'Love through all eternity'

"Um… if I can be of use… I'd like to join you all."

Fuuka's answer was quick and clear. Even after multiple warnings and explanations about what their job entails, she had zero problems with them.

"I don't really have much of a place at home, so…"

The looks of concern around her made her realize just how bad her words sounded.

"Ah- b-but I'm fine! Really! My parents can be a little overbearing, but I don't hate them or anything! I just… need some time away from them. I'm sure they'll understand."

To her surprise, it was Makoto who spoke up first.

"If something happens, let us know. We'll be there for you. If you want one of us to go with you when you break the news, I'm sure we'll all be more than happy to do so," he said with a serious expression.

"Thank you… but I think I'll be alright. I really appreciate the offer though. I'll ask them when I go back tonight," Fuuka decided.

The night before had been life changing. Of course, she remembered everything. And when she came to the morning after, she had so many questions.

Natsuki had forgotten the specifics, but throughout the day, the girl had gone out of her way to keep the others from harassing the shy girl. It was a complete 180 from the way she had been treating her. Even Kotone approved of the girl.

When school had ended, they brought her back to the dorm to explain the situation. And she was satisfied with the answer she had given them. For once in her life, she would have a bit of freedom. A room to herself, her parents far away, somewhere where they wouldn't constantly pester her. All she had to do was tell them her choice.

She knew a part of her would miss them a little, but she knew this was the best way to move forward. She had to grow up soon.

"Right. Well, if you need any help, feel free to ask. I'm sure those two would be more than happy to help," Mitsuru motioned towards the twins.

"Thank you… and I hope we can all get along," Fuuka replied.

"We don't bite," Mitsuru joked. "Well, Junpei can act a little questionable sometimes, but I'm sure we'll all be alright. You'll be on your best behavior, won't you, Junpei?"

"Y-yes ma'am!" Junpei quickly responded.

"Good. Then, if there are no further questions, you're free to leave. Of course, you can stay longer if you would like, but if you want to speak with your parents about this, don't stay too late now," Mitsuru said before getting up to leave.

The lounge began to clear out as the rest of SEES went on to do their own thing. Yukari left for her room to catch up on her homework. Junpei went upstairs to read manga. Akihiko was already on a run, getting back into shape. Mitsuru went up to her room as well.

"So… Lucia seems pretty incredible, huh?" Kotone smiled at Fuuka. "You did great that day! Honestly, I can't believe you're up and running already."

"Thank you… But… What do you mean by that? What happened when you first summoned your persona? Wait- is that why you disappeared for a while during the first week of school?" Fuuka recalled.

Kotone's eyes widened. "Wow, I'm surprised you remembered that. We weren't exactly friends yet, so I didn't think you'd notice. But yeah, we were out for a while huh."

"Well, you were one of the first ones to talk to me so openly. Everyone else just keeps their distance or teases me for being so shy… But you always greeted me and tried talking to me from the first day you got here," Fuuka smiled fondly. "I'm sorry I wasn't so receptive back then. I… wasn't sure if you were just joking. I feel awful thinking about it now, but I thought maybe you were just faking being nice."

"Nope! I've always been interested in meeting new people. Unlike this guy over here," Kotone said as she jabbed her brother with her elbow.

Fuuka giggled at her words. "Yeah, he seemed a bit shyer than me whenever I saw him at school. You don't talk much, do you Makoto?"

He shrugged. "Not much to say. And I don't really find myself caring that much about the conversations of other people," he admitted.

"But you reached out to me that day, didn't you? And you… you told me those words and gave me confidence to keep doing what I enjoy," she smiled.

Kotone looked over at her brother, a smug grin on her face as she turned back to Fuuka. "He's just a big softie on the inside. If you asked about it a few years ago, you would've been right. But beneath that, I'm sure he cares about his friends."

"Oh, how are those headphones anyway? Make any progress?" Makoto asked as he tried to change the subject. Even if he wouldn't admit it, hearing Kotone talk about him was embarrassing.

Fuuka shook her head. "Not yet. I'm still learning more about how to fix them. But as soon as I've figured it out, I'll tell you."

"Looking forward to it," he nodded.

The three continued to talk as the clock continued to tick. Meanwhile upstairs, Mitsuru was on the phone with someone.

"Yes, we've managed to find a persona user capable of recon and scouting abilities. I suppose I may have to get ready to be out in the field once again," she said.

She listened in as the person on the other line spoke before nodding.

"I'll be careful. Besides, my friends are all more than capable. The two that I told you about are both incredible at what they do. To think that two siblings could have so much potential…"

More words rang through the phone as she listened. Whatever they were talking about, it was clear she respected everything they had to say. She did raise an eyebrow however at the suggestion that had been made.

"You want us to go to Yakushima for our vacation? I mean, I'm not against it, but…"

"What? No, of course I would like to see you! It's just, I figured you would be busy handling the Kirijo group. You are the head after all."

"Alright. I'll ask them about it. If they want to come, they can. If they don't, I wouldn't mind spending a bit of time catching up with my father. Though, I'll admit I would feel bad about leaving them here. I'll call you back to let you know. Thank you, father."

As she hung up, she sighed. It wasn't often that she was able to speak with her father. But any time she could, she cherished it. Her father was often busy, but when they had time, it was always clear how much he cared for his daughter.

She would tell them eventually, but right now, they had a new member joining. Mitsuru felt a bit bad springing such a question on Fuuka so soon after her move in, but she knew it would be to everyone's benefit. A vacation to get away from their current responsibilities. At the very least, they could enjoy their summer.

And as she looked at the clock, she realized it was getting late. For the first time in a while, she managed to climb into bed before the Dark Hour started. And as she fell asleep, she felt a level of relaxation she hadn't felt in months.

-M-

"C'mon! Fuuka needs some help moving her stuff to the dorm. It's not like you're doing much after class anyway, are you?"

Kotone teased her brother. The bell had already rung and he had been lazing around in the classroom. To her side, the girl in question stood awkwardly after being dragged over by the Yuki sister.

It had been a few days since Fuuka had gotten the go ahead from her parents to live in the dorms. Now, all she needed was a bit of help to move out.

"That's fine," he nodded before looking over at Junpei and Yukari. "You guys busy?"

"Nah I'm free," Junpei shrugged.

"Sorry, the archery club has a competition coming up so we've gotta stay after a bit longer than usual," Yukari frowned.

"No worries! Really!" Fuuka assured her. "Honestly, even just Makoto and Kotone helping is more than enough."

"Well in that case… a new volume of this manga came out so if you don't need me…" Junpei mentioned.

"It's alright. We've got it," Makoto told him.

"Sweet! I'll see you guys back at the dorm then. Dude- you have to check this series out! I can lend you the first volume later. See ya!" Junpei waved before heading out of the classroom.

"Shall we get going then?" Kotone asked.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at Fuuka's place. And much to her surprise, Makoto and her father had hit it off rather quickly. Having walked in and seeing the quality of equipment around the house, the boy was in awe. When her father had seen Makoto's expression, he knew the boy had excellent taste.

So while the two chatted, Fuuka and Kotone went to her room. The door gave way to a beautiful, tidy room. By the windowsill were a couple plants that were clearly cared for. The bed beside the window had a few boxes that were sealed with packing tape. At the foot of the bed was a suitcase with plenty of clothes.

The two began moving things downstairs reminding Makoto what they were there for. He had been so absorbed in conversation with Fuuka's father that he had completely forgotten. He apologized before stepping away, walking up to help bring the rest of her belongings down.

When they had everything downstairs and ready to go, Fuuka sighed, looking at her parents. She knew it wouldn't be forever, but moving out to a dorm marked a huge step forward for her.

As Makoto and Kotone stood by the doorway, Fuuka hugged her parents goodbye. They were wholly supportive of her choices even if it meant they wouldn't see her as often. They knew they had to let their daughter grow up. Seeing her take the initiative was a promising sign.

After promising that she would bring Makoto back someday to continue the conversation between him and her father, the trio left the Yamagishi residence. She was excited. A new journey lay ahead of her. The Dark Hour was fascinating. Even if it was frightening, her curiosity outweighed that sense of terror.

To her, someone who was in love with machines, the Dark Hour's ability to disable all electronics was something that intrigued her. Even more puzzling was the ability she had awakened to.

The people in front of her were incredible. That much was clear. From Makoto's outstanding patience and strategizing to Kotone's foresight and finesse, the two siblings were clearly a cut above the others that she had met.

It wasn't an insult to the other members. They were simply that skilled. Not to mention their personalities. Even if she could tell they hid something within, they were friendly and empathetic. She knew they were good people. She didn't know why, but she felt as though she could put her full trust in them.

They arrived at the dorms and Fuuka was easily directed to her room. She unpacked and set up her room with Kotone's help. When she returned to the first floor, she saw Makoto and Junpei sitting on the couch, a collection of manga around them just as Junpei had promised.

"Hey there," Junpei greeted, waving at her as both her and Kotone walked down the stairs. "All set?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Did everything go well at the bookstore?" She asked.

"Hell yeah! I got in and got out no problem! They were almost out but I managed to grab one," he nodded happily as he waved the manga he had in the air.

"Man, you're pretty into it, huh?" Kotone mentioned as she sat across from Makoto. Although her tone was teasing, she meant well. It wasn't often she saw her brother so absorbed in something that wasn't his music or whatever work needed to be done.

"It's pretty good," he muttered as he continued reading.

The group sat around chatting about their new living situations, sharing stories of school and their thoughts on the faculty. By the time it got dark, Yukari returned and Makoto had already gotten set up in the kitchen to make dinner.

Despite her long day, Yukari was happy to help him cook. It gave them time to talk: Something she needed after spending so much time at practice.

"How did the move go? Everything alright?" She asked.

"It was fine. No problems," he answered as he looked over at her. "Practice okay?"

She sighed. "Yeah. A bit tough, but that's to be expected whenever competitions come up. I'm used to it."

"Need help with anything?" He asked, much to her surprise. It wasn't often that she heard him with concern in his voice.

She shook her head, though a smile broke out on her face. "It's alright. Honestly? Coming back to the dorm to see everyone enjoying themselves is pretty nice. Back before you and Kotone got here, it was a bit tense for me. I admit it was sort of my fault, but…"

"I'm glad you two managed to sort things out. Everyone seemed a bit disconnected when we first got here. It's good that we can all get along if we're living in the same space," he nodded.

"And now we've got a new member in the dorm. I know we're all here for other circumstances, but it's nice that we all get along. I'll have to get to know Fuuka more," Yukari smiled.

Dinner was quickly served and consumed, the residents of the dorm all eating together. Even Akihiko and Mitsuru had been present.

But as the night wound down and the residents fell asleep, their dreams showed them visions of a future that would never come.

-M-

He looked at the cherry blossoms above. It was a familiar scene. The roof of the school was distinct, but he hadn't been able to see the cherry blossoms fall yet. It was beautiful. He sat on the bench, a calm breeze passing by.

He felt content. Yet also, strangely tired. He was exhausted.

Footsteps and voices called out from the staircase. It seemed there were people on their way up to the rooftop. But as the door opened, everything fell away, and his vision faded to black.

-K-

She was running. She didn't know why, but the alleyway ahead of her seemed infinite. The sounds of footsteps were loud, yet as she looked around, she found herself alone. The moon was full: a telltale sign that something bad would come.

And come as it may in the form of a sound. The sound of a firearm shot off in the distance. But it didn't matter. No matter how far she ran, the distance never seemed to close.

The alley just kept going. And just when she found herself nearing the corner, the earth beneath her feet crumbled away and she found herself falling.

-Y-

Her father's voice was clear as day. Even if she hadn't heard it in years, there was no mistaking the person behind it.

"I know I promised I'd be home soon," the voice called out. "And I'm sorry to break that promise."

She felt herself choking up as the words reached her ears.

"But I want you to know… as your father, I was never happier in my life than when I was with you. I love you, Yukari… Please, take care of yourself."

She cried. Her heart was heavy, but she knew those words were true. No one could change the past. As frustrating as it was, there was no one she could blame. She didn't know anything about his disappearance. About his death.

It was unsatisfying. But hearing those words? Even if it may have been a dream, it brought her more closure than anything she had done in years.

-J-

He was mad. He didn't know why, but he was absolutely furious. His throat was hoarse and his eyebrows were scrunched, but he didn't understand this anger.

But as soon as he tried to gather himself, a new sensation hit him.

He was falling. His chest hurt and he fell to his knees. He didn't know what was happening. He gasped for air but nothing came. As he reached down, he felt his chest.

Blood stained his hand as he slowly fell over. He didn't even feel the pavement as he collided with the ground.

-A-

A casket lay in the middle of the auditorium. He found himself kneeling in front of it. His eyes stung and his mouth was dry. Something was wrong.

He tried to look at the picture beside the casket, but it was a blurry mess. No one other than him remained in that auditorium. It was strange.

A student had died and no one else stopped by to pay their respects? So then, why was he there? He wasn't that close to many of the students that went to the school. But why did it hurt so much?

-M-

Her father lay in her arms, motionless as the light from his eyes disappeared. Around her, she saw the tell tale green of the dark hour. Her heart was heavy as emotions overwhelmed her.

She knew her father was dying. And as tears streamed down her eyes, she knew she would never hear from him again. Not a call. Not a message. Not a word.

-F-

She tried desperately to climb the stairs in front of her. But no matter how many steps she went up, the winding flight of stairs seemed to be endless. She could hear voices around her. But she couldn't put a face on them. There was also… barking?

Hope filled her, but with every passing step, it felt fleeting. Whatever was at the top of the staircase didn't want her up there. What was it hiding?

Still she climbed, determined to see it through to the end.

-X-

As morning came and each resident woke from their slumber, the emotions and feelings from the previous night were still fresh on their minds. But none would speak of them. They were just dreams after all.

Life went on as they went through their everyday lives. Fuuka was settling in well and becoming ever so slightly more confident in herself. She quickly found herself meshing well with her teammates. Much to her surprise, she had quickly made friends.

At first, she didn't believe she had much in common with any of them. Their social standings seemed worlds apart. Yukari was popular with much of the student body, both due to her looks and talent as Gekkoukan's premiere archer. Junpei was an extrovert who seemed to get along with everyone while she was the complete opposite.

Even so, it didn't take long for them to find common ground in their interests. Yukari was happy to talk to her about her flowers. She found Fuuka's gardening skills to be admirable. Junpei on the other hand liked to read. Even if their preferred genres or style of literature was different, she found herself branching out and expanding her horizons.

Although she wasn't as close to the upperclassmen, they still got along well. Akihiko was more than happy to help give her fitness tips to combat her sedentary lifestyle. She figured it was finally time to get up and get active if they were going to be going through Tartarus. Even if she wouldn't be the one to do the fighting, she knew it would be smart to stay in shape for any other situation that may arise.

Mitsuru on the other hand was the student council president. Kirijo heiress, student council president, and main point of contact for SEES and the Kirijo group. Mitsuru had her plate full, yet she still had it in her schedule to spend time with the newest SEES member.

Fuuka found their conversations to be very helpful. Although at first Mitsuru had been more professional, explaining Fuuka's role as their navigator, she quickly loosened up and spoke more casually, discussing her favorite tea leaves, her recent reads, and surprisingly, the stresses she faced for having so many responsibilities. Mitsuru's talks often gave her confidence in her own abilities. She would often encourage the shy girl to speak her mind when the two spoke.

Unsurprisingly, it was the siblings who she had the least worries about getting along with. Ever since her first encounter with Makoto, she knew he was a softie at heart. Even easier of a tell than that, she knew what Kotone was like. If there was anyone she could trust, it was her.

Kotone was the first person to have quickly shown interest in becoming friends with her. As shy and awkward as she was in school, Kotone had looked past that immediately and befriended her. Their involvement played a large part in why she accepted their invitation so quickly.

Their mundane school days were occasionally broken up by a few happenings both in and out of school. Things such as a certain dog one day.

As Makoto and Kotone walked back from school, they found Yukari and Fuuka outside the dorm with a dog by their side. Kotone was quick to rush forward, crouching down beside Fuuka to play with the dog.

"Oh, welcome back you two!" Fuuka greeted them.

"Can I pet him?" Kotone asked with stars in her eyes. The excitement was clear on her face.

"Of course," Fuuka giggled. "Go on Koro. You know how to say hi, right?"

Koromaru practically leapt into her arms, licking her face while his tail wagged uncontrollably. Once he was done there, he also rushed to Makoto, doing the same thing to him.

"His name is Koromaru. I've seen him a few times on the stairs to the shrine," Fuuka told them. "Seems like he likes you two."

"I'm surprised he's so comfortable around us," Makoto said with a visible smile. "Was he like this towards you two?"

"Nope. Honestly, I'm kinda jealous," Yukari pouted. "He's friendly, but he wasn't jumping into our arms like you guys."

Just then, a woman walked by, commenting on Koro's presence. She talked about how Koro had been owned by a monk from the shrine who had unfortunately passed away in a car accident.

"For some reason, he doesn't allow anyone to take him in. He always goes back to where the monk passed," the woman told them.

She quickly realized the time and excused herself. Meanwhile, it seemed that Fuuka had sensed something.

"Wait… is he…?" Fuuka scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"Hmm? What's up?" Yukari asked.

"No, nevermind. Isn't the chairman coming today? We should probably go get ready," Fuuka reminded them.

"Yeah, I guess. Well then, later Koro!" Yukari said, leaning down to give him one last pet.

But Koro whined. Rather than wander off back to the shrine, he began to follow them into the dorm. As he entered, he walked to a certain corner of the room and found nothing. Although the others didn't know it, Koromaru had regained many of his lost memories.

When the chairman arrived, he raised an eyebrow at the presence of Koromaru in the command room.

"What's with the dog?" He asked before shaking his head. "Well, it'll probably help you all practice some responsibility. Anyway, I've gathered you all here because we've learned something about the shadows that you've all been facing. They can be grouped into twelve categories. And the big ones you've seen on the full moons have been I-IV respectively. They may look different from the common ones, but the classification scheme still applies."

"And that's something we should be excited about?" Junpei asked.

"Oh, I get it. So there are twelve in all. If we've faced four already…" Fuuka spoke up.

"Exactly," Ikutsuki nodded.

"…Okay? But what exactly are they after?" Junpei raised an eyebrow.

"And that is what we haven't figured out yet. They don't kill their prey. They feed on their minds. Can it be considered predation? Is there any intent behind their actions? The purpose of the shadows as a whole… That is what we need to consider," Ikutsuki told them.

"Regardless, we still need to beat them. Can't have anyone else getting hurt because of them," Akihiko crossed his arms. "Who knows how many people will fall victim to them if there are eight more."

Mitsuru nodded in agreement. "It's the only thing we can do to prevent more incidents."

Yukari sighed. "Eight more, huh? Lucky us… Why does Tartarus even exist in the first place?"

Mitsuru flinched, though no one saw. Even if she was more open with them, this was something she was afraid of speaking on. Not unless her father approved of it.

-X-

After the first meeting with Ikutsuki, they hadn't returned to Tartarus since. But a sudden call from a certain Velvet Room attendant had them back in there with a new job. Just as Elizabeth had stated, the bulletin board outside the police station at the mall stated that someone had in fact gone missing.

There were no problems with the rescue operation, but something new was presented to the team: Specialty gear developed by the Kirijo Group.

Ikutsuki had once again called them all up to the meeting room on the top floor. As wary as they were of Ikutsuki, both Kotone and Makoto had no complaints over receiving new gear from the Kirijo Group.

Alongside custom fitted weapons, armor, and armbands, their evokers received upgrades as well.

"Your theurgy will synchronize with your emotions, drawing strength from them in times of need. Once you're in sync, you'll be able to unleash attacks with immense power," Ikutsuki explained.

"Like a signature move! Oh, this is awesome! So how does it work?" Junpei asked.

"That's a bit hard to explain," the chairman admitted. "Instead, you should try it out for yourselves. It would be easier that way."

"Wait, isn't that a bit dangerous?" Yukari realized.

"No no, it's all been tested and deemed completely safe. Besides, there's a manual in there that explains more if you feel the need," the man assured them. "Not to mention, with Yamagishi joining us, Kirijo can return to the frontline. What better of a time to introduce a new power? Ah- would you look at the time. I'd like to talk more about this, but I've been quite busy. Seems there will be a breakthrough soon about the large shadows. Until next time!"

The man got up and walked out, leaving the SEES members to themselves.

"And there he goes…" Yukari sighed.

"I sort of thought this before, but he's rather laid-back, isn't he?" Fuuka mentioned.

"More like careless," Junpei piped up.

"It's fine," Akihiko shook his head. "We should just listen to the chairman and give it a go."

"I must admit, I've been wanting to get back into the swing of things so: since we're all here, why don't we head to Tartarus tonight?" Mitsuru suggested.

"Fine by me," Makoto shrugged.

The others agreed. If their leader was comfortable with testing Ikutsuki's new developments, so were they. And so the clock struck midnight, and the dark hour began.

But… something was wrong. Koromaru, who had taken residence in their dorm much to everyone's surprise, was completely conscious during the dark hour. They hadn't seen it before. While animals didn't have any sort of coffin like people did during the dark hour, they weren't able to function just like anyone else.

Fuuka's initial thoughts were confirmed when she called out Lucia. "Koro has a persona…" she said out loud.

"What? Is that possible?" Junpei asked. "Dude, that's so cool!"

"Do you want to help us, boy?" Makoto asked as he crouched down to pet him.

"Come on, we can't do that to him," Yukari tried to say before Koro jumped up in excitement. It seemed he wanted to.

But without an evoker, there was no way for him to forcibly call out his persona. In the meantime, Koromaru would stay in the dorm while they headed out to the school. With the information in hand, Ikutsuki knew he had a new project for the Kirijo group to work on. A dog wielding a persona? It was unheard of.

"Welcome back to Tartarus," Kotone said as she pat Fuuka on the back. "Since it's your first time since we rescued you, we'll have to give you the rundown. You'll be taking over Mitsuru's role as our navigator. How about… Junpei, you up to stand guard with me?"

"Huh? Wha- er, sure! Yeah I can do that. Don't you worry! Junpei's got this all under control!" He said with a grin. "But maaan, I really wanted to try out this whole special move! Hey, hit 'em good for me, yeah?" He nodded towards Makoto.

"Got it," their leader responded. "Mitsuru, I'm sure you want some time on the field after your absence. Akihiko, you've been the one testing this stuff so if anything goes wrong, we'll have you there. Yukari, I want you to get some more field experience. You're a bit shaky at times so it's probably best to have you on with our two most experienced fighters."

Nods were shared all around as his teammates received their orders.

"Check all the equipment. Make sure everything is satisfactory. Fuuka, I'll explain what you have to do," Mitsuru told everyone.

"O-okay!" She replied. While the two spoke, everyone inspected their gear for the final time before they would enter.

With everything up to par, it was time for them to enter. Makoto led the team with Mitsuru close by. Yukari took the backline with Akihiko for support. They made their way through the floor with zero issues. Their new equipment made short work of any shadow around.

The problem arose when they ascended to another floor. As they stepped out of the light, they found themselves alone. Their entire formation had been broken without any warning.

Thankfully, Fuuka's voice reminded them that they were in good hands.

"Keep calm everyone! You're all on the same floor, but your positions have been scattered! Um, leader, if you keep moving along that path, you'll regroup with Yukari," she told them. As she continued to instruct both Mitsuru and Akihiko, Makoto was already moving towards Yukari.

Just as he rounded the corner however, he saw a petrified Yukari standing beside a shadow. Before he even thought to say anything, he rushed forward as the shadow began to attack. He took the brunt of the hit, falling back as the hit left him winded.

He groaned from the pain as he tried to get up. Before he could stand on two feet though, another attack was already headed his way.

This time however, the blow never reached. Yukari had shot the shadow with her bow, knocking it away. She shook her head, frustrated with how things had been going. She knew the time was right. Loading the theurgy cartridge into her evoker, she pointed it at her head.

"It's always my fault. Everyone is always protecting me and getting hurt because of it," her voice shook as she mustered up the courage to pull the trigger. "I'm done being a burden. Fuuka, back me up! I'll hold it off until everyone else gets here!"

With the pull of the trigger, Yukari instantly felt relief. Power coursed through her as the effects of theurgy hit her all at once. Her senses sharpened and time seemed to slow as she called forth her persona. Working in tandem with Io, she shot arrow after arrow at the shadow, each shot imbued with wind before rising up. A final shot sealed the deal. Before anyone arrived, Yukari had already defeated the shadow.

She rushed towards Makoto who was still reeling from the hit. Summoning Io once more, she tried soothing the pain, healing him as best she could.

"Thanks for that," he said as he took her hand to stand up.

"I should be the one saying that. You took that hit before it reached me. If I wasn't so… afraid, we wouldn't have been in that mess. I promise, I'll do everything I can to make it right," she told him.

Before he could respond, Mitsuru's voice called out to them.

"Thank goodness you two are alright!" She said as both her and Akihiko ran over to them. "Fuuka spotted a way out already. I believe it would be best if we leave now before any other anomalies occur."

Makoto nodded in agreement. "Let's move then."

Much to everyone's relief, their return trip was nowhere near as dangerous as the encounters they had just faced. It didn't take long for Fuuka to direct them to the nearest teleportation device.

As they returned to the lobby of Tartarus, spirits had risen, and they were all excited to hear about Yukari's use of theurgy. It seemed she was the first and only one of them to have utilized it that night.

"Well, the manual did say it had to do with emotions. It seems that what motivates us is all different, so even if we might feel the same, our theurgy won't be able to resonate with us unless we feel a certain way," Fuuka explained. "It seems to be on a person to person basis."

"We can figure it out as we go. We've been here a while and honestly, I got my ass beat. Unless you all want to continue, I think we should get going," Makoto admitted, leaning on Yukari's shoulder.

"Damn, got you good, huh?" Kotone teased. Although she was worried to some extent, she knew he would be fine.

He sighed in response. "Yeah. I'll be fine by tomorrow. Then, if there aren't any objections, let's go home."

-X-

Their days continued the same as they always did until night fell on July 7th. A full moon was upon them once again. As they sat in the command room, Fuuka soon detected a presence.

"I'm picking up a large shadow in the city," she announced. "It's located in a building on Shirakawa Boulevard."

"Shirakawa boulevard… Apparently, many of the Lost have been spotted in pairs recently. I suppose that makes sense then," Mitsuru commented.

Junpei raised an eyebrow with a grin on his face. "Oh? That's where those 'hotels' are, right? Interesting that you know about that," he teased.

"The Kirijo group is responsible for the layout of Iwatodai, dummy," Yukari reminded him. "Of course she knows about the different businesses on the different streets."

"Oh yeah…" Junpei shrugged.

"Uhg, I dunno if I wanna get involved in this one…" Yukari admitted.

"Aw, you're such a baby sometimes, you know?" Junpei told her. "It's just a hotel, you know."

Yukari took those words personally. Even if he was teasing, she knew she had to do more for the team. She wouldn't be babied around anymore.

"Alright, fine. I'm reserving a spot for myself on the team. No objections!" She declared.

"If you'd like," Mitsuru acknowledged. Well then, let's decide on the lineup for today's mission. Makoto, if you would?" She nodded towards him.

He nodded back. With Yukari on the team and him leading, that meant two more. Considering their circumstances, he believed it would be best for Mitsuru to come along at the very least. She seemed eager to be out on the field again. If that was the case, it seemed reasonable to bring both of the third years along.

That meant that Junpei and Kotone were on guard duty again for Fuuka. With their roles in order, it was time for them to leave. The sooner they dealt with the shadow, the less potential victims there might be. When they arrived, they were met by the usual eerie silence that came with the dark hour.

"So this is the place, huh?" Junpei asked.

"Yeah. Keep 'em safe, will you?" Makoto glanced towards him. "We'll be out as soon as we can."

"Come on… who do you think I am? You can count on me!" Junpei gave a thumbs up and a grin.

"Good luck, guys!" Kotone waved at them as they left.

The immediate atmosphere upon entering the building was heavy. Something was wrong, but they couldn't quite gauge what. From Fuuka's intel, it seemed the shadow was on the third floor. There was zero resistance as they approached the room. Something had to be off.

"It's in the room. Are you all ready?" Fuuka asked.

"Fuuka, there's no other shadows here. This isn't normal," Makoto told her. "What can you tell us about the shadow on the other side of that door?"

"It's definitely one of the large shadows, but I can't get a proper read on it unless you get closer. If anything goes wrong, I'll tell you all immediately. Please, proceed when ready," she replied.

Makoto looked back at his teammates with a sigh. "We all good?"

Nods from all around confirmed their status. He steeled himself before opening the door. Just as Fuuka had mentioned, they came face to face with one of the major arcanas.

"It's the Hierophant!" She called out to them. "We don't know what it'll do so be careful!"

Makoto calmly unholstered his evoker before calling forth his persona. As Eligor came forth, he began commanding the team, keeping his cool even as their foe began to wind up an attack.

"Record some data for Fuuka. Hit it with anything so she can analyze the impact. Fuuka, we're counting on you," he told everyone.

Their battle was simple and straightforward. It seemed the shadow this time around didn't have any strange strengths or weaknesses. While it nullified both light and dark attacks, everything else was fair game. To that end, they had superior stamina. With four against one, there was little to be worried about.

As a bonus, Akihiko was able to activate his theurgy. It seemed as though his trigger was self improvement. Any enhancements via persona had him feeling confident. And with the pull of the trigger, he executed on the feelings his theurgy amplified.

It didn't take much for them to take it down. With Yukari's support, everyone was able to stay in the battle without any problems. And after a short battle, the shadow fell. Just like that, the job seemed done. But as they reached for the door, they found themselves trapped.

"I can sense another shadow in the room with you all!" Fuuka realized. "Keep your guard up!"

As they turned around, nothing seemed out of place. If there was another shadow in the room, it was hiding. Unusual. They had never encountered something that seemed to want to hide this way. Even the shadow that had been on the train was out in the open.

But as they wandered throughout the room, checking every nook and cranny, Yukari was the one to realize what was off.

"The mirror… there's-"

But the rest of the words never left her mouth. All four members of SEES that were present in the hotel went into a trance-like state. Fuuka was worried.

"Hello? Hello!?" She called out to them. "They aren't responding," she looked over at Kotone and Junpei. All things were calm on the outside. No shadows had shown up to interrupt them.

"Should I head in there?" Kotone asked.

"Wait-" Fuuka held up her hand. "The door seems to have opened. Whatever they did must have worked. It seems they're splitting up into pairs. The shadow from before seems to have moved."

"Huh… Well I guess they might find it easier if they look in more spots. We can stand by for now," Junpei stated.

Unbeknownst to them, the inside of the hotel told a different story. His conscience began to blink back into reality. Everything was hazy and he could hear the sound of running water.

Everything felt okay. Nothing seemed out of place and honestly? He didn't even want to do anything anymore. As he sat on the bed, he looked around. Where even was he? What was he doing here? He couldn't remember anything.

Just then, a voice rang out to him. 'Revel in the moment… That which cannot be felt is merely a dream. The present is all we have.'

What? That didn't seem right.

'The future is but a fantasy, memory a fabrication.'

As the voice continued to talk, his mind began to clear. By the time he fully came to, the voice was gone. He remembered everything. It seemed whatever shadow was left was trying to manipulate his mind.

He heard the shower stop, and his eyes widened. It couldn't be, right? But before he could do anything, the door to the bathroom opened, and Yukari stepped out in nothing but a towel.

Thankfully, before she did anything she would regret, he already had a hand on hers, preventing her from dropping it. When she came to, she quickly realized their situation. Her hand went up but the rational part of her quickly kicked in. She knew he had stopped her from doing it.

A part of her was a bit disappointed though. But it wasn't like she liked him like that though. Even if a part of her was hurt that he didn't try to peek, she was relieved to see him glancing away. She knew he wasn't that type of person.

"I didn't see a thing. Promise," he told her.

With a sigh, she shook off his hand. "Thanks. I… don't know what came over me. I'm just gonna…" she stepped away, back into the bathroom to get dressed. When she stepped out, Makoto was waiting at the door.

"It was the shadow. The one left over. It's the mirrors," Makoto said as she reached his side.

"Yeah. No reflection. Come on, let's meet up with the others," Yukari suggested. Her cheeks were still flushed with embarrassment.

"Are you alright?" Fuuka asked. "Finally, we can communicate again. You all went silent for a while but you were able to leave so I didn't think much of it. My apologies."

"It's not your fault. No need to apologize," Makoto assured her. "Where are Mitsuru and Akihiko? They're fine, right?"

"Yes, they are. They're on the second floor. Seems like you two ended up on the first."

It didn't take long for them to regroup. While there was clearly an awkward tension in the air, Makoto brought everyone back on track.

"Right after Fuuka told us to look around, Yukari was able to spot what was wrong in the room. The mirror didn't have any reflections. If my guess is right, we'll probably just have to smash the thing," Makoto shrugged. "Let's get going. I don't want to overstay our welcome."

Nods from all around brought them back up to the third floor. But much like it had been when they attempted to leave at first, the door was sealed shut.

"I'm getting some strange readings in the rooms on this floor. Maybe we can find something in them? It's spread out all over the floor so I can't give you an exact room. Just check them all!" Fuuka suggested.

They did as they were told, entering each room one by one. Just as they had pointed out, a few had zero reflections given off. They were quick to destroy it, their weapons coming in handy to avoid any debris.

One by one they cleared each room. With the observations they had made, their task was easy. As they entered the room they had previously been locked in, a new foe stood before them.

"Fuuka," Makoto called out to her.

Just as they had done before, each member of SEES fell into position.

"Fire attacks won't affect it. Piercing and electric attacks will hit, but they won't do as much," Fuuka told them.

With that information in mind, they got to work. Hit after hit, attack after attack, the large shadow fell. Another successful mission. As they left the building, they were greeted by their teammates.

Mitsuru began their debrief. "That's six shadows now of the twelve that the chairman spoke of. Halfway complete. If this pace keeps up, we'll be finished before the school year even ends."

"Pretty good work, huh?" Akihiko grinned. "Maybe we're a bit stronger than we think?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Akihiko," Mitsuru chided him. "The last thing we want is to get overconfident and get hurt. Stay cautious and don't assume that just because we've defeated half of them that the other half will be any easier. We saw it today. Even if these shadows took the same amount of time if not shorter than previous ones, we've also gotten stronger. They're keeping up."

"Then we'll have to train harder as well," Makoto spoke up. "Only way we can face them is through hard work."

"Indeed. Well done tonight, everybody. Without everyone here, this wouldn't have been possible. Yamagishi, you've taken on your role exceedingly quickly. Takeba, considering you have the highest potency support skills, the fight would've been much harder without you. Iori, Kotone, we wouldn't be able to fight with a sound mind if not for your presence protecting Yamagishi. And Makoto, your skills in both leading and fighting continue to impress," Mitsuru complimented them all.

"What about me?" Akihiko asked.

"No comments," Mitsuru smiled.

As they all turned to leave, none had picked up on the presence of the three that had been watching them.

"My my, that was faster than I expected," Takaya mentioned. "Quite a show, I must admit. They've been rather busy these past few months, haven't they? Not to mention they've made several forays into the tower. Well, Jin. Are they our enemy?"

"Why don't we ask our buddy? Gonna be seeing him real soon," his companion suggested.

But as the two spoke, the girl beside them had her eyes glued to the ones who had just left. A part of her mind was telling her to go to them. Of course, she wouldn't listen to it. All she had to do was follow Takaya and Jin.

'That boy…' she thought. But those thoughts led to nothing. She shook it off as the trio known as Strega left the scene as well.