Persona: The Shadow of The Apocalypse

by Fictioner12

By the end of 2012, the Four Horsemen will return followed by the defeat of Nyarlathotep, Nyx, Erebus and Izanami to destroy the world once and for all. With no other choice, Philemon seek the help of Naoya Toudou: the Emperor, Tatsuya Suou: the Sun, Minato Arisato: the Universe and Yu Narukami: the World.

72. S: The Broken Promise

Strife Arc:

Chapter 72: The Broken Promise

"I know my partner too well to recognize the change, but I should have asked it sooner. At least he appeared sane when all he talked about was Nanako-chan in the past.

After his session with Umashi during his counseling? Give him a chance, and all he talks about is Marie-chan this, Marie-chan that. Even the girls are starting to get jealous.

Talk about jealousy, Teddie doesn't hide the fact that he dislikes that new mascot. He's not looking well. It's that look, like the one before he disappeared when he thought Nanako died. Was it my fault? Did he think I abandon him in that hell?

Sorry, I don't mean to rant. I just... Naoto's been asking for you since she woke up, so you need to wake up soon, buddy. Or she's gonna cry."

-Yosuke Hanamura

---

Tatsuya Suou

Early Morning – 2/12/2012(Sunday) – Lecture Room, Arima University, Tokyo
(5 days before Strife's arrival)

"...A role was placed on mother and father for eons past. Mother had to care for home; father had to earn a living wage. But that is not always the case. A working wife exists, a househusband exists.

"Humanity made this limitation onto themselves in its entirety, beginning with the gendered perception developed since birth. But this instinct of male and female within the collective unconsciousness is one of the core aspects of every bond, every relationship. Anima and Animus are layered beneath lower than your own Shadow."

Karu Juugo turned to his numbered listeners in the lecture room, where their eyes finally made contact. Tatsuya tensed in his long coat disguise, while the Mask Collector shivered to his right. Their eyes hold only briefly before Juugo understood the message.

"...Thus, the notion of Anima and Animus is as stated," Juugo continued, "They are the basis of female and male archetype respectively, the envision of opposite genders. Naturally, these two archetypal figures differed from everyone." He rested the marker pen and concluded, "Enough lesson, you may leave."

Other than them, Tatsuya noticed a lone man sitting at the front-most seat after the rest of the students departed. Judging from his blond hair and his attentiveness to Juugo's lesson, it couldn't be anyone else but Juugo's own right-hand man. The man stood up with a slightly crippled right leg towards the professor, holding a thin wooden cane, though he seemed unwilling to use it.

"Brilliant lessons again, professor!" The crippled man praised, "Although I believed it's best we choose a safer place to do so. Masquerade has been crawling our back for months. We... Professor?"

Juugo said nothing but stared directly at them. The crippled man followed his gaze and finally understood his silence. His hunch was on the mark; this is none other than Juugo's second in command in the Limbo Recall experiment, replacing Naoya in Egypt.

"And who might you two be?" Mareya Kujou (Persona: Gozanze) stood cautiously as if entering a stance.

Tatsuya removed his mask, and the small illusion on his face broke apart, resurfacing his true identity. The crippled man held his breath and screamed, "Suou Devil!" He immediately dragged his weak legs to the door and called, "Sol! Luna! Over here! Now!"

As Tatsuya left his seat, a man and a woman in dark uniform barged into the room and stood between Mareya. The man, tall and short white hair, had a golden pin that appeared like a sun on his left breast pocket. The woman with ponytail long hair instead had a silver pin that appeared like a crescent moon shape at the same spot. They both wore dark spectacles, matching Juugo's own.

"Tell this fool we're not here for a fight," Tatsuya said, yet undid the holster at his side and revealed a small red knife, "Yet..."

"Kujou-san, stop," Juugo lifted a hand and approached the crippled man, "I am to teach here."

Mareya eyed him, then at Kazumi, cautiously before he waved a hand, "Sol, Luna, at ease."

The speechless bodyguards followed his order like a robot, and Tatsuya immediately noticed the abnormalities on the two guardians. He felt a tugged on his right sleeve and turned to the Collector.

"Careful, those two aren't humans," Kazumi whispered, "The man's Sun Arcana, the woman's Moon. Whatever you're doing, don't start a fight..."

Tatsuya nodded and began descending the stairs towards the front of the room. The confidence he built earlier was suddenly shaken by the presence of a bloody infant appearing on the table not far to his left.

'Not now, please...' He mused. He swore the professor was looking directly at the infant.

"I received news from Inaba last night," Tatsuya continued his walk, ignoring the weeping child, "In twelve minutes, the news will reveal the condition of Taro Namatame, the mayor of that town."

"Your point?" Mareya raised his eyebrows impatiently.

"The ace detective," Tatsuya reached for the knife, "Where is she?"

"I do not know what you're talking about," Juugo responded.

"The Beast brothers worked for you, not Nyarlathotep. Only you knew where they keep Shirogane, and why they framed her."

"This is pointless," Mareya interrupted, shifting towards Kazumi at the back, "Take your friend and leave before we attack."

"You will tell me where you keep Naoto Shirogane, and you will give her to me," Tatsuya threatened, finally gripping the knife at his side, "Or I will find your base and..."

The baby was crying. Juugo was focusing on the child. While Kazumi and Mareya showed no response, the professor removed his sunglasses and pulled open the left side of his loosened coat.

Rows of colorful scarfs hung on the inner side of the coat, where the professor reached for a green scarf and bind it around his neck. His cold expression began showing remorse.

"How pitiful..." He spoke, "By linking his soul with his other self, he gained the power of Nuclear Chaos, along with his trauma..."

Chills ran down his spine. Mareya had begun searching around.

"What are you seeing, professor?" The crippled man asked.

Before Tatsuya began to react, Kazumi immediately ran to his side in a flash. He pushed a palm on Tatsuya's chest, clearly panicking beneath his Hierophant mask.

"That's it, we're leaving," Kazumi insisted, leaning to his ears, "I don't care how stubborn you are, the sword minor deck is not enough."

"He won't get to me," Tatsuya pulled the collector's hand away, "I'm not leaving yet." He turned to the professor. "Pardon that. Back to my question. If you don't know where Shirogane is, perhaps you will tell me where the brothers are."

"They are still in Inaba," Juugo answered, still gripping his green scarf, "Trapped by their old memories."

"Yet something tells me they will be there at the first 'cleansing' tomorrow at Shibuya. Am I wrong?" Tatsuya taunted. He breathed a sigh of relief to see the toddler's absence.

Juugo switched his green scarf to a purple one. His forehead creased into a frown, "Why are you truly here?"

"Confirmation about Naoto's location-"

"You'll not find it here. Leave and ask the Beasts themselves," Mareya cut in, "Sol, Luna, prepare for combat."

Tatsuya eyed the two guards with a deeper look and subconsciously tapped into his innate skill. A large mask of Sun and Moon Arcana revealed itself upon their souls. He didn't notice Kazumi took out a notebook and began recording.

"I want a trade."

"A trade."

"I know you're looking for Naoya. You want the man at the end of everything," Tatsuya narrowed his eyes, "I want the one at the beginning of all this."

The room became silent for a moment.

"Why?" Juugo walked to his chair and sat nonchalantly.

"Reason. I want to know who thought of all this."

"What if I say Nyarlathotep?"

"He's good at using prophecy, but I know damn well this vessel and sacrifice thing is old for him," Tatsuya reached the front of the room, "Who is the true designer of Seven Seals of God?"

"Professor, permission to attack," Mareya said.

Juugo removed his purple scarf and wore his sunglasses, "John the Revelator has been dead for years. Finding him is meaningless."

"John the Revelator," Tatsuya spoke, "Dead."

"Yes, and I have provided you answer," Juugo nodded at Mareya.

"Tatsuya-san, we need to leave now," The Mask Collector urged, simultaneously furiously jotting on his notes.

"One more thing bugged me about vessel and sacrifice," Tatsuya continued, ignoring Mareya who was stepping away for the impending fight, "Who decides the vessel and sacrifice for the black rider? From Conquest's event, it's clear that the rider themselves are allowed to choose their sacrifices. The other me using Maya is plausible; Kandori using Naoya seems debatable, but they have a long history."

The two bodyguards began to explode into a mass of black fogs and turned into a gigantic Shadow.

"Tatsuya!" Kazumi screamed.

Tatsuya asked, "Is Tohru Adachi truly the vessel for Strife, or is Marie truly the sacrifice-"

Tatsuya and Kazumi's bodies shattered into millions of pieces of glass.

---

Public Bathroom, Outside Arima building

Tatsuya jerked awake, feeling his soul puppet destroyed by the attack less than a kilometers away from where he was. Kazumi's scream was heard on the stall next to him. He sighed, glancing down at the now broken Perception Trapezohedron. It was the right choice to use the trapezohedron against the mad professor, else there will be chaos in the building.

He pushed opened the stall and waited for the Mask Collector to regain his composure. The friend wasn't pleased when he opened the door, dragging his oversized bag.

"That's your plan? The shock nearly destroyed my page!" Kazumi held out his book where one edge was ripped, his Perception Trapezohedron was shattered in his coat pocket. Jack Frost in the exposed bag was visibly dizzy from the impact.

"What hoo-happened?!" Jack Frost dizzily said, "Head hurt! Hot! Weak to fire!"

"Mask Shop rules, no talking when I'm talking!" Kazumi scolded, then removed the shattered trapezohedron from his coat, "These things cost a fortune, buddy. I had to sell dozens of personas to Igor for even one of this thing!"

"You get more later. Right now, we have what we need," Tatsuya threw aside his trapezohedron, letting it turn to dust and dissipate. Juugo will realize their presence in the room was fake and began searching.

"Well? Are you satisfied?" Kazumi began rewriting his notes.

"Yeah, Juugo doesn't know what those brothers did," He began equipping his riding gloves, "Which means Shirogane is still in Inaba. We'll ride for that town this instance."

"What about Mareya Kujou?"

"We had a lead," Tatsuya faced him with a stern face, "Wakaba Isshiki, researcher of cognitive science. She was recruited into Juugo's circle yesterday."

"I don't do kidnapping normal people."

"We're going to have a 'talk', that's all," Tatsuya fidgeted his lighter and walked, "Find her location. Don't forget the syringe."

"We still need to talk about what happened back there."

"We can talk later."

"Oh no, you don't," Kazumi blocked the bathroom entrance and took out something from his large bag. Even a glance at that pill bottle made him nauseous. "Why didn't you tell me you're still seeing your kid?"

"That creature is NOT my kid," Tatsuya corrected him.

"That doesn't change what you experienced for months." Kazumi pressed the pill bottle at his chest, "Mask Shop Rules: Never keep a secret between friends. You promised me that. Igor personally gave me this task to watch over you."

"Kazumi, I don't have time for this," Tatsuya shoved past Kazumi and left the bathroom. His instinct was extremely keen lately, even without the drugs.

This uneasy feeling...

...Something horrible will happen today.

"Kazumi, you said something about the third brother in Hitoshi's family." Tatsuya turned to the collector.

"You mean Yamada Hitoshi?"

"Bring out the files. Keep me occupied while we travel there."

"You're riding a bike."

"Did I stutter, Kazumi?"

---

Yu Narukami

Sunny - Early Morning – 2/12/2012(Sunday) – Mountain, Inaba
(5 days before Strife's arrival)

Fortunately, the sunlight was bright enough to show a visible path ascending into the mountains. Although, the lack of sleep made his eyes heavier than usual, which was worse for his partner. The curious Yosuke had begun to lose his patience after a while.

He still couldn't find a single resemblance from the dream he had with Marie. There were grassless paths, some stone marks, and thin woods. Whoever- or whatever- trying to hide Izanami's temple must be desperate to ensure it will not be found.

No matter, he will find it for her.

"Hey, partner..." Yu turned to his back and saw Yosuke wiping the sweats from his temple, "Look, I know you're kinda rush to find this temple, but at least keep it slow. Yesterday's storm made it muddy and slippery."

"Just a while now, Yosuke."

"Then we go to Yomi?"

"Naturally."

"Then why waste energy searching for this temple in the first place?" Yosuke sighed.

"Sorry for putting extra burden on you," Yu answered, "But I promised her. If you're too worn out, wait for me here. I'll call you when I find something."

"Eh, now you're making me feel guilty," Yosuke said, "You're sure it's here?"

"Yeah, I was..."

Yu held his breath when the familiar stone staircases appeared near a few withered trees. Some of the footings had sunk beneath the soil, but there were traces of path ascending the small hills.

"Yosuke, I think I found it," He perked and began running, "Try to catch up!"

"Yu, wait up!"

It was like a painting came to life. He remembered the tiny broken branch tied with a red ribbon. He remembered the uneven edge of the stairs as they grew steeps. The standing lanterns aligning on both sides were exactly as depicted from his dreams. He could smell the fragrance of cheery blossom, blooming without spring and winter in this corner of the world. The rooftop of the architecture began to appear within sigh. Izanami's temple must be-

He paused. The sprint became a jog, he reached the destination.

"Did you find it?"

Yosuke shouted from below. Seconds later, his partner stood next to his side, sweating bullets and gulping down his bottle. After recovering his breath, he turned to the front and went speechless.

"You said there was a temple."

"I swear it."

"Well, this is not it."

The white church was abandoned for possibly decades. No sign of vandalism, nor break-in, but there was a haunting sense of kenopsia within the small building.

The three-side residence was nowhere on sight, along with the curious stone at the center of it. Instead, the white-painted church was built atop where the temple should be. It had two side yellow doors, while the roof tiles were painted in red, though all colors had aged to dullness.

"There was no church," Yu said, running to the back of the church.

"Maybe it's a mistake? It's a dream you conjured inside Umashi's dungeon," Yosuke chased after him, "You can't trust that man's word."

"But I know it's Marie, I can feel her," Yu made a circle and returned to the front door. There was no other entrance.

"What if it's a trap by Umashi? Yu, don't open that door yet!" Yosuke stopped next to him at the door, "Can I ask?"

Yu nodded.

"What's wrong with you? You've been restless since morning," Yosuke asked, crossing his arms, "Even Yukiko called me this morning, saying she's worried about Naoto since yesterday. And Naoto called me too! But when I called back, nobody answered the phone. And what happened to Namatame? The cops were everywhere near his place!"

Yu took a deep breath, sensing his mouth grew heavier.

"Yup, I knew it," Yosuke immediately said, "Something happened to Naoto and Namatame."

Yu gestured inside, "If there's a chair, we can talk. But be armed."

Weapons in arms, they burst into the small church, only to see it had no seats at all, only a single altar at the front. A wooden cross was placed on the wall, added with a small circular glass mural above it. The small room was entirely painted in white.

"Who build this place?" Yosuke asked, "How come nobody finds this?"

"Will Yukiko's family know something?"

"That's not- Listen, we never had a church in Inaba, ever. Who would ever come to a church half an hour walk into the woods?" He furrowed his eyebrows, "This might be a trap."

"Then I don't see it," Yu approached the altar. He saw only a small bowl of water, likely for baptism, but he wouldn't risk touching it.

Yosuke advanced to the altar and walked to the cross, "Yikes, that's creepy. I don't think there's anything else- AAAAHHH!"

The wooden floor around the altar split apart revealing a hollow ground. Yosuke plunged into the hidden room, where the stairs were linked directly to where the altar was.

"Yosuke!" Yu screamed, peeking below. The underground room was deep, but Yosuke was fortunate to land on a pile of books scattered on the floor.

"I'm fine!" Yosuke reassured, "Holy crap! Get down here! This place is lit!"

He began descending the concerningly unstable stairs and help his partner to his feet. The light switch had burned out long ago, but he came prepared.

They switched on their torchlight and looked around. On the white walls were words, images, and diagrams difficult to decipher. Most of the books were thrown off the bookshelf as if by an enraged reader. A secret base within a church out of nowhere; who lived here? Hitoshi brothers?

"Try reading those books," Yu suggested.

"Most of them are English," Yosuke complained, "The Japanese ones are for like kindergarten books... Wait, some of them are for grade-schoolers."

"It's a tomb for a deceased or missing person," Yu concluded, "People sometimes bought copies of high school books for the dead, so that they may 'grow' with them. Look, there's a copy of high school books too. Hmmm?"

One of the books had a name: Yamada Hitoshi. He remembered the image from one of his counseling sessions. The third brother...

Yosuke flashed his light in one direction, "What's that?"

The fragmented stone on the low table resembled perfectly the stone in his dream. Yu felt the urge to touch it, but something restrain his arm.

"That's Izanami's stone," Yu answered, squeezing his eyes at the notes beside it, "An old paper..."

The calligraphy in it deserved high praise, and the black ink evoked anger he never expected to feel.

"I cannot forgive her. She is the cause behind the murder. She made us do it...

It is time for gods to make amend for their mistakes. Judgment day will come, and all will return to the ocean.

I have seen it. The god of creation had shown me the ultimate truth with my right eye. The Seven Seal will be here, and Death will die. I promise this."

"You want to take it?" Yosuke asked, rubbing the dust on the edge of the stone, "I don't like it here, man. Something rubbed me off about this place."

"Yeah, I think we should leave now, come back later to salvage the rest..." Yu agreed, but his eyes glued to the stone fragment, "Go back first. I'll follow you shortly."

"Don't be late, we still need to pack our medicines and weapons for today's exploring," Yosuke yawned, checking his phone, "About Naoto..."

"I'll tell you on our way back. Go outside, check the perimeter," Yu insisted.

Alone in silence, after Yosuke left, Yu reached out his hand and grabbed the stone.

A vision flashed through his head.

He was at a different place, or a different time. Izanami's temple stood firm at the center of the place. He felt himself there, watching a bizarre scene.

Izanami-no-Okami, in her gruesome appearance, gazed over two children laying weakened on the ground. It was a copy of the scene Ame Hitoshi showed him yesterday.

Not far from the two of them was a giant bear, chewing a small yellow shoe. The younger brother was crying on the ground, and the blonde one was still standing, making eye contact with Izanami with tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Surrender, child. The channel must go forth," Izanami spoke, "The youngest failed the test. Will you do the same?"

"What have you done?" The blonde-haired child said, "We were just hiking, looking for our brother."

"A miserable lies," Izanami answered, "You are here to break the seal on me, on him, on the World. That is why you were sent here, by that ancient man!" Izanami roared in rage, "But I will not allow it! The ancient promise will be kept! Kotoamatsukami will ensure it!"

"What is this?" Yu finally voiced out, "Am I watching the past?"

The giant bear began walking towards the blonde-haired boy.

"No!" The younger brother screamed, "Ame, run!"

"Ame?!" Yu said.

The vision ended abruptly. He was back in the underground church. In the dark, he saw his trembling hand still gripping the fragment.

"She knew them," Yu mused, "She knew the brothers..."

"Yu!" Yosuke screamed from the outside, "Chie just called me about the news! What the hell happened to Naoto?!"

He took a deep breath and escaped the place. It's understandable for his partner to be furious about Naoto's framed situation.

Still, he will hear it from the brothers themselves soon.

---

Sunny - Morning - Police Station

"Look, I'm not the one making the decision," The officer in charge said, "Whatever they said on the news, the headquarter was the one doing it."

"But, this thing!" Yukiko insisted, tapping the broken trophy on the table, "She called me and tell me to destroy this thing, the same time the incident happened! Go make an autopsy! The fingerprint on this thing must have belonged to the real culprit!"

"That doesn't make any sense," The officer replied, "What does a small fuse in a trophy had anything to do with the incident a mile away?"

"Then there must be a reason for it! Naoto is innocent!" Yukiko pushed further, "I'll testify anything to prove that! Aren't you curious about this whole thing?!"

He sighed, sliding a piece of paper towards her, "Fine, we will run an autopsy on this. Sign your name here, and here... Damn it, another guy causing trouble around the case."

She didn't let it escape, "What guy?"

"Some trouble," the officer said, "Last night, Dojima's nephew came out of nowhere and kept harassing the staff when we're investigating the crime scene at Namatame's house. We had to drag him out of the scene before he ruin the evidence. I heard he went to that detective's home too, but Dojima himself came to stop him there."

"Eh?" She gasped. It made sense for him to know it from Dojima, but she didn't expect him to search for her all night without a word to them.

The officer left the counter table with the trophy before she could talk further. Dejected, she went to regroup with Tengu near outside, only to see Chie had already joined the bird. "Chie?"

"Yukiko! I knew you're still here," Chie said with Tengu following her. The scowl on her best friend's face at the moment could terrify a large lion, "How could they?! Everything was a setup, no matter how you look at it! Yet they just said those things on TV!"

"They won't listen," Yukiko shook her head, "But the suspect is likely..."

"Umashi Hitoshi," Tengu said, "Susanoo-sama told us the truth. Hitoshi brothers are evil!"

"Yeah," Chie clenched her teeth, but raised her eyebrows at him, "Susanoo?"

"The cool man with brown hair."

"You mean that idiot Yosuke?" Chie sighed, "Where is that guy? We should be searching for Naoto-kun together."

"He said he's going to the mountain with Yu today," Yukiko remembered, "Something about Marie's temple?"

"Lies... A temple no more... Only a memorial of sins..."

"Huh?" Yukiko turned around. That voice again, echoing with her own. It was getting frequent.

"Yuki-nee?" Tengu watched her anxiously.

"Oh, it's nothing," Yukiko changed the topic, "Well, what do we do now?"

Silence overtook them before a noise from within the police station stole their attention.

"Wait, isn't that...?" Chie pointed.

On his way to the exit, Umashi Hitoshi was conversing with a group of police officers. Despite wearing a casual brown shirt, he looked threatening, unlike days ago, when they were oblivious of his true nature.

"That's him!" Tengu jumped.

"Are you fine returning home?" An officer asked, "Reporters might harass you once they spotted you."

"Don't worry about it," Umashi smiled, "I'll make sure to go home safely. Now, if you excuse me."

The psychologist didn't make three steps outside before the three of them stopped him.

"Ah, you're three, friends of Narukami, Dojima's nephew," Umashi greeted them, "I'm sorry to hear about your friend."

"You can stop pretending," Chie hissed, "Yosuke told us everything about your 'therapy' and your older brother."

"Labrys told us about how you control people," Yukiko said, "You're the one giving out that trophy yesterday. You framed Naoto."

"That's an accusation," Umashi shook his head, "I was a victim too. What benefit would I have in framing an ace detective?"

"Because you're scared of her!" Chie pointed at the psychologist, suppressing her rage, "You know Naoto will reveal who you are."

"Where is she?" Yukiko asked, "Where is our friend?"

"I don't know where your friend is," Umashi said, "But I believe you already do. She's waiting for you."

"Hey, Yukiko, Chie, Tengu!"

Yukiko and Chie turned to the familiar voice and saw Kanji and Rise approaching them. Behind his glasses, Kanji seemed ready to strangle someone.

"Sorry we're late," Rise bowed, "We're meeting with Labrys and Junpei-san, about today..." She budged her eyes at Umashi. "You're..."

"How dare you!" Kanji dashed towards him, but Yukiko and Chie held him in place, "Where, where is she?"

"I told you, you already know," Umashi answered, "The world feels a little cold today, despite the radiant sun. I wonder why? The fog seems eager," Umashi bowed slightly, "If you excuse me, some urgency beckoned me, and it seems you have a plan on your own."

"Kanji, stop it," Rise pushed the big man away from the psychologist walking away from them.

"But...!" Kanji gritted his teeth.

"We're not here to fight him. Let's find Naoto first," Chie agreed, "But we'll make him pay."

Umashi turned away from the group until he came face first with Tengu. "Need something?"

"Uh..." Tengu spoke but quickly shook his body, "Nothing. Sorry."

"That bastard," Kanji cursed when the psychologist had left.

"We already know?" Rise stroked her hair, thinking.

"You don't think Naoto's there? At Yomi. They know we're going there," Chie commended.

"That plausible," Rise nodded, "Where's the best place to hide a body than the TV world?"

"What are we waiting for?" Kanji began walking before turning back to them, "Labrys-chan and Junpei-san said they'll be at the meeting spot."

Everyone wasted no second rushing to the destination. Yukiko had a question of her own as she rejoined the bird.

"Tengu, what did you want to say to Umashi earlier?" Yukiko asked.

"Yuki-nee..." Tengu was curiously firm in refusing to answer, but he eventually relented, "That man seems familiar."

"It is true..."

The voice in her mind agreed.

---

Yu Narukami

Sunny - Afternoon - Junes

"So we're doing this?" Yosuke asked when they're all gathered at the meeting spot.

"I think he knew we'll be going there. Maybe that's where Naoto is," Rise said.

"Urgh! How dare he did that to Naoto-chan!" Teddie growled, with claws equipped. Everyone was eager to go.

"Well?" Junpei Iori, sitting at the next table, gestured towards the leader, "What do you see there?"

Out of every member, only Teddie and Tengu seemed interested in listening to his narration and the name Yamada Hitoshi.

"Curious!" Teddie squeezed his eyes, "Ame-san called me Yamada before!"

"Yeah! I was there," Tengu supported the statement, "He said Teddie reminded him of his brother."

"What?" Yosuke widened his eyes, "You're serious? Dude, why didn't you tell us?"

"I... forgot?" Teddie backed away, fearing his wraith.

"How's that possible?" Yukiko responded, "You don't think Teddie is... Yamada's... other?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Junpei voiced out. Labrys shared his confusion.

"This Yamada Hitoshi is a mystery too," Yu nodded to himself. He turned to the two members of the Shadow Operative, "Labrys, Junpei-san, I might need your help this time."

"My axe is ready," Labrys made a fist.

"Let's show them what we're made of!" Junpei lifted a thumb.

"Everyone ready?" Yu turned to the rest of them. No objection. "Good, we're bringing Marie's home today."

---

Sunny - Afternoon - Dojima Residence

"Breaking news: Last night, Taro Namatame, the leading man to become the mayor of the Inaba, was shot in his residence. The suspect has been identified as Naoto Shirogane, the 'detective prince' who hailed from the same town. Currently missing, the investigation is being conducted regarding her whereabouts..."

Dojima bit his lips as he turned off the news. Something was fishy about the whole thing. He expected the police to show some restrain in disclosing the identity of the suspect, but to announce the public accusation with such urgency? Who could have planned this?

"Daddy?" Nanako asked as she cleaned the dishes for afternoon's lunch, "Did you fight with big bro?"

"Huh?" Dojima jerked up from his sofa, "You mean this morning? It's nothing like that."

"But he's going out for something. Is he searching for Naoto-san?"

"No. He's not," Dojima reassured her, but doubt began to bubble inside him, "He's not looking for her... I think."

"Daddy?" Nanako turned to him from the kitchen, still washing the dishes, "Is Naoto-san a bad person?"

"Uh..." He couldn't answer it. He believed he recognized a fellow detective, despite the difference in method. But... "I don't know. But your brother believed in her, so will I. I tried to stop them from airing those things on TV, but if Naoto herself don't turn up, they're going to treat her like a fugitive."

"I don't think Naoto-san is a bad person," Nanako shook her head, "I know she- Ah!"

Crash!

"Nanako?" Dojima tried to stand, but his back ached again. Going to the station last night was a stupid decision, after all.

"I'm fine," she crouched down on the floor, where the broken mug scattered. "Oh no. That's big bro's favorite mug..."

"Stand back, I'll get the broom," Dojima said, hopping weakly to the other room.

Nanako stared at the broken mug, unable to avert her eyes away from it. She felt the anxiety too well. In her mind, only his beloved brother was there.

---

Yu Narukami

Nakatsukuni

"The fog..." Rise surveyed the area in shock with Kanzeon, "The fog is dimming."

"Girl, you don't look happy," Junpei said.

"Something bad must have happened!" Teddie made a small walk around the forest and growled, "Who did this? When I get my claws on them...!"

"Marie-chan. Could she have absorbed the fog?" Chie said, "The fog was part of her, so-"

"Marie didn't control this," Yu disagreed, "Someone more powerful is at hand."

Silence.

"There's no enemy either," Labrys added.

"Yeah, but it's tense," Rise unsummoned her persona, "The entire place is restless. It's like the forest is scared of something."

"Or someone," Yosuke narrowed his eyes at Junpei, "What's wrong?"

"Hey, this statue..." Junpei pointed to the statue hidden beneath a small shrine under a giant tree.

"Oh, yeah! We saw that when we first came here," Chie walked closer for inspection, "Is it an angel? What is it holding?"

"Looks like a flute," Yu voiced his thought, made a closer inspection to the old words next to the shrine. "Wait, I can read it now. It said..."

We of the Mountain await

"Await for what?" Yukiko wondered at Yu's translation.

"Eh? How did you read that?" Kanji adjusted his glasses.

"Your Japanese probably sucks," Yosuke commented.

As they were arguing, Labrys took a chance to dust the statue and paused for a while. She backed away and studied the statue again.

"You see something?" Rise appeared next to her.

"Not a flute, a trumpet..." The android reached out to grab the long rod near its mouth.

"Statue that blow trumpet?" Rise pressed a finger on her chin, "Trumpeter?"

"Everyone, we need to find the entrance." Yukiko interrupted.

They all turned to the bird.

"Tengu, you said it was near." Yukiko called, "Tengu?"

The bird was trembling in his large costume. Yukiko hurried to his side.

"Yuki-nee, today isn't a good day," Tengu grabbed her arm, "The Central Realm is dying. The stars don't align today."

"Tengu..."

"We can't go," Tengu begged, "Something horrible made a nest here while I was gone. I-I should have stayed-"

"We're not going?" Kanji voiced out, "Hell no! We have two friends waiting for us!"

"Then I'll go," Teddie said, moving past Tengu, "My nose is super sensitive today. I can find them!"

"You're entering new places," Junpei shook his head, "Are you sure we won't encounter any enemy?"

"I-I can try!" Teddie's responded.

"Sorry, Teddie, but this area belongs to Tengu," Chie said.

"Stay focus, all of you," Yu finally said, "Tengu, whatever makes you afraid, we're here. We'll do the fighting."

"But Yuki-nee!"

"Tengu, look at me," The bird focused on Yukiko patting his hand gently, "We need you right now. Once we get there, you don't have to do anything anymore. We'll be fine."

Seeing the reassuring smile on Yukiko, Tengu slowly nodded, "We're close to Yomotsu Hirasaka. There's a secret path traced only by smells and sounds. Then, Yomi."

"Let's go," Yu said.

---

Afternoon - The gas station, A few miles from Inaba

"Oh crap," Kazumi cursed as they prepared to continue their ride.

"Your tank isn't full?" Tatsuya asked without leaving his attention from the files on the front of his bike.

"No, the Velvet Room just call," Kazumi pointed at one corner of the station.

Tatsuya raised his head to see the Velvet door floating near the exit of the station.

"Igor is desperately reaching out to you," The Collector smirked, "Don't keep the old man waiting."

Tatsuya parked his bike and proceeded to the room.

---

Velvet Room

"You must return Inaba as soon as you can," Margaret said the moment he walked in. All the other residents were not in sight, except for the two figures. Tatsuya, however, was taken aback by the wallless area around the room. He pointed a finger at them, but Margaret did not comment. Fine, he'll ask another day.

"We're already leaving for Inaba as we speak," Tatsuya replied.

"You must make haste, or else," Margaret gestured him to the table, but the cuff on her wrists made it difficult. Tatsuya examined the seven chairs, only to see all of them scattered on the floor. He took an unexpectedly deeper breath than usual, "Who did you summon?"

"Mitsuru Kirijo," Igor answered honestly, both hands eagerly waiting to flip the tarot.

Tatsuya squeezed his eyes at the master, "Your wrists aren't cuffed like the rest. If I insisted on a reason..."

"I will have to reject it. You are wise enough to understand," Igor tangled his fingers, "Sometimes, your role can be a burden too heavy to carry alone. Do not stray."

"I know," Tatsuya stood at the front of the table. Why Mitsuru Kirijo? "What is your omen?"

Igor laid out three cards facing down. "Bad omen," He flipped the first card, revealing Star Arcana. "The young detective is close to madness."

"Shirogane?" Tatsuya perked, "What have they done to her?"

"Her soul is fading," Margaret spoke, "She is being imprisoned in her psyche, by an entity."

"Damn it," Tatsuya clenched his fist. He never expected them to hunt her first, "The next card."

The moment he flipped the card, Tatsuya cursed.

Reverse World.

"You're kidding me," Tatsuya immediately turned back, "You could have told me first!"

"The last card, Sun," Margaret insisted.

He glanced back to see Igor flipped the last card. It was an Arcana foreign to him. There was no numeral, nor name. Only the tranquil spectrum colors could be seen reflected from the light on the gold card. He looked closer and saw lines forming a butterfly's wings above and feathered wings below.

"Hope Arcana represents a glimpse of light at the last moment of despair," Igor explained, "Who or what will be this guiding light? You will find out."

Margaret tossed something at him. The small white orb was small in his palm. "What's this?"

"A cure for the young detective," Margaret bowed, "Please, save them, for we are helpless beyond this room."

Tatsuya said nothing but hastened to the exit.

---

Yu Narukami

Secret passage

"Labrys!" Junpei screamed.

"Huh?" Labrys was at the back-most of the group, "What's wrong?"

"Your axe! At your back!" Kanji.

"Teddie, Move, you fat bear!"

"Chie-chan, don't kick my butt!"

The squared tunnel was dangerously short. The red stones around them were visibly fragile. They were able to clamp together at the entrance but had to crawl one at a time after a while. Now, the tunnel was trembling.

"Oh, right," Labrys nodded, glancing at her oversize axe grazing the walls on both sides, "Don't worry. With a little more push-"

The cave trembled again. One of the rubbles began to form dust around the tunnel. The girls screamed.

Tengu gulped, "E-Everyone, I think-"

"Just go!" Yukiko forcefully pushed Tengu.

"Everyone, wait up!" Labrys hurried after the rushing team.

"Labby-chan, don't crawl too fast!" Teddie shriek like a madman.

"But-"

"Wait for us to leave first!" Yu warned.

"There! The opening!" Tengu leaped out.

---

Yomi

When Junpei made it out, the small tunnel collapsed over, nearly taking the batter's leg. Specks of dust flew over the cold air, blinding the area around them.

"You said the path was safe!" Kanji shouted.

"I-I'm sorry! I forgot the Kansai robot had a large axe!" Tengu bowed.

"Calm down," Yu stood up, sweeping away the dust, "We should have measured everyone's size when we entered the cave earlier, either."

"Yeah," Yosuke nodded, then searched around, "Labrys? Are you there?"

"I'm good," Labrys cheered, lifting her heavy weapon, "And so does my axe."

"Woah..." Junpei spoke, "Check this out."

They all followed his line of sight and gasped. It was a broad land filled with trees and rivers, though the hue was dark and purplish. There were small cabins scattered everywhere, made possible due to the high latitude they watched from. Monstrous old creatures patrol the broad grasslands. Small hills soared high above the cloudy sky. The terrain was visibly uneven, some lands were lowered than others. The unseen edge of the realm, the dark sky, the blenched colors; it was grimness impossible to describe.

"There," Tengu pointed at the center of the place, where the tall castle was. It was tall and imposing, but some lit lanterns were visible from within. The walls were pure dark woods, but some dirty whites painted the massive gate at the outer walls of the place, "The ruler of this realm dwelled within Izumo Castle. But Yomotsu-Shikome commands thousand of the Yomotsu-Ikusa army. Weird! Extremely weird! They don't look normal."

"Maybe because Izanami's control is no more," Yu deduced, "Something else took over and destroyed the command system."

"So they're just mindless creatures?" Yukiko asked.

Rise summoned her persona and scanned, "I'm surprised you knew that, senpai. You're right. They're not in their right mind."

"This could be either easier, or tougher," Kanji clenched his fists, "But that won't stop us!"

"Hey, birdie, what's wrong?" Junpei asked.

They all turned to the shivering Tengu who attempted to lock visions for goods.

"Monsters..." Tengu tremblingly held hands, "There's a giant presence there. Be careful, for I will not move from this place."

"It's okay. Nobody expects you to," Yu nodded, "Without your persona, you're vulnerable. Wait for us here."

Everyone began climbing down the ledge and entered the lands. Yukiko patted the bird's head with a smile.

"We'll be quick," Yukiko promised.

Tengu said nothing but nodded.

---

Front Gate, Izumo Castle

"This is all your fault!" Yosuke screamed, still bathed in oozing water.

"What?! You're the one who blew our cover!" Chie retorted.

"Everyone, run!" Yu ordered.

Not even five minutes had passed before one of the creatures spotted them crouching near the rotten river. Now, an army of slender creatures was chasing them without stop.

"The gate's close!" Junpei shouted.

"Guys, to the side," Labrys reached for her axe. After everyone dodging to the side, the android threw the large axe at the sealed front gate, guarded by two Ikusa. The black metal gates toppled inward, where the entrance to the castle was visible from afar.

"We can't bring them inside!" Rise warned, "They'll just surround us!"

"What do we do?" Yukiko asked.

"We're dead! We're dead!" Teddie shrieked.

Yu managed a glance at the castle above and saw two figures watching them from high above. The brothers were here.

"Someone needs to hold them off while we rescue Marie!" Kanji suggested.

They entered the front gate, where Labrys immediately retrieved the axe on the ground and halt, facing the approaching armies. "Go! I'll hold them off!" The android entered battle stance.

"Are you mad?!" Yosuke turned around.

"I'm strong! I know what I'm doing!" Labrys said, didn't notice Junpei standing beside her, "Junpei-san, why-"

"Stop babbling and look at the front!" Junpei released the metal bat and tapped the ground, "Shadow Operative got to stay together."

"You two..." Yu paused before the entrance.

"You have friends waiting," Junpei straighten his hat and chuckled, "Leave it to us."

Yu took a long breath and finally managed a weak nod, "We'll bring them back."

"Don't die, you two!" Chie said, began running into the building to chase after the frenzied Kanji. Yosuke made one look at the android before continuing their journey.

'Marie,' Yu muttered as they began ascending the giant stairs at the center of the building, 'Wait for us...'

---

Evening - 29/11/2012(Thursday) - Yu's dream World
(4 days earlier)

The fourth time he was united with Marie in their dreams went unexpectedly hushed, like a waterfall ceased to flow, or a storm tempered by sudden patience. Each time, the dream grew briefer, silence signaled their time limit. Something sealed her tongue in everything about her location, condition, purpose.

Reasons. Something was provoking painful memories whenever he mentioned it.

Yu asked nothing of it, only voiceless conversation besides the bonfire within her sanctuary. But the smile he showed her proved enough delight to her. This encounter brought them closer than what was promised. Marie's sudden tears marked the end of the serial dreams. Yu opened his mouth but provided no verbal comfort, accordingly pursing his lips.

On the fourth visit into this dream, he realized their next conversation will be in real life. Marie stood from her seat next to the bonfire and dragged her black kimono to the tatami door, sliding it opened.

"Yu."

He stood up, waiting.

"I don't think you understand why you can't save me."

"Make me."

"It's..." Marie took a deep breath without looking his way, "...It's for your own good."

"But you want me too," Yu walked towards her. Marie said nothing, biting her lips. He continued, "No matter how far you go, this bond will bind us."

"It's a mistake."

Yu shook his head, "Then let me proved it after we reunited."

"I killed someone."

Yu missed it the first time.

"When 'I', Izanami, first created the Midnight Channel, I did it by the blood of a child," Marie bent her head low, "He was innocent, only a bit ignorant."

"Was it a long time ago?"

Marie nodded.

"Then why cling to it? You can make amend. Do more good, help people, do what's right-"

"How will I?" Marie faced him, "The death of that child spawned monsters."

Yu tilted his head, "Who?"

"One of them was almost you," Marie pressed a palm on him, "Yu, don't come for me. I admit I want you to, but the price-"

"I'll bring you back," Yu grabbed her soft hand, "No matter the cost. I promise."

---

Monach Hall, Izumo Castle

"Will you, Yu?" Marie caressed the hand, reminiscing the warmth of his hand. She shut her eyes at the sound of clashes that resounded outside the castle. She stood up from her little throne, dusting away the cold dust on her dark kimono. She withheld a tear, accepting the inevitable outcome.

She felt him. He is here.

"The Investigation Team will be here shortly."

Marie turned to the footsteps to her left, where the golden masked Beast walked into the hall with his modern suit. "I strongly advise you to avoid watching this."

"Or what?" Marie crossed her arms, attempting an imposing stance.

"It is advice. Don't weep when I spill too much blood."

"You can't kill the man of prophecy."

"But his friends? Will you wager it?" He chuckled.

She said nothing as he continued.

"That bear mascot, is it yours?"

Marie shook her head, "What happened to your family wasn't mean to be. I didn't create that Shadow."

"Or you just don't remember?" The golden Beast countered. They paused at the sight of the other Beast.

"I brought her, she's in the next room," The silver Beast pointed at the side room behind him with a thumb.

"Her?" Marie frowned.

"Oh, you didn't know," He realized, "I don't involve someone unless I had to, but that ace detective is suitable."

Marie widened her eyes, understood his action.

But the footsteps grew closer. All three of them shifted to the front entrance.

"They're here," The silver Beast whispered.

The front door slid opened, and Marie bit her lips to control her emotion.

Their eyes met.

---

Yu Narukami

Three people were waiting for the Investigation Team when they barged into the room. Marie was as he remembered her, only more anxious, helpless. The two men with gold and silver beast masks adorned strange suits, clearly out of place in the Shinto castle. Rows of candles formed a line above the tall ceiling pillars, shining pale yellow lights in the tall hall. Some lanterns hanging on the edge swung weakly by the outside air, yet no windows were seen. The tatami floor was soft to the feet as they walked into the room.

Marie and the two Beasts were here.

"I finally found you," Yu muttered, resting down his sword.

"Marie-chan!" Teddie called out.

"Those masks..." Yukiko said, "Are you the Hitoshi brothers?"

"You're going to pay for what you did to Naoto!" Chie stormed her foot.

"Where, where is she?" Yosuke examined the room, "Are we wrong?"

"No, I feel a presence in the left room!" Rise confirmed, "It's Naoto, but... her presence..."

"Yes, you are correct," The man with the silver beast nodded, "Your friend is here. But first..." He pressed a hand to his chest, "A formal introduction. I am called Behemoth. The golden mask is called Leviathan. Today, you came to take away the goddess. Unfortunately, that's not allowed."

"No mask or voice alteration can disguise you," Yu insisted, "Umashi, Ame, I will not be deceived."

The silver Beast, Umashi, chuckled, "Called us how you like. But I'm not backing down."

"I don't care about your stupid name!" Kanji interrupted, "Where's Naoto?!"

Umashi turned to the side, waving his hand in his direction. The door to the side spread opened, where two Ikusa dragged a small cage with someone inside, seemly unconscious. They gasped at her appearance.

The most obvious change of Naoto Shirogane was her long white hair, are if cultivated by endless stress, her lips were dried, although no sight of a bruise as they could see. When one of the creatures unlocked the gate, Yu saw her yesterday's attire worn and dirty.

"No..." Rise stuttered, searching her voice, "She's alive, but..."

"Naoto-chan!" Teddie cried.

"Naoto-kun!" Kanji pushed past the team and rushed to the fallen member.

"Kanji, no!" Marie screamed, leaping to the running man, "That's not her any- Mmmmm!" Ame silenced her with his hand on her mouth. Yu narrowed his eyes at Marie's outburst and turned to Kanji, who was ready to enter the cage.

"Kanji, it's a trap!" He sprinted towards him, the rest followed, "Yosuke!"

"On it!" Yosuke activated Speed Master and dashed ahead.

"Naoto-kun!" Kanji lifted her head within the cage, "Naoto-kun, can you hear me?"

The ace detective opened her eyes and whispered, "Kanji?"

"Yeah, it's me. We're getting you out-"

Even Yosuke nearly tripped at the sight. Yu's jaws dropped, while the girls and Teddie went speechless. Naoto suddenly pulled the big man to her and kissed him on the cheek inside the small cage. The man himself appeared stunned by the action. The atmosphere turned awkward.

"N-Naoto-kun, are you okay-"

Then dreadful when the kiss was trailed by three consecutive shots.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

...Silence.

Kanji pulled himself away from her and stumbled outside the cage. He held his bleeding abdomen, and words stuck in his throat. The detective herself exited the cage into full view, smokes leaving the barrel of her gun.

"Surprise?" 'Naoto' giggled with an abnormal voice, her eyes yellow.

"KANJI!" Everyone screamed. Yosuke at the front ran towards them with incredible speed. With superhuman strength, she kicked the fallen Kanji towards him, where Yosuke immediately suppressed the fall with his back. They both flung away and crashed into the tatami door to the left.

"That's not Naoto!" Rise analyzed, "Something possessed her!"

Yukiko ran towards Yosuke and Kanji. The bleeding was worse than she thought. The big man was unable to utter anything.

"Amaterasu: Diarahan!" Yukiko began healing, "Yosuke, go help Yu!"

"Don't let him die!" Yosuke stood up and regrouped with the rest.

Yu saw Marie cast something on Ame to remove herself from him. The golden Beast fell to his knee, paralyzed.

"You're gone too far, Leviathan," Marie snarled, "You're no longer the man I know."

"You're just don't know me well enough," Ame replied. Marie began to glow in the light, aiming a hand at him. But Ame grabbed her hand in a flash and landed a powerful fist on her chest. Her light fell through, added with multiple line patterns began growing on her hands. Marie gasped before being flung away to the back.

"Marie!" Yu readied his sword, "Everyone, formation!"

They waited for 'Naoto' to walked towards them, still presenting a weak smile.

"That's not Naoto," Rise summoned Kanzeon, beginning navigation, "Whoever inside her, it's powerful."

"Pardon the shooting," The deep voice spoke, glancing at the gun in hand before watching the fallen Kanji being treated by Yukiko, "This vessel is tenaciously persistent. I had to shot the man to put her to sleep. She should feel honored, for this vessel is strong."

"Leave her body, idiot!" Chie scowled.

The entity shook her head, "I have days before my role is set. If you begged for blood, I will not hesitate."

Smokes began to pour from Naoto's body. A black tarot card appeared above Naoto.

"Amatsu Mikaboshi," Umashi warned at the back, equipping his gloves, "Don't kill the leader."

The entity smiled, shooting the card above.

Crash!

Amatsu Mikaboshi
"I am the god who governs the stars. Nakatsukuni will be my dominion. I am Amatsu Mikaboshi, and I reign the heavens."
Arcana: Star
The Shinto god of stars, said to be a primordial evil in Japanese mythology. In some legend, he is said to oppose the gods in Nakatsukuni.

His tall, disembodied structure towered above Naoto and them. Mass of stars including his face stirred within his shell. His armor spanned all over his body, though some joint areas revealed the lights within. His chest armor diverged into a straight line at the center with multiple chains loosely bint both sides together. On his left and right chest were star shapes. The armor shapes on his limbs were pattern with black and glowing purple stripes, his shoulders plates were layered with circular shapes. His three-horned helmet revealed glowing eyes.

"A primordial god..." Yu muttered, 'So he's not Strife.'

"Oh crap," Yosuke entered battle stance, "Plans?"

"We can't fight all three," Yu examined Amatsu Mikaboshi, Umashi, and Ame. He glanced at the fallen Kanji and gritted his teeth. "We're here for Marie only. You guys keep two of them busy, I'll try to fetch Marie out of here."

"Here we go!" Teddie screamed and bared his claws.

They leaped to the battle as Yu made his way to Marie.

Investigation Team VS Amatsu Mikaboshi & Behemoth, the Beast of Earth

"Try as you might," The god of stars began reloading Naoto's gun and counterattacking. Mikaboshi aimed the gun at Yosuke at the front line, but the god of the storm was faster.

"Susanoo: Masukukaja!" Yosuke summoned Susanoo. In a split second, he dodged the bullet with high speed and entered close range. Gripping his kunai, he leaped above Naoto and aimed for the eye of Amatsu Mikaboshi. However, the god of stars made a fist and swung a punch at him. Susanoo blocked the attack but failed to detect the enemy skill.

Tune-Down- Mikaboshi's arm began to glitter in starscape before channeled it to the fist, slamming it to Susanoo. Yosuke flew off the area but safely landed on his feet.

"Yosuke!" Rise screamed at the back with Kanzeon.

"No worries, I'm fine!" He stood up and regroup with the team.

"That's not it!" Rise responded, "Your power's decreasing!"

Yosuke paused, sensing his power weakening. Nothing with his body, but he sensed a few moves he had seemed sealed away. "That attack... Chie! Don't let that thing hit you!"

"Hear you!" Chie dodged another storm kick by the giant god. "Suzuka Gongen: Agneyastra!"

The female warrior cast three consecutive meteors at the huge body of Mikaboshi. Once the attacks failed to down him, Suzuka Gongen spun her double edge blade, slashing at his armor. Mikaboshi spread a long claw and attempted a scratch on the persona. The blade and long claw clashed, though the claw's strength dominated the attack and pushed Suzuka Gongen backward.

"I can bear the attack too!" Teddie jumped in after Chie failed to attack. Unfortunately, the silver Beast blocked his path.

"B-Beast!" Teddie yelped.

"It's Behemoth, Beast of the Earth," He took out a pair of black brass knuckles and inserted his fingers into the holes, "You still don't remember a thing, little bear?"

"Huh?" Teddie paused, "W-What do you mean?!"

"No use arguing," He entered a stance, "I'll keep you occupied. Umashi-Ashikabihikoji!"

A powerful god appeared above him as he charged.

At the far corner of the battleground, Yukiko glanced at the fight, her bloody hands grew sweaty in panic. When should she join the battle?

She was startled by a hand grabbing her, only to see it was Kanji, face ashen white.

"Go..." Kanji pushed her hands away from his wounds, "Join them."

"But your wound-"

"Just go, dammit!" Kanji scolded, "I'm fine! That healing fixed me up. Just..." Despite the closing wounds, too much blood had been lost. "Just... Give me a minute..."

Yukiko wished to argue, but she knew Teddie and Chie were being pushed back. She stood up and shook her head, "Don't move too much, I'll be back."

"Worry about yourself, idiot..." Kanji said, trying to upright his posture to watch Yukiko regrouping with the team. The beefcake emperor regretted it immediately, sensing the ache on his abdomen. "Naoto..."

Yu slipped past the rest of them and reach the end of the hall, where Marie made a curious pose of clenching both fists. Her arms were tattooed with a zig-zag pattern, generating small electricity over her body. Her anxious look stopped him in his track.

"I'm taking you home," Yu slowed his pacing.

"I'm already home," Marie shook her head, observing her hand, "Yet look at me. Leaving the realm of the dead for so long, I lost control of either Yomotsu-Shikome or Yomotsu-Ikusa. Now, they're fighting your friends outside."

"She's right."

Yu backed away from the presence of the man he believed to be the older of the brothers. Leviathan, Ame, Beast; none of it mattered. The man in front of him is an enemy, and he had no reason to back down.

"Izanami is not strong enough to use the full potential of her power," Ame said, standing between him and the goddess, "You take her away, and every creature outside this castle will be frenzied to madness."

"I took a higher risk before."

He laughed, but soon faded to a sigh. Slowly, he walked to the side of the room, where rows of polearms rested on the wall. One particular spear appeared real compared to the rest, the same one Ame laid a hand on.

"You're a Truth Seeker, are you, Narukami?" Ame dragged the spear across the tatami floor and stood a few meters in front of him, "Then, a word of advice. Some truth is not worth seeking."

Yu ignored him and summoned the tarot card in front of him, "Izanagi!"

Crash!

The patriarch of Japanese gods floated above him, but it unsurprisingly unfazed the Beast.

"Not showing your trump card? Fine, we play it by levels," The Beast summoned a tarot card and crashed it, "Fenrir!"

Crash!

Fenrir
Known As: Vanagandr, Fenrisulfr
Arcana: Strength
The giant wolf in Norse mythology. Son of Loki and Angrboda, father of Skoll and Hati, he was tricked by the gods and chained with Gleipnir bond. At Ragnarok, he breaks free from his chain and devours Odin before being slain by the god Vithar.

The monstrous white wolf towered above Ame, multiple blue runes glowed on his paws and limbs. With one tap of his feet, Yu found his balance disturbed and almost lost his footing.

This sensation. "A Wild Card..." he realized.

"The Wild Card who precedes you, 'father'," Ame mocked, spinning his spear and entered stance. "Let's began."

Yu Narukami VS Leviathan, the Beast of Sea

Izanagi slashed one of Fenrir's front legs and backed away, but the hide was too thick. The giant wolf leaped at the sky and bare his fang wide, aiming down on Izanagi.

Giant Bore- Fenrir's teeth glowed in white light and closed his maw on the father of gods.

Cross Slash- Izanagi's first slash cut the wolf vertically, injured his nose. The second slash pierced the palate of the mouth with the blade side, while the blunt side blocked the lower jaw, preventing him from closing his jaws.

Yu was seconds away from having his head split by the long spear. It was rare for the leader to grip the hilt tightly with both hands, but when his blade and the head of the spear collided, he instantly knew the difference in strength. Using his shoulder, Ame pressed down the spear further downward, forcing Yu to his knee.

"You know martial arts?" Ame said.

"Self-taught," Yu released one hand on the grip, leading the force of the spear to slide to the side. The head of the spear was buried to the ground, giving him the window to switch the grip of his two-handed sword and made a horizontal anti-clockwise spin, aiming for his ribs.

"Same," Ame leaped to the side at a blurred speed, narrowly avoid Yu's sword. He forced out the spear from the ground and use the blunt side of the spear to jab at Yu's forehead. Yu didn't complete the dodge, letting the pole grazed his temple slightly. He crouched below and aimed for the Beast's legs, but the enemy jumped, piecing his spear to the ground to stop the sword's attack. He stomped one foot on the sword, spinning the spear over his shoulder, and swung it at him. Again, Yu dodged, but the tip of the spear grazing his left shoulder instead.

Yu leaped and dropped a flying kick on the man's chest, but the Beast blocked it with his elbow, weakening the damage. The leader broke free his sword and backed away, regaining his stance. The Golden Beast spun his spear and gripped it between his right armpit.

"You sure you can keep up with my spear?" Ame pointed at Yu's sword. He examined it and finally noticed a few nicks on his blade. Yu held it tight still and entered battle stance.

On the other hand, Izanagi's blade finally broke, allowing Fenrir to swallow the god. But Izanagi held still, with his hands.

"Persona Change: Kohryu!" Yu hurriedly summoned.

The dragon expanded around Fenrir, tearing the wolf apart. Ame didn't hold back and summoned another persona, "Persona Change: Indra!"

---

Front Gate, Izumi's Castle

"Hah... Hah..." Junpei collapsed to the ground and dropped his bat, "Labrys... How many did we kill?"

"Estimated around 126 enemies," Labrys, dropped her axe among the fallen bodies, "I already used use more than half of my reserved energy."

"You can still go on?! Damn..." Junpei tried to stand, but fell again when he saw another batch of enemies approaching, "Give me a break, will you!? How long are they inside there?"

"It's already half an hour," Labrys leaned her head forward, "Hold on, why are they..."

The incoming armies, however, seemed disoriented. Some of them stood motionless as if paralyzed, while others began lashing out aimlessly. After a while, mayhem overwhelmed the armies, and they began killing among themselves.

"Okay..." Junpei spoke, leaning on his bat to stand and rubbed away the dirt on his shirt, "They suddenly went crazy."

"Something happened up there," Labrys retook her axe, "Come on, let's meet them-"

Her words were cut short when a large explosion occurred at the top of the castle. They gazed up and saw flames suddenly engulfed the roof of the place. They heard clashes, roars, and summoning of personas.

Junpei and Labrys turned to each other and made a small nod. They made the toughest sprint to their destination.

---

Monarch Hall

Tune Down- After relentless dodging, Amatsu Mikaboshi finally struck Suzuka Gongen with his curious attack. Chie leaped away, wiping the blood on her lips, and savored some breaths. Both Yosuke and Teddie had been incapacitated by that skill. Yosuke had sealed his persona for power and went straight offense, but Teddie remained stubborn in blasting down spells after spells on both the god of stars and the Silver Beast.

"He got me!" Chie warned, "Rise!"

"I know!" The navigator buffed another spell for the party, but most of them already lost too much stamina.

"Chie, stay back..." Kanji, joining the fight minutes ago with a pale expression, went to the front line, but faced with Umashi, "As long as they don't hit you with that skill, you're fine."

"Kanji, you're losing too much blood!" Rise shouted.

"And you're barely standing," The psychologist dashed forwards again. "Your fight will not matter with your fatal wounds. This is my last mercy. Step aside. Let your teammates settle the rest."

"Like I can do that!" Kanji roared.

"You should broaden your mind a little, fool. Tarot Burst: Five of Rod! Thermal Fall!"

Five flaming yellow rods appeared around Umashi-Ashikabihikoji and formed a barrier of red neon. The Energy God made a luminous form of a pole and flung it at Kanji at high speed.

"Rokuten Maou!" Kanji summoned the demon king and guarded against the attack. The persona forcefully use his giant hands and pressed the pole before reaching him, stopping the force. But the impact was impossibly high, forcing Rokuten Maou to deflect it to the side. The result was the pole pierced his left face, unsummoned him. Kanji cried in pain and fell to the ground.

"Force Sigil!" Umashi dashed forwards with his persona. His brass knuckle aimed straight for the emperor's head, while the Energy God forced a palm on Chie, who rushed to help.

"Amaterasu, Maragidyne!" The goddess of Sun rained fire on Umashi-Ashikabihikoji, canceling his attack. Yukiko pushed Kanji out of the way as Leviathan punched a hole on the floor.

"Kanji, I think you should listen to him," Yukiko insisted as she dragged Kanji away.

"But I-"

"Rise, take him out!" Yukiko called before he could argue further.

"On it!" Rise ran to her side and pulled Kanji, "Help Teddie too! I think he's in trouble."

"Let's try this again," Umashi pulled out his fist from the ground and faced the team. His steps were paused when the ground in front of him received a bullet hole.

Mikaboshi was staring at him.

"Stay out of this!" Mikaboshi hissed, "I do not need assistance from a mortal."

Umashi said nothing and faced the team again. Teddie stayed flattened on the floor, blending himself to the destroyed area, though his eyes peeked warily on the enemies.

"Y-Yeah, this is bear-y not fair!" The flattened Teddie crawled away from the walking Silver Beast and hid behind Chie, "Chie-chan, they nerf me!"

"Urgh, keep your eyes open!" Chie took another stance.

"...Finish them fast," Umashi glanced at the back to the battle of Yu and the other Beast, "Izanami has begun taking control." He walked to the side.

Mikaboshi aimed Naoto's gun at them, but Yosuke threw a kunai at the hand, disarming the weapon.

"Now!" Chie, Yukiko, Yosuke, and Teddie rushed towards Naoto's body. Simultaneous summoned personas attacked the god of stars.

Mikaboshi began palming his hands together and began a new skill.

Tune-Up: Gigantomachina- A powerful shockwave startled a powerful earthquake beneath their feet. Mikaboshi dug both claws into the floor and raised the entire platform upwards. The rows of illuminated candles on the ceiling fell apart, spreading yellow fires on the roof and the tatami floor. The inferno swallowed the walls and roofs, and the castle began to burn.

Nearly the entire hall broke apart, casting most of the members into the lower floor. Behemoth managed to leap far above the ceiling, disappeared behind the flames.

---

Yu Narukami

"Yoshitsune: Hassou Tobi!"

"Kiyomori Taira: Zokyu Jubi!"

The two legendary warriors clashed amidst the flames. Most of the footing has fallen below, but Yu had no luxury to care for the condition of his teammates, not when the tip of his sword was nicked away in a close fight moments earlier. Although he never broke his stance, he sensed the burns from the cuts around his body. The two personas faded, but they both knew there's more than enough power for one more round.

Strong wasn't enough to describe him. The Beast was wild beyond words. The extended fight seemed to worsen his battle hunger. How did such a man able to release his bloodlust without being blinded by his rage? Even when Ame had begun crawling on three, his attacks were sharp, precise, and powerful. No matter how much he tried, Yu never managed a step closer to the frenzied Izanami.

"Grrrr... Come on, Narukami! Come on..." He growled behind the mask, "It's time for the trump card."

If he had all his teammates with him, Yu saw the chance with crystal clear.

Now, alone, his legs began trembling.

As Ame took another step, his body froze, sensing a thousand black arms gripping his body. He let loud a curse, turning to Marie.

Yu gasped at the creature towering above them. The entity once known as Marie raised a hand towards the crawling Beast with a robed arm. Her body was garnered in white silk, her rotten face quickly hidden behind a large golden mask. Her eyes revealed malice and rage.

"Marie?" Yu whispered.

"So the goddess of death awakened in full," Ame snickered.

"You dare trample my realm!" Izanami-no-Mikoto screamed, "Seething destruction within my domain! Using Strife's name to seal my oath! Tell the reed father I will not return to him!"

Thousand Curse- The black arms covered Ame's body, dragging him into the unknown depth. Ame resisted, breaking free.

The Beast's eyes glowed white. Yu sensed a sudden power rising within his enemy. Izanami was set on sending him to hell, but it only agitated him further.

Then, he summoned the persona used on him yesterday.

"Ameno-Tokotachi!" The Beast screamed.

The thousand cursed upon him vanquished in the sudden light. Bath in that radiance, Yu felt his power seeped away.

"Izanagi-no-Okami!"

The father of gods blocked the impact. If Izanami couldn't bring him down, this sealed the last round between them.

Ame stepped out of the light, letting the lights dimmed away. His ultimate persona was high above him.

Ameno-Tokotachi
Arcana: ?
One of the Kotoamatsukami, the collective of first gods that came into existence in Japanese mythology during the beginning of time. As one of the five Kotoamatsukami, he represents the aspect of 'Heaven', one of the two deities that came after the first three gods. Like the rest of his fellow gods, Ameno-Tokotachi went into hiding after the creation of the world and was never mentioned again.

Clad in white ornaments, his armor was as divine as imaginable. Two pairs of white-feathered wings spread behind him. His oversize white garb was adorned with golden ornaments, like rows of small badges aligned themselves on his torso. His gloves, boots, and mask were metallic, where his two-horned mask was shaped in white with golden stripes. From afar, he looked almost wearing the same garment as Izanagi-no-Okami. On his right hand was a long spear with jeweled pearls between the blade and the rod.

"We're finally here," The Beast breathed hard, swinging his spear. Ameno-Tokotachi mimicked his move and spun his weapon.

"I don't have time for you!" Yu cried, "Marie is-"

"I warned you; some truth is not worth seeking," The Golden Beast interrupted, "It's not us who keep your friend here. Izanami locked herself away once she was told of her role in the black rider's ceremony."

"You're lying."

"You're denser than I thought," Ame scolded, "Why do you think she pushed you away, even when you're at her front door? She is fighting with her other self inside her heart. She knew a large part of her will be forced to fulfill the prophecy. Yomi is the proof of her conflict."

Yu widened his eyes, "No..."

"That's right. When you killed all her other self and made her whole again, her true identity, Izanami-no-Mikoto, resurfaced slowly within and begin returning her to who she once was before."

"But the bond between her and us should tie her to the real world!" Yu argued, "Her human form is the proof!"

"But another bond pulled her original self from the other end," The Beast said, "The Seven Seal of God wants the purest Izanami. 'Marie' must be sealed away for it," He tapped the end of his spear on the scorched floor. "Yet her affection to you is tearing her apart. That's why she wanted you away, to make it easier for her. This... is the truth."

"Marie..." Yu watched the towering goddess of death. She shielded her eyes from the light of Ameno-Tokotachi and began clawing anything with her long arm. The raving creature didn't glance in his direction.

"Even so...!" Yu entered a new stance, beginning counterattack, "I made a promise!"

Izanagi-no-Okami dashed towards Ameno-Tokotachi, while Yu leaped towards the crawling Beast.

Thunder God Dance-

Divine Heavenly Strikes-

Both spears of their persona clashed in mid-air. Yu made the first piercing attack, starting the combo. Ame leaped into the air and struck vertically on him.

The first clash ended in stagger. Second clash. Yu aimed the left, The Beast aimed the left shoulder blade. Third clash. Fourth clash. Ame's spear blurred behind him, while Yu struck on the enemy's left rib and right lung at once. The spear blocked the third clash, the sudden boot on his forearm broke the fourth clash. Yu switched grip and elbowed at his chin, but the enemy blocked with his free arm.

Fifth clash. Sixth clash. Seventh clash. Ame pulled his spear between his armpit, shortening his reach, and pierced Yu's chest. Yu took one step backward and widened the space between them before attempting a 180-degree spin. The spear's head grazed Yu's back slightly. He switched his grip into reverse in his right hand reentered his enemy's range. He stabbed the Beast's right side of his face, but he tilted his head back and avoid the sword.

Eighth clash. Ninth clash. Using the spear's end to stab the floor, Ame dropped his body and strengthened his grip on the pole before reaching the ground. His leg swiped both of Yu's feet, weakening his stance. Crawling on three, the Beast spun his spear and aimed for Yu's exposed back. Using his hand for support, he jumped before the shaft hit his body and counterattack, swinging his sword downward. Ame blocked with his spear.

Tenth clash. Eleventh clash. Twelfth clash.

As the blade fight between them raged on, the clash between the two personas heated to a frightening level. Both spears from Izanagi-no-Okami and Ameno-Tokotachi disappeared from mortal sight, moving at sonic speed.

Yu found the shift in momentum in the small distance between them and thrust forward with his sword. The golden Beast gripped his spear with both hands and pierced in his direction. Both tips perfectly aligned and exploded into shards of metal upon impact.

Still driven in the thrill of battle, they cast aside their broken arms and entered close combat. Yu threw a fist at the mask, while the enemy aimed for his solar plexus.

Above them, the two weapons of the gods glowed in white light and slashed at each other.

When the impact reached the target, Yu felt one of his fingers broke inside his fist by the mask's firmness. He almost lost consciousness by the impact on his stomach. Their personas above them left a cut on their throats before disappeared in the mist. The mask on the Beast cracked by his punch.

Yu and the enemy broke apart and fell to their knees. The ground beneath them finally broke apart, and they both fell into the lower floor.

Izanami screamed, and the land of Yomi began to shudder with the sudden fog emerging from her body.

---

Amatsu Mikaboshi surveyed the burning floor, where another room fell apart and tumbled down to the outside. Heavy smokes and fog enveloped the area, blinding his vision. The castle had visibly tilted to one side, and any more impact will certainly destroy the support for good.

The body of this child named Naoto was breaking apart again. A shame, it was a good body, but these persona users pushed him beyond his usual limit. The god of stars oddly found comfort in their strength of teamwork.

"This is why human's vessel is the best..." Mikaboshi snickered. The child's body agreed with him with a soft weep within. 'No more.' The child whispered. He touched his cheek and found tears streaming. Very well, no more feigning. Time to wrap this. He wiped the tears and yelled, "Come on out, all of you! This castle will collapse any second! You're strong, are you not?! Will you run and leave your friend to me?!"

No answer. Maybe they did retreat with the sick man. If they were here-

"Ariadne: Minotaur Axe!"

He took a few steps backward, avoiding the massive weaved axe slamming down where he once stood, sending another shockwave, obliterating the floor below. From the heavy fog, A metallic girl, non-human, stepped into the light and increased the momentum of her swing. In the air between the floors, the girl struck her axe at his side.

Fortunately, his defense of the body increased to the maximum level. He landed on the lower floor with little injuries, but the cut still succeeded in grazing the body's side ribs. The metallic girl landed on her feet, visibly unexhausted compared to the rest of the fighters earlier.

On the other side of the battle, Chie and Teddie dropped Kanji -close to losing consciousness- on the few floors below. Junpei crawled towards them after tripping from the unbalanced floor and began administered the weak man.

"What happened to bring the girls back?!" Junpei demanded, coughing due to the heavy fire. He almost couldn't see a thing.

"The enemy's too strong," Chie clenched her side in suppressed agony, "We don't see Yu, but I swear I saw Marie turning into her Shadow form."

"J-Junpei-san, what should we do?" Teddie cried.

"Hang on..." Junpei realized Kanji had shut his eyes, his breath ragged, and his face ashen white. Junpei took out his Evoker but hesitated.

"...Damn it," The batter cursed before turning to the two of them, "You take him out of this castle immediately, understand?!"

He ignored the confused Chie and Teddie, triggering his Evoker. "Trismegistus: Spring of Youth!"

Pressing both palms on Kanji's wound, Junpei forced out the forbidden skill and drained his life force into the young man. It's nothing compared to Chidori's touch, but this skill should be enough. They were all startled when Kanji suddenly woke up with a deep breath, some color returning to his face. He glanced up at Junpei's persona and gasped.

"Where...?" Kanji muttered.

"Kanji!" Teddie and Chie cheered, "Junpei-san, it's-"

"Hold it! Not enough!" Junpei disrupted. More life force, more energy. He felt his persona weakening, but Kanji was in a much worse state. Trismegistus faded away as Junpei dropped backward in exhaustion.

"You did it! Thank you," That kung fu girl really went and crying now? Junpei laughed despite the faltering body.

"Where's... Naoto?" Kanji whispered.

"She..." Chie paused when Teddie stopped her.

"Naoto's okay! She was really angry you fell for the trap!" Teddie reassured him, "But she's 100 percent perfect! We will take her home soon! Now, big guy, we need you at the hospital too!"

"...I see..." Kanji chuckled and closed his eyes. Junpei and Chie shook their heads at Teddie, but the bear shushed them with a finger. Chie ultimately nodded, while Junpei refused to barge in.

"Go," Junpei stood up with his bat, "Better hurry, though, I'm pretty sure the castle-"

Some floors below were destroyed, bending the castle further to the side. They spoke no further but gave a silent nod. Junpei joined the rest of the team above.

Above the floor, Yukiko, still untouched by Mikaboshi's skill, lashed out another fire barrage at the god of stars. Yosuke closed the distance again and gripped the kunai, aiming for Naoto's face. Yet he froze, knowing it will harm Naoto's body. Mikaboshi took the opportunity and released his true form as a persona, extending his claws and slashed Yosuke's chest. Labrys arrived to pull him back, shielding the claws with her axe. Amaterasu made a line of fires between them and healed Yosuke.

Rise appeared from the fog and buffed the team again, though she was coughing violently.

"I'm losing strength!" Rise signaled.

"If we don't knock her out soon, we might have to kill her," Labrys suggested.

"We're not going to kill her!" Yukiko disagreed.

"Can't we just beat her until we pushed that creature out of her body?" Yosuke stood up after the heal and began another formation.

"We don't have time," Yukiko coughed by the strong smokes, "Where's Yu?"

"Yu's still engaged in combat with the other guy," Rise answered, "And he's getting weaker!"

Yosuke check the far most area behind Naoto and gulped a towering creature shrouded in fog. No sight of his leader nor the other Beast, "Oh man, everything went wrong today..."

Yosuke, Yukiko, and Labrys started another formation and engaged the god of stars.

And the fog suddenly thickened until not even the glasses could help them.

"Sigil Burst!" They heard a voice from an unknown direction. Following the skill was Amatsu Mikaboshi's scream.

---

No strength came to his legs as he laid on his front amidst the burning floor, his hand slightly scorched from accidentally touching flaming debris. Izanami-no-Mikoto had lost sight of herself in her raving, yet he knew Marie was inside there, somewhere.

A place he couldn't reach her.

Yu coughed at the sudden gust of wind blowing away the nearby fires. He forced himself to glance up to see the Golden Beast crouching down, watching him with a fully healed mask, not a single crack from his punch earlier. Oddly, all the cuts and bruises on his suit were nowhere to be seen. When did he heal himself?

"You're good, I'll give you that," Ame nodded, patting Yu's head, "But the battle's over. I can't have you dead because the Seven Seals forbid it. So I give you an ultimatum right now.

"Leave, take your friends with you. Soon, this realm will be restored, and Izanami-no-Mikoto will be reborn. You may not save her facet, but Marie has seen your true affection. I'm sure she's satisfied to know that. Don't die on her, or anyone."

Ame stood up and summoned a tarot card, "Salvation!"

Ameno-Tokotachi emerged, and the burns on Yu's body faded. He managed to raise a hand and began pushing the ground.

"Or..." Ame walked away as he continued, "If the Limbo Recall can truly do as Juugo claimed..." Ame stopped, "You will return to her again, and perhaps something ancient will keep it intact. Which truth will it be, 'father'?"

The Beast of Sea began walking away until Yu's voice stopped him.

"Return to her later?" Yu muttered, clenching his fists, "I made a promise that I'll bring her back! And I mean it now!"

He reached out for his coat's inner pocket and whipped out the Contact Card. As he said, a promise to keep. A promise for her. A promise for them. She will return home.

"Hmmm?" Ame focused on him, "Stubborn fool. You have no more strength to- What's that card in your hand?"

The goddess of Death is finally within sight and peered down on them. Her raving stopped, her mask trembling with the rest of her body.

"Child of man, why are you here?" Izanami extended a rotten arm towards him.

"I'm here to bring you back, Marie."

"Marie?" Izanami paused, "Who are you?"

"I'm made a promise to bring you home," Yu reached out and touched her hand. He realized his cheeks were damped, "Huh? This tears..."

"Home?" Izanami extended her large finger and wiped the tears, "Husband? Is that you?"

The Contact Card was glowing. Yu laughed.

"Yes, dear. I'm bringing you home," but he immediately frowned, "Wait, what am I saying?"

"Your persona is overtaking your instinct," The Beast began turning in his direction, "No, that can't be..."

The Contact Card glowed even brighter, the edge began to fracture.

"...No," Izanami pulled her arm away, "You are not him. Yu Narukami, you cannot lose your heart..."

"It's okay," Yu extended a hand towards her, "I'm here to fulfill my promise..."

"Impossible..." For the first time, Yu swore he heard fear in The Golden Beast's voice. Ame began running towards them, "Izanagi, don't use that power!"

But it was too late.

Izanagi-no-Okami: Eternal Vow- The god of creation appeared above him and spun his weapon. A ray of light blasted out towards her.

The light enveloped her body. Izanagi reached out an arm towards her.

And the surface of the Contact Card shattered.

For the first time in his life, Yu Narukami lost control of his persona.

---

"Guys?" Yosuke ran around searching for his teammates lost in the fog, not one answered his call. Amatsu Mikaboshi's scream still resounded from afar, or nearby? This fogs, what happened to Izanami?

"Yosuke, I'm south of you! Yukiko, take a few steps to your left! ...Huh? Junpei-san?"

Rise's voice.

What's with the fog?" It was certainly Junpei's voice, "Hey, the glasses didn't work!"

"Everyone, give me some time. I think I can sense someone in front of me."

"Labrys?" Yosuke voiced out. The android was near, "I'm coming."

Yosuke ran into a hard figure and bump his head against the metal head. That will leave a bruise.

"Yosuke-san, s-sorry!" Labrys reached out.

"Ouch! That was the second time!"

Labrys pulled him up from the ground and surveyed the area.

"Marie, something happened to her!" Yosuke pulled her hand and began dragging her, "Come on, let's find the rest of-"

Yosuke stumbled upon a shivering body on the ground. Labrys's gasp made him focused on the shivering body. To their horror, it was Amatsu Mikaboshi in Naoto's body, her yellow eyes leaking tears in agony.

"What?" Labrys pulled Yosuke away, "What happened to her?"

"She's in pain," Yosuke crouched to examine her, "Naoto, listened to me. Are you in there?"

"They had me!" Mikaboshi's voice replied instead, "Damn you, Beast of the Earth! You planning on letting me fight to weaken me from the start!"

Naoto's right palm glowed with strange sigil; a curious shape resembling the letter Roku (six) repeated three times. The sigil suddenly traveled to the arm and disappeared into Naoto's shirt.

"They betrayed you," Yosuke realized and relaxed, "How does it feel to be tricked, bastard?"

"Silence!" Mikaboshi lashed out his arm. "Your friend would not be harmed if you had left me!"

Yosuke grabbed his shirt and dragged him up, "I don't give a crap, after what you did to our friends! Leave her body!"

"Yosuke!" Labrys screamed.

"What?!"

"Did you hear that?"

It happened so suddenly. Something bright overtaken the fogs and flames, and they all fell to an unknown height. Yosuke lost his grip on Naoto's body, but Labrys managed to grab Mikaboshi before disappearing into the fog. His voice was muffled by the loud crashes.

The castle finally toppled.

---

Hills

Behemoth unsummoned Umashi-Ashikabihikoji after activating Sigil Burst on Naoto's body. After days of hardship, the violent god of stars is finally tamed. He revealed the small camera from his suit and began rotating the lens. The fog made it hard to capture the fall of the castle, but he can't be picky.

Did they manage to escape the castle? Will Kanji Tatsumi survive? Behemoth removed his eyes from the lens, unfocused. Did the two Beasts go too far this time?

"The hell am I pretending to be a good guy now?" He reflected, "Come on, you promise your mother for this..."

He heard a loud crash from somewhere, and something bright shocked him to the core.

A pillar of light burst from within the castle, reaching an unknown height. The Beast of Earth felt the land violently being ripped apart by a strange force.

"Brother? What did you do?" Behemoth voiced out. "No, it can't be... That young man's done it! He becomes the archetype of Sage!"

The burning Izumo Castle tilted to one side before it crash to land below. He saw some member of the Investigation Team fell from the impossible height after escaping through the window.

"Damn, we went too far..." Behemoth snapped one quick picture before began descending the hills.

Until he felt his brother's Dreamer power.

The realm was suddenly frozen in time. The castle stopped crashing, and cracks began forming in the sky.

From the cracks, the flood began pouring in, flushing all the armies on lower land.

Behemoth laughed nervously, "You scared me sometimes, brother."

The land of the dead twisted in a rotation, the fabric of reality smoothly bent to the will of the Dreamer. The time flowed as normal, as the hills began to grow taller. The boundless edge of the land began to crack as well, overlapping with dozens of tall white towers, some of them resembling Behemoth's therapy dungeon.

The flames of the castle were extinguished by the flood, some of the standing structure was replaced by a strange white building. The fallen members of Yu's party who jumped through the windows safely crashed into the flashflood.

No need to capture this scene of a nightmare. After watching it countless times, nothing about his brother's power surprised him anymore.

As he began sealing his camera, his lens captured another strange light coming from the sky.

Thin tiles of road formed in mid-air. On the thin road was a white bike, ridden by a man in a white suit. Behind him was a man with a big backpack.

"Sh*t," Behemoth cursed.

The Destroyer is here.

---

"Ah... Ah!" Tengu cried out, watching the land of the dead submerged in a sudden flood, the bird suit soaked in cold water. The entrance of Yomi was still visible from here, but the hill the bird stood on was shaking madly. "N-No, the realm is breaking apart! I told them this is a bad idea!"

The bird glanced towards the distance area and used the bird's eyes vision. Some of the teammates were swimming amid the castle's wreckage, thankful the flood saved them from the height. He saw Susanoo-sama and the Kansai robot swimming to the nearby shore, pulling someone with long white hair. The beloved Yuki-nee was already on one of the tall hills together with the idol, and the man with a bat. Tengu saw the Kung fu girl pushing the water out of some sleeping big guy.

Susanoo was screaming. They were still looking for someone. Who?

Where's Izanagi?

"Help!"

Tengu heard a scream near his hill. Tengu searched for the voice and saw Teddie the bear floating above the water, his small hands unable to fight the current.

"Teddie! Hold on, I'm coming!" Tengu screamed and jumped into the water. Foolish attempt, as the bird suit floated on the water too. Tengu hurriedly swam to the shore. "S-Sorry, the suit is floating!"

"Tengu?" The bear finally acknowledged the bird. "No, it's nothing! I'm taking a swimming class-"

"You're being swept away!" Tengu scolded. He was getting further, out of sight, "Unzipped your suit!"

Regretting it immediately. Teddie was swallowed by the water with the rest of the wreckage the moment he opened the suit. The bear disappeared into the water.

"No!" Tengu screamed, glancing at the rest of the friends in distance hill. The fog worsened, till the noise of the flood removed any voice and vision. Yuki-nee was not visible anymore. They didn't see the incident, nor hear it. Teddie was in danger. Panic, panic, panic!

Tengu must be the one to save him.

Only Tengu.

Only the attendant.

"But..." The suit will prevent it. Tengu knew it well. Hands trembling, the bird stepped away. "Why the modern world is so scary...?"

What would Yuki-nee say? She gets angry if she knew Tengu left him to drown. Tengu must do something! Unless...

No, Tengu made a promise to keep the lock on the suit away. Tengu will listen to the words of the old master. But will she agree to this?

"Must you be selfish again, young bird?" Her words seemed to mock Tengu from the dream.

Tengu unfroze the trembling hand and made the big decision. Tengu began gulping something out of the mouth and spat out a zinc key. The bird took the key and carefully reach for the tiny padlock on the zipper.

"Forgive me, Mistress..."

Tengu unlocked the zipper and removed the suit for the first time, breaking the promise made to the master.

---

Another hill

Amatsu Mikaboshi still had enough strength to fight after the sudden attack crippling him earlier. He broke free from Labrys a while ago and began attacking the team. His eyes- Naoto's eyes- were red and bleeding.

"Haven't you had enough?! Just leave her body!" Yukiko entered battle stance, though most of them no longer had the strength.

"I don't have time for you. Yosuke screamed amidst the fog, "Rise, you see them?!"

"No," Rise shook her head, "Chie said Teddie was with them when she dragged Kanji out. I don't know where Yu senpai is!"

"Tengu should be out there somewhere too!" Yukiko searched again.

"Guys, Kanji's getting colder!" Chie warned, "Junpei-san?"

"He's fine! I healed him a while ago, remember?" Junpei answered, approaching the enraged god of stars.

"Are you done talking?" Amatsu Mikaboshi glared, "You will pay for this."

"Guys... I'm tired..." Rise cried.

No more strength to fight. Yosuke felt his body weakening, only anger at the event unfolding before them. Where's his partner? Was he destroyed within that castle? Where's the flood come from? Too many questions.

"Everyone, if he harms you again, I can't hold back," Labrys warned, readying her axe.

"But..." Chie stood up to fight as well.

"We have no choice," Junpei agreed, "She would never allow herself to harm you. If someone got any idea, it's time-"

The loud sound of the bike's engine gradually increased above them. Something fell from the sky on top of them. A white sphere dropped and suspended in front of Amatsu Mikaboshi.

Diamond Dust- The sphere expanded several meters wide before it exploded into webs of ice, freezing the possessed Naoto.

"Hee-ho! I did it! Your turn! Your turn!"

A small creature landed on the ground in front of them.

"Jack Frost?" Yukiko gasped.

Dropping next to the small creature was a masked man with an oversize backpack.

"Who are you-"

Labrys didn't finish her sentence before the masked man took out an orb from his bag. He clenched the orb hard before he slammed it on Naoto's forehead.

Amatsu Mikaboshi screamed, his true body forcefully pushed out of Naoto's body.

"Mask of Star!" The masked man took out a strange mask with the letter 'XVII', numeral number 17, and planted the mask on Naoto's face. Mikaboshi's true body cried out in pain. The god tried to pry the mask away from his face using Naoto's hand, but the strange man was strong.

Then the god of stars faded, leaving the detective's body alone.

"Naoto!" The team called out, rushing towards the unfrozen Naoto.

"Hey! What did you do?" Yukiko entered battle stance.

"Woah, Woah! Hold on there!" The masked man raised both hands in defense and stepped back, "I'm the Mask Collector, a friend. Suou sent me here to help you." He glanced at the detective, "The lady's fine. I sealed the god away. She's not possessed anymore."

"Suou send you?" Yosuke said.

The Mask Collector didn't finish his words before more cracks in the sky brought ford another wave, alarming everyone.

"No time to argue, we leave!" The masked man ordered, "Jack Frost, help tend the wounded!"

"But Senpai! Teddie and Tengu too!" Rise begged.

"There's no time!" The masked man rushed to the fallen Kanji and help carry him with Junpei, who was also beginning to lose consciousness.

But where's the exit?

"Huh?" Yukiko suddenly turned in one direction.

"Yukiko?" Yosuke noticed her odd stare.

"I heard... a sound," Yukiko confessed, "Like a... trumpet..." She added, "What's that, flying over there?"

Yosuke turned to her line of sight but saw nothing noteworthy.

Rise's shout pulled their attention away. "Everyone!"

A bright circular portal appeared not far from their location. The water had risen to an absurd level, the small island around them shrinking in minutes. Soon, the tsunami will drown them.

"What's that?" Junpei widened his eyes.

"An exit!" The Mask Collector laughed, "That damn dreaming power of his! You better thank Suou-san! He made your escape! Now go!"

"How did he do- Ah, just run!"

They all disappeared into the portal.

---

Tatsuya Suou

Evening - Broken Monarch Hall, Yomi

"Narukami, wake up! That card in your hand, release it!"

The makeshift road ended at his destination, where Tatsuya made a strong drift and on the circular hall. He parked his bike on one of the flat surfaces, someone's voice was heard at the center. The flood strangely didn't sweep away this area, as if protected by some power. Tatsuya removed his gloves, noting the dimmed glow beneath his skin, a sign of prophecy breaking.

"Ameno-Tokotachi! Release his hand, hurry!"

High at the center of the room were three figures. A rotten Shadow in strange kimono with a big mask, and a persona resembling a man in white attire. The man grabbed the hand of the woman, trying to pull her away. The female Shadow resisted, but the persona held his grip. The third figure was trying to break free the hands that bind the goddess.

Near the struggle between the persona and Shadow, Tatsuya saw Yu Narukami on the ground unconscious. Crouching next to him, a harsh attempt to wake the young man, was a strange figure with a golden beast mask.

The Beast of Sea.

"Yu!" Tatsuya shouted.

The Beast noticed him and hurried to his feet in alarm. Tatsuya scowled but kept his demeanor calm and slowly exposed his red knife. 'Did he conjure the area here?'

"I did not do this to him," The Beast of Sea answered before he questioned him, "Izanagi lost control and forced himself out of Yu's body. If his persona holds Izanami any longer, the young man will die."

"I know he is, you fool," Tatsuya unlocked the seal on the knife. The knife transformed into a long red blade, glittering in the light of Izanagi's power.

"...The Blade of Abbadon," The Beast seemed startled at the sight of the sword, a satisfying fear unveiled in his motion, "You're the Destroyer all along, the unknown assailant pursuing us for months. I would never guess-"

Tatsuya felt a jolt of pain in his chest. His hand dispersed into dust and reformed at a dangerous rate. The Seven Seal is in jeopardy.

"Look at yourself! I'm not your enemy at this moment," The beast retaliated, "I benefit nothing from breaking the prophecy. Help me save this man! Or you would rather the Nuclear Chaos reigning?!"

A walk turned to sprint. His free hand took out a syringe.

"Hold him there!" Tatsuya jumped, "Noden!"

The elder god rushed to the heavenly persona's side and assisted in untangling Izanagi's hand holding Izanami. Leaping straight for Izanami, Tatsuya aimed the tip of the syringe and stabbed the neck of the goddess.

He had no prayers nor faith in hoping the Limbo Recall in his hand will be strong enough to separate Marie from Izanami.

Fortunately, the drug worked. Izanagi broke free, pulling one facet of the goddess out with him.

---

Yu Narukami

Psyche of Yu?

"Izanagi?"

Yu was alone with Izanagi-no-Okami in the endless white space, his persona facing away from him.

"You should not use the card so carelessly..." Izanagi spoke.

He looked at his hand and saw the surface of the Contact Card cracked.

"Once again..." Izanagi said, reaching out to his face, "A promise unkept..."

The patriarch of gods removed his mask, his back still to Yu.

"Yu Narukami. Why do you insist on saving her, risking your friends and your own for a promise you made to yourself?"

Yu couldn't give a straight answer. "I... Because I promise... myself?"

"I chose this path for you. I made you reach for her." Izanagi answered.

Yu furrowed his eyebrows, "You influenced me to save Marie above all else. Yosuke was right, I wasn't being myself lately."

"It was not your choice to save the girl, but my instinct to save my consort influenced you," The god turned to face him, "through that card."

Beneath Izanagi's mask was his face reflecting his, face stern.

Yu held the card tightly, "What do I need to save Marie?"

"Kotoamatsukami has all the answers. You must understand the truth within your eyes before the third seal is broken. Within it is where it all began, the inception of Seven Seals of God."

Izanagi's eyes began to glow. A sudden spike of anxiety sprouted in his heart. What was this vision?

"Indeed, the sage will see the truth..."

Something bore into Yu's eyes. He screamed in pain, and remember nothing more.

---

A/N: Writing this chapter is insanely exhausting, due to the length to make up for the short previous chapter. Lots of action for this chapter, though some lore is inserted into it.

What happened to Naoto? Can she be saved? Where are Teddie and Tengu now? What happened to Yu Narukami in the end? Please wait patiently for the next chapter.