8/31 - Mon - Tartarus - lobby - Dark Hour

A kick hits me hard from below my chin. Said kick would've normally ripped my head off my shoulders, but I'm able to take the brunt of the blow. Shizuka's strikes still hurt like a bitch, even with my heightened endurance. Before, she would've held herself back, giving me a chance to land a blow against her. Now, she's hitting me on precise points in my body, weakening me through repetition.

Swinging my sword, a gust of wind drives upward, covering me for a moment. Unperturbed by this, Shizuka zooms through the dust. I thrust my sword, trying to use her forward momentum to my advantage. However, as nimble as a cat, she leaps over me after her foot touched the ground for less than a second. Her arms reach around my shoulders, gripping my neck.

"Dead." She lets go, ending the sparring match. Well, I say sparring, but it's more like a hellish battle to near death. "...Your reaction time is still slow, so you aren't making use of your speed. Both your brain and body need to match up to the other."

"Yes!"

"Furthermore, your sword skills are still in need of work, especially with your new strength."

"Yes!"

"...Also, you're allowing too many of my strikes to land. You need to be more defensive, or rather, find an opening, then counter-attack. With your fighting style, you should be aggressive. That being said, you shouldn't go without a plan in mind."

"Yes!"

A few days ago, I unlocked a new ability: Shadow Mografication, or Shadow-mog. For a minute, it increases my physical prowess, as well. However, it comes with two drawbacks. 1: I can't use my Persona. 2: It only lasts a minute, and after that, I need to wait at least an hour before using it again. Other than that, this mode is fantastic. The only thing I need to do is uncover something within myself. The details are kinda hazy, not even Shizuka knows too much about it.

"...Kazuki, we're going to end off for today."

I collapse to the ground, taking in a heavy breath. My lungs are pounding, wanting to burst through my chest.

"Than-thank you!"

"Was it really that hard?"

"Of course!" I leap up to my feet. "...Your punches hurt like hell!"

"You're not dead, so what's so different from our previous regime?"

"You trying to kill me for one!"

She plays with her hair, acting like an innocent girl with the foggiest idea of what I'm saying. Arguing against her is pointless, she'll get what she wants one way or the other.

"...In any case, shall we head back for the day?"

"Yeah, I don't feel like I can get anything else done."

More like I don't want to do anything else. Right as I pick up the bottle of water I brought with me, I switch off Shadow-mog. That feeling of being covered in mud still disturbs me, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth whenever I turn on Shadow-mog. However, this power is definitely worth the unsettling sensation.

"Kazuki, are you sure?"

"About what?"

"Not telling Yamagishi about your new ability?"

Ever since I got this ability, I've kept quiet about it. Shizuka is the only one who knows about this. I don't want to worry her over this ability, so I'm just keeping it to myself and Shizuka. Besides, it's not that big of a deal, so not telling her isn't a bad thing…

"Yeah, I'm sure. You don't like that?"

"I think it's a good idea. Drawing attention to it might bring negative effects. Especially since that thing went wild a few times before."

She has a point. If everyone else learns about the Shadow, then they might… I just can't tell them.

"...Anyway, let us leave for the day."

Shizuka leads the way, and I follow behind her. Today's training is helping me realize how odd Shizuka is. Her way of walking is quiet, showing no openings, even outside of battle; not that she has a weird way of walking. Yet, her fighting style always strikes me. Sometimes she's precise in her attacks, but during Yakushima, she was throwing punches that were beyond the strength of a normal human.

"Shizuka, why are you so strong?" I ask, failing to keep my thoughts to myself.

"Does it matter?"

"Kind of. I just think it's weird how strong you are, even with a Persona." Actually, I've never seen her summon before. She carries her Evoker but never uses it. "...Why don't you summon your Persona?"

She turns her head, squinting her eyes at me. "Why do you wish to know?"

"Curiosity."

She returns to her neutral expression, losing all interest in the conversation. "It's nothing too interesting. I'm half-awakened. I can still use magic, but it's not as potent."

Is she that powerful with a half-awakened Persona? I've always thought this, but she's amazing… That's why I need to catch up as soon as possible!

Iwatodai Dormitory - Kazuki/Fuuka's room - midnight

There's something wrong about sneaking out of the dorm, an act that shouldn't be committed. Nonetheless, I've gotten used to sneaking back in without making a sound. Shizuka already went in ahead of me.

I slip in my key to my room, twisting open the door. On the other side, Fuu-chan is awake, reading something on her computer. I rarely use it, but I'd find her using it most of the time.

"What are you doing up?"

She turns her head, surprised to see me. "Ah, Kazuki-kun. I'm just scouring the internet."

"Is that why you're staying up?"

"No, I was waiting for you to return. But I couldn't help myself, so I decided to surf the web for a little."

I took my shoes off next to the door. Taking off my jacket, I hang it inside my closet.

"Find anything interesting?"

"Yeah, but I don't think you'll find it interesting."

"I will, I promise."

"...Well…"

What began as an innocent sense of wanting to learn her hobby better turned into a lecture on technology and computer parts that went over my head. Her passion was etched into her words, coming off as serious as possible.

"...So did you get all that?"

"Yeah! Every word."

A faint yet sad smile spreads across her face. "I'm sorry, I got absorbed in the explanation. I should've gone slower."

"It's fine, I'm just amazed at how much you know."

"It's nothing impressive." She says that, but I still can't wrap my head around 1/4 of the stuff she said. "...So how was your training?"

"Rough, but going well."

"That's good… But why can't I come along?"

"It's not like you're missing out on anything important."

"I know, but I just get worried."

"You don't need to be. I can take a hit or two."

"That's not what I meant."

"...Then what?"

"I… I just think you're pushing yourself. Lately, you've been fighting quite a lot, and you don't look so well."

It's true that I've been going to Tartarus more often now, but I didn't think it showed on my face.

"You're right, I'm sorry."

Her expression turns downcast, taking her eyes off me, at her hands. "I don't want to nag you, but I just want you to think about yourself."

This is bad. I didn't think she was worried about me going to Tartarus to train. I'll have to lean off on it for a while. Also, I don't want my grades to be affected by my lack of sleep; I might be living a double life, but failing at school is still failing at school. All in all, things are getting complicated…

"...Fuu-chan, I don't want to worry you, so if it makes you feel better, I'll stay in more from now on."

A sweet smile beams across her face. "Thank you. Again, I'm sorry if I'm a nag."

I rub the back of my head. "No, no, it's fine. I'm glad you're always nagging me…"

At that moment, I failed to realize the damage I'd brought about. Fuu-chan went into shock, unable to process what I said. My dumbass just figured out what I've done.

"Wait, no! That's not what I mean! I just mean when you nag, you're so considerate! Not to, um, say you always nag!"

God… Why am I such a fool?

9/1 - Tue - Gekkoukan High - morning

Last night didn't end the way I wanted it to, but at least I got some sleep. My body isn't as it was last night, and the soreness Shizuka inflicted on my body is easing up. However, I still have that odd feeling in the back of my throat. This has been an ongoing cycle lately, and I think I'm getting used to it.

Walking next to Fuu-chan and Shizuka, I can feel people staring at me, envy mixed in with ire. It's no secret that Shizuka has been turning heads. I mean, why wouldn't she? No matter how you look at it, she's a beautifully elegant girl; the way she walks isn't ordinary, even if it looks like it. The way she carries herself is on par with Kirijo-senpai, and the air she exudes. Shizuka Rin is beyond ordinary, and that's why she attracts people.

That being said, she and Fuu-chan have been acting weird next to each other lately, saying almost nothing to the other. Fuu-chan would fiddle with the cuff of her sleeves whenever she stood next to Shizuka, and Shizuka just avoided eye contact

"So, girls…are you excited for class?" They give me a strange glance, thinking I lost my mind. The second their eyes meet, they face the other way. "Um, you guys, this is just…"

My words get caught up in my throat, unable to bear this awkward tension between these two. Even if they don't speak to the other, I can feel a stale air growing around us, shrouding us.

"...S-say, Shizuka! Didn't you say we should all have lunch together?"

At that moment, her eyes roll, glaring at me with a dangerous presence behind them. Anything related to a normal, innocent high school girl jumps out the window.

"O-o-oh. I, um…I can't." Fuu-chan tugs harder on her sleeve. "...I'm…"

"Just say you don't wish to. No need to spout obvious lies."

She jerked her head, ready to respond to the claim, but she instantly turned away, looking ashamed of herself. Now it's obvious that something happened between them, but I don't have a clue what. Asking Fuu-chan makes sense, but would she even tell me…? This is really troublesome. Asking one either of them might explode in my face.

Then, both the girls stop moving, peering at the city.

"Is something wrong?" They leave me hanging, focusing all their attention on the city. Is this some girl thing I'm not getting? "Oi, Shizuka, Fuu-chan!" Breaking their fixed gazes, they snap back to reality. "We'll be late if we don't hurry."

"Of course," Shizuka responds, swift and collected. "Even if I don't care about school too much, tardiness is unacceptable."

"I agree," Fuu-chan says, desperate to get a word out.

"Then let's go."

Gekkoukan high school - Class 2:E - morning

The lesson of the day escapes my mind. I'm struggling to pay attention. I feel extremely tired. A yawn erupts from my mouth. Damn, bet that got the teacher's attention. Oddly enough, she doesn't turn to face me. Her movements seem sluggish. Not just me, but everyone else starts yawning as well. What the hell…I can't keep…eyes…open.

…

A horrific sensation overloads my brain, telling me to run away from whatever I'm sensing. How am I even able to in the first place, I don't even have Lucia out and I can feel something. Whatever it is, it's not human, but it doesn't feel like a shadow…

More importantly, everyone in the class is unconscious. They suddenly fell asleep, dropping to the floor or on their desks. Even Kazuki-kun is out!

"Kazuki-kun! Wake up!"

"Yamagishi, fretting will do nothing."

Shizuka-san and her expressionless tone snap me back to reality. She's the only one who is awake. How is she awake, how am I?

"You feel it, too, don't you? A presence unlike any other."

"You feel it too?"

"Of course, you and I already felt it, that's why we're awake. Because we are aware of it."

"I-I don't understand. Why is every one asleep, and what are we sensing!?"

She moves for the door, sliding it open. "Follow me."

What other choice do I have? If she knows what's going on, then I need to accompany her, but… No, I can't do anything for him doing nothing. Mustering all the courage in my body, I join Shizuka wherever we're heading.