5/9 (Dark Hour)

When Akihiko entered the meeting room, he found Mitsuru sitting by the large monitor. She had her equipment next to her—the equipment that allowed her to provide support to the field team during their excursions to Tartarus. However, it hadn't always been that way. Back in the earlier days of SEES, when there had only been three, Mitsuru was the field leader. They had never entered Tartarus, but they fought the Shadows that had appeared outside the large tower. It hadn't been much, but it was all that they could do at the time.

Akihiko was brought back from his introspection by Mitsuru sighing and adjusting her equipment. He chuckled. This was just like Mitsuru.

"Still at it?" He asked as he walked over to one of the couches and plopped himself down.

"Yes," Mitsuru replied, never tearing her gaze away from her present task. "You never know when the enemy might appear."

"But I thought you couldn't scan outside of Tartarus?"

At this Mitsuru turned to face Akihiko. She rubbed her eyes, the exhaustion plain on her face, "To be honest, I lack the power. Maybe this is the best that Penthesilea can do in terms of data gathering. Although, the power of Persona seems to be much broader than we thought. We've met someone who can switch Persona in the middle of battle. There's something special about his ability. Have you spoken to him about it?"

Akihiko shrugged, "I've brought it up a few times. He doesn't know how he got this power, but he seems to be aware of the risks. Though, from what I've seen, he seems to be pushing himself pretty hard."

Mitsuru smiled, "It seems you have a kindred spirit, Akihiko."

Akihiko snorted, "Very funny, but it's different. I've gone with them once or twice to see how they actually hold up in battle. He's a natural leader, I'll give him that. But when he battles, he fights with a vigor that seems almost… out of character."

Mitsuru looked at him questioningly, and Akihiko rubbed his head. He wasn't good at putting words to his thoughts.

"It's just that… He seems to be purposely fighting to the point of exhaustion."

Mitsuru considered that for a moment, then replied, "Perhaps. However, there is very little we know of his ability. Everything we know about how to monitor and judge a Persona-user is based on the data we've gathered. And everyone had only one Persona. He's the exception. We have no way of knowing how having multiple Persona affects a person. Needless to say, we'll still monitor his condition to see if anything changes."

Akihiko grunted and slumped down in his seat while Mitsuru went back to her equipment. The only sound was the hum of the machine. After a few minutes, it started to beep. Akihiko perked up and gazed at Mitsuru, who was frantically turning knobs and pressing buttons. The large monitor flashed red.

"It's a Shadow!"

Akihiko shot up, "What!? You actually found one?"

Mitsuru nodded, her expression grave, "Yes. However, something's not right. The reading is too big. We've never encountered anything like…"

Akihiko's eyes widened upon the realization, "You can't mean… It's one of those!?"

"It must be," admitted Mitsuru.

Despite the sudden danger, Akihiko cracked his knuckles, "Well then, this is going to be fun. I'll wake the others." He strode over to the wall and flipped a switch. A siren rang out throughout the dorm. A few minutes later, the doors to the command center opened and Minato, Kotone, Yukari and Junpei entered, looking half asleep and worried.

"We're here!" Yukari panted as she fussed with her hair.

Junpei rolled his shoulder, a grin etched on his face, "Where is it!? I'll rip it a new one!"

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

"In other words, we need to kick some serious ass, right?" Junpei reasoned, "Well, count me in!"

Yukari rolled her eyes, but she seemed to share his sentiment, as did Minato and Kotone. They were all in.

Mitsuru nodded and typed in a few commands into her equipment, "Alright, Akihiko, you stay here and wait for the Chairman."

Akihiko groaned, "What!? Are you kidding me? I'm going!"

Mitsuru shot Akihiko a stone cold glare, "You still need to recover. You'll just be a hindrance to the operation. They'll fare better than you, in your current state."

Akihiko stared down Mitsuru for a few heated moments, but he turned away with a grunt. Mitsuru saw the disappointment on Akihiko's face, but she knew that it was more than that. Her expression softened, "Have faith in them, Akihiko. They're ready. You'll get your chance, but for now, wait for the Chairman."

Akihiko nodded as he acquiesced. He turned to face the remaining members of SEES, "I guess I've got no choice. I'll leave it up to you guys. Minato, you're in charge."

"Him again?" Junpei muttered to himself, but Minato was able to hear it all the same.

Mitsuru stared at Minato, gazing at him approvingly, "We're counting on you, Arisato."

Minato nodded. He was ready. They were ready.

Junpei gave Minato a playful shove that was a tad bit more forceful than necessary, "Looks like you're stuck playing leader again. Man, sucks to be you." While Junpei came off as being playful, Minato was still able to detect that Junpei was a little irate with the third-years' decision to make him the leader. But they didn't have time to deal with Junpei's petty rivalry. They had a job to do.

"The reading indicates that the Shadow is at the station," Mitsuru explained as she started to gather her equipment. "You four meet me at the entrance. I'll join you shortly. I have to make some preparations."

"Got it." Yukari replied, turning to face her peers, "Let's go!"

They were able to make it to the entrance to the Train Station in 15 minutes or so. They had no way of actually telling how long had passed during the Dark Hour, but it seemed that time flowed differently. Junpei was getting impatient, resorting to pacing back and forth. Yukari played with her Evoker, adjusting it every now and again. Kotone hummed a song to herself. Minato simply closed his eyes. His Persona were oddly quiet. The pool of his consciousness, as he had come to call it, was still. Orpheus and Nekomata simply floated in his mind. He reached for them, and they neither answered nor refused his call. It made him worry. In fact, the only thing he could do for the past week was worry. His every thought was on his meeting with the mysterious boy and the message he left. In one week's time, he'd face an ordeal. Today was that day. Mitsuru had said there was a large Shadow, similar to the one that had attacked their dorm. Was that it? Their visits to Tartarus didn't help their cause, either. Previously, whenever they had gone, the number of The Lost had decreased. Now, however, it seemed that the number of people with Apathy Syndrome were increasing at an unsteady rate. Everything seemed to be building up. But what would happen tonight when the bubble popped?

The sound of an engine roused the group from their silent stupor. They glanced at each other with expressions of confusion. No technology worked during the Dark Hour. However, they could hear the sound of someone approaching. A light appeared from the horizon, and as it drew near, they recognized the source. Mitsuru came to a halt a few feet from the group. She kicked the stand out and hopped off of her motorcycle. She lifted the helmet off of her head and shook her hair out. Despite being previously confined, her hair was still as pristine as ever.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Mitsuru apologized. "Listen carefully. Tonight, I'll be providing support from here. Everything else is the same. The Shadow is currently located inside a monorail, not far from the station. To get there, you'll have to walk on the tracks."

Everyone shared uneasy looks. "Are you serious?" Junpei asked, incredulous. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"Don't worry," reassured Mitsuru, "No electronic equipment is operable during the Dark Hour, including the monorails. Or, have you forgotten?"

Junpei shook his head, "Of course not. But, you're bike…"

Mitsuru smiled knowingly. She ran a hand over her machine affectionately, "It's special. Now, if circumstances change, I'll notify you immediately. Now, let's get started."

The four second-years proceeded to enter the station. There was the occasional coffin, but for the most part, it was empty. As they emerged onto the tracks, they were able to see Tartarus looming in the distance. The moon was glowing from above. A full moon.

[Can you all hear me?]

Everyone nodded on instinct, but realized that Mitsuru couldn't actually see their expressions.

"Yes, I can hear you," answered Yukari. "We just got here. But, I don't see anything out of the ordinary."

[There's a monorail about 200 meters ahead. The readings are coming from that monorail. Proceed with caution, and stay together.]

The group jumped onto the tracks and proceeded. Eventually, they came upon the only monorail around.

"Is this it?" Kotone asked.

"Must be," replied Minato. "The question is, how do we get in?"

"There's a ladder right over here!" Yukari called from the opposite side of the train. Minato and Kotone rounded and found Yukari already climbing up, with Junpei right behind her. They were about to climb up themselves when Yukari screamed and gave Junpei a kick, catching him in the cheek.

"Pervert!"

By some divine intervention, Junpei managed to hang onto the ladder instead of falling off and plunging to his doom. However, it seemed that he had a nosebleed. Yukari had obviously caused it, but whether it was from the kick or view, Minato couldn't say.

Kotone approached the ladder and climbed up two rungs before stopping and turning to face Minato, a blush on her face.

"Don't look up," She murmured as she held her hand over her skirt.

Minato rolled his eyes, "Why do you want to go before me, then?"

"Just don't look!"

Minato didn't want her to pull a Yukari, so he kept his gaze on the full moon that loomed above them. As he climbed, Minato remembered that the moon was full on the night when the dorm was attacked. He pushed it from his mind as he entered the car. There were coffins scattered throughout the rear car, all people who had been traveling when the Dark Hour occurred. He'd seen them before, but Minato had never been this close to them.

"He's been Transmogged, huh?" Junpei mused as he examined the coffin closest to him, "Creepy. But, guys like him don't remember a thing, right? It's probably better that way."

Yukari looked around worriedly, "Hey. We're not at the station, but all the doors are open. Even the one we climbed through. Why would…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Yukari was cut off by the doors slamming shut. Everyone tensed and reached for their Evokers. However, nothing else happened. Junpei went over to one of the doors and tried to open it, however it didn't budge.

[What's wrong? What happened!?]

"It looks like we're trapped inside," said Kotone, "The doors shut on us all of a sudden."

[It must be the Shadow. It knows you're there. Be ready for anything! Proceed with extreme caution!]

"R-Roger!" Yukari managed to squeak out.

While their goal tonight was the same as their goal within Tartarus, this was a different. In Tartarus, all they had to worry about were the Shadows. However, tonight, they were going in blind. The Shadows had the upper hand, and they didn't know what it was capable of. If it could close and open doors, could it be possible that…

"We need to keep moving," Minato ordered. "If it can control the doors, it must be in the front."

Everyone nodded and they proceeded into the next car. Again, there were more coffins, but there was still no sign of any Shadow. Mitsuru stated that she couldn't get an accurate reading, as the presence of the large Shadow overpowered her ability to detect the lesser ones. They proceeded in a diamond formation. Junpei took the lead and Minato held the rear, while Kotone and Yukari flanked either side. They walked slowly down the car, until they reached the door to the next car.

Suddenly, a Shadow dropped from above and landed in front of them. However, instead of attacking them like they expected, it simply danced. The door behind it opened on its own and the Shadow shot through it to the next car.

"It's getting away!" Junpei exclaimed as he started after it.

[Wait! Something's not right. The enemy is acting strangely.]

"But, if we don't go after it, we're gonna lose it!" Junpei groaned as the Shadow started to move out of sight.

[Arisato, you're in charge over there. What do you think?]

"We should be careful. This might be a trap."

[I agree. It would be foolish to blindly chase after it.]

Junpei glared at Minato and cursed, "Who the hell needs your advice!? We can beat that runt, no problem! Hell, I'll do it myself!"

"Junpei, wait!" Kotone called out, but it was too late. Junpei turned and sprinted into the next car, the door closing behind him. Before the rest of them could go after him, they heard movement behind them. They whirled around and came face to face with two Shadows.

Minato reached for his Evoker. He had to work quickly. He pressed the cold steel to his temple and felt the familiar sensation of summoning a Persona. Nekomata leapt forth and delivered a series of slashes and cuts to the nearest Shadow, destroying it. He felt a rush of wind soar past him, hitting the other Shadow. It wasn't dead, merely stunned. He was about to order Nekomata to finish it off, but he heard Kotone summon Orpheus. His eyes widened as he quickly spun around to almost be hit by a fire blast. He flung himself back, causing him to collide with a metal pole. Pain erupted in his shoulder, causing him to hiss as he sunk to the floor.

Kotone watched as the remaining Shadow went up in flames. She gave a silent cheer and placed her Evoker back into her holster. She saw Minato sitting against the handrail and winced. She hadn't meant for her attack to come so close. However, the train car was small and their mobility was limited. She walked over to her fallen comrade.

"Ahh, Minato-kun!" She apologized as she approached, "I'm really sorry about that. I didn't mean for…"

Kotone didn't notice it at first, but something was off with Minato. He clutched his shoulder, which he had obviously hurt when he collided with the pole. However, his eyes were wide and blank, like he was staring at nothing. She paused. She had never seen Minato like this. He was always quiet and reserved. He only showed real emotion when he was frustrated or fighting Shadows. Kotone was worried. This was something new, a new side of Minato that she had never seen before.

Minato looked terrified.

"Hey, Minato-kun?" Yukari called out. She had noticed Kotone approach Minato, but suddenly stop. She started to walk over when Minato shot up. He rubbed his eyes and brushed past Kotone. Kotone looked concerned, but didn't say anything. He walked up to the door and, with some effort, was able to pry it open. Wordlessly, he entered the next car. Kotone and Yukari shot a quick look at each other, but followed quickly after Minato. The party had already lost one member. Losing two would be bad.

"Mitsuru," said Minato as he walked through the car, "Can you pinpoint Junpei?"

[From what I can tell, he's only a few cars ahead.]

Minato nodded and pressed on, Yukari and Kotone dogging his heels. When they entered the next car, instead of Junpei, they were greeted by two more Shadows. Minato grimaced. He ordered Kotone to use physical attacks while Yukari offered ranged support. They were able to take out the enemies quickly and proceed to the next car. When the door slid open, they saw Junpei surrounded by four Shadows. Hermes was fighting them as best it could, but Junpei was panting and had a couple of scratches. He wasn't going to last for much longer at this rate.

"He's surrounded!?" Yukari cried out, "We've gotta help him!"

The three nodded and rushed forward, drawing the attention of both Junpei and the Shadows. Junpei looked pissed, but after a Shadow landed another hit on Hermes, he grunted and turned back around, which Minato took as a sign that he was willing to accept their help. Nekomata and Orpheus threw back the Shadows that were all over Hermes, while Yukari blasted them with her wind attacks. One was destroyed, while the other three were flung against the wall, sliding down to the floor. The four students gave each other a look, and nodded.

"All-Out Attack!"

Nekomata, Orpheus, Hermes and Io all charged the Shadows, bombarding them with a barrage of strikes. The Shadows stood no chance and were obliterated within a matter of seconds. Once the battle was over, their respective Personas vanished, leaving the users panting and wiping sweat from their brows.

Once they had all caught their breaths, Yukari turned on Junpei, "That's what happens when you don't listen!"

Junpei rolled his eyes and brushed some dust off his jacket, "I was doing just fine…"

Yukari's eyes widened, blazing with fury, "Excuse me!?"

[Be careful, you four! I don't detect any movement, but stay alert!]

Before anyone could respond, they felt the Monorail jerk forward, throwing the members of SEES off balance. They caught themselves as they stared outside the windows. Slowly, the train jerked forward again, then again, until slowly inching forward at a crawl. Everyone's eyes widened. The train was active.

"Why are we moving!?" Yukari cried out as she clutched the handrail.

[It seems the monorail is under the enemy's control…]

"What do you mean 'it seems'!?" Yukari practically screamed.

The slow pace of the monorail didn't last. It slowly began to rev up, until it started to cruise at a normal speed. However, it kept speeding up.

"This doesn't look good." Junpei muttered as he tried to keep his balance, to no avail.

[…If we don't stop this, it'll crash into another train!]

"WHAT!? Oh, God! What are we gonna do!?"

[Calm down, Takeba. Listen, I sense a strong presence in the front car. That must be the one we're after. You'll have to defeat it to stop the train!]

"Uh, guys?" Kotone cried, catching everyone's attention. From behind them, they saw more Shadows forming, approaching them menacingly.

"What kind of messed-up ride is this!?" Junpei roared as he summoned Hermes.

[You don't have time! RUN!]

"Mitsuru-san's right!" Minato called out as Yukari and Kotone were about to grab their Evokers. "If we focus on the grunts, we'll never get to the Shadow, and this train will crash. Send some magic as we run, but don't engage them directly."

The others nodded, including Junpei. It seemed that a life and death situation made him more cooperative. They ran through the next two cars, bombarding the Shadows with fire and wind, stopping only to open the doors. As they raced towards the front, they noticed that the train was picking up more and more speed. They cursed and pressed onwards. Finally, they made it to the last door. After prying it open, they came face to face with a Shadow. This Shadow was different than the lesser ones they had fought previously. This one was much larger, similar in size to the one that had attacked the dorm a month prior. It resembled a large female, sitting with its legs spread. Its chest was exposed and it ran a hand over its breasts, seductively. It was a very odd sight to behold.

"Is this the Shadow?" Kotone asked as she reached for her Evoker.

"It must be, it's the front car!" Yukari responded. Her legs were shaking, but her grip on her Evoker was strong.

[Hurry, you don't have much time!]

Minato went for his Evoker, but before he touched it, he stopped. Suddenly, a splitting pain shot throughout his head, causing him to fall to his knees and clutch his head in a desperate attempt to stop the pain. The other three members of SEES turned to him, but the Shadow took the moment of distraction to launch its attack. Its hair rose from behind it and formed into tendrils, shooting out towards the students.

"WATCH OUT!" Minato managed to choke out. His voice was hoarse and it felt like there was a vice grip around his throat.

Luckily, the three noticed the attack before it hit them. They dodged out of the way and summoned their Persona. He tried to give them orders, but Minato lost the ability to speak. His head was pounding and his eye sight was going blurry. He vaguely heard Kotone yell something, and felt the force of some attacks. However, his senses started to fail him until all that there was left was pain. So much pain. He dug his nails into his scalp as he pressed himself further and further into his knees. He heard someone say something that vaguely reminded him of his name. He managed to look up to see the Shadow looming over him. It opened its mouth and roared. Fire poured out of its mouth and raced towards Minato. He closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable impact, but it never came. He opened his eyes and everything was gone. The pain, the fire, the train, everything. There was nothingness. Minato floated in a vast emptiness.

'Am I dead? Is this what it is to die?'

dEaTh…

Minato blinked. He looked around. There was nothing. He tried to steady himself, but he had no control over his body. There was no sign of the voice. Only darkness. Suddenly, blood red eyes appeared in the darkness and stared at him. He tried to reach out, but his hand wouldn't move. The eyes grew larger and larger, until they were right in front of him, face to face. A being began to appear. It was a monstrous sight to behold.

'Wait… I know you… I summoned you before…'

i… i aM…

Minato saw the creature reach out with a ghastly hand. It stopped. It was like there was an invisible wall separating them. When the creature touched it, it caused a ripple effect. Minato's eyes widened. He knew where this was. This was the pool of his consciousness. Which meant that…

'What are you!?'

DEATH!

The creature's hand shoot of from the other side of the barrier and grabbed Minato. Minato let out a guttural roar as his mind reeled. His back arched as his head felt like it was being torn open. The creature burst forth, shattering his mind in the process. Minato opened his eyes, and he was back on the train. There was fire around him. The pillar of flames began to die out, and the Shadow came into view. Minato tried to stand, but his legs were numb. He looked around and saw that he was untouched by the flames.

"Minato-kun!" A voice cried out. It sounded like Kotone.

"He's okay! Thank God!" That voice belonged to Yukari.

"How the hell did he… Wait, what's that?" Junpei.

"Oh, God! Is that…"

Minato forced himself to look up. Floating above him was the creature he had seen in his mind. Or rather, the Persona that had appeared during the attack in April. Minato felt something wet drip down his nose. He reached up and gingerly touched it. His fingers came back red with blood. He wiped it with the back of his hand and pushed himself up off the floor. His throat was sore and his head was pounding. The Persona let out a ghastly wail that caused the others to cover their ears. The Shadow shrunk back. It opened its mouth and fire burst forth from its maw once again. However, this time, the Persona simply lifted its hand and stopped the fire. The Shadow let out a wail as its hair formed tendrils and raced towards Minato. The Persona gripped its sword and effortlessly slashed at each of the tendrils, destroying them as if they were ribbons. Minato roared as the Persona shot forward, destroying the tendrils as it flew up to the Shadow's head. With a single slash, it severed the Shadow's head. With it's free hand, the Persona caught the head as the body crumpled and dissolved into nothingness. The Persona roared once again, squeezing the Shadow's head, crushing it in its grasp. Minato felt a strange sensation in the back of his mind as the Persona floated back down. It turned to face Minato, then vanished. Minato instantly felt a wave of exhaustion rush over him. He tried remain standing, but his knees buckled and he fell back onto his hands and knees.

Kotone rushed over to Minato's side, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Are you alright, Minato-kun?"

Minato gave a weary nod.

"Uh, I hate to break this up," Junpei interrupted, "But why are we still moving?"

Minato's head shot up. He gazed out of the window. Sure enough, the monorail was still moving, and it showed no signs of slowing. He turned and saw a control panel where the Shadow had once been. That must be how the train was operated. Minato, with the help of Kotone, stood up and walked towards it. Switches and buttons lined the console, but they meant nothing to Minato. He couldn't tell what anything did. The others were in the dark as well.

[What are you waiting for? There's a train up ahead!]

"We don't know how to stop this thing!" Junpei cried as he frantically scan the console.

Yukari fell to her knees and clutched her head, waiting for their inevitable end.

"Minato-kun!" Kotone cried as she gripped his arm, "Do something!"

Minato saw the stationary train get closer and closer with every second. He looked around the console for something, any sort of indication as to what might slow this speeding monorail down. He cursed. There was no time. He slammed a button and shut his eyes. The monorail jerked forward, sending the members of SEES flying forward. Minato braced for impact. Seconds passed and there was no indication of crashing. Tentatively, Minato opened his eyes and peered out the window. The monorail had stopped, approximately a few meters from the other monorail train. He let out a shaky breath and dropped down, exhausted.

"D-Did we stop?" Junpei managed to stammer as he looked around.

Yukari lifted her head and gave a quick look around, "I-I think so."

[Is everybody alright?]

"Y-Yeah, we're okay." Kotone replied, loosening her death grip on Minato's arm. She gave a weary laugh as she fixed her hair, "Man, my knees won't stop shaking."

Junpei nodded, "I'm like drenched in sweat."

They heard Mitsuru let out a breath, [I'm so glad you're safe. I'm sorry I couldn't do more on my end. I don't detect any more Shadows. You guys did a great job, so come on home.]

They heard the sound of Mitsuru signing off. After a few seconds of silence, a sudden laughter washed over the group. Exhausted and giddy, they had succeeded in their first official mission. Minato managed to stand on his own. They walked through the previous train cars on their way out. When they got to the end, they came to the realization that since the train had been on the move, they were quite the distance away from where they had originally started. They could wait for the Midnight Hour to be over, but the sight of four battle-weary high schoolers didn't paint a promising picture. So, the group had a long haul back to Iwatodai Station.

After 10 minutes or so of walking along the tracks, Kotone finally broke the silence.

"Hey, Minato-kun, how did you know which one was the break?"

Minato shrugged, "I didn't. I just pressed a button."

Junpei's eyes widened, "You shitting me? We survived based on luck? Damn. Ah, whatever. Who want's to grab a bite to eat? I'm freaking hungry!"

Yukari scoffed, "Is that all you can think about, Stupei?"

The group continued to banter and talk about nothing for the rest of the trip back. Despite the hiccup in the plan, they had succeeded tonight. The ordeal that the boy promised that they'd face was over. But Minato couldn't help but shake a sense of dread. He could feel the strange Persona that he had summoned lurking in the depths of his mind. It had appeared on its own accord and had left Minato wracked with crippling pain. Minato didn't understand the nature of this mysterious power, and he was too mentally exhausted to attempt to make any sense of it. However, there was one thing that he was sure of. They had won.

Mitsuru had been holding her breath for most of the mission. She was not suited for a support role. Her Persona was a fighter, and despite all of the equipment she used, there was only so much that she could offer from the sidelines. In Tartarus, she could detect the Shadows with relative ease on the lower floors. However, as their team ascended floor after floor, more and more power was needed just to offer the most basic of help. It was frustrating. Tonight proved what Mitsuru had knew for the longest time—they could no longer rely on her for help.

The sound of the transceiver roused Mitsuru from her thoughts.

[You there, Mitsuru?] It was Akihiko.

"This is Mitsuru. We've successfully completed the operation. The monorail didn't sustain any noticeable damage."

Another voice came over the speaker. It was Ikutsuki. [Thank you, Mitsuru. When I'd heard they hijacked a monorail, I feared the worst. Well done. Now, I don't have to worry about tomorrow's headlines.]

Mitsuru gave a small laugh, "The team did a great job. They're learning quickly."

Akihiko grumbled, [What are the Shadows up to? Taking over a monorail… This is getting out of hand.]

Mitsuru heard Ikutsuki hum, [I'll be looking into the matter.]

Mitsuru felt her stomach drop, "Does this mean… it's begun?"

For a while, Mitsuru didn't hear a response, making her wonder if the connection was lost. But, then she heard Ikutsuki let out a weary sigh, [Let's not jump to any conclusions. For now, we should study their behavior for patterns or clues. We cannot afford to always wait for them to make the first move.]

Mitsuru nodded, not caring that no one could see her. When the first Shadow attacked the dorm, she figured that it was simply an anomaly. However, if what the field team reported was accurate, another large Shadow had appeared tonight, one month after the first. She feared that the worst had come to pass. She'd have to tell the rest of SEES eventually, but for know, all she could do was wait to see if what she feared came to pass.

[You alright Mitsuru?]

Mitsuru closed her eyes and smiled. Even miles apart, Akihiko could tell when she was bothered.

"If I had more power, things wouldn't be so difficult for the others."

[Don't be hard on yourself. You're doing the best that you can do.]

"But what if my best isn't good enough?" Mitsuru argued. "The past few visits to Tartarus were hard enough. Tonight proved that I cannot offer the kind of support that they need. My Persona isn't suited for this."

[I know. I understand how you feel. Being forced to sit out makes my knuckles itch. But, don't worry. I think I might have some good news.]

"What do you mean?"

She heard Akihiko chuckle, [I've been looking into some people. People that I think might have the potential.]

Mitsuru was skeptical, "And you're sure that they have the potential?"

[Just listen. While I'm not 100% sure that they can summon Persona, I have a few leads. I think that they go to our school. I still have to look into it more.]

Mitsuru nodded, "Alright. Get back to me when you find out anything. I'll wait here until the others arrive. I'll see you later."

Akihiko bid her farewell and signed off. Mitsuru sat on her motorcycle as she waited for the others to make their way back down the tracks. She wondered if they would be able to find a Persona-user that had better support abilities. If she had been asked a a while back, when she had only known of two other Persona-users, she would have said no. But now, after she had met four new Persona-users in the span of a few months, one who could even use multiple Persona, she thought that it might be possible. Then, she could resume being on the front lines. Her fingers twitched as she thought of blasting her way through hordes of Shadows. She silently chuckled to herself. Akihiko was rubbing off on her, it would seem.