Hamuko trudged into the dorm and let everyone know that she was back. "I'm home!" she declared.

"Sup dude?" Junpei answered from the couch. He was the only one in the lounge currently. "How ya doing, Hamu-tan?"

Hamuko wiped the sweat with a towel and sat on the single couch. "Ran like a bat out of hell all around the island." she breathed out. "I feel spent…"

"You've really been working your ass off, huh?" Junpei said aloud and Hamuko hushed him.

"Keep it down," Hamuko hissed. "If Minato hears that…"

Junpei gulped. "I forgot that he's upstairs…" he said. "But you know, I don't think he'll try to kill me in my sleep anymore. Heck, he even replies to my greetings at times!"

"…. With a pissed off face but that's beside the point," Junpei added.

"He's changed, right?" Hamuko smiled.

"Yeah and so have you," Junpei replied. "I mean, what makes you train this hard?"

"I gotta get stronger too, Junpei," Hamuko said. "It isn't fair that you guys do all the work. I need to handle stuff on my own too!"

"Dude," Junpei snorted. "You're literally the strongest chick in the world right now."

Hamuko blinked.

"You can make the biggest psycho, the strongest persona user in the world bawl like a baby whenever you want," Junpei sighed. "That shit is hack."

Hamuko widened her eyes. "I never thought of that…"

"Seriously, Hamu-tan," Junpei leaned closer. "Write him a sappy love-letter and give him a few drinks and he'll destroy everything that you want."

"Holy hell," Hamuko cried. "That is hack. Why didn't I think of that before?"

"But I can understand, he's been doing a lot of stuff on his own. From handling Sho to killing Theo with that banged up body of his," Junpei grinned. "I see where you're coming from."

Minato yawned and trudged down the steps while rubbing his eyes. "Get off my couch you stupid assho—" he blinked and realized that Hamuko was the one sitting on the single couch. "…. Never mind."

"Hey, Minato!" Hamuko cheered, pulling Junpei closer by his collar. "Junpei wants to be trained by you too!"

"What the!?" Junpei tried to yell but Hamuko elbowed him and whispered him to shut up.

Minato narrowed his eyes.

"Please?" Hamuko widened her eyes.

"And he accepts…" Junpei nodded to himself.

Minato sighed. "Alright, asshat is in."

"Thank you darling," Hamuko blew him a kiss and Minato whipped around to hide his blush.

"C-Come to my room during the Dark Hour," he said and quickly walked his way back up the steps.

"See, Hamu-tan, you're the strongest chick alive," Junpei nodded sagely.

Hamuko giggled. "Get ready for the training though. Minato doesn't slow down and I don't think he'll give you special treatment like he gives me…"

The capped teen groaned. "Ah well, gotta get stronger. I need to kick some Strega ass this time!"

"Everyone is training for that," Hamuko noted. Akihiko was constantly boxing in the school gym. Yukari was practicing her archery and Mitsuru spent more time in fencing than in studies which was a surprise.

"I'm not surprised," Junpei scowled. "Those assholes have been nothing a pain in our asses."

"Yeah," Hamuko nodded. "We have to finish them this time. This has gone on for far too long now…"

Junpei ran up the steps upon hearing that. "Minato! I'm coming!"

Hamuko laughed and pulled out her sword from under the couch. "Right behind ya, Bropei!"

…

"What do you mean Theodore is dead!?" Jin shouted.

"Did I stutter?" Sho growled in annoyance. "He's dead. Been dead for 2 days now…"

"Why are you telling me this now?" Jin raised his voice. "HUH!? Where were you the past few days!?"

"I don't need to answer to you," Sho retorted. "But if you must know. Minato killed him, reduced to ashes in a battle."

Jin widened his eyes. Minato killed Theodore? "You're lying!"

"Why would I?" Sho shrugged. "Saw it with my own eyes. Theo won't be coming back."

"Why didn't you help him?"

Sho blinked. He was wondering that himself, at least for a while. Killing Minato at that time would have been super easy but he wasn't looking for an easy battle. He wanted to be pushed to the limit. "I didn't want to…"

"You absolute moron!" Jin yelled at him and before he knew it, Sho bolted and pressed him against the wall, with one of his sword pressing right into Jin's neck.

"Watch your damn mouth," Sho hissed low. "I've never been a part of your stupid group, I made that clear…."

Jin freed himself and growled at the scar-faced male who put his blade away.

"I do whatever I want," Sho said. "Drill that into your skull."

"Takaya will have a word with you," Jin sneered.

"I'd like a word with him too," Sho replied with a scowl.

"You will," Jin said. "Soon enough."

…

"Well, the final full moon is coming closer," Mitsuru said and looked at the faces of her teammates. "Just a few weeks left…."

Yukari sighed. "I really don't know what to expect…" she admitted. At first, the team embraced the theory with open arms because it was coming from Ikutsuki. But after finding out that he was a traitor, the team was doubtful about the whole idea.

"He was a sick bastard," Junpei said. "Can't even begin to imagine what his motives were…"

"We should hope for the best," Fuuka said. "I-I mean, what if the Dark Hour actually disappears?"

"I find it doubtful," Akihiko replied. "But might as well try, there is a slight chance that the Dark Hour does go away."

"Goddamn Ikutsuki," Hamuko snarled. "I hope he rots in hell!"

"Calm down, Hamuko," Yukari patted her back. "But yeah, hope he burns!"

Minato simply listened to the conversation.

"Well then, might as well prepare for the full moon then," Mitsuru said. "I truly wish that his theory ends up being real…"

"Me too," Ken nodded.

"Yeah, about time we get some rest," Akihiko smirked. "But if not, gonna keep training…"

Mitsuru turned to the silent blunet. "What do you think, Arisato?"

"I don't give a flying fuck," Minato spat, catching everyone's attention. The team backed away a few steps as Minato gave his signature smirk. "I'd just like to…" he held out his hands and made a strangling gesture. "Get my hands around that scrawny neck of Takaya…"

"There he goes…" Hamuko sighed. Deep down though, she really wanted Minato to maul Takaya and burn him to ashes.

"Gonna cover his filthy body with scars," Minato widened his smirk. "Gouge his eyes out; rip away the cords from his throat."

"Easy…" Yukari took a few steps backwards.

"Rip his head off and, and," Minato stopped talking when Hamuko placed a hand on his shoulder, calming him down.

"Easy Minato," Hamuko whispered. "But yeah, maul that piece of shit to his miserable death."

"You're the only one who can do it," Junpei admitted. "We'll take care of the rest for sure but Takaya is all yours."

"Damn right he is," Minato growled. "He's all mine. None of you are touching him."

"With Theodore gone, their strength has fallen but Sho is as dangerous as ever," Mitsuru added.

"We'll handle him," Hamuko assured. "Guys, whether the Dark Hour ends or not, we have to finish Strega soon. Our lives aren't safe as long as that bastard breathes."

"I agree," Fuuka said. "Good thing we have Chidori-san with us…"

"Heh," Junpei smirked. "You're welcome."

"Yeah, man, if Takaya attacked when Minato was on his death bed, we'd be in trouble," Akihiko said.

Minato wondered about that. Sho kicked his ass and saw first-hand how weak and pathetic he was. The big question mark was why didn't the redhead tell Takaya of Minato's condition? Minato knew for a fact that Takaya would have struck if he had knowledge.

There was a high chance that Sho never informed Takaya and that puzzled Minato. "I was fully expecting Sho to inform Takaya about my condition…. But that didn't happen…"

"Isn't that surprising?" Hamuko said.

"Sho seems kinda different from the others," Mitsuru frowned.

"Tch. Bastard still tried to kill Hamuko, I won't ever forgive him for that," Minato spat. "Fought him with a broken body and still managed to win. This time, I'm going to slaughter him."

Hamuko agreed with Mitsuru. Sho did seem different from the rest. There was something in eyes whenever he fought Minato. It was either thrill or respect, different from the unbridled hatred that Takaya and his cronies had for Minato.

"Shove your head back into your asses," Minato said with a groan, dismissing the meeting. "Train your asses off. Dark Hour or not, kill Strega or else I'm beating the shit outta all of you."

Aigis watched Minato depart with a frown. Despite all that he had done for Hamuko, no matter how many times he had saved her… Aigis couldn't help but feel hate towards the blunet.

The mechanical maiden sighed to herself and left the command room.

…

Sho panted. Beads of sweats were rolling down his face as he clenched the blades in his grip tightly. He had been training his ass off in solitude for the past few days. He had briefly returned to Strega to report about Theo but after setting a meeting with Takaya, Sho ran back to Tartarus to train his ass off.

"Come on!" Sho yelled, scaring away the shadows. "Come at me!"

The redhead ran off, demolishing the weak ass shadows that came in his way. After clearing the floor, Sho ran off and went up the steps.

"Heh," the male smirked as he stared down the Reaper.

The gigantic shadow roared and shot three bullets towards the scarred male.

Sho's eyes began to shine a bright red. "Minazuki…" he whispered and a wave of darkness covered the entire floor.

Minazuki easily dodged the bullets despite it being pitch-blank.

The Reaper released another roar and called forth an almighty attack to destroy everything on the floor but two shinning red orbs made him halt.

"Atom Smasher!" Minazuki yelled.

…

….

"Ugh," Sho clutched his grazed arm and kicked the dead body of the mighty shadow. The bastard managed to rough him up but Sho managed to beat him with little difficulty. "See this, Minato?"

"I'm coming for you!" Sho didn't mind the wounds and ran off in search of the stairs. "I need to beat him!"

"To prove bonds are for the weak," Sho nearly barfed. "The very word disgusts me…"

"Ugh, bonds," Sho stood in the middle of the massacre and let out a deep breath. "Bullshit. Strength is the only thing that matters. Minato will get his ass kicked because I've grown stronger!"

….

"Jin," Takaya slurred out his words, clutching his arm as he walked towards his comrade. His head was pounding against his skull. "Did you call for me?"

Jin took a step back upon feeling the deathly vibe coming from the heavily clothed leader of Strega. He could barely see Takaya's face from under the hood. Takaya had locked himself inside his room for with plumes for the past few days. Jin and the others could hear howls of pain and deranged laughter coming from the room and it greatly worried the hacker.

Takaya was not his usual self these days. The plumes were clearly taxing on his sanity.

Jin took a deep breath and opened up his laptop. "I've finally unlocked that data file that Ikutsuki prepared for us…"

Takaya widened his eyes, body quivering with excitement. "What does it say?"

Jin took another deep breath and sat on the chair, booting up his laptop.

"Death is Salvation," Jin repeated the words on the screen, causing Takaya to smirk. He liked where this was headed. "This will be hard to fathom at first so I'll explain slowly…"

"Please go on," Takaya urged.

"Those twelve shadows that the brats have been fighting…." Jin continued.

…

"Amazing…" Takaya took off his hood, revealing a purplish face that scared Jin. The leader of Strega looked inhumane right now with his purple face and golden hair. "The hunter of all will cleanse this world…"

"So we don't fight them during the full moon?" Jin asked.

"No, it seems we wasted our time and energy locking them in the basement. They were actually helping us," Takaya chuckled and gave a deranged smile. "Let them kill the final shadow."

"They will be perfect as sacrifices," Takaya said. "Especially Minato, he reeks off death."

"Also," Jin booted up a program, displaying several complex formulas on the screen. "That android…."

"What about her?"

"Can easily come under out control," Jin smirked. "With this formula that Ikutsuki left, designing a remote control will be easy."

Takaya laughed. This was all so good. The pieces were coming together. The biggest one being the coming of the fall, he was ecstatic about the end of the world. Takaya was immortal due to the plumes but even then, he felt Death was his salvation.

This was all he wanted, from the very beginning. "No wonder I love shadows…" he smiled. "Death will bless us and we will offer up SEES as sacrifices to appease the almighty hunter."

"Minato," Takaya whispered the name of the leader of SEES with a psychotic smirk. "Your suffering will never end…." Takaya couldn't wait to get his hands on the demented persona user who had been a thorn on his side from the starting. He had beaten and embarrassed Takaya and his team again and again but this time the tables had turned. Takaya had the power to match his multiple personae.

He was just like Minato now. The battlefield was even now and Takaya swore to rip the blunet to pieces for all that he done to him.

"Get him, Takaya," Jin said. "He's even killed Theodore now."

Takaya brushed it off. His own vengeance was the single most important thing to him. The demented blunet had driven him to insanity.

"Hahahaha," Takaya laughed and took out another plume from his pocket but before he could use it, the door to the room was slammed open, revealing a certain redhead.

"Finally," Sho snarled, pulling out his blades and marching forward.

Takaya quickly pulled on his hood and faced the red-haired male with a small smirk. "We need to have a talk…"

"I'm not stupid," Sho spat. "You've been abusing the plumes that are MY by right!"

"Heh," Takaya smirked.

"I've watched on but now, I want them back," Sho demanded. "Give them to me!"

"Why now?" Takaya asked.

Sho bit his lip. He never needed another plume but with Minato….. "None of your business, give me those plumes."

"You do not deserve them," Takaya replied. "You've failed time and time again."

"Grrr," Sho hissed, tightening the grip around his blades.

"Beat Minato or Hamuko and I'll give you one," Takaya offered. "Otherwise, get lost. You're too weak."

"Bastard!" Sho yelled, taking his stance. "I'll do Minato a favour and kill you where you stand!"

"Calm down," Jin tried to step in but Takaya held out his hand.

"Let me handle this, Jin," Takaya ordered, halting the bespectacled male.

"Finally grew some balls, huh?" Sho crouched down and let out a yell. "I've always hated your fucking face."

Takaya took his stance. "The feeling is mutual," he chuckled. "Very well, you will serve as a warm up."

Takaya removed the hood and Sho widened his eyes at the condition of Takaya's body. "What the…"

Takaya's face began to shine purple again and his right arm caught fire. "Well then, shall we begin?"

Sho shook off the surprise and took off running towards the leader of Strega who stood calm and collected. Sho was as powerful as Minato who easily beat Takaya but that was in the past. None of them matched up to the immortal male now. Not Theo. Not Sho. Not even Minato.

"Get ready to die!" Sho yelled.

Takaya chuckled darkly again as the battle between the two started.

And back again. Kind of a slow and build up. I could have expanded a lot of this but hopefully you get the gist of it, the past few chapters were long and extensive, this is a small breather before we jump into the crazy stuff. Notes as usual.

So Strega finds out about the fall and Aigis. This is where I smashed cannon by killing Ikutsuki. The Strega conflict is coming to a close but like said before, Minato's suffering is far from over. A big surprise awaits directly after the final strega battle and it will be painful as fuck.

Also, I am hyped about writing Ryoji. As a quiz to everyone, how do you think Ryoji will be? Please do take a guess and answer. I'd like to hear theories on him. I assure you tho, he will be badass.

Thanks for the reviews as usual. Pleasure writing for you peeps.

See you soon. Thanks for reading! o/