A/N: You may have noticed I have changed the title of this fic to just Journey to the Answer and that's because, for the sake of convenience, I decided to scrap the idea of separating the story into four individual entries. For all my wonderful readers, I hope that this provides an easier reading experience.
From the way everyone held their weapons, Minato thought remaining inconspicuous whilst travelling to wherever Tartarus was would be impossible. With twenty-four hour convenience stores placed in 'convenient' places, bars full of workers drowning their woes in saké and a steady stream of traffic, Iwatodai was anything but a ghost town at night. Yet somehow they had managed to bypass some of the most busiest areas of the district without garnering much, if not any, attention. Granted, it was a good thing but Minato wondered exactly how they would explain themselves if questions were asked. Yukari's longbow and quiver of arrows might have been within explanation but Junpei's katana? Or his saber? People would think that they were members of the Yakuza.
Thinking that made him question whether the Kirijo Group was secretly part of it as well, or just an entirely different entity. His childhood memories of the Group were still foggy and whenever he tried to remember anything about them, he could only recall fragmented visions depicting some laboratory, and several humanoid silhouettes walking towards him amid a glow of embers. Yukari had made it clear that she was suspicious of the Group. Should he be as well?
"Wait, this is the place?" Junpei groaned. "Why here?"
Looking at his surroundings, Minato could not agree more.
They were in front of Gekkoukan High School. It was hard to tell as there were few lampposts in the area but upon closer inspection, it was his school. Only, it did not look like a school anymore. Covered in a blanket of darkness and having a pathway flanked by a line of ominous cherry blossom trees, it may as well have been a haunted mansion, with the arrival of the Dark Hour adding to that illusion.
The shift was odd. There was no doubt about it. But the sense of wrongness that the Dark Hour brought was so obvious it puzzled Minato how he had not noticed it on the day of his arrival. The drop in temperature, the stagnant air. The way some places were brighter than others even though all the streetlights were off and the discolored moon. The distortions caused by the ripples of the Dark Hour should have been alien to him. It really should have.
But it wasn't.
He did not know how but some part of him recognized the sensations brought forth, and told him that all this was to be expected.
The one thing it did not tell him was the transformation of Gekkoukan High School to a gigantic tower. Tartarus. It took the place of the main building, stretching further and further into the cloudy green sky as its exterior of randomly shaped and sized steel – which protruded in different directions – was established. The resulting monument was a mess, as if the architect was heavily drunk when sketching the design.
Minato followed the others to the entrance (when Yukari and Junpei had finished gawking at its grotesque magnificence) and upon entering the lobby of Tartarus, they were greeted by a large staircase that stood in the center of the room. At the top of the stairs, was an antique golden clock with a carved doorway. A few paces away from the staircase was a bizarre spherical device that began to glow green the moment Akihiko neared it.
This is all wrong. How can a tower just appear out of nowhere?
He continued to look around in disbelief when his eyes fell onto a freestanding deep blue door that was to the left of the staircase. It stood there, beckoning for him to enter. Minato approached it and automatically, he reached into his pocket for the key Elizabeth had given him, and placed it into the lock. The door opened and within seconds, he was back in the Velvet Room.
Igor was still seated in front of him across that same clothed table, and Elizabeth was still standing on his left with that giant encyclopedia in her arms. It appeared as if time had not passed at all since his previous visit.
"It's so nice to see you again," Igor said. "The time has come for you to wield your power."
"You mean my Persona?" Minato asked.
Igor nodded. "However, you should know that your power is unique. It's like the number zero. Empty, but at the same time, holds infinite possibilities."
"What does that mean?"
"You'll see in due time," Igor said, his smile widening. "That being said, your power is still weak. If you are to seek the answers to the tower you are about to venture into, keep in mind that the more emotional ties with others you develop, the more your power will evolve. Now then, time marches on in your world and I shouldn't keep you here any longer. Until the next time we meet, good luck, and farewell."
A bright light engulfed his vision and within seconds, Minato was staring into the curious eyes of his friends.
Well isn't this awkward.
"Did I miss something?" he asked.
"Our senpai was just explaining about this place," Yukari said, eyeing him. "Have you been nodding off? 'Cause it isn't like you to be out of it."
"Yeah dude, you look like a zombie," Junpei added.
"I guess I must have," Minato responded with a shrug, turning to face his senpai. Did he really look that bad? "But I did hear you guys say that you've explored it a little before and that everything between here and the top is Shadow territory."
"Well, at least you heard that much," Akihiko said. "Anyway, we'll have you three get a feel for this place."
Yukari gasped. "What? By ourselves? You can't be serious!"
"We're not asking you to go very far," Mitsuru explained. "Besides, you'll learn more this way."
Minato tightened his grip on his saber. She had a point. But with no knowledge of Yukari and Junpei's combat experience, he truly wondered if this was the best way of doings things.
"So you guys didn't plan on comin' in the first place?" Junpei asked, his shoulders slumped.
"Not unless you run into something you can't handle," Akihiko said. "Additionally, we're also going to appoint a field leader to make any necessary decisions."
No sooner than the words left his mouth, Junpei cocked his head and began to leap up and down. Akihiko shot him a quick glance before ignoring him and walking over to Minato.
"You're in charge," he said.
"Are you sure about that senpai?" Minato replied, trying to avoid Junpei's glare. "I mean, I don't see your reasoning."
Mitsuru stepped forward. "Your Persona has most likely stabilized from its first summoning. Also, you don't seem to have any difficulties with this." She pulled out her Evoker, placed it to her head and pulled the trigger.
There was a dazzling blue flash and Mitsuru's Persona materialized. It was a blue feminine humanoid, her face hidden behind an iron mask. She wielded a dagger in one hand and a rapier in the other.
Mitsuru turned to Yukari and Junpei. "You may think this is a game now but I can assure you that once you set foot in there, it will be anything but. Tartarus won't go easy on you. If you can't pull the trigger when it matters then you might as well hand in your Evoker, forget about all this and leave."
Junpei swallowed hard at Mitsuru's words. Yukari gazed at her feet, clutching her bow even harder now. And Minato smiled to himself.
Damn, she's good.
"Speaking of Evokers Mitsuru-senpai, are the ones we have now permanent?" Minato asked.
"They might be," she replied, holstering her Evoker. "The ones you three have now are just the default models. If you are comfortable with them, then they're yours. If not, then make sure to take note of any modifications you may need while you're in there."
Minato nodded in understanding. It was just like having a blade forged to your liking. Everyone had their own preferences.
"Now, are there anymore questions?" Mitsuru continued.
"If you two aren't coming with us, then what will you be doing?" Yukari asked.
"Due to the daily change in the structure of Tartarus, outside support is a must. I'll be using my Persona to feed you information from here. It will be up to you to figure out how to work best as a team."
Mitsuru could not have been more correct. Shortly after Minato, Yukari and Junpei had ascended the stairway and into the labyrinth, passing through the dim and twisted corridors with stains of blood on the tiled floor, they saw them.
Shadows.
And whether it was out of fear or pure excitement, Junpei immediately charged into the small group with a battle cry, swinging his katana like a baseball bat. With his wide strokes, it was difficult, nigh impossible, for Minato to close in without being in danger, and for Yukari to have a clear shot. Oh they did get to finish off any stragglers Junpei had injured but that was their only taste of battle. And what a sour taste it was.
"Heh, that was easier than I thought," Junpei said as the final Shadow went down.
"Don't get too cocky," Minato warned. "If we keep this up, one of us is going to get killed."
"Is that so, leader?" Junpei replied.
"Yes,"Mitsuru's voice said in their minds, causing all to jump in surprise. "Don't fret. I'm just using my Persona's telepathy skills. You're not going insane. That being said, you must be more careful. One slip up can be the difference between life and death. Do you all understand me?"
Once everyone agreed, Mitsuru gave them the lowdown. Advancing while keeping an eye on their flanks and rear. Always having their weapons and Evokers at the ready. And perhaps most importantly, ensuring that Minato and Junpei had some level of coordination in their attacking as well as enough room so that neither could harm the other.
As soon as Mitsuru finished speaking, Minato outlined a simple yet systematic strategy. Then, they set off again through the hallways and before long, encountered another group of bird-like Shadows. With their new-found knowledge and battle plans, Minato called out to Yukari, who nocked an arrow to her bow and let it loose. Her shot hit home and by the time the rest of the Shadows realized what was happening, she had downed two more.
The Shadows then cawed loudly and flew across the hallway to engage them, with some meeting their end as Junpei hacked away with his katana. The few that managed to evade his swings were cut down by a combination of Minato's saber and Yukari's arrows.
And so the process continued: stopping at junctions to examine the vicinity, calling out to Yukari if a Shadow was spotted so she could take it out with her bow, and engaging in melee combat (sometimes with the help of their Personas) when the Shadows got too close for comfort. Compared to their first skirmish, it was a much smoother way of getting the job done and many fights ended before things went out of hand.
"Well, I guess that's it for this floor," Minato said, pulling his saber out of a Shadow. They hadn't fought that many Shadows but Minato could feel the fatigue weighing down on his shoulders. Yukari and Junpei were looking tired too. "Should we go up the stairs?"
"I think it will be best to call it a night for today," Mitsuru answered. "The effects of the Dark Hour will make you tire more easily and I'm sure you're exhausted. There's no point in pushing it too hard on the first try."
"Roger that. Although, how are we supposed to get back to the lobby? Backtracking to find the staircase down is going to take a while, with the all the changing floors."
There was a pause. Then Mitsuru resumed speaking. "Do you see any sort of green spherical shaped device that looks like the one in the lobby?"
"Yes," Minato replied, eyeing a staircase down the next corridor with that same bizarre device he had seen in the lobby beside it. "It's right next to the stairs."
"Good, that's your way out. Just close your hand around it until it starts glowing. You'll see an image of the lobby and be able to teleport back."
Minato complied and signaled the others to follow him to the strange device. As soon as they reached the last junction that separated them from the stairs, he stopped and held up a hand for the others to stop as well.
"What is it?" Yukari asked, placing a hand on her quiver.
"I don't know," Minato replied. "But I think I saw something." He looked to his left, then to his right, and frowned. Something had definitely moved. He had seen movement out of the corner of his eye. But whether it was just the work of the Dark Hour's distortions, or actually movement, he could not tell.
Until a high pitched cackle pierced his ear drums.
The sound bounced off the walls, echoing in a horrible cacophony. Minato gripped his saber tighter, and glancing at his surroundings for any signs of black goo, he took one step forward into the junction. Nothing happened. Nothing, except a crescendo in the laughter. Is it near us? Or far away? It's so hard to tell with the Dark Hour screwing everything out of proportion. He gestured for Yukari and Junpei to watch the flanks and took another step–
"WATCH OUT!"
Too late.
In the split second he registered Yukari's scream, a forceful blast of wind sent him crashing into a nearby wall. Specks of light danced around in his vision as he opened his eyes and Minato shook his head lightly to regain focus. Once he did, he looked down the corridor to see his attacker. A headless humanoid figure wielding dual fencing rapiers. It was larger than the regular Shadows they had been fighting all night, but smaller than the one that attacked the dorm. Hauling himself to his feet, Minato watched as it shrugged off Yukari's arrows and parried Junpei's swings with ease.
"Use your Personas!" Minato shouted at them, hoping his voice would distract the Shadow.
It didn't.
The moment Yukari and Junpei dropped their weapons and reached for their Evokers, the Shadow summoned another strong gust of wind, knocking both of them off their feet and into the nearby walls, dazed. It then made its way towards them, ready to deliver the killing blow when a ball of fire smashed into its side. Even with no head, the Shadow knew the source of the attack. It turned its attention on the remaining intruder, the one with the blue hair.
Upon catching the Shadow's attention, Minato holstered his Evoker and approached it. Surprisingly, the Shadow made no attempt to do anything hostile. It just waited. For him.
Minato smiled as he drew his saber. It had been far too long since he had a chance to spar like this. He felt the gloom and distortions of the hallways clear, as if the sun had somehow penetrated through the Dark Hour. He felt his vision crystallizing, to the point where high definition images seemed blurry. And he felt his hesitation flee when the blissful sweetness of momentum coursed through his veins and seeped into his muscles.
He knew this feeling all too well.
"Let's dance."
Akihiko cursed to himself as he ran through the corridors of the Tartarus. He knew it was a bad idea to let them wander around without some supervision and this just proved it all. So just why was Mitsuru so confident in them? Or more specifically, him? When they heard Junpei yell through Mitsuru's Persona, she did not seem to be overly concerned. There was no doubt that she had stiffened at hearing the news but she hadn't immediately decided to rush to their aid. He in fact had to persuade her into letting him find them.
Akihiko now questioned himself whether this was a good idea. The injuries he had suffered from when the dorm was attacked were not completely healed as of yet, and every step he took made his side throb in pain.
This is nothing. I've suffered worse.
As he passed another few junctions, he heard shouts emanating from further up ahead. As well as, oddly enough, the ringing of steel on steel. He stepped up the pace and rounded the corner, the clashes getting louder with each passing second. What he saw when he arrived made his jaw drop. And it was not the Shadow's appearance that did it.
It was Minato.
The blue haired boy was dancing in an elegant rhythm, his saber's movements a blur. With each clash of blades, he pushed the Shadow back, parrying its slashes and riposting its lunges.
The style reminded Akihiko of the way Mitsuru fought and he was surprised to find that their techniques would be so similar. Akihiko decided to keep his distance. It seemed that there was no need for any intervention. Looks like Mitsuru was right.
The Shadow then made a mistake. Thrusting too early with its right arm while its left was still recovering from slashing had created an opening. Sidestepping the thrust, Minato spun his saber in an uppercut and severed the Shadow's right arm, simultaneously connecting his left hand with his Evoker. Then he pulled the trigger.
Akihiko recognized Orpheus who materialized. But he did not recognize the other Persona alongside Orpheus. Two Personas? But, that's impossible! She (it looked to be a female as far as Akihiko could tell) circled around Orpheus a few times, wisps of vapor trailing from her white, one-piece dancing garb, before joining Orpheus in strumming the lyre. Fire and water combined in a voracious conflagration that consumed the Shadow whole, a large explosion of wet embers and goo erupting forth. When the steamed cleared, Akihiko saw Minato standing victorious.
Minato turned around, not appearing to notice he was covered in Shadow muck and a few burn marks. He helped Junpei and Yukari to their feet and approached Akihiko.
"You three alright?" Akihiko asked.
"We're good," Junpei replied, leaning on his katana slightly. He turned to Minato. "But dude, where did you learn to fight like that?"
"I think the more important question is, how he summoned more than one Persona," Yukari said, retrieving an arrow that was still in shape.
All eyes turned to Minato, who was still breathing heavily. Fighting like that would exhaust anyone but summoning dual Personas on top of that? Akihiko was surprised he was still standing.
"I had learned the basics of the sword when I was younger," Minato replied, holstering his Evoker and wiping some muck off his uniform. "I can't remember who taught me but I do remember most of the things he or she did teach me. That, and I honed my skills in the fencing club I joined back in junior high."
"Seriously?" Junpei asked. When Minato shrugged and gave him a slight smile, Junpei narrowed his eyes. "You're not kidding are you?"
"No, I'm not. And as for my Personas, I have no clue where the other one came from. It just happened."
Akihiko eyed Minato. He has to have some idea. Unless he just let them do their own thing. "We'll look into how you did that later. Right now, we should head back."
Everyone nodded at his instruction and he lead them towards the teleportation device.
"You know Arisato, you fight remarkably like Mitsuru," Akihiko said as they walked.
"Really?" Minato replied.
"Yeah. If you ever need to get some training in or freshen up on some techniques, she's someone you can talk to."
"I'll keep that in mind."
They continued in silence, all exhausted from the fighting. Once they reached the device, Akihiko closed his fist around it and a green glow enveloped them. A tingling sensation rippled through each of them as they teleported and in seconds, they were back in the lobby.
"Welcome back," Mitsuru greeted, approaching them. "So, how was it?"
"No problem," Minato answered, stifling a yawn. He looked back at Yukari and Junpei and they both nodded in agreement.
"I see. Well if you gained confidence, that's the best thing you could've achieved."
"By the way, I'd like to request that my Evoker be modified to suit a left hand. It's too much of a hassle to switch between my Evoker and saber. If I have a free hand, it'll ensure that I'm never off guard and I'll be able to fight more efficiently."
Mitsuru smiled. "I wasn't expecting you to figure out your preferences so soon but sure. We'll make sure the adjustments are made." She turned to the others. "Do you two have any requests?"
Yukari and Junpei shook their heads.
"Very well," Mitsuru said. "Let's return to the dorm now. The Dark hour is about to end and it'll be easier if we're outside when this place changes back."
The juniors did not need encouragement and were already exiting Tartarus and approaching Gekkoukan's front gate. Before Mitsuru exited, Akihiko tapped her on the shoulder and she turned to face him.
"Looks like you were right about him," he said.
"It sure seems that way," Mitsuru replied, folding her arms. "You should have listened to me when I said they'd be fine."
Akihiko caught a slight smirk on her face. "Wait, you knew about his skills with the saber didn't you?"
She gave him a proud look before turning on her heel. "Of course. He doesn't remember it but, I was the one who trained him."