This story is a work of fiction. Any similarities to events or persons living or dead in your world is purely coincidental.

You'll Never See It Coming

You'll See

That My Mind Is Too Fast For Eyes

8/2 Sunday

Morning

Mirambela Sorano barely registered the scenery flash past the bus that had taken her from the airport. It was, she noted with a sense of irony, nothing she hadn't been seeing for the last three weeks. While her older sister Zawadi had a long-held green thumb and a talent for helping any plant she chose to thrive, she could never quite demonstrate the same interest in greenery as her. Flowers and trees were nice, but that was all they were.

It was people that she was interested in seeing now. Specific people. People who had made her second year at Koashimizu academy such a massive improvement over the first one that she sometimes had difficulty believing that the two had taken place in the same building and campus.

The second year wasn't over yet of course. It was only halfway complete. But what it had done for her could never be undone, not by a million Kujous, a billion Sonokas. Even her family had noticed it and commented that she was much more willing to speak her mind now, no longer that timid, tiny youngest daughter who hardly said a word at dinnertime.

The look of unreserved pride on her papa's wide, swarthy face was all the reward she needed. Though he had now retired as the village chief, his opinion was clearly still very much of value to all of her people. With so many of the others going to the city to find work as they grew older, it was important to keep training the young ones in crucial tasks to replace them.

But that would not be her destiny. Not unless she wished it to be. Her Papa wanted her to learn at a foreign exchange school, and gain the knowledge to function in the modern world, not just her own village.

Now, for the first time, she felt as though she was finally within reach of that goal. And it was primarily thanks to the young girl she saw waving to her at the bus stop just outside the campus. Aiko Tsuruga looked like she'd let her pale-dyed hair grow out in the intervening weeks' vacation, which now flapped healthily in the morning breeze, and she wore a fancy-looking red-gold trim dress that Mira guessed had been bought in some exotic fashion shop in Tokyo, since she'd never seen it before now.

Then she felt her strong grip close around her body, and wondered idly if she'd also been training with Reiha Hayato in her spare time. "Dada Yangyu", she greeted, her voice a triumphant song. "Kaa salama na afya."

"Dada Yangyu", Mira echoed back in equal starry-eyed cheer, "kaa salama na afya." The words were her own people's native language, the rare address given to one who you considered to be a part of your family- specifically, a sister- despite not being born into it.

In some ways, Tsuruga had now surpassed some of her birth sisters in this regard. She was the symbol of everything good about this fascinating second year... and some of the bad things as well, but those weren't her fault at all.

And if it weren't for her brave actions, Mira would never have seen her family again. She would have disappeared into the ocean, lost in herself, never again to be seen by anyone real.

"So", Aiko commented more anxiously, "we could totally just sit here and talk for several hours about what's been happening... or I could show you the souvenirs, and then we can talk."

"Let's see the souvenirs!", Mira cheered eagerly. The twin dorms on the Koashimizu campus were technically still available for use by the students if they so wished, a great benefit to its many transfer students or any student who lacked a permanent comfortable residence.

The building seemed fairly deserted for the time being with only a handful of girls using the rooms, but they were barely out of the lounge area before hey found themselves face to face with the dorm's imposingly tall head, Hanaya Ekuya. Grumpier than her usual, Mira couldn't help but note. "Forgot something, Tsuruga?", the older woman called out, removing the cigarette in her mouth to bark at them. "Or are you bored and looking for a cheap laugh? Well go ahead. Laugh!"

Her friend looked surprisingly stricken by the accusation, but didn't let it stun her for too long. "We are not here to laugh at you, Ekuya-san. We're just here because we both got back from our vacation trips. I'm sorry if you weren't able to take one."

"Damn kids don't know how good you have it", the dorm head grumbled, so quietly she had to strain to hear. "Two whole months off... what a damn joke..."

"What's up with her?", Mira asked once they were well clear and back in their own room. "Did you do something or what?"

"If I had to guess", Aiko replied nonchalantly. "She... still blames me for helping Rosea-kun get in here."

"And of course you could never tell her the truth", Mira observed in perfect sympathy. "That if you hadn't, then Kujou would likely be dead now. Strangled to death by a Shadow wearing Hayato-senpai's face."

"You get used to it", Ai said tersely, eager to turn back to more positive topics, gesturing to a pair of large bags on their beds. "I saw these when I came back yesterday, but I wanted to open them together with you."

Mira studied the bags for only a moment before reaching to tear hers open, finding a pair of pale green and white dresses and buttoned blouse shirts within, matching the school colors but a much looser fit than the uniforms they'd gotten used to. "Ooh, summer wear!"

"Naturally", Ai smiled, examining her own 'gift'. "Honestly, the winter wear was starting to get a bit stuffy by the time exams hit. This cotton stuff kinda looks like it goes in the opposite direction though. It feels too light. Especially with all the sea breeze we get. That skirt is gonna get blown around like crazy by the wind whenever we go outside." Studying the Koashimizu logo on the left side, right over the heart, she shrugged. "I suppose we don't have to wear it if we don't want to."

"We don't?"

"Nope!", she winked back and laughed. "I checked the rules. Technically we only have to wear the uniforms for special school events, like assemblies or sports matches. Just so long as what we wear instead is appropriate. Y'know, no gang stuff or exposure."

"Then why...?"

"Why does almost everyone still wear them?" Her friend chuckled. "Because the rule in almost every school in the country used to be that you totally had to. Teachers encourage it, obviously. There's still a few holdouts in Tokyo from what I've heard, but here it's a lot more relaxed. People just got used to it and assumed you still had to wear the uniforms all the time. And because the majority of people still wore it..."

"Everyone just went along with it!", Mira finished in gaped amazement. "I mean, the majority of us still don't want to stand out too much. Just one person wearing different colors in a crowd all in uniforms would definitely stand out and draw attention. That's why Hayato-senpai was able to get away with her goth dress. She just doesn't care that much what other people think of her."

"Yes, she is quite the...", Aiko caught herself, rephrasing. "She impressed me a lot on the trip. It's just like you said. Feels like she's all grown-up and mature, y'know?"

"She is four years older than both of us", Mira pointed out casually. "Bigger than Vitienne-kun. Bigger than me. Remember how it felt when she first knocked on our door to introduce herself? I thought she was some kind of... y'know?"

"I know", she nodded back, easily able to recall that old memory. Certainly, at the start of the year they had both been scared of Reiha. Her appearance did lend itself to that, but if they'd learned nothing else this year, it was not to rely on appearances alone. "But I don't think she'll think any less of us if we go ahead and wear the summer uniforms when school restarts, right?"

"I think she might think less of us if she knew we were worrying about her opinions this much", Aiko joked back, a note of relief in her words.

While recent experiences had certainly taught them the value of individuality and thinking for oneself, some instincts were just too deeply-ingrained. Even though she still remembered the incessant whispering behind her back, the slander and the nickname of 'Aiko the Psycho', she also knew that not wearing the uniform would only be an invitation for all of that bother to intensify further. That was life, she knew. That was the shared instinct of her people, her nation.

Besides, the new outfits were kind of cute, she considered. She liked the blouse shirts, their small buttons reminding her a bit of her Faraway Lands outfit. When she'd been choosing schools, Koashimizu's primary uniform color choice of light green and white had perfectly aligned with her own. It still did, even if looking back it seemed like incredibly petty thing to make a decision on. The silky green skirts looked slightly flimsy, but she could always order a large size if it became a problem.

Nothing we can't fix with a few fashion accessories, she decided. They'd brought back a considerable haul from Tokyo's malls.

"I'll wear it if you do", she offered up finally. "Senpai will understand, I'm sure."

"Where is senpai?", Mira wondered. "I wanted to see you first of course, but I also want to see everyone else too. Everything go okay on the trip? I hope you got lots of good photos..."

Then she saw Ai's face fall, and knew there was something else she'd been hiding. "Sorry. I didn't want to dump this on you right away. Souvenirs first. Then the outfits. Then lunch. But... it looks like we've got another mission."

Mira's eyes widened. "What? Already? Good thing I came back."

"Oh really?", Aiko teased her with a teasing wink. "Here I thought you hated all that Persona stuff, Mira-chan."

Leaning back on her bed, Mira snorted. "Please. I don't hate that Persona stuff. It's just very dangerous, that's all. The less of it we can manage to do, the better. But I'd hate it even more if I missed out and you went on without me. We've been over this already. What happened?"

"I got a call from Vitienne-kun yesterday", Aiko explained, tapping her phone. "He was at the temple with father Shigetsu when a Shadow came to visit them. Not just any Shadow either. The Shadow of Shukiji Niyoga."

"Baiba", Mira sighed. "We should have seen that coming. He's been tailing us for months, trying to learn the truth. The truth which we told him, but just like when I told the cops about it, he didn't believe it. He thought we were all making it up. As though any of us have such good imaginations to make up something like that place!"

"I might", Aiko offered whimsically. "But thankfully, the Shadow doesn't actually seem to be hostile this time. Vitienne and Pela-tori are watching him closely now, but all he's tried to do so far is have a long talk with father Shigetsu. He's not attacking people his true self has a grudge with, like the last two did."

"Makes sense", Mira considered before remembering that this was a Shadow, and thus standard logic wouldn't apply to them. "Wait... he's talking with Shigetsu? Why?"

Aiko's face grew taut, anticipating a legendary reaction to the punch line. "Because... Shigetsu is Shukiji's father. His real father. They split up six years ago, after his injury."

"And Vitienne didn't ever think to tell us about that?"

"Yeah", her friend nodded back. "I was, um, pretty mad at him too when I found out. Maybe after we're done this one, we can yell at him together."

"No", Mira insisted. "No, I'm going to go yell at him now. After the souvenirs and photos I assume you took. Then we try on the outfits. Then lunch. Then we'll go save Niyoga-kun."

"That's the spirit", Aiko grinned back in appreciation. "Welcome back, Dada Yangyu."

8/3 Monday

Afternoon

They all gathered at the expected time, the sun casting its usual orange light across the water as it sank into the ocean to form the gate. None looked worried. They all knew what to expect by now, and they all knew that as long as they watched each other's backs, nothing could stop them.

For once, they didn't have to look at all to find the Land either. The very moment that Pelagio's ship form arrived in the dark ocean, the five Voyagers on board and ready for action, the change was obvious to see. A tower, sticking up out of the water visible for hundreds of miles in any direction. It only took slightly longer for them to recognize a bright gold-tinged glow emanating from the top of it like a beam, making its main purpose obvious.

"It's a lighthouse", Aiko recognized instantly. "I always thought this place could use one."

"They will see us long before we are able to reach the base of the tower, captain", Pelagio's voice came to them, not emitting from any kind of visible mouth but inescapable all the same. "If that tower has any weaponry like the gate at Witch's Land, then they will be able to target us from a great distance."

Sure enough, the wide ray of light cast itself onto them as soon as he finished speaking, locking on and staying there for a good while, tracking the ship's movements and casting them in the bright light until Aiko found herself blinking and turning from it as it kept getting into her eyes.

"Fear not", the messy-haired Shadow assured them, the only one on the ship who was staring directly into the light with no issues. "I must now to Oberon. My lord is not yet passing fell and wrath, we need only let his light guide our path. So long as you behave, he'll not send you to the grave."

"Translator?", Julian asked jokingly. The Shadow that had come to visit them had been full of many surprises, and none were greater than this one, being non-hostile and completely willing to join them in their journey to Shukiji's Land without any kind of resistance. Aiko couldn't tell if that signaled his overconfidence, or just that this Shadow was even more twisted than the usual type they encountered. Twisted in a way that had been very helpful for them, so far. Still, trusting this one too far would be a mistake. Even she had read about the character it had chosen to base itself on, a legendary fey trickster.

The Phantom Thieves had been 'tricksters' too, of course, but this one was different. The other ruler Shadows had all deliberately duplicated the form of their 'originals', yet anyone who had been to Faraway Lands- or the Metaverse, she guessed- could instantly detect that something was wrong from the hellish yellow tone of their pupils and the threatening reverb in their voices. This Shadow took it a step further, taking on a tall form that closely emulated the fairy 'Puck'. Yet she didn't need to test it to know that to anyone else, Shukiji's Shadow would appear to be entirely normal, the same vertically-challenged, socially-stunted genius he'd always been.

"Keep him front and center", she ordered. "It sounds like he's our ticket in."

"Follow me, then", the creature agreed pleasantly. "To plainer ground."

"Oh, and if you trick us, I'll put one in your head", Jiachi reminded him, spinning his revolver weapon threateningly. "Just so we're clear, yeah?"

Aiko chalked that- along with any other changes in Gunslinger's behavior- up to the recent shift in his sleep schedule; only two thirds of the usual time, since he was now sharing the duty of being with Kibo when he woke up crying with his parents. It was a responsibility that he'd taken very seriously, and for a moment she'd actually entertained the notion of letting him sit this one out for once. Fortunately, their missions in Faraway Lands would always by necessity take place in the final light of the afternoon instead of at night, and they always would return before the day was over.

It wasn't just a lighthouse, they saw as they drew closer. If it was, it was a kind built with technology of a like that humanity had never seen. Not even the advanced tech that had dominated Mira's own Land, but something distinctly alien, esoteric. The entire place seemed to be constructed from an enormous series of thin metal rings and cogs, all of it the same rusty dark magenta color without a single visible edge. Numerous circular glass balconies ringed each floor, while other platforms hung by supports that looked too sparse to hold them up in any logical environment. The entire lighthouse looked to be a single, self-contained machine. Built like some giant astrolabe, more cog works and moving rings winding their way up the round walls in endlessly intricate patterns.

Even their 'landing area', one of four contained within the ring at the tower's base, was circular, each containing a mottled lens that distorted the images atop it but felt secure enough to walk on without shattering. The rest of the place looked to be that way too, she noticed. It was all rings and frames containing thick glass decks, the eye-shaped fresnel lenses rotating by overhead bearing messages too far away to read.

"Ay, there it is", the Shadow gestured eagerly. "The domain of my lord Oberon."

"Keep separate", she advised the others quietly. "I'll lead with Guardian and Witch at the front, the others behind. He might be leading us into a trap."

"Might?", Julian asked her, incredulous. "This whole damn place might as well have 'TRAP' painted on it." Briefly notching his guns, he idly raised one hand to his brow, peered up at the top. "Also pretty sure it has 'Compensating For Something' painted on it. On the other side, to make room, yeah?"

Noel, of all people, astonished the entire team by muffling a growing laugh at the joke. "...Sorry. It's, erm, nice to see that having a baby brother hasn't changed you that much, Gunslinger."

Despite their suspicions, 'Puck' wasted no time leading them along the winding glass path into the tower's main shaft. Guards were present there, taking the form of bipedal insectoids, composed of antique-looking golden clockworks that drove a pair of gossamer wings stretching from gear-laden beetle shells, but none moved to attack. That was only their 'peace' face, Aiko knew. Beneath those strange golden plates and sprockets, there lurked the forms of Shadows, most of them much larger than their armor should logically have be able to contain.

It was just one more thing about Shadows that defied all logic.

One of them moved, but only to press their machine hand to a circular lens once everyone was safely onto the main floor ring. With a whine of exotic gadgetry and pistons, the largest of the rings began to lurch upwards, the main elevator passing through floor after floor of dormant guards and machinery until even the normally quiet Mira had to speak up. "It's... like mine. Mine was high-tech, and it had a central spire too."

"Not exactly", Pelagio corrected her. "Hmph. This one is far taller. Yours was born from your repressed fear of using technology, correct? I detect no such fear in this Land."

"At least they're takin' us all the way to the top", Jiachi noted positively. "Maybe we can actually get this crap done with in just one day, and get back to enjoying our vacation?"

As if in mocking response, the elevator ground to a halt, barely halfway up the tower's complete length. As the others glanced around in confusion, 'Puck' stared straight ahead as the ring's surrounding clockworks shifted, lowering a person-sized fresnel lens into place directly in front of them, this time with the message close enough to see.

Enough to see the message, Aiko realized, but not enough to understand it: A tetrahedron's edge length is √2 and its four points are on a sphere. What is the sphere's area?

She read the message again, and a third time, but couldn't even guess at the answer that time either. "What?", she heard Reiha remark, clearly attempting the same as her. "Huh? Um... Are we supposed to answer this?"

"I hope not", Mira groaned from behind her, placing a hand to her flowing dancer's headdress. "This question looks like it's advanced mathematics. College level, at least. I could try solving it myself... but it would take me some time."

"That's faster than any of us could handle it", Reiha commented. "I don't even remember what a damn Tetrahedron is."

Ignoring their conversation, 'Puck' blinked for a moment, then his long fingers steepled together mischievously and he smirked. "The surface area of the sphere is... 4 by Pi by Radius squared. That is 3 by Pi."

The moment he finished speaking, the fresnel eye flashed a bright green, producing a positive-sounding bell chime before sliding back into its housing. The team were all were jolted as the gears ground together and the central elevator lurched back to life. It ascended up five more floors before stopping yet again, just in time for them to see a new fresnel come sliding out on a mechanical arm. Stepping forward, Aiko read this one closely:

What is the definition of Hamartia?

"Ha-mar-tia?", she repeated to herself, sounding the word out slowly. This one seemed easier, but she'd never heard the word before. From the noncommittal sounds of the others behind her, they hadn't either.

"I see", Pelagio observed, "so in order to safely reach the top of this tower using the elevator, you must answer all of these questions correctly then?" Searching the strange rings and gears all around them, he drew his sword and shield. "I assume that there is some sort of penalty for an incorrect answer, then?"

"Lovely", Julian growled, drawing his revolvers as if he wanted to shoot the fresnels out. "Last time we had Batwoman, and now we get the fucking Riddler. Swell."

Their 'guide' however, was hardly fazed by the message, even giggling at their spoken worries. "The definition of Hamartia is a tragic flaw."

Again, the lens flashed, chimed, and the elevator smoothly moved up more floors. The Shadow giggled again, eagerly singing as they ascended further up the tower. "Up and down! Up and down! I shall lead them up and down! I am feared in field and town! Goblin, lead them up and down!"

The process repeated itself one more time before they finally reached the top; yet another difficult question on a ringed eye-shaped lens that none of them save for their guide could grasp. Aiko felt more and more uneasy with each one.

It's not right. Something's wrong here. He's doing this for a reason. What reason? Why would this Shadow let us into his master's inner sanctum so easily? He's supposed to be trying to keep us away, yet he's done nothing but help us...?

But they couldn't turn back, could they? Not now. Not with their destination so close at hand.

The top floor was similar to the rest, but topped with an intricate dome of the same glass, a bright metal disc covering the apex. With so many transparent walls, she could see that there were actually a few exterior walkways leading further up around the dome, to where the mobile ray of light from before came from, but this was clearly as far as the elevator could take them. More fresnels emerged, but instead of bearing questions they merely glowed with the same light as before, their power coming together to form a large holographic projection over their heads.

"My lord Oberon", the Shadow called into the ceiling, bowing down on the glass floor, bowing down on one knee. "I have brought your guests!"

The projection finished forming as he spoke, becoming a golden facsimile of Shukiji's own head, though large enough to fill nearly the entire dome. Such a thing might easily prove threatening, but the face showed no hint of malice, its lips perfectly synced with the sound of the young man's voice: "You have done well."

"As I always seek to, my lord Oberon", his Shadow bowed obsequiously.

The projection was hardly perfect, but it still managed to jar old memories of her first encounter with Shukiji. Her first ever talk with a student of Koasimizu, really. While they had eventually parted ways as she found new friends and he had demonstrated no desire at all to have or keep any, she could never forget that he was the one who had shown her around the school, the one who had enlightened her to the first problems she would soon find herself butting heads with the hard way.

Back then, she had pitied Shu for being so short compared to every other student around him. She still did. His hair was a type that suggested that no matter how hard he tried to condition or comb it, it would remain a messy black bush.

Though he'd barely said a word on the way here, it was Noel who found his voice first. "Niyoga. Here you are."

"Yes", the enormous projected head agreed not unkindly. "Yes, here I am. I asked you to be brought here to this world, so that I might apologize to you all. You... were all correct. I was mistaken. There is another world beyond ours, beyond the gate of the evening's dying light. This world, this dark ocean of Faraway Lands. And I must say... it exceeds even my greatest expectations of it."

That was... encouraging? Still, part of her knew it couldn't possibly be this easy. "You're forgiven", she replied, adjusting her buttoned captain's vest. "I can definitely get how you might think that we were fooling you, making fun of you. But now you can see the truth for yourself, with your own eyes. This world is real. Real, and dangerous."

"I can see it indeed", Shu noted, grinning slightly. "I can observe everything, now. You all must have had a very difficult time, managing your way through. It's a completely unknown frontier... But don't worry. I'll change that soon enough."

The last sentence confirmed their captain's creeping suspicions, although Mira spoke up before she could: "If you know that we were telling the truth all along, then you know that we've learned a lot about this world already. Lands are born from humanity's dreams, creating incredible worlds devoted to them alone. But, if you stay here for too long... you won't be able to leave!"

"That's why we've come to you, mein freunde", Noel emphasized, moving up beside her in support. "To save you. To bring you back home to Tosashimizu. To Japan. I know your desire to learn all that you can about this world- I desire the same thing, in truth- but you cannot risk having it consume you."

Shukiji paused for a moment before his reply filled their ears from every corner of the dome. "That's ridiculous. I'm perfectly capable of leaving this place whenever I wish. But I have to learn the truth of it first. Nothing escapes my observation. I can illuminate this new frontier. I believe that it could even possibly save humanity from the coming doom. No. There is no knowledge that I shouldn't possess. There's still so very much to learn, you see?"

"And there it is", Jiachi complained. "Knew this was too easy."

"Good sir", Pelagio tried now, stepping forward. "You may already know me. I have been a denizen of this dimension for many years now, long before these humans learned of it. Trust me when I say they speak the truth to you. This world is nothing but a lure for humans, drawing them in with their most secret desires by appearing to grant them. In here, you might well appear to be a Godlike being, but it is a trap. An illusion. Remain here too long, and your soul will never return to your former home. You will lose yourself in the dream world. Just like the girl named Ayano Furusato- someone who I believe you once knew- your flesh and bone body will wash up on the shore, empty. Dead."

"Fascinating", Shu's reply sounded distant, distracted. The glowing eyes focused in on Pelagio. "You... you aren't a Shadow, and yet you certainly aren't a human either." Pausing for a moment, he blinked. "Ah! You were that white saker falcon, weren't you? The one who always followed them around, tipping them off whenever I tried to spy on them and learn the truth? The one who injured Benihime Kujou, correct?"

"Yes", Pelagio admitted, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I transform into that shape when I am in your world, though I am still able to speak with them due to the change in their cognition from visiting this one."

"I would dissect you", Shukiji remarked, the golden head tilting in genuine curiosity, "to the learn the truth of what you are, but you are a friend of my guests. That would be rude of me. Leave in peace, sir...?"

"I am sir Pelagio", the avian warrior emphasized politely yet firmly. "And we will not be leaving, good sir Niyoga. Not until you realize the danger that you are in, and come to your senses!"

"Listen to him, Niyoga!", Reiha implored him, last to speak up. "He knows what he's talkin' about. The rest of us- Sorano, Rosea and me- we were all trapped. We didn't wanna leave our Lands either, but if we hadn't... then we'd be stuck there. Forever. You have to wake up, man!"

Hardly fazed by the passion in her words, Shukiji's head turned to her. "I have already studied your Lands closely, Hayato. Or should I say, Kaneshiro?" The shock prevented her reply, and he shook his head. "No, don't worry. That little secret is safe with me. As I was saying, I have already studied those. That technological jungle. The endless desert of tribute to old western films. The gothic cityscape of demons and torment. They are quite interesting, certainly. They helped me to proved my original theory that a more powerful and organized mind would have greater control over their Land."

Aiko was going to try again with a new approach when something erupted out in front of her, earning an involuntary scream. Ahead and behind them, rows of humanoid figures had appeared, all looking to be the same design as the clockwork guards from earlier but lacking the protective plating. Instead, they most closely resembled spun-glass mannequins, active clockwork visible inside of their bodies and two bright rings serving as eyes visible from any angle. The effect creeped her out more than she had thought possible for someone who had fought and slain Shadows.

The enormous golden head of Shu observed his handiwork in relish. "You see? It's only logical that I would gain such power in a world that's made of pure cognition. By focusing my thoughts properly, I can control any aspect of this tower I want. An advancement of the control that the others had, but more refined. In this world... humans can become as Gods!"

"Become as Gods!", the Shadow echoed its master excitedly. "Become as Gods!"

"So what?!", Julian shouted him down, sensing the increasing despair in the others. "So you can make a bunch of statues, big freakin' whoop. You stay here, you get stuck in the dream, just like nearly happened to all of us! How're you gonna help humanity then, pal?"

"He's right", Aiko seconded, focusing on the golden pinpricks of his eyes. "You might have a lot of power here, Niyoga-kun, but you can't bring it back with you. We found that out ourselves, since our Personas- and the strength they give us- can't be used in the real world."

The Shadow seemed to take offense to her words, cocking his head strangely, long arms folded. "Oh, dear Captain of your fairy band,now here at hand.And such youth, mistook by me!Shall we their fond pageant see?"

Drawing closer, his amused grin twisted, slowly transitioned into a slasher's demented smirk as he laughed aloud. "Lord, what fools these mortals be!"

Though less malevolent-looking, Shu's head focused intently on her as well. "So it's true. They still look to you as their leader, don't they Tsuruga? To them, you are their 'captain' in this world, correct?"

"The captain has earned her rightful place", Pelagio argued with him in rising fury. "I have yet to see a better human leader."

"Oh really?" Shu looked impressed for a moment before shaking his large head. "Even knowing how very stupid she is? I suppose that says a great deal about you all, doesn't it?"

Though she didn't bristle at the blatant insult, she felt the others' outrage like it was a physical force welling up, wanting to hurt him for it. "You take that back!", Mira demanded. "Tsuruga-chan is not stupid. She's wonderful. She's the best friend I've ever had. Not that you'd know anything about friends!"

"Considering your grades", Shukiji argued back, "shouldn't you be in charge of this team, Sorano? Or what about you, Vitienne? You are both far more intelligent than this one."

"Mender", Noel remained calm, not rising to the bait. "In this world, I am called Mender. It prevents the danger of others hearing our names in their dreams."

"A wise caution", Shukiji approved. "Did you come up with that idea, or did Sorano?"

"Dancer", Pelagio corrected him archly. "Here, she is Dancer. And here, I am Guardian. I am the one who realized the danger, and so we all chose code names for ourselves to use in this world."

"So it was you", Shu observed, smiling slightly. Almost like he'd found a new friend. "It's really such a pity you couldn't become a human in our world, 'sir' Pelagio. You might fare quite well with a sharp mind like yours. Or... not. That's not a world that particularly cares for our kind. Either way, I'm pleased to meet you at last... but it doesn't change the situation. The truth is... I should be the one to guide you all."

"Excuse you?", Reiha blurted out, fists clenching. "Like hell!"

"You've gotta be kiddin' me!", Julian agreed. "We're here to save people, not do your damn bidding for you, Niyoga!"

"Unable to see the larger picture", the golden head lamented. "As expected for a group of imbeciles, being led by such a stupid girl."

"That is enough", Pelagio scowled, brandishing his weapon. "I, for one, will no longer tolerate your slander of our captain, young man!"

Seeing the hostility from the one he'd thought to be a kindred spirit, Shukiji's head seemed to pause for a moment, then shifted to a look of intense concentration. The instant he did, the transparent glass floor slid open in large round gaps beneath them, producing a variety of surprised yelps as they fell down to the floor directly below.

They all fell, except for Aiko, who watched in horror as the five gaps sealed themselves back up just as quickly. "What are you doing?!"

"Just an experiment, 'captain'", Shu told her impassively. "Or rather, a demonstration. As you surely already know, Lands draw in Shadows to become servants of it's ruler. I've acquired quite a few, and by dissecting them I was able to learn more about them. Including methods of making them more powerful."

Her jaw fell. She knew what came next. "What? No! DON'T-"

Too late, she saw. Two fresnels slid out of their housing inside the top ring, glass eyes opening up at their master's mental command. The lens on the right remained blank, but the lens on the left flashed to display the image of the floor below without any of the distortions that would have resulted from trying to see her friends through the floor above.

The five of them had recovered by now, pulling themselves to their feet, their weapons at the ready. They, too, sensed the battle coming even before the ring of insectile soldiers around them began to shift into activity, shedding their armor to reveal their larger, more beastly Shadow forms.

She could make out a pair of ebon-skinned horses, curving horns protruding from their heads and blue flames blasting out of their hooves. Two of the others actually shrank, becoming strange spheres of fur, long gray snouts protruding out to vent small gout of fire from within. The smaller creatures floated as though filled with gas, yet both had brown hooved legs dangling down, hanging in the empty air.

The leader, as usual, looked the most dangerous. A large neon green squid, floating like the furred spheres flanking it, but positioned upside-down, glassy red eyes at the top forming an evil glare below the array of tentacles while the fans extended out from the 'bottom'. More horrifyingly, the main body above the fins bore a realistic tattoo pattern depicting a large male face, his eyes closed in agony and his mouth open in a silent scream.

"Should've known it'd be like this", Julian grunted before reaching his hand up to call upon his Persona's powers. "Wild Bill!"

"Shine, Dellingr!", Noel ordered.

"Protect us, Galahad!", Pelagio screeched.

"Chakacha, Oya!", Mira cried out.

"Strike for Justice, Adrestia!", Reiha finished.

Only Aiko was in a position to notice the fascinated look on the large face of their 'host'. "So that's what that power is", he murmured to himself, watching just as closely as her as the battle erupted into a chaotic melee, five-against-five. "Incredible."

A minute later, she could feel her heartbeat again. The fight was over, and it hadn't gone nearly as badly as she'd first feared. A month spent away hadn't dulled her friends' skills much at all, and Reiha seemed intent on proving herself a physical force greater than even Pelagio, Adrestia's massive detached fists smashing into Shadows as they copied the movements of her true arms, the raw force behind them slamming them into walls with each punch.

While the strange green squid Shadow had been able to unleash some ice skills that struck the entire team with crackling frost, Mira had taken that as a chance to counter with Oya's lightning, shocking it into submission until some of the lesser ones could be brought down. When it unleashed some kind of intense hypnotic stare from its red eyes that put her to sleep, Noel was there to use Dellingr's power to instantly rouse her from it, and let her resume the attack. When one of the nightmarish horses tried to run one of them down, Julian went so far as to not only stun it with a gunshot to the head, but then leaped onto it, riding it across the room to trample the other one before blowing them both away with Wild Bill's flames.

In less than two minutes, every single Shadow that had attacked them was gone, the squid unable to handle the combination of lightning, Julian's rapid gunshots and Reiha's curse attack, Eiha.

"Superbly done", Shukiji congratulated them from his spot one floor above. "So that is the power that you used to defeat the Shadows that roam this dimension?"

"Damn right!", Julian boasted proudly, spinning both his weapons on his fingers like it was the old days. "Still think you can push us around, buddy? It's six against one, after all."

"Maybe", Shu allowed with a knowing grin back at him. "I'll leave that up to your leader to decide. If you'd be so kind as to look at the other lens, 'captain'?"

Snapped out of her own internal admiration for how far they'd all come, Aiko focused on the lens as text appeared on it. Another question, and one that she doubted the grinning elf next to her would help answer this time:

What is the definition of hypertrophy?

"If you're able to answer these questions", Shukiji explained, "then I'll consider returning with you. But, if you answer them incorrectly..."

A penalty, she knew without needing to ask. Just like Pelagio had said.

"You got this, captain!", she could hear Julian shouting up to her. "Just one answer, and then we win!"

"Focus!", Noel advised her as well. "Try to remember back to your exams! There must be some mention of the medical term!"

But the exams felt so far away now, at least to her. They had been months ago. Half of what she had learned then had been forgotten, despite all her dutiful studying. Or maybe it was just the stress of knowing that the success or failure of their mission was, quite suddenly, resting entirely on her shoulders.

"That's muscle-related!", Mira's voice came to her. "It's-"

"You are not to help her, Dancer", Shukiji's voice blocked the rest of her words. "If she really is such a brilliant leader for you all, then surely a question like this will be easy for her, correct?"

Muscle related. Muscle related. But there was nothing beyond that hint, no flicker of memory hinting at a book she'd read. Nothing. There was no choice. She had to wing it. She had to guess, use her intuition, and hope she was right.

"Hypertrophy", she repeated, staring into the lens as if it might offer some kind of clue. "It's... when the body's muscles don't get used enough, and they, um... get 'hyper' from storing up too much energy?"

The eye lens flashed. Flashed an ugly, crimson red, accompanied by a mocking bullhorn that she considered completely unnecessary. "You were incorrect, 'captain'", Shukiji remarked, his own voice thankfully devoid of any but the lowest level of gloating. "There is a penalty for your ignorance. Watch."

Back on the left lens, the floor beneath the others opened up yet again, too fast for any of them to react. Once again the five were sent tumbling down to the next floor, where more Shadows had patiently awaited to do battle with them, transforming without wasting a beat. Two more of the upside-down squids were present, but now there were also a set of three floating skulls as well, hideous fanged serpents embedded in the hollow eyes and mouth.

Despite their relative size and the supposed fragility of exposed bone, she saw one of them soak up a full-on hammer punch from Reiha without flinching, then counter with curse skills of its own. While it hardly affected her, Noel gasped in pain as the ravenous dark energy washed over him, knocking him down for a few precious moments.

"Interesting", Shu observed as the fight played out. "So different Personas provide resistance based on their innate elements. However, they seem to possess corresponding weaknesses as well. Curse skills were ineffective against Hayato's Persona, yet they floored Vitienne's. Sorry about that, by the way."

Either Noel felt no need to reply, or he was too far away to hear him now. None of the others would have time to respond now, occupied with fighting off the multiple waves of frigid ice from the squids before returning their attention to the skulls, finally shattering two with a combination of Galahad's nuclear blasts and Julian's flames. The fight still ended up being resolved in all of two minutes, but Aiko saw that they had all taken some injuries during it, which Noel hurried to patch up with his deft healing skills.

Maybe because he knows what's coming next, she considered, her stomach suddenly heavy with dread. Another question appeared on the right lens: What constellation is to the east of Leo?

Her friends said nothing this time, or perhaps they were too far down for their voices to reach her. Certainly, the lens on the left was still showing their position on the tower, and she saw their lips occasionally move silently as they spoke to themselves.

What were they saying?

"Enough", she turned to the golden head. "This isn't fair, Niyoga! I've never seen any of these questions on any exam!"

"This is not an exam, 'captain'", he countered mirthlessly as the Shadow silently jeered at her. "This is a different kind of test. A test to see if your intellect is worthy of leading the Dream Voyagers. That is what you call yourselves, isn't it? I overheard it from one of the Shadows."

"I know that you're smarter than me, Niyoga-kun!", she protested. "Everyone knows that you're smarter! But that doesn't mean you should be the one to lead! There's more to it than that!"

"An interesting hypothesis", he seemed to consider. "Perhaps we can discuss it more, after you answer this question. You have thirty seconds remaining."

So much for drawing it out, she thought sourly. That had been an option before, to deliberately wait with her answer to give the others as much time to rest as possible... until now. "Ge... Gemini!"

The lens flashed red. Again, the horn sounded and she saw the floor open and swallow her friends up. Even though Mira tried to dodge it using her graceful dancer's agility, the hole in the floor just continued chasing after her until she was cornered, falling down with the rest.

More Shadows awaited them on the floor below. Five still, she noticed. That seemed to be the only part of this twisted game that was 'fair'; that there would never be any more than five Shadows per floor... unless Shukiji decided to amend that rule as well, if she kept guessing wrong.

These five Shadows were an upgrade to the previous bunches as well. Three of the inverted squids now, while the other two eclipsed them in strength. One looked somewhat familiar, being a caped, pearl-armored warrior similar to her Tam Lin Persona, blue hair instead of white. The other looked even worse- a towering demon whose skin appeared to be composed of a collection of bleached-white bones, its face being a hollow goat-nosed horned skull and its curved tail looking to made of a large spinal column, possibly several together.

While she initially expected the bone demon to strike with more curse skills, instead it opened up by generating a disgustingly familiar bracketed seal over Reiha, causing her to stop in confusion for several moments before realizing that she could no longer use her Persona's skills. The demon's more heroic-looking companion followed up with a blinding blast of holy light that sent her reeling back, howling.

"So even if a Persona's power is sealed, the weaknesses and resistances still apply", Shukiji observed as her team struggled to find their footing, fighting with everything they had now. "While normally a Shadow or Persona that utilizes one element is susceptible to its opposite, this is not always the case. There are exceptions to the rule."

"ENOUGH!", she shrieked this time. "This is sick, Niyoga! Let me go down there! I need to be there with them, to help them! Let me out! NOW!"

"If you are able to answer the question correctly", he offered, sounding magnanimous. "But I do understand. I don't want them to die either. If you like, you can concede, and leave. That will be enough to prove my point, I think."

She stared with mounting horror back at the left lens, watching the battle unfold. The squids had again been taken down, but the newer Shadows had proven to be formidable on their own, seriously injuring Pelagio and Mira as well before being vanquished.

Noel's power healed them all back up once again, but when he was finished, his arms dropped down limply to his sides in a way that suggested the kind of exhaustion from constantly using a Persona's skills that she herself knew all too well. Mental fatigue. Can't keep fighting over and over. They're getting worn down from the constant battles. Have to stop it!

Dashing out of the dome, she stared down at the waves below. The tower now seemed at least twice as tall as it had been when they'd taken the elevator. While there were a number of balconies and platforms, none of them were close enough to make a safe jump down. Breaking my legs won't help anyone.

And even if they managed to forge through the next battle, there would only be another one after that.

Because I can't...

Because I'm...!

"Give me a platform", she commanded, returning to the dome. "Now! I need to get down there!"

"If you're able to answer the question", Shukiji repeated, indicating the next text on the right fresnel: What is Phantom Vibration Syndrome?

She stared, unable to make any sense of it. And if I don't answer... if I get it wrong...!

"Phantom Vibration Syndrome is... it's... it's...!"

She could do nothing this time but stammer helplessly until the last thirty seconds were up, and the floor opened up again.

There were another five Shadows, she saw. Each one of them was different this time. One of the squids, one of the white-armored warriors, one of the bone demons, one of the skulls, and...

The last Shadow was another new addition. An enormous crocodile, thick black scales accented by stretches of molten gold laid across its belly seemingly at random. Various chains had been hooked to the nonthreatening spikes running along its back, impairing its mobility along with a metal collar around its neck, yet it still looked extremely dangerous despite this. Such an ugly creature looked like it belonged in Reiha's Land, where all of the Shadows had been hideous and deformed in some way, but this one looked even more powerful.

And so it proved. The instant the fight began, the squid focused its ice power directly on Julian, the cold chilling him to the bone until he could barely move. At the same time, the white warrior released another beam of pure blessed radiance against Reiha, blasting her into a wall before she could charge it. The bone demon cackled maliciously, releasing neon pink energy that spiraled around hypnotically before engulfing Pelagio, leaving him dazed and helpless from the psychic assault, and the flying skull released a concentrated curse, dropping Noel to his knees with a cry of pain before he could heal anyone.

Which just left Mirambela- Dancer- standing. Not that she was doing that. She leaped and ran and dodge and spun with all her might to avoid the barrage of attacks the five Shadows were directing at her now, stopping only to unleash violent gusts of green storm wind- Mazanma- that failed to budge any of them. Not only that, but she saw the familiar green light of healing energy coming out of the crocodile, erasing even those minor injuries. Desperate, she threw a lightning bolt at the squid, only for the white warrior to raise his hand, generating a magic-proof barrier to block it. One of her ornamental daggers embedded itself in the skull, only for it to chatter in amusement.

And Aiko could take no more of this sight. She knew what came next and she had to stop it. "ALRIGHT! OKAY! I give up! You win! Just stop this!"

For a moment, she thought she might have been too late. The crocodile opened its jaw again, this time producing not healing energy but some kind of earthquake that knocked Mira off the wall she had been running along to face plant on the glass below. Ice from the squid encased her legs, and the crocodile opened up-

It was inches from biting into her when it stopped. Flickered for a moment, then vanished into a cluster of formless black ash. Its allies followed suit after.

And she had no idea at all why there were tears in her eyes right now.

"Thank you. That was very... enlightening. Very educational.", Shukiji claimed beside her. "For all of us, I should hope. Take the east platform down, and you can rejoin the others there. You are all welcome to return here whenever you wish- as I said, I do owe you."

Dazed, she walked a few paces towards the offered platform before stopping, no quite comprehending what she was being told. "What...?"

"But", he continued more dangerously, "I hope that I've proven my point, Tsuruga. One of your limited intellect has no business telling me what I may or may not do. Go back with your friends now, and rest. There's more knowledge of this world that I must acquire."

"My lord Oberon is both generous and wise", his capering Shadow simpered beside him. "I would advise not to test either again, mortal."

She could barely feel the motion of the platform as it carried down, down past each level of rings and gears and cogs and lenses.

She could barely feel anything at all.

The trip back to the gate was terribly silent, almost no one daring to speak a word. She almost might have welcomed a Leviathan Shadow's attack, or even the Reaper. But there was nothing.

Only once they were through the gate, out beyond the surf did anyone make noise. Julian, naturally: "What... the hell... was that?"

"He... repelled us", Pelagio tried to explain it. While he usually was quick to find a perch, this time his tail feathers dragged in the water like the rest of them and he made no effort to fix that. "We would have been lost, but the captain yielded in order to save our lives."

"That sucked!", Reiha growled, pounding one fist into the other's palm. "He had us playing his games from very start. Even if we'd gotten through that fight, he would have just made something even tougher! This is bullshit!"

Yes. Another fight, even tougher. More pain.

Because I can't...

Because I'm...!

"It's... different", Mira agreed less forcefully. "We've run into problems before- remember what happened to us in Rosea-kun's Land the first time? When they locked us in jail? But this... I don't think we've ever been forced to run so quickly. And at the ruler's own mercy, too."

"I'm sorry", Noel tried to shrug the water off his grim shoulders. "I didn't think that he would be like that. I thought, since his Shadow wasn't so bad, then maybe he would... but no. Like the others, he has allowed the power of Faraway Lands to corrupt him, to make him believe himself to be a literal God of all things."

"We'll come back", Julian claimed. "He got us off guard this time, that's all. If we're more careful next time, don't just walk right into the trap..."

Yeah, like I did...

"But we never would have even gotten that far without his Shadow helping us", Mira pointed out, trying to think back. "Those questions looked very tough. And they probably change every time you try. That's why each level had so many different lenses."

"And if we answer wrong?", Reiha guessed bleakly. "More Shadows to fight? Fine. Bring 'em on."

"We saw where that got us", Mira shook her head. "Those Shadows are too strong for us to just bully our way through-"

"If the captain had been there with us", Pelagio suggested, "we might have fared better."

Yeah right.

"But even if we did", Noel pointed out. "Would that have convinced Shu? No. We need a better plan in order to persuade him properly. The only way... would be to answer his questions, and prove that we are not the fools he believes us to be."

Finally, they all dropped silent as they began to realize that Aiko had walked out far ahead of them all, and not said a word the whole time. Now, they all clearly expected her to say something.

Anything.

Her eyes were nearly shut, unseen. "We... You're not. None of you are. But... I am. It's my fault. I led you all in there. I let that Shadow bring us right into the heart of his power where we had no chance against him. And... If I'd just been able to answer the questions, if I hadn't been so goddamn stupid...!"

She couldn't take it anymore. Her voice cracked, and suddenly standing upright was a ordeal. They all looked worried, but none knew what exactly to say.

"It was my fault. My fault. I got us all trapped. I let that Shadow make me think he was harmless, when he was just taking us exactly where he wanted us to be. Where he could... Where he could..."

"We saw you on one of the lenses", Mira explained. "What he did there was cruel. None of those questions were something you'd see on a first-year exam. It's-"

"You all suffered", Aiko cut her off. "You all almost died to those Shadows. Because of me. Because I'm..."

"We were all fooled by Niyoga's Shadow", Noel protested. "He made no hint of evil intent in this world, only speaking in that strange way. It was only once we were at the top of the tower that he changed, showed his true colors to us. Clearly, he is just as cunning as his original self."

"Maybe", Aiko sighed up at the tinged afternoon sky. "But I'm the leader. I'm not supposed to be so easily fooled. Especially when I knew from the start how dangerous they are! Of course the one thing they want to make sure of is that their 'original' will never leave their Land! And he brought us there just to prove to us how impossible that is!"

"Not impossible", Pelagio insisted, flapping up beside her. "This task shall be extremely difficult, but not impossible. We simply must resolve to plan better next time, come more prepared."

Seeming to calm down, she turned to him. "Well... Good luck with that, Pela-tori."

Even he was able to pick up the meaning of that. "Excuse me? Captain?"

"No", she sniffed, managing a somewhat happy gaze back despite her sorrow. "You proved yourself back there, leading the others without me. I made you first mate... and now I'm making you captain. Congratulations."

His own glare was, of course, the ever-impenetrable eyes of a bird of prey. But even though that, she could sense his dismay. "Captain, please, this is not a time for jokes."

"Not joking", her hands clenched until they might bleed. "You'll do a better job than me. Or if you don't want it, Jiachi can do it. Or Mira. Anyone. Anyone but me. I'm done. I'm so done."

"Ai-chan!", Mira called after her. "Don't..."

"Tsuruga!", Juliian shouted.

"Captain!", Pelagio squawked. "Saber...!"

But it was no use. She stalked off down the coast, the astonished silence of her team behind her even greater now.

Enemy Profile #18: Ammut

Arcana: Tower

Strength: Electricity (Drain), Physical

Weakness: Ice

Abilities: Assault Dive, Terazi, Media, Poisma, Drain

Background: A greatly feared figure in the Egyptian religion, one who is both demoness and goddess at once, taking on the appearance of an immense crocodile bound in chains. She is a mystical beast awaiting in the Halls of Judgment before the afterlife, near the scales of justice in Duat, the Egyptian underworld. When humans die, their heart is brought and weighed at the court of Osiris, deciding their fate. Should the heart of the judged soul be heavier than the Feather of Truth, Ammut then devours the sinner. Those whose hearts are eaten cannot continue their journey toward immortality.

A/N: Enjoy...? Dark times, but I hope to finish the next chapter resolving some of these issues soon. Free hugs to anyone who can guess what all the Shadows besides Ammut were. Hint: They're all Tower Arcana, like their master.

Here's a link to the song I used as my main inspiration when designing Shukiji's Land, 'Bibliotheca Ex Machina' from the excellent Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night: watch?v=dSpyHoQFF2g&t=691s