Chapter 64; More of ourselves

...10/09/2009 Thursday; Midday...

The command room was thick with tension.

Aigis typed away without pause, her mechanical hands flying over the keyboard as she worked to restore the security footage of the man in black who had erased Hiro's Persona files.

Every time she adjusted the resolution of a frame, a distant echo began to surface in her memory—a dark scream, a final plea.

"Please, Devil's Herald! Have mercy on me! I didn't want to fight! I wanted to run! Run away from death. Spare my life!" The voice of the Hermit Arcana Shadow echoed in her mind, blending with the sound of the keys.

The scream faded, and Aigis pressed the Enter key.

The screen indicated that the rendering process would take three hours.

She leaned back in the chair, but a new sensation prevented her from relaxing—the name "The Devil's Herald..." hammered through her circuits.

Aigis placed a hand on her forehead. "Why do I feel like I've heard that name before?"

Her eyes closed, and fragments of memory began to emerge, like small flashes of light.

She found herself in a laboratory room, surrounded by three scientists.

She was strapped to a containment chair, her arms and legs immobilized, and she could see the panel on her chest open, exposing her core.

"The Papillon Heart's energy levels are unstable," murmured one of the scientists, checking a clipboard. "Yuu-senpai, are you sure Subject 8 isn't causing this interference?"

Scientist Yuu Kijima, one of Aigis's creators, approached and closed the panel on Aigis's chest.

"I'm sure," Yuu replied, casting an analytical gaze.

"Aigis is showing irregularities because of her core itself. The Papillon Heart is made from a part of a Shadow. In her case, the core is made from the dec—"

The laboratory door opened, and Takeharu Kirijo entered, accompanied by Eiichiro Takeba, who carried a grim expression and a visible bruise on his face.

The scientists bowed in respect.

"Kirijo-sama," Yuu greeted. "It's a pleasure to see you again. I heard what happened to Subject 8."

Takeharu nodded. "Sophia was an incredible woman, but she knew she couldn't use the Evoker in her condition."

"I should have stopped the test..." Eiichiro sighed, scratching his head. "But I was so focused on learning about the Devil's Herald... that I forgot."

Takeharu looked at Aigis, who remained motionless in the containment chair. "And how is she?"

"The Papillon Heart is causing instability in her systems," Yuu explained, keeping a close eye on Aigis. "It's as if... it's generating emotions. Giving her systems human emotions."

One of the scientists adjusted his glasses, hesitant. "Sorry to interrupt, but... what exactly is this Devil's Herald?"

Eiichiro crossed his arms and replied in a grave tone. "Taken literally, a herald is a 'defender of an idea' or a 'messenger.' But in this case, the Devil's Herald would be the punisher of Shadows, the one who brings chaos to our consciousness."

Takeharu gave a slight nod, considering it. "From what Eiichiro has told me, the Devil's Herald emerges from—"

Suddenly, the vision trembled, and Aigis's systems failed.

She blinked, finding herself back in front of the computer.

The command room door opened, and Hiro entered, carrying a suitcase.

Koromaru followed him, barking excitedly upon seeing Aigis.

"How's the video editing going?" Hiro asked, offering a gentle smile.

Aigis shook her head as if trying to push away the remnants of that hazy memory. "I finished the edits, and the computer is rendering the video."

She looked at Koromaru and then noticed the suitcase Hiro was carrying.

"What's in that suitcase?" she asked, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

Hiro lifted the suitcase with slight enthusiasm. "This? It's Koromaru's suit. I asked Mitsuru to commission something special for him."

Aigis nodded, rising from the chair. "I see. May I come with you?"

Hiro smiled, a warm expression lighting up his face. "Actually, I came here to invite you. You once asked me to teach you a little about human life… so, I thought I'd call you."

A rare smile appeared on Aigis's face. "That's true. Well, shall we go?"

...10/09/2009 Thursday; Afternoon...

The streets were calm as Hiro walked alongside Aigis, watching Koromaru move ahead, his tail wagging cheerfully.

The sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees, casting dancing shadows on the ground, while a gentle breeze made their clothes ripple slightly.

Aigis, taking slower steps, lifted her gaze to the sky.

Her eyes captured the vast blue expanse, but her mind was abruptly seized by a memory—the expression on Ken's face when he saw Kastor, his wide eyes, his trembling jaw.

Fear etched into every feature of his face.

And then, she remembered Hiro.

His hesitation in summoning Lucifer in the middle of crucial battles.

Doubt grew, silent, within her chest and her systems, like a line of code she couldn't decipher.

She broke the silence, turning to him with curiosity. "Hiro-san, may I ask you something?"

Hiro, distracted by his own thoughts, turned his gaze to her, noticing her inquisitive expression. "Hmm? Sure, what is it?"

Aigis tilted her head slightly, her expression serene but full of curiosity. "What is fear?"

The question hit him like lightning. He stopped walking for a moment, staring into her eyes.

There was such pure seriousness there, something almost innocent, yet deeply reflective.

"What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow, trying to understand her intent.

"I have observed that fear seems to be a constant among you," Aigis explained, shifting her gaze to the path ahead. "It's present in your expressions, decisions… and hesitations."

Hiro nodded, crossing his arms. "Yeah… but why do you want to know?"

She looked at Koromaru, who walked cheerfully ahead.

Her eyes returned to Hiro, locking onto him—firm, yet without any judgment. "I noticed that you hesitated to use Lucifer a few times in Tartarus. Does that have anything to do with fear?"

The question made Hiro stop.

He lowered his gaze to the ground, the weight of the truth pressing on his shoulders.

Aigis was right.

He hesitated—not because he didn't know what to do, but because he was afraid. Afraid of losing control, of hurting someone.

"You're not wrong..." Hiro admitted, his voice lower. "I… sometimes, I'm afraid of using my Persona."

Aigis tilted her head again, her expression filled with sincere curiosity.

"Then, what is fear?"

Hiro ran a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh as he tried to organize his thoughts.

He looked at her, indecision reflected in his eyes.

"I'd say it's something that holds you back… A feeling that, even with everything within your reach, you still think it will go wrong. And in the end, you do nothing."

Aigis processed his words for a moment, placing a hand on her chin. "So, it's like an alert system? Something that protects you from danger?"

He chuckled, but the sound was bitter. "Maybe… but it's not just that. Fear can screw up your plans."

Koromaru stopped ahead, turning to look at them with a curious expression, as if sensing the importance of the conversation.

Hiro gestured for Koromaru to wait. "For example, in the fight against the Chariot Arcana, if I had frozen in fear, I'd probably be dead by now."

Aigis slowly nodded. "I see… But if you know you're afraid, why don't you just decide to ignore it?"

Hiro let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "Ah, if only it were that easy..."

She placed her hand on her chin again, thoughtful. "Then fear is like a virus in the system. It installs itself and interferes with normal functions?"

Hiro remained silent for a moment, blinking as he processed the analogy.

Then, he started laughing—for real this time. The lighthearted sound contrasted with the weight of the conversation.

"More or less," he replied, smiling. "But you can't just press a button and delete it. Besides… fear can be useful sometimes."

"In what way?" Aigis asked, tilting her head.

He started walking again, motioning for her to follow. "In the sense that it tells you when it's time to stop. When it's time to do something to save yourself."

He hesitated for a moment before continuing, his gaze serious. "But in my case… it's to make sure I don't hurt anyone in S.E.E.S."

Aigis lowered her gaze to the ground, as if trying to process Hiro's words.

Was it possible that she… felt?

Or was she simply beginning to understand his human perspective?

She didn't know.

It was like a fine line between logic and something her systems couldn't yet define.

"I understand," she replied, her voice light but almost distant.

Hiro observed her for a moment before giving a soft smile. "Well… let's keep going. We're almost at Naganaki Shrine."

Aigis resumed her pace, walking beside Hiro.

Her eyes still carried a spark of curiosity. "Of course. What exactly are we going to do at the shrine?"

Hiro lifted the suitcase he carried, giving it a slight shake. "I wanted to test what I ordered for Koromaru. And he wanted to take a walk too, right, buddy?"

Koromaru, ahead, barked excitedly as if he understood every word, his tail wagging nonstop.