Author's Note: Sorry about the delay in this chapter, folks. Something unexpected and very cool happened!

My publisher released my book early!

Yes, my debut novel, the sci-fi epic Fires of Man is available now on Amazon. You can find the link on the front page of my website, www danlevinsonwriting com (you know where the periods go). It takes place in a modern day world where two countries are using superpowered soldiers to fight a secret war. It's not just action, though; there's plenty of romance, mystery, and drama that I think will satisfy all kinds of readers. If you'd like to support me and my continued endeavors as a professional writer, please check it out! Amazon has a "Look Inside" feature so you can read the first few pages and see if it piques your interest. And if you do read it, please review!

Thank you everyone, and please enjoy the next chapter of Persona Gaiden: New Class!

XXIII

Wednesday

April 24, 2013 — Early Morning

Cloudy

The following morning, Shou walked to the Classroom Building with Emi, beneath a sky shrouded with wisps of gray, their tendrils like shadowy limbs stretching to blot out the expanse of blue. There was a chill in the air, carried on a brisk breeze, and Shou shivered.

"I didn't see senpai this morning," Emi said. "Think he's hiding out to keep from going on his date?" She laughed, though to Shou's ears it sounded hollow; he wondered if she was worrying over whether they'd get the information they needed from Aizawa.

Shou offered a grin that he hoped was reassuring.

"I didn't mean to freak out the other day," Emi went on. "It's just, well, those rumors are kind of embarrassing and I couldn't just say it to his face, you know?"

Embarrassing? Well, he supposed the steroid thing could be looked at in that light, but it still didn't explain her reticence to talk about it. Shou began to fear there was something more that he and Kouta had missed. Before he could inquire further, however . . .

"Anyway, probably better to just drop it," Emi said.

What wasn't she telling him?

They continued on toward school.

Wednesday

April 24, 2013 — After School

Cloudy

For most of the day, Shou was unable to stop thinking about Kouta, his date, and the rumors he'd thought they had resolved. He wanted to do whatever he could to help his friend, although he was no expert himself when it came to the fairer sex. Was there anything he could do? Though perhaps it was finally time he spoke with Oshima-san, the trolley driver. He also wanted to visit Kaede at the school store, but he knew she wasn't working today.

As Shou debated how to spend his afternoon, he noticed Abe-sensei scurrying down the hallway, spindly arms folded across his chest, his leathery fingers clasping something against his buttoned shirt. Was that . . . the romance novel? The one Shou had spotted him reading at the library a week and a half ago? He just couldn't reconcile ornery old Abe-sensei's image with the notion of him being a closet romance fan. Last time, Abe had scared Shou away with a glare, but after some of his recent experiences, Shou was feeling decidedly bolder.

He trailed Abe through the halls, toward the library, winding his way through the sea of students, wanting to get a glimpse of the book Abe held. He lost sight when the old teacher rounded a corner, and when Shou followed, he found Abe waiting for him.

"The youth of today!" Abe-sensei barked, adding a great harrumph. "Following teachers like sneak thieves. What is it you want, Tanimoto? If you're looking for hints about the next test, too bad; you'll just have to study harder if you want to pass!"

"Is that a romance novel?" Shou asked him.

Abe-sensei reddened, and for a moment Shou thought he was embarrassed, until he shoved a thick finger, gnarled like old wood, in Shou's face. "Romance novel?" Abe demanded, incredulous. "Preposterous! The youth of today, no respect for good literature. Don't you know what this is?" He pushed the book at Shou, showing the cover with a young woman in a white dress, standing at a cliff, gazing at a ship on the water, the wind tossing her hair and clothes. Monogatari no Kaze. "This novel, A Tale of the Wind, won the Tanizaki Prize in 1985! Certainly, there's romance, but what good book doesn't have romance? You youths, where's your sense of taste? Wrapped up in your comic books and video games, no patience for real reading anymore! And when you do read, they're light novels that get turned into anime before you can blink an eye, so you don't even have to finish the book! What's wrong with you kids?"

Shou grasped for a response to assuage his teacher, but then noticed the author of the book: Abe Etsuko. Abe . . . ?

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" asked Abe.

Shou bowed and uttered an apology.

"I don't want your apologies," Abe said. "The youth of today, always thinking an 'I'm sorry' can get them out of anything." He pushed A Tale of the Wind into Shou's hands. "Take this."

Shou began to protest.

"I have another copy at home. Read it. Talk to me again once you understand the meaning of real literature, and maybe, if you answer wisely, I'll give you a clue about what's on the next test."

All Shou could think of to do was bow and again and say, "Thank you."

"Thank me once you've finished," Abe said. "You might just learn something." Shou thought it might be a trick of the light, but as the old man spoke, it seemed there was a glimmer of mirth in his eyes.

Snap!

Thou art I . . . And I am thou . . . Thou hast established a new bond . . . It brings thee closer to the truth . . . Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hierophant Arcana . . .

"Now be off with you, Tanimoto," Abe went on. With that, he walked off down the hall, muttering about "the youth of today."

Shou stared at the book in his hand, then shrugged and headed back toward the lobby.

Wednesday

April 24, 2013 — Evening

Cloudy

Later, after dinner, Shou and Emi waited in the dorm lounge for Kouta, eager to hear the results of the date, whether it would prove sufficient for Aizawa to do the work they required of her. When Kouta finally arrived, he was haggard, storm-faced, and Shou's hopes plummeted.

In confirmation, Kouta cried, "Guys, it was terrible!"

Emi groaned. "What did you do?"

"What did I do?" Kouta shook his head. "I wasn't the problem. She had a great time! She says she'll look into MoriNet telecom for us."

"Geez, you scared me for nothing!" said Emi. She sank back in her seat with a sigh.

"But you don't understand!" wailed Kouta. "I took her to the arcade, and she kicked my ass at every game! Every game! Do you know how embarrassing that was? Bro, back me up on this one." He turned to Shou, a look of pleading in his eyes.

Shou stifled a laugh.

"And when we went to Ramen King for dinner, I didn't wanna order too much 'cause I thought it'd look bad if I pigged out or whatever . . . but then after she ate her food, she ate half of mine, too! How the hell does a skinny girl like her have an appetite like . . . well, like me? I'm still hungry, bro!" As if to emphasize his point, his stomach growled.

"Why didn't you just order more food?" Emi asked.

"Because she wanted to school me some more in Tekken Tag Tournament," Kouta said. "And do Print Club." He pulled out a roll of small photos. "She drew a lipstick heart on my cheek!" He rubbed at his skin, which still bore a little bit of red.

"Sounds like she likes you," Shou ventured.

"No kidding, bro. She wants to go out again! What am I gonna do?"

Emi shot to her feet and shook her fist in Kouta's face. "You go out with her again, that's what! You do whatever you have to so that she gets us the information we need. You got it?"

"Geez, Emi-chan," Kouta protested, "what's with the scary face?"

"Be a man!" she shouted.

"Be a . . . ? I . . ." Kouta's expression grew serious. "Oooooooh! I am a man! Fine! I'll do it!" He stared at them both with conviction. Then his stomach growled again, and he drooped. "Please tell me there's some leftovers from dinner," he muttered, then wandered off into the kitchen.

The moment he was gone, Shou and Emi burst into laughter.

"I can hear you!" he called.

When their mirth subsided, Emi said, "Now we'll have to see what she turns up. If anything. Could be this is all some wild goose chase."

Shou tried to reassure Emi, but she waved it away with a hand.

"I have to accept that there could be no more to this after all," she said. "Because if I don't, and that turns out to be the case . . . I don't know what that would do to me. I have to prepare for the worst."

Shou only nodded.

That night, in his room, after he'd finished his homework, Shou decided to read a bit of A Tale of the Wind. From the first page, he was drawn in by the rich descriptions of a small, fictional fishing town by the sea, the smells of salt air, the cool wind that blew year round, the calming sounds of water rushing up against the cliffside. More, he was impressed by the vivid characters. Abe-sensei had been right—this was no mere romance novel, but true literature.

The book told of two young lovers, Atsuko and Yuichiro, during the Second World War. Atsuko was from an affluent family, her father the magnate of a fisherman company with more than ten vessels to his name, owner of a great mansion on the hill above the town, and Yuichiro, one of her father's fishermen. After Atsuko and Yuichiro's rendezvous were discovered, they were forbidden from seeing each other, until Yuichiro confronted Atsuko's father and told him he'd prove himself worthy of Atsuko by joining the Imperial Navy. Atsuko's father replied that he'd give him Atsuko's hand only if he returned a hero, and said that he hoped Yuichiro died.

On the day Yuichiro left, he and Atsuko vowed to stand outside at sundown, he upon the deck of the ship he was assigned to, and she upon the cliff, and let the wind carry the wishes of their hearts to each other. That, Shou surmised, was why it was called A Tale of the Wind.

By the time Shou put the book down, it had grown late, later than he'd realized. He stopped at the point when Yuichiro shipped out, after the teary farewell, and the story stuck with him, keeping him awake most of an hour before he finally drifted off to sleep.

His expression increased!

Thursday

April 25, 2013 — Lunchtime

Clear Skies

That day, as Shou was walking to the cafeteria, he heard someone call, "Shou!" It was Kaede, striding down the hall, a stormy look on her face. Had he done something wrong? "Why haven't you been at the store all week? Shirking your duties, is that it? Or do you have somewhere better to be?"

Shou tried to tell her he'd just been busy, but then she grinned; she'd been messing with him.

"Tanaka-san is going to be out today," she said, "so the store will be extra shorthanded. It'd be great if you could help out today."

Shou had been meaning to pick up a shift anyway, so he assured her he would be there.

"Good," she said, "and don't be late!"

She disappeared down the hall.

Shou headed to lunch.

Thursday

April 25, 2013 — Afternoon

Clear Skies

In History, they were still discussing the Edo period, though now Abe-sensei had moved on into events once the Tokugawa had firmly established their dynasty. "During the Edo period," Abe said, "the political system was what historians have dubbed bakuhan, a conflation of bakufu, the form of feudal military dictatorship that is referred to in English as the, 'shogunate,' and the word han, that is, the different domains ruled over by the daimyos."

Abe paced the room, gnarled hands clasped behind his back, pausing in the lesson for a moment to look out over the class with a baleful eye. "You'd better be paying attention," he warned, "because you never know what will be on the test." Then he added a muttered, "The youth of today . . ."

Shou raised an eyebrow and traded a glance with Emi, who hid a smirk behind her hand. Sayoko rolled her eyes at both of them, but she, too, was smiling.

"Many of the laws were aimed at controlling the daimyos, keeping them in line and subservient to the shogun. For example, the sankin koutai system forced daimyos to spend every other year in Edo, while his wife and heir remained in Edo permanently, as political hostages, if you will.

"Furthermore," Abe-sensei continued, "the daimyos had to maintain lavish residences worthy of their stature in both locations, as well as furnish a number of samurai in accordance with the size and importance of their holdings. These samurai would accompany the daimyo to and from Edo, and the cost of not only feeding and housing them, but supplying them during these processions, left the daimyos without the necessary funds to wage war and rebel against shogun. Thus it was that the Tokugawa maintained dominance for more than two-and-a-half centuries."

Suddenly, Abe's attention snapped to the class. "Let's see who's been listening." His gaze scanned back and forth, then settled on Shou, and Shou could have sworn he saw an amused glint in the old teacher's eyes, a kind of acknowledgement of their conversation yesterday. "Tanimoto-kun," he said, "can you answer this question? What was the political system of the Edo period called?"

Shou breathed a sigh of relief that he'd been paying attention, and mentally reviewed the last few minutes of the lecture just to make sure. Yes, he was certain the answer was: "Bakuhan."

"Very good, Tanimoto-kun," said Abe-sensei. Then he cast another look at the class. "You all could learn from his example. The youth of today . . ." He went back to his lesson.

The girls in front of Shou, as usual, tittered. "He always knows the answer," said one.

"And he spoke so confidently," whispered the other.

His charm increased!

Thursday

April 25, 2013 — After School

Clear Skies

After school, Shou made his way to the lobby, where he found Kaede opening up the school store. He joined in to help her, and though she said little, he could see her relief. Together, they performed their duties, often switching off between helping browsing students find what they were looking for, and working the register. There was a lot Shou wanted to talk to her about, but he knew it would be best to wait until the after school rush died down.

It was near 1800 when things cleared out, and Shou and Kaede spent some tidying up so they wouldn't have to do it after closing. Shou was trying to figure out how to start when Kaede said, "So you guys saved Sayoko."

Shou nodded, unable to tell by her tone whether she was glad, upset, or somewhere in between.

"That's good," Kaede said, though now a hint of worry crept into her voice. "I'm still worried for you, you know. I heard what happened with Yoshiro. If he hadn't been there to help you . . ."

Shou had made up his mind about the Shadow Line, and no matter what Kaede said, he was going to keep fighting. Still, he wanted to reassure her, somehow. He considered this, a finally, puffed out his chest and said, "I'll have to get stronger, then."

Kaede looked at him a moment, stunned, and Shou thought he'd actually gotten through to her, until she burst out laughing. "You should drop the tough guy act, Shou-kun," she said. "It just doesn't suit you."

Shou wilted, although he was glad Kaede was having a good time.

"Still," she warned, "just because Yoshiro's acting friendly now doesn't mean he won't turn on you later. And Shino and Tess do whatever he says. Plus, Itami really doesn't like you. And . . . no one even knows what Ryuu's thinking."

Shou started to have a queasy feeling.

"I'm just saying, be careful."

He told her he would.

They were quiet for a time, finishing their tidying up of the store. A couple times, a customer came by, and all the while Shou thought about the topic he really wanted to bring up: the killer. He wasn't sure if he should come right out with it, or choose a more subtle route. He didn't want to alarm Kaede, not with all she had going on in her personal life, so when the opportunity arose, he asked, "How do you think people end up on the Shadow Line?"

"How?" Kaede asked, brow furrowing. She swept an errant bit of dust into the dustpan with sudden fervor. "Well, the truth is, I don't really know." She stopped, looked at Shou, looking both disappointed in herself, and curious. "I've thought about it a lot, like, 'why was I chosen?' Why were any of the others chosen? Or you, for that matter?" She smirked and gave him a playful jab on the arm. Then, abruptly, she grew self-conscious at the gesture and blushed, looked away, laughed nervously. "Why are you asking, anyway?"

"Just wondering if you had any ideas," he said.

She narrowed her eyes, cocked her head, as if she could render him transparent if only she looked at him just the right way. "Is that so?" she asked, unconvinced. Then her face softened. "Well , I don't really remember much from the day it happened. There's a part of me that's always wanted to figure it out, but . . . eventually I stopped trying. Because, when I made it through okay, and got my Persona . . . Ugh, this is embarrassing."

Shou took a step toward her, gestured for her to go on.

"I stopped trying to figure it out because I'm scared," she admitted, her eyes going to the floor, one foot kicking at the little swirls of dirt at the edge of the dustpan. "When I got my Persona, it was the first time in my life I ever felt special. I'm afraid if I keep looking too hard into the reason, I'm gonna find out it was all a fluke, random chance, that I'm not actually special after all. Does that make sense? It sounds totally stupid, doesn't it?"

"It's natural to feel that way," Shou replied.

Again, Kaede looked shocked, but this time when it faded, an expression of hope dawned on her face. "You . . . you really think so? You don't think less of me for it?"

He shook his head.

She gave Shou a genuine smile, brimming with warmth. "Thank you," she said.

Snap!

Thou art I . . . And I am thou . . . Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Justice Arcana . . .

"A-anyway," Kaede said, "we still have a little time left before closing. Come on, let me show you how to take inventory."

They finished up at the school store, and then Shou walked Kaede to the outbound trolley stop, before heading back to the dorm.

Thursday

April 25, 2013 — Evening

Cloudy

"I spoke with Aizawa-san," Emi said, that evening, after dinner. "She said she should have something for us at some point next week." She sighed. "When I asked her if she could hurry up, she told me, 'You can't rush genius.' Geez, that girl's got some ego."

"I told you she was a handful," said Kouta.

"Still hurting after your ass-kicking?" Emi asked.

"Argh, take it back, Emi-chan!"

"We should get a game console in here," Emi said, "so I can teach you a lesson, too."

"I'd like to see you try!" Kouta yelled. He turned to Shou. "Back me up on this one, bro!"

Shou held up his hands, as if to say he wasn't getting involved.

"I bet people have just been letting you win because they're afraid you'll come after them with a kendo stick," Emi taunted.

"Oh, it's so on now! You, me, arcade, Sunday! I'll prove you ain't got nothin' on Azu-chan!"

"So you're on her side now, is that it?" asked Emi. "Maybe you do like her after all."

"H-hey, no fair, you can't turn it around on me like that! You fight dirty!"

"I do what it takes to win," she said.

"You musta been my little sister in a past life, Emi-chan, 'cause you sure know how to annoy the crap outta me," Kouta said, rubbing his forehead in consternation.

"Don't say such awful things," Emi replied.

Kouta's eyes widened. "Why, you—!"

"If anything," Emi went on, "I was the big sister and you were the little brother!"

And on and on it went.

Later that night, in his room, Shou cracked open A Tale of the Wind again.

Yuichiro was assigned to the Shiratsuyu-class destroyer Kawakaze, "River Wind." As the war escalated, Atsuko followed the news in constant fear, afraid that any day she would find her love's ship had been sunk. Both continued their evening ritual, facing the wind, entrusting their words to it, hoping they would carry across the distance between them.

All the while, Atsuko's father brought many suitors to their home, determined to find her a husband as soon as possible, in case Yuichiro managed to return. Days and then a year and then more stretched on, and she turned them all away, Atsuko's feelings reserved only for the absent Yuichiro. Still, there was one suitor who did not give up so easily—the handsome, charming Kondou Isoroku, heir to a steel manufacturing fortune, with wit and intelligence both. Week by week, month by month, Isoroku visited, bringing gifts, telling jokes, and his kindness and humor slowly wore away at the wall Atsuko had erected around her feelings. Even so, she did not stop her nightly sojourns.

Meanwhile, Yuichiro participated in many battles in the Pacific theater, including the Battle of the Java Sea, and the invasions of islands in the Philippines. He wrote many letters to Atsuko, but never received a response, for, unbeknownst to him, her father tore them all up upon delivery. Months and then a year passed, and there were many more battles—the Battle of Midway, the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, and others—and through this Yuichiro was determined to distinguish himself. Yet in the fateful Battle of Vella Gulf, in August of 1943, the River Wind was sunk by the USS Dunlap, Craven, and Maury, killing nearly all of the 180 crewmen aboard, including the captain, Lieutenant Commander Yanase.

When the news was reported, Yuichiro was counted among the dead, though in truth he had washed up on nearby Vella Lavella Island, alone. Unable to believe this, Atsuko went out to the cliff that day as usual, yet when she stood out upon it, there was no wind. Never in her life had there been such an occurrence, and she took it as a sign that Yuichiro was truly dead, and was ready to throw herself into the sea. Isoroku had followed her, however, and just as she was about to step off into empty air, he grabbed her arm, and pulled her back to safety. She wept in his arms.

A month later, they were engaged to be wed.

There was still a bit more left to go, but Shou was tired, and wanted to be able to concentrate on every precious word. He closed the book, tears glistening in his eyes. Truly, this was an extraordinary tale.

His expression increased!

Friday

April 26, 2013 — Early Morning

Rainy

That morning, Shou, Kouta, and Emi, umbrellas in hand, waited for the trolley to pick them up from the dorm. The rain came down in a sheet, slapping hard against the pavement. With clear skies most of yesterday, it felt like the inclement weather had come out of nowhere, but Shou preferred the rain to that portentous heavy gray blanket over the sky that indicated activity on the Shadow Line. At least it wasn't that.

Despite the downpour, Oshima-san was jolly as always. "Did you ever get a chance to question him?" Emi asked.

"Question him? You're makin' it sound like an interrogation, Emi-chan," said Kouta.

"So?" Emi replied. "Everyone's a suspect."

Kouta sighed. "Next thing ya know, you're gonna be accusin' me."

"Why should I?" asked Emi. "Have you done something wrong?"

Shou cleared his throat, stopping the argument before it began. He told Emi that Naoto-san had spoken with Oshima-san briefly, but that he'd meant to talk to him further for a while now. He resolved to do it that afternoon.

Friday

April 26, 2013 — After School

Rainy

By the time the school day ended, the rain still hadn't let up. It was actually the perfect opportunity to talk to Oshima, Shou felt. After classes let out, he walked to the trolley stop, the deluge pounding against his umbrella, making it shake in his hand. Thankfully there was shelter at the stop itself—little more than a roof mounted on poles over the entirety of the queue, but it was better than nothing.

When Oshima-san arrived, Shou took a seat at the front of the trolley, and waited as first he dropped students off at all of the dorms, then wound his way back to the stop at the front gate, this time heading into the city. He dropped the last remaining students off at their subway stops, and then, at last, the trolley was empty.

"Oi, kid, what happened?" Oshima asked. "You miss your stop?"

Shou shook his head.

"Wait a sec," Oshima said, "now I remember. You're Tachibana's friend, aren't you? The one looking for her a while back, talking about 'the Vanished' with the kendo guy. And you were here the other day with that Detective-san." He chuckled. "Playing the field, eh? Takes me back to my own high school days."

"I wanted to ask you about something," Shou said.

"Now, now," Oshima-san said, "I'm not in the habit of gossiping about students. It's part of the sacred pact of being a trolley driver, you know. You hear all sorts of things in a position like mine, but it's important to keep them in confidence. Not just for the sake of my job. It's the principle that counts!"

Shou reassured him that it was nothing like that.

"Well, what then? Is it about the Guest Passes again?"

"Have you seen anyone unusual lately?" Shou asked.

"Unusual?" Oshima shook his head. "This whole school is unusual, kid. Geniuses and prodigies from all over the country. But you already know that, you're one of them yourself!" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It's hard to keep track of all the comings and goings around here. There are always people from outside visiting, college scouts looking at our athletes, guest speakers, parents, you name it. Although . . . Come to think of it, Principal Takahashi did have me drop him off the other week at the Aragawa station. Usually he has a private car pick him up from the front gate."

Principal Takahashi? Shou didn't know what to make of it yet, but he knew it could be a valuable piece of information, so he filed it away to think about later. He wondered what his friends would think.

At that moment, Oshima rounded a corner, and the school came into view, rising up from the horizon as they approached like some great stone megalith, its rain-slicked walls and the dark skies overhead making it appear somehow ominous. Oshima gave a melancholy sigh. "It's a beautiful place, isn't it?" he asked. "At least, when you try to forget about all the pressures they heap on kids here. My son went here, you know. A long time ago."

Shou was surprised to hear this. How had the trolley driver been able to send his son on his salary? Unless it had been a scholarship. "How is he doing now?" Shou asked.

"We don't talk anymore," Oshima said. He grimaced. "But every time I see this school, it makes me feel a little bit closer to him. That's why I took this job."

"What happened?" Shou asked.

Oshima laughed. "This isn't a soap opera, kid. I'm not going to tell you my life story just because you asked. But . . ." He smiled, but there was little joy in it. "It's nice to talk to somebody once in a while. Even if you're just a kid. Most people just ignore me, act like I'm not even here. Just the trolley driver. So how's about you come and chat with me every once in a while, and in return I'll keep my eyes peeled, let you know if I see anything really strange. Whatever it is you're into, you don't seem like a bad kid. So I'll trust you for now. Whaddya say?" He pulled the trolley to a stop at the gate, and offered Shou a hand.

Shou accepted it.

Snap!

Thou art I . . . And I am thou . . . Thou hast established a new bond . . . It brings thee closer to the truth . . . Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Tower Arcana . . .

"Good," Oshima-san said. "I'll look forward to talking again some time. Tanimoto. Right?"

Shou nodded.

"All right then," said Oshima, "back to work." He proceeded through the gate, and picked up another load of students waiting for the trolley.

Shou rode the trolley back to G Hall, all the while staring out at the rain-soaked landscape, and thinking, thinking.

Slowly, but surely, he was coming closer to the truth.

Next time, on Persona Gaiden: New Class . . .

What is the significance of this new clue about Principal Takahashi? Does he have any connection to MoriNet telecom? Plus, a new resident moves into G Hall!

Social Links

Fool — Morigami Exploration Team — Rank 3

Magician — Hayabusa Kouta — Rank 3

Priestess — Sato Sayoko — Rank 1

Emperor — Morigami Yoshiro — Rank 1

Hierophant — Abe Ichiro — Rank 1!

Justice — Kazami Kaede — Rank 3!

Strength — Shirogane Naoto — Rank 2

Hanged Man — Ariwa Reiko — Rank 3

Death — Kageshiro Ryuu — Rank 2

Tower — Oshima Hiroshi — Rank 1!

Sun — Narukami Yu — Rank 1

Attributes

Courage — Rank 2 — Reliable

Knowledge — Rank 2 — Broad

Expression — Rank 2 — Eloquent

Understanding — Rank 2 — Kindly

Charm — Rank 2 — Confident