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Chapter 51: Butter-Fly
Fate/Reach Out
Chapter 51: Butter-Fly

<><><>

The throne room turned into a warzone almost immediately. Blasts of elemental magic, mostly of fire and ice, hailed with reckless abandon. What tremors weren't caused by their destructive power came from overwhelming strikes of their opposition.

"Spread out!" Shirou ordered. "Don't give her a reason to strike us all at once!"

Vampire Satsuki either didn't hear or care about their planning. She was too busy laughing and dancing, beside herself with glee. She moved like a madman without rhyme or reason, rushing from one Persona to the next.

She barreled through Konohana Sakuya's flames to bite down on her mask, causing a spurt of blood from Yukiko's forehead along with a pained scream. She then leaped away as Tomoe lunged, grabbing her glaive in a tugging session, and then swung the warrior behind her with a thud hard enough to bounce. The gasp Chie made told her it must have hurt.

Take-Mikazuchi got a good hit in with his bolt-sword, digging into her shoulder blade. Kanji flinched, almost aghast at how gory that blow was to anything other than a shadow. That hesitation cost him as the vampire took the time to pry the blade up and out of her body, regenerating even before it was removed.

He redoubled his efforts, pushing harder and letting out an attack for good measure. "Zionga!"

A thick blue bolt struck her, a clear hit with the bolt sword as a lightning rod as it shattered. Take-Mikazuchi quickly stepped back to marvel at the gambit. Yet it did nothing to unnerve Satsuki. A twitch of her eyebrow was the only sign of discomfort she made.

"Nice trick," she smiled, holding out her hand. "High-five!"

"Huh?"

Satsuki leaped up and palmed Take-Mikazuchi's hand with her own. The high-five was more of a joy-buzzer, using her defibrillator-charged hand. It was more intense than any lightning the Persona could manage, and even through his resistance, the pain was excruciating enough to fizzle him out.

The others gasped in worry of their friend. "Kanji!" "Kanji-kun!"

"I-I'm okay!" Kanji wheezed. The attack was enough to put him to his knees, leaning on his metal board for support. He looked up to watch for any other trick-

Only to freeze, seeing Sacchin standing right in front of him, inches apart.

"Now what do we have here~?" she asked coyly. Her blood-red eyes seemed to glow as her hand reached towards his face. Towards his glasses-

WHAM! At the last moment, she moved her hand to the side and caught Jiraiya's punch before it connected with her head. She turned and smirked at the ninja Persona. Kanji took the opportunity to scamper away; not exactly cool or coordinated but he was more than a little scared of being that close to Satsuki.

"I was wondering where you holed up, Yosuke-kun," she said. "Why don't you come out and play for real?"

A burst of wind shot up from behind Jiraiya, howling like a wolf. His fist pushed harder against her hand, surprising the vampire at his ingenuity. She even had to squint her eyes as the gale and dust was starting to sting a bit.

She only blinked, but it was enough of a delay for Jiraiya to pivot his body into a spin kick. And at the exact moment the kick landed, the wind trajectory changed, boosting the force of his leg and sending her flying.

Her boyfriend had some moves AND moxie.

She righted herself in the air and exerted a burst of force to stop the pushing gale. It caught more than a few gawking fighters unaware that she was suddenly flying in mid-air, but not enough to stop the God Persona from swinging his blade down overhead.

Smirking, Satsuki clasped the blade with both hands, stopping it just from reaching her brow. The force did push her back down, her feet now planted on the ground and cracking underneath. The rumbling was loud, but… why did it sound like crackling thun-?

BOOM! A bolt of Zionga struck a moment later, singing her clothes and skin, as well as part of the castle floor. She still held firm to the blade, her smirk falling slightly out of annoyance.

"I thought we established that doesn't work?" she asked the Persona rhetorically.

Izanagi – and by proxy, Shirou – didn't answer. He just redoubled his efforts as more sparks danced across his metal tips.

Just as she contemplated whether to break his polearm, Jiraiya caught her peripheral vision. It was just a moment, but he passed the same spot again. And again, as he zipped around her in a circle.

A faint whistle, almost unheard in the roar of battle, started to grow in volume. And a thick green torrent of energy formed, with her firmly in the center. As if that wasn't enough, the booming thunder also echoed in the halls, striking almost uncontrollably around them.

Then, a brilliant white light flash, if only for an instant, directly above her. She knew as she was forced to stare up past Izanagi in their deadlock.

"Garu-!"

"Zio-!"

It was in that moment, Satsuki realized their intention. "Oh."

""Dyne!""

With the force of a jet-propelled hammer, the collision of two forces became one. A spiraling vortex that imploded on itself, and a lightning bolt as thick and hard as a tree trunk. It was enough to slam Satsuki into the floor… below the collapsed one.

<><><>

From his hiding spot of a far-off column, Yosuke gasped raggedly and patted his winded heart. It was nerve-wracking in more ways than he could count, skirting around lightning like that. But it worked. For now.

He saw Shirou from across the room, standing more resolute but no less winded. They exchanged glances and nodded. A brief respite. And as Shirou walked over to gauge the others, Yosuke finally allowed himself to fall on his butt, scurrying over to the pillar to lean on it.

"Yosuke-kun!"

His ward, his girlfriend, hovered over him immediately. If the Shadow of Sacchin was around, chances were that the vampire wasn't down for the count yet. Still, he put on a brave face and smiled at her. "No big, Sacchin. I do this kind of stuff every day."

"'Every day'?"

He winced. "Well… maybe I'm exaggerating. Just a bit."

"You still shouldn't push yourself. If I'd hurt you– If something were to happen to you, I'd…!" Shadow Sacchin's face scrunched, her normally eerie eyes glistening with tears.

It was oddly comforting that she was this torn up about his well-being. Or at least it should be. There was still a nagging doubt in his mind. "Sacchin… was our relationship real?"

It was a bad time to ask. Any moment now the vampire would show up and be no less for wear. But even in the best-case scenario, there might never be another chance.

Even she understood this, her frown falling further as she sniffled. It was for that reason that she decided to answer him. "You… weren't the first boy I liked."

Yosuke grimaced but kept quiet. He kind of expected that.

"But Shiki-kun… well, I don't think I was on his radar at all."

"Huh?" Yosuke was flabbergasted. How could anyone not appreciate the cute, spunky, and somewhat terrifyingly assertive Satsuki Yumizuka?!

"I never got a chance to tell him. Before all this, I mean. When I did, I was long gone in my primal urges and wanted to see more of his wild side. He was strong, deadly strong. Even came close enough to slaying my vampire self that I had to skip town."

Dammit, first Shirou and now this Shiki guy? Why did everyone but him get all the luck?!

Wait, that's the wrong thing to take out of this! Shirou was one thing as he seemed half-aware of the girls around him, but if Shiki never got to see what an amazing girl Sacchin was, then he was the one with the problem! Especially if he tried to kill her!

"I did have fun being your girlfriend, though," she smiled softly. With her glowing eyes closed, for a moment she looked normal and serene. "You were really funny, even when you didn't mean to be. You were attentive, considerate and kind. And you really took the time to be with me."

"Sacchin."

"I… might have influenced you with some hypnotic suggestions," she sheepishly admitted. "But it's because I wanted as much of a normal girl's life as I could, including dating!"

"Ah, that explains a lot," Yosuke said, thinking about the faded memories and why his phone would be turned off. "So uh, about this Shiki guy…"

"You're strong too, you know, Yosuke. Well, not Shiki-strong. No offense, but I'm not exaggerating when I say he can literally kill you with a single cut. I speak from experience."

Yosuke blinked. "But… you're still here? How can you be dead?"

"Because I already died. Vampires are undead, remember?" Shadow Satsuki pointed to her pale complexion and torn clothes for emphasis. "It's not simple to kill someone that is already dead."

A grim realization caused Yosuke to grimace. "So, in other words, we're screwed."

Shadow Satsuki blinked, then flushed, also realizing her verbal blunder. If it was hard to kill a vampire normally, then what chance did their team have, he was clearly wondering. "Uh… I'm still rooting for you guys!"

Yosuke knew she was trying to be helpful, so he would have accepted the awkward praise as genuine and prepared for round 3.

But the shadow of his girlfriend, feeling emboldened, grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him. Lip to lip, rather forced in, and… the teasing of a tongue through his gap.

It was their first kiss, he realized. It was made more romantic and significant as they parted lips and stared at each other with longing gazes.

"For good luck," she said demurely.

"Well," he managed with a smile. "With a kiss like that, I won't need luck."

Sacchin smiled back. And for a moment, everything was perfect.

Until a violent tremor occurred. Nay, an earthquake, threatening to tear down the whole castle with them in it.

Yosuke and Sacchin screamed upon seeing a pale hand pierce the stone floor. Or rather a set of fingers. They clenched and crushed the tile, then retreated like a timid mole. Another hand appeared near the hole, and then the same hand. They parted in opposite directions and widened the hole enough to reveal a manic vampire looking like a slasher villain.

"Heeeeeere's Sacchin!"

It happened so fast that Yosuke barely caught his train of thought. But he knew that he had to fight. He couldn't back down after his girlfriend kissed him, even if it meant fighting said girlfriend.

"Get back!" he yelled, all but shoving the Shadow away. With his free arm, he swiped at his Persona card and had Jiraiya vault down head and hands first, the shuriken gloves spinning like buzzsaws. "Power Slash!"

Satsuki smirked, swinging only one arm up, palm open, and smashed the Persona's hands at once and then his face. Yosuke felt the sickening squelch of his hands as they broke, dropping his knives before nearly blacking out from a ringing headache and flying across the room.

"Yosuke-kun!"

Thwup. His short-lived flight ended as Satsuki moved and caught him faster than he flew. "Gotcha!"

"Ghaaaa!" Yosuke screamed. She was hugging him, but in a grip so tight it might as well be a bear trap around his ribcage. And that was on top of his broken hands.

"Whoops, sorry! Don't know my own strength sometimes!" Satsuki giggled, barely easing up. "All I meant to do was to break your glasses!"

Glasses? Yosuke strained to look and saw a large hairline fracture over the right lens. The bridge was bent too. Not that it mattered, as she plucked the eyewear off his face and inspected them.

"Hey!" He tried to yell, but it came out as a pained gasp. The fog of the world was on full display and suddenly he had a migraine worse than ever.

"I thought you all just had tacky fashion sense, but these glasses have some filter on them, huh? Kind of like Shiki's, actually." She then shrugged and tossed them over her shoulder, inevitably causing them to break upon falling to the floor. "No matter. Because you're not going to fight me anymore, Yosuke-kun."

As soon as she said those words, and stared into his eyes, the pain went away. "Yes, Sacchin."

<><><>

"Up there!" Kanji cried, pointing. "She's got Yosuke-senpai!"

"Shiiiiit!" Shirou growled, putting as much fury as he could behind pulling his bowstring and firing. He aimed for her head, but she didn't seem to have a blind spot as she hovered away before it hit.

Nothing was going as planned. No, there was never a plan to begin with. The others rushed in to fight when able despite just being told to standby. They coordinated better with their surroundings, a better showing than previous encounters against Shadows.

Only Satsuki Yumizuka was a vampire. One running on fumes and still playing with them, but still a tier above their own.

And seeing that she had moved to hypnotize one of them directly by removing the glasses, she was starting to take them seriously. The room was vast with everyone spread out, but with her speed she could pick them off one at a time. Not to mention that the tension in the air was suddenly getting heavy.

"Kanji! Yosuke's compromised, stun him!"

"Wh-wha?" Kanji stammered, looking between Shirou and Yosuke above. "That's crazy, senpai!"

Shirou didn't have time to argue; Sacchin brought Yosuke down and held him up steady before she patted his back. His eyes were vacant, but his face was determined. He immediately charged towards Shirou.

"Nevermind, just keep her busy!" Shirou ordered, drawing his sword to deadlock the knives. They collided with such force that Shirou was pushed back several feet far and away from the rest of the group.

Kanji, not quite aware of what happened to Shirou, got the last word in. "Huh?! Make up your mind, man!"

"Just fight, you idiot!" Taiga sniped from behind him, rushing for the vampire.

Satsuki flexed and clenched her hand, then cocked it back for a punch. Taiga swung her Torashinai at the same moment, though the vampire's strength won out in sending her flying back.

"Kaihime!"

The Princess Persona switched in, slashing down on the arm from Satsuki's peripheral vision.

"You got her!" Kanji cheered, seeing the arm fly off.

However, as the severed arm bounced with a jet of blood, the vampire simply turned her stump and blinded Kaihime with her gushing fluid.

It surprised and burned Taiga enough that she recoiled mid-flight, and Kaihime was wiping the blood away. "Gah! Vamp juice! URK!"

Satsuki grabbed her arm and slammed it against Taiga like a hammer, sending her to the ground. Satisfied that the stubborn warrior was down for now, she lifted the arm back to her stub and reattached it with frightening ease. In her respite, Teddie conjured another tree of ice beneath her feet, but her instincts flared and she jumped away at the last minute.

She was coming in his direction now. Or would have if not a giant pyre bursting in front of her by Konohana-Sakuya. Then, out of nowhere, Tomoe leapt through the flames with a sudden torrent as the glaive slammed down. "Rainy Death!"

The attack was beautifully executed, immediately dousing the flames and slamming the vampire's head down to the ground like a basketball. Kanji saw an opportunity and capitalized on it, willing Take-Mikazuchi to gank on her. "Fatal End!'

The second attack was less graceful, but effective and gruesome with the force of a guillotine made for dinosaurs. At least, that's how Kanji viewed his attack, since there was no other apt comparison. He could probably easily take on a T-rex too.

Though a vampire was no dinosaur; even in the gory mess from him plowing her body apart, she was putting herself together in a swirl of red mist. If only he packed more than one garlic bulb! Or was it an onion?

"Dammit, just stay dead already!" Kanji yelled, going as far as having his Persona repeatedly hack at her before she could get back up.

Chie was half-tempted to join him, seeing that their efforts were fast becoming tiresome. "This isn't working. We need to hit her harder."

"No shit!"

"I got an idea, Kanji-kun! 'Taru' me!"

"Huh?" The question was enough to make him stop and look at her. "But can't you do that yourself?"

"Just do it!"

Well, it wasn't like he could keep pounding on Satsuki who rolled away the moment he stopped. He just had to trust that Chie had an idea in mind. "Tarukaja!"

A familiar orange glow illuminated her body. Satsuki noticed the change in the air, and was now diving from the air towards her. But Chie didn't move. She held her ground, her normally bouncing feet firmly locked into a guard position. She primed herself with an electrical burst around her body that shook the ground.

"Take THIS!" She threw the hardest, fastest roundhouse kick she could to her Persona card, and at the same time Tomoe swung her naginata from the side.

POW! A dual synergy-enhanced blow connected with a satisfying crack that snapped her head and body swiftly to the side, crashing to the floor.

Holy-! That was amazing! Chie-senpai not only boosted her strength but Charged herself so it would practically double!

…why the hell didn't he think of that before?

"Ha!" Chie smiled, posing with a victory sign. "How do you like… that…?" Thud. Chie fell down, and her Persona faded away.

Kanji gawked. Did she get hit after all?! "Chie-senpai!" He made two steps over to her before he too felt a sudden flash of dizziness. He fell down to his knees and nursed his headache. Take-Mikazuchi vanished too.

And… was this floor always a dry desert like where they fought Mitsuo?

"Ah, it's finally kicking in," Satsuki mused. She casually dusted herself off and cranked her neck as her injuries faded. "Was starting to wonder if that worked on Personas."

"What… did you do?" Kanji strained, trying to put weight on his good leg.

"Just neutralized your trick," she said, before plucking his glasses off. "Now stop fighting."

And with that, he was out like a light.

<><><>

Moments earlier, Shirou and Yosuke were launched far and away from anyone else, possibly out of Rise's range. Finally reinforcing his legs, Shirou managed a foothold as he swung his sword to send his dueler away. "Yosuke, snap out of it! I'm not your enemy!"

"Right, because fighting my girlfriend is more important!" Yosuke argued back, surprisingly aware. He zoomed quickly in to swing his knives, forcing Shirou on the defensive. "You never had problems with girls, given how naturally hot and suave you are!"

"I thought we got over this hurdle!"

"'Got over'? All that happened was I accepted I had a chip on my shoulder! I was still a loser, and you were still Mr. Perfect!"

A fight between words and swords. A horrible time to have one where there was a vastly more dangerous enemy nearby. And yet she was the vocal point to the argument. How much of this was Yosuke's true feelings and how much of it was hypnosis?

Again they were caught in a deadlock. "We can argue about this later. But for now-!" He slipped his free hand to the side and crushed Izanagi's card. "Stand down!"

A bolt of Zio struck Yosuke, forcing his brown-red hair on end and smoking his headphones and scarf. It should have been enough to knock him off his feet, but to Shirou's surprise, he stayed standing and looked even more incensed.

"You… FIRST!" he snarled, slashing his Jiraiya card in front of him.

With the force of a vacuum cannon, Shirou was sent barreling even further away from Yosuke and slammed on his back. Yosuke lumbered through the shock, holding his knives out with intent to kill. "Now I win!"

"Stupid Yosuke-kun!" WHACK!

Yosuke stilled from a sudden impact and then collapsed. From behind, Shadow Sacchin was standing with her eyes closed and hand extended, responsible for the dope slap.

A moment later, Yosuke groaned and rubbed the back of his head. "Aaoouch… that really smarts. Huh? Sacchin? Shirou? Aw shit, did I do that?"

"You can apologize by healing me," Shirou offered.

"Uh, good plan. Diarama!" From the Persona summon, a potent cerulean light washed over Shirou's body. Healing was not Yosuke's forte compared to Teddie or Yukiko, but it was enough to cover the pressurized cuts.

"Yosuke-kun, don't do that to your friends again!" Sacchin pouted/glared. Being on the receiving end of her smack, Yosuke was more than a little wary of being close to her again.

"Hey, come on, it was hardly my fault!" he argued. "I was hypnotized!"

"Which wouldn't have happened if you weren't so empty-headed to begin with!" Yosuke and Shirou both winced. True to form, the Shadow was brutal. "You need to learn to not listen to what others tell you to do!"

"Even when you tell me to?"

"ESPECIALLY when I tell you to! You're trying to stop me, remember!?"

In Shirou's mind, he heard his fey Persona swoon and gush. "Oh em gee. They are so ADORABLE!"

"Thanks for the help, Satsuki-san," Shirou said, now able to stand upright.

"Oh, it's the least I could do. But feel free to call me Sacchin. All my friends do."

"I feel Yosuke alone deserves that honor."

"H-Hey, man…" Yosuke stammered. He and Sacchin conveniently looked away from each other, sporting matching red faces.

Pixie was right. They were quite adorable.

The good mood suddenly turned grim as Yosuke collapsed and coughed. Sacchin quickly caught him before he fell down completely while Shirou saw Jiraiya dispelled from the room.

His senses told him something was off and very, very wrong. "Rise, are you there? What's going on?"

… "Rise?"

There was no answer. Her clairvoyant range with Himiko was able to determine the boundaries and layouts of Teddie's world, so even in this large room she should have been able to coordinate with the others. It was almost like they were cut off.

Actually, this room looked more desolate than he remembered. The lavish rugs were weathered and torn. The columns were crumbling. The gravel was loose with sand everywhere. The whole room reeked of… death.

"Shirou, hold fast of your wits and resources," he heard Izanagi say. "The land is like a vacuum now, not unlike Yomi."

"Or Hell by any other name,"
Power added bitterly.

Yes, even his prana was steadily fading away, his reinforced legs losing their boost. What's worse was that the prana wasn't just devoured or recycled in another venue. It simply vanished without a trace.

All evidence pointed to one certain fact. It was impossible to think about, but this had to be… "A Reality Marble? But how?!"

"You like it? I found out about this trick when messing around with the castle!"

The three of them balked as they saw vampire Satsuki walking towards them through a sudden red fog and the clicking of her heels. Her expression was lit with glee as if sharing a personal secret. "It sucks up all the prana in the area until it's depleted of excess energy. I call it 'Depletion Garden'."

"Satsuki-san…" Shirou knew the poor girl had a tragic fate, but for her outlook to create such a place?

"Please," Sacchin choked. "Haven't you done enough?"

Satsuki continued on, not listening to or acknowledging her Shadow. "Your friends have already been taken care of. They're not dead. Not yet. I want to make sure each and every one of you is out before deciding who to drain and who to turn."

"HIAAAAA!" A skyward scream boomed from behind as Taiga charged in with an overhead shinai swing. Satsuki whiffed to the side at the last moment and then chopped the back of her neck, sending her groaning to the ground.

"Okay, this one is tougher to put down, I'll admit," Satsuki frowned for a moment. "But," she continued with a shrug and smile, canines showing. "As you can see, without your Personas, you can't hit me."

Shirou grimaced, glancing between Satsuki and Taiga. The Reality Marble was changing the tide of the battle in Satsuki's favor. Even someone as stubborn as Fuji-nee couldn't close the gap without her Persona.

If she and Yosuke were having trouble, then no doubt the others were fading fast from mental fatigue. There would be no help from there. There were no options left… except for one.

"Yosuke," he said slowly, marching to meet the vampire. "Take Satsuki-san's Shadow as far away from here as you can."

"Shirou?"

"Uh, hello? What makes you think I'll let you do that?"

Shirou stared at her with resolution and held out his hand. A Persona card appeared, as black as night. It gave Satsuki pause from the sudden shift in aura.

Yosuke blanched. "Shirou, you can't! Not that one!"

"If our prana is going to be sucked dry, I might as well use the one Persona I know has a chance before that happens."

"That Persona also nearly killed Kanji without remorse!"

"Ideally, that's the plan."

"What?!" Yosuke felt betrayed. His friend and leader was committed to kill Sacchin after all?!

"This world egg is how Satsuki-san sees the world around her. A land devoid of all prana, all life, ceasing to even exist. It's as true to herself as the Personas are to us, but on a global scale. If we die here, she'll win and force that 'garden' on Inaba."

Even Yosuke had to admit that this whole scenario shift felt utterly wrong. It was always creepy before due to a blend of her and Mitsuo's baggage, but now it was just suffocating. Like they could actually die here from exposure alone. There have been close shaves before but this had a starching air of dread that topped all the others.

And yet he couldn't accept Sacchin's fate as being a lost cause before they even truly met. There had to be something to turn this around. An exorcism? Someone from the church Shirou mentioned before? If he could just bring out his Persona again-!

But as if sensing his conflict of resolve and desperation, Shirou said, "Yosuke, I'm not going to force you into a horrible choice."

Those words were spoken softly, with finality and regret. Ready to commit to a sin his friend didn't have the heart to do.

Because it had to be done. He was going to save his friends and the town he didn't know months ago, just because it had to be done.

Yosuke Hanamura hated Shirou Emiya for that.

Because he couldn't possibly live up to that level of faith and trust given to him.

Because unlike his good friend, he was a coward with more than a chip on his shoulder.

"…we haven't finished that fight yet, you know," said Yosuke. Sacchin looked at him, confused and horrified that he would bring that up right now, but he didn't care. He couldn't see anything but the dusty cracked floor tiles growing moist.

"And?" Shirou asked.

"I still want to punch your face in, so… don't die."

"Shirou…"

"Yeah," Shirou said, to both Yosuke and Pixie. A small smile graced his lips. "I know."

With a choked sob, Yosuke grabbed the Shadow in his arms and used the last of his prana to leap away in a wind-powered hop. He spared a passing glance at the vampire Satsuki, a last longing look to commit to memory.

He did find her choice of the evil attire hot, all things considered.

Satsuki watched him go with a frown, before she turned back to Shirou and his black card. "Big talk from a guy who is on death row."

"No one is dying here today, Satsuki Yumizuka."

"Really? And here I thought you were gonna 'save' me for my boyfriend back there? Or did you get cold feet seeing my Depletion Garden in all its glory? Killing me even in self-defense feels like a step back, no?"

Shirou was tempted. To defend Yosuke's honor. To remind her she had already been long dead. That just because he didn't like to get his hands dirty didn't mean he wouldn't do it for the sake of others. But he wouldn't give her that satisfaction, not with her Reality Marble in play.

"We both know we don't have time to wax life philosophies," he quipped instead.

Satsuki pouted. "Aw, why not?"

"Because you killed my philosophy teacher."

Satsuki chuckled. Before she could get another word in edgewise, Shirou steeled his mind and crushed the card with the confidence of playing Russian Roulette. "Kagutsuc̴̫̞̈́̓̃̀̿ẖ̵̨̏̂̏̍̕î̴̻̜͙̹!"

<><><>

From the safety of their new hiding spot, Yosuke and Shadow Sacchin heard and felt the searing explosion of the summoning. He'd only heard stories from the others that were conscious before, but the fact that it single-handedly kicked Shadow Kanji's ass meant it was powerful. Probably too powerful for Shirou to handle.

He glanced from around the shattered column that broke during the early fighting. The dichotomy of the charred black and fire-faced Persona punched its long arm down at the spot where Satsuki once stood. She leaped away and then twirled in the air to avoid a follow-up claw swipe.

At the apex of her backspin, she dive-bombed Shirou, who seemed to be in a trance. He barely paid her any mind as a literal fire wall erupted between them and singed the vampire for getting too close. Kagutsuchi, having conjured the flames with one arm, attempted to catch her with his other arm only for her to slip through his grasp once again.

It was surreal. Shirou's super Persona seemed to be able to do multiple actions at once and force Satsuki entirely on the defensive. She couldn't get a single solid hit in due to the giant's burning hard flesh. Maybe it was because Shirou was on a timer or resolved to kill her, but he was going all in on her.

It kind of worried and humbled Yosuke, seeing his friend having such an ace up his sleeve. He wanted him to win of course, but that would mean giving up Sacchin. He knew it was necessary. And yet his heart was torn, and all he could do now was watch.

Though what turned into a slightly one-sided fight in Shirou's favor became less certain as Sacchin grabbed a whole finger of Kagutsuchi and tossed him overhead. His impact with the ground caused the equivalent of an explosion as the fires hurled dust and sand around.

"Yosuke-kun," the shadow spoke suddenly. "I need one of your knives."

"What? Why?"

"I might need to protect myself if things get worse."

Yosuke stared at her intently. The explosions and shaking were now mere white noise. "That's not the real reason," he declared, frowning.

Sacchin looked away from his gaze. "Y-Yes, it is."

"Sacchin, my best friend out there is fighting your vampire body with the intent to burn her to death before he keels over! I don't see how anything could be worse than that!"

The Shadow flinched. He didn't mean to yell, but he was barely keeping his emotions in check as it is. He had a hunch, a feeling, of what she intended to do. But he wanted to know the truth. Or at least, convince himself that the reason wasn't the one he believed.

"Tell me the truth, Sacchin." He pleaded.

Sacchin's face showed a myriad of conflicting emotions. When she finally spoke, she had settled on resignation. "I'm still Satsuki Yumizuka. She hasn't accepted me as her other self, but she hasn't rejected me either."

Of course, he thought. His gaze fell to the floor.

"As long as that's true, then I can stop the monster. I can break her concentration on Depletion Garden so you can have a fighting chance. I can… end this."

He wanted to laugh at the cruel irony of it all. He'd finally got himself a girlfriend and all major signs pointed to her having to ultimately die.

She wasn't even the real culprit! Why her? This wasn't fair at all!

"Yosuke, I'm not going to force you into a horrible choice."

…life's never really fair, he realized. If his friend could keep fighting, if his girlfriend could keep fighting, why not him?

He pulled out his right-handed knife, marveling a bit at the sharpness. One of Daidara's latest works. He'd slashed plenty of Shadows and cards with it. But now, it was trembling in his hand.

Sacchin grasped his hand in hers, keeping it steady, and decidedly pointing to her heart. They looked up and stared at each other's eyes. They leaned in to kiss one more time.

It was bittersweet, but he liked to think that she made him feel the earth rumble under his feet. And not just from the fighting.

"It was for a short time," she said as they parted. "But I had a lot of fun, Yosuke-kun."

"Yeah. Didn't get to do all the stuff we said we would, though."

"You mean like in those magazines under your bed?"

"No, I mean, ye-wait NO! How did you even-?!"

She giggled. Somehow she knew about his stash and found it cute. Even now in a final goodbye she found the time to friggin' tease him! He found that both flattering and maddening. "No, I mean other things. Like binging anime over the summer, or introducing you to the rest of the guys!"

"Ah, that! There was one that had a really good opening song on your player! I think it goes…" She hummed a few bars of an uplifting stanza, one he recognized right away.

"Heh, yeah that was a great one. Cute creatures, cool monsters, and the power of friendship stuff. You'd love it."

"I know I loved the song. It felt like it could be about us. Especially now."

…god she was making this both easy and insanely hard to commit. Yet Yosuke cracked a smile (and voice) to assure her. "Then it will be our song."

"Really?!" She asked excitedly. She beamed more as he nodded. "Then I'll always be with you! Like in the song! A little butterfly!"

"That's a good thought, actually." Yosuke said. "I wonder… if Saki-senpai would think the same." He had told her about the late Saki Konishi once (or at least the vampire). Not all the details of her demise, but enough to give himself an unflattering light of the situation.

Yet the Shadow just grinned, easing his worries. "I'll give her a stern talking to when I see her."

"I'd rather you not give her a hard time, but thanks."

There was nothing else to talk about. How he wished they could just ramble about nothing like other couples did. He could forget all about the knife in his hands, the quaking of his combat boots.

Sacchin looked at him and said, "I love you Yosuke."

He wanted to confirm that back. To smile. To hug her, kiss her again. To do anything but stammer like a crying idiot.

But it took all his remaining frayed nerves just to nod, clench his eyes and scream.

And plunge the knife forward.

<><><>

Shirou's prana was finally tapped out, and Kagutsuchi couldn't maintain his form anymore. The backlash from Depletion Garden, as well as the strain of the infernal Persona, forced him down on his knees, clutching his sword of faint lingering embers. Dried blood was smeared across his shirt, one eye had swollen shut, and more than a few burns marred his hands.

Satsuki floated down to the ground, smug and no less for wear. No, it was clear that the fighting was finally getting to her, but it was moot once she drained them of their blood and made them her thralls.

If it wasn't for her damn Reality Marble…!

"Hah… nothing like working up an appetite," Satsuki grinned through her pain. She took deliberately slow steps, heels clicking. "I don't know where you got that big Persona, but I'm grateful that you didn't use it from the start."

"I'm not… done yet!" Shirou growled. With his sword firmly planted in the ground, he lifted himself up one shaky inch at a time.

"Nice last words. I'll remember them once I'm done with y-y—" Her step faltered. A look of confusion and pain flickered over her face before her cheeks puffed out.

"YUAAAACK!"

Suddenly, Satsuki doubled over and spewed blood. Her hands clutched her chest, heaving and vomiting more blood. It was enough to give the barely aware Shirou shock and alarm.

Her hacking and coughing didn't cease. What's more, the world egg surrounding them cracked and fizzled away, with nay the crushing pressure of a prana vacuum.

"What's… No! Dammit, I can't feel my Shadow! I thought he was supposed to protect me!"

Shirou grimaced. Did Satsuki's Shadow really die? What about Yosuke?

"Dammit! Dammit dammit dammit DAMMIT!" she slammed the floor with both hands in rage, hard enough to shatter the tiles. When she looked up, there was fury in her eyes and a mess of blood covering her lips. "FINE! I don't need my humanity anyway! I refuse to starve to death! I'll drain all but one of you of your blood, convince my thrall to send me back, and then turn Inaba into my domain!"

"I told you," Shirou glared, now finding it easier to regain his footing. "I'm not done yet."

"Oh, you will be. And don't worry, I'll make sure your little mystery villain suffers like the rest of the town."

They stared each other down in firm stances. Shirou knew his chances weren't great, but Yosuke and Sacchin had given him a chance. He couldn't waste it.

Before they could exchange their final blows, they heard a set of footsteps heading towards them. Followed by a voice, tired but resolute.

"Mugendai na yume no ato no nanimo nai yo no naka ja"

Shirou blinked, as he and Sacchin turned to see a familiar face walking towards them. "Yosuke?"

"Is he… singing?" Pixie wondered.

"What a beautiful, yet sad aria," Sarasvati noted.

"Sou sa itoshii, omoi mo makesou ni naru kedo"

Sacchin glared and snarled in fury. "You're first," she said cryptically before sprinting at her newest target.

Shirou's good eye widened in alarm. That was too fast for him to stop in time, even as he tried to run and reach his hand out. "YOSUKE!"

"Stay shigachi na imeeji darake no tayorinai tsubasa demo"

She was upon him in an instant. Face first, hands extended, fangs and claws ready to puncture him. She was fully intent to drain and kill him. He didn't seem to notice the immediate danger, as he continued to sing.

"Kitto toberu sa—"

Yet at the height of his meter, his Persona's Tarot card appeared between him and Satsuki. In the very next moment, it shattered – nay, detonated – in a burst of white light that sent her flying back. She quickly righted herself in midair, but looked enraged and confused as to what happened and why.

Shirou couldn't tell her if he wanted to. He had watched Yosuke closely and his prana seemed to just skyrocket. And for a moment before the explosion, he swore he saw Satsuki Yumizuka, serene and in a pristine school uniform, holding Yosuke's hand and singing next to him.

"On My Love"

That wasn't the only change, though. The ninja Persona, Jiraiya, appeared but was immediately enveloped in a light of his own as he spun in place. Almost like some anime about "senshi", the light parted as the Persona flexed his arms and legs out one at a time. His cameo gloves and boots were now shimmering red. His shuriken-covered frog-cameo hands were now armed with metal bracers. The white jumpsuit dyed itself to a cerulean blue with yellow stripes around the arms and waistline, with a metal belt stud to boot.

In a flourish, he ripped the outline of his red scarf. The jagged cuts solidified and it resembled a spinning cutter halo surrounding his body. The triangular "mouth" of the frog opened to reveal sharp incisors before rotating around to form a pinwheel. The force of the pinwheel spinning, or rather him screaming, blew up and threw away the Persona's frog-face mask, a towering and windswept red mane appearing in its place, as well as a metal face with sharp glasses.

With a final spin that quelled the winds, the Persona struck a pose with his arms flexed and poised underneath. He didn't resemble Jiraiya at all anymore, and was someone entirely new. Someone powerful.

And… there was a small fluttering, pink wisp over his shoulder too.

"SO COOOOOL!" Pixie gushed. And honestly, Shirou couldn't agree more.

"Shirou!" Yosuke called out, surprising him with a sudden Diarama spell. There was a look in his eyes, one different from before. More resolute and determined than ever. "You got enough steam for one last push?"

Smirking with renewed vigor, he echoed a familiar response from months ago. "Who the hell do you think I am?"

"Well said," Yosuke smirked back. He turned his gaze to the still active and angry vampire, pointing at her with his finger. "Now then! Let's go, Susanoo!"

Huh, so that was his new name.

Susanoo dashed forward, and Shirou could hear the faint revving of gears like a chainsaw. It took him a moment to realize it came from the wide ring around the Persona spinning against the air so quickly it churned a green veil around him. Realizing the implication as well, Satsuki dodged to the left, but still felt part of her arm tear from the razor wind.

Growling, she stomped hard on the ground to flip a shattered floor tile up, then punch it into smaller chunks that were sent rocketing towards Yosuke. Without skipping a beat, Susanoo flexed and threw his arms up, pushing the ring slightly above him. Prana also flowed from below and into the ring. Moments later, a viridian gale burst like a gunshot from the floor, dispersing the rocks before they could hit.

Shirou was not idle as that happened, popping one of the group's reserve soul candies for a burst of prana. Now that the Reality Marble was gone, there was no risk of using it now, and he summoned another Persona. "Power! Hama!"

"That won't exorcise her." Power warned.

"Doesn't have to!"

And so, he continued with the summoning. Power revealed the full glory of his black wings and vivid red armor and held his partisan aloft like a torch. Moments later, a ball of light floated in front of Satsuki, and burst into a flash. Such a spell would normally banish Shadows, but it would do nothing against stronger Shadows, let alone a vampire.

Yet it was still enough of a flashbang to irritate and blind her, however briefly.

"You miserable-!" she frothed angrily, only to get punched in the face by a red fist. And then another. And another, followed by an increasing number of blows in crescendo.

"Oraoraoraoraoraoraora!" Susanoo "cried", though it was most likely the wind from his rapid attacks.

"ORA!" This time Yosuke yelled it, throwing a fist out as well in timing with his Persona. The last punch hurled the vampire across the room like a bloody missile.

Before she could land or right herself, Power intercepted with his shield and lance, buffering her crash and skewering her through the abdomen.

"May God have mercy on your soul!" Power said.

"Shut UP!" Satsuki yelled. She swung her right hook with all her might towards the angel's face, cracking and fracturing it like a mirror. The Persona's damage transferred over to Shirou who bit back a scream and clutched his own bloodied face.

With Power gone, the spear inside her disappeared too. But the gaping wound was staining her dress, and more bile surged to rush out her lips. Satsuki realized that her wounds weren't healing as fast as they should.

Was she really going to die here? In another world, forgotten? No, no! It couldn't end here, not until she got back to Shiki and made him realize how strong she truly was without limits! If it weren't for that damn Executioner, or that other vampire, or any of those other bitches stealing him from her-!

"Garudyne!"

"SHIIIT!" she cursed, barely heard over the roar of the spell. With no time to dodge, she tucked her head and curled her arms and legs while floating, allowing the wind to blow her away while minimizing damage.

After maneuvering high and far enough away, she dive-bombed to Susanoo's position, crashing into his lanky body before the ring came back down. She bit down hard on the area of his neck, satisfied to hear a scream from his user. If she couldn't hit Yosuke directly, she'd bleed him dry through his Persona!

THRUMP!

Huh? Why was he hugging her? No, holding her in place! What is this idiot thinking?

"Shirou! I got her pinned!" he yelled out, clutching his bleeding neck. "Finish her with Izanagi's spear!"

"Yosuke?!"

"Just do it! I can take it!"

Although dismayed and appalled, Shirou couldn't refute that Yosuke was willing to go this far. Satsuki was infuriated, shaking frantically out of the bear hug Susanoo had on her despite the bite she was giving him.

But to use Izanagi?! He might be considering their combination attack from earlier, but a direct lightning strike would kill Yosuke for sure! Did he at least have a plan?

"Hey! Use me instead!"

Why would he… no wait. Actually, that would work perfectly! "Trace Persona!"

He took a running start even as magecraft copied the Persona in mind. Satsuki was starting to feel a little miffed (not worried!) that he was charging at her with another polearm weapon while she was being grappled.

Except as the weapon in his hand actualized, it formed the shape of a dagger with a curved edge and a cross of wings for a guard. She would have scoffed if her mouth wasn't full. But then she saw the blade light up.

"Pixie taser!"

The shiv pierced her weakened skin and crackled with discharge after discharge into her body. They were weak shocks, but they were aggravating and painful. Her only solace was that they seemed to transfer to Yosuke as well, who was wincing more.

And yet he cracked a smile. "H-he-heheh, not how I intended this to go, but thanks Shirou!"

Even as he bled and got electrocuted, Yosuke willed Susanoo to raise the spiked ring above them. The sparks flew up through the ring, and into a sudden formation of clouds high above. They started to crackle and boom, just like-

Thunder.

"If we're gonna end this," Yosuke said. "It's gotta be with a bang."

No, no no no no NO! This wasn't supposed to happen! NONE of this was supposed to happen! She couldn't die here to a bunch of brats who barely knew how to fight! They couldn't hold a candle to Shiki, or Ciel, or anyone back at Misaki Town! They were gonna be fodder for her big comeback, and this damn traitorous bastard who killed her was gonna suffer the worst for it!

Snarling like a beast, Satsuki dug her fangs deeper, going so far as to tear part of the Persona's flesh out and then bite back in again like prime cut meat.

He'd crack soon, he had to. That look of pain and pity was of his own weakness. He'd let go of her, out of pain and fear. He was always a coward, just as she had pegged him from the start! The pressure from her eyes would force him to admit that weakness!

And thus, he spoke, "I love you, Sacchin."

…what?

After all she had done, after reveling in her inner monster, after he killed her human remnant… he still had feelings for her?

She always wanted to hear those words. From Shiki.

She could have gotten those words from anyone else, and they wouldn't have mattered. She'd convinced Mitsuo that she was his sister and loved him, but his brotherly love didn't sway her.

And yet her eyes were suddenly moist, her body slack of any struggle.

Yosuke appeared to have a weight lifted from his shoulders, and not just because the mutual grapple between her and Susanoo ceased. The battle was over, and all that was left was the final blow to make it official. "Garu."

For once, the gale of wind was as soft as a whistle in a grassland. There was only one cut, across her lips. Kissed by the wind. A silly, yet cute cliché.

He had the power to conjure his strongest spell but in the end, decided not to.

Yosuke…

Her thoughts were waning, as her body finally started to decay and crumble. Her energy was nearly spent, and now her will to live on was fading. She knew then and there why her Shadow had let this happen.

In the end, she only had one true regret.

Had we met in another time, or lived in the same town, we'd probably be really happy together.

Isn't that sad?


<><><>

A/N: Yeah, I went there. Sacchin is now officially dead dead. Those that thought she could come back because of Persona magic, I did bring her back as Yosuke's little "eye" that came up as a funny glitch in the original game. Though it'd be more accurate to call it, IDK, a sub-Stand? Sub-Persona? Fairy Companion? Wait, that's Pixie.

I also initially planned for Margaret to fight the vampire, but I realized I could cheese it saying that she's weak and hungry to justify being more of an even match for the Investigation Team at this junction. And yeah, it sucks what happened to Yosuke, but I'll make it up to him later, promise.

And with that, this vampire Satsuki arc is pretty much over. More uncharted territory going forward, but hopefully I'll get at least one more chapter up before the new year, though I do want to work on other stuff such as an original manuscript as part of the resolution I made the start of this year (damn 2024 went by so fast).
 
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A/N: Yeah, I went there. Sacchin is now officially dead dead.
Sadz. Hoping she would have lived
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Preview of next chapter/Inaba Gaiden 3
Naoto stayed and rode the bus to a private property just at the edge of town; surrounded by a beautiful forest ripe with green pines and leaves in the humid summertime. Just a brisk walk through the aged stone road, with a lesser known worn off path to the side to a secret base he had since outgrown.

To a humble yet exquisite monochrome painted mansion tied to history, as veiled of a mystery as those that solve them. A place that had become Naoto's home for the last decade or so.

Such is a normal ritual of home that he opened the door and greeted aloud, "I'm home, grandpa."

The house was mostly vacant, with rooms full of trinkets and trophies from cases solved. A few rooms were briefing rooms full of stringboards still left up to see the process at work. Others were guest rooms the equivalent to hotel rooms in tidiness and comfort.

Which is why it was a surprise to Naoto to see one of those guest rooms was left open. That, along with some shifted covers of a recently used bed, told him they had company.

But why? And so soon at that?

"Grandpa?" he called again, hoping for answers.

He heard his grandfather's voice call from further down. "Ah, Naoto-kun. Come in, we have a visitor."

Well that explains some things. Naoto wasn't sure if he could handle more surprises after dealing with the vampire so soon.

The library was a favorite room for Naoto and his grandfather both. The dark humid colors with most of the light coming from a well-kept fireplace. Naoto had fond memories sitting by the rug in her his pajamas hearing gripping noir detective stories. Cases from fiction and non-fiction, even tales embellished from the long line of Shirogane detectives and their allies such as the Kuzonoha clan.

The most Naoto attributed to the library was a handful of his own cases, as well as every manga book he owned from his favorite stories: Great Detective Conan, Rurouni Kenshin, and Yu Yu Hakusho to name a few. Conan was still on-going so maybe he'll check to see if a new volume came out yet?

Naoto's musing in memory lane stopped as he noticed his grandfather sitting in his favorite armed chair, talking with the surprise guest in the rocking chair across from him. The young sleuth could make out a long streak of cerulean-white hair in a ponytail, under a hairband with dark lines, and red eyes. A young girl by the features of her round face and frame, even with how rigid she was managing the rocker. Or maybe she was just unable to stop because of how fun it was or how it creaked back and forth.

The Shirogane patriarch turned around, greeting Naoto with a warm smile through his aged and wrinkly eyes. "You're back, Naoto-kun. Did you finally solve that case with your friends in the Investigation Team?"

They weren't his friends. He didn't need or want friends. But Naoto never did have the heart to disappoint his grandpa, so he humored him. It didn't even surprise the younger Shirogane how he knew about Emiya-san's group or their cases: his grandpa knew where to look for whatever he needed to know. A true private eye.

"More or less," he admitted. "They've at least accomplished a big hurdle for now."

"I see, I see," he mused. "Well, I'm sure you'll have a fine story to tell and share once you solved it. But where are my manners? I was catching up with Kirijo-san the other day and she wanted to check up on things in the area. So, her associate here is visiting on her behalf."

Kirijo? Why did that name sound familiar? Well, knowing grandpa, Naoto assumed it was one of his many clients and allies he garnered in his years.

The long-haired guest smiled and bounced up, saluting to him with red gauntlets for arms. "Super Secret Agent Labrys, reporting for duty Ms. Naoto!"

W H A T

So many alarm bells were ringing in her his mind, but he grounded out with a steady cough into hand. "Uh… secret agent?" Was this girl mocking her him?

"Ah, oops!" Labrys smiled, and playfully bonked her head with her hand. "I'm here on official business with the Kirijo group, so I'm kinda excited. You're related to Shirogane-san so I guess it's okay, but please don't tell anyone."

Okay, so it wasn't a personal attack. And if Labrys is a 'secret agent', maybe she found about certain details easy. Fair enough.

"Just… don't call me Ms. Naoto. Ever again."

"Ah, was that inappropriate? I just assumed because you're a gi-"

"You are mistaken," Naoto grounded out through clenched teeth. "I just prefer to be seen as a boy."

"But my sensors indicate you have the reproduction organs of-"

"Then keep that information to yourself!" Naoto cut off again, startling the poor girl. "As far as anyone is concerned outside of this room, Naoto Shirogane is a boy. End of discussion. Good night, grandpa."

With that, the young Shirogane turned and stormed out of the library to the comfort of his bedroom. His grandfather stared sadly at his grandchild's departure, and how shaken Labrys was left from the exchange.

"Do forgive Naoto-kun," he said consolingly. "She's very peculiar about her gender."

For her part, Labrys seemed contemplative about Naoto's outburst and showed no signs of conflict. "I think I understand. What I don't get is how you can just call her a girl like it's no big deal."

Grandpa Shirogane chuckled. "Well, I'm her grandpa! I have family privileges."

"Must be nice to have a family," Labrys smiled. The smile turned bitter as faint memories echoed in her mind, as well as the numbers 024.

Her body stiffened, despite being metal, when she felt a firm hand of Shirogane on her shoulder. "Well, as long as you're here, consider us your family too. Naoto-kun could use a sister like you."

The smiling wink was enough to send Labrys over the moon. A sister! She missed this feeling! A big sister to Naoto-! Labrys stopped and blink. "Wait, does that mean I have to call her my 'little brother' for now?"

"Well, baby steps," Shirogane said.

Labrys could work with baby steps.

<><><>
Shared this on SB but going to try and share on other places to promote some interest further out, and show how things are going to really go off kilter going forward.
 
Ngl, kinda interested in a what if Labrys and Aigis in FGO lol
 
Oh, Labrys is here. Yousuke, a new girl is heading your way. With another tragic backstory. Things are going to be wild.
 
IC3: Heartbeat, Heartbreak
Happy belated Thanksgiving. As a black friday deal, this story updated.

<><><>
Inaba Chorus 3: Heartbeat, Heartbreak

July 27th​, Junes, Electronics Dept., Evening

The blue-haired, blue-capped boy had passed by the large TV screen about a dozen times now. He stared at the blank screen for a few moments before glancing at his pocket watch. "How much longer will this take?"

Naoto knew he shouldn't complain. He lacked the means to fight with the others, but he had no obligation to actually wait for them by the store either. He avoided suspicion by window shopping and watching a few other TVs than the portal one, playing select stations that would engross other kids.

Not everyone knew he was a cop much less a detective. It helped with blending in, but that veil would be removed soon given time. He'd come to this town because of a murder, and regardless of how today turned out, there would still be one to solve.

After all, Satsuki proved to be a mere copycat.

She arrived after the murders started and had laid low. She only started killing when it seemed to be at a standstill, and by coercing her "brother" Mitsuo to do it. As for the Kubo parents, police had found traces of blood and chewed up remains of flesh in the garage matching their descriptions.

The town would be talking about these additional murders for weeks to come, and the true killer would have a preemptive opportunity on their hands. Either they could maintain the momentum by finding another victim while everyone was busy wondering about the Kubos or skip town while the heat was off.

Just as Naoto was about to make another roundabout, the TV lit up in ripples as the Investigation Team started to exit one by one. All accounted for. And before he forgot, he clicked his watch to end the timer he'd set.

Huh, a hundred and thirteen minutes. A good reference to their outings.

"You're back," Naoto said, relief showing in his voice as he greeted them. Though he noticed that the others didn't look as enthused. They were exhausted, as expected, but it weighed on their hearts more than their bodies. Everyone was here though, so what was wrong?

"Did… something happen?" he asked hesitantly.

"We won," Shirou said, sparing a glance to Yosuke. "At a great personal cost."

"I see." Naoto could only surmise that it meant Satsuki Yumizuka was no more. Bringing that up now would be tactless in light of Hanamura's emotions. He didn't know what else to say.

In fact, no one seemed to know. They stood awkwardly in the store, nursing their bruises and fatigue. Fujimura-san broke the tension with a loud yawn and cat-like stretch of one arm after the other.

"I don't know about you kids, but I'm ready to hit the hay," she declared.

"Uh, is sleep really a good idea?" Chie asked.

"Hey, we survived, stopped a worst-case scenario, and it's the start of summer break. What better time for a victory nap?"

"How about trying to figure out where the real killer is? And where are you going Yosuke?!"

The downtrodden teen briskly walked away from the group, only noticed by the others when Chie called him out. He didn't turn around or stop. "If it's all the same with you, I've got a shift to worry about. Coming, Ted?"

"Uh, sure," the bear nodded. He spared the others a quick bow before trotting after him.

"I think that settles that," Shirou said. "Let's go home for now. We'll call and meet up tomorrow."

Chie looked agitated but she conceded as the others one by one left the electronics store, notably in pairs. Yosuke and Teddie, Shirou and Fujimura, Chie and Yukiko…

Which left Naoto in the awkward company of Kanji and Rise. One of whom the latter wasn't entirely fond of.

"You know you don't have to follow us back to the shopping district," she said, as they waited at the bus stop. "It's not like you live there."

"I have to follow Kanji there," Naoto affirmed. "You are welcome to go ahead or leave later at your own convenience."

Rise frowned, and hesitated. She seemed to want to respond right back, but she failed to find the right words to do so. In the end, she kept silent and looked away.

"Hey, no fighting," Kanji said to his ward. "We just got our asses kicked badly, so we're a little on edge. Not as bad as Yosuke-senpai is feeling, but still."

"I wasn't fighting," Naoto insisted. Fighting would be trying to assert his presence in an uphill battle against elitists. "And regardless of the outcome, you all won, correct?"

"It sure as hell doesn't feel like a victory," Kanji groaned.

And from there it was silent until the two teens returned to their homes. No other commentary, no questions, barely a parting wave as they left the bus.

<><><>

Naoto stayed and rode the bus to a private property just at the edge of town, a place surrounded by a beautiful forest ripe with green pines and leaves in the humid summertime. Just a brisk walk through the aged stone road, with a lesser known worn-down path to the side that led to a secret base he had since outgrown.

To a humble yet exquisite monochrome painted mansion tied to history, as veiled of a mystery as those that solve them. A place that had become Naoto's home for the last decade or so.

Such was a normal ritual of home that he opened the door and greeted aloud, "I'm home, grandpa."

The house was mostly vacant, with rooms full of trinkets and trophies from cases solved. A few rooms were briefing rooms full of stringboards that had been left up to see the process at work. Others were guest rooms comparable to hotel rooms in tidiness and comfort.

Which is why it was a surprise to Naoto to see one of those guest rooms had been left open. That, along with some shifted covers of a recently used bed, told him they had company.

But why? And so soon at that?

"Grandpa?" he called again, hoping for answers.

He heard his grandfather's voice call from further down. "Ah, Naoto-kun. Come in, we have a visitor."

Well, that explained some things. Naoto wasn't sure if he could handle more surprises after dealing with the vampire so soon.

The library was a favorite room for Naoto and his grandfather both. The dark humid colors with most of the light coming from a well-kept fireplace. Naoto had fond memories sitting by the rug in her his pajamas, listening to gripping noir detective stories. Cases from fiction and non-fiction, even tales embellished from the long line of Shirogane detectives and their allies such as the Kuzonoha clan.

The most Naoto attributed to the library was a handful of his own cases, as well as every manga book he owned from his favorite stories: Great Detective Conan, Rurouni Kenshin, and Yu Yu Hakusho to name a few. Conan was still on-going, so maybe he needed to check if a new volume had come out yet?

Naoto's musing in memory lane stopped as he noticed his grandfather sitting in his favorite armchair, talking with the surprise guest in the rocking chair across from him. The young sleuth could make out a long streak of cerulean-white hair in a ponytail, under a hairband with dark lines, and red eyes. A young girl by the features of her round face and frame, even with how rigid she was managing the rocker. Or maybe she was just unable to stop because of how fun it was or how it creaked back and forth.

The Shirogane patriarch turned around, greeting Naoto with a warm smile through his aged and wrinkly eyes. "You're back, Naoto-kun. Did you finally solve that case with your friends in the Investigation Team?"

They weren't his friends. He didn't need or want friends. But Naoto never did have the heart to disappoint his grandpa, so he humored him. It didn't even surprise the younger Shirogane how he knew about Emiya-san's group or their cases, his grandpa knew where to look for whatever he needed to know. A true private eye.

"More or less," he admitted. "They've at least accomplished a big hurdle for now."

"I see, I see," he mused. "Well, I'm sure you'll have a fine story to tell and share once you solve it. But where are my manners? I was catching up with Kirijo-san the other day and she wanted to check up on things in the area. So, her associate here is visiting on her behalf."

Kirijo? Why did that name sound familiar? Well, knowing grandpa, Naoto assumed it was one of his many clients and allies that he'd garnered over the years.

The long-haired guest smiled and bounced up, saluting to him with red gauntlets for arms. "Super Secret Agent Labrys, reporting for duty Ms. Naoto!"

W H A T

So many alarm bells were ringing in her his mind, but he grounded out with a steady cough into his hand. "Uh… secret agent?" Was this girl mocking her him?

"Ah, oops!" Labrys smiled, and playfully bonked her head with her hand. "I'm here on official business with the Kirijo group, so I'm kinda excited. You're related to Shirogane-san so I guess it's okay, but please don't tell anyone."

Okay, so it wasn't a personal attack. And if Labrys was a 'secret agent', maybe she'd been briefed on certain details. Fair enough.

"Just… don't call me Ms. Naoto. Ever again."

"Ah, was that inappropriate? I just assumed because you're a gi-"

"You are mistaken," Naoto grounded out through clenched teeth. "I just prefer to be seen as a boy."

"But my sensors indicate you have the reproductive organs of-"

"Then keep that information to yourself!" Naoto cut off again, startling the poor girl. "As far as anyone is concerned outside of this room, Naoto Shirogane is a boy. End of discussion. Good night, grandpa."

With that said, the young Shirogane turned and stormed out of the library to the comfort of his bedroom. His grandfather stared sadly at his grandchild's departure, and how shaken Labrys was left from the exchange.

"Do forgive Naoto-kun," he said consolingly. "She's very peculiar about her gender."

For her part, Labrys seemed contemplative about Naoto's outburst and showed no signs of conflict. "I think I understand. What I don't get is how you can just call her a girl like it's no big deal."

Grandpa Shirogane chuckled. "Well, I'm her grandpa! I have family privileges."

"Must be nice to have a family," Labrys smiled. The smile turned bitter as faint memories echoed in her mind, as well as the numbers 024.

Her body stiffened, despite being metal, when she felt Shirogane's hand on her shoulder. "Well, as long as you're here, consider us your family too. Naoto-kun could use a sister like you."

The smiling wink was enough to send Labrys over the moon. A sister! She missed this feeling! A big sister to Naoto-! Labrys stopped and blinked. "Wait, does that mean I have to call her my 'little brother' for now?"

"Well, baby steps," Shirogane said.

Labrys could work with baby steps.

<><><>

July 29th​, Inaba Hill, Late Afternoon

Every weekend there was a gathering of children on the otherwise absent hill overlooking the town. It was perfect for outdoor exercise and fun, granted if someone could keep a handle on the children that went there.

"Hey mister, let's play tag!" A young boy in red shorts and a blue shirt asked.

"No, he promised to play house with us first!" A young girl in a sundress insisted. A pair of other girls nodded behind her.

"Huh? But that's for girls!"

Kanji laughed even as his arms were tugged in two different directions. "Hey, the girls did ask first, but tell you what. I'll run with you a bit and then come back when the girls are ready. But only when they're ready, okay?"

"Yes, Kanji-san."

"All right, mister! You're it!" The boy smiled, already running and zipping through other groups of playing kids, much to their surprise and annoyance.

"Wh-hey! No fair, man!" he yelled, starting to chase after him.

<><><>

Anyone looking into the situation from an outside perspective would probably wonder how the hell Kanji Tatsumi got there.

Sometime after his harrowing rescue, he had decided to get a part-time job outside of his ma's store to get some independent skills. The only thing that sounded remotely interesting though was watching some rugrats at a daycare on weekends.

The daycare ladies were less than thrilled about him being around, as the whole "biker gang" thing followed him. At least they were willing to give him a trial run.

The kids loved him. They didn't care about gender crap as much, so he could play cool, rough games in the dirt or more docile ones with dolls. He could arm wrestle with the boys and have tea parties with the girls.

He was content in finding a place where he could be manly and soft without getting ridiculed. The matrons overlooked his appearance and hobbies because he could entertain all the children. Even Yuuta Minami.

The fact that there were boys and girls that didn't let gendered norms bother them made his day, like a young boy who liked playing with the girls' dolls. Made him almost think back to Shana-chan, who he hadn't really seen since she got whisked off to juvie.

He really owed her for back then, but he didn't know how to fix… whatever they had. Maybe properly apologizing? Maybe he should ask Shirou-senpai for some advice first. But for now, the most he could do now was keep an eye on the kids.

Speaking of keeping an eye on… the daycare shift was just about over, and all the kids had been picked up by their families. Except for Yuuta.

The two of them stood and waited on the hill. It was like a switch had been flipped in that his rumbustious, sort of troublesome energy was all spent and in his place was a timid boy. Kanji had worked at the daycare for a while, so he picked things up from gossiping matrons to what little he saw firsthand.

It was hard to forget Eri Minami. Her clothes looked a little fancier and city-like than the country mothers in Inaba. Long purple dress, brown coat, and almost always a frown on her rather young face. Almost always when picking up her son Yuuta.

Yuuta's mother wasn't his birth mom. She had moved into the countryside at least six months ago and seemed to dread every time she came over to pick him up. Their father was a busy-body businessman, or so he heard, so the one thing connecting mother and son to their family was absent, leaving them to figure out their dynamic.

And today, it seemed like Minami-san was running late… again. Not that he blamed her for wanting to avoid the other gossiping mothers, but she should know the timing by now.

"Hey, Yuuta," Kanji said, startling the boy. "I'll walk you to your ma's house."

He saw a lot of himself in Yuuta, from the absent father to the gossip out of earshot. They all said Yuuta was a bad kid, but all he saw was a lonely boy trying to fit in.

"No!" he huffed. "I don't wanna go home!"

Anyone else would have either given up or appealed harder. Kanji attempted the latter, but remembered that this was Yuuta, who preferred to do things differently.

"Yeah, you're right," said Kanji. Yuuta relaxed, with a sort of conflicted expression on his face. "Walking over there sounds like a dumb idea. How about a race instead?"

"I don't wanna go anywhere near home," Yuuta insisted. He didn't sound all that against running, though.

"What, you chicken or something?" Kanji jested with a smile. "Think you can't outrun old 'mister' here?"

"N-No way! I'm the fastest there is! You're on!"

Without even waiting for a starting countdown, Yuuta bolted down the hill towards his home. Kanji was surprised by his dastardly lead, but he always intended for the kid to win anyway. He just might catch up to him before the end if he paced himself.

He did hope the two found common ground soon, but he was never a smart guy to figure these things out. He'd keep an eye on Yuuta until then, though.

<><><>

August 1st​, Junes, Afternoon

The last few days were a blur for the Investigation Team. They did call and meet up, but none of their hearts or minds were on the case. Yosuke was completely withdrawn and didn't interact with the others unless it involved working at Junes.

It all came to a head when Satsuki's body showed up on a telephone pole after half a day of rain.

Reports came up that a girl matching her description was responsible for not just the Kubo parents, but Morooka's death as well. There were conflicting arguments though as some would attest that Satsuki Kubo wouldn't hurt a fly, though she matched the data of a similar missing victim Satsuki Yumizuki from the next city over.

As far as Inaba was concerned, she was a victim of the serial killer, just like Mitsuo and Morooka. It only added another rumor wrinkle to the murder's rep and garnered more infamy without even trying.

And Yosuke had to keep working at Junes until then. Surprise sales, friendly smiles, and premiere customer service (whatever the hell that meant). He was just now sitting and enjoying his break after a long shift, listening to their song on his MP3.

A shrill voice overwhelmed his earbuds. "Hanamura!"

Internally he groaned and hit pause as he saw two pain-in-the-neck part-timers march over to him. He could barely remember their names but knew them to be gaudy and snooty. "What is it?" he asked.

The gaudy yellow parka student glared at him. "How come Kazumi-chan has the day off but not us?!"

Yosuke blinked. "Huh?" He looked over their clothes, and the lack of work aprons.

"Not today," the snooty, red-dressed student said. "Saturday the Sixth! We made it clear that we can't work Saturdays, remember!?"

"And they said that they'd fire us if we didn't! How is that fair?!"

Yosuke fought the urge to show any sign of annoyance from sighing to rolling his eyes. These two were honestly only working for a paycheck. They wanted money to burn but were rude and condescending even to other customers. Granted they knew how to reign in their behavior but then they'd complain to him for some random concession.

Such as less time working and more pay, which was unreasonable.

"Kazumi-chan is a hard worker who asked in advance for some time off," he explained. "Whereas I recall you two taking absences without leave lately."

The two students bristled, before the gaudy one cleared her throat. "I-I just forgot to come in," she began weakly. "But that doesn't matter! I have a date planned that day!"

"And hard worker? You're just favoring Kazumi-chan just like Konishi!"

Yosuke stiffened. That's right, they were around when Saki was still alive, so they'd know her too.

"We all know you had a thing for her and treated her special!"

"You even told the other workers to ease up on her. Why does she get the manager's son's treatment?!"

"Saki Konishi has nothing to do with this discussion," he said coldly. "This is about you two failing to properly communicate with management about concessions to your work."

"See? Even now you're defending her! She never even liked you!"

"And don't think you can go running back to your girlfriend, either!"

"Yeah, they found her on a telephone pole! Just like Konishi!"

…were these two being serious right now? They were kicking him down now because they knew Sacchin was dead?

"Kazumi-chan has a boyfriend of her own, by the by! So don't think you can rebound on her like the other two!"

"Not that you had good taste in girls before. First a liquor store girl, then an out-of-towner?"

By this point Yosuke had tuned them out and was trembling. It was one thing to badmouth Saki-senpai, a girl he thought he knew and tried to move on from. But to do the same to Sacchin, not even a day after her wake in which her whole "family" turned up dead?

He had put up with enough shit in his life to let one more person push him around. No more.

"Okay."

The girls stopped and blinked. They exchanged glances, disbelieving. "Okay?" one of them echoed.

"Your complaints have been heard," he stated. "And I'll make sure you'll have all the time you need when Saturday comes around."

They looked so smug and satisfied hearing that. It made the feeling of revenge all the sweeter as he uttered the next words-

"Because you're fired."

-And to see those faces slowly morph to confusion and horror.

"…what?!" the other girl yelled.

"You're fired," he said again. "You've gotten too many write-ups, and while the decision is up to the manager, as assistant manager I can let him know you two were more concerned about a coworker's time off than earning your own. You'll get your last check in the PO Box, don't worry. Now you'll have all the time for your date and stuff."

He made a show to up and leave the table. The conversation was officially done, but he knew they wouldn't let it stand. So, they ran to intercept his retreat and cry foul.

"Y-You can't do that!"

"Yeah, this isn't fair!"

"Fair!? Let me tell you something about 'fairness'!" Yosuke finally yelled, shocking the two broads to silence. "It's putting in the effort to work even when it inconveniences you! It's about making tough decisions to help someone else! It's about saying please and thank you and all that kindergarten stuff that our kid customers would know from watching our commercials!

"You two act like you know everything but you couldn't be any more wrong about people! Saki-senpai never did things half-assed! She did everything asked of her even when she was tired! And Sacchin was only scary towards people that ticked her off! Otherwise, she was caring and sweet and even felt guilty!

"So what if Saki-senpai hated me?! So what if Sacchin killed my teacher?! I already knew all that, and it doesn't matter anyway!" His anger finally subsided, and his gaze fell to the store tiles. "They're gone now… they left me behind."

He didn't care that everyone in the store could have heard him. He didn't care that his ex-employees were staring at him gobsmacked from his rant. He didn't even care that he'd likely get written up by his dad after all this.

Yosuke was just drained and tired and left the store without another word. He'd probably feel madder about the reaction if he were less upset.

Because those two bitches were right. He did hide. All the time.

When he first moved, he latched onto Saki as a lifeline. Perhaps that's why he got so obsessed with her. Then after she died, he latched onto Shirou next. And whenever he wasn't around, he followed the sexy and self-assured vampire Satsuki.

Before he knew it, Yosuke was out by the floodplain river, sitting on the grass hill just beside it. He just stared out to the river, wondering what he should do now with his life.

Even if they found the killer tomorrow, that wouldn't bring those two back, would it? Perhaps there was some magic that could bring them back, but he had seen enough anime and played enough games that such a feat was far more trouble than it's worth. "The rules of equivalent exchange" this and "find seven to make a wish" that.

He'd have better luck asking the grim reaper for their souls back.

No, he'd keep fighting because he wanted to keep Inaba safe. The town that Saki-senpai convinced him was worth something. Where he made all his new friends, where he met Sacchin.

A town that had its unique charm and residents like… a lady in black mourning?!

Yosuke had to double-take to see if his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, but sure enough, there she was. An old, frail looking woman dressed entirely in black, holding a cane as she also sat down on the grass hill with a small blanket under her seat. Spots of pale white skin were visible from her neck and face, covered partially by a black veil from a small cap over her aging purple hair.

She turned and looked at him, almost serenely, and spoke, "A young man like yourself shouldn't be associated with me."

"Wh-Why not?" he asked.

She replied, "I am Death."

Yosuke blinked. She sounded so sure, so certain, and given everything he had seen and done, it was probably not that odd of a thing to happen to him. Almost like she came up as he was rhetorically thinking about asking for souls. But at the same time, she didn't seem all that "supernatural". Maybe she just never grew out of her chuuni phase?

Still, a response like that deserved another. "Huh. I thought you'd look a little younger."

It gave the woman pause. Then she started to chuckle which quickly shattered the illusion that she really was Death. "You're quite a flirt, aren't you?"

He smiled, happy to have both broken the ice and getting complimented. "You should see my best friend. He's got like three girls into him right now."

"Oh, I'm sure you must have a sweetheart or two in your life, young man."

"Had two," Yosuke admitted, frowning. "You took them both away."

"Pardon?"

"Well, you called yourself Death, right?"

He felt a little bad saying a joke like that. It didn't feel funny at all. The woman looked mortified, but understood completely and stared at him with pitying, sad eyes. "…I'm so sorry."

No words were spoken for a long while, as they both stared awkwardly at the riverbed.

"You… lost someone too, didn't you?" he finally dared ask.

"Yes," she said. "My late husband passed away quite recently, in fact."

"Does it get any easier?"

"I've been asking myself that since the day he died."

Yosuke wished Shirou were here. He'd probably figure out a better way to help this old lady.

Yosuke also wished to know why he wanted to help the old lady. He had his own problems sorting out his feelings for Saki and Sacchin, and this widower who may or may not be Death incarnate, was having a similar funk.

Maybe seeing someone else feel miserable made him want to lighten the burden?

A few more seconds of deliberation passed before he stood up, walked, and sat next to her. "My name's Yosuke Hanamura."

The widow seemed to brighten and looked him over once more. "Ah, I thought you looked familiar. Your family runs the new Junes store."

"So, are you mad about us ruining the town's culture too?" he asked, wanting to kick himself immediately after. Dammit, hanging around with Shirou too much gave him no filter! He wanted his best helping qualities, not his worst!

The woman laughed again, so his worries were unfounded. "When you get to be as old as me, Yosuke-kun, anger is the least of your worries."

Ah, this woman was actually very nice. Very sad, too. "So, may I ask the lovely lady for her name?"

She smiled under her veil. "It's Hisano Kuroda."

"That's a much better name than Death, if you ask me."

That earned him another grateful laugh, as if it soothed his own aching heart.

<><><>

August 2nd​, Junes Department Store

Teddie was officially the Junes mascot.

His costume was just perfect: comical, colorful, and appealing to children. There was apparently an "interview" that he had to sit through with not just Yosuke's parents (the owners of the Junes in Inaba) but also sitting in with some other branch directors.

He got measured, probed, asked questions, and even served as the sort of "alpha" bear for what other Junes employees would aspire to. It felt so fulfilling to see his costume be made for future Teddies!

Of course, he was still the one and only for now, especially as he was to be tested and graded by some executives on how effective he was selling his brand, whatever that meant.

Because as the Hanamuras and other coworkers warned him about, summer was gonna be brutal. He was NOT looking forward to the heat again.

But if Yosuke could handle this, he could too. And he knew just how to woo the crowd to his presence. Being himself!

"Mommy, mommy, there's a bear on the massage chair!"

"A… bear?" A lady and son shopping duo stopped and stared at Teddie. Indeed, Teddie was reclining on an electric massage chair.

"Ooooohhhh, hihihihihih therererererere!" He greeted them before turning the machine off and hopping off. "Welcome to Junes, where every day is great here!"

"Uh, thank you?" The mother said hesitantly. Teddie shook her hand, which was actually tough given his portly shape and limited arm range.

"You look tense. How would you like a few minutes on our patent massage chair?"

"No thank you, I can't afford that."

"Oh, me neither. For a place that promotes cheap deals, there's no way I can buy it. I can barely afford Topsicles!"

While the woman was put off by his friendly demeanor, he took the opportunity to lead/drag her over to the chair anyway. "That's why I keep coming to Junes. Using the chair here is free!"

"B-But I already-!" the woman's already weak protests ended as she was pushed into the seat and it turned on. The woman practically melted in euphoria and her tension ebbed away.

Another satisfied customer!

"Now, while your mom takes a well deserved break," he started, talking to her young boy. "Wanna see a magic trick?"

"Do I!" The boy agreed, and Teddie wowed him with his stuff. Small light flashes.

Sock puppetry. Super small balloon balls. What would start with one child would always gather a flock in no time.

Teddie made himself known as the "magic bear of Junes". Management always asked how he did it, but he reminded them that a magician never revealed his secrets. He also made a point to do what his sensei called "stage magic" stuff. The book he had was helpful.

And so, while one child and parent left, he was already on the prowl to appease another. Not everyone was welcoming or patient, though. Sometimes rudely telling him off. He didn't let that get to him, as he could still make another kid's day.

"WOW!"

Such as right now, as he wandered near the grocery aisle, a young girl in a pink dress and brown hair rushed up to him. She was the epitome of innocence and wonder, eyes sparkling as she got close, matching his costume height. Teddie had seen plenty of young children excited to see him, but there was something special about this one, he could tell.

"Hi, I'm Teddie! What's your name?"

"Nanako!" Nanako, as sweet as the apple of her name implies.

"Well Nanako, how can I help you today?" He asked, making an exaggerated attempt at looking around. Manager Hanamura said kids love silliness. "Maybe find your parents?"

"My dad's working, and my mom is up in heaven." ACK! Bad Teddie, kids don't like being reminded about death! "And my big bro's doing shopping right now, but he said I could help!"

Okay, he could bounce back with this! "Oho! Shopping for your brother, I see! Do you know what he likes, Nanako-chan?"

"He tends to cook Japanese-style food like rice and katsu."

"Then you're in luck! We have a special sale on pre-made bentos! Plenty to eat, or use for cooking! The designs are super cute too, or so I'm told?"

"Really?"

"Well, not to brag, but I think I'm pretty dashing to have a Teddie-shaped bento, but those haven't been made yet."

"I'd love to have one like you, Teddie!"

"Aww, that's so sweet of you to say! Thanks, Nanako-chan!"

Nanako's smile was a treasure, he decided. One he wanted to see more by helping her shop for her groceries.

Ah, there's Shirou-sensei! Just by the check-out lanes. Though he couldn't really call out to him since he was on the clock while helping Nanako.

Nanako noticed him too, and her smile seemed to grow wider. "Big Bro!"

Wait, WHAT?

As Teddie processed this development, Nanako rushed over to Shirou-sensei's side and they talked animatedly. He could make out her saying how he helped her, and how surprised she was to hear Teddie was his friend too.

It made so much sense. Only a sweet and pure girl could be related to the indomitably amazing Shirou-sensei!

And it completely made his day to see them both smile and wave goodbye as they left the store. Teddie returned the gesture, and before he knew it, more kids swarmed him asking for toys or balloons.

Such pure glee and joy. Life was good.
 
I was catching up with Kirijo-san the other day and she wanted to check up on things in the area. So, her associate here is visiting on her behalf."

Kirijo? Why did that name sound familiar? Well, knowing grandpa, Naoto assumed it was one of his many clients and allies that he'd garnered over the years.
P3 reference. My neurons are firing. Thanks for the chapter my dude
__shirogane_naoto_and_tatsumi_kanji_persona_and_2_more_drawn_by_k_a_i__e299365b108b393221131f69db76dc0f.jpg
 
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Yuusuke with the power of social links would be interesting to see. Thanks for the update and looks like Teedie's enjoying life.
 
Poor Yosuke. And damn is Lacey's the robo girl his reward at the end of all this?
 
Chapter 52: Summer of Affection
Fate/Reach Out
Chapter 52: Summer of Affection

<><><>

August 13th​, Samegawa Flood Plain, Late Afternoon

Summer vacation was a welcome change of pace for the Investigation Team. With the case on hold, no one had much reason to check in at Junes, and they were all busy with their own ventures. Yosuke and Teddie were so swamped with Junes sales that they had to ask Chie and Shirou to pitch in for a whole week. Yukiko, while still prepping for her secret elopement plans, was helping the family inn deal with an influx of summer tourists. Chie took to exercising before and after the Junes rush, and Rise spent her days at Okina watching people while remaining incognito.

Even Taiga was busy training her kendo swing lately. Something about a promotion exam later in the year. Now if she could only actually pass it and not get disqualified again...
Shirou felt a little sad that he didn't see his friends as much, but he made do. Kanji had nothing but time, since even Naoto was busy with a certain guest of his grandpa's coming to visit. Which was just as well as he was busy helping a young boy find his doll, who threw it away because of peer pressure from teasing boys. It belonged to a young girl who he was friends with, and he was wallowing in despair when Kanji and Shirou found him.

Which led them to now: two high school students and a preschooler wading through the Samegawa river for a stuffed toy.

"I-It's not here," the quiet young boy said, waist deep in the shallows.

"It'll turn up, don't worry kid!" Kanji assured him from his searching spot. The water was starting to numb his hands, but at least he wasn't melting in the sun. He grumbled and glared at the third member of the search party. "Dammit, senpai, I told you to watch him by the bank!"

Shirou was instead closing his eyes and holding his hands in a prayer state, trying a new tactic for the search. He had the awareness to respond to Kanji, though. "He feels responsible for throwing the doll away, and three sets of hands are better than one."

"He's gonna catch a cold like this!"

Shirou opened one eye to glance at his kouhai. "And we aren't?" he asked bluntly.

"Hey, if we did this my way, then only I'd have to worry about ticking off 'ma with wet clothes." Kanji huffed, slamming his palm down with a splash. No doll here either… and now his senpai was laughing! "What's so funny?!"

"Sorry, it's just good to know how nice a guy you are, Kanji."

Shirou's honest praise mollified Kanji immediately. He was still not used to people giving him the benefit of the doubt like his new team. Sure, they could be a pain in the ass sometimes, but not Shirou-senpai. He never mocked or humiliated him. Knowing they came from troubling childhoods was very humbling, and perhaps why he felt the need to help Kanji with this goal.

Seeing that kid feel horrible about betraying a girl's trust… no man should ever live through that.

Meanwhile, Shirou felt the fruits of his labor in Margaret's lessons finally paying off. He always had a knack for determining "smells" with magecraft, so it helped in identifying anything magical around him. It was no use in a mundane situation like finding a toy, but he could refine his senses to focus on oddities in the area around him. After getting used to the salt of the river and rock grains, picking up traces of wet cotton was mere troubleshooting.

He followed the scent, and noticed the doll had tumbled quite far away from the initial spot where the boy said he threw it. The current must have dragged it some distance, only to get snagged by some stubborn rocks. They could have been here all day and come out of it with nothing.

"I think I found it," he called out, plucking the doll up.

"Really? You found Sana-chan's bunny?!"

"Awesome, you the man, senpai!"

"Don't thank me just yet," Shirou warned, walking over and lifting the bunny doll in front of them to see.

Kanji's face fell. It was a bunny doll all right, but the once vibrant fabric was faded and soaked. It was a dripping mess that no small amount of squeezing and drying would wring out. Worse, it was cut across the belly, deflated with some wet stuffing flaking out.

"I'm really sorry," Shirou said, giving the doll to the boy. His face was distraught like he was about to cry all over again.

"No… no, thank you misters," he said quickly. "You helped me when no one else would… I didn't think I'd see it again. Sana-chan will be so sad, but… I'll give it back to her. And apologize. That's what I'll do." His head lowered as he sniffled. "E-Even if she…"

Even if she never wanted to talk to him again, Kanji thought. It was definitely like Shana-chan…

"Lemme see that," Kanji said. He didn't wait for confirmation and just plucked it out of his hands. Looking and feeling the water damage, yeah it was bad. But not entirely a lost cause. He might need to double-check his tools back home, but…

"Tell ya what. I'll see about getting this doll spruced up in… a week. No- two days from now. Meet me at the hill where the daycare kids hang out. After they're done, I mean."

The boy's mood brightened into hope and surprise. His tears dried up immediately. "R-Really? You'll fix it?"

"I'll make it as good as new," he promised. "Think Sana-chan can wait a couple of days?"

"Yeah!" the boy nodded before he jumped up and hugged Kanji around the waist. "Thank you so much, mister!"

"H-Hey, I'm not old enough to be a mister!" Kanji complained hotly. The boy didn't care as he was beside himself, skipping away from the floodplain.

"That was really nice of you, Kanji," Shirou said with a smile.

It was one thing to get thanked by a kid, but praise from his senpai left Kanji embarrassed. "I-It's nothing, just didn't want the brat going home crying."

"Would you like some help fixing the doll? I'm more used to engineering, so you'd have to direct me on what to do."

"No thanks. I appreciate the offer senpai, really. But I'd rather do this on my own. It's the only thing I'm good at so I want to make it right."

Kanji tried to downplay his emotions, although it was clear that he was determined and excited to get to work right away. He was strong in a fight, but his true passion was in crafting and sewing. Seeing his friend more certain of himself than when they first met made Shirou happy.

And yet, he felt sad that once the murders were solved and the culprit caught, they'd all go their own separate ways. He would have to return to Fuyuki at the end of the year, too. And yet he had no real goal of what he'd do after. Sure, he told himself that he'd be an Ally of Justice, but what did that really mean?

Well… worrying about it now was futile if they couldn't solve the immediate problem of the murders first. And it was summer break, so Shirou decided to enjoy himself like the others were.

<><><>

August 15th​, Shopping District

If there's one thing Chie couldn't stand, it was bullies.

A police officer had warned her about some hooligans harassing people in the shopping district; repeat offenders from a biker gang no less. She completely forgot about them on the scale of how dangerous they were, especially considering the timing.

She didn't think to tell the others what she heard; this was just a minor issue. She'd find those bullies and set them straight herself.

Fortunately for Chie, she didn't have to look far. A group of teenagers, dressed in casual "cool" attire, were heckling a smaller boy about Nanako-chan's age whose distinctive trait was holding a big stuffed bunny.

One of the bullies snatched the pittance of coins from the kid's hand. He sneered after quickly counting it. "A 500-yen allowance? You're holding out on us, kid."

"B-But it's all I have!"

"Don't lie to us. That bunny you're holding must be worth a few thousand, easy."

"Wh-wha-?" The boy clutched his bunny tighter, skirting away from the older jerks. "No, you can't have it! It's not yours!"

The bullies laughed. One of them even stepped forward to reach for the toy. "Aww, the widdle baby luvs his bunny. Are you a boy or a girl?"

She'd heard enough. She ran forward and skidded to a halt between the boy and the bullies. Her legs bent and firm, her arms wide and loose. She was ready to cut loose if necessary.

The jerk at the front of their group eloquently expressed his surprise in one word: "Huh?"

Chie ignored them, turning her head to the boy with the doll. "Don't worry, you're safe now." She smiled at him, and he nodded back, somewhat assured.

"Hey girl, this is Rabbit business," a bully told her. "Get out of here if you know what's good for you!"

"I told you, idiot; we are not calling ourselves that," another argued.

"Yeah, I wanted to be the Porkers!"

"We are not calling ourselves that, either!"

Chie rolled her eyes. If they were this distracted by team names, they probably hadn't been at this for very long. She had seen and heard of biker gangs more organized than this. "If you want a doll, go ask your moms for one," she told them. "Though I'd hate to be the one who raised even one of you buttfaces."

"B-buttface?!" The bully in front of her bristled, as did another. They did look like they had a face only a mother would love, not just in attitude.

"If you're still open to names, that's not a bad one for a bunch of thugs," she teased with a smile. "'Hey everyone, look out! It's the Buttfaces!'"

The boy behind her giggled, even as the bullies grew red in the face. Except for one, who suddenly had a calm, slimy smirk on his buttface. He stepped forward to put a hand on his associate's shoulder.

"Calm down, guys," he told them, "Chie-chan is just getting you riled up."

Chie was startled, but she didn't let the shock show. She just narrowed her eyes. "How do you know my name?"

"We ran into a pretty skittish guy with more money than sense," he explained. "He sang like a canary. Told us all about you, your little hero stunts as a rugrat, and how you were best friends with the inn girl."

"Ah, yeah, that guy!" Another snickered. "He made it sound like you were his bodyguard. He thought he was all tough threatening us when he was just begging."

"None of my friends would do that," she replied hotly. Emiya, Kanji-kun, even Hanamura and Teddie were better than that.

"Aww, poor Kuono is gonna be sad when he hears that," the smug bully teased.

Takeshi-kun. Chie shouldn't have been surprised. Takeshi was always a bit of a coward as a kid, and from their brief reunion he hadn't changed much. It hurt her to know how her former friend used her name like this, but it just validated her stance. Her real friends wouldn't do that to her or Yukiko.

"But he also said you were a Plain Jane kind of girl. So unassuming compared to Yukiko-chan. Probably couldn't get any action either, if you know what I mean."

…when this was over, she never wanted to see Kuono ever again.

"So how about this?" The leader leaned towards her, a cocky smirk never leaving his face. "You can either walk away as we finish our business with the kid with the bunny here. Or… we could negotiate somewhere private and see you get some 'fun' for once."

They were seriously bribing her for…?! She felt disgusted and revolted all at once.

"M-Miss," the boy pleaded behind her. She took the moment to look at him, anything but those bullies' sneering faces. "I-I don't know what's going on, but… please don't let them take this bunny. I lost it once already, when I threw it away. I don't want to lose it again. Please help."

"Yeah, Chie-chan. Please 'help' him'," the leader mocked. So assured in thinking she'd cave then and there.

But no, that boy did help. By reminding her why she did this. Why she wanted to be less like Kuono, and more like Emiya-kun. "We're not talking about anything," she said slowly, before shoving the man away. "And you're not taking his bunny, either."

"We're gentle lovers," he tried again with his pitch. A very "try hard" attempt.

"No thanks. I don't have low enough standards to settle. I'm not pathetic like you three buttfaces."

That finally got the smug leader's face to fall to an angry scowl. His hand whipped to his pocket to pull a knife. "Why you bi-IIIIIIIIIIIII!"

But Chie's leg was faster. It flew high like a crack of lightning up to his crotch. The groveling gangster collapsed like a puppet without strings.

"Oi! You've done it now you-!"

"EAT SHIT, ASSHOLE!"

"What the f-YAAA!"

While Chie was so focused on the guy in front of her, she didn't notice the other two trying to jump her. And they in turn didn't notice getting bodied and slammed to the asphalt of the empty street.

"Haha, good form, senpai! You got it on the first try!"

"It helped to have some experience. You used it on me when we met in Okina, after all."

Chie blinked, surprised by the two unlikely rescuers and their banter over the act. "Emiya-kun?!"

"And Mister!"

Kanji flinched, snapping and marching up to the boy. "I'm not a-!" then he thought better of it, seeing the boy's beaming smile and relief. His short-lived anger gave out with a sigh of relief. "Oh, nevermind. You're not hurt, are you?"

"Nuh-uh," he said. "Miss came to help me, and then you came too, mister!"

"That's good," Shirou smiled. "We have Satonaka to thank as well for her intervention."

Chie was torn. She was truly happy that Shirou came to her rescue, but she also felt angry and upset. Like she wasn't good enough to handle three pervy jerks on her own. It left her conflicted.

It turns out she wasn't the only one. "I wish I was brave like you guys," the boy lamented. "I didn't do anything."

"What are you talking about? You saved your friend's bunny here," Kanji said, gesturing to the toy. "You could have given it to them when they asked, but you stood firm and told them no. That takes guts, kid."

"B-But they would have taken it anyway. I'm weak."

"It's easy to think that when you're against bullies who throw their weight around," Kanji assured. "But if they ever give you trouble again, just give me a holler and I'll come running."

"You promise?"

"Of course. I always keep my promises, remember?"

"Hehehe, yeah!"

It was a weird coincidence that the boy she was rescuing was acquainted with Kanji-kun and Emiya-kun as well. While Kanji entertained the boy, she turned to her other savior, suddenly awkward and a little shy.

"So… what do we do with them?" she gestured to the road.

"I'll call Doji-nii and let him know to pick up and question the uh, 'buttface' gang," Shirou said.

A ghost of a smile graced her lips. "You heard that?"

"Yeah."

"How much else did you hear?"

"…enough to know I hate Kuono now."

That was fair. But it left her conflicted again. Hurt. "So, what? You were waiting for the right time to rescue me?"

She should have been mad. She wanted to be mad, and part of her frustration bled out in her voice. But Shirou looked downright guilty that he couldn't even keep eye contact. "I… didn't want to insult your pride like they did."

"Huh?"

"You're strong, Satonaka. Stronger than any of us give you credit for. If anyone needed saving it was those three idiots." Chie smiled, realizing he was right. "If it was serious like a repeat of another Shadow fight, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But it wasn't. So, I waited."

"And Kanji-kun?"

"He arrived late; took one look over the corner, saw the boy was in trouble and ran like a bull. At that point I just followed him."

That… made her feel a whole lot better. It was sweet that Kanji-kun had a soft side to help the boy like that (and she had a feeling it was a bit deeper with the toy connecting them), and Emiya-kun would swoop in to save her if she really needed it. That he stood back because he had confidence in her.

Smiling and blushing, she held out a fist to him. He stared at it, confused.

She then shyly asked, "Allies of Justice?"

Recognition dawned on his face, as he smiled back. "To the bitter end," he replied, bumping fists with her. Then without thinking, her fingers uncurled and palmed his fist.

Shirou blinked again, and Chie stammered. "Ah, sorry! I just reacted!"

"Actually, let me try something," he told her. His hand unclenched and turned, before his palm met hers and echoed in a clap. Shirou grinned. "There. Now we have a secret handshake."

A secret handshake? She… she never realized how much she wanted one! And it flowed so smoothly, too! It wasn't complicated or long, just a fist-bump and then a horizontal high-five!

"I love it!" She blurted out. Then she blushed, seeing Kanji and the boy stare at her. "Th-The handshake I mean. I love the idea of it."

"Y-yeah, of course," he answered, just as shyly.

"Wait, you guys got a handshake going on?" Kanji asked. "Sweet, can I see?"

"Sorry," Shirou told him. "It's for Allies of Justice only."

The police arrived shortly after and took their statements. Kanji was labelled almost immediately as the instigator, but the accounts of three people (one of them being a boy insistent that Kanji made the bunny for him) dispelled those notions rather swiftly. And because one of them had a knife, they were justified in self-defense. Though they were reprimanded for trying to confront them on their own.

Kanji was annoyed, but satisfied the kid was safe. Shirou shrugged in resignation over the incident. And Chie just didn't care; her heart didn't stop swelling over their secret Allies of Justice handshake.

<><><>

August 17th​, Tatsumi Shrine, Afternoon

Tama's shrine turned out to be a very popular location for Yukiko to gain a moment of respite. She didn't have to worry about some stupid tabloid reporters finding her here like at Junes or the family inn. The fox was also good company who loved to be scratched. Sitting just at the end of the stoop of the donation box, Yukiko could let her mind wander and relax.

Like what to make of her feelings. Of her inn. Her future. And Shirou Emiya.

Yukiko wasn't blind; she could see how enamored Rise-chan would act around him since joining the team. And Chie never opened up to another boy like Emiya-kun. They were so alike in mannerisms and behaviors that they were like brother and sister.

So… should she allow one of her friends (preferably Chie) to pursue Shirou for a husband? That would be fair, except… she'd be giving up without trying again, wouldn't she? She knew that she liked Shirou for his kindness and support in her goals. She couldn't trust anyone else to understand. And she might have insisted that he was someone special to her to the staff at the inn, resulting in them being eager to meet him, as well as teach her how to cook better. Or at least take over and have her watch…

She would NOT make a repeat of the Sin. Or Mystery Food X. Then when she perfected cooking, she'd be wearing only an apron and greet him with a piping hot dish and a smile and say—

"Ah, hello Amagi."

Yukiko blinked out of her daydream and stammered at his approach. "E-Emiya-kun?! What are you doing here?!"

"Just to check up with Tama," he said casually, approaching the fox. "The wish has been fulfilled: the family's dog is back home."

Tama mewled in a sound difficult to discern and circled around Shirou in evident glee. More wishes granted meant more word of mouth, and more people willing to donate to the shrine.

At least the fox knew what she wanted in life, which was more than Yukiko herself could say. What was her plan again? To move out of town? Where would she go?

Then a thought occurred to her. "Emiya-kun? Can you tell me more about where you came from?"

"You mean Fuyuki City?" he asked back, looking up from Tama brushing against her leg. "What's there to know?"

"Well… if I'm to move out of Inaba, I'd like to be somewhere that's familiar. Maybe close to your home?"

She tried not to make it sound too desperate or… flirty. Guys like girls that are hard to get, yes? It seemed to work, as he was suddenly flustered. Thank you, Kasai-san!

"W-Well, it's big," he said slowly. "It's actually two towns split up by the river Mion that runs through it. Miyama Town is where a lot of the older buildings and districts are. It's where my house is too. Oh, and they're split between traditional eastern homes and imported European ones. I guess the Ryuudou Temple is important too – Not that it's better than your shrine, Tama!"

He said that quickly as the fox by his leg stared at him disapprovingly. After a moment she decided to magnanimously accept his apology with a nod.

"I see," she said. So, Fuyuki had some grassroots too. "And the other town?"

"That's Shinto Town. It has had a lot of renovations over the years. You could say that Miyama is where the residents live, while Shinto is where they go to have fun."

"Have fun?" Yukiko echoed. "Like what?"

"Well, there's a harbor my late dad used to go for long trips. He said it was good for fishing. Then there's the Copenhagen, the bar I worked at—"

Yukiko gasped. "You worked at a bar?!"

"Part-time!" Shirou insisted. "And I didn't touch the drinks either. Neko-chan insisted. She's the owner."

"Oh," she sighed, relieved and disappointed. He wasn't fully tainted by bar life yet. Unlike the regulars at her inn; them and their King's Game.

"Let's see, what else," Shirou mused, making an adorable thinking pose with his arms crossed and lip quirked. "Fuji-nee mentioned something about a coffee shop. Not Chagall. Ahnene… something. Then Verde, a shopping mall not unlike Junes." Okay, the parallels to Fuyuki and Inaba were getting concerning for Yukiko now… "And there's Exciting Splash which is some sort of… water park?"

"Water… park?"

"I don't remember the specifics, and I didn't care enough to ask, but it's some place you could swim indoors."

"I want to see it!" Yukiko blurted out. An indoor water park?! It even had the word exciting in its name, so it had to be amazing!

"Hah, I'll take you there sometime then." Shirou told her. With a soft smile that might as well be sparkling in her eyes.

Yukiko's brain jolted, and a hundred scenarios ran through her brain at once. All of them involved dating Shirou, laughing at the beach, splashing each other, holding hands—!

Fortunately for her sanity and five-alarm flushing face, he continued on listing other landmarks of his city. He didn't seem to notice her behavior. "There's also a Christian Church, but I'd rather not go there if I have to. And wasn't there a civic center? No, wait, that's gone and replaced with—"

Suddenly he wasn't talking anymore. Yukiko was all embarrassed and giddy for one minute, but now the mood was tense and dour enough that it gave her whiplash. "What's wrong, Emiya-kun?"

He snapped out of whatever faraway look he had in his eyes and looked at her. He tried smiling, more to convince himself than to assuage her. "It's nothing, Amagi. I'm fine now."

No, he was not fine at all. Shirou Emiya had demons that would make their own Shadows look tame in comparison. Yukiko had only ever heard stories and hints of this: when he had a panic attack rescuing her from her Shadow, being chased by monsters during Golden Week, the summoning of his black-card Persona Kagutsuchi, and his acute yet often ignored pyrophobia.

Goodness, did he secretly fear her because of her Persona's fire powers?

"Emiya-kun," she began slowly. "You know you can talk to me, or any one of us, about what bothers you, right?"

"Yes?" he said uncertainly.

"So, if it has something to do with you being afraid of fire, and how my Persona fights using fire magecraft, I'd understand if you—"

"Amagi," he said suddenly, firmly. "I have not, nor will I ever, avert from associating with you over that. You're a valuable member to the Investigation Team, and your healing, both in magecraft and in sheer presence, is a massive boon a hundred times over."

Yukiko was happy to hear that, truly. He knew how to make her heart sing without even meaning to; but she still felt he was dodging the issue. "Then if it's not me, it must be something else. When you were talking about your hometown. I've only ever known you to be kind, brave, and true. Seeing you haunted, even for a moment… It scares me. Because I don't know how to heal that. If you died again—"

Again. Yes, he did die once, now that she thought about it. When fighting Kanji-kun's Shadow, he bled out from his arm and under duress summoned that monstrous Kagutsuchi.

"Amagi," she heard him say. Softly, concerned for her. Like he wasn't the one in pain. Then he sighed. "It's just… you know my legal guardian is Fuji-nee, right?"
She nodded, somewhat scared.

"My parents died in a fire that broke out in Fuyuki ten years ago. Along with countless others. It was a miracle that I'm still here, and I have Kiritsugu Emiya, who found and adopted me, to thank for that. That's why I keep fighting. That's why I save people. Because I know what it feels like, wanting to die. Because if I don't, then I'll doubt myself and…"

Shirou lost his voice again, once more a tormented look in his eye. It was gone as he started to brush it off and walk away. "I'm sorry, forget I said anything. It's nothing to worry about now."

Without thinking, Yukiko stood up and grasped his arm before he could leave. The one that was cut off, feeling the part where her Recarm mended flesh back together. It was still real, still there. Still strong as if it had never been amputated to begin with and thus replaced with a prosthetic.

"A-Amagi?!" Shirou squawked. She didn't blame his reaction; she would likely be flustered too if she were touched so closely. So intimately. Making sure he couldn't leave unless he really wanted to pry his arm off.

But there was a time and place for such reactions, like when to laugh or when to feel scared.

"Emiya-kun," she said. "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this. So please, don't think of it as a burden. Not living… and not confiding in us. You're our leader, our dearest friend."

She pressed his hand to her cheek, to feel the warmth still there. "You've been there for us at our lowest. It's only fair we share your burden."
Goodness, she never realized how troubled a life he had before coming here; torn from his family in one accident and losing another shortly after. It made her Shadow's rant about the Amagi Inn and Inaba feel absolutely childish.

And yet he never complained or showed weakness. He didn't seem to hide bitterness either as he lived life so assuredly. Because he didn't believe his own problems were worth it. It was enough to make Yukiko cry for him. He really did remind her of Chie, and all her best qualities.

No wonder she was so drawn to him.

Shyly, almost uncertainly, Shirou's fingers gently creased against Yukiko's hair and skin. His way of returning the embrace she had on his arm. And the way he looked at her… a smile, so small, unsure, yet so grateful that he wasn't turned away. "Thanks, Amagi."

"Mhm," she smiled back and nodded, ever so nudging closer to his hand.

It was a small gesture, but she hoped it was enough to ease his burden.
<><><>

August 18th​, Okina Station

Rise comically stretched her hands out in front as she marched. "Wooo! What a day! Can't wait to head back and scrub my troubles away with a bath!"

Shirou followed her dutifully, carrying only a full arm's worth of bags for her (she was a considerate girl for his services!). "It would probably be better if we didn't spend the day out in this weather," he said.

"Senpai, senpai, senpai," she tsked, shaking her long magenta locks in the air. "Everyone knows that a bath feels better when you put in a hard day's work!"

"All you did was point at outfits you didn't try on."

"Well, duh. It's more for Chie-chan and Yuki-chan's sake. They have very limited attire, you know?"

"I… suppose," he said.

On one of the earlier days of summer vacation, he had Marie meet up with most of his friends, and she was quick to dub them with nicknames. Kanji was "Old man", because he looked the part. Rise (to her chagrin) was "Pinkette", as some mutation of her idol name and the color pink. Chie and Yukiko were "Green" and "Red" respectively. Marie's reason was their color aesthetic made it seem like they were part of a Christmas theme, and it was hard to unsee when that was pointed out.

Especially when they were tripping over themselves to pick out new outfits that weren't their favorite colors.

"But I got plenty of clothes for myself too! Oh, and for Marie-chan. You say she's stuck in a limousine in the middle of nowhere?! Wouldn't she get lonely, or hungry?"

"She has company, so she won't get bored. As for food and drink, well… all I ever saw in the Velvet Room was wine, so—"

"Ack!" Rise dramatically choked with a stern frown. "A limo is fun to ride once or twice, but trust me, it makes a sucky place to sleep in. A real gilded prison."

It made sense to Shirou, for her to feel that way. She was an idol before quitting so suddenly, and was now enjoying the freedom of a girl her age growing up. Sometimes he was tempted to give up pursuing magecraft, but things like that stay with you.

More than that though…

"Well, we're done here for today. The sooner we board the train the sooner I can get home for that nice bath."

Shirou frowned. It was common for Rise to bring up something from her idol experience only to not dwell on it. If this was her way of moving on from her Shadow, she needed a firm reminder otherwise.

Fortunately, over the summer, he finally got around to fusing a Persona for the Lovers Arcana. Undine: the chief spirit of the Water element as coined in Paracelsus' books on alchemy. If there was ever a time to "clear the pool of her mind" as Undine put it, it would be now.

"Actually Rise, do you have a moment?" he asked her.

Immediately she spun and turned to face him, hands clasped and eyes blinking through her thick sunglasses. "Anything for you, senpai!"

He pointed to an alley, just shy away from the station back home and the many stores across the way. Rise followed him with no hesitation, though she did joke about his destination. "Geez, if you weren't such a boy scout, I'd accuse you of planning something naughty here, senpai!"

Shirou wasn't good at tact, and he knew what he was about to ask was something Rise didn't want to hear… so he just blurted it out. "Do you ever want to go back? To being an idol, I mean."

Rise's smile fell immediately. Suddenly she wanted to hide deeper in the alley, but her feet remained stuck to the ground. "What brought this on?" she asked instead, coldly.

"You've been in the business most of your life, haven't you? It's not something you can just decide to do on a whim, nor is it something most in your position would leave."

"That doesn't answer my question," she accused.

"You didn't answer mine, either," he reminded her.

"No, I don't want to go back to being an idol. Why are we even talking about this?"

"Why don't you want to talk about this?"

"Because I quit, remember?"

"Quitting is one thing. Pretending that it never happened and ignoring any sort of talk acknowledging it is something else."

By now Rise's mood soured and she glared at him. "God, you're just like Inoue-san! Heckling over my life choices. Maybe I want to pretend it didn't happen because I hated it! Or did you miss the whole 'make me a martyr' spiel my Shadow made when she nuked you to hell and back?!"

She huffed and looked away, staring at the wall. Stupid Shirou. Him, of all people, trying to pry into her idol life? She'd put that chapter behind her and was putting all her energy into finding the bastard that was making Inaba his bloody playground.

She thought he was better than that. Better than all the other fans that lusted over Risette. So why here? Why now?

"Then wouldn't it be better to talk about it?"

Rise's scowl dropped. She was tempted, oh so tempted, to look back at him, but held her gaze on the wall as she was more angry than curious.

"You've locked away all your experiences about that life. Because you feel no one could possibly understand what it's like. The sacrifices you made to make it work. How it shaped your life for better or worse. It might be easier to hide your bitter emotions away. But it doesn't mean it's not still there, festering with regret."

Thinking back, he mentioned something similar back after he rescued her and beat her Shadow. Shirou-senpai convinced her that the Shadow, her ghost of Risette, was still a part of her and could be part of a greater whole that was herself. She accepted it and had been using Himiko to the best of her abilities ever since.

But Rise was still stubborn and hurt, not willing to acknowledge he was right. "Being a wizard isn't the same as being an idol."

"Magus," he corrected offhandedly. "And you're right, it's not. But I think we can both appreciate and empathize with each other more than anyone else could."

"Right, because you were so open about your magus double life. Hypocrite."

She heard him wince. Good, the stupid jerk was regretting this topic. "You're right. Though the others do know about me being a magus, it was only by accident because I couldn't keep my big mouth shut."

Oh. Well, that didn't mean anything.

"And if I had kept my magecraft a secret from them and never come down to Inaba, I'd probably be face down in an alley like this in a pool of my own blood."
Rise finally turned back to him. Hearing him say that alone was a shock to the core, but his face was stone hard and firmly believed in what he was saying. "What?"

"I'm a novice, Rise," Shirou said. "My Gradation Air magecraft, creating swords out of thin air? It might look amazing to you and the others, but to any real magus worth their circuits, it's a parlor trick. I've been self-taught ever since Kiritsugu died, and only did I recently learn that what he taught me was lacking by design. Even my Personas are fallible; if it weren't for my benefactors helping me fuse new ones every so often, I'd fall behind everyone and be useless."

Her hero, Shirou Emiya, useless? No, she couldn't believe that. He was so strong and capable, their rock in all their fights and leads on the case. They were all still living and breathing because of him, from day one.

She wanted to assure him that it was okay. That even if he would never amount to the greatest of magi, he'd always be her number one hero. That she'd work extra hard to catch the serial murderer. Unfortunately, all she could do was look at him in pity and dismay. "Senpai…"

He smiled at her, a simple gesture that left her relieved and baffled. Like she needed comforting instead of him. Then he scratched the back of his head. "I, uh… don't know where I was going with this."

Rise wanted to be offended. Him pouring his heart out about being a magus, and he lost his train of thought? It was stupid… and yet so like him. She couldn't help but giggle.

"And yet here you are, still being a magus despite it causing no small amount of heartache," she noted. Her smile fell as she stared into his eyes. Resolute, bright, and yet… distant. "Why do you keep doing it, Senpai?"

"Is it wrong to want to help people?" he asked.

"It is if you hide behind it as your only reason. That's like me saying all my idol problems are because of Risette."

Shirou recoiled as if slapped. Another nerve touched.

"I think I get what you're trying to say though, senpai," said Rise. "You see that I'm hiding a lot more problems under the surface because of what you've been through. The thing is, it works both ways. And what you're hiding… It's scary. So scary even you know it's not for the faint of heart, and that you go out of your way to pretend it's not there. Just like me."

This was not how Shirou intended their talk to go. Rise was able to read people better than he ever could. Maybe it was acting practice, or her Persona ability? Either way, she was able to discern more about him in a few months than others could in years.

She was amazing as Risette, the idol that charmed a world with such quick success. But even as someone who threw her career away for high school, her natural strengths shone brighter than a limelight.

"Rise is very translucent," Undine commented. Shirou agreed. And he felt almost guilty to have someone as amazing as her as a friend.

For her part, Rise looked a little nervous now that things were quiet. "…too much?" she asked.

Shirou smiled assuredly at her. "More like you hit the nail on the head. I guess I'm not as stoic as I thought I was?"

"But you are, senpai! It's part of your charm!" Rise assured quickly. "And everyone has an off day where they just need to relax. Like shopping, train-riding, bathing…"

Shirou laughed nervously. "All right, all right, you made your point. But if you ever feel the need to talk about something, you know where to find me."

"Only if you promise the same with your magus baggage."

"Deal." That was more than fair.

"Great!" Rise grinned and clapped her hands. "Now let's get back before one of us gets naughty ideas in this cramped alleyway."

"You know I wouldn't do anything remotely untoward to you, Rise," he said.

"I know," she said slyly. "That's why we need to hurry."

Shirou wondered if ignorance was truly bliss. Because in the time it took to reach the train, he was mulling over those words.

Undine offered her own council. "It appears Rise is not as pure as the idol agency would imply."

That much wasn't hard to discern. Her Shadow lamented being overrun and stressed from work being a perfect image, and she took her frustration out with a lot of innuendo and… dominating…

Oh Lord.

On the train ride back, he couldn't stop blushing, nor could he bear to look towards Rise. His head was further tormented with Lilim's uproarious laughter.

<><><>

August 20th​, Tatsumi Shrine, Evening

The Tatsumi Shrine should have been bustling with activity during the summer festival. The night was young, decorative lights were out and stalls for games had been set up down the small road. But most people were too scared to venture out after dark, due to fear of the serial killer all year. While there were people out celebrating tonight as intended, it was still a small turnout.

It was evident when three young girls, in summer kimonos of distinct colors and patterns, climbed the steps accompanied by the clicking of their geta. They hesitated when they saw only a few small groups enjoying themselves, and the three exchanged looks. "Geez, we didn't come too early, did we?" Rise asked. Her yukata was a vivid pink color with white-etched butterflies.

Chie, in her white and yellow yukata with green and blue flower spots, shook her head. "We came here late because of all the effort putting the yukata on for all of us, including Nanako-chan."

"I'll have to remember to thank my staff for getting them prepared for us," Yukiko noted. She glanced down at her own blue yukata with white-etched snowflake designs, and an obi in a dichotomy of white and pink as opposed to the orange sashes her friends both wore. What wasn't shown was the many towels wrapped underneath to protect her modesty, as well as theirs. It was a lot more complicated to wear than the inn-standard nemaki.

"You don't think Nanako-chan was scared when she rode on the back of Fuji-san's bike, do you?" Chie asked. The five of them had dressed up at Yukiko's place, and while the plan was to head over together by bus, Taiga had her own motorcycle and just enough space to have Nanako ride in her lap.

"Are you kidding? She couldn't jump on Fuji-san's bike fast enough. I swear I could hear her laughing over the engine."

"They do seem rather close. Fuji-san even begged her to keep calling her Ti-"

"Waaaah!" Chie suddenly cried, covering Yukiko's mouth. "Ixnay on the T-say! You saw what she did on TV!"

That was enough to get Yukiko's face to turn blue as she timidly nodded. Rise wasn't convinced. "I didn't see it. So, she just doesn't like hearing that one word. So what?"

"So don't say it!" Chie yelled as she pulled her hand away from Yukiko. "It's probably a part of her Shadow thing. You know what that's like."

"I would, but only after I had Kanji-kun for reference."

"Are you still hung up about that?"

"I've been on the team long enough to deserve some context on your bad days."

"Girls," Yukiko placated, moving to stand between them and hands held up. "This is supposed to be a fun night. Let's just meet up with the guys like we planned and enjoy ourselves without Personas, okay?"

""Fine…"" They chorused their shared sentiment, and Yukiko smiled with relief.

"Speaking of the guys," Rise said, pointing over. "I see Nanako-chan!"

The trio hurried over down the road; they recognized Nanako's cute brown locks anywhere, as well her pink-checkered yutaka over her small frame. She was holding hands with her ride and chaperone, Taiga, in (what else but) a tiger-striped yukata of yellow and black and matching black obi. The duo were walking down their way, Nanako releasing Taiga's hand to run up to them.

"Oh, Rise-chan! Yuki-chan! Chie-chan!"

"About time you three showed up," Taiga greeted, waving her paper fan. "We've already started without you."

"Tiger got me cotton candy!" Nanako said happily. Her face was beaming as she waved the wand of pink sweetness, while Taiga tried poorly to hide her own glee upon hearing her talk.

"That's great, Nanako-chan!" Chie said, rubbing her hand playfully on Nanako's hair.

"So, where are the rest of the guys?" Rise asked Taiga. "I can't wait to see their jaws drop from our yukatas!" While her heart still pined for Emiya, she was indeed giddy to see how they'd react. Teddie would be enamored, Kanji a stuttering mess… maybe even get something out of the aloof Naoto and poor Hanamura too.

Her hopes were dashed as Taiga winced and glanced away. "Yeah, about that? Turns out they're no-shows."

Chie, Yukiko, and Rise all stared at her in shock. All that time wearing their yukatas was for naught!

"What?!" Chie yelled first. "But why?!"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Taiga lamented. "Naoto-kun just flat out refused to attend; believe me, I tried all week. And I assume Yosuke-kun wasn't in a festive mood, which isn't much of a surprise." Indeed, it wasn't. Not after what happened to poor Sacchin. "But Kanji-kun's house is literally next door, and Teddie was all about the yukata girls ever since he heard about it. Yet neither of them showed up, and the festival started like an hour ago."

"Even Emiya-kun?" Rise asked worriedly. He shouldn't have any reason to ditch, unless he felt no one else was coming.

"Big bro is coming with dad!" Nanako said. "He said he's bringing a surprise!"

A surprise? What could that possibly be, they wondered. Well, at least someone from the team was still coming, and the most important guy too.

"I can't believe you talked me into this." A familiar voice rang out from the shrine entrance.

"It's the best way to celebrate the summer festival, and it'll make Nanako happy," another voice chimed in.

Hearing her name, Nanako's head snapped towards them, and her face brightened. "Ah, they're here!" Nanako cheered and ran ahead.

It was indeed a surprise. Dojima was wearing a black-clothed yukata with braille-etched designs of an eastern long dragon, almost camouflaged to the fabric. Shirou's yukata was tame and plain in comparison, colored in navy-blue with a white obi tying it together.

"Big bro! Dad! Your yukata looks great!" Nanako said to them both. "I'm so happy you're dressed up!"

"Yeah, well, your brother convinced me," Dojima said. Sure enough, Dojima's unease went away as he saw how animated and happy his daughter was, stretching his arm to rub the back of his neck.

"You look pretty as well, Nanako," Shirou told her with a smile. A rather innocuous reaction that made Nanako giggle, but it was dazzling for the rest of the company.

"Whoa," Rise said aloud. Yukiko and Chie dumbly nodded. They thought they would get men to turn heads in their own yukatas. Seeing Shirou and Officer Dojima both dressed for the summer festival was as intriguing as it was enticing, like they were seeing them in a new light. Shirou was always the apple in their eye, but they could see it didn't fall far from the tree in regards to his uncle.

Taiga was staring as well, but she was having worse internal struggles. She barely had the state of mind to hide her flushed cheeks behind her paper fan. Don't panic, Taiga. So what if Shirou and Ryotaro look handsome in their yukata. It's just a bathrobe, after all! Think silly! They're Nanako-chan's silly family! T-Try to imagine them in their underwear!

Her face suddenly burned brighter as she fidgeted in place. OH NO THEY'RE HOT!

Dojima finally noticed the girls and addressed them. "Thanks for watching over Nanako. I'll take over from here."

"O-Oh, are you sure?" Chie asked.

Dojima nodded. "It's not every day this town has festive events. You kids should enjoy it while you can." Then he turned knowingly to his nephew. "That includes you, Shirou."
Shirou balked and blinked. "Eh?"

"It wouldn't be fair to your friends who dressed up for the festival to leave them waiting, now would it?" he teased.

"What does-?" he started before turning and noticing the girls for the first time. And their yukatas. He was caught staring for a few seconds, eyes glancing at their frames, even Fuji-nee's, before snapping away in a flush. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You can thank your cool uncle later," Dojima smirked, before turning to his daughter. "All right, Nanako. Want to try the target pra-I mean, play a game with me?"

"Hehe, okay!" Nanako giggled, finding it silly that her dad thought like a cop just now. As they walked to a different stall, she turned and waved to the others. They happily waved back. "Have fun, big bro! Don't catch the cooties!"

"I-I won't…?" he assured awkwardly. Then he glanced back at the young ladies, who seemed to feel as awkward as he was. "So, uh…"

"No one else is coming," Taiga told him.

"Ah. So, you've heard."

"Heard what?" Yukiko asked.

"Oh, you didn't?" Shirou asked. "Well, it was kind of last minute to be fair. Yosuke still hasn't gotten over what happened with Satsuki, and Naoto shut himself inside all summer. Kanji said he was going over to Naoto's place to bring food from the stands, and Teddie decided to invite himself, his date, and Yosuke over."

"Ah, that's nice of them," Rise smiled. It sucked they seemed to decide on a boys' night out, but at least they were helping out one of their own. Then her mind violently backtracked. "Wait. Teddie has a date?!"

"His words, not mine," Shirou quickly argued. "Something about a 'voluptuous vixen' he saw."

Rise scowled. "That sounds super sketchy, though. How and when did that bear find the time to bring a hussy over when I'm here?!"

"Well, perhaps he can finally drop the 'scoring' thing," Yukiko shrugged, more than relieved for the bear to be moving on.

"This sucks, though," Chie huffed. She would have stomped her feet if not for her painstakingly put on robe. "We planned ahead and everything. Do you know how long it takes to put these on?"

"I do," Shirou said, lifting his arm up with the loose robe sleeve riding down. Chie flushed and felt silly to complain about it to him.

"It really is a nice yukata, Emiya-kun," Yukiko said. The girls nodded with her.

"I'm surprised you packed the thing," Taiga noted. "You must really be attached because you haven't worn it since… well…"

"Yeah," Shirou frowned. "Since Kiritsugu died."

To the four young women, a chill filled the shrine, despite the warm summer night. By now, they were all familiar with the pain in his heart, and how much he hid it from others.

And yet, Shirou just shrugged like it was no big deal. "I figured with all the fighting that's been going on, it would be nice to share thanks with the Shinto spirits tonight. Maybe slip Tama some of my paycheck at the offering box."

"And after that?" Chie asked.

"I thought about spending the night with Doji-nii and Nanako, but since they've excused me it would be rude and awkward to just ruin their fun."

"Shirou," Taiga said sternly. "No one would ever think that; least of all them. And even Kiritsugu would want you to have some fun."

"Fun, huh," he muttered to himself, still unsure.

"Yeah!" Rise cheered. "We lasted this long chasing some serial boogieman, even slaying a vampire! I mean, it sucks for Hanamura of course, but the point is we earned this. We need to make memories worth the yukata we're all wearing!" She then surprised everyone by suddenly latching to Shirou's left arm. "So let's enjoy ourselves, senpai!"

"Eh?!" Shirou panicked. He knew Rise was clingy, but this was hardly the time for her jokes. "Ah, Rise-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his words before Yukiko made a similar action on his right arm, even making a knowing, lingering touch on his scar under the sleeve. "Amagi?!"

Chie and Taiga had similar, shocked expressions: shrunken pupils, dropped jaws, and even faded colors. They were the most surprised to see the demure inn heiress stake a claim.

"Hey, I picked Shirou-senpai first!" Rise pouted, clinging tighter around Shirou's other arm.

"A burden shared is lessened between friends, remember?" Yukiko said, smiling up at Shirou's face. "It's a little unusual this year, but why don't we all have fun together?

"To-together?!" Shirou squawked.

"HOLD IT!" Taiga yelled. "It's questionable enough when kids your age go out in pairs during the summer festival, but a trio is too much!"

Rise and Yukiko both felt their spirits drop. "But-!" "Aww…"

Meanwhile, Shirou and Chie exhaled sighs of relief, thanks to Taiga. Who was now walking behind Shirou and planted a hand on his shoulder.

"Which is why you need adult supervision!" she declared.

Chie blinked. "Wait, what?"

Shirou looked worriedly at his guardian. "Fuji-nee?"

"You're hardly the adult in this situation," Rise sniped, getting more annoyed with the divided attention of her senpai.

Taiga took that as a challenge. "I'm sorry, who here has a driver's license again?"

"Whatever. Just tell Yuki-chan to let go."

"You should be the one to let go, Rise-chan," Yukiko remarked darkly.

"Either you both let go or suck it up," Taiga scolded. "Because like it or not, I'm your chaperone."

Shirou seriously doubted that was her intent, as she seemed just as hotly enthused to engage in this… whatever this was. He turned to Chie, his only hope for sanity, with pleading eyes.

Chie was torn. She did pity poor Shirou, for being caught like a slab of meat between her friends. Taiga's attempt of compromise, while well-meaning, might have just thrown fuel on the fire as she low-key hinted that she wanted time with him too. While Chie felt obliged to defuse the fight, it would be a lie if she didn't want to enjoy the night with Shirou too.
…she could do both and make everyone happy. Including her fellow Ally.

"Yukiko, you should let go of his arm for now. You too, Fuji-san."

While Taiga reluctantly obliged, Yukiko was too shocked to react other than gasp. Her best friend, telling her no? "Chie?!"

"Look, Rise-chan got first dibs," she mediated, much to the former idol's delight. "She'll take him to one of the stalls, then you'll get your turn. Then Fuji-san, then me."

"Huh?"

"Look, there's four of us and one of him. We can't really pull on his arms all night, so we take turns. So long as we don't run him ragged."

Slowly, Yukiko nodded and let go. She was convinced, as was Taiga. Shirou was still a bit concerned how it got to this point, but they were reaching a compromise to give him some breathing room. Not everyone was satisfied, though.

"But… I want Senpai all to myself," Rise complained.

"Did you ask him what he wanted?" Chie asked pointedly.

Rise pouted, now finding herself in the center of stares from the group. Looking at Shirou's face, one that was hesitant but expecting, waiting… it made up for the little grievance she had having to share this. "Uh… do you want to do kingyo sukui?"

His face warmed to a smile. "Sure, Rise."

With a fire lit in her, she dragged him to the stall with the goldfish scoopers. Chie turned to the other girl with a smile. "There! Everybody wins!"

Yukiko smiled back, and Taiga gave her a thumbs-up.

<><><>

Shirou tried not to think much about summer festivals. He liked the yukata, the watermelon, and the fireworks, but those memories weren't as fond to him now as they were before. Because those memories were overwritten with Kiritsugu as he grew older and frailer, and even sadder.

"Being able to save one person means not being able to save anyone else."

Shirou didn't know what to think of those words at the time. Saving someone still had to mean something, right? But after Sacchin, he understood better. Perhaps Kiritsugu spoke from personal experience, also having someone he failed to rescue.

Maybe being an ally of justice was just something unattainable and ridiculous.

And yet… right here, with the company of some of his closest friends, celebrating a new day, made him realize something.

"Come on, let's get a group photo, senpai!"

"Oi, Shirou! There's a pachinko game! Let's win something!"

"Emiya-kun, is that a steak skewer in your hand!? I-I'll trade you my corn for it!"

"Eh? I-It's just a ketchup stain, Emiya-kun! You don't need to fix it, really!"

Even the most impossible dreams were worth fighting for, for the smiles and exuberance of joy that followed.
<><><>
 
Yay omg it's back and finally updated I am so happy to see it. Also, as expected from one of the great Harem and Eroge Protagonists.

Now, then I wonder when will Sakura, Rin, and Artoria be added to the harem?!
 
Chapter 53 preview New
The new chapter is coming out soon, depending on beta reading traffic. Until then, here's a spicy preview for the readers here:
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"Senpai, I need help wrangling Ted!"

"Let me go, Kanji! I need to see my heavenly wardrobe malfunction!"

"No way! You heard your scary girlfriend! Don't piss her off screwing around!"

"I was planning on using this on Yuki-chan, but if you dare to come between a bear and his beloved peaches—!"

Shirou's caught whiff of a sudden concentration of prana. This wasn't like any of Teddie's Gradation Air spells, and as he flailed out of Kanji's grasp, he aimed his intent to use it on him. "Teddie, no!" he cried, running over.

"Teddie, yes!" Teddie proclaimed, cupping his paws together. "Auditee! Unity! Offering!"

Kanji flinched as he saw a light sea-blue glow from Teddie's hands. "What the hell?!"

"Cast Off!" He threw both hands together, mimicking a powerful pose he read in a manga once, and fired.

The blue prana beam arched closer to Kanji, ready to envelop him. At the last minute, Shirou shoved Kanji to the side. However, he had no time to protect himself before it hit him, detonating in a bright flash.

"Wooaah!"

"Senpai!"

"Dude, what was that?!"

Shirou had prepared himself for the worst, and he could feel the magecraft cascade over him. He wasn't blown back, or burned, or shocked or anything. Rather, he felt a sudden draft and wetness around his legs, but he didn't pay for it much mind as he had rushed into the water waist deep.

The light died down, finding himself staring at a sheepish, posing Teddie. "S-Sensei…?" he squeaked out, with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Shirou sighed. Relieved that nothing happened, but also exasperated at what could have been. "Teddie, I don't know what that magecraft you just pulled off was, but I hope you never try something like that out again. Least of all using Kanji or Amagi as your test subject."

"Shirou-Sensei—"

"Promise?"

"I promise, but Sensei—!"

Shirou turned and walked back to shore. He still had questions for Naoto, and didn't want the momentum to die off just yet. He said something about topsicles—

"Shirou, are you okay? What was that—FLAPPING DANGLES MY EYES!" Shirou didn't know what got Yosuke in a hurry, nor why he suddenly flustered and looking away.

Kanji wasn't any better, turning away and covering his eyes. "Geez, make yourself decent, senpai! As least stay in the water!"

"What are you guys talking about?" he asked. Yes, he was blasted by some spell, but he wasn't harmed in any way.

Labrys explained in a way the others couldn't, intently staring at his waistline. "I believe it's because you're naked, Shirou."

…what?

"Labrys, don't look!"

"But is this not the 'wardrobe malfunction' Teddie was talking about?"

"Wait a minute… you intended to blast ME with that!"

"N-Now Kanji, let's be reasonable here!"

"What's reasonable about this, you pervy bear?!"

The guys around him were filtered out to white noise. He slowly looked down, and noticed that his trunks were not there anymore. His bathing suit was now a birthday suit, and the water only came up to his ankles now.

"KYAAAAAAAA!"

A shrill scream broke Shirou out of his stupor, as he dove back into the deeper water for what little dignity he had left. When he popped up, he saw Naoto further down the shore, having dropped two topsicles to the sand and covering his face with his hat.

"Naoto!" Kanji rushed over to his friend's side, consoling him.

Yosuke let out a low whistle. "Geez, first Kanji's briefs and now Shirou's buck. Poor guy can't catch a break."

"That could have been so much worse, Shirou-sensei," Teddie noted. "Well, at least none of the other girls saw you like that!"

"I can keep a secret!" Labrys offered helpfully with a raised arm. "I did NOT see your private parts, Shirou!"

"Don't blab that out!" Yosuke scolded, pushing her hand down. "The point of a secret is not saying anything!"

"Ah, gotcha!"

"See? Everything worked out, Shirou-sen-BLLBLBULBLBLBL!!"

Shirou did not hear or care about what the others were talking about just now. He took his near catatonic rage and humiliation out on Teddie by forcibly dunking his head below the water. He held him down there, with reinforced arms and watched with cold fury as the blond-haired bear-man flailed and gargled for air. Before pulling him out.

"*Cough* *Cough!* Sensei, I'm s-OBRBBLBLBL!"

And dunking him again.

"Should we… help him?" Labrys asked concernedly, as she saw one treat the other to waterboarding.

"Nah, he's got it handled," Yosuke shrugged, already walking away. "Let him have a few minutes to cool off first."

"I was talking about Teddie," she clarified.

"And I was talking about Shirou."
 
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Chapter 53: Tropic Monsoon New
Chapter 53: Tropic Monsoon
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August 21st, Ruined Shopping District

Five months. To think that was how long ago they first started their investigation for the truth, and so much had happened since. The shopping district, a leftover of Saki Konishi's memory when thrown into Teddie's world, had not changed since the last battle. Or rather, had not recovered since the climax.

Buildings had been blown apart, asphalt torn, glass from windows stained and cracked, metal signs bent... it looked like a scene straight out of some post-apocalyptic horror movie setting that Fuji-nee tried to get him to watch once.

Shirou wouldn't ever come back here if he could help with it. Not because it was a bitter memory of what happened here, but because there was no point. He was already committed to solving the case, to prevent Inaba from ever looking like this, and he was sure the others did too.

And yet earlier today, he got a single text from Yosuke:

"Come meet me @ the shopping district.
ill let Teddie know not to close the door."

It was coded enough to remind him of the other shopping district; the one where they fought in the TV world. Shirou had to give his friend credit, he knew how to keep secrets on the downlow and stick with a code.

Still, why ask him to come here alone? They always agreed to not explore without the others. At least the place was close enough from the Junes entrance, and he didn't even need Teddie's guiding hand (or paw) to direct him.

The further he walked in, the worse the damage to the world got. It had not recovered at all since the battle with Shadow Yosuke, nor had any other Shadows thought to come back. Which was weird as the other… what did Satsuki call them? Palaces? They were still teeming with Shadows, almost as if waiting to squat and take over when his friends' Shadows were placated.

But not here. Not once. Was it because Saki died? Then would the world formed by both Mitsuo and Satsuki's minds also fade away, if it hadn't already when she activated her Reality Marble?

"Ah, you're here."

Shirou's musing stopped, and so did his automatic walk. He saw Yosuke standing at what remained of the Konishi Liquor Store, being the epicenter of the tornado attack. His friend's back was to him, but he seemed to sense his presence and comment on it.

"Yosuke," Shirou started, glancing up and down at his friend. He didn't know what to expect, but his friend had been reclusive all summer, keeping himself busy with work or unexplained absences throughout his free time.

Shirou almost held his tongue back on the first thing that popped into his mind. But after everything they'd been through, Yosuke and the others were more or less used to his dry wit and cutting remarks. He didn't have to worry about offending him more than usual, so he just spoke his mind. "You look like shit."

Yosuke chuckled, finally turning to him. Shirou could see his sunken eyes and tired smile. Shirou quickly amended, "Scratch that, you really look like shit."

"Geez, once was bad enough, dude," Yosuke sniped back. "It's not you've had a girlfriend die on you. Again."

"You were dating Saki-senpai? She didn't seem to think so in her dying thoughts."

"We had a date planned, man! It totally counts!"

The two teens glared at each other, suddenly tense. But then their gazes fell as they bellowed long laughs that echoed in the desolate faux-Inaba. It was absurd, and yet it left them both feeling relieved. Whether they were crazy or not, they were both on the same wavelength.

Shirou knew he could never have this kind of rapport with Issei or Shinji even on his best days.

"Thanks man," Yosuke said tiredly. "I really needed that."

"If you wanted to talk, you could have picked anywhere else," Shirou offered. He looked around the ruined store, vividly remembering one of his first intense fights.

"Nah, it was either here or the telephone pole where I first saw Saki's body, and I'd rather not worry Hisano-san or Labrys about… no, I'm getting ahead of myself."
As Shirou wondered what Yosuke meant (such as who was Hisano-san, or Labrys?), he waited for his friend to gather his thoughts. At some point, Yosuke turned his back towards him again, crossed his arms, and lowered his head.

"The truth is that envy I had towards you… never went away."

A stiff wind blew between them. Despite the bitter words, Shirou could feel the sincerity and remorse of Yosuke's words, and he waited for him to elaborate.

"I thought you were just like me. A city boy coming to the countryside to see some folks, probably bored out of his mind." Yosuke let out a single guffaw from his teeth and nearly doubled over. "Boy was I wrong. We couldn't be more worlds apart from the get-go, and that was before I found out you were a magus.

"It would be so easy to call you a jackass. I mean, have you heard half the stuff that comes out of your mouth sometimes? Even just a minute ago you were roasting me for no reason."

Shirou's eyebrow twitched, and he had the sinking feeling like he heard that accusation somewhere before. "Get to the point, Yosuke," he deadpanned.

"Right, sorry. It would be easy to call you that, but that would be unfair. You awakened your Persona, helped build our team, even grew into our leader. You became a real hero, saving all our asses more than once."

Shirou's animosity evaporated then and there. A hero… he hardly ever talked to others in Fuyuki about his dream, lest he be mocked and ridiculed for it. It was just some childish fantasy he never outgrew, but Yosuke didn't see it as facetious. He saw it as fact and stated it as such.

"It's not like you were born better than us, either," Yosuke continued. "Because for all the good you had in your life, it's riddled with just as bad with your folks dying. You've got me beat even in the bad luck category. I should resent you for that, and I probably do. But you've been nothing but humble and kind since coming here."

"Yosuke," Shirou said slowly. "If I'm humble, it's because you and the others help keep me honest. And if I'm kind, it's because you have been just as considerate since I came here. You offered to show me Junes even before I fixed your bike."

Yosuke was starting to turn his head back, as if listening for the first time. Shirou continued, "I may not have known Satsuki very well, and I knew Konishi even less, but I don't doubt that both of them cared about you because you're not wrong. We are a lot alike."

"…it sucks to know that you really meant that, and I believe you. Because, well…"

Yosuke's azure aura flared to life, and a visage of his Persona appeared next to him. However, the appearance was of a familiar scarf ninja he had for months than the awakened storm God from their last battle.

"Jiraiya?" Shirou exclaimed. "But how? I thought-!"

"Yeah, so did I," Yosuke confirmed as the Persona faded back inside him. "I might have come out to this place on my own to vent because, well, within walking distance from work, so why not?" He shrugged and then sighed. "But no matter how many times I fought, no matter how many Shadows I took out, I can't feel that spark again. And I know it's there. Just waiting to come out."

"'Come out'?"

"You know, like… ever get that feeling where you need to take a huge dump? You're sitting down and pushing, and while it feels good for the itch it isn't fully coming out, no matter how much you push? So you keep pushing harder and harder and—"

"Yes, and for the sake of your nads, never use that analogy around Satonaka," Shirou warned exasperatedly. In the corner of his mind, Lilim's laughter over the dirty innuendo was just as soul-crushing as the imagery.

Yosuke, unaware of the mental scarring he gave his friend, continued on. "Anyway, I know Susano-O is in me, but I can't seem to summon him. Jiraiya is as much of a part of me as Susano-O, so it's not like I can just switch Personas like you do." He then blinked and turned around fully, asking. "How do you do that, anyway?"

"I never thought about it, actually," Shirou admitted awkwardly. "Frankly, I think the fact they're not really born from my own Shadow means they're kind of malleable. I can only hold so much memory at a time, and they become stronger and compact when I fuse them?"

"Oh, so it's like that dance thing from Dragon Ball! Heck, maybe I just need to reach a higher level too, like Super Saiyan!"

"That might work," Shirou allowed. He barely remembered the show or manga growing up, but he was pretty sure battle shows glossed over how long it really takes to reach a power threshold. "Maybe focus on your Kiai?"

"Actually, I got a better idea," Yosuke said. "Well… no, it's actually a bad idea, but kind of the reason why I called you up here." He exhaled a deep breath, relaxing his body, and then tensed.

"I want you to hit me!"

"…what?"

"I want you. To hit me," Yosuke repeated with stern emphasis. "As hard. As. You. Can!"

Shirou blinked, somewhat shocked and concerned with what was being asked. "O-okay, but… why?"

"Because I'm a messed-up bundle of nerves and this inferiority complex I have is not going to go away on its own!"

"Yosuke-!"

"I'm serious! And… we promised to settle this with our fists, didn't we?"

Shirou really didn't want to do it. Fighting against friends didn't sit well with him. And it left him very conflicted that Yosuke was asking for his help. By hitting him. Probably a lot more than just once or twice, too.

Frankly, he did have a few grievances with Yosuke as well, such as springing such a request on him like this, or that time he roped him to showboating "motorcycles" in town. It wouldn't hurt to vent those out just this once, right?

Shirou nodded and drew his sword. "Then it's only fair that you go all out as well."

"Heh, yeah, fair enough!" Yosuke grinned, and he twirled his knives.

There was nothing but the two fighters in a ruined world. Their locked gazes told the other that they were serious, waiting for the proverbial gunshot.
Which came as they both conjured their Tarot cards. ""PERSONA!""

Wind and thunder surged out in a gridlock; more glass was shattered by the sonic boom while bolts of lightning charred more asphalt. And yet as a proverbial storm kicked off, the two teens rushed forward to clash with steel.

The very danger of cutting or maiming one another didn't register to them; they had faced dangerous fights together before, and their bodies and armor were not so easy to cut or bleed. But whether it was subconscious or an unspoken rule, they avoided any easy blows to the head, chest, or groin. Magecraft Persona skills were fair game though.

It was too close to count; for all of Shirou's power and stamina, Yosuke edged out in hit and run. It was mirrored in their Personas, where Jiraiya leaped from one area to the next, just narrowly avoiding Izanagi's swings. The sound of their magics detonating deafened all else.

At some point, Shirou's sword was blown away by a gale, and Yosuke dropped his own weapons from numb shock. And yet they continued to fight; their Personas with their weapons, and the users with their fists.

"RAAAAAAH!"

"HIYAAAAA!"

At the apex of their fight, they both charged one last time with all their might put behind their cocked fists.
And then-!

POW!

They found their mark in each other's cheekbone, nearly breaking their glasses. A double knockout. Both bodies collapsed to the ground, the only sound heard being their ragged breaths of exhaustion.

"God…dammit!" Yosuke gasped out. "Did you… have to go that hard? I think I… I was seeing stars… for a minute there."

"Speak… for… yourself!" Shirou panted. "My arms… are so numb…"

"Yeah… punching would do that…"

Shirou chuckled; such a stupid comment yet it made a lot of sense. As he mulled it over more, his laughter grew. Then Yosuke joined in, and their laughter carried out in the void. Even when it was hurting their chests to do so.

It was sometime later before they got the energy to move again. They leaned and rested their backs on the remains of a wall to one of the buildings. It was hard to tell where the street ended or began now, but it seemed their fighting cleared the debris and even the sky somewhat. There was no binary red-and-black ripple, but instead a clear sky as if in the real world.

"We should fight more often," Yosuke decided. "That one just now cleared up so many things for me, I can't even put them into words."

"I should say no," Shirou admonished. "But… you're right. It puts stuff into perspective better than just talking things out. I think I get why all the manga heroes do it now."

"Haha, right?" Yosuke grinned. "Though now you look as shitty as I do. Here, use this."

Shirou accepted the worn and slightly used bandage wrap Yosuke pulled out. "I don't need the whole thing, you know."

"Nah, you kinda do. Consider it a gift to use whenever you bang yourself up more than a Dia magecraft can patch up."

"I should feel offended you know me so well by now," Shirou jokingly grumbled as he started applying the wrap to his hands.

Yosuke barked another laugh before looking up at the sky. His smile fell slightly. "…you think they're watching over us?"

"Without a doubt," Shirou said instantly mid-wrap.

"Smiling over us?"

"Of course."

"…even a pain in the ass like me?"

"Especially for you, Yosuke."

"Ha-ha, maybe I should be the one offended by you now."

Unheard to Yosuke, a little pixie chimed playfully in Shirou's ear: "Da-da-dadada-da! Heart get!" It was enough to get the magus to smile wryly.

"Senpai. Sacchin. I'm going to live." Yosuke declared to the sky. "Without lying to myself, without deceiving myself. For every day; days like today, or days like before, even the boring ones where nothing happened. Because they're all important."

A gentle smile grew across his lips. "Those are the days I met you. And the days you won't live to see anymore. So, I'm going to live them all right here. I'm gonna protect those days." He turned to Shirou next to him. "And live them all with a smile."

"Yosuke…"

It was a fond moment… that suddenly shifted. Yosuke's body stiffened, and although Shirou himself couldn't see it, he felt the change within Yosuke as Jiraiya transfigured to Susano-O again.

And it wasn't a simple shift either; the change in Yosuke's heart, now clear of doubt and regrets, allowed him to overcome his weaknesses and come out stronger for it.

That wasn't all though; the social link between them became as strong as a chain and as bright as a neon light. The Magician Tarot appeared in his mind's eye, with a voice that for the first time was clear to him.

I am thou, and thou art I.
Thou has established a true bond.


The voice, Shirou realized, sounded a lot like Margaret.

A true bond, once fully fledged, can never be broken.
The bonds you create and nurture shall be your eyes to the truth.
We bestow upon thee, the ultimate power of the Magician Arcana:


The Magician Tarot then turned over, revealing the portrait of a Persona card. A teal blue, four-armed giant. Cyan rings on each arm and growing out the side of its mouth. A black maw with no eyes. Fire burning in not just the funneled-out head, but the waist that was extended out like a saucepan.

Mada, the Intoxicator.

As soon as the card was revealed, Shirou's senses cleared again. Mada… he'd have to remember that name to look up later, but it sounded leagues stronger than any other Persona he had fused or summoned before.

But that wasn't important right now.

"Ha… I think it worked!" Yosuke exclaimed, giddy. He would have bolted up from his seat if not for the still aching sores. "Geez, if I got such a rush from that before, maybe we should fight more often!"

"Maybe in a more controlled environment," Shirou said with an awkward smile. He'd rather not anger the others with sparring as crazy as this. Especially not Fuji-nee or Satonaka, the two most likely to respond violently.

"Well, I owe you one for this partner," Yosuke said gratefully. He extended his hand down to help him up. "And I hope to keep counting on you from here on out, too."

Shirou's smile was less awkward as they clasped hands. "You too."

<><><>
August 22nd, Dojima Household

Ah, after a day of resting from that "fight", Shirou was ready to tackle another day of summer vacation. He'd just finished cooking breakfast with Nanako, a daily ritual between the two of them now, and was ready to sit down and eat-

When the front door burst open with a strong kick. Taiga rushed in, not even bothering to kick her shoes off, and grabbed Shirou by the shoulders.

"SHIROU! NEED HELP! NOW!"

"But-! AHHH!"

Her superhuman strength dragged him off his feet as she dashed out the front door and slammed it behind them.

"Huh?" Nanako blinked, confused about what she just saw.

Her confusion peaked when the door opened slowly, and Taiga, still holding a frazzled red-haired teenager above her, awkwardly smiled as she walked in. "Hey, Nanako-chan! Is it okay if I join you for breakfast?"

<><><>

After the older woman was placated with a high-tier morning meal, she dragged Shirou out of the house again. But not against his will, as he more or less forced her to explain what she needed him for in the first place.

"It's my kendo exams. They're coming up soon and I'm worried I might fail them again. I haven't gotten time to practice!"

Shirou felt that Taiga Fujimura didn't need to practice at all. She had raw power, form, anhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TC6pEsHmTwd now a Persona to boot. But she was asking for his help, and he was obliged to lend a hand.

Their practice took place in her apartment; she easily moved her furniture away in the living room so they could move in relative freedom forward and back. Shirou argued against this, but there were hardly any appropriate places to practice kendo in the first place.

THWACK! Shirou's face impacted the floor for the umpteenth time today.

"HA! I win again! You're not going easy on me, are you Shirou?!"

Like he could ever win against Fuji-nee. Maybe before he could have when he had awakened to his Persona, but her own awakening widened that gap again, and she had years of experience. Still, her attacks felt harder than usual.

Grunting and pushing himself up, he noticed she wasn't holding her normal shinai at all. It was almost a slab of pitch black. Was it dark wood or… "Uh, Fuji-nee? Could I see your weapon?"

"Oho, you finally noticed my secret weapon, eh?" she said smugly, even as she handed it to him.

He immediately Traced the weapon, finding the act simpler and more natural since his remedial lessons with Margaret. As such, he picked up its main properties right away. "This blade-! It's made almost entirely of obsidian! Fuji-nee, where did you get this?"

"Daidara's, of course. He was pretty giddy from all the materials you brought him from that castle that he even started making weapons that feel like bamboo blades."

Feel was an accurate description, as it was a similar facsimile to a kendo weapon. The weight, the balance, the shape… all with the intense power to bludgeon on the downswing. Perfect for fighting Shadows. But as an official kendoka sparring weapon?

"Fuji-nee, you can't possibly be thinking of using this weapon in your exam. It'll get you expelled!"

"Huh?!" The very idea of failing knocked the wind out of her sails. "No, I can't have that! I can't get disqualified again!"

Again? That was rather alarming. "Fuji-nee," Shirou asked slowly. "Are you saying you've been failing your exams because of cheating?"

"Me, cheat! Never!" she denied vehemently. Then she wilted, looking away from him sheepishly. "Well, maybe not cheat cheat. I tend to cave when dieting, and I make shortcuts whenever I commute to school like a hole in a wall dividing the neighborhood."

"You go through a hole in a wall?" Shirou balked, and then his mind immediately wandered to a dark place, seeing her legs flailing in a cramped alleyway. "W-Wasn't it dangerous? And small?"

"Well, it was small at first," Taiga admitted, unaware of Shirou's concern. "But after I went through it a few times, it expanded to fit my gorgeous figure! I practically go through there every day now back in Fuyuki!"

Ah, yes. Her "human jet coaster" propulsion. And it sounds less like a "shortcut" if she made it her usual route.

No, they were getting too distracted now. "Fuji-nee, why do you want to change shinai now?"

"Because every time I used my old one, they'd disqualify me! So I thought maybe I need a better shinai or one not as worn out?"

There were so many things wrong with that statement that pointing them out wouldn't help as much as getting to the root of it all. "Well, do you have your old shinai with you? Let me see it."

"Uh, sure. I think I put Tora-shinai over there. Or was it there…?"

Taiga shifted through her whole apartment for several minutes before finding what she dubbed "Tora-shinai". From the tiger-printed covering over the blade, he could immediately tell why. It was well worn for sure, for a few years at least. But another feature caught his eye before he even started scanning.

"Fuji-nee, what's this?" Shirou asked, poking a small stubby cat figure tied by the guard.

"That's Tora-shinai's most distinguishing feature!" Taiga gushed with a smile.

"You mean… you keep this tied on your shinai at all times?"

"Why not? It's a good luck charm."

Shirou sighed exasperatedly. "Fuji-nee, you can't have accessories on your shinai for official tournaments. It's considered rude. No wonder you've been disqualified."

"B-But," Taiga's good cheer diminished, and she looked about ready to burst into tears. "But it's cute! It is literally what makes Tora-shinai Tora-shinai! I can't just get rid of it!"

"But it's a ti-" Shirou started, before mentally screeching and backpedaling. Bring no attention to the T-word! Especially when Fuji-nee is emotionally compromised now!! "T-tiny little thing, you'd hardly notice it otherwise!"

"Yeah, but I don't want to lose it if I take it off! It's like how cameras come with a lens cap, but you have no place to keep it safe after you're done using it so the lens gets dirty!"

Was she attached to it? Well… now that he had a chance to scan it, it was actually pretty strong for a weapon; well-kept too. It just fell short to the obsidian in power scaling. "Tell you what; I'll get another shinai for you that is tournament standard. That way you have something for your next rank-up and you can keep, uh… 'Tora-Shinai' as is."

Taiga blinked. "You… you'd do that for me?"

"Why wouldn't I? It's only fair," Shirou explained. "In fact, I owe you for all you've done for me over the years. Watching me since Kiritsugu died, arranging this trip to Inaba… I never did quite thank you for that, so let this be my thanks to you."

"Ah-!" Taiga gasped, and her cheeks flushed brightly. For a long moment she stood there and stared at him. Perhaps too long, as it started to make Shirou worry.

"Huh? Fuji-nee, are you okAAAAYYY!?"

Taiga lunged over with a wide smile and gave him a bone-crushing hug around his neck and face. This boy! This stupid, caring, utterly charming boy! "I knew I could count on you to help! Thanks Shirou, you're the absolute best!"

Granted, Shirou was glad to be here and help Fuji-nee with this problem. They would need to buy a replacement shinai later, but it was still progress. It's just… he was very self-conscious about her more open displays of affection such as now. Was it something he said?

It's a shame that she's more on the lean side, as there was only so much relief feeling her bre-NO! Bad Shirou! BAD Shirou!

The only "solace" in his overwhelmed mind was Lilim's laughter and Cu Sith's howling as the Sun link grew stronger.

<><><>
August 23rd, Shichiri Beach

"Ah, the ocean. A brilliant blue body of bath salts, glistening like the dew of a goddess. This must be a glimpse of what heaven looks like!"

Granted, what Teddie described made the view of the ocean sound very appealing. This beach Yosuke found was only a short drive away from Inaba by scooter. With only so much vacation time left, it was decided that everyone would get together and have a beach day.

Right now, Shirou was standing by Yosuke and Teddie, in swimming trunks, waiting for the girls to get ready.

"Yeah, I bet Sacchin would have loved to see this," Yosuke lamented softly. "Though I have a feeling Saki-senpai came here before, as she's been here longer than us."

Shichiri Beach was several miles away from Inaba, so at least a very manageable driving distance. It was manageable by scooter, and the girls all applied for their licenses over the summer. Though they lacked the age requirement for scooters, Shirou was impressed that Kanji and Teddie followed them with just a bicycle and pair of roller skates respectively. They were practically half-dead the way over. It was only after seeing the ocean that they barreled ahead with a second wind akin to Reinforcement.

"This was a good idea coming here," Shirou said. "We hadn't had time to relax lately, and you both missed the festival at the shrine."

"Why do you think I suggested this idea? It's my way of saying sorry."

"Come on, Yosuke!" Teddie grinned. "Don't think of it as a loss that Sacchin's gone. Think of it as a happy memory that you were glad that happened!"

Yosuke turned to the bear in human skin with a touch of awe. "Wow. Teddie, that's—"

"And that you're single and ready to bounce back into the dating scene!" Teddie finished with arms raised over his head, briefly letting go of his inner tube.

Yosuke grimaced. "That's about what I expected from you. Thanks for keeping me grounded."

"Anytime, Yosuke!" the bear said obliviously.

"So, you're not nervous about seeing Rise in a swimsuit again?" Shirou asked.

Yosuke made a non-committal sound as he wobbled his hand in the air. It certainly sounded like he still held the former idol in high regard, but not enough for his current bit of listlessness. "It's more like—"

"Are you guys seriously not in the water yet?!"

Chie's sharp remark brought the three's attention towards her, and the girls. For Teddie, it was the first time seeing them in swimsuits, but it brought vivid memories of the camping trip for Shirou and Yosuke.

Chie wore a slim yellow bikini with faded lines, almost passable as summer clothes with turquoise short shorts over the matching bottoms. Yukiko's white bikini with a single red stripe was equally demure with a flowing skirt. And Rise's g-strap bikini was orange with yellow flower designs, and no outer wear. As she had options, she chose to forgo Yosuke's gift from the trip.

"Such heavenly bodies of angels!" Teddie grinned with a blush. "This must be heaven!"

Rise giggled, eyes scanning the boys in their shorts. And satisfied how Shirou and Teddie couldn't take their eyes off them. "Aww, did you all wait for us to get ready?"

"It would be rude to not all join in," Shirou said with an easy smile. "Isn't that right Yosuke?"

"Huh? Y-yeah," he replied, looking past the girls down the other end of the beach, and the stairway between it and the road. "Say, wasn't there anyone else with you in the changing tents?"

Rise's smile fell and she felt confused and offended. "What kind of response is that? Shouldn't you be happy to see the idol Risette in a bikini?!"

"Former idol," Shirou said. "You quit, remember?"

In the back of the magus' mind, he heard Undine hiss a sharp intake of air (water?). Rise's bad mood seemed compounded by a blank, annoyed stare towards him.

"I-It's not that you don't look amazing, Rise-chan!" Yosuke placated quickly for his friend's safety. "But I'm kinda expecting someone else, and she said she was supposed to be here soon."

"Oh, mine too!" Teddie chimed in. "That's why I asked Taiga-sama to pick her up on the way!"

Ah, Shirou nodded to himself. That would explain why Fuji-nee would be running a little late and sounded annoyed about being deemed the chaperone to pick up everyone. He probably shouldn't have asked Marie to be brought along, but he felt bad barely making time for her as it is.

"Wait, 'she'?!" Chie cried out suddenly.

"Huh?" Teddie blinked. "Uh, yeah, my girlfriend. The one I made sweet summer memories nearly a week ago!"

"Not that part – we're talking about it later, by the way!" Chie huffed, before pointing to Yosuke. "You seeing someone again? When did this happen?"

If possible, Yosuke looked more flustered at the questioning than by their swimsuits. "W-well, we were visiting Naoto's place during the festival, and she just happened to be there at the same time…"

"Oh, are you talking about Labrys?" Kanji's voice called out. "You seemed pretty smitten by her."

"It's not like that!" Yosuke snapped, turning to the bleached-haired teen as he walked in. His eyes darted down to the rather revealing piece of swimwear Kanji had on. "…and what the hell are you wearing?!"

"It's basic black," Kanji huffed defensively.

"And yet why does it show things I never wanted to see?" Yosuke whined. Not that Shirou could blame him; it would take a special kind of daring to wear swim briefs like Kanji.

"Don't change the subject!" Chie snapped. "First Teddie's secret girlfriend and now 'Labrys'? What gives?"

"What do you mean 'what gives'?" Yosuke asked back. "Just because two girls I cared about died means I should just give up dating forever?"

"Th-that's not what I mean!"

"Then what does it mean?"

"Ahem," Yukiko cleared her throat, speaking up for the first time today. "I think what Chie is trying to say," she said, as she placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "Is that we were worried about you all month, Hanamura-kun, and are happy you are doing better. But we're also concerned about it being too soon after… Sacchin."

Yosuke glared between the girls, before his budding anger fell with a sigh. "Look, I get it. So soon after dating a vampire and now this. But nothing happened happened. And Labrys is nice. She's practically Naoto's only friend after Kanji."

"So, you thought to invite her out to the beach, too?" Shirou asked. Yosuke nodded. "That was nice of you."

"Geez, it's just a courtesy, showing her the sights," he grumbled with a flush. "I'm not trying to date again."

"Knowing your luck, you might end up with a werewolf," Chie remarked dryly.

"Hey! That's… not entirely a non-factor?" he argued weakly, almost questioning as he turned to Shirou, who shrugged. Seriously, if vampires existed, then anything was fair game. Werewolves, mummies, slimes, hodge-podge electric zombies… probably all chilling in some hotel in Transylvania, too.

"Snrk!" Yukiko's cheeks puffed, forcing down a case of the giggles. "Tehe, s-sorry! Just imagined Hanamura-kun with ahahaha – with a-hahahahaha-!"

"Amagi?"

"Uh, Yukiko, maybe you should sit down."

"No, no, let's hear it," Yosuke said dryly. "Go ahead Amagi. Imagine me with what?"

"Pfft, promise you won't get mad?" she asked shyly. At Yosuke's nodded, her laughs exploded with her punchline. "…with a BITCH! BWA-hahahahahaha!"

Yosuke blinked. The others all did the same, mentally processing what they heard, and feeling the pointed stares of other beachgoers looking their way.

"I don't get it, Shirou-sensei," Teddie asked Shirou. "What do 'bitches' have to do with dogs?"

By this point, Yukiko fell on her back and rolled on the sand, kicking and hugging her sides as she laughed louder. Then the association clicked, and Shirou chuckled. Then Chie, much to her chagrin, and Rise. Even Yosuke found the wordplay hilarious.

"I don't get it either, Ted," Kanji shrugged to the confused bear. And so, they waited until the laughter died down. Which came sooner than expected at the sound of new arrivals.

"Heh, Red has a good sense of humor."

"I never liked wolves, to be honest. Fussy eaters and crybabies."

Shirou looked up to see a few familiar faces, and several unfamiliar ones. Taiga Fujimura waved to the kids, wearing a straw hat, sunglasses, and a yellow one-piece swimsuit with black strap laces. Marie wore a simple but revealing black two-piece bikini, with extra lace binding over the top, and walked down with confidence like she had always known the group. Naoto, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here, was recognizable with his navy-blue hat (as always) but also sky-blue shirt and shorts; the bare minimum for a beach trip and not in any interest to go swimming.

"Hehehe! Thanks, Marie-chan!" Yukiko smiled; although Marie came across as aloof or cold, there was no doubt she was kind and sincere. "Everyone's here now! Fujimura-san, Naoto-kun, and… wait, who are these two?"

Shirou didn't recognize the other two either, but he felt some sort of… familiarity with one of them. A somewhat tall girl, almost to Fuji-nee's height, barely standing on elevated sandals. She wore a white t-shirt covering down to her mid-thighs with a fox stamp over her left breast, and a large white sunhat over her strawberry-pink wavy hair. Her eyes were as bright as gold amber, yet also sharp, discerning. Sly. From the way she held a beach parasol in one hand and an inner tube in another, or how her gait was slow and hypnotic, drawing attention to her bare legs.

The other girl was a bigger mystery. She wore a long blue dress, with the white-rimmed ends fluttering just beyond her knees. Her skin was rather porcelain, a shade too white for anything other than prosthetics. Her face, with long platinum white hair and ruby red eyes, seemed rather passive and guarded. Until her gaze turned towards them (or rather, Yosuke) and she was now smiling.

"Why it's Mamo-chan and Labrys-chan of course!" Teddie said happily. "So happy you could join us girls!"

The pink-haired beauty, Mamo-chan, smiled and knelt close to Teddie, noses nearly touching. "My Ku-kun, of course I would love spending more time with you in the sun~!"

"Aww, teehee!"

"Eeeeeh?!" Chie screeched, while Yukiko gasped and Rise stared blankly at Mamo's leaning backside.

Labrys' arms tucked into a cheer, her face bright as she greeted Yosuke. "I'm so happy to be at the beach again!" she said. "Thanks for inviting me!"

"Hey, any time," Yosuke said. "I wanted to introduce you to the rest of my friends, anyway."

"Friends?" Labrys asked, before noticing Shirou and the girls behind her. "O-Oh! Forgive my rudeness! Yosuke has told me so much about you all! You must be Shirou, Chie, Yukiko, and Risette! My name is Labrys, NOT a secret agent watching over the Shirogane estate! Just a normal girl like you!"

"Normal. Right," Rise said flatly, glaring at her dress to try and discern her figure. Chie and Yukiko dumbly nodded, more overwhelmed than convinced. And if anyone took notice to her "secret agent" comment, they didn't show it.

Shirou smiled and extended a hand to Labrys. "Nice to meet you," he told her. Labrys' smile grew wider as they shook hands. Though it wasn't hard to tell her evident joy; he had been familiar with Personas so much he picked up a few things even when they weren't all active around his active bonds.

"Honestly, the things I do for you boys," Taiga groaned loudly, setting her blanket and icebox down near them. "Each of you asking me to pick up a girl – and Naoto-kun – last minute? When I said I would rent a car for the stragglers, I didn't expect to be a carpool!"

"I was the only one who insisted on staying behind, Fujimura-san," Naoto said tiredly.

"Ooooh no you don't. Not this time!" Taiga might have put on a show of being tired or annoyed, but she was quick to scorn the blue-capped boy with a pointing finger. "You don't get a say after blowing me off all week for the festival! You're here and not leaving until we all get our fill of the sun, especially for Labrys-chan!"

"But-!"

"Sensei's right, Naoto!" Kanji said, hands on his hips proudly. "We're all here, so let's have some fun!"

"KYAAAH!"

Naoto and the girls only then noticed Kanji's swimwear. A few gasps and alarmed looks came from them, but Naoto's reaction – a very shrill and feminine shriek – was not what they were expecting. Much less for Naoto to run and hide behind Shirou. "Uh…"

"N-Naoto?"

"See? Even Naoto thinks your swimsuit is disturbing! You should've gone with trunks like the rest of us!"

Labrys gazed at the befuddled teen up and down, mostly on his back. "But those briefs give such a flattering view of his buttocks."

Yosuke's face suddenly flared red in embarrassment. "LABRYS!"

Kanji frowned and squirmed. "Is this what being violated feels like?"

Marie snorted a short chuckle. "Well, as fun as that all is, I came to the beach to swim. Red. Green. Pinkette. Wanna swim?"

The girls snapped out of their perturbed stares of Labrys and Mamo. "Huh?" Yukiko squawked.

"Uh, why us?" Rise asked.

"Well, I was gonna ask Four to do it," Marie clarified, before gesturing to him. "But it looks like he's gonna be busy keeping Cappy company."

"Gee, thanks," Shirou remarked snidely. Marie only smirked back at him, and Naoto seemed to huddle closer to his back in shame.

Labrys blinked twice. "'Cappy'? Oh, OHHH! Because Naoto wears a blue hat! It's her favorite!" Labrys explained excitedly, before bristling. "Uh, his mother's, I mean. Naoto's mother's favorite hat! She gave it to him!"

"A hand-me-down, huh?" Marie said thoughtfully. "Yeah, it does look good on him… I think."

"Well, whatever, I'll go swimming Marie-chan," Chie shrugged and smiled. There were so many weird things going on, but the fun of swimming in the ocean was too tempting to get bothered by them now.

"What the hell, I'm down for the water too!" Taiga said, finishing up setting up her things and taking off her hat and sunglasses.

"I didn't ask you, Tiger," Marie reminded her, much to Shirou's horror.

"And you didn't need to!" she responded back, as if she didn't hear the taboo word. She did, however, climb up the stairs out of the beach. "Let me just get my surfboard from the car first."

Marie watched her go up to the road with a shrug, then noticed everyone staring at her. "What? Did I put my swimsuit on backwards or something?"

"N-No, not that," Shirou shook his head. It was kind of hard not to look at how provocative she was dressed already. "Just… she usually doesn't like being called that."

"Oh, that. Yeah, we got into a big fight over it on the way over," she shrugged. "I told her if she didn't like being associated with a tiger, she should try wearing less yellow and black stripes together. Not that it was a bad thing; it works to her style."

"Ah, I get it now," Shirou nodded. "You appealed to her name as something to be proud of than as a joke."

"Of course. Strong mythical creatures are tied to tigers, you know. Dawon, Byakko, even the Nue if you want to get technical."

"'Newy'?" Labrys asked with a head tilt. "Is that some kind of lizard? You know, because it sounds like a newt?"

Mamo chuckled softly. "Marie-chan refers to the legendary monster with a monkey's head, a tanuki's body, a snake's tail, and of course a tiger's paws. Sort of like a Japanese Chimaera, only not sired by Gods."

Marie nodded along, impressed. "Huh, didn't think you'd be an expert on the subject, Mamo."

"You pick up a few things when you're around long enough," was her cryptic reply.

"DORIAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Everyone jumped and saw Taiga run towards the ocean, holding a long tiger-patterned surfboard overhead. She jumped on and paddled fast with her surfboard beyond the shallow water, where there were more intense waves for those that dared to shred.

"H-Hey! She got into the water first!" Chie exclaimed.
"Well stop gawking and start swimming!" Marie shouted back, running ahead. Yukiko and Rise almost ran after them before the former stopped and turned to the others.

"You should join us, Mamo-chan," Yukiko offered. "And you as well, Labrys."

"Yeah, slip off those dresses and show us the goods," Rise remarked with an edge.

Labrys tensed again, and she awkwardly waved her hands as she stepped back. Closer to Yosuke. "Uh, no thanks. I'm, uh… not a good swimmer. At all."

"I'll have to pass too," Mamo declined. "At least for now. I want to do a little search around here first."

"Whaaat? But it's the beach!" Rise whined.

"And there's plenty of fun to be had aside from water play." Mamo-chan was already walking further down the beach before stopping. "How about you, Ku-kun?"
Teddie looked uncertain, eyes jumping between her and the beach edge. Marie and Chie were already splashing each other, and Taiga was paddling further towards the waves. "Uh… can I join Yuki-chan and the others in the water?"

Mamo-chan smiled happily towards him. "Of course, Ku-kun. They are your friends, after all."

"Whoopee!" Teddie cheered and lifted his inner tube above his head while dancing.

"Huh, she really is a nice girl for Teddie," Yukiko remarked.

"Must take a lot of confidence to let the bear on a short leash," Rise agreed. "How does she do it?"

Mamo-chan turned her gaze to the sand and knelt to reach for a shell. "Oh, and Ku-kun?"

"Yes, my voluptuous vixen?"

"You can look, but you absolutely cannot touch other girls," she said slowly, picking the shell up in her hand. "Because doing so will make me… very angry."

CRUNCH! The shell in her hand was crushed completely, fractured to dust, and almost no resistance to her fingers or palm. Shirou swore he smelt a hint of prana flare up, but it was still scary how easy she made it look. Not that it was needed, as it cowed everyone into nervousness.

Mamo-chan's smile never dropped, but it held a very distinct feeling of pain and death even with her eyes closed. "And you do not want to see me get very angry, Ku-kun. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mamo-chan!" Teddie gushed quickly with bowing motions, the most scared out of everyone there. "Anything you say, sweet perfect Mamo-chan!"

"Good! Have fun now~!" She turned and waved goodbye; the oppressive feeling gone as quickly as it came. Everyone exhaled a breath they didn't know they were holding.
Kanji gulped audibly. "That was so scary."
"I know. I like her," Yukiko beamed. Rise turned to her with a dismayed expression.
"Dude," Yosuke started, looking incredulously at Teddie. "Where the hell did you find her?"
"I-In the woods?" Teddie said uncertainly. "Though it was more like she found me first." He then shook his head. "But enough about that! I have permission now! Banzaaai!"
Teddie roared as he ran into the water. After a moment's deliberation, Yukiko, Kanji, and Rise all chased after him.

Labrys hesitated. "Oh… it looks so fun to play in the water, but—"

"Hey, there's plenty of fun to do otherwise, Mamo-chan just said so," Yosuke assured. "Why don't you and I build a sandcastle?"

"A castle made entirely out of sand?" Labrys' eyes widened with interest. "Such technology is possible?!"

"W-Well, not so much as technology as it is making a sandy diorama. But don't worry, it's easy."

Yosuke led Labrys by the arm, taking her to a spot with "good foundation" as he put it. Though Labrys' steps were somewhat stilted, she smiled and followed him eagerly.
It made Shirou smile, seeing Yosuke happy and living life like he promised he would. That while he missed Saki and Sacchin, he wouldn't be burdened down by their passing. He couldn't get a good feel of Labrys as a person, but she was genuine. And he would be there for his friend, no matter what life threw at him or Labrys.

Now he just needed to decide what to do. Help Yosuke and Labrys with their sandcastle? Or join up with the others on the beach? Maybe catch up to Taiga and try to warn her not to surf in a public area? Or ask Mamo-chan directly who she really is.

"Uuuh…"

Oh, wait. Naoto. He almost forgot all about him, what with him hiding behind his back for a while.

Shirou turned fully to face the younger, smaller boy. He didn't look as frazzled as before, making sure to stand confidently and arms crossed. "That was… unnerving," Naoto said neutrally.

"Kanji's swimsuit or Mamo-chan's threat?" Shirou asked.

"…yes."

Well, that was about as expected, though he believed it was Mamo-chan that edged out.

"Do not worry about me, Emiya-san," Naoto said briskly. "I'll just sit here and wait until the day is over." He sat down on one of the beach towels Taiga had set down and kneeled his knees crisscross Indian style.

"Then I'll join you," Shirou said, sitting next to him. He almost regretted it as he landed on the hot sand with only trunks on, and the splash caused some crystals to land on his skin. But he stayed committed to his decision.

"Don't be ridiculous. There are others that you wish to spend time with, I'm sure."

"Yeah, and you're one of them. I wish to know you better too, Naoto."

Naoto blinked, turning to him with wide eyes. "Me?"

"I know you don't fight like the rest of us. You've still been a big help since you joined us. You could have told everything to Doji-nii and the police force, but you didn't. You didn't have to go to Misaki Town to find out more about Sacchin, but you did anyway."

Shirou turned to Naoto and smiled. "I'm sure you get this a lot in your line of work, but we couldn't have gotten this far without you. Thank you, Naoto."

The blue-haired boy's eyes widened; they looked almost grey at a distance but were really a faint shimmer of blue. Then his cheeks flushed red, and he broke eye contact. "I… I actually don't get that a lot."

"Huh?"

"I'm skilled in my line of work, but police officers and detectives are usually old, experienced veterans who insist things have to be done a certain way." Naoto's hands clenched on his knees. "You can only imagine how many find the idea of a new Shirogane detective barely fifteen coming along and showing them up. They drag their feet on some cases for months, even years. But when I help solve them in less time, they view me as a threat and never hire me again. It doesn't matter how little I assist them or how discreetly I do it. I'd be lucky to get a backhanded compliment my way out the door."

"Is Shirogane an important family name?"

"That's right," Naoto nodded. "The Shirogane family has had detectives for generations, mostly as consultants for the police. I've been trying to follow in the footsteps of my parents, who passed away when I was young, but it's not easy. My grandpa's connections don't seem to convince them to see me as an asset."
"I see," Shirou said, unsure what else to say.

Naoto sighed, shifted his legs with his knees bent up. "A lot of these issues will be gone with age, but I won't have the experience that comes with it if I keep getting shut out. And even then…" He trailed off as his head lowered and his hands wrapped around his legs, hugging his knees closer to his chest.

Shirou frowned at the boy's conflict, and at his own silence. Taiga was right; they did have a lot in common, and the similarities were concerning. Aloofness. Friendless. Alone.

A desire to prove something.

Shirou breathed deeply in and out before speaking. "Naoto, you shouldn't be in a hurry to prove something."

"Pardon?"

"I want to be an ally of justice. I still plan to be, but for the longest time I had to keep that secret buried and hope what amounted to training on my own would be enough. I didn't awaken to a Persona until coming here, but it's been the biggest boon to my goal. All because I have friends to help me."

"I… still do not understand," Naoto said, turning to face Shirou with a perplexed expression. "An opportunity presented itself for you, yes, but why shouldn't we hurry to prove something?"

"Because in my self-training, I neglected to care about the people around me at Fuyuki," Shirou explained. "I quit archery thinking it was holding me back. I pushed people away because of my secret. Now I'm relying on the skills I learned in archery, my old bow again, and the people I wouldn't have normally given the time of day.

"In trying to become an ally of justice my own rushed way, I lost sight of what it really meant. I lost something I could almost never get back."

Naoto stared at him. Something in the young man looked ready to snap, to yell, to get mad… but he didn't. As he was reminded of what Taiga said to him when he snapped. Of how personal Shirou's own talk was, and what that meant for the red-haired teen to admit. "…you make it sound so easy," he hissed out bitterly.

"It's not," Shirou agreed. "But you're smart, Naoto. Smarter than me, smarter than most of us here. We might get mad or tease each other over slights, but we're not going to hold a grudge over you or anyone else for being who they are. I certainly won't."

A ghost of a smile slowly etched on his lips. "I appreciate it."

And he meant it; Shirou's senses dimmed as a familiar experience enveloped him; the forming of a new Social Link. And a Tarot Card, a white wheel centered in a green background. The pointer was a gold-mask-rimmed sword, pointing up towards a figure of a horned devil, with a snake slithering below the wheel. The Roman numeral on the card read "X".

I am thou, and thou art I.
Thou hast established a new bond.
It shall bring thee closer to the truth.
Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Fortune Arcana.


It had been some time since he had made a new bond, actually. Hopefully this one will grow as strong as the rest of the others he had made thus far.

"Actually, I was hoping to ask your opinion on something, Emiya-san," Naoto began, suddenly more cordial. "How do you plan to confront the Inaba Killer again?"

Shirou frowned. Not that he didn't expect the young detective to go about business as usual, but the timing was rather poor. "I understand this is important, Naoto," he began. "But shouldn't we get everyone together first? Or at least not during a break like this?"

"It's because this is their break that I don't want to bother them with this," he stressed. "You are the team leader, so you are the most important person to discuss this with. I… don't want to ruin everyone else's time with my trivial matters."

Well, at least he knew when work was appropriate. And trusting to talk to him about it, too. Shirou's frown turned to a smile, which eased Naoto's worries. "All right. But let's keep this brief. And then go swimming after."

"I, uh… am not much of a swimmer either," Naoto insisted rather quickly. Too quickly, in fact. "Anyway, the culprit. You mentioned his calling card of sorts involves the Midnight Channel?"

Shirou nodded. "We don't know the peculiars of why yet, but it always involves a popular news story involving a person of interest, and then their Shadow appears on the Midnight Channel."

"And it's never before?" Naoto asked.

"No. The Midnight Channel needs specific triggers to activate, and only for a short time. I make sure to check it every rainy night after a rescue, and nothing pops up. Not even the Shadows from before."

"That makes sense," Naoto agreed, his hand resting by his chin. "Rise-chan, Kanji-kun, Amagi-san… this pattern even dates back to the first two victims with Konishi-san and Yamano-san. Not that anyone would have taken the Midnight Channel seriously at the time. The culprit must have something nefarious in mind."

"And yet the Shadows keep getting stronger with each victim thrown in," Shirou commented. "If we have to fight something as serious as a vampire again, I doubt we'd survive."

"That's another thing; Satsuki Yumisuka Kubo. She is entirely an outlier to the pattern, and yet she also revealed some important facts."

"What do you mean?"

"Fujimura-san pushed her and Mitsuo Kubo into the TV at the same time. If what Sacchin's Shadow's story was correct, she didn't have the power to put people into TVs, vampire or no. It would make sense that her Shadow would have already been inside the TV world then, yes?"

"I… yes?" Shirou guessed.

"Except no," Naoto explained. "At least not at first. Mitsuo's Shadow was formed without ever having a Midnight Channel. Satsuki's Shadow didn't appear until her own channel was aired. And then there are your friends that weren't kidnapped but forced to confront their Shadows anyway: Hanamura-kun, Satonaka-san, Fujimura-san, and Teddie."

He never stopped to think about the discrepancies until now, honestly. Shadow Teddie told them explicitly that the TV world was a collective unconscious where every stray thought became a Shadow that knew only how to hunt and kill. Why would such a world exist though? What would there be to gain?

"What if," Shirou began, as cold doubt filled him, and it wasn't from the summer breeze. "What if the culprit is using that world to create Shadows? Not just mindless ones but those that could in theory… conquer our world?"

It was crazy to even think about. It had to be. But with how little they knew for certain, the worst possible outcome seemed plausible.

"A probable hypothesis," Naoto agreed. "We can at least confirm that concentrated Shadows are made by two distinct methods: from rumors based on the person through conjecture, or by doubts of the person themselves while in the TV world. Right now, these kidnappings are just stress-tests and are hiding something far sinister. It might only be a matter of time before something catastrophic happens."

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Shirou asked. "We've been trying to find the culprit for months and don't even know what he or she looks like."

"We know the culprit's modus operandi," Naoto assured. "And we also know that they follow it to the letter. Compulsively so. Fujimura-san would have been thrown into the TV next, but the culprit missed the window of opportunity."

"But they threw Kanji in anyway when it was his turn."

"Precisely. So, it only makes sense that, despite Satsuki's meddling in the case, the culprit will continue to throw people that appear important in the limelight. It also makes sense to…"

Naoto's voice trailed off, and he looked away from Shirou. Instead, he looked at everyone swimming in the ocean, how Kanji was reigning in Teddie from getting too close to the girls' swimsuits. To how Labrys held on to Yosuke's every word of making sandcastles and how simple the designs were. How Taiga was confidently surfing across the waves, and how Mamo-chan talked with young kids also picking up seashells.

How happy everyone was.

"…to what?" Shirou asked. "Naoto? 'Makes sense to' what?"

Naoto's gaze turned to the boy next to him. Comforting eyes, strong muscles with faded scars, a welcoming presence. A masculine presence that convinced him that everything would be okay. To melt in his arms and-

"Emiya-san," Naoto began slowly. "You said you were an ally of justice, correct?"

"Yes?"

"If I were ever in any danger, would you rescue me?"

"Huh?"

"Like a hero would?"

"Naoto, what are you talking about?"

"Yes or no, Emiya-san?"

"Yes, I would, but–"

"Then that's good enough for now," he said, pushing himself up from the blanket. "Let's get some topsicles."

"But Naoto—!"

The boy didn't listen, almost briskly leaving for the snack bar. It was just as well, as Shirou heard splashing close by. Kanji grabbled Teddie from behind and pulled his arms back, inching closer to shore. "Senpai, I need help wrangling Ted!"

"Let me go, Kanji! I need to see my heavenly wardrobe malfunction!"

"No way! You heard your scary girlfriend! Don't piss her off screwing around!"

"I was planning on using this on Yuki-chan, but if you dare to come between a bear and his beloved peaches—!"

Shirou's nose caught a whiff of a sudden concentration of prana. This wasn't like any of Teddie's Gradation Air spells, and as he flailed out of Kanji's grasp, he aimed his intent to use it on him. "Teddie, no!" he cried, running over.

"Teddie, yes!" Teddie proclaimed, cupping his paws-now-hands together. "Auditee! Unity! Offering!"

Kanji flinched as he saw a light sea-blue glow from Teddie's hands. "What the hell?!"

"Cast Off!" He threw both hands together, mimicking a powerful pose he read in a manga once, and fired.

The blue prana beam arched closer to Kanji, ready to envelop him. At the last minute, Shirou shoved Kanji to the side. However, he had no time to protect himself before it hit him, detonating in a bright flash.

"Wooaah!"

"Senpai!"

"Dude, what was that?!"

Shirou had prepared himself for the worst, and he could feel the magecraft cascade over him. He wasn't blown back, or burned, or shocked or anything. Rather, he felt a sudden draft and wetness around his legs, but he didn't pay it much mind as he had rushed into the water waist deep.

The light died down, finding himself staring at a sheepish, posing Teddie. "S-Sensei…?" he squeaked out, with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Shirou sighed. Relieved that nothing happened, but also exasperated at what could have been. "Teddie, I don't know what that magecraft you just pulled off was, but I hope you never try something like that out again. Least of all using Kanji or Amagi as your test subject."

"Shirou-Sensei—"

"Promise?"

"I promise, but Sensei—!"

Shirou turned and walked back to shore. He still had questions for Naoto, and didn't want the momentum to die off just yet. He said something about topsicles—

"Shirou, are you okay? What was that—FLAPPING DANGLES MY EYES!" Shirou didn't know what got Yosuke in a hurry, nor why he was suddenly flustered and looking away.
Kanji wasn't any better, turning away and covering his eyes. "Geez, make yourself decent, senpai! At least stay in the water!"

"What are you guys talking about?" he asked. Yes, he was blasted by some spell, but he wasn't harmed in any way.

Labrys explained in a way the others couldn't, intently staring at his waistline. "I believe it's because you're naked, Shirou."

…what?

"Labrys, don't look!"

"But is this not the 'wardrobe malfunction' Teddie was talking about?"

"Wait a minute… you intended to blast ME with that!"

"N-Now Kanji, let's be reasonable here!"

"What's reasonable about this, you pervy bear?!"

The guys around him were filtered out to white noise. He slowly looked down, and noticed that his trunks were not there anymore. His bathing suit was now a birthday suit, and the water only came up to his ankles now.

"KYAAAAAAAA!"

A shrill scream broke Shirou out of his stupor, as he dove back into the deeper water for what little dignity he had left. When he popped up, he saw Naoto further down the shore, having dropped two topsicles to the sand and covering his face with his hat.

"Naoto!" Kanji rushed over to his friend's side, consoling him.

Yosuke let out a low whistle. "Geez, first Kanji's briefs and now Shirou's buck. Poor guy can't catch a break."

"That could have been so much worse, Shirou-sensei," Teddie noted. "Well, at least none of the other girls saw you like that!"

"I can keep a secret!" Labrys offered helpfully with a raised arm. "I did NOT see your private parts, Shirou!"

"Don't blab that out!" Yosuke scolded, pushing her hand down. "The point of a secret is not saying anything!"

"Ah, gotcha!"

"See? Everything worked out, Shirou-sen-BLLBLBULBLBLBL!!"

Shirou did not hear or care about what the others were talking about just now. He took his near catatonic rage and humiliation out on Teddie by forcibly dunking his head below the water. He held him down there, with reinforced arms and watched with cold fury as the blond-haired bear-man flailed and gargled for air. Before pulling him out.

"*Cough* *Cough!* Sensei, I'm s-OBRBBLBLBL!"

And dunking him again.

"Should we… help him?" Labrys asked concernedly, as she saw one treat the other to waterboarding.

"Nah, he's got it handled," Yosuke shrugged, already walking away. "Let him have a few minutes to cool off first."

"I was talking about Teddie," she clarified.

"And I was talking about Shirou."

<><><>

"Ara ara, Ku-kun can be such a handful, sometimes," Mamo-chan said.

Shirou, in a good-as-new pair of trunks he "convinced" Teddie to make, glanced warily at her. "Then why are you dating him?"

"He makes me laugh," she said simply.

The long beach day was winding down to dusk, and Shirou quickly calmed down after not-drowning Teddie. He was hardly a vengeful person, but the idea of nearly fracturing a newly formed bond with Naoto, because of another friend's shenanigans… Well, he had a feeling Kagutsuchi's reach was getting closer to him for better or worse, and he recalled clearly how much he wanted to burn the bear.

Mamo-chan even approved of his hands-on punishment. "Now I don't have to worry about punishing Ku-kun later!" She said with a coy, too-wide smile.
No one else suspected what had happened, and the day went on as normal. Labrys showed her new skill in sandcastle making, Mamo-chan showed off her blue bikini and swam laps with Chie and Kanji, Marie wrote secret poems about today, and Fuji-nee bought everyone take-out food from a food truck.

Naoto was sadly still standoffish, but at least he understood that the "flash" wasn't intentional or Shirou's fault. But he refused to elaborate further about the case.

"Something wrong?" Mamo-chan asked him. The two of them were sitting by the old rowboat laying where the sand meets the ledge, watching everyone else having fun.

"Just a little worried," he admitted. Not that he could talk freely about the case or Personas with her, so he kept things vague. "There always seems to be problems no matter what I do to solve them."

"That's life in general, is it not? New problems come up even as little ones are resolved. That's why people are fixated on the little ones first, and rarely the bigger ones larger than them."

"Yes, but I think my problems are nowhere near as small."

"In the eyes of the kami and divine? They are small. Insignificant, even. But that is what makes human life so fascinating, isn't it? To tackle problems with such abandon and relish in the thrill of life that comes with it."

He didn't expect such an introspective answer from Mamo-chan. He barely knew her, so he didn't know what to expect at all.

"Just keep doing what you've been doing," she continued. "You are naturally attuned to hear the cries of help from others, and gifted with the resolve to see them saved. It's why I entrusted you to carry out the ema requests, after all."

Ema requests? What is she talking about?

Wait: knowledge of mythological creatures? Fox-like behavior and cloth emblem? Found in the woods of the Tatsuhime Shrine?

He normally would have brushed this all off as coincidence, but nothing has been just coincidence in Inaba. And perhaps most damning of all, Ippon-Datara, his Persona of the Hermit Arcana, was among his active Personas today, which usually act up near his friends.

"Ta—?" A finger was pressed to his lips, along with a knowing look.

"I know you have questions, but for now, promise to keep this between us. Okay? <3" Mamo (Tama?) said with a wink and smile. Dumbly, Shirou nodded.

"Ooooi! It's time to head back, kids!" Taiga called loudly from the road above. "You rookie motor-wannabes need to get back before it gets dark!"

"Hey! Hanamura is the only one insisting we ride motorcycles!" Chie yelled back.

"Dammit, Satonaka! Now I look stupid in front of Marie-chan and the others!"

"I don't think you look stupid, Yosuke." Labrys assured Yosuke, even as she and everyone else started to head up.

"Aw geez, I'm not looking forward to pedaling all the way back to Inaba," Kanji lamented. "Being underaged sucks."

"My feet hurt just thinking about it," Teddie added. He looked especially ragged from the events of today. He brightened up upon seeing his foxy girlfriend. "Say, Mamo-chan-!"

"No."

Then he deflated. "'No'? No what?"

"I'm not convincing Taiga-san to allow you to carpool with us on the way back."

"But it's so slow and painful to skate all the way back! There are too many slopes and hills and twists and curves!" Teddie whined.
Mamo-chan shrugged, casually brushing the back of her ear and hair. "I couldn't trust you to swim with your fairer friends on your own, Ku-kun. Why would I subject them to your antics again?"

"But I'm a good bear, honest! Shirou-sensei, you can vouch for me, can't you?"

"I would if you hadn't disintegrated my swimsuit today," he replied flatly. He refused to look back at Teddie's pleading, blabbering face as he dusted himself off and made a way to his scooter.

"S-so cruel…"
"You best get your bearings before it gets too dark to see the streets, Ku-kun!" Mamo-chan giggled. She too got up and headed up to the roadside.

"Gah! I still need to put on my skates! Don't leave without me!"

And thus did the day at the beach end on a high note. Mostly.
 
I'm eating good today
Ah so its like the Arena games where people use their initial Personas mostly.
Wonder if the 3rd stage Personas from P5R are gonna be a thing here
 
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Update after so long! Finally. I wonder if this fic will go as far as the Fuyuki Holy Grail War?
 
Naoto's gaze turned to the boy next to him. Comforting eyes, strong muscles with faded scars, a welcoming presence. A masculine presence that convinced him that everything would be okay. To melt in his arms and-

This could be seen as Naoto having gay thoughts until you remember their real gender, which makes the scene way more hilarious. Naoto has always been my favorite P4 character and I'm always stuck on a 50/50 between romancing her or Rise.

Update after so long! Finally. I wonder if this fic will go as far as the Fuyuki Holy Grail War?

Dude, we barely reached mid game and it's been years since this fic came out. I'm pretty sure this fic existed before Persona 5. We'll get there when we get there.
 
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