Labor day is among us! Sorry that I updated a little late, just felt that I needed a break from all the stuff I have for school. Keep in mind that I'll get even more busy so I won't always be able to meet deadlines. Anyways, a shout-out to my new followers hyperdragon97 and God of Ka; you guys rock! Also, if you know what's going on in Texas, I highly recommend you donate to those in need; It's one thing to donate because someone tells you to, but it's another to do it out of the goodness of your heart. Sorry if I'm taking too long with this intro, I just want to help a lot of people out through my writing, this is one of those ways. Enough with this intro, here's Chapter 17!

Chapter 17

The One that Carries Us All

April 23, 2021; Sunday

2:30 PM

(Afternoon)

Nuzoko Mall District; Cafe

Kazuhiko POV

"And we got another hit." Daichi said as he held his phone in one hand while setting down his coffee down on the table with his other.

Everyone else seemed somber at the table: Johei set his face down, refusing to meet anyone's gaze; Mikan looking at the fountain spew water; Kazuhiko crossing his arms and closing his eyes. Daichi sighed as he sat back into his chair.

"They just failed rescuing somebody. Of course they would hesitate to try again." He thought to himself.

Standing up, he faced all of them.

"Guys, I know this is a lot to process-" He started.

"How can we save them now?" Kazuhiko interrupted.

Daichi stopped and looked at the team's leader.

"There was a forcefield stopping me from getting to the reflection. If we can't get past it, how are we supposed to save them?"

Daichi opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, then closed it once more. True, if they couldn't get to the reflection, there was no chance that they could save the person. It was as if the Bringers of Death had already hanged them up by their clothes and left them completely helpless. They were already in a checkmate. Daichi took one last look at his phone screen and saw the faces of two new people that would soon be made to commit suicide: Daina and Samuel Colburne.

With a defeated look, Daichi put his phone back into his pocket and sat back down, sharing in the current depression of the group. There was no more motive for the team to continue; They were the only people with the power to save others in the Mirror Dimension yet they had failed to save a classmate that spent less than a week in their school. Mikan checked her watch.

"Looks like I have to get back to work at the hotel. I'll be going now."

Johei motioned for Daichi to follow him.

"We'll be going back home. I should get something cooking for dinner."

Loki nodded.

"For once, I don't feel like pulling any pranks on you."

Daichi got up from his chair and tilted his head to Hugin and Munin to get up. They bowed to Kazuhiko before leaving.

"We bid you farewell, Master Kazuhiko."

"May your travels be safe."

Pretty soon, Kazuhiko and Tyr were the only ones at the table.

"Kazuhiko, I know that failure can hurt." Tyr started.

"But from the time that I have been here, I have heard of a frequently used saying. 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again'"

Kazuhiko rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked back at his Persona.

"Yes, that's true, but every time we try, a person's life is at risk. We can't just spend them like yen bills."

"But to have victory, sacrifices must be ma-" Tyr started.

"When we made this group, it's goal was to save lives, not let people die until we do it right. Either we save people from the chains of despair or we don't. That's that."

Realizing that there wouldn't be any further arguing on the matter, Tyr went silent. Kazuhiko picked up his cup of coffee and sipped it, not knowing if the bitter taste was from his drink or his resolve. He set it down after finishing the contents and stood up to leave.

"Hey!"

Kazuhiko turned around to see a man in an apron.

"Your friends did say that you were paying the check, right?"

Kazuhiko paused as he deadpanned.

"Ah $#!t."

7:44 PM

(Evening)

Johei and Daichi's apartment

The two boys slumped on the couch, Johei with the TV remote in hand switching through the channels, Daichi looking at the screen with a bored expression. Loki and the Crows were having an argument in the kitchen, but that didn't really matter.

"I told you, the table can't respond to you!"

"But it did in the Mirror Dimension! It had forks and knives flying above it!"

"We must harness it's power for both our defenses and our offensive strike team!"

"This is in the real world! It's not going to respond!"

Johei sighed as he found that there was nothing on TV except for the recent reports of the suicides. Placing the remote on the table, he covered his face with his hands and leaned his head back. Daichi looked at the TV trying to focus on the newscaster, but failed to maintain his attention. He reached for the remote.

"The body was found on top of the-"

*CLICK*

"So, I guess this is it, huh? No more expeditions of Niflheim, no more saving people, nothing. We just sit on our asses while the world moves without us." Daichi said.

Johei took his hands off his eyes and glared at his roommate.

"You just have to make everything sound so lame, don't you?"

Daichi crossed his arms.

"Well, we have the opportunity to save people from dying yet here we are sitting in front of a TV doing nothing. Does any of that sound exciting to you?"

Johei sighed in defeat as he got up and walked to the kitchen.

"Good point. I guess it does sound pretty lame."

Hugin cawed.

"Now kitchen sink! Unleash your scathing fury upon your tyrant!"

The kitchen sink did not reply nor did it spray Johei with scathing water. Loki shook his head.

"See, I told you that it's not alive. That thing just drips all the time."

Hugin and Munin, however, payed no attention to him.

"We went over our plans of attack clearly!"

"Everyone attended! You were to be the opening move to subdue him!"

"We must undergo another session to make sure our attack is flawless!"

"You guys are really weird…"

Johei scooped two bowls of rice and set them on the table while Daichi placed the steamed fish onto a plate. The two met at the table where they exchanged their bearings and sat down to eat. The meal tended to be less enjoyable than the previous ones they had before. Daichi barely even touched his food while Johei decided that he would eat only a grain of rice every minute. Loki decided to be supportive for once.

"So, hey, when should we go back to that place? The Mirror Dimension? We could really use that training, right?"

Neither of the boys answered as they sat at the table.

"Master Daichi, should we not carry out justice like we planned to?"

"Indeed. Our goal was to erase the shadows to help others. When are we to continue?"

Daichi sighed as he put his elbows on the table.

"Kazuhiko already made that clear with us. We can't do anything. We're not going back."

"And since when do you guys follow the rules?" Loki asked.

Johei rolled his eyes.

"Okay, touché. I'll give you that, but this is different. We really can't do anything about it. I don't think I can take it anymore if we see another person get killed on our watch."

Hugin cawed.

"The next people will die because you didn't do anything."

"My brother speaks the truth. Better to do something you know is right and fail than to accept failure before trying."

Loki nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. See, I'm siding with them. If that's possible, saving reflections will be a piece of cake!"

Johei smiled at his Persona's enthusiasm, but went back to his frown. He turned to Daichi.

"What should we do?"

Matsuhito Hotel

Same Time

Mikan changed out of her uniform and went out to the front with a bead of sweat on her forehead. The day had been tiring for her and the other employees, especially the everyday perverts that came to watch them and try to ask them out. It wasn't like they were bad, though, they did have to buy a seat at the buffet to even talk to them.

"Hey, you want to go get something to eat? I heard Shinji's paying!" One of her coworkers asked her.

Mikan smiled and shook her head.

"No thanks, I've got to head home now. Maybe another time."

Her fellow employee stopped and huffed at her.

"Seriously, you gotta lay off sometimes. Have you been sleeping well lately?"

Mikan thought back to the times that she came home exhausted from all the training in the Mirror Dimension and studying until she finished her homework.

"No, I guess I haven't. I'll try to get some more sleep though."

Mikan's friend stopped her.

"Shita, what are you doing?"

Shita looked at Mikan with an annoyed look.

"Something's bothering you; I can already tell it on your face. Tell me what's going on. Now"

Mikan stood there shocked at her friend's attitude but closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Well, there has been something going on…" She started.

Shita nodded and gestured for her to continue.

"What if there was something that only you could do… but you failed it?"

Shita had a confused look on her face.

"Is this about a school assignment?" She asked.

Mikan shook her head.

"No, it's something more important than that. But, what would you do?"

Shita thought for a moment.

"I'd still continue to do it. If I'm the only person who can do something, not doing anything would be throwing in the towel already."

Mikan sighed. She had expected this answer from her friend, but it wasn't the answer she wanted. Shita had no idea what was at stake: People's lives. She couldn't just continue and keep losing to the enemy. If she kept fighting, she might get killed and not accomplish anything. Shita noticed her friend's distress and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Life gives us tough decisions. It's our job to choose the best one."

After that, Shita walked off and left Mikan in the foyer alone. Alone with her thoughts, Mikan mulled over what her friend had just told her.

"… The best choice…"

Foreign Transfer Student Dorms; Iselin's Room

Iselin's POV

Iselin sat at her bedside, staring down on the floor. The room was silent except for the chatter in the hallways. She looked up and saw an empty bed with a photo of Rika Colburne on it. Just looking at the scene was enough to make her cry, but she decided that she would mourn for her friend once justice was carried out. Sighing, she checked her phone. On it, was an app that the website had given her to track the time left for the targets to live.

"One more week…"

She put her phone away and stood up. She stretched her arms, put on a jacket, and left her room. Needing some fresh air, she walked on the road to the mall, deciding it would be a long enough trip until she would be expected to come back. Looking around for any of her dorm mates, she pulled out a box of cigarettes she bought from a back alley vendor and her old lighter. Igniting the end, she inhaled and felt the smoke warm up her lungs.

"That feels so much better…"

She passed by the park and noticed somebody sitting on the bench on their own. The person happened to be a boy with dark hair that she finally recognized. Walking over, she plopped herself next to him.

"So, how many coincidences are there going to be, Kazuhiko Sukima?"

Kazuhiko kept his eyes closed, but for some reason, recognized her.

"No idea. How's school going for you Bjorn-san?"

Iselin shrugged and took another drag on her cigar. She let the smoke out and put it back between her lips. Kazuhiko opened his eyes and made a face at her.

"You smoke?"

Iselin nodded as she took the cigarette out of her mouth.

"It's cold as hell in Svalbard. Everybody does this to keep from freezing. It's also for the nerves."

"Since it's cold as hell, I guess it's hot?"

Iselin chuckled to herself.

"You know what I meant. What are you doing out here?"

Kazuhiko sat back and replied.

"I messed up pretty bad on something. Not sure if I should try again."

"Whoa, you Japanese people are really tense on your schoolwork, huh?"

"No, it's not that. What about you?"

Iselin sighed and fiddled with her lighter.

"Considering what just happened at the building in the City District earlier today, I would have thought you would have known."

Kazuhiko turned to her.

"I see. The victim was your friend?"

Iselin nodded.

"It was all because of her parents. The sons of bitches."

Iselin noticed that she had crushed the cigarette in her mouth with her teeth. Grimacing, she put it out and lit a new one.

"They gave her a call yesterday and she was beating herself up over it. That's why I can never forgive them."

Kazuhiko listened intently to Iselin and cradled his head on his hands.

"I have a friend who was just like you; Lost a friend because of their parents. He wanted to get revenge and had the perfect way to do so, but I was able to stop him before he did something he would regret doing in the future. Now, he's helping people for the better."

Iselin turned and looked at Kazuhiko.

"I just hope that you won't make the same mistake he almost did."

Kazuhiko stood up and stretched.

"Well, I'm leaving. See you tomorrow, Bjorn-san."

Kazuhiko started to walk off to the street until he was stopped by a voice.

"Hey" Iselin said.

He turned around and saw her standing up.

"You can call me Bjorn, or even Iselin. The honorifics are a pain in the ass for me anyways."

Kazuhiko smiled and nodded to her.

"Okay then. Have a good night then, Iselin."

After Kazuhiko left, Iselin sat down in the bench with her newly lit cigarette in between her lips.

"Why did I ask him to do that?" She asked herself.

Matsuhito Hotel

9:27 PM

Kazuhiko's Room

Kazuhiko was staring at the ceiling, lying down on his bed. Tyr was floating by the bedside waiting for a response from his user. Seeing no signs that he wasn't going to talk any time soon, Tyr spoke.

"Kazuhiko, forgive me if I'm intruding, but about Rika Colburne-"

"I already know what you're trying to say."

Tyr stopped, then continued angrily.

"Just because you failed before doesn't mean that you can just qui-"

"We're going back in there tomorrow."

"Huh?"

Tyr looked at the boy lying down on the bed.

"I was just talking to Iselin and I just realized something." He continued.

"We made this group from people who suffered from another's death. This group was made not only to save lives in danger of suicide, but to also help those who could suffer from that death. Iselin didn't show it that much, but Rika's death is clearly affecting her. We can't just let something like this happen again, even if it means risking our lives."

Kazuhiko reached for his desk light and yawned as he closed his eyes.

"I'll tell the others tomorrow. Don't worry, I won't even dream of quiting ever again."

Kazuhiko turned onto his side as Tyr looked at him dumbfounded. Smiling, he decided to let the subject rest.

"And I'm a part of him, huh?"

Tyr sat down and closed his eyes while Kazuhiko was on his side. Although he kept his eyes closed, his mind was still awake. Truth be told, he probably would have never continued unless he had met Iselin in the park. The talk with her had truly been helpful, but the biggest imoact was th words that had spoke in his mind

I art Thou, Thou art I

Thou hast established a new bond

It shall be the power to bear the weight of Despair

I present to Thee, The Chariot Arcana

I'm sorry for the late update! Please forgive me! I know that I have no excuse, it's just that tests have been jumping at me out of nowhere! It's like they're waiting right around the corner for me! Anyways, as I said before, I will probably post later than usual. The maximum time that I won't post will be two weeks unless something comes up. Please Like and Review this story and share it with others; This story really means a lot to me and I hope that it can mean something to others as well. But now, here's some of Hugin and Munin's antics.

In the Mirror Dimension

Daichi: Hugin, Hama!

Hugin: But I can't!

Daichi: What are you talking about? Are you out of SP?

Hugin: No, it's just… this enemy… I cannot attack it!

Daichi:… o… kay then? Munin, Mudo!

Munin: My apologies, Master Daichi, but I cannot attack this either.

Daichi: What is wrong with you guys today? You can't just attack a shadow?

Munin: No, we can take it down, it's just.

Hugin: If we attack it, we would go against our cause.

Daichi: What do you mean?

Hugin: Well, the sink that we recruited…

Munin: This is one of it's friends.

Hugin: We cannot betray the water bearer's trust!

Daichi: Just attack the damn Sleeping Table!