Shin Persona Evangelion

by Ultra Sonic 007

Shinji Ikari stared, bewildered by the bizarre-looking man, who gave an intrigued smile. "An interesting guest has arrived. My name is Igor. Welcome to the Velvet Room, young fool...we have important matters to discuss, you and I." (A fusion of the realms of Evangelion and Persona, where not all is as it seems.) (Cover art by Renu of the Sufficient Velocity forums.)

73. Thursday - August 13, 2015

Once more, Sokila wasn't there.

Igor sat by himself at his desk, illuminated by a lonely spotlight. "Your attendant was quite pleased to experience your world, my dear guest."

Grimacing, he once more found himself capable of speech. "Mister Igor...who are the Attendants? The ones I keep seeing in my dreams..."

"Elizabeth. Theodore. Margaret. Lavenza. Sokila. They are all Ones Who Rule Over Power."

"...Power...?"

"The bond that they share with their guests...to serve their role, they must be capable of actualizing the fullness of Potential. Indeed, that is why Sokila is so special, even compared to the others..."

"Why?"

"Because she is on a journey, the same as you; and as you both change, the Velvet Room changes as well. A truly marvellous chain of events, pulling all of us towards our destined end..."

Blinking, he quietly asked, "what do you mean by that...?"

"Tomorrow, the new moon rises; the face of Death will once more gaze upon your world...the boundaries between mind and matter, between body and spirit, will once more become agitated...and at the threshold, lies the key to the mystery."

"What mystery?" A strange hope bloomed within his chest. "Is it...about my memories? About why I was unable to remember anything about my life in Nishiawakura until I came back?"

Igor simply chuckled knowingly. "Ponder the Sea of Souls. Consider its weight...its depth...and should you survive this upcoming ordeal, you'll be ready to face it in its fullness."

"...but that doesn't answer my question-"

The faint haze of blue began to brighten-

xxxx

/Thursday: August 13. 2015/

/Sojiro Sakura's Residence, Nishiawakura, Okayama Prefecture/

Shinji Ikari turned over in his sleep, irritably murmuring to himself. "...hmph..."

A strange chill went down his spine that went ignored.

xx

In other room, Mana Kirishima blearily sat up, a mulish frown on her face. What is going on?

Sleep hadn't come easily to her, because there was...something, going on...something was affecting her innate senses. But what?

Out of a strange sense of childish longing, she reached over for where she had set Emerald Eage's Transformation Tiara, placing it upon her head. Oddly, enough, it made her feel better...just a little bit.

Seriously...what is this strange feeling...?

xxxx

It was an unusual phenomenon, in the months and years following Second Impact: namely, the disappearance of people into the Metaverse.

The exact reason had never been confirmed; only that, in the wake of that chaotic day, the barriers between reality and cognition had been permeable. People with active minds, unusual thought patterns, or extremely bad luck...they were all liable to suddenly fall through.

Indeed, it had been a common mission for the A.T. Task Force in those early years to actually find and recover people who had inadvertently slipped into the Metaverse.

As more MAGI were built, and more order was established on mankind's access to the world born from human minds...the number of such occurrences decreased, to be sure.

However, it would be folly to suggest that they had completely stopped.

xxxx

Meanwhile, in the northern half of town, within the Hasegawa Residence — a small and rather quaint house, old yet still well-tended to — a certain girl was washing her hands. Biology sucks sometimes, she couldn't help but think as she adjusted the hem of her dark blue pajamas.

(One morning, she had woken up with blood in her bed, convinced she was about to die. Her father, with dawning horror, had realized that puberty had struck with a vengeance. "But you're not even a teenager yet! I wasn't ready for this!")

'Dad Dramatics' aside, it had been yet one moment out of many that made her ache for her departed mother; there were some things that moms would have just been better at explaining. She felt this all the way down to her bones.

Yawning quietly, Akane quietly stepped out of the restroom, heading back to her room to get another hour (or two...or maybe three...because it was the summer break, and she could sleep in if she wanted to!) of sleep. She opened the door-

(There was an unseen ripple, born from an Angel's growing influence; a hole opened that had not been there before, a hole which existed for mere moments.)

-and without warning, slipped into the Metaverse.

Akane Hasegawa paused, eyes wide with recognition. What the?!

Her room was not as it was supposed to be: clean and organized, with a bookshelf full of reference materials on the Anti-Terror Task Force, cognition, and agriculture; old photos of herself and family, hanging from the wall; drawings of her father's Persona and various Archetypes (and what she imagined her own Persona would ultimately look like), taped to whatever spots on the wall that were otherwise empty; and finally, a windowsill lined with various herbs growing in pots. Nay, there was none of that; instead of a bookshelf, there was a floating mass of words and characters, a living cloud of knowledge; instead of photos and pictures, there were framed portals to old dreams and flights of fancy that were portrayed as movies; instead of pots of herbs, there was a miniature forest being tended to by diminutive Koropokkuru Archetypes. Combined with the sepia filter overlaying everything and the flickers of black lines and dusty static...well, it only cemented the fact she was in the Metaverse. Somehow. Okay Akane...just stay calm. She ignored the inquisitive stares of the Koropokkuru, slowly stepping backwards to leave the cognitive double of her room. Navigating through her home with relative ease (as her dad had brought her here many times before as part of her training), she made her way outside (privately ruing the fact there were no shoes that manifested in the home's cognition; how lame!).

Staring at the red-and-black sky, the cognition of Nishiawakura looked...well, largely the same. The only difference was the presence of fiery apparitions to the northwest, visible amidst the forested heights. Wasn't that...yeah, that's where the explosion was seen, she thought, thinking back to August the 6th, where a car bomb had been used by Strega as distraction so they could escape without notice. Amazing to think that Archetypes associated with fire have already appeared...and that they've remained even after yesterday's downpour! Slapping her face to remove all idle thoughts, she muttered, "okay Akane, you know the drill..."

("Slipping into the Metaverse isn't as common as it used to be, but you never know these days," wisely counseled her father. "So follow these steps in case that happens!")

"Step one: head to the police substation." It was just a short walk to the south of where she slept, past where her school and the 'downtown' part of Nishiawakura (for however much it counted as one) were. "Step two: sit and wait." Exploring would only be a recipe for disaster, especially in her current state of wearing naught but dark blue pajamas and house slippers. "Easy."

"Easy...so very easy...yes it is..."

Akane froze at the sound of the voice (a woman's voice?), coming from right behind her. "...eh...?" Slowly turning her head, she looked over her shoulder...and up. "...oh."

"I have a question for you, Daughter of Hasegawa..."

Akane loosed a horrid shriek; all sense of planning and forethought vanished from her mind as she turned and ran as fast as she could, slippers flying off after the first few meters.

The figure (smile hidden from sight) giggled and began her casual pursuit of the terrified teenager.

xxxx

/Meanwhile, in the real world.../

Zenkichi Hasegawa yawned, briefly setting down the pan to rub at his eyes. "Damn...wish I had more sleep..." He was halfway tempted to get in his car and drive the incredibly short distance to get a cup of coffee from Sojiro's Cafe. "...eh, by the time I get there, I'll be awake anyhow..." As he prepared two helpings of omurice, he mentally went through the checklist of things to do for the day. Coordinate with Sakamoto and his posse at the ryokan, help the police send some friendly notices to the populace to remind them about the monthly New Moon Gathering, continue my pacification routine...maybe see if I can swing a quick trip to the sauna before nightfall. He needed to be in tiptop shape for tomorrow. (Somehow, he knew something unexpected was going to happen; a strange sensation was curdling in the pit of his soul, unfamiliar yet foreboding...it didn't bode well.) "Akane," he loudly called out. "Breakfast is almost ready!" When there was no answer, he chuckled. "Must be another 'sleep-in' day." Ah, the wonders and glories of being a child, he couldn't help but muse; never had the saying 'youth is wasted on the young' felt more appropriate.

Setting Akane's plate of omurice down on the table (because no matter how much she presented herself as being a grown-up, he still knew she secretly delighted in childish things...just a little bit. It was hard to tell with teenagers, sometimes), he quickly wolfed down his own portion. As the mixture of egg and seasoned rice settled in his belly, he called out once more. "Akane, if you don't hurry up, I'm gonna help myself to your breakfast! Then you'll have to get a job to pay for your own meal!"

Still no response.

"...hmm." Rising to his feet, he ignored the niggling concern at the base of his spine; walking down the hall, he blinked with surprise at how her room's door was ajar. "...okay kiddo, since I don't have to conduct a B&E, you've implicitly given me a warrant to enter!" The lack of response spurred him onward; he took in her room at a glance — messy bed covers; phone's still on her nightstand — before turning around. Striding toward the door, he saw that her walking shoes were still by the door. "...Akane?" he said aloud, stepping out the front door as suspicion gave way to fatherly terror. "AKANE?!" No answer. Where did she go? Was she kidnapped?! This and countless other bizarre and implausible scenarios filtered through his mind...right as his phone rang. Without even looking at the caller ID, he answered, "this is Hasegawa, what's going on...oh, hello officer," he said, finally recognizing the voice as the local Community Police officer that had succeeded him in the job. "Listen, my daughter's not at home, and I was wondering if you've seen her...wait, slow down." His eyes slowly widened as the man's frantic voice relayed what had been happening that morning. "...how many Missing Persons calls have you gotten? Then..." Oh no. The signs began to line up. "Compile a list of the people who are noted as missing. I'll follow up with you shortly, so stand by!" Putting the officer on hold, he quickly looked back through his recently-added contacts; of the five he had added this past week — Ryuji Sakamoto, Junpei Iori, Ken Amada, Rise Kujikawa (yep, still sounds weird), and Misato Katsuragi — he dialed up Amada.

Sure enough, as the most proper and professional of the bunch (as Zenkichi had gathered just by observing and listening to the three Agents and lone Freelancer over the course of their stay in Nishiawakura), Ken Amada answered after the first ring. "Good morning Hasegawa-san; what's-?"

"Get everyone up."

To his credit, Amada didn't even sound that sleepy. "Why?"

"I think an unknown number of the locals have slipped into the Metaverse, my daughter included. Meet me at the police substation with everyone that has combat experience in the Metaverse."

"Understood," professionally replied his fellow A.T. Agent. "I'll have them there in less than twenty minutes."

"Be quick about it." Hanging up the phone, he quickly hopped into his vehicle and began the short drive to the police substation. I hope she remembered the drill...what am I thinking? Of course she did, he thought with the shake of his head. She's learning how to become an Agent. She's mature for a kid her age. She'll keep her cool.

(That's what he kept telling himself, at any rate...)

xxxx

At the Nishiawakura substation, the local Community Police had gladly let Zenkichi take over their staff room in order to coordinate the Search & Rescue response. On a map of Nishiawakura and the surrounding area, Zenkichi was planting various colored push pins at specific locations. "These are the homes of those who were reported as missing so far; we'll all split up so we can cover more ground." Everyone, thankfully, acquiesced to his decisions, since he was the local Agent in charge. "Us four adults will work solo; Suzuhara will work with Kirishima, while Aida will work with Ikari." Turning towards them with a stern expression, he grimly said, "don't agitate any of the locals' Shadows if you can help it. Any person you find, transition them into the real world immediately. Our top priority is getting civilians out of the Metaverse ASAP. Any questions?"

"What should we do if we find your daughter?" asked Amada.

"The same, of course. Hopefully, she remembers our safety drills-"

"What if there's Acolytes?" asked Kensuke with a raised hand. "Because from what I recall, there's a positive correlation between Metaverse Slips and Angel Syndrome..." His voice died as Zenkichi stared at him with a dead expression. "...I mean, I'm just saying..."

"...standard protocol is to resort to Acolyte submission. Let's just hope that doesn't happen." With a pained grimace, he gazed over towards Misato, Ryuji, Junpei, and Ken...before turning towards Shinji and Mana. "If Angel Syndrome occurs, I need you two to drop what you're doing and return to the real world to subdue the Acolytes in question. You would be able to respond more quickly than we would."

Mana huffed in acknowledgment, her hands gripping tightly onto her shield and axe, and her head adorned with the gifted circlet of Emerald Eagle. "Got it."

Shinji nodded silently, wondering where Akane was. I hope she's okay, he couldn't help but muse, hand resting upon his waist bag. A waist bag that held Amamiya-senpai's gifted Bowie knife...

His Other held tightly onto the hilt of a blade.

"Be prepared for the unexpected."

The Beast grinned.

"This town smells of violence..."

He inwardly grimaced, wondering what would come of this assignment, so soon before the monthly new moon.

As Agent Hasegawa assigned them all to particular 'sectors' of the town, he said, "good luck everyone. Let's move."

Mana promptly stepped away, slicing through the air; opening up a rift into the cognitive world. "After you."

With determination and grim focus, everyone entered the Metaverse.

xxxx

Back at Sojiro Sakura's residence, Ren Amamiya and Mayumi Yamagishi were by themselves. Sitting in the main entry hall, Ren was idly flipping through channels.

("Just in case Hasegawa's daughter shows up here, you two should stay behind," said Sakamoto, stretching his bad leg as everyone else quickly scrambled to get ready. "After all, can't discount the possibility that the girl simply decided to be a teenage rebel...")

That excuse was so corny and fake I can't believe Ryuji even tried to say it, mused Ren with a hidden grin. He could've just said 'no room for civvies today, you two are staying put.' With Sojiro having already left for his Cafe by the time everyone awoke, there was a strange uneasiness to the air in the old ryokan. "...so, sleep well?"

There was no answer from Mayumi.

"...come on kouhai, work with me here. I'm trying to engage in awkward small talk so we can awkwardly pass the time in mutual awkwardness. It'll be an awkwardception."

Still no words.

"...sheesh." Idly looking around, he couldn't help but notice that Sojiro's usual cohort of indoor cats was nowhere to be seen. "...you know, whatever's bugging you, I'm sure it's not as big a deal as you might think it is. Every obstacle appears as a mountain until you get big enough...metaphorically speaking."

"...not everything is so easy," murmured the girl.

Ren grinned impulsively. "Got you to talk, didn't I?" As the long-haired girl rose to her feet, he asked, "so...what's been eating you? You've been out of it for the past couple of days, it's felt like. And don't think I'm the only one who's noticed."

"...can't be helped," she quietly said.

"I'm pretty sure it can. You just don't think so...or don't want to admit it."

"..."

"...do you think you're a slave, bound to the whims of something else?" he said, speaking to whoever (or whatever) was bound within Mayumi Yamagishi. (Even in his current state, the strange vibe that the girl was throwing off was impossible to miss.)

"...I'm not a slave," she whispered. "Even a slave has the potential for freedom...I don't know if I even have that..."

"...don't you want emancipation?"

The girl turned towards her with a blank expression; without any emotion, she raised her hand. "More than you realize," whispered both girl and thing(?).

Ren's eyes widened — okay, was expecting something along the lines of a crazy Persona, not this— as a wave of force knocked his chair over, slamming him into the wall. "...can I get a do-over on that conversation?"

"...Amamiya-senpai," whispered Mayumi Yamagishi. "...thank you...for driving us. You helped make this summer vacation...a memorable one..." With downcast eyes, the thing spoke with her mouth. "Now sleep..."

...well, this is kind of embarrassing, Ren couldn't help but admit to himself as all higher thought processes decided to take a nap. This sucks-

And then all was dark.

xxxx

Mayumi watched stoically as her senpai slumped to the floor, taking a forced nap. "...thank you," she spoke aloud, to whatever it was that was bound to her (a fact that she knew intrinsically, yet could not fathom how or why she knew it). "...I...wished it could have been longer..."

The coiling beast, now wearing her face, transformed and shifted with each passing second: a protean shade of light and shadow. "You-would-rather-subject-your-fellows-to-the-sight-of-your-awakening...?"

She shook her head. "...I...wish..."

"Wishes-count-for-little..."

With steps she couldn't feel or control or acknowledge, Mayumi slowly slipped on her shoes and walked outside. Idly noting that the various felines were all fleeing from her. It's only natural, she subconsciously mused, that they should want nothing to do with me...what place do I even have here...?

(Where did she belong?)

(If you're willing to fight for it, you can belong anywhere.)

(She belonged nowhere.)

(Do you really believe that?)

With an unsteady stride, Mayumi Yamagishi quietly walked eastward, entering the forested slopes of rural Okayama Prefecture.

xxxx

/The Metaverse/

Akane Hasegawa had been running for quite some time, now...and sure enough, she had not been the only one to slip into the Metaverse that morning, it seemed.

"Akane-chan," said the elderly Mrs. Noriyama (whose husband and son still worked at the local wood processing plant), huddling down amidst a large tuft of too-tall grass. "What-?"

"Stay away!" she yelled, impulsively looking over her shoulder. "Oh gods," she hoarsely whispered, turning back to run as fast as she could.

She could barely hear Mrs. Noriyama shriek with terror at the sight of the thing chasing her.

"You're not good enough...too old...I care not for your opinion..." said the wretched wraith. "Come back, Daughter of Hasegawa...I must ask a question of you!"

The insistent query spurred her on even further, crossing the quaint and almost artistic land of Nishiawakura and making for the woods. I have to escape, she thought in a panic. I have to get away!

The woods seemed imposing now, much grander and deeper than their real life counterparts; despite how many people made their living on lumber in the area, there were too many memories stretching back generations about ghost stories of the forest. In the end, primal fears had a way of triumphing over contemporary experiences; this was seemingly cemented by how labyrinthine the woods had become, forming a living maze with its own shadowy atmosphere. I can lose it here, she assured herself, ignoring the icky sensations on her bare feet. I can hide. Oh, if only her Shadow were within reach!

(One day, shortly after she turned twelve years of age, her father opened up a rather official-looking letter. "Huh...looks like your Shadow's been registered with the Prefectural CPC by the Task Force." Her dad shot her a grin. "That's a good thing! It'll make contact with your Shadow much less of a hassle.")

And that's how I felt too, she thought, cursing her own sense of practicality. Why couldn't my Shadow Self have been more difficult and told the Task Force to screw off?! (Because that wasn't her, and it probably never would be.) Tall cedars gave way to fallen logs, criss-crossing over each other in great piles and immense caverns; such was the imprint in the minds of those who worked the forests, cutting down trees for lumber and wood. With utter desperation, Akane found a small alcove formed by broken wood, scrambling backwards to try and get out of sight. Stay calm...stay calm...breathe...BREATHE...

Step. Step. Step.

Akane paled as long legs hidden by a pale and ragged kimono stepped by the alcove. "...where...WHERE..." The distinctive snip-snip of scissors could be heard. "...hah..." With a throaty exhale, the thing continued on.

She did not dare move a muscle, nor utter a peep. Just stay here...it'll go away...it'll go away...

"Ponpon." An impulsive yelp erupted from Akane's mouth as she whirled around; a Pixie Archetype was beating on the belly of a Tanuki Archetype, who spoke aloud in tune with the sprite's smacking. "Ponpon."

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

"We've been here the whole time," snarkily said the Pixie. "What are you doing?"

"Hiding!"

"That's silly, ponpon," dumbly said the Tanuki. "If you were trying to hide, why my place, ponpon?"

"Yeah!" cheered the Pixie. "This place is s'posed to be loud!"

"Be quiet-!"

Sudden daylight streamed over them as a gangly hand ripped away the interlaced wood with surprising strength. "Ah...there..."

"Ooh, a freak! I'm out of here!" exclaimed the Pixie, her wings beating rapidly- "Hey!" she squeaked, as the same hand gripped her by the waist. "Let go!"

"First...a question..." The thing brought the Pixie up towards her face, hidden by a surgical mask and long strands of black, unwashed hair. "...am I beautiful...?"

The petulant sprite snorted. "Like, no way!"

The thing stared...and without remorse or hesitation, used its overly long medical scissors to cut the Pixie's head in twain.

"Oh dear!" exclaimed the Tanuki, bashing his own belly — "ponpon!" — before curling into a ball and rolling away between the thing's feet. Akane took the opportunity to hustle towards the back of the wooden alcove, scrambling up the sides of fallen logs now that the roof was open.

"You can't escape from me, Daughter of Hasegawa," hoarsely screamed the wretched spirit. "I will have an answer to my question!"

Keep running Akane, she told herself, almost to the point of a mantra. Don't stop!

xxxx

Several minutes later, Shinji Ikari and Kensuke Aida came upon Mrs. Noriyama. "Um...is everything okay, miss?" asked Shinji, noting that the elderly woman looked deathly afraid.

"...more...wretched...spirits..." she whispered, eyes wide with fright.

Kensuke gestured towards his outfit, which — although obviously a poor imitation — had enough similarities with that of an A.T. Agent like Zenkichi Hasegawa's that it caught the woman's attention. "Hey hey, it's going to be fine! We've been sent to help you get out of the Metaverse; Mr. Hasegawa sent us!"

"Hasegawa...?" she said, almost dreamily. "Hasegawa...Hasegawa!" With frightening strength, the older woman gripped Shinji by the arms. "Oh the poor dear, you have to help her!"

"...who?" asked Shinji.

"Hasegawa-kun's darling little girl; she was chased into the woods!" she yelled, pointing a shriveled up finger towards the dark and foreboding depths of the mountainous forest. "By that...wretched ghost of that awful monster!"

"...ghost? Monster?" Shinji and Kensuke shot each other a look, trying to determine what the woman meant.

The woman sniffed. "Oh, but it all makes sense...today is that day..."

Kensuke gently knelt down, blocking her view of the Metaverse's more bizarre elements so she could only see him. "Mrs. Noriyama...what is today?"

"August the 13th...that was the day that Hasegawa-kun found the dread kuchisake-onna...found the monster that had killed those lovely girls...oh, the police said that the monster killed herself, but I knew better! You don't get rid of evil like that so easily!" Shivering with fright, she muttered, "I remember those days...we old folks always remember...and we wondered if that vengeful spirit would return to take revenge on the man who stopped her...but oh, what better way to have vengeance than by depriving him of his lovely daughter?"

As the elderly woman bewailed and moaned about a seemingly fantastical story, Shinji looked with confusion towards Kensuke. "...what is she talking about?"

"...not sure," admitted Kensuke, his lips curled into a frown. "But if I had to guess...there may be something bad that happened in this village a long time ago. Something that involved Zenkichi Hasegawa...and if it was a big enough deal that all of Nishiawakura was affected..."

"...then the cognition of this place would react?"

"Bingo," grimly said Kensuke. "Maybe even to the point where a uniquely powerful Archetype would be created..."

A chill went down Shinji's spine. "Then if that's the case..."

"At least we have a lead on where Akane Hasegawa is," said Kensuke. "Get Mrs. Noriyama back to reality...I'll move on ahead. This time, you'll be my backup."

"Are you sure?"

"Hey, I'm not completely helpless," joked Aida as he summoned Ozymandias. "ONWARD!" defiantly yelled Kensuke as he and his Persona took off into the woods.

...be careful, Kensuke, Shinji thought to himself as he tried to calm Mrs. Noriyama down...or, at least enough so that they could actually transition back to reality.

xxxx

Mayumi Yamagishi slowly walked through the woods — unknowingly crossing the prefectural border dividing Okayama and Hyōgo — as one in a daze, swept up in the mesmerizing tune of a forest fairy...oh, but if only it were that benign.

The coiling beast, containing so many forms and shapes, had constrained itself into a form mirroring her exactly. "You-humans...you-lilim...your-essence-has-been-subject-to-so-many-torments..."

Mayumi did not know what the term 'lilim' meant, but it felt natural.

All metaphor had passed away; in the cat's place was Mayumi Yamagishi. In the beast's place was Mayumi Yamagishi, wearing an avian mask formed of bleached bone. "...why-do-you-think-they-rage? Because-deep-down...they-sense-the-contradiction...and-the-pain-it-brings..."

She wondered what that meant, even as she dully continued treading through the woods.

"...all-we-do...is-allow-that-pain...to-be-released."

xxxx

Right as Shinji came into sight of the police substation with Mrs. Noriyama in tow, his eyes fell upon the crowd of civilians that had slowly been increasing in size; individuals that had slipped into the Metaverse, since recovered, were received with gladness and relief by various family members. Catching sight of Zenkichi Hasegawa, he yelled, "Hasegawa-san!"

"What is it?" he said, thumbing his A.T. medallion.

"Kensuke and I, well, we think we know where-"

A sudden gasp — gurgling, wet, and pained — caught their attention; an older man had suddenly gone tense, in an unnervingly familiar fashion. So familiar, in fact, that the other civilians recognized the signs, and immediately began backing away.

Zenkichi, with no hesitation, withdrew a Schmitz & Weston Model 19 revolver, firing at the man's torso. The .357 magnum rounds were loud and booming, causing Shinji to impulsively flinch from the noise. However, the trio of bullets didn't even break the man's skin. "Damn it, already-"

The old man — nay, the Acolyte — with eyes flared wide with wrath, snarled and sprinted towards them-!

A burst of blue flames and orange light erupted between the Acolyte and Zenkichi, morphing into the enduring form of Shogoki. With a vicious grunt, Unit-01 chucked the old man into the air, who landed several meters away with nary a scratch. "...good timing, kid."

Shinji, focusing on his connection with his Evangelion, didn't acknowledge the compliment. Rather, he said, "Hasegawa-san, Kensuke and I found-"

There was another gurgle behind them; another individual — this time from a younger woman, probably in her 20's — had gone tense as well. By now, the civilians had booked it, fleeing from the site of the battle about to ensue.

"Crap, another one?!" growled Zenkichi, standing back-to-back with Shinji. "This is such bull-"

xxxx

"-SHIT!" yelled Junpei, hanging onto Trismegistus's back as the Persona dove away from a hulking fist. "That makes two!"

Standing atop Seiten Taisei's cloud, Ryuji had a rather sweeping view of the valley in which Nishiawakura's cognitive double sat; notwithstanding the two Acolyte's Shadows gathered below, he could see at least one more to the south — where Ken, Mana, and Toji were — and one more to the north — faced solo by Katsuragi — to bring the grand total to four. "...we'd better be quick about it."

"You don't have to tell me twice!" yelled his former subordinate, holding tightly to his bat. "Let's burn 'em to a crisp!"

Thus rang blazing bolts of Agidyne and Ziodyne, crashing against the enduring forms of the corrupted Shadows.

xxxx

Unknowing of the battle breaking out in her home village, Akane Hasegawa was still running for her life; out of the slopes and fields tended to by woodcutters, she was once more in the sprawling depths of the forests that covered the mountainous hills to the west of Nishiawakura.

Yet despite her aching lungs and increasingly weary legs, adrenaline demanded that she keep running. And so she did...but to what avail?

The voice of that wretched thing kept pursuing her.

"You can't run forever...you'll answer my question..."

Don't think about it, her mind analytically thought amidst the haze of fear and terror. That thing...it looks like a kuchisake-onna...and it's behaving like it is in the old stories...if it catches you-!

Her bare foot landed awkwardly on an exposed root; momentum carried her through the motion nonetheless, as she rolled her ankle.

"AGH!" she impulsively screamed, tumbling to the ground. Tears sprang to her eyes from the sudden pain, harsh breaths slipping past clenched teeth as she gripped at her leg. Ow ow ow, I think it's sprained-!

"Got you."

Akane didn't even have time to look up before too-long fingers wrapped around her torso, hoisting her several feet into the air. The pain in her ankle seemed secondary to the sudden horror that froze her in place; staring into the eyes of a long-haired wraith, which seemed as glowing cinders amidst a pit of shadows that went far too deep. "Tell me...am I beautiful...?"

Her gut impulse was to shudder and cringe at the rage in that blank stare. Her knowledge of the old folk tales, however, convinced her to shakily nod.

With a free hand, the Kuchisake-onna removed her surgical mask, revealing a terrible and gruesome sight: a bloody 'smile' had been carved into her cheeks, flesh barely held together by rotting stitches that were far too loose. In spite of the decaying blood dripping from the edges of her mutilated mouth, the demon whispered, "even with this...?"

Akane resisted the urge to scream or say 'no.' She knew what would come next. She knew that it would hurt.

(But mutilation was preferable to dying.)

(You can't do anything if you're dead.)

"...yes," she forced herself to say.

With glee, the too-long scissors flashed into the wicked spirit's free hand. "Then I shall make you pretty like me...Daughter of Hasegawa..."

"A poor showing, Hasegawa-san; didn't your father ever teach you that it's bad to lie?" interrupted a new voice. "Dazzler!"

A burst of flickering light smashed into Kuchisake-onna's face, eliciting a bewildered grunt; in the next instant, a white energy bolt smashed into the creature's face, eliciting a pained yelp from the beast. Dropping Akane to the ground, the creature cradled her face on instinct.

With a flying kick, Ozymandias came soaring in from the side, forcing Kuchisake-onna away. Before Akane could even process what was going on, the familiar face of Kensuke Aida came into her field of vision. "Get up!"

"...sprained ankle," she said, somewhat dumbfounded by what was happening.

Aida blinked. "...well then, Plan B it is! Ozymandias, keep distracting Tall, Dark, and Ugly!"

"Of course. Pulinpa!"

As a wave of blurry distortion set upon Kuchisake-onna, Aida quickly scooped Akane up, maneuvering her torso so that it was laying across his shoulders. "I'm gonna hang onto you, so I need you to hang onto me, okay?!" Wordlessly nodding, Akane gripped onto the boy's shirt as his right arm wrapped around her legs and his left hand held onto the crook of her elbow. "Okay...here goes!"

As Aida took off on a slow but steady jog, Akane couldn't help but blink rapidly; fear and terror slowly gave way to exhausted relief. I'm...alive? "You...saved me..."

"Yep, just a regular hero, doing heroic things!" said Aida with forced bluster.

A horrid screech erupted from behind them. "I WILL NOT BE DENIED MY PRIZE! Fatal End!"

"Dazzler!"

As the sound of falling trees — cut down by a great and terrible slash — and flashy pops of air sounded behind them, Aida sputtered, "let's just hope my Persona can play 'keep away' for long enough..."

That's right, she couldn't help but muse; they weren't out of the woods yet. Thus did relief and anxiety reach a perfect balance in Akane's heart, as she tried hanging onto to Kensuke Aida's back (which was...surprisingly broad, for someone who seemed so wormy) for dear life.

xxxx

Honestly, Kensuke Aida thought that his day was going pretty well, all things considered. Never expected that I'd be rescuing a girl like this, but my life's been pretty crazy these past couple of months. As he tried to carefully navigate his way through the cognitive woods, he nonetheless couldn't help but feel like the whole enterprise was a lot less romantic than he had dreamed of. Maybe it has something to do with all of the running...or the life-threatening situation...

Far away, his Other blocked the swing of Kuchisake-onna's scissors; a dark glow emanated from the creature's mouth, as she hissed, "Hell Smile!"

...or the fact that I can sense that that Archetype's a lot beefier than my Persona is, he mentally acquiesced, ignoring the occasional phantom pains that seemed to spring up with every blow Ozymandias took. Come on, be smart, avoid whatever you can-

"It's...getting hotter..." said Akane with a grimace.

"I'm trying to be as gentle as I can," he protested, adjusting his hold so that he didn't jostle her too much with each footstep. "Besides, I'm going towards the light!"

"...you're not supposed to do that normally," she growled.

"True, but these woods were pretty shadowy and dark in most parts, so it only stands to reason that any vector with bright light implies the impression of a brighter place in this place's cognition; ergo it's probably the way to civilization. Simple!" At least, that's what he was thinking, because he was fairly certain that the slopes would have been more recognizable if the place's cognition was more true to life. "Just about to clear that ridge and..." He impulsively came to a stop, eyes wide. "...oh."

Akane gazed ahead, blinking confusedly. "...oh." There were a bunch of Flaemis Archetypes hovering around: most as spherical orbs of fire, but others as sagging humanoids forged from flames. "You must have run towards where Strega's car bomb blew up..."

"...could've sworn I was coming back exactly the way I came," he muttered, gingerly setting Akane down so he could try and focus on his bearings. Why do cognitive forests have to be so convoluted?! Glancing towards Akane, he noticed her standing wearily on one foot, using his shoulder as a means of balancing. "Your left foot okay?"

"No, it feels awful," she impulsively bit back.

"Wonder if I've got any healing items," he muttered, digging into his pouches-

"I'M COMING FOR YOU, DAUGHTER OF HASEGAWA!"

The distant roar of a rapidly approaching Archetype put an instant half to that. "How good are you at shooting?!"

Akane blinked. "Well, my dad's let me practice with his revolvers in the Metaverse-"

Unholstering his Pearl Phoenix crossbow, he pushed it into her hands. "Then this'll be a cinch for you then! I need you to cover my back." As Akane nodded — a hint of determination coming into her eyes — he picked her back up in a one-person lift, curling his arms under the back of her thighs and torso. Akane reached across with her left arm to grip his right shoulder, leaving her right hand free to hold his crossbow. I'm so glad that adrenaline is making it easier to ignore the fact I'm carrying a girl that's only wearing pajamas and ah DAMN it now I'm thinking about it-

"I see her!" she yelled, staring behind him. "Your Persona's in pursuit!"

-and there's my old friend 'panic' to keep me going! "Running time!" he yelped, taking off at a slower pace as he wove through and around the gaps in the ranks of the various Flaemises. Before long, the sound of Akane firing energy bolts from his crossbow joined the cacophony of roaring fire.

xxxx

A third Acolyte had joined the two assaulting Shinji and Zenkichi; the presence of Agent Hasegawa had compelled Shinji to act and fight far more defensively than he was used to, to the point where the trio of rampaging humans had cornered them against the walls of the police substation. Unit-01's arms were spread wide, forming a semi-spherical A.T. Field that the three Acolytes were practically throwing themselves against.

"Any ideas, kid?" murmured Zenkichi, using the brief lull to reload his revolver.

"...I'm thinking," he grimaced, trying to focus on defending both, which made the concept of empowering Shogoki with one of his Personas even harder.

"Well...your Evangelion's A.T. Field is pretty robust. Think it can weaken theirs?" Adjusting his glasses, the man said, "it's why these poor souls are so damn tough to deal with."

Huh, he idly thought; using his Evangelion's A.T. Field to neutralize that of the Acolytes? All prior operations had focused on overwhelming Acolytes offensively, using the intrinsic power of Evangelion to render them vulnerable to its own attacks...so surely the same could be said for others, surely?

Another place. Another time. Somewhere...dangerous.

"The Angel's phase space is being neutralized!" a woman shouted from near, yet far.

Gargantuan hands, tearing at a field of orange.

"No...it's corroding it."

With a satisfied growl, the Beast rendered its enemy's protection worthless.

Somehow...it made intuitive sense. "...even if I weaken their A.T. Fields, they'll still be trying to attack us."

"I just need a shot, kid."

"...then I'll give it to you." He focused inwardly, trying to enforce his will through the medium that was his Evangelion; it was almost the inverse of what had happened with Kensuke Aida, in the battle against Sho Minazuki in Okayama. There, he had somehow extended his soul to provide protection to his friend...but now, he was extending his soul to cancel — indeed, nullify — the spiritual barriers of the three Acolytes. Come on, he mentally chanted to himself, trying to fit the boundary of his soul against those of the trio, to fit into the gaps and open the way-!

Shogoki's A.T. Field suddenly went invisible, as the space between them and the Acolytes suddenly seemed...free, unimpeded by spiritual mass. Yet their anger remained, as they roared-!

BANG. BANG. BANG.

Three shots rang out in quick succession; Shinji cringed from the loud noise, even as the three Acolytes suddenly fell to the ground. Bereft of their supernatural protection, the projectiles had pierced their chests with frightening ease.

(At that precise moment in the Metaverse, three of the now five Acolytes' Shadows within the Metaverse suddenly collapsed, dissipating into dark specks of cognitive mass.)

Shinji gulped, pointedly looking away from the bodies of the fallen. "...it worked."

"So it did," somberly said Zenkichi, shaking his head at the sorry sight. "...wish there were more people with your powers, Ikari. Would make our jobs a lot easier..."

I'm sure it would, he thought...and speaking of jobs, that suddenly reminded him of why he had come back to begin with. "Hasegawa-san, I need to get back to the Metaverse!"

"You didn't leave Aida on his own in a troublesome situation, did you?"

"Well, I don't think so...it's just that, well...I think we found out where your daughter had gone."

Zenkichi's entire demeanor changed in an instant. "If you think you're going back without me, you're out of mind. Take me there right now."

The concept of disagreeing never even entered his mind.

xxxx

Akane honestly didn't know why Kuchisake-onna was so intent on pursuing her.

However, now that she had a chance to focus and think — aiming Aida's crossbow to fire little energy bolts at the pursuing creature was simple — the various trace bits started to form a picture. It was a habit of hers, to pick away at inconsistencies and odd coincidences to try and get to the truth of the matter. (It was why the situation with Shinji Ikari still bugged her so much.)

It helped that she had just recently told the story of the region's most infamous serial killer as well. With analytical precision, the facts started lining up in her head: the date was August the 13th; the creature pursuing them was based off of a well-known spirit of Japanese folklore; the village had been plagued by the Kuchisake-onna Killer for many many months in 2003; her father had been the one to bring the murderous rampage to an end; the stories that had doubtlessly circulated throughout the course of time...

(It was Halloween, in the year 2014: to spice up life just a tad in their rather boring village, at least a dozen students in her year tried sneaking around the school in the middle of the night on a dare. To prove their worth and bravery, many ghost stories were shared throughout the night. Finally, when it was her turn, she simply smiled and asked if any of their parents had ever told them about the Case of the Kuchisake-onna Killer.)

How many such retellings had occurred within Nishiawakura over the years? How many had affected the local cognition of the region, to the point that an actual Archetype had formed? I bet I helped contribute to it too, she thought mulishly, taking another shot at the hideous creature. Me and my BIG mouth!

Ozymandias, bearing numerous cuts and odd burns on his form, came up from behind Kuchisake-onna, aiming his scepter at the Archetype's head. "Makajama!"

"You can't make me forget anymore, ugly wretch!" With a condescending turn, the taller thoughtbeast backhanded Kensuke's Persona across the head, sending him crashing through a group of Flaemises.

Aida impulsively hitched, his breath becoming more labored with each passing moment. "...need...to...refuel..." With a pained gasp, he slumped to his knees, trying to keep Akane's injured ankle away from the ground. "Should have...some caffeinated gum in my pocket-!"

"Make it fast!" she yelled, looking as Kuchisake-onna approached the group of fiery Archetypes they had just run past; with desperation, she took aim at one Flaemis and fired.

The bolt pierced through the fiery humanoid's head, distorting its form just enough for it to erupt in a massive explosion. A great wall of fire erupted high into the sky, devouring the ground between them and the murderous creature.

"You blew up our friend," growled a nearby Flaemis.

"Not nice!" chirped another.

Another simply stared with...excitement? "Ooh, but it made a nice fire..."

"Pretty fire...even hotter! Maybe we should have her shoot us?"

"We don't need to be shot to make a bigger fire!"

Oh thank heavens that they're idiots, thought Akane as the various Flaemises began discussing the pros and cons of committing proverbial seppuku for the sake of making a bigger bonfire. "Hurry up Aida-"

"Hold your horses," he grumbled, awkwardly unwrapping a stick of gum before sticking it into his mouth. "It's not exactly easy carrying you..."

Impulse demanded a verbal counterpunch. "I am not heavy!" she sputtered.

"Didn't say you were, but this is something that Toji would be better at than me, and are you really pulling that cliche now of all times?!"

"Less banter, more eating!"

"Fine," griped Aida, chewing furiously on his caffeinated gum. A certain spark seemed to come to his eyes after a few seconds. "...think that'll do it-"

Like a monster right out of Hell, the vicious creature passed through the flames, seemingly unharmed. "Not even these will keep me from getting an answer to my question..." The Archetype's sunken eyes glared daggers at Kensuke. "Enough of you. Hell Smile!"

"GET DOWN!" roared Kensuke...and Ozymandias. The former impulsively covered Akane with his body, whilst the latter held his arms wide to block the dark energy erupting from the gullet of the slit-mouthed woman.

GRRCKOOOON.

The sound was of a gargling throat, with the bass heightened several times over: a truly wretched and grotesque noise, fitting for such a terror. However, for whatever damage it did, it didn't compare to the dark purple miasma that seemed to hover about the heads of both the boy and his Persona. Oh no...what ailment is this? Racking her brain, Akane finally realized it. Despair.

It was proven true in a mere instant, as Aida listlessly droned, "you...need to...run...leave me..."

"Run? With a sprained ankle?! As if I'd even make it!" Plus, leaving someone else behind to suffer for her sake...it wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be just. "Besides..." she took aim once more with Aida's crossbow, trying to force up an air of bravado to force down the looming sensation of doom. "...she wants me."

"Indeed...only an answer from the Daughter of Hasegawa will suffice..." With contemptuous ease, Kuchisake-onna blocked an energy bolt with her deadly scissors. Her free hand lashed out, gripping Akane's wrist with those unnervingly long digits, squeezing until she was forced to release the crossbow. "Now...am I beautiful...?"

It was in that moment of clarity where she finally realized that nothing would change. The Killer...never let her victims go. I'm doomed either way. So if that was the case...if survival wasn't an option...then why not be true to herself? Frowning with petulant defiance, she yelled, "nothing as hateful as you could ever be beautiful!" Somehow, the enraged expression that flickered over the monster's face made her day. Dad...I'm sorry...

There was the clinking of chains. "Megidola!"

Orbs and streams of non-elemental energy smashed into Kuchisake-onna; howling with anger, the Archetype impulsively released her as she crashed twenty meters away.

"...huh?" blurted out Akane, looking to her right.

Standing there, with an outstretched arm, was Valjean: her father's Persona.

She barely registered Shinji Ikari kneel down beside her, his Titan Persona murmuring "Media" over both her and Aida. Even as the aches and pains in her body (especially her swollen ankle) began to fade, her eyes were transfixed upon the form of her father, standing taller than she could ever recall him being.

Zenkichi, A.T. Agent uniform on full display, looked down at her with naked concern. "Akane, are you okay?"

(Don't cry in front of your dad, don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.) With a slight hiccup, she stuttered and said, "y-yes...I am now..."

Zenkichi took one look at Aida before reaching into a pack strapped to his side; pulling out a packet of smelling salts, he handed them towards Shinji. "Use those to break the kid out of his funk." Turning towards the wretched Archetype that had been hounding her all morning, her father asked, "Ikari was filling me in on some details when we saw that giant burst of fire; do you think that's based off this place's cognition of the Kuchisake-onna Killer?"

"...without a doubt in my mind," she replied.

"...so be it, then." With claymore resting on his shoulders, he roared, "KOTONOHA KATSUYA!"

The demonic woman rose to her full height, leering down at them from a height of nearly four meters. "...Hasegawa..."

"But that's not your name, is it?" confidently said Zenkichi, stepping forward alongside his Persona. "That was the name of the woman who killed three of her childhood friends out of some misguided sense of retribution...the one who murdered Sekai Sakonji, Setsuna Kiyoma, and Otome Kotou...but that's not you, is it? You're just the evil that was born from the terror of the people, solidified by our own memories over the years..." Adjusting his glasses, he bent his knees, as did Valjean. "...so once more, I have to hunt you down!" With a furious roar, he and Valjean both burst forward, charging at the malevolent Archetype. "Die, MONSTER!"

"Not by YOUR hands!" howled Kuchisake-onna.

Kuchisake-onna's scissors clashed against Zenkichi's claymore whilst her free hand grappled with Valjean. As the duo fought the wraith with great ferocity, Akane glanced at Ikari. "What's...what's been happening?" As hope pushed away her dread, her mind helpfully recalled that oh yeah she'd been in the Metaverse for hours now. (How had it already been that long?) "Is the village-?"

"There were other people who slipped into the Metaverse," explained Ikari as he placed the packet of smelling salts under Aida's nose. "We were bringing them back when Angel Syndrome struck; I don't know how many there, but there were at least three." Snapping the packet, an almost exaggerated cloud of salty vapor erupted on Aida's face.

Almost immediately, the miasma of Despair vanished, and the boy sat up with a hacking cough. "Holy-!" Gagging heavily, he managed to gasp out, "that...THAT'S some strong stuff..."

"Maeiga!" cried Kuchisake-onna.

"Triple Down!" roared Valjean.

As accursed energy and gunshots rang out, Kensuke sat up. "So...we're being rescued?"

"It looks like it," gratefully said Akane.

"Bloody Blade!"

"Deathbound!"

Great slashes and myriad hands crashed amidst the landscape, compelling the surrounding Flaemises to disperse. However, as the battle continued...Akane couldn't help but frown. "...this thing is pretty tough..."

"Hell Smile!"

"Megidola!"

"What do you mean?" asked Ikari, looking confusedly at her.

Rising to her feet — gingerly testing her ankle, satisfied that Shinji's Persona had sufficiently healed her — Akane said, "well...my dad's been landing some pretty tough blows...and it feels like Kuchisake-onna keeps getting back up..."

"Maybe she has an auto-revive skill of sorts?" said Kensuke.

Shinji blinked. "That's a thing?"

Akane shook her head. "I'm not seeing any signs of Healing skills being used..." Think. Think. Think. What's the difference? What's odd about this situation? The Kuchisake-onna had been fixated upon her, and her specifically...a likely reflection of how everyone in Nishiawakura thought of her father being the one to catch the killer, thereby 'defeating' her...and yet memory of the incident lingered for years afterward, undying...oh. Oh. "...I think...I think my father can't kill her."

Kensuke and Shinji blinked, glancing back over towards the battlefield, where Kuchisake-onna was rising after being smashed by a One-Shot Kill. "...Hasegawa-san seems to be doing pretty well," said Shinji.

"No, I mean he literally can't." The idea made sense, the more she thought about it. "Even though my dad stopped the murderer...the stories kept on being told. The memory of the monster lingered and remained...never ceasing. Never stopping. In essence, the Kuchisake-onna Killer survived my father in the memories of the villagers..."

"...so wait, are you saying that the cognition of this Archetype is rendering it impossible for your dad to win?!" yelped Kensuke.

Akane just gestured with both hands at the scene, where Kuchisake-onna was bouncing back from yet another Megidola, her scissors coming perilously close towards Zenkichi. "My dad...he's tough." (Tougher than she liked to publicly acknowledge, at times...because then he would stop being cool and start being a dorky mess which was just embarrassing.) "In a one-on-one fight...he should have won by now. The longer this goes on..." The chance of her father tiring out would increase; the chances of a fatal mistake would grow.

"...what's the story of the killer?" asked Shinji, sounding suddenly thoughtful. "Mrs. Noriyama mentioned a little bit...but I need to know more."

Kensuke boggled. "Wait, you want a history lesson now?!"

"I think it's important."

"...fine," said Akane, keeping a nervous eye on her father's position. "I'll give you an abridged summary." In less than two minutes, Akane succinctly described the entirety of the case that (unbeknownst to them) Sojiro Sakura had relayed to Ren Amamiya not three days ago: how Kotonoha Katsuya lost her whole family at the hands of an Acolyte in 2002; how many of the villagers regarded her as either cursed or blessed; how Sekai Sakonji and Setsuna Kiyoma had been found months apart, hanging from trees with their mouths slit open; how her father had gathered enough clues to do the job that the prefectural police had been unable to do, and found the killer with the body of her third victim, Otome Kotou; how the killer had committed suicide in front of her father's eyes, bringing the case of the Kuchisake-onna Killer to an abrupt close. "That's the gist of it."

"...huh." Ikari glanced over at Aida. "Kensuke, keep watch over Hasegawa-san."

Kensuke blinked out of surprise; even though he summoned a revitalized Ozymandias to his side, he still asked, "what are you planning to do?"

As Titan shifted and transformed into Hamlet (even now, the fact that Ikari had multiple Personas still boggled her mind), Shinji turned solemnly towards the battle. "...I'm not even sure if I can do it..." Sighing, he reached into a waistpack; it at first appeared to be some kind of large knife, but once it was withdrawn, both it and his distinctive shovel transformed: the former into a gardening fork and the other into a hand trowel, each fitted with wooden handles and forged from fine steel. "But I feel like I have to try."

xxxx

Honestly, Zenkichi Hasegawa had had better days.

On the plus side, his daughter was safe and sound. Relatively speaking.

On the negative side, this damned Archetype just wouldn't stay down!

"You look tired, Hasegawa," mocked Kuchisake-onna, her mouth glowing yellow from behind its ragged edges. "Tentarafoo!"

Both he and Valjean turned away, fighting down the instinctive urge to panic; brushing past the failed Ailment attack, he looked up just in time for the wretched creature to smash the broad side of her scissors Valjean's head, while her right hand balled up and punched him in the solar plexus.

"-ulp!" he gurgled, trying not to fall to his knees. Yep. Day could definitely be going better, he idly thought, trying to distract himself from the fact that the monster was raising grabbing her scissors with both hands.

Kuchisake-onna grinned wickedly. "Decapitation." Her scissors glowed a vicious, bloody red.

Zenkichi impulsively raised his claymore-!

The deadly energy wave that erupted from broke upon the sword (empowered by an A.T. Field...?) of another Persona, washing around them harmlessly. The physical advance of the scissors themselves...was blocked by a hand fork and trowel?! "What?" he sputtered, staring at Hamlet and Shinji Ikari, who had both parried the monster's attack.

"You dare interrupt me, you ugly thing?!" shrieked Kuchisake-onna.

Hamlet huffed. "Ah, but what are we, but a rogue and peasant slave?"

Rising to his feet, Zenkichi dug into his pockets for some healing items, now that he finally had a chance for a breather. "Great work kid, let's coordinate and finish her off!" When the boy didn't answer, he said, "Ikari?!"

The boy, visibly struggling against the blades of the scissors, raised his head to stare at the Archetype's scarred visage. "...why do you ask everyone if they think you look pretty?"

...WHAT?! thought Zenkichi with stunned bewilderment.

xxxx

Shinji Ikari wasn't sure how this type of negotiating would go...

(June the 20th: after failing at convincing a Hua Po to join him, Mister P offered his encouragement. "You'll need to get better at identifying their personalities if you're going to successfully negotiate with them. After all, unlike NERV, there's nothing stopping them from simply running away.")

...but somehow, he felt that combat alone would be the wrong way to go about this. And the likelihood of Kuchisake-onna running away? That seemed minimal indeed.

"Why?" inquired the Archetype, seemingly befuddled by the question. "It is in my nature to ask! Such is the question I must ask. Is not beauty a good thing? If I am pretty, then I am helping those who are ugly...and if they think I'm not pretty...then they deserve to DIE."

Shinji grimaced at the sheer vitriol...and yet...

Another place. Another time. In the midst of something...great and terrible.

"Nobody wants me. So they can all just die."

Driven into a corner, with no way out that he could see.

"Nobody cares whether or not I exist. Nothing ever changes. So they can all just die."

Marred by weakness inflicted by himself and others, he bore rotten fruit...

"It would be better if I never existed...so I should just die too..."

...and the world would eat of that wicked fruit.

...somehow, he understood. Somehow, he understood. "...the memories that created you...you just wanted other people to experience your pain, didn't you? To acknowledge it?"

The Archetype froze, the red flickers in her blackened eyes sparking with angry light. "You would speak of pain? Who made you an expert? You would be so condescending?!"

He didn't know how much of Kuchisake-onna was forged from Nishiawakura's memories of Kotonoha Katsuya, and how much was influenced by the legends of the evil onryō. Yet...as all Archetypes were born from humankind, there was a core to connect to. Despite his own trepidation, Shinji pursued that thread. "...well...I guess you felt that your pain was pretty, somehow...and if other people thought it was nice...then it would hurt less...am I right?"

After several long and tense moments — moments where he privately feared Agent Hasegawa would launch another attack — the Archetype stopped struggling against his handheld weapons (shouldn't you be questioning why pulling a Bowie knife caused both it and your shovel to transform?), stepping away with an almost...thoughtful expression. Then, she chuckled; cackled; laughed. "Heehahahaha! What a strange reminder...that my pain is not unique...for I was born from humanity!" As blue fire shrouded around her form, she stood tall, looming over them all. "I am thou, and thou art I! Show me your smile, little boy...and make it a good one."

Shinji blinked, confused by the sudden request; so much so, that he didn't really know what kind of a smile to offer. Awkwardly, he tried to force his lips up.

The effort must have been a truly pathetic one, because the Archetype hissed with amusement. "Ah...a wretched and pitiable thing...just like me." With a flourish of azure light, Kuchisake-onna dissolved, flowing into Shinji's body.

Looking down at himself — feeling the essence mingle amongst his other Personas, ten active in total — he clenched his hands slowly. "...I...I think that did it." Turning back around, he looked up into the face of Zenkichi Hasegawa, who was staring at him with an...inscrutable expression. "...Hasegawa-san?"

"...you're pretty strange, kid," admitted Zenkichi after a few seconds of silence. "But you know what...I'm not gonna complain if it got the job done." He slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Good work."

xxxx

Kensuke and Akane stared with wide eyes as Kuchisake-onna seemingly gave up, choosing to join Shinji Ikari. "...well that's one way of defeating it," glibly said. "Would have been pretty anticlimactic if all we had to do was say 'pomade' three times..."

"...yeah," murmured Akane, nervously rubbing her arms as she looked at Shinji Ikari. Once again, his benign and inoffensive appearance was betrayed by the utter strangeness of his actions. After all, who looked at such a horrid and murderous monster like Kuchisake-onna and thought 'maybe I should get it to join me'? Ikari...who are you...and how did you get that power?

xxxx

As noon passed, everyone gathered back into Nishiawakura's police substation to debrief; with five Acolytes in total having been killed, the townspeople were already preparing for the inevitable funerals that would be held at a local shrine or temple after the new moon. The overall mood heading into the new moon would doubtlessly be more subdued, as a result.

As Zenkichi labelled a few parts of the village map with black push pins (designating new cognitive voids caused by the Acolytes' Shadows), Kensuke Aida couldn't help but wonder how the Agent had been affected by the whole aftermath with the Kuchisake-onna Archetype. You end up fighting a cognition based on the town's memory of the killer you caught, and you can't even beat it by yourself, he couldn't help but muse, as though he were in Zenkichi's shoes. I bet that smarts...just a little.

"Gonna have to mark off those new areas ASAP," murmured Zenkichi, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "So...all told, between all of us, ninety-seven people slipped into the Metaverse?"

"That's about the gist of it," remarked Junpei, slumping languidly in a borrowed chair. "No casualties from the Acolytes, though."

"Small mercies," muttered the local Agent.

"From the sounds of it, Hasegawa-chan's the only one who came close potential bodily harm," said Misato, looking pointedly at the girl.

Akane — still in her pajamas and barefooted — stuffed her hands into the pockets of a windbreaker jacket that she was borrowing from her dad. It only made her look smaller, paradoxically heightening the petulance of her pout. "Hmph. Not like I could help it..."

"I'm sure it was just an observation on Katsuragi's part," interrupted Ken Amada.

"Will the prefectural police be sending any personnel for support?" asked Ryuji. "In the wake of what happened in Okayama, I mean."

Zenkichi frowned, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "We normally get at least a few extra Community Safety officers to keep matters under lock and key during the new moon...even with Strega's attack in Okayama, I don't see how they would be able to deny us. Especially in light of this incident. But I'll make sure our local police are insistent upon the matter."

"...so, is there anything else we need to do?" asked Toji.

At that moment, a loud and ravenous growl erupted. As one, everyone turned towards Akane, who was blushing with mortified shame. "...w-what? I didn't have breakfast, okay?!"

Zenkichi shook his head with a good-natured grin. "No. We're good here. Thanks for the assistance, everyone; I doubt I would have been able to handle all of this by myself...and with the way things are, there's no telling how long it would have taken backup to arrive." Lightly bowing, he said, "you all helped save lives today."

...yeah, thought Kensuke with a tired grin. I guess we did. It was strange; given his own thoughts as of late regarding the inherent danger of his desired profession, he couldn't but feel vindicated. Just a bit. Trailing behind the others, he walked at a bit of a slower pace as he exited the substation. It appeared that most of the locals had been rerouted to either the Village Hall or Community Center by now-

"Hey, Aida-san."

Blinking, Kensuke turned around, seeing the person who had called him. "Yes, Hasegawa-san?"

Akane had a rather...complicated expression, to put it mildly. "...you know...you saved my life today."

Kensuke blinked. "Oh...um..." Act natural! "Well, it was all in a day's work!" he boasted, puffing out his chest. "Just doing everyday hero stuff, you know?!"

Akane did not look impressed by his show of forced bravado.

His Other chortled.

"You call that 'acting natural'?"

...fair point. "I mean..." Scratching at the back of his head, he said, "it's what any other Persona-user worth their salt would have done. Ikari and Toji probably would have been able to carry you with their own Personas without any issue, big as they are." Not like mine.

"...are you pulling the 'bigger is better' card?" asked Akane with a raised eyebrow.

Kensuke impulsively flushed at the innuendo he had inadvertently given. "I mean, when you put it that way-"

"I honestly don't care. Because in the end, you're the one who was there. That...that means something."

"Sure, but it's not exactly a secret that the others would have been better suited." It was only due to circumstance that Ikari had been forced to return to the real world, leaving him behind to find Akane first. "You've seen our practice sessions in the Metaverse, after all; my Persona's a support character." I'm a support character...and I can live with that. (Mostly.) "It's just the way it is; after all, we'd both be dead if Ikari and your dad hadn't shown up."

"And if you hadn't been there, I would be dead anyway," she insisted. Sighing, the girl glanced to the side as a pretty red tint came to her cheeks. "Listen...I don't know whatever your hang-ups are; it's not my place to pry. Ikari...sure, he's got a lot of power. Strange powers, if I'm going to be honest...but that doesn't take anything away from you. Regardless of all that...you were still a hero today." Looking straight at him, she boldly said, "as far as I'm concerned, you were my 'main character.'"

...huh. That was probably the greatest compliment he could ever recall getting. "Well...um...thanks." Chuckling nervously, he brushed past the sudden awkwardness and said, "well, I'll look forward to the favor getting returned, then!"

Akane blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You pretty much managed to survive on foot without a Persona for at least a few hours, while being chased by a pretty terrifying Archetype with a grudge," he reminded her. "Clearly, whenever you awaken your own Persona, it's gonna be badass. So if we end up fighting side-by-side...I'd be more than happy to be your support character." He pushed his glasses up against his nose. "It'd only be fair, right?"

Akane stared. And stared. And stared. Finally, she glanced over his shoulder, seemingly looking at something else.

"...what? What's going on?" Turning his head, Kensuke tried to see what could have been so attention-grabbing-

That's when it happened: a slight bit of pressure came to his cheek: just a peck, while he was looking away.

...eh? Turning back around, he saw Akane with her hands folded behind her back, turned away from him. Did...did she just...?! "Uh..."

"...I'll hold you to that...Aida-kun." And with those words, she walked away, all but scurrying after her father.

Kensuke's hand drifted up toward his cheek; he idly wondered how stunned he must have appeared right now. "...right." Turning back around, he began walking in the direction the others had gone; Toji had apparently lingered behind, waiting for him to catch up. The utterly bewildered yet undeniably amused expression on his face solidified the fact that Toji had seen whatever had just gone down. "Go ahead," griped Kensuke. "Say whatever it is you wanna say."

"...just remember this time, Ken."

"What do you mean, Toji?"

"This whole summer vacation, I mean. Remember it well..." With a wide grin, he added, "because I can guarantee that you will NEVER have this kind of luck with girls ever again."

Kensuke promptly slugged Toji in the shoulder. (All in good fun, of course.)

xxxx

As Zenkichi headed back to his home with a tired and exhausted Akane hanging onto his back, the former said, "ah...your omurice is probably cold by now."

"Ah..." the latter tiredly murmured.

"I'll make something quick but filling."

"Sounds good..."

Several seconds of silence elapsed.

"...so, what was that with you and the Aida boy, huh?"

"..."

"Don't think I didn't see any of that."

"..."

"...well, I've certainly heard of worse ways to meet a potential boyfriend. And in my professional opinion, a dramatic rescue always makes for a good pickup line-"

Akane buried her face into Zenkichi's shoulders to hide her embarrassment. "Oh come on dad, can we not?"

At this brief spot of humor amidst a rather morbid day, Zenkichi couldn't help but laugh.

xxxx

There were benefits to being in a small place like Nishiawakura; it made walking to their destinations an entirely feasible option (even for someone like Ryuji Sakamoto, who relied on a cane to help get around).

As Kensuke and Toji trailed behind the whole group, Shinji idly listened to the chatter coming from Misato, Sakamoto, Iori, and Amada; the quartet of experienced Metaverse combatants were undeniably concerned about tomorrow's new moon.

"So what are our plans for tomorrow?"

"We should try and see if any of the local shrines are willing to part with some anti-Ghost tools..."

"Egh, can we not think about those?"

"Don't worry Junpei, I'm sure we'll be able to handle whatever comes."

"You make it sound like I'm scared!"

"Junpei, Kenny, pipe down; you're giving my leg a headache."

"That's literally impossible, Captain."

"Pfft. You three come off as a bunch of stooges."

"Eh?!"

"N-no we don't!"

"Hah! That's pretty accurate."

"Captain!"

As the chorus of voices washed over him, Shinji 'felt' someone looking at him; looking to his right, he noticed Mana staring at him. "Kirishima-san?"

"...what is it like, getting new Personas?" she asked.

"...hmm." That was honestly a pretty good question. Trace thoughts of the Igor and the Velvet Room filtered through his mind, like faintly-remembered notes from a piano solo. "...human thoughts can be about so many things; it's why so many different Archetypes exist. Thoughts and ideas combine, giving rise to new ones...pushing away older ones. As a child becomes older...he's able to articulate his ideas more clearly. Taking an Archetype as a Persona...it's like a new idea that I'm capable of expressing." As his attempts at recalling the exact thrust of Igor's words faded away, he looked back at Mana. "Does that make sense?"

"...a little," she said, briefly glancing back at the axe and shield resting upon her back. "Does that mean the Archetypes you take in change who you are?"

That was something he honestly had no definitive answer to. "...I think...it only changes the way I express myself. Even as I change...part of me stays the same." But where was the line? Could the parts that changed be isolated from those that weren't, analyzed as separate factions of the person called 'Shinji Ikari'? Or was it beyond empirical methods to determine such things, for something as deep and complicated as the human person?

"Then what part of yourself would Kuchisake-onna express?"

Shinji tried not to wince.

The Beast laughed.

"A foul spirit, jealous of those who live; a pathetic creature, who is despised for their own self-inflicted wounds."

Its grin, for just an instant, bore the impression of a slit-mouthed woman.

"A better description for your own wretchedness could scarcely be imagined..."

He failed, impulsively looking away. "...a part that I'm not happy with, probably..."

"If you say so," she murmured, looking back towards the path they walked upon. She seemed to be deep in thought, so he didn't pry any further.

...as I take in more Personas...as I grow in my 'Social Links'...do I change? Or do I just become more 'me'? What if I don't like parts of myself...and what if I don't like who I'm becoming...? So many existential questions swirled around his head, threatening to devour him-

His Other tapped his foot against the ground.

"Don't overcomplicate it. Remember thy oath!"

Sighing, Shinji rested a hand upon his forehead. (You swore to become better.) I want to be someone that people can trust...even with all the power I have. One step at a time was all he could do.

As they neared the steps leading up to Sakura-sensei's home, these introspective thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a vehicle pulling up; a white sedan, with the sort of blockier design common to vehicles from the '80s. "...huh, a Corolla E90," remarked Misato, as it parked besides where the HiAce, DeLorean, Royal Star, and Renault were situated. Everyone impulsively went on alert as a stern-faced man with slick dark hair and sharp cheekbones emerged, dressed in worn yet well-fit suit.

The man's eyes drifted towards Shinji, whereupon they narrowed ever so slightly. Who is this?

"What timing on my part," the main said, reaching for his jacket pockets. As the adults went tense, the stranger said, "just getting my identification." Sure enough, he pulled out a rather distinctive badge. "Agent Hirofumi Kurosawa, of the Paranormal and Supernatural Countermeasure Office for Public Security."

Immediately, Misato, Sakamoto, Iori, and Amada bristled. "You assholes again?!" yelled Junpei.

"'Asshole.' Singular," corrected Kurosawa. "I've been following up on various leads, doing some interviews; all for the sake of coming to a greater understanding of the Third Child...and to come to the truth of what happened on the Ai ferry."

At that moment, it clicked. "It's you," murmured Shinji.

(August the 2nd: aboard a ferry in the Kii Channel, moments before everything went to hell. "I have a senpai waiting for us in Tokushima, by the name of Kurosawa," explained Saori. "He'd be able to introduce you to some very important people that are very interested in protecting our country from the Angels...")

"You're the person that Saori Hasegawa mentioned..."

Kurosawa's eyes narrowed even further. "You must understand that in the eyes of the government, it doesn't look good for your group to have been the lone survivors of a tragedy that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of public servants. It might even make some in the Defense Ministry or Ministry of Justice suspicious, as to whether or not the Third Child is the danger some believe him to be."

"Now you listen here-!" growled Misato, who was held back only by Ryuji's hand on her shoulder.

But judging by how tightly he was gripping his cane, Sakamoto was equally incensed. "That sort of mentality is a recipe for disaster."

"Disasters have already happened," retorted Kurosawa. "PubSec's operation was entrusted to myself, Odagiri, and Hasegawa. What happened that day should not have happened; from what I know of you — all of you — that outcome was also undesirable. That's why it's just me: no backup, no personnel in the wings."

"What, finally realized that the threat of force was a bad idea?" incisively remarked Amada.

"It's a more implicit threat," he said, crossing his arms. "If something were to happen to me...then the government will consider all further attempts at diplomacy to be pointless, especially in light of the disaster in Okayama. They will attempt to rein Shinji Ikari in by any means necessary."

Shinji couldn't help the shiver that roared up his spine; even though Kensuke, Toji, and Mana instinctively gathered around him, he couldn't help but think of the Ai ferry, and what a horrid event that had been. Not again...!

"And yet, the picture painted by the people I've interviewed is quite different," he added, almost as an afterthought. "The people I've interviewed in Tokyo-3...your peers, your teachers at Hakone Academy...they all point to someone who's not the threat that the government imagines him to be...with so many apparent facts in contradiction, I've come to witness for myself." Uncrossing his arms and shoving his hands in his pockets, Kurosawa threw down the gauntlet. "I want to know the truth about what happened on the Ai ferry, with no details spared."

As silence rolled over like an uncomfortable miasma, Sakamoto finally broke it. "...let's head inside, then."

It was in an uncomfortable silence that everyone ascended the steps towards the old ryokan, with Agent Kurosawa sandwiched between Iori and Amada in the single-file line; the sheer distrust was palpable.

However, before any other discussion could break out, Misato opened the doors into the main entry hall, only to pause; without warning, she rushed in. "Amamiya's down!"

"Amamiya-senpai?" he muttered, eyes widening with confusion. As everyone rushed inside, he watched as Misato knelt down beside where the high school student had fallen onto the floor. "...no sign of obvious injury..." Slowly, she pulled out a packet of smelling salts and tore at the edge of the packaging, placing them under his nose. What happened?

xxxx

Finally, thought Ren with an inward grimace as he impulsively flinched and winced at the sharp sensations going up his nostrils. He had woken up well over an hour ago, but had maintained his position nonetheless (because this would doubtless inspire greater urgency on the part of everyone else to find Yamagishi faster). I was starting to get bored. "Ugh..."

"Easy kid," said Sakamoto, sounding concerned. "What happened?"

"...was talking with...Yamagishi," he murmured, sounding appropriately disoriented for someone who had just been (apparently) unconscious. "She seemed...distant...and concerned about something...and then, without warning, I was slammed against the wall by some kind of force." Blinking deliriously, he kept his eyes downcast, resting a hand upon his head. "She...apologized? And then...everything went dark." Raising his eyes, he couldn't help but notice the stranger among them. "Who's this guy?"

"Agent Kurosawa. Public Security."

"Ah. A cop, then." Joy.

"You're referring to Mayumi Yamagishi, I assume?" As Iori and Amada split up to look around, the stranger knelt down and focused on him with a glare that would have given Sae Niijima a run for her money. "Had she been exhibiting any other unusual behavior at all?"

"...what are you getting at?" asked Misato with a suspicious gaze.

Rising back up, Kurosawa sighed with frustration. "Among the ones I interviewed in Tokyo-3 were Yamagishi's parents. Their behavior was...sufficiently bizarre enough for me to request a welfare check of their Shadows. And Chief Warden Goro Akechi duly informed me that Hakone's A.T. Task Force had no record as to the location of the Shadows for the Yamagishi family. Does that not strike you as improbable for those who have lived in the Hakone region since before it was rechristened as Tokyo-3?"

Ren didn't know the exact particulars, but judging by the worried glances Ryuji and Katsuragi shot each other, it probably wasn't anything good.

"She's not in the building," called out Amada as he and Iori returned to the entry hall.

"Shouted for her out back as well, no response," said Junpei with a grim frown.

"...do you think she slipped into the Metaverse as well?" asked Aida with a worried expression.

Ryuji shook his head. "We swept the whole region of Nishiawakura before debriefing at the substation. We would have seen her otherwise."

"...is something wrong with Yamagishi?" asked Mana, her hands impulsively tightening.

"We don't know. But there were enough oddities associated with her and her family that getting here to continue my investigation was a priority," explained Kurosawa. "And from what this young man described...none of you were aware that she may possess unusual abilities."

"We just thought she was a harmless civilian," replied Amada. "Given all the craziness we've dealt with on this road trip, we were fine with that."

"For real," grumbled Ryuji.

"...very well then. I think an explanation of what happened on the Ai can wait," said Kurosawa, subconsciously assuming command, it seemed. "We should split up and start searching for her. Some will look in an outward spiral, while others will go in opposite directions in a line search."

"Hey, who put you in charge?!" protested Junpei.

"As the only member of PubSec in the room? Me," stressed Kurosawa.

"Can we help too?" asked Shinji. "Yamagishi-san is our friend!"

Kurosawa stared quietly at the lone Evangelion-user before answering, "I don't see why not...so long as I accompany you, Shinji Ikari."

"Well in that case, my presence is nonnegotiable," demanded Misato with crossed arms.

"That's fine by me," said Kurosawa. "We'll do the outward spiral search."

Ryuji huffed, looking utterly put out by this new development. "In that case...Kenny, you take Suzuhara-kun and go east on a line search. Junpei, you'll go west with Aida-san and Mana-san."

"What about you, Captain?" asked Ken.

"My leg's bothering me, so I'll stay behind with Amamiya-san in case she comes back from wherever she's gone." Sitting down on an easy chair, Ryuji's eyes fell upon Ren with a strange yet foreboding intent. "Besides, someone has to tell Sakura-san about the fact he's got an uninvited guest."

...somehow, I feel like I'm still in hot water, thought Amamiya with a hidden frown.

xxxx

As Shinji begun moving in a counterclockwise spiral from Sakura-sensei's home — moving such that their winding path was fifteen meters apart — he couldn't help but feel the gaze of Kurosawa fall upon him, every so often. Misato's presence made it tolerable, at the very least...but then, why should he be surprised? This man...he's part of the same group that Saori Hasegawa was with...he was her senpai. He couldn't help but wonder if the man blamed him for the deaths of his subordinates...

The Beast watched as a ship burned brightly.

"And who wouldn't?"

It sank beneath the churning waves.

"Death follows you wherever you go."

...and he couldn't blame him. But there would be another time for that; right now, Mayumi Yamagishi's circumstances were more important. "Yamagishi-san!" he yelled, cupping his hands beside his mouth as he moved through the woods. Where are you? "Yamagishi-san!"

The search continued.

xxxx

As minutes, and then hours ticked by, Ryuji Sakamoto and Ren Amamiya watched the news in relative silence.

"-we've just received a report from Okayama's Anti-Terror Task Force about an incident in the village of Nishiawakura. It appears dozens of civilians unknowingly slipped into the Metaverse this morning, followed by several incidents of Angel Syndrome. Although the identities of the victims have not yet been made public-"

Without a word, Ryuji muted the television. No time like the present.

"Hey, I was listening to that," protested Amamiya.

"Yeah yeah, like you'd care. You've got direct access to the people who were involved." Leaning on his cane, Ryuji tried to put aside every other problem he should be worrying about: the upcoming new moon, the fact that Hirofumi Kurosawa had showed up at all (and the adults had just been talking about him yesterday!), Strega, and the existence of unknown parties like Sokila. Right now, he had to focus on one particular oddity before it could actually become a problem. "So. Let's be honest with each other."

"...about what?" said Amamiya with a blink. "Have I not been honest?"

Ryuji forcefully thumped his cane against the floor. "Yeah, let's go ahead and cut the bullshit." He mustered forth as much of a glare as he could (which wouldn't be difficult the more the kid kept lying to him). "Did you really think that crap of an explanation you gave on the ferry passed muster? I mean, a 'masked guy' coming out of nowhere and vanishing just as we arrived in the car dock? Gimme a break."

"...in all fairness, I was a bit under pressure at the time," Amamiya said, who at least had enough sense (or courtesy) to not try and spin something on the spot. "So...you think I'm suspicious or something?"

"That's putting it mildly. And if it weren't for that little visit from 'Sokila' or whoever, I wouldn't be so irritated as I am right now." Leaning forward on his cane, he growled, "I could see it in your eyes: you saw what happened when Sokila was leaving."

(August the 11th: with everyone gathered outside, they watched in silence as Sokila audibly grunted. "And...there!" He couldn't see whatever it was that the strange girl had done; however, judging by Amamiya's reaction — slight widening of the eyes, the mouthing of an unheard word — that boy certainly did.)

"And furthermore...you immediately lied about it, by pretending you couldn't see anything."

"...it was just a door," admitted Ren with an even voice. "It wasn't a big deal."

"...yeah, not buying it. People don't just lie about a damn door."

"You'd be surprised what people would lie about."

Grimacing, Ryuji rose to his feet, towering over the younger man. "You've obviously got powers; powers that you've declined to let anyone in on. Powers that you apparently used to help us escape from the Ai ferry...powers that no one has any clue about. Not the A.T. Task Force, not NERV, not the government, not anybody."

"And why would you assume that?"

"Because if you were with the Task Force or NERV, Katsuragi would be in the know. If you were with the government, you would have acted differently on the ferry...and given your attitude, you probably would have told PubSec that their whole 'operation' was a pisspoor idea. Because if nothing else, you don't seem like an idiot."

"I'll take the compliment."

"A dumbass for thinking you could lie so blatantly...but not an idiot. And now that I've got an inkling that there's other cognitive entities involved beyond just Angels and our fellow man...well, can you blame a guy for being paranoid?"

"Depends."

Ryuji snorted. "Funny guy. So level with me: why shouldn't I blow the whistle on you? Gimme a reason." Inwardly, he desperately hoped that the kid wouldn't.

xx

Well Ren, you've gone and done it now, he couldn't help but think. Sloppy sloppy...you've gotten too used to thinking of this man in terms of your old friend. Even if the core of Ryuji Sakamoto was still there, this man had been sharpened by years of experience; he was happy to be laid back and easygoing most of the time, but he wasn't a fool. Well...what am I going to do?

(He had to play a hand.)

(Will you go all in?)

...hmph. No need to be that desperate. After all, the game was still young.

xx

Ryuji watched warily as the boy stood up, drawing himself to full height; slowly removing his glasses, Ren Amamiya stared directly into his eyes. "Do you think I'm a threat, Sakamoto-san?" When he didn't answer, Amamiya added, "do you think I'm a threat to you? To your comrades? To Shinji Ikari, or to his friends? Do you think I would willingly harm any of them?"

Those eyes...they look pretty old, for a kid your age. Somehow, that made him sad.

"Well?" pressed Ren. "An answer would be nice."

It was strange, to hear this kid speak as though he were someone used to being in authority (used to being a leader). Even stranger, was the fact that instead of smacking the kid for being so uppity...he bought it. Chihaya and Shiho help him, he bought it. "It's a hell of a thing," he forced himself to admit. "But despite how suspicious you are...something makes me want to trust you." And I have no clue why. He couldn't sense any odd mind tricks involved, no unusual cognitive games; there was simply a strange sensation, born from the very depths of his soul, that this young man was trustworthy. "...so no. I don't think you're a threat to me."

"...good."

"So why the lying?"

"...the reason I have these 'powers', as you call them...I'm not at liberty to explain. If you never want to trust me again, then I can live with that...but when I'm telling you that I can't say, know that it's for the best."

"And why should I believe you?"

"Because if I had something nefarious planned, willingly getting close to people that can collectively kick my ass would be a horrible idea."

"...but if hiding your powers was the point, then why volunteer to be the kids' driver for this road trip? Why get involved?"

"...I can't say." With a suddenly exhausted expression, Ren stepped back, sinking back into his chair. "...but Ikari has to survive. He has to. And if I can provide another set of eyes on his back...then that's enough for me."

"...you're glossing over a lot of details I'd like to know about." Like how you got whatever powers you have; why you think Ikari's so damn important; why you're so cagey. Was there an enemy beyond Strega or the Angels that Amamiya knew about? "Two questions."

"I may have two answers."

Ryuji snorted. "Cheeky. First: did you tell the truth about Yamagishi knocking you out?"

Ren nodded. "Yeah...no hyperbole there. She legitimately slammed me against the wall without laying a finger on me...and before I knew it, everything went dark."

"...fair enough." That seemed fairly upfront. "Second: do you know who killed Saori Hasegawa on the ferry?"

"...no. I really don't know."

...he's telling the truth. He pressed further regardless. "But do you have an idea?"

"...I can't say." The deadset stare on his face was sufficient to prove his resilience on that regard. "I can't."

"...hmph. Anyone with half a brain would put a warrant on your ass to talk with your Shadow."

Ren smirked. "Good luck with that one."

That, in and of itself, said plenty. Which means you have a Persona. That information had been offered willingly. Yet you've never even hinted at showing it off. Why? "...damn it kid, I've already got enough trouble without you adding to it."

"I've been told that trouble follows me," he answered, as an uneasy ceasefire settled between them: one that hadn't been voiced, yet was silently agreed upon regardless. "If it were up to me...well..." He trailed off, saying nothing more.

...which means it's not up to you, whatever 'it' is. Damn it, was this kind of paranoia what Katsuragi felt like all the time? A miracle she hasn't snapped even sooner.

xxxx

As the sun set and darkness settled upon Japan, everyone was forced to reconvene at Sojiro Sakura's home. There had been no luck.

"So what, are we just going to leave Yamagishi out who knows where?" protested Toji.

"We all covered several kilometers, and it's dark now," Ken Amada was forced to admit. "We're not going to be able to cover anymore ground tonight."

"Should we call the police?" asked Kensuke with a worried frown.

"Already did so on my way back," explained Kurosawa. "Thanks to the physical description provided by Katsuragi and Ikari, the prefectural police for Okayama and Hyōgo will be able to file to follow up on a proper Missing Persons report. We'll be able to continue our search efforts tomorrow."

"...it doesn't feel right," grumbled Mana, her lips contorted into a grimace. "It feels like...giving up."

"You all were already involved with combat operations in the cognitive world today, from what I've been told. And I had already driven many hours before traipsing through the woods; it's not an exaggeration for me to see that everyone is exhausted." Kurosawa's points couldn't exactly be refuted. "If foul play was involved in Yamagishi's disappearance, then exhaustion on your part won't help anyone."

As the government officer's word lingered, Sojiro cleared his throat. "Well...all that being said, it'd probably be for the best if you stayed in one of the empty rooms."

Kurosawa shook his head. "I don't want to impose. I would rather not unnecessarily antagonize you all any further."

"And from the sound of it, everyone here has a vested interest in your wellbeing. If you die, it doesn't reflect well on them in the eyes of the government, does it? Better to keep you in one place, in case something goes wrong."

"...very well. I'm grateful for your hospitality," acknowledged Kurosawa with a small nod. "I'll see to it that you're properly compensated."

Sojiro huffed, turning away towards the kitchen. "Your 'compensation' will be your survival. These folks already have enough on their plate."

As the older man went out of earshot, Junpei couldn't help but lean down and whisper, "seriously kid, why'd you leave this place? That guy's pretty damn chill."

...yeah, he is, thought Shinji. His attempt at a grateful smile was marred by his concern for Mayumi. Yamagishi-san...where are you...?

There was more discussion over leftover curry regarding plans for tomorrow, until tiredness and fatigue prompted everyone to turn in for the night.

Lying upon his bed, Shinji stared wistfully at the ceiling, pondering the events of the day...and wondering what tomorrow would bring.

xxxx

Mayumi Yamagishi had meandered and walked for well over twelve kilometers, sticking mostly to wilderness and crossing few roads.

Improbably, her bare feet had not become torn or wounded by all of the walking she had done. (Something greater empowered her, now.)

Yet...as she walked up the slopes of the mountain overlooking the city of Shiso from the northeast, she could feel...a different sort of fatigue. One that beckoned her to an eternal slumber.

(Sleep...sounded wonderful.)

The masked 'Mayumi Yamagishi' sat upon a great and lonely mountain, overlooking all things. "The-pain-and-weariness-you-feel...a-reflection-of-what-we-feel...which-is-in-turn-a-reflection-of-your-own...an-infinite-cycle-of-sorrow-that-never-ends..."

Perhaps, if she went to sleep...she wouldn't have to feel, anymore. That strange and wretched dread that had clung to her for so long like invisible chains...would no longer weigh down upon her.

The masked 'Mayumi' held out her hand. "...through-you, others-will-also-find-freedom..."

(Freedom. What an odd concept. Did she ever truly have freedom?)

(The plot was rigged against you from the beginning.)

"...tell-us...young-child-of-the-lilim...do-you-wish-to-be-one-with-me...?"

(If it would make the drudgery come to an end. If the uncertainty would finally cease. If if if.)

...I'm tired. With a tired sigh, Mayumi slumped down at the base of a tree, upon a mountain peak stretching over a thousand meters into the air. Alone amidst the dark, none would dare bother her...for her presence was already anathema to the base lifeforms that scurried through the forests.

The masked 'Mayumi' quietly embraced her. "Tomorrow...will-be-the-end..."

(She had already stopped thinking.)

(If you stop now, then it's all over.)

xxxx

Minako Arisato stood soundlessly upon a tree, witnessing the metaphysical transformation in Mayumi Yamagishi; it would not physically manifest until the appointed time tomorrow.

The One Who Sat Upon the Throne watched with great interest.

"This will be an interesting test for Shinji Ikari."

If nothing else, the Angel's machinations on this individual were not clouded.

"I wonder how much pain you will have to endure before ending her unfortunate life?"

What were the limits of Ikari's mercy? Would Armisael prompt him to unleash his fury? The possibilities were manifold.

"I can't wait to find out."

Minako kept her silent vigil, unseen by all.

xxxx

As the world turned, and the Sun's reflected light slowly decreased in Earth's eyes; as the new moon began its inevitable rise...the distorted skull of the Angel of Might gaze upon the world.

"THE DAY TO COME WILL BE A GREAT RECKONING."

(In Japan, the First Child pondered what course of action she would take on the day to come.)

(In Europe, a small charter boat departed from the Spanish port town of Marin; the Second Child tried to get some sleep, preparing for the day to come.)

(In Japan, mere kilometers away from where Armisael's apotheosis was occurring, the Third Child worried about the day to come.)

"SHINJI IKARI: WILL YOU BE CONSUMED BY WEAKNESS? OR WILL YOUR RAGE DRIVE YOU TO EXTINGUISH THE LIGHT OF MY KIN?"

Time would tell.

And so the world continued to turn.

xxxx

END OF 8/13/2015

xxxx

Author's Notes: I've been looking forward to the August New Moon for a long time. So let's recap!

- Between getting along swimmingly with Mayumi, NOT getting his butt kicked because of the 'hot springs episode', and now this rescue of Akane, Kensuke Aida has vaulted WAY ahead of the other Magician Social Links (Junpei, Yosuke, Morgana) when it comes to his luck with romance. :V
- "Schmitz & Weston" is a parody version of the firearms manufacturer "Smith & Wesson".
- The smiling figure alluded to ever since the Hakone Caravan arrived in Nishiawakura turned out to be a Kuchisake-onna (which as far as I'm aware has never been a Persona or a demon in the Persona/SMT series). And now it's Shinji's!
- Kotonoha Katsuya, Sekai Sakonji, Setsuna Kiyoma, and Otome Kotou are thinly-veiled references to "School Days" characters with the same given names. (Their surnames are just slightly tweaked. :V )
- Ah, Kurosawa caught up with everyone.
- Ren and Ryuji had about as close of a heart-to-heart a Persona Protagonist could get without unlocking a Confidant.
- Mayumi...yeah, it's not looking good for her.