

As Jingles fell on the ground face first (and got back up. Kinda creepy.) and a massive tent had covered the hostage, she had one hand hover over the Evoker, picking it up once she felt the Persona-like surge spread out. As he challenged her to come at him, she pointed the Evoker towards her head...

"PERSONA!"

The sound of a bullet and shattering glass would echo throughout the warehouse, as Minako pulled the trigger on the Evoker. Shards of 'glass' flew from the other side of her head before dissipating, as her eyes dulled out for a brief two seconds.

As they flared back to life, Orpheus appeared from a torrent of blue energy that erupted behind the redhead. It stood, immobile and silent, as Minako stared down Jingles. "Okay then, Jingles, you want a fight? You got it."

With her words spoken, she made a gesture, to which Orpheus copied...except the Persona's arm was soon coated in flames. "Go!" Minako yelled, as Orpheus flung its arm forward, throwing a fireball straight at the clown!

e7ddkJO1p_1d20+2 (Minako's Agi @ Jingles! 12% dmaage, 50% chance of inflicting Burn.)

Orpheus then set Minako's naginata aflame, and the redhead leapt towards Jingles before trying to strike him with a large, burning midair swing. As she landed, she began to repeatedly thrust her flaming weapon at him, hoping to land some extra hits on him.

p_1d20+2 (Minako's Hientou @ Jingles! 25%, 30% chance of inflicting Burn!)

p_1d20+2 (Minako's Kanemitsu [Fire] @ Jingles! 5% combo damage, 10% chance of inflicting Burn!)
p_1d20+2 (Combo 2!)
p_1d20+2 (Combo 3!)

---

Minako
Active Persona: Orpheus
140 HP
45 Shield HP
Hientou CD (3)

1d20+2·1d20+2·1d20+2·1d20+2·1d20+2

[Deleted]

(Threshold found! Every chance above 49% inflicts a status, and every roll above 15 hits Jingles!)

Jingles moves quickly to try and evade the fireball, only to be struck and ignited. The tent that had surrounded the two and the hostage slowly burns as well... They were connected! As the next few swings go through, with the exception of Jingles ducking under one strike before being slashed with some others..! Jingles rolls his arms back, and strikes a silly pose. One leg propped up, arms out in a shrug.

"BAMBOOZLE! SHOW THIS LITTLE PERSONA WHAT A REAL SPIRIT POWER CAN DO!"

Roars from all around Minako cry out from the crowd, as tomatoes comes sailing over the crowd in a pelting fury of rain. They actively boo her, sending those tomatoes sailing over as though she told a bad joke..!

(Roll a 15 or take 25% damage and take a -1 dodge roll penalty called 'Tomato Sauced'!!)

Next up, he reaches into his long coat, and pulls out a comedic and long chainsaw! Well, it'd be funny if it weren't stained in blood, and nearly four feet in length. He swings it over his head, and slams it down, to which the crowd laughs and cackles, cheering on their master. Some of the crowd had actually burst into flames like the tent had, but acted as though it was nothing.

"BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ! YEEEHEHEHEE! THE SOOTHSAYER TOLD ME EVERYTHING! ABOUT YOU AND YOUR LITTLE GIFT! HIS GUARDIAN SEES THE FUTURE! IT SEES ALL! WE KIDNAPPED HIM, SEE?!"

(Roll a 10 or take 40% damage plus a 5% DoT for 2 turns called 'Sawed' due to bleeding out!)

...were they connected to this tent, and by proxy the clown?

Jingles
HP:47%/??
Status: Burn (permanent, no visible changes to stats, but affecting the Guardian)
Guardian Status: Active and burning!

[TheSpatialWeeg]

9U|nwTsKp_1d20+1
p_1d20+1 (Minako's dodges.)

The Persona and user team had nimbly evaded the tomato assault, and had successfully leapt away from the chainsaw attack as well. As she landed, she noticed the fact that not only the tent was burning, but some of the monstrous spectators as well. "So this Guardian of yours isn't just the tent...it's the entire circus!" Minako commented, holding her naginata tightly as Orpheus floated beside her. She needed to finish that guy off quickly and rescue the man from the burning tent...

"Alright, Orpehus! Let's go! Full throttle!" She said to her Persona, doing the same motion as she did with the Agi before... however, Orpheus's fire started to burn brighter and stronger than before, and it just got stronger and stronger...! "AGIDYNE!" Minako yelled, as Orpheus lobbed the flames at Jingles, sweeping him in a fire storm!

p_1d20+2 (Minako's Agidyne @ Jingles! Fully powered Agi at the cost of a -2 debuff to a future attack roll. 26% damage, 45% chance of inflicting Burn.)

The redhead would leap towards the clown and start trying to attack him again with a series of slashes. She bit her lip for a couple of seconds once she landed the final hit (and only the final hit). That Agidyne might've left her a bit more winded than she herself expected...

p_1d20 (Minako's Kanemitsu [Fire] @ Jingles! -2 debuff is active in this roll. 5% combo damage.)
p_1d20+2 (Combo 2!)

p_1d20+2 (Combo 3!)

---

Minako

Active Persona: Orpheus

140 HP

45 Shield HP

Hientou CD (2)

1d20+1·1d20+1·1d20+2·1d20·1d20+2·1d20+2

[Deleted]

(Jingles was hit over 75%! He's growing desperate!)

"THIS IS ABSURD EVEN FOR MEEEHEHEHEEEE! FACE THE MAKER, YOU INSIGNIFICANT BRAT!"

Jingles reels back from the last hits, digging his heels into the dirt and gritting those teeth. He grows angry..! The lights cut out and back in as he drew his hands back... A bow?! A stone tipped arrow on the end sparks to life, and before any reaction could be sealed, he fires..! Hit or not, the arrow would wheel around until it hits home onto Minako. This was nigh unavoidable, but when it makes contact with her... Things fade to black. 

"Have a sweet dreaaaaaaaaam...!~"

When Minako wakes up, it's... Not the velvet room, but... Something quite similar. Was she slain..? Had she died? The area before her was a gorgeous shrine, the water running so smoothly off the backdrops of the stone. She may feel a slight pressure on her shoulder, where the arrow was to strike. The arrow was still there, embedded in her arm. Attempts to pull it out would be useless, but despite its presence - it did not hurt, nor did it impede her movement of her left arm.




"You've been chosen. Come."

A voice beckons her within, the doors of that dojo-like room opening. Within, a massive nine-tailed fox sits. He is stoic, upright and strong looking. His very presence commanded focus.



"Minako, a famous member of SEES. I can see your past, your present, your future. After all, I'm embedded in your damned shoulder. I should at least learn who I'm stuck in. Right now time is frozen, you've just had the Guardian Arrow plunged into your left shoulder. Cheap trick of Jingles'. When he's hurt, he'll pull a nasty, sudden trick like that."

The massive, godly fox shakes his head.

"I am Kaiyurei, God of my world, and purveyor of all chosen Mortal Life. Think of me like your Igor. Except instead of Personas, I deal in what that man had. Astral Guardians. In order to not die, you'll need to pass a few trials. Accept your fate and live here with me until your soul is inevitably crushed to death, or... take a seat and begin. Just right in front of me."

His tails move over, forming a small ring. Likely for her to sit upon.

[TheSpatialWeeg]

"Stop being such a sore loser!" Minako retorted, ready to go ahead and poke Jingles some more with her naginata, but her plans were dashed by an arrow being plunged into her shoulder. Suddenly, she lost control of her body, her consciousness slipping away...

...when she regains it, she's in an entirely different place. It...feels like a Velvet Room, but it also doesn't? Noticing the arrow still embedded into her shoulder, she tried to pull it off...to no avail. It was stuck on her shoulder. Despite that, her shoulder felt...normal, like no arrow was stuck there, so...

A voice echoes from the dojo in front of her. With little hesitation, she moved towards it as the door opened on its own, meeting the nine-tailed fox that resided inside it. They spoke, apparently knowledgeable of...basically everything about her. "Guess this means I can skip the introductions...even so, nice to meet you! I'm Minako." she briefly introduced herself.

She listened to Kaiyurei's continued speech, not dropping a word until he finished making that ring with one of his tails. "Well...I got some unfinished business back there. So yeah, I'll take your tests!" she replied, eyes glinting with determination as she sat down on the tail ring.

...Wow, it's so fluffy! She thought to herself as she got comfy on the ring.

---

Minako
Active Persona: Orpheus
140 HP
45 Shield HP
Hientou CD (1)

[Deleted]

Kaiyurei's tails put cotton, satin, hell, even pure silk to shame. It's otherworldly how lovely they feel. How soft and plushy they are. They smelled like blossoms and flowers, too! This God sure knew how to take care of himself, or was this his natural state?

The doors SLAM shut! Kaiyurei bellows over the room, and howls in commandment.

"THEN IT SHALL BEGIN! We will first delve into your heart, know well that this isn't like your Velvet Room. If you are deemed unworthy here, you will DIE! For real! No second chances! Choose each answer carefully."

(Here's the first piece of your test! Kaiyurei will ask you a series of questions, if you are worthy, and explore your memory carefully, you will be rewarded with going to the next area. Failure results in... well, death. Not permanent, just trophification. Don't lie to him.)

Kaiyurei glares into Minako's soul. That Persona is forced out of her, and like a puppet, Kaiyurei commands it aside. The Persona isn't taken from her, just... disconnected for a time being. Likely a contingency. Could Personas harm Kaiyurei..? Was he vulnerable to the soul's power?

"Firstly. Why do you fight?"

A door opens beside Minako, shifting landscapes looking... familiar. A place where she declared her reasons.

"Second. What is your greatest strength?"

A second door slides open, equally alike. A place where she found her strength...

"Third. What is your greatest weakness?"

A third slides open, unknown as well. A place where Minako found her greatest downfall.

"Finally... Why should I let you live?"

She should pick each answer carefully, find the courage to know these things to be true.

"If your memory is hazy, then simply... guess. I will understand."

[TheSpatialWeeg]

Once Kaiyurei explained how the trial would go, Minako nodded. "Got it. I'm ready to go!" She said, looking at the god fox with a determined look in her eyes. The mention of death didn't change her demeanor, it seemed.

Once Orpheus forced out of her (and possibly her other two Personas as well), Minako felt the disconnection take hold of her. Despite that, her expression remained steadfast. She listened intently to Kaiyurei's questions, turning around to look at the doors that appeared and showed her familiar landscapes and memories. She takes a moment to take a breath to answer all the questions.

"Why do I fight? I...want to give the people who don't have the strength to fight a helping hand, if that makes sense. It sounds pretty basic, I know, but...that's the reason I have."

"My greatest strength...I've been told time and again I'm a good field leader. I know how to strategize, I keep an eye out for my friends, I lay out the tactics in a clear and concise way..."

"My greatest weakness...I withhold my own pain and worry. My friends can tell when something's bothering me, and how I hide all of it under a smile. But...I don't want to hold them back..."

"...A person's in danger. Jingles is gonna kill him if I don't do something. I don't think I'd be able to rest in peace if I couldn't save him."

---

Minako

Active Persona: None
140 HP
45 Shield HP

[Deleted]

The massive, godly being leans in to analyze this girl closely as she speaks. Each syllable fell with purpose, each thought touched lightly on the idea of her own life being at risk for others, yet... there was something more there. Something he wanted to know, and yet, already knew. Enough anyways, to pass her this time. If she came back, he wanted that secret. Kaiyurei bellows.

"YOU PASS MY FIRST TRIAL, LITTLE ONE."

"...oh and the second, too. I saw you burning that annoying clown. Really, Jingles? That was the best he could come up with? It was like some sleep-deprived gremlin forged that name out of a hat."

The landscape rapidly dims and blackens, Kaiyurei vanishes, and before Minako stands... another Minako. A shadow? Kaiyurei's voice calls from nowhere.

"This is your final trial. Can you fight without your other self?"

The other Minako charges, Orpheus manifesting quickly. She's silent, but it's clear she's hurling an Agidyne at Minako! The fiery blast surges quickly, threatening to overtake her..!

(You're back to full health, but immediately thrown into combat! You cannot access any Persona skills for this fight! Now then, roll a 10 or higher, or suffer the effects of your own Agidyne!)

[TheSpatialWeeg]

Minako kept her eyes on the nine-tailed god as he looked at her, not budging as she replied. Max Courage helped a lot, huh? She made a little fist pump as Kaiyurei announced she passed the first trial...and the second one, without even realizing!

But then...the scenery changes to endless darkness, and the god's no longer there. Instead...another her appears in front of her. "A Shadow?" she asked as Kaiyurei announced her last trial.

She had to fight by herself. No Personas allowed.

Minako...grew a little uneasy. Sure, she knew her way around using a naginata, but most of the time she had her Personas to back her up with their abilities. She suddenly shook her head. "No...let's try to think positive." Minako muttered to herself as she drew her weapon. "Come at me!" she said towards the other Minako.

((OK, so I'm gonna do a little fudging here because all of her attacks are tied to her Personas in some way, so the naginata combo deal 5% and Hientou does 25%, but both have no burn chance due to her Personas being locked out))

C5kGAWDbp_1d20 (Agidyne dodge!)

The Persona user dodges the incoming fireball with ease, almost twirling out of the way of the spell. Brandishing her naginata, she went for a large swing at her (maybe) other self!

p_1d20 (Hientou @ Other Minako! 25% damage)

Then, afterwards, she took advantage of the momentum she had with her first attack and decided to perform a series of quick slashes at the other Minako.

p_1d20 (Knaemitsu @ Other Minako. 5% damage combo)
p_1d20 (Combo 2)
p_1d20 (Combo 3)

p_1d20 (Kanemitsu @ Other Minako. 5% damage)

---

Minako
Active Persona: None
150 HP
50 Shield HP
Hientou CD (3)

1d20·1d20·1d20·1d20·1d20·1d20