"...Hmph, Shadow. I've stood before you as promised. Now it's time you handed over your power."
Raiden Mei reached out a slender hand, vaulting off the white spirit fox Higokumaru with Ren's support.
Once her feet were firmly planted on the ground, Mei took a deep breath, slowly exhaled to steady herself, calmed her chaotic thoughts, and addressed the Shadow Mei seated on the black iron throne with her back turned.
"Didn't I already tell you? If you want my power, you have to come and take it yourself... But clearly, you didn't reach here by your own strength."
Shadow Mei slowly rose from the black iron throne. As she turned to face Mei and Ren, the throne behind her instantly dissolved into crackling lightning, scattering in all directions.
"As weak and pathetic as ever, you self-pitying wretch. Can you do nothing once you're separated from someone you can rely on?"
Shadow Mei tilted her exquisite face up arrogantly, her deep purple eyes filled with undisguised disappointment and disdain.
Even though they stood before her, on the same level, Shadow Mei still mocked and belittled Mei, looking down upon her original self.
Just as Mei had thought earlier, Shadow Mei was indeed the hidden side of her heart.
Only oneself knows what they fear most. Therefore, arguably no one in the world knew Mei's psychological weaknesses better than Shadow Mei.
For Mei, every word Shadow Mei spoke inflicted the truest form of pain, and each one landed like a critical hit.
Thus, as Shadow Mei's delicate pink lips parted, uttering words as cold and emotionless as winter, Mei's pupils trembled violently, her heart shaken to its core.
"First, it was your father, Raiden Ryoma. You saw him as your reason for existence, constantly playing the role of his obedient daughter, acting like a parasite, relying on his influence to lord it over others at Chiba Academy, arrogantly enjoying their reverence and flattery, secretly pleased with yourself. You even took the honor and status gained through your father for granted, believing it was all earned through your own efforts."
A mocking, cold smile touched Shadow Mei's lips. As she delivered her heart-piercing words, her amethyst eyes gradually took on a golden hue.
"After your father Raiden Ryoma was imprisoned, you lost your only family, your only support. The status and reputation you held at school, built solely on your father's position like a castle in the sky, instantly plummeted. The so-called Raiden Queen became the object of scorn for all students overnight, juicy gossip for them to relish."
"Lost and confused about your purpose after your father's departure, you chose the foolish and laughable path of accepting torment as a criminal's daughter to atone for his sins, believing this was the only remaining connection between you... Ultimately, it was just a way to console yourself through self-deception, indulging in the decadent pleasure of being oppressed and bullied, making yourself appear unfortunate and pitiful, like a fairy tale princess tormented by tragedy."
"Like an immature child, you wanted to attract the 'Father's' care and attention again by torturing yourself... Yes, deep down, you refused to believe your father was truly imprisoned. You clung to the wishful thinking that he was hiding due to some unavoidable circumstance, desperately seeking a sliver of comfort from this hidden father. Even if drawing him out would expose him to his enemies, that dirty, selfish thought still emerged in your heart."
"N-No... that's wrong! That's not what I thought! I never thought that!"
Mei's face turned deathly pale, her slender body trembling violently. Her fair arms rose shakily as she desperately covered her ears, as if trying to stop Shadow Mei from speaking further. Mei squeezed her eyes shut and shouted her denial.
Seeing Mei trying to block out her words like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, the mocking smile on Shadow Mei's lips widened. The golden color in her eyes deepened with Mei's denial.
"Ultimately, your 'Father' Raiden Ryoma never appeared to resolve your predicament. But you did succeed in attracting a male who treated you gently like a father, caring for you meticulously... Yes, that would be your Kohai, Ren Amamiya."
Shadow Mei's golden eyes flickered briefly towards Ren standing beside Mei.
But her gaze only touched him for an instant before refocusing entirely on her original self.
"You were secretly delighted to gain Ren Amamiya's attention, willing to deceive him with lies just to maintain this bond built on falsehoods. You even felt a vile pleasure in successfully deceiving him, playing him like a puppet, when he failed to discover your true identity. Yet, at times, you'd fall into fearful suspicion, believing Ren already knew your identity, terrified the mask of 'Hokushin Mei' would be torn off, afraid he would abandon you like your father did, leaving you once again as the weak, helpless 'Raiden Mei' with no one to rely on."
Even with her hands clamped tightly over her ears, Shadow Mei's voice couldn't be blocked out; it echoed clearly, as if imprinted directly onto Mei's mind.
"What are you talking about?! I never thought that! I never felt happy about deceiving Ren-kun! She's just lying! Ren-kun, please don't believe her!!"
Compared to the comments about her father, Shadow Mei's remarks about Ren were clearly far more devastating to Mei.
Especially with Ren, the subject of the comments, standing right beside her.
Fine beads of cold sweat broke out on Mei's forehead due to anxiety. Her mind went completely blank. She didn't even dare to meet Ren's eyes, terrified of seeing utter disappointment and disgust reflected there.
"I-I regretted lying to Ren-kun too! But I've already confessed my true identity to him! I don't want to hide anything from Ren-kun anymore!!"
Faced with Mei's desperate rebuttal, Shadow Mei remained nonchalant, arms crossed. She delivered the final blow with a calm tone.
"That was only because circumstances forced you. If you didn't think Ren Amamiya wanted to visit your home, if entering the Palace didn't require your real name, if I weren't about to reveal your true name to him, you absolutely would not have exposed your identity. You would have continued playing your fake house game with him."
Shadow Mei resided within Mei's heart; she knew everything about her. Even the events before entering the Palace, Shadow Mei had recorded every detail of that memory.
"Even now, forced to confess your true identity, you haven't changed one bit. You're still the same pitiful, pathetic parasite who can do nothing without relying on others. Raiden Mei, you have no value. Even mouthing those pretty lines about resolve you learned from television, in reality, you're just a burden who clings to Ren Amamiya, constantly draining his energy, dragging him down into the same hell as you."
Shadow Mei's voice carried a magnetic quality that sent chills down the spine, as if possessing some bewitching demonic power.
Under the barrage of Shadow Mei's heart-piercing verbal assault, the thread of reason in Mei's mind finally snapped completely.
All the warnings Ren gave her before entering the Palace were completely forgotten.
Mei, her mind blank from the overwhelming emotional turmoil, now only wanted to utterly deny the dark, ugly self Shadow Mei described.
No, wait—it wasn't quite right to say Mei had completely forgotten Ren's teachings.
It was like being told not to think of an elephant, which only makes the brain picture an elephant in greater detail.
In this situation, with her mind blank, the forbidden phrase Ren had warned her against subconsciously surfaced.
"Someone like you—"
Mei's pink lips parted uncontrollably, her throat seeming to act on its own, emitting a dry, hoarse sound.
"No, Mei! Don't say it!"
Hearing Mei, completely broken by Shadow Mei's verbal onslaught, about to lose control and utter the taboo phrase that would completely deny Shadow Mei's existence...
Ren, standing right beside her, immediately reacted. He quickly raised his hand, clamping it over Mei's soft, moist lips, attempting to stop the words she was about to shout.
However, Ren's warning failed to bring the provoked Mei back to her senses.
"Someone like you... could never be me!!!"
Even with Ren's hand over her mouth, Mei stubbornly shouted with all her might at Shadow Mei.
Her soft lips, slightly damp, rubbed against Ren's palm, the sensation almost like a gentle, comforting massage.
However, the words Mei managed to shout made Ren sigh softly.
"Is this some kind of fixed mandatory encounter I can't skip? Looks like we'll have to settle this with a fight after all."
Although Ren had carefully warned Mei about facing her Shadow before entering the Palace...
He hadn't really expected to successfully bypass the confrontation. He was already prepared for the possibility that Mei would fail to face her Shadow, leading to a fight as the resolution.
"Ah... What did I just say...? I'm sorry, Ren-kun! I'm so sorry..."
After Ren removed his hand from her mouth, Mei, who had lost her reason under Shadow Mei's influence, finally regained her senses.
Realizing she had ignored Ren's warning and forcefully shouted the forbidden phrase she knew she shouldn't have, Mei lowered her head in extreme shame. She couldn't bear to look at Ren beside her anymore. Tears streamed down her face as her legs seemed to lose all strength, causing her to crumple softly to the ground.
"It's okay. I understand. Didn't I tell you before we entered the Palace? Whether it's the first time, second, or third, I'll be by your side until you completely accept your Shadow."
Ren adjusted the red gloves on his hands. Clad in his black wing-like coat, he stood protectively in front of the kneeling Mei, shielding her from the increasingly imposing and powerful figure of Shadow Mei.
A Shadow's mental assault was brutally effective, targeting specific vulnerabilities. Every word was a critical hit, every sentence dealt true damage.
Even Ren, merely listening, felt his scalp tingle from Shadow Mei's words, let alone Mei herself, the direct target.
Forced to have her fleeting dark thoughts exposed in front of Ren, someone she cared deeply about, thrown into a devastatingly embarrassing situation—Mei was now completely psychologically broken.
"Ren-kun... y-you don't hate me?"
Hearing Ren's voice from in front of her, as calm and composed as ever, Mei's kneeling body trembled slightly.
She abruptly lifted her head, her purple eyes filled with pleading as she looked up at Ren, her small, fair hand cautiously tugging at the hem of his phantom thief suit.
"Of course not. Didn't we already promise? No matter what happens, I won't hate you... Besides, who do you think I am? I'm not some newbie Persona user just stepping into a Palace. When it comes to Shadows of the heart and Persona-related knowledge, I know far more than you might think."
Looking at Mei kneeling behind him, pitifully vulnerable, gazing up at him with pleading eyes, Ren sighed softly. He gently took her cold, soft hand, comforting the girl whose mental defenses had been utterly shattered by Shadow Mei.
"Humans can't completely control their brain activity. Dark, negative thoughts sometimes drift through the mind. Seeing an overly cute little animal, the brain's balancing mechanism might make you subconsciously want to hurt it. Walking near the edge of a tall building, you might sometimes feel the urge to jump over the railing... These are objective phenomena, but they aren't thoughts born from your own true will."
"Maybe some dark thoughts occasionally crossed your mind, Mei-senpai, but just thinking them means nothing. As long as you didn't turn those negative thoughts into actual actions, no one can blame you, not even your own Shadow."
During the time Ren spent with Mei, he had never sensed the slightest malice from her. He believed in Mei, and he trusted his judgment of people.
Shadow Mei's accusations might hold a kernel of truth; perhaps Mei did have those dark thoughts at some point.
But she clearly restrained herself, always remaining the kind and gentle Raiden Mei, never transforming into the Raiden Queen of the Palace due to her heart's distortion.
"Your battle is over for now, Mei-senpai. Now, it's my stage."
Gently releasing Mei's small hand, which still clung to his reluctantly, Ren turned to face Shadow Mei directly.
"So, you choose to side with that pathetic creature? How regrettable. If you had submitted to me, I might have begrudgingly allowed you to live."
Ever since Mei completely denied the connection between herself and Shadow Mei, the aura emanating from Shadow Mei had surged dramatically.
Her purple eyes transformed entirely into golden pupils, and her voice became an echoing, dual-layered sound, mysterious and dangerous.
Seeing Ren step forward to block her path, Shadow Mei sighed softly, a fleeting look of regret and loneliness flashing in her eyes.
"Even if you want to help that pathetic creature, willingly letting her parasitize you, it's useless. Because... I am her shadow, the true Raiden Mei!"
She, the Raiden Queen, was the original and truest personality of "Raiden Mei."
The gentle, weak Raiden Mei Ren knew was merely a personality born from distortion, forcibly changed by the pressures of reality.
RUMBLE—CRACKLE—BOOOOM!!!
The moment Shadow Mei finished her declaration, an immense bolt of lightning, like the wrath of a god, crashed down violently, engulfing her slender figure in vast, deep-purple radiance.
When Shadow Mei's figure slowly reappeared amidst the dazzling deep-purple lightning, her attire had undergone a dramatic transformation, vastly different from the still-kneeling Mei.
Crimson horns, like those of a demon, extended from her forehead, partially hidden by her purple-black bangs. She now wore a form-fitting battle dress woven from black and white fabric. Her slender white arms were covered by blood-red armored gauntlets.
A divine, deep-purple halo materialized behind the newly transformed Shadow Mei. On either side of her floated crimson armored arm guards, each gripping a massive katana, protectively flanking her.
"Now, I am the true Raiden Mei. Can you defeat me, who wields the Power of Conquest?!"
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As we know, Raiden Mei was kidnapped when she was a child. etc etc trauma uncontrolled etc uncontrolled stigma, She underwent a Gem of Conquest transplant surgery and was subjected to intense therapy after that. As a result, she ended up becoming a quiet and timid girl. Her memories of her childhood became blurry.
But originally, Mei was a free-spirited, slightly delusional chunni kid—saying things like "I want to be Ultraman!" She only remembers fragments of that now, usually when something triggers it—and when it does, all she feels is secondhand embarrassment for her younger self. (she secretly also want say that, joker "cool" persona actually get her deeper desire in heart)
so Shadow (stigma) Mei that have that memory make sense right to be chunni and say some embarrassment stuff right? 1000000000 percent canon!