"Sophrosyne." *Bang* My Persona materialized from my psyche. "Morpheus: Western blast!" The unknown energy. "Rukukaja!" Aigis cast on everyone else. (Except me.) "ARGHH!" "Kazuki-kun!" "Kazuki, are you okay!? "No buff for me, fine, guess I need to buff myself," Kazuki said, irritated. "No, wait, not yet." "Fine!"

I was formulating a plan to get over this new Persona's defense.

"Kazuki, do you think you can move fast without Shadow-mog?" "I can!" "...Then move fast enough around him to create afterimages." "I not that fast." "That's where Sukukaja comes into play." I cast a speed buff on Kazuki. "Now!" "Right!"

Kazuki was circling around Juro. "You're wasting your energy," Juro stated. "Sure I am!"

I was looking for an opportunity to strike.

"Ziodyne!" "Killer rush!" M.G. and Aigis were using attacking Juro head on. "Flour gust!" Morpheus shot out a garu spell with its wings. I see it! I dashed right over to Juro. "S-shit!" I was aiming my leg for Juro. *Thumb* Something hit my leg. "When did it?" Morpheus had its leg blocking mine. "Okay then!" I pushed with the leg that was being blocked with the Personas leg. "Haa!" I turned the Persona around, fully "Gotcha!" I was driving my fist towards its back but it dodged swiftly out of the way. "Hmm!?" It was right beside me. "Kazuki-kun: block!" "Flour gust!" I blocked like Fuuka commanded. The wind attack was cutting me in several places. "Is this all you got?" The Persona slipped its leg in between my arms and broke my guard. "Tch!" He blocked the attack with his left arm.

"Giant fist!" Kazuki slammed his fist down to the floor, breaking the floor below him while creating a giant amount of dust. "Smart thinking, Kazuki," Shizuka complimented. "Fuuka, I need you to relay something." "What is it?" "A plan."

...

"Everyone, Kazuki-kun has a plan he wants to share." "What is it, because I'm open to anything at this point," Takeba stated. "Shizuka-chan: he needs you to tell him your skills." "Set up the link and I will." "It's been established." "Kazuki, can you hear me?" "Loud and clear." "What's your plan exactly?" "Well...I'm working on that." "*Sigh* Why am I not surprised." When I think he's being impressive he somehow drops the ball on it. "Then how about we work with mine then," I asked. "I'm all ears." "Alright then... Yamagishi: relay this to the following." "Okay!"

This could work, but there is one lingering problem in this; Aigis.

Thanatos tower,?

"Maragi!" I had Orpheus shot out fireballs from the strings of his lyre. Some of them did damage to some of the tentacles, but some of the tentacles just waved it off.

"You think those petty attacks can hurt me!" "They seem to be working so far, why stop now!" "You little...!"

The tentacles came speeding in my direction. (Obviously.) "Samael: Masukunda" *Crush* The lizard-like Persona lets a roar, resulting in a speed debuff to hit all the tentacles. "What the- What did you do!?" "Figure it out, moron!" I sidestepped the tentacles. "Ha, this is so cool." "That's so cool." I was dodging the tentacles like it was nothing. "Why you!" "Orpheus: Assault dive!" *Crush* Orpheus smashed its lyre on one of the tentacles. "Shit!" "Magic might not work but physicals do."

I started hitting the tentacles that didn't have any burn marks. *Thumb* I managed to destroy the ones weak to physical attacks.

"Mudoon!" "Samael." I shifted to the other Persona. "That won't work now~" He looked pretty panicked from where I'm standing. "So, you were saying something about destroying me?" "What, I can't hear you..."

I was walking slowly towards him with the Orpheus card in hand. "Well...? I'm waiting." "You see, the thing is..." When I was nearing him. *Cracking* "Minako: move!" I was suddenly pushed from the position I was in. "Huh?" *Wincing* "You see, the thing is: I WAS SO CLOSE TO RIPPING THROUGH YOUR SIDES!" I was on the floor with Natsuki on top of me... "Ahh! This hurts like hell!" "Are you crazy! I could have taken that hit!" "And you're calling me crazy..." "What!?" "Did you forget that they went right through you; so, what were you thinking," Natsuki pointed towards me. "Well...I..." "See-stupid and crazy!" "WHAT! I AM NOT STUPID! YOU ARE!" "HUH, WHY!" "CUZ, WHAT TYPE OF IDIOT GETS INJURED LIKE THAT!" "YOU!" "NO, YOU!"

We kept yelling at each other until we got rudely interrupted. "Will you two stop acting like fools, already!" "Agilao!" Orpheus shot a giant fireball from his lyre. *Boom* "AHHHH!" "You're being rude," we both said in unison. "Then can we get back to killing each other." "Sure, why not..." I stood up with the Samael card in my hand. "Watch out: I'm not holding back a single bit!" "I am a doppelganger, it is only fitting that I reciprocate action!"

A dark, deathly aura was surrounding the room. I glanced over to Natsuki, and surprisingly enough, she wasn't scared. In fact, you could say that she was showing some more backbone.

"ORPHEUS!" "THANATOS-LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH!"

Hypnos tower,?

"Garula!" *Bang* Yukari summoned a Garu spell to keep the dust around Juro. "Kazuki, are you ready?" "Yeah!" Shizuka-chan rushed inside the hurricane.

"Will this work," I asked. "Don't worry, this will work," Kazuki reassured. "Okay then, I'll stick with you guys and the plan." "Weren't you gonna do that anyway?" "Oh, um, I didn't mean that I didn't believe in you guys in the first place!" "Hehe, we know," Kazuki said.

"All, get in here Shizuka!" "Right!" Shizuka-chan jumped into the dust storm.

...

"Show yourselves." As Juro demanded, I jumped out of the dust storm. "Was this your plan, Kazuki? You do know that this isn't an idle position to be in; I have the skills to make this tight-space mine." "No, this great; dare I say it: perfect."

The dust storm started to turn into a thunderstorm due to the electricity that is running through it...

"Makouha!" I moved past the arrows of light. "He's much faster," Juro stated. "Western blow!" The area around me. But a Zio lightning attack and a Garu attack blocked the attack against me... "Well damn, I should have known that this barrier wasn't just for show. But it must take a lot of concentration to keep this up and to have it defend like that."

Juro looked back over to me... "Who's body shall I take first...?" I dashed over to him. Morpheus was keeping me away from him. "If you won't move..." I kicked for the Persona's head but it ducked under the kick. It then tried to kick me from below. *Thumb* I blocked with my left leg. "Morpheus...fight." The Persona nodded, and it and I interlocked in battle.

I was using my legs most of the time, and it was doing the same, but it had its wings to make sure it did stumble after an attack. "Nice moves, Morpheus!" "Watch out," Fuuka warned me. Its wing was looking sharper, and that did not bode well.

*Slice* The wing cut through the wind barrier. "HEY, IF HE DESTROYS THAT BARRIER I DON'T THINK I HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE ANOTHER," Yukari-chan yelled, warning me. The wings were slashing at me, but I made sure it didn't hit the wind barrier... Morpheus-now!" "Huh!?" It was flying all over the place. Its movements were graceful, but to fast for me to see.

"Morpheus-now is your time..." The Persona was starting to descend at a rapid rate. "I can't predict the movement! I can't deploy the shield in time!" The Persona was already near the ground level...

*Slice* "ARGHH!" The Persona cut my shoulder... I tried to get up but something was preventing me from doing so.

"You might as well give up on getting up, I hit you with a paralyzing attack." "Is that so..." "Yes, now, I get to clam my prize for winning this fight..." Juro reached his hand out towards my face. "I'll be using my Persona to do the transfer... Hmm, now that I think of it, I shouldn't have stated that I was gonna possess one of you; because that is wrong...

Juro fixed his glasses...

"Kazuki, this is what I meant by there is more to Personas than you realize. ...Each one has different power, different strengths, different looks... However, they have the power to make you a god among men. They also have the power to dip into another realm-the collective unconsciousness. Anyway, about the transfer: I am going to have you carry out my dream as if it is your new drive in life, and after you do...well, I don't want to give you that scary thought. So, just relax; you'll think this was all just a bad dream...

Juro's hand was nearing my face.

"Juro, you should know something." "What?" "Tarukaja!" "Huh!?" Juro scanned the area... "Hmph, what a bluff." "But it wasn't, and also: an anti-shadow unit doesn't dream..." "Huh?" "As they say-you been had." "What!?"

One half of the Garu barrier behind Juro was coming towards him. "Western blow!" Morpheus' attack clashed against the Garu attack... "This isn't enough, Makouha!" Multiple arrows of light pierced the wind attack, but when it did that, the Garu spell launched something out. "It's...Kei!" Juro-san turned back to me. "Who are you really!?" "I am not Kei Kazuki, but instead the 7th generation anti-shadow suppression weapon: Aigis." "WHAT!?"

The disguise was wearing off, and I was returning to my original form. "No time to think about all this! Morpheus: finish him!" The enemy Persona was charging for Kazuki, I held my position and was waiting for the prime moment.

"Come and get some, you angelic weirdo!" The Personas wing was sharpened, and given that Kazuki is in the air, he has a high percentage of getting sliced in halves...

*Slice* Morpheus...missed. Right when the Persona was gonna cut his body, he turned his whole body left, avoiding the attack altogether. He punched the Persona where the solar plexus would be for a human being... "HAAAAAA!" "MORPHEUS!" Kazuki slammed the Persona to the ground, resulting in him breaking the floor below them...

Thanatos tower,?

"*Pant* *Pant* *Pant " "*Pant* *Pant* *Pant*" "Ya know, as much fun as this really is, we should really end this," I stated. "I also agree; this has become tiring..."

The tentacles went into the ground. I can hear them; digging towards me. I heard a tentacle coming from the left. *Crack* I dodged that attack. "Right!" One popped out from my right. I was able to anticipate the next attack due to how loud it digs.

"Bring it!" "Watch what you say..." Something strange happened. The tentacles stopped making noise... "You looked worried, is it the fact that you can't hear them...?"

I'm waiting for them to pop up anytime now. *Thud* "Huh?" The floor below me. *Slice* "GOT YOU!" The tentacles withdrew into the ground again.

"Minako, you okay!?" "*Breathing in* ...Yeah, I'm good," I stated, calmly picking up the bandage cloth from the floor. "*Sigh* This is why I want to get an eye-patch..." "Are you serious!? How did they miss?" "You're a smart demon, you figure it out." "That debuff!" "Aye, you got it right."

I kneeled down on the ground... "Well, time to end this." "How so? Your Maragi spell isn't enough to kill the ones weak to magic." "Oh, you are right about that, but allow me to ask you this: do you think this one hole is connected to the other ones?" "*Gasp*" "Oh, that's smart," Natsuki exclaims, snapping her fingers. "Orpheus: Agilao." The fire spell went through all the different tunnels in the floor. "Q-quickly, KILL HER!" It was useless at this point to even command that because by the time they came out of the floor they were all on fire. And one by one, they were dying off. (Finally!)

"Now, it's just you and me..." I walked up to doppel... "Shame, this is your end..." "THUNDER KICK!" I switched Personas immediately, after that, I blocked the attack with my arm. "You think your petty attack can hurt me? Hey, didn't you say that to me earlier," I mockingly stated. "..." "Oh well, it doesn't matter, time to die." "I wouldn't say me though." "Huh, you say something?" "Hmph!"

I heard something coming towards me... I see how that is

"Also, one more thing." "W-what." I sidestepped the incoming attack. *Stab* "*Gasp*" "...Cheap tricks won't work on me. Doppel tried to get the tentacle out of his body, it didn't budge... "Do you think...you have won, that getting these shards will save Makoto Yuki?" "Yeah, I think so." "Do you also think you can escape from 'him'?" "Yeah, I do!" "Hehehe..." "What's so funny!?" "I had an idea for a torture method, but I have a better one now!"

Doppel raised his hand to the air... "Some say 'Fate is not set in stone'... True, but there is only one flaw: you have to know your fate first!" He then drove his hand towards himself. *Stab* "*Gasp*" W-what...the," I stuttered for a moment, watching in awe as he had his own hand where the heart is. "...I am Doppelganger: the demon who impersonates humans; I feel there hate, there regret, there sorrow, and there guilt. So, Minako Arisato, the feeling you had when I mocking your fate amused me so; so much anger, but yet, a deep sorrow, and...guilt." "SHUT UP!" "As my life fades, so does the knowledge of what awaits you. In do time, you will know what I take with me to the grave, but when you do, it will be too late; hopefully, it will break you into a million different tiny piece of what you once were and swallow you into despair... You...the puppet."

After that, Doppel dispersed into the sky... I looked at his chair. There was something shining behind it. "Are those what you were looking for?" "...Yeah, they are." I picked up a piece of the shards I was looking for.

"...Let's go." "O-okay..." We quietly walked out of the domain room... "So much anger, but yet, a deep sorrow; and...guilt."

Before leaving the room, I turned around and summoned a fire spell and lit the chair on fire... "Guilt...that's a load of shit!"

Hypnos tower,?

The domain was starting to crack due to all the damage it was suffering. I had my fist on the chest of the Persona, (Morpheus) waiting for it to just spring to life.

"Nothing, guys I think we won," I said as I was climbing myself out of the crater. "Morpheus! Are you okay, Morpheus!?" "Why are you so concerned about it; isn't that your Persona," I questioned. "It doesn't really belong to me." "I do not understand? The Persona is apart of the human soul?" "...Humans have guarded this place before, and when they were guardians, they were given Personas by the towers."

This new revelation we reached was very interesting, but more importantly.

"You mentioned different locations." "That's right." "...Where?" "I think it was...Mikage-cho, St. Merlin." When he said that, I thought I was still in a sleep spell. "You aren't lying, right!?" "N-no..." I don't know how to explain this, but I felt like I need to ask something else. "Juro, how do you know all this?" "Morpheus told me a lot of things from his experience, and showed me through dreams." "I see, then did he fight someone else, besides us?" "I...think so." "Can you tell me what they looked like?" "I will, but I want to see if Morpheus is alright." "...Yeah, that's fine by-" "I am sorry, but that is not an option." "Aigis, what are you talking about," Fuuka questioned.

"Juro-san is no threat, but the Persona is. I advise eliminating it." "No, we just came here for the shards, not to kill!" "I agree, we should kill it," M.G. calmly stated. "You too!" "I think letting it be is a bad idea." Shizuka took out her sword and started walking over to it. "Stop!" "Kazuki, be quiet for a moment." "Advancing."The two were getting ready to kill the Persona. I expected Aigis to try something like this, but Shizuka...

"Fuuka: don't waste your shield skill." "But-" "Don't worry, I got this..." I walked forward towards the two...

"Shizuka, Aigis: stand down." "No!" "I will not obey." This was starting to piss me off now... I swiped my face, summoning the shadow-mog power.

"MORPHEUS!" *Thumb* I stopped Aigis' attack and Shizuka's sword by the tip of it with my fingers holding it.

"Now will you listen to me?" "Move Kazuki!" "Eliminating you both won't be so difficult." "SHUT UP," I yelled. "I had enough of your shit, Aigis! I don't care if you don't like me, but you should know that I am field leader and whatever I say goes! ...So, show me some damn respect and stand the hell down, or I crush the fuckin arm...!"

Shizuka immediately ditched the sword and got far away from me. As for Aigis, she broke away from my grip (with some trouble) and went back over to Fuuka. I saw Yukari putting down her bow; was she gonna shoot Morpheus, or Aigis/Shizuka? At any rate, I went over to everyone else, but not before deactivating the shadow-mog.

"You...protected him. Thank you," Juro bowed to me. "No, it was nothing..." "Kei-kun, that was so cool! How did you move that fast," Yukari questioned. "Well, I..." As I was thinking up an excuse, I saw Aigis looking at me... I wonder what she's thinking of right now?

"Hey, Kazuki, here you go." I looked at what Juro was giving me. "These are..." "This is what you came for, right?" "Y-yeah!" "Good, these will help you with saving Makoto Yuki." "Really!?" I put them in the bag we brought along and closed it tightly.

"Thanks!" "No problem." "Thank you, Manabu-kun," Fuuka bowed. "Um, no problem." "Aw, are you blushing," I teased. "W-what, no!" "Don't worry, man, I blush whenever I look at her, too." "BUT I'M NOT!" "Stop, Kazuki-kun!" "Hahaha! It's cool, I was just kidding." "About which part," Juro asked me, with a deadpanned face. "Maybe about her being cute." "Whoa, man, definitely not!" "Y-you were...?" "No, Fu-chan! I wasn't, I swear!"

I was trying to make Fuuka feel better about while Juro was laughing it up. I don't know why, but it was good to see him laughing...

Welp, I think we should-" "What is this?" "What is it, Fu-chan?" "There's someone else coming here." "Who is it?" "I don't know?" "Wait, this feeling! KAZUKI, WE NEED TO LEAVE NOW!" "Why?" "BECAUSE, THIS PERSON-" Before Shizuka finished her sentence, a burst of flames came, breaking through the door.

"Why, hello, kiddies!" Shizuka was facing the intruder down. "Boo!" "*Gasp*" Shizuka jumped far away from him, back to us.

"Who is he, Shizuka-cha-" "IT DOESN'T MATTER! WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Shizuka was breathing heavily. "...You first." "Huh?" In an instant, Shizuka disappeared. "Hey, where she-" "Yamagishi, Takeba, and Aigis-san." After Juro announced their names they all disappeared. "Don't worry, Kazuki, I teleported all of them outside of the tower." "Thanks, I guess we get to fight our little friend now." "Not 'we'." "What are you talking about? Don't tell me you're!?" "Yes, I will! I have a debt to settle with him." "A debt?" "Hehe, seems you remember me." "All too clearly!"

It took me a minute to figure out what they were talking about, then, it hit me.

"Hey, is this the guy?" "Yeah...he is." I was gearing up for an attack until. "You need to leave." "No, I'm gonna help you!" "If you stay, we both end up dead-men." "What do you mean?" "We will die, regardless of how many people are here." "No, we can beat him!" "*Sigh* I knew that you wouldn't listen."

Juro put his hand on my shoulder... "Sorry about this. Dormina!" I was hit with something. "What...are you...doing?" I was too tired to speak... "It's best to sleep for the fight ahead will be tough..." I was barely able to hear him at this point... My eyes were starting to get heavy, so I closed them tight...

?,?

"Kazuki, can you hear me?" I heard a voice ringing throughout an empty space. "Um, yes." "Good." It was Juro! "Juro, are you here!?" "No, I am not, but I have something to tell you." "Wait, where am I?" "You are in a dream right now." "But, what about you?" "I'm gonna stay and fight him." "No, that's suicide!" "It's okay, I'm already dead, I won't feel too much pain..." "This is stupid, you hear me: STUPID!" It went quiet for a moment... "...I'll buy you as much time as you need, but you'll still need to hurry and save Yuki from the mask." "*Sniffling* This is...SO STUPID! WHY DO YOU NEED TO FIGHT HIM ALONE, WHY!?" "..." I was balling my eyes out. The fact that he was fighting the monster that killed him was too unbearable for me.

"Hey, don't cry, Yamagishi will be sad to see you upset, won't she?" "*Sniffling*" "Hey, can you do me a favor?" "Name it!" "Near the tree outside the courtyard, there is a time capsule." "Yeah." "Can you give it to my sister, her name is Miki Manabu." "Okay, I'll do it," I said while wiping my eyes. "Thank you, and also, thank you again for saving Morpheus... He was the person in the tower I was able to talk to; over time, he became my best, and the only friend." "He must've been a really good friend." "Yes, he was and always will be... And can you tell Takeba thanks, thanks for telling me to stop living in a dream..." "Sure, I'll tell her." "Hmm, you are like him." "W-who?" "The St. Merlin student that spared Morpheus..."

"..." "What is the matter, Kazuki?"

I felt a certain pit in my gut, and I knew why.

"Juro: do you remember the guys face?" "Yes, why?" "...I want you to put it into my mind!" "No, this has nothing to do with you anymore!" "It does, I want to know who killed you! You think you'll die during your fight, then even if you do, your dream will still be alive!" "..."

Juro didn't say anything until... "...Fine, here." In a moments notice, I saw an image in my head. A blond male, with wraps around his right eye. I clenched my fist and my teeth. "I will find this man and I will destroy him!" I lost control over my power, resulting in me breaking the ground below me. "Please, don't die for my dream, Kazuki." "I don't know if I can promise that!"

It felt like Juro was getting farther and farther away from me...

"I guess this is it." "It for what?" "For this talk, obviously..."

I saw the stars in the sky disappearing one by one. "Kei, thank you, thank you for saving my friend and my dream; you really are a friend I wish I could've had while I was alive." "We would've been good friends." "I think so too..."

And finally, all the stars in the sky disappeared except one...

"Goodbye, Kei Kazuki." "Goodbye, Juro Manabu..."

And with that, the last star disappeared into the night... Don't worry Juro, your dream is still alive, I promise that!

This too long to get done, like seriously, way too long. But anyway, I don't really have much to say other than thank you for reading, please follow the story, and, or like it. Reviews help too, (A lot!) So anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this new chap. Until next time; see ya...