Chapter 09: An Interlude
Yawning, Minato finished putting on his grey double-breasted jacket and picked up his earphones. While he was trying to clear his mind of it, that voice from the night before was still a bother to him. Not only that, but he had to spend time with that annoyance. He sighed as a knock came at the door, making his way over to it. Start of Golden Week...Constitution Day was it? Hopefully I can actually get some rest over these few days... Just as he opened the door, with his other hand placing on his earphones, he stumbled backward as something was thrown in his face. Minato pulled it away to find that Jack Frost doll in his hands.
"Morning," an irritated voice came from beyond the doorway.
Lowering the doll, his blue hues came across the auburn-haired girl with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. Despite her attempt to look like she was ticked off at him, it was difficult for him to feel intimidated when her clothes were so bright in comparison, as she was dressed in a light orange sweater, a red plaid skirt, black leggings, and red boots. Her own red earphones hung beneath the red scarf she wore. Still, he certainly knew why she would greet him in this way. "Morning to you too – "
"It took forever to wash that marker off my face, Minato-kun," the auburn-haired girl spoke as she stepped into his room, taking the Jack Frost doll away from him and bringing it into her arms. If anything, it made her even less intimidating than she had looked before. "Thankfully only Yukari-chan saw me before I washed it all of, but that was super childish of you, Minato-kun. Even after I thought we had such a nice talk..."
Was she reprimanding him? Had there been anything to feel bad about, it was that he was being scolded by this girl. "It was your fault for falling asleep on me after having insisted that I accompany you to have your late night snack," he sighed, "You probably shouldn't have had that slice, anyways. My arms are still sore after having – "
Minako stopped the blue jerk from uttering another word as she raised the Jack Frost doll in both of her hands, showing the intention of just beating him with it. Her face was slightly red, "I-Idiot! You don't say that kind of thing to a girl!"
"Oh?" he didn't sound intimidated as he took a step closer to her with an amused smirk, "You shouldn't worry about it too much. Maybe if you're lucky, that extra weight might go to the right places so you can have a reason to be worried about your figure." The blue-haired male made sure to put plenty of emphasis on that key word.
Minako was almost caught off guard at how far the blue jerk was going with his teasing. Her face burned red as she was about to swing down at him, "Y-You...!"
"You two never let up, do you? Making such a commotion this early in the morning..." Yukari's voice could be heard down the hallway, followed by her approaching footsteps, "What's wrong, Nako-chan? Is Minato-kun teasing you again?" She came into view dressed in a long pink jacket and brown boots, with her usual heart-shaped choker.
Narrowing his eyes, Minato sighed at her words. Although he hadn't clashed much with the brunette, he was certain that she'd side with the auburn-haired girl. "Not really teasing," he started, wondering how he could play it in his favor, "Just stating some facts she might not have wanted to hear."
Minako glared at the blue jerk before quickly lowering the Jack Frost doll to her chest, exhaling deeply to try and control herself. Even though she always wanted to be optimistic, there were certain limits. And he was the one to always tick her off by tossing aside any friendly gestures she tried with him. Taking a deep breath, she backed out of his room and stood next to Yukari, "Don't listen to this jerk, Yukari-chan! It's worse than plain teasing... He goes too far and always does it to me! It's so frustrating!"
The Jack Frost doll caught the brunette's eyes before she turned to the blue-haired male, "Hmm~? Minato-kun only really picks on Nako-chan, doesn't he?"
Narrowing his eyes at the brunette, Minato knew what would follow a comment like that.
Yukari gave a smug smile at the response from the blue-haired male, "What's wrong, Minato-kun? I wasn't going to say anything at all~" Giggling to herself, she shook her head, "Anyways, Nako-chan, where did you get this doll from?"
Both of the Arisatos blinked. It took her a moment, but the auburn-haired girl directed a cheeky smile at the jerk, "Oh, this Jack Frost doll~? It was a gift from someone."
Minato would never hear the end of it. While he wasn't that concerned with the others in the dorm finding out, he was certain that Yukari would make it known to their classmates that he had done something so unlike him.
It was such a tempting opportunity to exact revenge, but Minako held herself back as she gave a small shrug, "Hmm...I don't think I remember from who though, unfortunately... It was kind of a confession present, but he ran off before I could even get a good look at his face!" She smiled at Yukari after her small fib, although she was somewhat unsure why she was even trying to protect the blue jerk's pride.
"Really? That's too bad... This thing's really cute though, isn't it?" Yukari returned the smile as she gently patted the Jack Frost doll before she turned to Minato again, "Oh, one more thing, Minato-kun! It's one thing to draw on someone's sleeping face for fun, but you shouldn't have entered a girl's room without permission. I guess it couldn't have been helped, and it's not that I think you're that kind of person, but..." The brunette paused before giving him a playful smile, "It's always the quiet ones we should be careful about, right~?" Giggling again, she stepped away and waved back at them while walking toward the stairs, "I've got to get going to meet some friends of mine, but we should do something tomorrow or Tuesday!"
Frowning at her words, Minato stepped out of his room and closed the door as the brunette walked away. It was frustrating to deal with that particular girl sometimes. Sighing, he leaned back against the door while looking down the hallway, away from the auburn-haired girl, "So? Why didn't you let her laugh at my stupid apology?"
"I didn't think it was stupid at all."
Such a quick and simple answer. He should have expected it from a simple-minded girl like her. Minato turned to meet her gaze, finding that confidence she always put in her words. He wondered where she drew such confidence from, especially after he had provoked her mercilessly.
"I know you think it was dumb, but..." Her arms tightened around the doll, "I'll say that it was because of that I still have hope for you~"
What an irritating comment. Minato wasn't sure if that was meant to be a compliment or an insult. "Don't get your hopes up," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets.
"We'll see~" She was quick to recover, as if she had completely forgotten their earlier conversation, "Anyways, Minato-kun, were you planning on going somewhere today?"
...Inevitable. He shrugged, "Not really."
Smiling, Minako nodded, stepping closer to him, "Then we can do something together right? I'll think of it as the return favor for not saying anything to Yukari!"
He narrowed his eyes at her, "Is that why you...?"
That unfaltering smile. "Maybe~"
This girl...
Minako skipped up the stairs and turned around at the top, calling out to the male slowly climbing up, "Hurry up!" In one hand was a small, see-through plastic container with fresh takoyaki and in the other was a Mad Bull, a drink that she had bought back at their dorm before leaving.
The blue-haired male climbed the stairs slowly with an unamused expression on his face. The first thing they did when they left the dorm was go to Octopia at the Iwatodai Station and buy themselves each a box of takoyaki. It looked questionable, but he was certain it was edible. Hopefully. He had also bought a can of Mad Bull, although he regretted it because of the way that annoyance reacted so happily to see that they had the same tastes.
Finally reaching the top of the stairs, he felt a breeze come by as he looked around Naganaki Shrine, "Why did you want to come here of all places?"
"Don't you think it's a perfect place to eat? It's always quiet up here, so there are no distractions, and it's a great place to enjoy the wonderful weather!" That smile never left her face as she slowly wandered further in, looking for a suitable place to eat. She didn't get too far though, as she stopped when she was looking toward the small playground.
He frowned at her energetic words, but he followed her nevertheless until she stopped. Looking in the same direction, his blue hues came across a small girl with her brown hair braided into two buns while carrying a red backpack. She was leaning against the green bars of the jungle gym with her hands on the straps of her backpack, and she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts as she just stared at the ground. "An elementary student? Do you know her or – hey!" He kept his voice low so they wouldn't catch the kid's attention, but the auburn-haired girl had already started walking over to her. An irritated expression came across his face before he followed behind.
There was nothing to really explain her desire to interact with others, but Minako knew the moment she saw the elementary student that she wanted to introduce herself. She felt like the girl might have wanted some company, considering that she was playing by herself on the small playground. The auburn-haired girl smiled as she stopped in front of the small girl, holding her items in one hand as she smoothed out her skirt beneath her before she crouched down, "Hi there~"
The brown-haired kid almost jumped at the sudden appearance of the two older students, but she brought out a smile of her own and nodded to Minako, "Hi, I'm Maiko. Who are you? Mom and Dad said not to talk to bad people... Are you bad?"
What was she trying to do? Minato was still annoyed at how sporadic the auburn-haired girl was, but his eyes eventually moved to the kid when she asked her question. "Yeah, real – " He was interrupted as the auburn-haired girl lightly slapped his pants leg.
Giving the blue jerk a quick glare, Minako turned back to Maiko and gave her a reassuring smile, "Don't listen to him; he's actually pretty harmless."
Harmless? He felt as if he was being emasculated in front of the kid.
"But no, we're definitely good!" Minako said confidently.
Maiko tilted her head as she looked from the blue-haired one to the auburn-haired one, "Reeeeally? You're not lying, are you?"
She shook her head, "Definitely not! Pinky swear! Oh, by the way, I'm Minako, and he's..." Minako looked up at him, pausing for a moment as if she was having second thoughts, "...Minato. He's sometimes a little mean, but I think it's way of showing that he wants to be good friends~"
The sheer temptation of retaliating was strong, but even he knew he had to restrain himself in front of the kid. He only sighed and tried to keep his mouth shut.
The small brown-haired girl looked up at them with her large brown eyes and smiled happily, giving a small bow to the two of them as their names were said, "It's nice to meet you both! If you wanted to play, I can't right now because I'm hungry. There's something I really want that..." Her words drifted off as what they were holding caught her eye.
It was certainly too obvious for the two older students. Minako giggled softly before raising the takoyaki box in between them, "If you're hungry, do you want to join us for lunch? We have plenty to share if you like takoyaki! We also have Mad Bull if you're thirsty."
Her brown eyes brightened as she was offered the food, and she gave a Minako a wonderfully energetic smile, "Really?! They're are both my favorite! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
The auburn-haired girl couldn't help but adore the way Maiko was acting. "Well then, let's head over to the benches so we can relax under the shade!" She stood up as Maiko quickly scurried over to the benches. "She's absolutely precious...don't you think so, Minato-kun?"
"You're not getting any of mine if you share all of yours with her," was all Minato said as he walked ahead of her, making his way to Maiko and sitting down on one side of the same bench.
Her shoulders dropped at his reply. She knew she shouldn't have expected anything more from the blue jerk. Pepping herself up, Minako quickly walked over to the other two and sat down on the other side of the small girl. Opening the plastic container, she picked up the toothpick provided and speared one of the still hot takoyaki balls. Handing it to Maiko, she picked up the second toothpick from the same container and speared one for herself.
Minato watched the other two as they happily ate the takoyaki. While he didn't mention it, because they both had such blissful expressions on their faces from the takoyaki, they really did look like sisters. Opening up his own container, he started to eat his takoyaki as well.
Maiko speared a second takoyaki ball from Minako's container while her legs swung over the edge of the bench, "You two are so nice! Will you two be my friends?" She asked while gobbling down on the second one, looking from one side to the other.
It was certainly a very direct request, but neither of them had any objections. Especially Minako, "Of course, Maiko-chan~" She looked to the blue jerk expectantly.
He gave a small frown at the auburn-haired girl's look, but he looked down at the brown-haired girl to see her curious eyes gazing up at him. "...Yeah. I guess it can't hurt."
Despite that somewhat reluctant tone, Maiko's eyes brightened at his answer and her legs swung a bit faster in excitement, "Yay! I'm so happy!"
Minako giggled at how cute the small girl was being as she reached across and speared one of the takoyaki balls from the blue jerk's container. She gave him a fairly smug look as she bit into it, "As we're all friends here, you should eat some from Minato-kun's too, Maiko-chan~"
He narrowed his eyes at the way that annoying girl was playing the game. Still, he didn't say anything to go against it as he held out the plastic container for the kid, "Yeah, yeah..."
Maiko ate happily from the blue-haired one's as well as she slowly filled herself up. "Eheheh~ Onee-chan and Onii-chan are so nice!"
It was heartwarming to hear Maiko get so familiar and close to them already, and Minako couldn't help but scoot a bit closer to the small girl and offered her opened Mad Bull drink. "By the way, Maiko-chan, isn't there cram school today? How come you aren't there right now?"
Setting down the toothpick inside Minato's plastic container, she took the Mad Bull can with both of her hands and drank from it before letting out a satisfied sound. "It was cancelled today, but I don't know why. Mom and Dad didn't really tell me anything more." She took another sip from Minako's Mad Bull before handing it back to her.
Both of the plastic containers were empty now, and they were set aside as the two older students drank from their Mad Bull. "So, Maiko..." The blue-haired male started, "Do you play here often? I don't really come here that often, but if you're here wanting company again, I don't mind..."
The two girls had a somewhat surprised look in their eyes, but Maiko broke out of the silence before hugging Minato's left arm, "Really really? That's a promise, right? I want Onee-chan to come too!"
Minako recovered a bit slowly, but she nodded and agreed, "Y-Yeah, of course I'll come too. We'll see you whenever we can, okay? We can play lots next time!"
The brown-haired girl smiled even wider as she hugged Minako's right arm next, "Yay! I'll be waiting for you two, okay? So definitely come!" Laughing happily to herself, she jumped off the bench and turned around while walking backwards. She waved her hand energetically with that precious smile on her face, "I have to get home now or I'll make Mom and Dad worried, but I can't wait for next time! It's a promise, okay?"
Crossing her legs while she sat, Minako smiled back as she waved just as energetically, "Until next time~!"
Minato gave a small smirk at how overjoyed the kid seemed to be, but he gave a small wave with a nod as his farewell.
"Bye bye!" Maiko called out one last time before turning around and running off, disappearing as she went down the stairs.
A sigh came from the blue-haired student's as he leaned back, taking another sip from the Mad Bull, "She reminds me a lot of you, you know. Always so overbearingly energetic..."
"Oh~?" Minako smiled as she scooted closer to him, "Is that so? You seem to treat her so much nicer than me though. Are you a person that likes kids, Minato-kun?" Unable to help herself, she raised her hand and poked at his cheek again like she had done so many times before, "It wouldn't hurt to smile and be more energetic when you're happy too, Minato-kun!"
He quickly pushed away the hand at his cheek as he frowned, "Who's happy? And it's not that I like kids, but...she seemed to enjoy our company. While I'd rather not spend my time like that, I wouldn't want to make her cry by telling her we might not meet again. Besides, she's not even close to being as annoying as you – hey! What are you..." Minato narrowed his eyes as the annoying girl was clearly happily giggling to herself upon hearing his words.
"It's nothing, it's nothing!" She raised her hands and waved them a bit to dismiss her giggling, "It's just...I wonder what our classmates would say if they heard you say things like that. But don't worry!" She quickly added the last part as Minato gave her an almost frightening look, "I won't say anything to them...just like the doll you gave me, right?" The auburn-haired girl gave him a smile before drinking the rest of her Mad Bull, "Ah~ You seem to hold yourself back when we're with little Maiko-chan. We should definitely come play with her as much as possible! I think it'd be good for you."
His brow twitched at her words before he drained the rest of his drink. She was finding more and more ways to deal with him. Standing up, he picked up his trash and started walking away, "I didn't know you had it in you to be so manipulative."
Minako quickly grabbed her things and ran up beside him, pushing her shoulder lightly against his arm, laughing with a bright smile on her face, "Don't think too much about it, Onii-chan~!"
Back in his school uniform again, Minato walked toward the Gekkoukan High School with hands in pockets. Those extra days off had seemed to pass by too quickly. The rest of the Sunday had been filled with senseless blabbering from that annoyance. He had regrettably spent the entire day Monday playing the online game Junpei had given him, although he had met an interesting person while playing. Then yesterday, Tuesday, he had been dragged out by both that annoying girl and Yukari to eat out, and then they were joined by Junpei to have some 'fun' at karaoke. It was already Wednesday now, and it almost felt like he didn't have a break before returning to the grind called school. As he approached the school gates, he glanced to the side at a pair of girls, overhearing their conversation.
One of the female students sighed, "Golden Week is over. I'm pretty sad... You know, rabbits can die from sadness."
The other female student looked skeptical, "Okay... First, you're not a rabbit. And second, that's just a rumor."
"What?! No way! I thought it was a scientific fact..." She paused before quickly changing the subject, "Speaking of being sad... I saw an elementary school kid at Naganaki Shrine the last time I visited. She looked so sad playing all by herself. I felt sorry for her..."
Tilting her head, the female student replied, "Why didn't you ask to play with her then?"
She shook her head, "No way! Wouldn't that be weird if an older stranger approached you and asked to play with you? It'd be even weirder if I had done that and I was a guy..."
Minato hung his head as he entered the school courtyard.
Stretching her arms above her head, Minako walked toward the lounge Thursday evening. "School feels like it's getting longer! I can't wait till midterms come and go. I'm getting too worked up over them!" She sighed as she plopped down on the couch next to Yukari.
Yukari giggled at her friend's words, "I know, right? But, Nako-chan, we should prepare for something in case anything happens..."
Minato and Junpei came to the lounge and sat down in the two armchairs, and the blue-haired student looked at the brunette, "What're you talking about?"
"I'm just getting...worried," the brunette fidgeted somewhat, "After all, nothing has happened since that one day. Is it just me, or are more people getting Apathy's Syndrome lately? I have a feeling something bad is going to happen...or am I just being paranoid?"
Junpei quickly sat up, shaking his head, "Definitely not, Yuka-tan! I've noticed them too. There are so many of those freaks appearing in town lately. Other than that, nothing's really been going on..." He sighed as he leaned back in his chair again, "Man, talk about boring... We should go to Tartarus for a little action to keep us in shape in case something really does happen."
"Maybe I should come along...I'm dying of boredom too," Akihiko said as he came into the lounge, sitting down on the empty couch.
A disgruntled sound came from the redhead as she joined the rest of the group, sitting down next to the male boxer, "...Akihiko, are you trying to make me angry?" She gave a relenting sigh as she knew that he was always itching to get into a brawl. "Anyways, it really has been quite odd with how quiet it's been."
"Referring to the shadows, I take it?" Akihiko picked up a magazine from the table in the middle.
Mitsuru nodded while deep in thought, "It's been a month since the last attack, yet I'm certain that won't be the last time they appear outside of Tartarus."
"True... Everyone has noticed it already. The Lost are everywhere, so something must be going on..." Akihiko lowered his voice as he flipped through the magazine, trying to busy himself.
Unconsciously, Minato and Minako exchanged a glance. They had no reason to believe so, but their bodies recognized the approaching danger. Sighing, Minato stood up, "Mitsuru-senpai, let's go to Tartarus tonight."
The mature redhead looked at the blue-haired boy before smiling, "Good idea. There's no use worrying about something that might not happen. Let's just prepare ourselves for what may come."
Minako took a deep breath as she stepped outside of the school and into the courtyard, noticing how already there was the evening sky above her. Reaching out and rolling her arms a bit, she tried to get rid of the sore muscles she got from both going to Tartarus and Friday volleyball practice.
"...What are you doing?"
She paused as she recognized the blue jerk's voice. Turning around, she put her hands on her hips as she could tell he was itching to poke fun at her, "I'm stretching! I don't think I did enough during practice, so – "
Minato frowned as he kept hand on the shinai sheath across his shoulder while his other hand was in his pocket. "You look like an idiot doing it in the courtyard when no one else is around."
"...Anyways." Huffing a bit, she tried to calm herself down so she wouldn't get frustrated over the jerk's teasing. Walking up to him, she looked up at him before glancing at the shinai case he carried, "You went to practice today too, Minato-kun? I've never seen you carrying this around... Is it yours?"
He shook his head, "It's a loan from Kazushi, a classmate that's also in kendo club."
"Hmm? Is that so..." The auburn-haired girl kept looking at the shinai before smiling up at him again, "Are there cute girls in kendo club? I can only imagine why you decided to join kendo club out of all the options~"
Minato sighed, closing his eyes irritably, "The only reason I joined a damn sports club at all was because you and our senpais urged me to do so. Besides, it's a safe haven knowing you can't run your loud mouth at me during those hours."
She knew something like that was coming, but she was still somewhat disappointed. "You didn't answer my question, you know."
Before Minato could bring out another line against her, someone stopped beside the two of them. She had short light black hair tied in a short ponytail. "Hey, Minato-kun, Minako-chan! What are you two doing out here?"
It took a moment before the auburn-haired girl smiled and greeted her, "Nice to see you again, Yuko-chan! And..." She glanced at the blue jerk, "...nothing really. We were just chatting after having finished with our practices."
"Ah, that reminds me! How is Rio doing? Last time I came by it looked a little rough for her, ahaha..." Yuko gave a nervous laugh as she remembered how the other members in volleyball treated their captain.
Minako shook her head, "The other members haven't come back yet, but I know Rio will definitely pull through. I believe in her!"
Yuko smiled at her enthusiasm, "That's right! I'm glad someone like you is sticking around with her. I'm sure she'll be fine with someone like you backing her up." She paused for a moment, "Ah, I forgot, you two live in the same dorm, right?"
The blue-haired student had considered just leaving while the two talked, but he was brought back in by Yuko's question. He grimaced slightly at the thought, "Yeah, we do, but I wouldn't call it a favorable situation..."
"Ignore him," Minako quickly cut in, jabbing her index finger at his cheek again.
Yuko laughed at how the two treated each other before she started to back away, "Well, it's nice to see you two get somewhat along I guess. I'll see you around sometime, okay, Minako-chan? And I expect to see you during practice on Monday, Minato-kun!" With that, she turned and jogged away.
Just when Minato stepped away from that finger, the auburn-haired girl quickly followed, "Hey, hey, Minato-kun. Do you like Yuko-chan at all?"
He narrowed his eyes as he just started walking toward the gates, "What kind of question is that?"
"Stop trying to avoid the question!"
Minako pestered him all the way back to the dorm.
Minato let out a loud sigh as he essentially collapsed on his desk.
"Tired, Minato-kun?" asked the auburn-haired girl, gathering her things before coming to stand next to his desk.
Another sigh. "What was your first clue?"
"Come on, man! It's Saturday, so don't waste it sleeping. We should go do some late night karaoke or something!" Junpei's energetic voice grew louder as he approached them.
Yukari placed her books on Minato's head before she rummaged through her bag for something, "I might really go deaf this time if I go with you to karaoke again, Junpei."
"Don't be jealous of my vocals, Yuka-tan! My singing can make any girl fall for me."
The brunette picked up the books from Minato's head and started placing them in her bag, "Oh? That's why you have a great history of girlfriends, right?"
"...It doesn't work sometimes, yeah?"
Minako giggled at the back and forth before lowering herself to poke at the blue-haired student's cheek again, "Join the fun, Minato-ku – "
"Stop with this damn poking already," he growled as he sat up and grabbed her prodding right hand with his left.
...will be a full moon. Be careful. A new ordeal awaits you...
Minako tore her hand away, her bright red eyes widening as she backed up into her own desk.
The brunette tilted her head at their sudden actions. She looked down at the blue-haired student as he was keeping still, as if something had gone wrong. "What's wrong, you two?"
Minato blinked and lowered his hand before he stood up from his desk, "It's...It's nothing." He certainly wasn't very convincing.
Swallowing, she held her hand at her chest before looking past Minato and toward their other two companions, "Junpei-kun, Yukari-chan...is...is there a full moon tonight?"
The cap-wearing male was just as confused as the brunette, but he answered after exchanging a glance with Yukari, "Uh, yeah, I think so. Why? You afraid of full moons or something, Nako-chan?"
It was Minato's turn to swallow. Exhaling slowly, he slipped his hands into his pockets and turned away from the others, "...I'm heading back. I recommend you all do the same. It's best to rest up in case anything happens."
As the blue-haired student walked away, Minako lowered her hand before looking toward Junpei and Yukari with renewed light in her eyes, "Don't...Don't worry about him! But...I think he's right though. I mean, I hear the cases of Apathy's Syndrome are getting worse...and just over night! It might be safer if we make sure to be extra prepared for the next few days...okay?" She received questionable looks which made her worried.
He honestly didn't know what was going on, but he rubbed the back of his head before relenting, nodding to the auburn-haired girl, "Alright, alright...I guess you're right, Nako-chan. Besides, if both of you actually agreed on something, that must mean trouble, right Yuka-tan?"
The brunette gave Minako a smile, essentially ignoring Junpei, "You don't have to look so worried, Nako-chan. Here, we can all walk home together, okay?"
Relief washed over her as she nodded happily, "Both of you...thank you." Minako followed her two comrades out of the room as her free hand at her side rolled into a fist.
That voice...again...
Mitsuru sighed softly as she worked by herself in the green-tinted command room at the support terminal, not wanting to let down her guard at all, especially when it was the Dark Hour.
"You're still at it?" Akihiko closed the door behind him before walking to stand next to the redhead.
Nodding, she never took her eyes off of the screens, "Yeah. You never know when the enemy might appear. How are the others?"
He let a soft chuckle escape his lips, "They seemed rather agitated by something when I saw them this evening, but they tired themselves out worrying over nothing and went to bed a while ago." He stayed quiet for a few moments before glancing at her, "...I thought you couldn't scan outside of Tartarus?"
The mature redhead showed some signs of relief that the others seemed to be doing alright, but she quickly frowned at his question. "To be honest, I lack the power... Maybe this is the best Penthesilea can do in terms of data gathering." She wasn't frustrated at him, but she was more disappointed in her own lack of ability. "Although, the power of Persona seems to be much broader than I thought. We've even got someone who can switch Personas in the middle of battle, and I'm sure our other special member could do the same. There's just...something unique about their abilities. It hasn't been that long since their awakening, either..."
"I have to admit, I was surprised too. But..." Akihiko closed his eyes as he crossed his arms, "In the end, it's up to them whether or not they can reach their full potential."
Mitsuru smiled, but before she could reply, something rang through her mind. "Huh...?" Widening her eyes, it took her a moment before registering what it was. "It's a Shadow!"
"What?! You actually found one?!"
After a pause, she slowly shook her head, "Wait...something's not right. The reading is too big. We've never encountered something anything like – "
Akihiko knew exactly what she was talking about, "You mean, it's one of those?!"
"...It must be," Mitsuru nodded.
Taking a deep breath, Akihiko smirked as he slammed his fist into his palm, "Well then, this is going to be fun. I'll wake up the others." He stepped forward and pressed a switch on the panel to turn on the alarm.
The redhead was still a bit absorbed with what she had found, "...Indeed."
Everyone arrived in the room in a hurry. "We're here!" announced Yukari as she was at the head of the group of four.
"Where is it?! I'll rip it a new one!" Junpei was clearly itching for a fight.
Mitsuru turned away from the terminal and faced the others, "We've detected a Shadow outside of Tartarus. We don't know for sure, but 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." She took a step forward, and they could all see how serious she was about this mission. "This must be avoided at all costs. Understood?"
Smirking, the cap-wearing nodded, "In other words, we need to kick some ass, right? Well, count me in!"
The brunette shook her head, "Junpei..."
Mitsuru smiled at the energy from Junpei before looking over to the boxing captain, "Akihiko, you stay here and wait for the Chairman."
He was certainly taken aback by her order, "Wha-?! Are you kidding?! I'm going!"
The redhead was quite stern with her decision, "You still need to recover. You'll just be a hindrance."
"What?!"
Mitsuru continued, "They'll fare better than you, in your current state. Have some faith in them, Akihiko..." She made eye contact with him. "They're ready."
His fists shook at his sides, but he relented, "...Dammit."
"Relax, Senpai! I've got it covered!" Junpei smiled toward Akihiko.
After a moment, he nodded before turning to the two Arisatos, "I guess I've got no choice... You two are in charge again."
Junpei's shoulders dropped, "Them again...?"
"We're counting on you..." the redhead met their gazes.
While she was still somewhat shook up from what happened before, especially when she had yet to find time to talk with the blue-haired male, Minako nodded and showed determination in her eyes, "Leave it to me!"
Minato looked toward the auburn-haired girl before shrugging, "I'll see what I can do."
Akihiko crossed his arms approvingly, "I know you two can handle this."
"Guess it's pretty much decided that you two are our leaders, huh...?" Junpei faced the two leaders now with a rather disappointed look. "...tch, stuck playin' the leaders again. Sucks to be you guys."
The boxing captain stepped in, "Alright, you four shouldn't stall any longer. Hurry and go on ahead." He turned to Mitsuru, "You need to get ready, right?"
She nodded, "Indeed. Let's rendezvous in front of the station."
Yukari nodded, "Got it. Alright, let's go!"
Minato looked about as he stood amongst the group of four. They were waiting on the stairs of the monorail station. Was the Shadow nearby? He sighed softly as they waited for their support.
"Where is she?" the brunette also seemed a bit impatient.
Junpei took a drink from a bottle, "She'll be here soon."
Yukari looked up at the sky, getting a few shivers from the atmosphere. "There's a full moon tonight...but it looks even creepier during the Dark Hour."
The auburn-haired girl fidgeted somewhat as she stood next to the blue-haired male, but she stepped closer to him after a moment and lowered her voice, "Hey, Minato-kun...about before and the full moon – "
He cut her off as he heard the sound of an engine, "Save it for after this encounter. Just forget it for now; it'll be a distraction." The auburn-haired girl only nodded.
A large motorcycle came by and parked right in front of them. Mitsuru took off her helmet and met their curious gazes, "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"A motorcycle...?" Yukari was first to vocalize her surprise at seeing their Senpai riding such a thing.
The redhead cleared her throat, "Listen carefully. Tonight, I'll be providing support from here. Everything else is the same. The Shadow is currently located in a monorail, not far from the station. To get there, you'll have to walk on the tracks."
"Are you serious?! Isn't that dangerous?" Junpei couldn't imagine doing something like that.
Mitsuru shook her head, "Don't worry, no electronic equipment is operable during the Dark Hour, including the monorails."
The cap-wearing student glanced at her motorcycle, "But, your bike..."
"It's special," the redhead answered simply. "Now, if circumstances change, I'll notify you immediately. Let's get started."
Minako could tell that everyone was tense, so she took a deep breath and raised her fist, "Alright! Everyone, let's roll out!"
The brunette was caught a bit off guard, "Huh?! O-Okay!"
Junpei raised a brow as he followed them when they moved out, "Is this how we're gonna do this...?"
"This isn't a game, you know..." Minato grumbled underneath his breath as he led with the auburn-haired girl beside him. It didn't take long before for them to climb onto the tracks and start walking toward the stopped monorail. The group stayed fairly quiet while they tried to keep their focus. While Junpei hadn't experienced the first time this kind of Shadow appeared, the other three knew they couldn't let their guard down for even a moment.
They eventually came across a monorail on the tracks and stood in front of it. Yukari swallowed as she looked up at it, "This is it...right?"
Mitsuru's rang through the transceiver, "Can you all hear me?"
"Yes, I can hear you clearly," the brunette replied as she put her hand to her ear, "We just got here, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary..."
There was a pause, followed by static, and then that familiar voice again, "The readings are definitely from that monorail. Proceed with caution, and stay together."
Junpei smirked as he wound up his arm, "Heheh, my Persona's just beggin' to be used! Let's find this thing quick and kick its ass!"
The brunette nodded as she took the lead and climbed onto the foothold leading to the train door. After reaching halfway, she quickly looked back at them, "...Don't look up."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Junpei shrugged, "...But don't blame me if I happen to catch a glimpse."
Minako let out a sigh as she walked in front of him and pulled his cap down to cover his eyes, "You'll go last, Junpei-kun. Don't peek until then."
The blue-haired student watched with an uninterested look, "Idiot."
After they all entered the last car of the monorail, they were met by coffin-like objects sitting by the seats.
Junpei furrowed his brow as he approached the closest one, "This poor stiff must be a passenger, huh..."
The brunette walked up behind him, about to pull him away and reprimand him to keep him focused, but she was interrupted when all of the doors suddenly shut around them. "Wh-Wha?!"
The transceiver came through again, "What's wrong? What happened?!"
Minako swallowed nervously, gripping her naginata weapon as they all began preparing themselves for a battle, "It looks like we're trapped inside..."
A frustrated sound came from the other side of the transceiver, "It must be the Shadow... It knows you're there. Be ready for anything! Proceed with extreme caution!"
Tightening her hold on her bow, Yukari nodded to herself, "R-Roger!"
Exhaling slowly, Minato kept his sword readied at his side as he took the lead, progressing through the last car of the monorail successfully before they entered the next car.
"...I don't see any Shadows," Junpei muttered, sounding just a bit disappointed.
Yukari shot him a glare when she knew that he was looking for a fight, "Be quiet! Stop trying to look for a – " She was interrupted by a floating Shadow suddenly appearing in front of them. Gasping, she raised her bow for a shot, but it quickly scurried away and into the next monorail car.
Both of his hands tightened around the hilt of his massive sword, Junpei ran past Minato and chased after it into the next car, "Hey, get back here!"
Minako started to run after him, "Junpei-kun, wait!"
"Watch out! Behind you!" Mitsuru's voice could be heard again.
Yukari let out a squeak as two Shadows dropped down behind her, and she quickly jumped away toward Minato as she raised her bow, firing off two arrows.
"Damn it, this is just what the enemy wanted..." Minato growled to himself as he pulled his evoker on himself. Although he didn't want to waste too much energy on the smaller Shadows, he didn't want to waste time when he knew they had to chase after the idiot. "Orpheus!" Just as the two arrows landed in the center of the masks of the two Shadows, their entire bodies were enveloped in flames before disappearing.
The auburn-haired girl had regrouped with the others, although the Shadows had already been defeated by then. She looked back toward the front of the train car as she heard Mitsuru's voice again, "We have no choice. You have to go after him, or you'll be picked off one by one. From what I can tell, he's only a few cars ahead." Minako nodded as she took the lead with the other two following behind.
Yukari growled to herself as she trailed in the back, "Dammit, Stupei! What are you thinking?!" Just when they were about to advance to the next car, three more Shadows materialized to block their way. Narrowing her eyes, she raised the silver gun to her temple, "Get out of our way! Io! Garu!" Her Persona appeared and made quick work with a wind element attack, tearing the Shadows apart to allow Minako to throw the doors open for the next car.
Moving swiftly as a group of three, they passed the next passenger car unhindered and moved on to the following one. The brunette was growing more frustrated as she huffed, "Junpei's not here either... He should know it's too dangerous to go alone." She slowed down a bit as she caught the blue-haired male's attention, "Don't you think he's acting weird? Did you say anything to upset him? Gah, we'll ask him when we've caught up to him!"
Although Minato had yet to express himself, he was also somewhat worried and frustrated about Junpei's actions. "I'm sure he'll be fine," he said to the other two, knowing that they were much more worried than he was.
They moved past the next few cars with little resistance, obliterating all of the minor Shadows in their way. It seemed quite different from their Tartarus experience, as they were new enemies, but there were so few of them, and they seemed to throw their lives away even more so than the ones in the tower.
After entering the sixth car, the three spotted a mob of Shadows surrounding an unmoving human figure.
"Junpei-kun!" Minako acted quicker than the other two as she dashed forward, calling out her Persona swiftly, "Orpheus!" Once her companion materialized, she took her naginata in both hands and swung deftly to avoid hitting Junpei, spearing any Shadow that was not ruined in the bursts of fire she created. Surprisingly, the Shadows relented easily, and the further away ones quickly escaped into the cars ahead, leaving Junpei to just stand there, facing away from the others with his two-handed sword held limply in one hand.
Yukari and Minato came up behind, and the brunette quickly berated him, "You idiot! What were you thinking?! This is what happens when you don't listen! Geez...are you alright at least?"
Minato waited for some witty, bold remark from the cap-wearing male, but they were only rewarded with silence. Narrowing his eyes, he stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, Junpei. What's wro – " He widened his eyes as Junpei's body suddenly twisted and turned toward him. Their eyes met for only a moment, but it was all that the blue-haired male needed. A shiver went down his spine as those greyish eyes of Junpei's shared the same kind of viciousness Akihiko's had during his first Shadow fight. His body remembered the pain, and his mind reminded him of how frightened and useless he was at the time.
But...
Clenching his teeth, Minato snapped out of his thoughts as Junpei's katana came at him, for some reason only needing one hand to wield it now. Lifting his blade, he parried it before jumping back, narrowing his eyes while holding out his sword horizontally in front of him.
"J-Junpei-kun?!" Despite her disbelief, the auburn-haired girl had already raised her weapon to fend off any other attacks.
Yukari swallowed, keeping her bow lowered, "What...are you doing, idiot... Get a hold of yoursel – "
Facing them now, Junpei had a bloodthirsty grin on his face as his free hand reached for his evoker.
Static came through the transceiver, "What's...on? Can you...me?! Come in, the...broken..." It didn't take long before there was only silence coming from the other side.
Pressing the barrel of the silver gun against his temple, Junpei pulled the trigger, "Her...mes..." Hermes appeared behind the cap-wearing male, but the once golden wings were now stained black. Minato recognized this feeling all too well. It really was just like the time before, except it had claimed a different one of their friends.
Narrowing his eyes, Minato never took his blue hues off of their comrade, "We're alone in this fight..."
A loud clunking sound could be heard before the train jerked forward. It began to move.
"...Again."
.::|| I apologize for these slow updates. Classes have started up again, and I'm trying to find time to actually sit down and write. I rushed the last bit of this chapter, as I wanted to end it quicker, but it still ended up being unnecessarily long because I wasn't making enough cuts to the original dialogue. I hope you enjoy it though! Thanks for reading, and I'm looking forward to more of your wonderful reviews!