(May 9th)

Spring evenings came slowly to Iwatodai, and this night was no exception. It was unusually clear for early May, a light breeze blowing through the glass and steel jungle. Miki appreciated it, humming lightly to herself while she munched on a stick of dango during her walk. The bag that rested in the junction of her elbow swayed in an easily managable weight; she'd be able to finish her snack before carrying it properly. A white cane banded in red was held in her other hand, lightly tapping on the sidewalk alongside her in rhythm with a song the nearby strip mall was playing.

She knew this walk decently well, so keeping the cane sweeping out in front of her wasn't as much of a concern anymore.

'Honestly, probably for the best they're hidin all the way out here.' Miki thought to herself as she chewed on the last of the dango. 'It's not near the path the tower climbers take to get to Tartarus, so chances of bumping into them in the Dark Hour are slim. And if they need me, specifically, I can just fly out here.'

With that thought in mind, Miki laughed a bit. "Well, can't do that right now, but I like being able to do it at all." She said aloud, having not heard anyone else around her. It wasn't a surprise to her; the part of Iwatodai she was in was too close to the red light district for most 'respectable' people to be caught walking about, alive or dead.

At that thought, Helen's eyes slipped open enough behind Miki's, gaze drifting off to one side of the road. -By the lamppost. A Fallen.- The voice's normal fire and steel was toned down, and Miki turned her head slightly in the direction Helen directed her to.

Indeed, someone was propped up against an object Miki couldn't see. The only way she could fully tell was that the hauntingly shattered shards of pale blue, person-shaped light was in a seated slump instead of sprawled across the blacktop. 'Just gonna leave them lying out here, huh…' She thought to herself with a sigh, shaking her head. 'Dying's kinder.'

-War is not a merciful life.- Helen concurred, the fire beginning to return. -But, this is not the battlefield for us. We do not have the power to restore the fallen.- Miki shook her head with a sigh as the Persona spoke more. -Our battlefield is to keep our allies from falling with them, if not falling into worse hells.-

'... Yeah. that's a good point.' Miki sighed and straightened up, her pace quickening a bit. 'Besides, gotta make sure the food doesn't get cold before I get to them.'

Silence lingered both around Miki and inside her head, even though she could feel Helen's eyes remaining open behind her own. Another five minutes of walking found her coming up to a single story house that would have blended into the background of Iwatodai's hubbub; simple, unassuming colors, no lawn to speak of but well-tended window boxes by the main window. The only conspicuous thing was a lack of a mailbox, but that was a detail that was often skipped over.

Miki smiled as she turned to walk onto the gravel path, the smile growing more as Helen's eyes picked up a mass of vibrant poppy red on the porch steps, the edges only slightly muddied. "Baku, you're up and about!" She called out with a laugh, waving the hand that held the takeout bag. "They had some oden, so I got it for you if your stomach's not up for motsunabe tonight."

The person who sat on the porch just sighed in a bemused tone. "You should know I can't sleep on the full moon by now, Miki." A young man's voice, heavy with weariness that would have sounded odd on a seasoned businessman, reached her ears next, and she moved forward to help him stand up. "... how did you transport soup in that bag?" He asked after a moment, and Miki just grinned.

"Heat pads, insulated bag, and handicap seating; I am very graceful." She explained, walking up the stairs without crashing into the other person. "Are Chii and Jin still up and conscious?"

"Jin is working; I heard his phone conversation when I walked out here for air." The young man confirmed. "It did not seem to be going in his favor, so he might have to eat later."

"Thaaaaaaaaat's tech support." Miki sighed and shook her head."I don't know why he tortures himself so."

"Makes good money with an anonymous setup." Takaya's shrug was audible in his voice, and Miki shrugged in return.

"Fair 'nuff, considering our situation. Is Chii holed up in her room drawing then?"

"Same as always."

"Then I came at a good time with food." Another laugh, and then Miki blinked. "You're not gonna come inside, Takaya?" She asked, belatedly realizing that the poppy-colored shape hadn't moved from where he had stood up.

"Hmm? Ah." A second passed, and Miki could feel Takaya's gaze shifting to land on her. "Yes, it'd be rude not to eat. But … the moon is full tonight, like I said."

Miki tilted her head as she fumbled for the doorknob with one hand, propping her cane against the house wall for the moment. "It's that time already? Huh …" She hummed when she finally heard the satisfying click of the door opening behind her. "Do you think that something big will pop up again like last month?" Another thought followed that one. "And you didn't hurt yourself too bad when Big Nasty showed up, right? Jin said you fell off your futon from the mental shockwave it hit the city with."

"That 'Big Nasty' gave me a migraine for the following week, but the fall off of my futon wasn't dangerous." Miki could feel the exhaustion in Takaya's voice increase momentarily, but it was gone when he next spoke. "You went examining where the first disturbance appeared from, correct?"

"Yeah; got jack and nothing for the effort, though." Miki sighed as she stood to the side of the open door, letting Takaya walk inside before she grabbed her cane and brought it inside as well. "Sensei didn't have much to add onto it, either, so that was a bit discouraging. So all I got is that Big Nasty looks like congealed blood to Helen … and that she really doesn't like whatever it is."

"A wise response." Takaya deadpanned, and Miki heard him shuffle over to sit at the low table in the middle of the main room. She followed him a heartbeat later, tapping the edge with her cane before she set the food down. "Do you want to … ah, nevermind." A dry chuckle followed Takaya's cut off statement, and Miki knew what caused it when a door creaked open behind her.

"Did you smell the food, Chii?" She called out over her shoulder as she sat down, opening up the bag as a smaller, almost painfully white shape walked past Helen's peripheral to stand beside the table.

"No; I heard you open the door." Another teenage girl's voice responded from the white shape, dry and guarded. "... Is it beef bowls again?"

"You wound me; I've been taking my vitamins." Miki pouted, ignoring the snort Takaya let out. "It's motsunabe. Or oden, if you want something more veggie geared tonight. I got the last of the konjac for the evening." Silence fell for a moment before the white shape walked towards a different part of the house.

"I'll get the bowls down." the dry voice said after a moment, and Miki bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. "Did you want tea or water?"

"Just water." Miki responded, unpacking the food and shuffling the bag aside. The smell of hot food made her smile. "Sweet, they even included a serving spoon!"

A thinner hand pushed hers back to the table, unusually hot. "I can serve, Miki," Takaya cut her off preemptively. "You're acting like it's one of your low sleep weeks."

"I got five hours last night," Miki protested, folding her arms across her chest. She could feel Takaya's gaze narrow on her more.

"And the rest of the week?" He asked. When Miki didn't respond, he sighed. "What do you think, Chidori?"

"I'll get the fold out sofa ready after we eat." Chidori's flat response came just before her return to the table, the sound of her setting down three bowls and spoons and a glass of water in front of Miki. "I don't think we have any of your tea left, Takaya."

"Water is fine." The sound of the serving spoon being lifted a bit, followed by a muffled 'gkk', punctuated Takaya's reply. "...Although I think I'll be taking the oden, if there is no protest."

Miki pouted at them both, shaking her head. "Seriously though, I'm fine." She sighed. "Got inventory back up for Sensei, and did a bit more poking around to see what I could learn about the tower climbers that have cropped up more often lately."

"And therefore, have been active through the Dark Hour at least three or four nights a week." Takaya responded, voice taking on a firmer tone. "Is five hours the most sleep you've had this week?"

Silence fell for a heavy moment, Miki chewing her lip and refusing to respond. Chidori sat back down with a glass of water and something that smelt cinnamony for herself, and the food was passed out before she let out a sigh. "... I'm just worried." She admitted. "I know you don't want me to worry too much, but …" Her head turned, even though the action was pointless for her. "... There was thirteen of us, at one point."

Chidori's response was a long sigh, followed by a slurp of food. "Don't …" she began. "... Burning yourself out won't bring them back."

"I know, I know." Miki shook her head again, black-white hair swishing with the motion. "But .. it's frustrating! I know why Sensei doesn't want me to practice things with her away, so I don't mind that. I just … I don't think I have enough time, even with the Dark Hour …"

"And if you keep going as hard as you are, you won't be able to do anything with the hours you do have." Takaya spoke up again. "Don't waste the health you still have."

Miki sighed, taking a bite of her food instead of responding. This discussion had been had multiple times, and every time, it just made her sadder. "That goes for you guys as well, though," She said after a moment, not lifting her blank gaze from the bowl in front of her. "I … don't want to lose you guys. We've already lost everything else."

There was a hum of understanding from Takaya, followed by a sigh. "The fact that you're trying to find a solution is one of the few things we have," he admitted. ".. Don't blame yourself for the flow of time, Miki. Isamu didn't when we last saw him."

There was a collective flinch from Chidori and Miki at the name. "... A year and a half." Chidori said after a moment, the clink of a spoon in the empty bowl following her statement. "It's already been a year and a half." Miki heard the shifting of fabric as the other girl moved a bit. "Not a word, just. Left."

"And we've seen nor heard nothing of him since." Takaya frowned at that, Miki knew. "... He had almost gotten control on top of it all."

"That's why I'm going so hard at this..!" Miki shook her head again, harder. "I … I just … I can't stop until I know I've done everything I can …"

Another silence fell, save for the sound of Takaya pouring more soup into a bowl. "..I know, Miki." He said simply, even as he slowly got to his feet with the fourth bowl. "I'll poke in on Jin and make sure he gets some food. Chidori, you said you'd get the sofa?"

Miki frowned again. "I can make it back to Sensei's house." She protested.

"And then not get any sleep because that's time you're not working." Chidori countered, standing up with more ease than Takaya. "At least here I can sit on you until you are unconscious." Miki just made a 'WHY' gesture in Chidori's direction, and it seemed to make Takaya snort in amusement if nothing else.

Knowing she wasn't going to win this argument, Miki opted to sigh instead as she shifted at the table for a moment, trying to follow where Chidori was walking behind her. "Has Medea been behaving, Chii?" She asked after a moment, Helen settling in the recesses of her mind for the moment.

"For the most part, yes." Chidori responded, the sounds of her fussing with a sofa undercutting her words. "I … also haven't had many episodes, lately. The improved weather means I can get outside more, once in a while."

Miki gave a nod, stretching her arms over her head. "That's good; they've finished touching up the plaza of Port Island Station too." She said. "Good benches with I assume a lot of light for drawing, can't tell myself."

Chidori responded with an exasperated 'hah'. "...I still don't know how you can take your loss of sight in stride like you do, not on top of everything else."

"Well …" Miki shrugged, a hand subconsciously rubbing the tip of a long-scarred gouge in her left shoulder muscle. "At least that, I know why it happened. I did the one thing you're not supposed to do when you get something in your eyes, and said something was melted." Miki could feel Chidori's cringe, and just sighed. "Hey, it's why I was alone in the hospital they stole me from. The actual doctors were trying to mitigate what damage they could, but well …"

"...That was stolen from you." Chidori finished, the finality of her tone a bitter weight.

"...A lot of things were stolen from me that night." Miki shook her head. "My sight is honestly the least of my losses from all of that." At that, she leaned back across the floor in Chidori's general direction, making sure her hair wasn't in stepping range. "But that's very gloomy talk, y'know?"

"It comes with the territory." Came Chidori's reply, soundlessly walking past where Miki was stretched out. "If you fall asleep down there I'm not moving you." She commented as she walked over to what sounded like the linen closet, although Miki could hear the amusement in her voice.

"Would you at least give me a pillow, Chii?" Miki teased, only to laugh as a pillow whumped into her face with the grace of a drunken owl. "Thank you."

"If I hear you rattling around at four am, I'll bury you with it."

Chidori's deadpan just made Miki laugh, and she was about to respond when the world shuddered. Miki felt Helen's wings mantle within her brain, and she shifted the pillow to glance at the white shape that was Chidori. For her part, Chidori wasn't moving. A mass that Miki assumed was blankets was obscuring part of the white light that Helen saw her as, but Chidori didn't seem to be looking at her in the slightest. "Chii?" Miki asked after the girl hadn't moved for a moment.

"... Miki."

Chidori's voice had shifted from her summer asphalt tier of dry humor to dangerously serious, and it was enough to make Miki sit up fully. "Yes?"

"...There's another big one."

Miki didn't know how she was able to move as fast as she did, but she was at the door pulling on her boots. "What Direction?" She asked.

"It seems to be at the remote - no, it's …" Chidori's voice tapered off. "... It's moving? Almost faster than the last one."

"Where to? The dorm again?"

"No. too far away -!" The sound of dropped blankets reached Miki's ears as she got the laces on her boots tied. "Wait, are you seriously going after it?! You don't have your scythe on you!"

"Good thing Helen's got knife wings, then!"

And with that, Miki was out the door. She heard Chidori shout behind her, followed the rush of the other girl following her even as Helen let out a laugh. The Persona's wings flared out from Miki's back in tandem with Chidori leaping at her, and Miki felt the other girl's slight weight collide with her with enough time for Chidori to get her arms around Miki's shoulders.

"I didn't even tell you where to go, idiot!" Chidori scolded in Miki's ear as the taller teen sprang into the air. Miki just gave a weak laugh, adjusting Chidori's arms so that she had a better grip on Miki's hoodie.

"Honestly I expected you to lock me in the house."

"That'll be afterword!" Chidori gave a light smack to the back of Miki's head. "It's still moving, and seems to be going straight for Iwatodai's station." With a nod, Miki turned in the direction her memory knew the station was at. One arm looped back behind her to give Chidori a bit more support, but she was flying after that.

"Also," Chidori said into Miki's ear over the wind. "You get to explain to Takaya while you just took off like that, once we're back there." Miki groaned, but didn't protest beyond speeding up her flight.


Kotone let out a grim hum as she looked over Iwatodai's station, tapping the butt of her naginata on the ground. She didn't know what part of her made this a habit, but it was now. "...Yuka-tan, I'm seeing an alarming lack of coffins here." She commented after a moment, crimson eyes scanning the benches and the smoking booths that dotted the concrete.

Beside her, Yukari gave an uncomfortable nod. "Yeah … there's normally more of a crowd taking the midnight train." She nodded to the monorail in question, which had been stopped just as it was exiting the station. "They won't notice the Dark Hour inside of that unless they can summon a Persona, at least."

At that, Kotone hummed again. "Hey, don't you think it's weird?"

"What is?" Yukari asked, even as she kept her gaze surveying the area.

"That awakening a Persona seems to be a teenager thing." Kotone elaborated, keeping up her own patrol. "Let alone as rare an ability as it seems to be. Minato and I didn't run into anyone else who was even aware of the Dark Hour until we came back here."

"I … don't know what to make of that either, honestly." Yukari admitted, then paused. "Wait, 'came back'? Minato-san said you two grew up in Osaka…"

"Yeah, we did." Kotone confirmed, squatting by the yellow safety line to peer at the monorail's tracks. "But well, we came here briefly in '99. Dad's troupe got invited to do a show at the college on the north side of the city, and Minato and I were given permission from grade school to watch it, provided we did a presentation on it for classic lit class."

"..Huh." Yukari actually laughed at that. "I mean, you two being theatre kids certainly explains that karaoke night." Brown eyes glanced briefly at Kotone. "What kind though? If you say Noh, I'll eat a pepper."

"Bunraku, actually!" Kotone laughed. "Prolly explains why Orpheus and Makaria look like big, fighty puppets, though."

"Okay, but that also explains why you can walk so quiet!" Yukari protested, pointing at Kotone while the other girl laughed. "You've probably been a stage ninja since you were walking! No wonder you're good at jump scares!" Kotone laughed more, but any reply she could try and come up with was cut off by the faintly metallic, distant sound of Mitsuru's voice in both girl's heads.

[Be on your guard. There's another massive Shadow heading directly towards your location.] The senior relayed. Kotone noticed with interest that Mitsuru's voice sounded far fainter than it did when S.E.E.S was exploring Tartarus. [I've already had Shinjiro, Arisato and Iori head out in your direction. They should be there soon. For now, find secure locations and keep watch.]

"Alright." Kotone responded, waiting until she felt the metallic feeling fade from her hearing before she looked at Yukari. "... Where would a 'secure location' at a train station be?"

"Probably just the bathrooms, and that will defeat the purpose of keeping watch." Yukari sighed, annoyance in her voice. At that, she looked up. "I mean, I can probably get up on a lightpost with Io's wind skills …"

"Yeah, you do that." Kotone gave a nod. "I can probably hide around the corner of a smoking booth. That way we're not in immediate line of sight but also not impossible for the boys to find when they show up." At that, she gestured to Yukari. "... Altho, that shade of pink does stand out in the Dark Hour."

"For better or worse," Yukari shrugged as she pulled out her Evoker. Kotone averted her eyes as the other girl summoned, instead picking out a smoking booth to duck behind for the moment. The Evokers still unnerved her, and Kotone prayed that she never had to use one herself.

The teens had been in their selected positions for less than a minute when the sounds of a train reached them. Or at least, sounds mostly adjacent to a train. Within a moment, something that looked decently train-like reached the station.

However, Kotone didn't need any warning beyond the ice in her spine to know something was off.

No electrical static or rattling of track preceded the train, for it was indeed a proper train with a steam engine. it simply was there, rolling in on a track that crept in front of it. Its colors were off as well, being a dissonant alternation between a glowing white and inky black. Pink glyphs flickered on and off at various points, and almost ice-covered windows obscured any way to look inside the engine.

Leaning out as far as she dared, Kotone saw that the train cars were almost identical to the engine. Unnerving black and white paint that seemed to shift when it was stared at, pink glyphs flashing as doors began to slide open.

And then, to Kotone's mild horror, a few Shadows exited.

They weren't super large Shadows at least, being only a few of the floating 'Tiara' shadows that S.E.E.S had encountered in Tartarus proper. They hovered on the platform for a moment, as if looking around for people to nibble on; Kotone was darkly amused to see that corners and verticality truly were a Shadow's greatest weaknesses.

Shifting, she looked up to check on Yukari; the pink clad girl was indeed undetected on the station light she had picked for a post. However, it also seemed unlikely she was going to leave it anytime soon, her eyes locked onto the train beneath them.

[...The Shadow has stopped moving. Do you see it?]

Mitsuru's inquiry was poorly timed, as it made the already tense Yukari screech in shock. It was enough to alert the three Shadows beneath her, making them whirl in the direction of the sound. Kotone resisted the urge to swear, and instead opted to leap to her feet and charge the Shadow she could see beginning to cast.

A very comforting blur of blue and gold arrived in tandem with her sneak attack, and Kotone watched as a different one of the Tiaras was sent careening into the ticket booths by a very abrupt Hermes dive kick. Junpei himself was half perched on the Persona's shoulders, and Minato was being transported under an arm like a duffel bag.

It didn't seem to bother the blue haired teen, because he was able to swat at the remaining Tiara from his spot, blue fire lancing down the sword in his hands to hit the Shadow. An arrow followed the burst of fire, sending it to the ground and dispelling it. The one that had been sent on Hermes Express had dispelled on impact, and Kotone's didn't last another hit.

Sighing, Kotone finally took the moment to respond to Mitsuru. "I mean, I don't see a mask on the steam engine? But we did get a small group of Tiaras that popped out of it like passengers, so we're either dealing with a very WEIRD Shadow, or this is indeed Tartarus Express."

"Man, Minato, can we somehow go back and punch past me for suggestin that on the way here?" Junpei griped as he hopped off of Herme's back, the Persona gently putting Minato down before it dispelled.

"Shinjiro-senpai might do it for you." Minato countered, looking in the direction of the dorm. "We … did sort of leave him behind by a few blocks." He straightened out the belt for his Evoker as he spoke, grey-blue eyes scanning the area. "... Where's Yukari-san?"

"U - up here!" Yukari called out, making both the boys look up at her. She had shifted into a less tense position, but her gaze kept darting to and from the train. "H -how did you get here ahead of Senpai?!"

"Unlike modern postal service, Hermes is very fast." Minato jabbed a thumb at Junpei, who gave Yukari a double thumbs up with a goofy grin.

"I was worried, what can I say?" he half laughed, before turning to look at the train beside them. "... Dude, what the fuck ..?"

[Is that really the most articulate description you can give?]

"No, but certainly the most accurate." Minato responded instead, looking at the train as well. "It's .. well. It's a steam engine. Can't quite tell what it's made of, but … it definitely feels wrong."

"...JunJun …" Kotone leaned in to whisper to her friend. When he tilted his head to listen to her better, the auburn nodded at the train. "... How many people do you think took an Aimless Journey when the Shadows called them onto this train?"

"...Koto-tan, that's somehow more terrifying than the train itself." Junpei responded after a moment. "Cuz that implies we'll have to get on it to figure out where the Abandoned Station is to get them back."

Mitsuru didn't seem to hear their exchange, because her response was a lot more concrete. [... I'm not far behind Shinjiro, so my scanning ability is a bit more accurate. It seems that the unusually large Shadow is … ? the train itself?]

"Okay, not Tartarus Express." Minato responded. "But … how are we going to do this?"

"Suplex it?" Kotone suggested.

"My ribs would not appreciate that." Shinjiro's voice announced his arrival, the senior panting. When he came to a stop, he pointed at Junpei. "On one hand, that was fuckin reckless to dart ahead." he began, and Junpei had the grace to look bashful. "Oh the other, it was really fuckin clever. Just. warn me next time."

"Sorry, Shinjiro-senpai …" Junpei rubbed the back of his head at that, even as he grinned at the praise. After that, he looked up. "Do you wanna get down from there, Yuka-tan?"

"I am not getting on the train!" Yukari protested instantly.

"...That wasn't what I asked …" Junpei shook his head, looking at the train itself. "But, man. Is there any way for us to get a like, Dark Hour Camera? Project Zero this shit so we can give better explanations for what we're running into?"

"Ask the Landlord next time he stops by." Shinjiro responded. "We've got weirder shit in the dorm that works right now, like Mitsuru's bike." He jabbed a finger over his shoulder at that, in time for a white motorcycle to pull up. Mitsuru was seated on top of it, her scanning equipment lashed to the rear of the bike in question.

The senior took a moment to take off her helmet, but it was worth it to see her face when she beheld the phantom train in full. "...What …?"

"Mood of the evening, Mitsuru-senpai." Kotone sighed, looking up at Yukari as well. "C'mon, Yuka-tan, you can get down from there. I don't think all five of us can even fit on the train."

"Correct." Mitsuru frowned as she walked her bike closer, setting the kickstand down. As she began fiddling with the gear, the redhead sighed. "...Even this close, I cannot pinpoint exactly where in the train you'd even BEGIN to find the main 'core' of the Shadow, as it were."

"Start from the back and work our way forward, then?" Minato suggested, looking at Mitsuru as Yukari floated down to the pavement behind him.

Mitsuru gave a nod. "Unfortunately, I must ask that two of you stay out here in case more groups of Shadows come out to hunt." She said after a moment. "So it will be a team of three, although I do want someone with healing ability on each 'squadron'."

Yukari gulped, shuffling her feet before Minato raised a hand. "Yukari-san is better at that than I am, but Pixie should be enough to keep people up." He volunteered, then looked at Kotone and Junpei behind him. "What about you two?"

There was a beat as the two looked at one another. "Suplex a train?" Kotone asked after a moment.

"Yeah, suplex a train."

"What are you two talking about?" Yukari asked after a moment, but shook her head. "I can stay out here, though. Are you okay with that, Shinjiro-senpai?" Shinjiro didn't respond at first, looking up at a building that marked the start of the strip mall portion of the station. Confused, Yukari called out again. "...Shinjiro-senpai?"

"Ah." The second call caught his attention, and Shinjiro shook his head for a moment before turning back to the others. "Yeah, I can stay out here."

"Is something the matter?" Mitsuru asked, giving Shinjiro a curious look.

Shinjiro responded with a shrug, even as his gaze flickered back to where he had been looking a moment ago. "Thought I saw some weird reflections, but that could just be the moonlight on street lights." He admitted. "Can't really go poke it right now, though…"

Unbeknownst to S.E.E.S, the spot in question was not far from where Miki had landed, Helen's wings dispelling as she and Chidori touched down. "...Chii, I might actually need sleep." Miki commented quietly after a moment, her head turned in the direction Helen was looking. "Because I swear I'm seeing a Priestess Class Shadow that looks like a steam train."

"No, that's an entire Shadow Train." Chidori reassured her, the other girl squinting. "You do need sleep, but that is a genuine thing right now." Miki heard her shuffle beside her, getting down lower. "... One of them noticed us land."

Miki swore and ducked down. "Which one?" She asked. "There should be about six of them."

"Medea is pinging six of them, but … Ugh." Chidori shook her head, the feeling of her long hair brushing against her sleeve being all Miki needed to know. "I'm not sure I want to risk using her fire sight to check finer details for appearances. If they have someone who can detect us …"

"If they do, they're not a particularly good one." Miki shrugged. "I was legitimately three and a half meters above them at one point, and they didn't notice until I crashed into a different street light."

"Is that what that bruise was?!" Chidori hissed, even as Miki felt a flicker of energy that solidified between Chidori's hands. When Miki just shrugged again, the other girl let out an annoyed groan before falling quiet. "... Yes, there's six of them. Three of them seem to be boarding the train at the back … I wonder if they're trying to destroy it."

"Hopefully they can figure out how before the Dark Hour ends…" Miki tapered off, shifting more. "Are we still being watched?"

"No; of the three still outside the train, one of them .. is fiddling with a radio? Something? That might be their scanner …" Chidori fell quiet for a moment. "Ah! The one closest to the scanner is who spotted us, and he's looking elsewhere right now." Miki felt the girl's gaze shift in her direction. "If you want to get closer to the train, go now. I … should be able to maintain the fire sight for as long as I need."

Miki nodded. "If you feel Medea getting restless, stop it instantly. I'll improvise if I have to." She said, almost gliding over to a far corner of the building. "If the person who spotted us at first starts comin towards you? Fireworks."

"Without hesitation." Chidori's agreement was the last thing Miki heard before she jumped off the building, the rush of the wings returning and letting her glide down low to the ground as she manuvered as well as she could to the front of the Priestess Train.

'Be systematic about this.' she thought to herself. 'If these guys are starting in the back, I should be able to figure out some stuff before they manage to dispel it … if it doesn't try to much me first. That's be just my luck, really.'

Inside the train, Minato shuddered as he made the mental switch from Orpheus to Pixie. From the moment he had entered with Junpei and Kotone, the entire 'structure' seemed to become more alert. 'Mmm. filing this under 'never again.' he thought to himself, a hand nervously hovering by his Evoker.

Junpei didn't seem much better, shifting the grip he had on the kanabo as he looked around. "Cripes … I know I said 'Project Zero', but that didn't mean I wanted to live in a horror game." He commented, shuddering.

The interior of the Shadow did indeed resemble a train, just a few degrees removed from an actual train and shoving the removed degrees on the 'intestine' side of the spectrum. The pink glyphs were more prominent, and the seats had pinkish padding that Minato severely doubted was actual padding.

Kotone shifted from where she stood, naginata sweeping in front of her. Her crimson eyes seemed to have a glow to them, although Minato wasn't sure if that was the ambient lighting that crept in through the frosted 'windows' or not. "Saying this now, but … No Touching Anything." She muttered after a moment, her serious tone almost a relief in the gloom.

"Yeah … I like having hands." Junpei agreed, shifting his hat for a second.

[There you three are.] Mitsuru announced herself, her voice muffled despite being in their heads. [I'm not detecting anything in the rear of the train, so you would probably have better luck with the fro - !?] At her words, the doors on the train slammed shut. [It heard me? How…?]

"Either that, or we sprung a trap." Kotone sighed. "Guess we're gonna have to sprint through the cars to get to the front?"

"Looks like it …" Junpei sighed, looking towards the door to the next car. He double took at something, then let out a panicked yell. "T - there's a person here!"

Alert, Minato and Kotone darted behind Junpei as he got within a few feet of the person he saw. It wasn't a comfort; whoever the person had been was no more, eyes black voids and face locked in a terrified stare, unblinking.

[ … The symptoms align with Apathy Syndrome, but …] Mitsuru spoke up again. [For that to be fatal, there had to be more than one Shadow eating away at them. Be exceedingly careful.]

"Got it." Minato nodded, looking at the other two. "Shall we?"

Junpei's response was to wordlessly summon Hermes, the Persona making short work of the connecting doors.

It established the pattern; the three darted through a car as fast as they could, doing their best to ignore the occasional remains that were stuck to their seats. At the doors, either Kotone or Junpei would break down the connecting doors. The doors didn't splinter or break so much as fade away, motes of pink energy evaporating.

However, there was absolutely nothing else on the train.

Junpei noticed it first, at about the fifth train car. "... If three Shadows came out, why aren't there any more?" He asked, pausing briefly to examine the situation. "...And was this train this long to begin with?"

"Yuka-tan and I didn't get a chance to count the cars as it rolled in, but yeah …" Kotone glanced around, even looking behind them. "It's too quiet. Mitsuru-senpai, are you picking up anything?"

[... Only the seats. Most of the presence here is the large one, but its location is somehow more distant. I shall attempt to pinpoint it.] Mitsuru's voice was even more muffled, and Minato had to strain to hear her. [For now, continue forward.]

Junpei gave a distracted nod, the teenager staring at something on the wall. "Wait …" He said after a moment, shifting the kanabo in his hands. "... This looks like paper."

"Junpei-san, don't -" Minato began, watching the other boy in worry as he prodded part of the Shadow's 'walls'. The words died in his throat, because his heart decided to take up residence there when the wall actually squirmed like a collection of unnatural eels.

The sound of wrinkling paper only made things more confusing.

A heartbeat later, and a very particular scroll separated from the wall and darted at Junpei. The teen yelped and backed away in time to minimise damage, but the scroll still left a gaping gash in his uniform sleeve. "oH SHIT." He yelped, backing up to stand between Minato and the wall.

Opposite him, Kotone brought up her naginata to counter a second scroll that made a jab at her. "I think it's mad that we caught its bluff!" She called out, watching as both the scroll that went after her and the one that tried to skewer Junpei hovered in front of them like agitated serpents. One scroll was white, one was black; both possessed bright glyphs on them, flashing between iridescent pink and the opposite color of the scrolls themselves.

"Still don't see the main body, though." Minato frowned, watching both scrolls move about. "Do we have to burn -!?"

His thoughts were caught off as he felt the floor shift beneath their feet, and the individual lines of different scrolls became visible. All of them began to whirl and spiral around the teens, joined by the ones that were now revealed to be making up the walls and ceiling of the train cars.

"Constrictor Shadow!" Junpei yelled out, even as he swung his kanabo for a moment. It did seem like he had less room to swing it, and it was enough to make the teen swear and pull out his evoker. "ShIT! Hermes!"

The blue and gold figure appeared with the call, limbs and wings spreading wide in an attempt to keep the walls from compressing the teens too much. Small licks of sapphire flame surrounded the Persona's extremities, nipping at the scrolls and keeping the main ones from striking at it willy nilly. Minato took advantage of this, rapidly summoning Pixie. The redheaded fae let out a playful snicker before clapping her hands, a gossamer bubble forming around Hermes.

"Thanks!" Junpei called back, back to back with Hermes. "What do you think we gotta do? It didn't like me pokin it, I know that much!"

Nearby, Kotone yelped as one of the lead scrolls simply yanked her naginata out of her hands. "Hey!" She spluttered, a hand going up to her heart. The lack of space as the lesser scrolls continued to compress on the teenagers meant Makaria wouldn't have room, so instead Jack Frost answered. The snowman let out another joyful laugh as he punched the scroll that had stolen the weapon.

The scroll didn't seem perturbed by the punch, and instead retaliated by the glyphs flashing blue and a chunk of ice slapped Jack Frost. The snowman didn't react to the ice at all, standing by Kotone as the auburn shook her head. "Dammit … scrolls .."

"Fire!" Minato realized. "If they're scrolls made of paper, fire should work?"

"Can't move enough to do it!" Junpei shook his head. As if on emphasis, the walls constricted more; Hermes momentarily buckled before pushing out again, and Junpei coughed a bit and shook his head. "Case in point!"

Minato felt a cold sweat start up on his neck, praying the assisting bubble around Hermes would stay up as he switched to Orpheus. The legendary bard responded instantly, and too blue flames shot out to the scroll that had grappled his sister's weapon away.

Like he had suspected, the fire streaked down the length of the scroll, charring away the glyphs on the surface. A feminine shriek echoed from ahead of them, but Minato didn't pause to ponder it before directing Orpheus to do the same to the other main scroll while he saw Kotone scrabble for her freshly dropped naginata.

As the blue flames burnt away the second lead scroll, the train suddered once again … and then disappeared from around them.

All three teens yelped as they dropped a bit over a meter onto the now empty tracks, the monorail station no longer in sight behind them. Orpehus and Hermes were able to catch Minato and Junpei, respectfully, and they both stayed on their feet as the various black and white scrolls flailed into nothingness or retreated behind them. Kotone wasn't as fortunate, with Jack Frost blinking from existence as she landed between the monorail tracks.

About a dozen feet to their right, Miki swore and dove quickly to the top of one of the other monorail cars. The main bulk of the Shadow still seemed to be between her and the tower climbers, and she let its writhing form cover her as she took the moment to check back in on Chidori. 'How far away are we, Chii!?'

[You, the Shadow, and the three others are over the ocean inlet, about halfway between Iwatodai and Port Island.] Chidori's response was genuinely confused. [What sort of nonsense is that Shadow pulling?!]

'Maybe it just didn't want to get killed.' Miki responded in her head, watching as the train-like shape shifted, the rose colored ichor warping in Helen's vision. 'How's the situation at the station?'

[That shriek summoned a few lesser Shadows at the station, but the two who stood back are more than enough to handle them. Especially the big ma - ?!] Chidori's mental confusion made Miki pause, but before she could ask, the other girl's voice echoed in her brain once more [... Help those three get rid of the Nasty if you can. I'll have to ask you something after we're done for the night.]

The phrasing made something in Miki's brain shudder, but she nodded all the same and focused her attention back on the situation at hand.

To SEES, the writhing shape began to solidify; a woman-like Shadow, body and more scroll-like hair contrasting pallets of white and black, half knelt in front of them. A ratted cloth skirt hung loosely over hips that were more bone than 'flesh', leaving 'her' top half bare. Copper letters, a 'B' and a 'J', covered 'her' breasts, and a rose colored mask in the shape of a butterfly covered 'her' face.

The scrolls Minato had burnt hung limply to the Shadow's side, but many more scrolls formed 'her' pigtails as she lifted her head to look at them. Even more disorienting was that the Shadow seemed to be taller than the trains, and would easily eclipse them if 'she' stood upright. Not wanting to risk her taking a cheap shot, Junpei and Kotone quickly moved to stand between the Shadow and Minato, who rapidly shuffled back to Pixie in order to heal.

Mitsuru's voice returned in that moment. [That's the main Shadow!] She confirmed, voice still on the fainter side. [It's summoned allies to the station, so Shinjiro and Takeba might be a bit delayed if you need their assistance.]

"Senpai, we're on the bridge over the friggen ocean!" Junpei shouted back. "I think we're gonna have to handle this boss on our own!"

"Unfortunately, I agree!" Kotone seconded, even as she called up Makaria. "For now I wanna do something stupid!"

Before Mitsuru could ask what that 'something stupid' was, Makaria had set down both her bident and urn and rushed the Shadow. Both arms wrapped around the bi-colored Shadow's thin form, and the marionette proceeded to indeed lean backwards and slam the Shadow into the tracks, head first.

"... Kotone. I can't believe your 'suplex the train' was literal." Minato shook his head even as Makaria let go of the Shadow, only to return above Kotone and reclaim her weapon and urn. Junpei just laughed and took the opportunity to have Hermes divebomb the large Shadow before 'she' could recover herself.

As it was, the Shadow's movement was sluggish as 'she' straightened, indignant screeching escaping 'her' mouth as eight scrolls flared open, four on each side. The glyphs flashed from bright pink to icy blue, and the three teens watched as almost literal pillars of ice formed. The Shadow's 'hair' wrapped around the pillars to hold them, even as 'she' continued to kneel on her ankles.

Without warning, the left pillar was swung at the three. Shouts and dodging happened, the cold bludgeon denting some of the tracks where they had been standing. Minato responded by calling out Orpheus, only to balk at the sight of the blue fire not doing as much as he had hoped it would.

Kotone and Junpei both had to dodge again, Junpei getting clipped by the right pillar as it was swung at him. He let out a shout of pain as it hit his left shoulder, staggering him; the Shadow swung with the left one, and the follow up came fast enough that it sent the teen to his back.

"Junpei!" both twins called out, Minato instantaneously calling out Pixie to heal any damage that was done. Kotone opted to place herself between her friend and the Shadow's next attack. Above her, Makaria's urn opened up once again, the butterfly flashing a pale green before the marionette's shape was replaced by a different one.

The pillar was instead caught by an anthropomorphic feline woman, armor and cloth barely covering her as it proceeded to shove the pillar aside. Kotone shook her head, glancing at Minato as he shuffled up to Apsaras to help Junpei up. "I think Junpei's the only one fast enough to get hits on this thing between blows." she gestured to the large Shadow as it reared up another slam. With a swear, Kotone focused on it. "Shi - Bastet!"

Bastet let out a panther's screech, the feline Persona lashing out with clawed hands to lessen the impact of the second strike. Behind her, Junpei stood up slowly, rubbing his tailbone.

"Damn it, sorry about that." He shook his head after a moment, grabbing his Evoker. "I'll dart about when I can, just help with the cover fire!" As if to emphasize this, Hermes darted forward in a blink, fire around the Persona's wings as it slammed into the large Shadow.

Minato didn't respond, instead taking a moment to shuffle both Orpheus and Apsaras forth. "Cadenza!" he called out instead, the rush of supporting energy catching Junpei and Kotone; unbeknownst to any of them, it also reached Miki. it was enough to make the feathers on her back flutter, and she shuddered as the magic hit her.

"oHKAY!" She said, only to cut herself off when she realized it had been said aloud. Luck seemed to be in her favor, because the din of the Priestess striking against whatever "Junpei" was hitting it with seemed to mask her words. "Well, if that was close enough to hit me, and apparently count me …" She let Helen's eyes focus on the fight, trying to figure out an opening to strike.

The right pillar swinging far back, almost past her perch, was the opening she had been waiting for.

On the ground, Minato had managed to slink into a minor blind spot of the large Shadow. He had called out Pixie once again, the faerie's magics stripping the large Shadow's defenses while Hermes repeatedly dove in and out of attack range. Kotone and Bastet continued to catch and redirect the pillars of ice, giving Junpei and Minato more time to manuver and about to strike.

In hindsight, Minato was certain his spot was the only thing that let him see what happened when the right pillar was drawn far back.

A clawed hand, seemingly made of shadows and smoke darker than both the night sky and the Shadow they were assaulting, had gripped onto the right pillar as it was drawn back. The clinking of chains drew Minato's eyes to a golden shackle around the hand's wrist, a chain he could only follow so far before a face materalized in view. Molten golden eyes burned out of a dark face framed in a steel helmet, flaxen hair flying about wildly as the claws sank into the ice and scrolls.

-Only a coward brings siege weaponry to a skirmish.-

A voice, hot and burning but also sharp as a freshly forged sword, echoed in Minato's ears. It seemed that only he heard it amidst the chaos, but it was enough to make him take a step back as the shackled hand jerked the pillar in an incredibly uncomfortable direction.

The ear piercing shriek of glass being cut in twain made Kotone and Junpei snap to attention, and watch as the right pillar was gouged open and two of the four scrolls torn from the Priestess's head. Not hesitating, even as the smoky figure vanished from his vision, Minato called out Omoikane. The Persona's many nerves and tentacles pointed at the gouges, and lighting bolts struck true.

With a shriek, the Shadow dropped the right handed pillar as the lighting shattered the ice from within, water evaporating into the May air. The remaining two scrolls burst into blue electrical fire for a moment before fading.

"T- The hell did that?!" Junpei called out and pointed his kanabo to the right.

"Not it!" Kotone responded, even as Bastet lunged for the left pillar. The Priestess was disoriented, shrieking in pain and unable to stop the feline Persona from jumping onto the remaining weapon. Quick as thought, Kotone directed the attack to go for the hair scrolls.

Clawed hands grasped the scrolls at the junction of paper and skull, and with another yowl, yanked them free.

The noise Priestess let out was deafening, both of the Shadows hands going to where the 'hair' had once been. It didn't get a chance to retaliate, however, as a force abruptly shoved it forward once more onto its front.

"All at once!" Kotone yelled, even as Bastet faded into the ether above them all. The auburn teen lunged at the downed Shadow, Junpei right on her heels. Minato followed a heartbeat later, mentally summoning Valkyrie to assist in the physical assault while he made a beeline for the large mask.

He didn't know what compelled him to do so, but the blue-haired teen knew he needed to destroy it.

Both hands gripped his sword, and Minato swung with what little strength he had. It was enough, and the mask was split down the middle as the Priestess let out a death shriek. It sat up, hands flying to the unmaksed face while Kotone and Junpei scattered to the sides. Out of sight of all three, Miki ducked down behind the monorail, Helen's eyes focused on the Shadow as it began to literally break apart.

Rose and black energy began to rupture the black and white form, and with one last cry, the Priestess ruptured into dying embers across the bridge. A butterfly of the same colors darted from the gloom and flew right to Minato, crashing into his chest over his heart faster than either Junpei or Kotone could perceive.

There was a sharp jolt of cold in his chest, making Minato cough in shock as the sensation tore through him for a few seconds. Orpheus also let out a cry of shock and worry at the sensation, but Minato was able to stand upright and shook it off.

Silence fell, save for the three teens panting as they collected themselves. "Seriously, though …" Junpei shook his head as he approached Minato and Kotone. "What fucked up that one tower?" He rubbed his lower back as he spoke, looking around. "I know it wasn't me or Hermes, not with what I saw of those claw marks."

"Too big for Bastet." Kotone shook her head as well, steadying Minato as he staggered. "Minato?"

At that, the teen gave a shaky nod. "I … did see someone. Or something?" He admitted?

From her hiding spot, Miki could eavesdrop with more ease. Minato's words made her bite down a curse, and she shuffled as close to the edge of the bridge as she could. '..Chii? Is everything under control at the station?' She called out, hands finding the safety rail between the bridge and open air.

[Yes. most of the small ones have started to scatter.] Chidori responded back. [They didn't notice me.]

'Good.' Miki responded, listening to the other teenagers on the bridge. One of them was starting to head in the direction of her train. 'One of these guys got a look at Helen, we have to go.'

[Then haul ass. I don't think the scanner picked up on Helen. We have a small window of time to get out scott free.] Miki didn't respond to Chidori's comment, and instead flipped herself over the railing to safety; Helen's wings were called out a second later, and she flew underneath the monorail's bridge to get herself some cover.

Her actions were just in time, as Junpei poked his head back behind the monorail she had chosen for a hiding spot. "... No, nothing back here." He said with a sigh, and turned back to look at the others. "Maybe we should tell Mitsuru-senpai what you saw when we get back?"

"Absolutely." Kotone admitted, even as she looked behind them. "... It left the dead bodies behind, too." She noted grimly with a sigh. "Mitsuru-senpai, what should we do about those?"

[... We will have to contact the police to handle that aspect.] Mitsuru's response took a moment to come, her voice heavy. [If any of the bodies are of missing persons, then that falls into their jurisdiction. We cannot explain the Dark Hour to them without causing a panic, however…]

"Thank goodness for PR, Mitsuru-senpai?" Minato responded, voice deadpan and he rubbed his now aching head. While the senior's resigned sigh echoed in his head, the blue-haired teen looked at the other two. "Well, let's head back to the station. I don't wanna be on the tracks when power comes back on."

Junpei gave a nod, and Hermes was invoked within a moment. "Well, hop on." He said as he did just that, taking up his spot on the Persona's shoulder. "I can't guarantee I can go as fast with both of ya, though …"

"I have enough juice in me to call up Valkyrie," Minato shook his head, smiling weakly. "Kotone's turn to be Hermes' messenger bag."

"I'm just annoyed I didn't think of Persona transport first." Kotone pouted, even as she let Hermes scoop her up. She did notice that its grip was a bit more awkward on her, although she gave Junpei all the credit for his subconscious manners. "Maybe the next one to pop out will let me move around fast …"

"Man, Koto-tan, you with flight is a terrifying thought." Junpei half groaned, half laughed. Minato chuckled as he called forth Valkyrie, the chooser of the slain effortlessly scooping him up to place him in front of her on the saddle. With that thought, the three began their return.

At the station, Mitsuru sighed as she watched Shinjiro chase off the last of the lesser Shadows. Yukari was nearby, using Io's wind abilites to clear some of the ichor off of the station proper. The entire thing had been a cluster, and it had caused Mitsuru some distress that the distance made it hard to keep tabs on both the team on the train and the two on the station with her.

With that thought, she switched her terminal's channels to reconnect to the dorm. "Has Ikutsuki-san arrived?" she asked.

[That's a negative.] Akihiko sighed. [The Shadow was so abrupt to show up, we couldn't get hold of him.]

[I can try and call him after the Dark Hour ends.] Ken spoke up next, the ten-year-old's voice slightly shaky. [Is everything alright over there?]

"Affirmative. The large Shadow has been defeated, and the field crew did very well." At that, Mitsuru paused. "I … had a momentary burst of interference, but it was gone before I could figure out what caused it."

[Interference is a first.] Akihiko was likely crossing his arms over his chest as he said that. Mitsuru knew him well enough by this point. [If it's not your gear, hopefully we can find someone else more geared to a rear line support position.]

"That would be a miracle." Mitsuru sighed, and lifted her head. She could pick up on the three coming back rapidly, even as Shinjiro and Yukari walked over to her first. "That shall be enough for now; we'll return to the dorm momentarily." She said, and waited for both Akihiko and Ken to give her confirmation before she switched off the terminal.

Shinjiro offered her a hand up. "You're actin like you've got a headache. You good, Mitsuru?" He asked as she slowly pulled herself up. "I don't think you've had to split your focus like that before."

Beside him, Yukari shuffled her feet and looked towards the bridge, hoping to spot the other juniors in their approach. It was only the bright light of the golden moon that let her catch the flash of reflective metal, making her eyes snap to a dark shape flying past the group at too fast a pace for her to fully track.

Taken aback, Yukari watched for a moment as she tried to pick out what shot past them. She couldn't track it fully, only the brief flashes of metal as whatever it was landed on the strip mall, effectively vanishing from sight. About ready to head over in that direction, Yukari stopped as Junpei and Kotone's voices called out.

She turned around and ran to them instead, yelling at them for scaring her like that.

On the roof, Miki knelt for a moment to let Chidori clamber up on her back. "Gotta go fast, so hang on," the white-haired girl commented. Chidori gave a nod of confirmation and clung to Miki's shoulders with all of her strength. "I don't know if any of them spotted me returnin, but the kid who's blueberry colored noticed it when Helen helped out in the fight." She explained as she darted to the far edge of the building.

Leaping off of it, Miki let Helen's wings snap open and soared as fast as they could, heading back in the direction that she and Chidori had come from. The air was silent apart from the steady flapping of her wings for a moment, but then Chidori cleared her throat.

"... So." She began, and the tone of her voice immediately set Miki's nerves on end. "The big man in that group? The one who noticed us arrive? He has Castor in his brain."

The statement knocked Miki off guard; Chidori's follow up question about made her drop out of the air.

"Miki … do you have brothers?"


Tori's Corner: I apologize for taking so long with this chapter! I'm nearing the very end of technician school, so I'm focusing more on my studies when I'm not at work. this ended up being a longer chapter, so I hope it makes up for it!

So fun fact! Bastet was indeed used in pervious SMT content, but mostly Devil Children/the OLD Megami Tensei titles. I brought her back for the start of Kotone's Strength Personae. Which means two of Kotone's Arcana are revealed to be Magician and Strength. She has .. four more to crop up apart from her Native Temperance.

And there's a lot of Strega content this chapter! I have many ideas that took much wrangling of brain worms to cooperate, but it's gonna be fun. Turns out going "Woe, Miki upon ye!" is a great opening for Shenanigans and character derailment. granted, Strega didn't have a whole lot beforehand, so I'm minorly going "my city now" (Atlus please give me Shadow Cry in English, I want it ...)