Friday, January 1st, 2010, Early Morning

Minato woke on the first morning of the new year feeling more rested than he had in weeks. For whatever reason, the nightmares that had been plaguing him since the night Ryoji's true nature had come out had mostly left him alone; instead, he'd mostly faced memories of his time with the North High Irregulars.

Probably because New Year's last year, we had to exorcize the local shrine. Never thought I'd ever face a crazier way to start the year. I wonder if Tsu-chan ever did figure out why there were so many ghosts back then? No way was that normal.

On the one hand, he reflected as he got out of bed and prepared to face the day, having a reasonably peaceful New Year's Day—however rough the Eve had been—was refreshing after the past three. On the other, he suddenly realized he had no idea what to do with himself.

With a mental shrug, Minato decided to head down to the lounge and see if any of the others had any ideas. Pausing only to pull on his old gray trench coat, he left his room behind.

He wasn't especially surprised to find that he wasn't the first one up. Ken was in the dining area feeding Koromaru, while Akihiko sat at the table eating something Minato was fairly sure Shinjiro would've sneeringly called "protein garbage"; both humans and the dog looked considerably more relaxed than the previous night.

Ken was the first to notice the blunette's approach. "Good morning, Minato-senpai!" he said cheerfully, straightening from his crouch. "Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year, Ken," Minato returned. "You guys sleep well enough?"

Akihiko gave a one-armed shrug. "What was there to lose sleep about? We all know what we're gonna do. All I'm worried about is getting bored waiting."

That sounded like his usual self, all right. Not that Minato disagreed. Whatever Ryoji might've claimed, none of them were going to give up without even trying, and they'd all gotten stronger with each passing month. Especially with the emotional crucibles they'd all been put through since the first of their number died.

If Persona is the power of the mind, then of course adversity makes us stronger. We've all been through a lot of that—and Ryoji gave me something extra, whether he understands it or not. If there's one thing I'm going to do in the month we've got left, it's buckle down and master my own power; when Nyx comes, I'll be ready.

"Waking up on my own time is a nice change, I'll admit," he said aloud. "Says something about my life, though, that the morning after learning where and when to face down the personification is the most relaxing New Year's I've had in a long time. You all know about '07, the one after that I barely remember, and, well, you can probably guess what I'd have been up to last year."

Akihiko grunted. "Yeah, something you don't want to tell either Mitsuru or Yukari about, right? Knowing the crazy crowd you used to hang around with, anyway."

A loud yawn preempted anything Minato might've said in reply. "Don't wanna tell Yukari what…? What time is it, anyway? Knew I shouldn'ta stayed up that late…" Sleepily scratching his head, Junpei plodded from the stairs into the dining area. "Kinda needed a pick-me-up, though, y'know?"

Ken looked at him curiously. "What kind of 'pick-me-up', Junpei-san?" he asked.

Junpei grinned. "Oh, it was great, actually. This movie with giant Amazon women running around in a jungle… Any of you guys watch it?"

Minato just Looked at him, putting every nuance he'd observed in Mitsuru's more lethal expressions into it.

He'd apparently missed something, though, because instead of the quailing effect his fiancé tended to have, all it produced from the Man in the Hat was a roll of the eyes. "Right, forgot who I was talking to. It's what, Batman movies with you, right, Mister Smith?"

It took Minato a second to work that one out. Smith…? Oh. Hey! He's not supposed to one-up my pop-culture snark! "I don't have a giant robot, Junpei," he said after a moment. "Naoto is still working on how to circumvent the square-cube law."

"The what? Never mind, unless it's gonna be on a test, I don't wanna put up with the headache." Junpei rubbed at his forehead as if he was already feeling the pressure of math. "Anyway… You guys got any plans for today? Dunno about you, but I'm kinda bored."

"What about going to Naganaki Shrine?" Ken suggested. "That's traditional for New Year's, right?"

Akihiko finished the last bite of the strange glop he was eating, pushed the bowl aside, and shook his head. "Never been that traditional, honestly. And I'm not feeling so superstitious as to think we need divine intervention for the upcoming match."

"Last time I was at a shrine for New Year's, things were a bit too superstitious," Minato said by way of oblique agreement. "Also, the place kind of ended up burning down… Um. Anyway. Do any of you happen to know where the others have gotten to? Are they just not up yet, or what?"

Come to think of it, he'd have expected to see Mitsuru around at the least. She was usually more of an early-riser than he was, even if it was a holiday.

"Oh, the girls are actually already at the shrine," Ken told him. "They left just as I was getting up. They're even wearing kimono."

Whatever Junpei had been about to say, that drew him up short; and for once, Minato couldn't even entirely blame him, however much he really wanted to. Excitement over maid outfits, he'd never understood, and remained completely baffled by how disappointed some of his classmates had been over the cancellation of the Culture Festival and its attendant maid cafe.

Traditional festival wear… Well, I can trace my family line back at least fifteen generations, he told himself. Whatever we may do in public these days, you really don't get much more steeped in tradition than the Shirogane family.

And it has nothing at all to do with the fact that we've never seen our Mitsuru in traditional clothing, of course, Pixie purred. Naturally, Ken has only reminded us that tradition does have its place, especially at times like these, and if everyone else is doing it, all the better, eh?

…Since when is she "our" Mitsuru? You do realize if you weren't all part of my head, that would be very creepy?

But we are, so it is not, the Leanansidhe drawled. Besides… do you really want that to go unescorted?

"That" was Junpei, who with a very elaborate attempt at casualness was ambling toward the front door. "Y'know, Ken," he said, with what Minato was sure he thought was a convincingly innocent tone, "you're right. There's something to be said for sayin' a prayer right when…"

"Uh-huh." Akihiko fixed him with a gimlet stare. "That's interesting, coming from you, Junpei. I don't remember you being much of a religious guy before."

"Uh. Well, y'know, Senpai, there's that saying about no atheists in foxholes, right…?"

"Cribbing lines I know you must've heard from the Detective doesn't help your case." The boxer stood, shaking his head. "But you know what, why not. I'm bored. You're coming too, right, Detective?"

There was no point, Minato thought, in denying the implication at this point. It wasn't like SEES didn't know full well what was going on now, and at the rate things were going the truth of the engagement was probably going to be all over Gekkoukan within a week.

Besides. Junpei, there, with only Akihiko to keep him in check? After that mess at Yakushima, I'm not taking that risk.

"Of course," Minato said easily, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Besides, somebody with ghost-busting experience should be there, just in case. You coming, Ken?"

Ken nodded. "Of course, Senpai! Doing something like this all together is a great way to start the year."

"Then it's unanimous!" Junpei grinned, abandoning the casual amble in favor of a confident walk. "Oh, and Ken? Let's talk on the way…"

Minato exchanged an uneasy look with Akihiko as they fell in behind. "Why do I get the feeling Junpei's going to be picked up for corrupting a minor?" the blunette muttered.

"We could just be overreacting," Akihiko murmured back, without conviction. "If not… well, good thing we've got a detective right on hand."

Daytime

The first thing Minato noticed when the four of them—and the dog—reached Naganaki Shrine was that it was decorated in a very similar way to the Summer Festival, but much less busy. There were still quite a few people around, to be sure, yet not nearly as many as when he and Fuuka had gone months before.

I'd like to think that's normal around here. Not like I'd know the difference. But with everything that's been going on, I can't help worrying there's a lot more people who would be here, if they could…

As they climbed the stairs to the shrine proper and made their way in, Minato tried to push that line of thought away in favor of focusing on the various stalls set up inside. Even if some of the usual visitors might well have fallen victim to Apathy Syndrome, there were still plenty of vendors doing their best to go about their usual business.

His efforts were impeded, unfortunately, by his recollections of previous New Years', from the horrifying to the simply bizarre. Or at least they were, right up until the moment he saw the members of the team who'd preceded them.

"Happy New Year, everyone!" Yukari called out, waving an arm covered in a billowing kimono sleeve. "Let's do our best to make this year even better than last!"

"Happy New Year," Aigis echoed, essaying an awkward but earnest bow. "Although I feel I must point out arriving so late is not an auspicious beginning. We were about to return to the dorm."

Under other circumstances, Minato might've been pleased to see the robot girl's efforts at fitting in. For once, though, he found himself with absolutely nothing to say. If pressed hard enough, he might even have admitted to sharing Junpei's reaction to the sight before them.

"Y-Yuka-tan…" the Man in the Hat got out, staring at her. "You… uh…"

Incoherent, but essentially apt, the Leanansidhe mused. Odd to see her in the red, rather than our Empress, but I'd say it suits the Lover well.

True enough, Minato acknowledged absently. I don't think I've ever seen Yukari in traditional clothes before. Not bad…

Not that his attention was really on Yukari at all, good as she looked in the red floral-pattern kimono. Nor on Aigis, despite the gynoid's admirable effort with pink sakura blossoms. Or even Fuuka, even with the empathic girl's endearing awkwardness. His gaze, rather, fixed at once on—

"Iori…?" Mitsuru began, giving Junpei a puzzled, concerned glance. "Is something wrong? And… Detective, you look like someone hit you. Is everything…?"

"No, no, everything's fine!" Junpei blurted out. "It's just—wow, Mitsuru-senpai, you look so h—"

It was just a random twitch that jabbed Minato's elbow into the taller youth's gut, nothing more. Even if it left him choking from the force of it, there was absolutely no intent in the blunette's actions whatsoever. No one—save, perhaps, Fuuka—would ever be able to say otherwise.

Even if Mitsuru did favor Minato with a fleeting smile, and a not-so-fleeting blush at the action. "Don't stare at me," she whispered, uncharacteristically bashful.

Definitely one of the more difficult orders she'd ever given him, that. The black, sakura-patterned kimono she wore was very different from the tight biker gear she tended to wear on their private excursions, showing off much less of her figure. Instead, it lent Mitsuru a studied elegance that was just as riveting, in its own way.

"I've never actually worn one of these before," Fuuka put in; coincidentally—or not—distracting attention from the embarrassed redhead. She folded her arms, shifting awkwardly; Minato noticed absently her kimono was a shade of blue that reminded him vaguely of the Shinsengumi. "So… I hope I did it right. Is my sash tied properly?"

"No problem at all, Fuuka-chan," Junpei gasped out, straightening up. He grinned gamely, hardly subdued by Minato's blow. "Really, you all look great!"

"Well… um… if you say so…" She looked away, blushing.

"I appreciate the compliment, Junpei-san," Aigis said. She was moving a bit oddly too, but Minato thought it was a more physical awkwardness than the others. "I believe I like this traditional clothing, but I must say it's more difficult to move in than I'm used to."

Minato cleared his throat, affecting a casual air with the ease of long practice with more shameless people. "Everything has its time and place, Aigis," he said, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. "Some things you wear to a gunfight. Other things… Well, as someone of my acquaintance might've said, there's more than one kind of battle."

"Damn straight!" Junpei agreed, grinning. "Ah, man, am I glad I came! This is one hell of a way to start the new year. Don't ya think, guys?" he added, turning to face the heretofore silent members of the group. "C'mon, Ken, Akihiko-senpai, tell me if this ain't the greatest sight to start a year!"

Hey, leave the kid out of it! Pixie snapped indignantly. You really are corrupting a minor, Stupei!

You do know he can't hear you, right? …Not that I disagree with the sentiment.

Akihiko looked more than a little alarmed at being dragged into the discussion at all. "Uh, well… I guess you could say that," he mumbled. "I mean… it's certainly not a bad start…"

Be glad Hino isn't here, Akihiko, Minato mused—discretely checking to make sure the fiery street fighter really hadn't made a surprise visit. No way she'd let it go with a vague reply like that. And… you really should be used to this kind of thing by now. I know you don't care about your fangirls, but if you don't get a handle on faking it you're gonna have problems sooner or later.

He twitched at a sudden touch on his arm, and turned his head to see Mitsuru lightly holding his sleeve; sometime during his musing she'd drifted over to his side. "It's a wonder we didn't realize your age sooner, Detective," she murmured in his ear. "Sometimes, I'd almost guess you were the older, wiser one."

"Just give it time," he whispered back. "One of these days Hino really is going to get that sparring match with him, and Akihiko will get a crash course whether he likes it or not."

She chuckled lightly at that. If she'd intended to say anything more, though, she never had the chance. It was Ken, giving the girls a quizzical look, who spoke next. "It all looks really nice," he said, for once sounding as innocent as someone his age should. "But aren't you all cold, dressed like that?"

"Cold?" Yukari returned an equally puzzled expression as she adjusted her kimono. "Well, maybe a little, but really, this time of year is pretty nice. Better than this past summer was, anyway."

"Oh, I know, but that's not what I meant." Ken gestured at Junpei—who, Minato noticed, was suddenly starting to look like a man expecting imminent Execution. "Junpei-san told me you guys wouldn't be wearing anything under the kimono, so…"

He trailed off; probably, a suddenly-frozen Minato thought, frightened by the look on Yukari's face. Confusion turned to surprise, turned to a red that plainly mixed embarrassment and sheer, righteous fury. The impressive glare lingered on Ken—who was, after all, an innocent in the whole affair—only long enough to singe him, before its full wrath was turned on the true culprit.

"Junpei-kun actually said that?!" an incredulous Fuuka blurted out.

"Technically, in my case he would be correct," Aigis noted clinically. "After all, I'm a machine, and don't require such. As to the others, I wouldn't know—"

As still as if he'd been hit with an actual Execution's ice, Minato employed every gram of willpower at his disposal not to look at his fiance. As the only male present with a truly successful relationship in his past, with Haruka Tsuruya no less, he was in a position to know that, technically, Junpei was correct. Traditionally-speaking, anyway.

He was, thankfully, distracted from wondering just how "traditional" the girls were being by a loud crack, a louder yelp of pain, and a shouted, "Stupei!"

Iori's faux pas aside, Mitsuru was finding the day to be an auspicious start to the new year. She'd gotten the chance to dress up for her fiance—his reaction to which she had not missed—and, along with her subordinates-turned-friends had experienced her first "traditional" New Year outing. With the way her life had been up to now, it was one of those simple things she'd never had time for before.

After trying everything Naganaki Shrine had to offer for the occasion, though, it was time to head home. Walking with the others—and wishing she dared take Minato's arm; alas, for now caution still won out—Mitsuru felt a small smile play at her lips. Last night was so depressing, and yet… You wouldn't know it from looking at us now, I think.

In a city plagued by Apathy Syndrome, we may be the most cheerful people around.

Close to the shine's gate, Yukari broke the companionable silence that had a fallen, a contemplative look on her face. "So… what did everyone wish for? I mean, considering the circumstances."

Yamagishi shrugged, a shy smile on her face. "Honestly? I wished that we'd all have a great year. I know it's pretty generic, but that's really what I want more than anything else."

"So do I," Mitsuru told her, allowing herself a more open smile. "There's nothing more important to ask for right now, is there?" Though actually, she mused with a quick glance at Minato, there was something more specific she wanted. She had no fears about her ability to get it, though.

Really, it goes without saying at this point. Mm… to think we struggled with it so much, when it was really so simple…

"I wished for a chance to punch Nyx in the nose," Akihiko said, smirking. "But yeah… that, too. After all, one will get us the other, right?"

"Absolutely, Sanada-san," Amada agreed, clenching one fist. "You think so too, right, Aniki?"

That last was clearly directed at Minato, who blinked in obvious surprise. At the same time, Yukari whipped her head around to glare at Iori, who was clearly the one to suggest the form of address to the boy. Aigis just looked confused, but Yamagishi seemed to be stifling a giggle.

Mitsuru found herself most inclined toward the last reaction, herself. "Aniki" was certainly a perfectly valid way to address an older brother, but she was certain Iori had been thinking of the term's common use in organized crime—which, if anything, made it even more appropriate. Though how a scion of the Shirogane line is likely to take it…

Just before Yukari could scold Iori, Minato grinned. "Of course I do, Ken," he said. "One chance at the end of this month is all we need, and we'll get what we want for the whole year."

"Yes, we will," Mitsuru said, feeling a mental nod from Artemisia in the back of her mind. "My wish today was no plea for help, but an affirmation of what will happen. I know we'll be victorious when the time comes for our greatest battle."

"We have each other," Aigis said, determination in her once-emotionless eyes. "That's all we need to defeat anything, even a so-called 'goddess'." She turned a smile that had almost none of the uncanny quality it might once have had on the rest of the group. "I will live up to my name. Together, we will be this world's shield."

Iori broke into an open grin. "Damn straight, Aigis!"

Of course we will, Mitsuru thought, as they started back to the dorm in high spirits. Iori and Akihiko have legacies to live up to, Yamagishi is finally finding her place; Aigis is just beginning to understand what it is to "live". Amada finally has a family again.

And I have something with Minato I will not allow to be cut short simply because a cosmic force demands it. Not now, not ever.

Evening

After celebrating the New Year both at the Shrine and, later, a private motorcycle ride with Mitsuru, Minato found himself the last one in the lounge for the evening. After everything, especially after the previous night's stress, he really wanted to follow the others' example in turning in, but somehow he just wasn't quite ready for it.

Sipping at a cup of cocoa in his favorite armchair, he suspected it was the newspaper he'd picked up that was keeping his mind from shutting off for the night. Reports of Apathy Syndrome were still on the rise, and there were a few small stories he found more than a little unsettling. The details were still sparse, but what was there was setting off old alarm bells for him.

Strange symbols sprayed like weird graffiti in increasingly public places. Posters… I wish they went into detail about those, but I guess that'll be coming out soon enough. And rumors of something worse than Apathy Syndrome… I'd like to think this was all a coincidence, but after this past year, I don't really believe in those anymore.

Shouldn't that be, "Coincidences happen everyday, but you don't trust them," Master?

Heh. True enough.

With the eerie mood that had already come over him, Minato wasn't especially surprised when his phone suddenly let out a familiar, wailing tone. Setting aside the paper, he fished out the device and flipped it open. "Yeah, Arisato."

"But of course." A light chuckle. "Doubtless you have some idea of why I'm calling, my dear guest?"

"So soon after a Full Moon? It's certainly become routine." He allowed himself a brief smirk, then sobered. "I really appreciate the confirmation, though, Elizabeth. Now more than ever, we need all the support we can get."

"That is our duty as Residents of the Velvet Room—but it is also a pleasure." Elizabeth's voice was also uncharacteristically serious. "As I'm sure you suspect, we here are aware of what has transpired for you recently. It is not our place to interfere with the free will of Mankind, but we are bound by duty and wish both to assist your efforts to the fullest we are allowed."

"That means a lot, Elizabeth," Minato said honestly. "There aren't many people who will ever even know what we've done."

"The Velvet Room does, and will always remember," she declared. "No matter what happens." She paused. "On that note… Might I request your assistance one more time, before your grand battle? There is one last thing I wish to see, regardless of what happens on the Promised Day."

"Of course," he said at once. "Just let me know when and where, and I'll be there."

"Thank you very much, Minato. I'll call you again when the time comes." Not giving him the chance to even try for the last word—as usual—Elizabeth gave a brief chuckle and hung up.

"Well. At least something's going about the way it usually does."

I just hope it's not as public as last time. If Mitsuru's engagement hadn't completely taken over the rumor mill, Elizabeth would still be the talk of the school. Oh, well. It's not like she hasn't earned the consideration, after everything she's done. I just hope she's getting what she's looking for out of it.

Minato had just set his phone aside in favor of the newspaper again when a throat cleared itself not far from him. "Something tells me I don't want to know what that was about, exactly. Do I, Minato?"

Somehow, he managed to avoid spilling his cocoa everywhere. He almost had his aplomb back by the time he looked up to see Mitsuru looking down at him, wearing casual clothes now instead of a kimono, one eyebrow sardonically lifted. "Ah. No, I don't think you do, Mitsuru," he said, wondering again how she managed to sneak up on him so much. "That was my contact on supernatural matters. The… strange one."

"I suspected as much." She leaned over to rest her elbows on the back of the chair, a small smile playing at her lips. "Someday I really am going to insist on an explanation, Minato. In the meantime, I have the feeling I don't need the distraction."

Thank heavens for that. I still haven't figured out how to introduce those two.

"That aside. I assume that was about a change in Tartarus?"

Minato nodded, sipping at his cocoa. "Yeah. The latest blockage should be out of our way. We're clear to make some more headway toward the room."

"Good." There was a fire in his fiancé's eyes, at odds with her affinity for ice. "Then we'll make another expedition tomorrow night. We're going to be ready when Nyx arrives."

"Agreed. And I've… got a couple of new tricks I want to try out." Tossing his newspaper on the table, he conjured up the spectral deck of cards that represented the masks he wielded against the Shadows. "Ryoji tried to manipulate me last night. I don't think he quite realized what I really got out of it—but I intend to rub it in Nyx's face. If I'm going to do that, I need to train as much as I can before the end of the month."

Mitsuru smiled slowly—a predatory look, matching the fire in her eyes. "I'll look forward to seeing that. But," she went on, fire fading from her expression, "tomorrow night. Tonight, after what happened last night… I think we both should turn in early."

He nodded again, finished his cocoa, and stood to take the mug to the dining area. When he'd washed it, Mitsuru gently but firmly took his arm and pulled him toward the stairs. He had to smile at that—times like this reminded him that field leader or no, she was the real commander—but the smile turned to raised eyebrows when, on the second floor, she turned him left toward the next flight of stairs instead of right toward his room.

When they arrived in front of the door to her room, she hesitated. "So, um, Minato," she began, cheeks flushing. "It's obviously too soon for us to—well, you know. But, with everything, especially last night, I… I don't want to be alone right now. So, um…"

"I understand, Mitsuru," Minato said softly, taking her hand. "I've had a few nights where I couldn't stand to sleep alone." More than a few, over the years. When he was lucky, it happened when he was home with his family, and had his sister to turn to for a security blanket. A few nights since he'd joined SEES, he'd only been able to stare at the ceiling for hours, sleepless.

Mitsuru relaxed a tiny fraction. "I thought you'd understand," she said softly. "I know it's, well, not exactly proper—and I don't know what anyone else would think about it, but—"

"I honestly don't think anyone around here would care," he pointed out. "It's not like we're a secret anymore. And if anyone did?" He shrugged, squeezing her hand. "The Apocalypse is coming, Mitsuru. I'm not really interested in what other people think of how we cope with the stress."

That got him a chuckle. "When you put it that way…" Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a key and handed it to him. "I had a copy of my room key made for you." A smile played at her lips now, despite the blush. "I think I can trust you not to abuse the privilege, correct?"

"Perish the thought," Minato murmured, solemnly taking the key and slipping it into the lock. "I hold with those who favor fire, but I think I've seen enough of your 'Executions'—"

"—To know that for destruction, ice is also great and would suffice?" Mitsuru actually laughed at that one, very quietly, as she followed him into her bedroom. "Don't you forget it, Minato."

Friday, January 8th, 2010, Early Morning

Every day, the trip to school seemed a little eerier. Often, Minato wore his headphones with the sound entirely off to give him some cover while he indulged in strategic eavesdropping; lately, though he still kept it low, he made sure to have some kind of music in his ears to offset the atmosphere.

Today, Silent Voice was his distraction of choice as he left the monorail station behind. It just barely kept away the chill that his winter uniform couldn't cope with, the one brought by the sight of ever more people lying comatose by the roadside. Not to mention the posters that were showing up more and more, and their associated iconography.

I know those symbols, Minato thought grimly, gingerly stepping past one of the moaning Lost about a block from Gekkoukan. Some of them from Grandfather's case files, and I'm dead sure I saw one of them back when Tsu-chan and I were chasing ghosts.

And that one… I could swear I saw it in Dad's files, ten years ago. What, did some psycho toss a bunch of apocalyptic imagery into a blender and hit "liquefy"?

Maybe the worst part of all wasn't the increase in Apathy Syndrome victims, but the decrease in young people in Gekkoukan uniforms compared to past months. So far, no one Minato knew personally had fallen victim, but there were definitely fewer faces at school than there should've been.

Shivering at the thought, he was just reaching to crank the volume on his MP3 player a bit higher when a snippet of conversation ahead of him drifted to his ears. "Hey," a voice he'd often heard gossiping began. "Look at all these posters… Think this is about that cult everybody's been talking about lately?"

"Don't be so quick to judge!" another familiar voice said sharply. "You should actually read some of those. It's not really a cult. This is the real deal: the Fall is coming. It's already set in stone."

Those words alone sent a chill down Minato's spine. The Fall? Then some people do know. But where would they have heard…?

"Oh, it's definite? Nothing we can do about it, then. Okay, never mind then. So, about that homework for second period…"

He almost walked right into the side of a building, water turning to ice in his veins. Nothing we can do about it? How the hell can anyone say that so calmly?! How can anyone just say that like the end of the world is no more serious than an exam?

Seriously unnerved now, Minato recovered as much of his outward poise as he could, turned up his music several notches, and resumed the walk to school. Something isn't right here. Someone is manipulating the situation, and I'm going to find out who.

And if it's who I think it might be, I really am going to turn them to ash. Enough is enough.

After School

Junpei Iori had never before believed it possible that school would be the high point of his day. As little as a month and a half before, he'd have laughed at the very idea. Even when the fight against the Shadows had abruptly fizzled, he'd still had other things he'd gladly have chosen to do over school work.

After the way the year had ended, though, he took a startling amount of satisfaction from answering a question when called on in Toriumi's class, without Minato even feeding it to him. Having some genuine academic success felt damn good, when everything else was going wrong.

Helps that none of our class is missing, at least, he thought after class, as most of the other students filed out for the day. The halls are empty enough to creep me out, but in here you'd hardly notice a thing. We can pretend things are normal just a little longer.

Soon even Aigis and Yukari had left, leaving Minato as the only other student he knew very well in the room. Taking just a moment to stretch muscles taut from sitting too long, Junpei ambled over to the blunette's desk. "Hey, Minato. You free for a few minutes?" He grinned. "Y'know, with your busy schedule and all I figured I should check…"

"Let me ask my day planner," Minato replied dryly. His eyes took on a distant look for a moment, though, as if he was seriously consulting some inner calendar; then he nodded and stood. "Nothing big today, for once," he said, pausing to pick up the shinai bag he carried everywhere these days. "What's on your mind?"

"Not here, man. Let's take it up to the roof." Junpei lowered his voice, eyes flicking over to the handful of classmates still around. "Not the right company for some things, y'know."

A couple of minutes later, they were breaking the school's least-enforced rule again. Despite the roof being so often used by students that it wasn't even locked anymore, they were the only ones there; probably, Junpei thought, as much because of the January cold as anything else.

Not that he really noticed anymore. One of the perks he'd discovered about Trismegistus was that the Persona's power helped him keep physically warm, like built-in climate control. He was starting to suspect something similar was responsible for Minato's typical blithe disregard for temperature extremes, too; certainly the detective didn't seem to care about the breeze right then.

Either that, or he's too close to Death to worry about little things like hypothermia, he thought wryly. Gotta be some perks to carrying that in him all those years, right?

"So," Junpei began slowly, when the two of them were standing by the fence overlooking the city. "I guess we've never had much of a chance to talk like this, have we? I mean, used to be I was, well, kind of a bastard."

"Kind of," Minato agreed, a faint smile on his face as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "On the other hand, I was a pretty detached guy myself back when all this started. And snide."

"Snide?" Junpei snickered. "What a shocker. No, seriously, I never woulda' guessed. You never let even a trace of it slip."

"You still don't lie very well, Junpei," the blunette observed. "Of course, if you'd known half of what was going on in my head back then, you really wouldn't have liked me very much. I think about ninety percent of my observations of practically everybody in Port Island were snide commentary."

"Hey, the teachers we got here, anybody with a brain's sarcastic. And it ain't like the rest of us weren't a collection of mental cases when we joined SEES." Thinking back, the goateed student snorted. "Hell, we're still all crazy. We're just nicer crazy, right?"

Certainly that would be the likely conclusion of any mental professional, Trismegistus mused. You do speak to voices in your heads, after all.

Aw, shaddup. "Anyway, I figured it was about time we talked, after everything." Junpei looked out over the city, where so much had happened over the past year. From where he was, he could see the Moonlight Bridge and part of the monorail track, just two of the places that had nearly gotten him killed. "We're coming up on Coming of Age day, you know. Used to just be an excuse to slack off on studying, and now here I am, wondering if I'm even gonna live to see it."

He could see out of the corner of his eye Minato rolling his. "That's three days from now, Junpei. I think you're being paranoid if you expect to be killed by then. Even a random accident isn't likely to do it. You and I both could probably walk off being hit by a car, these days."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Junpei laughed, shaking his head. "You know, I've gotten so used to all this that I hardly remember we're all kinda superhuman these days. Fighting Shadows, you expect to pull off the incredible. Car accidents? That's just too normal, man, super powers aren't used for that."

"Jumping off the roof from here might be a good way to remember it." Minato peered closely at the fence, as if gauging it for handholds. "A four-story drop might be a little rough, but if we do it just right…"

"Oh, no, don't even say that, dude." Junpei grabbed the swordsman's shoulder, pulling him back a couple of steps. "'Cause I don't think you're really joking, and I don't wanna be the one to explain to Mitsuru-senpai why you're regenerating from squashing yourself like a pancake."

"I never jump without doing risk-assessment first, you should know that."

"Forget it," he said firmly. "My 'risk-assessment' says it ain't worth it. Besides," he went on more seriously, "things are weird enough as it is around here lately. You're a detective, you must've seen all the missing persons reports, right? I thought the Lost were bad enough, but these poor guys are really lost. I asked Senpai about it, and she says it's probably the Shadows goin' nuts with Nyx on the way."

"That, and reality can only bend so far." Minato sank down onto one the rooftop benches, looking suddenly tired. "Speaking from a certain degree of experience, the laws of physics tend to bite back when you mess with them too much. Going over my grandfather's files—the ones he's finally started letting me see now that I'm in on the supernatural stuff for real—this kind of thing tends to happen when reality takes too long a lunch break."

Junpei found himself laughing again at that, despite the seriousness of the topic. "Well, yeah, I'd call ten years too long a 'lunch break'!" His amusement vanished quickly, though, and he dropped gracelessly onto the bench himself. "Even regular people are starting to notice. You hear about that doomsday cult? Goin' around tellin' everybody 'the end is near'! And for once, they're kinda right."

"Yeah. I've noticed." The other youth's eyes were shadowed. "I heard a couple of girls talking about it on the way to school." He visibly shivered. "I don't ever want to hear someone talk about impending doom that casually again."

The Man in the Hat nodded glumly. He'd seen some spooky stuff since the night he'd first been dragged into the Dark Hour, but the matter-of-fact way some people were treating the end of the world just about topped them all. As terrifying as Ryoji's revelations had been, it was a rational kind of terror.

We're able to keep going, 'cause we think we've got a chance to beat it. But not even caring? That's damned spooky. That's horror movie creepy. Kind of reminds of something, actually…

"Nyx is bad enough," Junpei said quietly, looking down at the roof. "But there's more than that, y'know. Two members of Strega are still out there, somewhere. Maybe we haven't seen 'em since Chidori… But you know 'em as well as I do. They're not sittin' still. They're planning something."

"I know." He looked up at the flat tone in Minato's voice, and flinched just a little at the look in the swordsman's eyes. A predatory glint, like a shark, and an unnatural silver gleam. "We're going to meet them again, one more time. Only one."

That's still creepy as hell, too. But after what they did to Chidori… I'm sure as hell not getting in the way if Minato decides to go Ginsu. Doesn't look like anything else is gonna stop those bastards.

Junpei turned his gaze to the sky, and the moon that wouldn't be visible for some hours yet. "It's crazy, y'know," he said quietly. "This time last year, I never would've imagined talkin' this seriously with anybody. I sure as hell never would've thought about killing somebody. That's just crazy for kids like us, man. But…"

"You do desperate things in desperate times," Minato said, the predatory look fading to something sadder. "Most people never see what we've seen, Junpei. Seeing people murdered right in front of us, seeing monsters out of Lovecraft eating people…"

"…Knowing that the end of the world is right around the corner," Junpei finished for him, nodding. "Really changes your perspective, doesn't it? Honestly, I dunno it's even really sunk in for me yet. But maybe that just makes things easier? If you don't believe something's really gonna happen, that might make it easier to believe we can stop it." He raised one hand, slowly clenching it into a fist. "I know one thing: I ain't gonna just sit around and wait for it."

He'd seen people take a hit and just shut down. Seen it when someone lost everything, and didn't even try to climb back up again. Hell, he didn't even lose everything. Sure, Mom's long gone, but he's still alive—and so am I, dammit! There's still things to live for! Crawlin' into a bottle—that doesn't solve a damn thing.

You get knocked down, you stand back up and punch life in the face!

"I'm gonna say something I may never say again," Junpei said suddenly, jumping back to his feet. "It's embarrassing as hell, but I gotta say it once." He turned to look back at Minato. "You're pretty cool, you know that? You had freakin' Death inside you all these years, and you took its power and made it yours. That's an example to really look up to, y'know. Best example a guy could have."

Despite the mood, it was just a bit satisfying to see his nominal "leader" looking decidedly nonplussed for once. Coughing into his hand, Minato looked away uncomfortably, muttering, "You know I… didn't exactly start off very heroic, Junpei. Three years ago—"

"Yeah, yeah, three years ago you screwed up bad and spent a year mopin', I got that." Junpei waved a hand dismissively. "An' today you're back on your feet and getting ready to lead the charge against the Goddess of Death. No matter what hit us this past year, you kept on going, and dragged the rest of us right along with you. You think any of us would still be on our feet without that?"

So much had happened, to all of them. Yukari'd been through a roller coaster about her father, Mitsuru had lost hers during their journey, they'd all lost Shinjiro, Aigis had been through a major existential crisis, and everything they'd thought had been for the good of the world had doomed it. And Junpei himself…

"I gotta thank you, Minato," he said quietly. "All that stuff with Chidori… I know y'all must've thought I was crazy, but you never said that. You just gave me advice to try and get through to her, to the very end. That means a lot to me, really. And I want you to know, maybe I'm a little jealous, but I'm really glad you and Mitsuru-senpai got together."

Minato looked surprised at that. "Really?"

"Damn straight, dude. Everything you two have been through, 'bout time you had something good happen. 'Sides, it shows the rest of us that there really is still hope. So I'm just gonna say this once: I'm really glad I met you, Minato." Junpei stuck out a hand. "We're still gonna be friends, right? Even after all this Nyx stuff is over?"

The blue-haired swordsman stood and grasped Junpei's hand with the calculated strength of one Persona user to another. "To the end of the world, Junpei."

Junpei grinned. "That's the spirit. Let's see this through to the end—for everybody who didn't make it. I got your back, no matter what happens when we face Nyx on top of that damned tower. We're all coming back from that alive."

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010, After School

Cleaning duty, Minato mused, briskly swishing the broom back and forth across 2-F's floor. When did that become the lesser of two evils? Well, I suppose an imminent apocalypse does tend to change a guy's perspective on this kind of thing, but still.

Better this than Christmas Eve at North High, Pixie commented idly. No possessed cleaning supplies in the janitor's closet here.

Now, now. That bibliophile girl said it didn't have anything to do with ghosts, remember? Just some obscure law of physics that… come to think of it, I still haven't found in any textbook. But Tsu-chan agreed it wasn't Apparition-related, and those other guys seemed to handle it just fine… Hm?

Saddled as he was with cleaning duty for the day, Minato hadn't really expected to see anyone else in the classroom once his classmates had all escaped for the day. The door opening just as he was finishing sweeping caught him off-guard—the more so when he realized who it was.

"Got a minute to talk, Arisato-kun?" Hidetoshi asked, glancing around the room as if looking for prying ears. "Looks like no one else is around today, huh?"

"Nobody likes to stay around when they might be dragged into cleaning duty." Minato set aside his broom, shoved his hands into his pockets, and moved to lean against the wall between two of the windows. "Unusual to see you in one of the second-year classrooms, Odagiri-kun. What's up? Something that couldn't wait for tomorrow's Student Council meeting?"

"You might say that. Or rather, I'm not sure this is something that should be spoken of officially." The Disciplinary Committee head dropped into a chair—Ryoji's old chair, Minato noticed distantly—a pensive frown on his face. "I take it you've heard of the cult that's been spreading in Port Island lately?"

A grimace forced its way onto Minato's face before he could strangle it. "I don't know if there's anyone in town who hasn't heard of it by now," he said, when he was sure his voice wouldn't come out too venomously. "They've been making quite the mess lately."

Just that morning, in fact, he'd noticed so many fliers strewn around the city that it seemed as if an advertizing company's printers had all exploded. Not to mention the graffiti, strangely uniform, that spelled out letters he found ominously familiar.

"I thought as much," Hidetoshi said with a nod. "You of all people tend to have your finger on the pulse around here." He sighed, running a hand through his slicked-back hair. "Quite honestly, until recently I didn't think anything of it. I assumed it was simply a fad, that would fade soon enough. Now, however, it seems to be making its way into this very school, and that I can't just ignore."

Yeah. Minato had noticed that, too. He'd hoped that the gossip he'd heard a few days earlier had been an anomaly, but it was becoming increasingly clear that hope was in vain. It seemed like everywhere he went, between classes, someone in the halls was whispering about it.

On the bright side, the teachers, at least, are still scoffing at it. Kids like us may think of teachers as out of touch old fogies, but they still have an impact. Let's hope it stays that way.

Hidetoshi observed him silently for a few moments, then nodded, a wry smile on his face. "I see you know exactly what I'm talking about, Arisato-kun. Now, so far I haven't heard much genuine support for it, but it's still a disturbing attitude to see here. I was wondering if you had any idea as to how to handle the situation?"

Minato sighed, shaking his head. "Honestly? I don't know what could be done about it, officially at least. I suppose we could ban the fliers from school grounds—but in my experience the quickest way to make something the talk of the town is to outlaw it. We certainly can't change how people think so easily." He lowered his gaze to the floor, mentally running over the possibilities. "Really, about all I can think of that we can really do here is try to lead by example—and we all know what my example is worth."

"You're a model student in school, Arisato-kun," Hidetoshi pointed out, flashing that wry smile again. "I've heard the Kendo Team looks up to you, and you've certainly had a positive impact on Fushimi. Not to mention the rumors of your involvement in solving the school's bullying problems last year. It's outside the school that teachers question your activities."

Get spotted running around at midnight a mere dozen or so times, and you're marked, Pixie lamented. At least by Ekoda, anyway. No surprise that guy's got a memory for this stuff; not like he does anything but memorize boring details.

"I suppose you're right about the options we have here, unfortunately, and I'll be sure to bring it up at the meeting tomorrow. That being said…" Hidetoshi folded his arms, raising one eyebrow in the blunette's direction. "About your off-campus activities. I don't suppose there's anything you know about how this cult got going in the first place?"

For a long moment, Minato only regarded him silently. The nature of SEES was, as far as he was aware, still a closely-guarded secret, known only to the Kirijo Group and a small handful of supernatural practitioners; even Gekkoukan's faculty was, in theory, completely in the dark—the enigma of Edogawa notwithstanding. As far as anyone knew, SEES was nothing but an exclusive, eccentric school club.

But Hidetoshi was not an idiot, and had more than once hinted he realized Minato and his friends were connected to the various odd things happening in Port Island. Unlike Natsuki Moriyama, he'd never gotten directly involved, but he obviously wasn't completely oblivious, either.

"…I'm still looking into the origins of the cult itself," Minato said finally, choosing his words very carefully. "I do have some suspicions, but nothing I'd call solid quite yet. Still…" He hesitated. "Some of what I've heard about the cult sounds familiar, in a very bad way."

"I thought that might be the case." Hidetoshi looked at him shrewdly. "Hm… Speaking entirely hypothetically, is it possible there's someone working against the cult, outside of school grounds? Trying to stop whatever might have given rise the cult to begin with?" He paused. "Hypothetically."

"Hypothetically," Minato said evenly, "there might."

"I see." Hidetoshi pushed himself to his feet and headed back to the classroom's exit. "In that case, hypothetically, these 'heroes' might have an ally or two in official channels. Maybe even someone willing to lend an ear. Of course," he added, sliding open the door, "I can't possibly imagine what hypothetical situation might give the Kuzunoha family problems a mere Disciplinary Committee head could help with—"

"Kuzunoha?" another voice blurted. "Kuzunoha… Kuzunoha?! That's it!"

Suddenly feeling a deep chill in his bones, Minato's gaze snapped up to look past Hidetoshi, who—with the instincts of a reporter's son—quickly fled.

"Of course!" The girl who frequently hung around the hall by 2-E, watching like a hawk for Mitsuru to go by to and from Student Council, burst into the classroom. "I knew the blue hair in that photo looked familiar!"

Uh-oh. Surreptitiously, Minato slipped one hand out of his pocket to feel around the edge of the closest window, hoping to find a latch.

"It was you all along!" the girl yelled, glaring at him. "You—you're the one stealing Mitsuru-senpai from me!"

…I am so doomed…

Evening

Junpei was used to seeing Minato pretty chill about just about anything short of Strega or the end of the world. Sometimes it drove him nuts; sometimes, he had to admit it was about the only thing that kept the entire team from losing it. Either way, if there was one quality Junpei associated with their field leader, it was his ability to take the craziest things in stride.

Seeing him walk into the dorm looking like someone had put a "Kick Me" sign on his back was just weird enough to get Junpei's attention. "Wow. You look like you had a rough day, Minato—and I thought school was pretty easy today. What happened?"

Wearily, Minato shut the front door and leaned heavily against it. "Not the end of the world—this time—but I may have just lost my social standing at school."

Oh, this must be a good one. "You've practically stolen Akihiko-senpai's spot as Gekkoukan's golden boy the last few months," Junpei said, propping a hip against the registration desk. "What'd you do? Fight a duel in the hall where Ekoda could see it? Nah," he contradicted himself at once, shaking his head, "that'd just get ya more cred. Your crazy friends from North High show up, maybe?"

"Worse," Minato said glumly. "Odagiri figured out who I am. Which I wouldn't mind—if he hadn't said it where someone else could hear it. You know that girl from 2-E who idolizes Mitsuru?"

Youch! Junpei winced, having a pretty good idea what the blunette was talking about. Mitsuru-senpai was practically the idol of the whole school, but that one girl took it to levels that even he found creepy beyond words. If she'd found out who her "beloved Senpai" had gotten engaged to…

"I'm kinda surprised you're still alive, Minato," he said honestly. "How'd you get out of that jam without losing skin?"

"By running. Very fast." Minato shivered. "Between her and that glasses guy in our own class, it'll be all over the school by lunchtime tomorrow. If I've still got anything resembling an intact reputation this time tomorrow night, I'll be surprised."

"Ah, Kendo Team prolly won't care. The guys are pretty cool about that kinda thing. But… okay, yeah, your name's probably gonna be mud with a lot of other people." Junpei thought about it for a minute, then shrugged. "Who cares about that, anyway? I thought you were the guy who said reputation's what other people know about you—"

"And honor is what you know about yourself," Minato finished. "Actually, I stole that one from a Western sci-fi novel, but… Well. I guess we'll see how things turn out." Pushing himself away from the door, he glanced around the lounge with a frown. "Hey, where is everybody, anyway?"

"Oh, right!" Junpei snapped his fingers, remembering why he'd been heading for the door himself. "Well, Mitsuru-senpai's got some kinda Kirijo Group thing tonight—but you probably know more about that than I do—Fuuka's stomping some bugs in her computer, and I think Ken's studying for a test, but the rest of us were going out for dinner. Y'know, something normal after the crazy start to the year. Hagakure sound good to you?"

"…Sounds like a plan," the other youth said after a second's thought. "I don't think anybody who hates me right now knows I like the place…"

"Great! Let's get going!" Clapping a hand on Minato's shoulder, Junpei pulled him along back through the door. "'Sides, Akihiko-senpai and I had this bet back at Yakushima, and technically we both lost—though I still say you cheated…!"

Yukari wasn't nearly as into ramen as some members of the team were; certainly nowhere near as much as Shinjiro-senpai had been or Minato still was. Done right, though, it was a nice change, and she had to admit Junpei had—for once—had a good idea in dragging most of the group to Hagakure.

Even if his reasoning was a bit twisted, she mused. "Five specials, please!" she called out, when the five of them had settled at the counter.

"You got it!" the cook called back. "Five specials, coming up!"

"So let me get this straight," Minato was saying to Junpei as they waited for their food. "You and Akihiko made a bet during that crazy stunt you pulled our second day at Yakushima, and you both struck out, so technically you both lost. Which ought to mean you split the costs for today, right?"

"Close, Minato!" the Man in the Hat replied with a grin. "But, see, while you may've 'won', it turned out it was with Aigis—and besides that, you cheated by having that crazy girl show up."

"I don't remember even agreeing to the bet. This is the first I'm even hearing of it. So why should I—"

"You sent me off on that stupid 'operation' with Junpei, Minato," Akihiko interrupted, a couple of stools to Yukari's left. Otherwise engrossed in a magazine, he glanced up to turn a baleful glance at the field leader. "Your 'delegation' left me stuck holding the ball. It's about time you paid me back for that."

Ugh. Boys. Yukari rolled her eyes. She still hadn't heard exactly what the male members of the team had been up to when they first encountered Aigis, and honestly, she was just as happy not knowing. Junpei's comments alone had raised a gigantic red flag.

At least Minato, by all accounts, hadn't had anything to do with it. Even so, she had no particular interest in helping him out paying for part of the outing. He had been up to something with Tsuruya that day, after all, and that girl had nothing Yukari could recognize as a sense of shame.

"…Fine, fine," Minato said finally, shaking his head. "We'll split it three ways, then. Not like I mind paying for my own dinner, anyway…"

Any other time, Yukari would've insisted on paying for her own, as well. This once, though, she'd let the boys take the rap for their own actions—and if they were so insistent, anyway, who was she to argue? Besides, it's most just one extra person. It's not like Aigis is going to actually eat anything anyway.

The robot girl in question—who, human as she'd been behaving of late, still didn't exactly have a human digestive system—seemed oblivious to the conversation, instead focused on Akihiko's magazine. "That article appears most unsettling," she commented. "'Emergence of a Messiah: The Charismatic One Speaks.'"

"Let me guess: more about that doomsday cult everyone's been talking about lately?" Yukari scoffed, shaking her head. "I've been seeing that all over the local news sites, too. What a waste of time."

"Yeah," Akihiko agreed, idly turning the page. "It's ridiculous what some people fall for—what the hell?!"

The uncharacteristic outburst brought everyone's attention right to him, though Yukari noticed absently no one else in the restaurant even seemed to notice. "Senpai? What's wrong?"

"It's a picture of their leader," Aigis said, voice as grim as Yukari had ever heard it. "So. That explains a great deal."

Yukari leaned across to get a better look, while Minato and Junpei got up to crowd around as well. "Wait a second," she breathed, eyes widening. "That—that can't be!"

"Takaya?!" Junpei hissed in a loud whisper. "That sunnova…!"

There was no mistaking him. Wild hair, tattooed shoulders, and deathly pale skin—where it wasn't marked with hideous burn scars, legacy of Minato's last attempt to fry him. After everything Takaya had done, Yukari wasn't about to forget his face, however much she wanted to.

"I thought so," Minato said, voice a low growl. "Nihilistic and manipulative. That cult is Strega's style, through and through. What are those psychos up to now?"

"I believe he explains it," Aigis said softly. "This is an interview. 'Mankind is currently imprisoned by the sins of anger and hatred', he says. 'But soon, a savior will descend upon this world to break the chains that bind us in that sin, and lift us to Paradise. That savior, that great being, is called Nyx. I have beheld her glory, and she has blessed me with the power to make way for her coming. In her, there is no pain, nor suffering…'"

"How the hell does he know about Nyx?!" Junpei demanded angrily, fist clenching tightly enough for his knuckles to crack loudly.

"He thinks she'll save the world? But that's crazy!" Yukari rapidly shook her head, stunned by the claim. "That's—that sounds like—!"

"Ikutsuki," Akihiko finished grimly. "Yeah, sounds just like him. But I don't think Takaya believes a word of it. I think he's just playing one of his sick games. Ugh, I think I've lost my appetite just reading this garbage."

"A game." Yukari could hear Junpei's teeth grinding, and noticed uneasily that the air was feeling a bit warmer suddenly. "It's always a game to that son of a bitch. Just like with Chidori…"

"There is more," Aigis said, reaching out to a rest a placating hand on his arm. "It is… unpleasant. 'But there are those who have also been blessed by the great Nyx, yet do not understand her message. They abuse the power they have been granted, using it for their own gains. It is they who are to blame for the recent tragedies plaguing our city's streets—and indeed, their leader, the Silver-Eyed Death, made an attempt on my own life not long ago…'"

"Silver-Eyed Death," Minato remarked, voice surprisingly calm. "Well, I suppose I've had worse monikers. That one actually sounds kind of cool."

Yukari turned to admonish him for taking it so lightly, only to be brought up short by the look in his eyes. He may have sounded calm, but the silver in his eyes told her a very different story.

"I can't believe this bull," Junpei growled. "It sounds like the son of a bitch is blaming us for Apathy Syndrome, and what he did to Shinjiro-senpai. And people are eating this stuff up?" He ground his teeth, looking like he was moments from snatching up the magazine and tearing it to confetti. "How the hell did that pale-faced bastard get a moniker like 'Charismatic One', anyway?"

"I wish I could say I was more surprised," Akihiko said in disgust, handing off the magazine to Aigis. "But if there's one thing Takaya's always been good at, it's smooth talk. And I was talking to Fuuka the other day, and she said she's seen a user name before that sounded like it came from Jin's full name; he's apparently pretty well-known on local sites. It wouldn't be too hard for him to stir up something like this."

Yukari grimaced. She supposed that made sense; between Takaya's eloquence and Jin's technical skill, whipping up emotions—especially with Apathy Syndrome getting worse by the day—probably wouldn't be that hard.

It still made her sick just thinking about it. Especially with Strega labeling her and her friends as the monsters Takaya and Jin really were.

"'Brothers and sisters'," Aigis continued calmly into the silence, "'I must retreat from the cares of this world for a time, to make preparations for Nyx's arrival. But do not be afraid of the evildoers who abuse Nyx's gifts; the wrongs they commit will be made right with the coming of Nyx. May your hearts be at peace as you await her arrival, and the salvation she brings. Rejoice, my brethren, for the revolution is nigh!'"

"Revolution," Minato repeated. From the look on his face, Yukari almost expected him to set the magazine on fire right then and there, despite the witnesses. She wasn't sure she would've blamed him if he had. "Y'know, if he's going to pretend to be modern-day Isshin-Shishi, I wish he'd talk less like he stepped out of a Cult Leadership for Dummies book."

"You'd think he'd get more followers if he did," Junpei agreed darkly. "How can so many people actually buy into this?"

Aigis' hand clenched on the magazine tightly enough to tear it, belying her apparent calm as she set it down with exaggerated care. "Humans are, at base, a herd species," she said softly. "It's… probably not surprising that a confident leader-figure would be enticing to many, especially in times such as these. Throughout history, many charismatic people have led revolutions by stirring up the masses in periods of unrest."

Junpei swung back around to his seat, snorting loudly. "Well, I'd sure as hell call this a 'period of unrest'. I mean, we're all gonna die. Doesn't get much more 'troubled' than that, does it?"

"Perhaps," Aigis said slowly, frowning. "I don't quite understand, however. With or without Nyx, all life eventually ends. Don't all humans understand that death is merely an inevitable occurrence in the cycle of life?"

"So are taxes, and you don't hear about people liking those very much, either," Minato muttered.

Yukari threw him a sharp glance. This isn't the time for your snark! …Even if it does break the mood, just a little…

"Heh. Inevitable, huh…?" Junpei looked up to the ceiling, eyes seeming focused beyond it. "Honestly? I never would've even thought about my own death if it weren't for what happened to Shinjiro-senpai. But, y'know, I have died once… and I'm not quite ready to just give up on the new life Chidori gave me. I'm not gonna waste hers."

Minato, strangely, seemed to twitch a little at that. Why, Yukari didn't have a chance to think about just then; Junpei continued on before she could spare more than a thoughtful look.

"That's what we all decided, right? To fight the 'inevitable'. Why even talk about it anymore?" The goateed one grinned suddenly. "Our next mission objective is Nyx. And if Strega gets in the way, well, we'll just have to take them down too, won't we?"

"Damn straight," Akihiko agreed, punching his palm. "Takaya said he was 'retreating'—that must mean they've gone into Tartarus. Whether they believe that little speech or not, they obviously want Nyx to come, and we're in their way as much as they're in ours."

Minato settled back onto his own stool, a flat, dull look in his eyes. "That's right," he whispered. "They'll be standing in our way—and this time, there won't be any retreat. For us, or for them."

Yukari shivered. "Less than three weeks now… The promised day is almost here. If we're going to be fighting our way through Strega before we can even get to Nyx, we'd better get ready."

Ready for what, she didn't want to think about. Fighting Nyx was one thing; assuming she wasn't literally invincible, it sounded like it would be like fighting Shadows on a larger scale. Fighting Strega—fighting other human beings—was something else entirely.

She'd tried once. Made the decision to take someone's life, for the good of the world. But if Yukari was honest with herself, she'd only done so because of what Shuji Ikutsuki had done to her father's legacy, and she wasn't at all sure she could've made that choice in cold blood, with malice aforethought.

She wasn't sure if she was more grateful or disturbed—or disturbed that she was grateful—that in all probability she wouldn't have to make that choice again. Not if she was reading Minato right.

"Well," Junpei said into the gathering gloom, "if we're gonna be ready, we'd better keep our strength up, right? So c'mon, guys, let's eat up!" Flashing a grin, he turned to face the cook, just as their ramen was finally delivered. "Excuse me! One Hagakure Bowl too, please!"

"Careful, Junpei," Yukari admonished, taking her own bowl. "You're eating half of Aigis's food, too, remember?" Despite her rebuke, though, she was inwardly grateful. His enthusiasm, as annoying as it all too often was, was just what she needed right then.

"Ah, don't worry about it, Yuka-tan! I feel like I haven't eaten for weeks!" He turned the grin on Minato and Akihiko. "You don't mind, do ya, guys?"

"…If you don't finish it, you're paying all the extra," Minato warned him balefully, digging into his ramen. "Whatever I might owe you two for Yakushima, I'm not paying extra for gluttony."

Author's Note:

So. Yeah. Didn't actually mean to take over a year between updates, but… things happened. As some may know from occasional notes on my profile—or following my other ongoing fic—my health took a nasty turn last year, and kind of stayed that way for awhile.

I'm better now—at least, I'm no longer waking up every morning convinced I'm about to die—but considering I had writer's block on this chapter before my body went to pieces… Yeah. Took me a while to really get back into things.

That being said, I know this chapter is kind of disjointed, and a bit short by my standards. I am, unfortunately, pretty rusty at working in this 'verse, and, again, writer's block. If I didn't just go with what I've got here, who knows how long it would've taken to get this done—and I'm at least as tired as any readers with the delays.

For what it's worth, I don't expect to have quite as much trouble with the remaining pre-Promised Day material, and certainly not with the actual endgame.

Hm… I suppose that about covers things. Dunno how many people are actually still reading at this point, but for those of you who are, hopefully this wasn't completely dreadful—even if I am pretty sure it was kind of boring. See you all next time. -Solid