War Arc:

Chapter 37: The Revelation

24/11/2012(Saturday) – The realm of consciousness and unconsciousness of all soul
(6 days before War's arrival)

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."

-H.P. Lovecraft

Philemon stood firmly at the center of the astral dungeon as Father Time circled around him in clock-wise, quoting the famous words from the great author of the cosmic horror of the 20th century. The time god paused in front of him, facing him with a curious gaze.

"What, in your opinion with your experiences, is the most powerful emotion?" Father Time questioned him, "Or do you perhaps agree with this quote? If you disagree, what is it that could surpass this emotion?"

Philemon folded his arms, averting his right side away from Father Time's perceptive stare. The right half of his blue mask had already broken to expose half of his face, while the cracks on the left mask were spreading bit by bit. His smile was no more, his dark outfit began to lose color, just as his power seemly weakening.

"My, my, my… Is it that soon?" Father Time could only watch in sympathy over the slowly crumbling figure of butterflies. He took another observation around the open dungeon as he walked counter-clockwise around Philemon. The supposedly massive dungeon was reduced to a land with size of a living room, leaving nothing but broken pieces of dungeon floating around the spectrum space. Philemon avoided Father Time's stare again as the time god finished his circle, then he once again paused in front of him.

"Where's my answer, Philemon?" Voice of Jun Kashihara began to twist, revealing a deep intonation similar to an elderly man. Philemon released both arms and locked it behind him, overlooking the state of the fallen realm.

"Nothing," Philemon answered, "To stay emotionless is ironically the most powerful emotion itself. Absolutely no pain, no sorrow, no joy, no regret, no resolve, and most certainly the furthest thing from love and hope. But if, for argument sake, I'm to select the emotion that dangerously feeds on humanity's most secretive desire that should never be surfaced, then certainly I cannot disagree with that statement. And that is why, Father Time, out of all the gods and deities, you are the one I wish to pass on my power."

"Don't ever say that again," Father Time forced his words, "After everything you've done for them, you choose to walk away from your duty because you still fear him? My, my, my, it's been eons, for goodness' sake! The moment you exist in the outermost of humanity's consciousness, you were free from the curse of the unknown!"

"But that's exactly what lead to Nyarlathotep. I'm not passing this duty to you because I wished to walk away, I did this to ensure the safety of the Archetype of Bond if anything were to happen to me. You have seen the power of War, you should know more than anyone who shall be targeted."

"Let's be rational, Philemon. I'm not you who have guided them to victory again and again," Father Time retaliated, "Besides, you do realize Tatsuya Suou is targeted as well. As the matter of fact, you know about him? I can't guarantee a victory, especially not from the 'sun'. Live, Philemon, for your doom is the doom to all of us. The Great War was enough apocalypse for us. We both know none of them capable of victory against the second strongest of the Four Horsemen."

Father Time left the realm with a sour expression. Philemon, on the other hand, formed a small orb in his hand. Through the glass of the orb, he gazed down on the great city of Sumaru, at the same time counting down to the moment the Friday of War shall bring havoc to the world.

Tatsuya Suou

Clear Sky - Early Morning – 24/11/2012(Saturday) – Hidden Alley, Sumaru City
(6 days before War's arrival)

A group of people was walking down the lonely alley, holding a few suitcases. Wearing a hood and dark clothing, they motioned themselves cautiously along the narrowed but smoky road, until they finally stopped when they saw another group at the opposite alley, seemly waiting impatiently for them. While the first group was seemly tall and strong, the waiting group were superior with their mask designed with a black and white palette.

"Do you have the money?" The leader of the masked group asked.

"Every penny of it," The leader of the hooded group responded with a low voice after searching the back and the front of the straight alley.

"You were not followed, yes?"

"I don't think we did."

"Then let's get down to business."

The hooded group gathered the suitcases and revealed the huge sum of money inside. The masked group nodded before they took out their own suitcase and gently placed it on the ground.

"One shot per day, no more, no less. Do as agreed."

The suitcase was opened, revealing a few bottles tied together with a syringe, placed neatly in the red cushion inside. However, the representative of the hooded group stepped forward, seemingly disagreeing.

"How can I know this one is the real deal? I've never seen one before. It might be tank water filtered with color inside."

The masked group seemed offended by such accusation that their murmur was heard loudly. The leader was quick in silencing them and dispersing the bad atmosphere.

"Go ahead, have a look," The masked leader said, "You may take the first shot if you want. Trust me, you feel nothing but blessed."

The leader of the hooded group, after being taunted, gently bent down to grab the bottle. But just before the hand reached the bottle, another hand grabbed the very hand, which belonged to the masked leader.

"You had awfully beautiful fingers, miss," The masked leader taunted, "I never get a good look at your face. How about you removed the hood? Unless… you're with the cops?"

The sound of gun clicking was heard. A handgun was aimed at the crouching figure's head by the masked leader as the only one in the team with the firearm, with his hand still tightly grabbing the 'stranger's hand. The rest of the masked figure took out their knife as they watched the rest of the hooded group remained motionless. They had escaped traps in the past, but they failed to see that it was the biggest trap.

"Let me ask you something," The hooded leader said with a slight humorous pitch, "Have you heard of the "Suou Devils"?"

"...No way," The masked leader's hand began to shake, "The detective brothers that rule this city? Don't tell me you're with-"

Before he could finish his sentence, his handgun was already disarmed and the hand that grabbed the mysterious stranger was being twisted as his face was barred on the ground. The leader's hood was removed just as she introduced herself, "Say hello to the Right Hand of Suou Devils."

Shiori Miyashiro, the Right Hand of Suou Devils as well as the chief assistant of both Suou brothers, was standing tall with her hand locking the joint of the fallen masked leader. The rest of the hooded member of her group revealed their identities as the secret police in a bulletproof vest, armed with guns and prepared the warning shot to the rest of the panicked masked group.

"You're all under arrest!" Shiori shouted, "Cease your movement and put your hands behind your back!"

Some of the masked members obeyed, but the rest of them made a stand to escape in the opposite direction. Shiori didn't stop them, as someone else was already waiting at the end of the alley. One-half of the Suou Devils was standing casually in the way with his hands in his pockets and his black sunglasses masking his burning eyes. It was Katsuya Suou, the head chief of the police department and the top detectives of Sumaru City.

"Crap! Turn back!"

But when the rest of the team turned their back to the woman with her team, another man came out from her back, and they buried their plan to escape in instant. It was the other half of the Suou Devils, the second in command of the force, standing straight with his hand playing with his lighter. Tatsuya Suou, the detective that rivaled his brother in the city, stood bored as he gave his warning.

"Look, I got a lot of things to do, paper works to sign, so I might be in a bad mood these few days. That's why I'm going to be brief. Surrender, or I'll force you."

OPERATION: SUCCESS.

After failing to gather data for the past few days, Tatsuya and Katsuya managed to track down the lead to the mysterious group that arose silently out of nowhere. They agreed that reaching for Baofu and Ulala's call, the masters at finding lost people, was the better choice than sending man after man to track the invisible group down. It was a bit too late to stop the group from vandalizing the streets, robbing banks, kidnapping people and more. But when an intel about their deals with some 'drugs' was exposed, the Suou Devils wasted no time to lay down the trap and ambushed them.

Tatsuya watched carefully as the police handcuffed each one of them. The masks on them gave away the mastermind behind the serial crimes. He paused the operators from carrying the leader away, then he wasted no time to remove the mask as he approached the boss.

It's not Sudou. A local with bad records, but definitely not him. He should expect much from his nemesis, but even his mind was a mess.

"Where's Sudou?" Tatsuya grabbed the leader by the collar and demanded answer while suppressing his frustration. The masked leader could barely speak as he shook his head.

"I-I don't know! We're just following orders, they gave us locations, money, shipment and stuff, but I swear I don't even know the guy giving the order! It's always someone higher up wearing masks told us stuff. I know nothing else!"

"…Damn it," Tatsuya released the man, then stretched his forehead in distress as the team once again met a dead end.

"Tatsuya," Katsuya approached him and patted his shoulder in comfort, "It's alright, we'll find him."

"He's here, brother. I know he's here. We just don't know where he's hiding."

"Maybe we do," Shiori approached the brothers as she undid her ponytail, "We still have that mysterious drugs with us. With enough research, we might have a lead."

"As expected from the 'Right hand of Suou Devils'," Tatsuya mocked, "But since there's two of us, which right hand or you? Katsuya or mine?"

"Your wife was the one who came up with that nickname, not me," Shiori scolded, clearly embarrassed, "She said it was for her magazine or something. Because I pitied your wife, Tatsuya, I had to stick with that."

"But you sure enjoy being called that," Katsuya responded, "When are you going to retire, Miyashiro-san? You're not young anymore."

"I'm not that old," Shiori's eyes turned to demonic, sending chills to the brother, "Remember, who's going to watch over you when I'm gone? You guys, like father like son... Now let's go."

Shiori led the two to the box without waiting for her response. Katsuya turned to Tatsuya, which he shrugged in ignorance to her statement before they reached the suitcase filled with so called drug. Katsuya equipped his glove and they all crouched down to examine the bottle and the syringe, curious to its strange liquid.

"Anything on this?" Katsuya asked.

"They called it Limbo Recall," Shiori explained, "They say it is something that gives unnatural power to the one who uses it. It relieves pain, panic, and trauma, plus the effect is apparently very fast. But it's fatal and overdosed the user in less than three shots."

"Do you think…?" Katsuya spoke with a low tone. Shiori nodded, remembering the plague that ruined Sumaru City over a decade ago.

"I think it might similar to the JOKER infection."

"No," Tatsuya, however, disagreed, "This is nothing like we have seen before. Until then, confiscate everything."

Tatsuya's phone rang. It was from Maya. He answered it and his expression turned to shock.

"Okay, I'll be there after I settle this," Tatsuya finished the conversation before turning to Shiori and Katsuya, "Shiori, find out everything you can about this. Katsuya, follow me to the hospital."

"What happened?" Katsuya asked.

"Looks like they know more than we thought," Tatsuya stood up and said, "Toudou and his friends just got back from Mikage-Cho today… with patients."

Maya Amano

Afternoon – 24/11/2012(Saturday) – Nanjo Memorial Hospital, Sumaru City
(6 days before War's arrival)

Maya hadn't finish buttoning her coat when she arrived at the floor where the team supposedly waiting. She heard of the urgent news and had to rush over to see their conditions. It was on a secluded block of the building, funded by Nanjo himself in case tragedy was to befall on any of the persona users of Sumaru City. She refused help from a personal nurse to lead her to them, for she knew her friend should be waiting for her.

True to her word, Yukino was immediately in sight the moment she took the last corner, waiting with the rest of the team outside the room. Eriko was leaning on the wall opposite the door, Maki was talking to the doctor about some medical stuff, Naoya was busy on the phone quietly talking at the end corner, while Yukino was watching the patient through the room's window before she saw Maya marching towards her.

"Maya!" Yukino said, alerting the rest of the team of Maya's arrival.

"Yukino, how is he?" Maya asked, catching her breath as she spoke.

"He's already treated back in Mikage-Cho, but we decided to transfer him to this hospital for easier travel. So far, he's breathing, but don't expect him to wake up soon."

Yukino nudged her to the window. Maya observed the comatose figure and gasped to see the state of Kei Nanjo. His skin was pale, his eyelids were dark, his lips was dried beneath the oxygen mask, and his muscles seemed fragile. However, the monitor exposed his stable heart rate, plus none of the teammates were ready to cry. Maybe they couldn't cry, with everything that happened. What she heard from Yukino over the phone was too brief, but to know that Conquest failed to be stopped was already too much for her.

"Someone poisoned him in his house, burned down all the info about the prophecy," Eriko said as she appeared next to Maya, "And my sister was taken along with them."

"Oh, Kirishima…" Maya squeezed her tight to comfort her, "I'm so sorry to hear that. Please don't be sad, we're all here for you if you need us."

"Thanks, but I'm fine for now…" Eriko answered with an easeful smile from Maya's comforting word as she changed the subject, "Oh yeah, you haven't seen Hide-kun, right? Kido is with him in the room ahead. Here, I'll take you there."

As the first timer to Nanjo's secret hospital building, she half-expected the luxury in the patient's room. A huge screen TV, stone colored ground palette, a small refrigerator, a dark brown curtain that was half opened, and a sizable washroom were all provided. The patient should at least enjoy the scene and erased the distress atmosphere, but that wasn't the case here.

Hidehiko Uesugi was in a thankfully better state than Nanjo. He was sitting upright with his legs lifted on his white bed, yet he seemed broken, hinted by his lifeless eyes, the absence of comedic spectacle and fashionable hairstyle. Reiji was pouring him some water and lending it to him when Maya entered the room with Eriko and Yukino. But just as he was swallowing the drink, he coughed it back and splashed some of it on his bed.

"Slow down, Hide, take your time," Reiji said, patting his back gently. But Hidehiko pushed aside his hand harshly.

"We have no time, damn it! We're in the middle of a war with Four Horsemen! I can't just sit down, lazing around in this hospital!" Hidehiko nagged in dissatisfaction, "I know, my mistake, I 'jump' into the swimming pool and get sick, but what else? Doesn't mean I can't fight *cough**cough* …See, I'm fine!"

"I think you should listen to him, Hide-kun," Maya greeted the two with a smile. They both jerked with surprise, completely unaware of those waiting at the door. Hidehiko seemed ashamed to see Maya looking at the current him that he glued to the bed and warmed himself with the thick blanket.

"Good to see you, Hide-kun," Maya thinned her speech to lift his spirit, but Hidehiko didn't seem affected by her charm.

"I'm not good, Maya-san," Hidehiko murmured beneath the blanket, "Haven't anyone told you? I can't summon my persona."

Maya turned to Yukino and Eriko in instant, seeking the truth. Their silence was her answer. An ally from Shadow Operative, Yukari Takeba, suffered the same cause. Though she secretly wished for Hidehiko to escape the cruel penalty, the consistency of misfortune upon them since the beginning of this strange war should doubt her no longer. Now, Kei Nanjo, one of the key piece of the new force of justice, is still lost in his wakeless nightmare. For days, her heart was drowning in thickness of anxiety, for she knew the scene before her very eyes were nothing compared to immense tragedies that will befall her city and the world.

"Cheer up, Hide-kun! It's fine!" Maya once again tried to comfort the broken man, "For now, we need you to rest. We'll handle everything from here on out. Besides, we need the host for 'Monday with Hide' on Monday morning, right?"

"They want me to quit."

"…" Maya couldn't return those words on a whim, especially when nobody was informed about it when she could even hear the gasping voices of Eriko and Yukino. Reiji gave a chuckle, refusing to believe that the famed host of the reality talk show on every Monday had lost his popularity. His comedic act that kept men's spirits alive at work was impossible to be bored by, no matter how many times he did it. There might be another reason for such decision from the producer.

"That's impossible! They can't just fire you! You have the right to voice your thoughts!" Yukino objected, "Tell me, why would they do that?"

"They never told me why. I just kinda overheard that the rating's drop a bit after those mad speculation about Mayan prophecy and that there's "secret terrorists" causing havoc to the city."

"Secret terrorists…" Maya mused, at the same time cursed her ability for failing to spot such massive news.

Truthfully told, she had heard about those people who sent everyone mad with some kind of gas at local streets. It happened weeks ago when she saw Sudou for the first time in years. Then, when persona users were figuring a way to bring down Ameno Torifune, the rest of the citizens' memories were childishly pasted with the blurry copy of the day before the incident. Finally, when Naoya and the rest were away at Mikage-Cho, some anonymous blogger posted a hidden video of fanatics went feral by Mayan world end prophecy.

Despite being indirectly responsible for it, the "secret terrorists" referred in the web was probably meant for them, the persona users. Her brother-in-law had to suffer making the cover story for hours in front of reporters. But Hidehiko was never mentioned in any of those, so why?

"Hold on, I'm calling your producer…" Maya said as she took out her phone and searched the name from the long list of contacts she had as a reporter.

"W-W-W-Wait! Maya, stop! I don't want to get in more trouble!" Hidehiko begged, almost jumped from his bed to stop her, but Maya had made up her mind.

"Don't, Maya."

Just as she's about to dial the number, another hand blocked her from the back. Tatsuya and Katsuya, still in their police uniforms, entered the room as if they arrived straight from their offices.

"Tatsuya, Katsuya-san!" Maya responded to their sudden presence, but released her husband's hand from the phone, "What do you mean?"

"We tried to keep it as personal as possible, but another party decided to take over the media, something regarding the conspiracy about the dark side of Sumaru City and Mayan prophecy," Tatsuya replied, "All those incidents were impossible to cover from the start, and the marks from New World Order(NWO) from over a decade ago weren't small. People are afraid, so they had to blame on someone."

"What about Hide-kun, what's his mistake?" Eriko's sudden voice alerted the patients next door, which she apologized to the nurses outside.

"He's injured, he's vulnerable, and from what I heard from Naoya just now, he can't summon his persona," Katsuya continued from Tatsuya, "I think a break from the TV is better for him, let the outburst from the people calm down first before you can return to your show. You're not a stranger to this city, so I'm afraid someone will track you to your house. Nobody knows you're here, thanks to the police's collaboration."

Hidehiko's expression was drifting away from the face of the clown they used to know. Tatsuya was the one who felt most of the guilt, as he revealed to Maya afterward that he was the one suggesting the idea of detaining Hidehiko in the hospital from the outside. The patient's face was darkened, but Tatsuya was quick to explain.

"I'm sorry, but Maya isn't the only one I care. As a man of prophecy, I hold an absolute responsibility to watch over this city, so I wish to keep you all away from danger."

Tatsuya bowed humbly to Hidehiko, much to everyone's surprise. Hidehiko felt the warm feeling from him, though his pale face couldn't distinguish such joy. Still, he faced away from the Suou brothers with a finally lifeful manner.

"Nah, there's nothing to be sorry about. Thanks, I guess, for looking after this careless, stupid guy. I just… Urgh! I hate it here! It's boring! I mean, look at this!" Hidehiko reached for the remote and switched on the TV. Nothing but news and kindergarten's show were displayed on the screen on the wall behind Yukino. Hidehiko began to sound more demanding, albeit acting.

"At least Phoenix Ranger Featherman R would be better, but no! Instead, there's politics, news, an election for mayor, and those stupid shows trying to unveil the truth of Mayan Prophecy! Give me hot nurses, or foods! Someone tell Nanjo to give a better service!"

"Alright, you're good," Reiji smiled in relief as he sat on a small chair next to him, "Relax, think of it as a long holiday from works. Who knows, you might be our trump card in this war at the last minute."

"…On the second thought, I want to stay here," Hidehiko said as he laid back on the bed, but his small grin was visible from across the room. Reiji's words were interestingly well-thought; must be from all the charisma he built up as a salaryman.

"Now then, let's talk about the Limbo Recall," Katsuya changed the topic, "We got information about it from the underground dealers that roamed this city for the past few days. But from what I heard, you found a sample of it from Mikage-Cho."

"It's more like rendering persona users unable to use their persona," Reiji said, "But it was too late for Nanjo. Igor explained that a member of Shadow Operative was affected by the same drug. Hidehiko almost suffered Nanjo's fate, but he spared us some antidote, but not strong enough to return his power."

And then there was silence, minus the chirping sound of birds outside the window and janitor's trolley strolling the corridor. The only clue at the moment was the drug, but this was the last straw or else a dead end. Hidehiko agreed to stay in the hospital away from the public's view, secured tightly by the police force under Katsuya's order. The rest will be on the Suou Devils to track down Tatsuya Sudou and his minions.

As they went their separate way from Hidehiko's room, Katsuya summoned for Maki's presence, and Maya decided to tag along with her husband and Eriko. Maki and Naoya were seen extremely invested in their discussion but dispersed immediately when they saw the group approaching them.

"Want to share with us?" Tatsuya asked sarcastically with his solid tough façade. Naoya responded with a horrible smile at him, mocking his question.

"It's nothing, we're just discussing the Four Horsemen," Maki answered, "Since Conquest is the first seal, the next one should be War."

"Of course, how could I miss such question? You have, honestly, seen Conquest, I assume?" Maya asked curiously, "What is he like?"

The witnesses were struggling to describe the white rider, but Naoya seemed calm as he answered.

"Atum, the finisher of the world, the god of creation, the primordial god of Egyptian, that is Conquest," Naoya said.

Maya couldn't believe it, nor did Tatsuya and Katsuya. It wasn't a god, but THE god of creation. She was baffled between the greatness of Conquest or Nyarlathotep, but with the identity exposed she was still unable to determine. The importance of it is it will be another impossible battle that deserves another miracle to win. She prayed for enough sacrifice to be taken, but now the possibility for the world itself to survive seemed so distant.

"Sonomura, I gave the sample of Limbo Recall to my assistant to be sent to the lab, but I have heard you have the another one from Mikage-Cho," Katsuya requested, "Would you mind to look into this matter in your pharmacy? Don't misunderstand, I never doubt Miyashiro's loyalty, but there might be a spy that oversee our activities from somewhere. Whoever it is might hiding among the police force. But I decided to trust my fellow persona user, and you're the only one with bachelor degree worthy to experimenting the drug. Will you help us?"

"Bachelor degree? Never knew you were that smart," Naoya applaud in astonishment. Maki chose to ignore his praise, but the flattery clearly curved her red lips.

"You can count on me, but I can't promise a result that you want," Maki agreed, patting her handbag, proving the sample was safe with her. Katsuya breathed a sigh of relief as if a burden was lifted from him.

"I will go and meet with Baofu and Ulala. In the meantime, you do whatever necessary until further notice…" Tatsuya said, fidgeting himself with his lighter as he prepared to leave, not before Naoya and Maki made their way out first. The rest tagged along with their former leader, leaving the husband and wife alone.

Maya caught a glimpse of Tatsuya's wild glare at Naoya's back as the 'Emperor' waved lazily towards them. Her husband's glare was always sharp, sharpest when he trailed his suspect's movement, an important perk as a police detective that only a few possessed. But his glare this time was strangely dull like his eyes were looking not at Naoya, but another image of him.

"Tatsuya," Maya nudged her elbow to Tatsuya's, which snapped him back from his daydream and almost burned his finger from his lighter before he sealed it in his pocket, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I had a lot to think about," Tatsuya said, but his lips clearly blocked some words he meant to say, though she knew her husband long enough when he didn't like his works to be mentioned outside his job. Instead, she patiently waited for him to start speaking, and it wasn't long when he finally summoned enough courage to be upfront to her.

"Maya my dear?"

"Yes, Tatsuya?"

"I'm just thinking, we haven't spent time together as a family because of my work. I pity Matsuya for being so lonely without his parents. He put up a tough façade, but he's quite a crybaby when we're not looking. He reminded me of myself."

She was proud to see him trying to be the best kind of father to their son, even in the most desperate situation. However, the other half engulfed her with tension about him decided to bring up such 'talk' with her that it could foreshadow anything in the week of War. Her instinct was aching within her heartbeat, but she optimistically allowed him to continue.

"I have an idea, Maya," Tatsuya rested both hands on her shoulders, exposing an ambiguous expression beneath his rare but desperate smile, "How about we and Matsuya went on a vacation after the prophecy is over? Anywhere is fine, as long as Matsuya wants it. Ah, I know this came out of the blue, but we're both working so hard on this, that I pity Lisa for watching over him all the time."

"I see…" Maya nodded. True, when Matsuya was born and Tatsuya's schedule was so thickly organized that he's barely home, she was the one who sacrificed her workplace to stay at home while stabilizing her career through computers and handling the housework. Yukino was the one who begged to keep her working station at the company, plus her boss adored her works enough to overlook her motherhood phase.

It was when the prophecy began that both Tatsuya and her suffered major changes with their routine. They had thought of a babysitter, but Lisa, who had once cared for Matsuya when he was an infant, seemed to be the wiser choice. The fate that befell Nanjo and Hidehiko were not horrible enough compared to their battle with Nyarlathotep years ago, but the prophecy was not over to be thankful so soon.

"Okay, Tatsuya," Maya answered, "I'll see to it."

"That's great… Oops," Tatsuya glanced at his watch and chuckled, "I forgot about work. See you later, Maya."

After a quick kiss on her cheek, Tatsuya dashed through the quiet corridor.

Rainy - Evening - Silverman Manor, Rengedai, Sumaru City

There was no word that perfectly described Matsuya Suou than "Crybaby". He inherited some arrogance from his father in denying the weak side of him but balanced it with the slight optimism inherited from his mother. However, there was secretly an attachment to be spoiled by his family, something that neither came from his parents nor the parents before them. "Mr. Bunbun", the name of a stuff rabbit doll which he claimed to be the 'greatest gift' from his mother, was his only cure when he missed his parents.

Although vague, there was also a faint hint of feminine personality in his character based on the way he played and imagined a wild conversation with Mr. Bunbun. Though he was furious to be called so, for he still wished to be a detective like his father and want to be referred as 'manly'. Which was why, as usual, Matsuya locked himself in one of Silverman small room and initiated his childish conversation to avoid gaze from his caretaker. The room he played in was closer to storeroom than a guest, but Lisa must have cleaned it so well that it's impossible to find dust when he rubbed his hand on its old furniture.

"Hello, Mr. Bunbun. I'm here on a case," The Matsuya whispered to the stuffed doll in his hand as he laid on the old mattress, "The case is… 'Where did mommy and daddy go?'"

He glanced at his small watch and sighed, knowing that he will return by dusk again. He then shifted his eyes to the small window and saw that the rain was not lessening soon.

"~You are strong, Matsu-kun, you can live without your mommy and daddy. You're not a crybaby~," Matsuya altered his voice.

"Yes, I'm not a crybaby!" Matsuya replied in confidence, "But don't you feel strange? They both were reaaaaaally busy, that they didn't come home that night! Mommy must be doing something strange with Daddy… What do think, Mr. Bunbun?"

"~Maybe they want to make a surprise for you for the play~."

"But I haven't told them yet! What if… what if they don't like me anymore? Will they really come to my play? They're always busy…"

A thunderous lightning sparked the room from the opened window as if mocking the boy's words. He sealed both ears immediately, crawling himself to the corner in fear. The lightning faded afterward, thus he dashed to the window to close it, but realized it was beyond his reach. He decided to use stacks of magazine piled next to the door as a standpoint.

It unexpectedly led him to find the vintage photo beneath it, purposely hidden to be untouched, but it managed to drag Matsuya's eyes towards it when he could swear he saw an image of someone he recognized. Totally forgotten about the window, he examined the seemly graduating photo of a group of friends in high school, where stood in the middle a young man resembled so alike to his father.

"Daddy?"

The young man with brown hair stood with ashen face, with a delinquent figure stood next to him, and a man not far from them which he recognized as uncle Jun, a close friend of his father. Finally, tangling her arms around the man was a foreigner girl that could resemble no one but Aunt Lisa. He flipped the dull photo to see the notes mixed of Japanese and some language beyond him in red ink written on the back:

"…Let's stay together, Chinyan~!"

"Matsuya-kun, where are you? Your mother's here!"

He could hear Aunt Lisa's scream from the across the manor amidst the thunderstorm. He quickly reset the position of the magazines and the photo. Taking Mr. Bunbun with him, he raced to the living room where Lisa, wearing a rather simple house dress, was waiting for him at the door with his bag in hand.

"Where did you go, Matsuya-kun? I was looking for you," Lisa scolded, but in a motherly manner when she expressed it. Such fondness induced guilt in him, forcing him to avoid mentioning the photo. He despised lies, but his father's occupation had taught him that sometimes secrecy is the best solution.

"I'm just playing around with Mr. Bunbun."

"Okay, but don't go missing on me, otherwise I'll get scolded by your dad. Wear your shirt properly and don't get wet."

"Haha, get scolded!" Matsuya teased her, which he received a pinch from her as she buttoned his wrinkled jacket. Matsuya peeked through the gate when he heard the weak horn. Through the window with the dimness of seat light, he saw his mother waving at him from inside the red car. She slowly switched open her umbrella as she exited the car, then struggled to stroll the pool of rain with her semi-high heels before she reached the front door, where part of her dress was drenched with cold water.

"Matsuya-kun my dear, I'm so sorry I'm late!" His mother apologized with a smile.

"You're late again," Matsuya pouted, refusing eye contact with an obvious sulk.

"I know, I promise I'll buy you another snack on the way home," Maya stroked his brown hair before she turned to Aunt Lisa, "I hope I'm not troubling you."

"It's the least of what I can do. But please, take care of yourself," She advised before she leaned closer to her and whispered something he couldn't encrypt.

"Alright, I'll see you later, Matsuya," Lisa waved as they prepared to leave.

"Love you, Aunt Lisa."

Aunt Lisa tilted her head and responded, but her expression that moment was impossible for a child like him to put it into words.

"Love you, Chinyan~."

Maya Amano

Heavy Rainy – Evening – Rengedai, Sumaru City

"How was your day, Matsuya-kun? Did Lisa play with you?" Maya asked as they made their way to their home in the car she borrowed from Tatsuya. She was worried, for Matsuya was extra quiet ever since he entered the car.

"Good. Aunt Lisa is nice. We had a lot of fun," Matsuya said, still hugging tightly the old doll succeeded from her when she was young. As the traffic light was red at the junction of the empty corner, Maya shifted the gear and faced her young son.

"What about school?"

"School was okay, but…" Matsuya held back the rest of his sentence. She knew Matsuya was a good child at home, but sometimes it's difficult to determine his attitude at school. Although the first thing that came to mind was the anti-social attribute possibly alike to his father, she had hope that Matsuya had friends willing to share his trouble.

"It's okay, you can tell me," She tried not to break the mood and prompt him to reveal all truth.

"It's nothing."

"Matsuya-kun, you don't have to lie," Maya warned him. She knew it was not his nature to do so. As a sign of stubbornness, he took the initiative to remain silent and faced away from his mother.

"Okay… but promise to tell me later," Maya gave up, not wanting to upset him further. She understood him well, for the prophecy was kept hidden from him until now, even after countless questions was thrown at her at the night Tatsuya and her went missing during the revival of Minato Arisato. It would be hypocrisy to scold him for such act. Seeing that the green light was lit, Maya pressed the pedal.

Perhaps the rain was too heavy, or the sky was too dark, but she didn't notice the figure crossing the street till it was too late.

Crash!

"Oh my god!" Maya quickly blocked Matsuya from crashing to the front, even with seatbelts tightly locked over their waists. Matsuya was stunned by the sudden impact before he stared at the empty window.

"Did you hit him, mommy?" Matsuya asked with a crooked voice.

"I don't know," Maya searched the victim, could swear that it wasn't a light bump.

All of a sudden, from beneath the car, appeared a young man in front of them without even the slightest hint of cripple or injury. His high school uniform, which she knew wasn't originated from Seven Sisters or Kasugayama, was drenched completely in rainwater, plus his jacket was tied around his waist. He glared at Maya with his grey eyes and his hair seemly gleaming in red. Maya thought she had scarred the young man, but the X mark across his face seemed too dry to be newly stained. Alternatively, it was too dark to determine in the darkened evening. The fixation of his eyes upon her was temporary, for he turned away and sprinted across the road.

"Wait!" Ignoring the rain, she exited the car and tried to chase, but the man was inhumanly fast beyond her reach. She retreated to the car, pacing her breath at the unexpected incident. It wasn't a dream, for the broken headlamp was visible and Matsuya was the witness. The boy stared at her blankly as she shuddered.

"How am I going to explain this to your father…?"

Tatsuya Suou

Rainy - Late Evening – Baofu's Agency, Narumi, Sumaru City

"Come in, Tatsuya."

"Please excuse me," Tatsuya said as he entered the small office. Despite being here multiple times, he felt that it was arranged differently, for the room was spacious with the minimalistic theme of a wooden palette and forest hue. The brown table was prepared with two seats available in front of the smoking Baofu, small cabinets were numbered at the corner, air conditioner warmly enveloped the room. There was nothing else, comparable to a room waiting to be empty and locked.

The man-searcher in his forties was dressed and mannered far more casual beyond the border outside his office. He appeared unrecognizable without his dark spectacle, exposing frayed long hair, loosely buttoned shirt without a jacket, folded jean, and a pair of old sandals. Here was his little paradise for smoking the tobacco pipe, a new habit that began to frequent for the last few weeks, but preferred to enjoy it alone and possibly a secret from anyone, until Tatsuya caught him during one of the visits made to him by Katsuya.

"*Cough**Cough* …Excuse me, you want a drink?" Baofu cleaned his pipe as he beat his chest to suppress the pain.

"You should quit that," Tatsuya warned, "If that isn't enough to stop you, I'm going to confiscate everything."

"Hey, hey, that's cruel. Have sympathy for this old man," Baofu laughed, "It's the end of the world. A smoke wouldn't hurt. *cough**cough*"

"I just hate another loss, and I think you understand from where my fear was born."

"I do, I do. *cough* So, I assumed you're here about the investigation."

"I am," Tatsuya removed from his jacket's slot a thick envelope and handed it to him, "I think this should be enough-"

Baofu pushed the detective's hand away with a suppressed laughter, "Who in the world do you think I am, Tatsuya? I'm not doing this… *Cough!* …just for you."

"I insist, Baofu. Take it, go and enjoy a little break. Let us police handle the rest. You've done more than enough."

"I think you should listen to him, Baofu."

From the door came Ulala, bringing with her a few thick and thin folders and slammed it hard on the messy table. She reached for the tobacco pipe and slipped it into her shirt before crossing her arms, menacing as ever. Her eyes locked on the envelope which contains thousands of yen, which Tatsuya barely noticed when she snatched it with lightning speed from his hand and slipped it into her jean's pocket. Tatsuya's lips twitched at her greediness, but grateful that Ulala was watching over the aging friend of him. With the fate that befell Nanjo and Hidehiko, another loss would be a massive disadvantage.

"Did you take your medicine?" Ulala said, glancing at the small bottle on top of the cabinet behind Baofu.

"I thought we were outside the whole day? When is the time *cough* for it?"

"Go and take your medicine while I'll handle this," She snatched the pills and slammed it on him before dragging him away from his seat and pushed him outside, watched patiently by Tatsuya at the side as he peeked in a flash the title for the folders, dubbed "The Revelation".

"Now, where was I?" Ulala retraced the conversation and continued, "Yes, this underworld organization's activities, who supposedly founded since September, had begun to resurface weeks before when a number of youngsters began to disappear. Our lead began when one of our clients filed for his missing daughter, but we didn't expect it was that huge. We traced it back to the nest on the outskirt of the city, and I thought I've seen worse! The old house we found were swamping with youngsters with a horrendous condition. We returned the daughter to our client and stopped our search after that until your visit to our office forced us to dig the very file and there it is, the very same group responsible for the kidnapping and the organization."

"What happened to them?"

"We already left them to the station in charge."

"Then why did you stop your investigation when you found their hideout?" Tatsuya asked.

"Maya, remember? That was the day she told me about the prophecy and the hunt for Naoya Toudou. How could I abandon my good friend for such mission?"

"Naoya, huh?" Tatsuya mumbled, his mind cramped with abnormalities that disturbed his sleep and peace. Demonic whispers were almost consistently heard amidst the absolute silence, birthing a new sense of fear towards loneliness and silence. Perhaps there never were masses of whispers, but a single calling from one singularity hailed as Nuclear Chaos in a Sea of Souls or a realm beyond only known to Philemon. Naoya reawakened that strange fear after a dream he had on the morning of Friday of Conquest when he saw a doppelganger of the 'emperor' in Xibalba.

"Are you listening, Tatsuya?" Ulala snapped her fingers between his eyes, startling him. He faked a cough and gestured her to continue.

"So anyway, we traced the contact from one of the residents and found out about the trade they made every Saturday or Sunday. It just a stroke of luck that your PA guessing the day the deal is made and set the ambush."

"Brilliant work, you guys," Tatsuya praised, doubting no more from the legendary man-hunters of Sumaru, "But I know there's more, isn't?"

Ulala stretched her body towards him in all seriousness, almost like a cautious reminder when she introduced him to the new threat of the city.

"They called the higher up as "The Revelation". That's one huge clue that linked it all to the prophecy. They even had a copy of the Book of Revelation, some of the pages are torn away and has unaligned highlights."

She had Tatsuya's absolute attention at this moment. He began fidgeting with his lighter and ran his fingers among the folders on the table. Sealing away his lighter, he began flipping through the folders, page by page in a flash, capturing the images of every resident of the old house into his mind with his photographic memory, including the sharply captured images of the old house.

Until one image caught his eyes. The rough sketch of a cocoon and a red butterfly, dirtily drawn with oil pastel, was taped to the wall near the stairs inside the house. Such image forced him away from his chair, questioning Ulala without breaking contact with the snapshot.

"Have you scavenged everything inside?"

"We're barely escaping jail for trespassing their house, all these pictures here were just a quick take of the first floor from Baofu's camera. So, the answer is no."

"Give me the address, I want to go there-"

Tatsuya stood up and checked the caller from his vibrate phone, but gestured Ulala to write the address as he spoke.

"Yes, Maya… Oh… So…? …No… You got to be kidding me…"

Cloudy – Night – Suou's Residence, Konan

"I don't know where he came from! I-I tried to help him, but he bolted away!"

"You already said that ten times, I heard you."

"No, you don't understand! It was dark, and I was talking to Matsuya-"

"You said that too."

"The guy was young man I never see-"

"That too…"

Maya couldn't stop talking the moment he came home. His legs were cramped as he stood in front of his wife who was sitting on the sofa with her hand animating the incident. True, the car left a huge mark that someone was hit, but it was a fairly cheap for a full repair. He was more concerned about the stranger she hit, but her curious story baffled him the more details she added. He clutched his head and was ready to pull his hair, dreading another problem to be stressed with. Maya had taken the wheel numerous time in the past, thus this one mistake made her insanely guilty for adding another burden to her husband at the most crucial moment of his life.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it," Tatsuya said, dropping his back to the sofa next to Maya as he undid his tie, "I got a lot to think about, so let's forget about the car, okay?"

"Tatsuya," Maya said in weakening call, "You look so exhausted."

She dropped her head to Tatsuya's shoulder, caressing his arm and intertwined their fingers gently like a water. He could feel Maya's feverish skin, hotter when he stroked it with his palm.

"I'm here for you if you need anything, Tatsuya."

Those words from Maya were supposed to be the warmest words that boiled any frosting heart, but it was far too scalding to him. He bit his lips, desperate to change the subject in instant.

"I'm going to be away for tomorrow. Don't worry about anything. I'll check for that young man soon, so…"

"Okay."

"Let me protect you, okay?"

He accidentally blurted out those words. Maya wasn't foolish enough to avoid such dangerous hint. He knew that she knew, yet he couldn't predict why did Maya remain quiet, shutting away those watchful eyes of her and expressed a secretive smile as she replied.

"I know you do, Tatsuya."

"…But you are mine…"

In a flash, the darkest blackness engulfed his consciousness, sending his mind to neither sleep nor waking world. The voice of Azathoth, who had been silent for days from disturbing his sanity, had returned quieter than a whisper. The softened voice, however, was far more frightening than the usual, for this time it was calling him to dive into the darkness.

Then, eight visible stars shone at the center of all darkness, before it aligned and formed an odd constellation. From the depth of the whisper and absolute silence, he heard a rapid flap of a wing, like that of an insect. All was revealed when the mirrored constellation was the pattern on the wing of a giant butterfly in red, flew away as it was swallowed by nothingness.

"Tatsuya? What's wrong?"

Maya's voice dragged him back to reality. He observed around and realized he might imagine everything. Or is it?

"I…" Tatsuya clutched his head as he lamented, "I don't know anymore…"

24/11/2012 – Limbo

"Wait, do you hear that?"

Nanjo, as he as the other two walked towards the edge of the small cliff, stopped his tracks to listen to the endless blood crimson space above him. His butler Yamaoka and the mysterious man Shinjiro turned to him without the slightest amusement.

"You will hear a lot of things in this place," His butler explained, "Sometimes you heard the cry of humanity, sometimes you heard monster gnarling this place, or worse, you heard your own voices crying in despair."

"This… this is like the Sea of Soul, isn't it?" Nanjo wondered, "Or should be a part of it?"

"Forgive me for my foolishness, but our continuous stay did not bring us closer to the mystery of this realm, or the city for that matter."

Nanjo raised his eyebrows, "What city?"

"Shhhh…" The young man pressed his index to his lips before he pointed towards the place beyond the cliff, "We have arrived."

Nanjo never felt so much fear and chills from a short glance at the dark city. Whole constructions were filtered in blood moon, fragile towers waiting to break, lightless monuments with seemly no window and door, announcing the impression of a ghost town, and the massive rusty gate blocking the only way into the interior. After a few observations, Nanjo was more than certain that half of the fragmented structures of the city were extremely ancient and impossible to be man-made. Even the strange giant statue on top of the city's tallest tower was unlike anything he saw from his world. The border of the ghost city was uniquely circle, which the famous round city of Sumaru failed to compete, ever since the development of the new ward. Ameno Torifune came to mind from the image, but he knew the flying ship was nothing compared to the chilling sensation he felt when he gazed upon the city that seemly upheld by the thick cloud-like mist under it.

"What the hell is this place?" Nanjo wiped clean his glasses again and again to get the sharp view of the mysterious city. Shinjiro, with amateurish manner, gestured the newcomer towards the new place.

"There's not much to know, but some people here called it the 'city of Celephaïs'."

Night – Alternate realm of unconsciousness

"Welcome back, Conquest."

Strife was still in his position as he glimpsed at the approaching figure of white and conqueror. His voice was strong as he welcomed him, honorably subjected him without using the white rider's true name despite knowing it so deeply. Nonchalantly did Conquest responded to his presence as he dismounted his horse "Apep", approaching the center of that infinitely dark realm with a ray of dim light that brimming and reflecting on his white armor.

Conquest looked around them and hushed a deep creaking monologue. War and Death were never and never will present for this eldritch meeting between them, for nor he or Strife or any had encounter the missing two since the age of wisdom of early gods. But their ego could not compete with the fear of the approaching day of War, for they knew there was a reason why the red rider was sealed deeper than Earth's core eons ago.

"What madness are we into, Conquest?" Strife spoke bitterly, "Are we truly preventing the second Great War from happening, or are we but another pawn of Nyarlathotep?"

"War is necessary for his instrument of madness, and the seven trumpeters will need him to lull the seventh seal," Conquest replied, "Fear not, for fear feed him. We are pawns of no one but us. If Nyarlathotep succumbs to his desire to free his father, I believe our plan shall proceed absolutely well to motion the Emperor and safeguarding his secret."

Again, Strife lamented.

"War… how will the Sun outrun him, I wonder? Will the hero die again in the end? If only the Archetype of Creator-"

"Ah, cease that, Strife. That power is beyond us. We should fear for the Sun, for he will suffer again by the hand of the Nuclear Chaos…"

A/N: Hello, my readers, and welcome to the first chapter of 'War' Arc. In this arc, I will develop a few characters, especially Matsuya Suou, the son of Tatsuya, for he will have important role soon.

'Celephaïs' is the name of a city in dreamlands based on the story with the same name, written by H.P. Lovecraft himself. In this story, however, it is the exact opposite from the original for its sinister environment.

Please wait for the next chapter, since I can't promise when I'll be updating this.