They had snuck into the school that evening with the help of Junpei's outside of the box thinking. Mitsuru and Akihiko had seemed impressed with his stunt, but the move left Yukari cold for some reason. Minako didn't understand her harsh treatment of Junpei, but figured something had happened between the two of them long before Minako had ever returned to Port Island and Gekkoukan.
"We should split up to search for the gym key," Mitsuru spoke softly with the air of dominance that never faltered in her husky voice.
"Sweet, I'll check the faculty office. Maybe find some test answers," Junpei remarked with a grin on his face until he felt Mitsuru's icy glare in the darkness.
"Are you planning something unscrupulous on my watch?" Junpei swallowed nervously.
"Course not, it was a joke. Just a joke!" Yukari rolled her eyes while Mitsuru crossed her arms over her chest.
"Iori, I believe you will accompany me to the janitor's closet so that I may keep an eye on you, Takeba, please join us as well. Ito, you and Akihiko go to the faculty office. We will meet back in the main hall ten minutes before midnight to insure ample time to reach the gym."
Yukari and Junpei reluctantly followed behind the domineering red head, each having their own misgivings on being alone with Mitsuru.
"Right, let's go Minako!" Akihiko was pumped and ready. Minako smiled softly, though the darkness hid it as she stepped into the lead, leaving her classroom behind.
There was no resistance or obstacles while they traversed the stairs to the main hall that would lead them to the faculty office, until suddenly the silence of the night was broken by a set of foot steps. Minako and Akihiko stopped dead in their tracks as they heard the steps getting closer.
"Who would be here at this time?" Akihiko whispered, Minako shrugged, but pointed at one of the decorative pillars in the hall. Akihiko took her advice and pulled her roughly behind the pillar. Each foot fall that drew closer to their hiding place, the harder Akihiko pushed into Minako, and her back into the pillar.
A beam from a flash light passed across the hall and the two held their breath. The beam passed by them undetected and the foot falls dissipated back, deeper into the school. Minako let out the breath she had been holding and dropped her head against Akihiko's hard chest in relief.
With the danger gone, Akihiko realized how close and how tightly he was holding Minako. Her breasts pressed enticingly against him with each breath and his hands gripped her hips, unconsciously pulling her closer to him. He quickly pulled away from her, hoping she hadn't noticed. He cleared his throat and laughed softly.
"Just a security guard," he took another step away from her, he had to think clearly. A girl's life was at risk.
"Do you think we could be arrested?" Minako asked quietly, looking back the way the guard had walked. Akihiko smiled in relief, she apparently had been too scared to notice his behavior.
"Well since we are scurrying around the faculty offices late at night, we're sure to be expelled; if we get caught." Minako nodded.
"So we don't get caught." With determination, she led the way with silent steps and Akihiko fell in beside her.
The key holder was easy enough to find, and the glow from the faculty CPUs and the full moon shining through the windows, the two could see the name tags on each key. Akihiko fumbled around the key box, his mind drifting between saving Fuuka and the feel of Minako right beside him. Minako watched him as he went through the keys, noticing he passed by the gym key and instead grabbed the gym storage key. He seemed clearly distracted by something, so she picked up the correct key. Taking the key from his hand, she replaced it with the correct one.
"You had this the whole time? Why didn't you say so?" she flinched at his harsh words.
"I just happened to have seen it when you grabbed the storage key," it was his turn to flinch at her cold words, knowing full well he deserved it. Without apologizing, he simply lightened his words.
"We should meet the others in the main hall. It's almost time," Minako nodded and once again led the way. Akihiko mentally kicked himself and dashed to catch up to her.
"Any luck?" Mitsuru asked when they finally met up. Minako nodded as Akihiko held up the key. "Good. Now we must decide who will go into Tartarus."
"You can't keep me from going this time," Akihiko jumped in.
"Then I'll be third," Yukari replied.
"Now hold on a minute!" Junpei blurted out, "remember when I accidently screwed up on the monorail? Let me make it up!"
"Accidently?" Yukari replied incredulously. Akihiko smiled, liking Junpei's spunk.
"Ok, Junpei. You're in." Yukari's jaw dropped.
"But…"
"What's wrong, Yukari, don't want to be alone with Mitsuru?" Yukari looked away from Akihiko's gaze.
"No. It's fine." She replied sullenly. Mitsuru nodded, clapping her hands for attention.
"Now that everything has been sorted, we need to get into position. Takeba, meet me outside. You three, get into position. And be careful."
After unlocking the door to the gym, Mitsuru replaced the gym key and waited for the turning of the dark hour outside with Yukari who sat sullenly on a bench outside the school gate.
"Do you think they'll be alright?" she finally asked. Mitsuru looked back at Yukari with a concerned look.
"They have to be."
Minako opened her eyes and winced at the sudden pain that shot through her eyes. She felt a presence beside her and opened her eyes again, more slowly this time. The strange boy stood beside her, smiling down at her.
"I'm glad to see you are awake. Tonight you have two ordeals you must face. And you must find her. You will need her." Before she could ask him anything, the boy disappeared. She shook her head to clear it. Perhaps the boy was just her imagination running wild since she awoke to her power.
She looked around, realizing she was alone and in a very unfamiliar area of Tartarus.
"Mitsuru? Are you there?" she tried calling. Broken words and static was all that she heard in response. Clenching her jaw, Minako held her naginata tightly and began her search for the others and the girl Fuuka.
Surprisingly the shadows in this area of Tartarus were few and relatively weak. Each time she made her way through the floors, Mitsuru's broken words were getting slightly clearer, but a second clear voice spoke to her as well.
"Who are you? Are you human? What is this place?"
On the third floor she found Akihiko and Junpei. When they saw her, relief washed over their faces,
"Good, you're safe. I haven't been having much luck getting in touch with Mitsuru. We must be out of range."
"Hey, did you guys hear another voice? It sounded like – "
"Are you human?" a soft feminine voice spoke from behind the trio.
"Yes! Just like that!" Junpei spun around to see a frail girl inch her way out of the shadows of the hallway.
"Are you Fuuka Yamagishi?" Akihiko asked her. She nodded. "We're here to get you out of here. You'll be safe with us." His words brought a relieved smile to her face.
"Hey, have you seen, um anything kinda weird like monsters?" Junpei asked Fuuka as subtly as he could.
"So there are strange creatures here. I've managed to avoid them so far." Junpei's jaw dropped.
"How is that possibly?"
"She must have the same power as Mitsuru. Probably even stronger since Mitsuru's is more battle oriented. Here, take this," He handed her an Evoker, and her look of relief changed to shock.
"But this – I couldn't possibly –" Akihiko interrupted her with a smile.
"It's not really a gun. Just think of it as a good luck charm." Hesitantly Fuuka smiled up at him, clutching the evoker to her chest. "We should look for an access point now. Mitsuru and Yukari are probably getting worried."
"Right! Let's go!" Junpei enthused while Minako smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Fuuka's shoulder gently pushing her behind Akihiko and Junpei. For the first time, Minako took up the rear as they moved quickly through the halls of this floor of Tartarus.
They entered a hallway filled with windows, and the greenish light of the full moon acted like a spot light in the normally dark halls of Tartarus.
"Wow! Check out the moon! It's friggin' huge!" Junpei couldn't help but blurt out.
"Some research indicates that the phases of the moon effect shadows, just like with humans." Before Akihiko could continue Fuuka gasped, a look of terror on her face.
"What is this! It's huge, and it's attacking someone!" just as she spoke, Mitsuru's voice broke through in static.
"Under attack….two of them…can't hold..."
"Shit!" Akihiko took off running with everyone else following. There was no other thought for anyone besides getting to Yukari and Mitsuru before it was too late.
Traveling through an access port, the group entered the entrance of Tartarus where Mitsuru and Yukari were fighting and losing against two large shadows.
"Where did they come from!" Akihiko yelled out, and it was Mitsuru who answered after being flung across the room.
"Outside, just like the others," she managed, though she was clearly in pain. "Be careful, normal attacks don't work on them." Minako stepped forward.
"Yukari, check on Mitsuru. We'll handle them," she turned her eyes to Fuuka, remembering the strange boy's words. "Can you analyze them?" Fuuka nodded.
"I'll try." And with no more encouragement, Fuuka placed the evoker against her temple and pulled the trigger and she was surrounded by a beautiful woman. "I can see them. I can see their weaknesses." Her voice was muted as if speaking through a glass. Minako smiled and nodded to Akihiko and Junpei.
"Right! Let's kick some shadow ass!" Junpei yelled as the three dashed into the fray.
True to her word, Fuuka showed the combatants their enemies' weakness and it wasn't long before the two towering giants fell. Fuuka looked at everyone in amazement.
"You're all so powerful. I'm so glad you're all safe," as she finished her statement, Fuuka fell unconscious to the floor. Yukari rushed to her side.
"Fuuka?"
"It's ok. She's just exhausted. The important thing is everyone is safe." Mitsuru stated, pushing herself off the floor.
"And I've got a theory about these big ones. I think they show up at full moons." Akihiko chipped in. "The first one we saw, when the dorm was attacked it was a full moon. A month later was the monorail, and another full moon." Mitsuru nodded in thought.
"That's a good theory. We'll discuss it with the chairman. For now, why don't we get Fuuka somewhere safe."