"'That's okay! We can always come back another time, right?' What load of bull! We both knew that 'another time' was a gentle way of putting that something wasn't going to happen, but we both pretended that it didn't mean anything!"

The other Rikari sneered. Rikari flinched.

"What?! That's not what I think at all! My dad keeps his promises... It's just that some of them take longer to complete than others..."
"Oh, I act all tough and try to help other people with a nice demeanor, but I'm really just trying to make up for the fact that I don't have any friends, and nobody wants to be my friend! Everybody that I supposedly make friends with ends up leaving me in the end anyway! Who really needs them, though?"
"I have friends! And they won't leave me this time!"

The other Rikari was practically filled with some kind of childish glee from seeing Rikari squirm at his accusations, as if he knew all the buttons to push in order to set him off. But it wasn't enough. He wanted to see Rikari cry MORE.

"Oh sure, they SAY they'll always be with me, but what happens when this is all over? They'll all leave, and it'll just be me again. Back to those boring days where nothing happens because we have no reason to meet up anymore."
"No... You're... You're n... You're no-"

Rikari cut himself off. He knew that his shadow was spouting the truth, either in an attempt to get him to a state where he couldn't fight, or to get him to deny himself and ruin his self confidence. But it wasn't the WHOLE truth. Only the convenient parts.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Oh, I'm sure it does. We never do well when presented with criticism, after all."
Despite the fact that he was trying his hardest to deny the person that was messing with him, it was getting to the point where his blood was boiling.
"Oh, I get it now. You don't WANT to accept that I'm you, and you're me, do you?"
"If I answer that with a definitive yes or no, I'll be giving you what you want, and I can't be doing that."
"Oh, sure, whenever I don't want to answer a question, I'll work my way around it, because it's inconvenient."
"Your point?"
"Oh, nothing. Although I do have to say, if I did actually have friends, they wouldn't be completely unreliable morons like those people over there."
"YOU. ARE. NOT. ME."

Rikari's attitude had done a 180 from a moment ago. The other Rikari was practically cheering. While cackling madly.

"Hmm? What was that? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"
"YOU'RE NOT ME!"
"That's right! I'm NOT you anymore! I'm ME!"
"What's that supposed to mea-"

The other Rikari laughed as a cloud of thick black smoke enveloped him, flooding in from all sides. Rikari collapsed just as it was happening.

"GOD DAMN IT MAN! I thought you were more level-headed than that!"
"At least he held out this long."
"We had to fight our shadows much sooner than this!"

Shiji was a little more than furious. But that was justified, since one of her own had just fallen victim to their own shadow. Fubari was trying to make the situation seem a little bit less depressing, but Fain completely changed the subject.

"Time for plan B guys. We gotta kill that thing and help Rikari face himself!"

A Fortune Arcana card appearing in front of her, Shiji broke it by firing her gun at it.

"Zephyrus!"
"Sandalphon!"
"Alice!"

-BOSS BATTLE!-

-I'LL FACE MYSELF-

The Shadow that took the other Rikari's place looked like a fallen angel. Except that it was falling apart. It's wings didn't look like they would be very functional, being tattered, over half of its face was missing, instead replaced by a black void with a glowing yellow eye behind it.

>"I am the shadow... The TRUE self. Why are you guys trying to defend the 'real' me? You all know it's not worth the time or effort!"
>"Get a hold of yourself man!"
>"I know you're not like this Rikari-san!"
>"Where's the confidant leader that we all know, trust, respect, and love?"
 
Fubari
250/250
400/400
_Attack
>Spells
--Angelic Grace
_Item
_Persona
_Guard
_Tactics
-Run

>"Persona!"

Rising up from behind Fubari, Sandalphon flapped his wings, feathers raining down on the party.

>All allies magical evasion up!

Fain
350/350
250/250
_Attack
>Spells
--Mind Charge
_Item
_Persona
_Guard
_Tactics
-Run

>"Alice!"

Alice appeared behind Fain, bowing for a moment before cloaking Fain in a crackling aura of energy.

>Fain is focused now!

Shiji
350/350
300/300

_Attack
>Spells
--Tempest Slash
_Item
_Persona
_Guard
_Tactics
-Run

>"Tempest Slash!"

Zephyrus appeared from behind Shiji, swinging its blade, cutting the shadow several times. However it didn't seem to have done as much damage as it should have.

>"Now it's my turn!"

The shadow moved a bit, Fubari quickly jumping out of the way to dodge the Bufudyne that flew at him right after that.

>"Fubari, is your analysis done yet?"
>"Hold on a second, I've almost got his weakness pinpointed... Aha! He's weak to Hama-Spells!"
>"Well, that makes things easy enough. Fubari, hurry up and blast the guy with Mahamaon and let's get going!"
>"Alright... I guess I'll try."

Fubari
250/250
325/400
_Attack
>Spells
--Mahamaon
_Item
_Persona
_Guard
_Tactics
-Run

>"Sandalphon!"

Again, Sandalphon appeared behind Fubari, flapping his wings as several talismans surrounded the enemy shadow.

>"Wh-What's this?!"
>"Oh, it's just Mahamaon."

Turning around, Fubari was no longer facing the shadow that had looked like Rikari just a little bit ago.

>"If you two want to see the pretty lights, don't bother turning around, but I'd advise you cover your eyes or something."
And then the talismans that had been surrounding the shadow suddenly stopped mid-air in a cylindrical shape with a spell circle underneath the shadow. It exploded into light as the Shadow was defeated.
>"I can't be defeated! This is utter blasphemy!"
>"That's what you get for messing with us!"
>"Uh, Shiji-sempai, I think you're taking it a bit too far."

As the shadow fell forward, it reverted back to Rikari's form. Just then, Rikari got back up.

"I don't know what just happened, but I think I owe you guys a thank you..."

Turning to his shadow, Rikari spoke again while walking towards it.

"You know what? You're right. You are me. But you know what else? You're also not me. You're the old me that is parallel to my current way of thinking. I can't possibly accept all of what you're saying as the whole truth anymore due to meeting people who are willing to lay their lives on the line to help me."

Just as he reached his shadow, Rikari stopped, continuing to make eye contact with him.

"In the end though, you're also the side of me that I'd rather nobody see because I'm afraid they'll think badly of me. I think I'm okay with that, though."

Then, Rikari's shadow started emitting a blue aura as it evaporated, and while that happened, something else appeared in the air.

"I am thou, and thou art I... From the sea of thy soul, I come... I am the Morning Star, bringer of light... Come, let me show you the true meaning of dawn."

>The resolution in Rikari's heart has awakened a new persona... Callisto has given rise to Helel of the Star Arcana!

"I guess this means that I've gotten stronger?"

>New Skills gained!
>Helel learned Morning Star!
>Helel learned Salvation!
>Helel learned God's Hand!
>Helel learned Maragidyne!
>Helel learned Mind Charge!
>Helel gained Spell Master!
>Helel gained Armsmaster!
>Helel gained Repel Wind!