(?)

A second fragment has been destroyed?

Deep within a crystalline chamber, the voice echoed, distorted. Pristine white and icy blue surfaces reflected a night sky that was essentially painted to the towering vaulted ceiling, the moon peering down through a rose window in the center. No speaker was present, as eight broken pillars circled the floor, mirroring the view of the moon. A star rested in the middle of their ring, each prong pointed to one of them.

Of the broken pillars, seven of them sat dark. The one that pointed north, however, was alight with a silvery glow; the broken black mask of the strange hourglass S.E.E.S has fought only a week ago hovered over it, the remnants of its firearm flickering behind it as a dim light came from the center of the star.

But why have they started to appear again? How far apart?

The dim light eventually formed into a singular, crystalline blue eye. A faint silver halo flickered behind it for a moment, that went unnoticed by the eye as it instead shifted to look at the broken mask.

One safeguard down… The barrier should be falling soon. Perhaps not now, but within a day… or more accurately, for me, within another hour.

Shifting away from the broken mask, the eye instead took in the golden moon high overhead. It remained silent, almost mocking in the bright light it let off.

It must have been those three teenagers I saw, some time ago. The voice pondered after a moment. Time outside has moved on enough to imply they found more to help their cause. I just wish it wasn't on their shoulders. Pain entered the voice at that statement, and the halo flickered into existence once again.

Either way. If a second has been destroyed, then my time to prepare is even less. The pain was overlaid by raw determination, and the eye closed for a moment. If. if it is indeed those children I saw … how many hours - no, it's days at this point. It has been some time … perhaps close to a month. The crystal blue iris revealed itself again, and made a motion as if someone was shaking their head. That is more than enough time outside for them to gain strength.

If they come back, if they reach the second safeguard …

A heavy sigh, world weary and exhausted, bounced across the crystalline chambers for a moment after that.

The dice were already cast; the roll cannot be taken back now. The speaker sounded defeated for just a moment, before a bite of iron came back to them. The next time they reach a safeguard, I shall watch and see. I do not want them to be marching to their own graves.

With that last thought, the eye closed and vanished. The chamber around it dulled once again, the faintest echoing of two bell chimes coming from above as the golden Dark Hour moon faded away once again.


Yukari let out a small yelp, jolted awake by the loud crash of thunder outside her dorm window. It had been a few days since the train incident, but the brunette girl had found her sleep restless since. 'Stupid Shadow train …' She thought to herself, a glance at her alarm clock showing that the Dark Hour had already come and gone with a mocking 1.30am. 'Ugh … I'm gonna be dragging in class tomorrow. Let's at least see if water will do me any good.' Yukari shook her head as she got out of bed, grabbing for her slippers.

Slinking out of her room, Yukari was surprised to find that she wasn't the only one awake. Kotone was seated at the table on the floor landing, the auburn girl's hair completely down for once. She was mostly illuminated by the light of the game system in her hands, and Yukari could faintly pick out the sound of Pokémon being played.

There was still enough light for Yukari to take note of an odd bald patch on Kotone's head, the spot normally covered by her pinned up hair. Curious, she coughed into her hand to get Kotone's attention; it took a bit more effort than Yukari thought to not flinch when crimson eyes turned in her direction. And once again, the brunette girl swore she could see a faint glow to them.

"Can't sleep either?" Kotone asked, breaking Yukari out of her stunned pause.

"The storm woke me up." Yukari responded, walking forward to sit at the table with Kotone. "What about you?"

"Just couldn't sleep." Kotone shrugged, looking at her game briefly. "It happens once in a while, so I just. Have to power through." Yukari gave a nod, her eyes drifting back to the bald spot on Kotone's head. Up close, with more of the game lighting in Yukari's favor, she could see a scar cut through the thick auburn hair. It seemed to not grow properly there anymore, and Yukari had to resist the urge to reach out and touch it.

"... What happened?" She asked instead, almost without thinking. When Kotone looked at her, Yukari shyly pointed to the spot. "The scar on your head. How did you get that?"

"Oh, that." Kotone's almost nonchalant response made a knot form in Yukari's stomach. The fact that a bitter smile came on Kotone's face only made it tighter. "It's from the accident that took mine and Minato's parents." Crimson eyes briefly met honey brown, and the bitter smile dropped. "I got tired of guys in middle school trying to draw on it with sharpies, so I started covering it up. Safer than causing fights because I smacked their hands."

"What kind of accident was it?" Yukari tilted her head, the original idea to get the glass of water forgotten. It was only when Kotone flinched that the other girl realized she might have stepped over a line, and Yukari found herself stammering. "I - I mean, if it's not a problem!" She continued, a mild worry in her voice.

"Nah, you're fine," Kotone shook her head as she spoke, but Yukari still couldn't help but feel like it wasn't fine. She didn't get a chance to voice the sentiment, as Kotone kept speaking. "You know how I said that my family came to Iwatodai for a short while in 1999?" When Yukari gave a noise of confirmation, crimson eyes shifted to look at her slightly, half shut. "Yeah … it didn't end well. … hey, Yukari-chan?"

The use of her full name, after Kotone had picked up on using 'Yuka-tan' with Junpei, made Yukari jump a bit in her skin. "Y-yeah?"

"...do you know anything about the explosion that happened here, ten years ago?"

Yukari had never thought her stomach could sink and implode at the same time. "A fair bit - it was all over the news for the rest of the month into the next." She stated after a moment, voice bitter. "You … you weren't at ground zero, were you?"

"Mom was driving the car back over the Moonlight bridge to the hotel the troupe was staying at, after the show ended." Kotone's voice was flat, none of the energy Yukari was used to hearing present. "Dad was asleep in the seat next to her, and Minato was sleeping in the seat next to me in the back." a hollow laugh came out, one that was almost quieter than the cheery game music. "I was still awake and pelting her with questions, so I … saw it go off."

Crimson eyes shifted away from Yukari at that, but they didn't seem to see her game either. "I was just about to ask her another question when Mom started yelling. Don't know if it was her, the sound of the explosion, or the bright light that woke Dad up, but he was yelling as well. Minato had only just started to wake up when shit started flying as the concussive wave hit, and the last I can fully recall from it was shoving him away from his seat because something came flying for the windshield."

A sigh followed. "After that … I only recall little bits and pieces, and then I was waking up in the hospital." Kotone's voice was still far too flat, and it unsettled Yukari.

"... Your parents …?" She dared to ask, voice shaky.

"Mom's casket was closed, and I didn't want to look into Dad's." Kotone shook her head. "The hospital said it was the concussive wave that killed them. I always took their word for it, because neither Minato or I can remember more than flashes." At that, one of her hands lifted to tap at the scar in her hairline. "As far as I know, this came from debris hitting me, and probably what caused my eye color to change."

Now that was a surprise, and it made Yukari blink. "... They weren't always red?"

"Nope-used to be blue-grey like Minato's." Kotone gave a small laugh. "It took a bit to get used to seeing myself in a mirror after the change happened, I won't lie." A bit more of her usual spark seemed to have return, but Yukari wondered how much of it was an act. "But, yeah … Minato and I got taken in by very close family friends after the fact, but … it didn't last." She shook her head again.

Yukari couldn't bring herself to ask, not with the distant rumble of the thunderstorm outside. "And you two made your way back here to the school…" She said instead, staring at the table they were seated at. "...Are you sure you're okay with it all?"

"Narumi High was a very boring place. I don't miss it." Kotone responded almost automatically, and Yukari swore she heard a current of aggression in the other girl's voice at the mention of the other school. A more genuine smile came on her face after that, though. "Plus well, all the monster slaying aside, Iwatodai and Gekkoukan haven't been super bad. Or maybe I just got lucky to make friends as fast as I did."

"I mean … that's good, at least?" Yukari offered a shaky smile. "I do wonder if everything's okay with you being in a separate classroom, but if you say you're okay…"

Kotone gave a nod. "Yeah - honestly, I'd be more suspicious if all of us were in the same homeroom." She said, laughing slightly. "I can only suspend my disbelief so much that things were arranged some ways, y'know?"

Yukari laughed quietly at that, but nodded. "Yeah, that would have been a bit too much." She agreed, her words followed by a yawn. "... Man, I meant to get a glass of water…"

"Sorry, sorry." Kotone gave a small laugh, then blinked and shook her head. "I lost track of time myself; should probably attempt to sleep …" She said with a sigh, snapping the game system shut. "Akihiko-senpai was saying he'd be good to go to Tartarus, and I think we could all use a break from studying for midterms tonight."

At that, Yukari arched an eyebrow. "Even Junpei?"

"...Okay, he could use a break from studying and Ken's flawless aim with a nerf gun." Kotone laughed again, standing up. "I hope you get a bit more sleep, Yuka-tan." She said before she walked back down to her room, feet quiet. Yukari watched the other girl slip into her room, auburn hair stark in the gloom.

Once she was gone, and Yukari was free to sneak her way downstairs, the brunette girl thought about the conversation as she chewed on her lip. '... I didn't think they had any connections to that. But from the way Kotone-chan was talking …' She thought, a hand gripping the edge of her nightshirt. '... I've got to poke around more, but I haven't had any luck so far … Do I want to pull them into this mess even more than they already are? If the explosion claimed their parents already …'

Shaking her head, Yukari yawned quietly as she slunk past the second floor. '... Worry about it tomorrow. Or after midterms. For now, water and bed.' With the decision in mind, she let her thoughts quiet down as she went to do just that.


The following day of school passed with minimal excitement, and Akihiko was in good spirits when the final bell of class rang. His ribs were fully healed, and while there had been emphasis on light exercise, the silver-haired teen was eager to get into Tartarus. 'The real challenge will be convincing Mitsuru to let us take a night off from studying to go…' He thought, letting it direct him to where he knew Mitsuru's classroom was.

She wasn't present, and to Akihiko's admitted surprise, wasn't in the Student council room either. 'I know she's not at fencing-they've already put the midterm pause on those.' Akihiko thought to himself, humming in his confusion as he made his way down to the first floor.

Mitsuru finally came into view just outside the science lab, Minato in front of her. The junior was shaking his head with a small frown, but whatever they had been discussing seemed to have concluded; Akihiko only caught a "I'm flattered by your high opinion of my skills though, Mitsuru-senpai. I'll see you at the dorm." before Minato gave a polite bow and left, disappearing into the mingling students by the shoe lockers with surprising ease.

Eyebrow cocked, Akihiko walked forward and gave a light cough into his hand. "Something up?" he asked Mitsuru when she turned to look at him. Mitsuru's expression seemed unusually surprised, and it made Akihiko's other eyebrow raise as he waited for her to regain her composure.

"...I suppose that is a good way to phrase it." Mitsuru finally sighed out, shaking her head. She began to leave after that, but Akihiko knew her decently enough after two years to simply follow her. Knowing Mitsuru, it was something she didn't feel comfortable discussing on school grounds.

The hunch proved correct, as they had left the school and were almost on the monorail when Mitsuru spoke up next. "I don't suppose you know about the state of the student council's files, do you?" She asked Akihiko, looking at him.

"Just to the extent that the last President made a big enough mess we didn't get our class trip," Akihiko admitted, slinging his coat and bag over his shoulder. "Is that only the start of it?"

"More of the constant state of affairs," Mitsuru frowned as she spoke. "It's been taking a great deal of work to get through it all, and even with assistance from Fushimi, I'm afraid it will take me a few more weeks to sort through it all." she shook her head as they waited for the monorail doors to open. "I had the thought to approach Minato-san to ask him for assistance, but …"

"He said no." Akihiko gave a nod, understanding. "I showed up in time for that bit, at least." Letting Mitsuru get on the train ahead of him, the silver-haired teen cocked his head in curiousity. "Did he give any reasons?"

"Yes; he stated that he didn't feel like it was fair for a transfer student who's only been here for a month to get on the council." Mitsuru said as she sat, Akihiko opting to remain standing beside her. He could still see the confusion in her carmine eyes. "He even went so far as to point out that the voting had already passed, and that he didn't feel as though he knew the school well enough to give meaningful opinions."

"I mean, he's not wrong," Akihiko nodded his head, and met Mitsuru's exasperated look with a confused one. "He's not! And from what little bit I overheard, didn't have any malice behind that sort of thought process." Silver eyes narrowed for a moment. "... You did ask him first without trying to strongarm him into it with teachers, right?"

"No. If I tried that, Shinjiro would have found out first." Mitsuru shook her head. "I wouldn't hear the end of it from him, not after the ruckus he caused when I recruited you into S.E.E.S." A sigh followed those words. "How he gets word from the faculty as fast as he does still baffles me."

"It helps that he knows how to talk to them." Akihiko laughed. "One day we'll get to introduce you to Asami." At Mitsuru's wary look, Akihiko laughed again. "Hey, she's nowhere near as eccentric as Katsu! Her friends, on the other hand …" He tapered off as Mitsuru shook her head with a sigh. "College professors are generally that eccentric, Mitsuru; at least we're getting a heads up."

"A small blessing, at least." Mitsuru admitted, settling back into her seat. Akihiko let a comfortable silence fall for a few moments, having not spotted any of the 'fanclub' following him onto the train. Five minutes passed before Mitsuru shifted again. "Akihiko, what do you think of them?" She asked, carmine eyes flicking up to his face. "The juniors, I mean."

Akihiko hummed at that, thinking. "They're adjusting well, at least." He admitted, not sure where to start. "I haven't talked much to Junpei, but baseball and boxing aren't exactly in the same part of the athletics building. Not much of a study ethic, but … I think Ken might have persuaded him to fix that." Laughing at Mitsuru's exasperated look, Akihiko tapped his fingers on the handrail for a moment. "I've only talked with Yukari a bit too, but she does seem to be more relaxed with more juniors present. You'd have to ask Shinji for something more than that."

"As for the twins …" Akihiko sighed, biting back an instinctive wince at the words. "I've only had a few talks one on one with Minato, but from what I got out of him? Him turning down your offer is consistent. Doesn't seem to have a mean bone in his body just … kinda awkward about approaching people." Pausing to exit the monorail as it slid into Iwatodai station, Akihiko resumed speaking when he and Mitsuru were walking again. "I've talked with Kotone the most, honestly; she's … interesting? Loud and excited, yeah, but there's a current of intense awareness underneath that. She seems to be getting along well in kendo too."

Stretching his arms over his head, Akihiko nodded to Mitsuru. "What about you, then? Do you have thoughts?"

Mitsuru's responding silence spoke volumes.

Lowering his arms with a sigh, Akihiko shook his head. "Haven't talked to them at all, huh." He stated, and was answered with a sharp glower. It didn't last, however, and Mitsuru looked forward again.

"...Apart from when Kotone-san was … expressing her frustrations at conduct back in April, I cannot say that I have." She admitted after a long moment. "I have my opinions on them through their actions in Tartarus and the previous monorail debacle, but not much else. Takeba in particular seems … evasive."

"Really?" Akihiko scratched his head at that statement. "I didn't get that impression from her at all." About ready to continue the train of thought, he paused when the ping in the corner of his head abrutply came back. Without thinking, he turned to look in the direction it was coming from.

It was a residential road, one Akihiko hadn't thought to look down before. Pausing mid stride, he looked down it, trying to see if anything was out of place. Mitsuru continued a pace before she noticed and stopped herself, looking at him. "Akihiko?"

"... That weird ping is back again." Akihiko commented, frowning. "...I'm gonna follow it a bit." Not waiting for Mitsuru to respond, he began to walk down the road. Mitsuru didn't hesitate in following him, although he could tell she was wary about the direction he was going.

About fifteen minutes passed before Akihiko stopped, frowning. The ping was still there, but to his confusion … the road simply ended. "... That's … What?"

"There should be a building here." Mitsuru confirmed as she stood next to him, carmine eyes narrowed on what looked like an empty property plot. "I haven't seen any construction equipment on this road, nor heard about any building demolition being scheduled. So where …?"

"Do you think someone's hiding something?" Akihiko asked, even as he stepped forward. His advance was short lived, however, as a pane of energy rippled into existence two steps in front of him. "!?" coming to a dead stop, the senior reached forward with a gloved hand to tap the energy, oblivious to Mitsuru calling out at him.

A jolt of energy Akihiko couldn't accurately describe shot through his arm, nerves screaming as he jerked back and away from it. "W - what the?!" He stammered, shaking the hand he had used to poke what he now realized was a barrier. Beside him, Mitsuru stared at the spot he had just been. Carmine eyes narrowed, and despite her efforts, all that she could perceive was what she was now certain was a barrier.

"... It's not the same as what was inside Tartarus." She finally concluded, Akihiko still wringing his hand a bit. "If it weren't the middle of the day, I'd make an attempt to breach it."

"Y'sure that's wise?" Akihiko asked instead, frowning. "Whatever I'm pinging is still there. And if it's what threw up this barrier … We might have to get the others to even punch through. And who knows what it is, to hide a full house."

"On top of eluding Penthesilea's awareness, even at such close range." Mitsuru sighed, although her voice was bitter. "... We have many combatants, but I feel as though I'm reaching the limit of Penthesilea's support capabilities. And we've had no luck with locating a rear-line supporter…"

"Ikutsuki-san still having trouble?" Akihiko asked, doing his best to ignore the ping in his head. At Mitsuru's nod, he hummed. "It might be a stretch, but do you think one of the twins might be able to call up a scanner? With how many Minato in particular can call out, I wouldn't be surprised."

"If he can, then I shall have to see its comparative power to Penthesilea." Mitsuru admitted, still looking at the barrier that hid an entire building. "As for this building and whatever is shielding it … !?" Her statement was cut off as she watched a cat bound past them, unbothered by the barrier, to sit on a porch railing neither teenager could see. "... It's … what?"

"... It's designed to keep us out." Akihiko surmised, frowning. "Whoever put this up seems to know how Personas work; we might not be able to break through it even with everyone here."

"Quite likely." A growl came to Mitsuru's voice, and she straightened her back a bit. She watched the cat as it walked on the invisible railing to paw at the door, meowing. "... Although, now that we've brought up the barrier in Tartarus …"

Akihiko looked at her, his hand no longer tingling. "Did you want to have a run?"

"The juniors were antsy last night." Mitsuru said simply, trying to reign in her frustrations at present. "I believe we could all do with some exercise tonight … but after that, no more Tartarus until after Midterms."

"Heh, I can agree to that." Akihiko laughed, turning around with Mitsuru to walk away. "I've been waiting to see what they're capable of in person." Not deterred by Mitsuru's exasperated sigh, Akihiko did what he could to ignore the ping in his brain.

Both of them were out of the invisible house's line of sight for only a moment when the door opened up, and Miki poked her head out. She tilted her head once, then the other way; after not hearing anything, she merely shrugged and put down the bowl of raw chicken in her hand for the cat to eat. With that, she went back inside once again.


Minato shifted on his feet as S.E.E.S assembled in Tartarus's lobby that night, grey-blue eyes taking stock of everyone as they assembled. Kotone seemed to have popped into the Velvet Room, if the weird sensation of spatial limbo Minato could feel coming from the blue door was any indication. Nobody else in S.E.E.S could perceive the door, let alone interact with it; Minato found that a bit more disconcerting, even as Igor had explained that the Velvet Room was Invitation Only.

Nearby, Junpei was leaning on his kanabo, watching Mitsuru as she fussed more with her terminal. He was being quiet, but from the way his mouth twitched on occasion, it was a bit of a battle. 'He might be curious as to how it works. I know I am, honestly.' Minato thought as he shifted his gaze to Yukari, who sat on the stairs leading up into Tartarus.

She wasn't looking at the other juniors or Mitsuru, instead opting to stare at Akihiko as the senior began to fasten reenforced gloves on his hands. "...Is that really all you're going to be using, Akihiko-senpai?" She asked, worry in her voice.

To his credit, Akihiko offered Yukari a reassuring smile. "Yeah - I can get in and out quickly, so provided Shinji keeps them focused on him? I really don't need much else." At that, the smile gained a slightly feral edge. "Besides, I've been on the bench for about a month. I need to get moving again."

Behind him, Shinjiro let out a sigh of what Minato assumed was exhaustion. "If you get too far ahead of me, I'm buying a child leash." He stated flatly, tying his hair up. When Akihiko turned to give him an offended look, Shinjiro met it squarely. "You know I'm serious about that, Aki."

"I ran ahead of you one time -"

"And about got ran over by a lion-faced wheel Shadow." Shinjiro shook his head. "Forgive me for worrying about your survival tendencies."

Akihiko didn't respond to the counter, instead shaking his head silently as Kotone exited the Velvet Room. Instead, the silver-haired teen turned to look at Mitsuru. "So, how's the barrier situation?"

Mitsuru took a moment to respond. "... There's some activity on the floor that the barrier was on, but I cannot tell exactly what from here." She said, lifting her head to look at the entrance to the proper labyrinth. "If you are all prepared to head upward into the tower, I do request you exercise as much caution as possible."

"Can do." Kotone nodded, walking past Mitsuru towards the terminal. The auburn had a steady hand on her naginata, a trait that Minato still found odd. He knew his twin; she was good with a hockey stick, it was true, but there was still something … off about her having taken to a blade as easily as she did.

'I'll have to talk with her about that at some point,' Minato thought to himself as the group began to file onto the terminal. There was the familiar rush, and the blue-haired teen shook his head as the bizarre minty spell that came with the teleportation wafted around him. "... Maybe I should ask Ken-san if I can borrow one of his books …" He said aloud, squinting at the terminal as he stepped off it. "These things are too consistently minty for it to be coincidence."

Junpei stared at him for a moment, but watched as Yukari arrived. "...yeah, that does smell minty!" he agreed, face even more confused than his voice. "Weird…"

"Oh, good, so I wasn't imagining that!" Yukari said. "I noticed it a few times, but I figured it was just me being tired…"

Akihiko gave them a befuddled look. "That's a very specific thing to notice."

[Focus, please,] Mitsuru interjected. [Is there any activity that you can see on the floor around you?]

At the front of the group, Shinjiro shifted his axe onto his shoulder as he and Kotone looked around. "...there's no Shadows up here, but the Barrier …" The brunet senior began, and the group's collective attention shifted to the barrier in question.

The silver and blue stained glass of the barrier was as stark against Tartarus's gloom as it had been the first time. Now that they had a moment to look at it properly, though, Minato noticed with interest that there was indeed an actual design on it. The silhouette of a new moon stood out the most, dark blues rimmed in a white halo. Scattered silver feathers from a severed white wing hovered around the new moon, and white and silver fire licked at the 'corners' of the barrier.

As S.E.E.S watched, golden light flared around the edge of the moon. A halo flashed into view for a heartbeat, and the wing portion of the design vanished. The golden light then spread across the various pieces of stained glass, and as it grew too bright to look at, a very faint voice was heard.

man clings to a dim hope …

When Minato was next able to lift his head, the barrier was gone.

Akihiko was the next person to speak. "... Well, I think it's safe to say we can go further up." He nodded to the ascending stairs. "Picking anything up, Mitsuru?"

Mitsuru took a moment to respond, and Minato noticed with interest that she seemed disoriented. [ … No. Whatever dispelled that barrier was too swift for me to ascertain if it was a threat or not.] She finally said. [But proceed with the investigation. I will provide what support I can.]

Kotone let out a noise of agreement, and gave a nod to Shinjiro. "You want to go first, or should I?"

"You have longer reach, Firecracker." Shinjiro responded. "Point the Shadows out, I'll just smash them."

Behind them, Akihiko let out an amused snort, making Minato look at him as the group began to climb up the stairs. Noticing, the silver-haired teen fell into step with him. "Do you know why Shinji calls your sister that?" He asked, keeping his voice low.

Minato shook his head. "Nope. it's accurate though." He admitted, watching his sister for a second. "She's always been like this. It's admirable, really."

"Heh." Akihiko gave an agreeing nod, although Minato noticed a flash of pain go through storm-grey eyes. "Still, if she's already gotten a nickname out of him, Shinji likes her." He continued, voice deflecting any questions that Minato could have asked. "I've gotta prod him about why keeps using it around her, though."

"Well, it certainly gets her attention." Minato mused. "I suspect she'll return fire in due time, but is waiting for the right moment to surprise him with it."

Akihiko's muffled snickers made a smile twitch up one corner of Minato's mouth, but their conversation paused as they entered a patch of darkness. Unearthly violet lanterns hung far overhead, and S.E.E.S gathered into a tighter cluster as the floor beneath them shifted in both color and texture.

They had entered a new segment of Tartarus.

The seventeenth floor was vastly different from the ones before it; the green-tinted aqueducts had warped into dark violet fortress walls, chapel-like windows letting in patches of eerie green lighting. Various violet lanterns were built into the walls as well, illuminating a pale, skull-patterned floor with almost chitinous tiling. It even let out an unsettling clattering noise as the distant Shadows moved, as if a centipede patrolled the halls instead.

Yukari's shudder of disgust was visible. "I don't like this at all." She said, clearly suppressing a quaver.

Kotone looked around, crimson eyes a sharp contrast. "How's the reception in here, Mitsuru-senpai?" She asked, remembering how distant the older teen had sounded during the monorail debacle.

[... I can barely detect you all.] The admittance was far more bitter than Kotone expected. [This seems to be the outer fringes of my range. Even if it is repetitive of me to say this yet again, please exercise caution. Do not split up unless absolutely necessary.]

Akihiko and Shinjiro shared a look, both senior boys nodding after a moment. "Well, it seems that the fun and games ends here." Akihiko said to the others, rolling his shoulders as his expression went from casual to an almost frightening degree of focused. Shinjiro was only slightly less intense, although Minato wagered it was because the brunet already had an intimidating bearing.

Junpei just gave Akihiko a confused look; Yukari settled for mildly horrified. 'This is FUN!?' She thought to herself, slinking closer to Kotone on impulse. The auburn noticed, and gave her a knowing nod. She seemed at least more focused on scouting the area, gaze never staying still as they began to settle into a formation.

Minato silently took up the rear, mentally shuffling the six Personae that whispered in different corners of his brain until Orpheus was the loudest. Something about the marionette felt … stronger than it had previously. Either way, he was on alert as the group slowly began to move.

The first pack of Shadows wasn't prepared for the group, especially not the speed that Kotone slammed into one with. It was one of a pack of four strange red and blue scales, and the violence quickly escalated. Akihiko wasted less time getting into the fray than Kotone, and Minato was bemused to see that the senior's Persona was indeed a white-clad twin to Shinjiro's.

'Them having the Gemini really says volumes.' Minato noted to himself, watching as Pollux smote one of the scales with a flash of indigo lightning. 'Akihiko-senpai seems more magically inclined than Shinjiro-senpai to boot. They probably cover one another's weaknesses very well.'

The first encounter didn't last long, but it was enough to alert the other Shadows on the floor. More than once, Minato was grateful they had such a large group, as it made it easier to keep even pacing with the Shadows.

As such, they were able to reach the next floor with relative ease, and the floor after that. Kotone managed to call a third Persona from Makaria's urn on the last 'pull' before they climbed the stairs to the twentieth floor; it was a Kodama, the green tree spirit floating idly before fading into the mist as they made it onto the stairs.

"It's interesting that you two don't seem to have any overlap with the multiple Personae situation." Akihiko noted as they ascended. "But, is it easy to keep track of them all?"

Minato made a so-so gesture with his hands. "I've always been a bit better about taking notes, so the shuffling is more of a habit for me than it might be for most people." Kotone gave a shrug in response, walking backwards up the stairs so she was still in the lead.

"Honestly, my brain is just registering the new ones I'm getting as like … Pokémon?" She admitted after a moment. "The fact that they all seem to pop out of Makaria's urn when I first get them really helps with that."

Nearby, Junpei let out a hum. "Any idea of how common that sorta thing is?" He asked. "I don't think I could handle much more than Hermes in my brain…"

"Same here, really." Yukari agreed. When both Minato and Kotone shrugged in unison, the brunette sighed and looked at the seniors. "Do either of you have any ideas?" Akihiko gave a shake of his head, but Minato noticed with interest that he snuck a sideways glance at Shinjiro.

Shinjiro was still walking forward, so Minato couldn't see his face when he spoke. "Honestly, I try to not think about how deep these rabbit holes go." Shinjiro said after a long moment, pausing at the top of the staircase. "There's a lot of shitty implications behind Personae as a whole, so I'd rather not worry about it too much. Not when we have this massive problem-" he rapped the flat of his axe against the Tartarus wall for emphasis as he spoke "-to focus on instead. And potentially more of those fuckin massive bastards like the Ghost Train and whatever the fuck attacked the dorm."

[A practical choice.] Mitsuru confirmed, her voice barely above a stage whisper. [Ikutsuki-san is looking into the matter of multiple Personae on the side, but … he has many things he needs to focus on. It might be a while before we have an answer on this particular topic.]

Minato nodded, even knowing Mitsuru couldn't see him. "That's understandable." He said, only to pause as he reached the twentieth floor proper and something made the hairs on his nape stand on end. "... I don't like this floor." He said after a moment, shuffling to a spot that gave him as full of a view as he could muster.

Junpei was the next one who took notice. "... This floor doesn't sound right."

Kotone's crimson eyes narrowed. "There is no sound on this floor."

Her words echoed in the silent halls, deafening in the stillness. Beside her, Yukari shuddered and pulled an arrow free of her quiver. Both Akihiko and Shinjiro seemed even more alert than before, the seniors both looking around. "... This is a Shadow nest." Akihiko said aloud, almost as if he was puzzling through the conundrum in real time. "Why would an entire floor be empty?"

"Let's not stay and find out." Shinjiro responded, both hands on his axe. "If it's something that can spook Shadows, I would rather not wake it up."

His statement made Yukari flinch a bit, and it took a lot to not look at Minato. She still remembered the coffin-shrouded figure that had torn apart the first oversized Shadow. She didn't want to see if there was a second one of it.

[The floor appears to be straightforward enough.] Mitsuru's tone carried an even sterner tone when she spoke next. [I cannot quite tell what, but there is something unsettling on this floor. Hurry.]

Kotone glanced back at Minato. "I think we're gonna be sprinting, Minato." She said, worry in her voice. Minato just gave a nod before putting the sword in his hand away in favor of hopping onto his sister's back. "Whoof-! Let's hold off on Hagakure for a bit this week." Kotone laughed quietly as she steadied herself.

"Swim club takes a lot of energy." Minato replied in an equally quiet, deadpan voice. "Give me another month and I'll be able to keep pace without collapsing in exhaustion."

"I'll get you curry when that happens." Kotone said as she made sure Minato was settled before starting to sprint down the hallway, somehow keeping her balance and momentum despite the additional weight. Neither twin noticed the way Akihiko spluttered, nor that Yukari and Junpei took off after them as fast as they could.

In the rear, Shinjiro's eyes narrowed. "...Aki, something's up with Firecracker." He commented as the two of them began to dart along as well. "I've noticed it in kendo too."

"Has it caused problems?" Akihiko asked as they chased after the juniors. While Shinjiro was slower than his best friend, his greater height let him make up the difference easily. The brunet also shook his head in response to Akihiko's comment.

"Not yet, no." He said. "But … if they can casually do this? There's a bit more than Makaria being a physically inclined Persona in play here."

"Absolutely. But … what?"

Shinjiro opened his mouth to respond to Akihiko's question, only to stop as a new sound crashed into awareness. Metallic clattering rebounded from a side hallway, and a glance down the way showed that it ended in a T-section.

However, something stood between them and the ominous lilac skull that marked said T-sections.

At their distance, Shinjiro could only make out a towering blackish shape with a white blob on top; it seemed to be dual-wielding weapons he couldn't make out. Not until the object in the shape's right hand was pointed in his and Akihiko's direction.

Neither senior was quite certain which one of them let out the string of profanities, or who all heard it as the crack of a gunshot ricocheted off the previously silent walls. A second gunshot came on the heels of the first, and it was enough to make Yukari come to a halt as she looked behind her. "Don't stand like that!" Akihiko yelled, the sound of rattling chains undercutting his words.

Shinjiro opted not to respond, sprinting as much as he could; instead, he scooped Yukari up under an arm mid stride. "Keep fucking moving!" He bellowed, a rarity with him. Kotone didn't seem to need encouragement, somehow managing to go faster. Minato turned from his spot on her back and made a flinging motion; the familiar flash of light that S.E.E.S had come to associate with Cadenza covering all of them as a metaphorical second wind gave them greater pace.

A third gunshot went off, and Shinjiro would later swear it was luck that he was able to deflect it with his axe. A shriek that sounded more akin to glass on a chalkboard was the response, but he didn't look back to see what the bullet had hit as the stairs came into sight. Without thought, the group scrambled up the stairs, not stopping until the lanterns from the floor below were out of sight. Pausing, they fell into a tense silence as the rattling chains came to a halt right at the start of the stairs.

The shooter was a Shadow, far larger than the others they had encountered in Tartarus. The white blob that served as its head was a bloodstained sack, the dried color spreading down onto the tattered collar of a black duster. Chains looped around its torso, and guns with barrels as long as Minato was tall came into focus as the shape stalked around the stairs.

"PReY GOne?" it said in a dissonant voice, emphasis on all of the wrong syllables. "wHEre dId prEY gO? pREy nEEds to scREam! pRey shOULd nOT BE heRe!"

Nobody in S.E.E.S dared to breathe, although Kotone could feel Minato's nails dig into her shoulders as they froze. Junpei and Akihiko had managed to cram themselves onto the same step, the silver-haired senior looking at the shape with his Evoker drawn. Shinjiro was the furthest down, Yukari set down on the steps behind him; she gripped her bow tightly enough that Minato was worried it would snap in her hands.

Below them, the towering Shadow made another two loops around the base of the stairs. Its sole gold eye burned from a hole in the sack, furiously hunting for the teenagers. "Prey nEEdS to LEave! mE wANT pReY tO gO!" it raved again after the second loop, voice elevating to a shriek of rending steel. "dId pREy gO doWn tHe oTHeR hAllwaY? HalLWaY nOT saVe prEy!"

Turning about, still raving, the Shadow left the stairway. It wasn't until the rattling chains had completely faded from hearing that any of S.E.E.S relaxed; Junpei fell against the stairs behind him, a low pitched 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa' escaping his mouth.

"Agreed." Minato nodded at him as he slipped off of Kotone's back, his hands and knees shaking. "I … would like to put a few more floors between us and whatever the fuck that was." the rare profanity made Kotone nod her agreement, the auburn panting quietly as she continued to stare down the steps.

"... Mitsuru, could you tell anything about 'whatever the fuck that was'?" She asked, the grip on her naginata only slightly lessened.

[Shinjiro had the right sentiment of not engaging it in combat.] Mitsuru began, her voice quavering slightly. [That Shadow was far beyond even the one behind the Ghost Train on Sunday.]

"So in theory, I should have lost an arm from blocking the shot." Shinjiro grumbled, hefting his axe to examine it. "... Damn thing isn't even dented."

[I'm beyond grateful that was not the case.] Mitsuru interjected. [With that said, if that thing is the weakest Shadow under the Death Arcana, I … do not want to see ones higher up the metaphorical food chain.]

That statement made Yukari's head lift, remembering what she had read in the strange log. "...What does it mean if it's the Death Arcana?" she asked, voice tight with worry.

[...I am uncertain, to be honest.] Mitsuru's sigh echoed for a moment. [The way Shadows and Personae are classified is more Ikutsuki-san's field. We will have to ask him the next time he is at the dorm.] Something about her answer felt evasive, but Yukari wasn't in the mood to press it.

Another tense silence fell before Mitsuru spoke up again. [I can faintly make out a stronger presence about four floors above you, but not as harrowing as the encounter you just escaped. If you would all rather call it a night now, however, I understand.]

"I vote we go punch whatever that is in the teeth." Junpei raised his hand, but didn't move from where he was laying on the stairs. "This place shuffles the floors every day, I don't wanna risk RNG deciding to plonk us in that thing's way again before we get to the next set floor."

"Agreed." Akihiko nodded, and Minato gave a hum of agreement. Kotone paused for a moment, looking at Yukari and Shinjiro. Yukari met her gaze after a moment.

"Junpei does make sense," Yukari said after a moment, sighing. "And we're going to be taking a break until after midterms, after tonight."

Shinjiro took longer to respond, but he hefted his axe back onto his shoulders all the same. "Then let's get going. We've probably only got half the Dark Hour left at most."

"Then yeah, let's at least get up there and activate the Mint Zone if nothing else." Kotone agreed, her choice of words wringing a snort out of Junpei.

Nothing else was said as the group picked themselves up to move again, but Kotone let her gaze linger on the previous floor for a moment.

'... I don't like the implications of Tartarus having a bouncer.' She thought, moving up the stairs at last. 'It makes this place feel even more wrong; what the hell made it even appear?'

As she thought that, a presence other than Makaria shifted deep inside her brain for the first time in eight years. It was brief, like someone rolling over in bed, but it was still movement.

Kotone paused, waiting; when no further movement came, she opted to sigh internally as S.E.E.S continued their investigation.


Tori's notes: The fact that mint was sacred to Hades is a fun - if somewhat obscure - mythological fact that amuses me to bits.

So! here's the next chapter! all sorts of things are going on, and while Reaper wasn't my original intention for the Tartarus run, I like how it ended up flowing and scrapped the original idea. Same with the bit with Akihiko and Mitsuru before that, but I also love doing all this character fluff.

Don't worry about Kotone, I'm sure she's fine-