Chapter 6 – Day of Discovery
Yukari sat next to the hospital bed containing the sleeping figure of Akane Arisato. This was her second day visiting after the Magician's attack. The doctors who looked after the sleeping young lady reached the same conclusions as the emergency response doctor, they couldn't find anything wrong with her. She just continued to sleep, completely oblivious to whatever went on outside of her mind. If anything, it reminded Yukari of the princesses of western fairy tales, who fell into eternal slumber from a witch's curse. Still, no matter how she painted the scenario, it didn't stop her from feeling regret after what happened that night.
Her duty was to protect Akane and get her to safety, but she failed to accomplish either task. She fell victim to the fear that immobilised her entire being whenever she tried to use her Evoker. No matter what she did to prepare herself, her mind kept on screaming: "It's a gun! Don't kill yourself!" And every time, she failed to pull the trigger and awaken her Persona. Yukari cursed herself for this. She let her fears overwhelm her that night.
And when Sakuya leapt in to save them, her mind completely froze up from the confusion. She was confused as to why the one boy who gave her more grief in three days than Junpei did in all the time she knew him decided to help. And how he, Persona or no, was able to fight like a demon and lose only due to his own cockiness. And when that happened, there was nothing stopping Akane from turning the mock gun on herself. To her, Yukari had failed her first mission as a member of SEES.
She clenched her hands tight as she looked at Akane with tears obscuring her vision. "I… I'm useless." She thought as she looked on. "I wasn't there to help you, to stop you from ending up like this… I'm sorry… Akane…"
Before she could beat herself up any more over the incident, the sound of the room's door sliding open interrupted her thoughts. She looked up, and to her surprise, found Sakuya standing in the doorway with two brown paper bags in his hand and a forlorn look on his face. He wasn't smiling as he usually did.
Now that she thought of it, Yukari didn't see a single genuine smile on his face since Akane was hospitalised. At school, his normally gleeful expression looked forced and instead of assuming a mute smile as he worked, he dropped it completely. His interactions with the other students were half-hearted, too. Another notable change was that the normally open jacket was zipped up. Yukari suspected that this was because Sakuya's uncanny skill of eating with his eyes closed was failing him, if the specks of soy sauce staining his collar was anything to go by.
It was clear to Yukari that Sakuya was also affected by this turn of events on some level. Normally, she kept her guard up and was filled with disgust whenever she saw the blue-haired menace. But ever since his change of attitude towards her and SEES, she began to doubt her perception of him. Just like now, as he strode over to the other side of Akane's bed and looked at Yukari dejectedly.
"Still no change?" He asked in a deadpan voice.
Yukari dried her eyes shook her head. "No. The doctors didn't notice anything different."
Sakuya sighed and turned his gaze towards the sleeping girl. "Y'know, I kinda blame myself for this."
That caused the girl in pink to look up in amazement. "W-what makes you say that?"
"I was too busy being a show-off. I could've used Seth to kill that Shadow easily. But no, I wanted to finish it with style." He then sighed and looked away. "Why do I keep forgetting that human opponents are much more susceptible to that stuff...?"
He then noticed out of the corner of his eye that Yukari was looking at him in confusion. She obviously didn't take a peek at his school file or the documents the Nanjo group have on him. Then again, the latter probably didn't turn up yet. So he cleared his throat and answered the unspoken question. "I got into a few fights at my last school. That's why I'm doing my second and third years here."
"Oh… I see." Was Yukari's only response. That response only half-answered the reason why he was able to fight so well. She decided not to push it, though, seeing how visually shaken he was. "Anyway… You shouldn't blame yourself too much."
Sakuya raised an eyebrow at her comment. "Shouldn't I be the one telling you that?"
"Probably... But, you handled yourself better in that situation than I could've done. You actually managed to damage that Shadow while I… I…" She almost couldn't bring herself to say the words out of embarrassment, but managed to admit it after a long pause. She couldn't look at either of the room's other occupants when she said: "I was too scared to do anything."
An awkward pause followed. Yukari was swamped by sorrow after admitting the truth, she was too scared to save even one person. And she regretted it. Seeing her tear up again, Sakuya exhaled heavily and gave a response.
"I'd be surprised if you weren't scared." Those words caused the brunette to snap her head back up in surprise. "Your dorm gets attacked by demon-like monsters wearing masks, you get chased by a bigger monster that wouldn't look out of place in a hentai manga, and end up having to choose between death by said monster or living by shooting yourself in the head." Sakuya then smiled sympathetically, the first genuine smile in two days. "Sounds scary to me."
Despite all that was going on in her mind, Yukari couldn't help but smile at that comment. But then it turned to a confused look soon after. She caught the blue-haired boy glaring momentarily at something next to her. His gaze was full of annoyance. The confused girl couldn't see anything when she turned to look. Plus, the blind was closed. He couldn't have been staring at something outside the window. Yukari was trying to figure out the reasons for his sudden mood swing…
WHAP!
…and was caught by surprise when he casually chucked one of his bags onto the bedside table to her right.
"I bought her some fruit." He said to the confused girl, not bothering to explain the aforementioned scowl. "Didn't know what she liked, so I decided to buy something I would eat in case she didn't wake up anytime soon. Feel free to help yourself. That's what I did on the way here."
Deciding to go with it for now, Yukari raised an eyebrow at his explanation. "You do realise that if you buy fruit for someone, you're not supposed to be the one who eats it?"
Sakuya coyly raised the other bag he had. "I bought enough for me to pick on as well. Besides, those two bags cost me twenty-six hundred Yen. I'd hate to see it go to waste. Not to mention there's no telling when she will wake up. So, live dangerously on me."
"I'll keep that in mind." Yukari replied.
Sakuya then looked at the clock above the door, then made his way to the exit. "Well, since she hasn't woken up, I'll leave you two in peace. Bye."
"Goodbye… Oh, wait a moment!" Yukari called, causing the young man to pause when he grabbed the door handle. The next few words were hard for her to say, but she managed to force them out. "Um, Sakuya… Thank you, for helping us that night. And for trying to cheer me up."
A few seconds later, Sakuya turned around with a smile on his face. "Think nothing of it."
He then exited the room, gently shutting the door behind him.
"…He does have a heart after all." Yukari smiled once more, her spirits lifted by that unusual encounter.
It made her think how cruel she had been in the way she perceived the blue-haired boy. Sure, she was confused when he decided to be a lot more friendly and helpful than usual, but to completely dismiss his capabilities as a nice person was a step too far. She even thought that his being friendly with Akane was merely an attempt to hit on her. But his actions over the past few days turned that perception completely on its head. Whatever his reasons for acting like a complete and utter jerk didn't mean he fell under that definition. So she silently made a promise to Akane that she would be nicer to Sakuya from this day onwards. And she decided to start by opening the bag to try out the fruit inside.
"You have got to be kidding me." She complained out loud, appalled when she saw the contents.
It was the favourite food of the blue-haired boy, the mere mention of which unnerved Akane on her first day of school. Yukari never forgot the uncomfortably skittish look on her new friend's face whenever Sakuya mentioned it or when she recalled the time he hit on the now unconscious girl.
Cherries.
"Well then, screw the promise. He's still an asshole." Yukari thought as her hands tightly clenched the bag in anger. "Why did I even entertain the thought that he was a good person…?"
Sakuya walked down the corridor of the hospital wing, an amused smile playing across his face as he imagined Yukari's reaction. Truth be told, he was actually being sincere in regards his gift to Akane, but not so much for the pink-clad school heart throb. He suspected that Yukari was one who picked up on the small details and would get angry if she remembered the first day of school. But he bought cherries anyway, telling himself that she'll get over it sooner or later. Besides, he could do with some cheering up in this situation.
"Y'know, there's a lot less blood and carnage in that room than I was expecting." The ghost of King Leo said with disappointment in his voice as he "walked" with Sakuya, perfectly summing up one of the reasons he needed cheering up. "The Sakuya I knew wouldn't pass up a golden opportunity like that. It was just you and the two girls, you have a switchblade in your pocket and could summon Seth at any time. It would've been easy to deal with the pink one and do whatever you wanted to the two defenceless beauties before killing them."
"What's this?" Sakuya thought with mock surprise. "Did I really hear King Leo of all people advocating rape? Weren't you the one who said you'd take arson and murder over sex any day of the week?"
The masked spectre shrugged. "Guilty as charged. But you're a growing lad. Don't tell me you don't need to satisfy your animal desires every once in a while…?"
"Contrary to popular belief, humans aren't animals." Sakuya argued. "If we were, there would be no way we could build cities, organise as a nation, heck, even cave drawings, speaking or even thinking the way we do would be a stretch. We'd just be savages looking out for our basic needs and nothing else…"
"Enough with the freakin' ethics lecture, professor. You're giving me indigestion."
The blue-haired boy frowned in disbelief.
"Figuratively speaking, of course."
Leo then "stood" level with Sakuya, his eyes glaring towards the young man. "And you know what I'm implying, so drop the cheesy act. You've been ordered to kill the guys trying to reach the top of Tartarus. Our opponents are usually a bunch of Persona-users, and who are the only ones we know of in this city? That Seers-whatever group, of course!" He then moved right in front of Sakuya, bending so their eyes met. "So why did you tell me to shut up me back then when I prompted you to start a-killing?"
"Because of a few very simple reasons, Mufasa." Sakuya said, coming to a standstill while the spectre growled at the nickname. "First of all, the Kirijo group runs this hospital. They're going to keep anyone affiliated with Mitsuru under close scrutiny. Plus, they know that I'm… of an interesting disposition. All fingers will point to me if I "start a-killing" and use Seth to eradicate the evidence."
"So what?" King Leo barked in frustration. "That didn't stop you in the past! Sure as hell didn't stop me."
"And that brings me onto my last point." He pulled a couple of cherries out of his bag and popped them in his mouth before continuing on his way. "Iwatodai is too peaceful."
The King tilted his head at that statement. "What kind of excuse is that?"
"Have you forgotten? Sumaru City was practically a warzone by the time my service began. People dying left, right and centre because the New World Order tried to take over meant that one extra body on the pile didn't make that much difference until people look at the post-carnage reports." He then stopped to spit the pips and throw the stalks of the cherries into a nearby refuse bin before continuing. "But here? Apart from a few people losing their souls every now and again, there's nothing serious enough going on that will allow me to slip under the radar immediately after I kill someone."
The annoyed spectre grumbled, his smoky form trembling in frustration. He was so worked up that he didn't realise he stopped moving until Sakuya walked right through him, casually continuing on his way.
"So with no smokescreen, killing them now would be suicide. My skills and Seth's powers may be more than a match for SEES' Personas, but the Kirijo Group is a big organisation. It wouldn't surprise me if they had a few aces up their sleeves." Sakuya came to a halt when he reached the reception lobby of the hospital, pretending to look through the magazine rack of the gift shop as he finished the conversation. "To sum up, they'll get mad if I hurt Little Miss Kirijo and her friends, then throw everything plus the kitchen sink at me in response. I'd rather like to avoid that scenario… Oh?"
His train of though was interrupted when he sensed the presence of a Persona-user nearby. Sakuya was no expert in examining the auras of others, but he could tell that the potential of the user was untapped. He could also tell from the intensity of the aura that the person to whom it belongs was close by. Right behind him, if he was not mistaken. Acting as casually as possible, he pulled out a copy of a gaming magazine and studied the cover, before slowly turning around as if he just noticed someone standing behind him.
The person in question was a girl around his age dressed in a Gekkoukan uniform with a pair of loafers, long white socks and a teal-green turtleneck beneath her uniform. She had brown eyes, unusual teal-blue hair, and a disturbed look on her face. Sakuya recognised her as a student in 2-E, the next class along from his. He didn't know her name, nor did he have any prior interactions with her, she was just someone in the background. But the way she was looking at Sakuya unnerved him…
No. From the angle she was looking from, her gaze was directed towards King Leo standing a few paces to the right of him.
"A clairvoyant?" He thought, trying his best to keep his mind guarded. "You'd better disappear for now King, just in case. Try not to act as though you know me."
"I think it's a liiiiiittle too late for that." King Leo replied. His voice was quieter and more direct, as if he were watching what he "said" as well.
"Can I help you?" Sakuya asked.
The girl jumped upon hearing his voice, she looked flustered as she shifted her focus. "Oh… no. It's just that I saw… Huh?"
Looking back around, she found that there was no trace of King. He had used the distraction to retreat back into Sakuya's subconscious and become inactive to avoid the girl's detection.
"That's strange, he's gone now."
"If you say so." Sakuya said with a polite smile, trying to mask his relief, not only for Leo's swift getaway, but because he didn't have to deal with that guy any more.
"Come on, Fūka." A stern gentleman called from further down the corridor, which made the girl jump once more. "You'll be late for your appointment!"
"Ah! Y-yes father!" She called back, before bashfully bowing to Sakuya. "P-please, excuse me!"
"By all means." Sakuya calmly replied with a wave of his hand.
Fūka practically sprinted down the corridor as she went to join her father, looking back towards Sakuya once before they went up the stairs. Likewise, Sakuya looked in her direction as he made his way to the exit, glancing out of the corner of his eye so she didn't see the brooding expression on his face. He was unnerved by the curveball that fate threw him. A potential Persona-user that can see into the psychic spectrum… He wasn't sure whether or not to be glad or discouraged.
Despite her early signs of power, there's no telling how much of the conversation she heard between him and King Leo. It could have been only a few words, maybe a sentence, or the whole darn conversation. But no matter what she heard, she would most likely try to make sense of it and explore her powers further. If she were able to eavesdrop on his and King Leo's exchanges, then his mission would lose its "confidential" prefix.
Whatever the case, he was going to keep an eye on Fūka from now on. He started to head back to the school, hoping that the faculty haven't taken down the classroom placements just yet. The schools he went to usually left it pinned to the notice board for the first week before taking it down. And today was a Saturday, meaning that this would be his last chance to catch an easy glimpse of her name. There was no way he would let anyone with that kind of power walk around unchecked.
Gekkoukan High was only a few minutes' walk from the hospital, and the traffic had died down from parents picking up their kids after the bell rang. He was by no means a slow walker, yet Sakuya knew he had to hurry lest he got caught up among those going to retrieve the ones who stayed behind for club activities. His detour to the shops before visiting Akane took him a bit further out of the way than usual, costing him a few minutes more.
He dodged and weaved the gaggle of late leavers from the school, catching a few confused looks as to why someone who always left around the time the bell rang would be speed walking back to school. Sakuya ignored them and kept forging his way along the streets, crossing the roads without using the pedestrian crossings whenever there was a long enough gap (something no law-abiding Japanese citizen would do) and made it through the front gates. He briskly strode back towards the main entrance, the afternoon sun gleaming off the clean glass façade. He wished he bought a pair of sunglasses with him, shiny white buildings and reflective surfaces on sunny days tend to be bad for your eyesight.
After striding into the lobby, not bothering to change his shoes for the short trip across the hall, he went straight to the notice board and found, to his disappointment, that someone had already taken down the class assignment sheet. He cursed himself for being too late, while making a mental note to break in to the faculty office to check the roster some time later. With nothing else to do, he made his way back outside with the last wave of leaving students, and would have been on his way to the train station had had not encountered a certain someone bringing her white motorbike out to return to her dorm.
"Shiomi." Mitsuru said, unimpressed by Sakuya's sudden appearance. "I thought I told you to head straight back to the dorm after visiting Arisato."
"I forgot something." He said plainly as he began to walk past, but was stopped by the elegant girl's outstretched hand.
"And what exactly did you forget?"
"To check the notice board for the upcoming events this year." He half-lied.
"I see." Mitsuru's expression showed that she didn't buy that story. After a short contemplation, she then lowered her hand and straddled her bike. "We'll talk about this some other time since it's getting late. Get on, I'll take you back to the dorm."
That last sentence made Sakuya, and all those around him, do a double take. They immediately stopped in confusion nearby as the equally confused blue-haired youth tried to make sense of what she said. "Come again…?"
"It will take too long for you to walk back now, so I'll give you a lift."
"But… you want me to go back with you."
"Yes."
"On your bike."
"Is that not obvious?"
"And hold onto you."
"Unless you wish to fall off."
"But… I thought that you were…"
Mitsuru shot an icy glare, shutting Sakuya up. It's true that she was still mad at Sakuya and didn't want to be reminded of their first encounter two days ago when her upper thigh was inadvertently probed by his fingers. Especially not with all the other students crowding around them. But her apparent revulsion to any physical contact with him and even the awkward exchange they just had would be enough to get the rumours circulating.
Mitsuru sighed, softening her gaze for the sake of her reputation as she gave an excuse for her offer. "I am merely offering to take you back home since I am here, and my bike can accommodate two people and our luggage combined. And may I add that I'm not used to people questioning my generosity."
Sakuya stayed his tongue as his willpower crumbled. Mitsuru's offer was more like a veiled order, though refusing would be as much trouble as accepting it. Other students would mob him either way with questions or with accusations, judging by the jealous looks from some of the boys and, strangely enough, that peculiar girl who hangs outside of 2-E after school. Seeing no way out of it, he decided to accept.
"…Got a spare helmet?" The other students gasped at that.
"I'm afraid not." She responded curtly "You will just have to be careful."
Sakuya stowed his schoolbag with Mitsuru's bags and then got on behind her as she started up the engine. He then gingerly put one hand around the rider's waist, gave a final awkward look towards the other students while mouthing "I totally didn't plan this", and then held on for dear life as Mitsuru gunned the engine and they sped out of the school gates. He could feel the dirty looks from the various onlookers bore into his back as they left.
Nevertheless, as he tried not to become into a red smear on the asphalt, he lamented once more that he didn't get the full name of the girl called Fūka. It would've made keeping track of and talking to her so much easier, given her apparently shy disposition. If her psychic skills turned out to be as good as he hoped for, then Sakuya would have someone to guide him through Tartarus.
Plus, he was secretly hoping that with her powers, she could give a third opinion about the dreams he and Akane had. Ghostly chaperones or no, he wanted to know what was going on inside his head.
"I heard you gave our guest a ride home." Akihiko said as he entered the control room. "Didn't think you were one to play taxi, Mitsuru."
The redhead glowered in Akihiko's direction. "I did not enjoy it, Akihiko. It was a necessity. Would you prefer it if I left him to roam free?"
"Of course not." The boxer held his hands up in a surrender pose. "That guy needs to be kept in check. I'm just saying that you surprised me."
"I surprised a lot of people today, Akihiko." She replied dismissively, turning her head back towards the papers in her hands.
The papers in question were the documents sent to her by Kei Nanjo, which finally came through today after all the red tape had been cleared. Mitsuru finished reading the section talking about the Persona Game and its newer iteration; the Master Persona Game. After reading these reports, she decided to stick to Evokers as they were easier to use and she had doubts regarding the validity of the games. Once she placed another finished page down on the table as she read through the stack, she finally came to the title page of a section labelled "Dark Blue Moon".
"That all their info about Sakuya?" Akihiko said as he sat down next to her to read.
"Seems like it." She said as she removed the title page and began reading the document with Akihiko.
To the right of profile at the top of the page were two photographs. The first showed a portrait photo of Sakuya when he was in middle school, his hair was shorter, his expression was kinder, and he was wearing a green uniform with a blue bow tie.
The second depicted a young boy with blue hair dressed in what appears to be a grey short-sleeved bodysuit designed for combat. The chest, pelvic area, thighs and knees were protected with light, conforming matte-black armour made from a material that resembled Kevlar, his shins and feet were covered with knee-length black boots made from the same material. His shoulders had no pads protecting them, probably to increase movement during combat. His arms were protected by elbow-length fingerless gauntlets. In his right hand was a machete made of lightweight materials and in his left was a 9mm handgun. An angular silver visor with a tinted red lens mostly obscured his face. But there was no denying that the person in both photographs were one and the same.
"It's him, alright." Akihiko confirmed.
"I suspected that he had combat experience, but not actual military training." Mitsuru voiced her opinions, before continuing to read the dossier.
NAME: Sakuya Shiomi
ALIAS: Dark Blue Moon
AGE: 14 at first encounter, 17 at second.
DATE OF BIRTH: April 29th 1992
GENDER: Male
CLASSIFICATION: Persona-User
ARCANA: The Moon [XVIII]
CURRENT STATUS: Alive. Missing as of the attack on Seven Sisters High School by forces of the New World Order (Henceforth referred to as NWO). No further incidents as of his last known enrolment at Yasogami High.
"New World Order? Weren't those the guys who staged a takeover back then…?" Akihiko mumbled before Mitsuru motioned him to be quiet and keep reading.
Subject is a Persona-user of the Moon Arcana. Persona is Seth, Egyptian deity of the desert, storms and chaos. Armed and highly dangerous. Behaviour unpredictable. Approach with caution.
Subject's identity was confirmed by a friend of the Shiomi family attending Seven Sisters High as a student. Sakuya Shiomi is a fourteen year-old boy orphaned by the death of his parents due to faulty structural and electrical integrity in their apartment in the Aoba Ward of Sumaru City. Left mentally unstable by the incident, though eyewitness accounts noted that he showed early signs of mental instability after playing an occult game in middle school. Subject spread rumours that he had been trained as an experimental super soldier by a secretive organisation in order to gain weapons training and combat experience.
"Wait," Akihiko said after reading the last sentence, "how on earth do rumours become reality? There was nothing in his file about being trained by the Order before that part."
"It was detailed in an earlier report." Mitsuru explained. "Apparently, if a rumour was spread and believed by the populace, then it became reality. Something happened to the city which caused this strange phenomenon."
"Reminds me of the Dark Hour." The boxer mused, earning a knowing smile from Mitsuru before they continued reading.
Subject disappeared for some time before the NWO began spreading rumours about the JOKER Curse (See corresponding document for more information.) and began work as a lone operative. Subject successfully sabotaged and neutralised strategic targets in the city that allowed the NWO to further its goals and invade the city.
Subject last seen participated on the attack on Seven Sisters High (Picture above provided by Yukino Mayazumi) where he turned against his own forces and aided the St. Hermelin Persona-users. The reasons he gave afterwards are that:
"[The NWO] is run by boring old fogies with telegraph poles rammed up their butts. Also, their soldiers looked too much like Hitler's Last Battalion. It was an honest mistake."
Naturally, both Mitsuru and Akihiko were flabbergasted by that quote.
Subject disappeared after helping to defend Seven Sister High, abrasively dismissing the people he aided due to him not trusting them. Gave his name as his alias of Dark Blue Moon before leaving. Subject's current location and status unknown from that point onward.
ADDENDUM:
Three years later, Subject found by Nanjo Group agents as a student of Yasogami High in the rural town of Inaba . No further incidents regarding past as Dark Blue Moon. Subject is initially distrusting, dismissive and sometimes antagonistic towards all new acquaintances. A violent personality will only surface in combat scenarios (EX. Dealing with a group of delinquents angry at Subject's involvement with the leader's girlfriend).
CONCLUSION: Subject is to be considered mentally unstable and is to be treated with extreme caution. If Dark Blue Moon personality resurfaces, approach at own risk.
"Riveting read, isn't it?"
The senior members of SEES immediately pulled away from the document and whirled around to find Sakuya behind them, leaning against the back of the couch with his back turned towards them and his headphones on his ears. They were not only taken back by what they read, but his sudden, silent appearance as well. How could he have entered the control room without either of them knowing?
But as the two were stunned silent, Sakuya decided to speak up with amusement in his voice. "I, for one, am surprised that Nanjo-kun holds me in such high regard. Forging relationships takes a bit of time with me, and they often go a bit sour due to my efforts. And in response, he goes and labels me "mentally unstable"! Can you believe it?" Sakuya said, slowly turning his head towards them.
Before either of his dorm mates could form words from their open mouths, he closed his eyes, held up his right hand and said: "Shut up. You're not helping." Sakuya was directing that comment to an unseen fourth individual, but he craftily worded it so it could be applied to everyone else.
"H-how long have you been standing there?" Mitsuru shakily asked, not used to being caught off-guard like this.
"Ever since Akihiko snuggled up next to you."
The white-haired boxer growled at that comment, but decided not to say or do anything since he was unsure about interacting with Sakuya because of what the report said.
The subject of the document then stood up and made his way towards the door, then twirled around and leaning against it. "Don't worry. I won't bite. There's nothing for me to gain by attacking either of you, Yukari or Akane. I'm just a guy who can summon a god from his mind and exist in an hour when everyone turns into coffins."
"Do you expect us to believe that?" Mitsuru spoke up as she marched over towards him, glaring into his eyes. "And should we believe that you attacked Akihiko because you only just met him?" That your despicable behaviour towards all of us is because you don't trust us?"
"Wouldn't you be a little cautious about getting to know others if you saw two of your loved ones die right in front of you?" Sakuya asked with a mute gaze.
Mitsuru held her steely gaze, but did not speak again. She didn't have an answer for that.
"Don't worry though." The blue-haired one said with a warm smile. "Since you've been kind enough to accommodate me these last few days, I'll try to keep my behaviour in check. It's the least I can do." He then extended his left hand and opened the ajar door to his left with his fingertips. He then slid away from Mitsuru and walked away, closing the door gently behind him.
"…The hell was that?" Akihiko spoke up after a few seconds pause with a confused expression.
Mitsuru shook her head. "I'm not sure myself. He seems to be…"
"No, not that." The boxer interrupted. "I came in through the door to your left, and I closed it as I came in. How could he have opened the other door and walked in without us noticing?"
Mitsuru looked towards Akihiko, then the door as the realisation dawned upon her. They lived in this dorm for two years, they regularly came into this room and they know, by heart, all the various creaks and groans the building made as they moved around or opened the doors. So how on earth could he have snuck up on them so silently?
Sitting in the second floor lounge, Sakuya grinned as he imagined the confused looks of his seniors as they realised what he did. "There's a very good reason why I named myself Dark Blue Moon." He then looked behind him towards the ghostly Egyptian god bearing his claws. "You know this better than anyone, don't you, Seth?"
Author's note
I saw the new Persona 5 gameplay trailer while writing this chapter. Things may start to change because of the ideas it conjured up, in regards to how the story pans out and what happens in the battles. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten the direction this fanfic is going (Yet…).
Also, I originally named Chika Ueda as the one who photographed Sakuya, but since the guys in charge of the PlayStation store are a bunch of idiots who don't keep every game available at all times no matter the region, I am unable to play Eternal Punishment to find out if she stays in the Peace Diner during the NWO attack (She probably does, so it may be a good thing that I didn't name her).