Chapter 28

To Be Stronger

May 10, 2021; Monday

Kyuto High, Classroom B-2

(Morning)

"Edward Bulwer-Lytton once said that the pen is mightier than the sword; What is the significance of that?" Mrs. Shizumi asked.

Everyone payed attention attentively except for four young students who were texting each other using the secrecy of their desks.

Kazuhiko: Is he here today?

Mikan: Yes, but he seems more distant now.

Johei: Keep at it senpai; Your our only hope now.

Daichi: I believe you spelled 'you're' incorrectly Johei.

Johei: Shut up, bird man.

Iselin: Ha, I wuz thinking the same thing.

Daichi: How many typos are you going to make, Iselin? You all really need to work on your grammar.

Iselin: Can it, hawkeye!

"So, I see that you four are having quite the interest in my lecture, are we?" Mrs. Shizumi said as she directed everyone's attention to the Persona gang.

Kazuhiko casually looked up and pulled out a sheet of paper with some notes he had scribbled on.

"Sorry, I was just looking for another sheet; I ran out of space."

The rest of the group quickly stuffed their phone in their pockets before the attention was drawn back to them.

Mrs. Shizumi shook her head and walked back to the front of the classroom as Johei let out a deep breath of relief.

"Thanks, dude" he mouthed to Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko just smiled and turned his head back to the front.

"Now for a quick announcement, club and sports signups are open; I suggest you look into that if you have extra time on your hands that you lay to waste."

(Lunch time)

The entire group split up in order to try and find Yoichi on their own. Mikan searched the halls, Daichi the classrooms, Iselin the rooftops, and Kazuhiko the plazas. Strangely, Johei volunteered to check the restrooms.

"I swear, he could be in there and you wouldn't be able to know about it" Johei said as he raised his hands.

After much arguing, and punching on Loki in the face (Skadi's behalf), Johei was sent to search the teacher's offices.

"Uuggghhh, what a pain." Johei moaned as he walked through the halls.

Not saying that searching was difficult, it just left him with so much more time to wait for everyone. He sat down on a chair at the designated meeting rooftop with Loki overlooking the plazas below.

"Niner-niner, target is not in my sights. Orders captain?" Loki sarcastically said as he placed his hand at his brow.

Johei fiddled around with his phone sending a text message to everyone.

Johei: Hey u guys done yet?

Johei: Daichi dont u dare autocorrect me

He put his phone back into his pocket when nobody answered and walked over to where Loki was floating.

"Well, it's been a while since we had another target."

Loki nodded.

"Yup, it definitely has. Almost forgot the rush that it gave me when we were running through Niflheim."

Johei smiled at the thought of dungeon crawling. Then, he thought of how it came to be and frowned.

"Nope, don't think that. Just don't."

"Don't think what?"

Loki turned around to see Johei massaging his temples and frowning in frustration.

"It's nothing ma-"

"Suzuki, right?"

Johei smiled at his Persona.

"You know me too well."

"I am you."

Johei put his hands behind his head and looked over the plaza with interest.

"Might as well help out Kaz for a little while."

Loki touched the ground with his feet and sat next to Johei.

"Oh yeah, I always wondered: What happened to that guy you knew in kindergarten? What's his name. Yuji?"

Johei rolled his eyes.

"Yoshimitsu Nakagawa. Come on, you're a computer; Don't you have like a good memory or something?"

Loki chuckled to himself.

"Come on, can't you take a joke? Or perhaps it was a bit too Loki to notice?"

"Bad pun. Anyways, you are me, aren't you? You probably already know the story."

Loki floated back up into the air and hovered in front of Johei.

"Oh, but it's so much better when you tell me!"

Johei waved his hand and tried to move around.

"Come on, I can't see anything right now!"

Loki continued to hover in front of Johei until he threw up his arms and gave in.

"Alright! So you want to know what happened? *sigh* Fine."

Loki sat down on the ground and listened to Johei.

"So, last time on the Shiroka Files."

"Cut the crap."

Flashback

Johei and Kazuhiko were standing in front of Yoshimitsu as he was sitting down.

"What's your problem?" Yoshi said as he crossed his arms and looked away from the two.

Johei and Kazuhiko looked at each other as if to try to telepathically communicate. After a dispute, which Johei won, Kazuhiko sighed and spoke.

"Are… are you okay?"

Yoshi frowned and replied.

"What's it to you?"

Kazuhiko sighed and stepped back.

"Come on, Johei, I told you this was a bad idea."

Johei shrugged off and stepped forward.

"You're not doin' so good at home, right?"

Yoshimitsu stiffened up and scooted away.

"It's none of your damn business."

Johei's eyes saddened.

"Well, you're not the only one who has to go through hard times, you know?"

Yoshimitsu's eyes narrowed.

"Whatever. The only thing that's bothering me right now is you two! Get out of here before I kick your butts!"

Johei recoiled a bit but stood fast, not giving an inch to the bully.

"We just want to help you. You think that we're different than you, but you're wrong. We all have gotten hurt, some worse than others, but hurt nonetheless."

Yoshimitsu scooted away some more but found himself in the corner.

"You might not be able to stop what's happened then, but you can choose your actions now and in the future. Don't let your dad-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Yoshimitsu stood up and punched Johei in the face. He fell back into Kazuhiko he propped him up.

"See, I told you this was a bad idea." He told Johei as he dragged him back.

Johei waved his hand for Kazuhiko to stop.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Well, you're just a work in progress. You'll open up to people sooner or later."

The two walked away as Yoshi yelled at them.

"Wait, what do you mean 'sooner or later'? Stay the hell away from me!"

Flashback End

"And then what happened?"

Johei sighed.

"Well, Kaz and I tried everyday. We made some improvements, and eventually he became our friend. He was a little rough around the edges, but he stopped punching people all the time."

Loki smiled (put a smiley emoticon on his monitor) and stood up.

"Don't you just love happy endings?" He said in a mocking tone.

Johei smiled, but then frowned again. Loki took notice of this and leaned in front of him.

"That… that was the ending, right? Right?"

Johei shook his head and felt a buzz in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and looked at the screen.

"Looks like nobody's had any luck. Kaz says we'll try again tomorrow and to keep our eyes peeled."

Johei stuffed the phone back in his pocket and headed towards the stairs to meet with the rest of the group.

(After school)

Shigure's Restaurant

The five student and their Personas sat at the table with downed faces.

"Too bad we couldn't find him, huh?" Iselin said as she reached into her pocket for a cigarette.

Everyone looked grim as their waiter came to the table.

"Not a good day, guys?" He asked as he pulled out his notepad.

Kazuhiko shook his head and gave him their orders.

"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes", The waiter said after he refilled their drinks.

Kazuhiko took out his phone and checked the Mirror Dimension Navigator.

3 weeks, he thought, we still have a lot of time left… but will it be enough?

After he put his phone away, he looked up to see everyone looking at him,

"We need to come up with a plan, Kaz." Johei told him.

Mikan nodded in agreement.

"He slipped past us today because we were unprepared. We need to make sure he doesn't slip by again the next time we search for him."

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm still working on it."

"Well, what have you got so far?", Iselin asked as she blew out a puff of smoke.

Daichi sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Are you ever going to stop that smoking habit of your's?"

Iselin stuck her tongue out and breathed in the cigarette.

"Haven't I told you already? I smoke when I feel cold."

"…but we're in a restaurant; It's hot and stuffy in here…"

"…"

*whack*

"OW!"

"Shut up, Hawkeye."

Daichi and Iselin continued to argue while Kazuhiko talked to Mikan and Johei.

"So, here's the plan. Mikan, since you have Yoichi in your class, you'll be our eyes and ears at the beginning; Keep him in sight and watch where he goes. The places that he frequently visits will be where we camp-out at the day after. With luck, one of us will be able to run into him by slight of chance."

Mikan nodded as she was listening to every word.

"Alright, so I'm the first step."

Kazuhiko nodded.

"After tomorrow, I'll assign positions for everyone to wait at. You got that Johei?"

Kazuhiko turned to his friend to see a snot bubble steadily growing and shrinking. Rolling his eyes, Daichi took a toothpick from nearby and popped it.

*BANG*

"Ah! What happened?!", Johei said as he sat up straight.

Daichi flicked the toothpick at Johei and sighed.

"Be sure to stay awake more often, dipwad."

Johei frowned as he brushed the toothpick away.

"Oh! Here's the food."

"And here's the Rice Platter Challenge!" The waiter said as he placed the bowl in front of Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko cracked his knuckles and picked up his chopsticks.

"Alright! I'm gonna beat this thing for sure!"

A few moments later…

"*pant* *pant* *wheeze* *pant*"

Kazuhiko lay down on the table, defeated by the massive amount of rice. Johei peeked into the bowl and looked at the remaining food inside.

"Whoa! You actually made some progress this time! Nice job!"

Johei patted Kazuhiko on the back as his friend wheezed in pain.

"Please… stop… so… full… hurts…"

Iselin sighed as she reached for another cigarette in her box. When she shook it and found it to be empty, she sighed.

"Geez, someone has definitely been taking my stash. I wonder who it is this time…"

Hildr coughed as she held up a handful of cigarettes and threw them into the trash.

"Seriously, you have to stop this habit of yours. Smoking really doesn't help your complexion."

Iselin sighed and made a mental note to buy more cigarettes later. Daichi put down his bowl and waved for the waiter.

"Check, please. Okay, let's see here… What? How did we order all this stuff?"

Daichi looked at the table and saw a mountain of bowls and his Personas on the ground.

"So much food…" Munin cawed

"It was delicious…" Hugin groaned as he struggled to get on his feet.

Daichi sighed and pulled out his wallet.

"And there goes my paycheck…"

Mikan turned to Daichi with interest.

"Oh? You have a job?"

Daichi nodded.

"Well, the dorms only provided a room for me so I need to make money for food. Especially with these two."

He motioned to the crows on the ground that wobbled as they flapped their wings.

"Please, Master Daichi."

"Help us up…"

"Not gonna happen. You two have to find your own way home this time", Daichi said as he stood up and left with everyone else.

"No! Wait! You can't do this to us!"

"Don't leave!"

"You know they can't be too far from you, right?", Tyr said to Daichi.

"They don't seem to remember", Daichi said back as he chuckled.

(Evening)

Matsuhito Hotel; Lobby

"Pick up the pace, lazy bones!", Takai yelled to Ichiwa.

The boy rushed to get the luggage to the elevator until he bumped into someone. The baggage crashed onto the ground again, much to Ichiwa's dismay.

"Aahh! I'm so sorry, sir! Please forgive me!"

"It's alright, you can get off your knees.", he heard the person say.

He looked up to see a familiar face.

"We really need to stop meeting like this, Ichiwa. Need some help?"

Ichiwa nodded and began to put the baggage back onto the cart.

"Thanks a lot. I really owe you big time for this and last time."

He turned to hear shouting from Takai again and hid behind the rack. Luckily, Takai was just yelling to the chefs in the kitchen to get a few room service orders ready.

"Whew! Thank goodness he didn't notice", Ichiwa said with relief as he wiped his brow.

He turned around to Kazuhiko and bowed once more.

"You know, just feel free to ask me what you want; I'm getting the feeling that you forgot my offer"

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"Oh, I haven't forgot, it's just the need for more help that I'm lacking"

"Oh…", Ichiwa said.

His eyes drooped for a second, but he returned to his cheerful self once again.

"Say, I've got an idea! You don't have a job yet, right?", he asked.

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"Well, the pay here's pretty good, and we are a bit understaffed, so how about you try applying here?"

Kazuhiko hesitated to answer but was quickly stopped.

"Oh, and don't worry about Takai being rough on you. You're a customer here so he'll treat you well enough when you work. Kids who used to live here did it all the time!"

With that being cleared up, Kazuhiko smiled.

"Alright, I'll look into it."

Ichiwa looked as if he could never be happier.

"And, I could also vouch for you so you'd definitely be hired!"

Kazuhiko waved his hand.

"Alright, alright. This way you can stop being so guilty about me helping you out."

Ichiwa scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Ah! Th-that wasn't the main purpose! J-just a little bonus, maybe…"

Kazuhiko smiled and walked into the elevator with Ichiwa to his floor.

"Well, see you next time!", Ichiwa said as he waved goodbye to Kauhiko while the doors closed.

Kazuhiko waved back until he heard a voice in the back of his head.

You feel Ichiwa's gratitude… Your bond with the Tower Arcana has grown deeper!

A faint light shined in front of his face and he briefly saw a tarot card appear. Then, time resumed as usual.

"The tower… what did that mean again?", he mumbled to himself as he unlocked the door to his room and landed on his bed for the night.

The Velvet Room

The faint piano tune drifted into his ears as Kazuhiko slowly opened his eyes to a room of blue. He was sitting in his usual chair and saw the familiar sight of the old man and the young gil at his side.

"Welcome back, dear guest", Igor said to him.

Kazuhiko rubbed his eyes and let them adjust to the lighting of the room.

"Well, I guess that you summoning me here must mean something's about to go down or there's something new."

Igor chuckled and nodded.

"A sharp mind you have, indeed you are correct."

He turned to Alexandria and beckoned her.

"Well? You said that you wanted to speak with our guest, had you not?"

Alexandria blushed slightly, then stepped forward.

"I… I admit it… I called you here to see if you would take up a different kind of request…"

She shifted her weight and regained her posture.

"The outside world is a very interesting setting that many of my older siblings have wandered into before. One of my siblings left permanently in search of an answer… And… I want to find out why she did so."

Kazuhiko raised his eyebrow.

"Wait wait wait… you called me here?"

Alexandria blushed profusely.

"Because you're the only one who'll be able to take me out!"

There was a long awkward silence as Alexandria processed what she had just said.

"I… I mean… take me out of this room… I always wanted to experience the outside world…"

Igor, who was smiling as always, chuckled as he looked at his assistant.

"My, I wondered when this would happen. It always rolls around one way or another, you know."

Alexandria stepped back and frowned.

"S-so… would you accept this request?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Alright, it doesn't look like I have much of a choice."

Alexandria, who looked content with his answer, smiled for a brief moment, then turned back into her strict expression.

"Well then, now that we're done here, get out of here."

Nothing happened. Alexandria looked confused and tried again.

"I said, leave."

Nothing happened again.

"Strange, I swore I did it right this time…"

Igor looked amused.

"Hm, it looks as if you didn't do the dismissal spell correctly."

Alexandria looked at Igor with confusion.

"What are you talking about? I did it perfectly."

"Except for one little thing", Igor said as he waved his finger at her.

"And what is that?", she asked accusingly.

Igor sighed and looked at Kazuhiko.

"Well, you see, the dismissal spell only works if the requirements are met. One, the reason for calling you here must be fulfilled, and two, the person using the spell must wholeheartedly wish for you to leave."

Alexandria blushed even more so and started to protest.

"Wh-what?! I do not want him here! Look, I'll prove it!"

And with a wave of her hand, Kazuhiko disappeared from the chair he was sitting in. Alexandria pointed at the chair and turned to Igor.

"See? I am completely sure that I wanted him gone. I just had… a little hiccup."

Igor sighed and looked back at the seat.

"It always happens… One way or another…"

May 12, 2021; Wednesday

Kyuto High, Classroom B-2

(Morning)

Kazuhiko: Ready guys?

Mikan: Yes

Daichi: Absolutely.

Johei: yea

Iselin: I got dis

Kazuhiko put his phone back in his pocket and patiently waited for the lunch bell to ring.

"And so it begins", Tyr said as he followed Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko nodded as he made his way to the less crowded halls.

"Yeah. Everyone knows their places; Mikan told us where he most likely is during lunch so we can bet that at least one of us is going to run into him."

Kazuhiko arrived at his destination and scanned the crowd.

"Looks like I'm not the lucky one today:, he said to Tyr.

"Maybe he just hasn't turned up yet?" Tyr asked.

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Maybe, but we still have everyone else."

Johei's POV

"Is he here yet?"

"No."

"How about now?"

"No."

"Is that him?"

"No."

"How about him?"

"Please shut up."

Iselin's POV

"Hm, so what did he look like again?", Iselin asked.

"A little on the tall side, sandy blond hair, he wears the third year jacket", Hildr replied.

Iselin sighed as she overlooked the sea of third years that she was in front of.

"This is going to take a while."

Daichi's POV

"Master Daichi! Is that him?" Munin asked as he pointed his wing to a boy.

"Hm… no, he doesn't have the hair. Plus, he's a first year", Daichi said as he sighed.

He walked over to the vending machine to buy a drink.

I should probably look casual if I'm going to stand here on my own, he thought to himself.

"Master Daichi!" Hugin shrieked.

Daichi turned around calmly.

"Yeah? What is it?"

Hugin pointed to the corner.

"I believe we are being followed by a massive amount of people!"

Daichi scratched his head.

"What are you talking about? I don't see anyo-"

"Oh my god! There's Amasawa-senpai!"

A large group of girls suddenly appeared from around the corner as they started to fill up the hallway. Daichi watched at the colossal wave of first years headed his way.

"Yeah, definitely casual…"

Kazuhiko's POV

Kazuhiko sighed as he put his phone back.

"Doesn't look like anyone else's having any luck either."

He took a look at his watch and sighed again.

"And lunch is almost over."

Tyr patted his back.

"Well, Mikan didn't answer yet. Have a little hope in her",Tyr said.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, if anyone can talk to him, it's senpai."

Mikan POV

"He's nowhere", Mikan said disappointedly.

Skadi shook her head and looked at the large groups of students.

"Honestly, I can find any reason why he's with other people right now. He seemed to be quite depressed during class lately", Skadi said.

Mikan nodded. For the past few days, Yoichi started to look more gloomy.

"I wonder what happened now?", she said to her self.

She finished her strawberry milk and tossed it to the trashcan. Then, she heard a whistle.

"Nice shot, Mika-chan!"

She turned around and saw Shita.

"Oh, hey Shita-tan. What's up?"

Shita shrugged.

"Oh, nothing much. Working at the Hotel later today?"

Mikan shook her head.

"Sorry, I've got something I need to take care of first."

Shita nodded.

"Yeah, I wouldn't really want to work there right now, anyways. Takai-san's been pretty pissed off lately."

Mikan raised her eyebrow.

"Oh? Why?"

Shita looked down.

"Well, Kawahara-san's been having a lot of pressure on him right now, Takai-san's not gonna cut him any slack."

Mikan nodded in understanding.

"Ah, I see. I hope he loosens up a bit."

Shita went back to smiling.

"Well then, what are you here for? I never see you just sitting around here."

Mikan smiled nervously.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just looking for someone, is all."

Shita paused for a moment.

"Wait a second… looking for someone…? Could this person perhaps be… your love interest?"

Mikan jumped at the sound.

"What?"

Shita smiled.

"I hit the mark, didn't I?"

Mikan shook her head but Shita slung her arm around her.

"No need to be bashful, Mika-chaaaaan. I won't tell anyone."

Meanwhile, Skadi took note of their shenanigans.

"Love interest? You never told me anything about this", she said.

Mikan shook her head and finally broke from Shita's embrace.

"Can you help me out, though?"

Shita suddenly added a little more emotion into her actions as she clapped her hands together.

"My best friend? Asking me for relationship advice? Oh, this is perfect!"

Mikan dealt with Shita's newfound hyperactivity and managed to get her to sit down.

"Well then, bring on the questions! Clothes? Make-up? Date location?"

"A-actually, I just need to know why he's so down", Mikan said.

Shita held her chin.

"Ah, so you're going for Miryoku-kun, huh?"

Mikan rolled her eyes.

"Well, I may have an idea why. Last year, he broke his hands during basketball practice, right? Well, I heard that sports club sign-ups are already here. Maybe he's down because he won't get to participate?"

Mikan pondered over the subject.

"That's true… He still does have the injury… I think I know just where to find him now. Thanks Shita!"

Shita smiled back and waved.

"Happy to help two love birds come together!"

"Shut up!"

And with that, Mikan made her way back to the classroom.

Kyuto High; Bulletin Board

(After School)

Yoichi sighed as he watched students one after another stop in front of the board. Some of them hovered around the sports sign-up area and wrote down their names. Pretty soon, they all cleared out, giving Yoichi a clear view of the sheets.

"Sigh, looks like Basketball's almost filled up…", he said to himself.

He felt his hands ache again. It seemed as if the weird thing Shiroe did to him didn't last for a very long time.

"Oh, Miryoku-san. What are you doing here?"

Yoichi turned to see Mikan walk down the hall. He waved to her and scooted to make room for her on the bench.

"Nothing much. Oh yeah, sorry about running away on you that time. I shouldn't have done that."

Mikan waved her hand aside as she smiled to him.

"It's nothing. Water under the bridge."

Yoichi smiled, then felt his hands ache again.

"What happened, though? You should tell someone about it."

Yoichi held up his hand and looked at the old scars where the scalpels cut through his skin during the surgery.

"The surgery I had… it didn't turn out so great. I can't do anything now."

Mikan stayed silent and waited for him to continue.

"My hands were already so weak and I tried out for Basketball. I thought I could be able to make the team, but it turns out my hands couldn't take it. And now, their even weaker than before."

He slunk his shoulders and looked at the ground. Mikan needed to clear up something, so she asked him a question.

"But why did you want to join basketball when you could have gotten hurt?"

Yoichi sighed and answered.

"Well, it's because of my dad. He played basketball during his High school years, I just wanted to carry on."

Mikan raised her eyebrow and turned to Skadi.

"It doesn't seem strange, but I sense that it isn't the whole truth…", Skadi told her.

Mikan turned back to Yoichi again and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, you told that to everyone before, but is that really why you wanted to join?"

Yoichi stayed silent as Mikan sighed and stood up.

"Well, if you don't feel like opening up right now, talk to me when you do."

Mikan walked off towards the gates when she heard Skadi.

"What are you doing? You haven't gotten close enough to him yet!"

Mikan sighed.

"I can't get anymore closer to him right now. If I try to force my way in, he'll think I'm being nosy and he won't talk to me again. Just give him some time."

"Wait."

Mikan turned around to see Yoichi behind her. Yoichi looked down at his hands and hesitated.

"I… I wanted to play… because… because I wanted to prove that I wasn't weak…"

Yoichi stopped for a moment then continued.

"My dad named me Yoichi because he wanted a strong child, something he saw that I wasn't. He spent so much time with me when I was a baby, he even stopped playing basketball just to see my first steps, or at least my mom told me."

Mikan patted his shoulders to make him look up.

"You don't have to tell me if you're not ready yet-"

"No, I need to do this", he said.

"Or else I'm not just weak on the outside."

Mikan walked him over to the bench and sat down as he continued his story.

"Pretty soon, he lost his spot on the roster and stayed home. He did his best to scrape up money so he could find a doctor that could perform a new kind of surgery that might fix my hands. Of course, it was just experimental at the time. He did all he could to make the money, but he could never make enough. The chance slipped by, and he was already so tired. I was seven by the time he died, and I never got the chance to know him personally. He was always about trying to make me stronger, he forgot what I was."

Yoichi paused to breath and wiped some tears off his face.

"When it was time for his funeral, I was still just a little kid. They were about to read his will when I just bolted. I ran as far away as I could. Now, I can never hear his last words."

Yoichi finally broke down and buried his face in his hands. Mikan sat by him and hugged his shoulders.

"There… He's probably thinking that you're pretty strong right now, though. Not physically, but he probably thinks you've got a strong personality. It took a lot of courage to tell someone else this. He would have been proud."

After several minutes, Yoichi finally stopped crying and calmed himself down.

"Yeah… he definitely would have… Thanks Echihiro-chan."

Mikan waved her hand.

"You don't have to be so formal, just call me Mikan."

Yoichi paused then spoke.

"How about Mika-chan for now. I'll try to get used to it."

Mikan smiled.

"You've gotta start somewhere."

The two of them left the school gates together until they split paths.

"So, how was your little talk?", A voice asked from behind her.

Mikan quickly turned around to face Shita who was smiling impishly.

"Well? Come on, don't leave me in the dark. Give me the details!"

Mikan humphed and walked off.

"Wait, hold on! I was just kidding! Please! Don't leave me behind!"

Shita grabbed onto Mikan's ankles as she was dragged on the ground.

"*sigh* you're such a child. You know that?"

Meanwhile…

"Oh hey, looks like it worked!", Johei said to everyone when he saw Mikan's text.

Mikan: I think this'll be enough to get past the doors.

Daichi: Nice grammar, senpai. Unlike some people…

"Hey, shut up!"

Daichi chuckled as he put his phone away.

"So, we meet up tomorrow after school?", Iselin asked Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yes, but with the time that's passed, he's probably gone further up the tower, I'd say about 3 more floors."

"Make that 4 starting tomorrow; Looks like we'll see some new shadows", Iselin said when she opened up the Mirror Dimension Navigator.

Daichi sighed.

"Well then, looks like my current intel will be all but useful; We'll be completely in the dark with these new bastards. Oh wait, I can always hit them with a Hama or Mudo."

Johei fake laughed.

"Yeah, we can always count on Captain Mike Hawk to finish the job."

Daichi frowned at the statement.

"Mike Hawk? Why'd you call me that?"

Kazuhiko tried as hard as he could to hold in his laughter. Johei looked as if he was about to explode.

"I mean, I kind of get Hawk, but what's the Mike for?"

Iselin, who seemed to be in the dark as well, tried to figure it out.

"Mike Hawk… Mike Hawk…"

Now, Kazuhiko and Johei couldn't hold in their laughter anymore, and neither could Loki. Everyone else had completely no idea what was happening.

"Damn, Daichi… You really know how to pick 'em!" Johei said between gasps.

Tyr looked confused.

"Who is this Mike Hawk person?"

"Mike Hawk… My… OH MY GOD!"

Let's just say no one escapes the fury of Iselin.

"Oww…"

"Why did I get hit?"

Iselin humphed and walked away from the boys. Hildr stayed behind long enough to scold them.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Honestly, to make a frail maiden like Iselin be painted in such an image…"

"Many words I can use to describe Iselin, but 'frail' and 'maiden' aren't among them", Johei whispered.

"Shut up", Kazuhiko hissed back, but they both received another fist to the head.

"Well, I guess that's enough beatings for you two" Hildr said as she turned her back on them.

Johei rubbed his head and felt a bump grow.

"Geez, why are we friends with such scary women?", Johei asked.

"Well, we technically didn't have a choice, but at least they'll help in Niflheim. Besides, I'm just glad I got away without getting hit",Loki said.

"Which reminds me, you didn't get hit yet", Hildr said as she came back.

Neither does one escape Hildr either.

"Owww…", Loki moaned as he rubbed his monitor.

"You've got nobody but your fat lip to blame for that ass kicking", Johei told his Persona.

Daichi and Iselin had left them for the dormitory after their joke, while they were headed home. On the way, they passed the cemetery, where Kazuhiko spotted a familiar face sitting in front of the gates.

"Oh, hey Amenogawa-san!", he yelled to the man.

Shirou turned and stood up.

"So, we meet again, Sukima Kazuhiko."

His face showed anything but a warm welcome; His eyes were darker than usual and his face much more pale. Kazuhiko recoiled at the sight.

"Geez, have you been sleeping well lately?"

Shirou narrowed his eyes.

"Does it look like I have? Ah, never mind. Listen, I've got a favor to ask you; Can you meet me here tonight? 9 PM?"

Kazuhiko was about to ask why until Shirou raised his hand to stop him.

"Just something I need for a two man job", He said.

In the end, Kazuhiko agreed and made his way back home.

"What do you think he has planned?", Tyr asked Kazuhiko.

"In all honesty, I have no idea. Anyways, I might as well get it over with quick, we still need to go out tomorrow for Yoichi."

(Evening)

"Ah, glad you could come. Here, take this and follow me."

Shiroe beckoned towards the desk that had a flashlight and several batteries. Reluctantly, Kazuhiko grabbed one and stuffed it in his pocket. He looked over to Shirou and saw that he held a large bag over his shoulder.

"So, mind telling me what we're doing?", Kazuhiko asked.

The young man made no sound as he walked into the cemetery.

"What, you afraid or something? Let's get a move on!"

Kazuhiko sighed and turned on his flashlight. For several minutes, they were walking in complete silence.

"I never realized how big this place really is", he said.

"And the no-show moon tonight really isn't helping. Times like these, you usually find immature brats playing hooky", Shirou said.

He turned off his flashlight and hid behind a bush.

"Come on, turn it off too."

Kazuhiko turned off his flashlight and knelt beside Shirou.

"See there? That's why I called you with me", Shirou said as he pointed in the clearing.

Where Shirou was pointing, was a group of 2 junior high students playing around in the graveyard.

"Just look at them, playing around, having no sense of decency, just knocking stuff all over the place. Then again, they're the source of entertainment."

Kazuhiko was about to press further until Shirou turned around.

"Alright, here's the game plan: I need you to flank them, get them over there without being spotted, and make them back on over here. You got that?"

Kazuhiko hesitated and nodded.

"Good. Luckily, I'll scare them so bad they won't even want to come here during the daytime."

Kazuhiko crawled over to the other side of the kids and hid behind the bush. He shook it a few times to make some noise, then waited.

"Huh? What was that?", he heard.

"Woah, don't tell me that's the yokai."

"Y-y-yoki?! Don't scare me like that."

*rustle* *rustle*

"Holy! Something's there!"

"Go check it!"

"Why should I do that? You go check it."

The two boys backed away from Kazuhiko's bush, unknowingly moving closer to Shirou.

"My… my eyes…"

"Huh?!"

The boys turned around to see Shirou dressed in a torn kimono and his hair down with geisha make-up on.

"My… eyes…"

The boys backed away.

"Holy crap! She is real!"

"Where are they?… MY EYES!"

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Shirou opened up his eyes to show blood coming out of his sockets and streaming down his face. The two boys ran out of the gates quickly, screaming all the way. Kazuhiko emerged out of the bush he was hiding in to see Shirou laughing and wiping the fake blood.

"Ahahaha! Did you see their faces?! Wait, you were turned around. Ah, that doesn't matter, at least they'll stop knocking so much stuff over."

"Why are you doing this?", Kazuhiko asked.

Shirou sighed.

"Look, these kids pester me all the time; They leave a complete mess and I have to clean it up in the morning before people arrive. What's wrong with shaking them up a little?"

Kazuhiko opened his mouth, then closed it.

"Geez, would ya just chill a bit? It's one of the things I swore to do anyways: Make sure the offerings stay where they are and watch over this place; I wasn't told how to do it, so it's a win-win for everybody", Shirou said as he took off the kimono and put it back in the bag.

He walked Kazuhiko back to the front door and handed him a bunch of yen bills.

"It's not much, but I need to thank you for doing this for me. Say, maybe you can stop by some other time and help me out. I'd really appreciate it", Shirou said as he smiled warmly.

Kazuhiko noticed how this was the first time he saw Shirou smile in a genuine way. Then, a voice spoke in his head.

You sense Shirou's reliance on you. You feel like your bond has grown deeper!

A tarot card briefly appeared before him before time returned to it's normal pace.

"Well, you gonna leave now?", Shirou asked.

Kazuhiko snapped back to attention and nodded.

"Alright, I'll see yo some other time."

And with that, he left.

"I'm not sure I really like him", Tyr said while they walked home.

Kazuhiko sighed.

"I don't like him either, but this a social link and I can't walk away from it. If getting the Death Arcana means spending time with him, I'll do it."

Yoichi's POV

Yoichi laid down on his bed trying to think. He remembered his talk with Mikan earlier that day and recalled her words:

"He's probably thinking that you're pretty strong right now, though. Not physically, but he probably thinks you've got a strong personality."

Yoichi sat up and made his way towards the stairs. He stepped into the kitchen and poured himself some milk. Then, he heard a knock on the door.

"Huh? Maybe it's mom."

He walked over and opened the door.

"Mom? Why are you so-"

He was cut off when he saw a middle-aged man in a suit.

"Oh, who are you?"

The man smiled stuck out his hand.

"Ah, you must be Yoichi! How nice to meet you. I'm Issai Nabuya, your mom's boss."

Yoichi took the man's hand and shook it before he drew it back and held it.

"Oh yes, I forgot. Sorry, I have a tendency to forget things. Anyways, is your mother home? I'd like to talk to her about something."

Issai walked into the house and sat down in the kitchen, leaving Yoichi at the door, slightly surprised.

"Excuse me, but my mother isn't home right now. Maybe another time-"

"Oh really? Are you sure she isn't home?"

Issai raised his eyebrow and stood up. Yoichi tensed slightly as he walked up to him.

"Tell me the truth, boy. Where is your mother?"

Issai held him up by his shirt collar and brought Yoichi's face closer to him. Yoichi tried to break free but he felt another sensation of pain in his hands.

"I already told you… She's not here…"

"Hmph"

Issai threw Yoichi to the side as he made his way upstairs.

"Hey, get back here!"

Yoichi began to throw a punch until he felt his fist stop in mid-air.

"Ah… AAAGHHH!"

His fist was caught by Issai and he felt some of his bones crushing under the grip.

"Yoichi?! What's happened?"

Outside was Yoichi's mother with a shocked expression on her face.

"Ah, so you were telling the truth after all. Well then, come with me, Hayami, and I'll forget this little outbreak from your son."

Yoichi's mother hesitated until she heard Yoichi scream again.

"Alright! Just stop doing that to him!"

Issai let go of Yoichi's hand and let him crumble to the ground in a heap.

"Now, not a single word from you or else I'll hurt him some more."

Yoichi's mother stepped back from Issai as he grabbed her wrist and turned her eyes to Yoichi. He looked up to see his mother be dragged off.

"No! Get back here you bastard! Agh!"

He tried to push himself up but hurt his hand in the process. Landing back on the ground once more, he broke into crying.

"Why… why am I not strong enough to do anything?… WHY!?"

He laid on his back and continued to cry until he felt something in his pocket. Quickly, he fished it out and held up a card with a scan code.

Briefly, he flashed back to the time in the mall.

"Well then, I'll leave you with this. If you want this power, scan the code and follow the instructions. You'll have your hands back in no time."

"That's what Shiroe told me", he said to himself.

"Do you want be strong? To be stronger than you are right now?" A voice in his head asked him.

Yoichi bit back his tears.

"Yes…"

The voice in his head seemed dissatisfied.

"Sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you."

"YES!"

For several moments, Yoichi couldn't hear anything. Then, the voice spoke to him one last time.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Aaaand we are back! Whew, this is starting to wear me out, but I'm happy to do it for you guys. Don't forget to review and recommend this story to some of your friends. I love the feedback I always get from you guys and I hope that some of you will start showing some love for this fiction. Anyways, as of my reactions to the Persona 5 MC's official name, I'm more comfortable with Akira Kurusu, but Ren Amamiya's okay. Also, any of you watch Seraph of the End? Really waiting for Season 3 to come out. Anyways, Yoichi will get his Persona soon enough, but the interview will take a lot longer. 'Till then, just keep your questions ready until the announcement. See ya!

Body-swap World: Johei

"Yawn… boy, that was a weird dream last night", Johei said as he got out of bed.

He walked over to the restroom and felt like he was lighter. Dismissing it as sleep deprivation, he closed his eyes and let his muscle-memory take him to the bathroom.

*bang*

"Ow!"

Johei was sent back down onto the ground and rubbed his head.

"Geez, okay maybe that wasn't such a good idea… huh?"

He looked at the room and realized it had changed.

"Am I still asleep?"

He tried pinching himself but felt something sharp.

"OW! What the hell?"

He looked at his hands and noticed that his fingernails were much longer than they originally were. Not only that, but they were also painted.

"Oh crap… Loki, I really hope you're pranking me again."

He walked down the unfamiliar hall and somehow found the restroom, where he looked into the mirror.

"Holy crap… holycrapholycrapholycrapholycrapholycrap-"

"Dude, what are you doing… What the fu-?!"

Johei closed his eyes and covered his face.

"Hooooooly crap, please let this be a dream…"

Johei saw that he had turned more feminine with long black hair. Loki had changed as well; He no longer had a computer screen for a face and seemed to look more terrifying than usual. Johei heard a voice from downstairs.

"Mikan? Are you alright?"