Chapter 53: VS The Emperor and Empress
Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Hey, I didn't mean stop posting theories! I find them interesting to read (and trust me, if you're spot on, it gives me an excuse to spice up the plot). And thank you for the congratulations!
And now, a return to the story. This chapter is long.
Minato and Shinjiro made a large breakfast for SEES that morning, and every member sat in attendance. Mitsuru cleared her throat once everyone finished their meal. "Tonight, as you all know, is a full moon. Thus, it is almost certain that an abnormal Shadow will appear outside of Tartarus. I'd like all of you to return to the dorm immediately after school for pre-battle preparations." she said. "… However, as you all know, we may have the opportunity to attempt to rescue Fuuka Yamagishi from Tartarus today as well. Should that happen, our operation will follow Minato's plan… I hope you are all ready for tonight."
"Either way, we roll out and kick ass, right? No sweat." Shinjiro said.
"Heh, Shinji's right. We do what we always do." Akihiko said.
"… You're right, senpai." Yukari said. "We'll give it our best tonight, right Minato?" He said nothing, staring at the table silently. "… Uhh, Minato?"
"… Do you think horizontal or vertical cross-sections would be better for tonight's Shadow?" he asked with a slight smirk. Junpei laughed.
"We got this." he said, tipping his hat to him. "No need to get so worked up this earl, guys! Let's just relax till' game time, huh?"
"Well-spoken," Minato said. "I'll be busy thinking of creative deaths for my unfortunate opponent in class today."
Mitsuru chuckled. "You're both certainly confident. It's reassuring, but we mustn't throw caution to the wind. Regardless… we will emerge victorious tonight."
"Aut vincere aut mori." Minato said.
"Amat victoria curam." Mitsuru replied. Minato chuckled.
"Dulce periculum." he said.
"Hey, enough with the Latin." Akihiko said. "And don't you go off being reckless tonight, Minato."
"I know, I know… I've no problem with running away to save my own life if I have to." Minato said. "Especially in a fight without any support."
"Sheesh… you guys are getting way too fatalistic about this." Junpei said.
"Wow, fatalistic… that's a big word from you, Junpei." Yukari said.
"Oh, thanks Yuka-ta – hey, wait a second… wait a second, that was an insult!" Junpei said. "HA! I caught ya this time!"
Yukari chuckled. "I'm surprised you caught it." she said.
"Hmph… it seems everyone is in good spirits, then." Mitsuru said. "We'll continue this once we finalize whether or not Moriyama knows about Yamagishi today."
The members of SEES all made their way to school, each keeping to their own thoughts. "How much of the city do you think I can cover from one spot?" Minato asked his Fiends.
"With all three of us… I'd say maybe a five mile radius, with shoddy coverage." David said. "We'd probably be at out peak at… about half of that distance."
"… You realize Iwatodai is about ten times that size, right? And that's not counting Tatsumi Port Island." Minato replied.
"… You will need to patrol the area to get any real coverage." Matador said.
"You'd best use something that can move around without forcing you to rely on your Magatama… It'd suck for you to enter combat already exhausted." Jack said. "… Can you get a vehicle?"
"Of course! Mitsuru's motorcycle!" Matador said.
"… I don't know how to ride a motorcycle." Minato said.
"Leave that to me, Boss. I helped a stunt biker once." Matador said.
"And what happened to him?" Minato asked.
"He crashed and died, obviously." Matador said.
"That's not very reassuring." Minato replied. His Fiends laughed.
"He died on a normal drunken ride." Matador said. "Unlike you, he lacked a good bit of common sense. Regardless, I have taken his riding skills… they weren't excellent, but they'll suffice."
"… Then it looks like I'll need to talk to Mitsuru about this." Minato said. "I hope you can ride better than David can act."
"… That hurts." David said.
The school day was mainly quiet and uneventful, until all the sophomores of SEES all got texts at the beginning of lunch that summoned them to the Student Council Room. "Hey, did you guys get that too?" Yukari asked as she approached Junpei and Minato.
"Yeah… looks like Mitsuru-senpai found that Moriyama chick. Guess we'll find out what happens next." Junpei said.
"Then what are waiting for? Let's go." Minato said. The trio made their way to the Student Council Room, and found Mitsuru glaring at Mr. Ekoda and Natsuki Moriyama, with Akihiko and Shinjiro guarding the entrance.
"Good, you guys are here." Akihiko said. "Now, then… how about you two start talking?"
"No! I-I never thought it'd turn out like this… Fuuka…" Natsuki said. Minato sighed.
"I'm sure there are a lot of things you wish never happened, Natsuki Moriyama… unfortunately, all of them already have. It's time for you to speak up and take responsibility for your actions… or do I need to loosen your tongue again?" he said.
"Minato, this is neither the time nor place for those actions." Mitsuru said. She narrowed her eyes at Mr. Ekoda. "… However, things can change very quickly. Speak."
"H-hold on, Mitsuru… this can't seriously be an interrogation." Mr. Ekoda said. "Natsuki, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. You don't want-" he continued, but was cut off by his cellphone ringing. He quickly answered. "I'm sorry, but I'm –"
"You should answer whenever you see this number." Minato said. His voice went through Ekoda's cellphone. "We wouldn't want your little secrets exposed, would we?" Mr. Ekoda turned in horror to see Minato talking into his cellphone. "You're not in any position to talk back, Mr. Ekoda… or should I reveal what you really wait around in Club Escapade for?"
Mr. Ekoda became as white as a sheet. "… Do as they say, Natsuki." he said. Minato chuckled and closed his cellphone.
"That's what I thought." he said. Everyone save Mitsuru was a bit shocked by his sudden action, but he ignored them and glared right at Natsuki. "… You had something to say?"
"F-Fuuka… She... She always looked so frazzled whenever I gave her a hard time... Then, I realized... She's an honor student, but deep inside, she's the same as us. I knew exactly which buttons to push. We were just messin' with her that day, too! May 29th... We took Fuuka to the gym... and locked the door from the outside..." Natsuki said.
"What?! You locked her in?!" Junpei yelled.
"… That night, Maki returned to school alone. She was afraid we'd get in trouble if Fuuka committed suicide. But, she never came back… and the next morning…"
"… She was found lying on the ground by the gate." Yukari said.
"I went to the gym to let Fuuka out, but the door was still locked... So, I opened it and went inside, but she wasn't there... We all freaked out. Starting that night, we all went looking for her. But every night, another one of us went missing... and they each ended up like Maki!" Natsuki said. "After a while, everyone else quit… and we all got scared. I-I wasn't the only one avoiding school!"
"I see…" Mitsuru said, taking in the details of what she had just heard. "By the way, Mr. Ekoda… all this time, you've attributed Yamagishi's absences to 'illness'. But in reality, you knew she was missing. You must have been aware of that… what was your intention?"
"I-I was thinking of the students, of course!" Mr. Ekoda said, snapping to attention. "With all the sudden Apathy Syndrome cases and the ghost story, I felt that the addition of a missing person case would just cause even more chaos… so I decided to write her off as just another afflicted student… I know it may not have been the best choice, but I was thinking of the futures of everyone involved! You have to believe me!"
"You mean, you chose not to report this to the police for the 'good of the class'." Mitsuru said.
"It was in her best interests… it had to have been. When I spoke to her parents, they thought so as well! They've been making themselves sparse until this blows over… you have to consider the stain this would leave on her records. An excellent student like Yamagishi… she doesn't need that. Her parents agree!" Mr. Ekoda said.
"… You placed Yamagishi's records above her safety?" Mitsuru asked, slightly twitching. "… So, to protect your career, you ignored your responsibility as a teacher… How despicable!" Mitsuru said.
Mr. Edkoa cringed. "I-I didn't… I was just…" he stammered.
"… Minato, I'll tell you if Mr. Ekoda changes his number." Mitsuru said. Mr. Ekoda's eyes widened and he quickly turned to Minato, who smiled.
"It's my job to keep tabs on those who tarnish Gekkoukan's reputation… I'd keep your phone charged and within an arm's reach, twenty-four seven." Minato said. Mr. Ekoda whimpered.
"Now, get out of my sight." Mitsuru commanded. Mr. Ekoda scrambled out of the room. She turned her attention to Natsuki, who was too lost in her own thoughts to care about what was going on around her. "… About your friends, Moriyama… Did you notice anything unusual before the incidents?... Anything at all?"
"… They all heard a voice." Natsuki said. "… A creepy voice. … Right before each of them went missing. They said it was calling their name."
"Oh, man…" Junpei said.
"Then… that means…" Yukari began. Mitsuru moved closer to whisper to the other SEES members.
"Yes… Until now, there was no way of knowing why some people were conscious during the Dark Hour… but it's the voice; it draws them in. It's not a random phenomenon. This has made me realize… They're clearly targeting humans." Mitsuru said.
"… The enemy is before us." Minato said. "We show no quarter."
"Exactly." Mitsuru said. She turned back to Natsuki and raised her voice. "Stay at our dorm tonight; it's the safest place." she said. Natsuki nodded. "If you hear the voice, tell us immediately. And don't leave your room, no matter what. If you can do that much, you should be okay… Don't worry, Yamagishi should be alright as well. Akihiko and Shinjiro will escort you there once classes have ended."
"Bodyguard duty again, huh? Fine by me." Shinjiro said.
"You should head back to class." Akihiko said. Natsuki quickly left, leaving the members of SEES alone. "… So we're going with Minato's plan, then."
"About that… Mitsuru, I have a slight problem with my monitoring abilities." Minato said. "I can't cover a wide range, but I have no problem keeping up my work on the move. To cover the whole city… I'll need a vehicle. Preferably, your motorcycle."
"This may be to our advantage… my bike has a mounted communicator I can contact at any time, so we can keep each other updated… But, who can we get to monitor Moriyama?" Mitsuru asked. "If we leave her alone in the dorm, she'll be in just as much danger as if she were alone anywhere else."
"I won't start my patrol until the Dark Hour begins." Minato said. "And if possible, we can get the chairman to watch her. He won't be much help in case of an attack, but he should be able to keep her inside."
"… Very well." Mitsuru said. "I'll see if I can get in contact with him as soon as school ends. However, we will have to infiltrate the school before the Dark Hour begins."
"Sneak into the school, huh?" Junpei asked. "Hehehe… In that case, I know just what to do…"
"Then, we reconvene tonight at the dorm." Mitsuru said. SEES dispersed, and the sophomores all headed back to their class in one large group.
"… Things have gotten crazy, haven't they?" Yukari asked.
"Don't be scared, Yukari. We'll win." Minato said.
"Yeah, relax! We've been training our asses off for this, remember?" Junpei asked.
"… I hope you're right." Yukari said.
The day crawled by, with each member of SEES going over the upcoming events on their own. Eventually, they all ended up back in the dorm. Moriyama received a room at the far corner of the third floor, and was essentially locked inside until further notice. She didn't put up much resistance. The members of SEES mainly spent the day preparing for their respective battles, and gathered in the meeting room at eleven o'clock at night.
"… Hmm. I can't get a hold of the chairman." Mitsuru said, closing her cellphone.
"I guess we can handle this ourselves." Yukari said.
"There's one problem, though… without the chairman's help, I'm not sure how we can get inside of the school…" Mitsuru said.
"No need to worry. I've got it all set to go." Junpei said.
"Set to go? … An explosive?" Mitsuru asked. She chuckled. "Alright, I'll let you handle this."
"We don't have time to waste." Akihiko said. He turned to Minato. "You watch yourself out there."
"I could say the same to you." Minato replied. "Mitsuru, your keys?" She pulled her bike's keys out of her pocket and threw them to Minato, who pocketed them just as quickly. "Remember, the rescue team needs to enter in the same manner. You and the reserve need to remain at the entrance in case anything goes wrong."
"I know that… the rescue team will consist of Junpei, Akihiko, and Shinjiro." Mitsuru said.
"Huh? Why them?" Yukari asked.
"Unlike you, they won't encounter much difficulty if they need to fight alone." Mitsuru said. "However, if you went and became stranded, your limited number of arrows and ineptitude at close combat would put you at a severe disadvantage."
"… When you put it like that, you make me sound weak." Yukari said. "But I get what you mean… I'll watch the rear."
"… Then, what are we waiting for?" Shinjiro asked. "We've got less than an hour."
"Yes… The operation begins now." Mitsuru said.
"Alright, let's go." Akihiko said. SEES quickly dispersed, with every member but Minato heading out of the dorm. He elected to stay in the second floor lounge, and pass the time until the Dark Hour reading more from Goth, while he set Jack to monitor Natsuki Moriyama. Half an hour to the Dark Hour, however, he was interrupted.
"Chick's on the move. She's heading down here." Jack said. Minato shut his book and put it down on the table.
"Stupid bitch. You should stay in your room." Minato thought. He got up, and Natsurki Moriyama walked down the stairs. "What's the matter? Hearing voices?" Minato asked.
"Tsk… why am I stuck with you?" Natsuki asked.
"Because I don't have a problem with breaking your bones if you get possessed or any crazy shit like that." Minato said.
"Hey, you guys said you would protect me!" Natsuki said.
"Trust me… it'll end much worse if I just let you wander about." Minato said. "Now, why'd you leave the room?"
"… I was thirsty." Natsuki said. "I'm buying a drink."
"… Go ahead." Minato said. Natsuki walked to the vending machine and got a Cielo Mist. As she picked the drink up, she stared at the vending machine for a while. "… Did you buy the wrong one?"
"No." Natsuki said, swiftly turning around to leave.
"Then before you go, I have to ask… did you really hate her that much?" Minato asked, taking a seat on his reading chair once more.
"Huh? You mean Fuuka?" Natsuki asked. She scoffed. "Hmph… Get real! Stuff like that doesn't have anything to do with hate…. She annoys me, is all. She annoys me." Natsuki said. She grinned. "With Fuuka, when you poke her just a little, she gets this look on her face like it's the end of the world. I could tell right off the bat. She was a goody-goody, but deep down, she was just like us…" she continued. Her grin dropped. "I could also tell… she didn't belong anywhere, just like us. That's why I let her hang out with us. But what do you think Fuuka said? 'You should go home, because your parents must be worried sick!' Can you believe that?!" she continued, beginning to scowl. "I go out to party because I've got no home! We're birds of a feather… we're the same, so I can tell. I knew exactly what to say that would hurt the most!" Natsuki said. She laughed. "Admit it, it's funny!"
Minato slowly clapped and chuckled. "You're right… it is funny, isn't it?" he said. Natsuki laughed again.
"I thought you'd see where I was coming from… I mean, your entire student duty is to go around hurting people. You just love that, don't you?" Natsuki asked.
"Of course I do." Minato said. "You know, I've got to say… I had you pegged as the average dumb bitch that just picked a target because they looked easy. But no… you went for the biggest prize, and took it. Even got her to consider you as her 'precious friend'." he continued. He laughed, and Natsuki joined him. "Fuuka's certainly fun to tease, isn't she?"
"That's what I've been saying!" Natsuki agreed.
"That's right… after all, us kids that got a bunch of shit growing up have every right to drag others down with us, don't we?" Minato asked. Natsuki's smile dropped, and she carefully examined Minato.
"… So, you're one too." Natsuki said.
"Of the same feather? Correct." Minato said. "But unlike you, who levels the playing field by dragging others down, or Fuuka, who pleads for someone to pick her up, I've just elevated myself above everyone else."
"Elevated yourself? How?" Natsuki asked, taking the seat across from him.
"Well, if you think about it, how far can you fall?"
"… What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like… if you're falling, how far can you go?" Minato asked.
"Rock bottom… where you never get back up." Natsuki said.
"Normally, that's the correct answer." Minato said.
"Normally?" Natsuki asked. Minato grinned.
"You see, that's assuming you fall from within the atmosphere." Minato said. "You have defined surroundings… But what if you fell in outer space? You fall from pitch blackness into more pitch blackness, until you inevitably become a satellite."
"… Ok… but what does that have to do with elevating yourself?" Natsuki asked.
"It means… if you find yourself in alone in an unknown frontier and manage to fall far enough, the people on the ground will eventually have to look up to you." Minato said. He smiled, and closed his book. "Do you know want to hear a story about a little boy who woke up in a morgue, Natsuki Moriyama?"
Meanwhile, SEES managed to get through the front gates and were walking around the side of the school, with Junpei leading the way. He stops at one of the east entrances, and raises his hand. "Stand back… here it comes." Junpei said.
"Wha-?! You really got an explosive?!" Yukari asked. Junpei grinned, and pulled a little switch out of his jacket. "N-no way!"
"Here we go." Junpei said. The other members of SEES covered their ears, and Junpei hit the button. There was the very quiet sound of a distant explosion, and he quickly walked over and opened the door he was standing in front of. "Ta-da!"
"… That's it?" Mitsuru asked. "There aren't even any blast markings or the scent of explosives… I'll have to ask where you got such materials."
Shinjiro facepalmed. "It was a toy, Mitsuru." he said. Junpei chuckled.
"Yeah, I just unlocked this door before we I left school. But hey, we're in now, no problem!" Junpei said.
"… Unlocking the door earlier, hmm? An obvious yet effective tactic… tres bien!" Mitsuru said, walking into the school.
"Hmph… if we have time to make compliments, we should get going." Akihiko said. He hurried in after her.
"… What's the big deal with Akihiko-senpai?" Yukari asked.
"Same shit as always." Shinjiro said, following the other two seniors.
"… Wasn't 'tray ben' like, French?" Junpei asked as Yukari passed him. She sighed.
"Never mind… we are taking too much time." she said. SEES made their way through the dimly lit corridors and stopped in the classroom closest to the gym. Yukari was immediately unsettled by the abandoned school. "Can we turn on the lights…?" she asked.
"Aww, you scared?" Junpei asked.
"No!... Stupei!" Yukari said.
"Hey, I thought you couldn't call me that anymore, Yupid!" Junpei said.
"Will you two idiots shut up already?" Shinjiro growled. Yukari and Junpei fell silent. "... You could at least act seriously. We're on a mission right now."
"Shinji's right… it's better if we leave em' off. Besides, they cut the power at night anyways." Akihiko said. "So, what's the game plan?"
"We have twenty minutes until the Dark Hour strikes. We'll need to be in position by then, so we need the gym key." Mitsuru said. "We'll divide into two teams… we seniors will check the respective janitor closets of each floor, while the sophomores will check the faculty office. We meet back here in ten minutes flat, with or without that key… we can force our way in if we must."
"The faculty office, huh?... Maybe I could find some test questions, heheh…" Junpei said.
"… On second thought, I doubt the third floor janitor closet will have a key for something on the first floor." Shinjiro said. "It'd be better if I helped those two in the faculty office… we'd be able to search faster."
"… Are you planning something unscrupulous under my supervision?" Mitsuru asked. "If so, expect to be severely punished…"
"It-It was a joke! I'd never do something like that, haha… ha…" Junpei said.
"… Tch." Shinjiro replied. Akihiko chuckled.
"C'mon, Mitsuru… even I thought that was funny. Lighten up a little." Akihiko said.
"Fine. Then we're going to the janitors rooms." Mitsuru said. "Yukari, make sure Junpei doesn't do anything I wouldn't approve of."
"Got it, senpai." Yukari said with a slight smirk.
"What? C'mon, I'm the vice-leader here! I should be the one keepin' watch!" Junpei said. His plea was ignored by the departing seniors.
"Well, let's hurry up, Stupei." Yukari said. Junpei grumbled, but began walking to the faculty office. They made it to the lounge when Junpei noticed a light coming from the entrance. Yukari didn't notice, so he quickly pulled her behind a pillar. "Ah! What the –" she began, but her mouth was covered by Junpei.
"There's a person!" Junpei whispered. Yukari stopped and freed herself from his grip, but remained out of sight. A security guard walked into the lobby and scanned the area.
"… Swore I heard something." the guard muttered. He sighed, and checked his phone. Yukari sighed.
"… It's just a security guard." Yukari said.
"… We should hurry up." Junpei said.
"I know…" Yukari said. Her cellphone suddenly went off, and she let out a little yelp. The guard immediately turned his flashlight to the pillar they were hidden behind. Yukari tried to turn off her ringer, but it played out. "Oh crap… what now?" Yukari asked.
"... Gimme your phone." Junpei said. Yukari did as instructed, and he played her ringtone again.
"Wha-what are you doing?" she asked. He played it again. And again. And again.
"… Tch. Another dumbass dropped their phone." the guard said. "Seriously, you'd think kids would notice that shit. They fuckin' live off of em' these days…" Junpei played the ringtone again. "… Ain't my job to deal with that." The guard turned away as the ringtone played again, and headed outside. Junpei played the ringtone again one last time for good measure, and then peeked around the pillar.
"And… he's gone." Junpei said. He sighed, and wiped some sweat from his brow. "Thank god that guy wasn't a workaholic… but who the heck was textin' ya now?" he asked, handing Yukari her phone back. She checked it, and facepalmed.
"… Spam. We almost got caught because of spam." she deadpanned. "Still… that took me by surprise!"
"Heh… you scare real easy, don't ya?" Junpei said. Yukari gave him a punch in the arm. "Hey!"
"… Whatever." Yukari said. She walked towards the faculty office, and Junpei followed suit. They entered, and Yukari immediately moved to check the keys. Junpei immediately moved to the drawers. "They won't be in there, Stupei. Stop looking for test answers."
"Hey! What if somebody put it in here by accident?" Junpei said. Yukari scoffed and went on looking at the keys.
"No… no… geez, it's so dark. I can barely read these." Yukari muttered to herself. "Hey, Junpei. You've got more light over there… what's this key say?" she asked, holding a key out to him. He stopped rummaging through the desks and squinted at the key. He let out a little gasp and his eyes widened.
"…Muh… muh… morgue." Junpei said, suddenly shivering.
"… Quit trying to scare me, Stupei." Yukari said. "You'll pay for this… wait a minute…. This is the key for the gym!"
"Oh, for real?" Junpei asked. "That's a victory for us sophomores."
"Not like you helped." Yukari said.
"Aww, what?! Fine, be like that." Junpei said. "Shoulda let the guard catch ya."
They made their way back to the classroom by the gym, and met up with the seniors. "I got the key!" Yukari said. Junpei grumbled.
"I heard some stupid ringer going off." Shinjiro said. "Which one of you dumbasses thought it was a good idea to keep your cellphone on?"
"… That was also me." Yukari admitted.
"But hey, we got the stuff, so let's go already!" Junpei said.
"Yeah… the real challenge starts soon." Akihiko said.
"Yes… the operation will soon enter its most crucial phase. Yukari, if you would?" Mitsuru asked. Yukari opened the gym, and they stood at the entrance. "Alright… Shinji, Akihiko, Junpei… be careful."
"You can count on us." Akihiko said. "Junpei, did you get the thing from Minato?"
"Sure did." Junpei said. He pulled the Dimensional Compactor out of his pocket. "He showed me how to use this thing right before we left… it's weird though. I'd stand back if I were you." Junpei shook the little black cube on a string above the floor, and focused. First, Yukari's bow and arrows fell out, followed by Akihiko's gauntlets, Mitsuru's rapier, and finally, Junpei's great sword. "… Hey, what are you gonna use, Shinji-senpai?"
Shinjiro reached into his pocket and crushed his black charm, creating his obsidian axe. "I've always got at least this on me. Everyone's packing their Evokers for the night?" he said. The other members nodded. "Then let's get this over with." The rescue team headed into the gym and stood around, waiting for midnight, as Mitsuru and Yukari headed outside of the school.
Back at the dorm, Natsuki was staring at Minato in complete shock. "Quite the tale, isn't it?" he asked. "It almost sounds made up…"
"… No." Natsuki said. "It'd take a special kind of twisted to make that up. That… that was about you, wasn't it?"
"Yes it was." Minato said. He glanced at his watch. It was approaching midnight. "But that'll be the end of our discussion… it's getting late, and you're better off asleep now."
"… Yeah." Natsuki said, slowly getting up. Minato chuckled.
"Don't think about it too much… you'll only give yourself more nightmares." Minato said. Natsuki nodded, and returned to her room. Minato had Jack tail her, and once she got to her room, he returned to Minato.
"She's trying to sleep, Boss… but shouldn't we be getting ready?" Jack asked.
"I know." Minato replied. He walked downstairs and out of the back door, into the alley where Mitsuru had parked her bike. He pulled the keys out of his pocket, and started the engine as the Dark Hour began. "Get on your search modes, all of you. I'll cover this entire town four times over." He revved the bike a few times, and rode onto the streets. His patrol began, and he first tried the bike's communicator. "Mitsuru, can you hear me?" he asked.
In Tartarus lobby, Mitsuru had just set up her instruments and gotten Minato's message. "Yes, Minato… I can hear you perfectly." she said. Yukari looked around, shifting uneasily.
"Have you contacted the others yet?" Minato asked over the communicator.
"No… I lost contact with them. I'm searching for them now." Mitsuru said. "Have you detected any Shadows?"
"Not yet. I'll give you a call if I do." Minato said. "But don't worry too much about me. Focus on the team inside… they're in more danger than I am."
"You may be right… good luck." Mitsuru said.
"Doubt I'll need it." Minato said. "I'll try to keep your bike in good condition, but I can't make any promises."
Mitsuru chuckled. "You'll face execution if you so much as scratch it." she said.
"Scary! Then I'll just have to be extra careful, won't I?" Minato replied. "But that's enough chatter for now. Call me if you find Fuuka."
"It's not a question of 'if'." Mitsuru said. Minato chuckled and ended communication. "Now… where did they end up?" Mitsuru muttered, focusing on Penthesilea. After a few tense minutes, she heard Akihiko's voice.
"Mitsuru, can you hear me?" he asked over the transceiver.
"This is Mitsuru. I've confirmed your position. You're higher up than I expected… In fact, you're barely in communication range. Is everyone alright?" she replied.
"… don't know… got separ…" Akihiko replied. She was losing signal, and soon lost all contact.
"Akihiko! Come in, Akihiko!" Mitsuru said.
"… Is he out of communication range?" Yukari asked. "… I'm starting to get worried."
On an unknown floor in Tartarus, Junpei groggily rose to his feet. His cap was on the floor, and he put it back on quickly with a sigh. "Dammit… looks like Minato wasn't kiddin' when he said be ready to have to go it alone." Junpei muttered. He tapped the transceiver in his ear. "Hey, Mitsuru-senapi! Ya there?"
"Are… you… alri-? … distance … too far. Can't provi- ... back-up. … You… got sep… Akihiko…" Mitsuru responded.
"What the heck?" Junpei asked. "… Not even back-up is here, huh? But, it's times like this I gotta be the man." He clutched his great sword, and headed down the halls of Tartarus. "… Well, at least it still looks like Arga… no, Archa… gah! It looks like where we were before. Can't be that far up… I think."
Junpei continued his trek, and encountered a few small groups of Shadows. He made short work of them, usually by jumping the strongest and using Hermes to clean up anything he couldn't kill before they got a chance to strike back. He made it to a set of stairs after clearing a floor with little difficulty, and tapped his transceiver again. "Yo, Mitsuru-senpai! Can ya hear me now?!" he asked.
"… Akihiko and… aren't… this floor…" Mitsuru replied.
"Shit…" Junpei grumbled. He made it halfway up the stairs when he heard another voice in his head.
"Who's there?... Are you human?..." a voice asked.
"What the heck?! Who's there?!" Junpei asked, turning and shouting. "… Is that Fuuka?"
Two floors up, Fuuka was holding the mask of the last Shadow on her floor in her hand. "… Yes, that's right. Come. Save me from my tower." she mused. "I'll repay you all a thousand fold." She crushed the mask, and giggled. "But I've got to stay in character… it wouldn't do for them to find me out now."
Back at the dorm, Natsuki tossed and turned in her bed. "I… I'm all alone after all." she said. "I can't do what that Minato guy does… and I can't just be a good girl either… Fuuka… huh?" Natsuki rose in her bed, and covered her ears with her hands. "No… No! I don't wanna hear this!" she yelled. She suddenly fell silent, and her hands dropped to her sides. She looked straight to the roof. "… Calling me…" she whispered. Her eyes dilated rapidly, and she rose from her bed. "I… I have to go… tell her I'm sorry… Fuuka." she continued. Natsuki made her way to the door, and began her trek to Tartarus.
Minato had just about covered the majority of Iwatodai, and was about to loop back from the mainland city entrance when he stopped just in front of the hospital he had gone to look for Fuuka. The little boy in a prisoner's outfit stood on the road, staring at the moon. "Hi… this is the first time we've spoken outside of your room." the boy said.
"Indeed… but you've chosen a strange time to appear." Minato said. "Unless you're here to tell me where my ordeal is going to be?"
The boy giggled. "Actually, you'll be facing two ordeals tonight." he said.
"Two on one, huh… I'll have to fight more carefully, then. Thanks." Minato said.
"That's not all… you need to hurry to that girl." the boy said. "She's more of a threat than the two ordeals combined… your friends will need you."
"… Fuuka's a threat?" Minato asked.
"To your friends, to her friend, and even to you." the boy said. "… Oh. That girl you left alone… she's going to see her too."
"… So I'm up against three ordeals, then?" Minato asked, narrowing his eyes.
"That depends… not even I know what that girl will do if she faces your original opponents for tonight." the boy said. "But we've spoken for too long. Time is of the essence… I hope we can meet again." the boy vanished, and Minato quickly u-turned, and sped towards Tartarus.
"Fifteen minutes… I can get there in fifteen minutes. As long as they haven't started fighting yet, I can make it." he thought.
Inside of Tartarus, Junpei had cleared out yet another floor while receiving cryptic help messages from Mitsuru and the strange voice. As he walked onto his third floor of the night, he heard something moving around the corner. He prepped his great sword, and swung hard as he emerged. His blade met Shinjiro's axe head on, and the two let their weapons bounce off one another and drop to their sides. "Shinji-senpai!" Junpei said. "Whew! Am I glad to see you okay!"
"Hmph… what did you expect?" Shinjiro asked. "Still, you seen Aki?"
"Over here!" Akihiko screamed from behind Junpei, running over to join them. The trio all sighed, and looked each other over. None of them were seriously hurt. "… I don't think we should enter Tartarus this way again." Akihiko said.
"I second that." Shinjiro said.
"Same… but oh yeah! Did you guys hear a voice as you were comin' here?" Junpei asked.
"Who is this…? Are you human?" the voice asked.
"Behind you." Shinjiro said, clutching his axe. Junpei turned and saw some movement by a corner, and readied his sword. "Show yourself."
Fuuka very slowly peeked around the corner. "… Are you Fuuka Yamagishi?" Akihiko asked. She gasped, and ran over to them.
"Wow, you're alive! That's awesome! Never fear, Junpei's here!" Junpei said as Fuuka joined them.
"I'm glad you're okay… come with us." Akihiko said.
"Thank you so much…" Fuuka said. "You macho sacks of shit."
"Looks like we made the right decision. I'll see if I can contact Mitsuru." Akihiko said. He put his hand on his transceiver and moved a little distance away from the group.
"Where are we… I was at school, and then…" Fuuka began.
"Well… it's a long story. I'll explain after we get outta here." Junpei said.
"You just focus on keeping safe." Shinjiro said. Akihiko grumbled, and tried his transceiver again.
"Mitsuru, can you hear me?!" he shouted. "… No good. All I hear is static."
"Oh yeah, are ya hurt? Have you run into any monsters?" Junpei asked.
"The only monster in here is me, fools." "So, there ARE strange creatures in here, then… I've managed to avoid them so far…" Fuuka said.
"… You've got sensory abilities." Shinjiro said. "Strong too, if you could tell without being able to summon your Persona. I'd bet it outclasses Mitsuru's by miles… granted, her Persona is battle-oriented, but still."
"That's amazing." Akihiko said. "… But we shouldn't waste any more time. I'm sure you don't want to be here anymore." Fuuka nodded nervously. "… Also, hold onto this." He pulled out an Evoker and handed it to her. She gasped.
"B-but this is…!" she said. "Come on… you're making this too easy for… wait. This is a fake!"
"Think of it as a lucky charm. It's not really a gun." Akihiko said. He turned to Shinji and Junpei. "Alright, let's get out of here. If we're lucky, we might be able to reach Minato before the big fight."
"Good idea." Junpei said. "Fuuka, you should –" he began, but was cut off by his transceiver suddenly coming to life.
" – Shadows… losing… Get Yamagishi-" Mitsuru screamed before the message was suddenly cut.
"Mitsuru?! Mitsuru?!" Akihiko yelled.
"… What is this thing…? It's much bigger than the others… and it's attacking people!" Fuuka said.
"Dammit!" Akihiko yelled.
"Tch… get your asses in gear, now. We've got trouble." Shinjiro said. The group took off down the halls, in search of an access point. After a few frantic minutes of searching, they managed to find one, and all emerged at the top of the lobby's stairs. The picture they saw wasn't pretty.
Yukari was lying sideways on the floor, clutching her stomach. Her bow was broken, and she pressed her Evoker against a large gash she had, taking ragged breaths. A little distance away stood two large Shadows. The first was shaped like a buff man with thin legs and arms, with a red cross covering its torso. It had small golden shoulder adornments reminiscent of a general's, as well as a small red cape. It had the number 'IV' carved onto its purple mask, representing the Emperor, and wielded a huge black great sword. The second was shaped like a plump woman, with a blue pants and shirt, red high heels, and numerous golden adornments holding up a large flowing white gown that peacocked behind its head. It had the number 'III" carved onto its tan mask, representing the Empress, and wielded a wand with a golden ball at the end.
Mitsuru was frantically dodging close range attacks from the Emperor and Empress, barely avoiding being crushed by their gigantic weapons. Her rapier had been broken, and she was tiring very quickly. By the time the group managed to make it to the bottom of the stairs, she had faltered, and took a direct hit from the Empress' wand to her side. She let out a cry of agony and tumbled sideways through the air, landing near Yukari. She coughed up blood, and struggled to her feet.
"… What in the world?" Fuuka asked.
"There's TWO of them?!" Akihiko shouted, running over to Mitsuru. Junpei ran to check on Yukari, and Shinjiro stood between them and the Shadows. Fuuka followed, and remained behind everyone else.
"Hey, Yukari! Hang in there!" Junpei said. He turned to Akihiko. "Can't ya heal em'?"
"Already on it." Akihiko said, firing his Evoker. Polydeuces appeared behind him. "Dia!" A green light enveloped Mitsuru, and then Yukari. They both managed to get to sit up, but neither could stand.
"… You guys… hey!" Yukari said. She immediately regretted shouting, and clutched her stomach.
"Take it easy!" Junpei said.
"These Shadows… nothing is working." Mitsuru said. The Shadows began approaching the group at this point.
"Oh shit, they look pissed!" Junpei said, rising to his feet. He and Akihiko joined Shinjiro on the front lines when Tartarus' entrance opened. Everyone turned to see Natsuki walk in. "Hey! Isn't that…?!"
"Why the hell is she here?!" Akihiko yelled. Shinjiro focused on her.
"… She ain't normal right now." Shinjiro said.
"F-Fuuka…" Natsuki said. She fell to her knees at the end of the entrance hallway.
"… Moriyama-san?" Fuuka asked. She ran over to her.
"Wait! What are you doing?!" Akihiko yelled.
"Please, get out of here! It's dangerous!" Fuuka said as she reached Natsuki. "You can't die here, not when I haven't made you squirm!"
"I… I wanted to tell you… I'm sorry…" Natsuki said. The Emperor turned around, ignoring SEES in favor of Fuuka and Natsuki, and walked towards them. Fuuka quickly turned to face it, and her eyes swapped from their usual teal to the blinding yellow once more.
"Hey, get out of there!" Akihiko yelled.
"… I'm no weakling." Fuuka said quietly. The Emperor raised its great sword high into the air, and Fuuka smirked. "... Maria." she said. Behind her, the image of a woman clad in an all-white gown with a veiled face appeared behind her. Fuuka and Natsuki were enveloped in the white gown, and when the Shadow hit it, it recoiled, staggering back. Maria didn't budge. Fuuka couldn't suppress a laugh. "Sing for me."
Maria clasped its hands in prayer, and an unearthly wail erupted from its mouth, creating a shockwave that sent the Emperor flying backwards into the Empress. The members of SEES all stared in awe as the two Shadows struggled back to their feet. "… These monsters are hiding their vulnerability." Fuuka said from within Maria, whose gown became semi-transparent to show the outline of Fuuka. Natsuki was lying on the ground behind her.
"That's… Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked, staring at Maria. Her Persona was almost as tall as the Shadows they fought, standing about twelve feet high. "Her power…"
"I can strip them of that ability, and make them weak to normal attacks…" Fuuka continued.
"For real?!" Junpei asked.
"But I won't be able to do much more…" Fuuka said.
"Just as I thought… Mitsuru, let her take your place." Akihiko said.
"… I see now, Yamagishi. Very well… can you assist the others?" Mitsuru said.
"Yes… but not directly. If I try and fight, they can hide their vulnerability again." Fuuka said.
"No problem. Once we can hurt it, we can kill it." Shinjiro said. "Leave the rest to us."
"Yukari, Mitsuru-senpai, you should hang back and recover." Junpei said. "We'll take it from here." The two wounded combatants nodded, and the boys of SEES stepped in front of the Shadows. "… Man, these guys are ugly." Junpei said. "Bet Minato would crack some joke about them looking nicer in pieces or something like that, heh."
"I don't think we can contact him… looks like this is on us." Akihiko said. "Get ready… Fuuka, tell us when you've taken their ability away."
Maria screamed again, and this time, the Shadows lurched forwards. A strange circle of glyphs appeared from both of their chests, and was then pulled towards Maria, who extended her arms into their center. The circles sparked around her hands, and Maria stopped singing. "… I can't do much more than keep this up… but I know that the one with a sword is immune to electricity, and the one with a staff is immune to wind."
"Woah, you can even tell their resistances?" Junpei asked. "Man, you're amazing!"
"Enough chatter, they're coming!" Shinjiro said. Sure enough, the Empress was the first to recover, and twirled its staff in the air. A large tornado made its way towards the group, but Shinjiro stepped forwards and extended his left arm, amplified by his Devil's body. He absorbed as the Emperor came forth to drop its sword on him. He countered it with a shockwave enhanced axe swing, and pushed the Emperor back. "Get him!"
"Hermes!" Junpei yelled, firing his Evoker. The blue man zoomed to the top of the lobby, and crashed back down on to the unbalanced Emperor, sending him into the ground. "Piece of cake." he said. He took one step forward, but stopped when he felt something behind him. The Emperor rose from out of the floor, and tried to drop its sword down on him. Junpei yelped and rolled backwards, taking a huge slice with his sword at the Emperor's midsection. "Hah! Got you in the balls!" he declared triumphantly. His victory was short lived when a small burst of wind sent him tumbling forwards.
"Shadows don't have balls, dumbass." Shinjiro said, firing his Evoker. "Castor Prime, Dreadnaught!" His Persona appeared behind him and aimed all of its cannons at the Empress. Shot after shot pounded its body, sending it staggering backwards. He was about to strike again when the Emperor tried to destroy Castor Prime.
"Polydeuces!" Akihiko said as he fired his Evoker. His Persona appeared and intercepted the Emperor's blade with its needle, but it was quickly pushed back.
"Tch! Star Drop!" Shinjiro yelled. Castor Prime fired off its cannons into the air and leaped at the Emperor. A large blast of wind buffeted it, and it careened into the floor. "Bullshit." Shinjiro said as the Emperor swatted Polydeuces away.
"Agi!" Junpei yelled as he got back to his feet. Hermes threw a quick fireball at the Emperor, buffeting it as it struck at Shinjiro, giving him enough time to dodge the strike. "You okay, Shinji-senpai?"
"Better than you and Aki." Shinjiro said as his Persona dissolved. The Empress turned its wand on them, and summoned another giant tornado. Shinjiro went forwards, an arm raised to absorb the attack once more. The wind swirled to his arm as usual, and he clutched his axe. He brought his axe into the air, preparing to release a shockwave at the Empress, but was forced to deflect another attack from the Emperor. However, before the Emperor even fell, it dissolved and rematerialized behind him, about to skewer him. Junpei tackled him out of the way, and the two narrowly avoided impalement. Junpei quickly fired off his Evoker as he got up.
"Double Fangs!" Junpei yelled. Hermes materialized once more and threw two of its metallic blades at each of the Emperor's knees. A swift wind veered them off course, and the Emperor suddenly picked up speed. Shinjiro and Junpei quickly separated as the Emperor thrashed wildly at them, leaving slash marks and small craters with each strike. "Dammit! That one with the wand is screwing us!"
"Sonic Punch!" Akihiko yelled from across the battlefield. Polydeuces appeared behind the Empress and slammed its needle into the back of the Empress' head, sending it flying forwards onto its stomach. "And once more!" he said. Polydeuces flew forwards for a follow-up as the Emperor disappeared once again. It reappeared between Polydeuces and the Empress, and swung at it once more. Polydeuces managed to avoid the attack, but its advance was halted, allowing the Empress to get back to its feet.
"Akihiko-senpai, Shinji-senapi! We need to fight these two separately!" Junpei said. "You two should take the one with the wand, and I'll take the sword guy! Once it's three on one, this'll be easy!"
"Sounds like a plan." Shinjiro said. "Aki, let's link up."
"Got it!" Akihiko said. "Junpei, cover us!"
"Heh, it's time to show you MY secret power!" Junpei yelled. He fired off his Evoker and summoned Hermes next to him. "Behold, Junpei Iori, the messenger of the gods!" he yelled, jumping onto his Persona's back. "I'm off!"
Hermes picked up speed, and Junpei almost fell off as his Persona darted towards the two Shadows. The Empress sent a blast of wind in his direction, but Hermes quickly spun out of the way. It was met with a pre-emptive slash from the Emperor, but Hermes slowed itself violently, turning vertical to get drag, and avoided the strike. Junpei hung on for dear life as he made his Persona speed straight into the air. He let go, and flew past Hermes. "My secret technique!" Junpei yelled. He held out his sword, and Hermes grabbed it, sheathing it in fire. As the two began to fall, Hermes turned around and Junpei got back into a riding position, flaming sword held high. "Junpei's Inferno Blade!" he screamed as he descended onto the two Shadows. He aimed his strike at the Emperor, and clashed with it, blade against blade. He let out a yell as the impact sent him flying into the Emperor, who fell over. He rolled off of it, and scrambled to avoid being crushed by its fist. After getting up, he was greeted by a tornado forming underneath him that sent him flying off to the side. "Agh, c'mon!" he said, staggering to his feet. He was greeted by the Emperor appearing in front of him, sword raised. It brought the blade down, and Junpei ran out of the way muttering curses.
The Empress twirled its wand to send another gust of wind at Junpei when Castor Prime rammed into its side, horn first, sending it staggering away. "You remember how we dealt with those big ones back in the day?" Shinjiro asked Akihiko as the two dashed underneath Castor Prime.
"Never forgot!" Akihiko replied. Shinjiro grinned and dissolved his axe, pocketing the charm. He and Akihiko ran underneath the Empress, fists raised. Akihiko broke the Empress' right knee with a devastating left hook, and Shinjiro broke the left knee with an equally powerful right hook. Shinjiro quickly backed away while Akihiko kept running, and the two stood on either side of the Shadow. "Heh! I've been waiting for this!" Akihiko said, raising his Evoker to his head.
"Let's kick some ass!" Shinjiro said, firing his Evoker once more. "Fatal End!"
"Sonic Punch!" Akihiko yelled. Castor Prime and Polydeuces caught the Shadow in a pincer strike. Castor Prime easily tore into the Empress stomach with its horn, impaling it. Polydeuces drove its needle into the Empress upper back, also impaling it. It dropped its wand, unable to move. "Mazio!"
"Dreadnought." Shinjiro said. Castor began firing shot after shot at point blank range at the Shadow's upper body, blowing bits of it off and allowing the arcs of lightning rampaging through its body to spill out into the air. After a torrent of smoke and electricity, a black thundercloud formed for a brief moment before Castor Prime ripped its horn out of the Empress' stomach, dissipating it. After the smoke cleared, the Empress was missing its upper half, and its lower half was slowly dissolving. "Next." Shinji said, quickly turning to the Emperor.
Junpei was being pushed back, having used too much energy in his distraction attack against both Shadows. He knew his plan worked when the wind attacks stopped, but he was too preoccupied with running for his life to really care about how epic the explosions he heard just were. After narrowly avoiding a wide swing from the Emperor, he rolled backwards, panting. The Emperor came forth to strike again, when he heard an Evoker go off near him. "Sonic Punch!" Akihiko yelled. Polydeuces flew over Junpei's head and slammed into the Emperor with its needle, sending it backwards. "Junpei, you okay?" he asked.
"Hah… hah… no problems here." Junpei said, getting up once more.
"My ass." Akihiko said. "Dia."
Junpei was covered in a green light, and got back into fighting form. "Thanks… I needed that." Junpei said, fixing his hat. "Now let's finish this ugly sonuvabitch, once and for all." He raised his Evoker to his head, as did Shinjiro and Akihiko.
"Rampage!"
"Sonic Punch!"
"Cleave!"
Hermes, Castor Prime, and Polydeuces all appeared. Castor Prime charged forwards as Hermes and Polydeuces flew off to the side, horn raised to skewer the Emperor. It countered with its sword, and Polydeuces stabbed into its side. It crumpled, and Castor Prime reared its head and struck again, severing its sword arm. It fell, and desperately grabbed Castor Prime's horse head to stop it. Hermes flew behind the emperor and sliced through its shoulder in one swift movement, causing it's arm to fall loosely to its side. Castor Prime destroyed that arm next, and then struck twice more, creating two large gashes in its chest. The Emperor fell over onto its back. "Star Drop." Shinjiro said. Castor Prime fired at the roof again, and leapt into the air as Polydeuces and Hermes held the Emperor down. It kicked and rocked, but was unable to free itself. Castor Prime crashed into the ground, splattering it's body and creating another large crater in the floor. When the smoke cleared, all that remained was a huge puddle of Shadow mass.
"… We won." Shinjiro said, dropping to one knee. He was panting, as were Akihiko and Junpei.
"Yeah… the operation was a-" Akihiko began.
"Wail." Fuuka said from within Maria. Maria, still in the same spot as before, screamed, and a plethora of energy orbs formed all around Junpei, Akihiko and Shinjiro. They barely had time to exclaim before the orbs detonated.
"Yamagishi! What are you doing?!" Mitsuru yelled. Junpei, Akihiko and Shinjiro all staggered backwards from the barrage of explosions, and fell to the floor, one by one.
"The hell… is this?" Shinjiro mumbled, trying to get back up. He had shifted his Devil's Body completely to regeneration, but even with two pieces, he couldn't patch himself up for the next half an hour. He looked to Akihiko, who was barely retaining consciousness, and then to Junpei who was trying to prop himself up on his elbows.
"D-dude… was that…?" Junpei asked. He looked up to see Fuuka walking towards him, Maria floating around her as she approached.
"What are you doing…?" Yukari asked Fuuka.
"Did you all have fun playing heroes?" Fuuka asked as she stopped in front of them. The members of SEES were dumbstruck. "Did it stroke your ego when you got to rescue the damsel in distress?... I know it certainly made goatee here feel like a man."
"W-what the heck?" Junpei asked.
"Oh, and silver-hair? I don't know what ridiculous redemption quest you have, but it doesn't change the fact that you're a damn failure." Fuuka continued. "I mean, just look at yourself! You're the weakest of them all!"
"…Take that back." Akihiko said, pushing himself up to face her. Fuuka laughed.
"Make me… oh, wait, you're too weak to change anything! In fact, I don't think you're worth my attention anymore, so I'll focus on pea coat, heheheheh…" Fuuka said. She turned to face Shinjiro. "… You're a strange one. You're the strongest, yet you act like you're the least important. It's like you're afraid of what you can really do… but that just makes you a waste of potential. The only thing in this world worse than being pathetically weak is doing nothing with power."
"… The hell do you know about me?" Shinjiro growled.
"Oh, did I hit a touchy subject? Go, me!" Fuuka said, clapping. "But I need to thank all of you. It was certainly fun watching all of you dance with those walking puddles, and even more so because you went ahead and weakened yourselves so much in the battle. That, and this stupid bitch over here comes and offers herself up to me… today is a good day. For me, that is. All of you macho dumbasses are about to die, but don't worry too much."
"F-fuuka?" Natsuki asked, getting up from the floor. She was staring at Maria. "Is… is that you?"
"Oh, Moriyama-san!" Fuuka said, letting Maria fade away. She skipped over to Natsuki. "Thank goodness you're awake!"
"I… Did I apologize?" Natsuki asked.
"Yes, and I forgive you." Fuuka said, pulling Natsuki into a hug.
"Y-you… forgive me?" Natsuki asked. Her answer was a swift knee to the stomach, followed by another, and then one more, before she was thrown to the ground.
"JUST KIDDING, YOU FUGLY WHORE!" Fuuka screamed, now stomping on the downed Natsuki. "COME ON, CRY FOR ME!" Natsuki struggled to resist, but was then kicked onto her back. She had tears in her eyes. "AW, SHOULD I TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR ADORABLE FACE RIGHT NOW?!" Fuuka yelled as she got on top of her. She grabbed her neck, and started smacking the back of Natsuki's head into the ground while choking her. "I'M JUST MESSING WITH YOU! I'D NEVER HURT MY 'PRECIOUS FRIEND', RIGHT?!"
Natsuki gasped and struggled, but she could do nothing. Fuuka choked her to within an inch of her life, and then relented, laughing ridiculously. She got up, and hugged herself. "Ah, see? We were just playing around. No real harm done. There aren't any scars, right?"
"… What the hell is wrong with her?" Yukari asked, backing away.
"… This isn't Yamagishi we're dealing with." Mitsuru said.
"What do you mean? I'm Fuuka Yamagishi, and Fuuka Yamagishi is me." Fuuka said. She walked off to the side of the lobby, and stretched. "It's great to be alive, isn't it?... I just wanted to tell you that before I robbed you of that privilege." Fuuka said, finishing her stretch. She turned around, and smiled. "Maria." The white gowned, white veiled woman appeared once more, and enveloped Fuuka. It drew two black stakes out of its dress, and Fuuka looked at all of her victims. "So, manly men… do I kill the women first, or do I have two sacrifices?"
"I think we should kill this ugly nun in white."a voice said. Fuuka turned to see the doors of Tartarus burst open, and Minato rode in on Mitsuru's bike, Evoker to his head. He fired. "Make her pretty, Jack."
Jack the Ripper flew forwards as Minato swerved to a stop, and went for Maria's upper half, dropping his two cleavers down on her. His blades tore straight through her, splattering blood all over the place. Maria's body crumpled, and Fuuka clutched her head. Minato took the opportunity to call David and Matador to collect the other SEES members while he grabbed Natsuki, and hurriedly placed them all down near Mitsuru and Yukari. "Minato!" Yukari said.
"I seem to be late to the party." he said, putting Natsuki at the back of the group. "So the Shadows came here… never expected that."
"You!" Fuuka yelled. Maria disappeared, and Minato dismissed his Fiends. "Minato Arisato!"
"Fuuka Yamagishi!" he yelled back. Fuuka stopped, and Minato laughed. "If we're just in the habit of yelling for introductions, do I need to say anything else?"
"Arrogant as always, I see…" Fuuka said. She smiled. "But it's actually good that you're here, knight… I needed someone to dispose of those pests."
"Because you didn't have the stomach to finish the job?" Minato asked with a smirk. Fuuka laughed.
"I didn't have the stomach?! Oh, how about I show you what I can stomach!" Fuuka said. She stared at the roof and opened her mouth. All of Maria's blood returned from the floors, wall, and even Jack's cleavers, and went into her mouth. She licked her lips as the last drops entered, and chuckled. Minato clapped.
"Not bad, not bad… but it's my turn." Minato said. "Hey, buddy? You ready to eat?" he asked inwardly.
"Always ready…" the odd voice in his head replied.
"Check this out." Minato said. He copied Fuuka's posture, and the remnants of the Emperor and Empress dissolved into liquid form, and did exactly what Maria's blood did with Fuuka for Minato. He licked his lips as the last few drops entered his mouth, and chuckled. Inside, he felt a large surge of power.
"… What the fuck?" Shinjiro asked from behind Minato, voicing the thoughts of all the dumbstruck SEES members.
Fuuka laughed. "Holy shit! You're more of a freak than I am!" she said.
"Guilty as charged." Minato said with a bow. "Which me do you prefer, the man or the monster?"
"Oh my… that's a tough one." Fuuka said. "I think… I prefer the Minato that I get to drag down the furthest."
"How nice… I prefer the Fuuka with the least independence." Minato said.
"… What the hell are you two saying?" Yukari asked. They both laughed.
"You wouldn't understand… that little display just now confirmed how similar we are." Minato said. "And in that case, we both know how this has to end."
"Yes… one of us will have to break." Fuuka said. "When I win, I'll leave you alive so you can watch the results of your failures first hand… I think someone so used to success will really grow from the experience… so much so that they might just feel like killing themselves. You'll finally be free from your stupid obligations to the plebs, Minato… it's exactly what you wanted."
"Don't worry, Fuuka… if I win, you'll be the one person I love other than myself." Minato said. "I'll take you, and I'll break you, and I'll bathe you, and I'll feed you, and I'll dress you, and you'll never leave my side… you'll become my own personal doll, able to think and talk, but incapable of anything else… Isn't that wonderful? I'll always accept you after that."
The members of SEES stared dumbstruck at the two new combatants. What they would witness was no normal fight… it was a fight between monsters, in more ways than one.
