Heaven's Despair

Chie and the others had awoken to the sound of washed dishes and the alluring scent of bacon and eggs. She opened her eyes and, to her shock, found Yu had prepared everyone a large feast for breakfast. Chie could hardly believe the size of the meal he had prepared, but he brushed the sheer scope of the feast aside like it was some simple chore. He handed everyone a plate of food, before serving himself.

With no table large enough for them, the Investigation Team was simply eating where they sat. Yukiko and Naoto sat on separate chairs, plates on their lap, Chie, Yosuke, Teddie ate on the floor, while Kanji and Rise ate on the sofa together. Yu stood by the oven, placing his plate on the counter as he smiled.

"Wow... Sensei, this looks amazing!"

"Hopefully it tastes amazing too," he replied. "Please, eat. Tell me what you think."

The silverette motioned for everyone to dig in, and Teddie happily did so. He shoved a spoonful of scrambled eggs into his mouth, before letting out a loud moan. "Mmmm... It's bear-tastic!"

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Where did you even get this much food? My refrigerator is hardly this stocked," Naoto noted, playing with her food.

"Went shopping," replied Yu. "Junes is open 24/7."

"Dude, you went shopping in the middle of the night? And how long did it take to cook all this?!" Kanji asked.

"Longer than I'd hope, less than I feared," he shrugged, before bringing a spoonful of his food to his mouth. Rise, Kanji, and Yosuke soon joined Teddie in enjoying the meal, but Naoto, Chie, and Yukiko hesitated.

"Is there a special occasion for the meal?" Yukiko inquired. It was obvious the girl could see there was something under the surface of the act, though she tried to control her suspicion. She looked at Yu with a scrutinizing brow, and the young man grimaced.

"Smart... There is." Yu dropped his spoon and crossed his arms. "I owe all of you an apology. I nearly got you all killed. My stupidity, short-temper, and to be frank, arrogance, led to all of you nearly dying. I was stupid, I can see that now." Yu's eyes glanced towards Yosuke, who stared at the silver-haired man with a stern, if curious frown. "I'm sorry. I fucked up, and I fucked up bad. That's why I'm stepping down as your leader."

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Dude, are you serious?!"

"I am." Yu held up his hand, stopping the torrent of questions the others were throwing at him. He glanced at Naoto, who was visibly shocked by the announcement. She hadn't uttered a word though. She nodded at him, silently asking him to continue, and he obeyed. "I'm always here if this team needs a plan, and I'm certainly not quitting this team, but I just don't think I'm fit to be your leader."

"So... Who is?" Yukiko questioned, hesitantly.

"We are. Primus inter pares."

"Uh... What?" Kanji scratched at his head, looking at Rise for answers. The idol shrugged her shoulders, before Naoto explained.

"Primus inter pares. Latin. It means, 'First among equals.' He means that we do not need a leader." The detective placed a finger to her chin in quiet contemplation, before looking at Yu. "Narukami, are you sure?"

"I am. Yosuke led us out of danger last time. Yukiko practically saved your life. Hell, Naoto, I know you're smarter than I am," Yu confessed. "We all have traits and abilities that help us, and I think it's only right that we all work together to decide our next move. We vote on what to do, we discuss and debate, and we go over plans together."

"You feel strongly about this. Why?" Her face was unreadable as she stared at the silver-haired leader.

"It's obvious, isn't it? I fucked up, and I don't want my ego to ever put any of you in danger like that again."

Naoto stared at the older boy with inquisitive eyes, before a small smile formed on her lips and she nodded her head. "Very well. I am in support of this decision."

"Me too," Rise agreed. "It's... big of you to do this, Senpai," the idol commented. There was a hint of pride in her voice as she and the young man smiled at one another.

"You're still my Senpai, but yeah... I think I get it," Kanji added. He nodded his head, and Chie could see Rise placing her hand on the blond boy's. The brunette stared in confusion as Kanji smiled at Rise, squeezing her hand with his own.

"Yeah... Sounds good, man," Yosuke muttered. While his tone was understanding, his eyes held an unwavering suspicion. Yu just bowed his head, staring dejectedly at the ground.

"Thank you, Yosuke. Thank you, everyone." His eyes fell to Yukiko and Chie, and neither girl seemed able to look him in the eye. "I know I've done terrible things. I understand that, and I am sorry. I know I'm asking a lot, but-"

Chie interrupted him, surprising the others. "It's okay, Yu." Yukiko's surprised eyes were on her best friend, but Chie continued undaunted. "It's okay. I just want to help however I can."

"Chie, are you sure? You're still hurt and-"

"I'm fine, Yukiko."

Even Yu seemed hesitant with the girl's agreement. "If you're still hurt, I understand if-"

"I said, I'm fine!" Chie huffed as she glared into the silverette's eyes. There was a fire in them as she dared him to stop her. He seemed taken back by the firmness in her voice as she repeated herself. "I'm fine. We can do your whole 'equal among firsts' thing or whatever, but I want to help out. I want to help save Nanako."

"Alright," he agreed. "If you're all in agreement..." He hesitated, giving the others a chance to shoot down the idea. When no one objected, he nodded his head. "We'll leave in a few hours. Get some rest," the young man insisted, before returning to his meal.

Chie sighed and returned to eating her breakfast. The brunette could feel Yukiko's eyes on her, but her friend said nothing. She quietly ate her own food as Chie did the same with her own. Despite the delicious food practically melting in her mouth, there was a bitterness on her tongue that wouldn't go away.

Well, there's obviously something wrong going on there. Should I try talking to her? I'll try to get her to open up later, but I doubt she'll be receptive now... Yu sighed as he left Chie and Yukiko to eat and walked over to Rise and Kanji. The two were quietly eating together and, in a moment of levity he greatly appreciated, Rise was feeding Kanji a spoonful of eggs.

"How risque, Rise. Are you feeding Kanji? What's next? Holding hands?" he joked, embarrassing the two of them. The two blushed and quickly scooted apart from one another as he stood in front of them. "I hadn't realized things had gotten so serious between you two." He chuckled once more as the two's cheeks flared a brilliant red, before his expression turned slightly more serious. "I just wanted to apologize to you both personally, and thank you, Kanji."

"Huh? Thank me? For what?" the young man wondered, tilting his head.

"For nearly kicking my ass. Thanks. And Rise, I never should have treated you that way. You both deserved better."

Both seemed surprised by the heartfelt apology, but Rise was the first to speak. "You're right. We do deserve better." She nodded her head as she stood up, a slight frown on her face. "Will you be better?"

"I'm going to do my damnedest to try.."

Rise crossed her arms and glared at him with sharp, digging eyes. She peered into his own eyes as she picked him apart. Kanji glanced between the two in silent confusion as he wondered just what Rise was going to say, before the young girl smiled and embraced the older boy. "Then, apology accepted!" Her arms wrapped around Yu's neck as she lifted herself up towards his head.

Yu was shocked by the hug, before smiling and returning the gesture. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his cheek against hers as the two embraced. Kanji watched with a tinge of envy, but said nothing as he stood up. The two soon parted and Yu and the blond delinquent looked to one another.

"Kanji, I-"

"S'okay, man. I get it. You were pissed. Lots of guys do dumb shit when they're angry," he reasoned. "We're cool."

"Good... Thanks, Kanji." Yu lifted up his arms, but Kanji quickly stepped back, nearly falling onto the couch.

"I'm good! N-no hugs. I'm good..."

"Awww! Come on, Kanji! Aren't you two 'bros?' No man hug or anything?" teased Rise, gently elbowing her friend. Yu chuckled at the prodding, and at Kanji's scarlet cheeks.

"H-hey! Men got their own way of sharing affection!" As proof of this, Kanji punched his senpai's shoulder in a gesture of masculine intimacy. The blow caused Yu to cringed and he stepped back, holding his shoulder as he nearly cried out in pain. "S-shit, did that really hurt? I barely hit you! Are you okay?!"

"Y-yeah! I'm fine. You just hit one of the bruises Yosuke gave me..." he grumbled, rubbing the aching shoulder. Wait... Shit.

"Huh? Why did Yosuke give you a bruise?" wondered Rise.

Yu winced again, but this was a very different type of pain. He began to slowly explain to the two what had transpired last night, from his own drunken escapade to Yosuke and his confrontation. The two listened with wide, disbelieving eyes. When he was done, he waited for the two to respond. He expected them to yell at him, but he wasn't expecting Rise to smack him across the head.

"Ow! The hell?!"

"Don't you ever try and do something like that again, Yu! What would Nanako have done without her big brother?! What would I have done...?" Her anger melted away under a flood of depression. She trembled at the thought of losing her friend, before moving forward to embrace him once more. "That was easily the stupidest thing you've ever done. Promise me you'll never do anything like it again?" Her voice was a twisted cocktail of anger and fear, and Yu felt a small pang of guilt in his heart.

"Promise us," Kanji added. His eyes were softer than Rise's, but that wasn't from a lack of anger. Yu could see the rage in the young man's eyes, it was just mitigated by compassion. He was certainly infuriated with the silverette, but he didn't throw a punch or raise his voice. It was an anger born of worry and friendship. He spoke plainly as his hand gently rested on Yu's shoulder. "You got to swear on your honor as a man that you won't pull any stupid shit like that again."

Yu glanced down at Rise, who was still hugging him, then at Kanji. He felt the corners of his lips being pulled into a gentle smile as he realized how much the two cared for him. They were his friends... He mentally kicked himself for scaring them like that, and made a promise to both them and himself. "I promise, no more stupid stunts for at least a week."

The difference between their first venture into the temple-like dungeon and their second was as obvious as night and day. The single factor that changed it was Yu Narukami. In contrast to his earlier, militaristic dictatorship over the group, Yu led the others with a far gentler hand.

"Good work, Teddie!" he complimented, nodding in approval of the bear's fighting skills. The bear smiled back, before fighting with even more vigor and ferocity. Yu turned his head and saw Yukiko and Yosuke vanquishing another Shadow with ease. Yu wordlessly summoned a Persona and used it to heal the two, before moving on. "Rise, how close are we?"

"Close. They're just a floor above us," replied the copper-haired girl.

He nodded his head, before walking towards Naoto. The young woman was reloading her revolver as he healed her of any injuries. She looked at him and nodded in thanks as he spoke. "How you holding up, gorgeous?"

"I'm alright. Your defensive orders-"

"Suggestions," he corrected, with a toothy smirk.

"Your defensive suggestions-" she repeated with a roll of her eyes, but a smile on her lips. "-have been excellent in holding back the assault of Shadows."

"Thank you. It was a team effort," he replied. "Look at me. So humble. Truly, you are blessed to know me," he laughed, posing dramatically with a hand on his head, as though he were fainting.

"Hm." Naoto's lips still smiled at her friend's antics, no doubt used to his eccentricities at this point. Her lips curled downward as she quietly asked him, "How are you really?"

"Terrified," he answered without hesitation as he tossed the mask aside. His hand fell and his arms hung limply at his sides as he stared down their path. Kanji was eradicating a pair of Shadows, with Rise's cheering approval. "What if I mess up again? What if Nanako's already dead?" He let out a trembling sigh at the thought. "What if I'm not strong enough?"

"You are one of the strongest men I've ever known," Naoto comforted, stepping closer. She lifted a hand to his shoulder and gently turned him to face her rosy face. "We will save her, Narukami. I promise."

"I might be packing some impressive guns, but I don't think I'm that strong, Naoto," he bitterly joked.

"I'm not talking about physical strength. You have strength of character. You've changed so much. We both have. Together, we will save her and we will bring Namatame to justice." He gazed into her cobalt eyes and the sight of the sapphire eyes eased his conflicted heart.

"You're right. It's just hard not to be scared."

"Fear is natural. True courage, true strength comes despite the fear, not from a lack of it." Yu's lips curved into a subtle smile, and his fingers tingled as his skin turned warm. She returned the smile as their eyes gazed into one another.

"You are remarkable," he whispered, making the young sleuth blush brighter.

"W-what?"

"What?" Realization dawned at Yu and his eyes widened as he coughed into his hand. Damn her for making me lose my cool... "N-nothing. I'm going to... uh... Lead from the front."

"R-right... Good luck."

"Right. You too. Good luck, I mean. Um... Bye," he quickly muttered, scurrying away. He quietly cursed the Detective Prince for breaking his cool exterior, but a part of him was thankful for it. It felt kind of nice to feel shy around someone he loved. By the time he reached the front of the group, he was smiling earnestly.

"Senpai, check it out!" Kanji shouted, pointing ahead. The bridge was coming to a large staircase made of chiseled white stone and gold, ornate railings.

"That's it," Rise declared. "I'm sure of it. Namamtame is at the top of those stairs."

"I can smell it too!" Teddie agreed. "My nose says him and Nanako are up there!"

"What are we waiting for?! Let's go," Chie exclaimed, only to be stopped by Yu's hand on her shoulder.

"Hold on." He looked towards the others. "We should think about this. Are we ready to take on Namatame? If he's the one putting people in here, it stands to reason that he might have some abilities we haven't seen before. I just want us all to be in agreement, before we run up there."

"Well, I'm voting we get in there," Chie stated, pushing Yu's hand off of her.

"Me too," Yosuke agreed. "That bastard is right upstairs and we're all at full strength. Let's kick his ass and save Nanako!"

"For Nana-chan!" Teddie cheered.

"For going up." Yukiko didn't raise her voice, but she did speak firmly as she rose her hand.

"Hell yeah!" Kanji lifted his fist up with a toothy grin.

"Agreed," Rise nodded, with determination in her eyes.

Yu glanced at Naoto with obvious hesitation. She placed a comforting hand on his own and gave a solemn nod. Her warm touch comforted the silverette, finally giving him the strength to agree. "Alright. Let's go." Naoto pulled away from Yu's side, and he frowned at the lack of warmth. Without another word, the group marched upwards, towards their fated battle with the murderer.

They found him at the top of the steps, in the center of a large, golden stadium. He was squeezing Nanako's arm with one hand, and her throat with the other. Yu felt his blood boil as soon as he saw him, and any hesitation he had was burned away. The bastard wore a delivery man outfit, as expected, and his eyes were wide, almost bulging out from his skull.

"Stop it! Stop screaming! I'm here to save you!"

"Namatame!" Yu roared, his voice echoing through the empty, golden sky. "Let go of her! Now!"

"Huh?" The former politician released Nanako's throat, letting the child gasp for air. "W-who are all of you?" He stared at the Investigation Team with confusion, before something seemed to dawn on him. "Wait... I... I recognize you!"

"Big Bro!"

Nanako reached out to her brother, only to be cruelly pulled into Namatame's arms. He held her body with both arms as he began to laugh. "Yes, yes, I recognize you! I saved you. You, and you, and you, and... Who are you?" he wondered, staring at the group's silverette, raising his brow at the young man.

"Let go of her!" Chie ordered.

"No. No, I can't!" he argued, shaking his head vigorously. "I'm going to save her! Like I saved all of you!"

"Save us?! Are you high or something?! You didn't save us!" Kanji growled.

"You nearly killed us!" Yukiko accused.

"Yes. Exactly," he chuckled, pulling Nanako closer. His pupils were mere specks in oceans of white as Yu stepped closer, teeth grinding at the sight of the man. "They called out to me. Begging me. Pleading to be saved..."

"Save this, save that! Did you kidnap people, yes or no!?" Yosuke questioned.

"Yes... Yes, I kidnapped them to save-"

"Shut the hell up!" Yu screamed. He was shaking from the rage brimming inside of him. "Save them, my ass! You're just an arrogant sack of shit who deserves to die!"

"Huh. Arrogant...? Maybe," laughed the deranged man. "But I will save her." He cackled again, raising his head to the empty sky. "Such a beautiful world... Here, I can save anyone! No one will die! I'll keep them here, safe, from the cruelty of the other world! Save from the evil of that diseased place! Do you hear me, Mayumi?!"

Were Yu, or any of the young heroes, in a calmer state, they would have seen the tears pooling in the eyes of the man. Namatame wiped them away as he held his hand out to sky and screamed to the heavens above. "I'm going to save her! I'm going to save everyone! I won't let anyone leave! I-I won't allow it! No more!" He glared at the group with golden eyes as the ground beneath them began to shake.

"B-Big Bro! I can't... I can't brea..." Nanako's body fell limp in his arms as he continued to laugh maniacally.

"What's happening?!" Naoto cried out, feeling the earth tremble. Shadows leaked through the ground and flew into the air, shoving and knocking the Investigation Team aside as they assembled around Namatame.

The Shadows slammed into Namatame like bullets, bending and cracking his body like it was made out of plastic. He cried out in agony as his skin burned and melted. The creatures continued to mix with his body, twisting and writhing his shape as tumor-like growths began to grow from his skin. He rose up, floating into the air as his voice gave out.

"The Shadows... He's merging with them!" Rise gasped.

"Damn it, we've come this far," Yosuke growled. "We're not losing now!"

"You're damn right we're not." Yu's fingers squeezed the hilt of his sword.

Namatame's body had transfigured into a horribly deformed entity. The creature had a bulbous head, with a strange ring tightly wrapped around it, to the point where it looked like it was clamping down tightly on the creature's brain. His skin was pure black, with stripes of crimson going along the putrid flesh. The creature's long, thin fingers twitched and writhed in the air like worms as disproportionately small, scarlet wings flapped on its back. The strangest part was the large shirt it wore, with a peace symbol and a cartoonish heart on it. Despite the message, it glared at the group with red and yellow eyes that darted everywhere in two separate directions.

Nanako's unconscious body laid in his large hand, his fingers tightly coiled around her like boa constrictors. He let out a laugh as he opened his arms to the group, laughing wildly.

"That's disgusting," Yu quietly commented. "Come on, let's kick its ass!" A radiant card descended from seemingly nowhere and the young man crushed it in his hand. "Izanagi, attack!" The card shattered, and his Persona shot forward with golden eyes. He held his spear to the sky and called down several bolts of lightning, all of which hit Namatame perfectly.

Naoto summoned her own Persona, and the others followed suit. The Personas flew forward and attacked the red and black monster with their best attacks. A cloud of dust and smoke formed around the large entity, only for a pair of hands to slither out from it. The hands caught Kanji and Yukiko's Persona and slammed them into the ground, causing both of their wielders to cry out in pain.

"Damn it, he's stronger than he looks!" cursed Yu as Namatame flew out of the cloud of smoke. With shocking speed, the monster smacked Jiraiya aside, before grabbing Izanagi and squeezing him between his massive, spindly fingers. "Ahhh! C-change! Ishtar!" Izanagi glowed within a cerulean fire, before vanishing, replaced with a horned woman clad in white ribbons that barely concealed her more private areas. "Salvation!"

The woman glowed brighter, healing each of his teammates, before Yu commanded her to change again. "Odin!" The woman vanished, replaced by the purple skinned god-king. The Persona let out a loud growl as he freed himself from Namatame's grasp. "Alright! Magarudyne!" Odin swirled his spear in his hand, before firing a wild, green hurricane at Namatame. The blast was enough to push the giant back, giving the group some breathing room. "Everyone okay?"

"Y-yeah. Damn, dude..." Yosuke shook his head as Jiraiya stood back up. "Thank god for multiple Personas."

"Guys! He's about to counterattack!" Rise warned.

The group returned their focus to the rising figure of Namatame, who eyed Yu with his chameleon-like eyes. "You... You're different. Special... Such powerful weapons," he uttered to himself. "But do you know what the most powerful weapon of all is? Do you?!" he screamed, laughing as he held his hands out towards Narukami, before raising two fingers up on each hand, creating dual peace signs. "Manipulation!"

"What?" Yu watched as a scarlet light formed over his head, creating a large cog-like ring over him. It resembled the one fastened to Namatame's head, only much smaller and less complex. It shimmered like a ruby as Yu felt his body stiffen. "W-what the hell...?"

"Now... Help me save her! I beseech you! I command you! Let me save her!" Namatame cried out, and to the shock of his teammates, Yu pulled his sword out to aim at them.

"N-Narukami?! What are you doing?!" Naoto gasped.

"I... I can't... control my body!" The others stepped forward to stop him, but he swung his sword at them clumsily, forcing them back. "What's happening to me?!"

"Attack! Attack! ATTACK! Give me the power to save her!" Namatame screamed, as Yu held out his hand.

A glowing card appeared before it, and despite his best efforts, he crushed the card in his hand, releasing Izanagi on the group."Guys, look out!" Without warning, lightning fell from the sky at the group, only to be blocked by Kanji's Persona, Take-Mikazuchi.

The blond trembled under the attack, but stood his ground. "That bastard's controlling him!" he snarled.

"It's that ring thing over his head! It's letting Namatame control Yu!" Rise explained.

"Then we have to break it!" Naoto loaded her gun and opened fire at Yu. The silverette blocked the bullets with his sword, moving with amazing speed, before he launched another Persona forward at the group. Black Frost let out a maniacal laugh as it rained down hail and balls of fire on the team of teenagers.

"Rise!" Kanji screamed, pushing the girl out of the way of a fiery torrent. The blast hit him instead, throwing him onto the ground as Yosuke summoned Jiraiya to blow the attacks away.

"Kanji!" the idol gasped, running to her fallen friend's side.

"No! Stop it!" Yu ordered, his eyes widening as he saw Naoto recoil from a chunk of ice nearly crushing her.

"See how easily people are controlled? Like puppets. The cruelty and evil of this world shall be crushed by my will! No one will hurt the innocent again!" screamed the black and red monster. "Attack! Attack! More, more!"

"Narukami!"

"Yu!"

A fan spun through the air and grazed Yu's cheek. He grunted in pain as it cut his cheek, drawing blood. He was distracted by the blow, leaving him open for Naoto to charge towards him. She ran forward and spun around, kicking his sword out of his hand and onto the ground. Yu felt his body lunge forward and he and Naoto began to grapple with one another.

"Naoto... I-I can't control myself," he growled through clenched teeth. "Do what you have to! I won't hurt you! I can't!" Despite what he said, he could feel his fingers tighten around her wrists. "No!" He struggled for control, and his fingers began to slowly weaken their grip.

"Narukami." His eyes glanced at her cobalt pools and she smiled despite their situation. "It's okay. I trust you. You can fight this!" Yu opened his mouth to say something, only to feel his body lift up his leg and kick Naoto back. She fell to the ground as Izanagi appeared behind him, spear in hand. "Don't let him control you, Narukami!" she demanded, aiming her own weapon at her friend. "You're stronger than him!"

"Silence! Attack! Attack! I must save her! I need to save her!"

Yu quivered where he stood, trying to breathe as his body fought against him. He stared down the barrel of Naoto's gun, hand stretched out to her. Izanagi was twitching behind him, fighting just as hard as his other half against the Namatame's control. "N-Naoto," he whimpered, trembling in place as his eyes widened.

"Fight him, Narukami!" Naoto lifted her arm up, and fired several times at the ring above his head. The shots ricocheted off of the scarlet metal, but her words still rang true within his mind.

He stared at Naoto, gazed into her radiant, navy-blue eyes. His mind focused as his arm twitched violently. I love her. I'm attacking the woman I love. I... I have to stop! I won't hurt her! Yu's eyes burned with an inferno of rage and righteous fury. He screamed and tore at the shackles his body was encased in, until he was able to slowly lift a shaking arm towards the ring above his head.

"I..." His hand caught the floating ring. It seared his flesh, smoke rising from the burnt flesh, yet he didn't stop, nor did he slow down. "I am no one's! God! Damn! Puppet!" With a bellow of rage and rebellion, Yu tore the ring from the sky and slammed it into the ground. He watched as it shattered against the hard, stone floor, breaking apart into dozens of little pieces. "Fuck you, and fuck your damn hero complex, asshole! Izanagi! ATTACK!"

Yu turned his head body towards Namatame, commanding Izanagi to unleash another bolt of lightning down on the creature. It hit the monster, but the former politician showed no pain.

"Yu did it! He's free!" Rise beamed.

"Way to go, man!" Kanji congratulated, as the others ran to his and Naoto's side.

"Thanks," sighed the silverette as he helped Naoto up. "Glad to know you got my back, Navy Sweet," he teased, winking at her. She actually brushed the compliment off with a proud smile, and only slightly rosy cheeks.

"Arrogant louse..."

"Pesky children. You will obey me! I order you to help me save her!"

Familiar red lights appeared over four members of the Investigation Team, and Yu's eyes widened as he reached out towards the scarlet over Naoto's head. She kicked him in the chest in response, throwing him back as Chie, Teddie, and Kanji all suddenly tried to attack their friends. Yosuke, Rise, and Yukiko cried out in shock, barely dodging their friends' attacks as Yu picked himself up.

"Ah, hell," he growled, as his team was split in half. Naoto struggled to stop her body as she aimed at her revolver at him once more. Yu ran at her and smacked her gun out of her hand, before reaching for his sword. He grasped empty air as he saw the weapon laying on the ground nearby. Oh. Right. She kicked it out of my hands... "Ah!" Naoto's fist slammed into her friend's cheek, knocking him back.

"N-Narukami! I'm sorry, I-"

"I know, can't control your body!" He dodged another punch, taking a quick moment to admire her martial arts skills, before he caught her wrist and kicked at her foot. He was able to trip her, and she fell to the ground, stunned.

"Ahh!" Yu turned his head, and saw Rise in danger. She was barely able to avoid Take-Mikazuchi's fist. Kanji struggled to control himself as his Persona continued to attack the group's navigator.

"Narukami, look out!"

"Huh? Gah!" Yu felt the sleuth's fist against his face again, this time uppercutting him and leaving him dazed for a moment. He stepped back and shook his head, before blocking another punch. Naoto was up again, and staring at him with concerned, pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry!"

"It's okay! Every couple fights," he joked, earning a rosy blush to appear on her cheeks. He dodged another attack, before shoving her to the ground with his shoulder. "Izanagi, break her ring, I'm going after Rise!" he commanded. He shattered the card as quickly as he could, before running to the terrified idol. Izanagi appeared behind him and reached for the ring above Naoto's head, only to be knocked back by Sukuna-Hikona.

The two Personas silently glared at one another as Yu raced off to help his friend.

Kanji couldn't control his body as he swung a fist at Rise. She barely dodged the attack as she fell on the ground. She stared at him with wide, horrified eyes as he held his shield over his head.

S-stop it! Stop it, damn it!

"Rise, move!" Kanji heard Yu shout. The blond didn't know how, but he was able to steer his swing, angle it away from her. He couldn't stop the attack, but at least he was able to change the target. Unfortunately, as he turned around to swing his shield, he realized that target was Yu-senpai. The shield slammed into his head, and momentum threw him forward and landed him beside Rise. "S-sorry!"

"Ugh... Of course he'd aim at me," groaned the silverette, rubbing his bruised face. "Wait, that's it!" He lifted himself up, and quickly helped Rise do the same. Kanji trembled against Namatame's control as he watched the two, silently hoping Yu had a solution for their problem. "Rise, you're the only one who can free Kanji!"

"Huh? How?" Yu leaned close to the girl and whispered something to her. Kanji watched with confusion, before grunting as his legs began to force him forward. "W-what?!" the idol stuttered, looking at Yu-senpai like he was nuts.

"Trust me. You've got this. I'm going to go help the others!"

Senpai really is nuts! How the hell is Rise supposed to stop me?! Kanji thought as he ran forward. Yu was smiling as he abandoned her! What the hell was wrong with him?! Kanji squeezed his eyes shut, unable to look as his Persona swung his bolt shaped sword down on his best friend. The weapon never made contact with the girl though. Instead, the weapon was blocked by a pair of hands struggling to hold back the attack.

"Huh?"

"Hold it, Himiko! You can do it!" Rise grunted through clenched teeth. The young woman was standing below her Persona, straining to hold back the attack. "Kanji! Listen to me!"

"R-Rise? H-how are you-?"

"You're my best friend! Do you hear me, you idiot?! You called me your... your bro! You're attacking me! Don't you get that?!"

"Course I do!" Kanji grumbled, his Persona grappling with hers. Despite the size difference, Himiko was able to stand her ground as the much larger entity crushed her hands. Rise shared her other half's pain, but it didn't stop her.

"Why?!"

"I can't control it, Rise! I-"

"Yes, you can!" Rise assured. "You're stronger than this bastard! You're tougher than him!" Rise fell to her knee as her Person's grip began to slip. "You beat up a biker gang all on your own! You've been fighting monsters single-handedly for months! You've saved my life, and even got your heart broken along the way! And all you've done is come out stronger for it!"

Her words were making their mark, but Namatame's hold on him was still strong. Come on, man! Rise's counting on you! You gonna let her down?! Kanji screamed at himself to push on, to dig deep, and break free from the bastard's hold. His mind roared, his spirit screamed, and his body slowly began to fall in love. He rose his shaking hands above his head as Take-Mikazuchi began to weaken.

"Kanji, I... I..." Rise fell to the ground as the weight was lifted from Himiko's hands. She struggled to catch her breath as she watched Kanji tear the ring from the air above him. His fingers squeezed the ring, uncaring that it burned at his flesh, and with a bellow of rebellion, he tore it in half above his head.

He dropped the broken pieces to the ground as he ran to Rise, holding her in his arms as he called out to her. "R-Rise! Are you okay?! Come on, say something!"

"You... you did it," she congratulated. "Knew you could..."

"Heh... Thanks, Rise."

Yu ran into a hailstorm, racing to Yukiko's side as the young woman struggled to withstand the blizzard. Chunks of ice shattered by her feet as Konohana Sakuya protected the two of them with a shield of flames. Yu slid to her side and smiled. "Hey? You keeping your cool?" Judging by Yukiko unamused frown, she didn't appreciate his humor. "Right, sorry. How can I help?"

"I can't get close to Teddie or the wheel over his head! Can you distract him?"

"I'm me. I can do anything," he smirked. His arrogant smile shifted slightly, expressing more concern. "Yukiko, before I go, I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I'm sorry for lying to you, and for endangering Chie like I did. I know it's hard to forgive me, and I'm not asking you to, but I want you to know I really am sorry!" Yu ducked his head as more ice crashed by the two. "I hope that one day-"

"Narukami!"

"Yeah?"

"We can talk about this later! Go!"

"Right! Sorry." Yu bid the girl farewell, before running out from the cover Konohana Sakuya offered. "Come on, try and hit me!"

"Sensei?! Look out!" warned the bear as his Persona launched a torrent of ice shards at the silverette. The young man was able to dodge them relatively easily, moving out of the way of several attacks, before he tripped. The ground had become cold and icy during the fight, leading him to slide on the ground.

"Shit!" He looked up from the frozen ground, watching Kintoki-Douji aiming his missile at him. The Persona pulled back, ready to toss the missile down, only for Teddie to be blasted by a ball of fire.

The ring above him was hit by a fireball, burning it and throwing it off of Teddie's head. It shattered on the ground, the pieces burning as the colorful bear danced in joy. "I'm free! Beartastic!" he cheered, hoping up and down in mirth.

"I'm so happy for you. Hallelujah," sighed Yu. He noticed the shadow over his body, and he looked up at the source of it. Yukiko stood over him, hand reaching out towards him.

"Need some help?"

"Thanks." He lifted himself back up with her help, before dusting some shavings of ice off his body. "About what I said-"

"I don't know if I've forgiven you." She was honest, and Yu found himself thankful of the fact, at least. "I'm still mad at you. For a lot of things. I don't even know if I'm over you yet..."

"I understand, but I remember yesterday. I just want you to know that I am trying to change, and that I am sorry for the shit that went down. I hope you and I can still be friends." He let out a heavy sigh, before closing his eyes. "And I know that's little comfort. I-"

"It's a start," she reasoned. "I don't know how close you and I are, Narukami, but... thank you for talking to me. And for helping me."

"That's what I'm here for. Being bait," he joked, before several gunshots caught his attention. Yu and Yukiko watched as Naoto fought Izanagi, her Persona knocking the larger entity to the ground as she fired upon him. "Go help Yosuke. I'll help Naoto."

"Right. Be careful!" urged Yukiko as Yu ran to the fight.

"Always am!" Yu ran towards the sapphire-haired detective, only to jump back as Izanagi fell to the ground, grappling with Sukuna-Hikona. "How are you having a hard time with them?! You're three times their size!" The silent Persona glared at his other half with obvious indignation and annoyance, before staring back at Sukuna-Hikona. Yu and Izanagi shared a silent conversation, and the human's eyes widened as he understood why Izanagi was having a hard time in the fight. "Oh. Well, you two would certainly make a cute couple."

"Narukami! Behind you!" Naoto warned. Yu let out a grunt of pain as Naoto's arms wrapped around his neck from behind. He grabbed her hands, barely keeping them off of him as the two fought.

"Naoto, you need to fight it! Don't let this bastard control you!" Yu slowly began to pry her hands away from him, before her foot kicked him and pushed him onto the ground.

"I'm trying!"

"Try harder!" Yu rolled out of the way of Naoto's stomping foot, before he stood up. He silently thanked himself for knocking her gun out of her hand, before he took a fighting stance. He blocked a punch from the shorter girl, before catching her other hand. The two grapple in place, eyes gazing into one another. "You can beat this. You're the Detective Prince! My best friend!"

Naoto's fingers twitched as he held onto her wrists. Her cobalt eyes squeezed shut as she trembled in front of him. "Come on... My strength is yours. I'm here for you," he whispered. He pulled her close, until there was no distance between their bodies. He could imagine her cheeks turning scarlet as he lifted their hands up together. He knew Namatame was trying to get her to kick him again or break free, but the dark-haired woman was strong to fight him. Yu smiled in pride as he began to lift her trembling hands up.

Their hands traveled together, reaching for the ring above their heads. "Naoto, I..." He could feel the words on the tip of his tongue, trying to escape, trying to admit his feelings to her. They were so close. He could smell her vanilla scented shampoo. His every breath was infested with her sweet aroma, as his hands slowly released hers. He silenced his yearning heart, and together, they wrapped their fingers around the crimson wheel. He could see the pain in her shut eyes as the metal burned at their fingers, but neither relented. "Pull!"

The two pulled at the metal, and with their combined strength, they tore the ring in half. They threw the broken pieces aside and Yu caught Naoto as she sighed in relief. "See? Easy?" he panted.

Naoto rested her head on his shoulder, rolling his eyes with a smile... before realizing their positions. She quickly pushed against him, standing on her own on trembling legs. "I'm sorry, Narukami. I hope I didn't hurt you."

"I'm alright. Not the first time you punched me," he teased.

"B-be that as it may..."

Yu chuckled at the girl's embarrassment, before a cry of pain caught their attention. They turned their heads to Namatame and his sole servant, Chie. The young girl and the monstrous entity were fighting against the rest of their team. "Izanagi, let's go!" Yu commanded, turning his head to his Persona. Naoto followed suit, and both paused as they stared at their other halves.

Izanagi laid under Sukuna-Hikona, who sat on the larger Persona's body, hands placed on his chest. The two were staring at one another, some sort of intent weighing in the air. They quickly pulled away from one another and flew in different directions. They each picked up Naoto and Yu's fallen weapons and returned the items to their other halves, ignoring the elephant in the room among them.

"Not a word," Naoto muttered, tipping her hat to hide her rosy cheeks.

Chie felt as though her body was a puppet, with strings pulling at her limbs. She felt her body fly through the air, swung to and fro as she dodged Yosuke's attacks, before kicking him in his chest. He fell back, clutching hit gut as Tomoe appeared above them. "Yosuke, run!" she pleaded, as Tomoe spun her spear in her hands. The blade fell down towards the boy, but it was blocked by his own Persona, Jiraiya. "I can't stop! You need to run!" she begged.

"No way! I'm going to save you!" Yosuke swore, but Namatame's looming, abhorrent form flew towards them. He smacked Jiraiya, knocking the the Persona aside as Yosuke cried out in pain. "Gah!"

"Yosuke!"

The others ran to his side as Namatame floated behind Chie, his eyes darting at the seven. "No, no, no. D-don't get in my way!"

"Don't worry, Chie-senpai! We got your back! Ziodyne!"

Kanji roared, smashing his card and summoning his Persona to his side. Take-Mikazuchi summoned a storm over Namatame and bolts of electricity shot down towards him and Chie. Unfortunately, Namatame moved his hands and defended his minion.

"Damn it! Chie!" Yosuke ran towards the girl, only to be stopped by Yu.

"Hold on, Yosuke! We need a plan!"

"But...!"

"He's right, Yosuke," Yukiko agreed. "We can't just rush in. He was controlling four different people earlier, but now he can just focus on controlling one. It'll be harder to get to Chie's ring now!"

"Look out! He's attacking!" warned Naoto, pointing to Namatame.

The kidnapper laughed at the group, before aiming his free hand at them. A blast of energy fired from it, and the group struggled to stand their ground as the attack pushed them back. "Unerring Justice!"

They're getting hurt... because of me... Chie trembled as her vision began to blur. They all broke free, except me... Is it because I'm just unlucky? No. It's because I'm weak, she realized. She moved her eyes, straining to see Nanako. All she could see were the young girl's legs, dangling from the ebony grip of the monster. Nanako could end up dying because of me.

She struggled against her strings, but she couldn't do it. Her body was imprisoned. She could only watch as her foot dug into Yu's ribs, or her elbow bashed against Yukiko's shoulder. It was like some sort of nightmare as her body violently flailed and attacked her friends. Tears flowed freely down her face. It didn't matter to Namatame. He didn't need her eyes.

Yosuke let out a furious snarl, before launching a torrent of wind at Namatame. The politician just laughed, moving Chie into the way of the attack. Yosuke's eyes widened and he barely had enough time to steer the attack away. Chie was unharmed, but Namatame crushed Jiraiya under his hand while the brunette was distracted.

"Yosuke!" Rise cried out.

"I-I'm fine!"

Why can't I beat this?! Why can't I be stronger?! she asked herself. She bit at her lip, trying to use the pain to break her binds, but all she ended up doing was tasting her own blood. Think! Think, damn it! I need to help them! She watched as Naoto and Yu tried to attack her ring, only to be knocked back by Namatame's hands. They're holding back for my sake... which means...

"Guys!" she screamed. "You can't hold back anymore! You need to go all in!" she demanded.

"What?!" Yosuke gasped. "Is she nuts?! Are you nuts, Chie?! That'll hurt you too!"

"Yosuke... She knows," realized Yu. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Chie, hand tightening around the hilt of his sword.

"I know what will happen, Yosuke. I'll be fine!"

"Like hell you will be! What if-?"

"Damn it, just shut up, you idiot!" Chie commanded. She couldn't even wipe away the tears in her eyes as her body continued to fight for their enemy. "This freak keeps talking about saving Nanako, so there's no way he'd risk letting her get hurt! I'm his only trump card! You guys need to go all out to beat him! We're heroes of justice, aren't we?!" Her nails dug into the palms of her hands as she raised up her fists. "Well, this is what heroes do! They make the tough calls! Hit us with everything you got!"

Chie would be lying if she said she wasn't scared. She was terrified. This could be the end of her life, and she had a million things in her mind she'd never get to do or see. She'd never hear Yukiko's dumb laugh. She'd never have lunch with her friends as they talked about exams and mysteries. Yosuke couldn't complain to her anymore about money or movies or... anything.

She felt it hard to breathe, even as Yosuke fought with the others.

"Don't you fucking dare, Yu! She's our teammate!"

"You don't think I know that?! Do you think I want to see her hurt, Yosuke?!" barked Yu. "You're right, she is our friend, but if we just keep letting Namatame control her, we're betraying her!"

"Narukami has a point, Yosuke-senpai! We can't-"

"Damn it, shut up, Naoto! We can't just-"

"Yosuke." Chie could hear Yukiko's voice as Tomoe grappled with Take-Mikazuchi. "We have to hit them with everything we've got." Her voice was firm, but Chie could still hear the tremble in it.

"Yukiko..." Yosuke closed his eyes and his fists quivered as he quietly muttered something. Yu nodded his head and began to advise everyone of their position.

"Hit him from different angles. Namatame's fast, but if we surround him, we should be able to overwhelm him! Give it all you got, team!"

The others moved in tandem and the young martial artist closed her eyes as Namatame used her body as a shield. This is the only way I can help... I'm sorry I couldn't be stronger, everyone.

They attacked, and Chie's world was enveloped in a bright, white light as Namatame screamed.

END

Fun fact. This chapter was originally Chie's Character chapter, as some might be able to tell. It came out to 13,000 words. I like posting big, long chapters, but that shit's ridiculous. So I split it in half. So while this chapter does have some heavy Chie focus, at least for this story, next chapter is technically hers. That also mean the next chapter will be a bit shorter than usual, but hey, faster updates. Whoo!

There was just a lot to fit into this chapter. Yu's character growth, bonding with friends, Namatame, the fight, Chie's own personal struggle of strength. I tried to reference Chie's social link here, with her demanding the team take a swing at her and putting herself on the line to save the day. Not to mention some jokes and light moments. Since those aren't going to be around a lot in the next couple of chapters...

Also, I changed Namatame's personality a smidge. Nothing major, I like to think, and hopefully you guys are cool with that. I mean, I changed Yu's personality. Why not Namatame a bit? In case it wasn't obvious, I wanted to show Namatame's personality being similar to Yu's. Heh. More on THAT later.

Anything else...? Hope the chapter was good. The next one will be posted pretty damn soon, since it is already done. Maybe in a week, maybe less.

Reviews are always appreciated! They make me feel good inside and proud of the work I do, not that I'm not already proud, but you get my point. Check out Just a Dork, the Persona 5 sequel to this story, starring another protagonist completely different from his canon portrayal! And have a wonderful day, friends! Take care!