Chapter 10: Another Warrior Arises
|Chieki Academy – Rooftop|17:34 pm|
Their enemy, the EX-NIHILO, was nothing like any Persona or Shadow they had ever seen before. However, there was still only one choice. To do battle.
"Annihilation...?!" Shintaro uttered timidly. "Y-You won't win! Ogma!"
His Persona emerged, gathering the force of divine winds. As he did so, he felt a strange new energy. Another new attack he could use.
"Yes! This is just what I needed!"
"Shintaro...?" Masato said, paralysed with fear. EX-NIHILO stared at the Persona in front of him, and readied its blade.
"Jet Flash!"
Ogma held his blade with two hands, and thrust forward – sending forward a sharp jet of air. As he did so, Shintaro suddenly disappeared – only to appear directly behind EX-NIHILO.
Holy crap...this worked?! I...I gotta attack now, before he turns around and finds me!
"Die!"
Shintaro slashed the beast as many time as he could, each swing more ferocious than before. The demonic 'Persona', having taken considerable damage from this onslaught, turned around – and swung its own Nullity Blade, sending Shintaro backwards.
"Dammit...!" Shintaro groaned.
"How dare you, you freak!" Kohaku shrieked at her foe. Fearing for her friend, she used Airmid's healing spell to protect Shintaro.
"Thanks, Haku-chan" Shintaro said. "Maybe we should try using Dia spells on Masato."
"I don't think that will work." Kei said, shaking her head. "The only way to stop this is to somehow kill EX-NIHILO. But I'm sure we can do it -"
EX-NIHILO, however, had other plans than let itself be killed by three high school students. It held out its left hand, the one without a weapon, and gathered a strange mass of black energy. It had some strange specks of red, almost like dead pixels on a display. It sent forward this ball, and it struck Kohaku.
"Ouch!" Kohaku said, as the sphere struck her. "What is this?!"
"I'm...I'm not sure." Kei said. She checked her own Gnosis, which had updated its entry on their foe with the 'Nullity Blade' attack, and it now listed a move called 'Ex Nihilo'. "Hmm...naming an attack after itself. But wait, this move...it doesn't seem to have any element whatsoever."
"Huh? That's not possible, is it?" Shintaro asked.
"There's a help page that lists all the elements we can expect Personas and Shadows to use. Fire, Ice, Wind, Electric, Water, Earth, Psychic, Nuclear, Light, Darkness, Almighty, and Physical. But this move...it wasn't either of those." Kei said. "And this phone doesn't display any data."
"This thing...it's terrifying." Kohaku said. "Even if its power isn't known, it's still dangerous. Especially for its host."
"That's right. Masato is in grave danger." Kei said, seriously. "And I won't stand by and let this demon do this to him!"
Anxious, Kei changed her Persona to Ostara. A volley of sharp petals struck the EX-NIHILO, slicing through its body via the Petal Waltz. In retaliation, it attempted to strike her with its sword – Kei tried to block the attack, but was pushed further and further back. Realising the futility of this, she ducked and rolled to the side.
"Die!"
She stabbed the strange being right in its side. While it had not offered any dialogue, it seemed to be in deep pain from the attacks that had been launched at it. Alas, Masato's condition had not improved. In fact, it seemed as if energy was being sucked from his body straight into the parasitical demon's, slowly but surely.
"...No!" Shintaro said. "How do we stop the flow of energy?"
"I don't know, Shintaro! But we've got to try to stop this monster!" Kohaku cried.
"Watch out!" Kei cried. Kohaku gasped – a Zio had just struck her, before she had a chance to escape its wrath.
"Come on, Ogma!" Shintaro sent forth a Garu on the advancing EX-NIHILO, slowing its progress. Kohaku's naginata hit it from behind, causing it to drop to his knees, even if for just a moment.
"Kohaku!" Kei cried. "Airmid must have gotten stronger from all our battles. Bring out her new power!"
"New power? Wait...I think you're right! Airmid, come forth! Clocha Ghlais!"
A bright stone, glowing a vibrant green hue, fell from the sky, and hovered above the ground. Shintaro and Kei stared at it in awe – and felt its soft, pure resonance. Soothing light emanated from it, healing all three Persona users. Next, the stone crashed into EX-NIHILO, piercing its dark body.
"Excellent as always, Kohaku! I won't falter either... Strigoii! Eiha!" Kei cried, switching Persona. Strigoii, meaning 'poltergeist', were known as vampires in Romanian lore, having been troubled souls of the dead who rose from the grave. This particular one was keen to cause the EX-NIHILO some trouble of its own, and it summoned deep darkness in the form of Eiha.
Even with this, the monster still wasn't giving up. It cast a strange spell of dissonant orange light, which the Gnosis identified as 'Tarunda' – it deduced the offence of its target, in this case, Shintaro.
"What the...I feel funny..." Shintaro said. His sword arm felt weaker all of a sudden, as if he had been sleeping on it. Not only that, he could sense that Ogma's inner strength had dimmed. The EX-NIHILO, still silent, clearly wanted to reduce its chances of defeat. Needing health, it turned to Masato, and absorbed a great amount of energy.
"Guys...please..." Masato, voice hoarse from the pain, begged. "I can't take it...much longer..."
"This isn't good. We've got to stop this EX-NIHILO before it can kill him." Shintaro said. "Are we too weak on our own?"
"No, Shintaro. I know we can accomplish this task." Kei said, calmly. With her katana in both hands, she leapt up, and slashed the EX-NIHILO right in the face. The sudden burst of strength she felt sent the creature to the ground with a heavy thud, where it was immobile. The flow of energy seemed to have stopped – and Masato was finally able to stand, albeit very debilitated from his ordeal.
"Now!" Kohaku yelled.
She, Shintaro and Kei rushed at EX-NIHILO, striking it as powerfully with their weapons as they could. Terrified at his own violence, Shintaro still could not stop. Having only viewed himself as a meek, unassuming student, he hadn't quite imagined him being capability of mercilessly hacking another being to death.
Is it because this monster is threatening Masato's life? Am I that determined to save him? Regardless of how I feel about him, I cannot leave him to die in the Theio Kosmos. I shouldn't have even hesitated back there. I've got to keep attacking, until this damn eyesore dies!
Finally breaking free, the monster unleashed another Nullity Blade, sending Kei flying backwards onto the ground. Masato's brief moment of relief was cut short when his energy started to be absorbed again – sending him into another fit of sheer agony.
"Stop it! I can't...I can't keep this up...I can't get him out of my head..." Masato said, clutching his head in both hands, on the verge of tears.
This is too cruel. EX-NIHILO is a mindless parasite, without a soul. It doesn't even deserve to be compared to a Shadow. It's pure evil. Nothing more, and nothing less.
"I'll vanquish you right here and now!" Shintaro cried. He ran forward, sword at the ready, and tried to slash at the same time as Ogma's Blade Strike. However, the EX-NIHILO was not to be taken off guard – it launched its eponymous attack, sending Shintaro crashing down, and quickly jumped away from Ogma's sword.
Ugh...Are we outmatched? Are we not...going to make it? No, I have to trust in Kei. She won't let us down.
"Let's try something new. Kohaku, support me!" Kei said. In preparation, she switched to Kabuso, a mischievous shapeshifter in Japanese lore in the form of a cat. This somewhat odd creature had a straw hat, matted blue hair, and a rather thick tail. "We begin!"
"Alright! Airmid, please support Kei and Kabuso." Kohaku asked her Persona, politely. Airmid nodded gently, although it didn't seem too comfortable with the constantly smirking cat-like creature in front of her. Regardless, Airmid began chanting powerfully, and conjured the power of earth around Kabuso's claw.
Grinning wildly, the cat-like Persona leapt high into the air, its claw shining brightly in the dark sky. It seemed to freeze in place, but then it came tumbling down – driving its powerful claw right through the EX-NIHILO's head.
"Excavation Claw!"
The moment Kabuso hit the ground, it caused the ground to shake violently – and break apart, blasting the EX-NIHILO with sharp rocks. For a second, Kohaku seemed worried about the possible collateral damage they could cause Chieki Academy, but to her relief, the actual floor was relatively undamaged.
"...Wait, we're not destroying the school with our attacks?" She asked.
"It seems structures in the Theio Kosmos are more resilient than their Akaharto Kosmos counterparts." Kei said. "This is the Shadow's native environment, after all."
"This thing is as good as dead!" Shintaro cheered. However, the EX-NIHILO had lost patience. With great vigour, it struck all three of its opponents with a single Ex Nihilo spell at once. After this, it became enshrouded in an ominous red glow, and its very footsteps seemed to be corrupting the ground, leaving pure black footprints with more 'dead pixels' in them.
"Argh!" Kei cried.
"Oww..." Kohaku moaned.
"Damn..." Shintaro, wincing, looked up at his foe. It had turned on him, its blade in its hands. Holding it overhead, it seemed to be building up strength in its arms, which were glowing a light orange. Somehow, the opposite effect of Tarunda had come to boost this demon – much to their disadvantage.
"Shintaro!" Kohaku cried. She tried to summon Airmid, but a powerful Nullity Blade struck her, sending her flying to the ground. "No...I can't..."
"Kohaku, hold on! I'll try -"
"Kei, I'll be fine...please, try to protect Taro-kun..."
Shintaro gasped. His weary body wasn't fast enough to escape from this monster's blade. And he was still feeling a distinct lack of energy, thanks to the Tarunda from before. He took out his blade regardless, even though he had no chance of blocking.
It's too late...I wasn't strong enough to defeat this thing after all. Mother, father...I'm sorry I let you all down. I just wish I could take back what I said before -
"Don't you dare!"
Shintaro felt himself hitting the ground, but not from EX-NIHILO's dark blade. Rather, someone else had shoved him out of harms way – and managed to dodge the mighty sword swing, too. Turning around, Shintaro gasped – Masato was in front of the dark creature, no longer afraid or in torment.
"Masato...?" Shintaro said, slowly.
"You heard me! Whatever the fuck your name is, I've had enough of watching this. You think you can mess Taro-kun and Haku-chan around, just like Rokurou and the others?! No way! Not again. I stood by and let it happen. I...I even joined in. But not anymore!"
"Masato, what are you doing!?" Kohaku screamed. "You'll only get yourself killed!"
"...Not today." Masato said, smiling. "Just a second ago, I heard a voice in my head...the same guy who spoke to you, I bet."
"What? You mean, Philemon?!" Shintaro asked.
"The very same..." Masato said. "...I think I can do this! Do your worst, you miserable bastard!"
EX-NIHILO, unfazed by this sudden outburst, tried to unleash another Nullity Blade – but its sword did not strike flesh or bone. Rather, it was knocked away entirely, and the blade embedded itself into the ground. Surrounding Masato was now a bright blue aurora, just like it had done with Shintaro.
"PERSONA!"
Appearing above Masato was a human-like force with a smug, confident grin. Dressed in sturdy dark red armour, covered in golden patterns, this warrior figure had a sigil of a lightning bolt on its chestplate.
I remember that symbol. Masato drew it when he was trying to make action comics with me. But neither of us knew how to draw, so it took us a few attempts to get a design we were proud of...
The figure's muscular arms were exposed, revealing his brute strength. His face was adorned with a thick, red bushy beard, and while the horned helmet covered most of it, he had a long mane of red hair. Completing this look was a pale gold short cape, flapping in the wind created by the blue aurora. The newly emerged being held out his hand, and a large heavy metal club appeared in his hand – the handle styled after a rather oversized baseball bat. Despite its weight, this being could carry it with just one hand.
I am thou. Thou art I. From the sea of thy soul, I cometh. I art Camulus, he who shall wage war for aeons to achieve glory!
Now unarmed, EX-NIHILO had lost whatever composure it may have had. It fired Ex Nihilo one after another, but Camulus somehow managed to counter them all with his club, sending them hurtling back at their sender. Weakened, EX-NIHILO fell to its knees, and its ethereal glow dimmed.
"Hell yeah...this is gonna be great. Camulus!" Masato cried. "I'm counting on you. Crush that damn bastard for what he did to me! Don't let him get away with it!"
Eager to comply with his new master, Camulus grabbed the EX-NIHILO by the neck, and swung down hard with the Iron Impact. In doing so, he smashed the head to smithereens, splattering bits of metal and puddles of dark red blood all over the rooftop. As a result, an intense screech echoed throughout the area, and Shintaro had to cover his ears. When the noise finally ended, he looked back. The EX-NIHILO's headless body fell onto the ground, and disappeared as mysteriously as it came. The Nullity Blade vanished too, and despite the blade sinking into the stone floor, it didn't leave a whole at all.
"Is...is it over?!" Kohaku asked. Shintaro nodded at her, stunned by what he had just witnessed.
"Phew...good job, Camulus. You make the team..."
Masato stared in awe, his Gnosis held tightly in his sweaty palm. Feeling exhaustion take over, he fell to his bottom – and not for the first time this evening. In a daze, he stared at the ground where EX-NIHILO had once stood.
"Rest in pieces, you creepy werido..." Masato said, pleased with his newfound strength.
"Masato!" Shintaro said, running over. "Are you alright?!"
Masato looked up at Shintaro, sitting up. "I...I think so. Worst EX I've ever had."
Shintaro found himself laughing, even if just a little. Masato grinned, and before long, joined in with laughter as well. The two of them couldn't control it – they were laughing uproariously, no longer opposed to being in the same place as each other.
Dammit, it wasn't even that funny...so why am I laughing so hard?
"Kohaku, do we have a means for checking for laughing gas?" Kei asked.
"I don't think so..." Kohaku said, worried. "Hold on. I'll check my Gnosis and see if any new apps have appeared -"
"I was kidding. Calm down!" Kei said, shaking her head.
"Sorry about that. After all of that drama, I just...wanted to laugh. And making a lame pun just seemed to be the best way to do it." Masato said.
"I'm glad to see you're well, Masato-san, but the EX-NIHILO absorbed a lot of your health..." Kei said, worried.
"Yes, she's right. But I can heal you now..." Kohaku said. Airmid appeared, and cast Dia upon Dia to revitalise the redheaded baseball fan.
"Thanks, Kohaku...you always were the medical one back when we were kids. Always had a pack of plasters at hand." Masato said, smiling. "I don't feel any pain anymore. None physical, anyway. Whatever that EX-NIHILO thing was, it's not in the phone anymore."
"Good. I hope we never see it again." Shintaro said, his sword vanishing.
"Hey, Shintaro...uh...if I have a Persona..." Masato began.
"What about it?" Kohaku asked. "Truth is, we've only scratched the surface of this power."
"Does having one mean you've got like...strong resolve, or something like that?" Masato asked.
"As far as I understand it, having a Persona means you have a clear idea of who you are, as well as the facade you wear every day. Knowing both the outer and inner self." Kei said. "When you saw that abomination trying to kill Shintaro, you were able to summon Camulus and destroy EX-NIHILO."
"Well..." Masato said, face almost as red as his hair. "I guess, in my head...I finally knew just how much what I did affected him. That hurt, but I couldn't blame Shintaro for feeling that way. But when he was fighting that thing, something in me just clicked."
"What was that?" Kohaku asked.
"That I couldn't just let you or him get messed around anymore. That I had do something, anything at all, to stop it from happening." Masato said. "I know you still hate me for what I did. And I'm not going to make any excuses. But right now, all I know is that Bythos are a creepy group that are trying to pull off some real nasty plot. Without a Persona, you can't stand up to them. But I've got Camulus. So...please. Let me join your fight."
He really means it, doesn't he? There's something about him now that's so determined. Was I wrong to go on that huge tirade before? I've got to look at this from his point of view, don't I?
"Masato..." Shintaro began, awkwardly. "About everything I said earlier...?"
"Yeah?" Masato asked.
"After I got all that out of my system, I started to think about it. What have I been doing to move past that day? I've just carried on as normal, studying, reading, etc. I thought I was the better man, but in the end, I haven't changed at all. It's time for both of us to start." Shintaro said. He held out his hand, and managed a small smile.
"Huh? Wait, you mean -"
"Yeah." Shintaro said. "It's not going to be easy, and I can't promise things will be like old times, but...I forgive you."
Masato stared in silence. Then, he beamed into a smile, and suddenly embraced Shintaro, tears streaming down his eyes.
"Whoa!" Shintaro said.
"Heh..." Masato said. "Sorry. I just...it felt really good to hear you say that."
"Masato..." Kohaku said. "Let's go back to our world. Your sister might be worried about you."
Kei, looking at the ground, noticed the Gnosis in Masato's hand had fallen to the ground. "You should take care of this, Masato-san. This device is what lets us summon our Personas in here."
"Really? But I though mine was buggy - huh?" Masato looked at his phone, and discovered it to be in perfect working order. It displayed the apps with their correct names. There was no longer any sign of EX-NIHILO's contamination. "Whaddya know? It's working just like yours!"
"We still don't know how these phones work. They definitely don't appear to be relying on natural materials or technology." Kei said. "Take it, Masato. It's your key to this world, and your means of survival."
"Course I will, Kei-san. I'm not gonna run away from any more Shadows. How long have I been stuck here?" Masato asked, checking his sports tracker watch. "Whoa, it's later than I thought. We oughta make like that big tree out front and leave."
"Are you okay to walk, Masato-san?" Kei asked.
"Yeah. I think I'll be alright." Masato said. "In fact, I feel better than ever. It's a huge weight off my mind."
I guess it would have been. Looking at it from his eyes, he was probably bullied into doing what he did to my grandfather's book. All I thought about was that, but for him, he had lost our friendship. But not forever. We can start over, little by little.
|Bella Donna – Pet Friends|18:20 pm|
Akari, beaming at the counter, stared around at the brightly coloured pet goods store. She couldn't believe it. Another step closer, perhaps, to becoming the greatest vet in Japan. It had been her dream ever since she was eight, but now that she was coming ever closer to college, it felt like something she could truly do.
"Good work today, Ito-san." the manager said. "We've been really busy recently, so I'm glad you were able to help out."
"I don't mind at all. I love helping people who need help with animals." Akari said, with honest joy in her heart. "Things are getting scary in this city recently...if people are afraid, it'll affect their pets, too. I wish I could do more to stop all this stuff with Bythos, but..."
"Ah, don't get too emotional. You're still young. There's plenty you can do." The manager said, patting her on the shoulder. "Ah, there's one more customer. You can finish for today after you're done."
"Okay!" Akari said. As she finished serving the last customer, a lady being a new rabbit hutch – Akari helping her with the bedding as well – she breathed a sigh of satisfaction. Not a single dissatisfied customer. If she kept this up, that meant possibly more money – which could help her in later life, if she did end up in a college of her choice.
She quickly changed back into her Kansei uniform, and said goodbye to her manager, who was preparing to lock up for tonight. Happily humming along to herself, she had put aside all of yesterday's worries behind. Whatever Keiya's secret was, he was such a charming man. As she was staring at her phone, however, she thought she saw someone waving at her. Confused, she looked up, and grinned.
"Oh! Good evening!" she said to him.
This man was a neighbour of hers, of sorts. He lived in an apartment block not very far from her street, and she had seem him around the neighbourhood quite often, usually feeding stray animals or walking his own pet dog. A man in his early twenties, he had something of a roughish charm, with messy light brown hair, sticking out on top, but his brown eyes had an honest glow.
While Akari hadn't really spoken to him for very long, she felt a true genuine kindness from him. The way he softly spoke to his dog, and just about every other animal he came across, seemed so earnest. He didn't seem to have any human friends, however, which made Akari feel a little sorry for him. She didn't even know his name...but since she had run into him here, she might as well make conversation.
"Howdy!" The man said. "We keep bumping into each other, don't we?"
"I work at Pet Friends now, hehe. You go there much?" Akari asked.
"Sometimes..." The young man said, looking at his rather bulky bag of items. "Just picking up some stuff for the weekend. Little Taro eats me out of house and home."
"My Akiko is just the same." Akari said, giggling. "Oh...wait, I don't think I even caught your name. Weird, huh?"
"Sorry, I should have introduced myself before now. The name's Kaii."
"Mine's Akari!" They shook hands, and while she tried her hardest not to blush, he simply smiled. "Come in next time I'm working. There's a toy in there I think your Taro is really gonna like!"
"To be honest, Taro treats me like a toy more than any of the ones I buy for him. Story of my life." Kaii said, chuckling to himself. The two of them reached their bus stop.
"So, are you in college?" Akari asked, curiously.
"Well, I should be, but I failed the exams. Bingo, an instant disappointment to my aunt and uncle. Shameful was the word my aunt used. My uncle went for 'fucking disgrace'." Kaii said, sighing. "Sorry for wearing...but I'm planning on retaking them next year. Are 21 year olds considered mature students these days?"
"I...I dunno." Akari said. "Me, though, I want to become a vet. That's not going to be easy."
"What are you talking about? You seem to know a thing or two about dogs. And probably cats, mice, Komodo dragons..." Kaii said. "Having a pet one of those would be amazing. I'd need a bigger place than a one-bedroom apartment, though. And a lot more money. And fireproof clothes. It's a dragon, right?"
Akari laughed. The bus arrived, and they took the upstairs seats. Shinshuto buses were double decker, and Akari preferred to sit upstairs. She took the window seat, and Kaii sat next to her.
"Oh yeah, the other day, I was going through Midori Park...and you'll never guess who I saw!" Akari continued. Kaii, half-interested, shook his head. "Keiya Tsukino!"
"Keiya, huh..." Kaii said, no longer smiling. Akari, concerned, looked at him, but he shook his head, and forced a smile. "The card guy, right?"
"Yeah, the very same! He even did a trick on me. But I have no idea how he did. He took all of the Heart cards in his deck, and before I knew it, they're all in my blazer's pocket! How he did it, I'll never figure out..."
"Huh...that is pretty weird." Kaii said, although he seemed slightly annoyed. "There's something weird about him, that's for sure. Some of his tricks don't really make sense."
"Oh, you've seen him?" Akari asked.
"Plenty of times." Kaii said. "I keep trying to figure out how he does it, but I guess we'll never know." Akari was checking her phone, and while she laughed at her friend's Suzu's video, one involving a CEO in a red dress throwing her latte at a poor person, she noticed Kaii checking his. He suddenly put it away in his pocket, suddenly startled, before she could properly look at it.
"What?" Akari asked. "Is something wrong?"
"N-No, it's nothing. My phone just needs charging, that's all." Kaii said, breathing loudly.
"Huh...that sucks. You should get a power bank. I've got an adorable bunny one from last Easter." Akari said. "Speaking of phones, three of my friends at school have these weird ones called 'Gnosis'. I've never even heard of those, but you know something else? I even saw Keiya with one!"
"Gnosis..." Kaii said, a little apprehensively. "What a weird name. It's like...Greek, or something?"
"I dunno. But oh my god, there's this great new Greek restaurant in Asakita, and -"
The conversation continued onto completely different topics. Kaii seemed relieved that they had dropped the topic of the Gnosis completely, and instead seemed amused at just how many tangents Akari could go down. Truth is, she really just liked talking to people...but she hated it when people didn't want to listen.
Today, however, she had found her listener. They got off the bus at the same stop, and she was onto a tale involving her dog literally eating her homework – despite it being in a locked drawer in her study desk.
"I dunno how she did it. And what's so tasty about paper, anyway? Dogs will eat anything that's not nailed down. And even then, Akiko-chan probably would still try..."
"Sounds like my boy Taro. Dumb thing...but he's too cute to stay mad at. Hey, Akari." Kaii said. "It was nice properly meeting you. You sure have a lot of...interesting things to say."
"Yeah, sorry. I talk a lot - there's just a lot of silly things in my life I wanna let everyone
know. I hope I didn't bore you." Akari said, embarrassed.
Please don't say I did! One, that would be mean, and two, I really, really hope he was listening to my weird ramblings. Good listeners are really hard to come by these days...
"No, not at all." Kaii said. "We should talk again sometime. Maybe we should walk our dogs together!"
"I don't mind. But we better not tell my mom. She's very...restrictive. She would never let me hang out with someone your age. She'd go on and on about the distractions from my studies." Akari said, rolling her eyes.
"Heh, my mother...nah, never mind." Kaii said, looking away. "I've gotta get back to my boy Taro. See ya!"
With that Kaii ran off, and Akari smiled and waved.
Wow, today was great. I can't wait to get back to work! But I wonder what's happening with Kohaku and the others? They seem really weird whenever Bythos comes up. It's probably nothing, right?
Akari returned home to a very hungry dog, and right after feeding her, hit the books, to avoid another education rant courtesy of her mother. Even as she studied, though, she couldn't help but daydream about Kaii. As long as things kept going well for her, she didn't care about the creeps of Bythos.
|Akarharto Kosmos – Chieki Academy, School Gates|18:24 pm|
"Wow...we're back to normal." Masato said, relieved. "So it wasn't an apocalypse after all."
"You still thought that we were in the end of the world, after all we told you?" Kei asked, in disbelief.
"A lot of things you just gotta see until you believe it." Masato said. "When Natsumi finds out what just happened, she's gonna freak out."
"You're...not going to tell her about the Shadows, are you?" Shintaro asked, concerned.
"Don't be stupid!" Masato said. "I'm talking about us, dummy. She never really believed that we could ever make up for what happened. I'm still having a hard time believing it right now."
"Well, I'm sure she and your brother will be delighted." Kohaku said. "By the way...is Hideki-san – or sensei now, I suppose - married now? I noticed he had a ring on his finger."
"Oh, not just yet. He's engaged to this really awesome girl he met in college. Well, she's a lawyer, which is all kinds of boring, but outside of work she's really cool." Masato said. "Setsuna and my big bro make a great couple. But my mother insists on being the insufferable matriarch of the family. She wants to control all the wedding plans. Like, who cares where me and Natsumi sit? Or what colour the curtains will be?"
"Your mother doesn't sound like she's changed." Shintaro said. "Your dad just goes along with whatever she says, right?"
"Yup. Good old dad, my mother's favourite doormat. About your folks...your mother's still one of those dietician types, right? And your dad still at the old elementary school?" Masato asked.
"Yup. He's considering applying for the principal's job, though. He's worked at that school since he finished college, you know." Shintaro said.
"Um...one question, Kei-san. We were on the rooftop a moment ago, right? How come we're outside the gates now?" Kohaku asked.
"The teleportation app seems to allow us to warp to several different points of a bookmarked area. For example, if we were inside Chieki right now, we could go between the different floors, the practice building, or the disused basement." Kei said.
"You sure sound like a pro at this already." Masato said, impressed. "I didn't even know our school had a basement, and I've been here for over a year. How would you misuse it, though?"
"...Disused, Masato." Shintaro said, grinning. Kohaku couldn't help but snort, trying to hide a giggle.
"Ah, shaddup. But seriously guys, I think I need to get home. If I'm late for dinner, my mother's going to flip over the table again. But I want to get better at using Camulus. So..."
"Yes, that's a good idea. We should meet tomorrow after school. But we need a better meeting place than Chieki or Kansei." Kei asked.
"Good point. Some of the students here take the rivalry between schools really seriously. You've probably got some guys in Kansei who are just the same. Right?" Masato asked.
"Well, there is that annoying athlete in the year above us, who always goes on about 'crushing' you guys. I know he's our senpai, but he was just a pain to be around." Shintaro said.
"You mean Katashi-senpai?" Kohaku said. "I will admit he's a little full of himself. And sports rivalries are just tiresome for me. I do like friendly competition, but people like Katashi take it way too far. Even so, he's sort of a school hero."
"More of a school zero, if you ask me..." Shintaro said, shaking his head.
"I've got an idea. I've read about a place in Totsuka called Sogen Park. I saw a sign for it when we were going from the mall to Mizuho. It's a lot bigger than Midori Park, so perhaps we can meet there tomorrow after school." Kei said.
"Okay! I love hanging out there anyway. I'll be waiting there for you guys after school, around that marble fountain in the center." Masato said. "Anyway, I better get home. See ya tomorrow, guys. Shintaro, it was great getting to see you again."
"Yeah...same to you, buddy." Shintaro said.
Overjoyed, Masato ran in the direction of his house, with a spring in his step. Shintaro turned back to the two girls.
"It's true that we can't make things like they were before..." Kohaku said. "We talk about forgiveness right now, but we'll always remember what happened during middle school."
"True. But you share happy memories with Masato and his sister too." Kei said, wisely. "And I've got a good feeling that even more good memories are to come."
"You got a sixth sense, Kei?" Shintaro asked, laughing.
"Maybe, maybe not..." Kei said, playfully. "If we're going to be spending more time with Masato, then we'll inevitably see Natsumi as well."
"But we can't just tell her about Shadows and Personas." Kohaku said. "...I really want to see her again, though. After today, I want to tell her what Shintaro was able to tell Masato. If he had the courage to say it, then...I know I can do it too."
"...You two really are soul mates, aren't you?" Kei asked.
"I never really thought about it like that." Shintaro said.
"It's a nice way to put it, though." Kohaku said. "...Shintaro. Are we too late to go to your place for dinner?"
"Well, it might take a while if we go on foot, but I think there's a bus near here that will take us close enough to my house. And after all that fighting, I'm hungry." Shintaro said.
"Same. Let's go. I'm tired of eating alone at night." Kohaku said. "...I just hope mother and father can make some time for me on Sunday. With what happened at Hanashima today, I just want things to be normal again."
"So do I." Kei said. "I'll head back to my dorm. Tomorrow, though? We'll take Masato to the mall. I want him to get some equipment. Plus, there's RainBow."
"Just wait until he sees it!" Shintaro said, laughing.
"He loves the real one enough as it is." Kohaku said. "I forgot about his sweet tooth. I doubt it's any less sweet now."
"Well, we'll put that to the test." Kei said. "Take care, you two. Get a good night's sleep." With that, Kei turned around, and began heading towards her dormitory.
"So...I looks like there's four of us now." Kohaku said.
"Yeah. It was getting a little lonely, being the only guy on the team." Shintaro said. "My grandfather's book is gone for good. But Masato...we were best friends, once upon a time. I don't want to lose that again."
"And you won't." Kohaku said. "Whatever Shadows Bythos sic upon us, we'll face them head on."
The two of them made their way to the bus stop, hoping to reach Totsuka in time for a Nakahara family dinner. A powerful friendship had been rekindled tonight. Whether or not Bythos could smoulder those flames of that friendship, time would tell.