A/N: I apologize for leaving this work without updates, yet again. I have no excuse for it this time. Please forgive me for not being as dedicated to this as I should be. All I can do is go forward and not to go without a word for several months ever again. I am sorry to those who were reading or waiting for new chapters to come out.

10/4 Sun - Iwatodai Dormitory - evening - Kazuki

Another night, another full moon. The operation is rearing its head around the corner tonight. I'm not nervous or anything… Okay, I am, but not over that. Heck, I barely even remembered that we have an operation today. That's how much focus I'm putting into what I'm doing.

"Kazuki, how are your preparations?" Shizuka asks, entering my room.

"So-so."

"Is there an issue?"

"Not really, I'm just thinking."

"About…?"

"Well, about what I did wrong."

"You're referring to your spat with Yamagishi?"

I nod. "...She was upset about me doing my own thing, right?"

"Indeed. The way you fought during our last expedition left her no room to provide support."

"I get that, but I have to understand why that's a bad thing."

I can't just give her a gift, or just do a half-hearted, "I'm sorry", but something genuine; that way, she'll know I'm truly sorry for hurting her feelings. But I need to try to understand her feelings first.

"Would you like me to help you?" Shizuka offers. "...I think an outside perspective can be of use."

Shizuka is smarter than me and would have a more objective view on all of this that I can reference. It would be easy for me to ask for her help, too easy, which is why I can't. This isn't asking for help on homework, or studying for some test.

"Sorry, but I have to do this on my own."

"I see. Then is there any other means of helping you?"

"Um, not really."

"I see…"

Shizuka seems somewhat dejected, hiding it but not as well as she usually hides her emotions or reactions. That, or maybe I'm starting to get better at reading her.

"Are you bored?"

"Hm? I wouldn't say so, but…"

"Then do you want to go out? I can't think of anything while cooped up in here."

"Where would we go?"

"I'll let you decide."

We leave my room, and Shizuka mumbles to herself about where we should go. The dorm is quiet today. Guessing everyone went out to do their own thing. It makes sense that everyone wants to do something to calm their nerves before tonight. Usually, I just play video games.

The lobby is empty, save for Ken. However, it might just be me, but the air he's giving off is sort of serious like going near him right now is a bad idea. And his expression is dreadful. Is he worried about tonight's operation? It'd be terrible of me to leave him like this.

"Yo, Ken," I call him with a bright tone.

His attention snaps onto us. "Oh…Kazuki-san, Shizuka-san, I didn't see you guys there."

"It's no problem. But you look tense. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am."

"Worried about the operation tonight?"

"Umm, yeah, I am."

"Well, that's okay, everyone gets nervous now and then."

"Even you?"

"Yep."

"I see…"

He turns his eyes back onto his feet. His expression isn't as grim as it was a moment ago, now, he just seems somewhat hesitant.

"Are you sure you're fine, Amada?" Shizuka speaks up.

"I am, thank you for your concern."

We're just going back in circles at this point. Ken is quite reserved for his age, so he'll just say he's okay and not mean it. The girls think of him as a mature young man, and he kind of is, but it comes off as if he's closing himself to everyone, squashing any attempt at being underestimated because he's a kid. I get it, to an extent.

"Say, Ken, you wanna tag along with us?" I ask him.

"You want me to come along?"

"Why not? We're teammates, so it shouldn't be a big deal."

He turns back to his feet again. "...Thank you for the offer, but I have to decline."

Ken curls his lips, hanging his head low.

"It's okay, you don't have to be sorry. We can always hang out some other time."

"Yeah…"

There's no telling what Ken's feeling right now, but I don't think it's about the operation. Whatever it is, it's eating him up, just seeing his face tells me that. As a senpai, I should help my underclassmen, but there's only so much I can do, especially if he doesn't want to tell me I'll just give him space for now.

"...Okay, well, we'll be heading out. See you later."

"Kazuki-san…can I ask you something?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Do…do you think murderers should be left alive?"

Whoa. Now that's a curve ball question I didn't think he'd throw in a million years.

The question gets a nervous chuckle out of me. "Um, what?"

"Should murderers, who can't be judged by law, be left alive?"

"Umm, I think that's a heavy question. But, I think… I do think they should go to jail."

"But if they can't, and they had hurt someone you cared about, shouldn't you take vengeance?"

It's as if a hot rod of iron was forced down my throat. His question is pushing me into an uncomfortable state of confusion. The question itself is simple, yet, my brain can't decide how to answer. And even stranger, my heart is beating a mile a minute, knocking against my chest, threatening to burst out any second now.

"You shouldn't spring questions like this onto Kazuki," Shizuka replies. "He's simple-minded."

"Sim– Are you calling me stupid!?"

"Besides, Kazuki might not give the answer you're looking for."

"Huh? No, I–I didn't– It was just a question that popped up in my head. That's all. Really."

"Ah, my mistake. Then pretend I said nothing." Shizuka walks over to the door, letting in sunlight. "However, Amada, whatever you're thinking, I recommend you consider it seriously. Once you commit, you'll never be able to take it back, no matter what." Ken is just as confused as I am. This whole conversation is getting weird to me at this point. I just want to go out and have some fun. "Kazuki, let us head off."

"Yeah…" We exit the dorm, leaving Ken to his thoughts. The lingering summer air is refreshing. "Shizuka, what did you mean when you told Ken that stuff?"

"He appeared to be conflicted. I have the faintest idea of what that might be, but it must've correlated with the question he posed to you."

"Murderers, huh…"

It's not like I have much experience with those types, and I want to keep it that way. Yet, when he said that, my body froze and my mind went blank. Moral questions aren't my thing, however, the right thing to do is to put them in jail, right? Though, Ken didn't seem satisfied with that answer… Should all murderers be killed?

"Is it bothering you," Shizuka asks.

"N-nah, I was just thinking about something else."

Come to think about it, this is something I never asked myself before, but… Forget it, it doesn't matter right now.

Iwatodai Stripmall - morning - Shizuka

Unable to come up with a specific destination, Kazuki and I wound up at the strip mall. It's of little issue to me, I've grown fond of the takoyaki that is sold here; the crunchy exterior, mixed with the soft, gooey flavor melting inside my mouth delivers nothing short of a divine taste. Such a thing cannot be taken for granted. It is with great fortune that this place was not destroyed during that demon attack.

"You look happy," Kazuki comments, observing me eat.

"...I am simply enjoying the meal, nothing more."

"It's not a crime to say you are, right?"

"I know that."

"Then are you happy?"

"Hmm… I'm feeling adequate."

"You know, you can be strangely stubborn about things like this."

I wouldn't say I'm being "stubborn", more or less tempered.

"Wanna get some more," he asks me.

"No, this is enough. Any more and I'll– I mean, you'll gain weight."

He's left stupified by my claim, nearly dropping what's left of his Takoyaki.

"That's not good! I guess I'll just have to do some exercises when I get back."

Kazuki goes on about his countermeasures for weight gain. At least he didn't notice I was about to refer to myself. Hm? Across the street, Yamagishi is standing in the middle of a crowded station. Her teal hair is easy to spot. She's staring at us from several meters away.

"Hey, Kazuki, Yama–"

I turned to him for a second, and I mean, "a second". That's all it took for her to vanish from sight. My eyes are sharper than a normal human's, even if she went deeper in the crowd, I would have caught her.

"Yama…?"

"Nothing, I was just seeing things."

Do I even believe that? My senses are better, far better, and yet, I was just seeing things? Moreover, there's a disturbing element about her disappearance; I can sense people, and even if they leave my sight, I can still sense them… That didn't happen when I saw her, or when she left… Hmm, perhaps it is me. I've been having trouble sleeping recently, so maybe I should double my rest. Still, is that really it?

Iwatodai Stripmall - Dark Hour - Kazuki

It's finally time for the next operation. Fuu-chan pin-pointed the Shadows here. In a public space like this, things could go wrong, just like the operation at the hotel. No, if it weren't for that thing that was inside me, there would have been no casualties. Luckily, there are no coffins in the area, so we should be able to fight without sweating about civilians. Dang, I sound so professional now. I suppose it's because I've gotten used to this stuff.

All we have to do now is wait for the Shadows to appear, which they will… Any second now.

"Yamagishi," Kirijo-senpai calls. "...are you sure they are located here?"

"Yes, I am," she answers in a calm, almost calculated tone.

"Then what's takin' them so long?" Jun groans. "Do ya think they're takin' the night off?"

"Do Shadows even need sleep?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"You know that sounds ridiculous, right?" Yuka-chan replies.

"Yeah, but what if they do?"

While talking with Jun and Yuka-chan is nice, I can't help but keep my focus on Fuu-chan. I still need to apologize, not tomorrow, not later, now. She turns to meet my gaze. There were times when I felt my heart skip a beat when she smiled at me; the beauty that she's usually unaware of always shines through whenever she smiles from her heart, or just in general. Now, she has this calm demeanor, a presence I never felt from her before. And she has a faint smirk on her face, one I've definitely never seen her make. There's this arrogance behind it. Arrogant is the last thing I would use to describe her, ever…

"Kazuki." Shizuka steps beside me. "You seem apprehensive."

"Oh, um, i-it's nothing."

Maybe she's feeling good about tonight, or perhaps she's feeling better already… Nothing unordinary stands out about her, so why do I feel so tense?

"Aragaki and Amada are not here yet," Shizuka points out.

"Hm? Yeah, I just noticed. Where could they be?"

"I cannot say, but for the both of them to be missing, especially Amada is…concerning."

"Wait, you're concerned?"

Her eyebrows shoot up for a second, like she just caught onto a mistake, "Concerning as in troublesome behavior."

"Is that what you really–"

"Yes, it is!" She turns away from me. Yep, she's angry, which is new to me. Though, I don't get why. "Also," she whispers in my ear. "...Yamagishi is acting peculiar."

"Peculiar how?"

"Her response, the way she moves with absolute confidence, and not to mention… When we were here this morning, I saw her at the station."

"She was here?"

"She seemed to have been watching us."

"Okay, and?"

"Nothing bizarre by itself. It's the fact that I couldn't sense her presence, at all."

"Sense her presence?"

"I can tell where everyone is right now without looking. Not just because of my spatial awareness, but with my ability to sense people. Although, it's nowhere near as strong as Yamagishis', I can still sense them."

"So, can you sense her now?"

"Yes…which is odd."

I want to say maybe her sense for people was weakened because she was wolfing down Takoyaki, but she might jab me in the ribs, or get all flustered. Either way, I'll just keep that to myself. However, I also doubt someone like Shizuka would drop her guard, even while eating. But I don't know what to think about all this…

"October 4th," Sanada-senpai says out of the blue. "Today…is the 4th!"

"Correct," Aigis confirms.

"Then…shit! Yamagishi, where are Ken and Shinji right now!?"

Whoa, what's going on here? What about the 4th, and why is senpai sweating bullets?

"We don't have time for that," Fuu-chan coldly replies, keeping a small smirk on her face.

"What?"

She points her finger upward. "They're coming."

They!? Facing the sky, only the ugly green moon greets us with some clouds drifting around it. However, small, pink objects drift in the sky, flowing by as if it is dancing. Flower petals? But it's barely autumn. Where could they have– Oh shit, don't tell me!?

"Here they come"

"Everybody, move!"

A sea of flower petals swipe across the ground, slicing the concrete to pieces. Another second, half of us would have been diced into tiny pieces. They rise back into the air, surrounding a female Shadow. Her flowing blond hair follows behind her. Its lower half is made up of a bouquet. That explains the petals. But it isn't alone. A small, mechanical horse appeared out of nowhere, almost like it just spawned. There are two of them!?

"What the hell!? Two of them," Yukari repeats my sentiment.

"Yamagishi, we need– Wha!?"

Kirijo-senpai's distraught expression immediately sends a chill down my spine. Fuu-chan, who was standing a bit away from us, is gone.

"Fuu-chan!? Where are you? Shizuka!"

"I–I don't know. She disappeared from my senses, again!"

What the hell is happening? This has got to be some kind of joke, right?

"They're coming back around!"

Junpei is the first to summon his Persona. It shoots for the Shadow surrounded by flower petals. Both its golden wings slice through the hail of petals. The left-wing is going to chop off the Shadow's head in no time. However, the razor-sharp wing that can cut through Shadows like butter, is blocked by a metal fence wrapped around the Shadow.

"Ag–"

Hermes is impaled by the sharp top of the fence, running through him to the ground. Junpei drops to his knees receiving the feedback..

"Janus!"

Me and everyone else summon our Personas. Several of them close in on the target, with the more spell–oriented users staying back, queuing up a spell. Even if it defends with that fence, there's no way it can guard against all of us. That is until the mechanical horse jumps in front of the Shadow. A blinding flash of light illuminates the station. Next thing I know, our Personas crash back to the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Sanda-senpai curses.

"I don't know! Without Yamagishi, we're at a disadvantage," Kirijo-senpai replies, doing her level best to keep herself together.

"Well, we sure as shit can't waste our time here! Polyde–"

A large circular object drops onto the ground, pushing Sanada-senpai back. I catcht him before he could hit his head on the concrete.

"Got you."

That just came out of nowhere. If senpai was under it…well, I'm just glad he wasn't. But that thing looks like a giant roulette wheel. There are a bunch of images on each spot, colored red and blue. I'm guessing red is bad.

The mechanical horse jumps on top of the wheel. The needle begins to spin, going around in a clockwise rotation. Kirijo-senpai calls her Persona. The wheel is encased in a large block of ice. She probably had the same idea I did about that wheel. Now we got one of those Shadows trapped, we just have to focus on the other one.

But Fuuka is still missing. No matter where I look, she isn't there. She just up and disappeared, and if Shizuka can't tell where she went, can anyone blame me for being anxious? We need to end this fight quickly and go find her.

The steel fence's sharp tips extend in length, stabbing through the ground. They travel in a diagonal path at us.

"Janus!"

Just in the nick of time, Janus jabs the bars out of our way. They end up piercing the station entrance.

"Keep attacks away from the station," Kirijo-senpai orders.

Right, right, can't let it destroy the station, got it.

Aigis zooms towards the shadow, unloading rounds at its chest. Several casings hit the ground as she fires off without any concern for ammo. The android bounces around the area, off cars, streetlights, and the station roof. Her ability to take advantage of her agility, combined with her inhuman movements is nothing short of impressive.

A stream of flower petals hurl themselves at Aigis. She guards with her metal arms, getting away with nothing but a scratch to her arms. Back on street level, she dashes behind a car right as the Shadow is mounting an attack. The red jeep acting as Aigis' cover suddenly goes flying straight at the Shadow. However, it simply slices the jeep into two. The pieces land right into a building. That's not going to be easy to explain away.

"Kazuki, we need to kill this thing, now."

"I know. Should I use Shadow-mog?"

"No, you know I told you–"

"Yeah, I know, but who cares right now? Fuuka might be in trouble, I can't wait around."

The ice around the horse Shadow shatters into crystalized shards, and the needle on the wheel continues to spin just as fast as before. Everyone, save for Shizuka, assails the Shadows with their Personas, racing to dish out whatever damage they can. The wheel's needle finally lands on a tile: red.

A blue wave of energy explodes out of the wheel, catching us in tidal wave. Beaten, bruised, and stinging all over, my body is heavy. I can still feel my arms and legs. Everyone else isn't faring any better; Sanda-senpai and Junpei are getting back up, but the girls, save for Shizuka, are struggling to get to their feet.

Shit, I hate being right. If we land red, we get hit, and vice versa for blue. Those symbols on the tiles might lead to different effects, but getting the one for attack can make or break the battle for us… I don't have time for this shit! Fuuka is out there, and that thing wants to play goddamn games!

"Shizuka, cover me."

"What are you–"

I flip on Shadow-mog, to Shizuka's dismay. Whatever she has to say can come later, and I don't care, I need to get this over with! That female Shadow is troublesome, but the horse one is the real threat here, and its wheel is concerning. That earlier attack was enough to get us on our knees. I can't let it start another roulette game; Shizuka and I can probably take another hit, but everyone else is still reeling from the last one. I'll kill the horse first, then the other one.

"Huh? What is it doing?"

A hail of vibrant flower petals shrouds the horse. They smoothly flow around the Shadow, obscuring it from view. They scatter about like snowflakes in winter. The horse is gone!? But if it is, then why do I still feel it? Is that big one guarding it? Then if I kill it, the other one will have to come out.

I leap forward with a strong kick. No time to be subtle about any of this. I want these things out of the way, now! A wall of roses blocks my initial strike, but I fling myself upward, chipping at its neck. That was too weak, I have to hit harder if I want to kill it.

Petals drift about the station. There are so many of them, differing in colors; it's almost overwhelming. My body - in Shadow-mog - is pretty durable, but I'm not willing to find out how many of these I can tank.

"Get out of my way!"

The beautiful arrangement of flower petals is torn apart by a single swing of my sword. The Shadow cries out at the scene. They're sharp but fragile. Good to know.

I cut down anything that stands between me and it. Dozens of flowers, each one being blown away by just the sheer power behind my sword. A single decisive blow is better than small strikes. It's using the petals as a shield. I have to swat them out of the way and wait for it to leave itself with an opening.

Moving at high speeds is a challenge. I have to be careful of where I'm going and how I'll land. Too fast and I'll overshoot and either eat the ground, or crash into a building. A little too much pressure, and I'll just destroy whatever my feet touch.

You've done this loads of times, Kei! Just get it over with. I dive towards the enemy, blowing away anything that even looks like a petal. Charged with magic, I slice through the iron bars guarding the Shadow's body. Its body, torn in half, hits the ground with a disgusting wet impact. One down, now the other.

A giant wheel magically appears from the sky, accompanied by a large carpet underneath. Huh!? The wheel, most of covered in red! Cheating bastard!

Shizuka jumps onto the wheel, stopping the needle with her bare hands on a blue tile. "Kill it, now!"

Swifter than thought, my body reacts to her instruction. The horse doesn't budge an inch, or maybe it can't react fast enough. I grab its metal frame between my hands. Even if it hits me with magic it can't escape. My sword travels down its body, tearing it into two. I throw the thing away like trash, letting it disappear into nothingness. The roulette wheel just…pops out of existence, with no fanfare.

"Turn it off," Shizuka whispers.

I turn off Shadow-mog, returning to my normal self. Those Shadows are dead but she's still missing. I don't want to waste any more time here, and I don't feel like answering questions I know are coming. Damnit, this is actually kind of frustrating.

"Kazuki-kun…"

An overly familiar voice spreads throughout my head, pulling my attention off to the distance. Fuu-chan, I know where she is! They'll want answers, and I'll give them after I save her. I turn on Shadow-mog once again and take to the skies without a word to Shizuka. Can't waste a second talking when she's out there. The rooftops are the best way to travel throughout the city. Fuu-chan's presence is getting closer with each second. It's coming from on top of an apartment building. No sweat, I can make it from down here.

With a massive leap, I land on top of the roof. Fuu-chan is standing at the other end of the roof, watching me with an odd smile.

"Fuu-chan, what happened back there? Did someone–"

"Kazuki-kun…you did an amazing job tonight."

"You were watching?"

"Of course, why shouldn't I be… My eyes are always on you, watching you fight on and on. Everyone else can barely keep up with you. You're just so strong, Kazuki-kun." This isn't right, not in the least! "...Don't worry about anything, Kazuki-kun, just keep destroying everything in the way, and my love is yours. That is what you want, right?"

Fuuka…would never say this.

"Wh-who are you?"

"What's wrong? Do you not want me? The version that simply gives you her love?"

"Who the hell are you!?"

"Well, since you asked. I am Yamagishi Fuuka, or…"

A terrible shiver runs down my body, chilling my blood. Anxiety mixed with confusion, I stammer at the person in front of me.

"...Kazuki Kei." That's my face, grinning with an evil aura behind it. "It's as if you are staring at a mirror, right? A perfect image of who you are." What happened to Fuuka? Was he the one who took her? But when did he even… "No need to overanalyze. I've taken the girl."

"...Give her back!"

"Make me." Something snaps in my head, rationality, judgment, or maybe all sense of fear. Either way, I charge at this monster. "Far too hasty."

A huge block of ice tears through the roof, hitting everywhere from my face to my chest. A cold, searing pain numbs a bit of my face; it buzzes like an annoying alarm clock. Luckily, this is nothing, so I should be fine.

"Master, are you unharmed?"

"Of course, Shiki." Master? What the hell is going on? "...If you wish to defeat me and save the girl, then all you need to do is best my servant. Not too hard, no?"

There are more of them… Whatever, I don't care if there are hundreds of them. If they get in my way, then I'll destroy them all…