So... foreshadowing. Lots of foreshadowing, and more angst! :D

XV: The Devil Is In The Details

Devil: Addiction, Materialism, Playfulness

Reversed Devil: Freedom, Release, Restoring Control

Mochizuki Ryoji is Pharos.

They are one and the same.

Makoto sighs and tries his best to calm down. That headache a few days ago was accompanied by some of his broken memories. He saw… something that looked like a Grim Reaper, of sort, and then just some blurs and stuff. He is given only a few days to dwell on it, however.

Ryoji's mysterious blue eyes that shimmer and shine under sunlight, the small beauty mark under his left eye, the way he talks, the feeling of his hands… there are no mistaking it. And the timing, coming here right after the final Shadow is defeated? He has, at the very least, something to do with it.

He has a theory, and he doesn't like where it's going.

"You're spacing out again, Makoto," Ryoji laughs, sounding so much like wind chimes, bright and soft and just so right. "Were you even listening?"

"No," He replies almost instantly. "I was thinking for a bit, sorry. What were you talking about?"

"Duh!" Ryoji pouts, but it only lasts for a few seconds before he breaks into that bright smile again. "I was saying, that you seem like such a soft goofball! I wonder why people talk as if you're such a terrible person?"

"Ryoji-kun, manners," Yukari chides, poking the side of his head roughly. "That's not something you should be asking!"

"It's fine, I don't mind," He says. Truth be told, he usually would, but with Ryoji (Pharos), he doesn't care too much about his bluntness. "They are all or at least mostly rumors. Some of them are outright lies, but like the saying says; rumors are based on a sliver of truth."

"I see," Ryoji hums. "Well! Not like the rumors change anything! You're a pretty interesting guy, and I like you already."

…To be fair, under any normal circumstances, that would've been creepy as hell. But this is Pharos, even if the man himself doesn't remember yet. He sighs again before smiling. "If you say so."

"Hey, hey, are you free today? Take me around town for a bit, will you?" He says, grabbing his shoulder and shaking him. He thinks he sees Yukari's face turning from terrified (she remembers that he does not like being touched) to curious, since he doesn't openly react to the touch by Ryoji's cold hands.

He really wants to pry Ryoji's hands away, but having his head rocked back and forth like this really screws with his ability to think. "Ow. Ow. Stop. Okay, okay! I'll walk you around—stop, ow!"

"Awesome!" Ryoji laughs again. Makoto wonders what he'd do when he remembers. "You coming too, Yukari-san?"

He sends her a pleading look, because he alone will not be able to contain this hyper ball of happiness. Junpei's planning to take Ryoji to Mandragora in maybe two, three days instead of today. Because of that, this guy is pestering him non-stop!

When she sees his expression, she stifles down a laughter before saying. "Sure. But please don't try to hit on me or I'll kill you."

"I'm not going to hit on Makoto's girl, don't worry," He says with a smile. Makoto thinks his face is a bit hotter at that, and Yukari's looking at him with her cheeks dusted with pink. "Aww, did I just make the two of you blush?"

"Shut up, you tease!" Yukari snarls and hits him hard in the shoulder.

Ryoji, however, does not stop laughing. "Man, you two are cute together. And easy to tease, too."

"Fuck," Makoto groans. "Now I wish I had just let Aigis booted you out of the window."

"Hey! That's mean."

"The offer still stands, Makoto-san," Aigis says, her eyes boring into the back of Ryoji's head. She's, well, cracking her fingers. Ryoji stiffens up. "Do you wish for me to proceed?"

"Hey, whoa! No! I don't wanna die!"

They get along so well that it actually scares him.

Even without knowing that he himself is Pharos, it looks like he understands Makoto way too much, maybe even better than Aragaki and Yukari, despite the briefness of their friendship (of Ryoji's friendship anyways). He feels easy around the other boy as he care-freely saunters around Paulownia Mall, this time with the two of them alone together.

Yukari's stuck with archery practice, Aragaki wants nothing to do with their bullshits, Yamagishi is nowhere to be found, and Junpei is visiting Yoshino Chidori yet again. He sighs and just resigns to his fate. At least Ryoji is a decent friend, unless there is a lady involved.

"Hey, Makoto?" Ryoji begins as he sits down beside him on the bench. Makoto only hums as he plays with the cup of coffee in his hand, still warm and smells nice. "I've been meaning to ask this for some time now, but… have we met?"

He narrows his eyes a little and watches the other boy closely. His eyes are a bit curious, no more. It doesn't seem like he actually remembers, either. He thinks it's his subconscious coining him into the fact that he used to talk to Makoto all the time during the Dark Hour and more before.

He decides to nod. "Yes."

"Where?"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"Aw, come on!" Ryoji pouts, cold hand on his arm and shaking him again. "Where did we meet?"

He just rolls his eyes and pries the hand off (it's cold like ice) before taking a sip from his coffee. Ryoji keeps the look on his face for a while longer before chuckling and relaxing back, an arm on Makoto's already hunched shoulder. He gives the other boy a growl, but he isn't fazed in the least.

"It's fine. I'll figure that out somehow," He laughs merrily again. His laughter sounds pretty nice, and it's really calming. "Anyway, you're really kind and gentle, Makoto."

The same thing Pharos said. "What makes you say that? You haven't even known me for that long."

"You're careful around everyone, and it looks like you have quite the eyes for details like people's body languages and expressions, too. You never yell, and you speak really softly. Well, a bit sarcastic, but it's always careful, the way you pick your words."

"…I think your definitions of gentle and kind are different from mine," He comments. "That sounds like me not wanting to upset people, rather."

"There's that," He says with a smile. "But you don't want to hurt anyone, right? I can tell. Or you would not have been that mindful, even to your own close friends like Yukari-san or Junpei."

He looks back down at his now empty cup. He… is he that mindful even around them? He thinks he's a bit crass, even. "But I curse around them a lot."

"Cursing and being insensitive are two different things," Ryoji diffuses, leaning onto him a bit more, making his shoulder groans in protest. He ignores the pain in his scapula. "Trust me. You're kind, and I really like that about you."

He sighs. "Really, if I was a girl, I think that'd be the kind of pick up line I'd fall for right away."

Ryoji splutters before laughing his ass off. "Oh yeah! You're right! That does sound like a pick-up line!"

"No wonder Yukari says that flirtiness is in your nature," He says.

"…What else has Yukari-san been saying about me? I hope it's not something derogatory?" Ryoji says with the same smile, although his eyes are saying that he might be a teensy bit worried about that.

This time, he finds himself grinning at the boy, his cheek resting on his palm. "Something about you going after any girl with a pulse."

"Ow, that's so mean."

"Serves you right."

They share a few laughters (mostly Ryoji's) and continue talking for a few minutes before Ryoji catches something. His sapphire blue eyes suddenly narrow, worry filling them. Before he could ask why, his cold hand has already grabbed onto his own, pulling it forward. The boy frowns upon seeing his misshapen hand with blackened scars.

"…So, you keeping your hands in your pockets and using your left hand all the time is not because you are a lefty," He states, not a question. "…Does this hurt?"

"An astute observation," Makoto murmurs, but lets Ryoji takes a good look at his hand, at his scar. When the other boy gives him a look, he smiles. "It hurts a bit, sometimes. But it mostly doesn't. I can barely feel these two fingers."

"I… see," Ryoji says, putting his hand down. "How did you get that?"

"Got shot, long story," He mutters.

"…Why would someone want to shoot you?"

"Apparently, I pissed off the wrong god when I was a kid and now said god is after my ass," He grumbles. Really, he still thinks that his survival when he was a kid and everything that's happened afterwards is due to a him angering a random god unknowingly.

Ryoji chuckles, but his smile falters a little. "I'm just glad that this is all you've gotten."

"Oh, trust me, it is much worse than this," He says with a sigh. "At least I'm alive."

"Life really hates you, huh."

"At least Death seems to like me," He replies, eyes on his hand again as he clenches it. His fingers, like always, are numb. The pain is mostly gone now, but the stiffness remains.

"Makoto, I'm sorry," Ryoji says with a small smile, his eyes so, so kind.

He smiles back. "Don't be. I'm alive. That's what matters most."

Kyoto is fun.

…At least until they got to the hot spring.

He winces at the idea, and Aragaki, like always, takes notice almost immediately. The boys are all in the locker room together, and he's a bit (a lot) hesitant about baring his scars for them to see. Aragaki is an exception; he's told the man about it, and the man has caught a glimpse of it while he's in the hospital. He thinks Sanada and Junpei did, too, but he isn't too sure. And Ryoji? That guy has never known about them before.

"You can just take a shower," Aragaki says. "Or, you can tell the guys you have the scars."

"…I don't want to bring the mood down," He says, glancing at Sanada—who's looking at them with curiosity. His hands stop. "I'll just—"

"If it's about the scars, we don't mind."

Junpei suddenly says, catching his attention. He turns around, eyes slightly widen. Ryoji is there, too, and he doesn't look at all surprise. Makoto's about to say something when Ryoji adds. "Seriously, we're all friends. Besides, I heard that scars attract women, too, don't they?"

"Must be, with how Yukari-cchi is so smitten over him," Junpei teases, a grin on his face. He feels his face heating up, and he turns to see Aragaki trying and failing to muffle his own laughter.

"God, I both love and hate you people," He mumbles and smiles slightly. These guys are irreplaceable, no matter what anyone says.

"Scars are also a mark of a true warrior," Sanada adds, flexing his arm slightly. "Be proud, Yuuki!"

"Fuck off, you protein-junkie," Aragaki growls as he takes off his beanie, follows by his coat. Why would he not wear the Yukata still puzzles him. Then again, its's probably because of the Persona suppressors which, much to his delight, Aragaki had stopped taking for a while now since Chiron manifested.

"What did I say wrong?"

"You needing me to point that out is wrong on so many fucking levels by itself, man."

"Shinji, that's just rude."

"Boo hoo, cry me a river, I don't care."

He finds himself chuckling at their banter as he takes off his coat, trembling fingers untying the robes before taking it off. They stop talking for a bit at that, but he tries his best not to look at them as he wraps a towel around his waist.

Then, Sanada says. "…You've got a lot of scars."

"Tact, Aki!" Aragaki snarls, slapping the man's head hard enough for the boxer to actually yelp.

"Hoo, man," Junpei says, rubbing at his chin, while Ryoji watches with interest, and maybe a bit of terror, arms crossed. "You really do have a multitude of them. Mostly faded, but still."

"You got shot more than once?" Is what Ryoji ended up saying.

Makoto winces before pointing at his knee. "Five times, all in one sitting."

"Ouch."

"Yeah."

They stand there in circle for a while before Ryoji breaks it by dragging him and Junpei along. "Come on, time's a wasting! Let's get to it!"

They end up sitting in a circle behind the large rock and the mini waterfall, with Ryoji and Junpei talking about something he doesn't care enough to listen while he ends up sitting between Sanada and Aragaki, both of whom are more or less scrutinizing him and his scars. After a while, he asks, "…What?"

"I recognize the bullet wounds and the surgical scars, but not…" Sanada trails off, finger awkwardly pointing at the burn on his right chest, and then the rest of his body.

Aragaki is glaring at his friend, but he just smiles. He finds that... talking about them doesn't hurt like it used to. He wonders if it's because his distorted memories are corrected. "I got this when I was a kid, got blasted by a car exploding. I think a few debris hit me. The rest… are from foster care."

Aragaki looks at him with a slight frown. Well, he did tell the man he doesn't remember. He just shrugs.

"I see," Sanada hums. "Thank you for opening up to me, Yuuki."

"Thank you for listening," He says. Then Aragaki pats his head again, ruffling his hair slightly. He doesn't mind it, and it seems like Sanada think it's cute, or… something of that nature. The glint in his eyes is kind of hard to read.

"By the way, Shinji," Sanada says, eyeing the other boy with a grin. "Did you get a bit beefier?"

"Oh shush," Aragaki mutters. "This guy has been running me into the fucking dirt—"

"—You did that to yourself, not me," He retorts.

Aragaki ignores him. "—So I've gotta stay in the tip-top shape if I'm gonna survive. Not to mention that takin' care of Amada in Tartarus is tiring as hell."

"You keep saying that, but Amada is pretty reliable. And admit it, you think so, too," Sanada says.

"Well, yeah, but he's a kid, and if I'm gonna be stuck looking after his ass, you bet I'm gonna train my ass off to make sure it works."

"Aren't you a Tsundere, Aragaki-senpai?" He adds with a, what did he call it? Shit-eating grin?

"Shut the fuck up, Yuuki!"

They laugh.

They continue chatting and enjoying the bath for a while longer (his two fingers couldn't even feel the heat of the bath. What the fuck?) before Aragaki decides that they should get back.

And it's this exact moment that the girls walk in.

Holy shit.

He… is somehow spared from the execution.

Maybe it's because Kirijou saw his scars.

Still.

"That really was an execution, huh," Ryoji comments as the five of them sit in the lobby, dejected and hurt as hell (except for him). "You're so lucky Mitsuru-san took pity on you, Makoto."

He shrugs.

Aragaki groans into his own hands. "Fuck you, Yuuki. You should've asked to be turned into fucking human popsicles like the rest of us!"

"It's not my fault she didn't kill me," He deadpans, an amused smile on his face. "But they did give me an earful, so take solace that I got some punishment out of that, too."

"Stop, just… stop, don't remind me," Sanada groans as he puts a hand to his face. "I'll… make an effort to fucking forget last night."

"Curse you, Kyoto," Junpei moans.

He catches the girls walking past them. Kirijou just treats like they don't exist. Yamagishi gives them an unhappy look. Aigis also ignores them (commencing ignore mode), while Yukari's giving the others a scornful look. But when she turns to him, she looks half torn between being angry and worried. He just gives her a small smile, and she sighs in relief then scowls at him before following the others outside.

"Should we head out?" He offers after a while, his eyes following the girls until they're out of sight. Kirijou seems a bit… freer, too. Something happened between her and Yukari, for sure, but he thinks it's a good thing. At least she managed to help the older girl when she needs it, while he can't. That's good.

"I mean, why not. No point sitting here bemoaning our already shitty existences anyway," Aragaki says as he stands up. "Race you to the bus, Aki!"

"Hey! Don't get a head start, you cheat!" Sanada growls as he bolts after the already running man. Makoto chuckles lightly; seeing Aragaki being all child-like is new, and kind of refreshing.

"Well then," Ryoji says as he gets to his feet, his hands on his hips. "Shall we?"

When he finds Yukari during the strolls along the old shops, she quickly snags his hand and leads him away.

He apologizes to Ryoji and Junpei with a raised hand before crashing into her as she suddenly stops. He's about to ask her why, but she's quick to stop him.

"First thing first," She says. "…Why the hell are you guys in that bath?"

"We entered when it's boys' time," He says, honest. He then frowns a little. "Delayed because I have my… reservations with my scars and stuffs… and we got caught up fooling around, so, yeah."

"You're such an idiot."

"Don't remind me," He says, squeezing her hand gently before nudging her to keep walking and taking in the view. The red-hued atmosphere from the fallen leaves is something Makoto had never have the chance to appreciate before, and he finds that he actually likes the scenery. "How's Kyoto been for you?"

"Nice," She replies with a hum. "I got to open up to Mitsuru-senpai, and she to me. She's… actually a bit shy, when it comes to normal social interactions."

"You guys are on first name basis now, huh?" He comments. "That's good."

"Kinda weird, right?" She giggles a little as they enter the antique shop, Ryoji and Junpei not too far behind them. He lets her leads him towards the hairpin section, adorn with flower-themed pins, something he knows Yukari likes. "Anyways, I'm just glad Mitsuru-senpai decided not to execute you yesterday."

He chuckles. "True, and Ryoji is still grilling me about that, too."

"I am not!" The boy in question protests while picking several items from the stands and start counting them, a gleeful smile on his face, while Junpei is busy comparing one to the other. Aigis (when the hell did she get there?) is still giving Ryoji a contempt look as he continues. "Man, I wish I have a girlfriend."

He just rolls his eyes and decides to look around a little, Yukari close by, appreciating every little detail in every little handiwork. He smiles thinly before he returns his attention towards the selections of hairpins. He knows Yukari only wears one when she's in a Yukata, but it couldn't have hurt to actually bought one for her from his own pockets, right?

Disappointing as it may be, none of the pins catches his eyes, so he just moves on to the next section, hands in his pockets, humming a tune of Burn My Dread more out of habit than mood. He turns around to the sound of someone approaching, and Ryoji is right there, bright blue eyes warm and kind.

"You finding something for Yukari-san?"

"Kind of," He admits, turning back to the stands of hair clips. "I've barely been giving her anything except my hands to play with."

"…You two are really smitten, huh," Ryoji sighs. "I'm kinda envious."

"Shut up, Ryoji."

"But, hey," The boy says, leaning close into his ear and whispers. "If you want my help picking things, just tell me. I'm gonna be loitering around here for a while, 'kay?"

"Thanks," He hums.

Once Ryoji is gone, he spent some more time walking around until he spots a hairpin adorn with the replica of the wisteria flower on it. Wisteria; meaning longevity and immortality. Kind of ironic, when you think about it; nothing escapes death. He knows this better than anyone, but the wisteria is the exact opposite of that – it defies death.

Perfect.

He makes a quick purchase out of that one before they move on to the next, enjoying the ambient and each other's company. Yukari's having a nice time with the girls, especially Kirijou, so he's not going to be interrupting her just yet.

In the end, he winds up fooling around with the boys, Sanada and Aragaki still bickering about every little thing like old friends would do. He sticks around with the other two as they talk about all kinds of topics he's not going to begin to name (they're… really, really wild sometimes).

Once they've gathered around waiting for the bus, he pulls Yukari a bit away. He spies Ryoji giving him a wink, but he ignores it.

Before she could ask anything, he pulls out the small hairpin he's just bought. He smiles. "I thought this thing suits you, so… yeah."

She blushes a little, but smiles. "You don't have to do that, you know."

"I kind of do," He says with a soft chuckle, reaching for her hair and tugging them a bit away before tugging the pin right above her ear. No change to her overall outlook or hairstyle, but complimenting them just a little more. "There."

"Thanks," She hums, fingers touching it a little before taking his hand in hers again. "Wisteria, huh? Do you know what it represents?"

"Yes," He says. "That's why I chose it."

"You're such a romantic, Makoto."

"I tried."

They share a quiet laughter before she lets his hand goes and leads the way back, light pink dusting her cheeks, a subtle, content look in her eyes.

He hopes this happiness lasts.

Death follows him like a parasite, sapping away everything he and his loved one cherishes.

And here he is, standing above Junpei as he cradles Yoshino in his arms, cold and dead.

He bites on his lips; he couldn't apologize. Not to Junpei, not to anyone. He can't. None of them foresaw this, and even with his or Yukari's healing abilities, they wouldn't have been able to help him anyways, shot through the poles of the heart like that. It had been an instant death, and only with the ability of Medea could he be saved.

He ends up standing there, numb, watching as Junpei cries his heart out, hugging the body – the corpse – tight to his chest, as if to rouse her awake. He clenches his jaws and his fists tight, but refrains from saying anything. He knows death comes for everyone, and that all lives are precious, but…

He feels warm hand over his, and he glances sideway to see Yukari, a worried look on her face. He just gives her the best smile he could've mustered before he returns his attention to his friend as he cries out everything inside. He could feel – he could hear – it overlapping with his memories from long, long ago, and the feeling of dread and despair and fear from back then, when he lost everything is back.

But this time, he's stronger. He accepts it, and he lets the feeling washes over him. He tightens his hand around hers slightly, but keeps his breath steady. He will allow himself to feel all of it, but this time, it won't distort or break him, and he won't let it chain him down. Not again.

He lets her hand goes and kneels down beside Junpei, placing a careful hand on his shoulder. The boy turns to him with eyes filled to the brim with tears, but says nothing. He looks the other in the eyes and murmurs. "We should go. Do you want me to help…?"

"…It's okay, I can do it by myself," He murmurs. Makoto could detect the underlying feelings as clear as day; I have to do this.

"Alright," He says, standing up, then offering Junpei a hand. "I'm here."

"You're always so reliable, man," Junpei says with a broken laughter before taking his hand, pulling himself and the body up. He then turns back to Yoshino, kissing her forehead before holding her up bridal style, his smile teary. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," He whispers. "Let's go."

When they start walking back, he sees Aragaki approaching him with a thoughtful look. Before he could say anything, the large, rough hand is on his head, ruffling his hair slightly. "You've gotten stronger, Yuuki. Congrats."

"…Thanks," He murmurs, sighing to himself before shaking his head. "But… I don't think I'll ever get used to the feeling of seeing someone die right before my eyes, ever."

"No one would be able to," Aragaki hums. "You did good, kid. You did good."

Both he and Yukari agree that they want to be alone, at least for tonight.

He sighs and drops everything on the table, not bothering to change out of his cloth as he drops onto the bed, his thoughts reeling a little. Controlling them is much easier, thanks to Pharos (Ryoji), but it's still painful to experience them. He just sits up yet again, a hand over his face.

He has a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he's missing something. A detail that's important, that his mind seems to forget. He's not going to be sleeping tonight, that's for sure, so he might as well spend this time thinking about it.

Ryoji is Pharos, but… who is he? Or rather, what?

He's… never seen Pharos before coming to Port Island, and when he does, his appearances were all during the Dark Hour, and he seems to know a lot regarding Shadows and Full Moon. Maybe he has something to do with it? Is he perhaps a Shadow—?

As soon as that thought crosses his mind, headache assaults him. He doubles down, hands gripping his head, eyes shut tight as if to will the pain away.

Then, flashes of memories that start to tread themselves together like strands of fate, one by one, his memories are clearer, the images are unmistakable—

Death is there, cloak fluttering to the nonexistent wind of the Moonlight Bridge. It's fighting something, sounds of gunfire filling the night. Its eyes hollowed, black blood covering its cloak like spider's webs, the chains clink against each other as it dances across the streets.

Then smokes. Death is gone, reduced to small puff of blue flame with eyes and mouth that screams and laughs, maddened, too loud and too soft. Someone brings it over to him, and—

Death.

Pharos is Death.

He is a Shadow.

He pants, catching his breath as his mind clears further. He blinks away the black spots as he gets up shakily. A feeling is boiling in the pit of his stomach, and he just instinctively knows where he needs to go.

He half-runs out of the dorm. Everyone has long since go back to sleep, so he's alone. He makes his way down the familiar road, his eyes on the Moonlight Bridge, still bustling with cars, but not with people.

As he approaches, he finally sees the yellow scarf, and those blue eyes, now with deep sorrow in them. He stops a few meters away and says, barely audible against the wind.

"Ryoji."

"Makoto," The other greets with a rueful smile as he looks up towards the sky. "So… you remembered."

"Yeah," He says, walking closer until they're only a step apart. He then turns to look at the half-moon above.

"The memories aren't completed yet, though," Ryoji hums. "Did you piece it all together somehow?"

"Yeah," He answers. "I remember Death, and the other version of you."

"What was my name, when you first met me?"

"Pharos."

"…Weird name, huh?"

He remains silent at that, unsure of what to do next. He still doesn't know what Ryoji being a Shadow, being Death, means, and he isn't sure that he wants to find out. He frowns a little.

"What will you do?"

"I don't know," Ryoji says, sincere. "My memories are still incomplete. But they will be whole again when the Full Moon comes, I think."

"I… see," He murmurs.

"Are you going to tell them?"

"I don't know," Makoto confesses. The sense of fear and dread is in him, deeply buried into his very soul, and he isn't sure what he wants to do. What he is supposed to do.

"I guess," Ryoji begins. "…We'll have to wait until then, huh?"

"Maybe," He says. "Ryoji… are you an enemy?"

"I don't know."

He remembers Ikutsuki's maddened rambling, his tale of the almighty Death who would bring about the Fall, the end of everything.

He has a hunch where this is going to lead.

And he hopes that his hunch doesn't come true.

(But he knows that it will).

Next one is the Tower, which means disaster in the Arcana. So... yeah, you guys could probably guess where this is going XD