Chapter 24

Passing the Torch; An Old Friend; To the Beach!

April 30, 2021; Friday

(Evening)

7:50 PM

Leblanc Cafe

Kazuhiko was sitting in a booth alone with a raven haired boy on the other side. The boy, who was called Akira Kurusu, was calmly sipping a cup of coffee and enjoying some curry without saying a word. Soon, Kazuhiko couldn't talk the silence anymore.

"Alright, so what do you have to do with this?"

Akira continued to sip his coffee and closed his eyes to savor the aroma. He let out a deep sigh and put down the cup. Kazuhiko was getting impatient now.

"Um, hello? Can you hear me?"

Akira continued as though nothing happened. Kazuhiko started to get more tense until Tyr stopped him.

"Kazuhiko, there's no need to be angry. He's merely trying to size you up. I've seen it before."

Akira nodded.

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm trying to do. Although, I must say, you still have a ways to go." He said with a slight grin on his face.

He reclined back in his seat and crossed his arms.

"You're probably wondering how I know about your little group and how you all are Persona users. Well, to tell you the truth, I am one as well."

Kazuhiko scratched his chin.

"That would have been my assumption from the start, but something tells me that you're different from us."

Akira shook his head.

"No, no, I'm not that different; You're just a new generation of Persona users, or at least Igor tells me so."

"Igor?" Kazuhiko thought

"So he's a wild-card like I am"

Akira finished his coffee and placed the cup down.

"Well? Aren't you going to have some coffee or curry? You must be pretty hungry after a long trip. I know curry isn't the best thing to have after settling down, but believe me; Sojiro's recipe is the best."

"And don't you forget it!" A voice called from the kitchen.

"He's probably talking about the old man."

Reluctantly, Kazuhiko picked up a spoon and scooped some curry into his mouth. Immediately, he felt his taste buds ignite. Desperately, he took his coffee and sipped it. The taste put out the fire on his tongue and replaced it with a smooth and soothing texture. Akira laughed.

"Yeah, that's what I felt too when I first tried his spicy curry. But if you have it as many times as I have, you'll get used to it."

Kazuhiko wiped away the tears and coughed.

"So, when did you guys get your Personas?"

"About over a year ago. We had to go through some crazy shit, but it's over now. Although, I feel the strange urge to start a dance crew…"

Kazuhiko, not sure whether he was being serious or not, continued either way.

"Well then, where is your Persona?"

"Right behind you." A voice said from the booth behind them.

Kazuhiko jumped and looked back at a large guffawing figure. It was dressed in a gentleman's coat and had a top hat. It's face was a visor but showed a sinister face behind it. On it's back was a pair of black feathered wings. Akira chuckled.

"Well, I guess I have to apologize for that. He gets his mischievous nature from me, right Arsene?"

The Persona nodded.

"Yes, I do. But then again, my tips ended up helping you get Makoto's heart."

Akira scratched the back of his head.

"I can't argue with that. But anyways, back to the point."

Akira's face changed into a serious look. Kazuhiko tensed up.

"Let me warn you; Igor may be back to his normal position as the fusing master of the Velvet room, but you shouldn't think that everything will go to plan."

Kazuhiko looked confused, as did Tyr.

"What do you mean?"

Akira sat back and took off his glasses.

"What I'm saying is, don't assume that everything is going to turn out peachy keen. When I did, I was betrayed and got arrested. And, just when you think it's over, trust your instincts to tell you that it's not. Believe me, this is how things get screwed up. Igor doesn't want another Minato Arisato case."

Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow. He had heard that name before, but he wasn't sure where.

"Who's Minato Arisato?"

Akira waved his hand.

"Nobody you need to know. Just keep in mind that if you don't follow what I'm telling you right now, things might turn out really bad. Just trust me on this."

Kazuhiko, seeing that he didn't have a choice, sighed and nodded.

"Alright. I understand. I'll do my best."

Satisfied, Akira smiled and stood up. He picked up their plates and mugs.

"Good. Oh, and the next time you pop into the Velvet room, there might be a little gift I left you. Be sure to check it out."

Kazuhiko nodded and stood up from his seat. He walked over to the booths that had his friends and the rest of Akira's party. He was glad to see that they were getting along .

"So, you were facing off against a god?! How is that even possible?!"

"Believe me when I tell you this, but I was able to defeat it single handedly! Never underestimate the mighty Morgana!"

"Shut up, cat! We all know that is was Akira!"

"You trying to start something, bonehead?"

"Bring it on!"

"Ryuji! Morgana! Stop it! Both of you!"

"Geez, alright."

"Certainly Lady Ann. I'll get you later for this Ryuji."

Makoto checked her watch.

"Oh, it's that time already. We should probably get you guys to the hotel" She said as she picked up her bag.

Ryuji nodded.

"Don't worry, Makoto. We'll leave the cafe for you two. Come on, let's go guys."

Makoto blushed as the group left, including Sojiro, leaving her alone with Akira. With a mischievous smile, Akira put an arm over her shoulder.

"Well then." He whispered into her ear.

"I guess it's just the two of us for now."

In the back sat Arsene and Anat.

"*sniff* he makes me so proud…" Arsene said as he wiped a tear from his eye.

Anat humphed in annoyance.

"Don't forget that this only happened because I let it happen."

"Or is it because you fell for me?"

"Do not test me, Arsene Lupin! I am not in love with you!"

Anat marched away as Arsene smiled.

"Or so she denies."

8: 32 PM

Wilton Hotel; Lobby

"Man! Look at this place!" Johei said as he checked around the hotel.

Mikan smiled and nodded.

"Indeed, it's a great place. Really good reviews here too."

Daichi shook his head.

"Although, we stick out like a sore thumb in this place. The only other customers here are rich people and long nosed politicians."

"Long nosed?" Hugin asked.

"Brother, do you see any politicians here with long noses?" Munin cawed.

Daichi slapped his forehead as Iselin put her hands behind her head.

"Well brace yourselves, cause this isn't even the best part! We should hit the hot-springs right next door once we're settled in!"

Kazuhiko scratched his chin as he nodded.

"Yeah, I guess I could use a good soak after everything we went through today. Boy do I need it…"

The Personas seemed curious about the hot-springs and felt the need to ask about it.

"By the way, what are hot-springs anyways?" Tyr asked.

Loki looked at him with shock.

"What?! You don't even know what that is?! Alright then my friend, a hot-spring is-"

"A place where you do not go peeping on women!" Skadi said as she aimed her bow at Loki.

"Agh! What are you doing that for?! I didn't even do anything mischievous today, I swear!" Loki said from behind Tyr.

"I'm not worried about Tyr or the crows. However, I am worried about you feeding the boys information and making them get ideas! So, as a responsible Persona, I am keeping watch tonight to keep the girls safe!"

Loki started to protest.

"What?! All night?! But isn't that a little unfair? I mean, the guys had a rough day today, too. Shouldn't they get some time in the hot-springs as well?"

Skadi mulled over the thought.

"Alright then, but only when I've confirmed that the girls are done and are safe and sound in their rooms!"

Hugin and Munin jumped in.

"But this is a violation! We demand to have full services!" Hugin cawed.

"To look upon a woman's body is to admire beauty! You cannot take that from us!" Munin followed.

"We demand our rights!"

"We shall not take this tyranny!"

"Fifty-four forty or fight!"

"I am the captain now!"

"What did you guys pick up from Kamu Susano-O?" Hildr asked.

"Look, Loki. She's letting the boys use the hot-springs. Isn't that what we wanted from the start?"

Loki sighed and nodded.

"Alright. We'll take. Looks like we can't win everything."

Later…

"Man, this is so relaxing!" Johei said as he soaked in the warm water.

Daichi nodded.

"I'll have to agree with you on this. The water itself is at the perfect temperature, yet something about it just makes it so invigorating."

"So this is what a hot-spring feels like." Tyr said in astonishment.

They couldn't feel the water, but just the heat was enough to have an effect on the Personas.

"To think that Skadi missed out on this just to watch us, I actually kind of feel sorry for her." Loki said as his monitor began to fog up.

"Well, we should enjoy this as much as we can. They don't have hot-springs of this caliber back in Nuzoko." Kazuhiko said.

Johei waved his hand.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Don't be such a killjoy, Kaz! We've got an entire week of this. I'm sure we'll be fine. Besides, winter isn't here yet. It'll feel even better once it gets colder."

Kazuhiko nodded and closed his eyes as he began to let his skin absorb the water.

10:22 PM

Wilton Hotel; Buffet Restaurant

The five took a table for themselves near the buffet lines and took turns getting food. While waiting, The boys decided to talk amongst themselves.

"Well then, I think we've had a pretty good first day despite going to school." Daichi said as he leaned on the table.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Plus, we got to meet some more Persona users and their Personas."

Johei laughed uncomfortably.

"Yeah, they seemed like a friendly bunch. Although the Makoto girl really hates my guts now; Both her and her Persona."

Loki shook his head.

"Jesus, Johei. I mean, when you hear that a girl is taken, you don't hit on her! Either her boyfriend'll sock you when he sees you or she'll sock you herself."

Johei rubbed his forehead, which had formed a bump quite some time ago.

"Probably should listen to you on that one."

"Hey guys, we're back. You can go get some food now." Iselin said.

"Sweet!" Johei said as he jumped from his seat.

The girls started chatting with each other as the boys walked over to the lines. Picking up trays, they bumped into some other students.

"Wait, is that you Sukima-san?"

"Hm?" Kazuhiko as he turned around.

"Holy crap! It is you!" A boy said as he got Kazuhiko into a headlock.

Johei turned around.

"Huh? You know these guys, Kaz?"

The boy grinned brightly.

"Yeah! We were in the same class last year! I'm Yuuta Minami, one of the students from Yasogami."

Daichi looked over and saw Kazuhiko in a headlock. Looking over, he grabbed a carving knife and pointed it at Yuuta with a dark look in his eyes.

"Let go of him immediately." He said in a low tone.

Yuuta, who saw Daichi, quickly let go of Kazuhiko.

"Whoa, whoa! Put down the knife dude! There's nothing wrong here! I'm just a classmate from his old school!"

After the dispute was settled, they started to talk.

"So, how are things going for you Minami-kun?" Kazuhiko asked.

Yuuta smiled.

"Oh, things are okay. I ended up getting Kashiwagi again but the soccer team's going alright. Although, there are a lot of guys just being asses and leaving after practice"

Yuuta sighed as he scooped some fried rice onto his tray.

"But, enough about me, what about you? I see you've got some good friends already." Yuuta said as he nodded to Johei and Daichi.

Kazuhiko smiled.

"Yeah, things have been going okay so far. Although, I am in a little situation…"

Yuuta nodded and patted his shoulder.

"Yeah, I getcha. You're talking about the suicides there, right? Crazy stuff."

Kazuhiko smiled. He was glad to have somebody from Inaba as company, but there was one pressing matter he had to know.

"Oh yeah, who else made it onto the trip?"

Yuuta gave off another one of his grins.

"Mostly people from the same class. But get this! Mai's here as well! I am so gonna ask her out later this week!"

Yuuta started to ramble on about his plans for a date that Kazuhiko felt like he wasn't going to get the answer he had hoped for. Deciding to get back to the table, Kazuhiko excused himself and rejoined with Daichi and Johei. Together, they walked back to the table and sat down.

"So, what did you guys get?" Mikan asked.

Daichi stifled a laugh as he looked at Johei.

"Well, Captain Rejection here got himself a nice serving of a slap to the face."

Johei rubbed a bright red hand mark on his cheek.

"That's the last time I'm getting any pickup lines from you." Johei said to Daichi.

Iselin rolled her eyes.

"Seriously? Haven't you had your fill of rejection yet? You're obviously coming on too strong. Like, way too strong."

Mikan looked over to the lines.

"By the way, who did you hit on?"

Johei picked up a fork and a steak knife and cut into his steak.

"Some Yasogami girl. I didn't get her name, but she's got long brown hair and brown eyes."

Kazuhiko perked up his attention while Johei continued.

"Well, why do you ask, senpai? It's not like my love life's that interesting."

Mikan scratched her head.

"Well, it's because I think she's coming over here."

Johei chocked on a piece of steak while Kazuhiko turned around.

"So you are here! Thank goodness, I thought I took that test for nothing!" Nanako said to Kazuhiko.

Later…

"Really? You're transferring to Kyuto?" Kazuhiko asked.

Nanako smiled and nodded.

"Yup! Dad's getting a transfer here because he got promoted, so I guess I'm going to be spending quite some time here."

"Dude, Johei, you need to use this time while you still can. Win back her heart!" Loki told him.

"Yeah… no. She's got quite the arm. Plus, her dad's a police chief now so I don't want to get involved with that."

Loki continued to try to talk Johei into hitting on some more girls while Iselin and Mikan started a conversation with Nanako.

"We got here pretty late so we haven't been able to move into our rooms yet. You think I can bunk with you guys?" Nanako asked.

Iselin pumped her fist.

"You kidding? You'll fit in with us just fine! Let's go talk to your teacher about it after dinner."

Mikan felt someone tapping her shoulder and realized it was Skadi.

"Hm? Yes?"

"Sorry for butting in like this, but I'm getting a strange vibe from her."

Mikan sighed and brushed her off.

"Skadi, please. You discriminating the boys, I can handle, but if there' anything against her that you don't like-"

"No, it's not that." Skadi said.

"I have complete faith that she's a good person, it's just that she has this air around her that's… I don't know how to put it…"

Mikan nodded.

"Well, whatever it is, just drop it for now. We're on vacation, plus she's going to be a new student at Kyuto; Let's make her feel welcome."

"Okay then. I'll stop bothering you." Skadi said as she retreated.

Johei checked his watch.

"Oh shoot, the buffet's almost closing. Let's get to our rooms while we still can." He said as he stood up.

Everyone agreed and headed to the stairs. Kazuhiko stopped for a moment and caught up with Mikan and Iselin.

"Oh yeah, good luck with Nanako's teacher." He told them.

Mikan looked confused as did Iselin.

"What are you talking about? How bad can it be?"

Later…

"Ah, so you three want to group up with one another? Well, it's quite alright. I mean, skanks like you have to stick together after all. You have no chance with any men, so I guess it's okay for you to all be together." Ms. Kashiwagi said.

Even later…

"Told you guys she was bad." Kazuhiko said.

Mikan, Iselin, and Nanako were gripping their hands into fists as a dark aura surrounded them.

"Skanks? Is that what she sees us as?"

"No chance with men? Like she's had any luck, hence she's called Miss Kashiwagi."

"A couple years ago, she was in a beauty pageant for the school's culture festival. She didn't even receive any votes."

Kazuhiko and the boys slowly stepped back in fear.

"How about the first act we do together as friends is plan her demise?" Nanako suggested.

The other girls agreed and walked back to their room. Daichi was stricken with fear while Johei turned pale.

"Man, why do we have to run into such scary girls?" Johei asked in a quiet voice.

The boys walked back to their room and crashed for the night.

May 1, 2021; Saturday

6:27 AM

*knock* *knock* *knock*

"mm… what is it now?"

Johei opened his eyes and got up. Daichi rubbed his eyes awake while Kazuhiko was brushing.

"Kazuhiko, why are you up this early? We're on vacation."

Kazuhiko rinsed his mouth and spat into the sink.

"That's exactly why I'm up. We only have so much time here so we should get to know it while we can."

Daichi, who couldn't argue with that logic, nodded and got up to wash his face.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

The sound at the door grew impatient and Johei decided to check the through the peephole.

"What? Why are they here?"

He opened the door and was run over by the girls.

"Attention everyone! We have decided that we cannot allow such laziness during the vacation!" Mikan yelled.

Daichi covered his ears and looked annoyed at the girls.

"A little louder please, I don't think the people next door heard you."

Kazuhiko looked over to them and nodded.

"Well, looks like I'm not the only one who thinks that."

Nanako beamed and held up a giant swimming tube.

"So get up you lazy boys! Wake up and smell the roses!"

Daichi looked quizzically at the swimming tube.

"Why do you even have that? Unless…"

Iselin nodded with ecstasy.

"Quite a sharp eye you have there my fine feathered friend."

"I wear a hawk mask one time and this is what I get."

"We have been making plans last night and have found a perfect spot to go to!"

All three girls took a deep breath and said all at once, "THE BEACH!"

Johei could have sworn that the entire room shook when they said that. Daichi was prepared beforehand and covered his ears once again. Kazuhiko, being Kazuhiko, seemed unaffected by this.

"Geez, we just told you to tone it down a bi- What are you wearing Kaz?"

Kazuhiko was dressed in a beach shirt and shorts along with a pair of sunglasses on top of his head and a cooler in his hand.

"Oh yeah, sorry guys. When you nodded off last night, Nanako came here and told me what they were planning so I decided to get ahead pack some stuff."

Johei got back to his feet and made his way to the restroom.

"Of course you did. Well, since everyone else is ready, give me and Daichi some privacy to wake up. Meet you guys down in the lobby."

The six of them agreed and went their separate ways.

In the Lobby…

Kazuhiko sat in an arm chair after buying drinks from the vending machine.

"Alright, this should be enough. Anything else we need?"

Iselin shook her head.

"They have a lot of beach vendors where we're headed so we only need to bring money."

"Hey guys! We're ready!" Johei called out.

The two of them wore swimming trunks, sandals, and bright colored T-shirts.

Mikan giggled.

"Johei, why are you wearing so many cameras?"

Iselin looked in his direction and laughed.

"What the- ahahahaha! You look like the textbook definition of a Japanese tourist!"

Only Nanako didn't seem convinced.

"Wait a second. What are you going to use those cameras for?"

Johei whistled nervously.

"What, these? Um, nothing really. Maybe for the scenery and memorable moments, you know?"

Nanako narrowed her eyes.

"Memorable moments, huh?"

Kazuhiko, noticing that there was about to be conflict, jumped in.

"Um, so how are we going to get there? Do we have to buy tickets."

Mikan nodded.

"Don't worry. I booked us some tickets with a bus. We're supposed to be at the stop to get there."

Kazuhiko suddenly seemed worried.

"And what time are we supposed to be there?"

"7:30"

"And what time is it now?"

"… OH CRAP! WE GOTTA HURRY!"

In just under 30 seconds, the group made it to the bus stop on time.

"Dude…" Johei panted.

"We would have made the track team proud…"

They boarded the bus and took their seats, although, because of the lack of space, they were paired off…

Mikan and Johei POV

Johei checked the brochure of the beach that they were going to.

"Whoa, that'd make a great picture for scenery! We should set camp somewhere near there so we can get a photo!"

Mikan looked at the picture and nodded.

"Yeah, wait, what's that thing over there?"

Mikan pointed to a small cave in the background. Curious, she took the brochure from Johei.

"The witch's mouth cave is a long, dark, and winding cave near the seaside cliff that has multiple exits and is easily navigable. Although one may find a simple exit at any time, this cave has been infamous for 'tests of courage'? What's that?"

Johei laughed.

"Ahaha! Good one Mika-senpai!"

When he realized that Mikan looked clueless his face turned serious.

"Wait, you really don't know? Man, we're going to have to do that to show you what it is. Hey, maybe we can get the others to join in as well!"

Mikan seemed unsure but agreed to do so.

Iselin and Daichi POV

An awkward silence filled the air. The two had taken the back seats due to there being no more vacant spots. Iselin looked out the window while she shifted her position every so often while Daichi calmly read the brochure. Iselin attempted to start some conversation.

"Ahem, so, you ever been to the beach before?" She asked.

Daichi shook his head.

"The majority of my life was spending time in the Mirror Dimension. The closest thing there was to the beach was a bathtub."

Iselin nodded and slowly realized that the conversation was being lost.

"U-um, how do you think it'll be like?"

Daichi shrugged and continued.

"No idea. How is it usually for you?"

Iselin remembered back to when she went to the beach.

"Not so good. I always got sunburned no matter what I did."

Daichi took interest in the topic and closed the brochure.

"Wait, sunburned?"

Iselin nodded.

"Yeah, I'd always get sunburned. That's why I'm wearing this."

She pulled out a giant floppy hat that could have covered 3 people. Daichi scooted back.

"You… are really prepared for this aren't you?"

He shook his head and reached into his bag.

"The brochure clearly says here that in order to prevent sunburns, apply lots of sunscreen. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to start the first few layers." He said as he took off his shirt.

Needless to say, Iselin did not look away.

Kazuhiko and Nanako POV

The two were chatting as if they were still neighbors in Inaba. There were casual topics such as how school was going and how family and friends were, then there were other topics.

"So, you got any love letters yet?" Nanako asked.

Kazuhiko pulled back in alarm.

"Wait, what?"

Nanako smiled and spoke.

"Oh, come on! Don't make me believe that you didn't have any first years crushing on you already! Come on! How many letters?"

Kazuhiko turned to the window to mull over his thoughts.

"Alright, I know that I didn't get any, but what should I say?"

"Um, are you alright?"

"What are my choices? I could say: Tons of them; I haven't gotten any…; or Probably more than you."

"Kaz?"

"If I tell her the truth, she'll probably overflow my locker with them, but if I lie, then she's gonna go on a rampage. The last one's just an absolute dick move. Argh! What should I choose?"

"If you didn't get any, it's alright."

Needless to say, everything gets awkward. Let's skip right to the beach.

"Ah! Finally, we're off that stuffy bus!" Johei exclaimed as he set the cooler down.

Everybody was behind him as they took in the scenery of the beach. It was fairly occupied, in fact, some of the other students from the hotel were here as well. The group quickly found a spot and agreed to go to the locker rooms to change. The boys ended up being the first to finish and waited for the girls at the beach towels. Johei sighed as he continued to drink from his can of Madbull.

"Christ, are those girls even done yet?"

Daichi shrugged.

"Maybe they're having trouble finding a vacant locker?"

Kazuhiko turned back to the locker room exits and saw some people coming out.

"Oh, there they are."

The boys turned to the locker rooms and found themselves staring at the sight before them.

Mikan caught sight of them and covered herself with a towel, Iselin and Nanako doing the same.

"W-what are you staring at?!" Mikan said as she glared at Johei.

Johei scratched the back of his head while smiling.

"Well, you did want to go to the beach, right? This should have been expected."

Skadi glared daggers at him and started to draw her bow.

"Hey, don't single me out on this! I'm not the only one thinking that, right?" Johei said as he turned to the guys for support.

Unfortunately, Kazuhiko and Daichi were already covering up.

"My, the weather looks great today…" Kazuhiko mumbled to himself as he looked towards the ocean.

Daichi continued to use up the bottle of sunscreen. Without any other choice, Johei started to run like hell for the water.

"Hey! Get back here you mortal pervert!" Skadi yelled as she ran in pursuit of him; Mikan and Loki following close behind.

Kazuhiko chuckled as he watched them run into the water and Johei already swimming. He felt a presence next to him and turned to see a smiling Nanako.

"Come on! We can't let them have all the fun!"

And with that, Nanako ran to the water with the comical pool tube over her head, Kazuhiko in pursuit. Daichi and Iselin, however, stayed behind to avoid getting sunburned. They sat on lawn chairs, Daichi still applying sunscreen. Iselin, who was getting tired of the smell, took off her sunglasses.

"Geez, you know that's already enough, right? You already look like a white person, for God's sake!"

Daichi glared at her and capped the bottle.

"You do realize that I require complete sun protection. I've been in the Mirror Dimension for so long that my skin is really sensitive. You could use a few layers yourself; That hat isn't going to do you any good."

Iselin raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? Well how about a contest, feather brain? First to get a sunburn loses!"

Daichi presented a face of confidence.

"You know what? I think I'll take up your challenge! In fact, if you lose, I won't even offer you my bottle of sunscreen!"

"Deal!"

Kazuhiko, who was in the water, looked at the beach and saw the two sprawled out.

"Must be peaceful to sleep on the beach, huh?" Nanako asked.

Kazuhiko squinted.

"Man, they're not even moving. How can they fall asleep so quickly?"

Meanwhile…

"Mwehehehe." A certain Persona giggled.

Loki was underneath the water, enjoying the view. He was further away from the beach that the gang was at and was taking in the view of all the women in bikinis from the lower half.

"So, which one should I go for first, Tyr?" Loki asked.

Tyr, who was next to him and standing up, cast a confused look.

"What are we even doing here, Loki?"

Loki emerged from the water.

"Why do you even ask that question? We're at the beach! Bikini babes with every turn! The real question should be 'Why aren't you enjoying this?!'"

Tyr shook his head.

"I don't think we should take advantage of these women just because we are invisible to them. Think of what Skadi would do if she caught you."

Loki waved his hand aside.

"Relax! She won't be able to see under the glare of the water. Speaking of which, get under so she won't get suspicious!"

Tyr, rolling his eyes, dove under the water to join his perverted friend.

"See? She won't even see us! Ooh, what do we have here? I'm going for that babe over there!"Loki said as he swam towards a person.

Tyr recoiled in shock.

"Wait! Loki! Stop! Don't do it to her!"

Loki looked back.

"Oh come on! Don't be such a light weight! Look, she'll just think it's a wardrobe malfunction! See? Here we go!"

Loki popped off the top of a girl's swim wear and heard loud shrieks.

"See? Nothing happened!"

"Loki… I swear if that's you…"

Loki looked up and saw Mikan and Skadi glaring down at him.

"… um, it was him?"

Tyr was long gone.

"Well, shit."

(Afternoon)

5:45 PM

The sun began to set and the party of six was relaxing on the beach. The others who were playing in the water found out what Daichi and Iselin were doing around 3 o' clock and dumped them into the ocean to end the competition. Now, they were all sprawled out on the sand.

"Now this is what I'd call a vacation!" Johei said as he finished a can of Cielo Mist.

Daichi nodded. He looked over to Hugin and Munin who were having a conversation with a seagull.

"Hey! That's ours!"

Squawk!

"Well… our names aren't on it…"

Squawk!

"B-but that doesn't mean it's yours!"

Squawk!

Daichi rolled his eyes and covered his eyes with a hat.

"Well, it's getting late. Shouldn't we start to pack up now?"

Iselin shook her head.

"The bus doesn't come until 7:30. We've still got a lot of time."

That's when Johei had a dawn of realization.

"Wait! We can still do a test of courage!"

Nanako wasn't amused.

"A test of courage? What are you, four?"

Johei shook the comment aside and continued.

"No, there's this place near here. The brochure said it was an ideal spot for tests of courage! We should go right now while we still have time!"

Johei pushed himself up and started to rouse everybody. Eventually, the group conceded to Johei's demands and walked over to the Witch's Mouth cave.

"Alright, so here's the deal." Johei started.

"Personas will have a five minute head start to prepare to scare the shit out of us humans. We'll go in pairs. Daichi and Iselin, Kaz and Nanako, and lastly, me and Mika-senpai."

Nanako raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Wait, what? What are Personas?"

Kazuhiko stepped on Johei's foot for good measure.

"OW!"

"What Johei means is that some of us will take turns to scare the others in the cave, right Johei?"

Johei rubbed his toes and quickly nodded.

"Alright then, first up is Daichi and Iselin!"

Daichi and Iselin POV

"I can't believe he talked us into doing this." Iselin muttered.

Daichi rolled his eyes.

"Let's just stay together and walk this out. I doubt he really has something scary planned out."

Just when he said that, a TV screen turned on. Iselin glared at Johei.

"Now look what you did."

"Beware all that venture into this cave. A long time ago, a young couple ventured here and met their untimely demise. They met an old man who was raving mad, and his broken television set. When they sat down to join him, he threw them both into his TV and watered these very stones with their blood. Be warned! Turn now while you have the chance!"

And with that, the monitor turned off. Iselin and Daichi both looked blankly at the darkness before them.

"Is it just me?" Daichi asked.

"Or did that just sound really lame?"

Iselin shrugged.

"Beats me. I was just thinking of how bad Loki's acting was."

Johei and Mikan POV

"So, you scared yet senpai?" Johei asked.

Mikan glared at him and crossed her arms.

"I am not going to hold onto your arm if that's what you were planning."

Johei sighed and waved the flashlight around.

"Well, I don't see anybody yet. Maybe their still getting organized?"

Then, they heard a sanshin playing in the background.

"Oh crap." Johei muttered to himself.

"You have entered a cave, soaked with the blood and bones of those before you."

Tyr appeared from the darkness with a light blue aura around him.

"This was an ancient battlefield where both sides suffered many deaths, but little did they realize that the true enemy they faced against was not of the living, but of the haunted souls within this cave…"

Tyr disappeared from sight, even when Johei shined the light on him.

"… Well that was kind of frightening…" Johei said to himself.

Mikan was clapping her hands.

"That was really well played out. Nice effects, Tyr!"

"Why thank you!" Tyr called from an unseen place.

Johei sighed and shook his head.

"And that just ruined it. Could somebody please bring back the horror experience?"

"You would be wise to stay close." A voice said from behind them.

"Eek!" Mikan shrieked and held onto Johei's arm.

For a few moments, there was an awkward silence, then Johei started to smile.

"'Eek'? My, my, that's kinda cute senpai."

"I swear, if you're doing what I think you're-" Skadi started

"AAIEEE!" Johei screamed and ran for the exit.

Mikan laughed and turned to Skadi.

"You know what? This is pretty fun!"

Kazuhiko and Nanako POV

Kazuhiko and Nanako were walking through the cave, arms linked. Nanako clinged close to Kazuhiko and looked around.

"So, what did everyone else do? I'm just curious is all."

Kazuhiko waved his hand.

"Oh it's nothing really. Just your classic tests of courage. I wouldn't be so worried if I were you." Kazuhiko said.

In the back of his mind, he thought, "And I've got a level three courage status. Nothing could startle me for the time being."

They could hear wild panting in the background.

"And here they come."

Johei, who was dressed in ragged clothes, ran up to them.

"P-please! Help me!" He called to them.

Then, Loki came out of nowhere and picked up a random rock and sent it smashing on the wall next to Kazuhiko. Nanako shrieked and held tightly onto Kazuhiko's arm.

"Please! Help!" Johei called out.

This time, Johei was being carried by Loki and was acting as if he was being smashed into the walls.

"Oh my God." Nanako said as she covered her mouth with shock.

"How are they doing this?"

Later…

It took quite a while, but Nanako and Kazuhiko made it to the exit of the cave.

"So, I guess that was a success?" Johei said when he saw Nanako cling onto Kazuhiko's arm.

Nanako blushed and quickly let go of him. Mikan, being the good person that she was, slapped Johei in the back of the head for good measure. Daichi rolled his eyes and checked his watch.

"Well, it's almost time for them to pick us up. We've already got everything packed up so let's get going."

Everyone nodded and picked up their belongings. They reached the bus on time and took their seats, although this time, Nanako insisted on sitting by herself.

"Yeah, I need to make a call to my dad, so if you guys could give me a little privacy, that'd be great."

Kazuhiko nodded and smiled.

"Alright. Also, tell him congratulations on his promotion for me."

Nanako beamed and took her seat near the back of the bus. Kazuhiko took his seat next to everyone else and laid his head back.

"So, was that a great experience or what?" Iselin asked them.

"It was interesting. Although I wish I could have seen Johei scream like a little girl." Daichi said.

Johei cringed and crossed his arms.

"That was only once. Besides, if you see Skadi threatening your physical health, you would have ran for dear life as well."

Loki was standing beside Johei in the aisle and nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, it was just an accident but she just had to call me out on it." He said as he massaged his monitor.

Skadi crossed her arms and glared at them.

"Well you two deserved it. Even if it wasn't Mikan, I still would have punished you for it."

Loki smiled back at her.

"Well, like it or not, I'm kinda used to it now. So I probably won't feel any remorse when you beat me."

Skadi humphed and turned away from him. Daichi looked over to Hugin and Munin and spoke to them.

"So, how was the beach for you two?" He asked.

Hugin and Munin glared out the window.

"I swear, commoners these days."

"We had to defend our belongings from these white feathered plebeians"

"Um, so you protected our stuff from seagulls?"

Hugin nodded.

"Indeed, and what vocabulary they have as well."

"One could say that they cussed like a sailor."

"Probably because they did hang around sailors." Iselin muttered.

Kazuhiko turned over to Tyr and asked him how he liked the experience.

"Well," Tyr started.

"I did quite enjoy the test of courage. The water was pretty soothing if I do say so myself, although I am looking forward to going back for the hot-springs."

Kazuhiko nodded, then turned back to Nanako's seat.

"Say, Tyr." He started.

"Is it just me, or does it seem more than just a coincidence?"

Tyr looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

Kazuhiko tilted his head towards Nanako.

"I mean her. Nanako and I have been friends for some time, but I can't shake the feeling that this is just by chance. I mean, I'm glad that she's coming to Nuzoko, but isn't it kind of strange that she just shows up out of nowhere?"

Tyr scratched his chin and shrugged.

"Right now, I can't say. But, what's important now is to make sure that we find the people who are starting all of these suicides. Let's just make sure she doesn't become a target."

Kazuhiko nodded but still looked over to Nanako with an uneasy look. At last, he decided to snooze for a little bit and leaned back in his chair.

Nanako POV

"Yeah… Kazuhiko's here too… don't worry, I'll be fine… Do they have what?… Oh, yes. Definitely, they do have Personas… Don't worry, Naoto-senpai, I'll get to the bottom of this. Tell big bro I said hi."

*beep*

Oh lordy, that was pretty long. Terribly sorry for how long this took to post, it's just that I had a lot of homework over the break. That and family coming over too. So, I relented and made Nanako a character in this, but what is she hiding? How can she see Personas? These questions will have to wait until a later time. Anyways, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and good deals for Black Friday! Dangstaboy, out!

Pictures of the trip

Johei rushed into the hotel room with something in his hands and a wide grin on his face.

"Guys! You won't believe what I got!"

Kazuhiko and Daichi looked up from their game of cards and stared at what he had in his hands.

"Um, didn't Mika-senpai confiscate that before the beach trip?" Daichi asked.

Johei nodded.

"Yeah, she did, but Loki has this awesome ability!"

Loki who was right next to him started to smile smugly.

"Indeed I do. So, when I pulled off Mikan's unmentionables, I quickly took a photo with my own functions. Don't ask."

Kazuhiko looked worried.

"You know what? I've got a bad feeling about this. Leave me out of it." He said as he walked out the door.

Daichi followed and prepared to the close the door behind him.

"Yeah, me too. I don't want to get caught by any of the girls. Have fun."

Johei and Loki were alone in the room with confused looks.

"Ah, let them go. They'll know what they missed out on later."

Johei's face brightened.

"Yeah! Now let's see those pictures of Senpai!"

"What pictures?" A voice asked behind them.

Johei and Loki turned around to see Mikan and Skadi.

"… um, vacation photos?"