Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A train was running along its track in the middle of the night. Inside its sparsely populated car, two teenagers sat on its seat. One of them was a boy with blue hair and bangs covering one of his eyes. He was wearing a white shirt and black vest, the standard male uniform of the local Gekkoukan High School.

On his right, a girl with auburn hair and a small ponytail sat sleeping on the seat, with her head resting on the shoulder of the boy. She was wearing the female uniform for Gekkoukan High School.

“Attention passengers, we sincerely apologize for any inconveniences caused by the delay. The next stop is Iwatodai.”

Hearing the announcement, the boy shook the girl by her shoulder, trying to wake her up. “Wake up, sis. Our stop is almost here.”

“Hm… Just ten more minutes…”

“It won’t even be five minutes. Come on, you can’t sleep here forever.”

“Fine, fine!”

By the time the train arrived at the station, it was almost midnight. The two teenagers stepped out of the train, with the girl looking very annoyed.

“Geez, what’s with the delay anyway? What caused the train to be delayed like that?!” said the auburn-haired girl with a slightly angry tone.

As soon as she said that, the surrounding atmosphere suddenly changed. The sky turned green. All of the electronics and machines were shut down. Pools of blood started appearing. Blood also started dripping from various corners and edges of the wall. Coffins lined up the streets where people used to be.

“Oh right. It’s already midnight.” said the girl.

“Let’s just go to the dorm. We’re already late as it is.” replied her brother.

“Iwatodai dorm, right? Where is it again?”

The boy pulled out a leaflet from his pocket and held it in front of the two of them.

“This way.”

After walking through streets littered with coffins and blood, both of them arrived in front of Iwatodai Dormitory. The dorm was the only building with its lights on. Both of them stopped there for a moment.

“That’s a first.” uttered the boy.

“Whatever!” groaned the girl as she walked up the steps and grabbed the handle on the door. “Let’s just get inside and get some sleep.”

Both of them stepped inside the building and into the lounge. Behind the reception desk, a young boy sat there with his hands folded under his chin. The boy looked like he was only 10 or 11 years old, yet he was wearing some kind of prisoner outfit. The young boy spoke as soon as the two teenagers entered the lounge, attracting their attention.

“You’re late.” spoke the young boy. “I’ve been waiting a long time for you.”

The young boy then snapped his fingers and suddenly appeared in front of the teenagers, startling them.

“Now if you wish to proceed, please sign your name there.” said the boy while gesturing towards the reception desk. On top of it were two red folders containing one sheet of paper each.

“It’s a contract.” the boy continued. “Don’t worry, all it says is that you’ll take full responsibility for your actions. You know, the usual stuff.”

The two teenagers then looked at each other, slightly confused before taking a look at the contracts on top of the desk. The contracts were simple, as they contain only one sentence: I chooseth this fate of mine own free will . They looked at each other again, before shrugging and signed the contract with their name.

Minato Arisato

Minako Arisato

The boy took the folders and held them in front of his chest. “Noone can escape time. It delivers us all to the same end. You can’t plug your ears or cover your eyes.” The boy then made the folders disappear right in front of them. “And so it begins.” said the boy as he too faded away and disappeared in front of them.

Minako just blinked at everything that happened. “Did… did we just curse ourselves?” she asked, still trying to understand what just happened.

“Who’s there?!”

They suddenly heard a shout from across the lounge. On the other end, a brown-haired girl wearing a pink cardigan eyed the two visitors nervously.

“Yeah, I think we did.” said Minako in a tired tone.

The brunette continued to watch the two teenagers cautiously. She shakily reached for something holstered on her right thigh. Seeing that she reached for something that looked like a gun, Minato reflexively went in front of his sister. But before the brunette was able to draw it, another shout came from behind her.

“Takeba, wait!”

Just as they heard the shout, the foreboding atmosphere faded away and all of the lights on the dorm came back on. Minato and Minako saw that the second person who shouted was another teenage girl, slightly older than them, with long, red hair. She was wearing a white blouse and black skirt, seemingly carrying herself with regal bearings. The two girls then approached the twins.

The redhead addressed the twins, “I didn’t think you’d arrive so late. My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I’m one of the students who live in this dorm.”

“Who’re they?” asked the brunette.

“They’re transfer students. It was a last minute decision to assign them here. They’ll eventually be moved to another dorm.”

“Is it okay for them to be here?”

“I guess we’ll see.” replied Mitsuru. “This is Yukari Takeba. She’ll be a junior this spring, just like you two.”

Yukari greeted the twins after she was introduced.

Minato then replied, “Nice to meet you.”

“Oh… Nice to meet you too.”

Minako quickly stepped to her brother’s side, “Hey, is that gun real?”

“Huh?! Oh, this? It’s not… It’s just for… How do I explain this?”

Mitsuru quickly interjected, “It’s for self-defense. You know how it is these days. Don’t worry, it doesn’t shoot anything.”

She then continued, “It’s getting late, so you should get some rest. Minato Arisato, your room is on the second floor, at the end of the hallway. Minako Arisato, your room is on the third floor, and also at the end of the hallway. Your things have arrived earlier, so they should’ve already been sent to your respective room.”

“Thanks!” chirped Minako. “So, how do we get there?”

Yukari quickly answered her, “Oh, I’ll show you the way. Follow me.”

The twins obliged and followed Yukari across the lounge and towards the stairs. After going up one floor, the three of them stopped in front of the hallway. “The boys’ rooms are on this floor. Your rooms should be easy to remember, since they’re right at the end of the hall.” said Yukari.

Yukari then pulled out two keys from her skirt pocket. “Here are your room keys. Make sure you don’t lose it, or you’ll never hear the end of it. So, any questions?”

“Yeah, just one.” muttered Minako. “Is this building haunted or something?”

Yukari was startled hearing that. “H- Haunted?! W-What do you mean by that?!”

“Oh, you didn’t see that kid?”

“W-What kid? W-Who are you talking about?! Jeez, that isn’t a good joke, you know.”

“But…”

Minako looked at Yukari with a confused face. She then turned to her brother, who just shrugged. Seeing that, she just grumbled.

“Never mind then.”

“Did something happen on your way here?” asked Yukari.

Minato answered, “No, nothing happened.”

“Are you sure? Then, why is your sister…”

Yukari just shook her head. “If you say so. C’mon Arisato-san, I’ll show you to your room. You can go to your room on your own, right Arisato-kun?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Night sis.”

“Good night, Minato-nii.”

== April 7th, 2009 ==

Minako woke up early and got dressed, excited for her first day of school back in her hometown. As she was finishing up her hair, she heard someone knocking on her door.

“Hey, it’s Yukari. Are you awake?” the person behind her door called out to her.

“I’m awake. Be there in a second.” replied Minako as she hurriedly secured her barrette. After she opened the door, Yukari cheerfully greeted her.

“Good morning. Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah! Did you?”

Yukari just closed her eyes and groaned a little, “A little restless thanks to you, but I’m good.”

“...Takeba-san, are you afraid of ghosts?”

“Wha- Where did that come from?!”

“Well, seeing your reaction last night…”

“N-No, I’m not! Jeez, why did you even bring that up?”

“Just curious?”

“Well, I’m not afraid of something as silly as a ghost, so don’t talk about this to anyone.” Yukari then sighed before continuing, “We wasted enough time already. Ready to go to school?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be!” exclaimed Minako while pumping up her fist.

“Someone’s excited, at least. Let’s go fetch your brother.”

Minako and Yukari then walked down the hall to the stairs. As they walked down the stairs, they noticed Minato was sitting down on a chair in the second floor lounge, listening to his MP3 player. Noticing Minako and Yukari, Minato paused his MP3, slid off his headphones so they hung over his shoulders, and walked towards the two. “Sorry, been waiting long?” asked Minako.

“Slightly. Having trouble waking up?”

“No, just having a short chat with Takeba-san.”

“Oh really? What about?”

“N-Nothing important!” interrupted Yukari. “C’mon, let’s get going. We don’t want to be late on the first day of school.”

Minato raised an eyebrow at that, but then decided that it’s none of his business and just followed Yukari to school.

After a short monorail trip, the three teenagers arrived in front of the gates of Gekkoukan High School. Some students happily greeted Yukari, and she greeted them back. They soon entered the front hall of the school. “You two should probably see your homeroom teacher first.” said Yukari to the twins. “The faculty office is right there to your left, while the classrooms are on the right.”

“Got it.” answered Minato.

“Great! I’ll see you later.”

Yukari then walked away from the twins. As they watched her walk down the hall, they noticed a crowd gathering in front of a billboard. Minato was about to just walk towards the faculty office before noticing his sister already went to the billboard. Minato just sighed, “Let’s go, Mina. We need to go to the faculty office.”

“Just a sec. I’m curious what all this is about.” replied Minako. “Looks like the class rosters. Both of us are in class 2-F!”

“Are you done?”

“Jeez, no need to be so grumpy!”

“We can always see it after we talk to the teacher.”

“Yeah, but no harm in seeing it now.”

Minako was glad the faculty office was easy to find, since it was in a small hallway and very clearly marked. Her brother opened the door, and she followed him inside. After they entered, a teacher with short brown hair wearing a white collar shirt, brown faculty jacket and pants noticed them. She was carrying a small black folder. “Oh, are you the new students?” asked the teacher.

“That’s us!” replied Minako cheerfully.

The teacher then looked at the file inside the folder. “Minato Arisato and Minako Arisato, 2nd year, correct?”

“Yes.” said Minato in an almost flat tone.

“Wow, you two lived in a lot of different places. Let’s see, in 1999… that was what, ten years ago? Your parents-” the teacher then gasped slightly after seeing what’s in the file. Minako frowned seeing her reaction.

She has seen it multiple times. Every time people find out what happened, they always get the same look of pity.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been so busy I didn’t have time to read these beforehand.” continued the teacher, looking apologetic.

Minako just smiled and said, “Don’t worry. Noone will blame you for being busy. And… as for our situation, we still have each other.”

“I see.” the teacher nodded in understanding. “You’re quite strong. Anyway, I’m Miss Toriumi. I teach Composition. Welcome to our school.”

The twins replied in unison, “Thank you for having us.”

“With your politeness, it’s our pleasure.” said Toriumi with a smile. “Have you seen the classroom assignments? You’re in 2-F; that’s my class. But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The welcoming ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me.”

The ceremony was as boring as Minato expected. The principal’s speech just seemed to drag on and on with the same empty platitude and motivational words that can be heard almost everywhere. Due to bad timing, he was seated separately from his sister, so he couldn’t even alleviate the boredom with some silent conversation with her. Suddenly, the student right behind him tried to get his attention.

“You came to school with Yukari this morning, right?” whispered the student. “I saw you walking together. Can I ask, do you know if she has a boyfriend?”

“I don’t know.” Minato whispered back.

“I see. I thought you might know. Then, how about the other girl? The one with the cute ponytail, do you know anything?”

Minato quickly felt some murderous feeling rising up on the back of his head. Before he could say anything, the student was elbowed by another student on his right.

“Dude, don’t ask him that! I heard she’s his sister.” whispered the other student.

“O-Oh, sorry. I didn’t-”

“I hear talking.” grumbled one of the teachers. “I believe it’s someone in Miss Toriumi’s class.”

Toriumi quickly reprimanded the students and Minato, “Be quiet. You’re going to get me in trouble.”

Toriumi just sighed and mumbled to herself, “I’ll never hear the end of this.”

Contrary to Toriumi’s scolding, the chatter intensified. Minato thought, “Well, it’s a nice distraction at least.”

At homeroom, Ms. Toriumi decided on the seating arrangement of the class. The decision was made with virtually zero input from the students, which made some students grumble. Minato was seated on the second row, right side of the middle column. Minako was seated on the front row, left side of the middle column with Yukari on the right.

Class went uneventfully as expected, with introductions and lessons preparations took up most of the time.

After class ended, Minako walked to her brother’s desk and waited for him to finish cleaning up his books and utensils. Before Minato got up from his seat, a classmate with a cap went over to them and greeted them. “S’up guys. How’s it going?”

The twins just looked at their classmate confused for a few seconds, before looking at each other. Minato then said, in a very unamused tone, “What do you want?”

The classmate just slumped his shoulders at the question. “Oh, come on. Let me introduce myself at least.”

“I’m Junpei Iori, nice to meet ya.” introduced the classmate. “I transferred here while I was in eighth grade. I know how tough it is bein’ the new kid. So I wanted to say, ‘hey’. …See what nice guy I am!”

Minato just looked at him with a flat face. Minako, on the other hand, just giggled at his classmate’s attempt.

Yukari then walked into the group. Noticing her, Junpei chirped, “Hey, it’s Yuka-tan. I didn’t think we'd be in the same class again.”

Yukari sighed at Junpei’s antics. “At it again, huh? I swear you’ll talk to anyone if they’ll listen. Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?”

Junpei looked slightly offended by that remark. “What?! But I was just bein’ friendly.”

“If you say so.” scoffed Yukari. She then turned toward the twins. “Anyway, looks like we’re in the same homeroom.”

“Convenient, right? It’s nice to have a familiar face in here.” replied Minako.

“It is. I’m just a bit surprised.”

“Hello, are you forgetting that I’m in this class too?” Junpei tried to not get pushed aside. “By the way, I heard you three came to school together this morning. Are you old friends or somethin’?.”

“Uh, no. We just met yesterday.”

“Really? I didn’t know you could make friends that fast, Yuka-tan.”

“What? Is that so wrong?” snapped Yukari.

“Nothing. I just thought, there could be more to it than that.”

“Nah, we really just met yesterday.” Minako interjected. “I didn’t even know she-”

Yukari hastily covered Minako’s mouth with her right hand.

Junpei was slightly surprised at Yukari’s reaction. “Know that she what?”

“Nothing! Nothing happened last night!” Yukari attempted to avoid the topic.

“Wait, what?! Last night?!” Junpei was growing even more surprised.

It was Yukari’s turn to be surprised by the direction of the conversation. “Wait! No, that’s not what I meant! I already told you, I just met them both yesterday. So there’s absolutely nothing between us!”

Either from too much surprise frying his brain or just plain coincidence, Junpei arrived at the wrong conclusion. “Wait, both of them? Damn, Yuka-tan. I didn’t know you were…”

Minako then grew a very wide smirk. "I'm flattered you think I have chances with such a cute girl, but nah. Besides, Takeba-san feels more like Minato's type than mine."

Minato blinked. "What-"

"Besides, she's right, we literally met each other when Minato and I got to the dorm last night. Sorry to disappoint ya, but it's completely platonic." Minako patted Junpei on the head with a cheeky smile. "For the record, you're not my type either." 

"Oof, shot straight down." Junpei winced. 

“Ugh, seriously, how did you even come to that conclusion?!” Yukari glared at him.

She then just sighed. “This is more exhausting than I thought. I got some things to do for the archery club, so I got to go. But you better not start any rumors, Junpei!”

Yukari then left the class for the club. Junpei just rolled his eyes at her remark. “Who cares. Noone takes rumors seriously anyway.”

He then turned to Minato and Minako, “But hey, it’s your first day here and people are already talking about you. She’s quite popular, so seeing two new students walking together with her was bound to draw attention.”

Junpei then started smirking to himself. “This is gonna be a fun year, I can feel it!”

Minato, on the other hand, has already buried his face in his right palm, feeling massive irritation from what happened in the last hour.

The rest of the day went by uneventfully. Feeling tired from everything that happened, Minato and Minako decided to go to bed early for today.

Chapter Text

== April 8th, 2009 ==

The day went as the routine would expect. After school, Minako caught her brother before he could just walk straight to the dorm. “So, Minato-nii. Do you want to walk around? See what has changed since we were last here?”

Minato just looked at his sister for a few seconds, before nodding. “Sure. Might as well get to know the place.”

Their first stop is the closest landmark they saw from the school, the Paulownia Mall. The building is quite luxurious, even if relatively small. It has marble flooring and a fountain in the middle of the area.

“Don’t remember ever being here.” chirped Minako.

“We rarely went to any mall when we were little.” replied Minato.

“Yeah, maybe that could change! This place looks like a lot of fun. Look, over there is a karaoke place, and then a music store, even an arcade area.”

“I can see a cafe too. Could be a good place to relax.”

“Come on, that’s what got your attention?”

“Sorry, but it seems you carry about 84% of the enthusiasm between the two of us.”

“Hrng… Sometimes I wonder how we’re actually related.”

“Ask genetics, not me. Want to go somewhere else?”

“Sure…”

After a short trip with the monorail, they arrived at Iwatodai strip mall. While looking rustic compared to Paulownia mall, the place looked well maintained. Multiple stores lined up its multi-leveled building, with their entrances visible from the outside.

“Iwatodai mall still looked the same as ever.” said Minako.

“There are a bunch of new stores, though. There’s even a Wild-duck burger here.”

“Yeah. Looks like Wakatsu got a make-over. Don’t remember the place looking that fancy.”

“Hagakure still looks the same. That’s probably the only place I recognize out of everyone.”

“Glad to see some things are still the same, even after… everything…”

For a brief moment, Minako could feel the sadness and grief at that incident. Ten years ago, a sudden car crash claimed the lives of their parents. They couldn’t remember the details, but because of it they were moved from one foster home and parents to the next. Now, by a stroke of luck, they managed to return here, back to their hometown.

Minako quickly shook away the thought from her mind, hoping her brother didn’t notice. Unfortunately, what he said afterwards confirmed her fears.

“Are you okay?”

Minako inwardly curses her slip up. She put on her brightest smile, trying to assuage her brother.

“I’m okay. Just… remembered why we needed to move in the first place.”

She could see Minato looking away and frowned.

“Hey, it’s all in the past, right?” Minako smiled wider. “I’m sure Mom and Dad wouldn’t want us to be sad forever. Anyway, where else could we go?”

“Last stop is the shrine. Do you want to visit Mom and Dad?” inquired Minato.

“No. Not yet.” Minako winced slightly. “Let’s just… go back to the dorm.”

“All right.”

By the time Minato and Minako arrived at the dorm, the sun had almost set. When they arrived, they saw Yukari and a middle-aged man sitting on the chairs in the lounge. The man was wearing a brown turtleneck, covered with a tan jacket. His hair is long, wavy brown.

“Oh, they’re back.” said Yukari when noticing the twins

“So, these are our new guests.” said the man.

The twins walked closer to Yukari and the man, while he and Yukari stood up from their seat. “Good evening.” greeted the man.

“Good evening to you too.” replied Minako.

“Such politeness.” hummed the man. “My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I’m the Chairman of the Board for your school.”

“‘Ikutsuki’. Hard to say, isn’t it?” joked Ikutsuki. “That’s why I don’t like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes. But please, have a seat. No need to keep standing up.”

Minato took a seat on the small chair opposite of the chair Ikutsuki was sitting on, and Minako took a seat beside Yukari on the long sofa.

“I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodation.” Ikutsuki started. “However, it may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment. Is there anything you like to ask?”

“Why are you here?” Minato decided to take the plunge. He had a bad gut feeling seeing Ikutsuki, but couldn’t seem to determine why.

“To welcome you, of course.” answered Ikutsuki. “Although, I do have other business here.”

“Is there anyone else who lives here? I don’t want to be rude.” asked Minako.

“There’s Yukari, Mitsuru, and a third-year named Akihiko Sanada.”

Ikutsuki then turned to Yukari, “Speaking of which, where’s Mitsuru, Yukari?”

“She’s upstairs.” replied Yukari.

“As diligent as always. Though it doesn’t hurt to come down and say hello.”

Ikutsuki’s attention then shifted back to the twins. “Is there anything else?”

Both of them were silent for a short while, then Minato just stated, “No, that would be all.”

“Then, I hope you have a successful school year. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

Ikutsuki got up from his seat. “You must be tired from all the excitement. You should get to bed early. As they say, ‘the early bird catches the bookworm’. Please, forgive the bad pun.”

Despite saying that, Ikutsuki looked proud of himself. After he walked away, Minako looked at Yukari, who wasn’t even hiding her exasperation. “You’ll get used to his lame jokes.” muttered Yukari.

“Somehow, I doubt that.” snarked Minato.

Deciding that Ikutsuki’s advice wasn’t bad, the twins went to their room and fell asleep. When they awoke, they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Instead of their dorm room, they were inside some kind of large elevator. The elevator seemed to continuously ascend. The inside was decorated with an almost blue motif, even the walls and carpets. One side of the wall, the one opposite of the twins, were instead made of ornate metal bars, with a large clock-like structure that also continuously spinning, seemingly as the floor indicator.

They realized they were sitting on two chairs, colored blue matching the colors of the entire elevator, with the backrest shaped like a lyre. They also weren’t alone. In front of them was a large circular table, covered with a blue cloth. On the other side, a hunched old man with a very long nose and bulging eyes was sitting on a large blue couch. He was wearing a black suit, white shirt, black trousers, and white gloves. His fingers were clasped under his nose. On both sides of the couch, two figures stand, a young man and woman, both of them wearing some kind of attendant uniform colored in blue just like the entire room. They have white hair, and each of them carried a large book under their arm.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room, our dear guests.” greeted the old man. “My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintances. To your right is Elizabeth, and to your left, is Theodore. They are residents here, like myself.”

“Pleased to meet you.” chorus Elizabeth and Theodore in unison.

“This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It’s been years since we’ve had a guest.” continued Igor.

Igor then waved his hand over the table, and two folders appeared and opened on top of it. Minato and Minako recognized those folders as the ones containing some kind of contract they signed when they first entered the dorm.

Igor continued his explanation, “Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place. Henceforth, you shall be welcomed here, in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique abilities, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask one thing in return… that you abide by the contract, and assume responsibilities for the choices you make.”

Minato and Minako just nodded, still confused about what was happening to them.

“Hold on to these.” said Igor.

Two blue keys materialized in front of them, and they instinctively grabbed the keys. After they put the keys inside their pockets, Igor quickly said his farewells.

“Till we meet again.”

It was then that Minako finally found her voice, “Hey, wait a minute!”

It was for naught. Soon, the entire room faded away.

== April 9th, 2009 ==

Minako found herself awake on her bed. While getting ready for school, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she just had the strangest dream. Unfortunately, she couldn’t remember any part of it. Thinking that it shouldn’t be that important, she just decided to just ignore it and went to school.

The school day went as boring as before. One of the teachers, Mr. Ekoda, was even extra boring. Minako struggled to stay awake. Glancing behind her, she saw that her brother was already fast asleep. She mentally cursed him for abandoning her and was slightly amazed that he could sleep away unnoticed by the teacher.

After school, she just decided to go straight back to the dorm along with her brother. Junpei was tagging along the way, making small chatter between the three of them. With nothing better to do, they silently agree to just go back to their room. After reviewing the material for the day, she went straight to sleep when she realized it was getting late.

Not long after she fell asleep, she was awoken by a loud crash. Looking out the window, she realized it was during that weird time at midnight. Suddenly feeling panicked, she rushed to her brother’s room to make sure he was okay. She quickly pounded on the door as soon as she arrived in front of her brother’s room. “Minato-nii, wake up! Can you hear me?”

Soon afterwards, Yukari ran up beside her, looking distressed and scared. “Oh, Arisato-san. You’re awake already. Good.” said Yukari. “Is your brother awake yet?!”

“No, I don’t think so.” answered Minako. “Why? Is something happening?

“No time to explain! We need to get your brother and get out of here!”

That reply just made Minako even more scared. Right on cue, Minato’s door opened and Minato just stepped out, looking slightly sleepy. “What’s going on? What was that noise?” asked Minato.

Another loud crash was heard outside of the dorm, and the entire building shook a little.

"There's no time to explain! I'm sorry, but we have to go now! We'll leave through the back door!" barked Yukari

Minako quickly grabbed her still-drowsy brother’s hand. Following Yukari, she dragged Minato downstairs. They soon arrived at the back door, right next to the living room. “Okay, we should be safe for now.” said Yukari.

As Yukari was reaching out to the door, her attention was suddenly distracted somewhere. “Yeah, I can hear you.”

“Mind explaining what’s going on here?” asked Minato. “This doesn’t seem like your average prank.”

A loud pounding was suddenly heard from the door, startling the three teenagers. Yukari quickly dragged Minato and Minako away from the door and up the stairs. After going up several floors, they eventually reached the roof. Yukari quickly locked the door after all three of them went outside to the roof. “We should be safe here, right?” Yukari’s voice was shaking.

“Okay, now do you mind-”

Minato’s question was interrupted by a disgusting retching sound from the edge of the roof. Turning her attention to it, Minako saw multiple pitch-black hands grabbing the edge of the roof. Another black hand rose holding a blue chrome mask. Minako was scared, thinking that there are many creatures seeing the number of hands on the roof. She audibly gulped, taking a step back, almost pressing herself against the door. She saw her brother step in front of her, while also slightly trembling.

Many more hands emerged, now holding a sword on each hand. Minako then saw that it wasn’t many creatures, but a single creature that somehow is just a mass blob of hands sticking on the joints.

Yukari stepped in front of them, preparing to draw the gun holstered on her leg. “Those monsters, we call them Shadows.” said Yukari.

Yukari then pulled out the gun. Instead of aiming it at the creature, she pressed it against her forehead. Minako panicked more seeing what Yukari was doing. “Takeba?! What are you-”

A sword suddenly flew towards them. It knocked Yukari back, with the gun tumbling out of her hand and in front of Minato. The creature slowly crept towards the three of them. Minako could only stand there in fear.

“ Is this… how I’m going to die? ” thought Minako. “ After 10 years, I will finally rejoin my parents. At least, I got to be with my brother to the very end. ”

Minako looked at her brother. Surprisingly, Minato just calmly picked up the gun Yukari dropped. And just like her, Minato instead aimed the gun at himself, pressing the barrel against his right temple.

“Minato-nii…?”

A loud bang rang out from the gun. But no blood came out of her brother. Instead, a sound like glass shattering came out. Behind him emerged a humanoid figure. The figure looked robotic, with metal forming almost every part of its body except its head.  A speaker was affixed to its stomach. It was carrying a large metallic lyre on its back.

Another sound echoed from the figure,

Thou art I, and I am thou

from the sea of thy soul I have come forth

I am Orpheus, Master of Strings.

Orpheus drew the lyre on its back and strummed the strings, then suddenly multiple fire appeared around the monster. The monster swung one of its swords against Orpheus, but it blocked the swing with its lyre.

Minako just watched breathlessly at the entire spectacle. “ We… We’re not going to die? Just yet? ” thought Minako.

Besides her, Yukari just managed to get up, still half-laying on the floor. She too was stunned seeing everything.

Suddenly, Minato started jerking forward while choking out sounds of pain. Above him, Orpheus jerked around uncontrollably. Two large white-gloved hands emerged from Orpheus’ neck, before the hand broke open Orpheus like a cocoon, revealing another humanoid figure.

This other figure was even larger than Orpheus. Its head looked like a metal skeleton of a dinosaur, with a large body clothed in black suit. It has some kind of cape formed of coffins. The figure roared, before drawing a sword almost as long as it was tall.

The new figure leaped towards the monster, crushing it under its feet. Its left hand grabbed a few of the monster’s many hands, practically crushing it. The monster tried to resist, trying to stab the figure with its swords. It was useless, the figure wasn’t harmed as the sword just bounced off its body. The figure slashed its sword horizontally against the monster, easily cutting through the monster’s hand and mask as if they weren’t there. The monster eventually dissolved and disappeared. The figure let out another roar, before it suddenly disappeared and was replaced with Orpheus.

Minako slowly walked to her still standing brother. Shortly after, Minato fell on his knees and collapsed on the floor. Minako quickly ran toward her brother, and Yukari joined her. As soon as they were beside him, Minako tried to shake her brother awake. “Minato-nii?! Wake up! Are you okay?!”

“He-he’s not dead, is he?” Yukari’s voice was filled with worry.

Minako’s panic grew even more. The moment she found out that her brother was still breathing, she quickly felt relieved. But that moment was short-lived as two more of those creatures crept towards the three of them. While these two new creatures might be smaller, Minako still felt that they were a threat.

“There are still more of them?!” Yukari felt her fear returning.

Minako instinctively grabbed the gun that her brother was using.

“This… is how he does it… right?” thought Minako, as she pressed the gun barrel against her right temple.

Another loud bang, another sound of glass shattering, and a new figure emerged behind her. The figure looks almost similar to Orpheus, but with long hair, several parts colored orange where Orpheus were blue, and the lyre were heart-shaped.

Thou art I, and I am thou

from the sea of thy soul I have answered thine call

I am Eurydice, Lady of the Song

Minako felt right. Everything about this just felt liberating. She hasn’t felt this good, this right, since… forever. She instinctively knew what Eurydice could do. One word resonated with her mind. Agi .

Eurydice quickly strummed her lyre to unleash several spouts of fire, destroying one of the creatures. She then gestured for Eurydice to slam her lyre against another, destroying it as well.

After she realized that all of the creatures were gone and they were safe, she let herself relax. Her knees gave up, and she collapsed on her back. The last thing she noticed before passing out completely was Yukari’s shocked expression.

Chapter Text

== ??, Velvet Room ==

When Minato opened his eyes again, he realized he was back in the Velvet Room, with his sister sitting beside him as well.

"Right. There was something like this."  thought Minato.

Igor greeted them both, “It’s so nice to see you again.”

Minato could see Minako tenses up a bit. He placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

“You became unconscious after awakening to your power.” continued Igor. “Do not fret, though. You will return to your world after our discussion."

Minato raised an eyebrow at that remark. How is passing out after anything supposed to be fine?

“By the way, I see that it was the pair Orpheus and Eurydice that heeded your calling. Those powers are called Personas, the manifestation of your psyche.”

“Okay, you lost me there.” interrupted Minako.

Minato remembered reading about Personas somewhere. But he can’t remember exactly where and any details regarding the subject.

“It may take some time to fully comprehend.” replied Igor, with a very small hint of amusement in his voice. “A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli. You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships. That being said, your power is still weak…”

“Weak?!” snapped Minako. “My brother’s… Persona, was it… just decimated that monster like pudding! And you call that weak?!”

“You cannot claim borrowed strength as your own.” said Igor. “Your true strength has yet to grow.”

“Borrowed? From who?” asked Minato. He could not imagine who or what could possibly lend a power like that. He would have to agree that summoning that was far more painful than calling Orpheus. That means, that power is not something natural.

“I’m afraid we’re not at liberty to tell you.” Igor said while shaking his head slowly. “It is not our role to dictate how you traverse your journey.”

“All right, then what is your role?” asked Minako.

“We are here to assist and guide you on your journey.” answered Theodore.

“But the biggest factor still lies with you.” continued Elizabeth.

“That is because your Persona ability requires you to channel your inner strength.” continued Igor. “The ability evolves as you develop your Social Link – your emotional ties to others. The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability.”

“So we just have to make friends?” mused Minako. “A bit odd, but shouldn’t be hard to do. Right, Minato-nii?”

Minato was slightly surprised when his sister suddenly turned the conversation to him. The idea of making friends to strengthen his power already made him uneasy, but it seemed he needed to do it.

Igor’s grin grew bigger hearing Minako’s words. “Now then. Time marches on in your world. I shouldn’t keep you here any longer. Next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord. Until then… farewell.”

The Velvet Room faded away soon after, and the twins can feel becoming sleepy while it happened.

== April 16th, 2009 ==

The first thing Minako realized when she woke up was that she’s not in her room. She still felt some aching in her body. After getting up to a sitting position on her bed, she realized that she was wearing a blue hospital gown. That would mean she was in a hospital somewhere.

Shortly afterwards, the door to her room opened. Yukari then walked in, carrying a small vase with flowers in her hands. “Oh, you’re already awake. How do you feel?” asked Yukari.

“Still a bit sore. I feel like my shoulders are being stabbed by something.”

“Geez, even after sleeping for so long?” Yukari snarked while putting down the vase on the desk next to the bed.

“How long was I out?”

“Almost a week. You two really made me worried. The doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with you, they say you were just exhausted. But you kept sleeping and sleeping. Seriously, how much sleep do you two possibly need?”

Minako was slightly shocked to have slept for so long. “I don’t know. I’ve never slept this long before.”

Minako then smiled at Yukari. “Still, did you come to visit us here everyday or something? That’s nice of you.”

Yukari blushed slightly, “Well, you saved my life. I couldn’t just leave you two here.”

Minako just smiled some more. Suddenly, Minako realized something that Yukari said.

“Wait, us two? Is my brother here as well? Is he okay?” Minako suddenly became panicked.

“He’s fine. He’s still asleep though. He’s in the room next door.”

“Can I go see him? No, I need to see him!”

“Are you sure?! From the looks of it, you should rest some more.”

“Please, Takeba-san. I… I just want to make sure he’s okay. I don’t want to lose the only family I have left.”

“But…” Seeing Minako’s frown, Yukari decided to hold back her protest. “All right. Can you walk?”

Minako slowly got off her bed and tried to stand on the floor. But as soon as she took a few steps, she stumbled. Yukari quickly caught her, and helped her stand on her feet. They then slowly walked out of the room and towards Minato’s room, with Yukari supporting Minako all the way. When Minako saw her brother asleep on the hospital bed, feelings of relief and sadness filled her heart. While she was relieved to see that he’s still alive, she was also worried that her brother was still out cold for so long. She can understand Yukari’s frustration.

“Do you want to sit down? Spend some time beside your brother?” Yukari asked hesitantly.

“Sure.”

Yukari let Minako sit down on the chair beside the bed. She then took another seat and sat down beside Minako. After a few minutes of silence, Minako finally spoke up.

“So, can you explain what happened that night?”

“I could, but it would be best to wait for your brother to wake up first. We’ll explain everything to you then.”

“Oh. Yeah, that would make sense.”

“I’m sorry that we hid so much from you. I promise, we’ll tell you everything as soon as the opportunity shows up.”

“Hey, no need to apologize. I’m sure it was hard to explain out of the blue. I mean, if I didn’t see it firsthand, I might think you’re just joking.”

“Still…” Yukari frowned even further. “Well, thank you for understanding. I’m gonna need to apologize to your brother too.”

“Tell him that yourself.” Minako giggled. “So, we’re good? Friends?”

“Friends.” Yukari smiled back at Minako.

“Thanks, Take- er… Yukari-san.”

Yukari was surprised at the sudden use of her first name, but she didn’t let her smile disappear. “No problem, Minako-san.”

== April 17th, 2009 ==

Minato groggily opened his eyes. Just his luck, to wake up in a hospital after his surreal… dream? Can he even call it that? Everything about the Velvet Room just seemed… surreal. Is that what Igor meant by ‘between dream and reality’?

Minato tried to sit up on his bed to look at his surroundings. He saw two people in his room. One of them he recognized as Yukari Takeba, his classmate and dorm-mate who were trying to get him and his sister to safety that night. She was sitting on the chair to his left. The other is his sister Minako, who he noticed was wearing the same blue hospital gown he was wearing. She was sitting on the opposite end of his bed, to the right. They were happily chatting in his room. Yukari was the first to notice Minato being awake.

“Thanks to that, Junpei was almost– Oh, you’re awake.”

“Minato-nii!” Minako practically jumped from her seat towards Minato to give him a hug.

Minato winced slightly at the sudden embrace. He then ruffled Minako’s hair, feeling relieved seeing his sister was alright. “What happened after I was out?” asked Minato. “Why are you also at the hospital?”

Yukari answered, “The same thing you did. Both of you awakened to that ‘power’. After that, you just… went unconscious.”

“Power?” asked Minato as Minako shuffled back to her seat.

“We call it, ‘Persona’. And those creatures you defeated are Shadows – our enemy. We’ll explain everything later, after you two fully recover.”

Yukari then looked apologetic. “I’m sorry. For not being able to do anything. Even though I was supposed to protect you…”

“Hey, it’s okay. We understand.” interjected Minako.

“Thanks, but still…”

Yukari went silent for a while. After a full minute, she then addressed the twins. “Hey, can I say something personal?”

Minato and Minako were surprised by Yukari’s question. They then looked at each other, before nodding to Yukari.

“Okay. I just want to share… that my family is kinda torn apart. My dad died in an accident when I was little, and my mom and I aren’t exactly on good terms…”

Minato was confused by Yukari’s statement, “Um… This is sudden. Why are you telling us this?”

“Maybe I just want to share this with someone. Someone who can probably understand the feeling.” answered Yukari with a half-broken smile. “To be honest, I already know about your past.”

The twins winced at the mention of their past. Yukari then continued, “That’s why I know we’re similar in that regard. A part of me feels that it’s not fair that I’m the only one who knows about yours, so I want you to know about mine, too.”

Yukari continued her story, “It was back in ‘99, there was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened.”

“99… ten years ago?” said Minako quizzically. “That’s the same time our parents died.”

“I know. Do you think it might be connected?” speculated Yukari.

“Doubt it. Our parents died in a car crash. I don’t think it’s because of some explosion.” answered Minato.

“Good point.” Yukari conceded. “I just want to figure out what happened, since a lot of information seemed to be hidden. The only thing I knew is that my dad worked for the Kirijo Group during the explosion.”

“Would Mitsuru-senpai know? Or at least know if there’s a record of it?” inquired Minako.

“Mitsuru-senpai… right…” Yukari grew hesitant. Minato wondered about her reaction.

Perhaps sensing the building tension, Minako quickly piped up, “Let’s change the subject! Anything else interesting happened in school?”

Yukari was startled a bit, “H-Huh? Oh, nothing much. Well, other than Ms. Toriumi leaving you a ton of homework for the entire week you missed class.”

The twins groaned a little at the potential pile of homework they’re about to go through.

== April 18th, 2009 ==

Minato’s first day back in school couldn’t be more monotonous. But, he shouldn’t complain. Yukari mentioned this morning that the Chairman wanted to speak to them tonight. That would mean they could get some explanation that is less cryptic compared to what they got from Igor. As soon as school ended, the twins headed straight back to the dorm. They were too early, as they saw that no one was in the dorm yet. They waited in the dorm living room, trying to go through some part of their pile of homework. Yukari arrived shortly afterward, and seeing the enormous pile of work the twins had to go through, she felt a little pity for them. Just before sunset, Mitsuru arrived with another student. This male student has messy white hair, and was wearing a red vest over the white Gekkoukan uniform shirt. Mitsuru quickly introduced the new student.

“This is another resident of this dorm. His name is Akihiko Sanada.”

“How ya doin’?” Akihiko tried to greet Minato and Minako.

“Oh, I think the Chairman mentioned about him. Nice to meet you.” Minako greeted him back.

“Nice to meet you.” Minato repeated his sister’s greeting.

"So this is the other dorm-mate?"  thought Minato. "Doesn’t seem like a bad guy, seems like a level-headed person. He should be easy to get along with."

Minato saw that his sister also had a scrutinizing gaze on Sanada. Minako didn’t seem to distrust Sanada, so Minato was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“Let’s go. The Chairman wants to speak in the meeting room. We should wait for him there.” commanded Mitsuru.

All of them followed Mitsuru to the meeting room on the fourth floor. Once inside, they all took a seat among the seats available in the room. Mitsuru and Yukari took the sofa, while Akihiko, Minato, and Minako took the small cushioned chairs. On the table in the middle of them, there were two metallic briefcases. After waiting for a while, the Chairman Shuji Ikutsuki finally arrived and entered the meeting room.

“Oh, good. You’re already here.” Ikutsuki strided along the room and claimed the armchair on the far end of the table. He then started his talk by addressing the twins.

“Let me start off by asking you this: Would you believe me if I say a day consists of more than 24 hours?”

Minato and Minako shot a quick glance at one another before answering in unison, “Yes.”

Mitsuru raised an eyebrow at their answer. Ikutsuki, on the other hand, just threw another question, “What makes you so sure? Do you have any experience with it?”

Minako answered in a half-excited, half-scared tone, while waving both hands to the ceiling, “Well… every midnight the sky turns green.”

“Practically all of the electronics shut down.” added Minato flatly.

“There were pools and patches of blood everywhere.” Minako waved her hand to her right.

“The people were missing and replaced with coffins.” said Minato while holding up four fingers on his right hand

“Yet the clock continues at midnight again after everything goes back to normal!” exclaimed Minako in a mock-exasperated tone.

“And since we both can see it, we figured it wasn’t just a hallucination.”

“So, you two indeed have experienced it.” said Ikutsuki.

“We call it the ‘Dark Hour’ – a time period hidden between one day and the next.” explained Mitsuru.

“Dark Hour, huh?” mused Minato. “Aptly named.”

“It’s simple, but it conveys it well, is it not?” Mitsuru chuckled in amusement.

“Those coffins you saw are where normal people sleep during the Dark Hour.” added Akihiko. “But, that’s not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting.”

Akihiko adopted a huge grin on his face. “You saw those creatures. We call them ‘Shadows’. They only appear during the Dark Hour, and attack anyone not in a coffin. It’s our job to defeat them. Sounds exciting, huh?”

Mitsuru was incensed by Akihiko’s remark and stood up from her seat. “Akihiko! Why are you always like that?! You just got hurt the other day!”

Akihiko, instead of backing down, glared back at Mitsuru. Ikutsuki grew wary seeing the silent argument between the two, and decided to break it up, “Now now, he does his work well.”

"Great, he’s actually a musclehead."  thought Minato. "Guess I was wrong about him being level-headed."

Mitsuru slumped back to her seat, while Akihiko merely looked away. Ikutsuki then continued his talk.

“Long story short, we’re the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad – SEES for short. On paper, we’re classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating Shadows. Mitsuru is the leader. I’m the club advisor.”

Mitsuru continued, “A Shadow feeds on the mind of its prey; the victim becomes a living corpse. They’re responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them.”

“So what you’re saying is you want us to help you fight them?” said Minako.

“I’m glad you’re quick to understand.” stated Ikutsuki. “That power you used the other night – Persona – is the only way to fight the Shadows.”

“We have prepared Evokers for you.” said Mitsuru while opening the two briefcases on the table, revealing the gun-shaped device as well as a red armband on each of them. “We’d like you to lend us your strength. Would you join us?”

The twins went silent for a moment. Minato pondered the merits and demerits of it all. It would be dangerous, not to mention the time would wreak havoc on one’s sleeping schedule. But on the other hand, he can’t exactly turn a blind eye, and he knew his sister would most likely want to help. Not to mention, Igor would give his assistance, whatever it is.

“H-hey, don’t put them on the spot like that.” Yukari said with a small frown. “They’ll probably need more time to think about–”

“No need. We’ll accept.” answered Minako.

“Y-you will?! Are you sure?”

“Yes. We can’t look away from this.” answered Minato.

“I-Very well. Welcome aboard.” Yukari’s voice was still filled with doubt.

“Thank you so much. I’m really glad.” Ikutsuki said with a big smile. “Oh, I almost forgot… about your room assignments, why not just stay here, in your current rooms? I don’t know what the holdup is, but I guess it worked out in the end.”

Ikutsuki chuckled at his pun, with Minako low-key joining him. Everyone else, on the other hand, visibly cringed at the Chairman’s latest attempt at ‘humor’. Minato was starting to have doubts about his decision. Maybe he can try to find a better book about jokes somewhere to give to the middle-aged man, just to save himself from the awful puns.

All of a sudden, a voice rings out in his head.

Thou art I… And I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…

A quick glance at his sister told him that the same thing happened to her as well, but everyone else didn’t seem to hear it.

Yukari seems to notice the uneasy look between the twins. “Hm? Is something wrong?”

Minako quickly answered. “Oh, nothing to worry about. I just realized there’s something I want to talk about with my brother.”

“Very well. We’ll end it here.” Mitsuru stated. “Don’t stay up too late and get some rest.”

“Yes ma’am.” Minako said while doing a small salute.

After making sure everyone had already returned to their room, Minato and Minako sat down in the small lounge on the third floor. Minato spoke up first.

“So, did you hear that voice, near the end of it?”

“I did. It said something about bonds, blessings, and Fool?”

“I’m guessing it’s about that Social Link Igor mentioned before.”

“So we are supposed to make friends to strengthen our Personas. This should be easy. I wanted to get to know them anyway.”

“Good for you then. At least fighting together should make it easier.”

Minako pouted at her brother. “Come on, you need to put your heart into it! They’re gonna be our friends for… who knows how long.”

“I know. At least they seem nice enough.”

“You’re not gonna get far with that attitude.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Speaking of that, you are sure about helping them, right?”

“Yeah. Like you said, they seem nice. And shouldn’t you help people in trouble?”

Minato smirked at his sister’s words. “Figured you would say that.”

“Oh come on, like you were going to decline anyway. I wouldn’t accept it if I knew you would be against it.”

“You got me there.”

“Anyway, Mitsuru-senpai is right. We should get some rest.”

“Right. Night, Mina.”

“Good night, Minato-nii.”

Minato was about to get comfortable in his bed and fell asleep. Suddenly, he was awakened by the voice of a young boy in his room.

“Hi, how are you?”

Turning his attention towards the source of the voice, he noticed the familiar boy in striped prisoner clothes he met when he first arrived here. The boy just chuckled at Minato’s surprised expression. Minato quickly blurted out the first thing in his mind.

“How did you get in here?”

The boy just chuckled some more before answering, “I’m always with you.”

The boy’s expression then turned neutral. “Soon, the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell you.”

"Great, more cryptic nonsense" , thought Minato.

“Care to explain more?” asked Minato dryly. “That doesn’t really tell me much.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you much about it yet.”

“Then why did-”

“Oh, looks like you’ve awakened to your power…” interrupted the boy. “...and an unusual power it is. A power that takes many form, yet is bound by none. It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up.”

The boy suddenly disappeared and reappeared in a different location of the room. “Do you remember when we first met? I expect you to honor your commitment. I’ll be watching you, even if you forget about me. Okay then, see you later.”

With those words, the boy disappeared, without letting Minato say another word.

Minato grumbled in his head, "It’s official, this building is haunted. And what’s with supernatural entities and the need to be cryptic?"

Chapter Text

== April 19th, 2009 ==

With the day being Sunday, Minako decided it would be better to rest some more. Besides, she still got a lot more homework. Damnit, Miss Toriumi. she can’t help being unconscious! Then again, Minato also got the same homework. Maybe she can get her brother for another homework teamup.

She found Minato in the kitchen, in the middle of preparing breakfast. Feeling slightly mischievous, she crept up to her brother. When she was close enough, she quickly hugged Minato from behind. “Hello. What are you making?” asked Minako in an overly cheerful voice.

“Damn it, Mina. You almost made me drop my pancakes.”

“Oh, come now. I know you’re not that clumsy.”

“That doesn’t justify jumping on people. Oh well, have you eaten breakfast?”

“Not yet. Do you have any leftovers?”

“After your stunt, I think I shouldn’t make you one.”

“Okay okay, I’m sorry! Please, make me some pancakes.”

“Apology accepted.”

“Thanks, Minato-nii. And, can we work on the homework together? After breakfast?”

Minato went silent for a moment. A little smirk then appeared on his lips.

“Why? So you can copy my work again?”

“Ha ha.” Minako laughed flatly. “Like you’re one to talk, Mr. essay-from-Wikipedia.”

“You have to admit it’s efficient, and not exactly illegal.”

“And somehow copying from another student is?”

“Never said it was.”

They went silent again for a moment. Then both of them chuckled at each other.

“So… homework?” asked Minako.

“I was planning to just rest, but might as well get them over with. For now though, let’s eat.”

The day went by as the twins worked on finishing their quickly dwindling amount of homework. By noon, Minako noticed that Yukari had returned to the dorm. Yukari, upon noticing the twins, walked over to them.

“Hey. Working on your punishment from Miss Toriumi?” asked Yukari.

“We don’t have anything better to do. Besides, this thing just keeps taunting me.” groaned Minako.

Yukari walked over to the side of the table. When she saw what the twins were working on, she was slightly surprised.

“Wait, you’re already working on yesterday’s homework?!” exclaimed Yukari.

“We figured, might as well finish it. We’re already working on it.” answered Minato.

“Mind if I joined you? I don’t quite get yesterday’s material.” pleaded Yukari.

“Sure.” chirped Minako.

Yukari then joined the twins after grabbing her notebooks and utensils from her room. She picked the seat right next to Minato. Minako was slightly confused at the random decision, but decided to ignore it when she saw that neither Minato nor Yukari reacted to it.

At nighttime, Akihiko asked them to meet at the first floor. Instead at the lounge, Akihiko was waiting for them near the front door.

“Okay, we’re here now. So, what’s this all about?” asked Yukari.

“There’s someone I want to introduce.” replied Akihiko. He then turned towards the door. “Hey, hurry up.”

A familiar voice came from the other side of the door. “Hold your horses… This is freakin’ heavy.”

"Wait, isn’t that…", thought Minako.

As the door opened, Junpei came in pushing a large suitcase. Seeing that, Yukari gasped in surprise.

“Junpei?! Why is HE here?! Wait… don’t tell me…”

“This is Junpei Iori from class 2-F. He’ll be staying here as of today.” answered Akihiko.

“Well, this dorm just got more interesting.” Minako couldn’t resist her grin.

“He he, nice to see that everyone’s excited to see me.” Junpei mirrored Minako’s grin.

“Well, one of us at least.” groaned Yukari.

“Aw, no need to be shy, Yukari-san.” teased Minako.

Akihiko smiled at their exchange, “Good to see that you’re already getting along.”

“Um, what part of this is ‘getting along’?” scoffed Yukari.

“Well, you better be. You’ll be working together after all.”

“Wait, he actually has the potential? For real?” Yukari narrowed her eyes, feeling doubtful.

“I bumped into him the other night, though it seems he just awakened to it recently.” answered Akihiko.

“He found me cryin’ like a baby in a convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins.” Junpei tried to tell his story. “I don’t remember much, but… man, that’s embarrassing. He said that’s, ya know, completely normal, in the beginning. Like, bein’ confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that?”

“Not really.” replied Minato.

“Didn’t remember that happened to me.” added Minako.

“Big deal. It happens to everyone else.” deflected Junpei. “But man, I was shocked to find about you guys. I’m glad I’m not the only one. It could get kinda lonely, ya know.”

“Well, as long as you won’t make any more weird assumptions, we’ll be glad to have you.” said Minako.

“Why’d you suddenly bring that up?! And how was I supposed to know?!” protested Junpei.

Yukari just rolled her eyes, “Yeah, sure…”

Akihiko let out a large sigh, “All right, enough of this. I seriously hope you can get along. Tomorrow, we’ll start exploring that place.”

“You mean… Tartarus?” asked Yukari.

“Tartarus? what’s that?” asked Junpei. “Sounds like toothpaste.”

“No, that’s the name of the underworld in Greek mythology.” Minato corrected. He then turned to Akihiko. “Are we actually going to the underworld?”

“No, it’s just the name we picked for the place. You’ll understand why when you see it.” answered Akihiko. “The chairman will give the details tomorrow night, so be ready.”

“Understood!” responded Minako with a salute.

== April 20th, 2009 ==

The day went as usual. During lunchtime, Mitsuru dropped by the second years’ class to tell them to meet at the lounge. Everyone didn’t miss the hostility from Yukari’s comment about Mitsuru after she left. Minako wanted to press her further, but she figured it wouldn’t be a good idea.

Minato, Minako, and Junpei were the last ones to arrive at the meeting room. When Ikutsuki saw them sit down, he called for everyone’s attention. “Good, you’re all here. I’d like your undivided attention.” 

After everyone stopped talking, he continued, “For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But, that number recently jumped to six. Starting tonight at 12.00 AM, I’d like to commence the exploration of Tartarus.”

Junpei piped up, “Sorry… I asked this yesterday, but what’s this Tartarus thing again?”

“You haven’t seen it, Junpei?” asked Yukari.

“It’s no surprise…” interjected Ikutsuki. “Since it only appears during the Dark Hour.”

“The Dark Hour?” Junpei was even more confused.

“You didn’t get told anything yet?” inquired Minato.

“I only told him the basics, that we as Persona-users are the only ones who can fight the Shadows.” responded Akihiko.

“I see.” said Mitsuru. “To answer your question, the Dark Hour is the hidden time period in midnight you witnessed when you awakened to your Persona.”

“As for Tartarus,” Akihiko added. “You can think of it as a Shadow nest.”

“Oh… their nest, huh?” mumbled Junpei.

Yukari then addressed Akihiko with a voice of concern, “But Senpai, what about your injury?”

Oh that’s right, Akihiko-senpai was just injured. Is he really that reckless or is he just too simple-minded?

Mitsuru decided to answer her with a slightly chiding tone, “Since Akihiko hasn’t fully recovered yet, he’ll only come as far as the entrance.”

Akihiko grimaced at her words. “Yeah… I know.”

“Well, I’m sure he won’t complain, as long as you don’t go too far in.” said Ikutsuki in a calm manner. “Since we’re dealing with Shadows, Tartarus isn’t something we can avoid.”

“Relax, I’ve got your back.” said Junpei enthusiastically.

“You better not be the next one injured.” chided Yukari.

“Nah, you worry too much.”

Ignoring the banter, Mitsuru asked Ikutsuki, “What about you Mr. Chairman?”

“I’ll stay here.” answered Ikutsuki. “As you know, I can’t summon a Persona.”

"He can’t?"  , thought Minako. "Either he’s really lucky, or really knows how to avoid the Shadows. I guess with the Kirijo Group support, it shouldn’t be surprising."

Nearing midnight, the entire group waited at the front of Gekkoukan High school gates. Minato couldn’t ignore the ridiculousness of the situation. Even though it's officially a school club, SEES’ activities were still conducted in school grounds after all. He might as well start living in the school if this is the situation.

They didn’t come unarmed. Since they were going inside something that could be considered a monster’s nest, Mitsuru had provided each of them a weapon besides their Evoker. But Minato couldn’t help but think that the weapons have seen better days. The weapons looked like they were only mere replicas given the bare minimum maintenance. Maybe it was due to the lack of Persona-users recently.

Minato himself had chosen a simple sword. His sister Minako chose to grab a naginata. Yukari, being in the archery club, decided on the bow and arrow. Junpei quickly went for the biggest sword he could find.

Junpei was confused about the location of their waiting point. “This is it? This is the place? Why here?”

Instead of answering directly, Akihiko just pulled out his phone to look at its clock. “Just wait a few minutes. It’s almost midnight.”

The clock ticked slowly to midnight. Minato waited as he gripped the handle of his sword tightly. As the Dark Hour arrived, Minato, Minako, and Junpei were surprised by what was happening in front of their eyes. The once majestic and pearly white school building suddenly contorted and shifted. Various random structures emerged and jutted out of the building. After much shifting, the amalgamation now formed a massive tower.

Mitsuru explained to the group, “This is Tartarus, the labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour.”

“Labyrinth? What are you talking about? What happened to our school?!” Junpei was growing more panicked with each word.

Mitsuru continued explaining, “Once the Dark Hour passes, everything returns to normal.”

Junpei was even more perplexed, “This is the ‘nest’ you were talking about?! But, why?! Why’d our school turn into a giant tower?!”

Mitsuru winced and looked away from the group. Junpei saw it and decided to change his question, “You don’t know, either?”

There was a long pause before she confirmed Junpei’s question. Before Minato could call it out, Yukari decided to interject.

“I’m sure it’s complicated. Who cares, anyway? It’s not like it would change our mind about fighting.”

“Well, maybe now we’ll find out.” said Akihiko. “Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek; this will be our first time exploring it. Exciting, isn’t it? There has to be some sort of clue in here about the Dark Hour.”

Mitsuru chided, “Akihiko, I respect your enthusiasm, but you won’t be accompanying us today.”

“I know…. You don’t have to remind me.” complained Akihiko.

The entrance of Tartarus looked akin to a massive lobby. What drew the most attention was a large staircase going up into some kind of entranceway shaped like a massive and ornate clock.

Everyone was mesmerized or overwhelmed. After a few seconds, Mitsuru spoke up, “This is only the entrance. The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs.”

“First, we’ll have you four get a feel for this place.” added Akihiko. “Why don’t you go have a look around?”

Yukari was surprised at the suggestion, “What?! By ourselves?!”

“We’re not asking you to go very far.” assuage Mitsuru. “And I’ll be feeding you information from here.”

“So, you two didn’t plan on coming in the first place?” asked Junpei.

“That’s right.” confirmed Akihiko. “We’re also going to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions.”

“For real? One of us?” said Junpei

Junpei then grew even more excited, “Oh! Oh! Me me me! Pick me!”

Akihiko was clearly hesitant. After a few seconds looking over the group, he pointed at Minako. “You’re in charge.”

All four second years were surprised at the decision. Junpei was the first to speak up, questioning it, “W-Wait, why her?! She doesn’t look like a leader!”

“But she has fought them before…” said Yukari.

“Seriously?!”

“That’s true, but there’s another reason.” explained Akihiko. He then addressed Yukari and Junpei. “You two. Can you summon your Persona without any difficulties, like she can?”

Junpei stammered, “Y-yeah, of course I can.”

Yukari was hesitant in her response, “I think so.”

“These are Shadows we’re talking about here. Without your Persona, you’re screwed.” Akihiko stated.

“I’m aware of that.” answered Yukari.

“Um, are those the only reasons?” asked Minako. “If it’s just Persona summoning, my brother is qualified as well, right? He didn’t hesitate that time. Why me specifically?”

While Minato agreed that his sister raised a good point, he still thought that this was a pain. Being a leader usually meant more hassle and headache.

“Yeah, I was wondering that too.” added Yukari. “I was thinking we have to discuss it somehow.”

“While it is true that he has shown great aptitude in summoning…” explained Mitsuru. “His Persona also shows signs of being unstable. We cannot risk the leader suddenly being incapacitated in the middle of battle.”

Minato had mixed feelings about the arrangement. While he wasn’t keen on the responsibilities of being a leader, he also wasn’t sure he wanted Minako to run herself to the ground with all the responsibilities. He’d have to make sure to help her out any way he can.

“Alright. That’s a good enough reason, I guess.” said Minako.

Minato’s attention was suddenly drawn to his left. He saw a strange blue door, just standing there, not connected to any wall. Glancing at Minako, he could see that his sister saw the same thing. He decided to check it out, and Minako followed him. As he approached the door, he could feel the Velvet key glowing warmly in his pocket. He inserted the key into the door, opened it, and walked inside.

As expected, the twins entered the Velvet Room. They then sat down on their respective seats. Once they did, Igor greeted them, “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“The time has come for you to wield your power.” continued Igor. “The tower that you are about to venture into… How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions.”

Minato snarked in his mind, Yeah, that much is obvious.

“That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power.” Igor continued.

“Yeah, you mentioned that our power is unique.” said Minako. “But what’s so special about it?”

Igor’s grin grew wider, “Your power is like the number zero… It’s empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities. You are able to possess multiple Personas, and summon them as needed. And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There are times when they are difficult to grasp… But do not fear. Seize what you have earned. Your power will grow accordingly… Be sure to keep that in mind.”

Minato spoke up, “So, we can have many Personas. Right now, I can only feel Orpheus. So I guess we can get more by fighting Shadows.”

“Okay, so how are you supposed to help us?” asked Minako

“I will tell you at another time.” answered Igor. “When you return here again, I will tell you of our true role, and the manner in which we will best assist you. Until then, farewell.”

When they got back, the first thing Minato saw was the concerned faces of Yukari and Junpei.

“Hey, are you alright?” asked Yukari.

“Yeah, what’s up? You look like a zombie.” added Junpei.

“Oh, we just went into this door and…” Minako’s voice trailed off.

Yukari and Junpei shot a confused look at Minako. Yukari then asked, “What door?”

It was Minako’s turn to be confused, “Huh? You guys don’t see it? It’s–”

Minato jabbed his elbow at Minako’s side. Even with Minako’s pouting, Minato just shook his head lightly. He hoped his sister would drop it, since explaining this would be far more hassle than it's worth. Not to mention that they don’t know much about it yet.

“Man, are you loco?” joked Junpei.

“Have you been nodding off? You seem kinda out of it.” Yukari asked out of concern.

Minako then put on her best smile, “Yeah, maybe I did. I guess I’m just too excited.”

“Oh, you’re excited too, huh?” Junpei grinned at her. “Then, come on. Let’s get inside.”

“Ugh, I was hoping you were more calm about this.” groaned Yukari.

For a first exploration, it wasn’t too bad. They spent most of the time getting used to using their Personas in battle and working together. Minato was relieved that his worries were unfounded. Minako seemed to take her leadership role quite well, giving orders and making snap decisions in the middle of battle. Since Mitsuru insisted that they stay near the entrance, the group didn’t encounter much trouble.

Another thing of note was after one of the battles, Minato could sense a new Persona emerged from within him. He senses its name, ‘Apsaras’. When he pulled Minako to the side and asked her about it, she confirmed that she also got a new Persona, named ‘Pixie’.

With nothing left to do, the group returned to the entrance through some kind of access point. Mitsuru mentioned that she can sense those access points scattered everywhere in Tartarus. Back at the entrance, they regrouped with Mitsuru and Akihiko.

Mitsuru greeted them, “Welcome back. So, how was it?”

Minato replied, “Not much trouble.”

Mitsuru smiled at his comment, “I see. If you gained confidence, that’s the best thing you could have achieved.”

“Man, I didn’t know I had that kind of power.” exclaimed Junpei with slight excitement.

“Me too. I can get used to this.” added Minako.

“I know, right?” Junpei was clearly getting more excited. “But man, I’m beat.”

“That’s ‘cause you two were bouncing around like little kids.” quipped Yukari.

“Eh, you look pretty tired yourself, Yuka-tan.” said Junpei.

Yukari deflected, “I’m still trying to catch my breath, actually.”

Mitsuru then explained, “That’s the effect of the Dark Hour; you’ll become fatigued more easily. Don’t worry, though. You’ll adapt. But I’m surprised… You all did much better than I expected. At this rate, they’ll catch up to you in no time, Akihiko.”

Akihiko chuckled at Mitsuru’s evaluation. “Heh, we’ll see about that.”

Chapter Text

== April 21st, 2009 ==

The day began with a school-wide morning assembly. The main portion of it was so boring that Minako could feel she almost went to dreamland. However, at the end of it, for the speech by the student council president, she was surprised to see none other than Mitsuru Kirijo stepped up to the podium.

“So, she did get elected.” remarked Yukari. “Well, I guess she IS the most popular girl in school.”

“You can say that again! There’s like some kind of aura around her…” Junpei commented.

“Oh yeah. I think I remembered you mentioned this.” said Minako.

“Did she?” asked Minato.

“You were still asleep at the time.” said Yukari. “Sorry, it must’ve slipped my mind.”

“No problem.” Minato tried to wave it off. “It’s not urgent anyway.”

Mitsuru’s speech started right away. The way she composed herself, and presented her speech, Minako could really feel the charisma. She briefly wondered if she can ever measure up to someone like that as a leader. Hearing Junpei’s next comment, she could tell her friends felt the same thing.

“Dang, that was freakin’ amazing… So, do you have any idea what she just said?”

“Mostly.” replied Minato. “I get the main point, but I may need to double check on some of the words she used.”

“Good for you, then. I think I only understand half of it.” quipped Minako.

“I didn’t understand a thing.” groaned Junpei. “Didn’t sound like something you expect from a high schooler. If it was anyone else, we’d be laughing our asses off.”

When school ended, the twins were discussing what they should do.

“So, you have any idea what we could do?” Minako asked her brother.

Minato went silent for a moment, thinking. “There’s a movie theater at Port Island station. From what I saw this morning, it was airing something interesting.” said Minato.

“A movie, huh?” Minako put a finger on her cheek, contemplating the idea. “Sounds good. Let’s go then.”

When the twins reached the front door, they saw Akihiko swarmed by a bunch of girls. Minako was slightly amused by the sight. Looks like Akihiko-senpai is quite popular. Though, she can see why. Akihiko-senpai is quite good-looking, even if she didn’t get why those girls swoon so much. Is it really the normal thing to do? She still felt pity for him though, having to deal with a flock of fangirls. She remembered having to please her brother’s little fan club.

Junpei walked up to them, “You noticed it too, huh? I know he’s the captain of the boxing team, but who would’ve thought he’d be such a chick magnet?! I mean, come on! You don’t even see girls flock like that on TV! I wonder where they’re going…”

“Are you jealous, Junpei?” teased Minako.

“No duh! Can’t he share some of that popularity with us unlucky folks?!” wailed Junpei.

“Didn’t expect you to actually admit it.” snarked Minato.

Akihiko noticed the three of them and walked over to them, ignoring the flock of fangirls. “Hey, are you guys free this afternoon?” asked Akihiko.

Junpei saw this as an opportunity and quickly responded, “Hell yeah, Whatcha got in mind?”

“I want you to meet me at Paulownia Mall. You know where it is, right? I’ll be at the police station.”

Junpei was slightly surprised by what he heard. “Th-The police station? You mean, we’re not hangin’ out with your friends…?”

“Who, these girls? I don’t even know their names. They talk so much they give me a headache.” scoffed Akihiko.

Ouch. That was extremely cold. Even Minato wasn’t that harsh when rejecting a girl. Minako almost felt sorry for those girls.

Akihiko continued, “Anyway, I’m gonna head out. Don’t keep me waiting.”

Akihiko then walked out to the front gate. Even with those remarks, the fangirls still openly gushed about him. Some even think he’s more attractive because of them. Minako might’ve been impressed if she never saw those kinds of girls before.

The twins went over to the police station in the Mall, with Junpei tagging along. Inside, they saw Akihiko talking with a police officer. When he noticed them coming in, Akihiko introduced them.

“Oh, these are the guys I was talking about earlier.”

The police officer just stared at them with a stern expression. Minako couldn’t help feeling slightly unnerved by it.

Akihiko then turned to the group, “I was waiting for you guys. This is officer Kurosawa. He helps keep our squad well-equipped. And, this is from Ikutsuki-san…”

Akihiko then handed each of them 5000 yen.

“You can’t fight empty-handed, so find something you like.” said Akihiko. “Officer Kurosawa has connections. But, these things still cost money.”

“Of course they do. Nothing in life is free.” interjected Kurosawa.

“I realize that.” Akihiko grinned.

“Wait, we still have to buy our equipment? The Kirijo Group was not going to supply us?” asked Minako, slightly confused.

“Not really. Mitsuru had tried to get some sent. Unfortunately, there were a lot of complications. Mitsuru said something about paperwork and permission, which would take about a year or two.”

“Why does it take that long?!”

“Beats me. Mitsuru’s father had pushed for it countless times, but this is the fastest they can get. Don’t worry, they found a small loophole, which is where officer Kurosawa came in.”

“It’s the least I could do for Kirijo.” stated Kurosawa. “I work as an officer to protect the people. I may not be able to help you kids directly, but I will do my best to help in the way I can.”

“I appreciate it.” thanked Akihiko

“Would appreciate it more if you could just give them to us.” joked Minato.

Officer Kurosawa grinned at the joke. “You think these things just appear out of thin air, kid? Even I had to pay to get them here.”

“A little discount, then?” asked Minako.

“Maybe when I’m in a good mood.”

The twins browsed through the selection officer Kurosawa had at his station, though they didn’t buy anything in the end. After parting ways with Junpei, they decided to stick to their original plan and go to the theater in Port Island.

Come nighttime, Minako decided to go explore Tartarus. Minato wanted to rest after yesterday, but Minako would have none of that. The exploration itself went well. It was when Minato decided to summon his new Persona that everyone, except Minako, was thrown into a loop.

“Apsaras!” Minato called out his recently acquired Persona. Ice shards emerged from the Persona, flying to the Shadow and killing it.

“You have a second Persona?!” Yukari was flabbergasted.

“Seriously?!” Junpei was also surprised. “How did you do that? Can I do it too?”

“No!” Yukari’s denial was quick. “I thought you were supposed to only have one Persona! Is this even possible?!”

“Well, looks like it is, since I can do it.” said Minato flatly. “I can’t really explain it, but it just appeared in my mind yesterday.”

“Wow…” Yukari then turned to Minako. “Your brother turned out to be pretty amazing, huh?”

Minako then smiled sheepishly, “Actually, I can do it too. I got another one, called ‘Pixie’.”

She then summoned it to prove her point, healing Yukari from her injuries from the latest battle. “This little one has a healing skill, so I can back you up on healing, Yukari-san.”

“Damn… I don’t know what to say to that…” remarked Junpei.

“ The ability to possess multiple Personas. ” said Mitsuru. “ As Takeba mentioned, this is unprecedented. Although, it is interesting that you two have similar powers. Does it have anything to do with the fact that you are twins?”

“I doubt that’s the case.” uttered Minato. “To be fair, I don’t have any explanation, either.”

“ Nevertheless, it should prove to be a valuable ability. We are truly grateful you have decided to join us. ”

Minako then piped up, “Alright, let’s get going! We shouldn’t dawdle around here.”

The rest of the exploration went without any problem. They went quite high up in Tartarus, at least in Minako’s opinion. Not to mention, Minako was able to obtain some more new Personas too. And seeing as he also summoned a few new ones, her brother also obtained some.

On certain floors, the group faced powerful Shadows, which they unofficially dub ‘Guardian Shadows’. After facing the second Guardian, the group decided to call it done for tonight. Minato whispered to Minako that it may be a good time to visit the Velvet Room.

Igor finally explained that his assistance was to help create new Personas for them by fusing existing Personas. Minako still wondered how Theodore and Elizabeth were supposed to help, but she decided that it’s not important. After a few fusions between her and her brother, they returned to Tartarus entrance and went back to the dorm with everyone.

== April 22nd, 2009 ==

When school ended, Minato didn’t expect to be ambushed by Kenji Tomochika on his desk as soon as the bell rang. He did remember exchanging greetings in the morning, but he didn’t expect him to make a move on him this fast. He was sure he would just move on to some other people considering his normally reserved attitude.

Minato glanced aside to see that Minako was already going out of the classroom, hanging out with Junpei. He will need to talk to the capped boy after this. But right now, he needed to talk to Kenji.

Kenji simply asked him to get some ramen with him. Thinking that it wouldn’t be so bad, Minato accepted his offer. The ramen shop Kenji referred to was Hagakure. Minato was glad this place was his choice. This place has a very unique taste, one that Minato can’t seem to find anywhere.

Hanging out with Kenji turned out to be not too bad. His rambling was actually quite amusing. Though he could do without Kenji’s insinuation that he was after Yukari. He didn’t see Yukari that way. Minato will admit that Yukari was quite pretty, but they’re not that close.

== April 23rd, 2009 ==

While coming to school, Minako overheard that the athletic clubs started recruiting that day. She thought it would be good to get some exercise, as well as making new friends. Of course, she wasn’t going to let her brother skip out.

As soon as school ended, Minako practically dragged Minato to the sports club wing. When they arrived, Minato quickly shook off Minako’s grip on his arm.

“So, mind telling me why you need to drag me over here?” intoned Minato.

“What, didn’t you hear? The sports club started recruiting today.” replied Minako.

“I heard. And? You want me to join the same club as you do?”

“Of course not! I heard boys and girls have different sports clubs in this school. Unless… you wish to be in a club full of girls?” said Minako with a smirk.

“No. That would be your thing.” replied Minato flatly.

“Hey! It was only ONE time and it was the teacher’s fault for not being clear enough!” retorted Minako while pointing at her brother.

“Sure it was. Anyway, which club are you going to join?

“I was thinking… tennis club. How about you? You’re not thinking of just leaving, are you?”

“Don’t worry. I already planned on coming here anyway. I was thinking of joining the Kendo club. Could be a good choice to polish my swordsmanship.”

Because it was the first time meeting, Minako ended up just doing introductions. Seeing that the club advisor was basically clueless about everything was disappointing. But it wasn’t all bad. The club leader, a junior named Rio Iwasaki, was nice enough. Maybe this club won’t be so boring.

Minako and Minato ended up leaving the clubs at the same time. It turned out that Minato was also just doing introductions.

“So… how was the club?” inquired Minako.

“It’s actually quite good. Got to know someone called Kazushi, who is in our class. He looks very passionate about kendo.”

“You too, huh? The club leader of the tennis club is named Rio Iwasaki. She can be very driven, even if the club doesn’t share the sentiment.”

“We met some interesting people, huh? I have to admit, making friends like this… doesn’t feel so bad.”

Minako smiled fondly at her brother. Finally, he opened up and started to make friends again. Ever since the incident, her brother had withdrawn. She can understand how he felt, losing their parents has left a big impact on their mind. In a way, they supported each other during those dark times. If he wasn’t around… if he had joined their parents…

No, she was done dealing with what ifs. Minato is here, and that is the facts. Just as he has supported her all this time, she would support him as much.

“Back when Igor implied that we have to make friends, make bonds, I thought it would be a pain. But, maybe it won’t be that bad.” Minato mused.

“Glad to see you finally saw the light.” remarked Minako, half-teasing and half-caring.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” snarked Minato.

“You know what I mean.”

== April 25th, 2009 ==

In the morning, Minato overheard a conversation about the reopening of a bookstore at the strip mall.

Minato thought, “ Reopening? I remembered there was that one bookstore years ago. Is it that one? I never actually went inside back when I was here, but it might be worth it to see. I could use some new books. ”

As soon as the after school bell rang, Minato went up from his desk and walked straight to the door. Noticing her brother already moving out of the classroom, Minako gave chase. “Where are you going?” asked Minako.

“The bookstore.” answered Minato. “I heard there’s a reopening of a bookstore on the strip mall. I figured it would be good to check it out.”

“A bookstore, huh?” Minako pondered for a moment. “You know what, I’ll join you. Maybe I can find something interesting as well.”

The bookstore was… stacked. Books filled up the shelves, as well as piling up on the desks and floor. For a small bookstore, this place has a lot of selection. Behind the counter, Minato could see an old couple, most likely the owners of the bookstore. The old man was sleeping, while the old woman was organizing the books on the shelf.

The old man snapped awake at the twins' arrival, greeting them. “...Welcome. What would you like today? We have fresh mackerel…”

Minato raised an eyebrow at that. What was this old man talking about?

The old woman quickly corrected him, “...Sorry, as you can see, we don’t sell fish here.”

The old man was undaunted and continued, “Hey, you’re students, aren’t you? You must be from Gekkoukan High, right? That means you’ve probably seen the persimmon tree there…”

“Persimmon tree?” Minako asked, confused.

“Are you serious?! You don’t know what I’m talking about? Not a day goes by that we don’t think about that tree!” the old man proclaimed boisterously. Well, as energetic an old man can be. “It was planted right beside a walkway in a courtyard at the school.”

Minato closed his eyes and tried to remember the place. He remembered that the area around the walkway has a lot of greenery, but was there a persimmon tree in there?

“I’m sorry, he’s rambling on like an old man.” the old woman apologized. “Just ignore him.”

Minako then pulled Minato back by the arm. When Minato saw his sister, she had a huge grin across her face.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” said Minako in a sing-song voice.

“You want to go back to the school and see this tree they’re talking about?” Minato said with a flat face.

“Come on, aren’t you the least bit curious? We still have some time.”

“And after you see it, then what?”

“I dunno.”

Minato facepalmed at his sister. While her intuition has proven to be correct far more often than not, he still wished Minako would think things through more. Still, he knew that sometimes her impulsive streak was what he needed to make a move from time to time.

“Fine. I suppose we could see which tree the old man is talking about.”

“Great! Don’t worry, you can wait here and look through the books. I’ll be right back.”

“Wha-”

Before Minato could say anything, Minako already darted out of the bookstore. Minato breathed out a heavy sigh, then he just walked to one of the piles of books and began searching through it. After some time, Minako returned panting, but with a satisfied smile on her face.

“So, did you find that tree?” asked Minato.

“Yup! And look at this!” said Minako as she took out a leaf from her skirt pocket and showed it to her brother.

“Why did you bring that?”

“Well, it was the only thing there. The tree doesn’t have any fruits yet, since it’s quite a ways away from persimmon season. Don’t worry, I picked this off the ground, so I didn’t pluck off anything.

“That’s not what I’m asking. What do you plan to do with that leaf?”

Minako went silent for a moment before answering, “Nothing really. I just thought it looked nice. C’mon, I want to talk with that old man about this!”

Minako dragged Minato towards the old couple. Minako then showed the leaf she brought to the old couple. “Here! Look what I got!”

“Oh, is this a leaf from that persimmon tree?” asked the old man, obviously happy from the gesture. “It must have grown quite a bit to produce such splendid leaves…”

The old man then seemed to come to a realization, “...Wait, so you didn’t come here to buy books? Did you come here just to show us this?”

Minako then smiled sheepishly, “Uh… Y-yeah, that’s right.”

Unaware of Minako’s stutter, the old man beamed at the twins. “I knew it! I knew right from the start that you’re a kind young woman!”

The old man gave his widest smile at the twins. He then continued, “I’ve been meaning to go see that tree for a while now, but I’m not sure if these stumpy old legs will make it that far… That wasn’t meant to be a pun. You know, ‘stumpy’, ‘tree stump’, catch my drift?”

Minako just let out a weak laugh, while Minato smiled slightly. It wasn’t as bad as Ikutsuki’s pun the other day. But Minato wasn’t so heartless as to ruin the old man’s good mood.

The old woman, on the other hand, was quite impressed. “Very clever, dear.” she said with a large smile.

The old man then spoke up again, “Allow me to introduce my wife Mitsuko. I’m Bunkichi. If you don’t mind, would you tell us your names?”

“I’m Minato Arisato. And this is my twin sister, Minako.”

“Oh, I almost mistaken you as friends, with how different you looked.” Bunkichi said with a chuckle.

“We get that a lot.” responded Minako.

“We’ll call you Minato-kun and Minako-chan, then.”

Hierophant Social Link - Rank 1

“So, did you notice?” asked Minato.

“Yeah.” confirmed Minako. “These bonds, ‘Social Link’, was it? They correspond to a card in a Tarot deck. At first I wasn’t so sure, but hearing the name ‘Hierophant’ practically confirmed my suspicion.”

“I’m surprised you knew about it.”

“A friend back in 7th grade was interested in it.” Minako explained. “She was really into fortune-telling with the stuff, even if her reading was very… inaccurate… to put it mildly.”

“What makes you say that?”

“One of them was telling me that I will be best friends with a celebrity.”

“That doesn’t sound too wild. What’s wrong with it?”

“Because all of us there can tell it’s just her dream seeping into the reading. We all know she dreamed of being an actress. She tried to deny it, but most of us ain’t buying it. Anyway, that’s not the biggest reason why I’m calling her reading bogus. It’s when she made two readings about you.”

“About me? Why would you ask her about that?”

“Just curious. The reading was that you will be dating a future actress. Yet her second reading was that you won’t live past 20! What kind of reading combination is that?!”

“Well, if I were to date a celebrity, I imagine her fans wouldn’t be too happy about it, or for me in particular.”

“That doesn’t make sense. If it were a ‘future’ actress, it’s highly likely that she won’t be that big until age 20, at minimum. Actresses don’t get big overnight. Nah, I think she’s kinda bitter that I refused to set her up on a date with you.”

“She actually asked you that?!” Minato gaped at the reveal.

“Yeah. I refused because one, I can tell she’s not exactly your type. And two, it’s obvious that she’s interested for a very shallow reason. Don’t get me wrong, Inoue-san is not a bad girl. But she can get too carried away by her emotions.” 

== April 27th, 2009 ==

At lunchtime, Minato didn’t expect to see Mitsuru-senpai come into his class. She promptly walked over to Minako and addressed her, “Arisato. I’m sorry, but I need to talk to you after school. I have a special request for you.”

“A special request?” asked Minako quizzically.

“I apologize for being in a rush, but I don’t feel comfortable asking anyone else. I’ll tell you more about it after school, okay? Au revoir.”

With that, Mitsuru promptly left the classroom. This made the second years curious. “What do you think she wants?” inquired Minato.

“Beats me. SEES stuff?” Minako shrugged.

“Wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case.” Yukari rolled her eyes.

“A special request, huh? Do you think I could do it too?” said Junpei cheerfully.

“Doubt it.” intoned Yukari. “I don’t even know what it is, but I highly doubt it’s anything you can do, Junpei.”

“Harsh! What part of this awesome hunk of man made you so doubtful?!” retorted Junpei.

“Awesome? Hunk? Have you looked at the mirror lately?” scoffed Yukari.

“Okay, no need to be that harsh. Even if I agree.” said Minako.

“You too, Mina-tan?!” said Junpei with a clear expression of shock.

After school, Mitsuru came by the class again, as expected. And just like before, she went straight to Minako and promptly said her part,

“I apologize for making you wait. To make a long story short, I want you to join the Student Council.”

“That’s new, and not exactly what I was expecting. Are you sure I’m up for it?” said Minako.

“Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to participate in every activity. Just come to the Student Council room when you have the time.”

“That’s it?!”

“Yes, that’s it. I just want you to join. Being President is very time-consuming. I’d like to have additional help available in the event of an emergency. You understand my situation… I’m asking you since you know what it’s like to be a leader.”

Minako pondered for a moment before giving her answer. “Alright, we’ll do it.”

Mitsuru seemed happy with Minako’s response. “I knew I could count on you. I’ve already made an appointment for you with the faculty advisor. But, you’ll have to go to the Faculty Office on your own. I’m sorry I made the arrangements without your permission, but I hope you understand the position I’m in. Please go to the Faculty Office, Arisato. I’ll be waiting for you in the Student Council Room.”

Once again, Mitsuru quickly left after her business was done. Minako then turned to Junpei, with a knowing smirk on her face.

“So… Junpei, still want to do it?”

“Pass.” groaned Junpei. “I didn’t think she’d ask you to join the Student Council. That just sounds like a drag.”

“Yeah, I thought as much. Come on, Minato-nii. Let’s get going.”

“Figured you would drag me into this.” quipped Minato.

“Come on, you heard what Mitsuru-senpai said, right? More helping hands available can’t be a bad thing.”

Minato was about to protest further, but Minako proceeded to physically drag him along. Minato was barely able to hear Yukari muttering, “ Wow, my sympathies, Arisato-kun .” before they left the classroom.

Joining the Student Council could be a mistake. Mitsuru was slightly surprised to see him entering the room alongside Minako, but regardless took it in stride and allowed him to join. In the Student Council, he was acquainted with the head of the Disciplinary Committee, Hidetoshi Odagiri, and the Treasurer, Chihiro Fushimi. Well, if he’s going to do this, might as well go all the way.

"Hidetoshi seems like a strict, no-nonsense type of person."  thought Minato. "It might be better to be serious with him. Chihiro, on the other hand, seems very shy. I’ll need to watch my steps when dealing with her."

Emperor Social Link - Rank 1

== May 1st, 2009 ==

It was after school, and the twins were chatting along with Junpei. Suddenly, Junpei remembered something.

“FYI, Akihiko-senpai’s at the hospital getting a checkup. He called me earlier, and asked me to bring him something. Yup, he knows who to count on.”

Yukari decided to interject, “He only asked you cuz you don’t have anything else to do after school.”

“H-Hey, I resent that.” stammered Junpei.

Yukari giggled at his reaction, “I’m just kidding. So, what’d he want you to bring?”

“The class roster for 2-E.” supplied Junpei.

“What’s he want that for? Well, I don’t have practice today, so I’ll go with you.”

Yukari then turned to the twins, “You’re coming too, right?”

Minako didn’t waste time responding, “Of course! The more the merrier, right?”

Yukari laughed at Minako, “Should’ve expected that from you.”

“W-Wait a minute.” Junpei stammered out.

Yukari looked at him quizzically, “What? Is there a problem?”

“Well, it was ME he asked…”

“Oh, is that what this is?” Minako said teasingly. “Are you afraid we’ll steal your thunder?”

“Well, come on. It’s supposed to be my time to shine.”

When they arrived at the hospital room, Minako didn’t see Akihiko anywhere. Instead, another person was sitting on the chair. He was wearing a large dark maroon peacoat and a black beanie. For some reason, he just glared at the group. Minako swore that glare could actually kill someone, it was that intense! After a few seconds of silence, Junpei was the first to speak up.

“Umm… Is… Akihiko-senpai…?”

The man just continued to glare at the group, not responding at all.

“In this room? By any chance?” Junpei continued.

Unknowingly by the four teenagers, Akihiko walked up behind them and spoke up, “What are all of you guys doing here?”

Slightly startled, all of them turned around to see the source of the sound. Yukari then responded, “We came to see you! But, it doesn’t look like anything’s wrong with you.”

“I’m just here for a checkup.” replied Akihiko.

The man then stood up from the chair. “Is that it, Aki?” he asked.

“Yeah, thanks.” responded Akihiko.

“Tch. I don’t have time for this shit.” Minako didn’t think it was possible, but the man looked even more irritated than before.

He then walked out of the room, but not before shooting another glare at the group. Minako was so unnerved that she instinctively hid behind her brother.

As soon as the man left, Junpei blurted out the question that was in everyone’s mind. “W-Who was that?”

“A friend from school… sort of…” answered Akihiko.

“W-What do you mean by ‘sort of’?” asked Minako.

“He just… hasn't come for a while. I asked him to come here because he knows a few people who are suffering from Apathy Syndrome, so I want to ask him about it.” explained Akihiko. “Junpei, did you bring what I asked?”

With a prideful look, Junpei handed over the papers to Akihiko. “Of course, Senpai!”

After receiving the papers, Akihiko suddenly began rotating and twisting his own left arm. All four juniors were quickly worried, with Junpei the first to speak up.

“Um, you shouldn’t move your arm…”

“It’s nothing.” Akihiko brushed it off. “I’ve wasted enough time already. I need to go back to my training.”

“Oh, already itching to go back to the ring, huh?” said Junpei with a wide grin.

“It’s not just the ring.”

“By the way, senpai, why boxing?” interjected Yukari.

“You mean, why did I choose that sport? Well, it’s not the sport itself I like; I just wanted to learn how to fight.” explained Akihiko. His expression then shifted into something painful. “I know what it’s like to feel powerless, and I don’t want to feel that way again.”

What happened to him? Everyone can tell that remark means a story behind it. Minako wanted to ask him about it, but she decided against it. She knew how it feels every time someone asks about her parents.

“Besides, I’m curious to see how strong I can get.” continued Akihiko, his expression turned determined. “It’s like a game, only I’m competing against myself.”

“That’s an interesting way of looking at it.” replied Junpei. “You know, I’m into games too…”

“Yeah, video games.” scoffed Yukari.

“Hey, they’re good for hand-eye coordination.”

“Speaking of video games, I’m not gonna forgive you for introducing my brother to that game, Junpei.” Minako piped up.

“What?! Why?!” Junpei looked scandalized.

“He just spent all day in his room playing that game the very next day! I was worried if he was sick since I didn’t see him anywhere, but it turned out he was just holed up in his room!”

“B-But that was his own choice! Why are ya holdin’ that over me?”

“Hey, the game is kinda fun.” Minato interjected. “Even if there’s only one other player there.”

“Great, I lost my brother to a video game, of all things.” groaned Minako.

“You know, you could always play with him…” said Junpei.

“I’ll… think about it.” said Minako hesitantly.

Yukari shook her head at the three, while Akihiko just giggled at them.

== May 2nd, 2009 ==

Of all the things Elizabeth requested, Minato didn’t expect this. Before today, Elizabeth and Theodore only requested them to bring back spoils of battle from Shadows or random items. Now, the Velvet Room attendants asked for a visit to the real world. Minato was wary of bringing supernatural entities into the real world, but Minako was excited. Eventually, Minato relented. Thus, they were to guide the two attendants on their ‘tour’.

Emerging from their exit in Paulownia Mall, Elizabeth and Theodore looked around the place with curiosity and amazement. Minato thought, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. If they were to act just like tourists, no one would find it strange.

Soon, their attention was locked into the large fountains in the middle of the mall. They walked over to the object of their curiosity.

“An aqueous duct in a place like this?” muttered Theodore.

“Theo, I believe they call this a ‘fountain’. Do you know why it is here?” asked Elizabeth.

“Of course, sister! It is so that the residents will always have access to clean water to drink from!” beamed Theodore.

No, that’s not it! Looks like Theodore is quite clueless about the real world. Minato really started to question his decision to bring them here. Glancing at his sister, Minato could tell that Minako was starting to get nervous too.

“Tsk tsk. Silly Theo. That is not the purpose of this ‘fountain’.” said Elizabeth.

Okay, good. Maybe Elizabeth was more informed.

Elizabeth continued, “This is obviously the famed ‘wishing fountain’, where spirits of water reside and are able to grant wishes for those who sacrificed a few coins.”

Never mind, Elizabeth is just as clueless. Minato and Minako rushed over to the attendants, hoping to stop them before they did something stupid.

Elizabeth then pulled out a large purse seemingly from out of nowhere. “Thus, I shall make my opening bid to the water spirits at 2.000 coins.”

Minato could only gape at Elizabeth pouring out the coins from her purse into the fountain. Minako similarly paled, seeing what Elizabeth was doing. The spectacle drew the attention of the mall-goers, earning them curious and/or disturbed stares. The twins slowly stepped back, hoping to escape the attention.

“Sister, do you have Master’s permission for this?” inquired Theodore.

“Hm? Of course I do. Did Master not leave us in charge of our financial matters?” replied Elizabeth.

“That is true…”

Minato whispered to his sister, “How do you plan to explain this to Igor?”

“I’m gonna make it known that we’re not responsible for anything that happened.” answered Minako. “There’s no way we’ll be able to pay that back.”

The attendants’ attention then shifted to the police station. As they approached the station, their gaze was locked onto the various bounty posters on the window.

“So, the concept of subjugation and rewards are also known in this world.” mused Theodore.

“Indeed, Theo. Perhaps that is why our guests have been so deft in completing our requests. They have been doing something that is familiar to them.” added Elizabeth.

“Um, we don’t actually kill them here, though.” Minako tried to correct the Velvet Room attendants.

“Interesting. So the people of your world do their subjugation differently.” contemplated Elizabeth “Then, how do they claim their reward, if they cannot bring any proof?”

“They… usually just capture them, and bring them here, alive.”

Minato quickly elbowed his sister. Minako was about to protest, but Theodore musing showed why.

“Impressive. To think that hunters of such skill would roam your world. To capture a target alive, and be able to deliver them while suppressing their resistance.”

“Indeed, Theo. Perhaps we should ask for something similar from our guests in the future.”

Minato internally panicked at the idea. Not only capturing a Shadow alive would be a very risky attempt, but he couldn’t possibly make up any excuse to any of his teammates. Mitsuru in particular would be either very suspicious or very angry. Or both.

Looking at his side, Minato can see that his sister similarly panicked at Elizabeth’s suggestion. She quickly tried to interrupt. “W-Wait! Th-That only applies when capturing humans! People usually become more… tame?... when they were captured or bound.”

“Does that mean the hunters of your world have a technique that can subdue the resistance of their prey by bounding them? But you do not have this particular technique?” inquired Elizabeth. “Alas. I was hoping to see more of your growth. Would you deign to tell us should you acquire this technique?”

The twins just giggled at the two attendants. Inwardly, they were relieved that Elizabeth decided to not go with the idea, and made a mental note to never bring this up again.

The attendants then wandered off to the front of Club Escapade, the local club in Paulownia Mall. Elizabeth looked like she had a sudden realization. “Could this be… the rumored ‘club’?”

“The ‘club’? The one you’ve always talked about, dear sister?” inquired Theodore.

“Yes. The place where dancers are dictated by the sway of one’s inner passions… A subterranean garden of uninhibited spectacle.”

“I-I see.” Minato could see some hesitation from Theodore.

“Unfortunately, it would seem that it is closed for business for now. A pity, I had hoped to partake in its wild ritual.”

“Then, perhaps we should go elsewhere.” suggested Theodore.

As they walked away from the club, Theodore’s attention was drawn by the claw machine in front of the arcade. But when they walked over to the machine, Minato noticed that somehow Elizabeth was missing. Minato looked around, and was shocked to find that Elizabeth was in the middle of pouring more coins into a different fountain on the side of the mall. Looking back to Theodore, he saw that Minako was in the middle of explaining things to Theodore. As soon as her explanation ended, Minato pulled his sister aside and began whispering.

“I think it would be a good idea to bring them back to the Velvet Room, before more complications happen.” whispered Minato while pointing towards Elizabeth.

Minako’s eyes followed her brother’s finger, and she was also shocked at Elizabeth’s action. Looking back to Theodore, she then said to Minato, “I would… but I kinda feel bad to drag Theo so suddenly while he’s so focused like that. Can you do something about Liz?”

“I’ll try. But as soon as you can, ask him to go back to the Velvet Room.”

“Got it.”

Eventually, the twins managed to persuade Elizabeth and Theodore to return shortly. The attendants were happy about the visit, and said something about the next visit. Minato was already dreading the next time they had to accompany the Velvet Room attendants. He did not want to imagine the insanity that could happen on the more… unique places of the city.

After saying their goodbyes, the twins were just standing in front of the Velvet Room door. Minako then spoke up, “That was far more stressful than I'd expected. I need some loosening up. I wonder if Yukari or Junpei would want to hang out.”

“Good idea. I’ll see what I can find myself.” replied Minato.

At midnight, Minato received the most surprising visitor.

“Hi, how’ve you been?”

Minato opened his eyes a bit to see that the ghost boy was sitting on the edge of his bed. When the boy just chuckled, Minato asked his question, “You again?”

“Of course it’s me.” replied the boy. “Are you well?”

Before Minato could respond, the boy continued, “One week from now, there will be a full moon. Be careful. A new ordeal awaits you…”

“A full moon?” Minato wasn’t sure why a full moon would be important. Considering his current circumstances, the ghost was probably referring to Shadows. But why would Shadows be connected to the moon? Is it their origin?

“Yes, on such days you will face your greatest challenges.” answered the boy.

An ominous warning. While the sky is green on a time called the ‘Dark Hour’. From a ghost from who-knows-where. Minato hoped someone wouldn’t die that day.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” said Minato warily.

“I’m glad that you are aware of it. I’m sure you could overcome it.” said the boy with a smile. “I’ll come see you again when it’s over. Goodbye, for now.”

The boy then disappeared, like the last time Minato saw him. While this could just as easily be a dream, it would still be better to talk to Minako about this and be prepared for the worst.

Chapter Text

== May 9th, 2009 ==

“That ghost kid from the other day warned you about that?” asked Minako.

After school, Minato decided to pull Minako aside to tell her about the warning he received the other day. They went to the roof to make sure no one was interrupting.

“Yeah. Since he only appears during the Dark Hour, my guess is this ‘ordeal’ he warned about would happen during the Dark Hour.” answered Minato.

“Okay. Yukari-san could use a better bow, and I think we got enough money to get better protection for everyone. Let’s stop by the police station real quick.”

“And the drugstore as well. I think our latest Tartarus exploration really drained our supply. After that, let’s return to the dorm early and get some rest while we can.”

“Agreed. Though, why is that ghost only haunting you? I never saw him appear in my room.”

“It would be better to ask that ghost himself. I can’t possibly know what he’s thinking.”

“You think I could see him again? Should I stalk in your room to meet him?”

“Don’t. Mitsuru-senpai might be okay with it once or twice since we’re siblings, but she will get pissed if you’re doing it everyday.”

“Aw, that sucked. Oh, maybe you could make him appear in Yukari-san’s room. I rather not get people thinking I’m crazy for talking about that the other day.”

“How can I control where he’s going to appear? And besides, I think you just want to see Yukari-san get scared.”

“Maybeee…”

“Let’s just go, sis…”

As expected, the alarm rang out during the Dark Hour and Minato heard Akihiko calling everyone to the command room on the fourth floor. Minato hurriedly went out of his room and ran towards the fourth floor, joining Junpei, Minako, and Yukari on the way.

“We’re here.” said Yukari while panting.

“Where is it?! I’ll rip it a new one!” exclaimed Junpei.

“We’ve detected a Shadow outside of Tartarus.” explained Mitsuru. “We don’t know for sure, but we think it’s another big one. We have to defeat any of them we find, as quickly as possible. Most people don’t know the Dark Hour exists. But, if half of the city is destroyed, there will be panic. That must be avoided at all costs.”

“Agreed!” exclaimed Minako. “Let’s get out there and kick some Shadow’s butt!”

“Hell yeah!” added Junpei.

“Urgh, calm down you two.” chided Yukari.

Mitsuru ignored their banter and turned to Akihiko. “Akihiko, you stay here and wait for the Chairman.”

“Wha-?! Are you kidding?! I’m going!” protested Akihiko.

“You still need to recover. You’ll just be a hindrance. They’ll fare better than you, in your current state. Have faith in them, Akihiko. They’re ready.”

Akihiko cursed under his breath. After looking over the group for a few seconds, he addressed Minako.

“Minako, you’re in charge, as before.”

“Her again?” complained Junpei.

“We’re counting on you.” intoned Mitsuru.

“Leave it to me!” shouted Minako while pumping her fist.

“Looks like you’re the leader again, huh?” said Junpei with a sarcastic tone.

“You know Junpei, you being jealous like this is almost adorable.” teased Minako.

“You don’t need to rub it in.” groaned Junpei.

“Well, no need for you to say that either.” quipped Yukari.

“Alright, I think that’s enough.” interrupted Akihiko. “We should really get going.”

“THEY should get going, you mean.” chided Mitsuru.

The group arrived at Iwatodai station. While they were waiting, Yukari looked up to the sky. “It’s a full moon tonight, huh?” commented Yukari. “But it looks even creepier during the Dark Hour.”

Minako looked up as well. “Yeah. No matter how long I’ve seen it, it felt like I could never get used to it.”

“Hey, did you hear something?” asked Junpei.

Minato tried to listen as Junpei said that. He can hear some kind of engine roaring. And it was getting louder by the second. Shortly afterwards, a motorcycle skidded over and stopped right in front of them, startling everyone in the group. Turned out, it was Mitsuru who was driving it.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” apologized Mitsuru.

“You have a bike, Mitsuru-senpai?” Minako was awed. “That’s so cool.”

Minato had to admit that the motorcycle does look quite nice, with its strong white chassis and sturdy framework. Mitsuru-senpai herself seemed to actually fit right in with it, something he never thought of from the Kirijo heiress.

Mitsuru smiled at Minako’s remark. “Thank you. Sometimes I use it to drive around the town.”

Mitsuru then quickly went back to business. “Listen carefully. Tonight, I’ll be providing support from here. Everything else is the same. The Shadow is currently located inside a monorail, not far from the station. To get there, you’ll have to walk on the tracks.”

Junpei quickly raised his concern. “Are you serious?! Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Don’t worry.” assuage Mitsuru. “No electronic equipment is operable during the Dark Hour, including the monorail.”

“But, your bike…”

“It’s special.”

That can’t be the only explanation. It seemed the Kirijo group had found some way to make something work during the Dark Hour, since some of the dorm’s equipment also worked. But, Minato figured now is not the time to be pushing Mitsuru about the details, since they have a crisis on their hands.

Mitsuru continued. “Now if circumstances change, I’ll notify you immediately. Let’s get started.”

“Alright, team!” shouted Minako. “Follow my lead!”

Minako couldn’t help feeling slightly excited. Here she was, running down a monorail track to chase down a train, preparing to face an enemy taking over the train. It sounded like a scenario from a movie! After a short walk, the group reached the monorail.

“This is it.” said Minako.

“Can you all hear me?” asked Mitsuru over their comm.

“Yes, I can hear you clearly.” answered Yukari. “We just got here, but I don’t see anything out of the ordinary.”

“The readings are definitely coming from that monorail.” stated Mitsuru. “Proceed with caution, and stay together.”

“Understood.” replied Minako.

“My Persona’s just beggin’ to be used!” exclaimed Junpei.

“We need to get inside right? Alright, then. Ladies first!” said Minako as she promptly climbed the foothold on the monorail.

“Wh- Wait, Minako!” shouted Yukari.

“Hm?”

As she stopped midway of her climb, Minako looked down on the group to see Yukari being flustered, and Minato pushing down on Junpei’s head. Minako took a few seconds thinking before she realized what happened.

“Oops. My bad.” said Minako with a wink as she pushed herself up and went inside the monorail. “Don’t worry, though. I’m wearing shorts underneath.”

“That doesn’t make it any better.” Yukari then turned to Minato and Junpei. “Alright, you two go next.”

“Let go of me already!” wailed Junpei as he shook off Minato’s hold.

“Sorry. Can’t risk you catching any glimpse.” replied Minato flatly.

“She said she’s wearing shorts anyway!” protested Junpei.

“So you were actually planning to peek?” Minato glared at the capped boy.

“Um… Never mind…”

With Yukari pulled up by Minato into the back car, the entire group was then inside. Junpei was staring at one of the coffins lining up the seats.

“This poor stiff must be a passenger.” muttered Junpei. “He’s been transmogged, huh… Creepy. So, guys like him don’t remember a thing, right?”

Suddenly, the entire car vibrated as the doors closed on their own. Minako jammed her naginata between the doors and tried to pry them open, but they wouldn't budge. “Damn, no good.” cursed Minako.

“What’s wrong?” inquired Mitsuru.

“It looks like we’re trapped inside.” answered Yukari.

“Should’ve known it was too convenient.” snapped Minako.

“No need to be so hard on yourself. None of us realized it either.” Minato tried to calm Minako down.

“The Shadow definitely realized you’re inside the monorail.” supplied Mitsuru. “Be ready for anything. Proceed with extreme caution.”

“Alright! Minato-nii and I will take point. Yukari-san, prepare to back us up. Junpei, cover our backs.” ordered Minako.

The team moved slowly and cautiously through the monorail. But, even after going through a few cars, they didn’t find any Shadows. Minako was slowly getting more anxious with each step, anticipating an ambush that never seemed to show up. Finally, at the fifth car, a Shadow suddenly dropped in front of the team, causing them to assume a defensive stance. For even more surprise, the Shadow didn’t attack them, and instead ran away even further down the monorail.

“Hey, wait!” shouted Junpei.

Junpei was about to run and chase after the Shadow, but Mitsuru stopped him. “Wait! Something’s not right. The enemy is acting strangely.”

“But if we don’t go after it we’re gonna lose it!” protested Junpei.

“That thing is definitely luring us into a trap. I say we should-” said Minato.

“Who put you in charge?!” snapped Junpei.

“Hey! Just because he’s not-” Minako snapped back.

“Fine! If you don’t want to, I can do it myself!” shouted Junpei. He then quickly ran chasing the Shadow.

“Junpei! Don’t just… Argh!” Minako stomped her foot in anger.

“Look out!” warned Mitsuru. “Behind you!”

More Shadows dropped down behind the group, startling them.

“Damnit, Jack Frost!”
“Omoikane!”
“Io!”

After a brief fight, the three SEES members took a moment to catch their breath.

“That sucked.” groaned Yukari.

“This is why I told him to cover our backs! Damnit, Junpei!” shouted Minako.

“No use complaining about it now. We need to regroup with him.” said Minato.

“Agreed. You don’t have much choice at this point.” said Mitsuru.

“He is so getting it when we catch up to him.” seethed Yukari.

Before the group could go much further, more Shadows emerged in front of them.

“Out of our way already!” shouted Minako.

The group ran along the monorail, tearing through the occasional Shadows that appeared along their way. Minako in particular was partially driven with anger, partially with regret. She knew that Junpei felt slightly inferior to her as the leader, but that doesn’t excuse just running off on his own! She was at a loss on what to say to Junpei when they regrouped, but that can wait. Right now, their priority was to actually reach him.

When they finally saw him, Junpei was holding back a floating book-type Shadow with his sword.

“Junpei!” shouted Yukari.

“I got this under control!” said Junpei as he pushed the Shadow away. He then took a vertical swing against the Shadow, but it floated back, causing the attack to miss. The Shadow then lunged forward to the now vulnerable Junpei.

“Orpheus!”

Minato quickly sent his Persona to cast a fire spell against the Shadow, intercepting the attack coming to Junpei. Minako and Yukari joined Junpei to fight off the Shadows. After the battle was over, Minako was slightly relieved to see that Junpei was not too hurt.

With that out of the way, Minako stomped her way to right in front of Junpei. “So, got anything to say after running off on your own?” said Minako in an icy tone.

“What is there to say?” deflected Junpei. “I was doin’ just fine, anyway.”

Hearing that, something inside Minako just snapped. She grabbed Junpei by his shirt’s collar. “What about that was fine?! You almost got seriously hurt if it weren’t for Minato-nii stopping that Shadow!”

Junpei didn’t say anything back. Minako’s expression then turned sorrowful. “Look, I can see that you feel inferior comparing yourself to me or my brother, but that doesn’t mean you can just run off and get yourself hurt trying to prove yourself!”

Junpei remained silent. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, obscuring his face with his cap.

“Hey, do you hear me?!”

“I think he got the message, sis.” interjected Minato. “Mitsuru-senpai, is that everything?”

“Not yet, I can still sense some Shadows in there. Though there are none in your direct vicinity.” explained Mitsuru.

The monorail suddenly rattled, surprising everyone. Seeing through the window, Minako could tell it’s because the monorail was moving.

“Whoa, what the?! Why’re we moving?” Junpei was already panicking.

“It seems the monorail is under the enemy’s control.” stated Mitsuru.

“Whaddya mean, ‘it seems’?!” Yukari tried to sound calm, but she could barely hide her own panic.

Minako herself was already almost hyperventilating. She was having flashbacks to that day on the Moonlight Bridge, when the car their family in suddenly crashed.

“If you don’t stop that thing, it will crash into another train!” said Mitsuru.

Hearing Mitsuru’s assessment, Minako’s eyes suddenly went blank. Memories of the accident flashed through her mind. Seeing the car tumble on the bridge, seeing her parents’ lifeless body burned as the car erupted in flames, seeing his brother dragging her out of the burning car.

“Mina… Sis…”

With a gasp, Minako snapped awake from the sound of her brother. When she came to, she realized that she’s no longer standing up, but down on one of her knees, leaning on her naginata for support. She saw Minato placing his hand on her shoulder, also kneeling in front of her.

“She’s okay, right?” asked Yukari.

“I’m okay. Sort of.” said Minako hesitantly.

Minato went silent for a moment, before finally speaking up. “Okay, we don’t have much time. Mitsuru-senpai said the big Shadow is on the front car, so we’ll break our way through. Junpei, you and I should take the front and swat away any Shadows in our way. Minako and Yukari-san, both of you follow us close behind. Don’t bother to fight any of them, just run straight through.”

“Sounds good.” Minako would think that it was unlike her brother to be this reckless, but it is an emergency.

“Wouldn’t that be dangerous? What if we got surrounded?” said Yukari warily.

“We’re gonna let this train crash if we don’t hurry.” responded Minato. “Let’s go.”

Minako watched the situation closely as Minato and Junpei continued batting, knocking away Shadows, and running through the monorail. The boys didn’t stop at anything, as Minato suggested. She saw that Yukari was still wary of this decision, even if she was running alongside them. Looking behind them, Minako saw something strange.

“They’re not following us.” remarked Minako. “They’re just standing there, watching us.”

The other three glanced behind as well to confirm what Minako said. Minato quickly hissed after seeing it. “They’re definitely taunting us. Prepare for anything!”

As soon as everyone arrived at the front car, they finally saw the Shadow that is responsible for this madness. Minako felt confused over what she saw. Sure, the Shadows they’ve seen so far have taken weird shapes. But shaped like a giant, naked woman (she sure hoped her brother and Junpei weren’t thinking anything weird because of it!), colored half in black, half in white, with scrolls as hairs that are sticking around the car? Looks like she could safely conclude that there is no limit to the weirdness of the Shadows’ form.

The Shadow wasted no time to attack the group. Gesturing with her? its? hand, multiple ice shards appeared in front of it and flew towards the group. Everyone quickly dodged or ducked to avoid them. But as soon as Minako looked at the Shadows again, she saw that several of the scroll-hairs were already flying towards them. Minato, Minako, and Junpei tried to deflect the incoming scrolls, while Yukari stepped aside and fired one of her arrows towards the Shadow. The scrolls made loud screeching sounds as they grinded on SEES’ weapons, while another scroll flew and swatted away Yukari’s arrow, while also made a loud clashing sound.

“What the?! Are those things made of metal or something?!” shouted Yukari.

“Looks like they’re also protecting the main body!” analyzed Minato. “We’ll need to make an opening.”

“Yukari-san, you and I will create the opening. Junpei, be ready to send Hermes in.” ordered Minako.

“Understood!”

“Alp!”
“Io!”

Two gusts of winds knocked away several of the scrolls. Seizing the chance, Minato and Junpei made their move.

“Orpheus!”
“Hermes!”

A fireball flew through the opening of the scrolls, followed by Hermes diving in and slashing the Shadow with one of its wings. The Shadow made a loud scream as the attacks hit.

“Do not stop! Keep attacking it!” shouted Minato.

All of SEES summoned their Personas this time. Unfortunately, the Shadow had already recovered from the initial assault, and blocked the flurry of elemental spells SEES were throwing at it. The Shadow moved its hand again. This time, instead of ice shards, two Tiara-type Shadow appeared in front of it.

“Junpei, with me!” shouted Minato as he charged towards the newly summoned Shadow.

“Yosh!” affirmed Junpei.

Minato and Junpei quickly swung their swords against the Shadows. But, as soon as their blades sunk into the Shadows, Shadow Priestess summoned more ice shards. The ice shards flew towards them, nicking Minato’s left arm and Junpei’s  right shoulder.

“Junpei, let’s open the path. Orpheus!”

“Hermes!”

Two fire bursts pushed away the scrolls. Seeing the opportunity, Minako quickly shouted at Yukari.

“Yukari-san!”

“R-Right!”

Both of them promptly summoned their Persona, and from them electricity and wind flew out and struck the Shadow. Several scrolls then flew around and struck Minato and Junpei, pushing them back.

“We’re wasting time like this…” muttered Minato.

The Shadow then summoned a large ice shard in front of it. The shard was easily about 5 times larger than the ones sent flying before. Minako shuddered seeing it. Whoever got hit by it will be seriously injured. Somehow, the Shadow didn’t stop growing the shard, as it slowly grew bigger.

“It got bigger?!” Yukari’s voice was obviously shaking.

“We’ll need to stop it then!” responded Minako. “Minato-nii!”

“Right! Ara Mitama!”
“Jack Frost!”

Two physical strikes hit the growing ice shard, cracking it a little. To Minako’s horror, she heard the Shadow just giggled after what happened. Minato clicked his tongue, and promptly dashed forward. The Shadow then decided to throw the large shard against Minato.

“Minato-nii!” shouted Minako. Her mind went blank at the sight, feeling the fear of what could happen if that large of an ice hit her brother directly.

Minato quickly ducked and deflected the ice shard slightly upwards with his sword, allowing him to pass under the flying shard. But, as soon as the shard hit the monorail floor, it exploded, sending tiny fragments flying everywhere. Minako, Junpei, and Yukari tried to block some of the fragments, but with how many of them were flying, they couldn’t block all of them. Minato, on the other hand, was stopped for a moment as multiple ice fragments hit his back, and the Shadow took the opening to send another scroll to hit Minato, sending him flying back.

Minako tried to run toward her brother, but the Shadow sent many more scrolls towards the group forcing them to go on the defensive.

“That thing really isn't giving us any breathing room!” groaned Minako.

The Shadow also summoned two more Tiara Shadows to its side, further increasing the pressure on SEES. Minako couldn’t help but think about the saying regarding cornered animals. Does that mean they were close? Just as she thought that, she could feel the monorail rattling even more. Glancing at the window, she saw the reason.

“The monorail is actually speeding up!” shouted Minako.

“Then we need to move even faster.” said Minato as he drew his Evoker. “This is as good of a time as any…”

“Huh?” Minako was confused. What was his brother muttering about?

“Orpheus! Apsaras!” As Minato fired his Evoker, Minako saw that he recoiled even more than usual. But another thing she saw made her worry even more. Both Orpheus and Apsaras manifested at the same time. It looked like the simultaneous summoning really strained him, as he was visibly clutching his head.

Shortly afterwards, a warm wave washed over all of them, healing a lot of their injuries. Not only that, Minako could feel lighter.

“What was-” asked Yukari before Minato cut her off.

“I’ll explain later.” said Minato as he charged towards the Shadow. “We need to go straight to the main Shadow.”

“Junpei, back him up!” ordered Minako. “Yukari-san, you and I will help Minato-nii and Junpei push away those scrolls with our spells!”

Just like their trip through the monorail, the four of them broke through the flying scrolls and Shadows. When they got close, the Shadow sent far more scrolls against them, almost forming a wall. “Focus our attack on the center!” shouted Minato.

“Orpheus!”
“Hermes!”
“Alp!”
“Io!”

Wind and fire mixed in the center. The resulting firestorm knocked aside the incoming scrolls, and SEES charged through the opening it created. Minato and Junpei slashed at the Shadow at the same time, followed by Minako slashing from above. Yukari fired her arrow straight to the Shadows head. Lastly, Minato and Minako stabbed the Shadow from the back and the front respectively, before unleashing their fire spells through their blades. The Shadow finally crumbled into black mist.

With the Shadow defeated, the group relaxed for a moment. But they soon realized that their problems were not over.

“H-Hey! Why’re we still moving?!” Junpei was growing even more panicked.

“We’re moving too fast! We gotta put on the brake or-” said Yukari in a shaky voice.

“What’re you waiting for?! There’s a train up ahead!” shouted Mitsuru.

Minako’s vision quickly went hazy. She also began hyperventilating. Memories of the accident ten years ago flooded her mind even more. She couldn’t think straight anymore. They had to do something. She had to do something. But she couldn’t move. Her legs felt rooted in place. She needed to stop the train. But her grip on her naginata was already faltering. Eventually, she just dropped her naginata and balled herself in place, face buried in her legs and hands over her head.

Minako braced herself for the crash that was about to happen. But after a few moments, she noticed that she hadn’t been thrown around. Looking up slowly, she saw her brother crouching in front of her, eyes full of concern. Staring at each other for another few moments, she realized that they hadn’t crashed, that they’re still alive in an intact monorail. She then threw herself towards Minato, hugging him tight.

“You’re still here. We’re still here.” said Minako while trembling.

Minato hugged her back. “Yes. Yes we are.”

After a few minutes to compose herself, the twins finally let go of their hug and stood up. After looking around, she then asked Minato. “You managed to stop the train?”

“Pure instinct. I can’t even explain what I just did.” answered Minato.

“Well, even if it was just a lucky guess, we’re still grateful.” said Yukari.

“I’m so glad you’re safe.” said Mitsuru. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more on my end. I don’t detect any more Shadows. You guys did a great job, so come on home.”

“Good idea.” groaned Junpei. “Wanna grab a bite to eat? I’m freakin’ hungry!”

“I’m in.” replied Minako, her expression was also downcast. “I could use some comfort food.”

“Urgh, you two are gonna eat in the middle of the night?” quipped Yukari.

“You’re not coming?” asked Junpei.

“Ah, who am I kidding, I could use some unraveling myself.” huffed Yukari. She then turned to Minato. “You’re coming too, right?”

“Why not?” answered Minato with a small smile.

Chapter Text

== May 10th, 2009 ==

Minato was glad that the day was Sunday. If that was the ordeal, he would need to prepare himself when the ghost decided to warn him of another one. Even with that sentiment, he couldn’t think up a way to prepare himself against something like yesterday. Perhaps the best thing to do is just to grow stronger and make sure the ensuing fights could go smoother.

All of a sudden, his morning rest was interrupted by a sudden phone call.

“Hello? This is Elizabeth. I’m calling to inform you of a change in Tartarus. I believe a path that was blocked is now open. I thought you would like to know. I wish you a safe journey.”

Elizabeth then hung up before Minato could say a word. Slightly grumbling on being suddenly called and suddenly hung up, he contemplated on teaching the Velvet Room attendant some common manners. From their ‘outing’, it was clear that the attendants were quite clueless about many things outside of the Velvet Room. He then decided against it, thinking it would most likely be far more hassle than it’s worth.

Before he could rest some more, he heard knocking on his room door. At first he felt irritated that his rest was interrupted again, but that irritation was quickly dispelled when he heard the voice coming from behind the door.

“Minato-nii? Can I come in?” said Minako.

Minato let out a big exhale before walking to the door. As he opened the door, he noticed that Minako was still frowning.

“Something wrong?” asked Minato.

“Nothing wrong.” answered Minako. “I guess… I’m still a little shaken up by yesterday. Can I come in and… you know…” 

Minako trailed off, biting her lip as she wordlessly held up her music player, dangling from her fingers. Seeing the gesture, Minato understood what she meant. He couldn’t remember when it started, but the twins had a habit of exchanging headphones when things went especially stressful. Minako would listen from his MP3 player, while he would listen from hers.

Minato would admit that he had the same thought himself. But it seemed that Minako just beat him to the punch.

“Sure. You can sit on the bed.” said Minato while letting his sister in.

After closing the door, Minato joined his sister and sat on her left. He offered his headphones, while she did the same. They put on the headphones and began going through each other's respective songs. While doing that, Minako started leaning on Minato’s shoulder. After about half an hour of listening to music, Minako paused the player and slid off the headphones.

“Already feeling better?” asked Minato.

“Yeah. How about you? You seemed calm.”

“Actually, I could use this myself. I’m feeling a lot better thanks to this.”

Minako put on a small smile. “I’m glad.” Her tone then shifted to concern. “So, about that power yesterday…”

“The double summoning? About that, I’m sure Yukari-san will ask about it soon. Can you wait until then?”

“Alright, I understand. It looked painful though.”

“It was. I guess it’s just the strain from summoning two Persona at once.”

“It sure was powerful. But I don’t like to see you in pain like that.” Minako frowned even more.

“It’s mostly just a headache. But if it's what's needed…”

“...Can you teach me how to do it then?”

“Sis…”

“I’m not letting you endure that pain by yourself. I… We always share a lot of things together. Why should I back off when there’s a problem? I won’t forgive myself if I can’t help you lighten this pain.”

Minato started rubbing the back of his neck. He knows that his sister won’t budge from this, so any further debate would just be a waste of time and energy. And it would be better for her to experiment with him backing her up.

“Alright. I don’t know if Eurydice could do it, but I suppose we could see.” Minato relented.

“Oh yeah, one of them was Orpheus, huh?” Minako frowned again.

“Like I said, we’ll see about it. Anyway, want to go out?”

When they went down to the first floor, the twins saw Junpei was sitting around the lobby, reading a comic book. Junpei then noticed them, and called out to them.

“Hey, you just about to go out?” asked Junpei.

“Yeah. Are you going to stay here?” replied Minako.

“Yep. I don’t have anythin’ planned, so I’m just gonna relax in here for a change. By the way, Mitsuru-senpai said that she wants everyone to come to the meeting room tonight.”

Minato saw his sister suddenly tensed up with that.

“Okay. Thanks for the info, Junpei.” responded Minato.

“No problem, man.” said Junpei with a grin.

“Minako, is something wrong?” asked Minato.

He could see his sister quickly tensing up when he asked that. After walking a bit of distance from the dorm, Minato figured it would be the best time to ask her about it. Minako, on the other hand, just looked away.

“Nothing’s wrong. W-What makes you think that?” said Minako, stuttering.

“Because I can see that you suddenly become uncomfortable while talking to Junpei. Did he do something?”

“No! He didn’t do anything. In fact, nothing’s wrong! I’m sure it’s just your imagination.”

“Sis, didn’t we promise that we won’t hide anything from each other anymore?”

Minako went quiet after hearing that. After a few moments, Minato spoke up again.

“You know you can talk to me, right? No matter what happens, we will always have each other’s back.”

Minako stayed quiet for a few more moments before letting out a big sigh. “Alright, fine. I guess I was feeling nervous.”

“Just from what Junpei said?”

“It’s more because of the message he gave.” Minako frowned. “Hearing that Mitsuru-senpai wanted to talk really reminded me of how I screwed up. How I just froze up when it mattered the most. If you hadn’t pulled the brake back then…”

“Sis, that’s not your fault. You can’t help feeling panicked.”

“Is it? You seemed to be doing just fine. Or at least fine enough to do what needs to be done. And… come to think of it, you were doing quite fine as well covering me in leading the team. Maybe Mitsuru-senpai wanted you to be the leader instead of me.”

“You’re underselling yourself. You were doing just fine yesterday. I only pitched in a little. Most of it was still your leadership.”

“Sure doesn’t feel that way. You know, I’m okay with you taking over. I’m sure you can do a better job than me.”

“...Let’s wait until we actually hear what Mitsuru-senpai has to say.”

Minako was already both dreading and giving up about this ever since she heard that Mitsuru-senpai wanted to talk. Even with everything Minato had said, she still couldn’t shake off the feeling. Her brother was standing beside her, looking at her with a worried expression. She just smiled back at him, signaling that she’s feeling better. Letting out a big breath, she opened the door and went inside the meeting room. Inside, she saw that everyone else had already arrived and seated.

“Good, you’ve finally arrived.” greeted Mitsuru. “Take a seat. We have a number of things to discuss today.”

The twins took their seat on the couch. Minako still couldn’t calm her nerves, but she did her best to make sure she didn’t show it.

Mitsuru continued. “First of all, I'd like to congratulate you all on a job well done. You managed to take down the Shadow with minimal damage on the monorail and its surroundings, even with such complications.”

“Oh, it was nothing, senpai.” Junpei beamed with pride.

“Um, YOU were one of the complications, remember?” snarked Yukari.

“Hey! Nobody got hurt from it, didn’t it?”

Yukari continued to stare at Junpei with an unamused look.

“Alright, geez. I’m sorry.” moaned Junpei.

“If you understand your mistake, then the next step would be to learn from it. Listening to a voice of reason is never a bad thing.” advised Mitsuru. “Next time, refrain from individual heroics and actually listen to advice.”

“Understood, senpai.” said Junpei in a dejected tone.

“Now for a piece of good news, Akihiko’s recovery is going well. He should be able to join you all within a few weeks.” explained Mitsuru in a happy tone.

“Congrats, senpai.” cheered Yukari.

“It’s nothing concrete yet.” beamed Akihiko. “The doctors said that most of the injuries have already healed. They estimate that I should be fully recovered by the time midterms are done.”

“Oh yeah, midterms are coming up soon, huh?” Yukari’s mood turned gloomy.

“I hope you haven’t neglected your studies.” advised Mitsuru. “While our activities in SEES can be quite demanding, remember that you are still students.”

“We’ll keep that in mind, Mitsuru-senpai.” replied Minato.

“Good.” Mitsuru smiled at Minato. “Now, for our final matter at hand. It’s regarding our team arrangement.”

Minako clenched her fists after hearing that.

“Huh? What about it?” asked Junpei.

“You want me to step down as leader and have my brother lead the team, right?” said Minako in a slightly sad tone. “I understand, after my latest blunder. Haha, I gave Junpei an earful for screwing up and yet I screwed up even more.”

“Sis…”

Mitsuru and Akihiko looked at each other with a confused expression. Mitsuru then turned to Minako and said, “Actually, I was about to suggest that both of you should be made co-leaders.”

Everyone else looked at Mitsuru with a mixed expression of surprise and confusion. “Wait, what? I-is that okay?” Yukari was still trying to process what Mitsuru just said.

“Normally, I wouldn’t consider it.” explained Mitsuru. “Multiple points of authority within such a small group would be inefficient at best or destructive at worst. But after seeing his performance on how he handled it, it would be a shame to let such potential squander. Furthermore, we can see that you two are actually able to coordinate and work your strategies with each other. So there should be no concern of conflicting orders. I’ve already talked to the Chairman about this.”

“But, I thought you said my power could be unstable.” inquired Minato.

“We did.” answered Akihiko. “But after seeing you explore Tartarus this past month with no problem whatsoever, we figured that you should be safe.”

“Wait, back up a sec!” exclaimed Minako. “You’re still okay with me leading the team?! I almost got everyone killed!”

“If that’s the case, the responsibility should fall more on me, for sending you in so inadequately prepared.” replied Mitsuru in a solemn tone.

“But…”

“Noone can fault you for having a trauma.” continued Mitsuru. “While what happened to you was unfortunate, no one should be giving you grief for something out of your control. Besides, now that I think about it, even if you were able to move, it doesn't mean you would be able to stop the train. It was already quite the miracle that your brother knew which lever to pull.”

“That was a lucky guess. I can’t even remember what I was thinking at the time.” supplied Minato.

Minako stayed silent, observing everyone. They’re still willing to accept her, still willing to trust her. She thought they would have cast her aside, just like many have done before.

Akihiko spoke up to her, “So yeah, don’t worry about it. You’re doing fine. No need to beat yourself up over it.”

“See, Minako. I told you it was fine.” quipped Minato.

“S-shut up.” said Minako while playfully hitting her brother, holding back a sniffle.

While the twins giggled at each other, everyone else looked at them with a smile. Minako couldn’t help but feel warm. She always wanted to be friends with them, but it looks like they were far more than she expected.

“So that happened. Looks like we’ll be working together as leaders from now on.” said Minato while holding up his hand.

“I’ll be counting on you.” replied Minako while giving her brother a high-five.

At that moment, Minako could hear a familiar ring.

Thou art I, and I am thou…

Thou hast confirmed an established bond…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana…

She was startled hearing that. Her own brother was one of the bonds she got?! She figured it made sense, but why only now? She could sense that it was stronger than the others, but it hurt a little seeing that she still has quite a bit to go on. She thought she was already as close as it could be with her own brother.

Looking at Minato directly, more confusion settled in. It seemed that her brother didn’t get the same thing. While the two of them having different bonds was not unusual, she hoped this was not indicating something else.

Minato noticed her sudden mood drop and asked, “What’s wrong now?”

“Oh, nothing major. Just felt that… everything felt surreal somehow. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” She then turned and bowed towards everyone else. “And thank you for still believing in me. I will do my best to not let you down!”

“H-Hey, no need for that. You’re already doing a great job, remember?” said Yukari.

Minako smiled towards Yukari. She’s really glad she could make friends with all of them. Suddenly, Yukari looked like she realized something and turned to Minato.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Arisato-kun, what was that thing you did yesterday? You know, the one where we see two of your Personas at once?”

“I must admit, I am curious as well.” added Mitsuru. “You two have shown me that the power of Persona is much more than initially believed. I would like to know if this comes with the ability to wield multiple Personas.”

“I will say in advance that I don’t know much about it myself.” explained MInato. “Essentially, I can summon two Persona at the same time to do some kind of unique spell. But, it’s not just any two Persona. It seems that only specific kinds can do it with each other. So far, that one I just used back at the monorail is the only one I know.”

“Wow, that sounds… uh, weird?” remarked Junpei. “But, you’re sure you can just do it? I mean, you looked in pain back then.”

“Yeah, it is more straining to do than regular Persona summoning.” replied Minato. “Probably just the strain of manifesting two at once.”

“Interesting.” murmured Akihiko. “Minako, I assume you know how to do it too?”

“Actually, I just knew about it back then too.” answered Minako. “Either I just don’t have the specific Personas, or it just doesn’t come naturally to me.”

“So the capability is not inherent to those with multiple Personas.” contemplated Mitsuru while putting her hand on her chin. She then sighed, “Looks like we still don’t know anything about our powers.”

“Yeah, and we can’t exactly help figuring it out, either.” added Akihiko.

“Well, it seems useful.” commented Yukari. “But I feel kinda bad asking him to go through the wringer for us.”

“If it helps any, I asked him if he can teach me how to do it.” interjected Minako.

“Wha-?! Minako?” exclaimed Yukari in surprise.

“It’s better to have more people who can do it, right?” answered Minako. “Besides, no way I’m gonna let him bear the burden alone if I can share it.”

Akihiko smiled upon hearing her remark. “You know, saying that just proved you are worthy of being a leader.”

“This has nothing to do with me being the leader.” Minako chuckled. “He’s my brother. I’ll do it even if I was never the leader.”

“Thanks, sis. Even if I’m still second-guessing letting you do this.” added Minato.

“Oh, shut it!” replied Minako. “I’m still going to do it. I hereby exercise my authority as leader to decide that both of us shall do it!”

“You do know I’m already made a leader alongside you, right?” snarked Minato.

Everyone in the room broke into laughter hearing the exchange. After a few moments, Mitsuru decided  to end the meeting.

Minako's Death Social Link - Rank 6

== May 11th, 2009 ==

During lunch, Minako pulled Minato to the roof for a talk while eating lunch. While that was the plan, Minako somehow couldn’t bring up the topic. The thought of it already made her stomach churn. So for a while they just ate their lunch in silence. After they finished their lunch, Minato was the one who spoke up first. “Alright, sis. What is it you want to talk about?”

Minako tensed up. “It’s… regarding our… bonds… the ones we were told to… make…”

“What about them?”

“Well… I just made a new one. During the meeting yesterday. With-with you…”

“Oh…”

“It’s on the Death Arcana. I know that the card reading doesn’t necessarily mean actual death. That’s not what I want to talk about. It’s… the strength of the bond I’m worried about.”

“Why?”

“The bond I received is not as strong as I thought it would be. While I can feel it’s stronger than any other, I can also tell it’s not as strong it could be. I thought I already knew everything about my own twin brother. But it turns out, I still have a lot to go on.”

“First of all, just because we grew up together, doesn’t mean we knew every detail about each other. There may be some things that the other neglected to mention simply because it never crossed their mind. Second, I’m guessing the strength of the bond doesn’t necessarily correlate with knowledge of the person. You can still have a close bond even if you don’t know everything.”

“That just makes it worse! Is it saying that I actually don’t care about you as much as I thought?! That’s…”

“Sis, do you actually feel that way?”

“No…”

“Then don’t let it bother you. Think about it this way, we may not be as close as we thought, but that also means we can grow even more. Trust each other even more.”

Minako let out a big sigh. “Maybe. I thought it could be like that. But then I remembered something else that’s nagging me. You… didn’t get the same bond, did you?”

It was Minato’s turn to tense up. After a few moments, Minato slowly shook his head, which made Minako’s heart sank even more.

“That’s what I was wondering. How come you didn’t get the same thing? While I know that we’re getting different bonds and friends is not unusual, shouldn't we be making this one with each other? That’s when an ugly thought came to mind. Minato-nii… you… you don’t… secretly hate me or something, right?”

Even just saying it felt bitter in her mouth. She sorely wished she didn’t need to say this. And looking at her brother, those words also hurt him, with how shocked he looked.

“I mean, why would you not have that same bond? And.. it would explain why-”

Minato quickly interrupted her tirade with a hug. “Don’t you dare think that.” said Minato. “I’ll say this now and I’ll say this as many times as I need to; I will never hate you. We may annoy each other or disagree with some things, but we… our bond will never be broken.”

Minako returned the hug, while holding back a tear. “Sorry. I guess I’m still a little shaken up from that incident.”

They then heard the bell, signaling that lunchtime was already over. They broke out of the hug, before getting up and getting ready to head to class. “Feeling better?” asked Minato.

“Slightly. Thanks, Minato-nii.”

“Anytime. C’mon, let’s get to class.”

When they finally returned to the dorm in the evening, Mitsuru asked the twins to help take a look at the equipment in the meeting room. After pondering a little, Minato decided to ask, “Why us in particular? I don’t think we know more about those things than you do, Mitsuru-senpai.”

“Honestly, I just want another opinion. I’ve already asked Akihiko and Takeba, but they are just as confused as I am.”

“Okay, then.” answered Minako. “We’ll see what we can find. But we make no promises that we will find anything.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you.” replied Mitsuru.

The twins began combing over and inspecting the machines as thoroughly as possible, or at least as much as they could. With their admittedly little knowledge regarding the machinery here, Minato was already expecting them to not find anything wrong that Mitsuru hadn’t found herself.

“Well, that’s it.” said Minako. “Everything looked okay to me.”

“Not sure what else you were expecting.” replied Minato in a flat tone. “We don’t even know the first thing about these.”

“Well, Mitsuru-senpai already asked nicely. Might as well help as much as we can, right?”

Minako then noticed a light blinking on the consoles. After fiddling a bit with the control, she spoke up, “Looks like there’s some sort of recording here.”

“What kind of recording?”

“Beats me. Want to take a look?”

“Sis, are you-”

Before Minato could finish, Minako already played back the recording. It showed… Ikutsuki, in the middle of writing a report for the operation two days ago. Which was quickly derailed with him goofing off and coming up with almost-physically-painful puns, as far as Minato was concerned.

“That was just bad.” commented Minato. “I should really hurry up and find a better joke book to give him. Do you think Bookworms would have one?”

Minako just chuckled. “I agree. Those puns just sucked.”

Hearing her laugh, Minato was already dreading what his sister was about to say. “Minako, don’t you dare…”

Minako’s grin just grew wider. “C’mon, you know he can do better. For example, ‘With a quick and decisive action, the team was on the railroad to victory!’.”

Minato quickly buried his face in his right hand.

Minako continued, “Or, or… ‘While the enemy was a gear ahead, the team was able to overtake them!’. Okay, that sounded more for a car… I’ll try to come up with a better one.”

“Mina… please, stop…”

“Oh, you’re no fun. Maybe I can talk this out with Ikutsuki-san.”

“I’m not going to let you even get within 50 meters of the guy.”

“Oh, come on. Does it really grind your gears that much?” Minako’s smirk just never disappeared.

“That recording was even more of a mistake than I thought…”

"But at least she’s happy", thought Minato.

“Okay, that’s enough then.” said Minako. “So, what now? Do we just tell Mitsuru-senpai that nothing is wrong?”

“We don’t find anything weird. Well, other than that terrible pun-filled recording. Maybe we should tell her that.”

Minako pondered for a few moments, then spoke up. “Nah, let’s keep that to ourselves. Who knows, maybe we can find more amusing stuff later.”

“Fine, but if I see Ikutsuki alone in a recording again, I'll delete it at that very second.”

“Oh, come on!”

Chapter Text

== May 23rd, 2009 ==

The exams were far more brutal than in the last school the twins were on. Minato was thankful for the week full of prep time. Almost everyone agreed to suspend Tartarus exploration until the exams were over. And it was proven to be the best decision. The exams were nothing like Minato had in his last school. Maybe that was to be expected out of Gekkoukan. After it was over, Minato could see how it affected his friends. Minako was relieved that it was over, Yukari looked like she had a few regrets, and Junpei looked like the world was about to end.

In the evening, the juniors met up with Akihiko, who was finally declared to have fully recovered.

“Congrats on your full recovery, senpai.” cheered Minako.

“About time too. I’m already out of action for a whole month, so I have a lot of catching up to do.” intoned Akihiko.

“Shouldn’t you take it easy, though? You don’t want to re-injure your arm.” cautioned Yukari.

“I’ve already wasted precious time.” rebutted Akihiko. “Besides, we found another Persona-user.”

Everyone was surprised and excited to hear that. However, Junpei ruined the good mood with his next question.

“Oh, is it a girl?” asked Junpei with a smirk on his face.

Minako and Yukari looked at Junpei with a disgusted expression. Akihiko, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to what Junpei had in mind and answered. “Actually, it is. She’s a junior who goes to our school. Fuuka Yamagishi, do you guys know her?”

“Yamagishi? Oh, that girl in 2-E.” supplied Yukari. “She gets sick a lot, from what I heard. I don’t see her at school very often.”

“She was at the same hospital as me. That’s how we found out about her.” added Akihiko. “But, maybe she’s not cut out for battle.”

“Yeah, I would feel bad for dragging a sick girl into danger.” said Minako in a sad tone.

“What?! We’re giving up on her already?!” Junpei looked surprised. “I was gonna offer her some private lessons…” 

Minako’s and Yukari’s glare returned, and this time Minato joined the two. Junpei quickly felt uneasy with three people glaring at him. “Wh-Why’re you all looking at me like that?” stuttered Junpei.

“Didn’t you hear? She may be sickly!” snapped Yukari.

“We-well, yeah. But, maybe with my-”

“No.” Minato cut him off.

“You didn’t even hear what I have to say!” wailed Junpei.

“If she wanted any guidance, she would be better off going to Mitsuru-senpai or my sister here.” explained Minato. “Besides, I think you have ulterior motives for wanting to ‘instruct’ her.”

“Oh, come on! Don’t you have that same fantasy too?”

“Not really.”

“Man, I think you’re just weird.”

“No, I think he just has proper courtesy to not be a creep.” interjected Yukari.

“Junpei, you’re never getting any girl if you keep acting like that.” added Minako.

With three people against him, Junpei just groaned in defeat.

“Alright, let’s change the subject.” said Minako. “With the exams finally over, I think we all could blow off some steam. So let’s go to Tartarus tonight.”

“Now we’re talking.” beamed Akihiko

That night’s exploration went quite well, even compared to the previous times. With the addition of Akihiko to the team and everyone fired up, every battle was over much more swiftly.

== May 28th, 2009 ==

Nighttime had arrived, and the twins were standing inside Club Escapade in Paulownia Mall. Minako had heard about someone interesting the other day, so she just had to find out.

“Alright, we’re here.” intoned Minato. “So, where is this guy?”

“That’s what we’re here to find out!” exclaimed Minako. “He shouldn’t be that hard to find. I mean, a monk in a club? That’s not something you see everyday.”

“I think I heard about him from Yuko. Didn’t expect you to actually hear about him too.”

“What, you heard of him already? Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Because I know you’ll do something like this. Well, what’s done is done. So, are we gonna actually look for him or not?”

As Minako predicted, the monk was very easy to find. He’s already of age, probably 60 or 70 years old. He was drinking alone in the upper area of the club. Heavily drinking too, judging by the heavier smell of alcohol when they came near. It seems he was smoking too, with him holding a lit cigar in his right hand. Minako sensed he could have a lot of interesting stories to tell. Unfortunately, the monk didn’t look too happy by the twins’ arrival.

“Who’re you?!” slurred the monk. “If you want to talk to someone, isn’t it proper manners to bring a drink to go with it? Kids these days, no manners whatsoever. Get out of here! I’m not talking to you.”

Minako was shocked by the sudden and very blunt rejection, even before they said anything. They slowly walked away all the way to the lower area, not wanting to anger the old monk.

“Friendly guy.” said Minato in a flat tone. “Satisfied, sis?”

“I’m not leaving here empty-handed!” shouted Minako. “C’mon, let’s go to the counter to see if we can get that drink that geezer wanted!”

“Sis, you do know we’re underage, right?”

“We won’t be ordering for ourselves, of course! We can always say that we’re taking orders for that old monk. Since that is technically the truth.”

The bartender was initially skeptical of Minako asking for alcohol, but quickly mellowed out on the condition that they took a few orders from the club-goers. The twins decided to split up, and quickly went around asking the people there what they wanted for a drink. After a round of drink orders, the bartender went about preparing a drink for the old monk. He then said he will deliver it to him, still not wanting the twins to handle alcohol.

Meeting back with the old monk, the twins received a much warmer reception. “You kids actually went and got me a drink… Very well, I’ll accompany you for the night. Sit down already, lookin’ up at ya is strainin’ my neck.”

Minato and Minako complied with the monk, and sat beside him. The monk then asked, “So why’d ya want to talk to me? Izzat how a date goes nowadays for you kids?”

Minako suddenly shivered from what the old monk implied. That was the first time anyone would think of them like that. She loved her brother, but not that way! Minako quickly tried to clear up the misunderstanding. “Actually, we’re siblings.”

“Huh, is that so?” asked the old monk. When the twin nodded, the monk continued, “You looked too different, though. Well, it’s none of my business. Why’d ya come here then?”

“We’re just curious.” answered Minato.

“Curious about a club?” said the monk as a huge grin appeared on his face. “No need to be hasty, kids. You can always visit after you reach legal age.”

The monk’s grin then disappeared. “You seem to be optimistic about the future. Well, don’t get your hopes up too high. That way you won’t be disappointed when things don’t work out. Cuz then you’ll hafta smoke and drink just to get through the day…”

The monk’s expression softened even more. “You’re nothin’ like those punks I see runnin’ around town these days. Can’t say the same for my son, though, heh… Always bein’ taken in by the police for questioning…”

Minako felt pity for the old monk. She was expecting a rant or a weird anecdote about his past, but instead what she heard made it seem that the old man was very jaded about his life. A lot of things must have happened to make him pessimistic about the future. Minako couldn’t claim that she had a perfectly happy life, but even she wasn’t this jaded.

The monk grin then suddenly returned, “I’m gonna remember your faces. And next time you come in here, I’m gonna have you both thrown out, got it?”

That was sudden. Minako was stunned speechless, and she could see that her brother was also stunned.

“Don’t you have your fill for tonight? Get out of here already, and don’t come back.”

Tower Social Link – Rank 1

== May 30th, 2009 ==

In the morning, the whole school was practically buzzing about something. Minato heard something about a girl laying on the ground by the gate. It sounded like everyone was speculating about why it happened.

“Man, can you believe these people?” snarked Junpei. “So, did you hear the details?”

Minato answered, “Something about a girl found by the gate. Not much beyond that.”

“I see.” muttered Junpei. “Supposedly, that girl went missing last night. She was found unconscious this morning, and still hasn't woken up.”

Yukari then entered the class and greeted the three.

“Oh hey, Yuka-tan.” Junpei greeted back. “This is a tough case, even for Junpei Iori, Ace Detective.”

“Ace Detective?” scoffed Yukari. “More like Stupei, Ace Defective.”

“Oh, that’s a good one, Yukari-san.” Minako giggled.

“No, it’s not!” complained Junpei. “Anyway, where’ve you been?”

“I was talking to the teacher.” answered Yukari. “That girl they found, I saw her yesterday, on my way back from practice. She seemed okay then…”

Junpei went wide-eyed from that. “Whoa… Now that’s really strange.”

Minato’s mind tried to go through all the possible scenarios. Either it was a bad case of hangover, a mugging, or even a failed attempt at kidnapping. Minato didn’t know anything about the girl, so he really shouldn’t be assuming that she was a drinker. The other options would mean there’s a criminal on the loose, so he needs to be watchful and keep his sister safe.

== June 1st, 2009 ==

In the evening, everyone at the dorm was chatting in the living room.

“Hey Yuka-tan, have you seen the posts on the student message board?” asked Junpei. “You know how last week, that girl was found by the front gate? Well, there’s this rumor that it was an angry spirit from this one ghost story.”

Yukari was startled by the mention of a ghost story. “H-hey! C’mon… Nobody believes that stuff! R-right?!”

“So, what is this ghost story about?” asked Mitsuru.

Yukari was even more surprised. “I-it’s probably made up! So… why bother?!”

Minako then started snickering. “D-don’t you start, Minako!” snapped Yukari.

“You’re really not helping your case here, you know Yukari-san?” Minako teased in-between her snickers.

“Anyway, Junpei. Just tell us what you heard.” said Akihiko while trying to hold his laughter.

Yukari groaned in defeat, before stepping back and letting Junpei do his thing. Junpei pulled a flashlight from his back. Minato was amused that he was so into it to the point of preparing a flashlight. As he set up his flashlight to shine his face from below for dramatic effect, Junpei began telling his story.

“Good evening. Welcome to ‘Junpei’s Believe It or Don’t’. There are many strange things in this world… According to one story, if you get caught at school late at night, you’ll be devoured by a maniacal ghost that roams the halls!”

“The other day, this friend of mine - let’s call him Shu. He said to me, ‘Junpei, I saw something strange’. He sounded serious, so I asked him what he’d seen. He said it was about that girl in 2-E. He claims he saw her go into the school on the night of the incident. I couldn’t believe it. She’s not the kind of girl to be out at night. But Shu was as white as a sheet. He insisted it was true!”

“Then, it hit me… That ghost must’ve tried to make her its dinner! And that’s why they found her lying on the ground by the gate! I felt a chill run down my spine, and I broke into a cold sweat… Yes, there are strange things in this world…”

“Believe it… or Don’t.”

As Junpei concluded the story by putting away the flashlight, Minato felt very awkward. The idea of it should be scary, but somehow Minato couldn’t feel scared from the story. Was it because of how Junpei told it? A few seconds of silence passed between the group, until Mitsuru spoke up.

“What do you think, Akihiko?”

“I think it’s worth investigating.” replied Akihiko.

Junpei then turned to Yukari. “Wow, I didn’t know you were afraid of ghosts, Yuka-tan. That’s kinda funny.”

Minako interjected, “I knew. It was actually funny to watch her squirm like that.”

“You think we should find some more?” Junpei joked.

Yukari glared at her two tormentors. “Are you two done?! Then you’ll be okay with some investigating, right?! We’ll each ask around for the rest of the week! I’ll prove to you that this ghost story is just an urban legend!”

“I appreciate that. The story is a bit unnerving.” supplied Mitsuru with a smile.

“Then I’ll let you guys handle it.” said Akihiko while trying to suppress his laughter. “Just make sure to sleep with one eye open…”

Yukari was surprised by her senpais’ comment, while Minako was hunched over, trying her best to contain her laughter. Minato, on the other hand, started to feel sorry for Yukari. “Let’s just try it. Maybe we can find a good explanation for everything that happened.” said Minato in a comforting tone.

“Thanks, Arisato-kun.” said Yukari in a slightly dejected tone. “Maybe I can count on you at least.”

The Dark Hour arrived, and Minato was visited by someone he hasn’t seen in a while.

“Good evening.”

Minato snapped awake from the sound and saw that the ghost boy was sitting on his bed again. After a few weeks, he almost forgot about him. Last time was when he delivered that warning about an ordeal, which turned out to be far more than he expected. Was he here to deliver another warning?

“I came to see you again, as I promised. How are you?” continued the boy.

“Fine. But you’re not here just to check up on me, are you?” said Minato as he sat up on his bed.

‘’True.” giggled the boy “I come to inform you that in one week, the moon will be full again. And the next ordeal will be upon you. So, be careful.”

It was another warning. And the full moon again? Would that be the pattern for these ordeals? Minato made a mental note to see the moon phases’ schedule later.

“I will.” answered Minato.

“I’m glad.” said the boy cheerfully as he disappeared.

== June 2nd, 2009 ==

At lunch, Minato decided to bring Minako to the roof to talk about what happened last night.

“Another warning, huh?” grimaced Minako. “After a few weeks, I was hoping that was the only one. Alright, what should we prepare this time?”

“I’m drawing a blank myself.” answered Minato. “We can’t exactly draw any pattern from just one example.”

“That last one really threw us for a loop. Persona strength won’t matter in a runaway train. I just wish we won’t get into that kind of situation again.”

“You and me both.”

“Well, getting stronger should help. If there’s any fight, we can at least make it quick. Are you up for some power training in Tartarus some time?”

“With everyone else, of course. But yeah, it would be a good idea.”

“Good. Last training with that… Fusion Spell, you called it? It was straining, but I think I’m getting the hang of it.”

“I can see that. I also found another one that time too. Haven’t tried it myself.”

“Then let’s try it later.” Minako then began pondering. “Still, what’s with all these ordeals anyway? Are they supposed to be some kind of prelude for something?”

“Like monsters coming out to greet some great master? Because ‘monsters wreaking havoc on midnight at full moon’ sounds like some kind of demonic summoning ritual after-effect to me.”

“Let’s hope not. I rather not see some kind world-ending demon at the end of all this.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have any means to find out. I doubt our ghost friend will be able to explain it to us. On a different note, Are you going to join Yukari-san’s investigation? She just stopped me this morning asking if I would actually get to it.”

“Why not? Doing a little investigation sounds fun. Besides, it doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t any ghosts. I mean, you are haunted by one after all.”

“True. If we say any of this to Yukari-san, she just might faint.”

“Also, this is a perfect opportunity for me to do my own research. Namely, various ghost stories that are spreading around school. Other than the one we already talked about, of course. I’m sure Junpei would be excited about this.” said Minako while adopting a huge grin.

“Mina…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t just tell them randomly. I’ll wait for the perfect time to do so.”

== June 5th, 2009 ==

The days passed by as usual. Minako and Junpei seemed as animated as ever, and they occasionally traded knowing grins at each other. Minato could already feel the headache coming. After school ended, Yukari addressed the group, “Well, today is Friday. Did you three ask around, like we said?”

“Yup, sure did.” said Junpei with a huge grin on his face.

“We definitely found some good stuff.” said Minako with the same grin plastered on her face.

Yukari scowled, “Why does hearing you two say yes just made me more concerned?”

“Don’t worry about it, Yukari-san.” Minako tried to calm Yukari down. “So, when are we going to talk about it?”

“Right after we get back, at the lounge.” answered Yukari.

“We’ll be there.” Junpei’s still having that huge grin.

Seeing Minako’s and Junpei’s expressions, Yukari scowled even more. “Arisato-kun, please tell me I’m not the only one noticing something weird.”

“You’re not.” replied Minato. “I have a hunch on what they’re thinking right now.”

“Minato-nii, don’t you dare say another word.” said Minako flatly.

“You two are definitely planning something.” Yukari voiced her suspicion.

“Like I said before Yukari-san, don’t worry. It’s none of your immediate concern.” assuage Minako. “We’ll still tell you what we found.”

Yukari let out a huge sigh. “Fine. I still have my suspicions, but as long as you two aren’t doing anything weird…”

The four classmates met up in the lounge, as they promised. Minako was still quite satisfied with what she could gather in the past few days. While getting some stuff that will satisfy Yukari-san, she also found some other stories that are plenty amusing as well, in which Junpei was sharing the excitement. In fact, the only ‘problem’ is that Minako couldn’t decide which one she wanted to tell first, if the opportunity arises.

Yukari started the meeting. “Okay, as we agreed on Monday, we’ll now hold a meeting to discuss what we’ve learned.”

“Wow, you’re really into this.” quipped Junpei.

“Of course! I got lots of good info.” Yukari smiled, acting smug. “It turns out no angry ghost was involved.”

“Oh, so that’s what’s important, huh?” snarked Junpei.

“C’mon Junpei, we already knew she was going to come to that conclusion.” added Minako.

Yukari scoffed, “If you already know that much, then you should know as well how this rumor spreads so much, don’t you?”

“Yeah, there were three victims. All within a few days.” answered Minako with a smirk.

“Correct. Furthermore, all of them were hospitalized, so of course it draws everyone's attention.” explained Yukari. “But, that’s not the only thing that is odd. All three victims were in different classes, and at first glance doesn’t seem to be connected. Turns out, they do have something in common. What is it?”

“They went to our school.” promptly answered Minako with a knowing smirk.

Yukari just glared at Minako for her joke, while Minako just smiled wider. She knew this was just going to set off Yukari, but she couldn’t help it! Her reaction was just too funny. Before Yukari could start yelling, Minato interjected, “They actually hung out together outside of school.”

“At least SOME of us are taking this seriously.” snapped Yukari. “But anyway, they didn’t just hang out once or twice either. So to find out what actually happened, we’ll be doing some field research.”

“Field research?! Are you kidding?” exclaimed Junpei.

“Yeah! I know this one place where all three victims were regulars.” answered Yukari.

“Wait, you’re not talking about that place behind Port Island Station, are you?” Junpei was beginning to worry.

“Oh, you’re familiar with it?” asked Yukari.

“You can’t go there! I’ve heard some nasty rumors about that place!” shouted Junpei.

“Is that so? Then we should all go together.” Yukari then turned to the twins. “You’re coming too, right?”

“Actually, let’s not be hasty here Yukari-san.” cautioned Minako. Maybe she just provoked Yukari too much. If the place was as bad as Junpei said, they could get seriously hurt. If this whole thing led to her brother getting hurt or worse, she could never forgive herself.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure Junpei is just exaggerating.” waived Yukari.

“Forget it. That place is bad news!” groaned Junpei. “I mean, don’t you think we’re getting in over our heads?!”

“Up until now, all we’ve done is take orders. Does that feel right to you?” asked Yukari.

Junpei was stunned speechless with her question. This is bad. If this continued, they would go to a very dangerous place. Placing her bet on one last hope, Minako turned to her brother. “Minato-nii, say something to her!”

Minato pondered for a few minutes. Yukari spoke up trying to persuade Minato further, “I’m sure all the bad stuff are just rumors. I mean, if it was that dangerous, wouldn’t it show up on the news?”

“Minato-nii, don’t listen to her! Those rumors must have appeared with a reason. We need to be cautious and not rush headlong into obvious danger.” argued Minako.

Minato stayed silent for a few more moments before speaking up. “Minako and Junpei are right. We shouldn’t just go there blindly. Even if it’s just rumors, I’ve seen actual punks hanging around there.”

Minako felt emboldened with her brother now agreeing with her, while Yukari visibly deflated over Minato’s argument. Minato then continued, “But I guess you’re going to go there by yourself even if we all disagree. Since I doubt we can stop you, we better make sure that at least you don’t go alone.”

Minako quickly slumped after hearing her brother's decision. There goes her last hope. Yukari, on the other hand, perked up right away. “I knew I could count on you, Arisato-kun.”

“Just make sure we’ll be careful there. If we see any sign of danger, we’ll quickly leave.” cautioned Minato.

“Deal!” beamed Yukari.

== June 6th, 2009 ==

The group decided to meet up at the dorm before going together to the location. Minako was still anxious the entire time. She still can’t believe Minato would agree to Yukari’s reckless plan. Any other time, she would’ve teased her brother about this, but she was too overwhelmed with worry.

“Alright, let’s get going.” said Yukari.

“What’s your hurry? I still think this is a bad idea.” groaned Junpei. “How could you be afraid of ghosts, but not be scared of this?”

“It’s easy to get freaked out by something you can’t see, don’tcha think?” remarked Yukari.

“Actually, I’m more worried about things I CAN see… like bats and knives!” retorted Junpei.

“Yeah, so it’s a little ‘dangerous’. We’ve already promised to be careful. What more do you want?”

“How about ‘not going there at all’? Isn’t that one of the options?”

“C’mon, don’t be such a coward. I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think.” said Yukari as she turned around and walked out of the dorm.

“I still can’t believe you agreed to this Minato-nii.” uttered Minako. “I thought you were supposed to be the calm one.”

Minato sighed, “Lesser of two evils, I guess. We can’t exactly let her run off and get hurt on her own, right?”

“Even when you said that…” groaned Minako.

The alleyway behind the station was even more unnerving than Minako expected. She could barely hear the punks’ whisper or chatter as they entered, but the tone they had didn’t convey that they were friendly, or even happy. Junpei was just as tense beside her, something she wholly understood. Just a few seconds in, two of the punks stepped in front of them. “Hey, I think you’re in the wrong place.” drawled out one of the punks.

“Oh, um… I…” stuttered Junpei.

Junpei’s stammering just sent the two punks laughing. One of them then walked toward and stared right at Junpei. “You don’t belong here, get it? Beat it, goatee!”

“Goatee? O-Oh, you mean me…” stammered Junpei.

Yukari suddenly spoke up, “We don’t need your permission to be here.”

Junpei quickly retorted in a half-whisper, “Hey, are you nuts?! Take a look around you!”

Minako tried to placate the punks, “Wh-What she meant to say was, we really just wandered here, and we wouldn’t get in your way.”

Yukari sighed in exasperation. “You two are acting pathetic right now. Don’t give these scums a reason to act mighty over you.”

Minako turned to Yukari, “Do you have a death wish or something, Yukari-san?! What happened to being careful?!”

The punk snapped at Yukari’s comment. “What was that?!”

“She just called us scum!” One of the female punks shouted.

“Let’s get ‘em! Who cares where they’re from!” One of the punk’s friends added.

“We’ll make ‘em wish they were never born!” the female punk added further.

“This is bad!” muttered Minato. “We need to– tch!”

Minako followed her brother's line of sight and saw that two of the punks just blocked the exit. So much for getting out of here, then.

“You oughta learn to shut that trap of yours!” snarled the punk as he walked up to Junpei. “Man, I feel sorry for you, Goatee. This BITCH is a pain in the ass, huh?!”

The punk then punched Junpei hard in the stomach. As Junpei reeled and kneeled to the ground in pain, the punk shifted his attention to Minato. Minako paled at the turn of events. She lightly gripped her brother’s shirt, while frantically trying to find a way out of there. The punk’s next words sent more chills down her spine.

“Hey, pretty boy! I don’t like your face either! You got anything to say before I beat it to a bloody pulp?!”

At this point, all of the punks have the four surrounded. Any options to run away had been long gone. But before anything could happen, a strangely familiar voice rang out.

“That’s enough.”

Minako turned her attention towards the source of the voice. A young man walked into the alleyway, with an irritated scowl on his face. That maroon coat, that black beanie… wasn’t that Akihiko-senpai’s friend she saw at the hospital?

“They didn’t know what they were getting into. I’ll make sure they leave.” continued Akihiko’s friend.

The punk got irritated that he was interrupted, “Who do you think you are, dumbass?! You want some too?!”

Akihiko’s friend just let out a large sigh, “Do I have a choice?”

The punk grew angrier at his casual dismissal, “That’s it! You’re going down!”

The punk ran towards the young man and threw a punch at him. The young man just stepped aside to dodge the punch, and then proceeded to headbutt the punk strong enough to send the punk sprawling on the ground. Everyone else was startled by the stunt, but the young man didn’t even look fazed.

One of the punks snarled, “Damn you, Shinjiro… That’s right, you’re from Gekko High too, aren’t ya? I thought you were one of us!”

His name is Shinjiro, huh? Would’ve been nice to know it under more pleasant circumstances.

Shinjiro snarked back, “What gave you that idea? I don’t remember swearing a blood oath.”

The punk that Shinjiro just headbutted finally picked himself up. “You son of a bitch!” shouted the punk. “You just crossed the line! You think you’re going home alive?!”

Shinjiro didn’t drop his impassive face. In fact, he just glared harder at the punk. “Sure do. Wanna give it a try?”

The punk’s bravado actually disappeared under Shinjiro’s intimidation. After a few seconds of staring contest, the two punks that were harassing the group ran away while whining, and the rest of the punks dispersed. Minako finally let go of the breath she was holding for so long as relief settled.

Junpei was the first to speak up. “Man, senpai, that was awesome!”

Shinjiro then shouted at the four, “You idiots!”

All four of them were surprised by the sudden yell. Maybe it was still premature to celebrate…

“Get outta here! This place isn’t for you.”

Shinjiro was about to walk out before Yukari stopped him. “We came here for a reason.” stated Yukari.

Shinjiro took a few seconds examining the group. He then realized who they were. “You guys… you were at the hospital…”

He then walked up to the group, “Did Aki tell you to come here?”

“Aki…? Who…?” questioned Minako.

“Akihiko-senpai?” Minato half-questioned, half-clarified.

“That’s a… funky nickname…” Minako commented.

“Yeah, him. Guess that’s my answer, huh?” remarked Shinjiro. “Anyway, what do you wanna know? About that ghost story?”

“Um, yeah… How’d you know?” asked Yukari.

Instead of answering right away, Shinjiro walked to the nearest steps and sat on it. The group followed him there, still waiting for his answer. He gave his answer after he was settled.

“It’s a rumor. Those girls who wound up in the hospital were here talkin’ shit every night, about all the things they’d done to some girl named Fuuka.”

“Fuuka? You mean Fuuka Yamagishi from 2-E? They were picking on her?” asked Junpei.

“That’s why people are saying it’s Fuuka’s spirit that did it. I hear it’s all over the net, too.” continued Shinjiro.

Yukari was surprised by the sudden leap. “Fuuka’s spirit? Wait, what do you mean by that?!”

“You guys don’t know?” Shinjiro asked back. “This Fuuka girl might be dead.”

Everyone was definitely taken by surprise by this information. Minako couldn’t wrap her head around this. One day she heard Fuuka was sickly, and now she’s dead because of bullying?!

“She hasn’t been home in over a week.” explained Shinjiro. “Don’t you guys go to school?! How do you not know this?”

The group just looked at each other among them, bewildered. Junpei then asked, still confused by the info. “Are you serious?! I thought she was out sick… but she’s actually missing?!”

“So much for the ghost story.” remarked Yukari. “Mr. Ekoda is the homeroom teacher for 2-E, right? Does he know about this?”

“Only one way to find out.” replied Minako. “This is turning out to be more than we expected.”

Shinjiro then looked like he realized something before standing up and talking to no one in particular. “I get it, Aki. Still trying to make up for the past. It’s you who can’t let go…”

What was that about? From the word Aki, it means Shinjiro-senpai was talking about Akihiko-senpai, right? What happened to him that made Shinjiro-senpai talk about it like that?

Shinjiro then snapped his attention back to the group. “That’s all I know. Satisfied?”

“Y-Yeah! Thanks, senpai!” said Junpei while bowing to Shinjiro.

Minako, Minato, and Yukari followed suit. “Thanks, you totally helped us out.” said Yukari. “You’re very kind.”

“Huh?!” Shinjiro lightly glared at Yukari, though from his tone Minako could tell that he didn’t hear what Yukari just said.

Yukari was quickly unnerved by his glare. “Oh, um, nevermind.”

“Don’t come here again.” replied Shinjiro as he walked away.

“No need to tell us twice.” said Minato as he gestured towards the exit. Everyone else agreed. With their goal achieved, they didn’t want to stay there any second longer.

Predictably, Mitsuru gave them a small lecture after they told her what happened. The few minutes Mitsuru talked them down felt like hours to Minako. After the lecture was finished, Mitsuru expressed her concern and promised to find out more from the school and staff. With the worst of it over, everyone dispersed and went about doing their own thing.

Chapter Text

== June 8th, 2009 ==

At lunchtime, everyone agreed to dig out more information about Fuuka. Their first obvious lead would be the homeroom teacher for 2-E, Mr. Ekoda. When they found him at the faculty office, they also found Mitsuru in the middle of talking with him.

“Oh, Mitsuru-senpai. You’re already here.” remarked Yukari.

“I see no reason to delay.” replied Mitsuru. She then turned to Mr. Ekoda. “Mr. Ekoda, I’m here to ask you about a student named Fuuka Yamagishi.”

A girl with long brunette hair suddenly cried out in front of Ekoda, startling the four second-years who just entered. “Noo!! I-I never thought it’d turn out like this… Fuuka…”

Yukari had a brief look of realization as she recognized the girl who just screamed. “Wait, you’re that girl…”

“You know her?” asked Minako.

“Kinda. I saw her talking to one of the girls who collapsed the other day.”

Mitsuru swiftly questioned the brunette. “What did you do to Yamagishi?”

Ekoda interjected, hoping to quell Mitsuru’s anger. “Hold on, Mitsuru. This isn’t an interrogation. Natsuki, you don’t have to say anything you don’t want to. You wouldn’t want to give her the wrong idea.”

The brunette, now named Natsuki, began speaking slowly. “Fuuka… she… She always looked so frazzled whenever I gave her a hard time… Then, I realized… She’s an honor student, but deep inside, she’s just the same as us. I knew exactly which buttons to push… We were just messin’ with her that day, too!”

“May 29th… We took Fuuka to the gym… and locked the door from the outside…”

Junpei looked incredulous at her statement. “What?! You locked her in?!”

Natsuki continued, “That night, Maki returned to school alone. She was afraid we’d get in trouble if Fuuka committed suicide. But, she never came back…! And the next morning…”

“...she was found lying on the ground by the gate.” finished Yukari.

With a nod, Natsuki continued her story. “I went to the gym to let Fuuka out, but the door was still locked… So I opened it and went inside, but she wasn’t there… We all freaked out. Starting that night, we went out looking for her.”

Natsuki’s voice then grew frantic, “But every night, another one of us went missing! And they each ended up like Maki!”

“I see…” muttered Mitsuru. She then turned to Ekoda. “By the way, Mr. Ekoda, all this time you’ve attributed Yamagishi’s absence to ‘illness’. But in reality, she was missing. You must have been aware of that… What was your intention?”

“I was thinking of the students, of course.” answered Ekoda confidently. “You children may not understand, but we have to consider the future of everyone affected.”

“You mean, you chose not to report this to the police for the ‘good of the class’.” summarized Mitsuru succinctly.

“I-it was in her best interest.” stammered Ekoda. “I wouldn’t want her records to be stained by something like this. Her parents agree!”

Minato clenched his fists upon hearing his conclusion. How could anyone ever think like that? And Fuuka’s parents also thought the same? Looking around, he could see that his friends felt the same. Minako was low-key hissing, Yukari wore a disgusted expression, and Junpei was visibly angry. As predicted, Mitsuru laid down what everyone else was thinking.

“So to protect your career, you ignored your responsibility as a teacher. How despicable!”

While her tone was calm, everyone could see the anger in her words. Ekoda was obviously unnerved and began to stutter and looked away. Mitsuru didn’t bother to talk to him anymore and turned her attention to Natsuki. “About your friends, did you notice anything unusual before the incidents? Anything at all?”

Natsuki spent a few seconds trying to remember before realizing something, “They all heard a voice… a creepy voice… Right before each of them went missing. They said it was calling their name.”

“Oh man…” Junpei shuddered.

“Senpai, could it be…” inquired Yukari.

“It’s the most likely scenario.” answered Mitsuru. “We’ll talk about this more after school in the Student Council room.”

She then turned her attention back to Natsuki. “Stay at our dorm tonight; it’s the safest place. If you hear the voice, tell us immediately. And don’t leave the room, no matter what.”

Natsuki just wordlessly nodded at every one of Mitsuru’s suggestions.

Mitsuru continued, “If you can do that much, you should be fine. Don’t worry, Yamagishi should be alright as well.”

After school, all of SEES met inside the Student Council room. Yukari locked the door to prevent anyone else from walking in, and the meeting began.

“We will now discuss tonight’s operation.” stated Mitsuru.

“Wait, tonight?” asked Junpei, wide-eyed in surprise.

“Yes. Our objective tonight will be to rescue Fuuka Yamagishi.”

“So, you think Fuuka is still in the school somewhere?!”

“But why at night? Doesn’t the school turn into…” Yukari’s voice trailed off as she realized what happened.

“I see you’ve come to the same realization.” replied Mitsuru. “Yes, that is exactly how Yamagishi wandered into Tartarus.”

“So she’s been stuck there ever since she was locked up?!” Minako gasped with her hand in front of her mouth.

“But that was ten days ago!” exclaimed Junpei. “That must mean…”

Minako could feel everyone’s mood deflated afterwards. She couldn’t blame them. It looked like they were too late to realize what happened, too late to save a young girl’s life.

Akihiko spoke up. “Not necessarily, we can’t jump to conclusions. Tartarus only appears during the Dark Hour, so what about the rest of the day?”

Everyone perked up a little as they thought about Akihiko’s words. “Now that you mention it…” uttered Yukari.

“This is only a theory, but I think time may function differently with respect to Tartarus.” argued Akihiko. “So, even though it’s been ten days for us, perhaps only ten hours have passed for her. It’s possible she’s still alive.”

“Wow, ya think so?!” Junpei was noticeably more hopeful at the prospect. “But the Dark Hour is pretty brutal. We can barely handle an hour. How’s she gonna last ten?”

“That’s true…” said Yukari, sounding grim. “And even if she’s still alive, we might not be able to get to her…”

“Are you just gonna let her die, then?!” snapped Akihiko, startling the second-years.

“Wait, that’s not what we meant!” responded Minako. “We do want to rescue her.”

“Um, didn’t we just explore Tartarus last week?” interjected Junpei. “How come we didn’t see her then?”

“That could mean Fuuka is in an area we haven’t explored.” pondered Akihiko. “Then how about this; we’ll try to enter Tartarus exactly how Fuuka did. We’ll go to the gym, and wait for midnight. That’s the quickest way.”

“Won’t that be dangerous?” said Minako warily.

“Honestly, I have reservations.” replied Mitsuru. “If something goes wrong, you could all end up lost in Tartarus too. But…”

Mitsuru seemed hesitant to voice further opinions. Minako wondered if she was still weighing the risk of such an attempt. Minako could understand. Personally, she really wanted to help Fuuka. But Mitsuru was right, there was always that risk since they didn’t know which part of the school correlated with which part of Tartarus, if they even stayed connected to the same parts. Even so, the desire to help still outweigh any fear she has.

“I won’t stand by and do nothing if there’s a chance we can save her!” piped up Akihiko. “I’d never forgive myself… If you guys don’t want to go, then I’ll go by myself. I’ll scour the entire tower by myself if I have to.”

And looks like she now has the perfect excuse. Looks like Akihiko-senpai just said everything she wanted to say. Looking at Akihiko with a smile, she now had a newfound respect for the senior.

“I’m with Akihiko-senpai.” stated Minako. “By going in, we may risk ourselves. But that is still preferable to the guarantee of letting Fuuka-san die.”

Minato also gave his reasoning. “Besides, even if we end up in some unknown part of Tartarus, we can still fight back with our Personas. At least enough to push through and find the way out.”

Akihiko smiled towards the twins. “Glad to hear you two agreed with me.”

Mitsuru herself seemed satisfied as well. “Alright, alright. You made your intention known.”

“You guys are the most reckless idiots I could ask for.” giggled Yukari.

“So does this mean we get to sneak inside the school?” asked Junpei. “In that case, I know just what to do!”

Nighttime arrived, and SEES convened in the meeting room to prepare for the rescue mission. Mitsuru was repeatedly calling someone, but each failed call made her grow irritated. “No good. I can’t get a hold of the Chairman.” said Mitsuru as she hung up the phone on the meeting room console.

“I guess we can handle it ourselves.” said Yukari.

“There’s just one problem, though.” stated Mitsuru. “Without the Chairman’s help, I’m not sure how we can get inside the school.”

“No need to worry, I’ve got it all set to go.” said Junpei with a proud grin on his face.

“Set to go? An explosive?” Mitsuru looked at Junpei quizzically.

The four second-years were surprised at Mitsuru’s question, and quickly looked at Junpei with a mixture of horror and disbelief. “I hope you’re not actually doing something that disruptive.” stated Mitsuru.

“O-Of course not!” stammered Junpei. “It’s nothing as big as that!”

When they arrived at the school, Junpei led them over to the one of the backdoor of the school. With a simple twist of the knob, he showed that the door was not locked and went inside, with everyone else following. Minako inwardly relieved that Junpei didn’t actually set up an explosive.

“See?! All I did was unlock a door.” stated Junpei nervously

“So you simply unlocked it earlier? Tres bien!” Mitsuru smiled in pride.

“I’m so glad you didn’t actually blow up the school. I was worried you’re actually going Stupei for once.” snarked Minako.

“Of course not! Where would I get an explosive anyway?!” shouted Junpei.

“Keep it down!” admonished Akihiko. “We should get going.”

“Before that,” Yukari interjected. “Can we turn on the lights?”

“Aww, are you scared?” teased Junpei.

“Shut up!” snipped Yukari. “Stupei…”

“And stop calling me that already!” shouted Junpei.

“Didn’t I tell you to keep it down?!” Akihiko half-whispered. “And it’s better if we leave the lights off. They cut the power at night, anyway.”

Yukari looked downcast at Akihiko’s words. Minako would love to tease Yukari more about this, but they have something else to do.

“Alright, first we need to find the key to the gym. We should split up to search in the janitors’ room and the faculty office.” directed Mitsuru.

“The faculty office, huh?” Junpei started to have a weird glint in his eyes. Minako could tell he was thinking something bad. “Maybe we can find some test answers.”

Akihiko suddenly grew interested and glanced at Junpei. “Maybe I should get to the faculty office, too. It sounds interesting.”

Junpei and Akihiko looked at each other with small mischievous grins. Most likely knowing what they had in mind, Mitsuru just smiled icily.

“Are you two planning anything unscrupulous under my supervision?” Mitsuru inquired. “If so, then expect to be severely punished.”

Both of them quickly grew scared, with Junpei stuttering his words. “I-it was a joke! I-I would never do something like that!”

“Come on, Mitsuru. Lighten up a little.” said Akihiko with a downcast expression.

Mitsuru continued to lightly glare at them. Minako, on the other hand, could only shake her head. This is why you don’t announce your plan in front of anyone, she thought. They could learn more about the art of subtlety.

Mitsuru then let out a small sigh, “Fine. Let’s start our search. Iori, you’re coming with me to the second floor janitor’s room. Arisato, you and Akihiko search the first floor janitor’s room.”

“Uh, both of us?” Minato interjected.

Mitsuru was shocked by Minato’s question. “Oh, right…”

Mitsuru took a few seconds to compose herself. She then addressed Minako. “Minako…-san, you take Akihiko to the first floor janitor’s room. Minato-san and Takeba will look through the faculty office. After that, we’ll meet back at the main hallway.”

And… Mitsuru assigned her to the janitor’s room. Did Mitsuru notice what she planned? Nah, she’s not a mind reader.

“Wow, that’s gotta be the fastest Mitsuru called people by their first name.” snickered Akihiko.

“Not now, Akihiko.” sighed Mitsuru. “Let’s get the search underway.”

The group had split up in their search. Minako and Akihiko went to the janitor room that was nearby; Mitsuru and Junpei went up the stairs. Left alone, Minato and Yukari made their way across the hall towards the faculty office.

When they walked along the main hall, Yukari suddenly stopped. “Wait. Do you hear that?” she asked.

Minato tried to focus on his hearing. Sure enough, he was hearing footsteps that were getting louder in each second. Yukari stepped closer to him to the point of almost hugging him. “There’s someone else here?!” whispered Yukari.

Minato suddenly felt his heart beating faster in his chest. Why is this happening? Is it because he was suddenly in close proximity with Yukari? Yeah, that must be it. Being in close proximity with a cute girl would send most people’s heart racing. But now’s not the time for weird thoughts. Pulling Yukari behind one of the pillars, he waited as the footsteps grew closer and closer. A few seconds later a beam of light shone through the darkened hallway. Minato’s heartbeat went even faster. After the lightbeam went around the hall, it went away and the footsteps grew distant.

Minato and Yukari sighed in relief as they went out of their hiding place. “It was just a security guard.” muttered Yukari.

It was then that Yukari’s cell phone rang, surprising her. She promptly skidded back to Minato, making his heartbeat soar again. Did he really get that nervous being physically close to Yukari? He supposed that most people would, seeing how popular she was. That must be it, yeah.

Yukari quickly pulled up her phone and saw what rang her phone’s notification. “Figures. It’s spam.” groaned Yukari.

Yukari then noticed her close proximity to Minato and hastily pulled back, lightly blushing at what happened. Minato’s thoughts were in disarray. He’s starting to see more of Yukari beyond the ‘popular, pretty girl in class’. But he doesn’t think of her that way, does he? Shaking the thoughts away, he asked, “Shouldn’t we get to the faculty office?”

“O-oh yeah! Let’s go.” answered Yukari.

Searching through the keys was harder, or at least longer, than Minato expected. The large number of keys, combined with the fact that they didn’t have any light made it hard to determine which key they needed. Yukari even needed to ask every now and then if she found the right key. Minato felt he needed to break the monotony somehow. So, when Yukari asked again which key she was holding, Minato answered, “Morgue.”

“Urgh, of all the things you had to have in common with your sister.” groaned Yukari.

“Sorry.”

Yukari groaned a bit more as she looked at the keys herself. Her expression then lit up as she realized what key she was holding. “Oh, this is it! Let’s get back to the others.”

The group met up in the main hallway, as planned. After Yukari handed the key over to Mitsuru, Junpei decided to tease Yukari more. “Ya know, I heard a scream that sounded kinda familiar…”

Instead of snapping back as usual, Yukari actually looked away embarrassed. Seeing that, Junpei was slightly surprised. “What, you actually did? I was just kidding.”

It was then she snapped back. “You want to make something of it?!”

“Jeez… at this rate, we’ll be found out.” remarked Akihiko.

“Then we should make haste.” concluded Mitsuru. “We’ll divide into teams again. Three of you will enter Tartarus, while another two will remain outside with me. Once the Dark Hour has begun, I’ll determine Yamagishi’s position.”

“I’ll go.” Akihiko promptly took the first spot. “Minato, you can lead the team. Let’s see if you can do it on your own.”

Minato nodded at Akihiko. On the other hand, Minako was surprised at the sudden arrangement. “Wait, it’s already decided that I’m staying behind?! That’s…”

“What? Are you too nervous about being separated from your brother?” asked Akihiko.

“Kinda.” Minako fidgeted. She occasionally glanced at Minato. “Shouldn’t this kind of thing be done on a normal exploration?”

“Don’t worry.” assuage Akihiko. “This should be just a simple rescue operation. We’ll get in and get out quickly.”

“...Fine.”

“Okay, then I’ll be the third–” Yukari piped in.

“Wait a second!” interjected Junpei. “Remember how I accidentally screwed up on the monorail? Gimme a chance to make up for that!”

“Oh, come on! It’s not always about you!” scoffed Yukari. “Besides, you didn’t ‘accidentally’ screw up.”

Akihiko decided to throw Junpei a bone. “Alright, Junpei, we’ll give you another shot.”

Junpei beamed at the opportunity. “Sweet! Thanks!”

Yukari scowled upon hearing that. Minako put her hand on Yukari’s shoulder with a look of somber solidarity.

The Dark Hour arrived, and the school transformed into Tartarus as usual. With the tower finally settled, Minako, Yukari, and Mitsuru walked into the entrance and set up the communications equipment on Mitsuru’s motorcycle.

Mitsuru tried to contact the rescue team, only to not be able to reach them. “Nothing. Even with the transceiver sensitivity set to high, I still can’t reach them.” lamented Mitsuru.

“That’s… not good…” Minako’s expression fell.

Yukari tried to calm her friend, “I-I’m sure they’re fine. We’ve been doing this for a while, and we know the boys are quite capable. You don’t need to worry about them.”

“But…” Minako’s mind was a mess. Maybe Akihiko-senpai’s words were more accurate than anyone expected. Normally, when things go wrong for one of them, the other would quickly step in. Having Minato wandering alone up there, while she was forced to stay behind made her think of various worst-case scenarios.

Minako quickly slapped both of her cheeks, trying to shake off the thoughts and images that would undoubtedly make her sick. “You’re right. They’re capable. I need to believe in them more.”

“Right? How about we talk about something else while we wait for them?” suggested Yukari.

“Such as?”

“Hm… How was your day at school?” Yukari’s voice became shaky.

“Really, Yukari-san?” Minako’s face went as flat as she could muster.

“Hey, I can’t think of anything else right now! I’m still trying to come up with something.”

“Well, it helped lighten the mood at least.”

“Thanks, I guess? Oh yeah, what about that girl? Natsuki, was it? She was staying at our dorm, right? I hope she’s okay.”

“Well, the dorm should be safe. I think she should be fine.”

“Actually, no place is completely safe during the Dark Hour.” interjected Mitsuru. “But, we couldn’t possibly bring her here, and one of us staying behind was out of the question.”

“I-I see.” responded Minako.

A static-filled sound suddenly came out from Mitsuru’s equipment. “Mitsuru, can you hear me?” the voice sounded like Akihiko-senpai’s voice.

“This is Mitsuru.” replied Mitsuru. “I’ve confirmed your position. You’re higher up than I expected, you’re barely in communication range. Is everyone alright?”

“...don’t know… got separ…” Akihiko’s voice was breaking off.

“Akihiko. Come in, Akihiko.”

“That sounds really concerning.” said Minako. “How long do you think we could reach them if we went in right now?”

Mitsuru shook her head. “If they’re outside of Penthesilea’s range, then they are most likely far beyond the barricade that is still blocking us. I highly doubt we will be able to reach them with our usual method.”

“But they’re still able to come back right?!” Minako’s panic grew again. “That barricade won’t keep them there or something, right?!”

Mitsuru stayed silent, opting to continue trying to contact the other team. Yukari was the one who spoke up, trying to ease her best friend’s anxiety. “I-I’m sure they’ll come back. It’s not like the teleporters required us to activate it before we…”

“You’re not doing a good job convincing me here, Yukari-san!”

“We-well the exits were different things, right?” Minako could see that Yukari was starting to worry herself. “I’m sure they’ll be able to get out.”

Minako could not ease the worry that just felt growing worse each second. She really wanted to just get in there and find them herself, but she knew that she couldn't, which just made the feeling even worse. Mitsuru continued with her attempt to contact, occasionally reaching them but most of the time the communication was too broken to make out anything.

Minako’s worry was interrupted shortly afterwards when they heard heavy footsteps coming from the front gate. The girls turned their attention towards the source of the sound, and saw two massive Shadows walking from the front door. One looked like some kind of European king, with a very large upper body and carrying an equally large sword in its right hand. The other looked like an overweight queen, with its round body while carrying a scepter on its right hand.

The Shadows looked at the group for a few seconds, before the king-looking Shadow raised its sword. As the Shadow swung the sword towards the girls, Minako quickly intercepted it.

“Zouchouten!”

The Persona stopped the sword mid-swing. Yukari promptly drew her bow and shot an arrow towards the king Shadow, but the arrow just bounced off its body without doing anything.

“It’s resistant to Pierce damage, is that it?!” Yukari spat out.

The queen Shadow waved its scepter, and two bolts of electricity jumped out from it and struck Minako and Yukari. Minako staggered a bit, while Yukari lost her balance and fell to the floor.

Mitsuru was wide-eyed as she stared at the Shadows. Her next words explained why to Minako. “These readings… they’re almost similar to the one on the monorail!”

Minako quickly realized what it meant and felt her stomach twist. She had completely forgotten about the supposed ‘ordeal’ and was caught off guard. Now the team was split up and she had to face two of them.

Minako had Zouchouten push back the king’s sword and strike back against it. The attack connected, but the king remained unfazed.

“Strike attacks are also not working!” Minako spat out.

The king shadow swung its sword against Minako, forcing her to jump back. Yukari picked herself up, while Mitsuru promptly drew her Evoker. “Then try this! Penthesilea!”

Ice shards emerged from Mitsuru’s Persona, flying towards the king, but it too just bounced off harmlessly.

“Ice attacks are not working either?” growled Mitsuru.

“Mitsuru-senpai, can you scan for their weaknesses?!” pleaded Minako.

The queen waved its scepter, and several gusts of winds struck the girls. “That’s a little hard to do when they’re right in front of me!” responded Mitsuru.

“Then we’ll just have to try everything we have!” shouted Yukari as she aimed her bow towards the queen.

The arrow didn’t even hurt the queen. “Guess my bow is no good for now.” said Yukari as she drew her Evoker.

Just then, some static-filled sound came out of the equipment. “Mit… Are…”

Mitsuru quickly tried to respond. “Akihiko, can you hear me?! There are Shadows at the entrance!”

Yukari summoned Io to cast some wind spells against the queen, but it too just shrugged it off.

More static came out of the equipment. Mitsuru tried to call out to Akihiko once more. “The Shadows seemed to be another big one. Be careful when you get back here!”

Minako summoned Pyro Jack and threw a fireball towards the queen. The attack staggered the queen and made it fall on its back. “That worked!” exclaimed Minako in joy.

The king glanced at the fallen queen. Yukari then summoned Io and cast more wind spells against the king. The attack knocked the king down.

“Here’s our chance!” shouted Yukari.

The girls proceeded to throw everything they could against the two shadows. The barrage couldn’t last long, as the king Shadow swung its sword around wildly, forcing them to fall back.

The two Shadows picked themselves up. As they did, several lights of varying colors danced around the Shadows.

“What was that?!” Yukari sound alarmed.

“I don’t know, but I’m not letting them do it!” shouted Minako “Pyro Jack!”

Another fireball flew towards the queen. But this time the attack didn’t do anything.

“What the…?! It worked before!” shouted Minako, annoyed.

“Its resistances changed somehow?” muses Mitsuru.

The king made another swipe at the girls. As the girls dodged the swing, it hit the equipment and wrecked it, causing Mitsuru to wince.

“What a pain!” yelled Minako. “Then let’s try this one! Pyro Jack! Jack Frost!”

As Minako performed the Fusion Spell, she could feel the strain coming from it. Even if she had tried it before, she still couldn’t get used to the pain. After the spell was cast, both of the Shadows still remained standing. Of course it won’t be that easy.

The queen unleashed more electric bolts towards the group. Minako was able to dodge it, Mitsuru staggered a bit as she got hit, and Yukari fell to her knees as the electricity weakened her. The king followed soon, with it swinging its sword downward against Mitsuru, forcing her to buckle down from the impact.

Minako tried to slash away at the king, but her naginata didn’t make any scratch on it. She reached to her Evoker, only for the king to grab her by the waist and bring her closer to its face. With her Evoker buried underneath the Shadow’s hand, Minako resorted to stabbing its arm repeatedly, even if she knew it wouldn’t work.

It was then the rescue team appeared out of the teleporter. The boys arrived with a short, teal-haired girl alongside them, most likely Fuuka Yamagishi. As soon as she saw what happened, her eyes went wide in surprise. “What in the world…?!”

“There’s two of ‘em?!” exclaimed Akihiko.

“MINAKO!” shouted Minato, voice full of anger. “Rakshasa!”

Minato’s Persona wasted no time slashing against the king’s arm, but to no effect. “Sorry, Minato-nii.” Minako winced. “Looks like you caught us at a bad time.”

“Yeah, it’s like nothing made sense about them.” added Yukari.

Then more surprises arrived. Everyone heard footsteps coming from the entrance. Minako braced herself to see more Shadows pouring in. But what she saw made her even more scared; Natsuki Moriyama just walked into Tartarus.

“Hey, isn’t that…?!” sputtered Junpei.

“Why the hell is she here?!” Akihiko was just as surprised.

“Moriyama-san?!” Fuuka quickly ran up to Natsuki.

“Wait! What are you doing?!” shouted Akihiko.

“Please, get out of here! It’s dangerous!” Fuuka pleaded to Natsuki.

“Fuuka…? I… I wanted to tell you… I’m sorry…” muttered Natsuki.

Minako struggled and wriggled to break free from the king Shadow’s grip. "This is not the time for a heart-to-heart!" Minato’s Rakshasa was just wildly swinging at the king. Not good, it seemed her brother was too blinded.

When the two Shadows turned their attention to Fuuka and Natsuki, Minako almost felt her blood run cold. Even more, in the face of that, Fuuka drew an Evoker. "Where did she get that?!"

“Wait, that’s not a weapon!” Akihiko warned Fuuka.

What happened next surprised everyone in SEES. Fuuka’s voice suddenly rang out inside everyone’s head. “I know.”

The queen lunged forward as Fuuka aimed the Evoker at her right temple. A loud bang, and Fuuka’s Persona materialized as the queen was about to hit them. The queen recoiled from the impact, stumbling unto the king. Minako was released from the king’s grip, and her brother caught her in a hug as she fell.

Fuuka’s Persona was definitely unique. Some kind of glass dome covered her and Natsuki, with a woman’s upper body wearing a pink dress placed on top of the dome, as if the dome was a skirt. The woman wore bandages over her eyes, as if she was blind.

“Yamagishi… Are you…” muttered Mitsuru.

Fuuka’s voice rang out inside their head again. “I can see. I can sense these monsters’ weaknesses somehow…”

“Just as I thought…” said Akihiko with a grin. “Mitsuru, let her take your place.”

Mitsuru caught onto what Akihiko implied as she nodded. “Very well. Yamagishi, can you assist the others?”

“I’ll do my best!”

“Minako, go heal Yukari-san and Mitsuru-senpai.” suggested Minato.

“Yeah, we’ll take care of this.” stated Akihiko.

As the boys walked into position, the two Shadows finally picked themselves up after being tangled. Fuuka promptly relayed what she had sensed. “The Empress is weak to all kinds of physical attacks, while the Emperor is weak to all elemental attacks.”

“This should be easy, then.” said Junpei with a smirk.

Junpei summoned Hermes to charge towards the Empress, while Akihiko summoned Polydeuces to throw electricity at the Emperor. As both Shadows went down, all three wasted no time going on the offensive. The Emperor swung wildly again, and another colorful light danced around.

“Be careful!” cautioned Mitsuru. “It seems that the Shadows can change their affinities at random!”

“Yes! The Empress is now weak to slash, fire, and ice; while the Emperor is weak to pierce, electricity, and wind!” supplied Fuuka.

“Akihiko-senpai, go for the Emperor!” barked Minato. “Yomotsu-Shikome!”
“Polydeuces!”

A streak of ice and electricity, and the Shadows were knocked down again. Another round of barrage, and the Empress made a large fire explosion to force the boys to jump back. Another round of dancing lights as the Shadows picked themselves up, but this time their movement got sluggish.

“Their weaknesses are getting fewer? The Empress is now weak to slash and electricity, the Emperor is weak to pierce and fire!” 

“Junpei, target the Empress!” ordered Minato

“Got it!”

“Berith!”
“Hermes!”

The next barrage proved to be the last, as the Shadows dispersed under the three’s assaults. They relaxed their stances, and Fuuka’s Persona disappeared. “That seems… to be the last of them…” stated Fuuka.

“Yeah… Thanks to you…” said Minako softly.

“Fuuka… You…” muttered Natsuki.

“Moriyama-san, are you alright?” asked Fuuka.

Natsuki nodded, and Fuuka breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness…”

Just as she said that, Fuuka started to collapse and fall unconscious, causing Natsuki to panic. Natsuki began to cry uncontrollably. As Natsuki continued to cry, Akihiko remembered something. “Speaking off, where did these two Shadows come from?”

“From somewhere outside of Tartarus, just like before.” answered Mitsuru.

“I see…” Akihiko looked like he was pondering something.

Yukari then piped up, “Um, what are we gonna do about Natsuki? She saw the Dark Hour, and the Shadows…”

“Don’t worry, she’s not like us, so she won’t remember any of it.” responded Akihiko. “The good news is, she didn’t fall victim to the Shadows, even though she obviously heard their call. She should be safe from now on.”

“But, that means she’ll forget Fuuka saved her life, right?” Yukari’s expression turned regretful. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

“Actually, I don’t think it’ll matter.” said Mitsuru as she gestured toward Natsuki crying in front of Fuuka. “I think she’s learned her lesson.”

Minako looked at Natsuki sobbing, while repeatedly saying sorry to the unconscious Fuuka. The sight made her feel a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. They managed to save Fuuka, and it looks like the bullying to Fuuka will lessen from now on. She could consider this a job well done.

Chapter Text

== June 9th, 2009 ==

After the rescue operation, Fuuka was sent to the hospital to recover. With Mitsuru and Akihiko checking up on Fuuka, the group was left with nothing to do in the night. So, that night, Minako and Yukari decided to have a little get-together in Yukari’s room.

“Urgh, last night was a total pain.” groaned Yukari. “Who would’ve thought we still needed to fight even when we stayed behind?”

Minako groaned in agreement. “I know. Those two Shadows really caught us by surprise.”

“Not to mention their ability to change their weaknesses so suddenly. That’s the first time we’ve seen something like that.”

“Let’s hope they’re the only ones who could do something like that. That fight was just frustrating.”

“Tell me about it. That was also the first time we saw a Shadow with that much resistance.”

“I have a lot more respect for what Mitsuru-senpai has been doing. I mean, I know the info she gave us has been very useful… But man, that fight just gave me a whole new perspective.”

“Yet she decided to join the fight instead of providing us support like usual.” said Yukari with a slight venom. 

“Hey, she can’t help it. There were only two of us, and with how the fight was going, she was going to be dragged into it anyway.”

Yukari went silent at Minako’s assessment. Minako could tell from quite some time that Yukari didn’t seem to like the Kirijo heiress. She still couldn’t understand why, but maybe she could ask her about it now.

“Yukari-san, did Mitsuru-senpai do something wrong to you or something?” inquired Minako.

Yukari was surprised by Minako's sudden question. “No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just… How should I put this…”

Minako waited a bit for Yukari to continue. After a few moments, Yukari spoke up, “I guess… I just don’t like how she acted all cold and superior. Maybe that’s it.’’

Minako felt that’s not the reason. But before she could ask further, Yukari interrupted her. “Sorry, I don’t wanna talk about her anymore. Can we talk about something else?”

Minako was about to press further, but decided against it. “Okay then. What about your injury? We were getting thrown around that time.”

“Me?! What about you?! Not only were you taking some of their hits, but you were the one who got caught by them! You didn’t get anything crushed by that, did you?”

“No no, I’m fine. Their grip wasn’t that strong, just enough to grab onto me. Though it did also make me unable to grab my Evoker, so it was a little nerve-wracking.”

Yukari just looked at Minako with a sad expression. Panicking a little, Minako tried to cheer her up more. “Hey, we already healed most of the injury that night, right? I’ve already seen it this morning and I can’t see any bruises.”

Minako lifted up her shirt and showed her stomach to prove her point. Yukari let out a big sigh. “Alright, fine. Guess that fight really hurt our pride, huh?”

“Maybe. But we did see the boys being really cool because of it. They didn’t give the Shadows a chance to move.”

“I guess so. They were pretty awesome that time.”

“Anybody stood out in your eye?” asked Minako with a smirk.

“Huh? What do you mean by that?” Yukari was confused by Minako’s tone.

“I was just asking if you were eyeing anybody in particular. You know… seeing how awesome they were…”

Yukari was unamused by Minako’s antics. “Very funny. You know I don’t see any of them that way.”

“Sorry, sorry. It’s just… I can’t resist teasing you, Yukari-chan.”

Realizing what she just said, Minako quickly placed her hands over her mouth. Similarly, Yukari was shocked by what Minako just said. Minako internally panicked. Did she go too far?

“I-I’m sorry. T-that just slipped out… and–” stuttered Minako.

“No no, it’s okay. You can call me that.” responded Yukari.

“Huh? Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” beamed Yukari. “Well, I could live without the teasing, but you can call me Yukari-chan. I always felt like you were too stiff with me so far.”

“Okay, if you say so. Yukari-chan.”

“Right back at you. Minako.”

== June 11th, 2009 ==

After two days, Fuuka finally recovered enough to be released from the hospital. In the evening, they convened in the meeting room to talk to Fuuka about everything that happened.

“You’re Fuuka Yamagishi, right?” The chairman started.

“Y-Yes!” Fuuka hastily replied.

“Relax. There’s no need to be nervous.” said Ikutsuki with a smile.

As Fuuka shyly nodded, Ikutsuki continued. “Everyone, you did an excellent job uncovering the truth. I also wanted to let you know, the three girls have all regained consciousness.”

“What a relief.” remarked Fuuka.

Ikutsuki continued his explanation. “From what I understand, they each came to school around midnight and waited for the security guard to leave. They were attacked by the Shadows near the gate, as the Dark Hour began. However, the facts became twisted because of rumors concerning a ghost story.”

“I knew right from the beginning that it wasn’t a ghost.” piped up Yukari.

“Doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t any.” smirked Minako.

“Don’t you start, Minako!” snapped Yukari

Minako just continued smirking even as Yukari glared at her. Most of SEES just watched exasperatedly as the weirdest staring contest was happening, except Junpei who was grinning. However, Fuuka then said something that quickly broke the mood.

“It’s all my fault…”

Yukari was surprised by Fuuka’s sudden sour mood. “Are you kidding?! You were the victim!”

“But I made so many people worry…” muttered Fuuka.

“Hey, you can’t help it. Everything that happened was out of your control.” assured Minako.

“That may be true…” Fuuka still sounds unconvinced.

“We could have lost that fight if you weren’t there.” interjected Mitsuru. “You saved our lives. You should feel good about yourself. You have a special power that you can use to help others.”

“A special power…?” muttered Fuuka.

Mitsuru explained, “We call it Persona. You could be a tremendous help to us. Will you lend us your strength?”

“Are you asking me to join you?” asked Fuuka. “Mitsuru-senpai…”

“You know, we’re not trying to pressure you.” added Yukari. “So, if you need some time to think about it…”

Fuuka quickly shook her head. “I’ll do it. I’ll help you!”

Everyone was slightly surprised by Fuuka’s decision. Yukari was the one who voiced her surprise. “Are you sure?! If you join, you have to live here.”

“That’s fine. I’d rather live here than at home anyway…” admitted Fuuka.

“What? Why would–” started Minako.

Fuuka just shook her head again at Minako’s direction. “Alright, it’s your decision.” said Minako with a frown.

“We really appreciate this.” stated Mitsuru. “We’ll have the school talk to your parents, to resolve any issues.”

“Thank you.” said Fuuka.

“I still feel you’re moving too fast, Fuuka-san.” uttered Yukari. “But, as Minako said, this is your decision…”

“I appreciate that.” said Fuuka with a smile.

“Very good. Now, regarding another matter at hand.” Ikutsuki moved the discussion. “More of those special Shadows showed up again. We still don’t know where they’re coming from. But, Akihiko is right about one thing. Their appearances seem to coincide with the full moon. We’ll take that into consideration from now on.”

“So they’re kinda like werewolves then, huh?” said Junpei, grinning all the while.

“Oh, you thought the same?” Minako mirrored Junpei’s grin.

“Don’t encourage him.” groaned Yukari.

“Nevertheless, it’s a big advantage for us to know when to expect them.” added Akihiko. “Now, on the day of the fight, we’ll be ready to get in the ring.”

Everyone else nodded at Akihiko’s words. Minato was already connecting this new information with what the ghost boy had warned him about. It seemed that these ‘ordeals’ had something to do with those unique Shadows. But it didn’t explain why or how the ghost knew about it to begin with. Either way, it seemed he needed to pay attention to the moon phases from then on.

== June 12th, 2009 ==

The day went along normally, with the twins deciding to hang out with Bebe after school. But at midnight, Minato received another visit from someone he didn’t expect to meet so soon.

“You’ve prevailed yet again.”

Minato quickly recognized that voice. His mind tried to come up with a reason for the ghost's early visit. The full moon wouldn’t come for some time, so he didn’t expect to face another ‘ordeal’ so soon, but he couldn’t think of any other reason the ghost would be visiting him. 

The ghost continued, “But it’s funny. It doesn’t seem so certain, considering the vast potential within you. As a matter of fact, your power seems to change quite a bit.”

Minato decided to take the plunge and asked the first question he had in his mind. “Why are you here?”

“What do you mean? I’m always with you, remember?” replied the ghost.

“That’s not–”

“Hey, if you don’t mind, can I be your friend?” the ghost cut Minato off. “I’m very curious about you. Is that okay?”

"That’s it?! Is that the reason?! He visited just to become friends? He might be an enigma, but he’s been helpful so far. At least it’s not another ordeal or the like." thought Minato.

“Sure…” Minato replied hesitantly.

“You don’t sound so happy about it. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.”

“If you say so. What’s your name, then?”

“My name? Oh right, I need a name. My name is… Pharos. You may call me that if you wish.”

With that, a familiar voice rang out.

Thou art I… And I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana…

"I’m really having a bond with a ghost. And the Death Arcana? I can see Minako getting more confused when I tell her this."  thought Minato.

Pharos continued, “It’s getting late, so I’ll go now. I’m already looking forward to our next meeting.”

== June 13th, 2009 ==

The twins decided to eat lunch on the rooftop. In the morning, when Minako said that she wanted to talk about something, she was surprised that Minato had something to say as well. So they decided that lunchtime would be the perfect opportunity.

“The cleanup last night was just awkward. Just because I’m the only one there okay with bugs, doesn’t mean it’s okay to keep calling me for cockroach duty!” complained Minako. “Seriously, I squashed around five cockroaches that night! I thought our dorm was quite well cleaned. Turns out, not so much.”

“That’s what you want to talk about, sis?” snarked Minato.

“I just need to talk about this with someone! It will be awkward talking about this with Yukari-chan or Mitsuru-senpai, while Junpei or Akihiko-senpai won't understand.”

“And I would be okay, why?”

“You would understand, right?”

“I guess it’s better than having you blow it up somewhere…”

“See?! Anyway, your turn. What do you wanna talk about?”

Minato’s expression turned slightly serious. “Okay, this may sound weird, but I just got a new bond last night.”

“Last night? With who? Yukari-chan?”

“N-No! Where did that come from?!”

“I sense some hesitation in that ‘no’.” said Minako with a smirk. “Is it what I think it is?”

“I-it’s not!” stuttered Minato. “I don’t feel that way towards Yukari-san. Besides, we’re getting off track. This is not what I want to talk about.”

“Alright, alright. So, who is it?”

“That’s the weird part. It’s… the ghost that’s been appearing and warning us lately.”

Minako’s smile quickly disappeared and was replaced with a look of confusion. “Wha…?”

“He said his name is Pharos. But the way he said it makes me think he just came up with it on the spot, so I think he doesn’t know himself.”

“And his Arcana?” Minako somehow felt scared asking this. But she couldn’t understand why. There shouldn’t be anything wrong with her brother having another bond. Sure, it was more supernatural than the other, but somehow she’s having a bad feeling.

“It’s… the Death Arcana.” answered Minato.

Hearing that, Minako’s mood sank even further. “I… I don’t know what to say about that. Should I be sad or angry that I’m being replaced by a ghost?”

“You’re not being replaced. It’s just another bond. Another friend. Look, we've been together from the very beginning. I'll always have your back and I know you have mine. Nothing or nobody will be able to replace you.”

“Thanks. I know you still care, but sometimes it’s just…”

“Are you still feeling down about that?”

“Slightly. I know how I feel and I know how you feel, but each time I sense that bond just gives me mixed feelings.”

Minato said nothing. Instead, he decided to reach out and ruffled his sister’s hair a bit. The gesture felt nice, and Minako could feel her nerves easing up. “Thanks. I needed that.”

They sat there in silence for a few moments, eating their lunch. Minako then spoke up, “So… Death Arcana, huh? Since you got the same Arcana, does that mean you have something in common with that ghost?”

“Maybe. I can’t tell what it is, though.”

“What was the reading for the Death card in Tarot decks? Change, end of the old and beginning of the new, metamorphosis?”

“That really doesn’t explain anything. We all experience change in some way or form. Our new activity in SEES here is already a big change.”

“Yeah, that is true…”

The lunchtime bell then sounded, surprising the twin. They hastily ate their lunch, and ran back to the class.

== June 16th, 2009 ==

"This is it."  Minako thought. "This is the day sanity dies and any semblance of normalcy is shattered. My brother and I will go to the realm of pure madness and logic-defying sights. Once people find us, they will never know what happened and will be left wondering for the answer for years to come."

One visit to the Velvet room that day has the attendants bring forth a request that the twins had hoped to never come: they wished to explore the outside world once more. Minato was already rubbing his forehead upon hearing that, and Minako could already feel her stomach protesting.

The attendants wished to visit the Iwatodai Strip Mall. But before they even arrived, the twins had already witnessed a sight that made their head hurt. Elizabeth was trying to walk down the ascending escalator, with Theodore looking confused.

“Sister, is that truly what we are supposed to do?” inquired Theodore.

“Of course.” answered Elizabeth as she stopped walking, letting the escalator take her back to the top. “This is a test of might and speed. We need to overcome this as a continuous trial to reach our desired destination.”

“I-is that so?”

“Yes. As you can see, we need to maintain a considerable pace lest the moving stairs take us back to where we were. Now then Theo, let us overcome this together!”

Minako whispered to her brother. “Shouldn’t we stop them?!”

“I don’t even know what I could say to do that.” replied Minato.

Theodore walked to Elizabeth's side, who was still smiling triumphantly. Theodore was clearly still nervous, afraid of stepping onto the escalator. The two attendants eventually started their descent. Theodore was walking a bit shakily, while Elizabeth was walking confidently. Soon, Theodore tripped on one of the steps, and sent both attendants tumbling down the escalator.

Elizabeth soon picked herself up. “Clearly, it was a test of dexterity as well. I’m impressed, to think this world has such things on their everyday commute to keep their residents on their toes. Truly, your world is not to be underestimated.”

A voice then rang out from the PA speakers, “Warning: Please refrain from going up the down escalator, and vice versa. Thank you.”

“Ah, is that a warning?” asked Elizabeth as Theodore picked himself up. “Are we not supposed to do that after all?”

Minako was already feeling the headache. The trip barely started and she already wanted it to be over. She dragged Elizabeth and Theodore to the Strip Mall without saying anything.

Arriving at the Strip Mall, the attendants’ attention was immediately drawn to the takoyaki shop. Elizabeth ran towards the shop, with Theodore walking behind her. The twins let out a heavy sigh as they followed their quirky friends. Elizabeth wasted no time talking with the vendor.

“Whoa, you can figure out our secret ingredient just by its smell?” exclaimed the vendor in surprise. “Well, there ain’t any law against takoyaki shops cooking stuff besides octopus. How ‘bout it? Wanna buy one? It’ll make you smile so wide, your cheeks will fall off!”

Elizabeth gasped at the vendor marketing. “Cuisine so luscious that one’s cheeks fall off… Such a result would cause havoc in reality, but I’d definitely like to experience this.”

“I must admit, I am curious as well.” added Theodore. “How can someone do so with just cooking is beyond me.”

“It’s just a metaphor…” corrected Minako.

“Is that so? Regardless, we will need to see why they can make such a claim.” said Elizabeth as she took out a large purse.

“Uh… I don’t think you need that much…” said Minato hesitantly.

“No need to worry.” assured Elizabeth as she turned to the vendor. “Our curiosity exceeds any monetary– Oh, I see. Upon closer inspection, one package is only 400 yen.”

“That is good news. Then we don’t need to worry about any financial predicament.” beamed Theodore.

“Yes. Four packages, please.”

The twins and their attendants began eating their takoyaki. Minako let herself get lost in the small bliss of eating simple takoyaki. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was sparkling in amazement of the food. “This firm texture… the firm, chewy outer skin… There’s no doubt about it. It’s very surprising to come across this used as an ingredient in food…” mused Elizabeth.

“I agree. This may be the first time I’ve seen this. I can see why they would claim that one’s cheek could fall off.” Theodore was in deep thought. He then looked at the twins. “It seems your cheeks haven’t fallen off. That’s good.”

Minako stopped eating and snapped her attention to the two attendants. Their conversation made Minako very nervous. “Um, what do you mean by that?” asked Minako.

“It seems that our dear guest is being curious. The human mind is always eager to earn any knowledge, whether good or bad. Forgive my reticence, but there are things your kind is better off not knowing.” supplied Elizabeth.

“There’s no need to worry, though. The proprietor of the establishment seems wise enough to know that it is harmless.” assured Theodore.

Minako was glancing back and forth between the attendants and the takoyaki still sitting on her hand. She’s beginning to have doubt if she should continue eating the once delicious food. Looking at her brother, he just shrugged and continued biting into the takoyaki.

“How can you continue eating that?! Didn’t you hear what they just said?!” Minako half-shouted to her brother.

“Meh. It tastes good. It’s not like we ever get sick from eating it before. Furthermore, Theodore said it’s harmless.” answered Minato.

Minako shoved the rest of her takoyaki to Minato. “You can eat mine, then. I don’t want them anymore.”

The four wandered around the strip mall, trying out the various shops and restaurants in the place. Minako was thankful the rest of them went without any weird incident. Various uninformed remarks from Elizabeth and Theodore, perhaps, but none of them got to anything weird.

“This has been quite the fruitful experience.” said Elizabeth. “Though I must say, I’m quite disappointed that you couldn’t join us on all of our adventures.”

That was also another thing Minako felt she’s going to regret later. At first the twins joined the attendants on their culinary trip. But after six or seven restaurants, Minako could feel she was getting full, so she stopped eating. The attendants continued to ask them each time, but the twins declined.

“Nevertheless, you have done an excellent job. We would love for you to accompany us again in the future.” said Theodore.

They made their way back to the Velvet Room. Minako had to drag both attendants through the stairs before they went through the wrong escalator again. After they arrived back at the Velvet Room and said goodbye to Elizabeth and Theodore, Minako let out a big sigh of relief.

“That’s over with. What now?”

“We still have some time, weirdly enough.” replied Minato. “But I don’t know what we could do.”

“Let’s go back to the school and see what we can find. No more eating, though. This is the first time I felt this full for a long time. I think I’m gonna feel this until tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

== June 20th, 2009 ==

The twins were packing up their books and utensils. Earlier in the afternoon, Mitsuru had told everyone that the Chairman was coming over and they were to come to the meeting room in the evening. Minako was wondering what Ikutsuki-san wanted to talk about. Maybe he found out more stuff about the Shadows?

After a quick check to the police station and the pharmacy, which yielded nothing, they returned to the dorm. In front of the dorm, they saw Yukari and Fuuka playing with a white Shiba Inu.

“Koro-chan, give me your paw.” instructed Fuuka. The dog complied by placing one of its front paws on Fuuka’s hand.

“Aw, good dog.” cooed Yukari.

“Hey, what’s with the dog? Is he someone’s pet? If not, can we keep him?” questioned Minako rapidly as she skipped over to the dog.

“Oh hey.” greeted Yukari. “He was just walking around the area. No, I don’t think he’s anyone’s pet, but I’m not sure if we can keep him.”

“Why? I’m sure we can take care of him if we work together.”

“Well, I don’t know if this dorm allows pets. We’ll need to ask Mitsuru-senpai about it.”

The dog walked over to Minako and sat down in front of her. Minako quickly squatted down and began scratching and stroking under its chin and on its cheek. The dog yipped twice. Hearing that, Minako petted the dog’s cheek faster. “Well then, why don’t we ask today? What’s his name, anyway?” asked Minako.

“Maybe we could.” said Fuuka hesitantly. “Oh, his name is Koromaru. I don’t know who named him, though. It’s just what I heard from the people around here.”

Suddenly, a brown-haired dog ran towards them and started barking at them. Everyone was surprised by the newcomer, but noticed that the dog wasn’t being aggressive. The owner of the brown dog soon walked by. “Oh, this dog still goes on walks all by himself?” inquired the brown dog owner.

Yukari was confused by her question. “Whaddya mean?”

“He used to belong to the priest at the Naganaki Shrine.” the woman explained. “Every afternoon, the two of them went this way for a walk.”

Fuuka nodded in understanding. “That explains it.”

“Well, until the priest passed away.”

Everyone gasped at the bombshell that the woman dropped on them. “He passed away?” asked Fuuka.

“Oh, you haven’t heard the story?” the woman continued “It was about six months ago. The priest was hit by a car while walking his dog. He didn’t survive. Ever since then, that dog sits patiently by the site of the accident. And he goes for a walk everyday, just like when his owner was still alive.”

Minako didn’t know what to think after hearing this. She only barely remembered that priest, who was there during her parents' funeral. She remembered the priest offered the twins kind words and hugs after the ceremony. She was sad that such a warm person would die so tragically.

But she was also proud of Koromaru for being so loyal to the priest. she wonders if Koromaru was really taught right by the priest or was it just its own loyalty. Either way, she fought hard to resist the urge to hug the shiba inu.

The woman then remembered something. “Oh shoot, I have to get going. My son will be back soon.” 

As the woman and her dog left, the girls crowded around Koromaru. “Aww, you’re such a loyal dog! Good boy!” cooed Yukari.

“Yeah! Do you want to stay here? With us?” suggested Minako while smiling towards Koromaru.

Koromaru barked towards Minako and suddenly ran to the direction of Naganaki Shrine. “Aw, guess that’s his answer.” said Minako while still smiling.

“You really have to admire his loyalty, huh?” said Yukari wistfully.

Minako then noticed Fuuka was spacing out. “Is there something wrong, Fuuka?” asked Minako.

Fuuka then snapped out of it. “Oh, it’s nothing. Wait, isn’t the Chairman coming today? Then we should get ready.”

Everyone waited in the meeting room for Ikutsuki to arrive. When he finally entered the room, he began with a greeting.

“Hello everyone. I wanted to let you know how my research has been going. This concerns those Shadows that have been appearing during full moons. I want you to listen closely; it might be hard to follow.”

Ikutsuki continued his explanation. “Shadows can be divided into 12 categories, according to their characteristics. This, we’ve known for a while. It’s like their class or order. Now, I’ve classified the special Shadows we’ve seen so far, and it’s simply fascinating!”

Ikutsuki started to get lost in his daydream. Minako couldn’t help feeling amused. It looked like Ikutsuki was some kind of Shadow enthusiast. Yukari, however, was having none of it and spoke up to break him out of his daydream. “And…?”

“Oh, sorry.” Ikutsuki apologized as he took a seat, before continuing his explanation

“Those four Shadows belonged to categories I through IV, in order of their appearance. They may have looked different than the more common ones, but the classification scheme still applies.”

Junpei was slightly confused by all this. “Um, is that something we should be excited about?”

Fuuka then realized something. “Oh, I get it. There’s 12 in all… Eight we haven’t seen yet.”

“That’s exactly right, Fuuka! You’re quite sharp.” beamed Ikutsuki.

“Oh, uh, okay… But, what are they after?” Junpei was still confused.

Ikutsuki’s enthusiasm didn’t waver. “That’s a good question, and that’s what we haven’t figured out yet: their motive. They don’t kill their prey; they feed on their minds. It can be considered predation, but is it really? Is there an underlying intent behind their behavior? The purpose of the Shadows as a whole… That’s what we need to consider.”

“This is interesting.” Akihiko grinned. “But, no matter what, we still have to beat the rest of them.”

“I agree.” affirmed Mitsuru “That’s about all we can do at this point.”

“Eight more, huh? Lucky us.” said Yukari flatly.

“At least that should be the worst of it.” intoned Minato. “Beyond that, we should only be concerned with regular Shadows, right?”

“But it won’t be that easy.” Fuuka spoke up. “According to the data, each one has been stronger than the last, so we should prepare ourselves.”

“We’ll manage. We’ve got plenty of time.” assured Akihiko.

“What about Tartarus? Why does it even exist?” inquired Yukari.

Everyone went silent. Yukari looked around and started looking sheepish. “R-Right, of course none of you would know.”

“I’m sure we’ll find out eventually.” said Ikutsuki.

== June 22nd, 2009 ==

When the twins arrived at the dorm that evening, they heard Mitsuru complaining about the console in the command room acting up. Thinking that there might be a recording like last time, Minako promptly dragged her brother to the fourth floor.

As Minako expected, the console did have a recording. They played it, and it showed Mitsuru calling officer Kurosawa over a suspected burglary. Turns out, the room that Mitsuru suspected was ransacked was actually Junpei’s room, and that it always was like that. Realizing that she had made a big mistake, Mitsuru decided to let officer Kurosawa leave without any fuss. The entire incident made both Junpei and Mitsuru embarrassed.

“Wow, I’m kinda feeling sorry for Junpei. Trying to explain that to Mitsuru-senpai has gotta be awkward.” mused Minako.

“I, for one, am kinda surprised to see Mitsuru-senpai in a situation like that. Usually, we see her very composed, and know exactly what she needs to do. Guess everyone has their own shortcomings, huh?” contemplated Minato.

“This is great! When was this recording anyway?”

“It says here that this was recorded on June 14th.”

“Man, to think I missed this. If I'd known this was gonna happen that day, I would’ve stayed behind and watched the entire show.”

“You being there would make things more awkward for those two.”

“Well, yeah. But can you imagine what kinda power I would have over Junpei if I saw this? In fact, if I tell him this right now, I bet I can still get something out of him.”

“Sis, please don’t blackmail Junpei-san over this. I think he already suffered enough because of it.”

“Maybeee.”

“Mina…”

“Fine, fine. I’ll just use it to shut him up on occasion.”

Minato buried his face in his right hand. Minako, on the other hand, was feeling too amused by what she just saw.

== June 23rd, 2009 ==

During lunchtime, Minato noticed Junpei was in the Student Council room, in the middle of shredding a bunch of photos. Junpei had a scowl on his face, which made Minato curious. As he approached, Minato asked Junpei, “What are you doing here?”

Junpei was startled by Minato’s arrival. “Whoa! I-it’s nothing major. Just… have something I need to get rid of quickly. Don’t worry, I already asked Mitsuru-senpai’s permission for this.”

Minato was growing even more curious. What could be something that even Junpei felt the need to be rid of urgently? He then extended his hand towards Junpei. “Can I see?” he asked Junpei.

“No way, man!” Junpei was frantic. “I can’t let you see this!”

Now, Minato was growing suspicious. As he walked closer, Junpei was holding the photos away from Minato. “What is it that you can’t let me see?” Minato was exasperated.

“It’s… That’s…”

One of the photos slipped off Junpei’s hand and flew over to Minato. Junpei panickedly tried to grab it, but Minato swiftly grabbed it first. Seeing what’s in the photo, Minato felt like he wanted to punch someone in the face. It was a photo of Minako, in her gym clothes during one of the gym classes. She was front and center of the photo, which made it obvious that the photo was specifically focusing on her.

Junpei quickly tried to calm Minato. “Okay, I know it looks bad, but I’m not the one who took it. Look, some of these photos have me in it. There’s no way I can take this myself.”

Minato was silent for a while, so Junpei tried to placate Minato even more. “I-I’m trying to get rid of ‘em, see? Here, I’ll–”

“Who took them?” growled Minato.

“What?”

“I said, who took them?” Minato was feeling extremely furious. Not only was this a serious breach of privacy, these people are objectifying his sister.

“I’m not gonna tell you that, man!”

“Why not?”

“Dude, that look on your face is scary! I don’t wanna be an accomplice to murder!”

Minato chuckled. “Murder? What makes you think I’ll do that?”

“Like I said, you’re scaring me here! You don’t look like you just wanna talk to them!”

What kind of face did he make? All Minato could think about was that those people need to pay. “I can’t kill them, you know. I’m not that strong, nor do I have any means to do so.”

“Hearing you say that doesn’t make it any better! In fact, I think I’m actually even more scared for them now!”

“They need to be stopped.”

“I’m working on it! I’m already planning to talk to them about it. So just… Well, you can calm down. And… you don’t need to do anything. Actually, please don’t do anything. I rather not hear about someone going dead or missing.”

Minato pondered about it for a few moments, before snatching the photos from Junpei’s hand. “Fine. Then go talk to them already. I’ll shred these for you.”

Junpei let out a huge sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God! Alright, I will!”

Junpei then bolted out of the Student Council room. Looking at the photos again, Minato could feel a variety of emotions swirling. Anger, disappointment, sadness. He decided to pocket one of them, hoping to talk to Minako about this while destroying the rest.

After school ended, Minato dragged his sister to the rooftop. Looking confused, Minako decided to ask. “Um, what’s going on?”

Minato took out the photo from his pocket and showed it to Minako. “This happened. Mind explaining what’s this supposed to mean?”

Minako was shocked to see that photo. “Oh, that. Well, it’s as you can see. There were some photos of me supposedly spreading around. I don’t even know who did it.”

Minato clenched his fist hearing that. So it wasn’t just one or two people taking the photos for their amusement; the photos were spread around and a lot of people have them.

“I heard that they weren’t that risque yet, though. And Junpei said he was handling it.” continued Minako. “So there shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well, I didn’t want to worry you. Junpei said he can handle it, so I didn’t think it would become big.”

“Well I’m worried now. Mina, just… next time, tell me if something like this happened again, alright?”

Minako quickly moved to hug her brother. “Sorry. And, yeah, I’ll do that next time.”

Minato returned the hug for a while before breaking off. “Alright, I’m gonna help Junpei out in tracking down those photos.” said Minato.

“But Junpei said–”

“The faster those photos are removed from circulation, the better.”

Back in the classroom, Minato walked over to Junpei. “Junpei, are you going to talk to them about it today? I’ll help you out.”

Junpei was shocked and scared hearing what Minato just said. “I told you I got it covered! You don’t need to do anything!”

“Hm? What are you guys talking about?” Yukari was puzzled about the conversation.

“Oh, apparently there were photos of me spreading around and Junpei was trying to take care of it.” explained Minako.

“Are you serious?!” exclaimed Yukari. “And you had Junpei taking care of it?! Are you sure it’s in good hands?!”

Junpei looked indignant. “Hey, I’ll have you know I almost have it done! I just need to talk to one more guy and it’s done!”

Yukari looked skeptical. “Is that so? I’m joining as well then. These guys are targeting my best friend and I’m not gonna just sit idly.”

“Urgh, can you please promise me you won’t kill them when we talk?” groaned Junpei.

“Hm… No promises.” stated Yukari with a smile.

Junpei then turned to Minako. “You can help me hold ‘em back, right?”

“I hope.”

== June 30th, 2009 ==

The Dark Hour arrived, and Minato already prepared for the usual visit. “Hi.” a voice rang out.

Minato opened his eyes and sat up on his bed. As he expected, he saw Pharos sitting on his bed. “Can you guess what I’m about to tell you?” asked Pharos.

“Yes. Another ordeal is coming soon, right?”

Pharos chuckled. “You’re used to it by now, huh? As you’ve guessed, it’s coming in one week. Are you prepared? Be careful, okay?”

“I will. No need to worry about me.”

“Thank you. I’ll come again.”

With that, Pharos disappeared again. In Minato’s mind, this practically confirmed that these ‘ordeals’ will always come with every full moon. All he needed to do then was wait and braced himself.

Chapter Text

== July 7th, 2009 ==

The full moon finally arrived. Everyone agreed to return to the dorm early and prepare themselves for the upcoming operation. They all awaited anxiously as the time drew near. When the Dark Hour hits, all of SEES and Ikutsuki convene in the meeting room, with Fuuka promptly summoning Lucia.

“Any luck, Fuuka?” asked Akihiko.

“Just a moment.” answered Fuuka. After a few seconds, Fuuka spoke up again. “I found it! I sense a strong presence.”

Junpei got excited hearing that. “Hey, we were right!”

“Or so it would seem.” added Ikutsuki.

“It's located in Iwatodai… inside a building on Shirakawa Boulevard.” supplied Fuuka.

Ikutsuki looked like he realized something. “Hm… Shirakawa Boulevard… They’ve been finding the Lost in pairs lately… Now I understand why.”

“In pairs?” said Mitsuru quizzically. “Oh, I get it…”

Dismissing Lucia, Fuuka looked confused. “Why? What’s on Shirakawa Boulevard? I’m not familiar with that area.”

Yukari looked away. “I’ve heard about it, but…” her voice trailed off.

Minako grew a huge smirk. “It’s where those kinds of hotels are. The… special… kind of hotels.”

Junpei realized what Minako implied and mirrored her grin. “Oh… those hotels. You know ‘em, right Fuuka. Where people go to… ya know…”

Fuuka quickly blushed as she realized what Minako and Junpei implied. Minato buried his face in his right hand. “Mina… Junpei… Please don’t corrupt Fuuka-san.”

“I think it’s a little too late for that.” groaned Yukari.

“I believe you misunderstand something.” interjected Ikutsuki. “They’re no different from ordinary hotels, just with fancier rooms.”

“Somehow I doubt that.” said Minako, still grinning.

“I don’t know about this… Maybe I shouldn’t go…” said Yukari.

“You’re just like a little kid, Yuka-tan.” said Junpei in a mocking sigh.

Yukari quickly glared at Junpei for his remark. “Whatever! Fine, let’s get moving already!”

“We’ll move with our usual formation. Minato-san, Minako-san, you lead the team. And Yamagishi, I want you to handle the support, as usual.” instructed Mitsuru.

“We won’t let you down!” affirmed Minako.

“I’ll do my best.” uttered Fuuka.

Upon arriving at the location, Fuuka quickly summoned Lucia again. “Sense anything, Fuuka?” asked Yukari.

“Yes. The Shadow is deep inside this building, inside a large room.” replied Fuuka.

“Okay, guide the way.” said Minato. “Let’s go inside.”

As the group walked towards the direction Fuuka gave, Yukari couldn’t resist commenting on where they ended up. “Urgh, this place is as disgusting as I expected.”

“You think? I think it’s kinda neat.” said Junpei with a smirk.

“That’s just because you’re a perv.” quipped Yukari.

“You think most of these people are actual couples? The coffins are arranged two per two. Or are they just people offering… ‘services’... if you know what I mean.” added Minako.

Junpei lightly chuckled at Minako’s observation. “Oh, you thought that too, huh?”

“Really? You two are the worst.” groaned Yukari.

“Thanks, Yukari-chan.” Minako continued smirking.

“That wasn’t supposed to be a compliment, you know.” snarked Yukari.

“That’s enough. We need to focus. Our target lies just beyond this door.” said Mitsuru.

Standing in front of a VIP suite, the team prepared themselves as Minato pushed open the door. When they got in, they saw some kind of obese priest sitting on a chair, being caressed by a skinny female-like figure. The Shadow main body was flanked by two paper cutouts in a rough shape of a man.

“That’s it, huh?” inquired Yukari. “It looks as disgusting as this place.”

“Looks like it.” affirmed Minato. “Akihiko-senpai! Mitsuru-senpai! We’ll provide the opening attack!”

“Don’t mind if I do!” exclaimed Akihiko as the three of them drew their Evoker.

Fire, ice, and electricity flew towards the Shadow. Before the spells could connect, the paper cutouts jumped and intercepted the attack.

“They’re acting as bodyguards, aren't they?” Mitsuru spat out.

“It looks like those talismans will prioritize defending the main body.” relayed Fuuka. “The talismans are immune to everything, while the main body reflects electricity.”

“In that case… Akihiko-senpai, you and I will distract those talismans!” ordered Minato.

“Yukari-chan, go to the left! Mitsuru-senpai, you go to the right! Junpei, you and I will break through to the main body!” shouted Minako.

“Understood!” chorused everyone.

Minato and Akihiko locked their weapons against the talismans, trying to hold them in place. From the side, Yukari and Mitsuru summoned their Personas and sent wind and ice against the Shadows.

The Shadow was startled to be attacked from multiple sides. The female figure on the top started waving its hands around, and multiple bolts of electricity flew out to every direction. Minato and Akihiko, being the closest, were struck. Yukari and Mitsuru were able to dodge them, while Minako and Junpei sidestepped the bolts and charged towards the Shadow.

As soon as they got close, Minako and Junpei slashed the Shadow right on its stomach. The Shadow threw out more electricity, this time focusing more on Minako and Junpei. As Minako and Junpei jumped back, Yukari and Mitsuru let more wind and ice flew to the Shadow.

After enduring the attacks, the Shadow then raised its stubby arms towards the air. Minato could hear the Shadow chuckling before everything suddenly turned dark.

Minato saw that everything around him was empty, with even the ground and the sky colored black like the night. Minato tried to call out to everyone, but he couldn’t hear anything back, not even the echo of his own voice. Minato then ran around the place, while still trying to call out to everyone. Eventually, he tripped on something and fell to the floor.

Turning around, Minato saw what he tripped upon. It was Yukari, laying face down on the floor. Minato shuffled over to her, and began shaking her body. “Yukari-san? What’s wrong?”

Minato flipped over Yukari’s body and saw that her eyes were glassed over. Furthermore, he could see that there was a big, bloody hole on her chest. Seeing that, he could feel his chest tighten. “No… This can’t be… What’s going on?!”

Minato looked around and saw more of his friends laying down on the ground. Junpei was lying down in a pool of blood, his right arm missing. Akihiko had bruises and cuts all over his body. Mitsuru was burned from her head to her knees. Fuuka was bisected on her waist, with her lower half nowhere to be seen.

Minato felt a shiver running down his back. Soon, he got up to his feet and began stepping away. After a few steps, he bumped into something else. He nervously turned around, and what he saw was something that made his stomach churn. The severed head of his twin sister.

Minato fell backwards at the sight, and his breathing became short and shallow. Just then, a loud and distorted voice echoed from nowhere.

Yes, this is what will happen if you continue. Give in.

“What the…?! So this is…”

Why do you continue to resist? You will only lead these people to their death.

“Shut up…”

You are a nobody. You don’t have the strength to save everyone.

“I SAID SHUT UP!”

A sudden impact sent Minato flying backwards. As he opened his eyes, he saw that he was back in the suite room in that hotel with the Shadow. Fuuka’s voice then rang out in his head. “Minato-san?! Thank goodness you finally came to!”

“What happened?!” asked Minato.

“The Shadow seems to have an ability to strike fear into its target. Everyone is also struck by it.”

Looking around, he saw everyone was shaken in fear. Minato quickly reached into his pocket for the Me Patra Gem he found the other day, before cracking it and throwing it into the air. Everyone’s expressions returned to normal, and Minato wasted no time going back to the offensive.

“Titan!”

The Persona charged towards the Shadow, but one of the talismans blocked it. Minato quickly ran towards his summoned Persona. Minako finally realized what happened and promptly drew her Evoker. “Everyone! Snap out of it and continue the attack! High Pixie!”

Minato ran up and jumped up into the air using his Persona as a springboard. He tried to plunge his sword towards the Shadow, but the other talisman blocked him. Several ice shards flew from Minako, using the opening Minato provided and struck the Shadow straight to its stomach.

Yukari and Mitsuru summoned their Persona and began pelting the Shadow with wind and ice while Minato and his Persona Titan continued to hold down the talisman. Junpei and Akihiko sent their Personas charging through the Shadow. The Shadow tried to cast more electric attacks to the group, but Minako beat it to the punch.

“Empusa!”

A gust of wind erupted on the Shadow, finally sent it crumpling to the ground and dissipating. Everyone then regrouped in the middle of the room.

“That… was… not nice.” said Minako while panting.

“I rather not see that ever again.” grumbled Akihiko.

“It was a very harrowing sight. Thank God it’s only an illusion.” Mitsuru’s voice was trembling.

“So… that’s it, right?” inquired Yukari.

“I hope so.” answered Minato.

Everyone soon walked over to the door. Minato tried to push open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. Feeling something wrong, he tried to push it open a few more times.

“Arisato-kun? C-Come on, this is no time to be joking around.” stammered Yukari.

“Huh?” Fuuka sounds surprised. “I still sense a Shadow in that room! It’s not the same one you defeated!”

Everyone snapped back to alert and started looking around the room. “Where is it, Yamagishi?” asked Mitsuru.

“It’s hiding in that room. But where…?”

“Let’s spread out and look around.” ordered Minako. “But stay cautious.”

They began checking everything in that room, from the bed, chairs, lamps. When Yukari walked in front of the mirror, she noticed something. “Hey, I think there’s something strange about this mirror.”

The rest of SEES soon crowded to Yukari. “What is it?” asked Mitsuru.

Yukari tried to take a closer look at the mirror. She then realized what’s bugging her. “Wait, this mirror doesn’t have our reflection!”

Everyone’s vision then started to blur, and they all collapsed one by one.

When Minako opened her eyes, she noticed that she was in a shower. How did she get here? Why was she taking a shower? But the water did feel nice. She felt that she could get lost in this bliss. Since when did a simple shower feel this good? Suddenly, a voice rang inside her head.

Embrace your desire…

What…? What is…?

I am the voice of your inner self… Enjoy the moment… That which cannot be felt is merely a dream… The present is all we have…

Wait, that’s not…

The future is but a fantasy, memory a fabrication… Let your desire free you from your shackles… such is my wish…

I can’t…

Pleasure is what you truly want. Right outside is the room of bliss. You cannot deny your instincts… Embrace your desire…

No…

Minako felt her mind slowly clearing up. Turning off the shower, she slowly tried to reorganize her thoughts. First, she needed to get dressed. Where were her clothes? Maybe they’re outside?

Putting on a bath towel to cover herself, she stepped outside of the bathroom. As soon as she’s outside she saw Akihiko standing only a slight distance in front of the door. He was spacing out, and the buttons on his shirt were half undone. Minako could see slightly of his well-toned chest. A small smile crept into her face, admiring the view.

Just then, her mind fully cleared up. She then realized her situation and felt her cheeks burning up. Her right hand moved on instinct and flew towards Akihiko’s face. She then ran back inside the bathroom.

"Why did I do that?"  thought Minako. "What was happening? Why am I naked? Why did I just stroll outside? And what is this feeling of regret I sense?"

Minako heard Akihiko grumble outside. “Ow… Who was…? What’s going on?”

Minako tried to reassess her situation. "Okay, so Akihiko-senpai was also under mind control. That’s a relief. Though, I think I wouldn’t mind if he saw… Wait, what am I thinking?! Of course it’s a problem! I mean, he is nice even if he’s a bit of a dork. The times I hung out with him, I can see he can be quite clueless about some stuff. Even so, he’s a nice person and definitely… Why am I thinking that again?! Oh god, don’t tell me…"

Minako could recognize all these signs: She was having a crush on Akihiko-senpai. When did this happen…?

She then heard a knock on the door. “Um… Who’s there? I’m sorry if I did something wrong…” apologized Akihiko.

Minako took a deep breath before responding. “I-it’s okay, senpai. You didn’t… I mean, you were…”

“Oh, Minako? Uh… What happened… exactly?”

“Nothing’s problematic! I mean… if you don’t remember, then you don’t need to know it!”

“Okaayyy…” Minako could tell that Akihiko was even more confused.

Minako groaned more to herself. As she looked around, she noticed that her clothes were actually sitting there in a basket beside the door. Groaning some more internally, she hastily grabbed them and got dressed. She stepped out and looked toward Akihiko. However, she soon noticed something about Akihiko that made her cheeks burn again: Akihiko’s shirt was still half undone.

She quickly looked away and started pointing towards Akihiko’s chest. “Akihiko-senpai… your clothes…”

Akihiko was confused for a moment before he looked down and realized what Minako was saying. “Oh, sorry! I… didn’t notice.”

“It’s okay. Just… fix it… please.”

"Great… of all the people to fall to, I have to fall for the densest person in the dorm."  Minako thought bitterfully.

Minako soon found her naginata resting against the wall across from her. As she grumpily walked over to it, Fuuka’s voice suddenly rang out inside her head. “Oh, I can finally reach you!”

“Fuuka!” exclaimed Minako in happy surprise. “I’m so glad to hear from you again.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t contact you sooner.” apologized Fuuka. “The Shadow was interfering with your thoughts and separated you. I can still sense it in the same room. Please regroup and hurry there.”

“Understood. Where are the others?” replied Akihiko.

“Minato-kun and Yukari-san are on the same floor as you, just in a different room. Mitsuru-senpai and Junpei-san are on the floor above you.”

“Okay. Let’s go then.” affirmed Minako.

Minako and Akihiko went and regrouped with Minato and Yukari, who were waiting in the hall. When she saw them, Minako could see that both Minato and Yukari were acting awkward, seemingly unwilling to look at one another. Curious on what is the meaning of that, Minako decided to ask directly. “Did something happen to you two?”

“N-Nothing!” stammered Yukari. “W-We just woke up in the same room!”

Minako raised her eyebrow at Yukari’s reaction. She then pulled Yukari aside and began whispering to her. “By ‘nothing’, you mean you suddenly found yourself showering while being in a daze?”

“Wait, that happened to you too?!” Yukari half-whispered.

“Yeah… including walking out of the bathroom with only a towel?”

Yukari nodded her head. “Okay, that Shadow is dead. How dare that thing mess with a maiden heart.”

“Agreed. Let’s regroup with Mitsuru-senpai fast and be done with it.”

As Minako turned back to Akihiko and Minato, she saw that they were talking to each other as well, with Minato looking contemplative.

“So yeah, sorry I couldn’t help much.” said Akihiko as Minako rejoined them.

Minato snapped his attention back to the two girls. “Oh, you’re done talking? Then let’s go meet up with Junpei and Mitsuru-senpai.”

“Got it!” affirmed the girls.

After the group got to the second floor, they saw Junpei and Mitsuru waiting around the stairs. Mitsuru was leaning against the wall, scowling and muttering something that Minako could barely hear. Junpei was standing around awkwardly. When Junpei noticed them going up the stairs, he spoke up. “Hey, they’re here!”

“Good, you finally arrived.” growled Mitsuru, her scowl looked more prominent up close. “Let’s go. We’re running out of time and we should exterminate the Shadow as soon as possible.”

“Yeah! The Shadow is in the same room as before, right?!” exclaimed Yukari.

Fuuka interjected, “Unfortunately, we couldn’t enter the room just like that. The door is still sealed by the Shadow. But I also found that there are two mirrors in the building that give off the same energy as the Shadow. One of them is on the same floor as you are now, the other is on the floor above you. If you break that, the seal on the door should vanish.”

“Then let’s not waste anymore time! Minato-nii, you take Junpei and Akihiko-senpai to the third floor. We’ll find the mirror on this floor!” ordered Minako.

Finding the mirror was relatively quick. Realizing that the mirror in question didn’t have their reflection, they easily identified it and Minako promptly stabbed her naginata to the mirror. After Fuuka confirmed that the seal was broken, the girls went upstairs to regroup. As they reached the third floor, Minako saw that Junpei was talking with Akihiko. Akihiko looked shocked from what Junpei had said, which made Minako curious. “What are you guys talking about?” asked Minako as she walked closer.

“Oh, nothin’ too important. Just… something I’m a little curious about.” replied Junpei.

“Seriously Junpei, you’re one lucky guy…” muttered Akihiko.

Minako was even more confused by Akihiko’s remark. But she decided to probe about it later. She had a bigger problem to worry about. “Okay, so the Shadow is up ahead. Are you guys ready?”

“Of course! I’m gonna teach this jerk not to mess with my head!” exclaimed Yukari.

“Get in line, Yukari-chan! I’m taking the first crack at it!” replied Minako.

“Um… ladies? You might want to calm down…” said Junpei cautiously.

Before Minako could respond, Minato had already pushed the door open. “There it is.” said Minato in a light growl.

Minako turned her attention to the Shadow. The source of her embarrassment and anger and mortification and problem a few minutes ago. The Shadow was in the shape of a large, gelatinous heart, with wings that seemed to be made of the same material on its side. The symbol of Mars and Venus floated inside of it, and the Shadow’s mask rested on a stub at the top of the heart.

Minako wasted no time to charge at the Shadow, joined by Mitsuru and Minato. Yukari quickly let loose arrows after arrows towards the Shadow. The Shadow tried to fight back and swiped at Minako with one of its wings, but Minako stabbed it with her naginata when it got close. Mitsuru stabbed the Shadow multiple times with her rapier, just as more of Yukari’s arrows landed on the Shadow.

The Shadow floated away in an attempt to avoid more attacks, but Minato quickly ran behind it and slashed it multiple times. The Shadow turned around and tried to launch an arrow from its mask towards Minato, but Minako quickly jumped on top of it. “Got you! Time for payback for messing with my feelings!” shouted Minako.

Minako quickly slashed the Shadow repeatedly with her naginata. The Shadow flew around wildly, trying to shake Minako off its back. One of Yukari’s arrows then hit its left wing, cutting it off and disorienting the Shadow.

The Shadow fell to the ground. Minako didn’t stop her assault as the Shadow fell. Minato and Mitsuru joined her attacks on the Shadow. Yukari, realizing that she ran out of arrows, joined the other three by bludgeoning the Shadow with her bow. The Shadow soon succumbed from the combined assault, and dissipated.

The four of them relaxed their stances. Yukari was the first to speak up after the battle. “Wow, I guess I needed that. I feel so much better.”

“Likewise!” added Minako. “I didn’t know it could be this relieving.”

“How disgraceful. To think that I fell for the enemy’s trick twice in a single day.” groaned Mitsuru.

“Well, at least it’s over.” intoned Minato. “Let’s just go back.”

“Looks like we’ll need to get you a new bow, Yukari-chan.” said Minako as she looked at Yukari’s bow.

Yukari looked at her now-mangled bow. “Looks like it.”

As they walked back to the door, Minako saw both Junpei and Akihiko just standing there, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. “What’s wrong now?” asked Minako out of concern.

“Oh… Uh… Nothing.” stammered Junpei. “Just… Um…”

“It’s… Minato’s right. Let’s just go back to the dorm.” deflected Akihiko.

Minako grew even more confused by Akihiko’s non-answer. Akihiko and Junpei looked at one another before nodding between themselves. Realizing that they won’t give the answer anytime soon, Minako decided to just ignore it.

Back at the hotel entrance, Fuuka welcomed them back. “I’m glad you’re all safe.”

“You did a great job as well.” replied Mitsuru. “The enemy was sly, but you managed to see through their trick.”

“I only did what I could.” Fuuka responded bashfully.

Mitsuru then turned to the rest of the team. “And all of you did well too, for withstanding the enemy's mental assault.”

“It would’ve been better if we didn’t get hit in the first place…” groaned Yukari.

“Urgh, you’re telling me.” added Junpei. “Can we just go home? I’m freaking tired.”

“Oh yeah, Yukari?” interjected Fuuka. “I found something for you. Should I give it to you now?”

“Tell me later. For now, we need to rest.” answered Yukari.

Fool Social Link – Rank 4

Chapter Text

== July 8th, 2009 ==

Even with such a chaotic operation last night, everyone still needed to go to school in the morning. Minato was not feeling enthusiastic about it, and from how she slumped over her desk, Minako was feeling the same. At lunchtime, Minato was surprised to find Junpei wanting to talk to him. Agreeing to talk, he followed Junpei to the rooftop.

“We haven’t really talked that much, have we?” asked Junpei.

“We haven’t. You seemed to be getting along well with my sister though.” stated Minato.

“Yeah well, I guess your sister is just easier to get along with.”

“I hope you aren’t thinking anything weird about her.”

Junpei paled a little. “Dude, I already told you it’s not like that! Right now, I just see her more like a sister in arms, or somethin’ like that.”

Minato chuckled from Junpei’s reaction. “Just kidding. Though I do need to thank you for dealing with that stalker business. Glad you have it under control.”

“Hey, that’s what friends are for! But that’s not what I want to talk about.”

“Oh? What is it then?”

Junpei was silent for a moment before speaking up again. “I just want to talk about last night’s operation. Two Shadows back-to-back messing with our head? What are the odds for that?!”

“The first one was especially cruel. That illusion is definitely something I could live without.”

“You’re telling me! I rather have Shadows that punch me in the face!”

“Speaking of… what is it that you see? I’m wondering if it’s something different for each of us.”

“You… actually want to know? It’s kinda ugly; you sure you can handle it?”

“Try me.”

“Alright… So what I saw is us facing some kind of giant monster. Well, it’s less us and more just me because I saw all of you already broken and dead on the ground. I wasn’t doing so hot either, with me already losing my right arm and both of my legs. So, that vision was just me watching helplessly as the monster ate Yuka-tan’s head.”

Minato winced at Junpei’s description. “Nasty. But different from what I saw. I just saw an empty void, with only all of you laying around, dead. Each of you have different injuries too, making it hard to tell what caused it. Junpei, you in particular was lying down in a pool of blood, missing your right arm.”

“Dude, what’s with our nightmare having me losing my right arm?! This is not a premonition of something, is it?!”

“Maybe the Shadow just sensed that it’s precious to you.”

“I happen to find ALL of my body precious to me! I rather not lose any part of it!”

Both of them went silent for a few moments. They then started laughing. Minato was the first to speak up afterwards.

“That was enlightening. So we did see different things. Minako saw something completely different too. But, she kinda threatened me not to tell anyone.”

“The heck? Sounds like it’s more embarrassing than scary.”

“It’s actually quite scary. I don’t understand why she doesn’t want anyone else to know. Anyway, is that all?”

“Actually… not really. I wanted to ask something about the stuff after we were split up. I already asked Akihiko-senpai about this, but he couldn’t give me a straight answer.”

“That time? You were with Mitsuru-senpai, right? What happened?”

“That’s the thing, I don’t know! One second we were looking for the Shadow, the next second I was someplace else as I heard her shouting my name! She then just stomped her way to me with murder in her eyes, but then she just stopped and turned around after she’s right in front of me!”

“That’s… odd…”

“Definitely odd! You have any idea what happened?”

Minato went silent for a few moments while thinking. He then said, “Not sure if this will help, but I do remember a bit of what happened to me. Maybe we can run comparisons.”

“Okay, let’s do it then.”

“Alright. So, you do remember we were in some of the hotel rooms, right? My mind was quite dizzy, and when it started to clear up I realized that I was sitting on the bed while I heard a shower running.”

“Okay. So, you think the same might be happening to me?”

“Possible. I don’t think I can say too much detail since Yukari-san might kill me otherwise, but she was in that shower.”

Junpei thought about the information Minato just gave him, before he paled as he realized what it all meant. “Wait, did you see her walking out of the shower?! Then, if the same thing happened to me, then…”

“Yeah…”

“Man, that Shadow is more dangerous than I thought.” groaned Junpei as he rubbed the back of his head. “I nearly died there because of a misunderstanding!”

“It’s not like being with the other girls would be much better. If you were with Yukari-san or… Wait, you’re not actually thinking of seeing my sister like that, are you?” Minato was scowling.

“Dude, I already told you I’m not!” Junpei now panicked for a different reason.

Seeing Minato’s expression turned back to normal, he continued. “But yeah, I guess any of the girls would be bad news for me. What about you though? Maybe if it was Mina-tan, you would get off easy.”

Minato grimaced at what Junpei suggested. “Hell no! To be in that kind of situation with my own sister, that’s just…”

“Oh right… Got a point there… So, you’re okay with Yukari? I mean, I know it’s still not good, but…”

Junpei then caught Minato blushing a little while looking away. “Actually…”

The sight caught Junpei off-guard as he blurted out his shock. “Wait, seriously?! Since when?!”

“Just realized it last night, actually.” answered Minato while still looking away. “That incident made me think and reevaluate a lot of things.”

“Damn dude.” chuckled Junpei as he sling his arm over Minato’s shoulder. “So, you’re gonna do something about it?”

“Planning to. Though I don’t know how to even approach this. I know that she’s close to my sister, but I would rather not give Minako any ammo to tease me with.”

“Well, I got your back. Just tell me what you need me to do, and I’ll be there for your support!”

“Thanks for that. Though, I don’t know if it’ll help that much.”

“Hey!”

Come nighttime, everyone agreed to take one day to rest after the operation. Minako was feeling bored with nothing to do for the night, but she didn’t feel like going out either. Deciding to just hangout with the girls, she dragged Yukari and Fuuka into her room, since she couldn’t find Mitsuru in the dorm. Inside, Minako was sitting on her chair, while both Yukari and Fuuka sat on her bed.

“You know, hanging out with just us girls is always nice.” started Minako. “I mean, I like being with my brother and all, but hanging out with just girls is always fun.”

Fuuka was still nervous. “O-Oh… I’m… glad you feel that way, Minako-san.”

“C’mon, there’s no need to be so tense. We’re just relaxing now, right?” said Yukari.

“I’ll… I’ll try.” replied Fuuka.

“So… Fuuka-san, how are you coming along with the home ec club? Got new ideas yet?” asked Minako.

“Nothing yet. I’m still looking through the recipe book to find something that I could do. Perhaps when we go to the club later, we can look for it together?” replied Fuuka.

“Sounds good.”

“Hm? You’re in the Home Ec club, Fuuka? I thought you were in the Photography Club.” interjected Yukari.

“Oh, I still am.” answered Fuuka. “I just started the Home Economics Club since I want to learn more about cooking. It was Minako-san’s idea. Minato-kun and Minako-san have been helping me with it quite a bit.”

“They did, huh? They always seem busy helping people lately. I should’ve expected that out of them.”

“Aw, thanks Yukari-chan.” praised Minako. “I didn’t know you thought of us that highly. But it’s nothing that big. I just wanna make friends.”

“Of course you would think that.” smiled Yukari. “But I guess that kindness of yours is what makes you quite popular.”

Minako started to blush from the continuous compliments. “C’mon Yukari-chan, you’re embarrassing me here.”

“It’s the truth, you know.” Yukari then turned to Fuuka. “So, how is your cooking? Did you make anything good to share with everyone?”

Fuuka’s expression turned bashful. “Sorry, nothing yet. Even with both of their help, most of what I make have not been… presentable.”

“Wow… that bad?”

Fuuka nodded. “Don’t worry, though. I think I’m making slow progress.”

“If anything, I think she should be able to make something decent by… our graduation, maybe?” added Minako.

“Um… Isn’t that kinda…” Yukari’s voice was filled with concern.

“Oh, Minako-san. I think you’re being optimistic with my progress.” chuckled Fuuka.

“That was optimistic?!” half-shouted Yukari.

Minako sheepishly smiled from that. “Yeah, now that I think about it… Speaking of that, you want to help out, Yukari-chan? With more input, maybe Fuuka can learn faster.”

Yukari pondered the idea for a moment. “As much as I want to help, I can’t. Archery club already has my hands full.”

“It’s okay. I did start this club just for me to learn. Having Minato-kun and Minako-san helping me is already a lot.” assuage Fuuka.

“Really, I’m sorry for not being able to help.”

“No worries. Though, I must admit, the club is actually… more fun than I expected it to be.” said Fuuka with a slight blush on her cheeks.

Fuuka then started yawning. “Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I’m more tired than I thought. I’ll be going back to my room.”

“Oh, okay. Goodnight, Fuuka-san.” waved Minako.

“Good night.”

After Fuuka left her room, Minako sat there in silence with Yukari for a minute. She then spoke up, “So… you’re not going back to your room as well?”

“Nah, I’m still good.” answered Yukari. “Last night’s operation really took a lot out of me, both mentally and physically. So, I want to relax here with you a little longer.”

“Thanks, Yukari-chan. But yeah, last night really sucked. First a nightmare, then some mind control? I swear, each full moon just brings new trauma for us to deal with.”

“Urgh, tell me about it. I don’t think I could forget walking out nearly naked to Arisato-kun any time soon.”

“Oh yeah, you were with Minato-nii. Did he do something to you? Or maybe… you did something to him?”

“Wha-? What exactly do you see me as?!”

“No offense, Yukari-chan, but I know Minato-nii is not the type to do something like that. Then again, so are you. That means, both of you are safe, right?”

“Y-Yeah! Nothing really happened, b-beyond me walking out half-naked.” stammered Yukari.

Minako began to get suspicious. She felt there’s something more in Yukari’s response. But she knew that Yukari would get defensive if she asked outright, so she decided to probe a bit first. “If you say so. I just want to make sure, you know. Did he do anything differently? Or did you notice anything about him?”

Yukari grimaced. “Can we not talk about this? Remembering that night is just too much for me. Why would you want to know anyway?”

“Because Akihiko-senpai was just weird at that time.” explained Minako. “I mean, standing around with his vest and shirt half open? I don’t think that’s how senpai would want to dress usually. So I’m kinda wondering if the same thing happened to my brother.”

“That happened with Akihiko-senpai as well?! So it’s not just Arisato-kun…”

Minako was giggling internally. “Apparently so! You did see, right? Minato-nii is actually quite fit.”

“I must admit, I was quite surprised. He looked kinda lean with his uniform or his usual getup, but he’s actually quite toned.”

“Right?! Despite his usual quiet demeanor, he’s actually quite active. He did join the Kendo club, after all.”

“Oh yeah, he did.” Yukari then looked away, face scrunched up as she began thinking.

Minako stayed silent as she watched Yukari running whatever thought was in her mind. Minako couldn’t stop the smirk that was growing on her face. After a few minutes, she spoke up to break Yukari’s daydream. “So… whatcha thinking?” teased Minako.

Yukari was startled by Minako suddenly asking her after being quiet for a while. “H-Huh?! Oh… Um, n-nothing.”

Minako’s smirk just grew wider. “Are you sure? You’re not thinking of anything… specific… with my brother?”

“Wh-What do you mean by– Wait, you set me up for this!”

“Am I wrong, though?”

“Yes! I-I mean, no! I mean… Argh!”

Minako chuckled at Yukari’s breakdown. “You know you just confirmed my suspicion with that reaction, right?”

Yukari quickly slumped over and buried her face in her arm. Minako laughed even louder at that, causing Yukari to groan even more. After Minako calmed down, she began questioning Yukari again. “Seriously though, since when? Just about a month ago you said you don’t see Minato-nii that way.”

Yukari grumbled a bit before answering Minako. “Just last night, actually. That incident really made me rethink some things. Even before then, I did notice that he is kinda nice. Like I said before, he can be kind too, always seen helping or accompanying people.”

Minako smiled fondly hearing Yukari’s description of his brother. Looks like he really made a positive impression on Yukari. Yukari continued, “And he can be caring, with how he usually treats you. And ever since he was appointed leader alongside you, he’s shown to be reliable as well. But…”

“But, what?” Minako pouted, mock offended. “Are you saying my brother is not good enough for you?”

“No, it’s not that! I mean, he is good-looking… It’s just… Even after all this time, I still don’t know him that well. So… I don’t exactly know what I feel about him.”

“If that’s the case… why not just talk to him more?”

“I don’t know… I’m still kinda nervous. Suddenly trying to talk to him after half-ignoring him for so long felt kinda…”

“You know, I could just tell Minato-nii all of this. Maybe that would help things run along?” said Minako with a smirk.

“D-Don’t you dare!” stuttered Yukari.

“Then what do you plan to do? Just wait around? Be content to watch him from afar?”

“I’m still thinking about it!” growled Yukari.

“You do know my brother is quite popular, right? I saw Fushimi-san keep on sneaking glances at him during Student Council meetings. I know Minato-nii already turned her down, but it seems she hasn’t given up. And don’t think I didn’t miss Fuuka-san’s reaction lately when we agreed to help her out.”

“You think Fuuka might be feeling that way?”

“I don’t have any proof yet, but I have my suspicions.”

Yukari went silent and lowered her head. Sighing, Minako continued. “That’s why I wanted to help. You’re my friend, Yukari-chan. My best friend. And, from what you’ve said just now, I think you will be good to my brother.”

“Shouldn’t you say the same thing to Fuuka? That is, if she does have feelings for Arisato-kun.”

“What, you want me to push Fuuka-san as well? Would you accept that?”

Yukari opened and closed her mouth several times, with a hurt expression. Minako then clarified her stance. “I won’t be pressuring Fuuka-san to do it. I can see that she’s still hesitant, and if I push her into it, I feel like she’s just going to retreat even more.”

“Yet you’re okay with pushing me this much?” huffed Yukari.

“I know you can take it.”

Yukari groaned some more. When it didn’t seem that Yukari’s going to say anything, Minako offered her help.

“How about I ask him about his feelings for you?”

“Please don’t. I don’t think I can handle knowing, whatever his feelings may be.”

“I’m still gonna ask him, you know.”

“Fine! Just don’t tell me then. I'd rather do this on my own.”

Yukari then stood up from the bed and began walking to the door. “I’m going back to my room. I guess I have some stuff to think about.”

“Night, Yukari-chan. Maybe you can have a good dream about my dashing brother tonight.” teased Minako one last time.

“I hate you sometimes.” groaned Yukari as she opened the door.

“Love you too!”

== July 11th, 2009 ==

That night, Chairman Ikutsuki visited the dorm. The meeting began with Mitsuru reporting their latest operation. Though Minako noticed that Mitsuru seemed to only briefly summarize some parts.

“So, that’s what happened on the night of the 7th.” concluded Mitsuru. “It was a difficult operation.”

“I see. They’re getting tougher.” said Ikutsuki. “But it’s not all bad news. I called today’s meeting because–”

“I’m sorry.” interrupted Yukari. “Before we go on, I’d like to ask Mitsuru-senpai something.”

Mitsuru was confused by Yukari’s statement. “Me?”

Nodding, Yukari then continued. “Since I joined, so many things have happened. I went along with it, without really understanding what was going on… But now, I need to know.”

Yukari took a deep breath before asking her question. “I’m gonna ask you straight out. You’ve been hiding something from us, haven’t you senpai? You act like you don’t know anything about the Dark Hour and Tartarus. But they’re related to that accident ten years ago, aren’t they?”

Minako felt her stomach twist when Yukari mentioned something about an incident. What kind of accident was it? Did it coincide with the day her family suddenly got reduced to two people? And why does Yukari think Kirijo group has anything to do with it?

Junpei asked Yukari straight out of curiosity. “What accident?”

Fuuka suddenly looked fearful. “Y-Yukari-chan…” Minako wondered what Fuuka already knew. Did it have something to do with what she wanted to talk with Yukari the other day?

“It’s okay, Fuuka.” assuage Yukari before she continued with her inquiry. “There was an explosion near our school, and a lot of people died. It must’ve been big news back then. You know about it, don’t you?”

“...Yes.” Mitsuru hesitantly answered.

“Luckily, no students were injured, but… around the same time, a large number of students were recorded as absent. Seems like more than just a coincidence.”

“What do you mean?” asked Mitsuru.

“I dug up some old school records, and found something interesting.” replied Yukari. “The students who were absent… They all collapsed suddenly, and had to be hospitalized. Sound familiar? You know, like the girls who bullied Fuuka.”

Mitsuru’s expression turned sorrowful, and she looked away from Yukari. Yukari wasn’t satisfied from just the silent acceptance, and pushed further. “There has to be an explanation! What really happened on the day of that accident? The Kirijo Group built our school, so you must know something! Tell me the truth!”

Minako felt slightly unnerved by Yukari’s insistence. That was the first time she saw her best friend that confrontational. She wanted to say something to calm Yukari’s anger a bit, but she couldn’t find a word that wouldn’t just irritate Yukari even further.

Mitsuru, on the other hand, took a few moments to compose herself before giving her answer. “I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you. It just never seemed relevant. But…”

Mitsuru then looked down, seemingly hesitant to explain further. Before anyone could ask anything, Ikutsuki interjected. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault.”

Minako’s curiosity just peaked. Whatever it is that happened, it seemed to cause Mitsuru great distress. She then addressed the group. “Alright. I’ll tell you the whole story.”

Mitsuru took a deep breath before starting her explanation. “The Shadows have many mysterious abilities. Some research indicates that they can even affect time and space. We think of them as our enemies, but what if we can use them to our advantage? They would be a source of unimaginable power, wouldn’t they?”

The group, except for Akihiko and Ikutsuki, gasped at Mitsuru’s words. Was that really what the Kirijo Group was thinking?

Mitsuru continued, “Fourteen years ago, one man pursued this line of thinking… He was the former leader of the Kirijo Group, Koetsu Kirijo… My grandfather. He was obsessed with Shadows. He wanted to harness their power and create something extraordinary.”

Fuuka couldn’t believe what she had heard. “Harness… their power?”

Mitsuru nodded and continued her story. “He assembled a team of scientists, and over several years collected a significant number of Shadows.”

“He what?! Damn, that’s freakin’ crazy!” exclaimed Junpei.

Mitsuru’s expression then turned grim. “However, ten years ago during the final stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power. Consequently, the very nature of the world was altered.”

“You mean…” muttered Fuuka.

“Yes, Tartarus… and the Dark Hour.”

Another series of gasps came out from the group. Minako herself was stunned into silence. She definitely wasn’t expecting the Kirijo Group to be directly responsible for the Dark Hour.

“By their account, the mass of Shadows they collected split into several large ones that then dispersed. These are the Shadows we’ve been encountering on nights when the moon is full.”

“Is that why they’ve appeared in different places?” inquired Fuuka.

“Wait a minute…” interjected Yukari. “If what you said is true, then why did our school turn into Tartarus? Wait… Don’t tell me… That’s where they conducted the experiment?!”

“Yes… For both of your questions.” answered Mitsuru.

“Then… those students who were hospitalized…” Yukari inquired further.

“I’m afraid it’s just as you’re thinking.” confirmed Mitsuru. “Port Island must have been an ideal location for them. It was a highly populated area, and the Kirijo Group had influence there. They could do as they pleased. As you guessed, the experiment ten years ago was conducted at Gekkoukan High School.”

Everyone went silent for a few moments to take it all in. Minako thought that all of it just went crazier with each new information. Tartarus, the Dark Hour, the Shadows that appeared on the full moon, all of it could be traced back to that single experiment and accident. All of it was because of one man’s ambition.

Minako then briefly wondered if the accident actually did connect to her family’s death. She quickly shook the thought away, remembering that the accident that claimed her parents’ life was on the Moonlight Bridge, quite far away from Gekkoukan High School.

Yukari was the first to speak up afterwards. “Does that mean, all we’ve been doing is cleaning up their mess?! You lied to us?!”

“Yukari-san, I think that’s going too far.” interjected Minato.

“But that is the truth, isn’t it?!” snapped Yukari. She then turned to Akihiko. “And you knew too, didn’t you senpai?! They’ve just been using us! Or do you not care as long as you get to fight?”

“That’s not true. I have my reasons…” defended Akihiko, looking remorseful.

“Think what you’d like. It was my decision not to share that information.” stated Mitsuru. “I’m sorry…”

Mitsuru continued her explanation. “I never intended to deceive you. Convincing you to join SEES was my highest priority. As absurd as it may seem, only we – with our Personas – can fight the Shadows.”

Yukari was still feeling bitter. “How could you…?!” she spat out.

Mitsuru then looked away and muttered, “Besides, some of us were never given a choice.”

Minako was alarmed by Mitsuru’s words. “W-What do you mean by that?”

Before Mitsuru could answer, Akihiko stopped her. “Mitsuru, don’t…”

Minako turned her attention to Akihiko. “Why? Why shouldn’t she–”

“It’s not something that you can just share!” shouted Akihiko. His voice then softened. “Just… leave it for now.”

Ikutsuki then spoke up, trying to defuse the tension in the room. “Yukari, it’s those in the past who are to blame. And they lost their lives as a result of what they did… We’re all in the same boat here; none of us deserve the burden that’s been thrust upon us.”

“But…” Yukari still had a hard time accepting it.

Ikutsuki just continued along. “It’s been ten years since that incident. No one knows why those Shadows suddenly returned. But since they’re active, at least we can find and destroy them. Do you realize what this means?”

Everyone’s attention shifted to Ikutsuki. Noone answered, confused on what Ikutsuki implied. Ikutsuki then gave his explanation. “What if I told you that those twelve Shadows are the cause of everything?”

“Then, if we defeat them all, Tartarus and the Dark Hour will disappear?” said Akihiko in disbelief.

Ikutsuki nodded. “Exactly! That’s what I was going to tell you earlier. See, it’s good news, isn’t it?”

“Is that true?!” Fuuka was bewildered.

“There’s evidence to support it.” stated Ikutsuki.

“Can we see that evidence?” asked Minato.

Ikutsuki went silent for a few seconds. He then smiled towards Minato. “I’m glad you asked. I observed that each time you’ve taken down one of those special Shadows, the number of the Lost seemed to have decreased. The same cannot be said whenever Mitsuru or Akihiko defeated a roaming Shadow outside of Tartarus back then. That would mean these Shadows have more influence on the Dark Hour and the Lost as a whole.”

Minato seemed to ponder Ikutsuki’s words. Minako could see the logic behind Ikutsuki’s argument, but felt there’s more. “Is that all?” inquired Minako.

“Well, the Kirijo Group did find more evidence.” replied Ikutsuki. “Unfortunately, I do not have it in hand right now. I’ll show you the evidence once I manage to get it.”

Ikutsuki continued. “Now, we know what we need to do. Regardless of what’s happened in the past, we must fight to protect the people. The Shadows are gaining strength. We can’t afford to just wait for them. And there are many mysteries still surrounding Tartarus. Why did such a gigantic structure appear in the first place? The answer must lie within it.”

Even with Ikutsuki’s ‘good news’, Minako could still sense that everyone was tense, and it was the worst between Yukari and Mitsuru. Without saying another word, one by one all of them got out of the meeting room, with Yukari leaving first and Mitsuru the last. With a lot of things on her mind, Minako felt a little overwhelmed. She could use a little distraction. With that in mind, she decided to follow her brother to Chagall Cafe to relax.

== July 13th, 2009 ==

At lunchtime, the twins decided to talk some more on the roof. Minato was just visited last night by Pharos. Concerned with some of Pharos’ words, Minato wanted to discuss it a bit with his sister.

“Another visit from Pharos, huh?” murmured Minako. “Looks like he’s starting to appear twice; once before the full moon to warn you, another after to congratulate you.”

“I felt my bond getting stronger with each visit too.” added Minato. “Well, he hasn’t misled us with wrong information so far. In fact, his first warning did let us prepare a bit.”

“Not prepared enough, if I have to say. Couldn’t his warnings be a little clearer?”

“Maybe he just doesn’t know beyond a vague feeling. He is amnesiac, after all. Anyway, his words last night made me worried. He said that ‘the end’ he sensed had something to do with an accident that happened ten years ago.”

“Ten years ago… Is he referring to that incident Mitsuru-senpai told us?”

“Possible. When I asked him about it, he just said he doesn’t know any more.”

“Wait, didn’t Pharos say some time ago that the end is still coming? Does that mean whatever happened then was less of an experiment and more actual demon summoning ritual? You know, we joked about the Shadows being some kind of early sign of a demon coming, but I’d hate it if it was proven right.”

“Well, Ikutsuki did say that destroying those Shadows would erase the Dark Hour. Maybe it will stop the monster as well?”

“Then the Shadows were more like heralds or beacons for that monster? And if we kill them, the monster can’t come anymore? I sure hope that’s the case.”

“We can only hope that is the case. On a different note, Pharos randomly asked about the fact that our parents died ten years ago as well.”

“Why would he ask that? Is he implying that our parents' deaths are connected to that incident? And how did he know about that?!”

“That’s what I thought too. But when I asked him, he again answered that he doesn’t know. As for how he knows… Maybe I should’ve asked him that yesterday.”

“Go ask him the next time he shows up! Either that ghost can read your mind, or he’s actually stalking you 24/7.”

“I get the hunch that he’s just going to answer with something along ‘I’m with you’ or the like.”

“Urgh, he’s really good at making us uncomfortable.” groaned Minako. “As for the incident, I did think about it as well, during the meeting. I quickly dismissed it, though. We were at the Moonlight Bridge, quite far away from Gekkoukan High.”

“Perhaps. But it doesn’t have to be the explosion itself that caused it, right?”

“What, it was because of the flying debris? If there were debris that flew that far, wouldn’t the bridge, and everything near Gekkoukan High, suffer more damage than that?”

“No, not the debris. Remember, Mitsuru-senpai said the Shadows that were amassed then split up and went in different directions.”

“So you’re saying that one of the Shadows was the cause.”

“We haven’t found any on the Moonlight Bridge, but if it's true, we’ll find it eventually.”

The twins went silent for a few minutes. Minato could see that his sister was getting more and more distressed as they talked about this. He wanted to shift the topic, but he couldn’t find anything. Luckily, Minako spoke up about it.

“Okay, enough of that. Let’s talk about something else. Did you notice that everyone seems to be on edge these two days?”

“I did. It’s really making it awkward to see anyone. Not to mention, it’s also making everyone unwilling to go exploring Tartarus. Do you have something in mind to help?”

“I was hoping you can come up with something. Yukari-chan’s barely talked to me lately, so I can’t have a heart-to-heart even if I wanted to. It was awkward trying to come up to Mitsuru-senpai. Akihiko-senpai seemed to be in his own mind most of the time. And Fuuka-san seemed busy with something too. The only ones I can talk to are you and Junpei.”

“I guess getting everyone together would be a good start.”

“That would make the most awkward gathering we have.”

“It’s better than nothing.”

“Then what?”

“That’s…”

Minato was stumped. He could tell that the few ideas he thought of would be met with cold shoulders. The best idea would be to talk to each of them individually, but that wouldn’t work with most of them unwilling to even talk. Minato then started rubbing the back of his neck in defeat.

“Okay, you have a point. I got nothing.”

Minako also slumped in defeat. “Urgh, I really don’t like this… But, you’re right that getting them together would be a good start. Then maybe–”

The bell then rang out, signaling that lunchtime is over. That surprised the twins, and they hurriedly went back to class.

Come nighttime in the dorm, Minako had gathered everyone in the lounge, much to Minato’s confusion. She was standing on one end of the table. Minato could tell that she was still very nervous. Meanwhile, Yukari was looking away from the group, and Mitsuru was looking down to her feet in a downcast expression.

“Alright, we’re here.” Yukari addressed Minako. “What do you want?”

“Um, I…” muttered Minako. “I just want to talk.”

Minato started to feel conflicted to just let Minako do this on her own. It seemed his sister didn’t manage to come up with anything. The problem was, he didn’t come up with anything either.

“Okay… What do you want to talk about?” asked Yukari.

“That’s… Um…” stammered Minako.

“Y-you know, it’s almost summer break.” Fuuka nervously spoke up. “Do you have any plans?”

Minato silently thanked Fuuka for helping Minako out. He would need to get her a gift and thank her later.

Junpei responded “I wish I could go to the beach. Hot sand, cool breeze… Babes in bikinis… Man it sure would be nice. Somewhere in the South, where the water is crystal clear.”

Junpei then groaned. “But first, we have exams to worry about… Ugh, what a drag…”

“Now, now. You’ll be fine.” assured Fuuka. “But yeah, I’d love to go somewhere famous for its beautiful beaches, like Okinawa.”

Ikutsuki’s voice was then heard coming from the dorm entrance. “Well, it’s not Okinawa, but how about Yakushima?”

Everyone was surprised to hear from Ikutsuki. When they turned their attention to the door, they saw Ikutsuki walking from the entrance to the lounge.

Mitsuru quickly stood up and addressed Ikutsuki. “Mr. Chairman, I didn’t realize you were here.”

“I happened to be in the area, so I thought I’d drop by and tell you my schedule for next week.” responded Ikutsuki. “Mitsuru, your father will be vacationing in Yakushima during the break.”

“He will…?” murmured Mitsuru.

Ikutsuki then turned to the rest of the group. “You’ll all have some time off after exams, right? Why don’t you go and pay him a surprise visit?”

Junpei quickly became excited. “Seriously?! We’re going on a trip?! YES! Beach babes, here I come!”

“You’re always such a perv, Stupei.” sighed Yukari.

“How about it, Mitsuru?” Ikutsuki questioned Mitsuru.

“But, my father is a busy man. I don’t want to ruin his vacation.” deflected Mitsuru.

“Haha, don’t worry.” laughed Ikutsuki. “No father would be upset with a daughter who came all that way to see him.”

Mitsuru was flustered by Ikutsuki’s argument. Ikutsuki then addressed the group again. “You’ve all done a great job. You deserve to relax for a while. We already know when the next operation will be, so it should be fine.

Mitsuru then looked toward the rest of the group. Minato could see that she was still slightly hesitant. But as she looked over everyone else, her expression softened.

“Alright.” she relented. “I guess everyone needs a break now and then. Let’s do it.”

“The beach, huh?” muttered Akihiko to himself. “I should design a special training regiment.”

“I’ll need to buy a swimsuit. My old one is from back when I was in elementary school.” said Fuuka.

“I’ll join you then. I could use a new one.” added Yukari.

“Me too. It should be fun shopping with all three of us!” exclaimed Minako.

“I could help you girls out.” said Junpei with a smirk. “I mean, extra advice can’t hurt, now can it?”

“Urgh, don’t even try, Junpei.” huffed Yukari. “I know what you’re really after.”

Minato then gripped Junpei’s shoulder hard, causing the capped boy to yowl in pain. “Junpei…” growled Minato while glaring at Junpei.

“Sorry, sorry!” sputtered Junpei as he winced in pain.

“Oh yeah! Mitsuru-senpai, do you…” Minako’s voice trailed off as she realized that the third year was no longer there.

Yukari then ran after her to the stairs. Minako was about to follow her, but Minato stopped her by grabbing her on the wrist while shaking his head. If his hunch is right, Yukari should be able to resolve some of her resentment towards Mitsuru by talking to her. Minato hoped it would alleviate the biggest tension in the group.

Minato then whispered to his sister. “I got the cake in my room. Do you want to celebrate there or should I bring it to your room?”

Minako excitedly whispered back. “Let’s just do it in your room. After Yukari-chan finished talking with Mitsuru-senpai, I’m gonna go grab something from my room.”

Nodding in agreement, Minato then waited while listening to the others. After a few minutes, Minako walked over to the stairs, checking if Yukari and Mitsuru were still talking. When Minako gave the signal that they’ve already left, Minato walked over to the stairs while Minako practically ran to her room. Inside his room, Minato prepared the cake and placed it on top of his desk. He also prepared his present to Minako. A few minutes later, Minako opened the door with a big smile plastered on her face.

“I’m here! Let’s get started!” said Minako.

Minato smiled back. “Let’s go then. The cake is ready.”

While Minato worked on lighting the candle, Minako walked over to his side. After singing a short happy birthday in a low voice, they blew on the candle together. After seeing the candle already blown out, they chuckled between each other and embraced each other in a hug.

“Happy birthday, Minato-nii!” said Minako.

“Happy birthday to you too, Mina.”

They broke off from the hug soon after. Minako then breathed out small sigh of relief. “I’m glad we can still do this. I was afraid that things would still be too awkward in the dorm.”

They had planned to celebrate their birthday earlier in Wildduck if needed. But they quickly decided against it, feeling bad to just have fun while their friends were being all tense. It was a good thing the tension had pretty much disappeared that night, so they could have their little celebration in peace.

“We could thank Ikutsuki-san for that. His idea really helped the team relax. Now, if only he could stop bringing stupid puns every time he visits…”

“What do you mean…?” drawled out Minako.

“Mina, please…” pleaded Minato. “You even agreed that his pun sucks.”

Minako’s smirk just got wider. “That just means he needs to improve. And we can help him with that.”

“I really will make sure you don’t get near him.”

“Kidding, kidding.”

Minato sighed while shaking his head. “So, do you want to continue with the next part?”

“Of course! The presents!”

Both of them then put the presents behind their backs. After they counted to three, they held out the presents to the other at the same time. They then deftly exchanged the presents, and practically tearing open the wrappers at the same time.

Minako beamed when she saw what she got: a couple of music CDs. “This is awesome! One of it is even that new rising star Risette!”

“I like what you got me as well.” Minako just got him a silver wristwatch, which he promptly wore.

“It’s a little too bad we can’t do anything more.” lamented Minako. “I’d give you something better if I could.”

“Likewise. But this is all we can do right now.”

The twins reminded again of the time when their parents were still alive, of the time when their parents celebrate their birthday. Minako sometimes would run around with party streamers in hand, with their father chasing after her. Meanwhile, their mother would have Minato sitting on her lap, enveloping him in a hug. Minato smiled fondly at the memory.

“Furthermore, I don’t think we can be too loud. Remember, our friends are still studying right now.” continued Minato.

“Urgh, why did you have to remind me of the exam?” groaned Minako.

“No matter what, we still need to study.”

“C’mon, it’s our birthday. Can’t you just let me forget it for a few more minutes?”

“No can do.” stated Minato while ruffling her hair, which made her pout even more. “How about this, we’ll eat the cake, then we can study together? How’s that sound?”

“Fine…”

The twins went silent for a few moments. Then, Minako went and hugged her brother. Minato promptly returned the hug.

“Again, happy birthday, Minato-nii.”

“Happy birthday, Mina.”

== July 18th, 2009 ==

For the last few days, everyone was focused on the exams. The occasional studying together with the group helped, but Minako could still feel her head straining each day. A few times she glanced back at her brother, and each time she saw that Minato just had the same impassive expression he always had. Was he seriously not struggling with this?! She saw that Yukari was lightly scowling and Junpei’s face paled as they looked over their exams, so she knew that she’s not alone in her struggle. After the last day, she could feel a massive relief in her mind, with Junpei the first one to announce his excitement.

“I’m done, baby!” shouted Junpei. “The dark days of testing are finally over! The sun is shinin’ bright!”

“So how’d you all do?” asked Minako.

“Check it out! I aced P.E.!” replied Junpei.

Minako rolled her eyes at Junpei’s answer. “Predicted. How about you two?”

“Some of them are kinda evil.” answered Yukari. “How did they come up with those questions? If it weren’t for our study sessions together, I’m not confident I could pass.”

“Tell me about it.” added Minako.

“They were quite surprising.” answered Minato. “Some of those are hardly what you expect from the materials in class. I’m not sure I got them right.”

Minako felt slightly annoyed that her brother said all that with the same calm expression he had. “If I didn’t know you, I would’ve called you out for lying.”

“Well, you know I’m not.”

“Let’s not dwell on our dark past.” interjected Junpei. “How about we look forward to our bright future? Y’know, Yakushima?”

“Oh yeah, that’s coming up soon, huh?” mused Yukari. “Are you both ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be!” answered Minako.

“Yeah, I’m prepared.” replied Minato.

“Guess I should start getting ready, huh?” muttered Yukari.

“You haven’t packed, Yukari-chan?” inquired Minako.

“You have?! You’re really enthusiastic about this, aren’t you?”

Minako felt that Yukari’s tone was lower than what she usually heard from her. Acting on her suspicion, she decided to probe further. “Yukari-chan, are you still feeling down from that talk the other day?”

“Oh, it’s nothing big like that.” Yukari brushed it off. “I guess I’m just bummed over that last test. Well, maybe hanging out with you guys would help. Do you wanna do something?”

Minako suspected that was not the case. But she figured that Yukari might be just shy talking about it with everyone. Maybe she can try talking about it one-on-one later. For now, being with her as a friend would suffice. “Sure, I’m down with that.”

Minato nodded. “I’m good as well.”

“Looks like we’re all in agreement.” confirmed Junpei. “So, where we goin’?”

“Probably just hanging around Paulownia Mall.” clarified Yukari. “I’m gonna go grab my stuff from the locker room. Oh, let’s invite Fuuka too.”

“Good idea. Let’s go then.” said Minako.

After inviting Fuuka, everyone walked over to the front door. Fuuka happily accepted the invitation, and Minako was excited to have almost everyone in SEES to hangout. Moreover, Akihiko randomly tagged along when they arrived at the front door. He didn’t say anything on why he just walked along with them, but Minako sure won’t deny the chance of hanging out with him.

“Freedom at last! What should I do now?!” shouted Junpei.

“It’s not freedom yet until we get out of that gate! Don’t slack off near the finish line, Junpei!” exclaimed Minako while slinging her arm around Junpei’s neck.

“How are you two still having so much energy?” sighed Yukari.

“Now now, Yukari-chan. It’s okay for them to have some fun.” uttered Fuuka.

“Thanks for hanging out with us, Akihiko-senpai.” chirped Minako.

“Actually, I’m just going to tag along for a short while.” clarified Akihiko. “Ikutsuki-san called me, saying something about a new candidate.”

“Does that mean another person is going to join?” asked Yukari.

“Maybe…” replied Akihiko.

Suddenly a chipper voice shouted from behind them. “Fuuka!”

Minako recognized that voice as the one belonging to Natsuki Moriyama, former bully turned friend of Fuuka. She was happy seeing Natsuki turn a new leaf, and seeing their friendship grow so close was a further cherry on top.

The group turned around to see Natsuki run towards them. After Natsuki greeted the group, Fuuka asked her, “What’s wrong, Natsuki-chan?”

“Do you think you can stay after school with me for a mandatory study session? There’s like, no one–” Natsuki abruptly cut herself off as she realized something. “Oh, you’re going back to your ‘home’ home today, huh? Okay, then never mind.”

Just as Natsuki started walking away looking dejected, Fuuka stopped her. “Hey, wait! It’s okay, let’s go.”

Fuuka then turned back to the group and apologized. “Sorry, I’ll see you all later back at the dorm.”

Fuuka then walked back into the school with Natsuki. Minako was slightly bummed that Fuuka couldn’t hangout with them, but she couldn’t help feeling happy seeing her growing friendship.

“I’m really surprised at how much she’s changed.” commented Junpei.

“Indeed.” affirmed Minako. “But it’s a nice kind of surprise.”

“Ah, friendship… How beautiful!” Ikutsuki’s voice rang out from the school gates. “Adolescence is such a wonderful thing! So full of vibrancy!”

Everyone saw Ikutsuki walking towards them as they turned around. Walking beside him was a young boy with short brown hair, probably no older than 11 years old. He was wearing an orange vest on top of a white shirt with black shorts. Minako recognizes him as Ken Amada, the boy she saw talking to Yukari and Junpei at the shrine about a month ago.

Ikutsuki continued. “Hello. I just stopped by to pick him up. So, I might as well introduce him to you now.”

“Oh, looks like we know each other already. Isn’t that right, Ken-kun?” interjected Yukari.

“Yes.” Ken nodded.

“Wait, you know him…?!” exclaimed Akihiko.

“Yeah. We met at the shrine the other day and we just talked with each other.” clarified Yukari.

“But… Why are you picking him up, Ikutsuki-san?” asked Junpei.

“Well, he doesn’t leave during the break because of his… circumstances.” Ikutsuki started explaining.

“Oh, I heard about that…” Yukari’s tone turned solemn. “Something about his parents…”

“It was only me and my mom, but she got in an accident, and she… she died.” Ken explained his story. “It happened two years ago.”

A wave of uneasiness washed over the entire group. Minako was sad to see yet another child lose their parents at such a young age. She could sympathize, but at the same time she was impressed with Ken who seemed to be able to stand strong in just two years after that. She remembered she was still very nervous and scared two years after the incident. Both of them were quite unwilling to separate from each other, afraid that they would lose the other. She unconsciously grabbed Minato’s arm, and only noticed it after Minato grabbed her hand.

Ikutsuki continued his explanation. “Right now, one of his distant relatives is paying for his school expenses. But, staying at the elementary dorm all by himself isn’t proper for a child his age. So, I decided to move him to your dorm for the summer.”

Yukari was surprised by Ikutsuki’s decision. “To OUR dorm?! Do you really think that’s a good idea?!”

“Why, of course. He has the potential.” replied Ikutsuki.

Everyone was equally shocked by the surprise Ikutsuki just dropped on them. “Then, he’s the new candidate?” asked Akihiko.

“Yes.” confirmed Ikutsuki. “But, as you can see, he’s still an elementary school student. So, it is merely a possibility for now.”

Minako was feeling conflicted by this situation. While getting new allies and friends is always welcomed, she was hesitant to bring a child into this dangerous business. They’re not completely mature adults themselves, but dragging Ken along in this felt wrong to her. Why was Ikutsuki okay with this? Was he okay with just anyone who could fight?

Ken seemed to notice something when he saw Akihiko. He then skipped over to Akihiko, with eyes sparkling in excitement. “Are you… Akihiko Sanada?” inquired Ken.

“Um… yeah…” stammered Akihiko.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. You haven’t lost a boxing match yet!” Minako could see that Ken was starstruck. She didn’t expect Akihiko to be Ken’s idol.

“Yeah, well… It’s nice to meet you.” Akihiko was clearly unsure what he needed to do.

Ken stood there for a few minutes being starstruck. When it became obvious he won’t stop anytime soon, Ikutsuki cleared his throat to get his attention. “Now then, Amada-san. We need to go back to your dorm to process the transfer.”

Ken snapped back to attention from Ikutsuki’s words. “Oh, right! Well, goodbye for now. I’ll see you later.”

Ikutsuki then walked away towards the elementary school dorm, with Ken following suit. The second years soon walked towards the gate, but Minako noticed that Akihiko was not following them. Looking back, she saw that Akihiko was still standing there, lost in thought. She’s curious about what Akihiko was thinking, but she figured that she wouldn’t be able to get it out of him. For now, she should just focus on hanging out with her friends.

Chapter Text

== July 20th, 2009 ==

The long awaited trip to Yakushima finally arrived. Minako could barely contain her excitement as she grabbed her suitcase and rushed over to the living room, earning a groan from Yukari. During the entire trip to the harbor and on the ship, it became increasingly clear that she and Junpei were the only ones showing any excitement over the trip, as everyone else was relatively silent.

As the ship sailed close to its destination, Junpei looked over in excitement. “There it is! YA-KU-SHI-MA!” shouted Junpei.

“This is our time!” Minako joined in Junpei’s excitement. “This is where we will take what’s rightfully ours!”

“Noone can stop us now!” 

“They can try!”

“But they might as well try to stop time!” chorused Minako and Junpei together while making weird poses each time.

Yukari rolled her eyes at the two antics. “Urgh, we haven’t arrived yet and those two are already going nuts.”

“Honestly, she’s calmer than in the last trip I remembered.” intoned Minato.

“Seriously?” sighed Yukari. 

“Well, it’s nice seeing them this happy. I think it helps lift everyone’s mood.” said Fuuka.

“I guess.” Yukari breathed out.

Yukari’s reaction made Minako feel relieved internally. While there’s still a heavy atmosphere, it seemed to have relaxed a little.

After the ship arrived, Mitsuru silently led everyone to the mansion where they would be staying. As soon as they arrived, Minako could only gape at the sight. Her friends weren’t any different, with Fuuka being the first one to voice their astonishment.

“Wow…” muttered Fuuka.

“It’s like we’re in an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Fabulous…” murmured Junpei.

Soon after, two maids walked towards them and greeted Mitsuru in unison. “Welcome back, Milady.”

With a nod, Mitsuru addressed the maids. “We won’t be here long, but I’ll be relying on you during our stay.”

“You have maids…?” Yukari was still in disbelief.

“And you must be her schoolmates, correct?” one of the maids confirmed. “Welcome to the Kirijo vacation home. Please, follow me.”

“Um, is this the right place?” Yukari was even more confused.

“Dude, real-life maids..” and Junpei was even more dumbstruck.

“We hear about the Kirijo Group importance all the time, but seeing it firsthand is…” muttered Fuuka.

As they walked down the hallway, an older gentleman walked towards them from the opposite end of the hall. The gentleman was wearing a gray suit and black vest over a white shirt. Minako’s attention was drawn to his eyepatch over his right eye, wondering why he wore that. But the way he stared over to the group intimidated Minako, so she didn’t say anything.

As the gentleman walked past the group, Mitsuru spoke up. “It’s good to see you.”

The gentleman only stopped for a short time to look back at Mitsuru, before continuing to walk away. Minako observed that her friends were also unnerved by the older man.

“Was that…” said Fuuka.

“...her father?” Yukari finished Fuuka’s question.

“Dude, talk about scary!” commented Junpei. “He’s not gonna make us walk the plank, is he?”

“Don’t be stupid…” admonished Akihiko.

Mitsuru seemed to ignore the less-than-flattering comments. “We won’t be here long, but make yourself at home.”

Junpei quickly regained his excitement. “Sweet, this is gonna rock! Hey, wanna go to the beach? It’s right there. Dude, this place rules! Come on, let’s go!”

“I thought you never asked, Junpei!” exclaimed Minako. “Onward, march!”

Yukari promptly grabbed Minako by the arm. “Slow down, already. We need to get changed first, remember?”

“Then I’ll see ya there!” chirped Junpei. “I’m not gonna waste a single minute!”

“Guess we’ll split up for now. I’ll try to keep an eye on Junpei.” said Minato as he followed Junpei out of the mansion.

Minako and the girls then followed the maids to their respective rooms. Inside, she changed into the swimsuit she bought on the shopping trip with Yukari and Fuuka. Looking at it over, she realized that it was quite daring. The design was a simple pink bikini, but it wasn’t exactly modest either. Yukari insisted that it would be perfect for her. Well, maybe she could use it to see how a certain senpai would react to it…

After she finished changing, she grabbed her bag and reconvened with the girls. At the beach, Minako could see Junpei and Akihiko talking with each other, with Junpei practically shouting. As soon as Minako saw what Akihiko was wearing, she felt her cheeks beginning to heat up. Akihiko’s swimwear was so tiny! Yukari’s own comment confirmed that she’s not the only one who thought that.

“Yikes, what’s with Akihiko-senpai’s swimsuit? I can feel my face getting red just looking at it…”

“Shouldn't you be seeing Minato-nii?!” snarked Minako.

“Oh, come on! You can see what Akihiko-senpai is wearing, right?!” retorted Yukari.

“Yo, about time you guys got here.” greeted Akihiko.

“S-S-Senpai… W-W-Why are you wearing…” stuttered Minako.

“Oh, this?” answered Akihiko. “It’s just the most optimal choice for swimwear. It reduces water resistance and–”

Yukari quickly interrupted Akihiko’s explanation. “Oh, that’s okay… It doesn’t need to be justified.”

“Sorry. Maybe we should’ve gone for a boys shopping trip ourselves.” apologized Minato.

“Why?” Akihiko sounds genuinely confused.

“It’s nothing, senpai.” replied Minato.

“Huh?” Akihiko was even more confused by Minato’s reply.

“Hey Junpei, what’s the matter? You look even dumber than usual.” asked Yukari.

Shifting her attention to Junpei, Minako saw a huge grin plastered on Junpei’s face. “Maaan… Talk about a feast for the eyes, haha.”

Hearing that, Minato glared at Junpei. “Junpei, if I hear anything stupid from that mouth…” drawled Minato.

Junpei quickly shrink away from Minato’s intimidation, and Minako could only sigh at Junpei’s antics. Soon after, Fuuka came over to them. “Is that umbrella taken?” inquired Fuuka.

Junpei was about to say something, but Minato quickly pulled him back. “Junpei, it might be a good idea to not say anything that will earn you the wrath of the girls. Or me.” advised Minato.

“What?! It’s all in good fun.” Junpei sounds indignant. “Right, Yuka-tan?” 

“Considering it’s you, doubt it.” scoffed Yukari.

Mitsuru arrived shortly afterwards. When Minako saw her, she could see that Mitsuru still carried her aura of grace, especially in her elegant white swimsuit. Yukari and Fuuka apparently had the same thought.

“Wow… Mitsuru-senpai, you’re beautiful…” muttered Fuuka.

“Yeah, your skin is flawless! Did you already put on sunscreen?” asked Yukari.

“N-No, not yet…” Mitsuru was feeling bashful with all the attention.

“Well, that won’t do! C’mon, let’s get that fixed!” said Minako as she dragged Mitsuru to one of the open umbrellas.

“W-Wait, Minako-san! No need to be in a hurry…” Mitsuru protested weakly.

Minako soon had Mitsuru lying down on a towel and the girls began applying sunscreen on her. Well, it’s more Yukari and Fuuka, as Yukari was too eager while Fuuka was too curious, which made Minako let Fuuka do it. While the girls were applying sunscreen, Minako then heard Junpei suddenly shout, “Dude, that’s not what I’m talking about!”

“Huh?! Then what did you talk about?!” retorted Akihiko. “I answered your question, and you’re not satisfied?!”

“Minato here answered it just fine!” snapped Junpei. “How come you missed the point entirely?!”

Curious of what exactly happened between the boys, Minako walked over to them. “What are you guys talking about?” asked Minako.

Junpei was startled by Minako’s arrival. “Uh, um… It’s…”

“It’s nothing.” answered Minato. “It’s just Junpei being stupid.”

“Wait, what?! Why are ya blaming it on me?! Akihiko-senpai is the one being clueless!” Junpei sounded indignant.

“Wha…?! How is it my fault?! You’re the one being unreasonable!” shot back Akihiko.

Minako rolled her eyes at their argument. “So… are you guys actually going to tell me what you were talking about?”

“Like I said, it’s nothing.” replied Minato. “You don’t need to know stuff that makes you feel dumber by listening to it.”

“Hey! Not cool, man!” barked Junpei.

Minako just sighed. Guess she won’t find out anytime soon. “So, are you guys going to argue here all day or are you going to join us?”

“Fine, fine.” groaned Junpei. “Are you girls done?”

Minako looked back to Yukari and the others, only to see them walking towards her. “Apparently yes. Ready to have some fun?” smiled Minako.

“I was born ready!” shouted Junpei.

“Minato, are you up for a little race with me?!” challenged Akihiko.

Minato pondered it for a moment before answering. “No thanks. You go have fun, senpai. I’ll probably just stroll around.”

Akihiko shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Minako followed the girls and got into the water. Mitsuru elected to sit and relax under the umbrella, while she saw Akihiko already started swimming around. Just as her feet were in the water and she was about to enjoy the feeling, she felt water splashed onto her from behind. Turning around, she saw Junpei splash more seawater onto her, Yukari and Fuuka. “Heheheh!, you like it? You like that, huh? No one can resist splashing girls at the beach! Heheh, I’m gonna splash more water on you!” laughed Junpei.

“Eeek!” shrieked Fuuka.

“You-! H-Hey, you’re gonna pay for that!” Yukari quickly bent down and splashed some water back to Junpei.

“Alright, Junpei! You asked for this!” Minako also started splashing water back to Junpei.

Unfortunately, even with Minako and Yukari teaming up against Junpei, it seemed he still had the upper hand. Far more water was splashed their way instead of the other way around, Minako assumed it’s mostly because of Junpei’s enthusiasm. Clicking her tongue in disappointment, she shouted over to Minato. “Minato-nii, toss me what’s inside my bag!”

Minato glanced back and forth between her and her bag near the seat where Mitsuru was relaxing, before walking over to her bag. “I can’t believe you still kept this.” deadpanned Minato.

Minato pulled out something from inside Minako’s bag. It was a small red plastic kickboard. Minato deftly tossed it towards Minako, which she caught. Junpei’s grin got even wider after seeing it. “A kickboard? What, are you planning to run away?”

“Not exactly.” Minako smirked back at Junpei. She already expected Junpei to not realize what she had planned. Using the kickboard like a tray, Minako scooped up the water beside her. Junpei only realized it a split second before a large amount of water splashed like a wave towards him. Dumbfounded for a few seconds, Junpei then protested Minako’s actions. “The heck?! Since when is it fair to bring a weapon like that?!”

“It’s called being prepared, Junpei!” Minako shot back.

“Oh, that’s kinda smart.” remarked Yukari. “Toss me that. I want to get a hit in.”

“Hey, wait!” Junpei looked in horror as Minako passed the kickboard to Yukari and she replicated the stunt. Now emboldened with a new weapon, Minako and Yukari continued splashing water at Junpei while passing the kickboard back and forth between them.

“Damnit, I ain’t going down yet!” Driven with a sense of competition, Junpei doubled his effort, trying to move faster.

The banter between them really made Minako feel at ease. After everything that happened to them, it was always nice to relax and have fun with her friends. Minako silently wished these moments could last longer.

Nighttime, the entire SEES was called to the lounge by Mitsuru’s father. Introduced himself as Takeharu Kirijo, the man said he wished to show everyone what he had learned regarding the Dark Hour.

“From what I understand, Mitsuru has already given you the short version.” Takeharu started. “Well, it’s true… We adults are to blame. If I could’ve atoned for it with my life, I would have done so… Now, I have no choice but to rely on you.”

Mitsuru seemed to shift a little from her father’s words. Minako wondered if she’s still feeling guilty because of her family’s actions.

Takeharu continued, “What my father wanted to create with those monsters’ power… was a time manipulation device.”

“That’s what he was trying to do?” questioned Mitsuru.

Takeharu nodded. “Imagine if you could control the flow of time… eliminate unwanted events before they could occur. With such a device, you could shape the future to your liking.”

“Damn, that’s insane…” commented Junpei.

Takeharu then began scowling. “However, under my father’s direction, the research began to stray from its original goal. In his later years, my father seemed to only have nihilism in his heart. Now that I think about it his madness may have resulted from his struggle to break free from that.”

His expression returned back to normal before continuing. “It’s only natural that you want to know the truth… and it’s my duty to tell you.”

The room then darkened before the television at the end of the room came to life. “What’s this…?” Akihiko was confused.

Takeharu answered. “This is the only existing footage of the accident, recorded by a scientist who was at the scene.”

“ I pray that this recording reaches safe hands… ” a voice came out of the video.

Yukari looked surprised. “That voice…?!”

A man with short brown hair wearing a lab coat and a dress shirt came into view. “ My employer has become obsessed with a loathsome idea. This experiment should have never been conceived. I’m afraid what I’ve done will result in an unprecedented disaster. But if I hadn’t, the entire world may have paid the price.”

“The entire world?” Fuuka was in disbelief over what she just heard.

“ Please, listen carefully. The Shadows that were amassed here have been dispersed as a result of the explosion. To end this nightmare, you must eliminate all of them!”

The video paused for a bit, which made Minako slightly curious. The video continued. “ I am to blame for this. I knew the risks, but I was blinded by the promise of success… And so, I didn’t raise any objections… It is all my fault… ”

Yukari slowly rose up from her seat while muttering, “...Dad…”

Everyone was surprised by what they heard from Yukari. “You mean… that was…?” voiced Fuuka.

When Yukari didn’t answer and instead looked down, Takeharu instead began explaining. “His name was Eiichiro Takeba… He was the head researcher at the time, and a very talented man. But we are the ones who are responsible. We pushed him to continue the research. The Kirijo Group is to blame for his death.”

“I… I can’t believe it…” muttered Mitsuru.

“So, that means… my dad caused it all?” Yukari’s voice was trembling. “The Dark Hour, Tartarus… The people who died in that incident… It was all his fault…?

Akihiko was concerned over Yukari. “Y-You okay?”

Yukari glanced a bit towards Mitsuru. “So, that’s why you were hiding this? Because you felt sorry for me? Is that it?!”

“No, Takeba, I–” stuttered Mitsuru.

“I don’t want your pity!” snapped Yukari before she ran off outside of the room.

Mitsuru got up as well. But instead of following Yukari, she just stood there. Everyone went silent for a few seconds. Minako wanted to talk with Yukari about this, but she also couldn’t find any words to comfort her. Before anyone could say anything, Minato ran off chasing after Yukari. “Oh… Minato-kun should be able to help her, right?” inquired Fuuka.

“I hope…” muttered Mitsuru.

When Mitsuru sat back down, Minako tried to ask Takeharu a small question. “By the way, is this recording the only thing we have left from the research team?”

“Unfortunately yes.” affirmed Takeharu. “The explosion and the subsequent fire destroyed most of the data and corrupted the rest. And then the appearance of the Dark Hour and Tartarus made it even harder to gather any remains. Perhaps if we could’ve found more, we will be able to make more effort to eliminate this curse from ourselves.”

“But at least we know what we need to do.” chirped Junpei, trying to inject some enthusiasm into the atmosphere. “It kinda sucks for Yuka-tan to find out about his dad like that, but now we have a clear path ahead of us.”

“Our goal hasn’t changed.” stated Akihiko. “We need to find all twelve Shadows that will appear on the full moon. This recording was only more confirmation to that.”

“Right! That means we need to make sure we’re prepared!” exclaimed Minako. “We’re still quite far from the barrier Fuuka-san detected, so we’ll need to get to that first.”

Everyone nodded in confirmation. Minako started to feel hopeful about this situation after a long time. The incident may have caused many people to lose their lives and caused so much grief to more people, but perhaps after they’re done, everything could return to normal.

After a few moments of silence, Fuuka then turned concerned. “Um… It’s getting quite late. Where could those two have gone?”

“Right. It’s almost the Dark Hour. It would be unsafe for them to be out in the open.” said Mitsuru.

“I’ll go get ‘em.” volunteered Junpei. “I just need to get ‘em back here, right?”

“Alright then. You’re up, Junpei!” said Minako while pointing at Junpei. “Just make sure you don’t interrupt anything.”

“Oh, you think something might be happening?” smirked Junpei.

“Hm? You don’t want Junpei-kun to interrupt Minato-kun while he’s helping?” inquired Fuuka.

“Hmm… Yeah, let’s go with that.” Junpei just continued grinning. “Well, I’m off!”

After waiting a few minutes, Junpei finally returned with Minato and Yukari. Minako saw that both her brother and Yukari were slightly blushing and looking away from each other, while Junpei was grinning even wider than before. Minako couldn’t hold back her own grin. She was going to have fun grilling Yukari about this.

== July 21st, 2009 ==

The next day, Junpei pestered the boys to go to the beach again. Minato put on his usual swimwear and went to the beach, following a very bouncy Junpei. On the way out, one of the maids stopped him and handed him a letter. He accepted it, and continued following Junpei along with Akihiko. When they arrived at the beach, Junpei shouted in excitement. “We’re here! To have more time on the sea!”

“So much energy so early in the morning. You sure are not wasting any time.” deadpanned Minato.

“No duh!” replied Junpei. “When else can we go to a place like this? We gotta enjoy it while we can, man. Speaking of, Where’re the girls? Are they still not up?”

“Not sure. I didn’t see them anywhere.” answered Akihiko.

“Man, they’re still sleeping? They’re missing out.” chuckled Junpei. “By the way, what’s that you got in your hand, Minato?”

“This?” asked Minato while waving the letter up. “One of the maids gave it to me when we were heading out.”

Junpei quickly snatched the letter from Minato’s hand. “Man, you charmer. You even got a maid to give love letters to you.”

“I don’t think that’s it.” said Akihiko in a skeptical tone.

Junpei opened the letter and read what’s inside. “Let’s see. It says, ‘We’ve gone to see the Jyomon-Cedar Tree’. Huh…?!”

“It looks like Fuuka’s handwriting…” observed Akihiko.

Junpei immediately grew disappointed. “Aw, man. We’re at an island resort in the middle of summer! Why don’t they go to the beach?! That’s just not right!”

“Well, it is your fault.” stated Akihiko.

“Whaddya mean? I-I just wanted to lighten up the mood…” defended Junpei.

“By harassing the girls? I doubt that’s your reason.” Minato voiced his doubt. He knew that Junpei was far worse than Minako in not thinking through his actions.

“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway.” Junpei suddenly sounded determined. “We’re on our own now. Just the guys! If you’re outta ammo, you pick it up on the battlefield! That’s one of the most basic military tactics!”

“Okay, now you’re just reaching.” snarked Minato.

Junpei was undeterred by Minato’s quip. “We’ll call this, Operation Babe Hunt!”

“Babe hunt?” Akihiko was confused. “You mean, like, pick up girls…?”

“What do you think? With you and Minato here, we’re guaranteed to succeed.” Junpei was confident.

“Pass.” interjected Minato. “I’m not interested.”

“Me too.” remarked Akihiko. “This is just ridiculous.”

“Aw, are you two scared?” mocked Junpei.

“Wh-What?!” snapped Akihiko.

Junpei continued to provoke Akihiko. “Hey, I’m not judging you. Most guys would rather back down than lose.”

“C’mon, Senpai. Don’t let him provoke you like that.” sighed Minato.

“I’m not going take his insults lying down! You’re telling me you’re okay with that?!” barked Akihiko.

“I’m actually more surprised it’s that easy to rile you up, Akihiko-senpai.” deadpanned Minato.

“Fine! Do what you want!” snarled Akihiko.

“C’mon, Minato. What’s keepin’ ya?” asked Junpei with a grin.

“You should know full well why I don’t want to.” remarked Minato.

“Yeah, I know…” groaned Junpei. “But this is just for fun! Yuka-tan doesn’t need to know.”

“Still not happening. I’m just going to watch from afar.”

“Well, since both of our leaders are not in this…” said Akihiko. “I’m taking command!”

“Huh?” sputtered Junpei.

“The loser buys dinner at Hagakure when we get back home!” commanded Akihiko further.

“Didn’t I just say this is just for fun?!” shouted Junpei in exasperation.

“Break a leg, you two.” waved Minato.

Operation Babe hunt was a disaster, and there’s no other way to describe it. Minato got to watch Junpei and Akihiko floundering around trying to pick up various girls at the beach and get shot down for their troubles. Minato was slightly amused by the sight, even if it just further confirmed that he made the right choice sitting this out. After a while, they all reconvene with Junpei’s and Akihiko’s spirits thoroughly crushed by the experience.

“Okay, Junpei. What’s going on here?” sighed Akihiko.

“Whaddya mean?” groaned Junpei. “That indirect method of yours isn’t gonna help you score…”

“So you’re saying I should use cheesy come-ons like yours?!” snapped Akihiko.

“I’m glad to come with you guys.” chuckled Minato. “Who knows watching you guys being absolute dorks could be this entertaining.”

“Enjoying the show, aren’t you?” growled Junpei. “Then how about you…”

Noticing Junpei’s voice trailing off, Akihiko asked, “What’s wrong?”

Junpei didn’t answer. Wondering what caught his attention, Minato and Akihiko followed his gaze. They then saw, standing on a simple wooden harbor, a young blonde girl. The girl was wearing a simple blue sundress and what looked like large headphones while staring out to the ocean. It made for a very picturesque image.

Junpei gaped in amazement. “Whoa… Talk about saving the best for last…! Now that’s what I’m talking about! Man, she’s cute…”

“I agree…” muttered Akihiko.

“This is our last chance to make up for failures!” Junpei was growing excited. “Alright, here I go!”

Junpei slowly walked towards the girl while Akihiko watched in suspense, or amusement in Minato’s case. When he got close enough, Junpei tried to strike a conversation with the girl. “H-Hey, h-how’s it going? I noticed you’ve been, uh, staring at the ocean. So, um… do you come here often? My name’s Ju- Ju- Junpei.”

Turning her attention to Junpei, the girl adopted a puzzled look. “Ju- Ju- Junpei?” she muttered in a flat tone.

“Don’t worry, I-I just want to talk.” said Junpei disarmingly. “I mean, it’s more fun than standing here by yourself, isn’t it?”

“...I am looking for a human.” the girl suddenly blurted out.

“O-Oh yeah…?” Junpei sounded confused and hopeful at the same time.

“You are not the one.” stated the girl.

Junpei was shocked by the very sudden and very blunt rejection. Wincing slightly, Akihiko remarked, “Wow, he got shot down faster than I expected.”

“Too bad I don’t have any popcorn.” chuckled Minato.

The girl then continued to stare into the ocean. Hanging his head in defeat, Junpei walked back to Minato and Akihiko. “Sh- She’s a tough one, Senpai…” murmured Junpei.

“Heh… Don’t worry about me.” said Akihiko confidently.

Unlike Junpei, Akihiko walked over to the girl surely and confidently. When he got close, he wasted no time talking to her. “Well, hello there. Say, do you like the ocean?”

The girl threw another confused look at Akihiko. “Is your question directed at me?”

Akihiko was stunned for a moment when the girl asked a question he didn’t expect, but he quickly composed himself. “Oh, um, yeah, I like the ocean too. Hey, I heard triathletes who train at the beach perform better than those who practiced indoors. Makes sense doesn’t it?”

“That type of information is irrelevant to me.” stated the girl in monotone.

Akihiko was stunned silent by that response. Minato chuckled more. “Just about what I expected.”

When Akihiko went back to the group, he somehow turned proud. “Heh, I won… I talked to her longer than you did, Junpei.”

“It doesn’t matter how long you talked to her!” Junpei shot back.

Minato just smiled in amusement watching the two. Feeling irritated, Junpei turned to Minato. “Really appreciate the help there! You mind showing us how it’s done, Mr. Casanova?!”

“Why should I? I already said I’m sitting this one out.” Minato argued back.

“All you did was just stand there and laugh at us! How about you show us you have what it takes instead of just judging us?!” growled Junpei.

“You seemed to know a thing or two, considering your comments.” said Akihiko. “Just think of it as giving us an example.”

“I actually don’t know much, but your attempts were just too amusing to not comment on.” snarked Minato.

“Hey! Now that’s just uncalled for!” shouted Junpei.

“But if it makes you feel better, I can try. Can’t promise I’ll show anything good, though.” said Minato as he walked over to the girl.

The girl seemed to not notice Minato as he walked closer. Minato briefly wondered what it was that drew her attention so much. She didn’t notice when Junpei and Akihiko got closer either. When he got close enough, he tried to get her attention first. “Hello there?” greeted Minato.

The girl seemed surprised as she suddenly turned. “You are…” muttered the girl.

Minato was taken aback by her words. Did she know him from somewhere? Then how come he didn’t remember her? But before he could ask anything, the girl suddenly ran past him and into the woods. Thoroughly confused by the events, Junpei and Akihiko ran over to Minato. “Hey, what did you say to make her run away like that?” accused Junpei.

“I didn’t say much! I just said hello!” defended Minato.

“Well, we still need to go after her and make sure she’s okay.” stated Akihiko. “We can ask her what’s wrong afterwards.”

“Then we need to hurry! It’s probably not too late to catch up with her!” urged Junpei.

The three boys ran into the woods to chase after the girl. But no matter how fast they ran, they couldn’t seem to get any closer. Looked like that girl was more fit than her appearance suggested, Minato thought. Shelving away the thought for now, his priority at the moment was to make sure she’s okay and ask what she knows about him.

Arriving at a large tree, the boys lost track of the blonde girl. “Damnit… Did we lose her?” panted Junpei.

Minato could sense someone was watching them. It was the same feeling he sensed occasionally while on the island. Looking around, he finally saw the girl hiding behind a board. Junpei and Akihiko soon saw her as well. They then gestured towards Minato to make the first move. Nodding in understanding, Minato stepped closer a bit. The girl then came out from behind the board. “I was correct…” muttered the girl.

“Huh?” sputtered Junpei.

The girl then pointed to Minato. “I have found you.”

She then ran up to Minato and grabbed his left hand, startling everyone else. She then stated, “I have been searching for you. My highest priority is to be with you!”

Everyone was definitely in shock from what the girl had said. “WHAT?! I can’t believe this!” exclaimed Junpei.

“What’s going on…?! He barely said anything to her!” said Akihiko in confusion.

“There you guys are!” That was Yukari’s voice! Minato was sure there were going to be misunderstandings if she saw this. But he somehow couldn’t shake his hand free. This girl is far stronger than she looked.

“What are you doing here?! We’ve been looking all over for you!” said Yukari angrily.

“Um… What’re you doing in the middle of the woods, in your swimsuits…?” asked Fuuka.

“You have no idea what we’ve—” She then spotted the girl holding on to Minato. Minato just sighed in resignation. She’s bound to come to the wrong conclusion now.

Yukari quickly ran over to look at Minato and the girl. “Who’s this…?” inquired Yukari while looking at Minato and the girl warily.

“Get away from him!” shouted Minako while physically pushing the girl away. She then stood between Minato and the girl, taking a stance as if she’s covering him from the girl. Minato noticed that she’s trembling. He didn’t expect Minako to be this wary of the girl.

The girl, on the other hand, was unfazed by the two wary stares that Minako and Yukari gave her. She just stared back with a confused expression.

Mitsuru then spoke up, “Listen, we’ve encountered a problem. I’m sorry to interrupt your vacation, but I need you all to go back to the house and prepare for battle.”

They then suddenly heard Ikutsuki speak up from down the path. “That won’t be necessary… We’ve found what we were looking for.”

Everyone turned to Ikutsuki, confused by his statement. “What do you mean?” asked Yukari.

Ikutsuki just walked over to the girl and sighed. “You had me worried. You don’t have permission to leave the lab on your own, Aigis.”

Everyone grew more confused by Ikutsuki’s action. Ikutsuki just laughed it off. “I’ll explain more at the mansion. Follow me.”

Back at the mansion, the boys changed back to their casual wear. All of them then met back in the lounge to hear from Ikutsuki. When the Chairman finally arrived, he quickly started while half-closing the door. “I apologize for all the trouble. Everything is under control now.”

“So, what happened to capturing the tank?” inquired Fuuka.

“What tank?” asked Junpei.

“Oh, that’s been taken care of.” clarified Ikutsuki, ignoring Junpei. “Come in, Aigis.”

The blonde girl walked in the lounge. She was not wearing her blue sundress, so everyone then could see that she was not a normal girl. Her joints were definitely mechanical, her lower arms had metal parts visible, and her feet were shaped more like hoofs instead of normal human feet.

Ikutsuki explained, “This is Aigis. As you can see, she’s a ‘mechanical maiden’.”

Aigis nodded towards the group. “I am Aigis. My mission is to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately.”

Everyone was astonished by what they saw. “No way… It’s like she’s… alive.” Yukari sputtered in disbelief.

“This is unbelievable…” muttered Akihiko.

“She’s so cute, but… she’s a robot…” sighed Junpei.

Ikutsuki continued his explanation. “Anti-Shadow weapons were created ten years ago to combat uncontrollable Shadows. Aigis was the last to be made… and she’s the only one that still remains today.”

“An anti-Shadow weapon… Does that mean she…” asked Mitsuru.

“Yes, I am capable of operating the Persona, ‘Palladion’.” answered Aigis.

Ikutsuki continued, “She suffered major damage in combat and has remained in the lab ever since. It’s still unclear as to why she suddenly reactivated herself this morning. Well, I hope you will all get along.”

Fuuka ran up to Aigis, staring in amazement. “An anti-Shadow weapon with a will of her own… This is amazing!”

“Um… By the way…” interjected Yukari. “When I saw you earlier, it seemed like you knew him…”

Yukari was pointing at him. Minato figured that she wouldn’t let it go. Unfortunately, Aigis’ next words didn’t help matters.

“Yes, it is very important for me to be by his side.”

Yukari grumbled inaudibly at that. On the other hand, Minako quickly pulled him away and warned Aigis. “Okay, back off! I don’t want you anywhere near my brother, you hear me!”

“Whoa, Mina-tan! What’s wrong?” asked Junpei.

At everyone’s questioning stare, Minako withered slightly. “It’s… I just have a bad feeling. I feel I can’t trust Aigis near Minato-nii.”

“Did I do something to disturb you?” inquired Aigis.

“It’s not that!” denied Minako. “It’s… Just… stay away from him!”

“Hmm… It seems you still need some time to warm up to each other.” mused Ikutsuki. “Lucky for you, this place has a wide range of recreational activities available. There’s a tennis court, a pool table… even a karaoke machine. Would you care to hear me sing?”

Everyone paled at hearing Ikutsuki sing, but they did agree that some group activities would be good. Minato thought it would help ease his sister. He couldn’t figure out why Minako was so hostile towards Aigis, when he couldn’t even remember meeting Aigis. He wouldn’t want to upset Minako, but he didn’t want to push away a valuable ally.

== July 22nd, 2009 ==

The next day, everyone agreed to go to the beach in the morning. Minato was still quite happy from last night, and he hoped he could have more fun with his friends. He noticed that Junpei was carrying a backpack. Was he planning something?

“Man, it’s already the third day of our trip.” mumbled Junpei. “It’s too bad we have to go home tomorrow… I’d totally stay longer if I could. But, I can’t complain. A lot of cool things happened while we were here.”

“Man, how can you be so full of energy?” sighed Akihiko. “We were all up so late last night…”

“Senpai, you were the only one insisting to continue bowling so late.” stated Minato. “Most of us were doing karaoke or pool.”

“I must admit, that last pool match between you and Mitsuru-senpai was quite interesting.” said Minako. “I think practically all of us were watching. It was a very close match.”

“I’m not sure how you can call that ‘close’.” said Minato while rubbing the back of his neck. “She was way ahead of me, and I didn’t think I made any mistake in my play.”

The others arrived just then. Minako reflexively pulled her brother away slightly when she noticed Aigis among them. Grabbing her hand, Minato tried to calm his sister down.

“Do we have a mission at the beach today?” asked Aigis.

Junpei waved his hand. “Nah, it’s nothing like that. We just came here to have some fun.”

“Do you know what it means to ‘have fun’, Aigis?” asked Fuuka softly.

“Of course. Recreation is the refreshment of one’s mind and body.” replied Aigis.

“Exactly!” exclaimed Junpei. “Wow, you sure know a lot about us humans. Alright, let’s take one last dip before we leave!”

Junpei then dragged Aigis along with him to the sea. Fuuka quickly grew alarmed. “Uh, hold on, Junpei-kun. Is it okay for Aigis to go in the ocean?”

“Oh, I’m sure she’s water-proof.” assuage Yukari.

Surprisingly, Aigis returned soon after. “What’s wrong, Aigis?” inquired Fuuka.

“It is best that we all engage in this activity together.” stated Aigis. “An activity in which only one person derives enjoyment is not the optimal method to ‘have fun’.”

Yukari groaned at Aigis’ suggestion. “Do we have to?”

Despite what she said, Yukari willingly followed Aigis. Soon after, Fuuka and Mitsuru joined them as well. Even so, Minako didn’t move from Minato’s side. Evidently, she was still wary of Aigis, and didn’t want to leave him alone. Ikutsuki then arrived, seemingly pleased with what he saw.

“Are you enjoying yourselves?” Ikutsuki asked. “We’ve been quite busy during our time here, but it looks as if we can relax a bit today.”

“I hope so…” muttered Akihiko.

Junpei suddenly shouted from afar. “Hey, Akihiko-senpai, c’mon! It’s your turn!”

“My turn…? What are they doing?” Akihiko was understandably confused.

“I’m glad to see everyone is having so much fun.” laughed Ikutsuki. “I’ve already told you what time the ship will be arriving tomorrow, yes? I’ll most likely head over to the port early, so don’t be late.”

Akihiko nodded. “Okay, I’ll let everyone know.”

“We can get back to business again once we’re back at the dorm.” stated Ikutsuki.

“Got it.” affirmed Akihiko.

“Minato! Mina-tan! Akihiko-senpai!” Junpei called out to them once more.

“This again? I guess we should go too.” said Akihiko in fond exasperation.

“Yeah… I guess we should…” said Minako.

As the three of them approached the water, Minako preemptively brought out her kickboard. Seeing that, Junpei suddenly grew a smirk on his face. “I expected you to come with that, Mina-tan. But this time, I came prepared as well."

Junpei promptly pulled out a shining silver tray from his backpack. Mitsuru sighed upon seeing it. “Iori, where did you get that?”

“Oh, I asked one of the maids for it, and they were okay with me borrowing it for a while.” explained Junpei. He then turned back to Minako. “Now, we’re on equal grounds. Don’t think it will go like it did last time.”

“Famous last words, Junpei!” gloated Minako. “I’ve been practicing with this trick for a long time against my brother.”

“And thanks to that, she brought it anywhere she could swim.” deadpanned Minato.

Minako and Junpei started their water fight again. But as time went on, it would appear that both sides were in a stalemate, even after Yukari and Fuuka joined Minako. Eventually Aigis spoke up. “I see. So the usage of tools is permitted in this activity.”

“Aigis?” wondered Minato. He was curious what conclusion this girl came up with.

Aigis proceeded to submerge her lower arms into the water, and shortly afterwards a sound of something locking in place was heard from her. She then lifted up her arms and pointed them at Junpei, and a short torrent of water gushed out from her fingers and straight onto Junpei’s face.

Junpei was dumbstruck for a moment over what happened before he shouted. “What the hell?!”

“Woah, she can do that?!” gaped Yukari.

Aigis then repeated her stunt, and Junpei was forced to use the tray as a make-shift shield.

“This is our chance!” exclaimed Minako. “Yukari-chan, go to the left! I’ll go to the right! We’ll surround him!”

“You got it, Leader!” Yukari even did a mock-salute.

“W-Wait! Time out here!” Junpei squeaked out in horror.

Fool Social Link – Rank 5

Chapter Text

== July 24th, 2009 ==

Everyone agreed to rest the night of the day they went back from the trip. The next morning, Minato received another unexpected visitor.

“Good morning.” a familiar voice spoke out. “Please, wake up.”

Surprised that there was someone else’s voice in his room, Minato shot up on his bed. Right beside his bed, he saw Aigis was standing there.

“You’ve awakened safely.” said Aigis in a flat tone. “Mission complete.”

“Why are you…?” Minato was flabbergasted.

“My highest priority is to be by your side.” stated Aigis.

"Great…"  Minato thought. "First Pharos liked to visit from time to time, now Aigis would probably barge in here too. Can’t I get some privacy in my own room?"

A series of rapid and loud knocks then sounded from his door. “Minato-nii?! Are you in there?! That girl disappeared suddenly and Yukari-chan said she couldn't find her!”

“I am not a girl. I am Aigis, and I am here.” responded Aigis.

“WHAT?!” shouted Minako.

This has just gone bad. Minako was already wary of Aigis. Hearing Aigis practically in his room would send her ballistic. Minato quickly got up from his bed and opened his door. As soon as he opened it, he saw his sister’s distressed face for a few moments before she hugged him tight. Shortly afterwards, Minato saw Yukari come from down the hall. “Geez, Minako. You don’t need to run off like that.” huffed Yukari.

Minako then released him from her tight hug and gripped him on the shoulders. Looking at him straight in the eyes, Minako blurted out, “You’re still okay, right?! She didn't do anything to you?! You’re still in one piece?!”

“Calm down, sis. I’m fine.” assured Minato. “She didn’t hurt me.”

“Um, what are you talking–” Yukari’s question quickly stopped when she saw Aigis inside Minato’s room. “Wait! Why is Aigis in his room?”

“That’s what I asked her as well. And she answered with ‘need to be by my side’.” responded Minato.

“And you just let her?!”

“I didn’t!” denied Minato. “I thought I already locked the door!”

“He did. So I unlocked it.” explained Aigis.

Minako quickly pushed her brother behind her and pointed at Aigis. “You shouldn’t do that! That’s called breaking and entering, and it’s illegal!”

“And didn’t we tell you to stay in the command room at night?!” added Yukari.

Aigis seemed to ignore their outbursts, “I believe it would be more beneficial if I stay here. So I propose to standby in this room from now on. Is this acceptable?”

“Of course it’s not acceptable!” shouted Minako.

“If there is a problem, then I will address it promptly.” stated Aigis.

“The problem is you’re not allowed to be here!” exclaimed Minako.

“Y-Yeah!” said Yukari shakily. “It’s against dorm regulations, so…”

“But I must be by his side…” repeated Aigis.

“No you’re not!” Minako stated firmly. She then turned to Yukari. “Yukari-chan, isn’t there an empty room on the third floor?!”

Yukari was half-surprised when she was suddenly addressed to. “Th-there is…”

“Then let’s prepare a room for her there!”

“Y-Yeah! Let’s do that after school.”

“But–” Aigis spoke up.

“No buts! You’re staying in that room and that’s final!” declared Minako.

“Don’t I have a say in this?” interjected Minato.

“NO!” chorused Minako and Yukari together.

“Thought I asked.” Minato sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “Though, can I go back into my room? I still need to change.”

“Right! C’mon, Aigis! I’ll show you to your room!” said Minako as she physically dragged Aigis out of the room and down the hall.

“Guess she got that handled.” muttered Yukari. She then turned to Minato. “Well, I’ll see you at school.”

That night, the team agreed to go push further into Tartarus. Having renewed their resolve after hearing the recording in Yakushima, they felt even more compelled to explore Tartarus as much as they could and grow as strong as possible.

“Man, this is great.” piped up Junpei. “We never see this kinda change before.”

“Right?” replied Minako with the same giddiness. “Rare shadows with every step we took. It kinda stretched the definition of ‘rare’, but I’m not complaining."

“It is good to hear that our exploration tonight is quite productive. Shall we continue further?” asked Aigis.

Minako was still wary of having Aigis join the exploration team. She only relented when Minato convinced her that Aigis still needed to learn to work with the team, and that he won’t split up and be alone while with her.

“Yes.” answered Minato. “We got a lot of money from those Shadows. I think after a few more, we should have enough to buy everyone new weapons and armor."

“Y-Yeah.” added Minako hesitantly. “Then let’s not waste anymore time! I just saw another one right around that corner.”

“Sweet! More money for us!” cheered Junpei.

The team quickly went around the corner and ambushed the Shadow. The rare Shadows were unique in that they would always run away whenever they saw a threat, unlike the other Shadows. Fortunately, after encountering them (or actively hunting them down whenever Elizabeth and Theodore asked for it) multiple times, everyone had figured out the best angle and time to catch them unaware.

“That makes the 10th rare Shadows that we took down this floor.” stated Aigis.

“Huh?” said Fuuka nervously. “What is this I’m sensing?”

“Hm? What’s wrong, Fuuka-san?” asked Minako.

“I’m sensing something… foreboding… And it’s moving closer to you.” explained Fuuka.

“Foreboding? That’s a rare word to describe something.” piped up Minato.

“I can’t describe it clearly. It feels like… I felt a chill when I tried to pinpoint it… and the air surrounding it felt heavy for some reason.”

“That… doesn’t sound good.” remarked Minako.

“Where is it coming from?” asked Minato.

“A little further in front of you. About 5 meters away.” answered Fuuka.

The team then heard a faint sound coming from the direction Fuuka mentioned. “Hey, did ya hear something?” asked Junpei nervously.

“Chains?” asked Minako in a confused tone.

“What should we do, Minato-san?” inquired Aigis.

“Brace yourselves.” instructed Minato. “Whatever it is, it’s in our way.”

Nodding in affirmation, everyone on the team readied their stance against the unknown entity. All of them waited in cold sweat. As soon as the entity appeared from the corner, everyone could see it. It was a Shadow, but its appearance was different from any regular Shadows they fought before. It wore a long, tattered, and bloodied robe, and what looked like a bandolier of bullets across its chest. On its head was a paper bag, with a single hole on it where they could see a single eye staring at them. It holds a pair of extremely long-barreled revolvers on each hand. Its appearance gave the team a very distinct impression.

As soon as they saw it, they understood what kind of chill Fuuka had meant. While it was different from its classical depiction, they understood just what it was that’s in front of them. They were facing the Reaper itself.

“Hostile Shadow detected. Moving to intercept.” stated Aigis as she ran towards the Reaper.

“Wait, no! You can’t defeat it!” shouted Fuuka.

The Reaper raised its left gun and fired towards Aigis, sending the android flying against the wall. Everyone was understandably shocked by what happened. “What the hell?!” cried out Junpei.

The Reaper then raised its right gun towards the air. Just as the gun fired, purplish white energy began to gather between them. Minato couldn’t recognize what kind of spell that was, but he’s not interested in figuring it out this way. “Scatter!” shouted Minato.

The team promptly jumped away from the gathered energy. As soon as the energy exploded, the Reaper aimed its right gun towards Junpei. “Junpei! Jump out of the way!” shouted Minako.

Junpei was only barely able to register Minako’s warning before a large explosion of fire erupted in front of him, pushing him backwards. “Ouch! What the hell?! That’s the first time fire hurt me that much!” exclaimed Junpei.

Aigis then opened fire from her finger guns. While the bullets did hit, it seemed that they barely put a scratch on the Reaper. “No! This Shadow is far stronger than any you’ve faced so far! You need to run away!” warned Fuuka.

“The hell?! There’s something that dangerous in there?!” shouted Akihiko.

Another gunshot rang out from the Reaper, and a massive amount of ice started forming near Minako. Minako promptly jumped back. “Believe me, man! I’m the one who’s supposed to be resistant to fire, yet its fire spell hurts like a bitch!” exclaimed Junpei.

“No way! Are you guys going to be okay?!” cried Yukari.

“We won’t be if this continues.” Minato gritted his teeth. “Shiisa!”

A patch of ice formed on the Reaper’s shoulder, but it just shook it off without any issue. The Reaper retaliated by sending a massive thunderbolt towards Minato, hitting him directly. Soon, Minato’s vision blacked out.

Minato found himself floating around in a dark void. It felt… different than the one he felt when fighting that Shadow in that hotel at Shirakawa Boulevard. The last thing he remembered… that’s right, he and his friend were exploring Tartarus when suddenly a powerful Shadow appeared. During the fight, a large thunderbolt hit him directly. Was he dead? He couldn’t be sure.

Suddenly, Minato found his vision returning. He once again saw the walls of Tartarus. Looking around, he saw that Junpei and Aigis were still fighting the Reaper. When he looked at his sister, he saw that Minako had a look of relief on her face before tackling him into a hug. “Minato-nii.. I-I was so… I thought…” stuttered Minako.

Minato patted his sister’s back. “I’m okay, sis. I’m still here. But we still need to get out of this mess.”

Minako nodded. “R-Right.”

The twins stood up and rejoined Junpei and Aigis in battle. “Oh, you’re back? Good, I was getting really worried there.” said Junpei in half-concern, half relief.

The Reaper cast another fire explosion towards Aigis. She dodged it to the side, while sending Palladion charging towards the Reaper. The impact only pushed the Reaper slightly back, with it still looking unfazed. “Looks like we really can’t do much against it.” remarked Minato.

“You’re telling me!” shouted Junpei. “I’ve been trying to hurt it while Mina-tan got you up, but I can’t make any dent!”

“Then we need to pull out!” exclaimed Minako.

“HOW?!!”

The Reaper had already pushed away Palladion. It then sent a large wind blast towards Minako. Minako quickly stepped aside before drawing her Evoker. “Lamia!”

A small jet of fire erupted near the Reaper’s head, but all it did was leave a soot mark on the paper bag covering its head. “Yamagishi! Is there an access point near them?” shouted Mitsuru.

“Th-There is one in front of them, around 8 meters away.”

“But that means we need to get through this guy!” argued Junpei.

“I got a better idea.” murmured Minato. “Everyone, get closer to me!”

“Understood!” confirmed Aigis as she jumped closer to Minato.

“Man, what are you doing?! We’re sitting ducks this close!” despite the protest, Junpei still followed Minato’s instruction.

Minato took out a Traesto gem. Before, he didn’t see the use of this gem, since finding an access point was usually easy enough. But this time, it would be necessary to get out of the place as soon as possible.

The Reaper once more raised one of its guns and fired to the air. More purplish white energy gathered around them. Minato cracked the gem on his hand. As energy started to explode, a bright light engulfed them, accompanied by the screaming sound of Minako and Junpei.

As the light faded away, they found themselves back at the first floor of Tartarus. Relieved to be in a safe location, Minako fell on her knees. The other SEES members who stayed behind were surprised to see them back at the entrance so soon. “Minato-kun!” cried Yukari as she tackled Minato with a hug, causing him to fall to the floor.

Minato was slightly surprised by Yukari’s reaction. He didn’t expect Yukari to hug him so suddenly, though he couldn’t say that he hated it as he hugged her back lightly. Seeing her expression, it made Minato feel guilty for making her worry like that. Looking back at his sister, he was expecting Minako to start teasing them about this. But from the looks of it, Minako was still reeling from the near death situation they just got out from.

“Glad to see you’re alright.” sighed Mitsuru in relief.

“Me too. I was just about to head in there and get to you.” added Akihiko.

“That was way too scary.” remarked Junpei. “Man… I’m still shaking right now.”

“That was definitely surprising.” said Fuuka. “Has there always been a Shadow like that?”

Mitsuru shook her head. “That was the first time we’ve seen it as well. It would be a good idea to avoid it from now on.”

“How, though?” asked Akihiko. “From what we’ve seen, that thing just appeared out of nowhere in Tartarus, just like a regular Shadow. There’s no way we can avoid it if it could just suddenly appear in front of us.”

“A-Actually, that might not be the case.” Minako’s voice was still shaky as she got up on her feet. “We did spend a bit longer on that particular floor, trying to hunt down those rare Shadows. A-At least, it felt longer than usual.”

“So it only appeared when we spent far more time on a particular floor.” mused Mitsuru. “That could’ve been the case. We never did linger on one floor for too long, especially if we’ve already found the stairs.”

“Actually, that’s not true.” interjected Fuuka. “From what I observed, the four of you didn’t spend any longer than you would usually have on any other floor. It’s because all you fought during that time was rare Shadows, which usually ended pretty quickly.”

“Then… why did it appear like that?” inquired Junpei.

“It could be because the floor itself was unusual.” suggested Mitsuru. “It could’ve been a sign that something wrong is going to happen.”

“But we’ve already seen some unusual floors before. How come it didn’t appear then?” argued Minako.

“Maybe because we never stayed that long on those floors.” Akihiko argued back. “When we came across those kinds of floors, it either had too many Shadows, which we tried to avoid to conserve our strength; or completely empty of Shadows, which we passed through without a second thought.”

“That’s true…” murmured Fuuka.

“Of course, this is all just speculation.” sighed Mitsuru. “But I doubt any of us wanted to test it out directly. From now on, we should take care not to stay on a single floor for a prolonged period of time.”

Almost everyone nodded in agreement. Fuuka then asked, “Then, what should we call that Shadow? It would be a mouthful to call it ‘very powerful Shadow’ to differentiate it from other strong Shadows.”

“We did feel like we were facing the Grim Reaper itself… So I say we call it the Reaper.” suggested Minako.

“Agreed to that!” affirmed Junpei.

“Same with me.” added Akihiko.

“Then we’ll call it the Reaper from now on.” concluded Mitsuru. “With any luck, we won’t need to see it any more.”

The group then went silent. After a few seconds, Fuuka nervously tried to move the topic along. “Um… we still have some time. Do we want to continue exploring?”

“After that experience… no thanks.” answered Junpei. “My nerves are still shot. I’d rather go to bed.”

“I don’t blame you. If I were in your shoes, I would need some time to calm myself as well.” Akihiko grimaced.

“I’m of the same mind as well.” stated Minako. “A comfy bed sounds really good right now.”

“Yukari-san, how about you? You’ve been quiet this whole time.” inquired Fuuka.

Minato then turned his attention back to Yukari. She was still hugging him, though he noticed that her grip had loosened a bit. Her face was still buried in his shoulder. Even with Fuuka’s question, Yukari still hasn’t moved. When Minato paid attention more closely, he could hear a light snore.

“She already fell asleep?!” exclaimed Junpei.

“Guess that’s her answer, then.” muttered Akihiko.

“Alright, we’ll end tonight’s exploration here. We could all use the rest.” said Mitsuru.

“What about Yukari-chan? Shouldn’t we wake her up?” asked Minako.

“Let’s not. I’ll carry her to her room.” replied Minato. “Sis, can you help me a bit?”

Minako then helped lift up Yukari so that Minato could carry her in a piggyback ride. During the walk back, Minato felt his cheeks warm up as the adrenaline wore off and he realized the situation he’s in. But he wasn’t going to back out of his own words. Glancing towards Minako, he expected his sister to be preparing to tease both of them for this. But, instead of a smirk, he saw that Minako just wore a warm smile. Minato didn’t know what to make of that, but he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. If it meant that Minako would tease him later, that’s a problem for another day.

== July 25th, 2009 ==

After school ended, Minako saw Mr. Takenozuka entered the class along with Miss Kanou. Minako was confused on why the two of them came to this class at the same time, and the confusion only grew when they approached her and her brother.

Mr. Takenozuka started. “Arisato, we’re here to tell you that the sports team will have an event in August. Some of the clubs will be competing in a tournament on August 2nd. That includes the Kendo club you’re in.”

“I… I see. Thank you, sir.” replied Minato.

Miss Kanou then spoke up. “As for the tennis club, we’ll be doing a fellowship with another school. We’ll be playing at a school in the countryside.”

“We’re going on a trip instead?” asked Minako incredulously.

“Hmm… you’re free to think of it that way.” shrugged Miss Kanou.

“Either way, the clubs will be practicing from July 27th to August 1st.” said Mr. Takenozuka. “I’m sure it will be a good experience for you. With it, your muscles will be doubled… even tripled!”

“I don’t think the girls would appreciate that, Mr. Takenozuka.” quipped Miss Kanou.

“Ah, sorry. I was just trying to make them excited about the prospect.” Mr. Takenozuka looked sheepish.

“Well, either way, make sure you come to the practice.” said Miss Kanou. “I’ll be going now. I need to tell the other members.”

“Right, do not forget you two.” said Mr. Takenozuka as Miss Kanou was leaving. “Even if you don’t want the muscles, a healthy body is always desirable.”

Minako just watched as Mr. Takenozuka left as well. After a few seconds, Minato spoke up. “So… you’re going on a trip to the countryside… Lucky you, huh?”

“Says you!” retorted Minako. “You get to go on an exciting competition! Why can’t we go as well?!”

“Don’t know. Maybe there just isn’t one for your sport?”

Minako pouted. “Geez, and I’m sure Rio-chan would be excited as well if we can go. Instead, we get to sit on our thumbs on who-knows-where…”

“I’m sure it won’t be too bad. You still get to play with the local team, right?”

“Well, yeah. But it won’t be as exciting. Believe me, the girls in our club are the least motivated people I’ve seen in my life. Makes me wonder if they’re even interested in tennis to begin with.”

That wasn’t the primary reason for their disinterest. But it was the less stupid one, so that’s what Minako mentioned

“Then think of it as an opportunity to play with people who are. Maybe the other team would be more enthusiastic.” offered Minato.

“I hope.”

“Speaking of, I didn’t know Miss Kanou supervised the tennis club.”

“Oh yeah, I didn’t mention that to you. Well, it’s less ‘supervising’ and more just ‘tagging along’. It’s incredibly obvious she’s not interested in the club. Maybe that’s where the lack of interest came from.” scowled Minako.

“That would explain why I saw Kenji go to the field occasionally.” murmured Minato.

“Tomochika-san does like Miss Kanou.” quipped Minako.

“You knew? And he said it was supposed to be a secret.”

“He told Rio-chan, at least. And he came by while I was talking to Rio-chan, so I just overheard.”

“Why would he tell her?”

“Oh right, I never told you. Rio-chan is childhood friend with Tomochika-san. She said they already knew each other since preschool.”

“He never told me that.” Minato then just shrugged. “Well, it’s good for him, I suppose.”

“What if I told you that Rio-chan has a crush on Tomochika-san?”

Minato’s eyes went wide. “That’s…”

“I know what you’re going to say. Yeah, I find it sad that she’s harboring a one-sided crush. I was hoping you can help out, maybe push a little from his side? I know Tomochika-san is free to like whoever he likes, but you know…”

Minato rubbed the back of his neck. “Um… Not so sure how much I can do that. Kenji’s the type to go headstrong in stuff he believes in. And right now, he still fully believes his relationship with Miss Kanou could work. Sorry I can’t help out Iwasaki-san much.”

Minako groaned. “Figured as much. Well, I’ll try to be there for her. Or maybe I could redirect her thoughts elsewhere. I don’t know…”

The twins went silent for a few moments, unable to come up with any solution.

“Let’s just put the thought away for now. I’ll see what’s going on with Kenji. Who knows, maybe something favorable will happen.” piped up Minato.

“Yeah, let’s do that.” nodded Minako. “So, what are your plans for today?”

== July 29th, 2009 ==

Tennis club’s practice had been as harsh as expected, with Rio being as headstrong as ever. The nights went about as usual, but this night Minako was awoken during the Dark Hour by Fuuka contacting her.

“Sorry to wake you.” apologized Fuuka. “I detect a Shadow! Please hurry to the 4th floor!”

All of SEES soon gathered in the command room, but Minako noticed that Akihiko was absent.

“What’s going on?” asked Junpei.

“There’s a Shadow in the city. Yamagishi found it by chance.” explained Mitsuru.

“But… the moon isn’t full yet…” muttered Yukari.

“Actually, it seems to be just a normal Shadow.” responded Fuuka. “However, it is outside of Tartarus.”

“It’s near Naganaki Shrine.” added Mitsuru. “Akihiko went ahead since he was in the vicinity. I’m sure he can handle it alone, but let’s get ready just in case.”

Everyone nodded in affirmation. After a few moments, a ping came from the console. “Yes, this is Fuuka.” Fuuka responded.

“I’m here. Sorry, but I think you guys better come, right away.” Akihiko sounded distressed.

“What’s wrong? Is it a powerful one?!” inquired Mitsuru.

“No, the Shadow’s been defeated.” clarified Akihiko. “In fact, it was already defeated when I got here.”

“Huh? Then why?” asked Minako.

“The little fella’s been injured… I wanna save him if we can.” answered Akihiko.

After the transmission cut off, Yukari began wondering aloud. “Little fella? Who’s he talking about?”

“Beats me.” answered Junpei.

“Only one way to find out.” intoned Minato.

As they approached Naganaki Shrine, Minako saw Akihiko standing beside a white dog. The dog was lying on the ground, covered in blood. Minako instantly recognized who that dog was. Her friends could recognize him too.

“Koro-chan?!” exclaimed Fuuka. “Are you okay, Koro-chan?!”

“You know this dog?” inquired Mitsuru.

“Yeah, everyone around here does…” answered Yukari. “We have to help him!”

“First, we must stop the bleeding.” Mitsuru then turned to Akihiko. “Akihiko, have you administered first aid?”

“Already did.” replied Akihiko. “I tried healing him as much as I can and wrapped a few bandages, but anything more would require a doctor. But man, he’s one tough fighter. He defeated that Shadow all by himself.”

Junpei was surprised by what Akihiko had said. “Wait, does this mean… this dog’s a Persona-user?!”

“He says, ‘This is a place of peace, so I protected it.’.” piped up Aigis. “There are flowers over there.”

“Those flowers… They must be for the priest who died in the accident.” muttered Fuuka.

“So, he really was guarding this place…” murmured Yukari.

Minako couldn’t help but to kneel down and stroke Koromaru’s head. She was really proud of him. Even against a scary monster, he didn’t back down.

“Uh, Aigis? Don’t tell me you can translate dog language too…” said Junpei in disbelief.

“Canines do not have their own language. However, speech is not the only means of communication.” clarified Aigis.

“This fella really is a rare breed.” commented Akihiko.

“Confirmed.” stated Aigis.

“He’s not the only one.” said Junpei while looking at Aigis.

“Alright, let’s report to the Chairman, so we can conclude this mission.” instructed Mitsuru. “As for a vet… it may be midnight, but I believe I can arrange for one.”

“Good job, boy. You’re one amazing dog…” cooed Yukari.

“I’m sure the priest will be very proud of you.” praised Minato.

Koromaru let out a happy yip.

== August 1st, 2009 ==

The day of the sports club trip has finally arrived. After saying goodbye and wishing good luck to her brother, Minako boarded the train heading to Inaba. She still slightly wished she could join the competition, but she can’t change reality. She’ll just have some fun with Rio on the trip.

Arriving at Yasogami High School, the Gekkoukan club members met up with the members from Yasogami. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” greeted the Gekkoukan club members.

“It’s a pleasure for us too!” The Yasogami club members greeted back.

The Yasogami students then escorted the Gekkoukan students to the field. As soon as they arrived, Rio took charge. “Let’s start off with basic drills. Might as well try going all the way to the mountains for our runs. Our region is pretty flat so this’ll be good practice.”

The Yasogami students started muttering among themselves. “...Aren’t we supposed to like… bond in a fellowship?”

“Why’s she bringing up stuff like basic drills?”

“Who’s the liar who said that this’d be a paradise with hot springs?” and the Gekkoukan students weren’t any better.

Minako just sighed seeing everything. Even at a different place, nothing changed much. “Alright, how about we just do a few friendly matches?” suggested Minako.

Rio looks slightly dejected. “Okay… But don’t forget to stretch, first.”

After the warm-up stretches, Minako addressed her team. “Good! Now, Tamaki-san, Kaname-san! You’re up first!”

“Who put you in charge…” Despite the complaint, Tamaki still goes up to the field.

The matches went… as expected. The Yasogami High teams completely destroyed the Gekkoukan High teams. Almost all of the matches ended in victory for the Yasogami students, and with a significant lead. The one time the Gekkoukan students won was when Minako and Rio went to play, even then it was a close match.

“That was… a lot more fun… than I expected.” Rio smiled in-between panting for breath.

Minako turned to her club members. “What do you think, girls? More motivated to give it your all?”

Some of the members merely looked away, while some others mumbled something that Minako couldn’t make out. Guess some things won’t change that easily.

After the day's activities ended, the club members were told that they would be staying at the local inn. Rio lightly nudged Minako and whispered to her. “Did you hear they have a natural hot spring there? Wanna wash each other’s back later?”

“Sure! That sounds fun!” answered Minako.

Rio beamed back to Minako. “Indeed! Last year’s fellowship wasn’t too far from our school. This place is so laid back… I love it. That shopping district seems pretty lively, though. What a peaceful town… It’d be nice to live here.”

“But if you live here, you’ll need to switch schools. That means we can’t see each other anymore.” teased Minako.

“That’s true.” giggled Rio.

“Um… excuse me.”

Minako turned to the left where the voice was coming from. She then saw a young girl with short black hair, wearing a black sailor uniform. The girl looked like she’s still in middle school.

“Are you the club members from Gekkoukan High School?” asked the girl. “The Amagi Inn sent me to get you.”

“Huh? Oh, th-thank you very much.” stuttered Rio. “Um… you don’t work there do you?”

The girl shook her head. “No, I’m just helping out. I’m Yukiko Amagi, the daughter of the hostess at the Amagi Inn.”

“The hostess daughter…” murmured Minako. “So you’re helping out the family business? That’s very admirable of you.”

“Th-thank you.” for a moment, Yukiko’s expression turned downcast.

“Hey, no need to be shy about it.” said Rio. “It’s a good thing for you to be so responsible at such a young age.”

“Responsible… right…” murmured Yukiko.

Her tone while saying that made Minako curious. But before she could ask anything, an elderly woman in a kimono approached Yukiko. “Ah, Yuki-chan! Did you take the car keys?”

“Oh, Kasai-san.” replied Yukiko. “Car keys? Why would I… Huh? What’s this?”

Yukiko grew confused as she reached for something in her pocket. Pulling it out, it turned out to be keys.

“I-I’m so sorry. I must’ve mistaken them for my house keys…” apologized Yukiko.

Kasai waved her hands. “No worries. Well, I’m heading out to get some groceries.”

“Oh, do you want me to go instead?” offered Yukiko.

“N-No, that’s fine! No need to send you on that kind of errand, Yuki-chan! Plus, they’d be too heavy for you… By the way, Chie-chan stopped by. She said she needed help with her homework.”

“Oh, okay.”

Kasai then turned to Minako and Rio. “Oh, are you all guests? Forgive me for rambling on like that. I’m a waitress at the Amagi Inn. I hope you enjoy your stay tonight.”

After offering a small bow, Kasai soon left. Yukiko then spoke up. “I’m sorry about the wait. Shall we go? This way please.”

As soon as she entered her assigned room, Minako quickly plopped onto the futon. She could feel the softness of the futon, as well as the rustic atmosphere of the inn. She was assigned roommates with Rio. Made sense, since she was the only one who could get along with Rio. The other club members seemed to barely tolerate her. Minako wished that didn’t translate to half-assing club activities, but she couldn’t control people.

“That was truly a unique experience.” beamed Rio. “The fresh air and the new sight makes me feel I can go further than I usually do. And playing with people who are enthusiastic is definitely a refreshing feel. Can’t expect much out of our own members, after all. Other than you, of course.”

“Glad you feel that way, Rio-chan.” Minako smiled back at her. “But I still wish we could join the tournament instead. I bet it would be far more exciting.”

“Actually, I was the one who suggested we should just go on this trip.” Rio’s expression turned sad.

Minako was taken aback by her admission. “Huh?! Why?!”

“It’s because… I don’t believe we could compete there yet. You’ve seen how our club played back there. Only the two of us could give any kind of fight, and I can tell that was not their best play. We’re nowhere close enough to compete with anyone. If we just entered and lost in the preliminary or the first round, it would only serve to further demotivate everyone in the club.”

“Rio-chan…”

Rio shook her head. “Getting into the tournament would be too hasty for us. Our first step is to make sure everyone is into the club. Only then, our practice could go anywhere.”

“And you think this trip would help?”

“It was our only other option. Ms. Kanou agreed to it instantly, of course. Well, I thought it would help… But now, I’m not so sure.”

Rio took a deep breath before continuing. “I’ve been thinking about everything the other members said to me. About how I do things in the club, about how I handle… other things as well. But I haven’t reached any answer. I’ve thought of some, but I’m not sure about it yet. Maybe when we can talk to the other members…”

“Do you want to talk to them tomorrow?”

“I doubt they want to talk to me right now.”

Minako then pulled Rio in a hug. Rio’s eyes widened in surprise, but she eventually returned the hug. After a few minutes, they broke off the hug.

“Thanks.” muttered Rio. “Though, why am I rambling on about this? This is not how I wanted this trip to go. How about we go take a soak in the hot springs and clear our heads? And afterwards, we can talk about something lighter?”

Minako nodded. “Sounds good.”

The hot springs felt far better than Minako expected. She could feel the fatigue and stress just melt away as she sat in the hot springs. For a short while, she can just forget about the Dark Hour, Shadows, and everything else. Was she really that stressed out? Either way, she was going to enjoy every second of it. Glancing over to Rio, she could see that her friend shared the same sentiment. Rio was so relaxed she almost fell asleep in the hot springs.

Back at the room, both of them suddenly felt awkward. “Okay. So… Do you have any idea what to talk about?” asked Rio.

“Me?! Um… Love talk…?” Minako weakly offered.

“That’s the first thing you think of?” scoffed Rio. “Well, it’s not like I have my own suggestion. Alright, but what do you want me to talk about? You already know about my feelings.”

“I do… but now that we’re talking about it, I’m getting curious. Why do you like Tomochika-san, anyway?”

Rio started blushing. “That’s… I-I just realized my own feelings a few weeks ago. I’m still trying to make sense of it.”

“Well, maybe I can help out. I heard some methods for people to use to come to terms with their feelings. Here’s one: try to name a few good things about the person you like.”

“R-Right now?! Um… He is kinda cute… He can be quite determined to do what he wants or what he needs to do… He can befriend almost anyone…  He doesn’t let anyone define what he should do…”

Seeing Rio rambling on about the boy she liked, Minako started to have mixed feelings. While she’s happy that Rio was taking it calmly, she also felt sad that Rio’s feelings were unrequited. Minako still wished Rio could like someone who loved her back, but she couldn’t really judge, considering her own situation…

“He knows how to lift everyone's spirits… He is quite caring as well…”

“Okay, hold on a second.” interrupted Minako. “I can understand Tomochika-san being friendly, but caring? Can you elaborate on that?”

Rio fidgeted. “ Well… sometimes he would treat me to ramen when I forgot to bring my wallet. From time to time… I saw him waiting for me when club training ran late. Also, that time with the homework is not always that one-way. He would occasionally help me study. Well, it’s more like he’s only accompanying me…”

Minako smiled sadly towards Rio. “You like him that far, huh?”

Rio’s blush deepened. She then quickly shook her head. “Okay, enough about me. How about you? I already told you mine. Now it’s your turn. Do you have anyone you like?”

With the question now directed at her, Minako could feel her cheeks warming up. She already knew her answer, but saying it out loud never got easier. “I… I do. It’s… Akihiko-senpai…”

“The captain of the boxing team?” hummed Rio. “Wow, you really set a high goal. Oh yeah, you are living in the same dorm as him. That would let you know him better.”

“Y-Yeah. I managed to see a lot more to him beyond the ‘strong captain of the boxing team’. He’s much more than that. A good friend, a caring and protective senpai, someone who would take charge when needed. But he’s a bit of a dork as well. Some of the stuff he did could be very amusing.”

“Sounds like you’re quite fallen as well. Have you… tried anything…?”

Minako grimaced. “Kinda. I can’t be too direct, since I can tell he doesn’t see me that way yet. Of course, he doesn’t see anyone that way…”

Rio’s expression turned sour. “I see. You’re kinda in the same situation as me…”

“Don’t I know it. Best of luck to the both of us, I guess.”

“Y-Yeah… Wow, this has gotten heavier than I thought. Are we really that depressing?”

Minako bit her lip. While people would like to say that she’s the more cheerful twin, she knows she had her own share of baggage. Though, she began to wonder why it became more prominent lately. Is it because she had to regularly fight monsters in a mysterious tower on a time ripped straight out of a horror movie?

“Okay, let’s change the subject before we bummed ourselves even more.” deflected Minako. “You got anything?”

“Um… Hobbies? What are your interests outside of tennis?”

“Other hobbies… That would be…”

== August 2nd, 2009 ==

The trip was officially over. After saying goodbye to Yukiko and the Yasogami High Students, the tennis club all boarded the train back to Port Island. Upon arriving back at the dorm, Minako greeted her dormmates. “I’m back, everyone!”

“Welcome back.” greeted Mitsuru.

“So, how was your trip?” inquired Minato.

“Quite fun.” replied Minako as she walked towards the couch. “Playing with the other people was quite the refreshing experience. How about you, though? How was the tournament?”

“Heavy.” answered Minato. “I can see why the coach pushed us that far.”

“He still won second place, though!” interjected Akihiko.

“Really?! Congrats, Minato-nii!” chirped Minako.

“Yeah. That’s really impressive.” added Yukari.

“Thanks. The competition was fierce. And I can see why they call Mamoru Hayase a monster.” commented Minato.

“Don’t feel too bad.” assuage Akihiko. “I’ve seen your match. You’ve already given it your all. Hayase has already been in the sport for a bit of a while, so he had more experience.”

“Not to mention that you attained that while inserting one or two Tartarus expeditions in between your practice sessions.” Mitsuru smiled. “It is quite a remarkable achievement.”

“Thanks, Senpai.” murmured Minato. 

“You look pretty beat, though.” remarked Junpei. “Guess that tournament really took a lot out of ya.”

“Yeah, it does.” said Minato while stretching his back. He then got up from the couch and started walking to the stairs. “I guess I’ll go back to my room. I’ll probably study a bit before going to bed.”

“Alright. Goodnight, Minato-nii.”

“Night, Minato-kun.” waved Yukari.

“Night, everyone.” Minato waved back.

Minato soon disappeared climbing up the stairs. Junpei then piped up, “So, what now? Are you up to go to Tartarus?”

Minako pondered for a moment before answering. “I could… but I rather not. I know we occasionally went in separately, but I’d rather not go without him.”

“It’s okay. We’ve already reached the latest barricade anyway.” said Fuuka.

“I’m just gonna go to Paulownia Mall after I dropped off my stuff.” said Minako.

“You’re already going out again?” asked Yukari.

“Yeah. You wanna come along, Yukari-chan?”

“Um… sure!”

Chapter Text

== August 6th, 2009 ==

Another full moon arrived. Everyone in SEES promptly assembled in the meeting room and prepared for the operation.

Ikutsuki started. “Well, it’s a full moon once again.”

“Any luck, Yamagishi?” asked Mitsuru.

“Yes, I’ve located it.” replied Fuuka. “And this time, it’s not just an ordinary one.”

Akihiko grew excited. “Now, that’s more like it.”

“It’s by the deserted houses in the northern part of Iwatodai.” explained Fuuka. “But there is one thing that’s strange… It seems like it’s underground… almost ten meters.”

“It must be in some kind of basement…” offered Yukari.

“According to my records, there is no structure in the area that matches those criteria.’’ supplied Aigis. “However, in the past there was an underground facility that was used by the military.”

Yukari turned to Ikutsuki. “The military? Is that true?”

“Well, the architectural and geographic data were uploaded into her memory bank.” answered Ikutsuki. “Then again, the information hasn’t been updated in a decade.”

Minako suddenly grew a huge grin. “Some kind of military base? You think we can find some weapons there?”

Minato promptly buried his face in his hand. “Sis, we’re not looting an old military installation.”

“Aw, come on.” Minako mock-pouted. “Who knows, right? Maybe we can find a powerful weapon to help us defeat those Shadows!”

MInato raised one of his eyebrows. “How would an old military base have a weapon to fight Shadows?”

Mitsuru pointedly coughed into her hand, stopping further arguments. “Anyway, we still need to intercept the Shadow.”

“Can we? Shouldn’t an old military base like that be locked up?” asked Akihiko.

“Only one way to find out.” muttered Fuuka.

“Yes! Let’s go! Invasion time!” exclaimed Minako.

Arriving at the location, everyone soon saw a pair of massive steel doors on the entrance of a cave. The doors were opened wide.

“Here we are.” muttered Akihiko. “Fuuka, this is the place, right?”

“Yes. I detected the Shadow deeper inside.” replied Fuuka.

“Then let’s not waste anymore time.” instructed Mitsuru.

As the group walked through the door, Minako took the opportunity to observe the surroundings. “This place really is abandoned. The air felt really stale.”

“That would explain the amount of moss everywhere.” commented Minato.

“Well done…”

Hearing the unexpected voice and the sound of clapping from behind, the entire group quickly turned around. They saw two people walking towards them. One of them was a man with long white hair, tattooed all over his arm and body, wearing nothing but faded pairs of jeans. The other was a young man with dark blue hair slicked to the side, wearing a large green jacket and navy blue pants, while somehow also carrying a silver briefcase.

“This is the first time we met in person.” the tattooed man spoke.

“Who are these guys?! Lucia didn’t sense a thing till now.” shrieked Fuuka in horror.

“My name is Takaya. This is Jin.” the tattooed man introduced. “We are known to some as Strega. We’ve been keeping an eye on you. From what we hear, you’ve undertaken a ‘righteous’ battle to save the world. But, we’ve come here tonight to put an end to that dream.”

The entire group was shocked by Takaya’s statement. Not only these people knew who they were and what they were doing, but they were also intent on stopping them. SEES promptly drew their weapons and readied their stance. They didn’t know why these… Strega people wanted to stop them, but they knew they would need to defend themselves.

Seeing their reaction, Takaya merely smirked. “You’ve gained new allies, yet this land still crawls with sin. Tartarus is towering as beautifully as always.”

“But… Why the hell would you want to stop us?!” asked Junpei shakily.

“Simple.” replied Jin. “If the Shadows and the Dark Hour disappear, then so will our power. And we can’t let that happen, now can we?”

“Power?” inquired Mitsuru. “Don’t tell me you’re Persona-users as well!”

“Wait, what?!” exclaimed Minako.

Takaya sighed while shaking his head. “Why don’t you use that pretty little head of yours for a change? Only a select few wield the power of a Persona. And the Dark Hour is a frontier that is ours alone to explore. Just like the Tower of Demise.”

“That’s your reason?! Are you crazy?!” spat out Yukari. “There’s no telling what will happen if you don’t do something about the Shadows!”

“What difference does it make?” scoffed Takaya. “There will always be disasters, whether they are caused by Shadows or arise from Human folly. No one can predict the future, anyway.”

“Huh?! That is no reason to give up!” shouted Minako. “We still have the power to help! Why would we stand back and watch?!”

“Is that your true thoughts on the matter?” inquired Takaya.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” drawled out Minato.

Once again, Takaya sighed. “Tell me, what is it that you felt while venturing into Tartarus? While in your expedition at each night when the moon is full? Surely you felt the sense of liberation in it.”

Minako gritted her teeth. What Takaya had said really made her blood boil. While the situation with the Dark Hour was what brought them together, there was no denying the danger it brought. Innocent people were dragged into it to be preyed upon, and all of her friends had to risk their lives just to prevent that from happening. Not to mention…

Yukari’s shout quickly broke Minako out of her musing. “You think I like this?!”

“The Dark Hour has harmed innocent people, and multiple times has directly threatened people I care about. Why should I care about it?” growled Minato.

Minako smiled towards Yukari and her brother. “Well said, you two.”

“Is that what the three of you think?” Takaya continued to smirk. “How about the rest of you? Do you also wish to return to your pathetic, ordinary lives?”

After a few seconds, Minako was surprised that no one said anything. Junpei and Akihiko were pointedly glancing away. Were they really feeling like that?

“I don’t like this one single bit.” muttered Fuuka.

“You’ve each got your reason for fighting.” interjected Jin. “‘Justice’ is only an excuse. And that makes you all hypocrites! So I say to hell with you!”

Jin then kicked something on the side of the massive door. Then, the doors started closing on their own. Minako and Akihiko promptly ran towards the door. As the door closed, they saw Jin smirking from between the cracks. “Have fun in there.”

Akihiko pounded on the now closed doors. “Damnit, they locked us in.”

“Great. Now it’s not just Shadows that are causing problems.” groaned Minako.

“We will be alright.” remarked Aigis. “Rather than wasting our energy, I suggest we deal with the Shadows first.”

Yukari breathed out. “You’re right. If we lose our cool, then they win.”

“The Shadow’s moving! I think it’s noticed us!” alarmed Fuuka.

“Alright, let’s concentrate on our original goal.” instructed Mitsuru. “We can look for a way out after we’ve won.”

“Roger that. Junpei, you and I will take point.” replied Minato.

The group walked through the winding corridors as they hunted down the Shadow. At one point, they come across a room filled with weapons lying around.

“Damn, all these weapons and we can’t use them since they’re so rusted.” commented Minako as they walked through the room.

“Sis, are you still planning to take something from here?” deadpanned Minato.

“Not anymore, seeing the condition they’re in.”

“So you were?”

“Focus, you two!” chided Mitsuru. “We need to be ready to fight the Shadow.”

Minako waved her hand. “Don’t worry, Mitsuru-senpai. We’re still as alert as ever.”

“Well, the Shadow is just up ahead now.” said Fuuka. “It seems to be alone, but be ready for anything.”

As soon as the group got close to the Shadow, they finally saw what’s awaiting them: a tank. When the tank’s turret turned, they saw the familiar mask that all Shadows have on its turret.

“This explains the tread marks.” mused Fuuka. “It’s using the tank as armor.”

“What the…?!” fumed Minako. “Did it take the only good stuff in this place?!”

“Sis, not the time!” chided Minato. “Anything we should know about it, Fuuka-san?”

“It seems its Arcana is Justice. No wait, its Chariot? What…?” Fuuka sounds confused. “Sorry, I can’t make sense of this reading. It’s almost like I’m sensing two entities.”

“Guess we’ll figure it out as we fight it!” replied Minako. “Junpei, let’s go!”

“I’ve been waiting for ya to say that!”

“Hermes!”
“Lamia!”

Junpei’s Persona dive bombed the Shadow as streaks of fire flew towards the Shadow. The attack barely seemed to scratch the armor. The Shadow retaliated by firing from its turret at Akihiko, prompting him to sidestep out of the way. The Shadow then started rushing them down, forcing them all to jump out of the way. Even as it missed them, the tank didn’t even slow down.

“W-What is it doing?” asked Yukari.

The Shadow continued running around the area as its turret aimed towards SEES’ general direction. The Shadow fired again, and Aigis jumped to the left to dodge it.

“Trying to outmaneuver us, it seems.” grumbled Mitsuru.

“Well then, let’s see how much it’d like this! Polydeuces!” 

Akihiko summoned his own Persona, and electricity jumped out from it towards the Shadow. The electricity connected, but the Shadow wasn’t even fazed. Akihiko clicked his tongue. “Was hoping the metal would conduct it better.”

“The Shadow itself doesn’t have any notable weakness or resistance.” informed Fuuka. “However, the armor from the tank is protecting it very well.”

The tank tried to run them over again, and once again everyone jumped out of the way. As soon as the Shadow passed by them, it quickly fired its cannon, hitting Minato.

“Minato-kun!” cried out Yukari.

“I’m fine!” Minato shouted back. “We’ll need to stop it first. Mitsuru-senpai!”

“On it! Penthesilea!”
“Yamata-no-Orochi!”

Two ice crystals formed on each of the tank’s treads, stopping it for a moment. Minako, Yukari, and Junpei jumped at the opportunity and summoned their own Persona. Wind and fire swirled around the Shadow as Hermes charged against the tank. Soon after, the ice on the treads shattered, and the tank began running around again.

“It doesn’t seem like we’re doing any damage.” scoffed Minako. “What now?!”

Once again the Shadow fired its gun. But this time it was aimed towards the middle of them. The shell hit the ground in the middle of the group, and exploded as soon as it impacted the ground. Everyone only had a split second to realize what happened before they were all blown away.

“Definitely not standing around too close to one another.” Minato winced from the explosion. “Spread around!”

Yukari did a quick healing before everyone spread out. The Shadow continued to run around, this time aiming its gun towards Minako.

“Targeting me, huh?” Minako grinned. “Bring it!”

“Mitsuru-senpai! Where are the weak spots for a tank?” shouted Minato.

Another shot rang out, and Minako made an ice crystal to block the shot.

“Tanks generally have thinner armor on the top or bottom of the tank. While the joint between the turret and the body is even thinner, it is most likely harder for us to hit.” replied Mitsuru.

“Alright everyone, you heard her! Target it directly above or below!” ordered Minako.

“Got it! Io!”

A jet of wind burst out from underneath the tank, startling the Shadow. Seeing the effect it has, everyone else’s expression lit up with excitement. The Shadow then turned its turret, facing it to Yukari. Minato promptly summoned an ice crystal underneath the Shadow. That distracted the Shadow, and it turned again to face Minato. “Attack in turns! Confuse it!” barked Minato.

“Aigis, you’re next!” instructed Minako.

“Understood!”

Aigis jumped over the Shadow and showered it with bullets from her finger guns. When the Shadow began turning towards Aigis as she landed, Junpei summoned Hermes and had it divebomb the Shadow from above. The Shadow tried to turn again, and this time Akihiko pounded from above with Polydeuces.

“It seems you’re making progress. The Shadow is weakening.” stated Fuuka.

It was then the Shadow did something that surprised everyone. The turret opened up, and a Shadow carrying the gun began flying around as the body ran around the area.

“I-it separated into two?!” Fuuka was flabbergasted.

“And they can move independently, too!” cried out Minako as she jumped out of the main body’s charge.

The Shadow carrying the gun began firing wildly. It was firing at members of SEES randomly, never sticking to a single target. All the while, the body sped up its movement, seemingly intent to run down everyone.

“I see, the body and the turret are different types. The body is Chariot, and the turret is Justice. That explains the two entities I’m sensing.” informed Fuuka.

“It seems they become more aggressive.” said Mitsuru while dodging another shell.

“But it looks like they also become easier targets.” grinned Yukari. “Come forth, Io!”

Yukari quickly drew her bow after summoning Io. Wind began gathering near the tip of her arrow as she aimed it towards Justice.

“Yukari-san!”

Yukari was startled hearing Minato’s shout right before he tackled her out of the way from Chariot’s rampage. Minako felt her heart nearly stop seeing Yukari and her brother almost got run over by a tank. But seeing Justice aiming towards them, Minako quickly shouted to them.

“Minato-nii! Yukari-chan! Jump out of the way!”

Both of them didn’t get a chance to move before another explosion blew them away. Akihiko summoned Polydeuces against Justice, only to get rammed by Chariot before the attack could even get close. Minako responded by creating a small ice spike underneath Chariot, and Justice responded in kind with another explosion.

“They’re coordinating their attacks as well?!” said Fuuka. “They seem to be covering each other!”

“I’ll provide a distraction.” stated Aigis. “Orgia Mode, activate!”

“Aigis, we’re not ready…” groaned Minako as she held herself up with her naginata.

Aigis darted around while firing towards both Chariot and Justice. Under the enhanced capabilities from Orgia Mode, Aigis deftly dodged attacks after attacks from both Shadows. But Minako knew she couldn’t keep it up for long.

“Damnit, we can’t let Ai-chan do everything by herself!” exclaimed Junpei. “Hermes!”

At Junpei’s summon, Justice suddenly turned around and aimed its gun towards Junpei. Junpei’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden shift. Just as the Shadow fired, Minato cast an ice spell to cover Junpei. “Whoa, thanks man!” blurted out Junpei.

“No problem!” replied Minato. He then raised his voice. “Move in a team of two! When one attacks, the other covers for them!”

“Yukari-chan, with me! Akihiko-senpai, you move with Mitsuru-senpai! Let’s do this before Aigis shuts down!” instructed Minako.

Aigis had already jumped off a wall and then stomped down on Chariot. As she jumped off Chariot, she fired away at Justice. Akihiko and Minako summoned their Persona, and as expected both Shadows turned to intercept them. Chariot rushed down Akihiko while Justice aimed towards Minako. Mitsuru then created a small ice crystal near Chariot’s track, making it swerve away, while Yukari created a small jet of wind to deflect Justice’s shell. With nothing stopping them, Minako and Akihiko unleashed their attacks on Justice.

“Use our numbers advantage! All three teams attack at the same time!” ordered Minato.

“Understood! Io!”
“Pentheselia!”
“Pale Rider!”

In response to that, Chariot tried to run down Mitsuru while Justice aimed towards Yukari. Akihiko had Polydeuces punch away Chariot, while Minako summoned Lamia to explode the shell mid-flight. Seeing that no one attacked Minato, Junpei joined in on the assault. Aigis joined in as well by shooting at Justice.

Under the heavy assault, Justice fell to the ground unmoving. “Is that it?” asked Yukari.

“Looks like it. Now focus on–” Minako's voice cut off when she saw a light coming from Chariot. A similar light then converged on Justice, and it got up and started flying around again.

“Did Chariot just revive Justice?!” exclaimed Fuuka.

Minato clicked his tongue. “Of course it won’t be that easy.”

“We’re a little battered here. We’ll need a little reset.” Minako panted. “Minato-nii!”

“Now?! Not a good time to experiment, but fine!” responded Minato. He then turned to Junpei. “Junpei, you team up with Yukari-san for now.”

“Huh?! What’re you doing?!” asked Junpei.

“Just cover us for a few seconds.”

Aigis continued to run around while firing at both Shadows, provoking Chariot to chase her around and Justice to continue shooting at her.

Minako now stood beside her brother. They talked about trying this out days ago, but they could never find a good opportunity to do it. Shifting her Evoker to her left hand, Minako aimed it towards her brother’s head. Minato was doing the same, aiming his Evoker to her head. “Here we go!” shouted Minako.

“Narcissus!”
“Pixie!”

“FROLIC!”

A warm wave enveloped all of SEES, fully recovering them from their injuries. Minako smiled seeing the result. “Looks like we can do it after all.”

“And it’s a lot less taxing compared to when we do it alone, too.” remarked Minato. “Let’s go, sis!”

“Right behind you, Minato-nii.”

“Wow, didn’t know you two can do something like that. So what’s the plan here, guys?” asked Junpei.

“We’ll need to take both of them down at the same time.” stated Minako. “But the Chariot one is still more heavily protected.”

“Not on every part.” added Minato. “There should be an opening left behind where Justice was sitting on the turret.”

“What, are we supposed to jump on top of it?! Isn’t that kinda reckless?!” gasped Yukari.

“Not really, watch this!” smiled Minako. “Sarasvati!”

An ice crystal emerged from the turret hole, causing Chariot to squirm even more than usual. And as expected, Justice quickly turned its attention to Minako. Another shot fired, and Minato deflected it with a wind spell. “Yes! It works!” exclaimed Minako.

“We’ll split into two teams this time.” instructed Minako. “Minato-nii, you take Yukari-chan and Mitsuru-senpai to deal with Chariot. I’ll take Junpei and Akihiko-senpai against Justice.”

“Sounds good to me!” replied Akihiko.

Akihiko started off with summoning Polydeuces against Justice. Justice shot in retaliation, but it was intercepted by Junpei’s fireball. Minako joined in with Akihiko and summoned Titan to slash at Justice. Justice tried to float away from the three, but Junpei’s Hermes quickly kicked it back to the ground. Polydeuces followed up by punching it further into the ground. Justice tried to fire back at the Personas, but the close proximity and the length of the barrel made it easy to push it away.

“Aigis has overheated! She can’t move anymore!” shouted Fuuka.

Minako looked back to see that Aigis had already fallen to her knees. “I’m… sorry… This… is my limit…” muttered Aigis.

“You’ve already done a great job distracting them so far, Aigis!” shouted Minato. “We’ll take it from here.”

“Fuuka-san, how’s our progress?!” inquired Minako.

“Both Shadows are already quite weakened. Just a little more!” informed Fuuka.

Justice fired another shot between Minako, Junpei, and Akihiko, causing an explosion. Minako winced at the explosion before casting a healing spell over the three of them. Junpei and Akihiko sent their Personas charging through the Shadow. Minako then dealt the finishing blow by sending Take-Mikazuchi slashing at the Shadow.

Looking over to her brother’s fight, she saw a small tornado of fire whirling on top of Chariot, before the tank body fell over and the Shadow dissipated. She breathed out a sigh of relief. As the two teams regrouped to where Aigis was kneeling, Mitsuru spoke up. “Well done. The Shadow has been eliminated.”

Yukari sighed. “That was just insane. Who would’ve expected we’ll be fighting a tank?”

“A separating tank to boot!” added Minako.

“Well, at least it’s done with.” said Akihiko.

“Alright. Then let’s regroup back with Yamagishi. I’ll contact the Chairman for help to get us out of here.” stated Mitsuru.

“Thanks. Though we need to help Aigis walk over there.” said Minato as he walked towards Aigis.

Minako promptly grabbed her brother by the wrist. “I’ll do it. Yukari-chan, can you help me out here?”

“Sis, there’s no need for you to be this afraid.” sighed Minato. “If she truly wanted to hurt me, she had plenty of chances during that last fight.”

Minako bit her lip. She knew she didn’t have any proof of her paranoia, and Aigis has proven multiple times that she won’t hurt Minato in any way. But she still couldn’t shake off her feeling of wanting to keep her brother as far away as possible from the android.

“Furthermore, she’s overheated right now.” continued Minato. “She couldn’t even move, even if she wanted to.”

“Well… she could jump at you the moment she cools down.” Minako argued back. She’s being unreasonable right now, but she felt that she needed to say anything.

Minato closed his eyes while rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “Fine, if it makes you feel better. Yukari-san, can you…?”

“Okay.” muttered Yukari as she walked to Aigis’ side.

Minako walked over to the other side and helped Aigis up with Yukari by their shoulder. “Your assistance is greatly appreciated.” stated Aigis.

Minako resisted the urge to say anything back. She knew Aigis truly wished to help, and her assistance has proven to be very valuable. If only she could convince herself that Aigis was not a threat. She didn’t know how long until she could trust the android to go near her brother.

Chapter Text

== August 8th, 2009 ==

As expected, everyone agreed to take it easy the day after the operation. And today, Mitsuru called in early in the morning to say that everyone should come to the meeting room in the evening. Minato said okay to Mitsuru quickly before going over the plan for today. Just last night, Elizabeth and Theodore expressed their wish for another ‘outing’. Minato could already feel the headache, but he decided it’s better to get it out of the way soon. Minako was also hesitant, but thankfully agreed to his decision.

The twins and their Velvet Room attendants had arrived in Naganaki Shrine. Elizabeth and Theodore were looking around in amazement, while the twins were dreading what insanity they were going to witness this time. They were thankful that nobody was at the shrine that time, not even Maiko, so they didn’t need to feel second-hand embarrassment from attendants’ antics.

“Yes, this shrine is definitely everything we’ve heard about.” mused Theodore. “I can sense mysterious presences here… Ones that are different from Shadows. Ah, I can even sense one behind you, Minako-sama.”

Minako quickly jerked her head to her back. After a few seconds, Theodore began giggling. Minako then glared back at the attendant. “The heck, Theo! That’s the first time you pull a prank like that!”

“My apologies, Minako-sama. I just couldn’t resist.”

Elizabeth also started to smirk. “Ah, it appears that I taught my brother well.”

“I’m flattered to hear that, dear sister.” replied Theodore.

“Let’s just go already.” sighed Minako.

Minato just massaged his temples.

The four of them walked over to the offertory box. Elizabeth and Theodore beamed in excitement. Elizabeth then spoke up. “Now, we shall first observe the local traditions and worship at the shrine.”

Both Elizabeth and Theodore then proceed to take out their purse and let out a stream of coins from it.

Again?! Minato quickly called out to them. “Um, you don’t need to give that much…”

“Oh? But we’ve heard that the ‘divine grace’ that is bestowed is proportional to the amount offered.” Theodore was scowling.

“Clearly, there is a limit to the amount of energy they can offer.” said Elizabeth. “As powerful as these entities may be, they are not truly omnipotent. I believe that is what our guest is saying.”

“Y-Yeah, that’s exactly it!” stuttered Minako.

“I see.” Theodore smiled, satisfied. “Then we shall continue with the ritual. I believe the next step is to swing the rope.”

“Correct.” responded Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and Theodore then swung the rope in turns, ringing the bell. “And then we call out our wishes.” stated Theodore while clasping his hand, with Elizabeth following suit. They stayed at that position for a short while.

“What’s the matter, Theo?” called out Elizabeth.

“Hm, forgive me, but it appears I haven’t given my wish much thought.” answered Theodore while still clasping his hand. “But it would be improper to not call out a wish… Ah, I know, I shall wish for Minako-sama’s well-being.”

Minato unconsciously glared at the Velvet Room attendant. While it was nice that someone else cared for his sister, he couldn’t help feeling irked. Just what was Theodore implying?

“In that case, I shall wish for unlimited access to that takoyaki from the other day.” added Elizabeth.

Minako was visibly wincing from Elizabeth mentioning the takoyaki. Minato had noticed that, ever since the outing at the Strip Mall, Minako never bought the takoyaki again. She even deliberately looked away from the shop. Minato just dragged his sister to join the attendants in prayer.

After finishing the prayer, Elizabeth’s attention was drawn to the side. “Oh my, what is this?” said Elizabeth.

Elizabeth walked over to the fortune table, and Theodore and the twins followed behind her. “As I thought, these are ‘paper fortunes’. I’ve heard of this game, where people entrust their destiny to a slip of paper, and exult in the risk.” explained Elizabeth.

“Is that what this is, sister?” Theodore asked in awe.

“Indeed.” replied Elizabeth. “And, it appears that there are multiple possible destinies written on them. Well then Theo, shall we experiment? Let us see which of us can obtain each possible variation first.”

Minako promptly dragged both Elizabeth and Theodore away from the fortune table. “No, you’re not allowed to do that! One person is allowed to only pick one each day!”

“Ah, is that so? Our apologies, then.” said Theodore.

“C’mon, sis. Can’t you just let them have some fun?” asked Minato.

“I refuse to be yelled at when the shrine owner realizes all of their Omikuji are gone!” shouted Minako.

“Fair enough.” shrugged Minato.

The four of them were then at the playground area. “I’ve been curious ever since we arrived here, so now we finally get to see it so closely…” mused Elizabeth.

“I will admit that I am rather curious as well, but what are these, sister?” inquired Theodore.

“These, dear Theo, are what humans call a ‘slide’ and a ‘jungle gym’.”

“And… they are supposed to be…?” Theodore grew even more confused.

Elizabeth chuckled at Theodore’s lack of information. “Observe. I shall demonstrate the use of these contraptions.”

Elizabeth then climbed up the slide and proceeded to slide down the ramp while standing up. The twins were obviously startled by the stunt. “Hm… Is that how one’s supposed to use this?” muttered Theodore.

“Yes.” answered Elizabeth. “Before one can relax in luxury, one must first claw their way to the top. Such a profound wisdom to be encapsulated in such a simple form. Now Theo, it’s your turn to experience it.”

Minato found himself at a loss for words as Theodore began climbing up the slide. Once he’s at the top, Theodore was visibly swaying. “This is how you do it, right sister?” Theodore sounded even more unsure than before he climbed up.

“Yes. Now… slide down to your loving sister’s embrace!” declared Elizabeth with her arm outstretched forward.

Theodore swayed some more, before he fell forward, slid down on his stomach, and crashed into Elizabeth. Minato could only bury his face in his hand.

Elizabeth pushed Theodore off her and stood up. “Hm… Not the most elegant way to do it, but it will do. So Theo, do you now understand the wisdom of this device?”

Theodore dusted himself off as he stood up. “I cannot seem to grasp the ‘relaxation’ part you speak of, sister.”

“I see… So, if one were to make a mistake during the descent, one may fail to achieve relaxation despite their effort, rendering their struggle fruitless.” mused Elizabeth. “Impressive, Theo. You were able to show another side of this wisdom than what I have experienced.”

“I-if you say so.”

Minato glanced at his sister only to see her with an unreadable expression on her face. He could understand. He didn’t even know what to feel seeing the attendants’ antics. Anger? Embarrassment? Sadness? He couldn’t even tell anymore.

And it has officially gotten even crazier. After trying the jungle gym, Elizabeth was then stuck standing in the middle of the jungle gym, with Theodore somehow standing upside down right above Elizabeth. Elizabeth sighed. “Theo, I don’t believe this is how you were supposed to do this.”

“But, you were the one who told me to follow you!” Theodore was half-pouting.

“Well clearly, something must’ve gone wrong, since this is not the most ideal situation.”

“So, what do we do now?”

Minato internally groaned. Meanwhile, Minako just stared off into the sky with a flat expression.

“Of course, our first priority is to get out of this predicament. Theo, can you climb out of here?”

“That would be difficult in my current position.”

“Hm… In that case, let me try something.”

Elizabeth then gave Theodore a hard shove upward, practically throwing him out of the jungle gym. Theodore flew out of the jungle gym and landed next to the twins, startling them. “Now… How do I get out of here…?” mused Elizabeth.

The attendants then moved to the horizontal bars. Predictably and to the exasperation of the twins, both Elizabeth and Theodore tried to stand on top of the horizontal bars.

“This… is quite difficult… to do…” stammered Theodore.

“Indeed…” affirmed Elizabeth. “But… they presented this… as a challenge… Shouldn’t we… take it up…?”

“Actually…” Minako sounded very defeated. “That’s not how you use it…”

“Then… how do… you use it…?” inquired Elizabeth.

“Just… stand beside it and hang on to it?” offered Minato.

“Should we… do that… sister?” asked Theodore.

Elizabeth hummed a bit before answering. “Let’s just… continue doing this… We’re already… doing it… so we should commit…”

Finally content with their adventure, Elizabeth and Theodore decided to sit down on a bench, joined by the twins. “That was an excellent time. Today was even more enjoyable than our other excursions out.” praised Elizabeth.

“Th-thanks.” said Minato weakly.

“Though, sometimes we wonder… Is this world truly that enjoyable, or is it because…” mused Theodore as he looked over to the twins.

“Well, I’m sure we’ll find our answer eventually.” cut in Elizabeth. “We thank you for taking the time for us. We look forward to our next excursion.”

Minato and Minako nodded shakily. They then escorted the attendants back to the Velvet Room.

Back at the dorm, everyone met back in the meeting room as Mitsuru asked.

“Does this mean we have a new mission?” inquired Aigis.

“I dunno. But, the alarm’s not ringin’...” Junpei sounded unsure.

“Huh?!” Yukari squeaked out in surprise.

“Koro-chan?!” Fuuka was equally surprised.

Minato looked over to where Mitsuru was standing, and saw that Koromaru was sitting beside her. Koromaru was wearing a white dog suit, and a very obvious silver collar. Yukari and Fuuka rushed over to Koromaru.

“Are you okay?” asked Fuuka. “Where’d you get this collar?”

“That collar is designed to help control his Persona. In other words, it’s an Evoker for dogs.” explained Mitsuru.

“Wait… Does that mean he’ll be going into battle?” asked Yukari.

“It was a surprise for me as well. But according to the tests, it’s quite possible.” continued Mitsuru. “In fact, it was the Chairman’s suggestion. We’ll be looking after him here in the dorm.”

“Is that okay with you, Koro-chan?” asked Fuuka hesitantly.

Koromaru barked once, and Aigis piped up. “He said, ‘I’ll return the favor’.”

“Aw, thanks Koro-chan.” cooed Minako.

“Hey, make yourself at home.” cheered Junpei. “The more the merrier, right? Who cares if you’re a dog? Alright, I’ll take him for a walk. It’s summer break, after all!”

Minako raised her hand. “Oh, oh! I’m in! I’m taking first dibs!”

Mitsuru chuckled. “Yes, enjoy your vacation while you can; summer classes start next week. I’ll see to it that you graduate.”

Everyone then snapped their attention to Mitsuru. “H-Hey… Good one, Senpai. You almost had me there.” said Junpei with a strained laugh.

Mitsuru shook her head. “Oh, it’s no joke. We’ll be taking intensive courses. I’ve already applied for all of us. I know how difficult it’s been balancing school and our late night excursion. You haven’t had much time to study, I apologize for that. That’s why the Chairman agrees that this is a good idea. I thought I already told Takeba and Yamagishi.”

The second years then turned their attention to Yukari and Fuuka. “Are you serious?! This is the first I’ve heard of it!” shouted Junpei.

Fuuka looked sheepish. “Sorry, I forgot to mention it.”

“How could you forget about this?! This is important!” Minako looked scandalized.

“Um… it just… slipped our mind?” Yukari had a guilty grin.

“It could be a good opportunity, though. Mitsuru-senpai is right, we did get less chances to study.” argued Minato

“Minato-nii?!” Minako shouted in a half-betrayed tone. “How could you be okay with this?!”

Minato shrugged. “It could do us good. Might as well make the most out of it.”

“A-and it’s only for a week. So it shouldn’t be too bad.” Fuuka shakily offered.

“It’s still bullshit!” exclaimed Junpei.

“I think you have the least right to complain, considering your grade.” quipped Yukari.

“Besides, I doubt we can just cancel it.” added Minato.

Minako and Junpei slumped their shoulders in defeat.

== August 16th, 2009 ==

A week has passed, and summer school finally ended. Minako couldn’t be more relieved. Now she was to enjoy summer vacation to its fullest. Just as she walked down the stairs to the first floor, she heard someone talking in the lounge. She took a peek, and saw Yukari calling out to her brother. Minako then quickly hid in a corner, trying to hear the conversation.

Before she could hear anything, Minako saw Junpei walking down the stairs while opening a can of Mad Bull. Junpei was about to greet her, but Minako quickly shushed him and pointed at the lounge. After seeing what happened, Junpei followed Minako in hiding.

“So… do you know there’s a summer festival in the shrine tonight?” asked Yukari, fidgeting. “Perhaps… would you… like to come with me…?”

Minato was also fidgeting in place. “Um… sure… if you would have me…”

“C-cool. So… Um… I’ll see you tonight…?”

“Y-yeah… tonight…”

Yukari then slowly walked out of the dorm. When Yukari was no longer in sight, Minato breathed out a huge sigh, and he walked out of the dorm as well.

Minako and Junpei got out of their hiding spot. Minako was happy that Yukari was taking steps in their relationship. She knew that those two had already started hanging out before summer vacation started, but it seems they’re still feeling shy around one another. Minako then frowned a bit when it reminded her that her own progress was still going nowhere.

“Man, that was awkward to watch.” piped up Junpei. “But, at least they’re doin’ something.”

“Yeah…” smiled Minako. “A summer festival date, huh? Didn’t know you moved that fast, Yukari-chan.”

“Yuka-tan was always so bold since I first knew her. But man, with how awkward they’re acting around each other, it’ll be forever for them to get their act together.”

“What, are you planning to help them?” smirked Minako.

Junpei giggled in response. “I would… but watching them just got more entertaining.”

“Luckily, we got the best seat in the house.”

“Definitely! So, when do you think Yuka-tan’s going to confess?”

Minako raised one of her eyebrows. “Oh? You think Yukari-chan is going to confess first?”

“Duh! No offense, but your brother is not exactly the most… aggressive type. Yuka-tan, on the other hand, will just stomp her way through.”

“Then you don’t know my brother that well yet. He can be quite decisive when it comes to it. And about Yukari-chan, she may be quite bold in a lot of things, but as we can see she has her shy side as well.”

“Ohoho, you sound so confident in your assessment. You wanna bet on it?”

“You’re on! 3000 yen says Minato-nii will confess first!”

“Deal!” They settled it with a firm handshake.

“So… what are your plans for tonight?” asked Junpei after they broke off the handshake. Junpei then sighed. “As for me… I’ll probably just wander around the shrine… basking in my loneliness…”

Minako raised one of her eyebrows. “Why would you do that? Why can’t you ask someone else in the dorm to join you?”

“Tried that. Fuuka said she’s going with Moriyama, Aigis said she’s going to accompany Mitsuru-senpai and I feel awkward joining them, and I can’t find Akihiko-senpai.”

“What about me?!” Minako mock-pouted. “I’m not good enough of a friend for you?”

Junpei suddenly grimaced. “Er… It’s not that… I just…”

“Let me guess, you're afraid we might run into Minato-nii.” sighed Minako.

“Yeah… I’d rather not get stabbed in broad daylight, thank you very much.”

“No need to be so paranoid. Minato-nii wouldn’t do that…”

“Yeah, maybe not stab… but I don’t wanna find out.”

Minako groaned loudly. She’s grateful that Minato cared about her that much, but sometimes his overprotectiveness had cost him some friends he could’ve made. It’s not that she didn’t understand the feeling, though. Minako wouldn’t let anyone with dubious motives get near her brother.

“So… yeah… you know how it is.” said Junpei. “Well, I’m just going to hang around Paulownia Mall in the meantime. See you later.”

Minako waved Junpei goodbye as he walked out of the dorm. Now that she’s alone, Minako’s thoughts wandered back to the summer festival. As much as she griped about Junpei going alone, she realized she didn’t have anyone to join her either. She did have someone she wanted to ask… but the biggest problem would be to find him first.

As luck would have it, Minako managed to find Akihiko in the Strip Mall in the middle of a jog. Minako then called out to him. Akihiko noticed her, and walked over to her. “Hey, do you need something?”

“Kinda. I just want to talk to you.” responded Minako.

“Okay. What do you want to talk about?”

“Um… It’s about the summer festival tonight. I was wondering… if you want to come with me?”

“You want me to come with you?” asked Akihiko in a confused tone. He then shrugged. “Sure. I wasn’t planning to go, but I can tag along.”

Minako internally cheered. Asking him to come was easier than she thought. She would need to prepare herself for the actual date.

“Thanks. That means a lot to me.”

Akihiko chuckled. “No need to exaggerate like that. So, is that all you want to ask?”

“Yeah. Are you going to continue with your jog?”

“Yeah, I will. Do you want to tag along?”

“Um… maybe not. You go have fun, Senpai.”

“Suit yourself. So, I’ll see you tonight at the shrine?”

“Yes, tonight at 7 P.M. Make sure you’re not late, Senpai.”

“Don’t worry about me.” said Akihiko as he jogged away.

Minako waved back to Akihiko. When he was no longer in sight, Minako walked back to the dorm. Back in her own room, she went through her drawer to find her yukata. To her relief, the yukata was still in good shape, and it still fit her perfectly. That was good, since she wasn’t sure she had time to look for a new one.

Nighttime arrived and Minako was standing at the entrance of Naganaki Shrine. Akihiko stood beside her.

“Wow, looks like business is booming.” remarked Akihiko. “There’s a lot of people too… Make sure you don’t get separated, okay?”

“Aw… senpai, are you worried about me?” teased Minako.

“What, I’m not allowed to?” chuckled Akihiko.

Minako grabbed Akihiko’s hand. “Well, I think it’s sweet of you.”

“Heh, thanks. Still, you don’t need to wear a yukata, though. Isn’t it hard to move in?”

“Kinda. But it just feels right to wear it during the summer festival. Why? Is there a problem?”

“I-it’s nothing.” stammered Akihiko. “It’s just… I don’t… I think it looks good on you.”

Minako felt her face heat up a little. “Is it? Does it really look that good on me?” said Minako while twirling around slowly.

“Um… C-can you not do that? You’re making it hard to look directly at you.”

“Oh? Why is that?” smirked Minako.

“Uh… let’s just go visit the shrine first.”

Minako pouted slightly at Akihiko’s attempt to deflect. But she decided she could try another time. They walked for a bit towards the offertory box. But midway, Minako saw Minato and Yukari walking over from the opposite direction. Minako quickly dragged Akihiko to hide behind one of the stalls before they noticed. “Why are we hiding?” inquired Akihiko.

Minako tried to shush him while pointing towards her brother and Yukari. Akihiko's gaze followed the direction, before he spoke up again. “Isn’t that Minato and Yukari? Shouldn’t we say hi?”

“N-No!” whispered Minako. “We… we shouldn’t interrupt! Yeah, that’s it…”

“Interrupt what?” Akihiko grew confused. “Wouldn’t it be better to go in a large group?”

Minako silently groaned at her senpai’s obliviousness. She wanted badly to explain everything, but doing it right then would cause a scene. She just decided to ignore the question and focus on her brother. Both Minato and Yukari were standing in front of the raffle booth, with Minato trying to pick from the raffle box. When Minato took out his pick, the stall attendant exclaimed surprise that he actually won, before handing Minato his prize.

“Wow, Minato-kun! I didn’t think you could actually win at a place like this… This is probably the first time I’ve seen someone walk away with a prize…” commented Yukari.

“Guess I’m just lucky…” replied Minato.

“Even if it’s just luck, it’s still impressive.”

“Thanks.”

“You know, I was hoping we’d see some of our classmates here. But I guess that’s too much to hope for. I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed.”

“Maybe we should join them after all…” whispered Akihiko.

“No!” Minako whispered back.

“Maybe they just decided to come later in the night? The festival does run for a long time.” offered Minato.

“Wouldn’t they be worried of being out too late into the night? Not to mention some of the stalls might be sold out.” argued Yukari.

“Or they just don’t want to get shoved around by the crowd.”

“True, it is rather crowded right now… Well, I had fun anyway, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”

“Glad to hear that. I had fun as well.” smiled Minato.

Yukari blushed slightly. “I-is that so? That’s good.”

“Anything else you want to see here?”

Yukari pondered for a few moments while looking over the stalls. “Nah, I’m good. Let’s go back to the dorm.”

Minato and Yukari walked out of the shrine while making small talk. When both of them were no longer in sight, Minako finally released her breath that she just realized had been holding this entire time. The stall owner they had been hiding behind suddenly coughed to get their attention. “As amusing as it is to watch, are you two lovebirds done?”

Minako and Akihiko were startled by that and hastily got out of their hiding place. The stall owner chuckled a bit. “Ah, teenagers. Made me miss my highschool days. So, are you going to buy anything?”

“No, s-sorry! W-we were just…” stuttered Minako.

“Trying to get out of your friends’ way. I heard.” finished the owner. “Would still appreciate it if you buy some yakitori.”

“W-we’ll think about it. For now, we’ll just get out of your way.” said Akihiko with a bow.

Both of them walked away from the stall, with the stall owner sporting an amused grin. After walking a bit of distance, Akihiko spoke up. “That was… something… I didn’t know those two were so close.”

“They started hanging out a few weeks ago. I think it was after our trip to Yakushima.” supplied Minako.

“I see. Well, nothing wrong with being close with your friends. Though, I’m still confused on why you wouldn’t join them.”

Minako sighed. “Senpai, I already told you. We shouldn’t interrupt them.”

That was just an excuse, though. There’s another, bigger reason Minako hid from her brother. But mentioning that would probably scare off Akihiko, and she couldn’t have that.

“You say that, but what exactly will we be interrupting?” asked Akihiko.

“That’s…” Minako’s voice trailed off. She was really debating whether to just explain it all in detail or be vague about it. On one hand, explaining it directly would be easier, but it might make things awkward between them. On the other hand, being vague would probably mean Akihiko wouldn’t understand and just kept asking.

Minako shook her head and tried something. “It’s more like this: Senpai, how would you feel if one of your classmates suddenly appeared and asked to join us right now?”

Akihiko went silent for a few minutes. Minako silently wished that he would understand, and at the same time hoped it wouldn't suddenly get awkward. Akihiko then answered, “I don’t get it. Normally, I would be okay with it. But somehow, I feel as if I don’t like the idea.”

“Well, there you have it. You wouldn’t want to upset your friends, would you Senpai?”

“I guess not. Is that why you don’t want to join them? Because you knew your brother wouldn’t like it?”

“Both Minato-nii and Yukari-chan wouldn’t like it, actually.”

Akihiko grumbled slightly. “I really don’t get it.”

Minako smiled slightly at his conclusion. He didn’t understand fully yet, but she just needed to take it one step at a time. Minako then grabbed his hand again. “Well, you can think about it later, Senpai. For now, there’s still a festival we need to go through.”

== August 18th, 2009 ==

At Night, the twins decided to watch a new recording in the command room. They already noticed it ever since a few days ago, but due to a lot of things happening, they only remembered about it now. Minako giddily pressed the play button, while Minato just sighed. The recording began to play. As soon as Minako realized that it was recording Fuuka trying out her swimsuit, her hands quickly flew over to cover her brother’s eyes. “Sis, that hurts.” deadpanned Minato.

“You can’t watch a girl trying on a swimsuit!” squeaked Minako.

“I can’t watch with your hands in front of my eyes anyway.”

“You still can’t watch it!”

Minato sighed. “Should I just leave then?”

“No, stay here! Just… close your eyes!”

“Fine…”

Minako continued watching the recording. Minato followed his sister’s wishes and closed his eyes, even going so far as turning his body away so he didn’t face the console. The recording has Fuuka being hesitant about her swimsuit, and feeling that her body didn’t measure up to Yukari or hers. Minako felt that she would need to talk to Fuuka alone about this.

It was when Fuuka tried the electronic waist slimmer that things went downhill. The waist slimmer tickled Fuuka, making her uncomfortable. It didn’t help matter when Fuuka was unable to take it off, forcing her to endure the tickle torture.

“You know, hearing this recording without being able to see what’s happening is really sending some weird images.” remarked Minato.

“Jeez, do you really need to say that, Minato-nii?”

“Yeah, I kinda felt the need to.”

As if on cue, Mitsuru knocked on Fuuka’s door in the recording. And as expected, when Mitsuru heard Fuuka’s giggles and something vibrated, she became uncomfortable and walked away.

“Wow, I feel bad for Fuuka-san.” said Minako after the recording was finished. “Having to endure that tickle machine for so long is bound to hurt.”

Minato quirked one of his eyebrows. “Not regarding her situation with Mitsuru-senpai?”

“Those two are different things.” grinned Minako. “It is awkward for both of them, I admit. I wonder if I can make Mitsuru-senpai blush if I asked her about this.”

“Do you want to get executed?”

“Just kidding. If I ask her that, she’ll probably trace it back to these cameras. I rather keep this our little secret.”

Minato buried his face into his right hand. He then noticed something on the consoles. “Looks like there’s another recording.”

“Oh really? Wow, this one’s a little more recent. August 13th? In the middle of our summer classes?”

The recording showed Akihiko in his room, complaining about his misfortune at Yakushima. Minato smiled amused, while Minako got confused. “What is he talking about? What happened in Yakushima?” asked Minako.

“Oh, just Junpei and Akihiko-senpai being dorks at the beach. Junpei proposed picking up girls, Akihiko-senpai got baited into joining, and long story short, they failed miserably.” answered Minato while still smiling.

Minako had mixed feelings hearing that. While seeing both of them making a fool of themselves could be amusing, the thought of Akihiko hitting on other girls made it sting.

The recording continued with Akihiko reading a self-help book, applying the advice in the most awkward way possible, and then capping it off with the lamest pun Minako had ever heard. Minato facepalmed again hearing the pun, while Minako shook her head and smiled. She wanted to tell Akihiko that he didn’t need any weird pickup lines or grand gestures, he just needed to be himself.

“Jeez, even Akihiko-senpai is such a mess, huh?” remarked Minato.

“Like we’re any different.” chuckled Minako.

“True. Everyone in this dorm is a mess in their own way.”

“And that’s what makes being around them so much fun.”

== August 24th, 2009 ==

The Summer Film Festival continued, and Minako was hoping to ask another one of her friends to join her and her brother to watch it alongside them. As they walked near the lounge, they heard Yukari grumble loudly to herself.

“Seriously…?! Why’d she just tell me this now?!”

Curious about what Yukari was talking about, Minako approached her. “Yukari-chan? Is there a problem?”

“Oh, hi Minako, Minato-kun.” Yukari greeted back. “It’s nothing big. I was planning to watch the film festival with one of my archery club friends, but she decided to bail on me at the last second. She was so excited, yet she just bailed. Maybe it was an emergency. Guess I’ll just be staying at the dorm today…”

Minako stared at Yukari for a few moments before something clicked for her. She then said, “Say, do you want to join us then? We were looking for someone to join us at the Film Festival.”

Yukari beamed after hearing the offer. “Really? You want to watch it as well? Then I’ll take you up on your offer.”

“Great!” Minako then put her hand inside her pocket and adopted a shocked expression. “Ah, shoot! Looks like I forgot something. I’ll go back to my room to look for it.”

“Um, do you want us to wait for you?” asked Yukari.

Minako waved her hand. “No need. It should be quick. Go on ahead, I’ll catch up with you guys.”

Yukari went silent. She then just shrugged. “Alright, if you say so. C’mon, Minato-kun.”

As Minato and Yukari went out of the dorm, Minako ran upstairs to her room. She then opened her drawers and began to search for an appropriate disguise. She felt a little bad tricking both of them like this, but she thinks it would be good to give them a little push every now and then. She found a gray jacket and a cap she borrowed from Junpei a few days ago. Donning it on, she quickly ran out of the dorm and made her way to the theater.

Arriving at Port Island Station, Minako saw her brother and Yukari standing around in front of the theater. She quickly hid behind a wall. After a few minutes, Yukari began to get irritated.

“Where is she?! The movie is about to start.” complained Yukari.

“She’s not answering her phone.” supplied Minato. “Is she still in her room?”

Minako had put her phone on silent. Silently giggling to herself, Minako hoped this would help those two along. Although, judging from Minato’s expression, he’s already starting to suspect something.

“Jeez, what is she looking for that takes so long?” groaned Yukari.

“Beats me. She didn’t say anything, afterall.”

“Does this kinda thing happen often?”

“Not really. It’s rare, but it does happen sometimes.”

Minako scowled a bit. How dare her brother slander her like that. But it’s okay. It’s for their sake. She can handle a little misconception.

“And today just happens to be one of those days.” sighed Yukari. “Alright, I’ll shoot a text message her way. We need to get inside.”

Minato and Yukari walked inside the theater. After making sure they couldn’t see her, Minako followed inside and bought her own ticket. She made sure to buy a ticket for a seat way out the back of the theater. She couldn’t risk being caught.

Inside the theater, Minako was too absorbed in watching over Minato and Yukari. She still snuck occasional glances at the movie, but she was far more interested in seeing the relationship between her brother and her best friend. Yukari was mostly absorbed into the movie, but she still occasionally snuck glances towards Minato. Likewise, Minato occasionally stare at Yukari. When they accidentally looked at one another, both of them quickly looked away while blushing. Seeing that, Minako internally seethed. “ How come they don’t realize it already?!” thought Minako.

Nearing the end of the movie, Minato glanced toward the back. Minako quickly ducked behind the seats. She peeked through the gap of the seats, trying to make sure that her brother didn’t find out she was there. She saw Minato stare at the back for a few seconds, before returning his attention to the movie. Minako breathed out in relief.

As the movie ended and the theater-goers filed out, Minako decided to wait a bit until Minato and Yukari were completely out of the room. When she went outside, Minako saw them talking at the front of the theater.

“That was awesome.” said Yukari. “There are times in life that you have to get by on willpower alone.”

“Speaking from experience?” smirked Minato.

“I mean, our times in our ‘extracurricular activity’ can be quite insane.” Yukari giggled back. “I swear, sometimes you and your sister can put us through the wringer.”

“Well, we now have a goal to aim for. And a deadline on top of that.”

“True… But it doesn’t hurt to relax a bit, now does it?”

“I’ll… keep that in mind. I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Minako saw Yukari looked away with a light blush. “I-I never said I was uncomfortable with it. I was just… worried about you… a-about both of you!” Yukari hastily added the last part.

“T-thanks…” Minato blushed in turn.

“Speaking of your sister, where is she? We didn’t see her coming in at all.”

“Did she respond to your message?”

Yukari checked her phone. “She didn’t. Did she fall asleep or something?”

Minako scowled again. All these wild speculation about her and she couldn’t do anything about it. She couldn’t think of a good response to Yukari’s message without making it too suspicious, but it seems it just made Yukari think up a weird image about her.

“We can always ask her ourselves when we get back.” replied Minato.

“Yeah, you’re right. Jeez, it’s getting late already. Should we get back to the dorm?”

“You go on ahead. I’m planning to do a little something before I get back.”

“Okay. Don’t stay out too late or Mitsuru-senpai might chew you out.”

Yukari walked away to the station while Minato just stood there. As soon as Yukari was out of sight, Minato turned around and looked towards the theater. “Mina, I know you’re in there somewhere. Come out already.”

Minako was startled by her brother calling her out so suddenly. She sheepishly walked away from the pillar she was hiding behind and walked slowly to Minato. “Since when did you notice?”

“I just know now actually, with you coming out. Though I was suspicious ever since you said you forgot something in your room.”

Minako internally groaned. It had to be on stuff like this where her brother is unusually perceptive.

Minato spoke up again. “I get what you’re trying to do, but you don’t need to do that.”

“And what? Just watch you stumbling around with Yukari-chan? I said I want to help, didn’t I?”

“Your ‘help’ sometimes just made it more awkward.”

“Are you feeling awkward this time?” grinned Minako.

“I’m starting to regret telling you that day.” sighed Minato.

“Like you can keep it from me for long anyway.”

Minato rubbed the back of his neck as he sighed again. “Fine. Although, what are you planning to tell Yukari-san? She’s bound to have questions regarding your absence.”

Minako was stunned silent as she realized her situation. She’s been too focused on watching Minato and Yukari and made sure to stay out of their sight so that she forgot to come up with a good excuse. She then smiled nervously at Minato. “You got a good excuse?” asked Minako weakly.

“Why am I the one bailing you out of this?” said Minato as he facepalmed at her question. After pondering a few moments, he offered. “How about this? You took too long looking for whatever it is you were looking for, so you just decided to buy a separate ticket.”

“Hm… I can work with that. I can say I was looking for this jacket.” said Minako as she lightly pulled on the jacket she’s wearing. “It’s technically not wrong.”

“Okay, but pocket the cap. That’s Junpei’s, isn’t it? Yukari-san’s gonna recognize it right away.”

Minako quickly took off the cap and put it inside her jacket. Both of them then went back to the dorm. Predictably, the twins saw an irate Yukari when they arrived at the dorm. “Where were you? I checked in your room when I got back, but you’re not even there! Did you really just ditched us?!” fumed Yukari.

“Wait, no! It’s not that…” said Minako while laughing weakly. “It’s just… I was looking for this jacket because I was… I just feel like wearing it. But I took too long looking for it, so… I just bought a separate ticket.”

“Why didn’t you just sit next to us? I thought I texted you our seats!” asked Yukari.

“I just… It felt awkward, you know. I arrived there when the movie was already halfway done, so I… It doesn’t feel right for me to disturb you.”

Yukari’s expression soften. “You don’t need to feel bad about that. We’ll understand if you just explain it to us.”

“Are you sure? Would you really want me to get between… you know…”

Yukari’s face quickly reddened from that. “W-Wait! What are you implying?!”

Minato buried his face in his hand again. Minako, on the other hand, was just enjoying this.

“What else would I be talking about?” Minako adopted an innocent expression. “I mean, I can see when I–”

“Okay, that’s enough for today.” interrupted Yukari. “I’ll be… I’m going back to my room.”

Yukari hastily walked to the stairs and to her room.

“Did you really need to say that?” said Minato while lightly blushing himself.

As soon as Minako saw her brother’s face, she started smirking wide. “Whaaat? Aren’t you having fun yourself, Minato-nii?”

Minato looked away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh-huh. Suuure.”

“And that’s enough out of you. Do you have any plans for tonight?”

== August 26th, 2009 ==

The twins were standing around the lounge, arguing with each other. Koromaru was sitting beside them, glancing back and forth between the twins with a carefree expression. Aigis was standing beside them as well, looking over with the same neutral expression as usual.

“Sis, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” argued Minato.

“You don’t know that for sure.” shot back Minako. “I mean, they could be very understanding yet no one ever found out because people never bothered to try!”

“I’m pretty sure I saw a rule against this posted somewhere near the entrance.”

Ken then walked over to them. “Hm? What are you two talking about?” inquired Ken.

“Koromaru-san wishes to go somewhere.” answered Aigis. “Therefore, Minako-san proposes to take Koromaru-san to the film festival. But Minato-san rejected the idea.”

“Um, can you even do that?” asked Ken.

“See, even Ken is skeptical about this.” said Minato.

“You two are just being pessimistic!” exclaimed Minako. “I say we should at least try! Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?”

“I thought the theater doesn’t allow pets.” offered Ken.

“Koro-chan is not a pet!” Minako shot back. “He’s a friend! Isn’t that right, Koro-chan?”

Koromaru yipped once. He then looked over to Minato with a pleading look.

“Okay… I’m not sure that excuse would work.” voiced Ken.

Koromaru started to softly whine. Looking at his expression, Minato started to feel his stance falter.

“Koromaru-san wishes to see what this ‘film festival’ is all about.” stated Aigis.

“See?! Koro-chan wants to go too! I’m sure he can behave himself while we’re there! Won’t you, boy?”

Koromaru yipped twice towards Minako before continuing to stare at Minato. Minato slowly felt it becoming harder and harder to go against it.

Ken argued back. “That’s good for him. But that doesn’t mean–”

“Fine, let’s try it out.” interrupted Minato.

Ken was startled over Minato’s statement. “Minato-san?! Why are you suddenly okay with this?!”

Minato went silent as he tried to stare back at Koromaru, before he looked away. “It’s kinda hard to say no to that face…”

“Um… that’s…”

Koromaru shifted his attention to Ken. Minako decided to join in to pressure Ken as well. “C’mon, Ken-kun. Please? Would you want to deny Koro-chan wishes like that?” pleaded Minako with a puppy-dog pout.

“Hrgh… T-two against one like this… I-it’s unfair…” stuttered Ken.

Koromaru whined some more, and Ken was left unable to say a word. Minato interjected. “Alright. But Mina, you try to convince the clerk about this.”

“Fine by me.” replied Minako as she picked up Koromaru in a hug. “Let’s go, Koro-chan. We will need to find a good seat.”

Koromaru barked happily as Minako walked out of the dorm. Ken just blinked a few times, still confused. “Um… what just happened?”

“Apparently, Koromaru will join us for the film festival. I’ll let you know how it goes later.” answered Minato flatly.

“Huh… Oh, okay. I’ll be waiting. I think…” Ken sounded unsure.

“Goodbye. I will remain here on standby, as ordered.” said Aigis.

As expected, the twins were denied entry when they went in carrying Koromaru. Minako tried to convince the security to let them in, and Koromaru joined in with a soft whine, but the security officer remained steadfast. Minako slumped in defeat as she walked out of the theater.

“I told you it won’t work.” said Minato. “Satisfied, sis?”

“Yeah…” Minako looked down on Koromaru. “It’s okay, Koro-chan. The big, scary man just doesn’t know you well enough.”

Koromaru whined a little more. “Aw… I think he still wants to see the movie.” cooed Minako.

Koromaru looked at Minato with the same pleading look. Minato rubbed the back of his neck as he sighed. “How about we find a DVD of it somewhere? Maybe we can watch it at the dorms.”

Minako perked up. “That’s a great idea! How about it, Koro-chan? Wanna watch it at the dorms?”

Koromaru yipped happily. “Then it’s settled. Let’s see if Power Records has one.” said Minako as she walked to Paulownia Mall.

When they returned to the dorm, Minako and Koromaru walked in with their heads hanging low. Inside, Minato only saw Ken in the lounge, watching TV. “Oh, hey. Let me guess… it didn’t go well?” inquired Ken.

“Pretty much.” answered Minato. “We were kicked out right at the front door.”

“And when we looked for its DVD, it turns out it’s not released yet” added Minako. “Sorry, Koro-chan.”

“Oh, I-I see.” stammered Ken. “Um… sorry to hear that?”

Chapter Text

== August 28th, 2009 ==

Earlier in the morning, Mitsuru had said earlier that the Chairman was coming over with an announcement. So, everyone convened in the meeting room as evening arrived. They waited for a short while until Ikutsuki finally came. “Good, you’re all here.” greeted Ikutsuki when he entered the meeting room.

“Please, come in.” said Ikutsuki as he opened the door further, revealing no other than Ken Amada. He nervously entered the room. Upon seeing him there, Minato immediately understood what happened, and he internally winced.

“S-sorry to interrupt.” Ken nervously greeted.

Akihiko immediately jumped up from his seat. “You must be kidding…”

“After running several tests, we’ve learned that he has more than adequate potential.” explained Ikutsuki. “I called this meeting so that I could introduce him, since he’ll be joining our squad.”

“B-But Mr. Chairman, he’s still in elementary school.” Mitsuru shakily retorted. “And besides…”

“Besides… what?” Ikutsuki questioned. “His ability is quite promising. With proper training, he could be a big help.”

“But, is HE okay with it?” asked Akihiko.

“Actually, I asked to join.” clarified Ken, shocking every other member of SEES. “I believe I can be of some assistance. Now, I finally know why I was given this power.”

“So… As you can see, it was his own decision.” stated Ikutsuki.

Minato gritted his teeth. As much as he didn’t like seeing such a young boy risking his life, he couldn’t undermine Ken’s determination by denying him outright. Minato found himself at a loss for words, unable to come up with anything to persuade Ken out of his decision without belittling him. Looking at his sister, Minato saw that Minako was similarly conflicted seeing Ken in here.

Ken then bowed to the group. “Nice to meet you all. I’ll try not to get in anyone’s way.”

“Nice to meet you too.” responded Aigis.

“H-Hey, don’t worry, kid. We got your back.” Junpei shakily tried to play the senior. “It may be hard at times… B-but you can always rely on us.”

Ken smiled. “Yes, got it.”

== August 29th, 2009 ==

Summer vacation was nearing its end. The twins spent the day going to the movie with Fuuka. But at night, Minato noticed that his sister followed him to his room.

“Mina, do I need to tell you that you’re not supposed to be here?” intoned Minato after they entered his room.

Minako waved her hand. “Oh, don’t worry. I already asked Mitsuru-senpai’s permission for this. She agreed to it kinda easily. Maybe since she knows we’re siblings anyway, so she figured that nothing’s going to happen.”

“What exactly did you say to her?”

“I might’ve told her that I want to study together with you…”

Minato buried his face in his right hand. “Right… So, why exactly do you want to stay here?”

Minako grew a very wide grin. “Well… we already figured out that your ghost tends to visit you two times in a month. Once to warn you about the full moon, another to congratulate you about it. The second one doesn’t have any pattern on when it will happen, or at least none that I noticed. But the warning always comes exactly one week before the full moon. And that’s why I’m here!”

“You want to see Pharos? Why?”

“Just curious?”

Minato let out a huge sigh. “Fine… Did you at least bring your books? Might as well study a bit while we wait.”

“Yeap! I need to make this convincing, after all.”

“I’m pretty sure Mitsuru-senpai already suspected something since you’re saying you want to study during summer vacation.”

“Details…”

The twins then spread their books on the floor. After a few hours reviewing the material from last semester, they could feel the atmosphere around them shifted, signaling the arrival of the Dark Hour. And as expected, they hear Pharos’ voice soon after.

“Hello.” greeted Pharos beside both of them. “And it seems you’re not alone this time.”

The twins got up from the floor. Minako greeted him back. “Hello as well. Wow, you really are that ghost from that day.”

“Indeed. This would be our second meeting, correct?”

“Yes, it is. Now that I got a closer look at you, you’re actually cuter than I thought.”

“I’m glad to hear that, my dearest.”

“Wow… for someone who looks like a kid, you can be quite the smooth-talker.”

Minato suddenly felt irked. “Please don’t flirt with my sister.”

“Flirt?” Pharos sounded confused. “But I just wanted to be nice. She is your dear sister, isn’t she? Shouldn’t I be nice to my friend’s sister?”

“Aw… you really are adorable.” cooed Minako as she tried to reach for Pharos’ head. But her hand quickly went through Pharos, making Minako recoil from surprise.

“Thank you. You are a kind soul.” Pharos ignored Minako’s hand phasing through him. He then disappeared and reappeared sitting on the bed. “But this is not why I wanted to talk tonight. I wanted to remind you that the next full moon will be in one week. Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” replied Minato.

Pharos nodded. “Only a few trials remain… so be careful. I look forward to seeing you again.”

With that, Pharos disappeared again. Minako was still in shock over realizing that Pharos was intangible like a real ghost. Minato then snapped his finger near Minako’s face, shocking her out of her daze. “Good enough for you?” asked Minato.

“Uh… yeah… He’s still just as disturbing as the last time I saw him.”

“After a while, you’ll just get used to it. It’s not like he tried to hurt me, so I have no reason to be afraid of him.” shrugged Minato

Minako winced. “Why do I suddenly get the feeling you just jinxed yourself?”

“Well, if I suddenly died in my sleep, I think you already have a culprit.”

“P-Please don’t say that.”

Minato smiled. “Just kidding, sis. So, is that all you want?”

Minako pouted at his joke. She then moved closer and wrapped her arms around him for a hug. “I think… I want to stay here tonight.”

“Sis, even if we are siblings, I don’t think you’re supposed to–”

“Too bad.” interrupted Minako. “It’s your fault for making that stupid joke. I just… please…”

Minato breathed out a large sigh. “Fine… sorry. That was in poor taste.”

“Just don’t do it again.”

== September 1st, 2009 ==

The new semester had started. The day went on as usual. Come nighttime, when the twins arrived at the dorm, Minato saw Yukari, Junpei, and Ken talking in the lounge.

“Oh, you’re back. Perfect timing.” greeted Yukari.

“Perfect timing for what?” asked Minako.

“It’s… It’ll be easier to show you first.” said Yukari. “Hey Fuuka, is Aigis ready?”

Fuuka walked into the lounge with Aigis in tow. But something else surprised Minato: Aigis was wearing the Gekkoukan High School winter uniform. Minato was about to question it, but Junpei spoke up first.

“What? Uh… why is Aigis wearing our uniform?” questioned Junpei.

Yukari hesitated a bit before answering. “You see… she said she wanted to go to school, so I said something to Mitsuru-senpai as a joke… But the Chairman overheard and thought it was a good idea. So… as of tomorrow, she’ll be a junior.”

“Seriously?! He’s down with that?!” exclaimed Junpei.

“He said something about studying her behavior in a social environment…” muttered Fuuka.

“Okay, but why would you want to go to school? You better not be planning anything!” shouted Minako while pointing at Aigis.

Aigis stared at Minako confusedly. “I do not understand. I just wished to synchronize my schedule with the other members. If I were to remain here on standby, it could delay our deployment. Therefore, I request to accompany Minato-san.”

“I think your going to school is just going to cause more problems.” deadpanned Yukari.

“Why just my brother?!” shouted Minako.

“Sis, calm down.” assuage Minato. “She’s not planning anything.”

Minako relented. “Urgh… fine. But I’m still keeping an eye on her.”

Koromaru then suddenly barked, drawing their attention. “He said, ‘I want to go to school too’.” translated Aigis.

Yukari shook her head. “Sorry, Koro-chan. You have to stay here.”

Koromaru whimpered from Yukari’s statement.

== September 2nd, 2009 ==

At homeroom, Miss Toriumi was introducing Aigis, as predicted. Minato wasn’t too surprised that she could get in this quickly, with both Mitsuru and the Chairman pulling some strings.

“Class, we have a new student who will be joining us. She just transferred here.” started Miss Toriumi. “Please, introduce yourself.”

“My name is Aigis. I am pleased to meet you all.” greeted Aigis.

“Aigis… What a strange name…” murmured Toriumi. “I wonder if she was born overseas. Let’s see… anything else I should know? Hm…? Humanoid tactical weapon? What on earth?”

All members of SEES in class 2-F were shocked hearing that. Minato briefly wondered if Aigis was the one filling out the form herself and why did Mitsuru let her fill it herself. Minato then quickly tried to come up with an excuse for that little mishap.

Fortunately, Miss Toriumi just shrugged. “Clearly, that’s a mistake. It just goes to show, you can’t believe everything you read.”

“Y-you can say that again, teach!” said Junpei, still shaking from the shock.

“Now, let’s see… You can sit…” muttered Toriumi as she scanned over the classroom. “Ah, over there. Next to Arisato-kun.”

“Uh, miss Toriumi, that spot’s already taken. He’s just playing hookey.” interjected Junpei.

“Which means, he’s not here.” stated Toriumi. “So it’s free to be used, right?”

Aigis walked over to the empty seat beside Minato. As soon as she sat down, she looked over to Minato and said, “This spot will be perfect. Because I wish to always be by his side.”

Minato silently groaned. Why did Aigis need to say that? That would definitely cause some unneeded confusion. As Minato thought that, Yukari sprung up from her seat. “Aigis!” shouted Yukari in exasperation.

Minako raised her hands. “Miss Toriumi, can I switch seats with Aigis?”

“No.” Toriumi denied firmly. “If I let you switch, other students would want to as well. You need to learn that there are some things in this world you cannot change, even if you wanted to.”

Minako clicked her tongue. Toriumi then turned her attention to Yukari. “And Takeba, sit down and save your lover’s drama for after school.”

Yukari scowled and reluctantly sat back down. Minato just sighed at everything. It’s only the first day Aigis was here and she’s already causing drama. What was that again about not causing problems?

At lunchtime, Minato received a text message from Akihiko asking the twins to meet him in front of the school gate after school. When they met up with Akihiko, Minato saw that Akihiko was carrying a silver briefcase. “Good, you two are here.” said Akihiko.

“Senpai? Are you bringing that thing because…” Minako’s voice trailed off.

“Yeah, it is.” answered Akihiko. “I need you to join me getting back an old friend.”

“Old friend?” asked Minato.

“You’ll see soon.”

The twins followed Akihiko to the Iwatodai Strip mall. They then waited in front of Hagakure. “So… who are we meeting?” questioned Minato.

The door to Hagakure then opened and Minato saw Shinjiro walk out. As soon as he saw Akihiko and the twins, Shinjiro clicked his tongue loudly. “You’re getting on my nerves.” growled Shinjiro.

“The situation has changed. Sorry, but this time, I’m not asking.” said Akihiko.

“What?”

“This belongs to you.” Akihiko pushed the briefcase to Shinjiro, but Shinjiro didn’t even move to take it. He just continued to stare at Akihiko.

Akihiko then continued. “We have a new enemy, They’re Persona-users, like us.”

Shinjiro flinched for a moment before returning his usual glare. “Yeah, so what?”

Shinjiro pushed Akihiko away and started walking away.

“There’s more.” said Akihiko. “Ken Amada has joined our team.”

That got Shinjiro’s attention as he stopped and turned back to Akihiko. “What the hell are you talking about?!”

“He has the potential, and Ikutsuki-san has okayed it. He’s now a Persona-user.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

Both of them went silent for a few moments.

“Um… what’s the problem with Ken-kun?” questioned Minako with a confused tone. “I mean, I get it if you’re not thrilled with a little kid like him joining–”

“That’s nothing you need to know about.” Shinjiro cut her off curtly. He turned his attention back to Akihiko. “Was it his decision to join SEES?”

Akihiko nodded. “Yeah, he volunteered.”

“I see. Then count me in.”

Minako started asking again. “So, do you have a history with–”

“I heard you two are the leaders of the operations now.” interrupted Shinjiro.

“Hey, don’t ignore me!” fumed Minako.

Shinjiro just scoffed while staring at Minato. “If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly are you two fighting for?”

“I just want to protect the people I care about.” answered Minato.

“Yeah, we can’t exactly leave innocent people like that if we can help, right?” added Minako.

“You two are too good to be involved in this.” muttered Shinjiro under his breath. His voice then picked up. “Well, you do what you want.”

Shinjiro then walked over to Akihiko and grabbed the briefcase. “Still, I’m surprised Kirijo made both of you leaders.” muttered Shinjiro.

“What can I say? Minato-nii just proved himself capable for it.” said Minako.

Minato rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not that big of a deal…”

Shinjiro grinned at Minato’s comment. “It damn sure is if Kirijo suggested it. Well, if it works, it works.”

Shinjiro then turned to Akihiko. “Is my room still vacant?”

Akihiko nodded in confirmation. Both Shinjiro and Akihiko then silently walked out. The twins followed behind them. “So… are you ever going to–” asked Minako.

Shinjiro suddenly glared at her direction, shutting her up. “Sorry.” Minako squeaked out.

== September 3rd, 2009 ==

The day mostly went along normally. Yesterday, Shinjiro was still in the process of moving into the dorm, so he wasn’t able to join in exploring Tartarus. Minako knew that they’ve already reached the latest barricade, and they’re pretty much prepared for the upcoming full moon operation that’s coming in a couple of days, but she just needed to know how Shinjiro fights to be able to work out his role in the team.

Unfortunately, something else happened. Minako arrived at the dorm a little earlier than everyone else, as she found the place empty. Just as she sat on the couch at the lounge, Minato stepped in, looking downcast. The sight made Minako concerned, so she quickly ran over to her brother. “Minato-nii? Is something wrong?”

Minato looked away with a frown. “It’s… It’s nothing you need to be concerned about, sis. It’s my personal problem. I’ll try to deal with it on my own.”

“C’mon, don’t say that! Just tell me what it is. I’ll see if I can help. I… want to help.”

It was then that Yukari stepped into the dorm. The moment she saw the twins in front of the door, she looked away, biting her lips. Minako remembered that her brother was hanging out with Yukari after school. She started to wonder if Yukari knew something.

Minato threw his reassuring smile towards her, but Minako could tell he’s forcing it. “Like I said, it’s my own problem. I’ll try to see what I can do about it tomorrow. For now, I’m going back to my room.”

Minato’s smile disappeared as soon as he walked away. Minako couldn’t find any words to stop him, so she just let him walk to his room. When she turned to Yukari, Minako saw that she was still standing in place, her head hanging down. “Yukari-chan, do you know something? Why is Minato-nii like that?” inquired Minako.

“That’s… I-it’s kinda my fault…” stammered out Yukari.

Minako clenched her fist at that. “Okay… mind explaining it in a way that won’t make me wanna punch you?”

Yukari tensed up. “R-Right. You okay if we don’t talk about it here? I… rather not have anyone else hear.”

Minako nodded. “Alright. Let’s talk in my room then.”

During the short trip to her room, Minako’s mind went into a frenzy. Just what happened that made her brother sad and made Yukari think it was her fault? Did Yukari snap at him for no reason? But she knew that Yukari is not that petty, so what is it?

When they made it to Minako’s room, Yukari slowly walked over to the bed while Minako took the desk seat. “Alright, we’re here. Now, can you explain?” demanded Minako.

“Y-Yeah. I should start on how it happened…”

This just turned to the worst. Just when it was going well, hanging out and having fun with Minato, Yukari realized that someone just snatched her wallet. After asking Minato to stay put, Yukari retraced her steps to find the culprit. She really wanted to just deal with this quickly and return to hanging out with Minato. Near Iwatodai Station, she saw the punk that bumped into her earlier, talking with two others. She stomped her feet through and confronted the thief directly. “Hey! I believe you have something that belongs to me!”

The punk turned to her with his face scrunched up. “Huh? What the hell are you talkin’ about?!”

“Don’t you play dumb with me! You’re the one who stole my wallet, didn’t you?!”

“That’s some bold accusation, girlie! What makes you say that?!”

“You’re the only one who bumped into me ever since I got off the train. And since I know I still have my wallet when I paid for my ticket, that means you’re the only one who could’ve taken it!”

“You could’ve dropped it somewhere, you bitch!” snarled one of the other punks. “D’you have any proof of my buddy stealing it, huh?!”

“Still trying to deny it, I see. I’m sure we can find my wallet if we search you. Now, are you going to hand it over or do I have to drag you to the police station?”

“What’d you say?!” snapped the thief. “You better shut your mouth and walk away right now!”

“Let’s just get ‘er, bro! Let’s teach this bitch a lesson!” snarled his friend.

It was then that Minato appeared and stood in front of her. Part of Yukari was surprised to see him there, another part was slightly irritated that he didn’t listen to her to just stay where he was.

“Who the hell are you?! Outta our face, pretty boy!” shouted the thief.

The thief then drew a knife and started waving it towards Minato. Yukari felt like her blood went cold. The thief wasted no time and tried to stab Minato. Minato jerked the arm holding the knife to the side and punched the thief as hard as he could straight to the stomach. The thief keeled over from the punch, the knife fell from his hand and clattered on the ground.

“You sunova’ bitch!” The punk’s friend on MInato’s left swung his fist towards Minato. Unwilling to just stay idle, Yukari proceeded to punch the incoming punk straight to the jaw, which made him dizzy and kneeled to the ground.

“Thanks.” muttered Minato.

“Couldn’t just stand there.” replied Yukari.

“You pieces of shit…” snarled the other punk while picking up the fallen knife. The sight of it made Yukari tensed up even more. “You’re gonna regret this!”

The punk lunged at both of them. Minato sidestepped him to the left and punched him on the stomach, while Yukari stepped to the right and threw a left hook right to the face. The combined hit sent the last punk sprawling on the ground.

Yukari breathed out a huge sigh of relief. She then walked over to the one who stole her wallet and searched his pockets. She found the wallet, and to her relief, nothing was lost when she checked the content.

“What’s going on here?” sounded a voice from inside the station. Looking at where the voice was coming from, Yukari saw it came from two police officers. “Are you kids getting into trouble?”

“We were just trying to defend ourselves!” defended Minato.

The officers looked skeptical as they walked closer. But as they looked at the punks that were lying on the ground, one of them groaned. “You punks again? Didn’t we just take you in for vandalism last week?”

“They were?” questioned Yukari.

“These guys are always causing trouble.” explained the other officer. “I swear, it’s like they never learn. Alright, we’ll take it from here. And, I’m sure they’re the one starting it, but next time you should go to the proper authorities. You could’ve gotten hurt.”

Minato bowed to the officers. “Yes, sorry. And, thank you.”

“Just doing our job.” chuckled the first officer as he pulled one of the punk upright. “Make sure you two stay safe, okay?”

Minato and Yukari waved the officers goodbye as they hauled off the punks. After they were out of sight, Minato turned to Yukari. “Thanks… for trying to protect me.” muttered Yukari.

Minato smiled warmly. “Well, I couldn’t just watch and see you get hurt…”

Yukari felt her cheeks warm up slightly. But then a flare of irritation rose up as she remembered something else. “But why did you come?! Didn’t I ask you to stay there?!”

Minato was shocked by the sudden shift. “You were taking too long. I thought you were in trouble, so…”

“Well, I had it under control. I would’ve gotten my wallet back by myself.”

“They were about to hit you when I arrived! And one of them even has a knife!”

“I could defend myself just fine! And he only brought out that knife ever since you stepped in!”

“He would’ve brought it out anyway if you got the upper hand! He has it on him, after all!”

“And what, you’re stepping in somehow makes it better?! You could’ve gotten hurt!” Yukari raised her voice.

“And you’re more likely to get hurt if you were alone!” Minato similarly went louder.

“Are you saying you don’t trust me?!”

“That’s not what I meant! I just wanted to help.” said Minato while scowling.

Yukari crossed her arms in annoyance. “Well, I already told you I don’t need it! You should’ve just stayed back!”

Minato’s eyes widen. “Stay back?! And just let you get hurt?!”

“I won’t! Those punks just looked scary, but as we saw they went down without much of a fight!”

“You couldn’t have known that! You could only say that after we’ve fought them off!”

“And you think I can’t tell that those guys are just trying to look tough?!”

“What I’m saying is you can’t be sure that you won’t get hurt!”

Yukari started stomping her foot. “I’m not that helpless!”

“It’s not about being helpless! You should know a fight has no guaranteed outcome!”

“God, what is with you?! You’re not my father!”

Minato gritted his teeth before finally shouting. “I’M NOT! THAT DOESN’T MEAN I CAN’T WORRY!”

Yukari was taken aback for a moment before scrunching her face. “WELL, YOU DON’T NEED TO! I COULD’VE HANDLE IT!”

“YOU’RE GOING TO GET HURT LIKE THAT!”

“AND I SAID I WON’T! GET OFF MY CASE AND GET OUT OF MY LIFE ALREADY!”

It only took a second for Yukari to realize what just came out of her mouth. She hastily shut her mouth. But upon seeing Minato’s face, she felt like her heart was stabbed. His expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief. Yukari tried to open her mouth, but she couldn’t find any words that felt right to say in this situation. Shortly afterwards, Minato’s gaze fell, which made Yukari’s stomach churn even more.

“I see…” muttered Minato. “I’m sorry… It seems I misunderstand your feelings. Perhaps, I should’ve given you more space.”

Yukari felt even more conflicted. She still couldn’t find anything to say, but she also felt strongly that she should say something. She tried hard, racking her brain over what she should do. The silence went on for a few minutes, and eventually Minato broke the silence.

“So, should we go back to the dorm?” suggested Minato. “Or do you still want to…”

“No…” Yukari weakly shook her head. “Let’s head back. I don’t think… I’m in the mood to go around anymore…”

Minako was on a roller coaster of emotions. Hearing that her brother and Yukari were in danger really made her worry, and hearing that it was quickly resolved without either of them getting hurt put her into relief. But after hearing what happened afterwards…

“Yeah… That’s what happened.” Yukari concluded her story. “I know… I just said something stupid. I guess I was just too worked up…”

Minako exhaled a long sigh. She then tried to put on her widest smile. “Yukari-chan… Can I kick your ass right now?”

Yukari was startled. “W-what?! D-do you really mean that?!”

Minako’s smile didn’t falter. “What are you surprised about? After what’ve you done, what makes you think I’m gonna like it?”

“Y-Yeah. I-I guess I should’ve expected that, huh?”

Minako then frowned. “Seriously though, why did you do that? Can you explain?”

“I… I don’t even know myself… I just remember being irritated that Minato-kun jumped in.”

“Geez… He just wanted to help…”

“I know! I know… But somehow, I feel like I don’t want him to…”

“Why? You don’t want to feel helpless? He won’t think less of you just because you needed help. Believe me, I’d know…”

“It’s not that! Well, maybe a part of it was… But I don’t think that’s the biggest reason…”

“Then what?!”

Yukari stayed silent at that. Minako started to get confused over her best friend’s mood. Just what could’ve made her irritated like this? Minako tried to rack her brain for this. She figured she needed to know more about Yukari’s feelings on the matter, so she decided to ask another question. “Okay, how about something to compare? How would you feel if I were the one helping you out?”

Yukari seemed to ponder the question a bit before she answered. “I guess… I still wouldn’t like it. But somehow, I feel… happy? Relieved? Somehow I wouldn’t be too opposed…”

Minako frowned even more. “Okay, what’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying that you trust Minato-nii less than me?”

“W-wait, that’s not what I meant!”

“Then what did you mean?! You’re making me confused here, Yukari-chan!”

“That’s…”

Minako quickly mulled it over once again. What was it that made Yukari feel that way? At this point, Yukari was already close to both of them. Yukari already regarded both of them as close friends. The only difference would be…

That’s when it clicked for Minako. “You… just don’t want to see him get hurt, do you?” muttered Minako.

Yukari’s eyes widened. “That’s… That could be it…”

“Great… I don’t know if I should be happy that you care about him that much, or pissed that you think so little of him.”

Yukari just stayed silent. After a few seconds, Minako spoke up again. “Look, I understand the feeling. But he can defend himself. You don’t need to be that worried about him.”

“I know… It’s just, the more I hung out with him, the more my feelings grew. I guess that means I also wanted to protect him.”

“You do know we’re still fighting weird monsters in the middle of the night, right? We’re getting in danger and getting hurt pretty much on a regular basis. You can’t be having a heart attack each time my brother gets a scratch.”

“That’s different! You two are practically our strongest members with your ability to switch Personas. But without your Persona abilities…”

“How is that supposed to be different from you? You can’t summon Io in public either.”

As Yukari went silent again, Minako continued. “I’m not saying it’s wrong for you wanting him to stay safe; I’d back you up myself with that. But that’s no reason to blow up at him like that.”

“Yeah… you’re right. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not the one you need to say sorry to. You better apologize to Minato-nii yourself!”

“I know. I’m already planning to talk to him tomorrow.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No. You’re apologizing to him right now.” said Minako as she got up and dragged Yukari over outside of her room and towards Minato’s room.

“W-wait! I-I’m not ready yet. I s-still need to–” protested Yukari.

“Just say all of that stuff you just said to me before! You already know why you felt and acted the way you did. Now, you need to actually say it to him.”

“B-but… I still… I need time…”

Minako practically ignored Yukari’s rambling. As soon as they reached the second floor, Minako pushed Yukari forward to the hall while Minako herself waited near the stairs. Yukari slowly walked down the hall, occasionally looking back at Minako and shooting her a look of hesitation. Irritated by her behavior, Minako scowled back and gestured for her to hurry it up. Upon arriving in front of Minato’s room, Yukari hesitantly raised her hand to knock only to lower it down again. It happened three times before she weakly knocked on the door. “Minato-kun? Are you still awake? Can… Can I talk to you for a minute?” 

Nothing was heard for a short while. But before Yukari could knock again, the door opened. Even from afar, Minako could see that her brother was still feeling down. A heavy frown was on his face. Minato may be the quiet type, but it was rare for Minako to see him that sad. “Yes? Did you forget something, Yukari-san?” asked Minato.

Yukari looked to the side, unable to look at him directly. “Y-Yeah… It’s… something I should’ve said back at the station.”

Minato’s expression somehow dropped even further. “And that is…?”

Yukari suddenly bowed. “I’m sorry I suddenly blew up on you! You were just trying to help and you didn’t deserve that!”

Minato was taken aback by the sudden apology. “Yukari-san?!”

“I realized that I said something I shouldn’t have said, but I didn’t say anything about it. I wanted to apologize to you tomorrow, but Minako pushed me to do it now. And she’s right. It’s better for me to make amends with you sooner. So, here I am.”

“L-look, Yukari-san, it was partially my fault as well. I kinda blew up on you as well. I should’ve tried to stay calm and listen better. I’m sorry as well.”

Yukari grimaced. “Please don’t apologize for that. It’s understandable for you to be upset, I was being unreasonable. I was… I guess I just don’t like the idea of having to depend on other people, and I took it out on you. And… I guess I was also upset seeing you getting in harm's way for me. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I see… For what it’s worth, I feel the same. I don’t want to see you, or any of my friends, getting hurt as well.”

“I realized that. But I still said all those things to you. I wouldn’t be too surprised if you were to hit me back then.” said Yukari while closing her eyes.

“I-I wouldn’t do that to you! I… I couldn’t…”

Yukari then murmured something under her breath, something Minako couldn’t hear. Her voice then picked up. “Still… I need to make it up to you somehow…”

Minato let out a small sigh. “Then… how about this? The next time we hang out, you’re the one paying.”

Yukari smiled weakly at him. “Deal.”

“So… is that all? Can we put this behind us?”

“Yeah… thanks, Minato-kun.”

Minako smiled sadly at the sight. While it was nice seeing them made up, it also made her sad they even needed to do it. They’re not actually dating yet but they’re already gotten into a fight. She hoped that their relationship would be okay.

As she wondered, Minako slowly realized that there was someone standing beside her. Looking over to her left, she saw Shinjiro also looking over to Minato and Yukari, sporting the most unimpressed expression on his face. “Great… My first fucking day here and this is the first thing I see…” groaned Shinjiro.

“Shinjiro-senpai?!” squeaked out Minako in surprise. “Since when did you…?”

“I was standing here for a while.” huffed Shinjiro. “You were the one zoning out. So, they do that often?”

Minako shook her head. “The fighting, no. This is the first time I see them fight like that.”

“Huh. So how long have they been dating?”

“Oh, they’re not dating yet. As weird as that sounds…”

Shinjiro quirked his eyebrow. “They’re not? Then what the hell was that?”

“Just an argument between friends?” Minako smiled awkwardly.

“That sure as hell ain’t ‘an argument between friends’. Just fantastic… this is what I have to deal with from you guys?”

Yukari then walked up to them. “Shinjiro-senpai? You were watching as well?! Um… how much did you…?”

“Not much.” said Shinjiro. “Just been here since you said Arisato should’ve hit you. Geez… Should’ve just left instead of watching your lovers quarrel.”

“L-lovers?! We’re not–” stammered Yukari.

“Save it, Takeba. I ain’t interested in your romantic bullshit.” Shinjiro then turned to Minako. “You said we’re going to Tartarus tonight, yeah? Then I should get ready.”

“Yes. Looking forward to seeing how you fight, senpai.” replied Minako.

“...I’ll try not to disappoint.” said Shinjiro as he walked to his room.

After Shinjiro disappeared into his room, Yukari turned to Minako. “Thanks… for pushing me to do that.” muttered Yukari.

Minako quickly pulled Yukari into a hug. Yukari was initially surprised, but she smiled and hugged her back. “Good for you. Just so you know, I will kick your ass if you hurt my brother again.” whispered Minako.

“D-duly noted.”

Chapter Text

== September 5th, 2009 ==

The sixth full moon since Minako arrived in the dorm, and the third official operation against those special Shadows. As expected, everyone in SEES convened at the meeting room to prepare. Well, almost everyone. Junpei was nowhere to be seen, so Ken was sent to look for him. Minako was equally confused and concerned over her best friend’s absence. She noticed that Junpei was more excited the last few days, and it was a different excitement of fighting the Shadows that he usually exhibited. Minako had first wondered what it was that made him that excited, but quickly decided that it would be harmless. Not if he missed the operation, though.

As soon as the Dark Hour started, Fuuka promptly summoned Lucia and began her search.

“Tonight marks the sixth full moon…” remarked Ikutsuki. “Do you detect a Shadow?”

“Yes…” muttered Fuuka. “It’s near Paulownia Mall, I think…”

“You think?” questioned Mitsuru.

“For some reason, I can’t quite pinpoint its location…” explained Fuuka. “But, I’m trying to narrow it down…”

“Is that its power?” asked Akihiko.

“I don’t know…” replied Fuuka.

“Maybe it is.” supplied Minako. “Looks like we’ll be playing hide and seek with the Shadow this time.”

Minato buried his face in his right hand. “Mina, they’re not little kids that play with us in the playground...”

“Hey, hide and seek can be exciting, too!” retorted Minako. “Just this time, we do it with weapons.”

“Whatever it is, we still need to get over there.” groaned Shinjiro.

Ken then suddenly entered the room, drawing everyone’s attention. “Did you find Iori?” questioned Mitsuru.

“I can’t find him anywhere.” answered Ken. “His backpack isn’t here, so I don’t think he’s been home yet.”

“That idiot… He knows tonight’s the night!” snarled Yukari.

“Hey now. Maybe he was… just caught up in something?” defended Minako.

“Like what?!” snapped Yukari.

“Well, considering how he acted these past few days… a girlfriend?”

“That sure would be a surprise at least.” remarked Minato.

Yukari just stared at the twins unimpressed. “If he actually bailed on us to hang out with a girl…”

“I don’t sense him anywhere nearby.” stated Fuuka. “Should I take more time to look for him?”

Ikutsuki interjected. “No, it’s okay. You’re all young, sometimes you just get in one of those moods. Anyway, we should focus on the task at hand.”

Minako wanted to argue back, since not having Junpei around was getting concerning. But she realized that it could’ve taken too long to find Junpei since Fuuka couldn’t find him. Time which they didn’t have since they needed to hunt the Shadow which was also hiding. Reluctantly, she nodded in agreement.

“Alright, we can’t afford to waste anymore time. Let’s go.” instructed Mitsuru.

As everyone walked out of the meeting room, Minako felt her right shoulder was grabbed by someone. Glancing over, she saw that it was Shinjiro who grabbed her. “Why did you think he got a girlfriend?” asked Shinjiro.

“It’s just a guess. He was kinda… happy? Excited? And in a different way when we were going to Tartarus.” supplied Minako.

“Huh. And he didn’t say anything earlier?”

“Not that I remember. Are you worried that he might get in trouble?”

“N-no, not really.” said Shinjiro as he walked out of the room. Minako was confused by Shinjiro's question. Was he concerned about Junpei as well? Maybe it would be a good idea to get to know him better.

Arriving at Paulownia Mall, Fuuka summoned Lucia again. Minako was trying to figure out why the Shadow could confuse Fuuka and where it could possibly be hiding. None of the stores would be big enough to house the Shadow, but someone would’ve noticed if it were hiding behind the mall.

“Do you detect anything?” asked Mitsuru.

Fuuka grew more confused. “Only a faint presence. It seems so close, but… why…?”

Minako then spoke up. “Time to play hide and seek, then! We know it’s here, so let’s split up and–”

“Wait!” interrupted Fuuka. “Please, give me a moment. This is my responsibility!”

Minako frowned a bit. They really didn’t have much time, but she felt bad if she denied Fuuka’s determination like that. Glancing over to her brother, she saw Minato nodded. “Alright. Do your best, Fuuka-san.”

“Thank you.” Fuuka smiled before she closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. “Tell me, Lucia… What is this thing that deceives me…? Hear the wind’s answer in your ear… Touch the earth’s answer with your fingertips… Taste the water’s answer on your lips…”

“Hey, is she okay…?” muttered Akihiko.

Mitsuru quickly shushed him. “Don’t break her concentration.”

Fuuka continued to mumble. “...Right beneath our feet… Some kind of… webbing?”

“Perhaps it has something to do with the old power cables underground.” supplied Aigis. “They were just left there when the island’s construction was completed.”

“Power cables?” questioned Mitsuru.

“Yes, they run underground in many directions, like a web.” replied Aigis.

“And they’re interfering with her ability?” mused Akihiko.

“It shouldn’t be, right? There’s no power right now.” argued Minato.

“Yes, because it’s not.” answered Fuuka. “I just confirmed it, the cables themselves have been possessed by the Shadow.”

Everyone looked below them in shock. The Shadow seemed to have hidden below ground, but this time it’s right beneath the earth.

“So, it’s underneath this whole area?!” said Yukari in disbelief.

“T-Then, how are we supposed to beat something like that?!” stuttered Ken.

“This is a problem. We have no means of attacking it.” mused Mitsuru.

“Maybe we should’ve brought shovels instead of weapons…” pouted Minako.

“That would take too long.” deadpanned Minato.

“I don’t think we’ll need to.” interjected Fuuka.

“Huh?” sputtered Minako.

“Oh sorry. It’s just… I took a look at the notes of your battles. It says you’ve fought a Shadow that took control of a monorail.” continued Fuuka.

Yukari grimaced at the memory. “Oh yeah, that whole mess back in May.”

“That wasn’t exactly a good time.” groaned Minako.

“Where are you going with this?” inquired Minato.

“Well, I thought, just like that one, this Shadow must have a main body.” explained Fuuka.

Minako perked up hearing that. “Then that’s what we need to strike! Did you find where it is?”

“I’ll get on that.” And with that, Fuuka was back concentrating to find the Shadow.

“But, aren’t the cables buried underground?” asked Akihiko. “Even if Fuuka could find it, we might still not be able to get to it.”

“There may still be a way to reach the structure the buried cables feed into…” offered Aigis.

“We’ll see.” intoned Shinjiro.

Minako turned her attention back to Fuuka, hoping she’s already found it. To her slight disappointment, Fuuka still closed her eyes, still trying to find the Shadow.

Fuuka started muttering to herself. “It’s… in this mall… A small chamber underground… A man-made chamber?”

“Some kind of room?” offered Ken.

“Wait a minute.” interjected Shinjiro. “I overheard the manager of Escapade. He was saying that the power’s been acting up lately… There was a power outage because of it that forced him to cancel some big, important event.”

“That’s no surprise…” said Yukari.

“Oh, I overheard him complaining as well.” interjected Minako. “I heard he got Risette coming. Didn’t know he got another event prepared.”

“The event that got canceled IS the Risette gig, moron.” deadpanned Shinjiro.

Minako pouted a little. “Aw, really? Too bad. I was hoping to see the young star in action.”

Minato raised one of his eyebrows. “Are you a fan of Risette or something?”

“Not really. I’m just curious.” replied Minako.

Shinjiro sighed before continuing. “Anyway, he said the control panel is located beneath the club. Maybe we should take a look.”

Fuuka’s eyes shot open. “Yes! That’s it! Thank you, Shinjiro-senpai!”

Mitsuru smiled at them. “Good work you two. Alright, let’s move.”

Upon entering club Escapade, everyone quickly saw the Shadow waiting for them. The Shadow was attached to the mess of cables now littering the floor, shaped like some kind parasite with a large white mane, and several lightbulbs sticking out of its back. Minato immediately gave out his order. “Akihiko-senpai, you take point with Minako and I!”

“On it!” affirmed Akihiko.

“Yukari-chan! Aigis! You two stay further back!” ordered Minako.

“Understood!”
“Roger that!”

Akihiko moved first by sending Polydeuces against the Shadow. Mitsuru and Ken followed suit, with Nemesis charged at the Shadow as an ice crystal formed on the Shadow’s side. The Shadow recoiled from the barrage of attacks, and soon retaliated by sending bolts of electricity everywhere. Most of SEES dodged the attack, while Akihiko and the twins flinched a little as they got hit.

Yukari and Aigis let loose a bunch of projectiles towards the Shadow. Most of them hit true, with the Shadow seeming to shrink and cower a little under the barrage. The Shadow then focused on the archer and the android, and summoned two bolts of electricity at them. Minako quickly drew her own Evoker.

“Raja Naga!”

The half-snake, half-man Persona jumped up and blocked the attack. Minako then retaliated by having the Persona stab the Shadow multiple times. Shinjiro followed suit by having Castor ram the Shadow.

The Shadow fidgeted and glanced around rapidly across the entire team before letting out a loud shriek. Soon after, the lightbulbs on the Shadow’s back began to glow and some kind of aura was growing around it.

“What the…?!” muttered out Akihiko.

“It’s charging up a lot of electricity!” warned Fuuka. “Its power is growing far bigger than anything I’ve sensed before!”

Minato quickly responded. “In that case, Leanan Sidhe!”

As Minato summoned the Persona, a reddish glow surrounded the Shadow. The others continued to attack the Shadow, but it didn’t fight back. Shortly afterwards, Fuuka shouted to everyone. “Incoming!”

“Everyone, brace yourselves!” barked Minato.

A massive spark of electricity erupted from the Shadow, practically engulfing the entire room. Minako was thankful that she already equipped Raja Naga, as it looked like it would hurt a lot. When she looked around, she gritted her teeth at the sight. Everyone else was on their knees, hurt badly by the attack, even Akihiko and her brother. “Minato-nii?” asked Minako in a worried tone.

“Sorry. Didn’t have anything that nullified electricity.” Minato then turned to Yukari. “Yukari-san!”

“I’m on it! Io!”
“Leanan Sidhe!”

Two healing waves washed over the entire group, recovering most of the injury caused the spark. Seeing the group standing up again, the Shadow shrieked once more as numerous cables shot out and flew towards everyone. Minako tried to deflect and swat away the cables coming to her, moving around as if they were snakes trying to bite their prey. A glance around the room let her see that her friends were also doing the same. It made them unable to fight back, as they were too busy trying to keep the cables from stabbing them or grabbing them.

Eventually, one of the cables managed to grab Ken. The cable coiled around his left arm, and quickly afterwards Ken screamed as the Shadow electrocuted him through the cable. Ken’s leg started to wobble, and the cable twisted and slammed Ken straight to a wall. Minako winced seeing Ken get hurt like that.

“Ken-kun!” shouted Fuuka.

Minako swatted another cable before moving towards Ken. But she was then startled by Castor suddenly flying over and stomped on the cable tying up Ken, freeing him from the Shadow. Shinjiro then walked over to Ken. “Still good, kid?” asked Shinjiro as he helped Ken remove the cables that were still coiled on his arm.

“Y-Yeah… I can still keep going…” muttered Ken shakily.

Minako was slightly surprised by the sight. Maybe Shinjiro wasn’t as scary as he let on? She didn’t get much time to think about it as she saw another cable sprung up and darted to Shinjiro. “Shinjiro-senpai!”

Shinjiro didn’t have enough time to react. As he turned around, the cable hit him right on his chest, pushing him backwards a bit. The Shadow tried to electrocute him as well, but Shinjiro quickly cut the cable with his axe.

“We’re not going anywhere like this!” shouted Yukari.

“Indeed.” stated Minato. “Minako! Mitsuru-senpai! Let’s freeze some of those cables!”

“Understood! Pentheselia!”
“Ganga!”
“King Frost!”

Three ice crystals formed on the ground in front of the group, and several of the cables were caught in them. The Shadow was startled and started to panic as it realized it couldn’t just shake off the ice from the cables. Mitsuru took the opportunity and summoned Pentheselia again, and another ice crystal formed on the side of the Shadow. “Akihiko-senpai!” barked Minako.

“Got it! Polydeuces!”

Polydeuces flew over to the Shadow and hit it right where the ice crystal was formed. The impact shattered the ice, and the Shadow recoiled from it as well. Shinjiro followed up by having Castor ram the Shadow from the opposite side.

The Shadow then shrieked once again as the lightbulbs on its back lit up again. Minato scowled at the sight. “Again?”

“Actually, it seems that the Shadow is vulnerable while charging up.” informed Fuuka. “It can’t do anything else while it’s preparing that big attack.”

Minako quickly looked over to her friends and confirmed that the cables were no longer attacking them. Minako then sported a huge, satisfied grin. “In that case, attack it with all you got! Break the damn thing before it can unleash it!”

Everyone present proceeded to attack the Shadow with the strongest attacks they have. The Shadow flinched a little with each hit. After a short while under the barrage, the light from the Shadow’s back flickered out and the Shadow collapsed on the ground.

“What the-?!” sputtered out Minako.

“Now’s our chance! Go all out!” shouted Minato.

Snapping out of her surprise, Minako joined her friends to attack the now even more vulnerable Shadow. After a short onslaught, the cables around the Shadow lashed out, forcing SEES to jump back and away from the Shadow. The Shadow then got back up and ready to fight the group once more. “So, we can make it drop the attack if we hit it hard enough…” mused Minako, finally connecting the dots.

“Then our course of action is clear.” replied Minato.

The Shadow let out another shriek as more cables shot out and flew toward SEES. Just like before, Minato, Minako, and Mitsuru cast another ice spell to trap some of the cables coming to them. Seeing the tactic working again, Minako couldn’t help doing a fist pump in excitement. “Yes! Now we just repeat the pattern and–”

Minako cut her own words short as soon as she saw far more cables sprout up from behind the Shadow. The three of them promptly drew their Evoker to try freezing the cables again. But as they froze some cables, more kept appearing. Eventually, all of them were overwhelmed as they resorted back to deflecting the cables with their weapons.

SEES was more pressured as more cables were now attacking them. As they were defending themselves, Minako noticed that the ice around the first cables they froze started to crack. The Shadow was also wriggling them on top of attacking SEES. Minako grimaced at the thought of having to deal with more of these. “Minato-nii… the ice is…”

“Yeah, I can see it.” replied Minato as he swatted away another cable.

One of the cables suddenly caught Minato on his right arm. Minako felt her stomach drop as she saw the Shadow flung her brother upwards and onto the ceiling. The Shadow sent another electric current to Minato, as expected. “Minato-nii!” shouted Minako.

“Minato-kun!” Yukari was also shouting in fear.

Instead of letting go, the Shadow continued flinging Minato around. Akihiko quickly moved in and tried to grab the cable that was tying up Minato. “Wait, Akihiko-senpai! Don’t just cut the cable!” warned Minako.

Akihiko gritted his teeth as he tried to wrestle the cable. “I’m trying!”

Another cable then coiled around Akihiko’s left leg, and the Shadow started flinging Akihiko around as well. “Damn it, Aki!” growled Shinjiro.

Minako could only wince each time Minato and Akihiko got hit against the wall, and occasionally swung against the team. She tried racking her brain for a way to free both of them, but each method she thought of always seemed to carry a risk for either of them. “Wh-what should we do?” asked Ken shakily as he stabbed a cable.

“I’m thinking! I can’t–”

Minakos word were cut off by several bullets ripping through the cable attached to Minato, sending Minato flying freely in the air. “AIGIS?!” shouted Minako in shock and horror.

Aigis was undeterred by Minako’s shouting and quickly ran toward Minato, dodging around the cables shooting her way. She then jumped high, catching Minato in mid-air and then slid down the wall. Minako had to calm herself down, since she could feel her breath running short and ragged.

“Thanks, Aigis.” muttered Minato. “Now, we need to help Akihiko-senpai.”

“Affirmative.” replied Aigis.

“No need!” shouted Akihiko. “Polydeuces!”

Polydeuces proceeded to punch the cables that were swinging Akihiko, severing it. With the cable tying him up cut off, Akihiko was flying to a wall. Right before he hit it, Akihiko pushed himself from the wall, softening the impact, and then letting himself fall freely.

“Oh, for fucks sake!” growled Shinjiro as he ran towards Akihiko. Shinjiro then caught Akihiko in a hug just before Akihiko hit the ground.

“Knew you’ll get my back!” exclaimed Akihiko.

“I ain’t always gonna be near you, dumbass!” spat out Shinjiro.

Akihiko shrugged as he brushed himself off and got back into his fighting stance. “You’re here now, right?”

Shinjiro just clicked his tongue in response as he faced the Shadow again. The Shadow was still lashing out, the cables around it whipping around wildly while more were attacking SEES directly. The Shadow seemed to get impatient, as the lightbulbs on its back lit up when it began charging up again. Seeing that, Minako grinned widely. “Now’s our chance! Tear into it!”

At Minako’s orders, everyone unleashed their attacks on the Shadow. Just like before, the glow on the lightbulbs disappeared and the glow around the Shadow dissipated. As soon as the Shadow crumpled to the ground, all of SEES wasted no time in beating it down. With the final blow from Minato’s blade to its head, the Shadow finally dissipated into black mist.

Everyone slowly regrouped in the center of the club, with Fuuka joining them. “That was kinda brutal. Is everyone alright?” inquired Minako.

“Other than a few heart attacks and regular injury, I’m good.” replied Yukari.

“Yeah. All’s good on my–” Ken suddenly winced in pain as he held his left arm in pain.

Fuuka quickly ran over to Ken’s side. “Ken-kun! What’s wrong?!”

“I-I’m okay! Just a little…” assured Ken.

Fuuka rolled up Ken’s sleeve to try and inspect his injury. Minako and Yukari also grew concerned and got closer. “It seemed you got burned. Was it from that electrocution earlier?” Fuuka’s voice grew more worried.

“Looks like it. We need to get it treated right away.” supplied Yukari.

“C-c’mon, Yukari-san, Fuuka-san. It’s fine. It just need–”

Minako cut him off. “Don’t try to act tough, young man. That kind of injury could leave a permanent scar. Maybe it already did, but we need to make sure it doesn’t get worse.”

“Y-yes, Minako-san.”

Minako then remembered something else. “Oh yeah! Minato-nii, Akihiko-senpai, didn’t you get electrocuted as well?”

Akihiko shrugged. “We did. But other than the bruises when I hit the wall, I don’t feel any problem.”

“Maybe it’s because we could resist electricity. Maybe that’s why we got away with minimal injury.” explained Minato.

Yukari frowned at Minato’s explanation. “Still, it would be a good idea to check.”

“Yeah, because you reaallly wanted to check out my brother, right?” smirked Minako.

“Not now, Minako!” said Yukari while lightly hitting Minako, slightly blushing.

Minako just giggled at Yukari’s reaction. Glancing at her brother, she could see that Minato was also lightly blushing while looking away from Yukari. Watching these two was always so amusing.

Fuuka suddenly interjected. “Oh, I need to tell you something. Right before you defeated the Shadow, I think I found Junpei-kun.”

“Where is he?” asked Mitsuru.

“I sensed him back at the dorm. But something felt weird.” answered Fuuka.

“What, is he injured?” questioned Akihiko.

Fuuka shook her head. “I don’t think that’s it. But I can’t seem to determine anything.”

“Then let’s hurry back to the dorm.” instructed Mitsuru. “We’ll see by ourselves what’s wrong with Iori.”

As SEES ran back to the dorm, Minako couldn’t help but worry. What could make Junpei be stuck at the dorm? Knowing her best friend, she could think that Junpei was just being careless. But that wouldn’t explain why Fuuka sensed something wrong. Following Fuuka’s directions, everyone barged into the dorm’s rooftop. There, Minako saw Junpei being tied up in chains. In front of him stood a girl with long red hair, wearing a white gothic lolita dress. “Junpei!” shouted Yukari.

The redhead loudly clicked her tongue. “They’re back already?!”

She then drew something from her back. Minako instantly identified it as an Evoker, the very same kind she and her friends have been using all this time. Mitsuru also identified it, as she gasped in surprise, “She’s a Persona user?!”

“Medea, come!” chanted the redhead as she aimed the Evoker below her head, preparing to summon her Persona. The twins promptly drew their own Evokers. But before anyone could summon anything, Junpei stood up and tackled the redhead to the ground while tied up. The tackle caused her to drop her Evoker, sending it clattering over next to Akihiko’s feet.

“Senpai, grab her Evoker!” shouted Junpei.

The girl started to wail and tried to reach out to her Evoker. “No! Give it back!”

Akihiko complied and picked up the Evoker. “Sorry, but we can’t let you use this.” said Akihiko.

“No! Medea!” the girl continued to wail. But she soon loses her spirit as she realized she couldn’t get away from Junpei pinning her down. Seeing the girl has given up, everyone walked a little closer. It was then that Ikutsuki arrived at the roof.

Ikutsuki was just as surprised by the girl. “Hm? When did she…?!”

“I didn’t sense her up until this very moment. This is my only power, and yet…” lamented Fuuka.

“If even Fuuka couldn’t sense her, then she must have some kind of power to conceal her presence.” theorized Ikutsuki. “I didn’t have the slightest clue she was here.”

“Aigis, hold her.” ordered Mitsuru.

Aigis nodded in affirmation, then walked over to the girl to hold her in place. The twins then walked over to Junpei to help him out of his bind. “You okay, Junpei?” asked Minato while taking off the chains around Junpei.

“Yeah… Mostly…” answered Junpei weakly.

Mitsuru turned her attention to the redhead. “Now then, are you a member of the group that goes by the name Strega? I have a number of questions for you.”

Instead of answering her, the girl just muttered, “I’m not… afraid… of dying…”

Junpei went wide-eyed hearing that. “Ch-Chidori?!”

Chidori? Is that the girl’s name? Does that mean Junpei knew her somehow? Minako wanted to ask Junpei a lot of things as well, but she was afraid it would hurt him.

Chidori continued muttering. “Medea… I…”

Mitsuru shook her head hearing Chidori’s response. “Clearly, she’s emotionally unstable. We’ll let her rest, and save our questions for later.”

“Chidori…” murmured Junpei.

This was just the worst. Just when they were celebrating taking down another Shadow, it appeared that Strega was now interfering with them by targeting them directly. Seeing the expression of hurt and betrayal on Junpei’s face made Minako want to console him. “Hey, Junpei. You know we’re here for you, right?” asked Minako softly.

Junpei didn’t respond back. He only closed his eyes and looked down on the ground. And that only made Minako grow even more concerned.

Chapter Text

== September 6th, 2009 ==

In the morning, Minato walked out of his room and walked to the lounge. He could still feel his body sore from the bruises. Most of the injuries have already been healed, but the lingering pain still remains. Maybe it was a good thing he and Akihiko were given first aid. The pain could’ve been worse. As he stepped down the ladder, he saw two people were already there. Minako was sitting in the living room, munching on a piece of bread, while Yukari was sitting in the lounge, reading a magazine. “Oh, Minato-nii. Good morning!” greeted Minako.

“Oh. Morning, Minato-kun.” added Yukari

Minato greeted back. “Morning, you two.” 

And then, suddenly Junpei walked down the stairs at a rapid pace with a serious expression. He continued walking past Minato and towards the front door. “H-hey, Junpei! What’s wrong?” asked Yukari.

Junpei didn’t answer her, and kept walking to the door and outside of the dorm. Yukari stood up and began running after him. “Junpei! Where are you going?!”

After Yukari had left the dorm, Minako turned to her brother. “Do you think we should go after him as well?”

Minato shook his head. “Let’s not. I can already guess where he’s going.”

“The hospital, right?”

Last night, they just captured a member of Strega by the name of Chidori. Mitsuru then arranged for her to be held at the Tatsumi Memorial hospital.

Minato was feeling confused by everything. How did Junpei know a member of Strega? And it’s not just at the level of simple acquaintance. Judging from how heartbroken he looked, they were actually quite close. But how close were they actually? Was it truly a genuine bond? Or did Chidori string Junpei along just to trick him?

“Minato-nii?”

Minako’s question snapped Minato out of his musing. “Sorry. I was just thinking about what to do with Junpei.”

Minako frowned. “Yeah. It seems that Junpei really liked that girl. But she’s a member of Strega. And looks like she wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Junpei too. If she were just tricking Junpei along, I won’t forgive her.”

“I guess we’ll find out soon. Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai are questioning her right now, aren’t they?”

“Yeah… All we can do right now is wait. Though… What should we do with Junpei? How can we help him?”

Minato rubbed the back of his neck. “Personally, I want to tell Junpei to stay away from her, but…”

“I get what you mean. Junpei looked really serious about her. I don’t think I have the heart to forbid him from meeting her.”

“I don’t think Junpei would be foolish enough to let his guard down, at the very least. So for now, all we can do is wait and see.”

Minako frowned at the idea. “Wait and see, huh? I hate that it’s our only option right now…”

“Me too…”

== September 10th, 2009 ==

Days passed without any meaningful progress. Both Mitsuru and Akihiko have been trying to question Chidori everyday. But it would seem that every few days they would learn more about Chidori instead of about Strega. Tonight, Mitsuru called over all of the second years to the lounge to tell more. “What is it, Mitsuru-senpai? Is it about Chidori?” asked Yukari in a somber tone.

Junpei slowly looked away with a hurt expression on his face.

“She rarely spoke except to Junpei, she cut herself, but she’s capable of healing herself very rapidly. After all of those bombshells these past few days, is there anything else that could be worse?” intoned Minako with a scowl.

Mitsuru sighed before explaining. “I’ll start by mentioning this. Apparently, Yoshino couldn’t control her Persona, which resulted in her Persona trying to kill her.”

Everyone was shocked by Mitsuru’s statement, while Junpei winced further. “Her Persona tried to kill her?! Is she okay?!” asked Minato.

“We cannot say for certain. She may be out of danger for now, but there’s no telling when the symptoms would appear again.” explained Mitsuru.

Yukari scowled at the news. “A Persona user that couldn’t control their Persona. That’s…”

Looking over to Junpei, Minato could see that he was on the verge of breaking down. Looks like the incident was more horrific than it sounded. “That sounds concerning. But if she’s no longer in danger, that means you’ve found a way to help her? How?” inquired Minako.

Mitsuru looked away for a moment before answering. “Yes, with some kind of experimental medicine. A medicine that’s supposed to help someone suppress their Persona.”

“Such medicine exists?” asked Fuuka in worry. “Is it really safe to use?”

“I don’t know. Such medicine should come from the Kirijo Group Shadow research. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen the result of their research, so I didn’t know anything regarding such medicine.”

“Then, how do you know that it would help?” asked Minako.

“Aragaki happened to have some on hand, so he gave what he had to the doctors to help Yoshino. With that, there shouldn't be a threat to her life.” answered Mitsuru.

“Wait, Shinjiro-senpai?!” asked Minako in shock. “How did he get those?!”

Mitsuru shook her head. “I don’t know. When I tried to question him about it, Aragaki only mentioned something about ‘picking things off the street’. He then just left without explaining further. Akihiko had chased after him for more explanation. But when I asked him about it, Akihiko became tight-lipped. I surmised that it’s something personal between the two of them, so I doubt I will be able to make them talk about it.”

“I-I see…” muttered Fuuka.

Minato saw his sister placing her hand under her lips, deep in thought. Minato guessed that she was thinking about Shinjiro. He didn’t blame her, since his head was also in the same thought. Like Mitsuru said, those medicines should come from the Kirijo group. But if Mitsuru didn’t know anything, that would mean Shinjiro got it from another source, another group that knew about Personas. There’s also the fact that Shinjiro has those drugs at all. Was Shinjiro afraid of his own Persona or did he carry them for someone else? Shinjiro didn’t seem to have anyone he’s covering for, and the only people he seemed to barely tolerate are Akihiko and Minako, and he knew neither of them needed suppressants.

Minato shook his head lightly. Only ruminating the thoughts on his head wouldn’t help anyone. Maybe he could talk with Minako about further actions. In an attempt to continue the conversation, Minato asked another question. “Is there anything else we should be concerned about Chidori?”

“That’s…” Mitsuru’s voice trailed off. She repeatedly glanced towards Junpei, who never looked towards the group for the entire conversation.

“Oh yeah, you were there as well, weren’t you Junpei?” remarked Yukari. “Is something wrong?”

Junpei finally turned towards the group, still with a frown on his face. “Well, everything Mitsuru-senpai said is true. Chidori’s Persona went crazy, and Shinjiro-senpai saved her. But that’s not all.”

Junpei swallowed the lump on his throat before continuing. “She then said something I never thought I would hear from anyone. She said, ‘death is not something to be afraid of. Dying means you just don’t wake up anymore’. I just… I don’t know what to feel about that…”

“Junpei-kun…” muttered Fuuka.

“I know what you’re goin’ to say. You probably thought I should stay away from her and keep myself safe. That she’s a danger to me. But I can’t just leave her! I know it sounds ridiculous, but…”

A few days ago, Minato had agreed with that reasoning. But after the last few days watching Junpei, he knew his answer. “Actually, I was about to say that you should continue trying.”

Junpei looked at him with a shocked expression. “I think so too. Chidori-san seemed to trust you more than any of us, so if anyone could help her, it would be you!” added Minako.

“We don’t have any other options right now. Furthermore, if you can get her to trust us, I think we can all agree that would be the best case scenario.” said Mitsuru with a smile.

Koromaru yipped twice from where he was sitting. Junpei just stared at them slack-jawed before flashing a smile. “Heheh, thanks guys.”

“Would that be all, senpai?” asked Minato.

“That would be all for today.” confirmed Mitsuru.

Everyone then got up from their seats and walked away to their own business. Minato quickly pulled his sister to the side. “So, about that stuff with Shinjiro-senpai…”

Minako flashed him a grin and a thumbs up. “Way ahead of ya! I’ll see what I can get out of him. I’m still just trying to get close to him right now. But so far from what I’ve seen, he’s not exactly someone who would get involved in any illegal stuff. He may be a bit grumpy, but I can sense he’s just a softie deep down. Very deep down.”

Minato chuckled at his sister's comment. “We shall see. Let’s hope it’s nothing bad.”

== September 14th, 2009 ==

The days went on normally. From his words and how he acted, Minato could tell that Junpei was getting closer to Chidori, which is good. But tonight, he and Minako were back at the command room, planning to watch a new recording. “So, what is it going to be this time?” said Minako while sporting a very wide grin.

“I’m starting to think this is a major breach in privacy.” deadpanned Minato.

Minako waved her hand. “Nah, don’t worry about it. As long we don’t talk about this with anyone else, noone will get hurt, right?”

Minato let out a huge sigh as Minako started the playback. The recording showed Shinjiro in the middle of watching a cooking show with Koromaru. Midway through, Fuuka and Aigis arrived, which prompted Shinjiro to pretend to sleep. Minako giggled the entire time the recording played, while Minato was sporting an amused grin.

“I’m starting to see why you called him a big softie.” commented Minato as the recording ended.

“Right?! The few times I’ve hung out with him, he’s shown that he really does care about us. Although, why is he cooking only for Koromaru? I’ll get him to cook for all of us one day!”

“I remembered seeing him teach Fuuka the other day. But how do you plan to make him do that?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out! Just you wait, I’ll make it happen!”

== September 15th, 2009 ==

Minato was just about to hang out with Kenji when a sudden announcement rang out from the speakers. “ Kenji Tomochika and Minato Arisato, please report to the Faculty Office immediately. I repeat, Kenji Tomochika and Minato Arisato, please report to the Faculty Office immediately.”

Kenji went wide-eyed hearing the announcement. “The faculty office?! Wait, did we get in trouble for something?! I don’t remember doing anything wrong.”

“Beats me.” shrugged Minato. “Whatever it is, we should hurry over there.”

“Y-yeah, let’s go.”

Minato ran to the faculty office alongside Kenji. During the short trip, Minato tried to think of the reason why he and Kenji were called over. Kenji might not be a model student, but Minato knew he wouldn’t just break any school rules. Thinking about it, there could be only one reason why Kenji could be in trouble, but Minato was still skeptical if that was truly the case. His suspicion was quickly confirmed when they saw Ms. Kanou as they entered the faculty office, alongside Mitsuru and Hidetoshi.

“Em– M-Ms. Kanou!” stuttered Kenji. “Um… Kirijo-senpai, Odagiri-san, why did you call us here?”

Hidetoshi half-whispered to Mitsuru. “From his reaction, our suspicion might be true.”

“Don’t jump to conclusions yet, Odagiri.” admonished Mitsuru. She then turned to Kenji. “Now, Tomochika. We’ve heard rumors that you’ve been involved in an intimate relationship with one of the teachers in this school. As you know, such relationships are forbidden here. Would you care to explain?”

“Um… I… Er…”

Minato quickly pulled out his phone and shot a quick message to his sister. Looks like Kenji’s affair with Ms. Kanou is busted, and I got called in as well. Just to let you know.

“Minato-san, I would appreciate it if you don’t text other people while someone is talking with you.” sighed Mitsuru.

“Oh, sorry Mitsuru-senpai. I was just telling my sister of my situation here. I don’t want to worry her.” explained Minato.

“I see.”

“Wait, Kirijo-senpai.” interjected Hidetoshi. “Perhaps it would be a good idea to call her as well. We can get a clearer picture with more witnesses.”

“Would she know anything?” questioned Mitsuru. She then shook her head before turning her attention back to Minato. “Very well. You’re free to call her over here.”

Minato nodded before sending messages with more details. When Minato finished and pocketed his phone, Hidetoshi began to speak again. “While we wait, I would like to ask you as a witness, Arisato. You’ve been hanging out with Tomochika these past few months. Have you seen any clues about his involvement or non-involvement?”

“I do know that Kenji has always been interested in older women. He likes to talk and joke around about it a few times when we hang out.” explained Minato.

Hidetoshi scowled at his explanation. “Yes, that part of Tomochika is not exactly a secret. But that doesn’t explain anything. We received reports that he was involved in a relationship with Emiri Kanou, the teacher that is now with us. What we wanted is to verify whether that report was true or not.”

Kenji continued to grimace while unable to say anything. Minato also felt unable to decide. On one hand, he wanted to help Kenji out, and not get him into too much trouble. On the other hand, he also wanted to explain, perhaps to get Kenji a lighter punishment. Shortly afterwards, the door to the office slid open as Rio and Minako ran inside.

“Kenji!” shouted Rio before she noticed Mitsuru. “Oh, Kirijo-senpai. Sorry for barging in.”

“Iwasaki? Why are you here?” asked Mitsuru in surprise.

“Sorry, Minato-nii texted me while I was in tennis practice. Rio-chan found out, and she just ran all the way here.” answered Minako.

“Ah, that’s right. Iwasaki is a close friend of Tomochika. It’s understandable that she would be worried.” stated Mitsuru while nodding.

“Then perhaps she would know something as well.” added Hidetoshi. “Let’s get to the point. We’ve received multiple reports that Tomochika was involved in a relationship with Ms. Kanou. Has he ever told you anything about this?”

“Um… All I know is that he has been searching for Miss Kanou occasionally during club practice. He told me a few times that he was interested, but not anything beyond that.” answered Rio, unwilling to explain further.

“Sorry, Rio. I didn’t want you to get dragged into this as well.” half-whispered Kenji.

“We can talk about that later!” whispered Rio back.

“So, are you willing to explain more, then?” questioned Mitsuru.

Kenji slowly talked. “...Yes. I…”

“Yes. We did get into a relationship.” interrupted Ms. Kanou.

“Oh? Are you willing to talk now?” asked Mitsuru.

“Yes. There’s no getting out of this anyway, so might as well get it over with.” sighed Ms. Kanou. “Yes, we were in a relationship. Ever since around May, I believe?. We didn’t go very far though, just a few dates here and there.”

Mitsuru pinched the bridge of her nose. “Unbelievable. I had hoped it was just a baseless rumor. Just what were you thinking?! Such a relationship could not only disrupt the student, but also compromise your integrity as a teacher!”

“Look, I didn’t think it would go this far!” defended Ms. Kanou. “I thought it was just a passing fancy that will disappear eventually. But Kenji-kun is actually serious about this. Looks like this is a good time to end this.”

“E-Emiri?” squeaked out Kenji.

“You heard me, Kenji-kun. I had planned to tell you this a few days later, but it looks like things got out of control. Truth to be told, I already have a fiancé. Even before you confessed to me. We’re planning to get married in a few months. So, no more playing around with me and be a good boy, okay?”

Kenji looked absolutely heart-broken hearing everything Ms. Kanou just said. Almost everyone else was staring slack-jawed, too surprised by what they just heard. Mitsuru’s expression quickly darkened and spoke up first. “What is the meaning of this?! Not only you just played with a young boy’s feelings, you decided to trample it into the ground after you’re done?!”

Ms. Kanou jumped in surprise from Mitsuru’s outburst. “W-Wait! That’s not what I–”

“Enough! After this day is over, do not think you can show your face around here again!”

“It seems that discipline is lacking not just in the student body, but in the faculty as well.” commented Hidetoshi.

“Yes, it would seem so.” replied Mitsuru. She then turned to Kenji. “Tomochika, seeing the situation, it is undeniable that you also broke the rules.”

Kenji looked down and frowned. Seeing that, Minato spoke up to Mitsuru. “Mitsuru-senpai, can you consider–”

Mitsuru held up her hand, interrupting him. “Let me finish. For that, you will also need to be punished. Your punishment would be to submit a reflective essay on everything that happened. It should serve as a reminder on why you shouldn’t do this. I expect it to be submitted to the student council within a week.”

“Yes… Kirijo-senpai.” muttered Kenji weakly.

“I expected more from you, Arisato.” said Hidetoshi while staring at Minato. “You would’ve known about this. Did you try to stop Tomochika from doing this?”

Kenji snapped up his head. “Wait! He’s not at fault here. It’s all mine. I’m the one who dragged him into this. I know that I wouldn’t listen to him if he tried to stop me anyway. Please, he didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Kenji…” muttered Minato.

Hidetoshi relaxed his stance a bit. “I see, you were just trying to help in your own way. I should’ve expected that from you.”

Minato bowed a little towards Hidetoshi. “Still, I should apologize for not trying to stop him.”

Hidetoshi shook his head while adopting a small grin. “No need for that. You were just trying to help a friend. I’m the one who should apologize for even suspecting you.”

“Alright, that would be all. All of you are free to go.” stated Mitsuru.

As soon as Mitsuru said that, Kenji quickly ran out of the room and across the school, with Rio giving chase and calling his name. Concerned for their friends, the twins also gave chase. They eventually stopped at the corridor before the sports’ club building, where Kenji sat down at one of the benches with Rio joining him. Minato and Minako tried to peek at them from behind the door.

“Um… Do you… need anything?” asked Rio.

“No… but thanks for that. You always got my back, huh?” replied Kenji with a weak smile.

Rio smiled back. “Anytime. No matter what happens, you know I’ll always be by your side.”

“Dude, that’s kinda cheesy. But, man… I must have looked really pathetic back then. Can’t believe I didn’t realize Emiri was already engaged. You must think I’m stupid.”

“Hey, you’re not stupid for that! Well, you are stupid for trying to date a teacher, but you couldn’t have known about her being engaged! None of us knew about it, not even Kirijo-senpai!”

“Yeah, I guess not.” Kenji went silent for a few seconds before continuing. “I can’t believe Emiri would do that. I thought we had something going on. But it turns out, I’m just being blind.”

“Well, now you know what she’s really like. And… it’s her fault anyway for leading you on. You can find someone better. You… deserved better.”

“Thanks for the pep talk. It’s always nice talking with you, Rio.”

Minato internally cheered for his friend as he saw Rio lightly blushing. He also saw his sister grinning widely at the sight. After what happened, he wished for Kenji to cheer up and try to move past the event. And if Rio could do it, he wouldn’t take it away from her. His elation was interrupted by a voice from behind him. “Er… what’re you two doing?”

The twins turned around in surprise and saw that it was Yuko. “O-oh, Yuko-san. W-what are you doing here yourself?” stammered Minako.

“Um… going to the Kendo club?” answered Yuko with one eyebrow raised. “At least I was, until I saw you two peeking through the door. What are you guys looking at anyway?”

“Oh, that! Well, just see for yourself.” said Minako while pointing through the door.

Yuko took one peek into the corridor. “Is that Rio and Kenji? Wait… is she going to…?!”

Minako quickly shushed her. “Not so loud!”

“Sorry!”

Minato returned his attention back to Kenji and Rio. Both of them were still talking and didn’t notice them, that’s good.

Rio was beaming. “That would be great! It’s been a while since we hung out with each other.”

Damn, looks like he missed some part of the conversation.

“What, did you miss me or something?” half-teased Kenji. “You should’ve just said something. I always have time for you.”

Rio chuckled at that. “Maybe I should’ve, huh? I guess I didn’t realize how much I wanted something until I almost lost it.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“It’s when I heard that you got in trouble over your relationship with Ms. Kanou. You could’ve gotten expelled for that, so I was worried.”

Kenji grimaced from the memory. “Oh, sorry about that. Didn’t mean to worry you.”

Rio smiled at Kenji. “Well, it’s all in the past. I hope you learned your lesson. For now, let’s just enjoy each other's company.”

Kenji smiled back. “You said it! You’re up to go somewhere?”

Suddenly, Yuko barged through the door, pushing Minato and Minako to the floor. “Are you serious?! That’s it?! Aren’t you gonna say anything else, Rio?!” stomped Yuko in anger.

“Y-Yuko?! Minako-san, too?! Y-you were listening?!” stuttered Rio.

“Sorry about that.” apologized Minako while still lying on the ground. “We were kinda worried after you two just bolted off from the faculty office. Yuko-san came midway, though.”

Yuko ignored the two and stomped straight to Kenji, intimidating him. “And you! Don’t you realize anything?!”

“Wait, what?! What did I do wrong now?!” asked Kenji in fear and confusion.

Minato let out a small sigh of pity seeing his friend. He promptly stood up and slung his arm over Kenji’s shoulder. “Don’t worry too much about it. After everything that happened today, I think you could use a pick-me-up. So how about we go to Hagakure? My treat.”

“Huh? You don’t need to do that for me. I can pay for myself.” replied Kenji.

“Hey, don’t you dare drag him away from this!” exclaimed Yuko.

“No, let me.” insisted Minato. “Just want to say thanks for standing up for me back then.”

“C’mon man, it’s no big deal. That’s what friends are for.” said Kenji with a smile. “But… if you insist, sure! It’s just…”

Kenji glanced towards Rio while saying that. Seeing that, Minato just smiled and said, “Sure, Iwasaki-san could join us too.”

Kenji beamed at that. “Great! You hear that, Rio? C’mon, let’s go to Hagakure!”

“Though, I think the girls want to talk about something first. Isn’t that right, Yuko-san?”

“Damn right, I do!” Yuko quickly turned to Rio. “You better have a good reason for your hesitation, girl! And I’m not letting you leave until you explain it!”

“Alright. Let’s go, Kenji.” said Minato while half-dragging Kenji away.

Arriving at Hagakure, Minato and Kenji placed their orders and took a seat in one of the booths. A few minutes later, Minako and Rio arrived alongside a guilty looking Yuko. Minato was slightly confused that Yuko was tagging along, but he wouldn’t say no to hanging out with friends. The hours flew by as the five of them were just randomly chatting.

Minato’s Magician Social Link - Rank 9

Minako’s Chariot Social Link - Rank 8

== September 16th, 2009 ==

In the morning, Minako walked to school by herself. Minato had gone earlier with a determined expression, so she was left alone. In the middle of that, Yukari walked up beside her. “Hey, Minako. Can I ask you something?”

“Oh, Yukari-chan. Sure, what do you want to ask?”

“Well… it’s about that girl, Chidori. What do you think of her?”

Minako placed a finger on her cheek. “What do I think? Her situation is unfortunate, with her own Persona trying to kill her. And some of her… habits… can be quite concerning. I wanted to help, but I don’t think she’s accepted us just yet. We can only hope Junpei eases her up into trusting us.”

“Yeah… Junpei is our only option, huh?”

“C’mon Yukari-chan, you need to have more faith in Junpei. He may be a bit dumb, but he can be reliable when it counts.”

“No, that’s not what I’m worried about. I’m more concerned about their relationship. She’s the first girl I’ve seen that Junpei’s been that serious about. But with everything we heard about her, I can’t help but worry.”

“Her condition does sound like a step away from a tragedy. But Mitsuru-senpai is looking into that medicine, right? Hopefully she found something good, we can help Chidori with her condition, and then we won’t need to worry about it anymore. And if Junpei does well, we won’t hear about her bad habit as well.”

Both of them stopped at Iwatodai Station, waiting for the monorail. Yukari smiled a bit hearing Minako’s optimism. “Yeah, you’re right. We need to stay positive. But still… Even Junpei is moving to get what he wants… And yet, I…”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just… thinking to myself.”

Minako was even more curious with that answer. But it seemed that Yukari wasn’t willing to share any more. The rest of the trip was silent between them, with Yukari deep in thought about something.

The event between Kenji and Rio yesterday got Minato thinking. Rio’s word of not realizing how much things meant to you until you might lose it made Minato re-evaluate his relationship. Determined to do something about it, Minato approached Yukari when school ended. “Yukari-san? Do you have time to talk?”

Yukari seemed surprised. “Oh, Minato-kun. Sure. In fact, I… want to talk about something too…”

“Okay. Do you want to talk about it somewhere?”

“...Let’s go to the rooftop. We can get more privacy there.”

“Good idea.”

As they left the classroom, Minato caught a glimpse of Minako and Junpei looking at them with a big grin on their face. He decided to ignore it for now and deal with their teasing later. Right now, he needs to face Yukari. At the rooftop, the two of them just stood there without saying a word for a while. Yukari was the first to break the silence. “So… you want to talk about something?”

“You can go first.” replied Minato. “I think whatever it is I want to say is better said later.”

“O-Oh… Okay then… I just… wanted to ask you something…”

“Ask away.”

“Right… Um… Can I ask… why do you spend so much time with me? I’m sorry if this sounded weird, but… I’m just curious. You’ve been really friendly and understanding, but sometimes I haven’t been that great. Heck, I even hurt you that one time. But… you’re still friendly with me.”

“You’ve already apologized for that. And I’ve already forgiven you for that.”

“I know… But I still can’t get it out of my head. Which makes me wonder about it. Why did you forgive me? You have every right to hate me for that, yet you didn’t… Why? Is it because you still see us as friends? Or do you…?”

Minato started to realize what Yukari wanted to ask. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Minato muttered, “Looks like we wanted to talk about the same thing…”

“Huh? W-what do you mean?”

“I’m going to say what I wanted to say as well. Yukari Takeba!”

“Y-yes?!”

“You are a very wonderful person. You’re kind, beautiful, caring, yet you can be strong and determined when you need to be.”

“H-hold on! Wh-Where is this coming from?!”

“You may have hurt me with your thoughtless action, but you also had the courage and will to apologize afterwards. I really admire you for that.”

Yukari started blushing heavily. “T-That’s…”

“Ever since that time in Yakushima, I realized I couldn’t stop thinking about you. During all the times we hung out since then, I feel… content.”

“H-Huh?!”

Minato didn’t stop. “Seeing your smile helped brighten up my day, and whenever I see you frown, I want to make sure you feel better.”

“H-Hang on! A-Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Minato took in a large breath before continuing. “I love you. I’ve liked you ever since July. Would you be my girlfriend?”

Yukari was stunned speechless. When she didn’t respond for a few minutes, Minato became concerned. “Yukari-san?”

“O-Oh! Sorry… It was just… this is a surprise. Wow… so you were… I don’t know what to say…”

“Um… If you need some time to think about it, it’s okay. I’ll–”

“No no! I… If that’s what you wanted to say, then I already have my answer.” replied Yukari as she walked closer to Minato and hugged him tight. “It’s a yes! A hundred times yes! I would love to!”

Minato was slightly taken aback, but he returned the hug shortly afterwards. “I-is that so? Thanks, Yukari-san.”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you! Did you say you’ve liked me since July? God… then I could’ve… why didn’t I…?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know how I could say it…”

“It’s okay. You said it now, and that’s what matters.” smiled Yukari. “And… just call me Yukari. No need for honorifics. Right, Minato?”

Minato smiled back. “Yeah. I will, Yukari.”

“You know, with you mentioning Yakushima, it reminded me of that time you’ve calmed me down. And… how I wanted to do something like this again…”

“Then… Do you want to stay like this for a little longer?” suggested Minato.

“Yeah. I would like that…”

Minako was tapping her foot impatiently in the lounge. Ever since she saw her brother and her best friend wanting to talk on the roof, she could already tell that something was going to happen between the two. She was really excited to hear the development of their relationship. And a little something to tease them with was always a nice bonus.

“Calm down, Mina-tan. They’ll get here eventually.” said Junpei while smirking.

“You say that, but I bet you’re curious about them as well.”

“Obviously! You think it’s gonna happen today?”

“I think so. Minato-nii had this serious look on his face this morning. That could mean a lot of things, but after seeing him talk to Yukari-chan, there’s only one option left.”

“And thus end their little song and dance.” said Junpei in a mock sigh. “Then, a new chapter of their lives begin.”

“Speaking of that, what about you? How was your day with Chidori?”

“Oh, me? It’s been going great, actually! Chidori has been opening up to me, and I can talk about all kinds of stuff with her! In fact, she even said she liked havin’ me around!”

“Congrats, Junpei! Eventually, we won’t have to worry about her going back to Strega.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for!”

Mitsuru then walked through the front door. Seeing Minako and Junpei grinning widely, she asked, “You two seemed more excited than usual. Did something happen?”

“They’ve been chattering about stupid shit all this time.” growled Shinjiro from the living room. “Listening to them has been a headache.”

“C’mon, Shinjiro-senpai. Can’t you be happy for Minato-nii?” asked Minako while still grinning.

Shinjiro just huffed, while Mitsuru raised one of her eyebrows with curiosity. “What happened to Minato-san?”

“Just a little… something…” answered Junpei with the same grin.

“That didn’t explain anything, Iori.” replied Mitsuru with her eyes narrowed.

“Well, it would be better for Minato-nii to explain it himself.” added Minako. “He’ll be back soon, which is why we’re waiting here.”

Mitsuru looked over both of them for a few moments, before letting out a sigh and shaking her head. After Mitsuru walked away, the others started coming back. Eventually, both Minato and Yukari returned to the dorm at the same time. Minako and Junpei quickly rose from the couch and darted over to the arriving pair. “So… anything you want to share with everyone, Minato-nii?” questioned Minako with a huge smirk.

“You were waiting for us?” deadpanned Minato.

“What do you expect? My dear twin brother suddenly asked one of my best friends to meet her on the school’s rooftop. How can I not be curious?” said Minako in a teasing voice.

“What’s this all about?” asked Akihiko while walking towards them.

“Oh, you might want to hear this! Apparently, our leader has something he wants to share with the rest of the squad. Isn’t that right, Minato-san?” uttered Junpei while tipping down his cap.

Minato quickly gave Junpei a stink eye over the weird use of honorifics. Meanwhile, Yukari was looking away, seemingly unable to see anyone in the eye all this time. When everyone else began crowding around the pair, Minato let out a defeated sigh before he started explaining. “Yes, I do. I’ll get to the point. Yukari and I… are officially dating.”

“Congrats, man!” shouted Junpei while lightly punching Minato’s shoulder.

“Yes! I’m sooo happy for you two!” exclaimed Minako while pulling both of them for a hug. Yukari was left stammering and blushing over it, while Minato just hugged his sister back.

“That’s good. Congrats to both of you.” said Akihiko.

“Indeed. I’m… happy for you two.” Fuuka smiled weakly.

“Congratulations, indeed.” Mitsuru also smiled.

Koromaru barked at the new couple. “Koromaru-san also wished to congratulate you.” translated Aigis.

“About damn time!” growled Shinjiro. “It was getting irritating watching both of you dance around each other either in the dorm or in Tartarus.”

Minako pulled away from her hug and turned to Shinjiro. “C’mon, senpai. If you’re happy for them, just say so.”

“I appreciate that you care about us, senpai. You don’t need to be shy about it.” said Minato with a smile.

“You shut your fucking mouth, Arisato!” snapped back Shinjiro.

“Are you referring to me or my brother here?” asked Minako with a wide grin.

“I’m talking to both of you! Damn it, I already got enough shit from Aki. I don’t need more from you!”

“Oh, Minato!” interrupted Junpei. “I gotta ask, who confessed to who? C’mon, don’t leave us in suspense here!”

“That’s…” Minato glanced towards Yukari. Yukari herself was still looking away and blushing, probably still remembering the confession. After a few seconds, Minato continued. “Technically, I’m the one who confessed. Yukari wanted to ask me something. When I realized what she wanted to ask, I just took the opportunity and told her how I feel.”

Minako turned triumphantly to Junpei. “Called it! Pay up, Junpei!”

“B-But, Yuka-tan was about to confess herself!” argued Junpei. “That means it’s a tie, right?!”

“Minato-nii called out to her first!” argued back Minako. “No matter how you look at it, he confessed first! Accept your defeat!”

Junpei groaned a little before pulling out his wallet and handed over the agreed upon 3000 yen to Minako. Minako swiped it giddily. Seeing the exchange, Yukari just groaned weakly. “Seriously? You two were betting on us?”

“Duh!” answered Junpei quickly. “I mean… you’re not exactly subtle about it, Yuka-tan.”

Yukari’s face blushed once again. Minako could see that her brother was also looking away. Unfortunately, Minako still didn’t want to stop. “So, when can I start calling you my sister-in-law?” teased Minako.

“MINAKO!” squeaked out Yukari. “Th-that won’t be a t-thing until… maybe a few years down the line…”

Almost everyone else giggled at Yukari’s admission, while the new couple continued to blush heavily under the teasing. But Minako noticed that Fuuka was half-forcing her smile. Junpei promptly slung his arm around Minato’s shoulder. “Jokes aside, we’re happy for you man! How’d you do it? You gotta share some secrets with me.”

“Why? You need some help with Chidori?” deadpanned Minato.

“Well… some back-up plans couldn’t hurt…”

Minako saw Fuuka slowly retreating from the group. Once she was out of sight from everyone else, Fuuka quickly turned around and walked hastily towards the stairs. Minako slowly separated herself from the group as well while they were chatting away with Minato. After she went up the stairs to chase after Fuuka, Minako saw that she stopped near the 2nd floor lounge. “Fuuka-chan, you okay?” asked Minako.

“Oh, sorry.” apologized Fuuka. “ I guess I shouldn’t just leave like that. I just… needed some time alone.”

Minako could see that Fuuka was still forcing her smile. While she didn’t like seeing it, Minako also knew that Fuuka’s efforts were futile. “I’m sorry, Fuuka-chan.” apologized Minako.

“Please, don’t apologize.” said Fuuka while holding back her tears. “It’s… for the best… Minato-kun seemed happier with Yukari-chan. We can all see that he likes Yukari-chan. And… It’s kind of my fault as well… for not making any effort…”

Minako wanted to refute her, saying that she’d already done what she could. But she knew that wouldn’t help Fuuka in any way. “This isn’t the end of the world. It will work out for you, Fuuka-chan. You’re a sweet girl. I’m sure you’ll find someone to love who will love you back.”

“Thank you, Minako-chan.” replied Fuuka. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better. I’m… I need to go back to my room. Please… send my congratulations to Minato-kun.”

Fuuka then ran upstairs to her room. Minako was left standing near the lounge, feeling wrong to chase her. The situation was already a mess. No matter what her brother did, someone would get hurt. She hoped she wouldn’t get in that kind of situation.

== September 17th, 2009 ==

When Minako decided to talk to Shinjiro that night, he suggested something that caught Minako off-guard. “Wait, you’re gonna cook for everyone… today?!” asked Minako, still in shock over Shinjiro’s statement.

“What are you so surprised about? It was your idea.”

“Yeah… but I didn’t expect you to do it so soon. We just talked about it a few days ago. Why so sudden?”

“It’s…” Shinjiro hesitated explaining his thoughts. “Well, yesterday was a happy occasion for your brother and Takeba. I think it would be good to mark it with good food.”

Minako smiled warmly towards Shinjiro. “Aw… thanks for being so caring to my brother. I’m sure he’ll appreciate the gesture.”

“Shut it. Don’t you dare tell anyone else about this. As far as everyone is concerned, I’m just cooking for the hell of it.”

“Again, you don’t need to be shy about it. I’m sure everyone will be happy.”

“Don’t. You. Dare.” hissed Shinjiro. “Now, just be patient and wait for about an hour. You can tell everyone else that at least.”

“I’ll be waiting with high expectations!” exclaimed Minako with a thumb up.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Shinjiro called over Fuuka to the kitchen. Looking at it, Minako thought it was a good thing that she didn’t tell anyone about why Shinjiro decided to cook. It wouldn’t be fair to Fuuka. Was that Shinjiro’s intention? While Shinjiro was cooking the meal and simultaneously trying to teach Fuuka how to cook it, Minako called over everyone else in the dorm. When they arrived back at the living room, Minako could already smell the delicious aroma. The smell of it made Minako’s mouth water a little.

“Man, something smells good.” remarked Junpei. “Huh? Is that you cooking, Fuuka?”

“H-he’s teaching me right now.” squeaked Fuuka while pointing towards Shinjiro.

Koromaru trotted over and looked inside the kitchen. After glancing over to Koromaru, Aigis then spoke up. “Koromaru-san seems to be very anxious.”

“It really does smell good.” commented Yukari. “It’s making me all hungry.”

“Shinji’s cooking, huh?” murmured Akihiko. “Will there be any leftovers?”

“Can’t you tell?” deadpanned Shinjiro.

“You’re supposed to be a good friend and make larger servings when you cook in front of lots of people.” retorted Akihiko.

“You’re supposed to not be an idiot.” snarked back Shinjiro. “Look, there’s obviously more than fourteen servings here.”

“That means…?” beamed Yukari.

“Yeah, there’s enough for everyone!” declared Minako.

“You actually did it…” said Minato in awe.

“Did what?” asked Yukari.

“Nothing important.” Minako waved the question off. “C’mon, everyone sit down!”

Everyone took their seat around the table. They were chatting away while waiting for the food, with Shinjiro occasionally yelling for them to stop talking. Two hours later, Shinjiro and Fuuka finished cooking and brought the food to the table.

Yukari stared at the dishes wide-eyed. “Is… all of this for us?”

“Whoa… Is this some kind of party?” Junpei was also in disbelief.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it is…” remarked Minato. “Is it your birthday, Shinjiro-senpai?”

“It’s not.” replied Shinjiro curtly. “Your sister here suggested it to me, and I thought it’s a good idea.”

Mitsuru was flabbergasted. “S-she did?! A-and you just…?”

“Shinjiro-san made this?” questioned Ken.

“Now, are you just gonna gawk or are you gonna start eating?” groaned Shinjiro.

With a chorus of ‘Itadakimasu!’, everyone began eating the dishes in front of them. Everyone chatted away while eating. Minako thoroughly enjoyed the meal. As expected, everything was delicious. Some incidents happened during the meal, such as Akihiko eating too fast and choking or Minato taking away the last piece of chicken in front of Junpei. Even with that, everyone was satisfied with the meal. After cleaning up, Minako relaxed in the lounge alongside Shinjiro with some tea.

“Looks like it was a success. Everyone enjoyed it.” remarked Shinjiro.

“It was. We should do it again some time.” replied Minako.

“Heh. Don’t push your luck.” said Shinjiro with a small smile. “But it is true that, without you bringing up the idea, I wouldn’t do something like this. I would just offer your brother some congratulations and leave it at that.”

“You didn’t actually congratulate Minato-nii, though.”

“He was also being a little prick, so I’ll save it for later.”

“Yet you still cook for him.”

“It was for everyone. But, it was kind of fun. Guess I should’ve just gone ahead and do it, huh? Thanks for that.”

“Anytime, senpai.”

Shinjiro then started coughing. “Looks like everything today really tired me out. I’m gonna go back to my room. You should head to bed soon as well.”

Minako yawned when Shinjiro said that. “Yeah, you’re right. G’night, Shinjiro-senpai.”

“Night.”

Minako’s Moon Social Link - Rank 6

Chapter Text

== September 18th, 2009 ==

The clouds in the sky had been looking ominous since lunchtime, so Minako urged her brother to get to the dorm early. Minato nodded in agreement. As soon as school was over, the twins ran back to the dorm alongside Junpei, Yukari, and Aigis. They ran all the way back, only stopping while waiting for and inside the monorail. As a result, they were tired when they reached the dorm.

 “Whew… Made it… Before the storm hits…” said Junpei inbetween panting.

“Let’s go… sit down… and catch our breaths…” suggested Yukari.

The five of them walked to the lounge, where Mitsuru was already sitting down on one of the chairs. Four of them plopped down on the sofas and chairs, eager to rest their aching legs, while Aigis remained standing near where Minato sat down. Minako was sure she just ran more than they ever did in Tartarus, if what she felt on her legs was any indication. Not even running from the Reaper made her this sore. “Did you just run all the way here?” inquired Mitsuru.

Yukari answered in between panting. “As much… as we can run. I swear, the monorail felt… slower today somehow.”

Koromaru started walking over to them and snuggled close to some of them. Smiling at the gesture, Minako reached out her hand and began rubbing the back of his head. That earned a yip from Koromaru, which made Minako smile wider.

The rest of the dorm residents arrived one by one. And upon seeing their friends sitting around in the lounge, they decided to join them. Akihiko was the last one arriving, and a few minutes after he arrived, the rain poured down as the typhoon hit Iwatodai.

“Looks like the typhoon just hit.” remarked Fuuka. “Supposedly, it’s the biggest one on record. It’s moving slowly too, so it’ll be around for a while.”

“Yeah, thanks to that, the school festival got canned.” added Junpei. “...Well, setting all that stuff up is a pain, so I don’t mind. But, it sucks that we’ll be stuck indoors…”

“So how long does this typhoon last?” asked Minako in a depressed tone.

“The news said it could stay for about two days.” supplied Fuuka. “But we’re advised to stay inside until it completely passes.”

“Well, this is gonna be the most boring three days of our lives.” groaned Minako.

“This could be a good time to catch up on sleep.” offered Minato. “That’s what I’ll be doing.”

“Dude, you’re really goin’ to sleep for the next three days?” questioned Junpei with a frown.

“Not the entire three days. But most of the time, probably.” answered Minato.

“C’mon, Minato-nii… Accompany us in our misery…” begged Minako.

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to sleep as well?” asked Minato.

“That’s gonna be just as boring.” Minako then turned to Yukari. “Yukari-chan, help me out here…”

“Um… why?” asked Yukari. “If he wants to sleep, there’s nothing wrong with it. I mean, our activities in SEES haven’t been kind to our sleep schedules…”

“Wouldn’t you want to hang out with Minato-nii? We got some free time thanks to the typhoon and a break right after that. Won’t it be a good time to… you know…” teased Minako.

While Yukari stammered and blushed from Minako’s remark, Minato just stared back with a flat stare and replied, “Whatever it is we planned to do, it wouldn’t be here within earshot of everyone.”

“No need to be shy. We can be very understanding.” teased Minako further.

“Still a no.”

“Anyway… what about you, Fuuka?” interjected Junpei.

“Me? The only thing I planned to do is go to the movies.” answered Fuuka.

“Ooh, a movie… Is it a date?” teased Junpei.

“It-it’s not like that.” stuttered Fuuka. “I’m going with Natsuki-chan. She absolutely loves movies. But with this typhoon, I don’t know if we’ll be able to go.”

Junpei then turned to Yukari. “How about you, Yuka-tan? Will ya still have practice?”

Yukari shook her head. “I doubt it. The archery range is outside, so it’s most likely canceled until the storm blows over.”

“Same here. This stupid typhoon is gonna mess up my training.” added Akihiko.

“Then… how about you, Senpai?” asked Junpei towards Mitsuru.

“I haven’t decided.” replied Mitsuru succinctly. “Besides, what business is it of yours, Iori?”

Junpei beamed. “Me? Well, I’d be happy to tell you about my plans.”

Is that what he’s been wanting to talk about? thought Minako.

“I suspect that you will be visiting Chidori-san.” responded Aigis. “Although she has stabilized, we cannot release her.”

“Man, Ai-chan, you must be psychic.” cheered Junpei. “And ya know what, she WANTS me to come! Not to brag or anything… I, um… just thought I should check up on her… Ya know, with the storm and all.”

Minako put on a warm smile to Junpei. Things between him and Chidori have been going really well, considering Junpei’s mood. Meanwhile, Yukari was visibly rolling her eyes, Mitsuru let out a quiet sigh, and Fuuka was getting awkward. Aigis and Shinjiro remained unchanged whatsoever, though Minako could see Shinjiro narrowing his eyes ever so slightly.

However, Akihiko just looked confused. “What’s up with him?” asked Akihiko.

“Umm… Well…” Fuuka was hesitant to explain. “Oh yeah! Ken-kun. What are you going to do during the break?”

Akihiko was even more confused at being brushed off, but ultimately turned his attention to Ken alongside everyone else. Being the center of attention after staying quiet for so long, Ken replied, “Oh, nothing in particular…”

“Come on, you have to be doing something.” insisted Junpei.

“Well, I’ll probably go visit the shrine.” offered Ken.

“Dude, you’re a kid, not an old man.”

“But that’s where I always go.” replied Ken. “I guess you could say I made a vow. Anyway, I’m going back to my room. I have a lot of homework to do…”

“Oh, okay. You can call any of us if you get stuck.” offered Junpei.

Ken nodded slightly before walking away to his room. Watching him walk upstairs, Mitsuru spoke up, “It seems we have nothing else to do tonight. It’s getting late, so perhaps we should all turn in as well.”

Minako stretched her arms above her head. “Good idea. I’ll probably study a bit before going to bed though.”

Minako didn’t study for long. Turns out, after about half an hour, she already felt tired and decided to sleep. But when she opened her eyes again, she was surprised that she was in the Velvet Room alongside her brother.

“I have been waiting for you.” greeted Igor. “I last summoned you in your dream quite some time ago. Several seasons have come and gone since I first offered my assistance… Now then… Your special power – Persona… Have you been using it wisely?”

“Of course we did!” stated Minako proudly. “We’ve been saving people and protecting the world!”

“Hmmm… So, you haven’t given it much thought?” mused Igor.

“Wha-” Minako suddenly became confused. “What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Igor ignored her and continued on. “To be perfectly honest, I sense a great catastrophe in your future. But it would be a pity to lose any of you unnecessarily… Therefore, please allow me to provide you with a new form of assistance. Henceforth, you shall be able to fuse four or more Personas. I am certain that this will be of great benefit to you.”

Minako started to become curious over the new potential available to her. Looking over to Minato, she saw that he was also deep in thought. Perhaps after the storm blows over, they could see what they could get.

“But now, you must be tired. Please, rest easy…” stated Igor. “Until we meet again… Farewell.”

== September 20th, 2009 ==

The days being stuck in the dorm because of the typhoon was as boring as Minako expected. Minato was in his room most of the time, either sleeping like he said he would or playing that game. She tried to rope in Yukari, Fuuka, and Aigis to a sleepover on the 19th, but only Yukari and Fuuka joined. Luckily, the typhoon seemed to already pass on the 20th afternoon, so Minako made the decision to explore Tartarus that night.

“Okay, guys. We’ll need some time to organize our Personas.” said Minako with a wave.

“Oh, okay.” said Yukari.

“Don’t take too long. We don’t have much time.” advised Shinjiro.

“Got it.” replied Minato.

As they entered the Velvet Room, they saw an unusual sight. Elizabeth and Theodore were there, but Igor was nowhere to be seen.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room.” greeted Elizabeth. “How unexpected of you to visit while our master is away.”

“Where is Igor, anyway?” asked Minako.

“He has decided to leave for the moment.” answered Elizabeth. “But if it is fusion you require, then I have some knowledge of the process. Feel free to ask me to perform them. By the by, only a Legion can be summoned today. That will be all right with you, won’t it?”

“Um…” Minako wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Elizabeth then started a tirade. “A ‘Legion’ means an army… Each face has a different expression. They all bear such rich anguish that I never tire of watching them. I highly recommend one to you. Well then, let’s proceed with the fusion ritual without delay…”

“Elizabeth, you mustn’t lie. You are capable of fusing other Personas as well.” interjected Theodore.

“Now, Theo. It’s not nice to ruin the suspense like that.” replied Elizabeth. “I was going to offer more fusion services after our guest received the marvelous Legion.”

Minato just let out a huge sigh. “Can we just get some fusion done?”

“Ah yes, of course. But do keep in mind, without our master present, the process may become unstable. The result may not be what you initially expected.” warned Elizabeth.

Minako narrowed her eyes. “You’re not going to trick us into getting Legion again, are you?”

“Oh, no. In this case, my sister is correct.” clarified Theodore. “The Velvet Room’s existence is currently unstable due to our master's absence. Moreover, there’s a storm raging in the outside world.”

“The typhoon that just passed? What’s that got to do with this place?” asked Minako.

“Well, storms shake things up.” answered Elizabeth. “Not only the body, but the heart, too. One’s resolve, one’s internal strife, one’s hidden thoughts… Everyone closes their eyes during a storm, for that is when the world within begins to encroach… One will have no choice but to face what has gone hidden while their eyes were averted… There are storms that can shake up fate, and even time itself.”

“I sure hope that this isn’t the ‘catastrophe’ that Igor warned us about….” remarked Minato.

All of a sudden, sirens rang out and warning lights turned on from the sides of the Velvet Room, surprising everyone. “Minato-nii! You better have not jinxed us by that!” shrieked Minako.

All of the lights then turned off, leaving the room in complete darkness.

== September 21st, 2009 ==

Minako woke up that day feeling sore. It was a weird feeling, since she didn’t remember the exploration last night to be any more intense than usual. Walking down the hall and to the first floor made her body protest painfully. Looking around, she could see her friends were also feeling the same. Most of them were slumped on the couch or chair, except for Shinjiro who was cooking in the kitchen and Aigis who remained standing expressionless as usual. Even Koromaru was lying around with a sad expression. “Wow, all of you collapsed as well?” remarked Minako.

“Yeah…” groaned Yukari. “I was planning to go out, but when I reached here, I couldn’t go any further.”

“Seriously, though. Did we fight that much last night? I don’t remember anything weird.” questioned Junpei.

“I don’t think so.” replied Akihiko. “Normally, we’d already known our limit and stopped right then. This is even worse than usual.”

“That is indeed strange. My memory didn’t show that we stayed in Tartarus any longer than normal. On the contrary, my memory showed that we left as soon as our leaders finished organizing their Personas.” supplied Aigis. “Fuuka-san, I am afraid that there could be some error in my memory cards. Could I ask you to check on them?”

“Okay. I’ll check on it tonight, Aigis. Perhaps it could explain why everyone’s so tired today.” uttered Fuuka.

“Let us know when you find anything.” said Minato. “Because I definitely didn’t remember anything.”

“What… just… happened…?” groaned Ken slowly.

Shinjiro then stepped out of the kitchen, carrying a bunch of plates full of food to the living room. He set them up on the table, surprising Ken who was slumped over the table. “All of you, eat something. You definitely need some food to get your energy back. I’m gonna go get the rice.” grumbled Shinjiro.

“Shinji’s seemed crankier than usual. Guess he’s not immune to it after all.” commented Akihiko.

“Shut it, Aki. I don’t want any lip from someone who’s sprawled on the sofa like a dead man.” snapped back Shinjiro.

“Shinjiro-senpai got a point. We should probably eat something.” said Minato while picking himself up from the couch.

“Yeah, we should.” affirmed Yukari. “Argh, damn it! My legs still don’t want to listen to me…”

Minato offered his hand to Yukari. “Here.”

“Thanks.” said Yukari while accepting his support, wincing as she stood up.

“Where’s Mitsuru-senpai?” questioned Minako.

“Dunno. I haven’t seen her all morning.” answered Yukari.

“Maybe she’s still in her room?” offered Fuuka.

“That is correct. Mitsuru-san has not left her room since we returned from Tartarus last night.” supplied Aigis.

“That’s a first.” commented Shinjiro. “Usually she’s the first to get up.”

“Well, I don’t blame her. I would’ve stayed in bed myself if I didn’t already get here.” said Yukari.

One by one, they sat down around the table in the living room and began eating the food. After they finished, Junpei spoke up. “So… what are you guys planning to do now?”

“I’ll think about it after a little rest.” replied Minako.

“Me too.” added Yukari.

“I’ll just go and see if any of my friends are free.” stated Minato.

“Have fun, then. I’ll just stay here and watch TV.” said Shinjiro.

“Oh, can I join you, Shinjiro-senpai?” asked Fuuka. “I don’t think I want to go outside right now.”

“Sure.” answered Shinjiro.

“Guess I’ll just walk around the town…” said Junpei.

== September 24th, 2009 ==

Afternoon classes were canceled to clean up the summer festival. The twins were assigned to the science lab, alongside Yukari, Junpei, Aigis, Kenji, and Kazushi. They soon began splitting up and dividing their task.

“Aren’t these the pictures from the big competition?” commented Kenji while taking down the photography club display. “Look, Minato, you’re in this one.”

Minako looked over to the photo Kenji was holding. “Hey, you’re right…” muttered Minako.

“I heard you got second place. Is that the guy who beat you?” asked Kenji while pointing towards Mamoru.

“Yeah, that’s Mamoru. He’s crazy strong.” answered Kazushi.

“So that’s Mamoru…” murmured Minako.

“Oh, here you are, Minako!” exclaimed Yukari while pointing at another photo. “You guys went to a school in the countryside, right?”

“Yeah, we did. It was quite fun!” replied Minako.

“Lucky! They had a hot spring too, didn’t they?” questioned Yukari.

“I wanted to go in one too.” remarked Aigis as she entered the room with Junpei.

“We’ll be going to one soon enough.” assured Junpei.

“Are you talking about the school trip? That’s in November… Talk about jumping the gun.” deadpanned Yukari. “I can’t believe we’re going to Kyoto…”

Junpei shrugged. “Eh, it’s where everyone goes. I really wish they wouldn’t make us go to all the shrines and stuff.”

“Yeah, seriously.” interjected Kenji. “Anyway Junpei, did you bring everything?”

“Yeah, I did.” groaned Junpei. “Nail puller, tape, and-”

“Hang on, where’s the popping stuff?” interrupted Kenji.

“Popping stuff…?” asked Junpei. “Ohhh… you mean the bubble wrap. Uh… Good call, Kenji. Go get it. You know where they keep all this stuff, right?

Kenji started frowning. “Well, yeah, but you’re the one who forgot it.”

“Huh? Are you sure? You really don’t wanna go?” Junpei’s trailed off with a knowing smirk. “That place is like a paradise, you know that? Some fine chicas there who’d just be your type…”

“Wait, are you serious?! Be right back, guys.” Kenji’s expression then turned sharp again. “Yeah. like I’d fall for that, dumbass! What kind of supply room is stocked with hot babes?!”

“Alright, that’s enough, you two!” interjected Yukari. “If you wanna argue, do it while you work.”

“Ooppss, sorry, Yuka-tan.” As soon as Yukari turned around to go back to her work, Junpei half-whispered. “She’s like a pissed-off samurai…”

“I heard that!” snapped Yukari. “Geez, are you stupid or something?”

“More like Stupei, I think.” added Kenji.

“D-Deja vu…!” stuttered Junpei. He then let out a defeated sigh. “Fine… I'll go to the supply room later…”

All of them then split up and returned to their assignments. Before long, Kenji spoke up again. “But man… It's a real shame the school festival fell through. There was some hilarious stuff planned. Like a cross-dressing pageant… They said it would be open to everyone, so I was planning on jumping in.”

“Huh? You, cross-dressing?! Oh hell no…” Junpei started pondering for a moment before continuing. “Nah, no way…”

“You were imagining it just now, huh? I must’ve been super cute.” beamed Kenji.

“Where in the world does your confidence come from…?” muttered Junpei.

“Well, I’d be a lot better at it then you. You’d just look creepy.” scoffed Kenji.

“I don’t think you needed to go that far.” Junpei then pointed to Kazushi. “I mean, hey, I’d be cuter than Kaz here, right?”

Kazushi got confused over being dragged into it. “Me? Why would I…”

“You hear that, Kaz? He just said you’d lose. Are you gonna take that from him?” taunted Kenji.

“Wha…?! There’s no doubt that I’d be the cutest!” proclaimed Kazushi. “I’d be the cutest one in school!”

“Just what are you guys arguing about…?” deadpanned Minato.

“I will not lose either at dressing up as a girl.” interjected Aigis.

Kenji stared at Aigis incredulously. “Well, duh. You’re…”

“I am a female type, so female clothes would be–” explained Aigis.

“Okay, okay! Let’s just stop there!” interrupted Junpei.

Aigis then turned to Minato. “Minato-san, what do you think? Whose cross-dressing would be the most ‘super cute’?”

Minato sighed. “Please don’t drag–”

“MINE!” exclaimed Minako.

“Oh, now you’re getting in on this too?!” muttered Junpei.

“Well, there’s no question that she would be ‘super cute’.” responded Kenji.

Yukari sighed in exasperation. “Minako, it’s a cross-dressing pageant. You’re already a girl, so…”

“What are you talking about? I’ll be wearing boys' clothes, of course. I can borrow some shirts and pants from Minato-nii and enter with that!” proclaimed Minako.

“What…?” muttered Minato.

“Well, it’ll be more ‘handsome’ than ‘cute’, but don’t you think I could pull it off?” asked Minako. “C’mon, Yukari-chan. You can join alongside me.”

“W-wha..?! W-Why are you dragging me into this?!” stuttered Yukari.

“I’m not lending you anything.” stated Minato.

Minako poutted at that. “Aw… c’mon, Minato-nii. It’s gonna be a lot of fun!”

“No.”

“Seconded!” squeaked out Yukari. “You’re just going to cause some chaos!”

“No, wait! I wanna hear more!” shouted Kenji. “This sounds like something big!”

“You think so too?” smirked Minako. “I mean, there’s no reason it should be limited to boys. Some of us girls want in on the fun too.”

“I like the way you think.” said Kenji while giving a high-five to Minako. “I didn’t know your sister could be this fun, Minato. We all should hang out sometime.”

“The more I hear about your plans, the more I’m glad the festival was canceled.” groaned Yukari. “Between this and what the archery club was planning, I might just call in sick.”

“Oh yeah, the archery club was having a maid cafe, right?” said Kenji. “It’s a shame you never got to wear that maid costume, Yukari-san.”

Yukari groaned some more. “So word got out about that. I’m relieved it never happened.”

“I bet lotsa guys were really disappointed… right, Kazushi?” asked Kenji with a knowing smirk.

Minato suddenly slapped Kenji on the back of his head. “I would appreciate it if you don’t talk about my girlfriend like that.”

Kenji rubbed the sore spot on his head. “R-right. Sorry about that, man.”

Yukari sighed at that. “Thanks…”

A familiar voice then heard calling out from outside the room. “Excuse me… Is Yukari-san here?”

Yuko then entered the room. “Oh, Yuko-san. What’s up?” greeted Yukari.

“Hey, that tent on the school grounds… is it okay if we put it away in the archery club room?” inquired Yuko.

“Oh, yeah, that’s fine. It belongs to us anyway…” answered Yukari. “Hey, don’t worry about it, our club will take care of it.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble. Our class just happens to be in charge of the grounds.” waved Yuko. “We’ll go put it away now. Thanks!”

Yuko then looked over to the group. “Speaking of, are you all okay?”

“We’re fine, mostly…” replied Yukari with a hint of confusion. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I heard you’re living in the dorm a bit away from the school, so I’m a little worried. Since Kaz over here almost got caught in the typhoon.”

“That’s because you take too long cleaning up the club equipment!” Kazushi argued.

“Like it’s my fault our club members can’t clean up after themselves!” Yuko argued back. “Seriously, only Minato-kun put his sword back in its place!”

“I did too! You’re the one who’s always not satisfied!”

“You always just throw your sword wherever you feel like! It’s making it harder for the others to put away theirs!”

“Um, Kazushi, Yuko…?” interjected Minato.

“Oh, sorry.” apologized Yuko. “So, are you coming to the Kendo club today, Minato-kun?”

“Haven’t decided yet.” answered Minato.

“E-Excuse me! I-I’m sorry.” Another familiar voice came from the other door. Minato recognized it as Chihiro’s, and as expected, she went inside the room nervously. “Um… if you happen to have any masking tape… I-I need to borrow some… if…”

Chihiro then saw Yukari and squeaked a little, which made Yukari confused. Chihiro’s gaze quickly went elsewhere, avoiding looking at Yukari. After a few moments of silence. Minako spoke up. “O-Oh, masking tape, right? Junpei, did you bring some masking tape from the supply room?”

“M-Me?!” stuttered Junpei. “Uh… I don’t think I brought any…”

“A-Actually, we have some right here. Here, let me look for it for a sec.” offered Kenji.

Kenji quickly walked over to the side of the room and grabbed a new roll of tape then handed it over to Chihiro. After Chihiro accepted the tape roll, her line of sight met Yukari’s for a moment. She quickly looked away, and hastily left the room. “She seemed scared, didn't she?” commented Yukari.

“She’s just a little shy.” replied Minako.

“I don’t think that’s all.” muttered Yukari. “She seemed to be scared of me specifically. Did I do something to her? I’m not gonna hurt her.”

“That’s… I’ll explain it to you later, Yukari-chan.”

“Okaayyy…” Yukari was still skeptical.

“Don’t worry, Yukari. I can assure you, it’s not your fault.” assuage Minato.

“I’m not… Okay, I’ll take that.” said Yukari.

“Oh, now you trust my brother more than me, huh? I’m hurt, Yukari-chan.” teased Minako.

Yukari quickly blushed. “H-Hey! That’s…”

“Yeah, yeah. Yuck it up, you two.” grumbled Kenji. “Geez, you don’t need to rub it in front of us single folks here, Minato. When will I get my chance of happiness?”

Minato had to resist the urge to tell Kenji about Rio right then and there. “What, your time with Miss Kanou was not enough for you?” deadpanned Minato.

“Woah, okay there! We agreed to not talk about that anymore!” screamed Kenji.

“Huh? What about Miss Kanou?” inquired Kazushi. “ I heard she’s not working here anymore. Do you guys know something about it?”

“I said we’re not talking about it!” shouted Kenji.

“Alright then, that’s enough. Let’s just get back to cleaning up.” chided Yukari.

== September 27th, 2009 ==

During the daytime, Minato found out about something and wished to talk about it to someone. He walked downstairs and found Minako in the lounge eating snacks and watching TV. He walked over and called out to her. “Mina, you didn’t go out today?” questioned Minato.

“Already did.” answered Minako. “It was a quick business, so I’m now just relaxing.”

“I see… Can we talk about something?”

“Sure, what about?”

“Not here, though. It’s… kinda private…”

Minako raised one of her eyebrows. “Okay… Let’s go to my room, then.”

“Good idea.”

Minako then got up and walked to her room, with Minato following behind. When they entered the room, Minako promptly sat at her bed while Minato took the desk chair. “So… what’d you want to talk about?” inquired Minako.

Minato hesitated a bit. “That’s… I don’t know how to explain this… You know about that MMO Junpei gave me a few months ago?”

“If you’re asking me to play with you, I’ll pass. The game doesn’t interest me that much. I’ve seen you play it, and I don’t think I’ll like it.” stated Minako.

Minato shook his head. “It’s not that. It’s… something about the other player that I’ve been playing with these past few months…”

“What? Did they harass you or something? Or were they being rude? You should tell ‘em off if that’s the case. Do you need me to do it? If so, I’ll–”

“No wait, they’re not bad.” interrupted Minato.  “They’re actually quite friendly.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

“It’s… I found out something about their identity….”

“Well, spit it out already. Why are you stalling, Minato-nii?”

Minato’s hesitation grew more and more. He didn’t want to share what was obviously private information to anyone. But the stuff he found was quite disturbing considering what he just experienced a few days ago. He would like to believe that Minako could keep a secret, but this still felt wrong. Since he already went this far, might as well take the plunge.

“Well… I found out that the other player is actually Miss Toriumi. Our homeroom teacher.” admitted Minato.

Minako went silent for a moment while pondering the information. “Huh. Small world.” muttered Minako.

“I had some suspicions ever since a few weeks ago, with some of the stuff she said in-game. I just had definite evidence today.”

“Okay, what’s so bad about it? It’s definitely not the image I was expecting out of Miss Toriumi, but she’s free to–”

“And she directly admitted that she had a crush on me.”

Minako was stunned into silence. After about a minute of silence, Minato explained further. “Just to be clear, she didn’t confess to me directly in-game. She still doesn’t know I’m the other player behind the screen. She just admitted to me in-game that she had a crush on me in school.”

Minako was still not saying anything. After another few minutes, Minato became concerned. “Sis?”

“Miss Toriumi… is a cougar…” murmured Minako.

“Okay, don’t make her sound that bad. I don’t think she’ll go after a random student.”

“But she’s still after you! She won’t… do anything… right?”

“She shouldn’t… She was there when that incident with Miss Kanou happened, if I remember correctly. So… she should know that she can’t do that.”

“I think? I don’t remember, actually.”

“And I’m also already dating Yukari. I mean… she should already know about it as well…”

“Y-Yeah…”

“Do you think… we should still do something? That’s one of the things I want to ask you about…”

Minako scrunched her face. “B-But… What can we do?! We can’t really confront Miss Toriumi about this. She’ll start asking questions on why we’d know.”

“Then… we’ll just leave it alone? Ignore it and hope Miss Toriumi won’t go any further?”

Minako scowled even more. “Not ideal… but it seemed to be our best option…”

“I don’t think Miss Toriumi would be that stupid, so maybe we won’t need to worry.”

The twins then went silent for a few minutes, ruminating their thoughts. Minato then spoke up. “Okay, let’s change the topic. Anything interesting happened? You seem to be having fun with Shinjiro-senpai and Ken-kun.”

Minako perked up quickly. “Yeah! Shinjiro-senpai is just as shy as ever! He’s actually a complete sap when he’s alone. Just the other day, he was reminiscing about when we first met. He never wants to admit it, though…”

“Maybe one day you’ll make him crack.”

“Working on it! Oh, and Ken-kun is just adorable! He tries so hard to act like an adult, it’s almost charming. It makes me feel like I just got a younger brother!”

“Well, at least you’re having fun. Happy you can finally replace me?” snarked Minato.

“Like I could ever replace you.” snarked Minako back. “Besides, he’ll just be OUR little brother. You should spend some time hanging out with him as well.”

“Maybe. He seemed a little shy around me, though.”

“He’s shy around everyone. Still trying to figure out why, myself. He doesn’t seem like the bashful type.”

“He just lost his mom two years ago. We were doing the same around that time…”

“Oh yeah… That means it’s now our turn to make him feel better!”

Minato smiled proudly at his sister. “Yeah, we probably should.”

== September 29th, 2009 ==

As soon as school ended, Minato was dragged along by Minako to the police station. “Sis, you don’t need to drag me like this. If you want to buy some gear, you can just tell me.” remarked Minato.

“Not today, actually. I have something else in mind.” Minako then entered the police station, still dragging her brother along, and cheerfully greeted Kurosawa. “Good afternoon, Kurosawa-san!”

“Good to see you two are still okay.” greeted Kurosawa. “So, what do you need today?”

“Not the usual stuff today, Kurosawa-san. I’m here looking for a missing item.” stated Minako.

“A missing item? That’s just up my alley. Alright, tell me what you’re looking for.”

“It’s an old pocket watch. I think it should be a little battered or dinged around it. I don’t know when it was missing, though.” explained Minako.

“An old pocket watch…? Guess this is your lucky day, then. There’s only one pocket watch that ended up here.” said officer Kurosawa as he went to the backroom. When he returned, he was holding a small, slightly battered pocket watch. “Is this it?”

“I hope it is.” said Minako while accepting the watch. “We’ll return it if it’s the wrong one.”

“Okay. See you later, young lady.”

The twins then walked out of the police station. Minako was still inspecting and looking at the watch in her hands. “Whose watch is that supposed to be?” inquired Minato.

“It’s Shinjiro-senpai’s.” answered Minako. “At least, I hope it is. I’ll ask him about it as soon as I can.”

“Okay, so what do you plan to do now?”

When the twins arrived back at the dorm, Fuuka informed them that the machine in the command room was malfunctioning again. Minako wasted no time and promptly dragged her brother to the command room. She quickly took a seat on one of the chairs in front of the console and pulled Minato to the seat next to her. “Another recording? And it looks like there’s two of them this time.” commented Minato.

“Let’s see it!” exclaimed Minako with a wide grin.

The recording showed Minato’s room at night time , with Minato asleep on the bed. The twins were confused at first until they heard the sound of the door unlocked and opened. Minako’s grin immediately disappeared when Aigis was shown entering the room and walking over to Minato’s bed. Minako wordlessly stood up from her seat and started walking to the door, but Minato grabbed her hand. “Sis, you don’t need to do anything. As you can see, she didn’t hurt me.”

Minako returned back to her seat. She had an unreadable expression on her face. “She still broke into your room…” muttered Minako bitterly.

Minato sighed as he continued watching the recording. “Take a look. She only did it out of concern. Looks like it was partially my fault as well, since I didn’t get out of my room much during the typhoon.”

Minako didn’t say anything back. She just stared at the monitor screen with a scowl, as if wishing Aigis would notice her through the screen. “You don’t need to be that wary of Aigis. She’s been very protective of me from the start. And while she may still lack some common sense, she’s still a good friend.” assuage Minato further.

“I know that.” replied Minako. “She never did try to hurt you in any way. In Tartarus, she’s always been a supportive ally and protected you from time to time. But I still can’t shake off this weird feeling…”

“It's progress, at least. You can see her as a friend, right?”

Minako smiled bitterly. “I think so. I’m starting to think I’m just being paranoid after seeing her get close to you out of nowhere.”

Minato started ruffling his sister’s hair. “You’ll come around. Who knows, maybe you two can become best friends eventually.”

“As long as she doesn’t start hitting on you, maybe.” scoffed Minako.

The recording ended then. Minako started the next recording. At first it showed a quite luxurious room, which further confused the twins. Just as they realized whose room it was, Mitsuru was shown walking in front of the camera wearing nothing but a bath towel. Both of them panicked and immediately stopped the recording and turned off the monitor. “S-should we be watching this?” asked Minato.

“I… I’m not sure either. I get the feeling Mitsuru-senpai would execute me as well if she ever found out!”

“Well… as long as she doesn’t find out…”

“Minato-nii?! Do you actually want to see this?!”

“I-I’m not! It’s just… I can step out if you want to watch it…”

“I’m not gonna risk this either! There’s no guarantee no one will ever find out! And… I feel… guilty watching this…”

“This is where you draw the line? I can understand, though…”

“So, do we agree to just leave?”

“Good idea.”

Chapter Text

== October 4th, 2009 ==

Another full moon, another operation. Everyone in SEES decided to stay and rest during the day, and convened in the meeting room before midnight. As soon as the Dark Hour started, Fuuka promptly summoned Lucia and began searching for the Shadow.

“I’ve located the target.” informed Fuuka. “It’s in the plaza in front of Iwatodai Station.”

“This will be the 10th…” commented Ikutsuki. “Only a few left. But let’s worry about them one at a time.”

“Assuming they come one at a time…” joked Yukari. “Just kidding.”

Fuuka went wide-eyed. “Yukari-chan, how did you know?! I sense two of them!”

Yukari was surprised by Fuuka’s admission. “Are you serious?! Me and my big mouth…”

Minako just waved her hand. “I say this is good. We can get this entire thing done faster.”

“And it won’t be the first time we had to fight two, so it shouldn’t be too bad.” added Minato.

Akihiko began looking around. “Hey… where’s Shinji?” inquired Akihiko.

“He just notified me that he’ll meet up with you later.” stated Fuuka. “He said he has some personal business to take care of.”

“Figures. He’s always played by his own rules.” scoffed Akihiko.

Junpei shrugged. “It’s okay. At least he’s coming, right?”

“Yeah, not like someone I know who missed last time.” snarked Yukari.

“Hello? I was tied up , remember?” defended Junpei. “Sheesh, give a guy a break…”

“Well, at least you got a girlfriend because of it.” teased Minako.

“Can you not make it sound weird?!” wailed Junpei.

Yukari then noticed something as well. “Wait, Ken-kun isn’t here either. Hey Junpei, go get him. That’ll be your punishment for last time.”

“Punishment…? What is this, kindergarten?” snarked Junpei. “Geez, is the kid still asleep or something?”

When Junpei stepped out to look for Ken, Mitsuru began addressing the group. “Alright, let’s move out. This time, there are two enemies.”

Minako spoke up. “Um… shouldn’t we wait for Shinjiro-senpai and Ken-kun?”

“As much as it would be beneficial to have more members onboard, we are also limited in time.” argued Mitsuru.

“But…”

“Need I remind you that if we fail to eliminate the Shadow, there could be unforeseen consequences from letting the Shadow roam free?”

“Let’s try to wait for Ken-kun at least.” suggested Minato.

With a nod from Mitsuru, the group then waited for Junpei to come back. A few seconds later, Junpei came back, but Ken was not seen with him. “Yeah… Ken is not in his room.” muttered Junpei.

Minako pressed her hand against her temple. “Great… So where are they?”

“I don’t sense them anywhere around here as well.” supplied Fuuka.

“That means they could be anywhere on Port Island.” stated Mitsuru. “We won’t have time to look for them.”

“Damn it, Shinji… Where are you?” muttered Akihiko to himself.

“Argh! Fine!” exclaimed Minako while stomping her foot. “Fuuka, can you look around for them while we fight?”

“I-I’ll try.” replied Fuuka.

“Maybe we should do a headcount before the Dark Hour arrives for the next operation.” remarked Minato.

When everyone arrived at the Strip Mall, they finally saw the Shadows. One of them looked like a woman with flowers and a metallic fence around the hem of its skirt. The other looked like a mechanical horse decoration.  “It seems like they’ve been waiting for us.” muttered Fuuka.

“Alright! Junpei, you will take point with Minato-nii and I. Yukari-chan, Aigis, you two provide support from the rear!” ordered Minako.

A series of “Understood!” and “Got it!” sounded out from the group.

As soon as the group got closer, the woman-shaped Shadow waved the flower in its hand. A bunch of flower petals surrounded the mechanical Shadow, and its body became translucent.

“What did it do? I don’t detect the Fortune one anymore.” informed Fuuka. “You can’t attack it right now. Concentrate on the one whose Arcana is Strength.”

Minako grinned from the news. “Thanks for making the decision for us! You heard her, everyone. Concentrate fire!”

Multiple streaks of elemental spells mixed with gunfire flew towards the Strength Shadow. The fence that surrounded the Shadow soon expanded, and the bars on the fence shot out to intercept the attack. Some of them were stopped, but some bolts of electricity and fire went through and hit the Shadow directly. “So it can defend itself…” murmured Minato.

“Keep up the pressure! Drown its resistance under sheer volume! It can’t defend against all of us at once!” ordered Minako.

All of SEES continued their barrage. Even more bars from the Shadow shot out, but instead of intercepting SEES’ attacks, some of them went out to attack SEES directly. Minato, Minako, and Junpei were forced to jump back before they continued their assault.

While SEES was busy fighting Strength, Fortune floated up behind Strength. A giant, golden roulette wheel seemed to materialize from Fortune, with the Shadow at the center of the wheel. The wheel then began spinning. “Wh-what is that?! Roulette?!” squeaked Fuuka.

Yukari drew her bow and aimed it at the roulette wheel. “Whatever it is, I don’t like it.”

Minato quickly tried to warn Yukari. “Wait, Yukari! Don’t just–”

Yukari let loose her arrow before Minato could finish his sentence. The arrow flew unimpeded and hit the roulette wheel directly. The wheel abruptly stopped as soon as the arrow landed, with its needle pointing toward a red section with some kind of explosion icon. The entire wheel glowed bright, then a pure white laser shot out from it and exploded right in the middle of where SEES were standing.

“Okay, what just happened?” asked Minako while raising her Evoker to her temple. Her healing spell washed over the entire group, further supported by Yukari’s spell.

“It seems to be the effect of that roulette.” informed Fuuka. “The effect depends on where it stopped, while the color determined the target. For example, red is bad luck.”

“So, we wanted it to stop on the blue parts, got it!” affirmed Akihiko.

The Strength Shadow waved the flower on its hand, scattering the petals around. The petals soon flew towards and around SEES, cutting and slicing at the group like flying razorblades. “That would be easier if we don’t need to fight the other one.” remarked Minato.

As the sharp petals continued flying and more metal bars moved to impale them, Fortune spun its roulette wheel again. Minako silently cursed as she noticed that the wheel was spinning faster than her eyes were able to keep up. “Anybody good at playing roulette?” asked Minako.

“I’ll give it a shot!” answered Junpei. “Hermes!”

Hermes then flew out and dive bombed the wheel. The wheel only rattled a bit before stopping at yet another red section with an explosion icon, only this time it’s the biggest one on the wheel. Minako gritted her teeth and braced herself as the wheel glowed and caused another explosion in the middle of the group. As Minako expected, the explosion hurt more than the previous one. Another healing spell, and everyone moved around more to avoid the razor-sharp petals and sharp metal bars falling on them. “What now, Leader?” inquired Yukari.

Fortune’s roulette wheel spun once again while SEES and Strength exchanged attacks. Minako started wondering what she should do about that damn annoying roulette of pain. Fortunately, Minato already made the decision for them. “Ignore Fortune’s actions for now! Focus completely on the Strength Arcana to take it down fast!”

After several grunts and nods of acknowledgement, the entire team attacked the Strength Shadow in renewed fury. After a while, it seemed the battle was going in SEES’ favor. Fortune’s roulette just continued to spin, while Strength weathered attack after attack. But suddenly, one of Strength’s metal bars flew towards Fortune’s roulette. The wheel stopped as soon as the metal bar hit it, just like before, and this time the needle stopped at a blue section with an explosion icon. Junpei was slightly excited seeing that. “Hey, it landed on blue! Does that–”

Junpei’s words were cut off by another explosion right on top of the team. It knocked the entire team back, with Minako feeling worse off compared to the last attack. Physically, she could tell that the explosion didn’t hurt more compared to the previous one, but the added irritation from being caught by surprise just made it feel worse. “What’s the big deal?! It just landed on blue, didn’t it?!” shouted Minako as she raised her Evoker.

“Looks like it also depended on who stopped the roulette.” explained Fuuka. “Since the Shadow was the one who stopped it, it was good luck for them.”

“That means we don’t have the luxury to ignore it, after all.” spat out Mitsuru.

More metal bars flew out towards SEES, and they all moved around to dodge it. “Aigis, can you hit it when the needle lands on the blue explosion section?” inquired Minato.

“I will need a few seconds to adjust my aim.” replied Aigis.

“That will do. Yukari, you and I will cover Aigis while she aims for the roulette.” ordered Minato.

“Got it!”

“Everyone else, follow me taking down the Strength Arcana!” barked Minako.

“Understood!”

The battle continued like before. Fortune’s roulette spun again, while more metal bars and razor-sharp petals flew out from Strength. Minako noticed that, indeed, the Shadow didn’t decide to ignore Aigis just because she wasn’t attacking it at the time. The attacks that flew toward Aigis were deflected by wind and physical attacks. Two seconds later, a gunshot rang out from Aigis, and the roulette wheel stopped at the blue section. Afterwards, the explosion happened right at the Strength Shadow. “We did it!” exclaimed Junpei.

“Yes! Don’t give them any opening!” ordered Minako.

Strength emerged from the explosion and immediately attacked the SEES members in front of it. Fortune, on the other hand, de-materialized and recreated its wheel. Instead of explosion and heart icons, the wheel now showed words and arrows. Minako smirked at the sight. “Buffs and debuffs, huh?” 

“It’s trying to change tactics.” Minato turned back to Aigis. “Aigis, hit it when it landed on defense reduction!”

“Affirmative!” confirmed Aigis.

The wheel spun again, and not even three seconds later another gunshot rang out from Aigis. Just like Minato instructed, the wheel landed on the blue section of defense reduction. “Strength Arcana’s defense has been lowered!” informed Fuuka.

Minako couldn’t stop her excitement. “This is really working! Quetzalcoatl!”

Just as Fuuka’s informed, SEES’ attacks cut deeper into Strength Shadow. The Shadow fought back more rapidly and erratically, likely out of desperation. Fortune recreated its wheel once more, this time adorned with various symbols. “What are…?” asked Yukari as the wheel spun again.

“Various ailments. Aigis, hit it when it landed on the stars symbols!” ordered Minato.

“Affirmative!”

Strength’s barrage of attacks intensified even more. Just when all of SEES were darting around trying to dodge the attacks, Strength quickly dashed forward and past the group. The Shadow then turned around and dashed towards the group again.

“Woah! Damnit, hold still!” shrieked Junpei. “Hermes!”
“Polydeuces!”

Hermes met Strength’s charge head on, momentarily stopping it. Polydeuces then punched the Shadow downward, before unleashing an electric shock. Strength dashed back before a stream of fire and ice from Koromaru and Mitsuru hit where the Shadow was.

Aigis then hit Fortune’s roulette, and it stopped on the section with the stars symbol. Soon after that, Strength began to sway. The metal bars hung around aimlessly, and the Shadow itself was bobbing side to side. “The Strength Arcana is in a daze. It can’t concentrate right now!” said Fuuka.

Minako wasted no time rallying her friends. “Then let’s finish it off! Cu Chulainn!”
“Hermes!”
“Pentheselia!”
“Polydeuces!”

Lightning and ice hit Strength directly on its chest, followed by Cu Chulainn stabbing it with its spear and Hermes dive bombing it. Koromaru hopped on Cu Chulainn’s shoulder and slashed towards the Shadow neck, finishing it off. As Strength dispersed into black mist, the flower petals that were surrounding Fortune also dispersed, showing its mechanical body once more.

“I can detect Fortune again! You should be able to attack it now!” informed Fuuka.

Fortune re-created its wheel again. This time, it was the first wheel Fortune used, the one filled with heart and explosion icons. As the wheel spun, Minato shouted, “Let Aigis stop it first! Commence the attack as soon as it stopped!”

As ordered, everyone waited for Aigis to make her move. After another gunshot, the wheel stopped at the largest explosion icon, and then it blew up on itself. A barrage of elemental spells came flying following it, hitting Fortune directly. Just as SEES were about to unleash another barrage, Fortune recreated its wheel again. This time, Minako saw that the sections were far more lopsided. The red section of the wheel was significantly larger, easily covering 90% of the wheel. Minako rolled her eyes. “Okay, that’s just being petty.”

“That just means it’s growing desperate.” snarked Minato. “Aigis, can you still make it stop on the blue section?”

“Objective is still within reach.” replied Aigis.

Just as Aigis declared, she shot Fortune’s roulette as soon as its needle landed on the blue section. The wheel exploded on itself. Minato then summoned Okuninushi to slash at the Shadow, cutting it off from the roulette. The Shadow fell to the ground with a clutter, and SEES quickly piled on the Shadow. Under the heavy assault, the Shadow finally dispersed.

The group breathed out a collective sigh of relief. Then, they slowly walked over to where Fuuka was. Fuuka greeted them as they got closer. “Good work, everyone.”

“Man, talk about exhausting…” groaned Junpei.

“This time, those two who called themselves Strega did not interfere.” stated Aigis.

“It must be because we have Chidori.” intoned Yukari. “Anyway, I’m glad everything went well. But what happened to Shinjiro-senpai and Ken-kun?”

Akihiko frowned in contemplation. Meanwhile, Minako just sighed. “No idea. I hope we’ll just find them back at the dorm.”

Fuuka shook her head. “I don’t think they’re at the dorm. The Chairman was just there until he went home when we finished the operation.”

“So, does that mean you still don’t know where they are?” inquired Mitsuru.

Fuuka shook her head again. “Sorry, I haven’t been able to locate them.”

“Then let’s return to the dorm, and go from there.” advised Mitsuru.

Minako noticed that Akihiko was still deep in thought. Mitsuru seemed to notice it too, and asked him. “Akihiko, are you listening?”

Akihiko snapped out of his contemplation. “Today is… October 4th, huh…” muttered Akihiko.

Minako got confused by the sudden mention of the date from Akihiko. “Um… yeah? Did you forget something?”

Akihiko frowned for a moment, before schooling his expression back into his usual calm demeanor. “It’s… Just go back without me. I’m gonna go look for them for a while.”

As soon as he said that, Akihiko ran off towards the Strip Mall. Minako was about to run after him, but her brother grabbed her by the arm. “It would be a good idea to not split the team up any further.”

“And leave Akihiko-senpai alone?” argued Minako.

“Akihiko-senpai can take care of himself. If he does need help, then we’ll go after him.”

Arriving at the meeting room, the group found the place empty. “Yup, they’re not here, as you said Fuuka-chan.” muttered Minako.

“Anyway, why was Akihiko-senpai acting so weird?” asked Junpei. “What’s so special about October 4th?”

Mitsuru’s expression immediately turned to shock as she seemed to realize something. “October 4th… That’s right! I was so caught up in the operation that I didn’t realize it… This is the day Amada’s mother was killed!”

Junpei was in disbelief. “You serious?!”

Mitsuru then turned to Fuuka. “Yamagishi, I need you to find the two of them immediately. There’s a good chance that they’re together. Akihiko must have already realized that…”

Fuuka was initially surprised, but soon nodded. “I understand.”

As Fuuka summoned Lucia and began her search, Yukari spoke up. “Um… what’s going on?”

Mitsuru took a deep breath before explaining. “Although her death was officially listed as an accident… we’re the ones who killed Amada’s mother.”

Everyone was shocked hearing that. Minako was having a hard time connecting the image of her senpais to murder. While Mitsuru might be aloof and Shinjiro might be a bit grumpy, she couldn’t see them as someone who would kill a person just like that. “Okay, I think we need more details than that.” said Minato while rubbing the back of his neck.

Mitsuru nodded, and continued her story. “It was two years ago, when we were pursuing an unusual Shadow that had escaped into the city… We were in a residential area, but the Shadow was all we were thinking about… Aragaki was still new, and he momentarily lost control of his power… Unfortunately, there was a casualty: Amada’s mother.”

Junpei was flabbergasted. “No way… Are you shittin’ me?!”

“Then to Ken-kun, Senpai is…” mused Yukari.

“But isn’t it an accident?” questioned Minako. “I mean, from what I heard, I don’t think Shinjiro-senpai would…”

Mitsuru shook her head. “I don’t think that matters to Amada right now. So… the reason he volunteered to join us was…”

“Then we’ll need to find them right away.” stated Minato. “Fuuka, any luck?”

Fuuka’s reply was immediate. “Yes, at Tatsumi Port Island! They’re together, and another Persona-user is nearby.”

“Akihiko?” inquired Mitsuru.

Fuuka grimaced as she answered. “No, it’s… it’s a member of Strega!”

Junpei went wide-eyed. “That’s not good…”

“It’s an absolute nightmare!” exclaimed Mitsuru as she ran out of the room.

Minako called out. “C’mon! We need to go!”

All of them quickly ran out of the room as well.

Following Fuuka’s directions, SEES ran all the way out to Port Island Station. Minako hoped that Shinjiro and Ken would be safe. But considering that they’re facing a member of Strega, she couldn’t be sure. Chidori didn’t do anything to Junpei other than tying him up, but Junpei was a bit close to her. Who knows what the other two members would do.

They regrouped back with Akihiko just outside of the station. But then, a loud gunshot rang out as they got close to the station, and that made Minako fear the worst. She tried to quicken her pace, and her friends followed suit. She realized the gunshot came from the alley behind the station, so she ran there. What she saw there was one of the things she feared would happen: Shinjiro was kneeling in front of Ken, with blood seeming to drip from his chest. That gunshot she heard definitely hit him. Ken looked shell-shocked, and just stared at Shinjiro’s back.

“Shinji!” shouted Akihiko.

All of them crowded around Shinjiro and tried to assess the wound. As expected, Shinjiro had two gunshot wounds on his chest, and it was bleeding very badly. Minako felt like there’s a bile rising up from her stomach. That gunshot she just heard wasn’t the first one. Slowly, her vision started to get blurry as the tears flowed.

“Shinji! Hey, hang in there!” shouted Akihiko while grabbing Shinjiro’s shoulder.

Everyone else was also concerned over Shinjiro’s injury. But instead of addressing them, Shinjiro turned around to face Ken. “What’s with the long face…? Isn’t this… what you wanted?” said Shinjiro with a small chuckle.

Shinjiro then started coughing, and a small amount of blood blurted out of his mouth. Minako got increasingly worried. If Shinjiro was coughing blood, that could mean one or both his lungs were wounded. Minako’s hand fumbled as she tried to reach for her Evoker, but her brother grabbed her by the shoulder and shook his head. “Don’t. The bullet might still be inside his body and leaving it there wouldn’t be good.” stated Minato through gritted teeth.

“But… but… then Shinjiro-senpai would…” stammered Minako. She couldn’t think much right now, still too panicked seeing her friend bleeding that heavily. Minako would admit that Minato had a point, but just sitting still felt painful for her.

Minato turned his attention to Akihiko. “A-Akihiko-senpai, do you have any bandages with you?!” Minato tried to sound calm, but the hitch on his voice clearly showed his panic.

“O-oh! I-I have the bandages!” stuttered Fuuka.

Fuuka hurriedly handed over the bandages to Akihiko, who then tried to apply it on Shinjiro’s wound. Minako tried to put some pressure on Shinjiro’s chest, hoping to at least slow the bleeding. While they did that, Shinjiro continued to address Ken. “It’s alright… Give yourself time… Let your anger be your strength… You’re still just a kid, Ken… You got your whole life ahead of ya… so don’t waste it… Make it your own… Okay?”

“But I… I…” stuttered Ken.

Shinjiro turned to Akihiko who was still in the middle of bandaging him. “...Aki. Take care of ‘im…”

That made Akihiko pause for a moment. He then gritted his teeth as he replied. “I will…”

Shinjiro then looked at Minako, and threw her a small smile. “Don’t cry… Minako… This is… how it should be…”

Minako choked out her words in between sobs. “How… how can you say–?!”

Minako’s words were cut off by more of Shinjiro’s coughs. He then started wheezing, before slumping over Akihiko’s and Minako’s shoulder. Minako could feel that Shinjiro’s breathing was growing weaker and weaker.

“The hospital… W-We need to get him to the hospital…” stammered Fuuka.

“Yes! Mitsuru-senpai, can you call anyone?!” asked Minato.

Mitsuru shook her head while scowling. “It’s the Dark Hour… until it ends, the doctors won’t be…”

“No…” murmured Yukari. “Then is he not going to make it?!”

That statement seemed to break something in Ken, as he fell to his knees and wailed as loud as he could. Minako couldn’t blame him, as she wanted to do the same herself.

Chapter Text

== October 5th, 2009 ==

The mood around the members of SEES has never been heavier. Most of them seemed to barely pay attention in class, and Minato was no exception. Luckily, the teachers didn’t notice, or at least they didn’t care.

Last night, Mitsuru called for the hospital as soon as the Dark Hour ended. By the time the paramedics had arrived, Shinjiro was already having trouble breathing on his own. There were even words that he might not even regain consciousness. After that, everyone just silently went back to their room. Except for Ken, who was still sobbing all the way back to the dorm. Minato couldn’t blame him. He just wanted to go to sleep and hope all of it was just a bad dream.

At lunchtime, Minako called him over to the rooftop, and Minato already knew what she wanted to do. It was the same thing he had in mind as well. So, he agreed and went up to follow her. Arriving at the rooftop, they sat down on one of the benches. Minato wordlessly offered his headphones to Minako, and she did the same. They slipped on the headphones, and soon started playing their respective players. They went on with it for a while, and half-way through, they started leaning on each other.

The bell soon rang, snapping them out of their daydream. Minato slowly took the headphones on his head as Minako did the same. “Looks like we’re out of time.” said Minato as he returned his sister’s headphones.

“Can we… continue this tonight…?” asked Minako as she returned his. “I… I’m not sure I… I still can’t think straight…”

Minato nodded. “That would be good… I could also use it… but for now, let’s go back to class.”

After school ended, Minato saw Mitsuru come into his class. She then promptly addressed her teammates. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Sure…” replied Minako.

“When you get back today, please meet me in the lounge. You know what it’s regarding.” said Mitsuru in a solemn tone.

Everyone didn’t have anything to say to that. After a few moments of silence between them, Mitsuru continued. “I don’t expect you to have collected your thoughts. In fact, I am still at a loss myself… I’ll see you then.”

Mitsuru then left as quickly as she came. Even after she left, the four members of SEES in 2-F were still sitting in silence. “It’s about Ken, huh… This’ll be a fun meeting…” said Junpei in a low tone, breaking the silence.

Everyone convened in the lounge when they returned, as Mitsuru requested. Minato noticed that Ken wasn’t around, but that much was to be expected.

Mitsuru started off the meeting. “You all know the reason we’re gathered here. We need to discuss how to deal with Amada… I’ve already consulted the Chairman.”

Mitsuru then turned to Aigis. “Aigis, bring Amada here.”

“Understood.” confirmed Aigis. She then walked away and to the second floor.

“It’s all my fault.” said Fuuka after a few seconds of silence. “When Shinjiro-senpai told me he’d be late, I thought it was strange, but I said nothing. If only I’d listened to my intuition…”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Fuuka.” assuage Yukari.

“It’s not your fault.” stated Mitsuru in a somber tone. “If anyone should have realized it, it should have been me.”

“I should’ve realized it too…” added Minako.

Yukari looked at both of them with a hurt expression. “H-Hey…”

“I knew this wasn’t a game…” muttered Junpei. “But, I never thought it’d end up like this…”

“There’s no point dwelling on the past.” interrupted Akihiko. “Don’t you remember what Shinji said? ‘This is how it should be’... He was a hell of a guy… He even faced death head on. That’s why, from this day forward, I’ll face things head on, too.”

Minato was surprised by Akihiko’s declaration. He thought Akihiko would be the one most torn up about this. Instead, he was keeping his head high. He couldn’t accuse Akihiko of not caring about Shinjiro, so something must have happened.

“That’s cool, man…” said Junpei softly.

“Senpai…” murmured Yukari.

Aigis then returned to the lounge in a hurry. “Allow me to report! Ken-san is not in his room!”

“He’s not?!” exclaimed Yukari.

“There are indications that the window has been pried open.” continued Aigis.

Fuuka immediately stood up from her seat. “Ken-kun!”

Yukari then called out, stopping her from running out of the dorm. “Wait, Fuuka! Do you know where he is?”

“Well… no… but we can’t just let him go off on his own, right?!” replied Fuuka shakily.

“So, where do you plan on looking?”

Fuuka suddenly raised her voice. “I don’t know, but we have to find him! He must feel so alone…”

“I agree. Let’s go find him right away!” added Minako.

“B-But how? Where…?” Yukari was conflicted.

“Let Ken do what he wants.” interrupted Akihiko. “Bringing him back won’t change anything… and we can’t keep treating him like a kid.”

“So we’re just going to leave him alone?!” shouted Minako.

“Yes.” replied Akihiko firmly. “He’s the one who needs to decide how to live his own life.”

“That doesn’t mean we should leave him by himself!” argued Minako. “He could be in danger!”

Minato spoke up to try to placate his sister. “Maybe we could at least make sure he’s safe.”

“Fine.” answered Akihiko as he stood up from his seat. “I have a hunch on where he is. But don’t any of you dare to drag him here if he doesn’t want it.”

Akihiko then walked out of the dorm, followed by Fuuka and Minako. After they left, Minato was lost in his own thoughts. What could he have done to prevent this? Why did he just stand aside? Was it a mistake to just leave it all to Minako? One thing was certain of it all: Shinjiro was in a coma and yet he didn’t do anything to help.

Akihiko returned after a while with Fuuka and Minako still following him, but without Ken in tow. They must’ve felt that Ken was still in no condition to return, but safe enough to leave alone for now. Minako looked more distraught than before. But before Minato could ask what happened, she just hurriedly walked over to him and dragged him to her room. Once inside, Minako just wordlessly sat onto her bed. A few seconds of silence passed between them, with Minato standing by near the door and Minako sitting on the bed with a downcast expression. Minato then let out a huge breath, slowly walked over to his sister, and sat down beside her. They wordlessly exchanged their headphones, and began playing their respective music players.

After about two hours of sitting there, Minako was the first one to stop the music player and took off the headphones. Seeing that, Minato took off the headphones as well. “Already got your thoughts in order?” inquired Minato.

“Slightly.” answered Minako. “I’m still feeling down, but at least I can think straight.”

Some more silence passed between them. Minako was the first to speak up again. “Minato-nii… did we… screwed up somewhere?”

Minato flinched as he realized that his sister was thinking the same thing. “...It does feel like we did.”

“We already noticed that something was wrong with Shinjiro-senpai… But we… I didn’t notice anything… I just kept having fun with him and forgetting that he…”

“I’m sorry… I should’ve tried to help you with that…”

Minako was taken aback by his apology. “Wh… why are you apologizing?! It’s not your fault!”

“I didn’t do anything.” answered Minato. “Like you said, we realized something was wrong, yet I–”

“You couldn’t have known that!” Minako cut him off. “You probably thought I could’ve handled it… and with how confident I was…”

“I still should’ve tried to help. Try to do something…”

“That doesn’t make it your fault! If anything, it’s more of my fault. I’m the one who should be closer to both Shinjiro-senpai and Ken-kun, but I didn’t notice anything…”

It was Minato’s turn to be taken aback. “That shouldn’t be your fault! You shouldn’t be expected to be able to do everything! Especially not by yourself!”

Minako then suddenly raised her voice. “Then I could say the same to you! You… There’s a chance that you might not be able to help as well…”

Minato felt his stomach knot seeing his sister’s face. She looked on the verge of breaking down crying, with tears visible in the corner of her eyes. Unable to say anything back, Minato just bit his lips and looked to the side. “Please… don’t blame yourself for this…” pleaded Minako.

Too late for that . Minato thought bitterly. “It’s… kinda hard for that… With everything that’s happened…”

“I… I guess so… I can’t stop thinking of what I could’ve done to prevent this either. But–”

Minato cut her off by pulling her into a hug. It didn’t matter what he thinks of himself, Minato won’t let his sister fall into a negative spiral. “Stop that. Just like you, I don’t want you to hurt yourself like this.”

Minako returned the hug as she started sobbing. “Sorry. It’s just… Shinjiro-senpai went into a coma, and the doctor said that he might never wake up. And then Ken-kun doesn’t want to come back. You… you won’t disappear as well… would you?”

Minato flinched from the question, and hugged his sister tighter. “I… I could ask you the same…”

“I won’t!” said Minako firmly. “I won’t leave you! So please… promise me that you’d do the same…”

“I… I promise.”

Minako nodded in response, still hugging Minato back. They continued their hug for a few minutes in complete silence, content with having each other's presence. When they felt that they could breathe normally, they broke off from the hug. “So… what do we do now?” inquired Minako.

“All we can do is wait and believe in our friends. We have to be strong, and believe that Shinjiro-senpai will make it through this. The doctors said there’s a chance he might not wake up, but that also means there is a chance he will wake up as well. We need to believe in him.”

Minako nodded, donning a weak smile. “Yeah… yeah, we should. Shinjiro-senpai is strong. He’ll make it through this.”

“And… we should have some faith in Ken as well. He’ll come back to us. He just needed some time to calm down.”

“I hope he will. I still have a few things I need to talk to him about.”

“Afterwards, we’ll face whatever it is we need to face. Whether it is Strega, or the last Shadow, we need to prepare ourselves. And… we’ll need to pay closer attention to our friends.”

Minako grabbed his hand. “Together, right?”

Minato smiled back at her. “Like always.”

Minako’s Death Social Link – Rank 7

That night, Minato found himself in an unexpected place. He was standing around the back alley of Port Island Station. It didn’t look like the Dark Hour, but it was definitely nighttime. Looking around, he saw all of his friends in SEES standing behind him, including Shinjiro. They all looked at him with anticipation, as if waiting for his next instruction. Just when he began wondering why everyone was there, Minato heard a sinister laugh echoing from in front of him.

Minato sharply turned his attention to the source of the laughter. He saw Takaya, walking around one of the dark corners of the alley. Takaya was holding his revolver, seemingly caressing it. With a manic glint in his eyes and a sinister grin, he then aimed his gun towards SEES. The first shot fired, and it hit Shinjiro right on his chest. Shinjiro fell over on his back, not moving anymore. Minato tried to move, either towards Takaya or to protect his friends, but he couldn’t. His feet felt like they’re filled with lead, and he felt stuck in place.

Takaya shifted his gun slightly, and he fired another shot. Minato felt his heart stop for a moment as the bullet hit Yukari straight in her chest. Just like Shinjiro before her, Yukari fell to the ground. Minato tried to scream out, but he somehow couldn’t get any words out. His throat felt constricted, he couldn’t even say anything.

Takaya continued shooting each of SEES one by one. And each time, Minato felt his heart crushed as he watched his friends falling to the ground. What is happening? Why couldn’t he move? Why couldn’t he protect his friends?

Takaya finished it off by shooting Minako right on her head. This time, Minato just fell to his knees, despair filling his heart as he saw his sister’s body laying there on top of a pool of blood.

Takaya didn’t say anything to Minato the entire time it happened. He just continued cackling and snickering. After everything, Takaya casually walked over to where Minato was kneeling. Takaya raised his gun towards Minato, the barrel pressed right against Minato’s forehead. Minato didn’t have any will to resist anymore. His arms felt heavy, and his legs couldn’t move. Another snicker from Takaya, another pull of the trigger, and the gunshot rang out.

Minato awoke with a jump as soon as the gunshot rang out. When he looked around, he found himself back on his bed inside his darkened room. He put his right hand on his forehead, and he breathed out a sigh of relief as he realized that it was just a dream. He picked up his cellphone and flipped it open. The time showed 00:24, well past midnight. Letting out another sigh, he plopped right back to his bed.

He realized why he had that nightmare; he was still shaken by last night’s events. He figured it made sense, only the truly heartless could just watch their friend nearly dying and felt nothing, but it still hurt. He then noticed that tears were beginning to fall from his eyes. Figuring that since he was by himself, he put his left forearm over his eyes and just let himself cry out for a short while.

“I’m sorry, Shinjiro-senpai.” murmured Minato to no one in particular. “I’m sorry, Ken. I’m sorry, everyone…”

== October 6th, 2009 ==

Come nighttime, everyone convened in the lounge. Minako figured that they were waiting for Ken to come back, but she noticed that Akihiko was not there either. She wondered if he was still hanging around or visiting Shinjiro in the hospital.

“It’s already been a day…” muttered Yukari.

“...Yes, it has.” responded MItsuru.

“So… where’s Akihiko-senpai?” questioned Junpei.

“That’s what I want to know too.” answered Minako.

“He said to leave Ken-kun alone, but I don’t know… Maybe we should be there for him…” pondered Fuuka.

Mitsuru turned to the twins. “Minato-san, Minako-san, what’s your opinion?”

“I say let’s leave him alone for now. Ken needs to make his decision himself.” answered Minato.

“Is that what you think, Minato-nii? Shouldn’t we at least accompany him?” argued Minako.

“Yeah… He is still a kid, after all.” added Yukari.

“We shouldn’t influence or pressure him. Just us being there would put unneeded pressure.” Minato argued back.

“Looks like our opinions are quite evenly split.” remarked Mitsuru.

Fuuka suddenly stood up from her seat. “I can’t wait any longer! I’m going right now to–”

Fuuka’s voice was cut off by the sound of the front door opening. Turning their attention to it, everyone at the lounge saw Ken walk through the door. Everyone soon got up and crowded around Ken. Ken himself looked around, feeling skittish. “H-Hello.” greeted Ken weakly.

“Thank goodness… I was so worried…” muttered Fuuka.

“Y-You were?” stuttered Ken.

Minako promptly pulled Ken into a hug. “Geez! Don’t ever make us worry like that again!”

“R-Right… Sorry about that, Minako-san.” sputtered Ken.

“Amada, are you able to fight?” inquired Mitsuru.

Minako let go of him from her hug. “Yes. I won’t run off again.” replied Ken firmly.

“You sure?” asked Junpei.

“Yes.” answered Ken.

“It’s alright… we can trust him.” assured Fuuka.

Mitsuru smiled warmly at the group. “Alright. I’ll talk to the chairman. All of you, get some rest.”

All of them were about to go back before Ken spoke up. “Um… sorry. But, can we talk about something?”

“What is it, Amada?” asked Mitsuru.

“It’s… something regarding Shinjiro-san.” Ken chewed his lip, deliberating his next words. “Can we… sit down first? I rather not talk about this in front of the door.”

“Okay… sure.” Yukari nodded, though from the tone, she was confused on what Ken would want to talk about.

Everyone walked back to the sofa and chairs in the lounge. As they were about to sit down, Akihiko came back. “Oh, Akihiko-san. Perfect timing, I think you should hear this too.” said Ken in a solemn tone.

“What is it?” inquired Akihiko, raising one of his eyebrows.

“Yeah Ken-kun, what do you want to talk about?” added Minako. “You’re still not angry at Shinjiro-senpai, are you?”

Ken quickly waved his hand. “Oh no no, it’s not that! It’s… how should I say this…?”

Ken swallowed a little while clenching both of his hands. “Um… I heard that… Shinjiro-san is dying.”

Minako winced a little at the painful reminder. “Yeah… but you were there as well, weren’t you? Are you afraid that Shinjiro-senpai would die from that wound?”

Ken scowled even more. “It’s not about the gunshot wound. This is something that Strega said to Shinjiro-san, but… he said that Shinjiro-san would still die, even if I didn’t kill him.”

Everyone was shocked hearing that. “What?! How?!” shouted Akihiko.

“Strega said something about pills. About how Shinjiro-san has been taking them for quite a while. I was hoping you would–”

Ken’s words were cut off by Akihiko slamming the sofa’s armrest, startling Ken and Fuuka. “Damn it! I knew it was bad, but I didn’t know it was this bad!”

“You know something, Akihiko?” inquired Mitsuru.

Akihiko tried to calm his expression before answering. “Just rumors from the Kirijo labs. You know how Shinji has been taking some medicine that suppresses his Persona, right? I heard that those medicines have a nasty side-effect to the user's body. But I didn’t know it would…”

Minako felt her heart sink once more. Shinjiro-senpai was already dying before this? Was she already too late to help him? Minako didn’t like how helpless she was for her friends.

“So that’s why they were able to replicate the drugs so quickly…” murmured Mitsuru bitterly. “Thank you for bringing it to our attention, Amada. I will have people run diagnoses on Aragaki. Hopefully, they can find a way to reverse the effects of the drugs. I would also need to raise some questions to the research labs about this.”

“Thank you Mitsuru.” said Akihiko.

Junpei then suddenly stood up from his seat. “Wait, isn’t Chidori takin’ those drugs as well?! Does that mean she…”

Mitsuru went silent for a few moments, before answering. “...I’m afraid so. Don’t worry, Iori. Whatever it is we’ve found, I’ll make sure Yoshino will also receive the same treatment.”

“Thanks, senpai.” muttered Junpei with a weak smile.

The atmosphere around them grew heavy once more. What was supposed to be a happy occasion of Ken returning was dampened by even more stunning revelation. Noone else could say anything, so they all opted to return to their room. 

== October 7th, 2009 ==

Theodore had contacted her yesterday about the barrier in Tartarus opening, so that night, she decided to explore Tartarus. She was hoping that falling into a familiar routine could distract her from her regret. And since Tartarus had become a semi-regular routine among her friends, that’s what she’s doing.

Everyone entered the Tartarus lobby as usual. But before the twins could decide the composition for the team that night, Akihiko spoke up. “Wait! Before we go on, I’d like to tell you all something.”

Everyone’s attention turned to the silver-haired boxer. After clearing his throat, he continued. “Two days ago, I could feel something change in me. I believe my Persona has… evolved… so to speak.”

Junpei was confused. “Huh?”

Akihiko drew his Evoker. “I think it would be faster to just show it.”

Akihiko pointed his Evoker to his forehead as he usually does and pulled the trigger. Just as he said, and to Minako’s surprise, it wasn’t Polydeuces that came out. The Persona has the appearance of some kind of Roman Emperor, with silvery metallic armor covering almost every part of its body. There was a hollowed out gap on its torso, where a small man seemed to be sitting in. The Persona itself was carrying a sword on its right hand and a globe on its left.

“His name is Caesar.” stated Akihiko.

“That’s amazing, Akihiko-senpai.” said Fuuka in awe. “I can feel a stronger power coming from it… It’s weakness is the same, but now it’s completely immune to electricity?”

“Is that what you see?” replied Akihiko with a smile. “Honestly, I just feel even more free than before.”

“Um… does this mean you got a second Persona, Akihiko-senpai? Kinda like our leaders?” asked Junpei.

Akihiko shook his head. “I don’t think that’s the case. I don’t sense Polydeuces anymore. So whatever happened, it’s not like I got the same power as the twins.”

“That’s true.” confirmed Fuuka. “I don’t detect Polydeuces inside Akihiko-senpai anymore. Or rather, I sense the same reading as I always sense from Akihiko-senpai. It’s as if Polydeuces and Caesar are the same entity.”

“Interesting. So our Personas can evolve from our current state.” mused Mitsuru. “Can I ask what brought about this change?”

“I’m not sure myself. I started feeling this change after I visited Shinji in the hospital.” answered Akihiko. “I just thought that I can’t disappoint him. There’s still some things that I need to do, and he’ll just smack me if I keep moping.”

Minako put on a small smile after hearing that. It looked like there was some silver lining to the entire event. The tragedy, while still hurt, has allowed her friend to grow.

“The same thing happened to you as well, Akihiko-san?” interjected Ken.

“You too, Ken-kun?!” exclaimed Yukari in surprise.

“Yeah. Nemesis has transformed into Kala-Nemi.” replied Ken as he drew his Evoker. “Here, I’ll show you.”

Just like Akihiko, when Ken fired his Evoker, it wasn’t Nemesis that appeared. Ken’s new Persona was big. Nemesis wasn’t small, but Kala-Nemi positively towered over Ken. The Persona looked entirely metallic in nature, shaped like a vaguely humanoid robot. Its shoulders have some kind of rotating orb inside of it, with glowing holes adorning the surface of the orb. The Persona’s shoulder was also adorned with various Zodiac symbols. What does that supposed to mean? Minako thought that it would be a good idea to look up the story about Kala-Nemi.

“My changes happened just yesterday, though.” continued Ken. “It happened after Akihiko-san challenged me on what I should be doing. And it made me realize… that I shouldn’t waste my life away. My mom… and Shinjiro-san… saved my life. I shouldn’t waste it away regretting the past. I shouldn’t be blinded by my past. That would be just spitting on their sacrifice.”

Minako felt warm witnessing her friends’ growth like this. Even if the tragedy that led up to it can’t be called good, it was nice to see her friends managed to rise from it. Minako briefly wondered what Shinjiro would say if he were to see this, before remembering why they had grown to begin with.

“It seemed the change was brought from a resolution in your heart.” mused Mitsuru with a smile. “Congratulations, Akihiko, Amada. You have reached a new height in your growth. Perhaps one day, all of us will join you in that growth.”

“It would be nice if we don’t have to see more of our friends get hurt for it, though.” said Yukari with a small chuckle.

Minako pumped her fist in excitement. “Alright! Looks like that lifted our spirits up! Akihiko-senpai, Ken-kun! Let’s see what you can do with those new Personas!”

“I’ve been waiting for you to say that!” replied Akihiko.

“I won’t disappoint!” answered Ken.

The exploration itself went on as usual. With Akihiko’s and Ken’s spirits high from their Persona transformation, they tore through the Shadows the team encountered. Minako felt that she and her brother were only needing to cover some enemies that were immune to Akihiko’s and Ken’s attacks.

When they were about to face the first Guardian of the area, Minako swapped out Akihiko and Ken to let them rest for a bit. She then decided to bring Yukari and Koromaru to face the guardian Shadow. The Shadow was one of those Table-Shadows, with its color being nearly all white, in both its body and the various tools flying above it.

Minato wasted no time making the first move. “Ose!”

The leopard-man Persona swung its two swords against the Shadow. Koromaru followed him up by summoning Cerberus and had the Persona spit out several fireballs at the Shadow. Minako and Yukari followed suit by throwing ice crystals and gusts of winds at the Shadow.

Then, the fire on Shadow’s chalice grew larger. The chalice swerved around, spilling fire towards the team. Minako and Yukari quickly backed up to avoid the fire, but Minato got hit while Koromaru just ran through it. “Damn… even with Ose…” cursed Minato through gritted teeth.

“Minato!” Yukari promptly summoned Io and healed Minato.

Minako quickly shouted her orders. “Focus on dodging its attacks! Looks like it has a high magic potential! Fuuka, any weaknesses?!”

“It doesn’t have any!” relayed Fuuka. “It even has high resistance to physical attacks!”

“So it wants a magic duel…” Minako bitterly spat out. “Fine then!”

The team ran around the Shadow and threw more spells at it. Fire, wind, and ice continued to rain on the Shadow. The Shadow retaliated by throwing around more fire, and the team promptly jumped back to avoid it each time.

Eventually, white-purplish energy began to gather around the tip of the Shadow’s staff. Minako clicked her tongue as she realized what the Shadow was trying to do. The staff then pointed downward, and the energy shot towards the ground, exploding and catching the team in its blast.

“Titania!” Minako promptly summoned her Persona to heal everyone. The Shadow proceeded to throw more fire around, and the team jumped back as before.

Koromaru summoned Cerberus again to pepper the Shadow with more fireballs. The Shadow aimed its staff towards Koromaru, but he promptly ran around to dodge the Almighty blast. Yukari summoned Io to follow up and cast more wind spells. The Shadow shifted its attention to Yukari and tried to launch a large fireball from its chalice, but Yukari sidestepped it. Minako then took her opportunity and had Titania throw several ice crystals at the Shadow.

The fight continued like that with SEES taking turns to attack the Shadow. Eventually, the Shadow had both of its chalice gathering fire and its staff glowing. The staff then pointed at Minato. Minato jumped aside to dodge the attack. But while he was still mid-jump, he noticed that the chalice was also pointed at him. Minako winced as she realized her brother was about to take that head on.

“MINATO!” Yukari immediately ran toward Minato and went in front of him. The fireball exploded right as it hit Yukari, and pushed both Yukari and Minato to the wall.

“Minato-nii! Yukari-chan!” Minako wanted to run over to both of them, but another fireball from the Shadow forced her to pay attention to the Shadow.

The Shadow seemed to be getting more aggressive, throwing around more fire and almighty spells at higher frequency. Minako couldn’t find any opening as she was forced to continuously dodge the attacks. Even the attacks from Koromaru couldn’t distract the Shadow long enough.

When she glanced towards where they were blown into, Minako saw Yukari sitting unconscious on Minato’s arm. Both of them had bruises and cuts from being slammed against the wall, but Yukari had it worse with burns all over her body, likely from the fire. Her brother had a haunted look on his face, and Minako suspected it was because he saw Yukari in that state.

Minato gently laid Yukari on the ground. He then promptly stood up and drew his Evoker. “Decarabia! Forneus!”

Multi-colored lights danced around Minato, and then he dashed towards the Shadow. The Shadow tried to intercept it with a fireball, but Minato just ignored the fire spell exploding on top of him, charged through, and stabbed the Shadow with his sword. The Shadow pointed its staff to him in response. Minato jumped on top of the Shadow, grabbed the staff, and slammed it against the Shadow. The energy exploded on impact, and the Shadow recoiled a bit. The chalice threw another fireball to Minato, and Minato once again ignored the attack, stabbed the Shadow with his sword, and then yanked it sideways.

Minako suddenly realized that the Shadow was fully focused on her brother. She promptly ran over to Yukari and shouted over to Koromaru. “Koro-chan, back up Minato-nii!”

Koromaru barked in confirmation before sprinting over to the battle. As soon as Minako arrived at where Yukari was laying down, she summoned Lachesis. The light of the revival spell glowed above Yukari, and she groaned as she pushed herself up. “Geez… that kinda hurts… Is everything okay…?”

Minako looked over her shoulder to where the battle happened. She saw Minato was in the middle of stabbing his sword and the Shadow’s staff against the Shadow’s mask, before letting an explosion of almighty magic through the sword. The Shadow then dissipated into black mist. “Looks like it…” muttered Minako.

When Minato saw Yukari already awake, he immediately sprinted towards her and pulled her into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re alright…” murmured Minato.

“I should say that to you…” retorted Yukari as she returned the hug. “When I saw that fire going at you, I thought my heart was going to stop…”

“The same goes for me! When you wouldn’t wake up even if I shook your body, I…” Minato hugged Yukari tighter. “Please, I can’t lose you… or anyone else…”

“I-I see… Looks like we both screwed up, huh…?”

Minako smiled warmly at the two before kneeling and hugging them both. “O-oh, sorry. Were you worried too?” stuttered Yukari.

Minako hummed in acknowledgement. “A little. But right now, I’m just happy seeing you two like this.”

After a few moments, they broke off the hug. When they started getting up, Minato’s knees suddenly buckled. Minako and Yukari promptly caught him before he could fall. “Minato-nii?! What’s wrong?!”

“Sorry, looks like I’m more tired than I thought.” said Minato with a wince. “That last stunt took a lot out of me…”

Minako frowned at her brother. “Maybe we should stop for tonight…”

“You can still keep going–”

“I’m not pushing through without you!” Minako cut him off firmly. “We’ve talked about this.”

Minato just sighed in response. “Right… Let’s go tell the others.”

== October 11th, 2009 ==

The midterm exam was about to begin in a few days, so the second years were having a study session in the living room. While Minato was grateful for the chance to study alongside his friends, it was becoming increasingly harder to stay awake lately. The nightmares didn’t stop since that day, and it caused him to lose a lot of sleep. Even during the study session, he realized that he nodded off from time to time, barely registering even half of what everyone was talking about. Predictably, his sister was the first to speak up about it. “Minato-nii? Are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah, you look out of it. Did you get enough sleep?” inquired Yukari.

Minato slowly shook his head. “Not really. I keep on getting awake in the middle of the night lately. And whatever awakened me made it hard to go back to sleep.”

“You’ve been having a hard time sleeping?” asked Minako in a concerned tone. “Why?”

“It’s…” Minato was hesitant to tell them the reason. If they knew, they would undoubtedly be worried sick, especially Minako and Yukari. But he couldn’t find a good enough excuse to placate their worry.

After a few moments of silence from Minato, Minako spoke up. “Hard to talk about? Should we step aside and–”

“No need for that.” Minato cut her off. “We should continue studying. Midterms are coming up, after all.”

“Come on man, don’t be like that! It won’t do us any good if you collapsed on us, you know.” retorted Junpei.

“You say that, but I bet you just wanted an excuse to stop studying.” snarked Yukari.

“H-Hey! I’m just worried about my bro, here! Jeez…”

“Junpei is right, Minato-nii. You don’t look like you can stay awake much longer.” said Minako while getting up from her seat. “C’mon, I’ll accompany you to your room.”

Aigis stood up as well following Minako. “I shall accompany Minato-san as–”

Minako swiftly cut her off. “No Aigis, you stay here and study with everyone. And Junpei, you too.”

Aigis went silent at Minako’s words, before slowly nodding and sitting back down. Junpei on the other hand, had his mouth agape in shock. “What?! Why're you singlin' me all of a sudden?!” shouted Junpei.

“Do you remember your grades from your last exam? I say you need the study session the most out of all of us.” stated Minako.

Junpei groaned as he hung his head down in defeat. “Don’t worry, Junpei-kun. We’ll help you out as much as we can.” assuage Fuuka.

While Junpei grumbled some more, Minato slowly stood up from his seat. Surprisingly, Yukari also stood up and called out to him. “Wait, can I come with you?”

Minato grew even more worried at this development. “Yukari, you need to study as well…” argued Minato.

“Well, it’s kinda hard to focus knowing my boyfriend is in trouble. I’ll just be too worried to do anything.” Yukari argued back. “Plus, I’m also getting a little tired…”

Looking back and forth between Minako and Yukari, Minato could see that they practically had the same expression of worry on their faces. Worry directed at him. It made him feel even more guilty about the whole situation. Not only was he making them worried, he was cutting off their much needed study time. Breathing out a small sigh, he wordlessly nodded and walked towards the stairs.

During the short walk to his room, Minato could see that his sister and Yukari were whispering to each other. He couldn’t quite hear what they were talking to each other, his head was feeling a little dizzy to make out much. When they arrived in front of his room, he turned back towards Minako and Yukari. “Well, here we are. You can go back to your studies.”

As Minato was about to turn the handle to his room, Yukari called out to him again. “Wait! Can we talk for a sec?”

Minato stopped for a moment before turning to her again. “Alright. I’m guessing you want to talk about why I haven't been able to sleep?”

Both Yukari and Minako nodded in confirmation. Minato just sighed in defeat. He should’ve expected they wouldn’t just let this go. Maybe it would be best to just do it now and get it over with.

Minato started explaining. “I just… have been having nightmares lately. It kept on getting me awake in the middle of the night. And, as I said before, it’s kinda hard to go back to sleep. I was afraid I would see that nightmare again if I sleep.”

“You’ve… been having nightmares? Since when?” asked Minako in concern.

Minato looked away as Minako’s expression just added up his guilt. “Since… Monday. The day after Shinjiro-san got hospitalized.”

Yukari went wide-eyed. “That’s almost a week ago! And you said ‘since’?! Does that mean it’s still…”

Minato didn’t say anything to answer her, just nodding in confirmation. At that, Yukari was on the verge of crying while Minako winced in guilt. Minato quickly tried to calm them down. “Look, it’s okay. I’m sure it’ll go away eventually…”

“No, it won’t.” refuted Minako softly. “It’s already almost a week, Minato-nii. If it were to go away, it would’ve already gone by now…”

“Mina…”

“Why are you having it worse than me?” murmured Minako. “You’re not the one who’s…”

It was Minato’s turn to be shocked. “Wait, what do you mean, worse than you? Are you also…?”

“Only once. Back on Tuesday.” answered Minako. “But you’ve been having them all this time! Why…? Why are you the one who…?”

“I don’t know either.” replied Minato. “I wish it would go away soon as well.”

Yukari then suddenly pulled both of them into a hug. Minato was surprised, and seeing the scowl on Yukari’s face just made his mood sink further. “I’m sorry, Yukari. Were you disappointed in me?”

Yukari shook her head. “No. If anything, it just made me want to stay by your side even more.”

Feeling touched by her words and gesture, Minato returned the hug, and Minako also did the same. Minato felt lucky to have them both in his life, though sometimes he wondered what he did to deserve a supportive sister and a lovely girlfriend like this.

They broke off the hug after a few minutes, though Minako still had the same expression of concern. “Are you sure you’ll be okay, Minato-nii? Do I need to bring you anything? Tea? Hot chocolate? Maybe I can go to Power Records and find something?” asked Minako.

Minato ruffled his sister’s hair. “Mina, it’s fine. Besides, I don’t think it would help…”

“But…” Yukari tried to argue, but her words seemed to die on her lips.

“I’ll be more worried if your grades dropped because of me.” argued Minato. “I appreciate your concern, though.”

Minako looked like she still wasn't convinced. But after a few minutes of silence, she relented and slowly walked away, even if she still glanced back at him from time to time. Even so, Minato noticed that Yukari was still standing in front of him. “Yukari, please…” pleaded Minato.

“Hey, did you forget? I said I’m already feeling tired.” replied Yukari.

Minato was confused by her answer. “Okay? Then why are you…?”

“That’s… Can I… ask you something?” Yukari was being skittish for some reason. Minato wasn’t sure why.

“Um… sure?”

“Okay… so… can I… sleep with you, tonight?”

Minato’s brain short-circuited by Yukari’s request. Why did she suddenly ask for that? What’s happening? Should they really be doing this?

Yukari frowned a bit from his silence. “Sorry. Are you not comfortable with it yet? Maybe I’m being too hasty…”

Minato quickly shook his head. “No, it’s not that. It’s just… Um…”

“You know, it’s okay if you’re uncomfortable with it. Maybe we can… do it some other time…”

“Can I… ask why? I mean, I’m happy you asked me of this. But I’m just… confused.”

“Oh, I just thought… Maybe it could help you with your nightmares. Sometimes, a little company could make you feel better.”

“O-oh… Thanks…”

“And it would help me with my nightmares as well…” murmured Yukari under her breath.

Minato was shocked over what Yukari just said to herself. “Your nightmares?! So, you too…?”

Yukari flinched a little after hearing his remark. “Oh, you heard that. Yeah, I’ve been having nightmares as well. Nightmares about you, and everyone else dying in front of me…”

Minato looked down with a sad frown. “I see… My nightmares were also the same. But how come you still look fine?”

“Guess I’m just better at hiding it. So… about my, um… request…”

Minato closed his eyes for a few seconds before looking at Yukari directly. “Alright. We’ll need to make sure Mitsuru-senpai doesn’t notice.”

Yukari nodded in agreement. “Right.”

That night, Minato had another nightmare. He found himself back at the runaway monorail, with all of his friends with him in the car. Realizing his situation, he ran over to the driver's booth and looked for the lever he pulled last time. The moment he saw it, he pulled the lever as fast as he could. But somehow, the monorail didn’t even slow down, let alone stop. He quickly tried all other knobs and levers on the board, but none of them seemed to do anything to the monorail. His breathing quickly became short and shallow, as he tried every other thing he could see in the booth. Looking out the front window, he saw the next train rapidly coming closer. He pulled every lever in panic, even those he had already tried before. But the train he was in just continued to run closer to the next one.

Minato woke up with a jump as soon as the trains collided. Yukari, who was sleeping beside him, was startled awake by it. “Minato?” inquired Yukari in concern.

Minato covered his face with both of his hands, trying to calm down his breathing. Seeing that, Yukari sat up on the bed and rubbed on his back. “It’s okay… It’s just a dream… You’re okay…”

After he could feel himself calming down, Minato turned towards Yukari and pulled her into a hug. Yukari was briefly surprised, but returned the hug nonetheless. “Sorry. I woke you up, didn’t I?” whispered Minato softly.

Yukari hugged him tighter, burying her face into his shoulder. “Don’t apologize for that. I need this myself…”

Chapter Text

== October 12th, 2009 ==

Last night's study session was proving quite productive, at least for Minako. She was still a little bummed that her brother had to leave early due to his unfortunate circumstances, and that Yukari never re-joined them. But overall, she both had fun and made a lot of progress with her study. Trying to help Junpei alongside Fuuka really helped her understand the material better.

But today, she planned to do something else. Yukari’s birthday was coming up and she needed to find a birthday present. Sure, she asked mostly for Minato’s benefit, but that also meant she should find something as well. But while walking over, she found Akihiko hanging around Iwatodai Strip Mall. Minako then called out to him.

“Oh, hi.” greeted Akihiko. “Are you planning to go somewhere?”

“Just going to Paulownia Mall.” answered Minako. “I want to look for something.”

“What’re you looking for? Maybe I can help.”

“Oh can you, senpai? I’m looking for a birthday present for Yukari-chan.”

Akihiko suddenly grimaced. “Oh, a birthday present, huh? I… don’t know if I could help you with that.”

“Why? You never bought a birthday present before?” inquired Minako.

“More like I never knew what present to give to a girl.” answered Akihiko. “The only girl I’ve ever given a birthday present to was Miki or Mitsuru. I already knew what Miki usually liked, so I didn’t need to think much. But the one time I gave Mitsuru a present, it… didn’t go too well.”

“Um… what did you give her?”

“A set of dumbbells. I figured, since she’s always studying or working on something, she would appreciate the change of pace.”

Minako understood immediately why Mitsuru would be irritated. She sometimes wondered what Akihiko's fan club would think if they ever saw this side of him. She personally thought it was endearing, even if it caused headaches occasionally.

“And then, she chewed me out as soon as she saw it.” continued Akihiko. “Something about knowing a girl’s heart? I still can’t understand what she’s talking about.”

Minako let out a small sigh. “Senpai, why didn’t you just give the same thing you gave to Miki? I’m sure Mitsuru-senpai would appreciate that more.”

“What? But I usually just gave Miki a doll. Isn’t that too childish for Mitsuru?”

"It would still be much better than your actual gift." Minako thought. She decided to not say it aloud.

“So yeah, sorry I won’t be able to help you with that.” apologized Akihiko.

“It’s okay, senpai. I appreciate the offer.”

“Speaking of, I didn’t know you’re that big about birthdays.”

“Oh, not really.” waived Minako. “I just asked Yukari-chan for Minato-nii, since they are dating right now.”

“Ah… that makes sense.”

Minako then thought this was the perfect opportunity to ask Akihiko about his own birthday. She could use the occasion to try to get closer to him. She should start the preparation right away, if she needed to.

“About that, when is your own birthday, Akihiko-senpai?” inquired Minako.

“Mine? It’s September 22nd, why?”

Minako winced a little when she heard the date. That was almost a month ago! “Senpai, that’s already quite some time ago! Why didn’t you say anything?”

Akihiko just shrugged. “Didn’t think it was that big of a deal. Never had anyone to celebrate with anyway.”

“No one? Not even Shinjiro-senpai?”

“Shinji usually just grumbled everytime we took him to celebrate his birthday. Always complaining about ‘wasting money for something so useless’. Miki was usually the one pushing to celebrate it, and the one who reminded us about it. After she’s… gone… the two of us just gradually stopped doing it.”

Minako frowned a bit hearing Akihiko’s life story. The three of them were always so close, but a tragedy just tore them apart. And one more thing between them died out alongside it. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t do anything about it. In fact, she thought she needed to remedy this right away.

“That’s no good, senpai. C’mon, I’ll take you to a belated birthday celebration.” declared Minako while grabbing Akihiko’s arm.

“Wha–? Y-you don’t need to do that…” stammered Akihiko.

“Yes, I do.” insisted Minako. “You need to enjoy it while you can, senpai. C’mon, let’s go to Hagakure.”

As Minako started dragging Akihiko over, she began hearing whispers around her.

“Who’s that? Why’s she dragging Akihiko-san around like that?!”

“Didn’t you hear? She’s a dorm mate of his.”

“Wow, really? Talk about unfair.”

“Hey, uh… People are beginning to stare…” muttered Akihiko while blushing lightly.

“Ignore them, senpai.” stated Minako while continuing to drag Akihiko. The whispers and staring only intensified.

"Urgh, what a jealous bunch… Do they even know of Akihiko-senpai? I bet they just like his look or reputation. If they actually turned away in disgust when they knew the real him…"  Minako bitterly thought.

Inside Hagakure, Minako and Akihiko took a seat in the booth seat. After ordering two specials for both of them, Minako beamed at her senpai. “Here we are! I can’t exactly prepare a present for you right now, but at least I can treat you for lunch.”

“You don’t need to go that far. I can pay for myself.”

“Oh come on, senpai. It’s the least I could do for you…”

Akihiko let out a small sigh of defeat. “Fine…”

They waited a short while for their order to arrive. Soon, the owner placed their bowls in front of them. They then took their chopsticks and started eating their food.

“You know, it’s kinda funny.” mused Akihiko in the middle of their meal. “It’s supposed to be a simple celebration, but I find this just like what I usually have.”

“What do you mean by that, senpai?”

“We usually just buy a small cake between the three of us and sing happy birthday. Even with all his complaining, Shinji would still tag along and clap alongside us. Miki was usually the one most excited, no matter whose birthday it was.” said Akihiko with a forced smile on his face.

Minako frowned again. “You couldn’t do anything more?”

Akihiko shook his head, his expression turned downcast. “We didn’t have much money for anything else. Even the dolls I bought for Miki were a few in between. I think I only ever bought two for her during our entire time together, and that even with Shinji helping me out.”

Minako tried to smile at him. “Well, from now on, I’m going to make sure you can enjoy your birthday even more. Even if it’s a bit late this year, that’s no reason to neglect the next. Maybe we can even drag Shinjiro-senpai alongside us!”

Akihiko chuckled a bit. “Good luck with that. I know you’re already quite close to him, but he’s quite stubborn. Believe me, I should know.”

“Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try! Maybe we can double team him to do it. Speaking of that, when is Shinjiro-senpai’s birthday?”

“August 11th.”

“So his birthday is actually earlier than yours…” mused Minako. “Akihiko-senpai, what would you say to spring a surprise birthday for him next year?”

“You mean, instead of dragging him to the party, we just spring the party on him?”

“You get me! So, what do you say? Want to join me on this plan?”

Akihiko pondered a bit before adopting a small grin. “I’m in.”

== October 17th, 2009 ==

The exams were finally over, and Minato felt more relieved than usual. All things considered, he did quite a good job, with how few studying he’s done this past week. Looking over to his friends, he saw a variety of expressions. Minako and Yukari were similarly relieved. Aigis was a little hard to read, but Minato could see a hint of confusion from her. Junpei was slumped over his desk, dead to the world.

Looking over to Yukari again, he felt warm and content. Ever since he… accepted Yukari’s request, his nightmares have begun to die down. Who knew having someone you love next to you would have such a calming effect? He didn't know it was possible, but he actually felt happier compared to when Yukari accepted his confession. Noticing that he was staring at her with a smile, Yukari shot Minato a warm smile back.

Minato rose up from his seat and walked over to where his sister was sitting. He tapped on Minako’s shoulder, signaling her to follow him outside. Minako nodded along, before following him while waving goodbye to Yukari. They walked over until they reached the hallway to the sports wing.

Minato quickly went down to business. “So, Yukari’s birthday is coming up. I was hoping you could help me look for a present.” Minako had told him about Yukari’s birthday a while ago, and he was determined to not miss it.

Minako quirked her eyebrow in confusion. “You’re only asking now? Isn’t it kinda close?”

“I already tried looking around this whole week. But nothing seemed good. Maybe you can offer some suggestions?”

Minako pondered for a short while before answering. “Nothing comes to mind right now… Let’s walk around Paulownia Mall and see if we can find something.”

At Paulownia Mall, the twins walked around the various shops, offering their suggestions to each other. But they couldn’t find something that they agreed with. Eventually, they settled on Be Blue V. They browsed around the shop, hoping to find something that would catch their eye.

“How about this necklace? The cat-theme on it is kinda cute.” suggested Minako.

“I’m not sure Yukari is into cats that much.” argued Minato. “Besides, wouldn’t a necklace clash with the choker she’s always wearing?”

“Oh yeah…”

They then walked around the shop a little more. “Oh, how about this ring? The pink coloring would match the pink dress she usually wears.” called out Minako.

It was a simple silver ring, with hearts adorning it. Minato has to admit, the pink gemstone does match Yukari’s preferences. Even so, he shook his head. “That sounded too close to a proposal. This is supposed to be a birthday gift.”

Minako smirked at him. “Why not? Don’t you plan to marry her eventually?”

Minato looked away with a slight blush on his face. “I’m not gonna answer that.”

Minako chuckled lightly. “How about you do it anyway? You don’t have to say it’s a proposal; just give it to her. I’m curious how she would react.”

Minato narrowed his eyes towards his sister. “We’re planning her birthday, not giving her a heart attack.”

“Fine, fine.”

Then, the store clerk approached the two of them. “Hello. Can I help you with something?” offered the clerk.

“We’re looking for a birthday gift.” answered Minato.

“A birthday gift? When is the birthday?” inquired the clerk.

“Two days from now, October 19th.” replied Minako.

“In that case, I suggest an accessory with Tourmaline. We have a wide variety of them here, from earrings to necklaces.” offered the clerk.

“Do any of them come in pink?” asked Minato.

“Of course. Tourmaline can come in a wide range of colors, from dark purple to even bright pink as you asked. Do you have a specific accessory in mind?”

Minato pondered for a few seconds before answering. “We’d like a bracelet, if you have one.”

The clerk nodded. “We do. Please, follow me.”

The clerk then guided them to a different part of the store. Arriving at the bracelets section, the clerk picked one of the accessories and showed it to the twins. It was a simple silver bracelet, with a single flower adornment in the middle of it. The flower charm was accented with bright pink gemstones, lining up each of its petals.

“Here it is, a pink Tourmaline bracelet, as you requested. Is it to your satisfaction?”

Minako leaned in to see the bracelet in awe. “Wow… this does look good… And isn’t that a gerbera flower? I’m sure Yukari-chan would love it!”

“Then we’ll take it. How much does it cost?”

The twins walked out of the store after buying the bracelet. With a present finally in hand, Minato felt more confident about his plan. “That’s my present secured. You’re not looking for yours, sis?” inquired Minato.

“Oh, I already bought mine five days ago.” waived Minako. “I found a nice piece that I think Yukari-chan would like.”

“Is that so? That’s good then.”

“So… what’s your plan for her birthday?” asked Minako in a teasing voice. “I sure hope you can make the day feel special for her.”

Minato looked away with a light blush. “Well… I plan to take her on a date for the day. So, if you want to celebrate with her, can I ask you to do it in the evening?”

Minako grinned wider. “Ooo… a birthday date, huh? Sure, I can do that. Yukari-chan would want to spend time with you first anyway.”

“Thanks.”

== October 19th, 2009 ==

At lunchtime, the twins went with Yukari, Junpei, and Aigis to see the announced test results. When they checked it, the first thing they noticed was that Minato and Minako occupied the first and second place respectively. “Wow, look at you two. Still need to keep that spot, huh?” teased Yukari.

“What can we say? It’s just that our studying paid off.” deflected Minako.

“You’re not doing so bad yourself, Yukari.” commented Minato.

“Maybe not, but it doesn’t compare to yours.” replied Yukari.

“C’mon, don’t say that. It’s not good to compare yourself to others, right?” chided Minako.

Yukari smiled at them. “I know. I’m just proud of you two.”

Minako then turned to Junpei. “Anyway, how’s yours, Junpei?”

Minato saw Junpei hanging his head with a sorrowful expression on his face. Looking over to the board, he tried to find Junpei’s name on it. He found it, placed… quite low on the overall score.

“That’s… kinda low, Junpei.” remarked Minako.

“I know…” said Junpei in a tone full of despair.

“I thought you’ve already studied for a few days.” inquired Minato.

“Please… don’t say anything more…” pleaded Junpei.

“My score is quite low as well.” interjected Aigis. “How unfortunate. My specification did not match the subjects of the examinations.”

“That’s…” Minato’s voice trailed off. He didn’t know what to say to his android friend. She looked like she took this calmly, but that may be just because of her mechanical nature.

Minato shook his head. Pulling his attention away from Aigis, he saw Minako patting Junpei’s back, trying to comfort him. Stepping over to Yukari, he then whispered to her. “After class is over, do you want to hang out? Go on a date?”

Yukari was shocked for a moment, but she then put on her smile and whispered back. “Sure. I’d like that.”

As soon as the class was over, Yukari grabbed Minato’s hand and practically dragged him out of the classroom. Glancing over, Minato could see his sister shooting him a quick thumbs up.

Arriving at the front gate, Yukari stopped walking as she realized she didn’t know where she’s going. “Sorry, I just dragged you out here and I forgot to ask where you had planned to go.” said Yukari with a light chuckle.

Minato just smiled warmly at her. “It’s okay. As long as you’re having fun.”

Yukari smiled back. “Thanks.”

They then walked over to the station, hand-in-hand. A few minutes later, they arrived at Minato’s first destination: the movie theater on Port Island Station.

Yukari snickered at the sight. “A movie date? Kinda cliche, don’t you think?”

“Sorry, is it not to your liking? We can go somewhere–”

“It’s fine.” assuage Yukari. “I just find it amusing. Honestly, I’m okay with anything as long as it’s with you…”

The sight of Yukari lightly blushing had Minato feeling his cheeks warm up. “...Okay then, Shall we get inside?”

Inside the theater, the couple took their seats, side by side, with Minato on the right. Their hands interlocked as soon as the movie started. Halfway through the movie, Yukari started leaning over to Minato, resting her head on his shoulder. Minato, feeling both excited and warm, reciprocated by resting his own head on top of Yukari’s.

After the movie was over, Minato brought Yukari over to Chagall Cafe to relax. “That last scene really could make you cry. Seeing the main couple get their closure after everything that happened throughout the movie is just…” gushed Yukari.

Minato nodded along. “Seeing Meiro really does inspire you. She doesn’t let anything keep her down to get Mayotta back.”

Yukari beamed in excitement. “I know, right?! I mean, I’m still a little pissed that Shiro manipulated Mayotta into leaving, but at least they get reunited. And seeing Shiro get what’s coming to him is… cathartic…”

“It’s too bad Raion had to die before that, though.” said Minato with a grimace.

“Yeah…” Yukari looked down for a moment before continuing. “Did you know that this is the second movie? I already saw the first, but I didn’t expect that development.”

“Did you? How is it?”

“It has a completely different story, so the mood in general is different. Even the relationship between Mayotta and Meiro is different.”

“I see…”

“Do you want to see it? The one in the theater is a rerun, so I think we can find a DVD for it. And then… we can watch it together…”

Minato smiled at Yukari. “That sounds nice.”

“Then let’s go to Power Records after we’re done here. And I heard it got a third movie as well, so we can find that, too.”

“I can’t imagine what the third movie would be like. The second one here already wrapped up the story nicely.” pondered Minato.

Yukari shrugged. “Me neither, which makes me curious. Maybe it’s a new adventure?”

“Guess we’ll find out when we watch it.”

“Yeah.” nodded Yukari. “Say, do you like these kinds of movies? You seemed quite invested in it.”

“I can appreciate it well enough.” answered Minato. “Besides, for today, it’s less about what I want and more about what you liked.”

“Oh? Am I correct to assume that this is for my birthday?” smirked Yukari.

“You got me. Though, I suppose I’m not exactly keeping it a secret. Do you like it?”

“Of course I like it. What makes you think I won’t like spending time with you?” snarked Yukari.

“Glad to hear that. And I guess this is a good time for this.”

Minato then picked something from the right trouser’s pocket. It was the present he prepared a few days ago, wrapped in bright pink, flower patterned wrapping paper. As he offered it to her, Yukari slowly accepted it. “Oh, wow… Is this…? Um… can I…?” said Yukari slowly.

After a silent nod from Minato, Yukari eagerly but carefully opened the present. As soon as she saw the present, Yukari’s mouth went agape. Her eyes glittered as she inspected the bracelet. When she held it up, Minato could see the gemstone glittered under the cafe’s lighting.

“Wow… this is…” Yukari was speechless for a moment, but then she put on her brightest smile. “This is beautiful, Minato. I… I love it. Thank you so much!”

Seeing her smile has made Minato think every yen spent on that bracelet is worth it. “I’m happy you liked it. It wasn’t easy finding it, so I had to get some help.”

“Even so, I think you made the right choice. Geez… you really set a high bar, you know. I’m gonna need to find you something nice for your birthday.”

“I like to think that seeing your happy face is already repayment enough.”

“Oh hush, you! Don’t think you can talk me out of this!”

Minato sighed softly. “Alright. Do you know when is my birthday?”

Yukari nodded. “Yeah, Minako told me when she asked for mine. July 13th, right?”

“Yes. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“You better. I’ll make sure to shock you speechless!”

When they arrived back at the dorm, Minato and Yukari were greeted by Minako running over to them. It seems that Minako was very excited to celebrate Yukari’s birthday. After letting them put their stuff away in their room, Minako quickly dragged Yukari out of the dorm, with Minato following behind. They continued on like that all the way, until they reached Paulownia Mall, in front of the arcade.

“Alright, we’ve arrived at the first destination of our celebration!” announced Minako.

“The arcade?” asked Yukari in a confused tone. “You sure have some… unusual ideas. I sure hope this isn’t because of Junpei’s influence.”

Minako quickly pointed to Yukari with a smirk. “That’s what you think, Yukari-chan. But it’s not. I found something here which I think might interest you.”

Yukari looked towards Minato, hoping to get some explanation. But Minato didn’t know anything, so he just shrugged. “Alright, lead the way.” said Yukari.

Minako then led them all towards one of the arcade machines in the back of the place. It’s a fortune telling machine. “Ta-da!” proclaimed Minako as she made a presenting gesture towards the machine.

“Really? The one you wanted to show me is a fortune-telling machine?” scoffed Yukari. “Sorry, I don’t really put much stock in them.”

“That’s because we’re not here for our fortunes.” declared Minako. “Okay, it kinda is, but not to believe in them. We’re here to joke around, see how outlandish some of these fortunes can be, and laugh at them.”

Minato raised one of his eyebrows. “Did you try this already?”

“Yup! Some of the ‘fortunes’ I got here are really ridiculous. Here, I’ll show you!”

Minako then sat down in front of the machine and inserted the coin. She then answered some questionnaire that the machine gave. After some time, Minako stopped and waited as the machine processed her answer. When the answer finally appeared, Minako turned back to Minato and Yukari. “See, this thing said that I will have three children in the future. I don’t even have a boyfriend yet, and it predicted how many children I’ll have? Talk about jumping the gun, am I right?”

“What, you don’t have anyone you fancy right now?” teased Yukari.

Minako tensed up a bit when she heard the question. Seeing that, Minato felt something rising in his throat. Yukari, on the other hand, immediately pushed as she saw her opportunity. “Oh, you actually do? Who is it? Spill it!”

Minako quickly regained her composure and spoke up. “I-It’s nothing that big. S-sure, I find some boys to be cute, but that doesn’t mean I will get a boyfriend anytime soon!”

“Really? Who are these ‘cute boys’ you’re talking about?” growled Minato.

“Minato-nii, calm down! Like I said, there’s nothing like that! There’s no one in our grade that I liked anyway!” said Minako in a panic.

“Fine… But if you do find someone, you’ll tell me about it, right?”

“Not if you continue to act like that…”

“I just want to make sure he’s not some sleazeball.” Minato won’t accept just anybody to take his sister. Minako deserved someone who would think the world of her. She deserved that much, at the minimum.

“That’s definitely not…”

Yukari chuckled in amusement. “So, this is your weak spot, Minako? Your own brother? I should keep this in mind.”

“Yukari-chan, please have mercy…” pleaded Minako. “Here, it’s your turn!”

“Sure, sure.” said Yukari while taking the seat, still with an amused grin on her face.

Minako breathed out a sigh of relief as Yukari started up the machine. Minato also decided to let it go. He just needed to be more watchful of people who looked at his sister funny. And as the stalker incident showed, the number was not a few.

After a few moments of Yukari answering the machine, the prediction was displayed on the screen.

“Huh. It says that I will experience heartbreak in the future.” mused Yukari. “Okay, what kind of heartbreak? This is way too vague. It could mean anything. Is it saying Minato will cheat on me?!”

“Nah, I doubt that.” denied Minako. “Minato-nii rarely, if ever, looked at a girl that way before we met you, Yukari-chan. I highly doubt he will ever do that.”

“I mean, why should I? Yukari is already all I wanted in a partner, and more.” added Minato.

While Yukari blushed a little from Minato’s sentiment, Minako chirped up. “See? As far I know, you two will grow old together.”

“Okay, you’re right about this being ridiculous.” chuckled Yukari. “Okay, Minato. You’re next.”

“I get to do it as well?” asked Minato.

“Yeah. More stuff for us to laugh at, the better, right?” replied Minako.

Shrugging in acceptance, Minato then took the seat in front of the machine. A few more questions, and the prediction appeared. “It says that I will give birth to a boy.” stated Minato.

Minako started holding her stomach and laughing after hearing that. Meanwhile, Yukari just rolled her eyes. “Okay, that’s gotta be the most outlandish one so far. How’s that even possible? You’re male. You don’t give birth.”

Minato just buried his face in his right hand. “I don’t know either. I thought I already answered that I’m a guy.”

“Wow, I didn’t know it could contradict reality like that.” said Minako in-between her laughs. “I’ve seen some weird predictions, but this one takes the cake!”

“What have you seen from this thing?” inquired Minato.

Minako laughed for a few more seconds before calming down and answering. “Just some that contradict one another. One day, it said that I will do some weird stunts on TV. Another day, it said that I will give commands to some secret agents. So am I supposed to be an actress or a secret organization bigwig? Can it make up its mind?”

“So you’re saying it could get more ridiculous if we try again?” asked Yukari.

“Very possible. You want to try again, Yukari-chan?”

After they had enough fun at the arcade, Minako dragged them over to Mandragora. Taking one booth for the three of them, Minako promptly took the mic and sang the first song. Minato and Yukari sat down as they watched Minako sing.

𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥 Each time we hope… to stay around 𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥

𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥 I know how you feel… Beyond your words… 𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥

After Minako finished her chosen song, she made a quick bow to the others.

“Wow, that wasn’t so bad.” praised Yukari while clapping her hand. “Do you have any thoughts of becoming a singer?”

“Thanks for the praise, Yukari-chan.” replied Minako. “But no, I don’t have any dreams like that.”

“Alright, so who should go next?” asked Minato. “Do you want to take the next turn, Yukari?”

“Actually, both of you should go next!” declared Minako with a grin.

“H-huh?!” stuttered Yukari.

“C’mon. Don’t you want to try singing alongside Minato-nii?” offered Minako.

Yukari turned to Minato, looking at him with an expression that is somehow hesitant but also pleading. Minato just shrugged. “I’m okay with it. Do you want to sing with me, Yukari?”

Yukari was relieved from that. “Okay, then let’s do it.”

Both of them got up and walked to the front of the booth, while Minako took a seat where they previously sat. Yukari spent a few minutes browsing the song list before she found something she’s satisfied with. “Oh, this one could work with two people.” remarked Yukari as she set up the song to play. As the first tune began to play, Minato recognized which song Yukari just picked.

𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥 Been a little while but I’m still battling 𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥

𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥 Moving fast while you’s just prattling 𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥

𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥 No time for me. No tangling. Hit you in the spot with no angle and. 𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥

𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥 I’m not a princess. A lot of anger in it. 𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥

𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥 Not your cutie girlfriend. Oh no, don’t you know? 𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥

Minako was clapping along while Minato and Yukari sang. Minato and Yukari occasionally glanced at each other while they sang, but they eventually got comfortable enough to sing their respective parts.

𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥 You cannot run away. Hell nah no man can run away. 𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥

Midway through the song, they started leaning shoulder to shoulder with each other. Minako herself was pumping her fist into the air alongside the song.

When the song ended, Minato looked at Yukari with a proud and satisfied smile. Yukari was also looking at him with a big smile on her face, which made Minato smile wider. Minako was clapping loudly for them. “That was great, you two! You actually could sing well with each other!”

“I have to admit, this does feel nice…” remarked Yukari.

“I didn’t know you’re into rap, Yukari.” said Minato.

“I wouldn’t say I’m into it…” replied Yukari. “I just heard it from Minako’s MP3 before and thought it sounded neat.”

“Thanks, Yukari-chan.” chirped Minako. “Glad to hear you liked my choices.”

“That being said, you want to sing together, Minako?” invited Yukari.

“Sure!”

When they finally got tired from singing, Minako led them to eat at Wakatsu. Yukari and Minato took their seats by the window, while Minako sat on the opposite side of the table. “Wew… that was exhausting. But satisfying, as well.” commented Yukari.

“Glad to hear that.” replied Minako. “I had a lot of fun singing with you, Yukari-chan.”

“You two did sing quite well together.” stated Minato as he picked up a shrimp. “I think your duets were the most synchronized out of all of us.”

“Maybe so, but I can see that Yukari-chan smiled wider when she sang with you.” argued Minako.

“D-Did I really?” stammered Yukari.

Minato swallowed the shrimp he just chewed. “Well, if singing together makes you happy, we should do it more often. Seeing you smile like that makes me happy too.”

Yukari blushed from Minato’s statement. “Geez, I wonder how you can say that with a straight face.”

Minako’s expression then turned flat. “Really, Minato-nii? You’re just going to say that in front of me?”

Minato shrugged. “Why not? Even if Yukari is my girlfriend, it won’t change the fact that I still care about you as my sister.”

“You have a weird way of showing it. Can’t you be considerate and not flirt in front of me who is single?”

“Would you rather I just kissed her on the cheek?”

As Yukari’s blush intensified, Minako quipped back. “Now you’re just trying to piss me off.”

“Okay, enough of that!” interrupted Yukari. “Wow, it’s times like these that I’m reminded that you’re really twins. With how different you two are sometimes, it’s easy to forget.”

The twins shared a look for a few seconds before shrugging. “We grew up together, after all. It would be weird if some aspect of us didn’t rub off on the other.” said Minato.

“Not that much, it seems.” refuted Yukari. “When you sang together, it seemed like Minako tried to overpower you.”

“That’s just because Minato-nii was singing too softly!” argued Minako while pointing her chopsticks towards her brother.

“You seemed to want to sing louder, so I just let you.” argued Minato back.

“When I sing louder, you’re supposed to do the same to match me, be on equal ground!”

“Since when is that a rule?”

Yukari giggled at the twin’s arguments. “You two are so silly sometimes.”

“Oh yeah, before I forget.” Minako pulled something out of her purse. It was a small present wrapped in red wrapping paper with black polka dots. “Here, my present for you.”

Yukari took the present. After she slowly unwrapped it, she saw a box of assorted candy and confectionery. Underneath it, there was a simple arctic blue scarf. Her eyes sparkled as she took in the present. “Wow, this scarf is very cute, Minako! I think I have a sweater that would go nicely with this!”

“Glad you liked it. I was thinking it would complement your pink cardigan there.” replied Minako.

“It could work… but the sweater I’m thinking of will work better. Oh, let’s try the sweets!”

Yukari then opened the box and took one of it into her mouth. She immediately grinned in delight after she chewed a bit. “This is sooo good! Did you get this from that sweet shop near here?”

“I did. Was it too obvious?” replied Minako.

“I just have a hunch.” stated Yukari after she swallowed the daifuku. “I mean, if you say sweets to anyone around here, they would think of that Strip Mall store first.”

“That’s fair.” shrugged Minako.

“But… I don’t think I can finish all this by myself…” murmured Yukari. “Let’s eat this together!”

Minako was surprised by Yukari’s offer. “Are you sure, Yukari-chan? This is your present, after all…”

“I think that’s too much sugar for me for one day. And I think I’ll just forget about it if I put it in the dorm’s fridge. Besides, I can treat this as enjoying the stuff I liked with my best friend and my… boyfriend…” Yukari was left blushing as she said the last part.

Minato smiled warmly at Yukari. “Alright. Then let’s enjoy it.”

After they had finished the box of sweets, Yukari then breathed out a long sigh. “Thanks, you two. It’s nice to relax and have fun with you guys like this. After what happened to Shinjiro-senpai…”

“Hey, none of that!” chided Minako. “We gotta stay positive! Don’t make it sound like he’s already gone. I’m sure he will make it through! C’mon, the birthday girl needs to be happy.”

Yukari let out a small smile. “Yeah, you’re right… Even so… you’ve been spoiling me this whole day. I’ll make sure to pay you back in kind on your birthday.”

“Is that a challenge, Yukari-chan?” smirked Minako.

“It is. Don’t think you’re the only one who can plan a fun birthday celebration.” declared Yukari with a smirk as well.

“You don’t have to go out of your way too much, though.” said Minato.

“What did I say about trying to talk me out of this?” sighed Yukari.

== October 22nd, 2009 ==

More days passed without any issues. Fuuka mentioned two days ago that her Persona changed from Lucia to Juno. Minako had to admit that she was curious. What new powers could Fuuka get from her change? Akihiko and Ken didn’t seem much different, even if she could tell that their newfound immunities were a welcome addition. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any plan to explore Tartarus that day, and Minako didn’t feel like going to Tartarus just to see Fuuka’s new Persona. Hence why she decided to explore tonight.

But before that, Minako had one other thing in mind. She had noticed that there was a new recording in the command room. So, after dragging her brother along with her, she’s now in front of the command room’s console. “Seriously though, just what kind of bug does this thing have to suddenly record things at random?” mused Minato.

Minako shrugged. “Dunno. But whatever it is, it’s proven to be quite entertaining for us. Except that last one.”

The twins involuntarily shuddered at the memory of briefly seeing Mitsuru wearing only a bath towel. They didn’t dare to continue watching, and they still didn’t want to actually watch it. It’s not that the recording itself was scary, but the risk of being caught by Mitsuru was the biggest deterrent. Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Minako proceeded to play the newest recording.

The recording showed Yukari in her room, trying out a maid outfit. Minako snickered a bit seeing that. For as much as she complained about having to wear it, Yukari was actually curious as well. The recording continued with Yukari pondering about the outfit, thinking about wearing it around the dorm for a day before quickly deciding against it, then Fuuka arriving and being dragged into wearing the maid outfit by Yukari.

Minako giggled as the recording ended. “Didn’t expect her to actually try it out herself. She kept saying she was embarrassed to wear it. What was that about rather standing in the middle of the typhoon than…”

Minako’s words trailed off when she looked towards her brother. Minato was turning his head away with a light blush on his face. Seeing that, Minako grew a wide smirk. “What’s this, Minato-nii? Do you actually like seeing something like that?”

When Minato stayed silent, Minako continued. “Or… I noticed that you only seemed to get embarrassed when it involved Yukari-chan. Do you like it because it was Yukari-chan wearing it?”

“Mina… please…”

“Hm… maybe I should suggest to Yukari-chan to wear it for you sometimes. Or maybe I should’ve given it to her on her birthday. I wonder what her reaction would be…”

“Please don’t…”

“Why not? Wouldn’t you rather see her wearing it in the flesh instead of through some cameras?”

“Y-you shouldn’t force her to do something she doesn’t want to…” Minato weakly tried to argue.

“Oh, I’m sure I can convince her to do it. She already has some thoughts of wearing it, after all…”

== November 1st, 2009 ==

At Tartarus’ lobby, Minato stood in a combat stance, holding a wooden sword wrapped in foam. About 2 meters in front of him, Minako also stood tall, holding a wooden staff almost covered with foam.

Minako soon dashed forward, swinging her staff diagonally downward. Minato blocked the swing with his sword, before pushing it away. He followed it up with a horizontal slash, which Minako blocked with her staff in return. She then jerked the bottom tip of her staff upwards, pushing Minato’s sword away while swinging the staff against him. Minato ducked in response, and followed it up with a diagonal swing from below. Realizing she couldn’t block it in time, Minako promptly jumped back. Both of them then pulled out their Evokers.

“Titania!”
“Surt!”

Fire and ice collided between the two of them, generating a large amount of smoke and vapor. Minato promptly dashed through the smoke, but it turned out that Minako had the same idea. The moment they saw the other right in front of them, they swung their respective weapons. Sword and staff clashed within the smoke. Both of them pulled back their weapons and swung from a different direction, once again clashing. Another pull, another swing, and another clash. The twins then jumped back again, pulling their Evokers.

“Thor!”
“Atropos!”

Wind and electricity flew and passed through each other. Seeing that, the twins ran around while bringing the Evokers to their temples again.

“Suzaku!”
“Yaksini!”

A purple female demon flew out from Minako while a red-feathered bird appeared behind Minato. As the demon brought down its sword against Minato, the bird spat out several fireballs. Minato suddenly stopped his running and let the Yaksini’s swords land in front of him, before thrusting his own sword against the Persona. Minako herself just changed direction to dodge the fireballs, charging straight to Minato. She thrust her staff towards Minato. As the staff got near, Minato raised his right foot and stomped on Minako’s staff, startling her. He followed it up with an upward swing of his sword, hitting Minako straight to her chest and sending her falling backwards.

“And, done! Match over!” shouted Mitsuru.

At Mitsuru’s cue, Minato relaxed his stance. He then offered his hand towards Minako. She took it, and he pulled to help her up. “That brings our score to an even 1 to 1.” remarked Minato.

“Yeah…” grumbled Minako. “I was sure that last attack would hit you.”

“Did you really expect the same trick to work on me twice?”

“I didn’t expect you to already have a counter for it that quickly.”

“The important thing is that you were able to learn something from that fight.” interjected Mitsuru. “Now, who wishes to go next?”

Most of SEES exchanged uneasy glances among each other. Then slowly, Ken raised his hand. “Um… Mitsuru-san? Is it too late to say that we’re having second thoughts about this?”

“Yeah… that fight looked pretty intimidating from here.” said Junpei with a grimace.

Yukari nodded in agreement. “I mean, it’s one thing when we were fighting side-by-side. But when we realize that we need to face someone with the ability to change Personas at will…”

Mitsuru let out a huge sigh. “We’re not doing this out of competition, remember?”

“Well, yeah… but losing just like that still kinda sucks, you know…” defended Junpei.

“C’mon, guys. No need to be that scared.” assuage Minako. “All we can do is change Personas, not be completely invincible.”

“No matter the Personas we use, we still have our strengths and weaknesses.” explained Minato. “All we can do is simply exchange them at will.”

“I know that. But still…” Yukari’s voice trailed off.

“Honestly, I would prefer for each of us to try to fight our leaders at least once.” stated Mitsuru. “We still know next to nothing about the members of Strega, so we need to be prepared for anything they might throw at us.”

“Sorry, I don’t think we have the stamina to do that…” said Minato while rubbing the back of his neck.

“Don’t worry, no one will blame you for that.” replied Mitsuru.

“Well, we shouldn’t waste time.” interjected Akihiko as he prepared his boxing gloves. “Minato, are you still good to go? I want to see how I fare against you.”

Minato nodded in response. “Sure. Let’s go, senpai.”

== November 2nd, 2009 ==

At night, all of SEES convened in the lounge. With the next full moon coming the next day, everyone wanted to meet one last time before their final operation as SEES.

“...Well, tomorrow will be our last operation.” said Fuuka.

“Yeah…” Yukari nodded in agreement. “We’ve been through a lot these last six months… Don’t ya think, Minato?”

“It felt like it went by in a flash.” replied Minato.

“You felt that way too, huh?”

“It was a lot better than doing nothing, right?” remarked Junpei. “Besides, we made some new friends.”

Ken looked away with a small scowl on his face. “...Yeah, I guess…”

Minako quickly pulled Ken into a headlock. “C’mon, don’t be like that. Sure, it wasn’t all happy times, but I’m glad to have gone through this with all of you.”

Koromaru also joined in by nuzzling around Ken’s legs, which made Ken smile a little. Minato was glad to see that. Even if Ken had said that he wished to move forward from the tragedy, it was still obvious that the pain hadn't gone away. But that didn’t mean he had to endure it alone.

“Yeah. It wasn’t easy, but I say it was worth it.” added Akihiko. “It’s been two and a half years since I got this power, and you don’t hear me complaining.”

“Akihiko-san…” muttered Ken. Koromaru yipped once in response.

“Two and a half years is a long time. Oh wait… For Aigis, it’s been even longer, huh?” commented Fuuka.

“I was asleep for much of the time, so I have not been in operation for very long.” supplied Aigis.

“How bout you, Mitsuru-senpai? You started before Akihiko-senpai, right?” asked Junpei.

Mitsuru was briefly startled when the topic suddenly shifted to her. “Me? Yes, it was just me at first. Of course, back then, SEES didn’t exist, and this was just a regular dorm.”

“Did the chairman recruit you?” inquired Yukari.

“No…” answered Mitsuru weakly, before picking up her voice again. “I’ve been aware of the Dark Hour since I was a child… One time, my father’s research team was attacked by Shadows. That’s when I awakened to my Persona… when I witnessed the incident.”

“That’s what happened…?” mused Yukari.

“It seems I was the first.” stated Mitsuru. Her expression then turned downcast. “If that never happened, perhaps none of you would have to bear this terrible burden.”

“Senpai…” muttered Fuuka.

“It would’ve happened to someone eventually…” argued Akihiko. “Besides, the enemy can’t just be ignored.”

“And if you looked at it another way, it was thanks to you that we can know as much as we do.” added Minato. “If it were anyone else, we’d probably be entirely clueless.”

Mitsuru smiled warmly at Akihiko and Minato. “...I suppose that’s another perspective.”

Fool Social Link – Rank 6

Chapter Text

== October 8th, 2009 ==

At lunchtime, Minako went to the gym. She was hoping to talk to Akihiko that day, and she knew where he would most likely be. As expected, Minako saw Akihiko was in the middle of punching the sandbag. She then called out to him. “Hi, senpai. Training, again?”

Akihiko, surprised by someone calling to him, stopped his punches and turned around. “Oh, it’s you Minako. Yeah, I’m just getting some exercise in.”

“Shouldn’t you be eating lunch right now?”

“I will. After some light exercise, I’m going to eat.”

Minako then sat down on one of the benches while she watched Akihiko continuing his punching exercise. After a few minutes, Akihiko stopped, walked over to the bench Minako was sitting on, and grabbed the bento box placed there. He then sat beside Minako and opened the bento. “So, what brings you here?” asked Akihiko.

“I… I just want to talk with you…”

“Okay… What do you wanna talk about?” asked Akihiko as he began eating his bento.

“It’s…” Minako was still hesitant to bring the topic up. While Akihiko seemed to be standing strong, she still felt that this was a sensitive topic. There was a possibility that Akihiko was just putting up a tough front. Minako would know that trick…

Minako gritted her teeth and decided to take the plunge. “It’s… it’s about Shinjiro-senpai…”

The mention of Shinjiro’s name made Akihiko pause on his eating. He pursed his lips as he put his chopsticks down. “Are you worried about me?”

“A little. I still remembered what you said three days ago, but I’m just wondering if you’re really okay. I mean, I still feel like I couldn’t accept it…”

“I admit, it still hurts.” sighed Akihiko. “Shinji got shot and almost died. I still can’t let go of that fear I felt when I saw him like that. And then, I found out that he was already dying from another reason, and he didn’t tell me anything about it.”

Minako scowled even more. But before she could say anything, Akihiko continued. “But, he got shot trying to protect Ken. He did the right thing, and I’m not ashamed of him for doing that, even if it caused some grief. And regarding the side-effects of those drugs, I have faith in Mitsuru. I’m sure the Kirijo Group’s doctors will be able to help Shinji.”

Minako forced herself to smile. “I see… You’re really strong, Senpai. I… I don’t think I could just… let it go like that. I kept remembering that night. And when I do, I keep thinking of the worst… that Shinjiro-senpai could’ve died that night.”

Akihiko shook his head. “No one said you should just forget about it. But you also need to believe in Shinji. He’s quite tough, and quite the stubborn guy. I’m sure he will pull through.”

“Y-yeah… You’re right, senpai…” Minako still felt some fear. But as Akihiko said, she needed to believe that Shinjiro would make it. She wanted to believe in Shinjiro, and in Akihiko as well.

Akihiko began patting Minako’s back and smiled at her. “Already feeling better?”

Minako smiled back at him. “A little. I’m still afraid… But like you said, I need to believe in Shinjiro-senpai.”

“That’s good. I say you’re more suited to smiling instead of frowning.”

Minako blushed a little from Akihiko’s unintentional compliment. “Y-you think so?”

“Yeah. Maybe I’m just more used to seeing you smile. Either way, if you need any help, feel free to call me. I’ll make sure to help you any way I can.”

“Thanks. I will, senpai.”

== October 15th, 2009 ==

While going back to the dorm, Minato found himself going along with Junpei. Minako had pulled Yukari along to go with her earlier for some unknown reason, while Aigis was just content walking behind them a bit of distance away. In a way, this situation was good. Minato had planned to talk to Junpei, so he’s not going to let this chance go.

Junpei had a look of despair during the walk. Minato could already guess why, but he couldn’t resist commenting on it. “Not doing so well?”

“Nope.” answered Junpei. “Can’t make sense of any of the questions in the last exam. Did we ever study about those in class?”

“I’m pretty sure we did. Are you still having trouble studying?”

“I’m ALWAYS having trouble studying. Man, I’m jealous of you sometimes. You look like you don’t have much trouble at all.”

“That’s not true. I still need to study, just like you.”

“Says the one who scored the highest in our grade.” scoffed Junpei.

Minato chuckled a bit. “Maybe a last minute study group would do wonders. What do you say?”

“I don’t think it would help at this point…” sighed Junpei.

A few minutes of silence then passed between the two of them. Minato had considered easing into it, but he couldn’t find the opportunity. So, he decided to just bring it up directly. “So, how are you holding up over Shinjiro-senpai’s situation? I know it’s been over a week, but…”

“You’re just going to ask me that directly, huh?” responded Junpei. He then took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m not sure if I’m actually over it. I mean, we all heard what Akihiko-senpai said back then… But I can’t just accept that.”

“It’s normal to be sad when someone close to you gets hurt. Especially when that person almost died and is now in a coma. I’m sure… Akihiko-senpai was the most devastated among all of us. But from what he said, I think he managed to find some hope beyond the tragedy.”

“He really is one strong dude, huh? I can see why he would be so popular.”

“You can be as strong as well. You just need the right push.”

“I seriously doubt that. I mean, look at me. I’m still bummed ‘til now. I bet if you, or any of us got hurt again, I’ll be moping ‘round for weeks.”

“Are you sure about that? Sure, if anything happens, you will mope around. But I think you and my sister will be the first ones to snap out of it and try to cheer everyone up.” Minato has seen them try after all, around July when the atmosphere around the dorm was tense after Mitsuru revealed the incident ten years ago.

Junpei just released a weak, sarcastic laugh in response to that. “Sure I will. What about you, though? You seemed to be doin’ better than you did a few days ago. You finally got some good sleep?”

“Yeah. Yukari has been a massive help in that part.”

“So Yuka-tan did help you out that night!” mused Junpei proudly. “Good for you, man!”

“She did. Her help has really done wonders. And perhaps, that’s what could help you in this. Maybe you could try talking with Chidori about this?”

Junpei’s grin immediately turned into a scowl. “Yeaaah… are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, you and Yuka-tan are kinda in the same boat, so you can kinda help each other. But Chidori and I? What am I supposed to tell her? That one of her friends almost killed mine?! That’s just gonna make it awkward!”

“Of course not. I’m not asking you to tell her every detail. Just say that one of your friends almost died. No need to mention anything about Takaya.”

They stopped talking for a bit while getting their monorail ticket. While waiting for the monorail to arrive, Junpei tried to resume the conversation. “Do you think that will help? I’d feel kinda bad if I'd just dump my problem on Chidorita like that yet it didn’t do anything.”

Minato shrugged. “It helped me, at least. I’ve already talked with Mina before, yet I’m still having problems. Sometimes, we could use the extra support.”

Junpei went silent for a few seconds, contemplating what Minato just said. He then spoke up. “I guess… talking with you helped a little. Alright, I’ll try talking with Chidorita. If nothing else, being near her would help.”

Minato placed his hand on Junpei’s shoulder, giving him a warm smile. “Glad to hear that. Now, about that study session…”

Junpei quickly groaned in despair.

== October 16th, 2009 ==

After finishing the exam on the day, Mitsuru quickly went to review and prepare for the next day’s exam, as per usual. Books and papers lined up in front of her on the living room table. But that night, something was slightly different. Akihiko had decided to join her in reviewing and studying. At first, both of them went through their material in relative silence. But curiosity got the better of Mitsuru, and she decided to speak up. “Akihiko, it’s rare for you to join me in this. Usually you would be in your room to study on your own.”

Akihiko chuckled lightly in response. “What? Am I distracting you?”

Mitsuru smiled back at him. “Please don’t misunderstand. I still appreciate your company tonight. But you can’t deny that your actions have made me curious. So tell me, is something on your mind?”

“You got me there. I was thinking of talking about it after we’re done studying. But since you’ve brought it up… I guess we can talk now.”

Akihiko cocked back his head while taking a deep breath. “I want to talk to you about Shinji. Minako came and talked to me about him the other day.”

For a brief moment, Mitsuru felt a pit forming in her stomach. But the mention of what her field leader did brought back a small smile to her face. “Did she now?”

“Yeah. She was still obviously distressed about it. Yet she came to me because she’s worried about me.”

“That is just what we expected from her, isn't it?”

“It is. But after she talked to me, I remembered that you were quite close to Shinji as well. So, how are you feeling?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m close to him…” Mitsuru weakly denied. “But I will admit to some distress regarding his situation. I always imagined that we would still see him around, even if he’s not fighting alongside us. So seeing him in that condition… It was quite a shock.”

“Yeah… Me too…”

Mitsuru put down her pen and crossed her arms, her face scowling. “There hasn't been much progress from the hospital as well. While Aragaki’s condition has stabilized, the doctors haven’t found much about the drugs, or its effect on Aragaki’s body. I know that I should be patient, but…”

“I see… You’re still feeling down, huh?”

“I apologize. I know that is not what you wanted to hear…”

Akihiko raised his hand in front of him. “No, it’s okay. I know how hard it is to see him like that, so I won’t blame you for still feeling down. I’m just going to say what I said to Minako back then: You know how tough and stubborn Shinji can get. I’m sure that one day, he will just stubborn out his injury and wake up. And probably complaining to us for even being worried about him.”

“Perhaps you’re right.” Mitsuru then let out a small sigh. “I admire you, Akihiko. You’re still able to stay strong, even when someone so close to you gets hurt.”

“Do I look like that? I’m still trying to sort out my feelings myself. I just can’t let it slow me down or Shinji might just chew me out later.”

“And that is precisely the strength I’m talking about. You’re still hurt, but you’re still able to press on. Not many people are able to do that.”

Akihiko shot a small smile at her. “Thanks. I guess having someone to motivate you could help a lot.”

“Indeed, it does. Now, I think that was quite the productive conversation. How about we go back to our studies?”

“Yeah. We still need to set a good example for our juniors.”

== October 25th, 2009 ==

Come nighttime, Minako found Fuuka on the second floor’s lounge. She was reading a book alone. Minako had planned to talk to Fuuka and now she saw the perfect opportunity. Dragging her brother along, Minako greeted Fuuka with a smile. “Hey, Fuuka-chan! Can I talk with you?”

Fuuka was startled by Minako’s sudden greeting, quickly turning her attention to her friend. “Oh, Minako-chan. Sure, what do you want to talk about?”

Minako took the seat opposite of Fuuka, pulling Minato to sit beside her. “It’s… I’m going to ask you straight out. Are you feeling okay? You know… considering what happened to Shinjiro-senpai…”

Fuuka’s expression turned downcast. “O-oh… I-I see…”

Fuuka then went quiet for a short while. Minako briefly wondered if she shouldn’t have brought the topic up. It has been 3 weeks since then, and perhaps Fuuka was already healing but she bringing this up was just opening an old wound.

Fuuka then took a deep breath and spoke up. “Well, I wouldn’t say I’m completely over it already… I’m still… sad… that Shinjiro-senpai got hurt. And I still wished that it didn’t happen…”

“Fuuka…” muttered Minato.

“But I know I can’t stay sad all the time.” continued Fuuka. “Shinjiro-senpai would be disappointed if I just moped around. And, I need to keep up hope. I want to keep hoping that Shinjiro-senpai will wake up, that he will recover so we can laugh and have fun with everyone again.”

“I don’t think we ever heard him laugh, though.” said Minato with a small smile.

Fuuka giggled at that. “That’s true.”

Minako smiled warmly towards Fuuka. “Glad to hear that you’re fine, Fuuka-chan. I was worried that you would still…”

“Thank you for your concern, Minako-chan.” replied Fuuka.

“Don’t think you need to shoulder it all alone, Fuuka. You can always talk to any of us if you’re feeling down.” offered Minato.

“I will. Thanks for the offer, Minato-kun.”

A sudden yip from stairs startled the three of them. Looking over, Minako saw Koromaru sitting near the stairs, wagging his tail while looking at them expectantly.

“Oh, Koro-chan.” cooed Minako. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

Koromaru yipped twice in response, his tail swinging faster. “I’m guessing that’s a yes. Do you want to join us, Fuuka?” offered Minato.

“I’d love to!” answered Fuuka.

== October 27th, 2009 ==

After returning to the dorm, the twins went around the dorm to search for Mitsuru. They soon found her at the command room, looking over a bunch of documents that were spread out on the table. When they opened the door, Mitsuru noticed and greeted them. “Ah, Minato-san, Minako-san. Are you looking for me?”

“Yeah.” answered Minako. “Are you busy?”

Mitsuru put on a disarming smile. “Not at all. I’m just looking over some transactional records for the Kirijo Group from last year.”

“That’s some heavy stuff.” remarked Minato as the twin walked over to the couch. “Are you already preparing to take over the company?”

Mitsuru chuckled in response. “It’s nothing like that. I simply wished to help my father in some small way.”

As the twin sat down, Mitsuru promptly asked them. “I take it you’re here to ask me about my feelings regarding Aragaki?”

“Um… yeah… were you expecting us?” asked Minako.

Mitsuru smiled at them. “Of course. I saw you talking to Yamagishi two days ago. Akihiko also mentioned how you came to talk to him a few weeks ago. I must commend you both for taking care of the team.”

“It’s… nothing big. It’s what we should be doing for our friends.” replied Minako.

"Honestly, it’s half to atone for letting the incident with Shinjiro-senpai even happen in the first place."  Minako thought.

“It’s still something commendable.” responded Mitsuru. “As for your inquiry, I’m already doing much better now. Aragaki’s condition has stabilized. He’s not in any more danger, even though it’s still unknown when he will wake up. The doctors have also been making progress. They managed to pinpoint where Aragaki’s body was failing, and made some progress regarding the Persona suppression drug. They are now working on fixing his body, as well as working on flushing the drug out of Aragaki’s system. Knowing that, I have high hopes that we will see him awake again.”

“That’s… good news, senpai.” commented Minako.

“Indeed, it is. I haven’t told anyone else about this yet. There isn’t much progress to speak of, and the details would probably bore you.” explained Mitsuru.

“Hearing that little bit is already enough to keep our hopes up.” replied Minato. “Thanks for sharing that, senpai.”

“I should be thanking you as well, for making sure the team is still in good condition. Thank you for doing something I couldn’t.” said Mitsuru.

“Oh, I’m sure you could do it as well, senpai.” refuted Minako.

Mitsuru shook her head, but a small smile adorned her face. “No, I won’t. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses. Yours are how you are able to connect and empathize with the people around you. It’s a very good thing to have. You two have proven to be worthy of your position as leaders.”

Minako blushed a little from the compliment. “Aw… thanks, senpai.”

“I’m just stating the truth.” said Mitsuru with a light chuckle. Her tone then suddenly turned serious. “Our last operation will come in a week. And I’m sure Strega will interfere in some way.”

“I’m sure we all expected that. We’ve made sure that everyone is ready for them.” stated Minato.

“Yes, I’ve seen how you both pushed us to be as strong as we could.” remarked Mitsuru. “But fighting Shadows and fighting Persona users are two different things. We will need different preparations for both of them.”

Minako pondered what Mitsuru said for a moment. There is some truth to it. Shadows, while dangerous, mostly behaved like mindless monsters. There were some that were unique, but even then their behavior could be easily discerned. Persona users, on the other hand, are actual people. Their behavior or pattern could change easily, even during the fight itself.

She then realized what it was that Mitsuru was implying. “Wait, are you planning what I think you’re planning?”

Mitsuru smiled at her. “We shall see. Although, it’s best that we explain this to everyone at once.”

“This should be interesting, at least.” remarked Minato.

Chapter Text

== November 3rd, 2009 ==

The full moon finally arrived. Everyone in SEES convened early in the command room to prepare for their final operation, including Ikutsuki. Minato saw that everyone was tense and determined, even his normally excitable sister. He supposed that made sense. The last special Shadow would appear, and afterwards everything would be over. And considering who else would most likely appear, there’s something else at stake as well.

As soon as the Dark Hour arrived, Fuuka promptly summoned Juno and began her search. After a few seconds, Fuuka informed the team of her finding. “I found it. It’s currently at the south end of the Moonlight Bridge. The 12th and final Shadow.”

“Hmmm. This is it…” murmured Ikutsuki.

“And as we expected, there are two Persona-users nearby…” continued Fuuka. “Strega…”

“They know this is their last chance. Even though we were expecting this, we should still be careful.” stated Mitsuru.

“Those bastards…” growled Ken.

“Saves us the trouble of looking for them.” scoffed Akihiko.

“Time to make them pay for what they did to Shinjiro-senpai!” added Minako while smacking her right fist on her left palm.

“But don’t forget our main objective.” rein in Minato. “As much as we want revenge, we kinda need to deal with them quickly. We still need to hunt the Shadow, and we don’t have much time.”

Junpei rubbed the back of his head in frustration. “I know… but dammit, I still want them to pay!”

“Then we’ll just make sure we hit them as hard as we can when fighting them.” added Minako with a smile.

“Alright, you’ve all done a fine job up to this point.” said Mitsuru. “This will be our last operation. Let’s all come back safely.”

“Last operation, huh?” pondered Minato. “When I first agreed to join this, I thought we would be doing this for years, or maybe even for the rest of our lives. To think it would be over already. But, my priority right now should be accomplishing the mission.”

“Alright, let’s finish this. For everyone.” declared Minato while standing up.

“Yeah.” responded Yukari while standing up as well.

When SEES arrived on the Moonlight Bridge, they saw the two members of Strega standing in front of them, blocking the way to the Shadow. After the two groups locked eyes with one another, Takaya began addressing them. “You know the significance of today, do you not? You claim you hunt the Shadows to prevent the disaster they bring… Yet, countless lives are lost each day without their intervention…”

Minato clicked his tongue when hearing Takaya’s rhetoric. He could practically guess what Takaya was trying to say, and he’s not interested in any of it. Around him, Minato could see that similar sentiments were shared by his friends. Minako and Mitsuru were narrowing their eyes towards Strega. Yukari was visibly rolling her eyes in disgust. Junpei was gritting his teeth in anger. Akihiko was sporting a murderous glare towards Strega. Fuuka was looking over with a look of disappointment. Ken was gripping his spear tightly. Koromaru was growling lightly.

“The power we wield is not itself evil… You cannot deny that.” continued Takaya. “So, why don’t you just admit it? You do not wish to eliminate the Dark Hour… You are merely deceiving yourselves…”

“Yeah, yeah… Are you done?” scoffed Minako.

Takaya was taken aback. “What…?”

“I’m not listening to your bullshit. The Shadows are still dangerous, and we have this power so we can stop them. So, either get out of our way or we’ll swat you aside.”

Takaya let out a sigh of disappointment. “So… you intend to deny it to the very end… You are indeed foolish children… Erasing the Dark Hour is the same as erasing yourselves. Is even that beyond your comprehension? As I believed, our goals are irreconcilable.”

Takaya then turned to his partner. “Jin…”

Jin snorted out in dismissal. “Forget these maggots.”

“Fate shall decide who will prevail.” declared Takaya. “Come…”

Both sides quickly went into their battle stances. Fuuka promptly informed her SEES teammates. “Both of them repel darkness, while Jin also repels fire.”

“You little…!” growled Jin. “So that’s your support?!”

“I see that you’ve lied to me, child.” muttered Takaya while glaring towards Ken, which caused Ken to gulp.

“What does it matter to you?” Minato growled back while putting one hand in front of Ken. “Proceed as planned!”

Minako and Mitsuru quickly drew their Evokers.

“Surt!”
“Pentheselia!”

Both Takaya and Jin jumped aside as a fireball and streaks of ice flew towards them. The two spells collided between them, and it caused a massive vapor explosion. As a massive cloud of vapor covered the area and engulfed both members of Strega, Minato gave his next orders while drawing his Evoker. “Alright! Send in the opening volley! Pazuzu!”

“Hermes!”
“Caesar!”

Takaya and Jin still couldn’t see anything through the vapor cloud, and they were bombarded by torrents of piercing energy and electricity, followed up by Hermes dive bombing Jin. Shortly afterwards, Minato saw several fireballs flying over from the cloud to their location, but none of the attacks even came close to any of them. Seeing that, Minato just smirked.

Yukari and Aigis threw the next volley. An arrow flew over and hit Jin on his left shoulder, while Palladion flew and rammed Takaya.

“Direct hit!” informed Fuuka.

A blast of wind then erupted from Strega’s position, blowing away all of the vapor. From there, the members of SEES saw that Takaya had summoned his Persona, Hypnos. It looked like a person, hunching back, flying with wings that were seemingly grafted into its spine. But as the vapor cloud cleared, the twins already had their Evokers ready.

“Atropos!”
“Thor!”

Wind and lightning hit Takaya and Jin respectively. Takaya was pushed back while Jin staggered. Yukari and Junpei followed it up, with a wind blast to Jin and a kick from Hermes to Takaya. With that, both members of Strega were pushed back even further. Jin spat out a curse while drawing his Evoker.

“Moros!”

Jin’s Persona looked like a robot made of a bunch of spheres, with some kind of UFO for a head. It only has a single hand which seemingly was able to spin around its body. The hand spun around, before eventually throwing a fireball to Yukari. Minato stepped in front of her and intercepted the attack. Aigis and Junpei retaliated by sending their respective Personas against Jin. The double hit knocked Jin back. Takaya responded by summoning his own Persona. He clutched his head for a few seconds, and the Persona suddenly appeared.

“What the…?! Did his Persona just…?!” exclaimed Ken in shock.

“He can summon his Persona without an Evoker…” mused Mitsuru. “I’ve heard it’s possible, but to see it first hand…”

Takaya’s Persona sent a bolt of electricity towards Junpei. It hit Junpei directly, staggering him a bit.

Akihiko darted forward and sent a left hook straight to Takaya’s face. Takaya flinched from the punch, before pulling out his revolver and aimed it towards Akihiko. Akihiko merely stepped back, and Kala-Nemi punched downwards right in front of Takaya. The close attack startled him, prompting him to step back.

Jin quickly threw a grenade over to Kala-Nemi. The grenade exploded as soon as it hit Kala-Nemi, causing Ken to wince as Kala-Nemi disappeared. Mitsuru sent several ice crystals towards Jin, and they hit Jin at his left shoulder and his left leg. The ice on his leg was also frozen on the ground, making Jin stuck in place. Jin tried to pull his leg out of the ice, but it was no use. Junpei promptly sent Hermes to attack Jin from above, driving him into the ground.

Takaya aimed his revolver once more. But Minako interrupted him by sending a bolt of lightning before he could even fire. The electricity staggered him for a moment, and Minato followed it up with an ice spike. The ice froze over Takaya’s entire right arm. Koromaru sent a fireball to Takaya. The fireball hit Takaya and the ice on his arm, causing another vapor explosion. Being right in the middle of the blast, Takaya was flung to the side. Ken wasted no time and summoned Kala-Nemi to punch Takaya straight into the ground while he was still flying.

For a few moments, the attacks stopped as Strega didn’t move from their lying down position. As Strega twitched and tried to get up, all of SEES resumed their battle stance. But when they saw that neither of them were in any condition to continue fighting, SEES relaxed their stance and walked over to them.

“Astonishing… Is this the power… of naturally awakened Persona-users?” said Takaya in-between coughing.

“It’s insane… how come their powers are so different than ours…?” grumbled Jin.

“What do you mean by that?” inquired Mitsuru.

“For us, it’s not that simple… It has to be forced out!” explained Jin with some venom in his voice. “Didn’t your pal tell you?”

“So it was you who was giving Shinji those pills!” barked Akihiko. He took one step towards Strega, but Minato raised his hand in front of him, stopping him.

“You guys don’t have the slightest clue what will happen if the Dark Hour disappears, do you?” growled Jin. “It won’t matter for normal people, since they don’t remember anything anyway… but for us–”

“That’s enough.” interrupted Takaya. “We’ve lost. There’s no need to debate the matter any longer.”

“Yeah.” stated Jin as both Strega members inched closer to the railings. “Looks like you’ve got your wish.”

“Wait…” murmured Junpei as his eyes went wide. “Are they going to…?”

“I’d rather die than surrender to you!” Jin spat out. “Take a good look! This is how we live!”

Both Strega members then leaned over and fell over the bridge’s railing, and not without Takaya cackling all the while. Minako, Yukari, and Junpei ran over to try and catch them, but it was too late. They could only watch as Strega disappeared into the blood red river below the bridge.

“They jumped…” murmured Yukari in disbelief.

“What the hell were they thinking?!” shouted Junpei.

“And I thought they couldn’t be more insane…” muttered Minako.

“They chose their own fate. Don’t let it faze you.” assuage Akihiko.

“Right. We’ve already wasted enough time dealing with them.” stated Minato as he looked over to the Shadow. “We still have our main target waiting for us.”

“Yes. Let’s go.” affirmed Mitsuru.

As the team ran closer, they finally got a better look at the Shadow. It looked like a giant, muscled man hanging by its skin on a metal frame. It’s floating high up, with two sets of propellers made of wings. Below it, Minako saw three marble statues standing tall. Are those part of the Shadow?

“It’s so high up…” remarked Fuuka. “Can we even reach it?”

Yukari summoned Io and then drew one arrow. She pulled back on her bow, wind converging on the tip of her arrow. “One way to find out!” shouted Yukari.

She let the arrow loose, and the wind further boosted the speed of the arrow. But, soon an ice crystal shot out from one of the statues, shooting the arrow out of the air. Yukari’s mouth went agape seeing that. “Huh? Did it just…?”

“Okay, now that’s just unfair.” quipped Ken.

“Wait! Our situation is not as helpless as it looks!” informed Fuuka. “I can sense that the statues and the Shadow are giving off the same reading. They must be connected somehow.”

“That means we need to break those statues to get to the Shadow.” concluded Minato.

As soon as Minato said that, streaks of fire, ice, and electricity shot out from the statues. SEES promptly split up to the sides to dodge the spells, while bringing out their own Evokers. Streams of various elements flew from the team, drowning the statues in attack. And then with Hermes and Palladion barreling through them, the statues broke apart and dissipated into black mist. The Shadow above them rattled a bit, before crashing down in front of them. “The Shadow is now vulnerable!” informed Fuuka.

“Then give it everything we got!” ordered Minako.

The team launched a barrage of attacks against the Shadow. After a few seconds, the Shadow flailed its hand towards the team, forcing them to jump back. With the team taking their distance, the Shadow slammed its right fist onto the ground. Black ooze poured out when it lifted its fist, dripping from between its fingers. The black ooze coalesced, forming a Maya-type Shadow. “It summoned another Shadow?” squeaked out Fuuka.

“Looks like it doesn’t want to fight us directly.” commented Minato as he raised his Evoker. “Suzaku!”

A fireball spewed out of the red-feathered Persona, incinerating the newly spawned Shadow. Junpei and Aigis sent Hermes and Palladion to ram the Shadow, accompanied by multiple elemental spells from everyone. The Shadow flailed around under the assault, before crawling over and trying to slam its right fist against the team. SEES simply backed away, and continued their barrage of elements and bullets.

The Shadow then slammed its left fist to the ground. The three marble statues emerged again in front of it, and the Shadow soon took flight again.

“Oh, come on! Did it just fly off again?!” groaned Junpei.

“And just like before, those statues are there.” commented Minato. “Do the same as last time! Break those things!”

The team launched their attacks against the statues. But the statues launched their own attacks to intercept them, even as far as shooting Hermes and Palladion mid-flight.

“They canceled out our attacks?!” shouted Yukari with indignation.

“So they know how to defend themselves…” muttered Mitsuru.

“But they also can’t attack that quickly.” informed Fuuka. “There’s quite a delay between each of their attacks.”

Minako did notice that some of their attacks were intercepted by a single spell. Due to them attacking at the same time from the same direction, the statues would only need something big enough to catch two or three of their attacks at once.

“Surround them! We’ll attack them from multiple directions!” ordered Minato. “And make sure to stagger our attacks. Those from the same directions are not to attack at the same time!”

“Akihiko-senpai, Ken-kun, you go to the left! Yukari-chan, Junpei, Mitsuru-senpai, to the right! Aigis and Koromaru are to go behind them!” instructed Minako.

“Understood!” “Got it!”

Minako observed something odd while his friends moved to their positions. " They didn’t attack while we’re moving? Are they saving their attack to intercept ours? I need to keep a careful watch of anything."

To Minako’s relief, the statues didn’t have anything new to surprise the team with. The statues crumbled under the combined assault, and the Shadow soon fell. They all stepped back to avoid the falling Shadow, and quickly charged forward as soon as it hit the ground.

After a few moments, the Shadow flailed around again, forcing the team to fall back. Minako then noticed that the Shadow didn’t stop flailing. More black ooze was dripping from both of its hands. Due to its flailing, the ooze was spread around the bridge. Each drop eventually turned into more Maya Shadow. “Are you serious?!” shouted Akihiko.

“Thin out their numbers!” barked Minato. “We can’t let them overrun us!”

All of them moved to attack the newly formed Shadows, practically ignoring the large one. Instead of joining the fight, the Hanged Man slammed its left fist to the ground, and summoned nine statues in front of it. The large Shadow then floated away. “Are you serious?! Again?!” wailed Junpei as he slashed one of the Mayas.

“There are more statues this time.” said Minato while stabbing another Maya. “Fuuka, what’s going on with those statues?”

“They’re not any stronger or weaker than the ones before.” informed Fuuka. “But it seems that they each have different capabilities this time.”

“Does that mean they can attack us with anything?!” shouted Ken as he stabbed another Shadow.

“Sure sounds like it.” replied Minako as she blocked a Shadow with her naginata. “Eliminate the smaller Shadows first!”

All of them went on taking out the Shadows, while dodging the occasional attack thrown from the statues. Quickly enough, all of the Maya Shadow were eliminated. “That’s the last one.” reported Aigis.

“Now what?” asked Yukari.

“We’re gonna be wasting time if we keep dealing with those statues…” mused Minato.

“But we don’t have any other options…” mused Mitsuru.

Minato pondered for a minute before bringing up his Evoker to his temple. “Cover me.” instructed Minato.

“What? What do you–?”

Yukari’s question was cut off as Minato summoned Suzaku. As soon as the red-feathered Persona appeared, Minato grabbed it by the leg and began flying up towards the Shadow. “Minato-nii?!” shrieked Minako as she saw what her brother had done.

“That’s what he meant by ‘cover him’?!” exclaimed Junpei as he drew his Evoker. “Hermes!”

“Of all the reckless…!” complained Yukari while drawing her own Evoker. “Io!”

As expected, the statues began throwing their spells to Minato. Even without any instruction from Minako, the entire team quickly moved to intercept any attacks that went to their flying leader. Minako could feel the glare coming from Yukari, even when she knew that she wasn’t the target of the archer’s anger. Minako could understand the feeling. Even if she trusted that her brother knew what he was doing, it was still nerve-wracking to see him floating off while being showered with enemy’s attacks.

When Minato managed to get close, the Shadow reached out to grab him. Minako could feel her heart stop for a moment seeing how close he was to being grabbed like that. Judging by the little shriek coming from Yukari, Minako could tell that her best friend felt the same way. To Minako’s relief, Minato swerved away from the Shadow’s hand, and he somehow landed on the back of the Shadow.

“So… what should we do?” inquired Ken.

Minako bit her lips in frustration as she thought up her options, all of them carried unacceptable risk in her mind. “I don’t think it would be a good idea to destroy those statues now. If the Shadow came down suddenly, Minato-nii might just get caught in a free fall.”

“B-But… We can’t just sit here and do nothing, can we?!” stammered Yukari.

“Honestly, even if Minato-san managed to defeat the Shadow, he would still need to fall back down.” offered Mitsuru. “Either way, we will need to find some way for him to land safely.”

Looking back up, Minako could see the Shadow wriggling around, as well as yellow bolts of energy flying out from his back and hitting the propellers. That’s good… that means her brother was still there and fighting… that he was still fine and didn’t get thrown off.

Throwing her attention back to the statues, Minako saw that they already threw another barrage of spells to the team. “Dodge!” shouted Minako.

Everyone quickly jumped to the side to dodge the barrage of spells. “Looks like they’re not giving us much options.” said Akihiko.

Minako gritted her teeth as she gave out her orders. She just needed to hope that her brother would come back safe, that all of this would work out without any tragedy. “Surround them just like before! Yukari-chan, you’re with me this time! Fuuka-chan, can you contact Minato-nii?”

“Um, actually, the Shadow is coming down!” relayed Fuuka.

“Wait, what?!” asked Ken in surprise.

Minako looked back up and saw the reason. Under Minato’s attack, the Shadow’s propeller broke off little by little and the Shadow was slowly descending. “Never mind! Everybody back away!” screamed Minako.

Everyone followed Minako’s order without any delay, and soon after the Shadow came crashing down, crushing the statues underneath it. Minako immediately ordered the team to attack the Shadow, and all of them unleashed all they had against the Shadow. Soon, the Shadow succumbed under the assault and dissipated into black mist.

Minako quickly looked over to where the Shadow was, and saw Minato standing and stretching in the middle of the bridge. Relief and anger washed over her. Alongside Yukari, she marched over to her brother. When Minato noticed them walking over to him, he began to stammer in panic. “L-look… Mina, Yukari… I was just–”

Minato’s words were cut off by Yukari pulling him by his tie and locking his lips with her own. The stunt snapped Minako out of her anger, and she looked away. Minako also saw that everyone else was also feeling awkward at the scene, except for Aigis and Koromaru.

Yukari quickly pulled away while still holding him by the tie and glaring at him. “You were what?! You got an explanation for your stunt just then?!”

Minato looked away, trying to not make eye contact with Yukari. “I… I just thought that was the fastest way to bring down the Shadow. We don’t have much time, after all. We can’t keep wasting it by dealing with the statues…”

“So you just… What makes you think that was a good idea?!”

“I… I admit that was quite reckless of me. But it was the first solid plan I could come up with.”

“You… I just can’t…” Yukari then let out a huge sigh. “Why can’t you at least talk to us first?”

“That’s… Maybe I should…”

Minako smiled fondly at the two. “Seriously, Minato-nii. I think I almost got a heart attack from seeing that…”

“Yeah… sorry about that…” apologized Minato.

“You’re still safe. That’s the most important thing for me.” Minako then murmured under her breath. “And I would’ve probably done the same, anyway.”

Turns out, Yukari had heard her mumbling. “MINAKO! You were what?!”

Minako smiled sheepishly. “Oops… You heard that?”

Yukari’s glare returned and directed at Minako, and Minako found herself shrinking under it. “Don’t say that! You’re just going to encourage Minato to repeat the same stunt next time!” exclaimed Yukari.

“Sorry! And… it’s not like there will be a next time… right?”

The mood surrounding the team relaxed a bit at the implication of Minako’s words. They all relaxed their posture. “Yeah… it’s really over…” mused Junpei.

“Yes. Operation completed. Or should I say, ‘Mission complete’.” replied Aigis.

“Indeed… It’s finally over…” muttered Mitsuru.

“I believe a celebration is in order.” intoned Aigis. “What will be our victory cheer?”

“That’s…” murmured Minato.

“It’s ‘Hip hip hooray’!” Minako cut in. “Let’s go, everyone! Say it with me! Hip hip hooray!”

“Hip hip hooray.” said Aigis in a flat tone.

Minako’s mood quickly plummeted when hearing the lack of cheer in Aigis’ voice, not to mention the fact that none of her friends joined in. “Okay, I can understand Aigis not being enthusiastic, but why aren’t you guys following along?!” shouted Minako while stomping her foot.

Yukari snickered at the display. “Sorry. You were so excited about it, we didn’t have time to process it.”

“Do it over?” offered Junpei.

Minako crossed her arm while huffing and looking away. “Forget it. It’s ruined now…”

A wave of laughter went over the entire group, while Minako sulked a bit and her brother patted her back in consolation. After the laughter died down, Junpei spoke up. “So, um, Senpai… You’re gonna throw us a party tomorrow, right?”

Mitsuru let out a small, fond sigh. “You don’t waste any time, do you? Well, I suppose I could arrange for it.”

“Ooh! In that case, how ‘bout sushi?!” offered Junpei in excitement.

“Sushi, huh… It’s been a while…” mused Akihiko. “Well, I got dibs on the halibut and sea urchin!”

“Oh, then I call the fatty tuna.” Yukari followed up.

“Dibs on the octopus!” called out Minako.

Fuuka panicked a little seeing everyone calling out. “Um, we’re divvying it up already? In that case, save me the salmon roe.”

“Hey, wait a minute… You can’t do that!” interjected Junpei.

“I reserve the shrimp, squid, scallops, and sea eel.” stated Aigis.

“That’s not fair! You don’t even eat!” squawked out Junpei in indignation.

Ken shook his head while sighing. “You should all be ashamed of yourselves, fighting over sushi.”

He then looked straight at Mitsuru. “Senpai, please order tamago for me. They say you can tell a chef’s skill by how he prepares eggs.”

“Um, how old are you again?” snarked Yukari.

Mitsuru just chuckled over their entire exchange. “Okay, okay. I’ll have the very best delivered tomorrow.”

Junpei quickly got excited again. “For real?! Aw man, it’s great to be alive!”

“Don’t get too excited, Junpei. You’re getting the leftovers.” teased Yukari.

Junpei’s eyes went wide in disbelief. “What?! But… It was my idea in the first place!”

Another wave of laughter went over the group. When the laughter stopped, they all looked up to the full moon hanging over them. “I guess it’s time to say goodbye to the Dark Hour. Even though it seemed like a curse, for some reason I’m reluctant to let it go.” mused Mitsuru.

“Yeah…” murmured Akihiko.

“It has been a big part of our life lately.” contemplated Minato. “It won’t be easy adjusting to a new routine.”

“But we still won’t regret it.” affirmed Yukari while taking Minato’s hand. “It’s still what needs to be done.”

“It is.” confirmed Mitsuru. “It’s what we will do, even if no one knows it.”

Minako kept staring at the full moon in the sky. This would be the last time she saw the moon like that. The last time she would experience the Dark Hour, after being a part of it as long as she could remember. She wondered what it would be like to finally go live her high school life normally, alongside all of the friends she has made. Whatever it would be like, she was sure it would be fun. The next day, it would be the start of a new part of their lives.

Chapter Text

== November 4th, 2009 ==

The next morning, Minato heard a voice he never expected to hear at this time.

“Good morning. This is the first time we’ve talked during the daytime.”

Minato got up to a sitting position as he looked over to the source of the familiar voice. Even when he recognized the voice, Minato was still surprised to see it. Pharos was sitting on the edge of his bed, smiling widely. “Nice weather, isn’t it? This is indeed a new day. …For both of us.” cheered Pharos.

“You’re…” mumbled Minato. “You’re here…”

“I am.” responded Pharos. “I’m here to tell you something important. All the fragments of my memory… They’ve finally come together. I now know my role clearly. The time has come. And… as difficult as it may be, I’m afraid this also meant goodbye.”

Minato felt his breath hitch for a moment. “Why…?” Even if the circumstances weren’t normal, Minato had grown fond of Pharos. He was a bit weird, but with it came child-like innocence and curiosity. And he was friendly and trying to be helpful, even if the help didn’t amount to much.

“Because I need to fulfill my role.” answered Pharos. “Even so, I want you to know… For me, our friendship was a miracle. But, miracles don’t last forever. …If only they did.”

Minato hung his head and bit his lips, trying to stop himself from crying. “...Yeah.”

“I shall treasure our conversation always. Even if today is the end, the bond between us can never be severed. …Remember that.”

Pharos then disappeared and reappeared near the window. “It was fun while it lasted. …Farewell.”

It was then that Pharos disappeared. And this time, it felt permanent. Minato could only stare out of the window. He figured that it made sense. Whatever little connection he had with Pharos was connected to the Dark Hour. And with the Dark Hour gone, so would Pharos. In the end, he never did figure out who or what Pharos was, or what was his situation and connection to the Dark Hour. And now that he’s gone, Minato would never find out. He could only hope that Pharos would be happy out there.

Minato’s Death Social Link – Rank 10

The school days felt like it went by in a flash. Minako was too excited for the upcoming celebration that night. Junpei was similarly excited. And while Yukari tried to hide it, Minako could see that she was looking forward to it too. Minato wasn’t as excited as the others. In fact, it seemed that he was absorbed in thinking about something. Minato had told her at lunchtime that Pharos had suddenly left, so she figured it must be about that.

When they arrived back at the dorm, Minako could see several trays of sushi spread out at the lounge’s table. They all eagerly took a seat around the table. “Whoa… Nice spread.” said Junpei in awe.

“The slices are huge!” exclaimed Yukari.

Junpei’s stomach suddenly growled. “Man, I’m starving… Can we eat?”

“I can’t… resist… much longer…” muttered Minako while half-reaching out to the sushi in front of her.

Minato grabbed her by the wrist and pulled it beside her. “Let’s wait for a little longer.”

“Speaking of that, where are Aigis-san and Ikutsuki-san?” asked Ken.

“He took her to the lab for a tune-up or something.” replied Akihiko. “He said they’ll join us later.”

Fuuka giggled. “The chairman just can’t stay away from the lab, can he?”

Then, they heard the sound of a car stopping in front of the dorm. Minako briefly wondered who else would be coming, but Mitsuru answered before she could even voice it. “That must be my father.”

All of SEES got up and walked over to greet the Kirijo Group CEO. Takeharu Kirijo walked into the dorm, flanked by two other people, presumably his secretary and bodyguard. “We’ve been waiting for you.” greeted Mitsuru.

Takeharu glanced over to the entire group. “So, it’s over at last, huh…”

“Yes.” answered Mitsuru firmly.

“Congratulations, everyone. You’ve done well. There are no words to express my gratitude. Though you will never receive the recognition you deserve, it is undoubtedly a monumental achievement.”

“Thank you.” responded Akihiko.

With a nod, Takeharu continued. “Even when you have your lives unrecoverably altered by the Dark Hour, you still lend us your aid. For that, I give all of you my thanks.”

“Oh, that’s… It’s nothing…” stammered Minako.

“Y-Yeah… I-It’s no big deal.” Yukari was also stuttering.

Takeharu continued his speech. “The 12 Shadows that were the cause of all of your troubles have been destroyed, thanks to your efforts. You needn’t bear this burden any longer. You deserve a chance to experience the joys of youth. The Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad will be dissolved as of midnight tonight.”

Minako, alongside everyone else, was mildly surprised by Takeharu’s announcement. Undeterred, Takeharu continued on. “No longer must you put your lives on the line of battle. Tomorrow, you can triumphantly return to your normal school life.”

Minako started to have mixed feelings on the matter. She knew that it was only logical, the group's sole purpose was to fight and stop the Shadows. So with the Dark Hour gone, there was no need for SEES anymore. But even with that reasoning, she still felt sad. Being in SEES and fighting Shadows were the things that brought them together. She quickly shook the thoughts out of her head when she realized that even without all the Shadow business, there’s nothing stopping them from hanging out as friends.

Takeharu became slightly concerned seeing the silence and small frowns on everyone’s faces. “...Is something the matter?”

“Oh, it’s nothing…” deflected Akihiko.

Whether or not Takeharu accepted Akihiko’s answer, Minako couldn’t tell. Takeharu just opted to stay silent. After a short while, Mitsuru declared to the team. “Alright, everyone. It’s time to celebrate. Your feast awaits you. There’s no need to hold back; eat as much as you’d like.”

Junpei beamed in excitement. “Sweet! I’ve been waiting for you to say that!”

“Sushi time!” shouted Minako.

Both Junpei and Minako practically sprinted back to the table. As soon as she sat at the couch, Minako heard the usual ring whenever one of her bonds got stronger. Feeling that was her bond with the team, she was half-bummed that she wasn’t as close as she could even when their adventure was over. She quickly shrugged it off, figuring that she could always hang out with them after this. Her biggest interest right now was the sushi in front of her. She already saw Junpei busy picking out one of every sushi type, while the others were taking their seats.

Fool Social Link – Rank 7

Halfway through the meal, Junpei stood up and called for everyone’s attention. “Listen up, everyone…. I have an idea. How ‘bout we all take a picture?”

Everyone stared at Junpei with a confused expression. Unfazed, Junpei simply took out a camera from his blazers pocket. “Actually, I tried to take one last night… but I forgot it wouldn’t work during the Dark Hour.”

“You mean… you brought a camera with you into battle?” asked Akihiko in an incredulous tone.

“Well, it was our last battle, after all.” answered Junpei.

“That… doesn’t answer anything, Junpei.” quipped Minato.

“Don’t worry about the details…” waived Junpei. He then walked over to Takeharu’s bodyguard. “Hey, could ya take our picture?”

“I feel like such a tourist…” sighed Yukari. But her expression quickly soften. “But I have to admit… I kinda want a picture, too.”

As the bodyguard took the camera and went to his position, Junpei realized something. “Oh wait… Ikutsuki-san and Aigis aren’t here. …I guess we’ll have to take another one later. Alright, everyone get together.”

Everyone then got up from their seats, and walked over to the front of the door. They took their position for the group photo. Mitsuru, Fuuka, Ken, Yukari, and Minako were at the front, while Takeharu, Akihiko, Junpei, and Minato were at the back, and Koromaru sat right in front of Ken. After a few minutes of settling their position, the bodyguard called out. “Is everyone ready?”

“You bet!” exclaimed Junpei while raising his hands.

“Knock it off.” admonished Akihiko.

“Junpei, don’t move around too much.” added Minako.

“Awww…” teased Junpei.

“Geez… let’s not keep this poor guy waiting all day to take the picture.” bemoaned Yukari. She then called out to the bodyguard. “Hey, we’re good to go. You can take the pictures anytime!”

“Time to strike a pose!” called out Junpei while flashing a V-sign in front of him. His hand also went in front of Akihiko, who was standing next to him.

“Ah– Hey, get your hand outta my face!” chided Akihiko while shoving him away lightly. Junpei staggered back from the shove, and it all went to chaos from there. Junpei squeaked in panic as he almost fell down, and it caused almost everyone to look over to Junpei in worry. Koromaru also ended up barking in the confusion, which prompted Ken to pick him up and hug him to comfort him. Unfortunately, that was when the bodyguard snapped the picture.

Looking at the result, Junpei grumbled. “Is it just me… or did this not get my good side? W-We’re gonna take another one once Aigis and Ikutsuki-san come back, alright?!”

Mitsuru smiled in amusement. “Yes, yes, we hear you. I could get used to a worry-free life like this…”

Koromaru then yipped once, drawing everyone’s attention. “How about you, Koro-chan? Are you glad to get all this meat?” cooed Fuuka.

Koromaru barked once in response. Judging by his expression, Minako guessed that Koromaru was happy. Aigis wasn’t around, so there’s no one to translate Koromaru for the team. It’s not even a full day and she already started to miss the awkward android. It was a strange feeling. Just a few months ago, Minako would want nothing more than to have Aigis be as far away from Minato as possible. But now, she felt like she could trust the android with her brother's safety. Maybe she still couldn’t leave Aigis alone with him, but she could think that Aigis had Minato’s well-being in mind.

The rest of the celebration went peacefully. As the sushi in the trays started to diminish, Minako noticed that most of her friends had already stopped eating. “H-Hey, how come nobody’s eating? Don’t tell me you’re full already!” asked Junpei.

“Are you kidding? I’m stuffed.” groaned Yukari.

“Me too…” moaned Fuuka. “I couldn’t eat another bite.”

“What about you, senpai?” inquired Junpei.

Mitsuru just opted to stay silent, while Akihiko responded. “I’m good for now.”

“Alright then. More for us.” replied Minako while licking her lips.

“Not everyday you can get sushi with this quality.” intoned Minato while picking up more sushi to his plate.

“Why does it look like you two can eat another tray?” grumbled Yukari.

The twins just shrugged in response while picking up more sushi. Shortly afterwards, Koromaru trotted closer to Junpei, who noticed the shiba inu. “Wanna try some, Koro-chan?” offered Junpei.

“Don’t give the dog raw fish! You’ll make him sick!” snapped Yukari.

Koromaru whimpered at being denied sushi. While Minako could understand Yukari’s concern, she still felt pity for Koromaru. While everyone was eating good sushi, Koromaru had to be left aside due to health concerns. Maybe she could ask for Minato or Yukari to help her cook food for Koromaru to make up for it.

Junpei took out his phone and flipped it open. “I wonder what’s taking those two so long… It’s almost midnight.

What happened next surprised everyone. Just as the clock struck midnight, the atmosphere gained its green tint. The bodyguard and the secretary accompanying Takeharu Kirijo transmogrified. All the indicators that the Dark Hour was still around.

“The hell…?!” muttered Junpei.

“The people in suits… They’ve transmogrified…” commented Ken.

“I thought we ended the Dark Hour!” exclaimed Junpei. “Senpai, what’s going on…?!”

“I don’t know…” Mitsuru weakly answered.

“Apparently, I was right to have my doubts.” huffed Akihiko.

“Yeah, something didn’t feel right…” added Ken.

“No way…” muttered Junpei as he hung his head down.

Minako found herself at a loss for words. She thought they'd done all they could to get rid of the Dark Hour. She was looking forward to just simply living her high school life, having fun with her friends. Yet, here she was, sitting in the dorm lounge in the Dark Hour. The green hue around the air felt like taunting her, as if declaring that it wasn’t going away that easily.

As Minako stewed in her thoughts, she started hearing something from outside of the dorm. It was a relatively quiet noise, as if it came from a quite distant location. Evidently, she wasn’t the only one hearing it, as Yukari spoke up. “Hey… Do you hear that? It sounds like a bell, but… where is it coming from?”

Noone answered her. After a few seconds of silence, Takeharu suddenly stood up and voiced a different question. “Where’s Ikutsuki?”

When nobody answered again, Takeharu continued. “Well?! Why is he late?! He’s got Aigis with him, doesn’t he?!”

Minako half-wondered what Aigis got to do with Ikutsuki being late, but she decided to not voice that question. Mitsuru, on the other hand, simply stood up as well with a determined look on her face. “Everyone… prepare for battle! We’re heading for Tartarus.” instructed Mitsuru.

“Um… to do what?” asked Fuuka hesitantly.

“I don’t know… but that’s where the sound is coming from.” answered Mitsuru. “We have to find out what’s going on.”

Everyone nodded in agreement before going back to their respective rooms to grab their gear. When they all regrouped at the lounge, they wordlessly made their way to Tartarus.

Arriving at Tartarus, Minako could see Ikutsuki standing at the entrance. He had a satisfied look on his face, which made Minako uneasy. Why would he be so calm about this?

“Ikutsuki-san!” shouted Akihiko.

“Ikutsuki-san?! What’s going on?!” asked Junpei, wide-eyed in confusion.

“You said the Dark Hour and Tartarus would disappear if we defeated the 12 Shadows.” growled Akihiko. “That’s why we fought so hard! But now–”

Ikutsuki didn’t dignify them with any answer. He just stood there, smirking, as if he had everything figured out. After a few seconds of staring at each other, Mitsuru stepped forward. “What is your intention?”

Minako looked at Mitsuru in confusion. What did she figure out? Mitsuru continued when Ikutsuki remained silent. “It was all a lie, wasn’t it? You knew from the beginning that the Dark Hour wouldn’t disappear.”

“Excellent deduction, Mitsuru.” Ikutsuki sarcastically congratulated her. “Unfortunately, your realization has come too late.”

“No…” murmured Yukari.

“You tricked us?!” spat out Ken.

Ikutsuki’s grin grew wider. “Everything is as I planned… It is not unexpected that the Dark Hour and Tartarus remain. In fact, I never intended for you to rid the world of them. Quite the opposite, actually.”

“What do you mean?” Fuuka fearfully asked.

“The 12 Shadows were parts of a whole… They were destined to be reunited.” explained Ikutsuki as his grin grew manic. “And that was accomplished in no small part, thanks to your efforts. Soon, Death, the almighty, shall arise and bring forth the Fall…”

Minako had to grit her teeth. She really wanted to just run up and punch Ikutsuki in his smug face. It wouldn’t be hard. There’s nothing stopping her, afterall. Glancing over to Minato, she saw that her brother was low-key growling while glaring at Ikutsuki.

“Death…?” murmured Ken.

“What are you talking about?!” shouted Akihiko.

“The end of all shall come and free this world from despair…” Minako swore Ikutsuki looked like a madman at this point. “The death of everything… but also the beginning.”

“Wh-What is he saying…? Is he out of his mind…?” stammered Yukari.

Ikutsuki's expression suddenly changed into something bitter. “Ten years ago… I, too, was a scientist for the project we’ve spoken of. The experiment went awry, but that is not why the Dark Hour and Tartarus were born. They manifested as a result of harvesting the Shadows’ power – just as the experiment was designed to do. This is why your grandfather gathered so many Shadows… To bring about the Fall.”

“T-That can’t be…” stuttered Mitsuru.

Ikutsuki’s expression turned manic again. “People have filled the world, yet turned it into a void! The only hope of salvation lies in ruin! According to the prophecy… The Fall will be orchestrated by ‘the Prince’. And once the Prince has delivered us all, he will rule the new world as King! The man who tried it ten years ago failed, but I will not; I shall succeed!”

“Man, he’s totally lost it!” commented Junpei.

Ikutsuki then took a second to school his expression back into something resembling a friendly face. “I apologize for deceiving you, but this is for your sake as well. If you follow me just for a little while longer, you too, will find salvation.”

Fuuka was aghast. “You call that salvation?!”

“Not gonna happen!” Minato spat out.

“What makes you think we will want to be part of that?!” challenged Minako.

“Don’t worry; the ignorant will be saved equally…” assuage Ikutsuki.

Yukari then stepped forward a bit. “...I have a question for you.”

Ikutsuki let out a sigh slightly filled with disappointment. “Yes?”

“In the video from my father… He said to defeat the Shadows… Was that a lie, too?”

Surprisingly, or perhaps not surprisingly, Ikutsuki let out a smug smirk. “Ah… he did record that himself. Of course, I had to make some modifications.”

Everyone in SEES went wide-eyed from Ikutsuki’s admission. Minako herself was seeing red at that moment. Surely she could punch his face in right then and there.

“You doctored it?!” spat out Mitsuru.

“I corrected it.” refuted Ikutsuki, which just made everyone in SEES even more furious.

Ikutsuki then addressed Yukari again. “Your father was a superb scientist… He may not have known it, but I truly respected him. While others focused on the Shadows’ abilities, he explored much more important things… But unfortunately, he could not comprehend the magnificent potential of the Fall…”

“What…?” muttered Yukari with venom in her voice.

“He left that recording at the expense of his life.” growled Mitsuru.

Ikutsuki just shrugged. “It would seem so. But it did prove rather useful, so I’m sure he’s happy.”

“So you were behind it all?!” barked Yukari. “You used both me and my father!”

“‘Used’ is such an ugly word… It was for the sake of the world, so how could it be wrong?” argued Ikutsuki.

At that point, everyone were gripping their weapons tightly. Minako was sure, if she just gave the order right there, all of her friends would eagerly pounce on the bastard in front of them. Before that, Mitsuru declared her sentiments. “Our role is to correct the mistakes of the past. And we intend to do just that.”

“I agree. And I’m sure everyone’s with you, senpai.” affirmed Minako, with everyone in SEES assumed their combat stance.

Ikutsuki let out a huge sigh of disappointment. “How disappointing. I had hoped you would see the light. But you are just children, after all. I suppose it can’t be helped.”

Ikutsuki then pulled out some kind of remote control from his coat. He pointed it towards the group, and ordered. “Aigis! The time has come for you to fulfill your role. Capture them, and prepare them to be sacrificed!”

“Huh? Aigis…? Where…?” muttered Fuuka in confusion.

Minako suddenly sensed something from behind her. She quickly placed her naginata on her back. Just then, multiple gunshots rang out from behind the group, and everyone fell to the ground. Minako was the only lucky one, as whatever it was that made her friends collapse to the ground had hit her naginata instead.

“Minato-nii! Everyone!” screamed Minako. “Aigis! What do you…”

Minako’s words immediately died out as she turned around and fully saw Aigis, in what her situation the android was in. Aigis was still extending her hands, her finger guns still aiming in her direction. But Minako saw something wrong. Aigis’ eyes were empty, lifeless. While Aigis still couldn’t be called ‘alive’ in the strictest sense, her eyes were still radiating curiosity and innocence. What Minako saw at that time wasn’t that. Aigis was reduced to just a robot, a puppet following her master’s whim.

Minako felt rage boiling inside of her. She may still have some reservations regarding Aigis, but she still thought of Aigis as a friend. “SHUJI IKUTSUKI!” growled Minako in full fury.

“Aigis, complete your assignment!” ordered Ikutsuki.

“Understood.” said Aigis in the most lifeless tone Minako had ever heard from her.

Aigis proceeded to charge towards Minako. Minako blocked her arm with her naginata. “Aigis, knock it off! Is this really what you want to do?!” pleaded Minako.

Aigis twitched a little, allowing Minako to push back. But Aigis soon pushed back again, rounding her arm around Minako’s naginata and opening her finger guns. Minako swatted the hand away before the guns could fire. She then pulled out her Evoker.

“Dammit! If you can’t listen–”

Minako was interrupted by someone grabbing her by the arm and jabbing something to her neck. She quickly felt her body growing numb, and soon she fell to her knees. Glancing over, Minako saw Ikutsuki standing next to her, holding a syringe in his hand and sporting a smug smirk on his face. She could feel her body hitting the ground before fully blacking out.

Slowly, Minako could feel her consciousness returning. Her body still felt sore, and her head felt like it was being stabbed over and over. When she could see again, she tried to take a look at her situation. She found out that she was being tied up and suspended on some kind of cross. When she looked around, she saw that all of her friends were in the same precarious situation. As for where they were, it seemed to be some kind of rooftop in Tartarus. And considering she couldn’t remember the place, Minako assumed it to be some area they never explored before.

Minato was the first to awaken after her. “Minato-nii…” Minako called out to her brother.

“What’s going…” muttered Minato weakly. Her friends then also awaken one by one.

“What the hell?!” exclaimed Junpei.

“What is this?!” shouted Yukari.

“Dammit… I can’t get these off…” grunted Akihiko while trying to wriggle himself free from the chains.

“Father!” shouted Mitsuru as she looked straight ahead.

Minako averted her gaze to where Mitsuru was looking. Right below them, Aigis was restraining Takeharu in an arm lock, facing Ikutsuki.

“Ikutsuki… What is the meaning of this?!” demanded Takeharu.

“It is just as it appears… They are to be sacrifices – harbingers of the Fall.” explained Ikutsuki calmly. “The arrangements are complete; the prophecy shall be fulfilled.”

“What?!” shouted Akihiko.

“You son of a bitch! I’m gonna rip your head off!” snarled Junpei.

Minako tried and pulled hard at her arms, but she couldn’t break loose. She wasn’t going to just be helpless and let everyone die like this!

Ikutsuki just shook his head. “My my… what a commotion… Aigis. Direct your aim at Kirijo-san.”

Aigis wordlessly complied with Ikutsuki’s order. The moment Aigis’ finger guns touched Takeharu’s temple, Minako felt a pit in her stomach. She tried and tried to pull herself out of the restraints, feeling the chains digging through her skin, but the chains wouldn’t budge. Was she going to see another one of her friends get hurt again?!

“Father!” wailed Mitsuru.

“You traitor! Are you insane?!” growled Takeharu.

“Of course not.” responded Ikutsuki. “...You know, your father was an unlucky man. Even you, his son, after all this time, still could not understand his vision.”

“My father was wrong.” asserted Takeharu. “Death as deliverance… That is not an ideology anyone should ever embrace!”

“Fool…!” dismissed Ikutsuki. “You are but a nuisance now. …Aigis! Go on ahead and give this man his honorable ‘deliverance’!”

“Wait! Please, Aigis! Noo!!” pleaded Mitsuru frantically while tugging at her restraints.

Surprisingly, Aigis stopped. She grunted in pain, but not following Ikutsuki’s order. It gave Minako a small hope that Aigis was not completely gone, that her friend was still fighting on the inside.

“What are you doing, Aigis?!” demanded Ikutsuki.

“I… am…” muttered Aigis slowly. She then lowered her gun from Takeharu’s head, to Minako’s slight relief.

Ikutsuki then grunted in irritation as he pulled out his gun. “Ten years! I’ve wasted ten long years! I’m not like your father… I won’t make any exceptions!”

In those short moments, Takeharu pushed Aigis aside and pulled his own gun from inside his jacket. Ikutsuki’s eyes widened in surprise as Takeharu aimed his gun back at Ikutsuki. Two simultaneous gunshot rang out, and the two men below stopped moving. Shortly afterwards, Takeharu fell to the ground, blood flowing out from underneath him.

“Father…” whispered Mitsuru in a broken tone, before suddenly wailing her heart out. “FATHER!!”

Ikutsuki was holding himself on the stomach. Blood can be seen staining over his brown suit where he held himself. “Argh… Damn it… Aigis… Execute the sacrifices! Let’s end this!”

Aigis slowly turned to face where Minako and her friends were crucified. She then raised both of her hands, aiming her finger guns towards SEES. “Aigis, please no!” pleaded Fuuka.

“Dammit, snap out of it!” shouted Junpei.

“Aigis-san!” screamed Ken in fear. “Please hear us!”

“Aigis, please don’t do this!” pleaded Minako. “Isn't it your mission to protect humanity?!”

Aigis remained unmoving, while still aiming her guns at everyone. For a split second, Minako could see from Aigis’ eyes the same light of life she always remembered seeing on Aigis flickered, before disappearing again.

“I know you can listen to us, Aigis!” Minako pleaded further. “Is this truly what you wanted? What about your mission to protect us?!”

“Yeah, we’re your friends, Aigis!” Yukari joined in. “Please, wake up!”

“Don’t let him control you!” shouted Akihiko. “You’re not a puppet! I know you’re much more than that!”

“Don’t listen to them, Aigis!” shouted Ikutsuki back. “Finish this!”

When Aigis’ eyes remained unfocused and empty, Minako felt her despair growing. “Aigis, please! Didn’t you say that you’ll keep Minato-nii safe?!” Minako really wished to believe that Aigis’ feeling regarding her brother was genuine. That she truly wanted to keep Minato safe.

“Minato-san…” muttered Aigis. Minako’s hope returned for a moment when she heard that, only to be dashed moments later when she heard Aigis’ gun barrels locking. Minako closed her eyes right before Aigis began firing. She braced for the bullets’ impact, but it never came. Instead, she felt herself freed from the chains that restrained her and began falling from the cross. Looking around, she saw that everyone else was similarly freed.

“She did it…” muttered Akihiko with a smirk.

“Aigis!” shouted Yukari in relief.

“Wha…?! You damned defective machine!” growled Ikutsuki while pulling out the same remote control. “Why won’t you–”

Ikutsuki’s words were cut off by Koromaru pouncing on him and grabbing the remote from him. As soon as he landed, Koromaru chomped on the remote, breaking it.

SEES slowly walked over to Ikutsuki, and Akihiko gave his ultimatum. “Give it up. You’re all alone right now, and you’re injured on top of that. It’s over, Mr. Chairman…”

Ikutsuki's manic grin returned. “You don’t get it, do you? It’s useless to search for hope or reason to live in this pathetic world! A world this depraved must be started over from the beginning!”

Minako found herself looking at the Chairman in pity. All those words, they only came from someone who has lost any hope for people and the world. She couldn’t claim to live a completely happy life, but Minako could say that there’s some good and hope to be found, even in the darkest of times. Minako then briefly wondered; would she become like that, had she lost her brother as well?

“And then! At long last! I will rule over the new world!” Ikutsuki shakily raised his gun again, which prompted SEES to be on guard. But he then let his arm down limply, before staggering back while looking up towards the moon. “I was so close…”

The Chairman then fell over the edge of the roof. All of SEES could only watch in sorrow, as they saw the one person they should’ve trusted but betrayed them disappeared into the darkness below. “How did it come to this…?” muttered Yukari.

Minako found herself lost for words. She just opted to turn around and looked over to Takeharu. Mitsuru was already kneeling beside her father’s lifeless body, clutching his hand.

“One time, my father made a promise.” Mitsuru breathed out. “He swore that he would atone for endangering our generation, even if it cost him his life…”

Mitsuru then broke down crying, sobbing onto her father’s chest. “But, I… I wanted him to live… I… I became a Persona-user to protect him…”

Mitsuru continued crying, and no one dared to stop or console her. Minako herself knew full well, no words like ‘I understand’ or ‘I know how you feel’ would help. Nothing would help. So Minako, alongside everyone else, just chose to stand silently in solidarity.

== November 5th, 2009 ==

Lying down on her bed in the dorm, Minako found it hard to just fall asleep. She knew that she needed to. It didn’t matter what happened that night, she still needed to go to school in the morning. But it was just so hard to lull herself to sleep. Everything was just running and spinning inside her head. Ikutsuki’s betrayal… Aigis being used to nearly kill them… Mitsuru losing her father… And on top of that, the Dark Hour still lingered with none of them having any idea how to get rid of it.

Minako tried to turn around on her bed, and looked out the window. She saw the building that was under construction just popping out. Minako thought that was kinda impressive; the building construction only just started a few days ago and it already got that tall? Minako was thankful that there was no construction sound further hindering her from sleep.

Just when she thought of that, she heard the sound of a car stopping in front of the dorm. Minako half-wondered who could that be, especially at this hour. Picking up her phone, she flipped it open and saw the time. It was 4 o’clock in the morning?! Minako grew more and more curious. Eventually, she decided to just come down and see what’s going on.

Just as she stepped out of her room, Minako saw Yukari right in front of her door, looking out the hallway window. Yukari was startled by Minako’s opening the door, and vice versa. “Oh, Yukari-chan. You’re still up?” inquired Minako.

“Uh… yeah…” answered Yukari.

“Curious about that car?” pushed Minako further while pointing out the window.

“Yeah. You gonna check it out?”