Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Persona 3 or any of its reincarnations. All creative rights to the characters named in this story belong to Atlus and I certainly do not profit from this story.
Mitsuru: Operation Dancing Hand
Before the Specialized ES was formed, I used to go Shadow hunting by myself. For some reason, it was only Persona users who could damage them. The researchers would tell me where they last spotted the monster, and I'd exterminate the pest using my foil, or blast them away with Penthesilea's Bufu skill, whenever she cooperated with me.
Lately though, the Shadows were becoming stronger, and in addition, their appearances becoming more frequent, so it wasn't long before the SEES' first mission, which came on a Saturday, roughly a week after we have moved in to the dorm. For that occasion, we were assembled at the command room. Even the Chairman was there to give our first briefing.
One of the walls of the room was lined by surveillance equipment. It consisted of televisions displaying what the CCTV cameras caught on video, some Shadow-monitoring devices, and a console that manipulated the aforementioned equipment. It was flanked by two bookshelves, filled with books and research materials on Shadows and the Dark Hour. At the center of the room was a wooden coffee table, which we were seated around. By virtue, being the club president and knowing him the longest, I was seated closest to the Chairman. Sanada, Aragaki, and I sat on the long, brown couch facing the consoles, while he took the lone couch to my right.
Sanada looked fired up, judging by the look on his face, whereas Aragaki seemed a little apprehensive over the upcoming battle, eyeing his friend warily and throwing suspicious glances at me, every now and then.
The Chairman checked the digital display by the consoles, which read 23:45. "It's almost time." The other two settled down upon hearing those words, giving the Chairman their full attention. Leaning forward, he folded his hands, resting his elbows on his lap. "I assume you have all your equipment ready?"
"Yes. I have distributed the Evokers," I replied, while Sanada and Aragaki nodded. "I have prepared my foil." I gestured to the sword lying on the table in front of us. "Aragaki's axe has been sharpened." I raised an eyebrow at the brunet, who returned it with one of his own. "And Sanada says he'll be engaging the Shadow hand-to-hand." I glanced dubiously at his black leather gloves. Were they enough to stand against the Shadows? "Are you sure that you don't need boxing gloves?"
"Kirijo-san, I'll be fine," he assured me. "Besides, it's going to be hard gripping my Evoker if I wore those things." He laughed.
"Point taken." I replied bemusedly.
The Chairman picked up the folder next to my weapon. "Alright, this Shadow that you'll be dealing with has been causing trouble for a nearby Junes." He opened the folder and squinted at the papers it contained. "According to this incident report, some displays were knocked over, and it stole a diamond ring from the jewelry store." He looked up from the text. "Your task is to eliminate the Shadow and retrieve the stolen ring. Copy?" He glanced at each of us in turn, and we nodded to signify our understanding.
"Ah, before I forget, here are your armbands." He fished around inside his briefcase and took out three red armbands with the English letters "S.E.E.S." emblazoned on it. Below those letters, a finer print read "Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad". Good choice of color, I'd say. It went well with our school uniforms. I took mine and wore it on my left arm. Sanada eagerly did the same, while Aragaki rolled his eyes and followed suit.
"I suppose you know the reason why I asked you to wear your uniforms for the operation." I nodded again, while Sanada fidgeted with his blazer. Aragaki swept a hand over his head, probably not used to the absence of his cap. I managed to talk them into wearing the proper uniform, using a concept called "leading by example".
On paper, SEES was listed as an extracurricular club, which centered on doing odd jobs for different people. In case we weren't able to return to the dorm before the Dark Hour ended, our cover for that day was patrolling the area, assisting with the vandal investigation. Our weapons were to serve as a protection of sorts. Not one of the most creative covers in the world, but hopefully it was enough to buy an excuse for Aragaki's weapon and mine. Honestly, I can't think of any good reason why a sane person would be bringing around an axe in the middle of the night.
"Good. So, remember the plan. Akihiko and Shinjiro will engage the Shadow, whereas Mitsuru will provide support from the rear. Remember to listen to her commands."
According to the lab, Penthesilea had some analyzing capabilities, which could rival those machines and tools they used to keep track of the Shadows. This was the main reason why I was to serve as backup, because the Shadows were starting to become more adept at staying away from the Ergo Division's radar. My Persona may be able to track and scan them better. This operation was to serve as a test for her analyzing skills.
Honestly, I was a little nervous about tonight's operation. Aside from being the first time I'll be in the sidelines, I wasn't too confident about working with Sanada and Aragaki. I had no doubts about their strength, but would they listen to me, especially when the situation called for it? Sanada was the boxing team captain; I don't think he's used to taking orders, especially from a girl. On the other hand, Aragaki and I seem to always be getting off on the wrong foot. It may have something to do with me being an authority figure.
The greenish moonlight filtering through the window by the bookshelf signaled that the Dark Hour has arrived. The command room had special equipment that worked even during the Dark Hour, so the electronic devices within the room did not shut down.
The Chairman stood up. "Off you go, then." He gestured towards the door. "I wish you luck on your operation."
I took a deep breath to compose myself. "Thank you, Chairman." I picked up my foil, stood up, and signaled for Sanada and Aragaki to follow me out of the room.
~o~
We reached Junes in five minutes. The department store was only one block away from our dormitory, which was a distance easily covered by foot. Of course, when we arrived, the gates have been locked down.
"So, how are we going to find the Shadow?" asked Aragaki, cautiously surveying the area, while Sanada looked around his surroundings in awe. They probably never wandered outside during the Dark Hour. It is surprising to see everything bathed in green and seeing bloodstains where water was supposed to be. However, since I was used to seeing this, I did not flinch at the surroundings. "Are we going to ask around for directions, Kirijo? No one around here except a bunch of coffins."
I shot him the iciest glare I could manage. "Wait." I paused in my tracks, and closed my eyes in concentration. This is amazing, seeing through Penthesilea's eyes. There was a map of the area in my head. It seemed to be limited to a 100-meter radius, though. Nonetheless, I could sense some entities within that area, and I believe that our target was one of them. "It's around the corner!" I ran towards the being I sensed, while the two trailed behind me.
There it was, at the food court. It was unlike the Shadows I've seen before. The only ones I've fought are what the scientists called Mayas. Those resembled a shapeless, black mass. This one, however, had a definite form, that of a hand. For a hand, it was large, I'd say it was almost as tall as I was. It was, for the lack of a better word, "standing" on its ring, middle, index finger. It wore a pink glove with strange white patterns and a Magician Arcana mask over its face, where the wrist should be. More importantly, I see it wearing a diamond ring on its index finger. Was that the ring it stole from the store? It's huge. It would probably fit my wrist, but certainly not my finger.
Fortunately, it hasn't taken notice of us yet. Perfect, we can still ambush it. The food court was clear of coffins, so we could go all out without hurting any bystanders. Though, I'm not too sure about the property around us.
"That's our target." I was about to draw my foil, however I remembered my duty that day. Backup, Mitsuru. Slowly, my hand moved away from my weapon. Instead, I glanced at Sanada and Aragaki. They took it as a signal to prepare for battle.
Sanada was the first to charge at the enemy. Nimbly stepping around the tables and chairs in the area, he closed in on the enemy and knocked it down with a left hook. He was about to strike it again when the Shadow recovered, and with amazing speed, scurried away, knocking down some tables and chairs. His fist met thin air, and nearly cost him his balance. "Damn!" Awkwardly, he sidestepped to his right to avoid an Agi spell thrown in his direction. A nearby table caught fire, which I hastily put out by shooting a Bufu spell at it.
Aragaki took that as his cue to join in the fray. Instead of charging in with his axe, he stopped a few meters away from the enemy, took out his Evoker, and fired it at his temple. "Persona!" The sound of breaking glass echoed through the silent night. Castor materialized and slashed through the Shadow's middle.
"Why didn't I think of that?" After seeing the damage caused by Castor, Sanada took out his Evoker and prepared to use it.
A gut feeling, no, Penthesilea, was telling me that it wouldn't work, whatever Sanada was planning. "Don't!" I cried out.
It was no use. Sanada fired his Evoker, and Polydeuces released a Zio spell. The spell hit the Shadow, but it seemed more annoyed by it, rather than damaged, judging by the way it locked on to Sanada.
I expected it, but I still can't believe it. He didn't bother listening to me. My voice was definitely audible, because Aragaki, who was farther away than Sanada, turned to look at me when I shouted.
"It resists or blocks elemental spells. Stick to physical attacks."
"Could've told us—" Sanada was interrupted by a wave of ice shards fired in his direction. He dove for cover behind one of the round tables that have been knocked down, ducking under the table as the shards flew over his head.
"Excuse me!" I replied indignantly. "If you stopped when I—"
"Now's not," grunted Aragaki as he swung his axe to chop off the Shadow's head, "the time for this!" He missed, and the Shadow retaliated by firing an Agi spell at him. He deflected most of the blow using his axe, but it managed to scald his cheek. "Kirijo," he grimaced at the pain, "weaknesses?"
I pressed a hand to my head, concentrating with all my might. Weak point, weak point… Penthesilea, a hand here, please. For some reason, it was taking me quite a while to determine the target's weakness.
"Kirijo!" Dimly, I could hear Aragaki calling my name. "Need—info—fucker—" I cannot see what was going on, but judging by the things coming out of his mouth, things were not going well.
My scanning was interrupted by a gust of wind that sent me staggering backwards. It sent me snapping back to reality, and I had a full view of the battleground once more. A quick survey of the area told me that the same wind knocked down Sanada and Aragaki.
Sanada recovered first, extracting himself from the remains of the table he used as a shield. Once he was within range of the Shadow, he summoned his Persona. Instead of firing electricity at it, Polydeuces punched the Shadow with its needle arm, knocking it down.
It dawned on me as he struck the Shadow. "That's it! Strike attacks! It's weak against Strike attacks!"
Aragaki seemed to have heard me. "Hello, ugly." Aragaki lifted his axe, poised to strike. "Ready for a makeover?" He charged at the Shadow as it started getting up, landing a blow on its back, knocking it over once more. He proceeded to hack away at it, bringing his axe down. Again, and again. Amazing. Indeed, this guy had everything in the way of brute strength.
A few swings later, he stopped to catch his breath. Leaning on the handle of his weapon, he panted, "Did that do it?" He leered at the Shadow, which was lying flat on the ground. The multiple strikes haven't done anything to ruin its form, but I could tell that it was almost done for.
"A couple of strikes should do it." I glanced at Sanada, who was panting heavily. I suppose for someone who wasn't used to summoning their Persona, two times must've been quite draining. Personally, the first time I took down a Shadow, I fainted from exhaustion. That time, we weren't sure what brought out my Persona, so I had to experiment with different means, some being quite extreme. The Evoker must've helped in aiding the summoning, because Sanada was still standing despite using Polydeuces twice in one night.
Aragaki, who was nearest to the Shadow, was about to assail the Shadow again when it rose, and with blinding speed, scurried away. I could sense that it had no more intention of fighting. It was running away. Unacceptable. An escaped Shadow was equivalent to failure. "Come back here!" I leapt over the scattered chairs and broken tables, chasing after the fleeing Shadow. While pursuing it, I took out my Evoker and summoned Penthesilea, hoping that her Bufu skill could slow it down. Fortunately, it worked. The spells I fired caused the Shadow to flinch, and eventually, I was able to catch up with it.
I did not waver from my attacks upon reaching striking distance. Ignoring the burning feeling in my legs and the tightness in my chest, I unsheathed my foil and thrust it at the Shadow. Swinging my weapon with precision, I struck its center relentlessly. I finished it off with a kick, making sure my two-inch heels drove the point home.
It did. The Shadow collapsed on the ground, and slowly disintegrated as I sheathed my foil.
Sanada and Aragaki caught up with me, breathing heavily. The latter, after catching his breath, remarked, "Nice one, Kirijo," said Aragaki, giving me a look that was a cross between disbelief and admiration.
No longer able to hold my weight, my knees gave way. My heart was still racing, although it was starting to slow down its pace. Sinking to the ground, I noticed something shimmering from the place where the Shadow dissolved into nothingness. Sanada walked towards the object, and picked it up. Returning to the two of us, he knelt in front of me and handed the tiny object to me. I gazed at the object on my palm. It was a diamond ring, most likely the one stolen from the store.
A laugh escaped from Aragaki's throat. When I glared at him, he said, "Aki, you look like you're proposing to Kirijo." He looked away from us, clutching his stomach as he broke into another fit of semi-hysterical laughter.
Sanada and I looked at each other. When his grey eyes met my red ones, my cheeks started to burn. Horrified, I quickly averted my gaze. I fail to see what was so funny about it, but Aragaki had a point. This was definitely not a position my father would approve of.
"Kirijo-san, is there something on my face?"
I groaned. "Don't mind me." Closing my hand around the ring, I tried to stand up, but my right leg wouldn't cooperate. After casting one dirty look at his friend, Sanada helped me up. I whispered my thanks to him, and approached Aragaki.
My legs managed not to give out on me. "Your face." His Persona must have some sort of regenerative skill, because his cheek was starting to heal. However, it still had some way to go. I drew out my Evoker. There was a panicked look on Aragaki's face as I fired it. Smiling mischievously, I watched as Penthesilea casted a healing spell on him, making the burn disappear.
"Scared of 'Dia', Aragaki?"
"Hell no!"
Still grinning, I said, "As you can see, it's a healing spell." I turned to Sanada. "I believe your Persona also has that skill. You can use it to heal minor injuries caused by Shadows."
"Should I test it out?"
"No, I'll handle the healing for now. You seem exhausted." I summoned my Persona again and healed Sanada.
"Yeah," he admitted, leaning on a nearby lamp post. "I've never felt this tired in my life, not even during a full-round match I had against Yasogami High." He smiled feebly at me. "By the way, thanks for the healing, Kirijo-san."
"No problem." This time, I looked at him sternly. "However, please remember to listen to me, especially during battle."
He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that."
"Does mine have Dia?" asked Aragaki.
I couldn't resist chuckling at that. "No, your Persona is offense-oriented. Quite like you, actually."
Sanada laughed at that, and to my surprise, even Aragaki took that in stride and smiled awkwardly at my barb.
"True, I can't imagine my Persona doing that healing crap."
The street lamps came back to life, signaling the end of the Dark Hour. I froze, my euphoria turning into dread. We forgot to bolt out of the area after defeating the Shadow. Why, oh why did we decide to have this conversation over here, when we could've talked back at the lounge? Sanada and Aragaki also realized this, judging by the alarmed looks they were throwing me.
We were about to hightail out of the area when I heard some footsteps drawing close to us. "You there!" A man in uniform approached us. He had cropped, dark grey hair that stopped a little below his ears, and was taller than any of us. "What are you kids doing here, this late at night?"
The three of us stopped dead on our tracks. This situation, it was my fault. As the leader, I have to take responsibility. I mustered a pleasant smile on my face and met the man's eyes. "Officer," I said, briefly checking his nametag, "Kurosawa, we were assigned to patrol this area."
"So you're the group of students that were supposed to go on a detective field trip with us? Too late, we are about to wrap up our patrol in this area. My companions just left." He scrutinized each of us, frowning. "Why do you have those weapons with you?" His expression turned suspicious. "It is against the law to carry those around."
"Officer, you do know it's dangerous for a lady to wander around at night." I stated in a matter-of-fact voice. "Sanada-san and Aragaki-san here," I said, both of them flinching when I used honorifics, "were so kind enough to accompany me on this trip. On the other hand, it is my father's request that I bring my foil with me during the times I go out at night."
"Look, Miss…"
"Kirijo. Kirijo Mitsuru."
He raised an eyebrow at my name. "Miss Kirijo." He paused. "I know your family carries a lot of clout in Japan, but rules are rules. Unless you can show me a permit which states that the two of you," he said, glancing at me, then Aragaki, "are allowed to carry these weapons, then I'm afraid that I need to ask you to come with me to the station."
I balled my fist in frustration, wondering how we were going to get out of this sticky situation. A flash of inspiration struck me as I felt the object inside my clenched fist.
"Officer, I understand where you are coming from, but before we go anywhere, I believe we found something of interest to you." I held out my hand to him and opened it, revealing the diamond ring we retrieved.
He took the ring from me, and examined it. "Where did you get this?" As I expected, he looked surprised to see the ring.
"We defeated the thief."
"Really, you kids?" He looked at me in disbelief. "You should've called us!"
"…It's not a job the police can handle."
"You are greatly underestimating us, Miss Kirijo."
My tone and expression turned serious. "I'm not, Officer Kurosawa."
I could tell he wasn't buying it, but seeing that there was no other logical explanation, he sighed in defeat. "Very well." Indeed, it was hard to believe that a bunch of teenagers that appeared out of the blue can take care of a thief that has eluded the police for several days. "Where's the thief now?"
I smiled serenely at him. "Some things are better left unknown, Officer."
"By chance, you weren't the ones who stole the ring?"
"If we did, would we admit it?" I chuckled.
The corners of his mouth twitched upwards at my statement. "Normally, I would haul you in to the station for questioning, but the person who filed this case simply wished for the return of the ring, no questions asked."
Sanada yawned. "So, Officer, we can return to our dormitory now, right?"
"I suppose so," Officer Kurosawa agreed reluctantly. "Go, before I change my mind."
Heeding his words, the three of us bowed at him and left.
As we were walking back to the dorm, I had a nagging feeling that this would not be the last we would see of Officer Kurosawa.
What can I say, the past month has kept me busy. I only picked this up again after working on and off Half Moon, so I apologize for the delay.
The next chapter will probably be out in a month, although it mostly depends on my writing pace.
AquaAries19 and Axark, thanks for the reviews, I'm glad you loved the stories. :)