Welcome to a new chapter of Green Midnight! I hope you all have been enjoying what's been going on so far. Now that we've gotten all that tutorial stuff out of the way, it's time to get the ball rolling. But first, reviews!
Patcheresu: I know deviation is loved. I'll say that, starting in June in-story, I'll really gonna throw you guys for a loop. And… That was random…
Echo the Ethereal Swordmaster: Thank you. And here's your chapter.
mangafreak7793: That's the style I'm aiming for. I don't do so well with first-person, like SamJaz. My writing tends to be like a novel. Oh, I know bits and pieces about then entire SMT franchise. That, and I got the MegamiTensei wiki. I assume you mean Akihiko, right? And, as Minato would say: Am I the only sane one here?
Oblivionkey99: Ah, I see you caught that appearance at the end. You'll be meeting that person properly next chapter. I hope you all will like the character; its an OC I specifically made for this story. I'm glad you liked what I've done and I've got a lot of plans for the Full Moon events.
ravenwingcorps: Thanks. And, I agree, those were my favorite parts as well. I excel more at storytelling then actiontelling, but apparently it's adequate enough that you guys like it.
Hareru1995: Thanks. And I found that funny as well.
Yamato Shinji: You're not the only one. When planning out all the events in my head, I hear their voices as well, typos, redos, and all. Regardless, I'm glad you like.
NightmareSyndrom: Ah, I see someone caught that. I was hoping someone would. I did that on purpose. Mitsuru has purposely not brought up the subject yet because they were on a mission (exploring Tartarus) and didn't want to do something that would interfere with it. Right now, she's trying to figure out exactly how to confront Minato about who Igor is and the other tidbits Minato and Yukari dropped in their conversation. I've already got that scene planned and written. You'll see that in the near future.
And now, time for the chapter. Enjoy.
In-Game Date: April 21, 2009
Chapter 9: Links
After a long night at Tartarus, everyone returned to the dorm and crashed. The next morning, Minato and Hamuko, still tired from the battles in Tartarus, arrived at school. As they approached the door, another student approached them. He had light brown hair and had a goofy smile and disposition, not unlike Junpei.
"Hey there! You're the Arisato twins, aren't you?" the young man asked.
"We are. I'm Hamuko and that's Minato," Hamuko introduced herself and her brother.
"And you are?" Minato asked.
"Man, I knew it," the boy smirked. "I heard from Junpei that you're pretty close with Yukari-san. What's up with that?"
'Oh, boy… Is Junpei starting rumors about Yukari-chan and me? I shall pray for him at his funeral after Yukari kills him in a brutally painful way,' Minato thought. "Well, we are dorm-mates and friends."
"Well, I guess it doesn't matter; I'm looking for someone with a little more experience anyway," the boy remarked.
"Experience? Please. The most experience my aniki has is with a pillow," Hamuko scoffed.
"Hey!" Minato glared at his sister as the boy laughed.
"And your sister is quite funny as well. By the way, I'm Tomochika Kenji," the boy held his hand out.
"Nice to meet you," Minato shook his hand as the bell rang.
"Oh, crap! There's a morning assembly, so we should hurry up!" Kenji informed them before running inside.
'Decent enough guy. Might make a good friend,' Minato noted as he went inside with Hamuko.
Later, at the assembly, Minato, Hamuko, Junpei, and Yukari were all sitting with each other, watching the assembly. A student was giving a speech, which Minato was drowning out with his MP3 player. 'I'll lift my face and run to the sunlight…' Minato mentally sang along to the song.
"Hey!" Hamuko jabbed Minato in the ribs.
"Ow! What was that for!?" Minato hissed.
"Mitsuru-sempai's on stage; pay attention!" Hamuko warned him. Minato switched off his music and focus on the speech.
"As I begin my term as Student Council President, I'd like to share with you my vision for this coming year," she began her speech. "It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school. However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment. That is why we must restructure our daily lives to accommodate this lofty goal. I'd like each of you to dig deeply into your well of motivation, and re-evaluate your convictions... To imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key. I am certain that many of you have your own visions of the future... For us to reap the full benefits of our education, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasm are essential. Thank you."
A large portion of the students stood up and gave a round of applause. 'Not bad, sempai,' Minato smirked as he clapped as well.
"Dang… That was freaking amazing!" Junpei praised Mitsuru's speech. "So… do you have any idea what she just said?"
Minato, Hamuko, and Yukari all smacked their foreheads at the same time. 'Just what is this guy, the poster child for an idiot hero?'
"I was able to follow along, Junpei-kun," Hamuko answered. "She was talking about how we all need to work together to achieve our goals."
"Oh…" Junpei realized. "So, we should team up to achieve the impossible goals, like consuming the super-large Hagakure Bowl?" The other smacked their foreheads again.
"Stupei…" Yukari sighed.
'Are you serious? Please tell me he's faking that level of stupidity,' Minato groaned.
After school had ended, the Arisato twins were sitting outside the school admiring the sights. "Man, this place is pretty, isn't it?" Hamuko asked.
"It definitely is beautiful," Minato agreed. Just then the doors opened up, letting out a huge scream.
"EEEEEEE!" the scream went, causing the twins to cover their ears.
"My god, what is that!?" Hamuko shouted.
"Only one thing can create such a god awful sound," Minato shuddered. "Fangirls."
Right on cue, a mob of girls came flooding out of the building, Akihiko stuck right smack dab in the middle of it, a look of disgust on his face.
"Sempai has my sympathies. Fangirls are an abomination. I can only hope that won't happen to me," Minato said.
"What is with these girls? It's okay to get excited and all, but please, have some decency; you give all girls a bad name," Hamuko hung her head in disgust. Junpei came out of the school and sat down next to the Arisatos.
"Have you noticed how popular Akihiko-sempai is with the ladies? Man, take a look at that…" Junpei whistled in admiration.
The girls were shouting random stuff like 'Autograph my face!', 'Marry me!', and 'I love you!'.
"I didn't use to talk to him much, but now that I live in the same dorm as him, I've got a good excuse," Junpei smirked. "I know he's the captain of the boxing team, but who would've thought he'd be such a chick magnet!? I mean, come on!"
"Well, he DOES look like a bishie," Minato noted.
"He is handsome, I'll give him that," Hamuko added. "But seriously, it's like he's a rock star to these girls."
"You don't even see girls flock like that on TV!" Junpei lamented.
Just then, the mob started slowly moving toward the three teens.
'Oh, god, they're coming for me!' Minato was ready to run at a moment's notice.
"Why are they approaching us?" Hamuko asked.
The crowd parted, allowing Akihiko to approach them.
"Are you guys free this afternoon?" Akihiko asked them.
"Well, yes. Why do you ask?" Minato responded.
"Hell yeah!" Junpei cheered. "Whatcha got in mind!?"
"Are we going somewhere?" Hamuko asked.
"Later today, I want all three of you to meet me at Paulownia Mall. You know where it is, right? I'll be at the police station," Akihiko ordered them.
'The police station? Of all the places, why there?'
"The police station? You mean, we're not hanging out with your friends?" Junpei asked.
"Who, these girls?" Akihiko gestured to the mob of fangirls. "I don't even know their names; they talk so much that it gives me a headache. Anyway, I'm gonna head out; don't keep me waiting." Akihiko then quickly ran off, literally leaving everyone in his dust.
'Holy crap, that was fast! I've never seen anyone move that quickly before! Is that his power that Mitsuru-sempai was talking about?' Minato was shocked.
"Aw… why can't he be more friendly?" one of the fangirls sighed.
'Maybe if you girls weren't a bunch of moron and actually treated him like a person and not a sex god, you might actually get the time of day outta him,' Minato frowned.
"But that's what makes him so cool!" another girl cheered.
"And that is why none of you will have a chance with him," Hamuko muttered. As the crowd of fangirls slowly dispersed, Junpei got up.
"Man, how can he not know their names!?" Junpei whined. "I mean, seriously! Just look at them!"
"I am. I see a bunch of people who are in love with an image, not the person," Hamuko scowled. "Aniki, if I ever act like that, smack me, would you?"
"Well, if you want…" Minato reluctantly agreed. "Anyways, we should go meet up with Sempai now. Did you see how he just rocketed out of here?"
"Yeah! That was pretty cool! He's on the boxing team? He should be on the track team!" said Junpei.
"I think that might've been his power, Junpei-kun," Hamuko figured. "Remember what Mitsuru-sempai said? She said she had clairvoyance. Perhaps Akihiko-sempai's is super speed."
"I dunno. Super speed would be very difficult and would require a crapload of secondary stuff in order to be used properly; I think he may have enhanced speed instead," Minato suggested. "He's faster than any human alive, and probably faster than most animals, but I'd say he wouldn't be any faster than say… a car, perhaps?"
"Makes sense," Hamuko agreed.
"Jeez… You have to suck the fun outta it?" Junpei frowned.
"Sorry. Just add it to my tab," Minato shrugged.
"Fine," Junpei nodded. "Let's hurry up and meet Sempai."
The three teens made their way over to Paulownia Mall's police station, where they found Akihiko chatting with the cop who was manning the station. Akihiko noticed them and motioned for them to come over.
"These are the guys I was talking about earlier. The guy in the hat is Iori Junpei, and the other two are the Arisatos: Minato and Hamuko," Akihiko introduced them.
"…Humph," the policeman stared them down.
'Cripes, this guy reminds me of the Terminator,' Minato involuntarily stepped back.
"This is Officer Kurosawa," Akihiko introduced the cop. "He helps keep our squad well-equipped. And this is from Ikutsuki-san." Akhiko reached into his vest and pulled out three wads of cash. "Each one contains five thousand yen; you each get one."
"Thanks," Junpei took one of the stacks.
"This is awesome," Haumko grinned as she graciously took hers.
"Hm… Well, I guess my animosity with the Chairman has lessened a little," Minato chuckled as he took the money. 'Only a little, though.'
"You can't fight something empty-handed, and the weapons you have are rudimentary. Officer Kurosawa has connections, but these things still cost money," Akihiko explained.
"Of course they do," Kurosawa butted in. "Nothing in life is free."
"I realize that," Akihko admitted. "Well, I'll see you all later. Make sure you don't spend it all in one place."Akihiko then left the police station, leaving just the three younger teens with the policeman.
"I've been informed about you lot," Kurosawa began. "My job is to maintain peace in the city, regardless of the circumstances. I'm just an ordinary police officer, but it doesn't take a genius to know something strange is going on here. I'm only doing what I think is right."
"Thank you, Kurosawa-san," Minato nodded. "I know it's difficult to explain the situation to you, but I'm glad to know we have additional help when needed. So, who's in the mood for shopping?" Minato asked his companions.
"Pshh, not me. I'm gonna take off," Junpei stuffed the money in his pocked. "My katana is good as is." He then exited the police station, mumbling something about how he was gonna spend it.
"Well, I guess it's you and me then," Minato said to his sister.
"There's something you should know," Kurosawa got their attention. "Your grandfather, Shirogane-san, has been in contact with me."
"He has?" Hamuko asked.
"Why is that?" Minato asked as well.
"Your grandfather was my sempai during my rookie days on the force," Kurosawa explained. "So, we've always remained in contact. Your grandfather did some investigating on your group and learned I was your supplier. So, he contacted me and told me that he, via one of his offshore accounts, will pay anything you needed from me. He also said that if you needed any police-related matters taken care of, you are to see me first."
"Really?" Hamuko asked.
"Well, that's nice of him," Minato smiled.
"So all you need to do is ask, and I'll get you any weapon or armor you may need; the money will take care of itself. I should remind you, though, that unless Shirogane-sempai says otherwise, this offer is for you two ONLY," Kurosawa glared the kids down. "And no buying stuff for others, either; I pay attention and know who uses what. Also, if you have old weapons or gear you no longer need, give them to me and I'll compensate you."
'This guy is scary. It's like someone took Mitsuru-sempai, turned her male, and put her in a police uniform!' Minato thought.
"We understand, Kurosawa-san," Hamuko nodded.
"One more thing: Shirogane-semapi was kind enough to provide you two with a couple of weapons to start off. He said that these were family heirlooms and that you two were to use them well," Kurosawa pulled out two long packages.
"Wait! Are these…" Hamuko gasped.
"Well… we'll find out," Minato reached for the packages. One of them had his name on it and the other had Hamuko's name written on the packaging. Minato slowly opened his package and looked at what was inside.
"No way…" Minato gasped in awe. 'Grandfather really sent me this!?' Minato pulled out the contents of his package. In his hand was an elegant katana. The handle was colored a dark red, dark green, and black. The katana itself was holstered in a pitch-black sheath.
"Aniki, is that…" Hamuko gazed at the sword.
"It is," Minato whispered as he pulled the sword from his sheath. The blade itself was lovely silver, single-edged, easily two feet long. Encrusted into one side of the blade were rubies and emeralds. Engraved into the other side of the blade was the phrase 'debirusamanaa no densetsu'. "It's our family's heirloom, based off the sword of our family's greatest detective, the Devil Summoner's Fury. Which means, the other package…"
"No, it couldn't be…" Hamuko slowly reached for the other package. With a delicate touch, Hamuko opened her package and gasped as she slowly withdrew its contents. The package was a naginata, not unlike the one Yukari had given her. Unlike that one, this naginata was much more elegant. The metal for the naginata's blade was identical of Minato's sword, roughly eighteen inches long. Where the blade met the pole, rubies and emeralds were also embedded into the weapon, just like Minato's. The pole itself was made of metal that was pitch-black, like the sword's sheath. At the other end of the pole was a grey metal cap that was spiked, which acted like a counterweight for the bladed end. Engraved into the pole was the phrase 'daakusamonaazubein'.
"The Dark Summoner's Bane… The twin to the Devil Summoner's Fury…" Minato identified the weapon.
"But… why would he give us these? They're precious treasures," Hamuko wondered.
"Oh, that reminds me; your grandfather also gave me a note to give to you two," Kurosawa handed Minato a note.
'A note? What does it say?' Minato wondered.
"Read it, aniki," Hamuko asked as Minato opened the note to read it.
'Dear Minato and Hamuko, I hope you two are doing well. After I got that email from Minato, I did some research in my spare time and, through my contacts, learned that Kurosawa was your supplier. I sent him the family's sword and naginata for you two to use. They are said to have been made in honor of the family's greatest detective, whom you two are distantly related to. Use them well, for they were meant to be use as weapons, not symbols. Like I told you before, trust Mitsuru-san and her father, but be wary of anyone else, for who knows what lurks underneath the surface. Regrettably, I am unable to help you directly for now, since I'm undercover; once this operation is over, I'll be able to help a lot more than I am able to now. However, if you need help in my absence, go to Kurosawa or Toriumi, or if you really need help, Naoko, but try to keep her out of the affairs regarding the Beasts, if possible. Also, you should know that in the research I was able to do, I noticed a couple of things you may want to take note of. First off, there's a member in your group named Takeba Yukari.'
'Yukari? Why is he bringing her up?' Minato wondered.
'Turns out her father, Takeba Eiichiro, was the head of a highly classified section of the Kirijo Group. This section had shut down after his death, and the deaths of nearly the entire division along with it, including Mitsuru's grandfather, which was never fully explained. Whether this relates to your mystery, I haven't the foggiest. The reason why I bring this up is because your Chairman, Ikutsuki Shuji, was also a member of that division. If I had the time, I would have investigated that connection, but alas, I'm running short on time as is. Secondly, you should also know… Takeba was your parents' final client. He was the reason you all were on Port Island, other than the reunion. They never told me why he hired them; I felt you had to know. Don't hold a grudge against the daughter, though; she was and still is a child. Lastly, other than family friends, Mitsuru, and Mitsuru's father, be very cautious of who you trust with the sensitive information I'm sure you'll be gathering. There are eyes and ears everywhere; I'd recommend burning this letter after you finish with it. Now then, take good care of yourselves and your allies, always keep an eye out, and do you best out there; even though you two have chosen not to become detectives, the blood of great detectives flow in your veins, so I know you will do well. Take care and make your parents, your sister, the Kuzunoha clans, and me proud. Best wishes, Shirogane Satoshi.'
"I…" Minato was speechless.
"Wow. He really is going to trust us with these weapons?" Hamuko asked.
"It seems so. Did you see the parts about Yukari-chan's father?" Minato asked.
"Yeah…" Hamuko sighed. "He was our parents' final client. It's his fault our parents died…"
"No, its not," Minato replied. "I don't think he knew what would happen. It's no more his fault that it is our own, or our grandfather's, or Naoko's."
"…I guess you're right," Hamuko admitted. "I just wish…"
"I know, Hamuko. I know," Minato hugged her. The two just hugged for a minute, in absolute silence.
"Kids, this is a police station. You mind hurrying things up; I'm a busy man," Kurosawa interrupted.
"Sorry," Minato broke the hug.
"So, aniki. What do we do about this information? Tell Yukari-chan? Go to the Chairman?" Hamuko asked.
'That's a bit of a problem. The Chairman still gives me the creeps, and telling Yukari-chan about her father… I'm not sure how she'll take it,' Minato thought out the possibilities.
"I think we should keep quiet for now. We'll tell Yukari-chan about her father when I think she's ready. Other than that, we don't tell anyone what we learned until we get more information," Minato suggested.
"Okay then," Hamuko agreed.
'I just hope Yukari-chan doesn't take that news too badly,' Minato thought.
"Now then, do you two need anything; if not, then please leave," Kurosawa asked them.
"A question. How are we supposed to bring weapons and gear here? And how are we able to take them out? Walking around town with those things is bound to attract attention of the wrong kind," Hamuko inquired.
'Again, my sister impresses me with her insight,' Minato beamed with pride. 'I didn't even catch that.'
"That is simple; during the daytime, come here and let me know what items you or the rest of your team need. Right before I start my nightly rounds, I'll go to your dorm with my police car and drop off the items; if I wasn't paid in advance here, I expect to be paid there. Also, while I'm there, I'll take any of your gear that you do not want and pay you accordingly. So long as Mitsuru, Akihiko, or the Chariman is present at the dorm when I arrive, that is," Kurosawa explained.
"Makes sense," Minato nodded. "So, what have you got in terms of armor?"
After securing an order from Kurosawa, the Arisato twins returned to the dorm, where they found Mitsuru in the lounge, reading a book.
"Welcome back," Mitsuru greeted them as she looked up from her book. "If you two have a moment, I'd like to have a word with you."
"Sure thing, semapi," Minato agreed as he and Hamuko sat down on the couch.
"What's up?" Hamuko asked.
"It's regarding our exploration of Tartarus," Mitsuru informed them. "Even with the healing sessions Takeba and I will be giving Akihiko, it will take some time for him to fully heal. So, in the meantime, I want you to lead the team, Arisato."
"I understand, sempai," Minato nodded. "Hamuko, if, for some reason, I am unable to lead, can you be the field leader?"
"I believe so," said Hamuko, gripping her skirt.
"That's fine with me," Mitsuru agreed. "Also, you never know when a powerful enemy might appear, like the one that appeared on the roof. It's best to be prepared, or else you may find yourself in a difficult position. As the field leader, you choose when we explore Tartarus; so, whenever you'd like to go, just let me know, and I'll gather everyone for the exploration. Also, if I feel that we need to go to Tartarus, I'll use my power as the leader of S.E.E.S. to overrule you, if need be."
"Gotcha, semapi," said Minato.
"Sempai, if I may, going to Tartarus wears us out. If we go every night, we'll be run ragged. So, I suggest that whenever we go to Tartarus, we won't go the following night unless absolutely necessary, so that we can be well-rested," Hamuko suggested.
"Excellent suggestion," Minato smiled. "If we keep the pace at no higher than every other day, I think we'll be fine, so long as we visit Tartarus at least twice a week."
"I agree; if you think you all can keep up with that pace, then I do not mind it," Mitsuru nodded. "Oh, and also, since I'm sure there are other things you will need to take care of, you may go out at night if you need to. The curfew is 10:30, except for nights when we will be exploring Tartarus, in which case the curfew is 8:00."
"Understood, semapi," the twins nodded.
"Good. Well, that's it; keep up the good work," Mitsuru complimented them.
"Sure thing, sempai," Hamuko said.
"Oh, semapi, we met with Kurosawa-san today, thanks to Akihiko-sempai. He will be coming along later with the gear we bought," Minato informed her.
"Thank you for telling me; I will be waiting here for him, then," Mitsuru replied.
'Grandfather said to trust her, so I guess I should show that in some degree…' "And Mitsuru-semapi?" Minato continued.
"Qui?"
"If you ever need to talk, or if you need help, don't be a stranger; Hamuko and I can be there for you. And my grandfather's network of contacts and spies is at your disposal, should you need them," Minato offered. "We're all teammates here; we need to look out for each other."
Mitsuru looked at Minato warily for a moment, making him nervous.
'Maybe I shouldn't have done that…'
Mitsuru then flicked her hair out of her eye and softly smiled. "I understand, Arisato. Should I have a need to, I'll take you up on your offer. Thank you. And if you need my help, my door is open for you anytime. Same for you, Arisato-kohai."
"Thank you, sempai," Hamuko bowed.
"Anytime, sempai," Minato smirked.
SMASH!
Like before, time froze and it got darker. A card materialized in the air. It had a pink background, looking like stained glass. On the sides of the card, vines grew up and down. In the center of the card, a black sphere with what appeared to be a cross were fused together, a crown floating above the top of the cross. Below the picture, the Roman numeral for three was written.
'Thou art I and I am thou… Thou hast established a new bond. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana…'
The card shattered, its blue light showering Minato and Mitsuru in its brilliance. 'Well, I'll be. I owe ya one, Grandfather,' Minato smirked as time resumed.
After school the next day, Minato was packing up his stuff. Hamuko has gone off to meet some girls she had befriended while he was in the hospital. As he was packing, Kenji had approached him.
"Hey, man," Kenji greeted him. "I'm gonna get some ramen after school. You wanna come?"
"Are you asking me because you want the scoop on Yukari-chan?" Minato asked. 'He did seem awfully interested in my relationship with her.'
"Sorta, but… in reality, I just wanted to get the chance to chat with you. You seem like a decent guy and I'd like to be your friend," Kenji admitted. "Whaddya say? Let's go get some ramen."
'He seems sincere. Sure, why not?' "Sure," Minato agreed. "I'll even pay for your ramen." He then spotted Junpei in the corner of the room, chatting it up with another student. 'I still owe Junpei for helping me out the other day. I should see if I can get him to join in.' "Mind if I drag Junpei along? I own him from the other day; I'm sure he'd like some ramen," he asked.
"Sure, why not?" Kenji shrugged.
"Cool. Hey Junpei!" Minato shouted, getting Junpei's attention. "I'm gonna go get some ramen with Kenji. Wanna tag along as well? It's my treat."
"Do I ever!" Junpei grinned as he approached them. "I forgot my lunch, so I'm starving!"
"Excellent! Then let's get going!" Minato cheered. 'Oh crap! I forgot! I don't know any ramen places!' "Um… where's a ramen place around here?" he asked, electing chuckles from the other boys.
Kenji had led Minato and Junpei to a place called Hagakure, located at Iwatodai station. It was a homely place, the restaurant filled with the scents of various soups and ramen. The three sat down at the booth and made their orders. When the ramen came, all three dove in.
"Whew!" Kenji downed some noodles. "Now that's what I'm talking about! Was I right, or was I right?"
"I gotta admit, Kenji, you were right; the ramen did live up to your hype," Minato drank some broth.
"Hell yeah! We got ourselves a believer, Kenji!" Junpei hi-fived Kenji.
'What exactly do they put in this? It's unbelievable!' Minato found the ramen more and more irresistible. "What exactly do they put in it?"
"No one really knows," said Kenji. "Rumors go around saying that it's a special ingredient that no one else uses. However, no one has been able to figure out what it is."
"Yeah. Not even the Gourmet King, Gekkoukan's resident expert on all things food-related is able to pinpoint the secret ingredient!" Junpei added.
"If I had to guess, it's most likely a spice of some kind," Kenji shrugged.
'Maybe I can get my grandfather's contacts to see what the secret ingredient is…' Minato wondered.
"Probably something exotic from like South America, or maybe it's a fruit from Africa, or a vegetable from Australia, or…" Kenji was rambling on.
"Dude's passionate about his ramen," Minato chuckled.
"Yeah. It's said that when it comes to ramen, Kenji rivals the Gourmet King," said Junpei. "They even say that Kenji could out-eat him in ramen."
"That'd be a sight to see," Minato replied.
"…or maybe some scientists from America artificially create it, or…"
"Dude, if you keep geeking out on us, your ramen's gonna get cold," Junpei pointed out.
"Yeah. At this point, all you're missing is the glasses, pocket protector, and the suspenders," Minato joked.
"Hehe," Kenji rubbed the back of his head, blushing. "My bad; I get geeked up whenever I eat here."
"I don't necessarily blame you. The ramen here is delicious," Minato downed some of the heavenly food.
"You do? Really?" Kenji was shocked.
"Well, yeah," Minato shrugged.
"Told ya, Kenji. Minato's a cool guy to hang around," Junpei slurped up some noodles.
"Yeah, I guess you're right, Junpei. Minato didn't seem look like the kind of person I normally hang with, but I guess looks aren't everything," Kenji shrugged.
"It's the hair, isn't it?" Minato sighed. "My hair gives everyone the impression I'm an emo," he huffed, causing his bangs to fly up for a second before falling in front of his eyes again. "It's such a pain. And cutting it doesn't work; my hair grows super-fast, so even if I were to go completely bald, it'd grow back completely in less than three weeks."
"Oh… I'm sorry," Kenji apologized. "I… I didn't know."
"I'm only kidding!" Minato laughed. "Take a joke, man." 'Way too easy.'
"Dude! Don't worry me like that!" Kenji mockingly held his chest. "I could've had a heart attack!"
"Good one, Minato!" Junpei slapped Minato on the back.
"By the way, I heard you and Yukari-san are close," Kenji changed the subject. "Damn, you move fast! You just transferred here and all, but I don't blame you; these days, you gotta be aggressive."
"And who is it that told you that I'm with Yukari-chan?" Minato asked.
"I knew it! You're using 'chan'! You two ARE close!" Kenji pointed at Minato.
"Told ya so, Kenji. Those two are probably making out in the broom closet after school," Junpei laughed.
'Dammit, I walked right into that one,' Minato chastised himself. 'Better set the record straight.' "Guys, Yukari-chan is not my girlfriend, despite what you may think. She's only a friend, but I won't deny that's she cute and would probably make some guy, or me, very happy to be her boyfriend. If something's going to happen between her and me, I want it to develop naturally, not be forced along by a couple of shippers on deck. Besides, what would Yukari-chan say if she learned you two were spreading false rumors around about her and me?"
Kenji and Junpei thought about it for a moment, then their faces suddenly paled.
"Oh, crap!" Junpei shouted. "Anything but that!"
"Dude, she won't live it down for weeks!" Kenji added. "And knowing her, she'll turn the girls of Gekkoukan against us!"
"Then I would highly advise you two to keep any theories you have about me and Yukari-chan to yourselves; in exchange, should Yukari-chan and I hook up, you'll be the first to know," Minato promised.
"Sounds good to me," Kenji agreed.
"As long I steer clear from Typhoon Yuka-tan, I'm fine," added Junpei.
'Phew. That was a close one. If those rumors persisted, Hamuko might've been all up in my business, and no one wants that,' Minato sighed in relief as he ate more of his ramen.
"You know what? We should hang out again. We'll get some food and I'll tell you about my secret plan. Wait until you hear it dude; you're gonna flip!" Kenji proclaimed.
"Secret plan? What plan?" Minato asked. 'I hope it has nothing to do with the Dark Hour.'
"Minato, trust me, it's a plan that's gonna knock your socks off," Junpei vowed. "And Kenji's dead set on it, that I promise."
"Well, okay then, I guess I'll hear it when I get a chance," said Minato.
"Excellent!" Kenji smiled.
"We gotta hang out more often too, Minato; after all, we live in the same dorm," said Junpei.
"Of course, Junpei. I hope you're not going to try and butter me up in order to get a shot at my sister," Minato glared at him.
"Well, maybe…" Junpei cheekily grinned.
All three of them started laughing, enjoying each other's company.
SMASH!
Time came to a stop and the colors all faded to gray. Two cards materialized into the air this time.
'What? Two cards? Wow, I guess I'm on a roll or something,' thought Minato.
One card had a picture of a flame with hands reaching out towards the flames. A pair of eyes floated above the flame and the symbol for infinity floated above the eyes like a halo. Beneath the hands, the Roman numeral for one was written. On the other card had a picture of a lightning-struck tower on it, the top part being blown off by the lightning. Below that, the Roman numeral for sixteen was written.
"Thou art I… And I am thou… Thou hast established new bonds. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. Thou shalt have our blessings when creating Personas of the Magician and Tower Arcana…"
The Magician card shattered, its light bathing Kenji and Minato. The Tower card immediately followed, covering both Minato and Junpei. As time resumed, Minato decided to speak. "Okay guys, enough fun; our ramen's getting cold!"
"Right!" Kenji and Junpei agreed and all three dug in to what's left of their ramen.
That night, Minato returned to the dorm, finding Mitsuru and Hamuko engaged in casual conversation. "Hi, aniki! What's up?" Hamuko greeted him.
"I hung out with some of the guys today. Nice bunch," Minato replied.
"That's cool," Hamuko smiled.
"Good evening, Arisato," Mitsuru took her turn in greeting him.
"Evening, sempai," Minato greeted back.
"If I can have a moment, I forgot to tell you something yesterday," Mitsuru told him.
"Oh? What is it?" Minato asked.
"As Arisato-kohai pointed out yesterday, exploring Tartarus can be exhausting, especially since you must do so late at night. You may find that you need a great deal of rest to recuperate. Everyone's condition will vary as well, so make sure you that into consideration, but I believe you've already got that covered. If you want an evaluation of everyone's condition, don't hesitate to ask me; with my power, I am able to see if everyone is combat-ready or not," Mitsuru informed Minato.
"I gotcha, Mitsuru-sempai," Minato replied. "Is everyone here and rested?"
"They are? Do you wish to go to Tartarus tonight?" Mitsuru asked.
"Definitely," Minato smiled, eager to explore the tower once more.
Well, that's all for this chapter. Got some character development, backstory on the Arisatos, and some Social Links in. Next chapter, we return to Tartarus, where we'll encounter an antagonist that haunts its halls.
Green Midnight Dictionary:
debirusamanaa no densetsu: Roughly translated, it means 'Devil Summoner's Fury'. I had a friend who was proficient in Japanese translate the English phrase to Japanese. However, I cannot testify as to how accurate the phrase is.
daakusamonaazubein: roughly translated, it means 'Dark Summoner's Bane'. I had a friend who was proficient in Japanese translate the English phrase to Japanese. However, I cannot testify as to how accurate the phrase is.
