Fate/Reach Out (Fate/Stay Night x SMT Persona 4)

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 31: Striptease
Velvet Room

The Izanagi and Cu Sith cards were set on the table. The temporal room was silent as the long-nosed man waved his hand. Shirou, having seen the ritual before, kept his eyes more on Igor than the soon-to-be fusion. As his nose picked up the distinct scent of fresh tailored silk and champagne, the table erupted as sigils appeared.

In trying to gauge Igor's technique, he was distracted by the cards once again rocketing to the non-existent ceiling and dancing before blending together in a flash of white. Moments later, the new Persona appeared, feminine in form. She wore a white leotard over her slightly tanned skin, and had flowing blue hair. She looked human enough, beautiful even, but the wings and tail sprouting from behind in the same skin-tone color showed she wasn't normal. In fact, she was very dangerous and represented the Devil arcana.

Her teal eyes shifted to Shirou and she smiled seductively. Without warning, she flew down to his side and started stroking his chin. "Why, hello handsome! My name's Lilim, but feel free to call me Lili for short. Makes me sound almost human, no?"

"Uuuh," was Shirou's intelligent reply. He was aware that Lilims were sex demons, junior to the Succubi, but he was still taken aback from this one's forwardness.

"Aww, you're so cute acting all flustered like that!" cooed Lilim. She glanced back to Igor and Margaret, who were calmly staring and watching them. They might as well be statues, but the she-devil didn't seem to like how cramped the room was. "Say, why don't we go somewhere private and I can show you some of my techniques?"

The boy's face flushed a deep red. Before he could stutter a weak refusal, another Persona from his mind forcibly revealed herself to confront Lilim. "Still your tongue, hellspawn. You will not corrupt this soul under my guidance."

The woman could pass herself off as Lilim's sister in appearance, as they shared the same body size and hair color. The other woman's eyes appeared closed but she was hardly blind. A white sundress covered her body to her ankles, and feathery wings sprouted from her back.

Angel of Justice. Ninth of the nine hierarchies of Heaven, they were among the many messengers and guardians assigned to the equally large number of humans living in the world. Even when found from the remains from a Shadow weeks ago, she claimed to be Shirou's guardian angel, such as she was proving now. Not to say that she wasn't as fond of Nanako as he was.

But perhaps it was a bad idea to fuse Lilim while Angel was around…

Though looking put off from Angel's appearance, Lilim recovered and proceeded to lick Shirou's cheek, much to his discomfort and her anger. "A bit too late for that," the devil grinned. "This guy has a dark, burning fire inside him that's just waiting to get out. And I bet he could rock any girl's world if he let himself run wild."

Angel's eyes scrunched as if narrowing to a scowl. She gently but forcefully wrapped her arms around Shirou's. Tender like a lover, but also possessive. "No man is born perfectly Good or Lawful, but we endear those that try to follow our example. This child tries harder than anyone else, and heroes of the past have an unfortunate track record of acting on impulse than chastity."

"Chastity sucks! Real heroes are so sexy that their fingernails radiate testosterone!" Lilim argued. "And he has the potential to have any and EVERY girl he could want! Why wouldn't he want to have a girlfriend or five?"

"Because it is unbecoming. Love is a sacred bond between family and spouses, yet you seem to confuse it with orgies."

"Don't knock it 'til you try it, honey!" Lilim looked once over at Angel, and smiled seductively. "How would you like to become a Fallen Angel?"

Angel was obviously offended, but didn't show it. Instead she fired her own rhetoric. "How would you like to be a redeemed Nun?"

Lilim gasped as if her mother had been insulted. "I'd rather die before I go through something so demeaning!"

"The feeling's mutual."

Shirou could see and feel Zio sparks ignite from the two Personas glaring at one another. If this kept up, there could be a serious outbreak, leaving nothing of the Velvet Room left. "U-uh, Lilim? Angel?"

"What?" they growled as they turned towards him. Shirou felt his wellbeing at considerable risk now, but he couldn't stop now.

"I understand that you two have a… disagreement with one another." No one was fooled by the gross understatement. "But I would appreciate that you keep your advice and feedback towards my Social Links, so we can all get stronger."

"Understood, child," Angel nodded. Romance was something that took time, and she was content that Shirou would let things take their due course.

Lilim wasn't as patient, and saw this as him siding with Angel. She folded her arms and pouted cutely. "But that's boring! Don't tell you aren't the least bit interested in cute girls?"

Again, Shirou's mind let loose a Persona that couldn't help but add their two-cents in. He felt a bit of horror realizing it was the Duke of Hell, and what he was about to say next. "His heart clearly yearns for young Chie Satonaka, despite his denials and false sense of chivalry. It is most endearing."

"I'm partial to the scent of Cu Taiga myself," the fey dog added, also appearing in the cramped room. "Her kiss still finds its way to his dreams."

"Cu Sith!" Shirou flushed in equal parts embarrassment and anger. How the hell did his Persona even know about those dreams anyway?!

"What is there concern about? They were all chaste in nature after you rescued her from perils such as Kotomine's Tower-"

"Bah!" snorted Eligor. "You are clearly ignorant of the dream where he rescued Chie from the fierce Flygon."

Lilim cracked a smile. "Flygon? That's some sort of lame-man's kiddy monster, right? Why would anyone be scared of a knock-off?"

"The young Chariot has a severe case of entomophobia. It was a dream worthy of film classics."

"Huh. So how cute are these girls he's clearly into?" Lilim asked as she idly twirled her tail along her finger. "On a scale of one to ten?"

"Let me put it this way," said Cu Sith, before letting out a long, primal howl. "Arooooooooooo!"

"Nice."

"Can we please drop this?!" Shirou cried out from his seat. He couldn't sink any lower than he wanted to nor could he hide his face any further. He was just here to fuse more Personas to help Rise. How in the world did it get to the point that they were all talking about Satonaka and Fuji-nee like this?!

"Yeah, sure," Lilim smirked. "I think I'll hang around if your life is like an episode from a harem show."

"My life is not a harem show!" he snapped, for what little good it did.

The Personas finally dismissed themselves back to his subconscious, having their heckling fun. Though it was clear that Angel didn't share his other Personas' good cheer about his love life; in fact, she seemed to be rather disappointed in him.

Igor and Margaret's expressions had the faintest hints of amused smiles. "My," said Igor. "What a colorful ensemble you have collected!"

"And you're quite a hit with the ladies as well," Margaret teased.

Shirou could only glare and twitch with a bright red face. "Are we quite done here?"

"Yes," Margaret nodded, summoning the Izanagi card from the tome now that the joke was over. "Remember what you have seen today, because you'll have to complete the next fusion yourself."

Shirou nodded in understanding. One of the conditions to his magecraft training was to master fusion himself in a series of requests. The first request was to create a "subtle and fast Ippon-Datara". He had been thinking it over after she opened his magic circuits (which was as painful a process as she forewarned), and he assumed what she was asking to create him with a skill or spell to help him get faster. Like Jiraiya's Sukukaja.

Perhaps it was his own Structural Analysis acting up or some benefit of the Velvet Room, but Shirou could see the possibilities of Personas before they fused, including the skills they would inherit and later learn. Cu Sith was a trial run made in a hurry, while Lilim was decided out of other potential fusions because of her ability to learn Sukukaja.

Not that it would happen anytime soon, but rescuing Rise should help towards that.

"I will," he said, before glancing to the older man. "That is, if Igor-san will allow that."

"By all means," Igor smiled while gesturing towards him. "You are our guest, after all."

<><><>

Route to Rise

Sometime later, everyone regrouped and met with Teddie again. They now had armor, supplies, and a lead. Shirou told Teddie of what he'd heard (Rise's worries about her stage life overtaking her personal one) and like a bloodhound on the trail, the bear was off. Shirou and the others followed close behind.

There was a silent anxiety working over everyone on their second rescue run. Yukiko had undergone trial runs through her castle before, but she was still nervous the whole trip as he looked over her shoulder. Chie herself was sporting a bō staff strapped over her back, looking ready to pull it out at a moment's notice. When asked about the change of weapon, she shrugged and insisted that she needed something easier to use. No one really questioned this and dropped the issue; Yosuke in particular was relieved. In fact, Yosuke seemed beside himself as to how to greet Rise.

"How about 'Hey babe! Name's Yosuke Hanamura! And I want to be your boyfriend for life!'? No, too long, I need to make a good first impression. Maybe if I make a dynamic entrance with Jiraiya and whisk her off her feet? I could play a cool song to go with it. I wonder if I have one of hers on my player-"

"For crying out loud, Hanamura!" Chie snapped hotly. "We're on a mission to save Rise-chan! Stop treating this like a pick-up date!"

"I-I'm not!" Yosuke argued, looking at her warily. "I just want to make sure she likes us!"

"Whether she likes us or not is pointless, Yosuke. Chances are we'll have to end up fighting her Shadow." Shirou reasoned from ahead. He'd settled for a short sword strapped to his hip, and carried his old bow at the ready. He had no quiver, but he figured that as long as he visualized the iron-tipped arrows he needed, it would suffice and he waste prana instead of ammunition.

The auburn-haired teen flustered and grumbled as if shimmering in heat, before shrugging it off. "Well, I guess I'll impress her with my actions instead of my words. Dating can wait after."

Shirou and Chie rolled their eyes, and they pressed on. Teddie hadn't been quipping as much since he began guiding them, which they could only assume required his utmost concentration. And why wouldn't it? This wasn't a rescue of a friend and classmate. It was the pop idol Risette, a famous celebrity. If someone like her were to turn up dead, news of such a tragedy would definitely gain widespread attention. Even the Clocktower might take notice.

Yukiko was far more nervous than her friends, still being new to the group and all. It only got worse as their way forward was getting darker and harder to see through. But surely they would find a clearing after getting through this… cave? Was it a cave? She decided to call it a cave.

Suddenly, due to their guide abruptly stopping, everyone bumped and collided with each other to form a tangled pile on the ground. "Teddie! What gives?" Yosuke complained for all of them as they stood back up.

The bear ignored them, seeming to take in a few more whiffs before turning towards them. "Well, here we are! Lost person world number 4, starring Rise-chan!"

"Huh?"

Everyone looked around, but all they saw was darkness. Even the fog glasses couldn't see what wasn't lit up, and this area was very dark. What kind of secret did Rise have to hide here? "Teddie, are you sure this the place?"

"Of course, Yuki-chan!" Teddie nodded. "I can definitely pick up a kindred spirit in Rise-chan here!"

"But why is it so dark here? I can barely see my hand in front of my face," she argued, holding up her hand for emphasis. Not that she was sure if the others could see her or not. "Do we even know what it's supposed to look like?"

"We would if we had seen the Midnight Channel," Shirou said. "Hold on, I'll give us a light."

A card crush later, the divine Persona appeared over his head. Cupping her hands together, she whispered "Hama" before a ball of light started to illuminate their surroundings, such as the pink carpet with heart designs under their feet.

"Ah, that's much better," Yukiko smiled. "Thank you, Ms. Angel. And Emiya-kun, of course."

"It is only a temporary solution," said the divine Persona. "And limiting of my powers until a suitable alternative is found."

"In other words, we need to find a light switch." Shirou supplied.

"Hey, I think I found one!"

Everyone turned and walked towards Chie. Angel's light showed a sort of empty booth back the way they came, like an entrance. It looked like a ticket stand of sorts, and had a big red button with the word "POWER" written in big English letters.

"Guess this will turn on the lights here," Shirou noted.

"But what if it's a trap?" Yukiko asked.

"It's a risk we'll have to take," said Yosuke. "We can't really fight in the dark here."

Everyone exchanged glances and gave unanimous nods of agreement. Shirou reached forward and pushed the button. Lights all over turned on, mostly from the studio steel crates dangling from the ceiling, as well as glowing neon lights that rotated colors. Light blindness aside, the team finally got a good look of their surrounding dungeon.

The pink carpet led to a small elevated stage, wide enough for someone to dance on or enter the large stage door ahead. Red leather couches were set around tables at each side of the carpet, designed with rich taste. Many pink-purple drapes were set up, and partly wrapped around pillars for aesthetic value. The pink stage curtains had patterns of hearts glowing as if coming from spotlights.

The setting was not lost on any of them, except maybe Teddie. Yosuke was busy pinching himself. Shirou's right eye was twitching. Yukiko was busy blinking through the bright lights. Tama craned her neck at the tables and seating. Only Chie had enough function in her mouth to utter the words circling through her friend's heads.

"Oh my God."

Angel's face fell as she covered her already closed eyes in shame, Hama spell no longer active. "Please do not utter the Lord's name here," she weakly pleaded. "It's used enough in these places."

"Oh-ho!" Yosuke grinned perversely. "This looks like the kind you'd find at resort towns, too!"

"I think you're right," Yukiko nodded. Realizing what she said, she blushed and immediately backpedaled before anyone noticed. "N-not that our inn is like that! We do not have one of these at all!"

"Rise's in a strip tease," Shirou groaned bitterly as he dismissed his Persona. "If Fuji-nee ever finds out about this, she'll kill me."

"I don't get it," Teddie asked innocently. "What's the big deal?"

Seeing Yosuke grin towards the bear, Chie quickly stomped on his foot so all he could utter was a pained scream. "I'm not going to let you corrupt him into your image!"

"Look who's talking!" he argued. "You're the one who dropped the word 'scoring' in front of him!"

"Well you're not going to drop the word 'strip'!"

"Strip?"

For a brief moment, Yosuke smirked as Chie clasped her mouth shut. Shirou sighed, thinking it was best to run damage control as soon as possible. "Teddie, the word strip means-"

"Oh Shirou-sensei, I'm already familiar with the term!"

"Y-you are?"

"Of course! It's a piece of road where shops set themselves up against!"

Shirou blinked. As did Chie, Yosuke, and Tama as they stared at the confident bear, trying to process his logic. "That's a strip mall," the magus slowly explained. "It's… not the same thing."

"Huh," said Teddie. "Then a regular strip would be a line, right? Like on a zebra?"

Again there was bewildered silence. "You're joking, right?" Shirou asked finally.

Teddie blinked. "Wouldn't you be laughing if it was a joke?"

Exasperated sweat rolled down the three students' heads, and Tama could only paw her face in shame equaling Angel's. Yukiko, more worried about the lighting affecting her glasses and convincing the others that her inn had no relation to a strip tease, didn't seem to notice the exchange at all. Despite of the fact she stood next to Teddie and Shirou the whole time.

Yosuke and Chie exchanged glances. "Should… we explain to him what strip really means?"

"Please don't."

Marukyuu Striptease, 3rd Floor

The dungeon was as suggestive as the entrance implied. Neon lights lit up the ceiling with bright circles and heart designs. Purple heart-patterned curtains were placed not only as "doors" through the halls, but also set up around the walls with lights of full lips and pin-up women silhouettes. The floor path was almost like a runway, with slick silver and pink tiles more suited to a rich home than an adult setting. The paths, much like Yukiko's Castle, branched out in irregular construction pathways. In the dead ends with big space, was a small elevated stand with a stripper pole set up.

And of course, there were Shadows that more or less suited themselves to the setting. Like the Soul Dancer, a pair of male-female figures in ballroom costumes and in an affection dance. It could have passed as a normal duo if not for the rapier they shared in their off hands, or the black heart with a Lovers Noh mask floating over the space where the heads were absent.

It made for an easy target though, Chie soon realized. She hated the things because of their tendency to throw fire magic around, so she swung her staff at the head fast and hard at the heart-head, smiling in satisfaction as the bodies crumbled and then dispersed into black.

"Ha!" she grinned. "I knew getting this staff was a good idea!"

So confident in her new weapon, she didn't notice the five eyeballs or Hermit numbered Noh mask looming towards her. The area behind the eyes distorted, as the figure was cloaked in camouflage. The Shadow looked like a large black face with red marks under the eyes and a red mane-cape fabric flowing off the edges. The Death Seeker started to crackle with energy, and a ball of blue electricity formed in the space of its open mouth-!

Only to be snuffed completely by a plume of flames underneath it. The Death Seeker Shadow too, was eliminated.

Chie only noticed the heat as soon as it vanished, but gave a knowing smile. "Thanks, Yukiko!"

Not too far from her side, Yukiko exhaled a sigh of relief and lowered her extended fan hand. Konohana-Sakuya, with her crescent feather blade, mirrored the action before she returned to Yukiko's subconscious.

As Shirou and Yosuke finished off their own targets, the group huddled back as Teddie and Tama sneaked out of their hiding spot. "Great job, guys! You're really getting the hang of this!"

"It's still annoying that some Shadows can only be hurt by one sort of attack," Yosuke griped as he holstered his twin short blades away. "Like that floating half-crown mask that looked like a cloud of its own dust-"

"Rainy Sister," Teddie supplied.

"No one cares," Yosuke quipped back. "-and how it was only affected by ice, which Satonaka sucks at."

"My ice does not suck!" Chie huffed.

"Then why can't you do that double thing that you used back at the castle? You could level an entire floor with it!"

"It's a super move! You can't just use super moves willy-nilly! There's a time and place for everything!"

Yosuke only stared at her incredulously for a moment before turning to their leader. "Shirou, you can use Personas with ice spells, right?"

"Not right now, but I'll see what I can do with my benefactors," said the magus.

"Please do," Yosuke nodded, deliberately ignoring the hurt and angry glare Chie was sending them. "Anyway, how are we on energy so far? No one abusing physical arts or anything, right?"

"I got a minor scrape from that DNA-looking Shadow ("Miss Gene," Teddie quickly stated), but nothing a small Dia can't fix."

"Allow me, Emiya-kun!" Yukiko offered, already summoning her Persona to help, but he held his hand to stop her.

"It's alright, Amagi. My scrape is nothing serious, and you've been using a lot of spells as it is."

It was expected from her Shadow that Yukiko had a flare for fire spells, but the healing was a boon as well. She even knew how to cast a wide-spread cure in Media, something both Pixie and Jiraiya lacked. The downside however, was that she was purely specialized in magic. That meant low strength, low endurance, and not even a physical attack art like Cleave. So Yukiko was a bit of a vital asset; she could take away pain and dish it out in spades, but couldn't take it, especially from ice.

"It's no trouble though," she argued. "Sakuya has a lot of energy to spare; I don't think I'm at the half-way mark either."

"Just remember to ration what you have and use the spells when we really need it," Shirou insisted, searching through the medicine bag Teddie handed him. "Especially with the Shadows being a bit stronger than at the castle."

Yukiko frowned. Not just at the dislike of being reminded of the castle, but the implication that the fighting was getting worse. "How could that be?"

"It's raining on your side, right?" Teddie asked rhetorically. "It's like I said before. When it rains on your side, the fog thins out and Shadows get rowdy. That also means stronger Shadows that normally wouldn't come out on a normal day show up here. Like the Rainy Sister."

With the battle over and their injuries patched up, the Investigation Team (plus animals) continued their search. Their current floor seemed to have a single corridor with no branching paths, and no other Shadow made their presence known.

Then they approached a wide curtain. Teddie's nose twitched and wiggled. "Hold on… I'm getting something. Something really strong and smelly beyond that door!"

Yosuke blinked. "Smelly? Well either that's Rise behind the door, or a giant turd-based Shadow."

Ignoring his attempt at levity, Shirou pulled the curtains open. Behind them was a widespread room with square support beams, glowing floor panels, and spots on a lone figure ahead of them. It looked almost like a stage, similar to the castle room Shadow Chie had appeared in.

"Why, hello there you lucky VIPs! I feel so lucky having fans coming so early! But not too early if you know what I mean~! <3"

Again the Investigation Team was shocked into silence. The students quickly recognized the red, wavy hair of Risette, as well as a dark blue aura around her. But her choice of attire was far more startling, for it was more suited to a beach setting… or here of course.

Yosuke licked his lips, and uttered in growing pitch and perversion, "Such an itsy-bitsy, teeny weeny, yellow polka dot bikini-!"

Indeed, the voluptuous figure of Rise Kujikawa, or rather Shadow Rise, was clad in only a matching two-piece swimsuit, her bust bouncing once as she turned to greet them. Her bosom drew the eyes of everyone, even the girls.

"They're so big," Chie found herself saying in envy.

"Anyway, glad you could make it!" Shadow Rise smiled as she spoke to the microphone in her hand. "Today's a special last minute show. I may have quit the idol showbiz, but don't worry! You'll see a lot of me before we're done."

Her hands idly twisted the microphone very… suggestively. "It may be hard to see through all this smoke, but that's the fun of it, right? Teasing your emotions, getting excited the further you go in? I may be a tease, but if you follow me all the way through, I'll show you e-very-thing!"

She jumped and spread her arms wide, breasts bouncing again. "Join me and together we'll show the world my real, bare, naked truth!"

As if on cue, a large, tacky gameshow sign hovered over her head, in colors of purple, yellow, and pink. The form was oblong with bubbles, stars and a triangle with words printed over. In kanji it read "Maru-Q Midsummer Night Dream's Special", and in English were blubs of "Live!" and "Hot!" and "All the Way!" The eye-catcher was "Risette'S E-X-POSED!!!"

"Toodles!" The Shadow waved quickly before skipping ahead in her bare feet.

The Investigation Team made no move after her, as they were still processing what they had just seen and heard. Only Tama seemed unaffected as she looked up to the wide eyes of the humans and bear. Teddie's face flushed, feeling a sort of rising tension in his chest… but he didn't have a heart, did he? He was empty inside. What was this sensation?

Yukiko eventually turned away and looked to her best friend for comfort, blushing as she did so. "Uh, was my Shadow ever-"

"No, Yukiko, yours wasn't as bad," Chie sighed, and holding Yukiko's hand with both of hers for comfort. "And thank God for that."

"I wish she stopped uttering the Lord's name in here." Angel lamented. Not that anyone would hear or react, as Shirou was having a bit of a mental overload.

"Hey! Listen! Hey! HEEEEY! Snap out of it! Geez, he's acting like he's never seen a half-naked girl before!"

"A strip bar, a busty femme, and conflicting virgin emotions? Oh yeah. I couldn't have joined up at a better time if I had wished for one!"

Shirou eventually snapped out of his stupor, as did Yosuke and Teddie, when they heard the sound of cheap audio laughter. "What was that?"

"The Shadows are getting rowdy, just like at the other places!" Teddie answered for them. "All because of Rise-chan's suppressed feelings."

"Oh man, an idol blabbing about sexual innuendos are way worse than a few nasty secrets!" Yosuke cried. "We've got to hurry and save her!"

"That's right! Or else it might end up getting 'bear' naked!"

Almost collectively, Shirou, Chie, and Yosuke suppressed a groan. Humor was not exactly what they needed to alleviate the mood, and Teddie's puns were some of the worst attempts they had ever heard.

"'Bear' naked?"

They had to suppress another set of groans realizing that Yukiko was about to break into a giggling fit again, and take much too long to calm down and help. "He had to say a bear pun in front of her…" Chie lamented.

And yet… there was nothing. Not even a chuckle. Curiously, everyone looked to Yukiko to find her more confused than amused. "That was a pun?"

The incredulous yet innocent question, coupled with the timing, led to her classmates collapsing due to being caught off guard by her taste in humor. Teddie too had fallen, more in defeat that he couldn't make Yukiko let out that melodic laugh from before. Even Tama was swept off her feet, though no one would know it was because she found not just Teddie's pun, but Yukiko's reaction, highly amusing like in a TV sketch.

Yukiko Amagi could only blink bewilderedly at this development.

Marukyuu Striptease, 7th Floor

"I'm so happy you came, my diehard fans!"

Shadow Rise kept an eager lead in front of the Investigation Team, and always had time to drop thanks and innuendoes as they climbed the dungeon floors. Teddie seemed to discover his true gender ever so slowly as he shared the flustered faces of Yosuke and Shirou.

"Gah, so intense," Teddie huffed. "Must press on. And yet, these colors are making my head dizzy."

"Aww, you're trying so hard too! Well, I am feeling a little shy, so I'll just dim the lights for now."

Like a switch, the floor went immediately dark, earning several startled gasps from the team. It was no different from the entrance before turning the power on.

"If you can find me on this floor, you'll get a special reward!"

"Teddie, Yosuke, calm down," Shirou quickly ordered. It wouldn't do for anyone to get flustered before reaching either Rise or her Shadow. The dungeon was a trial in itself getting through the atmosphere and Rise's teasing Shadow.

"I, I know that! I can buckle down and get serious you know!" Yosuke insisted between stutters.

"That's right, Shirou-sensei!" Teddie added enthusiastically. "I'm ready-no, I'm more than ready to climb the stairway to maturity!"

…that was probably the best response he could get from either of them. Still, the team of four teens and two animals traveled warily on through the dark floor, and huddled closer together. It was a good thing that Teddie's nose worked better than their eyes, and they were able to avoid any unnecessary fights or ambushes.

Eventually they had to rely on Angel making another Hama light, which seemed to help keep the Shadows away. Though it was still dark, and expanding too much light would have drained Shirou's energy, so they ended up fumbling and hugging the walls. Arms would reach out blindly trying to grab a curtain… though Shirou's hand ended up brushing against someone's shoulder.

"EEP!" Without any other warning, the figure spun and brained him with their long weapon.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Emiya-kun!" Chie cried out almost immediately in embarrassment. "It's so dark in here that I'm feeling a little jumpy."

"It's… quite alright," he groaned with a ringing headache. "I was at fault too. Sorry."

"Geez, you're like a sitting duck without your long sword," she frowned. For as good a shot he was, he couldn't move very far and had to stay still before shooting. The blade he brought along might as well be a knife for all the good it was doing him. "Tell you what, just stay close behind me! I'll be your front guard!"

Yosuke, ever the desperate suitor, managed to catch wind of the conversation. "Say, Amagi-san?" he asked the black haired girl behind him. "Want me to be your front guard?"

"No."

Damn it, she didn't even let him set up his pitch! Well, it was clear she was trying to put on a brave face, and she didn't have to. "I-I insist, Amagi-san, after all, you don't know what kind of Shadows lurk in the, well, shadows. They could be hideous monsters, like, having see-through guts, or wielding chainsaws!" Seeing her tense, he decided to go for the clinch. "Or, or even having the ability to summon arms that pop up from the ground and pull you underneath!"

"Aaaaaaah!" Two girlish screams echoed the hallways. Surprisingly they came from Chie and Teddie, and both of them latched to the closest bodies to them (Shirou and Tama respectively, and neither seemed to mind). Not exactly the reaction he was aiming for, but hey? If Chie Satonaka was this scared, he could only imagine Yukiko being so terrified that she wanted to hug him too, but nerves wouldn't let her.

But instead, Yukiko smiled and her eyes sparkled. "I know! And in the dark too! Isn't that exciting?!"

The auburn teen could only stare, flabbergasted. His jaw slacked and eye started to twitch. Did he hear her right?

"So many dark corridors and a Shadow could pop up at any moment! Maybe they'd be a pair of zombies bound together in skewers, or a giant blob that can dissolve skin and bones! Why, think of the traps that we could encounter here!"

"Please don't," squeaked Teddie, stroking the fur of a not-so-reluctant Tama like a security blanket.

This… was not the image of Yukiko Yosuke had envisioned at all. She was supposed to be a cute, feminine traditional girl of yesteryear. How the hell was he supposed to get a girlfriend when the girl was excited at the idea of monsters when the tomboy was scared?!

…though in hindsight, this might explain a few things about her castle dungeon.

"I'm going to look ahead!" she said cheerfully as she summoned Konohana Sakuya with a rather eager swipe of her fan. With flames dancing around her rather creepily, she started skipping down the hallway. She was the least suited to play scout but she didn't care. Worse, she started to sing. "Skulls and bones, skulls and bones, spikes and traps so full of holes! Oh, I should have brought a camera…"

Eye still twitching, he turned to Shirou and Chie – the latter clinging even tighter to the former – with a worried expression. Angel floated above ever so stoically with the light illuminating them. "What the hell was-?"

"Horror buff." Chie squeaked quickly between her teeth. "Horror is Yukiko's favorite genre. To an unhealthy degree."

Oh. Well, that's… balls.

Shirou seemed surprised as well, but was far more concerned of Chie's behavior in the dark affecting her ability to fight. "You can protect me, Satonaka."

She looked at him with relieved tears in her eyes. "Thank you."

Yosuke's mood soured as he watched them move on. Then he heard squeaking come up timidly behind him. "C-c-can you protect us too, Yosuke?"

"Shut up," he said, and moved ahead before Angel's light couldn't reach them anymore. Next time he was going to be damned sure to bring a flashlight.

<><><>

Eventually everyone calmed down. The main concern was finding Rise and stopping her Shadow, so there was no time for getting overexcited about monsters or bikini girls. Not that it was stopping Teddie from looking forward to the prize.

As they reached the umpteenth curtain door, Teddie sniffed once before panting and pointing at it. "There! She's there! Rise-chan is just beyond that curtain!"

"Try to contain yourself," Shirou warned dryly, though his hand reached for the curtain all the same. "We're most likely going have to fight."

"And I'm ready to fight in the name of love!" Everyone stopped and stared at the flustered but excited bear. Yosuke coughed to the side, pretending not to look as conspicuous, but no one was fooled or cared about his behavior.

Rolling his eyes, Shirou tugged the curtain open. Though she was barely visible in the dark room, they saw Shadow Rise waiting for them as promised.

"You found me!" she cooed and giggled. "This is my first time, so please be gentle."

Not a moment later, she snapped her fingers. The lights switched on and she was nowhere in sight.

Instead, the room was full of three Shadows. The one on the left was a giant chariot-centric wheel with spikes attached to both hub sides, and a metal lion's body mounted on top of the rim like an ornament. The rightmost Shadow was a blue-steel armored samurai with a bronze round hat-helm obscuring the face, and poised in position with its long katana. And the third Shadow, positioned between the wheel and samurai, was a floating albino snake with a red Noh mask over its face. The slender neck was through the hole of the Mars symbol, which in turn was linked through the hole of the Venus symbol like a keychain.

Teddie could only stare comically, wide eyed. His previous excitement died much like his verbal reaction; weak and nearly silent. "….a….aaa….ah!"

"Well he warned you!" Chie snapped at the bear.

No more banter was made as the Amorous Snake coiled itself like a pretzel and expelled a thick green gas. On instinct the Investigation Team covered their mouths while expecting some sort of poison, but the gas washed over them, seemingly ineffective.

That's when the Rain Wheel literally revved up and charged forward to mow them down. "Scatter!" Shirou cried quickly, as he and everyone else dived and rolled to safety. Teddie barely managed to move away from the wheel, but that was when he saw the spike rolling closer-

SNHK!

To her horror, Yukiko saw Teddie's head fly off across the room, severed from his body. "Teddie!"

"He's fine!" Yosuke called out, even as Teddie's arms waved about wildly, looking for the head. Heck, the fox even went to retrieve the head where it flew off so he would be back to his quivering self soon. They were without tactical support for the moment but they just had to find their enemies' weaknesses and exploit them, right?

Quick to the draw, he summoned the ninja Persona from within and took aim at the wheel as it made a sharp u-turn. "Garu!"

But alas, the mighty green gale aimed at the support beams of the frame might as well have been a cool summer breeze. The Shadow was undeterred.

"Wind's no good!" he barked, before willing Jiraiya to throw a quick jab at it. To his further surprise, his hand hurt after the punch didn't even dent the gold lion head, and was forced to use both hands to stop the revving advance. Poorly. "Punches aren't working either!"

"I'll back you up! Just hold!" Shirou called out. He led the girls further into the room and away from the wheel. Some good fortune revealed that the snake was vulnerable to fire, so he and Yukiko kept it down and dizzy with constant spellfire.

"Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark!" yapped Cu Sith. It was such an annoying sound, but fireballs were still conjured out with each escaped breath. The blossom princess Persona simply raised her hands high in prayer and conjured the flame from the floor.

But while Yukiko was focused on her Persona, Shirou multitasked in drawing projected arrows from his new circuits. He could never thank Margaret or Pixie enough for correcting him, as he never had to worry about burning his spine anymore. With exercises drilled in since Archery club, he fired another perfect shot, this time at the wheel Yosuke was fighting. The arrow tip was reinforced enough to pierce the wheel base, though it did nothing to slow it down.

Meanwhile, Chie charged towards the Rain Leg Musha, swinging her staff wildly behind her like a baton before swinging it down. The samurai stepped away from her attack, and further backed away as she tried to swing across. It was her first time using a staff, but she liked to believe she learned quickly by muscle memory. Watching all those martial arts shows, movies, and even Tomoe helped. The power of the staff was its reach, and as long as she had that, the Shadow couldn't get near her. "Ha! Hoo! Tah!"

But she was still a novice against a pragmatic Shadow. The musha simply bided its time with an enhancing skill and held off from retaliating. Chie's fluid movements finally gave way to an opening – an extended reach in the form of thrusting the staff one-handed. Like lightning, the Shadow closed the distance between them and finally drew its long sword. The slash nearly tore through Chie's armor and sent her flying off her feet at the Shadow's mercy. "Gaah!"

Yukiko glanced away from the downed Amorous Snake in time to witness her friend's vulnerability to the enemy. "No!" she cried, immediately focusing Sakuya's flames on the samurai Shadow. They stopped its advance, but the damage was minimal at best. Yukiko was at a loss; her spells couldn't stop it!

Chie took this reprieve to back away and summon her Persona. As the flames departed, Tomoe shot forth and slashed diagonally across the samurai's armor. She would have followed through again with the other blade, only for the sword to guard at the last moment and force a standstill.

"Yukiko!" she called to her friend. "I could use first aid!"

"O-oh! Right!"

As Shirou tried in vain to blast the wheel with fire magic, the snake finally roused itself up with no interruptions. And thus, the Investigation Team was caught unaware as the snake coiled into another pretzel shape and glowed a light pink.

The wheel's charge forced Shirou and Yosuke to split up again, rolls and all. If they weren't getting hurt from getting run over, they risked it on hitting the floor in a panic. "That thing seems to have no weaknesses."

"Even a strength can be a weakness. If you can't find a weakness, use its strength."

But how, he wanted to ask the Duke. But before he could ask, he saw out of his peripheral vision Yosuke with knives drawn, and attempting to flank Yukiko.

"Amagi! Behind you!"

Surprised from her healing of Chie, Yukiko tensed and looked over her shoulder. She almost relaxed at Yosuke's presence but didn't miss the eerie glow around him. Nor the blades he held up as he swung them down at her back. "Aah!" she cried, barely backing away before he could stab her.

Chie tore her focus from the samurai and blanched. "Hanamura, what the hell?!"

"It's not his fault!" Teddie called out from behind the curtain 'door'. "The Amorous Snake Charmed him into its control!"

"Hey! I got this!" Pixie called from Shirou's head. "Just call me and I'll have him Patra'd faster than you can say-!"

"AIIIIIEEE!" Yosuke cried out, seemingly snapping out of the trance before falling down. Of course, anyone would cry out after taking a kick from Chie Satonaka in a very sensitive place he was now cradling. Again, Yukiko blinked. Again, Shirou winced. And Teddie, Tama, and the Shadows paused and watched with some morbid curiosity at the case of friendly fire.

"There," Chie huffed, ignoring the pointed stares she was now getting. "He's better now."

"…nevermind," the fey deflated.

"I honestly don't know what to make of this," said Angel, just as defeated.

"I do! It's my time to shine!"

Feeling a cue to make a switch, Shirou allowed his new Persona out. "Lilim!"

The little devil fluttered about, sniffing the air twice before smiling. "Oh yes, the Stagnant Air is still ripe for use. Now I just need a volunteer-"

The Rain Wheel finally recovered, revving back for speed before charging head-on at Shirou and Lilim. The former was ready to bolt again, but the latter smiled contently. "Match found! Now, Marin Karin says: STOP!"

A pink hue quickly expelled out and around Lilim's body before hitting the wheel Shadow. The wheel was now saturated in a pink outline and slowed to a stop before her outstretched hand. Lilim allowed her hand to pat the lion figurehead before turning to the now nervous albino.

"Not so fun messing with ailments when they're used against you, huh? That's the thing about Stagnant Air. It affects everyone on the field." Nodding to her improv lecture, Lilim then pulled her hand back into a fist before giving her infatuated enemy its order. "Now my Gorgeous Wheel, Marin Karin says: LET HER RIIIIIP!"

Her behavior was childish, as was the hand gesture of two knuckles pressed together before parting. The wheel did indeed "rip" though. Charging headfirst toward the snake, it reduced the weakened Shadow into the darkened goop of a corpse (only to disappear entirely). With one hostile Shadow left, the wheel turned appropriately to face it head on. The musha turned to face the wheel, but stood its ground all the same. The distance closed between them as the wheel seemed to turn at the last minute, using the spikes to defeat the samurai. In turn, it swung its blade in a deft flash-

And in an instant, both Shadows exploded into black nothingness.

"And that, my duckies, is what happens when an unstoppable wheelie meets an unmovable samurai. The. End."

Lilim nodded to herself after the sage advice(?) and disappeared back into Shirou's subconsciousness. Everyone else stared rather mutely at how quickly the fight resolved itself by forcing the enemies against each other.

"That was… discouraging," Chie said after a while.

"I know," Teddie added. "All that, and I didn't even get a chance to choose! I've been fooled."

Exasperated sweat rolled down the students' heads. "Not quite what I meant, Teddie."

Shirou ignored them as he walked to the blobby mess of the Rain Shadows and started scavenging for parts and cards. For some reason, their remains were of higher quality than the other Shadows, so he had a feeling Daidara would have a field day even having one of these in his hands.

A new Persona was acquired as well; a blond woman with a silver winged mask, wearing chain and leather armor with two swords, one in each hand. Despite having no harness, saddle, or even reins, she sat and rode proudly on a large red horse. "I thank you, master. On my honor as a Valkyrie, I shall serve you to the ends of the world."

"Thank you," Shirou said simply, and accepted the Tarot card she metamorphosed into. Valkyrie of Strength. Another Arcana he had yet to form a Social Link, but she reminded him of someone.

"What… the hell...?"

Chie turned to the slowly raising form of Yosuke. "Oh, you're awake."

"That's all you have to say?!" he wheezed angrily. "After you nearly shattered my nads again?!"

"Well, you tried stabbing Yukiko like some psycho puppet. I figured the best way to stop you was the usual one."

"Guys, we still have an idol to rescue," Shirou intervened. "We can save the bickering for later."

"Right, allow me." Everyone gathered close to Yukiko, who closed her eyes in focus. As the card danced over her fan, she spun around once and slashed the card with the bladed tips of her fan. The flower princess Persona appeared in her prayer position, and a purple vitalizing light bathed everyone with energy. Minor scrapes and bruises healed up, and physical exhaustion slowly left them.

But as soon as the Media came, it left. Sakuya disappeared and Yukiko let out an exhausted gasp of air.

Chie noticed the change right away in alarm. "Yukiko! What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," she huffed. "I think I reached my limit. I can't do any more."

"Amagi-san's only good at casting spells," Yosuke frowned. "If she says she can't do any more, we're effectively a man down."

Shirou rubbed his chin in thought. They'd climbed so far, and he hoped if they made good time, they could have rescued Rise in one day. Maybe it was still possible… "Tama, how much do your leaves cost again?"

A quick abacus calculation later told them that it was beyond their pay. Maybe if they hadn't spent so much on medicine and armor today, they could have scrounged up just enough, but the fact was the fox was not cheap in her services.

"Now would be a good time to head back and rest wouldn't it?" he asked rhetorically. "What do you guys think?"

"I'm volunteering for a respite!" Yosuke raised his hand. A little too enthusiastically.

"But we've come so far!" Yukiko cried. "If we leave now, we'll have to start all over from the beginning!"

"Not necessarily!" Teddie smiled. "I can leave a checkpoint, so to speak, on this floor. So when we come back tomorrow, we'll skip the other six floors and be that much closer to Rise-chan!"

"I guess a rule of thumb is to assume the victims are always at the furthest level," Chie frowned. "Never makes things easy, huh."

"Well, as long as we can save her later," said Yukiko. "I'm sorry we have to leave because of me though."

"We're all tired, Yukiko. Don't let it get to ya."

"Okay Investigation Team," Shirou nodded. "We'll stop here for today, and sleep early so we can head back tomorrow."

Yosuke sighed in relief as Teddie conjured his diorama. "That's good. I think I could use some downtime before round two. Maybe find something good on TV."

The team leader blinked, glancing over to Yosuke in concern. "What did you say?"

"You know, television. Game shows, anime, that sort of thing. What, don't tell me you never used one for anything besides watching the news?"

Shirou seemed to be lost in thought again, as if weighing his options. "Maybe we should keep going after all."

Yosuke blanched at the betrayal. "Dude, are you still high on adrenaline or something? You just said yourself we should rest!"

"That was before you reminded me that an idol's reputation was at stake," he countered, only earning confused looks. "Think about it; Risette just announced her retirement from idol work, and disappears from the world the very same night. No one knows where she is, let alone that she was kidnapped. And if her Midnight Channel airs tonight…"

Yukiko's eyes widened in realization. "Everyone would believe Rise-chan has become a prostitute."

"Exactly."

An uneasy silence filled the room.

"Now hold on, Emiya-kun," Chie argued. "I get what you're trying to say, but isn't that a bit of a stretch? I mean, Yukiko's Shadow was on some power trip about eloping with a prince but no one really believes the real Yukiko is like that."

"Rise-chan's an idol, Chie," her friend said softly. "It's one thing for people to gossip about some small urban girl with an inn to her name. But if the rumor starts, then it will get out to her paparazzi one way or another."

"But it's not even true to begin with! It's just some suppressed psyche going haywire like the rest of us!"

"It doesn't matter whether it's true or not," Shirou frowned, recalling the news media and what Nami said. "If enough people believe even subconsciously in what they're seeing or talking about, then so will everyone else, and no amount of truth could ever fix that damage."

He would save people, that much he knew. But what would saving a person's life be worth if it was going to be forever scarred by a damning commercial and the rumor mill? Kiritsugu may have saved his physical body from the fire, but he could have just as easily left him at an orphanage without ever meeting him at the hospital.

People like Nanako looked up to Rise Kujikawa. To them she was a hero. He knew how much it hurt to find the bad side of his own stepdad, but at least it was by his own choice. But Rise Kujikawa didn't, and he wasn't going to let her go through the same thing.

"Tama," he regarded the fox as he knelt to her level. "Please consider the price of your leaves, just for tonight. This is an emergency."

The fox made no move from her position, or the soroban tool in front of her.

"I may not understand how valuable those leaves at your temple are, and I may understand even less about why you're insistent on making money, but I do know you care about others. You watch over the shrine and make sure those wishes come true, even if no one knows you exist. In fact, rumors have been going around painting you as a ghost haunting the place."

Tama's eyes glanced down to the floor, still silent.

"Please Tama. I'll pay you back later. I'll clean every inch of the shrine. I'll do anything you want. Just allow us to use your leaves for tonight."

Tama's body was still stuck in place. A clearly thoughtful look was present in her eyes, though they refused to look back at Shirou's for whatever reason.

"Tama-chan?" Teddie asked. The fox gave him her undivided attention right away. "If you have any doubts, take it from me. You can trust Shirou-sensei.

"I still don't know what he means about all this Midnight Channel stuff, but I guess it must be important to him to break out and ask for favors. And he seems like a guy who wouldn't do so without good reason. But that's okay, really."

The bear nodded confidently to him. "He's an ally of justice, after all! He always keeps his word, and if he says he's going to pay you back for this big favor, I'm sure he will."

"Teddie…" Hearing the bear speak up for him was touching. He couldn't even begin to put those feelings into words, let alone what else to say to him.

Tama was also moved by Teddie's speech, as she stared intently on the soroban in front of her. Moments later, her neck craned down and she pulled out several zip-lock baggies, each holding a leaf vacuum sealed, and handed them to Shirou.

He was about ready to express thanks when the fox pointed at the soroban intently. The exact amount she wanted for the leaves before, to be paid at a later date.

Shirou only smiled and ruffled her head and ears, earning a yip of contentment. "I'll pay back every yen, with interest."

<><><>

Inaba Road

"You're still mad, aren't you?"

They were driving away from the station, now on a routine patrol in trying to find anything out of the ordinary. Dojima was deadly focused on the road, and his knuckles were whitening from gripping the wheel so hard. Adachi watched nervously as his senior partner continued to give him the cold shoulder.

He hadn't said a word since they left.

"Come on, Dojima-san! It was an honest mistake! I know you said not to touch anything, but I wanted to be sure that the video was there, you know? And I did see the video of Rise getting kidnapped, like you said! You were talking so long explaining it to the guy, anyway!"

Dojima kept on driving.

"But then I started fiddling with the device… and accidentally pressed the record button."

His scowl grew deeper. Adachi didn't notice and kept on gabbing.

"And that's when you came in yelling at me. I told you the video was proof and I could ID the van!"

His eyes scrunched in anger.

"…but since I have no good description to give to a sketch artist, my word might as well be shit. That's what you said, I think."

Dojima did nothing this time, and still said nothing, yet the building silence made Adachi feel very uncomfortable. "I'm really sorry I got you mad."

"Adachi."

He finally spoke, and it wasn't as pissed as he thought it would be. It was more resigned and helpful. "Yessir?"

"There's a saying my senpai would tell me when we worked together, and I made a rookie mistake-"

"You made rookie mistakes, Dojima-san?" Adachi couldn't help asking. He was deftly ignored.

"'Actions speak louder than words. If you have the time to make excuses, then you better damn well have the means to follow them up.'" He final gave the junior detective a side glance, with a bored scowl on his face. "So what should you be doing instead?"

"Uh… working my ass off on the case?"

"Damn straight."

They continued to drive in the patrol car in silence, as Dojima replayed the scene in his head. They had been so close to a lead, and yet it slipped away because of his rookie partner the moment he left the room. He really shouldn't hold it against Adachi, but it's like the guy could do nothing right. Well, when he was through with him, the rookie would learn his mistake and be damn sure not to record over evidence again.

"Dojima-san!"

Adachi's worried cry was enough to get him to snap out of his thoughts and warn him of the danger ahead. Ahead he saw a pale, black-haired figure walking in the middle of the road in heavy rain.

In the back of his mind, he thought back to the damn horror movie he watched one too many times as a kid Nanako's age. But he quickly ignored that sinking feeling of fear as he slammed on the brakes and turned the car hard left.

The tires screeched and likely left skid marks, but the car came to a safe stop beside the… naked girl?

Immediately the two cops opened their doors to talk to her, but she kept on walking past them. She probably didn't notice that she had almost been killed, let alone how cold her body was out in the rain. The only distinctive traits she had to her were her mopey black hair and some small item clenched tightly in her hand.

Well, this was definitely out of the ordinary.

Before Adachi could fumble for a weak excuse, Dojima left the car and called out, "Hey!" She ignored him. Either she was messing with him, or she seriously did not realize he almost ran her over.

He tried again, marching over to directly confront her. "Hey, when someone calls out, you-!"

He touched her shoulder. It was real all right. But what was really surreal was her reaction. The girl jumped almost immediately, and turned to look accusingly at him. Her brown eyes held gaze on him for a few moments, before darting around, looking for something familiar but couldn't find it.

"Whe… where am I?" she rasped.

Dojima unfolded his coat and draped it over the girl's shoulders. He was not one to get embarrassed over some teenage nudity (even ignoring the fact that she could be Shirou's age for all he knew) but it was meant for her discomfort in mind than his own. "Near the shopping district of Yasoinaba," he answered. "Where's your family?"

"Family?" she asked, hugging the coat close to her as if it was hers to begin with. "What is 'family'?"

Dojima frowned. This was looking more and more suspicious, and he didn't like it. "What are you doing here?"

"I… I've just been walking here," she said. "I think I was-Aaah!" she suddenly clutched her head with both hands and fell to her knees.

Whatever she had been through, it was too painful for her to remember. But she had to remember something about her life. Anything. "What's your name?" Dojima asked.

The girl stared up at him with scared eyes. "I don't know."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 32: Shadow of the Real Self

<><><>

Marukyu Striptease, Floor Unknown

"Uggh..."

In a quiet, dark blue corridor, Rise Kujikawa limped forward and supported herself against the wall. She was still in her idol clothes from her concert. She had no idea what time it was, or how long it had been since her kidnapping. Had it been a day since she ended up here? Two? She couldn't tell, not with the lack of windows and the growing headache she was having. At least she wasn't bound and gagged though, small a silver lining as it is.

What the hell went wrong? She just wanted a break from being a sex doll before it blew out of proportion. She had hoped to avoid ending up in a situation like in Perfect Blue. And yet almost immediately after retiring she was drugged and thrown into this closed-off brothel.

She was hungry. She was tired. She was scared. And most of all, she was alone.

But she was Rise Kujikawa, and unlike Risette, she sure as hell wasn't helpless.

"Just gotta find a way out," she told herself. "Just gotta keep moving and find the exit."

Rise knew the situation looked rather grim, but it was easy to block out the unwanted or distracting emotions for the ones that were needed. This was just a horror scene she had to play out, nothing more. Thinking about it wouldn't help her get out.

With her hand pressed against the wall to support herself, she nearly slipped when she felt herself push through a curtain. As discreetly as possible, the red-haired girl slipped through. Her hopes of a secret exit were dashed as she realized that she had only come across a small, suggestive room. Nothing risqué, but her eye did catch a sort of stand table elevated for someone to strut around.

It reminded her of idol dancing for some reason. All the times she had to dance and look cute for the creeps undressing her with their eyes. How many young girls were even at her concert the other night? The ones that she was supposedly a role model for?

Her musing stopped when she noticed a small purple chest in the corner of the room. Maybe it had something to help her? Or was it a trap?

Only one way to find out, really. And what's the worst that could happen to her now short of dying?

…Morbid thought aside, Rise approached the chest and carefully unlocked the hinge open. She looked inside to find a shimmering yellow key. With growing hope, she grabbed it.

"Maybe this can open a way out?" It seems weird to throw a key into a chest and forget about it, but perhaps this would help on some inconvenient lock on the exit door.

"Nah, that's just a chest key for a fancier chest."

Startled with fright, Rise jumped back and held the key in front of her defensively like a knife.

For a moment she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. Even after rubbing her eyes with her free hand, she saw what looked like her with a boob job and clad in a two-piece swimsuit. And that smile… it was anything but welcoming, and looked wrong for some reason.

Despite the fear and confusion, Rise felt strangely calm enough to let out a humorless giggle.

"You're going to kill me now, aren't you? Just like in that movie."

The Other Rise, or what she felt was more like "Risette," shrugged casually. "Meh, pretty much."

Something felt right and wrong about this conversation. She hated the idol business but never enough to even contemplate suicide. Just trying to get out of it led her to this, and she felt strangely content that she was going to disappear from everything without anyone knowing what happened to her. It wasn't like she had much dreams or aspirations anyway, or anymore.

But that was just it. Risette would have given up without a fight. Rise would come down swinging.

And so she rushed forward. Risette's eyes widened and felt the key poke her bare abdomen before Rise's body tackled her down. The sensibly dressed girl felt a phantom pain from where she struck the double, but ignored it just like the headache. Wasting no time, she hurried out the curtain door at a sprint and hoping to find the way out.

"Owwie! Now that wasn't very nice!"

Rise ignored it. This was just some mental trick, probably some sort of drug. This wasn't real!

As she turned the corner though, she nearly stepped back seeing another near reflection of her. But instead of a swimsuit, this one wore something akin to a cheerleader's uniform in shades of blue, yellow and white. She even broke into some chant as she waved her pompoms.

"Stop/Don't run! I am you! Something, Something Marukyu!"

Startled once again, Rise backed away and planned to make another hasty retreat when she felt a firm hand grip her shoulder. She saw her face again with the eerie yellow eyes, and this time dressed like some horror survivor movie protagonist with a camo-uniform. Was this based on the movie deal Inoue set her up with? "Come with me if you want to after-live!"

In response, she stabbed the offending arm with her key, forcing the soldier double to let go. With Cheerleader Risette still in front of her, Rise made a desperate dash past Soldier Risette towards the other end of the hall.

As if Murphy's Law couldn't tip things further, she saw a fourth lookalike with madly brazen hair, goggles and a lab coat. "The odds are clearly against you. It is futile to resist! SO SAYS SCIENCE!"

Rise turned yet again, more concerned with getting away than finding a way out. But in her panic she realized that she had run into a dead-end corner with the other Risettes behind her. And waiting for her was another Risette, one with a more somber gaze and wearing a traditional red and white miko dress. "You can stop now. It was destined to be this way."

Bullshit. She was not supposed to die at the hands of a bunch of lookalikes just for wanting a break. None of this made sense. None of this was fair!

Soon she was surrounded by other Rises, all wearing different clothes with a different phrase or personality, but it was all so overwhelming. All she could see was the Swimsuit Risette that managed to stride up to her as the crowd closed in was the leader.

"Who?" she asked in fear and desperation. "Who are you?"

She couldn't even scream as they started swarming and groping her down. She didn't bother to either. Her mind was still focused on the bikini-clad monster who smiled and told her, "The one and only Risette."

<><><>

Sometime later, Floor 9

"Is it just me or is the fighting getting easier?" Yosuke asked aloud. His question was casual despite the fact he was fighting and hacking a Shadow on a floating purple chair to pieces.

"I feel like we've had this conversation before," Chie commented, also calm as she kicked a scale-like Shadow towards Tomoe for a finishing strike. "I'm still not accustomed to this by the way."

"Not that. I mean, yeah it feels easier to get into, but like we're stronger each time we do this."

"That's probably the adrenaline talking. We did just apply Tama's leaves to boost our energy."

"I don't think that's it either. I mean, I certainly feel like I got up refreshed from the bed this morning and bursting with energy, but I definitely know I'm better off now than when I first came here. It's like I leveled up or something."

Chie turned to give him an incredulous look. "'Leveled up'? What the hell do you think this is, some kind of video game?!"

"Hey, I know that sounds bad, but I feel faster and lighter than I have since I started out in the Castle. It's like all these fights are fine-tuning my muscle memory and getting me stronger. Heck, if I do this enough I'll probably start getting that rock-hard abs and pecs body I always wanted!"

"You can't just get five second massive pecs with magic, you know!" she snapped incredulously.

"Tell that to the magus! He's frigging ripped!"

And what a surprise that had turned out to be. Much like her favorite action movie actor, Shirou Emiya possessed the kind of toned musculature that remained unnoticed under normal clothes but betrayed just how much time and effort he must have devoted to his physical training across many years the moment you get to see it.

The brown-haired girl reassured herself that it was such dedication what was worthy of admiration, not merely the results that made the redhead oh-so-easy to picture in the lead character role in the big melée scene from Trial of the Dragon, and how well oiled his upper body looks...

Chie shook her head. Stupid sexy Shirou aside, Chie had half a mind to berate Yosuke into thinking that this life-or-death fighting exercise routine was literally suicide. He really should try to do actual safe workouts with her sometime. Not necessarily on a Sunday though as those were the times she reserved with Emiya, who happened to earn those "pecs" the hard way. But their conversation was cut short as an explosion shook the floor. Followed by a shrill cry of "Emiya-kun!"

It didn't take a genius to know that their leader had taken a hit for Yukiko. Their designated Shadow target was a small armed tank with a Chariot Noh mask as the "hatch." The Arcane Turret's muzzle was smoking with a white mist, and directly within its line of fire lay a bloodied Shirou, embedded with large chunks of ice.

"Those tank shells are equivalent to a Bufudyne!" Teddie cried from behind a corner. "And that's even stronger than what Chie-chan pulled on Yuki-chan's Shadow!"

Chie didn't care. If that tank had hit Yukiko she could have died. Emiya-kun was probably dying himself after getting caught unaware, but she was going to deliver kung-fu justice on that toy treadmill.

Right then the tank started to glow as it focused for another super shot. Apparently, there were "charge" techniques that could more than double the following physical or magic attack if used. Chie wouldn't mind having one of those one day but now was neither the time or place for that.

"Whaataaaa!" she let out her battle cry, zipping across the battlefield. Her staff in hand, she twirled it sideways just before smacking the top-side of the Shadow with as much force as she could muster. The Shadow might look like it was made of metal, but it was still no less vulnerable to Persona-rich attacks.

"Garu!" Shortly after, Jiraiya's wind magic blasted underneath the Shadow like a geyser. The green blast didn't even lift the tank off the ground as Yosuke had hoped, but the damage was starting to show in the leaking white mist from the tank's iron hinges and the slight droop of the barrel neck.

It wasn't enough though. The tank slowly righted itself up and took aim at its closest target. Chie quickly took a defensive stance by raising her front leg up while her bo staff was held firmly in place in front. But before the worst could happen, a bolt of thunder struck the Arcane Turret and dispersed it into black nothingness.

Shirou was still grounded and in pain, unable to see anything but the strobe-light ceiling. But he still managed to summon Izanagi and strike true through their shared perception. The God Persona, with the Shadow gone and job done, quickly dismissed itself and the magus exhaled a sigh of relief, as did his nurse next to him.

"That was completely reckless, Emiya-kun!" Yukiko chided, resuming her healing through Konohana Sakuya. The ice had only started to melt, and Emiya's wounds weren't even closed up yet. "I told you not to move!"

"And I totally could have handled it on my own," Chie grumbled to herself. She felt slightly vindicated that her attempted rescue ended up like this. The ice shell probably couldn't do that much damage to her if Tomoe could do it too…

"It's not that bad," he said softly. "Valkyrie shielded me from the worst of it, and it was better to cover your ice weakness, Amagi."

"That was still a stupid thing to do!"

"Sorry. I was just making sure you two didn't get hurt."

His words were innocent enough, but they left a profound heating effect on both their faces. Yukiko shyly looked away while Chie huffed to show she was still angry. "W-well, be more careful next time, idiot!"

While Shirou was left wondering why they were flustered, Yosuke glared in contempt as he stood by with the bear and fox. "Geez, the guy could so much as pick his nose and still cause girls to swoon and faint. That's so unfair…"

"I'm worried," Teddie frowned.

Yosuke turned to the bear. Poor thing was not only having some sort of identity crisis, but was also experiencing puberty on top of it too. "Hey, don't get worked up about it," he encouraged. "There are plenty of other girls to find and ask out. You just have to, well, be patient about it. And maybe take a few cues on his fitness physique."

The bear shook his head. "That's not what I'm talking about."

Between Shirou's fast recovery and the ever-present rush to save Rise, Yosuke didn't have the time to ask what he meant.

<><><>

Top Floor

When Rise regained consciousness, she wasn't in the crowded hallway anymore. She was instead bound and suspended against a long metal pole. The glaring lights made her eyes hurt, but she was able to focus enough to see that she was set up on some sort of pedestal.

She wasn't alone either. A bunch of her Risette clones were lined up like an audience. All staring with those unnatural, yellow eyes of theirs. Watching her…

"Gives you a little thrill, doesn't it?"

Rise jumped, seeing the Swimsuit Risette strut up from behind her. The hip sway, the coy smile, all of it was practiced sex appeal. It was almost like the one time she had done a summer photo shoot along with the TaP commercial.

…But of course some facsimile of hers would know that. This was just a dream. No, a nightmare. She would wake up back in her grandma's house any moment now -

"Look at me," the copy ordered. Rise intentionally stared down at the floor, trying to ignore her. "I said LOOK AT ME!"

And she was slapped hard across the face. It hurt.

It hurt.

It… hurt? Just like when those copies swarmed her, she felt their grips too, and when she tried to throw them off -

Risette's flare of anger was gone, now that Rise was staring back with some startling horror. She almost didn't notice a red mark on her own cheek. "Now that I have your attention," she said. "Let's begin the show, shall we?"

Before Rise could even form a protest, the same hand that slapped her darted for her pink bowtie ribbon and ripped it off, including a good half of her blouse. The sound of torn fabric echoed in the closed room, and suddenly a draft tickled her chest.

"KYAA!" she cried, instinctively trying to cover herself. But her hands were bound and cuffed above her. Instead, she could only feebly squirm against the pole, as if playing on some sexual fantasy.

The Risettes in the audience all cheered and whistled. They were enjoying the view.

"They're all watching," cooed Risette, as her hands reached from behind to start groping her. The fingers dug in and pushed up the flesh under her striped bra, so ticklish and close… "All their eyes are glaring holes into your beautiful, sexy frame, undressing you down to your core being!"

"Stop," Rise gasped. This was just fear setting in, nothing about this felt good.

"Aw, I know your first time is always the hardest, but trust me. Do it enough times and you'll become a natural!"

Her hands slowly trailed up her sides, to her arms, and then started to rather forcefully clench through her hair and pulling back. Her bright hairbands and ribbons were removed, disheveling her iconic pigtails into a single pile of red hair.

"Why?" she pleaded. She wouldn't cry. Dream or not, she was stronger than this. She had to be. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" her copy echoed with amusement. "You should be thanking me for doing this. You always wanted to show off your stuff, right? The real you?"

"No!" she cried, shaking her head furiously. "I never wanted this!"

Risette ignored her, digging both hands into her frilled skirt and pushing it up and down, briefly flashing her matching striped panties each time. The onlooker Risettes cheered louder at the striptease, leering more intensely. Rise squirmed further under their stares.

"Are you sure? You seem to be feeling a little excited down here~!"

Rise shook her head again, feeling tears of shame roll down her face. "I am not!"

"Come on, be honest with yourself. I know more than anyone how much you want to show off your T&A instead of play the role of airhead. You want to show off that there's more to yourself than a pretty face, MUCH more. You quit because you were tired of choking that biased garbage and wanted to start over fresh."

This had to be a dream. No other way this big-boobed molester would know all her thoughts. But the sensations of touch and pain reminded her that this was more than that. Her top was torn, her hair was a mess, and the skirt was now fully slipped off her waist which gave everyone a good look at her half-nakedness. Rise didn't know what was real or not anymore.

"So do yourself a little favor and just admit it, alright? After all, I'm you, you're me, we're one and the same. It's not that hard to understand!"

Then and there, she knew at least one thing.

"No," she glared through her tears. "You're Risette. And I'm Rise. There's a difference."

It was the one thing that she could have an identity on. Rise was her real self, like a secret identity. It was the one thing that the idol industry didn't have over her. And it was the one thing she knew that was undeniably true to herself.

"You can pretend to be me all you want," she said with growing confidence. "But you'll never be the real me. You're just some… thing that wants nothing more than to be a sex ad to the audience. I wanted to get out of it, but I guess you didn't. I have more self-respect than that."

It seemed to work, as the audience stopped in silence and the bikini-clad faker stared back with wide eyes. Until she made the angriest, scariest scowl she had ever seen, and Rise didn't think her own face could do that. "Oh. My. God. Do you even LISTEN to yourself, you little skank?!"

"Wh-what?"

"You've been lying to yourself so long that you actually use your stage name as an excuse for your little personality crisis. 'Oh this isn't me! It's just big dumb bimbo Risette! I'm nowhere NEAR as demeaning!' "

"That's-!"

"Oh sure, it's just a marketing ploy by the idol industry to sell fanservice. But who was it that actually allowed those creeps to basically trademark my name and body for some tasteless song and dance?"

"It's not like that!"

"Then why did you make such a big deal about leaving? You could have called in sick but you wanted to show everyone how vulnerable and 'real' you were by quitting in front of a live stage audience!"

"I just wanted a break!" Rise cried.

"And then find some other hobby to try out and see where that goes," the Shadow countered. "If you liked it, then it was your new identity. But if you didn't, you'll just chalk it up as another Risette phase, wash your hands and be done with it. And start the process all over again."

Lies. No matter how convincing they sounded, no matter how much she might have thought that in her darkest moments, it was still all lies.

"All I want is to be me!" Risette cried pitifully, arms extended out as she gestured to the audience. "Not a Risette! Risette doesn't exist! I am no one but myself! A weak, bullied, pathetic self that can do nothing but hide in shame! So please, just look at me!"

No matter how convincing… they were just -

"Look at all of me," she reached for Rise's body, prepared to remove her last articles of clothing. "The only true thing about me. The naked truth."

No, no, nononononononono

"Let this burn into your brains as I show you who I REALLY am! That I really am Rise Kujikawa!"

"NOOOO!" she screamed and flailed, before staring at her mirror with hateful, tear-ridden eyes. "YOU'RE NOT ME!"

<><><>

A few minutes earlier

"She's just beyond here," Teddie pointed to the curtain in front of them, before frowning. "…I think."

"What do you mean 'you think'?" Yosuke frowned.

"Well, I know my nose is still rusty, so I can't tell about smells very far away. But we're so close, and there are so many Rise-chans that I lost count. It's like the Shadow somehow learned to divide herself into smaller pieces."

"But the real Rise is over there too, right?"

"Definitely, Shirou-sensei."

This complicates things, Shirou thought. A fight might break out if they rushed in now, and their energy boost from Tama's leaves was nearly gone. They couldn't let this wait either if her Midnight Channel was going to air tonight.

He turned to the fox, asking as politely as he could; "Any chance we can get more leaves on an IOU?"

She glared and growled a low, threatening hum. Translation: "Don't press your luck."

"Maybe we should just leave here and take it on tomorrow?" Chie asked. "Teddie can set up a backdoor, and we'd be fighting fit for whatever happens."

Shirou shook his head. "If we wait until tomorrow-"

"I know, the Midnight Channel. But aren't we taking a big enough risk as it is? If we fight now, then we ALL might die, and a bad rep from a cheesy low budget commercial would be the least of our problems. She'll be fine as long as the fog doesn't let up soon, right?"

Shirou had considered that on the way up. He would have fought to save her regardless, as one more day in this world was one too many. He almost thought to tell the others they were free to head back while he rescued Rise, but he had made a promise- no, two promises.

The first was with the team itself, that they wouldn't go in alone. True, the others broke that rule but it was on a training mission and they had fled to safety as soon as it got dangerous. They certainly wouldn't let him go off on his own if they couldn't be talked out of fighting before.

And if he was fighting alone, there was no guarantee he'd survive. He'd be okay if his life ensured that Rise would keep hers, except that he promised Fuji-nee he would come back alive if he could help it.

"I don't think that's an option anymore."

Broken from his train of thought, Shirou turned to Yukiko as she explained herself. "I mean, when you found me at the highest floor of the castle, it was before my Shadow appeared, right? I was relatively safe because she hadn't found me yet. And Rise-chan's Shadow is in there with her, so who knows how long it'll take before she says something she'll regret?"

"But that's only if we rush in right now, right? Acting as her audience and hearing all the stuff she wouldn't admit to anyone else? There's no way her Shadow would go crazy like that, right?"

"Tell that to Ms. Yamano and Saki-senpai," Yosuke bitterly remarked. "No one was around for miles to hear their secrets and they ended up dead anyway."

"Well, those two got unlucky because of the fog entering your world almost immediately after they showed up," Teddie reminded. "As long as it's still raining on your side, she won't go berserk."

The students all turned and stared. Something about the bear's tone set warning bells off in their heads. "But?" Yosuke egged on.

Teddie gulped. "But if Rise-chan is harassed by her shadow enough to reject it before the fog, she'll still try to kill her. It's just a matter of when it happens."

"So we have more to worry about than a deadline," Yukiko frowned in thought. "It happened with the rest of us, after all."

As if on cue, the walls around them started to echo. Not just Shadow voices, but more human voices, as if they were watching from beyond somewhere.

"You know, something's been bothering me for a while now," Yosuke admitted. "I know Teddie stressed that no one should know about this place but him and Shadows, but how is it that we hear these human voices too?"

"If they're made from the person's reality, they hear what others think of them. At least, what they think they think… I think."

"I don't mean those voices," Yosuke told the bear. "I didn't mention this before, but it seemed like some of the kids at school saw some of Amagi-san's Shadow moving around the castle floors. Like, maybe they were watching through the Midnight Channel while we were fighting to save Amagi-san and now Risette?"

"That's impossible," Shirou argued. "We all established that the Midnight Channel only happens on rainy nights, and we would travel here well before that time."

"Maybe it records the people that watch the Midnight Channel and projects them here?" Yukiko asked. "Not that it would explain why it's happening for Rise-chan now, of course…"

"Don't look at me!" Teddie cried. "I hired you guys to stop this in the first place!"

"What do you mean 'hire'? You're not paying us!"

The bear's face turned slightly lecherous with a sly smile, narrowed eyes and wiggling eyebrows. "Then would you lovelies like to be compensated in hugs and kisses? They're Ted-deliciouuuuuus~! (hehe!)"

Shirou sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, an action oddly mirrored and echoed by his Persona inside. Yosuke was torn between laughing at Teddie's brazen flirting attempts and crying at the horrible pun. Yukiko blinked owlishly, once again missing the intent on both counts.

Chie blushed, but more in anger as she pointed her staff threateningly at the bear. "D-don't get any funny ideas!"
It was then that a shrill cry was heard deep inside the room, feminine and very terrified. "She said the magic words, didn't she?" Yosuke weakly joked.

"Dammit!" Shirou cursed, barreling through the curtain gate with the others close behind.

What they saw was spiraling darkness with the force of a gale. At the center of it was Rise and her Shadow, the former chained to a stripper dance pole, and the latter leaning (or grinding) against said pole with an ecstatic expression.

"YES! I CAN FINALLY BE MYSELF!" she panted as the swirling mass of darkness flowed into her. "HERE IT COOOOOOOOMES!"

Even as he stared at the birth of a new Shadow, even with the realization of how close Rise was to her own literal demons, even with the severity of the situation slowly sinking in as the Shadow's own size grew, Shirou had only one snarky quip for this development: "What is it with Shadows and exaggerated libido issues?"

When the smoke cleared, Rise herself felt exhausted, and saw strange new faces, two boys, two girls, and two animals (at least she thought that round blue thing was an animal. Was it some sort of future cat?). Those were soon the furthest thoughts on her mind as she noticed that the room had suddenly been obscured by a large shadow silhouette. Up above, she saw what could be best described as a giant wearing a skintight, rainbow-splattered zentai (otherwise known as a full-body spandex). She was hanging higher up against the pole, holding on with just a bent leg, and swinging upside down like a pendulum. The fingers were long and pointed like claws, and the face was replaced with hexagons and a needle arranged like a radio dish, but the pink long pigtails and curvy figure was Risette, without a doubt.

A Risette with another boob job anyway, given the size of them now.

The Investigation Team stared with equal parts shock and bewilderment, especially now since that they were hearing audible cheers and applause from around them. As if energized, the giant called out and introduced herself. "I am a Shadow, the true self! I'm all set to give you what you've been waiting for: watch and weep as I show you every last inch of me!

"And as for you," she glared down, and Shirou felt she was focused solely on him. "You nearly ruined my show rushing in like that! But if you're so insistent, I'll give you an extra-special, extra-INTENSE service!"

"Not the kind of service I want anymore!" Teddie squeaked as he slowly edged further back

Shirou's eyes glanced down to Rise. How scary this must be for her, chained down and forced to hear all her suppressed emotions. And the Shadow agitated her feelings early because she knew he was trying to rush to her safety? Shirou couldn't help but feel responsible, although Rise's life was in danger regardless if he waited or not. So long as she was safe in the end, he could take any punishment.

"Rise!"

No one had thrown the first punch yet, Shadow Rise had her hands up and ready to swipe down while the others raised their weapons in defense. But everyone was now staring at Shirou, who in turn was staring intently at the bound idol.

"We're going to save you and get you out of here! I promise!"

Rise had never met this boy before, but she had a good read on body language. His strong posture, his purposeful stance, the piercing gaze, it was all brimming with confidence and honesty. He believed he could win and help her. And he called her Rise, not Risette. Though her emotions were a muddled mess, she couldn't help but feel hope for this one stranger to be right.

Yosuke however was fuming and glaring daggers. His friend didn't even care about Risette and here he was making a proclamation of her protection before he could? Might as well propose to her on the spot while you're at it! "Damn you, Shirou Emiya…!"

"Hmm, rather passionate for a first timer, aren't you?" said the faceless Shadow. "Maybe I should give you something extra to SHUT YOU UP!"

As she screeched this, she swung around on the pole to build up momentum before extending her claw-like hands to slash him where he stood. The others tensed, and Teddie and Tama wisely diving for a side table near the entrance, but Shirou stared at the claws dead on.

"I plan to return it in kind," he said, before summoning his Persona. A hand crush later, and his newest Persona emerged to parry the hand.

Valkyrie let out her battle cry, chorused by her neighing horse. "Ho-jo-to-ho!" With an expert flourish, she swung her twin swords hard enough to force Shadow Rise's hand back. But she wasn't done yet, the horse quickly sprinted forward with the rider pulling her arms back for a timed strike. "Arm Chopper!"

Both blades slashed the arm, earning a howl of pain from the Shadow as she recoiled. The others quickly summoned their Personas to flank her, Jiraiya and Tomoe striking her flailing body with their weapons as Konohana Sakuya fired an Agi blast at her.

Painful as it was, all it did was make the Shadow angry. She swung around the pole with both legs and her arm, using the momentum of the attacks. Her free arm, even with the jagged sword wounds, waved out as it glowed and then lobbed a fireball that split into several more. "Maragi!"

Everyone immediately took evasive action, but Chie tripped mid-run. Yukiko quickly rushed in front of her friend and crossed her arms in a blocking stance. Her fan was also extended to protect her face, so the worst she felt was a humid heat wave. As one that controls fire, Sakuya was only mildly inconvenienced from the attack, giving Chie plenty of time to strike back.

"Yosuke! Satonaka! You two get Rise out of there! We'll cover you!"

"Easier said than done!" Yosuke barked, but followed the order anyway. "Can't you at least use your -kunda spells?"

"Not really able to do that right now!"

True to his word, Shirou drew his bow and projected a steel-tipped arrow. He quickly assumed a strong stance, took aim, and fired. The arrow found its mark on Shadow Rise's abdomen, which guided his Persona to swing her blades again. Even if it would break down moments later the damage was literally done.

When this was all over, he'd be sure to thank Fuji-nee and Mitsuzuri-san.

"So that's one," the Shadow mused to herself, entirely ignoring the arrow. "Now let's try… Mabufu!"

This time a barrage of ice flew out of her grotesque hands. Amagi cried out and flinched in worry, but Valkyrie simply rode out in front and acted as their vanguard. The biting wind didn't deter Shirou's concentration at all, and although she didn't emerge unscathed, the Chooser of the Slain and her mount shook off the attack as if it was a mild snowfall.

"You could never compare to the size or strength of the jötnar," she spat.

Meanwhile, Chie and Yosuke ran to opposite ends of the stage podium before climbing onto it. As the team's only frontrunners, their main duty was to take the fight to the Shadows and keep their ranged support from getting hit.

Yosuke had always imagined what his first words would be to this idol (even on the way here). He never believed that they would to be fighting words, but that's life. So, with Jiraiya in position, he willed the Ninja Persona to throw his shuriken hands while shouting, "Hey Shadow! Here's your Sonic Punch!"

Both knuckles(?) struck her shoulder, interrupting her barrage of attacks as Shirou and Yukiko made their own. "Ow! That was a terrible line!"

His spirit was wounded, but she was right, even if it was the name of Jiraiya's move, it was so damn cheesy. He should have said something cooler.

"Yosuke! Help me get Rise-chan out of there!" Chie called out, already sprinting to her side.

With a quiet Sukukaja on himself, Yosuke reached the center of the stage a fraction before Chie. He had to stomp down all of his inner fan impulses to ask for an autograph or something else stupid as she was not only in danger, but most likely lethargic. Instead, he took his nata blades and stuck them between the chain links and fiddled with them like lockpicks. Chie then arrived, simply swung her staff as hard as she could to break the chain on her side.

The volley of arrows and fire distracted Shadow Rise, but not enough from the sounds below her. "Oh no you don't!" she growled and literally stomped, the blow empowered with wind magic. Even when she missed, the force knocked the two off their feet and rendered them vulnerable, or at least Chie.

Yosuke, thanks to Jiraiya, merely shrugged off the wind as he stuck the landing with his newfound acrobatics. "Ha! Up yours, techno-color-stripper-priestess! You can huff and puff but you can't blow me, freeze me, or burn me, so don't even try!"

"That's rather bold. Plan to put that to the lie-detector test?"

"You bet!" he boasted. Then he blinked. "Wait, what lie-detector test?"

"This one!" she sang, holding up a hand charged with electricity. Yosuke flinched. "Here's your first and only question! You're gonna die."

"Protect me, Tomoe!"

A moment later, Chie's Persona appeared and flanked her with a strong naginata swing, breaking her concentration. Relieved at the assist, Yosuke followed with his own Persona to gang up on her with punches and spinning discus cuts.

In retaliation, the Shadow palmed both the ninja and warrior, slamming them together like flies. The resulting head pain dazed the two even further, and their Personas almost fizzled out as their summoners fell to the ground.

"No touching the merchandise!" she chuckled, before spinning around her pole and kicking both offstage and into a side table. Their bodies lay still, alive but groaning in pain. The Shadow felt morbid satisfaction at that, a feeling not at all shared by anyone else.

"Chie!" "Yosuke!"

"Don't worry! You're next~!" she said to them in faux cuteness, before lobbing another spell. "Zio-Later!"

Having noticed the slight discharge around her hand, Shirou had already stepped in front of Yukiko and switched out Valkyrie in favor of another. "Izanagi!"

The flash of the Persona was only a moment after the flash of the bolt, but he successfully buffered the attack. The God Persona's eyes seemed to glow as he fired his own Zio right back, almost powered from Shadow Rises. She had no natural resistance and simply lit up like a Christmas tree.

"She's stunned!" Shirou noted with relief. "Quick, Amagi, go over and heal the-"

When he turned, he saw that the black-haired girl had doubled over and was twitching. He was suddenly worried that he had missed a stray bolt guarding her, and turned to her fully. "Amagi! What's wrong?"

"Zio-later."

"Huh?"

Without warning, she threw her head back in jovial laughter. "BWA-hahahahaha! Oh, Zio-later! That's so clever! I got to remember th-"

"AMAGI! Now is NOT the time!"

Her laughter died and was replaced with slight fear. She had never heard or seen Emiya-kun so angry, that it was almost jarring to think he was the same kind leader. Even Teddie and Tama flinched away.

"W-well, you have to admit, it was kind of funny," she reasoned weakly.

"Yeah, and I'm sure we'll all be laughing to death real soon," he deadpanned with emphasis, pointing to where Yosuke and Chie had landed. "Now, keep your emotions in check and help them!"

Yukiko was still put off from his outburst, but he had a point. Breaking into laughter during a serious fight like this was unprofessional, not to mention extremely dangerous. "Y-yessir. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Heal!"

"Aww, a lover's quarrel?"

Growling, Shirou turned back to the recovered Shadow and fired another arrow as Yukiko's Persona used her healing magic. Izanagi mimicked his action by pulling his arm back and throwing his naginata like a javelin, charged with electricity for good measure. Both found their marks, causing her yelp.

"Owwie!" she cried as she crushed the arrow and plucking the spear out. "Seriously though, you need to lighten up, handsome. All that pent-up stress isn't doing your hot bod any favors."

Izanagi surged forward to grab his weapon. Shadow Rise, not knowing how to properly wield the naginata, held it both ways like a pole to bash the God Persona. Instead it became a tug-o-war scenario as both sides struggled to keep it. Shirou's face scrunched in tension as his Persona fought on, and more so as he readied another arrow.

"You can act serious and determined all you want," she continued. "But take it from me, all work and no play makes Risette go crazy. You can only play the same role without so much as a break from monotony for so LONG before something in you snaps." The Shadow's head leaned in closer, and would have likely smiled sardonically if she still had facial features. "And you're just one step away from a big fat meltdown."

"You don't know anything about me," the magus growled as he generated another arrow.

"You'd be surprised what an acting career can do in picking up someone's problems. Though I admit you're a bit tougher to read. You're determined, a lone wolf kind of guy, but you care a lot about saving little ol' me and your classmates there. And you hate anything that might distract you from saving someone from an unfortunate death."

"Your point?"

"I'm just gonna take a shot in the dark and say… survivor's guilt?"

Shirou's eyes hardened and, in a split-second decision, changed from aiming at her thigh to her radio-dish head before immediately firing.

"Gah!" she flinched and let go of the naginata, sparks pouring out of her head wound like blood. "Huh, consider that nerve touched."

Almost immediately, Izanagi pulled back and swung in a powerful arc also directed at her face. "Cleave!"

Not wanting to lose her head, the Shadow was forced to retreat. Fortunately for her, she had amazing flexibility, and simply fell backwards as her legs wrapped themselves around the pole. All she got from the Cleave attack was a grazing blow, cutting only the lower rim edge of her head.

Like a spring lock, Shadow Rise shot back to upright position, and swung her arms down in a haymaker. Izanagi's raised his weapon up to block, but underestimated her reach. The blow swung over his head and struck him square in the back instead (earning a pained gasp from both Persona and magus).

"No touching~!" she half-sang half-screeched, before twisting back and grabbing the pole with both hands. This time she swung her feet up in place before thrusting both at Izanagi. Shirou had a split second to see her feet glow before forcing his next spell command.

"Rakukaja!"

BOOM!

Just moments after a flash of purple empowered them, Izanagi and Shirou flew off the stage before crashing against the wall. The former was stunned into faulty static, and the latter slipped out due to gravity and hit the floor.

Shirou barely caught the action through his own eyes, but he saw a familiar spiral green appear from her legs like Yosuke's Garu. It seemed like she had no elemental preference, lobbing spells as naturally as the magically-designed Shadows. Her attacks on their own shouldn't cause much damage, and she was rather vulnerable in close quarters, but she seemed to fight smarter than the other Shadows they had faced thus far. It was like she was waiting on something, but what?

"That's enough foreplay," she said before pivoting herself and leaning back on the pole. She started to spin around in place, her head leaning back as her satellite head flashed out a laser light. "Supreme Insight!"

Shirou guarded to the best of his ability, as did his teammates once the attack was uttered. Green lines phased over them, almost methodically, vertically and horizontally. In fact, the same waves seem to hit Yosuke and the girls from across the room, just as they finished recovering. As soon as it happened though, the Shadow stopped spinning.

"And with that, I know all your weaknesses," she cooed excitedly.

"That power," Teddie paled as his eyes shrunk. He then cupped his hands and shouted across the room. "Shirou-sensei, be careful! Her power is just like ours!"

Shirou was alarmed but very skeptical. A power like Structural Analysis? Impossible, that was magecraft only, and even then Teddie was the only being in this world for whatever reason to show any signs of scanning.

Yosuke, whether he missed Teddie's warning or didn't care, rushed right in with nata spinning and Jiraiya blitzing over him. He felt a second wind from the healing (and would keep getting healed so long as Amagi was around, the way he saw it) and the Shadow wasn't going to kill itself.

"Dammit, I had a good line for this," he thought dejectedly, but his face hid that mental lapse well as he swung and shouted the best thing he could think of. "Eat steel, stupid!"

He swung his weapon in tandem with Jiraiya's pocket shuriken, only to miss as Shadow Rise leaned back with surprising flexibility at the last moment. At the very least, it stopped her from glowing and likely casting a powerful spell. Determined to keep going, the duo jumped for another attack. She was hanging upside down and clinging onto the same pole that the real Rise was chained to. There was no way she could avoid this.

But to the surprise of everyone, she could. Still following the momentum, the Shadow's legs unhooked from the pole and she followed through, doing cartwheels in succession. Yosuke was on her tail with rapid flurry strikes, but he would always miss by a hair. Even the wind from Garu spells seemed to hit her a fraction too late as she would swerve away at the last minute.

"Stand still, damn it!"

"Uh, no. Like I'm gonna sit and keep taking that."

Shirou watched from afar with an arrow drawn, but he hesitated to fire on the off chance he might hit Yosuke by accident. His aim was good, but two moving targets didn't make it any easier. "Teddie! If there's some element weakness that you forgot to mention during the fight, now would be a perfect time to say it!"

"But she doesn't have one!" the bear cried. "Rise-chan's Shadow is completely neutral to the elements she wields!"

So, unless someone struck her with a hard-enough blow, there was no chance for an all-out attack. That figured…

Chie had tried to follow them, but they were too fast to catch. Realizing that they were circling around the pole stand, she stopped and waited to make a pincer strike. "Steady, steady…" she chanted to herself, keeping her staff steady, with Tomoe mirroring the actions above her.

"Now!" she shouted, sprinting as the Shadow finally aligned herself directly in front. Both fighters were in sync to pierce the enemy, from their movements to their voices. "Skewer!"

However, Shadow Rise chose that exact moment to stop spinning, with one hand remaining on the floor. Then she pushed and sprang into the air, high above the Persona's charging trajectory. Yosuke and Chie saw each other, and immediately tried to backpedal, but their Personas still crashed into one another, and knocked their users back by the impact.

Meanwhile, the Shadow spun in the air like an acrobat, arms crossed over her chest and legs straight before tucking during the descent. She thrust her feet down at the last moment, causing a bit of a quake from her dismount. "YEAH! Stuck the landing!"

The others watched the scene unfold with worry and shock, but none more so than Shirou. Before, when Shadow Rise dodged their attacks, it was a reaction and response. Now she seemed to know instinctively where to move and when to avoid any attack, even ones from her blind spots. She knew when to dodge, how to dodge, and if her claims were correct, knew everyone's exact elemental weaknesses. Teddie was right, her power was like Structural Analysis!

Shadow Rise turned back to the recovering teens. Her body gave off a familiar red aura as she shot her arm out with an Agi. The tomboy cried and curled into a ball, feeling as if the fire was melting her. Then the Shadow repeated the action on Yosuke, this time with a Zio bolt. He too yelped, and was pushed further away by a bounce.

"Here it comes again!" she cried as she glowed for another spell. Her gaze heavily implied that Chie was her target again.

"No!" Yukiko cried, rushing over. Konohana Sakuya trailed ahead, extending her hands out to release an Agi spell.

It succeeded in stopping Shadow Rise, but only briefly. The fireball sailed harmlessly forward as she twirled to the side at the last moment, and calmly launched her spell. Though wasn't fire like Yukiko had expected. It was ice, which crashed onto her Persona like freezing-cold water. "Kyaaaaa!"

"Do you fools understand now?!" The Shadow gloated over Yukiko. "I know your every move before you can make it! I know all possible outcomes, all scenarios, and even your three measurements! Nothing you can do can surprise me now, let alone hit me!"

Shirou crocked his arrow back, but stopped. That Supreme Insight of hers, biding her time to know elemental weaknesses… she was playing the long game, dividing and conquering. If he had been more hands-on with team formations, this might not have happened, but there was little he could do now. Save for winning this fight, of course.

Normal brute force through Persona wasn't going to cut it this time, so he set his bow down and held his hand out in front of him. He closed his eyes and briefly let his mind wander to what Margaret told him…

<><><>

May 20th, Inaba Hill, 13 Days Ago

This was Shirou's first time visiting the hill. He had heard about it being the planned sight for a child daycare, but most days like today, it was empty. Empty, yet a nice reminder of how peaceful the town could feel, with the gazebo, grass, and view of the whole town below.

It was the ideal setting for the first of Margaret's 10-step plan to Magecraft. At least, in theory.

"I warned you this was going to hurt."

Shirou heaved from his crouched state, eyes wide, hands clutching his knee and abdomen to stop himself from collapsing. It wasn't as bad as he made it look though, if there was ANY benefit to his (now discredited) magic circuit making ritual, it was creating a high pain tolerance before doing the actual process.

He trusted Margaret to go through with this, and she did warn him three times if he was certain he wanted to go through with the procedure. Any edge to solving the case was pain well spent, and he didn't want to worry Fuji-nee or anyone else should he have to resort to magecraft again. That said, it was still sudden when Margaret shoved a green, glowing crystal inside him, and sat back to literally watch him grovel in pain.

"To put it simply, everyone has the power of potential inside of them," Margaret spoke. "But how that potential is used or awakened is solely up to the user. For example, a martial artist would harness their power through years of conditioning the mind and body. This potential of theirs takes the form of 'chi' or 'ki.' And as you have seen, you and your friends are blessed with the power of Persona as your potential. It is one that my Master and I specialize in, so to speak. But what sets the potential for a magus, and what they might insist is why they are better than the common man, is that they are born with a switch inside of them."

A switch? How could he imagine a switch when he was never told of this before? Shirou wanted to ask, but clearly the pain was too much to even move his mouth. He could only settle with staring up at her. Margaret, the smart enigma, could tell from body language alone and answered.

"This switch, of course, refers to how they can harness their magecraft. It is no different from how a martial artist can access their ki, or how you summon your Personas. Once you have a grasp of your inner workings, you can use it fully and freely. But that can only happen if you build a foundation for it first."

Shirou knew this of course. That was why he tried making magic circuits over and over again.

"Your problem, however, is that you were led to believe you had to recreate the magic circuits each time when at best you only had to do it once and activate the switch," she explained. "That's about as futile as the martial artist spending years relearning his punch motions, or you trying to re-summon Izanagi under duress again."

That… was actually a decent pair of analogies. Why take the time building something repeatedly when there was already something to use without risk? No wonder Pixie was so mad before. All that potential was wasted for nothing.

But still, could he be blamed for that? He was taught by his dad about this, and surely he had a good reason. Or maybe it was possible for anyone to create their own magic circuits through their potential?

As if reading his thoughts again, Margaret shook her head. "There are limits to how one accesses their potential. Remember when you first fused Cu Sith? He was created using the base of Izanagi and Eligor, inheriting their skills as his own. Skills he could never access on his own otherwise."

"In other words, it is like breeding the best qualities and traits of two parties to make something superior. Magi have been doing this for years to achieve heirs and prestige for their crafts, as Magic Circuits, or rather the switches, are a hereditary trait. Just like some people are born with no skill to whistle, those without a switch can never use their magic circuits."

Heredity trait… so did that mean he had magic circuits after all? But Kiritsugu thought of his skillset in Gradation Air to be useless, and he could barely cast two of those three spells down right after all this time. He thought that, as they were basic spells, he would be able to learn more with practice in keeping his magic circuits stable.

But that was probably a topic for another time, as she spoke of more relevant matters. "What I gave you is called a Plume of Dusk. You could say they are fragments of a living, yet different thing. Existing between mind and matter. They have many uses, from emitting their own space-time barrier to even the miracle of rebirth."

Slowly but surely, Shirou found feeling in his legs again. Huh, this was already a major step up from the hour-long pain equivalent to inserting a red-hot iron into his spine. He didn't feel good enough to talk though, such as ask more about this "Plume of Dusk" thing she shoved inside him, like how she got such an item. That would be for another day.

"It's best to see them as miniature Shadows, that can impart an identity and even a Persona in one's subconscious. But for you that would be redundant. Instead, it is now forcing your magecraft switch on, and the backlash of pain is from opening your circuits for the first time. It is almost the same principle of using Personas, so now you should be able to freely access your circuits without the Plume's help."

Seeing Shirou fully stand upright, Margaret rose from her seat on the bench and wrapped an arm over his shoulders. She paid no mind to the proximity or his flushing features. "The process should wear off overnight, so allow me to carry you far enough that you can reach your house."

The red-haired teen wanted to argue against this, as he felt red in the face again at being so close to her. But he could barely manage a groan as she practically dragged him back to the street corner of the Dojima home.

<><><>

Present Time

"Hmm?" Shadow Rise craned her featureless head to the side. She expected the last standing fighter to either give up or rush in blindly like his friends did. But instead he was just standing there in a trance. Amused, she closed the gap with a few short (but sexy) steps. "Aww, stunned in place? I guess I was little too rough for you. Don't worry, just one more push-!"

"Trace on."

Shadow Rise had intended to stomp him like a bug. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he just vanished, not even caught by the impact or Garu shockwave from her foot. Slightly startled, she quickly searched the area for him. She didn't need to look hard as he had jumped behind her and literally backstabbed her.

The Shadow roared in equal parts pain and rage. "You little shit!" Already her hands reached out to grab him, but all that was left was a sword that was easily plucked and crushed.

Shirou had leapt away almost as soon as she struck, and was on the offensive once again. Shadow Rise turned and saw him sprinting for her legs. She instantly foresaw his trajectory and planned attack and responded in kind by bending in a reverse somersault.

As she predicted, he swung his blade too slow and missed her now rising leg. But he kept swinging, turning with the momentum and hacked at her other leg before she finished the maneuver. It was enough to trip and knock her to the ground face-first.

Deadly and flexible, she flipped herself upright with the intent of swinging her non-damaged leg at him. Shirou guarded his side with his sword arm. What should have been a devastating counter meant to send him flying was suddenly buffered by an arm as strong as steel. If the ringing pain wasn't bad enough, he then followed up with some hidden sword to quickly stab her heel.

Shadow Rise found herself in pain, worse, she found herself losing and forced to retreat back from the smaller boy. "Th-that's far enough you freak!" In desperation, she cupped her hands together and extended them out towards him with a mighty Garu gale. She was pleased to see him flinch back when the winds started to pick up, but that soon turned to horror as he waded through them with strong steps and a mean glint in his eyes.

His speed, his endurance, his ability to summon swords instead of Personas. All of this was inconceivable.

No, it was impossible. She had made accurate readings on all their attack patterns and battle styles, even including details such as reach and elemental weaknesses. Not just this fight but from when they were climbing the dungeon floors, and especially against her entourage of Shadows. This red-haired boy may have been a wild card with altering Personas, but he was always the slowest next to the black-haired hussy and only fought with magic arrows.

So why was he suddenly a red streak swinging magic swords at her?!

"That's it, Shirou-sensei! You almost got her beat!!"

Damnable as the bear was, it was right. Her moves were starting to lag, and if that boy got in one or two more hits, it was over.

Shadow Rise returned to the pole still chaining down the lethargic Rise Kujikawa. Even though she felt like she had dozed off once or twice, Rise could see and hear that same red-haired teen fighting her evil twin. And yet for once she wasn't in control of the fight, he was winning and giving off a powerful aura like in shonen anime shows.

"Who are you?!"

Although it was the Shadow that demanded it, Rise couldn't help but wonder too.

"A high school student. A part-time gas station attendant. A third-rate magus. A proud chef. A big brother. A leader of the Investigation Team before you." He listed his seemingly unrelated titles as if downplaying his role. Yet each one was said with pride, as they were his own accomplishments. His words carried more draw and impact than the new sword magically configuring into his hand, bit by bit. "And above all else, I'm a future Ally of Justice, Shirou Emiya."

Had it been anyone else, Rise (human or Shadow) wouldn't believe them. She didn't think that anyone could say a sappy line like that with a straight face without acting practice, and even then, have some sort of fake tone to play off their inner fantasies.

But that was pure honest conviction in his words. This Shirou Emiya believed himself to be a hero, and for all intents and purposes, he was. He was a shining, brilliant, gallant knight that stood tall against a monster that seemed unstoppable. It was enough to make the young idol cry silent tears and believe that he could save her, even if they had never met before.

It was now that the others finally roused themselves from their weakened states. "Geez, what does that make us, chopped liver?" Yosuke joked, even as he struggled to hold his knives steady.

"We all came here to save Rise-chan and kick her repressed ass back to normal," Chie stated to the Shadow, before half-heartedly glaring at Shirou. "Don't go stealing the limelight yet, Emiya-kun!"

The Amagi heiress summoned her Persona first, and blessed everyone with an immediate Media as Sakuya fanned her arms skyward. "We're in this together, and we'll settle this together."

"That's right!" Teddie clamored, hiding with Tama from behind the door. He still raised a paw to let them know he was with them in spirit. "We're invincible! We're unbeatable! Fight the power!"

"Ruo ruo!" the fox added.

Despite himself, Shirou was smiling. He knew that the others had suffered the most in this fight, yet they were still willing to keep fighting and finish strong. Likewise, Rise was touched and amazed how all these people she had never met were going out of their way to fight and rescue her. She didn't care if it was a lucid dream, or if they were some mercenaries with a motive or whatever. She was starting to feel hope that everything would turn out fine.

But whatever Rise felt about their encouragement was not shared with her Shadow, who was clutching either side of her head and stomping her foot in frustration. "Ugh, are you posers done with the cheesy self-help speeches? God, and I thought my idol scripts were bad!"

"You should just give up then!" Yosuke taunted. "Or stand there while we beat you down to size! Either way works!"

The Shadow almost snarled a nasty reply, reminding them that only one of them could hope to even hit her. But she just stopped and stared (which was very unnerving to Yosuke personally). "'Just… give up?' "

Shirou didn't like how she processed those words. And he liked it even less how she started to laugh.

"Hmhmhmhm! Ahmhmhmhmhm-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

She threw her radio head as she arched her back. Her hands were extended out and open, briefly held in place before groping her own "face." Her laughter echoed throughout the room, and despite this slip of sanity, no one could stop staring in bewilderment. The idea of taking advantage of her being distracted didn't even register to their minds.

By the time Shirou did, he knew they had made a mistake.

"Of course, the answer is so obvious!" Shadow Rise's voice cracked, but she started to calm down and stand upright. "Why keep trying to be someone I'm not when there's no point? The world only knows as me as Risette the idol slut. It's not my real personality, but I don't know if I even have one! I just want to expose my sad, naked truth that I'm really a talentless hack!"

The Investigation Team almost expected Rise to verbally respond to that, but she just slumped further down in her chain bindings as if ashamed. Whenever a Shadow was rejected, the act seemed to leave the person mentally and physically exhausted. Rise probably didn't know what was going on, or assumed all this to be a long dream.

In truth, Rise was fighting tears at having these feelings revealed, but could do nothing at all to stop her. She felt so tired, so useless, so bullied.

"But maybe it's better that the truth stays buried." For a moment, Rise was surprised. Was her Shadow giving up? Was she convinced that she really didn't want to act so brazenly shameless?

She looked up, and saw the Shadow's multicolored hand snatch her and forcibly tear her from her chains. And clutch her painfully hard in her grip. "Aaaaah!"

"At least until I die of course! I'll become a martyr to the idol world, the next Yuko Osada, and those little shitheads can reflect at how they drove me to suicide!!"

"Rise-chan!" "Risette!"

The Shadow held out her spare hand in warning before anyone could think to attack her. "Careful now! I don't know my own strength, and if you surprise me I might end up squeezing her too hard!"

She had them at an ultimatum. She had a long reach and quick reflexes. It took a lot out of Shirou's reinforcement to catch up to her, and now she had a hostage she could end at any moment. And yet things were just starting to get worse.

To remind them, Shadow Rise squeezed her smaller lookalike slightly, and everyone flinched at her cry of pain. Her face, while featureless, might as well have had an evil, confident sneer written all over it.

"Normally I wouldn't do this, but you brats are the only ones who know the truth of what's going to happen here. So, I'm going to be generous and ask you a favor, get out of my domain and relay a little message for me."

"Message?" Yukiko asked incredulously. "What are you saying?"

"I'm letting you live, morons." The Shadow spat, pointing deliberately out the door. "Live so you can go and tell the world the truth about my life! Tell the paparazzi that I quit because they ruined my life, my self-image, and I can't bother to deal with this crap anymore! Tell them that I am sick of being their sex toy and living with this burden they all but dumped on me! Tell them that I died because of them!!"

Shirou was furious. He was mad at the Shadow that was willing to let go, gloating as if her victory was all but assured. But he was also mad at himself for being so weak that the only sure way the team could live was if they abandoned Rise.

He couldn't do that. Rise was a popular idol and many people would legitimately worry over her. The town serial murderer was still on the loose and wouldn't stop until he was caught. Teddie's world would continue to deteriorate, and he had promised to help save it.

But most of all, he was an Ally of Justice, and he responded the only way he knew how: defiantly.

"Rise can tell them that herself!"

Everyone stared at him now. He didn't care, as he fixed his glare on the Shadow. "If Rise has a problem with the idol industry, then she should have the right to confront them instead of hiding and dying here. I don't know what the full extent of her problems are, and I'm sure there's no small amount of self-loathing on her part, but dying is not going to fix the problem. It's going to make people sad, not just her fans, but her friends and family who care about her beyond the façade!"

"Yeah!" Chie added boisterously, as they all converged next to him. "Our leader already made a big deal about saving Rise-chan, and that counts for all of us! No ifs, ands, or buts about it!"

"You're not alone in this, Rise-chan!" cried Yukiko. "We also had our Shadows try to hurt us, say hurtful things, and believe no one would ever understand. Our Personas are proof that we can be accepted for who we are, warts and all!"

"I'm one of your biggest fans, but I'd still risk life and limb to save you if you weren't!" Yosuke grinned. "I'd just hate myself if I let a cute girl die like this!"

The group was unanimous in their stand-off and refused to leave. Even the timid Teddie and aloof Tama stayed right where they were. Shirou felt torn that everyone would continue to stand in opposition alongside him, in a lifestyle that should only be allowed for the most steadfast of magi and hardened of mercenaries. But they shared many of his feelings in fighting for Inaba's peace and for whoever was in danger.

He couldn't have asked for better friends.

The Shadow seemed disappointed, but then shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I guess your bodies can be message enough, so okay! You'll all die first!"

Shadow Rise raised her free hand high up, and glowed with another red aura. "Megidola!"

Unlike any spell the Investigation Team had seen before, there was a bright light surrounding the room that then slammed into the ground in front of the Rises. Shirou's sense of magic alerted him to a smell akin to sulfuric gas, or rotten eggs, but the warning was too little too late.

"GAAAAAAAH!"
"AAAAAAH!"
"EEEEEEEK!"
"WHAAAAA?!"
"Shirou-sensei! Everyone!"
"Hurrro?!"

All four fighting members of the Investigation Team were blown back by the explosion, slamming against walls and crushing tables into splinters. Their armor was burning hot, as was their skin, and bloody wounds that were once closed were forced open again. Even their Personas were destroyed.

Such power. Such ferocity. She had a spell like that in reserve the whole time and only now decided to use it?

"You gotta to be kidding me," Yosuke winced, slumped against a broken piece of a side table.

"Oooh," Chie tried in vain to push herself off the floor, but found no feeling from her waist down. She barely had the strength left to crawl. "How are we supposed to win against that?"

Yukiko had hit her head hard against the wall, and was close to losing consciousness. The gash was shallow, fortunately, but a small trail of blood marred her facial features. "A-are we… going to die?" she asked, almost too soft to be heard.

"No!" Teddie cried as he pushed each of them gently to get back up. "You guys can't die! Not like this! Tama-chan! Your leaves! Maybe they-!"

The bear's hopes were dashed as, looking to the vixen for help, saw the sad, forlorn look in her eyes. Her head slowly shook side to side. This was beyond the magic of her rare leaves. There wasn't anything she could do.

There was nothing he could do.

"No… I have to do something!" he assured himself. "Shirou-sensei! Please! What should I do?! Shirou-sensei?!"

Only Shirou was still on the center stage, or at least hanging over the edge, having dug his sword in at the last moment. The trail of cleaving metal had reduced it to a lump too insulting for even a dagger, and it still looked better than Shirou felt right now. His hands were so raw and numb, they didn't even feel the blood he coughed out as he crawled back onto the podium.

And yet despite the pain which he chose to ignore, he turned his attention to Shadow Rise. His mind was still reeling that she had the power of a mini-nuke at her disposal. If there was any consolation, her chest heaved and shoulders sagged with each pant of exhaustion. That last attack must have taken a toll on her magic reserves.

"Not that she needs any strength left to stomp us to death."

"I'm surprised," she said in a tone that meant it. "You actually took that, on top of all the exquisite pain from earlier too. It's almost a shame you have to die, but you did ignore my generous offer."

She tossed the smaller Rise underhand in front of her. The idol groaned in pain as she hit the floor. She looked no better than he did, in half-stripped clothes, disheveled hair, and broken chains still on her arms and legs. The magus thought he could also see her eyes blurred from wet make-up and puffiness from tears earlier. Are they from now?

"It's over, Shirou Emiya," her Shadow said. "You were certainly eager for sure, but you just lacked the stamina to survive the climax."

Shadow Rise didn't have the strength to crush her with her bare hands anymore, and intended to end everyone -including her selves- in one big bang. And already she was glowing red for the spell, with both hands high up.

"Goodbye… forever!"

Yosuke appropriately summed up the situation in two words, "Aw shit."

Shirou was at death's door once again. He saw his life flash before his eyes, relevant to his time after Kiritsugu Emiya rescued him. His life, he now realized, was so brief and empty and meaningless that he wasn't sure if he could be content if he fell on the job anymore. Not when he realized how fulfilling it was with his friends at school. Not when he promised Fuji-nee he would come back alive.

And especially not with his Personas each goading him to fight on.

"Stand. Stand and fight for truth!"

"You have faced the fires of hell once, Fool, and you can do it again!"

"May my blessing, however small, grant you second wind, child."

"Hey! You can't let the last good memory with Yosuke be a concert! I won't accept it!"

"And I won't accept you dying before getting laid! You are going to snag that idol, dammit!"

"There is glory in death, but not a premature one. You have so much left to do."

"You promised Cu Taiga! A true man NEVER breaks a lady's promise!"

He couldn't let this end. He wouldn't. If only he had more power-

Power. Power just like Structural Analysis.

"Teddie," he finally spoke. His voice sounded so raspy that he almost didn't recognize it.

The bear, relieved to hear his leader speak, quickly climbed the podium next to him. "Y-yes, Shirou-sensei?!"

"I need you to Reinforce my arms," he told him, showing him them in their bare, bloody state. "Keep pouring prana into them until you can't anymore."

"Huh? But I never used-"

"I know, but you've seen me cast it before. I know you can do it."

"Uh, okay," the bear nodded slowly. "But are you sure you can't use reinforcement to move your arms on your own?"

"Not on my own. That's why we're both going to reinforce my arms at the same time."

"You're going to WHAT?!" Pixie screamed from his head.

Teddie's face paled, further evidence that what he had suggested was a bad idea. "But Shirou-sensei, that's dangerous! You don't know what will happen! You need those to get healed first! Maybe Yosuke or Yuki-chan-?"

"We don't have the time for that. Rise's Shadow is almost done charging her second round, and if that hits, we're all beyond healing."

Teddie glanced between Shirou and Shadow Rise. There was no time for anything else. Even if he could conjure a Goho-M now, the real Rise was too far away to take with them. And so, with great reluctance, the bear trotted behind the magus with a paw supporting over each of his shoulders.

"This better work, Shirou-sensei."

Fortunately, Teddie didn't need guidance on how to use reinforcement, and the two overlapped their body-enhancing magic at once. Shirou found he was grinding his teeth down to fight the pain, and slowly but surely, he could move his fingertips again.

He weighed his options. His legs could move, but there was no guarantee he could reach the Shadow in time for a close blow. He only had time for one decisive hit anyway, so anything short of a Persona or powerful sword was doomed to fail. His bow would take too long to fire, and it was too far to reach anyway.

That left him to use one of his Personas. A quick mental view of his entry revealed that Izanagi was the only one capable of dealing the finishing blow, but he was nowhere near as agile to close the gap between him and the Shadow.

He was already conjuring Izanagi's Tarot Card when a thought occurred to him. For a time, he believed Personas to be a new branch of Magecraft and treated them as such. Although wrong he realized that there were several similarities between the two. Then there was that lesson he learned from Margaret and the Plume of Dusk. If he could harness the potential of Magecraft as well as Persona… why not use them both at once?

Instead of crushing the card firmly, he gently grasped it as he began to Analyze. Then Project. And finally Reinforce. All in a matter of seconds.

"Trace… Persona!"

A gunshot-like sound boomed in the room, and a blue aura flared around Shirou and Teddie like a bonfire. The card reconfigured in his hand, forming a sturdy, familiar cloth-covered grip. The magus didn't even need to look to know it was the naginata from his first dream in Inaba. Izanagi's weapon of choice: Ame-no-Nuhoko, the heavenly jeweled spear.

"WHOOOOOOOOA!" Teddie cried from behind him, still pouring prana into Shirou's shoulders. "Th-this is amazing! I feel like I'm gonna go bear-zerk!!"

The wounded but still conscious fighters of the Investigation Team found their crushing despair replaced with stunned awe. Tama stood still as a statue, but her tail was wagging on its own accord. From Rise's perspective, she saw only a blue fire that engulfed the red-haired boy yet didn't burn him. It was scary, and yet so beautiful…

Even Shadow Rise had to stop and take notice. Her Supreme Insight allowed her to instantly know the power of her enemies. The jump of Shirou's power was startling at first, as he reacted faster than she could. But this was entirely different from his Personas or random magic tricks. "This high-energy reading… how is this even possible?!"

"Teddie! When I say now-" Try as she might, the zentai-clad Shadow couldn't hear what the boy told the bear over the roar of their shared power. But in hindsight, she didn't need to know.

"NOW!" "RRRRROOOOOOOOAWWR!"

Shirou and Teddie worked and moved in perfect sync. Lifting his arm, they slightly shifted the magus' body before following in a forward step. And then threw the naginata directly at the Shadow's head.

The speed was worthy of any professional javelin thrower. Despite the odd shape and weight of the Persona weapon, it flew at a perfect trajectory for her head, with enough force to pierce through and kill her. The Shadow knew this much, and knew she didn't have time to finish the spell before it struck. The moments clicked away, everyone waiting at held breath at their hope for victory-

…only for her to turn and dance counterclockwise at the last moment. Just like with Yukiko's Agi spell before, she had perfect balance on her legs and no wasted movement. The Jeweled Spear was a hairline fracture close, just harmlessly passing her hexagonal rim head as instinct told her to move. All the power in the world was useless if she had time to read and react accordingly, just like now.

Her back was turned to them, and her hands were still in place controlling the Megidola. She saw as their ace in the hole sailed further away. It was going, going… gone.

She had won.

"HA!" she yelled, finishing her spin with the intent to blow them up here and now. "You MISSED, Motherf-!"

BRZT!!

Her head was snapped back by a sudden projectile piercing it through. Technicolor blood, metal shards and electric discharge seeped out of the open wound. The force was enough to send her flying off her feet as if she had been shot. And yet she couldn't understand how or why this had happened. She knew everything.

Somehow, he played on her overconfidence of dodging attacks she could read, that she never anticipated a second polearm immediately thrown as she focused on the first. Even their posture implied that they took a second step forward to throw with the other hand.

The damned magus knew she would dodge, and played that against her with a near instant counterattack. And he had the chance to gloat too: "Ataru."

"He fired… before me? Twice?"

Shadow Rise crash-landed into the side tables past the podium and exploded into a puff of dark mist. The Jeweled Spear too fell out of its position in from the Shadow's head, before dispersing. When the blackness cleared, only a bikini-clad human-like Rise was left, laying down on her side.

From their points of view, the Investigation Team could only see a small flash after the Shadow was sent flying. "Did you get her?" Chie asked.

For several seconds, there was no reply but pants between silence. And then, finally, "Yeah," the magus said slowly. "I got her." Everyone exhaled relieved breaths, even Shirou. He was straining to hold himself upright after throwing two copies of Izanagi's weapon in succession.

"Thank you, Teddie," he rasped. Although it was his foresight that knew that Shadow Rise would dodge, it was the bear's supply of Prana and following his instructions to the letter that helped save the day.

"Y-y-you're welcome, Shirou-sensei," the bear said. Whether he was exhausted too or scared stiff, Teddie simply stopped pushing his paws against him and fell back in a slump. With his arms now really numb and his energy exhausted, Shirou wanted nothing more than to rest, but he had one more task to complete here.

He slowly limped over to where Rise Kujikawa lay; the real one. He cared not for her state of undress, as he looked and felt kind of shitty himself. "Hi," he said. Rise almost laughed. Most fans of Risette would kill to have a chance to talk to her. In Shirou's case, he literally did so. And the best he could think to start a conversation was "hi"? "Hi yourself," she replied. "Are you… going to be okay?"

Shirou smiled, extending a hand to help her up. "I'll live, don't worry."

"That's a relief. Thank god."

"If the situation was any different, I'd ask for an autograph."

"Everyone would, really," Rise smiled coyly, despite the gloomy atmosphere. "And I suppose you wouldn't mind getting a kiss for saving my life too?"

"Not in particular," he admitted, feeling she misinterpreted him. Even so, he handed her his school jacket so she'd have some form of decency. "The autograph would be for Nanako."

"Who's Nanako?"

"My little sister; technically my cousin. She was really worried about you after your announcement at Okina."

She had a fan in a little girl? That went to her concert in Okina? All this time Rise thought she was just pandering to lusty males by majority. And this guy wanted to give his sister an autograph from her? That was so sweet.

But then his soft smile grew to a tired frown, and looked towards the defeated Shadow. Rise knew it was alive, if only barely, and a bit of fear came back to her from all the words she spouted out. She found herself shrinking a bit in his Yasogami jacket.

"You're going to have to accept her, you know," he said softly. It didn't make her flinch any less. "Your Shadow may be parts that you hate, but she's still a part of you."

"No," she said. Even after everything that had happened, she couldn't accept it just like that. Not when it tried to kill her. Tried to kill them. "That thing… she's everything that went wrong with me ever since I became Risette. I don't want to associate myself with her anymore."

"And what will you do when this happens again?"

That simple question, more curious than accusatory, felt more disarming than any of her Shadow's insults and retorts.

"Trust me, I know what it's like to keep a secret from the world. One that you feel no one could even hope to understand. One where you have to pretend to be someone that you're not, whatever the intent or reason."

Shirou spoke from personal experience. While the pressures between idols and magi may differ, there was no doubt that they carried a weight unique to them, and that normal people wouldn't fully understand. It was perhaps this reason that Rise wanted to quit, but that was neither the time or place to ask.

"That doesn't mean there aren't people who accept you for who you are," he added. "Your lies, your façades, your secrets… they're still a part of you. You don't have to like them, but the least you can do is acknowledge that they are part of the larger sum that is you."

Rise Kujikawa, the sum of the whole? She had never thought of it that way before, if only because people took one look at her and called her "Risette." But they all shared the same face, the same body, the same life. Could she look past Risette as a job or mask, and see it as a title worth remembering?

Slowly she walked to the side of the podium and climbed down using the wreckage. What was once a nice little strip stage looked like a tornado disaster area from all the fighting. Her Shadow had no injuries from the fighting, but looked no less vulnerable than Rise herself.

She hesitated. This felt so surreal compared to their first meeting, and she could never imagine it coming to this. Still, she knelt and reached out with her hand. "Can you stand?"

Risette, or Shadow Rise, took the offer. There was no hostility between them anymore.

"I'm sorry," Rise bowed genuinely. "I was so caught up in my own problems that I didn't know how much you were hurting. I knew deep down you were a part of me, but I kept refusing that you existed."

Well, she wasn't lambasting her with passive aggressive remarks anymore. That was a start.

"I was trying to ask myself what is the real me, but that's not right at all. You said it yourself before. We're all one and the same. I'm sorry I didn't realize that before."

Shadow Rise smiled, no longer a slasher horror gesture, but a serene one. Then she transformed again, almost in a heavenly counterpart to her previous monstrous form. Her body structure was the same, but looked more compact and holy like a priestess. She wore, instead of a skin-tight zentai, a long white flowing robe that left her black shoulders bare and covered the rest of her body. Her hands held a crown-like visor with the utmost care. Her head was also like a radio antenna, but larger and more highly defined. There were five needles instead of one, a coaxial line reaching far out from the back of her head, and the hexagonal plates, though smaller in number, made up for a larger face. She even had blue hair-like braids flowing over her shoulders.

How this being could even move right with her rigid face was a mystery to Rise, but if her Shadow form showed her careless abandon to the world, this showed her abstinence. Her staring of the being was short-lived as she transformed again, this time into a card. Rise cupped her hands and accepted it with a smile.

"I promise I'll do better this time… Himiko."

The fight was over, Rise was saved, and her Shadow was accepted.

Satisfied, Shirou turned to the other side of the podium, where everyone was just recovering and patching themselves up with medicine and magic. "Let's go home."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Ryotaro Dojima didn't want a smoke. Rather, he needed one, but he settled with waiting in the hall for his coffee.

The search for Rise Kujikawa was a bust, for starters. The first lead they got in weeks to the serial killer, and his rookie understudy ended up recording over the video. Even when Adachi claimed that he saw Rise whisked away by someone, all that meant was the guy had reliable transportation and that he rang the doorbell first. It matched Yukiko Amagi's recap of the story, if nothing else. But there was no way to figure out who it was now.

"Here's your coffee, sir."

"Thanks," Dojima grumbled, accepting the warm mug. Adachi might be an idiot, but he had a good head on his shoulders and a lot of passion. It was hard to find anyone that dedicated on the force anymore.

"So, anything new?"

Adachi shrugged his arms in defeat as he handed over the printed report. "No dice. The girl doesn't know her own name, let alone what she was doing in the middle of the rain like that, so finding info on her was hard enough. She doesn't even have a matching fingerprint in our database."

After finding the girl wandering in the rain with only a comb, Dojima and Adachi immediately called for the nearest medical facility to treat her. There were no visible wounds on her, but she was still susceptible to catching hypothermia, and was wrapped in some spare blankets in the car. It was tense ride, but nothing else happened by the time they arrived at the town hospital.

The following few hours were a blur as the two cops jumped between the hospital and the police station, making sure the girl was stable while figuring out who she was. Her treatment in the ER just ended, and aside from her memory, everything was okay.

Even if she didn't know who she was, there was a chance someone else did or that she was a missing person with amnesia. Yet they had nothing on the girl, let alone a clue or idea how to find out.

It felt almost like Shirou Emiya's background checks, but for the wrong reasons and with the opposite effect.

The two walked into her room; a small two-person room with beds, curtains between them, and two television sets. The beds were mobile on wheels and came with built-in wooden desks to serve food. Incidentally, the girl, now dressed in a hospital gown, was wolfing down rice and miso soup set on her table. She quickly noticed the two cops as they entered.

"About time you showed up," she said.

Rudeness aside, she was taking this situation better now that she had been checked in, bathed, and calmed down.

"So, what's the verdict? Who am I?" The only reason she agreed to follow them was the promise that they would find out her identity.

"We don't know," he told her, looking over the papers Adachi handed to him. "No family name, no known birthday, no medical records, no ID… not that you had any of those on your person, so it made the search harder."

She glared at him. "I told you, I don't know any of that!"

"I know, but everything is pointing that you don't exist on—"

" 'Not exist'?! I'm sitting right here talking to you! Why is any of this important anyway?!"

Dojima frowned. She was about Shirou's age, so he could only imagine how annoying and stressful this was for her. "I understand your frustration, but all of this is actually important as it can make or break the difference in knowing your name."

The girl was still scowling but didn't snap at him this time. "So, what does that mean for me?"

"Well, you're a minor, so the best thing we have to do is find someone to adopt you and settle all the legal hurdles," Dojima explained. "But until then, you're free to rest here until your strength gets back. Maybe something will jog your memory by that time, too."

Still, the hospital stay was only temporary. They would take her in for as long she needs rest and healing, and she was rather self-aware for an amnesiac. This wasn't as simple as Shirou's problem as he at least had a legal guardian post-Fuyuki Fire. It couldn't be understated enough that this girl had nothing.

At this point, a young nurse knocked on the open door for attention before stepping in. "Excuse me, Dojima-san? I hate to interrupt, but someone is asking about the girl you found. She said she wants to take her in."

Dojima blinked, exchanged perplexed gazes with Adachi, and looked back at the girl. "Is she her mother?"

"She claims to be her guardian."

"I don't have a mother or guardian," she insisted. She frowned softly. "At least, I don't think so."

"Geez, this is some crazy coincidence," Adachi noted, making another one of his "conspiracy" thinking poses. "I mean, this girl appears out in the rain like she's a Japanese version of Bloody Mary, and before the night's over someone suddenly comes in and wants to take her in. Maybe she's the serial killer?"

Dojima turned to his rookie partner with an incredulous, if not insulting, look. "What kind of idiot would enter a hospital with the intent of killing someone?"

"What kind of murderer kidnaps his victims by ringing the doorbell?" Adachi retorted back, before smirking and pointing at him dramatically. "A clever one. And one that knows how to play off the expectations of others."

The veteran detective didn't like to think of that possibility. Not because Adachi's theory didn't sound that off base (for once), but if there really was a clever criminal playing everyone like puppets, then this case could go on for months and they would never find hide or hair of him. He let one killer go free once; Chisato's. He would be damned before letting another escape justice too.

"Bloody… Marie."

The three cops turned to the girl, muttering the folklore name Adachi dropped. With a distinct sound to the French equivalent. "What's that?"

"Nothing, just… I like that name. Marie."

Dojima turned to address the nurse. "We'll talk to her, but I'm going to have to strongly suggest that she stays over for the night."

"That's what I tried telling her, but she was rather insistent."

The two kept talking even as they walked out of the room. Adachi quickly followed, leaving the girl alone in the room again.

She tried to remember more about herself, like if she had a "family" or a "mother" or a "guardian", but nothing came to mind. She recalled only the car and the rain.

She needed a name though. Everyone had a name, right? She knew that much. Well, if she couldn't remember her old name, she would have to use a new one. And she found herself partial to Marie… Well, until she figured out her real name, she'll answer to Marie.

So satisfied with her first big decision, Marie almost didn't notice the blank TV screen from across her bed suddenly flaring to life.

The screen was on, and yet there was nothing but pale foreground and static. Almost as quickly as it came, the TV turned off a minute later.

Marie blinked, perplexed. Even she knew TVs didn't work like that. "Huh. That's weird…"

<><><>
Fate/Reach Out
Chapter 33: Shirou Emiya versus Mystery Food X
<><><>

June 5th, Dojima Household, Morning

"Here he is! / Tanaka!
Over the airwaves to yooooooou!
Granter of all
Commodity Desires!"

"Good morning, everyone!" A man greeted the viewing audience after the intro jingle to his show. He shined a grin befitting for a salesman… or a politician. "And welcome to 'Tanaka's Amazing Commodities'!"

Every Sunday, Tanaka's show aired as a special mail-ordering program that enticed viewing customers to buy their products. Every episode was live all day long, promoting products to be sold for whoever called the number in the following three days, or at least until the product was still available.

The president of the shopping channel, as well as host and face of the program, was a sharp-dressed, smiling man named Tanaka.

"For this week's sale, we have the Jingi Fundoshi!" Tanaka gestured to the show table below him, and the camera followed. A bright red cloth was seen worn in display on a lower half mannequin. The mannequin spun on a rotating dial for viewers to see all sides of the male garment, and how well it fits. "This vital garment is perfect for festivities and swimming occasions alike! I can't believe the wonderfulness myself, and I'm wearing one right now!"

"Too much information," Shirou deadpanned aloud, even though he was alone and watching the program in his room.

"Call now, and we'll throw in two supplementary helpings of Slimming Food! You remember it as Diet Food and it works just the same way, but it now has a snappy, slimming name that just zaps the fat away by saying it! All for 11,800 yen! Again, the bargain combo of your very own Jingi Fundoshi and Slimming Foods is 11,800 yen! (Warning: sideeffectsofSlimmingFoodincludenauseaandvomittingifbothtakenatonce.)"

"I'll probably pass on that, then," Shirou said. "I still have the trunks Fuji-nee bought for me anyway." Not that he had any plan to use them. Where would he find a place to swim, let alone the time?

"But wait! There's more!" Tanaka continued, now gesturing at an assortment of fish laying on an ice table. Nobody could expect what the man would sell or promote next in his show. "Our second weekly offer is Yasoinaba's local delicacy, the Inaba Trout! Caught fresh and checked regularly by our professionally paid fishermen! For every one trout sold, we'll give away two Amber Seema (because we have nowhere else to put them)! That's a three-fish fresh dinner plan, all for the low, low price of 2,980 yen! That's 2980 yen for three fish!"

Fresh fish? Now that caught Shirou's interest; more so than last week's sale of a pair of shoes and some medicine. He wasn't sure how to check the authenticity of Tanaka's brand, but less than 3,000 yen was well within his budget. It still struck him as odd that he'd decided to look into this shopping channel after hearing about it from a few students walking to school.

But Shirou had to admit; it was a damn catchy tune.

He quickly dialed the number before being answered by one of the operators. "Yes, hello? I'd like to order the Inaba Trout combo."

Before long, he finished citing all the information needed; address, billing, and an apparent "free" membership plan so they can remember regular paying customers. Perhaps he could cook some sushi for dinner as a surprise for Nanako and Doji-nii.

"Thank you so much for your patronage and participation in today's show!" Tanaka bowed. "We'll return for the next three days selling this week's deals, so hurry while you can! To all my loyal customers, I'll see you next time!"

"Here he is! / Tanaka!
Over the airwaves to yooooooou!
Granter of all
Commodity Desires!"

And just like that, the show was over. And that left Shirou with the rest of Sunday to do whatever he wanted.

"Come to think of it, last night was the end of the long rain."

He looked outside and saw a bright sunny glare over the town. Not a cloud in the sky, and the once gloomy, dark weather that fit Rise's sudden hiatus was lifted. They'd rescued her, brought her to her grandmother's shop, and waited patiently for the week to end.

Perhaps now was a good time to check up on her, now that she had recovered from her Shadow encounter?

He pulled out his phone to start calling his friends for a rendezvous at Marukyuu Tofu.

<><><>
Shopping District, Tatsuhime Shrine

A long, tired sigh left Rise Kujikawa's lips as her shoulders sagged and body slouched on the bench. "What is it with people and their single-minded obsession with the rich and famous? Don't they have better things to do?"

News of Rise Kujikawa's arrival in Inaba had spread like wildfire. When someone realized that the old woman at the tofu shop was named Kujikawa, which was the same surname as the idol on hiatus, everyone started talking and visiting. There was some scare about Rise's sudden disappearance before arriving, but aside from her silhouette prior to the concert, she hadn't appeared on the Midnight Channel at all.

That still didn't discern gawkers from visiting every day. For the first few days Rise just slept in the upstairs bedroom, hoping to avoid the worst of the paparazzi until they got bored. But sitting still was never Rise's strong suit, and if she was going to stay in Inaba for a while, she would have to nip the problem in the bud.

So, she put on a spare apron over her casual clothes and started to help at the tofu shop. It was clear right away that everyone wanted an excuse to talk to Risette, no matter how homely or plain she looked right now. She was used to it, but she was still annoyed. Which led her to hiding in a hilltop shrine for her lunch break.

The rouge-haired teen ate her tofu bento and thought back to that "TV world" she'd been trapped in. It felt like a lifetime ago since her near-death experience, and her thoughts were still hazy on the details. She even remembered flashes of the fight as if she were fighting there, from Himiko's memories. But the one thing she couldn't forget, even if she wanted to, was that boy who saved her, along with his friends. Strong and determined. Fierce, yet kind. He probably even had his own emotional baggage if what her Shadow said was true, but he didn't let that stop or break him.

Rise smiled. His friends said they would talk to her again when the rain stopped, and she couldn't help but feel excited about seeing him again. "I wonder where Hero-kun is right now…"

"Excuse me?"

Rise blinked out of her daze and saw a boy in a blue suit walk up to her. A taller boy that looked like a biker-gang member was dragging his feet behind them, looking like he really didn't want to be here. "Uh, hi. Can I help you?"

"You're Rise Kujikawa, correct? The retiring idol?"

Rise fought the urge to frown, but couldn't quite stop the bitter tone in her voice as she asked, "What do you want, an autograph?"

"Nothing like that. I just want to ask some questions," the boy answered, pulling out a badge to show her. "I'm Detective Naoto Shirogane, and I'm looking into the homicide case."

Rise was suddenly alarmed. "I'm not the culprit if that's what you're thinking."

"Not likely, no. But you might have some information vital to the case, and I just want to make sure there aren't any loose ends."

"Don't I have a right to an attorney for this?" she asked cautiously.

"Only if you have something to hide," Naoto replied coolly. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you retire from showbiz?"

"I do mind, actually, but I'll tell you anyway. Work was getting stressful, so I wanted a break."

"That's it?"

"No, I was really drugged off my ass and thrown into some haunted brothel to play a role in a psychological horror film until I apologized for the uproar," Rise replied. As true as the statement was (to a degree), it was so laced in sarcasm that it made the boy and thug bristle somewhat.

"U-uh, right," said Naoto. "How familiar are you with Miss Yamano?"

Rise shrugged. "Some news producer that got caught in that love scandal a few months back. Kind of hard not to hear news about it somewhere."

"I see. And what happened to you when you were kidnapped?"

Rise was tense talking to this boy before, but she really didn't like where the discussion was heading now. "What are you talking about? I got lost on the way back through the woods before someone found me as I came into town."

That was the story she had decided on; she wasn't sure exactly what this Midnight Channel was yet, but she was lucky enough to have been rescued before her Shadow made a big broadcast to everyone about her little striptease. No one had reason to believe she was ever "kidnapped" other than the two policemen her grandma called (as well as her rescuers) and it was decided not to make any mention of her on-and-off kidnapping. Otherwise the news media would make a big spectacle about it and ruin her public image.

Naoto kept a steady, level glare fixed on her, showing that he didn't believe a word of it. "I recall hearing rumors that you actually arrived at your grandmother's house sometime after 11:14 PM, on June 1st. You were immediately caught off guard when a man rang the doorbell and whisked you away into his getaway van. Then you were found leaving the Junes Department store with four students of Yasogami High, one of which accompanied you as far as the Shopping District before you returned home."

Okay, so this Naoto guy was either a really good detective… or someone who was really obnoxious with no sense of privacy. "So, the Inaba rumor mill is still active as ever, I see. What makes you think I was kidnapped anyway?"

"You just told me," Naoto insisted, much to Rise's confusion. "Your left eye twitches whenever you lie and your chest heaves slightly when you get excited."

People could figure out stuff like that?! That was absurd! And if Rise had bad body language that anyone could read, then wouldn't her manager and instructors have said something to her?! "I-I don't have tells like that!"

"You don't," he said. "But that reaction just now was good enough."

…obnoxious it is, then.

"Which is why I'm asking you directly for the truth," Naoto said. "Now I'm going to ask again; what happened when you were kidnapped?"

For a long moment, Rise said nothing. Then she turned to stare at the detective straight in the face and told him two words: "Fuck off."

The bleached teen, who was minding his own business, snapped his head over to Rise with a shocked expression. Naoto himself looked like he had swallowed a lemon whole and tried to make a proper response.

"I-I'm sorry, did you just tell me to —?"

"Fuck. Off," she said again. And damn did it feel good.

Rise herself was never openly hostile to others and tended to just suck it in for the sake of her "Risette" image. Maybe it was the liberation of quitting and not having to play ignorant anymore. Maybe it was due to a long day of sitting through so many star-struck fans. Or maybe it was Naoto hitting too close to home with his questions after a near-death experience just days before.

Yes, she was Risette, but she was Rise too, and there was so much more to her than just entertaining the masses. She could be crass and rude, bubbly and romantic. She could make sarcastic remarks, make tofu, and solve complex math equations!

But above all else she was honest and loyal, and very thankful for the hero's entourage that saved her. Rise knew something weird and intense was going, and the world full of Personas and Shadows was in the middle of it all. She had no reason or obligation to tell some obsessed brat about it.

"We're done here," she added, taking her unfinished lunch with her. She would have to find another quiet place to eat.

Rise made it as far as the steps before Naoto shouted after her. "This isn't some game! Two people have died already, and I know you're involved in this! If you have the slightest idea of what is happening in this town, you will tell me what you know now!"

Her pace stopped, and she slowly turned to glance at the young detective in her peripheral vision. "Aren't you the one treating this like a game?"

Naoto stiffened.

"I don't care how good or skilled a detective you are. You solve mysteries for a living. You could read all about my fan blogs or my autobiography, but you just assume that I would help you because you demanded answers. I don't know what your deal is, but you don't know a thing about me. So drop the hard-boiled PI deal you have going on here, because I'm not buying it."

With her piece said, Rise left the shrine.

Kanji Tatsumi tsked in disgust. This is why he hated girls. So emotional, so bitchy, and so friggin' entitled to their damn opinions! He'd known that this was a bad idea from the start. "Geez, I thought pop idols were supposed to be all cutesy and pure and shit," he said to himself. "Why do people get a boner around her, again?"

"A game," the detective said sadly. "I suppose she has a point."

"Hmm?" Kanji turned to his parole officer, still out of his funk. He could barely make his face out from the rim of his hat lowered like that. "You say something, Nao?"

"Nothing important. I'm just remembering that, as a detective, I shouldn't harbor such feelings on a case. It was… a bad move on my part."

The biker thrasher nodded in understanding. He could recall a few times when being too caring led to a big screw up, including that one time… "Well, mistakes happen, yeah? But it shouldn't be fair that people get all anal because you're doing your job, right? You just gotta learn to keep your heart close to the vest, you know?"

Naoto stared at Kanji with a blank expression. He stared back, taken aback at how feminine his androgynous face looked, and how big those blue-grey eyes looked— wait. Was… was he crying? Goddammit he wasn't good for this shit!

"W-what?!" Kanji spluttered, looking away. "I didn't say anything weird, right? J-just don't let what that girl said get to you, okay Nao?"

The detective shook his head, smiling. "No, you didn't. And you're right. Thanks, Kanji." A moment later, the smile fell into an expression of slight annoyance. "But as I keep telling you, my name is Naoto."

"R-right, sorry."

<><><>

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid—!" Rise cursed with each stomp down the stairway. Even after quitting from her life as Risette, Rise still had to carry all the troublesome baggage and then some! Everything was supposed to get better now! Maybe not right away or all at once, but it certainly shouldn't have drawn so much negative karma either!

Not one thing had gone right since she quit!

"Rise?"

The idol perked up at her name. Not Risette, just Rise. And as she turned, she saw it had come from none other than that red-haired Hero-kun (and his friends of course). The events of the other day flew by her, from his impassioned speech to his dogged determination. And his casual clothes (a simple blue-and-white t-shirt and jeans), reminded her of his coat offer after the fighting was done.

…okay, so maybe all this was worth it after all.

"H-hi, He—erm, Shirou-kun," she stammered. Just seeing him made her feel hot and flustered.

The dense idiot didn't notice, though some of his friends did. One of them, an auburn-haired teen with a butterfly scarf, quickly stepped forward with a smile and an extended hand.

"A-and I'm Yosuke Hanamura! I helped too, and I always wanted to save you! I mean, meet you! And, well—"

"Let me guess. A fan?" Rise asked as they shook hands.

"He's been looking forward to meeting you again all week," Shirou noted.

"He even called you a cutie pie," the brunette teased.

Yosuke blushed, stiffened, and blanched all at once as he turned to the two teens. "Guys. Shut up," he seethed through his teeth. "You're killing me here!"

But they looked like they were having too much fun to just stop there. The brunette was even jabbing Shirou's chest with a smirk. "Remember when he was thinking of a good pick up line to save her with? 'Hey babe! I'm gonna be your boyfriend for life!' " she impersonated in a tone implying a try-too-hard manner.

"Or on the way here? 'I get to see it all firsthand!' " Shirou made his own impersonation that sounded just as off-key. " 'Her curves, her posture, even her beautiful slim—!' "


Yosuke slammed a hand over both their mouths before they could say anymore. "Dammit guys, why are you doing this to me?!" he pleaded. He then quickly turned to Rise with a weak laugh. "Ahahaha, they're such kidders! I didn't say that. At all. I never said any of that."

Rise chuckled. A small laugh that was almost drowned out by Yosuke's blathering, but it was there. "Thanks. I really needed that." Yosuke seemed taken aback by her smile. She could only assume that the guy, while meaning well, rarely got on a girl's good side. If he knew how to make a girl laugh more naturally…

"Anyway, I guess since you're all here, you're going to tell me what happened the other night?" They all nodded. "Great, so why don't we find some place to talk?" She looked around before whispering, "Somewhere that I won't get hounded by fans?"

"Well, the shrine's right up here," the black-haired girl said. "We can catch up with Tama-chan and—"

"No," Rise cut her off. "Not there. Some detective and his thug of a Watson are up there, and I don't want to see them again right away."

Shirou blinked, finally brushing Yosuke's hand off his mouth. "Naoto and Kanji? What did they want?"

"I'll explain later, but can we find a place first?"

<><><>
Teddie's Hub Space

It took some debating and brainstorming. As the Junes store was packed during Sundays, they couldn't go to their special headquarters and expect to hide in plain sight this time. They couldn't go to someone's house either, as the Amagi Inn was a tourist central and it would be hard to explain to any of their family members how or why they were friends with Rise Kujikawa. It was a bridge they would have to cross sooner or later, but not now.

They eventually decided to sneak quickly through Junes, go to Teddie's world (with Tama absent) and explain everything there. A hefty exposition on magecraft, TVs, and Shadows later…

"Wow." Rise gulped. "That's… real heavy stuff, there."

"We still don't have a clue on who the serial killer is," Shirou admitted. "Unless you saw who threw you in?"

Rise shook her head. "It all happened so fast. I was tired and exhausted from the concert when I finally got back to Grandma's, and then the doorbell rang. I thought it was my manager, so I opened the door. I think… I was gagged or something, but I didn't see or hear the guy clearly. Next thing I knew, I was in that weird place."

The Investigation Team exchanged frowns. "No new clues on the killer."

"Maybe not," Rise added. "Someone came in a van just after I arrived, and threw me in."

"How do you know that?" Chie asked.

"That Naoto guy told me." She frowned at the memory. "He somehow knew I was kidnapped and kept asking what happened to me. He was being a real jerk about it, though."

"I can imagine," said Yosuke. "The guy's been so gung ho about his job since we first met him. What's his deal?"

Yukiko brushed her stray hairs back and readjusted her fog glasses. "I'm more concerned about this getaway van. We know now that the culprit has used it for all his victims."

"Yeah! So now we just have to find the driver and haul his ass to the authorities!"

But Shirou shook his head before Chie could leave and act on impulse. "Won't work. We don't know what kind of van was used, and even if we did find the right culprit among all the other van drivers, we'd have no proof that he could have done it. We'd just be making ourselves look like fools and tip him off to who we are."

Chie flinched. "Oh… right."

"Besides, I'd rather not risk the chance of engaging the criminal headfirst. If he's a magus worth his salt, he could just as easily overpower us in his living quarters. A magus's sanctuary is their domain, where they have the most use of their familiars and bounded fields."

"But magi are technologically repressed fuddy-duddies! None of them would have a reason to use something like a car to begin with!"

Shirou found himself nodding. "Yeah, that's—" He stopped and turned to the speaker. "Teddie… how do you know that?"

The mascot blinked before he looked away. "I… don't remember."

The poor bear was feeling moody again, so Shirou decided against pressing the issue. "Regardless, we still don't know enough about this killer, so all we can do is wait and try to catch him in the act."

"Good plan!" Yosuke smiled. "We know his pattern now, and what exactly to look for! As long as we can figure out who his next potential target will be, we'll have the advantage!"

The plan was set, and even Teddie was feeling confident. But there was still one more issue to settle…

Rise Kujikawa, the retired idol, was a Persona user now. Should they ask her to join them? Would she even want to join?

"Uh, guys?" Rise broke the silence. "I've been thinking the last few days, since you rescued me."

Her gaze lowered to the unique floor pattern of murdered silhouette figures. "The thing is, I've been really stressed with work lately, and came here just to get some peace and quiet. So, in a way, it might be my fault for making things more complicated for you, getting involved in this murder case?"

"We don't think that," Shirou interjected, though he wondered briefly if he was really speaking for everyone or just himself.

"Damn right we don't!" Yosuke slung his arm around his neck. "We're just a bunch of superpowered, alter-ego teens with an attitude! We love saving cute girls!"

"A true bro!" Pixie nodded with approval.

"I prefer hoes first." Lilim licked her lips.

"Shut it," Angel scolded.

"Cute girls comment aside," Chie said, "we definitely don't think of you as a burden. I mean, Yukiko here was in the same boat just a month ago!"

Rise's face started to quiver with emotion. "Uuuuuuuuh, well… I really appreciate what you guys did for me, e-especially you, Shirou-kun."

"Me?"

Before anyone knew it, Rise had swung her arms around Shirou and hugged him tight with an ecstatic expression. "Thank you sooooo much! I love you guys!"

Shirou promptly went into shutdown mode. The closeness of the idol's body against his, and her bubbly, cheerful words cause a fire to erupt in his cheeks. Several of his Personas summed the situation thusly in his non-responsive mind.

"Whelp, you're dead Shirou."

"How? Why? He hasn't even acted on debauchery!"

"FOOL SHIROU EMIYA! YOU BETTER NOT BETRAY THE CHARIOT!"

"Oh yeah, the first ever conflict of the love polygon. This is gonna be good."

It took him a moment to realize that they were referring to the rather ignited reactions of his friends behind him. Yukiko was more confused than alarmed, and Yosuke was glaring daggers of envy at him. Chie herself looked like she wanted to punch him and Rise's lights out.

But he had no idea why.

At least Teddie tried to be diplomatic. "Uh, Rise-chan? I understand that Shirou-sensei did indeed help you, but so did the rest of us. Including me! I helped him mark the finishing blow on your Shadow, you see!"

Rise finally parted from her hug and smiled at the bear. "Aww, does Teddie Bear wanna hug too?"

"Yes," Teddie answered, before realizing what had just happened. "Wh—huh?"

But Rise obliged anyway, leaning down and hugging the bear across his dome-like head. "You were really brave out there, weren't you? Thanks."

Teddie's face turned warm and he started to drool, but was undoubtedly happy at getting some attention after all the teasing Shadow Rise pulled. It almost made wondering about the meaning of life worth it.

Chie and Yosuke's indignant rage was soon replaced with confusion akin to Yukiko's, and had no time to really question it before Rise walked over and hugged all three of them at once.

"Mmmmmmmm!" She hugged as tight as possible, and Yosuke could swear that if he wasn't Personafied, she might have broken something. Not that it would matter, if it was from her…

Finally, Rise let go and looked at the three in the eyes. "I mean, really! Thank you! I-it's not too weird to say thanks like this, right? I didn't come on too strong with the hug, right?"

"W-well, the hug was kind of startling," Yukiko admitted.

"Especially with the 'love' part," Chie deadpanned.

"Oh, that? Yeah, guess a little Risette is still in me, because I always tell my fans I 'love' them. It's kind of my way of saying thanks for helping me with their support."

"So… she meant platonically."

"Oh, thank you Father above. You have not forsaken this child before he even began."

"Aw phooey. She really is a damn tease."

Shirou found himself sharing an odd sense of relief with his peers at the explanation. It allowed him to feel even more proud of being thanked for saving her.

"Which is why I was thinking: do you guys need my help?" Rise asked.

"Huh?"

"I don't know what my power does yet, and I would understand if you don't want me to do anything, but I wouldn't feel right without paying you guys back in some way. And I feel like I could do a lot of good, too."

Shirou frowned. "It's going to be dangerous."

"I know, but you'd help me, right? Just like I'd help you?"

The brick-haired magus sighed. He felt like he should say no, but at the same time he didn't. She knew how to keep a secret and was determined to pay the team back for their help. The others didn't seem that opposed to the idea either (especially not Yosuke). "Teddie?"

"On it, Shirou-sensei!" A quick cupping of paws later, and a pair of pink and white fog-filter glasses appeared. He then knelt and offered them to her like a servant would a queen.

"Here you go, Rise-chan! Proof that you are one of us!"

Rise smiled as she accepted and put on the glasses, immediately feeling better without the fog overwhelming her. "I'm really glad that you guys are the first friends I made here."

The Fool Arcana's growing strength couldn't agree more.

<><><>
June 9th, MOEL, After School

As he waited in front of the gas station, Dojima exhausted the end of his cigarette and snuffed it out under his heel.

He felt that he was having a string of bad luck lately. The lead on Rise's kidnapping was a bust, even though she ended up fine and home again. The nameless girl with no record looked like she might end up in foster care, only for some "blonde bombshell" to come in and take her after answering their questions. Then there was the lead last night on a suspicious person that might be the killer, about whom Adachi can't stop babbling about near civilians.

And finally, Shirou, that very same night, wanted a scooter license. And he was awkward as hell about it.

"About this license," he said before leaving. "Did you decide on this yourself, Shirou? No one talked you into it?"

Shirou's face couldn't tell a lie, and he soon scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, to be honest, Yosuke talked me into getting one. His reasons seemed... poor in taste, but I think there's an opportunity in using it to travel around the town, or to Okina City and back. I could even run errands or pick up groceries while you were busy."

Dojima had to admit that it was a sound idea, but it might have also been an excuse. "And what exactly was the Hanamura kid's reason?" he asked. Shirou's face had flared red and scrunched up as if he had eaten a lemon and a hot pepper at once.

"I really don't want to talk about it."

Dojima had mulled it over. He actually did consider what to do with his old scooter out back, and anything to get his mind off the murder case might do him some good. So, he had told him, "We'll talk more about this once you get your license. IF you get your license. Now I'm off; keep watch over the house while I'm gone."

"Doji-nii!"

Snapping out of his reverie, the veteran cop saw his nephew and friend cross the street from the bus stop to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Adachi and I just stopped to get gas, and some minor business. What about you guys?"

Shirou seemed to be holding back a grin. "Guess."

"Oh, a challenge?" Dojima grinned back. "You're starting to sound like Nanako. Let's see… by the triumphant, excited look on your face…"

He trailed off, taking a good look at Shirou. Then, a moment later… "I give up. Where?"

Exasperated, disappointed sweat rolled down both the teens' heads. Dojima knew the question that was cycling their heads before they said it, and felt the need to justify himself. "I can tell when someone's lying and what they're thinking when they are, but when it comes to where you might go, it's a blank."

Shirou still had a deadpan look in his eye, almost insulted. "It's just that I thought after last night it would have been obvious."

Dojima blinked. And suddenly connected the dots. "Your scooter licenses? Already?!"

As one, Shirou and Yosuke flashed their new plastic ID cards. "We studied all night, went to take the test and got 'em in one try!" Yosuke boasted. "Though maybe I studied too hard as the test itself was kind of easy…"

"I know it's just a written test, but still," Dojima scratched his head exasperatedly. "Guess it's a good thing I called your guardian in advance about this."

"So, you and Fuji-nee are okay with this?" Shirou asked.

"I can't say no now that you've gotten your license." Dojima smiled. "And Taiga seemed rather excited about the idea. In fact, she was already talking about getting you a motorcycle for your 18th birthday."

"Dude!" Yosuke patted his friend's back. "You got the okay! AND a motorcycle on the way! What did I tell you? Operation Up Close and Personal is so gonna work!"

Shirou flinched and shot him a peculiar glare. Yosuke seemed to remember the current situation and looked up to see Dojima's perplexed reaction. "Operation what?"

"Uh, I mean, gotta go read through my catalogue! See you tomorrow, Shirou!" Yosuke bolted away, not once looking back.

"It's a long story," Shirou explained. He looked reluctant to explain what Yosuke meant.

Still, Dojima had to ask one thing. "It has nothing to do with the murder case, does it?"

"No!" he exclaimed. "Of course not!"

"Good. Now that I know you're not in trouble, mind if I borrow you for a few minutes?"

Curious, Shirou nodded, and was led closer into the gas station. "Hey Adachi!"

"We just finished filling her up, sir."

Shirou saw Adachi returning a gas hose into its holster and Nami finished cloth-cleaning the surface to fine detail. They were working on an old, rustic scooter of white chrome paint and bright surface lights. A spare tire sat compact in the case behind the seat cushion, and the design allowed only the front wheel to be seen in front of the handlebars. It was compact, shining, and somehow vaguely familiar.

"Is that…?"

Dojima nodded. "My old scooter. I just had it fixed up at the shop, and then brought it here for gas."

"I offered to do a bit of last minute touches myself." Nami smiled. "Even offered an employee's discount on your behalf!"

Shirou walked over and took an appraising look at the vehicle. "Are those twist grips?" he pointed at the handlebars.

"You can tell?" Dojima smiled.

"I didn't think they sold these at stores anymore."

"They don't. At least not in local ones, so I had one of the repair guys at work help me out in secret." Dojima blinked and tried downplaying the tidbit. "But uh, don't tell anyone, okay?"

Adachi watched them talk about the scooter and chuckled. "You always act strict at the station, but you're really a cool dad on the inside, huh?"

Like a switch, the detective turned to his junior with a scowl. "Shut up and get in the car."

"Geez, always with the yelling." Adachi winced. "All I'm saying is that you're giving away a pretty slick form of transportation to your nephew. The suspicious guy is probably using something like this too; driving through the backstreets and taking pictures of the neighborhood to the Amagi Inn—"

"Stop blabbering! I said get in the car!" Dojima yelled. This time Adachi quickly complied and left. Nami also left to continue work, giving a quick wave to Shirou as he did.

Now alone, Dojima calmed himself. He really didn't want Adachi to get wound up on his theories aloud again, especially with Shirou around. Hopefully the so-called suspicious character was no one dangerous and not related to the murder case, but one couldn't be too careful.

"Anyway," he started again. "I was around your age when I got my license. Took the test behind my parents' backs, and when they found out, my dad gave me such a thrashing." He laughed mischievously, before quickly adding, "But don't tell the girls about that."

"I won't." Shirou nodded.

"Now, I know it's not anything new," he rambled again, "but it still runs pretty well. Of course, if you want to scrap it for the money to buy another—"

"No, it's perfect. I mean, I prefer an older, more reliable model anyway." He smiled in earnest. "I'll take good care of it."

"Be sure to take care of yourself, too," Dojima sternly added. He was still happy about how receptive and caring Shirou was to his new scooter. "Obey all the traffic laws and be safe. You do that, and I'll look the other way if you drive off to town." He held out his hand, with the keys to the ignition. "Can you promise me that?"

"Of course! Thanks, Doji-nii!" Shirou shook his hand, accepted the keys, and hopped on the scooter. With that all settled, Dojima walked back to his car to drop Adachi off before heading home. But he soon realized that the newly christened scooter driver hadn't left the gas station yet.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't have a helmet."

Dojima smiled with amusement as he pulled out his old spare from the backseat. "Are you a size large?"

<><><>
June 15th, Okina Station, After School

Over the last week, Shirou took time for practicing with his new scooter and learning the layout of the town. He had to admit that Adachi had a point that a suspicious person (or even a serial killer) would want to know as many hiding places in the town as they could.

And things were relatively calm again. For all anyone knew, Rise had just arrived in Inaba and there was officially no Midnight Channel special about her. She was enrolled into Yasogami High shortly after, and the interest of getting a celebrity as a girlfriend soon fell out of favor when Morooka went moral guardian on their asses.

Of course, he had also forced Shirou and Yosuke into the Student Health Association last week, but that was another story.

Now, Yosuke had finally gotten his own "motorcycle" (really a scooter, but Shirou had long since given up on correcting him). It was a neat design for sure, painted yellow-orange with angular parts, but it looked more built for speed than practicality, and the weight of an anvil could crush it. He decided that riding together was better than riding alone, so they made their way to Okina City later that day.

It was as busy as ever, no one even taking notice of the two scooter-riding students as they parked their vehicles. Yosuke was in high spirits as he stretched and smiled. "Hellooo, Okina Station! Getting here was easier than I thought!"

"It's just the next town over," Shirou explained as he unstrapped his helmet. "A real trip would be trying to get to Fuyuki City on these things. And we would have been here sooner if you hadn't run out of gas halfway."

Yosuke flushed in embarrassment. "I really shouldn't have cheaped out on gas just to fool around with more money."

"No, you shouldn't have. So, what now?"

"We wait, my friend." Yosuke smiled, leaning confidently against his "motorcycle." "Wait for the girls to come begging us for a ride."

Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose and suppressed a groan. "Ugh, not the up close plan again."

"Yes, the up close plan again!" Yosuke insisted and corrected. Though he quickly lowered his voice when he realized how it could ruin said plan. "Dude, think about it! We could pick up girls by showing off our new motorcycles. Aren't you interested in squeeze play?!"

"I don't play baseball," was Shirou's sarcastic retort.

Naturally, Yosuke glared. "Shirou, that joke wasn't funny the first time, and it sure as hell isn't funny now."

Shirou had heard enough of the plan from Yosuke last week. He was excited to get a "motorcycle" license in order to try and pick up girls and feel the "squeeze" behind him. In fact, all he seemed to talk or fantasize about was having someone "up close and personal" to him as he rode his hog. Shirou didn't get it at first, but Lilim was more than happy to fill in the details just as he was drinking water:

"I'll give you a hint: it starts with 'Oh' and ends in 'Pie'!"

Shirou made a very loud spit-take that day.

He had thought Yosuke's plan was endearing and was a sign that he was getting over the late Saki Konishi. Now, after the initial embarrassment of the real plan, he was rather disgusted at his friend's ulterior motives. Not to mention how stupid it was in hindsight.

"Yosuke, how many times do I have to tell you?" Shirou said irritably. "A scooter can't hold two people in the same seat. It's illegal!"

"Details, details! All we need is motorcycle—"

"Which we don't have!"

"A scooter is a motorcycle! Just, you know, smaller." Shirou rolled his eyes, but Yosuke ignored it. "Trust me, a motorcycle is a chick magnet! Even if it's just a scooter, it's bound to turn some heads! Then when we upgrade to a real motorcycle, that's when the plan really kicks off!" He held his hands out in front of him and twisted them as if real handlebars. "Vroom vroom, man!"

"Even so, that's years from now. Not exactly a sound plan to find a girlfriend."

"Yeah, but we're city boys, you and me. Inaba's too small a town for any of us to find a girlfriend. We can't just sit there like everyone else waiting! We need to take the initiative!"

"How is waiting by our scooters taking initiative?"

"We need to play it cool first." Yosuke winked as he explained. "Then, when a chick or two comes by and sees us, we'll roar our engines like the badasses we are, making them beg for a chance to sit and ride with us! By the time we finally get our real motorcycles, we'll be dripping in pheromones!"

The normally patient Shirou wanted to pull his hair out. He couldn't stress out enough how flawed this plan was. Nothing Yosuke said made any sense! Even if he wanted to get a significant other like Yosuke did, he would rather try talking to someone than pose by a scooter and expect someone to be impressed enough to walk up to him.

"Let it go, Shirou." Pixie sighed from within. "He's too far gone and committed to this."

She was right. No matter what he said or told him the past week, Yosuke had brushed off his concerns and only kept fantasizing about literally picking up a girl to ride with him.

Shirou took a slow, calming breath, pocketed his scooter key and walked away. "Good luck," he said.

"Wha—? Hey!" Yosuke balked. "Where are you going?"

"I don't want to dilute your pheromones," he quipped. He had better things to do in the city than sit by his scooter under the sun all day.

"Fine! Have it your way!" Yosuke huffed and blew a raspberry. He would get all the girl attention to himself, and no natural-born lady killer would distract him from his plan!

"Yep." He smirked as he leaned against his "motorcycle." "Someone's bound to notice me sooner or later."

The early summer sunlight was very welcoming on this nice day…

<><><>

Shirou spent the next few hours exploring the city and learning landmarks along the way. He didn't stray too far from the station, though in hindsight he probably could have seen more of Okina with his scooter.

Well, no use crying over spilt milk. He would need to check up on Yosuke again anyway. He paid a visit to a few stores that sold an assortment of products including toys, groceries, and music. With his paychecks from the MOEL job, he purchased a bit from each (a new pony plushie for Nanako, some ingredients for the upcoming camping trip, and a copy of Rise's latest single).

Yosuke's birthday was a week away, so the CD might make a good gift. He thought it was the least he could do after blowing him off earlier.

As he retraced his steps back to the station, he decided to make a "call" and pull out his phone. "Pixie, guys? You don't think I was too hard on him, do you?" he asked into the device.

As his Magician Persona, Pixie knew most about his bond, and gave him the good news. "He's mad, but he'll get over it in a week or two."

"You gave the guy more outs than he deserved," Lilim said. "Even if he did find a girl into scooters, she'd be too shallow for anything more than a quick lay. And then he'd bomb that too."

"Indeed," Valkyrie said. "If the women of today are anything like my sisters at arms, they wouldn't give in so easily to something as basic as pheromones."

"Though the idea does have merit in the future," Eligor said. "Play your cards right, young Fool, and you'll be the one pulling the Chariot for Satonaka."

Cu Sith snorted. "Or like Taiga pulls his. She owns a motorcycle herself!"

"Please, don't bring them into this." Shirou groaned. "They're the last people I want to imagine giving rides."

"So, what about Rise?" Pixie asked. "She seems to be pretty clingy around you."

"And who wouldn't after that rescue?" Lilim replied, with an evident smirk on her lips. "Keep this up and he might even pop the idol's cherry!"

"Let's not be hasty," Eligor, Cu Sith, and Angel all argued in unison.

"The way you guys are reigning in his hormones, he's not going to know what to do when actually courting a real girl. And when that day comes, it's gonna hit him like a set of funbags!"

It was at that moment when Shirou was making a turn around the corner when his train of thought was derailed. So engrossed in literally his own mind, he didn't notice the slight ledge elevation of tiles, and his foot tripped mid step-turn. "Whoa—!"

And he landed face-first into something big, white, and soft. He barely had time to see it, but now his vision was obscured by the material. Shirou was barely aware of others staring at him; some with amused grins, others with flushed faces. He tried to right himself, and used his hands to push himself off the softness that broke his fall.

"Stop touching me you PERVERT!"

Shirou was shoved aside by the… person in front of him. Shirou fell down to the ground, over the same tile that tripped him no less. He looked up and his jaw dropped. The only noise that escaped him was a sharp intake of air.

For the person standing before him was a girl no older than him. Her short blue hair with a red ribbon around the top center crowned her amber eyes and flushing scowl. Her school uniform was a white button shirt with a red bowtie and a short tan skirt. But most impressive about her was her chest. Each breast was almost as large as the girl's own head, barely contained in her uniform.

It was single-handedly the biggest rack Shirou had ever seen in his life, and he had not just fallen on top of it, but touched it as well. He couldn't help but stare in disbelief.

Even Lilim, the sex demon, didn't know how to properly respond. And when she did, she was subdued. "I uh… called it?"

"That woman is going to have a VERY promising future as a wet nurse, one day," Eligor noted.

"Now THAT'S the ultimate 'squeeze,' " Pixie said with equal parts envy and awe. "Thank goodness Yosuke isn't here."

With no response since the literal run-in, the buxom girl glared harder at Shirou. She stomped to show her anger and get his attention. And make her bust bounce to boot. "What are you, some kind of creep?!"

Shirou said the only coherent thing circling his mind. "How do you have a spine?"

"What was that?!"

"Uh, I mean—!" The redhead quickly scrambled back upright and bowed in front of her. "I'm terribly sorry! It was an accident, I swear!"

The girl's glare softened as she leaned back. "You think you can get away with this with just an apology?" she scolded.

Shirou tensed, knowing that there was no real excuse. He should have been paying attention, and been more careful not to fall on her.

"I don't care how much you like them! You can't go falling into a girl's breasts face-first like that!"

The magus high schooler looked up and blinked. "…what?"

"What?" his Personas echoed.

An amused smile grew on her lips. "So, are you going to tell me your name or will I have to dub you 'Disgusting Pervert' henceforth?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shirou slowly stood back upright. "Dare I ask why?"

"For when I sue you, of course."

"Huh, she's a real hot–cold character, huh?" Lilim noted.

"A devil is more like it." Angel fumed.

"Hey! I resent that remark!"

Shirou was beginning to agree. She clearly didn't mean her threats, as they were intended to get a rise out of him. It was understandable, but two could play at this game.

So, he casually shrugged and asked, "You would seriously take me to court over an accident?"

The girl crossed her arms over her massive chest, still sardonically grinning. "I'll tell them that you deliberately charged at me with the intent to grope."

"From the turn of the corner?"

"That you're a stalker at my school."

"We wear different uniforms," he reminded, gesturing at his gakuran.

"My old school in Tokyo."

"I'll just tell the jury that I got lost in the Aoyama Twin Towers."(1)

The girl let out a sound that was almost a chuckle and a cough, and couldn't quite hide the smile. "Okay, I admit, that's was really clever." Seeing him share that smile though forced a scowl again. "But I'm still mad and demand satisfaction."

"Tell you what. I've been feeling a little hungry, so I'll buy a meal for both of us. My treat."

The blue-haired girl was about retort to his offer when her stomach loudly voiced its opinion. Flushing at her hunger, she scoffed. "Well… as long as you're treating, I'll forgive you. This time."

"Great. I saw an udon stand a couple of streets back."

"Udon? Yes, that does sound rather pleasing for a meal. Lead the way, Pervert."

Shirou winced, but perhaps he deserved that regardless.

"Actually," he said as they started walking, "if it's all the same for you, my name is Shirou Emiya."

"Hmm, it does sound nicer than Disgusting Pervert." She smiled. "Yes, I suppose Emiya will do."

<><><>

The early summer sunlight was beating down hard this long day…

And Yosuke was fighting the strong urge to sleep. But everyone just walked right past him.

What was he doing wrong?!

"Surely there's someone watching from afar," he told himself. "Hey! Anyone wanna see my new motorcycle?"

Finally, a cute woman in a tube top stopped and gave his ride a look of appraisal. For about two seconds. "That's a scooter," she said, before walking away and muttering under her breath, "idiot."

That was a big blow to Yosuke's self-esteem, and he slumped on his bike seat in frustration.

"Dammit Shirou, how do you do it? You practically have the girls on the team eating off your hands and you don't even know it!"

Yosuke almost didn't tell Shirou about his plan to get a moto—erm, scooter license, for the simple fact that he was a chick magnet. Girls seemed to like him for his kind, heroic, and even slightly naïve nature. It would be more natural to girls if there were two riders in their new motorcycles, and he hoped between his savviness and Shirou's talent, someone would want to talk to them!

Only Shirou clearly didn't want to do it. He kept trying to reason with him the beauty of his plan, convincing him he could get someone outside of Inaba to fall for him, but he was against the plan every step of the way. Shirou agreed to get a scooter license at least, but the moment Yosuke needed his pheromones the most, he bailed. Some partner.

"Gah, what am I worried about?" Yosuke shrugged. "The guy is denser than lead. It's not like he's going to pick up some random girl in the middle of a city."

Yeah, he had the right plan, he was sure of it! Staying in one spot, in front of the station, he was seeing so many people coming and going. Someone interested enough in the coolness that was a motorcycle was bound to talk to him. They'd hit it off, start dating for a few years, and then ride into the sunset happily ever after.

"Hmm?" Yosuke squinted his eyes and gazed over the street across the station. "Wait, is that Shirou? And…" Yosuke's jaw dropped. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

It was indeed Shirou, and he was talking to a girl. A very cute girl. A very cute girl with the biggest, roundest, most glorious set of boobs he had ever seen! His first thought was thinking of having her ride on his motorcycle, and feeling her squeeze (or rather smoosh) them against his back.

But wait… she was talking to Shirou Emiya, of all people. And they seemed to be hitting it off! How?! He stood by a guaranteed chick magnet for the better part of three hours, and Shirou found a bombshell all on his own?! Well, knowing Shirou it probably wouldn;t mean anything, right?

"Wait… she's stopping him from crossing the street. Now she's writing something down on a slip of paper… and handing it to him? Oh god she better not—SHE DID! SHE GAVE HIM A 'CALL ME' SIGN!!"

Shirou had gotten a girl's phone number. A busty, beautiful girl's phone number. And he did it without a damn motorcycle.

Yosuke stood there rigid and pale with his thousand-yard stare even as the girl walked away with bouncing boobs and a swaying skirt twirl. Shirou eventually crossed the street, evidently with a blush as he stared at the slip of paper before pocketing it. And that's how he found Yosuke, still staring at the spot they were at earlier.

"How'd it go?" Shirou asked. Whether he was that full of himself or that oblivious, Yosuke didn't care.

"Shirou, who was that girl?" he asked without even looking at him.

"Huh?" Shirou asked as well, looking back to where she had departed. "Oh. We uh, bumped into each other while shopping. Then we started talking and—"

"And she gave you her number?"

"Y-yeah, to her kickboxing class. It's what she learned for self-defense herself, and she insisted I had to call them early to set up a class."

"Sure she did," Yosuke said. He was too emotionally shot to raise his voice, much less turn his body.

Now Shirou looked worried. "Are you okay?"

"Just peachy. After all, I sat under the sun doing nothing for three hours, and you were invited to go kickboxing with a girl. Guys do not just get invited to kickboxing with total strangers."

Shirou frowned and fought the urge to remind him that he was no better with his "motorcycle" plan.

"But I guess it's okay. I mean, she's beautiful, young, and full. Soooo full. And unless you had another miraculous recovery or some bullshit luck, there's no way you could have touched her breasts or something, right?"

If there was one sure thing Yosuke could take solace in, it's that Shirou is still human and prone to making mistakes. He wasn't a sex god or anything like that, and certainly couldn't get away with touching someone without a good thrashing.

Except Shirou winced guiltily. "Uh, well, about that…"

Yosuke's eye twitched once. "I hate you. I hate you so… soooo… soooo much."

They left for home soon after, and Yosuke refused to look at him. Although Pixie assured him he wasn't Reversed (whatever that meant), Shirou decided he would really need to make it up to him with two birthday presents.

<><><>
June 17th, Camp Grounds, Evening

Shirou had been excited for the school campout trip. He appreciated the focus in developing love for the hometown and nature. Someone had to pick up all the trash anyway, so making it a school event was rather clever, if not manipulative. Not everyone shared his same dedication for good deeds, as a good number of students had called in sick. Kanji was one of the absentees.(2)

By a stroke of luck, members of the Investigation Team had been paired together as a group. As the trip was open to first and second year students, Rise was allowed to attend too, albeit in her own group.

The process of cleaning took all day from morning to dusk, and everyone was split into sections to remove as much litter off the mountain as possible. All the students, clad in their matching gym uniforms, were now relaxing at the campsite benches as they prepared meals.

From his seat on the bench, Yosuke whined and slumped on the table. "Man, I thought the school camping trip was going to be fun, but it was just a big pain in the ass. My back is killing me!"

"It wasn't that bad," Shirou reasoned as he rubbed his shoulder. "Though I hate to admit that I must have pulled something from all that work. I can't believe someone would leave a whole bike out here."

"Litterers should be responsible for their own garbage. Forcing us students to pick up after those assholes is just slave labor!"

The two teens groaned in exhaustion. At least the day was over, and there would be no more manual labor for the rest of the trip.

"But man, this is so going to be worth it!" Yosuke grinned and licked his lips. "The girls are cooking dinner for us! I can't say much about Satonaka, but Amagi's got the tradition of her inn's cooking behind her! We're so lucky to be paired up with them!"

"I hope so."

Yosuke blinked, noticing his leader acting tense all of a sudden. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, I just feel like I should be the one cooking," he insisted. "I noticed that the girls bought a lot of ingredients from Junes yesterday. I kept stressing to them how they should stick with something simple, but they were so excited I didn't want to discourage them. I figured that if the worst comes to pass, I would cook tonight's meal."

"Dude, it's like Satonaka just told you; 'you don't need to do everything!' You work yourself ragged enough as it is. A job at the gas station, paying off your debt to the fox, and all the other weird stuff you did running around doing odd favors."

"But—"

"Just relax, you've earned it," Yosuke consoled; his friend was troubled, and the whole Okina incident was long behind them. "It's not like the girls need saving from cooking."

Shirou still felt a sense of unease. "I should go check on them. Maybe they need some seasoning advice or something."

Meanwhile, at the cooking station behind their table, Chie and Yukiko stared at the smoldering pot of bile with dismay and worry. "Is curry supposed to be this color?" Chie asked aloud.

It was a purple mass, with purple steam rising up like a bad omen. It was hard to tell if it was liquid or solid, or what happened to their vegetables, kimchi, and shrimp. "Should we have put in the rice before or after the potato starch?"

Neither girl had an answer to that. What's more, they had run out of all the ingredients they bought at Junes. They figured that if they added more, the curry would look better, but instead it turned darker and… sludgey.

"Should we taste it?" Yukiko asked hesitantly.

Chie flinched. "O-only if you do it first!"

The girls exchanged glances, mirroring their awkwardness. Was this stuff even safe to eat?

"Is something wrong?"

Shirou's arrival was the timely interruption they needed. "Ah! Emiya-kun! We were, uh, just finishing up!"

"Yes!" Yukiko nodded. "Though it would help to, well, garner a second opinion, you see?"

The heroic redhead looked into the pot, took a sniff, and flinched away while restraining hig gag reflex. "Gah, what in the—!? Is this really our dinner?"

That did no favors in raising Chie's self-esteem. Emiya was nice and honest and she cared very deeply about his opinion (unlike Yosuke's). Yukiko also held a degree of respect for their leader, and was relieved that he took the time to apologize for his outburst during their last battle.

If Emiya didn't like their cooking, then it was proof positive that they had screwed up somewhere. But maybe it had a hidden aftertaste?

"W-we put all our love into it!" Chie explained. "Does that count?"

He looked to her and simply asked, "How does it taste?"

Suddenly neither girl wanted to look directly at him.

Shirou looked back at the pot. Somehow, he knew he should have prepared dinner, but the girls were insistent on doing it and he figured there was no harm in cooking a simple dish like curry. All rational thought was telling him not to eat it. It was a fight or flight response he'd had ever since that awful, scarred moment before meeting his foster father.

Still, he could trust his friends, right? They wouldn't make curry that bad, right? Steeling himself, he grabbed a bowl and poured a portion of the meal into it. With his spoon, he took a bite—

And immediately wished he hadn't.

The toxin was already working through his body, weakening the muscles from the mouth down. His face turned purple, and his eyes bulged out. He had dropped the bowl and spoon without care as he struggled to bring a hand to his mouth. Whether to force it down or claw it out, he didn't know, but all he could mutter with absolute terror was, "Oh God!"

"Thou canst not save thee…" Was Izanagi's voice, laced with the same horror of impending doom.

Even the rest of the Personas were reacting negatively to the curry, all mirroring his spike in fear, all speaking at once and over each other.

"Such vile—! Is this retribution for my actions? Solomon!?"

"There's no Valhalla in this! Oh no, I can hear Hel's cruel laughter! SAVE ME LORD ODIN!"

"Oh Father! Why have you forsaken me?!"

"Not even Beelzebub can stomach this holy crap! AND HE'S A FUCKING FLY!"

"I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, I DON'T WANNA DIE—!"

"*WHINE WHINE WHINE WHINE*!"

It was a valiant effort for all of ten seconds before Shirou's body gave out. The foul curry (no, the Sin) was forcibly ejected back out of his mouth, along with his breakfast and the combined mess splattered over his covering hand. "Blaargh!"

It took all his energy for the emergency maneuver, and his body fell into temporary shutdown. Eyes rolling back and motor functions failing, the failed hero swayed forward for a moment before falling sideways. Anything to avoid further contact with the Sin.

His body fell with a dull thud. His mouth was left agape and his hand stunk of vomit. His color paled from the sudden food sickness, and it looked very convincing that he had died.

The only solace he could take away from this was in one brief moment, before the Sin claimed him, was that Chie and Yukiko had both stared at him with admiration in their eyes. Until they screamed, that is.

<><><>
Evening, Girl's Tent

"Shirou-kun is dead?!"

"No, he isn't!" Chie stressed. She didn't know what was worse; Hanako Ohtani's snoring, or Rise-chan's constant interruptions. "He just passed out for a few minutes. Then Hanamura tried shoveling down the same stuff and he passed out too. They're both fine and sleeping in their tent somewhere."

It was now past curfew, looking to be a long, sleepless night with empty stomachs and a heavy sleeper. A while ago, Rise snuck into their tent and talked about how her group's day went. One thing led to another, and a passing mention of bad food knocking Emiya out forced Chie to relate the whole cooking story. Not that she had to, but Rise wouldn't calm down or keep quiet otherwise.

"Oh, good," Rise said in relief. "If your cooking had actually killed Shirou-kun, I would've called my lawyer to sue you."

The brunette's eyebrow twitched. "Like I asked your opinion on our cooking in the first place."

"What? Most people would kill to have a chance to talk to me and hear what I have to say!"

"But aren't you retired?" Yukiko asked. "Why does it matter what you say or not?"

"Especially when you've been unhinged for the last two weeks now?" Chie added.

The rouge-haired teen just smiled and fell back onto her sleeping bag. "Hehe, yeah, you're right. Sorry, it's just so fun being able to say what I want without rules or schedules. I never really got to do fun stuff like sleepovers before."

"What do you mean?" Yukiko asked. "Being able to sing to thousands of adoring fans, and free to travel the country for tours is amazing. Every girl at least once dreamed of being in your place, Rise-chan."

Rise didn't say anything right away, and the only sound was the obese girl's snoring. When she spoke again, it was without her usual peppiness and energy. "I used to think that too, you know. But everything about that life was like a strict schedule. I was told what to eat, what to wear, when I could take my bathroom breaks, and that's just the tip of the iceberg."

"I had no idea being an idol was so demanding." Yukiko frowned. She had thought her inn duties were demeaning enough, but she probably wouldn't have lasted as long as Rise did as an idol.

"No one does. I didn't even know it when I started out. I thought I would be popular and make a lot of friends doing this, but everyone just reveres me. Even my group wouldn't stop asking me 20 questions about my work the whole day."

Chie was starting to feel bad for her. She didn't know Rise personally, let alone her idol persona Risette, but it must have been bad to warrant retirement and a Shadow intervention. It was easy to forget that because Rise was still the new girl of the group, and a first-year student at that.

Yukiko had similar thoughts on the manner. She was trying to escape her situation at the family inn, but all she had done to rebel was earn money by folding envelopes in secret. Even worse that it was Emiya's idea. Rise had announced in front of everyone her stance and left with her head held high. And yet it was all a front to hide her sadness. Not even her brave act had brought her any closure or satisfaction.

Before either of them could think of what to say, Rise shot up to a sitting position with a smile. "But enough about that boring stuff! I'm young and single, and I'm going to make the most of it!"

"And how do you plan to do that?" Chie asked.

"Getting a boyfriend, for starters!" Rise grinned, which turned a bit too lecherous. "Which reminds me; is Shirou-kun taken yet?"

Both second year girls balked and flushed at the question. Alarm bells were also rising as Rise made it fairly clear that she was pining after their team leader. They didn't like that at all.

"W-well, no," Yukiko stammered. "I don't think Emiya-kun is seeing anyone…"

"That's hardly our business, much less yours!" Chie snapped to hide her embarrassment. "Why are you even calling him by that name anyway?"

"It's his given name. Besides, he calls me by my given name too. My real one, not my idol identity. It's only fair to show how much I care about him by forgoing the traditional custom, isn't it?"

Dammit, I'm so far behind, Chie thought bitterly. She still wasn't ready to sort out her feelings regarding Emiya, and a pretty ex-idol was already making advances? Why couldn't she have been more receptive to him when he was nice and heroic to her?!

"Wait a minute, Rise-chan," her black-haired senpai reasoned. "I'm sure Emiya-kun has many good traits. Many good… admirable… desirable traits," she trailed off with a dreamy smile. Not that another dream of him as a housewife to her was the point of her interruption. Nope!

"B-but surely there are other boys at Yasogami High that would love to be your boyfriend! Maybe even someone who would appreciate your affection more than Emiya-kun would!"

Rise was a tad insulted by the idea that Shirou-kun wouldn't appreciate her, but she could still see the point of Yukiko's argument. If there was another decent guy in school that was otherwise lonely or friendless, it might be worth trying to get to know them. She had been there before. "Like who?"

She drew a blank, and ended up blurting the only other name she could think off. "L-like... Hanamura-kun!"

Rise and Chie shared a flat look. The kind that said, "You're kidding, right?" Honorable and witty he might be, Yosuke Hanamura was definitely not boyfriend material. Much less compared to Shirou Emiya, but that was like comparing rocks to diamonds.

Even Yukiko realized this as she quickly backpedaled. "You're right, bad example. Then… maybe Kanji-kun? Or Naoto-kun?"

Rise shook her head. "I still have a bad first impression of that detective guy, and Kanji-kun didn't even say a word to me the whole time, so I'm guessing I'm not his type." Then she blinked. "But you know, I did hear that they both got into this fight with a teacher the other day. I think it was your homeroom teacher."

"King Moron?" Chie blinked. A fight between those King Moron and Kanji could never mean anything good, but why would Naoto get involved? "What happened?"

"Yesterday before the trip, they bumped into each other at the gate and Moron-sensei was ranting about his behavior in middle school, and threatening to expel him if he caused trouble like with the bikers. Naoto came over to try and mediate the situation, only to get chewed out for being some 'dropout punk with no business in an adult career.' I heard Naoto looked about ready to punch him before leaving."

"He doesn't know anything about Kanji-kun," Yukiko muttered darkly. "Or Naoto-kun for that matter."

"I know." Rise frowned. "I mean, I wasn't much nicer to Naoto either, but he was bugging me after a stressful time. Moron-sensei seemed to hate him on principle of existing."

"He has a speed record of jumping to conclusions," Chie said. "He wasn't that much nicer to Hanamura or Emiya-kun when they first moved in either."

"He was mean to Shirou-kun!?" Rise yelled. "He is so on my shit list!"

"Well, Emiya-kun doesn't seem to mind. The first day, King Moron tried to publicly humiliate him by saying he was thrown out of his city into the middle of nowhere. But then he turns and asks him if it's self-depreciative because he just insulted himself for living in said 'middle of nowhere'!"

Rise threw her head back and laughed, louder than her senpai's own giggles. "Oh man, I wish I got to see that! Shirou-kun is just so cool!"

"GZZZNOOOOORRK, HOOOOOONCH."

The girls all flinched and looked at the still snoring Hanako. That last snort was especially loud and reminded the second years that they were still hungry and unable to sleep through the night. "I'm starting to get why we're the only girls here."

Yukiko leaned forward with an inquisitive look. "Do you think she'd stop snoring if we covered her mouth and nose?"

"Yukiko!"

"Nah, it never works, even in the cartoons. You're better off just drowning out the sound yourself."

"And how are we supposed to do that?"

Rise just smiled and dug into her knapsack. "Plugs or muffs?"

"Huh?"

"Would you like to wear earplugs or earmuffs?"

The girls were still confused, even as Rise pulled out a zipped-up bag full of silicone studs and what looked like to be a padded pair of cups bridged together with an arced leather band. After a moment of consideration, Chie accepted the bag and Yukiko the earmuffs.

"You actually packed stuff like this?" Chie asked, playing with one of the plugs in between her finger and thumb.

"When you travel a lot as an idol, you kinda have to bring everything with you. This is my first camping trip ever so I made sure I was prepared for a good night's sleep."

Yukiko exchanged glances with her friend. They only brought what the school had asked them, which was food to cook and a sleeping bag. "What else did you bring?"

"Well, I couldn't bring my whole wardrobe, but I did bring some other essentials. A toothbrush, comb, makeup kit, bottled water, some snacks—"

Being so hungry and tired, Chie nearly lunged at the idol's shoulders as she uttered that beautiful S-word. "Snacks? What kind of snacks?!"

"Just some boxes of animal crackers," she replied pulling a box out and shaking it. "I was hoping to look for the secret penguin cracker today, but I was heckled by my team so much the only time I got to eat was dinner. It was pretty sucky tempura too, now that I think about it."

She would have rambled on, but she saw that both girls were staring at her box and salivating. "Oh yeah, you guys didn't eat at all, did you?"

"Not after what happened to the guys." Chie shuttered, remembering how they looked after eating their cooking. "Hanamura's never going to let us hear the end of it."

"Uh, Rise-chan?" Yukiko smiled weakly. "I-if you don't mind, is it okay—?"

"Help yourselves." She lightly tossed a box to Yukiko, and then another to Chie. They eagerly tore the tops open and guzzled the graham snacks in under a minute. I hope they didn't eat a penguin in one of those boxes…

Although grateful, Chie still moaned dejectedly as she shook the empty box downward. "Oh, this isn't enough to fill my tummy. I need meat and pudding!"

"Sorry, those were the only two I had on me."

"At least we won't starve entirely." Yukiko smiled. "Thanks, Rise-chan. But you better hurry back to your tent if you want to get some sleep. You wouldn't want to get in trouble if King Moron finds you gone."

"Actually, I was kind of hoping I could spend the night with you two. I have a spare pair of earmuffs and a sleeping bag and everything else. I won't take up that much space!"

Chie and Yukiko stared bewilderedly at her. An unvoiced question seemed to broadcast itself through their faces as if question marks hovered over their heads. Why?

Rise frowned. "Why did you think I left my tent? You guys are the only ones who see me as a person, not an idol. And sleepovers are supposed to be fun. This is my first sleepover in… well, I don't know how long, and I want to enjoy it with my friends."

Hanako's dour snoring was the only sound heard in the tent, but it might as well be as calming as a cricket's chirp now. It slowly dawned on Chie and Yukiko that for the longest time, they never had any friends other than each other. And that friendship almost ended with certain death and regret for both of them.

Even with Emiya-kun and Hanamura, their circle of friends was still small, and they had no other girls to relate to. What they saw in Rise was a little of both of them; Chie's insecurity of stepping out of her comfort zone, and Yukiko's unhappiness of living to one's expectations of others.

"Chie-chan? Yuki-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"We are friends, right?"

More snoring dragged on.

"Of course we are," Chie said finally. "Now move your bag over here. There's plenty of room next to Yukiko and me."

Despite the tight fit, grumbling stomachs, and snoring of an unreasonably fat student, the girls all slept soundly that night.

<><><>

(1) This was a leftover clever wordplay on the character of this scene, as the Aoyama Twin Towers are a real thing, albeit were until name changed, and Aoyama was the surname of the girl here. TLDR, I worked on a visual novel project that ultimately ended up going nowhere, but I at least had fun writing up scenes with one of the dateable female leads. I mostly wrote this scene to help signal boost it but now I rather not bring it back up anymore. It was a good experience and lesson in writing though.

(2) Fun fact; when Kanji was kidnapped at March 17 in canon, he's gone for almost THREE WHOLE WEEKS (regardless of when in that time frame you save him too). He was mostly absent before the first month of school (or so the narrative implies), but his mandatory attendance policy kicks in when he joins the team on June 6. He still goes to school as enforced by Naoto and his mother, but since Naoto needs to keep an eye on him, he wouldn't go on the camping trip even if he wanted to.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 34: Calm Before the Storm

June 18th, Morning, Mountain River

On the morrow, the students of Yasogami High were dismissed and allowed to go home. For the members of the Investigation Team, Yosuke asked everyone to follow him instead of everyone else to the buses. But the progress to their destination was slow as he still hadn't fully recovered from last night's dinner.

"Ugh..." Yosuke moaned as he held his stomach, every so often slowing his pace. "That was worse than the time I ate tofu! I'm never eating curry again for as long as I live!"

Shirou wasn't in a better position himself, but he had dealt with worse pains than an upset stomach. He simply hid his discomfort better. "Yosuke, maybe we should head back home," he asked him. "Stomach pains are not exactly best for mountain hikes."

"No!" he yelled as he started to walk faster. "We're the only ones left on the mountain, and we're gonna make the most of it! Besides, we're almost there! Come on, girls!"

Chie, Yukiko and Rise exchanged bewildered looks, and Shirou gave a resigned shrug. Yosuke still hasn't explained what his plan was to any of them, but was very insistent they skip the morning bus and come right over.

Since the rest of the Saturday was considered a rest day, they could do whatever they want, and it was a long bus ride back to town. With the majority of the Yasogami students all taking a beeline from the mountains to their homes (and most likely their beds), that left the five teens alone. And if anyone was willing to enjoy nature's splendor after being forced to clean it up yesterday, they were.

Their long hike ended at a steep cliff overlooking a waterfall and riverbed. Yosuke beamed and shouted, "Woohoo! We're here!"

It was a truly beautiful site; lush green trees all around the body of water, the relaxing sound of wind, leaves, and running water, a spray of droplets forming a small rainbow from above… even ignoring the rather steep height and the big, sharp rock in the middle of the river, it was worth the trip alone just coming here.

"Yeah, real pretty." Chie nodded, and taking a moment to admire it. The moment quickly passed, and she turned to leave. "Well, let's go."

"Wait, what?!" Yosuke cried, seeing the girls leaving. "Come on, we just got here! It would be a waste to not go swimming after all that hiking!"

"Hey, if you want to go swimming, that's your business. Don't let us stop you."

The girls were already starting to leave to catch the next bus before Yosuke uttered three words. "You owe us."

Chie and Yukiko flinched. It was clear that he was talking about dinner last night. "B-be reasonable, Hanamura-kun. We didn't eat dinner either."

"Yeah, because you fed us your poisoned crap!" he snapped. Then he sighed and tried again. "But I'm willing to let bygones be bygones if you do this one little thing for us. A little afternoon swim. What's the harm in that? Well, besides an upset stomach, of course."

"Look, we're sorry, okay?" said Chie. "But you can't just spring this swimming favor thing on us last minute!"

"And besides, we don't even have our swimsuits with us," Yukiko added. "It wouldn't be a problem otherwise, but we just can't."

"Man, if only I brought my swimsuit," Rise lamented. "But no one told me there was a river here in the first place."

"So if you all had a swimsuit, then you'd all go swimming?" Yosuke asked.

"Well, yeah. But like Yukiko said, we don't have them, so—"

"So I got you covered!"

Yosuke surprised the girls by pulling out three pairs of women's bathing suits from behind his back. "Introducing the brand-new Junes original swimwear, just in time for the summer!"

Rise was beside herself at the idea of a free gift, especially with a cute swimsuit. Chie and Yukiko, however, exchanged uneasy glances between each other and the hangers holding the three swimsuits. "Hanamura-kun…" Yukiko started slowly. "Did you have these with you the whole time…?"

"Well, after you told us that the guys from last year swam in the river, I couldn't pass up a chance like this! I even got some help in picking the designs and the sizes just right!"

No one noticed Shirou wince from the side, as they were still staring at the swimsuits and mentally processing Yosuke's words. "Dude." Chie paled. "This is so wrong."

"Oh come on, girls!" Rise smiled, leaning over to look closer at the clothes. "Sure, what Yosuke-senpai did was a little creepy, but it's the thought that counts. And we're getting these nice swimsuits for – wait. Is that design the same one my Shadow wore?"

"Yep!" Yosuke grinned, lifting the yellow polka-dot bikini up for emphasis. "I picked this one out special, just for you! What do you think?"

Rise's smile had fallen the moment she spotted the bikini, and she was now scowling rather darkly at him. "Do the words 'too soon' mean anything to you?"

As Yosuke started to sweat nervously, Shirou sighed and shook his head. "Yosuke, I thought you said you would tell the girls about this plan of yours."

"I'm telling them now."

"You know what I mean. What exactly did you think was going to happen, springing it on them like this?"

"Hey, don't think you can take the moral high ground. You were the one who gave me all their measurements in the first place!"

"YOU WHAT?!?!" Chie screeched in horror. As she flinched, covered her chest and lifted her leg up defensively, one thought circled her head. Shirou Emiya knows my three sizes. Shirou Emiya knows my three sizes. Shirou Emiya knows my three sizes!

Yukiko too was staring at him, equally embarrassed. She couldn't even think of a proper response to having her inner shame exposed like this. Though it didn't stop her from trying (and failing) to open and close her mouth repeatedly.

Rise, on the other hand, took the news surprisingly well. With an intrigued expression and some flirting to boot. "Oh ho! Shirou-senpai, I didn't think you were so daring!"

"I-it's not what it looks like!" he insisted quickly, hands shaking. "Yosuke asked me – or rather tricked me – into finding out because he said he lost the information prior. It wasn't until after I did it that he was trying to pull this off, and, well, I didn't expect him to seriously go through with it!"

Honestly, Yosuke was reminding him a bit too much of Shinji lately. If it weren't for the fact that the latter had a fortune under his family name, he'd probably not get away with half the stuff he did, be it flirting or blowing off steam.

"Well, swimsuits that fit are better than ones that don't I guess. But how did you find out, anyway? Did you peek at us at our homes changing?"

Shirou blushed and groaned, deciding to just be upfront about the whole thing. "I was actually lightly brushing your backs and using Structural Analysis to know the size of your clothes… and underwear."

Chie and Yukiko's faces glowed bright red. Rise's too, but it was small compared to her sultry smile. "Very daring."

"How can you be so… so glib about this?!" Yukiko snapped, much to the surprise of everyone. "Emiya-kun just violated our personal privacy to find out our measurements! Aren't you the least bit ashamed or outraged about this?!"

"Ah, they're just numbers," Rise said dismissively. "I'd half expect someone in Shirou-senpai's position to make our clothes explode or something before just satisfying a silly question. Numbers and measurements just enhance the imagination of the people, and it's rather harmless to know and see that than some pin-up nude shot. At least, that's what my agency told me about disclosing my sizes."

The tomboy raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Your three sizes are public knowledge?"

"Eh, sort of. They insisted my bust line to be listed two centimeters higher than normal."

Thoughts drifted back to the late Shadow Rise for obvious reasons. "That explains a lot," Shirou snarked. Chie and Yukiko exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Feeling that the conversation was getting sidetracked, Yosuke quickly stepped between Shirou and Rise, holding up the swimsuits again. "Well, we can keep arguing about the specifics, but the fact is that it's a nice day out, there's a river down there and we aren't getting any younger! So go on, pick your suit and start swimming!"

The three girls exchanged glances and thought about it. For two seconds. "No." "No." "Hell no."

"Oh come on!" Yosuke whined. "You three said it wouldn't be a problem if you had swimsuits, and you still owe us for dinner last night!"

"I don't owe you anything," Rise disagreed.

"We don't trust your appeal on swimsuits," Yukiko added.

"And you're the only one who keeps bringing up dinner." Chie glared.

Yosuke was fuming. Nothing he was saying was convincing them to go, even the reminder of that Mystery Food X they cooked up. If only there was more dirt to use on them, like an I.O.U., or the authority of someone. As is, they're barely getting peeved at the fact that Shirou scanned their clothes.

Wait, that's it!

"Come on, Shirou, back me up!" He asked, holding back a smug grin. "You're our leader, so tell these girls to get changed and swim with us!"

"No."

"Ha! You heard him, now go and—!" Yosuke stopped as he processed what he'd just heard. "Wait, you too? But why?!"

"If they don't want to swim, that's their decision." The red-haired magus shrugged.

"But… but dinner! We could have died last night eating that shit!"

"Hey!"

Shirou held his hand up to stop an argument between him and the girls. "I'm not so petty as to take revenge due to a bad meal. What happened was a mistake on their part, and the fact that they didn't get to eat at all is just as bad as us passing out." Yukiko sighed in relief, and Chie looked smug as Yosuke's defense was torn down.

"However," Shirou's tone grew threatening, and the second-year girls both stiffened. "I do agree that last night was the worst meal I have ever eaten. I vow to later pound out any bad habits and fill you up on proper techniques so that you may pass as adequate cooks. Is that understood?"

Both girls gulped and nodded. Though there was a bit of innuendo that caused more than a fair amount of blushing for the girls (including Rise) that almost went over Shirou's head. That is, until two familiar voices popped up.

"Teeheehee! Get it, Angel? He said 'pound'!"

"Yes, Lilim, I heard."

"And in the same sentence, he even said 'fill—'"

"Yes, yes, I heard that too."

Luckily the innuendo was forgotten as Yosuke (either missing the wordplay or simply not caring) pressed his case again. "Dude, help me out here! I paid good money for these swimsuits!"

"And they clearly don't care enough to take them. You at least saved the receipts, didn't you?"

As Yosuke's words devolved into angry, unintelligible gibberish, Shirou knew that no, he didn't save them. Shirou shrugged, walked over to the edge of the cliff and unzipped his track jersey.

Yosuke found his voice again and quickly asked the question on everyone's mind. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"Getting ready to swim," he answered simply. "Just because the girls don't want to swim doesn't mean I shouldn't. Like you said, it would be a waste not to do so after a long hike."

"But you're missing the—!"

Whatever exasperated argument Yosuke had in mind died when the jacket slipped off his shoulders. Everyone got a good look at Shirou's backside, wearing a white undershirt but doing nothing to hide the tone and muscles underneath. "Poywaaaah…?"

And then there were the arms, thick and strong, yet lean and flexible. Already he was pressing one hand on his opposite shoulder and holding it in place as he spun the shoulder in place. Yukiko lightly pulled the collar of her own jersey in self-conscious heat, and gulped at the sight. "O-oh my…"

When that was done, Shirou then bent over to remove his shoes and sweat pants, revealing a pair of blue trunks underneath. Stopping above his knees, they allowed a good view of his strong calves. Chie was stuck staring between his leg muscles and his rear end, but stuck to the latter as he bent lower. Another thought circled her overheating head, and it was "Huminahuminahuminahuminahuminahumina…"

Blissfully unaware of the reactions he was getting, Shirou turned around as he set his clothes aside, safe away from the cliff's edge. Then, with eyes closed, he reached and pulled up his undershirt. The audience was flashed by his physique of flat abs and modest pecs. It was clear he was a high school student and not exactly ripped, but what they did see was very flattering and appealing. Rise drank the view for all it's worth, slowly licking her lips once over as she did.

Eventually Shirou did open his eyes, but was suddenly self-conscious of everyone around him, at least what they were doing. "Um… why are you all staring?"

Those words broke the unexplained spell cast over them, and they suddenly wanted to look anywhere but him. Even Yosuke was caught staring, mostly out of muscle envy and realizing just how far his charm on the fairer sex went.

Suddenly, Rise reached over and snagged all three swimsuits from his hand and ran. "No peeking!" She yelled without looking back. The second years were right behind her, unanimous in their tacit decision.

Shirou and Yosuke blinked, baffled for entirely different reasons. "What just happened?" the former asked his friend.

Yosuke turned and stared with a blank expression. He opened his mouth to say something, thought better of it, closed his mouth and shook his head. Part of him wanted to be mad at Shirou for his innate sex appeal, but another didn't want to offend the gift horse by looking or asking too much. So he just accepted this win of getting the girls to swim in the river as intended, and started to change to his swimsuit too.

Poor Shirou was left baffled, which made things worse as a certain sex devil wouldn't stop laughing the whole day.

<><><>

June 20th, Yasogami High Road, Morning

"Bwaaaaaaaaaaaah." A loud yawn escaped out of Kanji Tatsumi's mouth. After relaxing and sleeping in the last two days, it was almost a pain to go back to school again, much less walk the way there.

From behind him, Naoto Shirogane followed him as always. It'd been weeks since this set-up started, but it was made less awkward over time. The fact that his grandfather was actually a regular customer at Tatsumi Textiles helped break the ice a bit.

"Are you feeling all right?" Naoto asked.

"I will be," he replied as he rubbed his eyes open. "I just wish I could sleep in again like I've been doing all spring."

He was not looking forward to another day of the same old shit. Male students making big talk before shitting themselves seeing him, girl students avoiding him and talking shit behind his back, shitty teachers acting apathetic to the world around them... with one especially shitty exception.

"That King Moron better not show his face around me again if he knows what's good for him."

Naoto gave him a stern frown. "Kanji, I understand how you feel, but you can't lash out because of what he said to you."

"It's not what he said to me that pissed me off," he snapped back.

Naoto was now staring at him intently, making the bleached haired teen more upset and awkward. He wasn't good at talking his feelings out, leaving himself open. He was a man that solved his problems with his fists, never running away.

Not that he would run away from the little guy even if he could. He was surprisingly good company these last few weeks, and was sharp as a tack. Which was why he was pissed to hear King Moron, of all people, call him a drop-out punk.

Naoto was smart enough to read between the lines. He was smart enough to know that Kanji took offense for his sake, and didn't need that spelled out like anyone else. He could say one minor detail and the kid would know exactly what he meant. Hell, he was so much better than him that he deserved more than this babysitting treatment.

The shorter boy lowered his gaze down to the road, and the brim of his hat hid his face. "You still shouldn't act so rashly. People are starting to talk about you again."

Apparently with the news so dry of content, the reporters tried looking back into what happened to Kanji the Biker Thrasher. Rumors were already spreading, and he recalled one asshole from cram school talking trash the other day. He would have rearranged his face if not for his sister apologizing on his behalf and dragging him away.

Kanji scoffed. "Yeah, I like to see that bastard try after screwing up the last two times. Besides, weren't all his victims girls?"

"It's still telling that Emiya-san and Amagi-san tried to warn you about your safety," said Naoto.

"I still don't like him," said Kanji, and that was the end of that.

For the duo had now arrived at the school gate, and would have to part ways.

"See ya in a few hours, Naoto," he waved as he continued toward the school building, and ignored the flurry of girls trying to converse with him. It was a good thing the guy didn't go to school here.

At least no cops or crazy shit can get me here…

<><><>

June 22nd, Junes Food Court, After School

As per usual, the small town of Inaba felt even smaller whenever the rain came. Everyone stayed indoors for the most part, and most school clubs canceled or ended early. That seclusion extended to Junes, as even the regular shoppers decided against eating at the top floor food court.

"Hey hey hey! Watch it, I'm already soaking wet!" Yosuke yelled. Tama ignored him and continued to bristle her fur free of water next to him, much to the humor of the girls.

"Aw, don't be like that, Hanamura!" Chie teased. "Tama-chan is giving you your birthday present after all!"

"Yeah, wet fur is great," the now seventeen-year old teen groaned. "And I guess I should be grateful she even bothered to get me something at all."

"Hey, my birthday was on the same day as my concert," Rise argued. "Sometimes no attention is better than the wrong kind of attention."

"And didn't Emiya-kun give you two presents?" Yukiko asked, eyeing the gift bags he had set aside.

"It was the least he could do after what happened in Okina." He still had nightmares of Shirou being surrounded by buxom women while his motorcycle melted in the hot sun. It was nice to get a new music CD and set of sharpened knives of course (or Kris as they're called), so he might finally let Shirou off the hook for ruining "Operation Up Close and Personal" for him.

It was a happy birthday for him, all things considered, and he still had cake with his parents to look forward to.

"Now that we're all here," Shirou said, ignoring Yosuke's plight, "We need to talk about what we saw last night."

"That Midnight Channel, right?" Yukiko asked.

Rise shivered, feeling ever so grateful that she, or rather her scantily-clad Shadow, didn't appear on TV. "I owe you guys big time, don't I?"

"Yeah, you do," Chie said. She didn't really want to tell her that finding out about her kidnapping was a complete accident, and that stopping the Midnight Channel broadcast was just coincidence. Although… "But I wouldn't worry about it too much, because we thwarted the guy's plan."

"What do you mean, Chie?"

"Well, there's got to be some reason the culprit keeps throwing people into the TV, right? All crazed murderers have some sort of vendetta towards people they target."

"Like with the Yamano scandal!" Yukiko exclaimed.

"Oh, that news reporter?" Rise asked. "Naoto mentioned her too. I never met her personally, and the only thing we had in common was appearing on the same talk show once. Not together, of course."

"We do know that the targets have been all female, at least to this point," Shirou added. "Yet if Kanji is a target, then that pattern is now moot."

"So that means the only possible rationale for targeting people is those that have been on TV recently," said Yosuke.

"And that means…" Chie began, before slumping in her seat. One could swear they saw smoke coming out of her ears. "Gaah! My brain hurts! I know it's on the tip of my tongue, but I don't get what's so important about all this!"

"Let's look back for a second," the ebony-haired girl offered. "We all established that the Midnight Channel shows people that appear on the TV prior. What we don't know is why. It's a good first step."

"We all saw Amagi-senpai's 'commercial' after she was thrown in, and it was talking about how she—" Yosuke would have said more, but Chie was glaring daggers at him for making her friend shrink in her seat in embarrassment. "W-well, we all saw what happened."

"I didn't," Rise said. Playing a bit of charm, she leaned over her seat and smiled at him. "Go ahead, Hanamura-senpai. What was Yuki-chan's show like?"

Yosuke gave an uneasy smile as his eyes darted between her and Chie. He could either disappoint his favorite idol, or earn a thrashing from his tomboy friend. It was a lose-lose situation all around. "Well, uh… you see—"

"It's on a need-to-know basis," Chie finished for him. The girls exchanged heated glances, and Yosuke gave a quick sigh of relief that he was off the hook.

"No fair! I'm a part of this team too now, am I?"

"And I bet you would LOVE to share how your initiation into our D&D group went down in full detail, right?"

"N-no… but that's beside the point! How do I know that your Shadows weren't all thought up by some perverse misconception on wanting to know the real thing like with me?"

"It is, okay? End of discussion!"

Rise's cheeks puffed out to a scowl, before turning with cute doe eyes towards the team leader. "Shirou-kun! Please tell me what it was like with Chie-chan's Shadow!"

"Wha—?!" Whatever triumph Chie felt in shutting out Rise from the "Yukiko's Castle" incident was dashed at her next ploy. She immediately flailed her arms in worry. "No! Don't tell her that! Don't tell her anything!! Don't even mention the--!"

"Talking board…"

Both girls blinked. "Huh?" "The talking board?"

It only just occurred to the group that Shirou had been in deep thought. Indeed, he'd had an epiphany upon hearing the girls' argument, and remembering something he heard once from Nami the gas station attendant. "It's just, this Midnight Channel is like a giant talking board. People notice someone on the T.V., immediately think about them, and they appear on the Midnight Channel.

"It was originally spread as a rumor that watching it would reveal a soulmate. People watch it anticipating someone they know or like to appear, only to get someone they knew from the news. And the more it happens, the more they believe it works, even if it is just coincidence."

Yosuke's eyes widened. "Wait, are you saying that the Midnight Channel isn't just some advance ransom notice, but something we're making happen?"

"Not just us, but the whole town," Shirou stated. "For some reason, the culprit is channeling all our thoughts into that world, and we're all subtly altering how we see Shadows of ourselves and other people."

The group hung on Shirou's every word. It was a good thing that the murder mystery was covered up as a Dungeons and Dragons quest, for it could very well pass off as some typical world-ending lore they were hearing at a tavern or something.

"Doesn't that seem a bit beyond a magic-person's control?" The retired idol frowned. "I may not be the expert here, but your footnotes imply that to do the real groundbreaking stuff, you need a lot of energy before the world breaks it down and kicks your ass for it."

"And even with the human sacrifice angle, only two people have died recently," Yosuke added morbidly. "Normally that would be the case, but Teddie's world seems to be an entirely different dimension from our own, and the same rules don't apply. It would be more accurate to say that the culprit discovered the world by chance and is trying to learn how to utilize it."

"I don't get it." Yukiko tilted her head to the side. "What could be 'utilized'?"

"Teddie himself explained that the world is connected to our own's weather patterns, despite never having been out here to see for himself. When the fog is heavy here, it is clearer there, and the fog directly interferes with how the Shadows act. The culprit could very well be using the people that appear on TV as guinea pigs before throwing them inside, and seeing the different Shadows that could be born from other people."

At once, everyone's feelings melted into mutual anger. Even Tama's fur bristled, showing once more how knowledgeable the enigma fox was. Still, Shirou wasn't done yet. "Perhaps the culprit is involved somewhere high up like the news media, or is just sitting back and watching the show at a distance. Regardless of method, he seems to be targeting people exposed on the media in some way. Yamano is self-explanatory, with her scandal all but beaten like a dead horse."

"And Saki-senpai ended up getting a lot of flak just for seeing the body," Yosuke muttered. "It just had the unfortunate consequence of showing her resentment of work… and me."

A somber silence passed for Yosuke and the late Saki Konishi. Only half of the Investigation Team present knew what happened that day, but those that didn't could tell how much it affected him still. Tama even went out of her way to brush against his leg for some comfort. With a small smile, Yosuke returned the favor and scratched behind her ears.

"Then there's Yukiko," Chie said a moment later. "She's one of the most popular girls at school, and made out to be this unreachable princess."

"Fuji-nee – my guardian," Shirou quickly added for Rise's benefit. "Appeared by virtue of being a 'mysterious stranger' stopping a robbery. Rise's would have implied to be selling out after quitting the idol business. And Kanji…"

"Rebellious teen with a hate boner for authority?" Yosuke snickered. "Yeah, I can see why he'd be picked."

"Well what about you three?" Rise asked, referring to Chie and the boys. "You never told us how you fit in the pattern."

"We don't. We never appeared on TV and only encountered our Shadows because we were in the TV World when hitting an emotional low point."

"Even Shirou-kun?"

Everyone looked at their leader. Rise and Yukiko turned to Yosuke and Chie respectively, hoping for an answer. Yosuke focused on petting Tama some more and Chie started fiddling with her metal pins, both feeling awkward and sweaty.

Smiling in amusement and awkwardness of his own, Shirou explained for them. "To be honest, I was able to summon a Persona without a Shadow. I didn't quite realize how it happened either until I did it."

"Okay, but how?" Rise asked. "Is it because of your 'Wizard' class thing?"

"I think it's because I'm a guest of the Velvet Room, actually. Igor and Margaret implied that other people have entered the room before, and having some sort of contract allows entry, usually in the form of an awakened Persona." Shirou felt there was more to his awakening, but that was for neither here or now.

Yosuke coughed into his hand, bringing everyone's attention to him. "Back to the main topic. We now have an idea of what the culprit does with the Midnight Channel and Teddie's world. However, there is still the fact that he might set his sights next on Kanji Tatsumi, now that the audience is focused on him again."

"We told him and Naoto that he was likely to be the next victim," Yukiko explained. "But that was over a month ago. And Kanji-kun has been distant since that meeting."

Yukiko had tried to talk with Kanji whenever she could; walking to school, at lunch, after school, visiting the shop on errands, but Kanji never seemed to bother meeting her halfway. He always had an excuse, or used as few words as possible, or preferred Naoto to talk for him (which was as polite of a way for him to tell her to leave). She merely wanted to be friends again, but he was always shaking and eager to leave at the drop of a hat.

"He's in good hands at least, right? I mean, he's got that cute boy detective following him every day, and you'd swear they're an item."

Chie wanted to admonish Rise for thinking that way. But she started to envision the two boys herself. Kanji, gruff and mean, but strong and seemingly okay with Naoto following him around. And Naoto, small and lean, trying hard to assert authority but needing Kanji to bring out his inner manly image…

…okay, maybe she did have boys love fantasies, but it was okay since Rise and Yukiko and even Tama were into it too, right? They certainly looked like they had the same lusty looks in their eyes, right??

Shirou simply raised an incredulous eyebrow while Yosuke groaned and palmed his head, confused and annoyed respectively at the scene playing before them. "I'll never get this 'yaoi' thing," Yosuke muttered to himself, before adding a nearly quiet, "They're not even that cute together."

"Just… don't say anything like that in front of them, okay?" Shirou warned tentatively. "Kanji has a short fuse and seems to be offended easily."

Rise giggled. "No worries! Fantasizing from a distance is what girls like to do. Although…"

The girls suddenly stared at the boys, with growing flushes. Yosuke blanched and jumped out of his seat in worry with an accusatory finger point. "Don't you effing dare!"

"Too late!"

If it was possible, Shirou was even more confused. "Am I missing something here?"

Yosuke could only stare at him with an expression of anger and lament. "How I loathe your gift of obliviousness, Shirou Emiya…"

<><><>

June 23rd, Floodplain, After School

People were starting to look at him funny again.

Kanji had endured the school gossip before because no one had the nerve to actually bother him. Teachers could make a stink all day about how he didn't apply himself or something, but as long as he kept up attendance and did their homework, then they couldn't do anything.

As he gathered his things and finished tying up his shoes from the getabako, he looked up to see a few second years tense and hide further up the stairway. They were the same guys too, for the last few days. He recognized Amagi-san and that red-haired Emiya in their group.

Kanji just shrugged and left. Amagi was no different from the other girls, he was still mad at Emiya about Okina, so screw them.

Just outside the gate, he saw a big gathering of female students from all years. They were trying to make a pass on the boy detective again, now that they had caught on to his pattern. He pitied the guy. No one seemed to understand that he REALLY didn't like the girls' attention, because he was too polite and aloof to refute them.

At first, Kanji was thoroughly pissed off because of how annoying girls are. Even when Naoto kept turning them down, they were too stupid to listen. Barely fighting back a curse under his breath, the bleach-haired teen lumbered over and made a loud greeting. "Yo! Naoto! Ready to go?"

It had an immediate effect. Half the girls bristled and dispersed, while the rest turned and glared at him. One bitch took extreme offense to that and confronted him. "Stop bothering Naoto-kun! We have as much right to spend time with him as you do, if not more!"

"Hey, it's not like I have a choice otherwise," he snapped. As much as he liked the guy, he was still annoyed that he needed a cop to supervise him.

"You could always choose to change that ugly mug of yours," another girl said rudely. "You know, doll yourself up!"

"Even then, who would hang out with you? Some toy, I bet? For a boy?"

The girls laughed at their little joke. Kanji clenched his fist. He wasn't going to hit them. Too many people would be mad and upset; the school, his ma, the cops, his old man… basically it wasn't something a man should ever do, no matter how tempting it was.

It didn't hurt that they were right. Who exactly would want to spend time with a guy like him? Outside he acted abrasive and thuggish, but beyond that… at least on the outside he looked and acted more of a man than inside.

Even Naoto looked annoyed at him, as he turned to all the girls before staring straight at him and said, "He still makes better company than any of you."

…wait, did Kanji hear that right? He had to, because nearly all the girls stopped laughing and turned to the blue-haired boy in shock and betrayal.

"Let us go, Kanji."

Kanji dumbly nodded and followed his chaperone. The girls didn't try to follow them, but still tried to placate him. "B-but Naoto-kun—!"

"I'm busy," he said, still walking away. "And even if I wasn't, I'd find better things to do than waste time with shallow girls."

Damn. A bit mean-spirited, but still an awesome burn. Go Naoto!

When they were finally down the hill and thus alone, Kanji muttered his gratitude. "Thanks."

Naoto didn't answer back aside from a nod, and that suited him just fine. They didn't need to speak at all. And when the detective did need to talk, it was straight and honest business. He really wish he could make it up to him sometime. Maybe… no, the last time he tried to be nice only made things worse. He'd keep himself in check fighting others, but that's it.

"It's going to rain tonight," Naoto stated.

Indeed, it was rather cloudy up there. Kanji could even hear the faint rumbling of thunder, so it was going to be another downpour for sure.

Though it was still a random topic to bring up. "What about it?"

"Victims have always disappeared during cloudy or rainy weather," he said simply.

Oh, was that all? Kanji scoffed as he adjusted his school bag over his shoulder. "So the serial killer is finally going to try his luck on me now? About damn time."

Naoto frowned, but didn't comment on Kanji's swagger. "In the light of the growing risk to your safety, I'll be spending the night at your house."

Kanji stopped, nearly tripped, and gaped at his short chaperone. "WHAT!?" He seriously didn't just ask that, did he?!

"It is only for the night," he stressed. "Maybe two, to be on the safe side. I've already discussed the matter with your mother, as well as my grandfather, and they both agree that it would be the best course of action."

"You brought Ma into this?!" Dammit, she always liked Naoto for some reason, so he must have played on her sympathies or something. And if she was okay with that, then she… and then the others at school…

No. No, no, no no no no no! This was not happening! This WILL NOT HAPPEN! "Well forget it! You're not spending the night in my damn house!"

"And why not?" Naoto asked dryly. "Although you haven't appeared on T.V. since last month, the media is already making theories that you will be next."

In a small town like Inaba, news on people didn't die out right away. The serial murder scare was the biggest thing to happen since Kanji could remember, so it would only make sense that people were getting impatient. Some believed that the killer must have stepped out after what happened to Yukiko failed, while others openly wondered why Kanji Tatsumi wasn't making waves in the news lately.

It was almost like everyone was actively rooting for him to get killed, and he felt a bit peeved about that.

"So what? Let them talk," he said. "They'll just keep making shit up, anyway."

"I agree," Naoto said. Kanji was pleased, until he added, "Then you have no problem with me staying the night?"

"What?! NO! I never said that!"

"I am merely taking proper measures given my assignment towards your protection, Kanji. Staying the night at your house will make keeping an eye on you easier. It's more of a surprise that I hadn't thought of this sooner."

"B-but two guys…" Kanji stuttered, losing the argument. "W-we're both guys! Sleeping over shit is with a guy, and… and… a girl!" That kind of thing was bad. Well, Naoto was fine as far as guys went, but that talk about boy toys earlier…

Naoto turned towards him fully, barely hiding a look of contempt. It… reminded him too much of how girls looked at him. "All I'm asking is to spend the night at your house. Not your bed."

Kanji flushed at Naoto's blunt statement of the matter, but refused to give up. "It's the principle of the matter! A man does just not spend a night with another man for no reason!"

"So you care more about your pride than your own safety?"

"Yes! No, I mean…!" Kanji growled. Dammit, just when he thought he was different from everyone else!

"I thought you said you didn't care about what others thought about you."

"I don't! It's just…" Kanji's voice trailed off, unsure what to say. If Naoto stayed at his house, then the rumor mill would have a friggin' field day about his… preferences. It was looking more and more likely to happen too, as the cop just shot down his arguments with logic and questions.

But if he somehow convinced Naoto not to go through with this… then what? Those weeks spending time tolerating the other's company, the small talks they made during delivery runs, all the times he'd see him off and then wait for him at the school gate. Would all that really start being an obligation again? Would he actually get tired of him and leave?

He really didn't want to have him sleep over, but to get him all mad at him for being an ass, or even worse, cry…

"FINE! Do whatever the hell you want! I don't care!" He stomped ahead, doing everything he could to not turn and look back at his face. The rest of the walk was painfully silent, and he didn't raise any objections when his mother showed Naoto the guestroom.

He may have run away, but he didn't say sorry. Real men don't apologize.

<><><>

Evening

When Kanji yelled, everyone was ready to bolt, but it was just a nervous reflex. According to Shirou, Naoto Shirogane was going to spend the night at Kanji Tatsumi's house, much to the anger and embarrassment of the latter.

It shot down any plan to make their own stakeout, and since they were both fresh from an argument, no one saw the need to bother them.

Thus, the Investigation Team broke off for the night. Of course, with Yosuke's bad luck kicking in, he was immediately called in to help with a Junes shift, so he had no down time. Oh, and he'd have to check the Midnight Channel with the others too, which made the day even longer for him.

It was late when Yosuke locked down Junes and rode the bus to his home street. Late, cold, and raining. He was so tired, so caught up in his depressing thought cycle of why me, that he failed to notice another person in front of him before colliding with them.

Or rather, her, given her modest set of boobies.

"Kyaah!"

His brief trip to marshmallow heaven ended with a shrill cry. Yosuke quickly jumped away, bowing and clapping his hands in offering. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see where I was going!"

"I-it's okay. I was distracted too."

"Really?" Yosuke's shoulders sagged in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I've watched so much anime when this kind of thing happens where the main character gets punted for so much as a grazing grope, and I always told myself 'glad that will never happen to me'. But lately my luck has been all over the place, where I can't even find a girlfriend. Not like I actively try to peek or anything, I just can't help myself. You have a nice body, by the way and why can't I stop talking?!"

The Junes assistant manager had blown it, he knew. He kept rambling like a motormouth, saying whatever popped into his head, and said stupid shit to ruin an already bad first impression. The girl was already laughing and pointing at him. Now she was going to burn and reject him for wasting her time.

"You're funny!"

"I-I am?" That wasn't the rejection he thought was going to happen.

He took a closer look at the girl in front of him, with the help of a street lamp. A slim body with a nice rack hiding under a big raincoat, slightly pale hands holding a yellow umbrella, a cute face with rusty brown eyes…

Yosuke found himself in love. He knew he felt that way about Saki Konishi before, but she was gone now, and apparently hated his guts. As much as he missed her and wanted to avenge her, he knew he needed to move on and find someone else. He didn't know why, but looking at this girl, who took the accident in stride and said that he was "funny" gave him some hope that this wasn't some sort of dream or prank.

And then, with a beautiful smile, and almost drowned out with an oddly well-timed thunderclap, she said the eight lovely words all guys want to hear from their true loves;

"Would you like to go out with me?"

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 35: Fallen


June 24th, Velvet Room

Shirou liked to think that he was starting to become a man of the world. Yes, there were still things he was ignorant about, such as the nature of magecraft and the identity of the culprit murdering people in Inaba, but he was quick to adapt and accept things as they are. He kind of had to grow into that mindset after seeing a handful of Shadows reveal what they really thought of the world around them, and how they went contrasted against the people they represented.

But he would still get blindsided from time to time, such as finding a new face in the Velvet Room when he entered, around his age no less.

She was sitting opposite of Margaret on the upholstery, with her legs crossed and writing something on a piece of parchment in her hands. She wore thigh-high strap boots over black and white striped leggings, and a short red checkered skirt that failed to meet where her leggings ended. Shirou found himself staring a bit too long at part of her pale legs' skin before realizing how… revealing her position was, and quickly gazed away. Further up, she wore a black belt with a golden buckle slightly loose around her waist and a white button-down sleeveless blouse. A black tie and red choker with a key lock were present around her neck, the former more prominent than the latter. Black and red striped sleeves covered her arms and a big blue bag was slung around her shoulder. Last but not least, topping her short black locks was a matching blue cap with a golden "V" badge sewed onto it.

Her grey eyes glanced up to him briefly, and then back down to the parchment in her hands. A few seconds later, she stopped and did a double-take, before suddenly stuffing the paper and pencil she was using in her bag. "Geez, ever heard of knocking?!"

Shirou blinked. As far as he knew, Igor and Margaret were the only residents in the Velvet Room, and that the room wasn't open to others so easily. Somehow sensing that she didn't want to talk to him, he turned to Igor. "Does she have a contract, too?"

Igor's smile broadened, as if impressed. "A good assessment, but not quite."

"This is Marie," Margaret told him. "She'll be joining us in the Velvet Room as an apprentice to our Master and help you on your journey. Her soul is very young and--"

Marie let out a low growl with a fierce scowl being promptly directed at the Being of Power. While not at all threatening, Margaret seemed to get the intent and dropped the matter quickly. "Well, she's brusque to say the least. I hope you can overlook that and get along with her."

Shirou glanced between the veteran guests and the new one. They hadn't given him a reason to think this was some sort of trap, or trojan horse plot meant to throw him into a bad situation. Marie might look like she wanted to be anywhere but here right now, but if she could help, then he'd accept the olive branch.

"Nice to meet you, Marie. My name is Shirou Emiya," he said. The black-haired woman crossed her arms and looked away, not feeling particularly friendly. "So, what do you do here?"

Marie shrugged. "I make Skill Cards," she told him simply. But when he kept looking at her, expecting more, she relented. "Personas can learn and use only a finite set of abilities, from magic spells to support moves. The Nose and Margaret told you before that fusing Personas allowed you to inherit skills, right?

Shirou fought the urge to chuckle at what was likely Igor's demeaning nickname. The old gentleman, at the very least, didn't seem to notice or care. "Y-yes."

"I'm the alternative. It takes me a while to actually draw them out, but as long as you have an idea of what skill you want, and it's not going to stupid yourself to death again, then I can make it for you to equip to your Persona. One-time use."

"I like her!" Pixie declared. Shirou wasn't sure if he shared the same sentiment yet.

"Well, it certainly sounds helpful," he smiled. "Think you can make me one right now? A healing spell that affects everyone. Media, I think it was called."

Marie immediately reached for her bag to pull out a notepad and start drawing. "Yeah, whatever Four."

Shirou tried, and failed, to look passive, but something about the term she used baffled him. "'Four'?"

"It's in your name, isn't it? Fourth son. And I think you're the fourth 'unique' guest in this room, or something. So that's who you are now."

Shirou's brow twitched a bit. "Actually, my name reads as 'samurai warrior'."

Marie shook her head. "Not as catchy. You're Four now, deal with it."

Shirou sighed. Marie's thing seemed to be making nicknames for people that she thought suited them best to what she knew or saw of them. She was also rather stubborn on what she decided to do, which might make future conversations an uphill battle.

But he could worry about that later. Marie was focused on her Skill Card task, and he had his own task to complete. "Anyway… I'm ready to fuse now."

"Excellent," Igor's perpetual grin broadened. "Show us the fruits of your labor."

Exhaling a breath, Shirou imagined two Persona cards in his hands. "Lilim, and Valkyrie," he said to himself. "This should work… yes? Yes, I think so."

The fusion of Personas was complicated, as the compounding of Arcana resulted in an entirely new one. There was probably a deep mathematic breakdown for the process, from the Arcana to the strength of the cards. But that was neither here nor there.

He tried to imagine how Igor made them rocket into the air, but that was a bit too much flair for his skill level. All that was necessary of the ritual was to fuse them, and temporarily killing them so their spirits could be reborn into a new consciousness. It pained him to think that, but they were not truly alive to begin with. They were literally facets that could be changed or thrown away by other people.

That didn't mean he cared so little for them as to not keep using them even after a prior fusion.

For now, Shirou held both cards on his palms. With a steadying breath as the flow of prana grew, he clapped both cards together and power surged from the gaps of his hands. Tenderly, he removed his hands and saw not two cards, but one.

He pulled his hands away, and no flash happened like the previous time. Instead a card slipped out and fluttered to the floor like… well, a card. Everyone stopped and stared at the floor, before Shirou leaned down to pick it up and look it over.

The image on the Tarot was of a woman, serene and eyes closed, holding in her hands a string guitar instrument named after her. She wore a green leotard with gold and white around the upper body, and a veil loosely flowed around her arms.

"'Sarasvati the Priestess'," Shirou read, confusion slowly setting in. "I don't get it. I should have gotten Ippon-Datara."

"Sometimes, the forces that move the arcana can lead to… mistakes," Igor explained. "Ashamed as I am to admit it, sometimes I too fail to create the desired Persona through fusion, and you are a fledgling to this craft. It's almost expected the first time would be a mistake."

"So fusion is not a certainty?"

"It is highly probable, at least. Just with… a two percent factor of mutating into something else entirely."

"HA!" Marie let out a single laugh, a wide smile on her lips as she went back to drawing. "Maybe I should call you 'Fail' instead of Four." Shirou's ears burned with humiliation.

"I'm sorry," the First Tridevi Persona spoke, her spirit appearing as a faint outline above her card. "I did not mean to come into being this way, as a hindrance to you."

Shirou had been upset, sure, but accident happened. Magi that screwed up tend to end up a lot worse for wear, and yet all Shirou got was a different card. He had been meaning to get a Priestess card for Amagi anyway, so if anything, it was still a win.

"It's fine," he smiled. "I'll be counting on you in the future."

Sarasvati's serene face graced him with a small smile before the spirit faded away, and the card slipped into Margaret's compendium for safe keeping. He could only hold onto so many Personas in his mind at a time, so he focused on the most relevant issue of completing Margaret's request.

Sure enough, reusing Lilim and Valkyrie for a second fusion was much more successful as a new figure appeared, with a flashier fanfare.

Standing on only one leg was a tall man with one eye. Bronze was adorned around him, such as the greaves, the metal helmet, and other pieces on his arms and back. In his left hand, a pair of forceps. In his right, a hammer. His green skin was covered mostly by a black, leather welding apron with a crooked "4" stylized on it. Another "4" mark was also marked on his helmet, over the spot where a hole for the right eye would be.

He saw Marie spare a quick glance at the new Persona and smirking to herself. No doubt she felt very validated of his nickname now.

"An Ippon-datara with Sukukaja," Margaret nodded. "Well done."

"This hardly feels like progress, though," Shirou frowned as the silent blacksmith reverted to a card. Igor literally pulled it off with magic, and he had to settle with acting like a stage magician just to get a pass.

"It is to be expected, but the process was to see how you manage in a new study beyond Gradation Air. Now, we can begin our next lesson."

"Right," he nodded, and the two of them stood up.

Marie stopped her drawing and looked at Margaret with surprise. "Wait, you're leaving?"

"Only temporarily."

"Then let me come too! I'm getting cabin fever from being stuck in here for weeks!"

Shirou blinked, turning to Margaret for inquiry. "What is she talking about?"

"As we've explained before, Marie is staying with us as an apprentice, but her state of being makes it hard for her be outside for very long. Like it or not, she is tied to your fate and is the main reason why I brought her here."

"Yeah, I love lodging and sleeping in a cramped car seat," Marie quipped, turning to Shirou. "Seriously, it sucks in here. It's small, dark, and stuffy, they only have wine to drink, and both of them creep me out with how silently they sit here all the time."

"What do you mean 'creepy'?"

"Well, for one thing, I never see the two leave."

That alarmed Shirou, as he looked to the ever-stoic residents of the Velvet Room. Igor sat in his hunched posture the whole time, and Margaret was currently looked over the Compendium on his newest Persona. He figured they were abnormal people, beyond even magi, but how abnormal were they? He was just thankful that they had his best interests at heart for whatever reason.

Still, he recalled the one-time Igor was absent when he visited the Velvet Room, and could only imagine Marie's discomfort sitting with these enigmas 24/7. All this pondering raised some questions, but he knew better than to suddenly ask--

"Question!" Pixie spoke, suddenly popping out of Shirou's subconscious. "Mister Igor? Margaret? Do you guys poop?"

Everyone stopped and stared at the fey Persona. Margaret's normally stoic face showed a rare instance of surprise. Marie's own slowly turned red, slowly veering from shock to rage. Igor didn't react, which was scary by itself. Shirou sunk back in his seat and swore, for a moment, that the room was silent and he couldn't hear the opera motif at all.

"W-w-why did you even ask that?!" Marie stammered with a red face.

"What? You said yourself they never left! I wanted to know!"

"ShutupIhateyoustupiddumbfairy," the apprentice growled, streaming a bunch of words together in a single breath. She turned from Pixie to Shirou, and seemed to glower at him even more. "And you, shutuptooforIhateyoumorestupidjerkfacewithsupressedpervertedthoughts!"

"Hey, I didn't even say-!"

Igor suddenly laughed, breaking the tirade. It was the same gleeful laugh Shirou had grown to know the man by, and he spoke as politely as ever. "Oh yes. I poop."

A long, awkward silence filled the room. Margaret was still decidedly silent, refusing to look anywhere but the door. Marie stared wide-eyed at the long-nosed man for his casual answer. Shirou was left with even more questions that he knew he had no desire to ever ask.

"Huh. I see." Pixie said. "Curiosity satisfied then. Bye!" She waved before dispersing back into Shirou's troubled soul.

Marie turned to him with an expression of tiredness and resignation. "Please let me out."

<><><>

Inaba Hill, Late Afternoon

The following lesson on magecraft involved learning to actually use the new magic circuits, and feeling out the mana around him. Shirou had already knew how to do this in the TV world, but to do it out in the normal world was beyond him until now. The feeling was scarce, but the rich smells of mana were still intoxicating. In fact, they almost overwhelmed him to the point of knocking him out by senses alone.

Was this how the highly-trained magi felt every day?

With the lesson complete, Margaret saw herself out and left. After resting for a few minutes on the ground, Shirou was about to leave when he noticed that their audience hadn't moved from the gazebo since they got there.

"Why are you still here?" Shirou asked.

"I'm making the most of this trip," Marie said, fiddling with a used steak skewer in her hand like a toothpick. "And you're still here. I'm fine to be outside as long as I'm around you."

"Was it really that bad in there?"

"The Velvet Room is like a gilded prison for me, and until you came around, I thought I was going to be stuck there forever."

He kind of figured that she cared more about the outdoors than seeing his magecraft in action. He didn't mind, and simply allowed her to come along because she asked. Margaret and Igor agreed, saying she was allowed to leave as long as they were together. It was also why he agreed to buy her a steak skewer before heading here.

"But why were you there in the first place?"

Marie's eyes narrowed before she tossed the skewer into the waste bucket in front of her. It missed and hit the metal rim. "Well, it was either their place or trying to find somewhere else on my own, and that's kinda hard to do when you 'don't exist'."

Something about that statement seemed ominous, but her body language and tone made it clear that she didn't want to talk any further on the subject.

She rose up from the bench and walked over to the grassy field. "There's so much green here. Like, all I remember seeing recently was black, white, and purple. But there's a lot of green here. No, not green… some brown too."

She looked wistful as her gaze looked up to the orange dusk sky, muttering softly: "Leaves of green fly away / Farewell to you, clouds of the sky / I fly as well, lost as the day. / Farewell to you, star up so high."

Shirou smiled. "That was a nice poem. Did you just make it up?"

Marie stiffened, as if forgetting he was there and listening. She looked at him like a deer in headlights. "N-No! I-I-I wasn't making up a poem at all! It was just… words of association I was thinking up! Yeah, that's it!"

When he didn't look convinced, her face flushed and she looked away with crossed arms. "ShutupIhateyouyoustupidjerk!"

"Tsun alert! Tsun alert!" Lilim sang.

"Hey, I want in that next time!" Pixie demanded.

Ignoring the peanut gallery that was his own subconscious, Shirou's gaze lingered on the town below the hill. He barely got to see this view the first time he came here with Margaret, but…

"It really is big, huh?" Marie asked, joining next to him.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I lived in Fuyuki City most of my life, which was plenty big itself with urban and suburban architecture. But this little town of Inaba? It feels… vibrant."

"...yeah, it does."

Shirou looked to his side. Marie had a wistful look again, but it was almost a mask of sadness.

"I don't remember anything about myself. Where I'm from, who I am… my clothes were gifts from Margaret, and my name was something I picked on a whim. I was too confused to really notice the first time I was wandering around, and got mixed up with some cops. Akechi and Niijima, were they?"

She mulled the thought over before shaking her head, resuming her train of thought. "Anyway, walking around the streets, eating meat, riding the bus here; it was all nostalgic and stuff. Like I can almost remember something. Maybe I used to live here, or at least somewhere just as pretty. But I don't know for sure…"

"You have no memory at all?"

"No, and it really bugs me," Marie lamented. "I just know there's an answer somewhere in this town, and I just need to find it."

Shirou thought over what she said. Well, he knew what he wanted to do, but how to phrase it required a bit of thinking. "We'll look together then."

"Huh?"

"Personally, I'd feel awkward for you helping me with Skill Cards unless I did something to pay you back in return. So whenever you feel a need to see more of Inaba, let me know and I'll show you around."

"Please do," Marie nodded. "I expect you to keep your word, Four. No backsies."

She was obviously expecting him to help her now, but she looked happy that he offered to begin with.

Unsurprising to him at this point, another tarot card materialized in his mind's eye. The image was of a humanesque figure with a curved face like a beak, holding a staff and bisected from the shoulder. This figure stood in an orange sphere, surrounded by more color backdrops of dark purple, green, blue, and violet. It looked like the orange circle was like a gem, further emphasized by the smaller red circle below it and the black arm-like wreaths surrounding it.

Thou art 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 Aeon Arcana.

Aeon? Shouldn't the arcana be Judgement, based on the Roman numeral XX? Would he have to double up on Thoth equivalents now, or was Marie that abnormal?

"I'm hungry, and demand more meat," she suddenly declared. "You have money, so you will buy me some. Or no card for you."

Despite himself, Shirou smiled. They were going to get along just fine.

<><><>

June 25th, Shopping District, After School

The world was out to shit all over him, it seemed. News stations making guesses about his next course of action, students of Yasogami talking shit behind his back, and that thing with Naoto… geez, couldn't he have asked before making decisions like that?

Still, Kanji Tatsumi shouldered on. He was a man that was afraid of nothing. It would take more than all this to really get to him.

For once, Naoto wasn't around to pick him up. The kid was usually punctual, but he wasn't waiting at the gate today when he came out. Come to think of it, he had mentioned that he had to do some sort of errand first and would meet him back at his house or something?

Figures; the kid was probably ticked about the sleepover the other day still. That's fine; he preferred being alone anyway.

"Stop right there!"

At the intersection of the lower end of the shopping district, he saw a familiar yet unwelcome face calling him out. He wore a different school uniform than Yasogami, more like a tuxedo than a gakuen. He had a rigid, hostile pose of bending his arms and legs, like the ones on Shonen shows about guys that win with sheer guts. Yet he was still getting soaked by the rain. Either he was trying to look cool, or he forgot to bring an umbrella.

Kanji tsked. "You again…"

"That's right," the beady-eyed boy spat. "I'm Mitsuo Kubo, the one who will bring you to justice!"

The bleach-haired teen shook his head. He wasn't in the mood to deal with him again, much less give Kubo's sister trouble having to save his ass. "Look, chickenshit, I don't care who you are or what you do for your free time. Just leave me out of your damn LARPing or else I'll give a good, painful reminder of who I really am."

His threat did the trick as Mitsuo flinched and stepped away. Good. As much the guy pissed him off, he was just a nameless nerd. Knew less about fighting than a biker, and had none of the confidence to muster behind.

It would be a pointless fight, in other words.

He was just a few feet away when the guy suddenly yelled back at him, "Everybody knows you did it!"

Kanji stopped, and looked back to the guy. "'scuse me?"

"You heard me!" Mitsuo yelled. "You killed the announcer! And that Konishi girl, too! You're a big, tough guy who does whatever he wants and the cops hate you for it! You really killed them, but no one has proof! That's why that worthless shrimp of a detective is following you! To find proof!"

Now he had Kanji's full attention. With a glare, he walked back to him.

The action only seemed to embolden Mitsuo, from the growing smirk on his face. "And you know that, don't you? You might have fooled everyone else, but not me! Or the police!" he deliberately closer to him as they were now at arm's length. "And it's a shame that you make your mommy worry about you, too! You're nothing but a piece of shit!"

His eye twitched, and his hand tightened to a white fist. It would be so damn easy to punch his lights out and make him regret it, especially for talking shit about his mother and Naoto--!

Naoto.

Just thinking about the kid made him weird. He still hated the guy, but… Naoto never actually did anything to deserve it, and never made him feel small just for being different. He gave him a hard time that was like being scolded by another parent, but in some ways, he was more of a man than Kanji ever thought he could be.

So instead of acting on what he would do, he took a deep breath and asked himself; what would Naoto do?

"Go ahead then," Kanji said. "Hit me."

Mitsuo blinked. He didn't expect that reaction. "Wh-what?"

"You want to kill me? Or have me arrested? Don't you want to beat me up for those people you accused me of offing?"

"I-I… uh…"

Yep; call his bluff was the right move.

"Huh. Well that's a shame."

Kanji's foot suddenly stomped hard over Mitsuo's shoe. Mitsuo's eyes bulged and he screamed like a girl before falling down on his ass. Right into a puddle, no less, judging by the splash. How fitting for a little wannabe bitch.

"Say what you want about me all you want, chickenshit. But you bring Naoto or my ma into this, then there's gonna be hell to pay." He then whispered close to the boy's ear. "And not even your sister will help save your worthless ass."

Satisfied in his throbbing pain, the delinquent teen turned and continued his walk back home. Mitsuo looked back at him in shock. "Th-That's it?"

"You're not worth beating up. There's no fun in pushing around a weakling, and I'm already in enough trouble as it is." He then spared a glance to the aggressor. "Then there's probably the fact that you're trying to play martyr by getting me to fight you. Get beat up, call the cops, spin some sob story to them and blame everything on me, right?"

He said nothing, which was telling in and of itself. Kanji gave a cold chuckle. "Yeah, like I'm really that stupid."

"S-So you're running away?!" Mitsuo cried, voice cracking. "Then you admit to killing those girls?! You're the serial murderer!"

If it were anyone else, Kanji might be compelled to care and make him shut up with force. But hardly anyone went out during a rainy day in Inaba, so Kanji let him whine and howl all he wanted. He knew desperation when he saw it. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that, chickenshit. Go ahead and tell someone else. You know, who cares."

Mitsuo tried one last attempt to egg him on. "Coward!"

But Kanji kept walking, raising his hand behind him with his middle finger extended.

<><><>

Evening

Mitsuo Kubo hated people.

Everyone was so fake that it hurt. They made fun of him, criticized him, and then labelled him the one at fault whenever he tried to do something.

Why talk about the murderer when no one was actually trying to find him? The police couldn't find him after months of looking. Or were they just sitting on their thumbs being useless? They're the ones with the problem in this town - nay, this country!

Kanji Tatsumi had to be the one responsible! It made sense that he'd go after girls because he had some aversion to them. And he wasn't at all kind to Yuki-chan, so he tried to get rid of her out of revenge. It had to be!

Most of the time Mitsuo came back home right after cram school, but he had tried to do something cool for once in his meaningless life, and confront the wannabe hardass. But it didn't turn out like he had planned at all. That punk was supposed to be intimidated by him. He was supposed to confess for his obvious crimes and then everyone would praise Mitsuo Kubo as the hero.

But just like everyone else, he didn't take him seriously. Why? Why couldn't anyone take him seriously?!

Well if they don't want a hero that deals with the trash of society? Fine! Then maybe he'd make them wake up by striking fear into them. He had been too soft on them, but not anymore! No one was ever going to laugh at him again!

No one--

The front door opened. "Mitsy, I'm home!"

Mitsuo's mood made a complete 180. He rose up from his brooding corner in the room and turned to the door. "Nee-san!"

His older sister was the one person he could trust. It was weird seeing her so soon after her transfer from Misaki Town, but it was a welcome surprise bumping into her… where did they meet again? The bus stop? The floodplain? Well, that didn't matter anymore. She was here now.

The smiling brunette quickly donned an apron and started pulling plates from the cabinet. "You hungry, Mitsy? I'm having a craving for beefsteak, and found some nice imported meat when out shopping. Mind helping me?"

Ignoring the so-called affectionate nickname she always called him by, Mitsuo smiled and nodded. "Anything for you, sis."

Moments like these were such a blessing to Mitsuo. It was hard to stay mad as long as his sister was around. In his mind, the world was at peace because of her. And it was amazing how quickly it happened, in hindsight.

For as long as he could remember, it was just him and his parents. It was just them for now, as their parents suddenly went out on a second honeymoon. Or at least that's what Nee-san told him, but they left their car here…

Oh well. At least Nee-san was here for the both of them, so their deadbeat folks could stay away forever and he wouldn't care. She understood him better than they ever did.

Preparation went by very fast, and the two them were now seated to enjoy their hard-earned meal. Or Nee-san's, anyway; Mitsuo mostly watched and set the plates up.

"Let's eat!" she announced. Utensils were picked, meats were cut, and mouths were chewing. A very good dinner indeed.

"This is really good, sis!" Mitsuo praised. "Where did you say you got this from again?"

"Found a nice section of imported meat at the Junes mall."

"Junes? Why were you there?"

"Oh, my new boyfriend works there," she said with a smile. "His whole family runs the branch there so he showed me around. He was so nice that he almost gave me the family-friendly discount."

"Ugh," Mitsuo groaned. "Junes is just a festering shithole full of idiots."

"Mitsy! You shouldn't say things like that!"

Everyone scolded him for speaking his mind. That was a painful constant in his life. They got mad and scared so he really got worked up too. But Nee-san was different; she was nice and patient and always easy to talk to. He could say anything to her without getting her offended or leaving him.

"Well, it's true!" he argued. "They want only new, shiny things and basically left the shopping district out to dry. These dumb townspeople… they're just as much of a problem as the murderer around here."

"The murderer?"

"Oh yeah, you were out of town when it happened," Mitsuo said. "There's this murderer guy that killed two people already; a dumb tv announcer and some smashed high schooler. Everyone's been talking about it for a while, but no one knows who did it yet, let alone who he might target next."

She mulled over his words between bites of her beef. A pale hand brushed back some of her brown hair before resting her cheek on it. "If these people were so bad, then why would anyone care that they're gone?"

"You know how people are; they get offended over every little thing." Mitsuo complained. To that, his sister nodded in agreement. "Besides which, only their families care that those two are gone. Everyone just wants to know when it'll happen again. The news is already betting that it'll be Kanji Tatsumi."

"Tatsumi-kun… oh, the delinquent that bumped into you the other day!"

"Yeah, that's him." And he was clearly the one at fault. It was all that bastard's fault. Mitsuo was innocent; he did nothing wrong.

"So, what are you going to do?"

Mitsuo looked up, his sister staring at him inquisitively. "Huh?"

"You seem so upset about this murderer thing. Do you want try and catch them? Find out where they are, or who they are? Stop them before they get to Tatsumi-kun?"

He scowled at the thought. Whether or not Kanji was innocent, he had no plan to help that asshole. Truth be told, he wanted him gone, and didn't care if he got killed.

"Or maybe you want to… finish what the murderer started?"

"Huh?" Mitsuo asked again, once more confused.

His sister was smiling wickedly. "It works out for the better either way, doesn't it? If you catch the one responsible, then people will respect you and get peace of mind after trying to put it off for so long. But if you start killing people, maybe even target the ones that are especially heinous, then that too would rouse them out of their rut. They'd be forced to acknowledge you, your ideals, your carnage…"

"B-But heroes don't go around killing people." It was true that Mitsuo had thoughts of doing such things. But they were just that; thoughts. To actually go through with it would mean becoming a villain. And, as silly as it was, all he ever wanted was to be a cool superhero.

"Normal heroes wouldn't," his sister agreed. "But you could be a special kind of hero, Mitsy. An anti-hero that works against the law, to target people that think they are safe from it."

Special? Him? That was… kind of exciting. He had never been told that he'd amount to anything before, but the possibility of being special made him want to get up and do it. He couldn't make his sister disappointed, not when she was looking at him so expectantly.

But he still had doubts if this was a good idea. "I don't know…"

"Come on. There must be someone you want to get rid of. Someone you know who the world wouldn't miss?"

The list was too long for Mitsuo to count, he realized. He had a lot of people who'd be better off dead. There was that Yasogami teacher King Moron that chased him more than once when he was trying to see Yuki-chan. There were those leeches Satonaka and Emiya that beat him up and threatened him when he was trying to ask Yuki-chan out. There was even that kid in the blue hat following around Tatsumi that looked at him funny; people who did that always talked shit behind his back.

Out of all of them, the one person he really wanted see drop dead first was the one that pissed him off the most. But… "Forget it."

"Come on," his sister frowned. "Tell me."

"You won't like it. You'd think it's a stupid idea."

"I'm on your side, Mitsy. Trust me!"

They stared at one another, and when he thought about it… yeah, she always did have his back. She never got mad or offended like everyone else did, so maybe… "Kanji Tatsumi. I want Kanji Tatsumi dead at my own hands and make this town feel safe from his jerkass ways!"

She tilted her head, slightly bewildered. "Huh. You really dislike Tatsumi-kun?"

"I told you you wouldn't like it!" He whined. Now she was going to scold him, lecture, put him down--

"I never said that," she insisted, to his shock. "I actually agree he'd be a good target. He seems fairly popular with the rumors going around. If we play our cards right, we might make it look like a case of self-defense in case someone asks…"

Mitsuo stared at her in awe. This wasn't some string-along joke, was it? They were actually contemplating murder like some game? All on her insistence? It was startling enough, but the most he took out of this conversation was relief.

"I better get started, the weather is perfect for it," she said to herself, already heading out to grab the umbrella by the door. "Keep your phone on, and we'll go over the next few steps later, Mitsy."

"You'd really help me?" he asked, almost moved to tears.

"Of course!" She closed her eyes and grinned at him, revealing her awfully sharp canines. "Just leave everything to Sacchin!"

<><><>

Dojima Household, Almost Midnight

"Sacchin?"

"Yep! Her full name is Satsuki Kubo. but she prefers to be called by a pet name she got a long time ago. I'm telling ya man, I'm on cloud nine whenever I'm with her! She laughs at my jokes, is really friendly, and even made two coworkers break down in tears with just a few words!"

"That's… that last part is hardly a quality to praise someone for."

"Yeah, but these two were a constant pain in my ass, complaining about work they never could do and ranting to me whenever they so much as broke a nail. As an assistant manager of Junes, I can't really call them out or else I'd look bad. But Sacchin… man, she had never met them before but she had them absolutely pegged. It was amazing. Scary, sure, but still…"

"Ah, well that's different."

Shirou was quite happy for Yosuke. After waiting nervously for the next shoe to drop (namely Kanji's kidnapping or the interception of the kidnapper), some good news in his friend's social life was always welcome. Although his intention at Okina didn't work out as planned, he finally found someone to call his own.

Small talk before midnight… Shirou never imagined he would be doing things like this, even in the midst of important work of keeping the peace of the town. And it was almost morbid that he and Yosuke were so calm at the moment.

The fact of the matter was, Kanji had suddenly disappeared. Yukiko only found out just a few hours ago when making an errand call to the textile shop. Now the team was on high alert watching the Midnight Channel as the seconds ticked away.

Shirou tried to be optimistic. Naoto was also gone, so maybe they went into hiding without telling anyone. But if that was true, then they'd have to rescue the young cop as well, and he doubted their capacity to handle two dungeons in succession. If only they had gotten the jump on finding a dungeon early like with Rise, but he knew the saying that 'lightning doesn't strike the same area twice' to be quite appropriate.

"But man, do we really have to help this guy?" Yosuke asked. "He probably doesn't need us to begin with."

"We could always check with Teddie tomorrow just in case," Shirou said, fiddling with the control box. "Right now I'm setting it up to record the image, so we might have something to play back later."

"Good plan. Though I wish we had thought about it when Amagi-san was kidnapped, or had the chance to do so with Rise-chan."

Shirou's eyelids fell half-way in a deadpan expression. "Glad to know Sacchin has such a faithful boyfriend."

"Dude, give me some slack! I only met her a few days ago!"

"That doesn't exactly help your case."

"Well, aren't you an expert on relationships now." Shirou shrugged, and was willing to let the matter drop when Yosuke quickly spoke up again. "So what about you?"

"What?"

"Honestly this question has been eating me up lately, but I figured I might as well ask while we're waiting and on the line. Satonaka, Amagi-san, Rise-chan. For your sake, I won't mince words: which one's your type?"

Shirou was silent, trying to process what he had just heard. When he finally did, his face matched his hair, his phone almost slipped out of his trembling hand, and the only sound he could make was a sharp inhale equivalent to a mouse's squeak. "...!!!"

"Come on, I promise I won't tell anyone! It's just I'm curious how you're handling your love life, as well as how you plan to actually resolve your situation. You got, like, the whole girl side of the team pining for you now! For your sake, you better decide who you want to date before it gets out of control."

"For once, Yosuke has a point," Pixie told him.

"Why do anything?" said Lilim. "Keep putting it off, let the romance bubble, and the situation will resolve itself. Chances are either the best of them wins or they all do. That's what every other lead in harem shows do."

"You mean like those spineless, brainless, chauvinistic stains in society that twist and lead on poor maiden's hearts in some sick form of entertainment?!" Angel spat, sounding rather judgmental at the moment. It almost worried Shirou how intensely she spoke her thoughts. "I've seen too many a love triangle strangling the ethics of heroes because they can't make a committed decision."

"Obviously it must be the gallant Chie," reasoned Eligor.

"His mannerisms compliment Yukiko more!" Sarasvati declared.

"Cu Taiga has already made her claim on him!" Cu Sith barked.

"Personally I'm kinda hoping for Rise," Pixie said to herself.

"Marie," was the single grunt of reply from Ippon-Datara.

"Ugh," Shirou finally recovered from the shock of Yosuke's question, but was now reeling from the voices in his head arguing for dominance.

Unaware of his mental war, Yosuke had waited patiently before asking again. "So come on, man. Who would you pick?"

"I-I don't know--"

"Idiotswithalibidosay'allofthem'."

"All of them?" He said, before realizing what Lilim just tricked him into saying.

A brief stunned silence ensued as all parties in the conversation registered this. Yosuke was first. "What?"

"WHAT?!" His arguing Personas soon after.

"YES!" the devil cheered.

"That doesn't count!" Angel bristled. "They have too many unique traits to be desirable on their own! Just because he can't decide on one of them, doesn't mean he should DO that!"

Thank God quite literally for his sensible retainers. "What I mean is I don't have a preference in girls. Satonaka, Amagi, Rise, they all have their own charms so I can't really decide yet."

"Huh. Well, I guess that makes sense."

Shirou let out a relieved sigh, as did his collective unconscious. Lilim was fuming while Angel was beaming and pleased with herself. The question on intimacy was put on hold for now…

And just in time, too, as soon the clock struck 12, and the TV screen flared to life.

The image was crisp and clear, much like with Yukiko's channel prior. But instead of a grandiose castle or a striptease bar, the background was that of a modest wooden building. The music playing was almost like a slow, smooth jazz for more intimate events.

"Good evening, darling viewers!" A voice spoke from the TV, sounding familiar but having a very distinct "camp" feeling to it. "On tonight's episode of 'Bad, Bad Bathhouse', we transcend the gender barrier by searching the superb sites for sublime, scandalous sensations! That is, of course, for boys only."

The camera then panned out from the close-up view of the building to show a muscular teen with bleached hair and wearing nothing but a loincloth around his waist. He was also posing rather seductively with a flush and a smile, with each deliberate movement emphasized with a light effect of flowers "popping" out.

Shirou could only stare mutely as the voice and face clicked in. "No way…" What they were seeing on screen was--

"That's right! I, Kanji Tatsumi, will lead the charge and venture into this exclusive haven! All you need are three things;" A close-up was directed to his pecs as his shoulders hugged them close enough to tense. "A smoking hot body…" Then to his licking lips. "Boiling hot blood…" Another cut to his hips as they shook the loincloth in place. "And a shaking, grooving fanny!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" Yosuke whispered fearfully on his end of the phone.

"Well that's enough horsing around! I'm all hot and bothered now, so I'm off! Wish me luuuuuuuck~!"

The last thing to show on the Midnight Channel was Kanji's Shadow prancing into the bathhouse.

For a long while, Shirou could only stare and wonder at what he had just seen. Hearing Yosuke on his phone broke him out of his trance. The video seemed to have affected his friend more, as he was struggling to find the right words to say. "So, uh… dude. Yeah, like… dude! What I mean is… DUDE!!"

"Meet up tomorrow at Junes? Dude?"

"Huh? Y-Yeah, sure, du- I mean, yeah, see you tomorrow." Yosuke quickly hung up.

Pocketing his own phone, Shirou looked again at the TV. He tried playing the recording tape again, maybe pay attention to the words and setting for clues. But all that came up with an error screen of black and white fuzzy static. "Figures…"

Well there was one mystery solved and a comfort to take away from this; no one could see these Midnight Channel specials again.

Still, it was odd; he hadn't seen anything so animated or revealing on the Midnight Channel before. In the past, it was the Shadows waiting there on the screen, as if beckoned by the viewers. But when someone was thrown in, their entire life got thrown out of whack with over the top sexcapades into the unknown. It was one thing to see it happen with Amagi's channel, but then in Rise's dungeon and now Kanji's channel...

Shirou sighed and shook his head. This just proved it. "Yep. Definitely libido issues."

"Says the magic stud."

"I heard that, Lilim."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 36: Sauna

<><><>
June 26th, Velvet Room

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT TO SIDELINE ME?!?!"

Shirou flinched and looked up at the fuming face of a black-haired devil hovering in front of him. "Now, Lilim—"

"You need me to fight off the other Shadows that fling curses and hexes around! You would have been dead without me literally sweeping that fight with the snake, the wheel, and the samurai! Not only am I helpful, but think of the A-material I can bring! You're going to a frigging sauna! You can't leave me out of this!"

If Shirou was perfectly honest with himself, this was part of the reason why he wanted Lilim absent from his mind. Her innuendo seemed to grow by the day as she went around with him, and she seemed almost stir-crazy at the prospect of getting a proper candidate to start The Devil Social Link. While he didn't see this power as a gross hindrance anymore, he still wasn't actively seeking to start up new links. They seemed to come naturally when they did, so he'll just wait and welcome them with open arms when they do.

"I've also already left Valkyrie with Margaret," he said, lightly glaring at the amused woman. "And she didn't make as much of a fuss."

"That's because her kind regularly fetches corpses from battle instead of taking part in them, but that's not the point! Why does SHE get to go?!" the she-devil screeched. It was obvious who she meant.

"Angel's my guide to Nanako who I have a Social Link with. I'd rather keep my active roster with Personas that can help me with my immediate friends and loved ones."

It was a new dungeon, and he wanted to be prepared in rescuing Kanji. He needed stronger, capable Persona, blessed by the Arcana. He hadn't noticed at the time as his fusion ability wasn't as grandiose as Igor's, but Sarasvati and Ippon-Datara were both slightly stronger from their original level. They were definitely coming along, as were everyone else.

He made a point to ignore how childishly smug Angel was acting in his subconscious, though. Clearly their century-old conflict of Heaven and Hell would never be resolved.

"That's still not fair! Why are you being a jerk about this?!'

"Because he's taking his power seriously."

Shirou and Lilim turned to see Eligor sitting next to his contractor (sans horse). "A fool he may be, but fools can only last so long through luck alone. A true warrior cultivates his power and skill so future conflicts will be met with easier effort."

"But I'm power and sexy in one card pack!" Lilim huffed. "Shouldn't he have as much power available as possible? Heck, he can bring Valkyrie too, while he's at it!"

Eligor shook his head. "The danger of having too many weapons at hand is lacking the skill or time to use them all. Most fighters stick with one weapon for their lifetime and perfect it. And if they branch out, then they master one weapon before learning the next."

The devil seemed to accept his argument, but still looked mad. "Yeah I guess he would want to master you sooner to get closer to Spat-skirt."

"On the contrary, I wish to also sit out of this sortie."

"Wait, what?" Shirou was just as surprised as Lilim upon hearing this. "But why? You're one of my leading fighters."

"Izanagi is your sword. Pixie is your wand. Cu Sith is your gale. Sarasvati is your frost. Ippon-Datara is your hammer. If you wish to master your fusion powers, you need to learn to make do with what's at hand. To understand your limits. That will help cultivate your judgment in using new powerful Personas."

Shirou found himself nodding to his Persona's assessment. The fight against Shadow Rise was still fresh in his mind as a near disaster, and he never had time to properly assess what Personas to use yet. If he couldn't handle them at this point, then forget saving Kanji; saving anyone would be impossible.

"Then where does Angel fit in all this?" Lilim demanded.

The lights in Eligor's helmet dimmed and narrowed as they glanced over him. "Moral conscience."

"I KNEW IT!"

Smartasses… Even Angel was offended.

"Do you guys have a point going on or do I have to kick your red pubic ass out of here?" Marie complained, eyes locked on her notepad. "You're making it hard to draw the cards you want."

"Are you really an amnesiac?" Shirou asked incredulously.

She looked up at him coolly and with a critical once-over. "Are you really the star of a harem show?"

Shirou's face flushed. Lilim grinned. Eligor awkwardly coughed into his gauntlet.

"I am not!" / "Hell yeah he is!" / "...possibly."

The other members of the Velvet Room were obviously amused, watching as mutely as ever. Marie simply shrugged and resumed her sketching.

Eligor quickly regained his composure and turned to his summoner. "That aside, do you remember the grafting technique you used on Izanagi?"

"You mean Trace Persona?" Shirou answered. That was a literal last-minute saving grace, turning a Persona into their iconic weapon, or at least one that best represents them. It was a miracle he turned Izanagi twice in succession with Teddie's help.

"I am concerned for Chie's weapon proficiency. At the castle she used a chain whip. An accident. At the strip club a staff. A coincidence. And now as we prepare to storm the sauna, she is considering yet another weapon. At this point, it is a pattern."
Shirou could see where he was going with this. "So you want me to Trace you into a new weapon for her?"

"Make him a lance!" she proclaimed, arms spread wide. "A HUGE one with a big, flaming head that can pierce the deepest wo—"

"Lilim, please," the red knight held out his hand like a father would to an overactive child. "Hierarchy men are now talking."

Shirou found himself smirking at how casually Lilim was shot down and reduced to angrily sticking her tongue out. It wasn't inaccurate either; Eligor was a Great Duke of Hell, and he led many legions of demons. The original Lilim were children born of Lilith and Samael to spite God in the Garden of Eden, before a new, deformed generation were conceived in Hell.

In other words, Eligor held authority over her kind. As did Shirou as their summoner.

"I have watched Chie's fights, and her talent lies in martial arts rather than a weapon. I want you to graft my card into a weapon for her, yes. But not a lance," he looked briefly at Lilim as her mood soured. "I want you to focus on my horse, and then turn him into a pair of greaves."

Greaves? An odd choice of a weapon as they're made to protect legs, not attack. But he could see Chie focus on kicking, despite her Persona using a polearm. "I think I can do that," he nodded. "What's your horse's name, anyway?"

Eligor shrugged. "If he ever had one, it is lost in history, and was never even mine to begin with. He is a fine steed that had lived in the Garden of Eden before reanimated by Beelzebub. Though I have taken to calling him "Abigor", after one of my pseudonyms."

Shirou thought it over, and turned to Igor and Margaret. "Could I get some help here? I'd rather have it not break down like my other Gradation Air attempts."

"It will, if you treat it like your previous Magecraft arts," Igor said. "You are probably the only one who understands the full concept of your Trace Persona ability. It is you and you alone that can set the limitations of your power, and break them."

"Consider it part of your training," Margaret added. "And don't worry. We won't let you 'stupid yourself' to death."

Well, at least Pixie was satisfied with that.

Shrugging, Shirou immediately dismissed Eligor into card form, and gently cradled the card in his fingers. He thought back to the steps of magecraft, with the careful focus on a predetermined form of footwear.

He then clenched his hand over the card, and a flash of light later, he was holding a pair of fur boots. They looked innocent at a glance, but the hoof design under the heel and lack of store identification would catch the attention of any sharp-eyed salesman. Structurally, they were very durable and even came with a minor fire shield charm. These Boots of Abigor were perfect, and had a bit of the lingering spirit of Eligor himself in them. Much like Teddie's projection, they wouldn't break down.

Still, he nearly fell over in exhaustion after the attempt. For now, he could only do this technique once a day, so he'd have to plan accordingly.

"Congratulations," Lilim deadpanned. "You got a weapon for your athletic not-girlfriend. Now all you have to do is put me in the book with Maggie here."

She then huffed, crossed her arms, and looked away with him, eyes shut. As much as she was accepting this now, she still didn't like being set aside. She was just a Persona, a facet of himself that may or may not be an extension of himself, but he preferred to think of each Persona as their own person.

"Marie, could you make me a Stagnant Air skill card next?"

Lilim's eyes snapped open.

"Geez, you love making me work, don't you?" Marie huffed with no real venom. She then handed him the card she was working on. "Not that I'm complaining. I could use the distraction, and I owe your little she-devil for that nickname: can't believe I didn't think of Maggie sooner. Anyway, here's your Media card."

"Thanks," Shirou said, accepting the skill card and turning to the she-devil. "There. Now you have a new skill to look forward to when I get ba-AACK!"

Lilim had tackle-hugged him to the side, clutching his side a bit too closely to her slim body. "I LOVE YOU MY LITTLE ROM-COM LEAD!"

"I AM NOT A ROM-COM LEAD!"

Maybe this wasn't the best idea…

<><><>

Junes, Midday

For the umpteenth time, Naoto called Kanji's cell and got no answer. "I was careless."

No one had come after Kanji Tatsumi at all during the rainy days, and during that time Naoto's grandfather had called him up to discuss something. That something turned out to be talking about old stories of his parents, continuing the long trend of police detectives that took on any case.

It was nice to unwind and think back to those days, but work never rested for long, and Naoto knew if they were still alive, they would continue to solve cases and find the truth of said mysteries.

They were a team, after all, well respected. They got far together in a male-dominated work force. Naoto couldn't afford a single mistake if he wanted to be as successful as them.

And yet he did just that; Kanji was under his charge and for the few hours he left to see his grandfather, he was gone just like the others. If only he hadn't listened, if only his grandfather didn't call--

No, it wasn't Grandpa's fault. It was my decision in the end to go see him, and he had told me before that it wasn't urgent. I should have anticipated this and brought Kanji along, but…

Maybe I shouldn't have pushed to stay over that night.

That argument shouldn't have happened. Naoto could see Kanji was upset about the very idea of him staying over, but he persisted on the issue anyway. The bleached-haired teen refused to look or talk to him after that, so Naoto thought the call couldn't have come at a better time. He'd catch up with his grandfather and give Kanji the needed time to calm down before the day was over.

Part of Naoto hoped Kanji was just fuming mad and acting out, finding more biker gangs to fight. He had been growing more hostile ever since the talk with Emiya and Amagi, and despite Naoto's best efforts he refused to talk. There was another possibility in that he would show up at Junes, as people from all over town came here to shop.

But it was becoming apparent he might have to call the police for help, despite the fact that they had dumped the responsibility for Kanji on his shoulders, including finding him after losing him. No one was convinced that Kanji was missing yet, but that would change in a few days' time.

Then again, maybe it was also a hurt sense of pride of having to rely on them in the first place. Whether they believed him or not, this would give them an excuse to look down on his failure.

"Oh, it's you again."

Naoto recognized the dismissive kind of tone, but it took a while to jog his memory of who. Looking up, he saw a copper-haired girl wearing an orange, floral stamped blouse and white khakis. He briefly noticed a small heart-shaped locket around the girl's neck before registering her face. "Ah, Kujikawa-san."

"Shirogane," she returned, clearly still angry but at least trying to be polite. She quickly glanced around the store. "Where's Kanji Tatsumi?"

Naoto's eyes narrowed. "How do know his name?"

"Geez, I get you're playing detective, but do you have to suspect everyone?" Rise snapped with a growl. "We go to the same school, and a lot of the first-years gossip about him. He only seems to ever hang around you though, so it seems weird that you're here but he isn't." At this point she actually looked sad. "I know his mom through my grandma and I heard some… concerns, so I figured if anyone knew what happened to him, you would."

"I see…" Yes, that would be logical to assume. Rise and Kanji both attended Yasogami High, and she'd probably heard his name more than once in the weeks following her entry. And living just across the shopping district street would mean she'd know right away if something was wrong there.

With those facts in mind, the detective frowned and fiddled with the helm of his cap. "Truth be told, we had a… disagreement the other day. I had hoped to give him some time to himself, but when I came back he wasn't at home. I have no idea where he could be."

"Oh," Rise said sadly. "He wasn't… kidnapped, was he? Like the announcer lady and that one third-year?"

"Too early to say," said Naoto. "It's the worse-case scenario I would like to avoid, though, but I don't know how to find or contact him."

"Maybe it was something that happened that made him snap? Like that disagreement you two had?"

Naoto's frown grew. "…perhaps I had pushed too much when I suggested we spend the night together. I always knew he was an odd boy, but to react like that—"

"Odd? What do you mean?"

Naoto thought twice about telling her, but she seemed genuinely concerned about Kanji. Fact is, this was an urgent matter and he needed all the help he could get. "He seems to hold a front of forced bravado almost constantly. I recall a number of times when I or someone else asked him about odd or strange behavior, and he would react as if being unfairly criticized. I can only assume it has something to do with a trauma, or perhaps a case of gynophobia."

Rise blinked, trying to remember what the word meant, before leaning forward in a hushed tone. "You're saying the scariest delinquent of Yasogami High is afraid of girls?"

"At the very least, he abhors feminine behavior. He is also socially withdrawn, constantly abrasive and trying to prove himself. After spending several months with him and thinking back to these signs, I'm fairly certain he has an inferiority complex."

"Girls and inferiority complex," Rise repeated to herself. She then nodded to him and started to head for the elevators. "Thanks, that's all I needed to know."

"Can I ask you something?" Naoto called out. Rise didn't turn, but did stop to listen as she waited. "I'm thankful you are concerned and looking for him, but I can't help but wonder why you, a former idol, would care to do this. As I just told you, he holds a general aversion to many of the girls at school."

A tense moment passed. Naoto didn't think she would really answer, and didn't blame her. He was about to leave and try searching the town when she spoke again. "I was in his position once, the teasing bit I mean."

Naoto blinked before nodding in understanding. "So you empathize with him."

"Yeah. It's not easy fitting in while being the weird or odd person out. And if what you told me is true, that complex thing… then he really needs to know that there are people that worry and care for him."

"I see… And for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

This time, Rise fully turned to face the detective. "Huh?"

"You were right, about how I treated things like a game. I have a lot of pressure on my family name to solve this case, and I'm viewed with as much contempt by the police as by you. And it wasn't fair taking things out on you, whether you were really kidnapped or not.

"I just…" Naoto paused, hiding his face under his hat further. "I don't want anyone else to die. Not when there's something I could do to make a difference."

Rise was honestly surprised. She still had some bitter feelings upon first meeting Naoto, and she didn't think he took her words seriously. Looking back, he tried to placate her on the lives of others, but she assumed he was trying to guilt her into complying. Instead, he was just that committed, perhaps even more than most of the cops that just wanted the disappearances to stop.

This Naoto guy reminded her a lot of Shirou.

"I see," she said, before smiling. "Well, maybe I was a little too quick to judge myself. You're not so bad after all, Naoto-kun."

"I thank you," he nodded briskly, still hiding his eyes under his hat. Rise swore she could see a faint smile and tear trail. "Good day, and good luck."

"You too," she said, and watched as the young detective left the Junes front entrance. At the same time, the elevator door finally opened… next to the one Rise was waiting in front of it.

"Stupid Junes and their dual-linked doors," she cursed under her breath, digging her phone out to angrily text. "I blame Yosuke-senpai!"

<><><>

Tatsuhime Shrine, Midday

"AAAACHOO!!" Yosuke sneezed mid weed-pull, before chuckling. "I bet my new girlfriend's bragging about me!"

Tama just rolled her eyes and plopped back down on the bench she was resting on.

The back of the Tatsuhime Shrine had really cleared up over the past month thanks to their efforts, and Tama was so receptive of them that she allowed the Investigation Team to hang around as a sub-base from Junes. Today was Sunday, so that gave the Investigation Team all day to gather intel on Kanji while preparing for the dungeon, as well as other important errands.

Because as luck would have it, Kanji was too hidden in the foggy other world to be found on scent alone, as Yosuke could attest to checking on Teddie early this morning. It would be safe to assume from now on they would need more clues before searching.

Anyway, the gang had split up and checked around several points of Inaba for information gathering, before heading back to regroup at the Tatsuhime Shrine. So far only Shirou and Rise were left unaccounted for, so Yosuke took the time to weed out the rest of the field while Chie practiced with her new weapon.

Her friend Yukiko, who had agreed to watch, blinked bemusedly. "Nunchaku?"

"Yep!" Chie nodded, brandishing her new weapon in her hands. A pair of long, black, hardened sticks connected by interlinking metal chains. "Got it just in time for the new dungeon, and I think they'll come in handy this time."

From his position in the back garden, Yosuke looked up with an accusatory gaze. "Like the chain whip and the short staff?"

"They were learning processes! You switched out the wrenches, you know!"

"Yeah, and I stuck with dual blades," he argued. "Amagi-san is using a better version of the metal fan Daidara-san made her, too."

"And Emiya-kun switched to a bow and arrow! I don't get why you're complaining about my choice of weaponry."

Yukiko frowned, quickly intervening in the fight by pulling Chie away from Yosuke's earshot. "Chie, what's wrong?"

"Huh?" The brunette flinched, but shook her confusion off with a wide smile. "Nothing's wrong! I'm peachy-keen!"

"Honesty has always been one of your better qualities, Chie. So much that it's easy to tell when you're lying."

Yukiko may not be the most aware of the world around her, but when she focused on what she did know, she had no equal. It was how she could study and ace tests to be at the top of her class. And having known Chie for years, she knew without a doubt that something was bothering her friend.

Chie's smile crumbled, before sighing in defeat. "Was it that obvious?"

"I was there when you fought my Shadow and Rise-chan's," said Yukiko. "I know we need weapons to fight Shadows, but you're the last person I expected to pick one up."

Chie looked offended. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You're literally one of the strongest people I know," she replied quickly. "You'd sooner dash towards Shadows with your Trial of the Dragon moves than swing a staff around."

She had a flush growing, equally flattered and embarrassed. "Th-They're just that. Moves. Moves of an amateur."

Yukiko tilted her head in confusion. "Hanamura-kun looks self-taught in swinging his knives and he doesn't seem all that bothered about it."

"Like his opinion matters."

"And what about mine? Or Rise-chan's? Or Emiya-kun's?"

Chie looked ready to retort until the last moment, where her embarrassment came back two-fold and her mouth closed firmly. Just as the ebony-haired girl was about to ask what was wrong, the answer to her question came to her like a splash of water. "This has something to do with Emiya-kun, doesn't it?"

Nothing came out but a hesitant squeak. "…maybe."

Yukiko giggled. She couldn't help it; the thought of Chie trying to impress Shirou was so adorable and cute!

Chie knew what was coming and snapped. "This isn't funny!"

To her credit, Yukiko stopped right away. "I'm sorry," she said, the laughter soon forgotten. There was a time and place for everything. "It's just… he's the last person to judge someone unfairly like that. You shouldn't even worry about that."

"But he makes using many weapons so easy. Like the katana or his bow, and he can just make more swords appear like, well, magic! Not to mention he has more Personas than the rest of us combined, and well… it's no contest."

She gripped the nunchaku in her hand tighter. "That's why I need to find the right weapon. The perfect weapon for me, so I can be that much stronger for everyone on the team."

Chie slipped into a stance and started flailing the weapon between her hands in rapid movements. "Aiaiaiaiaiai! "Whataaa-OW!"

Somehow during the shuffle, one end of the nunchaku spun up instead of down. Gravity took over and it clunked her square in the head, which she quickly rubbed with her free hand. She tried to smile through her wincing tears. "Okay, looks like I need to practice some more…"

If there was one thing that Yukiko hated seeing, it was self-doubt. She had wallowed in it for so long that it was surprising she didn't notice Chie having her own insecurities sooner.

"I admit, Emiya-kun has a lot of powers, and with them a lot of responsibility." She then took Chie's nursing hand into both of her own. "But we're a team, and just because he can do everything, doesn't mean that he should."

"Yukiko?"

"You may not think strength is important, but it is. You strike hard and fast before any of us, especially Emiya-kun, so we can focus on our next Shadow. We depend on you more than you know, because you're this team's strongest fighter. And you don't need any secret weapon other than your true self."

"Yukiko…" Chie was beyond touched. Here was her best friend, coming out on their first adventure together in the Shadow World, and giving her a much-needed pep talk. She had been worried it would be a bad idea, but aside from fighting monsters and having more friends, nothing had changed. And by the looks of it, nothing would between them either.

So she wasn't surprised that she was nodding with her friend with a bright smile. "Yeah, you're right! I don't need some lame-old prop! I can kick ass just fine without one!"

Chie carelessly tossed the nunchaku to prove her point, and Yukiko smiled with her. Maybe if she was lucky, her discarded weapon would clunk Hanamura right on the head.

THUNK! "OW!"

Chie and Yukiko immediately paled, and turned around to where the weapon flew.

...that wasn't Hanamura.

"OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY, EMIYA-KUN!"

Shirou winced and nursed his aching forehead while holding the offending weapon in his other hand. "Why would you throw something like this around anyway? Kids play here, for goodness' sake."

"Oh, suck it up," Yosuke quipped as he and the fox walked over to them. "Your thick head should have cushioned the worst of it."

Chie was about to snap angrily at him when her phone, as well as everyone else's, started to ring. They wordlessly pulled them out to read the message.

"Looks like Rise-chan found something out about Kanji-kun," Yukiko said.

"Great!" Yosuke smirked, already making for the shrine gate. "Let's hurry back to Junes and hear all about it!"

<><><>

Junes

Tohru Adachi hummed to himself as he carried his modest bag of groceries out of the cash-in line. He'd found some cabbage rolls to last the week, and for once he didn't bump into that crazy old lady who thought he was her grandson. She really tried his patience at times, but he hadn't had any reason to get overly ticked off lately. Heck, he's been having a lot of fun recently.

Dojima was probably the best partner he could ask for in this small urban town. He was experienced, gruff, serious, and made it plain what he wanted. He was also a family man so there were times where, despite him saying otherwise, he cared about Adachi. It left him conflicted that he couldn't do better, but some partnerships just aren't meant to last. With that in mind, he waited in front of the elevator after pressing the call button.

"Hope tomorrow doesn't get too hectic…" he said to himself. It was currently his day off today, and he'd already heard rumors spreading that Kanji Tatsumi was missing. No one was certain it was true or not given that it was Sunday and a similar scare happened with Rise, but then again, you never knew what would happen in a supposedly crazy town like this.

His musing stopped when he heard the elevator open and a group of teens walked out of it. He waited for them to leave before doing a double-take. It was Dojima's nephew, Shirou Emiya.

And the kids he was arrested with the other day, Yosuke Hanamura and Chie Satonaka.

And the girl from the Amagi Inn, Yukiko.

And… the retired idol Rise Kujikawa?!

Man, talk about an ensemble! Why were they all together?

"Are you sure we shouldn't go back to change into our uniforms?" Yukiko asked softly as they walked away. "They'd be better suited for this kind of thing."

Adachi looked between the elevator and the group of kids that didn't notice his presence at all. A moment later, he discreetly trailed the group while looking as inconspicuous as possible; easy in a department store full of eager shoppers all around.

"We'd stand out if we suddenly go home and change into our uniforms on a Sunday, and even people in cram school need to take breaks," he heard Shirou explain. "Besides, our supplies are all safe with Teddie. We'd only need to worry if we're bringing new stuff."

The brunette boy, Yosuke, scoffed. "Says the guy who got one of his girlfriends some new shoes."

Wait, did Adachi hear him right? Girlfriends? Well damn, who knew Dojima's nephew was such a player?!

Though it didn't look like the Satonaka girl was wearing anything different or eye-catching. Rather, she was carrying a box under her arm. Was she embarrassed by the gift and didn't want to wear the shoes right away?

If Shirou was embarrassed though, his next comment didn't show it at all. "You're just jealous because you didn't think to give shoes to your girlfriend yet."

"…shut up."

Well played, Emiya. Well played.

At this point, they entered the electronics store, and Adachi stopped following as to not arouse any suspicion. He did see Rise latch onto the red-haired boy's shoulder and make an excited remark that he was too far away to hear.

What did they plan to do in the electronics store? And who's Teddie? Other cops noticed them entering there a lot, but their duties were just keeping to their patrols and making sure no one shoplifted or waved around weapons again.

Adachi paced in front of the store, looking in to see the odd quintet talking in front of a big TV. He was currently off duty, so he had no reason to act professional. It meant he had no reason to look into this either. Something about Emiya and his circle of friends seemed to imply he was in the middle of all this…

But what did he know? The other guys at the station would never believe him, and they barely got Shirogane out of their hair. Dojima's nephew was on thin ice as is, but if it turned out that what he was doing wasn't at all bad or illegal, he knew the veteran cop would go medieval on the ass for jumping the gun.

…Adachi really didn't want to be the one chewed out if that was the case, and made Dojima and the others annoyed enough as it was. It was a miracle they didn't hate him more than Shirogane, really, but he always fancied himself smarter than he looked.

"Well, it's not my problem," Adachi shrugged, already doubling back to the elevator. He was fairly certain that kids like them wouldn't get into any trouble.

<><><>

TV World; road to Steamy Bathhouse

"Girls and an inferiority complex… Girrrrrrrrrls, compleeeeeeex…"

As soon as they told Teddie the clues to Kanji, he went to work sniffing through the fog. Everyone followed the bear as he did his thing, but were getting worried through the long trek. "He's been at this for twelve minutes now," Rise said. "Is this normal?"
"He said the fog has been messing up with his senses, so things must be getting harder to pick up," Shirou told her. "But with the clues we gave him, he should be able to pick them up accurately."

"Oh, don't worry! I know the way back home easy!" Teddie turned to them with a smile. "It has a distinctive smell of Yosuke, and it was a nice safe space away from most Shadows."

"Wait, why me?" Yosuke asked. "I didn't do anything!"

Chie looked to the eerie sky, a hand stroking her chin in thought. "Actually, weren't you complaining about something that time? Needing to have to go…"

"Ah, he needed to use the restroom, right?"

"That's it!"

"But that means…" Yukiko began, before she and Rise both turned to Yosuke, standing between them. She quickly ran in fear and clung to Chie's back. "EEEEWWWWW! That is so gross."

"What?!" the offended teen yelled. "I so didn't piss my pants!"

Rise made a repulsed face, and took deliberate steps to the side, away from Yosuke. "…I so didn't need to hear that."

"Well, I didn't!"

"And no one bothered to ask, thank you very much!" Chie yelled back. "You're just making it sound more suspicious the more you bring it up!"

"How is telling the truth suspicious?!"

"Because you're awfully specific on whether you peed your pants or not!"

"Because I didn't!!"

As he watched from behind Yosuke and the girls' growing argument, Shirou smiled wistfully. Tuning their voices off, he looked ahead and picked up the pace with Teddie leading the way. "We're walking to save a fellow student, and we're making jokes at each other's expense. When I planned to fight Shadows, this isn't what I had in mind."

"You don't sound all that upset," Teddie noted.

"Well, it certainly beats having to do this alone," he replied. "Between helping others and catching the culprit to this whole mess, hanging out like this feels… nice."

"Yeah, it does," he said quickly with a smile. Of course the bear would do anything not to feel lonely.

"Shirou-sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"You've noticed that the Shadows that have been converted to Personas, they have similar powers to when they were berserk, albeit on a smaller scale."

"…I did notice a pattern, yes." Jiraiya's wind. Tomoe's ice. Konohana Sakuya's fire. "It's very convenient we have a full team of varied elements to exploit the Shadows' weaknesses."

"Yeah, very lucky," Teddie said. "Although… Rise-chan's powers would blow ours out of the way in terms of scouting, if she… no, when she gets used to it."

Ah, so that's it. "You're worried Rise will take over and do a better job as support?"

Teddie frowned. "You saw what her Shadow did. We barely beat her when she literally danced around us- I mean, you guys. And if, no, when she figures out her powers-"

"Then you'll be there to help her."

The bear blinked and looked up to him. "Huh?"

"It's possible her Persona abilities would dwarf anything you or I could scrounge up, but she's new to this. She's going to need all the help she can get to keep up on our mission from here on out."

"That's true…"

"Furthermore, you're still our resident expert on this world, knowing more than the rest of us, and you still got me beat when it comes to Gradation Air. Your Reinforcement was vital and helped save the day." Shirou told him with a smile. "You're invaluable to us, Teddie. Never forget that."

"Shirou-sensei…!" Teddie sniffled, overcome with emotion, and his eyes watered so much it looked like he was condensing mist from his tear ducts.

Wait, mist?

Shirou looked around him, noticing for the first time how oddly thick the fog was around them, obscuring their view even with the glasses on. The others stopped arguing and were also starting to notice the shift in the fog.

"Uh, guys?" Rise called out. "Is it just me, or is the fog getting thicker here?"

"It's not fog, it's steam," Yukiko said quickly, lifting her glasses up briefly. "Fog is essentially a state of water condensed into cloud form, but closer to the earth's surface. And it lifts out of the TV world to become rain in our world."

"Wow, you can tell?!" Chie asked. She and the others were amazed by her deduction and wisdom.

"It's not that hard to figure out," Shirou said. "The water cycle is one of the basics of science. Anyone who's ever made a mini-cyclone with two taped-up soda bottles could understand that."

"That, and my family owns a hot springs inn," the heiress reminded. "You can tell the difference easy between a cloud formed by lower humidity and one made with too much. So much that the water boils quickly from a heated source."

"Is that so," said Yosuke dimly. Then his eyes widened, as if a lightbulb went off in his head. "Wait, wasn't the Midnight Channel last night set to a sauna?"

As they looked around, they could make out the inner details of a bathhouse changing room around them. Pale and pink tiles led inside, with rows of lockers leading to a set of wooden doors at the end. Small stools and towels were set up for changing, giving it more ambience without the presence of people.

Teddie smiled and spread his arms in glee. "What do you know! We're here!"

Everyone stared at the bear, exasperated. "Why didn't you say anything before?" Yosuke asked.

"Probably because you were all too busy talking about bowel movements," Shirou told him. "On the plus side, we're in a changing room so if anyone has to go…"

"I'm fine, thanks," Yosuke droned. The girls snickered amongst themselves.

Before anyone made another step forward, a sultry voice called out from nowhere. "C'mere, pussycat..."

Everyone stiffened, and someone let a rather shrill squeak of fear. "Wh-what was that?!" Rise cried out.

"These places tend to have voices pop up that are meant to reflect the victim's reality," Shirou explained. "But this feels…"

"Oh... Such well-defined pecs..." Another voice called, both soothing and welcoming. If words had feeling, they might have caressed the young teens whom their words were directed towards.

The voices were close, and soon everyone was looking up to see two bodybuilders standing at the door and looming over them like giants. They were both in monochrome down the middle, their left half white and their right half black. Besides the briefs hugging their groins, they were naked and well chiseled in muscle. Their faces were remarkably human, sporting full lips and thin black mustaches. They could pass off as identical twins, with the only difference between the two men being insignias itched on their biceps; one had a blue T on his black side, and another had a red N on his white side.

They were both smiling at the group, and the man with the N said, "There's no need to be scared..."

"…I think I might take that bathroom break now, thanks."

"Eww."

Ignoring Yosuke, Shirou took a tentative step forward towards them. "Is Kanji Tatsumi here?"

"Indeed," The T man nodded. "Do you wish to enjoy a soak in the Steamy Bathhouse?"

"I just want to find Kanji, and hopefully bring him back home," Shirou said. "I don't have the time or money for your services, sorry."

The two bodybuilders turned and exchange frowns, shaking their heads and tsking. "Such a waste of good manhood. I was hoping someone of his beautiful physique would be a shoe-in."

"Truly a lost cause if there ever was one, Nice Guy."

"Wait, your name is Nice Guy?" That would explain the N, at least.

"That's correct. And I am Tough Guy. No relation." The T guy paused long enough to smile and make a knowing side-glance. "Yet."

"Oh, you big softie!"

...this was getting off track, and horribly awkward at that. "I'm sorry you feel I insulted you, but me and my friends here just want to bring Kanji back. Too much steam and hot water could lead him passing out from heat stroke, or even drowning under the water. And you don't want your business to go under because of that, do you?"

Tough Guy and Nice Guy exchanged glances and whispers again. Back at the group, Chie looked between him and her friends. "What the hell is he doing?"

"I don't know," Yosuke shrugged. "Diplomacy rolls?"

"I thought DnD was just a cover," Rise said.

"And isn't this dangerous? I mean, those are Shadows, right?" Yukiko asked.

"They don't look like Shadows. Personas, maybe?" Teddie wondered.

"Wait, you don't know? I thought you lived here, Teddie."

The bear shook his head. "All I know for sure is that they come from this Kanji you're looking for, along with the rest of this place. It's not all that different from Yuki-chan having that prince Shadow around."

"Prince?"

Rise's question was ignored in favor of Yukiko's embarrassment, as Chie quickly added, "That's different. It had a Noh mask and everything, while these guys look like humans. How could you not know every weird thing that goes on here?"

Teddie had a frown on his face that looked wise beyond words. "Would you have tried looking for answers before all this?"

No one had an answer to that.

"Okay, thanks," Shirou told the two bouncers before returning to the others. "Okay, we're clear. Kanji's inside so let's hurry after him."

The bear and teens all blinked. "Wait, just like that?" Yosuke asked.

"Mister Emiya here has made a convincing case for your… fairer friends," Tough Guy frowned towards the girls. "As long as you behave yourselves and don't do anything untoward to our guests, you are free to enjoy the facilities."

"Do enjoy yourselves!" Nice Guy added with a smile, before sneering aside, "Although I doubt moody bitches would feel anything short of a spanking."

Rise and Yukiko gasped in shock. Chie took a threatening step forward with a few choice words to say but stopped when Shirou placed his hand firmly over her shoulder.

"Quickly," he said rather tensely. "Before they change their minds."

Chie kept her mouth shut for as long as they passed the grinning, waving Guys. Upon entering the bathhouse, a heatwave hit them from the steam, blending with the fog and wooden décor in an orange haze. The path was long, there were rows of benches to sit against the walls, and indentions full of burning red sauna rocks.

When they were at a far enough distance and out of earshot from the entrance, Chie returned the favor by turning Shirou around to face her. "What the hell was that about?!"

"This dungeon is apparently a men's only sauna," Shirou said. "They were intent on only allowing me, Yosuke, and possibly Teddie in, but not you three."

"And now you're concerned about being nice with Shadows? We could just kick their asses like all the others!"

"I'd rather avoid conflict with facets of Kanji's psyche if I can help it."

Everyone looked surprised and concerned. Yosuke in particular looked fearful. "Facets?" Yukiko asked.

Shirou nodded, turning to Yukiko. "They looked different, but they were definitely Shadows, and strong ones at that. They were kind of like the Charming Prince in having a deep connection to his psyche and this dungeon."

"Oh! Like how Yuki-chan wanted to score all the hot guys in the castle?"

"Teddie!" Chie growled. "Learn some damn tact! You know that's not true!"

Beside him, Yukiko slumped and hid her face in her palms. Teddie pondered for a moment before snapping his digits. "Oh, that's right! She didn't just try to make a move on Shirou-sensei and Yosuke, but you too, Chie-chan! OWW!"

"That's NOT what I meant!" she shouted after giving the bear a fresh lump.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?" the inn heiress lamented to herself.

Rise pouted as the context of the situation, while interesting and hilarious, flew straight over her head. "You guys owe me an explanation for this later," she demanded.

"No, we don't!"

Throughout the whole squabble, Shirou was pinching his nose in exasperation. "ANYWAY," he finally raised his voice, forcing the others to listen. "We're not ready yet to take those Shadows on, and even if we could, we might damage Kanji's mental state worse than him outright rejecting it."

"I… guess that makes sense," Chie admitted.

"It was tricky talking to them, I admit. They kept eyeing me like a piece of meat or something," Shirou continued. He failed to notice the girls exchanging knowing, embarrassed looks. "But I managed to convince them to give us a pass."

"Just like that?"

"...I might have promised to give them a full back massage on a later date."

Bewildered silence filled the room. Chie turned to Yukiko. Yosuke to Teddie. Rise to Tama. Then they all turned to Shirou, who was sheepishly rubbing the back of his head and blushing. "I couldn't think of anything else, all right?!"

Yukiko giggled. "Helpful to a fault even to Shadows? That's just so like you, Emiya-kun!"

"Yeah yeah, he's a great, weird guy. Can we hurry up and find Kanji, now?" Rise asked. "This place is so stuffy I think my hair's getting a perm."

"Good idea. This place looks rather wide between floors, so if anyone has a plan of action, now's a good time for suggestions."

Yosuke's hand shot up. "I have a suggestion, leader!"

"What is it, Yosuke?"

"Can we head back and call it a day?"

For a moment, no one said anything. They had assumed he was joking, but the uneasy smile said otherwise.

"But we just got here!" Teddie told them. "And I know for sure Kanji's down here!"

"And that is all great progress! So I think it's safe to head back and rest up for another day, perhaps maybe a week later, or two."

"Yosuke-kun," Yukiko said slowly. "You're not… scared, are you?"

"What? Me? What a silly proposition!" Yosuke quickly replied. He tried to laugh but his voice cracked between chuckles. "I just uh… need to check up with Sacchin, see. I promised her dinner tonight, and the phones don't work around here so I was thinking of heading back and seeing we can…"

At this point the girls were glaring. Even the fox. "Okay, I'm scared! You saw those two guys! They're ripped, campy, and looked like they wanted to plow me to the ground! My ass isn't safe here, man!"

"Not helping your case, Hanamura," said Chie.

"We're going to have to fight them eventually, especially if we want to save Kanji before his Shadow kills him. We promised to save all the victims involved in this, and Kanji is no exception. You don't want anyone to end up like Konishi, don't you?"

"Well, no, but—"

"And even if you decide to head out without us, you do realize that you'll have to run into those guys again, right? Because they're guarding the door and thought you to be very lean and handsome."

Between the dry tone of his voice, and the deadpan stare in his eyes, Shirou wasn't the least bit amused of his suggestion to leave. Seeing everyone else stare at him with the same level of disdain, perhaps even more, Yosuke slowly lowered his hand back down. "This is gonna suck," he whimpered.

"Well, since there are no other suggestions, I guess we'll move on to business," Shirou said.

"And what business is that, senpai?" asked Rise.

"The same thing we've been doing from the start. Fight Shadows, get stronger, and find Kanji before the next rainstorm. But more importantly, we need to get everyone up to speed on tactics."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 37: Boiling Tensions

<><><>

Deep in the Steamy Bathhouse

The first thing Kanji felt when he came to was that he was hot. Like, stuffy hot. He knew it was June, but this was unbearable. "Ugh, dammit Ma, would you turn the AC on or something?"

He blinked his groggy eyes awake, but it was soon clear that the room wasn't hazy from his rousing eyes, but from smoke and steam. He didn't remember his house being like this. In fact, this didn't look like his house at all!

"The hell is this!?" Kanji shouted, but there was no answer.

It looked like he was in some sort of old-styled steam room usually found in resorts and inns and stuff. Filled with buff men in nothing but their towels… no way he was staying here.

"Geez, if this is Naoto's idea for a prank, I'm gonna make sure he regrets it," he grumbled, making his way to the door.

Leaving the cramped sauna room, Kanji walked down the left side of the long hallway, hoping to find a way out. He kept finding doors that led to other sauna rooms, and longer hallways even. It was soon clear that he was getting lost, and he felt creeped out as if there was someone, or something, watching him.

"Shit," Kanji muttered, tugging the collar of his shirt. He had slept in shorts and his flaming skull tank-top, but he might as well be wearing leather slacks with how hot it was in this freaky place. "It's so damn hot in here."

It was getting harder to move, as if the heat itself was a weight bearing down on him. Part of him just wanted to try and sleep again, but he couldn't. Not here. Not when he didn't have any idea about how he ended up here, or that someone was still watching him from behind.

He almost gave up trying to find a way out when his search for an exit led him to some sort of built-in pool at the far end of the room.

"Hmm… maybe a morning soak will help," he mused aloud. Not that he knew if it was morning or not. He reached for his shirt, ready to pull it over his head and set the clothes aside, when he realized he didn't have anything else to wear. What could he go in, his underwear? Maybe try one of the towels lying around, but did he really want to look like some toga-wearing freak? In a bathhouse-like place where the guys get all flamboyant, flexing muscles and showing off their-

No. The clothes stay on. He decided to wring them dry back home later or something. He straightened his shirt and hopped into the pool. The water was heated as well, but in a way that just made him melt and feel at ease. So much he could close his eyes and lean back with a smile.

"Aaaaaah, that's the stuff." Despite the tension of being stuck in this weird place, Kanji allowed himself to relax in the moment.

<><><>

Steamy Bathhouse, Floor 2

Rise was no stranger to pressure or nerves. She'd never forget the feeling of first stepping before a live stage audience after months of preparation for songs and public speaking practice. So really, learning how to summon the inner will to fend off bloodthirsty monsters should be as easy on paper as well as execution.

But this was a worse feeling, she realized.

Yes, she was scared. Petrified even. Terrors of running from her Shadow doppelgängers and how her then-not-friends getting gored and blasted away was more traumatizing than any lynch mob her security might break up.

And her new friends, who also had that same near-death experience, didn't hesitate at all in going after them. It didn't matter what the Shadows looked like, or what strengths they had. They fought them indiscriminately just for being in the way of their search.

"Yosuke, switch to wind when needed, but stick to offense otherwise! Satonaka, stay with the others and mind your distance! Amagi, hang back with fire but mind your prana in case we need healing!"

"""Roger!"""

Shirou was so scarily efficient in treating this run as a training mission. He focused on all of his surroundings, ensuring that the Shadows never got the drop on them. He would always lead with spells on Shadows they hadn't seen before to see what worked best and remembered those weaknesses (thanks in part to Teddie of course). He knew how his teammates worked best according to their Personas and strengths, giving curt orders to rein them back in.

No wonder he was the team leader.

"WATAAH!" Chie's battlecry echoed through the freaky bathhouse as she roundhouse kicked the cop Shadow in the side of its hollowed-out gut. Her new weapon, a pair of fur boots that gave off an almost Viking-like vibe to them, seemed to ignite in fire with each kick. It looked like she was in her natural element.

"Satonaka, stay in formation," Shirou ordered. His back was towards her, and he was busy swinging overhead at a cupid Shadow, but he knew where she was.

"Right! Sorry, these boots are just awesome. Thanks again, Emiya-kun!"

Meanwhile, Yukiko squared off with another cupid Shadow, extending her whole fan like a shield over her upper body. The Shadow pulled back its bowstring and launched an arrow, but she danced to the side and deflected it past her. Following up, she spun her fan's edge down at the Shadow's face which caused blackened muck to splatter out like blood.

Yosuke came in from behind and slashed both knives at the back of the weakened Shadow, killing it. Following up, he turned and slashed his Persona card. Jiraiya promptly blasted the boulder-shaped Shadow high enough to land it in a pool of boiling water behind it.

"Wow, that was really good, Hanamura-kun!" Yukiko smiled.

Normally he would have appreciated praise from Yukiko Amagi, but he had a girlfriend now and he had to be faithful to her. That, and his current track mind was having tunnel vision on the Shadows and nothing else. So much that he kept chanting "Just keep fighting, just keep fighting, just keep fighting, just keep fighting" like a mantra.

Before long, the skirmish ended and the path to the next stairway was clear. Shirou calmly sheathed his sword and told everyone to "take five".

Rise found herself letting out a breath of relief she didn't know she was holding and slumped down to the floor. Teddie and Tama immediately huddled up to her side. "Ugh, between the humidity and the fighting, I don't think I can last much longer."

"We have a lot more floors to go, but it might be best to head back after climbing the next set of stairs," Shirou told her. "But before that, I think it's time we teach you how to summon your Persona too."

"Right," Rise frowned. "Sorry, I must be dragging you guys down."

Shirou shook his head and extended his hand to her. "I should be the one to apologize. With the rush to help Kanji, I forgot to help you summon your Persona first."

It was always a tough transition for a new Persona user to figure out how to use their power. Shirou figured it out by virtue of being a magus and applying what he knew (even misinformed as it was) into practice. The others were just normal teenagers with simple problems and didn't grasp the trick as easily as he did.

Helping the blushing girl back up, he stayed close to keep her upright. "It just requires a trick to do it, and once you get it, it'll come naturally."

Before he could rely this knowledge, Teddie's nose twitched and he frantically waived to Shirou for his attention. "Sensei! There's a Shadow nearby!" Sure enough, a grunt-like growl echoed around the bathhouse, causing the Investigation Team to tense in preparation again.

Shirou tsked. "Missed one. And it sounds close too."

An aura suddenly flared around Rise. He saw her eyes closed and hands clenched as if in prayer. Himiko's figure solidified behind her, with her hands down at Rise's level and holding a golden visor over them. Rise opened her eyes and saw the world even more clearly combined with her glasses. Numbers and symbols flared, and she could see the figure of a Bribed Fuzz lurking behind a corner.

"There!" she cried out, pointing to the hiding Shadow.

"Ippon-Datara!" Shirou reacted first, summoning his blacksmith Persona. With surprising agility for a being with only one leg, he leaped forward like a whip with his hammer arm poised back to strike.

"SMAAAAAAAASH!"

With a battlecry fitting the sound effect, his hammer struck true and dispersed the Shadow in a single strike. The impact was hard enough to even crack the wood floor below. Having hoped to get the first strike itself, the Shadow was caught unaware by the counterattack and suffered a quick death.

Ippon-Datara looked further down the hall around the corner to be sure, before turning towards Shirou so his one eye made contact. "…Secure." The Persona stated before he returned back to Shirou's subconscious.

The team exhaled relieved breaths. "That was a close one. Thanks, Rise-chan!"

Rise smiled and nodded at Yukiko. Blinking, she realized what just happened, and jumped with a wider smile. "Hey! I did it! I summoned my Persona, Himiko!"

"And without my help at that," Shirou said.

"Rise-chan's amazing!" Teddie added.

"Hehe, thanks!" she giggled. "But wow… this is kind of weird. I feel like I'm seeing the world in three perspectives or something."

"Yeah, it's kind of wonky like that," Yosuke started, before he double-took. "Wait, three? You should only see things in two."

"Well, it's more like two-and-a-half, really. I can see in front of me, and around Himiko, but also through this visor thing like it's virtual reality, or some sort of spy-op game. There are numbers, charts, and maps flying all over it. I know if it was anything else I would probably go crazy trying to figure out, but it's all easy enough for me to understand. I feel like I can see anything."

"Really? Like what?" Yukiko asked.

"Let's see…" Rise said, and stared more intently into Himiko's visor. The shaman Persona moved her head much like a radar, back and forth slowly in a deliberate scan. "I… I can see Kanji. Two Kanjis actually. There's a lot of Shadows up above, and some really big readings a few floors down. Must be those big guy Shadows at the entrance. And… I think there's about a dozen floors total, give or take one below."

"Tw-Twelve floors…?!" Yosuke gawked. He had hoped the dungeon would be a smaller one like Saki's liquor store or Yukiko's castle, but to have a dungeon being as large as Rise's, if not larger, was something that made him very uneasy.

Shirou too was bothered by the news, but for different, less self-conscious reasons. "I was a bit afraid of that. Are these dungeons supposed to be getting bigger?"

"I know the cluttered emotions that come whenever someone is pushed in makes the Shadows more agitated, and thus stronger," Teddie explained. "But I think a dozen floors is the max limit of how deep these places will ever go, because there's only so much thoughts and emotion a person can have when they come here."

"So we should just accept eleven or twelve as how deep these Shadow dungeons go?" Shirou asked, to which Teddie nodded.

"If it helps, we're on the second floor right now, close to the stairway to the third," Rise said. "So it's only ten more floors to climb."

"That's awesome!" Chie cheered. "I mean, not that we still have a lot fighting to do, but the fact how your Persona is like a super radar!"

"Indeed. There's only so much my nose can do," Teddie added humbly.

Himiko vanished back to her subconscious, but Rise was decidedly not as excited as everyone else was. "Yeah, but…"

"What's wrong, Rise-chan?"

"I'm sorry, it's just, my Persona seems to only be good at seeing things and doing dungeon crawling support. I can't move while she's active so I'm just a dead weight when it comes to fighting." She sighed bitterly, clenching her hand into a fist. "I was kind of hoping I could fight with you guys too…"

No one knew what to say. None of their awakenings were smooth transitions either, but they had weapons to fight with and some form of fitness thanks to P.E.. The closest Rise probably ever got to physical exercise was dancing, and that was rare.

Shirou and Teddie exchanged knowing glances and nodded.

"It's a bigger responsibility than you may think, Rise," Shirou told her. "That kind of ability blows away anything Teddie or I can do."

"That's right! You're amazing, Rise-chan!" Teddie added. "You just need to have more confidence in yourself!"

Rise looked happy at the encouragement but still uncertain. "But… I don't know how else to fight."

"So? You'll learn. None of us are experts in this sort of thing either, which is why we're doing this as a team."

Team… she could get used to that. She usually had back-up singers and always led the charge as an idol, but it felt nice to ease back a little as intended.

"Okay," she nodded with a smile. "Thanks, guys."

"Great! Now we're definitely one more Persona stronger for whatever comes our way!" Yosuke smiled and looked at everyone. "...can we leave now?"

Shirou fought the urge to sigh. "Yosuke, this is the third time you've asked that since we got here. Are you going to keep asking that every time we find the stairs?"

"Yes! Because Teddie's dioramas only teleport us between the entrance and the flight of stairs!" It was sound reasoning to try and put off an escape route until reaching the next checkpoint, but Shirou had a feeling that Yosuke would demand escape constantly if Teddie wasn't so reluctant to use a GoHo-M unless it was an absolute emergency. "Besides, you said we should head back after this next set of stairs! You said that!"

"I did, didn't I?" Shirou noted aloud. He knew they hadn't made much progress climbing floors, but that was due to taking the time to work on tactical maneuvers. After the near disaster that was Shadow Rise, Shirou knew they couldn't face future Shadows without being a cohesive and well adapted team.

"I'm all for heading back," Chie said. "Yukiko and Rise-chan are both exhausted, Homophobura here is close to a mental breakdown, and we're still in debt paying Tama for the last batch of leaves we bought. We're not exactly in top-shape to keep going."

It was surprising to see Rise out of breath due to her lack of fighting, but there was a lot of running involved in finding and fighting Shadows. The sauna air didn't make things easy either. He regretted not giving Rise enough time to adjust fighting with her Persona yet, but there was always next time. And there was time for Kanji until the next rainfall.

Weighing all those options, Shirou nodded. "All right. We'll head back for now."

"Oh, thank god," Yosuke sighed with audible relief as Teddie puffed up a GoHo-M. Considering how well he held up, Shirou allowed him this.

<><><>

June 28th, Samegawa Flood Plain

The last few days were actually a blur and a bit hard for another get-together at Junes. Yosuke made it a point to keep putting it off with excuses like work or hanging out with his new girlfriend. Shirou, for his part, gave him his needed space to adjust while keeping himself occupied, hanging out with the other members of the Investigation Team, and even some time with the Dojimas during the evening.

Yesterday he helped fulfill another ema request for Tama, directing a lost dog back home. It was one of the harder good deeds he had to do, as the dog was not friendly or patient to strangers. But a little time, patience, and a steak skewer from Souzai Daigaku carried the day. Tama was pleased that another ema wish was granted, as it meant more people would pray at the shrine, and even waved him off the leaves bought at the striptease dungeon.

And the day before that, after retiring from the bathhouse, Shirou helped Yukiko do some last-minute grocery shopping. Yukiko was still serious in her endeavors to eventually leave Inaba, and after the disaster that was the camping trip, she had decided to practice. For better or worse, he agreed to help her by being her taste-tester.

Which led to today, sitting under the gazebo, staring at a neatly packed and visually appealing boxed lunch. Yukiko sat next to him, staring expectantly and trying to hide her… excitement? Nervousness? Pride? Shirou honestly wasn't sure.

"Well?" she asked. "Go ahead and try it."

Shirou just stared at it, keenly aware of the pungent smell it was giving off. "Did you taste it yourself?" he asked simply.

"No, I haven't," she admitted shyly. "I wanted you to be the first one to try it."

Anyone else would have been touched and moved by a gesture as sweet as this. But Shirou wasn't moved. His eyes narrowed in suspicion and her smile faded. "…are you sure this is edible?"

Yukiko pouted. Those were not the words she hoped to hear before a taste test. "It's not poisonous."

Shirou eyed the piece of food in his chopsticks with scrutiny. "Forgive me for being skeptical and experiencing PTSD after eating The Sin you and Satonaka made."

Geez, it was hard enough due to him being a smartass about her cooking, but he was still holding that over her head too? "I wish you'd stop calling our cooking that."

"Would you prefer… what did Yosuke call it again? 'Mystery Food X'?"

Yukiko blushed. Both names were bad, actually. "Just eat it, already. Please."

Shirou shrugged and did just that; he promised to taste this for her, and he couldn't help her cooking (or Satonaka's) without learning more about her quirks in cooking. He popped the bit of food in his mouth, and started to chew the soft omelet loo-

CRUNT!

…there was something inexplicably hard inside the morsel that couldn't be chewed further. He was also picking up the raw, burnt taste coming out of it. It wanted to be anywhere but his stomach, that much is certain.

"Do it for her."

Sarasvati was right. He needed to do this for Yukiko and help her grow as a proper cook. He taught someone how to cook once in Sakura, he could do it again. Even if it was becoming clear he would have to un-train Amagi and Satonaka first…

Fighting off the growing sense of nausea from the bite, he finally swallowed and eased his breathing. After a few tense seconds, he turned to Yukiko, still brimming with high expectations.

"It's bad," he said bluntly.

Yukiko's mood soured immediately, as her head dropped down in depression.

"But I didn't pass out. That's a good sign of progress."

"Thanks, that makes me feel so much better," Yukiko lamented dryly.

Shirou sniffed the meal again, trying to pick out the smells in the plain-looking... mystery food, should he call it? Or minor sin? "I think you just tried to go too fast in style and flavor. I told you to stick with the basics, but you seemed to dump all the eggs, noodles and greens into one bowl while dabbing it completely in, what, four different condiments?"

"…five, actually."

Shirou stared at her blankly, before picking up another piece of food with his chopsticks. Yukiko's mood brightened, thinking he was going to give it another try. But instead, he held it towards her and said, "Your turn."

"Eh?"

"Your skill level at cooking is simply abysmal. If you ever want to get better at cooking, you need to taste for yourself how bad the flavors are. Even if you followed the recipe to the letter, there are some things that instructions can't tell you that taste buds can."

"B-But I made it just for you," she insisted.

"And it's bad," he told her again. "You need to properly understand exactly what makes your cooking bad so you can avoid doing it yourself. Honestly, you should have done that already, considering what your 'curry' turned into."

Yukiko winced. Admittedly, the smell alone from the campout curry was enough to make her second guess herself, but it was just a fluke, she told herself. Just… conflicting cooking ideologies between herself and Chie. None of them were to blame for causing Emiya-kun and Hanamura-kun to pass out!

And if none of that was true, well… then it was Chie's fault!

She knew her cooking wasn't… great, per say. Not enough to be served at her family inn, but she had never cared before. Maybe if she just stared at him cutely enough, he would back off? It seemed to work in getting a few boys to leave her alone, lately.

"How are you ever going to live on your own if you can't even bother to eat your own food?"

…nope, he wasn't budging. Maybe he didn't think she was cute enough?

Not really. What she didn't know was that Shirou almost gave in right then and there, until Sarasvati reminded him that she was uncertain of her own talents, preferring to shy away from them. It was enough to push forward and insist that she wanted to leave Inaba, she needed to do this for herself.

Sighing, Yukiko opened her mouth and accepted Emiya-kun's offering. Even if it was the food meant for him, he was feeding her. The thought alone brought a smile and flush to her cheeks as she started to…

To…

Oh goodness.

OH GOODNESS GRACIOUS!

"BLUACK!" she spat the food out on the ground in front of them before coughing. She thought she could block out the smell if that was the only problem, but it was like trying to like a smoldering ball of ash hardened into a mud-covered rock. Nevermind swallowing it; she couldn't hope to chew it without feeling grossed out.

"Water! Water!" she cried, fanning her tongue and looking around their seats. She was so glad she thought to bring bottled water for this lunch date, and that Shirou opened one for her before handing it over. She guzzled it down so fast and clumsily that some droplets spilled down the sides of her cheeks and chin, even staining the top of her sweater.

Shirou patiently waited for her to finish drinking, gasping for breath as the foul taste was cleansed from her mouth. "You understand, now?" he asked her.

Oh, she did. She knew her cooking was bad from what people had told her, but she never actually knew how bad. She'd never felt so fearful for her life eating something before. That it came from her own hand was terrifying. And to think the Sin, the Mystery Food X, was enough to make Emiya-kun and Hanamura-kun enter a near death state…

Guilt and horror from the campout incident resurfaced, as she hugged him tight with tears bawling out her eyes. "I'M SO SORRY, EMIYA-KUUUUN!" she wailed.

Shirou stiffened and blushed. He didn't expect such a reaction from her, and he felt bad making her suddenly cry like this. "U-Uh… there, there, Amagi?" he said awkwardly, patting her back.

A few minutes passed as she calmed down and dried out the tears in her eyes. They were now glinting with an odd mix of determination and pity. "I," she sniffled. "I promise to do better for your stomach's sake, Emiya-kun!"

"That's… great?" Well, as long as she was going to do better cooking now, this was fine, right?

"Hey, big bro!"

Shirou was instantly relieved and happy to see Nanako skip over to them. The feeling was mutual, as the young girl was acting a lot more cheerful since Golden Week. By now she was familiar with all of Shirou's friends, and it was fairly common for her to drop in and ask what they were doing. Like right now. "What are you two doing?"

"Just practicing my cooking and having Emiya-kun here try it." Yukiko explaining, looking at the box lunch on Shirou's lap.

"Can I have some too?"

""NO!""

Nanako flinched at both teens' immediate outburst. Shirou pulled the box lunch away and Yukiko's hands were spread-out forward to stop her, both wide-eyed with fearful expressions.

Seeing the younger girl confused and hurt, Yukiko waved off her protective reflex and smiled. "I-I mean, you wouldn't like it, Nanako-chan! It's… not very good…"

"Oh, okay," she nodded. "Then I'll just have some when you make a good boxed lunch!"

Nanako was so simple and innocent. It was a matter of "when" the food would be good rather than "never" to her, and she was willing to wait until that happened. It was the kind of confidence boost Yukiko didn't even know she needed, which was why she was speechless.

Realizing that fact, Shirou smiled and answered on his friend's behalf. "I'm sure she'll like that very much, Nanako."

"Yay!" Nanako cheered. "I'll be rooting for you!"

"Y-Yes! I'll do my best, thank you Nanako-chan!" Yukiko smiled.

They waved and watched Nanako hurry on to her friend's house. When the younger girl was out of earshot, Yukiko sighed. "This… didn't turn out at all like I had hoped. Sorry."

"You're not going to hug me and cry on my shoulder again, are you?"

"No!" she squawked, more embarrassed than offended. "Maybe…"

"Relax, it's fine," Shirou told her. "Teasing aside, we all have our strengths. And I'll keep eating whatever you make until you get good enough to serve it to Nanako too."

"Really?"

"Really. It's the least I can do after all the times your healing helped us in the TV world. I'm counting on you."

Yukiko's face burned brighter as she looked away. "Th-That's my line," she stammered. But it wasn't an unpleasant feeling, really…

<><><>

Steamy Bathhouse

Kanji had lost track of time and what was going on. Soaking in the bath helped a bit, but that endeavor made his clothes wet and sticky. Maybe he should strip down next time he needed a soak. There was nothing else to do, anyway.

At first, this was kind of nice. No one around to scream or judge him, and he could relax as long as he needed. Finally, some time to himself to cool off, and maybe wait until someone did find him.

But now it was just effin' creepy. He had seen no one for… hours? Days? He didn't even know how long he had been stuck in this place and it was something that both scared him and infuriated him. Not that he would ever show that weakness to others. Part of him felt that he really wasn't alone here and that someone was watching him.

"Stop hiding and show yourself already you bastard!" he screamed as he ran through the halls. He rested enough to try wandering the place, but his stamina wasn't like it used to be. Something about this crazy sauna made him just want to sleep and tune out everything.

"Oh, but I'm not decent!"

Kanji stiffened. He was both relieved and rather scared that he'd heard someone for the first time since he got here. Something about the voice sounded familiar, and he couldn't quite put his finger on what. He turned around to see the newcomer.

It was a man with bleached hair smiling and reclining in a pool of waist-deep water. Kanji quickly realized he looked just like himself, and that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Oh god was he-?!

"THE FLIPPIN' A!?!" Kanji wailed as he jumped away.

"Hiya, handsome!" The double waved at him, grinning and opening one eye to look at him. His eye was that of a cat's, gleaming a bright yellow gold. "Sooooo glad I finally found you!"

'Found me'? What the hell was this guy going on about? "Who the hell are you?!"

"I'm you, obviously. Don't you notice the muscles, the scars, and the other subtle male charms? I've been looking everywhere for you, you know."

Talking to himself? This had to be a dream, right? He had been wandering for so long that the smoke was getting to him. Yeah, that's it. Thinking about it like that, he was willing to accept this for the moment. But it was still creepy as hell.

"Th-Then why are you…?" he pointed, but couldn't finish the sentence, as his mind was still processing what was going on. Luckily, or perhaps unfortunately, the other Kanji smiled coyly while splashing the water with his feet.

"Well, it took so long to find you, you know, but when I did, I was trying to think how to make a good first impression. You didn't seem to be causing a hassle running around like a headless chicken, so I'm just taking it easy cooling off here. And what a rest, my feet are KILLING ME. But enough gabbing, come on in! The water's great!"

"The hell I'm going in the same pool with a lookalike! Hell, I wouldn't share a pool with another guy period, much less someone who's naked!"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not naked, just a little indecent. I'm wearing a towel hugging my crotch and showing off ALL my curves."

"Men don't have curves!" Kanji screamed.

The golden-eyed Kanji's smile never left his face. It was honestly creepy seeing him grin like that. "Aww, don't be like that. We're both guys here! No evil hussies are here to muck everything up!"

"Hu-Hussies?" Something about that word struck a nerve with him.

"You know, girls! Aren't they just the worst?! Always lying, always gossiping, and able to get away with double-standards because they're 'sooooo sexyyyy'," For the first time the other Kanji's smile dropped, especially as he dragged the last two words sarcastically. "You can never trust such two-faced bitches. Much less Shana-chan."

Kanji's face paled. He didn't know how or why, but this other guy knew Shana-chan… and his words hit a little too close to home. A long pause followed before the doppelgänger pulled up a long clear sponge lathered in some soap. "Hechima?"

Kanji had heard enough from this guy. He needed to get out now. Without a word, he bolted further down the hallway, looking for what looks like an exit.

The other Kanji just reclined further back and smiled as he lathered himself. "You can run all you want darling, but you can't hide! Especially not from yourself!"

Himself? Ha, no, he was a man. A man always faces their problems head-on, and right now he was getting away from this deathtrap. If he couldn't, then he had to hope someone from the outside would get him out. Naoto, his ma, anyone… surely SOMEONE was going to get him out of this crazy hell, right? Right?!

<><><>

June 29th, Okina Station

"Sorry dude, BZ 2day @ Junes. L8r?"

Shirou read over the text Yosuke left him over and over again. Even after replying back with a simple "okay", he still couldn't believe his friend was putting off Kanji's rescue for so long. By now the police and locals of Inaba were convinced he had been kidnapped by the culprit after being absent from school for so many days. The only thing holding the Investigation Team back searching was Yosuke, as they promised to always go together as a team, and yet he always had an excuse these days.

He was fine for waiting if they were ready, and he could understand if Yosuke had personal conflicts going back to the bathhouse, but they were running out of time. The weather report said it would rain later in the week.

"I'm done, Shirou-senpai!"

Shirou pocketed his phone and greeted the voice coming out of Croco Fur. "I see you got everything you need?"

"Yep! Grandma's allowance for the tofu job is kind of cheap compared to Inoue's checks, but the stuff here was within budget anyway!"

Rise carried four shopping bags under her arms proudly and smiled through her incognito disguise of a white hat, wide sunglasses, and her hair let down. Instead of her school uniform, she was now wearing a white blouse over orange shorts and black leggings. She made a quick turn-around so he could see all sides of her attire. "So, how do I look?"

"Pretty nice," he said. "I hardly recognize you."

"That's kind of the idea," she told him. "I'm done with showbiz, so I need to keep my wardrobe updated so I can hang out in Okina without getting hounded by the paparazzi until they get the hint."

As best as Rise's efforts to stay hidden were, they didn't last long when word of mouth got out. By now every Risette fan with an ear on the floor knew that Rise was currently living in Inaba. Aside from a boost of tourism for the Amagi Inn, not much had happened since. In a few months, maybe she could wander around Okina without worry of someone hounding her.

"Was this shopping trip really necessary though?" Shirou asked. "I thought idols as popular as yourself would have a ton of clothes already."

"Well, most of them are costumes to begin with," she shrugged. "I also left on short notice. I didn't want to waste any time packing my bags and making it a bigger deal that it already was. Perhaps if I had been more patient or spoke out sooner…"

He frowned, saying the only thing he could think of. "Sorry." The whole mess with her quitting as an idol couldn't have come at a worse time. He could only imagine how traumatic it was for her, or any of his friends for that matter.

But Rise smiled and shrugged it off. "It's not your fault, senpai. I quit because I needed a look in the mirror, anyway. And besides…" Her smile grew as she stared pointedly at him. "I wouldn't have gotten to meet my new friends. Like you."

"I-I see…" Shirou coughed nervously and looked away, blushing. It just made Rise giggle, finding his shyness adorable. Man, if Shinji ever found out about this…

"But seriously, you could have asked Satonaka or Amagi to do this with you. Girls know what other girls should wear, right?" It was one thing he still didn't quite get. It was never the fact that he wouldn't do things for his friends if they asked, but he thought the girls would think twice before asking him for a favor, Social Link or no Social Link.

"Maybe, but guys know what they think looks cute on the girl they like," Rise told him. Then she pouted. "You do like me, don't you Shirou-senpai?"

The next words left Shirou's mouth without thinking. "Is this one of those trick questions girls like to ask so much?"

Rise blinked, giving him a sense of urgency that he might have offended her. The moment passed when she just laughed. "You're so funny, senpai!"

"So I've been told," he said. Lately, he found himself less inclined to keep his thoughts to himself. Had he shown this side of himself to anyone back at Homurahara, they'd probably see him as some sort of enigma or freak. But after seeing the extremity of his friend's Shadows born out of suppressed issues, something clicked within him that his own secrets weren't that big of a deal.

At least the ones he was willing to tell.

"I just… think you were the best person to ask."

Shirou blinked out of his reverie. "Huh?"

"I mean, don't get me wrong. Chie-chan and Yuki-chan are great, and Yosuke-senpai's… well, someone likes him so he's kind of busy with his own thing! But you're open, and you recently moved into Inaba too, so you probably have an idea of where to find fun hang-outs and stuff. I'd feel more comfortable hanging out with someone in case other people recognize me."

Fun hang-outs? Shirou didn't think of himself as social or outgoing like Rise. Well, it was true he had been more active since coming to Inaba, he just wasn't sure if he knew the kind of places she would enjoy. "I'm not sure if I know the kind of places you would like to hang-out," he admitted. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt for us to explore Inaba together."

"Really? Woo-hoo!" Rise jumped and cheered. Part of her didn't think Shirou would go along with her request, but he did and everything was perfect!

Well, almost.

"There's just one thing I need to ask," she said seriously, lowering her glasses enough to show a disapproving frown. "I've noticed you've been getting chummy with the other girls on the team. You're not going to lead any of us on, are you?"

"Wha-?"

"She's asking if you plan to act on debauchery."

Angel's voice, coupled with a memory of a specific phone call with Yosuke, suddenly flashed in Shirou's memory brightly enough to make him pale and blush in quick succession. "N-NO! Of course not!" He would never think about cheating. That kind of emotional manipulation was exactly what he feared happening with Social Links. Even if he did somehow pull that off, Fuji-nee would definitely make him regret it.

Rise smiled, satisfied and happy with his response. "Ah, that's good! I would hate to think you were some playboy." She then leaned in and gave him a wink. "Now all I have to do is woo you with my cute charm, Shi-rou-Sen-pai!"

He… didn't know what to make of that comment honestly, so he just glared at her. He was still blushing though, so he unintentionally amused her more. He just wished everyone would stop hounding him about his love life. But even so… he felt he could understand and appreciate Rise's eagerness and friendly behavior. He never expected a former idol to be so approachable, but perhaps that's why so many people loved her as Risette. Some of that behavior was present as Rise.

His senses dimmed as the card marked by "VI" appeared in his mind's eye. A black ink heart in a pink backdrop filled up most of the image of the card. From under the heart and cutting the face into thirds was a tree with fruit dropping off the lower branches. The heart looked like it was being cradled by hands from above and a sun hovered over it. From the lower corners on each side of the tree were two figures in their own colored sections; a silhouette of a man in the left indigo corner, and a silhouette of a woman in the right magenta corner.

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 Lovers Arcana.

"Now come on!" Rise smiled, latching onto his arm with both of hers, and started dragging him away from the station. "Let's have a tour of Okina so we can decide what to do the next time we come here!"

Shirou sighed, but still allowed himself to be led along by her. "Isn't this the part where the girl wants to do something fun, rather than sightsee?"

"Oh Shirou-senpai! Being with a guy like you is the fun part!"

<><><>

June 30th, Shopping District, Souzai Daigaku

I'm the luckiest guy alive.

That was what Yosuke thought as he sat and stared at his girlfriend across the table they had sat down at together. Nothing but sitting and eating, and occasionally flirting. "Your smile looks so adorable, Sacchin."

Sacchin gave him that same smile between bites of her steak skewer. "You're pretty cute yourself, Yosuke-kun!"

They laughed and smiled.

Every time he saw the cute angel that was Satsuki Kubo, he just felt so giddy and light. She wanted nothing more than to spend as much time with him as possible. Sitting at the food court while he worked at Junes. Waiting for him at the school gate when school ends. Late night texts that sometimes share pictures slowly get more and more… daring.

It was times like these being with her that he felt he didn't have a care in the world, not having to worry about stuff.

I think there's something important to do, though. Was it homework? Well, that can wait until later.

Sure, the Souzai Daigaku wasn't a very good place to set up a date, but frankly he didn't care. And let the people gossip all about him and his family. It meant nothing as long as he was with Sacchin.

Then again…

"You sure you don't mind me being here?" Yosuke asked her. Just because the stigmata might not bother him, it might make things harder for Sacchin like with Saki-senpai.

"The only one complaining is my younger brother, and even then, he keeps skipping out on his job," Sacchin said. She then looked over her shoulder before leaning in with a whisper. "Between you and me, he likes to complain about everything that isn't a video game or superhero comic."

"Well, who doesn't like a good video game or superhero story?" Yosuke smiled back.

Younger brother… something familiar about this. Ah, right, Saki-senpai had one too.

"Think I could meet him at some point?" he asked. Being friendly with a girl's family members always scored points with being better boyfriend/girlfriend material.

"Not for a while," she shook her head. "He doesn't like going outside, and he's been very seclusive after a run-in with Tatsumi-kun."

"Tatsumi? That sounds familiar…" Yosuke noted aloud. Wait, does she mean Kan-

"Say, how about you visit my house for the weekend?" she asked suddenly. "It's just me and my brother, and if you like video games, maybe you two can get along."

"'For the weekend'? This weekend?" Yosuke asked. "I don't know… it's going to be raining, isn't it?"

"I always thought the rainy weather to be pleasant, honestly," she said softly. "Everything in the land gets cleansed and the sound of drops is relaxing. Especially in a romantic night…"

"R-Romantic…?" Yosuke's cheeks started to color. Surely, she couldn't mean… this early in their relationship?!

"Well, it is our one-week anniversary, today," Sacchin said. "You said you wanted to take me out to someplace special than Junes, but I think you deserve something a little special for our milestone, just like how you like to spoil me."

And what a milestone! If he did everything right, he might even pass Shirou Emiya in reaching manhood first!

Shirou Emiya… wait, he asked me something lately.

"Uh… I might need to check my calendar for that," Yosuke said, reaching for his phone, and surprised to see it turned off. Wait, don't I always have this on?

Sacchin reached over and touched his other arm on the table. Their eyes met. "Surely you don't need to make time for me, do you Yosuke-kun?"

Yosuke didn't know what to say. But then, he didn't need to say anything because of how touched and happy he was. He really was lucky and happy to have met her.

Still, I feel like I'm forgetting something… something very important. What IS this something?

He started to feel Sacchin's leg slide up against his, slowly and seductively. That definitely promised something to look forward to.

Well… maybe it's not that important as the girl in front of me. I mean, heck, she's asking me to spend the weekend at her place! That shouldn't even be a question!

"Well, Yosuke-kun?" she asked again, batting her eyelashes at him.

Yosuke sighed but smiled. He just couldn't say no to her. "Sacchin, I would love to-"

"So this is where you are."

Yosuke snapped out of his emotional trance, and paled. Standing behind him with a deadpan stare was his red-haired classmate. "Sh-Sh-Sh-Sh-SHIT-irou! Wh-Wh-What a surprise!" On the outside, Yosuke tried to play it off cool, despite slipping his tongue making a slight curse.

But mentally he was hyperventilating, as the memory of their last shared texts came to mind. Crap, crap, crap, crap, CRAP! I KNEW I was forgetting something!!

Shirou ignored him, turning to the girl sitting at the other end. "Satsuki Kubo, was it? Yosuke told me quite a number of glowing compliments about you. Pleasure to meet you."

"And you must be Shirou Emiya. Likewise." She extended a hand out to him. He politely shook it as brief as possible.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your date, and I normally wouldn't impose on a 'one-week anniversary' plan…" Yosuke gulped at how dryly Shirou phrased that. "But I'm going to need your boyfriend for the night."

"Aww… can't he stay?" she asked while leaning in and batting her eyelashes. Yosuke loved that about her. She just looked so mesmerizing like-

"No."

Sacchin blinked. "Wh-What?"

"I'm sorry, but no," Shirou told her simply. "I'm afraid this is rather urgent. In fact, Yosuke is going to be busy with me and my friends for the rest of the week. Aren't you, Yosuke?"

"Y-Yeah, that's right." Yosuke was honestly just as stunned as Sacchin. He didn't think anyone ever turned down Sacchin's charm that bluntly.

"Good. Satonaka and the others are waiting for us at the food court. We have a big D&D session to catch up on." Shirou did not wait for Satsuki or Yosuke to leave a comment before grabbing the latter by his wrist and dragging him to the hilltop bus stop.

"Uh, call you later, Sacchin!" Yosuke waved and called out to her.

When the two of them were at the stop, Shirou let go of Yosuke's hand… and then quickly smacked the back of his head. "OW! I thought that was my thing!"

"Your one day off on your 'busy schedule' all week and the first chance you get, you're out dating again?" Shirou snarled. "I'm starting to think Morooka-sensei had a point about his rants on debauchery."

"I-It wasn't like that!"

"Then why was your phone off? Satonaka and I have been trying to call and text you for the last hour."

"I don't know!" Yosuke snapped. He had been surprised seeing that himself but didn't have any time to question it.

"You were the one who said we shouldn't go in unless we were a full team," Shirou reminded gravely. "We've all been waiting on you for days, and you were just making weekend plans with your girlfriend?!"

"I'm sorry, okay!?"

A long moment passed after Yosuke's outburst, breaking the tension between them. Yosuke almost immediately deflated, and his head sank down. "I just… for the first time I feel like I'm somebody important. A guy with a great girlfriend doting on him, and then I guess I let it get to my head."

Shirou frowned, thinking back to the time he spent with the others the last few days. "I guess I can kind of understand that. Having breaks like these from fighting Shadows is more tempting and rewarding than going back in there.

"But we can't just keep sitting idly by. Kanji Tatsumi is still missing, and time's running out for when we can rescue him. Because after tomorrow, it's going to start raining for the next three days."

"Man, we always seem to be cutting these rescues close, huh?" Yosuke weakly joked. Shirou didn't laugh, and honestly, Yosuke didn't either.

The wait for the bus seemed to take longer than usual, so Shirou (with only a little urging from Pixie) coughed before starting a new topic. "So, uh… what's it like having a girlfriend?"

"Oh, it's amazing!" Yosuke gushed, almost blooming with vigor. "She's sweet and funny, she laughs at all my jokes, always makes time to see me, man I could go on and on about how awesome she is!"

"Please don't," Shirou groaned, already regretting asking. Yosuke just laughed more, thinking more about how happy he's been being around her. But as he did, he also recalled something else.

"But you know, the weird thing is that whenever I'm with her, I seem to forget everything else but her."

Shirou looked baffled. "I thought you liked having a girlfriend, though."

"I do! She's great, but… I want some me-time to myself, you know? She's been bothering me all week, even when I'm at work. It was like there was this nagging sensation in my head that made me forget everything but her. It felt nice at the time, but then I just… forget what I was supposed to do."

Shirou stared at him intently. Yosuke took that to mean he was being annoyed again and scratched this chin nervously. "Yeah, I know, sounds weird and sketchy. She's not a bad girl though, honest!"

"I see…"

The bus finally started to appear from further down the road. "Are you prepared for this, Yosuke? You know we have to go back to the bathhouse."

"Yeah, I'm good. I've had enough time to prove and bolster my red-blooded self." He was almost looking forward to seeing those two burly Guys again. If only to scream and ram his knives into their faces with testosterones pulsing.

"Good. Because we're going to save Kanji, and you have no excuse to complain about leaving after all the time we waited on you."

Yosuke winced, wishing he had more time to spend with his girlfriend. "…fair enough."

"One last thing."

Before Yosuke knew it, Shirou suddenly kicked him hard enough in his right shin to knock him off his feet. He swore he felt a static shock from that blow too, and he cradled his leg in agony. "OW! Sonova-! What the hell, man?!"

"That was from Satonaka," he told him. "I told her I'd do it on her behalf since she planned to hit you in a particular part of your body. Again."

He soon realized that his friend spared him from a horrible, painful fate by enacting a lesser one. Tears of gratitude started to mix with those of pain. "Th-Thanks a million, Shirou."

"Don't mention it," Shirou said, and helped him up to climb onto the bus as it arrived.

<><><>

Neither boy noticed Satsuki staring at them the whole time since they left the skewer stand. "That Emiya boy shrugged off my hypnosis," she muttered. "Interesting."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 38: Shadow of the Masculine Self
<><><>

Steamy Bathhouse Entrance

It was a long time coming, but Shirou was making good on his promise to Nice Guy and Tough Guy. Part of him hoped they had forgotten or that they weren't at the front entrance anymore, but they have been patiently waiting and reminded Shirou of his end of the deal, with the necessary tools at that (table, towels, massage oil, the works).

Luckily he had experience in giving massages to Taiga years ago, and he read a book on how to give massages and the techniques involved during the reprieve, so he was prepared. It was really fortunate that the Shopping District had the exact book he needed, but that was another story.

And if nothing else, Shirou Emiya was a man of his word, and was now currently pressing the back of Tough Guy to relieve pressure points. Judging by the Shadow's euphoric moans, he was doing something right.

"Ooooooh YES." Tough Guy said. He rolled his shoulders slightly and pressed his head deeper on the head towel he was resting on, enjoying the feel of Shirou's hands over his oily back muscles. "Your hands are just simply divine, Shirou-chin!"

"Are you sure?" Shirou asked as he worked. "It's been a while since I've done this, so I think I'm a little rusty."

"Rusty, you say?" The bodybuilder Shadow beamed. "Could've fooled little ol' me. You're pressing all the right joints so wonderfully!"

"I'm glad you appreciate it. I want to make up for the long delay we had coming back."

"And it is so worth it!"

Despite himself, Shirou smiled. He strived to always help people for praise and feel a bit worthier, and despite this being an obvious enemy he would have to fight, that moment wasn't here or now. In fact, if this could help avoid fighting Kanji's Shadow at all, it was worth the investment.

"How the hell did I get roped into this?!"

From the next table over, Yosuke was standing over Nice Guy, also set up for a massage. He looked like he rather be anywhere but there and didn't even try touching the Shadow yet.

"You have no right to complain, Yosuke," Shirou told him dryly. "We all waited on you."

"I-I'm not complaining! I just find this coming from completely out of left field! Couldn't you do both yourself?"

"I need time and focus on one at a time, and you're the only other person they'd allow to help, like it or not. We don't have the time to spare."

Shirou emphasized his point with a hard elbow drop at the lower back of Tough Guy. Between the impact of the blow and the cry of pleasure the Shadow made, Yosuke couldn't help but cringe.

"I-I don't even know how to do massages!"

"Just rub your hands over my back in circular motions. I'll tell you when you're being too rough and need to press somewhere else."

"See, even Nice Guy is willing to make this easy on you," Shirou told him expectantly. "So start rubbing. The sooner we both get this done, the sooner we can find Kanji."

"B-But he's so thick and veiny and… manly," he muttered the last word softly with envy. Shaking his head out of that train of thought, he quickly added, "Look, I get that I'm getting punished for this, but this is way beyond my comfort zone!"

"Did you even use the oil?"

"It feels gross, man! Like, dipping my hands in vinegar!"

"It's meant for the customer's enjoyment, not the masseur's!"

"Since when are Shadows customers?!"

Nice Guy sighed, his patience clearly waning due to not having gotten a massage yet. He pushed himself enough off the massage bed to turn and look flatly at the worried teen. "Would you rather I give you the massage instead?"

Yosuke smiled, willing to take any lifeline out of this. "Oh, you're volunteering?! Well, my back has been feeling a bit stiff lately—"

"Because I'm thinking of pounding you firmly into the ground until those aching bones of yours are as fine as the grains of salt that I would then use to season my dinner."

It was as implied a death threat as the jovial "Nice" Guy could put it, and it left Yosuke feeling sick and nauseous. He could see the no nonsense expression on his face matching his deadpan tone, and he clearly had the bulk to follow through on his words.

Yosuke gulped, briefly tugging on his scarf to do so. Then he forced his smile back up and quickly squeezed the oil out the bottle into his hand. "On second thought, let's not strain those big muscles of yours! You deserve a good old-fashioned rubdown!"

"That's more like it," Nice Guy smiled back, and laid back down.

Realizing that he had no more excuses, Yosuke started to press his hands down over Nice Guy's back. He groaned and looked away, completely creeped out by the feeling. This Shadow wasn't really a man, so this didn't count, right?

"Lower," the Shadow commanded. Yosuke moved his hands down as instructed, still doing the rhythmic circles to placate it. Hopefully this would end soon and they could get Kanji out and he could salvage his date with Sacchin-

"Lower."

He nearly stopped and gawked. "I did go lower!"

"Lower than that."

The auburn-haired teen hissed through his teeth, and reluctantly moved his hands lower. "F-Fine, but this is as low as I'm going!"

"Oh, don't worry, I won't let you touch my balls." Graphic image and bluntness aside, Yosuke was so relieved to hear those words. "Those are Tough Guy's property."

Yosuke's relief gave away to a single eyebrow twitch and loud, internal screaming.

Further back at the entrance, the girls and Tama watched the massages with rapt interest. "I feel kind of bad for Hanamura-kun," Yukiko admitted.

"I don't," Chie spat. "If his constant dating makes it so we can't save Kanji-kun in time, I'll never forgive him."

"Well, I wouldn't be in a hurry to come back here either with those biased bouncers around," Rise said. "They wouldn't even let us use the shortcut until Shirou-kun massaged them."

Honestly, standing in front of the path they'd made through that Goho-M? Talk about petty.

"At least Emiya-kun is taking this well."

"Yeah…"

While Yosuke was slowly going through the notions, Shirou was doing this almost naturally and enjoying himself. It wasn't hard to imagine how sensual those hands could be, as Tough Guy let out an occasional moan of satisfaction.

Chie, Yukiko, and Rise all swooned in a dreamy sigh. A guy that knows how to please a girl in more ways than one… that was always a plus (never mind the fact how he was technically massaging a guy).

Rise then noticed their bear friend having a peculiar expression on his face; flushing red and mournful. "What's wrong, Teddie?"

Teddie didn't answer right away, as he was still staring at Shirou. Then he turned, face slightly red, and asked her, "…is it weird that I kind of find this hot?"

The girls all stared at the bear with alarm and shock. Even Tama, previously resting in a corner, declared her surprise well as she shot up and turned to him.

Poor Teddie got defensive as his flush glowed brighter. "What?! That's why I was asking!"

<><><>

July 1st, Samegawa Floodplain

They were ready.

It had taken the last two days of training and strategy, but Shirou could finally say they were like a well-oiled unit in fighting. Rise's sensory skills were especially a boon by having a layout of where the Shadows were and how many were present on a floor at a time. The other members had seemingly grown in leaps and bounds with new skills and spells to use, and they even found some rare treasures like an electricity suppressor for Yosuke.

Shirou himself had a stronger grasp on his Personas' limitations and was fully ready to test the tools at his disposal to fight Kanji's Shadow, or at least his facets in the Guy bouncers. Having finally reached the top floor and prepared as much as possible for the inevitable fallout, nothing was stopping them from marching to the final room and rescuing Kanji.

Except a mutiny to rest a day before going in.

Chie was the most adamant about it, going as far as to physically pull Shirou away from the door.

"We've been fighting all the way up here! Yukiko's out of breath, our supplies are all used up, and we sure as hell don't have the money to buy more of Tama's leaves!

"But Kanji-!"

"-Will be fine for one more day. The rain's not going to let up yet, the worst of the Midnight Channel has already happened, and it doesn't look like Kanji's Shadow is going to burst yet. We haven't even seen him the whole time we've been here."

"And thank god for that," Yosuke had said, but no one commented on his delivery. They did listen to his input though. "Look, as vice-captain of this team, I have to side with Chie on this one."

The others predictably made fun of how he wanted to get away from the bathhouse and into Sacchin's arms, and to Yosuke's credit he was only mildly sidetracked from the point he was trying to make. "Every time a fight with one of our Shadows comes up, we get our asses kicked, and barely win by the skin of our teeth. And each time that happened, it was because we were not at the top of our game or had some fights already leading up to them. These Shadows keep getting stronger, and we need to be at our best from here on out."

After that, it was a unanimous decision as the others agreed to head back, and Shirou had to swallow his pride for a day.

As he and Chie lived closer together, they were once again walking the same road down the floodplain, with umbrellas at hand. The walk was quiet, and he had no cues to start a conversation with Chie as Eligor was absent.

But should he start a conversation? She looked like she didn't want to be next to him, daring only a few awkward glances his way.

Come to think of it, it was raining too when they first met under the gazebo. At least she got a new umbrella this time.

"Hey, uh," Chie started, surprising him. She was still looking ahead and away from him, though. "You're not mad at me, are you, Emiya-kun?"

"Mad? Why would you think that?"

"You were scowling the whole time since I argued for going back instead of fighting. It was kind of scary."

Oh. That. He didn't even know that he'd had a scowl on his face, but he recalled feeling very bitter back there. "No, Satonaka, I wasn't mad at you, or the others. What you and Yosuke said made a lot of sense. I was… madder at myself, really."

"Yourself?"

"If I had been a bit stronger, or managed our time better, we could have rescued Kanji by now. All I could think about was what I could have done better, or if I hadn't screwed up—"

"No." Chie stepped in front of him and was now scolding him again. "No, I'm going to stop you right there. This is no one's fault." She paused. "Well, a little bit of Hanamura-kun's fault, but that's it."

Despite himself, Shirou chuckled. He had a feeling that poor Yosuke was never going to live this down.

"Kanji-kun is still fine. And he will be when we get him back home tomorrow. You've done enough making sure that we got close enough for a fresh battle and getting us ready and coordinated and stuff. Among other things." She awkwardly tapped the ground twice with her right foot, testing her shoes after kicking with the Boots of Abigor for what felt like hours.

"So don't beat yourself up about this!" she added with a smile. "You're a great leader! No one blames you for managing time, or doubts how serious you are rescuing Kanji-kun. Allies of Justice need their rest too."

Shirou was speechless. He had been warned about his habit of overworking from his family and peers for all he had known them back in Fuyuki. Taiga and Issei were the most concerned about his wellbeing, and Sakura did her part to cook breakfast to alleviate some burden off him.

He was so used to being mocked for his dream of being a hero that he never heard someone appeal to it as a reason to rest. "Allies of Justice need their rest too." He could have never fathomed such a sentence. And yet, all he could do was gasp in awe upon feeling a sudden, unexpected warmth fill him.

It felt… nice.

"Hey, Satonaka-kun!"

The moment ended as a voice called out to the now startled Chie. She turned with some surprise and unease at the approaching teenager their age. "T-Takeshi-kun?!"

"I didn't think that I'd see you out in the rain, and with someone other than Amagi-san!" he said casually, walking up to them. He carried his own umbrella, which he looked over and under it as if looking for Yukiko.

He then settled on appraising Shirou head-to-toe before asking her. "So who's the guy? Wait, don't tell me; your recruit, right? A fellow 'Ally of Justice', like you were going on about earlier? You haven't used that title since grade school!"

Chie's head dipped downward, and her umbrella was pulled closer to cover her glowing face. Takeshi either didn't notice or care as he continued. "Actually, I think you were part of the Runt Gang way back in kindergarten, and after that you were the undisputed King of the Hill."

Shirou looked between the two; the more names Takeshi listed, the more humiliated Chie reacted. It didn't help that he didn't seem to have a tone of endearment towards those memories, either. He was embarrassing her, and… was her lip trembling?

"Oh, and the Vanguards of the Lunch Revolution! Man, the crazy names you came up with!" Takeshi chuckled. "What exactly are you this time? A Defender of Earth's Peace or something silly like that?"

"I-I…"

"Shut up."

Chie and Takeshi were startled by Shirou's sharp tone. He was scowling again, directing his anger towards the teenager that came to greet them.

No. Chie realized it was different. That time wasn't anger. This was.

Takeshi quickly stepped back, holding his hands up. "Whoa, hey man, relax. I'm just joking—"

"Do we look like we're laughing here?" he cut him off dryly, gesturing to him and the clearly uncomfortable Chie.

Takeshi winced. "N-No, I guess not. Let me start over." He then extended a hand out to him. "Name's Takeshi Kouno, old friend of Satonaka-kun! Pleasure to meet you!"

"Shirou Emiya. Trust me, the pleasure is all yours."

"Emiya-kun…" Chie hissed. Just because Takeshi was being rude didn't mean he should be rude back.

To his credit, Shirou noticed Satonaka's warning and restrained his emotions a little bit. He still made no move to shake his hand, though, and Takeshi took the hint. "Look, Kouno was it? We're kind of in a hurry here, so if you have something to say, make it quick."

"Oh, don't worry! I'm not getting in between your date or anything!" Takeshi said. For some reason, Chie felt a pang of disappointment rather than embarrassment of what he implied. "I was just passing by for some… errands, when I saw Satonaka-kun, and I was wondering how Amagi-san was doing these days. Satonaka-kun is her best friend so—"

The story was already sketchy enough on errands, but as soon as Amagi's name came up, Shirou knew how crestfallen Chie felt without showing it, and nipped the problem in the bud. "Ask Amagi yourself how she's doing. That is, if you have the balls to actually talk to her."

Shirou was already walking past him as he spoke. Again, both teens were gobsmacked how cutting and brutal his verbal responses were. Chie spared a glance at Takeshi to see him failing to make a sound out of his flapping mouth, before leaving him and rushing over to Emiya as they continued to walk home.

"You didn't have to be that mean," Chie told him.

"So it was okay for him to make fun of you like that?"

"I'm used to it," she argued. "We were classmates up until high school, and only friends at that. Nothing really came between us since he had his eyes on Yukiko."

Shirou frowned. Would an old friend really take another's dreams and feelings for granted? Clearly there was more to this Takeshi Kouno than Satonaka was letting on, but he was her friend and it wasn't any of his business.

He felt he needed to say something to her. Anything. But what? Dammit, of all the times to be without Eligor…

They reached the street corner where their destinations split off, but both of them hesitated to leave. For several minutes they stood in the rain, waiting. They spared each other glances but just as quickly looked straight ahead as if afraid to make eye contact.

Still not a word spoken.

"Weeeeeell," Chie dragged the word out, making a long, exaggerated step off to the side. "I better get home for an early night's rest! Tomorrow's a big day after all!"

Now or never. "I'm sorry."

Chie stopped and looked back. "Huh?"

"About Kouno, I mean," Shirou said. "I usually don't go off badmouthing people like that, but when he talked about your titles and laughing, it bothered me, for a lack of a better term, and I just said things without thinking. Because I've been there too, mocked for wanting to be an Ally of Justice and I saw how sad you were that I thought…"

Chie stared at him, wide-eyed. That didn't look like a good sign. Rather, he saw it as his cue to leave. "Forget I said anything. It was just stupid of me."

"No, no!" she said quickly. "I mean, I get it, Takeshi-kun can be rude sometimes. I don't want you badmouthing him again of course. I was just surprised hearing you snap at him like that. You had a reason though, and hearing it makes me… happy."

She smiled at him, relieved and thankful. As opposed to her sad resignation from meeting Takeshi earlier, this was a much-needed improvement on her mood. Enough to also relax Shirou with a deep exhale.

"Well, we Allies of Justice got to stick together, right?"

"Right!"

And there was nothing more to be said. Come tomorrow, they would finally rescue Kanji.

<><><>

Steamy Bathhouse, Top Floor

Kanji was exhausted. It didn't matter where he ran to or how far. He couldn't find a way out of this damn bathhouse! Instead, he just found his way right back to his lookalike, even in a different room. It was so frustrating, and this heated sauna was getting way too humid now.

"You've been way too tense, darling!" The other Kanji said, walking around a big room with nothing but a towel around his waist. Why don't you just relax and take a load off? Oh, and watch that wet floor sign over there; the water in this room tends to spill over a lot."

"Screw that!" the sweating, bleached teen snapped. "Just tell me how to get out of this damn place!"

"Don't you get it now? There is no way out!"

"Bullshit!! I had to have gotten in here to begin with, right? What kind of prison doesn't have a way to get out, you know, for the jailers and shit!?"

These arguments were just as aggravating as getting lost. This guy, supposedly his "Shadow" (who didn't at all look black or dark or anything like that, just creepy), kept talking in circles about how he needs to accept his innermost feelings and junk. What did he think he was, some looney foreign therapist?

Lucky for him, even the Shadow looked tired of their play-by-play, sighing dramatically with his hand resting on his chin. "I guess you have a point. Then again, you reinforced the beautiful, dim-witted men stereotype by getting lost for nearly a week."

"I thought I told you to can it with the— wait. A WEEK!?!" Kanji was flabbergasted. He lost track of time and thought he was just gone for a really, really, long day, maybe two at most. But seven? Crap, his ma and Naoto must be worried sick how he went missing like those murder victims back in April. Well, Ma at least. Not so sure about Naoto.

"Alright, I've decided," The Shadow said, pleased with himself. "I'll let you out. On one condition."

"Figures," Kanji spat. That was the most stock 'evil bad guy line' he had ever heard, and it pissed him off a bit that someone with his likeness said it so seriously. "What do you want, then?"

"For you to admit your deepest, darkest secret to me, and accept that we are one and the same."

"That's it? Fine, I'm—"

"You didn't let me finish~! I don't want a fake verbal promise you'll break as soon as I show you the door." The Shadow leaned closer to Kanji with a creepy smile. "I want you to forever promise that you are – how should I say this? – VERY MUCH in touch with your feminine side!"

Something about those words chilled Kanji to the bone, and a knot in his stomach started to form. He hid this unease with angry swagger. "Wh-What the hell's THAT supposed to mean?!"

"Come now, handsome. We both know you're not that dense. You're me after all."

Suddenly the door was slammed open and a stomping of feet rushed in.

"There they are!"

"Kanji!"

Kanji looked back to the door in surprise. Among the five teens wearing glasses (and some cute looking mascot character), he recognized at least two of the people in the crowd. "Emiya? Yukiko-senpai?!"

"Wait, what are the bitches doing here?!" Shadow Kanji stomped in anger. "This is supposed to be a MEN'S SPA!"

The red-haired girl winced and uttered under her breath, "That's gynophobia, all right…"

Emiya stepped forward to confront the Shadow, standing between him and Kanji. "Kanji, come with us. I promise when this is over, we're going to take you home."

"Wait, I get out of here?"

"Yeah, we have an escape route."

That was the best news Kanji had heard all day! Or week, rather. He didn't care if he had to be near a few girls, just as long as he could get out of this freaky place!

"HA! Joke's on you, asshole!" Kanji smirked and pointed at the copy. "I'm getting out of here, and don't have to see, hear, or think of your ugly pansy mug again!"

"B-But I'm YOU! How could you think this handsome face to be ugly?!"

"To hell with that!" Kanji snapped, already marching to the group. "You can die in this overgrown bathtub for all I care!"

<><><>

Shirou was worried. This was almost too easy.

They had managed to catch up to Kanji and his Shadow in time before the transformation. That was lucky… or maybe a coincidence. Perhaps they could finally get out of this without a fight, and they were just better safe than sorry.

He liked to think that he was just getting paranoid or nervous due to a magi lifestyle being ever-so riddled with death, but… something didn't feel right.

Kanji feeling emboldened enough to mouth off his Shadow probably had something to do with that.

"You'd rather trust those hussies and jerks than me? Than yourself!?" The Shadow demanded.

Kanji stopped and turned to snap back. "They didn't keep me prisoner here!"

"I never put you here in the first place. I kept you here, yes, but to protect you. From those ugly little liars."

"Why you-!"

Shirou could see how this fight was escalating too quickly, and he pushed Kanji back. "Enough of this, we're leaving." If there was a chance to avoid a deadly battle, he would take it.

He stopped when he felt a sudden killer intent in the room, from behind. He wasn't the only one, as Teddie's fur bristled and Rise's Persona sense kicked in. "Guys! We got- KYAAAH!"

Without warning, two monochrome blurs rushed from behind and attacked the girls. The others turned and blanched at what they saw.

"Oh shit, it's the bouncers!" Yosuke cried in dismay. For once, Shirou couldn't blame him for feeling scared of their presence.

Nice Guy and Tough Guy were both very tall, muscular Shadows, and for the first time they were showing the extent of their physique by manhandling the female members of the Investigation Team. The former had Yukiko and Rise both in a painful bearhug, while the ladder was applying a sleeper hold on Chie. They were completely at their mercy.

Shirou immediately drew his sword at pointed at them. "Let them go!"

"I'm afraid that isn't an option, little Shirou-chin." Nice Guy told him, almost sounding sincere.

"You are free to leave, but the girls must be punished." Tough Guy added, squeezing ever so tightly around the struggling Chie's neck.

"That's not fair!" Teddie shouted. "You gave your word after Sensei and Yosuke gave you massages!"

"I say it's perfectly fair," Shadow Kanji scoffed. "You girls think you can just keep breaking the rules whenever it's convenient for you, and then cry foul when you happen to see someone flashing you? Sorry hunnies, NOT in MY bathhouse!"

Yosuke pulled out his knives and moved to swing at Shadow Kanji. "You son of a—!"

"Yosuke, no!" Shirou grappled him from behind and held him. "Don't do it!"

"You said that the Guys are some part of Kanji's psyche before, right?! That means if we beat the source, they'll go away!"

"We're trying to save Kanji, remember?!" Teddie warned him. "If you kill his Shadow, you'll kill him too!"

Yosuke's struggle reluctantly ceased. "I know that, but…!"

This whole thing was a trap. Shirou couldn't berate himself more for letting this happen, brought down half their fighting strength in an instant, and Yosuke felt the same way. The only way to safely save the others was for Kanji to fully reject himself. The fight was determined entirely against them and they were forced in an impasse.

"I'll deal with you cuties later," Shadow Kanji taunted with a wink. "Now as for you…"

The real Kanji was numb. He couldn't stop staring at the two burly men seemingly choking the life out of the girls like from some weird torture video. He barely knew these girls, and yet they came all this way… to help him?

And… he was somehow causing their pain? Was this his fault?

A tap on his shoulder shook him out of his trance, and he saw his golden eyed doppelgänger grinning at him. "I'm waiting on that heartfelt apology~."

Somehow, Kanji knew that if he just played lip service, or at least made it convincing, this would be over. Before he would have denied it as a fact of pride, but this…

"Why are you doing this to them?" he asked, gesturing toward the Guys.

"It's what we want. What we deserve after everything we've been through."

"The hell are you talking about?"

"I'm just going to say it plain; WOMEN SUCK!" Kanji's Shadow roared, no longer smiling. "They're so arrogant, so self-centered, and so damn entitled! They complain that chivalry's dead, but they want to be pampered like little princesses and knock men down like dogs!"

If Yukiko and Chie were aware of anything but their own dimming consciousness, they probably would have winced at the too-close-to-home admittance.

"They cry when you get mad, they gossip behind your back, they spread nasty lies," The Shadow ranted, his features contorting with line listed. He then stared at his shaking hands. "They just take one look at me and laugh like I'm… I'm some sort of FREAK to them!"

He started to stomp in a tantrum, enunciating his re-enactment of shrill girl voices. "'You bake cookies? That's so not you!' 'You like to sew? What a queer!' 'Why would a guy like you do painting?' 'Are you really a guy?' 'Shouldn't you act manlier that this?' What do they know about being a guy? About being manly? THEY'RE JUST A BUNCH OF GIRLS!"

The Shadow grew more unhinged and angrier as he talked, looking much like the regular Kanji during one of his own tantrums. No one dared to stop him, worried at how he would react. But as soon as the rising anger came, it went away with a sense of somber melancholy.

"I hate them, really. But deep down? They scare me," The Shadow admitted sadly. "They can do so many mean things to you, and even when you mean well or apologize, they are never satisfied. They would go so far as to wish your head on a pike if they can make that happen, and who would people rather listen to? A scary guy, or a cute girl?"

It was then that Shirou realized that they never once encountered Shadow Kanji throughout the whole dungeon crawl. Yukiko and Rise's Shadows saw fit to taunt them mid-way as they searched for their shared person of interest, but not Kanji's. Which meant that this Shadow was probably more dangerous than any they have faced before. Was it because it had more time to fester and grow?

"Men are easy to understand. They're strong. Loyal. Hard-working. Straightforward. They can be stupid, but also simple, because you can tell when a man likes you or not. Even if you piss them off, at least they're upfront about it. They'll just kick your ass and admit so right to your face. Women would just mock you and play the victim to get their way.

"And Naoto," The Shadow smiled and squirmed as the name left his lips. "Oh, Naoto, he's just an angel. So lean yet forceful. Angry but in a tranquil manner. Mysterious and at the same time honest. There was nothing extravagant in our meetings, nothing grandiose or romantic like those bitches would dream about, but it didn't matter. Those few months with Naoto… were the happiest I've had since daddy dearest passed away. And now he's going to hate me. Unless I admit I've been wrong."

Suddenly, Kanji had a flash of clarity.

"What do you say? Are you ready to admit the real you, Kanji Tatsumi?"

"…yeah, I hear you all right."

POW!

No one saw the blow coming. Kanji reared his arm back and decked his own Shadow in the mouth. The force was so strong that it sent the Shadow careening across the room and crashing into a small side pool.

He felt a phantom pain over his own jaw but ignored it. Damn, so that's what I feel like…

At the same time, Shirou and Yosuke noticed the Guys stagger and their grips on the girls loosen. Immediately they summoned their Personas Izanagi and Jiraiya to strike them while they were still stunned. Ironically, the body-builder Shadows were body-checked across the room, allowing the three girls to safely land on the floor relatively unharmed.

Teddie and Tama rushed over to them. "Are you girls okay?!" "Hrrn!"

"Ugh, five more minutes," Chie half-groaned in drowsiness, craning her neck as she did so.

Rise was the worst off of the three, having turned on her back and was clutching her sides. "Oooooh… I never thought a hug could hurt so much."

Shirou quickly dismissed Izanagi for Sarasvati, casting light healing over the girls. "Get ready, it looks like a fight is going to break out."

"Is it weird to admit that I'm kind of glad this is our best outcome?" Yosuke joked. No one had an answer for that, and just watched the inevitable fallout from the sidelines.

Yukiko was the most torn. "Kanji-kun…"

Meanwhile, Kanji and his Shadow were in their own world, the former watching his double climb out of the pool and then stumble down to the floor. Both had a hurt jaw, but the impact of the punch was more emotional than physical.

"You… you punched me?!" The Shadow screeched, cradling his swollen cheekbone.

"Quit whining. If you have my face, then you should at least be able to take a punch."

"But why… why would you help the same sex that ridiculed you?! Why would you lie to yourself?!?"

"Yukiko-senpai and the others don't deserve that kind of crap! A true man doesn't make girls cry, let alone hurt them!"

'That's rich! Coming from the guy who made Shana-chan cry!"

Kanji flinched but stood vigilant. "And you think blaming everyone associated with her is any better!? You claim you're like me, but you're a rag-wearing pansy throwing a hissy-fit! Take responsibility, dammit!"

Shadow Kanji's posture was outright hostile. Barred teeth, clenched fists… and especially the glowing aura that Kanji could see spike. "Even you reject me now? You reject me like everyone else?!"

"I don't know what the hell is going on, but I know two things for sure. For one, I'd never be able to look Naoto in the eye if I let you have your way. And second…" He pointed defiantly at the Shadow and yelled, "This is no way in hell you're me!"

Shadow Kanji growled, and the aura around him grew darker. Kanji felt a distinct feeling that he was getting weaker but tried to stare him down. He did, however, step back as soon as the Guy Shadows landed behind Shadow Kanji with mighty thuds to crack the wood.

"YOOOOOOOU…" he bellowed. "I WILL MAKE YOU REGRET EVER SPURNING MEEEEEEE!"

An explosion of darkness knocked Kanji off his feet, his body sliding over the wet wood tiling. Try as he might, he couldn't get back up, like a lead weight was strapped over his chest. The Investigation Team hurried past him with weapons drawn for battle.

When the dust and smoke settled, standing there was a giant figure with a size and muscle bulk that dwarfed even the Guys by a few extra feet. Shadow Kanji was now an Olympian in physique and colored in perfect monochrome; half white, half black, wearing only a loincloth. Around the upper body was a bed of roses arranged like a Mars symbol pointing down to the crotch, and vines grew out to entangle around the arms. Surprisingly enough, Shadow Kanji's original face was still intact, popping out of the bed of roses from the chest up. Perhaps the most alarming feature of this Shadow's form was the pair of golden Mars symbols it held like weapons.

"I am a Shadow, the true self! And all I want to do is be true to myself! I don't care who gets in my way, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO KILL THEM DEAD!"

To follow through with this threat, Shadow Kanji took a single step forward before swinging his right-hand gold weight down so that the round end would hit the ground.

"Scatter!" Shirou ordered as he lifted the real Kanji up, and the team split in time before the attack connected, barely avoiding the shockwave explosion that followed. Dust and splinters were sent flying from the impact, with a piece of sharper shrapnel nicking Yukiko in the arm.

"Yukiko!" Chie cried. She would have rushed to her friend's side if they hadn't been separated by the attack with Tama, Teddie, and Yosuke being in similar straits.

"Ahh!" she yelped, reflexively covering her arm. "I-I'm all right!"

"Me too, sorta!" Rise whined on all fours, having tripped during the escape.

"You won't be when I'm through with you!" Shadow Kanji roared, stepping forward to swing the second weight down where they were.

"Izanagi!"

Luckily, Shirou was with them, and his God Persona intercepted the attack in time. To ease off on the pressure, he also let out a Zio attack through the weapon to shock their enemy. He may be stronger than a normal Shadow, but with gold being an excellent conductor, it was only natural that the effect should stun him for a bit.

"Hmm?" Shadow Kanji, however, didn't seem affected at all. His lecherous grin just grew wider. "Are you really trying to taze me, bro? Bitch, please. Fanatical Spark!"

Almost right away, a stronger surge of blue thunder pulsed out from his body and through his metal symbols, shocking the ground around him. Shirou immediately tried to buffer as much damage as possible so the shock wouldn't hit the girls behind him. He and Izanagi held out due to natural resistance, but the force was stronger than any other electric attack he had felt until now, and nearly caused his legs to buckle.

"Emiya-kun!" Yukiko cried.

He winced and exhaled a steady breath as the last sparks of electricity died out, with Izanagi barely staying stable. "That… shouldn't have hurt as much as it did."

The Shadow reared back his second arm as he spoke. "A bit of advice, mano-to-mano; a real man can dish as much as he can take, not either or. Try again when your Zio is a Zionga at least."

After sharing his advice, he swung the weight at Izanagi's open midsection. He took sadistic joy at Shirou's wide-eyed expression of pain before he went… bing?

"Huh?" he blinked before he noticed a transparent shell around him, and the sudden appearance of a Shaman Persona. "Well, that's new."

"What in the--?" Shirou asked aloud, before noticing he was being held from behind by Himiko's user. Rather close at that, since he could feel her brushing against his back. "Rise?!"

Rise giggled, sliding the visor off to look at him. "Himiko's not a fighter like the rest of you guys, but she can support you and protect me. I thought that if you were in her small shield range, she could protect you guys too."

Yukiko was beside them too, just under Himiko's body. Between the quick thinking and ingenuity of her skills, Shirou couldn't help but smile at her. He didn't even mind the skinship as it meant that their lives had been saved. For now, anyway. "Thanks."

Rise smiled, as did Yukiko.

That moment of peace shattered as a harder strike rang against Himiko's shield. Rise yelped, biting her lip down against the phantom pain. "Amagi, can you heal her?"

"Not in here, there's not enough room for Konohana Sakuya!"

"Guess it's up to Pixie," he said, summoning the fey right away. But with her limited healing, it would be a stalling tactic at best. He just needed to wait on the others to find an opening…

"So all I have to do now is break your little bubble? This is too easy!" Shadow Kanji gloated, continuing his assault. "I'm not even sure if I need my posse to help me whip you bad boys and girls down!"

Shadow Kanji's smile was soon wiped out as a fast, straight punch hit his face hard. "Aacck!" The gargantuan Shadow stomped back, almost dropping the symbols outright, while his small human hands cradled his important feature. "My face!"

"Keep your dirty monochrome hands off of Risette's Persona!" Yosuke shouted, sprinting alongside Jiraiya to get some quick hits in. "The fight's just getting started!"

Yosuke managed to quickly stab at the Shadow's legs, taking advantage of its top-heavy size. Jiraiya continued to deck the Shadow like a boxer, ducking and dodging every time the enemy Shadow tried to swing those gaudy weights around. The weight played a huge factor as he couldn't lash out against the naturally agile Persona quickly enough. Now fully absorbed in fighting Jiraiya, Shadow Kanji was successfully dragged away from Himiko so the others could recover without pressure.

Despite the strong start, Shadow Kanji wasn't worried. He had been in fights before with street gangs, and knew that the quick ones usually had piss-poor endurance. All he needed was just one opportunity, and an opening for that hit. "Has anyone ever told you that you've been coming on too strongly?"

It seemed to have worked as Yosuke's expression gave away to shock, but instead of pressing the attack or slipping, he just jumped back. "Nope! Ignoring that! Your turn, Satonaka!"

"Aww, don't be like-GYAH!"

The Shadow's banter was interrupted, this time by a hard staff strike at his stomach. Tomoe held her weapon there for a second before lowering and pointing it down. Chie, running straight forward, stepped on her Persona's staff before her for a boost in momentum. In perfect synchronized movement refined with hours of practice, Chie jumped as Tomoe lifted.

The spirited girl soared in the air, higher than she could ever achieve on her own. She reached the surprised real body of Shadow Kanji in the bed of flowers, and threw her leg forward to meet him. "Galaxy Kick!"

In a panic, he tried waving his hands to stop her. "Wa-Wa-Wa-Wait just a FUMPF!"

Shadow Kanji's words died as Chie's foot sank into his face. Literally. It was like the face was just a putty mold that she ruined and it imploded around her boot.

"I didn't think that could really happen!" Although she didn't show it or say it in the heat of the moment, Chie was quite disturbed. She had seen this kind of thing happen in anime, but never in real life. Then again, the Shadow World worked on different rules and this was the Shadow of Kanji Tatsumi, not the human.

Luckily, with her other foot free, she broke loose by applying an impromptu backflip to launch herself back and out of the Shadow's body. With the added bonus of hitting him a little more.

She even stuck the landing back on the ground with a crouch and just some cracked wood. "Ha! That went perfectly!"

"Hell yeah, it did!" Yosuke agreed with a grin. "This guy may be a titan, but he's slow as hell!"

Annoyed and head ringing, Shadow Kanji lurched back upright with his weights as support. His humane face returned to normal but had lost its haughty smile. "Slow as hell, huh? Well, I have just the remedy for that." He turned slightly back to the Guy Shadows, patiently hanging in the back since the fight started. "Boys! I'm going to need your help after all!"

"But of course!" Tough Guy smiled, already striding into the battle.

"Let's make this quick just to be on the safe side, Master Kanji," Nice Guy said, flexing his muscles in a rear double biceps pose. "Heat Riser!"

A triad of colors (orange, green, purple) flowed over Shadow Kanji's body, before a stunning rainbow aura shone around him. Whatever had just happened, it couldn't be good.

"Let's blitz him!" Yosuke shouted. "We just need to focus on Kanji!"

Rise, with Himiko still active, notice a sudden spike of power in Shadow Kanji, and paled. "Guys, wait! He's—!"

The warning came too little too late. Jiraiya and Tomoe vaulted forward, easily jumping over Tough Guy who tried to intercept them with a grapple. With a winding fist and twirling spear respectively, they struck forward at Shadow Kanji's smug face.

But he just grinned against the Personas' blows, the muscles of his face actually hurting Jiraiya's fist than the other way around.

Yosuke gulped as a sense of trepidation set in, a feeling he was all too familiar with when pain was imminent. "Oh crap."

"Harder!"

He grabbed Jiraiya's arm and spun him around like a flail, giving Yosuke an uneasy sense of vertigo like riding a roller coaster without actually moving. The wild attack caused Tomoe to back away in order to avoid friendly fire.

"Better!"

He then hurled Jiraiya to the other end of the room, the Persona's body crashing through a small support beam and against the wall. Yosuke quickly followed suit with a wall dent of his own, and felt enough pain from the attack to knock him out. Jiraiya fizzled out of existence soon after.

Angered, Tomoe lunged forward with her spear, trusting her reaction time to be faster than the bulky Shadow's. He was still leaning forward when he had thrown Jiraiya so there couldn't be enough time to even block her strike.

"Faster!"

A blink later, he was gone, and her spear pierced the empty space where his shoulder used to be. Instead Shadow Kanji was looming behind her, grinning with both arms raised behind him with the weights pointed downward.

"STRONGER!"

BOOM!

The wooden floor exploded from the impact, leaving a hard bedrock underneath. When the dust settled, there was no sign of Tomoe left, let alone a gory corpse.

Chie exhaled a breath of relief, having dismissed her Persona at the last moment. The act was so shocking and draining that she nearly collapsed to the ground. "I didn't think that would work…"

"Clever girl," Shadow Kanji admitted, before turning fully towards her. "But not clever enough!"

"Cu Sith! Sic'em, boy!"

Those were words no one, least of all Shirou himself, would ever expect to hear him say out loud. But it served as a perfect distraction to the giant Shadow as a green fey dog charged forward with a snarl and swung its whip-like tail with a powerful slash. For good measure, Konohana Sakuya lobbed fireballs his way at a distance, forcing the Shadow to back away least he be burned.

As his Persona landed blows, a slightly bruised Shirou closed the distance to Chie and helped her up. "We have to get rid of his weapons. Can you still use ice?"

"Yeah, but I'm better at physical attacks. You know that."

"Amagi will help too. It'll work, just wait on my signal."

"But—!"

"Trust me, Satonaka."

Chie would have argued more, but the finality on Shirou's words told her that this wasn't up for debate. Not in the middle of a deadly Shadow battle, anyway. And he was their leader at the end of the day. He trusted them to follow his lead, and she trusted him to know what he was talking about.

But more importantly, Tough Guy choose that moment to make a beeline for them and swing a haymaker down their way, forcing both of them to leap away at the last moment.

"I don't know what you're planning, but you're not going to hurt Master Kanji as long as I'm around," he taunted, flexing his arm before charging at her again.

"Fine by me!" Chie shouted. "I've been meaning to get payback for that sneak attack, you creep!"

Her foot shot forward to stop his fist, and the impact cracked the ground beneath them. Undeterred, Tough Guy threw another punch at her. Chie hopped back and turned to dodge out of the range of his fist, and then finished her spin by lifting another leg to strike him in the face.

A hit!

Chie's victory was short lived as the Shadow's eyes snapped open and he threw a punch at her midsection before she had time to dodge. The force was enough to knock her into the air, back a few feet, and land hard on the ground.

Tough Guy took the time to crack his neck muscles from the hit but didn't let his eyes leave her downed form. "You're going to have to try better than that to beat me, girl."

Despite the ringing pang in her abdomen, Chie pushed herself up and smiled. "Don't worry," she said, with Tomoe's card in view, just in range of her high kick. "I haven't even begun to fight."

Snarling, Tough Guy rushed over with rapid fisticuffs, the blows matched by Tomoe's rapid spear work as she burst into being. Chie kept her distance, bouncing back and forth as her Persona fought the bodybuilder. Despite the severity of the battle and stakes raised, she felt a sort of adrenaline high that made her excited.

This felt natural. Perfect, even. She didn't need to compare herself to anyone else, least of all Shirou, because in this moment, she was in her element. And she could kick this Shadow's ass all on her own.

As they squared off, Shadow Kanji was slowly gaining an edge over Cu Sith now that the element of surprise was gone. His enhanced senses made all the difference, as he now matched the fey dog Persona in agility, taunting him by twirling his symbol around in front of him. "You want the stick, doggie? WELL GO FETCH!"

He slashed the symbol sideways, meeting Cu Sith's face with the narrow arrow edge. A single blow was enough to send the dog flying and he dispelled out of his corporeal form with a whine. Shirou, meanwhile, coughed some blood out of his mouth alongside the phantom pain.

"I told you I'm unstoppable, baby!" The flamboyant Shadow grinned, stomping over to him. "You're not the only one that likes to use a team, and mine are in a class of their own! With such sexy bods to boot!"

"Do you ever shut up?" Shirou snapped. Sure, the other Shadows liked to gloat, but this one was especially loose-lipped.

"Don't be like that, hun!" he smiled, inching ever closer to him. "You'll enjoy the sound of silence when you and your little buddies die real soon! So just wait because there's nothing you can do to stop it! It'll be over faster than you can say—"

"Dekaja!"

The sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the room as the powerful aura around Shadow Kanji faded away. The bulky Shadow tripped mid-step, having lost his speed and he fell to the ground in a comically graceless flop. Everyone turned to see the one responsible, a recovered Yosuke in a crouched position, left hand over his face, and right arm clenching his short blade to summon Jiraiya again; who mirrored his posture.

"Ha! So much for your little power-up!" Yosuke grinned. "Took me a while to remember I that had this spell to use, but like with my self-healing, it's a jack-of-all-trades thing, and the perfect counter to use against you! What do you say to that?!"

"Heat Riser!

Almost immediately after, the same rainbow glow surrounded Shadow Kanji, giving him a literal second wind. Everyone's gaze was now on the monochrome bodybuilder, flexing his muscles to a side chest pose.

"I say your intelligence is almost as pitiful as your hand dexterity!" Nice Guy shouted. "I am Master Kanji's shield, and I will continue to support him with the necessary means to defeat you! Your efforts are useless! Useless! Useless, useless, use-!"

"Dekaja!" The shattered glass effect promptly ended the Guy's rant, and depowered Shadow Kanji once again. Yosuke and Jiraiya seemed to pose again for the spell, arms crossed like a T and both hands flipping the bird.

"The same thing applies to you, dumbass," he said. "As long as I can keep your so-called 'Master' back on a level playing field, it's a win for me. Keeping you preoccupied to do nothing but waste prana on him is just a bonus. And FYI, that impersonation sucked!"

With a snarl and popped blood vein, Nice Guy made a front lat spread as he cast his spell again. "Heat Riser! You wouldn't know sucking if you were a pufferfish! You're the one wasting prana like the mewling knave you are!"

Without skipping a beat, Yosuke leaned forward with both arms extended back, imitating a hawk in motion. "Dekaja! I can do this all day, Tiny!"

"Heat Riser! Cannot!"

"Dekaja! Can too!"

"Heat Riser!"

"Dekaja!"

"Heat Riser!"

"Dekaja!"

"HEAT RISER!"

"DEKAJA!"

The two of them (three if you counted the Persona) continued to shift their bodies as they volleyed their spells like a ping-pong match. Shadow Kanji continued to glow and dim in rapid succession, staring at himself in shock and confusion. In the meantime, Shirou kept his distance away from Kanji and close to Yukiko as her Persona quickly applied Dia-grade first aid.

Rise groaned. "If it weren't for the fact that they're actually throwing spells around, I'd accuse them of immaturely showboating at each other. Feels like a kind of thing you'd read in a shōnen manga."

"Well, it's working to keep the Nice Guy occupied, so I'm willing to overlook it," Shirou said. "Right now, we need to get rid of Kanji's symbols while he's distracted."

"Sounds great, but how? The only other guys strong enough to lift those things are… well, the Guys!"

"Is it part of the plan you told me about earlier, Emiya-kun?" asked Yukiko.

"Yeah, but we still need help from one other person," he said, before calling out across the room. "Satonaka, are you ready?"

"Give me a sec!" Chie called back, still fighting Tough Guy. "Just need one good hit…"

"That's my line, girl," the Shadow said. It was a testament to his fitness that he could speak so evenly while exerting his muscles to throw a Rampage of fisticuffs. "Once I get you into another sleeper hold, you'll stay asleep."

Jumping out of range of his attack, Chie bent her knees down to make herself looser. "Yeah, not gonna happen. Not this time. I'm done playing games here."

Tomoe was suddenly dismissed, a brief flash that startled the Shadow long enough for her to close the distance between them.

Both incredulous and insulted, Tough Guy's face morphed to a stern frown as he readied his fists for another Rampage. "Do you have a death wish, girl?!"

"Oh, I'm making a wish all right! On a shooting star!" She leaped forward in a hop, spinning in place, and then landed on her left foot. With her right extended at the same time. Aimed right for his crotch. "Galactic Punt!"

BOOM! CRASH! Ding!

With a powerful roundhouse kick, the Tough Guy Shadow was sent flying so hard and fast that he might as well have been shot out of a cannon. The quick crash that followed came from the bathhouse roof, where Tough Guy left behind a perfect outline of his body from launch; hunched forward, rounded edges for shoulders where the arms should be, and legs crossed over each other. No doubt he was still in that position even as he soared further beyond the horizon.

Everyone stopped and stared, still processing what they had just witnessed. From his hiding spot, Teddie broke the silence asking aloud the important question. "What the fluff just happened?!"

"I… think she just kicked Tough Guy to the moon. If there is one in this world," Shirou answered slowly. Looking down, he noticed a faint viscous liquid splashed in front of Chie, and it didn't look like sauna water.

"Yay!" Rise cheered as she pumped her fists up. "Just what I'd expect from Chie-senpai! Woo!"

Yukiko giggled. "Well, she's the strongest one of us on the team, that's just to be expected."

"Uh, well… it's nothing, really!" Chie said, slightly embarrassed at the praise.

"You killed Tough Guy," Nice Guy croaked, before his face scowled with intense hatred. "YOU KILLED TOUGH GUY!" He started to dash towards her, forgetting all about his Master Kanji in order to enact vengeance on his other half.

"And you're joining him, sissy!" Yosuke yelled, Jiraiya lunging towards him with a sucker punch before he could reach her. POW! A single blow to the jaw was enough to rear the Shadow back and knock him on his back. But the attack left Yosuke with a phantom pain in his arm that Jiraiya had punched with. "Gaah! Geez, that smarts!"

"My turn~!"

Yosuke paled, looking up through Jiraiya's eyes to see the creepy grinning Shadow Kanji holding one of his symbols up with his beefy hand. He then swing it down like an executioner's ax. The Ninja Persona barely managed to leap to the side at the last moment before the floor exploded in a cloud of wood splinters.

"That clinches it!" Shirou said. "Amagi, Satonaka, it's time!"

"Right!" "Roger, leader!"

Yukiko stepped up first, facing the Shadow of her old friend with her Persona summoned. Konohana Sakuya spread her flower-petalled chain, sending a fan-wave of fire out to strike both of the enemy Shadows. With Nice Guy vulnerable and only able to curl closer to his body at the moment, Shadow Kanji used his symbols to protect his face and flower garden under his torso. The flames harmlessly licked over them, which given their girth and stamina, might as well be comparable to a sun's heat wave.

"What was that?!" Shadow Kanji taunted. "Compared to all the blunt blows your posse made, I barely felt a thing!"

"Don't worry! We'll cool you right off!"

From the other end of where Yukiko stood, Chie was behind him, and their Personas acted quickly. Sarasvati played a note on her lyre, and Tomoe spun her naginata in place; both actions followed with blocks of ice flying in a wide spread.

Grinning, Shadow Kanji turned to face them and shielded himself again. The ice came just as quickly as the fire, and felt just as harmless. "I always knew girls were weak, but this is just pathetic!"

CRACK!

"Eh?" Shadow Kanji looked down, seeing his weapons crumble in his hands until they were just gold dust. "My symbols!"

"Funny thing about metal," Shirou said, smirking. "It has a higher tolerance to temperature than most objects, but it still expands in heat and contracts in cold. Normally the act to expose it so quickly in fire and ice would be impossible in practical terms, but this world runs on altered reality."

"And gold happens to be the most malleable of known metals," Yukiko added. "Its weight is only possible by its density. Solid gold is simply not strong enough to last under extensive use."

"In other words, you've been scienced!" Chie ended with a dramatic point. "So up yours!"

Yosuke gave her a flat look. "'Scienced', Satonaka? Really?"

"Guys, focus!" Rise said. "He's down and vulnerable! Give him hell!"

The team took the opening as soon as they could, rushing over to the still shocked Shadow Kanji. Shirou hacked at his leg with a slash. Yukiko slapped at his arm with her fan. Chie kicked hard at his crotch. Yosuke jumped up to jab his fingers into his eyes. All these attacks and slapsticks happened in quick brutality, doing everything to end the fight as quickly as possible.

It worked to a degree. When the All-Out Attack ended, the Shadow was ragged and bloodied, but still standing. They just needed to push a little more.

Yet, despite the sudden turnaround, and surrounded by all four fighting members of the Investigation Team, Shadow Kanji didn't rage or despair at losing his weapons. Rather, he started to cackle in mad laughter. That gave Shirou a bad feeling; the giant Shadows always seem to get more emotional as the fight went on, good or bad, and it always meant trouble.

"Oh you darlings are so naïve," Shadow Kanji grinned between giggles. "Let me show you something… absolutely toxic. Forbidden Murmur."

A thick cloud of purple gas suddenly expelled out of his pores and swept around most of the room. Shirou felt the effects almost immediately and he started coughing.

"Emiya-kun!" Yukiko cried, rushing to his side.

"Sh-Shit, I feel so nauseous," Yosuke rasped, quickly supported by the shoulder of Chie.

"Be careful, guys!" Teddie called out from the back. "You've been poisoned!"

"It must be a situational poison," Rise noted. "One that targets men."

"Bingo! Give the piglet a prize!" Shadow Kanji chuckled. "As you can see, I don't need my sex toys to defeat you. Just some… machinations."

The team stopped and stared in shock. Mostly by fear, but the last comment raised even more questions. "Uh… did he just call his weapons—"

"SHUT UP, HANAMURA!" Chie flushed and snapped before he could finish that question, going as far as to push him away.

"There it is! The bloody rage! Let me help you bring it out! Let me hear your Roar of Wrath!"

This time, orange-red gas expelled out of his body. The team immediately edged back and covered their mouths, wary of inhaling the unknown substance that could be something poisonous again. Shirou didn't feel any different, so he believed that nothing had happened.

For about five seconds.

"RAAAAAAAAA!"

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

"Shirou-sensei, watch out! Chie-chan and Yuki-chan have gone bear-zerk!"

"I can see that, Teddie!" Shirou growled. This was bad; Chie was normally the front-line fighter, but her attacks were so wild that Shadow Kanji was just dancing around her. Yukiko was even worse as she just threw her fan wildly and kept tripping on the water to pick it back up. And they weren't even thinking of using their Personas. Rise was barely able to shield herself with Himiko's barrier, but it was a small comfort, as with two moves the team was effectively crippled.

Shadow Kanji enjoyed every minute of this. "Look ma! No hands!" he taunted, raising both sets of hands up as he moved away.

A gas that poisons men, and a gas that enrages women. At least they weren't mixed, or else a poisonous rage really would be the end of them. Yukiko was the healer, so she needed to recover first. Actually, he could help both her and Chie at once.

"Pixie! Me Patra!"

The fey Persona followed the command right away without commentary, creating a ray of light that illuminated the room in a rainbow cascade. The girls immediately stopped their frenzied movements and clutched their heads from a migraine they were just now becoming aware of.

"Uh… is this what a hangover feels like?" Chie asked aloud. She quickly realized how close they were to Shadow Kanji and stepped protectively in front of Yukiko. "Get back!" she barked, jumping back while at the same time quickly summoning Tomoe to skewer him.

The lance grazed through his arm and triceps, leaving a thick red gash. Growling in both pain and anger, he suddenly spun his upper body into a lariat with such speed that he quickly connected with Tomoe's helmet. Chie herself was whipped to the side, seeing stars and almost knocked clean off her now wobbling feet. A gash started to form on her scalp, marring her features with strings of blood.

"I'll deal with you two later," he promised, already stomping past them. "But first… now Nice Guy!"

Crap! There was still one of those bodybuilders left! Shirou looked around, failing to see any sign of the monochrome Shadow. He wasn't as dangerous as Tough Guy, and not as nimble either. As long as he could find him before he got close enough to—

"Behind you."

Shirou's nerves stood on end. He had no time to summon a new Persona, and simply swung his blade as he turned. Or at least that was the plan before Nice Guy hooked his arms under Shirou's armpits to lock his arms and cross-choke his neck.

"I rarely feel the need to use my Heat Riser technique on myself," the Shadow explained. "But this time is an exception."

Shit, he'd actually enhanced himself while they weren't looking?

"Hey! Let go of him!" Pixie yelled, throwing Zio after Zio at Nice Guy's face. "Why aren't you listening?!"

"Shh shh shh shhhhh," Nice Guy hushed quickly. "Don't struggle. It'll all be over soon."

Yeah, for them. If he could summon a new Persona. Try as she might, Pixie's zaps might as well be bug bites with how they didn't even bother Nice Guy. Between her low aptitude and the poison, it was a struggle for Shirou just to stay awake. Yukiko and Chie were too far away, and Yosuke was casually swatted away by the bigger Shadow.

This was a worst-case scenario.

Grunting through the hold covering his mouth, Shirou immediately imagined Ippon-Datara's card; his power should be enough to pry his body free. Already the card was dancing within range of his hand. If he could just touch it—!

CRUNCH.

Shirou barely fought down an urge to scream. Standing before him, Shadow Kanji had his thick white arm crushing his hand. He tsked and waved his humane hand in a scolding manner. "Not this time, handsome." Forcing his hand up, Shadow Kanji then lifted his arm, reared his titan black arm back, and chopped against his elbow hard.

A crack, then a split, and a complete severing with a sickening squelch of blood.

<><><>

Pain. So much pain. Almost like that one time.

Shirou couldn't stop himself from screaming, but he wasn't sure if he was anymore. All sound seemed to be muted to a dim heartbeat. His own? Or… someone else's?

The Shadow of Kanji had a sardonic smile on his face, whispering something that he couldn't make out. Taunting him, mostly. And pointing to his left arm, holding something. Why? What was… wait. A severed arm?

Oh… so that was what the pain was.

Was this how it will really end? It seemed so surreal. He'd survived countless Shadows before. A giant frog, a towering dominatrix, an angry phoenix, a technocolor stripper… okay, those were pretty ridiculous in hindsight, but did he really need the shame of dying to the most ridiculous of all, a very campy bodybuilder?!

Looks were deceiving, though. It was foolish to think that with his active enforcer gone and his weapons destroyed, Kanji's Shadow would be easier to defeat. He'd had more tricks up his sleeve… and still had the raw power to rip their bones apart.

If the poison didn't kill him, the bleeding from his arm's stump would.

No, he couldn't let this happen. Even now, the others were fighting, desperately. He couldn't make it out clearly though; his vision was getting dark, and he was still being held by Nice Guy in a numbing hold. Almost like fire, and it was burning…

Wait… why was the scenery changing? It was almost like everything had been lit up… and burning….

'My first memory was of fire.'

The scene before his eyes morphed. The steam house was no longer present, the wooden floor having been replaced with cracked asphalt, broken pieces of glass, and random chunks of concrete. The heat surrounding him went from somewhat stifling to a scorching inferno, and the bright red and orange flames darkened to otherworldly black and blueish hues.

Everything burned, even materials that shouldn't be flammable in the first place like rock and steel. People, of course, were no exception.

'My second memory was of the agonized cries of a woman.'

The seven-year-old child he once was covered his ears to the screams. Some begged him for help, others cursing him to die with them, a few uncomprehending ones simply asking for a reason.

All of them in agony, all of them waiting for the release of death. But then again, so was he.

'My third memory was of the tears falling from Father's eyes.'

The pure bliss in Kiritsugu's eyes that day would forever remain in Shirou's memories, even now.

The child wondered how anyone could ever be as happy as him. Was it possible for him too? Was it… as simple as what Fuji-nee said? Being happy with being alive?

Could he be happy with his own life?

'Is it alright for me to live, Father?'

Could he be allowed to live when so many others were denied that right on that day?

Could he be allowed to die today without first atoning for his sins?

'Is it a sin for me to want to live, Father?'

Between the poison and his spurting arm, it hurt to do anything. He felt cold in both body warmth and realization. The bitter realization that if he were to die here and now, the killer would get away. That his friends, whether they survived or not, would never be the same.

In the end it was fear that pushed the magus, the Persona user, into action; the realization that the enemy may not stop after claiming its first victim too terrible to bear.

'I want to live!'

Shirou Emiya couldn't allow himself to die yet, not like this. Not with his friends on the line. He'd brought them here, possibly leading them to their defeat, they were his responsibility.

He had to live in order to save them, no matter the cost to himself.

'I want to be ____!'

Damn the poison, damn the Nice Guy, damn the arm! He could still call someone to save them from this fight. He reached deep into his soul, to find a Persona that could answer his call. Either they ignored his plea, or it went unheard in his weakened state, so he called again, deeper.

And that's when he heard it; a primal roar unlike any Persona he had ever seen or heard before. It was simply indiscernible. He thought he also heard Izanagi cry out, but the sound was quickly silenced. What was left was a raw power that seemed to just consume him. A Tarot card appeared, just in front of his eye, blackened as the night sky on each side. He reached for it with his hand, barely aware that it was now ablaze.

'Fire is my blood!'

<><><>

"I'LL KILL YOU!!"

Tomoe surged forward in a powerful thrust that punctured Shadow Kanji in the stomach. To his credit, he grinned despite a slight trail of blood coming out of his mouth. "Ha, to think this was enough to send you into a frenzy! Maybe I should have played with his little piggies first."

Chie roared again, rushing to sweep-kick his legs, only stopped by his thick muscle. Gritting her teeth, she jumped away before he could swat her across the room.

This wasn't supposed to happen! They were supposed to kick Kanji's Shadow's ass, give him a pep talk, and bring him back home! Even with the close calls they'd had in previous fights, they always came back in top form. They were ready this time! READY!

And yet Emiya-kun… his arm… his arm was—!

"Yuki-chan! Yosuke-senpai! Shirou-senpai's heartbeat is dropping way too fast! You have to get him out of there NOW!"

"What the hell does it look like we're doing?!"

"Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay…!"

Chie heard so many voices from the others going around, but her eyes were focused solely on the bastard Shadow, grinning like a murder clown as he blocked most of Tomoe's strikes. She had to get his attention, just long enough for them to get to Emiya-kun!

But Shadow Kanji could see them both trying to run past him on either side, and he held his arms out wide in expectancy. "Ooh, don't be like that! Come closer and hold me! HOOOLD MEEEEE!"

At the height of his scream, Fanatical Sparks flew around him in a wide radius around him; a perfect maneuver of attack and defense. The teens screamed in pain, Yosuke taking the worst as he was knocked out thanks to his weakness towards electricity. Due to a combination of pain and exhaustion in constantly trying to get past Kanji, Yukiko too collapsed.

Chie forced herself to stay up, trying so hard not to let herself trip over her feet by counting her heaving breaths. Just needed to rest a bit, then try again, maybe hit him just hard enough to win?

No, that was foolish. He might be weak, but everyone else was weaker and he knew it. Yukiko's prana reserves were almost all gone, and even after she purged his poison, Yosuke was too weak to help now. What could Chie do on her own? Without Emiya-kun?

"This is bad," Rise said, as if also realizing the severity of the situation. "This is really, really bad."

"Don't worry, guys! I still got the item bag! I'll save Shirou-sensei!"

Shadow Kanji's eyes glanced over to the room entrance, where Teddie and Tama had dragged the real Kanji over since the fight started. Teddie, seeing the Shadow stare at him down, quickly covered his mouth.

"Aww, so the teddy bear wants to help too? I almost forgot about you, but we have a no pets policy," Shadow Kanji said. He cracked his knuckles and started to march over to him. "Well, I was thinking of redecorating with some animal skin pelts anyway."

BOOOM!

A sudden explosion and subsequent heatwave stopped the fight. Everyone turned to the source, to see a giant tower of fire where Shirou and Nice Guy were last.

Only Nice Guy was nowhere to be seen; the most likely explanation was he was instantly incinerated from the blast. All that stood there now was their leader, covered in a shadowy hue… and a flaming arm, cradling a Tarot Card.

Chie felt relieved at first, as this meant he was okay and had a great comeback going. But the more she looked at him, the more she felt a sense of fear and foreboding, that something was terribly wrong. "E-Emiya…kun?"

The fire wasn't blue, instead being a tainted, bloody orange. It was bigger, and more volatile than any summoning fire before. The Tarot card summoned… it was hard to tell if it even WAS Tarot because both spinning sides were completely black.

And when he spoke… it was like a voice of the Legion, unable to hear anything but a deafening, crushing voice.

"K̷̬̬̲̝̗͓̎̄̄̏͛̀͑̀̈͝å̵̯g̷̢̪̲̬̫̜͗̄̀̽͛̈́̋͠͠ų̴͈͕̳̮̺͓̖̏͒t̶̨̰͇͉̭̱͎̠́̍̃̓͒͝͠s̴̙͖͕̫͖̻͙̥̗̍́̑͗͜ū̸̯̫̜͙̂̇̍͋c̷̡̹̥̳̩͚͚̮̈́̔̄̋͆̾͝ĥ̶̹̗͔̼̻̺͇̥͖̿̈́ȉ̵̡͎͇̻̺̹͇̄̅͋."

The summoning that came forth was like an explosion, bigger than the last, that blinded everything in light, and then, silence.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 39: Crash and Burn


When the light finally faded, only Shirou was still standing. Everyone else had been blown away to the far corners of the room. Even Shadow Kanji was forced to kneel and raise his arms to buffer the worst of the explosion of raw power.

Standing over Shirou was a Persona more fearsome than any they had ever seen before, one that could almost be mistaken as a Shadow. It was masculine in form, and only visible from the torso up as an endless cycle of flames erupted from below like a turbine engine. Charcoal black covered every inch of the giant's body, with specks of black ash fluttering off his body as if it was decomposing. He was illuminated with molten red flames that lit up crack-like veins. All the veins connected to the center of his body, where a blood red circle was visible, pulsing with each breath like a heartbeat. The arms were as long as boa constrictors, topped off with sharp obsidian-shaded nails. The face was the only body part not obscured in any black, and rather was like looking directly at the sun. Bright, pulsating orange-red light with flames swirled around the rim of his "face" in a clockwise fashion, with a yellow gold sheen in the middle from a metal, angular face. It was more of a mask than a face, lacking any facial features, but it managed to express hostility just through body language.

Shadow Kanji forced a laugh as he pushed himself up. "Tehehe~! Oh, you think you're so cute getting a surprise power-up after a near death experience! You're barely standing over there, and you want to tussle with me again?"

Shirou didn't answer back. The Shadow had a point that he shouldn't be anywhere close to fighting fit, but it wasn't normal to just summon a new monstrous Persona, much less a flaming arm where the last one was cut off.

"Oh, the silent treatment, huh?" Shadow Kanji spat when it was clear that Shirou wouldn't reply. "Fine! I'll tenderize you just like I did your little friends! Heeeeere I~!"

"B̸͓̏u̵͎̟͚̒̽͑̃r̸̜̺̪͍̐͗̿̌n̴.̷̞͑͑͋"

A barely audible command was the only warning before a column of flame exploded just behind the Shadow, with the force and shock of a cannon. He was frozen stiff in fear; even if he couldn't see it, he could feel the flames lick dangerously close to his back. The heat was enough to wilt some of his roses and thorns growing from his upper body.

Just as quickly as the attack came, it went away, and only then did Shadow Kanji look behind his back to see the attack's aftermath. A punctured hole in the wood, followed by very darkened char and still crumbling ash was the only proof that an attack had happened.

He then turned back to Shirou and Kagutsuchi. Where the hell did that firepower come from? He didn't even see that big flaming Persona move any more than a finger flick!

Still, Shadow Kanji felt some hope and glee shine through with an uproarious laugh. All that power and he missed?! "What did I tell you, hun?! You can't even aim right with that sorry excuse of a genie! Did you lose your cool along with all that warm blood earlier?"

"T̴̩͉͕̞͛̈h̴̼̒͘á̷͙̜t̴̳̗̥̐͛̅͛ ̶̘͍͊͠w̴̧̡̹̓̊ͅa̶̲̱͉̪͑̌͘ś̵͕͖̤̀͌̿ ̵̢̧͝͝ȃ̸̟͚̾ ̷͎̩̺̆̈̈́w̷̻̕a̸̦͋̑ṙ̸̪̊͂͑n̵̛̫̿̽̍i̵̧̱͓͉̍n̵͕͝g̶̹͈̩̈́̆̿ ̶̡̣̆̈́͗̃ş̶́h̵̰̥̓o̶̮̲͕̅̓͝t̵̟̥̫̄̌̊, ̵̗̙͐̈́"Shirou told him coldly, his voice still vibrating with an ethereal tone. "T̵̳̤͉͆h̷͔̏e̷̯͒̄ ̶̧͍̩̂̓͊͠n̷̨̼̖̅ę̶͂̀̊ẍ̴̖̹̠̼́͐̉͠t̵͚̫͇̱͠ ̸̮̣̍̑̈́̀ö̴̱͉͉̬́̀̓̆n̸̢̡̯̼̈́e̸͎͎͂ ̵̘͕͝ẉ̵͍̬͆͌̑ö̶͚͕̘́͜n̴͎̰̯̜̂͂̽̎'̸̘̞̤̓t̶̗̘̺͊͜ ̶̩̰́̔͋͠ḿ̷̺̫̟̰̆̚ĩ̶͈̎s̸̡̝͎͍͂ṣ̴͋.̶̠̯̔̇̂"

The next one won't miss.

The next one won't miss.

That single sentence circled in Shadow Kanji's mind like a mantra of madness, eating away at his confidence. His smile stayed, but only a shell of its former mirth as his face turned sickly blue. He meant those words.

No… this bastard had to be bluffing! And why wouldn't he? Bluffing was expected in high intensity fights, when someone was on their last legs!

"You sexy, insufferable asshole!" The Shadow yelled. "You're going to regret not finishing me off when you had the chance!"

Shirou lifted his stub, and the flaming arm gestured to come closer. Kagutsuchi mimicked the action. "T̴̘͕̼́̍͐h̷̬͈̮̖͊̃̔e̴̥͑̈́͒̉ǹ̵͇̮̪͑̓̋ ̷̳̩͖͛̈́̃͝g̶̼͉̳̾̍ò̶̪ ̶̥̗̓̓ä̸͈̪́h̶̯͖̆ͅe̴̡̖͎̱̔̈́a̸̲͍͗d̷̹͙̓̌.̸̻͔̮̹͆̒ ̵̳̍͋̉T̸̨͍̥̣͒̈́à̶̢̘̻͊̄k̵̘̟͗ë̴͙͇̫̩̐͂̍ ̷̗̆͊́͝ÿ̷̳̳̜̫́͐ȍ̵̞̝̲̔͌̆͜ǘ̶̗̯̳̿r̸̡̗͉̝̍̋́̉ ̷͈̖̇̃͠f̵͈͒͋̉͗r̴̢̰̈ȅ̶̡͚e̴͙̼̜̙͗̑̔ ̸̧̨̘̮̏ş̶̛̠̗̾͝h̶̡͙͊̀͒o̵̝͒̕͜͠t̴̢̮̰̑̐͠.̸̢̠͉̫͋́̄̕ ̴̯̳̙̈́̑̀E̸̛̫̳̯̋͌̑v̶̨̐̍͝ė̸̯̉ŗ̶͙̣̦̂̒y̵̛̰͚͍͈ö̵̧̝́n̷̥̜͈̎̿̚͝ě̸̖̠̭ ̶͍̮̐̅̍̌g̷̩̜̤̻͆e̶̠̲̳̅̓̏t̷̞͇̩͉͂̿̌͝s̵̼͌͂͗̿ ̸͚͇͎̾̍̇̑͜ȏ̸͈͍̆ņ̷̠̥̪̔e̴͔̫̋͂.̶͙̺̲̐͑͜"

Oh, that was it!

Shadow Kanji roared as he broke into a sprint. His monochrome feet cracked the wood with each step, reminding everyone just how much power was in his bulk.

Shirou made no move to dodge, but his new Persona hovered down to intercept. To further mock the Shadow, Kagutsuchi spread its arms open.

"DIIIIIIE!"

Shadow Kanji threw a heavy punch forward, strong enough to crack apart bones and stone with ease. And Shirou himself should know, given what happened to him just five minutes ago.

But when the punch connected, it hit Kagutsuchi like a soft clap. No power, no tension… just a casual impact. Everyone stared with astonishment.

In awe, Chie voiced her thoughts out loud. "What the hell…?"

Shadow Kanji was frozen in fear. His quivering eyes looked up to the fire god Persona before him; if he had a face, it would probably be sneering at his feeble punch.

With a panicked snarl, Shadow Kanji punched with his other arm, equivalent to a rifle shot in speed and power. Despite having a body made of charcoal and ash, the hit bounced off of Kagutsuchi as if hitting rubber. He simply tried again with the same arm.

"GRRAAAAAAAAGH!" Again and again, the Shadow unleashed an onslaught of punches. Every hit connected to Kagutsuchi's body, but he showed no signs of pain.

Eventually the assault stopped, with the Shadow forced to catch his breath and notice a numbing burn on his large knuckles. Kagutsuchi's body was like molten rock, but so hot to the touch that the constant friction had set his arms on fire. It was enough to make him panic and try to snuff them out with fanning and slapping.

In desperation, he quickly followed up with another move. "Fanatical Spark!" The flames in his enlarged hands were quickly extinguished as electricity flew out in curving arcs. Wood cracked, water splashed, the room shook as thunder itself struck inside. And with such close proximity, the Shadow was confident that it would be the killing blow.

But… nothing followed. His move was enough to mow down the rest of the team, yet the floating, flaming Persona didn't look phased at all.

"I̵̦͒s̷̠̑̕ ̵͎̍ț̶͌h̷̨͍͔̔a̸̛̤͌t̸̘̽́ ̴̰̫͚̋̑̀ǐ̵͙͍t̸̰̩̩̓̋?̸̯͗" Shirou asked in a bored tone. Shadow Kanji flinched, involuntarily taking a step back.

"Why… why am I scared?" he asked himself aloud. "You may be tough and can take a hit, but you're nothing, you hear?! I knocked you down once, and I can finish the job! I… I'm the man of the house! The manliest thing to ever shit out pure rugged, meaty beauty! What can a poser like you possibly do to me?!"

As if to challenge his taunt, Kagutsuchi finally moved his hand. It was a slow action, watching the long fingers flex to reveal his palm, and a spark of flame started to spin in place. It looped once, glowing in a bright circle. It spun again, but slower as the epicenter was longer now.

Shadow Kanji knew that if he finished charging that attack, it would be over. The deciding factor came down to whether Shirou would pull the trigger in time or not. And yet that Shirou bastard stood there, staring at him with those scornful eyes. He had changed ever since his near-death experience, as if his Persona gave him assurance in his victory. It was infuriating to admit too, but nothing Shadow Kanji had could possibly kill him at this point.

Well, if he couldn't hurt the Persona itself, might as well nip the bud at the source.

"So you're finally going to try and attack me, huh?" He crackled. "Too bad you seem to be using all your energy on your Persona…"

With surprising strength and speed still in his legs, Shadow Kanji leaped like a cheetah to close the distance between him and Shirou, arms raised high for an electric-charged haymaker. "BECAUSE YOU'RE WIDE OPEN!"

The onlookers gasped at the danger their leader was in. From that angle he would be lucky if his spine or brain didn't crack like a watermelon. It looked like this time that Shadow Kanji's blow would be for the kill. A good thing too as the third cycle was just being marked.

"SHIROU-SENSEI!" "GET AWAY!" "EMIYA-KUN!!"

But Shirou did not move back. He did not react. He simply leveled his flaming arm and…

FHOOOOM!

An endless stream fanned out as if coming from a flamethrower.

In midair, Shadow Kanji couldn't follow through with his attack. The flame instantly burned his eyes, and his rose bush burned all the way to the roots. His arms swung down, but the pain and blindness made his action sloppy, missing the mark entirely.

In fact, the flames were so intense that they had the force of air behind them and managed to push the giant back to his starting position, give or take a few extra feet. Even from his distance he could feel the heat scorch with the intensity of a summer day – no, a burning building.

It was no mere flame. It was the gale of an inferno. That boy literally had that power in his fingertips, when by all accounts he shouldn't. Or maybe… it wasn't him at all?

"Who the hell are you?" Shadow Kanji asked in horror.

"Ý̸͎́͋͠͝o̵̧̼̻͛́͠ü̶̖̮̜̺̓r̵͙͎̭͋́ ̸̟͚̭͈̜̦̇̈́̀̋̈́́r̷͉̮͚̆̆e̸̹̭̪̙̣̿̓͂͝c̷̮̰̟̈́͌̈́̌̆̕k̵̟̓̍̚͜o̷̞̓͑͗n̸̡̰̫̤̑̎͋͒͜i̶̢̮̜̟͛͐͊͠n̷̒͜͠ͅg̵̜͙̏͗ͅ," Shirou told him, as his Persona's fire spell finished engraving the final glyph. "F̵̘͚̭̞̞̱̘̒ͅį̶̱̫̀̆̈́̉͋̚͝f̶̫͔̝̳͍͙̍̓̀̅́̉͝t̴̬̼̘͒͂̂̎͝h̸͕͛̈́́̇͂̌ ̸̡̮̜͍͇̖̄͋̽̋̋̉͝͠C̸̮̮̘̄͗̌̊̇̄͊̐y̸̫̲̤̒̎̓̇c̶̫͔̪͖͒ḷ̴̡̯̲̥̤͙̂é̴̦͐̂̎̀!̶̪͓͍͍̮͚̃̋͆͊͘"

The glyph in the air shimmered brightly, almost as blinding as the sun. And then the heat expanded as if the sun itself magnified its rays to where Shadow Kanji stood.

"GRAWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

His body was consumed in a fiery conflagration instantly. The rose bush wilted away into ash, his white half body charred to a darker shade than his other side, and he even decomposed on the spot.

When the fires finally subsided, Shadow Kanji's muscular body was no more, and he had returned to his loincloth-clad form. Ash and burn marks marred his skin, and he leaned over on all fours with a raspy cough clearing out the smoke he inhaled.

It was over. He was thoroughly, brutally beaten down, and struggled just to keep from collapsing to the ground.

But the look in Shirou's eyes was not one of mercy. Without much prompting, Kagutsuchi channeled his prana again in the glowing glyph attack. While Shirou's conscious friends wondered in mute horror what was going on in his mind, the downed Shadow felt the pressing urge of self-preservation to run away. However, he had no feeling in his legs after riding in his giant form for the entire battle. The most he could do was drag himself back.

"T̶̡͈̜̯̼̣̪̃͂̎ͅh̷̞̹̥̜̪̽̀é̸̹̩͂͐̆̍̿̉̕r̶̡͌͂̆͒̃̉̓͗͆͘ĕ̶̢̜͔̭̞͕͈̗̇̔̋̏̽̐̾̋̕͜ ̷̣̰̝̩̜̳͈͎̇̋̈́͑̒͘į̸̙̬͛̾̽̀̅̇͋̒͝s̷̛̱̻͈͈͈̪͈̲͕̀̆̈́̔͜͝ ̷̡͖̟̙̫͎̠̜͊̐̎ń̵̻̜̟͉̞͓̮̈̀o̶̠̾͂͠ ̶̤͇̜̜͔̬͓̗̂͂̐͛̂̀̒͌̚̚ę̷̛̦̗͕̞̀̓͜s̶̛͈͇̦͇͖̜̉̊̔̉͝ć̵̡̛̰̝̩̦͎̮̓͌͂̏a̷̢̡̘͔̟͉̞͉̍p̷̨̙̻͍̑̇͌̆̄͒͊̾̕͠ͅȅ̸̠̇͑̄̓̀̆̈͝," Shirou told him, and Shadow Kanji believed his apparent executioner. Already the first circle was complete.

"N-Now wait a minute, hun! I know when I've been licked! I surrender! See? Look, I'm waving a white flag and everything!" Shadow Kanji proved his point by grabbing and waving his loincloth flap in front, for lack of any proper substitute.

Shirou was undeterred. The second circle was glowing now.

"Okay, I get it! You're pissed off about the whole 'me cutting your arm off' thing! Want to beat the pent-up rage out of your system! Well, message received! Good job! You deserve a bout of manly applause for that!" Shadow Kanji clapped for effect, straining a smile as he did.

Third cycle. Everyone watched on bated breath at what was going to happen. The tension in the air was literally growing as the build-up led to another inferno attack. Even in a sauna, Shadow Kanji felt a different kind of perspiration form from his head.

"But, seriously! I give up! I can't even hurt you anymore if I tried! You… you don't have to go this far, don't you? One of those was more than enough for me, thank you!"

"Ÿ̷̟̯ͅỏ̷͔̥͖̮̝̥̬̟̏̏̎̌́͒̈́́̄͜u̸̢͋͊̐͒͊̀̊̽͠͠'̷̛̣̤͎̥̫̤̩̭̺͒̍l̵̨͖̼̝̳̣̮͓̖̏̈́̇̅̅͐̈́̂̆̆ļ̴̮̱͈̻͕̎̈́͊͛̈́͜ ̴͙̲̞̹̺̯̆̕n̴̨̝̥̺̉̈́̒̀̚ͅe̷͔̟͠ę̶͎̦̼̍͌̉ḏ̸̡̧̥̥̤͕̟͂̂̿͊͝ ̷̺̹̣̻͎͑̏̐́̈́̎̈a̴̧͖͕͍̯̤̥̅͝t̷̯̼̪̹̽̽͂̿́̒͘͝ ̴̫̻̺͒͐̓̀̈́͋̚̕l̸̨͖͖̣̙͕͍̅͑̽͊͝e̵͈͕̎͛̀̈́̋̿̕a̷̗̙͚̦̘̙̻̼͐̈́̂́̓̂s̷̗͚̹̦̗̆̏̋̓̋̈́t̴͉̭̪̥̰̒̔͗̾̿̚͝ ̷̣̟̘͍̻̙͙͋̀͐̿͒f̸̨̟̪̠͔̫̉̾͋̀͌̏͂͜͝õ̴̲͍̰̲͙͙͍̮̽͛͌̓̀̓u̴̮̙̮̭̪̾̇͐́̏̀̾̕̚͜r̶̭͍̈́͜ ̷̨͙̥̦̗̣̪͔̃͋̏̾͐̎̈̉͠ͅm̵̳̜̳͓̫͎͌̓̾̂͐̌͛̒̀͐o̵̮͋̊r̸̨̳̜̼̓̔̅̉̓̅̔̚͘͜è̵̢̲̳̻̦̫̐̓͛͊̎̂̋͘͠.̴̳̇͒̃̈́͆̊̓͘̕" Fourth cycle… and many more to go if the threat holds true.

Chie finally found her voice in time to reprimand him. "Emiya-kun, that's enough!" She started to run towards him, but a wall of flames erupted in front of her, almost catching her by surprise. She flinched back and fell flat on her back, staring at the fire with a mix of horror and bewilderment.

"Sh-Shirou-sensei?!" Teddie cried in disbelief. This couldn't be the same kind sensei that wanted to save his home, was it?

"My god, he's serious," Rise whispered. This wasn't like him at all from her place. Was it because of that Persona?

"This… this isn't how I wanted it to go! I didn't care who, or why! I just wanted to fit in! Someone, please…!"

Fifth cycle was now complete, and Kagutsuchi was already moving his ghastly limbs to finish the spell.

Shadow Kanji couldn't bear the pressure anymore, curled up in a feeble position and clawing at his bleached hair. "JUST ACCEPT ME FOR WHO I AM!!!"

For a moment, Shirou's hand faltered, and a strange look in his eye showed hesitance. But that moment was gone in a blink, hardened by the determination to follow through. "Ş̸̺̘̜̬̱͔͛̚͜ó̴̢̡͔̝̟̣ͅr̵̢̨̫͕̞̻̀̾̋͒̀́̚̚r̸̢͚̫̫͓̯̓͂͆̃͂͒̾̐͛ý̸̻̎͒̔̕͝,̶̨̣̖̗̮̪̬̜̃͛́́͋̈́͂̾ͅͅ ̷̡̲́̊̐̎̏͂͊̔̚b̷̧̊̔͒͝ư̴͇̝͙͉̪͉̳͈ẗ̶̢͍̖̼̻̲̺̬͇̊͆̀͠ ̷̞̗̗̖̰͎̙͇̓͌͆͗̎͒͜͝Ĭ̸̡̱̣̥̺̌̈́̐̅̊̒ ̷̡̱̠͕̊̔͐ḓ̷̨̢̦̙̘̩͍̹́̓͜ó̵̬̣͊͊͆̐͒̉̈́̚n̴̡̢̻͖̼̱͚̳̺̤̔̋̏̊̓̓̕̚̚͝'̷̨̭̙̌͌͆͑̋̆̆͗̕͝t̵͎͎͙͚͙̄̂̿̇̍̒̈͝ ̷͙̹͇͎̣͓̠̌͐͗͋̂̐̽̌͘͠s̸̠̤̱̠̬̒̈́w̴̮͆̑̈́͆̄͑̉̃͑̌ĭ̷̢̢͎̫́n̵̳̬̄̐̇͑ͅg̶̛͙͚̠̤͕̼ ̶̢̬̺̋ẗ̴̨̮́͆͑̉̈́̓̚h̶̢̯͕̬̰̦̹́ͅͅä̶̢̛̖͕̤̙̰́͆͂̊͑͆͠ẗ̵̨̆́̍̕͠ ̶̧̰̩̬̻͗̈̒̔͘͝w̴̺̗̼̿̔̀̕ḁ̵͓̫̰̗͔̂̈́̀͌̆̚ͅý̸̧͖͇̃͂͛̓̕̚.̶̬̠̩̹͙̄̌" he scoffed, ready to recant the spell.

"SWING THIS!"

Finally, Shirou turned his attention away from Shadow Kanji. His surprise was short-lived as he saw a singed fist coming right at him.

POW!

In one blow, he was out like a light. The flames from his severed arm, the wall of flames, and even the Persona Kagutsuchi faded away right after.

Kanji Tatsumi spat on the floor, and idly snuffed out the lingering embers on his jacket and pants with palm pats. He could admit not being the smartest student in his class, and it felt weird having to save some pansy poser with his face, but he knew he just had to save him… or himself, whatever.

The Shadow slowly receded from his position, staring wide-eyed at his other self. "You… saved me? But why?"

Honestly, running headfirst into the fire and punching Emiya out cold was the easy part. He didn't want to acknowledge this Shadow thing and hoped that if he kept putting it off in his mind then it would go away. Except that wasn't how life worked. And at the end of the day…

"I've… always known."

"Huh?"

"I've always known you were inside me, alright?! Or at least, something like you…" he stammered with a scowl and flush. God, it felt so embarrassing saying this out loud, especially now that Rise and Satonaka-senpai were watching him. "But you weren't the only one scared out of his mind. It was never just about guys or chicks… it was getting rejected. It's easier to just get everyone else to hate you right from the start than to screw it up being yourself. Being someone no one knows how to react to."

He stared at his hands dejectedly, trying and failing to form fists. "Now look at me. Been calling you a pansy the whole time, but deep down I'm the total pansy picking fights just to look tough…"

"So… you really don't hate me?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm not that self-loathing." Kanji huffed. Yeah, he knew he was a problem student and a punk, but if guys like Naoto and Emiya gave him the time of day for his wellbeing, there had to be something in himself worth saving.

Shadow Kanji stared at his real self silently, no longer his haughty vile self. He felt a strange sense of peace and humility now, and it was almost perfect to turn over a new leaf. Almost. "…say it."

"Say what?"

"You know~. That promise?"

Kanji scowled, memories of the deal suddenly coming up. "Seriously? Right now? You're still hung up about that?!"

"It has to be now!"

"Says who?!"

"Please? For me?"

"Oh, for the love of… fine! But I'm only going to say this once!" Kanji groaned with crossed arms. If only to get his inner bastard to shut up. "I love doing knitting and sewing with ma! I like home economics shit more than sports shit! I apparently have a feminine side because you exist. So, you're me, and I'm you, dammit! Happy now?"

It was a loud, angry admission but one spoken from the heart and heat of the moment. Shadow Kanji started to glow in a blue light, and a serene smile graced his lips. "The happiest," he said, a sentiment Kanji surprisingly felt mutual about.

The Shadow transfigured briefly into an intimidating black giant modeled like a bulky action figure. White paint was itched onto the design of a skeleton in an overlying pattern where each main bone part was supposed to be; skull on the head, ribs for the chest, and so on. Leather fiber connected each main body part for flexible movement, with red and blue wires faintly visible on the segments between the shoulders and arms. Finally, gripped in one of its white plastic gloves was a large gold-bronze blade shaped like a thunderbolt. A moment later, the newly formed Persona flickered away into a card that melded into Kanji's subconscious.

"Take-Mikazuchi, huh?" Kanji smirked. "That's a badass name…"

He felt a sudden urge to fall over and collapse, as if the adrenaline of being stuck in this bathhouse for so long was finally catching up to him. But he held on, if barely. Palming his face to try and starve off the headache, he now became aware that Emiya's arm was losing blood again, and the peanut gallery was still staring at him while waiting for something to do, even with Amagi and the other guy starting to get up.

Angrily, Kanji pointed to the bleeding student and yelled at them, "What the hell are you guys waiting for?! He's down an arm, dammit!"

<><><>

Eight of Cups, upright…

You feel something is missing. By all accounts, you should be happy and content with your life. Loving family, caring friends, strong support… but it was a lie. No, more like a replacement, meant to hide away your scars.

You do not know what it means to truly be happy, to act on your own accord. The best you can do is help others experience their happiness and share in the accomplishment. You never walk away from a person in trouble… but you can walk away from your own problems. They do not matter.

"Sh███u, c█me ██, ███e up! █e won!"

"█e's ███ █oving. █s he…?"

"He'█ going ██ be if █e don'█ d█ someth███! Just… pa███ the arm ███ now, to sto█ the bl███ing!"

Knight of Pentacles, reversed…

Your life was stagnant, seclusive. You took the pursuit of hard-work and diligence so far that you missed out on the world around you, trying to prepare for a world deep down you knew that you weren't ready for. You couldn't cope with normality after your scarred past, but you couldn't hope to survive the horrors in the Moonlit world, either.

You excuse your lack of experience to perfect your talent, but do perfectionists ever venture boldly into the unknown? Not unless they are ready, they would insist… but when is anyone ever ready?

"Man, his un██ is goi██ to █ill us ██en he f█ds █ut that his ██phew's down an █rm."

"███t's the least ██ our ███ries!"

"Wh█t a███t the le██es? They'██ a sort ██ mira███ cure, righ█?"

"Wait, ██w a█e le███s suppo███ to help th██ guy ███ his a██ ███k?"

Six of Swords, upright…

You have changed, that much is certain. You have fought against the change when you first came, stubborn to stick to your old ways. But now you see how important it was to come here, to see others struggle in their own hardships.

You feel so much weight of your past bearing down, almost suffocating just to remember. But they do not feel as restraining anymore. Not with the future looking so bright, and the burden made lighter.

"H█s ar█… ██ere is ██?"

"██h? ██… o██r █here I ███ss."

"So███ne g█ and ge█ ██. R██ht ██w!"

"Y█k█-c█a█—"

"█ sa██ ge█ m█ his ███damn a█m!!"

Nine of Wands, upright…

Even with death imminent, you will get back up again. Courage, persistence, resilience, all of these are necessary for your dream, and if you can't handle every setback you are not worthy to pursue your dream.

It has not been easy, as every step outside your comfort zone feels like a misstep. But you are not alone. You have comrades by your side.

"H-He██ █t is."

"Do yo█ ██ally th███ th█s █ill wo██, ███iko?"

"No, █'ve ne█er ███ed th██ b██ore. B██ if th███'s ev██ a ██ance i█ █ou█d save █im…"

"…it'█ █ll █ou ██en."

"██ght. Ph██… ██carm!"

<><><>

The sudden emersion of light broke the darkness in his mind, and a sensation unlike anything he had ever felt before enveloped his body. It was like being submerged in heated water while tasting and smelling the most succulent of fruits at the same time. Even the once-numbing phantom pain was ebbed away in a feat best described as miraculous.

Shirou Emiya shot upright from the floor with a sharp intake of air. And then he gasped and choked as his lungs worked overtime to provide oxygen to his battered body. He patted his chest to steady his breathing with both arms.

Wait. Both arms? He looked down to his chest, seeing both arms attached and none the worse for wear. The only difference was a faint scar line circling the cubital area and the outer joint of his right elbow. Had everything been a dream? Did it really happen?

The fight… Kanji! Everyone!

Shirou finally looked up, just noticing he was surrounded by his friends. They were battered, bloody and tired, but alive. There was a calm in the room now that there were no Shadows left.

Yosuke was clutching his shoulder, a smile slowly forming on his face. Tama stared at him intently as always, her tail faintly wagging now that he was awake. Kanji was with them too, standing aloof and looking away from the circle around him.

But what really floored him was seeing the girls. Chie had collapsed to her knees on the ground, having lost feeling in her legs and couldn't properly sit down. Yukiko was just pulling her arms back as the faint silhouette of Konohana Sakuya faded into light. Rise's voice choked, her hands clasped over her mouth and fighting back hiccups. Each one of them stared at him in disbelief, worry, and relief… through puffy, tear-filled eyes.

They were all crying… for him? They were all certainly waiting on him to say something, at least. "…Is everyone o—"

"SENSEEEEEEEEEEI!"

The first one to react was Teddie, bawling as he lunged toward the magus from behind (where he couldn't see). The impact nearly toppled him over forward. The bear couldn't reach his arm fully around to hug him, so he flailed and rolled his head back and forth, tears flying out of his eye ducts like sprinklers on full blast.

"You're back! You're really back! I knew you'd come back around, but I was so worried with the bleeding, and the fire, and then the bleeding again! You scared me and Tama-chan and everyone we're just glad you're okay! WHAAAAAAAhahahaAAAAAAA!!"

"G-Geez, Teddie, you're such a crybaby," Yosuke chuckled… before wiping his eyes with his arm and sleeve. "You-you gotta play it cool, man."

"It worked," Yukiko murmured. "Emiya-kun, your arm… it's okay now, isn't it?"

"Y-Yeah," he rasped out, looking down at the scar line again. "As good as new, even. Did you--?"

Yukiko smiled, nodded, and brushed the tears away from her eyes. "It actually worked. I'm so relieved."

"Whaaaaaaa!" Rise's emotions poured out, lunging forward to hug his abdomen. "My Shirou-kun's aliiiive!"

"H-Hey! Not so rough, Rise-chan!" Chie scolded… with a pout and blush? "He just came to, you know."

The former idol sniffled, unable to form a coherent reply. She merely settled for hugging him tighter, crying with the bear.

It still felt so surreal. He'd had a few close calls dying in this world before, but to come out of it in a true miraculous fashion was… well, no words could describe it. The emotion high was certainly evident in how everyone was reacting though.

"Guys," he started. "I understand that you're relieved I'm okay but… could you let go so I can stand up?"

"Can you even stand?" Chie asked as Rise and Teddie reluctantly let go. "You got it worse than the rest of us, and then that fire Persona you called…"

"What fire Persona?"

The question their leader asked threw them for a loop. They exchanged worried glances, weighing what they should tell him. "You… don't remember?" Yukiko asked.

It was spotty, but he remembered how painful it was losing an arm. How he tried to stay conscious when the fight was turning for the worst. How he heard surreal, ethereal voices. After that it was a blur, but given how severe the aftermath was, that might be a blessing. "…the things I do remember I'd rather forget, honestly."

Another tense silence followed, as no one knew what to say to that.

"But really, it's fine," he continued. "It was my fault getting blindsided like that. And it's not that… strenuous…" He was all but grunting now trying to push himself off the ground, and then winced when his arms gave out. "Haha… nothing a little rest can't fix."

"Bullshit."

The Investigation Team all turned to Kanji. He still stood aloof from the conversation with a scowl and arms crossed. When he turned to look at Shirou, it was with a determination he'd never seen in the young man before.

"It's like what my old man said once: 'A man shouldn't make a girl cry in worry for any reason'," he recited. "'And in the chance that he does, he works to make them feel better yesterday.'"

Rise pouted through her tears and stamped her arms down as she yelled at him. "Shut up, Moronji! It was your fault that Shirou-kun got hurt, you know!"

Kanji looked taken back and snapped right back. "D-Don't call me a Moronji! It wasn't my fault with the arm, either! It was that other me who… said was just like me… I mean… dammit!"

Yukiko puffed her cheeks to fight back giggles, a sentiment shared by the others. After everything that had happened, a little levity was greatly appreciated. Whether Kanji realized it was light teasing or not, he was not laughing.

"W-Whatever! Point is, you need to take better damn care of yourself, and I'm not standing by to let you stand on… well… well you know!" Still fuming, Kanji didn't give the others to argue a counterpoint before he leaned down to pick Shirou up. "Now are we getting out of here or what? Just point us to the exit and I'll handle the rest."

It was a surprisingly thoughtful gesture from the delinquent, one that no one would expect given his former hostility. On the other hand, it was an awkward sort of problem that even Shirou noticed.

"Uh, I appreciate this offer Kanji, but…"

"But what?"

Yosuke finished the question no one else could. "But are you sure you want to carry him like that?"

Kanji's arms were supporting Shirou's legs and upper back and held him close to his own body for balance. It was a more familiar way to carry a loved one, hence the name "bridal carry".

"Hey, this is easiest to hold him without straining himself!" Kanji argued. "You got a problem with that?"

"Oh no, by all means go ahead. If you want to get hitched with Shirou here, I won't stop you."

Kanji blistered, almost dropping Shirou from his arms outright. He kept looking around, suddenly aware how no one but a confused bear and smug-looking teen was staring at him. "What th-HITCHED!? That's not—I'm not a— I'm just helping! It's not what it looks like, okay?!"

"Dude, it's totally okay if you're into your feminine side." Yosuke grinned. "I mean, you accepted your big burly Shadow so that means you must totally be into dudes! Hell, weren't you going on about Na—"

"Yosuke," Shirou spoke suddenly, slowly wrapping one arm around Kanji's neck. "Could you come over here for a second?"

"Sure, what's up part—?"

POW! Thud!

"GRAAAH!" Yosuke was punched so hard in the face that he hit the floor in a whiplash spin. He barely registered the punch, the puddle of water that he hit, and who'd done it. "What the hell, Shirou!?"

"Just testing the reflexes on my arm," he said, clenching his fist. "And while it's still sore, I'm satisfied that it works well. Thanks again, Amagi."

"Anytime, Emiya-kun."

"You didn't have to hit me, though!"

"And you didn't have to be an ass to Kanji, either."

The biting remark was enough to surprise Yosuke, and it was only then he realized that the others were all giving him disapproving looks. "Uh… sorry, man."

Kanji grunted with his head whiffed to the side. "First Moronji and now jokes at my expense… what the hell did I ever do to you guys?"

"You mean besides always blowing us off when we tried to warn you weeks ago?" Chie asked snidely.

Kanji flushed, too proud or embarrassed to move from his defiant pose and justify a proper response.

Despite everything, Shirou gave a relieved smile that the worst was behind them for now. "Let's all just go home."

<><><>

July 2nd, Shopping District

Mitsuo was panicking. Just as he was walking back from cram school for the day, he saw him, being lugged around by his sister's boyfriend no less. He followed at a distance just out of earshot to be sure. Maybe the foggy weather was playing tricks on him.

But when he got to the textile shop, there was such screaming emotion when the Tatsumi matriarch yelled with tears and the boyish cop reprimanded him. He acted so out of character just taking this in stride but there was no doubt.

Kanji Tatsumi was back.

He somehow survived and was back at his house. But how…?!

Unable to watch this anymore, Mitsuo ran back home and locked the door behind him. He collapsed by the door and curled into a ball, not bothering to take off his shoes.

Eventually his brown-haired, rusty-eyed angel of a sister noticed and kneeled at his side. "Mitsy, what's wrong?"

Mitsuo could almost cry at the unfairness of it all. "We're screwed. We're so screwed! That punk-asshole is still alive!"

"You mean Tatsumi-kun?" Sacchin asked, surprised. "Are you sure?"

"I saw him get escorted back to his home!" he wailed. "The police are going to question him, and then they're going to come knocking on our door and get us! We can't do this, nee-san! If he talks, we're through!"

"Mitsy, it's okay, calm down," she told him.

"No it's not! Everyone is going to be out to get us now!" he cried hysterically. "They're gonna find out—"

"Look at me, Mitsy." She told him firmly. He snapped at her gaze, ready to yell that things were so bad, but almost immediately the rage and panic was gone. Her soothing eyes quelled the despair in his heart, and he finally calmed down.

"The truth is, I never actually sent Tatsumi-kun away," said Sacchin, much to her brother's surprise. "I was scouting on how to do it based on what the serial murderer did, but that same night he finally showed up and did it himself."

"Then… that means—"

"They can't connect us to being guilty of a crime we didn't commit," she told him. "I doubt he would have any memory on who actually did it either. Otherwise the cops would have found the real killer by now after he failed with Yuki-chan and Kuji-chan."

Mitsuo felt a surge of relief. They weren't guilty after all. They won't be questioned or arrested for attempted murder. He wouldn't have to leave his sister's side, where he felt important and wanted after all.

And yet, at the same time, there was a bitter knot in his stomach. That Kanji was alive at all felt like a perversion of justice. He was clearly a jerk nobody liked, so why did he come back like Yuki-chan and Risette? Why wasn't he dangling from a telephone pole instead?

Whoever this serial murderer was, he was losing his touch if he failed three out of five times.

"So now what?" he asked numbly. He felt so lost without his sister's guidance and allowed himself to be pulled up from the ground in her firm hands.

"What else?" she asked back. "Clearly, we both know that the serial killer is failing, unable to kill even the most unpleasant of delinquents. I say it's our turn to tip the scales a bit."

"Do you… really mean that?" The last time she said they'd go after Kanji Tatsumi it had been a false start. In fact… "You lied to me before, saying you'd take care of him."

"I know, and I'm really sorry Mitsy," she told him with a pleading look in her eye. "It happened before I even realized, and I just wanted to make you happy knowing your big sis was reliable."

"Well, I guess I understand," he admitted. He just couldn't hate his sister even when she lied. At least she cared. "But I want in, next time."

"You're sure?"

"I want to be a hero, like you said. I can't be one if I'm scared all the time."

"And you won't, Mitsy," she patted him firmly on the shoulder, comforting. "We'll pull off a caper so flawless that they'll believe we're the true culprits unless the real one dares to stand up."

Mitsuo smiled with an unnatural, giddy glee inside. Sacchin licked her lips and smirked, picking up her umbrella by the door. "Let's do some recon before dinner, shall we?"

<><><>

Evening, Dojima Household

Fortunately, after reaching the exit, Kanji relented in letting Shirou walk the rest of the way. Though that was only due to his own fatigue finally setting in. Yosuke was all but volunteered to bring the bleached teen back (though to his credit he shrugged his shoulders and carried him back). With a successful rescue, and a promise to Teddie to check up on him more, he went home to try and relax.

He just hoped Dojima didn't notice the now ring-like scar around his elbow. It would be kind of hard to explain exactly what had happened if hard pressed. If Doji-nii asks, I'll just say there was a soldering accident at the gas station when I was trying to work a welding iron. And that… I was too occupied to notice the pain. Gah, that will never work.

He tried to preoccupy his thoughts with cooking spare ingredients for lunch tomorrow; a sort of "cooking date" with the girls to help with their culinary talents (or rather lack there-of). It was meant to be just Satonaka and Amagi, but Rise heard about it the other day and wanted in, especially to unwind from a successful mission.

His worries and musing stopped as soon as he heard the door open. Nanako, sitting by the kotatsu in front of the TV, also perked up. "Dad's home!"

Dojima slipped his shoes off at the front door but he didn't come inside right away. Instead, he ushered in two more guests. One of which being his partner on the murder case, Adachi.

The cop noticed the two kids and waved. "Oh, hey there! Dojima-san's family I take it! I'm Tohru Adachi, a friend of your dad's! Pleasure to meet ya!"

Truth be told, this wasn't the first time Shirou had met Adachi, but it was the first time they were formally introduced. It was more for Nanako's sake than him, as she was now hiding in the back staring at Adachi. Or rather, at the other guest, who happened to be…

"Shirooooooou! Get me something good to eat! *hic!*"

-a wailing woman in a tiger-striped shirt slumped in the rookie cop's arms. Shirou froze, mentally processing what he saw and heard, dropping the spatula and ladle in his hands from the shock of it all. "Fuji-nee?!"

Slumped over Adachi's shoulder, Taiga Fujimura groggily raised her head up and gave a wide, flushed smile and slow wave. "Hiiiiiiiiiii! I want a dinner, and a bath and yoooooooou—" she slurred with a deliberate poke. The implications startled the men, especially Shirou, as he froze again upon how to respond to that.

"—to make it for me."

A wave of relief combined with exasperation engulfed Shirou as he struggled not to collapse and figure out what to say to her. He settled for the obvious. "You're drunk, aren't you Fuji-nee?"

"A very good question!" Taiga said with a grin. "You're smart like that, Shirou! And the answer might surprise you!"

"So you are," he deadpanned.

She pouted back. "I said might. Party-poo-poo-poo-peeeeer*hic*!"

"So, Fuji-nee huh?" Adachi asked. "Cute pet-name. All this time I've been calling her Fuji-cake."

The definitely drunk Taiga Fujimura giggled, nuzzling her head closer to his neck and chest area. "Aww, because you want to eat me aaaaall up, dont'cha?"

Shirou's eye twitched, and everything around him was drowned out to white noise from Cu Sith's roaring. He had an idea on why that was the case, and he didn't want to think about it. Not with how happily flustered Adachi was right now with his guardian.

Dojima was just as disgruntled, pinching his nose as he pointed over to the living room. "Just set her down at the couch without flirting, please. Nanako, set it up if you can."

"O-Okay," Nanako replied. Confused as the young girl was, she did as she was told by fetching some spare blankets as Adachi lugged Taiga over.

"Sorry to have sprung this up last minute," Dojima said as he meant it. "I tried calling your cell earlier, but you weren't picking up."

"I-It's fine," Shirou stuttered. He didn't think being in the Bathhouse dungeon for so long could make them miss calls as they never took stock of their time before. "But… why is Fuji-nee here in Inaba?"

"You got me. I only found out after my partner started bragging about meeting her at a hidden pub in the shopping district. Shiroku's, I think."

Shiroku's? The drug store next to Rise's tofu store?! Why was that a pub?! No, why was Fuji-nee at a pub to begin with? AND WITH ADACHI?!

"Shirou, calm down! You're hyperventilating!" Pixie's words were the needed rock for his emotional high. Perhaps the near-death experience had shaken him more than he thought. He didn't need this right now.

"I was just as surprised as you are, of course," Dojima added. "Not just her being here, but him finding a date? He couldn't get one after—" he stopped and shook his head. "Nevermind, it's work-related, and we're not at the station. Anyway, since Adachi lives on the way here, he came over to help us bring her here for the night."

Taiga was laid on her side on the couch, saying sweet nothings to Adachi and Nanako both. "You have such a comfy home, Nanako-chan! You're so luckyyyyyy! *hic*"

"Fuji-nee, why are you here?" Shirou asked her as he and Dojima walked over to the living room.

She started to frown. "You don't want me here?"

"I… am happy to see you again, really," he admitted. She was one of the bright spots of his normal routine back in Fuyuki, one of the two people that knew at least a part of his guarded self, and now among those that knew his real self. "But what about Sakura? Don't you still have a class at Homurahara High to teach? Or run the Archery club?"

Taiga's frown turned to a scowl. "Oooooh, that place? I quit."

"You mean you were fired?!" he cried out. Dojima and Nanako were just as alarmed. They all knew she had a habit of overreacting, but not even Shirou expected her to lose her stable teaching job! Already he was dreading the fact that he would have to support her night and day with cooking as she continued to get drunk, treating the whole house as a mess—

"No no no!" she whined. "I meant I took a break! Whazzit term again? A fur-*hic*… fur-*hic*… fur-loooooow. And Ayako-chan's watching Sakura-chan now, don't worry!"

"O-oh." A furlough. A leave of absence. He didn't think she could cash that in with how often she was late to her own classroom at the start of each day. And he could trust Mitsuzuri to watch over Sakura… or at least keep Shinji away from bothering her. That was all relieving, but… "But why?"

The somber topic made her frown grow and somewhat more lucid. "After Golden Week, I've been trying to change myself for the better. But it was hard when everyone at the school didn't take me *hic* seriously. I was able to block out all that out before but not anymore. Not when I realized I wasn't… happy with myself."

"I'm happy with yourself, Tiger-nee." Nanako said.

The small comment made the drunk woman smile for a moment. "Thanks, Nanako-chan." Then she scowled again. "At least she's considerate."

Shirou was taken aback by the remark aimed at him. "Huh?"

"I wanted to check up on how you were doing in Inaba, maybe relax down here too with you and Nanako-chan. I got down to the station as a surprise and called you today for you to greet your favorite big sister figure!"

A sense of unease filled Shirou's being. "Today?"

"Today! Otherwise it wouldn't be a surprise! But you didn't answer any of my calls! You were so embarrassed that I was coming that you blew me off entirely!"

Again, with the missed phone calls. That fight with Shadow Kanji must have taken longer than he realized. "B-But Fuji-nee, I didn't even know you were coming!"

"That's even woooooorse!" she bawled comically, hiding her face on the cushion.

"Cu Shirou, we really need to work on your foot-in-mouth disease."

He so didn't need this right now, but he sighed and asked her, "So then you got upset, wandered around the streets, and found a bar, right?"

She shifted her head back, barely a nod.

"And then you met Doji-nii's partner here who tried to bribe you with sweet-talk and food he'd pay for." Another nod. Adachi himself looked pretty proud of himself and happy of this, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"…and he didn't have enough money to get you all the food you wanted, right?"

"Right," slurred Taiga through the cushion.

Adachi flinched, and Dojima chuckled. "Heheh. That sounds about right."

"Only because you slave-drive me with barely any pay," the rookie whined.

"I can give you a raise, you know," the older cop reminded. "I'd also have to work you harder, too."

"…my current wage is fine, thanks."

Shirou smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Fuji-nee. I'll make it up to you right away."

He then stood up and addressed his uncle. "Is it okay if I go out real quick for shopping?"

"Huh?" Dojima blinked. Where did that come from?

"I've been thinking since there's five of us tonight that we should have a big meal for everyone involved. You're staying, aren't you Adachi-san?"

"Well, all I have left back at my place is some cabbage casserole," he admitted. Then he stammered, looking back to Dojima. "Oh, uh… of course I'd leave if I'm imposing your hospitality, sir."

"No, it's fine I suppose," Dojima answered to both questions. If they were going to have a bigger gathering tonight, then who was he to argue Shirou's judgment? He was kind of in the mood for his nephew's cuisine anyway.

"Shirou's cooking~!" Taiga giggled, turning to look at him with tear-filled eyes of joy. "You really do love meeeeee!"

Shirou let out an embarrassed grumble. Growing up with her meant he had put up with more than his fair share of teasing and annoyances on her end. But the kiss back from Golden Week popped back into his head and left him conflicted. Whatever, it was a few months since they saw each other, and he was making it up to her with his food anyway. He'd allow her this pleasure for tonight.

"I guess the only place that would be open right now is Junes," Adachi said. "You could probably get there faster if you take Dojima-san's old scooter."

"Junes?!" Nanako latched onto Shirou's shirt and tugged it rapidly. "I wanna go! I wanna go!"

"Nanako, it's late," Dojima told her. "The only places that would still be open are groceries, and Shirou is only going there for a food run."

"And I'm not allowed to carry passengers on my scooter," Shirou added.

"I don't care! I still wanna go!" she whined. "I never get to go there…"

Dojima opened his mouth to argue against the contrary but realized he never actually did take her there. He was rarely around at home as it was, especially with the murder cases. Shirou also winced, realizing that he never got the time to take Nanako there at all either. He was swamped with schoolwork and Persona fights but to anyone else, he had less of an excuse.

"Besides, they have the pickled radish that you like. I was going to get it myself."

As her father felt a sense of guilt and warmth of her selfless request, Shirou brushed the hair on her head affectionately. "I don't mind if she comes," he said, subtly asking for permission.

Dojima really didn't like the idea of his daughter going out of the house late at night. His first response was to try and convince her to drop it tonight so they could go another day, on more ideal conditions. But that wouldn't be fair, and he knew it. Shirou was the surrogate brother that Nanako looked up to, and Taiga being here reminded him of their argument on their hands-off parenting.

Nanako deserved more trust. They all did, really. "…thirty minutes."

"Huh?"

"You two can go to Junes for thirty minutes tonight, and then come right back. Just as long as you're safe and you keep your phone on this time."

Nanako's smile blossomed almost immediately, and Shirou's relief was just as rewarding. "Yay!" "Thanks, Doji-nii."

"Yeah yeah, just don't have too much fun," Dojima joked with a smile. "I'd go with you two myself, but someone has to watch over Taiga."

"Hey! I'ma plenty okay to take care of my-*urrp*!" The drunken tigress' weak argument (and weaker burp) only earned beads of sweat from her onlookers, less than impressed with her condition.

"I can watch over her, Dojima-san!" Adachi insisted… a little too enthusiastic.

Dojima gave him a long stare before adding, "But then someone would have to keep an eye on you too."

"Hey!"

The kids were already on their way out the door. "Get your coat, Nanako. We're going to have to take a bus over."

"~Everyday's great at your Junes!~" And with that they were out the door.

"Huh, nice kids," Adachi said with a smile.

"Yeah," Dojima agreed, before kneeling down to the kotatsu. He turned the news on, just in time to hear the meteorologists bring up the weather forecast.

"And it's a good thing Kanji-kun was found too. With so many students coming back from kidnapping, maybe the murderer will stop targeting them. You wanna know what I think?"

"No. Now wash your hands and then set the table."

"Huh? Why?"

"We're off the clock and I don't want you talking about the case when the kids come back," he said in warning. "Besides, you want to impress Taiga, don't you? The fastest way to her heart is to cater to her stomach."

"That's no different from how you boss me around everyday…" Adachi grumbled but complied and headed over to the sink.

Truth be told, Dojima did hope that the cases would end soon. Adachi's conspiracy theories were welcome compared to the rest of the police department trying to put it off if possible. The stress and tension of unanswered questions was enough to make even the most stubborn officer throw up their hands in defeat.

Taiga's visit was a welcome surprise with how much her presence made things better in the Dojima home, but the timing couldn't be any worse… or perfect depending who you asked. He looked over her sleeping form in concern. "I just hope you being here isn't an omen of things to come."

The only appropriate response, fitting for Taiga, was a loud snore.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 40: Tightly Wound


Velvet Room

Between Kanji's rescue and the welcome dinner for Taiga, it had been a long day that guaranteed a long sleep for Shirou. He barely registered the pillow under his head before he was out like a light, and the next thing he knew, he was hearing opera and sitting in a familiar velvet seat.

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room," came a familiar greeting from the man with a big nose.

"Igor-san." Margaret and Marie were there too of course, but the latter was slouching and drawing on a notepad.

"First off, allow me to congratulate you on your progress so far," Igor said. "In three months' time, you have grown a small but strong camaraderie with your fellow Persona users, kept the quiet town of Yasoinaba at peace, and I believe you are even on Margaret's remedial course for magecraft."

"I still can't believe that you two aren't really magi." Shirou admitted aloud, before realizing how arrogant that comment sounded. "Uh, no offense."

"It is quite all right," the long-nosed man said softly. "There are many secrets in the world, and in the space between worlds. There is no shame in being ignorant. Some might say there is a bliss in staying that way."

"Although I'm afraid we have more troubling news to discuss." Margaret opened the tome on her lap and lifted it to show Shirou the current page. A blackened card with the design of a flaming giant. "You've awakened an anomaly in your sea of souls. The Persona Kagutsuchi."

"I… don't remember what happened at the time," Shirou admitted partially.

"That is to be expected," she said. "Normally a Persona is used as an extension of themselves with absolute control. But when a Persona's power overshadows the user, it takes over as the dominant personality."

A Persona so strong it could control him? That was a scary thought and a major liability. "So what happens now? Can you remove it?"

"If only it were that simple," she shook her head, closing the book. "Personas that bear a special imprint on the user are tethered and immovable unless transmogrified. It is in the name, after all; they represent the truest form of your inner self."

"But that doesn't make any sense! I awakened to Izanagi, and he was removed from my subconscious when you fused him!"

"Izanagi wasn't yours to begin with."

Those words, spoken casually, shook Shirou to his core. The Persona he had when he first awakened in the TV World… it wasn't his own? But Kagutsuchi was? What in the world did that mean? Did he even want to know?

"The gift of the Wild Card is truly a double-edged sword," Igor said softly. "Your personality is malleable enough to accommodate others and support them, and you are free to act however you wish. But that in turn leads to a crisis. What is truly a semblance of yourself if you can pick and choose certain aspects so easily? Can you define yourself without the company of your loved ones?"

Shirou looked away, watching the azure-violet mist move from outside the window. "I… don't know." He never had to think too deeply with these questions before. He just knew he wanted to be a hero, an Ally of Justice, and wanted to pursue that goal. The end result, the center, was all that mattered. Or so he thought.

"Then pay it no mind," Igor said. "The path of a Persona user is one of hardship and growth, and that growth is determined by your own will. The answer, whatever you decide, will come to you in time, so there is no rush."

"Except for the fact that I have a year left until my future is forfeit."

"Well, there's your motivation then," Marie said, looking up briefly from her notepad. "Figure it out along with whoever that mysterious murderer is before Christmas."

"Until then, you must bear the weight of your new Persona's power," Margaret said. "Kagutsuchi will awaken whenever you are under duress, but it will get easier to control as your heart grows stronger. And when you finally find your answer, perhaps you will harness that power in earnest."

"If only it were that easy," he lamented. Most things in life never were. "I think it's morning now, so I'll see myself out."

Igor nodded at him. "Until we meet again, farewell."

Shirou nodded back, and was ready to leave via the door, or let his senses fade to nothing, whichever came first. That is, until a small scrap of paper caught his eye on the floor, just in front of him. It looked like part of a notebook that had been torn off cleanly. "What's this?"

Everyone looked down as well. Marie did a wide-eyed double-take and barreled over to the floor in a sudden brazen panic. She snatched the paper up before Shirou could, forcibly crushing it in her fingers before stuffing it in her pocket. She then shot a glare at him. "Shutupitsnoneofoyourbusinessyoudidntseeanything!"

"Uh…" Shirou was dumbfounded. Not just at her reaction but her compromising position. Marie was still on all fours glaring at him. She was perpendicular to him, so that meant he could see part of the crease of her plaid skirt just enough to show the curve of her derriere. As well as the lining of her… unmentionables.

Marie quickly realized this, following his point of view. She then flushed a brighter red before pulling her skirt down and standing upright to glare down at him. "Youdidntseethateither! ShutupIhateyoustupidmagicpervert!"

"I-I was just—" he stammered, hands waving, trying to explain himself. But to no avail. She was mad and beyond reasoning. At the corner of his eye, he saw Margaret smiling and waving at him.

"Wake up already!" Marie snapped and then reared her palm back to strike.

July 3rd, Dojima Residence, Morning

*SLAP!* *BAM!*

When Shirou came to, he was forcibly turned over and collapsed on the side of his bed. With a stinging red handprint over his cheek. "Oww!"

Well, that was one way to wake up from the Velvet Room. He quickly decided to skip going there for the day to give Marie some space.

The noise of his "waking" must have shaken the whole house, as he heard a knock at the door. "Big bro? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Nanako, I just… had a scary end to my dream."

"Was it a nightmare?"

"Something like that."

"Oh," said Nanako. "By the way, Chie-chan called earlier and said that her and your friends were coming over at lunchtime. She said something about a cooking lesson?"

That perked him up right away. "Oh, I almost forgot. I better get ready."

<><><>

Afternoon

Omelets. That was the plan to ease them into proper cooking lessons. They were simple to make, with the main ingredient being an egg. It would be a helpful starting point for lessons as he could give some pointers to correct them for better, more complex dishes.

And yet somehow all three of them managed to mess that up. Worse, they left the kitchen in such a state of disarray too.

After tasting each omelet for himself, he looked over each of the girls, wearing color-coded aprons (red, green and pink) covered in flour and condiment stains. Before each of them was their omelets that deceptively betrayed how they really tasted. The girls looked back at him expectantly with hopeful smiles.

"Start over," he told them sternly and watched as their three faces all fell to frowns. Chie and Yukiko looked resigned to being bad chefs, but Rise was flat-out devastated.

"Sh-Shirou-Senpai doesn't like my cooking?!"

"Honestly? No. It's a miracle you three didn't burn the house down with your collective failures." That admission crushed their spirits more, but he was not there to hold their hands. He was there to teach them how to cook.

That, and he REALLY didn't want the Dojima household to burn up in any capacity.

Yukiko was still wincing from his words. "Isn't that a little harsh?" she asked.

"Yeah! They can't be all bad!" Chie argued. Her bravado faltered upon seeing how unmoved her classmate-slash-cooking-teacher was. "Can they?"

"Yes, and I'm going to go over why each of them is the case," he said. He turned to the first dish to his right. A pretty golden-brown omelet cut open with red filling and steaming heat. "Rise, your dish easily looks the most presentable of the three—"

"Thank you, Senpai!" Rise chirped happily.

"—But it's like eating lava. You've laced the omelet in so many spices I couldn't feel my tongue, much less discern the ingredients like the foie gras you used in it."

For a moment, Rise said nothing. Then her face morphed into a fragile frown and series of sniffles, surprising the other girls. "Y-You're being a jerk, senpai! My food is delicious! An-and a mature flavor! You're being a- a-… whaaaa-!"

"No crocodile tears," he sharply told her. He had seen her cry before, and this act was clearly set up for sympathy. Realizing it wasn't going to work, Rise sheepishly smiled and rubbed the back of her head, tongue sticking out. "And relax. You seem to already have a good sense of cooking since you can make something you would like. But not everyone has the same taste buds, and you need to remember that for when you cook for others."

Rise gave a thoughtful nod, smiling to herself. She looked like she'd take his words to heart, which was good. Shirou then turned to the next person down the line. He looked up and down again, trying to gauge the plain-looking dish. "Amagi, how do I put this? Your food is passable at least, and a major improvement from the curry for sure. But this is also very… boneless."

"'B-Bone-'?!" The inn heiress stuttered, expressing a sudden flare of indignation. "Emiya-kun, that's not a word you use to describe taste!"

"And that's kind of the point," he coolly told her. "There was no taste. Food isn't something you just eat for sustenance but something you enjoy. You have a favorite food, right? How it smells, how it feels when you bite into it, how you savor the morsel in your mouth before you swallow? That makes you want to eat more of it and come back to it."

He pointed to the plain-looking dish she made, of pure yellow-white egg flop. "I did not get any of that from your omelette. You threw everything into your dish, cooked it too long, and came out with a net zero meal. You might as well have served me uncooked rice."

Yukiko grumbled to herself, muttering about how maybe to serve her favorite food. Shirou then turned to the last dish… and probably the easiest to grade. "Satonaka, your food is just awful, and that's probably the nicest thing I can say about it."

"How is that nice?!" Chie immediately demanded.

Shirou rubbed that back of his head awkwardly. "Well, it's not as noteworthy of a failure as the other two." Chie just fumed at him angrily, prompting him to offer more constructive criticism. "I noticed that you followed the recipe book a bit, which is good. But when you saw Rise and Amagi do their own thing, you started to second-guess yourself, and tried to compensate. A chef always has to keep their wits about them in case there's a problem in the kitchen, as there's no shame in taking steps to get better. To be distracted from their dishes is just a recipe for disaster. No pun intended."

Chie's face softened by the end. She stared bitterly at her sloppy mess of an omelet. "We tried really hard, though…"

"Yeah! We even put in our love and everything!" Rise insisted.

"I wouldn't throw those words around carelessly," he told them. "To say 'put your love in it' would mean to incorporate what you love in food, not throw everything in and hope something sticks."

"Is that a real lesson or something you made up?" Chie asked.

"Neither. It's something Sakura told me once."

Yukiko tilted her head quizzingly. "Who's 'Sakura'?"

"She's a friend back in Fuyuki." he said without thinking, and somehow immediately regretted it.

The girls' reactions grew wary and uneasy, as if the room was suddenly covered in a chill. Rise in particular narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "A 'friend', huh?"

"Do you… teach her cooking, too?" Chie asked shyly.

"...yes?" Shirou answered awkwardly. "She's my kohai so I kind of have to watch out for her, right?"

"I-I'm your kohai too, senpai!" Rise cried. "Please teach me cooking too!"

"H-Hey! Wait in line!" Chie snapped. "He said he'd teach all of us, remember?!"

"I agree, although I'd argue that some of us need this more than others," Yukiko insisted darkly.

"The only reason you're here is because you poisoned him, remember? At least I asked to come!"

"More like butting in! Besides, your cooking isn't all that better compared to us!"

"ENOUGH." Shirou voiced his annoyance and slight anger clearly in a single word, cowing the girls' bickering. Letting the tension out from his pinched nose and exhaled breath, he walked over to the kitchen. "Look, just… watch me as I do this. Making an omelette is easy."

He gathered a bowl, fork, and some spare eggs left in a hostler. After cracking and emptying the yolk into the bowl, he whisked them with the fork to blend the two together. "First off, you need to make sure the egg is mixed well before cooking. The yolk needs to be pierced first before blending, so it's easier to just stick with a fork for this than a whisk. A little pepper goes a long way too, but only add that after it's thoroughly blended."

The girls watched him with apt interest, not a word uttered as he cooked. They noticed right away how relaxed and casual he was in his movements. No spills, no mess, and efficiently quick too. He was in his natural element.

"High heat cooking should only be done after lots of skill and practice," he continued, before cutting a bit of butter onto a spare pan. Then he poured the mixture onto the pan too, watching it sizzle around the edges. "The good news about low heat cooking is that it trades off time and avoids sticking. Perfect for practice."

"But wait, don't you have to put the milk in first?" Chie asked, remembering the recipe she read.

"Some do, some don't," Shirou answered. He continued to stir the omelette a bit in the pan with a spatula now. "It depends on what you put into it, but the point is to learn how to make a basic omelette first."

There was something tantalizingly interesting in watching a chef cook; the transformation of common everyday ingredients into something new and delicious. He didn't have the flair of technique any of them (especially Yukiko) expected of an experienced chef. Rather, the only trick he did was flip the pan a bit to make the omelette jump too. He made it sound and look so easy, explained each step with more hook than any Yasogami teacher could ever hope to do.

...so why couldn't they do the same thing?

"-And that's how you make an omelette," he said, presenting the meal on a plate before them. They stared at it with wonder… and then confusion.

"It looks about as plain as Yukiko-senpai's," Rise noted. Sure, it had a golden shine to it, but there was nothing noticeable that could make it desirable to eat like her own.

"I'd say it looks more like some big pile of scrambled eggs," Chie argued.

"But, wouldn't that mean it's actually crumbled? Erm, 'scrambled'?" Yukiko asked.

"Appearance in cooking is one thing," Shirou told them. "Usually the main deciding factor is the taste."

The girls exchanged looks. Part of them still felt scorned from having their own cooking graded poorly. There was still a bit of denial of just accepting Shirou as the better cook. It smelled so good though...

"Aren't you guys ready yet?"

From the opposite side of the house, Nanako and Taiga had spent the day watching cutesy anime shows and the newest Magical Detective Loveline episode. Nanako was invested, but Taiga looked very bored slouched on the couch as her eyes kept wandering to the kitchen.

"Just about," Shirou said. "I'll make some more, but feel free to help yourself to what's available."

"FINALLY! FOOD!" Taiga cried as she barreled for the kitchen. She stood over the counter and looked over the assorted omelettes with muted excitement.

Nanako stared between the four plates with wide-eyed enthusiasm. "Oh, this all looks so good! Which one should I try first?"

The three girls exchanged awkward looks. They had been so confident before, thinking at least Nanako would love the meals they prepared. And to Yukiko's credit, she felt she did better than last time. But after the dressing-down Shirou gave them, they wanted to put their meals anywhere but on a plate. Not necessarily the trash yet, but just not in the open.

Taiga might not get what was going on, but she was far from ignorant. And reading the room, she knew that the girls were not good cooks. Letting Nanako-chan try theirs first-hand was probably a bad idea for the poor girl, so she stepped in quickly. "Let me try first, Nanako-chan! I'll find the best one for us to share!"

"Okay!" Nanako accepted innocently. She watched as Taiga pulled out a spoon and dug into the first omelette, to which Rise let a confident smile grow on her face. Om-Nom-No-... silence. Then a faint whistling as Taiga's face glowed bright red.

"BWAAAAAAAAAH!" Taiga roared, suddenly breathing fire to the shock of everyone. She jugged a glass of water immediately to douse her mouth. "TOO HOT!" she screamed before chugging a second gulp. Rise lowered her head in shame.

After Taiga cooled down, she tried the second dish. Her face relaxed, but then she took another bite… and another, and another, licking her lips longer each time. Yukiko subtly leaned in to wait for the verdict.

"Too cold and lifeless," she declared, pushing the plate further away. Yukiko frowned and leaned back in her seat.

At the third dish, Taiga took a single bite… and then immediately spat it out to the side. "Patoowie! Not right at all!" Taiga did not see Chie stare at her with a stern, indignant frown.

Fine, their dishes sucked, but surely Shirou's wasn't that great, right?

By this point, Taiga had a look of defeat of having tried three bad omelettes before going to the last one. Her spoon picked up a small piece and lopped it inside her mouth. Her eyes bulged, and then closed as a catlike smile grew on her face, complete with an audible, euphoric moan as she nibbled the spoon for all its morsels.

"Ooooh yeah, this one is juuuust right~!" she swooned before scooping up a second, bigger, spoonful. She had no doubt who made this one. "Nanako-chan! Try this one! It's the best of the lot!"

Nanako walked over and took a big spoonful herself. If possible, her grin of wide-eyed wonder grew wider and cuter. "Mmmhm! You're right! It's delicious!"

"As it should! Your big bro made this, no question!"

"Wow! Really?!"

"Of course! He's a great cook, remember?"

The two continued amiably while praising Shirou and the food. The Yasogami girls could only stare between themselves and the plate dejectedly, with the plain truth staring right at them.

Shirou was the better chef, and even a third party preferred his dish over theirs. Looking it over again, they wished they had obtained some of that omelette for themselves when they had the chance.

"Done," Shirou announced, sliding the plate in front of the girls. "Try a bite."

It looked just the same as the last plate, but somehow more tantalizing than ever. A brief moment's hesitation, and Yukiko reached for the first spoonful. Chie and Rise were soon to follow, and all three took a bite nearly at the same time.

...Wow.

There… really was no comparison.

It was so mouth-watering delicious from the first bite, and made them want to eat more. He probably used less ingredients than any one of them, but managed to refine it so well that it might as well be cuisine.

Chie and Yukiko shared lamented glances. Oh, how they regretted not letting Shirou cook the curry during the camping trip! And Rise found herself caressing her own cheek as she chewed as much of the omelette as she could to get every last bite in.

Shirou waited patiently as they ate, taking satisfaction and pride in their delighted faces. Hopefully this was a good first step to convince them how to properly cook from now on. Not that he minded cooking for them every now and again, perhaps for school lunches. "So what do you three think?"

"It's delicious!"

"Best omelette ever!"

"Please marry me!"

The last of the responses was what caused Taiga to spit out her drink. Nanako was the only one startled by the spit take, as everyone else was just as baffled by the outburst. Taiga turned to them with eyes rage-white. "WHICH ONE OF YOU SAID THAT?!"

Chie, Yukiko and Rise, staring at her like pale deers at headlights, all pointed amongst themselves. They were seated by the kitchen sink left to right. It was hard to tell which one actually said it because while two sets of fingers were pointing in one direction, they were all too close to see who. Taiga gave them each the stink-eye, trying to discern the odd one out.

"Marry… oh, I've been meaning to ask you something, big bro."

Shirou felt both relieved and apprehensive that Nanako broke the tension. Regardless, he smiled at her and gave her his full attention. "What is it, Nanako?"

"I've been thinking. You not only know Sakura-chan back home, and that other girl who Tiger-nee said gave you your bow, but Chie-chan, Yuki-chan and even Rise here." Nanako tilted her head in curiosity. "You have a lot of girl friends, don't you, big bro?"

One could hear the summer cicadas click outside, and the tension grew worse than the outburst earlier. Shirou could feel pointed, worried stares from his female teammates centered on him. "Uh... I guess so?"

"Which one is your favorite?"

Oh god, her too!? "I, uh… can't quite say yet."

"You are not convincing anyone." He was going to have words with Angel later...

Nanako continued her innocent probing. "So you're not worried about their cooties?"

"Excuse me?" What was she implying?

Taiga was suddenly all smiles as she knelt to the youngest girl's height and patted her head. "Oh, Nanako-chan, cooties is just a made up word by silly boys who don't understand romance!"

"Oh," the girl said, easily impressed. The two were now being corralled back to the couch, carrying one of Shirou's omelettes to eat.

"And there's no need to worry about Shirou being with a lot of girls at once for long!" she added jovially. "Because if he does, then he'll be forced to move in with your mother in heaven! And we certainly don't want that."

Shirou gulped, and he swore he heard at least one of the girls doing so too. Somehow Fuji-nee made a threat to his life sound so subtle and yet so teasingly sweet to Nanako's ears. At least suspicions on his love-life had been put on hold again.

"L-Let's clean up!" Chie declared suddenly. "I mean, we have plenty of… well, not so much good but… we're good on food and we certainly shouldn't overstay our welcome here!"

"Yeah, I have a lunch rush at the inn coming up!" Yukiko added quickly. The two of them took their failed dishes and dumped them in the trash without a second thought.

"Oh, me too!" Rise followed suit to empty her dish before waiting behind them in line to wash the plates. Shirou took this moment to untie his apron and hang it by the stove handle. He needed a bit of a break dealing with another round of love-life questioning.

Still, why the hell did that keep coming up!? Just because he interacted with the fairer sex several times didn't mean he was some "harem show protagonist", did it? What happened today was just an odd circumstance. They were all friends first and foremost.

Besides, I have plenty of male friends! I have the Social Links to prove it! Magician and Star. Counting the Hierophant link with Doji-nii, that's three male bonds! And for the females I know personally are Sun and Justice. Then, Chariot, Priestess, Lovers… Empress… Aeon… Does Hermit count?

Okay, maybe those weren't good examples. Fuji-nee's Sun aside, all those links were from Inaba. I must have made more friends in Fuyuki! And no, coworkers and family don't count.

Let's start backwards this time. I know for certain that only Sakura and Mitsuzuri are my female friends. As for the male ones, there's Issei, and… and… well not Shinji anymore. Wow, I have even less friends in Fuyuki than Inaba, and I've only been in Inaba for three months. Then that means…

Shirou's head banged off the stove with a dull thud, startling the girls but he didn't notice or care. The shadow over his eyes hid the wide-eyed horror of his epiphany. Oh Izanagi my life really is a harem show, isn't it? The only thing that could make it worse is if half the men I knew were secretly women in drag!

<><><>

Meanwhile, somewhere in Inaba…

"-choo!"

<><><>

July 8th, Junes, After School

It had been almost a week since Kanji's rescue, and the team relaxed on their reprieve. Whenever Shirou wasn't making the rounds around town (or getting harassed for dating advice), he was hanging out with friends or family. Giving Taiga a tour around Inaba, while also remembering to show the new "sights" to Rise later. Training with Chie by the riverbed while discussing moving plans with Yukiko. Spending the night talking with either his uncle or younger sister. Working at Moel, or very rarely filling in part-time at Junes (like today).

By now Shirou felt he had a good feel for Junes like the back of his hand. When not heading to the electronics store, or the food court, he would sometimes swing by the grocery department for some good deals, or marvel at the many specialized departments that truly showed why Junes was outperforming the shopping district stores. Not to mention all the sales they promoted for frugal shoppers. However, Junes refused to sell weapons or medicine without any sort of prescription notice, so there was no reason for the Investigation Team to take their business there.

And Shirou didn't feel comfortable with the idea of working there when he had a job at Moel already. Still, he was willing to step in because Yosuke needed help. It was especially true as he looked increasingly tired as the work day went on.

It was only after their shifts ended and they were resting at the desk that he inquired about it. "Are you okay, Yosuke?"

Yosuke let out a long dejected sigh that sounded more dour than usual. He was staring at his phone longingly, waiting for a call or text to happen. "I'd be lying if I said I was. It's just… Sacchin hasn't called back all week."

"What?" Shirou was baffled. Yosuke's girlfriend struck him as the clingy type, and should have jumped at the chance to have him all for herself. "You two were practically attached to the hip all of last week, though."

"I know, it's weird!" Yosuke said. "One day she just said that she was going to be busy doing some errands, and hasn't returned any of my texts or calls since. I also tried checking up at her place and there wasn't anybody home. Not even her brother."

"That is concerning," Shirou scratched his chin in thought. Her whole character was a mystery, from her sudden appearance in Inaba to how peculiar their meeting was. With the urgency of saving Kanji looming over them at the time, he didn't think too much about it. But maybe she had tried to use magecraft on him at their first meeting? "I wonder…"

"Wonder what?' Yosuke asked. His face then started to pale as he came to a grim realization. "Y-You don't think she might have gotten caught by the killer, right? Like what happened with Saki-senpai?"

"There have been no new rumors going around since Kanji, so I think we're in the clear there." Shirou reasoned. "We'll just have to keep an eye out for her in the meantime."

"Y-Yeah, she'll be fine," Yosuke agreed, if mostly for his own benefit. Shirou didn't have the heart to tell him that he was suspecting her as the culprit.

"Dammit, today was just the worst!"

A loud shrill cry came from one of the two female Junes employees at the far end of the empty food court. The gaudy looking, student-aged girl continued her rant, adding, "If I had known today would be so busy, I would have called in sick."

"I know, right?" her snooty friend added, just as loud. "I mean, 500 yen is barely worth a bonus. At this rate I'll never save up for my graduation trip."

"Think we can ask for more? Hanamura's son is right over there."

They looked over to Shirou and Yosuke's table, unaware that they had been listening to them. A moment later, they looked away with evident fear. "Well, I don't see his new girlfriend around," the gaudy one remarked.

"Think it's safe to try?" the snooty one asked.

They stared back at Yosuke for a moment longer, before unbridled fear forced them to look away again. "O-On second thought, let's not. It's not like he'd actually do anything to help."

"Y-yeah! And he'd probably complain to her after. N-Not that we're scared of her or anything!"

"Right! 'Cuz we're not!"

Yosuke snickered to himself. It didn't take much for Shirou to discern that these two were the problem workers mentioned the other day. Clearly whatever Sacchin said to them was well deserved and still left a mark.

"But seriously, we need more money," the gaudy one affirmed, as the two resumed walking through the court. "I might have to ask my parents to help pay for my graduation."

"Why not just get a guy to help pay for it?" the snooty one suggested. "That's what Saki did last year, right?"

Like a switch, Yosuke's good humor fell, replaced by a despondent look.

The gaudy student chuckled. "Funny story how that turned out. She apparently got together with a college guy and left with him. Before long, she came right back like a whipped dog, saying she'd save money and skip town her own way."

"Does that mean she got dumped?" the snooty student asked.

"Dunno, but what I do know is that she started working here for money…"

By now the two had walked far away that their loud gossiping couldn't be carried over. Shirou had half a mind to go over and give the two a piece of his mind, but didn't want to leave his friend in a shocked state.

The magus didn't need Pixie to tell him exactly what was wrong. Yosuke might have a girlfriend now and be trying to move on, but he still cared for and missed Saki. The fact that she died hating him only made the guilt inside him feel worse.

"Yosuke--"

"I know what you're gonna say," he cut him off. "And it's fine. It doesn't matter. It's all just hot air, not going to let that get to me."

Yosuke was clearly hurting, from how he was grinding his teeth to trying to find the words to say. But he kept up a brave front. "We… we're the only ones who can avenge Saki-senpai, and protect people like Sacchin from this ever happening again," Yosuke said. "We're special. We're the only ones who can do this."

"...yeah, you're right," Shirou agreed. It surprised him to hear Yosuke sound this serious, this driven, to solve the case and protect the town. He never thought he would meet anyone else in his life willing to take the risk.

Yosuke chuckled, clearly relieved a little bit. "I don't know if it's luck, fate, or destiny, or even something else entirely. But I think it was a very good thing that someone like you came along, Shirou. I doubt I could have gotten this far without you, much less mature past the kid in me inside the TV."

"Da da da daaaaaa~!"

His Personas always seem to find the right word to end on, and Shirou felt just that much more accomplished hearing Pixie sing.

<><><>

July 9th, Evening, Shiroku's

Taiga giggled with an intoxicated face as she stepped out of the shop-turned-night-bar and waved goodbye to the owner inside. "Thanks for the booze, Shiroku-bachan! I'll be back tomorrow~!"

Old Lady Shiroku was practically unrecognizable from her morning appearance, now sporting heavy make-up, hair-spray, and a red rubber dress. She barely gave her new favorite patron a glance as she cleaned one of her glasses. "Just don't get lost, Taiga-chan. It's raining hard tonight."

"Kaaaaay!" she replied amiably as she started to leave with nothing but a thick raincoat to protect her from the elements.

She had grown to really like Inaba in the short time since she had moved over. Everyone liked to gossip, so she learned a lot of stories from people after a few consecutive nights of drinking. Stories of the man scared of cats, the ghost lady collecting bugs and fishes, and a little errand boy trying so hard to get a lonely girl's attention.

Of course, there was a lot of talk about the murder case. But without anyone actually showing up dead since the Konishi student a few months ago, interest had died down a bit. Some speculated that the killer had gotten cold feet and skipped town, with any disappearances being a coincidence. More thought that they were trying but failing to kill the new missing students, and waiting for the opportune moment.

It wasn't much, but Taiga felt like she was on the right track. Almost like she was being guided by another butterfly. Like hell I'm going to let Shirou handle this on his own.

So absorbed in thinking about her new gossip material, and slightly stumbling in her steps, she didn't notice the other person she was passing by until they bumped shoulders. "Ahh!"

"Gah!" he grunted, snarling at her under his umbrella. "Watch where you're going, you, you... young lady!"

Taiga scowled at him. "Same to you, you hunchback beaver!"

"Oh, like I haven't heard that one before," said 'beaver' rolled his eyes. He was just as tipsy as she was, if not more from the brief moment he fought upchucking his booze. "Iiii don't have time for this! Young girls like you *hic* should go straight home to the books, not screwing with boys on exam week!"

"Who are you, my dad?" Taiga said. She didn't know what was more insulting: being accused of being a young student or an easy girl.

"I might as well be! Now go home already, missy!"

Taiga's mood soured further, and knew she couldn't stand being around this man for another second. "I'm going, I'm going!" She briskly walked further down the dark street. She had recently rented a place for herself and it was just a short walk away from the shopping district and Dojima's house. She was so looking forward to a shower and bed right about now.

"Good!" the drunk man nodded, watching her for a moment before lumbering forward. He didn't get far before he noticed another person further up the road, standing under the streetlight by the shrine. "And that goes double for you too!"

The young figure in the rain didn't move, but as he lumbered forward, the drunk Morooka could make out the kid he'd seen once or twice by the skewer stop, Souzai Daigaku.

"You...you're that Kubo kid, ain't ya? Think you're hot stuff because you go to a cram school, *hic* while pestering girls at Yasogami High? You're damn lucky you're not in my school, because I'd have your ass expelled faster than you can say the Junes catchphrase!"

The boy didn't move or react as the teacher got closer. It got him more riled than usual. "Well? Got nothing to say, you smelly orange?!" Morooka stalked closer. He knew that he shouldn't bother the annoying little brat, but he was drunk and more than a little cranky. Not getting proper respect had a little to do with it too. "I'll see to it that your worthless future is ruined, you hear me?!"

"No one is going to miss you when you die."

Kinshiro Morooka did not have a moment to question the new voice, let alone scream, when he felt his neck be punctured by something sharp.

He could only watch in horror as Mitsuo Kubo's smile grew wide and giddy, as if watching something morbidly amusing. He wanted to run. He wanted to scream. He wanted to at least punch the brat's face in, but his entire body failed him. There was a sickening warmth from his neck while everything else turned cold.

Morooka's voice cracked weakly as if he was being choked, struggling to look at what was wrong with his neck. He saw a young girl leaning down from behind, kissing his neck- no… biting it. Enough to draw blood. Even suck it down a bit?

When the girl pulled away, her lips and cheeks were bloody, idly being licked at with her tongue. "Not very filling, but that should be enough. Finish the job, Mitsy!"

Finish? What are they--?

"RAAAAAAH!"

SKLCH!

Morooka's body was flung to the ground as he felt another sudden pain in his body. This time from the screaming fish-eyed brat lunging at him with a knife embedded in his abdomen.

This… was this some kind of joke? Dying by a pair of young teenagers with a vendetta towards him? Was this occult or something?

No one would notice him, or save him. He could only stare up at the rainy sky and the two teens looking down at him. The boy seemed to have a bit of panic in his eyes, while the girl regarded him with cold indifference.

"I… I can't believe it! I actually ki--!"

"You did it, Mitsy. You're finally a hero."

With that, in the cold dead of a rainy Inaba night, King Moron breathed his last breath.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 41: Ethical Effort


Philosophy was never a well-liked class in Yasogami. It was hard enough in the rest of the curriculum to study and research how to answer questions in topics like literature, history, and science. There was usually only one right answer to such questions. But not Philosophy.

And King Moron made sure to hammer that point across, much to the dismay of his students.

"The Greeks broke their ancient philosophy down to three sciences: physics, ethics, and logic," he explained. "Physics obviously relates to the laws that make up the world around us, which we discuss through the use of math and science. The logic part comes in via common sense, based on part of the universal laws and experience. It's the part where you come up with your damn memes and jokes."

Although the class was silently digesting his lecture, a number of them rolled their eyes in an effort to fight the urge to groan or express displeasure vocally. King Moron never missed a beat in squeezing in some insulting barb to them.

"And to round it off, ethics are the difference between right from wrong. What determines what is good or moral choices. I'm sure you brats were all taught such ethics when growing up, like how to keep your yaps quiet or disciplined when you do something wrong."

Yosuke scoffed under his breath, "Like any of this is important."

"I heard that, Hanamura," the teacher said. Right away the teen flinched and tried to look inconspicuous (paying attention, writing 'notes' on his paper). "You have trouble with authority? Well, maybe if you apply philosophy into your daily life, you might understand how 'important' it really is. So tell me, what do you plan to do in your future?"

"Huh? Oh, well… just kick back in a manager's office with a beautiful wife, nothing special."

Morooka's frown narrowed. "I believe I owe you an apology, Hanamura."

"Really?"

"Such a simple dream has no need for any critical thinking, so it's wasted on you." Right away Yosuke's hopes were dashed, feeling unfairly put down by King Moron. Shirou did feel the statement was unfair, no matter how true it might have been.

"What about you, Emiya? What's your plan for the future?"

Oh, so now it was his turn. Well, if he was going to be publicly embarrassed, might as well do it with gusto.

"I want to be an ally of justice." He said clearly. "I want to save people like a hero would."

He heard Yosuke snort from behind him. A few other students giggled as well. And Morooka just stared at him, baffled. Clearly no one expected such a childish life goal from Shirou, of all people.

"Why?"

Shirou blinked, almost missing the question. "Huh?"

"Why do you want to be an ally of justice?"

He had plenty of reasons, but all of them were personal, private, and a sensitive topic to go over. "I just…do. That's all."

His teacher scoffed, before walking back to the blackboard. "Let me rephrase the question, Emiya: do you HAVE to be an ally of justice, or do you WANT to?"

Again, Shirou was confused. Looking over to Satonaka next to him, he could see that she and the other students were sharing similar expressions of bafflement. "…is there a difference, sensei?"

"The need to do good can be expressed as 'duty', while the want is out of the interest in 'self-love'," Morooka explained, as he finished writing the English words "GOOD WILL". "Nothing in the world, or even beyond that for that matter, can ever be called good or moral unless it has a reason to be. A 'good will'. You can list so many different virtues as to why you do good things: smarts, athletics, judgment, tenacity. But they can just as easily be bad virtues if, say, the serial killer had them. Thus, making it a bad will."

The casual mention of 'serial killer' perked a few students' attention, the Investigation Team included.

"If you truly just want to help people out of the goodness of your heart, then it can be called a good will. If you have any sort of ulterior motive in mind, then it can't be called ethical, even under good intentions. Compensation, notoriety, prowess… like it or not, the ends will not justify the means as they are never the end until the day we die."

Dead silence. Shirou was mystified. It was typical to feel like dying when going through King Moron's rants and spiels, but this felt uncomfortably dark.

"So, wait," a student asked, raising his hand. "Does that mean there's no meaning in life at all?"

"If you ask philosophers in the field of Nihilism, then yes, life ultimately has no meaning. But we're not talking about that yet. We're going over Kantianism."

Then, Morooka lifted his textbook to rest open on one hand and began reading. "'We have, then, to develop the concept of a will which is to be esteemed as good in itself without regard to anything else. It dwells already in the natural and sound understanding and does not need so much to be taught as only to be brought to light. In order to show this, we shall take the concept of duty. It contains the concept of a good will, though with certain subjective restrictions and hindrances, but these are far from concealing it and making it unrecognizable, for they rather bring it out by contrast and make it shine forth all the more brightly.'"

Shirou could see why Morooka was a teacher for a reason. When he got into his lectures, he had charisma that commanded others to listen. Shirou felt especially drawn, hearing the theory explained so clearly to him. Except not many students seemed interested at all. They were either dozing off or looking at their textbooks in a way to ignore him.

Morooka continued reading. "'On the other hand, it is a duty to preserve one's life, and moreover everyone has a direct inclination to do so. But for that reason, the often anxious care which most men take of it has no intrinsic worth and the maxim of dosing so has no moral import. They preserve their lives according to duty, but not from duty.'" He snapped the book shut in his hand, looking directly at Emiya in particular. "In short, an act of kindness or heroic justice can only be called morally good if it's acted on a strong duty, or obligation."

Had it been anyone else, it might have been profound or deep. But the silence was more of apathy than awe, as if they had heard such spiels before.

"At least according to Kant," he said, before casually setting the book down and pacing the classroom. Just like that, the moment was gone. "And personally, I think Kantianism is garbage. It revolves around the idea that humans are just rational creatures, limiting our potential. There are many other empirical theories that argue against this, stating what they think is the real reason to do ethical actions."

Yosuke, more annoyed than usual from the class, couldn't stop himself from crying out indignantly. "Then why the hell are you teaching us a theory you don't even believe in?!"

"Because I'm teaching you little brats how to think for once!" King Moron roared back. "Think on what you personally think is important, just like all these thinkers did! Laying the groundwork of research for others to expand and grow from! That's the whole point of philosophy!

"If you don't like something, then argue it! Look for something that makes sense! Preach it to the heavens, for all I care! You can agree with me or not. Like Kantianism or not. Like Nihilism or not. But never assume you know everything. That's what Socrates taught us; true wisdom is knowing you don't know everything."

At that moment, the bell to end the day had rang, letting the class heave a collective sigh of relief. Morooka was first to collect his things off the front desk, before giving one last announcement. "Consider that your homework assignment! Find an empirical theory you believe is true to some form and why. I expect it to be ready when you take finals."

The majority of the class groaned and expressed annoyance. Not as loudly or visually, as he always looked for an excuse to lambast someone.

With the students free to spend the rest of the day as they wanted, they paid no mind to their teacher leaving.

It was the last time any of them saw him alive.

<><><>

July 10th, Shopping District, Early Morning

For some reason, Shirou felt the need to walk by the Shopping District. He rationalized that it was to check up on Kanji, or how Fuji-nee was doing in her new apartment. Maybe even do a jog to work on his cardio. He ignored the nagging knot in his stomach that something was wrong, as he brushed it off as nerves after a harrowing rescue. He'd lost an arm after all, and nothing short of divine intervention from a friend fixed it.

The fog was still lingering after days of rain, giving the town an eerie look in the early morning. It was hard to see a few of the buildings. Inaba was normally quiet and inactive, but it could easily pass as a ghost town if tourists didn't know any better.

It was just very early morning, and not everyone would be up yet. He didn't think his friends would be up unless they had a job, like the inn or Junes. And he knew for sure that Taiga wouldn't be up unless she had breakfast to look forward to. Yes, he just needed to get her breakfast. Some eggs and rice might be good.

Yes, maybe even some tamako kake gohan, with soy sauce, mirin, chopped nori, a second egg, and maybe some red sakura denbu-

Red?

Shirou doubled-back from his walk; on the street pavement was a blotch of dark red liquid, dried and splattered as if falling from the sky like a raindrop. His sharp senses told him what it clearly was, but he denied the possibility. Even if he could see and smell other red markings next to it, also dried up from the mid-summer heat.

Against his better judgment, Shirou slowly craned his head up to see where it had come from. His peripheral vision noticed a telephone pole close to where he was standing, but he ignored that. It had to be just a coincidence.

But nothing could deny the truth of what he saw dangling in the sky.

A mangled corpse hanging from a water tower, supported by a twisted (broken?) leg clutching the railing. Dried blood having once spilled from stiff limbs and dangling parts of clothes. A familiar position that he had never seen before but had heard of firsthand.

Worse… it was someone he recognized.

No.

No, no, no no no!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

A scream broke out from a startled woman just leaving her house. Suddenly the street was more aware, as others looked out their windows and doors. Already murmurs started to rise, and many pulled out their phones to call the police or take pictures.

Shirou didn't stay for the gathering, as he had a more pressing concern to look into. He hurried down the street, at least being quick but conspicuous enough not to look suspiciously involved.

When he made the turn at the corner, he sprinted for all his worth to Fuji-nee's address. She had to be fine. There was no way she was caught up in this now of all times, months after she appeared on the Midnight Channel, right?!

Shirou arrived at the building that was her living address and found the apartment door she was in. He was reaching for his spare key to her door in his pocket but stopped when he noticed that the door was ajar and broken at the lock. He gulped and pushed the door open, walking inside.

He didn't need to be a magus, or a detective really, to know there was a scuffle here. Granted, Taiga Fujimura never really learned how to clean up after herself unless it was on a plate. But dirty clothes? Papers and pens for grading? Manga and light novels left half-read? That was one kind of disorganized mess.

It wasn't like a pushed over sofa, or shattered glass from a beverage. And… it was so small he barely noticed walking over the small flat, but there were a few pieces of shredded cloth that looked like they belonged to her green dress.

There was no body… yet. Taiga was nowhere in the apartment, and the worst one could assume was that there had been a fight in her room. A kidnapping, maybe? Or even…

He looked over to the table stand, where a big, blocky-sized TV stood. Slightly shifted off its original resting place, judging by the indent it left where the dust hadn't collected over.

There was no mistake of the implication. She was pushed into the other world by the killer. "Dammit. Fuji-nee…"

No, worrying about her wasn't going to help. He might have been too late for one teacher, but there was time to save the other, surely.

With nothing else in the room to find, he walked briskly out the door and dialed a number on his phone. "Satonaka? Get the others. We have another victim, possibly two."

<><><>

Junes Food Court, Afternoon

"Wait, King Moron? Seriously?!"

It was no secret that many Yasogami High students hated the meanest teacher at their school. Deep down, Yosuke hoped he was the culprit involved in the string of murders lately because he seemed like a likely scapegoat. What's one more justification over his seemingly irrational hatred over students and their hormones?

But there was no joy, relief, or satisfaction that he died like this. He was an asshole, but not even he deserved to be a murder victim. No one deserved to die like this. And on top of that, Taiga Fujimura was likely thrown in too?

"I confirmed as much when I first saw it and heard others from the crowd as well before the police arrived," Shirou explained. "It was our teacher, all right."

"B-But that breaks all the rules!" Chie stammered. She didn't know if it was the summer heat or stress, but even wearing summer casual clothes didn't help them from feeling this distraught. "What about the Midnight Channel? Or the news? No one would seriously think about him through the talking board thing, either!"

"It can't all just be a coincidence up until this point, right?" Rise wondered fearfully. "I mean, killing one person instantly and then sending senpai's guardian inside at the same time?"

"Maybe we don't know anything about the Midnight Channel," Yukiko said. "Or our culprit, for that matter."

"Dammit!" Yosuke slammed his fists on the table. "After all that, we're back to square one?! I mean, trying to catch a culprit even the police couldn't find? What the hell were we thinking?"

"We were thinking of preventing another death like this from happening."

Somehow, Shirou's cutting words snapped them out of their cloud of despair. Now that he had their undivided attention, he continued. "We've prevented three potential deaths so far and have come out stronger each time for it. If we stopped here because of a setback, then the culprit wins. Fuji-nee's still out there and I'm certainly not going to give up now. I made a promise to her to get out of this case alive.

"And so what if we don't know everything about the case? Or the Midnight Channel? We'll just keep figuring it out. That's what King Moron taught us, remember? 'True wisdom is knowing you don't know everything'."

The tension around the table eased considerably, and it was clear that his words had gotten through to them. Although still worried of the daunting task ahead of them, it was all the more reason they needed to work together able-minded. In particular, Chie and Yukiko exchanged determined nods and smiles.

Rise clutched her hands close to her chest and beamed. "Ooooh, my fragile idol heart's swooning, senpai! You really are a cool leader!"

"Man, you make it sound so easy, partner," Yosuke sighed with a ghost of a smile. "But yeah, we promised the bear too, didn't we? Can't really give up after coming this far, or else he'd be bawling his eye stamps out."

"Hey, that's right!" Chie exclaimed. "Teddie should know what happened to Fujimura-san and King Moron! Let's go see him!"

"But what about Kanji-kun?" Yukiko asked. "Shouldn't we check up on him, just in case?"

Shirou had considered that and figured checking up on him meant 'ask him to join the team'. Knowing Kanji, he'd do so in a heartbeat and put his physical prowess to good use. But for all they knew, he was probably still under close watch from Naoto, and by extension the rest of the police department. "We'll check up on him later, after we get this matter sorted out. One more day of rest might be good for him."

"If you say so…"

<><><>

TV World, Teddie's Hub Space

The entrance to Teddie's world looked as dour as expected for a floor with murder outlines, but it was still nice to see it look a little home-y with Teddie's sleeping arrangements set up. It was his home, after all, and he knew the team would come through the same TV every time.

"Hey, Ted? You got a min…ute?" Yosuke trailed off as they neared the corner of his 'room'. Everyone was similarly dumbfounded and silent.

"Uh, hub! Huuh! Whoa! Haa!" Teddie grunted with each bounce of his small feet. If that wasn't enough, he moved his equally short arms up and down.

"Is he… exercising?" Chie ventured.

"Looks more like he's flopping around like a fish," Rise said.

"Ha! Hoa! Huh?" Teddie stopped mid-bounce, and his expression brightened seeing everyone. "Oh! Shirou-sensei! Everyone! You're here!"

"What was all that about?" Chie asked.

"Well, I've been deli-bear-ating. You guys have been doing all the fighting with your Personas, while little 'ol me is just stuck with a nose getting more and more clogged up." The bear then leaned forward in a stretch, trying to reach his toes. Given how top-heavy his build was, he managed only a few inches. "I thought that -urk!- maybe if I get a little closer to my dream bod, I'd awaken a Persona or something too, maybe."

"You have a dream bod?" Yosuke teased with a smile. "What, like one of those bodybuilders from Kanji's sauna?"

"I was thinking more like Shirou-sensei, actually. He's a lean, mean, stud-scoring machine!"

Shirou pinched his nose close to his eyes. He could feel the stares of his teammates directed at him ranging from amused to annoyance… and Yukiko seemingly uttering a dark curse under her breath. "Well, as flattered as I am of your goals, Teddie," Shirou began. "I'm afraid this visit is business-related."

"Oh, kinda figured," Teddie frowned slightly and stood back upright. "So, what's up?"

"Did you notice anyone getting thrown into the TV last night?"

Teddie "Hmm"ed as he stroked the spot that was likely his chin. "So, I wasn't just imagining things. I definitely smelled two- no, three people coming in at once at some point. Through the same TV even, but that's about it."

That threw the group for a loop. "Three people?" Yosuke echoed.

"I know, right?! Luckily, it only really changed one spot, so my world didn't get any more messed up than usual. Except I think it got really, really messed up compared to the other places. Like dark and ominous-y."

Right away, Rise moved several paces away from the group and summoned her Persona. Himiko moved her head back and forth like a radar, blipping to her visor the changes in the TV world. "Teddie's got a point. I'm sensing a big shift up north of here, bigger than anything before it."

"So, what, the culprit is pulling off triple-time?" Chie asked. "I mean, I can understand maybe Emiya-kun's guardian. But no one else appeared on Midnight Channel that we've missed, right?"

"Maybe they're her peers?" Rise suggested, dismissing her Persona. "Close friends she brought with her on her furlough?"

"No," Shirou said firmly, shaking his head. "Fuji-nee said she came alone to Inaba, and part of the reason I assume is because she wanted to be away from her… co-workers."

Then again, didn't she use her Yakuza connections to find his uncle Dojima in the first place? Maybe they were unfortunate casualties to this scenario, but there was no way to know for sure yet.

"Do you think she knew King Moron personally?" Yosuke suggested. "They were thrown in at the same time."

"Definitely not. He was an abrasive person to begin with, and she's… well, she'd react much like Satonaka would in her place."

An odd sense of pride and embarrassment filled Chie, feeling what she heard was a compliment. She thought back to how the older woman reacted to the news anchor unwittingly calling her "tiger" and giggled. "I so want to be like her when I grow up."

"Then maybe your guardian killed King Moron by accident?"

"That's also impossible. Fuji-nee is always careful about her strength in kendo, and doesn't go around hurting others. The worst she could do for revenge is a practical joke."

Yosuke snapped his fingers, annoyed that the theory was shot. "Then why was King Moron killed so quickly?"

"Maybe he got unlucky and was killed right after he was pushed in. We just have to make sure no one else dies until we can get them out."

Teddie blinked owlishly, his eyes as small as dots in alarm. "Wait, what?"

"Well, we found someone dead back in our world already. So that means there's two people still here." Yosuke explained.

Teddie looked at everyone else, who nodded in agreement. The bear held his head worriedly, as if feeling a migraine. "What are you talking about? No one's left here!"

"What are you talking about? We saw the corpse of our jackass teacher King Moron this morning, right after the rain last night!"

"That doesn't change the fact that you're wrong!"

"How the hell am I wrong!? Three people got in, one died and got out! What's so hard to understand?"

Teddie looked very bristled, and stared back at Yosuke. The teen towered over him, but at that moment, it was Teddie who looked to be the more dominant figure. "Let me put this in a way you can understand, Yosuke. Three people got in. No one got out yet. And before you ask; yes, this was before you guys showed up today!"

"Are you absolutely sure? I mean, you've told us before you've been having trouble smelling around here lately."

"Just because I can't pick up someone's scent perfectly doesn't mean I can't tell when this world changes! Three people are here! End of discussion!"

Yosuke gulped, backing away and waving his hands in defense. The bear could be pretty scary when he wanted to be. "O-Okay, if you say so, Ted…"

"But if that's true," Yukiko wondered aloud. "Then our teacher wasn't pushed inside? Then how did he die?"

Shirou, having seen the body himself, thought back to the signs. "He bled to death, most likely. Something, or someone, stabbed him enough times to stain his clothes. Then hanged him by the water tower to look like the other deaths."

"Why does that matter?" Chie argued. "Plenty of Shadows have teeth or blades that can work for puncture wounds. We fought a giant grass baby for crying out loud!"

The Momentary Child, a child-like Shadow as Chie had described that was seen wandering the Striptease the other day. During their break from rescuing Kanji, the team went back there for some training and teamwork. Compared to the Contrarian King, that fight was much more manageable due to their higher level of experience.

"It matters because it might be different from the other bodies. It would help us to know if Yamano or Konishi were found with similar wounds."

"No… they weren't." Yosuke's bitter words spoke of certainty. He'd paid extra close attention to how Saki died and any rumors of how they found her body. "This case is so confusing to the cops in the first place because there's no sign of how the victims died. Rumors came up that they were poisoned to death but couldn't figure out how or why."

"A Shadow killing them in this world could probably do that," Teddie explained sadly. "The body returns fine, but the psyche and soul are gone."

As the rest of the team mulled over the dark topic, Shirou thought over the details once more. "In any case, I think we can conclude that our late teacher didn't die in the TV world, but in our world."

"Yeah, but was it really our culprit? Or someone that got lucky to get revenge on King Moron?" Yosuke asked.

"I don't know yet, but I intend to find out. There are three people here right now, and Fuji-nee's likely one of them." He turned to their team scanner. "Rise, can you locate the new dungeon if you had just one person to work off of?"

"As long as they're in the same area, I think so," she answered, resummoning her Persona again. "I take it you want me to find your Fuji-nee?"

"What else do you need to know, though?" Yosuke argued. "From what I've seen and heard, she's basically an older, stronger, more comical Chie Satonaka. Heck, I bet she has the same low points."

Rise quickly pried the visor off her face, jubilant glee evident on her features. "Ooooh! Like what her Shadow was like? Tell me, tell me!"

"Don't you dare!" Chie roared with a red flush. Her anger hid away her embarrassment pretty well, but Shirou had a feeling she was equal parts shy and mad.

"Come on, it's for the investigation! What's a little secret gossip between friends?" Yosuke clearly meant it in teasing, but him looking between Yukiko and Shirou for confirmation could be taken more of judging her reaction regarding them.

Chie was now gritting her teeth and barely grounded out her threat. "Stop being an ass, Hanamura, or I'll bring up your painful secret!" That was enough of a reaction to elicit a loud gulp from him.

"Knock it off. Both of you," Shirou scolded sharply. They exchanged awkward glances before looking away, fortunately dropping it. It was ironic that they still couldn't admit their secrets to new team members. If the Investigation Team was going to keep working together, they'd need to iron out all their interpersonal issues.

But that would have to wait. He turned back to Rise, who reluctantly went back to scrying herself. "It's true that Fuji-nee shares similarities to Satonaka; upbeat, athletic, determined. She's usually more laidback and enjoys sleeping and eating whenever given the chance."

"Definitely Satonaka," Yosuke noted aloud. Chie glared at him as Yukiko stifled a giggle.

"She's also stubborn; once she sets her mind to it, she'd see to it that it goes her way. She's almost always late to the class she teaches and has a bit of an ego."

"Sounds more like Hanamura to me," Chie quipped back. Yosuke returned the glare and Yukiko chortled more.

"I'm getting something," Rise said, looking intently through Himiko's visor. "But it's still vague. I need a little more to zero-in."

"Like what?" Shirou felt he had a wealth of knowledge to provide for his guardian, but it would help to get the specifics first.

"Shadows are more drawn to the unseen emotions, remember?" Teddie offered. "The kind that they didn't want others to know about. Does your Fuji-nee have anything like that?"

Shirou frowned. Normally Fuji-nee was so vibrant and jovial and honest. He couldn't think of any time where she had some sort of slip of emotion. Except that one time. "I think deep down, she has an inferiority complex about herself. Worried that what she does is not enough. Doesn't like it if secrets are kept from her."

Himiko's head tilted ever so slightly to the right. "Go on," Rise urged.

"And despite her child-like demeanor, she's also shown times when she can be mature and reliable. But… no one ever seems to notice or care," he continued. In a way, he was just realizing all this himself. "She got mad whenever someone called her 'Tiger' instead of 'Taiga', and made a point to get revenge later, but it was hiding the fact that she was upset."

"Oh, Shirou-sensei…"

Following Teddie's sad comment, a somber silence fell over the group. Rise felt the compulsive urge to hug her heroic senpai, but she knew finding Fuji-nee would help him more. She felt she had a good feel of where to find their target now. Yosuke and Chie felt especially guilty getting wound up earlier with a fight. Yukiko's laughter was gone, and she found her gaze pinned to the floor.

Then she caught sight of something that piqued her interest, a smile slowly curling on her lips.

"I found her," Rise announced. "And the other two are just as close. I'm not sure if it's because they brought their own baggage into this world too, but it's much bigger than the other dungeons 'til now."

"Well, that's ominous," Yosuke said. "Maybe the culprit is one of the three and is hiding out here?"

"I wouldn't rule out that possibility, but we won't find out pondering things here." Shirou turned to address the team. "All right, let's… go?"

His planned speech died as he and everyone else stared at Yukiko. For some reason, she was now wearing a different pair of glasses over her eyes that looked more fitted from a joke box. The frames were glassy opaque and lined with circles that hid her brown eyes. Attached to the bridge was a thick gag nose with a thin black 'stache on either end. It was the most ridiculous thing Shirou had ever seen.

"Hehe, roger!" If Yukiko recognized it was a silly accessory too, she either didn't care or was having too much fun as she saluted, regardless of the stares she was receiving.

"Yukiko," Chie asked finally, sternly frowning at her best friend. "Where did you find those?"

"Teddie had a whole pile of them over there," she said, pointing to said stack of similar glasses. "They look funny!"

"Hehe, oh yeah," Teddie laughed sheepishly. "I uh, got bored waiting for you guys again, so I've been practicing making some new glasses designs for Kanji. I might have gone overboard."

"I'm surprised you didn't think to make glasses for yourself yet. Or have you?" Yosuke asked.

"Hmph! My eye holes are made of the same lenses as your glasses, you know! I have no reason to make myself a pair!" He muttered to himself softly, "especially when they would just fall off my face."

"Here Emiya-kun! You try a pair!"

"Huh?" Yukiko didn't bother waiting for a proper response by Shirou before stepping up close to him. With one hand she plucked the fog-filtering glasses off his face, and then pushed the gag glasses in another. He was suddenly left with a deliberating headache and difficulty to see, barely able to register the team around them. But he did see and notice the stifling laughter now. He must look ridiculous.

Yukiko pointed and laughed right away. "Your face, haha, your face! Oh-ho Emiya-kuuuun, you look so ridiculous, pwahahahaha!"

"Wow, Yuki-chan's really losing it. Not that *snrk* I blame her." Rise barely kept it together looking over Shirou. Their normally serious, stoic leader, wearing such silly eyewear.

And predictably, he was annoyed. "Why am I even wearing these?"

"W-Well, think of them as… back-up glasses!"

"Oh, I'm afraid those won't work in this world," Teddie shook his head. "They don't have the same filter lenses as the ones I made for you guys."

Yukiko actually sounded upset to learn about this between giggles. "Teehee. Aww, too bad."

"More like a blessing. I can't imagine walking around Inaba with these things, much less in a dungeon." Shirou argued. His hand reached to the gag nose covering his real one. "I mean, what's this nose piece for, any-?"

'Squeak!'

A loud honky squeak filled the studio space, startling everyone into silence. Shirou hesitantly clenched his fingers over the nose piece again and felt some sort of air pressure inside. Said pressure let out a high-pitched sound befitting a pet's squeaky toy. Or even an accordion letting the noise out too long.

"BWAAAAAAA HAHAHAHAHAAAAAA! *snort* AHAHAHAHA!" Yukiko laughed so hard she fell over on her back, kicking and rolling on her aching sides. Everyone else joined in her chorus, but they were nowhere near as loud or animated.

At some point during the laughter, Tama decided to stop hanging from the TV stand and pluck a pair of gag glasses for herself. The prospect of a squeaky toy clearly excited her.

Shirou's eyebrow twitched, but for all he knew, no one could see it through the thick lenses. He didn't know if his Personas were laughing at his expense. Slowly, he removed the gag glasses, taking care not to crush them in a fit of rage. They didn't have time for this.

"Are you all quite done?" he asked evenly. The others had the decency to look a little embarrassed of their reactions. Except Yukiko, it was taking her a little longer to calm down.

Finally, she sat up to look at him, pulling out her own gag glasses. "That depends," she asked back. "Are you feeling better?"

Shirou blinked. "Huh?"

"I know it's important we have to rescue your guardian and the other victims, but you can't do that if you're feeling sorry for yourself. I'm sure she wouldn't want to see you having any doubt in yourself."

Yukiko clearly spoke from personal experience, in relation to her own Shadow. It's not that he didn't appreciate the gesture, but the timing was suspect.

Still, Shirou smiled and reached over to pull his classmate up. Having people like her, like this team, watch out for his well being was somewhat liberating. Fuji-nee would be happy meeting them for the first time. That would make all this Inaba case nonsense worth it. "Thanks, Amagi."

<><><>

Road to Taiga

The Investigation Team could understand with each trek walking around why Teddie didn't like his world getting "cluttered". Each place of a victim's reality was haphazardly placed down without regard to the original spot, a style that would contrast with the others. While some places looked accurate to reality like the shopping district, others were grandiose in the fantasy like the castle or strip joint. The pathways to each new place were simple at first, as if entering a new movie set in a studio (thus enforcing the idea that this is possibly some big elaborate filming plot by the culprit). They felt natural at first, gradually giving away to a new area without it feeling entirely out of place. A gate and some tiles leading to the castle, a dark cave for the strip tease, things like that.

But this new place they were going to, there was a very clear divide how different it was from all the others. A literal line at that, where the ground went from smooth and flat to rough and blocky. Pixelated, even. The color of the road past that point grew darker, less vibrant. The few trees they saw were thick and cartoonishly blocky, but each one further down had fewer green leaves, more branches. The further down the path they went, the more it was like entering a graveyard, and only Yukiko found that prospect exciting.

They finally reached their destination at a big thick (and pixelated) gate barring entrance to a tall Romanian castle, but with a horror vibe to it. Tall towers climbing to the sky, with small sets of towers suspended and branched out. Dim yellow lights in small windows at each bridge and tower room. Steep cliffs that carved out any land or entry around it besides the single, long bridge beyond the gate.

Even the sky of waves resembled more of an old 8-bit game with how they rather blinked into position every second rather than flowed. The waves converged on a single point, blending in like a sun or black hole (or was it a red hole given how the color changed?). There was also one addition to the sky that was meant for the area: a white glowing half circle with a sliver of black waning from the left side.

Finally, just at the top of the gate was a sign in red letters (that gave the distinct scent of blood), printed in English letters for all to see:
Moon Voidania

Chie forced a laugh, pointing to the sky. "G-Guess you have a moon in your world after all, Teddie."

"The castle or the space ball?"

Ignoring them, Yosuke tried to push, then pull, the gate open. It didn't so much as budge either way. "Well, aside from the world looking like some sort of old school horror video game, the only creepy thing about this place is how the entrance is locked."

"Has that ever happened before?" Rise asked.

"Technically it happened last time with those two Guys guarding the bathhouse," Shirou commented. "But that was it."

"Teddie once said that the Shadows attack us because they have a feeling we're snooping around where we shouldn't be," Yosuke said. "Maybe they're upping the security every time to make sure we don't get in?"

"Is that really the case?" Yukiko wondered. "I can understand Kanji-kun at least, but if what Emiya-kun said about his guardian is true, would she feel this guarded about her true feelings?"

"If it was just Fuji-nee, no," Shirou said. Her strength and positivity always shone even when she was downtrodden. "But with two other victims? Or worse, the mastermind himself in the furthest level, then this closed entry makes sense."

"So what do we do now?" Chie asked. "Bust the door open?"

Before Shirou could even begin to ponder that idea, his senses picked up a faint sound beyond the gate. Like the galloping of a startled quadruped… acting bipedal? It was strange, and yet it was somehow familiar.

Then he heard it. "-gottagetouttaheregottagetouttaheregottagetouttaheregottagetouttahere-!"

"My word, is that-?!"

He didn't need Cu Sith's confirmation on the matter. But he did need to move. "Guys? We should back away from the gate. Now."

The sense of urgency wasn't lost on them. Yosuke, Chie and Yukiko still stared at him in confusion as he moved towards the gate wall. Teddie picked up the scent right away, and Rise summoned Himiko for a better view. They both blanched at what they saw. ""Oh whoopie cushions/crapbaskets!"" They cried at once, over each other.

"-gottagetouttaheregottagetouttahereGOTTAGETOUTTAHEREGOTTAGETOUTTAHEEEEEEEEEEEERRRE!"

By now everyone had barreled out of the way of the blocky gate, some running, some tripping, and at least one dive-jumping forward. Not a moment later, the barreling force heading towards them slammed into the gate like a bullet train and snapped them both away in two. An explosion went off, and all that was left when the dust settled was a young woman in slightly tattered clothes, sprawled on the floor and eyes dizzy from running.

She was just barely conscious enough to congratulate herself. "I made iiiiit~. Hooraaaaay."

"Fuji-nee!" Shirou ran to her side right away. He turned her around and set her upright on his lap, shaking her lightly to stir her. "Fuji-nee, are you okay? Fuji-nee?"

"So that's his guardian, huh?" Yosuke wondered aloud. He and the others crowded closely to him, but kept their space. "I'm kinda surprised she managed to get out all on her own."

"Uh, guys?"

"Does this count as saving her, though?" Yukiko asked, then pouted. "We didn't even get to see the inside of the castle."

Rise tried again to get their attention. "Guuuuuys…"

"Well, look on the bright side," Chie said, pointing to the gate without looking back. "She opened the way for us! I'm sure after she's all rested, and if we get Kanji-kun on board, we'll be ready to-"

"Guys, seriously! Shadow at your six!"

That snapped them out of their stupor, and they turned back around to see a Shadow sprinting towards them. It resembled a warthog, tusks pointed forward as it galloped towards them with small front legs. Grafted to the back of the shadow was a motorcycle back wheel and engine, gunning and reverberating with each step it made and made somewhat deadly (if gothic metal) with a series of spikes grafted off the side. A black rider's helmet covered the hog's face, capped with a Noh Mask on top representing the roman mark of Chariot.

"I've heard of Wild Hogs, but this is ridiculous!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Funny thing. That's what that Shadow's called."

The hog shadow squealed as it reeled back mid-charge before glowing red, and it sped at the team faster at its impromptu wheelie. Sparks flared up brightly and it was easy to hear the loud sound of tires burning rubber on the bridge. Whatever it was going to do, it was going to hit them hard and fast.

"Let's roast this porker!" Chie roared, summoning Tomoe right away. Jiraiya and Konohana Sakuya appeared just as quickly, and they peppered it with their elemental attacks given the distance between them was still vast.

Ice, wind, fire. Nothing stopped it, and they didn't seem to hurt it either. Again the pig shadow oinked aloud, only second to the roar of its engine, which started to steam up. Maybe the fire did do something after all?

"Oh no. Guys, you need to dodge!" Rise warned urgently. "It's gonna blow!"

"But Emiya-kun is in its line of fire!" Chie argued. And his guardian too was in danger, but that didn't need to be said.

"I got this!" Shirou didn't try to carry or move Taiga away, but he didn't need to so long as he had a Persona. "Izanagi!"

His first Persona shot out like a bullet, deciding for the direct approach instead of magic. As the crossed paths, Izanagi swung his naginata with all the force he could muster, a true Power Slash that hacked flesh and metal alike. The Wild Hog's screams were now of pain, showing that the attack was effective.

But it wasn't enough to kill it! Worse, the Shadow was just upon them, ready to detonate! Maybe if he could recall Izanagi back, he'd have enough time to strike again, or at least buffer the explosion to save the others?

No. The others wouldn't want that. Fuji-nee wouldn't want that. If he couldn't think of a way to get them all out, himself included, what kind of hero would he be?

Before he realized, his guardian shifted in his arms, and a dim blue light caught his peripheral vision. "Kaihime!"

A second figure barreled towards the Wild Hog, a streak of yellow and green. This Persona too struck the Shadow with a quick-draw horizontal slash. However, the strength, speed, and even elegance of the cut was the sign of a true swordsman, managing to bisect the Shadow so clean that it severed its target into two. And the two halves of the Wild Hog fell harmlessly over the bridge edge, disintegrating rather than exploding, leaving behind only a pathetic, drowned out "Sweeeee…"

Everyone was struck dumb in awe. They slowly looked up from the non-existent Shadow remains to the new Persona. A porcelain white-skinned woman that seemed to glow like a ghost, wearing a yellow furisode kimono with red petal designs. A green sash with yellow stripes fastened the kimono around the waist, also held together by a red knotted string. From the waist down, the kimono was cut into thin-like ribbons resembling a broken skirt, giving ample freedom of movement, and revealed matching black greaves guarding her shins. In her left arm, the kimono sleeve was completely unblemished, cradling a long black sword sheath in her demure hand. But from her right arm, the sleeve was torn completely off, revealing her supple shoulder and a black vambrace over her hand, which was holding her weapon. A long katana, black and red hilt, sun-shaped guard, and a distinctly orange-and-black striped tail at the end. The most striking feature was her wavy fire-red hair, and a tiger-painted mask covering her face.

After a few more seconds, the Princess Persona cleaned the edge of her blade by her sheath, and then slid in inside before vanishing. Now everyone turned to where they saw the Persona appear from. Taiga Fujimura had her hand clenched out in front of her, eyes closed in intense focus.

No one knew what to say. They were all numb in thought. Thinking how insane that was. How impossibly COOL that was, and how it seemed to break so many rules they had learned thus far about Personas and Shadows. Even Shirou didn't know what to say, except tentatively say her name again. "F-Fuji…nee?"

"Hehe…" Taiga chuckled, turning to give him a smile. "Finally. I can say I've saved you… for once…"

Her body slumped in his arms, and Shirou feared for the worst. "Fuji-nee!"

"It's okay, senpai!" Rise told him as Yukiko knelt to his side with her Persona. "She's just unconscious! I'm not sure how but she must have awakened her Persona on her own!"

"Yeah. I mean, it always left us winded whenever we accepted ourselves," Yosuke consoled him, a firm hand over his shoulder. "Plus, she was running out of this dungeon all ragged. It's no wonder she's exhausted."

Konohana Sakuya's light of Diarama enveloped the sleeping woman, cleaning away the dirt and grime. "And she doesn't seem to have any serious wounds either. No blood, no scratches… she'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

"Thank goodness," Shirou sighed in relief. He couldn't imagine losing her too after Kiritsugu. Or anyone really… is this how they felt the other day? Brushing those thoughts aside for now, he shifted his hold on her to a bridal carry before standing off the ground. "Let's go back."

"Now?" Teddie cried, dismayed. "You're going back now?! But we just got here!"

"We only came here to help Fujimura-san, remember?" Yosuke told him. "Now that she's here, there's no reason to go in."

The bear looked especially frustrated, almost like he wanted to argue his case more. But taking one look at Shirou, and Taiga in his arms, deflated the bear. "All right…"

It was sometimes easy to forget with all the murder cases and juggling through school and work that there was a reason to all of this. A promise they made to help save the bear's fragile world. This could very well be the stronghold of the culprit, the source of everything wrong in both their homes… and they weren't going in yet.

"I'm sorry, Teddie," Shirou consoled. "I know how much this means to you. And once we get Fuji-nee back up on her feet, and see about recruiting Kanji, then we'll be ready to finish this."

"You mean it?"

"I more than mean it; I promise."

Teddie nodded, comforted by the reassurance. But something was still bothering him, leaving him with conflicted emotions. I should probably find or fuse a Star Persona soon.

<><><>

Junes Electronics Dept.

The rest of the walk back was quick and quiet; the new dungeon gave distinct "final boss" vibes as Yosuke would comment on, and it was unanimously agreed to prepare more for the upcoming battle.

That said… there are times when people lower their guard, expect things to just work out as they normally do. Nothing had gone wrong before, so why assume things would spiral out of control now?

Except that they had as early as before dawn, or last night. A new victim was found killed, and three people were thrown inside the TV. Two were still inside now, and it was likely that one of them was the culprit responsible.

It still came to a surprise for Shirou, the first to exit the TV, when he saw Kanji and Naoto turn over to him from looking at another TV on display. They looked surprised to see him there, wondering how he suddenly appeared.

Naoto's eyes narrowed as he noticed Fujimura in his arms. "Emiya-san, isn't that one of the missing suspects?"

Shirou nearly panicked, but he reigned in his nerves to try and salvage this. "I can expla-AAACK!"

The giant TV portal opened again with a pool of white light, with the body of Yosuke Hanamura colliding into his. They collapsed in a heap with the Junes part-timer groaning as he pushed himself off. "Dammit, Shirou. I thought we agreed to space apart whenever we go through the TV!"

"What did Hanamura-kun say?" Yukiko's voice echoed from beyond the screen.

"I think he said, 'we can all go through, we're clear'." Chie guessed. The screen glowed white again.

Shirou and Yosuke's eyes widened with alarm for different, but equally concerning reasons. They leaned up to quickly voice their concerns. "Girls, wait, not-!" "Nononono-!"

They fell on deaf ears as Chie collapsed on them stomach-first, forcing the two back down to the floor. Yukiko appeared next, landing hip-first to Chie's backside. Then Rise, clonking heads with the inn-heiress and collapsing further on the pile of investigators. Finally, Tama popped out, staying long enough to bounce off the former idol's skirt before dashing through the store and slipping through the crowd. Had no one saw the fox beforehand, they wouldn't have noticed a thing.

Slowly but surely, the other members realized that an uncomfortable position wasn't their only problem at the moment. Naoto's face stared at them with wide-eyed, slack-jawed shock. Whatever the young detective expected, it wasn't such blatant disregard for the natural laws of order.

No one could think of anything to say. Except for Kanji, who suddenly looked very smug and vindicated towards his small ward. "I told you they were all inside the TV!"

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 42: Paradigm Shift

<><><>

Dojima Residence

"You told him we were all inside the TV?! What the hell were you thinking?!"

"Hey, I didn't know for sure, alright?" Kanji huffed defensively. "It's not like I was going to bring him inside, anyway."

"That's not the point!" Yosuke yelled. "You can't just go around telling people these things, especially your cop chaperone! No one in their right mind would believe it!"

"Why wouldn't they? It's the truth, isn't it? And we all saw it just now."

Yosuke gave up. He groaned angrily and slammed his head against the coffee table before gripping his head in both hands; one to tear out a fistful of hair, another to turn the volume up on his headphones. Whichever worked better to blank out his mind.

Naoto didn't look any more composed himself. Arms crossed, eyes forced shut, and enough all-around tense body language that one could see a vein pulse on his head. The girls of the Investigation Team gauged him with a mix of worry and fear. For that reason, they sat farther away from him on the big leather couch just across from the kotatsu, which the other boys sat around at.

Meanwhile, Shirou was by the phone finishing up an important call. "Yeah, she's fine now. Resting in my bed actually."

"And you waited until now to tell me this because…?"

Shirou felt sheepish, as if somehow he was being sternly glared at from the other end of the phone. "…I know I should have called sooner, but I didn't know where else to go. It's not like I could go and put her back in her apartment."

"That's what hospitals are for, Shirou."

"It's just a concussion, there's no need to take her to the hospital."

A heavy sigh was heard from the other end. "Look, I'm glad you're all safe. But it's crazy recklessness that had your guardian second-guess you here in the first place. We'll have to question Taiga later if she knows anything about the recent homicide. But for now, we're busy with our investigation so this will take a few all-nighters. Until then, try to keep a low profile."

Yeah, there was no way he was going to keep that promise. Sorry, Doji-nii.

"I know, I understand. My friends and I are just going to hang out here until she wakes up. I'll keep an eye on her tonight. And Nanako too, of course."

"Thanks. Stay safe, Shirou."

"You too, Doji-nii. Bye."

After setting down the phone on the receiver, he let out an exhausted breath of relief. That was one less hurdle to worry about for now; Taiga was safe, and he convinced his skeptic cop uncle that she was not a victim at the moment. And that he found her by coincidence, that was a big point of contention too.

Now to deal with the other elephant in the room, patiently waiting by the kotatsu. Setting up an appropriate meeting place would have been a simple matter of meeting at the food court, but Fuji-nee needed to rest first. There was a bit of pushback from Naoto demanding to set her to the hospital or the police, hopefully to get answers in the process. The Investigation Team wanted privacy and comfort, seemingly making a compromise impossible.

But luckily one was made. With Nanako out at a friend's house and Doji-nii busy with work, their house was the perfect place to talk.

Shirou walked over and sat at the end of the kotatsu opposite to Naoto and Kanji. The boys regarded him with attentive focus, with the former glaring with such intensity that he looked ready to demand answers.

"So, how do you want to do this?" Shirou asked Naoto. "It's a pretty long story if I go it over from the beginning—"

"I require more pressing questions answered first before I trust whatever you have to say," Naoto quickly interrupted. "To start with: who are you? Really?"

Well, that was definitely a loaded question. The detective probably knew all the obvious answers, such as his name and place of birth. What would satisfy Naoto's question? It wasn't as if his late stepfather had told him how to go about this in case secrecy wasn't an option at all.

Then again, he did have the inspiration on what to do. He probably shouldn't answer it like this, but… he always wanted to do it since Kiritsugu adopted him.

"Well, to tell the truth," he said slowly. "I'm a Sorcerer."

He hoped it would be a moment of gravitas. Kanji was wide-eyed and staring at him with awe. Yosuke and the girls were impressed by his delivery, but also confused as he knew he always insisted on being called a "magus". He might have to explain things later.

However, Naoto's scowl turned from angry to annoyed. "Yes, and I'm a level ten Kobold Ranger with max Search, Listening, and Reasoning skills. Given by my lack of reaction, I say you fumbled your Charisma check."

Shirou blinked, confused. Naoto rolled his eyes before reaching down to his bag set in front of him on the floor. In a flourish, the detective prince pulled out a clipboard, with a DnD character sheet filled out in neat writing.

"Oh," he said numbly, realizing what he meant. "You uh, want to join our campaign?"

"I am not interested in your Dungeons and Dragons code. I know it's a front, and I'm not here for games. I want you to take this seriously and answer my questions."

"Okay, but… I wasn't lying about the sorcerer thing," Shirou explained weakly. Naoto's eye twitched, subtly telling him it was the wrong answer.

After a few tense moments of staring, Shirou sighed. "I guess it would be better to show you then."

"Show me what?" Naoto asked, still regarding him warily.

"My magecraft." He held his hand out, already imaging a kunai knife he had seen Daidara create once through Shadow materials. Suddenly concerned and worried, Yosuke reached over to his side and stopped him by pushing down his wrist. It was a simple matter as he sat perpendicular to him and the detective, almost like a mediator.

"Dude, are you nuts?" he said. "You told us once you couldn't show off your hidden talents like that."

"Naoto already saw us jump out of a TV screen. I don't have the means or the heart to rectify that mistake, and he looks like he's not going to believe me on words alone."

"Well, I believe ya." Everyone turned to Kanji, surprised by his easy show of faith. "You saved my bacon, after all. No way you could be the killer guy the cops are looking for."

"I wouldn't trust them so readily, Kanji," said Naoto. "Not until they've disclosed everything they know about the case."

"Come on, Naoto, I told you everything that happened. The weird bathhouse, my Shadow, the Senpai fighting, Emiya-senpai's… arm…" He trailed off upon realizing that the last part wasn't privy to be shared, judging by the team's glares at him. "He got better!"

Maybe I can just show him the scar? Shirou thought. No, Naoto didn't look like he cared about such details. He wanted proof of what was happening and although he didn't insinuate anything yet, was banking on the fact that he and his team were responsible for what was happening. If only there was a way to prove that just because they could enter the TV they weren't the suspects for every kidnapping and murder in Inaba.

Then it hit him. "Naoto, put your hand on the TV."

"Pardon?"

"You want to know what happened at Junes? Then just put your hand on the screen. Trust me, this will explain everything."

"This better not be some sort of joke," Naoto warned, but complied. He rose up from his seat and stood directly by the TV set in the room. He placed his hand on the screen, and aside from the cold touch and faint dust line, he felt nothing.

"Now Kanji," Shirou said, pointing to the TV. "It's your turn."

"Huh?"

"Put your hand on the TV next to Naoto."

"Wh-Whaa?!" Kanji flustered, looking between him and the TV. "B-But isn't that being a little too… close?!"

Shirou thought it over. He wanted to say it would only be a moment, but he knew personally how tricky it can be to pry your hand back out of the TV. "Well, if you don't want to do it, I guess I could ask Yosuke-"

"I didn't say I wasn't gonna!" Kanji snapped quickly. "Just… it'd be kinda weird, you know?!"

The others stared at him with baffled expressions. Kanji's face was bright red in humiliation, and before he could stammer another word, he marched over to the TV next to Naoto. He took a wide step to the side away from him though and leaned in from the other side just intending to touch the glass for a second before pulling away.

To his surprise, his hand seeped into the screen like it was water, while Naoto's side remained hard as ice. The ripple effect shattered this quickly as the whole TV was flashing monochrome ripples, forcing Naoto's hand into the portal too.

Both teens were stupefied, staring into the white void without realizing their arms were sinking in further. Shirou and Yosuke quickly pried both of them away before the duo was thrown into another part of Teddie's world. They stared at the screen even as they were safely pulled away, and it returned to its normal dim black color.

Their reactions were expected. "Wh-wha… wh-wh-wha-?" "WHAT THE HELL?!"

<><><>

It took a few minutes for them to calm down and digest the rest of the explanation of the case as the team could tell them. Shirou worried that the shock might have numbed them from their surroundings, much less the talking, but they occasionally asked for a clarification on certain terms ("Mage-what?") and paid close attention throughout.

At the end of it, Kanji tried to contextualize the thoughts for the both of them. Or at least for him. "So, let me get this straight. This serial murder guy who's been on the run for months now, he's killing people with a TV? What, does he whack them with a flatscreen or something?"

Yosuke hissed with annoyance. "Not with a TV, through the TV!"

"Oooh, I get it now. He hits them with a flatscreen so hard their heads break through it."

Yosuke facepalmed. Shirou immediately followed suit as the girls joined in via their own chorus. Kanji didn't know why, but he felt his intelligence was being mocked by this shared gesture and he pouted.

"I believe what they mean to say," Naoto began slowly. "Is that the previous victims – as well as you, Kanji – were brought into another world that can accessed by a TV."

"Yes! Thank you!" Yosuke exclaimed, gesturing to the young detective. "Is it that hard to understand?"

"Actually, I'm struggling to even accept the insanity of it all," the detective dryly complained. "A secret occult of spellcasters is one thing, but apparently anyone can enter this TV world as long as they have a… Persona, you call it?"

"Yep!" Rise smiled and winked. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Not the word I would use," Naoto said. "Moreover, you said that Emiya-san was able to enter the TV before any of you?"

"Yeah, why?"

Naoto turned his gaze fully back on Shirou. He had a feeling what was on the young detective's mind. "You claim to be trying to stop the murders, but it could all be an elaborate ploy to enact something more heinous. There could be another culprit going around pushing people in, or you could be the one responsible."

For a moment, no one said anything. Some were disbelieving of the words they heard. Even Kanji glanced at his ward with disbelief.

Chie bolted upright from her seat, furious. "That's bullshit! Emiya-kun doesn't have a deceitful bone in his body!"

"Keeping a secret of the occult says otherwise, as does the nature of his… Social Links? Could be mind control for all we know."

"Trust me, I've had concerns about that already," Shirou calmly reasoned. "But I feel I was given this power – the power to enter TVs – to stop what was happening to begin with. At least that's how I discerned what my benefactors had told me; they refused to elaborate further."

"A convenient excuse," Naoto said. "But that is still no proof that you aren't the one the police are looking for."

"How about the fact that he has an alibi?"

Everyone turned towards the front door. Standing just by the corner of where the door and stairway met was Taiga, barely supporting herself with her hand on a wall. She was covered in light bandages over her scalp and wrists, and there was a slight limp in her step. And yet she looked focused and undeterred in walking over to the living room.

It still gave Shirou conflicting feelings of surprise and worry seeing her up and about. "Fuji-nee, you should stay in bed!"

She ignored him, still locking gazes with the diminutive detective. "The day Ms. Yamano went missing was the same day Shirou was on a train bound for Inaba. It wasn't until the late afternoon until he arrived, and he was busy getting settled in Dojima-san's house – THIS house – until dark."

"Yes, and other prime suspects have alibis too," Naoto argued back. "Taro Namatame, the man who cheated with her, was busy with his family's delivery business and has been guilt-ridden since her death. But if magic is really at play here, then Emiya-san has no limits to how he could pull a caper. He could have… could have jumped into a TV on the train, found Ms. Yamano in her hotel room and then killed her there!"

"Okay, now you're just reaching," Taiga deadpanned. "Shirou told me already how this has been going down; a person is pushed into a TV world full of monsters and are left there to be mauled to death. This usually happens on a rainy night. When the rain lifts, their corpse reappears on a power line by morning."

"That is the story they are going with, yes."

"And let's say, hypothetically, that Shirou is the one behind this murder mystery." A few of his friends bristled at the implication, but otherwise held it in. "Never mind all the convoluted reasoning as to why he goes to rescue the kids that get sucked in in the first place, but his only crime would be pushing someone into a lion's den with no way out. No prints, no clues, nothing but word of mouth testimonies that would be written as crazy talk. Not to mention that if you did convince too many people that this secret TV world is real, the occultists will probably wipe your memory of the whole thing, or worse…"

Taiga then smiled, akin to a smug cat. "We may not be able to prove he didn't do it, but you sure can't prove that he did, either."

Naoto's frown couldn't get any lower even if he tried, and he looked torn between staying grumpy or giving up in defeat. It didn't help that the others stared at him with some vindication that there couldn't be a case made against one of their own. It was enough to make him turn away from the stares and hide away under the brim of his hat.

A thought occurred to Kanji though, as he absently scratched his scalp. "So, wait, if there's another magic guy running around doing the murders, then wouldn't it be hard to accuse him too?"

Most of the Investigation Team's faces fell right away. "Aw shit, haven't thought about that," Yosuke muttered aloud.

"The important thing is to stop the culprit first," Shirou said. "From there, they'll either proceed with the court laws of the town or be taken to the Clocktower for a Sealing Designation."

"A what now?"

"I don't quite understand it myself, Kiritsugu only mentioned in passing. It's called a great honor on paper but it's considered so dangerous that no magus ever wants to get one."

"Why's that?"

"To a magus, studying their craft is everything. A Sealing Designation preserves a craft for posterity, but it's like being embalmed and preserved in wrapping like a mummy… while you're still alive."

A long silence filled the room, the only sound being Yosuke's low whistle. That did sound like a karmic punishment to have.

"I suppose there's a small comfort that the magi do have some semblance of justice," Naoto said finally. "And while I have many, many more questions about them, the more pressing matter is this case itself."

Shirou nodded. "And we'll need to work together on this. Can I trust you to keep this to yourself?"

"For now." Naoto extended his hand out. Shirou accepted it with a firm shake, much to the relief of his teammates.

"Well, now that we're all on the same page now," Yosuke began. "We just need to figure out who killed our 'dearly departed' homeroom teacher."

"A vampire did it."

Everyone turned and stared at Taiga. She mentioned it casually, yet with certainty.

Yosuke blinked. He had to have misheard it. "What."

"A vampire did it," she said again. "I saw it happen… what day is it?"

"July 10th." "Sunday."

"Ah, good. It happened last night, then."

Kanji gulped, and awkwardly gripped his neck while looking over his shoulder. "Uh, when you say vampire, you mean those scary gothic freaks that bite our necks for blood, right?"

"Are there any other kind of vampires?" Taiga asked rhetorically.

"Not unless we want to get into specifics." Shirou uttered this almost to himself, but it was just loud enough for everyone to hear in the room and fill them with dread.

Then suddenly, Yukiko burst into laughing. She recoiled in her seat, slapped her legs, and shook so much that her sides hurt. "BWAHAHAHAHAHA! A vampire? Haha, oh, that's a good one! Next you're going to tell us they sparkle in the sun like in that ridiculous American novel! Ahahahaha!"

"Yukiko!"

"Teehee! Relax, Chie! It's just a joke! A joke that I'm sure Fujimura-san and Emiya-kun are in on! I mean, it's so out there that soon they're going to be… not laughing too."

Yukiko's voice fell when she looked between Shirou and Taiga. From what little she knew about the Homurahara teacher, she was eccentric and energetic, easily knowing how to liven up the mood. Even her ward had some moments of levity, and the very least knew when to humor her.

But they treated this moment with the upmost severity that it was becoming less likely they were going to drop the act.

"Fuji-nee… are you certain?"

"Your homeroom teacher was a mouthy jerk with an overbite and purple monkey suit, right?"

"Well, that's a broad generalization yes, but—"

"Then yes, I'm certain. She bit down on his neck and everything."

Kanji flinched and paled considerably whiter. "Wait, it was a girl vampire?!"

Naoto took a deep long breath. Magic cults, TV portals, and now vampires? All these urban fantasy beats were really grating on his nerves. None of them made sense or felt orderly at all. "I was barely able to get a copy of Mr. Morooka's autopsy report, and he had puncture holes on his neck from someone biting on him. The killing blow, however, was from a stab wound at his abdomen."

"That was from her accomplice. Not sure if he was a vampire too, maybe a zombie servant or something-"

"A ghoul," Shirou corrected.

"Yeah, that. Anyway, I was just walking out of Shiroku's when it happened. Passed the guy who had a lot to drink himself. I was going to go home and try to forget seeing him when I heard him ranting at some kid further down the street."

Taiga sighed bitterly, taking the time to sit next to Shirou by the table. Everyone else huddled or leaned in closer to listen. "I don't know what I was thinking at the time since I was still tipsy, but the next thing I knew, some girl I've never seen before ghosts him from behind, bites him, and then eggs on the boy to stab him. Poor bastard was dead in seconds.

"They started talking about hanging the body up on a telephone pole like the others, and I knew they had to be involved in the murder shenanigans. My phone was dead so I couldn't call the authorities right away, so I hurried back to my apartment to call there. Barely a minute after I closed the door, it bursts open from a single kick by that vampire.

"I guess she realized right away I was watching and wanted to cut off loose ends. I was shocked sober and fighting on adrenaline, but I think she was just playing with me while trying to get her ghoul to deal the killing blow. So I gathered my strength for one last push and tackled them to the wall! Next thing I knew, I was in a weird castle and they weren't anywhere around, so I took my cue to exit. Then I found some pig on wheels and then you guys."

"Wait," Shirou blinked, mentally backpedaling. "You pushed them into the TV?"

"I did?" Taiga asked back. "Oh right, you mentioned something about TV portals before. I thought it was just a magus thing only you and the culprit could do. That would explain how I got there then."

That… was a concerning reversal, but not an unwelcome one. Taiga pushing the duo into the TV world must have thrown a wrench into their plans. They must have created the new castle and decided to hide out there for the time being.

Still, why would the culprit decide now to change tactics? Did they really realize that sending us to the TV wasn't working anymore and have gone for the kill directly? But King M-erm, Morooka-sensei doesn't fit the pattern at all, and they missed Fuji-nee months ago…

"Sounds like you got really lucky back there, Fujimura-san," said Rise.

"I know, right?!" Taiga started to tear up, as if the reality of the situation had set in. "I really thought I was gonna die! That I'd wouldn't marry or wouldn't be able to eat any more of Shirou's cooking!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Yosuke groaned. As he was closing his eyes and pinching his nose, he didn't notice the heated glares he got from the girls. They could argue that their leader's cooking was, in fact, a big deal.

As for Shirou, he felt relieved. The fight she had engaged in explained the ruined apartment. And there was no doubt that a vampire of any class would have the strength to overpower a kendoka of Fuji-nee's caliber. There was still one question that bothered him. "Fuji-nee, how long has it been since you awakened your Persona?"

"Persona? Oh, you mean Kaihime!" Taiga's eyes brightened almost immediately with recognition. "It was such an amazing rush calling her out for the first time! That never happened before! I mean, I knew she was there ever since Golden Week, but—"

"Since Golden Week? How?!"

"Well, I was chasing you after you bolted at the park! I ended up getting lost, found some butterfly and then dealt with a kendoka-armored me trying to kill me."

Shirou's worries only grew from there. His guardian was in danger the whole time and he didn't notice? But, she had a Persona now, so that meant she had help accepting it, right? "Then, who rescued you? It wasn't Kotomine, was it?"

"The priest? Hell no!" Taiga's face scowled at the very thought of him helping her. He'd probably act all smug about it too, lambasting her questionable life choices and nitpicking every other thing her Shadow said. "I saved myself from my own Shadow, thank you very much!"

"Huh?" "What?" "Seriously?!" The group all gawked and cried out in shock and disbelief. Surely she had to be lying.

"What's so surprising about it?" Taiga asked back. "It's just the negative you that's stressed out and hiding. Psychology 101. I couldn't beat myself, so we talked it out and accepted that I needed some growing up to do. That's how it worked with you guys, right?"

Suddenly no one wanted to look at her, and they tried distracting themselves with whistling and barely mumbled omissions. There was quite a bit of embarrassment realizing that she accepted her Shadow without being killed.

Chie coughed awkwardly before steering the topic to relative territory. "S-So, uh, a vampire? Seriously? Doesn't that seem a bit extreme to be the one responsible?"

"No, I think this makes sense," Shirou said, much to the team's surprise and fear. "A vampire would be the plausible culprit to the Inaba murders since spring."

"I thought we were looking for another magus, though," Yosuke argued.

"It's rare, but still possible, for a magus to resort to vampirism to extend their lifespan. We call these kinds of vampires 'Dead Apostles'."

"That's ridiculous!" Rise exclaimed. "Wouldn't we recognize who this vampire, or apostle-whatever person is? I know I was manhandled by a big man, not a girl!"

"Dead Apostles are known to have the power of hypnotism through eye contact. All three of you mentioned having your memories blur between answering the door and waking up in Teddie's world, so maybe you were hypnotized to forget who abducted you."

"But wouldn't it be, like, impossible for a vampire to move around?" Kanji said, slightly unsure himself. "Like, garlic and mirrors? Or the fact that they turn to ash in direct sunlight. No way they'd avoid that all spring."

"I can't say how accurate all the myths of vampires are, although the sunlight still counts." The team released a collective sigh of relief. "However, I've been warned that strong Dead Apostles can overcome that weakness with barely a hindrance."

Chie gulped down the anxious lump in her throat. "So you're saying if we're fighting a strong vampire, we're screwed?!"

"At the very least, this vampire is crafty," Shirou said. "From what we've seen from the weather forecasts, we've seen sunny days, rainy days, and foggy days. If she played her cards right, the vampire would be active on non-sunny days, scope the town, then throw a victim into the TV near the dead of night."

"So uh… we can't just drag her out in broad daylight, can we?"

"You can try, but there's a reason why the Clocktower treats hunting vampires and Dead Apostles so seriously. I honestly doubt we can handle one as we are now."

Shirou stated it as fact, almost casually without worry or care. But the gravitas of the moment was distinctly grim. If they barely got out alive by the skin of their teeth with every Shadow encounter thus far, a final bout might be beyond them.

Even Taiga looked calm and thoughtful. "'As you are now', huh?"

"Fuji-nee?"

"We should all get some rest for tomorrow," she said as she stood back up. "We're going to need the energy for training."

Training? Shirou was about to ask her what she meant when he heard her quickly mutter, "I'm just glad I had the foresight to bring my shinai on furlough."

Shirou started to perspire, already realizing what the ominous statement could mean. "F-Fuji-nee, I really don't think-"

"You had your chance, Shirou. Let your Fuji-nee have her turn." Her tone left no room for discussion. Just mixed signals. A cheery tone, a heartfelt smile… and a barely contained lust for battle.

"Uh, Shirou?" Yosuke asked slowly after she left back upstairs. "What does she mean by that?"

"Remember when I told you she was a fifth-dan in kendo? I think she's going to show us exactly how she earned it."

"That samurai sport?" Kanji smirked. "I fought a few enthusiast punks like that. Can't be that bad."

"Trust me, it can." And that was all Shirou said on the matter. Before long, the Investigation Team (plus Naoto and Kanji) decided to rendezvous in the TV world after school tomorrow, and hopefully learn more about the other missing persons from the rumor mill.

<><><>

July 11th, TV World, Teddie's Hub Space

Teddie was anxious. He couldn't sleep a wink all night (day? Afternoon?) since the gang left, as he counted the minutes down until they went back to the gothic castle. If I weren't so weak, I'd go there myself, he thought more than once.

He was so excited when they came back the next day as promised. But… he was surprised by the new guests as Shirou-sensei introduced them to each other. Kanji he could understand, he was most likely their newest member considering the pattern since Yuki-chan. Taiga-chan was a bit more surprising but she was a proven Persona user. She carried herself with the confidence to match Shirou-sensei and then some!

But who was this new weird-smelling guy in the hat?

In any case, they all looked at him with mirrored expressions of surprise. The hat guy, "Naoto", seemed to be numbly muttering softly, glancing between Teddie and the world around them. Taiga leaned forward, scrutinizing him with a glare for some reason. And Kanji, well… he just stared in shock.

"So, what's the zipper for?" Taiga asked.

"It's to keep my head in place, what else?" Teddie answered. It seemed obvious to him, like why water was wet or why the fog lifts.

"You mean your face mask," Naoto offered.

"No, I mean my head. See it moving and talking?" For emphasis, he moves his eyes and wiggled his ears.

"Then what's inside?"

"Nothing." Chie said confidently. "Literally nothing, and he somehow moves on his own. Trust me, you don't want to see it."

"I kinda do," Yukiko whined.

Naoto glared at Chie before sighing bitterly, as if a dark scribble cloud loomed overhead. "I've just got to accept the fact that nothing makes sense anymore, don't I?"

"That would be for the best, yes," Shirou consoled.

Kanji's arm shook, and his face started to flush. His hand reached out, stuck in a gesture between reaching and pointing. "C-Can I touch your fur?"

"Uh, no." Teddie refuted awkwardly. He took a squeaky step away for good measure.

"J-just for a sec?" he tried again. "I just want to compare how authentic your fur is to other furs."

The bear huffed defiantly at the thug-like teen. "No means no!" Kanji frowned but relented.

"Well, now that we've gotten to know each other," Taiga began. "I gotta ask, what's with the glasses?"

"Oh, Teddie made these," Shirou said. He walked over to pat the bear's head, who beamed at the affectionate praise. "It's because of him we were able to see through the fog."

"Interesting. Do you have any more for us?"

"Oh, I can make them right now! Just give me a-!"

"Wait, Teddie!" Yukiko cried out. She rushed to his side and then knelt over his ear to whisper something. The bear's eyes grew wide as he listened to her plan.

"Woah… are you sure, Yuki-chan?"

"Trust me, it'll be great." The smile on her face was practically shining, and Teddie just couldn't say no.

"Then here we go! Three specially designed glasses for our new members!"

He clapped his hands twice, and the new specs appeared in his paws. The trio leaned over expectantly… and looked confused. "Uh…" "Wha?" "Huh?"

"Go ahead! Put them on!" Teddie urged. Behind him, Yukiko nodded with a grin breaking out, and Shirou had a resigned expression on his face.

"But… don't these look different from the ones you guys are wearing?" Kanji asked. He took it anyway, as did Taiga and Naoto, and they put them on. They noticed the changes right away, with the fog filtered away from the lens.

They also noticed how animated the others' faces were looking at them. Because they were wearing ridiculous joke glasses with attachable nose and 'stache.

"Teehee. Perfect… just, pffm-perfect! Bwahahahahaha!" Yukiko erupted into laughter almost right away.

"Hahaha, man, those look great on you!" Rise added. How genuine she was being was hard to tell from her guffaws.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Taiga huffed. She was annoyed, but she couldn't deny a good prank when she saw one. Even when she was the victim. "Well played, bear."

"'Well played', my ass!" Kanji snapped, throwing his gag glasses off into the horizon. "This shit ain't funny!"

"D-don't take it out on me!" Teddie flinched. Kanji was big, and could easily overpower the bear if he wanted to. He was already placating the wrathful teen with a new pair he conjured in his cupped hands. Kanji swiped the glasses right away, putting them on his face…

Only to meet more laughter. He was wearing another set of gag glasses, what were the odds? Rise and Yukiko were the loudest, and Taiga had a sly smile on her face.

"You picked up my spare! You must really like my glasses, Kanji!" Teddie said jovially.

"Haha, sucks to be you, man!" Yosuke chortled. The fox next to him chuckled in a tone similar to an old American cartoon dog.

Chie was doubled over, holding her stomach. "Ahahahaha! Oh my sides, oh my sides!"

Even Shirou couldn't resist a chuckle. He thought the joke was a little crude at first… but the fake-out was just too funny.

BANG BANG BANG!

The laughs turned to screams as gunfire went off. Naoto had a revolver gun in hand, pointed down to a pair of gag glasses thrown down to the ground. His face was contorted in an expression of pure, utter fury.

"I've had it with all these distractions and antics," he seethed, pocketing the weapon away."If we are all done behaving like children, can we please move on?!"

No one moved. They regarded Naoto with a degree of fear and disbelief. He stomped forward and snarled, "That means give us real glasses NOW!"

Teddie never clapped so fast in his life. He practically bowed and offered his hands out in apology, daring not to look up. Naoto snatched a pair with blue frames and oval lenses before slipping them on. He huffed once before walking away, deliberately stepping on the damaged glasses underfoot. "Now can we please hurry and find this gothic castle you mentioned yesterday?"

On the one hand, Shirou could understand where Naoto was coming from. His nerves were likely frayed from yesterday, and he was barely holding it in. A moment of levity was the absolute last thing he wanted, and he didn't appreciate the others treating this case as a joke.

But he took it quite too far back there. Shirou could tell it was a fake air gun (probably too young to own a real one, regardless of license) but it still left a crushing impact. Kanji looked awfully guilty as if he had said those words, and just mumbled an apology to Teddie before picking up a pair of black sunglasses. Yosuke looked back to his phone, as he had been all day, worried about Satsuki's confirmed disappearance and what it could mean. Yukiko was close to tears despite Rise and Chie's support and comforting words.

The only reason Naoto was really here was to satisfy his curiosity, but maybe that was a mistake. We are in no hurry to face Naoto's Shadow at any rate.

Taiga didn't take that lying down, though. After appraising her designated pair of glasses (brownish, leopard-skin framed sunglasses with large lenses), she approached the sulking detective with a pout of her own. "You know, you should appreciate your youth more often."

Naoto turned to her with a scowl. "I'm trying to solve a case that endangers the youth of this town."

"So is everyone else. They've been at this longer than either of us have realized, and I'd say they've handled things just fine for some meddling kids and a bear." Taiga glanced over her shoulder really quick. "And a fox."

"Even so—"

"Do you have friends, Naoto-kun?"

Taiga's question came so out of left field to the detective, and not just in the timing. "Why would you—" he started to ask, voice crackling slightly. Then he cleared his throat and spoke again, more firmly. "I-I mean, I have no need for friends."

"Not even Kanji-kun?"

"I'm his chaperone. Nothing more. I don't want friends."

"Don't want or can't find?"

Naoto glared. "What's the difference?"

"Whether you gave up or not," Taiga coolly answered, turning away. "Take it from me, an adult that wished she had more time in the prime of her youth; don't go rushing headfirst into growing up. The years will catch up before you know it."

After everyone got the chance to calm down, Teddie guided the whole party back to Moon Voidania. Tensions were still high for many reasons, and no one said a word the whole trip. The gate was still blown open from the outside following Taiga's escape, and they crossed the blocky bridge to the bigger, wooden gate in the castle proper.

Inside was a large foyer of purple brick coloring, spread out large and far. Two chandeliers hung upon the ceiling with dimly lit candlesticks illuminating the room. There were three doors excluding the gate they just walked through. Two small doors at the left and right walls of the room, and a larger door at the top of the elevated spiral staircase, likely to the next floor.

"So, Teddie, Shirou," Taiga asked suddenly, looking all over the room. "The Shadows you guys fight don't pop up right at the front door, right?"

"Not to my knowledge," Shirou answered. Teddie confirmed it with a shaking "no" motion.

"And the big Shadows that pop up at the end of these dungeons, they don't actively try to fight us, right?"

"Nope," Teddie confirmed. "They actually try to run away from us."

"Perfect. We'll train here then."

"'Train'?!" Shirou balked. "Fuji-nee, please reconsider-"

"You need this, Shirou," she said solemnly. "You can't keep fumbling with these Persona powers you barely understand when your bodies can't handle the heat."

"So… training from hell?" Yosuke guessed. "This is gonna suck, right?"

"That's putting it mildly," Shirou warned him. It was enough to give his teammates a wince. Rarely anything got under his skin like this.

"Is it even safe to train here?" Rise asked. "I mean, right in the culprit's lair?"

"Of course; it'll psyche the vamp-pair out knowing we're here and getting ready to kick their asses. Obviously we can't go any further because Naoto's a non-combatant. But frankly, none of you are ready for what's beyond this door. Maybe a little beyond to at least fight the Shadows, but only on this floor."

"We've handled Shadows before," Chie argued. "Can't we just fight them until you're satisfied?"

"You can beat up as many Shadows as you want for exercise, and you can handle them on auto-pilot. It's the tough guys you need training for, because they'll not just out-muscle you, but take advantage of your lack of tactics."

No one had a proper argument to that. She may not have fought monsters before, but she had years of practical expertise under her belt. One look from her and she could see how unrefined everyone was in skill.

They needed every skill, hack, trick, and technique with the thorough practice they could wring out to handle a real damn vampire.

"Well, no time like the present!" Taiga grinned wide. "The first lesson of the Tiger Dojo is… DODGE!"

Shirou expected this development as he had heightened senses since first awakening to his Persona, and fighting Shadows with killing intent. And yet his guardian, his undefeated master, managed to close the distance between them so fast that he didn't have time to guard. And then in the same breath, hit him so hard with her trademark shinai that he got a concussion.

The last thing he heard before he blanked out were seven words that he wished Cu Sith didn't say at all.

"She is definitely a keeper, Cu Shirou."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 43: Reshuffling

July 12th, Moon Voidania, Ground Floor

"Again!"

Taiga stood over them, proud and strong. She was sweating from the brow, but it was only from exerting herself. It was nothing compared to the rather battered teens struggling to stay off the floor.

The first to rise up was the delinquent fighter. He was a powerhouse through and through, despite joining the team around the same time as her. He had fighting experience, even if it was just in alleyway fights, but it helped bridge the gap.

"Stop screwing with us and use your Persona already!" Kanji yelled. He had plenty of stamina to burn, and his agitation at being led by the nose meant he could keep going for days.

Taiga puffed her chest and chuckled. The wooden sword in her hand tapped her shoulder in eager anticipation. "I don't need to use Kaihime to kick your butts."

"I'll show you!" Kanji yelled, holding a compacted wet floor sign in both hands before swinging it towards her. Taiga effortlessly dodged with the slightest step back.

Yosuke did a double-take upon noticing the weapon for the first time. "Uh, Kanji? Where did you get that sign?"

"Junes!" he yelled between swings. "Closet! By! Men's room!"

"Wait, you stole that?! I got in trouble when it went missing, dammit!"

"Needed! Weapon!" He continued. "No Time! For! Daidara's! Will! Return! Later!" The arc of his wide swings was actually quite impressive, as were the dance-like dodges Taiga performed to avoid contact.

"Dude, I know we said you could take anything in the hub place Teddie sleeps at, but that's Junes property, and I got in trouble the other day when that went missing and-!"

Yosuke's rant stopped when Kanji turned to look at him. It wasn't a deadly gaze, but a bored one that encouraged Yosuke to make his point already. Taiga herself stopped and gave Yosuke a similar look. He changed gears, realizing it was a lost cause and that he didn't want to get hurt over this. "…and since it's technically still within Junes' property, I'm willing to overlook this."

"Good," Kanji nodded. Then he paused in thought. "So uh… where were we?"

"At the part where I knock you on your butt."

"Cool. Wait, wha-AAAAAGH!" POW! A powerful free-handed punch collided with his unprotected abdomen and sent him flying across the room. Yosuke and the others barely got time to leap aside as he sailed past them and hit the hard wall.

"KANJI!" Naoto, one of the spectators, quickly rushed to his side with a first-aid kit on hand. Even if Kanji and the others were now super strong to withstand hits like these, it still scared him and they still suffered pain no matter how subdued.

"Too easily distracted!" Taiga yelled as she pointed at him. Her finger turned towards Yosuke. "That goes double for you, Yosuke-kun!"

"Oh crap!" That was Taiga-speak for "you're next" and he was nowhere near ready for another bout with her!

So, he ran. He had the best agility out of everyone on the team, next to Satonaka. If nothing else, he had confidence in keeping away from her long enough for a proper counterattack.

Only Taiga Fujimura was a monster in human form; she didn't weaken. She didn't tire. She didn't stop. Her physical prowess was quickly noted to be above anything in their weight class, given how she could regularly punch Kanji out. So Yosuke's belief that he could outrun her was a fool's hope. He'd be lucky to last a few seconds with her chasing him.

Desperate, he slashed his conjured Persona card for Jiraiya, and had the ninja Persona scoop him up from the ground, bridal carry style (thank goodness Kanji wasn't conscious to mock him for this) while keeping a safe distance away. It worked… until the tigress simply pushed herself to run faster, and closed the distance with the power of a running wind ghost.

With no other options, he settled for desperate pleas. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"

"Just need to time this right," Yukiko answered to herself, barely a whisper. Her fan was out, leveling her spinning Tarot in the air for the right time to focus. Keeping a Persona sustained long term was draining, but if she could time the release just right, she could use minimal energy without the drawback.

She'd gotten the idea from reading a fan comic Chie had recommended to her a while back. Only problem would be a bit of lag in having the summon happen. But that's where timing was everything…

"There!" she focused on the point where Fujimura would pass, and swiped her card. Konohana Sakuya immediately conjured a bright flame with a bright light rising up like a geyser, stronger than a mere fireball Agi.

After days of fighting and struggle, she was the first of many on the team to cross a threshold and cast the next tier spell: Agilao.

And it hit perfectly against Taiga's intended path. "I did it!"

That victory was short-lived though. Before the flames died out, her body vaulted out in a tucked roll, minimalizing the burns on her clothes. Taiga continued her sprint and shifted targets to Yukiko. Startled, the fair-skinned girl stepped back and threw her fan outward, blades first. Taiga pivoted to the side at the last moment, and before Yukiko could hope to pull the chain on her fan back for another attack-

"Too slow!" POW! A heavy blow to the back of her neck and she was knocked out.

An opening! Jiraiya moved faster than he ever dared before, circling to her backside with a full-on Power Slash. With both his knives and the shuriken blades, a two-pronged attack! Even better, an endless onslaught of Power Slashes with a ki scream! She'd never see it coming!

"Atatatata-!"

"Too wild!" BAM!

Except she totally did. Turned 180 degrees with a sideways swing before he could even get close to scratching her. The blow was buffered by Jiraiya's form, but Yosuke still collapsed to the ground and cradled his wounded stomach.

Taiga swung her shinai down a few times, shaking off the impact of the blow. He got closer to her that time; not bad. "And all that's left is…"

"WATAAAAAH!"

Chie leaned down from her hiding spot above, on the head of a gargoyle lamp on the first floor. She dive bombed foot-first, her only warning being a battle cry as she fell. Taiga jumped back at the last moment, but even her reflexes couldn't fully save her from the impact on the ground which sent her rolling.

If Taiga's dodging was like a dance, then Chie's assault was her matching dance partner. Her punches were scarce when she felt she could get a quick hit in, while her legs kicked in rapid movements and precise steps.

She fought better with her boots than any other weapon, she realized. She was free, in full motion, and better yet, she felt like her favorite kung-fu star from Trial of the Dragon. Lighter than air, faster than lightning, able to do anything.

Except hit this damn woman! Maybe if she extended her reach and summoned Tomoe-!

"Too wide open!" THWACK!

Nope, bad idea. Thump.

A bell was rung, courtesy of Teddie hitting it with a tiny hammer (he personally conjured the bell and hammer for this training session). "And that's game! Tiger-chan chalks up another win at 19 consecutive victories! While the Investigation Team is still stuck with their one and only win!" Tama tallied a mark on a chalkboard behind them as he announced the results.

"How are we still losing?" Yosuke whined from the ground. Try as he might, he was too weak to pull himself upright. "We beat her once before, so that must mean we can do it again."

"Correction: Shirou beat me once," Taiga insisted. "And he's busy helping your weakest link learn some self-defense!"

Ah, now they remembered. Shirou knew Taiga better than anyone and used Rise's surveillance to counter her every move. After that win, though, she made a beeline for Rise and easily knocked her out. Shirou was able to rally with the others for a close second round, but it still ended with their loss.

So she changed gears a bit from her crash course battle royale. While she continued to beat some survival skills and tactics into the rest of the team, Shirou would work with Rise one-on-one to better her defenses.

Looking over at the far corner of the room, they could see Rise trying and failing to protect herself with a quarterstaff (Chie's leftover weapon that she had loaned her) while Shirou swung his sword in easily choreographed moves. Soon, she started to flail and fall forward, only for Shirou to quickly catch her under her arms. She smiled and uttered something that to her, seemed to be of profound effect given how flustered he now looked.

"What are they doing?" Chie asked, accusatory.

"I don't know," Yukiko uttered darkly. "But I don't like it."

"I don't like being stuck here for days," Kanji grumbled, nursing his arm after Naoto patched it up. "I want to kick some ass, dammit!"

"You guys still need a few more days of this before you're remotely ready," Taiga warned. A chorus of groans followed soon after.

Finally, Yosuke was pulled up from the ground with a helping hand from Chie. It hurt to stand but it wouldn't be for long. "Ah well, might as well get the next round under way. I'll heal this time." With a quick card slash, Jiraiya appeared and healed everyone one at a time, starting with himself. Diarama really worked wonders.

"I'm surprised you are all still willing to keep fighting after days of this," Naoto said. "On top of schoolwork, no less."

"Yeah, well I'd rather take this training punishment than study for finals any day." Yosuke answered. Chie and Kanji nodded in agreement.

Taiga stopped and blinked, looking like a deer in headlights. "Study? Finals?"

A calm before the storm, one that only Shirou had experienced before, and he paled in fear. Somehow, Taiga's slow reaction scared the others more than fighting her the last few days. It didn't help that she yelled so loud it shook the castle.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU STUPID KIDS TELL ME YOU WERE ALL ON FINALS WEEK!?!"

<><><>

July 13th, Homeroom, Morning

Yukiko moaned as she massaged the back of her neck (and unintentionally got some pointed stares from nearby boys). "Uh, my back is so sore."

"Speak for yourself," Chie groaned back, her upper body lying on the top of her desk. "I can't feel anything below my waist."

"I can't feel my everything," Yosuke countered, slightly muffled. His forehead was firmly planted on his desk, and his state of slouch held no equal.

By now the rest of Class 2-2 was baffled and confused. The one sitting to Shirou's left leaned over to him and asked aloud, "What the hell happened with you guys?"

Even Shirou looked ragged with baggy eyes and swollen arms, but he hid that discomfort better than his friends. Shrugging, he offered the easiest excuse he could think of. "Group study. Finals are coming up, after all."

Their classmates took that explanation at face value. Hanamura and Satonaka were among the most academically challenged students of the class, and their mental fatigue showed to bring down two of the brightest. The four of them had been together since early spring and always left to do their own thing which led to rumors circulating that they were some sort of double date going on.

There was already talk about who was dating who, but that was one bit of the rumor mill Shirou was not entitled to find out. No matter what his Personas said otherwise.

But the real reason for their exhaustion was because of Fuji-nee. When she found out that finals were coming up, she got so mad that she cancelled training until further notice. But not before beating everyone senseless with her shinai for letting this information slip. And he did mean everyone. That included Naoto, Teddie and Tama, despite them being spectators. That even extended to Taiga herself, inflicting self-harm for letting this happen in the first place.

Fortunately, she was convinced from doing any more harm to herself and others until finals were over and done with. And it seemed that it would be a little while before the rain came, so plenty of time to rest. Or at least get back into the swing of things. Despite the tragedy of Morooka's death, the students still needed to go to school.

"Good morning class!" An auburn-haired woman strutted in, smiling wide. Her pink blouse was not fully buttoned up and showed off an ample bust with alluring jewelry around her neck. A velvet purple skirt was cut up to her knees and showed off her leggings and red high heels, deliberately clicking with each step.

It was Noriko Kashiwagi, the biology teacher who quickly stepped in as substitute homeroom teacher. She stressed that it was temporary, but so stressed the word 'further' that she could make it full-time for the students who wanted to know her better… with pointed looks at the young boys in the class.

"Good morning, sensei," the class replied, bored and tired.

"Now now, that's not the proper way to address your new homeroom teacher! You need to say Kashiwagi-sensei. Although I wouldn't mind if you all call me Noriko-chan." She winked, expecting some blushes or laughs. All she got were more groans.

Needless to say, everyone missed King Moron now for the wrong reasons. They'd rather take an angry, berating philosophy teacher who'd double down as a pastor than a sultry adulterer getting way too eager to share the wrong kind of "biology lessons". Boys were creeped out by a late forty-year-old woman making advances on them, and girls hated her for subtly insulting them and catering to her own delusions of beauty.

It seemed only fitting to punish the students that wanted King Moron dead for so long with a teacher objectively worse than him.

"Hmm?" By now, Kashiwagi noticed four of her students looking less than attentive. "My, Emiya-kun. Are you and your friends all right?"

"Just a little tired from our group study last night, sensei," Shirou said. Yukiko nodded to back the story up. Kashiwagi didn't spare her a glance.

"Well, don't strain yourself too hard, boys," she said. "Nothing's more important than your health."

Nothing more was said, despite there being an instinctive need for one. The teens were too tired to be annoyed by her clear bias, and she quickly started the morning lesson. Shirou himself would have let it go had she kept it professional after that. But then she had to open her mouth again.

"By the way, I've been hearing talk of you boys wanting to date our new first-year now that poor Morooka-san isn't around to heckle you," she said conversationally as she wrote down the last few notes for the lecture. "I wouldn't get my hopes up on asking Kujikawa-san out. People are always different in real life than on TV, after all."

Kashiwagi sneered darkly, a look not so hidden despite her turning to face the blackboard. "There's nothing so great about an idol anyway. Gets cold feet on stage and gets all that adoration? She's just a piece of inexperienced jailbait."

"Better that than a delusional vamp."

The words came out of Shirou's mouth faster than he meant to. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation. Maybe he was becoming more open with his thoughts since coming to Inaba. Or maybe he was still a little peeved at his teacher's behavior earlier. It could even be he just felt inclined to defend Rise's honor from a person who badmouthed her, regardless of their position.

But the resounding crack of the chalk on the board sounded like a gunshot. Every student straightened up and held bated breaths, realizing very quickly how tense the room was. Shirou's words clearly affected Kashiwagi with how hard her hand was clenched. Everyone else glanced between the two, worried about what would happen next.

"Emiya-kun," she said slowly as she turned to him. She tried to smile but it was clearly a strained expression on her face. "It's not polite to say things like that to your teachers."

"I agree," he said evenly.

And that was all he said. The tension only grew from there, and Kashiwagi was scowling at him.

"Then why did you say that to your teacher just now?"

"I did no such thing."

"But you said-!"

"I said it's better to be an inexperienced jailbait than a delusional vamp," he repeated clearly. "What do you think that meant?"

More than a few students were stifling laughter. Kashiwagi did not share the sentiment. The intent was there from how he phrased the insult. But there was no guilt or admittance, and he could pass it off as making another comparison.

Kashiwagi hated being made a fool of… but she found it strangely attractive being led on by a man's wit. And just then, the bell rang signaling lunch break. Grudgingly she packed her things to go to her next class, barely sparing a word edgewise. As soon as she left, everyone hovered by Shirou's seat with unbridled interest, barely giving his friends any personal space. Some even pushed against his and Satonaka's desks with their bodies just to lean closer to him.

"Dude, first King Moron, now Kashiwagi? Do you have balls of steel or something?"

"That was just awesome, man! You gotta teach me your material!"

"You really should have taken the Class Rep position when you had the chance!"

"Hey, uh, can I join your group study sometime too, Emiya-kun?"

"No fair! I was gonna ask him first!"

"Yo, senpai!"

The last one came from a boisterous underclassman. Nearly all of class 2-2's eyes turned to the door, and they all saw Kanji Tatsumi leaning his head in with a hand outstretched to call. He didn't seem to notice or care about their reactions. "You got a minute? I need some advice for a Home Ec. recipe."

"Coming, Kanji." With that, Shirou pulled out of his desk and left. The surrounding students gave a wide berth, looking at him with more awe than before.

They then turned to the remaining students in the sitting area, suddenly dubious. "Seriously, what's your deal?" One of them asked.

Chie glared at her hovering classmates. "Excuse me?"

"Every time someone goes missing at this school, you and Emiya-kun are at the center of it," a chatty girl noted. "Yukiko-chan, I can understand. But Rise-chan's practically attached to his hip, and now he's all buddy-buddy with the school delinquent?"

"Come to think of it, you two were kinda out of it during April," another said.

Yosuke huffed derisively. "What'd you expect? Someone died while staying at the Amagi Inn, and Konishi-senpai died too. It was a pretty shitty month."

"I… guess you have a point," a boy student conceded. Maybe before no one would have cared about the late Saki Konishi given the rumors, but Morooka's death reminded them that anyone they knew could be a victim. There was a fear present now that no one was really safe at the school.

Even a boy from a cram school and his older sister had disappeared, and they knew Yosuke was at least a little familiar with them. At the very least, they pitied how unfair the situation was right now.

"Yeah, but after that? You all started acting closer like BFFs. Or some family group from an anime!"

"It all circles back to Shirou Emiya. I know a cousin who lives in Fuyuki City, and went to his same old school. He told me that Shirou's some kind of legend back there."

Yukiko's eyes gleamed as she leaned closer. "Did you say… he's a legend?!"

"Probably not the kind you think, Yukiko," Chie chided.

"I'd say he is," a girl argued. "He has some sort of sixth sense when it comes to machine appliances, and he would have made pro in the archery field if not for some injury last year."

"I bet he has a bunch of girls waiting for him back home." The female student, and a few others, chorused in swooning. "Ahhhh, so romantic."

"But don't worry, Chie-chan, Yukiko-chan! We're all rooting for you!" Another girl told them, with several nodding their heads in agreement.

Chie flushed and recoiled while Yukiko blinked owlishly. "Wh-wh-what's that supposed to mean?!"

"Next to Rise-chan, one of you three have the most realistic chance of well… you know." Even Yukiko was starting to flush at the implication.

"You guys have way too much time on your hands," Yosuke deadpanned.

"Can you blame us, Hanamura? Your new best friend is the hottest thing in town since a Junes sale."

"Yeah! And for all we know, Emiya's some sort of urban fantasy hero in the making and will save us from the evil underbelly of the demons or something! That'd make a cool story, actually."

Yosuke laughed sheepishly while Chie slumped in her seat, a bit embarrassed. "Haha, you guys are such dreamers…"

Still, a nagging doubt in their minds grew as they heard their classmates' gossip; how much did they really know about their team leader?

<><><>

After School

Naoto glanced down at the pocket watch in his hand. A cliché for a British-themed detective, but one he thought was fitting and cool to the kind of detective he wanted to be. It helped to keep your mind open and learning, such as how to read roman numerals and the old-fashioned way to tell time.

He couldn't help but feel… nervous. Not because he knew what could possibly blow this case wide open if any of it could be proven true, but because of how he reacted. Kanji trusted Naoto, but he also trusted the Investigation Team as they called themselves. He pushed quite hard for mediation between them, for Naoto to at least apologize for the other.

Oh, Naoto knew full well that he had screwed up. Had that mistake occurred anywhere else but the TV world, he would have gotten a vicious scolding from the police department using a firearm like that. But Naoto felt that they wouldn't heckle him because what he did was wrong. Only that he did something worth punishment.

No one on the force liked him. They barely tolerated him, looking for any excuse to get away from him. They did not like getting shown up by a high schooler on how to do their job. The Investigation Team was just as elite by virtue of being the only ones that knew about the TV world, so it wasn't like they were innocent.

Some people just liked to prey on weakness, on admission. If he were to show that, even with a genuine apology, they would take that kindness and hold it over his head, demanding more out of him. Their bruised egos and pride would need more compensation than anything a mere apology would give. Nothing would ever satisfy them short of his career as a detective ending in failure.

He'd worked hard to build his reputation as a detective, even if the title Detective Prince was very much a mocking moniker from various officers. It was hard to earn recognition… and so very easy to lose it.

It was the equivalent of spending hours making a block tower and then accidentally knocking it down. Sure you could build it back up but the stigma of the mistake would—

"Hey, Naoto!"

A loud, familiar greeting broke Naoto out of his thoughts. Stuffing the watch away, he saw Kanji waving as he walked over to the gate. By now their school day ritual was so routine that there was hardly any pressure between them.

Although this was the first time that he saw Emiya-san following him.

"Kanji, Emiya-san," he greeted them both. "I see you're both recovering well from training."

"Wouldn't be my first time sparring with Fuji-nee," Shirou said before sighing. "I kind of hoped the last was behind me, though."

"No kidding. Your guardian-sis is such a badass, senpai," Kanji said. He looked no worse for wear, rolling his shoulder in place with a smile and interest for another session. "I can't remember the last time I got that good of a workout!"

"I'm not sure if what you went through counts as a 'workout'," Shirou said. "Fuji-nee put you through the wringer the most."

The bleached delinquent bristled at that memory and awkwardly scratched his neck. He could still recall the image of her battle cry as she charged at him vividly. "She might have gotten mad about the whole 'severed arm' thing. Sorry again, by the way. But besides that, you guys have been fighting for months now, right? I'm behind enough as it is, so every little bit of training counts."

"Are you actually looking forward to fighting for real?" Naoto asked, alarmed.

Kanji had the decency to look even more embarrassed. "Uh… I mean, I know how serious this is. Which is why I want to give this my all. Gotta make it up to my fellow senpais for getting my a-erm, butt out of the fire."

"Rise is in the same year as you, though," Shirou pointed out.

"Well, she's my senpai in experience. That's what she said, anyway."

"Yeah, that sounds like her."

Naoto was taken aback when Kanji laughed with Shirou. In all the time that the detective had known his ward, Kanji was so guarded with his feelings that the young detective had only ever found out about his sewing and cooking hobbies through observation. And yet one day he just confided his interests to the Investigation Team in casual conversation on the way to Junes.

That was another thing Naoto noticed. Kanji seemed to be smiling a lot more often these days. He was always a considerate young man and meant well, but his constant anger and inferiority complex followed him like a raincloud. Whether he got shocked out of his rut or found new appreciation for life, it was hard to say with this "Persona Awakening". But one thing was for certain.

"You've changed, Kanji."

"Hmm?" he blinked, regarded Naoto with a frown as he mulled the words over. "Is that good?"

"It is. Before, you would have flown off the handle if someone so much as mentioned the word 'strange'."

His frown fell farther, and his legs shook. It still had an effect on him, but not as pronounced as before. "Oh, right. That. Still working on that."

"I can see that," he nodded. "And I have little reason to worry about you while I'm gone."

Kanji blushed, still unused to praise. "Uh, Thanks, Na-wait, 'gone'? What are you talking about?"

"I'm leaving for Misaki Town. In fact, I'm boarding a train to leave this evening." Their baffled reactions were question enough, so he elaborated. "Satsuki Kubo was believed to be a resident there before moving back to Inaba. If there are any clues about her motives or mental state, they would probably originate from there."

"You really think she's the vampire, though?" Kanji asked.

"Based on what Emiya has told me, supported by my own observations, she's at least the number one suspect. The timing of her arrival is suspect enough, and no one has seen the Kubo parents for weeks."

If Naoto had any pride, it was in his deduction skills. Satsuki Kubo was an enigma, suddenly appearing without warning and not officially on record of living in Inaba. She kept mostly to herself, but the few times people did see her they were instantly charmed by her looks and appeal (a textbook example of a charismatic charmer). And now, the night after Morooka's death, she and her brother Mitsuo had gone missing. When shown a picture, Taiga swore she was the same person that tried to kill her that night.

The only one who refused to believe this revelation was Yosuke. Not that they could blame him; Sacchin was his girlfriend.

"What good would finding clues there do us?" Shirou asked. "If she really skipped town here or there, there probably wouldn't be anything there that points to her being alive, much less a motive."

"I'd rather be the judge of that myself," Naoto replied. "You are more concerned about apprehending the suspect, but it won't matter if we can't build a case."

"Are you sure you can't just wait until we find her?"

"It's not like I can be of any help otherwise," he shrugged. "I lack a Persona to fight with, and the IPD refuse to cooperate with me. They only gave me the ticket fare because it would mean that I'd be leaving." And be out of their hair.

"And you think leaving will help us?" Kanji asked. "Come on, Naoto, you can't limp out like that! You're stuck with me indefinitely, remember?"

"The culprit has already successfully thrown you into the TV. As there hasn't been another case of kidnapping after the first attempt, you are safe from any further attacks, Kanji."

"And we're gonna stomp down her big castle door! I mean, we all know the vampire's behind all this mess!"

Naoto frowned. "I wonder…"

"Huh?"

"Nothing. In any case, I feel this trip will help us bring one step closer to the truth of the mystery, one way or another. That's why I'm going."

The blue-haired detective turned to his new red-haired colleague. "Emiya-san, can I trust you to watch after Kanji in the meantime? He seems to have taken a liking to you."

Kanji flinched back, face turning a sickly white as the words played over in his head. "What the-? What the hell do you mean by 'liking'?!"

"I don't mind," Shirou said, briefly ignoring him. "I've been meaning to get to know him better, anyway."

"I see. Then that's good."

"What the hell are you saying 'yes' for, senpai? Don't I get a say in this?!"

"Do you not approve of Emiya-san?" Naoto asked him.

"W-Well, no…"

"Then there shouldn't be a problem." Kanji still looked dismayed, but he grumbled under his breath instead of raising further complaints. Satisfied, Naoto turned and left them at the gate. "I'll be back in a few days. Please don't die."

<><><>

Samegawa Flood Plain

It was a quiet, awkward walk from school. As they reached the road parallel to the riverbed, Kanji groaned and kicked the dirt under his foot. "Dammit, why did Naoto have to leave?"

Shirou didn't have an answer to that. He knew Naoto had just explained why but he didn't think it was the real reason. "He'll be back before you know it," Shirou told him.

"I know that, but…"

It was understandably upsetting with life changes happening after coming to terms with yourself, and not all of them were good. Shirou could tell how much Kanji enjoyed Naoto's company. Exactly how much and why was none of his business, but the least he could do was try to make up for it.

"Incidentally, I heard some rumors back at school that you were involved with some gang of bullies." Kanji stopped and stiffened. Shirou quickly added, "I didn't believe them, of course, but I wanted to ask if you knew something about them."

Kanji sighed, a mixture of sadness and relief. "No, it's just… kinda sucks hearing that. You pick a fight against some bikers, and suddenly everyone thinks you're a biker. Kinda messed up if you ask me."

"They just don't know you, Kanji. You can be a little intimidating by appearance, but if they know how nice a guy you really are, they'd trust you."

"Yeah, and I bet everyone trusts you easily, senpai," Kanji remarked bitterly, turning to face him with a scowl. "You had quite a crowd back at your homeroom."

"I wasn't very social before I came to Inaba, to be honest. I wasn't exactly scary, but I didn't try hard to understand other people either."

The delinquent's face betrayed a look of astonishment. Normally Shirou wouldn't consider sharing much about his past, but he felt a kinship with Kanji since hearing about his father. "I've… also been in fights before. And I can confirm that it gets people worried. So at least consider others before you act on your own. Before it was just your mother, but you have the Investigation Team backing you up. And Naoto, too."

"…thanks, man."

"Anytime."

They continued to walk home, a comfortable silence with nature's white noise around them. Then Kanji coughed, drawing attention.

"Listen, uhh… Whenever you have time, could you maybe hear what I have to say?" he said shyly. "I feel all cramped inside, and I'm too dumb to know what it's about on my own."

Clumsy as he was, Kanji genuinely wants to change for the better. What else could he do but endorse that?

Shirou smiled and nodded. "Of course, Kanji."

Then, Kanji's Tarot came into view, number "IV". A silhouette of a regal figure (as noted by the cross and bedazzled crown on his head) sporting a cape with red tassels, over a silver cuirass. Stained glass set the background in cool colors, mostly of purple and green, with the purple set closest to the silhouette. A scepter and a shield were placed side by side of the figure.

Thou art I, and I am thou.
Thou hast established a new bond.
It shall bring thee closer to the truth.
Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Emperor Arcana.

"And to start off," Kanji said as Shirou's senses came back. "Maybe I should go smack some bullies before the night's over."

Shirou winced. "Didn't we just talk about how you have a negative reputation?"

"Yeah, but if I beat up the trouble-makers, the town will be safer! Then they'll start trusting me like you, senpai! Hell, you have to help me out on this because you already have a good rep!"

One way or another, Kanji looked determined to start the life of a street vigilante. "…And now I know how Fuji-nee felt."

<><><>

July 14th, Shopping District

Waiting by the bus stop crossing at the shopping district, Shirou idly pocketed his weekly pay from MOEL. He glanced once more at the gas station, looking and failing to find one of the regulars there. "Nami-san isn't here today either."

Fuji-nee was lenient enough to give the team until Saturday to resume training. They would meet up after school and work through their day off. Although Shirou wasn't extending past his physical needs, he found juggling social lives kind of taxing in their own way. The fact that they helped bolster the power of his Persona still left him with mixed feelings, so he didn't think too much about it. It helped that he felt a state of zen whenever working.

His work schedule for MOEL was always flexible, so he tried to work whenever he could because of obligation (like his other jobs back in Fuyuki, actually). However, Shirou hadn't seen Nami any of the times he worked or passed by the store to work. He brushed it off as bad timing before and being busy with rescuing Rise and later Kanji. Something must have happened though, as the older attendant was never around, even on days when Shirou tried to see him lately.

Come to think of it, where did Nami live? Shirou had to share his place of residence when he first applied, but Nami always dodged the question when asked. He didn't sign a work application when he got the job either. Maybe he lived in a seedier part of Inaba, rife with gossip?

"Hey, Four!"

Shirou snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at the corner of the street. To his surprise, Marie was waving and running up to him.

"Marie? What are you doing outside?" To his knowledge, she either wasn't allowed to leave or couldn't leave the Velvet Room without him. And here she was, impatiently tapping her foot like they had an appointment planned.

"Waiting for you, of course. Did you forget your promise to help me?"

"Uh…"

Marie's face fell to a stern scowl. "You did, didn't you?"

He did, admittedly. But it came back to him quickly that yes, he did promise to help her own memories. "A lot of stuff happened I didn't have the time before. Sorry."

"Well, you have time now," she insisted, already yanking at his arm. "I'm not stepping back in the Nose's stuffy limo for another minute until you take me somewhere."

Well, he was free, and he did owe her for waiting so long, so he was willing to make it up for her. "Like where?"

"I don't know, somewhere lively, I guess. This… 'Joo-ness' I keep hearing about."

<><><>

Junes – Electronics Department

"Every day's great at your Junes". That phrase should rather be "every day is packed". It was the closest Adachi could ever see or feel of a bustling city life and it was because a bunch of villagers hunted around the department store for sales.

Not that he was one to talk, picking up yet another cheap bargain meal from the deli. Now all he had to do was avoid that old woman…

Just as he was dreading the trip to the front door elevator, a familiar face caught his eye inside the electronics store. She was in a bunch of stylish designer clothes now from the plaid red skirt to the blue hat, but he'd recognize her anywhere (after doing an all-nighter of finding out who she was). "Oh, Marie-chan! Glad to see you're doing better!"

He walked over to her, standing in front of the large display screen. She was surprised to see him, as was Dojima-san's nephew standing next to her. "Oh, it's the detective guy."

"Oh, you remember me!" Adachi said. "And I see you made a friend with Dojima-san's nephew, too!"

"Dojima-san… the other detective?" Marie wondered. She turned to Shirou with a surprised look. "He's your uncle?"

"Small world," he said. "And it's a surprise to see you here, Adachi-san."

"Well, with the recent murder victim and now two missing kids to find, it's just faster and cheaper to buy food at Junes than anywhere else," Adachi explained. Oh wait, he wasn't supposed to mention that stuff in public, was he? Crap. "Uh, not that you heard it from me. And don't worry, the police are on the job!"

"But… you're here, off the job," Marie pointed out.

"I'm off duty right now. Sometimes rest and relaxation are just as important to diligent hard work. And it certainly beats finding lost cats." His suit got so dirty that day, and he had to put his first paycheck towards the cleaning bill!

"But enough about me," he said, changing gears. "What are you two doing here?"

"I'm just showing Marie around," Shirou told him. "Hoping something will jog her memory."

"Ah. Anything come to mind?"

Marie turned back to the large screen TV. "Not a whole lot. But… I now know how to use a TV. I guess that's something?"

Adachi chuckled, turning to the red-haired teen with a thumbs up. "Not what I expect on a first date, but it sounds like praise to me! Way to go!"

"…Thanks?"

<><><>

Junes – Food Court

Before long, the three of them left the store and ordered meals at the food court. Adachi offered to pay for the group, assuring them he was the responsible adult, even if he was surrounded by country hicks flooding every corner of the store. While the two got themselves some grilled skillet meats (another new thing the girl was learning apparently), he ordered a small sandwich for himself. It would be a while before he would eat his at-home dinner and a little meal wouldn't hurt.

"There's a lot of people at this 'Joo-nes' place," Marie said between bites, looking at the other tables around them. While not everyone was sitting down and eating, a lot of them were walking into and past the food court, almost aimless. Their heads were always looking at the next bright ad that was distracting them. "Why is that? Don't they have anything else to do?"

Adachi snorted dismissively. "Of course not. Inaba's a town in the middle of nowheresville, where activity is dead in all but a few places. People come here to shop, eat, and hang out because there's literally nothing else to do."

"That's… a rather bleak outlook, Adachi-san," Shirou said slowly. Great, he must think that he was a jerk or something. He was certainly appraising him like one with that wary stare.

"That's just how it is," he argued. "You're from the city, so you know how there's more to do there than here, right?"

"What, like watching TV?" Marie asked for him.

"Nah, anyone can watch TV anywhere. But at places like Shibuya, with big towers and jumbotrons that play commercials and TV dramas 24/7? They make the prized flat screen at the electronics store look like a remote."

Her eyes widened considerably, already imagining what such a tower would look like in her mind. "That's… big," she said.

"Exactly! And there are plenty of stores spread out too, not just one big collection like with Junes. People move around here because they feel there's more stuff to do than anywhere else. But in a city, people constantly move around just to get to all their favorite spots or workplaces on time."

Shirou took another bite of his sizzled meat as they talked. He took the time to mull his words over as he ate before speaking. "I understand the appeal to city life, Adachi-san. As you said, I grew up in one and have grown used to it; so many different places to find and see, that you can't fit it all in one day. But sometimes, having everything you need closer together is just as good. Inaba may not be big, but it has a sense of community all the same."

Adachi blinked. He stared intently at him with a guarded expression before slowly nodding. "Heh… you're definitely Dojima-san's nephew."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry, it's a compliment. He'd say some pretty profound stuff too… when he's not yelling at me, anyway."

Shirou chuckled at that. Good, having a little fun always lifted the mood in an otherwise boring setting. And he knew Dojima-san didn't mean the stuff he said to him. Most of the time. At least he put up with him.

"So you're like your uncle?" Marie asked Shirou. Although she wasn't looking right at him when she said that; her attention was directed towards a mother and son pair, with the latter loudly asking for a soda drink.

"I… like to think so." Shirou looked to Adachi for confirmation. "What do you think?"

The rookie detective hummed in thought. Which didn't take long, given what he knew about the two. "No doubt in my mind. They both have this 'badass' vibe about them, and a sharp mouth at that."

Whether it was from the praise or backhanded insult, Shirou's face was now tinted red. He quickly hid his shyness, though, and Marie was none the wiser. "Do you think… I'm like my mother?" she asked.

"Kids take a lot after their parents," Adachi said. "Looks, personality, hobbies, even fashion sense."

"It's not like I picked these out myself," Marie argued, gesturing at her hat and handbag. "Maggie gave these to me."

"Maggie? Oh, your new guardian." He only saw her once at the hospital and damn, what a fine-looking woman she was. That blonde bombshell certainly beat Miss Yamano by a landslide. "How is her place?"

"Cramped, lousy, way too blue, da ba de da ba dye," she told him. "And I'm pretty sure there aren't any 'eclectic loutwits' in there, either."

…damn, talk about living off the grid. Even Shirou looked uncomfortable hearing that. Or rather, what he was about to ask her next. "Do you really not remember anything?"

Frowning, she dug into her handbag and pulled out an old bamboo comb. She clutched it firmly as if afraid it'd fly away from her hand. "All I know for sure is that this belongs to me."

Adachi leaned over to see the item clearly. "I remember that comb," he said. "It was in your hand when we found you."

"Is it anything special?" Shirou asked.

"I'm not big on women's fashion, but it looks unique enough to me. It's probably an heirloom from an old family dynasty."

"Not that it matters," she lamented, already pocketing it. "Having it doesn't help me at all."

…okay this was way out of his comfort zone now. The mood around them was pretty grim, and a young girl was sad. He'd say something to steer away from this, maybe laugh off the bad memory but Shirou had that look in his eyes that screamed he wasn't going to just drop this subject until he was satisfied.

It was the same look he saw in Dojima-san in some cold cases, really.

"Well, I think I overstayed my welcome," Adachi said casually as he rose from his seat. "I hope things look up for you later, Marie-chan."

She barely acknowledged him with a nod, and that was fine. He wasn't good with this sensitive talking stuff. He walked briskly past them on his way to the elevator, before a stray thought came to mind.

"And Shirou?"

Shirou turned to look at him from his seat. Adachi glanced back over his shoulder. A tense moment passed as one waited patiently and another was struck with nerves.

Adachi didn't know what he was doing, as a young kid like him was none of his business. He shouldn't have said anything and just kept going. But he was still Dojima-san's nephew, almost like a son even. So…

"There's no need to handle every problem by yourself. You've got your whole life ahead of you before that happens. And don't be afraid to ask for help. That's what the police are for, after all!"

Smiling and nodding, Adachi left it at that before hurrying out of the store. He shouldn't carelessly offer his time like that, but it was just something to pep the boy up. He gave enough vibes as a cool friend to his relative and nothing more would come of it.

I hope.

<><><>

As Adachi left, Shirou felt an odd bond formed from Adachi's genuine concern. In spite of his inexperience and bluster, he was still trying hard to help. If it wasn't clear from talking with Marie, it was clear now from his parting words.

The new Tarot resembled something out of Halloween more than anything else. Purple background with barbed lines at the lower corners, a silver oval light at the center (like the moon?) with a curved stripe of cerulean crossing over. A quartet of animals moving around the border in a circle: a bird, a dog, a cat, and a goat. The prominent silhouette in the center looked like a castle jester, from the pointed shoes, a two-pronged cap and belled hat, a scepter, and a golden neck ruffle.

The most startling fact was seeing the number "0", but this card looked nothing like the Fool Arcana. So that meant—

Thou art I, and I am thou.
Thou hast established a new bond.
It shall bring thee closer to the truth.
Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Jester Arcana.

Jester. Another variant card, like Marie's in fact.

Speaking of which, Marie had a scowl as she stared in the direction where Adachi left. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't like him," she said simply. "He smells… empty."

Shirou blinked. "Empty?" He couldn't help but sound incredulous. He could smell magic himself, but he never heard of a description like 'empty' defining someone's aptitude, or even lack thereof.

"You know, like, fake? Flakey?" She added more adjectives as she waved her hands in place, as if that helped explain things. It didn't. "I just don't trust him, okay?"

Normally Shirou wouldn't second-guess a person like that. Adachi seemed genuine in his interaction with them. But if this whole journey to the TV world had taught him anything, it was that looks could be deceiving and that everyone wore a mask. He even saw a demasking in the real world, sort of, through Kotomine.

And he just made a social link with Adachi. Was there more to the cop's façade than he was letting on? "Are you saying I shouldn't either?"

Marie shrugged, turning back to her half-finished meal. "I wouldn't recommend it, but it's your life journey, not mine. Knock yourself out."

"I'm sorry our little trip got sidetracked like that," Shirou said. "I didn't count on Adachi meeting us like that."

"Emptiness aside, it was still fun. Is this what hanging out with friends feels like?"

"More or less."

"I kinda like it. And I wouldn't mind meeting more of your other friends."

Shirou smiled. Maybe it was because she had confided in him how troubling her amnesia was, but they felt a little closer today, not unlike the spontaneous bond he had with Adachi earlier. "I'm sure they'd love to meet you too."

After finishing their meals and more small talk, Shirou eventually walked her back to the Velvet Room, and paid himself an overdue visit with the tenants for some Persona fusion.

<><><>

July 15th, Moon Voidania, Top Floor.

It was almost boring waiting.

She had full control of knowing what happened in this castle. It was an extension of her power, and a perfect training ground to master her abilities. Even more so than the town she hid in prior.

She was worried when some strangers came in after her and her brother ghoul, but they simply settled to train right at her doorstep as a means to mock her. That they knew she was waiting and they were going to prepare for the inevitable conflict.

She eagerly awaited the day of their confrontation but found it hard to keep her patience. The beasts in this world (Shadows, if she recalled) barely sated her thirst. If only she could convince them to come to her now…

Luckily, she found her 'in' with the colorful looking beat suit creature.

It was so easy to tempt the bear, just like it was for anyone else. Just look into their eyes and say a few charming words. Her boyfriend was surprisingly resilient, but not as much as his other friends.

The bear was just as resilient, surprisingly enough, despite her honeyed words and practice batting her eyes at him. But then an unexpected development happened. It appeared, from the depths of the bear's hollow heart.

And he was much more accommodating. For now, the bear was her prisoner in another room, for blood supply, while her champion was free to act on her whims. A new servant who welcomed the role with open arms, despite the bear's weak protests. Perhaps deep down he wanted this? She didn't know, nor did she care. She simply found a way to finally be rid of those interlopers.

From atop her throne, she looked down at the Shadow. Similar in form and shape as the bear, but with a stern frown and golden oval eyes. "You called, mistress?"

"I want you to dispose of our nosey guests. Use whatever means necessary."

"Yes, mistress," said the Shadow, and left to do his duty.

Ah, loyalty. Why is it that good help had to come from so deep inside someone's subconscious these days?

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 44: Into the Void

July 16 – Junes Food Court

Yosuke arrived early at the food court, waiting for the others. It was agreed that they should avoid grouping up as much as possible after a few close calls with the police. It was raining non-stop now, and Shirou figured it would be a good day to check on the 8-bit castle. Not for training, but to see if things were escalating yet.

Luckily, Junes tables had tarps for bigger seating groups for when the rain rolled in, and with how big the Investigation Team was getting, a bigger table was necessary. Kanji was happily petting Tama, Chie was stretching her hands and legs, and Yukiko was asking Rise something about acting lessons. All they had left to wait on were Shirou and Fujimura-san.

In the meantime, Yosuke stared at his phone yet again, waiting for something to happen. A call, a text, anything, to ease the worries that festered since his teacher's death. "Sacchin…"

"What are you saying, Shirou? Sacchin's… Sacchin's another victim! She has to be! She can't possibly be the culprit! She wasn't even here until the deaths started!"

"Then how do you explain her and Mitsuo disappearing the same day Morooka-sensei died?"

"They probably went into hiding, or… or the real kidnapper just took them without putting them into the TV to avoid suspicion!"

"Fuji-nee saw the one who killed our teacher. She's certain that the Kubo siblings are to blame."

"It was dark out that night! And… and raining! It could have been anyone! Hell, she was even drunk and then thrown into the TV right after!"

"She still remembered more than the others when put into her situation. For all her faults I trust in Fuji-nee."

"Are you saying you trust your guardian over your friend here?"

"…"

"Okay, you're right, jerk move. But how do you think I feel about all this?"

"Yosuke—"

"She isn't a vampire, okay? I mean, come on, do you realize how crazy that is?! That I'd be dating some horror monster that was responsible for what happened to Saki-senpai?!"

"Well, we'll figure this out one way or another. I just don't want you to get your hopes up when the worst comes."

This case sucked. No two ways about it. That conversation with Shirou was cycling in Yosuke's head as a morbid reminder while he scrolled through his texts. All of them from him, and in growing desperation and impatience. He tried to convince himself that the only likely scenario was because she got stuck in the TV world where there wasn't a phone signal. Trapped in a dungeon with no way out until a Shadow decided to eat her.

Although she could just as easily be sitting on her metaphorical throne waiting for them. No, that wouldn't make sense. Wouldn't the mastermind actually take the fight to the ones messing with their plans? Unless she had some ulterior motive, maybe.

It was a constant mental struggle for Yosuke, trying to decide if Satsuki Kubo was the villainess or not, or why she had done so. Why the lies, why the killing… why mess with the world at all. Shirou said that vampires were creatures of the night and thought differently from humans. The blood drinking was actually a vital need to sustain themselves, for example.

Oh, and finals were in a few days. How could he possibly study with everything going on? The timing of it all couldn't be any worse. He wouldn't be surprised if Satonaka scored higher than him this time.

…okay, no way in hell was he going to lose to Satonaka in academics. All the more reason to resolve all this sooner than later.

"Oh, they're here!" Chie said aloud, noting the arrival of the last two members of their team. They waved them over as the duo sat down with them.

From there, conversation was kept minimal and vague while Yosuke sort of zoned out. He did hear Shirou ask for a clarification on the weather report, and Fujimura insisting on better study habits, but it was as much white noise as everything else in Junes.

His mind was returned to the questionable state of his girlfriend. Please respond when you get this. He had written before. Where are you, another time. He tried to avoid sounding too desperate but it was barely a mask he held up. What if Satsuki had already been killed? Wait, if she was really a vampire, then wouldn't she be dead to begin with?

"Huh?" Yosuke stirred, looking up to see Shirou shaking his shoulder.

"I said we're going to Teddie's place now. Are you coming?" Teddie's place being code for "big screen tv portal" in case the cops were listening in, not that they had to worry. Only Naoto ever figured out their DnD lingo, and luckily he was on their side.

"Oh, yeah yeah, sure."

Well, he could worry about that later. He could use some of Teddie's bad jokes right about now.

<><><>

TV World, Hub Space

Somehow things went from bad to worse. There was no sign of Teddie at the main gate. Usually he was pacing or waiting in front of the TV stack for them to visit, or more recently so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice them right away. This time the bear was gone.

"Teddiiiiie! Where are yooooou?!" Rise cried out. Only her echo in the vast TV world reverberated back.

"Geez, why would he leave here?" Chie grumbled. Her face was scowling, but she was just as worried as everyone else that Teddie was gone. "I thought we had a pact to never go out until we're all here."

"Come to think of it, hasn't Teddie been acting a little… off, lately?" Yukiko asked.

"He's a talking bear in another dimension," Taiga said. "He's not exactly normal like the rest of us."

"No, I think Amagi-san has a point," said Shirou. "Ever since you pushed the vampires in, he's been antsy about finally confronting them. They're probably responsible for ruining his home dimension."

"Well, yeah. We promised to help him when we first came in, after all," Yosuke recalled. "Must have driven the poor guy nuts when he saw us squatting at the front door."

"Hey! We've been working towards making sure you guys didn't die fighting a vampire! You should be thanking me!"

"Oh, uh, thanks, sensei," Kanji said earnestly. Taiga was taken aback, clearly not expecting someone to literally thank her, but she beamed all the same.

"Regardless, we need to focus more on finding Teddie first."

"Where do we start looking?"

"Where this mess all started from," Shirou said, his gaze turning to the south. "The vampire's castle."

Nothing more needed to be said; as one, the Investigation Team marched down the fog-entrenched path to what would likely be their final destination. Fitting that it was a dungeon suited for a final boss in a video game.

Everyone was anxious. They had to find Teddie, stop the culprit, and come back alive. Thoughts of those lines circled their heads with each heavy step, and before long they were at the gates of the blocky NES-filled nightmare.

<><><>

Moon Voidania, Second Stratum

It was dark inside, almost as expected.

The shading of the interior almost hid the blocky texture from keen, discerning eyes, were it not for the light illuminated by pixelated flames. It was different from the main entrance room they'd used as a makeshift dojo the last few days and more akin to a cavern than a castle.

Before the Investigation Team made a single step forward, a black text box opened up in front of them.

>_Begin new quest

End your quest

"Eh?" Taiga blanched. Before anyone could think of a response themselves, the screen changed and typed itself out.

Enter Player One

Please enter your name:

Mitsuo__

"The hell?" Chie felt her anger rise upon reading the screen. "Is that guy taunting us?!"

"Guess he really thinks this is a game," Yosuke noted, coming to reluctantly believe that at least the brother was involved. "I thought this was supposed to be Castlevania, not Dragon Quest."

"Wait, there's more," Rise said as the screen changed.

Enter Player Two

Please enter your name:

Sa4@#%(!-/

ERRORERRORERRORERR010101010112010—

The screen seemed to glitch just as the name was typed, and then spelled a long series of number codes much too quick for the human eye to read, much less comprehend. Just as quickly as it happened, the screen shattered into glass pieces, only to subsequently vanish like a Shadow slain. A grim silence followed as the Persona users tried to discern what they had just seen.

"That's… new," Yukiko said slowly. It was actually scary, and not the good kind that intrigued her.

"Yeah, but what the hell was that?" Kanji wondered aloud. Rise and Taiga looked similarly alarmed.

"We don't fully understand it ourselves," Shirou explained. "But these dungeons seem to reflect the subconscious thoughts and feelings from the victims thrown in here."

"Teddie would know more about this, probably," Yosuke said. He awkwardly tugged his scarf, thinking of the bear. "Then again, he was just as much in the dark about these things as the rest of us."

A sickening growl broke their thoughts as they saw a pack of Shadows appear further down the corridor. The team reflexively summoned their Personas, with Yukiko and Yosuke quickest on the draw. They blasted the Shadows with a conflagration of smoldering flames and fierce winds, one strong enough that the conflict was over before it could truly begin. The Shadows were incinerated in an instant.

The team, still tense, slowly relaxed as they realized there weren't any more enemies coming… for now. "Wow, that was… easier than usual." Yosuke said, stupefied.

"Must be the new spells we learned," Shirou noted. Ma-prefix spells with a wide area of effect wasn't anything new, but the suffix-a spells were a game changer. A bigger cost of prana for a stronger burst of damage.

Mazio, Mabufu, Garula, Magaru, Agilao, Maragion. They reminded him of a similar fantasy game series that Yosuke had tried to get him into. Final Fantasy, he recalled. Even their physical attacks were stronger now, even if their names weren't as obvious to the power behind them.

Taiga grinned like a smug cat as she puffed her chest out and brandished her shinai over her shoulder. "You're welcome," she boasted. The training had definitely paid off.

"All right, guys, let's stay focused and start looking for Teddie," Shirou said. "Rise, do you have a read on him?"

"I think so," she answered. "I know he's further down at least."

With nothing else to say, the team started to explore the pixelated castle. The Shadows went down quickly, barely given a second thought. They were small fries now to the team's battles, even the newcomers weren't all that bothered by them. Kanji had regularly fought gang members while seeing the worst from his own Shadow. Taiga had years of martial arts under her belt and connections to her grandfather's "business".

The Shadows never had a chance.

<><><>

"Finally!" A jovial voice giggled from the throne, watching a crystal ball before her. "I was starting to think they would never leave past the first stratum!"

And what efficient fighters they were! They weren't holding back any more like they did when propping themselves up during training. They were fast. Quick. Merciless. They used just the right attacks to obliterate the Shadows, or at least knock them off balance before swarming them in a big ball of violence.

Even in the rare situations where they couldn't hit that sweet spot, they just resorted to the hardest hitting attacks they could. One girl's samurai ghost smashed the ground so hard that a flurry of fists surged out in a wide area. Tatsumi-kun's skeletal toy ghost swung its bolt-sword like an executioner's ax and almost always decimated its foes in one hit.

But the older woman, the one who survived their encounter, was different. She just knew that this woman was the biggest hurdle, next to possibly the boy with multiple changing ghosts.

She was the perfect warrior with both speed and strength. Her defense was just as good as she kept her footing loose and was spatially aware of her surroundings. She lacked the elemental prowess of her teammates but seemed to be greatly favored by luck with her close calls and critical hits.

She was like a luckier Yosuke-kun, actually. Speaking of whom, he was showing a bit of resolve now, and his knife skills were a bit sharper. Maybe he'd be different from Shiki-kun.

Well, it would depend on how they handled the first hurdle…

<><><>

Moon Voidania, Third Stratum

Taiga wiped the sweat from her forehead with a relieved sigh as they climbed to the next floor. "Whew! We're on a roll here!"

It was probably foolhardy to feel boastful or proud, but Shadow-busting has always been therapeutic for the team. Infusing their pent-up frustrations and fears into their Personas before blasting the monsters away, there was no feeling quite like it.

It did wonders for Yosuke's self-esteem as he shredded all the Shadows he could with his wind and slashing attacks. Not a perfect fix, but close.

"Just stay focused," Shirou said aloud. "For now, we should focus on finding Teddie."

Rise quickly summoned her priestess Persona for a scrying. "Hmm? Hey guys, I think Teddie's on this floor!"

"Wow, that was fast," Kanji noted. "And with just a straight line in front of us, too!"

It was indeed a single corridor before them. It stretched so far that there didn't seem to be an end on the other side, or it was too far away to be seen from the blocky candle lights.

And so they walked.

And walked.

And walked.

Before long the team soon realized that it was farther than it had any right to be. It was like an endless path that didn't change or had an end in sight.

Finally Chie voiced a concern that was no doubt circling all their heads. "Uh, guys? Is it just me or—?"

"'Does this pathway never seem to end?" Kanji blurted out. "Yeah, I was starting to think that too."

"It's… not that much farther, is it?" Yukiko tried not to sound tired, but her slouching lean to the wall was evident. A few others had slumped over to catch their breath, the adrenaline from their lower-level fights waning.

"Probably just a dungeon gimmick to delay us somehow," Yosuke said. "Like trap doors and such."

Rise exhaled out a loud breath and summoned her Persona, which towered behind her as before. The hall was just wide enough to fit her, but not to scan around her. Just as well, she only planned to look straight forward… and was surprised by what she saw. "This is… guys, we're in trouble! This entire floor is a trap!"

"I think that much is obvious by now," Yosuke quipped, earning an annoyed slap to the shoulder from Chie.

"How bad?" Shirou asked.

"Just listen."

They did so. They weren't sure what to be listening for, but it came to them in a distinct sort of churning and metal cranking. It wasn't like any Shadow growl they had heard so far, and they could just faintly hear it beyond the walls. In fact, the walls were slowly crawling to the side as if watching out from the window of a moving car.

"The floor is actually small," Rise explained "But that's because the hallways themselves keep rotating. They shift from behind and latch on ahead of us, just outside of our view, while also pushing so that another hallway can be slotted. We're moving forward but the place keeps moving backwards. Sort of like a conveyor belt."

"Wait, they're just gonna trap us here until we die of starvation?" Taiga asked incredulously. "That's a pretty devious, if not boring, way to stop us."

The bleached-haired teen stomped his foot down in frustration, "To hell with that! We came here to help Teddie, didn't we?! I'm not just gonna sit here and wait for little miss vampire to swoop in and eat us!"

"Actually, maybe we should?" Yukiko reasoned. The others looked at her, confused. "Think about it. We're already stuck here, and the room goes in a circle? If we stay long enough, we might reach the other side and find Teddie."

"That's assuming that whatever Shadow is rigging this room lets us reach the end," Shirou said. "Or isn't aware of our positions either."

"Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if the one responsible here, the mastermind or just a big Shadow, has some form of clairvoyance like with my Persona. Given how no Shadows have appeared here at all, they might want to psyche us out indirectly rather than have a straight-up fight."

Kanji deflated, but still clenched his fists in anger. "Dammit," he growled. Many others in the team shared his bitterness. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

"Hey, it's not like we can be in two places at once," Chie lamented. "All we know how to do for sure is summon our Personas, and even that feels way out of our depth."

Kanji stared at her. Yukiko stared at her. Everyone was staring at her, even the fox that seemed to blend into the background whenever it fancied doing so. They all had the same, wide-eyed expression towards her too. Chie suddenly felt very embarrassed at all the attention. "Wh-what did I say?"

<><><>

"How are our guests fairing?"

"Sir, I think they're onto us. They're rushing through even faster than before!"

"No matter. Keep pushing the rooms back. Every bit of time between us and them is a step of certain victory for our mistress."

"Yes, sir!"

The Shadows were more cunning than at the previous dungeons. Their presence in the castle relegated them to mere lackeys of differing ranks under the master, but their cognitive awareness meant that they were more than just mere beasts. At least until they transformed to fight. The form of human silhouettes was necessary to operate the crane.

The mistress was clever in realizing this feat within them, within himself, and breaking them free of their mortal limitations. Stopping the intruders was the least he could do to repay her.

Still, he expected a bit more from this "Investigation Team". Did the training and downtime make them soft? Were they not preparing themselves for this confrontation for months now? They believed that this would be their "final dungeon" to solving the case, and it was. Just not for the reasons they thought.

"Huh?" The Shadow stopped turning the giant cog wheel at the side. He was not worried about stopping as last he checked, the brats were very far behind. He moved down the hall and spotted a wide, white circle with markings carved and etched over the floor. "That wasn't here before…"

The Shadow's overseeing boss followed his gaze, realizing what it was right away. "It's an ambush!"

"I know, that's what we're-GAAH!" The Shadow was slain in an instant with a pair of blades hacking his turned neck off. Before it could transform and fight, a wooden shinai and a wet floor sign bludgeoned it into exploding dust.

The rest of the Investigation Team stepped out from the circle and visibly relaxed as they did, like an invisible burden had been lifted. "I can't believe that actually worked!" Chie said.

"I can't believe you came up with a brilliant idea!" Yosuke told her. "What is this, opposite day?"

"I'm more impressed with that cage-mat stuff Emiya-senpai pulled," Kanji grinned. "They didn't see us at all while our Personas were moving for us!"

"Thanks, but the magecraft was luck on my part," Shirou admitted. He patted Chie's back, unknowingly causing her to flinch and blush. "It wouldn't have worked at all without Satonaka's idea."

Taiga grimaced, covering her mouth with her free hand. "Just, let's… not do that again anytime soon," she said, fighting the urge to throw up. "I'm still reeling from motion sickness after sitting and running at the same time."

"So that's how you bypassed my Möbius strip. Clever."

The team's victory was short-lived upon hearing another voice, just beyond the darkness covering the hallway further down. Only a pair of golden, slanted eyes stared back at them from the shadows, but it was enough to get the team to tense and be on guard.

"You hid your presence in a bounded field, so we wouldn't pick up your presence as your tamed Shadows marched deeper inside. As expected of you… 'Shirou-sensei'."

Shirou was surprised by the last word, as were the others. The figure took a few squeaking steps forward and they saw a familiar figure with a sinister sneer instead of a smile. "Teddie?!"

"Guys, watch out!" Rise called out. "That's not Teddie. Not ours, anyway."

Looking closely, the team could see a faint purple aura surrounding the Teddie lookalike. But he was still unlike any Shadow they had encountered thus far. Teddie's voice was usually high and chipper, as if coming from a child. But this other Teddie, while arguably the same voice with a filter, sounded composed and mature. A condescending voice that talked only to tear down someone else's worldview.

Like Kotomine.

"Alright, you!" Chie shouted and pointed. "Where's our Teddie? The real one!"

"Haven't we done this song and dance enough times by now, Chie-chan? I am in fact a part of 'Teddie', and thus real, as we are intertwined. In fact, one could say I am his true form."

"But you look exactly like him!" Kanji snapped.

"Exactly. Shadows take the form of suppressed desires and motives. Why else were you, Yuki-chan and Rise-chan running around in loincloths, princess dresses and bathing suits?"

Shirou had to admit, he had a point. The other Shadows they had fought were wearing drastically different wardrobes to suit the theme of their captive dungeons. Yosuke and Chie's Shadows were outliers, but they sort of appeared without a demesne or theme of their own.

Looking over to the group, half of them were very perturbed by the Shadow's remark; namely the rescued members. Their silence and embarrassment were telling enough. Taiga, on the other hand, looked thoughtful and nodded to herself. "Makes sense, I guess," she said softly.

Suddenly Yosuke paled, a thought coming to him. "Wait, don't tell me— You're the one behind the murders?"

Shadow Teddie's eyes squinted slightly in irritation. "That would be a trite twist if true. 'The lonely bear was secretly the mastermind, playing its guests like fiddles'. Not that it's an unreasonable theory based on what little you know, but no, I am simply a servant to my Mistress."

Mistress? This was the first time they had ever heard of Teddie having a "mistress" in this world.

"Hey, Shirou," Taiga whispered next to him, a backhand covering her mouth from Shadow Teddie's view. "Let's try to glean some intel out of this guy."

"Is that a good idea? This is Teddie's Shadow we're talking about." He glanced over, but the Shadow hadn't moved closer to them. Nor had he stepped away. He was just standing there. Menacingly.

They all knew that this situation could end up in a fight, and the friendly Teddie was still nowhere to be seen. A quick look towards Rise, shaking her head no, confirmed that.

"I'm not talking about his personal baggage if that's what you're worried about," Taiga added. "I mean more about this 'mistress' character. She's probably our vampire friend who whisked him away and brought out his evil twin."

Ah, now he understood what she meant. It would be hard normally to interrogate a vampire's thrall, but it wasn't like they had any better leads. Teddie's world was different enough that even if Shadows were hostile, they were loose-lipped and explicitly shared what was meant to be hidden. The truth was just as dangerous as their pent-up rage, but could they use that to their advantage?

It was worth a shot.

Giving a quick nod to Fuji-nee, he stepped forward to address the Shadow. "If you don't mind me asking, Teddie, who is this mistress? Why work for her?"

"She has freed me from my chains of the 'real Teddie', and I am indebted to her. She has grand plans to spread her Palace to all corners of this world and shape it as she sees fit."

It was concerning to learn that their Teddie was a captive, but not as much as a supposed doomsday plot. "Wait, like rule the world?" Yukiko asked, eyes widening. "That's why we've been thrown into the TVs?!"

"Not necessarily, but my Mistress did glean the potential," the sinister bear said. He turned his head up to gaze somewhere beyond the ceiling. "This world is saturated with prana and limited by imagination. There is no filter to suppress the inner psyche, and once it is actualized, it blooms to form a world within a world."

That sounds almost like— Shirou stopped his thoughts there. There was a more pressing matter to address. "What are you saying?"

"Must I spell it out to you?" The Shadow droned, turning back towards him. "Why do you think our worlds are connected? Or that you each have your own Shadow?"

The Investigation Team all exchanged glances with each other, pondering. "Uh… what's so weird about it?" Kanji asked innocently. "They're us, right? To become Personas?"

"And what of every other Shadow you have fought getting here?"

Chie gasped out the word that everyone was thinking. "N-No…!"

That question chilled the team to the bone with horror. If Shadows were a reflection of themselves, then were they just going around slaying other reflections? Were they killing… other people?

No, they couldn't be people. They weren't cognizant enough, and Shadows could become amalgams by bonding. But how was such a feat possible anyway? Magecraft had rules to follow, even the true magics. It just wasn't humanly possible.

Wait… the revelation came to Shirou like a thunderbolt. "They're human thoughts," he said. "This whole world… is a collective unconsciousness?"

"Correct," Shadow Teddie nodded, pride showing in his voice. "Every thought made by every human by every moment forms Shadows in this world. They are small thoughts, easily discarded on a whim after the attention is diverted. Alone they are as fickle as specks of dust. But when such thoughts gather over time, the stronger the Shadow's form."

So that was where Shadows came from. For a moment, Shirou thought back to Nami and their conversation about a talking board. Shaking his head, he almost missed Chie asking another question, "So, what's your mistress' plan from all this?"

"That, you don't need to know, for you are not permitted to see her," Shadow Teddie said.

"And why the hell not?!" Yosuke yelled.

"You wish to fight her and take her to justice. I am here to stop you. The only reason we are not fighting right now is that I still hold a little sentimentality to you all."

"So you don't want to fight us?" Rise asked hopefully.

"I don't want to waste time fighting you," he clarified. "There's a difference."

"Sounds to me more like you're a chicken," Kanji taunted. "You never fought the other Shadows before, and suddenly you think you can take us on now that you're one yourself?"

"Kanji-kun!" Yukiko chided him. How could he be so careless and egg on Teddie's Shadow to force a fight?

Fortunately, the Shadow just chuckled before explaining. "Every Shadow you have faced has only grown exceptionally stronger because more and more Shadow thoughts have been accumulated from your 'Midnight Channel'. Last time you fought yourself, Shirou-sensei almost died. Do you really want to take your chances with me? Or the Mistress?" Even though Kanji had deflated by this point, the Shadow leaned in condescendingly to drive the point home. "Because in case you aren't aware, she's a vampire. A being several times stronger than any Persona. And very, VERY famished for blood."

Yosuke winced like he had been sucker-punched. Every bit of confirmation of this "vampire" story made it harder for him to hold onto hope. Was it truly too late to help Satchin like it was for Saki-senpai? He didn't want a repeat of that, not now.

Shirou had a similar crisis. It was one thing to speculate on why a vampire was here, or even take Fuji-nee's word for it, but quite another to be outright confirmed by Teddie's Shadow. He usually acted so differently from the wonders of the world. Excited even. But never apathetic. Was Teddie, Shadow or otherwise, truly an accomplice to this mistress? This mastermind? The one who put people into televisions to kill them?

He had to know. "You know what vampires do, right?"

The other Teddie tilted his head to the side. "What of it?"

What of it?! Shirou wanted to scream but remained calm, if barely. "What about this world?" Shirou pressed on. "The reason you asked us to help was to stop it from being cluttered from all these thoughts in the first place!"

"That," The Shadow said, "Was simply an impulsive desire of mine, born out of a fear of the unknown. Fear of change. I had just forgotten the best way to handle it."

"And what is that?"

"To just ignore it."

A stunned silence filled the room, enough that one could hear the kindling of blocky fire lighting the hall. No one dared utter a word but all silently demanded an answer via staring.

"Obtaining the truth is simple, actually," The Shadow continued jovially. "You just have to believe it to be the truth and move on. It is hard to discern the truth from a lie, so it is better to just not waste the effort."

Shirou barely got the words out of his mouth through grinding teeth. "Well, that's a lie and you know it. How can you just pretend nothing's wrong when people are dying? Doesn't that alone deserve to have answers?!"

"People die all the time. It is simply an inevitable fact of life. Even if you do save someone from an instant death, they'll succumb and pass on through natural causes anyway. Ignorance, as they say, is bliss."

"So, it's fine to live without knowing how or why your life is at risk? Just because we die someday doesn't mean we should give up when it's convenient for someone like your mistress! Why should people be denied knowing the truth about the world they live in?!"

Shadow Teddie scowled at him, finally losing patience. "You of all people should understand how hard it is to grasp that truth, Sensei. The Clocktower. The Church. The powers that be, the ones aware of the moonlit world. They will make sure that their secrets stay hidden and buried from the ignorant masses."

"Th-That's…" Again, Teddie somehow had knowledge about magecraft, even through the connection of his Shadow. Just what is he?

"It's a smarter way to live. But I guess I shouldn't expect you to understand, Sensei. You've imprinted on me, on Teddie, so much that he didn't listen to reason either."

Shirou's blood chilled in grim realization. "Teddie already rejected you."

Although Shadow Teddie's face was frozen, one could sense a chilling smile emanating from it. "Right again, Sensei. It is a shame you weren't there to witness his folly, but he breathes yet still. The true despair to his existence will be seeing you die by his own claws."

And before their eyes, a familiar swirling vortex surrounded Shadow Teddie, only without the fanfare of an orgasmic battle cry. Rather, it began with the shattering of the small hallway around them, causing everyone to freefall down to the foyer they had used for training. Between their Personas and refined reflexes, they landed safely but didn't have time to even catch their breath from screaming.

A moment later, their newest challenger landed nearby with a tile-shattering thud. It was grotesque, to say the least. Shadow Teddie didn't really transform as he did expand into a lumbering giant. His limbs, his body shape, everything stretched and grew. He couldn't stand up under the weight of his new form and instead hunched over on all fours. The once stubby glove-like paws became enlarged claws, curved to a lethal point. The face cracked at the left eye hole, both of which were now hollow windows to the darkness inside. Slanted, blue-purple neon eyes stared back, giving them a foreboding sense.

"I am a Shadow of the True Self," he said. "There is only one truth you need to know. You will all die here!"

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 45: Shadow of the Mysterious Self



For better or worse, the team was in a familiar area. Days of running around the open ground floor of the castle for training came to them quickly, and there was plenty of room to coordinate with each other.

However, they never had to fight a giant bear-themed Frankenstein Monster swinging column-sized claws to sever and/or crush them to death. It took most of their energy just to avoid getting swatted by the claws.

"What the hell, bear?!" Yosuke yelled. "Didn't you say you had some sentiment about not fighting us?!"

"I never said I wouldn't do what I had to," the Shadow coolly stated. "Just as you are determined to find the truth of this crime, I am determined to stop that from happening."

"But why?" Shirou demanded. "Why stop us? Why stand by and let innocent people keep dying?!"

"If you have to ask, then you wouldn't understand even if I told you."

Shadow Teddie reared his head back for a deep breath, and then exhaled as he leaned forward. A frigid breath of ice flooded the room, spreading frozen crags in a ripple-like effect. Yukiko held back, immediately crossing her arms into a guard and crouched down to avoid being knocked away. The others stood their ground, shrugging off the attack and avoiding the crags. Chie all but vaulted forward with her armored boots, crushing the icicles underfoot with nary an effort.

"Boots of Abigor, don't fail me now," she muttered under her breath. She ducked into a slide, with the speed and grace of a figure skater. As she skidded right up to the front of Shadow Teddie, Chie lifted her right leg and smashed a roundhouse kick directly into his face.

With momentum and a Persona on her side, the kick actually did some knockback and damage enough to cause the Shadow to rear back. Chie didn't let up. She offhand summoned her Persona card and crushed it in her free hand without fanfare. Tomoe brandished her naginata in a quick flurry fast enough to land several hits at once.

The monstrous bear Shadow had girth and weight in his new form, and although the impact forced his already fractured head back, he ignored the barrage of Persona strikes with a heavy swing of his tree trunk-sized paw. He struck Tomoe true, sending her, and subsequently Chie, flying across the room.

"Chie!" Yukiko cried out. She was too far out of range for Konohana Sakuya's healing. Chie's reflexes shined through though with her righting herself just before skidding on the floor, panting for breath. Relief soon turned to anger as Yukiko slashed down her Tarot to summon her Persona and subsequently conjure a pillar of flames under the Shadow's feet.

Shadow Teddie stumbled backwards, staggered by the singing embers on his fur. Shirou sheathed his sword and drew out his bow. "Pelt him at a distance! His reach is long but he can't hurt what he can't hit!"

"Sounds good to me!" Kanji yelled and swung his wet-floor sign at his Persona card. Take-Mikazuchi set his sword down in front of him before crushing it with his fists from both sides, letting out a surge of electricity.

"Let's blow him away!" said Yosuke, summoning his own Persona with a stylish jump cut. Jiraiya made a ninja hand-sign that unleashed a gale, barely inconveniencing him from the way his scarf fluttered back.

Arrows and spells struck the bear in rapid succession, slowly pushing him further back. The assault gave the others, especially Chie, much needed breathing room to consider another plan of attack. They all knew it would take a lot more than this to even come close to defeating the Shadow.

"It's futile to resist," Shadow Teddie droned, slowly righting himself through the barrage. "Even if you win against me, you will fall to the might of my mistress, and only know despair. There is nothing worth fighting for in this path."

"Stuff it, bear!" Kanji cried, throwing his fist forward in a jab. The action followed suit to his thunder-sword God Persona as he changed gears, stomped forward and threw his own punch.

It cracked against the eroding "face" of Shadow Teddie, chipping a few pieces off and slugging him a good distance away from the Persona. Shadow Teddie showed no clear sign of fatigue, and stared Take-Mikazuchi down with his eerie ghost eyes.

"You're a poor listener, even towards Sensei's orders."

He crouched for a moment, and then pounced on the Persona with the full weight of his forward tackle. Kanji gasped and fell, a phantom pain crushing his chest down. A one-two punch later, Take-Mikazuchi dispersed into light from the pain of a giant bear's might bearing down… no pun intended.

"Kanji-kun!"

"I-I'm alright, Yukiko-san," he winced. He wanted to get back up to assuage her worries but this pain wasn't something he could ignore right away. At least his senpai was quickly healing his wounds with Diarama.

Shirou and Yosuke were the only ones left standing for the vanguard, to which Shadow Teddie was advancing towards in lumbering steps. They abandoned ranged combat in favor of melee, rushing forward with their Personas in tow.

"Izanagi!"

"Jiraiya!"

"Begone."

Shadow Teddie did not give them a chance to intercept. He swung his claw arm down like a sledgehammer at the ground in front of them, and the resulting shockwave distorted the Personas' forms and blew them away into shattered light. Their users were just as easily thrown back, sliding across the floor before colliding against Kanji.

"Ow!" he yelped. "Hey, I just got that bruise mended!"

"Uh, guys?" Yukiko started, and they looked up to see the feral bear towering over them. Chie was still out of bounds, Rise was between them when trying to reach her, and the fox Tama had disappeared sometime when the fight started.

Yosuke winced even as he pushed himself upright. "Yeah, this isn't going well at all."

Shadow Teddie leered down at them as he stomped closer. "Such a misfit team to search for the truth if there ever was one. Some children in education, a former idol, a pet, and a private eye who isn't here. Not even the loud one could hope to close the gap."

"'Loud one'?" Shirou echoed. "Who's that supposed to be?"

"I want to say he means me, but I don't want to be insulted for having a loud mouth," Yosuke said.

"He obviously means me!" Kanji yelled. "I got a good hit on him, didn't I?"

"So you admit to being a Moronji?" Rise deadpanned, nearly out of earshot. Nearly being the operative word.

"I told you to stop calling me that!"

"It's neither of you idiots," The Shadow said with a no-nonsense droll. "It's the one that escaped the mistress on her own and then trained. You know, the one in the-" Shadow Teddie gestured with his pointing claw towards the group, but stopped. The finger and eyes searched for something that wasn't there. "Wait. Where is the loud one?"

"Ooooooahahahahahaaaaa-ahahahaaaaa!"

A loud, primal jungle cry echoed in the room. High above, swinging from a chandelier chain, was the "loud one". Taiga, while everyone was distracted, climbed the stairs to the upper foyer and latched onto a chandelier. After swaying her body on it a few times, she now had a swinging vine.

"Fuji-nee!" Shirou exclaimed. He was more surprised than worried that she took such initiative, and she was at the perfect height to counter the Shadow.

She leaped off as she came close to the giant bear, and landed on his head before grabbing a fistful of hair to stay secure. Then with her other hand, armed with her shinai, she started to smack the Shadow.

The attacks forced a bear-like roar from Shadow Teddie, either from pain or fury or both. With his attention preoccupied, everyone quickly scrambled away to regroup and steer clear of his building rage.

Shadow Teddie immediately tried to reach her from his back, but struggled doing so. His arms might be long, but his body was wider than before, and he had trouble moving his arms and legs in a restrictive body-shape to begin with. "Get off of me."

"Not so high and mighty now, are ya?" Taiga gloated between strikes.

"Cease this futile assault and I will rend your body to ribbons," he said neutrally, as if he didn't just emit an angry roar moments ago.

"I think you got the order messed up there," she said smugly. That earned her a more immediate claw attack grazing the Shadow's back, and forced her swing slightly away. "Whoa! Okay, fuzzy, why don't you pick on me while I'm your size?" She held her shinai up, and her Tarot card appeared just below it. She swung down to crush it, and smack the bear's back in the process. "Persona!"

Kaihime vaulted out from the blue flames conjured around Taiga, and landed in front of the Shadow. Body bent low, she drew her sword and quickly slashed at his arms hard enough to smack them back. Shadow Teddie swiped back at her as fast as he could, but she was faster still as she parried the claws higher while she ducked. Following that motion, she moved her katana in a semi-circle before quickly striking the exposed abdomen. And just to remind the bear of his other problem, Taiga continued to smack his back with her shinai while clinging to his fur.

The two-pronged attack continued to divert the giant Shadow's attention away from his other attackers. The rest of the Investigation Team were now recuperating at the opposite end of the foyer, as Shirou, Yosuke and Yukiko took turns mending wounds with their Dia and Diarama skills.

"Hell yeah, look at her go!" Kanji cheered. "Kick his ass, Sensei!"

"Don't celebrate just yet," Shirou said. "Fuji-nee is strong, but not strong enough to handle that Shadow on her own."

"So what's the plan, leader?" Chie asked. "Do we support her or what?"

Shirou furrowed his brow in thought. Every large Shadow fight thus far was a trial by fire, and Teddie's was no exception. They couldn't afford to be reckless with what attacks he could muster. But they couldn't be too cautious either, else he would come up with his own counter strategy. And they still had Satsuki to find, too.

"Shi-rou-sen-sei."

Yukiko stiffened and stopped healing, looking over her shoulder. "Wait, did you hear that?"

"I did," Shirou said, also looking around. "And it sounded like-" He stopped and stared when the fox slowly walked over to them accompanied by a barely familiar face.

Compared to his usual round, cheery self, Teddie looked like a balloon that had sprung a leak and deflated. Due to a lack of support from his lower body, the poor bear was draped over Tama like a towel as she carried him. It was a morbid look for sure, one that made most of the Investigation Team retch with horror and sympathy.

"Teddie?"

"My god, what the hell happened to you?!"

"I'm-<cough> I'm sorry, Sensei, everyone…" the bear wheezed weakly. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I… don't even know what to say, except sorry."

"It's okay, Teddie, we've been there," Shirou assured. He personally hadn't, but he knew that personal demons were never an easy thing to handle. "Once we take care of your Shadow, we'll beat the vampire too."

"No, not that. Well, not just that. I mean I'm sorry for lying," Teddie clarified, coughing again. "The thing is, I haven't been completely honest about myself."

<><><>

Flashback, yesterday

"Oh, where are they?" Teddie said, pacing around by the stack of TVs. He was feeling more antsy than usual, hoping the others would come back soon. But they had been gone for a long time doing "studying" for a "test". Teddie had lost track of how many days it'd been.

Before, he had no trouble waiting or wandering around for days as they flew by. Now he was impatient, curious, and wanting. Having friends who were willing to help fix his world made him eagerly enjoy the visits where they fought through the Shadows. But he wished they came here for more than just business.

"Hehehehe…"

"Whaaaa!" Teddie jumped and whirled around. Where did that feminine laugh come from? It didn't sound like Rise-chan or the other girls. "Who's there?"

He didn't need to look very long before seeing a silhouette at the edge of the studio area. He couldn't make out the body shape, or even if they had long hair or not. It was almost entirely black. It laughed again. "Hehehehe…"

"Huh? A girl?" That's what it was supposed to be, right? How did she get in here? Another victim pushed inside? She was just far enough out of reach that he couldn't quite smell her.

Then she turned and walked away, deeper into the world of Shadows.

"Hey! Wait up!" Teddie rushed after her. It was dangerous here, and she didn't seem to understand the rules of this world. A Shadow could easily get to her if she lapsed from a strong emotional outburst!

He didn't know how, but in following her he ended up right back at the Voidania castle. His concern for the girl grew as it was the most dangerous place in the world thus far. He hoped she didn't go any further than the front door because he didn't have enough courage to go further himself. Not when it looked foggier than ever, and that was supposed to keep the Shadows docile.

Just as Teddie was contemplating about waiting for Shirou-sensei and the others, he heard her voice again. "Do you want to play with me?"

Teddie looked around, spooked, "P-play?"

"Play. Maybe have a date? A play date?"

Teddie flushed and tapped his paw digits together. "Uh, I'm uh… not sure how to answer that."

"You can just say yes. Or no, if you don't want to go."

"Well, we can't date now anyway!" Teddie said. "You shouldn't even be here! You know how dangerous this place is?"

"You're a pretty funny bear, you know?" The girl sounded disappointed. "Why are you wearing that silly costume? You're fit for something more scary or powerful, like maybe a wendigo!"

"I don't want to be scary, though! I'd scare the girls like Chie-chan and Rise-chan!" Teddie argued. Then he scratched his chin and pondered. "Although Yuki-chan might be the exception."

"So there's someone that might understand," she said. "As long as you're true to your real self, you'll be fine!"

This girl didn't seem to listen to him. And what was that about a costume? Or real self? He wasn't wearing or hiding anything. Right?

"But… this is the real me, isn't it?" Teddie asked. His uncertainty was in whether he asked that question to the girl or himself.

"You don't even know? That's silly. Everyone at least knows something about themselves. Don't you know what you are? What you want?"

Teddie felt very put on, almost forgetting that he was supposed to help this girl get back home. Instead she was grilling him with uncomfortable questions. "What's with the twenty questions!?" he snapped. "You sure like to hear yourself talk! Do YOU know who you are? Huh?!"

"I know I want to drink blood. Which reminds me–"

Suddenly, Teddie felt a pair of hands hold his head and shoulder in place as a pair of incisors punctured holes into his body. Between the zipperline, actually. "GAAH!"

It lasted only a moment before he was alone on the ground floor again, and still had the bite wound on his person. "Y-You bit me!" It dawned on him that this person wasn't actually a victim, but the victimizer. "You're the vampire!!"

"Yep, though don't worry about me turning you," she said carelessly. "Trust me, I tried. Your eyeholes don't seem to register my hypnosis and you have no blood to drain out. You're weird."

Teddie was relieved to learn that he was immune, but didn't like the idea of having no blood. Much less being called 'weird'. "I'm weird?! I don't go around eating people for fun, you DA-wannabe!"

"What's a DA?"

Teddie almost answered that, but realized that he knew despite feeling like he shouldn't. So he huffed and folded his arms. "None of your business!"

The vampire girl laughed. "You're interesting, if only because you don't know who you are."

"Of course I know who I am! I'm me! Just a bear named Teddie! That's the real me!"

"Real? Me? What a trife."

"Whoa, did your voice get deeper or something?" the vampire asked eagerly.

Teddie's blood (or lack thereof) froze. He didn't say those words just now, and he wasn't hearing things either. Slowly, he turned around, and his eyes shrunk at what he saw. A near copy of him, leering down at him with golden eyes.

But how?! This shouldn't-!

"This shouldn't be possible. Is that what you are thinking?" The other Teddie said coldly, despite his mouth-line not moving. Teddie gulped and stepped away, tripping over his feet and fell down on his backside. "The truth of the matter is pointless, as it's unobtainable regardless. It will always be obscured by the fog you see before you. Some areas might look brighter than others, and you may fumble to grasp something in the mist, but that's it.

"And because you can only scratch the surface of the mysteries around you… why bother? What sense is there to yearn for a truth? Another one will just pop up in its place, in a near infinite loop. It is too stressful to think, so it is better to close your eyes and lie to yourself."

Teddie knew he shouldn't argue. He had seen enough times to know where this was going, and he wasn't sure what he was going on about anyway. But he felt personally attacked for being told to lie. He was a member of the Investigation Team. A team determined to save his home and find out why everything bad was happening in their worlds.

"Now wait just a minute!" he shouted. "Where do you go off saying stuff like that? You must think you're so smart using big words like that. Maybe I'm not smart, but I think hard every day! And right now, I think you're full of it!"

The other Teddie's eyes narrowed. "It is the defiant actions you speak of that are the very fumbling of truth, and thus useless. You already know this, and yet you refuse to accept it."

"But you are not the only one. You are but one in a million, among others who also deny what is inevitable. You were just… disappointed, that you fell in line like the rest. Like those 'fuddy-duddies' who fight a losing battle with progress."

"Okay, now I know you're making stuff up!" Teddie pointed angrily. "Never mind your cryptic bad guy allusions, but I only remember being alone here! And I never thought of Shirou-sensei and the others like that! They're my friends!"

"Friends that you coerced into a personal problem you had no courage to resolve on your own," the other Teddie cooly retorted. "And would they truly still think of you if they knew you? The real you?"

Teddie shrunk under his lookalike's gaze. The intensity alone made him uncomfortable, like they were freakier looking than usual. But the questions made him feel especially squeamish. "I-I don't know-"

"Exactly. And it is that uncertainty that provides comfort. You are better off not knowing the truth than finding it out at all. At least in this middle ground you understand that your friends accept you as you are, for now."

At that moment, there was no castle. No girl that he tried to look for. Just him and his mirror self, overwhelming him with a sense of vertigo.

"But if they knew the truth? That your current form is just a shape to deny your nature? That you are literally a shell of a past life, formed from regret and bitterness? That you had no lost memories at all?"

"Shu-shut up…"

"Shall I spell it out for you, 'Teddie Kuma'?" The lookalike sneered with mocking. "You are but a mere-"

"SHADDUP!"

He rushed to attack, make him stop before he said anymore, but then he was casually swatted aside. Or rather, the action was swatting, but it felt like a boulder-sized fist crushed through the part of his body that was bitten and something was gushing out of him. Blood? Air? Or was it… some black ooze that filled his body up?

Regardless, Teddie collapsed on the floor with no strength left inside him. A familiar sensation crept over him as a cloud of darkness surrounded the figure, and Teddie's own eyes became heavy as he lost consciousness. The last thing he heard was the vampire girl's voice commenting on the whole development.

"I think I can work with this…"

<><><>

"After that, she drank me dry and tossed me aside while ordering the other me around like a butler."

Chie broke the silence with the only words anyone could think to say. "Oh, Teddie…"

No one said a word until the end of Teddie's story. It wasn't groundbreaking or revealing at first glance, but it revealed that even the bear was insecure about himself. The evidence was all there in hindsight, but he'd had his Shadow moment.

Part of the problem was because of them. Even now he was still afraid to admit to them what he was or might be. Shirou had a faint idea what that might be… but he decided it wasn't important. If Teddie didn't want them to know, then that was his business, not theirs.

There was some truth to his Shadow's words, ironically enough. One can't grasp at every bit of truth they want and hope for the best. It comes out when it's ready, and that usually comes in confronting it. But if Teddie ever needed to confront that part of him, the hurdle of the Shadow needed to be dealt with first.

Speaking of which… holy hell, was Fuji-nee still holding the giant Shadow back?!

"Just what the devil are you, woman?" Shadow Teddie droned. He had been throwing swipes and spells left and right but she parried them with finesse. Her dress suffered minor scratches and frost chippings that were starting to melt from room temperature, but she looked smug and confident. Her heightened breathing was due to adrenaline from her fighting rather than exhaustion.

She posed with her left side facing the Shadow, an action her Persona Kaihime mimicked beside her. "I'm the woman who is feared in Inaba and Fuyuki alike! Wielding the cursed sword Torashinai, I am the Tiger of Fuyuki! Taiga Fujimura! And with the power of my Stand Kaihime, I'm gonna kick your stuffing!"

"My god, she knows JoJo," Yosuke whispered in awe. The girls were more impressed by her boasting the name reference, and Kanji was chuckling to himself.

Shirou, on the other hand, was embarrassed and worried. If she had enough sass to do an act like that, then she might actually be running on fumes after all. Or attempt something crazy soon. "Oooookay, I think now's a good time to jump in before she really hurts herself," Shirou said.

"You'd… still fight?" Teddie asked slowly. "I guess that makes sense, if only to save Tiger-chan."

"We're helping you too, Teddie," Shirou insisted.

"Yeah, to help you get through whatever… this is," Rise added. The others nodded. Even the fox.

"B-But… I don't even know who I am," he said dejectedly. "What use does a liar bear like me have?"

Shirou smiled and gently rubbed Teddie's now flat head. "You're our friend, Teddie. That's enough for now."

Teddie was so moved that his eyes glistened with tears. "Shirou-sensei!"

With a grunt of slightly aching muscles, Shirou turned to his team. "Come on, guys! Let's help Fuji-nee!"

With the team motivated, Kanji answered for all of them as he flexed his arm with an elbow curl. "Hell yeah, let's kick some stuffing!" And they rushed over to join the fight.

Teddie watched them from the flank, still supported on Tama's back, softly crying. "Good luck, guys."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 46: Bleeding Hearts

This is it; she had realized. This is the moment I've been waiting for.

Taiga had never felt more alive until this moment. She had pushed herself to be stronger, as a dedicated kendoka, and did have her share of thrills from her grandfather's "business". But she had plateaued. Peaked. There was no struggle in her life anymore aside from the boredom of grading papers and house sitting. Didn't even have willing students that looked up to her.

But now she was facing a giant mutant bear to a standstill, being the only thing between him and a gaggle of kids. Kids she had personally trained. Kids she felt responsible for. Kids that she'd damn well keep safe until this whole murder mystery case was closed.

Her Shadow had been right. She wanted to accomplish something in her life. She just didn't know what she wanted to accomplish outside of teaching. But Taiga knew then and there that this was what she needed to be. Their teacher. Their shifu. Their sensei. Their big, violent protective tiger that was ready to maul down anything in their way.

"Fuji-nee! We're coming!"

But trust that thick-headed Shirou to rush in and ruin it for her. It was okay when he stood in front of danger, but not anyone else. Especially not her.

Taiga smirked and rolled her shoulder, loosening her joints and ignoring the numbing pain from some close calls earlier. "Nah, you kids just hang back. I got this guy on the ropes."

"You are as bold as you are foolish," Shadow Teddie said. "Whether it's one Persona or a hundred, you can't hope to defeat me. And yet you make this harder for yourselves by dueling me?"

"I got this far on my own, didn't I?" she quipped back. With a smirk, she dashed to the Shadow, ignoring the surprised gasps from her peanut gallery.

To his credit, Shadow Teddie swung his arm to try and swat her, but she ducked and slid down on the floor just under the limb. Stopping just short of his body, she leaped and swung her shinai quickly in a three-hit combo. Kaihime leaped high enough to slam down in a finishing slash, pushing the bear further away.

That last attack definitely did some damage. He couldn't keep up with her hardened battle senses. So seeing a chance to finish this quickly, she swung her shinai more and more. Kaihime joined in the assault, creating a whirlwind of blades to hack down the Shadow.

It actually forced the Shadow to jump back. The resounding stomp of his landing caused all but Taiga to wobble in their footing. Naturally, she saw him backing away as a win. "Had enough?"

"Indeed," the Shadow answered. "No more games. Ultra Charge."

A surge of electric-blue energy flared around the Shadow, focused mostly on his claws. The eerie blue glow darkened to a shade of vermillion as it condensed into a ball like a miniature sun before darkening to a black hole. Shadow Teddie raised his claw high, further winding up the power of this new move with an intent to end the fight.

It blew Shadow Rise's Megidola out of the water from the sheer pressure it was expelling.

Rise was done scanning with Himiko. She raised the visor slowly over her head, her complexion as pale as a sheet. "If that hits us," she said slowly. "We'll be paste on the wall."

Shirou balked and cried out, "Fuji-nee!"

"Just stay back!" she yelled back. "I got this!" Taiga rushed Shadow Teddie once again without looking back, unleashing the same intense combo that pushed him back before.

Except the Shadow shouldered through the barrage. The seconds dwindled in agonizing length as it came down to a test of endurance. Could Taiga push through? Or would the Shadow finish his attack?

"Nihil Claw."

Finally, he swung his arm in a haymaker towards the side of her body. Both swords bounced off it, allowing the palm blast to hit her hard enough to send her flying and screaming. Kaihime vanished from Taiga's lapse of focus. The shockwave alone was daunting and would have knocked the rest of the team out too if not for them staying out of harm's way.

"Fuji-nee!" Shirou cried, immediately rushing over to catch her. Seeing she was too far away and moving too quickly for him to do that normally, he summoned Izanagi to cross the distance and intercept her. He and the others arrived over to her moments later. "Are you okay?"

"Uuh," she groaned weakly in the God Persona's arms. A stark contrast to her earlier bravado. "Come on, Nekochan, don't cut me off yet. Just one more glass?"

Well, she was blurting out non-sequiturs now. She was alive at least.

"Do you see now?" The Shadow taunted. "All ventures to truth lead to pain and defeat. So just surrender and accept death as your only escape."

That threat might have gotten to them… if not for his staggered stance. Taiga was no slouch in the power department, and she made sure he got his just desserts.

"All that and she couldn't stop him in time," Chie lamented. "We might really be out of our element here guys."

"She had the right idea, though," Shirou said as he laid her down. "That attack he used took up all his concentration to do. Even though it affected the whole area, we were fine as we were guarding through it."

"Yeah, and he was a sitting duck that whole time," Yosuke thought aloud. "So the next time he does that move, we either stay back and guard again—"

"Or go all out," Kanji finished. "My kind of fight."

"Let's not rush this though," Shirou warned. "He's weakened and cornered, but likely to pull off some desperation move. Wouldn't be the first time a Shadow his size tried that."

"That's what we've been training for, isn't it?" Yukiko asked rhetorically. She leveled her Persona card on her fan, concentrating before making her summon cut. "Let's end this."

Konohana Sakuya burst into the scene with petals and glass. Right away she pelted the bear with her strongest Agilao and singed his fur.

"Scatter!" Shirou ordered, and the team dispersed in different directions. They each summoned their Persona in tandem. Yosuke conjured winds to whip up whatever embers lingered, while Kanji and Chie rushed in from the same angle to strike with their weapons. Rise stayed behind with Yukiko, committed to her sensory role.

Shirou decided now was the time to switch Personas. It'd become almost second nature when he drew new Personas to use, and found two new ones from the Shadows that they had slain on the way here. "It's your turn, Oukuninushi!"

The ruler Persona arrived kneeling in front of his summoner. He was a pale, fair-skinned man with hair as black as night, with long bangs and the back end tied in loops. He wore silver chainmail over his white hakama, and a large sword strapped to his back. His yellow eyes snapped open, he rose upright, and with both hands, he unsheathed and swung his sword overhead, crying out, "Blade of Fury!"

Between the magic and the sudden kill rushes, Shadow Teddie was truly taken aback when a flurry of slashes nicked him three times in succession. He was truly starting to get winded. "But… how?" he asked softly, for the first time aghast. "How do you still have the strength to move towards a futile goal?"

"Saving another person's life is never futile," Shirou answered, willing his Persona for another attack. This time Shadow Teddie was on the defensive, parrying the sword with his claws.

"Even if you win today, how can you be sure your actions will mean anything later?" The Shadow argued. He was starting to be pushed back from the blade duel, and could feel projectiles of elemental energy hit him. "Nothing is certain but pain and suffering. Anything you do—Everything you do is futile!"

Oukuninushi chuckled between blows. "Oh, I'm no stranger to pain and suffering. But every action has a reaction, and a seed can just as well bloom and grow as it can wither and die. The only futile action is to do nothing because of the fear of death."

He suddenly swung hard enough to ricochet Shadow Teddie's claw back, leaving him wide open. "And if my partner wants to brave the dangers for what he believes in, I'm more than willing to guide him to his goal."

"Kanji, follow my lead!"

"On it, senpai!"

Shadow Teddie could do nothing as Oukuninushi vaulted over him and pierced his head with a sword plunge. Take-Mikazuchi appeared a moment later to thrust down his thunderbolt in the same vicinity of the Shadow's head. As the ruler Persona leaped back to safety and held his hand out towards the blade, the thunder god Persona twisted his clenched fists with jolts and bashed his sword between them. They cast their spells at the same time.

""Zionga!""

Thick blue bolts surged from above and down on the Shadow, barely a foot apart from one another. The electric spells surged through the conduit of the makeshift lightning rods. Shadow Teddie roared in pain as it felt its inner darkness get fried and light up from pure energy. When the attack ended, he collapsed on the floor with a deafening thud, face down and arms limp.

This had to be it, Shirou thought. With all the damage Fuji-nee and the others threw at him, the Shadow had to be beaten into compliance now. He could see black-red particles evaporating from his body. Just a little more…

The Shadow grunted in pain, turning his head before he lifted his paw. Directed at Shirou. "N-Nullity…"

Uh oh. Those were prana sparks!

"Guidance!"

In a split second, Shirou saw the space in front of him crack and ripple as blood-red energy threatened to engulf him. It was similar to the Shadow's previous attack in nature but focused on a single point.

But just before it could detonate, his body was shoved forcefully to the side, hurling him far and away from the danger.

And then it exploded upon the person who'd taken his place with the shock and sound of a cannon. Clothes were shredded, blood splattered, gravel cracked underfoot… It was a surefire kill shot at point blank range.

"Fuji-nee!"

And yet despite that, Taiga Fujimura stood firm. Her body seemed to move on its own as she summoned Kaihime back. The princess Persona flickered past the bear, sword drawn. Then, she slowly sheathed the blade in a tense, stretched moment.

The behemoth Shadow seemed aware of what had happened, and was in shock and awe. He barely had time to utter his thoughts aloud. "Impossible."

As the sword clicked in place, a thick cross-shaped gash tore into the Shadow's already exposed head, and the force of the attack ruptured it. His face exploded for a lack of a better term, but the resounding death cry still filled the room even as his body disintegrated. It was over. Shadow Teddie had been slain.

Shirou recovered, caring not for the spectacle of the fading red dust. Instead, he rushed over to his guardian. Kaihime vanished as her consciousness faded, and he barely caught Taiga as she slumped forward. "Fuji-nee! Hey, Fuji-nee!"

There were a few open wounds and blood was seeping out, but they looked shallow. She coughed loudly, a few drops of blood spilling out her mouth. She looked like hell and was slumping in his arms. Her breath was light, and she rasped out one sentence:

"Okay… I've had enough, Nekochan."

Shirou sighed in exasperated relief, too tired to laugh. Another Taiga Fujimura sequitur.

<><><>

When the smoke cleared and everyone caught their collected breaths, all that was left was to handle the now docile Shadow of Teddie. There was no rush as he wasn't moving or talking, and stared blankly at them. With the lack of blinking eyes, he might as well be a statue. Yukiko and Rise tried to ignore that as they patched up their unconscious trainer with one of Tama's leaves. The others stood firm and watched it like a hawk, just in case.

The original Teddie stared back too, but with a frown etched on his features. It was like he was waiting for something, to break this fragile moment. Shirou walked up to his side, thinking he needed some emotional support. He didn't know what to say, but he would help his friend regardless.

Teddie gulped. "Is… Is Taiga-chan okay?" he asked, still staring at his Shadow.

"She's been through worse," Shirou assured him. Granted, he was worried for her too, but she was safe now and the immediate danger was over.

"That's good," Teddie nodded. "So, what happens now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do I… accept myself? Move on from my hiccups and hope I get a Persona like you guys?"

Could Teddie get a Persona? That was a question the others on the team had never thought to ask. They just accepted at face value that he knew parts of the world and was their guide/client. He didn't have problems like theirs because they were actively helping to fix his world. But his issues of self-identity ran deeper than they could have imagined.

"Do you want a Persona?" Shirou asked.

Teddie stiffened, turning to his role model. "W-well… it should be more of a matter that I deserve one than wanting one!"

"I told you before, didn't I? You're our friend, Teddie. And friends help each other. You've wanted to prove yourself and I think you're more than deserving of one at this point."

"So… even if I don't really want to find out who I am, that's okay?"

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "But I thought you wanted to find out who you are."

"I did, but… I'm scared of what I might find out. Or rather, remember," Teddie's flattened head creased as he stared down to the floor, and he poked his crippled fingers together. "Maybe there is no big answer to my mystery. Maybe I lived here all my life. Maybe I'm better off alone."

Man, this was worse than Shirou had first realized. Maybe it was no surprise after all that Teddie had a Shadow outbreak. Anyone would have a mental breakdown in real life with stress piling up and no answers.

The magus scratched the back of his head, racking his brain for a suitable reply. "Uh… If you want to stop looking for answers, then I suppose you are free to do so. Some moments of our past might be better off hidden, after all." He spoke from experience as the night of the Fuyuki fire never seemed to stop haunting him. "But you're wrong about one thing, Teddie. You're not alone."

"Huh?"

"You have us," he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to the rest of the team. They were sitting back, resting, and not so subtly listening to the conversation going on just a few feet in front of them. "Whenever you need help or to figure something out, we'll chip in."

Teddie looked back, surprised by the smiling faces of the Investigation Team. It started out small with just three kids stumbling into his world like the victims before them. But with each rescue, the group grew and things were less bleak. They weren't just helpers that agreed to save his world. They were his friends.

He couldn't help but sniffle, feeling his eyes water. "Y-You guys…" he fought the urge to sob… badly. "I-I'm such a lucky bear to meet you all! WHAAAAAHAHAHAHA!!"

A light stirred behind Teddie, causing the gang to flinch. Teddie hiccupped, worried what his Shadow would do for his crybaby act.

But to everyone's surprise, Shadow Teddie transmogrified. In simple terms, the new form was a stout, round orb with arms and a cape, resembling a robotic Teddie. In fact, the figure shared a lot of Teddie's colors. A blue cape fluttered, tied around the Persona's small, hood-like head. The body was mostly red chrome metal with yellow painted markings. The chest area doubled as a hatch with the twist handle where the navel would be. Four small white limbs popped out of socket-like holes with layered leather, and the hands held aloft a white tomahawk missile.

And then as quickly as it appeared, the robotic Persona morphed again into the familiar shape of a card that slipped into the subconscious. Teddie's subconscious.

"It's… a Persona," Teddie gasped. "My Persona!"

"Congrats, man!" Yosuke grinned with a thumbs-up. "You're part of the headliners now!"

"Hell yeah! One more to stick it to the vampire!" Kanji added, jumping up and slapping the bear hard on his back.

"WHAA!" Teddie cried and fell down face-first with a thud. He was still flat as paper, after all.

"Kanji-kun!" "Moronji!" The girls chided him almost immediately. The young punk-looking teen winced and sweated from their ire.

"You see?" Shirou smiled and pulled the bear upright. "You've been on the team the whole time. It's just more official now."

"Officially on the team," Teddie repeated to himself. He turned to the girls with hope in his eyes. "Does… does that mean I get to score with you girls then?" he asked eagerly.

For a moment no one said anything. Rise recovered first and flushed, looking anywhere but at him. "Wh-what? You can't ask a girl like that so suddenly, Teddie!"

Chie boomed with laughter, more amazed by his question than anything else. She was just so relieved that he was gonna be okay. "Sure, why not?!" she giggled.

Yukiko's face, however, dropped to an expression between anger, pity and exhaustion. "Don't encourage him," she pleaded.

Teddie only heard Chie's response and that was enough to embolden him. He leaped up and landed on Yosuke's shoulders, pointing his flimsy arm to the sky. He knew he looked cool in his pose, nevermind his sensei grunting or holding his legs steady. "It's settled then! I'll help you beat the vampire out of my home and yours, or my name isn't Kintoki-Douji!"

Kanji blinked. "But… your name's not Kintoki-Douji."

"It's the name of my Persona, Kanji," Teddie deadpanned. "You know, 'he is me', 'I am he'? Thou thy thou, Persona? It's common sense!"

"I bet you just made that up anyway!" Kanji snapped and pointed angrily. "I've read the story about Kintoki. He was a warrior guardian for children and had a tomahawk for a weapon!"

"So does my Kintoki!"

"Nuh uh! Yours has a missile!"

Teddie's smushed-up face still managed to make a smug expression as he uttered, "A tomahawk missile."

Everyone stared gobsmacked at the bear as they realized the truth of his words. And how it truly represented a part of his soul. Even his weapons were weaponized puns.

Yukiko's cheeks puffed. A chuckle escaped. Finally, she doubled over laughing like a hyena. "Hahahahahahaaaaahahahaaaa!"

"Oh god, even Teddie is making her laugh now," Chie said.

"You got to admit," Shirou smiled. "It is pretty funny."

"I knew you would get my genius, Shirou-sensei!" Teddie beamed.

"You didn't actually create the way your Persona looked though, did you?" Rise asked.

"W-Well… subconscious thinking is more profound! Only men would understand!"

"Hey, yeah! That's true!" Kanji nodded vigorously. Rise gave him and Teddie dubious looks and sighed.

While everyone else was talking animatedly, Yosuke was stuck still holding Teddie on his shoulders for some reason. Annoyed, he looked down to the floor. "I wonder if a drop from this height would be enough to shut him up."

<><><>

"Aww, they're leaving already?! Just when it was getting good!"

She didn't mind that her glorified teddy bear butler had been defeated. She wanted to fight the kids herself after all, and it would have been boring if they lost at the first boss. Not that she wouldn't have minded that he actually came out on top, but she knew Yosuke and the guys weren't going to be easy to beat.

Whether it was cowardice or strategy, they opted to leave after the fight. Probably helped that the fight took them to the front door and one of their fighters was nearly KOed (Killed Off). The bear was also converted to their side now.

"Ah well. At least it wasn't a total wash. Got to see how they turn Shadows into Personas."

One way was to defeat the untamed Shadow and convert the soul within. That was how Emiya managed to get that Oukuninushi shade from a skirmish earlier. The other way was to beat their own Shadow back to compliance and… talk to it? Acceptance? The bear was more talking to his friends than his Shadow so it was hard to tell if that counted or not. And it didn't feel as natural as the other Shadows here.

It was different from the other Shadows, anyway. But weren't all Shadows different? Like how humans were different?

The doors boomed open as someone stomped into the throne room. "Sis!"

She looked up to her guest/brother. "Oh, Mitsy. How are you?"

"Terrible," he grounded out. "It's bad enough that we're hiding here in this dump, eating scraps we find in chests… god, it feels like we're in a rogue-like game."

"You'll get used to it," she told him. And if he didn't naturally, she'd force it one way or another. "We're on the lam, remember? So just hold out until it's time to make another heroic act."

"I'm trying, but…" Mitsuo sighed. "Sis, when are you going to get rid of… that?"

"That what?"

"You know, that… that thing!"

"What thing?"

"The ugly freak pretending to be me!"

She adopted a sad look but inwardly she was excited. His refusal to work with said "thing" was just going to make it stronger. Perfect as a stage two boss for her intruders. And when all was said and done, they'd have their own Persona user.

"Mitsy, you know that's not nice to call other people names," she chided. "You don't like it when people do that to you, do you?"

Mitsuo shook in anger, dismayed that his sister would say such a thing. "Th-That's different! He's mocking me by saying all this nihilist crap like how much I suck!"

"The chicken or the egg, Mitsy? Which came first?"

"Huh?!"

"Never mind." Sometimes it was easy to forget that Mitsuo Kubo was so simple-minded he didn't understand hints, let alone cause and effect. Being mad at himself was fine, if he could bounce back from it later. "Just, try to keep an open mind when around him. For me."

The last part she threw in as a precaution, but it always worked before with Mitsy. The simple-mindedness helped in keeping her reins on him, if only for short bursts so he wasn't a mindless thrall.

He was lost staring into her eyes for what felt like an eternity. After trying and failing to think what else to say, Mitsuo clicked his teeth and stomped out of the throne room. Just because she implanted the suggestion on him didn't mean he was going to accept it without being mad.

As he left, she smiled and whispered, "I'm counting on you Mitsy. Both of you."

<><><>

July 17th, Junes Shopping Mall

After the fighting, it was pretty much unanimous for everyone to take a break. Even Teddie agreed that he wanted some alone time for once, trying to recoup his lost body mass and fur. By doing pull-ups.

Shirou didn't question it, as he had to make sure the sleeping tiger on his back was delivered home and without incident. The rest of the night passed without incident, and the group was forced back into their daily lives to rest before tackling the castle again.

Luckily there was a two-day weekend break, and the rain was going to let up on the morning of the first day. Everyone had plans for their days off: Chie studying with her fellow athletes, Yukiko working at her inn, Rise hanging out with her bandmate, and Kanji filling in for some daycare job. Yosuke normally would have been on a date with his girlfriend, but… the less said about that the better. Even Yosuke knew what was the likely outcome. But for his friend's sake, Shirou decided to avoid addressing the elephant in the room as long as possible.

Which led them to having a nice slow day exploring Junes. Or rather, doing the rounds of the store for what needs an assistant's help, and being called as a last-second temp for some coworkers that ditched. It was interesting to see how varied the job was, and Shirou took mental notes of Yosuke's actions for when he might tackle a similar job.

Even in the crowded store full of people bustling and shopping, they could hear distinct squeaking boots pass them by. "Hi Shirou-sensei! Hi Yosuke!"

""Hi Teddie,"" they chorused as they walked by. Their next stop was the electronics store to check up on Teddie who just walked up and played with the customers' kids—

They doubled back to the fit and round bear walking around in the real world as if yesterday never happened. ""TEDDIE?!""

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 47: Shadow of the Hollowed Self



July 17th, Afternoon, Junes Food Court

Shortly after Yosuke and Shirou bumped into Teddie, they reacted as best as they could. For Yosuke, that meant panicking as he interrogated Teddie on his presence, as well as deal with customers and staff asking exactly who the loveable bear was. Shirou also panicked, trying to rationalize that him being here wasn't a big deal (yet) as he called the others one by one to let them know about an emergency meeting.

They all arrived by mid-afternoon and shared the boys' dubious belief that Teddie was indeed in their world, blissfully drinking his first smoothie with childlike glee. They were so flabbergasted, only Yukiko had enough state of mind to ask the question circling everyone's heads.

"How?"

Slumping in his seat, Shirou pondered on the events from yesterday. "We saw Teddie awaken to a Persona, so I guess that means he can now enter our world too. Not that it matters if he could have done so or not before, only that it reinforces the rules that Personas more or less act as a means of passing to and from the other world."

"Well, the good news is that everyone's convinced he's just some guy in a suit," Yosuke added. "Sure, it piled more work on me since I had to explain this to the customers, the staff, and my parents, but my dad did mention that the bigwigs at the Junes chain were looking for a way to improve merchandising, like a cute mascot character or something."

"So, what, he'd be hiding in plain sight then?" Kanji asked. He mulled that thought over in his head, nodding. "That's no different from what we do now, actually."

"Yeah, but where are we gonna hide away a talking bear?" Rise reminded them. "It's not like he can crash at any of our places."

Everyone turned to Teddie, alerted to his sudden grumbling. The bear's face had a comical, weary expression as his body fidgeted in place. "It's so hot," he panted, having finished all of his drink.

Exasperated sweat from heat and annoyance rolled down everyone's heads. "Maybe we can ask Fujimura-san if he can bunk with him later," Yosuke suggested. "Say, that reminds me. How's she holding up, Shirou?"

Shirou relaxed on the lighter topic. "Better, at least. I barely got a text to her explaining about Teddie, but I doubt she fully understands the situation. Right now, she's getting questioned by Doji-nii and the police. Given how close she was cutting it from yesterday's fight, she'll be resting at the hospital while they investigate her apartment."

"So, I take it she won't be ready to train us again?" Chie asked.

"Not any time soon, no," Shirou answered.

The news was met with mixed reception. Yosuke and Yukiko, thoroughly worn out and exhausted from all the training, exhaled sighs of relief with small utterings of "Oh, thank god." Kanji and Rise, however, whether it was out of a genuine thrill of fighting the Tiger of Fuyuki, or special one-on-one time with Shirou, grunted out in displeasure, "Aw, man."

Teddie fidgeted again. Loud enough that the white fold-up chairs he was sitting on started to scrape on the floor. "Guys, seriously! I'm burning up here!"

"You get used to it," Yosuke brushed him off.

Yukiko looked him over in concern, while tugging the collar of her shirt. She felt a bit humid herself but she couldn't even begin to imagine how Teddie was fairing right now. "It must be all the fur you have on. I can't imagine any animal with fur that thick enjoying the summer heat."

"Then again, he's a bear, right?" Kanji asked aloud. He sat in his chair backwards, leaning over the rest with both arms, and gestured his hand towards his chin in a cutting motion. "It's not hibernating season, so maybe he needs a shave."

"SHAVE?!" Teddie bristled at the thought, his eyeholes as small as pencil dots. "I can't get rid of my luscious Teddie fur! I don't know if I can grow it back!"

"You grew back your bulky shape, didn't you?" Chie asked. "It's like hair to you, and that grows back pretty easy."

"It's not the same thing!"

Before the argument could escalate, Shirou felt his phone ring. He quickly answered after ushering the others to be quiet. "Hello, hello?"

"Good afternoon, Emiya-san."

"Good afternoon, Naoto. What's up?" He noticed the others, especially Kanji, perk up after hearing the detective's name.

"I'm trainbound for Yasoinaba today. My search didn't quite turn out as I had hoped, but I've learned quite a bit about the late Sacchin."

"Hey, any news is good news with how this case is going," Shirou said.

"Did you apprehend her in her castle yet?" Naoto asked.

"We're getting there, but we had to regroup. Teddie awakened to a Persona and is sitting with us in Junes now."

"I… see."

"You okay, Naoto?"

"Yes, I'm fine," the detective boy assured quickly. "Just sounds like we both have a lot to share when we regroup."

"I agree. We're still licking our wounds from yesterday, so how about we meet up tomorrow at Tama's?"

"Good idea. See you then, Emiya-san." The line disconnected.

"Finally, Naoto's coming back," Kanji grinned. "Was getting kinda lonely around here without him."

"Aww, did you miss your little chaperone?" Yosuke teased.

Kanji's smile fell as he glared at his senpai. "Keep talking like that and I'll kick your ass."

As Yosuke winced and looked away, Rise giggled and patted Kanji on the shoulder. "Aww, it's so sweet how much you like Naoto-kun, Kanji!"

Kanji would have normally snapped more, but knowing it was a girl teasing him meant he couldn't resort to his usual scare tactic. Not that it made him feel any less bitter and upset. "You too, Rise?"

"You wouldn't hurt me though, would you Kanji?" she asked sweetly.

The bleached-haired teen looked like he swallowed a lemon with the awkwardness of the question. He turned to the girl sitting on his right, opposite of Rise on his left. "Can you kick her ass for me, Chie-senpai?" He pleaded.

Chie bristled, and Rise was downright horrified at his suggestion. ""What?!"" they both cried. Yosuke, meanwhile, laughed so hard that his chair tripped and fell over.

"Kanji-kun!" Yukiko admonished hotly. "You can't ask Chie to do that!"

"Why not?" he asked innocently. "She could probably take Rise down easy."

Shirou grimaced after recovering from the shock. Even he knew that question was a social flop. "It's less about 'being able to do it' and more about 'should you do it', Kanji."

The chair rattling grew distinctly louder as the conversation grew. Up until then it was as much white noise as the rest of the chattering customers of Junes were enjoying their meals. Finally Teddie reached his literal boiling point. "Gaaaah, I can't take it anymore! I gotta strip my zip!"

The gang was now forcibly aware of Teddie's situation, noticing his stubby hands already reaching for his neck zipper. Frantically, Shirou, Yosuke and Chie grabbed his head and arms to prevent it from coming off around his head. Everyone else was tense and alarmed at what just happened.

"Dude! First, watch what you say around here!" Yosuke hissed, using his whole-body weight for good measure on the bear's head. "Second, you can't just remove your damn head around here! There are children here! And if they get traumatized by either your words or your ghost body, I'm going to get written up!"

"That last part is objectively low on the importance scale, but he's right! Word is gonna spread of a headless mascot walking around and we don't need that kind of attention right now!" Chie added.

"But it's so hoooooot!" Teddie insisted, even as he struggled under them. "I'm seriously melting in here!"

"Wow, he does not like the summer weather at all, does he?" Rise said aloud.

Shirou could see that the bear was clearly in discomfort, as he wouldn't make a big deal otherwise. "Look, if you really need to cool off, we'll take you out back without anyone able to see you to… relieve yourself. Can you hold off for a few more minutes?"

The bear sniffled and calmed down, if only slightly. "A-alright, Shirou-sensei."

"Cool. Lead the way, Yosuke."

"What! Why me?!"

"You work here, and we need a secure private area employees have."

"If you think I'm just gonna do as you say—"

Teddie's arms flailed like running faucets and his half-opened face was even more contorted in pain. "Ugh, hurry up! I need to strip! I NEED TO STRIP!"

Yosuke quickly dropped his protests in favor of cursing under his breath and directing the four of them to the Junes back offices.

"Are… they gonna be okay?" Yukiko asked.

"Ah, I'm sure they'll be fine with Shirou-senpai around," Kanji shrugged. "Let's get some topsicles while we wait."

Rise brightened at the suggestion with a smile. "Oooh, lets!"

Yukiko still had her concerns, looking between the first-year students leaving the table to order, and the direction where Chie and the others corralled Teddie. After a moment of deliberation, she followed Kanji-kun and Rise-chan. She was in the mood of a cherry-flavored pop, actually.

<><><>

Although the maneuvering was hectic, they reached the men's changing room. With Chie out on guard duty and Shirou with them corralling the bear in, Yosuke was finally satisfied that he held his end of the bargain. "Okay, we're here. Now get this over with, Teddie."

"Uh… could you turn around first?" Teddie asked, somewhat coyly as he looked away. "I'm bashful."

Yosuke groaned, but complied as he looked away, facing the door. Shirou followed suit, and then they heard the unwinding of a zipper.

Some part of Yosuke was curious to see, but not enough to get nightmares of some dark dust hivemind Teddie after fighting off his Shadow. A flopping sound hit the ground, and then a relieved sigh. "Aaaaah, I feel so alive!"

"Glad you're having fun, Teddie."

"Always, sensei!" Teddie giggled. "Oh, but maybe I need to clean up first. Can I use the shower in here, Yosuke?"

"Wha-No!" he snapped, half-tempted to fully turn around. "You said you wanted to get out of your suit and you did that."

"But I'm furless! And sweaty, besides! I just need a good scrub!"

"This bathroom's a leftover from some old truckstop and is just for changing and using the toilet," he explained. "The water pressure's too weak for the sink, and the shower head hasn't worked in years."

Just then they heard a Clap clap. Then the turning of a faucet and the sound of running water. "Now it does."

"Oh for god's sake."

"No, I don't think my Persona can help you here," Shirou quipped.

Yosuke snickered. It was quite amazing how far this little group came to be. It was just the four of them, including Chie, when this whole murder mess started. Shirou went from a clueless, aloof transfer student to a smartass leader who was still a few screws loose to be honest. Then again, he had issues too. They all did. And he somehow knew what to say to move on, be it for a moment of levity or comfort.

"So… we're this close, huh?" he said aloud. "At the end, I mean."

"Yeah," Shirou nodded. "It feels like a lifetime ago, but it was only months, really."

"Wasn't sure how things would turn out. I at least hoped it would have ended a while ago so we could just enjoy the rest of the school year in peace. Maybe even our summer break."

Shirou nodded again. "I know what you mean. One thing led to another, and here we are. Waiting for our client to take off his bear suit."

"Haha, that's a rare sentence if I ever heard one," Yosuke chuckled. He felt better. Just a little.

He knew he would have to confront Sacchin sooner or later, but he felt he could do it as long as his friends were here. He'd do better, for Saki-senpai's sake as well. Even if she died hating his guts, he owed it to her to at least give her and her family closure.

But for now… life was about to make things worse for him right about now.

"Yosuke-kun! We need to talk!"

Despite the casual tone betraying the choice of words, they filled Yosuke with dread. "Shit, it's my dad!" he quickly told Shirou before calling outside. "Uh, don't come in! I'm not de-"

He didn't finish as an older man with auburn hair and wearing a Junes uniform stepped in. He stopped in front of his son, towering over him by a good head or so, but felt imposing as a giant. "So, what's this about you finding a new mascot?"

From the corner of his shoulder, they could see Chie looking back at them, frowning and apologetic. Thinking of giving her a piece of his mind later for her lack of keeping guard, Yosuke looked back to his father with a laugh. "Oh, come on, Da-I mean, Hanamura-san. You of all people should know you can't trust a rumor going around in this town! Haha-ha…"

"Normally not, but I did see you and your friends carry off what looked like some Doraemon cosplay in the back," Hanamura pointed out. "And a lot of kids seemed happier than usual playing with a so-called talking bear. And… is the shower running?"

"I, uh… got a handyman to check it real quick?" Yosuke lied. "Because a guy I knew really really needed a shower… despite me insisting he shouldn't." He muttered the last part softly but also bitterly.

"Hey, I know you get mixed signals from the other workers, Yosuke-kun, but being assistant manager is about stepping up in business. I'm happy you're taking initiative, but you still need to inform me, your boss, when you make such drastic changes."

"But I didn't—"

"Excuse me, do you guys happen to have something yet and spongy I can borrow for detergent?"

Shirou and Yosuke tensed. That voice was distinctively Teddie's, coming from behind them. Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw.

Naturally, they assumed Teddie was wet. But standing before them was a wet, blond-haired young man with effeminate features. He blinked owlishly with bright blue eyes, long dainty eyelashes, and wet hair swept to his left side. Such features wouldn't be lost on a young woman, but it was evident from how he was peeking behind the wall corner that his chest muscles were lean and flat.

He was also very naked, with hardly a towel to cover his lower body.

"Ah, so this is the new intern," Mr. Hanamura said, oblivious to the other teen's reactions. "Would you like a hand sponge or one with a long handle, Mister…?"

"Oh, handle sounds pretty good for those hard-to-reach places!" The pretty boy said, mimicking a scratch to his back. The voice was so familiar it answered their question before he did on who he was. "Oh, and I'm Teddie Kuma! A big friend of Yosuke and Shirou-sensei!"

"Sensei?"

"Well, he's taught me so much ever since I came to know about your Inaba! Yosuke too, but not as much. Been too busy fraternizing with the ladies, amirite?"

Yosuke could only twitch his eye from the slight, not helping that his father laughed. "Haha, sounds like you're close to my son already."

Teddie gasped. "You're Yosuke's father!? But you look so much more mature than him!"

Yosuke was now suffering from a popped blood vessel as his father guffawed. "Oh, I like you already, Ted! I'm not usually for nepotism, but you did a good job entertaining the kids with that bear suit of yours."

"Oh, thank you sir! It's like a second skin to me!"

"I'll fetch you something from the front then, for your showering dilemma. After that, you, me, and Yosuke will meet together to talk about your employment here." He waved goodbye and headed out. Chie, also caught staring at the bear's human face, broke out of her trance in a flush upon realizing he was indecent and fled the room first.

"Oh dear, I forgot to ask the nice man for a change of clothes. My bear suit is all sweaty and ragged at the moment," Teddie pondered aloud. "Can you two do me a favor and get me something nice to wear while I clean up?"

He looked innocently between them. There were so many questions piling up, but Shirou could only dumbly nod in affirmation. Smiling, Teddie turned back to continue his shower. Singing too as well.

For a long moment, the two teenagers stared at the spot where Teddie once stood, and then exchanged baffled glances. "So," Yosuke started slowly. "That was Teddie. In human form."

"It would appear so," Shirou agreed.

"He was certainly annoying as the genuine article, but all of the sudden he throws a curveball like this? What in the world is he?"

Shirou thought it over, as it was a loaded question. The mere existence of the bear was crazy, as was everything else about the world he came from. But there was no doubt about his genuine concern about others, and how he knew how to keep a secret. He didn't say anything particularly revealing to Yosuke's father, for instance.

"He's our friend, Yosuke. For now, that's all that matters."

Yosuke let out a strangled sound that was a sigh and chuckle at once. "Friend. Well, heaven knows we need more of those where we're going up against."

"Yeah…"

<><><>

Samegawa Floodplain

The rest of the day was spent trying to introduce Teddie to the real world as naturally as possible. Which was actually easy, after the shock of seeing a humane Teddie Kuma wore off from everyone. The clothes Teddie got for his casual "other world" hangout were expensive to say the least, even by Junes standards, so while Chie felt it was easier to bill it to Yosuke's account, Shirou stepped in and had everyone on the team pitch in.

Yosuke gave him the whole tour of the store, since it was just a TV screen away from his home world, and mostly acted as chaperone when he wanted to play on things like the electric massage chair or gouging all the free food samples. Kanji introduced him to the joy of topsicles and knitting (insisting it would be a helpful skill in case his shirt got ripped). The girls took him out on the town to the shopping district and Samegawa plan, which he mistook as a chance to score with the girls.

Yukiko… did not take that well.

Shove! "WHAAAA!" Splash!

The poor bear was pushed down the walkway and into the floodplain, to the surprise of everyone there.

"Amagi, how could you?!" Yosuke roared suddenly. "Those expensive clothes he has on are dry-clean only!"

"Not to mention he might get sick," Kanji added. It did nothing to move her as the inn heiress huffed and stomped away from the bear, with Chie and Rise right behind her. Shirou frowned before heading down the slope to give Teddie a hand.

"Wow," Teddie mumbled from the water. His white dress-shirt was soaked through to show his torso underneath, his cardigan rose slipped off in the tumble, and he had a mud stain on his pant leg. "Yuki-chan's scute when she's mad."

"Uh… scute?" Shirou asked bafflingly.

"You know, scary and cute at the same time! Scute!"

"I'm pretty sure that word doesn't mean what you think it means," he insisted, while making a mental note to see if that word even existed in a dictionary later.

"Gosh, I'm learning so much already!" Teddie beamed as he was pulled up. "It's like everything I knew before coming here is wrong! What's next? Black is white? Up is down? Short is long?"

"Come on, you know plenty of things. I'm sure if you didn't have proper motor functions, Yosuke wouldn't let you hear the end of it." Teddie blinked, so Shirou felt compelled to add further, "That is, knowing how to walk around."

"Oh, right," said Teddie. He leaned down to pick up his cardigan before brushing off the water and stems. "I've been alone for as long as I can remember, Shirou-sensei. I like to think I could handle myself in your world on my own."

"By hiding like you did in your world?"

Shirou meant it as a teasing joke, but it cut a little too close to the bear as he frowned. "Okay, maybe I am a little lost without you guys," he admitted.

"Teddie."

The bear-in-human-skin, however, perked up right away as if fired up. "But that's why I want to keep working with you guys so I can handle it on my own! I know I'm not strong enough to take care of all the Shadows back home. Not even now with my 'Bearsona'. But that just means I can help you guys now kick the vampire out of my home for good!"

"Naturally," Shirou said with a smile. The surge of their budding bond was hardly needed to let him know they were closer, but a welcome boon regardless.

<><><>

July 18th, Tatsuhime Shrine, Ocean Day

Naoto was dreading the rendezvous. He had intended to come back with something that could blow the whole case out of the water, but realized nearly too late that he treaded on thin ice. He wanted to come back successful, at least to the other officers, that the culprit was within reach. The young detective even hoped deep down that it wasn't a vampire at all and just some very clever ruse to make it seem supernatural.

But there was no conclusive proof for either it being true or false. That alone should be a case for the latter, but he never did shake off the pressure of Misaki Town until leaving.

Well, he was walking up the stone steps to the shrine now, a sort of plan B "hideout" due to being the home of the surprisingly intelligent fox. It still had kids play around at odd times of the day, especially since the Investigation Team (as they called themselves) helped clean the shrine a bit. It was overlooked because it was close to where both Kanji and Rise-chan lived in the shopping district.

Naoto took a sip from the soda in his hand to help quench his thirst and hopefully calm his nerves. He could see Shirou-san and the others talking to a blond-haired young man as he eagerly petted the fox. He noticed Naoto first, and smiled as he waved to him enthusiastically.

"Hi, Naoto!" the blond man said who sounded exactly like Teddie—

"BWWWWWWWT!"

After loudly expelling his drink, Naoto doubled over and coughed the last bits of soda out of his windpipe. The others noticed too, and huddled around him in surprise and concern. "Are you alright, Naoto?" he heard Kanji say.

"T-Teddie," he cracked, before calming himself. "Teddie's human."

"Oh yeah, that," Yosuke nodded. "For the record, this was news to us too."

"We've been kind of making this up as we go, so surprises are kind of expected," Chie added.

Naoto fought the urge to sigh. These kids, barely older than him, were such a disorganized mess that it was a miracle they managed to thwart the culprit for months. Nevermind the fact that they fought monsters in a world through a TV screen, but they don't seem to question or contemplate the nature of their ursine friend more than necessary, given how Teddie was still playing with the fox and Emiya-san.

Why couldn't things just be simple in this town, Grandpa?

<><><>

July 21, Yasogami High, Classroom 2-A

The meeting talk was quick and to the point. After sharing notes on Teddie's awakening and Satsuki Yumizuka of Misaki Town, the need to stop the vampire was further paramount. Unfortunately, the Yasogami High finals week was here so the case had to wait. The team briefly humored the idea of going into the castle anyway, but high school test exams were no joke. They were so mentally exhausting and emotionally stressful that no one wanted to regroup until finals were completely over. So, clad in their summer uniforms, they took on the long finals week else there'd be hell to pay from an angry irate tiger later.

It was raining on Thursday, the fourth day into finals, but it was going to clear up by the end of the day. Rather, the rain helped soothe most of the students' aching nerves as they wrote as if their lives depended on it. So there was no worry or concern about things going to a head regarding the culprits in the TV world.

Shirou, however, was stuck at an essay question on philosophy. It asked to recount a theory that makes the most sense to him. Such freeform essay writing was as much a blessing as a curse while having to write whatever length the student felt was satisfactory. Between time constraints and pressure, most would just write a simple paragraph at the bare minimum.

In a way, Shirou knew what he wanted to write about, but not how. The words weren't coming to him as he thought back only to see his teacher dead and suspended in telephone poles. King Moron might have been an ass, but Shirou still felt a sort of minor kinship to the teacher, who didn't laugh or mock his dream. Just asked him why, and explained how such things were important.

In fact, ever since coming to Inaba he felt more in tune with himself. He may not have a Shadow like the others but that didn't mean he was virtually flawless. Before he thought he was sure of how to become an ally of justice, or that it would be revealed in time so long as he kept at it. He didn't know what he would face or challenge as a magus, but Shadows were definitely not it.

Just knowing the words didn't mean you fully understood them, just as one didn't fully understand themselves until suffering a mental breakdown. That day in the classroom still mystified Shirou and opened his mind to philosophy for the first time. If only he had met with Morooka-sensei more about the topic.

"Though if I did do that, he'd probably lambast me or something. 'Stop clinging to me like I'm your daddy and figure it out yourself!'" Shirou chuckled at the thought. Finally, he started to write an answer that he only regretted his teacher couldn't see.

I believe in the philosophy of Socratic Idealism. The world as we know it is connected by ideas that we may or may not know, and we are more than free to choose how to use them. The philosopher Socrates was said to be the wisest man in Greece and people sought his counsel, but he only agitated them by asking them questions. He didn't think himself as wise, and tried to prove that others knew their vocations better than he could.

While the idea of "reality" is apparently subjective to others, and how we think, breathe, and live, there is no doubt that we all have different opinions on what is perfect, what is ideal. We all have perceptions of other people, and ourselves, that is inaccurate to one another. Only by communicating with others can we understand the gap between reality and our ideal perfection.

That ought to do it. It might not be a perfect summary, but the question was answered and with a few minutes to spare at that.

Just two more days and they could finish this…

<><><>

July 24th, Moon Voidania, Seventh Stratum

The following Sunday after finals was when everyone decided to take action. Naoto stayed behind to see if he could smooth out Taiga's interrogation, while the Investigation Team delved deeper into the castle stronghold.

The Shadows were just as fierce as ever. Though the team blazed through the smallfry quickly in the trek back to the top, they were currently blocked by what could only be described as a 10-foot-tall Sentai robot replica. Colorful shoulder plates and bulky legs showed that it was built to take and deliver punishment in equal measure. The pattern of red, blue and gold so intricately painted gave it a heroic look. And the long sword in its hand could be tempered steel or a toy prop for all anyone knew; it had the force and power to make swings as deadly as they come, such as striking the floor hard enough for a Heat Wave.

"Dammit dammit dammit dammit!" Yosuke yelled as he scurried away from the attack, taking cover behind a pillar. Chie joined him via a desperate dive, and the two poked their heads to the side to gauge if the Shadow would strike again.

Though in Yosuke's case, it was also marveling at the cool detail of the Shadow's design. "Man, that would be so cool if it wasn't trying to kill us!"

"I don't see why you're complaining," Chie said. "You and Kanji-kun have Personas that look pretty robotic too."

"It's like riding a motorcycle, okay? Every boy wants to pilot a giant robot. Right Shirou? Shirou, come on, I know you heard me!"

Indeed, Shirou was standing within hearing distance of Yosuke and Chie from another column. But rather than humoring his friend's question, he focused on firing arrows at the robot Shadow. For all the good his arrowheads did by bouncing off its metal armguards.

"Bearsona!" A unique battle cry rang out with the shattering of the glass Tarot. Kintoki-Douji materialized, lifting its stout arms as high as possible before spinning forward and "throwing" its tomahawk missile. The Shadow saw the projectile coming and retaliated with its sword.

However, upon impact, the missile exploded in a sleet of blue, frigid frost that covered the right half of the machine shadow, limiting its arm and leg's movement. Even the sword was frozen stiff, stuck fast to the ground.

It was then that Teddie rushed in, a single clawed gauntlet covering his right paw, and swung with all the momentum and spinning his body could muster. The claw struck the frozen part of the shadow cleanly like an icepick, finally dealing damage to its shell. Teddie followed up with another strike from the opposite direction, further flaying the ice, before finishing with a jump spike that demolished the ice and the leg that held the shadow up.

The Steel Machine, voted most likely Shadow to guest-star in a Saturday morning Tokusatsu show, exploded and faded into the nether, likely to return next week.

With the battle over, Teddie bounced on his feet smiling. "OH YEAH! I'm bad! I'm the big bad bear ready to maul you Shadows out of here! Rwoar!" He loudly proclaimed further down the hall where the other Shadows lurked. The few formless blobs that saw him flinched and slinked away, proof that his words did get to them and dared not to instigate a fight.

Shirou walked up to him first, patting the bear on the head. "Good job, Teddie," he told him. Teddie beamed at his sensei like a ray of sunshine was shining down on him.

"He really is a natural at this," Yukiko noted. She summoned her priestess Persona for a Mediarama check on the group, bathing everyone in shining blue light to mend wounds and bruises. "I was worried he would have been behind us in strength due to always watching on the sidelines, but he has taken to this so quickly."

"He's been watching you guys fight since April, yeah?" Kanji asked. "He must have picked up your moves that whole time but hasn't gotten a chance to flaunt them."

"I'm more surprised he knows how to use that thing," Chie remarked, staring at Teddie's claw.

It was another custom order by Daidara, that the bear insisted on when visiting the metalworks the other day. Something about not being natural to use anything but a bear's claw. Not that the smith didn't mind, as he liked experimenting on commissions, and was excited whenever they came over to drop off some Shadow remains. The weapons were even being propped up on his shelves like trophies so everyone recognized when they saw Yukiko's new fan or the steel plate Kanji used to intimidate bikers.

Yosuke winced upon looking at the sharp edges of the weapon. Particularly how Teddie waved it around like a kid in front of Shirou. "Just so long as he doesn't swing that thing around me."

"Okay guys, look sharp!" Rise called out. "I got a ping from Himiko earlier, and there's a big signal on the floor above us."

"Sacchin and Mitsuo?" Yosuke asked.

"Or at least one of them," she said. "I don't know how much further it goes from there, but we might be close to the top."

"Let's keep going," Shirou said. "Chances are that we're going to have to fight them, but I rather it be one at a time than both at once."

"Yeah, but without Fuji-sensei?" Kanji asked. "Are we really going to do this without her?"

"Of course not," said Shirou. Personal feelings aside, he probably couldn't stop Taiga from following them now that she had a Persona. She was a strong kendoka for a reason, and instrumental in stopping Shadow Teddie. Her strength was truly a boon. "I don't see us getting to the top today though, so we are going to regroup after confronting whatever's up there first."

"Sounds like a plan," Chie agreed.

"I should have enough energy to keep us strong for this much," Yukiko said.

"Let me at 'em!" said Teddie. "I may not be as agile as Tiger-chan, but I can certainly fight with the best of them!"

"Right, let's do this then." With their goal set, the Investigation Team marched on to the next flight of stairs and one of their hardest battles yet. Yosuke edged behind, finishing nursing his own wounds, when a whisper echoed out to him.

"Yosuke-kun…"

"Ah-!" Yosuke turned to the sound, but saw nothing down the corridor. Just blocky tiles, blocky fire, and an encroaching darkness. Was that voice just now…?

Rise, another member straggling behind, stopped and turned back to him. "Hmm? What's wrong, Yosuke-senpai?"

"Uh, nothing! Coming!" Whatever, he had no time to get second thoughts. He'd confront Sacchin before this was over.

<><><>

Moon Voidania, Eighth Stratum

The floor was different from all the others; a straight hallway that connected to a set of doors, which according to Rise was leading to a large open room with another hallway beyond it.

Suddenly a voice rang out. "-me? You think I'd buy that crap?! You're just another one of sis's tricks, that's all!"

"Wait, I heard something!" Teddie said.

"I think we all heard that, Ted," Kanji told him. "Definitely sounds like that fish-eyed bastard, though."

"And… it sounds like he's arguing with someone?" Chie asked aloud. They all heard mumbling, but it only managed to make Mitsuo angry as they got closer to the door.

"I AM a big deal! I… I killed that man! And I killed those dumb broads too! No one can prove that I didn't do it!"

Only when they finally got to the door and edged it open (harder than it sounds when the doors were 8-bit and clunky) did they hear the second voice. "…neither can you."

"Ghk! You… you shut up!"

Looking in through the opening, they saw some sort of roman-themed colosseum filled with piles of bones and skulls. They were littered in such a way that seemed to fill the edges of the arena with death and gloom. Standing in the center of the field were two Mitsuos, one of whom acting more agitated than the other.

"It really is him. Mitsuo Kubo, Sacchin's brother. Erm… stepbrother, I guess," Yosuke muttered.

"But, which one is the Shadow?" Yukiko asked. Both Mitsuos were wearing casual-day clothes (albeit stained with blood) and it was too far to see which one had gold eyes. This was unusual from prior cases.

It only took a moment for Shirou to deduce. "That one," he pointed.

Chie looked between Shirou and the supposed Shadow dubiously. "Him? But he's just standing there letting the other one yell at him."

"He's the one with the aura and hint of prana," Shirou assured. "And if I had to guess, the real Mitsuo is acting up because he doesn't accept the fact that he's normally so passive."

"I agree with Shirou-sensei," Teddie commented. "My nose is picking up the same vibe from Mitsy."

Mitsuo Kubo was unaware of his new audience. His sole focus was staring at the annoying look-alike with anger and panted breaths. He screamed his lungs out, kicked him, did anything to get the faker to react, but he just kept looking depressed and miserable.

And it infuriated him. Only reason he kept humoring this was because his sister told him to. She never steered him wrong. But even so…

"Why my sister tells me to be nice to you is beyond me!" he yelled. "You never even showed up until recently! What makes you think you know so much about her, huh?"

The other Mitsuo frowned, barely keeping eye contact as he muttered an answer. "I know nothing."

"HA!" Mitsuo cheered, a manic smile growing on his lips. "You admit it! You know nothing about my sister!"

"Neither do you."

"Of course I friggin' do! I'm her brother and she loves me!"

"Think about it. What is her birthday? How old is she? What is her favorite snack? What color are her eyes?"

Mitsuo's bravado evaporated with each question uttered. He felt he should know these, they were simple observations, but his mind came to a blank.

"Deep down, I know she's not real. But I accept her wholeheartedly because she makes me feel special. Without her, I'm simply… nothing."

"Don't talk like you know her! I'M her brother! Not you! And… and I'm not so helpless to rely on her all the time!"

"Then where the hell is she, you scumbag?"

Mitsuo blanched and turned. He nearly stammered upon seeing Kanji Tatsumi stomp over to him, followed by a group of other students and the bear-man. "Wh-what the hell are you guys doing here?!"

"You killed our teacher, our senpai, and even Ms. Yamano," Yosuke sneered. "Did you really think you could hide forever from the consequences?"

"I… I did that," he said, almost questioningly. Then he giggled, and eventually erupted into laughter. "Ahahahahahaha! Yes, yes it was me! I did it! I'm behind everything, hehe! I'm the one who killed those wastes of society!"

The Investigation Team bristled in anger. They were staring at a young man who had no qualms about the lives of others, and claimed to have killed three people.

Shirou wasn't convinced though. He turned to the other Mitsuo, a clearly subdued Shadow, and asked him directly. "Did you really?"

"Of course I did!" Mitsuo yelled. "Weren't you listening?!"

"Just one…" the Shadow said.

"The teacher, right?" Shirou asked. "King Moron?" The Shadow nodded.

"And those two broads too!" Mitsuo insisted. He glared at the red-haired man but the bastard wasn't even looking at him. "Stop ignoring me, dammit!"

Shirou figured it was the case. Mitsuo may not have helped his sister kill Saki and the announcer, but he played a role in Morooka's death, just as Taiga said. He didn't look like he had been turned into a ghoul, much less awakened. He turned to the real Mitsuo briefly, and saw he was still human.

One that was also agitated and likely to refuse giving a straight answer. He glanced back to the Shadow. "Why did you do it?"

"Because I could! I have the power to do anything I want now, like getting rid of bastards like him!" Mitsuo yelled indignantly. He made a show to stomp over and grab Shirou's shirt, forcing him to glance his way. He did so, unwillingly and with a glare. Looking down on him like everyone else. "Why the hell do you care anyway? He was just a stupid shitty teacher!"

"He was my teacher!" Shirou snapped back. "And no one deserves to be murdered!"

The intensity alone caused Mitsuo to let go and fall to the ground. Perhaps it was the tension and pressure of hiding in this weird castle for so long, but he never felt so weak before. And he was weak all his life.

"I didn't mean to."

The Shadow's somber confession shook everyone in the room. They turned to see him frowning deeper than before, and eyes glistening with regret. "I just wanted attention. To be noticed. I only meant to scare him a bit, get some justice. I never meant to kill him."

"...the hell's going on?" Kanji asked aloud. He never expected the same boy trying to instigate a fight out of him to be this pathetic. Even his own Shadow had some semblance of confidence under the pain.

But this Shadow Mitsuo was just a wallflower. Hunched over, trembling, fearful. He didn't even look different or exaggerated like the others. Shadow Teddie's words from the other day came to mind; although a Shadow takes the repressed desires to reality, they were also from its true form and reflect that. Shadow Mitsuo wearing the same orange shirt and jeans was evident that he had either basic desires, or none at all.

"I didn't mean to do it," the Shadow said again, tears now falling from his eyes. "All I ever wanted was to be a hero." Shirou gasped. "I'd even settle for an anti-hero like she suggested, but she convinced me to kill. Whispered sweet nothings about how to do it, and she'd keep me safe."

She told him? Suddenly Mitsuo felt a spike of anger towards this poser, some stupid pathetic crybaby. How dare he. How dare he mention his sister! "S-Shut up!"

"No one notices me. No one sees me. I'm just an obstacle, a tool. Even to her, my 'sister'. I am nothing…" He glanced up to the irate Mitsuo. "And I am him."

"The hell you are!" Mitsuo roared, shooting up to his feet. With their minds still reeling from the unexpected confession, no one had the presence of mind to stop what was about to happen. "You're nothing but some imposter pretending to take my sister away from me! You're so worthless she wouldn't waste a minute of her time coddling you when she has me! The only thing you're right about is that you're nothing! And I want nothing to do with you!" He then spat at the Shadow's face before throwing one final remark. "Now get out of my sight!"

The whole team stared at them in muted horror. As far as rejection rants went, this was probably the most verbally one-sided against the Shadow. What was even worse was that Shadow Mitsuo didn't seem to react. Not at first, anyway.

He simply glanced up, his sadness and melancholy now holding a semblance of tranquil fury. "So you don't accept me, either?"

Mitsuo wanted to spout yes, and that he'd kill him too if he didn't scurry away like the whipped dog he was. But he couldn't find his voice. Or his balance, for that matter. He crumbled back down to the ground, suddenly watching his other self transform in a torrential plume of smoke, revealing the equivalent of a floating, genitalia-less baby with a ring of symbols orbiting its large forehead.

At this point Shirou grimaced and resigned himself to the inevitable. "Well, here we go again."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 48: Hero

<><><>

Before the team could gather their bearings, Shadow Mitsuo surrounded itself in a casing of hard light. As it solidified and became defined, the image of a giant 3D retro-themed warrior with a helmet, cape and sash, and sword appeared. The warrior was moving in place in two fixed frames. It rivaled the size of the Steel Machine Shadow and was no less a geek's dream realized.

"GAAAAH! He's all cubed up!" Teddie cried out comically.

"But didn't he just transform already?" Chie wondered. "What's that even supposed to be anyway?"

"Is that supposed to be a game character?" Yosuke asked. "Looks like something straight from 3D Dot Game Heroes."

"I am a shadow," a voice droned evenly, coming from the warrior. "I will bring everything into nothingness."

"Tch, and here I was hoping for an easy fight with the mutant space baby," Kanji growled. "Guess I'll make do with blocky here."

"Wait, Kanji!"

He didn't heed Shirou's warning, as he swung his wet floor sign at his Persona card. "Kill Rush 'em, T-M!"

The thunder god Persona flashed to life and swung his bolt-blade down in rapid succession. Blocks were pushed and struck, revealing the true Shadow from inside the shell. But only for a second before it reformed, whole again.

"That hurt," said Shadow Mitsuo, before adding mockingly, "My feelings."

"Your whole face will be hurting when I'm-!" Kanji froze mid-rant as a red light encased his body.

"Kanji-kun!" Yukiko cried and rushed to his side. "He doesn't look hurt, so maybe… Amrita!"

Konohana-Sakuya was summoned, dancing her floral wreath overhead as a sparkling shower of lights poured over Kanji. Amrita was a restorative spell learned after grueling days of training with Fujimura-sensei, capable of cleansing ailments like she hoped Kanji was under.

Except the Amrita did nothing to restore movement. "This cannot be!"

"Your waste of a turn is over, Yuki-chan."

And sure enough, she was trapped in a red glow as well.

"Dammit!" Chie snarled, half ready to charge at the shadow before Shirou stopped her.

"Hold on, we can't rush this. Let's wait until he makes a move first."

Reluctantly, they waited. They waited tensely, expecting something to happen as it stared them down with those black blocky "eyes". But as the seconds ticked by, nobody moved. Only the Shadow's 8-bit frame cycle as if it were a stoplight.

Between the fear of being frozen or waiting for some attack to happen, the Investigation Team fighters were growing worried. Yosuke turned and whispered to Rise. "So, uh… are those two, you know, okay?"

"I don't know," she whispered back. "They seem to be more in suspended animation than anything else. That's why Yukiko-senpai's spell didn't help Kanji. He was perfectly fine already. I don't even think the Shadow here had anything to do with them."

"Then why isn't he doing anything now?"

"Because it's not my turn yet."

The team was taken aback by the Shadow's casual answer, as well as the implications of it. "Uh… what?"

"Kanji used his turn to attack me. Yukiko-chan used hers to heal him. Their turns are done, so they are waiting until everyone else moves. Once all you fighters are done moving, I'll go, and then you can move too."

"Turns?!" Chie spat. "What do you think this is, some kind of game?!"

"Life is always a game."

"So if I understand this right," Shirou started slowly. "You won't do anything until we all make turn actions?"

"Correct," said Shadow Mitsuo.

"And you will just stand there while we talk and strategize?" he asked again.

"Talking is free action."

Teddie hummed. "In that case… HUDDLE!"

The remaining five members of the Investigation Team circled together in a group hug, leaning their heads in as close as possible.

"We're in a very unique situation right now," Shirou started. "The enforced rules might be a power by the Shadow's hero form and this world we're in."

"Not that other Shadows had their own gimmicks, but this one still feels scummy as hell," Chie complained.

"If our positions just freeze in place where we are, we might be better off spreading out so he can't hit us all in one shot," Rise reminded.

"But not being together is just as dangerous with Kanji and Yuki-chan stuck like that," Teddie reminded.

"It would be too much to assume that if we all attacked now, he'd go down," Yosuke told them. "He's confident enough to wait, after all."

"So that gives us time to prepare," Shirou said. "We all have buffing spells, so let's use them."

"Which ones?" Chie asked.

"All of them. Tarukaja for offense, Rakukaja for defense, Sukukaja for speed. After that, I'll switch to my other Personas and use whatever debuffs I have."

"A super-charged Persona battering ram? That's brilliant, Shirou-sensei!"

"Yeah, it gets my vote too, but which one gets the 'Heat Riser' treatment? We can only boost one of us at a time, and even without 'Mitsy' here playing rules lawyer, it would be a waste of time just doing the same for all of us."

"I volunteer," Chie grinned viciously. "I really want to break my boots over that bastard's face."

Shirou considered it, as she was their strongest fighter, and for a time the only one. But they had options now. "Maybe later, but I'd rather we boost Kanji first."

The others looked baffled but waited to hear his reason. "Right now we have to assume we're the only ones that know the rules of this fight. Knowing Kanji and his fighting style, he'd likely keep attacking whenever he can, so making sure he's as powered up as possible would be the best idea. He can cover for Amagi as well, who is a sitting duck out there next to him."

"So, we focus on Kanji first? Sounds good to me," Yosuke said.

"But I get the next round of buffs after him!" Chie insisted.

"Fair enough. Ready?"

"We're always ready, senpai. And—"

"BREAK!"

At Teddie's cue, the team took battle positions; Rise retreated a little further away by a bone pile while Shirou and his teammates formed a line in front of Shadow Mitsuo. As one, they summoned their Personas and invoked their attacks.

"Tarukaja!"

"Sukukaja!"

"Rakukaja!"

"Rakunda!"

Three flashes of kaleidoscopic light enveloped Kanji, while a dull purple dimmed over the Shadow. Like before, the Persona users were stuck in suspended animation, with only Rise and Tama aware of what was about to happen next.

"My turn."

Before their eyes, after the usual growling glow of Shadow artes, a menu screen popped up with three action commands. ATTACK. SPELL. ITEM. ATTACK was selected, and a cursor floated over Kanji. The Shadow swung his sword… very rigidly giving the 8-bit nature, but it still caused a hefty blow on the delinquent that his frozen body was knocked over.

"Critical hit. One more."

"Hey, that's cheating!" Rise cried out.

The Shadow ignored her, picking through its menu again. This time he selected ITEM, and pulled out a blocky bomb item over Yukiko. Seconds later, it detonated and singed through her hair and clothes.

"Turn over."

The red lights surrounding the team faded, but the damage on both Kanji and Yukiko cascaded over them in grunts of pain. Chie called out first, "Yukiko! Are you okay?!"

"I-I think so," she groaned, nursing her arm.

"Hold on, Yuki-chan! Rakukaja!"

Kintoki-Douji's defense buff now shrouded Yukiko as a spirit shield. The act of support left the bear's turn over, and was refrozen as quickly as he had gotten out. She hardly noticed as she moved away to keep the distance between herself and the Shadow.

Meanwhile, Kanji pushed himself up and stared the Shadow down with anger. "Oh, you're gonna pay for that, dammit!"

"Kanji, be careful! He's—"

"Yeah Rise, I know. Suspension animation. I was able to hear and see all that. And thanks for the boost, senpais!"

One could see Rise's popped blood vessel in orbit from how she screeched. "That's suspended animation, you Moronji!"

"Hey, you can correct me after we're done kicking this guy's ass!"

Despite herself, Chie laughed at their antics. She turned to express her gratitude for the bear's assistance, knowing he could see and hear what she was about to say. "Thanks, Teddie."

Kanji made another haymaker of an attack, boosted from the support of his teammates, as the others helped prep Chie. Before long, their turns were over, and Shadow Mitsuo began to move (as limited as an 8-bit character model could anyway).

He attacked with his sword, able to hit Yosuke despite the distance between them. "Critical Hit. One more." He followed up with a similar sword strike at Shirou.

"Again?" Rise frowned. One critical hit at the opening move was uncanny, but two in a row was ridiculous.

The battle was going through a sort of pattern now. Yukiko was on full healing duty as Chie and Kanji threw their hardest attacks at the shell. Shirou and Yosuke alternated on support and healing, and then Shadow Mitsuo would strike twice. Every time.

Every first hit was a sure strike on knocking someone off balance before following up with another swing. Perhaps it was because of his subdued personality, but the Shadow stood in place while retaliating. Sometimes he'd even wait and painstakingly choose which option to do.

After all, the urgency to hit it hard and true pushed them to make every action count. The Investigation Team consistently grouped up to choose a plan and then followed it through. For the most part, things were going well as the team prepared for their next round.

But was this really working? Shadow Mitsuo was still standing in his "Hero" shell and kept exploiting critical hits, so the turn count was in his favor. Rise had been in the idol business long enough to know what was a con (or at least have her peers in the industry tell her about them) and this whole turn setup felt like one.

Right now, Himiko was summoned and surveying the whole fight. The shell continued to rack up damage, but also steadily recovered as the team was forced to wait between attacks. And of course, the Shadow inside was protected and—

Wait, did a blip of prana go off? But it wasn't Mitsuo's turn yet!

Rise debated telling the others this. She almost called them out, but then thought of the implications of this battle. It was like a gimmicky trap, not unlike that room loop Shadow Teddie set up. The others couldn't do more than attack the shell in front of them because of the idea that doing so would eventually work. They were bound by the turn rules.

Except her, as she was just the clairvoyant support.

She slipped away from her Persona's range and sneaked around back. Right now, everyone was focused on the battle, and Himiko's presence gave them the idea that she was watching them. She could see through Himiko's shared vision, but she wasn't as hardy as the others. One sword strike or bomb could do her in.

Finally, as she neared the back of the giant Shadow, she saw it. A round opening of flickering pixels near the base of the feet, with Shadow Mitsuo's true form. It was constantly expelling a red smog that was a telltale sign of Shadows using prana, but it didn't seem to require concentration.

Then she saw the shell ripple in conjunction with Tomoe's glaive strike. It was only for an instant, but the shell rotated so the damage would overlap to where the opening was, while seemingly coming out unscathed. It was constantly healing and parrying while the team attacked it, seemingly waiting before retaliating.

He had a perfect defense ruse while free to attack in safety, and it was only because the bastard was cheating!

She picked up a long blocky femur from the floor (hesitating only slightly from how gross this was gonna be), hefted it over her shoulder, and leaped forward.

Crack! The pixelated thigh bone struck through the opening of the Hero, and had struck a sickening strike at the Shadow's head. Its cry of pain caused the whole shell to stutter and glitch, not unlike their Personas from a grueling critical hit. And she definitely impacted a sweet spot.

The Shadow noticed her and glowered at her, trying to pry the bone away from him. "You… cheater!"

"You would know, Mr. 'Talking is free action'!" she quipped, pushing harder on her weapon. She wasn't strong, but neither was the Shadow's true form, so she just needed to hold him steady until the others noticed.

…or in a grimmer alternative, until the Hero shell, partially erased, started to pick a battle action to use against her.

This time the option hovered on SPELL, and selected GIGADYNE. Suddenly the arena's monochromic sky was covered by blocky clouds and thick white lightning moved jaggedly down towards her.

If this is anything like Dragon Quest, she thought, this is probably gonna hurt.

Rise closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable, either too scared or stubborn to let go and run. A crash of thunder echoed like in old retro games, a sound effect to a loud raspberry up close to a microphone and blaring out a loud speaker. But there was no pain or numbness.

Did it miss?

Slowly, she opened her eyes and was surprised to see Izanagi hovering over her. He held his weapon aloft like a wizard's staff and channeled the Gigadyne through the blade like a lightning rod. The lightning still frayed his body in rippling sparks, but he successfully buffered the worst of the attack and kept her out of harm's way.

"Senpai!" Rise cried, equal parts amazed, glad, and dismayed by his aid. Shirou's Persona looked over his shoulder to gaze down on her, and she could feel his scrutinizing gaze through those eyes. A moment later, Shirou's hand clasped over her shoulder as he forcibly pried her away to safety.

"We'll talk about your little stunt later," he admonished simply. It was meant to be a lecture, but she swore she heard a ghost of a smile from his lips. Not unlike their little one-on-one sparring sessions leading up to this.

"Right," she nodded and smiled. She figured it was worth getting an earful from the team leader.

Meanwhile, Shadow Mitsuo was getting meticulously ganged up on and beaten down by the rest of the team, now having no restrictions from turn cooldowns. The Shadow cried helplessly, cradling his head in a feeble position with as much psychic force it could muster to protect himself. But the righteous fury of the team knew no bounds, and they dared not to let him get a second wind. The cries were drowned out by either the whipping gales, the blazing fire, or the screams of the users with each blow.

They were pragmatic, ruthless, and prepared. After many close calls with their own Shadows, they refused to give Mitsuo's another chance, especially when it altered the stakes against them to begin with.

And so… the fight was over. Mitsuo's Shadow, unable to handle the stress and pain, simply caved and regressed to human form.

The Team was on guard, staring at the Shadow with trepidation. Adrenaline left their bodies as the reality of their victory sunk in, even though they couldn't believe the fight would be so quickly one-sided.

"Serves ya right!" Kanji yelled as he flexed his free arm.

Exhaling a sigh of relief, Shirou (with a supporting shoulder by Rise) limped over to where the real Mitsuo laid. The danger was over, but there was the matter of what to do with him now as the others gathered around him.

"Let's get him out of here," he said.

"Whoa, hold on," Yosuke said. "Why should we help this guy? He admitted to killing Saki-senpai and the others!"

"He's only guilty for killing Morooka-sensei. Anything else was just bluster."

"Just because you asked his Shadow? For all we know, he was just lying to get a rise out of him."

"Yeah, but his Shadow seemed kind of regretful, didn't it?" Yukiko offered. "That at least felt genuine."

"So, we should just let him accept his other self?" Kanji asked, glancing between the two Mitsuo's with a skeptical frown. "Cuz somehow I don't think it'll go like the rest of us."

"His Shadow is docile now and won't agitate the others," Teddie explained. "But it's still up to the person to actually make peace with it to create the Persona."

"Then we can just leave it," Shirou reasoned, to which the bear nodded. "We came here to stop one of the siblings, and we did just that."

"Not that we want this sicko in our ranks anyway," Rise vehemently added. It was a unanimous decision no one needed to say, given how his delusion from what they saw in the castle told them how demeaning of a person he was.

"Can't we just… I don't know. Leave him?"

Yukiko gasped. "Chie!"

"Just a thought!" Honestly, Chie felt dirty even suggesting the idea, but she detested the boy ever since he tried to make a move on Yukiko. He looked slimy, he acted weird, and all his Shadow did was feel sorry for himself. She felt tempted to just let the very world that killed others do the same to him as others, if only for some sense of justice.

Shirou shook his head, resolute. "It's not our place to play judge, jury or executioner. That's for the police to decide."

"Oh," Chie said, relieved. "You were planning on turning him over, huh?"

"That was the intention, yes."

Yosuke and Kanji exchanged glances before nodding. As one, they knelt down and draped Mitsuo over each of their shoulders to carry. "If that's your plan, senpai, then I'm behind it all the way," Kanji assured.

"Yeah, same," Yosuke said. "I mean, bad blood aside, I wouldn't want to mess with anyone close to—"

"Oh, this won't do Mitsy. Won't do at all."

The gang flinched and turned around. Standing before them, further ahead from the downed Shadow, was a pale-skinned, auburn-haired girl in what appeared to be clergy robes. A red outer chasuble, a black inner alb cut by her knees, and an amice with an inverted cross symbol. Aside from her twisted choice of clothing, what struck the attention of everyone was her blood-red eyes.

"GAAAAH!" Teddie screamed. "It's her again!"

"Satsuki Kubo," Shirou whispered. "No… Satsuki Yumizuka."

The prana signature was overwhelming, causing Shirou's senses to scream as if hearing a deafening wail. It was different from the other powerful Shadows up to this point in that they didn't trigger such a flight or fight response until after they transformed, and nowhere close to this level.

This thing wasn't Satsuki's Shadow. It was something far worse.

"Sacchin?" Yosuke asked. He couldn't help but plead for some hope. "Is that really you?"

She ignored him at first, walking towards them with each deliberate step accompanied by the clicking of heels. Shirou and Chie moved in position towards her, guarding Kanji and Yosuke from her advance. The others also huddled close, anticipating the worst. She stopped just in front of them, her expression still blank.

They were floored when she just smiled at them.

"Good to see you guys again. Yosuke-kun, Teddie Bear, Shirou-san, Tatsumi-chan, and all your friends." She greeted them cordially with a nod to each named person, and then ended with a curtsy. She held no hostility towards them, but still they remained wary. Sensing this, her next words were less polite.

"I would like my brother back. Hand him over."

The effect was immediate; Yosuke and Kanji stiffened, eased their grip on Mitsuo, and even moved his arms out from over their shoulders. Everyone else either froze or moved aside so Satsuki could march through. Shirou barely was aware of his surroundings, but couldn't move, much less breathe, as the smug vampire carried Mitsuo away in her arms.

Like a switch, the pressure was suddenly gone and then everyone collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. "Wh-what the hell was that?!" Kanji yelled.

"Mystic Eyes of Enchantment," Shirou said dimly. "That's a vampire's hypnotism at work."

Yukiko strained to look up at the retreating Sacchin. "That was a vampire's hypnosis?"

She stopped short of the Shadow on the ground before letting Mitsuo down next to it. He finally stirred and saw her smiling face. "S-Sis?"

"I'm here, Mitsy, and everything is gonna be fine."

Mitsuo smiled, feeling the ease of his burden lighten and his mind clearing. His sister was here for him. His sister. No one else.

"All you have to do is talk to your Shadow here one last time. Then everything will be clear." She pointed to the lookalike, who was now staring between him and her, frowning.

"What is she doing now?" Teddie wondered.

"His words might have hurt you before, but you can overcome them, and be stronger for that. As long as you have me, things will work out, right?" Why was she saying things like that?

"Wait, does she know about how Personas work?!" Chie asked worriedly. But she couldn't have, unless she saw the fight with Shadow Teddie.

"Shit, we have to stop them!" Shirou said. He and the others hurried to stand and run-

Until Sacchin snapped her glaring gaze at them. "You stay out of this."

Again, the power of her command stopped them in place. Shadow Mitsuo's turn enforcement from the fight before simply couldn't compare. Was her hypnotism really so strong before? Or was the world around them empowering her somehow?

Satisfied, she then turned and smiled encouragingly to her "brother". "Go on, Mitsy."

Mitsuo, after staring at her mystified for a moment, chuckled; it was a raspy, painful sound, but it felt like sweet victory. He pushed himself up to stand over the fake, and grinned. "It's just like I told you, isn't it?"

The Shadow shook his head. "Don't do this," he pleaded. To Shirou's ears, it sounded more concerned for the real Mitsuo than himself right now. "You know this isn't right."

"Shut up!" Mitsuo yelled. "I… I hate you! You're just a waste of space, and you tried to take my sister away from me! I don't need a worthless nobody like you when I have her to prop me up! I'm the killer! I'm the one the police are after! I did all that without you!"

Again, the room was filled with a tense silence following his bluster. Even Sacchin was taken aback, as she never expected this side of him before.

Shadow Mitsuo, who was already weak and close to fading, suddenly flared up in darkness and popped, leaving not a trace left. Sacchin gasped and stared at where he once stood, disbelieving.

"Where did it go?" Rise asked, alarmed.

Yukiko gulped. "Did it just… die?"

Mitsuo giggled, a sudden euphoric feeling of adrenaline filling him. "He's gone! He's gone, he's finally gone! Take that you son of a… bitch…" Midway in his gloating, he collapsed down to one knee.

"H-Hey!" Kanji called out. He would have rushed over and helped the guy up, bastard or not, if it weren't for Sacchin's command still rooting him in place.

Speaking of Sacchin, Shirou was worried what her reaction might be. Her body language was rigid, and for a moment he swore he could see her fist clench. He couldn't tell what she was thinking right now, but that might be the norm for vampires. They lack the senses that helped define humanity.

Then she spoke. "You blew it, Mitsy."

There was no warmth in her words. She didn't even look at him, staring still at the spot his Shadow once occupied. Mitsuo, delirious enough to think he misheard her speak so coldly, turned to her in confusion. "Huh?"

"You could have done it. You could have gained the power to make yourself a hero like you always wanted. But instead, you were a coward. You failed to accept your Shadow, doubling down on repressing it until it was gone."

"W-What are… you saying, sis?"

"I told you, didn't I? I told you to accept it and try to work things though, but you messed things up. You messed up in a way I didn't think was possible, actually. You've effectively committed suicide through ego death. I'm both amazed and dumbfounded that you could do that." Sacchin frowned and scratched the side of her head. "But I guess I laid it on too thick with the suggestions. Didn't think you'd get so attached to me that you'd be jealous of your own psyche."

"Ego… suggestions? Sis, I-I don't understand."

"And you wouldn't understand even if I told you. You never were a bright kid to begin with." She shrugged casually, even though Mitsuo stared at her in shocked betrayal for being insulted. It went away as she reached over and hugged him. "Ah well, I guess I'll make do with your blood. Goodbye, Mitsy."

Before Mitsuo could even think, he felt his neck punctured from sharp incisors digging in, and felt his blood run dry.

He was already struggling to think since the Shadow went away, but now it was becoming harder with each passing second until… he ceased to be.

<><><>

From the sidelines, the Investigation Team stared at horror upon seeing firsthand a vampire's daily meal. Mitsuo Kubo was hardly a pleasant person wanting to hurt others, but he was ultimately a lonely boy who was roped into a crime. Shirou felt in some way that he could have ended up like him had he not met his friends in Inaba, or even had the support of Kiritsugu, Taiga, and the others in Fuyuki.

So, it was so frustrating and nauseating to see his body drained of color and into her mouth as if he were a kid's juice pouch. Even though the pressure from her command geis had faded, they were still rooted down from another pressure altogether: fear.

After a long agonizing minute that felt like an eternity, she dropped the corpse. She licked her lips and wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand, and even let out a small belch from her feeding. She turned to the team staring at her with equal looks of contempt and dismay.

Sacchin blinked. "What? Is there still blood on my face?"

"How could you…?" Yukiko choked with a sob.

"How dare you!" Kanji yelled. "He was your brother and accomplice! And all you have to say for yourself is 'is there blood on my face'?!"

"I just decided to cut my losses," she explained. "He was no use to me without a Persona, and he would just rot in a jail cell to die with a mental shutdown. No one will miss him."

"'No one would-?!' Yosuke echoed in audacity. "He was your brother, Sacchin! And he still has parents!"

Sacchin tilted her head to the side. "I thought you guys would have figured this out by now, given how Shirou-san here called me by my real surname. I ate and disposed of his parents weeks ago. Mitsy just bought the excuse that they were out on a honeymoon and that I was his sister visiting from college."

Again looks of indignant rage filled the team, leaving the vampire somewhat miffed. "What? A girl's gotta drink to survive, you know. If anything, you guys should be relieved that he's with his family in the afterlife."

"How many, Yumizuka?" Shirou growled with a hardened glare. "How many people have you killed?"

"How many slices of bread have you eaten in your lifetime?" she asked. The team flinched, aghast and furious at such an analogy, but Yosuke was especially livid. Sacchin grinned. "Come on, I know you got the reference!"

"That hardly applies here!" he snapped. Yosuke then sobbed, fighting back tears. She was so jovial and friendly like before, but without an ounce of empathy due to being a monster. Was this really his girlfriend he had dated for the last month?

She turned around and walked off. Chie called out, "Wait a minute! Where the hell are you going?"

"To the end of the Palace, of course," she said. "It'd be no fun to beat you up here and now, so I'm giving you a chance to lick your wounds. And grieve, apparently, since you're hung up on that."

"What do you think this is, a game?" Rise yelled.

"Uh, yeah? This whole Palace is themed around a JRPG and a Metroidvania. Did you guys not climb the last eight stratums?"

She waited a moment longer, waiting for anyone else to question her or dare fight her now. When no one spoke or moved, she marched away again. Her clicking heels were the only thing remaining as she left the stage, before those faded too.

The tension was gone, and everyone collapsed into near mental hysterics. Rise and Yukiko puked. Yosuke hid his face in his hands as he cried. Chie fell down to her hands and knees, pounding the floor while yelling "dammit" over and over again. Kanji let all his rage out in a punch towards a part of the wall. Teddie hugged and petted Tama for some need of comfort that the fox allowed.

Only Shirou kept a vigilant sound of mind from that encounter, but he didn't blame his teammates for their reactions. Mitsuo wasn't a good person. Probably not a pleasant person at all. But they rescued him. Had rescued him.

Only for his life to be literally plucked out of their hands.

Some hero he turned out to be.

"Amagi," he said softly. "I know it's hard, but if you could help me…"

She followed his gaze to Mitsuo's corpse, recognition dawning. "O-Okay…"

After a cremation ceremony from Konohana Sakuya, the team left for home without a word.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 49: Wayward

July 25th, Yasogami High School, Classroom 2-A, Final period

There was a scare on the morning news when a fourth body was found on the telephone poles, aligning with the strange causes of the first two. And happening so soon after the third made people panic and gossip that the Inaba Murderer was active again.

It didn't surprise Shirou. Not when he thought about it, or when Teddie told the others over Yosuke's cellphone that morning. They may have burned his body, but Yamano and Saki were supposedly brutally killed by their Shadows as well, only to return without signs of damage. He claimed the world of unconsciousness blended mental realities so well that any damage done to them was more to their psyche than their bodies or clothes.

That would explain, in hindsight, why their uniforms were never damaged on return trips even if they were bleeding internally.

Not that it mattered. The Investigation Team (sans the animals) attended school as normal. Shirou's mind was barely aware of class, and he didn't care that the teachers reprimanded him. Recovering from exams was the excuse Chie provided for him, as well as the others when asked.

They still couldn't get that battle off their minds. Ready to bring Mitsuo back home, and whatever awaited him back in the real world. An arrest, charged for at least one murder and supposed claim on the other two, no friends or family to watch over him after his sentence…

Shirou didn't want to admit it, but perhaps Satsuki killing him as she did might have been a mercy for all involved. He didn't have the maturity to realize deep down he was living a lie with his "sister" and denied the cold reality that he needed to change. He refused to change and was murdered for that. Shirou didn't know what to think about all that.

In fact… he didn't know what to think at all.

He knew he should feel something, but there was a numbness that couldn't be ignored, and a pit in his stomach that felt heavy. Was he sad that Mitsuo was dead? Or angry? Was it even related to Mitsuo dying? Did he hate or pity Satsuki as a vampire? Did it matter that she had been Yosuke's girlfriend?

Maybe he knew the real answer. Maybe he didn't. All he knew for sure was he didn't like this feeling. This crushing defeat over what should have been a simple scouting battle. To apprehend one of the two siblings, and it was on his head that the team had failed.

What kind of hero fails to save people?

When the final bell rang, Shirou barely acknowledged it until hearing some of the students gossiping as soon as Kashiwagi left.

"So, did you find out who the fourth victim this morning was?"

"I think it was that cram school guy. You know, the one who stalked the front gate back in Spring?"

"Oh yeah. I heard he complained a lot about everything. Work, studies, even the murders. Surprised a guy as weird as him had a hot sister."

"He had a sister?"

"Yeah, college age. And an accomplice at that."

"Guess that makes her luckier than the late Konishi, huh?"

SLAM!!

The gossip stopped as a resounding echo of two pairs of hands slamming on their desks snapped everyone to the center of the room. Yosuke and Shirou, by coincidence or sheer happenstance, acted in unison that garnered more attention than had just one of them acted out. They gazed at the group of three gossiping students.

Their reactions couldn't be any more different. Yosuke's scowl was barely biting down a roaring retort through his teeth, and Shirou just had a blank, if disappointed, stare pointed at them.

Almost right away, the gossipers sweated nervously as they sheepishly packed their things and left the room. Other students in the classroom also took the opportunity to quickly leave until only the four second-year members of the Investigation Team were left.

"Guys," Chie started, but failed to voice a question. It wasn't like she could ask "Are you okay?" None of them were okay, especially not after their defeat.

"Maybe we should head to our secret headquarters?" Yukiko said. Not that there was anyone here to listen in on them now, but any part of Junes would be a welcome change of scenery.

"Not today," Shirou said. "I'm – we're not ready."

As the others were mulling over his words, Shirou grabbed his bag and started to leave the room. Yosuke seemed to agree, swinging his bag over his shoulder as he walked out as well.

Chie managed to bolt up from her desk and grab both their gakuen jacket hems before they left in different directions. "Don't either of you pull that lone warrior crap! We're all hurting too, and need to stick together!"

"What's the point?" Yosuke groaned. His gaze was down to the floor, tired and dismayed. "We found out who the culprit is, but she's way out of our league. We can't fight someone who can stop us with a look and a command."

"Listen to yourself! You're the one who wanted to find out about what happened to Saki-senpai and the others. Now you're giving up because your girlfriend is the killer?"

"Better than rushing to my death by giving her a Type A Blood buffet."

"You-!"

"Enough." Shirou cut their argument short, though his tone was still as subdued as before. "Satonaka, I'm sorry. You're right that we can't let this mystery end like this. But as I've said before, we're not ready. None of us are, and we won't be until this…" he stopped, failing to find the right words.

"Soul-crushing taste of defeat?" Yosuke offered.

"-gets resolved, yes."

Chie looked between the two, aghast. Neither of them bothered to look back at her when she grabbed their jackets. She understood Yosuke being all broken-up about his girlfriend, but she thought Shirou would be more stoic and resilient. They were the two leaders that formed the Investigation Team after all.

She felt miserable too, and thought that as long as they were together, she could bounce back. Instead, she found her resolve slip, allowing the two boys to pull away from her trembling hands.

"Chie," Yukiko called to her, long after both boys were gone. "It's okay. Let's just give them time to adjust."

"B-But we don't have that kind of time!" Chie argued.

"Maybe we do," Yukiko said. "Right now Satsuki is waiting at the end of her… 'palace', and the weather forecast said it wasn't going to rain until later this week. If there was a time for her to do something, it would be when the fog lifts over there."

"'When the fog lifts.' Jeez, you're starting to sound like Teddie."

"'Why, all the better to sniff the topsicles out, Chie-chan!'"

Chie turned to her friend in bewilderment. If the horrible accent didn't give her pause, her friend's goofy smile and hand-knocking-head gesture did.

"Hahahaha!" she laughed at how ridiculous she looked. And Yukiko giggled as well, as opposed to her usual guffaws of laughter.

They calmed down and started to climb down the floor stairs, otherwise other after-school students would give them odd looks. "Feeling better?"

"A little," Chie admitted. "But don't do that creepy voice again."

Yukiko pouted. "Aww, but I was hoping my range was getting better."

"Range?" Chie asked, before realizing what her friend was referring to. "Oh, right, you're in the drama club. By the way, how's that going for you?"

"Pretty well. Ozawa-san has given me some helpful pointers in expressing through action. It's fun being able to pretend someone I'm not for once."

"At least you're having fun with after-school stuff. I'm stuck with a bunch of uninspired athletes, a dummy who keeps half-assing practice, and another dummy thinking about quitting basketball."

"Basketball? I thought you were the manager for the soccer team."

"I am, but Kou-kun was feeling super down about his family name and… gah, I don't know why he told me about it."

"It sounds like Ichijou-kun trusts you."

"Yeah, but isn't that the kind of otome stuff you tell a girl you like? He's clearly more into you than me."

Yukiko blinked. "I… never got a weird vibe from Ichijou-kun, though."

"So he's better at being polite than your other suitors. Just makes the fact he keeps putting off telling you how he feels even more infuriating!"

The two girls continued to gossip as they headed home. The good thing about today was that summer vacation was on the horizon, and they had all the time in the world to get over the drama of their team before the drama of school life.

<><><>

After School, Tatsuhime Shrine

"I'm starting to think you needed this field trip more than me, Four."

"Sorry. I thought you'd appreciate getting out of the Velvet Room, but I couldn't fool you with my mood, huh?"

"Your surliness is so bad it could be seen from space."

Ouch. But that's what he got for dragging Marie out here.

Shirou knew he needed to get his mind off of yesterday, but he found himself reluctant to do so. He had already blown off three of his friends and was not motivated to see the other team members. Going home early meant dealing with Nanako and Doji-nii with his lackluster lying skills. And he doubted he could keep his emotions in check working either, so MOEL was out.

He knew he needed to check up on Fuji-nee too. Perhaps even needed to. But not right now.

Which, by process of elimination, led him to take Marie on another tour of the town, and possibly find out about her origins.

She took an instant liking to the Tatsuhime Shrine, sitting by the offering step as she "sketched" the scenery. Well, she was half doing that, and half writing up another poem as she mumbled the words to herself. To spare himself from her wrath, Shirou pretended not to hear her.

It just felt nice to sit and watch the beautiful view around him. The shrine was small but homely, fitting for Tama's retreat. And it was hard to ignore Tama herself when she sat and nestled against Shirou's leg, and even allowed him to pet her from head to lower back.

Perhaps Tama's sense of altruism for ema wishes was genuine after all, if she was so empathetic.

Well, after half an hour of sitting and relaxing, Shirou felt ready to proceed with what he intended to do. "Hey Marie."

"Hmm?"

"Can I see your comb again?"

Frowning but without hesitating, Marie dug into her knapsack and handed him the accessory. Or almost did, pulling back as he reached for it. "Don't do something mean like throwing it. This is my only link to myself."

"I'm hurt you would even think I'd do that," Shirou said.

"Unlike you, I actually pay attention to some of the snark that comes out of that mouth of yours."

Shirou's eyes fell to a deadpan glare. "I'm half-tempted to throw it now just to spite you."

Marie leaned away from him, pointing accusingly at him with her other hand. "See, that's the kind of stuff I'm talking about!"

"Do you want me to help you or not?"

Glowering, Marie relented and handed him the comb, albeit with more reluctance as she thought he would go through with his threat. Shirou didn't mind throwing smack talk every now and then, but he always kept his word when helping others.

Grasping it firmly in his hand, he decided to try to find its origins through magecraft. "Trace, on."

Structural analysis was a good first step, understanding how it was made. If there was a manufacturer, even a common one, they could trace the link to there (no pun intended).

The comb was simply otherworldly. It was ancient, made of something akin to high-quality bamboo, and yet had no sign of wear or tear. Even the design was abnormal as it wouldn't be used to fix hair or accessorize in a festival.

Most telling of all was the hint of prana from the teeth. It had been used once before. But who would use a comb as a mystic code, though?

Either way, he gleaned all that he could from the comb, and told Marie his findings.

"That's it?" she asked, hoping for more.

"That's all I could figure out, sadly," he told her. "If you want a more expert opinion, you could try Igor or Margaret back at the Velvet Room."

Marie angrily swiped her comb back from his hand. "You think I haven't asked them already?! They clearly know, but for some reason talk in riddles. The Nose was all 'you must find yourself on your own terms'. And I only know that because Maggie told me the same thing in fewer words."

Shirou winced. "Yeah, that sounds like them, all right."

"Honestly, they keep me cramped in that limo for my own good, and then expect me to figure out my own problems. Lousybignosedknowitallfreak."

Shirou chuckled but had to stop himself when Marie glared at him. She did look cute when mad, though it was better for both their sakes to calm her down. "I'll be sure to take you out of the room more often. Promise."

"You're already invested in solving my memory problem, but I won't say no to more trips," she said passively. She tried (but failed) to hide her satisfaction as she wrote more poem lines.

Then she stopped. "That… reminds me."

"Hmm?" Shirou turned to Marie. It was unlike her to be suddenly so pensive.

"Maggie told me that you had memory problems from your past, too. How it was tied to your black card." Oh. He'd almost forgotten about Kagutsuchi.

Marie turned to him with a sad frown. "How does not having an idea of your past not bother you? Don't you want to know more about yourself before all this?"

Shirou blinked, mind reeling as he turned his gaze down to the stone floor. He gazed at both his hands.

Know more about myself? Know about what? About his birth parents he could never see again? About the kids his age he played with and may or may not have made friends with?

"Four?"

The thousands of people that died in the mass hysteria trying to escape, some even begging for help as their bodies burned to ash? How he had been found and saved was a true miracle, wanting to understand why such a smile on that dark day moved him?

How those nightmares still haunted him, demanding his own blood as penance, especially in failing to save one more person-!

"Shirou! Calm down!"

Shirou was jolted by Marie standing in front of him with both hands on his shoulders. Fear was evident on her face, which seemed to fade as they both exhaled heavy breaths suddenly. Even Tama was bothered and leaped away from him at some point, perplexed.

What just-…oh.

"I… said all that out loud, didn't I?'

"Y-Yeah," Marie admitted. "It sounds like you do remember some stuff though."

"I remember enough," he said. "And frankly I wish some days I didn't."

She didn't know how to respond to that, so she nodded. She also slowly removed her hands when it was clear he was not hyperventilating anymore.

"Sorry," Shirou said remorsefully. "That probably isn't something you wanted to hear when dealing with your own problems."

"I'm the one who should say sorry, Four," Marie told him. "I thought that you had everything figured out because hardly anything before phased you. But after yesterday and just now, I realized that you were hurting, just like me."

An epiphany seemed to dawn on her, as she suddenly scribbled into her paper again. After a look over, she started reading aloud.

"Embers.

A brilliant vermillion sun,
as dazzling as it is deadly.

It feels like autumn,
but isn't it summer?

It illuminates everything,
but not what has happened before.

I stare at the sun. I demand its answers.

You turn from the sun, afraid, broken.

We are two of a kind, you and I."

She recited the poem loudly, that left no illusion that he didn't hear it. Her voice cracked somewhat, clearly shy from the act, but her confidence and bravado in sharing this art pulled through to the end. She had stared at him as she recited the last line, the intent clear.

Shirou was floored. Why did she suddenly share something that she kept a secret at such lengths before? "Marie?"

Marie's cheeks flushed as bright as the setting sun, and she refused to make eye contact. "N-Now we're even. I know your secret, and you know mine! But don't share this with anyone, got that?!"

Shirou could only dumbly nod, suddenly touched by her words. She went out of her way just to make him feel better? Did she really think that poem up on the spot or during the time they were sitting together?

A comical snickering came from the resident shrine fox, clearly amused. Marie scowled and pointed at her. "And that goes double for you, Mamo!"

The fox stopped laughing, staring at her incredulously. "'Mamo'?" Shirou asked aloud.

"She looks like a Mamo, okay?"

"…are you going to call everyone by a moniker instead of their given name?"

Marie shrugged indifferently. "Only the ones I like."

Honestly, this girl… she would drive many other people up the wall with her brash, snarky attitude. But underneath that insecure façade of hers was a gentle, sensitive girl that cared about others. There was something truly sincere about her that drew him in.

Smiling, Shirou couldn't be more grateful to be friends with Marie, and feel the bond of the Aeon arcana grow in response.

<><><>

Evening, Taiga's Apartment

Taiga stretched and reclined on her now clean and fixed couch. "Aaaaah, feels good to finally get back to my home away from home! Whenever I wasn't in the hospital, I was in some police room for questions. It was nuts!"

Her questioning was over, if only because a new development came up with the late Mitsuo Kubo's cadaver on the power lines. As she was under surveillance at the time of the murder, she had an alibi and thus was free of suspicion. It was a silver-lining on an otherwise dismal day.

"I know, Fuji-nee, you've said so over the last hour," Shirou droned. He'd followed up on his mental note to check on his guardian, even offering to help clean up her apartment now that it wasn't being treated as a crime scene. Just now he was finishing up sweeping up the last bits of glass from the altercation.

"Because it deserves repeating! I kept telling the cops the same story, but they kept heckling me!"

"So, you're repeating a story about how annoyed you were about cops repeating the same questions?"

"Grk!" His guardian flinched, before doubling down in a tantrum. "St-stupid Shirou! You shouldn't question your elders!"

"I was merely making an observation," the young magus replied nonchalantly.

Taiga puffed her cheeks but dropped the matter. She reclined on her couch and contributed the only way she knew how to help with cleaning. "You missed a spot by your right foot." Dictation. "No, your other right."

The next few minutes passed on with light commentary and methodical work ethic. Not unlike the days back at Fuyuki where he'd clean up after dinner before Fuji-nee and Sakura would walk to their homes, and he'd turn in after some magecraft exercises. He almost missed those days.

Then again, he'd found his own new routine in Inaba. Breakfast with the Dojimas. Walking to school, usually talking with Yosuke or Chie or the others as they met during the commune. Seven hours of schoolwork, then… so many different activities. Usually, he'd go straight to work at the Copenhagen or check around the school for maintenance. Instead in Inaba, he'd either fight Shadows in another world, or go along with one of his friend's requests to hang out.

Come to think of it, he never thought to do the same with Fuji-nee or Sakura, did he? Well, his position as a student living alone made it difficult to have fun. Sakura respectively kept her personal matters private, and Fuji-nee wanted to avoid too much association of a teacher favoring a student.

"Oi, Shirou, you've been sweeping that same spot for a while now. You okay?"

Shirou bristled as he moved to dust another spot. It seemed that she was just as aware of his hangups when she felt motivated to pay attention. "Yes, I'm fine, Fuji-nee."

"Really?" Taiga asked, adopting an exaggerated thoughtful look. "Because I heard from Naoto-kun, who heard from Kanji-kun, who heard from Chie-chan and Yukiko-chan, that you totally were not fine this afternoon."

Ah yes, the rumor mill of Inaba. Even the Investigation Team would let word travel fast between them if convenient. Groaning, Shirou stared down to the floor as he kept working.

"Are you really blaming yourself about what happened with Mitsuo?"

Shirou stopped sweeping. His hands tightened on the broomstick, almost cracking the wood from pressure alone.

"Don't shut me out again, Shirou," she said sternly. "Not like with Kiritsugu."

"It's not the same," he argued. "The old man died without me even realizing it, but he was content. But with Mitsuo? He was right there, and I let him die."

Taiga frowned, feeling her thoughts and mood dampen like a black scribble. "And this is why I worry about your darn bleeding heart."

"Is this the part where you tell me to drop my dream of being a hero?" Shirou quipped, still looking away.

"Don't be like that. We both know you never intend to listen to me, and that was before you got your Persona powers."

Shirou's eyes glanced at his right arm. The one that had been severed from the fight with Kanji's Shadow. The one that was briefly on fire and helped summon Kagutsuchi.

"I wonder," he said aloud. "I have so many powers, and yet I can't seem to do anything with them."

If he had the power of Kagutsuchi like before, maybe he could have stopped Satsuki's hypnosis. Or would it? He could have just as easily lost his presence of mind and burned everything. Including his friends.

Taiga's hand clasped over his shoulder. He finally turned, seeing her smiling at him. "That's because you keep rushing in before you're ready, you idiot."

Only she could make an insult sound so endearing and soft. Shirou flushed in equal parts annoyance and warmth.

"Look, I'm sorry for giving you flak all those years about your ally of justice thing," she continued. "But I didn't know you had powers to follow through with it. You never talked about how or why you wanted to do it anyway."

"To be a magus means to—"

She pressed a finger to his lips, stopping him. "It's not just the fact that you hid a secret about being a magus, Shirou. It's that you have kept a wall around yourself for years."

A wall? Shirou couldn't believe it. That was absurd. He could barely make a sword to protect himself, much less a shield.

Taiga looked conflicted about saying something, before shaking her head and dropping it. "Point is, I'm not going to stop you if you're dead set on helping others. But I am going to hammer into you that you need to consider how you express yourself."

"Huh?"

"For starters," she moved her hands to the sides of her head, grinned, and pointed to her dimples. Her disposition was as bright and welcoming as a blooming flower. "Try smiling! It'll make others feel relaxed and happy!"

Shirou blinked, trying to comprehend her words. He failed to form his own, let alone make a smile. All he managed to do was stare, mouth agape.

"But I guess now isn't a good time for that," Taiga admitted. "What you really need is some comfort food! My treat!"

If it was possible, Shirou was even more alarmed, and his jaw went slack. "Ehh?!"

"What? I ordered some takeout. Been dying to have a good fried rice bowl from Aiya's."

…he should have expected this from her, given her personality. And yet she completely derailed the mood and probably lost the thread of her talk once food was involved. Was this planned or some spur of the moment decision for her?

At least he didn't feel haunted again. Just tired. And famished.

"…a bowl of fried rice sounds good, thank you."

"Ah, sorry, I only ordered one for me. You can have some of the other meals I ordered in advance though. All from Aiya's, of course."

He couldn't help but to stare at her with a deadpan look as they walked to her dining table. "Buying this much take-out food and storing it as leftovers is not a healthy lifestyle."

"I'm learning to live without your cooking, Shirou!" Taiga snapped, acting like a toddler again. Right down to the shifty eyes. "Sakura hasn't cooked anywhere near as much since you left, so I had to adapt to buying takeout. You've spoiled me for choice all these years, so it's your fault!"

Shirou laughed, which only made her more upset. Even for a moment, he could forget his worries, his secrets, his trauma, and feel like having something akin to a bratty older sister doting on him.

It was fitting that her Tarot Arcana was The Sun.

<><><>

July 26th, Dojima Household, Near Midnight

The next day passed on without much fanfare. There was an end-of-term assembly on the last day, the principal trying to assuage people's worries with the recent passing of Mr. Morooka and Mitsuo Kubo, whom most gossiping students knew as "the poor boy from another school". The team still didn't meet up, whether it was from somber moods or planning for summer vacation.

As for Shirou, he spent time with his extended family after bringing in a surplus of vegetables from the garden. He had helped Nanako set it up a few months ago but had forgotten about them until the weather update on rain and his cousin/sister worried they would get too wet. The Dojimas now had a good share of crops, and Doji-nii even allowed him to take a few tomatoes and cabbages to cook for his own meals.

That little family activity aside, he found himself standing by his TV as he waited for the Midnight Channel to begin. He didn't know what to expect, as he already knew who was on the other side. Would Satsuki take a moment to brag and taunt them to come after her? He almost considered she wouldn't even appear because she was such an enigma, but everyone only knew her as Mitsuo's "sister". There were probably several students watching right now just to catch a glimpse of her.

Still, Shirou was resolute in his decision to stop her by whatever means necessary. If she was truly the one responsible for everything that had happened since spring, she would pay with her borrowed life.

When the clock struck 12, the Midnight Channel booted up. And yet nothing could prepare Shirou for what he was seeing now.

A familiar part of Moon Voidvania was shown, a dark dungeon room with dimly pixelated candles. It was being treated as another live broadcast like the others, right down to the extra limelights. However, it was being presented more as a news special this time with scrolling text. They repeated the same general lines: "Missing Kubo-Yumizuka still alive – Wanted for Murder – Extremely Dangerous".

The room resembled a dungeon prison, with pixelated iron bars and small spaces inside. The camera focused on the outside of the door, and then inside where Satsuki sat in a feeble position. Only she was wearing what looked more like a tattered school uniform than the dark clergy clothes she showed off before. The camera angles kept jumping around, trying to get a good look at her face and clothes. It was telling because, unlike other Midnight Channel hosts, Satsuki was pointedly ignoring the screen.

"Please…" she said slowly. Her voice was cracked, and her body shook in sobs. "Someone… anyone!"

Now the scrolling text was replaced by a series of ineligible symbols and numbers.

"Kill me… before I kill someone else…"

And like the other shows before it, the broadcast ended in a static fade-out, all too brief and leaving so many questions. They'd always had a startling effect of awe and shock, but this one was just… grim. Heavy. Horrifying.

Shirou was so put off that he nearly jumped and screamed when he heard a ringing noise. He calmed down upon realizing it was his cellphone. Yosuke's Caller ID was listed on the screen. "H-Hel—"

"DUDE!" Yosuke yelled, again nearly fraying Shirou's nerves. "That was Sacchin! Or, her Shadow maybe? But why would a vampire have a Shadow? They don't even have reflections. But what the hell does this even mean!?"

"Oh, I know, I know!" Another voice from Yosuke's end cried out, distinctively Teddie's. He had been staying over at Yosuke's house as a guest and work-study for his Junes job, winning over his parents much to Yosuke's annoyance.

"Well then, tell u-HEY!" Yosuke yelled, as some grunts and shoving could be heard. When he talked again, his voice was distant and softer. "Just ask if you want it, dammit!"

"Shirou-sensei! It's me, Teddie!" The excited bear told him. "Ever since you told me about 'filming', I've been wondering what you meant. But now I know having seen this firsthand! Sacchin's suppressed feelings in my world were being broadcast like a signal, which were picked up by your world's TVs!"

"Wait, so, it was all her?"

"As it was for everyone else's Shadow! There was no one involved filming any of these! Mystery solved!"

Wow. There were still many questions left about the Midnight Channel, but it felt good to shelve that question once and for all. Though it also felt kind of underwhelming after everything else. Especially when there were forms of magecraft that could make such long-distance scrying trivial like using a familiar. But that was neither here nor there, and Teddie sounded so proud of his discovery.

So, he settled for praising him. "Good job, Teddie."

"Hehehe!" he giggled with satisfaction.

"Gimme that," Yosuke said faintly, likely swiping it from the bear. When he spoke again, it was clearer to hear. "Still, what she said was so left field. The other day she was nigh-untouchable with that hypnosis thing, and here she is begging someone to kill her? What the hell?"

"I'm not sure about this either," Shirou admitted. "But perhaps there's more to Sacchin than we've been led to believe. We need to regroup tomorrow."

"Yeah, can't really put this off after a bombshell like that," Yosuke agreed. "Well, I'll… see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Shirou."

"Goodnight, Yosuke." He turned off his phone, only for it to ring again.

Chie was calling him, having gotten in touch with Yukiko. Then Kanji, having talked with Naoto and Rise. Then Taiga, of all people, angry that when Naoto contacted her about the Midnight Channel he didn't bother to remind her about it. By the time Shirou was done talking to everyone, it was half an hour past midnight, and he barely had time to collect his own thoughts.

Save for one, he realized in hindsight. It was funny as it was rather sad.

"W-well," Shirou chuckled wryly. "At least this Shadow didn't have a libido issue this time."

"Booooo."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry Lilim."

"Um, I'm Pixie. You left Lilim back with Margaret, remember?"

"…I really need to stop staying up late."