The full moon hypothesis was proven correct, as Fuuka revealed their next target was waiting for them at Shirakawa Boulevard. The mission briefing was filled with unease, some of the juniors clearly uncomfortable with the premises involved, or what it entailed.
A shadow is a shadow, and people were being afflicted by Apathy Syndrome in droves, so Akihiko let the inner buzz swallow all unnecessary parameters involved, cracking his digits absently.
Get in, get the job done, get out.
All the practice in Tartarus they had under their belt should make this easy, but he said nothing, not wanting to inspire overconfidence. Junpei's excitement awarded him a few choice glares during their walk from pretty much everyone in the party, including Akihiko, stone-faced. This was about saving lives, but he guessed Iori couldn't help himself.
The hotel was a maze of dingy corridors and small rooms, everything garishly colored under the gloom of the Dark Hour. As a group they ran up upstairs, following Fuuka's instructions. Junpei was poking through an open door, his amused chuckle at the sight of two coffins causing Yukari to huff impatiently. The archer looked as strung as her weapon of choice, walking in front with Minato. She'd been the first one to barge into the hotel as if the whole place caused her personal affront.
From his position at the rear near Iori, Akihiko could see his old comrade looked uncomfortable, a certain clumsiness to her step that nobody seemed to notice. Mitsuru wasn't one to navigate in such low quarters and her upbringing was showing through, but she kept a brave face on for the sake of the juniors. Maybe it was no wonder she chose to walk near Minako, who defiantly advanced like this was a stroll through school, leeching off her devil-may-care aura.
Near a large door, the twins exchange glances, silent. Minako's hand graze the paneling, her eyes glazed for a second and she nods to her twin.
"It's in here."
All of SEES take a collective breath and follow her through the doorway. Their target was a repulsive mound of flesh, reminding Akihiko of a fat priest, his bald head caressed incessantly by a lecherous female form fused to his back. Mitsuru looked disgusted at the display, but Yuraki scoffed.
"That's it? It's more… normal looking than I expected."
The twins engage immediately, buying time for Fuuka to feed them information. Evokers get raised to foreheads and various powers are fired off, bathing the enemy in showers of light. Minako eyes him, raises three fingers, requesting his support while she dips in her bestiary of fantastical creatures for some elemental support.
Obliging, he shoots his evoker in his skull, focusing Polydeuces' power as a lightning bolt but the fat figure seems to shrug it off. Minako's follow up hailstorm chips the dangling legs of the shadow but Yukari's arrow to the female hands on its pate above punches right through.
Their leader puts her evoker back in place, eyes glazed, probably sharing with Fuuka. Minato's beams of darkness literally passed through the monstrosity and Junpei's flame rush only printed scorch marks. She twirls her naginata and crouches, hollering the rest of the team.
"Go all in, weapons only! Yukari, support!"
The archer jumps further back, hand rising in an acknowledging salute, then dips it to grab the evoker on her thigh.
Minako jerks her head at her brother, who whips his sword to the flank, painful cuts getting the shadow's attention. Her eyes side glance to him and Junpei, glowing eerily as she mimes a down chop.
"Yank it down!"
Locking his jaw, Akihiko zigzags quickly in the shadow's blind spot then dives forward, Iori doing the same from his end of the room with a joyful cry. The large sword connects first, having more reach, then his own weapon does, blurred into a comet as it collides in the shadow with tremendous effect, knocking it down its chair. It barely starts to crumple down before Minako and Mitsuru are in there, jabbing and slicing like two deadly queen bees.
It takes a few more minutes and quite a bit of maneuvering to chip away at the shadow, but they eventually succeed with nobody seriously injured. A good team bout, but not as satisfying as it could have been.
Junpei claps him on the shoulder after replacing his sword in his scabbard, smile wide.
"The Shock Troop delivers! Man, that was awesome!"
Akihiko grins in reply, it had indeed been satisfying.
"I think we did pretty good, but it wasn't much of a challenge, to be fair."
Fuuka's presence inserts itself into the room like a subtle blanket.
"Great work everyone! I'll be waiting outside for you."
Minato turns toward the door, but it won't budge. He tries again, to no avail.
Yamagishi's voice sounds worried.
"I still sense a Shadow in that room, it's not the same one as before! But… where is it hiding?"
Yukari tenses, looking around. Nervously, they all start to inspect the fancy room, not wanting a shadow to jump them. A few minutes trickle by before Mitsuru gasps.
"There's something fishy about that mirror!"
Everyone makes its way over warily, weapon in hand, glancing around as if it could be trap, but nothing happens. Minato raises his fingers to the surface curiously, not quite touching the distorted sheen, face cramped in a pained expression. Yukari looks at him, worried.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
There is some sort of distortion in the surface, like a faded handprint in a shower door and a whirl of color bubbles forth. Minato tries to turn his head, but a column of light shoots forth from the false mirror, engulfing everyone. Akihiko grabs his head, suddenly feeling sick, and folds to the floor. Consciousness almost faded, he can distinguish the outline of other uniforms, splayed on the carpet like discarded costumes, then everything goes black.