The rest of the week passed with no major events beyond student council elections, an experience Kotone forgot was normal in high school settings. She even stated as much as she popped over to 2F for lunch, something that was quickly becoming a habit for her. If not that, she and Minato would sit somewhere else in the school, typically with Junpei trailing along to talk. They had yet to rope Yukari into the small lunchtime gatherings, but it sounded as though the captain of the archery team was expecting her to take over the spot next year; she took lunchtime to better learn how things ran.

"Akemi-senpai is gonna be the death of me…" She groaned as the group sat on the monorail Saturday afternoon after class, rubbing one of her shoulders. Kotone hummed from where she stood nearby, Minato and Junpei seated by Yukari.

"Think of it this way; you could kill a man by shrugging your shoulders." Junpei offered from where he leaned against his backpack, idly playing his DS on the ride. "I've seen how big those bows you use are."

Yukari opened her mouth, but seemed to actually consider Junpei's words for a moment. "...You know, when you put it that way, I guess it's not bad…"

"Bonus perk!" Kotone laughed a bit. "Although I can see some guys thinking that's a wonderful way to go out, sadly enough."

"Dude, Koto-tan, you should hear some of the guys griping about the dorm situation." Junpei turned to Kotone as he spoke. Yukari groaned a bit.

"Is it the people griping about how Mitsuru-senpai and I are in the same dorm…?"

"You two, and Koto-tan now." Junpei confirmed, nodding when both Yukari and Kotone groaned. "Yeah, yeah, a few of the guys have whined at me about how it's unfair that they have no excuse to transfer out of their dorms to try and move in."

"They are hormonal and would not last a semester." Minato deadpanned, half leaning against Junpei as he shuffled music on his MP3 player. He was rewarded with a surprised burst of laughter from Yukari and Junpei, while Kotone gave a more natural laugh.

"Forreal though, I think there's just a presumption that it's the 'cool kids' dorm." Kotone shook her head after a minute. "There was a weird girl giving me the third degree over what sort of stuff Akihiko-senpai might like, and she just stared at me like I had two heads when I told her to just ask him in person. What the heck's up with that?!"

"They're more fond of ogling from afar without touching." Yukari muttered, voice bitter for a split second before she shook her head. "Honestly, I'd pay to see how they'd react to how he is off of school grounds."

"Okay but that was so frickin weird to me!" Junpei looked up at that, gesturing with his hands. "He has this sort of aloof, cool guy presence on campus. Almost makes you wanna stay away from him because you don't know if 'the Golden Boy' will even give you the time of day." He gestured more, taking care not to hit Minato as the blue-haired teen started to snicker at him. "And then- and THEN - you see him at the dorm, and he's getting into mock slap fights with Shinjiro-senpai! Arguing over after school snacks!"

Yukari was laughing at that as well, shaking her head. "Please, my first meeting with them involved Shinjiro-senpai chasing him out of the kitchen while he was making pancakes one morning. I didn't even know the two hung out together before that point!"

"To be fair, Shinjiro-senpai just seems to lurk at school." Kotone admitted in between snickers. "You take your eyes off of him for one second and 'poof'! You've lost visual on who I think is the tallest guy on campus!"

"I think he uses that to his advantage," Minato chimed in between chuckles. "There's been a few times where he's opted to just appear behind Akihiko to ask him something, and the sea of anime protagonists parts like you dropped a bear in a sheep pen."

The blue-haired teen's choice of words made all four of them laugh a bit, shaking their heads as the monorail neared Iwatodai Station. Gathering their things, the group stepped out and began walking, Kotone shifting to walk in front as she faced the group. "Do you think he does that for Mitsuru-senpai too?" She asked after a moment, voice contemplative. "I don't think I've seen her pause to do much more than eat food, let alone think. But considering how there seems to be people wanting to be in the same building as her …"

Junpei shrugged, even as a silly grin came on his face. "I mean, Shinjiro-senpai is tall enough to be a bouncer, official or not."

"He has mentioned a 'Taichou' once or twice," Minato hummed in thought, directing Kotone to one side before she tripped over a small signboard in the road. "And Mitsuru-senpai did mention work, so maybe he's a paid bodyguard?"

"For her? Maybe?" Yukari gave a shrug. "Mitsuru-senpai seems a bit more relaxed around them, but it's hard to gauge her emotions on well … anything really."

"Not a clue who 'Taichou' could be?"

"Nope." Yukari sighed. "Ken-kun knows, I think? But he's usually following Shinjiro-senpai and Akihiko-senpai around when there's free time."

"Wait, he's not Shinjiro-senpai's little brother?" Junpei sounded genuinely shocked at that, and Minato swore he saw the taller teen's cap lift off his head for a heartbeat. "I thought he was! Just … he's a fifth grader, right? That's gotta be so awkward staying with a bunch of high schoolers like us!"

Yukari gave a weak shrug. "I mean, I think Shinjiro-senpai's the one who found him in the Dark Hour?" She sighed a bit, swinging her bag in one hand for a moment. "He was at the dorm when I joined up, so I honestly couldn't tell you. I'm just glad he's there to keep him safe."

"Same here - I don't really like being nibbled on!"

Ken's voice from behind her made Kotone jump and whirl a bit, surprised. Ken opted to snicker at her, shaking his head. "Hi." He waved, a bag of what Minato recognized as dog food in his hands. "Sorry about spooking you like that, but I was coming back from the Shrine and heard you guys approaching."

"You seem to pop over there a lot," Yukari hummed, tilting her head.

Kotone was the only one who caught Ken's wince. "I'm checkin in on Koro, usually," He said after a second, holding up the bag of dog food. "Shinjiro normally comes with me, but he said he wanted to cook dinner tonight before you guys got busy."

"Oh shit, that's tonight?" Junpei's eyes lit up a bit, and a small grin came on his face. "I mean, I didn't forget it, but the days kinda flew by!"

Kotone and Minato looked to each other, eyes widening for a moment. Nearby, Yukari seemed to shift on her feet in unease, but gave a nod. "Yeah, I guess it is. Ikutsuki-san did say at the end of the week, and tomorrow's a Sunday…"

"Means we get to sleep in after a first day of strenuous Shadow slapping!" Kotone laughed, stretching her arms overhead with a grin. "But wait … Shinjiro-senpai is cooking?"

"Yep." Ken gave a nod, smiling. "It should be ready soon, too; we might want to scoot back before Akihiko-senpai gets to the table first …"

Minato gave a nod, his head lifting to look at the dorm as the five of them neared it. The lounge's lights were on, and Minato could faintly hear the sound of a conversation coming through the doors.

Even so, none of the juniors were quite prepared to open the door to a hysterically laughing Akihiko as the senior darted away from the dining room. Nor for him to catch something that had been violently chucked at him by an equally hard-laughing Shinjiro.

"Just take your goddamn vitamins, you anemic asshole!" Shinjiro managed to get out between laughs, leaning against the kitchen counter as he tried to collect himself. "I fuckin hate you …"

"I love you too, Grumpy!" Akihiko fired back mirthfully, shaking his head for a moment to quiet his laughter. A second or two passed before he noticed Ken and the juniors standing in the entry way, staring at him with varying states of shock. "Hey, where've you guys been?" He greeted them.

"...Walking back from school and riding the monorail?" Minato offered, collecting his wits first. "Apart from Ken-san, that is."

Ken gave a nod before fixing Akihiko with a curious look. "...Were you trying to sneak bits of food before dinner, Akihiko-senpai…?"

"YES." Shinjiro called out from the kitchen before Akihiko could respond, earning him an offended look from the silver-haired teen. "Knock it off Aki, you can wait five minutes."

"But I'm wasting away -"

"Then take your vitamins and sit for five minutes!"

Yukari just shook her head as she closed the door behind everyone, brown eyes betraying her amusement. "Again," she said quietly. "I'd pay some yen to see how his fanclub reacted to this sort of thing."

Kotone opened her mouth to respond, only to pause as she registered the smell that was filling the dorm. She could pick up beef, a bit of fried rice, a fair bit of spice, all of it delicious. A peek into the kitchen after she took off her shoes only confirmed her suspicions, and her stomach rumbled loudly.

Loudly enough that Shinjiro heard her, and the auburn soon felt the light whap of a hand towel on her head. "You too, Firecracker. Sit down and wait five minutes." Shinjiro shook his head at her, most of his chuckles spent. Kotone pouted at him.

"I can't help?" She whined, unaware of the way Junpei and Akihiko's eyebrows shot up at 'Firecracker'. Minato and Yukari also seemed curious, even as Kotone heard her brother's stomach rumble.

Shinjiro just looked at her with an arched eyebrow. "The only help I'm gonna need is getting all of this to the table for everyone. Also for someone to grab Mitsuru so she doesn't forget to eat too."

"I can do that, since you're being stingy …" Akihko mock-sighed, taking what did seem to be the vitamins Shinjiro had chucked at his head. Shinjiro just gave him an exasperated look, one that didn't seem to parse in Akihiko's brain as he moved to the stairs. "Go ahead and sit down though, the rest of you. Mitsuru and I will be down shortly."

Ken just snickered as he set the dog food down in a cupboard, then lightly tugged at Kotone's sleeve. "Come on, Kotone-senpai; he'll just hold the food out of your reach if you stay here." The grade-schooler laughed a bit, a laugh that grew a bit more at Kotone's continued pouting. She still moved to a spot at the table, Minato sliding into place next to her.

Junpei seemed to brim with excitement, settling down on Kotone's other side. Yukari sat across from them as Ken hopped into a more padded seat, his much smaller stature apparent in that moment. "Dude, I was planning on grabbing Hagakure after putting my stuff away," Junpei continued, "but a free dinner here? Hell yeah!"

"As good as Hagakure is, it won't keep you for everything you're gonna do tonight." Shinjiro called out from the kitchen. "I don't want any of you fainting on the job, y'hear?"

"You and Mitsuru-senpai both use the term 'job'." Minato noted with interest, playing with the chopsticks at his seat. "Would it be rude to assume we're actually getting paid?"

"Not rude at all; we do get paid for this bullshit." Shinjiro confirmed, punctuated by the distinct 'ding' of an egg timer nearby. "Ah, good, that's done … But yeah. We get paid to do this sort of chaos since it's supernaturally specific and not exactly safe." He continued as he walked back and forth in the kitchen

"I could have told you that after the Handy Tako." Kotone shrugged her shoulders, making Ken snort in amusement. Minato also let out a small string of wheezing chuckles, although if it was at her words or the exasperated look Yukari gave her, Kotone couldn't tell.

"Fair enough. They're normally not that big, but they are still assholes about things." Shinjiro continued to speak as he brought in the first plates of food. "Don't dig in yet, I've got more." He said flatly, making eye contact with the juniors long enough to get nods of agreement.

"What made you decide to cook though, senpai?" Yukari asked, her eyes darting between the platter of fried rice and Shinjiro as the senior went back into the kitchen.

"Because I'm the only one who could cook, when Aki and I first got involved in this mess." He replied. "Related; never let Mitsuru near a kitchen unless she has a fire extinguisher on hand."

"I wasn't that bad, Shinjiro." Mitsuru's flat rebuttal announced her presence as she and Akihiko settled into seats of their own. Shinjiro just gave her an exasperated look as he walked out with more food, setting it down before taking off his apron.

"I will forever disagree to that, and you're just gonna have to live with it." He said as he sat, moon grey eyes darting around. "No Landlord?"

"He'll arrive closer to the start of things," Mitsuru shook her head.

"His loss." Akihiko shrugged, a hand already reaching for the beef and broccoli. His hand retreated at Mitsuru's half-hearted smack, but only marginally. "Besides, it gives us a chance to kind of explain what we're dragging you guys into. In not science terms."

"Can we do that after we've gotten to eat some of the food?" Junpei protested, looking around.

"Yes. Please, eat." Shinjiro sighed. "It doesn't taste as good reheated, and I'll be very upset at you all if it comes to that."

His sentence was only half finished when Minato and Kotone had both filled their plates. To their credit, Junpei was right behind them, and even Yukari took a good sized portion of food. Shinjiro did have to temporarily lift up the plate of beef to keep Akihiko from taking it all, but the rest of the table got some before letting him at the rest.

Silence lingered for a few moments, broken only by the sounds of eating and general relaxation. Kotone hummed after a moment before crimson eyes drifted over to Mitsuru. "So … what exactly are we going on 'expeditions' to?" She asked when Mitsuru looked up at her. "Ikutsuki-san had a very interesting choice of words."

Mitsuru had the dignity to finish the bite of food on her plate before answering. "Ah. Do you recall the strange occurrence I mentioned at the first meeting?" She asked, taking in each of the juniors in turn. When each of them nodded, she sat up a bit straighter. "What I meant by that is the fact that there is what I can most easily describe as a 'Shadow Nest' in Iwatodai."

Minato frowned, resisting the urge to tap the edge of his plate. "...Is that why there's a large number of Apathy Syndrome cases here?" He asked.

"Correct." Mitsuru sighed, shaking her head. "There's been reports of other such nests in various parts of Tokyo, owing to its size. And I believe one is in Kyoto as well, but we are aware that an established group of Persona users is handling that one." Carmine eyes drifted to something only Mitsuru seemed to be able to see. "If there are others, they're either in isolated enough locations to not be found, or word of them simply hasn't made its way here."

"Ikkutsuki-san was also saying there was one in Aokigahara of all places." Akihiko noted, a grim look on his face.

Junpei visibly shuddered at that. "Man … as if that place isn't haunted enough." He muttered, and then tilted his head in confusion. "So … we're going to be poking the Shadow nest why …? That sounds like kickin a supernatural hornet nest."

Mitsuru gave a grim smile, leaning back in her chair. "Because that might be one of the only places where we can get answers about how the Dark Hour operates."

Once again, Minato felt a current go through the room. Blue-grey eyes darted around the table, taking stock of the rest of the group. For the most part, everyone seemed determined - Junpei and Akihiko had varying levels of excitement along with it, and Yukari seemed apprehensive. Ken looked down after a moment, and it was only by luck that Minato noticed him scooting his chair slightly closer to Shinjiro's. The senior in question noticed the motion, but remained silent as his jaw clenched in a grim expression.

Kotone simply stared at Mitsuru, crimson meeting carmine without flinching. "So we're trying to bring an end to the timeframe." Her tone of voice was more a statement than a question, and it was so odd for her that it made Minato stare at his sister.

"Correct." MItsuru confirmed, matching the gaze evenly. "The three of us," she gestured to Akihiko and Shinjiro as she spoke "made an attempt, but … it is not a place that is navigated by a two man fighting force. No matter how skilled."

Akihiko mumbled something, but the exact words were lost as the front door opened. Ikutsuki walked in, carrying a metallic briefcase in his hands. "Good evening. I meant to be here slightly earlier, but this case came slightly later than I was expecting…" He greeted, walking over and casting a despondent look at the mostly gone food. The look was gone a second later as he settled into an empty seat, smiling. "I take it things have been explained?"

"The groundwork, yes." Mitsuru gave a nod. "It'd be easiest to explain the rest at our destination proper."

"That and Aki wants to see their faces to where we're going." Shinjiro chuckled quietly, taking a sip of his drink. "I've gotten the big box ready to go, too."

Junpei turned to him. "The 'big box'?" He repeated.

"You'll find out." Shinjiro responded, a light smirk on his face.

Ikutsuki opted to just sigh at him, even as he set the briefcase in his hands on the table. "Either way, I'm here to deliver these … This is part of the reason I said to wait, along with Shinjiro-kun's 'big box'." A grim smile came on his face as he opened the case, light refracting off of metallic objects within.

Upon being fully opened, the briefcase was revealed to carry three guns, polished steel uncannily ominous in the dorm's warm light. Minato looked between the guns and Ikutsuki, both of his eyebrows lifting. He knew Yukari had been trying to use one of these, but … "Why do these look like guns? Whatever they are …" Minato asked, frowning more.

"They're called Evokers, for reasons you saw and experienced." Ikutsuki nodded. "As for the shape … I admit I'm not certain myself. I wasn't involved with their design, but it's every bit as unsettling to watch people use them as you expect."

Junpei leaned over the box from the other side, sable eyes wide in shock. "Dude … that's. Kinda nutty?" He commented.

"Excessively nutty." Ikutsuki sighed. "But it's the design that was settled on, and the alternative options are a bit more involved to make."

Kotone shifted in her seat, a hand lifting to rest on her chest beneath her brooch. "But … Makaria responded without one of those …" She tapered off, crimson eyes wary as she looked at the 'Evokers'. Ikutsuki looked at her as she spoke, and Minato was mildly surprised to see genuine concern in the man's eyes.

"Yes, you did. However … do you know how much strain it might cause to do so repeatedly?" He asked, voice gentle. When Kotone shook her head, Ikutsuki tsk'd quietly. "There are recorded instances of Evokerless summoning, but they're usually under moments of great duress. Those that aren't require obscene concentration, and if a Shadow were to get an attack on you while calling out your Persona …" He shook his head, and then nodded to the case. "I would ask you to at least take it for a safety net, at least."

"...It's unsettling that something that looks like a gun is a 'safety net'." Kotone admitted, the hand clenching the fabric of her shirt tightly for a moment. "But … alright." Ikutsuki relaxed at her ascent, and his gaze drifted over the rest of the table.

"So, with this, I assume we're ready to begin tonight's expedition?" He asked, a grim smile crossing his face when Mitsuru nodded. "... Good."

"Will you be accompanying us, Ikutsuki-san?" Mitsuru asked, helping gather up the forgotten dinner plates.

Ikutsuki shook his head. "You know I can't summon a Persona, Mitsuru." He sighed. "It's safer for both myself and Ken-kun if I stay here; the shrine's influence should be enough to keep them distracted."

Minato lifted his head at that, having picked up one of the Evokers. "Do you know why shrines and temples seem to repel Shadows?" He asked, unable to hide the twinge of curiosity in his voice.

"The running theory is that it's a sort of conflict of influence?" Ikutsuki mused a bit, lifting his hand to his chin in thought. "Shrines are usually where people go to give thanks and pray for fortune, and Shadows seem to respond most to stress." Minato gave a nod in understanding, even as his gaze drifted back to the metal object in his hands.

Akihiko stood up after a moment, stretching his arms to the side. There was a wince - from his injuries, Minato assumed - but an excited grin was on his face all the same. "Either way, it's finally time …" He said, pounding a closed fist into the palm of his other hand. "We finally get to see more of Tartarus."

Junpei and Kotone both looked up at that, faces mirroring confusion off of one another. "Tartarus ..?" Junpei spoke up first. "What's that? … it kinda sounds like toothpaste."

"Or a very weird brand of tartar sauce …" Kotone said after, a confused squint directed at Ikutsuki saying plenty.

Behind them, Ken groaned. "... I'm too young to be this disappointed in people …" he let his head bonk against the table as Shinjiro let out an amused wheeze of laughter.

"You know, when people say 'high school is hell' … I didn't think Shadow Nests were involved." Minato deadpanned as the group neared the place Akihiko had said this 'Tartarus' place was located in the Dark hour. The fact that a group of six teenagers (one of whom was carrying a large footlocker slung over a shoulder like it was nothing) had managed to avoid drawing attention was baffling. Almost as baffling as seeing the spot that Akihiko and Mitsuru were leading them too.

Junpei, it seemed, was less amused. "This? This is the nest?" He repeated, hands gesturing at what was clearly the front gate to Gekkoukan High School.

Kotone shrugged, even as she idly fidgeted with the belt her Evoker rested on. "I mean, it kinda makes sense?" She pondered. "If Shadows are stress magnets, a big high school would definitely be a smart place to set up 'home base', as it were."

"An astute observation," Mitsuru gave a nod as she she glanced at a watch around her wrist. Yukari's eyes darted between the two at that, and she hummed in discontent.

Akihiko seemed oblivious, and he just gave a small laugh as he nodded to Junpei. "Just you wait, it's almost midnight …"

As his voice tapered off, the echoing sound of a bell rang out as midnight hit, and the world stilled. The unnatural stillness of the Dark Hour didn't last long, however, as the group felt the ground shudder beneath their feet. All of them lifted their heads to look as the school's campus visibly shook and melted before their eyes.

In the seconds between a heartbeat, something else rose in its place.

A twisted tower, made of mismatched architecture and broken spires, now stood before the group. While some parts of it were vaguely familiar, almost all of it was unnatural to look at. Balconies and staircases to seemingly nowhere, fractured and unsynchronized clock faces intermittently scattered on the walls, none of them keeping the same time. The building continued to rise, the topmost spire soon vanishing into the clouds. The waning moon's golden light hit it from behind, casting the almost eldritch architecture in sharp contrast that did nothing to help ease the ominous air about it.

The ground stilled, as if releasing a labored breath. In contrast, the group of teenagers seemed to become animated again. "What happened to our sCHOOL!?" Junpei in particular exclaimed, waving his arms at it as he looked at the seniors.

"That is what we're here to figure out, Iori." Shinjiro chuckled and shook his head, walking forward. "C'mon, let's go inside; we're burning nightmares."

Mitsuru gave Shinjiro an exasperated look, but her gaze shifted soon after that. A wry smile crossed her face as she made eye contact with the third senior. "Akihiko, you're staying at the entrance due to your injuries."

Akihiko, who had momentarily been all but bouncing on his heels, gave Mitsuru a wounded look. "I know, I know …" he sighed, even as he opened the gates before them. "But still … we're starting."

With that, S.E.E.S walked forward as a group.

The front door was a stark white up close, almost glowing in the unnatural lighting. There were no doorknobs, but a bronze motif of three dog skulls rested where the doors met; the two side heads each boasted a ring in their mouths, which Mitsuru took in her hands as she pushed on the doors.

Beyond the doors was another shock of white stone, a midnight blue rug extending from the entryway across a bridge to a large, circular room. A set of stairs rose up from the middle of the room, entering the face of a clock tower that was easily the size of the dorm's front wall. Around it, ionic columns soared up to a vaulted ceiling; the entire chamber was lit by a soft, silvery light. A glance upward revealed it to be what seemed to be a map of the heavens, stars of varying brilliance winking in and out with an even pulse.

Curious, Kotone glanced down as she crossed the entry bridge; beneath was an open abyss, the artificial starlight fading to obscuring shadows within a meter. When a more thorough look revealed no traces of red, she clicked her tongue against her teeth and continued walking, in time to catch Shinjiro setting down the footlocker he carried with a heavy thud.

"Alright, everyone. C'mere." He said simply, even as he pulled off his uniform jacket. "The Battle Bargain Bin is set up; unless your name is Aki, you're not goin up those stairs unarmed."

Mitsuru, who had stopped to fiddle with the terminal in her hands, looked up at him with an unreadable expression. "... Battle Bargain Bin." She repeated, voice flat in disbelief.

"Yep." Shinjiro responded without hesitation, tying the jacket around his waist. At that, he looked to the Juniors as they came closer. "In all seriousness, this is part of the job; since we're gonna be fighting things, well …" a casual flick of a lock, and the footlocker next to him opened. "The Kirijo group makes sure we have an armory."

Minato knew his eyes weren't the only ones widening at the sight of what lay inside; the first thing that caught his eyes was a traditionally made bow, taller than him, its quiver of arrows nearby. A naginata and spiked club were inside as well, along with a pair of swords - one a thin rapier, the other a basket-hilted blade. To complete the mood of it all, the inside of the door held the battleaxe Minato recalled Shinjiro using against the unusually large Shadow.

Yukari was, surprisingly enough, the first one to move. "Oh, good … I tried with that smaller bow, but the draw strength was all off." She commented, striding forward and grasping the bow and quiver. Standing nearby, Shinjiro gave a confirming nod as he tied his hair back.

"Make sure the string is taut. The quiver has some spares in a pocket if not." he commented after he had finished, and then let out a heavy breath. "Iori, Firecracker, you two come here." Gesturing with a hand, Shinjiro managed to get Junpei to walk closer, Kotone right behind him. "Naginata's yours, Firecracker," He said as he pulled the weapon in question out. "Don't wanna ruin your hockey sticks."

"Yeah, they're kind of a pain to get a hold of." Kotone admitted, twirling the weapon in her hands for a moment.

Junpei seemed to be in shock, staring at both the set of weapons and Shinjiro with wide eyes. "We … really get to use this stuff?" He asked after a moment, a hushed tone to his voice. "Like actually use it?"

"Unless you wanna try and bludgeon a Shadow with sporting equipment, yes." Shinjiro nodded, although a small smile came on his face. "Granted, the kanabo's a close second to a baseball bat. Mitsuru said no to any Earthbound shenanigans, though."

"Man, that would've been fun." Junpei pouted, but there was still excitement in his eyes as he reached out to grab the kanabo himself.

From her spot, Mitsuru let out a noise of exasperation and reached out, smacking Shinjiro lightly in the shoulder. "You just said that sporting equipment isn't the best choice of weaponry against Shadows." She pointed out, unable to hide the twinge of amusement at her voice. Shinjiro also seemed bemused, because his only response to the slaps was a small chuckle.

Akihiko, seated by the staircase leading up into the clockwork, gave Mitsuru a look of pure befuddlement. "Mitsuru, have you ever - Wait. no." He cut himself off mid sentence, even as Mitsuru turned to look at him instead. "Nevermind. Extremely stupid question. I already know the answer."

Minato didn't know what was funnier; Mitsuru's sharply arched eyebrow, or the way Shinjiro leaned against the footlocker a bit as he fought down more laughter. Either way, the blue haired boy chuckled as he stepped forward, eyes drifting to the swords that remained in the footlocker. "...I assume one of those is for me?" he asked, quietly. When Shinjiro nodded, he hummed a bit and shifted his hands in his pockets. "..I can try, but the only idea I have on how to sword is from video games."

"That's fair." Shinjiro gave a nod, tapping the edge of the basket-hilt. "This is more for 'oh fuck, a Shadow in my face' situations. Or for things immune to the fireballs you were flinging about."

Humming again, Minato reached forward and gripped the sword. It was lighter than he expected, but still required a bit more force than normal for him to draw free of containment. As he held the weapon, blue-grey eyes darted up to Shinjiro for a moment, then to Mitsuru. "So, how is this going to work?" He asked, strapping the blade to the Evoker's belt.

"Seeing as how this is our first time in here as a group, and neither Iori or Takeba have summoned yet, tonight will be a sort of 'trial run'." Mitsuru explained, flicking on a switch of her terminal. "Because of the nature of Tartarus from our earlier observations, I will have to remain here as outside support; the floors of Tartarus seem to shift each time the tower manifests, with the exception of the entryway here."

"...Oh no." Kotone spoke up. "It's a rogue-like."

Junpei's bout of cackles at the statement was infectious, and Minato found himself chuckling as well. Yukari just shook her head, and the brunette looked to Mitsuru as well. "So is it just the four of us going up in a group?"

"No; I'm going up as well." Shinjiro responded as he pulled out the battle axe, kicking the footlocker shut behind him. Swinging the heavy weapon onto his shoulder, he gave a nod at the group. "We're having you guys get your feet wet, not throwin you straight into the deep end." He gestured at Akihiko as he continued, "We both have some experience fighting, and I know Takeba's in archery club, but I doubt the rest of you have any fighting experience. You're gonna get some groundwork tonight, and I'm comin along to make sure nothing eats your faces if things get dicey."

"After this, we'll get a more solid idea of how to conduct field operations from here on out." Mitsuru nodded, her eyes drifting to each of the juniors. "Akihiko will rejoin when his ribs are healed, but for now, it is just you five at present."

"Stay safe, alright?" Akihiko spoke up again, shifting where he sat. His voice was serious, no trace of his previous excitement left. "This is unfortunately not a game; without a Persona, you're essentially a walking buffet in here." A hand drifted to the Evoker he wore, storm grey eyes hard. "Any hesitation at all, and it can lead to a disaster."

A solemn silence followed Akihiko's statement, and Minato looked at the rest of the group in question for a moment before he looked up at the clock face. The golden numbers gave no response, and he simply turned his gaze away as Kotone stepped forward. "Well, should we get going, then?" She asked, turning to look at the others as she tapped her foot on the ground.

"Yeah, c'mon, let's go." Junpei nodded, grinning. Yukari seemed a bit more hesitant, but nodded her agreement. Minato simply waited until his sister made eye contact with him and gave a small smile.

"Lead the way, Kotone." He offered.

Kotone's crismon eyes widened for a moment, but she gave a nod. "Right!" twirling on her heel, she trotted up the stairs. Shinjiro gave a small chuckle, a few steps behind; he stopped at the entrance - and stopped Kotone as well - and waited for the other three juniors to climb up the steps as well.

At the base of the steps, Mitsuru looked up at them. "If you are all ready, let's begin." She said, and upon being greeted with nods, gave a grim smile at them all. "Time to enter the labyrinth."

Kotone only half heard Mitsuru, stepping through the doorway. It felt like stepping through cold syrup, time gripping at her ankles as she passed through a void she was keenly aware should not exist. Red and black light flashed in her periphery … and then she was through, standing in a narrow, gloomy hallway.

Minato was behind her a second later, her twin brother shaking his head as he stepped up next to her. "Mm. Didn't like that." he mumbled to her as Yukari and Junpei half-stumbled in behind them, all of them looking around with wide eyes.

Even after seeing Tartarus form out of the Gekkoukan campus, there was almost no resemblance to the school inside of it; it didn't even look similar to the entrance floor! The walls were made of stone arches that reminded Minato of aqueducts, open air and windows letting in the green-tinted light of the Dark Hour. the floor was tiled in black and white, although a few splashes of blood lingered here and there. Footsteps echoed as Junpei stepped forward, adjusting his cap.

"Man … it's even freakier in here …" He commented.

"Everything makes my skin scrawl …" Yukari agreed, rubbing her forearms as Shinjiro stepped in through the doorway beside her. The senior had no visible reaction to coming through the gate, but Kotone had a feeling that he was unsettled too.

"Welp, here we are." He said simply, shifting the axe to rest more comfortably on his shoulders. "MItsuru's got our backs, but she's gonna need a bit of concentration. Don't ask her too many questions outside of a fight."

Minato's eyebrows raised a bit. "She can reach us in here?"

[Only within a limited range.]

Shinjiro let out an amused snort as all four juniors jumped a few centimeters off of the ground. "You spooked them."

[As long as you were outside of combat, I am fine with that.] Mitsuru responded flatly, her voice bouncing in the space between ears. [But it's an ability I have … albeit, not a very strong one. It will suffice for tonight, at the very least.]

Shinjiro seemed to want to comment on something, but Kotone was faster. "...How do you hear us responding?" She asked, confusion rich in her voice. "Do the Evokers have radios in them, or something?"

The silence that followed the question only made Shinjiro chuckle more.

"A mystery for the ages …" Junpei murmured, and it was the tone of his voice that made Minato laugh quietly and shake his head.

[... That aside for now…] MItsuru responded after a moment. [I want all of you to proceed with caution; I can detect a handful of Shadow groups on this floor. Even with Shinjiro following you, I don't want to risk you being overwhelmed.]

"Right." Yukari gave a nod, although the tone of her voice didn't quite align with her words. Minato arched an eyebrow, but held his tongue as Yukari continued speaking. "...Is someone gonna take point?"

"I mean, I walked in first; I can keep being point." Kotone offered, twirling the nagnata to the side. "I have no combat experience, but I know how to hit things with a long stick in general."

"Then let's go with that." Shinjiro gave a nod. "We can figure out a more 'formal' structure when Aki's off the bench, but let's get movin for now." Kotone gave a nod, shifting the grip on the naginata to a more ready position as she started walking.

The light carried a surprising distance past the windows, but the sounds of their footsteps echoed greatly in the empty space. It set the tone well, and Kotone felt the hairs on her arms rise a bit. At the same time, she felt more alert than ever; Makaria practically hummed in alertness, a sense Kotone didn't know she had spreading out a bit in front of her.

So when the noises the first Shadow made reached her, Kotone turned to it on a dime. It was one of the 'ankle biters', and now that she was in a position where she didn't need to slam a door on its face, Kotone found it surreal to hear. It moved with the consistency of a slug, but the noises were more akin to a murmur than anything she expected from terrestrial movement.

Kotone wasn't sure who was directly behind her, but she was grateful for the naginata's reach as she swung out with the weapon. The hit connected, and the Shadow let out a noise that she could best describe as a warbled 'what' from surprise. It recovered directly after, and lashed out at her with its clawed hands.

A quick dart to one side let Kotone dodge it, and by that point, Junpei had caught up. He swung with the kanabo, but the broad swing made contact with the Shadow's arms. It clearly hurt, as the masked blob let out a screech and turned to Junpei instead. "W - woah!" Junpei jerked back from the responding attack, a hand letting go to grab at the Evoker on instinct.

It was still very unsettling - really, who had thought of these damn things?! - but the instinctive urge to fight back was there, and it was a lot easier than Junpei thought it would be to put the Evoker to his head. "Watch me in action!"

Minato stood behind the two as the flare of vibrant blue smoke briefly surrounded Junpei, and then an even bluer shape darted forward to slash across the Shadow. It didn't kill it, but judging by the noises, it had hurt. A second later, and the form hovered Junpei momentarily; a very blue humanoid figure, golden wings made of blades connecting their hands to their legs, and a winged helmet sat on their head.

Not wanting to risk the Shadow regaining a second wind to attack, or potentially call more friends, Minato summoned Orpheus. To his relief, the marionette responded easily, and a blast of eerily blue fire made the Shadow burst into particles of red and black that quickly faded into the gloom of Tartarus.

"Heh, not wasting any time, Iori?" Shinjiro spoke up as he and Yukari neared. Junpei didn't respond at first, looking between the open air over his head and the Evoker, an unreadable expression on his face.

"JunJun?" Kotone prodded him gently with the butt of her naginata, shaking him out of it.

"Y- yeah, sorry!" Junpei said after a second, returning the Evoker to the holster. "Just … kinda sank in that this was how it was gonna be, y'know?" He then turned back to where the Shadow had been. "Feels kinda weird that there was only one, though."

[A lone Shadow is unusual, yes.] Mitsuru's voice returned. [There are other Shadows on this floor, but from what we've managed to observe on patrol indicates that lone Shadows tend to be stronger than the ones that work in groups.]

Minato hummed, and then looked at Shinjiro. "I understand why you wanted a larger group to come in here, then."

There was a low hum from Shinjiro, who shifted his axe slightly. "Yeah. Shit can get bad real fast if you're not careful. Especially since real world physics does still apply to us in here." A quick wince crossed his face, and Minato thought he saw his left arm twitch a bit. "If a Shadow decides to body-check you, you will feel it."

Silence fell for a few moments, Kotone giving the brunet senior a curious look before she turned her gaze back down the hallway. "Well … keep moving then?" She asked, and after hearing noises of confirmation, moved forward again. Minato was amused by how Junpei kept right behind her, clearly having remembered Minato's earlier comments about not being durable to heart. Yukari was beside Minato, surprisingly very mobile despite the size of her bow.

It didn't take long to find the next group of Shadows - at a distance, it looked like three more ankle biters. Kotone managed to sneak up on one, but the other two Shadows spotted her even as she swung her blade down. There was a pair of twinned shrieks, and both charged her.

One of them got a glancing blow in on Kotone's leg, drawing a bit of blood that made her hiss. Junpei responded with a shout and a burst of blue smoke as his Persona shot forth again. The blue figure was more visible this time despite the speed, revealing that its primary attack seemed to be sliding into the Shadows like it was stealing home plate.

Next to Minato in the backline, Yukari let out a small breath as she drew the towering bow in her hands back. "Steady breath, look for an opening … there!" the arrow flew, and Minato watched as an arrow the length of his extended arm skewered a Shadow through the mask.

Kotone noticed, and without missing a beat, Makaria had manifested in a swirl of blue fire. Another rush of ash flew out of the urn, solidifying into a boulder that drove the arrow in deeper before crashing onto the Shadow itself. Junpei seemed to be enjoying his game of whack a Shadow, as he and his Persona had managed to get the first Shadow into a corner.

However, the third one managed to dodge both attacks, and clawed hands gashed across Kotone's leg. "Ah!"

Panic in his throat, Minato called Orpheus forward without a thought. There was an unusually bright flash of flames, and the Shadow shrieked as it was sent skidding into the wall. Not wanting it to get up again, Orpheus conjured another burst of musical flame, and the sound of the fire almost covered the sound of Yukari beside him.

"G - gotta be brave!"

The pulse of shattering glass, and a burst of blue smoke heralded the appearance of a young woman loosely chained to a throne shaped like a bull's head. Unlike Makaria or Orpheus, when the woman's manacled hands were extended, a soft pink light covered the gashes Kotone had received.

Minato watched as the injury knitted itself together, even as Kotone flipped her naginata in her hands to bash the weapon's butt into the Shadow's mask. "Thanks!" Kotone called over her shoulder, repeating the bash before flipping the weapon around again to slash with it.

"Homerun!"

No sooner than Kotone finished her opponent, the Shadow Junpei had been harrying was sent sailing a few centimeters over the floor. It crashed into the one that Orpheus had mostly set on fire, and both of the Shadows were staggered. Not wanting to let them recover, Minato pointed his sword at it. Orpheus understood, and the blue fire struck both Shadows in tandem with another one of Yukari's arrows.

When both Shadows evaporated, all four of the juniors looked to one another. "So … I guess that's all of us, then." Minato commented as he looked up to watch Orpheus fade away, the last notes of a song lingering in the air.

"Yeah …" Yukari sighed. "I don't know what to think of it … but Io seems to be focused on healing."

"That's still good." Shinjiro spoke up, walking closer. Kotone noticed that the grip he had on his axe had shifted slightly, almost more at the ready. She almost wondered if Shinjiro had been ready to jump into the fight. "Having someone who can focus heal in a pinch gives me some peace of mind. Aki can do spot healing, but he's more fond of walking up to things and punching their faces in."

"What about you, Senpai?" Junpei asked, the group starting to move forward.

[Shinjiro's personal specialty is property damage.] Mitsuru cut in before Shinjiro could respond, amusement rich in her voice. The look of resigned acceptance on Shinjiro's face only made it more amusing.

"I break one door-"

[And put factual craters into the floor of Tartarus the one time you and Akihiko came in here beforehand.] Mitsuru countered. Shinjiro just shook his head.

"In all seriousness …" he sighed, nodding to Junpei. "I'm mostly here to make things hit me, and only me." A shrug, and Minato watched as Shinjiro adjusted the way his axe was resting on his shoulder. "My flashy stuff is minimal; I like being straightforward in shit."

Yukari gave a curious head tilt. Whatever question she had was lost when Kotone let out a startled yelp. All eyes shifted in time to watch a rather small Shadow get sent sailing, a gash on its mask visible. Kotone held her naginata in a slapping gesture, her red eyes wide.

"... You okay, Firecracker?" Shinjiro asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah. I almost stepped on it, but I don't think it saw me either." Kotone admitted, slowly lowering her weapon.

Minato watched the Shadow as it landed hard on the ground a good distance away. "Well, its loss?" He commented as it evaporated on impact.

[... I was worried something had gotten the drop on you.] Mitsuru spoke up after a strange pause. [But on that note, do any of you see a room with a staircase nearby?]

"Yeah, kinda." Yukari responded, the group moving again. "Is that how we go up further in future runs?"

[Correct. However, tonight I must request you stay on the first floor. I can only detect one other group of Shadows, but it seems to be a large gathering of them.]

"I wanna see Senpai hit one." Junpei pointed at Shinjiro as they passed through a larger, empty room. Shinjiro just gave him an exasperated look.

"This is for you guys to get used to this -"

"I would also like to see," Minato spoke up, right at Kotone's heels. "Whatever you did to break the door that night was all I really can go off of. And hearing Mitsuru-senpai make jokes about you doing obscene damage on the regular says things."

[They've been doing well, Shinjiro,] Mitsuru spoke up, her tone full evidence she was smiling down below. [You can more actively step in now, so they can get accustomed to what a more formal expedition run is like.]

"... Well, I can't really argue that point." Shinjiro admitted. "Just … gimme a clear shot at the things when we find the big group." Kotone let out a quick noise of agreement, and silence fell as they wove through the strange halls.

A couple dead ends later, and Yukari spotted the group first. "There! In that big room, near the far corner." She pointed out the first one, the Shadow's bright blue mask glinting in the low lighting. Kotone nodded a second later, having spotted them as well. Minato and Junpei both nodded as Shinjiro moved from the rear to the middle of the group.

"Get to the middle of the room as quietly as we can," Kotone suggested. "I think I can see four ..? It's not exactly easy to tell." After three noises of agreement echoed her, Kotone glanced at Shinjiro. The senior only met her look briefly, but nodded.

The group had almost gotten to the middle of the room when Minato tripped a bit, accidentally stepping on the back of Junpei's shoe. Although Junpei didn't react vocally, Minato himself yelped. It was enough to catch the Shadow's attention, and the one closest to SEES began to race to them.

"Oh no you don't!"

Shinjiro responded faster than Minato or Junpei could fully register, but they looked up in time to spot the senior charge forward. Like the night the large Shadow had attacked, a spectral burst of horse-shaped energy was in front of him. It collided with the charging Shadow with a crash, stopping it mid-assault. Shinjiro kept going, slamming into the largest Shadow of the group with the full force of the energy burst.

All four of the Shadows took offense, even the one who was almost to SEES. It turned around, and the other three all shrieked and moved to attack. Shinjiro manuvered to a spot where the Shadows were between him and the juniors, axe now held at the ready instead of casually resting on his shoulder.

[And with this, the four of you have a much clearer line of attack than a mosh pit.] Mitsuru's voice echoed once more. [This will be the last encounter tonight; after this, come back down to the lobby. For now, defeat the Shadows.]

"On it!" Junpei shouted back, charging forward with the kanabo in hand. Kotone grinned and charged in with him, making sure to leave a clear line of fire for Yukari. The Shadows didn't seem to notice when Kotone or Junpei struck them, too angered by whatever it was that Shinjiro had done to get over into the middle of their group.

Shinjiro himself seemed content to just dodge and parry the attacks coming his way. This only served to make the Shadows more agitated, and Minato blinked as one of them threw a bright orange and yellow fireball at the senior.

"Ow."

Minato huffed at the absolute deadpan response; even though it hit, Shinjiro seemed more annoyed than anything else. He responded with a swing of the heavy weapon in his hands, and the Shadow wasn't there the next second. "Spicy bastard."

Kotone laughed at that, hopping back for a second as her free hand went to her heart. Makaria responded once again, the marionette's weapon stabbing into a Shadow and pinning it. Yukari capitalized on it, and two well-placed arrows saw the Shadow evaporate. Junpei had softened up the third, and Minato called forth Orpheus to finish it in a blaze of fire.

The fourth Shadow, seemingly aware it was alone, actually broke off from attacking Shinjiro to try and run away. It didn't get far before both twins had directed attacks at it, a crystalline boulder and blue fire striking into it at the same time.

"Hermes!"

The blue and gold figure shot forth once more, still barley more than a blur, bladed wings cutting the Shadow in half before it could round the corner to safety. Junpei grinned, panting as he adjusted his hat a bit. "Heh, so that's how it's done?"

"More or less." Shinjiro nodded, hefting the axe once more. Moon grey eyes roved between the four juniors, taking in their varying levels of tired. One eyebrow arched at how Kotone seemed relatively unwinded by it all, but he opted not to draw attention to it just yet. "But we should head back for the night. Tonight was just getting the feet wet."

"So how do we get back down?" Yukari asked, looking around. "The door didn't leave a staircase behind us."

Shinjiro hummed. "There should be a teleporter; that's how Aki and I got out after we tripped through our first time in here." He said, looking around. "It's easy to spot; look for a green light."

"And we have a straight shot out of here." Kotone nodded to the hallways past them. "Shall we go?" She was answered with nods, and the group quickly moved on from there.

A split path that found them tripping over a strange cache of yen - Junpei wondering if it had come from gym uniforms - and a dead end later, and they found the teleporter. It was a strangely out of place thing, gold and brass bright with a strange green well inside it. Minato stared at it in surprise, reaching forward to poke it gently.

It felt strange, a soothing liquid that tingled at physical contact. Pulling his hand back, Minato stood up and looked over his shoulder. "Do we just hop in?" He asked, curious? At Shinjiro's nod, he gave a small smile. "Well, I'll go in first. See you down below."

Not giving anyone else a chance to protest, he hopped in. The soothing tingle covered him for a half moment, and the next thing he knew, Minato stood on the opposite side of the lobby from where Akihiko and Mitsuru were standing. "...is the portal supposed to smell minty?" He wondered aloud as he walked forward.

Mitsuru didn't seem to hear him, but she lifted her head with a smile. "Welcome back." She smiled, carmine eyes clocking Junpei and Yukari as they entered the room. "How are you three feeling?"

Yukari shifted and winced a bit. "I feel like I've been at archery club for several hours …"

"Yeah, I'm weirdly beat …" Junpei agreed, half leaning on his kanabo. "What about you, Minato?"

"I'm … not physically tired, but mentally?" Minato began to draw a circle in the air with his finger. "Loading circle of doom. I'm ready for bed."

His description made Akihiko laugh. "That's normal; you need to adjust a bit to the Dark Hour." The senior explained as Kotone and Shinjiro entered the lobby. "If you're more casting focused, I can see where that'd be more mentally exhausting than hitting things."

Kotone looked around at that, crimson eyes confused. "... You guys are really tired?" She asked, confused.

At that, all three seniors shared a look that Minato couldn't quite decipher. Both of Akihiko's eyebrows were raised, and Mitsuru's brow furrowed a bit. Shinjiro just held up a finger, as if telling them to hold it for later, and instead nodded to the footlocker that stood by Mitsuru. "Alright, put the toys back, guys." He said instead.

"We're not taking them with us?" Junpei asked, confused.

"Nah; it'd be sketchy as hell to cart these back and forth." Shinjiro shook his head as he walked over. "And I've left shit in here before to test; whatever this place is made of, it doesn't carry over to daytime Gekkoukan. Our gear will be safest here."

Minato nodded in understanding, and readily handed over the bucket-hilted sword when Shinjiro approached him. Following the senior with his eyes as Shinjiro walked to the footlocker - the other three juniors right behind him - Minato blinked as a very familiar blue door finally caught his eye.

'... So that's what Igor meant by 'under our own actions.'

Tori's Notes: Why do my chapters in this fic keep running away from me? [looks at the word count for this again]

Anyway, we're in Tartarus! And I did a bit of fun with the weapons; goofy headcanon is that Yukari's infamous aim is due to the fact that, after looking at Kyudo bows, she is used to bows with very different draw strengths than what she gets in Tartarus. And Junpei, who swings his greatswords like a baseball bat, gets an oni club! It's almost as good as a Home Run Bat!