"Good evening, my dearest."

Pharos's voice rang beside her ears. Hamuko opened her eyes and pushed herself up from the bed, knowing he would show up somehow. She hadn't fall in sleep, anyway. But taking a nap before he showed up would be better than ever. She's hell tired from all days training.

"As expected, Pharos." She sighed. She just hoped she's wrong however, but she already knew his pattern, and when he would actually show up during the Dark Hour.

The little boy raised one of his brows. "You know I'll come?"

"…It's a week before full moon, after all." She pointed the calendar she hanged on wall above of her study desk. It's not that difficult to figure the date he would visit her, wasn't it?

Pharos widened his eyes and smiled in amusing. "I see. You're observant." His smile turned wider, as if knowing what's on her mind. "…It seems you have question for me."

"Yeah, serious question, and I need the answer no matter what." She told him in the first hand, as this little boy was tricky enough. "About the thing we fought last night…do you know what that was?"

After she and Minato got back from the exhausted training, Mitsuru gathered all of them in command room to discuss this matter. From the description of Akihiko and Ken, the black thing they fought actually targeted the shadow nearby, and without a clue, it attacked Ken and Koromaru after finding they're there. And more importantly, it ate shadow, and perhaps persona as well, as Polydeuces almost became its food.

It really hit them to the core. A persona that ate shadow? That aside, was that really a persona? It didn't seem to be anything like a persona. It's too difficult to believe. But Hamuko had to admit, that her knowledge about persona was lesser than Mitsuru. If Mitsuru insisted that's a persona, then it would seem to be in that way.

Fuuka would try to find it out, but the chance of finding it would be slim since they realized its appearance. It might hide for a while. Anyway, before they could get further information about it – about the Shadow Eater, they couldn't do anything to it. They didn't even know who's behind this. They completely had no clue.

That's why she thought Pharos would know something. Anything that could give her a clue about what that was.

Pharos let out a sigh instead of answering the question of her. It seemed the question really bothering him. She could see a hint of sadness flashed across his ocean blue orbs before he fixed his gaze on her again.

"What makes you think that I will know about it?" He questioned her back.

It furrowed her brows indeed. Now she's the one who asking question, so why she's been questioned back?

"…Because you seem to know everything, but refuse to tell us." She said directly, mixing with furious.

It added another amuse in his smile. He chuckled.

"Well…that's true. I know everything, including the future, but I really had no idea about the Shadow Eater you spoke about. It's a new threat for me too." He opened his arms pretending he's innocent at the end of the sentence.

She doubted his word. He even admitted he knew everything. How supposed she would believe in him in that way?

She rubbed the bridge of her nose, letting out a frustrating sigh. She just didn't know how to handle this boy. He's even difficult than Minato.

"New threat? That's meant the Shadow Eater doesn't include in your so-called future?"

"Yes…it must be because of the reset of the world." He looked out from the window, staring at the gigantic green moon. His voice was timid, as if he's talking to himself instead to her.

Feeling being ignored, Hamuko crossed her arms in annoyance.

"Reset?" She didn't miss the important part however. "What do you mean?"

"No, it's nothing." Pharos again faced her with that smile – a smile when he tried to hide something.

"Not again, Pharos -"

"I'll tell you everything, I promise, my dearest." Pharos broke her sentence with pressed tone. It shocked Hamuko for a moment. "…Not now."

"…It's so much fun to deal with the both of you in the same time."

Raising one of his brows, Minato stared at Pharos who stood near the window. The green light shined from the window made him looked like bathed in light. Minato had to narrow his eyes.

"…You're with Hamuko right now?" What was this? He could shift into two?

Pharos chuckled, as if reading his mind. "Both of you are my half. It's normal."

Minato nodded. He let it slide, since he couldn't really understand it after all.

"Hamuko asked me the same thing…regarding the Shadow Eater. It seems you two thought I would know something about it." The little boy shrugged. "Unfortunately, I don't."

"…Not even a clue?" Minato sighed. He knew it wasn't easy, but never had he thought that would actually cringe on his heart and made him so frustrated. "So, you're coming to warn us about the ordeal one week after?"

"Yes, of course…but I don't think I have to worry about you." He smiled, like an innocent child. "Oh…looks like Hamuko's getting pretty annoying with me." He looked down to the floor, and then chuckled. "She's like that since our first met."

"…Because you refuse to tell us. You know her, she couldn't stand it." Minato yawned, covering his half opened mouth.

"But you never ask me."

"…I'm waiting."

"You always like that Minato. You look as if you don't care, but you do care than anybody else."

"…Stop pretending you know me."

"I do know you. I've been with you such a long time...though the time we really spent together was less than a month." Now Minato could really find Pharos's eyes shined with sadness. "I just hope that time would forever froze at that moment. The time we spent in Kyoto…the time we study in the class, having fun with Junpei…looking for a new MP3 for you…those were my most precious memories."

Mianto frowned. He didn't remember he had spent time with Pharos before. He didn't go to Kyoto before. His MP3 was fine than ever since he transferred to Gekkoukan High.

"Hey Pharos…"

"…Forget what I said. It's just some…self talking." Giving it a shrug, Pharos forced out a smile. And that shut Minato from whatever he's trying to say. "Don't worry about the Shadow Eater for now. 'She' is checking for all of you. It's her job after all…so just leave it to her."

Now he's talking about it again, trying to pull it back on the earlier topic. Minato knew he didn't want to tell him now. If he would, he could simply using force and pressed him out. But that just wouldn't do, and he hated it.

That's why, he waited. Waiting for the time he would tell them, including the 'she' he always talked about.

Though…he might have a clue.

"Not now? When will be the suitable time?" Hamuko huffed. She couldn't stand it. She knew it's rude to act like this to a boy – in fact, she felt even frustrated to deal with him with such manner. She knew there's better way.

"Let's say…what about after defeating the twelve Shadows?"

She raised a brow. "…It's too late." She doubted him.

"…I'm no lying." In fact, they would remember by themselves. There's no need to tell them. "Trust me, my dearest. I'll ever lie to you."

Her heart suddenly ached. As if someone gripped it from inside. He's not lying, a part of her told.

"I'll visit you again. Be careful on your next mission…and the people around you." He rubbed her hair, feeling the softness on his palm. "Have a good rest…I love you, my dearest."

"I love you."

It rang something in her mind. She heard it before!

Immediately she wanted to grab him. An urge pushed her from deep of her heart. But before she could grab him on hand, he already vanished in front of her. All she could feel was the bitterness lingered on her tongue.

It made her felt so…empty.

"What are you doing over there, Hamuko?"

Rio, raising her brows and looking at the auburn haired girl who kept pressing her phone for the past few minutes and never stopped from mumbling something under her breathes.

"Wait a minute Rio…" Hamuko concentrated on her phone, and when finally she pressed the 'send' button, she jerked up from the corner of their room and headed to Rio. Her face still covered with a shade of furious red.

It made Rio raised a brow, and feeling amused in the same time. Her lips tilted up into a beautiful shape. "What's the matter? It's that…Arisato-kun?"

Hamuko choked. "H-How did you know that!?" She hadn't mentioned that jerk's name, had she?

Rio burst out a small laugh, but quickly covered her mouth.

"You're too easy to read, Hamuko." Rio raised her hand before Hamuko went crazy on her, but that smile still hanged on her face. "I mean…who will ever make you angry like that?"

"…He's a jerk! Damn jerk! Stupid jerk!" She shouted, didn't matter if her voice would bother the other people. "I messaged him to wish him good luck on his tomorrow's tournament…but you know what I got from that?"

"What?" Rio asked, having already knew what would be the answer.

"He told me 'You really are annoying.'!" Hamuko almost tossed her phone to outside of the window. Luckily Rio managed to take that away from her before she could do that to her poor innocent phone.

"…Hamuko, your phone has nothing to do with this." Rio shook her hand, and thinking it would be better to keep it with her for the moment. For the phone's sake.

"Stupid Minato!" Grabbing the blanket from the floor, Hamuko buried herself into it. She let out a sigh for it fluffiness and softness.

They stayed in Amagi Inn for their training in Yasoinaba. Morning was all training stuffs, and Hamuko hadn't had any chance to think about the tournament Minato would take part on tomorrow. When they finally were being released from the exhausted training, she decided to send him a good luck message. Although she couldn't make it back in time, a message would do.

But…

You really are annoying, aren't you? It's time for bed already, so go to sleep.

It's not like she expected something from him, but…but at least said something better!

"…Okay, I decide I'll head back to dorm even we got back earlier!" She huffed, and shut her eyes, not wanting to think about Minato at this moment.

Immediately Rio chuckled loudly.

"Hamuko…you and Arisato-kun are so cute!" Her face brushed up with red. "Sometimes I'm envy the relationship of you and Arisato-kun. Say…are you two…together?"

"W-What!?" The question immediately choked her up. The image of Minato came back to her again. "Where do you get that idea from? O-Of course we're not!"

"But…you two look like couple. Don't you know? The students in our school said you two are together." Rio sure knew how to pick on her.

When that rumor started to go around in the school? She didn't know at all!

For first, people said she, Junpei-kun and Minato-kun were in triangle love. When did Junpei-kun being ignored and she and Minato-kun have become couple? Rumors…were scary, huh?

She knew they always stuck together whenever they went. They even stayed in the same dorm. She liked to stick with him instead of the others because it's more comfortable to be with him. She needn't to hide in front of him.

Because they're friend?

No, it's not like that. He's always being there for her whenever she needed. He always lent her his hand whenever there's anything. They're more than friend. They could place their life to each other. They're more than lovers. They knew what had on each other's mind. They needn't words…and it did happen a few times on the fight.

What that should call?

"…I don't know how to explain it, but that's how I feel."

"That doesn't explain anything, Hamuko." Rio sighed. She hoped to hear something from her though…

"Rio, it's almost time for bed. We should sleep." Hamuko said after checking the time. It's almost Dark Hour.

"Yeah…I'm tired." Even so, Rio couldn't wipe that smile off her face. She just hoped if she and Kenji would be like that. She's so envy…

"Good night, Rio."

Before she hit the pillow, her phone rang. It's message sound. Rio handed the phone back to her.

Good night.

It's from Minato. Hamuko half opened her mouth, feeling angry but amused by the message.

Not apologize, not even saying anything else, but a good night?

"That's just…our Minato-kun." The anger she felt a while ago completely gone by just a good night. She could imagine him scratching his head facing the phone on hand, and pressed nothing but two words to her.

She grinned, closing the phone and put it aside.

She suddenly thought of a word that properly could explain Minato to her.

The other half of her.

Minato lost in the tournament. He fought through all other opponents and stood in the final round. But too bad, he lost to Hayase Mamoru.

That surprised Hamuko the most. From the battle in Tartarus, she had to admit Minato was an excellent fighter compared to others. He could handle any battle well enough even just him alone. But of course, it didn't mean he wouldn't rely on them. He was calm enough and managed to observe any changes in the fight and reacted to the situation.

When she heard the news, she immediately went and asked him out. But the cool boy didn't seem to bother with the result at all. For the question why he lost, he only gave a short answer.

"It's not the same we fight in Tartarus."

It properly referred to the situation of the fight, she thought. A tournament was completely different than a real fight. Hamuko thought that's what he wanted to tell her.

Well yeah, she agreed with it. The fight with shadow was different. It would kill you anytime if you didn't pay enough attention. Unlike in the tournament, if you lost, that's it. But if you lost in the fight with shadow, which meant you would die.

So, she stopped asking him any question.

Though Minato lost in the tournament, Hamuko still wanted to celebrate with him. To her, Minato was the winner, and he would always be.

"Three special, please!"

She wanted to treat him for ramen, the big bowl one. She brought Haruka as well.

"…Celebrate for me with a bowl of ramen?" Minato rested his head on his palm, not very interested with the idea of her. But food was food, and he wouldn't refuse any treat coming from anyone.

"Eat until you satisfy, is it enough?"

"…That sounds better." He hid his smile under his palm, eyes locked on the two people few seat beside them.

"…Whoa…who's that girl?" There's a red haired girl dressed in lolita dress with weird accessories on her head and wrists. "Doesn't she feel hot?" She felt hot seeing her in that dress.

"…It's pretty." Haruka commented. Though she agreed with Hamuko, but she liked that kind of dress.

She knew those two since she kept observing them recently. Hamuko and Minato might not know Chidori…but it's obvious that they would at least know she's someone Jin knew. They sat side by side after all.

"…Let them be." Hamuko still angry about the thing happened before. She had a feeling she and Jin would start another argument again if they talked. "Hey, where's Izumi? I don't see him."

Minato shrugged without really giving any search in the shop. He didn't care if that guy was here. It's better if he wasn't.

Haruka remained silence as she knew the reason why the guy wasn't on duty but didn't plan on to tell. Hamuko wouldn't mind if no one bothered about her. She would find out the answer by her own.

As expected, Hamuko went and asked one of the staffs on the shop.

"Izumi's not feeling well? That's rare." Hamuko couldn't imagine the noisy got sick.

She wasn't said that intentionally, really. It's her first thought about the guy in her mind when it drew out the scene where Izumi lay on the bed. She just couldn't imagine the noisy guy was sick. However, her comment brought a growl from the blue haired boy.

"Ha! That's our heroin playing girl. What's so rare about?"

Jin tried not to pay attention to the cool boy and auburn haired girl when they first stepped into the shop. He's here because of Chidori who insisted she wanted a bowl of ramen. But no matter how hard he tried to press down the feeling in his heart, it burst out after hearing the girl's self talking.

"W-What?" Hamuko widened her eyes. What's with that 'heroin playing' part?

"Don't you ever get sick? What's so rare about?" Jin put down the chopstick on hand. "You know how Jin actually lives? You know how he struggles to live? No, you don't know!"

He remembered the old department Izumi's living now. It's so difficult and hell expensive to rent a room in Japan. No one wanted to rent for someone like that. No one would ever hire them for job who without education. Izumi had did all he could to stay alive until now. But life wasn't fair, especially for them who needed to rely on the capsule until the day they died.

"What's wrong with you!?" She really had no idea what made him shouted to her like that. If so, at least gave her a reason!

Jin knew he's not going to control his anger anymore, ever since he found they're the member of SEES. They betrayed Izumi. That's what kept repeating in his mind, and kept reminding him.

"Well yeah, you guys study in some private school with expensive fees and nice dorm to stay. After graduated, you guys would start your collage life." Jin grinned with tease in his tone. "So what's the right there you to evaluate other's life? Are you saying a person like us doesn't worth at all?"

"That's not what I meant! You're truly nonsense! Ridiculous!" Where's all that coming from!?

Jin knew he went too far for that, but who cared!?

"Jin."

A soft voice snapped him back. He looked to Chidori beside him.

"Chidori…" Shit…he completely forgot she's here too.

"…Pay the bill." She stood up from the seat, not intending to question his unusualness. She took a quick glance of the three of them and walked out of the shop. "If you still want to argue with them, I'll leave."

"Hey wait…Chidori!" Grabbing his belonging, Jin quickly paid for the food and left behind her. Before he left, he looked at Hamuko who glared at him. He knew, from now on, they'd never back to the time they first met. Never and ever.

"What's got into him!? Why he scolded me!?" Did she say something? Why he had to scold her with those terrible words? Never once she thought that way!

"…He's acting weird today." Minato sighed. His mood was worsened with the argument just now. Though it's not direct to him, but to hear that straight in front was more like it aimed on him as well. They're a group after all.

Haruka lowered her gaze. It seemed Strega noticed the recent activities of SEES. Jin must've been found out through their observations on SEES. That's where his anger was coming.

"Three poison flowers blossom in the garden opposite you, and one in your own garden…"

Could she consider she's a poison flower too?

"They're here."

Today was full moon. From the information they gathered from Shinjiro, giant shadow would show up, and SEES would out for taking them down. Following Chidori's lead, they reached to a place seemed to be an underground. The giant shadows were here.

They accepted Tomoyo's suggestion at the end, to interrupt their mission. They would use them to bring forward the end of the world, and they would live until then.

"Underground military basement? The Japan government still has it left here?" Takaya grinned. "It's not easy for them too…to come here all the way to hunt the shadows."

"…I'm not going down." Chidori said motionless. It seemed she wouldn't move her feet from the spot she stood.

"Alright, Takaya and I will go." Jin sighed. He should have expected.

"…Jin, what's wrong with you yesterday?" She asked timidly, not wanting Takaya to overhear them.

Now she asked about it.

"…"

"Is it because of the two of them?" She's referring to Minato and Hamuko.

"They're inside, aren't they?"

"Yes…I sensed them…was this the reason you accepted Tomoyo's suggestion?"

"N-No, of course it's not!" Why talking like he's a child?

"…Really?" Her cold glare obviously doubted his words.

He growled. "…Part of it. But more importantly I want to revenge. I want to see their pathetic faces when they knew all their efforts are worthless."

"…I see."

"Jin, are you coming with me?" Takaya called from the front.

"Of course."

He would always follow Takaya. He would always by his side.

"Who are these guys!? Lucia didn't sense a thing until now!" Fuuka gasped, surprised by the two intruders that suddenly showed up.

"Good evening, everyone." The pale man first spoke. "This is the first time we've met in person. My name is Takaya. This is Jin." He introduced the two of them.

Hamuko widened her eyes as she laid her sight on the blue haired boy beside the man named Takaya. She took a quick glance on Minato, seeing he's with the same expression as her.

Why Jin was here?

"We're known to some as Strega. We've been keeping an eye on you…"

"Strega…?" Mitsuru repeated the word under her breathe.

"From what we hear, you've been undertaken a "righteous" battle to save the world. But we've come here tonight to put an end to that dream."

"What?"

"Why the hell would you wanna stop us!?" Junpei shouted.

"Simple. If the shadow and Dark Hour disappeared, then so will our power. And we can't let that happen, now can we?" Jin answered for Takaya.

Hamuko finally understood. She finally knew why he would shout at her like some insane yesterday.

He knew who they were. He knew what they're doing in Dark Hour. He's active during Dark Hour, mostly a persona user like them.

"Power…? Don't tell you're persona users as well!" Mitsuru was so agitated.

"Why don't you use that pretty little head of yours for a change? Only a selected few wield the power of a persona, and the Dark Hour is a frontier that is ours to explore…just like the Tower of Demise…" Takaya opened his arms as if the Tartarus was right in front.

"You're crazy! There's no telling what will happen if we don't do something about these Shadows!" Yukari retorted back.

So…their thought was completely gone against them. Though Hamuko didn't believe Dark Hour would disappeared just by defeating the giant shadows, Hamuko still wished for it, hoping they would back to their normal life.

But Jin was different. He's attached to Dark Hour, and Dark Hour was the place they dreamed about. He…Strega wanted to be a piece of Dark Hour.

But why? What's made them to stay in that world instead of the real world? It's nonsense!

The arguing continued. Hamuko couldn't listen to the rest of the conversation. She bit her bottom lips, hoping to get rid of the frustration inside her.

"How about the rest of you? Do you also wish to return to your pathetic, ordinary lives?"

Everyone shut their breathing for a moment, as if Takaya just shot them on heart. Knowing the existence of Dark Hour meant to stay different than others. Wielding the power of persona also meant it's destined to fight shadow, no matter what your will was.

The normal life was boring compared to the life of Dark Hour. But…

"You've each got your own reason to for fighting. 'Justice' is only an excuse. And that makes you all hypocrites!" Jin glared at them…not, the two of them. She and Minato. "So I say, to hell of you!"

Minato and Hamuko exchanged a glance, both cursed.

They might be right…but…

"I told you to stop judging us from your own point of view!" Hamuko stamped her feet hardly to draw their attention to her. She had enough of this. She had listened enough of their shit!

"Hamuko…?"

"Yeah, I have my own reason for fighting. Everyone does. What's wrong about this?" She asked him back. Yesterday he kept asking her why, and now she's going to ask him the same thing. "Why can't we fight for our own?"

She admitted she and Minato fought to gain their memories back, even if this was the worst choice they had. Yukari fought for her father. Mitsuru fought to atone the sin of her family. Fuuka fought to lend them her strength. Akihiko fought for his dead sister, and Junpei…whatever reason it would be, it's none of their business.

"Jin, for now, you got your reason to stand against us as well, aren't you?" Minato said. It made Jin's face twitched. "No matter what reason it may be, it's not your right to ask about. If so, I could have asked you the same thing: Why stopping us?"

"…Shut up! You don't even know what Kirijo did to us!" He pointed the redhead; almost want to swallow her lively. "Just ask her…what they had done to us ten years ago!"

Mitsuru jerked up a bit. She had a bad idea about what Jin spoke just now…very bad idea. And she hoped it wasn't true.

"Don't tell me…!?"

Minato stood in front of Mitsuru, shielding her Jin's murderous glare.

"You don't know about us too. You don't know what she and her family bear for the past ten years. You don't know how she feels, how she keeps reminding herself for not forgetting the sin her family had done."

"Arisato…"

"Jin, if you stand in our way, you're our enemy." And Hamuko hoped he'd not. She wouldn't want to fight Jin. To be an enemy meant they would fight each other one day…one day in the future.

"Ha! Don't make me laugh, Hamuko! We're enemy since the day we met!" He punched on the steel door with all his strength. It's hurt, but he glad he did that. It helped him to calm down. Now he had a lot to explain to Takaya.

When they're about to kick the door closed, Chidori's voice suddenly cut in.

"…Takaya, something's coming to the underground."

"What is it?"

Her voice was unusually shaking. "It's that…"

On the same time, Fuuka detected something. She summoned Lucia and –

"This is…!" She gasped out loud. "Be careful! It's…coming down here!"

"W-What is that!?"

Fuuka's eyes filled with frightened. "It's the…it's the Shadow Eater!"