AN: Sorry for the long wait. Hope everyone's doing okay, I know it can't be easy for some of you. Don't worry, I won't be giving up on this story, and I'll try to get Chapter 41 done much sooner. Hope you enjoy! Please read and review!

Chapter 40: Solemn Memories

|July 16th|Tarumi – Oracle Cinema|11:00 am|

The Golden Laguna's destruction was constantly being discussed on all forms of media. Bythos had not said a word about it online, unlike many of their lesser activities, but there was no other group in the city capable of such atrocities. Even with their silence, no one had any doubts about who to blame. The government was being pressed to bring Bythos to justice, now that even more victims had been claimed by Nisa Liat's malice.

Mayor Ashikaga's TV spots were being re-aired constantly. Her leadership was being questioned constantly, due to the lack of arrests made. Even so, she insisted that the people of Shinshuto stay strong and that the government would bring an end to Nisa Liat's group as swiftly as possible. This did little to appease most citizens, especially those who had lost loved ones due to Bythos' twisted actions.

With nearly every day, the city seemed to be falling further and further into darkness. Bythos, in the minds of the masses, was untouchable, and more and more disaffected youths were singing their praises, praying for them to bring the government to its knees. To them, the hotel was a symbol of decadence, that only served as a monument to a class divide that deserved to be destroyed. The casualties never seemed to matter to those sorts.

Among the select few that knew the true face of Bythos was Noboru Komatsu. Today, he was waiting outside the front doors of his favourite cinema in Tarumi. For at least one single day he would have a respite from battling countless Shadows, in either angelic or demonic forms. Yet even away from the bloodshed of the Theio Kosmos, he felt unease and anxiety. And there would always be a void where once his beloved Teruko had been.

Teruko, this is the first time I've come here since you died. Don't worry. I'm not giving up on fighting Bythos, no way in hell. But I won't give up on our dream. Even if you're not here.

"Oh, good morning, Noboru-kun."

Noboru turned around and saw a familiar face. Kei, one of his senpai at Kansei. Seeing her outside of her uniform was quite strange, he thought. She'd gone for a less feminine look than he expected – a black sleeveless shirt with blue flames at the base and jeans. A far cry from the frilly dresses and skirts Teruko loved. He couldn't imagine Kei in any of those.

"Ah, you made it, Senpai." Noboru said, managing a brief smile. "I'm still surprised you invited me to see a movie. Especially a movie this old. Most people in my class hadn't even heard of it..."

"I'm quite partial to Robot Carnival. Especially the Starlight Angel segment." Kei said, chuckling to herself. "Yes, I've watched it plenty of times, but I couldn't pass up a chance to see it on the big screen."

"Always a good reason to come here," Noboru said.

The two of them made their way through, into Screen 3. This, he remembered, was the first screen here that he went to with Teruko. If she knew he was going here with another girl, she would have gone berserk. Seeing him in the company of any female his own age agitated her very much, as Kohaku and the others had learned the hard way.

This month, the cinema was playing a wide variety of anime movies from the 1980s. All of which Noboru had already watched, but he was considering re-watching them again here, starting with today's offering. Perhaps Harmagedon would be more tolerable on a bigger screen, he thought. He might not fall asleep half-way through like before.

After taking their seats, Noboru looked around, taking in the familiar sight of the red curtain that covered the screen. It took him right back to his first proper date with his late beloved when they were still in junior high. She had her hair longer then, he recalled, as did he. And she was wearing her favourite red dress, very similar to the one she had during their last date together.

"So how many films have you watched here, Noboru-kun?"

"Forty, fifty…?"

"Amateur! I've seen at least sixty! Guess now that we're going out, and we'll see every film together, I'll always win!"

"What? That's not fair..."

"Haven't you learned anything from movies? Life isn't fair! Heehee...aww, you're so cute when you're pouting! Here, maybe a kiss will cheer you up..."

"Noboru-kun… Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, I-I'm fine..."

Noboru suddenly felt dampness beneath his eyes. Tears. He had let his mind wander again, to happier times. Yet those joyful days seemed to bring only sadness now. He began to wonder if coming here was a mistake.

"...If you'd rather go home, I understand."

"No. I'll stay. I can't let my memories keep me from enjoying movies..."

Finally, the movie started, playing through every segment. Of the movie's many robot-themed shorts, Presence was by far Noboru's personal favourite. Yet he had a soft spot for the bishoujo Starlight Angel, especially the soundtrack. When he started, he thought he heard Kei humming along to the music, but when he turned to look at her, she quickly stopped.

And, during the entire movie, he was able to forget all of his troubles, even only for a short while. He was instead transfixed by the short's story of two girls having a day of fun at a robot-themed amusement park, only for the more feminine one to have her heart broken when she found out her friend's new boyfriend was her own. Fleeing, she stumbled across a friendly 'robot' who tried to return the necklace her cheating boyfriend had given her, but eventually, a gigantic demonic, almost organic robot attacked.

During this battle, the kindly robot turned out to actually be a human, who managed to defeat the evil robot – perhaps a figment of the girl's inner sorrow. Finally, the girl reunited with her friend and met up with the young man, her new love – now out of costume.

The remaining segments played, including the more action-focused Strange Tales of Meiji Machine Culture: Westerner's Invasion, and when the movie finally ended, Noboru's heart soared. He had always had an appreciation for older animated movies, and he was glad to have seen it again. After the credits rolled, Kei and Noboru began to leave, the last to depart.

"Wow..." Kei said, ecstatic. "I'm glad I got to see that again. Yokohama has a lot of movie theatres, but I never thought they'd show it here..."

"I've got a copy at home. No surprises there, huh? For every book our favourite bookworm senpai reads, I've probably seen the movie adaptation...and Kohaku has the limited edition soundtrack." Noboru said, laughing to himself.

"We're a cultured group, aren't we? Now that we've got Manami on the dancing. Next time, we need to do something with everyone, including her." Kei said, smiling. The two soon left the cinema, free of the fear that had clouded their hearts, even if only for a day.

"Thanks for inviting me, Kei. I...just wish I could have seen that with…"

"I'm sorry." Kei said, now solemn. "You'll never stop loving her, will you?"

"I...really don't think so. I know, I shouldn't cling to the past, but..."

Kei shook her head, and looked straight at him, her eyes locked with his own.

"No. You shouldn't try to forget the past or put it aside. That only makes it worse. And I don't think Teruko would want to be forgotten, either. When you were with her, it made you happier than anything else in the world, right?"

"Yeah. I thought this year, with us finally starting high school, everything would keep going our way. The two of us loved acting, and when we met, it felt like the stars had aligned to bring us together..."

"Stars, huh?"

"She liked saying stuff like that. Like how it was fate that brought us together. Teruko-chan, she was a dreamer. Not just in love. All she wanted was to be on the stage, on the big screen, anywhere she could act. Just like me. No one else I've ever met was as dedicated to the craft as her. So getting to rehearse with her was a dream come true."

"You've...stopped going to Drama, haven't you?" Kei asked.

"There's nothing there for me without her. Now that she's gone, there's just...an empty feeling, that I don't think anything – or anyone can ever fill." Noboru said, glumly.

Turning away for a second, Kei looked up and took a deep breath.

"Kei…?"

"That's...how I felt after my parents died." Kei said. "I don't think it's ever stopped. We care so much about those we love, when they're gone, our feelings just keep flowing, and no matter what you do, you can't stop them."

"You lost your parents and your aunt?"

"...Yes." Kei said, finally turning back to face him. "Until I came here, I lived with my grandparents. They'd lost both their daughters and couldn't bear it if anything happened to me. Finally, I...I got them to let me come here."

With everything that's been happening here since she arrived, her grandparents must be worried sick.

"Don't worry about me. No matter how much they ask, I'm not going back, not until I finish what I started. We'll...get through this together. You, me, and everyone else."

Noboru nodded, and as he did, he felt a surge of strength in his heart. In his mind, Aengus flashed. Kei, in turn, seemed momentarily in a trance.

"Come on, the day's not over yet. Let's go somewhere neither of us has been yet. A place that nostalgia can't touch."

"...Sounds good to me." Kei, as she said this, beamed. It was the happiest he recalled seeing her. Perhaps, if she came to know him and the others, she would come to enjoy even greater happiness.

With that, the two of them went, to see where the mood took them.

|Asakita – Mihama Electric Arcade|13:00 pm|

"Holy cow!" Masato said, gazing at the cabinet's monitor. Against all odds, he had been utterly trashed at the fighting game of choice, Tekken. A game he had considered himself a pro at. Yet his challenger today had seen through every strategy and countered brilliantly.

"I never imagined I could pick up a game so quickly. That had to be a fluke, right?" Shintaro asked, gazing at the character he had picked – Hwoarang - and their victory pose. Tae Kwon Do had fascinated him, and while he wasn't quite up to practising the martial art in real life, he had taken to playing this game's representative.

"Shintaro, you...defeated me four times in a row." Masato said, amazed. He had tried his best with Jin Kazama but failed. From the look in his eyes, he was both dismayed, yet proud.

"I need to go to arcades more often. They're nearly as great as the library!" Shintaro gazed at some of the machines he'd played today, such as a cartoon themed racing game. "One more go?"

"Actually dude, I think those kids over there want to play."

Standing by a wall were two young children, who seemed at least ten years old. One of them was a girl with black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a purple pair of glasses to match her dress. The other was a boy, also with dark hair, except his was much messier than his friend's. He had a simple black t-shirt and shorts on, reminding Shintaro of the kind of clothes he used to wear as a child.

"Sorry, were you two waiting long?" Shintaro asked, politely.

"No mister, not really..." The girl said, shyly.

"C'mon, let's go, Shinju-chan!" The boy said, grabbing coins from his pocket. "Today's the day we finally settle who's the champion!"

"But you said that last time! And the time before that!" 'Shinju' said, pouting at her friend. "How many times do you have to lose before you call me the champion, Akemi-kun?"

Akemi? That's a feminine name, isn't it? It's not as girly as Kamille, I suppose. But I shouldn't tease this boy, especially when he looks so intense.

"You just wait and see! Mister, you've shown me some cool moves! I bet I can win this time!" 'Akemi' said, looking up at Shintaro.

"You're so dumb! You can't just copy this guy's skill! He's way better than you!"

"Settle down, guys!" Shintaro said, amused. There was an innocence about these two kids that just made him smile. He was also rather curious as to who was destined to win today.

"Yeah, go ahead and play – show us how a true champion plays!" Masato said, grinning.

And so, the two children took the controls, with fiery determined eyes on the screen. Akemi took control of the Hwoarang, while Shinju elected to play as Eddy Gordo.

"Hey, dude, who are we cheering on?" Masato whispered.

"I don't know, but I wanna see who wins. We can make it interesting, though. I bet you some takoyaki that the girl wins."

"Oh yeah? Fine! If he wins, you owe me a beef bowl!"

And so the match began. The two children were no button-mashers, they clearly had a lot of practice at this game, and now it was paying off. The combos they knew to heart, and they knew every facet of their character's playing style. Finally, it was onto the fifth round – Shinju had won two, as had Akemi, and the two were focused only on their game – not the small crowd that had gathered around them.

"Get him!" Shintaro called.

"Go on, champ! Show her what you're made of!" Masato cried, clenching his fists.

Both players were at their last sliver of health. Despite this, the match had yet to end, both players on the defence. Finally, in the blink of an eye, Shinju managed to land a low hit on Akemi – sending him to the floor. As the announcer's voice reverberated, the crowd began to cheer.

"Well done!" Shintaro said, excitedly. "Masato, you better not settle for the cheap takoyaki. Something gourmet will do."

"Aww, dammit..." The baseball star grumbled.

Shinju was exuberant, jumping up and down, whereas Akemi was crestfallen, gazing glumly at the monitor.

"Hey, kid..." Masato began to say.

"I know, I know...gotta be sportsmanly about it, right?" Akemi mumbled. He held out his hand – and when Shinju saw it, she stared in confusion.

"Huh?"

"That was a great match. I guess you really are the champion..." Akemi said.

"Thanks! But you're the one that helped me get so good!"

Managing a smile, Akemi looked up at their older spectators.

"I think we learned a lot just by watching you two before, too. Thanks, mister...um..."

"Oh, it's Masato. Baseball star of Chieki! I'll sign you an autograph when I'm famous, free of charge."

"I'm Shintaro, from Kansei High. I...I suppose if you want an autograph, I could sign one..."

Impressed, the two children looked at each other.

"Nice! Then if we get into those schools, we'll get even better at these games!" Shinju cheered, deep in thought.

"Well, we don't exactly have any classes on video games -"

"The Kansei uniform is so cool! Shinju, we ought to go there!" Akemi said, happily.

Masato pouted. "What's so bad about Chieki's uniform? Green is in!"

The two children shook their heads in disagreement, much to Shintaro's laughter.

"Um, we have to get going...maybe we'll see you guys again!" Shinju said, running off, waving. Akemi followed, no longer clouded by the disappointment over his loss.

"Well, their taste in schools aside...those kids were pretty cool," Masato said, grinning. "Now I'm hungry for that takoyaki. Let's go, buddy!"

"Remember, gourmet style. No cheap stuff!"

Just as they were about to leave the arcade, everything stopped – except for the two of them. Gulping, Shintaro looked around – the machines were frozen, and everyone was completely still. Up ahead, he could still see Shinju and Akemi, but in a split second, their bodies suddenly changed - and turned around. They were gone too fast for Shintaro to make out any of their details, but they had cold, harsh faces – far removed from the children they had replaced.

Before he had any time to process them, however, everything snapped back to normal, and the children continued to run into the distance.

"What's wrong?"

"What? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about when we were their age. We were so carefree back then. Didn't have to worry about high school, or fighting Bythos."

Now, Bythos had cast a dark shadow all over the city, including its children. And it was getting harder and harder to shine the light of hope back. Especially with the rising doubts in Shintaro's heart.

Something hasn't felt right for a long time. Something beyond Bythos and Nisa Liat. And it involves Kei, somehow. If only she could tell me what she knows.

"I getcha, Taro. But we can't save the city on an empty stomach. C'mon, let's go. Tonight, we only have to worry about our food budget."

"...Thanks, Masato."

The two left, free from terror – for a time.

|Ginumi Promenade|14:00 pm|

The sea-facing Ginumi area wasn't nearly as packed today, despite the warm weather and dazzling sunlight. Perhaps this was to be expected, however, with the destruction of one of the city's most exclusive hotels. With no survivors, it was very easy to see why many were staying away from the area for the foreseeable future.

Yet some still came to the beach, such as young Manami. Today, she had been invited by Evelina and Toshiaki, so they could get better acquainted. She had come here with Katashi many times, but now she knew they could never casually hang around this place ever again. Or anywhere else in the city. Not now that they were on opposite sides. And neither was willing to betray their comrades, not now, not ever.

It was he who picked out this bikini for me. Sea blue, my favourite colour. He managed to get the measurements just right, too. If only I had something else to wear, something that didn't remind me of him. But no matter what I wear, or where I go, the times I spent with Katashi-kun will never go away.

She arrived at the east side of the promenade, At least here, things were relatively calm. There were the usual array of shops selling ice cream and other snacks. Seagulls were flying overhead, keeping a watchful eye for any food free for the taking. Everything seemed typical for Ginumi, and so she smiled. Then, when she saw a blood-red poster on a nearby lamppost, she scowled. It had the Bythos logo in black 'bleeding' letters, and at the base of the poster, were tons of human shapes writhing in anger, trying to claw up to the Bythos logo in desperation.

"Ugh!"

Immediately, she ripped it off and threw it into the nearest bin. In her rage, she didn't notice the passersby looking at her strangely – but she did spot a blonde young woman approaching her, in a black swimsuit.

"Manami…?"

"O-Oh! Evelina, good to see you..." Manami said, red in the face. "Toshiaki, you too..."

Staring at the crumpled Bythos flyer in the bin, the normally carefree Chieki runner frowned. The shorts he wore were nearly the same shade of green as his uniform, Manami noted. He gave her an approving nod – and she felt relieved. At least she had new friends that hated Bythos as much as she did.

"These types of flyers are all over the city," Evelina said. "New ones keep popping up. I just hope they're made from recyclable paper. Then they can be used for something actually meaningful."

"How long are Bythos going to keep causing trouble? Will it not end until we can defeat Nisa Liat?" Manami asked.

"We'll find the way." Evelina said, confidently. "Trust me. But for now, the two of us are going to keep you company."

"Yeah. After what happened with Katashi, we were worried about you. Didn't want you pining for him."

Manami shook her head defiantly. "No, I'm not going to cry over him. He's made his choice to fight for Bythos. And I've made mine – to oppose him and all the other Aeons."

"That's the spirit. I have a feeling you and I are going to get along just fine." Evelina said, smiling. "Come on, let's enjoy the beach while we still can."

Nodding, Manami followed them to the sun loungers in the front row – giving them an unobstructed view of the sea. The waves were somewhat choppier than she expected, yet still, there were swimmers braving the waters. Even this was welcome, she thought. Now that she had a Persona, she would be faced with danger every single time she went to the Theio Kosmos. She had to accept that, or else her soul would break.

|Toki's Apartment|17:30 pm|

Kaii had barely gotten through the door, and immediately he was faced with his father's massive smile.

"Whoa!" The young man exclaimed, as the excited Taro put his paws up on Kaii's leg. "I knew the dog would be happy to see me, but this seems a little weird!"

"S-Sorry, kid. But I got great news. Remember that job I was talkin' to ya about?"

Kaii nodded – it was a position at a local gym. In his spare time outside of Bythos, Toki had been applying for any jobs in that field he could find. He knew he certainly wouldn't get anywhere in the acting profession ever again.

"Did you get it?"

"...Yes!" Toki shouted. "I can't believe it. Me, after all, that's happened, they hired me!"

"Well, I guess beggars can't be choosers," Kaii said, smirking.

"Cheeky little shit..." Toki said, rolling his eyes.

"Nah, I'm kidding. Seriously, I'm happy for ya." Kaii said, grinning. The two hugged, but as soon as they did, Taro began barking. He had a healthy appetite, much to their amusement – and so, they got his food ready. Soon, he was munching away from his bowl, and thus the men could prepare their own celebratory feast.

Kaii smiled, as he began work on the chicken katsu curry recipe he found online. He had never made it before, but he was excited at the thought of it being as tasty as the image made it look.

"You cook much for your aunt and uncle?" Toki asked, getting out the ingredients from the fridge.

"Sometimes. We used to have fun at nights, but ever since I failed the entrance exams the first time, the evenings got really, really awkward. I haven't cooked for anyone since." Kaii explained.

As he said this, however, he felt a strange sense of doubt in his mind. Try as he might, he couldn't quite clearly picture his aunt's face. Or his uncle's, for that matter. It hadn't been that long since he came to Shinshuto, he thought. So why did he not recall their faces? He had a vague sensation that his uncle was balding, and his aunt had greying hair, but everything else was fuzzy.

"Have they even called you since you came here?" Toki asked, seriously.

"Once or twice. They didn't seem too happy about how things were going in my oh-so-worthless life. 'Kaii, you've got to stop being so laid-back, and get into college! Make something of yourself! We didn't raise you to fail!"

As he said these words, however, he realised something else. He couldn't actually remember their voices. Which considering their last phone call was less than a month ago, was very unusual.

"Y...You okay?" Toki asked, concerned.

"I...um..." Kaii mumbled. "I don't know. I...now that I think about it, I can't remember my aunt and uncle clearly. At all."

Toki, silent, motioned for Kaii to sit down. They did so, and Kaii continued.

"It's like, I know things about them. What they've said to me in the past. But when I try to actually picture those days, or try to remember what they sound like, my mind's drawing a complete blank..." Kaii said, nervously. "...Toki, what's wrong with me? Why can't I remember my own family?"

There was a long moment of silence, as Toki looked deep into his son's eyes. He seemed to be trying to think of something to say, anything at all, that would help him. Alas, no words seemed to come to mind.

"It's weird. My memories are blurry up until April or so." Katashi said. "Like, I know what happened. What I was doing. But I can't picture all of the details in my head. It's like...when you read about what happens in a movie, or a TV show, but you haven't actually seen it. It doesn't make any sense, but...that's the best I can describe it."

"April…?" Toki asked.

"Yeah. I remember getting up early so that I'd be on time for work, and when I was on the way, I got a call from you. You asked me if I wanted to join you for a beef bowl." Toki nodded at this, but kept quiet. "So then work went on by, same as normal. Akari came in, and was so in awe about all the animals, she applied for the job we had going at the time."

"...While Kei and the others got trapped in the Theio Kosmos."

Kaii nodded. It didn't make much sense. Why would his memories be so unclear up until then? What was so special about that day in April? Was it something to do with Kei Kakusa, he wondered? But why would she have anything to do with him? They'd never met up until then – he'd lived in Nagoya before coming to Shinshuto.

"Kid, you...you can't keep worrying about things like this. Your memories are pretty clear now, right? Ever since then?"

"Y-Yeah. I remember fighting alongside you, plenty of times. Teruko. Noboru. Everything with Shiro and Rinaka. All of that I remember like it was yesterday."

"Good. Don't worry about the past. Soon enough, Nisa Liat will lose, and this city will go back to normal." Toki said, managing a brief smile. "...But you can talk to me anytime, you know?"

"...Of course, dad." Kaii said. "Thanks, for listening."

"Hey, that's what a dad does."

Soon, they got back to preparing their meal. While Toki went to the bathroom for a moment, Kaii quickly checked his Gnosis. There was a new message, albeit from an unknown sender.

You're beginning to realise the truth. Don't be scared – very soon, you'll remember who you really are. Don't tell anyone about this message, okay? I mean it – if anyone finds out I sent you this, we could both be in major trouble.

"What the…?"

Staring at his screen, he kept blinking, in case he was imagining things. But he wasn't. This sender, whoever he or she was, knew about Kaii and his struggles with memory.

Who I really am? I'm Kaii Murayama – wait. Was I always called that? What's going on?

Hastily, he put away his Gnosis, and went back to chopping the vegetables. He had to focus on the task at hand. Yet it was becoming harder and harder to tell what was real and what wasn't.

I don't want to be anyone else. I'm Toki's son and Noburo's brother. That's who I want to be. And that message won't change that. Will it?

|Ginumi Beach|17:45 pm|

"Phew..."

Manami began to walk back onto the sand, still wet from the sea. The waves had hit her harder than she thought, she realised. Yet it didn't matter. Like her Persona, she was one with the water.

"I wonder if swimming in that cold water helps in the Theio Kosmos..." Evelina questioned. "Perhaps not for Masato-kun. Camulus isn't exactly waterproof. And Natsumi-chan doesn't exactly cope with the cold weather, either. Suppose with a name like that, she'd adapt better to the heat of the summer."

"She's a fiery girl, alright. Like the summer. And almost as hot – hehe, I mean, the cold part doesn't bother me," Toshiaki said, face briefly red, "but I dunno if I want to be fighting Shadows in these swim trunks. Unless the Gnosis is water resistant."

"I'd rather not put that to the test..." Manami said, shuddering at the thought. "Losing this Gnosis so soon after getting it would be a travesty."

Although perhaps the Gnosis simply existing is itself a travesty.

"Wow, those girls look phenomenal, bro!"

"No kidding, dude! Whoa, where do you think the blonde's from?"

"I dunno, but I'm glad she's here in Shinshuto!"

Toshiaki gulped. Approaching them were two boys, who looked about the same age – third-years at high schooler. One was black haired, the other brown. Manami took one look at them, and while they were reasonably attractive, their cocky smiles put her off instantly. They didn't look like anyone she had met at Kansei, and Evelina didn't seem to recognise them either, so they didn't appear to be Chieki students either.

"...What do you two want?" Evelina asked, crossing her arms. Her frown actually sent a shiver down Manami's spine, but Toshiaki seemed to be enjoying this encounter. Perhaps he knew what was coming next – and how his friend would react.

"It's not obvious?" The black-haired teen said. "Damn, they don't have girls like you in Aoi Mirai!"

Aoi Mirai? Wait, could these be Bythos recruits?

Manami panicked, and stepped back – but then, she regained some clarity. No Bythos agent would approach them so casually in public. Unless they were clueless as to who their enemies were.

"Not natural blondes, anyway." The young man's friend agreed, nodding. "And you with the blue hair...man, you ladies are the best that have ever swam at Ginumi beach!"

"T-Thanks...I think." Manami said, shyly.

"How about you ditch that guy and hang with us for a while? We'll show you a good time!"

Toshiaki frowned, and stepped forward – but Evelina motioned for him to stop.

"You're wasting your time, guys."

The two teens stared at each other, frowning.

"The hell? Come on, you think just cause we're at Aoi Mirai we ain't worth your time?"

"No, that wasn't it at all..." Evelina said, sighing. "Do I really have to spell it out for you? I'm not interested in men. Doesn't matter what school they're in. Or what they look like, how charming they are."

Wait, did she just say she's a -

"...Oh. Oh!" The black-haired boy said, stunned. "Uh...I think we should abort."

"Yeah...um, sorry for that. Bye!" His friend said. They ran off, disappearing quickly into the crowded beach.

"Ha!" Evelina said, smirking. "Even if I did like guys, I wouldn't spend one second with them. The elevator doesn't reach the top."

"You said it!" The two high-fived, while Manami stared at them, still stunned.

"Elevator…?"

"It's a Swedish thing. Basically, she's calling them morons." Toshiaki said. "I've learned a lot of weird phrases since I met her. Including insults."

"Ah. But, about what you said to those guys, you weren't just saying that to make them go away?"

Evelina shook her head. "I wouldn't lie about that. It's true. Toshiaki found out when he first met."

"He wasn't as creepy as those guys just now, was he?" Manami inquired. The pair shook their hands, amused.

"Not in a million years," Toshiaki said. "It was at school. We were in the tech club after school, and it was just the two of us. I asked her if she wanted to do something after we finished working on our projects. I tried some flirting -"

"You call that flirting?" Evelina raised one eyebrow. "You tried to lean on the table – the one that was falling apart. You fell to the floor, but that didn't stop you at all. You did quite well at your 'sexy pose'."

I almost wish I'd seen that…

"Anyway, we went out to the technology museum in Asakita. Turned out she'd already been six times. Not that she cared – she became my tour guide. Finally, when I tried leaning in for a kiss, she stopped me."

"I...I didn't want to lose him as a friend. But I couldn't lead him on, either. That wouldn't be fair. So I told him, right then and there, that I was a lesbian." Evelina said, clasping her arms behind her body. "He...took it a lot better than I expected."

Toshiaki nodded. "Well, we were having so much fun, I decided at least I'd made an awesome friend. And we've been friends since then. Even to this day, we still work on projects at the club, or at home."

"I see...that's really nice." Manami began to chuckle, finding herself relax more than she had done in quite some time. "I'm glad it worked out for you both. At least you two can be good friends. Not like me and Katashi. I can't even look him in the eye any more."

Toshiaki and Evelina exchanged knowing looks, their smiles fading. Neither knew exactly what to say, and Manami didn't blame them.

"I...I really loved him. No. I still love him. But I can't be with him. I have to accept that, I know, but..."

"...No one's saying you have to just get over him." Evelina said, gently, holding her hand. "All you can do is live one day at a time, and never take it for granted. When Bythos is finally gone, we'll be able to pick up the pieces."

Manami, blushing, smiled appreciatively. "Thank you...Evelina-chan."

While the two girls stared at each other, Manami felt her heart skip a beat. Something about the way this girl held her hand made her temperature rise. Quickly, she let go, looking away.

"Let's dry off before we head home." Toshiaki quickly said.

"R-Right..." Evelina said, hesitantly. Manami nodded, and they quickly walked onward.

What is it I'm feeling? Could it be…?

|Hiyashi – Chowa Karaoke Club|18:00 pm|

The city was still yet to return to peace, but it seemed Bythos had quietened down since their attack on Ginumi. Thus, tonight Kohaku was allowed a moment of peace. And so, facing another lonely night in her room, she decided on the spur of the moment to invite anyone who was free for some karaoke – and has luck would have it, both Natsumi and Akari were willing to join her.

The Chowa was a relatively new place in the busy thoroughfare of Hiyashi, but it was already making a name for itself. With a constantly expanding selection of music for customers both young and old to choose from, and many different private rooms – as well as a public area – it could accommodate many guests. The room Kohaku had chosen was a fairly simple, but welcoming one, with comfy red velvet chairs,

"Oh, I love Karaoke!" Akari said, as the girls ventured inside.

"Kohaku and I used to do this all the time." Natsumi said, grinning. "Sometimes Masato and Shintaro came along, right?"

Kohaku nodded. "Masato certainly has a unique take on singing. More like a demented banshee. But he tries his best."

"That's the problem. You tell him to stop at anything, he keeps trying. You tell him he's good at it, he'll try even harder. Thank god he can actually play baseball – if he tried to become a idol singer, we'd all have burst eardrums."

Natsumi, chuckling at her brother's disastrous voice, found Electric Sea's album on the room's internal system, and started playing Dead Fingers Talk, a rather upbeat track with rather morbid lyrics, about a murderer constantly haunted by the 'stories' his victims' bodies left behind.

"Ooh yeah, I love this tune!" Akari bellowed to Kohaku excitedly, as she drummed along to the beat with her fingers.

"It's quite a morbid story. A serial killer haunted by the ghost of a mysterious lady, and all the corpses he's left behind. It's amazing how well it goes with the music." Kohaku said.

Eventually, Natsumi's song ended, much to her dismay – as by the end, she was swaying in beat to the music. She had always loved to dance along to tracks like this – unlike Masato, who stayed still, ignoring the pained grimaces of his audience.

"Aww, I should have picked a longer tune! Just like Kei did last time..."

"Oh, you two came here a little while ago, didn't you?" Akari asked.

"Yeah. It was weird, though..." Natsumi said, sitting back down onto her seat. "That night, I had a dream...that was the same. I was wearing the exact same outfit, that cute red skirt and black shirt -"

"But Kei wasn't there."

The two of them looked at Kohaku, in surprise.

"...Yes. Another girl was in her place. She looked like Nisa Liat, but...didn't act like her at all. She seemed smart, kind, caring...she was like Kei, come to think of it. But how did you know that?"

"Natsumi, me and Shintaro have had similar dreams. Where Kei is gone, but Nisa Liat is there instead." Kohaku said, standing up. "I've tried not to think about it, but if it's not just us, then there has to be something else about it."

"Like what?" Akari asked.

"Is Nisa Liat trying to taunt us by taking over our dreams?"

Natsumi, upon posing this question, looked to the others for answers.

"You're worrying too much," Akari said, smiling cheerily. "Kei is our friend, and Nisa Liat is our enemy. Don't let stupid nightmares tell you otherwise."

"But Akari..."

"Don't look so depressed, Kohaku-chan. Listen. We're gonna get all the Cores and then crush Nisa Liat and her Bythos goons. Everything's gonna be okay, right?"

I wish I had her faith. But right now, I can't help but worry. What do those dreams mean? Does Nisa Liat want to be Kei? Or, is it the other way around? Is Kei playing a role someone else once had? If so, who – or what - does that make Nisa Liat?

"Hey, look at me!" Akari said, hands on her hips. "We're supposed to be having fun tonight! If you're that worried, we'll ask Shigeru and the others when we next see them. There's no point going over it a thousand times in your head if you can't figure out the answer."

"...Okay." Kohaku finally said, forcing a smile. "Let's not waste any more time. I'm going next."

"That's the spirit!" Natsumi said, now excited. "Oh man, when Masato finds out I was here...he's gonna be so angry he missed out! But trust me on this Akari, you don't want to hear his singing voice. It's more like a bat shrieking, only even louder."

"That sounds kind of cute, actually..." Akari said, giggling at the thought. "Bats are adorable, and a pox on anyone who says otherwise."

Now, Kohaku felt a little more like enjoying herself, and went to pick out her own song. Indeed, she would not come up with an answer to the mysterious dreams tonight, like all those previous nights. One day, she knew she would find the truth.

Yet she had a stark feeling that truth would shatter everything she knew about this world.