Disclaimer: I do not own any of the referenced properties.

The following chapter contains parts 18 to 23 of my "Eldritch Metropolis of Rumours: Sumaru" series, which is a fused loops between Persona 2 and Fate/Grand Order. Typical line breaks separate different snips, while the usual ... symbol will separate in-snip line breaks.

I hope you enjoy.


Chapter 6 section 2: A Peek through the Window
Area: ?

That night, a package was supposed to be delivered. It was small and inconspicuous. An ordinary shape, wrapped in ordinary brown wrap paper, the address and receivers clearly written down in clean and unremarkable handwriting. The package lacks any sort of stamps or a return address. It has no additional notes except that it is to be opened in private. Were it to be scanner, whether by scientific means or magecraft, it would simply show plain old paper and printer ink, just like every other piece of paper written in this entire city.

It was a package of unspeakable danger.

A man was lying on the floor. An utterly unremarkable, ordinary man, in plain old jeans and a plain old jacket, with boring features that none of his old classmates would be able to recall.

His eyes were infested with the madness carried by the authority of the king hidden in the ink.

The eyes of the man standing in opposition to him were hidden behind sunglasses. It was the middle of the night. This was of no consequence.

"It's that girl at the internet café, correct? I assume she is your main recruiter. I wonder about the size of your… group, really."

The man with the sunglasses carefully opened the wrap paper. He raised an eyebrow at the slip note containing a Wang Long fortune reading. He tossed it aside and then leafed through the contents of the book, giving it a passive read.

Anyone else would be having a seizure. This man has seen much worse.

"You definitely have access to a publisher… The binding of this book is too… commercial. Oh well. If anything your activity is beneficial to the one watching. Personally I come out a loser either way."

The man on the ground was entranced. The figure standing across was little more than a shadow yet as cutting as a blade, drowning in its presence. The figure was truly taken by Them, in every sense of the word.

"Unfortunately, he doesn't want you delivering this yet, so I'll be taking this."

"Wait-"

"Don't worry, I'll personally make sure it is delivered. They are just not quite ready yet. And I admit I'm curious, I never had a chance to read this particular book."

He turned around to leave, leaving the deliverer on the cold asphalt alone. The one on the ground scrambled to grab the note with the fortune reading. The man in sunglasses did nothing to stop him; however he paused as if something just occurred to him.

"Oh… By the way… Try laying a little low for a bit. The Paradox has arrived in this city. I assume you know what this means?"

The person who was to deliver the book froze. He remembered the messages from the gates; the shooting star who opened the gate of the million ton tombstone.

There were many, many things whispered about the shooting star.

Silently, the man nodded, and the figure in sunglasses left satisfied. He had a few meetings to arrange.

Area: ?

"Kinda surprised ya didn't notice 'em."

"Gimme a goddamn break…"

Good grief. He was already in foul mood; a job is a job but these goddamn lab walls did nothing for his mood. Not even his skills could fix this one, and he had a feeling that if he tried it, it would make the guy running this place well…

Frankly, sunglasses man did not seem like the kind to give a fuck but he did not seem like the type to cross either. And like he said, a job is a job.

That did not mean having some young hooligan giving him lip about the shit that happened at the "abandoned" factory.

"Well~?"

"Why the hell didn't YOU notice 'em? Case ya didn't notice, I'm BUSY here. My bounded field just keeps the demons out. If I were to set it up for every young upstart out there you and half the lackeys wouldn't be able to get in either."

Not to mention that bounded field was a massive pain in the ass to make. Regular demons were one thing; those fucking cloud things that apparently had no concept of space were another. At least he did not have to make one in this facility too – though they were probably avoiding the boss man.

Seriously though, those things were messing with his fucking brain and he wanted no part of that.

The Chinese Assassin shrugged. "Jus' figure' I'd cover ma bases."

He shrugged. Fair enough.

"Well, gotta go back ta trackin'! See ya, old timer!"

"Get the hell off my-! And he's gone."

He gave a bone tired sigh. At least he had fun.

He had to get back to work.

He had some forging to do.

Area: Aoba, Kuzunoha Detective Agency

It was well past the agency's closing time, but some lights were still on as Maki and Tamaki stood huddled over the phone.

"Does this remind you of anything, Elly?"

On the other side of the speaker, Elly's voice rang through! "My, how exciting! A completely unseen kind of demon! Oh, I wish the train will arrive sooner, I want to check them out for myself!"

Maki hid a sigh. On the one hand, this excitement was why Elly was always the one to ask about the paranormal; on the other, it was also why it was so hard to be around her when the paranormal was dangerous.

"As a matter of fact, it DOES remind me of something!"

The former classmates exchanged a glance."Really!?"

"Why, yes! Your style of description fits well within…"

Suddenly she fell silent.

"Um, Elly…?"

"That cannot be right… But if I recall… Maki, what did you say Mr. Kandori's Persona was?"

Maki froze.

"Elly. That's crazy."

"Well, it's only a hypothesis… I'll see you soon! Now it's super late, and we all need our beauty sleep! Good night!"

The line beeped.

"I-Is this normal?" asked Tamaki.

"No."

The two women were silent for a moment.

"Maki… why do you think she asked you about Kandori's Persona? He's dead, isn't he?"

Maki had a feeling that she really would not like the answer to that.

You are the next sun. You are the one keeping this world alive. You are its ruler and king. You are the one who condemned your people and granted them life.

You are the embodiment of all the sun's blessings and calamities.

No. That was not true. He was a false sun, a pathetic substitute that barely lit anything and only burned everything he touched.

But you are THEIR sun. Will you let those strangers take your throne from you? Over the fancy of a woman that never met you?

Shut up.

You won't save her. Her fate's already been written. Just as your scars are blooming through your skin so will hers, as long as you remain here.

As if he didn't know that…

Do you? The more you remain away, false sun, the more the brand will take hold of your flesh and your mind. Your light will be tainted and bring nothing but disease. The merchant of death will rule over the dark sky and your world will collapse.

That's why he's not planning on staying. He'll kill Sudou again and the he'll find Him and rip his throat out with his bare hands.

This will solve nothing and you know it. Return to where you belong and take your place in the sky, before it is taken from you. You are the only sun that will let your world live.

Tatsuya Suou woke up with a start, the first rays of sunlight caressing him through the window.


Chapter 6 section 3: A Peek through the Window
Area: Regendai, Seven Sisters High School

Ulala Serizawa woke up with a plan.

Well, sort of a plan. It consisted of "get off your shift, grab Ma-ya for your wingwoman, go to that party you've been looking forward to since last week and hopefully score a stud that won't scam you out of half your cash."

Well, the first hiccup was Ma-ya NOT getting off her shift early, but that was kind of expected because her boss was kind of a bitch.

The next hiccup was getting caught up in a police investigation, which was definitely not part of a regular high-school interview routine. Fortunately, it actually turned out to be a good thing, since it was something Ma-ya could add to her article – at least, Ulala assumed that was the case. The handsome detective did not kick them out when he went to ask questions to the teacher and they told him Ma-ya is a reporter, so it must be a no problem, right? Right.

The third hiccup was the murder.

It should not be true. She did not want it to be true. It was just a stupid rumour and there was no voice on the other side of the line. She was so, so, so drunk and so frustrated and it was really late and she was not even thinking straight and all she could think at the moment how she would have to haul Ma-ya's sleeping ass home again and then it avalanched and before she even realized what she was doing she dialed her own number on the phone.

And there he was. In the flesh, looking like he came out of some cheap horror flick; yet it was one of her worst nightmares. The long dark coat, the bloodied hospital gown, and a goddamn grocery store paper bag with cutouts to make it look like some deranged harlequin. Next to him was a dog that barely looked like one but the worst part? His sword was covered in blood.

They saw the principal yelling at that Anna girl with the limp leg less than half an hour ago. Next thing they know he is in his office with his guts ripped out.

He was now before them. The JOKER. The uncaught serial killer. The detective man was right besides them with his gun out but Ulala just knew that it would not do a thing to him.

His business with the principal was concluded.

Now it was Ma-ya's turn.

And it was all her fault.

Anna's hands were on her cell phone the second she heard the scream from the office. She did not even wait for an answer.

"Come to Sevens. NOW."

She knew that she would get asked about this murder too. The man who ran her over died a few days later. Principal Hannya was yelling shit at her earlier.

She did not make either phone call. Not that they would believe her. Anyone could delete a call from a phone's history, and that was all they saw.

If Anna wanted them dead, she would have done it herself. She told the cops as much.

It was risky as hell, she knew that. But she ran to the back of the school anyway; just in time for a motorcycle to come rushing in.

The Other Tatsuya tossed his helmet aside.

"It's Sudou."

She nodded.

"If anyone asks, I called you to give you a heads-up about your brother."

He was surprised. "He's here?"

"You know he's on the case."

"Weird timing… Be careful."

He grabbed the sword he stole last night and rushed in.

For now, Anna had to find Noriko.

She had a bad feeling.

Earlier that day…
Area:
Konan

As was their habit, Ritsuka and her crew got up bright and early, got dressed, ate breakfast, and headed outside the hotel to meet up with Tamaki. Maki informed them that she was not able to get off her shift at the therapist's office this morning, so with Tamaki it was.

Ritsuka had to admit she was curious. The last demon summoner she saw was technically Naoki, and in his case he was mostly cutting deals with a bunch of demons that followed him around like a small army. Ritsuka wondered what Tamaki's style was. She mentioned there was a program, right? Who in the world would make that thing?

Da Vinci's going to have a fit… She had to secure a copy of it.

They took the bus and headed straight to the Kuzunoha Detective Agency.

Tamaki was already waiting for them at the door.

"Come in, let me introduce you!"

Curious, the squad walked inside.

Honestly, Ritsuka was expecting someone different – probably some other old classmate of Maki and Tamaki who was also a Persona user. She did not expect an almost elderly balding and very fat man with a mild expression.

"This is detective Daisuke Todoroki. He's the owner of this agency!"

"Ritsuka, that man's possessed."

Alright, that was definitely not what she was expecting.

She was also used enough to reading micro-expressions to know that this guy was definitely on to them.

"Detective, that's Ritsuka Fujimaru, Mash Kyrielight, and Lucius…"

Oh, they never came up with a surname for Bedivere.

"Malory."

SERIOUSLY!?

"He has a rather bleak sense of humour…"

"Bedi, has that fake name ever actually worked?"

"Whenever necessary. Most Welsh people didn't have surnames until… around the time trains were invented."

"But you're using a Latin name…" noted Mash.

"Pleasure to meet you." Oh, the detective looked amused.

"Well, he's definitely on to us."

"Senpai, you think he knows about Servants!?"

"I doubt it…"

Then again, with a Fused loop you could never know. Especially if Edmond's claim about the possession was correct.

They all shook hands and the detective invited them to sit on the couches.

"As Miss Tamaki said, my name is Daisuke Todoroki. I'm a detective but also a demon summoner on the side…"

Why am I not surprised.

"…she filled me in on your situation. Basically, the Triads are constructing mechanized military units for an unknown reason in the abandoned factory, which is also filled with unknown demons. Well, that last part is hardly surprising; to my knowledge the demon infestation was what caused the factory shutting down in the first place. There is far too much lingering energy in the place."

"He probably means the laypool."

Ritsuka nodded in response both to Edmond and to the detective.

"Truth be told, there are other questionable rumours regarding recent criminal activity; there are eyewitnesses claiming that black cars are taking people off the street."

"Yes, detective" said Mash. "We were able to track the Triads into the abandoned factory because we saw a rumour online about strange cars being outside."

"Baofu's website, correct? I must disclose that he has been a longtime acquaintance of mine."

"Really?" This dude knowing the admin of the rumour website was way too convenient.

"Well, it's a magus community in a single city so it makes sense that everyone knows everyone" said Bedivere.

"He is also very competent in close quarters combat, so when Miss Tamaki told me you were told to investigate underground by a… dubious party, I decided to call him in. Especially since you are yet unfamiliar with the city."

"Can he fight demons?" asked Ritsuka with a bit of skepticism.

"He most certainly can. He should be here in a few minutes. In the meantime, tea?"

Area: Hirasaka, Kasugayama High School

"Boss- you're actually skipping class!?"

"Yeah- look, it's super important and I really don't want my pops to find out."

"Yeah, but the TEACHERS will find out!"

"Tell them I'm doing clean up at the bomb shelter! They'll buy that! It ain't like they're gonna look for me."

"Alright, fine! But if we-"

"Don't worry, if they find out I'll take all the blame. I'm the Boss, after all!"

"Yeah, I know. You gotta look out for us."

"Damn right!"

Back at the Detective Agency

The door bell rang and everyone turned to see the newcomer.

"It has to be Baofu" said Tamaki and she got up to open the door.

"Come in!"

"Sheesh, you really called me to babysit some…"

His jaw dropped.

Ritsuka could not blame the guy because her jaw dropped too. And so did Mash and Bedivere's.

"You're the yellow suit guy!"

"You're the brats from Club Zodiac!"

"Well" said Edmond. "Small world indeed."

True Name: Baofu (?)
Aliases: Man in Yellow
Class: Assassin
Alignment: -

Attribute: -

Traits: Divine, Hominidae Servant, Humanoid, Living Human, Male, Pseudo-Servant, Weak to Emuna Elish

Strength: -
Agility: D
Endurance: -
Mana: D
Luck: -

Class Skills

Divinity (rank unknown)
As he is a Persona user, it's safe enough to assume that he has a rank in this skill – and the Divine trait that accompanies it.

Presence Concealment (rank unknown)

Personal Skills

Sabotage C
Skill seen performed directly on Ritsuka during the altercation at Club Zodiac.


Chapter 6 section 4: A Peek through the Window
Area: Konan, Kuzunoha Detective Agency

"Fucking hell… You're the brats snooping around the place!? Well, not all of you- actually, what's up with your group!? A grown-ass man and two teen girls? You relatives or something?"

The man in the yellow suit – Baofu – was rightfully baffled. Well, Ritsuka did not really see the issue with their group but to each their own she supposes. However, next to her Bedivere and the others save for Mash and the detective were squirming a little, so maybe her group was actually weird. Oh well.

Now that she looked at him closer, he reminded her a lot of Waver – especially the long straight black hair and the utterly tired look as he pulled a cigar and took a long drag from it. The outfit overall was very extravagant; the yellow suit looked like it was made of satin, he wore an also probably satin black shirt with an open collar, and a gaudy set of silver necklace and earrings with overly large blue gemstones that mostly resembled sapphires. He completed the outfit with dark round sunglasses and black leather gloves and dress shoes.

How the actual fuck had they lost him back at the club!?

"Presence Concealment" reminded her Edmond.

Well, she could not stand there like a fool.

"Ritsuka Fujimaru. That over there is Mash Kyrielight and Lucius."

The man raised an eyebrow at the last bit – no, Ritsuka was not going to use "Malory", that was suspicious as hell – and offered her hand for a handshake. After what may have been a skeptical look – those sunglasses made reading his expressions hard – he took it. His grip was appropriately strong, but especially his fingers.

"Huh. You got some pretty odd energy in you."

"I dunno, I'm pretty crap at sensing it."

"Gotta say though, that trick you pulled back at the club was quite something. Sent chills down my spine."

"I'm best with darkness affinities." Now, that was far from a lie but her companions did not quite know the extend of it, so- "You guys try to pass the Count's tricks as mine, okay?" She received silent affirmations. She turned back to Baofu – this had to be an alias but she was not one to judge – "I guess you're good with debuffs?"

He snorted. "You could say that."

So he's not showing his hand…

"Baofu here is a Persona user like Maki and the others!"

Ritsuka almost laughed at the offended look on the man's face. Way to go, Tamaki.

"Okay, since we're spilling each other's beans" said Ritsuka "Mash is a defensive Tank and Lucius is front row, but he has light magic and a few neat tricks. He's pretty experienced."

"Wait, you brat are the leader of your troupe? Aren't you a tad too young for that?"

Huh?

"Master, by regular standards of society it's very rare to refer to underage people as figures of authority, and you are also a woman… Our King hid her status for a reason…"

The explanation only soured Ritsuka's mood. Normally she never had that problem – nobody ever questioned her.

But then again, she was hardly ever in the modern era.

"Yes, I'm in charge. Got a problem with that?" From behind her Tamaki tried to shush her a bit and the detective looked more amused than anything, and a bit knowing.

For a long moment Baofu stared at her. "Heh. You got guts. Okay kid, you're in charge. Looks like you're not a newbie at this."

He took a cigar out of his pocket and took a long drag.

"So, what do you got for me?"

Ritsuka relayed the information. How the Triads were using the abandoned factory to build some weird mechs, and how there seemed to be lots of soldiers and a squad wearing red berets. She also said how the man from the bizarre shop told her to search underground.

"…Gotta say kiddo, your leads sure are shady. You sure you can trust the clock guy?"

"No, but underground sounds like the perfect place for a hidden operation."

"Fair enough. And where did you hear about the rest?"

"Someone posted about the factory on your website."

"And the club?"

"Around. Everyone knows." There was no way she was telling him they got their info from a serial killer.

"Right. Well, here's what I got; the JOKER is connected to the Triads; indirectly. The JOKER's name is Tatsuya Sudou…"

The rest was information that Ritsuka already knew, so she started zoning out a little.

"Last night?"

Mash who asked the question was looking at Baofu wide-eyed, while the rest were in varied states of alarm.

"What did I miss?"

"Mysterious attack last night."

"The man who got attacked is apparently part of a cult or something; that girl at 2/ posted about it, some crap about "the agent of chaos" and the "shooting star" or whatever. I swear, either they're invisible or they're spreading panic…"

"I'm sorry" said Bedivere "but you mentioned a girl at 2/… As in, the internet café?"

"Wait, the fortune teller?" asked Ritsuka, to make sure she heard it right.

"Yup, she's one of the recruiters for that weird cult of theirs."

What was WRONG with this city.

"Anyway, most of the post was rambling nonsense, but the gist of it is that one of their members got attacked in the middle of the night by a mysterious man in black while he was on his way to deliver a package. I knew they were delivering weird packages because they tried to rope me in when my website started getting popular, but they aren't exactly common knowledge you know."

"So whoever it is who attacked them is an outsider somehow aware of their exact abilities" said Bedivere.

"Yup. You gotta wonder how. Not even I know who the members are except for the fortune teller."

"But what does this have to do with the JOKER?" asked Ritsuka. Because Sudou sure did not mention anything about cults. Then again, with that poem on the wall he did sound like a cultist… Was he a member of that cult?

"I'll get to that; when the man was asked who attacked him, he said that the man in black is an agent of the "black king" just like the JOKER and that the shooting star will punish them both."

"And how did you find this out…?"

"I have the police station tapped."

Behind them, the detective coughed.

Ritsuka shook her head. James did this exact sort of thing all the time. "And what is the shooting star?"

"No clue. But it sounds like a new player. So, want to pay the fortune chick a visit?"

The girl was nothing like the last time they saw her.

Aside from her bizarre words, the fortune teller at the 2/ internet café was overly friendly and cheerful. Ritsuka did not get the impression that it was a front, but it was pretty weird.

Now she looked like a thin shell of herself. Standing in her usual corner of their shop, she was clutching a piece of paper really tightly. The second she saw them she shrunk away.

"No. I won't talk. The Shooting Star is here."

Damn, they did not even get to say hello.

"The package was for you. You're special. But now that the Shooting Star is here we have to hide."

"For me?" She did not expect that. "What was in it?"

"I can't tell you. If the Shooting Star hears of us he'll come after us. We can't spread the word."

"But you could send me packages?"

"We didn't know about the others! And we didn't know he was here!"

"This shooting star dude or the guy who attacked the delivery man?"

Honestly it was a bit weird that Ritsuka went straight into the questioning phase but she was curious for answers. Especially since apparently she was the supposed recipient of the delivery.

"Both of them! The Dead Puppet – the man who attacked us – warned us about the Shooting Star."

"So you didn't know they were around until yesterday night. And who exactly are they?"

"I cannot speak of the Puppet. But the Shooting Star…? Beware. He is the Paradox, he is the False Sun that's real. He will stop at nothing to burn all away and once fire starts it won't stop."

…Ritsuka mentally noted that away.

"And how is the JOKER connected to all this?"

"…I cannot tell you. But he knows everything."

Baofu snapped. "And why the hell can't you tell us!?"

"Because THEN we'd be risking both our hides!" she snapped in return. It was the most life Ritsuka had seen out of her so far, but she shrunk right back into her shell.

"She must be sick with worry" thought Mash to them. "It sounds like her companions are threatened by all sorts of people."

A swell of fondness went through Ritsuka's chest at Mash's empathy.

"Sorry about that…" apologized Ritsuka. "We're pretty nervous ourselves. We have no idea what the threat is and well…"

"Be careful my accomplish. Igor warned us of the threat that is hidden in knowledge. Perhaps you should pursue a different line of questioning."

"Yeah, good idea." She briefly considered asking about the man at the Antique Shop, but she was pretty sure the fortune girl would not answer about him either. So their only lead left was…

"Are the Triads involved?"

The girl stared at them incredulously. "The Triads? As in, the group that bought Club Zodiac?"

"Don't bother" said Baofu "she probably knows nothing."

"I DO know about them!"

"It appears that Baofu's unpleasant attitude is enough to lift the gloom off her shoulders" noted Bedivere a little bemused. "If in an unpleasant manner."

"I can even talk about it openly!"

"Really!? You can help us?"

The girl cracked her first smile at Mash's exclamation. "Yeah, I can help with that. It has nothing to do with our troubles as far as I know, so there's no problem with sharing! So, you guys know about Wang Long and Laylines, right?"

"You mentioned them last time."

"Right. Well, the Triads are doing something that is SERIOUSLY upsetting the flow of the laylines around the city. I mean, at first we weren't sure it was them, but we kept hearing stuff about mysterious black cars and Triad presence in the same areas, so…" she shrugged. "Anyway! They have claimed two large laypools; the one in the Abandoned Factory and a second one underground in Narumi. It's near the sewage processing plant."

"Narumi!? These bastards have a base in Narumi?"

"Wanna bet Narumi is his turf and he didn't notice?"

"No bet."

"Yeah! And like I said, whatever it is they're doing is starting to upset the Wang Long dragons. They must be drawing HUGE amounts of prana out of that, for that to happen. I mean, the Wang Long dragons travel beneath the main laylines across the whole planet, so it must be a big deal."

"And the dragons are upset… how?"

"Pretty agitated and wingling. All the fortunes are coming back a lot more negative than they should. Oh, that reminds me!"

To Ritsuka's surprise, the girl grabbed her hand and shoved the piece of paper she was holding into her palm. "This was supposed to come with the package we sent to you. A fortune read by yours truly!"

"Oh, um, thanks."

"You're welcome! Now, be careful about who you talk to, okay? I really don't want to get us all in trouble."

"Don't worry, your information is invaluable" assured her Bedivere.

"Glad to have helped!"

"Looks like your shady-ass lead checks out" was the first thing Baofu said as soon as they left the café.

"Indeed. And now we are aware of more dangers that await us. The lady is certain that this man in black and the one she refers to as the "Shooting Star" are certain to target us."

"At least she was able to give us some info on the shooting star guy" said Ritsuka. "From the sound of it he sounds like he has sun-related powers or something."

"Tch. Probably fire and nuclear…"

Ritsuka blinked. "Nuclear?" She did not remember THAT affinity last time she was in Amala.

"Yup. It's the Frei spells. Nasty tricks, they have some special property half the time."

The only Frei spell Ritsuka knew was Freikugel and she was fairly certain it was Almighty type. As in, unblockable. "Are they unblockable?"

"Only non-elementals are unblockable. But otherwise anything can be reflected in your face."

"Excuse me, Mister Baofu, but what is the full list of elements?"

The wire tapper decided to humour Mash. "In this town, you see fire, water, ice, earth, wind, electric, nuclear, light, dark, almighty, non-elemental, nerve, and mind. And there are also some physical spells, like sword, thrown, and stuff. And of course we have buffs, debuffs, healing, shielding spells, all sorts of things."

"I see… I never heard of some of there before. And to think it's different from city to city!"

Something in Mash's earnest enthousiasm seemed to melt something in Baofu, as he cracked a tiny smile.

Still, it looked like finding enemy weaknesses would be more of a pain here than in the Conception, with so many different options. Not that her typical baseline was much different.

Well, they will worry about it when it comes.

Ritsuka opened the parer she received from the girl.

"The Moon Dragon of mystery will unveiled the yet hidden future from your perception. Keep an open mind and remember what you see, for this is a prologue of what is to come."

A prologue of what's to come, huh?

"I still think this Wang Long thing is kind of nonsense."

Edmond did not seem to pay attention to her remark. "Be cautious, my accomplice. I fear we are entering the den of the dragon."

"Don't worry Edmond, I will be."

For now, they had to make their way to Narumi.


Chapter 7 section 1: Just Scratching the Surface
Area: Konan

Alright, step one! Find Tatsuya and tell him to stop being an idiot!

Eikichi Mishina, preferably "Michel" and un-preferably the "Panty Boss of Cuss-gay-yama High" was a man on a mission – namely make sure he stops his currently Unawake bestie forever Tatsuya from doing something incredibly stupid in this loop – again.

Not that he could not take care of himself – even with just his Baseline abilities Tatsuya was a living and breathing small Nuclear bomb and not many could stand up against that.

Except Kandori. Who KNEW what Kandori would do this loop. The Dreamer was unpredictable on a good day.

So, step one, find Tatsuya and tell him "hey I remember the world we came from, guess we lucked out in a way", so the dude would not decide to do EVERYTHING alone.

Step two… actually, it's best not to think too much about step 2 right now.

(Granted, under normal conditions it would take a while for thoughts to be a thing to be monitored. But paranoia was both a friend and an enemy here and Eikichi had exposed himself just by existing this morning,)

He knew that today was Sudou's attack on Big Sis Maya. She was still weak in this state and so were her palls; Miss Ulala and Katsuya were only just discovering their Personas now. And with that shit he heard about the Triads being busted at Club Zodiac, there was no telling what Baofu would do – his Unawake self was seriously obsessed with revenge.

Anyway, Eikichi knew that after Tatsuya rescues Big Sis Maya and Co. from Sudou, he would pop by the detective agency to spread that "emblem repellent" rumour. Not that Eikichi was going to stop him, it was actually a decent move – kind of trashed Kasugayama's reputation as a side effect, but Tatsuya would only worry about reputation if it risked Kasugayama becoming a demon-infested den.

Which it already was. So the point was moot.

Yeah, Eikichi really out to do some cleanup on the basement instead of lying about doing it. Those lucky brats from later in the loop never had to worry about a literal horsehead starting a singing competition during class hours. And the less said about The Canteen Incident the better.

But back on topic, Tatsuya. Eikichi's reasonable first step would be to get there ASAP so he can beat Tatsuya to it, then get him to team up so they could get rid of Sudou. It was on a time limit too; if Wang Long Chizuru was in town, Sudou dying would be the worst case scenario – and the dude never made it to the end of the year alive. Ever.

Eikichi's plans were kind of derailed though when he made it to Konan, because his phone rang.

Oh shit. Who in the-

Then he saw the caller ID. He instantly recognized it.

This can't be good.

Detour it is.

That evening, Kuzunoha Detective Agency

It was not long after Baofu and Miss Fujimaru with her friends left before Detective "Todoroki" received his next client for the day. Not that people randomly entering his office was really weird – most people were working in the mornings and evenings, so he never had many appointments during those hours. It was easier to set them for noons or Sundays – though this old body did tend to protest somewhat at the overtime. Besides, most midday clients tended to be of a more eccentric sort.

This new one was no exception.

It was the first thing he noticed about the boy; he too, radiated power. Not quite the way Miss Ritsuka and her companions did, but rather the way Baofu did. He was concealing it well, unlike the others, but he had been a ghost for quite a few years now, and a supernatural detective and demon summoner for much, much longer. He knew how to detect auras.

This boy was burning like the sun itself.

The lack of uniform was notable, the bright red leathers even more so.

And so was the mark on his right hand, or rather a brand – an ill, coiling and cold feeling that felt like it could stick on your skin; all his instincts were screaming at him to stay as far away from it and whatever its source was as possible.

He could tell that Miss Uchida could not feel it, but he was certain that the Nekomata in the back could.

More importantly… was this boy another piece in the puzzle? Or someone completely unrelated?

He and Miss Uchida greeted him as normal. The boy's eyes were alert and inquisitive, like he was trying to draw comparisons to some place he's been to before. At this point it was easily to tell when someone was completely unfamiliar with a space versus playing "spot the difference" in their heads.

"I heard you take any kind of job."

It was less of a question and more of a statement.

"Yes, we do."

The boy pulled something out of his pocket. "I need you to spread a rumour – the JOKER will be repelled by the Seven Sisters emblems."

Well. This one is a fascinating client.

Not long after the boy with the solar flare aura left, another client entered – and this boy was clearly skipping school, if his uniform was anything to go by.

"Did some guy in red pass by here!?"

Miss Uchida was visibly taken aback. "You know him?"

"Fuck! 'K, thanks, can you guys tell people Kasugayama is safer than it looks? Thanks, ciao!" And he threw 5000 yen on the desk.

He was out as quickly as he left.

"…Some kind of school rivalry…?" asked Miss Uchida.

"Todoroki" somehow doubted it.

Area: Narumi

When you could turn invisible and soundless, patrolling and spying was a like a relaxing stroll in the park.

When you could shapeshift it was even kind of fun.

Mind you, the Assassin of the Tien Tao Len Triads had no idea why he could shapeshift all of a sudden, and he had a bad feeling that he would not like the answer to that very much. But, he was having fun with it – right now he took the appearance of a generic middle-aged rich woman he had seen around the area. He had not been in Sumaru for long, but Narumi was that part of town where everyone who thought they were worth something or was looking for an expensive night out gathered.

Little weird, considering this was also the location of the shit-processing factory, but who was he to tell modern people about modern sensibilities?

He pretended to inspect the oversized green stone on his disguise's ring when something else caught his eye.

A mage, a strange girl, and two servants.

Heh. A' last, som' fun!


Chapter 7 section 2: Just Scratching the Surface
Area: Konan, Sewage Processing Plant

Ritsuka observed the place Baofu claimed to be the sewage processing plant, following the lead of the fortune-telling cultist. It looked largely inconspicuous, much like how she would expect a modern factory to look like. Admittedly, she did not have much experience with anything "modern" – she always dealt with either futuristic tech or past time periods, so she was far from one to judge.

That said, the location did not strike her as something a mage's workshop or anything would look like. This facility was very large, but the individual buildings were nowhere near the size of the abandoned factory in Konan. Instead the facility was a collection of smaller interconnected buildings and a lot of tubes, all rather low in height. Then again, if it was a sewage processing plant, then most of their facilities were probably underground.

Another thing was that there were people here out in the open. She could see various cars parked in the place, a couple of folks in worker uniforms out snacking or on smoking breaks, lights open in a few windows, and overall the kind of activity expected from where people worked.

If this was the kind of place where secret operations were taking place, it sure did not look like it.

However, as usual, Ritsuka was not able to sense any magic. For all she knew this place could be pulsating power right now and it would pass unnoticed by her. On that front, her companions were far more reliable.

"Do you guys sense anything?"

Mash frowned. "I do not sense any demons in the near vicinity."

"Yeah, you don't see them out on the streets that much" replied Baofu through a drag of his cigarette. "If they're around, they should be underground. Doesn't look like there's anything going on in this part of the facilities…"

"Fou fou!"

The little fur-ball leaped out of Mash's jacket and landed on the ground, jumping up and down.

He must have sensed something…

"Fou, you can't jump put like this!"

"Oh, what a cute puppy!"

A civilian? Fou, you may want to actually bark now.

Ritsuka did not know if Fou had heard that, but she sure hoped he got the message.

Fou made a sound that sounded like an imitation of a bark.

"Aw, it's adorable!"

The civilian who approached them was a bit… off-putting? In that Ritsuka had next no experienced with over-dressed rich middle-aged woman like this one clearly was. Really, it was the full package, from the colourful and too heavy make-up to the permed ringlets to the stuffy and garish jacket-skirt shirt combined with the heavily patterned silk scarf. And the jewelry, ugh, what was up with the oversized stones? It was like that woman was trying to fall into every stereotype ever. Even her voice was grating.

Well, that voice was currently directed to Fou, who was sniffing her all around with a very suspicious look on his face. For her part, Ritsuka could only smell the heavy fragrance she was wearing along with what she assumed was the typical "old person soap" scent that she rarely encountered.

Mash politely informed the lady that Fou was a boy, prompting several "good boy oh you're so handsome" coos from her.

Can't she just leave already!?

"Hold on, my accomplice. The Beast seems to pay unusual attention to her."

That quieted down Ritsuka. Fou was sniffing her very intently. As if something was nagging him.

"Mash… check for enemy readings. Fou never acts like that."

"E-eh? Right! But, I'm sorry, I don't sense anything!"

Maybe she was just being paranoid?

"But my, what are you doing in this part of the city? There are far better dog-friendly parks around the area if you are looking to take him to a walk!"

"We are just exploring" replied Ritsuka.

"Oh, are you tourists? Why, you could have said something! I'm rather new to Narumi myself, but it is quite a luxurious area! I can give you a guided tour!"

Baofu opened his mouth to say something undoubtedly rude, but Bedivere cut him off. "Thank you for the offer, my lady, but I'm afraid we must decline."

"Oh, that's a shame. May I ask where you are heading then? I always find it more pleasant to walk with company!"

Ugh, really?

By now Fou was openly circling her, as if to inspect the woman from all directions.

"It seems we won't be able to disengage with her, sempai…"

"We were just heading down that way" replied Ritsuka, figuring out the same thing as much.

"What a coincidence!"

And so Ritsuka resigned herself to what would probably turn into half an hour of non-stop blabber.

...

"Oh, there is this wonderful gentleman I just must introduce you to! Why, he is quite the unfriendly kind of person at first glance, but his metalwork is just wonderful, your appearance is just too plain, my dear!"

"I, um, I will consider it…" replied Mash with an embarrassed blush.

Ritsuka was completely right in her prediction and bored out her mind because of it. Bedivere did his best to keep the lady occupied, while Mash did her best to stop Baofu from blowing a fuss even though he was clearly growing increasingly antsy. His fingers were clearly twitching for a fourth smoke in a row. It was a miracle he had not burned holes in his gloves with this much smoking.

But eventually she failed.

"Lady, where the hell are you bringing us, we have places to be."

"Ba-Baofu!"

She smiled sweetly. "Oh, I'm well aware."

What-

"Maste-!"

Everything went black.

It was cold. She was laying on something hard, her head was throbbing with her heartbeat and the buzzing of the fluorescent lights that were piecing through her eyelids. She tried to move but she was bound. Her wrists, her arms, her legs, her midsection, her shoulders, even her head were held in place. She should not have trouble breaking through and yet-

"I would not try this if I were you."

She struggled to open her eyes, her eyesight blurry. Before her was a dark figure. By the voice a man. All dressed in black.

"I'm aware you think you can overpower any plain bond, so I made certain that you could not. I am rather experienced in dealing with people with surprising power, I assure you."

Ritsuka tried to summon magic but-

"I would not try this either. Or talking."

Her throat was closed. But that did not mean-

"Count-"

"He's not here."

!?

"I must admit your passenger was unexpected, but much like your other companions, separating you was hardly an issue. My research has always been centered on the mind and the psyche, the components of the soul. And you are quite a fascinating subject."

Her vision grew clearer. It was indeed a tall man, in an expensive all-black suit, with eye-concealing sunglasses, clutching a pair of Baoding balls, while holding another hand behind his back. What little was visible of his skin was covered in thin black scars, almost stylized.

"Let's see… Fujimaru Ritsuka, a kitsune, and a total stranger to this city… and this time."

The lady from before. It was a trap. They walked right into enemy territory and Fou was so suspicious of her, and this man knew her name even though there was nothing on her person that stated it.

"You have already attracted the attention of some peculiar people. You were supposed to receive a package this morning, correct?"

Wait, was he-

The man revealed what he was hiding behind his back. A thin book with a black cover, featuring a bizarre winged figure in yellow. The title on the cover was written in clear English. "The King In Yellow."

"Make no mistake, this book is a recruitment tool. Granted there is an anthology by the same title written by Robert Chambers, if I recall his name correctly, but it is merely a collection of incidents involved regarding a play of the same name. This would be that play."

What was he going on about?

"Here's how the recruitment goes – granted, you may take this with a grain of salt since it's mere speculation on my part. Should you retain your ability to reason upon reading it, the Cult will recruit you as a member. I admit, it's quite the interesting read, though occasionally I marvel at the lack of observation skills and preservation instincts that several characters posses. Especially Camilla. But it is meant to be performed rather than read…"

Ritsuka struggled against her bonds. She had no idea what this dude was going on about, but she was going to get some actual answers from him.

It was obvious he was the man who assaulted whoever was to deliver her this book, and left the fortune teller and the cult scared shitless. The Dead Puppet.

She needed fucking answers.

"I have already told you these bonds were designed specifically for you… But oh well. A good businessman knows to make contingency plans. And I was looking forward to testing the effects of this play."

Contingency plans?

"A gate to the soul. A gate to the mind. A gate to the underworld. A gate to the divine. May the essence be reborn, for I hold the key. Initiating…

"DEVA System."


Chapter 8 section 1: Deep Dive
Area: ?

The light dances on the soft waves, a kaleidoscope of all the shades of blue, green, and golden created by the soft breeze with its soft and salty scents – poetry in motion as it were; all the million colours of the stones and the sand laying at the bottom, curved smooth and thin by the unrivalled hand that was the passage of time, and the careful hand that was the sea, the mother of all but those stones, for those were born deep, deep into the bowels of the earth until another mother emptied them out of her chest with her screams, raw and blazing until the touch of the sea brought out the gorgeous shades hiding within.

They are beautiful, these stones. These waves. You could spend an eternity in the embrace of the mother picking them one by one, a new detail revealed with each look. There were as many stones as the stars reflected on the surface of the water. An ocean above and below, the reflection of the light no less real than the light itself, the echo of the nebulas beyond right there between your fingertips as you play and laugh and the breeze carries your voice far away to a man standing at the distance, clad in robes as bright as the sun itself.

You dance among the waves as he watches, and then she takes your hand and dances with you, calling on the human-faced squid to take you for a ride faster than the birds in the sky, faster than the molten glass raining down the earth along with the thousand young, fast-fast-fast until you reach the end and have upturned every single stone at the bottom of the world so they can reveal all their colours.

Stones as many as the stars. The shape of the stars. The shape of the stones. That which gave birth to the stars gave birth to the world – the stars gave birth to the world. The shape of the stones is the shape of the stars. All is born from the dust of the stars. The stars sparkle like the droplets of salt water in the air as you play in the waves. You toss them over the surface and watch them skip over the mirror of the fabric of the cosmos.

The fires of the rocks are extinguished as the fall into the water and rise towards the sky and she pouts before shrugging it off. It does not matter, for in the end of the world all shall return to its original state. The stones shall return to the womb of their mother, the dust will fuse back into becoming a star again. You dance unbothered in the rain of fire for it adds more colours to the light dancing in the waves, oranges and reds, and new blues different than before, and the breeze now is a million, all tiny little breezes, a cold one that tingles, a hot one that's sharp, a warm one like an embrace, a cool one like freshwater, and an other one engulfing them all, so strong it may be the air itself. Your hair and hers dance in the breeze, and the yellow robes of the man sway.

The human-faced squids are dancing around the man, they dance with the young that rained down from above along with the stones in the embrace of a new mother, and you along with her join them in the dance.

This world is beautiful.

You laugh and dance and splash your tails on the water over the many, many young and stars and stones and flames between her feet. The heavens are limitless and the oceans are endless with only the shape given by the roar of the earth in sight. She asks you if you are happy.

Yes. You are. You are happy. You could do this forever. This world is infinite.

She is happy to hear you say that.

In the coast of a beach from a distant memory, a black flame screams.

A second passes. An eternity passes. The man in yellow is watching and she invites you to the skies. You spread your wings and she spreads hers and you follow her. The moon is also a mirror of the stars, the reflection as real as the real thing, the moon is a reflection and a fragment of the earth, born from the earth and watching the waters that reflect it. It is her home and she is happy here, she is its ruler and she can do what she wants. You watch the stars away from the flames, you watch the eyes that watch you from afar, a star yourself among so many. The mirror in the sky is ever-changing and time stands still.

The young are around you, and the man in yellow is watching from behind you.

You do not have to wish for this moment to last forever and ever. It already does.

She takes your hand with a coy smile as bright as the slit on the land formed by the earth's hottest bowels. As bright as the moon at a waxing crescent. Yes, she is happy. She is your friend. She is happy at your happiness.

Somewhere in the world below, a black flame rages.

Somewhere in the world above, someone's eyes snap open.

Somewhere in the world beyond, someone's eyes fall closed.

You jump a distance further than you have ever jumped before, and you dive deep into the reflection of the stars. You emerge and the water becomes still again, a true reflection.

The man in yellow stands in the still, still waters, and so do you. The arrow of the moon, the moonglade, has stilled the waters of the stars into a perfect mirror. You stand on the mirror and whether you are trying to avoid or step on all the stars is a mystery to yourself.

He is a salesman, he explains, and his voice cuts and fades. He holds three items to you, and asks you to choose one.

A book, a fruit, and a key.

Something nags at you.

Time stands still, just a second away from the next day.

She is urging you to leave.

You rub at your horns and your wings twitch in displeasure. Why hurry? She told you that you have all the time in the world.

He has no reason to be here, she says, he is an intruder and a stranger who is trying to take you away from her.

Somewhere in a distant shore, a black flame yearns for release.

Somewhere in a distant shore, an eye searches for a peep hole.

Somewhere in a distant shore, a hand reaches out to a dream.

You are curious because you are sure he is her friend. But she wants you to stay with her and the young, forever and ever and ever, because that will make you happy.

For as your luck would have it…

…there is nothing your beautiful kouhai enjoys more than making all your selfish dreams come true.


...Yeah. This ended weird. I don't usually leave notes in this compilation, but feel free to ask anything, regardless if it's about parts I wrote or not.

I have so much to say about this last snip.

I hope you enjoyed it!