A/N: Wow, I did not expect the number of reviews that the last chapter received, for that I give my sincere thanks. It really is valuable to hear what my readers have to say about the story, not just the structure, but the actions of the characters themselves. Pacing has always been an issue for me and I'm glad that in the reviews there were a couple of mentions that there is a disconnect between character development and where the story is in terms of the timeline. I am working to figure out a way to possibly summarize some situations better and not try to get too inundated with the details though of course that is a fine line to walk upon. Regardless, I did enjoy writing this chapter because it sets up the full moon battle next chapter well… at least I would hope so haha. As usual, this is not the final update to the chapter since the standing update section is blank and will be edited later. Anyhow, I am excited about the continuing development of the story and welcome you to enjoy the ride and provide your thoughts. Thank you.

Standing Update 1: Final update is in.

Reader Reviews:

titanpmedusawitch: Indeed, their relationship helps to drive the story forward, but not without friction, as this chapter will illustrate. Good to see you again!

Enlightened End: Thank you for the compliment. I would say character development is my strength if I had one. Pacing is an issue that is one that I struggle with, along with grammar. It is good that you brought up pacing because it had been something in the back of my mind for a while. I have tried to speed up the progression somewhat to help the project get to where it needs to be. The story does need to be pushed and I attempted to tone down on the saturation of details in this chapter, and though I am not satisfied with it, it will be a process of finding that happy medium. Lastly, I'm glad you enjoyed the foundation upon which the story was built. I spent a good bit of time thinking of the story when it first began and actually developed it with the end in mind. Thanks for the insight!

The Greater Foo1: Better to be underrated, so I don't have to meet enhanced expectations, but thank you, I appreciate the statement. I make sure to try and put myself in the various character shoes to determine what they are feeling at the time and the reasons for their actions. So far, it has gone alright and want to make sure to improve upon it. I haven't lost motivation yet, but do understand your concern and am trying to incorporate a faster move in the timeline as necessary. Cheers.

DeathChaos25: Glad to see that college hasn't taken you away aha. I think his actions are almost a defense mechanism because he doesn't really know what to say at times, which is understandable considering they are all teenagers and yeah. Besides, he's still learning about Hamuko as a person and he was always a bit socially awkward to me though that is probably biased because he doesn't actually have a voice in the game most of the time. Also, I think he may enjoy being on the fringes somewhat since his dorm buddies don't question him about where he's going and the like. Ha, yeah the kitchen stuff is just there because I thought it helps bring everyone come together instead of order takeout every single time. I'll expand upon it when I think the time is right and of course Minato and Shinji may butt heads trying to figure out whose domain the kitchen really is. I do appreciate Junpei more now after writing this story because he provides an outlet for the other characters and he doesn't allow things to ever become too serious. And I'm excited about the movie as well from what I've seen in the previews so far.

Yoshikunitsu: Yeah, Minato does need to have some type of advantage to compensate for his current lack of power. His words can be quite useful in meetings his goals.

RomanceDagger: Glad you enjoyed this chapter! It took me a while to corral this chapter together because I wanted to take into account what the reader reviews said last time, as well as having last time to write than I usually do.

Sir Godot: I would agree with you on the part with time travel. It just provides a lot of opportunities for unique interactions and a different perspective through the same events. Although, it can feel redundant at times if the author is not careful. Definitely, Minato has a lot to learn about not being the strongest character and learning some humility along the way. He is figuring out what it is like to be in the shoes of others who aren't able to change their Persona at will among other things. Hamuko is the main character in the terms of actually having the Wild Card and leading the team. Thanks for the review.

Blarg7865: Hmm, that is definitely a thought considering the cast of Persona that the team members of S.E.E.S. uses. Prometheus is an interesting choice when considering classical Greek history and his role in bringing fire to humanity and being punished for it. However, Minato's Persona is tied to a major plot point to the end, which is really far off, but I promise it will make more sense later. Thanks for your input.

Chapter 16: Assumption

April 30th, Thursday (Gekkoukan High, Morning)

Hamuko P.O.V.

Hamuko's hands still felt tender after she and Junpei had visited Game Panic yesterday. They had hacked and slashed their way to a high score, but paid the price with pulsating blisters on their hands. It didn't help that history class always failed to keep Hamuko's attention, even with Mr. Ono getting so excited about the Sengoku Era that he wielded the chalkboard eraser like a sword, unleashing a volley of chalk dust across the classroom and causing students to start coughing. Junpei, who usually paid no attention in history class, had his eyes glued on Mr. Ono inhaling the discussion about giant katanas.

Class ended and Hamuko heard her phone buzz and proceeded to dig it out of her bag and answered it.

"Hello?" a woman's voice inquired. "This is Elizabeth. Can you hear me?"

"Yes," Hamuko whispered, trying not to let the rest of the S.E.E.S members hear her.

"Please come to the Velvet Room," Elizabeth said rather ceremoniously. "There is a matter we must discuss."

"But I'm not in Tartarus now." Hamuko's face crinkled a bit, worried as to why she suddenly needed to go to the Velvet Room. Had something happened?

"You may use the alternate entrance located in Paulownia Mall," Elizabeth explained to her calmly. "All you must do is find the door. I will see you soon. Goodbye."

The call ended and Hamuko wondered about a couple of trivial things. How did Elizabeth know her cellphone number, and when did the Velvet Room get a telephone? Regardless, she made up an excuse about meeting someone so that she could leave her friends and head over to the mall, constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure no one followed her. Once there, she circled around the area a couple of times, looking for a clue as to where this door Elizabeth had mentioned was. Finally, she saw a glimpse of a familiar door at the end of a rather shady looking back alley underneath the Karaoke Bar Mandragora. It was a dismal and smelly place without a doubt. It seemed like all of the trash from the storefronts piled up here, causing a stench that caused Hamuko to wrinkle her nose in disgust. This was not the kind of place that Hamuko expected to find the door to the Velvet Room. It stood in stark contrast to the majestic lobby in Tartarus where the other entrance existed. Undaunted, Hamuko braced herself against the door and hastily stepped forward.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Igor said to welcome her. "I believe my assistant is the one that requested your presence here today."

"I am truly sorry to bother you, but I have a big favor to ask." Elizabeth looked a bit unsure but continued on. "If you don't mind, will you accept my requests?"

"What kind of requests are we talking about, Elizabeth?" Hamuko asked curiously. This had been all a bit hasty, considering Hamuko had just entered the Velvet Room and bombarded with a rather open-ended kind of question. Perhaps, she had been a bit foolhardy to immediately heed Elizabeth's call without really much thinking.

"Some of the missions will only require that you escort me around your world," she replied, full of enthusiasm now. "Other missions can be accomplished by venturing through Tartarus. Of course, there will be a reward for each mission that you successfully complete."

"You should've said there would be rewards at the start!" Hamuko answered with the same level of enthusiasm as the Velvet Room attendant. Her mind began to race with the possibilities of awards that she could receive.

"I anxiously await your coöperation then," Elizabeth told her, with a smile spreading across her lips.

Hamuko was about to leave when an interesting question came to her mind. She turned to Igor who seemed to have nodded off during her conversation with Elizabeth.

"Igor?" Hamuko said, tempted to poke him to see if he really had fallen asleep.

"Yes, my dear guest?" he asked in a somewhat tired voice.

"Do you need to have a contract to enter this room?" Hamuko asked with some anticipation written over her face.

"It depends," Igor said flatly, and with a hint of irritation that was not evident a moment ago. "Now, if you are done with your business here today, then I suggest that you leave."

Hamuko felt saddened that Igor would just want her to leave, but obliged and left towards the door that led back to the alleyway in Paulownia Mall.

(Velvet Room)

Igor P.O.V.

Igor clasped his hands together and began to mutter under his breath; it helped to calm him. He had not lied to his guest when she had inquired about the conditions attached to entering the Velvet Room. After all, Aigis had brought her companions inside this sanctuary. Perhaps he had told his guest a half-truth. It had been unintentional, but he had to respect the wishes of his other guest as well. Until Minato decided to reveal his own journey to his protégé, Igor was not at liberty to explain the situation to Hamuko.

Margaret, who had been lurking in the shadows during Hamuko's visit, began to walk towards him, the noise of her heels muffled by the thick carpet.

"You seem rather troubled, master," she intoned, though the look on her face did have some semblance of sarcasm on it.

"The hands of destiny are not easy to predict," Igor replied in an irascible tone, drawing out a deck of Tarot Cards from underneath the sofa. "It would seem that they are as fickle as ever."

(Late Afternoon, Iwatodai Dorm)

Hamuko P.O.V.

She was onto something, Hamuko thought. Igor, who always seemed calm, had become agitated when she asked her question regarding entry into the Velvet Room. As she stepped out back into the real world, she received confirmation that this was the spot that Minato and her had head-butted each other. Hamuko didn't really know what to feel, as she felt equal parts vindicated and confused. Her constant cajoling of Minato had not led to any breakthroughs, but she felt that she had begun to take some steps to finding out one answer in the journey for the truth. Still, she had so many doubts that nagged at her and felt like she missed something obvious. A feeling she could best describe as trying to remember a song and having it on the tip of her tongue, yet unable to recall it. This feeling, she just couldn't shake it off.

Back at the dorm, she found Minato alone watching the news. Oh, what she would do to have the ability to never have to study and get the best scores on every assignment. Envy aside, she walked up right toward him with a determined expression on her face.

Minato simply glanced up at her and nodded twice affirmatively and went back to staring vacantly at the television screen.

It was rather fortuitous that no one else was around so Hamuko hatched an impulsive plan.

"Hey, let's go for a walk together," Hamuko demanded, grabbing Minato's arm and trying to drag him off the sofa.

"Not in the mood," he replied curtly, eyes not leaving the screen. "Leave me alone."

"Oh, come on!" she said with her voice rising. "I bet you've been sitting there like a zombie since school ended!"

"Yeah, so?" Minato answered, muting the television and putting down the remote. "It isn't really any of your business, now is it?"

"Well, you made me go with you to the movies on Sunday, so it's only fair that you go where I want to go today." Hamuko had laid it on pretty thick, but she didn't really see any way around it.

"That's because Yukari told me you were all mopey and weepy." Minato sneered at her enunciating every word and successfully irritating her.

"You don't even know what happened to me!" She curled her hands into fists, her fingernails digging into her palm.

"I do," he simply said in between Hamuko's angry gesticulations towards him.

"What?" she replied, in a dumbfound manner wondering what his words implied.

"I do. I do want to go for a walk now," he told her. "I first wanted to see if you had enough energy to go for a walk and you passed that test with flying colors."

"Hmph, you're such a jerk, Minato," she said, her temperature dropping back down to safer parameters.

I hate this! I was in control of the situation and he always flips it back onto me, she thought bitterly as darkness began to enshroud the city.

They made it towards Paulownia Mall and not too many people were here on a weekday night with school and work tomorrow.

Before Minato could react she grabbed his hand and pulled him forward toward the alleyway.

"Didn't know you felt like that about me," Minato muttered, as they stumbled forward. He didn't provide any resistance at her touch and she felt surprised at how soft his hand felt. Her hand was full of calluses and scratches from tennis practice and using her naginata at Tartarus. It embarrassed her that her hand didn't exactly fit the mold of a typical teenage girl.

They were on the precipice of the Velvet Room door and she kicked it open with her left foot without regard for the crashing noise that it caused. She crossed the threshold first, but with their hands still intertwined. Suddenly, Hamuko couldn't take another step forward. Her entire body was in the Velvet Room except for the hand that held Minato. Igor and Elizabeth were there as usual waiting to greet her.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Elizabeth said, looking at Hamuko and waving at her. "It would seem that you have returned rather quickly. Well, most of you, anyways."

"Elizabeth, can I keep the door open for a little while?" Hamuko asked her.

"But of course," she replied. "The will of our guest is our will as well."

"Uh, thanks, I guess." Hamuko crossed over back to the real world.

"Where did you go, Hamuko?" Minato asked her, his gaze fixated on the night sky.

"Um, nowhere in particular, Minato," she answered in a shy tone, releasing his hand. "Say, do you know what the Velvet Room is?"

"Huh, the Velvet Room, you said?" he answered, looking squarely into her eyes. "No, can't say I have. Is that some kind of club that you sneak into?"

"Sorry, I just thought you knew what it was," she answered, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Well, I guess this is an unusual place for a walk, but next time let's go somewhere that's a bit more sanitary, okay?" He gave a carefree laugh and they started walking together back to the dormitory.

Just like that, her hope that Minato was someone shared her connection to the Velvet Room dissipated. She had been stupid to believe that such an idea had any type of traction. The proof had been in the fact that he couldn't enter the Velvet Room with her. All of the other stuff, like how he had a Tarot card that summoned his Persona didn't really matter anymore to her. Maybe, he was like Mitsuru and awakened to his Persona a while ago. All that mattered to her was that she was alone again, and it stung her heart.

(Velvet Room)

Igor P.O.V.

"Do close the door now, would you, Margaret?" Igor ordered the older of his two assistants.

"As you wish," she answered and sealed the pathway that led back to the outer world.

"Master, I am a bit confused by what just occurred," Elizabeth inquired as she adjusted the hat on her head. "I believe that our guest attempted to bring Minato into the Velvet Room, and since they are both contract holders, I thought they would be able to enter."

"When Aigis brought her friends into the Velvet Room, would you say that their mindsets were united?" Igor seemed to be talking more to himself than either of his assistants, but they both listened intently.

"Yes, of course," Margaret answered him. "They all thought that she had perished after their ordeal in the Abyss of Time."

"Correct," Igor continued on. "Now would you say the minds of our two current guests are on the same path? Or even the same plateau?"

"I would say an accurate term would be that they are on divergent paths," Elizabeth added with sadness in her voice.

"Those without their hearts united cannot enter the Velvet Room concurrently," Igor mused. "It is, after all, a construct of their innermost desire. One yearns for the past and the other thirsts for the future."

May 6th, Wednesday

Minato P.O.V.

Golden Week had been as dull as ever and Minato found himself lounging once again with his hands behind his head for support. It had been a quiet week, which brought a sense of serenity to Minato's beleaguered mind. Chidori had stopped coming to the spot by the florist for reasons that only she knew. She was one of the people that floated around Minato's mind. Venturing into the past was a formidable task, considering all the implications that his actions had, but there was one factor that particularly confounded him. All of his planning and calculations crumbled beneath him whenever a certain girl decided to interrupt his life. She was the one variable that he could not predict because she did not exist in his world.

Hamuko had attempted to bring Minato to the Velvet Room. He had submitted himself to the possibility of revealing that he was a guest of the Velvet Room just like her, but things were never just as simple as that. When she had attempted to drag him through, an invisible force had rendered her efforts futile, repelling Minato from crossing the threshold of the door. It wasn't a phenomena that he had ever experienced before and was at a loss to explain. Just to make sure, he had visited the Velvet Room the very next day and found no problems entering it, so he had no concrete hypothesis as to why Hamuko could not bring him there the previous time. Really, it was more concerning that Hamuko's suspicions had risen to a level where she would delve into trickery to get what she wanted. He had played the situation off well enough with just enough narcissism, that Hamuko would just pass him off as selfish and a jerk. He preferred not to have to resort to outright lying, but this journey was his responsibility alone.

However, Minato still had some joy in his life because of a certain little girl. The kinetic ball of energy that was Maiko. Minato recalled the odd turn of events that led her to befriend him this time. She remained the same as she ever was, always cheerful and optimistic, even with the constant fighting of her parents back at home. Maiko wore her navy school ensemble, hair braided into two buns, and her trademark red backpack.

All of the major details were there, but, Minato had to admit something seemed to be off from their first contact with each other. He had anticipated that she would want Mad Bull and Takoyaki again, but by coincidence he had passed by the shrine before going to the city to buy the Takoyaki. At that time, Maiko was already there playing on the top of jungle gym at Naganaki Shrine and cast a curious eye at him. It almost seemed like she had been waiting for Minato in a way, perhaps it had been his imagination.

"Hey, mister!" she called out. "My parents said I shouldn't talk to strangers, but you don't seem like a bad person. Would you play with me?"

"Yeah, sure kid," he replied, walking up the stairs of the shrine and closer to her. However, in her eagerness to come down, Maiko's foot slipped. Using his honed instincts Minato caught her before she could hit the ground, cradling her in his uninjured arm, and letting her down softly.

"Wow, thank you!" she exclaimed with that radiant smile of hers. "Are you a superhero?"

"Not really, just a good stranger I guess," Minato commented, putting his hand in his pocket and extracting a handkerchief to dust off his clothes.

"You're not lying, are you?" she continued, but quickly came to a conclusion. "No, you must be telling the truth! After all you did save me from hurting myself. I'm Maiko, by the way. What's your name?"

"Minato, nice to meet you, Maiko," he replied cheerfully, her simple and happy purity rubbing off on his mood.

"I have to go now, but will you promise to rescue me if I'm in trouble again, Minato?" Maiko's voice pleaded with him and her lower lip quivered, worried that he may say no.

"Of course, Maiko," Minato promised, kneeling down on one knee. "I, Minato Arisato, promise to rescue you when you call."

"Great! Come play with me again, okay?" she smiled again and let him be on his way.

Minato thanked her and walked away from the shrine, intending to go back to the dorm, when a certain redhead came up the street, quickly closing in on his location. Minato's instincts told him he did not want to be seen here near the shrine, yet he was curious about how Hamuko's interactions would unfold with Maiko. Spying from the underbrush of a cluster of rather pointy shrubbery, Minato couldn't really hear the conversation as Hamuko approached Maiko, but he saw her give Maiko Takoyaki and then a Mad Bull. Minato's brain went into overdrive and wondered if he had nearly interfered with the development of Hamuko's social links.

On the way back to the dorm, he kicked a pebble on the ground, not really paying attention to where he was going, and nearly walked into a telephone poll. He felt a bit like a rudderless boat caught in the high tides of whatever destiny had decided.

(Iwatodai Dorm, Evening)

Hamuko P.O.V.

It did help that the mundane cycle of school and Tartarus was often interrupted by random encounters, such as meeting a strange senpai at the hospital who gave Hamuko a piercing glare that made her shiver a bit. His eyes didn't really match the harsh language that he used, but seemed filled with a deep sadness that Hamuko couldn't really point her finger at. Akihiko had explained that he was an acquaintance of the intimidating figure, but Hamuko felt that maybe Akihiko should try to find friends that seemed less like this beanie-wearing senpai. Junpei would agree, as he had seemed terrified of the entire situation from the beginning and cracked jokes to compensate for his fear.

Also, there had been the quest with Elizabeth in Paulownia Mall where she had deposited a cascade of money into the water fountain. It wasn't really the money that piqued Hamuko's interest because she had grown accustomed to Elizabeth's eccentric tendencies. It was the wish she wanted, and that wish was for the hearts of people to understand the true meaning of suffering. Hamuko had called her out for making such a wish, not because she took Elizabeth seriously, but because everyone around them had stared at Elizabeth like she was a psychopath. Elizabeth didn't seem to notice the expressions of the people around them and elaborated that she only wished for what she really wanted and that knowing true suffering would let people appreciate what they have. Hamuko had understood that Elizabeth had not meant any harm and wondered if she should help her learn more about social norms in the real world.

Meeting Maiko today had been an energizing experience for Hamuko. She was just such a cheerful little girl and her optimism quite infectious. The way she devoured the Takoyaki had been too cute, and chugging the Mad Bull down was rather impressive. Hamuko was eager to meet her again and promised to come back. Maiko seemed happy at the suggestion, but said that she didn't need to worry about her becoming lonely because she had a knight. Hamuko really had no idea what to make of that statement as she got back to the dormitory and greeted her senpais and classmates.

Hamuko dreaded having to go to school tomorrow, but she had a lot of time off with Golden Week, so she shouldn't really complain. She set her alarm for the first time in a while and shook off the slippers covering her feet. Getting ready to sleep, she pulled her paisley blanket covers up to her shoulders and mumbled about how there wasn't octopus in the Takoyaki.

May 8th, Friday (Iwatodai Dormitory, Evening)

Minato P.O.V.

Apathy Syndrome victims are increasing, and no cause for the epidemic has been found. Anxiety is spreading near Port Island, where many of the victims are from. This is Kaede Kuroki, reporting from Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. The television detailed further developments, but Mitsuru muted the rest of it with the remote.

Minato knew it was almost time; he could feel it in his bones, and there was a nervous energy permeating through the dorm. Minato's leg shook restlessly, as if it had a mind of its own, while he tried to gauge the general mood of the group. The others of course had only intuition to work on to figure out what was going on and could only give conjecture into why there seemed to be so many of The Lost wandering about recently. Minato did have to laugh about it inwardly to himself that The Lost were the harbingers of doom leading to the end of the world. They had always seemed harmless, if not a bit in the way, but appearances really could be deceiving.

"It's been a month since the last attack," Mitsuru stated to break the silence, using her commanding voice. All of the eyes in the room turned to her as she continued. "I am certain that was not be the last attack by a Shadow outside of Tartarus."

Everyone seemed to tense up at a bit about the memory of the battle a month ago, except for a certain baseball cap wearing teen who seemed oblivious to what Mitsuru referred to. Junpei rocked back and forth in his seat and tried to ease the mood in the room a bit.

"Hey, you guys did win last time, right?" He put on a cocky grin and stood up, pumping a fist into the air, "And you guys didn't even have me around! Now that I'm here, there's no doubt we'll win!"

"Junpei, do you even know how terrifying that battle was?" Yukari scolded him like he was a little child and gestured towards Hamuko. "She's the only reason that all of us got out alive last time. If it wasn't for her then S.E.E.S may no longer have existed after that battle."

"Come on, Yukari. I didn't do that much," Hamuko said, waving off the compliment, though she seemed rather pleased.

"Seriously?" Junpei seemed taken aback a bit as he sat back down and his mouth went slack as he stared at Hamuko with a mixture of fear and envy. "I know she's good, but what were the rest of you guys doing?"

"It wasn't the only Shadow that attacked us, Junpei." Akihiko looked away from Minato, perhaps still feeling a bit guilty about that incident. "Mitsuru and I had to hold down the front door from the Shadow's minions, while Yukari and Hamuko evacuated to the roof. Unfortunately, we all underestimated the abilities of that particular Shadow, and it scaled the roof and attacked the girls."

"You're telling me that a Shadow can scale the walls of this dorm?" Junpei's earlier hubris had vanished.

"Don't take it personally, Iori," Mitsuru claimed. "No one imagined that the Shadows would attack outside of Tartarus, and the only reason that it came here was because a certain pair of individuals decided to lead it here."

Akihiko squirmed a bit under Mitsuru's not so subtle reference of Akihiko and Minato bringing the rampaging Magician Shadow to the dormitory. The senior boxer coughed a bit awkwardly and tried to change the direction of the conversation.

"Anyhow, it's important that we're ready at a moment's notice for the next battle," Akihiko warned, looking mostly towards the juniors.

"You're right, senpai," Hamuko said to support him. "But it will be hard for us to be alert day after day. It would be nice if there were some pattern to these attacks so that we would know when to generally expect these major Shadows."

Since the Chairman wasn't around, Minato wondered if he should play a little game. "Well, it may help to be in comfortable shoes if we have to run away or chase a Shadow again, Akihiko and I could attest to that. Who knows, we may have to go anywhere- from the shrine, to Tartarus, or maybe even the train station."

"Well, that is important to keep in mind, I guess," Junpei murmured and then proceeded to provide his philosophical input. "None of you girls better wear shoes with high heels, although I wouldn't mind if you did."

Ah Junpei, you are so easy to manipulate. I do applaud you on your audacity to say anything at any given time for my enjoyment,Minato thought in a sinister fashion as Junpei was thoroughly chewed out by Mitsuru, Yukari, and Hamuko with Akihiko gaping with his mouth open at the savagery of the girls.

May 9th, Saturday (Gekkoukan High, Early Morning)

Hamuko P.O.V.

Hamuko had not slept well, constantly twisting and turning in her bed, causing her hair to be bushier than usual. No matter how much she had brushed her hair with a comb it did not seem to want to coöperate, continuing to look like she had rubbed a balloon on the carpet and put it to her head. She had given up and hoped that strategic placement of her barrettes would hide her bad hair day. As she stealthily arrived at the school gates, hoping to go undetected, Akihiko greeted her, making her yelp a bit.

"Good morning, Hamuko. Sorry if I surprised you." Akihiko must have seen her jump in surprise. "I know I may have sounded a bit paranoid yesterday, but we all need to constantly improve our fighting abilities, just in case."

"You know as well as anyone, senpai. After all, you've been fighting this battle for far longer than I have." Hamuko had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at him for lecturing her about preparedness again, and pretended to brush the bangs in her hair out of the way. "I'm sure we're about as ready as can be."

"Yeah, you may be right," he replied, looking around, maybe to check on if any of his fan girls were within earshot, judging by the annoyed expression on his face. "I just don't want the team to get caught by surprise again and not have to rely on you to bail us out."

"Senpai, we've already been through this," she said, giving him an accusatory stare and putting her bag down so she could stand up straighter at her taller senpai. "The pressure doesn't bother me, and even though you and Mitsuru-senpai worry, it isn't going to change anything until I prove that I'm worthy of being a leader out in the field during a major mission."

"Yes, but you look like you push yourself too hard sometimes in Tartarus." Akihiko seemed to stutter slightly at the end of his words, as if he had to force the last couple of words out.

"So, you're staring at me from behind during our trips in Tartarus?" Hamuko knew that the modest Akihiko would not be doing what she insinuated, but felt like teasing him a bit.

"No! That's not what I meant!" Akihiko looked uncomfortable as he tried to not meet her eyes. "I just want to make sure you're safe, that's all."

"I was just kidding, senpai," she replied gently. "Thank you for watching my back though, since Junpei is too busy always trying to hog the glory and Yukari can fall apart at the most crucial moments in a battle. I'm glad that there's a battle-tested boxer acting as my vanguard."

"Don't mention it, I'm just doing my job," he replied with some relief. "I'll see you back at the dorm then, Hamuko."

(Rooftop, Lunchtime)

Minato P.O.V.

Minato split his disposable wooden chopsticks down the middle with a satisfying snap, eager to dig in to the bento that he had spent late last night preparing with painstaking difficulty due to his current condition. Before he opened the box-shaped container, he wondered if he should say a simple prayer. The wind picked up a little and a breeze ruffled his hair slightly, and he prayed that his clueless friends would not die in their efforts against the Priestess Shadow. His prayer did sound a bit morbid, but it was up to Hamuko and the rest of the team to defeat the second full moon Shadow. At last, he opened the lid of the bento and took out one of his carefully constructed rice balls. Unfortunately, his lunch break was interrupted by Hamuko.

"Hey, Minato! What are you doing all alone up here?" Hamuko wandered over to where he was and sat next to him. "That looks awesome, did you make it by yourself? I did hear some noise coming from the kitchen after the meeting yesterday."

"Yeah, I made it myself because I was getting tired of the school food. And I'm here because I was just trying to enjoy the bento that I made until someone came to bother me," Minato said rather snappishly.

"Well, excuse me, Minato. I didn't know that you were here with someone else." Hamuko pretended to look around for someone else on the rooftop.

"Very funny, Hamuko," Minato taunted with undiluted sarcasm. "Still, what do you want? I can only imagine you wanted to talk about something to take the trouble of finding me up here."

"I want you to listen to my theory about these powerful Shadows," she replied.

"Go for it. Although, there has only been one so far," Minato corrected her.

"I think that they may come only when the moon is full," she said surprisingly. "I remember that when the last one attacked it was a full moon as well. It really can't be a coincidence that The Lost always seem to pile up right around this time as well. I asked Mitsuru-senpai about The Lost and she replied that they usually were out in mass around the week just before the full moon.

Minato had to give her some credit; she had done her homework, but she would find out on her own eventually. He did not confirm or deny Hamuko's theory, instead just shrugging his shoulders a bit in a noncommittal fashion and saying that her idea was a possibility.

"You don't think my theory is a bunch of nonsense?" Hamuko leaned towards him and Minato tried to stand his ground.

"Yeah, why not?" he replied.

"Hmm, what do you think about it though?" she asked, trying to dig out some information.

"What I think about it doesn't really matter, Hamuko," he spat out with venom in his voice. "You can have your vanguard protect you against the Shadows when you aren't destroying everything with your power."

The warning bell rang and Minato stalked off with his uneaten bento box clutched in his hand without looking back.

Hamuko just sat there as he descended the stairs on his own.