Author's Notes: Woke up early again... But that's fine. This is one of my longer chapters. It's also one of my favorite operations. Well... sorta... I like it when the operations are more interactive. It's not just hunt and destroy the Shadow. I just wish they put in more puzzle-type things for each of the operations. That said, these bosses are pretty easy too...

~30 JUNE 2009~

Hamuko took a deep breath before heading straight into the back alley behind Port Island Station. It was still early enough that there weren't as many hoodlums around, but as school just ended, more and more teenagers were beginning to gather. The brunette frowned as her proper Gekkoukan uniform made her she stick out like a sore thumb.

"Hey, what's a cutie like you doing here?" A boy whistled at her. "You lost?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, resulting in the boy flinching from how intensely red they were. "I'm looking for a friend," she responded, unfazed by the crowd around her. "Shinjiro Aragaki?"

"Oh wow," the boy's friend chuckled. "I didn' think Shinjiro could pick up girls like you. Sorry, toots. If you're lookin' for Shinjiro, he ain't here today."

"It's important that I see him though," Hamuko didn't move as she made sure to keep an eye on her surroundings.

"What? He get you pregnant or somethin'?" The first boy snickered. "Proper girl like you should get before an accident happens."

Hamuko got into a fighting stance as they got close to her but a rough voiced called out to them. "The hell's goin' on?"

"Shinjiro-san!" Hamuko's face lit up as she saw the boy's beanie past the two ruffians.

"Hamuko?" The brunet looked at her oddly. "Why the hell are you here? I told you to never come back here." He decided to let it go as he glared at the two boys between them. "And you two. You need somethin' from her?"

"Oh, shit. She really does know Shinjiro!" The second boy backed away. "Let's get outta here, man!"

The junior watched the boys run away as Shinjiro approached her. She gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you for saving me again, Shinjiro-san," she bowed.

"I wouldn't have to save ya if you listened to me," he roughly scolded her. "Now the hell you want with me? Aki ask you to come here?"

"No, I came looking for you myself," Hamuko shook her head. "Minato's investigating something about the Dark Hour and he ran out of leads."

"Then why ain't he here himself?" Shinjiro asked the girl.

"He doesn't know I'm here," she seriously looked up at the older boy. She frowned when she noticed the boy's steel grey eyes glowed with a lifeless light, similar to one she often saw on her own brother. It was a look she absolutely hated to see on Minato, so for her to see it on Shinjiro concerned her. It didn't help that it made the tall boy appear extremely gaunt so she quickly began pulling on his sleeve. "Hey, let's get a beef bowl," she offered. "I'll pay in return for your help and information."

What's she playin' at now? The boy frowned at her before noticing she was completely serious about her offer. Seeing as she probably wasn't going to take no for an answer, Shinjiro sighed. "Fine. But don't be disappointed if I don't have shit to say."

"That's fine," Hamuko giggled, relieved he didn't turn her down.

"Tch," Shinjiro shook his head at her as the two of them began walking together. "You're either brave or stupid to be hangin' with me, you know that?"

"If I were stupid, I'd have been dead in the gutter already," Hamuko morbidly joked. "Besides, you're not stupid enough to try anything with me. After all, you know I'm friends with Akihiko-senpai."

They entered Umiushi and sat in the most remote table they could find. Shinjiro looked through the menu and frowned at how unbalanced the meals were. "I hope you don't mind if I order for us both," he told her as a server came up to them.

"No, that's fine," Hamuko watched as the boy sternly looked to the man taking their order.

"Okay, two orders of the first combination meal. Extra vegetables with half of the normal portion of beef. Keep the sauce on the side and bring us some extra rice too."

"Very well, sir," the server nodded as he jotted down all of Shinjiro's requests.

The red-eyed girl was rather impressed by his specifications so as she stared at him with wide eyes. Noticing her gaze, the brunet frowned at her. "I don't like how they serve the beef bowls," he explained. "Aki might be fine with all the meat, but I ain't okay with it. Kids like you need a proper diet, especially since you're all livin' in the dorms."

"You're very considerate, Shinjiro-san," Hamuko smiled.

"Like hell I am," the older boy slightly tugged his beanie down to cover his slight blush. He shook his head and fixed it before glaring at her. "So what's your brother lookin' into?"

Hamuko quickly became serious as she looked into his grey eyes. "The revenge sites. Nii-san thinks there's a renegade Persona-user running around during the Dark Hour killing people but he doesn't have proof. He also doesn't have the means of going after them."

"What? Mitsuru can't scan for 'em?"

Hamuko shook her head. "We have a new member who nii-san says is a lot better at scanning than Mitsuru-senpai. Senpai's fighting alongside us now while Fuuka-chan, the girl we rescued last month, is our new support."

"So you guys did save her," Shinjiro crossed his arms. "So why the hell are you comin' to me?"

Hamuko remained silent as the server returned, setting out their orders before them. The girl smiled as it was presented to them exactly as Shinjiro had asked. "Thank you," she looked up at the worker as he left them alone. She picked up her chopsticks and was about to pour the soy sauce all over her beef when the boy across from her audibly groaned.

"Don't drown it in the sauce!" he scolded her. "You know how much sodium's in it? I asked to keep it on the side just so it'd be easier to control how much of that shit you use."

"Oh," the girl's face went red. "S-sorry." She put the sauce back down and began eating.

"So you gonna answer me or what?" Shinjiro picked up his chopsticks and bowl as he eyed her carefully. "We ain't that close. Hell, we're strangers. Why ask me for info?"

"You're a Persona-user too," Hamuko responded before shoveling rice into her mouth.

"The crap's a Persona?" the boy frowned at her.

"You can't play dumb with me, Shinjiro-san," the girl smirked as she already caught him in a trap. "I already mentioned Persona-users and the Dark Hour and you even asked about Mitsuru-senpai's scanning ability. You used to be a part of SEES."

"Aki tell you that?" His eyes narrowed.

"No, I put it together myself," Hamuko shook her head. "Akihiko-senpai doesn't talk to me much about you. All I know is that you quit before Yukari joined." Hamuko noticed how Shinjiro visibly relaxed a bit but that lifeless light in his eyes seemed to grow darker. "Why'd you leave?"

"It ain't your business to know why I quit," Shinjiro frowned, quickly snapping himself out of his own thoughts. "But I guess I can't deny that I was a part of SEES. So what? Is your brother suspicious of me or something? You think I'm the one causin' the Dark Hour murders?"

Hamuko shook her head. "Minato doesn't know anything about you other than your name. In fact, he doesn't even know I went looking for you to get information for him. As for the murders," Hamuko took a moment to study the older boy's face and saw a gentle kindness in his features that was definitely reminiscent of her brother, "I don't think you're that type of person. I trust you."

"You know jack shit about me," he bluntly said to her. "You just gonna put your trust in me, simple as that?"

"I'm pretty good at gambling, much to nii-san's chagrin. I think I can put my life in your hands." Hamuko smirked at him.

"You're gonna get yourself killed thinkin' like that," Shinjiro shook his head. "Alright fine. So you know I'm a Persona-user outside of SEES, but you don't think I'm the killer. What else does that leave you?"

"You have to know something about another Persona-user, right?" Hamuko tried. "Even if it's just a rumor or a passing comment you heard in the back alley, there's got to be something you know."

Shinjiro noticed the desperation growing in her eyes. "Why are you tryin' so hard at this investigation for?"

Hamuko frowned to herself as she considered her answer. She had no intention of lying about her reason, of course, but it was difficult for her to admit it out loud because how she felt about her brother was something she truly treasured. It wasn't just something she could just easily share with others, but as she looked up at Shinjiro, she couldn't help but feel that he'd at least somewhat understand how much this meant to her.

After taking in a shaky breath, she meekly answered. "I want to help my brother..."

While that statement was rather obvious to him, Shinjiro sternly frowned as he focused on the way she said it. Her tone lacked the playful confidence she had exuded earlier. In fact, it was rather surprising to see her bright cheeriness crumble into nothing as she laid her feelings bare to him. In the end, he found himself avoiding her agonizing gaze. "Yeah...?"

Hamuko bitterly smiled at herself. "I know you don't have any reason to help me, but nii-san means everything to me. That's why I'm willing to do whatever it takes just so I don't have to lose him." She closed her eyes as she began to practically beg for the older boy's help. "So please, Shinjiro-san...!"

Shinjiro painfully watched the girl as she did her best to hold herself together in front of him. Yeah, he clenched his teeth together in frustration, she really is just like Miki... But just what the hell am I supposed to say to her? He carefully tried to consider his choices, but it was impossible for him to work out a response that would both assist Hamuko and allow him to distance himself from his past. I could tell her about those guys, but if they find out I talked, I'll probably lose access to those meds. If word about that even gets out to Aki, I'm even more screwed... But I seriously can't just leave her hanging like this... In the end, he let out a heavy sigh as he decided he would remain silent about what he knew. "Sorry..." he shook his head at her. "But I haven't heard anything..."

It took the girl a while to calm herself down but when she did, she lifted her gaze to look up at the older boy. "I-I'm sorry for disturbing you then," she said with a forced smile.

Shinjiro frowned to himself as he hated the way the girl was doing her best to mask her massive disappointment. "Hey," he said as he stood from his seat, "You don't have to force yourself to smile like that. You look a lot better when it comes from your heart."

The girl looked up at him in surprise as her cheeks began to glow pink. "S-senpai?"

Ah, shit… The brunet quickly looked away as his face grew warm. "I-I ain't your senpai." He took a moment to recollect himself before shaking his head. "Thanks for the meal though. I'm really sorry things didn't work out, but don't worry about your brother. I'll try digging around the back alleys for anything that might help. If something does come up, I'll let you know, alright?"

This seemed to be enough to cheer Hamuko up as a grateful smile managed to make its way to her face. "Thank you, Shinjiro-san..."

"D-don't mention it," Shinjiro smiled as the girl went up to the counter to pay for their meal. Yeah, he sighed while pulling his beanie down over his eyes. Her smile really is amazing… Goddamn, I'm such a sap...

Minato woke up when he sensed Pharos's presence. "Hi." The boy smiled up at him as the older boy sat up in his bed. "Can you guess what I'm going to tell you?"

"I think so," Minato said with a yawn.

Pharos chuckled at him. "You're used to it by now, huh?"

"Pretty much," the older boy smirked back.

"The next full moon will be in one week," the young boy reminded him. "Are you prepared…? Be careful, okay?" His blue eyes shone with worry.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine," Minato nodded to him as Pharos began to disappear.

"I'll come again," the young boy smiled.

~6 JULY 2009~

Minato let out a frustrated sigh as he reached a dead end in his murder investigation. I guess I should have a word with Ikustuki then, he scowled. It doesn't help that his damn Reaper laughs every time it looks at me though. Even more so when he speaks. Maybe I should consider asking Hamuko to go to Port Island Station with me… Or at least be nearby when I speak to the Chairman… Ugh… No good. Port Island Station would just be trouble. And it'd be too suspicious if both of us questioned the Chairman at once.

The boy looked up when he heard someone knocking on his bedroom door. "Nii-san?" Hamuko called out to him from outside. "Are you in there?"

"Come in!" he called out, putting his file away as his sister entered his room.

Hamuko smiled at him and did her best to ignore all of the various case files on his desk. "Junpei wants to know if we're going to Tartarus tonight."

"We have an operation tomorrow," Minato pointed out. "So no. Tell him to rest up, otherwise he's going to be on guard duty."

"Sure thing," his younger sister nodded. Hamuko stayed a while longer to study her brother before she noticed the tired look on his face. "Is something wrong?"

"My investigation on the murders is stuck," the boy sighed. "I guess I'll have to put that on hold for now."

"Well, what about your secondary investigation? You know, the one about those rumors about the disappearing couples and stuff like that."

"It's a pretty boring case," he shrugged as he pulled out the corresponding file and absently flipped through it. "I already put together a good theory and passed it onto Kirijo-senpai and Fuuka. We'll see the conclusion for that case tomorrow during the operation, so don't worry about it."

"Alright then." Hamuko frowned in disappointment as she continued to watch her brother shuffle his papers around. "I'm sorry I can't help you more with your murder case, nii-san..." she muttered while lowering her gaze to the floor. She paused though when her brother was suddenly in front of her.

"It's fine, Hamuko," he promptly hugged her in an attempt to cheer her up. "You do enough for me already, so take it easy, okay?"

Hamuko smiled as she returned his hug. "Sure thing, nii-san."

"Good," Minato nodded as he slowly let go of her. "I want us in top condition tomorrow so don't forget to drop by the Velvet Room before it gets too late. You might not get a chance to reorganize our Personas tomorrow, so might as well get that done now."

"I'd better head on over then," Hamuko nodded to him as she turned to leave. "Don't stay up too late tonight, nii-san."

"I won't," Minato smiled at her while returning to his desk. The older boy waved at her as she closed the door. When he was once again alone, he let out a heavy sigh before picking up his secondary case file and going through its details again. Shirakawa Boulevard… The next Arcana is the Hierophant so why…? Minato's eyes widened a bit as he groaned. "Don't tell me we're facing two tomorrow?" The boy quickly left his room and carefully jogged up the stairs. He paused in front of Fuuka's bedroom and after taking a deep breath, he lightly knocked. "Fuuka? Are you busy? It's me."

He heard some shuffling inside as the girl cracked the door open. "Minato-kun?" she frowned in confusion as she stepped out of her room. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing important, but there was something I wanted to add to our operation tomorrow. Don't just scan for a Hierophant Shadow, okay? There might be a Lovers Shadow too."

The brown-eyed girl nodded in understanding. "Alright then." She noticed that the boy didn't seem too well. "Minato-kun?" She stepped closer to the boy and placed a hand on his forehead. "You're not sick, are you?"

"N-no, I'm fine," he replied. His cheeks went a bit red as the girl touched him.

"You're a bit warm," Fuuka pointed out in concern.

"It's nothing," he insisted. "I was going to bed after this anyways. I'll be completely better tomorrow. I promise."

The teal-haired girl studied his face a bit more. "Okay. Make sure you get enough rest though, Minato-kun. I don't want your health to negatively affect you tomorrow."

"It'll be alright," he reassured her with a serious expression. "I won't let anyone get into danger tomorrow."

"That's right," Fuuka thought back to the boy's fighting style. "But don't forget that I'll be supporting you too, so please don't push yourself too hard."

The boy gave her a small smile. "I never have to when I know you're watching my back, Fuuka." He realized what he just said and turned away from the blushing girl. "A-anyways, I'm off to bed. Night, Fuuka."

"G-good night, Minato-kun." Fuuka watched him go downstairs before returning to her room. She smiled at his kind words before deciding she should also retire for the night. Minato-kun is counting on me tomorrow, so I'd better give it my all too.

~7 JULY 2009~

Akihiko turned his head away from the window. "Any luck, Fuuka?"

The girl slightly frowned as she finally found what she was looking for. "Just a moment…" It didn't take her as long as she though, thanks to a bit of direction from Minato's investigation. "I found it! I sense a strong presence!"

"Hey," Junpei smirked. "We were right!"

"Or so it would seem," Ikutsuki nodded with a smile.

Minato shook away the growing uneasiness inside him as he focused on their navigator. "So where is it, Fuuka?"

"It's located in Iwatodai… Inside a building on Shirakawa Boulevard. It's just as you predicted, Minato-kun!"

"Hmm," Ikutsuki thought about it. "Shirakawa Boulevard… They've been finding The Lost in pairs lately… Now I understand why."

"In pairs…" Mitsuru's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, I get it."

Minato crossed his arms with a frown as he had been hoping to have been wrong. Lucia disappeared beside him and Fuuka gave him a confused glance. "Why, what's on Shirakawa Boulevard? I'm not familiar with that area…"

A frown appeared on Yukari's face. "I've heard about it, but…"

Junpei smirked as he realized what was going on too. "That's where all THOSE hotels are. That explains a lot! You've heard about 'em, right Fuuka? Where people go to… you know…"

Fuuka blushed as she looked towards Minato. The Gekkoukan Hellhound avoided her gaze though as he distastefully frowned to himself. "Yeah… My investigation led me there, but I was hoping to have been wrong this time."

"Well, it's not like you're a pervert," Hamuko laughed.

"Please stop with the jokes, Hamuko," the older twin sighed. "I can't believe we'll have to fight in a Love Hotel. I'm actually more nervous about the location than the Shadow."

"Nonsense…" Ikutsuki shook his head. "They're no different from ordinary hotels. The rooms are a bit fancier, that's all."

"Aw man," Junpei sighed in disappointment. "That's it?"

"Even more, should we be worried about how Ikutsuki-san knows what they're like?" Hamuko crookedly smirked.

"Mm," Ikutsuki frowned. "I'm sorry but I'm afraid I can't have you checking out my secrets."

Hamuko chuckled at that. "Oh, trying to protect a young maid's heart, perhaps?"

"I think that's enough out of you two," Minato frowned at the chortling pair. "Anyway, is everyone ready to head out?"

"I don't know about this…" Yukari crossed her arms. "Maybe I shouldn't go…"

"You're just like a little kid, Yuka-tan…" Junpei teased her with a shake of his head.

The girl's face went red with anger. "Wh-whatever! Fine. Let's go. But this time, I want a piece of the action! So," she turned to Mitsuru, "who's gonna take the lead?"

The redhead looked over to Minato. "I don't see any reason to change leaders now. And Yamagishi," she nodded at their newest member, "I want you to handle support during the operation."

"I'll do my best!" Fuuka cried out with determination.

Akihiko smirked at their blue-haired leader. "Alright, then I'll let you decide on the rest of the team. Let's do this."

"Leave it to me," Minato nodded to the senior before looking over the remaining members. "Hamuko, Junpei, you're with us. Senpai, I'm counting on you two to watch Fuuka." Checking his team once more, Minato lifted his sword and pointed his head to the door. "Let's get going."

They quickly made it to the love hotel and Minato studied the building carefully as Fuuka summoned Lucia. "I sense a powerful Shadow on the 3rd floor! Please head there immediately!"

Yukari, Junpei, and Hamuko started inside, but Minato slowly passed Fuuka. "You don't sense any Shadow under the Lovers Arcana?"

"No," Fuuka privately told him. "It's only the one Shadow and it feels like the Hierophant."

"Okay, but keep your eyes peeled. I have a bad feeling about this." Minato rotated his wrist and heard a slight crack, releasing some tension in his hand.

"Understood," she nodded as the leader quickly caught up to the other juniors.

The four teens quickly made it to the room Fuuka warned them about and Hamuko looked to her brother with concern. She could practically feel the Shadow's energy emanating from inside. Minato nodded in agreement to what she was thinking before he led their charge into the room.

Yukari's eyes widened at the Hierophant Shadow. "Why here, of all places…?" she complained to the Shadow. After a while, she shook her head as it wasn't like the creature could answer. "Well, let's just get this over with!"

"Fuuka, start scanning!" Minato called into his headset.

"Right!" She let out a sharp gasp. "Junpei! Look out!"

The capped boy dodged out of the way of the lightning bolt. "Hermes! Double Fangs!" His Persona pierced the Shadow twice before disappearing. As soon as it vanished, Hamuko appeared from the Shadow's blind spot and swiftly swung her naginata. "Alright, Hamuko!" he cheered her on.

Minato rolled out of the way of the Shadow's fist and brought his blade up to counter another blow. "Any weakness yet, Fuuka?"

"No weaknesses! It reflects electricity!"

"Good to know!" he called out before switching his Persona from Zouchouten to High Pixie. "Bufula!"

Ice struck the large Shadow as it tried to attack him again. Although it missed, the obese male figure laughed as it cast a spell on Minato. The boy frowned when noticed his legs getting heavy as he eventually lost his agility.

"Nii-san, look out!" Hamuko pushed him away from a bolt of lightning as she pulled out her Evoker. "Valkyrie!" The female warrior raised her blades as she critically wounded the large Shadow. The summoner's smirk grew as the Hierophant doubled back. "Nice! Full Moon bonus!"

After an All-Out Attack, Yukari fired a few rounds of arrows before she called out to her friend. "Hamuko! Get back!"

"It's about to use Swift Strike!" Fuuka warned them.

Minato clenched his teeth as he realized he wouldn't be able to get away from the strike fast enough, but looking over his shoulder, he saw his sister still standing in place. "Hamuko!" He managed to pull her behind him and take the critical hit for her. "Urgh!"

Junpei guarded against the attack and quickly pulled up his Evoker. "Don't worry, dude! I've got your back!" He slashed at the Shadow once more before jumping back. "Hermes!"

Minato raised his hand into the air as he felt the Persona pull him back to his feet. "Thanks, Junpei!" He distanced himself from the Shadow and summoned High Pixie again. "Media!" After refreshing the team's health a bit, Minato nodded to his sister. "Go for another Getsu-ei!"

"On it!" Hamuko lifted her Evoker to her head. "Valkyrie!" Her Persona jammed her blades into the Hierophant and Hamuko watched as it toppled. She blinked when she saw it glow a bit, but it soon faded into nothing. That was weird…

Minato noticed too as the Heirophant reached towards his sister before dying. He couldn't spend too long on his thoughts though because Fuuka's voice quickly echoed through his mind. "Good job. You succeeded once again. I'll be waiting outside for you."

"Thanks for your help, Fuuka," Minato said back as he made his way to the door. "You did great for your first—Hrm?" Minato frowned as he couldn't get the door to open. "It's stuck..."

Fuuka tensed up as she also sensed something strange. "Huh!? I still sense a Shadow in that room! It's not the same one you defeated!" She paused as she tried to get a good reading on the second Shadow. "Minato-kun! You were right about there being a Lovers Shadow! But… where is it hiding?"

"Spread out and check anything suspicious," Minato ordered his team. "Be careful! I sense a trap!"

"Why would the Shadow want to keep us here?" Junpei frowned as he checked under the bed.

"Who knows? But I don't like this one bit," Hamuko sighed as she went into the bathroom.

Minato stood in place as he took in the entire scene. He paused when he noticed a mirror, but he didn't see his own reflection from he stood. He walked towards it and realized he couldn't see anyone reflected in it. Yukari noticed too and walked up behind him. "Hm? Is it just me, or is there something strange about this mirror?"

"Minato-kun! Be careful!"

A flash of light blinded them and the two felt as though they were being pulled into the mirror. When Minato managed to come back to his senses, he felt a dull throbbing in his skull. What? He lifted his gaze and noticed he was sitting on the edge of a tacky heart-shaped bed with his shirt partially unbuttoned. A sickly sweet scent permeated the room and as he continued to breathe it in, his head began to hurt even more. He closed his eyes and tried to focus though before he noticed the sound of running water in the background. What's going on? What was I…? He tried to think back to what he had been doing before. He recalled someone calling out for him to be careful, but who was it that called out to him?

After a while though his thoughts were broken when a strangely soft voice crept into his mind, whispering to him. "Embrace your desire…" Minato opened his eyes and looked around, searching for the source of the voice. "I am the voice of your inner self… Enjoy the moment… That which cannot be felt is merely a dream… The present is all we have."

"That's not true," Minato muttered, shaking his head.

"The future is but a fantasy, memory a fabrication… Let your desire free you from your shackles… Such is my wish…"

No… "I can't give in…" The boy began buttoning up his shirt.

"Pleasure is what you truly want. You stand before the doorway to bliss. You cannot deny your instincts… Embrace your desire…"

Annoyed, Minato stood up and smoothed out his clothes. "Now's not the time…" Once his mind cleared, he walked towards the exit but suddenly realized someone was in the shower. He paused outside the bathroom door as it opened, revealing Yukari in nothing but a towel. He immediately turned around with a sigh. This is just great…

"Uh… What was I..?" A bit confused, Yukari fanned away the steam surrounding her and focused on the boy whose back was turned towards her. She let out a gasp and a scream before hitting Minato on the back of his head, despite the fact he wasn't even looking at her.

"Ow! What was that for?" Minato rubbed his head.

Yukari paused for a moment before frowning to herself as she realized she may have been out of line, hitting him like that. "Er... Sorry... I panicked." The two of them stood there in awkward silence for quite some time before Minato let out a heavy sigh.

"Well, don't just stand there," he impatiently shook his head. "Hurry up and get dressed already!"

"R-right!" Yukari quickly locked herself back in the bathroom. She let out a sigh as she heard Minato mumbling to himself outside.

"Goddamn Shadow... What the hell does it think it's doing?" the blue-haired swordsman scowled while searching the room for his equipment. "And where the hell's our stuff?" He finally spotted his supply bag next to the bed but as he bent down to pick it up, he felt something strange tugging at the corners of his mind. "Fuuka?"

"Oh, I can finally reach you!" the navigator happily exclaimed as Lucia managed to lock down their connection. "Can you hear me, Minato-kun?"

"I hear you," Minato nodded as he put on his headset. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't contact you sooner…" Fuuka apologized. "The Shadow was interfering with your thoughts… And you all got separated… The enemy is still in the same room. I'm still trying to contact Hamuko-chan and Junpei-kun. Once I do, please hurry and regroup." Fuuka paused for a moment as she sensed someone else was there with Minato. "Did you hear that, Yukari-chan?"

Yukari tried to control her heart rate as she responded to the navigator. "Uh, sorry… Yeah… I heard you."

"Um… Did something happen?"

"No! Nothing!" The brunette buried her face in her hands.

"Don't worry about it, Fuuka. We're fine," Minato reassured her while fiddling with the frequency settings on his transceiver. "Just focus on finding Hamuko for now. I can't seem to get my radio working for some reason."

"Okay, I'll get back to you as soon as I can then."

"I'll be waiting," Minato nodded as he continued adjusting his headset. He finally looked up when Yukari came out of the bathroom so shot her a deadly glare as he returned the girl her bow. "Mention any this to Hamuko and you're dead."

"Relax," Yukari rolled her eyes. "It's not like I want Junpei or anyone else knowing what happened either. Besides, if I were you, I'd be more worried about…" She shook her head. "Never mind. Come on! Let's go! If you tell anyone… I won't ever speak to you again."

"Yeah, I got it," Minato nodded as they made a pact to never bring this up.

"I'm sorry…" Fuuka sounded a bit down as they exited the room. "I tried my best to scan for another Shadow, but its power is blanketing the whole building, disrupting our communication channels. I'm pretty sure it's in that one room you were in before… But, it somehow sealed the door, so I don't think you'll be able to get in. I'll try to find out if there's a way to break the seal… I managed to find Hamuko-chan and Junpei-kun though. Please join them. They're on the floor above you."

"Thanks, Fuuka. Don't worry about us and look for a way in. I'm counting on you," Minato smiled. Yukari hid her light laughter behind a hand, resulting in the boy raising an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"Yeah. Don't bring this up with Fuuka."

"Why would I? It never happened."

"Right," Yukari nodded. "It never happened."

Hamuko got out of the bathroom just as Minato and Yukari disappeared into the mirror. "Nii-san!" She rushed towards the reflective surface in worry. "Fuuka-chan! What happened? Minato and Yukari just disappeared right in front of us!"

"I'm not sure! The Shadow's still in the room with you and Junpei-kun though. Be careful!"

Junpei stood by Hamuko and noticed something strange about the mirror. "Hey, why aren't we—?" He flinched back from a blinding flash and Hamuko tried to keep her wits about her before she felt her senses dull.

When she next opened her eyes, Hamuko found herself lying on a bed, blankly staring at the pink ceiling. What was I…? Her eyes widened as she thought she heard her brother faintly in the distance. "Nii-san?" She looked around as a voice similar to Minato's began echoing in her mind.

"Embrace your desire… I am the voice of your inner self… Enjoy the moment… That which cannot be felt is merely a dream… The present is all we have."

Hamuko shook her head as she knew her brother would never say such things. "That's not true…" She quickly got off the bed.

"The future is but a fantasy, memory a fabrication… Let your desire free you from your shackles… Such is my wish…"

"I'm not giving in," she taunted the voice, annoyed that the Shadow would go so far as to cheaply impersonate her twin.

"Pleasure is what you truly want. You stand before the doorway to bliss. You cannot deny your instincts… Embrace your desire…"

"Not now," she said as she lifted up her naginata that was against the wall. "I have something else I need to do first." She paused when the water that was running in the background suddenly stopped. She turned towards the bathroom and noticed someone was coming out.

Junpei stepped into the bedroom slightly dazed. "U-um, I…" His eyes snapped to attention when he saw Hamuko with her naginata. "Huh!? W-wait, what's going on? Why am I half naked!?"

"I think it's a trap…" Hamuko frowned as she wondered if this is what happened to her brother and Yukari.

"A trap? Man, they really caught us off guard! This coulda been bad… Then again, this IS a pretty sweet…" Junpei's smirk disappeared as Hamuko glared at him. "Uh!" He nervously laughed. "Sh-shouldn't push my luck, huh?" He quickly ducked back into the bathroom before the girl could swing her weapon at him.

Hamuko sighed as she tested her headset. "Hello? Nii-san? Fuuka-chan? Can you read me?"

Fuuka was the first to answer her. "Oh, Hamuko-chan! I finally found you! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am. Did you find nii-san?"

"Mm-hmm. I just finished speaking him and Yukari-chan. They're completely fine."

"Thank goodness," Hamuko sighed in relief. She tried to search for Minato on the communication line but frowned. "Huh? Fuuka-chan, I can't seem to reach nii-san for some reason."

"Minato-kun encountered the same problem too. I'll try to look into a bit further to find the cause, but I'd better get back to finding Junpei-kun."

"Oh, there's no need. Junpei's actually with me."

"Really?" Fuuka paused for a moment before she picked up the Magician's signal. "Junpei-kun, can you hear me?"

Junpei tensed up as he tried to get his pants back on. "Y-yeah, I hear ya!"

"Um, did something happen?"

"No, we're alright," Hamuko reassured the girl. "You don't have to worry about us."

"Okay then," Fuuka frowned. "I was just a little bit concerned because Junpei-kun's reaction was similar to Yukari-chan's. Anyway," the navigator shook her head, "I'll contact you again after I run a few scans for Minato-kun."

"Alright, I'll be waiting then," Hamuko smirked as she wondered how her brother was faring on his side. She quickly wiped it off her face when Junpei finally exited the bathroom.

The tall junior gave her a crooked smirk as he awkwardly avoided her gaze. "U-um," he nervously chuckled. "Well, maybe we could try this again some other time…" Another glare from his friend made him sigh. "Just joking… Let's go."

When they left the room, Fuuka quickly contacted them again. "I already explained the situation to your brother. He and Yukari-chan are on the floor beneath you and will be meeting you at the top of the stairs."

"Right. Thanks, Fuuka!" Hamuko led the way and soon spotted her brother with a murderous gleam in his blue eyes. "Nii-san!"

Beside her, Junpei brightened. "There you are! I didn't know there was another Shadow… Anyway, you okay?"

Minato averted his gaze. "We're fine..."

Yukari nodded. "Yeah, NOTHING weird happened to us or anything…"

The older twin nodded to his sister. "How about you guys?"

Hamuko shrugged and smiled at him. "We're more or less okay. You just suddenly disappeared on us, nii-san," she frowned.

"Sorry to make you worry then," he sighed. He suddenly became serious as he looked to his team. "Okay, here's the situation. Radio communication seems to be down so we'll have to do our best to stick together. That shouldn't be too much of a problem though since the Shadow locked itself in the same room we defeated the Heirophant. Once we figure out how to get back in, we'll strike with everything we've got. Everybody got that?" When his team nodded to him in understanding, Minato put a hand on his headset. "Okay, we're all caught up, Fuuka. How're you doing on your end? Anything new?"

"I got it!" The navigator exclaimed. "It's the mirrors! They're giving off the same energy as the Shadow! Maybe the seal will vanish if you break the mirrors…"

Yukari nodded. "I remember this one mirror we saw on the 3rd floor was different from the others… When I stood in front of it, I felt kinda strange…"

"Let's get searching then," Hamuko nodded.

They all went into the closest room and began checking its mirror. Minato frowned at his reflection as he noticed his clothes were covered in unsightly wrinkles. As the blue-haired boy smoothed down his clothes, Junpei knit his eyebrows at the mirror and shook his head. "I don't know if this is what we're looking for but should we smash it?"

"We might as well," Minato shrugged as he lifted up his sword. "Everyone, stand back," he warned the others as he slammed the hilt of his sword into the mirror, cracking the smooth surface. As the shards fell to the ground though, Minato felt his consciousness slip away from him.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko watched as her brother unsteadily fainted before disappearing. "Fuuka-chan, Minato disappeared again!"

"I'll begin searching for him now. Please return to the hall and I'll try to direct him towards you."

Yukari and Junpei frowned at each other as they followed the red-eyed girl out of the room.

Minato sat up and noticed that this time, his shirt was completely unbuttoned. "Another trap?" He closed his eyes and shook his head a few times to clear it. He caught the scent of something floral though and paused. Huh… It smells familiar… He felt his mind getting cloudier but he heard someone calling out to him.

"Minato-kun!" The voice was familiar too but the scent began to grow stronger, further disorienting him.

He promptly covered his mouth and nose with a hand to stop himself from getting any dizzier. N-no… I have to focus on that voice calling for me. He opened his eyes and stared at the gaudy pink carpet. His blurry vision began to clear as he finally figured out who it was trying to call out to him. "Fuuka?" he asked as he readjusted his headset.

"Minato-kun! I've finally found you. Are you okay?"

The boy quickly straightened out his shirt. "Y-yeah. Sorry. I fell for another trap, didn't I?"

"I don't think randomly breaking mirrors is the right approach… But, some of them are definitely giving off the same energy as the Shadow… I'll try to narrow it down, but hopefully, you'll notice something too. Please be careful if you're going to break any more mirrors."

"Understood," Minato replied as he exited into the hall. He blinked as he recognized that he was on the first floor and spotted the others as they descended the stairs. He quickly caught up to them and shook his head. "Sorry for that. Let's get back to investigating the mirrors."

They entered another room and Minato stood in the back as they examined their reflections on the vanity. He couldn't tell if it was any different from the mirror he smashed before but waited for everyone else's opinion before acting. Yukari finally stepped away from it and shook her head at him. "I don't think there's anything weird about it."

"Yeah," Hamuko agreed. "It's about the same as the one Minato broke earlier. This probably isn't what we're looking for."

"Let's move onto another room then," Minato nodded and signaled for them to go. He stopped though when he felt something pulling at him again. It was similar to how Fuuka used Lucia to ask to gain permission into his mind, but this sensation felt a bit more invasive. Minato turned around and looked back at the mirror, curiously drawn to it when he noticed the tugging he felt began to increase in intensity. Hm? What's that sound? Is someone calling me? That voice… Why does it sound like Fuuka? He stared at the mirror for a while longer before walking towards it. As he continued to study his reflection, his blue eyes suddenly dulled.

Wondering what was taking her brother so long to catch up to them, Hamuko turned around to see him lift his sword. "Nii-san! Stop!"

It was too late as his hilt collided into the mirror again. Minato closed his eyes as he sensed a Shadow behind him. It was whispering something in his ear, but he couldn't make out the words. A strange sense of tranquility wrapped around him and he didn't fight against it as his body forcibly relaxed itself on its own. He felt himself land on a soft bed but rather than immediately getting up, he laid there in peace as it seemed there was nothing to disturb him here. He didn't remain still for too long though as he sensed something at the furthest recesses of his mind again. Minato frowned as this time it wasn't as prying. Rather, it was kind and gentle, yet it still demanded his urgency.

"Minato-kun, wake up!"

"Fuuka?" He slowly opened his eyes only to see a pair of soft brown eyes looking down at him with worry and… Lust!?

"Are you okay, Minato-kun?" the teal-haired girl asked him as she hovered above him.

"F-fuuka?" Minato caught the same floral scent again and realized it was the same as her home. "W-what's going on?"

"You're not uncomfortable, are you?" She leaned her face closer to him so that her soft voice would whisper gently into his ear, sending a shiver down Minato's spine. "Minato-kun," the girl moaned as she ran a hand over his bare chest.

Realizing he was completely shirtless, he backed himself into the headboard and pushed her away. "Y-you're not Fuuka," he glared at the apparition before him. "You're the Shadow in my head, mimicking her voice." His eyes narrowed on the girl's outfit and he scowled at the indecent armor. "Fuuka has much more class than this," he said as haughtily as he could.

"That's not very nice, Minato-kun," the girl frowned at him as she tried to get closer to him again. Minato tensed up and she took the opportunity to reach for his belt buckle. "You must be stiff from your investigations. Please relax and I'll be sure to take good care of you."

"N-no, stop—Mmf!" Minato's eyes widened as the fake forced herself onto him, silencing whatever protests he had with a kiss. As soon as the initial shock wore off, Minato quickly broke the kiss and shoved her away from him, anger immediately boiling through the teen. The figure desperately clung to him though, so without thinking, he reached for his Evoker and pointed it to his skull while glaring at the distorted illusion of his friend. "Get away from me!" he roared as he violently fired the gun. "Rargh! Orpheus!" Flames erupted on the bed and Minato flinched as pain prickled through his skin. He must have gone too far with his spell though because the entire bed ended up catching fire. It was too much for him to put out so he worked his way to the bed's edge and allowed himself to fall to the ground. "Ngah...!" He painfully curled up as the carpet roughly rubbed against the blisters beginning to form on his arms and chest. He didn't stop to think about his injuries though since another thought suddenly occurred to him. "Fuuka!"

While he may have had doubts that had actually been the navigator, he couldn't dismiss that possibility outright so quickly forced himself up to see if she really was safe. He paused though as the figure on the bed began to shift. He stood frozen in place as the girl that had previously been on the bed trying to seduce him morphed into a pink jelly-like heart with oozing wings. Minato felt his knees buckle as the Shadow they had been hunting turned him into its prey.

He frantically searched the room for his equipment but the Shadow began to drift closer to him. The junior trembled as he scrambled backwards but when he found himself backed against the sealed door, he couldn't help but let out the terrified scream that had lodged itself in his throat.

Fuuka tensed up as she heard a desperate scream echoing from the Shadow's room. "Minato-kun!?"

Hamuko looked away from the mirror she had been examining. "Fuuka-chan, what's wrong?"

"I-I found Minato-kun!" She shook her head though as the situation seemed grim. "He's trapped in the same room as the Shadow!"

"What!?" Hamuko exclaimed in alarm.

"But we haven't even found a way to weaken the seal yet!" Yukari frowned.

"Ah, man..." Junpei shook his head. "What do we do now?"

Hamuko's grip around her weapon tightened as she lifted it up from the ground and started going up. "Fuuka, send Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai in to check the first floor's mirrors. Yukari and Junpei, you'll both take the second. I'm going straight to the third to see if I can't force my way past the seal."

"Wait, but that's crazy!" Yukari shook her head. "What if you fall into a trap too?"

"Nii-san's in trouble!" Hamuko countered. "We have to do whatever we can to help him."

"Arisato, you must calm down," Mitsuru sternly stated as she suddenly entered the line with Penthesilea's powers. "We are all concerned about Yuki, but recklessly throwing yourself headfirst into danger will not help him."

"Sorry," the red-eyed junior frowned to herself as she knew the older girl was right. "We need to hurry and do something though. We're running out of time."

"In that case, let's regroup first. We'll proceed to work out a plan from there."

"Alright," Hamuko nodded. "We're still on the first floor so let's meet up in the lobby."

"Very well then," Mitsuru nodded as both navigators cut the connection.

Hamuko wasted no time in leaving the room as she sternly looked towards Yukari and Junpei. "Let's hurry."

Both juniors nodded to her and quickly followed her out. They both cast each other a concerned glance though when they noticed their current leader's agitated pace. Neither dared to speak up though when they sensed the red-eyed girl's anger. Even if they tried to calm her down, she'd only get upset because it was obvious she was only thinking about saving her brother.

They all eventually got to the lobby and noticed the the seniors and Fuuka were already waiting for them. As soon as he spotted the three juniors, Akihiko grimly frowned at them. "Okay, so what now?"

"I still think we should all split up," Hamuko seriously looked at the team, "That way we can cover more ground." She impatiently bounced on her feet, eager to get started.

"I agree," Mitsuru nodded. "We'll go with the arrangements Arisato requested for earlier, although there is one change I'd like to make."

"What's that?" Yukari asked.

"Yamagishi," the senior looked towards Fuuka as the younger girl nervously tensed up. "You will accompany Arisato to the third floor."

The teal-haired girl wore an uncertain frown but nodded. "A-alright."

Hamuko frowned at this. "Absolutely not," she shook her head. "Fuuka-chan can't fight and I need to get to nii-san as soon as possible."

"The last thing we need is for you to go charging ahead on your own too," Akihiko argued. "Fuuka's going with you."

"I don't need Fuuka-chan's assistance," the co-leader insisted as she started off. "Even more, nii-san needs—"

"W-wait, H-hamuko-chan!" Fuuka surprised the brunette when she grabbed her hand. Hamuko shot her a questioning glare but the navigator hesitantly shook her head. "W-we can't risk you getting lost too..." she tried to reason with her before reminding the red-eyed teen of a promise she made to the twins. "And I said that I'd help you and Minato-kun however I can..."

"Fuuka-chan..." Hamuko scanned her friends eyes and saw the navigator was serious. The co-leader wasn't the only one worried about their lost field leader and Hamuko knew if there was anyone she'd want at her side to find her missing twin, it would be Fuuka since she had the power to do so. Finally calming down, the brunette allowed her usual grin to return to her. "Thanks," she nodded. "You're right that I shouldn't lose myself too going after that hopeless brother of mine. Let's go rescue nii-san together!"

Fuuka nodded back to her but glanced at the others. "Before we go, I need to tell everyone how to break the seal."

"You figured it out, Fuuka?" Yukari frowned.

The girl nodded her head as everyone gathered around her. "Listen carefully... You need to find the mirrors that show no reflection of you... Break those mirrors!"

"Well, you heard her," Junpei smirked while straightening his cap. "Let's get smashing!"

"Hold on, Junpei!" Yukari shook her head. "Communication is still down! How will we know when the seal's finally broken?"

Fuuka wore a determined frown. "P-please leave that to me. I'll try to notify everyone as soon as I sense it's gone."

Hamuko grinned at their navigator. "We'll be counting on you then, Fuuka-chan. Now let's go!"

Minato heavily coughed as the smoke in the room thickened. D-damn... he grit his teeth as he weakly brought his Evoker back up to his head. He summoned Narcissus in the hopes his Persona could clear the air as well as put out the flames threatening to spread in the room. Sadly, his spell only managed to do the former and even then, it didn't do a very good job at it. Minato struggled to look past the dark plumes and winced as the Lovers Shadow rammed into him from out of nowhere. "Kah...!"

The teen was knocked into the wall and as he crumpled to the ground, he wrapped his arms around his stinging chest. That last blow had been a clean hit against the burns he sustained earlier and Minato groaned at how the pain wasn't letting up. He refused to succumb to the agony though as he once again raised his Evoker.

C-come on... he forced himself to keep awake despite his head beginning to ache. He shakily pressed his finger against the trigger but paused when he heard a familiar voice crying out from the hallway.

"We've broken the seal on the door! We should be able to fight the Shadow now!"

Minato frowned to himself. Is that... Fuuka...? He weakly scowled at the Lovers Shadow making its way over towards him. I'm hallucinating her voice again, aren't I? He felt his grip loosen around his Evoker as he realized he was too exhausted to deal with more of the Shadow's mind games. Not wanting his final thoughts to be twisted images of his friend, Minato focused his gaze on the flames growing behind the Shadow. After engraving the sight of the inferno in his mind, he closed his eyes and guiltily frowned to himself. I'm sorry, Hamuko... I couldn't burn my dread after all...

Just as he was about to go under, the door suddenly burst open. "Nii-san!" Hamuko called out to him before furiously glaring at the Lovers Shadow. "How dare you mess with a girl's fragile heart!?"

Akihiko nodded in agreement as he pointed his fist at their enemy. "Pulling shit like that with us... I hope you're ready to die!"

Yukari readied her bow and took aim. "Because of you… I had to come to this disgusting place! Now, you're gonna pay!"

Junpei tugged his cap down as he got into a batting stance with his sword. "Man, I'm never gonna live down what you put me through! I'm takin' you out right now!"

"We can defeat it this time! Hang in there, everyone!" Fuuka encouraged them as the four of them immediately engaged the Shadow. Once she was able to relay to them the Shadow's resistances, Fuuka shifted her attention to Mitsuru as the senior hurried over to the barely conscious Minato's side. "Senpai, how is he?"

"He's badly burned and he seems completely dazed," Mitsuru shook her head as she did her best to lift the boy up. "I must get him out of here immediately, but once I do, Yamagishi, you must watch over him while I join the others."

"Understood!" Fuuka nodded before shifting her attention back to the fight.

Completely confused as to what was happening around him, Minato strained himself to look up at the redhead dragging him out of the room. "S-senpai...?"

"Please refrain from speaking," Mitsuru frowned as she was careful to avoid agitating the burns on the younger boy's bare chest. "You did well in holding out for this long, Yuki, but leave the rest to us." She carefully sat him down against the wall next to Fuuka. "Yamagishi, you know what to do," she nodded to the navigator before leaving the two juniors.

"Please be careful, Senpai," Fuuka warned her as the icy Empress entered the fray. "The Shadow is preparing to cast Maragion. Akihiko-senpai, please watch for the Holy Arrow at your right! Yukari-chan's down!"

While the navigator carefully oversaw the others in battle, Minato closed his eyes and tried to clear his pounding head. He didn't know whether it was because of pain, exhaustion, or the smoke, but the boy found that his thoughts were a completely jumbled mess. He appeared to be safe now but wasn't it just a moment ago when his life had been in danger? What was going on with that Lovers Shadow right now? Had it been his imagination the others had been present? But what about before when he had been trapped with the Shadow? What had they been doing then? What had he been doing then?

Minato frowned as he couldn't remember but as he continued listening to Fuuka's constant stream of warnings, he thought something was a bit off. Wait... Why is Fuuka here...? Isn't she supposed to be outside with Senpai? He slowly opened his eyes and spotted the navigator within Lucia. Is this... another trick? Not wanting to fall into a trap again, a bit of anger reignited within him and the boy did his best to channel that rage into strength he could use to move. "I'll burn you to Hell," he breathed.

"Hmm?" Fuuka looked back at the boy in worry as she thought she heard him say something. "Are you okay, Minato-kun?"

Minato didn't reply as he focused everything he had on trying to stand up. The best he could do in his state though was push himself halfway up before he collapsed back to the ground.

Thinking he was just trying to readjust his position, Fuuka turned to face him. "Y-you're not uncomfortable, are you?" she worriedly asked as she dispelled Lucia in order to help him. She made to approach him but the boy suddenly snapped his head up towards her. She involuntarily flinched from him when she saw the hostility burning behind his blazing blue eyes. "M-minato-kun?"

"Don't you dare come any closer," the blue-haired teen vehemently spoke while fumbling for his Evoker. "I won't let a bitch like you get to me." Not again... he darkly thought as his slowly lifted the gun up.

Fuuka frowned as this wasn't like the kind boy at all. In fact, the terrifying glare he was giving her made him seem like a completely different person and she wasn't sure what she should do in this situation. "Th-that's... not very nice, Minato—"

"Shut up!" Minato roared while he fired his Evoker.

Fuuka flinched and instinctively summoned Lucia as Narcissus emerged from the the blue-haired teen. But instead of casting Magaru as Minato had intended, the beautifully vain Persona danced around them. Minato watched in confusion as his Persona wasn't responding to any of his orders. Some mischievous giggling from inside the room soon caught his attention and he looked up to see Pixie flitting towards him. The small sprite enveloped him in a pink light before frolicking about with Narcissus. He felt all of his energy return to his body as his burns cooled somewhat but as both Personas disappeared, he sensed his consciousness beginning to fade away.

"Minato-kun!" When he passed out, Fuuka wanted to kneel at his side in alarm, but Lucia stirred around her as if in warning of something. The navigator paused as she also noticed a strange uneasiness growing within her so decided to have the Persona scan her surroundings, but she gasped when she noticed that more than half the team began to turn on each other inside the room.

"Stupei! What are you—?" Yukari screamed as a bolt of lightning dropped down on her, striking her weakness.

"Yukari!" Hamuko cried out. "Hang on—Whoa!" The red-eyed brunette brought her naginata up to parry Mitsuru's sword.

Fuuka shook her head as she tried to reach out to the three who were charmed. "Junpei-kun! Akihiko-senpai! Mitsuru-senpai! Please, you need get a hold of yourselves! You're not thinking straight!"

"Fuuka-chan!" The co-leader used the blunt end of her weapon to knock Junpei backwards. "What happened? I just wanted Pixie to cast Diarama, but she healed all of us and flew out of the room!"

"Minato-kun summoned Narcissus just now and that must have triggered a Fusion Spell! Could this be a side—?" Fuuka screamed as Lucia's protective bubble was suddenly assaulted by an explosive burst of flames.

"Fuuka-chan!" Hamuko cried out in alarm but there was nothing the co-leader could do for the navigator as she had her hands full fending off Junpei's and Mitsuru's sword strikes.

Fuuka frowned as she shifted her attention back onto herself. Looking through Lucia's barrier and the dissipating embers, she saw Minato slowly rise to his feet as Orpheus menacingly hovered behind him.

"Minato-kun!" she verbally tried to call out to him while having Lucia attempt to mentally do the same. She felt a powerful resistance in his mind though and noticed it felt remarkably similar to the Shadow the others were currently facing. "Minato-kun! You need to fight the Shadow's interference!"

The blue-haired boy didn't seem to hear her though as he glared at her from the other side of the thick glass. Minato simply raised his Evoker and summoned Orpheus again and the resultant flash of fire forced Fuuka to shield her eyes against the intense brightness.

"Minato-kun, please!" the navigator desperately called out as she did everything she could to break through the wall surrounding his mind. She knew she couldn't keep it up forever though because, despite Lucia trying her best to keep her barrier up, the boy's relentless flames were weakening her Persona. Luckily, Minato eventually had to stop to recover a bit of energy as his repeated use of Orpheus was just as, if not more, taxing on him as it was on her. Fuuka quickly used this opportunity to once again connect herself to him, but she paused when she barely made out Minato's rage-filled muttering.

"Burn..." Minato mumbled as he took an unsteady step towards Lucia. "Burn! Burn! Burn!" He quickly went back to repeatedly firing his Evoker but wasn't paying any attention to himself or his surroundings as he directly walked into Orpheus's searing flames.

Fuuka's eyes grew wide as the boy was completely surrounded by the inferno. "Minato-kun!"

It was a shorter string of bursts this time so it wasn't long before the boy stopped. Fatigue beginning to set in, he collapsed against Lucia, out of breath. With Minato standing before her like this, Fuuka painfully studied his haggard features. His face and upper body was covered in grimy sweat while his singed trousers were showing heavy signs of wear. The navigator sadly frowned at the serious burns covering his torso and arms as they must have been excruciating, but Minato didn't even seem to notice as he pressed his blistering hands against the glass in between them. Breathing in ragged gasps, he trained his dilated pupils directly on Fuuka, unable to recognize the girl right in front of him.

"B-burn…" he weakly croaked as his shaking hand lifted his Evoker once more.

"Minato-kun!" Not wanting him to hurt himself anymore, Fuuka rushed forward as Lucia disappeared. Without her Persona to lean on, Minato suddenly fell towards her and she quickly grabbed his hand to stop himself from pulling the trigger. "Please! You're already badly hurt! Minato-kun!" She looked into his eyes, hoping he'd listen.

She flinched as all of a sudden Minato pushed her to the ground, his Evoker loudly clattering to the floor. When she opened her eyes, she saw that he was on top of her, pinning both her wrists to the ground above her head. She struggled against his strong grip, but she paused when their proximity gave her a more detailed view of the blistering sores plaguing his chest. She looked back up at the predatory look on the boy's face and began to panic at the thought of what he might do in his condition.

Minato didn't act immediately though as he stared at the girl beneath him. The pink glow behind his navy blue eyes flickered as he desperately tried to focus on what to do next. He winced when a sudden pain shot through his skull as the Shadow began to whisper to him. "Burn..."

"Huh?" Fuuka frowned when Lucia picked up the distorted thoughts being sent to the controlled swordsman.

"Burn within your temptation…"

"T-temptation...?" Minato looked down at Fuuka's body but his gaze stopped to focus on the navigator's Evoker strapped at her side.

"Right in front of you lies temptation and salvation..."

Unable to deny the voice, Minato shifted his weight a bit so that he was using only his left hand to restrain Fuuka's arms. With his other hand free, he slowly trailed it down to her waist before deftly freeing her rarely used pistol from its holster. He raised it to his temple and blankly stared at the girl in front of him, ready to pull the trigger. Fuuka's eyes widened in worry when she sensed what it was the Shadow wanted him to do.

"Give in to your deepest of desires..." the voice goaded him. "Burn..."

"No, don't listen to that voice, Minato-kun!" Fuuka desperately cried out as she pulled against Minato's grip. "Can you hear me? Snap out of it!" Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Fuuka managed to slip her arms free, making Minato lose his balance. His left hand slipped and he fell forward, firing the Evoker. His shot missed though and the loud crack of the model gun made both teens flinch. When Fuuka opened her eyes, she noticed Minato had completely collapsed on top of her. A bit uncertain whether he was okay, she warily tried to call out to him again. "Minato-kun...?"

The boy didn't respond for a few seconds but when he finally came to, he slowly pushed himself up off the ground. "Ngh..." Slightly disoriented about what just happened, Minato brought his right hand up to his head before he realized he was on top of someone. "Fuuka...!?" Thinking she was just another illusion, he immediately backed away from her and grabbed the closest Evoker he could but winced when his entire body screamed in pain. "Ngah...!"

Fuuka quickly went to his side, checking his injuries. "You shouldn't move so much, Minato-kun! You're badly burned."

Hearing the concern in her voice, Minato shot his head up to study the girl in front of him. The gentleness and worry in her eyes were enough to prove she was the real deal, but he had no idea why she was here with him. After all, the last thing he fully recalled was enduring the Lovers Shadow's trap. He had absolutely no idea how he ended up on top of the navigator, but if he had to guess based on the Shadow's modus operandi, he had probably been in the midst of almost doing something he definitely wouldn't have been proud of.

As that thought crossed his mind, Minato lowered his head so that his bangs would fall over his eyes, keeping his expression hidden. He tightened his grip around the Evoker in his hand and slowly got to his feet. Fuuka tried to get him to remain still but he didn't seem to hear her as he vehemently glared at the hotel room where the Shadow was. The Shadow... I'll tear it apart myself, he thought as he forced his way through the doorway despite the various protests of both his body and Fuuka.

When he entered the room, he frowned as it was complete chaos. While it seems that the flames and smoke Minato conjured up during the period he had been trapped had dissipated, the Shadow seemed to be causing SEES a great deal of trouble. It devilishly danced in the air and seemed to laugh in delight as it manipulated much of the team's in fighting. Looking around, Minato saw that Akihiko and Yukari were both completely unconscious and judging by the frost surrounding them, it must have been Mitsuru's doing. The said Empress still appeared to be charmed and was now healing the Lovers Shadow while Junpei defended the disgusting creature against Hamuko's attempts to weaken it.

"Come on, Junpei!" Hamuko frowned as she dodged his heavy blade and used her naginata to knock him aside. "Get out of my way!" She lifted her Evoker up to try to attack the Shadow, but vaguely saw Mitsuru come towards her from the corner of her eye.

"Hamuko, get down!" Minato suddenly appeared at his sister's side and kicked his leg up to deflect the senior's rapier. He spun his body and easily disarmed the elegant fencer before firing his Evoker. "Charmdi!"

"Nii-san!" Hamuko stared at her brother in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Urgh..." Mitsuru brought a hand up to her head as she tried to gather her bearings. "Just what is going on here?"

Minato ignored them though as he continued moving. Junpei was making his way towards Hamuko again but Minato intercepted him with a sturdy kick to the chest. Junpei staggered backward and tripped over a large cushion. A loud thud echoed in the room as he must have hit his head hard, but Minato didn't have time to apologize or check on the tall boy as he trained his attention on the Shadow next.

With a furious roar, he repeatedly fired the Evoker at his skull, channeling all of his rage to his Persona. "Orpheus! Burn it to Hell!"

As the blue-haired leader violently assailed the Lovers Shadow, Junpei slowly sat up and groaned. When his head and vision cleared, he noticed Minato standing before him, facing the Shadow completely on his own and actually winning. The capped boy continued to watch as the shorter boy was able to effortlessly fight against the enemy despite all of the injuries he had. Damn... Shown up by him again... Junpei scowled to himself as he wondered what he had been doing the entire battle.

Minato finally stopped attacking when the Evoker in his hand clicked without Orpheus responding. He had finally ran out of energy, but his constant barrage of attacks seemed to have been enough to defeat the Shadow as it let out a shrill scream as it died. Minato blankly stared at the disintegrating Shadow and felt it try to enter his mind again. The boy didn't bother trying to fight it off though because he lacked the strength to do so. He should have nothing to fear though, seeing as how Orpheus's flames continually ate away at the Shadow's melting body.

"Why do you resist...?" The Shadow desperately wailed at him. "Do not avert your eyes from the truth..."

The blue-haired junior narrowed his gaze on the abominable heart. Whatever truth you're trying to show me, it's not what I'm looking for, he thought as his mind completely cleared. He flinched as the Shadow finally combusted and the burns on his body stung in response. Exhaustion completely washed over him as his legs gave out from under him.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko caught her brother before he could completely collapse.

"H-hamuko...?"

"I'm right here," she reassured him. "You're okay... Everyone's okay," she nodded as she had managed to revive the others while he battled against the Shadow.

"Everyone...? Even... Fuuka...?"

Hamuko paused as she remembered how their navigator suddenly disappeared from the battle. "I think so...?" She looked towards the doorway and saw the teal-haired girl cautiously look into the room before entering. "Fuuka-chan!" Hamuko waved her over as she let out a sigh of relief. "You're okay!"

"It seems we all managed to pulled through," Fuuka nodded to her before nervously looking at their leader. "Minato-kun," she managed to work up a gentle smile for him, "here's your Evoker back." She held the worn gun out to the boy.

Minato looked at the Evoker her had been using and just now realized it wasn't his own. "Ngh..." Minato's frown deepened as he tentatively took back his Evoker and returned Fuuka's to her. "Fuuka..." he tried to begin without looking directly at the girl, "I... I'm sorry..."

Fuuka shook her head at him. "It's alright, Minato-kun. I'm just happy you're back to normal."

Hamuko watched the exchange in confusion but noticed how Minato guiltily shrink back from their friend despite Fuuka forgiving him for whatever it was he did. What happened while I was facing the Shadow? She wanted to pull her brother aside to check what was wrong but everyone else was beginning to gather around them. She frowned to herself but decided to keep a careful eye on Minato as he tried his best to stand on his own.

"I'm sorry, everyone..." Minato mumbled while only staring at the room's gaudy carpet. "I... I let my guard down..."

"No, the Shadow seemed to be targeting you specifically with its traps," Mitsuru stated as he handed the younger boy his horribly charred shirt and jacket she found crumpled on the ground near the bed. "Whether it realized you were the greatest threat or was just a coincidence, the difficulties we faced tonight were through no fault your own."

Minato continued to hang his head in shame though as he loosely put on his clothes and Hamuko frowned at her older brother's seriousness. "Everyone, let's get out of here," she suggested. "We could all use a breather and some fresh air."

Once out of the hotel, Fuuka let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're all safe," she smiled at the entire team.

"Thanks for your help," Mitsuru nodded to her. "The enemy was sly, but you did well."

"I did what I could," the girl blushed.

Mitsuru turned to Minato, who refused to look up from the ground. "And you too, for withstanding the enemy's mental assault. It must have been difficult for you but you managed to pull through in the end."

Minato made no reply as he blankly stared into space. Akihiko smirked to the rest of the juniors. "Alright, let's call it a night."

Both seniors started for the dorm but Fuuka turned back towards Yukari. "Oh, Yukari-chan. About that thing you mentioned the other day…"

"You found out something?" Yukari was surprised as the girl nodded. "Cool, tell me later. Alright! We should head back, too. Fuuka played a big role again in this one, so score another for the second-years!" She noticed Junpei glaring at the ground. "Come on, Junpei. What are you doing?"

The capped boy angrily turned towards Minato. "So, you're the hero again, huh?"

Surprised by her friend's outburst, Hamuko defended her distraught brother. "Junpei, that's uncalled for! He went through a lot tonight!"

Minato didn't even seem to notice Junpei's tone as he listlessly answered the capped boy. "It was just luck," he muttered.

"Yeah, right… You know it's not," Junpei enviously glared at him.

"I didn't do much, really…"

"Yeah, whatever…" Junpei's scowl deepened as it didn't even look like the blue-hair boy was paying any attention to him. "Who cares, anyway…?"

Yukari glared at their classmate. "Hey, why do you have to be like that? Don't tell me you're jealous."

"Shut up!" he snapped at her before walking away.

"What's up HIS butt?" Yukari asked before she and Fuuka followed after him.

"Nii-san…" Hamuko stared at her brother for a while longer. "We should get going too."

"Yeah…" Minato finally lifted his gaze but paused when he noticed something on the roof across from them. Huh? Three Reapers? He continued to stare and he barely made out three silhouettes before he heard his sister calling for him again.

"Minato?" Hamuko looked back towards him. "Come on."

"Mm," he replied as he trudged after her.

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"Looks like this room's the last one on this floor," Akihiko nodded as he and Mitsuru reached the end of the hall.

"Indeed," Mitsuru crossed her arms. She frowned though as she sensed a strange energy emanating from the room. "Does this door seem different to you, Akihiko?"

"It looks the same as all the other ones," he shook his head. "Why? You picked up something?"

"We haven't yet encountered any of the mirrors that Yamagishi spoke of, so I was beginning to think none were present on this floor. The energy signature of this room is different from the others however..." the former navigator narrowed her gaze on the final room. "Perhaps we will find what we are looking for in here."

"We might as well give it a shot," Akihiko shrugged before opening the door. The two seniors made their way over to the mirror and sure enough, neither of their reflections appeared before them. "Alright, let's get this over with!" he smirked as he brought his fist back and slammed it against the smooth surface.

When it completely shattered, Mitsuru nodded in approval. "With this, the seal should be weakened. Let's regroup with the..." she paused as her vision blurred.

Akihiko held his arm out to the wall as he also felt a bit dizzy. "Whoa... What's going on...?"

"Is this perhaps... a trap...?" Mitsuru asked before losing consciousness.

When the redhead next awoke, she found herself in the same room as before but for some reason she had been moved to the bed. She slowly sat up and brought a hand up to her head as she wondered why that may be. It took her a while to notice she was completely alone though so she quickly got to her feet.

"Akihiko?" She searched the room for her missing companion. When she noticed the sound of a shower running, she paused and turned towards the bathroom in confusion as it soon turned off. She watched as the door slowly opened, letting out some steam, but as it cleared, she sternly frowned at the boxer coming out to face her wearing nothing but a towel.

"Hey," the white-haired senior nodded to her and pointed to the bathroom behind him. "It's your turn next..."

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru glared at him as she felt her face burn up in both embarrassment and annoyance.

Akihiko groaned and closed his eyes as he seemed to be trying to focus on something. When he opened them again, he shook his head to clear it of the weird fog clouding his mind. "Whoa!" He looked down at himself in surprise. "Wh-what the hell!? What's going on here!?" He nervously looked up at the red-haired senior before him. "M-mitsuru!"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "If you do not get dressed within two minutes, I will execute you," she threatened him.

"H-hold on! I'm going!" Akihiko rushed himself into the bathroom in a panic.

Mitsuru sighed to herself as she wondered for what sort of reason the Shadow had to lay a trap like this. She couldn't think about it for too long though as she felt Fuuka upstairs summoning Lucia. "Yamagishi, has something happened?"

"We've broken the seal on the door! We should be able to fight the Shadow now!"

"Fuuka-chan and I are waiting for all of us regroup before engaging the Shadow," Hamuko added. "Please hurry!"

Akihiko came out of the bathroom then, fully clothed. "No need to tell us twice," he growled in annoyance. "Let's go, Mitsuru!"

The seniors quickly made it up to the third floor where all of the other juniors, barring Minato, were already gathered. Yukari was the first to spot them so straightened up. "Hey, they're here!" she paused though as she sensed both older students were rather riled up. "Are you two okay?"

"Huh?" Akihiko tensed up and gave her a disapproving frown. "Of course, we're okay."

"W-we're fine!" Mitsuru hastily agreed. "Nothing happened!"

The other juniors looked to each other dubiously before deciding to focus on their current mission. Hamuko smirked to herself though as she guessed what the seniors just went through.

Final Notes: So I cut out a scene towards the end. Eh... it's not that important to me. Although, the scene I skipped in particular brings up a question I have later on in the game... This was about the time I really hated Junpei because he was being a little bitch... I can't really see him being too angry at Hamuko but Minato's completely fair game. Junpei is a lot more chill with Hamuko anyways. The Lovers Shadow is another reason why I disliked Yukari since once again, she was being shoved down Minato's throat. Still don't see her as a romantic partner... She still makes a better friend in my opinion, but I guess that just means she's not my type at all... Hrm... Actually, I'm not all that attracted to Shinjiro either... I'm more attracted to the idea of Shinjiro and his story than anything else. To be honest, when I play Hamuko's route, I'm more into Theodore than anyone else... But that just could be because Theo's voiced by Travis Willingham in Portable... And I love Roy Mustang from Full Metal Alchemist...