Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

            “What the heck is that!?” Yosuke’s comment brought the Shadow’s gaze to him. Her servants’ legs trembled as they pivoted, but even when they stopped, the three diminutive underlings continued to quiver. Their master’s hair coiled around them, a writhing fan of tendrils that spilled from her pointed yellow cowl. One hand grazed her chin, the other tracing idly over the grey skin of her exposed thigh.

            Under the mask, her eyes narrowed, and two lengths of her hair whipped forward. Yosuke barely managed to throw himself out of their path before the bladed tips carved into the castle’s tile floor. Her main target missed, she instead pushed the locks further, attempting to strike at the man behind him. He raised his thin sword, using the blunt of its blade to deflect the attack.

            “Dominatrix. Cult outfit.” Yosuke, having briefly feared for his partner’s safety, quickly had his worries dashed by his nonplussed response.

            “That’s not exactly what I…”

            “You’re pretty tough, for a worm.” The Shadow’s hair raised, and its tips ran thick with sparks. Even further behind the front line, hiding behind the doorframe leading into the room with the half-conscious Chie, the scarlet and white suited bear flailed in panic.

            “Watch out, Sensei!”

            Yu wasn’t the one who had to worry, and he knew it. The Shadow’s hair lunged forward, and from it came thick bolts of lightning. Yosuke tried to get to his feet, but his body wouldn’t respond in time. He wasn’t a warrior. He was just a kid! A kid whose guardian spirit frog had a severe allergy to electricity. He put up his arms, hoping to block even a fraction of the oncoming damage, but instead of its intense light, the space around him turned darker. Over him, Yu stood with his arms spread.

            “What are you…!?” The thunder struck twice, and though he winced, the bulk of it bounced off of him as sparks. The worst injury to speak of was a layer of thick char on his uniform’s jacket. “Dude, you’re freaking nuts!”

            “And insulated.” Yu flicked his hand up, and in his palm, there was suddenly a floating, blue card. Its power flowed out as a dense wind, one that only grew stronger when he smashed it between his fingers.

            There was a bright flash, and somewhere in its span, a new titan joined the battle. Golden eyes stared unfeelingly from beneath a metal mask, and his coat billowed as he rushed towards the enemy Shadow. He swung his naginata, and though his opponent could attack more quickly, he was able to deflect them with both the blade and the pole of his weapon. Yosuke made use of the distraction to bring himself back to his feet and pick up his dropped second dagger.

            “Thanks for the save, partner. We need to end this fight now, before it gets one of those off on me.” All of the hair on his body stood on end despite never being touched, and something told him that he couldn’t be as effective of a direct lightning rod as his friend.

            Yu stared on as Izanagi dueled the Shadow. Their enemy was fast and merciless. She had no armor to speak of, but her bladed hair was an effective barrier. In the thirty seconds they had been locked together, Izanagi had been unable to land a single hit on her. She displayed an air of indomitable strength, but there had to be limits.

            Wait, she had mentioned something about strength in her speech before going berserk, right? She said that the real Chie could only feel strong so long as she had Yukiko to stand over. Someone to use to prop herself up…

            “Support’s weak.” Yosuke lifted an eyebrow at Yu’s sudden comment. He looked closer at the Shadow to try figuring it out. He noticed that every time Izanagi pushed an assault, even though the ring leader deflected it, the girl at the bottom of the stack was crushed by the brunt of the pressure. Yosuke, who previously thought his Persona was a liability in this battle, was struck by inspiration.

            “Blow her away, Jiraiya!” Yosuke’s card floated down in front of him, and in one swing of the knife, it was split in two, and the spirit it contained was freed. Jiraiya dared not cross into melee range. Instead, the amphibious Shinobi removed the twisted grin figurehead from his chest, gripping it between two central fingers. He reared back, and when he threw it, the boomerang carried with it a mighty gale.

            Izanagi saw the ribbons at his sides begin to whip, and he retreated, using his naginata to vault over the maelstrom. With her attacker out of her way, the Shadow was left with no cover to hide behind from the oncoming attack. The boomerang passed her by, and when its tailwind met her, she felt her servants wane.

            “No, I order you to stand firm! You’re not allowed to fail me, you useless bitches!” No matter how she pleaded, it couldn’t stop the last of their energy from draining away. They collapsed under the monstrous ego of their master, and the tower crumbled, leaving the Shadow in a tangled heap atop the ruins of her false might. “Damnit, how dare you…!?” She tried to stand under her own power, but when her foot touched down, it slid over a stray lock of her own hair, and she slipped back to the ground.

            “Partner, this is your chance!”

            Yu nodded, and when he charged, Izanagi was at his side. The two shared a sidelong glance, and their paths turned inwards. The Shadow looked up as they neared, the cold detachment in their faces sending pangs of fear racing through her.

            “No, stay back, I refuse to die! I will not be made subservient again! I won’t go back to the depths of her disgusting soul!”

            Her pleas were but puffs of wind, unable to blow back her attackers. They were on her before she could throw out any more excuses, and their paths crossed, winding up on the opposite sides behind her. Izanagi and Yu lifted their blades up, and when they waved them in a flourish, thick jets of black spewed from the Shadow’s sickly flesh. Izanagi, his work done, retired to the still pond of Yu’s mind.

            Their opponent, her tumultuous rage bested, shed the skin of destruction. When the last of its shell vanished, all that was left was a mimicry of the girl that had spawned her, the only visible difference being the cold golden eyes. Chie started to stir, and when she saw her other self looking at her forlornly, her heart seized in her chest.

            “No, you’re not me…!”

            “Chie.” Yosuke tucked his daggers away, offering his hand to the fallen girl. “It’s no use lying to yourself like that. You can try to push it down as much as you like, but it’ll still be there until you face it head on.” His expression was one of regret, as though he was more looking at himself than her. Chie, not used to that sort of melancholy from the usually so… lively Yosuke, considered what he was saying.

            She accepted his help, and when she could walk on her own again, she closed the distance between her and her Shadow. She didn’t see the aggressor that pushed her into frenzied denial anymore. Her stomach still twisted in on itself, and she wanted to close her eyes, but then, that’s what she had already been doing for years. Now that she had seen this other part of herself, she couldn’t pretend it wasn’t there anymore.

            “For as long as I’ve known her, Yukiko has had everything I haven’t. She has the looks, the self-restraint, everything, but she acted like she was normal, maybe even less than that. Then she started looking up to me. This perfect girl, looking up to someone like me. Who would’ve thought, right?” She almost looked to her feet, but she shook off the urge, staring her Shadow straight in the eyes. “Being her friend made me feel better about myself. I started depending on that rush. Without her, I would have fallen apart. I’m not strong enough to stand on my own. You’re the part of me that realized that, right?” She hesitated, but she put a hand on her Shadow’s shoulder. Her touch was warm, and it sent ripples through the Shadow’s body.

            “You’re the me I couldn’t face. Well, I’m looking now.” Her Shadow smiled, and then she changed at Chie’s fingertips, her body warm with acceptance. The yellow, sparse cloth of her wild self was reknit, forming a full jumpsuit, and the hood hardened into a helmet. Her other self nodded, and then disappeared, leaving behind a blue card. It touched her hand, and then it sunk into her skin, a calming heat settling in her heart. Before she could get used to it, though, her legs gave out, and she would have fallen had Yu not ducked down and given her his shoulder. She realized how suddenly close he was, and blushed accordingly. “Oh, uh, thanks. I didn’t think I was that tired.”

            “Trust me, it’ll hit you hard, but you’ll feel a lot better soon.” Yosuke smiled at her in understanding, remembering the day before when he had awakened.

            “Way to go, Sensei, that was amazing!” With the danger passed, Teddie entered the room, a sparkle in his glassy eyes. “But, uh, what was that ‘dominatrix’ thing you mentioned? I’ve never heard that word before.”

            “Trust me, it would be better if you didn’t.” Yosuke went on to ignore the poor bear, but Teddie perked up when Yu mouthed, ‘Tell you later,’ between explaining things to their new teammate.

-

            Chie was able to get back to the entrance of the TV world without assistance, but she had to sit down once they arrived. She would have loved to head over to the food court in Junes to fuel up, but people usually got worried when they saw someone who seemed one foot in the grave. She assured the others that she would be okay to hurry home and rest properly after a little time off her feet.

            “Alright, if you say so.” Yosuke shrugged, seeing no harm in a break. It saved his wallet from having to buy her another lunch at least. “Just make sure you’re ready to go from tomorrow on. We should have a couple weeks before the fog lifts, but we’ll be hitting this place hard until Yukiko-san is safe.”

            “You don’t have to tell me twice.” Chie, from her seat, skimmed the ragtag group. Near the stack of televisions that served as their exit, Yu was gesturing at Teddie, who hummed along in rapt attention. “So, who’s the leader?”

            “What do you mean?”

            “I mean who’s organizing all this? Come on, this place is right out of a horror story, and anyone who’s seen one knows that a bunch of kids running into a haunted house without a plan never ends well.”

            “Huh, that’s actually a good point.” Yosuke considered himself, but then he thought back to that day’s battle, and the two from the day before. He was mostly running around like a headless chicken when he wasn’t an active liability, at least until he got direction from a certain cool head. “Yo, Yu, how about you do it?” Yu looked up from his explanation, clear confusion on his face.

            “Me?”

            “Totally. Let’s face it, I panic under pressure way too easy. You, though, you have, like, total focus under fire. We could use that to keep things straight, you know?”

            “Fine by me.” Chie built up enough energy to relax more naturally, an arm propped casually on top of her knee. “I trust you way more than I do the guy that thought waving swords around in a store was a good idea.”

            “Hey, I was caught up in the moment, a one-time mistake! I learned my lesson!”

            “And almost got booked, from what you were telling me. If Narukami hadn’t told the officers that you weren’t attacking him with those things…”

            “Okay.” Yu broke the argument in progress, his clear voice bringing all eyes to him. Yosuke was immediately pumped.

            “Sweet, we got our team. Let’s crack this case wide open, starting with Yukiko-san.” Yu nodded, but then he looked to the TVs, his eyes focused in thought.

            “Teddie, when you said, ‘From the same place,’ did you mean location or entrance?” Yu once again had total attention, but this time in surprise.

            “Entrance, of course. Why you ask?”

            “Yeah, what’s the big deal?” Chie’s tiredness was a lot less of an issue now, outweighed by curiosity.

            “Our door’s a store display. It goes out, we lose our safe entrance.”

            “Oh crap, I didn’t think of that.” Yosuke scratched his head, trying to remember the inventory listings. “It’s a new model, so it should be on display for a while, but I’ll see what I can do about keeping it there.”

            “Thanks.” Yu put a hand to his chin, and Yosuke and Chie slipped in close together, both whispering.

            “Is it just me, or is that the first time he’s said more than two words since we’ve met?”

            “I know, right!?” She peeked back towards him, where he hadn’t budged an inch. He was as good as a statue. “Maybe, now that he has an official position or whatever, he’s taking it super seriously?”

            “If that’s the case, we really scored getting him to help us.”

            “There’s that ‘scoring’ thing again.” Both jumped away from each other, not expecting Teddie to pop up between them. “And why were you whispering? I can’t bear secrets. Hey, there’s another good one! He he!”

            Yu glanced over to the clashing personalities he had, somehow, ended up right in the middle of. They were the noisiest, craziest group he had ever been in. Under the cover of the hand on his chin, he found himself smiling.

            Being in a group, huh? He could get used to it.

Chapter Text

            “Yukiko…” Chie was left to watch as the finely dressed doppelganger of her best friend ran deeper into the fog laden halls of the castle, leaving in her wake a trail of questions. “She’s what Yukiko’s been hiding inside, right? But… she’s never been interested in boys. What’s going on?”

            “There’s only one way to find out. We should go after her.”

            “Been here before.” Yosuke stopped in his tracks, looking back at his leader. He followed Yu’s line of sight down to tiles near the entrance of the large room. They were split cleanly middle in multiple places, the gashes all around three feet in length.

            “Hey, this is where we fought Chie’s Shadow. I thought you said the floors changed, Teddie?”

            “I did, and they do. Most of them, anyway.” Teddie scratched the back of his head, rocking back and forth on his feet innocently. “This is the first time a big place like this has formed here. I’m learning about it along with you.”

            “Whatever, bear.”

            “Wait, why would she be here?” Chie’s brows knit together. “We were already this far in once, but we didn’t see her then. She said she was running deeper in to find her Prince Charming, but she had to have backtracked to meet us here. What gives?”

            “Well… It’s just a hunch, but what if she wants us to follow her?” Yosuke thought back to the performance Yukiko’s Shadow gave, complete with a TV show banner. “Both of our Shadows started off trying to blow the lid off of all the stuff we had bottled up. They wanted to be seen, and it was us trying to push them back that made them go kill crazy.” Yosuke groaned and hunched over. “Sorry, I’m probably way off.”

            “Actually, that made a lot of sense.”

            “It did?”

            “Congratulations.” Chie cleared the hard confusion from her face, winking teasingly at Yosuke. “You graduated to almost kind of smart.”

            “Hey, you don’t…! Ugh, never mind. Come on, we should get back to the mission.”

            Yu took a moment more to think, but even when he resumed the charge into the unknown, a niggling question lingered. Why that room, specifically?

-

            “Get it!”

            The world inside the TV was full of weirdness.

            “No no no, other way!”

            On top of the weird monsters and weird, changing buildings, there were treasure chests. Like, stereotypical video game treasure chests, and they were everywhere.

            “Partner, it’s going your way! Cut it off!”

            So Yu thought, why not open them all? Each one had some good stuff to add to their stock. It was bad form to turn down medical supplies when they were getting hurt and tired so often.

            “Damn this thing’s tough!”

            What he never expected, however, was one of them having a Shadow stuffed inside. Furthermore, one whose skin was woven into a golden glove.

            “Oh no you don’t!”

            He lashed out in panic when it jumped out of the box at him, but to the group’s surprise, that one cut revealed what was inside. It didn’t have blood. It had yen. As soon as they saw it, Yosuke and Chie led the assault, trying to wring it for every coin like a money piñata. There was just one small problem.

            It was fast, resilient, and had one Hell of a backhand. They needed to match it beat for beat if they wanted its lucrative innards for their own.

            “Chie, it’s up to you!” Yosuke sliced his card, and when Jiraiya appeared, he pointed him at her. “Sukukaja!” His wrist shuriken shined, and with it, Chie was granted even greater swiftness.

            “Rakunda!” Izanagi sprung from Yu’s mind, and with a wave of the naginata, a degenerative magic slipped into the glove’s cloth. Its fabric felt loose, more susceptible to harm.

            “Alright, Tarukaja!” Tomoe joined her real self’s plight, casting an enchantment of strength on her flesh. Muscles bulged under her skin, and Chie let out a battle cry. She charged towards her weakened opponent, catching it while it was against a wall to limit its movement. She jumped into a spin, her leg going round and round like the blade of a helicopter. She neared her target, pulling her leg back before the final swing.

            Just before impact, however, the glove leaped, landing on her head before scurrying behind her. Chie’s heart dropped, but there was little she could do. Her leg careened into the wall, burying itself to the knee in solid stone. Her hip contorted painfully, and to add insult to injury, she saw what would have been a very dead Shadow hauling off around the next corner, disappearing from view.

            “Oh God!” She grabbed her thigh, the ache sinking down to the marrow. She recoiled again when Yu put his hands over hers, helping to wiggle the leg out of its tomb. When she glanced at him, she saw a spark of worry behind the emotionless face.

            “Where’s it hurt?”

            “Everywhere.” He lowered her to the floor, the act laying her leg out straight for examination making her wince. “It’s like stubbing a toe, but way worse.”

            “Pixie.” Yu crushed his card, summoning the small, blue sprite. Flakes of green magic sprinkled down from its wings, and any skin they touched had its pain recede.

            “Thanks. Lesson learned, next time we do something like that, we should throw in a defense boost.” He nodded in agreement, and Yosuke joined her on the floor.

            “Damn, I could have used that cash, too.” Yu took an eye off his healing duties.

            “Short?”

            “I’m saving for a bike. You know, one of those big hogs the ladies go wild for. I’ve been putting a little away from my checks, but it’s taking a while. Even one pinky off that thing would have gotten me a little…” His despondent grumbling was corked when a heavy stack of bills was thrust into his lap. He traced the hand that held it back to Yu, who looked like nothing abnormal was going on whatsoever. “Dude, this is…!”

            “Sorry, most of my allowance went to gear.” He looked somewhat ashamed, as though a stack thicker than Yosuke’s arm was chump change.

            “That’s not the problem here! Where did you get all this!?”

            “Wait, your parents are working overseas, right?” He nodded, and Chie’s eyes went wide in amazement. “It must be a pretty good job. How much do you get in… allowance?”

            “About eighty thousand.”

            “Uh, monthly?”

            “Every other week.” Yosuke and Chie looked at each other. Who the Hell did they make their leader? “Take it. I don’t need it.”

            “If you insist, I guess.” Yosuke reached out, and when the cash hit his palm, he realized just how heavy money could be. It didn’t disappear, and he didn’t wake up from his dream. The smile on his face could have lit up the darkest night. “Oh man, thanks! I’ll pay you back once I save up…”

            “It’s fine.” He went back to his healing, effectively cutting off any further insistences.

            “Wow, Sensei!” Teddie’s eyes were sparkling with admiration. “You’re really… Uh, that phrase was ‘making it rain,’ right?”

            “Dude, what are you teaching this bear!?”

-

            When they next saw Yukiko’s Shadow, she wasn’t alone. She had a knight with her. A fully armored knight on a floating horse, the whole set standing at least twenty feet tall. She ran off, leaving them to deal with a pissed off Sir Lancelot.

            It was a rough ride. He was even faster than the stupid golden glove, and that let him put a huge amount of power behind his lance. He could turn on a coin, too, so any evasive maneuvers needed a follow up, otherwise they would just get stabbed in the back. The team was wearing out, and they were panicking, their opponent hale and hearty while they were only staying alive through the copious application of medicine.

            Yosuke thought it was over for him when he became the target. The knight charged him, and he threw up his arms, hoping to block enough to stay alive. Then, something strange happened. He felt a breeze, even though they were inside a sealed room, and he thought he heard a croaking.

            Then, when the tip of the lance was an inch from him, his legs moved on their own. As though by instinct, he swerved out of the way, slipping around it like a leaf on the wind. It was then that he had a conscious idea and lashed out with his knife. It carved into the knight’s unprotected side, and the armor there was thin. The blade came back with an edge covered in inky blood.

            Teddie was watching carefully as the knight turned around, but instead of charging immediately like every other time, it stopped for a second, gripping its stomach. It trembled as weakness overtook it, and Teddie recalled what Yu had mentioned about the equipment he bought for everyone.

            “Yosuke poisoned the enemy! He’s vulnerable!”

            The knight heard the declaration, and it took it as a challenge to its honor. Yosuke had already retreated, leaving Chie as the one closest to it. The horse took off, and Chie dropped into a fighting stance, ready to jump up and try to kick its head off.

            “Repeat your mistake!” Chie’s ears perked at Yu’s order, and the idea took root. The knight’s movement was hindered by poison. It wouldn’t be able to stop itself that easily anymore. She smiled behind her arms, and when she backed away, she made it appear outwardly as though it was in fear.

            The knight closed in, and when it was at full speed, she dived out of the way, making it realize that there was a wall directly behind her. It crashed into it, and scraps of armor bounced off in every direction, leaving the lance sticking out like a dart. Buckets of ooze dripped out of the armor, and the once proud knight was left as a sticky scrapyard.

            “Wow, that was awesome!” She jumped up and down, kicking and screeching like the hero of a cheesy karate movie.

            “I’ve got to give it to you, partner, you have a good eye for strategy.” Yosuke slung an arm around Yu’s shoulder, grateful that his special daggers enabled the win. “I never would have thought of that move.” Yu tilted his head.

            “Never seen a bullfight?”

            “…Oh.”

-

            With every level they ascended, voices would echo down. What they said sounded uncannily like Yukiko’s Shadow, but it lacked that hidden side’s flair. The first few were all her complaining about her lesser qualities, her passiveness, even her name. Snow, a transient thing, useless. For Chie, that degrading talk was painful to hear.

            But it only got worse when other voices entered the mix.

            “Hey, that’s her now! Excuse me, Amagi-san!” If they strained their ears, they could almost hear Yukiko, saying, “Shut up, leave me alone,” over and over, but it was entirely drowned out by the reporter’s advances. “You’re in charge of the Amagi Inn with your mother out of commission, right? It’s temporary as of now, of course, but wow, you’re technically the youngest business owner in Japan! And not a bad looker, either. The guys must be lining up for miles!” Yosuke grit his teeth, his bile rising at the sheer greasiness on display.

            “This is just…”

            “Guys, is this… scoring?” Teddie looked shaken, as though he could feel the building tension. “If it is, I don’t want anything to do with it.”

            “No, Ted, it’s the farthest thing from it.” Yosuke turned his attention to Chie, whose hand was balled up as tightly as she could push it. Teddie almost asked more, but Yu kneeled down to whisper in his ear.

            “Rule one, know when it’s not wanted.”

            “Understood, Sensei.”

            “This is how she really felt and what she was dealing with, and I never realized it.” Chie’s bangs hid her eyes from view, but the coldness in her tone left no ambiguity as to what was in them. “I’m a terrible friend.”

            “You’re young. Mistakes are part of that.” Yu put a supportive hand on her shoulder, and the turbulent energies swirling inside found a point of contact to focus on. “Not too late to change.”

            “…Yeah, you’re right.” She pushed up her glasses, using her other arm to wipe her eyes. When she pulled her hands away, her eyes, though damp, gave off a sharp determination. “Let’s save her from herself. I owe her that much for what she’s done for me, and for what I should’ve been doing for her.”

Chapter Text

            “What is that!?”

            “Chandelier cage. Human-faced bird.”

            Chie stared at her leader, the spark of the moment irreparably lost even as Yukiko’s Shadow screeched.

            “Come, my wretched princes, let us dance on my former self’s ashes.” She turned her attention down to where Yukiko had fainted, but she was puzzled when she found only velvet carpeting. “Hey, where did she go!?”

            “Running running running running…!” A red and blue ball of cotton was dashing away, holding Yukiko overhead and squeaking with every step.

            “Bring back my effigy, you flea-infested beast!” She flapped a wing, and from her feathers rolled a plume of flame, hounding Teddie’s heels.

            “Gyah, no! Teddie’s flammable!”

            “Don’t forget about us!” Jiraiya hopped between Teddie and the pursuing fire, brandishing his neck plate. He sliced down with it, and a wall of wind pushed it back, peppering Shadow Yukiko with her own embers. She ducked back into her cage, but its cover was incomplete. Her wings caught what the metal couldn’t, but her fury was stoked nonetheless.

            “You…!” She backed up further in the cage when Tomoe latched onto its front. Her blade shined with blue light, and when it swept down, it left behind a thick trail of ice.

            “Alright, Tomoe!” The Persona retreated to her master’s side as a claw shot out from the bars, barely missing their mark. Shadow Yukiko attempted to resurface, but to her shock, the ice had formed along the frame of the door, sealing her in. “You’re up, leader.”

            “Izanagi.” The iron-masked warrior sprung forth and clung onto the top of the cage, where the claws couldn’t reach him. The opposite, however, wasn’t true, his naginata slim and long enough to strike at the Shadow. She flitted evasively from side to side, but with each attack, the margin became slimmer, and soon, feathers were severed.

            “You’re no princes, you’re not even commoners! You are useless serfs. Come, my prince, discipline these slaves!” Izanagi spotted movement in the corner of his eyes, and he brought his weapon up in defense. A short sword struck the poll. Holding it was a diminutive figure, perhaps two feet tall, that looked to be a wooden marionette dressed in finery and a brownish-blonde wig. His technique lacked the force to throw Izanagi from his perch, even if he didn’t guard, but he had no means of knowing if the blade was poisoned as befitting a smaller, swifter opponent. Their clash became a circling dance atop the chandelier that rocked it to and fro.

            Yukiko’s Shadow didn’t rest on her laurels. She leaned towards the door, and when her mouth opened, a tongue of flame lolled out. The metal heated until it glowed, and the ice lock began to drip away. Chie spotted the breakout attempt, but she was unable to recreate the seal with the prison bouncing around like that.

            “Bring him down here!” Yu nodded, and he lifted his hand, beckoning to Izanagi. He saw the signal, and his assault redoubled, pushing the prince towards the outer edge of their battlefield. As the space behind him shrank, the slope steepened, and his footing grew slick. The prince glanced back to try righting himself, and Izanagi saw his opening. When the prince returned his attention to the fight, he was staring down a bladed heel. It dug into his shoulder, forcing him to drop his sword in pain, and when the bottom of Izanagi’s boot proper met him, he was thrown from his lofty perch to the tiled floor below. He tried to pick himself up, but once again, all he saw in front of him was the bottom of a shoe.

            “Blow away!” Chie spun down towards him, but this time, her shot connected. The centrifugal force bled into the royal ponce, leaving Chie unharmed as he was shot back. He crashed through the wall behind the throne, leaving Shadow Yukiko alone once again.

            “No, my prince!” She crowed loudly, her call turning heartbroken when he failed to return. “You were supposed to save me from this prison, not leave me to rot like…!” Suddenly, her sorrow came to a boil, and through tear soaked eyes, she glared at the girl who had cast him off. “CHIE!”

            She charged forward, swinging her head up like a flail and shattering the hinges of her door, breaking a hole in the cage. She didn’t let the impact slow her, though, falling into a dive as jet streams of fire tailed her.

            “Chie, you useless bitch! I trusted you! I believed in you! But did you do anything to save me? No!” The words crashed over Chie as a tidal wave, but she did nothing to stop them. She couldn’t. She didn’t have it in her to lie anymore. “All you’ve ever done is taken advantage of me, so why don’t you drop dead!?” Shadow Yukiko’s aura was thick and choking, the heat rising exponentially as she came closer.

            Yosuke and Yu tried to run in and help, maybe by grabbing her and pulling her aside, maybe by forming a wall to hold back the enraged firebird, but they were too slow. Chie’s hand tightened, and her body shook.

            “You’re right, I’ve been a horrible friend.” The Shadow’s head thrust down to pluck Chie like a worm, but Tomoe formed in her defense. She was unarmed, using her hands to hold her back. Her feet dug into the tiles, grinding them to dust until enough of a lip formed behind her heels to hold back the charge. Shadow Yukiko’s eyes burned in fury, but when Chie’s met them, hers, too, were filled with rage unending. The difference, though ,was that hers was directed inwards. “I used you to feel better about myself. I was so focused on not being a loser that I didn’t see how much you were hurting. You have every right to be angry at me.”

            “But that ends now.” Chie spread her stance, digging her feet into the ground. Her muscles tensed, and with them, the flow of SP funneling into Tomoe swelled. “I’ve let you fight with all these feelings alone for long enough. Now, I’m going to help you. I’m going to be there for you like I always should have been.” She held her fists up, her focus honing down to a single point. Tomoe’s body coiled, and behind her mask, her eyes flared to match Chie’s. “I’m going to save you, Yukiko!”

            Tomoe took a step forward, and though the Shadow pushed back with all her strength, Shadow Yukiko was unable to hold her at bay. With every step, Tomoe’s pace picked up, her footfalls echoing like a freight train. The Shadow’s balance was increasingly compromised until she was little more than a weight on Tomoe’s shoulders, lifted fully from the ground and left to flail uselessly.

            “No, stop! You already failed, you can’t help us!”

            “Just try to stop me! Finish this, Tomoe!” Chie’s cry was an enraged shriek, and with a muffled yell, her Persona’s legs bended, collecting her forward momentum to take off. She flew forward, carried by every drop of magic Chie could wring from her system. With the last of her remaining strength, she shoved Yukiko’s Shadow forward, and both went crashing into the cage. It snapped back, and the chain whined under the sudden pressure until its links could no longer hold out. The metal cracked and popped, releasing the chandelier. The entirety of the mass fell, and when it struck the ground, Yukiko’s Shadow let loose one last cry of terror before going up in an all-consuming pyre.

            Chie hissed in pain, feeling the phantom of flames dance across her skin. No matter how she squirmed or itched, the sensation of being devoured like a piece of tinder wouldn’t subside, and sweat came in heavy sheets. It was only the locking of her muscles from exhaustion that kept her from collapsing. She watched with tired eyes as the smoke cleared. Standing at the heart of the dying firestorm was Tomoe, her jumpsuit ripped and charred, her helmet cracked, and under her arm was pinned the human form of the Shadow, whose expression had gone cold and docile.

            With a sigh of relief, Tomoe let herself recede, and the returning weight in the back of Chie’s mind almost brought her to her knees, spared the fall only by a swift grab on each side. Yosuke used both arms, and Yu spared only the one necessary to call on Pixie. The motes of green light were as relieving as ever, pushing back the bright red skin that would have otherwise easily blistered.

            “Thanks, guys, I…”

            “Hey, Yukiko-chan is waking up!” Teddie’s call brought her attention to the back of the room, where Yukiko stumbled from the pillar he had utilized for cover. She held her head with a hand, and her kimono was loose on her frame, the loss of a graceful stance letting it go slack. When her eyes opened, she looked briefly to Chie, but then she saw another figure emerge. Her Shadow attempted to stand, but she kept slipping on her voluminous dress. Yukiko recoiled, taking a sudden step back despite the lightheadedness.

            “No, you’re not…”

            “Yukiko.” She blinked, realizing Chie had broken free of Yu and Yosuke’s supportive grasp. She reached out with a shaking hand, but an echo of shame crossed her brow, making the limb fall to her side. “I know it hurts to face what you’ve been burying all this time, but I promise, it would hurt even more if you pushed it down and let it grow again.” The look Chie gave her wasn’t one she was familiar with. The creases under her eyes were deeper, and an exhaustion beyond the physical wounds weighed on her. Yukiko looked to her Shadow, and with a deep breath, she started towards it.

            “Every day, it’s always the same. My mother telling me that I’ll inherit the inn. My friends saying how proud they are of me for it. The guys talking behind my back, coming for me because I’m ‘hot,’ or because they want to take the ‘Amagi Challenge.’ It never changes. They tell me I’m important, but that’s not how it feels.” Soon, she stood over her Shadow, and she stopped her fight to stand, instead looking up at her real self. Yukiko wanted to scream in anger, realizing just how hollow those eyes were.

            “Sometimes, it’s like I’m not even a person. I’m an idol to be looked at on my pedestal. I’m a doll to be dressed up and posed. I’m… a songbird in a cage told to sing.” The Shadow’s eyes widened fractionally, and there was a glimmer of actual life. “All this time, I’ve been waiting for someone new to come along and pose me, to take my cage somewhere else. I wanted saved because I didn’t have the heart to say no to everything thrown on me. I was a damsel in distress waiting for my prince.” She held out a hand, and her Shadow stared at it.

            “In a way, you’re that part of me without the lies. You’re the me that wanted an easy out. You’re me, and I’m you.” A small, warm smile formed on the Shadow’s lips, and she reached out, taking her hand.

            When they touched, the gloved hand lifted up, and the Shadow’s dress blossomed like a flower in spring. The greater length of her dress migrated up, flowing around her arms like wings of petals, leaving behind a short white skirt fastened by a gold belt. Her hair shortened, white bangs held out of her masked face my rose pins. The newly born Persona bowed down, kissing Yukiko’s hand before taking the form of a card. It sank into her skin, and she felt her heart open wide for the first time in years.

            “This warmth…”

            “It feels nice, right?” Chie came up beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder. When Yukiko looked, she gasped at the sight of forming tears. “I’m… I should have seen what you were going through so much sooner. I called you my best friend, but I never even realized how much you… you…” She started to hiccup despite her best efforts at keeping a reserved face. The last thing she wanted was to break down, but she couldn’t hold back her guilt anymore. “I’m so sorry, Yukiko, I…” The last thing she expected was Yukiko to bring her in closer, looking her directly in the eye.

            “It’s not your fault, Chie. I’m the one that somehow expected you to see, even though I never told you. I was the one being unreasonable, not you.” Yukiko sniffled, quickly wiping her eyes before it could escalate. “You’re still my best friend, I promise. You came all the way here to save me, didn’t you?” Chie breathed in, a wavy smile forming.

            “I promise I’ll be a better friend to you. I’ll listen to whatever you want to tell me, and I won’t push you around anymore. I…”

            “Hey, girls? I hate to break up the reunion, I’m glad to see Yukiko-san’s alright, too, but…” Yosuke waved around the room, and Chie remembered where they were.

            “Oh, right, we should probably get out of here.”

            “Um, where is here, exactly?” Yukiko looked around, taking in the fog-shrouded mansion for the first time since she arrived, but it was difficult with her eyes drifting shut of their own accord. “And why do I feel so sleepy?”

            “Been almost a week.” Yu counted the days on his fingers, thinking back to his last health class. “That long, no sleep? Not healthy.” Chie dried her eyes, taking Yukiko’s hand.

            “Let’s go. We know how to get back to our world, and I’ll help you on your way home if you need it.”

            “Wait, you’re leaving me here alone!?” Teddie jumped back into the conversation, realizing everyone was about to pack up and be on their way. Yosuke stared at him with an eyebrow up.

            “Uh, yeah? You live here.”

            “Yeah, but…” There was a soft hand on his head. When he looked up, Yukiko was smiling at him, and he felt a weird lightness inside.

            “I think I remember you carrying me to safety, right? You’ve been a big help. If you’re a good boy and wait for us, I promise we’ll be back, okay?” He found his words failed him, and he emitted a sound like an especially pleased cat. “Thank you for understanding… Um…”

            “I’m Teddie!” He sprung back to life, smiling as wide as he was able. “Alright, let’s go! I’ll lead you guys back to the exit. Follow Teddie!” He skipped ahead, and when everyone started to follow, Yu joined him at the front of the pack. He brought his voice down to a secretive whisper. “I think I just had that fluttery feeling in my chest you told me about, Sensei!”

            “Kind of obvious. Didn’t flirt because…?” Teddie looked up at him, his enthusiasm curbed by tentative thought.

            “Well, she said she didn’t want guys after her, so I thought it was one of those signs that I shouldn’t. Was I wrong?”

            “Not at all.” Yu patted his back, careful to not push the deceptively weightless bear over. “Proud of you.” Teddie’s eyes sparkled, and his skip came back.

            “Thank you for teaching me, Sensei!”

            Yu glanced away from his prized pupil, checking up on their most recent save. Yukiko and Chie leaned on each other for support. Chie was relieved more than anything, but there was something more to Yukiko’s expression. He turned back to the road ahead, hiding the lingering feeling that there was still something she hadn’t come clean about.

Chapter Text

            The brook was calm. The air was damp and filled by the scent of waterside plants. There were bugs, but they didn’t seem to notice Yu, leaving him to his peace. It was a far cry from the tumultuous rivers he had known near Tokyo, and it was much cleaner than the seaside near Nagoya. The fish were plump and lively, their shadows darting just beyond the reach of the prying sun.

            Yu smiled, cast his line, and relaxed. The sun at his back, the moist air about his skin, the gentle pull of the river through his fishing pole. It all came together to grant him a calm he couldn’t find anywhere else. Were he a more religious man, he would have called it a thing divine.

            Before he could fully settle in, however, he felt short, swift breaths on the back of his elbow. He glanced back, and there was a narrow, orange muzzle hovering near him. The fox’s ears fell back when their eyes met, observing him quietly. Yu was perhaps a little wary, not helped by the light scars about its head and over its right eye, but it had apparently been docile enough to allow someone to place an apron around its neck. Upon closer inspection, there was an awareness present that superseded that of a normal wild animal, or even a handful of people. What did it want with him, though?

            He figured it out when he noticed how thin the creature looked. It still looked healthy, but it had clearly been a few days since it had eaten a sizable meal. Yu had just happened to have cooked a little something for the day’s excursion, and it probably left a little residue on him that had drawn the fox out.

            “Hungry?” He reached into the bag at his side, going to the pocket opposite where he kept his bug bait. In it, there was a small, sealed container, and when he pulled it open, savory soy sauce overwrote the scent of grass. He poked in with a toothpick, pulling out a small ball of dripping meat. He held it towards the fox, and it gripped it between its teeth, removing it from the pick before chewing.

            When it finished, it nuzzled his arm before slipping up beside him. It settled down at his side, but it didn’t push for another serving. It was as though it was happy for whatever it could get and decided to not push its luck, simply joining him for the company of someone it deemed to be nice. Yu smiled at the display, gladly offering it another meatball.

            “Stick around, we’ll split what I catch.” The fox was careful to not make any sudden moves as it ate, preserving the peace of the moment. Yu returned to his stillness, and he found the steady breathing of his company a welcome addition, much like a shishi-odoshi. He let his body relax, and man and canid became as a stone beside the stream.

-

            Ryotaro Dojima was not the healthiest man. His diet mostly consisted of premade meals with no care for nutrient content, leaving his intake lopsided. He worked more hours than almost anyone else in town, and that was without being constantly on call due to the recent murders and even more recent kidnapping. On top of that, he was too easily taken by drink, leaving his mind often as scattered as his liver.

            All of this meant that even a walk across town could leave him winded and in need of an occasional rest. He cursed himself for not taking his car for once, but Adachi had been insistent that the Amagi Inn wasn’t that far from his place. ‘Why not save some money on gas,’ he had said. Dojima would have a very particular reply ready for him, just as soon as he worked up the energy to voice it. Fortunately, the riverside park along the way had benches he could make use of.

            He plodded down the road, deciding off handedly if he wanted the one with or without shade, but then he saw something down by the river. He recognized Yu’s distinct silver hair from a distance, but there was an orange ball by him that he couldn’t quite identify. It almost looked like a fox, but that was ridiculous. He was a smart kid. He knew not to get tangled up with wild animals, right?

            When he, begrudgingly, gave into his curiosity and worked his way over, he saw he had misjudged him on some level. It was, indeed, a fox, but it didn’t hold itself like a feral creature. It was more like a small dog, a comparison strengthened when it saw Yu’s line shaking. He held the reel tight, and when the fish was stuck fighting against the pole, the fox dove in. It swam quickly, snatching the fish with its jaw and tearing it cleanly off the hook.

            Dojima expected it to run off with its pilfered prey, but, to his amazement, it came back to Yu, fish in mouth. He patted its head approvingly and took their prize, setting it in a bucket further away from the edge. He then baited the line anew with a ladybug, cast it back into the water, and sat in wait, his partner at the ready for the next fly to land in their web. Dojima had to admit, he was impressed.

            “The fish look like they’re biting pretty good right now.” The fox’s ears twitched, and it glanced back, but it returned to its silent vigil soon after. That was the only reaction Dojima got. He felt a little annoyance at that, staved off only by his knowledge that Yu was generally more respectful than that. “Did you hear me? Hey, Yu!” He was careful to keep the volume from spooking the fish, but after two calls in a row being ignored, he was a bit perturbed. He walked a small way down the shore, enough to see Yu’s face more clearly, and the look in his eye was paradoxical. It was focused on the water with a diligence most people could only dream of, but it was also dilated, almost like he was fast asleep. He was left scratching his head, but it didn’t take long to finally click.

            His sister had sent a few notes in advance about Yu’s little quirks. At the top was his passive quietness, a trait that had been a little unnerving at first but was easy to adjust to. Just below it, though, was something he had yet to see until now. Apparently, Yu was serious about his meditation. He would go completely silent and still, moving only when directly stimulated to do so, and stay that way for hours. He had supposedly once sat through a heavy rainstorm like that, never even realizing he was drenched until his father pointed it out later that evening.

            It almost reminded Dojima of proper Buddhism, but the small container of meatballs at his side struck that possibility. Nevertheless, it was interesting, even if he had no idea how the fox got included in his meditation ritual. At least it gave him a few topics to bring up later. He had no idea how to strike up a conversation with the kid otherwise. He was too quiet, never giving him anything to latch onto. Well, unless Nanako was involved, in which case…

            Oh, that was right. She was waiting for him back home. He nearly forgot. With one more check to make sure the fox was relatively tame, he turned back to the road, leaving Yu to his fishing.

-

            “God damnit!” The water splashed lightly, and the intruding mass floated back to the surface. A small, pink, plush rabbit popped up nose first, and then it was gone, carried away by the stream. The man that threw it fell back on his ass, trying to shake the thoughts out of his head before they could piss him off more.

            But that didn’t do any good. They just kept playing in his head over and over again. Teachers getting on his ass about his grades and attendance. The other students talking behind his back, but never to his fucking face. Those jackasses on bikes messing with his Ma’s sleep. The next time those bastards tried another stupid fucking drag race on his street, he would tear their bikes apart and ram the scrap straight up their asses.

            To top it all off, every time he tried to work it out, he would pick up a needle, thinking massacring a piece of cloth would make him feel better, but he walked away with something cutesy and happy and all that sappy shit. And this last one was pink! He might as well have been tattooing, ‘I’m gay as Hell,’ on his back. He was going to head to the dump and chuck it in, skipping the garbage middleman and getting it to the incinerator as soon as possible, but all the thoughts came flooding back at once and he needed to do something to shut them the Hell up. It didn’t help, though. It just made them a little more quiet by relativity, drowned out by his own internal screaming. Why did he have to be so…?

            “You drop this?” He looked up from his self-loathing to a punk he didn’t recognize. His posture was relaxed, but not slouched. His face was like a wood plank, flat and blank. He was carrying a fishing rod, and from its line dangled a dripping, sagging, pink rabbit. The man’s nostril’s flared, and he shot up from the ground with war on the mind.

            “What’re you suggesting!?”

            “Saw you throw it. Didn’t know if you wanted it back.” He didn’t know what to do. This punk didn’t react at all to the threat, even though he was, like, a foot shorter. He just stood there, with that blank fucking look on his face, waiting for an answer.

            “Well, what’s it to you?”

            “Thought it was cute. Know someone who’d like it, but didn’t want to steal it.” Ah great, this shit heel was going to use his work to hit on a girl. Not on his watch.

            “You know what, yeah, I want it back, so give it here!” His eyes fell, but he agreed without a fight. He pulled it carefully from the hook and handed it over with smooth, even movements, not in the least put off by the aggressive response. “There, you did your good deed for the day, now would you…”

            “Where’d you get it? Want to get my little cousin a gift.” Ah shit, it was for family, not a date? He didn’t want to make a little kid go without when he didn’t even want it in the first place, but he couldn’t just take back what he said. He’d look like a wishy-washy jackass!

            “Uh, well, my Ma owns a textile shop over in the shopping district. Tatsumi Textiles, heard of it?”

            “Oh, sell plushies, too? Haven’t seen any on display before.” Shit, he knew it. And the pit was digging deeper.

            “Well, actually, it’s a rare thing. Sometimes we have leftover materials, so why not throw them together into something, you know?” The guy’s eyes started to fall again, and god damnit, he really didn’t want to be the jackass in this conversation. “Tell you what, I’ll see about getting you the next one we make. It might be a while, but we could use the business if you’re cool waiting.” He picked up again, and thank god for that.

            “Sounds good. Here, a preorder.”

            “No, just pay for it whenever it gets…” Fuck that was a lot of money. He could jack slap a guy with a stack like that, and this punk was handing it out like candy. His Ma could use that sort of business. “A-Alright, sure. I’ll see if Ma can speed things up for you then. So… Did you want a specific kind of plush, or what?”

            “Think she could do a platypus? Same colors as the rabbit.” Well, there was a challenge, but he was game. Maybe he could do something with that freaky beaver tail, like he’s holding it like a pillow or…

            “Yeah, Ma can prolly do that. I’ll look for you when your order’s done.” He held out his hand, pocketing the wad with the other and holding the rabbit under his arm. “Name’s Kanji Tatsumi, remember it.”

            “Yu Narukami. Pleasure doing business.” Normally, a sentence like that was stuck up as Hell to Kanji’s ears, but there was a smoothness to how he said it that made it go down easy. And that wasn’t a pansy-ass handshake, he matched Kanji’s grip to the letter.

            They took a minute longer to exchange phone numbers, just in case, and Yu went back to his spot down the stream. Kanji was about turn away when he saw the guy sit down next to a fox. It leaned into him, and it looked like he had a wild animal trained like a dog. He was even feeding it meatballs like a pudgy pooch lounging on the couch. With all the evidence in hand, Kanji knew exactly what to make of the guy.

            “He’s baked off his face.” Still, high or not, he had money, and Kanji needed money. He pulled out the rabbit, looking at where it had been hooked. Luckily, it hadn’t snagged too hard, meaning the hole was small. He could patch it up in a heartbeat as soon as it dried.

            He briefly remembered what he intended to do with it, but the moment was gone. For all he knew, even if he went all the way to the dump, he’d chuck it just to have Yu pop up again with it at the end of his fishing rod. It was like a boomerang, always coming back. Why bother?

            He had to get his ass home anyway. He had a new plush to plan out before they ran out of cloth. Hopefully that cousin really did like it.

-

            As Yu fished, day bled into evening, and when gold began giving way to purple, he snapped out of his trance. He stood up for the first time in hours, his mind cleared and refreshed. The bucket at his side was heavy with fish, even as he took out the fox’s last payment for the day. He tossed it over, and his new partner caught it, though it didn’t start eating just yet. Its stomach must have been filled to capacity.

            “Thanks for the company.” He patted it on the head, and it nuzzled his hand as he pulled it away. “Should do this again sometime.” Its yip was muffled, but it sounded affirmative. Then, it was off, darting up the hill and into the thicket with a midnight snack in tow. Yu smiled as he packed his things, looking forward to the next time he could squeeze an afternoon to himself into his schedule.

            For now, though, he wondered if Dojima and Nanako had eaten dinner yet. If not, he had a nice little surprise for them.

Chapter Text

            Chie and Yukiko knew not the evil they would unleash by bringing instant noodles to the latter’s first team meeting. Yu’s stomach growled monstrously at the pleasing aroma, and Yukiko, in her oblivious kindness, offered to split hers with him. He declined, expressing that he wouldn’t feel right eating her food. He also threw in his belief that it wouldn’t fill him enough anyway. Yosuke looked at him in idle curiosity, and when he parted his lips, he spoke the question that would unleash pandemonium.

            “How much could you really eat?”

            When the late afternoon rains began, Yu led them to Aiya, and the next thirty minutes were spent in shared confusion. The rainy day special was an infamous figure in Inaba. Almost everyone in town that wasn’t in some way against the consumption of meat had tried their hand at the challenge, and all walked away three thousand yen poorer and with a bloated stomach. Even the Sultan of Steak herself, Chie Satonaka, had been repelled thrice over in the last year, and victory was well beyond the horizon.

            The crown slipped from her head as pound after pound of meat vanished, cast screaming into the black abyss that was Yu’s gullet. He never slowed. He never relented. He never showed mercy. No matter how much went in, no visible bulge formed in his gut. Soon, his chopsticks began to scrape along the bottom of the Colosseum-sized bowl, and when no flesh remained to be consumed, he set them across the top, bowing to the man behind the counter. As his friends stared at him, mouths agape, the owner barely glanced up from his stove.

            “You want another, Narukami-kun?”

            “No thank you, Aiya-san. Having fish later.”

            “Huh, that’s a first. I’ll keep an eye on that weather report for the next rain. Five o’clock then?”

            “Always.” He settled into his seat, sitting as normally as he would any other day at Junes, only registering something was up when the silence of the group persisted. “What? It’s free food.”

            “That’s… not the problem here, dude.”

            Yukiko patted Chie’s back, consoling her dumbstruck friend.

            “I’m sure you’ll be able to finish it soon. You’ve been training for years.”

            “There’s always a bigger fish… I never understood that saying until today.”

            “Anyone still hungry?” Yu pulled his wallet out, but Yosuke was still somewhat scarred by the prior display.

            “No thanks. I’ll… just get a salad somewhere later.”

            “One special beef bowl!” Chie shot out of her seat, a burning passion in her eyes. “I swear, Yu Narukami, I will finish this challenge by the time you have to go back to the city. Mark my words!”

            “That was a quick turn...”

            “I think my encouragement worked!”

-

            Forty minutes later, with a frighteningly queasy Chie and a quarter-finished beef bowl in tow, the team finally got to the TV world to conclude Yukiko’s introduction to their operation. Explanations were quick, and she walked away with a new pair of gag glasses.

            When the bulk of the discussion was over, Yu interjected with one last item of importance. He retrieved a small cloth roll from under his jacket, and from it came what looked like a futuristic pen. It was a smooth metal tube with a semi-clear plastic ring looping around it about a third of the way from the top. His thumb went to the button on top, and Yosuke jumped back when the plastic lit up, revealing it to be a red light bulb.

            “A little heads up would’ve been nice! I thought you were going Men in Black on us for a second there.”

            “Sorry.” He passed the device to Yosuke, bowing slightly by the way of apology, and flipped open his phone. He pressed a few buttons, and the light blinked as the phone started to ping.

            “Whoa!” Chie looked over Yu’s shoulder, but the screen was mostly blank, like a glitched version of the display when making a call. “What is this, a tracking device?”

            “Sort of.” He activated another pen with a green light, handing it to her and turning the phone her way. During the shift, it went quiet, but when it was pointed at her, it started pinging again. The tone was different, though, a little higher pitched. “They’ll give us points of reference in here if we ever get separated from Teddie. I’ll upgrade your phones to track them next time we meet up.”

            “That’s a great idea, Sensei! I’m beary impressed!” Teddie got a thoughtful look on his face. Then, with no warning, he took a pen of his own, this one blue-lit, and popped it through his neck zipper. “There! Now you guys can find me, too. Oh, I think I feel it pinging. It tickles a little!”

            “I… No comment.” Yosuke looked at the device in his hand, rolling it around to get a feel for it. “Where did you find these things, anyway? I don’t think I’ve seen anything like them before.”

            “I made them.” The group looked at him in surprise, but, again, he looked as plain as ever. “Just a radio transmitter with varying frequencies paired with a phone mod to pick up the signals. Nothing too complex.”

            “You say that, but...” Yosuke shook his head, realizing his fault. Why did he even try questioning the guy anymore? “Whatever, cool, we should mark any areas of importance we run into from here on out.”

            “Also, put one into your TVs at home if you can.” Yu held the pack out, opening it up for their perusal. “The more exit points we have, the better. Again, never know when our main entrance will get canned.”

            “Another good one, Sensei! I’ll go around and make doorways wherever these show up.”

            “Wouldn’t you need a phone to find them, though?” Yukiko looked at him in mild confusion, but he puffed up with pride.

            “Never fear, I can sniff them out on my own! You all have a distinctive smell that will rub off on them. For example, Chie always smells of meat spices.”

            “What was that!?” She shoved him roughly, and there was a metallic ringing as he rolled over the floor. He popped back to his feet like a standing punching bag, a frightened expression on his face.

            “Wait, be careful! You’ll damage the pen thing!”

            “Actually, they’re only a few hundred yen to make each. Lesson five, take care when commenting on scent. Can easily get insulting or creepy.”

            “Yes, Sensei.”

-

            The rest of the afternoon was fun, mostly spent lounging around Junes after the official business was finished. There was a bit of a dampener at the tail end, though, a certain upcoming week of testing that would grind the unprepared to dust. They agreed to meet up again the next day to prepare for the coming storm together.

            Yu went home in high spirits, but when he got there, he found Nanako withered and drained. The TV was playing one of her quiz shows, but she couldn’t bring herself to watch as intently as usual. He sat down across the table from her, the sound of his hand hitting the wood finally garnering her attention.

            “What’s wrong?” When she looked at him, he saw a deep seated weariness in her eyes. It was a gluttonous beast that feasted on the joy in her heart every time it stirred, and now it was wide awake. Soon, it ate even the will to look at him, dragging her gaze down to the floor.

            “Daddy says we can’t go on vacation. He couldn’t get those days off.” Yu’s heart sunk at the raw dejection in her voice. An instinct drove him to wallow in the pit with her, but Izanagi rattled his blade, pushing back the rising tide before he could drown. With his head above water, he refused to let her sink, too.

            “Say, I know it’s not a vacation, but do you want to go to Junes tomorrow?” That seemed to knock the wind out of the beast, releasing its hold on her attention and letting her meet his eyes again.

            “R-really?”

            “I was going to hang out with my friends, and I know they’d love to have you there, too.” She stared for a while, unsure what to think. Izanagi planted his heel in the beast’s back, draining its strength and pushing it back into its deep slumber. Her smile made the struggle worth it.

            “Okay! Yay, Junes, Junes…!” Izanagi returned to resting position, and Yu let out a heavy breath. She didn’t deserve to be sad like that. No one did.

Chapter Text

Kanji didn’t walk places. He skulked. His posture was already pretty shot by long nights hunched over the sewing table, but once he realized it made him look like he was constantly leering at everyone he passed, he embraced his hunchback wholeheartedly. People on the street gave him a wide berth, a plus in his mind no matter the situation, but it served another purpose that day in particular. It made it easier to hide the contents of the paper bag he was carrying.

Better still, the drop off place wasn’t that far away, just over at Junes, and the guy wouldn’t be hard to spot. He said he was hanging out with friends, which meant all Kanji had to look for was a pack of hippies that were high as kites. And high people didn’t question the shit that mattered as often as they muttered about universe junk, so he could hide his dealings even better.

When he got there, though, he clearly saw that most of the group was clean. They were way too loud and active to be on anything, his guy being the exception. He was as blank-faced as when they met by the river, sipping idly on a soda and nodding along with the conversation.

Beside him, almost hidden despite being in her own chair, was a little girl with pigtails. She must’ve been that cousin he was ordering for. Shit, that meant she’d open it with him in view. Oh well, it was annoying, but he had excuses. He lined them up in his head before calling out.

“Hey, Narukami, I got your stuff.” The little girl looked his way, and then she ducked behind Yu. The others were all shocked, and he could practically feel their heart rates spiking. That last one would’ve been thrilling if he didn’t feel like shit for spooking the little girl. Best to just get it over with. It helped that Yu was still acting blissed out.

“Oh, right on time.” He stood up and pushed his chair out of the way. “How much do I…?”

“Nothing.” Kanji shoved the bag into his arms, careful to keep the brunt of the pressure on the less delicate parts of the contents. “You paid me enough for, like, three of the things, and Ma was on my a...” He glanced down to the girl, who was still partway to cowering in fear. “...On me for overcharging. You got one more order for later, and make it quick. I don’t need to be chewed out for the same thing twice.”

“Alright. Ring you when I think of something.” He turned back to the kid, getting down on a knee and holding the bag out to her. Yosuke was looking him like he was just slapped with a baseball plate.

“Dude, what are you…!?” He went quiet when Yu pulled out his purchase. It was about six inches tall, but it might’ve been closer to ten if it wasn’t curled up. Its body was bright pink, and shiny, black glass eyes looked out from over a soft pink bill. Its tail was somewhere around fuchsia, and it curled around the body, ending up in its mouth. Its cheeks were even puffed out. Nanako gasped at the sight, her eyes wide with wonder.

“It’s so cute! Is it…?” Yu nodded, gently putting it into her hands. She took to it like a bear to honey, hugging it to her chest. Against his better judgment, Kanji’s heart felt warm and light. “Thank you, big bro! I love it!” Her shell was all but discarded as she popped out of hiding, smiling brightly at Kanji. “Thank you, mister!” Suddenly, he found himself short on words.

“Well, uh, you’re welcome, but I’m just the delivery guy. It’s my Ma that made him.”

“Oh, you’re Tatsumi-san’s son, right?” He took a second glance at the group, and one of the girls had shaken off the stupor of his entrance.

“Didn’t see you there, Amagi. S’up?”

The one in the green jacket dropped her jaw.

“You know him, Yukiko?”

“The Inn buys textiles from his mother’s shop all the time. I didn’t think they sold plush dolls, though.”

“This d… dude...” That one felt weird in Kanji’s mouth. At least it wasn’t a swear. “...Saw me hauling a doll Ma made and he threw money at me until I got one for him.” The orange haired guy instantly lost all tension, just kind of going numb.

“That sounds like him.” Yosuke checked in on Nanako, who was looking over her gift, and it made him smile. “You like your new… duck… thing, Nanako-chan?”

“He’s a platypus.” Yosuke shrunk back, having been succinctly outsmarted by a grade-schooler. It was softened by her still coming across as a drop of distilled sunshine, though. “And I love Billy.”

“Oh, I get it. That’s cute.” Kanji forgot where he was for a second, only snapping back to reality when Yosuke started looking all incredulous. “What, you like staring at guys, huh!?” The nosy bastard turned away in renewed fear, and Kanji decided it was time to get out before his defenses dropped again. “I did my job here. Hurry up and order your next thing, got it, Narukami?”

“I’ll be in touch. Thanks again.”

“Whatever.” He didn’t pay any mind to the group after that. Whatever they were talking about, whatever they said about him, he had no reason to give a shit. His job was done, and there was no way the day could get more shit.

-

The bed was shaking. The bed. Was fucking. Shaking. And Kanji could hear his buckets of glass eyes and buttons clanking like the guts of a maraca. Through the walls, mostly overpowered by the revving engines, was the faint annoyed groaning of his mother.

That was all he could take.

He threw off his covers, threw on his leather jacket and jeans, and trudged his way to the front door, seeing that it was damn near midnight. When he got to the street, he found a pack of three middle-aged jackasses on hogs laughing and jeering drunkenly at a guy with a mic and another with a camera. Were they really holding an interview in the middle of the road in the dead of night?

“Don’t you know people are trying to sleep?” He stepped out onto the sidewalk, blinking the crust out of his bloodshot, blurred eyes. The addition of another punk-looking character spooked the reporters, but the bikers just laughed all the harder.

“Aw, did we wake up the kid? We’re so very sorry for our…” The head of the pack had a shit eating grin as he cranked his handlebar, sending vibrations roaring through the neighborhood. “Whoops, my bad!” The gang was rolling in their laughter, and Kanji felt a vein bulging in his brain.

“Not everyone around here’s happy wasting their life on booze and sniffing gas all day. They’ve got shit to do, so screw off.”

“Cocky brat, ain’t he?” A heavy one drove up to him, stopping with the tire an inch from running over Kanji’s foot. His breath was like rotten tuna stuck in a beer barrel. “You ain’t got shit on us, so why don’t you go back to bed and out of our faces?”

“Wait, I know this guy!” A scrawny one spoke up, his voice like the scraping of a rusty bolt getting pried loose. “He tried stirring up shit with us a few years back, and he was about to throw a punch when he got dragged back by his mommy!”

“Ain’t that cute? He’s a mama’s boy!” The fat one leered closer, and Kanji almost choked on his stench.

“Shut up and fuck off. I don’t give a shit what that bat says, and I’ll show you just what I would’ve done if...”

“Kanji, get back inside!” There was a soft voice calling to him from the shop, and the petite form of his mom stood in the doorway. Kanji cringed, and the leader swooped in like the vulture he was.

“Would you look at that, she’s here to reel him in again!” Every laugh out of his fucked up face made the vein swell more, and Kanji didn’t know how long it would hold out. He had to shut this down right now.

“Would you just fuck off!?”

“Shut up!” The fat one grabbed him by the collar and pulled him even closer. He stepped off his bike, using his full girth to engulf Kanji’s line of sight. “I hate when kids like you think you’re hot shit, especially ones that I already know are all talk. You pussed out then, you’ll puss out now. So get the Hell out of our way, you little faggot!”

As soon as that last word jammed its way into Kanji’s brain, his eyes narrowed, and the bikers came into sharp focus. His teeth ached from how hard he was clenching them, but the fire in his blood burned even worse, directing it inwards to the muscles and letting his skin go pale. The bikers misread the signs. The scrawny one chuckled some more.

“That’s right, this is the part where you piss...”

Kanji grabbed the wrist holding him. His hands clamped down, and the biker’s bones contorted beneath the skin. He felt like the two in his lower arm were about to twist around each other. His fingers loosened, and once he was free, Kanji leaned back. His head shot forward, cracking against the fat man’s mouth and forcing him to cover up the cesspit, though it did nothing to stop the slow leak of blood down his lip. Kanji started looking for the first heavy thing he could get his hands on, and the closest option was the unmanned motorcycle. He grabbed it, and with unprecedented strength, he hauled it over his head with a strained, shaking glare.

“GET BENT!” He brought it down faster than the bastard dropped under it, and before he knew it, the bike broke in two, shattered pipes and wires scattering over the pavement alongside its owner’s blacked-out body. Kanji dropped his now useless weapon, and when he turned to the last two, they were starting their bikes, deciding it was best to get the Hell out. Their motors screamed as they tore down the street, blazing to the south. “Get back here, you bastards!” He ran past his mom, who he failed to give a second look, and grabbed his bicycle. He poured his rage into his legs, and the tires squealed against the pavement as he took off. Before he hit top speed, though, he saw the reporters were still filming everything with their thumbs up their asses.

“Get out of my way!” He shoulder checked the cameraman on his way past, knocking his camera to the ground and freeing up the otherwise empty road. His quarry was already a hundred feet off, though. If he wanted to deal with them, he needed some way to attack from a distance, but how? He glanced all around the neighborhood, and he saw that the fire of Daidara’s forge was still glowing bright. He jumped off the bike and ran inside, finding the old man hammering away.

“Welcome. You want to see my art?” Kanji stomped to the counter, throwing every yen he had over it. That was his whole cut from the plush sale, but it would be worth the cost.

“Give me the heaviest fucker you’ve got, and hurry!”

-

“What the Hell was that? You said he was a wimp!”

“He was, Boss, I swear!” Normally, the smell of burning gas was soothing to the two, but it had gone sour after seeing their buddy get doused in the stuff. “Do you think Toka’ll make it out of there alright?”

“Fat chance. You saw the look the kid’s eyes, right? Poor bastard’s gonna get skinned alive.” The scrawny one swallowed the last of his courage, and his arms started to shake in fear.

“I hope he doesn’t mess up the body too much before the cops get there. It’d be hard to mourn for him if he’s all...”

“I ain’t done with you yet!” A sudden sense of impending doom struck the thin one’s heart, and he lost control for a second. His bike swerved erratically, but this proved to be his momentary salvation. A black shadow bolted past his bike before he could straighten himself. It got lodged into the space between his boss’s tire and the bike, jamming the wheel. It was a thick, three foot wide plate of metal with a handle on one side, and it brought him to a screeching halt. Before he could dislodge it, Kanji swooped in, hooking his face at thirty miles an hour. The leader of the gang was laid cold on the ground, and his attacker wrenched his shield from its post on the fly.

The last man standing pushed his motorcycle to its limit, leaving behind the bodies of his two closest friends to save his own skin. His cowardice could not protect him, though. There was movement at his side, and when he looked, he saw the kid, on a plain bicycle, was peddling hard enough to match his custom hog’s speed. The man made his first prayer in years before he was knocked off his ride, rolling across the pavement while it went on to crash into a light pole.

Kanji, with the last biker taken out, finally wound down, the adrenaline draining away and leaving his body a breathless, sore lump of limp meat. He dangled over the bars of his bike as his lungs heaved with exhaustion. His eyelids felt heavy, not helped by his lack of sleep that night. Even so, it felt too damn good to knock these punks down a peg.

He turned his bike around, ready to make the long trip home, when a piercing alarm cut through the night. He was forced to squint when the flashing red and blue lights followed, and Kanji’s stomach twisted on itself. He would’ve made a break in the other direction, but there, too, were lights. He was surrounded, clearly lit by the headlights of the police cars, and in no shape to make a break for it.

“...Crap.”

Chapter Text

A lot of the next few hours were about what Kanji expected them to be. He had never been arrested, no matter what his dickhead peers claimed, but he knew roughly how it would go. He was shoved in the back of a squad car, hands cuffed behind his back. When he got to the station, he was locked in one of its five cells, a number that stood as a testament to how shit the local law enforcement could be. You know, if the widespread biker gang problem wasn’t already a good sign.

At the very least, he was across the hall from the three jackasses he beat up because of the limited space. They were all patched up and wrapped in heavy bandages, while the most he had was some leftover moisture from the ice they put on his hands. That meant that, from where they were sitting, they were staring down their own personal Grim Reaper, looking just like he had when he ripped them all a new set of assholes. His future was probably shot, but he would remember their shaking for a long time.

A few hours passed before they brought someone in to talk to him. He was dragged to an interrogation room that only had a table, a couple of chairs, and a television in the back corner. He was put on the side farthest from the door, as if he would try to break out of a room in the dead center of the station, and after a couple more minutes, the interrogator arrived, a middle-aged guy with terrible stubble and even worse skin. If the fat biker’s insides were soaked in alcohol, this guy was marinated in the stuff. It was the only explanation for how saggy and tired he looked that didn’t involve death being around the next corner. He looked down at him in disappointment, as if he was personally affected by what happened.

“I’m going to come right out and say it. You really screwed up, Tatsumi.” Kanji rolled his eyes and sank into his seat. He would rather be stuck in his cell than listening to a dressing down about morals and shit. “Everyone who lives within a mile of the shopping district was in a panic about all the noise. You broke an honest reporter’s equipment for no reason besides your temper. And to top it all off, your mother’s been calling the station every hour on the hour to ask about you. She’s terrified, and rightly so.” The man looked the thoroughly disinterested Kanji over, and he was left to groan. “You know you can speak up any time. No denials or claims that you were in the right?”

“Anything I say can and will be used against me, right? I’m not that much of a dumbass. ‘Sides, I already know you wouldn’t believe me.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He produced a remote, and with a click, the TV behind him turned on. It was showing footage from a dark street, the only light source in the whole picture being a streak of bleached hair rushing by. “We’ve gone over the tape from every angle, with every set of eyes we could get on it, and we’re under the impression that it did genuinely start as self defense. That knocked a lot of the edge on your case off.” Kanji looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

“So… I’m free to go?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Get out of my way!” There was a loud crash followed by incomprehensible static, and the man started to tap a finger on the table.

“You still attacked that reporter, and a lot of the higher ups are trying to turn you into an example for the next generation of delinquents. Congratulations, you’re now a token in the slot house of justice system bureaucracy.”

“Ain’t that just fucking peachy.”

“You know, I’d correct your language, but I agree with you here. That’s why I’m glad to say that you’ve found yourself a sponsor.” Kanji watched with wide, confused eyes as he pulled out a receipt. It said it was for assorted recording equipment, and it had way more zeroes than he was comfortable with.

“Holy crap…!”

“Your benefactor has agreed to pay off all damages you caused with your little rampage. In exchange, you are to spend at least twenty hours of your time over the next month with him for… Well, it’s officially listed as rehabilitation, something to keep those higher ups from swarming, but I’d look at it more like therapy.” Kanji looked up from the paper, putting his tough mask back on.

“And if I refuse?” The interrogator cringed.

“Then the system will take its course. You’ll be fined for your crimes in full, spend upwards of six months in juvenile detention, and have this mark on your permanent record for the rest of your life.” The mask cracked in a sputter of lost bravado. “So I recommend you don’t try that. It’s just twenty hours, and everything will go away. Officially speaking, it’ll be as if it never happened. Do we have a deal?” Kanji dropped his head to the table, but he knew what he had to do. He didn’t have any cash, and Ma didn’t need that bill on top of the stress he already put her under.

“...I’ll do it.”

“Good. Your meetings will be starting this afternoon at six, sharp. And, fair warning, if you do anything to hurt or disrespect the guy that so graciously pulled you out of this mess, I’ll have a personal reason to see you locked up.”

“Yeah? And why’s that?”

-

The line snapped taught, stretched between angler and prey. For most fish, there might have been a chance at escape. One good tug would rip them free, albeit with less skin around the mouth. But they weren’t dealing with the sort of fisherman that liked to play fair. Before the struggle could begin in full, a great orange mass bolted through the water and closed its jaws around the fish. It was pulled to the surface, and its fate was sealed, flopping futilely in the maw of demise. The fox glowed with pride as its partner scratched behind its ear.

“ Eat up.” It didn’t need to be told again. It relaxed by its partner’s side, digging into its well earned cut. Yu left the fox to its dinner, instead turning to the other addition to his fishing setup. Kanji sat a distance further back on the rocky outcrop, one leg dangling over the side, a rod held halfheartedly in hand, and both eyes fully closed. As if shot by Yu’s attention, he came to with a start, nearly dropping his pole in the process. He caught it just in time, but it didn’t change the fact that he had been caught out cold on the job.

“Ah man, sorry, I didn’t get much sleep last night. Those jail beds are stiff pieces of shit.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Following his pattern of being completely chill at all times, Yu just cast his line back into the water, not blinking twice at the lapse in consciousness. “Brought you here to calm you down. Naps help with that, too.”

“I do feel a lot more level headed now, I’ll give you that.” He looked at the pole in his hand, but just that much made his eyelids feel heavy again. “But I don’t think this fishing thing is for me. Kinda dull.”

“Knew it would be. Also knew the riverside’s great for naps.” He winked, and Kanji was all the more grateful his “sponsor” wasn’t some stuffy, old, rich asshole with a chip on his shoulder. It was just a hippie with a weirdly big budget. Wait, was he a dealer? Was that why everyone liked him so much?

Meh, none of his business.

“So your big plan for fixing me was getting me more sleep? I mean, I’m cool with it, but it doesn’t really work out for more than a week.”

“This is step one. Get the anger out of your system, then we can work on the root.” The sudden technical jargon quickly left Kanji in the dust.

“The root…? Are you a therapist or something?”

“Just well read.”

“...Sure, I’ll take your word for it. Can’t screw me up any worse than I would’ve been anyway.” His head was fuzzy from the hectic day, and it was taking all the willpower he had left to not reach out and pet that damn fox. The more he felt the urge to do it, the more he thought it was some sort of sick test. He needed to concentrate on something or clock out again. “So, it sounds a lot like you already have this all planned out. You think you know what that ‘root’ or whatever is?”

“A hunch.” He set the pole aside, entrusting its care to the now fishless fox, and started digging around in his bag. From it came a small, cordless TV with a VCR port built in. When it turned on, it already had something loaded into it. It was the third time Kanji had seen that night playing out in front of him, but this was the first he could watch without some sort of pressure, be it his own anger or the eyes of a detective. “Watch this part. Something specific set you off.”

One of the bikes revved louder than before.

“Whoops, my bad!” The Kanji on screen hunched over deeper, but it was only a small shift, more annoyed than anything.

“Kanji, get back inside!” His Mom’s call startled him, and his eye started twitching when the head biker called him out on it, but still not the red hot fury that made him break a bike over one of their heads. He started looking at the memory in his head, and with the whole event catalogued, he saw what was coming. He saw it, but there wasn’t anything he could do to stop it. His first instinct was to snatch the set and chuck it in the river, but he couldn’t break his deal. He could only watch as the guy demonstrated just how far he had dissected Kanji as an individual.

“So get the Hell out of our way, you little faggot!” His double on the screen turned ghost white, nostrils flaring like a bull’s, and he was found out.

“Something about that last word, right?” Kanji jumped up from the rock, his defenses raising to the sky.

“It ain’t like that, I swear, I ain’t…!” His furious denial was derailed as Yu failed to respond whatsoever. He just looked on patiently, waiting for him to burn out. Even the fox, a wild animal, wasn’t put off by the roaring lion, knowing that he was caged. Kanji’s shoulders slumped, and he let out a heavy breath. “Go ahead, say it. I know you want to.”

“Say what?” Oh great, now he was going to make him put it out there himself. Jail was starting to look preferable, but he was already waist deep in shit. What the Hell did he have to lose?

“You think I’m a closet gay. That’s going to be your diagnostic, right?”

“Not what I was going to say at all.” That hit Kanji more than he thought it would. People said that all the time, but the flat, direct way Yu put it made him believe it for once.

“Seriously?”

“It is connected, though. Don’t know why, but being called that gets under your skin. If I can help you figure out why, you can get the demons out easier.” Kanji dropped back on his ass, refusing to look at him. “If you’re uncomfortable, remember, only need...” Yu checked his phone, somewhat surprised that it was already a little past eight. “...Eighteen more hours with me. After that, you’re free to go whenever.” Huh, giving him an out. That wasn’t a move he’d seen before.

“Alright, fine. Give me what you’ve got.”

“Don’t forget step one. Should find a good outlet for you before anything, so you get something out of this.” The fox hopped back onto the pier, and this fish went to the bucket. Yu was talking offhandedly as he baited his hook. “Could be anything. Baseball, soccer, building stuff… You have a textile shop. Sewing could be good, plenty of materials for it.” He glanced back, and Kanji had that stilted look to him again. He was trying way too hard to appear as if he had no reaction, which itself was a highly notable reaction. Useful for later, but not immediately. “Or I could show you how to fence.”

“Fence?” That was a weird one, but it changed the topic. “I don’t think people’d like having random ass fences sitting around everywhere.”

“Wrong type of fence. You know those thin poking swords, people in white padding and masks?”

“Oh, that fighting thing! Yeah, I could get behind that.” It sounded nice and manly.

“Neat. I’ll bring my equipment tomorrow. Rules are simple, but you want to…?”

“Pardon me, gentlemen.” A new voice broke into the conversation. Standing back at the shore was a shorter kid. He was decked out in blue, from coat to hat to the hair under it. His gray eyes were unflinching, and his whole face came across as a much colder copy of Yu’s, devoid of even the wisps of emotion that occasionally colored his. “You are Kanji Tatsumi, correct?”

“Uh, yeah.” To him, he looked like a stereotypical detective or private eye. It was a bit like a random, straight laced guy slapping on a leather jacket to try to be cool, but the way he carried himself pushed it from appearing to be an act to it feeling more real, if way too corny. “What, are you checking in on me, making sure I’m behaving myself?”

“It seems there is a misunderstanding. I am not a parole officer.” He held out a business card whose content was shown in a plain font. “My name is Naoto Shirogane, private investigator.”

“As in the Detective Prince.” Yu had a corner of his vision on the conversation, but he didn’t turn enough to give a clear view of his face. Not that it would have shown much. “Wild guess says you’re here for those murders.”

“Yu Narukami? It seems you are as sharp as I was told. Perhaps you could be of some help in this matter as well.” Okay, cool. It wasn’t about the shit Kanji had already been through enough. He didn’t know much about those two chicks that got strung up, but if he had something that’d help, he could get a killer put down and a bit of leverage to keep the police off his ass in the future. There was nothing to lose.

“What’cha need from me?”

“I simply had some questions, if you would be willing to give me a few minutes of your time.” Naoto produced a notepad, as if he already knew Kanji would say yes. A bit of an assumption, but he wasn’t wrong.

“I ain’t really doing much right now. Shoot.”

“Thank you. Now, I understand Mayumi Yamano patronized your family’s shop shortly before her murder. Do you recall what she ordered?” Normally, he didn’t pay that much attention to what customers bought, but he remembered working on hers.

“A pair of scarves, a matching guy-gal set. She only took the girl one, though. I was actually kind of pissed about that.” Naoto gave him an inquisitive glance, and he suddenly realized the opening he left. “That’s wasted cloth, and the stigma’s keeping us from selling it. We can’t go throwing away money like that.”

“I hear you have suffered due to the increased stock of cloth and sewing machinery available at Junes. Were it not for the quality of your craft, it would be entirely possible that you would be out of business.” A warmth rose up in Kanji’s chest, but he didn’t know why. He never felt that way about a compliment before. Why was this guy talking about his work anyway?

“Ma’s the one that does the needlework. I just carry the heavy stuff for her.” The pen scratched actively, but he couldn’t tell why until after Yu leaned over and whispered in his ear.

“Meant ‘you’ in the general sense. Not you specifically.” Damnit. Okay, mouth shut about extra details.

“Dojima-san’s records indicate that you were not present in town until the day before Yamano was found, Narukami-san. You wouldn’t happen to have noticed anything noteworthy in that short frame of time, would you?”

“Most I could say is that the body was found in the afternoon. Weird, that.” Naoto’s eyes opened fractionally wider.

“Weird how?”

“You’d think that would be a nighttime thing. And the second victim was put up overnight, which means a break in the pattern. Assuming a connection, of course.” He tapped his foot against the dock, and his head tilted with a thoughtful hum. “Maybe the fog was related.”

“You have a hypothesis on the killer’s modus operandi?”

“Mode… What?” Kanji couldn’t keep up with the technical talk. It made him realize just how much Yu changed the way he talked to get along with him. But then, there was something different about the whole way he was holding himself, too. He was sitting a bit more straight, and the way he looked at stuff was more direct, focused. He eased back to how he was before while he explained.

“Latin. Means the way you do stuff normally. For a serial killer, it means the way they kill, crime scene links. Like how the bodies were both hung from high places.”

“Oh, okay, that makes more sense.” Finally, someone that could talk to him in plain Japanese without being a condescending prick about it. Yu nodded before going back to Naoto.

“Both bodies went up during a heavy fog. Maybe not surprising by itself, good cover for it, but they were found fresh with no signs of being frozen. They were killed just before being hung up, just before heavy fog. Seems too convenient.”

“My, how interesting.” Naoto looked increasingly suspicious, watching Yu closer than the one that was actually arrested. “You seem to know an awful lot about the crime scenes, Narukami-san.” Wait, was he accusing him? What the actual fuck? Before Kanji could go off on him, Yu responded.

“One of the new officers has a gossiping problem. Tohru Adachi, my uncle’s partner. Been reprimanded both times, leak sealed.”

“I see. That does, indeed, line up with the profile I was given. My apologies for pressing you.”

“No sweat. Need to be thorough.” Yu glanced to Kanji, as if he knew he was about to lose his temper. There wasn’t anything behind it besides acknowledgment, but he still felt guilty. He had no idea why, but it was almost like he was letting the guy down. “Your thoughts, detective?”

“Your theory does warrant consideration, though I fear that it can only be solidified at this stage if a third victim were to appear under similar circumstances. I don’t believe I need to explain why that can’t be allowed to occur.” Duh, keeping people from biting it was the whole point. “I ask you the same, Tatsumi-san. Was there anything unusual surrounding the victims, or any members of the community, prior to their disappearances?”

“I don’t track people too good. I just know the reporter chick didn’t want her other scarf.”

“Hmm, did she perhaps know she would be targeted? But even then…” In the middle of his thought, Naoto’s eyes went wide, and he grabbed blindly into the fold of his coat. His hand came back with a handkerchief, and no sooner than it was pressed to his mouth did he start coughing. It was a deep, watery hacking that wracked his whole body. When the fit wound down, his eyes were damp. If it wasn’t from pain, it was likely because of the force pushing water out. Kanji was on his feet, concern painted over his face.

“Holy shit, you good?”

“My… My apologies. I’m afraid I have a rather chronic cough. I was attempting to hold it back long enough for questioning, but it seems to amplify the intensity.”

“God, just… Just hack it up if you need to. You nearly gave me a heart attack over here.” Naoto was still a bit dazed, but he was appreciative.

“That is thoughtful of you, but that was the last question. As I said, I only had a few.” He tucked his well used handkerchief back into its pocket, and he chuckled lightly under his breath. “You claim to be asocial, and yet you were the one who was most visibly concerned. You are quite strange, if I may say.”

“Strange!?” It was as though the pier had been yanked beneath him, leaving him off balance. It felt like a hundred memories were sparking in his head, a voice from each trying to scream louder than the others to force him to hear it. His face hardened from the pain, and he bit back a groan. “Hey, uh, Narukami, I need to get going. See you tomorrow. Fencing, right?” He didn’t wait for a reply, setting his fishing rod down before walking away. He tried not to look at Naoto as he passed, but the young detective noticed the agonized clenching of his eye.

“That was quite the reaction. Pardon, Narukami-san, have you considered…?” There was a deep growling. When he looked, he noticed the fox for the first time, it having previously been hidden behind Kanji. Now that it was in clear view, however, it was apparently displeased by his presence. Yu’s animosity was hidden by a veneer of social politeness, but after years of being in the vicinity of criminals he had personally put away, he learned to spot it behind any false front.

“You’re either terrible at relating to people or intentionally antagonizing him for a reason beyond me.” Yu packed up his bag, bucket, and poles, and when he made to leave, the fox followed. As they passed by Naoto, he hunched over to bring his mouth closer to his ear. “Good day, ma’am.” Naoto turned to him in shock, but he had spent all the attention he was willing to give, dedicating himself to the walk home. He was halfway up the stairs before the detective’s stupor broke.

“He could tell…?”

-

“Yeah yeah, I’ll be back.” He shut the shop’s door behind him, closing off his mother’s worried requests. He needed fresh air and quiet. The streets were mostly empty, barring the odd car or van, letting Kanji be alone with his thoughts.

He knew the day would be stressful, but he didn’t expect so much all at once. He was let out of jail, paroled by an admittedly pretty cool hippie, prosecuted by a sickly detective, and called a freak all in the same day. Yeah, as if the pint-sized PI had any right to call him out. He wanted to hate him for it. But whenever he thought about him, it wasn’t in spiteful anger. He couldn’t let it out like he could with those dickhead bikers. He didn’t know why, but when he tried to pry off this one cork, it wouldn’t budge, and everything in the bottle was fizzing up and expanding until it started to whine from the internal pressure. Why?

“Why the Hell does this shit happen to me?”

“Don’t worry, lost lamb. You’ll be safe soon.” Suddenly, a thick rag was shoved over his mouth. He got a lungful of something sweet before he could shove it off, and he threw a punch. His fist connected with what he knew was a face, but when he looked, a wave of nausea rolled over him. His vision was going fuzzy, so all he could make out was his attacker’s outline.

“What the shit…? What did you...” His legs buckled under him, and he dropped to the sidewalk, holding onto the waking world by a half-rotted thread.

“Your will to live is strong, lamb. Do not fret, I will see you through your tribulations, just as miss Amagi before you.” Arms wrapped around him, struggling to pull him along. “You will be preserved, I promise. Let no more blood be spilled.” The talking went on, but Kanji was losing the strength to listen. His eyelids pushed against his fight to stay awake, and when they closed, the last few sectors of his mind began to go under.

The air around him turned warm and damp, with a faint buzz like being near a bug zapper, and then he felt nothing. The last thing he experienced before total unconsciousness was an echoing voice in the back of his head.

“Ooh, would you look at what the cat dragged in? It’s showtime, boys!”

Chapter Text

You might think that steam and fog are like brothers. They’re both airborne water vapor that make it difficult to see. From a distance, they could be one and the same. Anyone who’s been in them, though, could tell you that they’re more like estranged cousins. A foggy road can be a pain in the neck, but at least it doesn’t soak you in equal parts sweat and condensation.

That heat wasn’t the only thing making Yosuke sweat.

“Come here, little man. You look nice and tender, mmm!” Normal Shadows were creepy enough. Shadows based on people? Those were creepy by association. Shadows that were big, muscular, in a spandex Speedo, and vaguely reminiscent of American wrestlers from the nineties? Absolute freaking creepers.

“S-sorry guy, but you see, I don’t...” Yosuke was steadily pushed back by the Shadow’s advance, and while he was focused on keeping its bulge (why did this thing have a bulge!?) out of his face, he didn’t think to check if there was a wall behind him. He found out it was there when he bumped into it, and the Shadow’s wide frame cut off every possible escape route. It grinned lasciviously and licked its lips. Why couldn’t it be weak to wind, or at least not so damn tough against a good punch?

“Don’t worry, I’ll start off nice and gentle. You’ll warm up to it...” Just then, the fluttering of paper could be heard, and the Shadow searched for the source . Glowing white sheets rained down around it, and a tingle of excitement shook its biceps. “Aw yeah, confetti. See? This is gonna be magical. Why don’t you come here and feel my…?” It flexed an arm invitingly, but Yosuke wasn’t the one that accepted it. A paper homed in, and when it touched the muscle , it popped like a pouch of gunpowder, peeling back skin and the ink-drenched cords beneath it . “Whoa, I’m not into BDSM, but for you, I guess I’m willing to try it.”

Its consent was accepted, and the rest of the swarm rolled over it. The light blurred out its form, and the last part of it to be known was pleased moaning as the blessing exorcised it completely. The holy light receded, letting Yosuke slump against the wall that almost got him violated.

“ You good?” A hand was offered, though Yosuke was hesitant to take it.

“That was way too close, partner.” He didn’t want to seem like a dick, but he couldn’t help but look at his good friend like a space alien. “And why are you dressed like that, again?”

“The Shadows like guys more. Camouflage works great.” It also made Yosuke feel very uncomfortable. If Yu wanted to go around in an ankle-length skirt, a girl’s uniform top, and twin braid extensions, that was his business, but did he have to sashay as he walked? If Yukiko hadn’t been there, he would’ve been the girliest person in the room. Miss Amagi, meanwhile, had an awful case of whispering going on.

“Chie, I want you to be honest with me. Is it weird I think Yu-kun looks great in that?”

“I...” Chie wanted to ignore what she was just asked, but she couldn’t look away. How did he get his hair so smooth? W here did he find extensions that were exactly the right color? And how did he balance being tough and pretty so well? “...I don’t know.” Yu glanced over, and he winked as though he heard every word.

He wasn’t the target for the flirting, but Yosuke still felt very weirded out. Things needed to get moving, before he started asking things he didn’t want to ask.

“Yo, Ted, any sign of the next floor? ...Ted?” The bear was facing the wall with his arms flailing wildly about his face. When he felt the attention shift to him, he twirled around, landing with his hips tilted to the side like Yu’s. His lips were the same red as his suit, and he fluttered his elongated eyelashes alluringly.

“What do you think? Can you bear my charms, Chie-chan? Yuki-chan?” The light flush left Yukiko’s cheeks. When it came back, it was over her whole head, and it was unmistakably from the effort of busting her lungs.

“Ha ha ha ha, oh my, that’s just perfect! Ha ha ha!” Teddie flopped to his knees, his brilliant work rendered a joke.

“So close, but so far...” A hand patted his back, the touch comforting and assuring.

“I will show you my ways, crosser of the boundary.”

“Thank you, Yuri-Sensei.”

-

At this stage of his Persona career, Yu knew two universal truths. First, golden hand Shadows were worth all the effort it took to hunt them down. He didn’t need the money by any stretch of the imagination, but Yosuke and Chie relished in the profit. They refused to be entirely dependent on his bank account for the things they wanted, no matter how much he insisted, so he instead found great joy in helping them chase what they saw as an honest living.

Second, treasure chests were good. They often had Shadows dwelling within them alongside the loot, but they were prepared for that possibility after the first ambush. Now, Chie was ready ahead of time to punt them into the next county. There was also the increased population of golden hand Shadows in the chests to consider, which succinctly combined both rules into one grand truth. Treasure chests were good.

That was why, when he went to open one, he was taken off guard by Teddie grabbing his arm. It was uncharacteristically physical of him, which brought Yu to a concerned halt. It didn’t help that those fuzzy hands were shaking and his eyes were quivering in unrestrained terror. His mouth was a hard line, behind which he seemed to hold what little composure he possessed.

“Sensei, for all that is good and beautiful in this life, don’t open that box.”

“Why not?” Yosuke moved for it next, certain that Teddie was overreacting again, but the concern in his gaze when he threw himself between the box and the team took him by surprise.

“Please, I’m begging you! Don’t you hear that rattling?” It was hard not to. It was the unsettling echo of chains being shaken, but it wasn’t the first time they had heard them. After the first few instances with no visible effect, they shook it off as ambiance. “It’s coming from there, I’m sure of it. I don’t know a lot of things about the distortions in this world, but these have been around much longer. Never go where the chains sound.”

“You know, now that I think about it, they kind of sound like they’re holding something. Is it just me?” Yukiko stopped to really listen to the noise, and under the rattle, there was a more distinct tone. It was like the arms of a prisoner regularly pulling apart, trying to break the link between their cuffs and free their hands. Chie followed her lead, and she nodded in agreement.

“I hear it, too, but what is it?”

“I think I saw it once, but the memory is blurry.” Teddie put his arms behind his back, relieved by their willingness to relent. “A Shadow accidentally knocked a rattling treasure chest over, and when the lid opened, the fog turned blacker than night. There was screaming and a loud bang. When everything settled down and the fog eased up, there was nothing left. Not even the ground. There was just a crater. Now, even the Shadows refuse to go anywhere near a box like that.” Yosuke slowly backed away, but Yu stayed where he was, staring at it inquisitively.

“Why is something strong like that locked up? And how?”

“I’m not sure. All I know is that a while back, there was a big boom in the number of Shadows here, like they came from somewhere else, and these chests came with them. Maybe you could learn more from the monster inside, but I don’t think it would answer your questions.” Yu considered Teddie’s analysis, and he eventually turned away.

“Keep an eye out for more chests like this. We can’t let greed get in the way of saving people.”

-

“It’s a little kiddie, but this is a disguise I can work with.”

“Come on, Yosuke, don’t pretend this isn’t a childhood dream come true.”

“Key word being ‘childhood.’ I haven’t even watched the show in years.”

“Pink Argus, Feather Storm!”

Sakuya’s wings spread wide, and from them came a rain of petals. The enemy Shadows didn’t think to dodge such dainty little things, but they would learn to never underestimate a heroine of justice. Each petal that touched down shined brilliantly. Then they exploded, exposing themselves as packets of condensed SP. A heavy cloud of smoke ensued, and when it cleared, Yukiko twirled on the tips of her toes, two V for Victory signs held high.

“The Phoenix Rangers shall rise from every hardship!”

“For a bright future.” Chie and Yosuke stared as Yu and Yukiko struck a Saturday morning victory pose and froze, as though letting an unseen audience absorb the moment.

“...Satonaka-san, I apologize for every time I have ever said or insinuated that you were weird.”

-

“Ah...” The water, Yu found, was just that. Nice, hot water, like in any bathhouse. There weren’t any Shadows in it or the near vicinity. That meant he was justified in taking a little dip. He could feel his stiff shoulders softening as the heat and moisture soaked in, and his strength returned to him by the drop. A ten minute session, he estimated, would bring him back to full. The same would go for everyone else, if they would only join him. “Come on in, water’s fine.”

“...Dude, why did you bring a towel with you?”

“Bathhouse. Figured it would be useful.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but...” Chie looked around, finding Yu’s to be the only available pool. “...There’s no privacy here for us girls. That’s way too embarrassing, and I don’t want to begin imagining what sort of scheme Yosuke would cook up.”

“I have some tact!”

“You really don’t.”

“I can hold Yosuke and Teddie a room over if it would help.” As much as he loved the sensation of a quality sauna, Yu would be more than willing to surrender it for them. Yukiko was their healer, anyway. Her having a full tank would keep everyone on their feet longer.

“That’s okay, Yu-kun.” Yukiko patted the fox’s head, standing up to reveal a handful of its special mountain herbs. “These should be more than enough for us, and if it’s the leisure you’re worried about, I can make sure Chie and I get a visit to the Amagi Inn hot spring soon. You enjoy yourself for now.”

“If you’re sure.” The water started to ripple near him, signaling that it was time to push again. He lifted his foot and nudged it forward, sending the drifting Teddie back towards the other end.

“I don’t know if this is good for my fur, but the rest of me loves it. It’s a real bear-adise!”

-

“You be sure to thank Yu-kun. Such a selfless boy.”

“I already did, Ma.”

“Then tell him it’s from me. He can’t be thanked enough for what he’s done.”

“Why are Kanji’s innermost thoughts turning to you?” Yosuke’s question was entirely legitimate. There were plenty of phantasmal voices talking about stuff that needed context to understand, but the further they went, the more they turned towards Yu.

“He doesn’t act like I’m a burden or just a punk. He didn’t label me like some sort of sick reflex. He… he actually cares about me. All that time and money, spent on me. I don’t get it. Why me? He shouldn’t be wasting so much to try fixing the life I screwed up, but I can’t bring myself to tell him to fuck off. What the Hell’s wrong with me!?”

“Was that detective right? Am I just… strange?”

Yu didn’t have a reaction to most of it, simply compiling it for later in case it revealed an Achilles heel for the possible encounter with his Shadow. His team went on thinking it was that way the entire time. But that last thought, that made his eyes narrow.

‘No way in Hell. We’ll save you, then I’ll show you why that’s wrong.’

Chapter Text

“What is that?”

Yukiko couldn’t say she was new to the infinite oddity of the other world anymore, but every day brought before her something not even the most warped mind would be able to craft. She didn’t know how long she would be facing these horrors, or what effects they would wreak on her psyche in the years to come.

“Buff guys. Briefs, roses, Mars symbol clubs.”

Yu, however, seemed immune, like he had already won a staring contest with Cthulhu. Not even Shadow Kanji’s muscular, dichromic partners leering overhead fazed him.

“Look at that pretty face. Mmm, bet those lips would feel nice and soft on our skin!”

“Now now, Tough, you’ll scare him off talking like that. We need to ease him in, get him nice and ready for the boss.”

“Sorry, fellas, this one is off limits!” From out of nowhere, the balloon-esque Teddie dropped between the parties, his task to hide the real Kanji already successful. He was getting good at finding places to hide. “Sensei only accepts the best of the best, no substitutes. You’re in luck, though! I happen to be the one and only bear qualified to test your qualification.”

“Oh really, fluffy boy? ” Nice Guy squatted down to get a better look at the duo’s apparent examiner. “ And how’s that?”

“Simple. You need to be quick to keep up with Sensei’s quick wit. The only people that quick, have to be quicker than me! Catch me if you can!” Before anyone could ask what he meant, he was gone, his blue and red body kicking up a trail of dust on the way out.

“ Hey! Come on, Nice, we can’t let the boss down! ” The pair were practically tripping over themselves from the unexpected dash, unwilling to let their target disappear into the steamy beyond. Shadow Kanji was left on his own, the almost human body atop the black and white big guy clicking its tongue.

“ Oh those boys, always so enthusiastic. And I do mean always . ” A blissful tremor ran down his spine, but he collected himself in short order. “ I guess that means there’s more hunk for me. I hope you like it rough, Narukami! ”

“Seriously, why is he so fixed on you!?” He could only shrug to Yosuke’s question, even though he had a hunch.

“Doesn’t matter. Fight now, ask later.”

“Works for me.” Chie was prompt with following orders, dropping to her combat stance with fire in her eyes. She was one hundred percent done with this bathhouse. The Shadow took in the sight, humming in thought.

“ Hmm, you’re pretty manly for a girl… Maybe you could be the boyfriend I…? ” Before he could finish the sentence, he was engulfed in flame, and Yukiko pushed her glasses up with her fan.

“Hands off her, creep.”

“ Ugh, see what I mean? Always with the sharp tongues. ” He flexed, and the force of his multitudinous muscles blew out the flames, leaving his petals and vines smoking. “ Oh well, I already have a man anyway. One that I know will treat me right . ” He took a step forward, coming down from his stage to be closer to his partner of choice. “ Come here, Narukami-kun, show me just how strong those arms are~! ”

“More of a legs guy.”

“ Ooh! Do go on. ”

Yu swiped his forehead with two fingers, and when his card appeared, he snapped it between them, summoning a tall blue pyre. Shadow Kanji closed in to see what his stud muffin was up to behind the hotness, but he was pushed to retreat when a gold-skinned figure with burning feet bounded out. Nata Taishi came at the Shadow with sweeping kicks, sliding on the flames of his heels like an inverse ice skater.

“ So lithe! I’m more of a big biceps man, but this is opening my eyes! You’re so good for me, baby. ” Taishi finally landed a blow, digging his toes into the roses covering Shadow Kanji’s abs. He was brought to a pained slouch, but his arms acted as venomous serpents. He let go of his clubs, freeing his grip to turn on Taishi. The Persona was held tight between soft flowers and jagged vines. “ Let me return the favor and show you how we do things in my bathhouse. Do you feel my muscles engulfing you, embracing you? You, my lovely, are welcome here anytime. ”

Yu felt like he was trapped in an iron maiden. A shame, that. It might have been pleasant without the thorns, but he had a fight to attend to anyway. He was considering his options when he spotted something traveling up the length of a discarded Mars club. It was short lived, but there was definitely an electric pulse.

“Yosuke, might want to stay in the back. Live wire.” He found what Yu was looking at, and, instead of retreating, he got cocky.

“Or we can just make sure he can’t get his hands on those again.”

Shadow Kanji’s human body leaned in, delighting in the slick, yet sharp facial features of his catch. Taishi was on the verge of declaring himself a piece of Swiss cheese when he felt his greater whole calling, his platform in the physical plain falling away and letting him evaporate from his captor’s clutches. His relieved smile was practically a slap in the Shadow’s face. Before he could lose heart, though, a burst of flame brought about an even greater hunk, a vision of slick masculinity garbed in a leather duster and a slotted mask of steel.

“ Would you look at that? So mysterious! You rock the cool coat look so much better than that kid detective. ”

“Why thank you.” Yu and Izanagi bowed in tandem, and though the latter’s face was hidden, the gleam in his yellow eyes was entrancing. “But someone else already owns this part of me.”

“ What? Well nothing to do about it but win you over. Tell me, who has your accepting embrace so thoroughly taken? ”

“I’m married to my work.” Shadow Kanji was, understandably, confused, but the meaning was made clear when a frog ninja blew by, kicking up and grabbing one of his forgotten weapons.

“And I’m his business partner!” So distracted was Kanji by the frog that he didn’t notice the man it was connected to until he spoke up. By that point, of course, he had already dragged the second club behind his allies’ line. Jiraiya met him there, laying both against the far wall with a relieved sigh. They took a moment to stretch and pop their overworked backs. “Yeah, those were as heavy as I thought they’d be. Target disarmed, guys!”

“Maintain long distance. Don’t engage physically.” Yu’s face hardened, evicting the coyness he had distracted Kanji with, and the Shadow’s heart cracked.

“W-w-what? Narukami, darling, what is this?” The team was pushed to the defensive, his sudden loss of composure every bit as alarming as his clingy, sex-laden cooing. His confidence was cut off at the source, and his speech escalated in speed and desperation. “I thought we had a spark! Why would you rob me like this?” Yu brandished his sword, and Izanagi stood between them with his stance wide.

“Sometimes, a wound needs salt.”

“A WOUND!?” His skin turned pale and his nostrils flared. Izanagi dug his heels in, correctly reading the signs before the massive under-body launched itself forward.

“Shit, raging bull!” Yosuke’s call brought about a flurry of fire and ice, carried by a gale of wind, but the biting storm only inflamed his temper. It was like a trio of picadors prodding the bull. When he reached the roadblock of Izanagi, he brought his arms down as to crush him. Izanagi’s bladed heels carved through wood, but he otherwise held fast, holding back both bulging arms. Seeing his forward momentum halted, the human guiding the whole grabbed at his mask and tried in impudence to rip it from his face.

“Is that what you call me, a wound? Like I’m something to be covered up, ‘treated,’ and then forgotten? I am a Shadow, the true self. You can’t get rid of me. This is who I really am!”

“No, it ain’t.” Chie and Yukiko turned around and stared.

“Kanji!? You shouldn’t be here right now, it’s dangerous!”

“A man doesn’t run from his problems.”

“Again with that useless, useless word, trying to cover me up again.” His Shadow turned his vengeful glare to him, his composure trickling away as the sands in an hourglass. “Stop pretending already! You know the truth, but you’re too afraid to admit it!”

“Truth, huh? How’s this for a truth?” Kanji’s breathing was deep, and his brain felt like it was about to tear itself apart staring at his Shadow in its full state. No matter how much pain he was in, how exhausted he felt, he knew Yu was putting up with so much more just because he had been so chicken shit and fainted when the fight started. Not again, never again. He stood his ground and took in one more breath before bellowing the only absolute truth he knew.

“You can’t start shit with a pal of mine and get the Hell away with it!” A thin cut crossed the Shadow’s vengeful heart, and shock overtook his expression.

“ Pal? ” His muscles lost tension, and Izanagi quickly turned the grapple around. He reached further up his arms to grab the wrists, and he put all of his might into hauling the Shadow over his head. It looked like he would be crushed under a mountain of muscle and roses, but Yu recalled him, leaving behind only Kanji’s Shadow and the force imparted upon him. He hit the ground with the same velocity he had charged with before and was buried, human form first, into the floorboards.

“And that’s why.” Kanji stood over the crater, watching as the immobile lump grayed and chipped like clay and its flowers wilted. Soon, it was only a pit of dust. “He’s too tough to drop to someone like me.”

“Flattering.” Yu was undeniably worn down. His sturdy posture was half-melted, and his arms and legs looked like cooked noodles supported by a thin wire frame. “You good?”

“Me? What about you?” Kanji’s tough front was shot, concern etched on his face. “You damn near broke your back because of me, but you’re still worried? There’s gotta be something up with your head!”

“Having a dark side doesn’t make you less of a person.” Yu went to put a hand on Kanji’s shoulder, but the sound of shifting sands alerted him to encroaching danger. A hand grabbed the edge of the pit, and it dragged up the rest of Kanji’s Shadow from his ashes. He wasn’t angry, though, or even annoyed. When he surfaced, he was smiling in utter loving awe at Yu with a pink tint to his cheeks.

“ Such a passionate approach, and so unwavering! I know what I did wrong now, Narukami, and I’m sorry. ” He pulled himself to undamaged floor and pressed his forehead against it before attempting to stand. “ I was being too aggressive and demanding. You’re clearly the dominant one between us. ” When he was on his feet, he kept pacing towards Yu, his movements choppy and uneven. Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko lined up at their leader’s side, ready to unleash all of their magic at a moment’s notice. It didn’t repel Kanji’s Shadow, though. The show of force only seemed to excite him more.

“ I’ll be loyal now. I promise! I’ll do what you want, when you want. You’d accept me then, right? You’d let me in? I swear, I won’t disappoint you. I won’t let you down. All I ask, that I’ll ever ask, is that you take me. Please, I’m begging you. ” He put his arms out to his sides, showing everything he had to offer.

“ Accept me for who I am! ”

“That’s enough!” The Shadow took one more step forward, and Kanji took five, slamming his fist into his Shadow’s face and laying it flat. He stared down at its prone body, and it felt like the voices were whispering in every cell of his body. Every insecurity he’d ever had, every disgusted cry he’d ever heard, filling him completely. “It makes me sick to think something like this is inside me.”

“That’s not a denial.” He looked back to Yu’s knowing smile and kind eyes, and he knew he was out of excuses. What was it he said, a man doesn’t run from his problems? He kicked the Shadow lightly, his energy already drained too much to put any weight behind it.

“Get up. I know you’re still awake. I’m messed up in a lot of ways, but it takes more than one punch to keep me down.” Slowly, his Shadow crawled to its knees, and from there, it looked Kanji in the eye the rest of the way up. “You said all my talking about manliness was a cover, right? Well let me make good on my word. You want me to admit it? Fine. I ain’t that tough. I look it, I act it, but that ain’t really me. I’d like being in the shop knitting a Hell of a lot more than I’d like beating the shit out of… Anyone, really.”

“But people that heard that just came right out with the judging. Kids can be scary little shits sometimes, you know?” He could still see his schoolyard days fresh in his mind. The others all keeping their distance, every recess, every week, every goddamn year. He couldn’t get out of there fast enough when the last class of primary ended. “Yeah, it was mostly girls. It’s like they thought I was getting in on their turf, I guess. And guys that saw me staying away from them so I didn’t hear that shit anymore started calling me...” The word caught in his throat, but it wasn’t the first time he had been forced to say it recently. He could do it again. “They called me gay. That hurt, it really did. I hated feeling hurt, so I made myself stop feeling. I hardened my shell and hid in it, bit at anyone that tried to get close. It made me the delinquent, but it felt better than being torn apart for being different.”

“Then… He reached out.” He turned the corner of his eye to Yu, who hadn’t moved an inch. “I lashed out at him like everyone else, but he tanked it all. He got right up to my shell, knocked on it, and asked if I wanted to go fishing. That was the weirdest thing I’d ever been through, but… It felt good. He accepted me, and even when I started flipping out and, yeah, making the one accusation I hate look like it wasn’t complete BS, he never jumped to it. He wanted to see me for me. That’s what I wanted all along, just to have someone like me, but I was so caught up trying to be a ‘real man,’ whatever that means, that I kept pushing people away.” He looked at his Shadow again, taking a page from Yu’s book and going past the surface.

“That’s what you are, the part of me that was so fucking lonely that it hurt. That’s you… And it’s me, too, damnit.” The Shadow relaxed, nodding calmly, and the dust rose behind it. The cloud hardened together into a thick, blocky frame, and when it was nearly complete, the human Shadow disappeared. A wave rolled over the dust, and it took color, a skeleton decal imprinting over its black hull. The towering robot whirred, and then it, too, nodded. Then, it was gone, and in its place was a burning card. Kanji reached up to grab it, and when it broke against his skin, all the voices in his head finally, after all those years, went quiet. The pressure of holding himself high was released, and he fell, spreading out over the floor to bask in the long-awaited peace.

“That fucking sucked...”

“But it feels way better now, right?” Yosuke held out a hand for him, and he took it. Yosuke was almost pulled over by the weight of the unnaturally large first year, but a pull on the shoulders from Chie kept him from being yanked atop him.

“Yeah.” Kanji stiffened when Yu got closer, a bit of embarrassment taking root with guilt as its soil. “Sorry you had to go through all this because of me. And that I probly won’t make enough time to keep my ass out of jail, so there goes the money you put into me...”

“Still have two weeks. Eighteen hours in fourteen days? Easy.” He put that hand on Kanji’s shoulder, and his touch was as supportive as his actions. “Let’s get you home. Your mom’s worried.” And there was the signal for true dread, ringing through his body louder than any hallucinated voice.

“Can I just punch another me in the face? That would be way easier.”

Chapter Text

A second victim had been saved from the other world, but the battle wasn’t over, in multiple senses. The most pressing matter, though, was upholding the conditions of Kanji’s parole. He was lucky to have an infinitely benevolent parole officer. Yu had been willing to pull his ass out of jail, dive in and pull his ass out of the TV, and, now, throw down several days’ worth of afternoons to keep his ass from going back to jail. Hell, he went a step further and ordered a round of good eats from the Junes food court for the whole group when they got back together to check on him. He was a damn good pal to have.

Even if he couldn’t understand what was going through his head half the time. Still, it was only polite to make small talk, and this was probably one of the few guys he would go out of his way to be polite around. If ‘guy’ still applied, anyway.

“So, Senpai, that’s a nice outfit. Where’d you get it?”

“Got the skirt from a shop in Tokyo. Worked a Yasogami uniform to match.” It was beyond difficult for Kanji to internalize what he was seeing. The guy who saved him, who fished with a fox, who commanded a lightning god, was sitting in the middle of Junes in a dress and hair extensions. Was it, like, his way of playing fair after he saw his other self in that wrap?

“You’ll get used to it.” Yosuke was trying not to stare too much, but he was otherwise numbed to the sight. “I don’t know if I should ask this, but, why are you in drag right now? I thought you only wore it to keep the Shadows off your ass.” His cheeks went pink for a second before he could throw on a stuttered, “No pun intended.”

“To help Kanji.”

“It’s nice of you to try making me feel better about… You know, my Shadow, but it’s cool. Seriously. I’m over it.”

“Talking about your hobbies. You’d call me manly, right?” Was that even a question?

“Hell yeah I would. You’ve got me beat any day of the week, and that’s before I saw you slap around a monster four times your size.”

“And now I’m in a dress. Just knitting doesn’t look so embarrassing anymore.” Kanji was left speechless. He needed time to mull over everything about his life. Yukiko, on the other hand, was already accustomed to his eccentricities.

“That’s a great idea! Good thinking, Yu-kun.”

“See, Yukiko, this is why he’s the leader. He’s good at making the weirdest ideas work.”

“Oh, so it’s not because he beat you to finishing the rainy day challenge?”

“Please stop bringing it up.”

“Speaking of, we need drinks.” Yu pushed himself out of his seat, careful to not let the skirt catch at its edges. “What does everyone want?”

“How did that make you think of…?” Yosuke put a hand to his forehead, forcibly reminding himself to stop questioning things. It was better for his health. “Never mind. I’ll take a cola.”

Chie’s hand shot up.

“Oolong tea!”

Yukiko lit up at the suggestion.

“I’ll have some, too. What about you, Kanji-kun?” The honorific made him feel weird. Not bad, but it would take some getting used to. Like everything else. How were the monsters the least confusing part of the package?

“I’ll just take some water. Feeling all sweated out after being in that bathhouse for so long.”

“Got it. I’ll check if they have extra electrolytes.” Yu wandered off towards the store proper to look for some electric whatsits. As soon as he was gone, Kanji leaned over the table and lowered his voice so no one else in the food court could hear him.

“Be honest with me here, how much is he on?” Chie looked at him in a way that made it clear that he had lost her from the word go.

“Uh, how much what?”

“Grass.” More blank stares. Of course they would play dumb, but did they really not trust him enough to let him in? “Ugh, don’t make me say it out loud, I don’t want to get him in trouble. I’m just wondering.”

“Wait.” Yosuke slowly became aware of the implication. “You think he’s high?”

“You gonna say to my face that he ain’t?”

“That’s so ridiculous, I can’t even...”

“Actually, it kind of makes sense.” Yukiko’s eyes went to the table as she flipped through her recent memories. “He does space out a lot. Have you ever seen him when he fishes?”

“Hey, you’re right!” Chie brought her fist down like a gavel. “And how about his appetite? He totally has the munchies.”

“...And he always has something weird up his sleeve that a sober person wouldn’t think of.” Ah great, now Yosuke was wondering if his partner was completely stoned at all hours of the day. “Even if he is, though, we can’t just come right out and ask about it. There’s no way he’d tell us he’s breaking the law.”

“He trusts us with his life in the TV. Why wouldn’t he now?” Yukiko caught a glimpse of him in the corner of her eye, and when she looked all the way over, he was carrying a tray with four cardboard cups and a tall plastic one filled with slightly fizzing water. When he was close enough to keep the sound contained, she spoke up. “Excuse me, Yu-kun, how high are you?”

“About five-eleven.” He set the tray down and passed out drinks without a blink. His answer was inconclusive, but in their minds, it served as a tiny mark towards their suspicion. This demanded further investigation.

-

“Huh. These things are way more flimsy in person.” Kanji waved around his fencing sword, a foil, as he had been told, watching closely as the blade wobbled around like a piece of tin. It was more like a lance than anything, and its handle, behind the big dome that covered the hand, looked like the grip of a handgun.

“Wouldn’t want to hurt someone for real. That’s what jousting is for. I would have offered, but we don’t have horses.” Yu instructed him in how to put on his armor using himself as a demonstration. With the heavy white padding over his chest, gut, and shoulders, he looked even sturdier than usual. It was counterbalanced when he put on his helmet, a white sheet with a thick black grating over the face. Not being able to see those granite-like eyes took an edge off the solid atmosphere he gave off.

Not wanting to lag behind, Kanji hurried to slip into his armor. It was a tight fit around the shoulders, but considering how much smaller Yu was, he was lucky it fit at all. He expected noise to be muffled when he put the head part on, but he could still hear the river as clear as day, and he could see pretty well through the face mesh. He took up his sword and pointed it at his opponent, arm fully outstretched.

“Let’s get this show on the road!”

“Okay. Remember, you only have to touch the chest or the bib of the mask to score.” Yu’s arm was closer to his side, bent at a near ninety degree angle. His stance was wide and low, but not so much that it impeded his mobility. “En guard.”

Kanji immediately charged forward, bearing down on Yu with his full mass. He pulled his arm back as to thrust it forward, but before he could even get close, his opponent sprung from his starting position. It was a smooth lunge forward, his chest tilted to the side. Kanji tried to stab at him, but he flowed out of the path of his foil, answering with a return jab. The middle of Yu’s sword bent up into his view, and his enthusiastic tackle came to a screeching, defeated halt.

“Point.” Kanji’s heart was racing, but he could tell Yu was as calm as if he had just been sitting there with his fishing pole.

“I… Yeah, that’s about what I expected.”

“First loss is out of the way. Now you can learn from it. Get back into starting position.” Yu set his foil aside, freeing his hands. He circled Kanji, slowly pushing at problems in his posture. “Should keep your sword arm back until the lunge, give you a head start in the strike. Keep your torso tilted like so, makes the target smaller. Most of all, adaptable agility should be the focus, not one directional. Always assume your opponent can beat you in one move. Plan for it. Hoping you can hit harder and faster won’t work.”

Kanji did his best to keep himself loose, only firming up once Yu stepped back. He realized he wasn’t exactly used to a smaller, quicker weapon like this. Whenever he did fight, which was, like, twice before, he counted on being the one who could throw his weight around the best. Against most people, that worked. His inherent gorilla strength could crush normal people like a tank blazing over the plains. Yu wasn’t a normal person, though, and neither were the monsters he fought. That Kanji would be fighting. He needed to get better. Lives were on the line.

“I’ll keep at as long as you can put up with me. Count on it, Kanji Tatsumi ain’t about to chicken out!”

“That’s the spirit.” He couldn’t see it, but Kanji could feel Yu’s warm smile as he took up his foil once more. “En guard.”

Kanji didn’t win a single bout that day. But he couldn’t say he was mad about it. He’d just go at it harder the next time. And the next time. However many times it took. Yu had faith in him. His team was counting on him. He screwed it up for years, but now, Kanji Tatsumi would finally be a man.

-

“Where do people go when they die?” Kanji would have loved to be back at the riverside fencing. As much as it pained him to say it, he would have taken going back to the sauna to get flexed at by his Shadow. Anything was better than being in the room with a guy that had to explain death to a little girl. They sat across from each other at the Dojima living room table, and Kanji was between them on the side opposite the TV.

What made it worse was Yu’s reaction. There was always a spark of positivity to him, lighting up the corners of his stony expression. Now, it was snuffed out, leaving behind cold discomfort. Nanako-chan was looking at him expectantly, putting him on the spot.

“...I don’t know.” Kanji was taken back by the sullen response, but Nanako took it well enough, nodding along.

“I guess there are some things even you don’t know.” Neither lightened up after the bubble popped. Nanako’s eyes reflected the tumultuous thoughts in her head, and Yu’s showed nothing at all, blank pools of gray untouched by the working of the mind behind it, if it was working at all. Kanji slipped up next to him and whispered in his ear.

“Why didn’t you just say heaven? She’s a kid!” Yu glanced over to him, and a single ripple of bitter amusement rolled over his gaze.

“A kid that can tell when I’m lying.” Yu made no attempt to lower his volume, knowing full well that she had already heard everything. Kanji sucked at whispering. Nanako didn’t bring it up, though. In fact, she seemed content in changing the subject.

“Big brother, I’m gonna get a drink.” She made to stand, but Yu beat her to it, the corners of his mouth turning slightly upwards.

“Let me. The usual?” She nodded, and he needed nothing more, setting to his duty. That left her and Kanji alone at the table. He was about to start poking around for a topic when she spoke up.

“Thanks for playing with big bro today.” She was smiling at him, her earlier melancholy not completely buried, but it was pushed back to the rims of her eyes. “It makes him really happy when he gets to spend time with people.”

“It was nothing. He’s a cool guy to hang out with.” He decided not to mention that he legally had to spend time with him. She didn’t need to hear about it. Hell if he knew how he was even allowed in the same house as her without a stink. He knew he made the right decision when her smile got a little bigger and she held Billy closer to her heart. Aside from the slight squishing from general use, he didn’t look any worse for wear than when he first left Kanji’s sewing table. “You’re taking good care of your new friend there.”

“He’s the best stuffed animal I’ve ever had! I know you were paid to make him, but thank you anyway.” A spark of panic went through him, the old urge to deny rising in his throat, but the certainty with which she said it brokered none of his excuses. So she was good at spotting a lie…

“Yeah yeah, just don’t mention it to anyone, alright? People don’t take to someone like me knitting.” Nanako caught the way his shoulders dipped. Big bro did the same thing when it was just the two of them. He had to have mentioned something about Kanji that would help her lift his mood.

“I think it’s cool.” Kanji looked at her like she grew a third arm, and she beamed back. “People that can make stuff are the coolest!” He now saw why Yu fawned over her so much. She was a goddamn ray of sunshine when she wasn’t down in the dumps.

“That’s… nice of you to say. Thanks.” He couldn’t let two compliments like that in a row go unrewarded. Well, if she thought making stuff was so cool… “Want me to show you how to do it sometime?” She gasped, her eyes wide with wonder.

“You would do that for me?”

“Heck yeah! Next time I come over, I’ll bring some materials to practice with if you want. You could make Billy there some accessories.” The sadness that lingered in her expression was banished, leaving the sparkle of childhood innocence.

“Ooh, how about a hat!?”

“You read my mind, squirt!” The sound of footsteps on wood made them aware that their one on one chat had come to a close.

“Did you hear, big bro? Did you?”

“Sure did. Kanji’s a great guy.” The look Yu cast him was at once approving and appreciative. Somehow, Kanji felt like he was entering some sort of pact between the ‘siblings,’ and he knew he had finally found a place to belong. “Here you go, plenty of sugar.” Nanako took the mug and drank deeply.

“Oh, you like your juice extra sugary, too, Nanako-chan?” She pulled it down, and there was a thin layer of brown on her upper lip.

“Nope, coffee.” Kanji’s jaw dropped, and when he looked over, Yu was sipping on a mug as well.

“Only allowed to make it for her when uncle isn’t here. Doesn’t like me doing his thing otherwise. Sorry, but I can’t use up too much, or I’d make you some, too.”

“Nah, that’s… that’s fine.” The little girl was slurping down her joe like trucker on break. He could never stand the stuff, no matter how much milk he added. Yu went out of his way to prove there was no one way to be a man, and his little sis was showing the other side of the coin was true, too. Was their weirdness in the blood? And what astronomical miracle gave Yu a double dose of those genes?

Chapter Text

“What are you doing!?” Before Yu could so much as vocalize an acknowledgment of her entrance, Marie’s hand swooped through his field of vision to swipe the coarse, almost papyrus-like paper from his hand. Had he not registered her action soon enough to loosen his grip, the page would have been ripped in two. Her face was red enough to violate the holy blue sheen of the Velvet Room, glimmering across the bottles on the shelf like fireflies reflected in the window. “How many times do I have to tell you not to read other people’s stuff!?”

“Now, Marie, I believe such a reaction is uncalled for.” Margaret’s chastisement was as firm as she could make it without breaking the polite air her master worked hard to maintain.

“Were it I in your position, I would accept his repeated perusal of your poetry as a compliment.” Igor’s position rarely shifted, his arms only moving from a contemplative steeple when interacting with his cards. This lack of motion was compensated for by his bulging, almost chameleon in nature eyes. They worked on an all-direction swivel that would strain the internal workings of a normal human, a biological inconsistency that, to the keenest observer, helped solidify his existence as something parallel to the waking world. “Our guest is clearly interested in your prose, enough to brave a verbal lashing with each new iteration. Perhaps he could serve as a test audience with which you can enhance your craft.”

“If I wanted to be laughed at, I’d just make a pair of glasses with your nose attached.” Margaret tensed at the gouge at her master’s honor, but his soft laughter swiftly diffused the incoming lecture.

“I am certain he could be of assistance in that regard as well. I presume you would need measurements for your craftsman friend?”

“That’s alright.” Yu let Marie’s pouting glance off of his hide like rain atop an umbrella. “If she wants one, going off of memory might make it funnier.”

“Of course, the comedic element of exaggeration. How could I forget such a basic concept? Margaret, would you be so kind as to fetch me some refreshing material to review as our guest and Marie are out?”

“Let’s get out of here.” Marie blatantly ignored the Room’s ‘hands off’ policy as she grabbed Yu by the collar, fixing him a heated glare as she marched off with him in tow like a short-leashed dog. “And if you ever mention what you read, I’ll skewer you with those nose glasses.”

-

“Yo, Senpai, we got a situation over here!” Yu had barely reclined in his chair opposite Marie when Kanji came blazing through the Junes food court, Yosuke trailing shortly behind.

“Entrance compromised, repeat, entrance compromised!” He flopped over the side of the table, drawing in air by the gallon while Kanji was mostly just sweating from his nerves.

“Calm down, then explain.” Their leader’s firm command touched a special chord in the back of their minds, one that had been plucked by that phrase in particular enough times for it to instantly serve as an emotional metronome. Yosuke pushed himself up from his half death and crowded closer to Yu, whispering as to keep their official business out of unwanted ears.

“We’re about to stop stocking that one type of TV. You know, that one.” The seriousness of the situation brought out the commander in Yu, differentiable from his standard self by a millimeter dip in his brow and the corners of his mouth. His hand went to his back pocket, pulling out his wallet.

“Find out how much we can get our model for the instant the rest of the stock is gone.” He gutted the leather pouch for every bill it contained, handing what he hoped to be plentiful funds for the purchase. “I’ll call in Chie and Yukiko. Need to find a place to put it where we won’t be spotted crossing over.”

“Way ahead of you, Senpai.” Kanji dug out a rusted key from the pocket of his leather jacket-cape. “One of those bike gangs used to have a hideout in the park near my place. After what I did to their boss, though, they hightailed it. Haven’t seen a lick of them in weeks, and I nabbed this from under a rock by the door.” A smile worked across Yu’s face as the new option opened up possibilities.

“Good work. Yosuke, keep watching the model. Kanji, head over to our new base and send pictures, inside and out. Need to know what we have to work with.”

“On it.” Both nodded resolutely before booking it in opposite directions, leaving Yu and Marie to their lunch. He let out a relieved sigh.

“That must be annoying.” Marie rested on the table, her head planted on top of her hand. “They just flock to you like you have all the answers to their problems, even when you’re trying to relax. Can’t they handle their own business?”

“I don’t mind. It was for the investigation. Knew what I was signing up for when I became the leader.”

“Why did you do that anyway?” Marie picked at her steak with her off hand, no longer interested in actually eating it. “You didn’t know the people that were killed, right? You had no reason to get involved.” Yu wasn’t exactly grounded in normality by most standards, but Marie acted as a thing even further removed from humanity than her master. He knew it wasn’t in malice, though, taking on an informative tone whenever such a discrepancy between perception and reality showed itself.

“Humans are social animals. Helping each other is in our nature. I have the power to save lives, therefore, I save lives. Simple as that.” She eyed him suspiciously, but she dropped the glare with a groan.

“Whatever. Just don’t go dying on me, or I’ll be stuck in that room until some other Wild Card shows up. It’s so dull in there.”

“But you find ways to pass time. Oh, unless you need more paper and pencils?” And the glare was back.

“I told you not to bring it up! So embarrassing...”

“Do I look like I’m laughing?”

“You don’t look like you’re doing anything! Who knows what’s going on in that thick skull?” She slumped over and pulled her hat down over her eyes. Even with her vision blocked, though, she could feel his constant observation. He was almost as bad at hiding his staring as Igor. “You know, you never did tell me why you keep reading my stuff.”

“You put your heart into it.” She pushed the brim up, expecting some sort of condescension, but he still looked to be in teacher mode. “Sometimes, people have trouble expressing themselves. They hide things from each other, bury how they feel. Poetry like yours, though, is refreshingly honest. Takes a lot to put the heart into words, whether you show it off or not. I’ve always admired people who can do it.”

Well, this was a new experience for Marie. Compliments were nothing special at this point. While Margaret was professionally detached at the best of times, Igor, whenever he did speak up instead of watching events in the physical plain, was always very supportive. There was something about the way Yu put it, though, that sent currents through oft unused portions of her brain. Her heart rate was rising, and the blood was starting to warm her skin. Her normally pale tone did nothing to ward off the visibility of the phenomenon, but Yu was polite enough to not mention it. It was only when her ears no longer felt like they were burning that she managed a response.

“...Whatever. Just stop reading random pieces of paper on the ground. It’s a waste of time at best, and rude at worst.”

“I can promise nothing. Natural curiosity. But there is a way to express yourself that I can’t pick up later.”

-

“Is this thing ON- Ow! Okay, yeah, it’s on.” Marie jumped back, shot by the drastic increase in her voice’s volume. She tapped at the foam covering over the microphone, using it to judge as she fiddled with a knob on the small, battery operated karaoke radio. When it no longer blew out eardrums with each word, she started talking through it, getting accustomed to the strange machine.

“Master, are you certain it is acceptable for her to carry items from the outside world here?” Margaret looked at Marie, the younger girl hunched over her new toy in the corner of the seat.

“It was a gift from our guest. The Velvet Room is a reflection of the state of his heart. If he decided his heart would be best served by its inclusion, I see no reason to deny the request.” After many years of viewing the most unsavory of events humanity has ever known, the occasional swell in volume from Marie was of little note to Igor. “If I recall correctly, your sister requested far more questionable objects than this.”

“I… will not deny that.” Margaret would, however, try her best to forget many of the resulting incidents. How Elizabeth managed to use pepper juice in that large bubble wand, no one will ever know.

Chapter Text

The pictures Kanji sent out of their new base didn’t paint an amazing picture. It was a rundown shack jammed haphazardly in the middle of a bunch of trees and shrubs as to hide it from view. The grass was littered with spare tires, metal scrap torn off of broken motorcycles, and enough emptied alcohol bottles to transport every drop from the Samegawa River. There weren’t any windows, meaning the only light that got in was from a hole in the flat, plywood roof, and the walls and door were rotted, misaligned, or both. The only thing it really had going for it besides secrecy was size, being at least as big as a basic living room.

Yosuke thought he would be in for a big cleaning job when they met up again, but when school ended and he made his way to the hut, wrenches packed away just in case, he found it completely transformed. The shrubbery was trimmed back, and before he could ask where some of the bigger trees went, he noticed that most of the boards on the shack itself had been replaced. The door was swapped out for a more sturdy model, though the rusted handle and lock had been transplanted from the old set. Wires ran under the brim of the new, thicker roof, entering through small gaps in the structure, and he thought he heard a generator running out back.

He had a hundred questions. Some of them were answered when Kanji strolled out, holding a sack heavy with clanking bottles, but it also added a couple more to the pile. He noticed Yosuke staring with his jaw slack, and he smiled wide back.

“Hey there, Yosuke-senpai! What’cha think?”

“I… Well, I’m impressed, but...”

“Thanks! But, you should be telling Yu-senpai that, not me. All this was his idea. I’m just the muscle.” Okay, that explained so much.

“I’d still say you earned some major respect here. It’s only been one day, dude, but you turned this whole place around.”

“Oh, no way in Hell I could’ve done it alone. Chie-senpai just ran off to recycle another couple bags of booze bottles.” Kanji dropped the one he finished filling by a nearby tree, the clang almost deafening. “And I think Yukiko-senpai’s buying some paints and shit to make it look nice. Oh, and Yu-senpai was helping me hack up the planks, but...”

“Wait, wait, everyone else has been working on this today? Was that why they weren’t in class!?I get you not showing up, but Yu’s an honor student! No way he could sneak off and have no one notice.” Yosuke wasn’t the studious sort, but he also knew it was better to go and get it over with than to get chewed out for not going later. Kanji ignored the minor freak out and lit up with pride.

“That’s the cool part, Senpai got the principal to sign off on a little project. Said it would help him teach me the value of hard work, give me something to be proud of, and push the biker problem away from the shopping district all in one move. A few calls later, we got cleared to make this place our own little club instead of sitting around in class.” Yosuke knew he promised himself to keep questions minimal, but he had to ask what sort of connections Yu had sometime. First, though, if the taboo was already broken…

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped.”

“You already did. Getting the TV here was the most important part, and you nailed it on your own.” He slapped Yosuke’s back, nearly knocking the unsuspecting boy over. “I figured we could handle the heavy lifting for you from here.” Yosuke was left to rub his spine and manually check for fractures. How did a guy that spent his time knitting get so damn beefy?

“You say that like it would’ve been worse than today’s lectures… Whatever, I’m here now, so I should help out anyway.” Yosuke made towards the door, thinking it would, logically, be where they stored the bags. “You have some junk left to pick up, yeah?”

“Whoa, hold up, Senpai’s…!”

The door opened smoothly, and the inside was just as polished as the out. The TV was placed on an entertainment stand with glass doors covering shelves just big enough for DVD cases. Sprawled out in front of it over the wood panel flooring was a navy blue carpet, and there was a makeshift table directly in the center. It looked like a standard tabletop had its legs sliced off, replaced with one of the discarded tires. Around it on all three sides were seats. Two nice, plush chairs stood to the left and right, and a three person couch was directly opposite of the TV.

However, it was currently seating only one occupant. Lit slightly by an overhead bulb, Yu was fully reclined, arms spread over the back. His head faced up, only supported by a throw pillow, and his eyes were shut in peaceful sleep. Yosuke had to cover his mouth to keep from blurting out a, “Whoops,” in embarrassment, but the sight was too curious to leave behind.

In all the time they’d known each other, this was probably the first he’d ever seen his partner so completely relaxed (barring that one soak in the bathhouse which he chose to only vaguely recall.) It almost wasn’t natural. Yu always projected the air of being far above the average man, always on the go with some plan or other he was working on, so seeing him revel in sleep like everyone else didn’t quite line up in his head. It humanized the guy, though, and, if anything, that made all his hard work for the team even more impressive. Kanji tried to keep his steps light as he entered.

“He sort of clocked out after we finished getting the walls swapped. Told him he should kick back for a few minutes, but when I came in to check, he was like this. Don’t think he meant to, but, you know, didn’t feel right to wake him up.” Unfortunately, with his terrible skill at whispering, the noise was just loud enough to brush against Yu’s dormant mind. He started to stir, but when his eyes drearily opened, they had none of the intense focus they knew him for.

“Hmm? Did I…?” He started to push himself forward, almost freeing his arms from the plush, inviting prison that was the couch’s back cushioning. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to doze off. Be right out.” That was what he said, but his actions were that of a poorly made sock puppet, slouching loosely over the puppeteer’s fingers.

“No, man, you’re good.” Kanji pushed passed Yosuke, waving his arms to catch the almost sleepwalking Yu’s attention. “We’re finished with just about everything we’ve got to do before Yukiko-senpai gets back. You can take it easy til then.” It took a few seconds and more than a few blinks for the words to register, but once they did, Yu sank back into the groove he created in the padding.

“Kay. Wake me up then.” His eyes slid shut, and his breathing settled into a slow, constant rhythm. Yosuke and Kanji snuck back outside, and once the door was shut behind them, Yosuke looked at him knowingly.

“You’re nowhere near done, and you’re not planning on waking him up, right?”

“Nope.” He grabbed an empty, balled up bag from his pocket and chucked it to Yosuke. Without a word, the two went out back, where a veritable sea of bottles and cans stretched out before them. When they settled into a steady working pace, Kanji started making small talk. “Truth be told, he was here way before me this morning. When I showed up, he was flipping between every news channel for anything we might need to keep tabs on.”

“Seriously?” Kanji nodded, and Yosuke’s respect deepened. It hadn’t been that long since they came to the conclusion that people that showed up on the mass media in turn made an appearance on the Midnight Channel. Yu’s dedication to tracking that potential lead was a frightening thing. For the killer, at least. “You think we should tell him to get more sleep?”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. Soon as he gets to his place, he sort of melts in and listens to Nanako-chan for a while.” Kanji’s expression turned somber. He saw a lot of things the night he was invited into their little world. Not all of it was as sunny as it should’ve been. He knew he should keep his big mouth shut about the hints he caught from Nanako, since that was a family matter more than anything, but their Senpai? That was his business. “Think you can keep a secret?”

“Yeah. What’s up?”

“It might just be me reading something wrong, but I think Senpai’s got a lot more going on in his head than he lets on.”

“What makes you say that?”

Kanji looked up at him, his brow scrunching as he struggled to put the words together.

“It was like, as soon as he got in the door, he lost that… I don’t know, that spark. You ever see a clown take its makeup off? That’s what I saw.”

Yosuke’s pace stuttered, the idea taking root in his mind. It was the natural consequence for putting everything he had out there every day. In a way, such deep tiredness was to be expected.

“Maybe that’s why he always looks so chill. He literally doesn’t have the energy to emote.” If their earlier theory about his use of marijuana was true, too, it might have also been connected. Chemically enforced relaxation turned minor addiction. The drug didn’t seem dangerous to his health, but emotional dependency on a substance was never a good thing. Especially if there was another way to handle the problem. “From now on, we should keep watch for any time we can take some work off his hands. If nothing else, it would give him more time at home with Nanako-chan. Can I count on you, big guy?”

“Hell yeah.” Kanji didn’t miss a beat with his work as he gave Yosuke a hard, determined look. “Should we get Chie-senpai and Yukiko-senpai in on it, too?” Yosuke stopped to think about it for a second.

“Not yet. No offense, but Chie doesn’t exactly have a lot of tact, and Yukiko might tell her by mistake. We should make sure what’s going on is as bad as we think it is before telling them. If we ever need an intervention, though, that’s where Chie’d come in handy. That loud mouth on her might just shout him into submission.” He suddenly found himself recoiling as a thrown bag wrapped around his head like a net, forcing him to rip it down in order to see a somewhat angered Chie glaring at him.

“What was that about me?” Oh, good, it sounded like she hadn’t heard anything about Yu. He just had to play it cool. He tried to think something like that up, but then he got a whiff of what the bottles left behind in the bag.

“Oh gross! This thing reeks like alcohol!”

“Good!” Chie snatched it from him once he finished freeing himself from it, kneeling down to collect more trash. “Maybe now you’ll think twice before you mouth off about me again.” Yosuke was left fuming, but it was a comfortable, familiar anger. This back and forth was the foundation of their friendship, after all. And maybe he did kind of go too far at times, not that he would admit it out loud.

-

Yu was not happy when he woke up, to put it lightly. He expected to put in some elbow grease to make something nice for his friends. What he got was them doing that work in his stead. It was like they took over wrapping his Christmas gifts for them. It completely threw off the point of the gesture.

It was too late to change it by then, though, and they had done a fine job. The area was clean of bottles, though the lingering scent of cheap beer still occasionally drifted up from the tainted earth. The outside of the hut had a thick coat of reddish-brown paint, sealing it against future water damage. The generator was packed in padding thick enough to muffle the noise, but it had enough passages to let off heat so that it didn’t threaten to melt itself.

There was still work to be done, a few improvements he wanted to make so it was more serviceable to the group as both a nice meeting place and the center of their operation, but he couldn’t deny the massive strides that were made in his unwilling absence.

He was certainly proud of his team, and this gave him an avenue to do some actual work of his own. He asked, nay, demanded, that they join him for dinner. He even had an extra card to play in his favor. It wasn’t a matter of imposing on him, it was celebrating their part in ‘reforming’ a local delinquent.

Shortly after, they found themselves seated around the Dojima household’s dinner table, waiting while Yu slaved away in the kitchen. The savory scent of frying fish oils wafted by, occasionally interspersed with hints of lemon. Kanji was talking animatedly to Nanako as she showed off the violet vest she had most of the way done.

He was the only one acting so lively, the presence of Dojima himself something they weren’t quite ready for. It wasn’t that he was imposing beyond his job title. He just didn’t look like the type of guy who would appreciate a pack of teens being loud and raucous. It was a matter of etiquette, something lost on Kanji in the moment.

Dojima didn’t mind, though. It made Nanako happy, and he was watching his language, so he could put up with a little indirect, probably unintentional disrespect. If there was anything that did bug him, it was Nanako’s disappointment with how quiet everyone else was being. She could use more energetic company.

He wasn’t the one who could strike up a friendlier mood. Fortunately, someone like that was present. Maybe someone younger could bridge the gap. He caught Adachi’s attention and tilted his head towards the quiet half of the room.

“Uh… So, how’s that clubhouse going? That is what you were working on today, right?”

“Most of us.” Yosuke still couldn’t get over not being invited to skip school for the day. The only thing keeping him from throwing a stink eye at someone was a desire to preserve the peace. “We have it all cleaned up, but it still has that smell to it. Those bikers didn’t know how to throw away their bottles at all.” Well, there was a topic Dojima could help with.

“Try baking soda. Sprinkle a little wherever the smell’s strong, then hit it with some water. That should clear it right up.”

“Dojima-san is right.” Yukiko nodded along in agreement. “A few scented candles should help until we can get enough baking soda for the entire area, too.” Chie looked a little surprised by her apparent expertise on the subject.

“Do you deal with a lot of drinkers at the Inn?”

“Not too often, but a few manage to sneak drinks into the hot springs every now and then. We know how to clean it up quickly so it doesn’t bother the other guests.”

“Hot springs?” The hint of an interesting subject drew Nanako away from her sewing talk. “I heard they’re really nice, and good for you.” Yukiko was trying to distance her individual identity from that of her family’s business, but the interest still tapped into an innate sense of pride.

“That’s right, Nanako-chan. The minerals in the water can make your skin shiny and smooth, and it can also make your hair feel silky.” The more she heard, the more entranced Nanako became.

“Is that why you’re so pretty?” And there it was, a shot directly through the heart. Kanji knew it was only a matter of time, but Yukiko didn’t see it coming. There was a warm fluttering in her heart that she had to work around to respond without it escaping with her voice.

“It might be a part of it.”

“You’re so lucky. It must be nice living near a hot spring.” A smile slowly spread over Yukiko’s face.

“You know, I might be able to convince my parents to let you try them sometime.” And like that, the little girl’s eyes went wide and sparkly. “It might be a little while before traffic slows down enough for it, but I would be glad to show you them when it does.” The proviso wasn’t anywhere near enough to dampen Nanako’s excitement, leaving her to channel it through giggling and ecstatic outbursts.

“Thank you so much! Hehe, hot spring, hot spring!~”

He was focused on his cooking, but no amount of work would ever make him too busy to appreciate his little sister making friends. She needed more positive influences in her life. He knew his little group would be the perfect candidates. The most he could do to solidify the deal now was close the evening off with a good meal. He was almost finished skinning when the doorbell rang.

“I’ve got it.” He wiped his hands off on a towel before opening the door, careful to keep any juices from contaminating other surfaces. Waiting for him on the other side was a now familiar face, holding a package with his name on it.

“Afternoon, Namatame-san.” The politician turned deliveryman tipped his cap, the closest action to a bow he could perform without tipping his cargo.

“I see you’ve taken over dinner again, Narukami-kun.” Yu nodded, taking the clipboard and pen from its temporary stand atop his box.

“Company’s over. Figured takeout wouldn’t cut it.”

“Adachi, help him with that, would you?”

“On it, Dojima-san!” Adachi ran over to the door, taking the package off of Namatame’s hands. He couldn’t help but notice how chilled it was and, more strikingly, the labels all over it. “Oh, you buy from that Tanaka show?”

“It’s not that odd.” Namatame took his chance to stretch, his back compressing after the umpteenth heavy delivery of the day. “If I had to count, I would say half of what I deliver is from their warehouse.”

“Probably makes pickup convenient.” Yu bowed slightly as he handed his signature back.

“I’m just glad for anything that isn’t made of glass. Oh, and heavy appliances. Those can get kind of rough, too.” Yu politely refrained from looking at Namatame’s nose. It was still bruised and browned from what he said was a mishap with a washing machine. His voice was a bit nasally, too, but it would pass once the swelling went down. He checked the board, and once he verified it was all in order, he knew it was time to get back to the grindstone. “Enjoy your evening. And tell Nanako-chan I said hello.”

“Hello, mister!” Yu smirked at the display of her sharp hearing, but he let Namatame off without comment. He knew what he did. Adachi, eager to get the heavy, cold package out of his hands, retreated back inside.

“Put it in the kitchen. Ordered fish.”

That was where Namatame’s window into the household closed, but he had seen enough. Behind Yu, he saw young Amagi and Tatsumi, alive and well. His mission, once again, was successful. He could have done without the facial bruising, but he took it as a small sign that he was letting his excitement get the better of him. From then on, he was a professional, and he would work as such.

He had people to save, and no amount of worldly pride would distract him from his goal. The killer would be brought to justice eventually, but until then, he swore to cut them off at every turn. He wouldn’t let anyone else be hurt like his Mayumi, or the student he was too late to protect. Never again.

Chapter Text

Yosuke was thankful for the practice he gained in cleaning out trash. It helped him survive his evening in the mountain woods with minimal back pain.

Minimal, not nonexistent.

He didn’t know what shaded conspiracy of laziness turned those woods into an impromptu dump, nor did he know what pinhead on the school board decided recruiting students into a chain gang was the way to clean it out every year, but he made it through. Barely.

To nobody’s surprise, Yu was an utter machine out there. His pace wasn’t particularly fast. In fact, his top speed was probably the slowest of all. What he lacked in swiftness, though, he made up for in durability. While everyone else took hourly breaks, at the very least, he kept at it with his litter skewer and garbage sacks for the entire day, never dropping, never tiring. Only doing. Yosuke wondered how that was, but then he saw the look in his partner’s eyes. Focused, but dilated.

Damn him and his semi-active meditation.

Well, there was actually a fair bit of surprise, just not from the people that knew how he worked. The rest of the team kind of expected him to show up everyone else. Kanji was cheering him on whenever their paths crossed, and Chie took his work ethic as a challenge, muttering, “Working hard leads to eating hard.”

Those sports guys he played with were well in the know, too. Kou tried thinking up some crack about it, but both of their feelings were summed up by Daisuke with a confident nod.

“His zone is nothing to joke about.”

Everyone else, though, was in shock. They knew his was a mind not to be taken lightly from those test scores, but it was natural to assume from there that his physical abilities would be lacking. That assumption was blown out of the water, where it was promptly skewered and trashed by the silver haired dump truck.

For all his power, however, Yu Narukami was still mortal, and all mortal men knew the bite of hunger. As the sun began to set, he waited across from Yosuke at one of many covered picnic tables. He would have been happy to prepare more fish, but the girls were insistent. He cooked for them once, now it was their turn to return the favor. Normally, Yosuke didn’t like being a tag-along on another guy’s score, but he was too hungry to complain. Besides, the girls were offering to cook dinner! What could be better than that?

“Ooh, here they come!” He contained his excitement as Chie and Yukiko carried two plates to them, each piled high with rice and topped by a heavy smattering of curry sauce. He couldn’t quite tell what was in it, but he could excuse that. This wasn’t a pro cooking show with chefs that knew exactly how to present their food for maximum appeal. He had to temper his expectations a bit. The girls looked down at his barely masked glee, and shared a concerned look.

“We… Added a lot of love.” Chie tried to sound confident as they gave their offerings.

“Really? That’s kind of cliché, but still…!” His party train rammed into the mountainside once he sniffed the air. He tried to turn his head, certain that it had to be coming from somewhere else, but no. The plates before them smelled as though all of the food items in Junes had been boiled in a broth of sewage, and if he listened closely, he swore he could hear each grain of rice crying out for a merciful death.

Or maybe the fumes were making him hallucinate. That could very well have been.

“...Still awesome. You, uh, shouldn’t have.” The joy slowly drained from his face, and the girls knew they had lost him. Yukiko had the grace to bow, hiding her sorrow behind a fallen curtain of hair.

“I’m sorry, we don’t know what went...”

“Down the hatch.” A spoon clinked, and every eye snapped to Yu, who held a healthy sample of slop aloft. With it closer, Yosuke could see the purple sheen of the sauce, and the spoon appeared to be melting.

“Are you nuts!?”

“In some cultures, the best food is what smells the worst.” The girls watched expectantly as the decaying spoon carried a portion of their blend into Yu’s waiting lips. They closed around it, and as soon as the seal was made, the skin about his face tightened. The stone of his expression turned to fragile plastic, one wayward poke away from shattering. He kept his eyelids right where they were, but the pupils behind them had shrunken as though he was staring into oncoming headlights cutting through a pitch black night.

He pulled the spoon free. His jaw shifted to chew, but recoiled. The mass between his teeth could be charitably described as sludge. At least for the first few millimeters. The further he pressed on, the more layers he found. A little crunchy, a little watery, slimy, and at the heart of it all, what felt like a pocket of sand awaited him. No, make that glass shards. His gums burned as particles of the dust cut through their outer layer, granting direct entrance to the toxic brew into his bloodstream. Chie covered her mouth as sympathy and guilt gripped her being.

“Th-That’s okay, you can spit it out now. We won’t be offended, promise!”

Yu slammed his eyes shut, and his throat expanded to admit passage to his deepest depths. The expression of slithering down one’s gullet was often invoked, but this, he felt, was the first it could be used literally. It felt like a fat, plague-carrying serpent’s scales grinding against his esophagus, releasing pus in their wake. Before his body could engage preservation instincts, it was settling into his stomach, and at once, the acid there felt like its temperature doubled. The toxins that had entered his blood earlier finally pulsed through his brain. His eyes rolled back into his skull as he fell, his head barely making it past the concrete floor to land in the grass and dirt just beyond.

“Oh my god!” Terror tore through Yukiko. She tried to reach out to Sakuya so she could bring him back from the brink, but this was an ailment even the goddess couldn’t cleanse. “Please stay awake, we’ll get help!” She grabbed Chie to pull her along in search of a teacher. Yosuke rushed to Yu’s side, pulling him up onto his lap. He saw then that his eyes had faded, as though at that moment he was staring down death itself.

“Why did you do that, partner? You know not to engage an enemy that much stronger than you!” He struggled to look at Yosuke, and even when he managed that, it wasn’t long before they drifted back to staring at the light he now saw above him.

“Gesture of appreciation. Couldn’t waste it.”

“What’s it matter that you wasted a gift if it wastes you?”

“Senpai!” The ground quaked as Kanji ran to their table, a hand clutching it tightly when he saw Yu’s critical condition. “What the Hell happened!?”

“He met an enemy even he couldn’t beat...” Yosuke glanced to the curry with all the hate and fear he could muster. Kanji followed his gaze, finding the monster still boiling with murderous intent.

“Don’t worry, leader. I’ll...” He took up the fallen spoon, knowing he would need a weapon in the war to come. “I will avenge you!” He swiped a heaping mound of curry, and he slammed it into his face, swallowing before it could touch his tongue. Once it hit his stomach, though, it was all over. His skin paled, and the mighty giant toppled, the concrete cracking as he fell. His quest for revenge was cut short as swiftly as the master before it.

“No, KANJI!!!”

-

The next two hours were fuzzy for Yu. He remembered clearly hearing, “Those girls broke the exchange student!” before he blacked out entirely. He was thrust back into reality as the gym teacher gave him the Heimlich Maneuver. It was too late for its intended use, to stop choking, but the pressure along with his persisting, intense nausea quickly expelled the poison from his stomach. The concrete smoldered and smoked as it touched the highly acidic concoction. A second dose from Kanji’s guts nearly burned a hole clean through to the earth beneath it.

One of the other groups brought over a tea he couldn’t identify through the thick film over his tongue, but it quickly brought his remaining stomach acid back down to normal before it could eat through his organs in outrage.

The boys narrowly avoided demise, but they weren’t quite out of the woods yet. It was entirely possible that some of the mixture had already been digested. It was determined that the risk was minor enough for them to remain for morning activities, but their savior, the coach, insisted that he would have his cell on hand in case their conditions worsened. He thought it would be best if the two had healthy company that could find him in that event, so he bunked them in the same tent as the only other student that understood the bullet they narrowly dodged.

Yosuke accepted his role as night guard without argument. The three were given the tent space closest to the teachers’ encampment, a smooth hilltop that would let them rest peacefully. It was only around the time they got their sleeping bags lined up that the haze over their minds finally dissipated, allowing them to reflect on the experience. Such a near graze of Grim’s scythe was often the source of great inspiration, the truest knowledge humanity had ever acquired. A nugget of true wisdom was bestowed upon them, as well, in the first brush with divine influence Kanji had known.

“That was fucking terrifying.” Yu nodded in agreement.

“At least Shadows won’t seem as bad.”

“I’d let those sweaty wrestlers chase me all night long if I never had to see you two almost rot from the inside out like that again.” Kanji’s glare burned its way into Yosuke’s hide.

“I thought we agreed to never bring that up again.”

“Sorry, sorry! It’s just...” Yosuke’s mouth clamped shut, but not before a hint of his doubt could drip out through the crack. It was enough to give Kanji the trail, and the last of his poison dizziness was purged by a churning pit of rage.

“Just what?”

“Hey, just ask Yu here, those guys were a pain in my a… Neck. It was traumatizing! God knows how Teddie put up with two of them at once.” The more he was reminded of that damn sauna, the angrier Kanji got.

“Yes, okay, you almost died. So did we. Can we drop it now?”

“It’s kind of hard to ignore that all that came from you, dude!” Kanji’s eyes went wide, and it was then that Yosuke knew the line was crossed. Kanji jumped to his feet, the ache entirely forgotten.

“You saying you think that’s me!?” Yosuke was up, too, but holding his arms in defense.

“It’s hard not to think about!”

“Because you keep making the memory fresh, you…!”

“Guys.” One syllable struck the tent like a gong. When they looked down, they saw a single, hairline fracture in Yu’s composure, through which the only twinge of anger they had ever heard from him escaped. The iron mask of Narukami did little to restrain the demon, stirred by the glimpse at true, hellish torture that was Mystery Food X. It was only a peek, but that much was enough for them to know they never wanted to see it in full force. “Kanji, voice down. Head hurts, and Morooka is looking for an excuse to expel you already.” Kanji dipped his head, almost toppling when his body’s poor health came back with a vengeance.

“Sorry, Senpai.”

“Yosuke, he’s a teammate. Need to trust him with your life. We’ll work through this when two of us aren’t out of it.” Yosuke had nothing to get in the way of his bow.

“Sorry.” The genuine apology soothed the demon, returning it to its long dormancy. Yu’s eyes softened as his helpful side reemerged.

“Also, might want to check how that incident affected you going forward. Bury it, and it might turn into repressed homophobia. I’ll read some psychology to help you with that when we get back.”

“Okay, you might be right about that.” Now that Yosuke thought about it, any time he heard a campy accent on TV anymore, it did drudge up that time he was pinned against a wall. It might have been a horrible reaction to have if he heard someone like that in real life. “At least there aren’t that many guys like that around here to hurt by mistake in the meantime.”

“I know one.” Of course he did. He seemed to know everyone in town, even the wildlife. Yosuke knew it wasn’t really any of his business, but it wouldn’t hurt to know who to watch his mouth around the most.

“Who’s that?”

“Down here.” Yosuke tilted his head in confusion, but when the words finally got through to him, he was taken back.

“Seriously? Weren’t you teaching Ted how to score with girls?”

“Well, technically pan, but still applies.” And that terminology lost Kanji with no hope of recovery.

“Pan?”

“Pansexual. Don’t care about… gender.” Yu would have said sex, to be fully accurate, but that probably would have been misconstrued. “I love the who, not the what.”

“Huh. I wouldn’t have guessed.” Yosuke had a hard time reading him sometimes anyway, so of course he wouldn’t have. He never gave any signs. Then again, he already said there weren’t many gay guys in town, and Yu had a way of reading people, so maybe he just hadn’t gotten a chance to display that part of himself. “Sorry if I offended you, partner.”

“Know you didn’t mean it that way.” The calm, understanding smile returned, but it was joined by heavy, worn eyes. “We should get some sleep.”

“Yeah, we should.” Yosuke was happy to climb back towards his sleeping bag, but he noticed Kanji was still just standing there with a thousand yard stare. “Dude, you okay up there?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” He snapped back to reality, making for his bag, too. “Just thinking about stuff.”

“You mean, like…?” Before Yosuke could finish his question, there was a tapping on the rocks outside the tent, a deliberate knocking followed by a panicked voice.

“Guys, let us in!”

“Chie!?” Yosuke was up again, and when he turned on the lamp, he saw two shadows cast on the tent wall. Considering who the first was from, he could guess who was with her. “What are you two doing here? You’ll be expelled!”

“We couldn’t sleep! Hanako’s snoring shook the tent!” Yukiko put a finger in front of Chie’s mouth, continuing her thought in a whisper.

“Please, let us in, I hear one of the teachers coming!”

“Oh for the love of, fine! But you owe us, again.” He unzipped the front flap, and no sooner than he had it closed did the footsteps outside get louder. Kanji flipped off the light, but it was already too late.

“Hey, is anyone still in there? Answer me, damnit!” Morooka’s inebriation was audible, stumbling through his words as much as he stumbled over his feet.

“Just us, sir, Narukami, Hanamura, and Tatsumi.”

“Oh, it’s the sick tent. Course you wouldn’t be up to starting trouble after that nuclear waste. Your weak stomach still emptying out, Narukami?”

“Think I ran out of stuff to throw up, sensei. And Tatsumi is asleep.” Yu gave Kanji a nod, making it clear that he didn’t need to lie, too.

“I see. And what about Hanamura?” Morooka’s voice took on an aggressive edge.

“Almost asleep, sir, no problem here!”

“Quit yammering! Don’t make me come in there and lecture you into shape. I’m in no mood for it!” A yawn broke off the tirade before it could begin, and a quick flurry of steps made it sound like he almost fell over. “Get your skins to bed. I need to get back to patrol. Oh, and thanks for the generous donation to the school, Narukami. It’s going to good, hic, use.” He took off to terrorize the rest of the remaining student body, and once he was well out of earshot, the girls sighed in relief. Chie was on the verge of nervous tears.

“Thanks, guys. I thought King Moron was gonna skin us alive.” Yukiko patted Chie’s back to calm her nerves, but she was also looking at Yu curiously.

“What did he mean by donation, Yu-kun?”

“A little money in the right places bends rules. Like attendance rules, for example.” His eyes hardened as he looked at the doorway Morooka almost barged through in a drunken stupor. “Pretty sure I just funded this year’s alcohol binge.”

“It’s nice having a rich friend.” Kanji looked at him appreciatively, but an ounce of self awareness hit him a second later. “Not that that’s all I see you for , Senpai.” Yu nodded, confirming that he knew what Kanji meant .

“Let’s try this sleep thing again. Tired.” He closed his eyes, but before he could drift off, another argument began to flare, started by Chie.

“You better not try anything while we’re asleep, Yosuke.”

“What makes you think I would!?”

“Guys.” Yosuke and Kanji didn’t dare look at him. The fearful expressions from the girls was enough to tell them that he was making that face again. “Sleep on my opposite side. Anyone tries to cross before sunrise, I’ll kick. Can we sleep now?” Chie gulped loudly.

“Yeah. Thanks, and sorry.”

-

“No wonder he was so eager to get some shuteye.” True to his threat, no one dared cross the divide before the break of day. When light finally filtered in through the thin, cloth walls, everyone started to rouse, but Yu was out cold. Fearful that he had eaten enough to go comatose, Yosuke slid up to him with the keenest eye he could manage.

As far as he could tell, though, he was just in a heavy sleep. It was like that time at the hideout, when he clung to unconsciousness with all the strength he could muster. He was as still as the earth beneath him, and his breathing flowed as the constant tides. The first time he found the guy like this, Yosuke could pin the exhaustion on cleaning up the bikers’ old club. It was an absolute sty. Now that he saw the same, desperate sleep again, he couldn’t help but find a pattern emerging.

“ Kanji, you’re at his place more than any of us. You think he’s getting enough time in bed?”

“How should I know?” Kanji leaned against the wall of the tent, pulling the entire structure towards him as he reclined. “I never stick around after dark.”

“He sort of looks like the businessmen that stay at the Inn sometimes.” Yukiko scanned Yu’s dormant form, hunting for the familiar signs. The more she found, the deeper the crease in her brow became. “Actually, scratch that, he’s even worse. You can tell just by looking at them in the morning how much stress they’ve been through, and… Well, Yu-kun is the worst case I’ve seen in some time, if not the worst period.”

Yosuke wanted with all his heart to chastise the guy for pushing himself so hard, but he knew that if he had that sort of willpower, he would be up all night trying to think about the case, too. He wanted to avenge Saki-senpai more than anything else in the world. The few times he could bring himself to look back at her death, at the memory of her body hanging from the antenna, he found a second wind to keep fighting with. Yu didn’t have any personal connections to speak of, but he worked solely because of the virtue in his heart to see the murders brought to an end. It was a quality that Yosuke envied. That didn’t mean he could just let Yu tear himself apart, though.

“Kanji, the next time you’re at his place, I need you to pass a message on. We’ll need some inside help if we want to know just how bad it is for him.”

-

“ Dude, that’s just wrong.”

Yosuke clearly didn’t agree with Chie’s assertion. His grin was as wide as a canyon as he held up his ‘gifts’ for the girls. The swimsuits he found matched their aesthetic to a T from where he was standing, and he thought they were about the right size. He sort of sucked at eyeing cloth es , though. Then again, if they were just a size too small, that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. He could almost see them now, glistening wet in the river below, lit just so by the light refracting from the spray of the waterfall. All it would take was a little push.

“ Come on, it’ll be fun! Who doesn’t like a nice, refreshing swim after a night cramped up in a small tent made for three people at most?” His faux cheery voice hit with the precision of a scalpel, making Chie and Yukiko cringe. He looked through his mental tool bag to find the sledgehammer. “You know, we were really looking forward to dinner. Why, poor Yu and Kanji are sick with disappointment.”

“Dude.” Yu put a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head disapprovingly. “You’re one of my best friends, but I don’t want to be used to extort my other friends. That’s just dirty.”

“You almost died! Like, seriously died, not the kiddie pretend dying.” Yosuke looped an arm over the back of his neck, pulling him into a conspiratorial huddle. “ I’m not asking them to do anything too harsh, just a little swim. I think you deserve that much, and Kanji does, too!”

“I ain’t cool with that either. We ain’t all pervs like you, Yosuke-senpai.”

Yosuke didn’t foresee this wrinkle in his plans. What guy didn’t want to see lovely ladies in swimsuits?

Wait, Yu was pan. Did that mean he didn’t care about T and A? He didn’t find any stash when he visited, but he thought it was because he had it in, like, a fingerprint locked safe behind a wall to keep it away from Nanako or something. Was his plan doomed to fail from the start? He spent so much time and money getting the suits, too…

“Ugh, fine!” The green one was swiped from him, and Chie was blushing redder than Yukiko’s usual outfit. Oh, Yukiko was doing that, too. It was kind of cute. “But it’s not for you, Hanamura, you hear? And if you try to peek while we’re changing, I’ll punt you to the moon!” Yu raised a hand to draw her attention away from Yosuke’s creepily stupid grin.

“You don’t have to...”

“We were going to swim anyway, I suppose.” Yukiko accepted hers with solemn grace. “If it happens to pay you back for… What we did… Then there’s no downside.” With that, the girls marched to the thick of the woods, prepared for what they saw as their responsibility.

“I’m serious, I already forgive…”

“Sh, just let it happen.” Yosuke pulled him in closer, his smile nothing but teeth. “You’ll be thanking me when this is over, I know it.”

Yu glanced over to Kanji, who could only shrug. He didn’t have to be a social butterfly like Yu to see where this was going. If Yosuke wanted to walk this dark path, he could only hope the consequences would be fair and swift.

Minutes passed. The more sand that trickled through the hourglass, the greater Yosuke’s excitement grew until it eclipsed his thinking mind. When he finally spotted movement in the brush, his eyes snapped to the disturbance.

Chie had her arms up defensively, as though to cover her shame, but Yukiko had her hands clasped over her stomach as though she was in her working kimono from the Inn. Thinking of it like that made it easier for her, and the fact that hers included a short skirt helped maintain the illusion. Chie didn’t have any such experience to draw on or extra coverage for her almost boxer-like bottom piece, her anger flaring briefly as Yosuke stared a hole through what little cloth she was wearing.

“Would you stop gawking at us like that? It’s creeping me out.”

Yosuke’s heart was hammering. His plan was almost complete, just missing the water, but what harm was there in a little victory lap? He unhooked Yu, putting that hand to his chin smugly.

“Would you look at that? I think I chose pretty well for them.” Looking past him, Kanji saw the kindling flames in Chie’s eyes, and he slowly inched away. “I’m seeing you in a whole new light, miss Satonaka. You might grow into a respectable lady like Yukiko yet. Right, partner?”

“And there it is.” Yu made no effort to hide his distancing. He tilted his head down to hide his eyes, as though at a funeral. “It was nice knowing you, partner.”

“Why are you talking like I’m… about… to...” Yosuke’s gaze drifted from Yu back to the girls. Chie’s teeth were grinding together, and through the bangs over Yukiko’s face, he could see an evil, crimson glow. When she spoke, her voice was sweet, belying the hateful flames roaring within.

“About to what, Yosuke-kun? Please, don’t keep secrets.” He gulped, back peddling in more ways than one.

“Oh, nothing, nothing at all! I mean, nothing important, anyway, and...” He nearly stumbled with his last step. He had been driven back to the cliff’s edge, and the two were fencing him there. Off to the side, Kanji had his hands together in a prayer. “ Guys, a little help?”

“If there is really nothing, why are you asking for help?” Yukiko leaned in, her smile plaster thin. “Come now, out with it. You’re about to what?”

“...Die?” His voice squeaked like a mouse caught in a trap. The hungry cats all but licked their fangs.

“Good idea!” Chie’s roar was the signal. In a flash of movement, Yukiko shoved him over, tipping him backwards over the edge. Not content with a simple fall. Chie lashed out with her foot, nailing him in the head from which this hair-brained scheme originated. His screams were several octaves higher as he fell, dropping into the river with an almighty splash.

“Freaking creep.” Chie held her head as the adrenaline wore off, leaving her with the fact that she was still in a swimsuit with two guys around . Well, at least those two were more respectable than some others she could mention. Kanji was even facing the other way, a hand understandably cupped over his unmentionables. Yu looked over the edge instead, shaking his head.

“Farewell, dear prince.”

“Real funny!” Yosuke shivered violently in the water, very thankful that he was already in his swim trunks. “When did you grow a sense of sarcasm!?”

“Someone had to, now that you’re dead.”

“ Oh h a, ha, ha!”

“This might be embarrassing, but that last part was thrilling enough to make up for it. Speaking of...” Yukiko turned to Yu, her hands clasped once more. “I don’t know how to ask this without sounding weird, but did you enjoy yourself, Yu-kun?”

“I tried telling you. Bare skin isn’t a… I think Yosuke would call it a ‘thrill?’ Is that right?”

Chie’s jaw dropped.

“Are you saying we did this for nothing!?”

“Sorry. For what it’s worth, they do look good on you.” Chie drooped over like a flower in the pouring rain. All this stress, wasted.

“...Thanks, I guess.”

“ Hmm, that begs the question.” Yukiko was done giving up early. She dedicated herself to making up to Yu, and she would do just that, come Hell or high water. “What does ‘thrill’ you?” He seemed unprepared for that question, rubbing his chin in thought.

“I guess I’d say the eyes. You can see someone for what’s inside, if you know how. ” He smiled towards them, the light almost sparkling over his face. “ Your eyes are beautiful, by the way.” The blushes returned in force.

“Y-You’re just saying that...”

“I’m saying it because it’s true.”

“Are you being smooth up there!?”

“Sorry, did you want compliments, too? I can do that.”

“No! No, I’m straight.”

Yukiko tilted her head at Yu curiously.

“Yosuke, too? Does that mean…?”

“Oh, right, you weren’t there when I said it. I’m pansexual.” He noticed a glimmer in her eyes, but she repressed it when she saw him catching wind.

“Hmm, yeah, I can see that.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell.” Chie shrugged, covering herself again now that she knew it wasn’t doing anyone any favors. “Thanks for trusting us enough to tell us. I know it can be a touchy subject for some people.”

“You help me fight demons in a television. Sexuality is kind of unimportant next to...” His explanation trailed off, and his ears twitched. “Anyone else hear that?”

It got progressively louder until everyone could clearly hear the retching of someone further above.

“Gah, ugh, grah!”

“Is that… King Moron?” Then the realization hit. Where would he, logically, be throwing up? People were conditioned to aim for water so it took care of the cleaning. He was upstream. Chie’s embarrassment was paled by relief. “Thank God we didn’t get in the river.”

“Good for you...” Yosuke’s grousing was silenced by a familiar clicking. A fishing line, sans the hook, dangled down in front of him, the rod held firmly by Yu. Kanji was surprised. Where did he get that from?

“Do you just… Carry a pole everywhere?”

“Never know when there’s a nice spot for it.” He felt a tug on the line, and when he reeled it in, the strain was greater than anything he had caught in the Samegawa. “We’ve got a big one here.” The end was in sight, and Yosuke got pulled into view, clinging to the line for his life. Now it looked like he was about to hurl.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. I, however, hold the right to if you ever go too far again.”

“Fair enough.”

Chapter Text

It took a while for the right pieces to line up, but once they were all in place, there was nothing to stop Nanako. As much as she didn’t like when her dad was out at night, it was vital that he wasn’t around to put her in bed, and it was even more important that she, herself, didn’t have anything to do the next day, so the late night didn’t make her too tired. One Saturday night, a week after Kanji told her something might be wrong, she finally found her opening. No big events to get in the way, no dad to cut her investigation short.

Nothing to stop her from looking out for her big brother.

It was true, he did stay up late a lot, but she didn’t know how bad it was. Most people she asked said it was normal for high-schoolers to stay up late studying or working part time, but what she found pushed well past that. It was nearly three in the morning, but Yu was still working by the lamp on his desk. She heard something metal clicking, and something kind of like a vibrating phone, but beyond that, she had no idea what he was doing.

All she knew was that he had been going since ten at night, and he didn’t look like he was going to stop anytime soon. She suddenly found herself, in memory, back at the table in the living room, where, more often than not, he would greet her while rubbing his eyes. It was only on Sundays, but it couldn’t be good for him. He was still a kid, kind of, and kids needed sleep. That’s what her dad told her, at least.

She didn’t know what to do about it, though. She couldn’t just barge in and scold him. He would put her to bed and go back to what he was doing. No one ever listened to her about stuff like that. They would keep doing it, just like how daddy kept running off to work more when he should be sleeping, or drinking when he didn’t.

She leaned against the wall outside Yu’s room, thinking up ways to help him without being caught. He always relaxed when he was fishing, so maybe it would help if she played running water noises? No, she didn’t have a way to record that, and even if she did, she couldn’t run off to the river in the middle of the night. She thought briefly about reporting to Kanji so he could do something, but he was probably asleep, and she didn’t have his number. She was going to tell him as soon as possible, but it wouldn’t help big bro that night.

Big bro. She didn’t think too hard about what she called him anymore. That’s just what came out, but he wasn’t really her brother. They were cousins. He just… stood in as her brother. Calling him that made her feel better, like she actually had immediate family that cared. He told her once that being a family meant loving someone deeply. Well, she didn’t feel that well loved, not since…

No, she wouldn’t think about that day. It hurt too much. And she couldn’t cry about it. That would just make mommy…

Would make…

...Mommy…

-

When she opened her eyes, she was looking through a window to nothing, a wall of white behind the glass. She felt shorter, but she couldn’t look around to check. Her attention was locked on the window, held there by a force she couldn’t understand. Why did her heart feel so heavy? There were footsteps behind her, and with them, the echo of a hundred far off children, getting more distant by the moment.

“I’m sure she’s just running a little late, Nanako-chan. No need to worry.”

Who was running late? The voice said it was a she, but no girls picked her up from school anymore. Oh, unless Chie or Yukiko were coming. She liked them, they were always so fun. But why would they be picking her up? She walked home on her own. Before she could say any of that, though, her mouth started moving on its own.

“Mommy’s never this late.”

What? Why did she say that? She knew better than that. Mommy wasn’t around anymore. She…

No, stop thinking about that. Stop thinking about it!

Her stomach clenched as the air around her spun, like she was riding the biggest, fastest merry-go-round ever. The stop came too quickly, and she stumbled. She could barely tell up from down, but at least she was finally free of the attention lock of the window.

Actually, the window wasn’t there now. None of the building was. There was only a lot of nothing in every direction, hidden by a thick curtain of fog. The ground beneath her was concrete, and a little ways away, she saw darker asphalt. It was painted with white stripes to mark where people on foot could cross. Only, not all of the stripes were white.

Near the center of the road, a few were covered by a growing pool of red. Long, brown hair clumped together in the middle of the pond, leading back to a body laying face down. It was blurred by the fog, but she knew the person. Even after all the years went by, she knew her mother.

She didn’t feel her insides like normal anymore. There was a pit in place of her stomach, a black hole where her heart was supposed to be. All that she was felt like it was being dragged towards the event horizon, tearing away at her very soul until only the shell of a frightened little girl remained.

“No… No!” She turned around and covered her ears, her body shaking as the monster dined on her innocence. “This can’t be happening. It’s been years. Mommy can’t be… No, someone, please help me!” Movement at the corner of her field of view brought her attention to the edge of where the fog became impenetrable. There was a black outline of a person standing there, his back towards her. “Daddy, is that you?”

His head sank as she recognized him. He started walking, but not towards her. Every step carried him deeper into the fog, until only her memory of him being there with her remained.

“Wait, where are you going? Daddy!” She tried to walk towards him, but when she tried to pick up her foot, she felt a weight on her ankle. It was too late to stop, though, her caught foot trapped in place as she fell. The ground stung every inch of skin it touched, threatening to crack the thin layer between the outside world and the hungry monster.

“He doesn’t care about you. He only cares about work.” The hold on her ankle tightened, and when she looked back, she found only half a person staring back, if she could even call it that. Its waist sprawled out over the ground it sprung from, like a dropped glob of pudding. Its body only solidified as it rose from there. Its arms, outstretched towards her, dripped black slime. The fingers binding her ankles were without telltale lines and creases, more bending tubes or tendrils than segmented fingers.

Its head was like a melting mannequin’s, and the eyes were two orbs of yellow, deep, entrancing, yet, at the same time, repelling and frightening. Its voice was as thick and sticky as its touch, and it sounded like the rumble of a thunderstorm trying to mimic a little girl. Nanako wanted to scream, but anything more than a quivering whisper was throttled by her unexpectedly dry throat.

“What… What are you?”

“ Nothing. I am… nothing. ” Before Nanako’s eyes, the figure shifted. Sludge crawled up from the pile. When it reached its head, it gathered in two clumps at the side that slowly extended out into a pair of new… appendages? It was hard to tell between the fog and the monster’s own indistinct form. “ I am forgotten, abandoned, unloved. I am a burden on everyone around me, a helpless child. ”

Nanako tried to drag herself away with her arms, but for every ‘step’ she made, the monster’s hands trailed up her leg. She couldn’t escape, an d daddy…

“ That’s right, daddy won’t help you. He doesn’t know you’re in danger. He’s too selfish to even look at you. ” As though carved on by an unseen chisel, a thin smile formed on the beast’s face. “ You’re scared, abandoned, unloved. ” It dragged itself up even more, until that mouth was right next to Nanako’s ear. The slime of its body tried to flow around her, encase her in its filth. “ You’re nothing. ” Nanako’s eyes shot open, the strings of the beast’s words tying together at last. It matched her gaze with barely constrained, yet frigid glee.

“ That’s right. You’re... ”

Its silver tongue was forced away by a flash of light. No, it was more like a bolt of lightning, cutting down through the fog and striking the beast’s back. The slime entombing Nanako receded, and its whole with it. It grabbed at its back, swinging itself around at inhuman angles to find the source of the attack. Then, much like the lightning, a long pole flew down from where it couldn’t see, nearly piercing it before it could fall back.

Following the bladed weapon, another form dropped into the small bubble Nanako had within the fog, but this one was more recognizably human in shape. She would have called it a person, but she couldn’t actually see any of it. A multi layered, dusty black coat covered most of its body, and a metal mask with short, flat tipped horns hid its head. She didn’t know why, but in its shadow, Nanako felt so safe.

The beast, though, seemed frightened by its appearance. Its human form bled together into a shapeless blob, all that remained of its former self those horrible yellow eyes. It glanced between Nanako and her apparent protector, sizing it up against its goal, whatever that might have been, but it knew it didn’t stand a candle’s chance in a gale storm. It retreated in streams, flowing back into the never ending fog.

Its enemy driven back, the masked figure turned to Nanako. She noticed immediately that it, too, had those yellow eyes beneath the iron plate, but something about them was more comforting. There was a softness in them that assured her that it… No, he… meant her no harm. He left his weapon embedded in the ground, instead kneeling down to be with her. He slowly encircled her with his arms, and when she showed no sign of fear, he pulled her up in a protective cradle, using his body as a shield against where her attacker fled to in case it returned.

“ Fear not, young one. ” His voice was smooth and soothing, like a flute, and made her think of a still pond. That image made the foggy wasteland around her pull away, and her eyelids grew heavy. “ Thou shan’t be troubled by the shade so long as I remain. This I swear. ” The more she listened, the more she thought, beneath the melody, that she knew the voice. It was calm, almost emotionless in a way, but also supportive, concerned . She wanted to believe what it said, whereas so many other adults’ promises rang hollow …

“Big bro?”

“ I shall protect thee, as I had once prayed to be protected myself. One such as thee deserves not this nightmare. ” It gently laid a gloved hand over her eyes, and at once, the stifling fog was gone.

-

Her real eyes opened, but she still felt the warmth of being held. She noticed that she was in front of a desk with a lamp on the side. There was a lineup of metal tubes in the middle, a pair of hands reaching around her to slip a pink, plastic covering over a hole in the top of one that wasn’t quite complete, compared to the others. All in all, she felt lost.

“Huh…?”

“Oh, are you up?” A voice rumbled from the chest she was laying on, and she knew who it was from this time without any doubts.

“Big bro, why am I in your room?”

“Probably starts with why you were sitting outside it.” His tone took on a slight hint of playfulness, which made Nanako recall where she had, apparently, fallen asleep. “I won’t ask. Probably had a good reason. Besides, I’m a little more… curious, I guess… why you were crying in your sleep.”

Huh? Crying? She wasn’t…

Oh. Her eyes did feel kind of sore, and puffy. And there was a small pile of balled up tissues at the corner of the desk.

“Sorry, did I get in the way of your project?”

“Not at all.” Yu put the metal thing down, pulling her a little to the side so they could look at each other. There was an overwhelming kindness in his expression. “Nothing’s more important to me than keeping the people I love happy. Something was making you sad, so I did as much as I could about it. Bad dream, I’m guessing?”

“Yeah, but I can’t really remember it.” He nodded, understanding how vague they could be when you wake up. “Oh, but, I think you were in it.” His expression dropped slightly, a slight downward tilt in the brow.

“Really?”

“But you were helping me with… whatever it was. Just like you are now.” She leaned into him and smiled as brightly as her tired self could. “Thank you, big bro.” His spirit came back in full, driving him to rustle her hair.

“Anytime, little sis.” A warm, bubbly feeling rose in her chest. She was loved, just in a different way than others.

“Oh, and you were wearing a funny costume for some reason.”

“Was I? Tell me about it.” His hands went back to his work, but his ear was all hers.

“You had a long coat on, kind of a black and gray with all sorts of buckles and straps. Oh, and you had a really weird mask on, with yellow eyes and really long ribbons on the back.” His hands jerked, accidentally overextending a wire to the snapping point. He must have been super tired.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. And you had this weapon thing that was kind of like a sword at the end of a spear.”

“Hmm, that would be a naginata. It kept the samurai who used them farther away from their enemies.”

“Wow, you know a lot about history stuff, big bro.”

“Well, it was my weapon in the dream, so I should probably know stuff about it.” His little crack brought a giggle out of her.

“Kind of a shame you don’t have a coat like that. I think it would look cool on you.”

“Hmm, I might know someone who can make it for me, if you really want. He still owes us a commission.” Nanako gasped excitedly.

“You mean Kanji? You really think he could make one?”

“Don’t see why not. I think I know another guy who should do the mask, though. Kanji doesn’t have a forge.”

“Hehe, I can’t wait!” Nanako wanted to kick her legs, but she didn’t have enough energy for that. It was too late, she was too tired. “Big bro, can you tell me more about the samurai? It might help dream you fight better.” That made him laugh in return.

“Well, if it’s for the good fight, sure.”

For the next hour he worked, he regaled Nanako with every story and oft forgotten detail that came to mind of the old noble warriors. He spoke of their honor and unmatched prowess in combat, but also their idea of self sacrifice and loyalty to a lord that was, invariably, above them in value.

Nanako, though, was only awake for five minutes of it. Her long night and bitter nightmares wore on her until she couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore.

Now, though, the voice in her ears became the paintbrush of her dreams. The towering warrior walked with her in the fog, shaping it into the fanciful stories his real world self told, a beautiful painting for Nanako to explore where her demons couldn’t find her.

Chapter Text

It was just a short list. Everything grandma needed could be rounded up in about thirty minutes, if that. She could get it done, then get back to Marukyu.

That was what Rise Kujikawa told herself, but there was a niggling concern in the back of her mind, a whisper that told her something would go wrong. She had to stop by a lamppost to catch her breath, pushing her nerves back down. The calming techniques she had been employing for years were starting to lose their magic, but they did well enough for what she needed.

It helped that it was a cool day out. The clouds above were thick and dark, probably only a little more moisture away from letting loose a torrent. Inaba was rainier than she remembered. Otherwise, the town itself hadn’t changed much, but there was an undeniable pressure in the air. She didn’t pay it any mind, though. She had work to do.

She straightened herself out and let go of the last deep breath, ready to take on her mild labor, when she heard that click. That stupid, choking click that chipped away a little more of her soul with every repeat. Her eyes went wide as she turned around, and a short ways down the street, standing in front of Marukyu Tofu, was a pair of reporters, an interviewer with a microphone and a cameraman with both a large film and smaller picture camera, and he used the latter to take photos of the shop.

“Looks like Risette isn’t home. Think you can lug that thing along for a hunt around town?”

“You kidding?” The cameraman’s grin was wide, hefting the silvery camera with ease. “The new equipment’s way lighter than the old model. I’m almost glad that delinquent busted our old set. C’mon, let’s find ourselves a hit!”

Of course. It had only been a day since she moved back, and already the gnats were swarming towards the sickly sweet smell of rotting fruit. She wanted to scream in outrage or run, but what was the point? The most she could do was try to ignore them as they inevitably hounded her all day, vacuuming her life away with their glass-eyed probe.

“Looking for someone?” A third voice entered the chat. A silver haired high schooler, by the look of his uniform, was walking down the shopping district with a thick, folded garment of some kind draped over his shoulder. It looked like a layered coat, the sort you would find on a runway more often than the real world. He was naturally gravitated towards the reporters, and they tipped their heads at his approach.

“Yeah, rumor has it Risette just moved into town, and we’re looking for an exclusive interview. Have you heard anything?” The younger guy scratched the back of his head, closing his eyes to think.

“I hear she’s been going up to the park a lot lately. Over there, on the short mountain hump.” He pointed towards the hills in the distance, and the one holding the camera lost the gleam in his eyes.

“But that’s so far away...” He looked at the gear on his shoulder, realizing it might have been heavier than he first thought. His partner nudged him out of his stupor.

“It’ll all be worth it when we get our hit. Let’s head out and stake the area.” He groused a bit more, but the downtrodden cameraman saw no way out. He let himself get dragged towards the mountains, where Rise could guarantee she wouldn’t be going anytime soon. As soon as they were out of sight, the silver haired guy smirked and chuckled lightly.

“Paparazzi, never learn.” He shook his head in amusement, then checked his phone. The time must have been later than he thought, because he pocketed it quickly, letting his mirth burn itself out and going back to his business. He plodded down the street in her direction, and when he noticed her, he lifted an eyebrow.

“You know you were staring that whole time, right?” Rise only realized it as he said it. She hadn’t even blinked through the entire exchange, taking in every detail of the duo marching off towards nothing of value. Her energy plummeted, and she could only hang her head in shame.

“Sorry.” The tone in her voice made him stop, bringing his attention fully to her.

“Wild guess says you’re… Risette, was it?” And the cat was out of the bag. Nothing to do but fess up.

“Yeah, I’m...” Wait, he sounded like he was just now encountering the name. Did he really not know? “...I’m Risette. Thanks for the help getting them off my back.” Rise could see him tuck his thoughts into a hidden pocket, putting on an outwardly happy expression.

“Anytime. Not a fan of people that can’t respect personal space.” Okay, this guy was kind of weird. It was obvious he was hiding something, and yet, the personality he put forth didn’t seem fake. It was more like turning to a different face of a die than putting on a mask, like so many of the so-called stars and agents she dealt with on a daily basis. “Pro tip, news types don’t like Tatsumi Textiles. Go in there, and they’ll leave you be.”

“Huh? Why would they be afraid of a textile shop?”

“The owner’s son has a reputation for not liking them. Really not liking them. Long story short, they stay out of his way. Tell the lady behind the counter what’s going on and she’ll let you hold up there.” He checked his phone for the time again. He must have had places to be. “I should get going. See you around, Risette-san.” Did… Did he think that was her actual name? She didn’t know whether to laugh or groan, but she held both back for the sake of straightening the record.

“That’s just a stage name, you know.” She held a hand out, giving her best thankful smile through the dried on stress. “Rise Kujikawa.” He nodded, taking her up on the handshake.

“Yu Narukami. If I see them giving you a hard time, you don’t mind if I help shake them off again, right?” Wow, he really did have a vendetta against paparazzi. Not that she blamed him whatsoever.

“Be my guest. Just try not to act like a bodyguard or hired help. That would be a media circus nightmare.”

“Got it.” He let go, not allowing his grip to linger more than wanted. It was a very professional handshake, but not as stiff as the businessmen she was forced to mingle with. “See you.”

-

And so she did, and fairly often at that. He seemed to be an ever present figure in Inaba, appearing just about everywhere. She would have thought him a stalker if he hadn’t been occupied by something each time. If he wasn’t buying stuff in the shopping district, he was hanging out with someone. His friend group spanned from other students to little old ladies and everything in between.

The most curious of his acquaintances, she thought, was the fox. She first met that one on a rainy day, when she was passing by the Samegawa floodplain. It wasn’t exactly a storm, but it was enough that she felt it necessary to use an umbrella. Anyone else would do the same.

Except for Yu. She thought she was seeing things, but he was sitting in the rain, unfazed, attention entirely on the river and the fishing pole in his hands. At his side, just as unperturbed, was a ball of orange fur lined by a few old scars. Curious, she decided it was a worthwhile detour to get a closer look.

She found two more things of interest on her approach. First, he was wearing that outfit he carried during their first meeting. The rain washed over him, but the material never actually got wet. It stayed perfectly black, the only parts of it that collected any water being the buckles on its lower flaps. The gloves were ridged in a way that made them slip-proof, giving him a perfect hold on his pole.

Second, he wasn’t the one that noticed her. The fox spotted her first. It turned to regard her, then it nipped at Yu’s arm. That broke his trance, and the tilting of the fox’s head directed him towards her. He smiled warmly despite his hair and face being soaked and probably cold.

“Morning, Kujikawa-san. Out on more errands?”

“Yeah, I’m on my way back now.” Her brow furrowed, trying to figure out why he still looked so relaxed. “Why are you fishing in the rain?”

“Some of the rarer fish only come out at times like this. Kind of hard to catch them with an umbrella taking up a hand, but...” He patted his overcoat, scattering some of the drops on its surface. “...This thing works just as well. Worth every yen.” His eyes went back to the water, but she still felt some attention on her, a polite, continued acknowledgment of her presence. Well, it wasn’t that late, and it looked like he was calm and happy. She could use some of that. She walked up beside him, careful not to make any sudden moves for the fox’s sake.

“Do you mind if I sit here?”

“Go ahead. Want a fishing pole, too?”

“No, I just need to get off my feet for a few minutes. It’s been a long day.” He nodded, but he didn’t prod any further. He was content to let her speak at her leisure, something she just wasn’t used to. As she sat down, she thought it only fair to properly keep him company. Maybe something she knew he was interested in? “Are those two reporters still going to the park looking for me?”

“Every day. Think they’d realize they were duped sooner or later.” There was an air of humor in his voice, one that made her worn out heart feel a little lighter.

“You must have something pretty big against them.” Oh shoot, that might have been too personal. He didn’t prod about her deal, so what gave her the right to do it to him? She should retract the question before he took offense…

“Parents are big business types. Never a day they aren’t hounded about this or that. Most of the time, it isn’t even for stuff they did. It was their superiors, but they’re the ones that the ground could reach. They waste our time, so why not waste theirs?” Rise found herself chuckling, but it was dry, nothing like the bubbly giggles that once came to her like second nature. Still, it felt good to laugh again.

“It’s not much better for idols.”

“I can imagine. Can’t say I agree with how that industry works, making the people in it slaves to PR. Part of the reason I don’t follow it. Can’t help but see how draining it all is.”

“You’re not wrong.” She was about to lower a foot down to kick at the water, but she stopped herself at the last second. She didn’t want to spook the fish. “It just, sucks up all the positive energy in you and wraps whatever it doesn’t like in sparkles until you can’t see it.” She groaned, a wave of old exhaustion hitting her all at once. She must’ve sounded like such a whiny sap. “Sorry, I shouldn’t drag you down with me like that.”

“If it makes you feel better, talk away. I won’t tell anyone about it.” He reached down to scratch behind the fox’s ears, and its pleased rumbling widened his smile. “Any day I can help someone out is a good one in my book.” Rise smiled, and she let her guard drop a little more.

-

Soon, the river became a daily stop after her errands were finished. It was nice to talk to someone on equal footing for once. Yu didn’t look up to her as an idol, or down at her like an air-headed model or a spreader of ‘degeneracy.’ He treated her like a person. It was nice, so very nice.

After the second visit, the fox started opening up, too, moving over to sit between them. It nuzzled against her, mindful to keep its fur from sticking to her work uniform, and she petted it in turn. Something about the exchange always left her more energized. Yu told her a little about the use of animals in therapy when she mentioned it, and that turned into an all day topic. He was obviously a well-read guy.

Over time, she didn’t see any major boosts to her attitude or improvements in her anxiety, but the daily kick in the pants did her worlds of good in the moment. She never quite opened up about what landed her back in Inaba, and he didn’t make her. He was happy to listen to whatever she had to say whenever she needed to say it.

It almost reminded her of herself, back before the industry sanded her down. He wanted to make people happy, but he didn’t need a soul-sapping, money hungry financial supporter to do it. He just did it. If she had to admit it, she was a little jealous.

One day, after their regular session, she ascended the stairs back to the road. Grandma gave her most of the day off, but she would feel terrible if she didn’t show up to help in the shop for at least a part of it. She needed to earn her due.

There was someone waiting for her at the top, though, back far enough to be invisible from the floodplain below. He was dressed from head to toe in formal blue attire, and the rim of his hat shaded out the details in his eyes.

“Hello, Kujikawa-san.” A formal address. And from the looks of the notepad in his hand, he had some questions for her. The relief from her time at the river drained away, dragging her tone back down to dry disinterest.

“I’m not up for any interviews at this time.”

“You misunderstand.” He pulled out a small, leather flip pad, and when it opened, there was a small, gold badge alongside a business card. “My name is Naoto Shirogane, private investigator . I’m looking inyo the recent string of murders, and I was hoping I could ask for your recent experiences in town.” Oh, well, that changed things a little.

“Alright, but I have things to do, so it will have to be on the go, and I’m not answering anything about my break.”

“That will be perfectly fine. Thank you for your time.” Naoto pulled a pen from the rings of his notepad, and he fell in step beside Rise. She noticed that he was glancing back towards the riverside whenever he didn’t think she was paying attention. Weird, but whatever. “Firstly, have you ever had any relations with either of the victims, Mayumi Yamano or Saki Konishi?”

“I think I was on the same program as Miss Yamano a few times, but that’s all. It’s been a while since then.” A few moments of silence passed. It was a standard trick of the trade, trying to get the interviewee to fill the dead air. She wasn’t falling for it, though. It didn’t take long for Naoto to figure out that she knew the tactic and continue.

“Have you encountered any strange, unfamiliar individuals as of late, or heard of odd conduct around the shopping district?”

“No. Inaba is as sleepy as ever.” That’s what she liked about it. Nice and quiet. For some reason, that answer was enough to make Naoto take notes.

“Are you aware that there have been two kidnapping incidents as well as the murders?” That one made Rise pause.

“Huh? First I’ve heard about it.”

“The incidents were taken care of quickly, and the missing were rediscovered no worse for wear. It is notable, however, that both experienced memory loss regarding the details of their time missing.” That was odd, and convenient for whoever was behind it.

“They were checked for missing organs, right?”

“Neither had any signs of stitches or internal damage. That was the first concern investigators had, but it seems no obvious black market activity is involved.” That was a relief. Or, it would have been if the perpetrator hadn’t slipped through the cracks. “Oh, and they both seem to have found themselves in the same small group of friends.”

“Well, yeah, of course they’d want support after going through that.”

“What’s more, one of the individuals in this group had relations to Saki Konishi. Are you at all familiar with Yosuke Hanamura?”

“The guy from Junes?” It would have been hard to not hear anything about him, considering his store’s infamy in the shopping district, but why bring him up at all? He lost someone he cared about, the kidnapping victims almost got hurt the same way. It only made sense they would end up in close proximity.

“Hmm, I suppose you would better know another member of the group: Yu Narukami.” Rise stopped, Naoto’s earlier attention towards the river cast into a new light. The way he gestured in Yu’s general direction while acting like it was an offhanded connection was another tactic Rise knew, but she didn’t like the implications.

“What, are you suggesting he has something to do with the murders?”

“No, nothing like that. He only arrived in town after Mayumi Yamano disappeared, and his attendance at Yasogami High when her body reemerged was indisputably documented. However...” Naoto looked up, and Rise got her first good look at his eyes. They were hard and cold, devoid of any emotion. It was like staring into the heart of a machine, capable only of crunching numbers.

“...It is worth noting that both of the kidnapping victims that later returned had relations of some sort form with him shortly before their incidents. This is not the only linking factor between the latter two cases, and I fear to say that you, too, share many of these circumstances.” He tucked his notepad back into his coat, and when Rise caught a glimpse of it, she saw that he hadn’t written anything more than illegible scribbles. There was no actual text to be found on the page. “I urge you to tread lightly in the days to come. Be careful who you open your heart to. You never know what someone might do with that unrestrained access.” Without a word, Naoto turned around and walked off, leaving Rise with confusion and the lingering feeling of distrust.

But she couldn’t tell who it was for.

-

It was quiet when she returned to the shopping district. The only vehicle for at least a mile was a delivery van with its back opened, and the man it belonged to was hunched over, head buried in countless packages. He looked to be trying to pull out a big, flat screen TV from the rest of the pile.

But that was where Rise’s attention ended. There were no reporters or swarming fans. She had a moment in the open air to think.

Could Narukami be a criminal? The question had been on her mind since the detective left her, but this was the first time she could reflect on it clearly. And now, the answer was undeniable. Of course he couldn’t be. She had been alone with him several times over the course of her stay. If he meant to hurt her, he would have already done it. He even had most of a disguise on that first time in the rain, when no one in their right mind would be out to see it anyway, giving him two layers of secrecy to operate under.

Conclusion, Yu Narukami was innocent.

But then, if the accused was innocent, what did that mean for the accuser? Naoto Shirogane, now that she could remember clearly, was a name of some notoriety. The Shirogane family of detectives was famed for solving cases that left the standard police force stumped. If he was wrong about this case, it either meant he didn’t hold a candle to his legacy, or there was something else going on.

Yu knew all of the living victims on a personal basis, right? She would ask about that the next time they met, and then warn him. Then he could tell them all to look out, and, maybe…

Before she could finish putting her plan together, an arm grabbed her roughly from behind. It wrapped around her stomach, clamping down to pin her against the attacker and her arms to her sides. She opened her mouth to scream for help, but, as though it was expected, a rag was jammed into it. An overwhelmingly sweet smell filled her nostrils and throat, and like a match dropped in a glass of water, her consciousness was extinguished.

Chapter Text

They thought they had hit the bottom with the sauna. It was hot, the air clung to them in sheets, and the cooing of Kanji’s Shadow followed them throughout. They thought, for sure, it couldn’t get any more traumatizing than that.

But Rise’s location was so much worse. At least saunas had non-perverse functions to them. They could be seen as normal, in and of themselves.

There was no way to think around the fact that they were now in a strip club. The entrance was lined with dancer poles, only mitigated by the curtains wrapped around them. It was like the strip club itself was playing coy, and the irrefutably lusty siren calls of Rise’s Shadow only amplified the effect. Combine that with the thick, smoky smell in the air, and the group knew they were somewhere they were never meant to be.

“I am both frightened and intrigued at the same time. I think this world is screwing with the wiring in my brain.”

“No, you were always like that, Yosuke.”

“Chie, you…!”

“No fighting. Save it for the Shadows.” Yu’s swift reprimand dragged the feuding kids apart. They redirected their energy towards arming themselves, and Yu handed their newest member his equipment. Kanji was shocked by what he was being offered. “I take it you’re familiar?”

“You kidding, of course I am!” He took up the round plate of metal with gusto. He had only felt that shield’s weight once, but it sat comfortably in his hands nonetheless, bringing back a few bits of that night he wasn’t ashamed to recall.

“Got it out of confiscation when you finished your time. Figured you already knew how to fight with it.”

“You’re damn right I do. Smashing shit is what I...” He turned it over, and he noticed an addition. Running under the twin arm straps was what looked like a sheathe, embedded into the metal and smoothed so it didn’t push into the wearer’s skin.

He tilted his head and grabbed the hilt sticking out of the end. When it was uncovered, he saw that it was a blade, about a foot and a half in length. The edge was kind of dull and narrow, but it would still cut with enough force behind it, and the very tip was as sharp as a tack. The hand guard was modest in size, no bigger around than his fist, but the top was dotted by small spikes that could tear open hide. It was a thrusting sword with an extra nasty surprise for whoever was unlucky enough to get shanked.

“What’s this?”

“An ace up the sleeve.” Yu helped him slip the shield on, and he pointed at how the sheathe was still readily accessible. When the dagger was replaced, it was all but invisible from the other side, and difficult to see on the inside unless you were very close. “Shadows see you, they’ll think you’re just a bruiser. They think you’re one specific thing.” The idea slowly ingrained itself into Kanji’s mind, and when it was fully implanted, a wicked grin crossed his face.

“And when they get cozy, I give them a little fencing lesson.” He slapped Yu’s back with his free arm. “Thanks, Senpai, I’ll give them Hell!”

He nodded in appreciation, leaving Kanji to get used to his weaponry. And that’s what he was going to use his prep time for. But then he looked around at what everyone else was using. His weapon was just a big metal thing you hit stuff with, nothing special about it, and he had been getting lessons from Yu to use thrusting swords. His stuff made sense. From his teaching, and his comment about jousting being a possibility if they had horses, he could guess that Yu had some training, too, for whatever reason.

But twin daggers? Thick boots? Freaking fans? He had to know. But he shouldn’t put it in a way they’d take wrong. They didn’t need that sort of distraction before running off into the thick of it.

“So, where’d you guys learn to fight anyway?”

“Huh?” Yosuke glanced up from his daggers with a perplexed and kind of embarrassed look to him. “Well, actually, I just kind of flail around with these things trying to make it look good. I’m getting better with them, I really am, but I’d probably be dead if J i raiya didn’t have my back.”

“ I train almost every day.” Chie kicked at open air, getting used to the increased weight on her legs. The boots traveled almost up to her knees, protecting her shins better than her first set.

“And by that, she means she watches way too many Kung Fu movies.”

“Hey, I train, too! Yu’s there with me sometimes, he can tell you just how rigorous my routine is!”

“I was taught a number of fan dances for my work at the Inn.” Yukiko, quite desensitized to Yosuke and Chie’s bickering, went forward with explanations. They would stop sooner or later. Or Yu would pull them apart, whichever came first. “I know most martial arts are all about knowing how to move in a given situation, so I turned those dances into a fighting style.” She looked down at her fan with a slight grimace. “But, they’re still just fans with sharp edges, so I can’t really do as much as the others.”

“You’re our best healer.” Yu slipped on a layer of black under-plating, which covered his torso and the tops of his shoulders without getting in the way of the joint. “Your skills helped us get to Kanji much faster than the three of us alone could get to you. Don’t sell yourself short.” Yukiko blushed, nodding wordlessly at the honest evaluation.

‘Hell, she’s got the rest of us beat for working with what she’s got.’ Kanji knew his strength was entirely a result of getting lucky with the genes. He never really worked out or anything, he was just born bigger than most. Chie and Yu were working on their fighting skills way before this TV murder shit started up, so they had a head start. Yosuke… Was lucky. And he could work stuff out on his feet pretty well, he could actually give the guy that.

Yukiko, though? Nothing. Entirely passive upbringing, not a violent bone in her body, but she still found a way to bring the pain with what she had. Looking over his shield, the thing that almost got him in deep shit once upon a time, Kanji’s fist tightened.

‘Time to show the world what I’m really worth.’

-

“Ding ding, you son of a bitch!” The seat of Kanji’s bike was practically worthless, the boy standing on the pedals as he pumped. The halls were narrow, but he had enough room to ride circles around the unformed Shadow. The black blob followed him in circles, arms grasping uselessly at him as he constantly rode just out of reach. Soon, the Shadow reached its boiling point, tensing up before letting loose a gurgling scream.

The raging yell was silenced by two soft cracks. The amorphous body shuddered, then went limp as the sharp sound of cords retracting tore its mask away. The black sludge melted over the ground, and when the cords stopped, the mask had a new perch, at the end of a fist, held in place by two hooked arrowheads that punched through the back.

The arm turned around, letting the Shadow’s fleeting consciousness take in its killer. A helm of polished steel blocked their face from view. Even the eyes were unknown, hidden by two plates of dark yellow plastic. The unknown samurai huffed, and with a flex of the fingers, the hooks retracted fully, breaking the mask over his knuckles.

“Wow, that was wicked!” Chie admired the device strapped to Yu’s forearm, a short block of metal that could be hidden in the rest of the coat’s sleeve with no visible bulge.

“It’s nothing much. Just a hydraulic launcher and some metal weave strung around a retracting spool.” Yu fiddled with the front of his helm, pulling off the plating over his face. A thin ray of pride broke free of his earthen expression.

“Wait.” Yosuke was about to compliment the ingenuity of it, too, when he realized exactly what he was looking it. Hooks, some string, and a reel? “Is this just an advanced fishing pole?” Yu hummed, mulling it over for a moment. He hadn’t thought of it like that before.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“I’m not sure if that’s really cool or really lame.” Kanji bled out the last of his speed, flopping over the front handlebars of his bike. “Oh well, it killed the thing fine, so I’ll say cool. Manlier than me riding around in circles on a bike.”

“So this is a bike?” Teddie ran a hand over the back tire. “I think I get why ladies like them so much. I don’t see why Yosuke would call it a ‘fat hog,’ though. There’s nothing like a pig on it.”

“There’s more than one type of bike.” Yosuke put a hand to his forehead, unsure of what to do about the ever curious bear. “Why did you bring that thing with us anyway? Isn’t it awkward to cart around?”

“Excuse me for using some common sense!” Kanji stepped back on his own two feet, giving Teddie a greater chance to analyze the mysterious scoring machine. “I thought going faster would be better, but then none of you showed up with one, so now I have to haul it everywhere.” He groaned, shaking his head. “Next to freaking useless, unless it’s as a distraction.”

“Don’t be so sure.” An idea suddenly occurred to Yu. Kanji was fast on wheels, ludicrously so, and he could imagine a way to make him even faster. “Be ready to summon Take-Mikazuchi. I have a plan.”

-

“Steady.” Yu and Yosuke stood at either side of Mikazuchi’s arm, holding it steady as Kanji lined up the shot. The giant’s wrist crackled with potential energy, just waiting to unload it.

Of course, some modifications had to be made. Direct contact with the payload’s metal frame would shock the pilot, and though Kanji was resistant to electricity, it would still hurt him, and that threatened to knock the shot off target. A set of rubber gloves, boots, and seat cover took care of that little logistical problem. All that remained was the execution.

A glimmer of gold served as the tracking beacon, giving away its source. Fancy fingers fiddled along the floor, but Kanji’s eyes were on its mask, the keystone to a Shadow’s entire being. Break that, and its loot was fair game. Just a little more to the right…

“Gun it!” Kanji braced himself, and Mikazuchi’s palm flashed with released energy. It blasted forward in a wave, carrying with it everything in the cannon’s path.

Like Kanji’s bike.

Its wheels couldn’t spin as fast as the bike was propelled, making them squeal and smoke as they burned the carpet beneath their tread. The frame was weighed upon by intense g-force, the metal threatening to collapse in on itself like a soda can.

Kanji wasn’t exempt from the rigors. His teeth felt like they were going to go flying down his throat at any moment. His muscles worked double time to hold his bones together, both in terms of the skeleton as a whole and each individual bone, which might have been crunched into calcium dust otherwise. And even with the rubber, he could still feel the pulse of energy brushing against his skin. Now he knew why Shadows always looked so miserable whenever they managed to survive one of his thunderstorms.

But he was having a blast. He was a living missile, motherfucking flying dynamite. And this golden prick was about to…

“GET BENT!”

The Treasure Shadow looked up from its aimless milling about, and it squeaked, jumping up with its fingers splayed out almost like a normal, not possessed glove. Then it was gone, its skin splattered across the ground in scraps and mask powdered on impact. A shower of coins rained down, only a fraction of which were chipped, smoked, or otherwise given the appearance of having been in a very unfortunate bank.

“Alright, Kanj… Oh! Ouch...” Yosuke cringed as Kanji crashed headlong into the far wall. It looked like a curtain, sure, but directly behind it, as he found, was a slab of solid brick. His front end was entirely embedded within, the curtains around him smoldering and his back wheel spinning listlessly in midair. “You okay, dude?”

“...Yeah. Sore, but good. I get a big cut of the cash for that, right?”

“Half of it’s yours.”

“Sweet. Yukiko-senpai, can I get a few Dias over here? And some help getting out. Also, I think my hair’s on fire.”

-

“Oh, but I’m so shy… I’m going to turn down the lights!”

And by that, Rise’s Shadow meant extinguish them completely. The group was engulfed in darkness, and a yelp of panic shot out as a fluffy bag of cotton landed in Yosuke’s arms, quivering all the while.

“Dark’s not good, this is the Shadows’ domain!”

“Get off me, Teddie!” He pushed the bear back to his own two feet, but it was in short order that he ducked behind Yosuke’s legs instead. He gave up with a groan. “For someone that lives here, you sure are a wuss about most of your neighbors.”

“I know. I’m no grizzly, I’m just a scaredy-cat...”

“Great, what do we do now?” Chie squinted as hard as she could, but nothing became clearer. She felt Yukiko sidle up to her, using the contact as a point of reference since her eyes were failing her.

“We can’t even see our noses, let alone any enemies or the stairs. Did anyone bring a flashlight?”

“I wish.” At Yosuke’s command, a flash of light filled the area, blinding them for a moment. When their eyes adjusted, they saw two distinct beams coming from the eyes of Yu’s mask. They were bright enough to cast every corner of the hall in at least a minor glow, enough to make out shapes if not details at worst. “Are you a genie or something?”

“Just prepared. We’re fighting living blobs of darkness. Matter of time before they tried a visibility trick.”

“Jeez, way to show the rest of us up, partner.” He threw an arm around Yu’s back, the grin letting him know it was all in jest. “What else you have under that coat?”

“Coffee dispenser.”

“Where would you even…!?” Yosuke’s shock petered out, the ridiculousness reaching levels even Yu wouldn’t go to. “I almost fell for that.”

The slight trickling of fluids echoed up from the inside of a mug. Yu pushed the left flap of his coat out, revealing a wide metal canister wrapped around his lower back. The spout was opened, letting a slow stream of coffee and steam fill the cup in his left hand.

“Fell for what?”

-

“Kanji’s down!” Teddie’s fervent warning told of only the latest of a conga of bad events. When Kanji hit the floor, he joined three others. Chie was the first to fall, the opponent grabbing her leg as she attacked and cutting up across her torso in response. Yukiko left herself open as she tried to dig for a revival bead, and Yosuke’s bid to save her failed to take into account that it could strike both of them in one swing.

Kanji was resilient enough to take more than one shot, but not much more. The most he was able to inflict was a slight nick on its left glove as it caught his shield swipe. Before he could grab his hidden blade, the Shadow proved itself the faster draw, cutting him down as simply as the rest.

That left Yu, the last man standing, but barely. His left leg shuddered with the effort to merely stand. His breathing was labored by bruising inflicted by jabs with the hilt of the enemy’s sword when the blade missed. His head ached from similar blows to his face, which also bent his mask in multiple spots. His sword was lost ages ago, torn from him and thrown to a corner of the arena he couldn’t find in the heat of the fight. His armor took most of the damage, much of its cloth hanging in tatters from the bulk of its scraped and scarred black leather base. If it wasn’t for the extra padding, he would be down like the rest, and the team as a whole would be at the Shadow’s mercy.

That Shadow, meanwhile, was in top form. It was covered in mostly cloth, the only exceptions being leather hide gloves and boots. Its face, and the mask thereon, was hidden by a wide straw hat. A long blade sat in its hands, its stance prepared to counter an approach from any direction. Yu shook in exhaustion, his sword’s rattle telling of his raw nerves.

“Sensei, you need to get out of there!”

Teddie’s cry for retreat crashed against the bulwark of Yu’s mind. Instead of making him act in caution, it only brought forth the last flecks of his strength. He threw a hand up, crushing his card with a call for, “Izanagi!”

The god wasted no time with fanciful flourishes, breaking from its blue mist of origin with naginata in hand. It swung down at the Shadow with all its might, but it fell back, waiting for the swing to carry its edge past before jumping back in with a retaliatory thrust of its own. It grazed Izanagi’s right arm, and though Yu grabbed his arm at the phantasmal pain, his Persona didn’t let it slow him. He batted the sword away with the naginata’s pole, then took it up with both hands so its length stretched across his chest.

The Shadow tried to swipe at him, but it was blocked. Over and over, the metal staff deflected shots, but not without driving Izanagi back on his heels. He waited until it struck at just the right angle, then thrust forward, knocking it back and letting Izanagi continue into a spin. It brought its leg up, slicing through the air with its bladed heels. For the first time that battle, an attack fully connected, swatting the hat from its head in a flurry of straw and leaving a thin, horizontal line across the top of its mask.

It wasn’t enough to drop it, though. It brought its sword to its hip and crouched, signaling its finishing blow.

Yu reached out with his mind to recall Izanagi, but by the time he made the connection, it had already shifted its grip. The sword drew across its front in a wide arc, and its reach was furthered by a ring of concentrated wind that rolled out in all directions.

It hit Izanagi at the waist, and when the Persona dissipated due to damage, the weight of the wound made itself known. It felt like the bottom of his stomach was cut open, and the base of his spinal column was severed, numbing feeling across his entire body. He fell to his knee, arms gripped tightly over the site pure agony radiated from.

The Shadow paced towards him, stopping just shy of touching him with its legs. It dipped its head, recognizing him as an honorable opponent before claiming victory.

Big mistake.

Yu uncrossed his arms, revealing the right was holding a mug, filled to the brim with almost boiling coffee. He flung it into the Shadow’s face, and it was pushed back, grabbing its mask with its free hand. As it floundered at the lava in its eye holes, Yu jumped up and grabbed its wrists, digging in with the tips of his fingers. From his inconspicuous hide gloves came a set of retractable claws, which he quickly dragged through its covering and into its flesh, making its fingers open in pain and let its sword drop to the ground.

His enemy disarmed and disabled, Yu grabbed its own blade, and, with the zeal of a man crazed, he rammed it through its stomach. It stopped at the hand guard, but he wasn’t done, dragging it sideways through whatever guts hadn’t been split open. It tore through its side, and with a gurgled scream, the Shadow fell, its flesh melting away and leaving a set of slime soaked clothes.

The second wind stopped blowing, and he fell the rest of the way, landing face down on the floor.

“Sensei! That was… Gyah!” Teddie’s body squeaked as something hit him, throwing him across the room.

“Back off, bear, this one’s mine.” Yu grunted when he heard that distorted voice, and he hissed as Shadow Rise’s fingers traced a line up the side of his chest. “Mmm, I can feel those muscles under all that stuffy armor. Oh, and this chin...” Her fingers walked up his neck, landing beneath the seam of his mask. She pulled his face up, letting him see the coy, kind of ditzy smirk on her lips. “I think it’s a nice chin, anyway. Let me check.”

She lightly wrapped her digits around the sides of the mask, pulling it down to unveil Yu’s reddened skin beneath it. He was slick with sweat, but though his body was battered to the brink of knockout, his eyes were still sharp. She noticed, with no small amount of amusement, that he refused to let them fall from her face, surely fighting against every boyish urge to stare at the cleavage she so readily offered in her ill-fitting swimsuit.

“Oh yeah, that’s a really nice chin. I could lose myself in this jawline.” She leaned in dangerously close, until her hot breath washed over his ear. “That’s what you want to hear, right?”

“Rise, please...” His voice was strangled, pushing through an overtaxed windpipe and fluid pooling where it shouldn’t be. “Your plan won’t get you recognized. On its own, all you’ll do is kill yourself. Stop this before anyone else has to get buried.” All semblance of desire fizzled out, leaving a cold sneer.

“I see, you think you’re my knight in shining armor, here to save me from a wicked fate. You feel righteous, but you know what I think?” Her grasp hardened, almost choking him further. “I think you’re just using me to feel better about yourself. A notch in the belt, like all the rest that gun for me, but at least they don’t go saying they were virtuous or any of that crap. After you get drunk on ‘good deeds,’ you’ll leave me behind, like a fanboy hunting for a newer, fresher idol to get stiff over. I’m sick of being just another piece of media to be consumed and forgotten!” She dropped him, letting him lay flat on the carpet once more. The jolt was the last hit he could tolerate, his vision swimming as his mind was dragged down into thick blackness.

“If I can’t recognize that, I don’t deserve to live. Simple as that.”

-

When light returned to him, it was considerably more yellow than he remembered. And above him, there was no ceiling, only fog too far away for the glasses to help him see through and a frame of steel scaffolding. Was this the TV world’s entrance?

He was stiff all over, unable to lift his hand without every muscle in his arm popping uncomfortably. He eventually fought through the pain to rub his forehead, but then he noticed that he didn’t have any covering on his arm. He was back in his summer school uniform, his armor nowhere to be seen.

“He’s up!” A slim hand slipped under his back, pulling him up to more of a sitting position. His spine was just as argumentative as his arm, though its cracks were particularly painful. His helper came into view, Yukiko examining him closely. She put a hand to his sternum, and it hummed with blue light. “Dia!” A wave of magic rolled through him, and though it didn’t take out a lot of the pain, not even half of it, by his estimate, it was still a relief to be able to breathe again.

Or, more accurately, cough. It was like his body was rebooting, but the startup was rocky and sluggish, leaving imperfections in its operations.

“Yukiko, you… and the others…?”

“We’re fine, worry about yourself!” Chie joined Yukiko in his field of view, poking in from the other side with concern, and a few forgotten tears, all over her face. “You almost died out there!”

“So did… you...” As his eyes drooped, he was shaken back to reality again when he saw the lack of blood gushing from their torsos, or even a visible tear in their clothes. “Huh?” Yukiko followed his eyes down, reading his wordless question.

“After I healed everyone, Kanji thought it would be best if he sewed everyone’s outfits back up. We don’t want anyone asking about it, after all.”

“Ah, I...”

“Sensei!” Teddie pushed his way into frame. If it weren’t for his form’s inability to produce tears, he looked like he would still be crying. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t help, Sensei! After Rise-chan’s Shadow got to you, and you passed out and you wouldn’t wake up and I was so worried! I’m sorry, I’m such a useless…!”

“Ted.” He snapped back to attention, brought down to stability by the calm ring of Yu’s voice. Their leader’s calm self finally joined the rest in wakefulness, and with it, the tension in the room faded away. “I know you’re not strong, but you tried. That’s all I can ask.” His certain words helped, but Teddie’s frown stayed where it was.

“You’re so kind, Sensei, for putting up with me.”

“Don’t feel so down, Teddie.” Chie patted his shoulder, smiling to hide her embarrassment. “At least you didn’t get KO’d in the first minute.” Yukiko covered her mouth to try hiding her snicker.

“Yeah, we totally flopped! I think Yosuke gets a special mention for his try at being a hero.”

“How was I supposed to know he could cut through two at once?”

Wait…

“Yukiko, you said Kanji sewed you up. Everything down to the skin was cut, for you and Chie. Did you just…?” Her cheeks lit up, but Chie maintained a little poise to help explain.

“Kanji was very gentlemanly in not looking. We gave him our clothes from behind his back, and he didn’t try to peek until after we were decent.”

“And Yosuke?”

“They stuffed me in the freaking bear! Like, you seriously don’t trust me?”

“After what happened at the river...”

“Dude, I learned my lesson.”

“You’ll get a chance to prove it some other time, now out of the way, just finished his stuff.” Kanji shoved his way past Yosuke, holding up Yu’s discarded armor. It looked almost as good as new, barring only the metal parts. The mask, held up in his other hand, was mangled like it was shoved in a trash compactor, and the lens in one eye was webbed in cracks. It was most certainly not safe to wear. “You’ll have to get Daidara to fix up the rest. That okay?”

“More than okay.” Yu pushed himself up, sitting straight under his own power. He took his outfit, quickly checking his personal touches to the design. Somehow, his grappling hook launcher and coffee dispenser were untouched. “Thanks. I’ll try not to get is so banged up again.”

“If you pull my ass out of the fire next time, too, I’d say we’re even.”

“So, if we’re talking about paying him back...” Yosuke plopped down next to him with a shy, but still upbeat, smile. “How’s about I treat us to some dinner? You know, to celebrate not dying.”

“I want steak!”

“Of course you do, Chie.”

Their status quo poking at each other, usually a monkey on Yu’s back, made his nerves come back down from their adrenaline high. Yukiko giggled to herself all the while, and Kanji rolled his eyes, wondering how the youngest guy there wasn’t the least mature. This was the group he knew, still alive, still well. They were fine. He hadn’t failed.

He was of use to them. That’s all that mattered.

Chapter Text

“What the Hell is that!?” It was always sex with these Shadows, one way or another. Chie’s was a dominatrix. Yukiko’s wanted to seduce a prince. Kanji’s… He would rather forget. As far as he was told, the only one that wasn’t sex mad, ironically, was Yosuke’s.

Rise’s, meanwhile, was the most blatantly sexual of the lot. Bare-ass naked from head to toe, face covered with a radar dish as though it wasn’t as important as the multicolored skin below the neck. And every time it slid around, the movement was audibly moist. He hated to say it, but it was way worse than all the sweat at the sauna.

“Rainbow stripper.” It wasn’t clear what Yu was thinking most of the time, especially when he had his Izanagi suit and mask on, but Kanji could only guess his apparent disinterest in sex was a big help in facing off against this one. If he had even a fraction of his Senpai’s composure, maybe he wouldn’t be dry hurling every time it schlicked against that pole.

“ Whatever it is, we’ve gotta stomp it.”

“ Sorry, boys, no touching the star! You might get burned. ” It hauled itself up, and when it dropped, its body twirled around the pole. Yu was certain they were more than a body length away, but as soon as he saw it compressing on the way up, his alarms went off.

“Fall back!” He hopped to the edge of the stage, and Chie and Yukiko weren’t far behind. Yosuke and Kanji, though, didn’t see what was happening soon enough.

“Wait, why are…?” Yosuke’s question was answered when the compression reversed, and Shadow Rise’s body extended like putty. He didn’t have the time to scream before her foot swiped him to the side, knocking the breath out of his lungs as he was flung at Kanji.

The larger boy kept his balance well enough to catch Yosuke and raise his shield, firming himself enough to take the kick when it came his way.

“Don’t get cocky, Yosuke-senpai. Always act like the enemy can take you out in one shot.”

“ Ooh, we have a pro in the house! ” Shadow Rise slunk back to center stage, her face plates spreading out with mechanical clicks and emitting a faint, green glow. “ I wonder if he can take my special, intense service? ”

“I can take whatever you’ve got to dish out.” Kanji stomped even closer, his shield held high. He made a show of taking her challenge, but, hidden behind the plate, his other hand gripped the handle of his knife.

“ Hehe, is that so? ” Her radar snapped back into itself, the thrill of its readings sending shivers through her. “ Careful what you promise a girl, because she might just blow you away! ” Her legs slid down the pole, and when her feet touched the floor, she thrust her hips against it. Teddie felt a charge in his fur, and when he poked his head out from behind the couch where he hid himself and the real Rise, he could smell the magic in the air.

“Careful, she’s building up power!”

“ It’s too late to stop it. ” The Shadow’s voice was a long moan, and its legs twitched against each other. “ It’s too late… to stop… what’s coming~! ” She arched back, and with a delighted squeal, the green goo about her body shined brighter, the magic within flooding to the surface. It burst through her skin, and with a splatter of green, a heavy gale blasted forth, rolling over the entire stage.

It hit Kanji with the force of a train, and the magic in the breeze sapped at his strength. His skin felt like dust, ready to blow away if he gave in for even a second. He hunkered down behind the shield, his counterattack plan forgotten as he just tried to not get thrown from the stage.

“A windbag, eh? I’ve got this one, dude.” A card smashed, and Jiraiya flew past Kanji. Shadow Rise’s face snapped towards it, the radar’s glow intensifying at his approach. Her fingers traced down her pole, and she ground against it with a wet slurp.

“ My my my, this turn of events is shocking~! ” Her quip ended with a grunt of effort, and her yellow slime was next to come to a boil. Bubbles rose along her flesh, and when they popped, a hundred bolts of lightning showered Jiraiya like a rain of needles. His forward charge was halted, and he was pushed back by the unending assault. Yosuke twisted in pain, his every muscle locking and pulling uncontrollably from the invasive electric pulses. He barely managed to recall his Persona before he could be reduced to a pile of wildly jerking limbs.

“Ah crap, is it the full storm?”

“More like a full arsenal.” Yu had been watching its attacks carefully, from windup to execution. There was only one conclusion to reach between the scanning and the four reactive colors of its skin. “It’s scanning for weaknesses, any weaknesses, then acting on them.”

“ Look at you, such a smart leader. ” Shadow Rise stepped off her pole, though she kept a hand clenched around it. Her fingers nearly dug into it, belying the frustration she had no face to express. “ I suppose this is the part where you figure out my weakness and rush in gallantly, proving yourself the brave knight you think you are. Please, spare us the bullshit! ” She twisted her head, directing her radar to the faceless commander.

“ You think you can hide what you really are behind that mask, but I’ve been in this business for so much longer. You can’t hide anything from me anymore. Not you, not anyone. So stop pretending to be so nice and show me what you’re really like. ”

“ Fine.” Yu made to walk forward, but when Chie and Yukiko tried to follow, he held his arms out to block them. “Chie, need you to keep my Tarukaja up. Yukiko, long distance healing.” Chie stared at him incredulously.

“What?! You’ll get creamed if you go in there alone!”

“I won’t be alone with you supporting me. It’s too dangerous for you to get in its range.” He leaned in close, dropping his voice to a whisper. “You two have a fixed weakness. I don’t.” Yukiko nodded, his logic holding water.

“You’re sure you can handle that plan, Yu-kun? Using that power takes concentration, doesn’t it?”

“She wants to see what I’m made of, so I’ll show her.” His orders clear, he marched forward, taking Shadow Rise’s attention while Yosuke and Kanji fell back. They joined Chie and, as one, summoned their Personas.

“Sukukaja!”

“Rakukaja!”

“Tarukaja!”

Their power flowed freely into Yu, pushing his physical attributes as far as they could go. The Shadow whistled in mock admiration.

“ The lone masked warrior, going to fight the monster and reclaim his princess. How clichéd can you get? ” He ignored the jabs at his honor and smashed his card.

“Izanagi!”

The god rose in front of his summoner, but he didn’t move to strike. He simply stood, watching quietly as Shadow Rise turned her radar on him.

“Aw, look! He has stage fright. Let me show him how it’s done!” A hand went to her chest, and the green there glowed with a little squeeze. She waved her hand out, and with it came a razor edge of wind. Izanagi made no effort to defend himself, dipping his head at the encroaching attack. Yu did the same, but he also covered his eyes with his hand and placed a single finger on his forehead. When the wind was close enough to send the tails of his headband whipping, he slid the finger across his brow, and the air hummed.

“Ame-no-Uzume!”

A wave of blue clouded over Izanagi, and it dispersed when a fan broke through the smog. The pale maiden, face obscured by a hand-fan, sliced down through the wave, scattering it into a hundred useless streams of air. The returned gale made Shadow Rise take cover behind her arm, but that left her open and unable to see a single, thin line of wind as it cut through her right shoulder.

“Gyah!” She lost the feeling in that hand, making her scramble to grab her pole with the left. A sharp growl gurgled from her, and her radar went awash with bright green light. “You think you’re cute, changing the scheduled act at the last minute, huh? That shit’s annoying!” Her hand rubbed against the pole as she leaned forward and swiped limply with her right arm. A ball of flame erupted from the red of her skin, but once more, Yu put a hand to his head.

“Hua Po!”

The blue wave passed again, and this time, the Persona burst forth, breaking through the flames and singeing the Shadow’s hair as it grazed her head. The fireball slowed with a beat of its wings, dispersing to reveal a giggling fairy at its core.

“You bitch, it takes hours to get my hair this fluffy!” She stomped on her stage, and thick dollops of blue slime dripped off her in puddles. The pools crackled briefly, then thick branches of ice shot from them, clawing for the dainty fairy high above. They grew quickly, but Yu was quicker.

“King Frost!”

The cloud of blue was more like wisps, almost instantly soaked up by the massive dome of gold and snow. It dropped from the sky and hit the ground like a hammer, the shock waves shattering the ice at its base. In the wake of that destruction, the King merely chuckled.

“What!? But that’s...” All four elements, covered, and he could switch between them faster than she could attack. All fronts were covered. She could melee him to death, but her swings weren’t as strong as her spells, and that skank in red was ready to heal him from behind the punk’s shield. He had to have a weakness, he had to!

He put his hand to his head again, ready for whatever counterattack Rise cooked up. He was standing there, waiting for her to play her hand, and…

...Wait, that noise. That humming she heard whenever he switched his Persona. It was magical in origin, she was sure of it. He was using some sort of spell to do it! All she had to do was figure out how that process worked and she could stop it, locking him in place for a nice, happy ending.

“Grr, that really burns my butt!” She launched herself into a twirl around the pole, sending a wave of fire back to the giggling monarch. She made it look like she would be caught up in the movement, but the skin of her hand turned sticky, the instant friction bring her to a stop with her dish firmly trained on Yu. His finger crossed his head, and her radar turned green, aiming right where his hand and face met.

Suddenly, the intense light of the room dimmed, going from blinding pink to gentle blues. The air was navy, and the floor was a solid light of cerulean. It was like the matter around her vanished, leaving just herself and her target.

Only, he wasn’t alone. The man himself stood before her, shaded in thick black, and around him, twinkling in the dim light, was a cascade of cards. Each was marked with a distinct image. A gladiator on his chariot. A lady handling a lion. A bird with a scepter. A flame atop a pair of outstretched hands. They each registered as a different being, but they all gave off the same signal. They were all him.

They were all Yu Narukami.

“Do you see it now?” He took a step forward, and the cards followed him. She heard King Frost break behind her, returning to him as a lord in regal crown and garb. “All those Personas, the source of my power, they are all me. Different aspects of me, but none is less true than any other.”

“This world is wrought with hardship, trials to overcome. For each, we adapt, we find a way to act that lets us proceed with our lives. Rise, for instance, has the girl on stage that everyone knows and cheers for, but also the person that goes out to help her grandmother when she doesn’t need to. The one who sits with me at the river and laughs over paparazzi tripping over themselves. Different sides, to be certain, but none are anything but Rise.”

The Shadow took a step back, fearful of his approach. He reached for his chest, where another card formed, a traveler with a straw hat and a pack on a stick. It stood out starkly from the obsidian obelisk that was Yu himself.

“To look for the real you is like looking for the real facet of a diamond. You assume that anything that is not the whole is a lie, but that thought, itself, is false. You are only one side of the gem that is Rise.” He moved his other hand to join the first on his sword, and in the space of a moment, his walk became a sprint that shattered the illusion of blue. In the burning lights of the stage, his mask was lit a burning red, the yellow plates of his eyes coals at the heart of the flame. “And I will cut you down so she can find the rest behind your blinding gleam!”

He swung his sword, and she retreated further, finally losing touch of the pole as she was driven towards the far side of her stage. Yu’s assault was relentless, each cut coming faster than the last.

“Holy crap!” Yosuke’s jaw went slack at the sight of his leader’s fury. He was always the best among them at fighting, but this was an aggression he had yet to see in him.

“Yeah, he’s merciless when he gets going.” Kanji rubbed his chest, remembering a particularly strong stab he got during training. Yu apologized profusely for it later, including with cash that wasn’t taken, but it didn’t change the simple facts. “Get him fired up, and there’s no hope for your sorry ass.”

“Woohoo, go Yu!” Chie cheered him on like the head cheerleader, but Yukiko beside her felt a nagging question that kept her from joining in.

What about this situation pushed him farther than any other?

“Hey, back off! No brutes allowed at my show!” Shadow Rise swung at him when she could, but all she ever got for her trouble was a shot at the offending limb. Were she not made of malleable slime, she would have lost most of her fingers by then. She was getting desperate, but she had to play smart to get out alive. She just needed to get back to center stage. She dodged that way whenever she could, and slowly, their dance swirled around back to where it began. Her back pressed up against the pole, and Yu jumped in for the kill, unaware of the immense power flooding into the Shadow.

“I said… NO TOUCHING!” The plates on her face turned from green to crimson, and the a spark ran up the antenna. Before Yu could abort his attack, all of the magic in her body ran to her face, which glowed like the sun. “Get off the stage, you amateur!”

Three crackles, then a bang. It all released like a cannon, and, at point blank range, Yu took all of it. His ribs almost flattened, and he was thrown from the stage, flecks of blood splattering from the cracks in his mask as he landed in a heap at his team’s feet. Yukiko jumped to his aid, her and Chie helping him stand while she invoked Sakuya’s healing powers.

“Dia!” It ran through him swiftly, a hundred little strands pulling the fragments of his ribs back into their proper places. The pressure eased from his lungs, letting them inflate with a ragged cough.

“G-get back, now!”

“Too late.” Shadow Rise crossed her legs over the pole, writhing in the blissful friction between it and her inner thighs, so dangerously close to her most sensitive place. She pulled herself to its very top, hanging there from clenched hips. She swayed from her perch, hands waving merrily as a second charge began to build.

“For the grand finale, I’m blowing the whole house away! I’m not the real Rise, huh? Let’s see how real I am, when I’m the only one left!” Chie and Yukiko found themselves getting pushed back. Yu put himself between the others and the Shadow and hastily crushed his card, an act that sent pain lancing up his side.

“King Frost!”

When he returned, all of the monarch’s joviality was gone. He tucked his face into the collar of his dome, terrified of looking at his coming fate. Yu’s eyes snapped to Teddie and Rise, still hidden behind a bench that was nowhere near strong enough to withstand the blast. He doubted he would live past a second shot, and after that, it was fair game for non-combatants.

“Get Rise out of here, Ted!”

“But…!” He looked to the team, who all joined Yu in bracing King Frost’s back as though holding a door shut. “Then you all would be...”

“It doesn’t matter.” Teddie could see Yu’s real eye beneath the yellow plastic, and, though swimming with fear and pain, it was still the sharp gaze that guided them this far. “We accepted that we might die when we came here. She didn’t.”

“You tell him, partner.” Yosuke planted his knives in the ground, locking his heels against the jammed handles for a little extra hold. “If we die so no other victims have to, then so be it.”

“S-so, th-this is it?” Chie’s knees were shaking. Yukiko curled into her side, thinking it was the last chance she ever had. Chie wrapped her arms around her and put on her most confident front, for Yukiko’s sake. “Wh-whoever gets to heaven first, save a seat for the rest of us, okay?”

“And if those reincarnation guys were right, you all better do your damnedest to meet back up next time around. I didn’t find a place to belong just to lose it.”

“Heh, you got it, Kanji.” Yosuke looked to Teddie, acceptance lighting his grief stricken eyes. “Get out of here, Ted. You know everything we’ve been through. You can solve this case for us, right?”

Their words bounced around Teddie’s mind like a hundred rubber balls, shoving him in every direction. His old instincts screamed at him to get to safety. The guys told him, under no uncertain terms, to listen to that voice. Within the cacophony, however, there was one constant rhythm. These people were the bravest he had ever met, the kindest he could have hoped to find.

And he wasn’t willing to lose them.

When he came to that conclusion, he opened his eyes to find that he was already in front of King Frost. He could feel the heat of the building supernova.

“Wh-wh-what!? My, my body is moving on its own!”

Yu gritted his teeth, and his heart clenched in his chest.

“Teddie!”

“I… You guys are always so brave. So much more than me.” Teddie’s furry fists clamped shut, shaking from tension that had nowhere else to go. “All I’m good for is running away. I can bearly be in the same room as a fight. But not now. I can’t afford to be a cowardly bear today. I won’t lose you guys like this!”

His arms flexed, and his fur blew as an unseen force rolled out. It was like the hollow of his suit was pressurized, and this twinge of courage was enough to poke a hole in its seal, releasing it into the world around him. He growled in a pitch far lower than anyone could have thought possible from the normally meek Teddie, and with a roar, the unveiled power became very much visible, an orange light that permeated every fiber of his being.

“What?” The Shadow’s dish was occupied with her charging attack, but she didn’t need it this time. She could feel the magic, pouring from him in choking waves. It was like someone set off a hydrogen bomb, its raw energy filtering through the cloth. “This power, it’s too much to read! What the heck is this thing?”

“Take a good look...” Teddie thought back to whenever he saw Kanji launch into a fight, broadening his chest and clenching the bases of his limbs. “...at Teddie’s last stand!”

He immediately felt the changes when his foot left the ground. He had to fight against his own strength to keep from rocketing into the air. He leaned forward, using the extra ignition to propel himself forward, rushing the stage fast enough that the air whistled painfully in his ears. He was too quick for Shadow Rise to react, latching himself onto the bottom of her pole.

“H-hey, get off of that!”

“I’m right, aren’t I? This is the source of your power. You only ever use magic when you rub on this thing, that’s why you had to get to it before countering Sensei.” He braced himself, planting his feet in the ground. His arms bulged like overinflated balloons as he pulled with all his newfound might. “Well I’m getting rid of it with my bear hands! GRRRRAAAAAAHHH!!!”

Metal creaked and waned under his assault. The Shadow tried to swipe at him, but her hands were forced back by the pressure gradient, a reversed magnetic field. She couldn’t lay a nail on him, let alone the whole finger.

With an almighty crack, the pole snapped from its post, and wires let off a cascading fizzle as they were uprooted. Trailed by a chaotic blur of unguided electricity, Teddie waved his new staff to the left, and his stance shifted further and further to his heels as the spin became self sustaining. Shadow Rise had to hold on all the tighter to not get thrown off by centrifugal force alone.

“Not… giving in, huh? Fine. Then let’s try this!” Teddie lifted a foot. The spin shifted to the other side. An oversight at a glance, but soon, it was made apparent that he planned for it. His leg slammed down in a stage shaking stomp, and the circular momentum was funneled into a straight line.

His shoulders neared the popping point as he mounted all of his energy into one more move, hurling the pole down into the stage and slamming Shadow Rise as the hammer’s head. The plates of her radar shattered into countless slivers, and, with no focus to contain it, the supernova she collected was finally released. It expanded out in a violent detonation, engulfing the stage in hellfire. Yosuke, thinking on his feet, bolted out to grab the real Rise and haul her into the protective shade behind King Frost.

“Everyone, brace for turbulence!”

Yu kept his hands firmly at the King’s back, ignoring the searing agony that snaked over all the skin of his body. He could almost feel his hide turning into leather, and if they hadn’t been closed, the jelly of his eyes would have been brought to a boil. Why did his best cover Persona need to have a vulnerability to fire? The permanent damage was undone as Yukiko dumped all of her SP into constant healing, but the sensation of getting flash roasted would be impossible to forget.

After a full ten seconds, the explosion died out, and chunks of debris fell to the ground alongside a curtain of ash. Kanji was the first to break from cover, coughing and waving smoke out of his way. When his vision cleared, he could only stare at the epicenter of the destruction, his jaw agape.

“Teddie!”

Chapter Text

The last embers rapidly cooled, leaving behind the blasted ruins of the strip club. The strobe lights were eviscerated and scattered in heaps around the room. The curtains were gone, and the hard, gray brickwork behind them was laid bare. A thick layer of ash rained down, chiseled from the least durable of the décor. The only space not swallowed by several feet of the cloying dust was the shade behind King Frost, from which the Investigation Team tentatively exited. Yosuke’s breath came in shallow gasps that kept ash from filling his lungs, and, looking over the destruction he narrowly avoided, he patted the King’s side in appreciation.

“Looks like the party’s over.”

Chie stumbled out behind him, eyes wide and watering. Yukiko, though no longer fully embraced by her, still stayed by her side, acting as an anchor to reality.

“We… We lived.”

“Y-yeah, thanks to Yu and Teddie.”

“C’mon, guys, help me out over here!” Kanji was elbow deep in the remains of the stage. Once the center of attention, it was now a pile of splintered, charred wood. Not a speck of brown remained, and much crumbled into nothing at Kanji’s fingers. When his sifting finally landed on something that didn’t immediately break, he hurriedly pushed swathes of dust out of the way, slowly uncovering what, at first glance, might have been a tacky throw rug. Kanji knew better, though. “Teddie, talk to me!”

The white of the bear’s face was dyed a uniform gray. Everything else was speckled by copious dust stains and charred fur. His buttons were cracked, falling from him in shards, and the edge of his neck zipper was mangled such that it might never come undone. Above all else, though, it was his shape that was most concerning. The balloon burst, letting out all of its air and laying deflated on the floor. There was a small lump of something in his right foot, but other than that, he was entirely flattened out. Teddie’s eyes opened, bleary and barely cognizant of Kanji’s presence.

“Did… did I help?” His voice was strained as though speaking through a popped lung.

“You bet, man. Here, up and at ‘em.” Kanji hauled him up from the wreckage and gently shook as much ash off as he could without exacerbating Teddie’s injuries, for lack of better word.

“Neat. Thinking about you guys getting hurt… I couldn’t stand it, you know?”

“Hurt nothing, we almost died.” Yosuke broke through the shock, coming to help Teddie dust off. Surprisingly, considering he was a flat, empty suit, he managed to stand upright with minimal support. “I think we all owe you a few for that, Ted.”

“Seconded.” All gathered turned to the sound of their leader, but the man they found was hardly in any condition to be declaring anything. His movements were jerky, the pattern of his walk shifting with every few steps. He couldn’t even stand under his own power. It took Rise’s help to keep him from collapsing, the left foot she replaced dangling uselessly. He recoiled in pain any time it touched the ground. The crack in his unwavering stoic front made the gravity of what they just survived viscerally real.

“Holy cow, your leg!” Chie ran up to him, replacing the bedraggled Rise as his crutch. “How did you mess it up like that!?”

“Think I put too much back into keeping King Frost up.” He dully snapped his fingers and recalled his Persona. He could already feel the lessened strain on his mind, though he could have done without the increased brain power being put towards feeling his wounds. “I’ll be fine. A few days off it, maybe a hospital visit to get it checked, and I’ll be good.” Rise sighed in relief.

“Thank god. I don’t think I could’ve forgiven myself if you got hurt any worse.” A shifting in the ash brought her attention to the collapsed stage. A lithe figure in a swimsuit crawled free, but she couldn’t manage much more than that on her own. The sight plucked a string in Rise’s heart. She bent over and offered a hand. “Here, stand up.” When the Shadow didn’t respond, she gently took hold of her wrists and pulled. Her light frame made it pretty easy. Staring in those golden eyes without the berating and taunting from before, she could think so much more clearly. She took in the swimsuit again, this time without the knee jerk disgust.

“I remember that outfit. I wore it for a drink commercial, the last thing I did as Risette before going on break, right?” Rise chuckled to herself, thinking back to the shoot. So many perverts trying to get an eyeful of her butt. And she never got a chance to change out before the wrap party, so the ogling continued through the afternoon. Maybe that was the straw that broke her back. “I don’t think my younger self would’ve ever imagined being on live television in something like that. She was just happy to finally have a shot at being the light for other little girls like her. That’s why Risette’s always so bubbly, because I know that there are people out there who need the extra happiness. I thought seeing it in me might make others feel better, too.”

“But, I guess I never saw it myself. The sad little girl in me wasn’t helped, she was just buried. She never had a chance to talk for herself with that stupidly tight schedule. Show at eight, interview at eleven, practice until dinner, repeat. Never a chance to talk, always on the go, because people wanted to see Risette. Who can blame little Rise for getting jealous?”

“And yet, you’re not some monster that came in to steal the spotlight. I made you because it’s what I always wanted to see. You’re a me that’s happy and social and all that good stuff, things I couldn’t be before. It wasn’t because you existed that I really started hating you, it’s because you’re the only side of me I ever had a chance to show. I felt overshadowed by myself, by everything that everyone wanted from you, so I started shifting the blame for all of their demands onto you.”

“That… That wasn’t fair of me, was it?” Rise reached up and pushed her other self’s hair out of her face. The Shadow’s expression was serene, peaceful. “I started pushing you away because I wanted to find the real me, but that’s wrong. There wasn’t a “real me” to find.”

A pin of light poked through Teddie’s haze, blinding him as he dared to stare directly at it.

“Wasn’t… a real me?”

“Risette is me. I am Risette. She’s not all of me, but she’s a part, and I can’t pretend otherwise.”

The Shadow smiled, an innocent little smile. Then, her skin glowed bright white. Strands of silk wrapped over her frame, covering her immodest garb in a simple dress of white. Rise was soon unable to touch her face as she grew taller, and her twin ponytails branched upwards into a web of wiring. The light died down, leaving a dark maiden in white. The net antenna that became her face pulsed slowly, and calm washed over Rise. Then, as swiftly as she came, she was gone, returning willingly to the heart she was born in. Rise smiled, but her strength soon failed her. She would have fallen had Yukiko not been quick in catching her.

“Easy, Rise-chan. Awakening has a strong kickback.”

“Thanks for the save there.” Yukiko helped turn her around to face her saviors, who all looked to empathize with the extreme fatigue that took her. “And thank you all for coming here after me.” Her gaze fell to Yu’s foot, and she cringed. She had sprained her fair share of ankles, and that looked about as bad. “Sorry to put you through all of this. Send me your hospital bill, and I’ll pay it.” Yu held up a hand.

“That won’t be necessary. Parents are in big business, remember?”

“Oh, right. You must be pretty well off to afford that costume.” Rise laughed again. She could almost feel her other self’s giggle returning to her. “If there’s some other way to repay you, let me know.”

“We can meet up when we’re all recovered to hash out details. For now, let’s get out of here.” Yu’s frame felt heavier every second. He just wanted to get home, tell Dojima something to avert suspicion, and get checked in for a proper crutch. He felt terrible having to use Chie as one.

As much as he wanted some peace and quiet, though, Izanagi remained alert, forcing him to pick up on an uneasy energy in the air. Between the throbs in his head, he thought he heard a quiet mumbling. His ears perked, and he heard the faintest whispers. It was a voice he knew, and he wasn’t alone in picking up on it. Kanji looked down at the bear he was helping to stand and hunched over to hear better.

“There’s no real me...”

“Hey, Teddie, you feeling alright?” Kanji shook him lightly, but as the light running over his glass eyes shifted, Rise picked up on the slight yellow tint in his irises.

“No, get back! There’s something else in him!” No sooner than she said it, a wisp of black smoke slithered out of Teddie’s mouth and dropped into the ash beneath him. Yosuke jumped back, cautious of any unknown creatures.

“What was that?”

“Real me? What senseless drivel.” A heavy thrum ran through the ash, kicking up the top layer into a thick smog. Most of them started to hack as it filled their throats, but Yu’s mask kept it out of his. He unsheathed his sword and struggled to hold it up threateningly with one arm.

“Show yourself.”

“ Through choking smoke, you seek, yet you find naught but the ruinous trail of what came before. ” Another tremor rocked the team, and Yu barely managed to stay standing. Chie dug her heels in so she didn’t let him down. Literally.

“ Don’t act all smug. You’re in here somewhere. We’ll find you!”

“ Yet you know not what I am. You presume I’ve a form capable of being found. It is reflective of your struggle. Futile. ” The tranquil bellow that assaulted them kept the ash aloft, forming a fog even their glasses couldn’t penetrate. What few pockets of air remained within Teddie shook like the inside of a struck bell. He felt violated in a way he couldn’t describe.

“Hey! Don’t go talking down their hard work like that, whatever you are!” Teddie broke free of Kanji’s light grasp, stepping on wobbling legs deeper into the rubble. He kicked wherever possible, hunting blindly through shifting ash. “They’re all putting everything into this, so they’ll definitely find what they’re looking for. I guarantee it!”

“ I do not speak solely of them. ” The further he went, the clearer the unsettling voice became, as though it was resonating from the fibers of his own suit. It took on a hard edge, like the ticking gears of a clock. “ You are a denizen of this place. You have wandered here for as long as it has existed, yet now that they arrive, you choose to believe there is a truth that has yet remained hidden to you? Incomprehensible. You are either the greatest of fools, or the most ardent of liars. ”

“Liar!?” Teddie tried to back up in surprise, but his feet wouldn’t budge. Fear welled up within him, and he was forced to the defensive. “I… I don’t understand a word you’re saying, but it sounds like you don’t think I’m taking this seriously. I’ll have you know that I am, more than anything else, so you can just shut…!”

The bell rang again, its chime rolling through Teddie’s waking mind. His words fumbled, and his vision blurred. Instead of blacking out, though, he brushed up against an impenetrable gray. He pushed himself back to wakefulness, but his senses were all scrambled. He heard someone, a lot of someones, calling for him, but their words weren’t getting through, gravel caught in a fine sieve.

“ You already know what you are, yet you seek an excuse to claim to be something else. It would be pitiable were you a being worth such emotion. The only grain of truth you have caught is thus. You are like them in one manner, and one manner alone. I shall show you what. And them as well. ” His fur was pushed up, compacted under rising ash. No, more like he was the one falling into it. There were no floorboards beneath it to hold him up anymore. He would have panicked, flailed for his life, but he was so tired. It was almost like he didn’t have a life to flail for. Something else was filling him, something at once foreign, yet familiar. “ And you shall be the vessel by which I impart this lesson. ”

“Give him back!” Kanji, the only fully able-bodied one among them, dove into the ash, both arms outstretched. When he reached where Teddie was, though, the last speck of blue slipped beneath the sands. No matter how much he pushed away, he couldn’t rediscover it. “What the Hell did you do to him!?”

“ I have shown him the truth, that which he claimed to hold so dear. I know you seek much the same, correct? If you are so certain, then I shall show you. ”

Kanji reached for another armful of ash, but it, instead, fell, trickling away before his eyes. He gasped and jumped backwards, almost swimming until he fell back into the lower sands of the surrounding floor.

Grain by grain, what remained of the stage sank into an unseen void. The pit expanded out from the center, and once it reached the edge, it all fell away at once. In the middle of the room, a massive chasm had been burrowed, as though once sealed away by the overwhelming light of the club. Ash rolled into it as a massive waterfall, feeding its limitless hunger.

Yosuke stepped forward, daring to leer into the abyss. Inside was nothing but darkness. His only warning was a single gleam, light from above reflecting on something in the depths. Then the dark sprung up. All he saw was a set of twisted claws, hewn from bone, before he was grabbed from behind and pulled away. The ground he once stood on was crushed underhand, the titanic blue extremity dragging it into the insatiably hungry pit. A shiver ran through him, having narrowly escaped death a second time.

“Shit! Thanks for the save.”

“Hold that thought.” Yosuke looked back in utter disbelief. Yu stood there, hands moving from his shoulders to the sheathe as his own side. His left leg bent under him. The strain could be seen in his eyes, even with the mask obscuring them.

“Dude, you’re in no shape to be fighting!”

Yu’s head tilted down, somehow hardening and softening in appearance at the same time.

“I am… the leader. One of our own was taken. Therefore, I must fight.”

“ Another act of foolishness. I though t to offer a chance to retreat, a return to peaceful ignorance, but I see the sickness has become too deeply ingrained for that. Now, I shall show you the only kernel of truth there is to grasp. ”

One last tremor shook the ground, and smaller vibrations followed. A pair clawed hands, each as large as two of the children put together, hooked the sides of the pit and pulled. Inch by inch, the mass they were connected to revealed itself.

It was much like Teddie, a bear suit one might think natural at an amusement park. However, all joy was sucked from its form. Its colors were tattered and muted. Its mouth was a thin line. Its face was cracked, and little pieces of it fell away every time it moved. The left side of its mask was broken in, shattered, and nestled in the dark that filled it almost completely was a single eye. It glowed unnaturally luminous shades of blue and pink, and it showed no human feeling. It merely observed as terror at its arrival sunk into the team’s bones.

“ That truth is thus; all such pitiable beings, who skitter ceaselessly in search of a reality too great to grasp, are fated to perish. You have found one face of that reality, and now, under its weight, you shall find your deaths. ”

The team formed a line, spreading back from their leader as two wings of fighters standing between the demon and Rise, the most vulnerable among them. They clutched their weapons in shaking hands. It wasn’t only from fear, though. Their flagging energy was wearing on them. One big Shadow was bad enough, but two in a row? Their SP was down to trickles, perhaps good for a few more spells each, and Chie didn’t think that big hole under the Shadow would let them get away with physical attacks. She didn’t want to fall to her death!

“ What’s our plan here?”

“Just… don’t get hit until I can think of something.”

Chie’s focus broke as she stared at Yu.

“What!? You always have a plan!”

“I know, but I can’t...” The muscles in his leg locked up again, sending a muscle-locking jolt of pain up his left side. He was forced to hold his sword in his right hand only, but it didn’t look like he was strong enough to handle it as well that way. “I can’t think like this.”

Where would they even start? They couldn’t waste SP on rolling through all the elements to find its weakness, if it had one, and they couldn’t risk rushing in for melee. They could make their Personas do it, but that would sap their health, and Yukiko didn’t have much strength left to sustain that plan. His breathing was starting to hasten, and his shaking was only hidden by the thick layering of his armor. What could he do? What could any of them do?

Was he… not good enough to help them?

“Himiko!” Behind them, Rise called on her Persona, the card breaking itself in front of her. The maiden in white reappeared at her back, and it held a visor crafted of bronze over Rise’s eyes. Through Himiko’s antenna, the battlefield took on another appearance, as though it was filtered through an old TV. Numerous popups and overlays appeared as her eye wandered. The information was almost too much to process, but Himiko hurriedly threw away anything that she couldn’t use. Yosuke turned towards her to gawk.

“ You shouldn’t be fighting, either!”

“It’s okay, I’ll just be feeding you intel.” She directed all of her energy towards the Shadow, and Himiko’s scanners went into overdrive. She felt her brain cells heating up like the CPU of a computer. With all of her energy being directed up, she doubted she could move her legs if the need arose. With the others between her and the danger, though, she had enough time for her readings to come in.

“It looks like… Yes, I’m certain. Go for the eye!” Himiko zoomed in at Rise’s command. The evidence piled on from there. “That bear never actually rejected his Shadow, so it shouldn’t have gone berserk like mine. Something else came in and forced the shift. I’m positive that the eye is a part of whatever that other thing was, it’s sending off totally different waves.”

“Got it.” Yu moved to step forward, but the slightest shift sent his brain swimming through a sea of pain signals, especially from his left leg. Walking or running was out of the question. He glanced to his right wrist, and an idea occurred to him.

But he couldn’t go through with it in his current state. He was too vulnerable, susceptible to his injuries. It would take time he didn’t have on his own to prepare. That was the good thing about having a team to support him. They could buy him just the window he required.

“Scatter, hit him with anything you can from all angles. Keep the spells small, but constant. Kanji, stay here to cover Rise and me.”

“On it!” Kanji jumped in front of him, shield held high. He would have thrown out a defense buff to boot, but he didn’t have enough left in him for it.

Misdirection would have to carry the day. Yosuke and Chie nodded at each other from opposite sides of the Shadow before unleashing their Personas. Jiraiya’s grinning boomerang took flight and whipped around it at angles impossible without magical influence. Any cloth it touched sent out a plume of dust, like it was aging and withering rather than being cut. A hail of icicles from Tomoe found much the same response from the Shadow’s mask, the rate of its decay ramping up and casting more shards of itself into the pit below.

No matter how much they struck it, however, it didn’t look like it was actually being damaged meaningfully. The discarded pieces of itself were as much a concern as a picked scab, or, more aptly, the shed scales of a snake. It watched their efforts passively, tapping its claws against the ground it held onto. The only defense it took was in evasion, its eye sliding around the black insides of the suit as an icicle or cutting wind came close.

And all the while, it watched. Never blinking. Never looking away.

“Like ants, they swarm that which trespasses on their perceived domain, their bites insignificant. They know not that they prod only the toe of a greater being. Effective or not, their better grows impatient nonetheless.” The Shadow lifted its hand from the ground, raising it above its head. Its body slouched to one side, almost lounging under useless fire. When the claws reached their zenith, they snapped open, and Rise tensed at the readings that that threatened to overwhelm her sensors.

“Guys, fall back! All of its energy is stockpiling up there!” Himiko shuddered behind her. It was like Teddie’s sudden show of strength, but the scale was infinitely greater.

Yosuke and Chie fell in line behind Kanji, the former panting and sweating.

“Damnit, all of that and it isn’t even slowing down?”

“I know not the exhaustion that plagues lesser life.” Its eye turned on them, and its innermost ring began to spin. It was like the lens of a camera focusing on the image before it. “And yet, it is you that charge forward endlessly, filled by senseless hope. Is your desire so overwhelming that logic falls mute?” Disappointment dripped from its lips, laced by venomous hatred. Its hand pulsed, and a dull orange light emerged in from jagged lines beneath its fur, coming together at the base of its claws and slowly filling their grooves.

“It matters not. Come, embrace the truth you salivate for as beasts. The truth of nothingness.”

Kanji punched through his card, and Take-Mikazuchi rose behind him. His shade fell over the team, but he held onto no delusions.

“I don’t think I can stop this one.”

Sakuya stood behind Mikazuchi and sent the last of her SP through him to brace his strength, but Yukiko knew it was a null attempt. The pressure rolling off of the Shadow felt like it would sweep them all away as soon as the tide shifted their way.

“Rise-chan, isn’t there anything we can do?”

“I… I don’t...” Her brain felt like it was coming to a boil inside her skull. She couldn’t focus her sensors any more than she already was, or the readings would overload Himiko. Was it right, were they all just ants that got in way over their heads? The Shadow’s magic peaked, its entire hand thrumming with raw magic…

...And in that moment, a pair of sharp thwips rang, carrying with them hooks that plunged deep into the dark of the Shadow’s hollow suit. Its eye widened, but it couldn’t slip away, and its edges were punctured. Thin cracks ran over the light of its iris, as though it was covered by a sheet of glass.

Rise followed the threads back to their source. Yu stood with his right arm jutted out, the hook launcher on his wrist unveiled. His sword was loose in its sheath, two inches of blade exposed. His eyes were wholly obscured by his mask, but slow, even breathing hissed through it.

“You blinked.”

The reel pulled, but the eye was lodged in place. Unperturbed, Yu hopped up on his right foot, and with his traction gone, he was pulled through the air towards his hooks. The Shadow’s pupil shrank. It brought its claws down, but Yu slipped by untouched.

It hit the ground instead, and a heavy quake tore through the world. Mikazuchi was nearly toppled by the shock waves. Sakuya was only spared by being airborne. The humans beside them and Himiko, though, were sent to the ground, Rise only managing to stay somewhat upright by landing on her knee. She looked on after Yu, her voice suppressed by shock.

Yu landed on the eye with a heavy thud that sent his left leg shuddering. He stood firm, though, and with it underfoot, he could say the eye was definitely coated by glass. This close, he could hear the whirring of machinery, but it had none of the warmth such a large device should output. Instead, it was all cold, the hollow space within the Shadow devoid of all heat.

The eye focused on him, staring into the gaps of his mask for even a glimpse of the human underneath. In its own light, it saw through the plastic veneer of dominance. The human’s eye was far away, staring at nothing, but possessed a directionless focus. That paradoxical nature overtook the Shadow. Its voice was quiet, a whisper from the dark recesses of its vessel.

“You… You are, different. I see no light in you. You act with all the fervor of the ants, yet there is no slavering want in your gaze, no foolish heroism or blinding rage. What are you?”

He looked into the Shadow’s eye in turn. He showed no fear at the piercing knowledge of the being under him, nor excitement at its inability to understand. He did not think. He only acted.

“Their leader.”

He drew his sword in his right hand and leveled it at the pupil at his heel. His grip shifted, and the gears at his wrist clanked and clattered with all the force they could exert. His blade dug deep into the lens with this mechanical strength. Currents raced up and down its length, stopped only by the leather of Yu’s glove, and sparks sputtered from the wound.

The lights flared into hellish reds and yellows alongside an alarm that sounded to his ears like a deafening screech. The pitch only raised when his hooks were yanked away, the twin holes they made webbing across the eye’s surface to meet the greater breach.

The ground Yu stood on wouldn’t hold much longer. He heard a disturbance outside the Shadow’s frame, a repeated separation of the air, and without thinking, he aimed his launcher it it, leaving his sword where it lie. The source passed by the breach in the mask, Jiraiya’s unrecalled boomerang. Yu fired, and, though the hooks themselves missed, their tethers were too strong to be cut, entangling the boomerang without slowing its motion. The reel spun in, and, as he had before, Yu flew after his grapple mark, leaving the Shadow to claw at its mask. Its eye shook, its hate a burning point that followed Yu’s escape.

“...I-I-Insolent human-n-n. Your ti-i-ime approaches. You know the t-t-truth better than the res-st, and soon, you shan’t den-n-ny-y-y-y...”

The eye sparked once more, and with that final crack, the lightning broke free. It was a Tesla sphere with no outer edge, spewing electricity in every direction. Cloth caught flame. The mask took on a moist sheen, then melted. A roar pierced the ear of every living thing in that world, tinted by the ticks of dying clockwork. Soon, the fierce storm kicked up dust around itself, forming a torrent of burning ash that buried the Shadow and its pit in obscuring flame.

Yu looked over his work as his reverie passed, a terrible exhaustion making his whole body go limp from his hanging post. He numbly turned his attention to the group he left behind. Chie was laughing and jumping. Yukiko was just as happy, clinging to Chie’s arm for dear life. Kanji grabbed his flexing muscles and hollered in jubilant relief.

If he had to pick, he would have said Rise’s reaction was his favorite. He could see her eyes without that doubt and tiredness that plagued them before. Wonder and determination, all encapsulated by two orbs of fierce brown. It was a sight he didn’t think he could tire of.

Yosuke ran to be under him, and just in time. The magic of Jiraiya finally petered out, its spin slowing more with each rotation. He lowered back to the floor, and had Yosuke not been there to catch him, he knew he would have flopped like a chopped tree.

“You’ve got to stop showing the rest of us up like that, dude. Especially in front of Risette!”

Yu laughed, spiting the Shadow once more by showing that joy lived on.

“Okay. You get to swing around the next big one and break your leg.”

“Alright, if that’s what it’ll take to keep you off yours this time.” Yosuke wanted to tap Yu’s obviously injured appendage to prove his point, but he thought better of it. Especially considering how it was sort of twisted off to the side in a way it really shouldn’t have been.

“I’m… sorry, Sensei.”

“Teddie!” Kanji dropped his shield, running through the dying inferno to the seemingly renewed floor behind it. There, in what used to be center stage, Teddie laid flat on the ground, staring up listlessly. Beside him, silent, was another blue bear. It was much larger than him, but not to the degree of the twisted monstrosity they fought. And its eyes, numbering two now, were both deep gold, like every other main Shadow they faced before. Yu wanted to examine it closer, but he didn’t have the energy. Kanji beat everyone else to Teddie, putting his hands on his deflated shoulders. “You scared the shit out of us, disappearing like that!”

“Sorry. Add that to the pile of my mistakes.”

“Enough jabbing yourself. Get up here and face the music, like a man, man.” Kanji pulled him up again, finding him just as light as before. The deep creases under Teddie’s eyes, though, said his thoughts were still unbearably heavy. He looked on his Shadow in shame, and it on him in passive silence.

“All this time, all these adventures, but I still don’t know a thing about myself. All I’ve learned is that there’s only one thing in this world, the Shadows. If that’s the case, then what does that say about me? About what I am? I didn’t want to accept it. I kept burying the thought, until...” He turned away, unable to look at his other self any longer. “Maybe I really am nothing...”

“You’re wrong.” Yu hobbled forward, still supported by Yosuke. “If you were just another Shadow, why would you be kind to us? Why did you let us out, when we were trapped here? There’s more to you, I know it. And I won’t rest until we find it. Together.” Teddie’s eyes glimmered bright, and he sniffled.

“Do you really mean that, Sensei?”

“He better rest first, just look at him!” Chie slapped Yu’s shoulder, almost making his right side collapse, too. Her point made, she gave Ted a warm smile. “Other than that, yeah, he means it. And we’ll stick by him. Right?” Yosuke and Yukiko nodded, and Kanji’s continued help standing made his vote clear. If Teddie had tear ducts, they would’ve been overflowing.

“Thank you all, you’re the best friends a bear could ask for.” His Shadow let its eyes slip shut, and from it, a brilliant blue flame broke free. The cloth fell away in burning scraps, revealing bright red steel hiding beneath it. It formed a ball, and around its waist was a band of gold, its buckle a hatch in the middle of its stomach. A domed head with small, pointed horns whirred as it spun to look at its greater whole, and with a beep of confirmation, it condensed down into a blue card. It faded away, and Teddie felt a warmth fill him. He melted against Kanji with a sigh.

“Okay, Teddie, we get it, you like us. You can stand up now.”

“Actually, I can’t feel my legs.” Kanji groaned, but he didn’t hesitate to pick his friend up the whole way. The fur was more crispy than he imagined, but hey, it was still high quality stuff.

“You’ll probably need a lift, too, right Senpai?”

“I can get back on my...”

“Don’t even try to lie.” He was plucked off Yosuke’s shoulder in short order and seated on Tomoe’s. Chie shook her head at him. “You’re not like other guys in a lot of the worst ways, but you’re even worse about being stubborn than the rest.” She stopped to check on the person they came in after in the first place. Rise was standing alright, but she also worked as hard as anyone in that last fight, right after awakening. Her second wind was going to wear off any minute now.

“Here, you should get off your feet, too.” Tomoe offered Rise a hand, rather than a sudden grab.

“Thanks.” She stepped on, and Tomoe brought her up to her other shoulder, giving her a seat right across from Yu. He pulled off his mask, letting her see his face clearly. His eyes drooped, but the rest of his face showed no signs of how tired he was. Her Shadow might have said it as a pointed taunt, but he really did have a nice jawline, now that she thought about it. His foot, however, had seen better days. “Seriously, I can cover that bill if you want.”

“So can I.”

She sighed, knowing beforehand that he wouldn’t accept. She’d pay him back somehow, but for now, she needed to rest. Tomoe didn’t move to stop her as she leaned into the Persona’s neck, her eyes slowly drifting shut. She came to Inaba for a rest, and right now, that was exactly what she needed.

Chapter Text

The transfer student was a constant point of conversation ever since he showed up at Yasogami High. At first, it was only from the novelty of someone new appearing in the insular small town. The last time that happened was when the Hanamura family invaded, so excitement was a bit tempered.

The whole discussion shifted, though, when those exams were posted. He dethroned every established honor student with an unprecedented perfect score. Students that shared classes with him confirmed that, when called on, he always answered promptly and correctly. He was an academic ace even the most stubborn teachers had to begrudgingly respect. It was still a mystery why King Moron (rest in peace) stopped haranguing him after the first few weeks, though. He almost never gave up a grudge, and city slickers were only second to teen idols on his shit list. That all but confirmed that his was a mind to be reckoned with.

Then he uprooted the discussion again with his performance at the school camping trip, where his contribution to the garbage pickup effort halved every other attendee’s projected workload. The only people not blown away were the basketball and soccer teams and their coaches, who regaled the rest of the student body with stories of his mobility and precision, managing to score a goal in each sport from over half the field away. Multiple times.

And then , later in the camping trip, he flipped the entire conversation on its head by almost dying. The horror of almost losing him to what looked like the waste product of a nuclear meltdown was second, though, to a revelation made shortly after his collapse. Kanji Tatsumi, the most infamous of the school’s problem children, proved a burning loyalty to him and almost died ‘avenging’ him. The act, speaking logically, was about as stupid as one could expect, but the spirit behind it was unbelievable.

The punk of all punks obeyed the transfer student like he was a true bancho, even though Yu himself was the most passive, friendly person around. Most people couldn’t get more than an angry sneer out of Kanji, especially not authority figures, but once people thought to look, they noticed just how much respect for his Senpai he wore on his sleeve.

Really, by the time people started seeing Risette, the Risette, hanging out with him, they had all just about expected as much. To them, Yu Narukami wasn’t just a transfer student anymore. Some could barely believe he was human. He was just so… perfect.

That was why the shock was palpable when he came hobbling into school one day on a crutch with his left foot wrapped up in a light coat of gauze. The halls were never particularly packed, but the few people that were there parted before him like crests of water over the bow of a boat. It took until his drama club meeting for anyone to ask him what happened. They were too afraid to until then. After all, look at the hellish abomination it took to drop him for one afternoon. What could’ ve possibly be en horrible enough to leave him partially disabled in a long term way like this?

“Seriously, a bottle?” Yumi Ozawa looked at him incredulously for the umpteenth time since she found out. Yu sighed, more embarrassed than annoyed.

“Those bikers left a lot of them around their old hideout. Only makes sense we’d miss a few on the cleanup.”

“ Now you know to double check next time, so you don’t twist your ankle again.” Yumi spoke like she was mad, and she was a little bit, but he still put his all into practice despite his impairment. It wasn’t his fault his foot even touching the ground for a second could drop him.

If anything, she was angrier with the dolts they shared a club with, who took, like, fifteen seconds to pick their jaws up off the floor and help get him standing again. She was dedicated, but she couldn’t pick him up alone. He was as heavy as a stone column, a comparison not helped at all by how he just let her needling wash over him like a stone in the river. Her expression softened, the hot flash passing.

“You’re sure you can get yourself home like this?”

“Yeah, I’ll be...”

“Narukami-senpai!” A little figure came running through the practice building halls at them, her frame entirely overburdened by the black trombone case strapped to her back . Ayane’s normally rosy cheeks were noticeably more red from exertion, and deep draws of breath broke up her speech. “Senpai, the others… were worried you… fell on the way...”

Yu looked up at the clock. It was nearing four-thirty, when club meetings came to an end. His face twisted into a grimace after seeing just how much he had been delayed. Before he could answer, Yumi spoke for him.

“He accidentally stepped on it when he was about to leave. We had to ice it for a while before he could even move again.”

“Oh!” Ayane’s eye moved to the offending limb. Yu would have hid it behind his working leg had he not been reminded why any contact was a bad idea.

“Sorry I couldn’t make it to practice. Tell the band I’ll be there for sure next time.”

“No no, it’s fine!” Ayane lifted her hands, trying to deflect Yu’s apologies. “We understand completely. Actually, they wanted to let you know that you should take a few weeks off so you can heal.”

“You’re wasting your breath.” Yumi glared at him, a bit of her temper flaring back up. “ He’s too stubborn to quit. We tried passing off his role to someone else for today to make the point clear, but he just started reading his lines louder at the same time.”

Now Ayane joined the glare party. He never knew she had that kind of angry look in her.

“Senpai, you need to take care of yourself!” His head dipped at the joint chastisement, but a hearty laugh assailed him before he could defend himself.

“You kidding?” Kou swooped in from nowhere to pat him on the shoulder. The look on his face was smothered with his intent to tease. “We had to sit around waiting for, like, half an hour before he got the message that he wasn’t good to play yet.”

“What!?” Yumi shoved Kou out of the way, but he could only laugh at how absolutely livid she was. “Are you trying to break your leg all the way off!?” For the first time, he actually withered under her critique, holding onto his crutch for dear life.

“Only need one hand to shoot a basketball. Thought I’d be alright if I stayed towards the edges to make bank shots.”

“Oh really?” Daisuke joined Kou, and, though he didn’t look like he was enjoying it quite as much, he was just as willing to join in chastising Yu. “I guess the goal is technically at the edge, so you trying to play goalie...”

“ Senpai!” Yumi and Ayane both yelled at him now. Under the combined pressure of four of his friends, his iron will was finally rusted.

“I guess I could stand to miss a few practices...”

“Nope, not just a few.” Yumi jammed a finger into his sternum, making dang sure he could feel her nail digging through his shirt. “I’ll personally block that door so you don’t set foot in the club until that cast is off, got it?” He gulped loudly.

“Got it.” She eased off on the pressure, and, with his safety assured, Ayane started to blush.

“Sorry for yelling, Narukami-senpai.”

“Don’t be.” Kou threw an arm over Yu’s neck, careful not to pull him around too much. “Sometimes, you have to beat the lesson into a head as thick as his. He’ll thank you for it later, trust me.”

“I guess it’s later, then.” Yu shrugged off Kou’s arm and elbowed him lightly just under the ribs before looking at Yumi and Ayane. “Thanks for looking out for me. I’ll try to heal and get back to the clubs as soon as possible.” Ayane nodded approvingly.

“Take your time. I’ll help you catch up when you’re better. I mean, as best as I can, anyway...”

“You’d better try to memorize some lines while you’re out, though.” Yumi leveled her game face at him, that hardy determination bubbling to the surface. “It’d be an insult if my co-star didn’t put in half as much effort as me, you hear?” He smiled warmly and gave her a thumbs up.

“Loud and clear.”

“He won’t let you down. He’s too whipped by his responsibilities to do that.” Kou crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. “Now then, need a hand getting home, old timer? Wouldn’t want you to fall again on the way over.”

“Thanks, but I’ll be alright. Going with the guys to help Rise integrate into her grade’s lessons.” The brief mention of that name was enough to make Kou stand to full attention.

“Wait, those rumors are true? You know Risette!?” A lecherous smile wormed over Kou’s face. He totally had an in to one of the hottest babes around! “Come on, you’ve gotta introduce me. Hook me up, man!”

“Sorry.” The smile Yu had said he wasn’t sorry at all. “She doesn’t like people who need someone else to make their first impression for them.” Kou’s grin instantly burned away, leaving him looking even more hurt than Yu. Daisuke shook his head at the shameful display.

“Have fun. I’ll make sure this guy doesn’t follow you.”

Yu nodded in appreciation. With one more thanks to Yumi for trying to help him get to band on time, he set out for a meeting he hoped he could actually make.

Daisuke wasn’t the most girl-savvy guy in the room, to say the least, but he could read that something was up with Yumi and Ayane after Yu left. The former was glaring at him again, and the latter was kind of mopey.

“Are you two jealous or something?”

“What!? J-jealous!?” Yumi’s denial was thunderous and instantaneous. Ayane looked like she wanted to hide in her trombone case and never come out again. “What gave you that idea?”

Daisuke rolled his eyes. That was as much as he wanted to know. Kou, though, was looking for any way to mend his damaged pride. He put out the most suave air he could manage, standing in a way that emphasized the lithe musculature of his arms.

“Well, if you want someone to hang out with, I’m always available.”

“Keep dreaming. We both know you just want to bounce back from losing your chance at the oh-so-popular Risette.”

Daisuke settled in, knowing that Kou would be going at it for a while. A flicker of movement in the corner of his eye was enough to draw his attention away from the ensuing argument and down the hall leading back to the main school building. It was gone by the time he looked, but he could have sworn he saw something disappear behind the dividing doors.

And he was just as certain that, whatever he saw, it was blue.

-

Yosuke planned on being the first person to arrive at their little fort in the woods. He wanted to make sure it was absolutely spotless so their group, and, by extension, he, would be seen even more favorably by the idol sensation. He learned his lesson about more risque techniques at the river that day, but some old-fashioned wooing should’ve been safe enough.

“So this is the hideout you’re all so proud of. I’m beary impressed!”

What he never counted on was Teddie sprawling over their couch.

Complaining about the heat.

With his suit, which the team swore was his body until then, half draped over his otherwise naked, glistening, human body. What used to be his head sat on the table in the middle of the room, staring at the door with blank, glass eyes as the others arrived. If it hadn’t been for that definitive ID, they never would have thought this… blonde pretty boy was their goofy bear.

The surprise threatened to grind their plans to a halt, but their leader was nothing if not practical. This just meant they didn’t need to cross over to the other world to ask about King Moron possibly being thrown in just before the fog hit. That front turned up negative, much to Chie’s confusion.

“Are you absolutely sure, Teddie?”

“You don’t believe me? I guess I wouldn’t either, what with how my nose has been getting worse.”

Yu had a working theory that his transformation had something to do with that, but it was incomplete, and irrelevant to their current topic. He patted Teddie’s shoulder, undeterred by his lack of a shirt.

“If you say you didn’t sense anyone, then it must be true. We should think with his testimony in mind unless we find something conclusive that proves it false.”

“You’re so kind, Sensei.” Teddie leaned into his touch, and the group could practically see the glittery sparkles.

Rise, having experience with a few of the more provocative boy bands, saw something more in how affectionate the action was. A threat to her claim. She didn’t know if either of them even swung that way, but Teddie had that infectious, cheery charm that might have been able to break through boundaries. She couldn’t take that chance. She let the discussion about the new murder play out, which, unfortunately, only left everyone more confused, before making her move.

“You know, if someone passed by and saw a half naked teen in here, they might get some crazy ideas about what we’re up to.”

“That’s all we need...” Yosuke shuddered. He could see the headlines, especially if they fused with rumors of her being on a strip show. ‘Risette, Stressed Seductress!’

“Come on, let’s go find him something fitting at Junes.” Chie’s suggestion almost gave Yosuke a heart attack.

“We can’t go parading him through the store like this!”

“Damn you’re loud, Yosuke-senpai. If that’s the trouble, then I’ll just throw something together for him.” Kanji rose from his plush rocking chair and rolled his knitting fingers in preparation. “I’m not that great at making clothes from scratch, though, so someone’s gonna have to go get some ads or something from Junes for me to work off of.”

“Wow, you’re kind, too, Kanji! I see Sensei’s been teaching you well.”

“Hey, what’re pals for, right? I’ll even look after your old suit for ya. Got plenty of room at my place, and Ma won’t ask if I keep it with… you know, my...” He waved his hand for the others to fill in the blanks. Barring Rise, they all knew what he made, but some part of his pride kept him from saying it out loud.

“Thank you, I’m one lucky bear to have… Wait.” Teddie’s eyes narrowed, and he stared at Kanji with his cheeks puffed in mild irritation. “You just want to touch my fur where I can’t tell you no, don’t you?” Kanji’s face went bright red. It took a few seconds for tension to simmer down, but, in the end, Teddie let go of his pride, and he took on a peacefulness that was remarkably similar to a certain someone they knew well. “I do owe you for your work, so I’ll let it slide. But...” He scooted towards the edge of the couch and leaned forward. Kanji actually saw the sparkles now, deep in those glimmering eyes. How did a blue that soft exist?

“My real hair is every bit as plush, and warm as well.”

Kanji was uncomfortable, but that head of hair did look as good as advertised. He didn’t even have to dye it to get that nice yellow color...

Wait, no!

“I… I’m good.”

Rise, meanwhile, thought she found a partial verification for her theory. She needed confirmation. Teddie was an open forum, so direct was her best bet.

“Wait, am I reading this wrong, or are you bi?”

“Well, I do have my preferences.” She expected him to take on some degree of perversion, even a little mixed in his innocent demeanor, but he went in the opposite direction. His eyes turned to the floor, and he pouted lightly. “But I know what it’s like to be lonely. No one deserves that. If they really want love, I will give mine freely.” He looked back to the group, and was it the sweat making him sparkle? “You all showed me what being accepted is like, so who am I to deny others?”

It was then that Rise realized how much trouble she might be in. He was too smooth! Was this all of Yu’s lessons being put into effect? It must have been, going by how proud Yu looked.

“That’s very mature of you.”

Okay, she needed to break this up before the draw between them got too great to resist. First, covering up some skin. She raced to the door, grabbing Ted’s suit-head along the way.

“Alright, let’s get going! I can help you get his measurements.”

“Uh, really?” Having help in the sewing room was something Kanji was entirely unprepared for, but he could actually use it this time.

“I’ve been through enough fittings to have this down to a science. Yosuke-senpai, you take everyone else and get us those references. Break!”

“Sounds good.” Nice and efficient, just as Yu liked it. He leaned over to grab his crutch, but Yukiko pulled it away from him, like he was a little kid reaching for the kitchen knife.

“I vote that Yu-kun sits this one out.”

“Seconded.”

“Thirded.”

“Fourthed.”

“Why is everyone telling me to not help?”

“Um, because you help us every day and now we want to pay you back for it?” Yu was a stubborn man. Teddie was an equally stubborn bear-man. The difference between them was that Teddie could give way better puppy-dog eyes. Yu sank into the couch, dejected, defeated for the second time that day. When it was clear that he had submitted to the group consensus, Yukiko set his crutch back where it was.

“I’ll stay here so he doesn’t follow anyway.”

“Do you really think I would do that?” At that, everyone looked at Yu with as little humor as they could manage. “...You know me pretty well.”

“Honestly, dude...” Yosuke put a hand to his head. Yu was a great guy, but he could be too much sometimes. Kanji crossed his arms and lowered his brow just enough to give him a hard edge of authority.

“What would Nanako-chan say if I told her you were overworking yourself?”

Yu’s skin paled, faint whispers of disappointment blowing by his ear.

“That’s what I thought. Come on, let’s get this over with before he gets any funny ideas.” The group promptly disbanded, filing through the exit towards either Junes or Tatsumi Textiles, until only Rise remained in the door with a cheery smile.

“You be good for Yukiko-senpai, alright?”

“Don’t worry about him.” Yukiko’s hands were crossed on her lap, and she gave one firm nod with a knowing grin. “He wouldn’t dream of upsetting Nanako-chan.”

If it were any other girl, Rise might have been on edge about leaving her alone with Senpai. But then, Rise was perceptive enough to say she wasn’t a threat. Not because she was inadequate, far from it. She might have been her biggest competition in any other circumstance. But she saw where those eyes of Yukiko’s lingered.

“We’ll be back with Ted’s new threads as soon as Kanji-kun’s finished. Bye!” The door closed, and as her footfalls on the grass grew more distant, Yukiko and Yu were left alone. Yu slouched in his seat, dropping his firm posture.

“Don’t be upset, we’re just looking out for you.”

“I know, I know.” He brought himself up enough to give her an appreciative, somewhat melancholy smile. “I just feel like I’m being a burden to everyone like this.”

“Ahem, might I remind you that you were the one who saved our lives last week?” He opened his mouth to respond, but Yukiko’s shot was quicker. “And that you’ve saved everyone on this team from their own Shadows?”

“Anyone would...”

“And that Chie and I still owe you for the camping trip?”

“I forgave you for that one the next morning.”

“The point stands. You’ve been taking hits for each and every one of us, and as soon as that cast is off, we’ll lose all leverage to make you take better care of yourself.” She put a hand on his shoulder and gently rubbed into his tense muscles. “Let us do the same for you this time, otherwise we might start feeling like freeloaders.” A soft laugh pushed his back a little bit straighter.

“I was about to say that it’s no trouble, but then I realized you’d throw the line right back at me.”

“If I had to. No offense, but you’re a hard person to talk down. You’re too good at conversations for your own good sometimes.”

With the message finally through to him, Yu sat up properly again. Yukiko felt accomplished for that one, even if Kanji backed her up by bringing Nanako into it. It took a village to dissuade a mountain. As part of the village that finally won, her confidence was soaring. And with it, she thought she finally had the nerve to bring… that up. She blushed at the thought, but she couldn’t let herself get dissuaded now.

“Actually, there is one, little thing you can help me with. I-If you want to, that is.” He perked up immensely, his helpful nature overjoyed to not be denied for once.

“Sure, what do you need?”

“I just want you to listen to something, and maybe give some advice, if you have any...”

-

No one expected to hear from Yu again that night. He was usually a bit more reclusive after dark, only calling in the event of a Midnight Channel sighting. With that in mind, Yosuke was quick to answer his phone. Then he had a panic attack, as he hadn’t even gotten around to a quick ‘hello’ before Yu yelled, “Nanako’s missing!”

Yosuke sputtered into the receiver, which Teddie, who was nestled in his closet, picked up on quickly. He poked his head through the door with a curious look in his new baby blues.

“What’s wrong? Was that Sensei I heard?” It struck him as weird. Yu was always quiet. Whenever he spoke, it was in a low, firm tone. Now, he sounded all frazzled, the sudden snap of a cello’s string. Yosuke didn’t respond, as he had short puffs of air on the other end of the line telling him which friend needed more attention at the moment.

“What!? Okay, okay, calm down and tell me what happened.” Yosuke couldn’t pull off the same resonant ‘calm down’ that came to his partner naturally, but it was enough to let Yu know he was listening. In a stroke of thought, he quickly hit the speaker button on his phone so Teddie could listen in on the details.

“Nanako had a parent-teacher conference sign up sheet. Dojima muttered about how busy he was, and she just… snapped. All out on him, ‘you’re not my real dad,’ all at once, then ran off. Tried going after her, but this stupid crutch tripped me up.”

“Oh crap...” It was no secret that Dojima wasn’t exactly the model parent. Nanako’s impressive maturity, they thought, came from necessity. It normally balanced out, but in those brief moments her real age surfaced, the scale would invariably dip hard. Now, it looked like it finally fell over from the whiplash. And it smacked Yu on its way down, if his rapid, breathless delivery was any indicator. Teddie jammed himself between Yosuke and his phone, eyes wide and wild.

“Where is she now? Is she in danger? Is your leg okay?”

“Don’t know, don’t know, don’t care. Been around the immediate neighborhood, no sign of her. She must’ve run off somewhere farther out, but I can’t keep up like this.” And he was tearing himself apart again. There was only one thing to do. Yosuke pushed Teddie back so he wouldn’t muffle his voice.

“I’ll put out the call to everyone. We’ll sweep the shopping district and everywhere around it. You cover the major routes between here and your place. We’ll find her, I promise.”

“Thanks. Knew I could count on you.” With no further pleasantries, Yu hung up, leaving Yosuke and Teddie with their jury-rigged plan. Teddie rushed back to his closet to throw his shoes back on and stow his flower pin away. He wouldn’t let its sweet perfumes clog his nose when he had something this important to sniff out.

“I’ve never heard Sensei so stressed out.”

“No kidding.” Yosuke’s fingers knew the way to his contact listings well enough that his thinking mind was left to fume. It wasn’t just that Yu was stressed. His feelings, usually restricted by his thick hide, were bulging and breaking through to the surface. Maybe everything he was showing now was a direct result of recent events, something contemporary and passing. That showed just how precarious the situation was, and that scared Yosuke.

The alternative, though, that terrified Yosuke, and he refused to look it in the eye.

Chapter Text

Garden? No, her tools were all where she last left them.

Friend’s house? No, the lights were all off.

The park? No, all the birds were asleep.

Yu had already done a circuit of the neighborhood by the time he caved and called Yosuke, who then sent out the word to the rest of the group. He hated offloading his problems onto them. If it weren’t for his stupid leg, he could’ve had the whole town searched by dawn. With the way it was throbbing under him, though, he knew it wouldn’t physically let him do that. The only assurance of her safety he could get was from the barrage of concerned texts letting him know that everyone else was on the move.

He hated leaning on them specifically because of how great they were. He promised to make it up to all of them. Later, when Nanako was safe.

Until then, he had a sector of his own to search. The space between the shopping district and Dojima household was his to sweep, but considering how wide that tract of land was, he knew he had to proceed smartly. A blind check under every loose stone would just exhaust him and slow him down in the long run.

He had to think. Was there anywhere in that stretch that Nanako would be drawn to? She was mad at her father. She felt he didn’t love her. She wanted love.

His eyes widened, and with a grunt of effort, he dragged his broken body through Inaba as quickly as his crutch would allow him. There was one spot he could think of.

He didn’t know if the sound of rushing liquid was the river or blood pulsing through his ears, and he didn’t care. His movements were hasty, reckless. He lunged forward with every step, sending himself flying like the payload of a small catapult. He felt the handle of his crutch branding its pattern into his armpit. His right leg burned from taking the full force of his repeated landings. His movement was impeded, but that didn’t register to him. He was still going forward, closer to Nanako.

Soon, though, the exertion of his right leg came back to torment him. He landed, and as soon as he lifted his crutch, the leg gave way. Instinct snapped his left leg down in a stomp, and his conscious mind was buried in the thick static of agony. He felt the sting in every cell of his body, blurring his eyes, turning all sound into a harsh, piercing ring. All he felt was pressure on the front of his body when he landed. The pavement ground into his skin, sending tingles through him like a swarm of insects. The only sensation he could separate from the all-encompassing white noise was the sharp twisting of his left ankle. It was like the source from which the rest of his pain dispersed, flowing upward as a river over craggy earth.

The thoughts in his head were scrambled, but he clung to one with a bestial desperation: find Nanako. Find Nanako. His right arm clawed into the concrete and pushed him up. Through the blinding filter of misfired neurons, he saw a light post a few feet ahead. Slowly, methodically, he dragged himself towards it, his left thigh going numb from the effort of keeping his injured ankle from touching down again.

When he finally reached it, he wrapped his arm around it and pulled. His body slid up its length like a centipede, and when he was once again standing on his right foot, his grip solidified, giving him a second support to brace himself with as he recovered.

It took what felt like hours for the fog to clear. His left leg felt like he had dipped it in a vat of molten iron, and his head felt like the plate of a recently struck shield.

He was alive, though, and he could almost see his destination. To his left, barely poking out over the crest of the slope, were an array of flowers. The summer heat left them more wilted than one might like, but it was the Samegawa flower field nonetheless. He made it.

As soon as he had the strength, he resumed his forward march, now more careful of his injured state. The full consequences of his mad dash were catching up to him now. His breaths were deep. His muscles, slackened. He felt his balance giving way again, but this time, he reached support before he could fumble. He thudded against the tall, wooden sign advertising the picnic spot to the right of the road in a desperate attempt to correct his balance again. He looked down to his leg with all the disgust in his heart, but his fury was silenced all at once by a soft sniffle.

Nanako sat motionless at one of the picnic tables. Her legs dangled over the edge of her seat. Her hands and arms were scattered over the remaining bench like discarded yarn. Her gaze was downcast, as gray as rainy skies, and sank low from her hunched back. She looked like an old toy soldier whose crank had ran down, leaving it without the energy to stand.

She looked so… lonely.

The thought twisted his stomach. She didn’t deserve this. No one deserved this, but especially not her. His thoughts turned briefly towards the man that set this chain of events off, and the vitriol rose from his stomach until he was almost choking on it.

‘ Coward. ’

He moved to take a step towards her, crutch first, but the sound of his own movement was superseded by another. It was almost like concrete being torn apart into gravel. It took longer than he liked to find the source in the dark of night, and even when he spotted it, he could only identify Kanji by his bright, bleached hair and the hints of his voice present in his gasps for air.

“Th… There you are… Nanako-chan! Ugh...” He all but threw his bike aside, wobbling to-and-fro a bit before reaching one of the corner posts of the miniature pagoda that shaded her table. Nanako looked up at him with wide eyes. “Man, we’ve been looking all over for you. You’re okay, right? No scrapes or bumps or…?” His relief gradually dripped away as he saw her retreat into herself. She pulled her legs up against her chest, and her gaze dipped until those eyes were hidden behind her knees.

“I’m sorry. I made things harder for everyone, right?” Her voice was harsh, the sweet, almost flute-like tone that so happily greeted Yu not two hours ago rusted away.

Even Kanji could tell something was up, his own exhaustion forgotten. He gently lowered himself onto the bench next to her, his hands crossed over each other on his lap as he leaned down to hear her better.

“We were worried you’d get lost or something, that’s all.” What little of her face he could see winced at that, and he realized he needed to move the topic along. “ So, uh, I heard you and your old man butted heads.” That just made her look sadder. Shit, he was terrible at this consoling thing. What would Yu do?

Right, listen more, talk less.

“It helps you work through stuff like this if you have someone to talk about it with, or even just talking at. I’m here if you need a couple ears.” She glanced up at him, though her face was still otherwise buried.

“You mean… You’re not mad at me?” Kanji wanted to say he was shocked that someone her age would think up something so out there, but he wasn’t.

“No, no way. If I had a yen for every time I’ve flown off the handle, I’d… Well, I’d have a lot of yen.” He straightened himself out, ignoring the crackling of his back as his spine uncurled from its natural hunch. “It’d be, uh… hypothetical of me to get on your case for it.”

“You mean hypocritical?”

“Yeah, that.”

A fragile smile glimmered through, but it was pulled back under the clotting mud of melancholy. Her eyes went to the few flowers she could see on the other side of the road, and that thin layer of joy cracked like a pane of glass.

“...Mom used to bring me here to pick flowers.”

An old bell rang deep in Kanji’s chest.

“What’d you do with ‘em?”

“We’d put them together in a vase to make the living room pretty. And she made me a brooch with a pink flower once, but it wilted.” Her eyelids slid closer together, and their slight quiver gave away what they were holding back. “I miss her. I just want to see her again. I never even got to say bye.” Her voice caught on that last word, and a trickle of tears dripped free.

Kanji bit back the boiling hot… something in his guts and wrapped an arm around Nanako’s far shoulder. She fell against him stiffly, but she melted to his side soon after. Seeing her break down and cry so openly, something about it spoke to him.

“You’re a strong kid, Nanako-chan, stronger than me. Held out a lot longer before your lid popped off.” He didn’t know where it was coming from, but the words started flowing on their own. He wasn’t thinking, reflecting, none of that. It wasn’t his strong suit. All he did was open his heart and let it beat as it would.

“When my old man passed on, it was like a switch got flipped. I spent years of my life getting set off by every little thing, bouncing anything I didn’t like back so I didn’t have to deal with it. By the time I slowed down, I was in a jail cell. Only reason I’m not there now is because I got a mirror to look in and see where the heck I went wrong.”

Nanako didn’t speak up. Maybe she would have if she could, but the overwhelming everything running through her head kept her from putting a coherent response together. It poured out anywhere it found an opening, drowning her from the inside out, but now that Kanji was here, it all flowed towards him, a drain at the bottom of the basin.

“You, though, you’ve just been taking it all in. Your ma leaving, your old man trying and messing up filling in her shoes, you let it build up for years. You held it all so well that no one saw, but now that you’re filled to the top, it’s starting to overflow.” He closed his eyes, giving himself fully to the stream of unconsciousness.

“Way I see it, you’ve got two choices. Keep letting it pile on until you crack and go off like I did, or figure stuff out and put the demons to bed. That last one ain’t easy. I know it ain’t. I’ve been trying, so freaking hard, but I still have days where I slip back into that old, raw me that can’t take anything without throwing a punch. But you, you still have a chance. You can deal with it before it starts denting you, following you around like…” He opened his eyes and looked at her, a hole into the core of his being exposing the softness painted over by hide of stone. “Like your shadow.”

As he spoke, her breathing evened out, and the trickle of tears slowed. The deep rumble of his voice was soothing, and she felt that he knew where she was coming from. She sniffled and cleared her throat.

“Um, I’m not really sure what you mean by all of that, but I think it helped.”

Kanji’s dour mood wore off, and he blushed a bit in embarrassment.

“I’m not too sure, either. It just, came out that way’s all. But I guess if it helped, I didn’t mess it up too bad.”

She giggled into the side of his jacket, and he smiled. Maybe he should leave the sage stuff to Yu.

“You’re a really honest person. People always try to make things easier for me, so it’s nice.”

“I know exactly what you mean, Nanako-chan. I’m not a smart guy, so people’re always talking down to me. But I’m not all that dim, either.”

“Being smart isn’t worth it if you aren’t nice.” Nanako pushed into him a little more. He was like a big, tough teddie bear. “And you’re really nice, Mister Kanji.”

His blush came back with a vengeance, and his response sputtered like a pinched garden hose.

“W-wha- Whoa, uh, m-maybe drop the ‘mister’ part off that. I ain’t old enough to be a mister yet.”

“Oh, okay. Um...” She looked down, a moment of consideration passing before she amended her statement in a whisper. “Kanji-nii.”

What little thinking that was going on in his brain stopped as the gears caught on that honorific. He used to wonder what being a big brother would be like, but he thought that possibility was piped with how old Ma was getting. It was… kind of nice, and also terrifying. He couldn’t just reject her, though, that’d break her heart.

Okay, time to crack down on every punk-like mannerism he had so he wasn’t a shit role model. It was a tough job, but he had a starting point with the few good manners he practiced. First, curfew.

“We should be getting you home. You need someone there to help talk to your old man?”

Part of Nanako knew it was inevitable, but she wasn’t looking forward to facing what she did. Especially not what she yelled at him…

“Let me handle him.” Yu’s voice carried farther than the click of his crutch. Nanako jumped up from the bench in surprise and no small amount of guilt.

“Big brother? You came all the way here, even with your leg?”

“Made it all the way to school without a problem earlier. Getting here for something even more important? No sweat.” He hopped his way along towards her, and when she stepped closer to him, he wrapped an arm protectively around her.

Nanako was warmed in a way she couldn’t describe. So many people that came running for her, and she didn’t see them until then. She couldn’t help but feel selfish.

“I’m really sorry. I know you had a lot of work you wanted to do tonight, and I made you too busy to do it.”

“Good people can have bad days. If someone really cares about you, they can help you through them.” Even as Yu spoke, he felt the hairs on his neck rise in recognition of the knowing look Kanji was giving him. For someone who almost always scowled, he could get those eyebrows up pretty high.

“Yeah, how about that, eh Senpai?”

“No need to rub it in.” Yu leaned forward and whispered in Kanji’s ear. “Thanks for looking out for her.” Kanji smiled, relishing in the feeling of helping Yu out for once.

“Anytime, dude. And, uh, did you hear her call me…?” The widening of Yu’s smile gave him all the answer he needed.

“I won’t tell Dojima, save you a few lectures.”

“Thanks, man.” Kanji stretched out his legs, his energy loss from running around town mostly recuperated. “Let’s get rolling, Nanako-chan.”

“You two go ahead.”

Nanako looked up at Yu, a lack of understanding meshing with concern and disappointment in a guilt-inducing cocktail.

“You’re not coming home with us?”

“Sorry, Nanako. I’m a bit out of breath and sore.” Before she could fill his ears with apologies and pleas to stay with him, he gently rustled her hair. “I’ll catch up as soon as I let everyone know we found you. Used to late nights. You, however, aren’t, and we have school tomorrow.” He winked down at her, then looked up at Kanji with a hesitant question. “Could you…?”

“Already planned on it.” Kanji looked all kinds of sour, and Yu knew he was in for a proper telling off the next time the group got together, but Kanji gave him a stay of execution-by-lecture for Nanako’s sake. “If you’re not back at your place a half hour after us, I’m running back here and carrying you home. Got it?”

Yu had no doubt that he could, and would. Probably should, too, but he was already pushing how much he was willing to burden the guy, metaphorically and literally.

“Got it.” Yu managed to keep his smile on as Kanji took Nanako’s hand and lead her back home. Yu kept the soft, kind of tired glimmer of relief in his eyes until her attention turned to Kanji, a conversation sparking up between the two. Yu kept his composure until they were out of sight, when not even the nocturnal would be able to see him.

Then, and only then, did he let himself droop. He melted over his crutch, held up only by it and the crook in the road it was wedged into. Even his face lost cohesion, its skin rolling over itself into a deep, blackened scowl, only lit by a single ember of doubt.

Overflowing, eh?

He shook the thought from his head, retrieving his calm self long enough for the last task at hand. Part of him wanted to let Dojima stew in what he had done. He could search for Nanako until morning for all Yu cared, only learning she was home, safe and sound, come morning. It would teach him a lesson.

But, on the other hand, if Dojima unknowingly reported her as missing and someone phoned in having seen her with Kanji, the weight of Dojima’s sins would get passed down to someone who didn’t deserve to deal with shit like that. He couldn’t do that to Kanji.

Yu reached for the phone in his pocket. His fingers were numb, but if he could hold a sword when he was about to collapse, it shouldn’t have been too much trouble to hold the cell up for a few minutes. After sending a mass text to the rest of the group to let them know the search was over, though, he knew he didn’t have the fine motor control left to do the same for Dojima. He would have to call. He composed himself well enough to even out his tone, then dialed. The line clicked open not ten seconds later.

“Any luck?”

Dojima sounded tired. Good.

“Yeah, found her by the Samegawa. She’s safe.” A sharp exhale almost blew out the mic.

“Thank God. And you, too. Could you put her...” Dojima’s thought slowed to a crawl as he reconsidered the request. Yu’s eyes narrowed.

“Not with me right now. Kanji’s helping her get home.”

“What? Well, that’s nice of him, but why aren’t you with them?” The audible bewilderment was somewhat gratifying, but Yu could eek a little more out. He didn’t even have to act for it. If anything, he was acting less by letting how much pain he was in come through in his voice.

“Leg’s flaring up on me. Need to rest some, then I’ll be back.”

“...Oh. I almost forgot you were...” Yu rolled his eyes. He forgot enough about his own daughter. How could he honestly expect the guy to remember anything about him? It wasn’t like his guardians ever…

“You said you were at the river, right? Near where you fish? Just sit tight. I can be there to pick you up in a few minutes.”

Yu was thrown off his guard. This wasn’t how he foresaw the script going, not at all. He was pushed back to his standard responses for when he was offered help.

“You don’t have to...”

“Nonsense. You helped Nanako when I couldn’t. I hate to say it but, I’m… I’m not good at being a father to her. I have a lot to work on, but picking you up? That I can do. So get off that leg before we have to take you back in for a readjustment.”

“If you’re sure. Thanks.”

The line disconnected, and Yu found himself unsure of how to feel. On one hand, Dojima was coming after him instead of going straight to Nanako. On the other, she would’ve been worried until he hobbled back anyway, and, like Dojima said, it was hard to screw up a short car trip. Kanji was obviously better with little kids anyway, so it wasn’t like she was short on good company in the meantime. The reasoning held water.

Then why was Yu trying so hard to find some other fault in it?

It was too late for this. His leg was killing him, and his front still felt like it was aggressively attacked by a roll of sandpaper. He needed his painkillers and some sleep. Maybe then his head would be clear enough to think things through.

Until then, he had an alternative nearby. He couldn’t get all the way down the stairs to the riverside, but he could hear it from the top step. Running water soothed him. No matter where he was sent, there was always a river, something familiar enough to attach to.

There was something special about the Samegawa, though. Maybe it was that he wasn’t assailed by the thunder of traffic when he tuned out. Maybe it was how fresh the air was, the light aromas of grass and flowers less disruptive than the fumes of the city. Either way, it gave him a sense of calm unrivaled anywhere else in Japan, and he needed that relaxation now more than ever.

The well worn road carried him towards the stairs, as if in apology for hurting him before. It helped that he was taking his time now. He heard the water well enough from where he was, letting him tune out. It was only his instinctual knowledge of the path that let him disconnect, his eyes half lidded as the sounds of nature filled him. All he needed was his fishing rod, some minimal activity to distract his idle hands, and he would be at peace.

Then, through blurred eyes, he spotted a discrepancy in what should have been a clear path. There was a figure at the top of the stairs. He couldn’t make out any specific features between the dark of night and his own waning attention, but in the brief moment before his vision cleared, he worked out two details. First, they were writing something, a detail given by the flicker of a moving pen and the scratch of its tip.

Second, they were overwhelmingly blue, the only break in that uniform color palette being the almost pale skin of their face.

Yu blinked twice, and eyes almost as passively inquisitive as his own were staring back. A bitter disdain dissolved the peace he craved. Before he could hope to avoid this headache, his newest nuisance spoke.

“Good evening, Narukami-san. I have a few more questions for you. That is, if you would be willing to comply.” Naoto Shirogane closed her notepad and tucked it into her pocket. Its rings were just barely visible over the fold, but her briefcase covered it more completely, an action he could only recognize as meaningful. “Of course, if you are unavailable, I could always question the newest member of your group. He goes by Teddie, correct?”

Chapter Text

“He goes by Teddie, correct?”

With that one addendum, Yu knew her grasp on the situation was somewhat more complete than he anticipated. Ted had only surfaced in their world earlier that afternoon. That meant two things. Firstly, her ability to detect odd happenings was swift and precise. Second, as Teddie hadn’t mentioned anything about speaking to anyone, nor had he interacted with the detective at any point after meeting up with the others…

“You’ve been spying on us.”

“One must remain vigilant on all fronts during an investigation as winding as this.” Naoto opened her mouth as if to continue, but her eyes opened sharply, and her chest heaved against the fabric of her coat. Her hand dove into a pocket and brought out a handkerchief just as the coughing fit became too much to restrain any longer. It was difficult to tell how much fluid she coughed into it at that time of night, but the careful way she folded the cloth in order to prevent leaking suggested it was a large amount.

“Pardon my… Hrk, health, Narukami-san.” She brought herself back into the conversation quickly, her attention going to the struggle of Yu’s one functioning leg to keep him standing. “Do so for me, and I will return the favor.” Remaining professionally poised, she took a seat on the topmost stair that led down towards the riverside and gestured towards the remaining space.

Seeing no alternative that didn’t lead to him collapsing, Yu took her offer. It was a slow, methodical process to lower himself to the makeshift stone bench, but being able to converse without adding to his growing exhaustion was worth the momentary struggle. He held his crutch between himself and Naoto and almost leered at her through the space beneath its handle. Before he got to the matter at hand, he had to know the boundaries of the situation.

“Are you wired, or otherwise recording this conversation?”

Naoto’s ears perked at his shift in tone, though she wasn’t surprised. The slight coldness he had addressed her with before, when she unwittingly triggered Tatsumi’s anxieties, morphed into an unfeeling monotone that wouldn’t have been out of place in a board room.

“No. I am the only one who will know of anything you mention tonight. Barring an admittance of unlawful conduct on your part, of course.”

So he read her intentions correctly, then. This might be… interesting, if nothing else.

“I have precedent to either believe or question your truthfulness, Shirogane-san. Detectives of your lineage have walked both paths.”

“You’re not wrong. Treachery is, unfortunately, a necessary tool in some instances, and you have no reason to believe me to be honest.” It was very fortunate, then, that she had come prepared. As much as he had clearly researched her ancestry, she had also done the same. She brought her briefcase to her lap and placed a thumb at the code-locked latch. “That is why I wish to propose a deal.” She watched his eye open the smallest degree more, but he didn’t physically react otherwise.

“An information trade, then? You seem to be convinced I possess a particular piece of intelligence you do not. What do you have that you believe equals it?” The neutrality of his expression was rivaled only by that of his voice. He made no indication of his regards for the proposal, positive or negative. For all she knew, and she had some idea, his restricted reaction earlier was itself only a ploy to goad her into exposing more of her hand.

“I have here a copy of the official reports surrounding the most recent murder. It contains records of the crime scene, including photos, and all police action taken in response up to eight P.M. today. For my part in this trade, I will give you the documents to do with as you will as well as my own analysis of the situation.”

“A generous offer. But also foolish.” Yu put his hands together in a steeple, and his eyes narrowed. “You would give inside information to someone you suspect to be involved with the case?”

“I see Kujikawa-san told you of our meeting prior to her kidnapping.”

“Rise was reasonably concerned for my safety.”

Naoto made note of the comment, but didn’t push the issue further.

“I am fully convinced that you are involved. However, until Kujikawa’s return, I was uncertain how. You made contact with her, Amagi, and Tatsumi shortly before they were kidnapped. In giving her reason to suspect you, even the smallest amount subconsciously, I was forming the groundwork for an experiment. If she distanced herself from you, it would have made you a suspect. That she has become as close to you as the rest instead tells me that your efforts were, in fact, to prevent them from dying. It was only after your arrival in Inaba that anyone survived a disappearance, after all. Taking this timeline in conjunction with their joining your group upon returning paints a clear picture of you fighting against the same murderer I seek.”

Yu’s fingers wove together, and the hint of animosity passed.

“Very well. What would you ask in return?”

“I have many questions I believe you can clarify, but I’m fully aware that answers for all of them would not be equal to what I can provide. With that in mind, I would request merely three. You can refuse to answer any question you see fit, so long as you can provide a concrete response to three. Are these terms agreeable?” Naoto extended her hand. He took it as soon as it was offered, never breaking eye contact the whole while.

“I imagine you want my answers before...” Yu was silenced as Naoto held the briefcase to him, its latch clicking open.

“I have full confidence you will uphold your end of the deal.”

Delightfully surprised, Yu made to take the case, but its heft was too much for one tired arm. Naoto noticed him struggle with the weight, and she put a hand on his crutch. He allowed her to take it from him, giving him a second hand to balance the case. He softly set it on his lap and opened it, revealing a thick binder overflowing with documents. He took the topmost page from the organized heap, and, as he suspected from any worthwhile investigation, the crime scene itself was front and center.

The public-facing details were all in order. Victim, Morooka. Found hanging from a water tower. The scene was photographed, and, as rumored, King Moron dangled from the rails by one leg, his face covered by his tie. After a brief minute of skimming, Naoto spoke.

“May I ask your conclusion thus far?”

“...It’s not our murderer.” Yu lowered the paper, setting it on top of the rest so he could still skim it as he explained. “The listed cause of death is blunt trauma, whereas the other two were entirely indeterminable. Furthermore, the water tower has an easily accessed ladder to where the body was found. The others required assistance to reach. On the surface, it matches the initial cases, but the fine details are wrong, something a killer with this intricate of a modus operandi would be especially sensitive to. It’s a copycat killer, and one without skill in the field at that.”

Naoto nodded along, smiling slightly.

“I believe so as well. There is also the small matter of the murderer in this instance having come forward.” She reached towards the binder and pulled another page free. A boy with gaping, fish-like eyes stared up from the paper. He had all the presence of a length of timber and the countenance of a poorly modeled wax mannequin.

“Mitsuo Kubo, a high school student. He seemed eager as he turned himself in for all three incidents, but he had no remorse for his actions. In fact, he seemed to want the station’s attention more than anything. The only reason he was taken in was because his finger prints matched those at the scene of the most recent crime, which, might I add, is yet another discrepancy from the other murders. There is little doubt that he is behind the Morooka case.”

“I believe I know the rest.” Yu’s brow creased, and his voice took on a venomous undertone covered only by a thin layer of formality. “The higher ups, in a bid to promptly conclude the case, are going to pin all of the associated crimes on him, giving him the attention he wants.”

“Yes.”

Yu looked towards her, and they saw in each other’s eyes a mirrored disgust.

“And you, desperate for allies who still want to find the real killer of Saki Konishi and Mayumi Yamano, decided to reach out towards the one other group you know of who is actively investigating the case so we aren’t duped by their laziness.”

“I would put it more diplomatically, but yes.”

“And you found a way to do so that also gives you access to information only we have in order to further your personal investigation.” Naoto expected him to become more hostile as he unraveled her scheme. Instead, his mouth twitched into a smirk. “Impressive, Shirogane-san. I must admit, I thought you only a meddlesome lapdog for the police until now. I concede defeat in this exchange.” He snapped the briefcase shut, careful to memorize the code before scrambling the dials.

“You don’t want to go over the rest?”

“There’s no need. We’ve discussed enough, and I’ve ways to contact you if I happen to be wrong.” Yu pulled his phone out long enough to find the time. “I would say we have five minutes left at most before I must be going. It would be convenient for both of us if you asked your questions now.”

“Very well. Let’s make this quick.” Naoto passed Yu’s crutch back to him. She couldn’t help but note the decreased stiffness in his motions, though they were still formal. “How is this Teddie involved with the case?”

“He served as the informant that told us of the killer’s methods and continues to be a valuable asset in stopping subsequent murders. It is no exaggeration to say Ted is the key reason Yukiko, Kanji, and Rise are still alive.” Naoto’s fingers tapped her wrist in affirmation, unaccustomed to not taking notes during a questioning.

“Is your method of saving victims foolproof?” Yu paused for a moment to find the most accurate way to phrase his answer.

“Our group is invariably dedicated to bringing the murders to an end and possess the tools by which to do so. There is a chance that we could fail, but if that were to happen, we would, in all likelihood, be displayed alongside their third victim. It would be safe for you to presume any future suspended bodies are also from copycats unless I am among them.”

“You mean you or your teammates, correct?”

Yu’s eyes narrowed, but now they showed an unveiled, piercing anger that made Naoto’s heart clench. He calmed shortly after, but she had the sneaking suspicion that she had tapped into something not easily roused.

“I will allow you this question without subtracting from the total, as I’m sure you weren’t thinking of your limit while speaking. To answer it, were one of them to fall in this pursuit before me, it would be a stain on my honor I could not bear. One way or another, I would die soon after.”

Naoto coughed in an attempt to dislodge the last of her newfound trepidation.

“I see. Though this brings a new thought to mind. Why are you so dedicated to this case?” Naoto steeled herself, compiling her background information before proceeding. “The others’ involvement is clear. Hanamura was close to Saki Konishi. Satonaka is a close friend of Amagi. The three victims seek retribution, and Teddie has an interest in preventing this unknown method from being used.”

“You, however, have no such obvious connections. You moved to this town only a day before the second murder and had no previous interactions with either victim. At most, you knew Hanamura, Satonaka, and Amagi a handful of days before Amagi’s kidnapping. There is no material gain in solving the case. In fact, your funds have been flowing out at a curious rate ever since you began investigating, which is a notable departure from your past behavior.” Any lack of nerve she may have had before was banished as Naoto took up the mantle of her family name, channeling the authority passed down for generations.

“What is the prize you seek so fervently in this game?”

Yu didn’t recoil from her questioning, but his smirk noticeably retracted. His lips parted, but before he could speak, his phone’s alarm rang into the night. By the time he opened it, the initial alarm was cut off, messages flooding into his phone in a way that made the ringtone trip over itself for his attention. Naoto peered at the screen as discreetly as she could, but Yu’s absolute focus on the texts he flipped between made her practically invisible to him.

Chie: Thank God she’s okay! I was starting to freak out a little.

Yukiko: Good. I think Chie was starting to panic.

Rise: And you’re okay too, right? Yosuke-senpai said you were all whipped up when you called.

Yosuke: Roger that, partner. Glad we could help.

Yosuke: And Ted says he’s happy she’s safe, too, but he’s a little sad he didn’t get to meet her.

When Naoto looked up, the air about Yu was much warmer. His rigid shell melted away in the glow of his screen, and, drop by drop, his arrogant smirk gave way to a wide, unabashed smile.

“To put it in a way you might expect of me, those are the terms of our deal. I help them find the one who took so much from them, and they give me something that, for all my wealth, I’m poor in.”

Yu broke from his reverie as he heard the hum of an engine drawing near. Behind them, a short way down the road, the front hood and license plate of a white van was visible in its own headlights. The face behind the wheel was hard to see, but Yu recognized the rest of the vehicle.

“Looks like my ride’s here. Our timing was impeccable.” Yu pushed himself up by the crutch, though his arm trembled until he was fully standing. It was only then that he remembered he was holding a briefcase he didn’t have with him when Dojima last saw him. “I’ll find an excuse for this thing. Like you promised, what was said here will remain a secret. And if the team asks, I found this on my own.” Naoto tilted her head at him.

“You don’t want me as an official informant?”

“Call it a test.” Yu smirked again, a hint of his pride surfacing. “Prove yourself a useful independent ally, and we’ll negotiate a closer partnership from there. Just in case tonight was a series of flukes, you understand, though my hopes are high.” He turned and plodded away, waving so the incoming van saw him. “Don’t disappoint me, Shirogane-san.”

The van slowed, and Yu smiled at whoever was inside, his cold self hidden away once more. As soon as he opened the door, he started talking, as if keeping their attention on him alone. The vehicle rumbled its way through the rest of the floodplain, leaving Naoto alone with her thoughts.

And she had a number of them. The exchange was much smoother than she had hoped. Narukami was a shrewd businessman, but not an unreasonable one.

As she worked her way towards piecing her old and new knowledge of him together, she kept returning to something he had said about her own family line. From where he stood, Naoto could have been one of two types of detective. Her family history leaned towards neither, but allowed for both.

She wondered, then, which path Yu Narukami really walked.

Chapter Text

“Step on up, step on up! Buy a balloon, get a free coupon for half off produce!”

Teddie wasn’t exactly sure what ‘produce’ was. He was familiar enough with money to know paying less of it was a good thing, though he couldn’t say how good half off really was. All he knew with absolute certainty was that it was his job to move balloons, and so he took to the task with gusto.

Little kids with parents in tow flocked to Junes’s new mascot. The way he moved and talked filled the air with an energy they couldn’t get enough of. That he was also making it harder for their guardians to refute getting them a nice, shiny balloon was the cherry on top, even if they chaffed a bit under the condition of eating the ‘produce’ the coupons went towards. Maybe produce was a bad thing? Or at least tasted bad. Even though the parents said it was good for growing children. Teddie would have to ask about it later.

For now, he was too taken in the whirlwind of his job to pay his normally unbearable curiosity a second thought. Or, rather, he was the whirlwind. His right hand took the tiny coins that came his way and juggled them, each and every one landing in the register drawer strapped to the front of his suit. Then he flitted over to the balloon rack to his side, swiftly untied one, and handed it down to the grasping hands of excited kids, his left hand passing the promised coupons up to their parents. It was a flashy display that served to bring in attention, which allowed him to do his act again, which drew even more eyes.

From behind their registers along the edge of the food court, the stationary cashiers gawked at his seemingly endless energy. No way in Hell were they paid enough to do a dance like that for every transaction, but he kept it up all day, every day, working straight through lunch and into the afternoon. It was like he was made of sugar, or maybe he was a plant drawing in the power of the sun.

Either way, he was indisputably a productive employee, and that work ethic didn’t go unrewarded. Halfway through the afternoon, Yosuke popped into the food court to check up on the fresh face of Junes. He was pleasantly surprised by the full drawer of change rattling away as Teddie shuffled about. When the crowds finally started to wind down, he got his chance to go in for a proper chat. Teddie waved ecstatically as he neared.

“Hiya, Yosuke, I’m gonna need more balloons and coupons!” The kids had eaten through most of his stock, leaving him with only one red balloon. Yosuke wanted to shake his head at the overwhelming zeal, but, since he was technically Ted’s boss, he didn’t want to dissuade him.

“You’ve already been restocked, like, four times today. Most people can’t move that much in a week.” And that went for both the balloons and the dancing. “I think you can go ahead and call that a day, dude. Take the register to the back to unload as usual, trusting you to not take anything for yourself here, and put that last balloon with the rest. If you can sell it on the way there, though, that’d be better, so it doesn’t deflate on us overnight. Oh, and here.” Yosuke pulled a small envelope from the pocket of his apron. It jingled lightly as he passed it to Teddie’s waiting hand, and the bear lit up when he looked inside. It held a modest amount of yen, both bills and coins.

“Woo, payday!”

“You’re doing good work. Keep it up, and maybe you’ll start earning enough to pay actual rent.” Not that he planned on actively kicking Ted out of his closet. He didn’t have the heart to. “You head on home. I’ll be back after my shift ends.”

“Actually, I was thinking of exploring a little first.” Teddie looked around before he continued, remembering the restrictions on what he should mention around who. “Your world has so many things I don’t know about yet, and now, with this money, I can afford to see some of it!”

“Huh. And here I thought you’d be a bump on a log.” That’s how most people were after a long shift. That’s how Teddie was whenever he was in that closet. Yosuke was starting to wonder if Ted was actually a sloth with how little he moved around, but apparently he was just saving his juice for when he needed it. “Just try to be back before dark, alright? Inaba’s a pretty safe place, but you never know who you’ll run into at night.”

“Yes, sir!”

“And put your suit away first, or someone might think you’re the suspicious one.”

Teddie saluted his corporate overlord. Yosuke huffed at the conclusion of the performance, but he was, to his dismay, starting to get used to it. He left Teddie to his cleanup procedures, which were done with the same enthusiasm as the rest of his work. The last balloon was tied securely to Ted’s forearm, and he grabbed the register lid on the table behind him.

Before he could pop it into place, though, he noticed there was one more kid looking at him. He couldn’t have been much older than ten, which made it weird that he didn’t have a guardian with him. His hands were crossed over his stomach, the fingers clenched together. He shrunk into himself, and his eyes were all but invisible under his thick, ratty head of black hair. It might have been as fluffy as cotton candy if it was clean, but that buoyancy was lost under the thick layer of grime that covered most of his body.

The only reason Teddie knew he was looking at him was because he glanced up occasionally before jerking back down to look at the ground. In those brief moments, Ted found himself transfixed by the child’s gray eyes. They looked so…

Well, they looked like Sensei’s after he was wheeled out of the hospital, so very tired.

Good thing Teddie knew a way to pick up the mood!

“Hey there, do you want a balloon? I still have one left!” The kid winced at the sound of Teddie’s voice, and he hesitated to meet his expectant gaze.

“Um… Sorry, I can’t.” The kid was quiet, but not Sensei’s quiet. It didn’t have Sensei’s confidence or drive backing it up. Teddie could still hear him just fine, though, and he was left confused.

“Of course you can. It’s only fifty yen, a special sale price for our special customers.” The kid shriveled up further, retreating as much as he could into his lanky frame. Teddie couldn’t make heads or tails of that reaction. He obviously wanted a balloon. The balloon was for sale. All he needed was fifty yen and…

...Oh. Maybe he didn’t have fifty yen.

On closer inspection, the kid’s lankiness wasn’t natural. His arms were thin, the only buffer between skin and bone seeming to be a thin patch of muscle. He wasn’t exactly starving, at least not according to that one medical book Yosuke had in his closet, but he wasn’t getting as much food as someone his age should.

Even Teddie, as unfamiliar as he was with humans, could tell. Teddie was a really lucky guy, wasn’t he? If Yosuke hadn’t been so nice, he wouldn’t have a place to stay, or a job, or money.

But Teddie did have money. And he knew what he should do with some of it. Without a moment of doubt, he plucked a coin from his envelope and started to juggle it. The young boy looked up at him, not quite understanding what was happening as Teddie looped it through the air three times. On the third descent, he let it fall into the register and untied the string from around his arm.

“That’s one balloon for the nice young man! Here you go, fella.” Teddie skipped over to him and held the string down. The boy stared for countless seconds. When he finally reached back, it was timidly, as though afraid the string would turn to barbed wire in his fingers. Teddie waited patiently through his hesitance, and when the boy had a full grip in place, he let go and backed up one step, giving the boy the space to know that the gift was well and truly his. He looked up at the shiny red orb, the light of the sun bouncing off of it to cast his eyes in a streak of bold crimson.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Teddie snatched a slip of paper from the drawer and handed it down. “Here’s your free coupon. It’ll give you half off one purchase of produce.” He leaned over and made sure no one else could hear what he said. “It’s good for a few weeks, so no rush. If it’s still a bit much, let me know. I’m here somewhere almost every day.” The young boy blinked at him, the dull gray of his eyes somewhat lightened under his new red lantern.

“Th… Thanks.” His smile was soft and fragile, but real nonetheless. He turned tail and scurried off to somewhere else in Junes, giving Ted a show of how quick his tiny little body could move. That was the sort of energy real happiness could give someone. Teddie would be one to know.

“You’ve done beary good. Now then, time to explore!”

-

As soon as his bear suit was stuffed in the closet, Ted knew exactly where he wanted to start. The others sometimes mentioned that there was one spot Sensei loved to go whenever he had the time. Teddie didn’t have a fishing pole to make the most of the trip, nor did he have the funds to buy a new one, but he was lured to the Samegawa anyway.

When he arrived, he had to stop and soak in the view. The most water he had seen in one place up to that point was in the bathhouse, but it didn’t come close to the volume in front of him now. It was a wide trench of gently flowing water that stretched endlessly in either direction. Fish slid through it just beneath the surface, their scales glittering in the sun like someone had lined them with a million tiny versions of the buttons on his suit.

Just like he had heard, the river was so peaceful, unlike the barren, fog laden terrain in his home world.

No, wait, had he seen something like this before? It was at the far verges of his memory, but something about the Samegawa sparked a sense of familiarity. And he knew it was called a “river,” but everyone else just called it “the Samegawa.” How had he known that? As these thoughts spiraled in Teddie’s head, he felt a longing for… something. Not the river in front of him, but something like it. Something really, really like it. He felt he was looking at the thing he wanted in a mirror, but no matter how he turned the picture in his head, the original it was cast from was blocked from him by a thick haze.

The whispers of his old self brushed against his inner ear, hidden within the babbling of the river. Was he really trying to reach out for something he knew, or was it a lie? Was he only telling himself he knew this thing, because he wanted to think that he did?

Suddenly, the voice of his old self was overwhelmed, blown away by a new sound. It blasted over the river, but it was no less charming a noise. As best he could tell, it reverberated from something metallic, and how controlled it was told him it wasn’t from the random happenings of nature. It wasn’t a radio, either. Recordings of music had a static-like undertone to his ear. This was being played in person, and nearby at that.

He looked over the floodplain, and farther down, on a less steep slope, the origin of the music glinted in the sun. It was a large yellow tube that curled twice along its length. The highest branch widened into an opening from which the altered air flowed, and the lowest was tipped in a nozzle that let it enter in the first place. A pair of lips were pressed against that end, but not wrapped around it. The cheeks to either side were puffed out slightly, though their rosiness was too deep to be from the stretching.

Teddie’s attention widened much quicker after that, taking in larger swathes of the player at a time. She was perhaps the first human that wasn’t obviously a preteen who was smaller than him. Her hair was uniformly cut all the way around, forming a perfect dome that ended just past the top of her neck. The curtain raised at her face, revealing a gentle visage to the world. Her eyes were closed, all of her focus being channeled into her instrument. He barely noticed how her pink button-up shirt accentuated her innate innocence, but perhaps that meant the garment was doing its job perfectly.

For the second time in his life, his legs moved before his mind, but this time he was in no hurry to catch up. His heart was adrift on the music, the most beautiful sides of the human soul given a form all their own.

This, this was that spirit that drew him through the television to this world. The Shadows were cold, callous, and cruel. Humans had the potential to be, but so, too, could they be warm and caring, creating where Shadows only destroyed. It was no exaggeration to say he was in love with the vibrant heart of humanity and all the beautiful things it could make.

In his trance, he took a seat at the top of the slope, eyes half closed and ears fully opened. He felt like he was floating, lazily adrift in his muse. He could have listened for hours, given the chance.

But the music had to stop eventually. Many minutes after Teddie made an audience of one, the player’s hand slipped. The nozzle of her instrument slipped away from her mouth the barest centimeter, but that was enough to turn the steady melody into a harsh blare. Ted’s hypnosis was broken, and the musician lowered her instrument in shame.

“Darn it, not again. I was almost finished. Why can’t I hold this thing steady a little longer?” Her voice was soft and small, as opposed to the loud and triumphant horn she bore, but it was no less musical to Teddie’s ear. His only gripe was that the tune was arched downward, dipping into despair when tones of peaking joy seemed to him the more natural fit. Once more, it fell on him to lift the mood. Bereft of his colorful costume, he instead turned to his more suave methods.

“Pardon me, miss, but might I say that was lovely?”

The girl spun around, and a torrent of a hundred cacophonous emotions screamed through her. First, shock that locked her arms against her body. Then embarrassment that made her fingers shake. She landed on shyness, her eyes dipping to avoid his as the red of her cheeks expanded to cover much of her face.

“Oh n-n-no, I just… I have a long way to go to...”

Hmm, it looked like she was suffering from some sort of anxiety of worth. Teddie knew what that was like, at least enough to see the signs. He just had no way all his own to pass his knowledge onto her.

Wait, what if he tried Sensei’s way? That just might work! So, firmly but politely state the point.

“Perhaps so, but your work so far is something to behold. Talking yourself down now only makes it harder to get better yet.”

“Um, well...” She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Her skin cooled down some, and she regained enough composure to bow slightly. “Thank you for your kind words. I’m… I’m still a novice, so it’s hard to see myself as anything but a beginner. Especially with senpai that are so much better than me.”

“Ah, you’re in a student band?” Wait, now that he thought about it, wasn’t Sensei in one of those, too? That was perfect! “You know, I might know someone who can help you practice. His fellows say he has a great sense of control under pressure, and he’s always eager to help whenever he can.” Her eyes lit up, though not without a small degree of hesitation.

“I kind of want to get better on my own, but maybe some pointers wouldn’t be too bad. If he can keep it a secret?”

“But of course, he is a very understanding person. And he doesn’t talk much anyway, which makes keeping things quiet easier.”

“Oh, he sounds very helpful...” Her thought tripped for a moment. This was sounding too good to be true, but also familiar. “Would you happen to be talking about Yu Narukami?”

Hearing her say his name caught Teddie off guard.

“Why yes I am. You know him?” All at once, the girl deflated, the wisps of hope fluttering away.

“He’s one of my senpai. He… He has too many things of his own to do. Helping me would be a waste of his time.”

“You wouldn’t waste his time, not at all.” The girl was spooked out of her dour mood. The charm he approached her with was dropped, revealing a much more vibrant, almost childishly energized self underneath. “He loves helping people, and, between you and me, he’s kind of in the gutter because of how hard it is to do it right now. You know, with his leg hurt and all.” Teddie brought up a hand, clasping it shut with determination. “I’m certain that if you asked, he would be overjoyed to help you practice and improve. Then you would play as well as you want, and I could hear even more of your lovely music. It’s a win for everybody, including Sensei!” His explosive zeal was doused by a snort and giggle from her.

“Um, Sensei?” Right, he forgot most people didn’t expect someone as young looking as him to use that title on someone else so close in (apparent) age.

“I’m new in town, so he’s been teaching me about how things work here. He’s always super nice and patient with me, and I know he’d do the same for you.”

“I see. He has offered before, but I didn’t want to impose.” She glanced at her instrument, then, firming up, she nodded. “Okay. If he offers again, I’ll accept.” She smiled at Teddie, as though voicing her choice helped her internalize and sort a few of her worries. “Thank you for encouraging me… Um...” That sounded like she was looking for a name to use. At least he thought so. Only one way to find out if he was reading the cue right.

“Teddie, mon cheri.” Teddie bowed deeply, almost to a loose right angle, and swept his right arm over his chest. She blushed once more at his display.

“And I’m Ayane Matsunaga. You forgot your family name there.”

Teddie was very lucky to have such grand golden locks. From his deep bow, they covered up how freaked out he was in that moment. He hadn’t thought about a family name for himself. He needed to patch over his mistake, quick.

“We, uh, don’t actually have those where I come from. Only given names.” It was a hastily made excuse, and his delivery wasn’t smooth at all. But it wasn’t technically a lie, and Ayane didn’t seem to catch onto him. She looked more intrigued than incredulous.

“Really? That sounds...” A loud chime cut her off. She pulled out her phone just long enough to hit the alarm and check the clock. “I really need to get going, but I’d like to hear about your home sometime, if you don’t mind taking the time to talk.”

“But of course.” Ted slid back into the cool zone, his little stumble behind him. “Consider it my payment for letting me hear you play. Until then, au revoir.” The blush flared back yet again for a moment, but she didn’t let it slow her down. She tipped her head to him and hiked her way back up the slope, departing for town proper once she reached the road. Teddie waved until she was out of sight, then, the interaction over, he stopped to think.

Did he just… score?

No, it didn’t feel as final as that, but it had to be a step in the right direction. His first successful tango, and he had barely made any mistakes. His smile was wide and brilliant.

“Woo hoo! Thank you, Sensei, your lessons worked!”

-

With one good interaction under his rosy pin, Teddie was all wound up and ready to hit the rest of town. From the river, he picked a direction on a whim and walked. Scenery passed by like the backdrop of a high production play, the sky a wonderful oil painting of blues and whites, the buildings and plants props that drew his eye as he skipped along. Once or twice he stopped to refuel, grabbing a drink and a topsicle, that wonderful frosty treat the others treated him to after his fitting. Then he was off again, intent on taking in as much of the town as he could.

Soon, though, the lights on his stage began to dim. It wasn’t until the sun passed the horizon that he noticed, looking up to a golden sky being slowly taken by a lethargic wave of purple ink. He rolled his second topsicle over to the left side of his mouth, sucking on it as he watched the heavenly tides turn.

“Guess that’s it for today. I should head back. Yosuke did want me home by dark.” That shouldn’t have been too hard. The evening was slow to melt into night. He just had to turn around…

...and realize he didn’t know where he was. In the distance, he could make out some properly maintained homes, with well cut lawns and all that good stuff. He, on the other hand, was caught between some less than pristine architecture. Windows were cracked. Paint chipped away where it wasn’t gone entirely. Weeds dominated most every lawn.

It was, in short, not a very nice place, emphasized by the encroaching darkness.

“Oh! This must be that ‘slums’ place I heard about.” Specifically, he heard he shouldn’t be there if he wasn’t a resident. Well, he was only on the edge of it, so it should be alright.

“You calling our pads a slum?” The half-formed words he heard would’ve fit right in with Kanji’s vocabulary, but the way they were said carried none of his personality. They felt slimy and itchy, like if a slug had a snake’s scales.

They were coming from a rough looking gent leaning on a rotted fence. His gray jacket was ripped up in a lot of places, stitched together roughly with seams Kanji would have found offensive. He was a bit on the older side, maybe late twenties, and most of his head was covered by a hood. What Teddie could make out was a little dark mark off the corner of his right eye. It looked like a black tear etched onto his skin. Personally, Teddie liked Kanji’s skull tattoo more.

“That’s kinda insulting. Specially coming from a fruitcake like you.” The man with the teardrop tattoo pushed himself off his fence, hands in his pockets as he stalked towards the street.

“Oh, is it? Sorry, I’m new to the local lingo, so I didn’t realize...”

“Hey, hey, it’s cool.” Teddie didn’t see much of anything wrong when the man wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in with a lazy wink. His fist was closed tightly around something, but it was hard to say what. “Wouldn’t expect someone with threads like those to really get it anyway. Nice flower.” Teddie took the compliment with glee, cupping the ornament up so he could see it better. “Must’ve cost you a pretty yen.”

“Not really. It was a gift from a friend.”

“Really? Thoughtful of them to give you such a ritzy thing like that.” His eyes started to droop, his interest in the current conversation slouching as much as the man himself. “I take it you’re lost. A pretty boy like you shouldn’t be wandering out to this side of town. Not without a guide, anyway, a local to keep the dirt off your shirt.” He slouched down lower, letting Teddie get a really good look at that tattoo. On closer inspection, it wasn’t straight at the edges. Whoever applied it was either bad at lines or was working with crooked tools. “I’d be happy to be that for you, to the tune of, say, five thousand yen.”

“That’s nice of you! But...” Teddie pulled out his envelope and opened the tab to count his bills. “I’ve only got three thousand. Sorry.”

“Hey, no problem there. Call it a first time discount.” What a swell guy!

“Wow, thanks, mister! I like the cut of your...”

Wait, this sounded a little familiar. Oh, right, that one movie Yosuke borrowed from Chie. A bunch of gangster types were going around to stores looking for “protection money.” The ones that didn’t pay were usually robbed clean by morning, so the hero had to take the gang down. If that was accurate to real life, then…

“...Am I being coerced right now?”

“And he finally catches up. You’re a top tier ponce, you know it?” His fingers snapped open, and with them came the click of a switchblade. “You’re lucky I’m one of the nicer fellas out here. Pay up, and I’ll make sure the rest don’t jump you while your pockets are empty. So, what’s it gonna…?”

As soon as Teddie knew he was being threatened, his newly trained battle instincts kicked in. He grabbed the man by his arm, and before he could counter, Ted hauled him over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground. The man’s mouth opened from the force of air being crushed out of his lungs.

His glare turned vengeful, and he swiped blindly at Ted’s legs. He jumped out of reach of the knife, putting twenty feet between him and his mugger. He thought about turning to run, but he heard the rustling of weeds. It echoed around him like a rain forest brimming with life. Given the circumstances, though, he could only guess that they were “the rest” that were mentioned before. The man stumbled back to his feet, teeth grit and nostrils flared. His eyes pointed at him like the horns of a bull.

“Bad move, shit-for-brains. You’d better hope like Hell those friends of yours can fork over enough for a hostage swap, or I’m gonna skin you alive!”

At that moment, it didn’t occur to Teddie that, yeah, Yu could probably pay any price they asked. Nor did he think about how Chie could kick a human head clean off, or how Kanji was pure rage under the fluff. All he knew was that he was being attacked. But he wasn’t a victim. Not this time. Never again.

His fists tightened, and as he raised them to fight, the man took half a shaken step backwards.

Never. Again!

Bang.

A single shot. The smell of gunpowder. In the corner of his eyes, the glint of a badge. The blue of the shooter’s outfit almost made them blend into the night. Gunmetal gray eyes stared passively at the burgeoning fight, as though none of the participants were a threat. When they spoke, it was as though the statement was a banal fact.

“By the authority of the Inaba Police Department, you are under arrest.”

“Fuck, the fuzz!” As tough as the man thought he was, he didn’t have any heat on him. He dove behind the house he slunk from, and as soon as he passed the boundary, every member of “the rest” started stomping until the crunch of weeds obscured their footsteps.

Soon, the night was once again quiet and peaceful, only Teddie and the officer left in view. He thought, for a moment, that he might have been under arrest, too, but they slipped their gun back into a holster hidden under their coat and pocketed their badge.

“Are you alright?” They walked towards him, slowly and methodically as not to trigger his clearly reliable fight response. He let his arms drop, sighing as the heat of the moment left him in his own dust.

“Yeah, just a little scared for my life. That’s all.” Teddie dusted himself off and picked his composure up from where he dropped it. “I think you just saved me. Thank you very much, miss.”

“Miss?” The officer chuckled a little in good humor, though Teddie didn’t see what was funny.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No, not at all. You simply reminded me of someone, that’s all.” She held out her hand in a more cordial greeting. “My name is Naoto Shirogane. Please, allow me to show you the way back to the decent side of Inaba.”

Chapter Text

Even when he was compliant, Yu Narukami had a way of being both vague and precise in the same breath. He could explain matters in a way that answered a presented question fully, yet the context therein could be murky and up to interpretation. Naoto suspected it was a developed habit from interactions with business associates, a group that was notorious for pouncing on any definite leads presented. She didn’t know if it was a conscious effort on his part, or if it was simply how he thought it most appropriate to behave.

Hidden within the obscurities of his language, however, Naoto found one solid lead that she felt required a followup. It was often, within the realm of homicide investigation, that the means by which a murder occurred were the most thorough method by which to narrow the suspect pool. A poor man would have no access to custom made firearms, and a cleaver pointed towards inhabitants of the nearest butcher shop, be it the owner or an associate with access to its tools.

This was the first of many stumbling points about properly investigating the murders of Inaba. The bodies showed no clear signs of harm. They were entirely intact, with nary a cut or misplaced hair in sight. Even their blood, that most assured repository of toxins, showed not a single molecule’s difference from one killed in a non-chemically aided manner. The only abnormality about them was their longevity. It was as though life itself was vacuumed from them, down to the microbes that would eat away at a carcass and make it rot. If she checked, she knew those bodies would still be suspended in time, even now that they had spent three months underground. It was as if the world around them didn’t see them as human anymore and let them be, like stones scattered across the soil.

Many a long night had been spent mulling over these impossibilities. What method could purge all signs of life from a body, down to the bacteria therein? Furthermore, how could it go on to make the body inedible to future microbes? She suspected some form of irradiation at first, but the cells showed no signs of such damage anywhere. They simply stopped functioning. No matter how she came at the bodies, they refused to reveal a cause of death. Without that, a valuable piece of the puzzle was out of her reach, a corner piece from which she could build towards the complete picture.

But then Yu Narukami gave her a lead. The way he mentioned it said he knew the cause of death, but any cards she hadn’t bargained out of him were kept close to his chest, if not hidden in his sleeve. And if she were to bring him in for a formal interrogation, assuming she could manage to do so, it would restrict the one group who had proven capable of halting future murders. She needed to be a bit more crafty to get what she wanted without undue repercussions.

It was fortunate, then, that he had made one thing exceptionally clear. His group all had a reason to want to find the killer, chiefly revenge. Every member had a nakedly obvious vendetta to fill. Every member, bar two. Yu himself, and Teddie.

This new friend was a strange one. He appeared out of nowhere, seemingly popping into existence within their hideout in the woods. There were no travel records under his name indicating that he came to Inaba on public transit. He acted in a way that indicated he was blind to public decorum to a degree even most children were not, but his openness to learning implied that it was a matter of ignorance, not defiance. Wherever he came from was a culture far removed from that of Japan. But she could find it nonetheless, and with that location, she would have a lead for the method.

In a best case scenario, he would have records in his place of origin that she could find using his biological signatures as search entries. He was eager to get his hands on anything he didn’t know, which meant she had plenty of chances to get fingerprints. He discarded topsicle sticks by the dozen, and, gloves in place, she collected a number to go over in her personal forensics lab.

Strangely, though, she failed to find the prints. In fact, there weren’t any signs of skin oil on any of them. It was unusual, but not unheard of. It was entirely possible that he had a dry skin condition that made it more difficult to leave an oil trail like most. And she knew not to bother searching for saliva, as he always plucked the ice cream from the stick with his teeth, meaning his lips, teeth, and tongue never touched anything that wasn’t ingested.

If she couldn’t get the prints through standard means, sweat would be a functional alternative. And that suit he wore so often was warm enough to produce plenty. He wiped much from his brow every time he took it off. It was a lucky day when she saw him leave his suit’s head behind as he took off for a lunch break. When no one was looking, she moved in and took to the smooth lining around its face with her dusting powder.

She found the spots where his fingers had been. The marks were clearly there, alongside a snag. They were all smoothed. Perfect circles with no indicative lines to be found. She tried again, and again, but to no avail. Every single finger spot she found was the same, devoid of telltale fingerprints. Even the ones she was absolutely certain weren’t smudged gave her no results. Maybe he could have used acid to burn away the outer layer of his skin, but that still left the surface of the finger rough, uneven. These prints made it seem like his fingers were tipped in smooth rubber.

Teddie didn’t have fingerprints.

She heard him returning, so she hastily wiped away her dust and made a plan B. She flipped the head over and plucked from within a handful of golden hairs that had stuck to it over its many uses. In her rush, she accidentally caught a few small fibers from the suit as well, but that was no concern. She took her sample and left, barely slipping away before Teddie returned to retrieve his head.

That night, in her lab, she was left staring through her microscope in disbelief. She knew it was a long shot to hope these hairs would be intact enough to find DNA. As she dissected them, she fully expected to be left without the deepest layers, where DNA could potentially be found.

She didn’t find that layer, as she expected. In fact, she didn’t find any layers. None whatsoever. That was much less expected. One by one, she opened the hairs. One by one, they were found to be of uniform consistency. That wasn’t just unusual, it was impossible. Hair was always layered, getting softer as it neared the center. The structure she was seeing was impossible, no matter how she sliced it, both literally and figuratively.

Then, in the corner of the microscope’s dish, she saw one of the suit’s pale fibers. Something about it struck her as familiar, and curiosity took hold. She pulled one to the center, and when she cut it open, it, too, was without layers. In fact, its structure was exactly the same as the hair’s. The hair on his head, the fur of his suit…

...They were the exact same material.

At first, the lack of logic was shocking. It ignored every rule of biology she had researched throughout her life, skills she thought she had honed to a razor’s edge. What she was seeing should have been impossible!

Just like the states of the bodies.

Something unnatural was happening in the small town of Inaba. What better lead for such happenings than a singularity of broken laws of nature like Teddie?

She knew he was the key, but she was still left without the evidence she needed to continue on to her yet unknown murderer. It was about time she made contact.

-

For how veiled Yu’s intent was, his student wore his every thought on his sleeve. No, scratch that. It was written on his forehead in big, neon lettering. She managed to trail him as he “explored” Inaba. She thought, perhaps, he was attending to some agenda he didn’t want the others to know about, but he proved himself as good as his word. He was just exploring his new town, wandering about in whatever direction he saw fit.

That direction just so happened to cross paths with a rougher neighborhood at dusk. He continued his pattern of social unawareness when he was approached by a coercer, only wising up when the man’s threats were made clear. Naoto was ready then to jump in on the conversation, using his troubled circumstances as an opening to start a conversation, but in that moment, Teddie discarded any semblance of naivete, revealing a deeper layer every bit as cold and practical as his Sensei.

Where Yu Narukami worked in webs and intrigue, though, Teddie worked with brute force. With strength a frame like his shouldn’t have allowed, he threw the man over his shoulder and jumped back, raising his hands in preparation for a fight. Unlike most combatants, however, his fists weren’t vertically aligned. They were horizontal, his knuckles pointed towards the ground. It reminded Naoto of how larger mammals swiped at enemies with their claws, their quadrupedal limps more inclined towards up-and-down swings than forward jabs or hooks.

And that look in his eyes, it would stick with her for a long time to come.

However suited he was for a fight, the threat of being surrounded while unarmed would have overwhelmed even him. That was when Naoto stepped in, making her presence known to everyone within earshot with her gun. All she spent was a single bullet, and the threat of a ranged opponent in what was sure to be a melee skirmish sent the modern raiders packing.

Once Teddie knew she meant him no harm, he dropped his fighting stance, and the soft exterior she had observed in him thus far returned. That passivity turned to outright gratitude when she offered to escort him back to safer neighborhoods, and like that, she secured at least forty minutes to slip information out of him.

Of course, his inquisitive soul made him much more apt to laden her with the questions instead.

“So, why didn’t you arrest those guys earlier? That’s your job, right?” At least he was asking questions instead of lobbing accusations. She heard enough of those.

“Yes and no. As a detective, I help with the investigation into crimes. If my help is needed in apprehending a suspect, I am prepared to lend it, but it is not strictly required that I make the arrest.” The more she explained, the more his head slowly tilted in confusion. Perhaps a more direct, practical answer would suffice. “There is also the matter of there being one of me, as opposed to the many people who were about to attack. Even if I could win against them, it would have been all but impossible to arrest them all on my own.”

“Oh! I see.” His brow furrowed, and she could feel another question coming. “Then why didn’t they attack if their numbers would’ve been enough?” She thought the answer was obvious, but she didn’t want to assume what he actually knew.

“At the end of the day, criminals, no matter how desperate, are still human. Do you know anyone who would rather be shot when running away was an option?”

Teddie opened his mouth as though to answer, but then he thought better of it. Miss Shirogane didn’t know about the Shadows, after all, so how would he explain why Sensei and the others were going to take a blast from Rise’s Shadow?

“Well, if it meant helping someone else who was going to get hurt if they didn’t, yeah. But I guess robbers don’t think about helping people.” Naoto already knew who he was talking about, if not the context. It was sufficient to judge his view of his group’s activities. “It’s kind of sad that they got away. I don’t want them to hurt anyone like they were about to hurt me.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. I have enough information on the one we saw to file an arrest warrant, and a little pressure on him should bring us the rest.” Teddie looked at her in awe, with eyes that were far more… sparkly than she thought was possible.

“That’s amazing! Do you have a photographic memory or something like that?”

“You could say so.” Also, there was the camera she had hidden on her person that recorded the entire encounter, but she wasn’t about to expose one of her most time-tested aces. “It helps that he had that distinctive tattoo. If it had been professionally done, it would be harder to track, but the rough prison work is faulted in a way that makes it easy to identify.”

“Prison work? You mean, he got it at jail?” Naoto looked at him, her surprise veiled only by her professionally developed neutral demeanor.

“You are aware that a marking like his has meaning, correct?” She pointed up at the outer corner of her eye. “A teardrop tattoo here indicates that he has killed before, one drop for every murder.” At the news, Teddie’s skin paled, and his frame shook lightly.

“Wow, I… Uh, I wish I knew that sooner.” So the man’s threats weren’t all empty. Good to know for future reference. Teddie really wanted to just curl up in his closet and rock himself to sleep now. “Thanks again for saving me, Miss Shirogane.”

With that speech pattern, devoid of proper honorifics, he was clearly not a native of Japan. However, that wasn’t where Naoto’s mind was at. She had other concerns to consider. That both he and Narukami were perceptive enough to tell she was actually a girl was somewhat disturbing. She worked quite hard to blend in, as it were, so failing to do so twice over pointed to a fault in her guise. Perhaps she could afford one small, personal question.

“Think nothing of it. For curiosity’s sake, may I ask how you knew I was a girl? Most are unable to tell with how I dress.”

“Really? I could tell because of your...” Wait, he shouldn’t say that. Lesson five, take care when commenting on scent. One mustn’t forget the basics. “Your… huh. I don’t really know. Call it a sixth sense, I guess.”

Naoto’s mind took that reply and started expanding on it. A sixth sense? Perhaps, wherever he was from, this extra sense was mundane, to a degree that he couldn’t put it into words. Or, more likely, he knew better than to bring it up directly. That would explain his hesitance in completing his answer after his swift initial response to the question.

In that event, could this sixth sense be linked to the breaks in the laws of biology she had been noting? Could they, perhaps, sense out indicators of their presence and wipe their trail clean? Or maybe it was some form of psychic ability, and he knew that she was a girl because he used them to map her out beyond what he could see, like echolocation. Could this be considered an invasion of privacy in a court of law?

No, no. This wasn’t the time for a flight of fancy. She had to remain grounded in the real, provable world if she wanted to find real, provable answers. Besides, if he was psychic, how was he so easily jumped by those crooks? Unless his abilities had a range…

Stop it, Naoto! Just get the conversation back on track. Trace his roots.

“Interesting. Would this uncanny sense happen to be a family trait, by any chance?”

“Family trait?” Teddie looked somewhat troubled by the question.

“Yes. It is said that extraneous senses can be passed down one’s family tree. My own bloodline has a sharpened ear towards dishonesty, for example.” Granted that was more due to training than genetics, but the point still held. And the idea implanted would, ideally, make him stumble if he planned on obscuring the truth.

“I… don’t actually have any family.”

That was an honest statement. Not to mention sullen in a way that struck an all-too-familiar cord. The way he looked at his own feet reminded her of a certain little girl. She remained silent for a spell, and he filled the dead air of his own volition.

“I’ve been alone for as long as I can remember. There are others where I’m from, but they aren’t nice. They’re cruel, horrible. They make that robber and his friends look like nothing. I had to learn to keep my head down to stay alive. You can imagine how happy I was to leave that place.”

“I see, you’ve lived a tougher life than you let on.” That explained much. A culture of overt cruelty would breed a lack of understanding for one less explicit in its methods of torment. Perhaps he fell into that trap earlier because he was used to aggression without the thin cover of politeness. He was certainly more capable of protecting himself once the threat was clarified. “May I ask where this was, exactly?” His eyes widened, and Naoto’s interest turned entirely to business. This was the sort of sign she was looking for.

“I… couldn’t say. There weren’t really any maps there. I just sort of walked away and wound up here. I remember coming through those mountain woods, but the rest of the way is kind of blurry now.” Once his explanation solidified, he looked at Naoto exclusively, refusing to break eye contact until it was all out. It was a sure sign she was being lied to.

“Hmm. Did anyone else leave with you?”

“No, no. It was just me.” He eased up on the eye contact for that one. Truth, if not a lie he made up beforehand.

“It must be tough, integrating into a new culture.”

“Oh it is, that’s why I’m lucky I met Sens… I mean, a good friend here.” With that title, he could only be talking about one person, or perhaps the group as a whole with him as their figurehead. “He’s been going out of his way to teach me everything I need to know about living here, and another friend helped me find a job and a place to stay. Oh, and another one made these clothes for me!” He pulled at his white shirt with pride, his discomfort banished in the warm glow of more recent memories. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without them.”

“You found a good crowd to fall into, then.” Naoto could say that much with certainty. She smiled to herself, turning slightly wistful from Teddie’s contagious joy. “You could say that they’ve become your family.”

“Huh? But, we aren’t related.”

“If you’re strict with the definition, then no, you aren’t that sort of family. But, in function, a family is a group that cares for one another, something secure to hold onto as one faces life. From what you’ve told me, this is the exact role they’ve taken in yours, correct?”

“When you put it like that...” Slowly, Teddie started to smile, too, a gentle light bubbling up in his heart. “Yeah, they are like family to me.” He turned his smile to Naoto, his thankfulness redoubling. “Thanks for helping me think about it more, Miss.”

“Anytime.”

There was still much about this Teddie she couldn’t wrap her head around. His lack of fingerprints and skin oils. His hair with all the physical makeup of synthetic fur. The “sixth sense.” What she could tell, however, was that he meant well, in all things.

And his original home, which he refused to name or pinpoint, a place of untold cruelty, was the source of the unnatural happenings of late. It would be a chore, but if it existed in this world, she could locate it with some time and effort. In the meantime, potential victims were in good hands.

The rest of the stroll was pleasant. He was an excitable person, but he made for cheerful company, the sort she didn’t find herself among often. His simple, direct approach to life was refreshing to interact with for a change. Once they made it to the shopping district, Teddie assured her that he could make it the rest of the way back. He didn’t want to have to explain why a detective was escorting him. “Yosuke would be worried enough,” he said. They parted ways with a farewell, and a wish on Teddie’s part to meet again sometime. One that she wasn’t against, were the circumstances less dire.

Once he was gone, she retrieved her notepad and started to scratch down her new observations. His mannerisms, descriptions of his home’s attitudes, and claim that it was isolated would all help her narrow down the search and save precious time.

She put her pen to paper for one last note, but she hesitated. Was it perhaps a trick of the light? She had no reason to think she saw incorrectly, but it never hurt to double check. She took out her badge and pried it loose from the case, flipping it over to find a small, black metal box, its lens only a small bump that most wouldn’t notice on the front of the badge. She ran a wire from her watch to the box, and the data transferred quickly, allowing her to access the freshly taken footage.

The screen lit up with a display of the rundown neighborhood from earlier. It caught both faces clearly, giving Naoto a serviceable profile to find the robber with later on. More importantly, though, it let her see Teddie again with his kindness stripped away. It was almost difficult to believe a childish person like him had such a rough side to him, tempered down to a lethal point by the home he grew up in. She once more saw his odd fighting stance, and she was even more convinced of its bestial leanings. In fact, it almost reminded her of a bear standing up on its hind legs, ready to bring all its weight down on whatever dared to come near. This distinctive stance might have been of use, too. If she found someone else who used it, she would know she was getting close.

All other details covered, she looked to his eyes. The blues she knew of him were soft, but his eyes on the screen were very different. They were focused on his opponent with an intensity that rivaled even Yu’s. Furthermore, she could say that it was not a trick of the light she saw earlier. The shift was in more than just his demeanor. What she saw convinced her further that she was facing something abnormal, even, she dared say, supernatural.

There was no explanation rooted in the world she knew that could logically say how soft blue eyes could turn to sharp, pure gold.

Chapter Text

Junes was the closest thing to the bustling city a guy could find in Inaba. No wonder Adachi found himself going there so often. Everywhere else, there was just dirt. Dirt and open plains. Plus, Junes’s sales were probably the single thing that kept him from subsisting entirely on a diet of cupped ramen. No way he could’ve afforded full priced produce on his piddly paycheck.

As a secondary bonus, the gossip flowed like water if you knew where to listen. And Adachi, he knew where to listen. He passed by the food court, and once he noticed a certain group of rowdy teens, his interest boomed. Doubly so after he saw that Narukami wasn’t with them. What would they let slip without him around, he wondered. He listened in at just the right time to catch something juicy from Risette.

“With all due respect, Kanji-kun, I could bring empires down if I told you who I’ve seen carrying bags of the good stuff.”

“...Holy crap, you’re serious.”

That sounded like police business. Or at least something he could excuse as police business. Damn was it a boring day.

“Wait, good stuff? What good stuff?” The group, to a man, stiffened at Adachi’s approach. It was probably the first time anyone had shown him respect as an officer. The only one who stayed completely cool was Risette, who regarded him with the most friendly look. Only the tension around her eyes warned him about her real intentions.

“The sort of good stuff that very rich people would bury alongside anyone that found out about it.”

“Oh. Oh, uh...” His stomach flipped over itself. If he showed it outwardly at all, Risette didn’t react. Satonaka, however, leaned over towards Hanamura and Amagi.

“Is it just me, or is she the most dangerous person here.”

Kanji pulled at his collar.

“No argument on that one.”

Okay, respond coolly, Adachi. Don’t let her know what you’re thinking.

“I-I see. Well, it’s not like a deputy detective like me can take on someone big enough to rub elbows with you, Kujikawa-san.” She nodded her head slowly, and the dagger slipped back into its sheathe, letting Adachi relax a little.

“I do know some rather guarded people.”

“Hey, Adachi-san.” Hanamura pushed himself out of his seat, visibly shedding his discomfort with the last line of conversation. Adachi gladly latched onto the more serious disposition he was putting out. He almost looked angry. “I’ve gotta ask, that perp you’ve got in for Saki’s case? How’s it looking with him?”

Finally, something interesting. Adachi looked to the sides, pretending to hunt for unwanted listeners.

“I don’t think I can just go telling people about that, but...” He looked over the group, smiling conspiratorially. “If you don’t tell anyone you saw me here, I might let something slide.”

“Deal. Now out with it.” Oh yeah, Hanamura was pissed. How harsh of a whiplash could Adachi eek out of him, he wondered.

“Okay. You didn’t hear it from me, but he’s all but done now.” Adachi scooted in, taking Yu’s usual place at their table. “Some of the guys are still trying to get how he offed the first two out of him, but he’s on lock for Morooka’s murder. Lucky us, he got sloppy!” Adachi watched them carefully, ready to drink in whatever they gave him. Would they be relieved? Would Hanamura wind even tighter knowing he wasn’t the one to bring his ‘beloved’ justice? Would the rest be furious they didn’t get their revenge personally? The group turned to each other, and…

...No. That, that wasn’t at all what Adachi expected. Their expressions were dour. Maybe it could have been a shared mourning, but there was something more to it. They didn’t look surprised at all. It was more like an expectation they didn’t want to accept had come to pass.

Theirs was a look of grim acceptance and determination.

“That’s it, then.” Hanamura flopped back into his chair, spreading over it like discarded laundry. “Thanks for the info, Adachi-san. Make sure that bastard gets what he deserves.”

“Yeah, definitely.” Adachi backed away, disentangling himself from their depths before he lost it. “I mean, I don’t get a say in what they do to him, but, you know, I’ll see what I can do. Now remember, you never saw me.” Adachi turned and sped off, keeping his speed just within what could be considered walking. Risette called after him.

“Thanks again! We really appreciate it!”

“No problem, Kujikawa-san. All in a day’s work!” He gave her a confident, somewhat cocky smile.

As soon as he was out of sight, though, he doubled over, teeth clenched. She thought she could threaten him, then go back to that sweet act of hers?

“Two-faced bitch...” He snickered to himself. Was he really that much better?

Actually, yeah, he was. She wasn’t wrapping a whole town, and, soon, country, around her little finger from the dark. The pied piper of Inaba, they should’ve called him. It’d be the biggest thing the boonies had their name attached to.

But there was a kink in his plans. They knew something, more than he thought they did. They knew. What did they know? He wasn’t sure. And it couldn’t stay like that. If they outplayed him now, it might bring the whole game to an early end, and there was no way he was going to let the only fun to be had in the middle of nowhere come to an end.

He just had to get in their heads, reorient himself. What better way to do that than get in the head of the one guiding their way? Adachi just needed an opening.

-

And how easy it was to find. The Dojima family trusted him. He was, after all, Dojima-san’s “trusted partner.” Heh, trust. These people threw it around like candy. All he had to do was wait for a night where the kid wasn’t in his room.

Of course, waiting was such a boring pastime. He could expedite the process personally. Sure, it took a good bite out of his paycheck, but the promise of a few key ingredients brought the kid out of his room and into the kitchen.

Adachi had to admit, he was impressed by the recovery Yu made. He was flowing over his dishes like water, like he hadn’t just been out of commission for weeks after his “slip.” He was eager, nay, chomping at the bit, to do something nice for a “friend.” Adachi was more than happy to accommodate him.

“Hey, Adachi, you’re sure that the fish is coming tonight, right? I don’t want all that work Yu’s putting in for us to get wasted.” Even off the clock, Dojima was ever the slave driver. What a drag.

“I just checked it before I came over. It should be on its way now, Dojima-san.”

“Thanks again, Adachi-san.” Yu glanced over his shoulder, a wide smile across his normally blank face. He couldn’t contain just how overjoyed he was to be up and moving again. “You’re sure it wasn’t too pricey? Fresh shrimp isn’t cheap.” Adachi waved him off, rubbing his neck nervously.

“Oh no, it’s a gift. You know, celebrating your, uh… midterm grade, was it?” Yu nodded, but he didn’t show any further pride in the achievement. It was as though he expected his high score. Yu wasn’t a dumb guy, not by any means. If he was a little less naive, Adachi would’ve been sorely out of luck. How one flaw could bring down the great. Oh well, no skin off Adachi’s back. Time to get to work. “Dojima, you mind if I hit the restroom before supper?”

“Go ahead. Just remember to wash your hands, got it?”

“I’m not a little kid...” Adachi grumbled to himself, but he didn’t escalate the point. No, he had work to do. He made his way to the stairs, and he shut the bathroom door immediately as he passed hard enough so everyone heard it. He smirked, pulling a box of white, standard-issue disposable gloves from his jacket. He had to do it quick, but that didn’t give him lease to be sloppy. Yu was trusting, not a dunce.

Adachi slipped the door open, and Yu’s midnight haunt became his playground. It was a lot more orderly than what he expected of a teenager’s den. There wasn’t an article of clothing anywhere on the floor. The rug was free of any snack-based debris. The books were all put up, and in alphabetical order at that, the show off. The cleanliness, though unusual, made Adachi’s job a lot easier. Proper organization had the benefit of being very simple to put back together, if you paid attention before ripping stuff off the shelves all willy-nilly.

But where to start? He had time, but not enough to poke through every nook and cranny. This was Dojima’s house, so Yu had reason to keep his involvement in the case locked up. Adachi scanned the room carefully, and exactly one lockable container made itself known. The desk’s drawer had a keyhole on it. Adachi slipped his gloves on before grabbing the handle. Sure enough, it refused to budge. Why, oh why, would it be sealed up if it just had school stuff in it?

Well, there was one other possible reason, but Yu didn’t strike him as the type to have a porn stash.

Adachi pulled out two thin, metal appliances and carefully slid them into the lock. Picking wasn’t easy at the best of times, but the small size of the hole and the extra layer between his hands and tools made it all the harder. He had to be extra attentive to feel when he tapped against a tumbler. Soon enough, the lock clicked, and Adachi grinned as it turned for him. He was in.

The drawer slid open, and he instantly recognized the police-grade file. It held a thick bundle of papers, and the topmost was a report on that teacher’s death. It wasn’t in the pristine condition a proper document should’ve been, though. It was marked all over by blue and red ink. The stuff underlined in blue had no further annotations. The guy’s name, approximate time of death, the location of the body, all that normal stuff.

The red ink was where it got interesting. The first red mark was around the autopsy report. The phrase “blunt force trauma” was circled. Off to the side, Yu had noted, in clean, professional handwriting, “obvious cause of death.”

Adachi’s eyes snapped to the next instance of red ink.

“...suspect’s fingerprints found on Morooka’s collar...”

“Discernible fingerprints.”

Was this what Adachi thought it was?

“Mitsuo Kubo refused to reveal the method used to kill Saki Konishi and Mayumi Mayano.”

“Obvious sign.”

The ink was thicker for that one, and the note was more tersely worded. Yu was clearly annoyed when he wrote it. Furthermore, it pointed firmly towards Adachi’s suspicion. He shuffled through the pages, quickly skimming through the rest of the report, but the packet below it caught his eye.

This one wasn’t a police record. It was handwritten, organized by bulleted points that had no internal organization. The main body was in pencil, but it, too, had annotations penned in red ink. The main body was mostly times and dates, all in April. It was scattered, all over the place, but there was one entry that made what it was abundantly obvious.

“April 13 – Attended school entire day. Under teachers’ watch immediately before fog set in through after it lifted.”

Then, at the side in red…

“No way to attack Mayumi Yamano using conventional methods in given time frame. Uninvolved.”

As he read, Adachi started to shake. He clenched his teeth together, trying to keep his rising emotions from bursting free.

“Yu Narukami...”

He had investigated Mitsuo Kubo all on his own. Every moment of his life during the week of Yamano and Konishi’s murders was recorded, and anytime that schedule conflicted with the appearance of the bodies, it was marked.

“You...”

Hell if Adachi knew how he got the police records, but somehow, with these minimal leads, the brat had completely dismantled his decoy. He wasn’t tricked in the slightest. His would-be detectives were staged to stay on course, ignoring the pebble that was Mitsuo Kubo entirely.

“You…!”

Seeing all this, all the plans Yu had made to sidestep the distraction, Adachi could barely restrain himself. His chest shook violently, and his breaths came quicker and quicker, a steam boiler ready to blow. It took all of his willpower…

...To keep from laughing.

“You sly dog!”

All this time, Adachi thought he was playing checkers against a pack of simpletons. The one brain among them was interesting whenever he got a chance at the board, but he thought those wits were being drowned by the noise from his useless “friends,” wasted on chasing down Namatame while Adachi laughed his ass off.

Little did he know that he, himself, was still on the field. As he watched the detectives playing checkers with Namatame, Adachi didn’t realize he was up against Narukami in a rousing game of chess. He fancied himself the spider, but he missed how Yu was spinning webs of his own.

Finally, someone with the wits to make this more interesting. Now that he knew what game was really going on, it looked like it was about time to make his first move. He had a lot of ground to make up for, and he knew exactly how to do it. He had a little business to attend to after supper.

-

Adachi stepped out of police HQ into the cool night air. It was done. They thought Kubo wasn’t involved? Well then, what would they say to him suddenly popping up on the Midnight Channel? It ought to throw them for a loop. Imagining the chaos that was about to unfold brought him a great deal of satisfaction.

Or maybe that was just the shrimp. Narukami was a pretty stellar cook.

‘The one known as Mitsuo Kubo has arrived, and his Shadow is rising.’ Adachi turned to make his way home, not outwardly acknowledging the thundering whisper that filled his head. He waited until HQ was well behind him before he responded.

“Good. It wouldn’t do if there weren’t a chance of one of them biting it along the way.”

‘You may be… pleased to hear that I’ve a further use for this one.’

“Oh? Do tell.”

‘You wished to know more of the Wild Card who opposes you. His guard is high, shell firm. However, I believe encountering this Shadow may unveil a crack in his armor. One which I might make use of. I need only your permission, and I shall attend to the rest.’

“You know how much I like not working.” Adachi grinned, thoroughly excited to see where this all would go. “You better not be pulling my leg here, or I’ll be real disappointed in you, Ameno.”

Chapter Text

Yosuke looked over the dark castle that had risen from the mist. It was wholly swallowed by dusk, lit only by the red sky above. The atmosphere would have been made ten times creepier by the dark woods surrounding it had the trees looked even remotely real. The plants, the fence, even the gravel road beneath the team’s feet, it all looked like it was made from blown-up pixels, the graphics of an 8-bit game stretched and textured over reality.

In front of it all was an opening menu. New Game and Continue. The part of Yosuke conditioned by years of games was a little bit excited to see what the castle proper looked like.

“This Kubo guy is a creep, but I think his place might be my favorite so far.”

“I’ll give you that.” This was only Kanji’s third dungeon, but it was way better than the other two. They were way too freaking… sexual. That being said… “Do we really have to go in for him, though? He iced King Moron. He wanted to be the killer, so isn’t it, like, poetic or some shit for him to get killed by the real one?”

“I’m with Kanji on this one.” Rise stood to the back of the group, experimenting with Himiko’s scanner. If anything, the grid-like nature of the castle made it easier to get used to her powers. “Plus, didn’t you say the police were going to stop investigating because of him, Senpai? If he died, then everyone would realize he wasn’t the real culprit.” It felt wrong to intentionally throw someone under the bus like that, but it might have been necessary to keep others from dying due to police negligence.

“ You’re assuming we know everything.” Yu stood passively, his expression showing no signs as to what was going on in his head. Yosuke, though, could read the look in his eyes, that halfway state between focus and rest that appeared when he was deep in thought. He was pretty sure he knew what Yu was getting at, too.

“The killer wants Kubo dead for a reason. If we can figure out what that reason is, it might help us track him down in the long run.” Yu nodded in agreement with Yosuke’s assessment.

“We also have to consider what a fourth death would do to the public. The conversation is already filled with enough rumors to make investigating through gossip difficult.” It was clear to him that the content of the other world wouldn’t be enough to track down the killer. Whoever it was, they were operating in the real world, and it was all but impossible to find accurate signs of a real world suspect when everyone was throwing accusations at every passing sparrow.

“The Inn still gets calls accusing us of playing a part in the first case...”

“What!?” Chie stared at Yukiko agape. “That’s harassment! Isn’t that, like, illegal?”

“Obviously not enough to get police attention with the murders going on.”

Chie’s shock cooled, hardening on her face like molten rock. It was tinted by her anger, but there was something else running beneath it. She looked to the castle, and her boots were ready to tear through the Shadows between them and Mitsuo.

‘If the police aren’t going to do anything, that leaves justice in our hands.’

-

“Bear-sona!” Teddie’s claws sliced his card, activating Kintoki-Douji. The robot’s eyes lit up. Its gears whirred and clicked, dragging its rocket down until it was held underarm with its thruster aimed squarely at the writhing, black snake in its way. The serpent shot towards Kintoki, maw stretching to unsheathe its fangs. Teddie waited until he could smell its rancid Shadow-breath, grinning all the while.

“You want a bite? How about some frostbite!” Kintoki’s eyes shined brighter, and the rocket ignited. A blast of blue-tinted wind blew. The snake’s Mars amulet rattled, but then it locked in place, held by a thick layer of ice. The snake slowed under the assault of Father Winter. Soon, the snake was nothing more than a great, slightly menacing icicle.

Humming to himself, Teddie skipped towards the new frosty staff, his feet squeaking with every step. He stared it right in the eye with a wide, cheerful smile on his face. He brought his claws up to its neck, and, with a flick of his wrist, its head was severed, skin and insides snapping as easily as the ice. As the Shadow’s body dissolved, viscera trickling from both sides of its parted form, Teddie clicked his claws together and chuckled.

“Looks like you didn’t make the cut!” He turned around to announce his victory to the others, but the looks they gave him weren’t as pleased as he was expecting. Most of them had gone somewhat pale. Kanji was so lost in disbelief that he let the shield fall from his arm, and Rise was covering her mouth with a hand, letting Himiko’s visor hide the rest of her face. Yosuke looked like he was watching one of those ‘horror movies,’ but Teddie got the impression he wasn’t having fun this time.

“Dude… That was just creepy.”

“What do you mean?” Teddie scratched his head with the tips of his claws, an eyebrow raised. “You guys beat up and joke about Shadows all the time.”

“Yeah, but...” Rise struggled to find the right words. This was the one type of crazy stardom hadn’t brought her into direct contact with. Secondary, but not direct. When she failed to finish, Chie tried filling in the gap.

“That was a few steps too far.”

Teddie was still confused, so Yu stepped up as his teacher once more.

“When we celebrate, it’s for what winning gets us. You sounded like you were celebrating the kill itself. Same actions, different intent.” The light of understanding finally lit up, but it was dampened by a mixed shroud of shame and regret.

“Sorry, Sensei. I just figured it was trying to hurt you guys, which made it my enemy, and getting rid of those is a good thing. It’s the first time I’ve ever had the strength to.” He looked up at Yu, his paws crossed in front of himself submissively. “Did Teddie do bad?”

“A little, but your heart was in the right place.” Yu rubbed the top of Teddie’s head, helping to wipe away the rain clouds. “You fought well, but remember. You fight to keep us safe, not to do them harm.” Teddie pushed against Yu’s hand, much like a puppy savoring good attention after a scolding.

“You got it, Sensei!” Deep in his heart, he felt a new power emerge from Kintoki, one that reminded him of Yukiko-chan’s healing magic, but it didn’t have the capacity to grasp it. After a moment of consideration, Teddie discarded Kintoki’s poison magic to make room. This was more important.

-

A flash of light rippled through the hall, and from it came an exhausted pack of teens. Chie’s eyes were spinning in their sockets, and the squeaks of Teddies feet became increasingly deflated. Yukiko wavered on her first few steps, then finally toppled, landing face first on the pixel-brick floor.

“No more teleporting… Please, no more...”

“I’ve got you.” Chie helped Yukiko to her feet, pulling the slimmer girl in so they could share her stability. Chie couldn’t see it, but once Yukiko reclaimed part of her thinking mind, her cheeks were dusted by a thin shade of pink.

“Thank you.”

“Have I ever let you down before?” Those words, meant to encourage, struck a peculiar chord in Yukiko’s heart, but she refused to let them get to her. Chie couldn’t possibly know. One day, she would find the courage to voice it, but she didn’t want to be a distraction in the meantime.

Well, at least they were surely almost done with the teleporting.

“Rise, is it just me, or…?”

“I think so, Senpai.” She lifted up her visor, her eyes painted with a thick layer of irritation. “We just warped back to the first room of the floor.”

‘Why me?’

“Stick close to me, Yukiko.”

‘...Okay, maybe it’s not that bad.’

-

Thunk, thunk, thunk.

That was the only warning the team got before a Shadow came crashing through the castle towards them, knocking shields and tapestries from the walls as it hauled its hulking frame along. Red dominated its coloration, offset only by thin stripes of cooler blue at its joints. Light glinted off the gold horns of its shogun helmet, whose shadow made the menacing gleam of its eyes all the more imposing. It reared back, letting loose a clangorous roar as it raised its long sword.

Yu answered with a roar of his own.

“Fire!”

The group parted to the sides, revealing their back line to the enemy. Where normally this would be a move of the cowardly and undisciplined, their medic was well equipped for the unorthodox order. In each hand, Yukiko held a small firework, the lit rockets distanced from her skin by their wooden handles.

Though the thickness of her Phoenix Ranger outfit also helped.

“Festival Flurry!”

The fireworks flew with a pair of peppy whistles. The Shadow raised an arm to block them, certain that its dense armor, which had seen it through countless battles before, would have no issues in repelling such piddly little firecrackers.

One rocket pulled ahead of the other, striking the Shadow near its joint. The steel titan screeched as its arm bent inwards, the explosion lodging its shoulder into its body as its hand clattered to the floor. This left it without its planned guard, and without the time to arrange another before the other rocket struck the center of its chest.

It pierced the outer layer of armor, only detonating when it struck the thick entanglement of pipes within. Fire blew from both the wound and the gap around the bottom of its neck. Its cries of pain, a sensation so foreign to the beast, wound down, fading like a candle that had run out of wick. The hateful light of its eyes flickered out, and, with a whine from its twisting ankles, the Shadow fell, small pieces of metal breaking from the now motionless warrior. The clink of those shards of steel were the only bells to toll for it.

Yukiko spun on her foot, leaning forward until her masked face was half hidden behind a fan.

“For great justice!”

“That’s how you strike a victory pose.”

“Got it, Sensei.”

-

“Is… Is space bugging out?”

Kanji kept blinking, as though the sight in front of him would suddenly make sense after a soft reboot. But no, it was still weird, and confusing, and he hated it.

It was like this dungeon had a giant hate boner for people trying to run down hallways, which was most of what they did to get through them. First it was the teleporting. Kanji nearly tripped after the first one, and Yukiko was whittled down until she collapsed from the royal mind screw.

Now, after that big show of misdirection, the castle had a new trick to get in the way of their hallway running. Straight lines? Nope, how about a sudden right turn directly into the face of a waiting Shadow. After that panicked scramble of a fight, Teddie went back to check out the crosswalk that started it.

Somehow, he found the exact spot where the trap triggered and just stood there. Every other second, it clicked and he popped another ninety degrees around. Not turned. Popped. As in, sticking with this place being a video game, his character model was glitching and couldn’t decide which way it was supposed to be facing, but by the time it caught up, it decided that, no, it was supposed to go this way, over and over again.

“You spin me right round, baby, right round...”

Yu glanced over at the others.

“No one tell him what that song actually means.”

Yosuke nodded, covering his eyes. This was giving him a headache.

“Get him off the pad and we’ll have a deal. It’s like Sonic ‘06 all over again.” Chie promptly slapped him.

“Do not speak the cursed one’s name!”

-

“Finally, the top floor!” Chie dropped to her knees, celebrating the giant double doors ahead like the coming of a god. “The torment is over!”

“This one really got under my skin, too.” Yukiko looked over to Rise apologetically. “Sorry your first mission with us had to be this one, Rise-chan. You’ve been a big help.”

“Aw, thanks, Yukiko-senpai. I’m glad to be… Wait.” Rise squinted into her visor, then pushed it up to glare at the door with her own eyes. “It’s locked.”

“...What?”

“It’s locked. Sealed shut. And we don’t have a key.”

Yu stepped forward and pushed on the door. Just like Rise said, it didn’t budge. It didn’t even rattle. For all points and purposes, it was just another wall. Which meant it was…

“A dead end!?” Chie curled into herself, cursing the false god that had tricked her so cruelly. “That’s it, I am going to flatten that Kubo jerk’s face when we get in there!”

“It’s okay, Chie. It’s okay.” Yukiko knelt beside her and patted her back. “I’ll come visit soon so we can play a good game together. How does that sound?” Chie sniffled a bit, then nodded.

“Thanks. I need something to wash this horrible experience down, something that was actually well made. I think I’d rather push through Radiant Dawn than climb this castle again.”

“Oh.” Yosuke jumped a bit out of mild surprise. “You play Fire Emblem? No offense, but I didn’t take you for the strategy game sort.” Chie’s eyes slid to the side, avoiding direct contact lest an embarrassed blush break out.

“Honestly, Yukiko and I just sort of fumble our way through them together. You can only mess up so bad with two heads, right?”

“No shame in biting it in Radiant Dawn. I swear, the guys they brought on to make that one were real sadists.” Yosuke shook his head, laughing at his own misfortune. Then he looked up at Yu, who was still examining the locked door. “I bet you didn’t have any trouble beating it, right, partner?”

“Sorry, I’ve never played a video game.” Yu turned back to them, only to see that they were all looking at him like he had desecrated their ancestors’ graves. Even Teddie was taken back.

“But Sensei, they’re so fun! It’s like a movie, but you’re one of the characters. How could you have never played one?”

“Never had the time for it.” He suddenly felt somewhat on the spot, a new experience in his books. He was left to scratch the back of his neck as he explained to the flabbergasted crowd. “Movies only take an hour or two. Same for books. Most games are anywhere from ten to one hundred. Between school and helping my parents with business arrangements, I’ve never had that much free time to put into recreation.”

“That’s it.” Chie shot up from the ground and marched towards him, grabbing his arm. “You’re coming over to play games, too, and I won’t take no for an answer.” Okay, Chie getting worked up was something he could handle way better than all of their combined stares. He managed to collect himself to respond this time.

“Is it really that important?”

“Absolutely.” Yukiko took his other arm so he couldn’t back away. “You need to learn to take more time for yourself. You work way too hard.” The numbers were starting to turn against him again.

“Okay, maybe I do get too wrapped up in business sometimes...”

“More like all the time.” Yosuke didn’t try to intervene. Even if he wanted to stop the proceedings, which he didn’t, he knew he didn’t have the strength to wrench Yu from Chie’s grasp. He could, however, get him to agree with reasoning to spare him from the “dragged kicking and screaming” method of persuasion. “You said your Personas get stronger when you’re closer with your friends, right? Then we can turn it into a group hangout thing. You get stronger Personas, and we get you to willingly relax for once in your life.”

By this point, Yu had somewhat resigned himself to his fate, fiddling with his schedule to accommodate the new spanner in the works. Then he had an idea. He could weaponize this unforeseen rush of enthusiasm.

“If we can find this missing key today, that should give us enough of a grace period to fit in a game night before we go after Kubo.” Immediately, Chie let go of him, jogging back to the stairs.

“You heard the man, we’ve got a needle in a haystack to find!”

“Hey, wait for the rest of us, Chie-senpai!” No way in heck was Rise letting her take all the credit. Yukiko could be trusted with Yu, but Chie? Nope, that was a competitor she couldn’t leave unaccounted for. Rise needed some brownie points with Yu, too, or she would fall behind.

Yu, for his part, was left to wonder how he got caught up with this lot. They were high energy, largely impulsive, prone to distractions, and disorganized. They were the exact opposite of the sort of people he had grown up expecting to associate with. Had he not been sent to Inaba, he knew he wouldn’t have even heard their names.

As he watched this pack of stampeding teens charge back into the lion’s den with little more than the promise of a simple game night, under the iron mask, through which no one could gleam his true intentions, Yu was smiling the widest he had ever smiled.

Chapter Text

“Thanks, Mom!” Chie downed half a fist of popcorn as she spoke, settling into a blanket cocoon at the edge of her bed.

“You’re welcome, kiddo. It’s always nice when you invite friends over.” Granted, the friends in question weren’t the sort Chie usually hung out with, but her mother didn’t bat an eye at the diverse crowd. Maybe, between the rough looking Kanji and the national idol Rise, her ability to register what was going on wasn’t all there, but she seemed, by Yu’s reading, to be as mentally sturdy as her daughter was physically. Her eyes were like stainless steel, fitting right in with her dense build. Most species of trees weren’t as sturdy looking.

Come to think of it, maybe that was why Kanji didn’t intimidate her. He had her beat in height and mass, but she looked like she could backhand an eagle out of the sky. She caught Yu in the corner of her eye, and she fought to hold back a hearty laugh.

“Looks like Muku’s taken a liking to you, Narukami-kun.”

“I have a way with animals.” He had been offered a sheet to settle in with at first, but Muku made it clear that he wouldn’t need the extra heat. The dog, a large, white and brown mutt that might have been part St. Bernard, draped himself over Yu’s lap and rested his head against his chest. Whenever their eyes met, Yu was assaulted by both a thick tongue on his face and a surprisingly heavy tail at his side. He didn’t move much otherwise, though, so Yu didn’t mind.

“So I’ve heard.” Chie’s mother broke eye contact, lest she lose her composure. She could wait and laugh when it wouldn’t overwhelm the poor guy. “You kids have fun now. But not too much fun. Looking at you, Hanamura! I heard what you did on that school camping trip!”

“Wha- I apologized!” Chie almost nudged Yosuke off the bed, casually shoving the air out of him.

“Yeah, after Yu had to reel you out of the vomit river.”

The sight of Yosuke’s bruised ego finally yanked that laugh out of Chie’s mom. Her deep chuckle followed her down the hall, but its echoes remained in the bedroom for a spell longer. Kanji turned from the doorway to Chie, trying his hardest not to glare jealously at Muku’s chosen resting place along the way.

“I think I see where you get it from, Chie-senpai.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“No time for that now!” Yukiko could sense a spike in Chie’s anger from space if need be. She also, in a pinch, knew how to funnel that energy. She passed a wheel-shaped remote cover Chie’s way, and she gave the second to Kanji. Then she leaned closer to both and brought her voice down to a whisper. “We only have one afternoon to get Yu-kun into video games. If we can do this, it might convince him to relax a little more.”

The reminder of their current mission snapped them out of the brewing conflict. They nodded curtly, then turned back to the others like the exchange never happened. Chie, as any good host should, introduced the evening’s entertainment.

“Alright, let game night begin!”

-

“Woo!” Diddy Kong zipped around the last turn, his little motorcycle shaking from the strain of its engine. It just had to hold out a little longer. The cramped factory halls opened to clear blue skies, and the iron floor turned to dirt and mud. Teddie leaned hard to the right, almost bumping into Kanji in the beanbag chair beside him as he tried to swerve towards the boost pad.

“Hey, watch it!” Baby Luigi fishtailed between conveyor belts. The distraction threw Kanji off his game, making him lose control and turn right into the one going against the track. He panicked and hurried back towards the other, but Funky Kong’s kart sped by on the fumes of a mushroom boost.

“Boom, I’m moving on up!”

“Not on my watch.” Kanji rammed through the first item block he saw, hoping beyond hope for a Bullet Bill. The only thing better than passing Chie would’ve been knocking her momentum off via screaming torpedo. The roulette spun and spun and spun, rolling down until it revealed his prize.

“Blue shell!? That’s useless right now!” He didn’t think twice before hammering that use item button. His inventory cleared for what would hopefully be a better item, and Teddie’s stomach dropped.

“No, not now!” Teddie straightened his bike, shooting directly for the finish line. It was right ahead of him, thirty feet away. He could make it, he knew it. “Come on…!”

Twenty five.

Twenty.

Fifteen.

Ten.

Teddie’s hopes rose as he neared that black and white checkered line, but then the alarm went off. Above him, the spiky harbinger of azure doom appeared. His front tire was a foot from the goal as judgment visited him, engulfing him in a blue dome of flame. Diddy came out the other side, but all his speed was gone.

“No no no no no no no…!”

“Yes.”

Bowser bulldozed through the tiny monkey, knocking him aside as the victory music played. The Koopa King gloated from his first place throne, and Yu smiled serenely.

“Sensei, how could you!?”

“Sorry.” Yu relaxed his arms and accepted a congratulatory lick to the nose from Muku. “I know it’s supposed to be Turtle and the Hare, but Turtle and the Bear will have to do.”

“Gah, Bullet Bill!”

“Ha ha! Yes!”

-

“Not cool, not cool!” Yosuke flailed his arm wildly, but the undisciplined waggling of his sword did nothing to slow Yu’s assault. It had been a somewhat even game at first. Yosuke even managed to knock Yu down once. As soon as Yu got used to the weight of his weapon, though, it was over. Round two was over in a flash, and the third was soon to follow.

Yosuke’s Mii gripped the platform by the barest inch of footing. Yu waited but a moment, then thrust, his sword sliding into the gap of Yosuke’s desperate defense. The Mii’s balance was lost, and Yosuke once more knew the bitter sting of an unwanted dive.

“No fair! You fence, dude, you shouldn’t be fighting in the amateur league like this!”

“Stand aside, Yosuke-senpai.” Kanji stepped up to the screen and swiped the remote from Yosuke’s hand with one swipe. Even the strap came off smoothly. He turned to Yu and held it over his chest. Yu mirrored the gesture, and they bowed. “You’ve prepared me for this day, Senpai.”

“I expect your actions to back your words. En garde.”

Chie’s attention was locked on the screen. The only energy expense she allowed was the constant shoveling of popcorn and the occasional chug of water. This was it, the showdown between student and master she always dreamed of.

The battle rarely left the center of the arena. Whenever one nicked the other, the strike was returned. Yu’s performance was what they expected of him, considering his skill with a long sword in the other world.

Kanji, on the other hand, was displaying a level of finesse that no one foresaw from the guy who bashed demons in the head with a plate of steel. That wasn’t to say he entirely lost his brutality. What Yu had over him in experience, Kanji made up for in aggression. Yu was constantly pushed to the defensive. Anyone else would have been tossed from the tower by his precision flurry, but Yu’s eye for oncoming attacks was to be envied.

Kanji’s defense was lackluster, letting Yu make up for the attacks he couldn’t block swiftly, but the windows between offensives was too slim to give him an upper hand. When Kanji wasn’t attacking, he was catching his breath, and his prior fencing practice let muscle memory parry Yu with little intentional input.

Minutes stretched on. Whoever programmed the game didn’t expect any one fight to go on long enough to require a time limit, but the group, barring the competitors and Chie, swiftly found out how critical that oversight was. Muku looked between the two worriedly as Kanji slowly turned bright red. Chie was down to the dregs of her popcorn as Kanji’s breathing turned into heavy puffs.

Yu was tiring as well, but now it was a matter of endurance. His opponent was talented, but his immense strength also burned energy far faster. It would only be a matter of time before an opening presented itself. Kanji went in for another flurry, but his hand slipped, forcing him to over-commit to the initial downward swing.

Yu saw this, and he lunged.

“Shit!” After two consecutive attacks from Yu, Kanji’s composure broke. He found himself in the same spot Yosuke stood twenty minutes before, struggling to put his sword between himself and Yu, but it did nothing. He was shoved from the blue center dot, across the white ring, and to the outer limits of the red boundary. He could practically feel the sea breeze blowing behind him.

“You fought well, my pupil.” Kanji looked to his side. Yu glared at him from the corner of his eye, a horrendous mixture of respect for a worthy opponent and dominance over him. The last pieces of popcorn fell from Chie’s hand. She could almost hear the woeful wails of a wretched pipe organ as Yu’s shadow fell over stage and spectators alike. His words, though quiet, were sharp enough to pierce any armor.

“Now fall.”

He waved his arm, dismissing Kanji as though an unwanted butler. His blade thwacked across the cage of Kanji’s helmet, and gravity saw that his bidding was done. The Mii was cast from the mountain its master stood upon, and as it hit the water, Kanji hit the floor, falling downtrodden and exhausted to his knees.

Yu let out a breath, and his expression relaxed, the domineering lord retiring to the depths of his mind. He extended a hand to Kanji.

“You’re as good as your word. Proud of you.” Kanji smiled, but before he could reach back, a peppy trumpet blew through the speakers, and both Miis were back on the platform.

“Oh yeah. It’s best of three.”

“Nope! Nuh uh.” Yosuke jumped in front of them and blocked the screen with his body. “We’ve got more games to get to.”

-

“Stupid booty bump...”

Rise groused over her loss to Yukiko’s well placed attack. She didn’t think she’d do great, but dying to the rump of a pretty pink princess? That was just insulting.

“Yeah, Yukiko has Peach’s moves down pat.” Chie tossed Rise a bottled tea, sympathizing with her defeat. “She can’t play anyone else that well, but she dominates as Peach.”

“I noticed.” Yu took his defeat much more gracefully than Rise. Meta Knight was supposed to be grossly overpowered, according to Yosuke, but strength easily fell to experience. Experience against fear, though?

“Come back here, Kanji!”

“I won’t let you hurt Kirby!”

That one was still being decided.

“Thanks for inviting me over. It’s been fun.”

“Any time, pal-o-mine.” Chie winked up at Yu, silently patting herself on the back. Now for the last stretch. “What do you think of games now?”

“Still probably won’t have a lot of time for them, but I think I’ll work them into my schedule more often.” Mission accomplished! Wait, he wasn’t done. “Just have to choose where to start. Yosuke said something about me being good at… Fire Emblem, was it?”

“Good? I think you’d be great at it. See, it’s a strategy game series where you lead a big army of knights and swordsman and stuff.”

“Don’t forget the mages and dragons… Hey, don’t eat the princess!”

“You sound a bit… royal tart!”

“Not now, Teddie!”

“What she said. It’s fun, but there’s a catch. The soldiers you order around are full characters you can get to know. If you let them fall in battle...” Chie wiggled her fingers, trying to emphasize the spooky quiver in her tone. “They’re dead forever! You know, unless you turn the game off after you mess up. I do that a lot.” Yu hummed, then smiled.

“Sounds interesting. I’ll give it a shot.”

“Alright! Just a sec.” Chie jumped up, carting her blanket cocoon around as a shell while she dug into a drawer in the corner. She came back with a small, blue brick of a system. “You can borrow my Gameboy. It’s got Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones in there. I think it’s one of the easier games in the series, so it should be a great jumping on point for you.”

“Are you…?” As though expecting him to object, she shoved the gift into his hands.

“Yes, I am sure. I know you won’t break my stuff, unlike some other people I could mention.”

Yosuke huffed indignantly.

“I already replaced Trial of the Dragon! Jeeze, why is everyone ragging on me today?” Yu chuckled under his breath.

“You know we love you.”

“Uh… You just gonna leave your wording like that, partner?”

Yu rolled his eyes. What was the accepted slang for this situation?

“No homo.”

“Better.”

The Yosuke situation taken care of, Yu turned his attention back to Chie.

“Thanks. I’ll get this back to you as soon as I’m finished.”

“Take your time. Yukiko and me are stuck on Radiant Dawn right now, anyway.”

“Plus Awakening is right around the corner. And, booty bump!”

“No, Kirby!”

“You say that like I could forget!” Instantly, all of the energy in Chie’s body sparked at once, excited jitters running rampant through her. “It’s gonna be awesome! Why can’t next year be here sooner?”

Yu’s eyes drifted down to the device in his hands. A Gameboy Advance, or so said the label at the bottom of the screen. Come to think of it, he had heard that name before. It was an early memory, but he made sure to recall, at least vaguely, the details of every meeting he partook in. It was hard to predict when that information could come in handy.

Nintendo, right?

“...I’m sure it’ll be here before you know it.”

“I hope so.”

Watching Yu and Chie banter so openly, so buddy-buddy, Rise couldn’t help but feel her heart sink. Her idol status really was worthless, wasn’t it?

Chapter Text

The towering doors opened to the sound of a bit-crunched creak. Yu stepped lightly through them before the others, wary of what could be waiting on the other side. The Shadow of a murderer was certain to be a more fearsome beast than those they had faced before. If the pattern held, their entrance would trigger a tirade, a spark to light the fuse.

And, indeed, someone was speaking harshly.

“Come on, say something!”

Whiny, the audio equivalent of a bratty five year old tugging on their parent’s arm. The predicted pattern held, with two small differences. The tiredness in that voice made it sound as though the argument had begun long ago, whereas Shadows typically waited for a crowd to reveal their secrets to.

Beyond that, Yu could see clearly that the one with those deep yellow eyes wasn’t speaking. Shadow Kubo was backed against a wall and stared at its own feet. The other Kubo, the real one, was waving his arms aggressively to emphasize his demand. He mimed a punch at the other’s face, but it didn’t flinch, as though it knew the fist would stop shortly before impact. Or perhaps it didn’t care.

“I didn’t do all that just to be ignored, damnit!”

Kanji huffed like a bull about to charge.

“Big talk from a shrimp like you.” Kubo jumped, and when he turned around, he brought his incensed bluster with him.

“What!? W-who are…?”

Kanji didn’t give him a chance to finish before he stomped forward and grabbed him by the collar.

“We’re the people that just had to trudge through your dump of a castle. What do we find when we get here but a shit heel that can’t even throw a real punch. I don’t know how the Hell someone as spineless as you went through with a murder.” As soon as Kanji mentioned that, all of the anger and bewilderment in Kubo’s eyes turned to relief, and a smirk crossed his lips.

“I… I see. You’re here for me. You know who I am. Ha!” He twisted around in his shirt so he could glare spitefully back at his Shadow, which hadn’t moved at all. It didn’t even appear to be breathing, as though it was only a wax statue. “You hear that!? I’m too good for you! Is that why you won’t look me in the eye, too scared?” Kanji resisted the urge to wrap his other hand around the punk’s throat. Yosuke saw the waning control and cut in.

“No one’s scared of you. Congrats, you killed one guy who was probably drunk at the time anyway, good going.”

“What!?” The anger was back in short order. When Kubo tried lashing out, Kanji simply held him further away. No matter how he clawed at the leather-wrapped arm that held him, Kubo couldn’t make him so much as wince. “Check your math, I killed three people! Morooka, that announcer, and that bitch Konishi!” Yosuke gripped his daggers tightly, trying to keep himself in check. Now it was Kanji’s turn to play the voice of reason.

“No, you didn’t. We know you didn’t. You only got King Moron. Only a piss ant tries puffing himself up with stuff someone else did.”

“That’s enough, guys.” Rise jumped in, using Himiko’s voice amplifier to reach them clearly from the door. “We should grab him and go before something sets off you-know-what. We’re not here to save him, we’re here to recapture him.”

“Good call.” Yu clapped his hands, the metal nails on his gloves ringing as a bell to direct the team’s efforts. “Kanji, bring him back to the stairs. Chie, Yosuke, get the rope ready. We can’t have him running off before...”

“You’re here.”

The air chilled suddenly, and it became colder still as the Shadow breathed. It looked past Kubo, instead staring at Yu. Its eyes were the same hollow, dead pits as its real self’s, but behind the tarnished gold, there was something else, something Yu thought he recognized but couldn’t quite recall.

“Narukami, you’re here.”

“Oh, now you speak up?” Kubo flailed from his unwanted perch, unable to look directly at his other self with Kanji holding him so tightly. The Shadow paid him no mind and maintained its newfound focus. Still wary, Yu rested his hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword.

“You were expecting me?”

“I knew you would come. You’re too loyal of a lapdog to ignore the whim of your betters.” It took one step forward, and Chie jumped to Yu’s side.

“What’s with this thing? It’s locked on you.”

“It might be like Kanji’s Shadow.” Teddie took his position at Yu’s other flank, claws raised threateningly. “Sensei, did you know Kubo before all this happened?” Yu put a hand over his mask, muffling himself just enough to keep his reply from unwanted ears.

“No, only met him the once when he asked Yukiko out.” Watching the Shadow closely, he noted how it didn’t hold itself aggressively. It just stood there, as though it expected its mere presence to be imposing enough. It rang familiar, but Yu couldn’t place from where. Maybe he could get it to reveal more of its hand if he got it to keep talking. “What do you mean by that?”

“You have no will of your own. You exist only to serve. If you weren’t ordered to come here, you would be locked away, a machine waiting to be claimed and exploited. ” It took another step, heedless of the weapons being raised at it from every side. “ Will you deny my words, Narukami?”

So that was its game. It was trying to get a rise out of him, as though it was his own Shadow. Yu knew better than to proceed hastily. To say it was lying would likely trigger a transformation, but he couldn’t say it was telling the truth, either. He scanned the team around him, thankful his mask let him look without being seen. The thin line between truth and lie would have to be walked. For once, he appreciated his practice with the craft.

“Let’s say you were correct. Why does it matter to you?” Behind him, he heard Rise whispering his name worriedly. Had she seen something with Himiko? No, he could deal with that possibility later. For now, he had to stay focused on the mission at hand.

“Call it curiosity. I am nothing in my lack of worth. You are nothing in an abundance thereof. It is peculiar. Humanity, such a contradictory existence. Or is that a trait unique to you?” As it spoke, Yu picked up on the tones of its voice. Every Shadow echoed strangely, but Kubo’s sounded deeper than the norm. It was still tinged by his real voice, but it sounded distinctly like an undertone, buried beneath a sea of static and fog.

And the topics it touched on, the vocabulary, they didn’t sound anything like what would come out of Kubo’s head alone. From what Yu found, Kubo’s attention was firmly planted inwards, disconnected entirely from the world at large. He wouldn’t speak of humanity as a whole. It was his Shadow, but it seemed to him more like a sock puppet covering the hand that hijacked it. Yu grimaced and drew his sword.

“Back so soon? Here I thought a stab to the eye would be a strong deterrent.”

The Shadow grinned, its sickly pale flesh wrinkling like half dried dough.

“Impressive deduction.”

“No...” Teddie’s claws rattled, and his mouth went dry. “It can’t be, the same thing that took my Shadow over?”

“Everyone, be careful!” Rise’s eyes raced to keep up with all of the signals flooding her scans. “The area’s Shadows are starting to converge on our location! I think it’s calling them here.”

“Uh, I hate to say things are worse, but...” Kanji shook his arm, trying and failing to snap Kubo out of the sudden exhaustion that overtook him. “Don’t this mean things are about to be real bad for us?”

“If we act quickly, we can stop the transformation.” Yu flourished his blade, a strategy flooding to him. “Kanji, get Kubo out of here, and try to keep him awake. That might limit its power.”

“On it.” Kanji threw the half unconscious boy over his shoulder and booked it for the door, hoping the sharp edge of his bone getting rammed into his stomach with every step would prevent a complete drift off.

“Rise, direct everyone else to where the Shadows are coming in the thickest. Disperse them before they can meld with Kubo’s.”

“I can’t count how many are coming, but I’ll try.” Rise directed her scanner’s energy towards position and weakness checks. “What are you going to do?”

“Simple. Break the antenna, and the signal will stop.” Yu bolted forward, counting on the Shadow to still be mostly human and, thus, limited in its counterattack options. He swung down, aiming to cut it in twine at once, but it sidestepped him to his left. He slashed towards it with the claws on that hand’s glove, but they, too, were avoided, the Shadow smiling all the while.

“Physical performance, swift thought, resistance to outside pressures, impeccable deductive reasoning. Your virtues are bested by few singularly, and none excel beyond you in all at once. You are an exceptional specimen of your species. And yet...”

The Shadow pressed forward, shoving Yu’s sword arm aside and staring into his eyes, seemingly seeing through the yellow plastic covering them.

“It was not your own will that brought you here today. You came at the behest of those who ‘follow’ you. Your ‘friends.’ You have nothing to gain in this group’s pursuits, no reason to desire justice. It does not profit you. Why, then, are you here? ” It grabbed the sides of Yu’s mask, and when it grinned, the green and blue wires in its eyes flared to life, revealing the true nature of what lurked within. “ That is what I intend to decipher.”

Yu attempted to grab the Shadow’s neck, but as his fingers closed around it, the flesh parted, pale skin melting into thick, black sludge. He pulled away in shock, but between the density of the fluid and the unwarranted strength of its hold on him, he was left unable to escape. The Shadow smiled, more of its skin warping into amorphous oil. It trailed up Yu’s arm and over his face.

“Get the Hell away from him!” Kanji was hauling towards them, shield held like the bumper of an oncoming car.

“How distracting. No matter. I shall allow this lowly Shadow I inhabit to handle them. ” The sludge wrapped its way over Yu’s eye holes, and he though t he saw some leaking into the air slots around his mouth. It coiled around and through his coat until he felt no air, only sludge. It felt of liquid mold, and smelled much the same. His mind spun from the combined lack of air and suffocating stench until he could barely tell the difference between dark and light. “ We’ve matters of our own to attend, do we not?”

-

The dizziness slowly passed. When Yu was able to think again, the discrepancy in environments stood out to him. No longer was he in the heart of a pixel castle. Now, he was kneeling at a table, sitting up straight and proper. To his left was a packet of homework, an organized collection of his assignments for the afternoon. To his right, written in block form, composed of stagnant, lifeless wording, was a wall of legalese and jargon that might as well have been Latin to any but the most experienced of suits.

Yu tried to reach out and wipe the stack to his right away, sick to the pits of his soul of that nonsense, but his arm failed to respond. It remained on his lap, hands flat against his thighs. He tried to move the left arm, then either leg, but nothing. It was as though his limbs were lifeless wood, waiting for someone else to grab his strings and make him dance.

“Make sure you finish your portion of the paperwork. This merger promises to be lucrative for us.”

That voice. That demanding, suffocating, heartless voice! He thought he had escaped it. The first night where it didn’t fill his ear with orders was so sweet, but now it was back to submerge his brain in its vapid, single-minded demands. His unresponsive body didn’t let him turn to its source, and when his mouth opened, the tone and content failed to match the scalding thoughts running through his head.

“Yes, mother.”

“And do decide on your personal investment into the new operations we selected. Personally, I ha ve high hopes for that food corporation. Its CEO has the exact brand of dedication that leads to profit with the proper support. What was his name again?”

“Okumura, mother.”

“Ah yes, Okumura. I see great things for him and us in the future. I leave to you how much you want to invest in him.”

“Thank you, mother.”

Why was he thanking her? She never thanked him. Not once, ever! And it wasn’t like she did anything that deserved thanks in the first place. What, letting him choose what to do with the money he earned? Next he would be asked to thank her for letting him breathe.

“You also have finals this next week , correct? I expect your performance to be exemplary of our family name.”

“Yes, mother.”

“Dear, don’t you think this is a bit much? ” And then there was this sniveling wreck of a human tinker toy. What stellar argument would be shot down today? “ Yu hasn’t had a moment to himself in weeks. Maybe one of us could take some of the paperwork off his hands so he can properly prepare for his tests?”

“Nonsense. He had twice as much business to attend to this time last year, and he managed a perfect score then. If he couldn’t handle the workload, he would say something. Right, Yu?”

“Yes, mother.”

Ha, what a joke! Even if he had raised an objection, she would have talked around him until he felt like he was lazy or burdensome, guilted him into complying with everything she expected of him. Nothing but the very best from one of her bloodline.

“See? Now, let’s leave him to his work. Oh don’t look at me like that, he’ll have a few hours for his fishing next weekend. That should be enough to recuperate before the final merger contract gets penned. Dinner will be at seven, Yu. Do try to bring some good results from your studies to entertain the help by then.”

At last, his hand was freed from its place on his lap. It reached for the pen in front of him, and as soon as he had it, he would be stuck filling out papers filled to bursting with clause after clause dead, lifeless text at the behest of his dear mother. Never mind that he hadn’t so much as sat down from a long day at school before having it dropped in his lap. Never mind that he had been stuck in that same spot yesterday, and the day before. Never mind that it was the only life he knew, at least until they dragged him somewhere else just to be stuck in a tiny little room to do it all over again.

No, he was done!

“Yes, mo…”

He pulled against the force driving his hand forward. His fingers twitched and cramped. His arm shook. It felt like it was being torn apart by the opposing forces.

“Yes, moth…”

His muscles burned, and his teeth grit together. His body burned from the inside out, and when it was too much to contain, it all rushed to his hand, where the fingers clenched into fist.

“...No!”

He slammed his hand down and slid it across the table, throwing every paper on it to the floor. His motor skills returned to him, and he stood, ready to rake his dear mother over the coals for every speck of bullshit she had put him through.

But the room was empty. The door was closed, though he hadn’t heard it click. Everything was in order, from the bookshelves to his bed. It was all dark aside from the dull, yet blinding glow of his desk lamp. He was alone.

Then, he heard a voice.

“Interesting. Very interesting, indeed. It seems you are well acquainted with a life of servitude.”

Yu grabbed for his sword, but he found his sheathe empty. Bereft of his weapon, he aimed his arm forward, his hooks prepared to fly at a moment’s notice.

“Show yourself!”

“Why should I obey an order from you? Do gods oft heed the words of a slave?”

“Shut up!”

“You desire the truth, yet you turn your back to it? How foolish. How… contradictory. Yes, this hypocrisy must be unique to you. ” He turned this way and that, hunting for the slightest sign of movement. This damned Shadow had to be somewhere in here, it had to be! If he could only find it. “ You, who waited on your ‘loved ones’ with bated breath, who despise them for robbing you of your freedoms, now willingly surrender yourself to new masters. This is the only form of ‘love’ you recognize. Once a slave, always a slave, only now it is of your own volition.”

“I said, SHUT UP!”

Carried by the rush of burning hate, Yu reached up and crushed the card that formed in his hand.

“Ippon-Datara!”

From his rage came a towering demon, one of thick garb and bronze mask. It glared through the grating over its one eye, and with a muffled roar, it swung its hammer down, breaking the desk that tormented Yu so. The light on it crashed against the floor and shattered, casting the room into total darkness.

“Rage against your confines all you want. Even should this cell break, you shall surely find another of your own creation. Rage, rage pitiful human, at your own perfect ineptitude.”

“Damn it, enough!” Ippon Datara flew across the room, next tearing apart a bookshelf. Its pages filled the air like so many feathers. “You’re here somewhere, and I will find you! I’ll shut you up myself! You want to talk down to me? I’ll… I’ll…!”

Instead of waiting for Datara to wind up again, Yu recalled him and took to the last piece of furniture himself. He grabbed the mattress and hefted it from its frame. Underneath was yet more nothing, and in his rage, he dug his claws deep into the bed in his hands.

“I will show you who is inferior!” With a primal scream, he tore the mattress in half. Cotton stuffing, shreds of silk, and broken springs rained over him, but they bounced harmlessly off his mask.

“I AM PERFECT!”

“And so the cracks reveal themselves. ” That taunting, horrible voice grew distant, softening until it was only an echo in his ear. “ I shall take my leave. There is no more damage to be done than what you have already inflicted upon yourself. Enjoy your servitude, for how little time you’ve left of it before the end.”

“Get back here and face me, you coward! I will find you, I swear!” Around him, the wallpaper started to peel from the walls. The guts of the mattress melted at his feet, and its wooden frame withered to ash. “I will not be denied.” The scattered books caught light and filled the air with thin, yet pungent smoke. It smothered his anger, forcing him to choke on emotion and smoke in equal measure.

“I am not...”

Suddenly, the wall where his desk used to be blasted open. A great, red robot crashed into the room. The light from the hole it left behind blinded Yu, leaving him unable to see what was happening. He heard squeaking like from a rusty hinge, and the door on the robot’s stomach popped open. Inside was Teddie, who was almost too wide to fit in the opening.

“Sensei, you’re safe!” Around them, the walls cracked and crumbled, and the roof shuddered. “Whoa, this place is about to come down! Let’s go.” Teddie popped out of Kintoki-Douji, taking the dazed Yu by the hand and pulling him back in. The inside of the Persona was deceptively spacious, providing ample room to use it like an escape pod. “Let’s roll!”

The order was taken quite literally. Yu heard metal scraping against wooden floorboards, and the ride started to bump. The inner chamber must have been a gyroscope as it didn’t tilt and tumble with the bot’s movement.

Outside, a high, bit-crunched cracking sounded, and Kintoki was briefly airborne before hitting the ground with a harsh jolt. It rolled a bit further, then stopped, letting Teddie open the hatch again and pull himself and Yu to freedom. Teddie trusted Yu to be able to stand on his own, but that faith was misplaced. Yu stumbled, then collapsed, his thoughts scattered like a wave on the beach.

“Partner! Yukiko, we need some healing.”

“Diarama!”

A wave of green hit him, but when Yu failed to stand from there, someone grabbed him by the shoulder. His helper grunted from the effort, and soon, Yu found himself looking at a relieved, yet concerned Yosuke.

“Are you there? Damnit, what did that thing do to you?”

“You cannot escape. There is no substance, only emptiness.”

Another voice. Standing behind Yu, peering from a hole in a giant, broken block robot, was a warped Shadow. It appeared somewhat like a baby, but the proportions of its head and limbs were closer to that of an unborn fetus. It spoke like the sparks flying from a snapped wire, and its tone, its empty, emotionless voice…

...Made Yu see red.

He shoved Yosuke away, to the boy’s surprise, but whatever he said in response was lost on Yu. A single goal filled his mind, deafened him to all else. Destroy the Shadow. Silence it. Claim dominance over it. Prove his own perfection.

“Izanagi!” Yu cut the card down with his nails, and when Izanagi heeded the call, he moved oddly. Gone was the peerless composure and grace. In its place was a staggered stance. He bent and twisted in unnatural angles, like his spine was a snake trying to break free from the rest of his bones. Yu pointed forward and made his wish known. “Tear it down.”

Instantly, Izanagi snapped forward. When he swung his naginata, its was without form. He less looked like he was trying to cut the Shadow so much as he was attempting to strike it with a club. The Shadow lifted its mech’s last remaining arm to grab Izanagi’s hand, but he slithered around the limb and rammed the tip of his blade through its shoulder. He pried up, and the arm was torn off. It scattered into static when it hit the floor, crippling the Shadow.

Izanagi’s rampage wasn’t done. It kept swinging, hacking away chunks of the shell in front of him. Even when it was useless as much more than a footstool to the pilot, Izanagi kept tearing away as though he couldn’t recognize the difference between its suit and its real body.

The Shadow recognized this, and it saw the opening it provided. It lifted a hand, slowly as to not incur his wrath more directly. When its palm started to glow, it was already too late.

“Megidola.” The spell came to life quickly. The swell of energies made Izanagi pause, but it expanded before he could react, swallowing up both him and the Shadow at once. Yu recoiled and grabbed his head. It felt like someone had taken a hammer to his skull, and all he could do was scream from the pain that soon overshadowed his anger. The others, he couldn’t see who exactly, tried to reach out to him, to give him support, but he waved them away blindly, almost cutting them with his gloves more than once. He didn’t need help. He just needed this Shadow in the ground, where it belonged.

The attack wore away, and the pain lessened. The Shadow had not anticipated the kickback of its own spell. Its baby form glitched, skin sputtering and shrinking until all that was left was the human form beneath it. Then, that, too, dispersed into a cloud of smoke.

Izanagi was still standing, and he had apparently calmed. He held a hand over his left eye, but his posture was more human now. Before anyone could look more closely at him, he vanished, returning to the depths of Yu’s mind. He felt some control return to him, but his thoughts were still a mangled mess of reason trying to realign itself within a sea of chaos. His breathing was harsh, and he was hunched over, still hold his head to ease the pain.

“Sakuya, Me Patra!” A soft blue light hit him from Yukiko’s Persona, but he struggled to figure out why she cast that spell on him. Then a thought occurred to him. Perhaps she thought he was under a mind-altering effect. She, and perhaps the rest, thought his outburst was due to something the Shadow had done to him.

It might not have been entirely true, but that explanation let him retain a sliver of his dignity.

He made like someone had cut his strings and fell to his knees. He didn’t have to act out any further pain, as the agony of a point blank Megidola was more than sufficient. It didn’t take long for someone to run in after him. Surprisingly, Rise managed to beat everyone else to him. She knelt beside him, her eyes running over him. The pains of heart-wrenching worry were etched into every crease in her face.

“Senpai, can you hear me? Are you alright?” He waited a beat before responding.

“...Hot. Feels like, I’m burning up.”

“Guys, help me get some of his gear off.” Rise’s hands went to his jacket, pushing it up over his shoulders. Yosuke and Chie each took a sleeve and pulled, leaving him in only the under coat. Rise went for the mask next. When she pulled it off and pushed the insulating hood back, she found Yu was dripping with sweat. His eyes were quivering and his breathing was labored. She put a hand to his forehead, then pulled it back.

“I think it’s mostly from overexertion, but the humidity isn’t letting you get rid of your heat fast enough. Here, this should help.” She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and pressed it against his skin. Despite being in her pocket before, it was refreshingly cool. Combined with the unabashed care in her treatment and gentleness of her smile, she acted as the perfect salve for Yu’s frayed soul. To think, someone from the same business-oriented chains as him could be so genuinely kind. “Is it helping?”

Yu looked back at her, doing his best to match her smile despite everything running through his head.

“It’s perfect. Thank you.”

Chapter Text

Yu watched as the red and blue lights sped into the distance. He kept his eyes trained on the back of Kubo’s head through the window until the police cruiser passed the horizon, as though making sure he was gone for good. Kanji sneered in the general direction.

“Hope he rots in there.”

“As much as I agree, it’s not likely.” Yosuke stretched his arms. Dragging their target back to the real world from that castle, then from their hideout to the nearest main road, didn’t do his joints any favors. “After getting kidnapped and found just like the rest of us, there must be a few investigators who realize that the guy behind the cases is still out there. If he gets hit with the one crime he actually committed, he’ll be put up for maybe ten years. Maybe less, if they take him as a minor or accept a plea of insanity.”

“I never thought I’d say it, but I feel bad for Mr. Morooka.” Chie was as worn and downtrodden as the rest, but she didn’t have anything to divert her attention. Her prodigious zeal was all burned away, leaving only the husks of smoking coals. “He died just so that jerk could get five minutes of fame. It’s good that this won’t be taking attention away from the other murders, but… You know. Morooka had a lot coming to him, but not this.” Yukiko bumped her lightly, shoulder-to-shoulder.

“At least we caught his killer. And hey, if putting Kubo in the TV was ours’ way of trying to confuse us, we can say it didn’t work.”

“About that, I’ve been trying to figure out how he could’ve gotten to Kubo in the first place.” Yosuke drew the group’s attention to him. It was time to get back on the right track. “He was in police custody. There shouldn’t have been any way to get to him, unless our killer has access to police HQ. What I’m saying is, could it be possible that we’re after a cop turned bad?” The possibility fell over the group, cold and terrifying, but Kanji ripped it off in short order.

“If that’s the case, why’d he wait until I was let go to come after me? The news had a story out on me by sunrise, and I didn’t get out until noon. That’s a good six hours with me being a fish in a barrel, plenty of time for the killer to wise up and come after me. But I only got kidnapped after I got out. Unless he’s as much of a dumbass as he is a jackass, I think it’s safe to say he ain’t a cop.”

“O-oh, right.” Yosuke scratched the back of his neck. “That does shoot a hole in my theory, doesn’t it? Well, at least the police haven’t been compromised.”

But that left them right back where they began. They thwarted another plan, but they were no closer to tracking the planner down. He was always a step ahead, just removed enough from the chaos he created to slip away. It was as infuriating as it was disheartening. A melancholy hush descended, one not even Teddie could find a way to dispel. Rise looked around at the declining team morale, then an idea came to her.

“Hey, it’s been a rough day, but it’s not over yet. How about we do something to celebrate a successful mission?” A little air returned to their wings. A nice stress reliever sounded like a good idea.

“What did you have in mind? It’d have to be something small, considering how late it...” Yosuke was quickly cut off by his own body. A grumble from the belly was all the inspiration Rise needed.

“Sounds like somebody’s hungry~! I think I can do something about that.” She winked flirtatiously, and Yosuke’s eyes widened as though beholding the holy grail itself. He glanced to Yu in disbelief.

“Dude, pinch me. This has got to be a dream. The Risette is offering to cook for us!” Rise giggled at his exuberance. Her glee, however, inspired an opposite reaction in Chie.

“W-well, I can make something just as good!” Yosuke’s face fell, and she sputtered indignantly. “Seriously! I’ve been practicing.”

“Me too.” Yukiko jumped in on the plan. “Why don’t we have a contest? We can prove who’s best.”

“Sounds like fun. You’ll have to let me know how it goes.” All eyes went to Yu, who, they noted, was still caught up in his own funk. Ever since Yukiko cured whatever status effect the Shadow behind the Shadow hit him with, Yu had been out of whack. His stony complexion was slipping like mud, and he always sounded like his head was somewhere else. Whatever it was that got shoved in his brain wasn’t shaken loose so easily.

They couldn’t let him simmer on it alone, especially not Yosuke. What kind of partner would let that happen? If he wanted to convince him, he needed to know what ground his denial was built on. Hard logic was key to moving Yu.

“You’re not coming? Why not?”

“I’d love to, but Dojima is probably going to get called down to help with the station’s paperwork for the escape and rearrest. I can’t have fun knowing Nanako’s home alone.” So that was his reasoning. Well, Rise could turn the whole situation around.

“In that case, we should bring her along.” She flashed Yu a happy smile. One look in his eyes, which had reclaimed their old luster, told her that she had him. “We’re doing this to cheer ourselves up. I don’t see why we shouldn’t spread the cheer. Plus, having her there will keep us from falling back on our business. It’s a win-win!” Yu thought on the proposal, his mental baggage visibly dropped. Then he smiled, too.

“Sounds great. But you have to let me cook something, too.” Rise didn’t expect that proviso, but she saw no reason to decline.

“Then it’s settled! Let’s head to Junes to get our ingredients, then I’ll show you what I can do, Senpai!” Rise skipped off, leading the way. Yu asked Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie to head over to Dojima’s and get the kitchen ready for the typhoon that was about to hit it. Chie and Yukiko made to follow Rise, but Yu stopped them with a hand on their shoulders , to their confusion.

“Now, you know I have forgiven you for certain cooking related transgressions you have made against me. I have not, however, forgotten. If you carry out an equivalent crime on my little sister...” He leaned in between them, a dangerous edge emerging from the calm pools of his eyes. The demon they revealed that night in the mountain woods had returned. His presence sent shivers through their bodies, but his fingers held firm and frigid like traps of steel.

“You will find forgiveness to be in much shorter supply. Though I am certain I have nothing to worry about, correct?”

He didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, he walked off, leaving the girls to soak in their own cold sweat.

“...Yukiko?”

“Yeah?”

“I know we had that coming for essentially poisoning him, but he can be wicked scary sometimes.”

He was a good friend to have, but, apparently, he was an even better big brother. Woe be the soul that harmed his Nanako.

-

The kitchen, to Yosuke and Kanji’s relief, wasn’t immediately filled with noxious purple smoke. As Teddie chatted excitedly with Nanako, their energy feeding each other like linked generators, the two boys were left to watch the kitchen and hope Ragnarok didn’t befall them.

“So, Yosuke-senpai, level with me here. You’re seeing it too, right? That look in Senpai’s eyes?”

“I think we all saw it.” The girls, between hopefully not creating a new violation of the Geneva Conventions, all kept glancing towards Yu. The signs declined after he got to work on his entry, which was a good thing on all fronts, but it was clear that what he experienced had shaken him. And, as always, he refused to speak up about what was on his mind.

Fortunately, it looked like they had a secret weapon on their side. Yu was going fine for the most part, but now and then, the machine slowed down. His shoulders lost their tension. His eyes slowly closed. His hold on the pan loosened.

Whenever he started to drift, though, Rise found some excuse to pass by him. She needed the salt. She forgot to grab a utensil. If she was feeling a bit mischievous, she would admit to spying on the girls’ progress, dragging them into the mix. The interactions, though brief, never failed to part the clouds over him, and the light kept him going. Deep down, Yosuke felt a small pang of jealousy, but it fizzled out soon after.

“Can’t blame her, I guess.”

“What was that, Senpai?”

“Nothing, nothing. Just looking forward to chow time, that’s all.”

Actually, now that Yosuke was looking, Rise wasn’t the only girl with divided focus. If Yu was a machine, Chie was a locomotive. She brute forced her way through the kitchen with all the grace of a sleep-stampeding bull. Yu tanked the bumps with a chuckle, and Rise avoided her deftly, but the contact had an adverse effect of Yukiko. The slimmer girl couldn’t keep the pink off her cheeks, or the slight skip out of her step. Chie noticed, but she chalked it up to excitement over the contest or the heat of the kitchen. Her offer to grab Yukiko an ice pack or drink only made the reaction stronger.

Now, Yosuke was no expert on the subject, but that looked awfully suspicious on Yukiko’s part.

“Question right back at you, are you seeing the sparks between Chie and Yukiko right now?”

Kanji squinted at the kitchen.

“Nope, nothing’s on fire yet.”

“Not literally!” Right, he forgot who he was talking to. “I’m asking if it looks like Yukiko’s swooning over Chie.” Kanji looked at him strangely, then to the duo as Chie bumped into Yukiko again, reigniting the blush.

“Kind of does.” Kanji’s brow dipped low, and his hunch deepened. “How about that.”

Before Yosuke could notice the introspection playing out beside him, Rise threw an arm into the air as though she was waving a pompom.

“It’s ready!”

-

Four big platters sat around the living room table. Again, there was no horrible stench, which inspired some confidence, but that also could have been the good smells canceling out the bad. This was going to be a test of luck and courage. Not that Nanako knew the danger half of the dishes before her possibly posed.

“Wow, look at all the eggs!” She brandished her fork happily, overwhelmed by the options. Four whole dishes to choose from? That was so many!

Inside, Chie’s excitement and fear were at war. Yu wasn’t showing any signs of aggression, but she knew he was watching. Only one way to find out if she messed up.

“Here, Nanako-chan, try mine.”

“Okay!” She dove right in fork first. She pulled back a sizable chunk of egg and popped it in her mouth.

Almost instantly, the upturn of her mouth went squiggly. The skin around it tightened uncomfortably. Chie’s heart dropped, but Nanako saw the reaction to her reaction. Yu’s friends were so nice to come over. She couldn’t make them feel bad. She gripped her resolve and swallowed before giving a big, if strained, smile.

“It’s good!”

“Aw, Nanako-chan...” A heartwarmer of the highest order. Chie just wanted to scoop the kid up and hug her, but that would be rude.

Taking Nanako’s word as the all clear, Teddie tried a bit himself. As soon as it was down, a heavy laugh came unbidden.

“Wowie, that was salty!” He took a second bite, and he laughed again, much to Chie’s bafflement.

“So, you like it?”

“Not really.” And another bite. “But it’s a unique taste, that’s for sure.”

Yu’s sense of expertise kicked in. He took a small piece as well, but he didn’t eat it as much as he sifted through it. Grainy, rough like sandpaper, and it sucked the moisture out of his tongue. But it was consistent all the way through, which was an improvement.

“You overdid it with the seasoning by a fair margin, especially the salt. Next time, remember that seasonings shouldn’t alter the texture of your dish this much and go from there.” Chie deflated somewhat, but he was informing her instead of scolding her, so she must have passed the demon’s test. That was enough of a win.

“Okay, mine next, Nanako-chan.” Yukiko gestured to her creation, which looked normal enough. Nanako was happy to oblige, though her reaction upon swallowing lacked any significant emotion. If anything, she didn’t know what to make of it.

“Um, I like this one, too.” She decided to leave out the, ‘I think,’ addendum.

“Thank you!” She knew Nanako was softening her critique, but it made her feel good knowing it was edible. The real challenge came when Yu took his bite.

...It was… Huh.

“It’s cooked all the way through. The texture is right. But, I don’t taste anything. I honestly don’t know how that’s possible.” He almost seemed impressed by the impossibility. The others, curious, had to try the illusory eggs, and they, too, were lost. Kanji chewed as carefully as possible, trying to break into some sort of flavor pocket, but nothing came.

“It’s like gnarling on air. I didn’t think that was a thing, but it is. Maybe add some sort of sauce to it, or some cheese?”

“I’ll… try that next time.”

“Okay, ladies, watch and learn!” Rise puffed up at the lacking competition. She was going to make her mark. Even her omelet was ready to fight, enveloped by a bright red glow. “Try some of mine, Nanako-chan.”

“Okay!” Nanako was still blown away by Risette being good friends with her big bro. Now she was in her house, and made her food! This was a great day.

Then she ate the omelet. As soon as it met her tongue, her mouth cried out for relief. She grabbed her water and took a big gulp, but even with the burning egg down, she still found herself sweating profusely. She fought through dry coughs to give Rise her feedback.

“It’s, Hmk… It’s really good! I like it, too!” A tear came to Rise’s eye.

“You’re just the sweetest thing!”

As though not hearing the struggle in Nanako’s voice, Yosuke dove into the dish, driven by his blinding fanboyism for Risette.

His body fought against the intruder violently and swiftly. He could feel his cheeks and tongue swelling from the heat burns, and the sensation trailed behind the egg as it dropped into his stomach.

“Ow, hot, hot!” Yosuke’s glass of water was downed in one long stream, but he was still left with a radiating pain in his upper digestive tract. “Did I just eat a volcano!? I didn’t think things could be this spicy!”

“Hey!”

“Well, Yukiko, looks like we weren’t the ones who did damage this time.”

“That hurts, Chie-senpai.” Rise pouted, the tears coming right to the brim of her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re bullying poor little me. How can you be so…?”

Rise stopped talking when she heard the clatter of forks at work. Across the table, Yu and Kanji were digging into her omelet with gusto. Kanji in particular was shoveling it in.

“I don’t know what you’re on about, Yosuke-senpai, this is great!”

“Wha- How is it not hurting you!?”

“Don’t know.” Yu dabbed his lips with a napkin. It might have been a trick of the light, but the paper appeared to be smoking when he set it down. “This is the first spicy thing I’ve tasted in months.”

“Wait, months? You mean since, say, June?” Rise leveled a cocky grin at the girls, her crocodile tears all dissolved. Once more, Chie felt like she was in a monster’s path, but this one was more like a feline playing with its prey, waiting until it was bored of the game to strike.

“I think so. Why?”

And she pounced.

“Oh, you poor dears! That horrible Mystery Food X stole your taste!” She fanned herself, as though warding off a case of the vapors. “To think, you’ve gone so long deprived of full-bodied flavor. Don’t you worry, I’m here now. You can taste again.”

Kanji, swept up in her performance, sniffled.

“I never knew I’d miss spicy this much…!”

“Almost forgot what it was like.” Yu took another bite, and a particular flavor in the mouthful stood out to him. Its familiarity brought about a nostalgic smile. “Is this foie gras I’m tasting?”

“Yep! It’s just a shame Junes didn’t have the fresh stuff.”

As Yu and Rise talked about that funny French word, Nanako started looking around the room. Yosuke plopped back in his seat with a fresh glass of water. Kanji was quick to nudge him and laugh at how weak he was being. Meanwhile, Chie and Yukiko tried each other’s omelets, the latter failing to hold back a laughing fit. Teddie quickly joined her, much to Chie’s embarrassment.

It was the most lively that little house had been in years. The eggs were… nice, but the company was even better. Her little heart was fit to burst. How long had it been since she felt so welcomed? Teddie turned his attention back to her.

“Hey, Nanako-chan, have you tried Sensei’s eggs yet?”

Oh right! Big bro made some, too! She gladly went in for some, and for the first time that night, she didn’t have to force the smile that came to her lips.

“Yummy!” She grabbed another forkful, and her unabashed glee drew curiosity. Chie took the next helping.

“Tastes normal, but really good. And that’s ketchup, right?”

“That it is.” Yu took pride in his work as Nanako took a third bite of it. “Classic omelet recipe with a hint of ketchup, Nanako’s favorite.” He turned towards the other three competitors, grinning with the smallest hint of ego. “Fancy ingredients and experimentation is all well and good, but it’s important to remember who you’re cooking for. I knew you all would try something big, so I went with a dish I knew she would like. Simple, but reliable, satisfactory.”

No one pleased quite like Yu Narukami.

-

Eventually, the good times had to wind down. The sun was starting to set, and the waning light reminded them that many had a curfew to abide by.

“C’mon, Ted. My folks want us up early for the morning shift.”

“Hrk, okay.” Teddie warred against gravity to stand, his bloated belly giving his foe an edge against him.

“Did you have to wolf down all of Chie’s salt mine?”

“No one else was going to. I couldn’t bear letting food go to waste.”

Yosuke sighed, but he was well past the point of questioning.

“You’re a real card sometimes. Later, guys. Thanks for having us, partner.” Yosuke didn’t bother closing the door behind him, as Chie was already making to leave.

“I’d best get going, too. I’d never hear the end of it if I was out too late.” She decided not to specify why. Her mom’s teasing about how many guys she was hanging out with was something she didn’t want spreading further than her own home. Yukiko hurried to follow her.

“I’ll walk with you.”

“Okay, let’s go. Thanks for dinner!”

Yukiko turned to thank Yu, too, but Chie hooking their arms together made her breath catch. It was a struggle to get the words out from there.

“Th-thanks.”

“Anytime. See you later.” Yu saw them off, though he held off on closing the door. He could see Rise and Kanji gearing up to head, too.

“Kanji-kun, you want to walk back together? We only live a block apart.”

“Huh? Oh.” Kanji shuffled uncomfortably and averted his eyes. “I was actually gonna wander a bit, work off the food. Sorry.”

“I… I see.” Rise looked out into the coming night nervously. Yu pondered on why, then it came to him.

“Think you might run into reporters or stalkers at this hour?”

“I know Inaba doesn’t have a lot of them, but it’s hard to break with old precautions. And it wasn’t helped by…” She trailed off, aware of Nanako being in earshot. Kanji scratched his neck.

“Makes sense. I could probably...”

“I can walk her home.” Yu backed away from the doorway, leaving it wide open for Kanji. “Nanako, I’ll be back in thirty minutes or so, okay?”

“Alright, big bro.” Nanako settled into her spot in front of the TV, but she looked much more content than usual. The evening would stick with her for some time to come.

“Thanks for understanding.” He smiled at his friends and nodded to Rise. “Shall I escort you home, milady?” She couldn’t help but giggle at the suave accent he put on.

“Of course, you charmer.”

“Get a room.”

“Hush, Kanji.”

“Whatever.” He waved back at Yu on his way out. “Any bikers give you trouble out there, you let them know you’re with me, got it?”

“Got it. Thanks for your gracious protection.”

“I’ve got your back whenever, Senpai. See you.” Kanji paced down to the sidewalk, then off in whatever direction suited his whims. With him on his way, Yu had only one guest left to attend to.

“Ready?”

“Yeah. I don’t want to keep Grandma waiting.” Rise stepped out, and Yu followed her into the warm summer night.

Chapter Text

Yukiko felt like she was floating in the void. She couldn’t think straight, or, rather, she was trying to not think too much. If she allowed even a drop of effort to slip by, she knew where it would lead her. That brain of hers lacked any form of restraint, not a single thought of sense in it, or so she perceived it. Her self control had to be all-encompassing, but it was brittle. One little touch would shatter it.

“Yo, Yukiko, you listening?”

She could hear those self applied chains on her attention break as she looked up from her feet. The moment she set eyes on Chie, her defenses fell to the dust. Something about her made any efforts on Yukiko’s part fall mute, drawing her into a different vacuum. This one was warm, formed from overwhelming obsession instead of forced disconnection. That warmth became sweltering heat as Chie stepped closer. Anything that wasn’t her concerned face became distant from Yukiko’s cognition.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You’ve been spacing out all afternoon.”

Yukiko coughed. It was the only filler she could think of as she got her bearings.

“Y-yeah. I’m fine.” Chie seemed to see right through the thin act, squinting to see her better in the dark.

“You’re all red again. Are you feeling sweaty at all?”

“N-no...”

“Hmm.” Chie tapped her chin as she thought. This unwavering attention only made Yukiko’s skin burn worse. “Looks like overexertion to me, probably from that fight. You were all over the place trying to keep us on our feet.”

Yukiko had almost forgotten that had all happened not six hours ago. She could also barely remember anything concrete about the scramble that came after, only brief snippets of the group trying to put together a battle plan without their key strategist. Maybe the stress did have something to do with her sudden inability to drag her thoughts away from where they chose to settle. She doubted Chie’s exact diagnosis, but she didn’t see much reason to contradict her.

“That must be it. I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.” Chie eased off her at that, returning a sliver of her focus along with the breathing room. Around them, she could see that they had already reached the bridge to cross the Samegawa. It was a quaint structure of plain, gray brick, but it was sturdy. And a fair distance away from the Dojima household. She must have been out of it for quite a while. “I’m sorry. Were you trying to tell me something?”

“Not really. I was just sort of rambling about how full I’m feeling right now.” Chie patted her stomach. Most people would be bulging slightly after eating as much as Chie had, but her dense muscles held it all in. Yukiko wondered how firm those abs must have felt…

Darn it, no! Don’t think about muscles. Just keep the conversation going.

“Same. Ugh, I’ll have to diet for a few weeks to make up for it.”

“You can come train with me if you want. I can help you keep in shape better than any diet!”

Suddenly, Yukiko’s inner eye was assaulted by too many images to block. Chie was hard enough to look away from in her baggy jacket. Her skin-tight exercise gear was practically magnetic, even when it was only in a memory. How well could Yukiko hold up dealing with that right in front of her?

“That’s alright. I wouldn’t have the time to stick to a routine anyway.” She forced her eyes down to the river under the bridge. She hoped the flowing water would help steady her like a natural metronome, but there, too, she was drawn to her obsession, Chie’s blurred reflection in the dull moonlight. She slumped over the wall that lined the bridge as though dragged down by her failure to escape her own compulsions. For the second time in her life, she felt like a prisoner in her own skin.

“Well, you know what works for you.” Chie joined her at the edge, making her doppelganger in the river a sharper image. Yukiko could clearly see the slight curves in her thin lips as she snorted in that cute little way only Chie could. “I don’t think I have the self control for dieting. I’d last, like, two days tops before pouncing on a bag of jerky.”

A very not cute peel of laughter erupted from Yukiko. Her grip on the railing tightened by instinct, letting her cackle like a clown’s pet hyena without the fear of fumbling into a late night dip.

The whole while, Chie didn’t comment. She wasn’t shocked by the outburst, or insulted by how funny her self-deprecating comment was taken as. It was just something Yukiko did from time to time, and Chie accepted that.

Chie accepted Yukiko, and that made her feel safe. Wanted. Worthwhile.

A bell rang in Yukiko’s heart. She had been here before. Looking up to Chie, forcibly silencing herself, concealing the thoughts she labeled as ugly. This was nothing new. She was just running from her true self again. Just like last time, it hurt, but she felt compelled to keep up the charade to… What? Preserve the peace? “Peace” shouldn’t hurt this bad.

She glanced at Chie. She was calm, but content. If there was ever a time that she might not overreact to a curve ball, now was that time. Yukiko steadied herself with a sigh. Facing her true self was never pleasant, but it had to be done.

“Chie? There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.” The other girl looked up from the water, but Yukiko couldn’t bring herself to meet her expectant gaze.

“What’s up?” A neutral response. Okay, so far so good.

“You said that guys at school call asking me on a date the Amagi Challenge, right?” Chie tilted her head curiously, but her overall demeanor didn’t shift towards the positive or negative. Yet. Though she did take on that exaggerated, annoyed look at no one in particular.

“Yeah.” Chie blew a puff of air over her shoulder. “Little kids, all of them. They actually think getting a date is some sort of game. Why? Did one of those pigs bother you?” The concern in Chie’s voice made her heart skip a beat. Her attempt at approaching her main point slowly was backfiring.

“N-n-no. Nothing like that. And even if one of them did, they wouldn’t get anywhere.”

“With intentions like theirs? I’m not surprised.”

“Not because of that! I mean, not entirely because of that.” Yukiko took a quivering breath. She couldn’t lose herself now. “They wouldn’t get anywhere because...”

Yukiko scratched at the proverbial bandage until she could get a tiny flap between her fingertips. She steeled her nerves, then she yanked.

“...I’m gay.”

Now more than ever, she couldn’t bring herself to look Chie in the eye. In the reflection below them, Chie’s expression was unreadable for a few, heart stopping moments. Then she smiled.

“You know, that explains a lot.”

Wait, what did she mean by that? Did she notice all of Yukiko’s glances after all? Did she figure out that the red in her skin was from blushing, not exertion? Oh god, she wasn’t ready to dive into that part of the discussion yet! What should she…?

“I always thought you looked at Lyn kinda funny.”

...What?

“I’ll admit, she looks good. She makes that blue dress thing work.”

Oh, that Lyn! Yukiko did have a bit of a staring problem whenever they picked up Blazing Blade.

“I think it’s because of how strong-willed she is, but I do have a thing for toned legs like hers.” The blush returned with a vengeance once Yukiko realized who she was subconsciously hinting at with that comment. The implication, however, was lost on Chie, who nodded along in agreement.

“Jokes aside, thanks for trusting me enough to tell me. It means a lot.” Chie kept smiling that warm, supportive, hypnotic smile.

As much as Yukiko wanted the ordeal to be over, she knew the bandage was only halfway off. How should she get at the rest? She needed to do it now, before she lost her nerve, but she didn’t want to just throw it out there.

“If you don’t mind me asking, do you have a lucky lady in mind?”

...Yukiko could work with that.

“I did, but...” She slumped over, struggling to find a way to phrase it. Chie’s expression dampened in sympathy.

“She turned you down?”

“No. I never got around to telling her.” Another breath to still her hammering heart. “If I’m being honest, you’re actually not the first person I came out to. I told Yu-kun first.”

“Really?” Chie looked up, then hummed in affirmation. “Makes sense. He’s a trustworthy guy. When was that?”

“It was back when he hurt his leg. I stayed with him at the clubhouse so he didn’t try anything reckless, remember?” Chie nodded, giving Yukiko the go ahead to continue. “I figured he wanted to be helpful, so I gave him something to help with that he didn’t have to stand up for. After I told him, the conversation went to who I liked, and...”

Yukiko’s thought came out as hot, dead air. She could do this. Just, keep going.

“He said that he didn’t think she was gay.”

Chie cringed, then put a hand on Yukiko’s back. She thought she was helping her feel better, but it really wasn’t working.

“I’m so sorry. How could he tell?”

“He said it was all in who they looked at and how. ‘You can tell a lot about someone from how they act without thinking’ is how he put it.”

“Yu would be the one to know all about that.” Chie looked down to the water. She hated seeing Yukiko so dejected. Nothing to do about it but put in some of that Satonaka elbow grease. “Tell me about her. I bet I can help you find someone a lot like her.” Yukiko’s fingers turned a strained white from how hard she gripped the railing.

“I doubt it. She’s one of a kind.” Chie stared at her, undeterred by her pessimism. Perhaps this once, Chie’s ceaseless enthusiasm would help make up for what nerve Yukiko lacked. “She’s… strong, in a lot of ways. She takes what shape she’s in very seriously.”

“Okay, another fitness nut, got it. It narrows things down, but I can think of a few people like that.”

She wasn’t quite getting the connection yet. How many details would it take before “a few” became “one?”

“And she always stands up for what she believes in. She had a little crisis with what that meant, but she’s bounced back better than ever. Her resilience takes my breath away.”

“I hate to keep bringing it up, but you’re pretty much describing Lyn. Should I keep an eye out for girls like her?”

“Um… Yeah, that’s accurate. But there are a few other things. I’ve known this person for a really long time, since I was little. We grew up together.” Yukiko peered from the corner of her vision to see that Chie’s brow was pressing together. The bell was starting to ring, but she couldn’t place the tone yet. Yukiko felt its vibrations clearly. The rhythm matched the stuttered rise and fall of her chest as she forced herself to unearth her secret. “She’s kind, and helpful, and enthusiastic, inspiring...”

The more she spoke, the harder it became to not sob. Before Chie could try comforting her, she let the last, most important detail go.

“And she’s my best friend.”

Yukiko closed her eyes. However Chie reacted, she couldn’t bring herself to see, not even as a reflection. Her hold on the railing finally loosened. She spent too much emotional energy to exert that much force anymore. It took everything she had left to hold her tears back, though the burden to keep her anguish from showing on her face was too great to bear.

“Are… Are you talking about, me?”

Yukiko couldn’t find her voice. She turned her head away from Chie and nodded solemnly.

“Oh… I… I don’t know what to say.”

This was it. This was what Yukiko feared. She could feel the rift tearing open. She could feel her world coming undone, and it was all her fault. Maybe it would be for the best if she just…

“Hey.” There was a gentleness, a vulnerability in Chie’s tone that made Yukiko pause. She kept her eyes closed, but she listened. “Um, I’m really bad at saying this sort of thing, so if I mess up here, know that I would never want to hurt you.” Yukiko sniffled. She could tell where this was going, but she nodded.

“I should probably start by saying, Yu was right. I don’t swing that way.” Those words felt awful. They were like jagged gravel in her ears, tiny stones that tore at her artery walls as they passed through her heart. But Yukiko remained. Leaving now would only make it worse. “I don’t love you that way. But...”

A moment of silence passed. Just as Yukiko felt the hole she ripped open threatening to suck her down into despair, a warm hand settled on top of hers.

“But I do care about you. You’re my best friend. I can only imagine how much it must hurt, but I want you to know that I will always be there for you. I meant what I said. The last thing I would ever want is to hurt you.”

Yukiko choked back the raw, unrefinable feelings that tried to escape. It was all she could do to let herself speak.

“I… I know. I know that you care about me. I think that might be why I care so much about you. I don’t know anyone else who is so honest, who can wear how they feel as openly as you. If you say that… we, can’t be, then it’s on me to accept that.”

Yukiko, fighting against her own twisted, indecisive self, forced her eyes open. Chie was still looking at her. That beautiful face was contorted by emotions as numerous as those that strained Yukiko’s heart to bursting. There was sorrow, grief, guilt, all packed together on the surface as to mar Chie’s radiance.

But it did nothing to cloud what was in her eyes. Compassion. Kindness. Above all others, care. When Chie said that she wanted to be there, even after the ripples and waves Yukiko cast into their relationship, she meant it. Though her heart felt heavy in her chest, though tears continued to fill her eyes, Yukiko managed to smile.

“Thank you for being honest with me. It hurts knowing you don’t feel how I feel, but it would hurt worse to lose what we already have.” Chie returned her own regretful smile, but it was short lived. As Yukiko’s vision blurred, concern rose to the surface. Chie opened her arms and wrapped them around Yukiko. Her touch was warm and wonderful and painful. The hand patting her back let her know it was okay to let go.

Yukiko cried. She cried for what she would never have, for what seemed so close but would always be out of reach. She cried for the love that built within her that had nowhere to go.

Most of all, though, she cried for what she had left. She cried in gratitude for the arms that held her. She cried for the friend that wouldn’t leave her to suffer alone.

She cried for her misfortune.

But she cried harder for her fortune.

-

This was a good spot, Kanji decided. The lack of light did nothing to diminish the riverside’s calming influence over him. Ever since he started training there with Yu, he had become conditioned to think a little harder when he heard running water. It was like Yu’s influence on his life was laying down roots anywhere it could. For that, Kanji was thankful.

So, first things first. Once his heartbeat flowed as smoothly as the river, he whispered to himself.

“Whatever happens, it’s okay. Yukiko-senpai is probably gay. Teddie is bi. Yu-senpai is bi. It’s okay to not be straight.” He exhaled slowly, letting the passing breeze take his hangups away.

The big question, then; was Kanji something other than straight?

This was the question that plagued him for the longest time. He was girlier than other guys in a lot of ways. Senpai demonstrated that manliness didn’t always equal straightness, but by the time that model came into his life, the idea had dug into his head and refused to fuck off, even after he punched his worries-turned-demon to the floor. The increasing presence of not-straight people in his life highlighted the question that remained unanswered, but it also gave him some real, hard-to-deny grounds to get his bravado off his back long enough to try answering it.

The problem now was that he had no fucking clue how to do that. It wasn’t like the answer was hiding under his mental gunk waiting to be plucked up like he was prospecting for gold. It wasn’t like the river was going to send branches his way in the shape of the message, “You are gay.” No, those would be easy ways out, and he never got those. As always, he’d have to work his ass off for some resolution before his walls built themselves back up.

Hmm… Hey, didn’t the group try answering impossible questions on the regular to track down the killer? Maybe that method would get him some results. For that, he’d need some evidence. He was wondering who he was attracted to, so the obvious way forward was going one by one through the people he knew until he felt something. That made sense, right?

Well, he didn’t have anything else in mind, so it’d have to do.

So, Chie-senpai? Uh, not really. She was a good pal and all, but she was also a meathead. Her very presence outdid him in manliness, and that just made him feel weird. Their hobbies probably wouldn’t click together, either. She was out.

Yukiko-senpai? She was gay, so it didn’t matter how he felt there. Even if she wasn’t, he just didn’t feel anything. Nope.

Rise-chan? Oh Hell no. Again, nice and all, but he knew there was a tiny devil hiding in that smile. Not to mention if he wanted a relationship with her, which he didn’t, he’d have to beat off obsessed fans with a baseball bat.

Fans like Yosuke-senpai. On that note, no. He was a cool guy, but he could also be a real dick. Far be it from Kanji to forget the fight they almost had on the camping trip, or the trickery bullshit he pulled to get the girls in swimsuits. He respected Yosuke for having the backbone to take some goddamn initiative, but he tripped and face-planted as much as he did stuff that was actually impressive. Good friend, bad date.

Teddie? It was hard to deny he had a charm to him, but no. He was kind of like Nanako in Kanji’s eyes, if not quite as potent. He wanted to look out for the squirts. A big brother instinct, if he had to put a name to it.

Last, there was Yu. If anyone would get something out of him, it would have to be the guy that pulled his ass out of the fire over and over again and got his life back on track, right? When he thought about that hookup, though, that very factor was what kept getting in the way. Yu was the one person besides his mother that he, without any hesitation, would say he respected. Kanji would take a bullet for him, and he had often taken hits from things that hurt worse than guns in Yu’s place, but anything more intimate than that just didn’t work in his head.

The best way he could put it was, if he had a big brother instinct for Nanako, he had a little brother instinct for Yu. And doing stuff with family like that was… just, fuck no.

...And that was everyone Kanji knew. Damn it, that didn’t help at all. It was like his pals were all off-limits for some reason. At this rate, his ego would come back before he could get anywhere, and the question would keep bugging him. Why couldn’t this shit be easy? Just one person he could give a solid yes towards, that was it, but no! Damn it, damn it, damn it, d…!

“You seem tense. Is something the matter?” And now there was some asshole creeping up on him, sticking their nose in his business.

“Why the Hell do you care? Piss off, before I...” He glared over his shoulder, intending to brute force them off his case, but then he realized he recognized the interloper.

Then his blood really started boiling.

“Great, the Private Dick’s back.”

“I would be insulted if I hadn’t heard that nickname several times already.” True to his word, Naoto didn’t flinch at any aspect of Kanji’s disdain for him, verbal or otherwise. Kanji dropped the harshest edges of how he held himself, since they weren’t working anyway, but he still wasn’t particularly pleased with this turn of events.

“What do you want? Come here trying to mess with Senpai’s good name again?”

That little experiment of Naoto’s, though effective in sussing out Narukami’s involvement in the case, had backfired in how little his comrades thought of the detective in the fallout. Perhaps that was why Yu had chosen to keep their deal behind closed doors; he wanted to see if Naoto could deal with the mess he made in his haste.

“I was only taking a short walk and happened to notice you standing there with a look that said you were in pain. Now that I see you aren’t injured or wounded in any way, however, ‘what I want’ has been accounted for.” Kanji looked Naoto up and down, then turned back to the river with a huff.

“Whatever.” This was why he wanted to get his shit under control. He didn’t need cocky bastards like Naoto on him about it all the time.

“And, for the record, your friend is no longer under suspicion.” Kanji didn’t change where he was looking, but he was listening now.

“Indecisive little prick, ain’t you? One day you’re badmouthing him, the next you’re trying to cover your tracks. Make up your mind.”

If there was anything Naoto could give Kanji credit for, it was his loyalty to those closest to him, even if it made his job more difficult.

“My only intent in voicing my hypothesis to Kujikawa-san was to prevent her kidnapping. The evidence I had compiled at the time implicated Narukami in the incidents, which made her association with him a hazard. However, new evidence has emerged that contradicts my initial reading of the situation.”

“So you’re saying you were dead wrong.” Kanji couldn’t help leveling a cocky grin at him. “Congrats, you screwed up your rep in Inaba on a bad hunch. Sucks, don’t it?”

“What do you mean by that?” One of Naoto’s eyebrows went up inquisitively. Kanji rolled his eyes.

“I’m saying that Yu-senpai is connected to just about everyone in the neighborhood one way or another. Everyone likes him. What did you think would happen when you took a guy like that and started trying to pin murders on him without proof?”

Kanji didn’t expect anything he said to get his point across. The pipsqueak was cut from the same cloth as the worst self-important dickheads Kanji had ever met. He talked like he was smarter than everyone in the room. People that thought they knew better never learned, and he hated people like that. He could already hear Naoto rebuffing his “rude remarks” before going off to make the same mistake again and again.

He was shocked, then, when no such rebuttal came. Naoto looked down. If he was going to bulldoze his way through Kanji’s advice, he wouldn’t have broken eye contact. Kanji would know, he did that shit all the time!

“Hmm, perhaps I wasn’t thinking.” Naoto put a hand to his chin. He still sounded all collected, but the smarter-than-you firmness was nowhere to be heard. “I’ve never become this entangled in a community over the course of an investigation. It seems this has created a subconscious expectation of distance from consequences. So long as my final call was correct, I could leave and have only my accomplishments recorded.” When eye contact was reestablished, Kanji found that the cold, steely front Naoto put off before had dropped. He couldn’t describe it, but Kanji felt like some unseen layer between them had been removed.

“Thank you for your insights, Tatsumi-san. I will keep them in mind.”

For a brief moment, no response came to Kanji. He wasn’t used to anyone but his new team complimenting him like that. His skin warmed uncomfortably under the thanks. He forced himself to look back to the river and erase any hint of emotion from his face.

“Whatever.”

Naoto regarded him for a spell longer, but he knew the conversation was over. He had cleared up his prior transgression as well as he could for the time being, and he had gotten a taste of what people outside his personal bubble saw him as. It was a lucrative evening.

“I must take my leave. I still have much work to do now that our most recent suspect for the murders has been reevaluated.” Kanji’s eyes snapped into focus at the news. Naoto smirked, though he was careful to keep it slight enough to avoid detection in the dark. “Please pass my regards along to Narukami-san.”

“Sure, but just so he knows you aren’t accusing him of stuff anymore.”

Naoto nodded before turning to leave. Kanji watched him from the corner of his eye, and when he was gone, a wide grin broke out.

So, Kubo wasn’t taking heat off the real one’s ass. Good. The more pressure on that bastard, the easier it’d be to track him down. He’d have to let the guys know. Tomorrow. For now, he should really be getting his ass home.

Along the way, he kept pushing the sight of Naoto’s humbled eyes to the back of his head. He didn’t know why it wouldn’t buzz off, but it made his skin as uncomfortably warm as it did in person.

-

Rise had mixed opinions about the day that just passed by. On one hand, they had finished a mission and put a killer behind bars, and she was being escorted home by a true gentleman who she had successfully wooed with her cooking. It was one degree of separation away from being a real date. On the other, that killer had the potential of derailing attention from an even worse criminal now that he was back in police custody, and the gentleman she so coveted was acting funny in the aftermath.

Ever since they retrieved Yu from the belly of that digitized devil, he had been spacing out. It was well known that he had a nearly impenetrable “zone” when fishing, but the air between that and what was happening now were totally different. By the river, he seemed tranquil, like a monk tending a rock garden. Now, the quiet was tinged by a downcast that he couldn’t seem to shake. He surfaced whenever someone spoke to him, but the downtime between conversations always saw him slip back into whatever was bothering him.

It didn’t help that he was notoriously quiet. The only reason Rise had to suspect something was wrong was because she knew him well enough to read the slight hints in his face and posture.

Well, there was one other thing. The ripple in his behavior actually started before the fight, when the Shadow was trying to verbally batter his psyche. Despite being Mitsuo Kubo’s, not Yu’s, it managed to chip away a little bit of his hard outer shell.

The others didn’t see it through the armor he wore on the other side, but he started acting all jumpy. His eyes darted to everyone in the room like he was as wary of them as he was of the Shadow. Or maybe it was closer to fear? The visual Himiko provided was a little unclear, but it showed enough to make Rise suspicious.

The stuff that Shadow said to trigger it was even more concerning. It called him a lapdog, a machine. It said he was nothing, and Yu didn’t deny it. It could have been so he didn’t accidentally trigger a rejection reaction, but that would suggest that its words had a hint of truth to them. It only got worse after the dust settled, leaving Yu in this somewhat despondent state.

That Shadow did something to him, and Rise had to figure out what. She had until they got to Marukyu Tofu. That was a ways off, but she was dealing with an expert in speech craft. She would need every minute she could get.

“Senpai, can we slow down a little? I’m not used to eating so much all at once.”

“Sure.” He stopped for a few seconds to allow Rise to set her desired pace, then followed her example. If there was one thing she could always count on, it was how agreeable he was to requests from his friends. “I hope it didn’t get to your system too much. You must have been on a strict eating plan in your line of work.”

“Oh yeah. If my agent saw what I had on my plate tonight, he would be all over me. ‘Public image’ this and ‘good role model’ that. What a party-pooper.” The downside was not being able to set an example for her fans, and a limited ability to reach out to the ones with troubles, but at least she wasn’t setting the unreachable bar her overseers demanded her to stay at. She readily acknowledged how invasive it all was now that she wasn’t under their thumb anymore.

“I know what you mean. They say the public is harsh, but the ones you really have to watch out for are the share holders. If they think an image is hurting their bottom line...”

“Boop, gone.”

“Exactly.” Yu grinned and chuckled at the shared object of their disdain. He seemed happy to have someone who understood what he meant. They saw the corporate overlords from slightly different angles, but they had the same ideas about what they were looking at. Suddenly, a wave of that dreaded air hit him, bringing down the ends of his smile. “Hard to believe I was one of them a few months ago. It feels like it’s been a lifetime.”

Rise’s ears twitched. That tangent sounded like it was jumping from more than their conversation alone. Was it related?

“You never talk about it much.”

His smile deflated a little more. She was onto something here.

“There isn’t much to talk about. Paperwork, meetings, money changing hands. If I was lucky, I got to oversee certain trade deals directly and travel, but I never had much time for sightseeing. Too much work to get done. It was… dull, but tiring at the same time.” He pushed a half grin into place to meet her, as though hoping to quash the concern he knew was coming. “Not to downplay your struggles, but I would trade another boardroom of old, rich guys for a stage any day.”

The attempt at goading another laugh out of her failed. He could tell from the way her lips pressed together. She was holding her tongue until her thought was complete.

“Is that what the Shadow was talking about?”

Yu’s attempt to maintain a hint of joviality fell. He pulled back the curtain, just a little bit, so she could see how tired he felt.

“I thought you noticed. Kind of wish you hadn’t. You have enough of your own problems to worry about.” That old excuse? Rise bumped him with her hip, staggering his movement as to drag his thinking mind into the open.

“You’ve been listening to me about those for as long as I’ve known you. It’s a little unfair if I don’t do the same for you.”

A tiny crack ran down the center of his dour mood, and it opened, letting a little sunshine through.

“You’re already doing plenty by being here.” He couldn’t weasel his way out of this one on fabrication alone. A few, selective pieces of the truth should suffice. “With all the business in the way, I never had a chance to lay down roots anywhere. The only constant people in my life were my parents and regular trade partners. This is the first time I’ve ever had someone I could really call a friend.” His eyes flickered down. Saying it out loud felt like needles in his throat. Voicing what was on the inside made it too real to handle.

“The Shadow made me live through a scene of that life. It made me relapse a little, I think. I never realized how cold and lonely it was until now. It’s like all of it is rushing to the present at once to drag me back.” As he spoke, he exposed more of his heart to Rise, his smile growing alongside the gratitude that practically glowed in his eyes. “Having everyone around tonight helped ground me in the here and now. As long as I know you’re all with me, I’ll be okay. I’ll have a few bad days, sure, but I’ll make it through.”

In the warm light of his gratitude, Rise slowed to a halt, in body and mind. She almost forgot what her goal was in getting him to talk. It only grew worse, or maybe better, as he took her by the hand. His touch was so… warm.

“Thanks for talking me into joining you tonight. I needed it.”

The heat from his words and touch coursed through her and gathered in her face, filling her cheeks until she could almost see her own glow. She pulled her hand back and turned away, afraid she would have a heatstroke otherwise.

“I-i-it was nothing, Senpai, really! What are f-friends for, right?” Why was she so nervous? This was exactly what she wanted. It should have felt absolutely blissful, and it did, but it was like having so many of her desires filled at the same time made her recoil.

Whatever was happening to her, Yu didn’t take it the wrong way, nor did he comment on it. With the truth out there, he seemed to be back to his stoic, understanding self, the one Rise had grown so enamored with. With her eyes back on her goal, the delightful fuzz that filled her head dissipated a bit, letting her resume the walk home.

“If you ever have a bad day like that again, let us know. Or if you really don’t want to be a bother, even if none of us feel that way about helping you, at least tell me. If I find out you’re under the weather behind my back, I’ll hunt you down and bury you under my love and support, got it?”

Yu smiled at her renewed energy. Where, oh where, did that supposed upset stomach of hers go? Oh well, it really didn’t matter.

“I don’t doubt it. Your enthusiasm can be terrifying sometimes.”

“Hey! That’s mean, Senpai.”

“But also true.”

“I never said you were wrong.”

Chapter Text

“Thinking too much. Focus on your breathing, nothing else.”

“Grr...”

Chie’s wrists were killing her. The flats of her hands were going numb. She could feel the increased blood weight in her head. Conversely, her legs felt strangely absent of blood. They just sort of dangled off her hips like a pair of straws sticking out of a glass. Of course, an unintended shifting of a straw didn’t threaten to tip the whole drink over. How could she not think about all of the signals she was getting that told her something was wrong?

She tried. She really tried, and she would continue to do so. But for now, she was completely spent. That thought was the snap of her tripwire, or, more literally, the sound of her arms failing to support the weight of her body any longer. She tilted forward to avoid landing on the top of her head, letting her roll onto her back without unproductive strain. She might have been a “feel the burn” type, but not all burn was good. In fact, the cool grass on her back was quite nice.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. All part of the process.”

Yu spoke knowing that she didn’t need any reprimand for her flop. She learned about falling the right way quickly after her less-than-graceful first collapse, and after that, he knew her drive for self improvement would be enough to push her forward. It was only a matter of time. If anything, what she needed was emotional support so she didn’t burn herself out.

It also didn’t hurt that he supplied a model of what she was working towards. He was just as much of a sturdy pillar of a guy upside down as he was right side up. His short sleeved exercise shirt showed off the arms one would expect of someone who swung a two-handed sword and whipped around on grappling hooks. The students of Yasogami were lucky there wasn’t a wrestling club, because he probably could have pinned anyone his size with one arm while fishing with the other.

Instead of getting dissuaded by his clear expertise, like many others might have, Chie instead felt her competitive fire roaring to life. All she needed was to get enough breath back to go again. The hand fan that started pushing a nice breeze her way certainly helped.

“You’ve got this. That was a whole two minutes longer than last time!”

“Thanks, Yukiko.” She smiled up at her friend. Having her there, as supportive of her endeavors as ever, was more than enough of a boost. The cool air was also nice, though. It was just her luck that her training day would be devoid of natural wind, and it was way too dry. She reached over to her water bottle only to be reminded that she had finished it off a half hour before. “Dang it.”

“I suggested refilling it before your next attempt.” Yu smiled slightly, goading her sense of self-critique just enough to make the lesson stick. It worked, sparking an embarrassed half grin. Before she could jump on a hasty self-defense, Yukiko stood and stretched her legs.

“I can go get another one for you.”

“You don’t have to do that. The store’s only a few blocks away...”

“And that’s why I can do it.” Yukiko snapped her fan shut, cutting off the argument with it. “You go ahead and rest. I’ll be back before you start again.” She waved lightly behind her as she started walking away.

Chie would have bolted up and ran past her, firm in her statement that Yukiko didn’t have to go that far for her, but she currently had no feeling whatsoever in her legs. The argument was lost before it began.

“She’s more confidant today.” Yu bent his legs down by the waist. When his gravity shifted, he dropped directly to his feet, and his torso flipped back to the top where it belonged. His inversion didn’t impede his movement, nor did it stop him from seeing the calm that Yukiko had found. For the first time since he met her, she seemed fully at peace. That wasn’t the only change in the girls he saw. The other was in Chie’s chosen workout gear. “Weren’t comfortable with handstand training in your shorts?”

Chie, slowly but surely, learned that Yu didn’t say two seemingly unrelated statements that close together, or in that knowing tone, without purpose. He was efficient when he spoke. Chie looked down at her baggy sweatpants, which were way too stuffy for exercise in this weather.

“I didn’t want to show off that much skin to people passing by.”

Yu raised an eyebrow. She “showed off” her legs on a daily basis, and her shorts covered most of the space between her knees and hips. It didn’t leave much to be seen, unless someone had a focus on the legs themselves. He could only think of one person who had admitted to that fixation.

“I see. Any people in particular?”

Curse his perceptiveness! He knew. He could tell exactly what she was thinking.

“...Yukiko said you two talked about certain stuff in the clubhouse, right?” He nodded, confirming that they were on the same line of thought. “She came out to me, too, and told me everything.”

“I was hoping she would soon. It was starting to get to her.”

Chie couldn’t help but feel a little guilt there. It gnarled on her heart like a starving dog.

“I tried to let her down gently, but she was so heartbroken.”

“You did fine.” Yu reached down and set a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. “Lying to her to make her happy then would have pushed off the problem and made it worse later.”

“There you go, being our team sage again.” She rolled her eyes, but the normality of it all felt reassuring. “I just wish I had noticed sooner. It feels like I missed something important to her all over again.” Had she really learned the lesson her Shadow was trying to teach her? Yu sat down beside her, shedding the disciplined posture of a coach for that of a friend.

“Yukiko was going out of her way to hide this one, but she learned from her mistakes and told you of her own free will. You accepted it and did everything you could to help her from there. You both talked this problem out, no giant monsters required.” Yu gave her a thumbs up. “I’d call that an improvement. If there’s a next time, you’ll handle it even better. That’s how growth works.”

In the back of her mind, Chie felt a strong presence nodding in agreement. Her overworked mind cooled, and though she still felt her worries, they were more manageable now. She pushed herself up, exposing her sweat-slicked back to the wind that finally chose to blow.

“Thanks. I needed the pep talk.” With the feeling coming back to her limbs, she set about keeping them all limber and loose. She still had a lot of training planned and a lot of strength to develop, in more ways than one. As soon as she juiced back up, she’d be back on the horse and riding it as far as it would take her.

From the bench nearby, she heard her phone go off. She hurried up and over, wondering if her mom needed her for something. She was surprised when the name that came up was Yukiko. She flipped it open, and the message that awaited her erased any prior exhaustion in a flood of adrenaline.

Yukiko: Those reporters I told you about sent their higher ups to the Inn, and one of them came looking for me. This might take a little longer than I was hoping. Sorry.

-

“You must understand the bind we’re in, Amagi-chan.” Yukiko put her phone back into her pocket, begrudgingly returning her attention to the man who blocked her path as she exited the store. He couldn’t have interrupted while she was still inside? The water was going to get all warm and gross. “We were promised a block of programming. We will not be pulling out of this location until we have the necessary content to fill it.”

“That is neither my nor the Amagi Inn’s concern.” This guy wore the suit more professionally than his sleaze of a reporter did, but he didn’t have any weight of his own to back up his demands. He was handling her with kiddie gloves, or maybe he was sent after her because he was bad at confronting someone as seasoned at dealing with them as her mom. “Your end of the arrangement was presented falsely. This frees us of any obligation to uphold the deal.”

“I am fully aware of the misrepresentation of intent you have been given. For that, I will apologize on behalf of my employees and the “News of the Weird” program. However, I believe we can work this out to be favorable for both parties.” Watching him flail and grasp did nothing to convince her. If anything, it made her want to work with him and those he represented less. She was about to let him know just that when a voice that actually had strength behind it called out to them.

“Yukiko!” From down the street, Chie looked like a bull about to rush in and break through whoever waved the red cape at her. She was only held back by Yu, who held an arm in front of her.

His posture was completely straight and his shoulders squared. She didn’t think it was possible, but he looked even less pleased with the current exchange than Chie despite the reserved manner in which he held himself. Come to think of it, perhaps that coldness coming from the usually warm Yu was what made him feel so much more imposing. One little spark of the Yu she knew revealed itself as he regarded Chie.

“I know his type. Allow me.”

He paced towards them slowly, his steps even, his eyes hardened. Chie and Yukiko shared a glance, exchanging their unspoken concern as this Yu closed in on the man blocking Yukiko’s path. The suited man quickly turned his eye from Chie. There was something in Yu’s demeanor he feared more. Terrified or not, however, he had business to conduct and would not be dissuaded easily.

“Excuse me, sir, I must ask that you do not interfere. I am here on behalf of the Japan Cultural Network in order to settle a dispute between ourselves and the Amagi Inn.”

“You presume me uninvolved. It reflects badly on your employers to speak rashly.” Yu’s response sent a cold scythe through the summer heat. His voice lacked all emotion. He appeared reserved, but he spoke with a finality that brokered no argument. Suddenly, the representative found his tongue quite dry.

“I… understand this to mean you speak for the Amagi Inn?”

“No.” Yu stopped a few feet from the man before examining him closer. His eye slid slowly and sharply. Tints of mild disgust formed along his craggy features, but no explanation for it was forthcoming. “Are you familiar with the name Narukami?” The man failed to respond for a beat too long. Yu’s keen gaze narrowed impatiently. This proved enough pressure to force a response.

“I’m afraid… not.” Yu’s attention became acutely intense, almost to a physically impacting degree. The man felt like an ant under a magnifying glass, and it was clear to him that what he said next would be the difference between being left as he was or becoming a victim of concentrated sunlight. “I assume you’ve some relation with my network?”

“Ah, Narukami-san!” A new voice entered the discussion, sparing the lesser suit from Yu’s undivided attention. The newcomer was a much larger, older gentleman who filled out his bright white suit and then some. A pocket watch hang from a gold chain near his lapel, and he stroked his gray-stained beard until it came to a point an inch beneath his chin. “How auspicious to meet you here, of all places!” He reached out a hand jovially, and Yu took it, though his own tone refused to raise a degree above absolute zero.

“My thought precisely, Tanado-san.” Unperturbed by the chilled reception, Tanado shook Yu’s hand firmly.

“I thought I heard something about you taking a spot of leisure in the countryside. Knowing your proclivities, however, it makes a great deal of sense for you to have chosen a respite surrounded by so many lively waters.” He stepped back and gestured widely with both arms.

With the initial shock of his introduction out of the way, Chie noticed that his brow, as thick as it was, had collected a fair amount of sweat. He didn’t move to wipe it, though. Was he trying to pretend it wasn’t there?

“Indeed. The fish here are to my liking.”

Tanado laughed boisterously, celebrating his own analysis, but Chie saw the sweat doubling. When it overflowed and made towards his eyes, he was finally forced to take a cloth from his inner jacket and dab it away.

“Pardon me, Narukami-san. This blasted heat is getting to me.”

“It is more temperate here than you are accustomed to. This begs the question of why you chose to be here if not for the weather.”

Yukiko, too, was picking up bits and pieces from this exchange. Yu was sparing with his questions. His statements implied questions, but the manner he presented them gave the impression that he already knew the answers and was instead trying to make the recipient admit to what he was already aware of. Whether he really knew or not was veiled behind the misdirection.

“Just a small smattering of business, my fellow. You see, the adolescents these days are enthralled by chilling narratives of the occult, and my hounds sniffed out quite the tale in this very town. Being able to spin a yarn about a curse tied to those sensational recent incidents would be a smasher for the ratings! The two of us stand to gain a healthy weight in coin.”

And like that, Yukiko went from disinterested and somewhat annoyed to outright disgusted. Tanado was trying to ride the back of Inaba’s misfortunes for money? That was beyond despicable! But, what did he mean by ‘the two of us?’ Yu caught her unspoken question from the corner of his eye, but he didn’t turn to answer her directly.

“That is a fine plan on paper. However, as one of your network’s primary shareholders, I must voice my misgivings. Beyond the questionable legality in forcing the Amagi Inn’s hand, I foresee a sizable backlash in this course of action.” Yu’s singular inflection did not escape Tanado’s notice. However he registered it was kept within is own head.

“Oh? Do tell.”

“I have met the host of your program in passing once, and I feel his form of journalism would incur rebuke from the families of the victims. He comes across as excited for the bizarre turn of events, which would imply disregard for its real consequences. This could turn into a defamation case against all involved in airing the program. Granted, the legal presence of the Konishi and Yamano families would be hampered by a lack of funding, but all it would require is one dedicated donor behind their cases to cripple your company in legal fees and potential restitution payments.”

For a brief moment, a crack opened in Tanado’s mannerisms. He set aside his loud presence and returned Yu’s unfeeling stare, but this shift was born and died in the span of a second. He tilted his head back and resumed stroking his beard.

“You may be correct. It would be unwise to place such a delicate situation in the hands of someone so brash.” Tanado put a meaty hand on Yu’s shoulder and laughed from the pit of his stomach., though the younger man didn’t budge. “As always, your advice is top notch, Narukami-san! The day the Japan Cultural Network gained you as a financial backer was a fortunate one, indeed!”

“The feeling is mutual.”

Neither Chie or Yukiko were fooled. Tanado revealed his hand long enough for them to gleam his annoyance at the buffer Yu placed between him and his unclaimed riches, but he was acting as though he truly reconsidered how profitable the desired program would be. Furthermore, he was clearly acting too chummy with Yu, the one who put the objection forth. As Kanji might have put it, Tanado was kissing Yu’s ass.

This all came together to form one unanswered question; what position was Yu in that gave him this much power over Tanado and the actions of his entire company?

The larger man pulled his watch up by its chain and squinted at the hands, struggling to see them through the glare.

“Now then, I suppose it’s about time for us to pack up. No sense in sticking around for a rush of fool’s gold.”

“Indeed not. If you still insist on filling your program block, I have an extensive record of unique marine life that a fishing program might make use of. Anglers are a more niche market than the superficially supernatural, but they are dependable when the correct bait is used.”

“Ah, a splendid idea, and equally splendid wordplay, if I may be so bold!” For the first time since his arrival, Tanado spared a glance to the girls, and his grin ticked slightly more towards the smug. “Even at rest, the Wolf of Tokyo is ever the nose for profits.” Yu’s eyes narrowed, and it felt as though the older man finally scored a single, petty point.

“In any case, I can find something else to pad out the schedule for the moment, though I will keep your offer in mind. It may be a fine show to run just before next summer comes around. Speaking of, I must get to somewhere with proper air conditioning, otherwise this heat could be the death of me. You there, Koroko, stop bothering that young lady. We’ve places to be, boy!”

Tanado’s order towards him was the first bit of attention he received since the boss himself entered the scene. His condition had worsened significantly since the spotlight left him. His knees were shaking, and his eyes quivered nervously whenever they passed by Yu. He jumped to attention at the sound of his name.

“Y-yes, sir!” He scurried off to follow his boss, and, when both were gone, Yu let his shoulders sink. An annoyed hiss of air escaped him.

“At least your help is honest.” His next breath was more controlled, and when it passed, he returned to the Yu they recognized. A slight smile was on his lips, and warm consideration flowed from his gaze. “I’ve never liked talking with him. Kind of overcompensates, doesn’t he?”

“That’s… one way to put it.” Chie felt somewhat lost. She had seen Yu in many situations, and the more she thought on it, the more she recalled that she had seen a glimpse of that version of him before, though only twice. Once on the mountain, and once when a beast she created on the mountain threatened to come back for Nanako. Instead of confronting that nightmare directly, she peddled back to the reason she came rushing to the scene in the first place. “Are you alright, Yukiko?”

“I’m fine now, just kind of irritated is all.” Yukiko smiled warmly at Chie’s concern, though it cooled somewhat when she realized that the bottle in her hand was also warm. “Sorry, I don’t think the water could stay cold with all the hot air that guy was putting off.” Yu laughed a bit under his breath, and the sound helped everyone readjust. Their Yu was really back. “I have to say, you’re completely different when you’re dealing with people like that, Yu-kun.”

“You kind of have to be.” He shrugged, trying to keep his tone relaxed. “Business types always take advantage of people who they can read. You have to keep everything hidden if you don’t want to be swindled.”

“Makes sense.” Chie uncapped her water and took a swig. It was, as promised, warm and gross, but she needed some fluids back. “Is that why he was being so loud, to hide everything in the noise?”

“Yeah. It gets old fast. Imagine sitting through a whole meeting with him at the head of the table.” Yu rolled his eyes and shook his head. It felt really good to say all of this plainly for once.

“He mentioned something towards the end there.” Chie tilted her head and smirked slightly. “Wolf of Tokyo? Like, Wolf of Wall Street?” Yu’s good mood evaporated a little, though he maintained a dry sense of amusement.

“Most of the companies my family holds shares in call me that. A lot of them apparently like American films, so the label stuck.” Yu put up his hands as though wiping chalk from a board. “I think that’s all the attention they deserve for now. I always feel stiff after dealing with them. Should we get back to training?”

“Aw yeah, now you’re talking! Come on, race you back to the river!” Ecstatic to be free of all this business talk, Chie quickly spun around and sprinted back down the road. Yukiko covered her mouth as a small giggle fit came to her.

Seeing them both back to their old selves helped Yu realign himself in the role he preferred. No way was he letting that world come in and poison the one he worked so hard to make. He had their backs, even if it costed every yen he had to his name.

Chapter Text

“Woo, that’s eight!” Teddie cemented his claim by snapping his newly cleaned topsicle stick over his thumb before tossing it to the growing mountain of sticks and plastic on the park table.

Kanji grit his teeth at the new milestone. His eyes went to the still wrapped topsicle he held. Just looking at it intensified the cold, searing pain that swelled at the sides of his head. Shaking, he reached towards the perforated edge of the wrapper. Yosuke, who had long ago lost the strength to sit straight up due to the intense brain freeze, balked at the sight.

“Don’t do it, dude. This has gone way too far. Don’t. Do. It.”

Kanji’s own body was starting to work against him. It felt like it was making the sensation worse than it really was in an attempt to force him to realize the error of his conduct. Instead of dissuading him, however, it only served to ignite a fire greater than any brain freeze.

“I survived Mystery Food X. I ain’t losing to a pansy-ass stick of sugar ice!” He tore the wrapper away with reckless abandon and shoved its contents into his mouth. His teeth chomped down at the stick, and when he pulled it away, he scraped the topsicle down his throat. It left a trail of frost down his esophagus, and his stomach, bloated from the previously eaten ice cream, became that much closer to a solid glacier in his guts. But it was down. That’s what mattered. “Eight!”

“Alright, Kanji, way to go!” Teddie clapped and hooted at the accomplishment, working as a positive force to counteract the cold nausea lingering at the back of Kanji’s thoughts. “Onward to number nine!” And all at once, Kanji’s burning spirit turned into stone that settled alongside the ice cream at the bottom of his stomach.

“You can’t be freaking serious. I’m bigger than three of you, but I’m at my limit.” He had to admit, if he put one more of those cursed confections in his face hole, he’d be ejecting what was already down in short order. That wasn’t to mention how the inside of his skull felt like someone was taking an ice pick to it.

“Don’t question Ted’s appetite.” His speech check failed, Yosuke flattened himself once more on the table top. He tried to warn the guy, he really did. “The first day he started living with me, he chowed down on all of the snack stashes I was setting up for exam week. That was supposed to be seven days’ worth of sugar, all gone at once.”

“I paid you back for it...”

With the job Yosuke gave him in the first place, but it would just be petty to bring that up.

“Yeah yeah, all’s forgiven, but I’m saying that shouldn’t have been possible in the first place.”

“Hey, didn’t you eat all of Chie-senpai’s omelet the other day, too?” Kanji would always remember how Teddie laughed as he shoveled down forkfuls of way-too-salty egg. He looked like a balloon with too much air in it by the end of the night. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you just soak up food like a sponge, or a battery or something.” Teddie chuckled to himself all sly as he reached towards the topsicle box.

“I am a bear, you know. Our diets are the stuff of legends!” Teddie dropped his hand into the box, but all he felt was the flat bottom. When he tilted it over with his wrist, that was all he saw, too, brown cardboard. “We’re out already? But I was just getting started.” He pouted at the paltry pickings of the package. No more pops to pillage? A poor performance, he pondered.

Yosuke, for his part, was relieved. Seeing those two pigging out was starting to make him vicariously sick.

“We’ll have to pick up another box on the way home, but I’m not buying it for you. That’s what your money is for.”

“You think I would go out with no snack funds on hand? For shame, Yosuke. I thought you knew me better than that.” Of course, that was essentially what all of his money went towards, making the entirety of his net worth snack funds, but the point stood.

“If you say so, how stupid of me. If you’re peppy enough to showboat like that, think you could throw the trash away? I really don’t want to have to chase it down if the wind catches it.”

“On it, Mister Boss Man!”

“Stop calling me that!”

Teddie couldn’t hear the request, as always. He was too busy getting to work. He scooped up the discarded wrappers and sticks and chucked them back into the box they came from. Using another container for small pieces of garbage was one of the first lessons he learned from cleaning the food court. It made it easier to hold everything and kept sticky food items from touching his fur. Just to make sure his plan wouldn’t fall through, he folded the lid shut and sealed it before getting up to locate the proper receptacle.

The first finding of his search was not the garbage can, though it looked almost as dirty. The thought made Teddie feel guilty as it passed. It was quite rude to think about people that way. Someone was walking down the road, slumped over from exhaustion and coated from hair to shoes with what looked like a mix of hardened white foam and dried, gray concrete. It was so thick as to almost hide the black of his hair, and the weighted hair, in turn, drooped low and covered his eyes.

It was only when he got closer that Teddie started to recognize him. He would know that food-deprived frame and those rough, calloused hands anywhere, especially when they were on a child. The kid had lost the little glimmer of life the red balloon had given him, replacing it with a rough sign made out of scrap wood he had slung over his shoulder. It read, in uneven strokes of black paint, “Will work for change.”

When he at last reached the part of the road closest to their table, the kid stopped and looked up to Teddie, who was still staring in some level of disbelief. The kid’s eyes were even more dull than when they first met. He looked like he wanted to be angry, but he didn’t have the energy for it. Despite that, when he noticed Teddie looking at his sign, he tried to straighten himself up before approaching the group. When all three were looking at him, he bowed as deeply as he was able, displaying his sign more than himself.

“I will take any job that pays.”

Teddie’s heart broke. His voice was a hissing wheeze, as dry as the gunk that covered his clothes. A few seconds after delivering his offer, the sign started to waver in his hands. The wood was worn away and likely very light, meaning it wasn’t a matter of it being too heavy for him to hold, and the movements were too subtle to make intentionally. He was just that exhausted.

Yosuke’s first thought was that he was about to collapse on them. He scooted over, opening up a space on the bench.

“Here, sit down so we can talk about it.”

The kid came out of his bow to see the offered seat. His eye lighted warily on Kanji, but he listened to the request. His legs were unsteady as he stepped over the bench to settle in. Teddie sat back down across from him and next to Kanji. He shared a glance with Yosuke, diagonally across the table from him. They didn’t say anything to each other, but they both saw the worry in the other’s eyes.

Kanji crossed his arms and locked them together by grabbing near the opposite elbow. The harsh, clawed grip spoke to his thoughts on the situation. As worked up as he was, he knew letting it hit his voice would scare the kid off. He tried to summon the self that came naturally whenever he talked to Nanako.

“You look beat up. Sure you want to be working like that?” Kanji tried to gauge the kid’s reaction, but his face was still mostly hidden by hair and his drooping posture. He looked as dead as he sounded.

“Need the money. I’ll do anything if it pays.”

Kanji felt his blood starting to toil. “Anything” was an offer some creeps couldn’t say no to, and the emotionless way he presented it almost suggested that he knew the possibility well. Kanji nodded to Yosuke for a tag out. If he opened his mouth now, he knew it would come out as a rough growl.

“You look like you’ve worked plenty for today. You must have made something for all of that.” Yosuke gestured at the various types of debris about him, but the kid sunk further into himself.

“...No. I didn’t.”

That was Kanji’s limit.

“What.”

“I wasn’t paid for this.”

Kanji would have admired the pretty shade of red filling his vision if he wasn’t absolutely pissed.

“Why not.”

The kid glanced up at him. He shied away from the rigidity overtaking Kanji, but he must have decided that staying quiet would end up worse than spilling it.

“A guy said he would pay if I sealed his roof for him. Four hours later, his roof was sealed, but he kicked me out without paying.”

“The Hell!?” Kanji shot up out of his seat. Before the kid could think to book it, Kanji’s tirade barreled on. “You show me where that shit weasel lives and I’ll rip your earnings out of his hide if I’ve gotta!” Yosuke rushed to put a hand on Kanji’s shoulder. It wouldn’t physically stop him if he chose to rush off, but it was enough to grab his attention.

“You know it won’t do any good! If anything, he’ll say you were harassing him and that he never promised to pay anyone.”

Kanji was shaking in his skin. His skeleton was this close to tearing out of the rest of his body to hunt the bastard down. He half expected Take-Mikazuchi to come screaming out of a TV somewhere to help him. But, he knew those were just dreams. Yosuke-senpai was smarter than him about this stuff, no matter how much Hell he wanted to raise. He dropped back on his ass, his anger turning into venom in his lungs.

“You don’t go promising a kid something like that just to double cross them. It ain’t right, damnit!”

“I know it isn’t, but there’s not much we can do. Some jerks know how to get away with stuff like that.” Yosuke knew he was saying the truth, but it didn’t make the sight of the kid splattered with sealing foam and broken promises easier to digest. His conscience only left him alone after he made to grab his wallet. “How much did he say he was giving you?” The kid looked up at him, confusion surfacing through the muck.

“Huh?”

“I’ll give you however much he was going to. So, how much?” Yosuke knew there was a chance he was going to be given a bigger number than what was really promised. He couldn’t blame him for it, though. He obviously needed the money. One hit to the bank would be fine.

The kid looked at the wallet he pulled out. The bills in it were as clear to see as his longing for them. It only lasted a short spell, though, before the kid slammed his desire back into his heart and wrenched his line of sight back to the table.

“I won’t take money I didn’t work for. It wouldn’t feel right.”

Yosuke was flabbergasted. He knew at that age he would’ve scooped up any cash offered to him, and he was from a financially stable family. This kid was showing early signs of starvation, but he was turning the charity down. Kanji, who had finally gotten the lid back on his hate, knew that spirit. He also knew how much damage it could do if left unchecked.

“Sometimes, you gotta swallow your pride and accept some help to get by. Trust me on that one. I’ve had my fill of it.”

The anger budded back up when the kid started shaking. He thought he heard his breaths going sharp and short, like he was holding back a sob, and he was whispering something to himself. More than the anger, though, Kanji felt worried.

“What was that?”

“I… I’m not a leech.” Kanji was almost blown back by the harshness of the statement. The frustration in that little heart compacted into raw, vocal weight. “I’m not a burden, I’m not useless!”

When the kid looked up, Kanji’s own anger was sent packing by the undiluted hate being put off. If that much raw emotion was dropped into Kanji, it would’ve been more than enough to send him into a rampage. It was clearly too much for the kid. It overwhelmed him to the point that unrefined feeling poured out wherever it could. He was hyperventilating. Every part of him was shaking and jerking erratically. Tears were being pushed out by the horrible pressure inside his head.

“I’m tired of being looked down at. I’m tired of being laughed at. P-pride…” His sign fell out of his grip as he grabbed the sides of his head. He slammed his face into the table, trying desperately to make it stop. It only made the screaming, screeching everything in his head louder. “Pride’s all I have! I’m not a mistake, I’m not a bastard! I’m not, I’m not, I’m not…!”

No one saw Teddie move. No one noticed him until he already had his arms around the kid. He pulled him into his chest and held him tight so he couldn’t hurt himself. The kid pushed away from him at first, but something about the contact made the mess of rage in his head lose its cohesion. He melted into Teddie’s side, and everything he felt oozed out of him. He sobbed uncontrollably into Ted’s shirt, and Ted rocked them both back and forth.

“ I’m not, I’m not, I’m not...”

“That’s it. I know you’re not. You’re safe here.”

Yosuke and Kanji, between the sudden outburst and Ted’s swift handling of it, were lost in the wave of events. Neither of them expected all of that to come flooding out, nor did they think their Teddie was capable of being this gentle. He spoke softly, saying something comforting to pad the mantra that the kid repeated. The talking eventually stopped entirely, and Ted accepted his role with grace.

One by one, the kid’s taps ran dry. He stopped sobbing, and his breath evened out. The tears dried somewhere along the line, though neither knew when. It was only after Ted felt the shivers subside that he let go, keeping an arm around the kid’s back and a gentle smile on his face.

“There we go. Better?”

The raven-haired boy hesitated to look up after the display he put on. It was only the lack of judgment in this strange, blonde man’s tone that gave him the courage to, and when he did, his heart settled upon finding no harsh glares on him. It felt alien to him, like landing on an island after years adrift at sea. The unfamiliarity didn’t make it bad, though.

“A little.” He felt a hand on top of his head. Ted lightly brushed at his hair, trying to clear some of the looser chunks of plaster. Much of it was stuck to his scalp. It tugged at his roots, but Ted was careful about applying too much force. It was a small gesture, but it was enough to help the kid calm down. “Thanks, mister.”

“You’re very welcome!” Teddie glanced back to the side of the table he was originally sitting at, and he pulled what he left behind over. “You want to feel like you earned what you get, right?” The kid nodded hesitantly, unsure of what the colorful box had to do with it. He was even less sure when Teddie produced a small paper envelope full of money, but something about it struck him as familiar.

“There’s a store a few blocks that way with a red paper lantern by the door. I want you to go in there, buy a box of topsicles just like this one, and bring it back. Here.” Teddie emptied the contents of his envelope into the boy’s hand. Between the bills and coins, it was probably well over two thousand yen. “Use this money. You can keep all of the change that’s left when you’re done. Do you think you can do that for me?” The boy’s hand wavered, as though the money in his hand was heavy to him, but he nodded eagerly.

“Yeah. Be right back.” He stood up and tried to run, but, after a few steps, his legs reminded him of how sore and numb he was. A moderately-paced walk would have to do. In his hurry, he forgot his sign, but Yosuke had him covered. He grabbed it off the ground where it was dropped, checking it over for damage.

“That was nice of you, Ted. I think you made that kid’s day.”

“Yeah. I think so, too.” Yosuke’s ear perked at the offhandedness of the statement, and when he looked over, Teddie had a pensive air about him. “Kanji, what does ‘bastard’ mean?”

“Huh? You don’t know?”

“No, but you say it all the time, mostly when you’re talking about people you don’t like. Is there something bad about it?”

“Well, uh, not really?” Kanji was trying to be careful about what he said around his ‘little siblings,’ but it didn’t mean he thought about the stuff that came out of his mouth when the censor was off. Looking at what the words he said really meant was yet another new experience for him. “First off, you know where babies come from, right? Don’t say it, just, do you?” Ted nodded, and Kanji breathed a sigh of relief. That was a level of awkward explanations he wasn’t comfortable with. “A bastard is what people call a kid whose parents weren’t… together when they were born.” The skepticism on Teddie’s brow deepened.

“What’s wrong with that?”

Every now and then, Teddie would remind everyone that he was a foreigner to human concepts that seemed second nature to normal people. Sometimes it made him look weird, but other times, it made humans look weird. This was one of the latter times, or so Yosuke thought.

“It kind of reflects badly on the parents for being irresponsible, and that badness gets passed onto the kid. Society has a thing against the idea. Kanji doesn’t, but the idea’s spread around enough that the word turned into a catch-all for bad people. Does that make sense?”

“...No, but in that way that a lot of things about this world don’t make sense.” There were so many beautiful things, but each one had something bad to go with it, following it like a… Teddie pushed the thought aside. It wasn’t important. “He works so hard. Who would call him a name like that?”

“Beats me, man. Beats me.” Kanji heard the heavy footfalls coming, and when he looked, he was glad to have an excuse to leave that line of chat behind him. “Your delivery boy’s back.”

“Well, that was fast!” Teddie spun around in his seat. The kid ran up to him, short on breath and with a frosted box of topsicles in hand.

“Here you go, mister.” Teddie gladly accepted the package, and he was delighted at the chill it sent through his skin.

“And it’s still nice and cold. I think I would call that some fine work!”

“About that...” The kid pulled what was left of the money stack from his pocket. It barely looked dented from the topsicles. “This is an awful lot of money. Are you sure I can have it?” Yosuke bit his tongue. It really wasn’t much, but he didn’t need to point that out. Teddie, whether aware of that detail or not, also didn’t bring it up.

“I said you could keep it, and I meant it. Teddie always keeps his word, thank you beary much!” Again, something about this blonde man was ringing a bell in the kid’s head, but he couldn’t place what, especially not with all the gratitude filling him up. He bowed as deeply as he was able, clutching the yen in his hand until the coins imprinted on his skin.

“Thank you, thank you so much. I won’t forget this, promise.” Teddie reached over and rustled the kid’s hair affectionately.

“And I won’t forget you, either. What’s your name?” The kid hesitated, but he licked his lips and answered.

“...Akira Kurusu.”

“Akira-kun, is it? Well, glad to meet you! Now I know exactly who to ask if I ever need help.” Teddie hunched over until Akira, from his ongoing bow, could see him wink. “Take care of yourself, buddy. Okay?” Akira sniffled silently.

“I will. You don’t know how much this helps. Thank you, Mister Teddie.” When Ted lifted his hand, Akira sprung up, and that sprawling, warming smile had returned. He tucked the money into his pocket, Yosuke passed his sign back to him, and he jogged back to the road, waving until he was out of sight. Teddie felt as warm and fuzzy inside as he normally did outside.

This was the part of humanity Teddie couldn’t get enough of. Shadows didn’t know things like kindness or gratitude. Humans could be cruel, too, but they could also be kind. They could also be grateful. Shadows knew only hate. Humans knew goodness.

Teddie knew goodness.

Chapter Text

Across the land, a tale was told. None knew where it began, but word swept through all domains as surely as the mightiest army. From the smallest babe of Gristleton to the high throne of Sir Loin himself, all could recite the legend as though its words were etched on their very hearts.

Where the shadow of Mount Bighorn fell upon the Oryza Plains, no mortal lord laid claim. To set one’s flag into the field was an act of blasphemy frowned upon in Carnicia, but it was not taboo alone that staved off those kings that hungered for expansion. Nay, they knew that to set foot in that place would be to declare a war none could win, war upon the greatest king of all.

When dark clouds crossed the sky and fed the earth with dew from the heavens, a kingdom would rise. This was the domain of that most fearsome king, and though he ruled for only the scantest moment, his decree was absolute. Any who set foot on the land of Aaya would do so at risk of body and mind, health and sanity. This was a task, they said, for only the brazen fool.

Lord Chie was no such fool, nor was she a coward. She stood unwavering upon the crest of the hill as rain struck the fields beyond. The plains drank deeply of this offering, and the kingdom they held repaid the gods with a glimpse of its majesty. Its spires sprouted, rods of timber piercing through earthen flesh. Towers of twisting red and white followed, and to their arrival Lord Chie raised her blade in challenge. The forces she led stirred from their rest.

“Men, we have trained long for this day.” Her muscles coiled eagerly beneath her gold-woven armor. The heft of her plate mail weighed on her as little as cloth, a testament to the rigors she endured in preparation. “The armies of Baconia shattered at our approach. Roasterdale was torn through that afternoon. And may none forget the valor we flew upon crushing the heathen Duchy of Turk in the drought-stricken deserts, but e’en they were mere appetizers next to the foe we face.”

Undeterred by her will, the fortress grew. Walls of rough hide emerged, glistening brown from the panacea seeping through its cracks. It took all of Lord Chie’s resilience to not bow as its scent washed through her. Within the cradle of everlasting steak, a lavish palace of perfectly pinked flesh revealed itself. Deeper yet, she knew, was the king’s hoard of rice, enough to feed the peasantry of all lands. It would fill her own coffers for a long time to come.

“Some might say we have bitten off more than we are able to chew, but I yield not, for I know that so long as I stand, you shall stand with me.”

Among her knights, those eight nearest the front gripped their great shields all the tighter. The four who flanked them hefted their pearly spears aloft as flags. The back line, numbering twenty strong, gnashed their maces against their own chest plates, pounding the war drum for their lord. The band was minuscule beside the forces of Aaya, but, encased in the ivory armor of Lord Chie, their courage was unshaken.

“This day, we march to glory everlasting.” She thrust her quardent forth, its four prongs seeking a foe to skewer. “Mighty Forkchion, herald of the Western Star, guide my hand! Charge!”

Lord Chie took the first step, and thirty-two more joined her second. Her army swept across the plains as a single gale against which no wall could hold. She swore upon her honor that Aaya would fall to her hand. Now, she was prepared to uphold her oath.

A glimmer from the highest tower of the castle caught her eye, and laughter cut through the wind in her ear. A figure cloaked in black tapped its clawed fingers on the railing. Bright yellow eyes looked down upon her, both in height and arrogance, from beneath a shaded mask of steel.

“Oh my, I was not expecting guests.” The sound of that voice stoked the flames in Lord Chie’s heart.

“Tyrant Narukami, you dare reveal yourself!?”

“ Harsh words, indeed. I dare say I am wounded, if only because it is the only damage you can inflict. And to think, I was prepared to offer you and your weary forces a drink in my foyer. Of course, that was assuming you could reach insofar, but it seems that shan’t be the case. ” From the folds of his cloak, he produced a small, obsidian-based hourglass. The sands within flowed downwards until only a pinch more remained. “ Your half hour is up. ”

Suddenly, the dark stage was lit by a bolt of thunder. It struck the earth with a deafening clang, and Lord Chie’s vision blurred. The sky was twisting, twisting, melting. Another strike of thunder, and the Forkchion, once imposing in stature, felt little longer than the hand that held it.

Chie pushed forward still, though her legs became profoundly heavy. It was like the weight they carried tripled. She could practically taste those unending barriers of steak. They washed over her taste buds, flooded the neurons between tongue and brain until it was all she could think of, to the dismay of her long-suffering stomach.

“No, no! I won’t fall back now. I will not be defeated!”

“ I look forward to your next challenge, my friend. ” Tyrant Narukami waved to her as light slipped away. One last flash, and as it faded, all she could see were those piercing eyes of gold.

“ Perhaps next time, you will pay heed to the Howling God. ”

~~

Chie shot up, the red and orange of her surroundings blinding her. She didn’t know which pain was worse, the burning light in her eyes or the mountainous weight in her guts, though that last one offered to eject itself after the sudden jolt.

Fighting back a heave, she blinked, looking around to find herself seated at a counter. The red lanterns overhead cast a thin shadow on the face of the small alarm clock that had been sitting next to her head. She could only assume it was the source of the ringing in her ears.

Slowly, she started to recall where she was. Grim defeat joined the steak on her tongue. It was a bitter combination, one she knew well. She dared not look at the bowl in front of her. Instead, she picked it up, finding that it still weighed more than the contents of her stomach. She wasn’t even halfway through. A low hiss scraped through her teeth.

“I’ll beat you, Rainy Day Beef Bowl Challenge. Soon.”

-

Dust scattered through scorching air. Each grain in the cloud moved as though a locust in a swarm, hungrily clawing at any creature caught in its path. There was only one beast the cloying earth couldn’t touch.

The Wild Hog of Japan tore on ahead, unfazed by the contrail of pain left behind him. All he saw was the boundless freedom that stretched ahead for miles unending. He twisted his hands back, and his loyal machine roared for him, chasing the open road ever more fervently at his command.

He glanced to his image in the mirror at his left. His flowing hair whipped about in the wind, unconfined by the skull trap they called a helmet. The only accessory he needed were his shades that hid his eyes under a layer of dark mystery. The tail of his leather jacket billowed behind him, a black streak that marked his presence in the midst of the dust.

Yosuke didn’t dare mask his appreciation for his own immaculate form. His grin was wide, his sharpened canines gleaming in the desert sun. This, he knew, was the face of perfection. All the world was his turf.

He was pure, unadulterated badass.

Snickering, he shifted the mirror to the road behind him. The snide show of pride turned into a curious grumbling in his throat. Bordered by the twin trails of dust, a lone figure followed him. It was little more than a black smudge at this distance, but the one thing Yosuke could see clearly were its eyes. Piercing orbs of gold glared forward, and now that he knew they were there, he could feel their lingering gaze.

It was watching him. Stalking him. Hunting him.

With a thick growl, he threw a hand into the air. If this creep wanted to see something, it could get an eyeful of the fucks Yosuke didn’t give. He was thinking about throwing up a second, just to prove his badassery by riding hands-free, but then he noticed the road growing darker. He squinted, struggling to see so much as the yellow line that split the road in two.

It was annoying to have to pull off his shades, but as soon as they left his face, his eyes widened. The dusty gold of the desert turned to an eerie, pale blue. He couldn’t see the landscape at his sides or any of the road ahead. It was all swallowed by blue fog.

Where did it come from? It was sunny and clear out a second before. Now Yosuke couldn’t see any sign of where he was. It was like the world he knew had been pulled behind a curtain. The twisting in his heart, though, turned him to a darker conclusion. The world hadn’t been pulled anywhere. It had been swallowed, and this was the belly of the beast.

“You are not free.”

Through the fog, the figure behind him was still visible, and it was closer than before. Yosuke could see the front of its ride, a black tire cutting through the fog. Every moment that passed saw it edge towards him. It was coming for him.

Yosuke yanked back on the handles, pushing his hog to its limit. His ears filled with wind as he reached top speed, but so, too, was it filled with fog. And the fog whispered to him.

“You are lost, trapped in a twisting web of deceit.”

Yosuke’s heart shriveled when he saw that his acceleration did nothing to stave of his pursuer. He pushed through the layer of fog separating them steadily. Handles could be seen, and with them their guiding hands. They were covered by gloves, fingers tipped in sharp nails. Yosuke could almost feel them clenching around his neck. He felt like this would be his last chance to object before it cut his air of completely.

“Get the Hell away from me!”

“You cannot escape. None of us can. This fog binds you as surely as the mind that brought it forth.”

The fog in front of Yosuke seemed to be inching closer. He already lost sight of his own front wheel, but the creeping figure behind him advanced nonetheless. He could see its sleeves now, funnels of pitch black so dense that no hint of the skin beneath them could be found. All he could see of the encroaching beast itself were those horrible golden eyes.

“We cannot escape. We can only fear.”

Its eyes burned, fire that ate away at Yosuke’s skin. Its face was still shrouded in fog, but it did nothing to hide its eyes, its hateful eyes. All of the freedom turned to ash in Yosuke’s heart. He was only as free as this monster let him be.

It raised one hand from its bars, and a single razor-tipped finger extended towards him. He could almost feel its nail on the back of his neck, grazing the ball of his spine.

“Fear us. Fear the Howling God.”

The finger tilted up, and whatever held the fog at bay was lifted. It spilled over Yosuke, drowning him until his eyes were covered, casting the world in formless blue.

~~

“Gyah!”

Yosuke shot up and threw his blanket off in a fit of panic. The fabric on his skin was too close, too enveloping. In his thoughtless waking, he felt like it would devour him.

It was only several moments later, when his mind started accepting the guidance of his eyes, that he realized he was still in his own bed. His ears opened next, and the only sound to be heard was thick, rattling snores slipping through the grating of his closet door. It was annoying, but not scary in the slightest.

Still, the hammering of his heart told him that something terribly wrong had just happened, but his brain failed to say what. It gave him only scattered fragments of memory, all adrift on the sea of his consciousness.

He could see brief images among them. A loss of control. A hand reaching towards him. The color blue. But that was it. The rest had sunk beneath the waves, washed out by the tumult of wakefulness. He slouched over grouchily and groaned under his breath.

“I hate dreams like that.”

With all the agility of a frozen sloth, he dragged his blanket back over himself and flopped into the embrace of his bed. He had work in the morning, and he didn’t want to haul his zombified butt through an eight hour shift. He needed sleep.

-

“Milady, watch out!”

Yukiko didn’t have to. She heard the whistle of the arrow clearly, but she felt no need to expend precious effort to avoid it. Before it could so much as graze her radiant skin, her personal guard leaped in its path. The offending arrow was promptly cut in twine, its halves falling far from their mark.

As infantry in the distance moved to silence the archer that dared raise a bow to their lady, the royal guard took a knee, the side of her sky-blue dress parting just so. Enough to expose the grand form of her leg, but not so much as to threaten her decency.

“My apologies, Lady Yukiko. I shan’t allow the enemy so close a second time.”

Yukiko’s arm drifted out, placing the tip of a folded fan on the guard’s shoulder. The gentle acknowledgment made the guard bow lower. Fabric caught on the fan, pulling the front of her dress taught around her chest. A titillating sight, if one was allowed the indulgence.

“My thanks for your leniency, milady.” The guard raised, her brown eyes hardening in the flames of determination. “I swear on the Satonaka name, your trust in me shall never be misplaced.”

“Is that so?”

A scream rang through the battlefield. When Chie whipped around to face the danger, she found the infantry of both sides had thinned. The enemy retreated to their fortified line, leaving one warrior alone to represent them. It was to him that Yukiko’s army fell. He scraped the blade of his naginata along the armor of his last kill, cleaning it of the soldier’s blood. From beneath a black hood, which hid his identity completely, his gaze turned to his last standing opponent.

“I certainly hope your loyalty is made of sterner stuff than these poor fools’ flesh, or else this skirmish will be as short as it is dull.”

The warrior slung his naginata over his shoulder and stepped forward, the bladed platform on his foot digging into the ground. His head was cocked to the side flippantly. Chie, enraged, bore her sword.

“You dare advance on the Winter Throne?”

The threat sparked no fear in the man, only amusement that glimmered in his golden eyes.

“Ah, a fitting title, that. Winter, a season of deathly blizzards and jagged ice.” He took one more step, and Chie advanced in turn. It was as though she had become the unfettered winds of the plains herself, magnificent in speed and form. It was a heartening beauty to Yukiko’s tired eyes. Chie’s sword drove forward, aimed towards the shaded face, as, though his being was hidden, his mortality would be proven by blood.

As she approached, though, there was a flash. A bolt of lightning struck the ground between them, sending up chunks of dirt. It splattered across the front of her dress, warning her body to halt before she rushed headlong into heaven’s spear. Her opponent, conversely, took it as a signal to act. As suddenly as the thunder that preceded him, the warrior swept around to her side.

He brought his naginata down atop her, and, though she caught it on the edge of her sword, Chie was swiftly overshadowed by her foe in every regard. He leered over her, the hard outline of the mask beneath his hood only adding to his inhuman presence.

“And yet, Winter, too, must pass, and those envoys of its power melt away. To station one’s self upon its throne is to sit on fleeting snow.” He scraped his naginata across the blunt of her blade, and before she could react, its edge cleaved through the guard at its base and the hand beneath it.

Clenching back the scream that surely came to her throat, Chie fell back from her failed strike. As her foot touched down, the jolt renewed the pain in her hand. Skin tore open ever wider and blood flowed freely, as though her thumb would come undone. Her fingers went numb.

The weight of her sword was too great to support, and it fell. She grabbed for it with her other hand, but the warrior pressed his advantage. He bound forward in a sweeping kick. Warned only by the glint of his bladed sole, Chie was forced to abandon her sword and fall back further. It was only by throwing herself that she avoided decapitation, though the edge of her would-be executioner caught a thin line of skin beneath her eye.

That slight force was enough to break what little balance she had left, and she fell heavily. She expected to land on the ground and braced for that landing, but, though her back did meet the grass, her head thunked on something far sturdier. She pushed against the concussive daze that filled her mind like an ocean of oil to discern the thing of her undoing.

The Winter Throne weathered its own fallen guard, Yukiko seated upon it like a figurine of glass. Throughout the exchange, her countenance remained the spirit of noble poise. The warrior paced towards them, and though Chie struggled to stand, the pain tearing through her left her unable to move. A hand grasped her by the collar and dragged her up. The warrior loomed over lady and aegis at once, his shadow falling heavy on both.

“Would you look at yourself, Lady Yukiko.” Her name was contorted by the disgust its speaker clearly held for the title. “You sit immaculately on a fading throne, watching your own dream fall apart in blissful ignorance.” Hands grabbed at his sleeve and pulled with what little strength they had left. All they managed to do was spill their own blood on it.

“Get away from my lady, foul cretin!”

“Foul cretin? Open your ears, dreamer!” His hand twisted, tightening the dress’s collar around Chie’s neck. She gasped for breath, every moment seeing its passage to her lungs constricted further. “Do these words not strike you as unnatural? Is this the language she would employ? No!”

He closed the gap between himself and Yukiko, staring deep into her eyes. Her heart jumped at the approach, but her hands remained on her lap. They refused to move, as though held in place by the air around them.

“You claim in the waking world to have moved on, but your dreams are soaked in fantasy. Night after night have I seen you whisked away on the arm of delusion. They hold root yet in your heart, and you refuse to pull them out for fear of pain.”

The words striking her were barbed, whips of rusted iron flagellating her for her sins, but she couldn’t speak out against them. She felt like a porcelain doll in a bad horror movie, a vessel of emotion trapped behind lifeless skin and obfuscating garb. No matter the hate brewing on the inside, her outside couldn’t express it.

The anger in the warrior’s voice and actions cooled, taking on the hard edge of grim acceptance. He took his naginata and aligned its blade with Chie’s neck.

“If you will not break your own binds, it falls to me to do so for you. Forgive me, my friend, but I cannot let you hurt yourself like this any longer. Such is my mercy, and my burden.” He lifted his arm, taking in the fear that drenched ‘Chie’s’ face. “Your torment ends now, bound figment. Be free of this fetid dream.”

Yukiko’s heart all but rammed against the ribs that contained it. Blood ran thick in her veins, boiling as it witnessed Chie’s dripping into the grass. The fallen guard writhed against her assailant’s stranglehold, but he held firm, his hand the stock of a guillotine.

‘Please, let her go!’

Her thoughts surfaced in the murk, but still her body contained them. It ignored the counsel of her mind, sitting there as her world bled dry.

“It would be much appreciated if you closed your eyes. A figment you may be, but this pains me all the same.”

Though he spoke to Chie, it was Yukiko’s that heard the request. Her eyelids drifted low, only a hair from being shut. If her mind didn’t like the sight before it, then it would simply be ignored. Everything was fine, it seemed to say. Nothing needed to change.

The pulse of her heart redoubled, forcing wakefulness to her obstinate flesh. Nothing about this was right! Chie was in danger! She was about to lose the love of…

...No. That was wrong, too. This whole picture was crooked. The warrior’s words rang through her ears once more. This wasn’t what she sounded like. She didn’t bow her head to anyone, she was too headstrong for that. She wouldn’t lower herself to servitude. She was no one’s slave, but that was the role this space put her in.

This picture was crooked, and the warrior sought to burn it away.

And yet, there was some reality here. Chie’s strength and confidence, those most radiant aspects of her, remained intact. Though she was bound to a master that held full sway over her, that indomitable spirit remained, and, with it, her loyalty. But hers was not the servitude of a soldier. No, it was more than that!

The warrior steadied his shaking hand, moving his gaze down to Chie’s neck. His grip tightened.

“Rest in peace.”

His hand lunged forward, driving the naginata down.

Yukiko’s lip twitched open, just enough to let air pass.

“Stop.”

A hand, wrapped in pink, shot over her shoulder, placing its palm against the warrior’s chest. It pushed him back, his blade curving and missing its mark. When he looked up to the one who stopped him, his eyes came to rest not on the petal-winged priestess, but the lady seated in front of her, curtained on each side by her servant’s wings. Her skin cracked like frail china, shards falling away. The skin beneath was flushed an inflamed scarlet.

“You, are more correct, than I care to admit.” As she spoke, the grass broke further. The bright red lipstick that sealed her mouth was first to go, falling to release plain, unhampered lips. “There’s still a part of me that wants this, the life I dreamed of at my weakest moments. This fantasy is beautiful, but now I can only have it here. To let it continue dragging me down would only hurt me further.”

She let her eye close fully. A tear streamed down her cheek, and that little pressure carved a line through her false facade. Her eyes opened, and the plate concealing them broke fully. Her irises narrowed. Her body shook violently, the self hidden beneath the fragile princess fighting to break free.

“ But you’re wrong, too. You’re trying to take from me all of the love in my heart. It burns to hold, a flame with no hearth to place it in. This place has received it, keeping the blaze alive, I grant you that, but that doesn’t mean I should throw it all away.”

Her shoulder rammed up, the fluff of her dress’s sleeve shattering off. Her priestess, too, shuddered, a thin web tearing across her gown. The arm that held the warrior at bay was overtaken, lines of brilliant light shining through.

“I know that I can never have what I want. I love her with everything I am. She, can’t say the same. I can’t make her accept the role I envisioned. I need to let that go, but I won’t let her go.”

Suddenly, the priestess shot forward. Her hand slid off to the warrior’s side, and her wing followed as a trail of blades. The light hiding within overtook the petal wings, burning them down until a line of silvery crystals remained. The warrior leaped away, avoiding thos e reborn wings, but losing his hold on Chie. The priestess took his place over her, sliding a hand under her to lift her up. The other grazed over the cut on her cheek, wiping the wound away as though it was only a smudge of dirt.

“She may not love me, but she cares about me. Through everything, she still wants to be my friend. That may not be what my heart wanted, but I know it’s what it needs. So no, I won’t give her up.” She lifted her arm, its shell flaking away on the wind. She extended it out, and Chie reached back, though the wounds on her hand made it difficult.

Their fingers wrapped around each other, and from their contact, more light still poured forth. It rippled out from them, over the three girls. At once, their figments were shattered, blowing away on the wind. No longer were they lady and guardian. Now, they were just Yukiko and Chie, the best of friends. Chie blinked blearily, then shook her head.

“Whoa, what the heck was that all about?”

Yukiko chuckled to herself.

“There, much better.” She looked up. In the glow of revelation, the priestess, too, was reborn. Her form was pure light, shining bright with the hope of Yukiko’s soul.

“ Well, I’ll be. ” The warrior lowered his weapon, the reason and will to fight fleeing him. “ It seems intervention on the scale I predicted was not necessary. Even I can be wrong from time to time. One hopes my other self sees that soon. Speaking of which. ” He reached into the fold of of coat and pulled out a small hourglass, its ends tipped by black stone. The sand trickled away steadily. The last few grains were soon to slip away.

“ I must be going. I’ve a long night ahead, I fear. ” He glanced upwards, the light of the sun growing brighter. In it, the shadow of his hood was fleeting. He pulled it lower over his face, cupping a hand around his left eye. “ Take care, Priestess. You see the pains of falsehood. Let this light guide you, always. ”

Before Yukiko could call out to the spirit, the light swelled up even further. It was warm on her skin. Where the dream once pinned her to inaction, this one set her mind at ease, and she drifted into a deeper sleep. All she felt then was the warm hand holding hers, the promise that it would always be there.

~~

A breeze blew over Yukiko’s face. That was the first thing she felt as the waking world greeted her anew. She pulled her blanket up before cracking an eye open. On the far side of her bedroom, she saw the window was left a bit ajar. The n she remembered leaving it like that. It was too warm when she went to bed.

Now, though, the night was pleasantly c ool . Moonlight filtered through the glass, but the little bit that peeked through the opening was just bright enough to rouse her. She didn’t feel like grousing about it, though. No, for some reason, she was strangely calm, happy even. In that moment, she felt completely at ease, like all the shadows in her mind had been illuminated.

She smiled, then turned over and snuggled into her covers. She slipped back into sleep as smoothly as she left it. When she woke up again the next morning, she was vaguely aware of going back into a great dream, though she couldn’t remember what it was about.

Chapter Text

Prerecorded trumpets blared through the stadium. A bass line underscored it, weaving together into a musical rhythm. Rise could feel the energy thrumming through her body. It stirred her heart into motion, and she wasn’t alone in that sensation. The crowd, rows upon rows of music lovers, formed a wave of excitement that flooded the air. Between the roar of the audience, the vividly colored spotlights sweeping across the stage, and the music blasting through the speakers, Rise was almost washed away.

But she couldn’t let herself lose control. No, that wouldn’t do at all. Any surfer would attest to how important control was, and like them, Rise was careful to avoid falling in as she rode that wave of energy. Her voice soared over it all, though it didn’t drown out the noise around it. Rather, it reinforced the music, becoming the core around which the experience formed, the crest of the wave.

It was a thrill like no other, to know that she could act as a platform for such joy. Looking out over the hooting, cheering, grinning faces filled her with a rush she knew was shared by everyone in the room. No matter how exhausting it all got, this was what always made her endless toil feel worthwhile.

Even so, she was just about tapped. Her extensive vocal training made her resilient to extended singing sessions, but a long concert still pushed her to her limits. The good times had to end soon. Luckily for her, she was on the last song of the night. It was a more emotional piece, leaning on the sway of her voice rather than raw volume or high pitch, and she was putting everything she had into it.

“Shout, friends! Just those words you really mean, and let your voice be heard all over the world!”

The tone was overall quite positive, but there was a pleading undertone trying desperately to reach the ears of those locked away. It was a hard mix to pull off, but the result was worth it. Not one heart in the crowd could resist her call, adding their voices to the controlled chaos.

“Stand up when you hear the knock at the door. It’s me, come on out!”

The feeling in the air twisted into a point, ready to deliver one last strike that would forever drive that moment into permanent memory. She breathed in between beats, then put the air in her lungs and the wind of her soul into the last line.

“Get ready for your True Story!”

The music faded out, like a wave reaching the shore. As it struck, the audience was released from its sway, and then they sang to her. There were too many voices to pick apart. It was mostly joyful yelling and whistling. There were a few lines she could single out, like, “We love you, Risette!” and, “You’re the best!” She couldn’t differentiate between every voice, but those she could drove their reaction into her memory; they loved her as much as she loved them. Not content to leave that idea in the subtext, she held the mic up for one last message.

“Thank you, it’s been great singing for you tonight!” Their cheers echoed in an almost deafening symphony, but, to her, it was a most wonderful music.

At the fringes of the stands, those spots nearest to the exits, she spotted a few patrons reaching up to the sides of their faces. They secured their grip and tugged until their outer face popped away. From what she could see, most of their removed features were just in expression. The smiles and eyes were wide, and the creases of the face highlighted these features.

The faces left behind were more relaxed. These expressions were still happy, but they also showed how worn the people were. They were happy they came, but they knew it was time to dial it down for the day.

Rise could relate. When the crowd started leaving, more of them prying off their outer face, she knew it was safe to get going herself. As she turned to stage right, she saw someone that stoked the fading flames in her heart. He was applauding her, too, his excitement tempered only by his inherent calmness.

“Great show, as always, Risie.” She wasted no time in running up to him and throwing her arms around him. The only thing that kept her from spinning the both of them around a few times for good measure was how tired she felt.

“Hehe, thanks, Yu-Yu! It means a lot that you could make it.”

“Are you kidding?” Yu leaned forward slightly, lifting her chin up with the tips of his fingers. Rise’s heart could barely take the bottomless affection in his cool, gray eyes, but she drank deeply of it nonetheless. “There isn’t a merger meeting out there that would make me miss my lovely Rise-Q’s hard work on stage.” Rise could feel her blush trying to escape the confines of her cheeks. She would have playfully pushed him away, but, again, she was bushed.

“Hard work is right. I think I earned a nice, long rest tonight.”

“And rest you will.” He brushed one of her twin tails out of her face and smoothly slid his hand to cup her cheek. “I took the liberty of putting together a night of pampering, from me to you. Refreshments, deep tissue massage, seaweed wrap, everything you could ever want.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet! I feel like it’s too much...”

“Don’t be silly.” He moved his other hand to mirror the first so both were holding her cheeks lovingly. “We both know you’re about ready to crash. You deserve to relax, and I’ll make sure you don’t need to lift a finger for any of it.” He pressed his fingers a little harder into her cheeks, until the top layer gave. “Starting with this.”

Rise closed her eyes, letting him do his thing. Her outer face was gingerly slid off. Yu knew exactly where to press to make it move without a harsh pop. She cracked an eye open. Her outer layer was thin, mostly composed of makeup to make her glow in the stage lights and hide any creases that might have worn into her real face as the night went on. Yu pulled it out of view, smiling warmly at what was underneath.

“There’s my angel.” He swooped in for a quick peck on her lips. It sent surprised, but not at all unpleasant, tingles shooting down her back. That was a dirty play! Not to mention incredibly embarrassing.

“I must look like a mess, all sweaty and droopy.”

“It just means you gave it your all out there.” He leaned in, letting her stretch up to rub their noses together. “If you ask me, it makes what’s inside all the sweeter.” Finally acclimating to the shower of praise, Rise actually managed to formulate a comeback.

“Not as sweet as you, you big softy!” Just as she was starting to melt into his arms, though…

“Wonderful show, Risette!”

That slimy, wormy voice burrowed into her little wonderland. It turned the sugar on her tongue to salt. She wished she still had her second skin on to help hide her disgust as she turned to regard the unwanted intruder in her afterglow.

It was a scrawny, pale man whose suit hung loosely around his frame. He almost looked like a mantis, rubbing his thin arms together and waiting for a juicy bug to get close enough to grab. His second face’s smile was piled on way too big. It was like he needed all those teeth to keep his greed from bursting out of his head, and the skin around it was inhumanly white. It didn’t exactly help her judgment of him as something other than human. She hated being on the same landmass as him, let alone speaking to him, but, as one of the event organizers and a regular gig provider, she needed to stay at least somewhat cordial with him.

“Thanks. I’m glad I could perform here tonight.”

“Yes, yes, the honor is ours as well.” Rise could almost hear the silent ‘but’ in there. She could see it in his eyes. That second skin did nothing to hide their predatory glint. “Now, I had a few, small matters about the event I wanted to go over with you. Just a matter of number crunching, you understand.”

Yu must have felt Rise wilting against him, because he stepped forward in her stead, partially blocking her from view.

“I can talk numbers. She’s been on her feet for hours now. It’s irresponsible, not to mention dangerous, to push her any farther when it can be helped, right?” The businessman pulled his arms into himself, kind of like he was afraid they would be pulled off. He was briefly stunned, but his second face was steadfastly collected.

“Of course! You look sharp enough to help tie up these loose ends. Shall we discuss this over some backstage refreshments?”

Yu nodded, glancing back over his shoulder.

“Why don’t you kick back in your prep room for a few minutes? I’ll let you know when we’re done here, and then we can get you to your personal spa day.” Well, that did sound nice, and he knew exactly how much she hated dealing with the business side of being an idol.

“Okay, but you’d better believe I’ll be looking for a way to repay the favor.” Their eyes met, and the little upward tick at the ends of his smile let her know that he knew exactly what she had in mind. It was a little moment shared between just the two, one that made Rise oh-so grateful to have someone who understood her perfectly.

“See you in a bit.” Yu walked further behind the stage, signaling the businessman to follow him with a curt tilt of his head. The twiggy little man skittered after him, knowing full well that he wouldn’t get as juicy of a mouthful out of Yu’s sturdy, totally rested mind.

For a moment, something made Rise want to follow them, but she wasn’t sure what. Maybe it was a desire to see Yu tear into someone so full of himself. Maybe she just wanted to be near him more. It was something about what he said to the sponsor, but she didn’t know why. Either way, she restrained the urge. One, he could handle himself perfectly well. Two, he’d be a little upset if she worked more than she needed to.

And three, she was absolutely spent.

She turned to the side hall. Down at the end, there was a door with a big, yellow star on it. ‘Risette’ stood out boldly on it in scarlet, sparkly letters. As soon as she reached it, she could kick back and wait for her gentleman. This was truly the life.

As she stepped from the shadows of the backstage into the light of the hall, she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was a light touch, a professional one. Wondering if it a stagehand, or maybe her manager, she looked back, only to be stopped dead.

The hand on her shoulder was the only part of the figure she could clearly make out. Its sleeve was black as ash, and its glove was adorned in silvery pieces of metal. The most pronounced among them were its nails, which it took care to not touch her with. Beyond that arm, though, its body was completely hidden in the dark, more than should have been possible. It was as though it was a part of the shadows themselves, reaching out from some other plain to contact her.

What really got to her, though, more than the imposingly adorned hand touching her, were the figure’s eyes. The expression of a person’s eyes lighting up was well known, but in this case, the saying was literal. It was the unsettling, golden light that told her that, whoever this was, they were wearing a mask. The rims of its eye holes were illuminated, almost giving it a rusty hue.

She could feel menace dripping from every facet of its appearance, and yet, the pressure it exuded felt like it was restraining her voice, keeping her from speaking in anything louder than a shaky whisper. If she couldn’t cry for help, she knew better than to be aggressive. Rule one of dealing with a stalker that got too close, don’t do anything to provoke them.

“Can I… help you?”

“Me. Him. Us. You can help them all, by helping yourself.” His voice, distinctly masculine in tone, was a distant whisper, echoing as though from the bottom of a deep well, maybe even from under the water that pooled within.

“I’m… sorry, I don’t understand…?” It was the best response she could think of. Her head suddenly felt stuffed. Her thoughts were slowed, water trying to run through a clogged pipe. Something about all of this felt distinctly wrong. It hadn’t been that way a minute ago. What changed?

She expected that ‘playing dumb’ would agitate him, but he didn’t get angry. If anything, the way his head dipped more resembled sorrow. Not for himself, but for her.

“ He has lied to you, and, in your trusting of him, you have lied to yourself. This place stands only to nurture the deceptions at play, tending their seed in the soil of desire . ” He slowly pulled his arm away, the friction slightly tugging her shoulder towards the back of the stage.

If there was one red light more frightening than having a knife pulled on you, it was someone trying to pull you . Rise rushed away from him, submerging herself in the light of the hall. She was prepared for him to follow her, but he didn’t. It was as though he was rooted in place, stuck in the obscuring shade. He could go no further.

From this position, she felt some control return to her, but with it came curiosity, the urge to untangle confusion. It felt like the blockage in her head was stirring. Trickles of thought leaked through.

What did he mean by “deceptions?” This place, as he put it, was just a concert, like any other. She was performing like any idol. The only thing happening here was Rise waiting for her boyfriend to…

The trickle in her head picked up into a steady flow, one that made her mind and body lurch out of sync. The figure, as though seeing the shock in her eyes, tapped his fingers against his chin.

“ Have you seen what’s happening yet ? ” Rise looked up at him, now too transfixed to acknowledge her earlier fear.

“We… we aren’t dating, though.” A pulse ran through the ground, and she thought she heard something crackling down the hall. When she looked, she saw that a long, thin rift had ran through her star sign. It split her name in two, separating “Rise-” from “-tte.” That made the thoughts push through the pipework of her mind all the harder.

“And I’m not Risette anymore. I gave up on that life because of what it was doing to me.” The ground trembled, and the quakes tore the rift in the sign wider. Pieces of it chipped away. Her vision blurred, like static drowning the image on a television. When it flickered on again, the door had vanished entirely, leaving just a blank wall in an empty hall. More and more, that pocket of light seemed so small.

Reality was crumbling around her. Everything was shaking and breaking, and she stood at the center of it all, watching as the world lost its cohesion. It shouldn’t have been possible. This couldn’t be real.

The blockage lost the last of its grip, and it was washed away. Rise felt the whole of her mind reopen to her, and with it back, she found the courage to face the invader, whose golden eyes, she found, stayed still in the midst of this chaos. He watched her expectantly, still waiting for her answer.

“This is a dream”

At once, the world stopped, but it wasn’t gentle. It was closer to a car having its breaks slammed. Rise was thrown off balance, stumbling forward into the dark. Before she could correct herself, the figure came closer, catching her in his arms.

She pushed herself to her feet, and from there, she noticed that she could see more of him now. His arm was exposed up to the shoulder, which was plated with a small disk of brass outlined with white fabric. The design was unique, memorable, and yet its placement within her memories still escaped her. What she knew for certain was that the arms holding her were more solid than the floor she stood on.

“This isn’t real, but you are. Who are you?”

“ I am... ” The figure stopped, breaking eye contact with her for the first time since his arrival. “ For now, you may call me an agent in this dream. I am its herald by command , but also its destroyer by choice . ” Now that Rise could think straight, she could see through the fanciful word salad being given to her instead of an answer. Whoever this was, he sounded like a bad fortune cookie.

“You’re losing me here. Can’t you just, say it?” The figure chuckled spitefully.

“ Were it only I could. Dreams are a fragile state of being, paintings that never dry. To strike them with too much of the physical world at once would cause what little substance they have to tear. I must step lightly to avoid losing this window of lucidity, the thin line between sleep and waking. ” He pulled his arms from Rise’s hold, and, once more, this gently goaded her deeper into the dark. “ I cannot say what I want you to see. I can only guide you to it, if you would let me. ”

He folded his hands in front of him, but he said nothing more. He only waited for her call. Of course, just agreeing to go with him was a stupid idea. She needed to know what he wanted to achieve in all of this. He, supposedly, couldn’t tell her, but it seemed like he wanted to. He could only tap dance around the matter at hand. If nothing else, she only had one question that absolutely needed an answer.

“You said you’re an agent here, which means you’re working for someone else. Who? And why?”

“ Who… You know who, my dear. I bore witness to your suspicions of the culprit, my master, but so too did I see those suspicions dismissed as he strung you along. Let that stand as the why, as well. I care not for the charades he is so fond of, and yet, my power to stop him is limited, for my role is one of subservience. ” His fingers twisted together, as if trying to tear away the fabric that confined him. “ In this place, though, you are the master. A glimpse of truth hides in the labyrinth of your mind. If I can guide you to it, perhaps the worst can be avoided. ”

Well, that was flowery, but it was probably the most direct thing he said thus far. She knew the truth, but something about the “master” made her want to hide it away. If this had happened half a year before, she would’ve written this mystery man off as a scammer, but now she knew full well how her brain could distort itself to keep an unwanted truth hidden. She took one step forward into the dark, and the sliver of light behind her closed off.

“All right. I’m choosing to trust you on this one. If this is the back of my head, though, be careful where you step. Got it?”

“ Some secrets should stay that way, of course, of course. ” The figure chuckled to himself, this time more richly, as his form slid away along the walls. “ Should we ever have the pleasure of meeting in reality, remind me to regale you with some of the terrors I’ve seen. ”

As she followed him, she glanced through the gap leading to the stage proper . It had gone dark, and the stadium was completely empty. “Risette” had left the building, and the fans went with her. Rise ignored the twinge of pain that realization brought as she followed the figure deeper into the unseen.

“ Hmm, it seems your subconscious has dragged the secret we seek behind further v eils . We progress quicker than it regresses, but it may take a spell longer than I anticipated to reach. ”

“ I have all night.” The figure nodded, and Rise noticed a pattern emerge. He shied away from topics directly about his master, but it seemed information rooted firmly in the dream was fair game. If she gathered up enough of that, wouldn’t it all come together and say something about the stuff he couldn’t talk about? Rise was nothing if not bold with her advances, so why change that now?

“So, a ‘herald’ and a ‘destroyer.’ That sounds kind of backwards, doesn’t it?”

“ Indeed. My existence is one of contradiction, of binding contracts and whims of the heart. It is for the former that I brought the dream forth, and the latter compels me to tear it apart. My orders did not specify that I was to let the dream persist. Seeing this, I decided it was a prime opportunity to act towards my own goals. ” The figure looked over his shoulder, locking eyes with her meaningfully. “ You would do well to remember this behavior. ”

Rise smirked at the smug lilt in his voice. He knew what she was up to, and he apparently approved. This guy held himself as a professional, almost like a businessman, but he was way more approachable than the rest.

She was drawn from this thought by a faint echo in the distance. The corridor turned, and it was from around this bend that it came. She heard the distinct rhythms of two hushed voices. She also heard that one was speaking far more than the other. That one was of a higher tone, but the squeak of it made it clear that it wasn’t the speaker’s baseline voice. No, they were speaking from a place of overwhelming emotion.

The other seldom sounded, but when it did, it cut through the hasty ramblings of the first like a knife. This one, conversely, sounded like it was being deepened somewhat, almost giving it an unfeeling, mechanical vibe. The figure, hearing them as well, receded into the wall he stemmed from, leaving the path open to her.

“ Before us is the hidden truth. What you see may unsettle you, to say the least, but I ask you to look with your clearest eyes. The moment it becomes too much for you to bear, I shall come to your aid. Let this knowledge embolden you. ”

Rise briefly thought to dismiss his claim. She already faced her other self once before. She didn’t think that side of her had any greater surprises to pull. But then, this secret stayed buried as the other came to light. Would that not make it a something her mind wished to hide all the more?

Even as her heart tried to hold her back, Rise’s mind willed her to move on. With every step closer to the source, the conversation became increasingly clear. The quicker of the two voices, which she quickly recognized as the sponsor from her dream, was prattling on.

“...youth today have fickle tastes, it was inevitable that she would lose favor! It only makes sense to reserve our funding to support those talents who draw them in next, right? And! And, I can help you access those upcoming stars from the ground level. Just think, you can lay claim to the majority of their revenue, all for yourself! You only joined Risette late into her now-waning career. Doesn’t it make sense to exchange her for...”

“Enough.” One word. It struck as suddenly as a bullet, and its aim was true, silencing the sponsor. Rise’s heart, already hesitant, turned to stone in her chest. It wanted to deafen itself to what was happening, but her mind recognized the voice all the same. As she neared the corner, she leaned in, letting only one eye pass the point of no return.

Two men stood at opposite sides of a table, a table on which only the crumb-covered plates and platters of what was once a full snack bar remained. Around them, the dream was dissipating, leaving them surrounded by impenetrable black smog. Neither of them noticed.

The sponsor held his second face in his hands, his fingers squirming around it, desperate to not lose their last grip on the smiling fantasy he showed the world. His actual face was drenched in greasy sweat. His lower lip trembled, and his pupils quaked. He was no longer the predator, nor even a scavenger. He was completely at his contemporary’s mercy.

Rise couldn’t tell whether there was any mercy to be had, though. She recognized Yu plainly, but his back was towards her. His arms were crossed in front of him, and his shoulders were held broad. When the older man seemed to accept the silence forced on him, Yu filled the vacuum.

“I’ve no respect for those who would back out of an agreement. You signed the contract. I fully expect that you will keep your end of the deal.”

If Rise’s memory served, this conversation was about “tying up loose ends” after the concert. She could gather, as she had heard this sort of weaseling many times before, that the sponsor wanted to back out of giving her the cut they agreed upon beforehand.

Was this what the figure wanted Rise to see, Yu telling a man off for being a slimy toad? She had wanted to do that much herself for years. He was being a bit forceful about it, sure, but people with their head stuck in their money usually needed a nice, heavy smack, so to speak, to pop out and realize that the pile was on fire. The sponsor was most definitely smelling the smoke now, but he was still grasping for whatever share of his fortune he could save.

“I agreed to the deal with the expectation that it would be profitable.” As the man spoke, Yu lifted a hand. Every word saw it inch closer to his face. “I mean, what self-respecting investor would take a bet he expected to lose, right?” Yu’s fingers were pressed against his cheekbone now, and the tightening of his arm’s muscles suggested the grip was tightening. “I’m just making sure I can collect in full so I can put my wealth towards the next...”

A resounding crack silenced the man. It sounded like the snap of a neck. Yu’s muscles relaxed, and then his hand slowly pulled aside. At once, the room was overtaken by a frigid cold. It didn’t come in a wave, a gust, or anything so overt. Instead, it simply felt like the heat was being drained, sucked away, leaving only its total absence behind. The man’s shivering intensified, but the deathly pallor that came to him made it clear that it wasn’t a matter of temperature alone.

“We will make this simple.”

Now it was Rise shivering. The voice she heard was Yu’s in every way, but it was almost like a sharp whisper that echoed unnaturally…

...as though from the bottom of a deep well.

The man, whose lips were clamped together, nodded shakily.

“Can you pay the agreed upon amount without taking a drastic loss?”

The man shrunk into himself, as though wishing he could disappear into his own skin.

“N… n-no, I can’t. The only w-way I can break even is by cutting costs, and she’s one of the few people not yet p-paid, so I was hoping...”

“You hoped to shortchange her to line your own pocket.” Yu’s response was not a question. It was a statement of fact. The man nodded, his movements becoming twitchy.

“Yes. I...”

“The house was fully booked, but that wasn’t enough?”

“M-m-merchandise! We didn’t sell as much as anticipated. We have a massive stock of it left that we can no longer sell. The way I see it, this is because Risette is no longer popular enough to sustain sales. Ergo, she should take the fall!”

“Hmm. Your logic is… sound.” Yu reached over with his free hand, gripping the edge of the table and rolling it out of the way. The man took this to mean that negotiations were almost over and let a small amount of nervous air leave him.

“Indeed it is! You see my point, we must abandon this sinking vessel as soon as we...”

“However, it’s not the only conclusion.” Yu took a step forward. The man took half a step back.

“O-oh? Do tell, who else could be to blame?”

“The way I see it, Risette didn’t tell you to order this massive quantity of her merchandise. The manufacturing of all those leftover posters, shirts, figurines, and such was certainly expensive. If there hadn’t been an obscene overestimation of their sales, tonight’s profit margins would be in the green. I presume you’re bright enough to follow so far?”

The man, retreating yet another step, nodded.

“Yes, that would make sense.”

“And who, pray tell, had the final say on the quantity of merchandise ordered?”

Further retreat came to a stop. In the first acknowledgment of their new boundaries, the man bumped against the wall of black. It bent around him like wafts of smoke, and he jumped from the sudden contact. It slowly set in that he was cornered, and, his fingers losing cohesion, his second face finally fell. It shattered against the ground, pieces of his snide facade flying in every direction.

“M… me?”

“That settles that, then.” Yu, his demeanor calm, placed a hand on the man’s shoulder, his thumb pressed over his sternum. “Someone must take the fall for tonight.” Yu leaned in close, and he pressed his other arm in closer, letting Rise see the very rim of the second face he had removed. It sat thick between his fingers. “And you look like you will splatter plenty.”

With no warning, Yu thrust the arm on his shoulder forward, shoving the man into the smoke. It coiled around him like a thousand murky tendrils. He only had time to let out one note of a panicked scream before it took him entirely, muffling the sound of his voice, but his screams still rang clearly in Rise’s ear. The screams escalated, and the smoke became twice as dense. Then, silence. Yu was left alone in the room, with not so much as a smudge on his jacket.

Rise covered her mouth, knowing she would scream otherwise. That had to be an exaggeration by the dream, right? Yu wouldn’t push someone to their death! But then, even if it was metaphorical, what could it represent? This ruthlessness, vindictiveness, she had never seen it in him before. Had she?

As soon as they were out of sight, the silver haired guy smirked and chuckled lightly. “Paparazzi, never learn.”

Out of nowhere, static filled her brain. It was like a memory had pierced through her dream, and her skull in turn. She tried to back away from the scene, but in her daze, her legs collided foot-to-shin. The limb stopped, but the shifting of her weight didn’t. She tumbled over backwards, landing on her butt with a sharp squeak of panic. Yu jumped at the noise and turned around with an enraged hiss, but it died on his lips, replaced by a dire fear, the same he had inflicted on the man he threw to the flames.

His eyes darted to everyone in the room like he was as wary of them as he was of the Shadow. Or maybe it was closer to fear?

Only, the face that showed this newfound fright was no longer attached to the head it belonged to. His face rested in the crook of his hand, held up by fingers that now clawed into its edge. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, desperately trying to force out a response.

“Rise? What are you doing here?”

She couldn’t respond. She didn’t even hear him. She was too busy staring, staring at the face that hid behind the one she thought she knew.

It called him a lapdog, a machine. It said he was nothing, and Yu didn’t deny it.

Nothingness. Carved into Yu’s head was a hole, and inside was nothing. No, worse than nothing. If that had been the case, she would have seen the inside of his head, the other end of the shell. Instead, it was a thick, black miasma, the same that flooded into her broken dream.

Seeing the dread slowly creeping over Rise, seizing her heart in its wretched claws, Yu made towards her, each step wider and more desperate than the last.

“I can explain! Just, please, calm down and we can talk this out!” As he approached, Rise pushed herself back. She couldn’t get her legs under her, leaving her to skitter pathetically across the floor.

“No, get back. Get back!”

Yu reached out for her, his free hand open and the other bringing his face closer.

“I’m doing this for you! If you heard me out, you’d know I’m trying to help you!”

Rise’s heart was beating, hammering, shaking in her chest. She didn’t know if the pain she felt was part of the dream, or if her real heart was going hard enough to push against her ribs. Her brain was clogged once more, this time by thick streams of oil that hit the waterwheels of her brain like sludge. All thought on her part was gummed up, replaced by the primal, thoughtless desire for safety. This part of her brain, tapping into a memory she couldn’t recall herself, formed a response and pushed it to her tongue.

“It’s too much!”

As suddenly as the quakes that broke her dream, something bolted over her. Yu was startled to his back foot, but no retreat effort on his part was enough to keep from the blade that dug into his neck. It cut through half of its soft flesh, only stopped because it was caught on his spine.

To not be ended instantly was a curse, for it left Yu looking into the eyes of his killer. The man stood taller than Yu, even without the extra half of a foot added by his long, bladed soles. A black coat covered his form, and ornaments of steel adorned the entirety of his attire. Rise’s eyes, shooting across the whole of the newcomer, settled on the small disk of brass on his shoulder.

“...Izanagi?”

The Persona did not respond to her. He was preoccupied with the fool at the end of his naginata. He gripped its shaft with both hands, all but growling at his greater whole.

“May your machinations fall as easily as this illusory flesh.” He dragged his blade through the last chunk of Yu’s neck. No blood leaked from the wound, only more smoke. It stained Izanagi’s blade black. When the body fell, a stream of black flowed from the stump, feeding into the walls that writhed at Yu’s death.

A clatter against the floor. Izanagi’s gaze drifted from the bleeding body to the mask it dropped. That face stared up at him in terror, seemingly frozen with that expression. Izanagi huffed, bringing his foot over it and, with little fanfare, dropping it down. The bladed sole of his boot cleaved through the plate, breaking its left eye from the whole. The second show of brutality shook Rise, and tears came to her eyes. Hearing her sobs, Izanagi hunched over.

“I apologize, but this is a necessity. To plant doubt in you now may be our only salvation in times to come.” Slowly, he turned to face her. The sight of him, freed from the shade and smoke, only added to her fear. She looked between him and the mask beneath his foot. His own mask, once a solid plate of steel, was heavily cracked, creating a rift that threatened to take his left eye away.

Izanagi was still standing, and he had apparently calmed. He held a hand over his left eye, but his posture was more human now. Before anyone could look more closely at him, he vanished, returning to the depths of Yu’s mind.

The noise buzzed in Rise’s head, and it was washing over all of her senses now. The dark around her faded in and out, replaced by another that, though black as pitch, seemed to her brighter than the hellscape of this… nightmare.

“Though precise memory may flee you, remember this feeling. Remember your fear, your dread, your doubts.” Izanagi looked to the ground, avoiding the sight of her eyes as shame claimed him. “And fear eternal the Howling God.”

~~

Suddenly, control of her body returned to her. At once, the signals her brain put out were received, sending her every faculty towards flight. She jumped to her feet and scanned the room with hasty, blurred eyes.

In her rush to flee, however, she failed to account for the sheet that had been covering her tumultuous sleep. It became entangled in her legs. Her second step pulled her new binds taut, and she tripped, eliciting a short, sharp scream. The sound was cut as she landed on her stomach, and the force of impact pressed the air from her. Her panic, intensified by her entrapment, saw her flailing to free herself.

It was only the bright moonlight filtering through her window that brought her senses to her, albeit slowly. Its soft glow, neither piercingly bright nor blindingly dark, returned her to the waking world in full.

She rolled over to her back, giving her lungs more room to take in air. She looked around her plain, largely undecorated room, and its familiarity convinced the last holdouts of terror in her thinking mind to subside. She put her hands to her face, rubbing her tired eyes, and groaned.

“What the heck was that?” She jimmied her legs free from the coils of her treacherous blanket and pulled her knees up to her chest. Her thoughts were slow, the boiling, running wax of her brain cooling into a useless lump. Frustrated and confused, she unconsciously started curling up into a ball. She hunched over and crossed her arms, placing a hand on each of her shoulders…

As she stepped from the shadows of the backstage into the light of the hall, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

A single, burning edge cut through the wax, sending some of it cascading down in a dribbling stream, and the fear reignited in her heart, though now a more controlled flame, the flicker of a candle. The thing that crossed her mind, she hesitated to call it a memory. It was too incomplete, almost wholly dissolved in the sea of her thoughts. Rather, it was a sensation, a moment whose impression stuck with her in place of substance. Her mind wrung itself, trying to eek out a few more drops of recollection, but it had none to give.

Though more collected than when she awoke, Rise wouldn’t say she was calm. She tried to extinguish the candle of doubt, but the more she blew on it, the more stubbornly it burned, and the hotter the little wax it was able to melt burned her. Something was wrong, something woke her up, but she didn’t know what.

She slowly stood, lazily dragging the blanket up with her. By chance, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. It might not have been morning, but the sight of how disheveled she was still annoyed her. The sagging of her shoulders, the absolute knotted mess of her post-fall hair, the hazy sense of trouble in her eyes. She imagined this was what Yu felt like the night he confided in…

“I can explain!”

She jumped back from the mirror, startled by both the increased intensity of the candle and the glimmer of it she could see in her reflection’s gaze. She had been confused about why a hand on her shoulder made it happen once, but the second occurrence, she could link that one a little more concretely.

The sensation she could recall was a single sentence, the sound of his voice, but it filled her with a dread like no other. Not the same animalistic fear that shot her out of bed. This was something deeper. It sat in the pit of her heart like a stone of unfathomable mass. The first inspired thoughtless action, the second apprehended her, but she didn’t know why.

She turned her eyes on her bedside clock. It was only four in the morning, too early for anything.

As soon as it read seven, though, she knew what she needed to do. His voice stirred her to unspeakable terror. Perhaps it could explain that terror to her.

-

“Help me!”

She screamed as loud as she could, but Nanako was hindered twice over. Though she knew the plains stretched far in every direction, she couldn’t hear anyone else crossing them, or even see them through the thick blue fog. She could barely see the creature chasing her, its wide wings casting an angled shadow that nipped at her heels.

There was also the matter of her depleting strength. Her lungs burned from trying to keep her body oxygenated. Her legs were getting sore. Every step seemed to make the blood pulse through her ears harder, until all she could hear was her own struggling heartbeat.

Inevitably, a body pushed to its limit always starts to give out, especially a body that was still growing. Her steps slowed, the gap between footfalls growing, and her stride narrowed. The hand that grabbed her collar redoubled her will to flee, but it was too late for a second wind to save her. It pulled her from the ground, unshaken by the way she squirmed and tossed herself in its grasp. Its fingers held as firm as stone.

When it turned her around, she was given her first clear look at her attacker. Its hide was pure black and solid, as though carved from a block of obsidian. The only relief along its dark form were glowing lines of red that traced unsettling, almost eye-like pictures on its chest and stomach. That was assuming it shared that much with people, as, though its upper body was human-like, its bottom half tapered into a sharp point that hovered above the ground instead of standing on it. Its head was just as horrific to her young eyes, a diamond of stone with no facial features to speak of. The only name Nanako could think to call it was “monster.”

She grabbed at its hand and tried to pull its fingers open, but it was as unmovable as its appearance suggested.

“Let me go! Get off of me!”

Its head turned. She thought it was looking at her now, but she couldn’t be sure. Suddenly, she heard a voice, one that sounded like it was radiating from the deafening pulses of her heart.

“Child of man, rejoice. Though hidden in this veil between mind and matter, you have been found, and through you, we shall claim the head of this plain’s usurper.”

She could barely understand half of what the voice was saying, but she knew, even without the way it thundered in her ear, that she didn’t want to know. What she wanted was to be as far away from it as possible. This utopia in her dreams was supposed to be safe! This was supposed to be a happy place!

“Poor child, destitute and alone. Isolated by the weakness of man. You need not fear solitude any longer. I require but a few pieces more before I can cure all that ails this world.”

If her head had been a little closer to its arm, she would have tried biting her way free, though she knew she would sooner break her teeth on it than the other way around. She wanted to be let go. She wanted her happy dream back. She wanted her…

“Big bro!”

As though summoned by the desperation ringing through oblivion, a bolt of steel and lightning pierced the fog. It narrowly missed her, tongues of static licking at her hair, before planting itself in the face of her tormentor. The naginata’s blade tore clean through the stone, stopping only at the line between metal and hilt.

The force of impact knocked the ungrounded monster back, and its fingers loosened briefly. This was enough for Nanako to pull herself free, through the very lip of her collar was caught and torn by its nails. She didn’t care enough about her shirt to mourn the loss. Instead, she ran into the fog, and something from the fog ran past her. She spun around to see what, and now, between her and the monster, stood the vanguard of her dreams.

“Big bro!” She was about to throw herself behind his leg, but he raised a hand to stop her. His posture was rigid and sharp. The nauseating blend of fear and relief settled somewhat, recognizing that the danger hadn’t yet passed.

“The gallant knight arrives.” The monster grabbed the weapon jutting from its face. It twisted and pulled in every direction to pry it free, all while the voice spoke with unsettling serenity. “A pity. I hoped this encounter could be hastened with her aid.”

“I do not take kindly to blackmail.” Izanagi shot forward as suddenly as the weapon before him. The creature slung its arms in blind swipes. Both sets of claws missed, but not because he backed away. Instead, he chose to slip through their range, coming chest-to-chest with his foe. He swiftly took the creature by the elbows and tore both away, tossing its arms to the ground. Left limbless, defenseless, the creature could only watch as Izanagi raised his right arm to reclaim his naginata. Though reduced dramatically, the voice still carried on as though nothing was amiss.

“Do not presume a higher morality to me. There is no more honor in attacking from the shadows than in pressing a known weakness. Were you not in the way of my designs, I would commend your cunning, aspect of man.” Izanagi sneered at the remark.

“I do not need your acknowledgment, vile specter.” Metal-tipped fingers traced the runic lines up the creature’s body before pressing the left palm to the largest of its markings. “I need only your extermination.”

“You have bested this agent of mine, but you should know that I yet watch. When an opening again presents itself, I shall return. You, who would steal this place from the apostate of Philemon, I will have your secrets for my own. Mark my words.”

“Words can, indeed, be powerful, but you will find mine to be as implacable as my flesh.” Izanagi lowered his head. His shoulders tightened against his body. His sleeves swelled, as though building in pressure. His hand twisted, fingers cutting thin lines across stone skin. All around them, the ground started to crackle with latent power, and Nanako paced away, her body knowing better than her mind what was to come. Then, Izanagi looked up, his eyes burning uniform gold.

“Armageddon.”

At once, the wisps of static on the ground coalesced, and in the distant, foggy sky, a flicker of even more. The two beds of tendrils reached for each other. No sooner than their two longest strands touched, every strand that grew around them lanced together, turning the battlefield into a pillar of lightning, one whose light cut through the endless fog.

The wind that blasted from the epicenter threatened to carry Nanako off her feet. She put her hands over her face and struggled to find the best footing against the mighty gale. Then, the sense of immense pressure was silenced in her mind. In its place, she felt intense pain. It came from the back of her right arm, but she couldn’t move to see what it was. Her body locked up, only permitting a hiss to escape as she fell to her knees. The wind let up, and without it pushing against her, she began to fall forward.

“Nanako!” Izanagi jumped to her aid, catching her by the shoulders with both hands. He knelt down to her height, the sheer immensity of his form almost hiding the energy that still writhed across his coat from view. Nanako wasn’t looking for that, though. Izanagi followed her eyes to her right arm, and his, in turn, widened. “Oh dear. Nanako, I’m going to need you to hold as still as you can for me. Here.”

Izanagi slipped himself backwards, pulling Nanako onto his lap. He braced her back against himself. He placed his right arm to hold her in place. The left closed its fingers near the source of her pain, the click of them closing around something corresponding to a fresh wave of teeth-clenching agony. As soon as it had started, though, it was over. Her arm was tender and stung, but it was no longer debilitating. In Izanagi’s hand was a thin shard of black material, the shrapnel from his final attack. Nanako tried to move her arm and see the wound, but Izanagi was quick to hold her arm as it was.

“You don’t need to see it, trust me. I wish you didn’t have to know of it in any capacity.” He tossed the shard aside, and, from his coat, he produced a roll of thin, white wrapping. He held the end against her arm, then rolled it around the rest until it fully enclosed the opening in her skin. With a quick snap and a piece of what she guessed was tape, Nanako’s arm was all sealed up. As she turned it around to inspect the damage, the only signs left of it were a thin patch of red on the wrapping just over her wound and the tenderness in the limb.

“Thanks, that feels a lot better.”

“Had I just been here sooner, or perhaps more tactful in my approach, you wouldn’t have to have felt pain at all. I apologize for my failure, truly.” A wind of energy caught Nanako, and she quickly stood up in his lap. Her arms were thrown around his head, the only part of him available that she could hug properly.

“You saved me, like you always do! That’s all that matters. I love you, big bro!” Apprehension holding him back briefly, Izanagi returned the hug, though one arm more than sufficed.

“I love you, too, little sis. I know not what I did to deserve a ray of sunshine like you, but I’d do it a thousand times over to keep you safe.” He relished in the warmth of her affection for a moment longer, solidifying the moment, and its lesson, in his memory, before casting his dourness off like an old cloak. “Now then, I believe we had a special plan for tonight’s dreamscape?” Nanako perked up, her eyes shining and her hands clapping together in anticipation.

“You were gonna make me an ocean, right!? With cute fish and dolphins and lots of sun?” Izanagi chuckled deeply.

“The cutest sea life you can imagine, and sunlight bright enough to see them all frolicking beneath the waves.” He reached up and pinched her cheek between the flats of his fingers, minding the points of his nails. “Only the best for the best, I say!”

“You silly, you’re the best!”

Nanako jumped from Izanagi’s lap, standing back and waiting for him to work his magic. He stood, picking up his naginata and pulling images from Nanako’s imagination to use as references. He would make this dream his finest work yet.

After all, the best deserved the best. And Nanako’s joy was the best for him.

-

“And that’s everything I can remember. Did you get all that?”

“Yeah.” Yu jotted down the last few notes into his book, completing his compendium of everything leading up to Rise’s rude awakening that night. She didn’t have a lot to give him, but he made sure to record what she did in meticulous detail. He skimmed through the paper on the counter once again, trying to find the through-line that would bring it all together.

“Ugh, this stinks! Do you have any idea what losing three hours of sleep can do to your skin? I must look like a greasy, raggedy mess.”

“Considering how high you set the bar anyway, you probably still look great.” Yu smiled as her soft coo flowed through the line like honey. It almost made him feel bad for interjecting with, “But losing too much sleep can increase your chance of heart disease, so you might want to go to bed early tonight.”

“Already planned on that, if I can get any. I’m still shaking a little.” Yu’s brow creased deeply. He could imagine how distraught she looked, and it rubbed off on him as soon as he pictured it.

“If you want to stay home and rest, I can let the school know you had an anxiety episode. Then we can meet up after I get out of class and talk it out in person. Maybe over some food, on me.”

“As nice as that sounds, I’ll have to turn down the skipping class part. If there’s one thing that would make the stress worse, it’s having to catch up on math homework. Besides, I don’t want you blowing half of your allowance on bribing the school board for me to take a sick day.”

“Huh? Who said anything about…?”

“Senpai, with all due respect, everyone knows you have a direct line to most of the staff. It’s not a secret anymore.” Well, Rise was sharp as ever. And not entirely inaccurate. Yu sputtered in embarrassment, but he was saved from having to defend himself by Rise’s angelic giggle. “I appreciate the thought, though, and I’ll gladly take you up on getting food. At least you won’t bankrupt yourself that way.” The ball was back in his court, and his smile turned wry.

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. I know some suppliers who could bring us a three-course seafood special in an hour.”

“Oh great, I just turned it into a challenge, didn’t I?” Yu could feel her eyes rolling from across town, and it was glorious. Before he could press his advantage, he heard footsteps approaching from the hall. He glanced over his shoulder to see Nanako walk into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes with the back of her right arm.

“Morning, Nanako. You sleep well?”

“Mhm.” Nanako seemed a little absent mentally, like her brain was still trying to catch up to her body. Mornings could be like that sometimes. “Had another nice dream.”

“Did you? Tell me about it.” Yu turned away from his notes, meeting Nanako with a smile. He always liked hearing about her dreams as of late. Kids had enough imagination to power the wildest of fantasies, and she was no exception.

“You took me to the beach and helped me catch a swordfish.” Yu nodded along, relaying the dream to Rise, but he stopped when he noticed Nanako squinting at her arm. She repeatedly opened and closed her fingers and watched the muscles they were connected to pull tight. She looked confused and distant.

He was about to ask her if something was wrong, but before he could, she moved to run her left hand along the arm. When it was about halfway across, her eyes shot open, and her arm jolted. She looked up at him, her eyes suddenly wide and manic.

“There was a monster in my dream! It was big, and dark, and scary, and it tried to catch me, and...”

“Whoa there, you’re going too fast.” Yu rushed over to her, kneeling down and putting a hand comfortingly around her shoulder. He felt her heart beating fast, even though he was nowhere near one of the better veins to read it from. “What exactly was this monster?” Thinking on his feet, he hit the speaker button on his phone so Rise could listen in.

“It was kind of hard to see, because of all the fog...” Rise gasped in his ear, but she kept the volume down as to not interrupt Nanako. “...but it was really big, and it didn’t have a face. It kept saying really weird stuff, like, how I was… hidden between… Um, I couldn’t actually understand most of what it was saying...”

“That’s okay. If it was trying to hurt you, then you shouldn’t listen to it anyway.” A thought crossed his mind, accompanied by the memory of Nanako jumping from the touch on her arm. “Did it hurt you?”

“Um, kind of? You jumped in to save me from it, with your cool naginata and coat and stuff, but when you blasted the monster apart, because it was made out of rocks, a piece of it went flying and hit me. You pulled the piece out, though, and bandaged my arm.” Nanako hopped forward and hugged Yu to her as tight as she could. “Thanks for saving me, big bro. I know it wasn’t really you, but I know you would do the same thing for me when I’m awake.”

“You’re right, I would.” Yu hugged her back, feeling as her heart slowed to a more normal pace.

“Me, too.” Dojima stumbled his way into the room, drearily patting Nanako’s back. “In fact, you should leave the saving to me. I am the cop here, you know.” Nanako giggled, spinning around to hug his leg.

“Thanks, daddy. You show those bad guys who’s the boss!”

“You got it, sweetie.” Dojima blinked the last of his sleep from his eyes, his protective parent mode kicking in. “You feeling all right now?”

“Yeah! I mean, I’m still a little scared, but I’ll be okay.”

That was a deflection if Yu ever heard one. He clicked the speaker function off and cupped his mouth against the receiver. He ran his idea past Rise, and, with her approval, he passed it along to Nanako.

“Say, Rise and I were going to grab something to eat after school. Would you want to come with us?” The way Nanako lit up answered well in advance of her actual reply. It seemed the glamour of being this close to her idol hadn’t worn off yet.

“I’d love to!” She looked up to Dojima with the biggest, most pleading eyes she could make. “Can I go, daddy, please?”

“Hey, put those puppy-dog eyes away, they’re dangerous!” He rubbed a hand over her head, making her laugh. “I guess I can’t tell you no after you got so excited. Just try to be back before dark, got it?”

“Yes, sir.” Yu nodded in confirmation. Dojima nodded back. He might have had a few reservations about letting kids go off on their own, as was well known by any kid who talked to him for more than a minute, but it was clear that Yu became dead serious when it came to Nanako. Still, there was one caveat to slip in. He leaned in closer to Yu and whispered.

“Just don’t go putting any moves on your girlfriend with Nanako watching. I don’t want her thinking suave punks like you are okay to fall for.”

Yu smirked with an eyebrow raised in a way that said, ‘She’s not my girlfriend.’ Dojima fired back with his own smirk that replied, ‘She might as well be.’ It was hard to argue with his logic. Dojima didn’t wait for a real answer, knowing his request would be met. Or, if it wasn’t, that it would be ignored even with upfront verbal compliance.

“Come on, Nanako, you wanted to catch a few minutes of that quiz show before school, right?” Dojima herded his daughter away, winking at Yu to tell him that he was giving him a chance to finish chatting with his ‘girlfriend.’ Yu had no reply, simply returning to the counter with his phone against his ear. With no one watching his face, his expression turned a mite more grim.

“Did that dream sound familiar to you, too?”

“Yeah, and the way she put it, I think you know what other thing I’m thinking of now. Or should I say, what other world?”

Yu hummed thoughtfully, his eyes going to his notes. Tall, dark figure, a feeling of being threatened, something about himself, it all lined up.

“We’ll have to go through this more later, with the others. For now, let’s just hope dream me hit whatever is doing this hard enough to keep it away for a while.”

“It sucks to have to wait, but it looks like it’s all we can do.” Rise went silent for a moment, the only sound coming through the line being the faint popping of her muscles as she stretched. “Well, I’ll see you after class. But don’t go flying in those seafood butlers or whatever you were getting at. I think it would overwhelm poor Nanako.”

“If you insist.” The wry returned to Yu one last time. “I’ll save that for our first official date.” The sputter of unprepared air that escaped Rise was a lovely pick-me-up. It took her a good fifteen seconds to get herself back under control.

“Keep this flirting up, and you’ll get it sooner than you think, you charmer!” Maybe Dojima had a point. This time. It really was getting overt now, wasn’t it? “Bye, Senpai. See you later.”

“See you.” Rise hung up on her end first, and Yu put his phone down soon after.

With conversation no longer preoccupying his mind, he was allowed to go through his notes a little more finely. Rise’s dream about a threatening presence and himself was odd, but it was also familiar. He flipped through the book, landing on a page with a large ‘C’ at the top. He had written in the first, and only, entry on this one the prior evening, when Chie contacted him about a strange dream she had. One which shared both of those qualities with Rise’s dream, and now Nanako’s.

Known to only Yu, however, was one other similarity, and it stuck out in his mind. He didn’t know whether his little experiment would bear fruit, but he certainly wasn’t expecting results like this. Ever since Nanako first told him about seeing what she thought was him in her dreams, a figure he quickly recognized as Izanagi, a thought occurred to him. If his Persona was appearing in the dreams of those who shouldn’t have known about Izanagi, was it possible that it was more than just a figment of the dream?

If that was the case, then would his Persona obey him in the dream as it did in reality?

He had no direct way to see if his commands were being heeded, but now, he had some secondhand sources that painted a picture for him. Izanagi appeared to three dreamers that he had requested beforehand. Only time would tell if the other two would come forward to confirm the results further. Thus far, he had reason to believe that he was correct. His sphere of influence reached beyond the physical world, it seemed.

However, there was also a new factor he didn’t anticipate. This dark figure appeared thrice over. Only Nanako could give him an accurate account of what it was, assuming it was the same entity in all cases. Did it appear in the others’ dreams specifically to attack them, or was it following Izanagi? Was it safe to command him into their dreams if it also opened the gate for this yet-unknown threat?

He thought on it for a moment, then he closed his eyes. One thought crossed his mind. He put as much weight behind it as he could, knowing it would reach his other self, wherever he remained when not summoned.

‘Keep them safe from whatever is endangering them.’

Little did Yu know, Izanagi was already doing just that.

Chapter Text

The sun blazed overhead, blocked intermittently by the long arms of passing trees, and the wind danced in Yu’s ear. It did not perform on the stage before him alone, as he was braced on all sides by the sounds of his friends’ banter. Their excitement was to him the high song of an exceptional orchestra, with an instrumental range of Rise’s peppy piccolo to Chie’s thundering drums. He expected Kanji would have rounded out the symphony well with his oboe, but he had raced far into the distance. It was a good thing that the beach was a straight shot down the road from this point, otherwise he might have gotten lost on the way.

Every now and then, Yu couldn’t help but look down at the scooter that carried him. It wasn’t anything fancy. In fact, it might have been the most plain ride of the bunch with its standard white hull. Yukiko’s was a similar enough model, but everyone else drove along atop streaks of vibrant color. Rise’s stood out, both with its hot pink hide and streamlined design, as though she had picked it up off of the vehicular equivalent of a runway.

It wasn’t the style of his scooter that turned him to contemplation, though. He was well aware that he was technically driving an antique. Dojima had used it before him many years ago, according to the man himself. It was every bit as sensible as its previous owner would suggest. There was a spare tire on the back in place of a fancy spoiler, and he noticed that the kind of tire used was a touch wider than the norm, making it easier to balance, if a touch more difficult to turn sharply. It was a smart ride no matter how he looked at it, the sort of thing one would keep around for the memories it contained.

And yet, Dojima gave it to him. If Yu had just bought it off of a store shelf, and he was more than capable of doing just that, he wouldn’t have looked at it twice. That it was a gift, though, this made it stand out to him. He was quickly garnering a reputation for having loose, but extraordinarily deep pockets that were open to anyone he liked, so much so that certain friends were adamant about not using him as their personal piggy bank. Being on the other end of the giving for once was a shift that quickly tore the road out from under him. He wasn’t quite sure what to think of it, beyond the general feeling of gratitude.

The long, hard thinking would have to wait for later, though. In the here and now, he was drawn out of his thoughts by the final trees passing, opening the group up to the ocean’s splendor on the horizon.

It also let them see the large cloud of dust most of the way down the road. It was centered around a black spearhead, one that had a bleached patch of hair hovering over the top. There was also something latched onto its back, giving it a light brown contrail, but it was impossible to know what it was from this distance. Further back, stuck in the dust but not slowed down by it, was a big blue and red mass following just behind. The sight made Chie’s brow dip and a competitive grin spread across her face.

“Hey, no one’s getting to the water before me!” Her declaration made, she cranked her scooter up to full speed, the buzz of its engine ramping up as she sped after the challengers. Yukiko, more taken aback than anything, sped up after her, and Yosuke, seeing nothing else to do about it, followed suit. This left just Yu and Rise behind, neither moving to join the hustle.

“Hey! Jeeze, how reckless can you get? It’s really not a smart idea to be going that fast next to a cliff.” Rise huffed, trying to push all of her irritation out in one go. It left her voice slightly deflated. “I mean, there’s a rail here, sure, and I guess falling into the water wouldn’t be that bad.”

“Actually, hitting water at the speed they’re going would be like hitting cement.” Rise rolled her eyes at Yu’s analysis. He knew just what to interject with, didn’t he? “Then again, it can’t be any worse of a hit than what that wrestler Shadow could do.”

“Oh yeah, you told me about that one before. Didn’t it get really creepy with Yosuke-senpai?” Rise chuckled a bit at the thought. The renowned skirt-chaser himself getting his skirt chased. Oh the delicious irony.

“I think he’s still scarred. Only reason he doesn’t have repressed homophobia over the incident is, well, you know.” Rise cocked her head at him, completely lost.

“Know what?”

“...Oh, right, I didn’t tell you yet. Sorry.” Yu smiled apologetically. It never really crossed his mind to let her know. Now that he realized his mistake, he had no reserves about amending it. “I’m pansexual.” Her response was one of wide-eyed surprise. Or maybe it was panic?

“I… see. Now that you mention it, you do remind me a little of some bi-guys I worked with a while back.” The way her eyes narrowed a little almost made Yu chuckle. She was trying to cook up a plan of some sort. It was honestly adorable, and probably would have been effective given her track record. That was, if he let it get that far. “So, pan specifically? Like, you don’t care about the differences between the two?”

“Not at all.”

“What do you look for in someone, then? You know, just, out of curiosity.” Yu’s smile widened. Target identified.

“The eyes. You can tell so much about someone through them. They are the windows to the soul, after all.” He leaned over a bit, aided by his extra wide tires. Was this why Dojima had them? Well played. “Incidentally, your eyes are gorgeous.” Those lovely greenish-brown windows of hers sparkled under the light of his compliment, then she shut the curtains, her cheeks glowing a hotter pink than her scooter. Her scheming was officially derailed. Point, Narukami.

“Senpai! You never play fair! How can I top that!?”

“You’re creative.” Yu relaxed on his seat, soaking in the pride of a well-placed flirt. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Rise pouted at him, but he could call her bluff.

“Was that you being supportive, or just another flirt?”

“Can’t it be both?”

-

By the time Yu and Rise reached the beach, everyone else was already geared up and ready to go. Gone were the casual clothes, replaced by various kinds of swimwear. Yu suspected that Yosuke had a role in choosing Teddie’s trunks, since he remembered seeing them on the shelves at Junes.

Surprisingly, his partner’s influence also extended to Chie and Yukiko, who were both wearing the bikinis he “gifted” them on the school camping trip. To Yosuke’s credit, the outfits did fit the two very well, but the way Chie glanced maliciously at the poor guy made it clear that half the reason they stuck with them was to keep his more perverted tendencies in check. They were practically saying, “Remember that time we kicked you into the vomit river? We can totally do it again.”

Kanji, to Yu’s surprise, was clad in a set of briefs. It was a bold bit of swimwear, one Yu didn’t expect after exposure to a certain thinly-dressed Shadow. He made it work, though. The guy was toned. If he could weaponize his muscle a little better, he’d easily pass for a buff beach bro. As it was, the skull tattoo and piercings pushed him too far over the punk edge for it, but someone who was into that style would find him to be a great instance of it.

Rise quickly hopped off her scooter, grabbed the bag strapped to its back, and jogged towards the changing booth.

“You wait right there, Senpai! I’ll be back~!” Well, someone was eager to try leaving him speechless. He decided to play along, delaying his own wardrobe change at her request.

As he secured his scooter’s kickstand, the tiny brown streak that had been trailing along on Kanji’s back a few minutes ago came running up to him. Nanako looked absolutely precious in her pink one-piece, and it was accentuated by the unbridled glee in her eyes and skip-walking.

“Look at the water, big bro! It’s so pretty!”

“That it is.” He was stunned that Nanako had never been to the beach before, but he knew exactly how to rectify that mistake. No one minded bringing her with at all, and Dojima trusted Yu to keep an eye on her. It was trust well placed. If he could give Nanako a childhood of happy memories, then he would go out of his way to do just that. It took all of his willpower to not rustle her hair. “Bring me your inner tube so I can pump it up.”

“Already on it, Senpai!” Kanji, somewhat winded, took in a big breath, then blew hard into the inner tube’s nozzle. The plastic duck head unraveled, inflating about a third of the way up. As he went to take in another lungful of air, Yu pulled the air pump out of his sack.

“It would be easier with this, you know.”

“Nah, I’m terrible with those hand pump things.” Another injection of air fulled the tube, the duck’s eyes popping into place. Now only its beak was deflated. “Last time I tried filling my bike with one, I popped the tire. Those automatic air hogs are where it’s at. For one of these, though? The old fashioned way works best.”

“If you say so.”

While Yu oversaw the inflation of the inner tube, Nanako heard the changing booth door close. She looked over, and what she saw awed her as much as the ocean.

“Wow, Rise-chan!” Nanako’s call acted as a homing beacon for Yu, who followed her line of sight across the sand.

Rise, too, was in unexpected garb. The last time Yu saw that distinctive orange bikini was shortly before he had his leg broken by a giant demon bear. Despite the unsavory connection, he couldn’t deny that it still looked good on her, though he wondered how her company managed to slip an extra few inches onto her reported bust measurement with an unabashed, unobstructed outfit like that in her well-known repertoire. She stopped a hop, skip, and jump away from him and spun, landing with her legs crossed and a peace sign held sideways in front of a wink.

“What do you think, Senpai? Am I stunning? Breath-taking?” He would use every positive descriptor in his vocabulary except ‘breath taking.’ That would imply a lack of comebacks.

“I didn’t know mermaids were real, or that the stories undershot their real beauty so much.” Rise’s display of confidence was instantly hollowed, replaced by a bashfulness that Yu was swiftly taking a liking to.

“Darn it, Senpai. I’ll get you next time.”

“As though you don’t already have me.”

“Senpai!”

Rise’s outrage was made manifest by a beach ball bouncing off of Yu’s head from out of nowhere.

“That’s enough smooth talk, Romeo.” Yosuke was balancing a volleyball on his finger, the threat implicit, but clear. “We gonna play or what?”

-

Volleyball was a standard beach activity, so Yosuke didn’t think much about bringing a ball along for a couple of rounds. What he failed to take into account was the fact that it was a competitive sport, and those tended to have an effect like gravity on two of their group’s members.

The game started with Yosuke and Yu against Chie and Yukiko. Kanji was on the sidelines, watching between bouts of helping Teddie not get buried by his own sandcastle. Yukiko and Yosuke covered their sides’ backs. Yosuke had her beat in terms of agility, meaning he could cover long-distance hits more easily. That alone made things lopsided when their vanguards were both powerhouses.

The thing that pushed the match directly into curb stomp territory was, as always, Yu. Chie was more mobile, but her focus on leg training left her deficient when it came to her arms, the deciding factor for actually hitting the ball. Yu, meanwhile, had all the accuracy and strike force his fencing training would suggest. Yosuke had a couple of chances to get at the ball himself, and the girls managed to score a few points, but Yu kept the gap in scores comfortable.

That wasn’t to say Yu was blind to how unfair things were. It was blatantly obvious when he started to slow himself down. Chie cottoned on quick, and she was not happy.

“Don’t go easy on us! That’s just insulting!”

Yu put his hands up. The gesture normally meant a surrender. With the preceding margin of victory in mind, though, it felt more like he was holding back a small, angry dog.

“I’m just trying to keep it fun for you...”

“What’s ‘fun’ is earning a win the right way, not because you’re giving it to us!” Even with her stubbornness, Chie couldn’t deny that something had to be done for this to be fair. Her eye turned to Yosuke, and his throat quickly went dry. “I declare three-on-one! Yosuke, you’re with us now.”

“What?” He looked over to Yu. He shrugged, then tipped his head towards the other side. With his partner’s permission, Yosuke crossed to the other side, leaving Yu to hold the line alone.

“That’s more like it. Now, game on!”

Yosuke helped somewhat. He acted as a free agent, jumping between front and back as necessary. The decreased open space left less room for the ball to slip through and score. In theory, this should have tipped the scales towards them, or at least made it break even.

They failed to account for all of the tricks in Yu’s back pocket. If Chie wanted Yu to operate at his fullest, then that was exactly what she got. He didn’t work harder to meet the buffed opposition head on. He worked smarter and wove his plays around them.

The ball regularly passed right at the boundary between Yosuke and Chie. Sometimes only one or the other would go for it. More often than not, they both went for it and got in each others’ way. Yosuke’s head was ringing from all the times it cracked against Chie’s. If that girl’s mom could backhand an eagle out of the sky, then she could headbutt it to the same effect. Their side of the field was total anarchy, and Yu, with all the room to maneuver he could possibly want, was free to strategize in peace.

Chie would have lead Yosuke and Yukiko into defeat after defeat, but, as Yu’s score soared near triple digits, Kanji had finally seen enough. He stepped into the play area and cracked his knuckles.

“Let me take a shot at it.” He glared through the net at Yu. The approach of his student triggered something in Yu. His stance changed, as though his body’s every faculty was being awoken. He knew that when Kanji got like this, the luxury of taking it easy wasn’t an option anymore. It excited him, and, though Kanji first came with a scowl, a fierce grin soon took its place.

Chie, as connected as she was with her own bestial instincts, suddenly got the feeling that she was between a pair of predators about to vie for dominance. She took long strides away from the epicenter, her competitive spirit overshadowed by a true rivalry.

“Let’s let those two have some fun now, shall we? I mean, if Kanji insists and all...”

Yosuke and Yukiko had no such plans to preserve their honor. They swiftly booked it for the sidelines, then, when they were out of the splash zone, they took their new positions as spectators for the coming feud.

Kanji didn’t serve the ball so much as he decked it, delivering a punch that would have broken a man’s nose. Had it been a straight shot, it would have zoomed off half a mile down the beach, but the spin he added made it swerve back into bounds. Yu, fearless of the immense force behind the projectile, braced his hands together and swatted it from below. His hands stopped briefly, the impact banging like a cannon, before following through with the rest of his swing.

It lacked any real strength, as drained as the hit was by overcoming the incoming velocity. The ball’s return to Kanji was leisurely and high. He saw his chance and leaped, practically floating three feet over the net. In the split second before the stars aligned, he looked down at Yu, setting his target.

His hand went high, palm open. The ball drifted in front of him, and as it crossed his center, his arm tensed.

At that moment, Yu knew he had to put all his chips down. He wound up, lets planted, spine coiled, arm folded, hand packed around its palm. Every bone in the cluster was compacted, and when it came undone, it would fly with the might of Yu’s whole being.

“Fatal End!”

Kanji’s arm dropped, every ounce of his strength going into the spike. It rang like the initial kick of a space shuttle. It was on Yu in moments, crossing the field like a flash of lightning. He was ready.

“Atom Smasher!”

Yu’s body unraveled. The charge ran through him, up his legs, across his spine, down his arm. His fist was the head of a lunging snake, his knuckles its fangs. Out of crafty plans, cornered, Yu’s only recourse was to meet the imperial bull head on. He ran afoul of his grand decree, and, ball to fist, his authority would be tested by blood and bone.

Pop!

The snap of air was piercing. Yu’s ears rang. His arm shuddered, the bones kept from twisting in on themselves only by the rigidity of his joints.

Kanji was in no better shape. He thought only of going up, not of coming down. He was spared a flop into the sand only by the net. He was caught at the waist, folding in half over it, spent of any energy to remove himself from it. From this place of elevated collapse, he had only one concern.

“Did I do it?”

Yu brought his hand back in front of him.

“Um, kind of?”

Kanji, confused, fought to take in the results for himself. Leather and stitching wrapped around Yu’s hand, hanging over the end of his arm like the folds of an umbrella. The volleyball was dead, crushed in the clash of titans. Its service would not be forgotten. Especially not be Chie, who was all but drooling over the newest real life action thriller she had been honored with a front row seat to.

Yosuke was less impressed.

“Dude, my ball!”

“I’ll pay for that.”

“So...” Yukiko tilted her head at the executed lump that used to be sports equipment. “Who won?”

Yu and Kanji looked at each other. The former shrugged.

“Draw?”

“I can live with that.” The strings holding Kanji up began to creak under his weight. “Could someone get me down?”

-

“I’m sorry, Teddie.”

“Accidents happen!”

Teddie was floating on the ocean belly-up, drifting slowly towards the shore. Nanako was huddled on his stomach and shaking slightly.

“Is the sea breeze too cold? I could try to hurry up.”

“I’m okay. I’ll dry off soon.”

Kanji and Yu were swimming on either side of the Teddie raft, the former with a deflated inner tube slung over his shoulder.

“I should be the one fessing up, Nanako. It was one of my piercings you popped it on. Didn’t think there were any sharp parts sticking out...” He rubbed the pin over his eye, checking for the umpteenth time for what could have punctured the tube. Did it get caught on the ball and rip?

He was trying to make her feel better, but the look of shame on Kanji just made her feel all the more sour. She steeled herself against the wind to cut down her shivering and smiled shyly.

“Your piercings are cool. When did you get them?” Shame turned to shock as Kanji registered the statement. He seemed conflicted, somewhere between flattered and fearful.

“W-well, a sewing machine busted on me a few years back, and the needle came back to bite me.” Nanako’s eyes went wide, but Kanji was quick to smother that flame. “Don’t worry, my thick skull’s good for something. Anyway, I figured it was a waste to have a hole up there and not do something with it, so I got it disinfected and treated for my pins.”

“Wow… Wait, wouldn’t the salt water make those rust?”

“Nah, they’ve got a silver coating on them, totally rust proof. Just ‘cause they’re a punk thing doesn’t mean I didn’t think them through.”

As Kanji regaled Nanako with the stories behind his various accessories, Yu turned his attention to Ted. The guy was on the thin side with minimal width for water displacement, and yet he was floating as well as, if not better than, the thick rubber tube made specifically for swimming. When Yu thought about it, he recalled the time Teddie, when he was only a suit, joined him for a dip in the bathhouse. He was bobbing along the exact same way.

Yu would have to pursue the many questions that brought up later. For now, he was more concerned about getting his little sister safely to dry land. Whatever Teddie was, he was doing a great job as her replacement inner tube. He was content with the job, at that.

“Do you think I should get a tattoo?”

“Wha-! No! Ted, trust me here, that’s a bad idea for you.”

“Aw...”

Nanako patted his shoulder.

“It’s okay, you look great just how you are.”

“Aw!” Teddie was smiling brightly, but then his drifting came to a sudden stop. “Ow! Oh, we’re here.”

“Thanks, Ted.” Yu was the first to hop to his feet. He carefully lifted Nanako onto the sand, though its sudden warmth on her feet made her shaking harder to hide. “You guys can head on back to the others if you want.”

“Are you sure, Sensei?” Teddie flipped back into normal swimming mode and looked up inquisitively at Yu.

“I was starting to prune up anyway.” He pocketed his fingers, hiding that they were still perfectly smooth. “We’ll be back after a bit of rest.”

“If you say so.” Kanji flopped the popped tube onto the beach. “C’mon, Ted. We shouldn’t leave Yosuke-senpai alone with the girls for too long. Who knows how long until he shoves his foot in his mouth.”

“Wow, that sounds painful!”

“It’s a figure of… You know what? You’re right. It would hurt if he did it, so let’s go.”

Kanji lead his surrogate little brother back into the drink, and Yu took Nanako’s hand to head the other way. They had a stack of sun-soaked towels ready to go. Yu draped one over her shoulders, and she pulled it shut over herself like a poncho.

“Mm, better.” Yu sat down beside her, and she curled up under his arm. Despite being in the water as long as her, he was still very warm. “Sorry for making you worry, big bro.”

“I’m always worried about stuff.” Anyone else would have taken that as a joke at his normally passive expression and hyper competence. Nanako accepted it at face value.

“You can tell me about any of it, if you want.”

“Well...” They would be sitting around for a while anyway. Small talk helped pass the time. “Summer homework is a bit tougher than I thought it would be.”

“...I don’t think I can help you with that.” Yu chuckled at the blunt honesty.

“Woe is me, stuck with assignments.”

“You’ll beat them, just like you always do. I know it.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He rustled her hair gently. It was easier than usual without the pigtails. With his hand occupied with the gesture of affection, his eyes were left to wander back to the sea. He looked out over his friends like a lifeguard, like a leader. He glanced at everyone, from Yosuke and Chie’s spontaneous splash fight to Yukiko trying to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

More than them, though, he kept getting drawn towards a certain brunette in an orange bikini. She slipped under the waves briefly, and when she surfaced, she showered all of the fighters with a curtain of water. He couldn’t hear their voices clearly, but he could feel her laughter washing over him. This tingling on his skin, the weight in his chest, these were things he had no experience in, but he was under no delusions about what they were. Nanako noticed him slowly sinking into distraction and followed his line of sight.

“You and Rise-chan sure are close now.” Hearing her say it out loud made him smile and nod lightly, his reaction tempered as though he was a hand puppet with only the very tips of his controller’s fingers making him move. “Do you like her?”

“I’m told it’s a lot more obvious than I thought it was.”

“...Are you dating?”

“No, no.” Saying it dulled the sensations he felt slightly, the truth of the matter making his dreams slip away from him. “I’m hoping it goes that way, but it’s not there yet.” Nanako’s gaze intensified, and Yu could almost hear the gears cranking in her head. She didn’t have the concept of subtlety down quite yet.

“Why leave for tomorrow what can be done today.” She nodded at the quote, an air of zeal overtaking her. “You should ask her out!” And there it was. He knew waving off someone so enthusiastic would work. This, along with his respect for her, made him want to fess up.

“People say I’m a charming guy, but I’ve never actually asked someone out before.” A nervous hand went to the back of his head, revealing a sliver of vulnerability. “I wouldn’t know where to start.”

“It needs to be somewhere romantic.” Nanako crossed her arms and descended into deep thought. Yu wasn’t aware someone could look so innocent while laying out plans like this. She amazed him more by the day. She lit up, a vital piece snapping into place. “Like the shrine festival!”

“Shrine festival?”

“Yeah!” She hopped up to her feet, the little mastermind in her giving way to the excited little girl. “Every year, there’s a big party at the town shrine. Everyone makes these cool stands with games and food and all sorts of stuff! It’s the perfect place to ask her to be your girlfriend, I promise!” Yu put his hand to his chin, rolling the idea over in his head.

“Ask her to go with me, spend the festival with each other, then ask her out at the end.” His smile slowly widened, and Nanako’s with it. “You might be an evil genius, sis.”

“The evilest!” She realized what she said a second later, doubling back on herself. “I mean, the goodest.” Every yang needed a yin, and every overthinking big brother needed a supportive little sister to push him into action.

“All right, you talked me into it.”

“Yay!” Nanako could barely contain herself, jumping as high as her still chilled legs could send her. “Rise-chan’s going to be my big sister!”

“Is that what this was about?” Yu leveled a sly grin at her, and her exuberant energy wilted under the weight of being caught.

“Um, not entirely...” Yu laughed, dispelling his knowing look and her nerves at the same time.

“Well, I guess I have to work hard to make sure that happens. Wouldn’t want to disappoint.”

Chapter Text

Yukata might have been one of the few outfits not tainted in Rise’s eyes by her time in the spotlight. In idol culture, it was all about balancing the skin you showed with the glimmer of the fabric around it. At its most conservative, you had a little thigh exposed under a wide, puffy hybrid between a dress and skirt with tall socks below. At its most perverse, you were wearing what equated to a pair of really shiny strings covering the stuff that would be censored on television. Rise never got thrown out that far, but she still couldn’t help but have a niggling doubt about her eye candy reputation when she dolled herself up. Was it to make her feel pretty, or look pretty?

Yukata didn’t have any of those problems. The garment was ultra conservative, only revealing her hands, wrists, and head, maybe a little neck if she was feeling saucy. It showed the outline of her figure, but, without the specific accentuating bulges of stage clothes, it felt more like the real her instead of the manufactured curves of Risette. Her pink, butterfly-patterned yukata actually made her feel pretty.

And she knew that if she felt it, Yu would see it. He liked seeing people’s souls, right? Well, she felt especially soulful that day. It was the only way to feel after being asked out to the shrine festival by her single biggest crush ever. She was amazed she couldn’t see her heart pounding through her clothes as she speed-walked towards the shrine.

When she thought about it, though, maybe she wasn’t having that complete doe-eyed reaction she would have expected because of that one stupid dream. She barely even remembered the thing, but its phantasmal shadow lingered around her like cigarette smoke: thin enough to live with, but choking nonetheless. It absolutely sucked. Every time she was alone with him now, it all seemed to rush into her lungs like a stubborn swarm of bees.

It was almost like an actual, thinking consciousness kept the flame of doubt alive no matter how she tried to snuff it out.

Well, no matter. If there was some sort of demon trying to drag her down, her soul was too excited to be stopped tonight, and the good spirits of the shrine would surely keep the freak away. This was going to be a good night, damnit!

When she rounded the corner to the shrine, any doubts in her mind were banished, as she predicted, but not by friendly spirits.

Yu was waiting for her at the entrance gate. He was standing tall and wide, inadvertently showing off his dreamy bod. He was almost like a raft of muscle to Rise. The only person she could think of who beat him in terms of raw mass was Kanji, but Yu carried his with way better grace, almost like a king. Had he been wearing a short sleeved shirt, she knew he’d be showing off those royal arms, if she was allowed the wordplay.

He wasn’t wearing one, but what he actually had on was even better. This classy little tease was in a yukata, too! His was a cool blue, which, she realized, was the complement of her own attire. Was he counting on her propensity for pink? Oh, he was good, and the color even matched with his hair, giving him a relaxed atmosphere.

Wait… His hair was kind of shiny. He used hair gel! It was barely noticeable, just enough to make it shimmer in the lantern light. She knew professionals who piled on way too much of the stuff until they looked like stiff dolls. He, on the other hand, looked like a patch of the starry sky had taken human form. Every passerby took notice of his presence, ranging from sneaked peeks to full, unabashed staring. He ignored the bulk of it, only responding to direct complements in passive, modest appreciation.

Yu never seemed to take much time on his appearance from day-to-day. Basic hygiene was enough to make him stand out from the crowd. Now that he was actively trying to look his best, he struck a figure like the finest Greek statues, and he was doing it all for her. Rise suddenly felt like she wasn’t doing enough to meet the standard he was setting. The nervous little girl in her wanted to rush back home and do… something to feel like she actually deserved all this effort.

She would be remiss to leave him waiting, though, especially with every girl in town having a clear view of him. She didn’t want to lose her big fish to those harpies. She straightened her yukata one more time, for good measure, and strode forth with all the refined confidence she could muster. He noticed her quickly, and his eyes lit up in a way that made even the sky seem dim.

“My fair Aphrodite has come at last.” She expected something flattering like that, and she came ready. She took only a moment to find her mental folder of divine references, nestled between natural landmarks and fine art.

“I do hope my Heracles did not wait long?” She extended a dainty hand towards him, and he took it in his own, bowing slightly.

“No time is too great when I know you are at the other side, for you are the greatest of all.”

... Huh . She had nothing ready to match that one. Two sentences in, and he had already pushed her to her limit. She could only giggle, the poetic air melting into something more familiar.

“ Okay, wow that was cheesy! Did you rehearse that line?”

He joined her in chuckling at his performative approach. He let his posture relax, but he looked as no less of an Adonis.

“ It was the first thing that came to mind, honestly. Too much?”

“Just a little.” She held her fingers an inch apart to illustrate her point. “So, do you want to try again, or can we get to some of these booths?” Yu put a hand to his chin, mock-thinking about it.

“I suppose we can go. The night is young, and I have plenty more chances to be charming for you.”

Outside, she laughed with him. On the inside, though…

‘ Too late, I’m already charmed. This is just dessert. ’

-

She had many expectations about her date. Some flustering comments, a heartwarming moment or two, and maybe, dared she dream, a kiss to top it off.

What she certainly didn’t expect, but, in hindsight, should have, was the slowly accruing bag of stuffed animals with her name on it.

The game booths didn’t stand a chance. She knew he wasn’t trying to show off. He was operating at half output, actively batting down his competitive side in order to keep the mood chill. Yet, despite his self-imposed handicap, he was knocking down bottle towers and hooping posts left, right, and center.

Thank goodness the staff was willing to hold the excessive amount of gifts for her after the fifth extra-large prize. Yu seemed a little embarrassed about inadvertently plying her with tokens, but she assured him it was alright, even if she didn’t mention her intent to split the hoard with him fifty-fifty at the end. She only had so much space in her room.

She glanced down the row for what poor game was about to be decimated next. There was a wide, glass tank of water with fish swimming around in it. Behind it was a three-shelved display of plushies, ranging from small to bigger than Rise herself. The man in front of it was gesturing at a stock of small, paper nets, and an idea struck her.

Yu was doing so much to appeal to her, so it was only fair to meet him half way.

“Excuse me!” She shuffled on over, and Yu, intrigued, followed her. “How much for a try?”

“For you, my dear? Five hundred yen per net.” She new the trick. These nets were really flimsy, and most people eager to show off tried power scooping. It wasn’t the fish that broke them most of the time, but the water pressure. A little finesse and angling w ere required.

She handed over a palm of coins, and he refilled it with the pole of a net.

“The bigger the fish you catch, the better your prize. You can keep trying until your net breaks. Good luck!”

She looked over to Yu, who made himself a rapt audience to her exploits. She graced his attention with a coy wink.

“Watch me, Senpai! This one’s for you.”

She held her arm out to the side, net turned so it would enter the water rim-first, and she waited. The silhouettes of fish swam about beneath the surface, some big, some small. She didn’t much care for her luck hauling up one of the big boys. Instead, she settled her focus on the medium marks.

It was kind of funny. Most people would probably struggle with tracking all the fish, between their erratic movement and the way light warped as it went from water to air. Rise, though, found it weirdly easy. After all, the fish weren’t leveling swords and lances and magic at her, and missing wasn’t the deciding factor in how hurt her friends got.

These were, quite literally, fish in a barrel, and the breathing room let her use her abilities to the fullest without the ticking clock of demise hanging over her head. She didn’t have Himiko, but, all things considered, this was way easier.

One of the blurs swam a bit closer to her, on intercept with her effective range. She readied her net hand, fingers tightened to keep it from spinning at the last moment. A second passed, then two. The fish reached her cross hairs, and the net plunged.

The fish, noticing the disturbance, made to flee, but Rise was an expert in the element of surprise. Her net was at its belly before it could flap its fins. She lifted up, keeping the primary points of contact at the rim of her net, and it surfaced.

Flopping at the end of her pole was a tiny goldfish with a green tag clipped to its lower lip.

“That’s a tier three catch!” As the man announced her ‘win’ with enthusiasm, she felt hers slowly leaking away. She had caught the smallest possible guppy. “You can pick any one prize from the bottom shelf.”

She felt like a disgrace. He had been netting her mid- and top-shelf animals all night, but she could only muster up a bronze medal? It was embarrassing, at the very best. Before she could give him an apologetic grimace, though, he started clapping.

“First try. Way to go!” She felt her deflated heart regain some of its lost air, but the hesitation still hung about.

“It really wasn’t that impressive…”

“Are you kidding?” He looked at the tank, a nostalgic, but somewhat regretful light dancing over his eyes. “It took me months of practice to get that much from one of these games. I was just too used to the big nets and kept overdoing my scoops. I’m genuinely impressed.”

At once, the gray floating at the corners of her spirit was washed away by color, and everything looked to her like it was made of rainbows. Pride took its place within her, and she was braced by its return.

“Well, I can’t let you do all the cool stuff here, now can I?” She perused the lineup of toys, wondering which one would make for the best memento, but once she found the little fella almost hidden to the left, she realized how simple the question really was. Yu, though towering in all regards, had one very easy way into his heart.

“I’ll take the purple platypus over there.”

“Excellent choice.” The man gingerly took up the button-eyed monotreme and placed it in her waiting hands. She turned to Yu and presented it to him, in turn.

“I think little Billy could use a new friend. Don’t you?”

Her meaning was well received, and Yu happily took his gift.

“That he could, and so could Nanako.” Warm gratitude flowed out from him, and Rise soaked it all up like the proudest sunflower.

Mission accomplished!

-

“There you go, little fella.” The fox’s fur was soft and warm under Rise’s hand. It nuzzled back into her as it enjoyed the gifted meat skewer. Yu stood watch a few feet away, making sure no one else came around this side of the main shrine. It might have been the fox’s home, but most people weren’t aware of its presence. It was only right that those few who were made up for the lack of mass gratitude for its observance of their prayers.

Rise also had a personal debt to pay. They might have traded cold, hard yen for its healing leaves on the other side, but she was starkly aware of the severity of injuries wiped away with its help. Her scanner turned the team’s remaining strength into a number for ease of analysis, and every time they dipped into the red, she felt like she was taking on the mental toll of that damage as well.

This kindly critter had been steadfast in its assistance since before she joined the force, and, though the raw materials were covered monetarily, Rise was willing to tackle the lion’s share of their emotional debt, one cube of meat and head pat at a time.

-

Yen slipped from Rise’s hand into the collection box. Yu did the same soon after, though he cupped his hand to more carefully conceal the amount.

“What are you asking for this year, Senpai?”

“I shouldn’t say.”

“Come on!” Rise nudged him playfully, eliciting a short puff of surprised air from him. “You can tell me, can’t you?” He was well aware of how insistent she could get, and, with a note of surrender, he let a wisp of dark cloud his cheery expression. He glanced around the festival, making sure no one was in earshot of the conversation.

“...Peace.”

At once, what Yu actually meant by “shouldn’t say” became clear. He didn’t want to bring down the mood.

“Oh. Right.” Rise felt kind of awkward now. “I was hoping for something more romantic, but I guess that is more important.”

She looked up at him, and her empathy made her, too, feel the weight on his shoulders. This was the guy who took up the mantle of leader. As much as it was her job to know the field, it was his to take what she collected and put it together into a strategy that would see them through.

More than that, though, he had thrown himself fully into the real dirt of the investigation. He didn’t bring it up directly, but everyone could tell how much he put in behind the scenes, when no one was watching, to track down the killer. He was the one who dug up the right dirt to warn them that Kubo wasn’t the main murderer. If it wasn’t for that, they might have thought the coast was clear while the storm was brewing out of sight.

He was the team’s guiding light, and it was easy to forget how hard that could be with how hard he worked to make it look easy.

But they knew. They all knew, and Rise, better than anyone else, knew. She was, to her knowledge, the only person he had confided in about what was going on in his head. It was a warming show of his trust in her, and she swore that she would live up to it. She slipped her hand into his, making him shake off enough of the dour air that took him to see her through it.

“I wish for that, too. For everyone.”

Yu smiled and held her hand readily, knowing that her words were more than an empty prayer.

-

Rise was starting to feel tired, but for what was awaiting her at the top of the stairs, she would gladly keep going for a few more minutes. Yu was certain he knew of the best place to see the concluding fireworks show from, a spot far away from the throng of other festival-goers. This, he assured her, would be the perfect conclusion to their own festivities.

They just had to get there first.

At the top of all these stairs.

That lead to the top of a local mountain.

“How are you doing?” Yu, for his part, seemed like he was coasting along fine, but he could probably see the weariness overtaking her.

“Just a little sleepy, that’s all.” As she spoke, she noticed how dry her tongue felt. In hindsight, she hadn’t kept herself all that well hydrated between all the fun stuff. “Okay, and a little thirsty.”

“I think I saw a vending machine nearby. Want me to go get you something?”

“Aw, that’s sweet of you.” She smiled at him, and the way she fought to get the corners of her mouth up was telltale of her flagging strength. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all. You go on up, get comfy. I’ll hurry back.” Rise made to find the change to satisfy the machine guarding her liquid refreshment, but Yu held up a hand to stop her. “It’s on me.”

She wanted to throw the money at him, but her fingers were drooping too much. Darn, and she thought she was doing well to keep his generosity in check.

“Just you wait until I’m not half asleep. I’ll do something really nice for you, mark my words.”

“I look forward to it.” Her vague threat of kindness glanced off his thick, hunky head as he turned back down the mountain. “Did you want me to check for something specific?”

“I’m good with anything that isn’t carbonated. The bubbles are bad for your throat, you know?”

“Got it. Be right back.” He took a slightly hurried pace, but he didn’t get far enough away to miss her yelling after him.

“And don’t jump for the most expensive thing! I’m okay with something small!” Though he wasn’t looking her way, she could feel him rolling his eyes in good humor.

“Medium it is then.”

“Wise guy.”

“I try to be.”

Who did Yu think he was, and how did Rise manage to snag him for herself? It was a rare day that she met someone who could play ball with her show-offish personality. He was the uncommon few, and hot dang, Rise was sure she loved him.

That was the last straw. Enough beating around the bush. As soon as the firework show started, she was going to ask him out. Or maybe just jump him and plant a kiss on his lips. Whichever came to mind first.

Well, actually, he was too tall for a surprise glomp. Maybe she could stand on top of something and say she was just trying to get a better view, but then he might go and offer to hold her up on his shoulders.

...That would be kind of nice.

She climbed a few dozen steps more while mulling over her plan of action. In the distance, she heard a series of dull booms. They must have been dry-testing the launchers before the show. It also doubled as a last call for everyone intending to see it. Smart, though it was kind of startling at first. Without the colorful lights, and with the sky darkening as night fell, it almost made Rise think she was hearing thunder…

‘Beware the Howling God.’

The voice crashed through Rise’s ear, and she whipped around. She expected to find someone towering over her, but she found nothing. Her heart was beating hard in her chest. It was the only sound she could hear as her panic swelled, punctuated by the cannon fire.

‘Trickery is at play.’

“Who’s there!?” She was turning every way she could think of, her mind racing. Her heart was pounding, and now, it sounded like a coming storm. Suddenly, she heard the voice again, but it sounded like it was coming from inside her. It was echoing from her very veins, an undertone in her deafening heartbeat.

‘The Howling God has blinded you. Seek him out, and find the truth.’

Rise’s breath went cold. The fear was overpowering her, settling in her like sand at the ocean floor. As the fear solidified, her pulse slowed. With a shaking tone, she asked again.

“Who’s there?”

Once more, her question went unanswered, but this time, the voice didn’t continue. It, like the thundering cannons, had gone silent. It was gone, leaving her alone to wonder what just happened.

Whatever it was, it said she was being tricked, and the urgency of the interruption suggested it was happening right in that instant. The only person she had been with for the last several hours was…

...No, Yu wouldn’t be tricking her. Would he? That was ridiculous.

And yet, the words stuck with her, as though they had resurrected the dread that plagued her. The warning was bouncing around in her head long after its source disappeared.

Well, fine! She knew the quickest way to shut up a critic: by proving them wrong. If Yu wasn’t up to anything, like she knew he wasn’t, then she could put whatever creepy spirit was haunting her to bed. She nodded to herself, then turned to follow her surely innocent soon-to-be-boyfriend.

Still, even if she shut it up, that would leave the question of what it was. She knew it had to have something to do with the dream. It was the only other thing to ever make her doubt Yu. Could it have something to do with the Shadow that grabbed Yu when they went after Kubo? It was intent on dragging him down with it, and making her distrust him would have been a big blow to his support network.

The Shadow didn’t consider one thing, though. If the so-called ‘Detective Prince’ couldn’t shake her faith in him, then what made it think one of the creatures she helped hunt down could? Ha! That was that, then. As soon as this was all settled, she would tell Yu about it, and the two of them could put a plan together to get it off both of their backs. It wasn’t the second date she had in mind, but it sure sounded cathartic.

To her surprise, Yu wasn’t that far away when she caught up to him. With the way he was speeding away, she thought he would have been on the way back already, but he was just standing at the bottom of the steps now, right next to a couple of police officers. Was something wrong? As she got closer, she heard their conversation, and it was… friendly.

“Okay, okay, we get it, Narukami-san.” The taller, more tanned officer was chuckling and gesturing for Yu to settle down. “We’ll make sure no one gets between you and the little lady, and we’ll split before she can see us.”

If by “little lady” he meant her, then why wouldn’t they want her to know they were there? More to the point, why wouldn’t Yu? She felt the doubt creeping up through her, and she snuck closer before ducking behind a bush. She spread its branches apart so she could peer through it, hidden by the darkness.

“Right. Sorry if I’m being pushy, but...”

“Say no more, kid.” The shorter of the two cops had the deeper voice, but he was just as good-spirited as the first. “Even big-shots get all tongue-tied with a girl they like. Good to know it isn’t just us little guys.” The cop tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. “Speaking of which…?”

“Rest assured, I always pay my debts.” Yu, returning to a more confident demeanor, slipped a hand into the folds of his yukata. It came back with a pair of checks. Rise couldn’t see the amount they were for, but it was enough to make the tall one whistle.

“If I knew being a gatekeeper paid this much, I would’ve signed up as one instead of joining the force.” Gatekeeper? What did he…?

...Oh God. They were being hired to block the stairs so no one else would go up. Yu was paying them.

Yu was bribing officers under the table to get what he wanted.

The dread returned in full, just like the night she awoke from the nightmare, but this wasn’t a dream she could wake up from. It was real, and it was happening right in front of her eyes.

“Unlike some people, I pay my help well.”

“You’re one of a kind. I’m sure your friend is going to enjoy her promotion. You should probably get going before the fireworks start.”

“I was planning on it. Oh, and did you get those drinks on your way here?”

“What do you take us for, rookies?” The short one pulled a few bottles of tea from his pouch, the type you would expect to see in a machine, and handed them to Yu.

Did he plan for her to get thirsty on their way up? He knew enough about her schedule of thirst to use it as an excuse to leave and pay off his bribe!? She felt so, so…

“Thanks again, guys. I’ll be sure to let you two know if I have more work for you in the future.”

Yu’s final sign off was Rise’s sign to hurry. She wasn’t in any condition to confront both Yu and his mercenaries. She needed time to cool off. She hurried up the hill, taking the grass instead of the steps to keep her movement quiet.

He was bribing cops! This was the sort of behavior she expected from a sleazy executive, but not him!

Then again, all he hired them to do was block some stairs. It wasn’t really illegal, per say, at least not compared to the stuff other bribed officers were asked to do.

Yu said he would hire them again, though, and the familiarity in the exchange gave a strong impression that it wasn’t the first time, either. Bribing cops was routine to him.

It was all to keep the moment private, though. He was doing it to make the show romantic, free from prying eyes. He knew how much she hated being gawked at.

By the time she reached the top of the hill, she was no closer to an answer. She was just confused, tired, lost. She thought she knew Yu enough to say she wanted to date him, but now, she wasn’t so sure.

She needed time to figure things out. She couldn’t process everything in one night, and there might have been more to uncover. What were those other bribes for? Has he done it with officers besides those two, and if so, when and why? She needed to know more before jumping to conclusions, and she would find it.

She straightened herself, using her stage experience to make it seem like everything was alright. To anyone on the outside, she was a content, if worn out girl waiting for her date to arrive. Yu came up less than a minute later, and she gave him a half smile.

“That was fast. Were you running the whole way, Mr. Soccer Star?”

“As much as I could. Didn’t want to keep you waiting.” He handed her one of the bottles, an ice cold oolong tea.

“Thanks, but I thought I said I didn’t want the expensive stuff?”

“There was a bigger oolong available. That wasn’t the most expensive thing I could’ve gotten.”

Technicalities. If she wasn’t still reeling from what she had seen, she would be doubling down on her plan to ask him out. For now, it just made her feel worse about putting it off, no matter how justified she was in doing so.

Then there was another bang, but this one wasn’t a blank. A streak of white was hurtling into the sky. Rise, both keeping up her act and genuinely looking forward to this, put all of her attention to the rising ball of gunpowder.

Yu stood next to her. He was no closer than he was through the rest of the evening, but now his proximity filled her with conflicting thoughts. Despite knowing his underhandedness, this still felt right. Like, it was still the same Yu, the one that once acted as his friends’ human shield and broke his leg so they could all get out alive.

On the same token, though, she knew they were only alone because of his sneaking around. Who was to say what else he had going on under the hood? She wanted to trust him, she wanted to love him. Heck, she did love him! But she also knew how one shady person pulling strings could ruin people’s lives. Her heart wanted to throw her into his arms, but her head warned against it in a voice even louder than the spirit that warned her in the first place.

What was a girl to do?

“It’s a beautiful show.” She looked up at Yu as he spoke. One part of his face was lit red, the other white. It was about as close to how she saw him as the random bursts of firework light could make him look. She didn’t suppose this was another one of her guardian spirits’ weird powers?

“Yeah, it is.” It was only half a struggle to come across as dream-stricken, since both parts of her were, in some sense, stricken by dreams. She heard him take in a deep breath, then release it, like any other guy would to relieve nerves. Was he about to do what she thought he was?

“I’m guessing you already know that I asked you to come with me for a reason, right?” Oh yeah, this was his move. She needed to keep the banter going while she thought of the best way to handle the situation.

“It wouldn’t happen to have something to do with the last month of flirting with me, would it?” That was a little flirtier than she wanted it to be, but it would do.

“I know, I haven’t really been subtle. To tell you the truth, this is the first time I’ve ever felt this way about someone. I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

‘Could’ve fooled me.’ It sucked so hard. This was exactly what she wanted to hear less than an hour prior, but now, it was the last thing she needed to deal with.

“It took a while to work up the courage, I’ll admit, but it would be best for both of us if I came out an asked. Would you like to be my girlfriend?”

It felt like a knife was lodged in her heart, and whoever was holding it was wiggling it around in there to make sure it scraped up the place. It must have shown on her face, because the hope in Yu’s was beginning to fade.

“Um, did I do something wrong?” He sounded so innocent when he asked that. For all she knew, he was oblivious as to whether he had proposed right. She could at least assure him that much wasn’t the problem.

“No, no! You set the mood perfectly and everything. It’s just that...” When she started speaking, the words came to her unbidden. She filtered through them as they came to make sure that what she knew stayed hidden, but besides that, she let it come as it would. “I mean, I want to say yes. I really, really do, but I don’t know if it’s the right time. Look at me, I’m a mess. I’m still trying to figure out who I am, what I’m doing here, all of that junk. And then with the investigation, I don’t know if I have the time to handle something this big, too.”

Her soul was burning. She felt Himiko trying to reach through the divide to comfort her, but here, she was on her own, and she was scared.

“I’m afraid, Senpai. I don’t want to get you, us, tangled up in my bullshit. I don’t want to ruin something this great because I can’t give it the attention it deserves. It’s not you, it really isn’t, it’s all me.” She leaned over the wooden fence blocking off the cliff, every form of exhaustion assaulting her at once. “I must sound like a real airhead. No, worse, like I’ve been leading you on or something like a teasing bitch...”

“Wha…? No!” Out of everything that she said, it was the last part that knocked his cool off. He pulled it back in a moment later, but that it was what broke his guard… “We both know how tangled up things can get in our heads. I’ve seen who you really are, both over there and out here. I can say that you’re far from the… the monster you think you are.” He couldn’t bring himself to say ‘bitch.’ Was her berating herself really that offensive to him?

“If you did say yes now, I wouldn’t think any less of you for being a bit distant while you work through things, just like I know you wouldn’t think less of me for having my bad days with my issues. The person I see under all that is still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever been graced with knowing.”

Rise held her sullen countenance, trying to ignore the warmth bleeding through the cold dread. Honeyed words were a much beloved tool in the manipulator’s belt. Yu waited for a response, and when none came, he let his fervent assurances soften to a more subtle, gentle reinforcement.

“I can understand wanting to get to a better place before making a decision like this, and I can wait.” That one broke Rise’s facade and brought her attention back to him.

“What? But you’re, like, one of the most wanted people in town! You could have any girl in Yasogami you wanted, maybe even a few of the guys...”

“But they wouldn’t be you.” His smile was soft, but there was a firmness in his offer that said he was far from joking. “I know I was laying it on kind of thick earlier, but I meant what I said. I will wait however long you need me to, because you’re worth it.”

Like that, all of the affection she had for him returned to her, and though her hesitation remained a cold lump in her stomach, the release of the moment’s pressure let her act on her heart’s whims more openly. She shuffled closer to him, daring to take in that reassuring presence she could once bask in without reserve.

“Thanks, Senpai. That means a lot.” She thought for a brief moment, then stretched up towards him. Her lips briefly met his cheek, and his skin went red with more than her lipstick. She smiled, proud to have finally gotten him flustered in some visible way. “You’ll get one on the lips when I can tell you yes.” His smile was colored by a youthful giddiness he rarely permitted in himself, but he retained enough control to not ruin the moment with directionless babbling.

“I await your answer with bated breath.”

With the matter settled, the two were allowed to enjoy the firework show. Maybe this wasn’t how either expected things to go, but it was the right direction.

Rise could live with that. She would feel guilty if she ruined what could have been for nothing, but she knew better than to charge into things unprepared. She would find out whether her trust in him was misplaced, and if it wasn’t, she swore to herself that she would make up for all the lost time when things became official. All she needed was a way to follow her hunch to whatever conclusion it lead her towards.

Later that night, as she laid in bed, a realization occurred to her. She already knew someone who had a bone to pick with Yu, and who tried to warn her about him early on. Maybe he would be willing to clarify a few things.

Chapter Text

Situations create questions.

Questions demand answers.

Answers explain situations.

This was the flow of investigation, a cycle Naoto thought herself proficient in. From her earliest days, she learned to speak the language of deduction as fluently as Japanese, and, though she had encountered many a strange dialect, she always managed to hold her own when such conversations arose.

At this moment, she felt like someone was trying to yell at her in a strange fusion of Greek and French. Just as she thought she was understanding the grammar at work, a new rule was introduced that left her unable to keep up with the conversation. It was maddening, baffling, illogical in every conceivable manner.

To put it plainly, what she thought would be a vital key to her investigation was quickly revealing itself to be yet another lock in a series of keyless locks. After her long walk with Teddie, she was under the impression that discovering his home, wherever in the world it might be, would yield the secret murder method that allowed her killer to leave behind bodies that seemed immune to the wear and tear of time.

The line she was following was his distinctive fighting style, one she hadn’t seen in her many years of experience. There were several martial arts which leaned on natural imagery, even a few that specifically invoked the crushing might of a bear, but what she saw of his indicated another aspect. Before assuming his prepped stance, he threw his opponent to make distance, then hopped away. It was like those natural schools had been blended with Judo.

In her many sweeps of the globe, she found no such style that matched his. It was something utterly unique. She was beginning to question whether it wasn’t something of his own creation, but it borrowed too heavily on techniques in other arts to have been concocted independently. From what she could gather, his home was cut off from the outside world, meaning he shouldn’t have had access to information on outsider styles. The only other conclusion was that he somehow knew these arts subconsciously and drew on them in times of crisis, but that couldn’t have been possible.

The more she looked at this case, the less she realized she was actually seeing of it. She was bent over the desk in the corner of her room, every piece of information placed somewhere on it. Dates, names, what those names should have known, coincidences, any connections she could think of. This was the last thing she saw at night and the first thing she awoke to every morning.

That was as true for this morning as any other. Bleary eyes, hampered movement, not even dressed for the day, but her brain was was running through every individual fact trying to find any two that could snap together and make the whole puzzle align.

In the end, everything she thought she knew came back to Yu Narukami. He had told her of Teddie’s proximity to the killing method. He was retrieving those kidnapped, subsequently stopping the murders outside of copycat cases that fell outside of his expertise. He was pooling his substantial resources into further research on the case and hinted at knowing aspects she was wholly unaware of.

It was becoming obvious that learning what he knew would be one of the final keys she needed to undo this long string of locks. Before that, though, she needed to know Yu himself. He was enigmatic, and she was officially on the outside of any need-to-know basis until she could prove her worth in his eyes. She tried following every other lead she had, but now, it was down to the man himself.

The only question was how she could crack this box open.

Her newest morning ritual was interrupted by a ringing. She rolled her chair to the next desk over, where her computers waited. Three monitors, each connected to their own modem. The leftmost one had flicked on by its own accord, and the image was a live video feed.

Rise Kujikawa stood in front of the gate to the Shirogane estate, looking around as though unaware that the doorbell had turned on a camera. It was difficult to tell in those pre-dawn hours, but she seemed to have come without fine tuning her appearance, and her eyes were deep and glazed by thought. She showed signs of distress that couldn’t be faked. Naoto tapped a few keys, and the light on her microphone turned green.

“Good morning, Kujikawa-san.” Rise jumped at the unexpected voice, her attention quickly going to the slots above the button she pressed a moment ago. Naoto conceded that it might have been hard to see the speaker clearly at the time.

“M-morning. Um, is that you, Shirogane-san?”

She subconsciously kicked herself. She had forgotten to apply her extensive vocal training, tilting her tone towards the feminine. Of course Rise couldn’t quite recognize her voice. She shook off the mist over her brain and forced her serious disposition back into place.

“Yes. The receiver may be scrambling the audio on my end slightly.”

“Oh. Okay.” She seemed appeased by that answer. Perhaps she could provide some in kind.

“I assume you wanted to speak to me about something?”

“Yeah.” Rise looked to the sides, overtly checking to see if anyone else was in earshot. “Are we the only people on this line?”

“My grandfather could be listening.” Naoto glanced to a window next to the video feed, finding that hers was the only open channel. “But he doesn’t seem to be at the moment.”

“Good.” Rise’s brow drooped, then hardened into its new fallen place. She looked directly at what she thought to be the camera lens before continuing. “I need to talk about Yu.”

Naoto’s eyes widened. Her uncanny luck was rearing its head once again, and she was never one to turn down a fortunate turn. She pressed another key, and the lock on the front gate came undone with a loud, whining clack.

“Come inside. Make yourself comfortable in the guest lounge, just left of the foyer. I will be with you momentarily.”

Rise nodded before pushing her way in, making certain to close the gate behind her. She seemed relieved when the lock automatically reset itself, as though it ensured that she wouldn’t be followed. It was a sign that something sensitive was on her mind.

Though eager to find out what, Naoto didn’t rush. She couldn’t afford to let her facade slip in her haste a second time. She removed her night shirt and set it aside before opening the door next to her wardrobe. She pushed the front two layers of clothes aside to get to the concealed third, a line of black bra-like garments. She took the loosest of the bunch, knowing that she could afford herself a sliver of relief in her own home.

The article slid over her head and arms easily enough. It was pulling it over the next segment down that was the problem. It snapped into place, and at once, Naoto could feel the consequences. She was used to the pressure on her back, and her skin had grown numb to the constriction. It was deeper inside where the effects were still as potent as the first time she dawned a binder. Her lungs struggled to expand properly with her ribs being held together. The objects of her shame were, fortunately, quite pliable, though the sheer mass involved added to her discomfort.

If it meant being taken seriously, though, she would put up with any level of physical inconvenience.

She pulled on a two-layered, dark blue robe to hide what little chest was still pushing through the “casual” binding, and her hat helped add the correct angles to offset her face’s smoothness. Her attire was carefully chosen to reduce any femininity. Looking in the mirror at the back of her closet, she was certain that even eagle-eyed Kujikawa wouldn’t be able to figure out she was in the presence of another girl. How Yu and Teddie both saw through her measures was still a mystery, though not one that needed immediate pursuit.

After a moment of thought, she made for her bookshelf and pulled three particular books out of her way. Behind them, there was a safe. She undid the dial lock with practiced ease, and from inside, she took an envelope. It was the newest of the lot, differentiated from the others only in that its flap wasn’t sealed in red wax. No other markings were readily apparent. She slipped it into her robe, imagining it might aid in the discussion to come.

When she passed into the hall, the lights came on for her. The motion sensors were at once convenient and an excellent repellent for those of ill intent. If it didn’t dissuade them, then the cameras hidden behind paintings would make them pay for their lack of caution.

The level of utility one could get from a few standard cameras was remarkable when the networking behind them was stable.

As she descended the main stairs leading down to the expansive entrance hall, she saw Rise marveling at her surroundings. She didn’t seem to notice Naoto’s approach yet as she talked to herself quietly.

“I didn’t think his tastes would be this ritzy...”

“Mine aren’t.” Naoto could only imagine how her denial sounded when paired with the image of her in a fine morning robe, entering from a wide set of stairs lined by ornately carved handrails of the finest wood. Rise only looked mildly incredulous and, to her credit, just slightly surprised. “My grandfather has an affinity for the aesthetics of European nobility. He has grown mildly eccentric with age, you understand.”

“Well, that explains the why, I guess.”

“You haven’t heard much of an explanation at all. That would come if you let him give you a proper tour.” Naoto gestured to her right. “For now, I believe we have something more pertinent to discuss.”

She showed Rise to the lounge. She was given range to choose her preferred seating, but she quickly settled on the nearest sofa. Naoto sat across from her in a well-padded recliner. She would have offered coffee, as was polite, but she suspected Rise would have declined anyway.

“If I may ask, what could I help you with in regards to Narukami? I believe you would be in a better position to understand him than I. Our last exchange implied as much.”

“I know, I know. I ran off thinking I knew better than you.” Rise shook her head in disappointment at her earlier self. “Now, I’m starting to think I was missing something. Since you tried warning me about him, I figured you would know what that something is.”

“You are aware it was a ploy on my part, yes?”

“Yeah, Kanji told us. The others still hate you, by the way.” Understandable enough. “But, thinking about it, you wouldn’t try to turn me against him if you didn’t think there was something fishy about him in the first place.”

Naoto didn’t change her passive, but attentive expression.

“I would imagine this change of heart didn’t come from nowhere. Have you discovered something?” Rise bit her lip, hesitant to continue. “Don’t worry, I’ve disabled any recording software in this room, and you have my word that nothing said here will be repeated.” This lessened the strain of the choice on Rise, and she sighed.

“I saw him bribing cops.” Naoto raised an eyebrow, then gestured for her to elaborate. “We went out to the shrine festival yesterday. He took me up to one of the hills so we could watch the fireworks together, but he went back down to get us drinks, telling me to go on ahead. I went back for him, and I saw him paying two officers to block off the stairs.” Naoto’s head tilted forward, creating a pantomime of a scowl from Rise’s perspective.

“Did he do anything… uncouth to you?”

“Wha- No!” Rise was suddenly flustered, as if the possibility hadn’t occurred to her. “No, nothing like that. We just watched the show together.” An air of disturbance overtook Rise. The suggestion that he could have barred the way with some ill intent unsettled her, Naoto could tell. Perhaps that was enough to begin the information exchange in full.

“This news doesn’t come as quite the surprise you imagined it would.” Rise watched in confusion as Naoto placed her hands together, fingertips forming into a controlled pyramid. “After all, he and I have conducted business, in a sense.”

At once, Rise’s guard went up, and she made to stand. Naoto stopped her with a raised hand.

“You have no need to worry. As I said, this conversation will remain between us.” Rise looked at her suspiciously.

“How do I know you aren’t just saying that?”

“Think about it.” Naoto readied her trump card, the one which would make or break this exchange. “As long as I have been in Inaba, my sole interest has been in bringing the mysterious murders here to a close. Why would I do anything to impede one of the people preventing further deaths?”

Rise’s eyes widened in shock. Then they hardened, and she sat down, a reserved air covering her uncertain tremors.

“What did he tell you?”

Naoto’s disappointment was great, but so, too, was her respect for Rise. She knew better than to say too much in a fit of panic.

“He only confirmed that you possess a method to stop the killer’s unusual technique. He also implied that your operations carry some level of risk to your group, though he hasn’t stated exactly why, or what the killer’s method is.” Naoto smirked in disdainful amusement. “Though he agreed to exchange sensitive information, I find his offerings both revealing and infuriatingly opaque.”

“Wait.” Rise dropped her harsh front, taken by her own moment of revelation. “Mitsuo Kubo. Yu said he saw a report Dojima-san had on him. Was that a lie? Were you the one who told him?”

“I did more than that. He now has a complete chronicle of the Kubo investigation to do with as he will.” Naoto crossed her arms, stating it as a matter of fact. Rise was visibly disturbed by the blunt answer.

“He went behind our backs...”

“To help your investigation move forward.” Naoto put a hand to her forehead, rubbing away some returning fog. “This is the dichotomy of his nature that leaves me baffled. He operates with underhanded means, but his ends, from the outside, are entirely focused on those besides himself.” Rise shared Naoto’s moment of cyclical contemplation, but she had the courage to voice it.

“Do you think he was really trying to make last night great for me? Not just because he wanted to...” She trailed off, but Naoto could read the implication well enough to answer.

“The likelihood, when looking only at the last few months of activity on his part, is high. Taking the whole of his life into consideration, however, leaves a more gray result.” Naoto thought this the time to show her hand. She retrieved the envelope, opening it and removing a thick stack of papers. At the very top was a page labeled with his name in bold. Rise saw this, and she wasn’t sure how to feel.

“You’ve been stalking him?”

“I prefer ‘studying,’ but either term is correct in denotation.” She gave that top sheet to Rise and flipped through the rest herself, looking for one page in particular. “What you need to understand is that Yu is the most recent in a rather infamous lineage among the elite of Japan. Those outside of that class very rarely hear of them, however. Tell me, do you know anything about his personal reputation outside of Inaba?”

“Um…” She thought for a moment, and an old memory bubbled up. “Chie-senpai told me that she, Yukiko-senpai, and Yu ran into some big shot TV executive he knew. She said he called Yu the Wolf of Japan, or something like that.”

“My records corroborate that title.” She lifted a page from the rest, checking it closer, but it wasn’t the one she was looking for. She went back to shuffling as she continued. “His family belongs to something of a hidden sub-class, though calling them that would be to understate their position. They are investors, a group that makes its wealth from financing the exploits of business leaders. They ride market trends, sometimes find ways to direct them, and the savvy among them accumulate wealth on par with the highest CEO with little of the risk.”

“Let me guess.” Rise skimmed the one page she had. It was a dizzying list of dates and locations, a general itinerary of the places Yu lived throughout his life. That it took over a full page to detail was noteworthy, though quite burdensome to sift through. “The Narukami family is one of the best, right?”

“Not simply ‘one of.’ They are at the top by a wide margin.” Naoto skipped directly to the bottom of her pile, producing a folded sheet. When she opened it and smoothed it on the table, it showed a web map, one that connected the names of companies in a circular pattern inwards. Each line was marked by a number, those numbers labeled as amounts of yen.

At the very center, forming the nucleus on which the web was spun around, was one word: Narukami.

“This is the most current Shirogane estimate of the totality of his family’s investments. I have the evidence to back these results, of course, but I thought you would prefer this succinct map to the literal bookshelf I have dedicated to the topic. You are welcome to peruse those specific documents if you so desire, with the understanding that you will tell no one of them without my approval.”

Rise’s eyes managed to avoid glazing over as she systematically traced every strand presented to her. She quickly became aware of the emerging pattern.

“This is, like, every company I’ve ever heard of, and then some!”

“I have it on solid confirmation that the Narukami family holds stock in over ninety percent of all large-scale businesses in Japan, with at least a moderate degree of influence in every available industry. They do not invest in business, such as with other large investors, so much as they invest in the economy itself. So long as money is changing hands, they will take their cut.”

This was the piece of information that finally broke Rise’s back. She was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation, finding herself in the position of Atlas, the world weighing heavy on her shoulders. Her eyes were blanketed by the incomprehensible totality.

“You’re saying… that Yu is…?”

“The sole heir to the single most prosperous family in Japan, and among the highest elite on the global scale.” Naoto tapped her stack of papers against the table, straightening it so she could keep searching without the risk of a topple. “You must be honored, having caught the attention of suitor like him.” Naoto’s voice was tinged by sarcasm, as she knew this was a bittersweet piece of information to one in Rise’s position.

“I… Give me a minute. I need to digest this.” Rise held her head in her hands, massaging her temple. Naoto was vindicated to see someone else banging their brain against this burden for once. It was almost payment enough for spilling the beans, but there were loftier rewards to be had. “Okay, so he’s not rich, he’s stupid rich. He also thinks it’s normal to bribe police officers and make backroom deals with investigators. But he’s working to find a killer who didn’t target him directly and acts weirdly humble, but honest, about what he can do. What the heck is going on here?”

“That’s what I would like to know, and I think you can help me.” Naoto, at long last, found her desired page and passed it along. Rise took it up in shaky, but unrelenting hands. “That is a list of known expenditures on his part over the course of the last year. Notice how there are only increases between last August through early April. With that in mind, what happened to the trend come late April?”

“It’s still going up, but not as fast.” Rise honed in on the requested portion, finding its limited scope easier to process than everything leading up to it. “Actually, it says he’s still bringing in more each month, but he’s spending more now. A lot more. And how much he’s paying is going up over time.” She scanned the paper continuously until she reached the bottom, where Naoto knew this month’s expenses were. She had compiled that entry two days prior.

This meant any expenses he planned ahead for had already been taken out of his accounts as hard cash, or perhaps placed into a secondary account that was more difficult to track.

The expenses stopped going up smoothly for this one month, instead multiplying threefold.

“How much did he give those cops?” Rise said that under her breath, and Naoto politely pretended she didn’t hear it.

“His expenses have been rising since April, which I am lead to believe was the point where your… team, let’s say, initially formed. Whatever his investment in this investigation, it is great enough to warrant an unprecedented outward flow of his assets.” Naoto set the remainder of her file aside and crossed her arms. “He told me, during our exchange, that he was helping you because, and I quote, your team provided him with something that, despite his wealth, he was poor in. He values you all highly, but the exact reason is unclear...”

“Why do you care so much?” Naoto was taken aback by Rise’s prickly interruption. The idol looked up at her with a severe glare, a reaction to her old reality fragmenting before her. “Why does it matter to you what he wants? It doesn’t have anything to do with your case.”

“You are mistaken.” Naoto took the brunt of the cold shoulder, and she responded bluntly to break the ice. “Yu has inextricably tangled himself in the strange happenings here of his own volition. It is no understatement to say that knowing Yu is paramount to knowing the truth at hand. My primary goal is the apprehension of the killer, but Yu has made himself, from my current position, an unavoidable step to reach that conclusion. He safeguards details in his machinations that I cannot access from the outside.”

“That’s why I require your help to break through the divide.” Naoto leaned in and brought her voice down to a whisper. Rise closed in as well. “I believe we can help each other. We both want to see the killings end, and we both, for various reasons, want to see the cards your friend has hidden from us. You, as an integral part of his ‘in group,’ might be able to soften their resistance to my advances. If I can ingratiate myself with them, he will have little choice but to open up to me as well, perhaps giving me the correct vantage to connect the countless dots he has scattered to the winds.” Rise’s eyes grew dark, but remained receptive.

“You want to use me as leverage against him and the others.”

“No such thing. If I wanted to take such a strong-armed approach, I would simply demand that you tell me everything your group knows. I wouldn’t make you betray them like that. Instead, I want you to help open them up to the idea of cooperation, step-by-step. In exchange, I will share with you any indicators of Yu’s true nature, assuming he has hidden something integral to your… consideration of his proposal.”

Rise placed her hands on her lap, and she grabbed her own wrist tightly, as though trying to force her inner tension out. She looked down, her gaze clouded by trepidation.

“I… I want to trust him.” Rise’s voice was lost, listless. She couldn’t navigate the ocean of her thoughts, the crossed signals from brain and heart. “I know he’s trying to be a good person, if nothing else, but that doesn’t make it any less possible that he’s keeping something else secret to himself. Something big. I don’t want to go rushing into him, just to find out too late.” Rise shook her head, loosening the cogs in her skull. Her eyes stayed closed as she spoke, her tone level.

“Be honest with me. Do you think Yu is a good person?”

Naoto considered her response carefully.

“Perhaps as good of a person as his upbringing can produce.”

“Do you have any reason to believe he’s done anything too much worse than paying those cops to give us a moment of peace?”

“Nothing solid, no, but I’m sure I needn’t state the implications at play.”

“Last question.” Rise opened her eyes, giving Naoto the most piercing stare she could muster. “If we do this, will you use anything you learn to hurt him or the others?”

“With all due respect, Kujikawa-san.” Naoto gave her an equally unflinching look back, though one without any offensive edge to it. “We are dealing with a killer capable of inflicting death in a way that escapes the bounds of legal pursuit and natural law. So long as Yu Narukami isn’t inflicting despair on a level comparable to the potential threat this murderer poses to the world, I am willing to overlook relatively petty illegalities. Do not denigrate my ability to see the larger picture.”

Rise’s eyes half-lidded, her lips a thin line holding back the workings of her thought. Then, a firmness took her, a determination that few ever saw in their lifetimes.

“Fine. We have a deal.”

“The terms are set, then.” Naoto offered her hand, to Rise’s slight confusion. “For both of our sakes, we shouldn’t put our names to any contract forming an alliance against the Narukami family. Regardless of Yu’s individual intent, his family would not take the insult lightly were it to leak.” Rise nodded in understanding, then put her hand to Naoto’s.

The two shook, sealing their agreement.

From the abandoned file, Yu’s face stared passively up, unaware of the forces surrounding him. His focus rested elsewhere, in a realm known only to the man himself.

Chapter Text

Fall was evil, at least in Teddie’s mind.

Summer in the real world, though unbearably hot, was a bottomless sea of new experiences. All the food, the pretty lights (and pretty ladies in yukata), and, most of all, the good times with his friends. It was what lured him from the world he knew, and for those few months, he regretted none of it.

Now, though, everything was slowing down. There weren’t any festivals on the near horizon. There weren’t as many kids at Junes while he was working during the day. His friends, who he loved dearly, were all stuck at school.

Teddie sincerely hated school for taking his friends from him. They would be back later, after classes and club meetings, but that left Teddie with a whole, like, ten hours to kill on six days of the week. Sixty hours each week to himself, minus however much of that he spent working.

Teddie really, really, really hated being alone. It left him with just the voices in his head, and he didn’t like those voices. They weren’t as soft and caring as Sensei, or as enthusiastic as Yosuke, or as protective as Kanji. They were just plain mean.

Fortunately, he wasn’t all alone this day. Well, he was at that exact moment, but he wouldn’t be shortly. It just depended on how quick a certain pair of tiny legs could finish their errand. He waited at one of the picnic tables by the Samegawa River, staring off into the flowing water. It still looked and sounded way too familiar to Teddie, but he was content with not knowing exactly why. It made him feel more calm all the same.

His head whipped towards the first approaching footsteps he heard. He was momentarily let down by what he saw at first, as it wasn’t the person he expected it to be, but then he perked up, because it wasn’t someone he expected it to be. As soon as he identified the tiny frame and the overly large trombone case, he put a hand next to his mouth and called out.

“Hey there, Ayane-chan!”

Ayane slowed at the sound of her name, and when she saw where it was coming from, she changed directions towards him.

“Hello, Teddie!” She ran up to him and stopped short with a bow. She saw he didn’t have anything on him, then looked around curiously. “Um, you weren’t trying to nap, were you?”

“No, I’m waiting for a friend.” To Teddie’s confusion, she seemed a little disappointed by his answer.

“Oh. I probably shouldn’t ask you to… Never mind.”

Teddie saw the way she readjusted her grip on her trombone case. It was just the clue he needed.

“Were you hoping I wanted to listen to you play again?” She blushed lightly and avoided eye contact, but she nodded nonetheless.

“We didn’t have a music club meeting today, so I thought I would come here to practice. If you’re busy, I can just...”

“I’m sure my friend would like to listen, too. I don’t think he hears a lot of music.” The intensity of the red on her cheeks tripled, and the spike in her heart rate was visible.

“Oh, no no no, I couldn’t! I mean, I’m not that good yet, and I know you like how I play, but...”

“Mister Teddie, I’m back!”

Teddie and Ayane both looked to the newcomer. The former was elated, but the latter was taken aback. She didn’t know what to make of the tiny, black-haired, kind of dirty child running up to Ted. He seemed wary of her, but when he saw Ted relaxed in her presence, he loosened up, though the impression that he was on-edge remained. He handed the box he was carrying, a blue one wrapped in frost, over to Teddie with a small bow.

“It’s the biggest one they had, like you asked.”

“Thank you very much!” Teddie looked up at Ayane and gestured at the child. “This is the friend I mentioned. We meet up here for snacks sometimes.” Ayane couldn’t keep herself from looking him over, eyes settling on every wrinkle in his worn out clothes and smudge of dirt on his face. It made him visibly uncomfortable, and he stepped around Teddie to hide himself partially from view.

“Do you know this person, Mister?”

“She’s a friend, too.” Teddie scooted over, revealing the tiny man ducked behind him. He let himself be used as a partial obstruction, but he wasn’t about to block off contact between the two. “You can trust her, I promise.” The boy swallowed nervously, his hesitation going down with his saliva, and he bowed to Ayane slightly, though it was obvious that he was trying to keep her in his sight.

“I’m Akira Kurusu. It’s… nice to meet you.” He tried his best to smile politely, though his apprehension was still apparent. Ayane put her own worries aside and bowed back, letting a more natural smile out.

“I’m Ayane Matsunaga, and I feel the same way, Kurusu-kun.” The earnestness of her greeting helped ease Akira out of his shell, just a little bit. He stopped using Teddie as a security blanket, but he still seemed a little awkward. Ted knew just how to brush the last of that ice off.

“Ayane-chan was just asking me if I wanted to listen to her practice her music.” His mention was the first thing that made Akira notice the case strapped to her back. She obliged Teddie’s implication and pulled it off, opening it to reveal the brass trombone inside. “Do you want to listen, too?”

Like a snap, his eyes went wide, and when he turned them on Ayane, the grays of his irises were sparkling like discs of polished silver.

“Can I, Miss? Can I?” His enthusiasm would have been overwhelming had it come from someone her own age. From a little kid, though, especially one who had been so terribly nervous before, it was endearing.

“Of course you can! Music is something that everyone should enjoy.” She subtly moistened her lips as she took up her instrument, her hands instinctively finding their way to position. “I’m working on something kind of difficult for a concert, so I’m sorry if I mess up.”

“I’m sure it’ll be great.” Teddie was ecstatic to have Akira join him at his table. He thought it was going to be a humdrum day alone, but now he had two good friends with him. Plus, Akira was practically bouncing with excitement. It was always nice to see him act like, well, a kid instead of an easily exploited errand boy. He deserved better than that. “We’re ready when you are, mon cherie.”

Ayane nodded, then placed the mouthpiece against her lips. Her fingers touched the first notes of the tune, and she took a deep breath through her nose…

“Hey, Ted!” Suddenly, a very loud, very gruff voice broke into what was supposed to be an impromptu concert hall. The tires of a bike screeched to a stop, and when everyone turned to look at the road, Kanji was standing there. Ayane recoiled out of instinct, the trombone jerking from her lips. She was relieved to notice that she wasn’t what he was looking at. “Gang’s meeting up at the hideout here soon. We’re gonna need ya!”

“Oh, that was today?” He recalled Sensei saying that they would have a quick trip to the TV world soon to keep themselves sharp, but he forgot exactly what day that was. Maybe because they didn’t exactly have “days” on the other side. He looked back to the other two, who were…

“Hello, Mister Kanji!” Akira joyfully waved at the gruff-looking teen, whose harshest edges melted off at the realization that the kid was there.

“Hey there, squirt! What you up to?”

“Miss Ayane is going to play some music for us! Isn’t that great?”

“You’re dang right it is!” He glanced briefly towards her, the approving gleam in his eye catching her by surprise. Then he shifted towards a more thoughtful look, as though the pieces in his head took that long to click together. “Am I interrupting something here?”

“Uh, kind of.” Teddie scratched the back of his head. “Do you think they would mind if I was a few minutes late? I don’t want to run off on these guys just yet.” Kanji tilted his head, and then he shrugged his shoulders.

“A few minutes couldn’t hurt. I’ll see if I can talk them into grabbing a bite before we do… stuff. Think you can wrap up by then?” Teddie sighed in relief.

“Can do! I’ll be there beary soon!”

“I’ll grab something for you while I’m at it, so don’t go scarfing down all those topsicles, got it?” Kanji didn’t wait for an answer. He just hauled his bike around and took off back the way he came, probably to head the others off before they could get settled in. Akira waved until he was out of sight, and then it was his turn to think.

“You’re really popular, aren’t you, Mister Teddie?”

“What, me? I just got lucky enough to find people who like me.” The thought lit the warm coals in Ted’s heart, a hearth he was ready to enjoy along with some good tunes. “Are we still on for that concert practice?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Ayane fought against the wobbling of her knees to return to a stable stance. Kanji was more than a little imposing, even when he was being shockingly gentle. “I just need a second to get ready.”

“Okie-dokie.”

Teddie used to be so alone. That was normal for him. Now, he had enough people around that he could afford to be afraid of loneliness. It was funny how things worked sometimes.

Chapter Text

“Freedom!” Chie stumbled half-awake from the classroom, reaching up towards the bell like it was her personal lord and savior. “I thought school was bad enough when we just had to learn, but Kashiwagi makes it so much worse!”

“Tell me about it.” Yosuke exited right after her, followed by Yu and Yukiko. “Does she really have to try showing off to high schoolers? Does she have no other outlet to feel pretty or something?”

“Meh, I’d give her a five out of ten, at best.” Yukiko was as deadpan as she was blunt. “Way too much makeup, and she always complains about Rise-chan like it makes her look, what, better by comparison? News flash, Rise doesn’t need a pound of lipstick, a fistful of padding, and enough structural support to hold up a bridge to look good. Pass.”

“Whoa.” Chie didn’t know whether to look impressed or disturbed by the thorough tearing down she just witnessed. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you that mad.”

“I’m with Yukiko on this one.” Yosuke had no internal debate about how to feel. He was vindicated that someone put what he was thinking into words. “Imagine being hit on by a guy who thought he was way better looking than he actually was, but you were legally not allowed to leave and had to sit through every cruddy pickup line. That’s what it feels like for us to sit through her preening. Right, partner?”

Yu was about to open his mouth, but he was cut off by a different voice.

“Narukami-kun! Hold on there, mister.” As though summoned by a spell, Kashiwagi was strutting their way, a coy quirk to her lips and her eyes half-lidded in a way she thought looked smoky. Yu was nonplussed, looking at her with his most refined, emotionless stare.

“Is something the matter?”

A shiver went through the other three. They looked at each other and reached a silent agreement. The demon was here. It was clear by the coldness in his tone. Kashiwagi didn’t notice, instead crossing her arms under her chest to push them forward. The effect was only mitigated, perhaps intentionally, by the clipboard she held over her heart, covering most of her pressed-up cleavage.

“I noticed you were staring into space instead of listening to the lesson for the last fifteen minutes of class.”

Everyone wanted to point out that the time frame given was, suspiciously, right when she stopped teaching and started preening, but they bit their tongues. Yukiko felt like she was going to bite clean through hers.

“I know how tiring life as a budding young pupil can be. If you couldn’t quite catch the lesson, then I would be more than happy to reteach it for you after class, one-on-one.”

...Was… Was she putting the moves on him? Holy shit, she was actually trying to seduce him.

“Sorry if I seemed distant, Kashiwagi-sensei.” Ever the picture of proper behavior and mild passive-aggression, Yu delivered his retort in the most respectful but dismissive way he could. “I was going over the material from chapter ten in my mind.”

“Chapter ten?” This threw Kashiwagi off her game, her chest-puffing stance losing its air. “But we’re covering chapter nine.”

“Pardon if I seem disrespectful in saying so, which I would never want to seem, but we covered the material from chapter nine months ago at my last school. I didn’t want to make a scene, so I thought it best to review for future exams instead of making a distraction of myself.” Yu bowed, pointedly closing his eyes so that his line of sight didn’t glide over the part of Kashiwagi that she was pushing so fervently. “I appreciate your offer, but I’m certain there are other students besides myself who could use the extra lessons to greater effect. I wouldn’t want to take that from them.”

Kashiwagi sputtered for a while. Her lips made to open before closing again multiple times, like a fish flapping its mouth on the beach. Finally, she recollected herself, taking on a more ridged, less “seductive” posture.

“I will trust you to know your own abilities, but I will be watching your performance on the chapter nine review, just to be safe. I wouldn’t want you, my dear student, to slip due to overconfidence. See you tomorrow.” With that, she walked away, her advances thoroughly rebuked.

With its work done, the demon within Yu smiled and retreated to the dark depths, waiting for when its services would be needed again. Yosuke looked at him knowingly.

“You didn’t really cover that stuff before, did you?”

“Nope.”

“Nice.”

“What’s her deal?” Chie now looked as mad as Yukiko, glaring daggers at the retreating teacher. “Does she really think she’ll get anywhere coming onto a student in the middle of the hall like that?”

“I think I know what’s going on.” Yukiko looked to Yu for permission to guess, and he gave it with a nod. “She heard that Rise-chan likes him, so she thinks that if she can get him to ogle her in front of everyone, Rise will hear about it and have her pride hurt.”

“That about sums it up.” Yu, with the cause of his irritation gone, was once again his passively peaceful self. He did look quite pleased with himself, though. “When pride’s only source is pride itself, it is quick to break.”

“That sounds like a movie quote. I like it.” Chie, though still fuming about the nerve of certain instructors, was just happy to finally be able to leave. “C’mon, Teddie was meeting us at the club with snacks, right?”

“Senpai!” Another voice cut into their discussion, but this one was much less grating. Quite the opposite, in fact. Rise was a welcome addition. She ran towards them with purpose, and they noticed a moment later that Kanji was following a short way behind her, though he was avoiding direct eye contact, and… was he blushing?

“Hey guys.” Yu made no effort to acknowledge Kanji’s discomfort, something the first year’s pride most likely appreciated. “Something wrong?”

“The usual. The grapevine is at it again.” Rise came to a stop, her expression pensive. “It looks like people are chatting up a storm about Naoto-kun.”

“Huh?” Yosuke lifted an eyebrow. It was the Detective Prince’s first day at Yasogami, but he thought people would get used to him being around after all his buzzing about the murder case over the last few months. “What are they talking about that’s so big?”

“I think… someone asked if he really accused Senpai.” Kanji worked up the nerve to look at them now, but he had his head tilted down, casting the shadow of his scowl over his cheeks. “Everyone’s arguing ‘bout if they should trust him or not after that.”

“I say it serves him right.” Chie crossed her arms and started tapping her foot. The floor may or may not have cracked a little under her shoe. “We’re trying to solve this case, and he tries pinning it on our leader? No wonder people don’t like him.”

“I’m still upset about that, too.” Rise didn’t sound all that angry. She sounded undecided. “But, he doesn’t know what we’re doing. Think about it. From the outside, we just look like we’re all weirdly close to the case, and since Senpai isn’t a victim or related to one, it looked kind of suspicious from the outside.” Chie’s hard line expression softened a little bit, but only a little.

“I guess. He doesn’t know what we do about the other world, or how serious all this really is.”

“And isn’t he just trying to catch the killer, too?” Yosuke was much quicker to come around to Rise’s reasoning. “I know we can’t tell him anything, but at the end of the day, he’s on our side here. We shouldn’t make an ally feel like they aren’t wanted. Especially if he’s a big shot detective. He might turn up pay dirt on the real world end that we can’t.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Rise nodded firmly and glanced back at Kanji. “The two of us already talked about it, and we think we should try to make nice with him.”

“Really?” Yukiko looked at Kanji with no small amount of suspicion. “No offense, but you’re not really the forgiving type.”

“I was just thinking… One bad call shouldn’t stick with a guy forever.” He scratched at the back of his neck, looking way smaller than usual. “He knows he screwed up, so he should get a chance to fix it.”

“And you think if people know that I forgave him, they would lighten up.” Yu was quiet until he found the space to slip in. He seemed to be thinking about something. Everyone present thought it was just him mulling over the idea. “Alright. If he wants to come along with us sometime, I would be okay with it.”

-

That was how Naoto ended up at the team hideout in the middle of the woods. Kanji scrounged up an extra chair for him and shuffled the others around so that his was the closest to the TV. They all agreed, silently, to avoid going anywhere near the screen with him present, just in case.

He looked around briefly before sitting down, and he continued his appraisal thereafter. His motions were stiffly formal, and, despite the heat of late summer lingering, he was still wearing his stuffy, proper clothes and hat instead of swapping out for something more comfy. No one knew why, but they weren’t about to dig into a guy’s fashion sense.

“If memory serves, this used to be an infamous biker den. Am I to believe you’ve taken it from them without issue?”

“If you’re wondering about them coming back on us, you can thank this guy.” Yosuke bumped Kanji on the shoulder. Kanji, now that he didn’t have any lifting to do, was back to avoiding eye contact again, but he was visibly fighting against his instinct to scowl defensively. “You probably saw the whole report on what he did to them. I don’t think anyone’s dumb enough to go for round two.”

“Dude, you make it sound like I’m only good for beating people up.”

“Of course you’re good at other things.” Yukiko was at his other side, and she set a hand reassuringly on his shoulder. “It might have taken us a few days to clean this place up if you weren’t helping, and those color swatches you picked out really brought it all together.” The pendulum swing from hyper-aggressive contributions to hyper-dainty ones was jarring, but he seemed a bit more comfortable with them.

“Well, wasn’t just me. Senpai did most of the work ripping out the old boards and putting up new ones.”

“Then you let me sleep through the rest.” Yu shook his head, but he bounced back a moment later. “Enough about us, though. Naoto-kun, how’s Yasogami treating you?”

“Well enough.” Naoto answered promptly, but a slight irritable doubt made him double back. “It would be better to not be jeered at in the halls, but it’s far from the worst reception I’ve had.”

“Seriously?” Kanji was visibly surprised by that claim. It was a powerful enough shock to pull him from his sudden shell. “I don’t think you’d find worse treatment without actually being roughed up.”

“Uncommon, but physical altercations have occurred.” Naoto’s wandering eye kept on wandering as he sated Kanji’s curiosity. “I recall infiltrating a school last year with a drug market that was effectively an open secret. Let’s just say, criminals dislike police digging into their trade more than most others.” Naoto’s constant scanning stopped, his gaze going more firmly to those who invited him out.

“I don’t suppose you all would know much about that. Inaba seems rather clean, for the most part, and it’s unlikely you’ve ever attended a disreputable academy, Narukami-senpai.”

“No, but I’ve been near one or two.” Yu leaned back in his seat, his posture more fully relaxing, though his eyes said he was engaged. “I heard about the investigation you mentioned. I was actually in classes nearby when news of the crackdown spread. I think it was… Shujin I went to?”

“Oh, no way!” Yosuke seemed eager to jump on that point. “I heard that place has a killer volleyball record, with an Olympian teacher! You had to be as big of a sports nut back then as you are now, right?”

“Not really.” Yu seemed apologetic as Yosuke deflated. “I was doubling down on my business studies then. I thought this year, being out of the big city and all, would be my best chance to branch out.”

“A diverse skill set is very useful.” Yukiko nodded in agreement with Yu’s decision. She glanced over to Chie, who was starting to shiver in place. It wasn’t because she was cold, though. “Maybe we should get to the movie now. We wouldn’t want to be out after dark.”

“Yes!” Chie plunged a hand into her pack and lunged forward with her DVD case in hand. “Time for some good, old-fashioned Bruce Lee!” She eagerly hammered the eject button on the DVD player…

...But nothing happened. The only click was that of the button itself, and the tray most certainly didn’t eject. He excitement turned to panic as she rapidly tapped it.

“Oh come on, what’s the big deal here!?”

As she fussed over the device, Yu looked instead to a more root problem. He turned up his ear, and when he was satisfied with that check, he reached over and tried turning on one of the lamps around the room. It was as successful as Chie’s attempts.

“Looks like the generator’s acting up.” He got to his feet with a knowing nod. “I’ll see if there’s something I can do for that.”

“Oh, I can help!” Teddie was about to shoot out of his seat after him, but he was stopped with a hand held up.

“Don’t worry about it. Wouldn’t want to get grease on your nice shirt, right?”

Teddie looked down at his clothing. Black stains would show clearly on white fabric.

“Well, okay, but I’m right here if you need someone to run and fetch something.”

“I appreciate it.” Yu gave Ted a kindly nod, then opened the door. “It’s probably just out of fuel, though. We have a few cans stocked up, so I should only be out a couple minutes.” With his preliminary diagnostic given, Yu left, assured that movie night was still on. No one noticed the few extra seconds Naoto’s eyes lingered on the exit.

“I take it the generator is his?”

“Most of the supplies were.” Yosuke kicked back, but he had an ear open just in case. “That guy is way too loose with his money. I mean, granted, he has enough to spare, but still.”

“Hmm.” Naoto’s thoughts turned away from the environment and towards the piece of the puzzle she just received. ‘So this is where all of his money has been going. Interesting, but some simple machinery and renovations wouldn’t produce the reported deficits. Would they know of any other investments in recent months?’ Naoto’s brow pushed together. He counted on the lid of his hat to hide that sign of his intense concentration. Were anyone to spot it, his last guess would have been the tallest person in the room, but Kanji noticed something anyway.

“All the talking behind your back really is getting to you, isn’t it?”

Naoto looked up from her thinking to find a disturbingly sympathetic expression on Kanji’s face. It was also notable how he tried to keep his volume down, but it didn’t do much. Even if everyone weren’t so close together, his voice carried far.

“...I can manage a few rumors.”

“That’s what I said back when they were yapping about me.” Kanji’s eyes narrowed ruefully for the barest moment, but his softer nature won out. “Look, if they’re still giving you crap after this, just hunt me down. Folks see you chatting with me, they’ll leave you alone.” Naoto raised an eyebrow.

“For someone who dislikes his reputation, you certainly know how to make use of it.”

“Yeah.” Kanji recoiled, averting his gaze again. “My rep’s already shot with those guys anyway. I don’t give two shits anymore.” He glanced up at the others, who were politely holding their own conversation off to the side, and he smiled. Naoto made note of that. “Take the offer or don’t, not my business. Hell, if this does pull you back up, getting chummy with me might drag you back down again.”

Naoto was about to point out the self-deprecation on display, but before he could, Yu stepped back into the hut. This elicited a very loud cheer from Chie.

“We back on? Please tell me we’re back on!”

“We’re back on.”

Chie’s cheer went from “loud” to “deafening,” but Yu took it in stride.

“Thanks a million! Now we can get to some kung-fu goodness.” Chie returned to her derailed task, this time with much more success as the DVD tray presented itself to her.

Naoto was more interested in Yu’s reaction. He smiled warmly to no one in particular. Then he just sat back down, as if he hadn’t saved the afternoon. It was a humble action.

Naoto glanced over to Rise, who was positioned across the room so that Yu couldn’t see them both at the same time. Their eyes met, and Naoto nodded slightly, so slight that it could be mistaken for a random twitch of the neck. Rise blinked back twice.

-

The party was quick to disperse after the film. No one wanted to be out too late, they said. Naoto, though, didn’t leave in too great of a hurry. Instead, he roamed near the river, spending as much time under the lampposts as he could naturally afford. It didn’t take long for a second set of footsteps to join his. He glanced over, and with a nod from Rise, it was confirmed that they had privacy.

“I didn’t think you’d find something that quick. I guess they don’t call you a Prince for nothing.”

“It might be best to save any praise until after we decide if we can use my findings or not.” Naoto turned towards one of the posts, and when he reached it, he leaned against it and rubbed at his temple. “Is there anything about him that isn’t a contradiction?” It was a rhetorical question made to note his irritation more than anything, but Rise gave an understanding nod.

“He is a hard person to pin.” She shook off her reminiscing, instead looking to what was ahead. “What did you see?”

“I saw both a giving friend and a conceited aristocrat inhabiting the same skin.” Naoto stopped visibly bemoaning the state of the evidence. It was time to report it. “You may have noticed how quick he was to turn the topic I introduced.” Rise nodded again.

“Yeah. You brought up illegal stuff, he turned it right around to school stuff. He was avoiding the topic, kinda.”

“I don’t think he was afraid of the topic. I think he was entertained by me.” Naoto looked up at Rise, and, noticing her confused expression, he elaborated. “He never answers me directly, even when we agree to trade information. He meanders around the point and enjoys himself as I try following the trail of riddles. The only reason I take him seriously is because he gives me enough solid leads to indicate that he knows something of importance.”

“Wait.” Rise’s confusion turned to quiet concern. Naoto noted it, but he held off on prodding it. “You think he’s toying with you, like he thinks he’s that much better than you?”

“There’s no other conclusion to be drawn. When I overstep his expectations, he reacts less like I’m a credible force and more like I’m an ant who held up longer under the magnifying glass than most.” Yes, a magnifying glass. That was the best description for the way he observed those around him. His eye was sharp, and his curiosity sharper.

“That said, he takes the exact opposite approach when speaking to those within your group, those he would openly call friends. Despite his enjoyment of dancing around the point in our discussions, he offered to leave and fix the generator with no request to do so. To you, he shows a more earnest self, one who gives more than he takes. One who would be willing to spend his fortune to make others happy. These two sides, displayed within the same breath. This is that duality that befuddles me so.”

“That can’t be right.” Rise was whispering to herself that time, looking down as if unaware she had said anything. She seemed disturbed, as though wandering through a fog-laden maze with no exit to be found. “He told me...” As if realizing how loose her lips had grown, Rise closed them and turned in hopes of hiding the worry in her eyes. Naoto noticed nonetheless.

“If we are to solve the puzzle that is Narukami, we will need full disclosure on both our parts. I’ve shown my full hand. Will you still hide yours?”

Rise looked back, knowing full well that her tactic failed. There was a struggle behind her eyes, but a victor was chosen quickly. She let loose the breath she was holding, and her straight posture went with it.

“A while back, something made him remember what it was like to be a better-than-everyone businessman. He told me he hated it, and he wanted to get away from that version of himself as much as he could. He was seriously depressed just thinking about how he used to be.” Rise’s hands each clamped around the opposite arm. There was a sinking air of shame about her, as if she had violated something sacrosanct in speaking. “What you’re saying makes him look like exactly the kind of person he said he hated being. It doesn’t make sense, but at the same time, you have all the proof of what you saw.”

Naoto’s eyes shot open. The pieces in his mind clicked together. It was a small corner of the puzzle, hardly enough to call a fragment of the greater picture, but it was the first solid connection he had made in what felt like months.

“It looks to me as though we caught him in a lie.” A hand went to his chin as he looked over the burst of insight granted to him. “Either he’s speaking falsely to you to keep your trust, or he’s acting falsely to me to keep me away. These two perceptions of Yu Narukami cannot be mutually inclusive. We have our lead.”

“That’s. Cool, really cool.” Rise’s words said she was on board, but her tone and sunken eyes told a different story. Naoto was not the sort of person to get caught in the much of feelings with a case on the line, but it was important to keep his one true ally in the group functioning.

“If it’s any consolation, nothing we’ve uncovered pulls his actions towards your group into question. We know only that he either lied about how much he enjoyed his old self, or that he’s using his old identity as a layer of protection against me.” Naoto carefully watched as Rise pulled out of her lost cycle of aimless loathing. Then she recoiled, sinking back into the mire.

“How do we know that isn’t just a lie, too? I want to believe him. I thought he was better than the others, but my head’s telling me to be careful.”

It was a matter of reasoning then. Well, if Rise could put forth the minutia of private conversations on request, then it was only fair that Naoto did the same.

“During my conversation with Narukami, he received a number of texts. I admit to a small amount of spying, which allowed me to see that they were from you and your friends.” Naoto recalled the way his stone-cold, demeaning personality melted away like wax, revealing a less frigid person underneath. “For that moment, he gave up on presenting himself as an unknowable trickster, instead showing real appreciation for you. It is the only shred of behavior from him I can firmly say was genuine.”

The fog lifted. At first, Rise only peeked from under it, but when she saw that Naoto was being serious, she threw it off like the least comfortable of blankets.

“Then, you think he meant what he said to me?”

Naoto smiled knowingly.

“As he told me, he’s not the type to break a deal. If he promised you anything, I’m fairly certain that qualifies.” Naoto was pleased by the results. Rise lit up, her spirit renewed. He hated to do this to her, but a few grains of salt remained to be accounted for. “That said, it’s yet unknowable how intertwined he is in what lies we’ve found, or their full extent. I would advise against starting anything long term with him until all the facts are on the table. You can be certain, in the meantime, that any affection he shows you isn’t given falsely.” Rise nodded, this time optimistic, but realistic.

“Right. That’s enough to keep me going for a while.” Rise took a deep breath, as if replacing what air left her with the onset of shame. When she released it, she was far more calm. “You held up your side of the deal. Now I’ll do mine. I’ll see what I can do to keep you in the team’s loop.”

“Thank you. It’s good knowing I have one person I can trust.” Naoto held out a hand, and Rise took it firmly, without hesitation. Yu wasn’t the only person who took his deals seriously.

Nor was he the only one with a plan. Naoto eyed the coming week with much interest. Perhaps a change of scenery would serve to loosen some lips.

Chapter Text

The air about Gekkoukan High was humid and heavy with the smell of salt. It was to be expected of a school situated next to the sea, but knowledge of the inevitability did little to mitigate it. The moisture and salt together made for an especially warm climate. The herd of students from Yasogami were all but boiling in their uniforms as Gekkoukan’s student body president gave her introduction speech.

“To learn about others is to learn about oneself, and is the first step on the road to self-betterment… This I believe.” Once Chihiro Fushimi finished, Gekkoukan’s principal and Kashiwagi took over addressing the students. This left her to flip through her assembled notes. It was only after the students dispersed that she noticed that she forgot to do something important. Looking up, she found the one group who had yet to move on and approached them.

“Excuse me, could I bother you for a moment?”

Yu politely turned her way, ignoring how Yosuke was borderline ogling her in plain sight.

“Of course.” Now that he was looking at her up close, his brow slightly lowered, as if trying to recall something. Naoto, who was already watching him closely from the corner of his eye, took notice.

“It seems I forgot to hand out today’s schedule. Could you make sure the others get these when you have a chance?” Chihiro held out a stack of blue papers, which Yu readily accepted.

“Yeah. I’ll catch them when we meet up inside.”

“Thank you very much.” She bowed gratefully, a wave of nerves hitting her. She half hid her face with her hand as she pushed her glasses up. “I’m sorry to be so disorganized. I hope it doesn’t hurt your impression of Gekkoukan.”

“Not at all.” Yosuke was quick to reassure her, and not entirely because he was smitten by the ‘bespectacled beauty.’ “We all slip up now and then, and, for what it’s worth, the speech was good.”

“Oh, thank you!” She wasn’t expecting a compliment, but she wasn’t about to dismiss it. Not entirely, anyway. “If I’m being honest, I didn’t write it all on my own. A former Student Council President helped. She’s always been talented at managing these kinds of events, ever since my first year here.” Suddenly, Yu’s delayed recognition kicked in, and the memory came flowing back to him.

“You mean Kirijo-san, right?”

Chihiro looked at him curiously, along with everyone else, but she was the only person among them to come to the same realization as Yu.

“Narukami-san, is that you?” She perked up at the familiar face, though her reaction was tempered by a decent amount of surprise. “I almost didn’t recognize you. You look so different now, but I can’t quite say why.” Yu chuckled lightheartedly at the remark.

“Maybe it’s because I’m actually smiling for once.”

“Hold up.” Rise stepped forward, glancing between Yu and Chihiro. “You know her?”

“Remember how I said I helped oversee deals sometimes? The Kirijo Corporation was one of our largest partners two years ago, and I made contact with Mitsuru Kirijo whenever a shipment arrived. I found her in the Student Council room a couple of times. That’s where I met Fushimi-san.”

“Now that you mention it, you were always more… stoic back then.” Chihiro held up her memory of Yu to the one in front of her, and the difference he suggested held true. “I’m glad to see you enjoying yourself now. I’ll be sure to let Kirijo-san know how you’re doing.”

“Thanks, and tell her I said hello.” Yu was about to step away, but then he had a thought. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to know how that one guy from her dorm is doing now, would you? The blue haired one with the MP3 player necklace.” As soon as the description left his lips, Chihiro’s cheery exterior withered. She looked down, hoping to avoid eye contact as she delivered the news.

“Um… I’m afraid he is… no longer with us.” The way she whispered it made what she meant clear.

“Oh.” Yu seemed unprepared for that answer, his earlier joy also siphoned away. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, really.” She tried to shake off the dour mood as best as she could, though it was obvious how low she wanted to feel. “He wouldn’t want us to get hung up on his passing. It would just make him feel guilty, wherever he is now. Did you know him well?”

“Not quite. We talked a few times, and I thought he was memorable, but that’s about it.” Yu felt safe enough to smile again, though toned down a fair bit. “We should probably be going now, or we’ll be late. And we have schedules to deliver.”

“Oh, okay.” She made to bow again, but Yu held out a hand instead. She accepted the less formal, but still kind of formal, means of parting. “Enjoy your trip to Gekkoukan!”

“We will, don’t you worry.”

As the team packed up to move, a number of their members lobbing questions at Yu about his past, none of them noticed how Naoto was scribbling in his notepad.

-

“And here we are, Club Escapade!” Rise stepped aside, giving the others a clear view of her recommended stop. The club was bathed in blue light and dotted by an array of multi-hued spotlights positioned around the ceiling and second-story balcony. Partiers danced, drank, and generally made merry all over, though the crowd was, as a whole, quite thin, most likely because of it being the middle of the day.

“Wow...” Yukiko, among others, was left speechless. Nowhere in Inaba came close to this level of flashiness. “How did you know about this place?”

“I was scheduled to do a show here a few years ago. It fell through thanks to a power out, but I remember liking what I saw.”

“Strange to have a teen idol performing in a venue such as this.” Naoto was at the back of the pack. He wasn’t distant by any means, but there was still a barrier between him and them that felt difficult to overcome. “Stranger still to return for leisure. You’re certain it’s above board, yes?”

“Don’t worry, all their licenses and stuff are up to date. I checked before we left.” Rise waggled her finger in mock disappointment. “You really thought I’d bring everyone to some shady hole-in-the-wall? Give me a little credit.” She winked to reaffirm that she was joking, then set her attention towards finding a staff member. “I think I can use that canceled show to net us a nice spot for ourselves, and maybe some refreshments if I can spin it right.”

“And now she’s slinking through a club like she owns the joint.” Kanji felt less like the most dangerous person in the room by the minute. “Remind me why people think girls are the soft ones again. Most of ‘em I know are freaking scary.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Rise called back over her shoulder to make sure Kanji knew she heard him. The message was received with a groan of discomfort. Teddie patted his back in sympathy.

“You’re still plenty scary if you ask me.”

“That ain’t a compliment.”

-

True to Rise’s word, they had a spot reserved for them almost immediately, and a nice one at that. Their corner on the balcony overlooked the rest of the club, giving them a clear view of the dancing crowd down below if they so wanted it. A server was along quickly with drinks. They all sipped as they got cozy with their accommodations. Yosuke, in particular, was feeling rather royal as he threw one leg over the other.

“So this is what the star treatment is like. I could get used to it.”

“Trust me, all the work to get there is barely worth it.” Rise rolled her eyes at the thought, then started drowning that thought in something that tasted like pineapples. She hiccuped as she pulled the glass from her mouth, bringing out a small blush of embarrassment. “Oops, excuse me.”

“High leisure demands high effort. That’s how it should be, anyway.” Yu was about to take a sip from his own, but it never made it to his lips.

“So it is you! Long time, no see, Narukami-san.” An older man in a nice suit came up to their table, arms wide in greeting. None of his shirt buttons were done, and he was carrying a tray with a spiraling glass on it. Yu waved back with two fingers and a grin.

“Hey there, Miyamo-san. I’d ask how business is, but I see it’s going well.”

“Oh come on!” Rise cried out louder than was strictly proper, and her blush had yet to diminish. “Is there anyone you don’t know here!?”

“Sorry.” Yu rubbed his neck nervously. “A good few meetings I had with Kirijo execs ended up here. Good drinks, good location, and there are plenty of spots to keep from being heard. You know how business types like their secrecy.”

“And it’s my job to give people what they like. Speaking of, I thought you might like your usual.” The older man, who was apparently in charge, set the drink he was carrying in front of Yu. The contents were partway between solid and liquid thanks to the ground ice, and there was a fancy red umbrella sticking from the top. “On the house, of course. You let me know if you or your friends here want anything off the special menu.”

“You got it.” Yu picked up his glass by the rim, holding it overhanded by the tips of his fingers, and took a long draw on the straw. He came away from it with a satisfied sigh. “The quality I expect of the best public bar on the island.”

“You always know just what to say to butter us up, don’t you? I’ll stop bugging you now. Have fun, and feel free to drop in whenever you’re in the neighborhood.”

“Will do.” Yu waved off the manager as he left, and as soon as they were alone again, Yosuke expressed his shock.

“Dude, is that alcohol!? Are you seriously drinking alcohol right now!?”

“I cannot confirm or deny that.” Yu winked playfully, then turned that playful eye on Naoto. “Not that much would happen if I did confirm it, right?”

“Unfortunately, that is correct.” Naoto gave no visual indicator as to how he felt about what was happening. “The sale of alcohol is a notoriously difficult market to monitor. Even locales that claim to not offer it can trade in piece so long as there isn’t a warrant issued.”

“He ain’t wrong.” Everyone turned their surprise towards Kanji at that remark. He doubled back on what he said with a sputter. “How do you think those biker goons got so much of the stuff? Don’t matter where you go. There’s an open tap somewhere.”

“Oh… kay...” Chie seemed utterly unable to comprehend what she just heard. “Chalk another one up to police being useless. No offense, Naoto-kun.”

“That’s enough of that!” Teddie suddenly jumped out of his seat and held his glass high. “We’re here to have fun, so let’s get to the fun already!”

“Ted?” Kanji leaned forward so he could get a better look at his face. His cheeks were starting to go red, too. Now that he was paying attention, he saw that Rise’s redness was starting to expand from her cheeks. It was all the way up to her nose. “Are you guys feeling okay?”

“Never better. What makes you think…?” Teddie stopped mid-sentence, as though his brain’s record player had its needle pulled up. “Kanji… Kanji… Heh, I’m fine. What made you Kan-jecture otherwise? Haha!”

“Kan-jecture?” Yukiko was blinking awfully slow, and her whole face was as red as her shirt. “...Ha. Hahaha!” She started slapping her knee, and the mirth was flowing out of her by the gallon.

“Whoa!” Yosuke looked at his own drink in wide-eyed panic. “Are we drinking alcohol right now!?”

“No, I told them to get us soft drinks.” Rise was holding her words together well, but her sluggish delivery made it all too clear how she was feeling. The wild swing from delirious to manically upset cemented it. “I swear, I really did!”

“I’m not sure what to trust anymore.” Chie pushed her drink away. Yu picked up his abandoned first drink and took a few sniffs. Then he took a sip and rolled it over his tongue.

“It’s… weak. As in, hard lemonade is stronger than this. I think this is what they hand out to keep guests from going overboard without making them think they’re getting cut off.” Yu raised an eyebrow at the now-drunken trio they were stuck with. “It shouldn’t be a blip on their blood-alcohol level.”

“So what you’re saying is...” Kanji simmered down, his shock turning to dull acceptance. He was used to crazy by now. “...They hold their drink like a colander.”

“I think so.”

“Do...” Yosuke appeared to be conflicted as he watched his abandoned drink from the corner of his eye. “Do you think they gave us these because they thought we were with you? Like, they knew you liked booze, and they assumed we would too, but they gave us the weak stuff in case it wasn’t you?”

“Hmm, could be.” Yu glanced at his new, fancy drink one more time before setting it down. “Should I talk to them about that? I can call Miyamo-san back if you’re not...”

“King’s Game!” Everyone was startled as Rise blurted the words out like a belch of language. Her alcohol-laden mood had paced its way over to manically happy, with a hint of giddy. “It’s times like these that you have to play the King’s Game. Kanji, fetch the chopsticks!” Kanji was not expecting to receive an order.

“What!? Why me!?”

“The King’s orders are absolute! Now chop-chop with the chopsticks.”

“Pfft, chop-chopsticks, hahaha!” Yukiko’s link to the real world was getting tenuous as she spun out on another peal of laughter. Naoto tried to let off his annoyance with a small sigh, but it did very little to mitigate the effect of being sandwiched between two giggling drunks.

“We should cut this short, before anything...”

“Actually, it sounds like fun.” Yu held a hand out to Rise, which was clenched around a bundle of eight chopsticks. There were already numbers etched on in black ink, and there was a small, red crown drawn on one of them. “We’re already here, so we should make the most of it, though we should keep any orders PG-13. Something needs to stay age appropriate.”

“You drive a hard bargain, Senpai. But if it’s you, I’ll take it.” Rise took the sticks by their numbered ends and flipped them around.

It was then that Naoto noticed something. There were small markings scraped onto the bottom ends of the sticks. Each was distinct, but they were all so fine as to not be obvious. It was only Naoto’s keen eye for detail that revealed them to him. Yu glanced his way, and when their eyes made contact, he smirked ever so slightly.

It seemed Yu was playing an entirely different King’s Game. Naoto reconsidered his position.

“Very well. I suppose I will take part, so long as the requests remain reasonable.”

“That’s the spirit!” Teddie had been waving his arms around like an inflatable car dealership mascot for some time, but he had otherwise been off in his own little world until that moment. “Let the game begin!”

After a short explanation of the rules, everyone reached in and took a stick. Yu waited until everyone else had drawn before accepting one of the remaining two. He grabbed it without much apparent thought, but Naoto didn’t let that exclude the idea that his choice had been planned in some manner.

“Teddie’s has a crown, a crown! That makes Teddie King!” He held up his stick as Arthur would Excalibur, then pulled it down over his heart to rub it like a magic lamp. “This could be my best chance. Number two, I command thee to smooch the King!”

“Well then.” Yu held up his stick, revealing the two penned on it. This made Teddie’s inebriated energy rush come to a humbled stop.

“Sensei? I… I’m honored.”

“This is a little awkward...” Yu glanced to the side, and Naoto followed his line of sight to Rise. She, at the sight of his hesitation, pointed her stick at him with an excited grin.

“The King’s order is absolute!”

With her sign-off on the decree given, Yu let himself relax.

“I was the one who seconded this idea, I guess. Come here, Ted.”

In rapt silence, Teddie leaned forward, passing in front of a somewhat disturbed Kanji, and puckered his lips as far forward as they would go. Yu saw the strain and put a hand gently on his shoulder.

“Just relax. Kissing is supposed to be fun.”

Teddie nodded dully and reeled his lips back to a more sustainable extension.

“Much better.” Yu approved of Ted’s adjustment and rewarded his quick learning with a less than quick touch of the lips. Teddie’s eyes widened as he met Yu’s firm, embracing touch. When they separated with a quiet pop, he could taste Yu’s fruity margarita. It wasn’t the extra alcohol that made him flop back in his seat with a blissful stare that pierced up into the heavens.

“My first kiss, so magical~!” Teddie was utterly besieged, on one side by the drink in his system and on the other by the overwhelming sensation of that memory taking a permanent place in his mind.

“Yo, Ted.” Kanji snapped his fingers in front of Teddie’s face, but it didn’t even bring a twitch out of him. He was awake, but he was far from conscious. “Senpai, I think you broke him.”

“I get that a lot.” Yu’s grin was downright cocky as he took a well earned draw from his glass. Rise puffed out her cheeks, then set about rounding up the sticks anew. The King stick had to be pried from Teddie’s hand.

“Come on, let me be King…!” Her muttering under her breath was loud, but everyone knew better than to comment on it. Never provoke a lioness on the prowl.

Instead, they all took up a new stick for round two, barring the still motionless Ted. Again, Yu waited until only a few remained before picking one. Rise opened up her fingers to see what she had, then closed them again with a low whine.

“Would you look at that.” Kanji held up his stick, and the Emperor was crowned. Rise looked like she wanted to commit regicide. Kanji ignored her, but it was hard to shake off how the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. “Let’s dial this back a few notches. What should I…?”

“Nuh uh.” Yukiko clicked her tongue at him. “Each order has to be more wild than the last. That’s how the game works!”

“More wild?” Kanji looked at Ted, who was still transcending his mortal form. “I think I’m in danger.” He rolled the stick around in his hand, fiddling with it like a sewing needle, before flicking his wrist down. “I guess, number four, tell everyone what tattoo you’d want to get.”

“Oh thank God.” Yosuke held up his four-marked stick, and his other hand went over his racing heart. “For a second there, I thought…”

“Don’t finish that sentence, unless you want me to change my order to kissing me twice.”

Yosuke bit his mouth shut exceptionally hard.

“Uh. This might sound kinda dumb, but I’ve always wanted a serpent dragon.” He rolled up his sleeve and traced a line across his arm. “I imagined it, like, coiling down my arm, with its head on the back of my hand. Wouldn’t that be badass?”

“Huh. You’re not wrong, but it sounds like a bad pick for your first.” Kanji rolled up his own short sleeve, exposing the black skull and crossbones on his left shoulder. “Just getting this little thing hurt like all Hell. Imagine getting a hundred shots, one after another, all in a row. That’s what it feels like to get one inch of skin covered. If you think it doesn’t sound that bad, you’re wrong. You need to build up a tolerance to get more than that done. You know, unless you’re okay with getting strapped down and gagged for your ink.”

“...Oh. Right, hadn’t thought of that.” Yosuke rolled his sleeve back down, his eyes downcast. Then he waved it off with a chuckle. “It was just one of those dumb, kiddie ideas anyway. Besides, it’s look goofy to have a dragon on my twig arms, right?”

“Yeah.” Kanji slid his stick back towards Rise, glad to have it out of his hands. “If you ever bulk up and want to go through with it, though, give me a ring. I’ll see about setting you up with my guy. He’s good at what he does.”

“Really?” Yosuke’s mood lifted at the offer as he, too, passed his stick along to the dealer. “Thanks, man.”

“Okay, okay, enough with the skin poking.” Rise sounded as irritable as she was drunk. Yu raised an eyebrow at her.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Rise slammed back the rest of her fruity booze, uncaring or unaware of the streams she left dripping from the corners of her mouth. “Round three!”

This time, when she held the sticks out, Yu’s hand darted in for one in particular. Seeing this, Naoto reached in and snatched his target preemptively. Yu glared at him for the barest moment, but he changed course and picked a different one. When Naoto checked his prize, he was greeted by a crown. He held it up to show the others.

“King me.”

“Hehe, king me! Like checkers!” Yukiko was absolutely hysterical, her head thrown back like a howling wolf. So great was her manic laughter that her fingers loosened around her stick, letting Naoto catch a glimpse of the six written on it. Chie didn’t notice the slip, focusing instead on the increasingly scattered state of her friend.

“You’re going to suffocate on your own laughter at this rate. You need to relax!”

“I’m sorry, Chie, but I can’t stop!” Even as her hysteria passed, Yukiko was left with a constant case of the giggles and skin red enough to appear like a fresh sunburn. Naoto looked down at his winning stick, and an idea came to him.

“Number six, please recline as if you were being painted. If you would be so kind.”

“Ooh, that’s saucy, coming from you, Shirogane-kun.” Yukiko held up the called number in a swaying hand, and she immediately flopped over into position. It was hard to say if she was aware that her head was now over Chie’s lap or not. She closed her eyes and rolled her head back in a way her clouded brain said was desirable. “Paint me like… Like one of your… Hnn...”

As though the sandman had visited and buried her in his sands, she fell directly into sleep almost as soon as her eyes shut. Her head dropped lightly onto Chie’s legs, and their firm texture made Yukiko sigh contentedly. Wisps of embarrassed red came over Chie’s cheeks, but she ignored them.

“At least she’s relaxing now, even if this is awkward.”

“So we’re two down now. Or, wait. Chie-senpai is stuck.” Rise blinked in Chie’s direction, her brain slowly connecting dots. Then a smile oozed over her face. “I guess she can’t play from under there. That means we’re down three!”

“Works for me.” Chie tossed her stick back to the table, and she did the same with Yukiko’s, which she had to slip from her grip.

“That means I have a better chance now. I think.” Rise rounded up all of the sticks again, holding them to her chest jealously. “Come on, I need this!” She held them out, her face distorted in desperation. “Round four!”

Yu barely waited past her call before reaching in and snatching a stick. This time, Naoto was too slow to stop him. As the detective took one of the remaining options, he was left with a sinking feeling in the bottom of his stomach as Yu barely glanced at his stick before showing off his crown.

“I guess I’m King now.”

Naoto suppressed the urge to mention how he knew he would be King. The only question was, what would he do with that authority? His eyes swept over the remaining players in mock contemplation, though Naoto noticed where his gaze lingered for a moment longer.

Against all expectations, he wasn’t looking at Naoto’s stick. He took a sip of his drink, then grinned wide.

“I’m kind of curious what Chie feels like right now.” He patted his lap invitingly. “Would number four help me find out?”

“Grr, stupid lucky number...” Rise looked down at her stick dejectedly, but then her eyes widened. She couldn’t stand up and show off her label faster if she tried. “That’s me, I’m number four! Me me me!”

“You know what to do then.” Yu put his arms up over the back of his seat, his lap wide open. “The King’s orders...”

“Are absolute!” Rise shuffled over to him as fast as her noodle legs would let her. She sat down next to him, then, with a look of pleasure, she lowered herself until the side of her head was resting neatly on Yu’s thighs.

“Wow, you’re so warm, and cozy. This is the life. So sick of investigations and not knowing stuff. Don’t want to think like that anymore. Just want to lay here and… and… Hnn...” Much to Naoto’s relief, Rise was granted the same boon of slumber as Yukiko before she could say anything too damning of their activities. Yu didn’t notice if anything she said seemed off. Instead, he let his shoulders droop, and the air of complete confidence he was putting off gave way to a more casual contentment.

“Public celebrity scandal, dodged.” Yu threw the King stick to the table, its use to him expired. Yosuke looked at him in disbelief.

“Wait, did you know she was number four ahead of time? How!? Why?”

“In order of asking: yes, not telling, and do you really think it would be smart to let a famous teen idol trudge intoxicated across the island?” Yu was as gentle as could be as he lifted Rise’s head up, sliding a pillow between her and his lap. “Trust me, if she did anything at all, the press would eat her alive. I couldn’t let that happen to her.”

“You… make a valid point.” Naoto was surprised to hear that, with all of his goading earlier, he was ultimately playing the voice of reason in this tomfoolery. He was just doing it in a roundabout way that no one could be upset at him about. Naoto looked around the group, finding that all of the intoxicated instigators of the King’s Game had either passed out drunk or were still only half-functional. “Let’s be honest; does anyone want to continue playing?”

“No.”

“Not really.”

“Nope.”

“That’s settled.” Naoto rounded up all of the sticks, then promptly took them to the nearest trash bin. When he returned to his seat, it was with a great deal more comfort. “Now then, how do you propose we get these three back to their rooms without raising suspicion?”

“I’ve got good arms.” Chie shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I can carry Yukiko.”

“And I can get Rise.”

As the last two remaining, Kanji and Yosuke each looked at the comatose Teddie. As quick as the wind, Yosuke put his finger to the tip of his nose.

“Not it!”

“...Damnit.”

Chapter Text

The halls of the hotel were quiet. Strangely quiet. Yosuke was suspicious of every shadow as they crept up towards their rooms.

“Shouldn’t there be a monitor at the door waiting for us?”

“Our supervisor is Kashiwagi. What did you expect?” Chie was creeping behind him, unburdened by the limp sack of Yukiko on her back. Were the latter not blackout drunk, the scene would have looked like a friendly piggyback ride. They stuck their heads to peer over the top stair, and when they found an empty hall, they waved the rest of the group up.

Yu was the first to follow, with Rise sleeping soundly in his arms. No one looked twice at how he carried her bridal style.

“I expected to find her drunk at the door. This is an improvement.” The rumble of his voice made Rise nuzzle deeper into his chest, happily murmuring something only her dream self could understand.

“Somehow, I get the feeling she’d lose whatever drunk cat fight she started.” Kanji was the next to trudge up. Teddie was slung over his shoulder and held with a flexed arm over his back. It was a wonder the smaller boy’s grizzly snoring wasn’t ratting them out. It was enough to make Naoto cover his ears.

“I believe I speak for everyone when I say that we’ve had quite enough alcohol-inspired escapades for one evening. We should get these three to bed and try to forget that most of tonight happened.”

“Sounds good to me.” Chie rushed ahead to their room and fumbled for the keys in her pocket. She had the door open in a moment, and a few seconds later, she set Yukiko down as softly as possible on the waterbed. “This thing should be cool enough to help with a morning headache, right?”

“Probably not.” Yu kept his trespass in the girls’ room brief, only long enough to set Rise down on the other side of the bed. She stirred a bit at the loss of her man pillow, but the cotton pillow he gave her to cling to was enough to trick her unthinking mind. “If you pass out from intoxication, you always wake up feeling… under the weather.”

“By that, he means like there’s an ice pick in your skull.”

“Not inaccurate.”

“And how, pray tell, do you know that?” Naoto wasn’t asking seriously, but his stiff outer demeanor and cursory attention was enough to make Kanji nervous. Yu stepped in to save him from responding.

“No comment.” He pulled the covers over Rise and Yukiko, both, then made a hasty, but quiet, retreat. “I also won’t say how I know a good morning remedy. The small pharmacy down the way should have everything I need to mix it up for three.”

“I can get that for you, man.” Yosuke opened the door for Kanji, who, though rough in transport, was as careful as a mother cat as he set Teddie down.

“No, let me. The mix is precise, and I should be able to find just enough ingredients to mix it up without leftovers. No need to make the school ask about drugs in our bags, medicinal or otherwise, right?” Yu was so insistent on that point, he was already partway down the stairs again, waving as he left. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Get a medium-sized mixing bowl ready for me.” Yosuke could only sigh and get to the part of the job left to him.

“Sure thing. Just thought you could use the hand after carting her all the way here… What am I saying? Of course he enjoyed carrying Rise.” He was talking to himself by then, since Yu was already long gone. Naoto thought leaving was an excellent idea.

“I should be getting back to my room now.”

“Oh, you’re not bunking up here with the rest of us?” Kanji poked his head out of the door frame, his expression curious on the surface, but there was something else running under it. Naoto didn’t dig deeper.

“I brought a few case files to work on before retiring and thought it best to arrange for a room to myself. It would be unprofessional to let intelligence leak, after all.”

“...If you say so.” Kanji gave a curt wave as he shut the door behind him. “Hope you like working on vacation.”

Little did he know, Naoto had already been working all night. He had information to string together now. It was only bits and pieces, though. He expected the payout to be minute, as ever. That was, until his phone rang. When he pulled it out, he found that there was no number shown. His first thought was to ignore it, but some second guessing, a trained intuition, made him answer. What was the worst that could happen?

“You have reached Naoto Shirogane, of the Shirogane...”

“We need to talk.”

Naoto was cut short, but by shock rather than physical interruption.

“How did you get this number?”

“I have contacts everywhere. You should know that well.” The smug all but slid through the line like so many slugs. “You know where to find me. Come. I would rather not have anyone listening in on us. That is, unless you don’t want to learn more from the horse’s mouth?”

With that bait laid, the line was cut. Naoto was being lured to another’s territory, like a fish about to take a mouthful of hook.

Despite knowing as much, Naoto was left with few options. It was either take the worm and hope him to be using harmless magnetic clamps, or starve. What was his life when weighed against the Shirogane name?

-

The alleys had grown darker in the few minutes between their walk to the hotel and now. Only the full moon above provided any substantial light, and even then the buildings cast long shadows.

About half a mile from the hotel, leaning against a wall with an unmarked shopping bag in his off hand and his eyes closed, was Yu. His ears perked at the approaching footsteps. He cracked open an eye, and at the sight of Naoto, he smirked.

“Kind of you to accept the invite. Standing here for so long would have gotten awkward eventually.”

“You say that as though you’ve been waiting long.” Naoto kept a piece of his attention dedicated to his peripheral vision. “I very much doubt three minutes was enough time for you to procure your home remedy on your own.”

“It was plenty of time to pick up the delivery I requested. Good help can answer a call within sixty seconds. But, that’s neither here nor there.” Yu stood fully, putting the totality of his stature to use. He was much more comfortable now than in their last private chat, which was understandable considering his injuries at the time. “I want to pose another trade, information for the same.”

“Oh?” Naoto was less than surprised. There were very few people he gave to without expecting a return. “I thought I was on my own. Why the sudden change of heart, if I may ask?”

“Nothing has changed on my part. As I said last time, I was only waiting to see if your earlier results were a fluke or not before progressing.” He gestured for Naoto to come closer. The detective made a quick sweep of his person before responding. His posture, though confident and intentionally imposing, was not hostile in the least. In fact, his easygoing smile indicated the exact opposite. Seeing this, Naoto chose to accept the invitation, and Yu’s voice became more hushed as he grew closer. “You might be glad to know that I’ve made a decision. If this encounter goes well, I plan on giving you a keystone, so to speak. A piece of information that is central to understanding the murders, one that you yet lack.” Naoto let his brow dip slightly. There were worrying implications afoot.

“You’ve been spying on me.”

“Hardly. You brought yourself, and your work, directly to me.”

Naoto relaxed at that. Knowing Yu, he would have echoed his response to that phrase, back when Rise said it at the start of their working relationship. Yu was still in the dark as to their collusion.

“By that, I take it to mean my infiltration of your group, yes?” Naoto adopted a rigid demeanor, focused, but not completely cold.

“Among other feats.” Yu chuckled to himself as he closed his eyes again. “To think, you saw right through my little trick at the King’s Game. You even hampered it, temporarily. That takes no small amount of wit, and perhaps even greater courage, considering how much you know about me.” When his eyes opened again, there was a sly, predatory undertone to them. Naoto was unfazed.

“Fear has no place in my investigations. If you make yourself an obstacle, I will overcome you, whoever you might be.”

“Hold tight to that attitude. You’ll need it.” Yu seemed exceptionally pleased. Despite saying that he was taking Naoto more seriously, he was still amused by him, or so he made himself appear. “Now then, to business. I will ask one question. You will receive the information you need. As always, honesty will be met with the same. Those are the conditions of this deal. Do you accept?” He held out a hand. Naoto took it and firmly shook.

“Yes. Ask your question.”

“I’ll make this brief.” Suddenly, Yu’s hand tightened, enough to make both of their skin go white from constriction. The lazy amusement on his face tilted, and under it, manifesting only as a restricting of his irises, a more vicious side was lurking. The ends of his smile retracted by the barest few millimeters. “Which one of them are you working with?”

Though the question made Naoto’s hairs stand on end, he let none of it show in his posture or on his face.

“You’ll have to be more specific. I have contacts everywhere.”

Anger fumed from behind Yu’s mask, a burst of fury at his failure to intimidate compliance out of Naoto, but it was soon tempered by something akin to begrudging respect.

“My group, those who you know are helping me investigate the murders. One of them helped you get closer to the others, and you’re now using them to get to me. I don’t like seeing the people I care about being used like that, Miss Shirogane.”

Naoto bit back the urge to point out his hypocrisy. Only his apparent sincerity in the statement compelled her to desist.

“I am not at liberty to reveal their identity. Nothing you say will make me reconsider.”

“...I should have guessed.” Yu let go of his hand, allowing Naoto pull it back and stretch his fingers again. “Infuriating as it may be, your standards are a promising trait. Very well, a different angle then. Why are they working with you?” He crossed his arms, and any form of joviality was dropped. To Naoto, it appeared as though she was looking at a very different man, though it was hard to say why.

“They work with me because you gave them reason to be suspicious of you.” Naoto hooked his thumb into his pocket. It helped him refrain from gesturing in accusation. He was merely relaying the facts as he understood them. “They saw a contradiction in your actions and words, and they came to me for help discerning truth from facade. I, in turn, told them much about you.” Yu raised an eyebrow. Naoto recognized it as the echo of a much less subtle reaction.

“Such as?”

“The extent of your wealth. The Narukami family’s reputation. Your true position in the world order. Facts about yourself that you’ve deliberately hidden from them, for one reason or another. Now, one of them knows who you were prior to your coming to Inaba, and they see how deeply it contrasts against the version of you that was presented to them. They know of your propensity to lie. Were I you, I would be grateful that they still choose to trust you for the time being.”

Yu’s reaction from there was fascinating. His eyebrow raised further, then it was pushed down. His fingers clenched around empty air, then were made to straighten out. His eyes were the most intriguing of all, flickering between a hundred subtle emotions even as they were reeled into a neutral gaze. His body was displaying so much, and his mind was fighting to hold it all back.

Was this what it looked like when a machine built to lie had its cover torn away?

Yu never did manage to curtail whatever it was boiling to the surface. Rather, he redirected it. His grin returned as a sharp snarl of a smirk. The pressure in his lungs was expelled as laughter, short bursts that just barely skid beneath the definition of a cackle. His right hand, oh so slowly, crept across his body towards the left side, towards the bag he held.

“Well, congratulations. You gave me the answer I wanted, and the answer I didn’t want. I think I should do the same for you.” Yu’s hand dipped into the bag, and Naoto briefly felt the urge to go on the defensive until he pulled it out. In his hand, there was nothing but a small, portable television set. It had a built in VCR player, but it was otherwise unremarkable on the surface. “Here, hold this for a second.” He held it out, and, intrigued as much as he was cautious, Naoto took it, careful to not rattle it too severely.

“Now, if you would, push your hand against the screen.”

Naoto looked up at him in confusion, but he knew Yu didn’t make requests without reason. He put his fingers to the glass and pressed against it. His skin slid easily over the surface, as it would any old television.

“Harder. That’s a sturdy model, it can take the pressure.”

The unsettling nature of his requests was intensifying. Naoto gave only one strong push against the glass before pulling his hand away and giving his expert opinion with an incredulous glare.

“It’s an entirely normal piece of machinery. What’s the significance here?”

“Allow me.” Yu took the TV back, holding it in his left hand, screen up. He brought his right hand over it, where it hovered ominously under his chin. “Your investigation has been remarkable, but it’s missing one thing, one fragment around which everything else can be built. You see, our killer doesn’t take lives directly.” Yu’s hand lowered, closer to the screen. Naoto’s incredulity was only growing more severe.

“Are you implying they have servants, like some crime lord? The idea is wholly without merit. What would they have to gain from the string of killings and kidnappings?”

“I can’t speak to motives, but I can to methods. What really kills the victims, they aren’t people as you understand them. They’re worse than beasts. Monsters, if you will.” Yu’s hand came even closer, the tip of his nail almost brushing against the glass. “I see that look in your eyes. You don’t believe me. Monsters? What a laugh! That’s ridiculous! Am I right?” His mask tilted again, releasing a plume of bitter anger.

“I thought the same thing about a friend working against me, but here we are. Now watch. I’m only showing you once.” With that, his hand plunged into the television, disappearing up to the wrist.

At first, Naoto thought he had broken the screen. He expected to see blood leaking out any moment. Instead, when he looked, the screen was intact, but it was glowing, and it rippled around Yu’s hand like it was a stone cast into water. Naoto took a step back. He was certain that screen was solid, it definitely was!

“What…?”

“And just in case you think this is an illusion…!” Yu pulled his hand up, but now, he was holding something. Its was long, cylindrical, and wrapped in leather. It was only when the cross guard passed through the gate that Naoto recognized it as the hilt of a sword. Slowly, the blade was unsheathed, warping into reality before Naoto’s eyes from a box that should have been far too small to contain it. Furthermore, its length was crackling, sparking, as though the blade was condensed lightning trying to break out of the form forced upon it. Naoto couldn’t hide the shock overcoming him, and at its sight, Yu’s grin turned sharp.

Then he turned the sword on him. His movement was too quick for Naoto to respond appropriately. By the time he could start reaching for the holster at his side, hidden under his jacket, the sharp tip was already at the side of his neck. It stopped just short of beheading him, but not before the very tip of its razor edge cut a line through the tips of Naoto’s hair. Yu pulled the sword away, and Naoto numbly reached for where it was. His fingers came back with a few severed blue hairs.

“I apologize for the fright.” Yu was much more in control now, his expression evenly smug as he planted the tip of his sword in the ground and leaned on it like a cane. Now that Naoto was paying attention to it, he noticed that it was a two-handed sword, longer and weightier than their short sword brothers. Yu was wielding it with only one arm. “The best way to prove something’s authenticity is to use it for its proper task. You believe this sword of mine is real, and not some folding prop now, right?” Naoto steadied his nerves and ignored the thought that, had Yu slipped, he would be without a head.

“For the sake of you not striking me again, I will say yes.”

“Then, by extension, you believe the doorway it came through to be real.” Yu pulled his sword up over the television and lowered it back in. His weapon disappeared into the fluid glass, along with any proof that he had bared a weapon against an enforcer of the law. “This is the piece you’re missing, and for a good reason. Only a select few can open these doors. I was the first to find this power, hence why I’m the leader. Now, why do you think it important that someone has this power in tracking down the killer?”

Naoto’s eyes narrowed, casting his thought fully into the case. He took this new information and held it up to the rest, including what Yu had said earlier.

“The killer also possesses this power, and, if I may hazard a further guess, this is the key to their mysterious method. They take their victims and throw them through a screen, just as you did with your sword. They can do that. Their victims cannot, and are thus trapped on the other side, wherever that may be.” Naoto crossed his arms as he came across one last gap. “That doesn’t explain how their bodies return to our side, nor their condition. Is the other side inherently lethal to humans?”

“Yes and no. I admit, our knowledge of the TV world is limited.” Yu tucked his set back into its bag, freeing up his hands to gesture. “The other side can make people feel sick after a long enough period, but I would contribute that to poor visibility above toxicity. No, it’s the inhabitants that are to blame. We call them...” Suddenly, he held up a hand, stopping himself as he pulled back whatever he was about to say. “No, we’ve spent enough time here, and I’ve already fulfilled our trade. One piece of half-truth for another. That’s fair, right?” He made to walk away, and Naoto tried to block his path.

“This is no time for your ego to hinder the investigation. You admit my talent, but still withhold information?”

“The longer we spend out here, the more suspicious the others will become of my extended supply run. Better to cut this off under our own terms.” He pushed past Naoto, throwing a cocksure glance back over his shoulder. “An associate of mine will be in touch. He’ll tell you anything more you need to know, somewhere you’ll have time to digest it. Sweet dreams, Shirogane-san.”

And like that, he was gone, leaving Naoto alone with a few more answers, but several more questions.

-

The audacity of Yu was a pin in Naoto’s side the whole way back to his room. It was a small space, at least by the standards of a love hotel, but it had a bed and a table that could be used as a desk. That was enough for him. He threw off his jacket, unbuckled his holster, and fell into bed as he slid out of his shoes. He looked back to the door to double check its lock before prying himself out of his binder. It was good to be able to breathe freely for a moment, and it was dark enough that he didn’t have to look at what it was hiding anyway.

All he needed to do was close his eyes and let sleep claim him. He was too exhausted to work, as he planned to. Better to make such vital progress at home, where his notes could be immediately archived.

His heartbeat slowed, his movement ceased, and the world vanished around him. Only, it didn’t disappear into darkness, as it did every night before and after. No, this once, it felt more like it was being swallowed by thick fog.

Chapter Text

Naoto’s skin was tingling uncomfortably. There was a dampness in the air, and a chill that needled him without remorse. His only recourse was to heat his hands with his own breath and hope it would be enough to sustain him until he found a greater source of warmth.

That task was made more difficult by the low visibility. He could see only three feet in front of himself. Everything else was obscured by a heavy fog. He knew the weather on Tatsumi Port Island would be humid, but the fog and cold were entirely without precedent. Why would the school carry out a trip with conditions so dire? He loathed to imagine what traffic must have been like with all the fog…

...But, wait, he had already seen the island with his own eyes. There wasn’t any fog to be found. Furthermore, while there was a slight chill in the dead of night, it wasn’t this pronounced, and it didn’t look like it was night at the moment. There was a heavy yellow tint to the fog, implying that sunlight was filtering down through it. The daytime shouldn’t have been so cold.

When Naoto thought more on it, he realized that he didn’t recall opening his eyes. He merely found himself standing in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by an impenetrable wall of fog. It was an absurd circumstance, but not one without explanation.

“A dream, then. I’ve heard much about lucid dreaming, but this is still rather bizarre.”

“How quickly you open your eyes to the truth. To make that deduction on your own is impressive, Shirogane-san.” The voice echoed from every direction, as dense as the fog from which it came. Naoto would have been concerned, had he not already discovered his sleeping state.

“I must question why my dreamscape is this plain. Surely I have a more active imagination than this, yes?”

“ I fear to call it your own dream would only be a half truth. I melded it with my own so that we might have a discussion. ” And now Naoto was so focused on the case that he was dreaming up fictitious scenarios of encountering shady individuals. How absurd the human mind could… “ If you question my authenticity, please recall that my other self summoned a blade from the world of Shadows. You would do well to dispose of accusations of absurdity. ”

Naoto was taken aback by the response. World of Shadows? That’s not a name that cropped up, nor one that he had any reason to imagine for the unseen space where Yu stored a weapon. Surely his mind wouldn’t have independently dreamed up that title based on nothing. He knew, then, that what he was dealing with was at least partially real.

“Am I to understand that you are the associate he mentioned before leaving me in the lurch?”

“ Indeed. I would apologize for his… lack of decorum, but I fear no amount of words or bribery would excuse his drunken tomfoolery. ”

...What.

“He was intoxicated? Last I checked, he only had one glass of his beverage.”

“ Have you considered asking how potent the items on the ‘special menu’ are? I assure you, the only reason he wasn’t as incoherent as the others was his training. It wouldn’t do to be lured into a poor deal under the effects of alcohol, after all. However, the loss of restraint you saw remains. ”

On one hand, him being under the influence did explain how loose his lips were. The urge to lord his knowledge over Naoto must have been tremendous, and his ability to control it diminutive. On the other hand, it made how close that sword came to bare flesh all the more… unsettling.

“ I can sense your understanding of last night’s predicament from here. While nothing I can give makes up for what happened, I can certainly try. First, however, I invite you to cross fully into my space. The door is open, so to speak, and do not feel pressured to leave your shoes at the door. Technically speaking, we are not inside at the moment. ”

As if triggered by his welcome, there was a shift in the fog. That which surrounded Naoto was still quite yellow and thick, but an anomaly formed about twenty feet ahead. It was like a wall composed out of nothing, its coloration notably darker than anything else in view. Upon closer inspection, it still looked like fog, but it gave off a much calmer atmosphere. Was this the “door?”

With nothing else to go on, Naoto could only assume as much. He walked forward, but he found his legs were heavy. It took him a level of effort that would have brought him all the way to the divide in the waking world to take a single step in this crooked space. It was like the golden fog was a thick sheet that pressed him down beyond the scope of gravity. It compelled him to remain still, to sink into it and never rise again.

‘ Yes, that’s right. Stay with me! ’

There was a new voice. It couldn’t be the same person who spoke before, Yu’s associate. This one was much lighter in tone, almost like a child’s, and it was whining where the other was regally composed. Furthermore, he could tell where it was coming from. He looked behind him, and there was another spot of darkness in the distance.

Only, this one was even darker than the door. The divide between spaces was a color, only appearing dark because of the overwhelming monochrome surrounding it. This new presence was purely black, and where everything else resembled fog, this was a tangled patch of smoke that slowly writhed as if it were alive. And it was growing larger. Or, rather, nearer.

‘ Don’t listen to that dummy. He’ll only make fun of you once he has you, just like that stupid Narukami. He doesn’t respect you at all. He thinks you’re weak. ’

The closer it got, the louder it became, and the more Naoto felt like he knew the voice talking to him from somewhere. He just couldn’t say where. With every word, he felt a spot somewhere inside him reacting. It felt like a ball, a slowly growing ball, that squirmed in the pit of his heart. It was drawn to the figure, as if by some magnetic force.

‘ But I can make you strong. I can make them respect you. We’ll show them who the real little girl is! ’ A body started to become more pronounced in the cloud of smoke. It looked human enough, if ill-defined. It was like someone was carving a human-esque form out of foam. The only part of it that was sharply visible were its eyes. They were deep and golden, as though concentrated from the fog that surrounded them.

Faced with this being, this strange creature that was at once alien and familiar, Naoto could only voice one question.

“What are you?”

‘ What am I? ’ It almost seemed glad to be asked that. A wide, sharp grin carved itself into the smoke, and this new mouth opened to speak. ‘ How could you ever forget? Obviously, I am... ’

“ A nuisance! ”

The old voice returned, booming like the crack of thunder, and the lightning came with it. A glimmer of silver cut across Naoto’s vision, and when his mind put form to the color, the naginata had already split the oncoming creature in twine. Its head was now in two clean parts, and its chest was torn asunder . Its exposed insides leaked copious streams of what looked like oil. As it leased a scream of inhumanly layered tone and deafening pitch, the small part of Naoto drawn to it was snuffed out by another instinct, that primal fear of the unknown and the inborn drive of survival.

“ Quickly, cross into my space! The Shadows dare not dwell here! ”

The associate needn’t have told Naoto to run from his assailant, but the direction was welcome. He turned on his heel and bolted for the opposing dark patch. Somehow, it was easier to move now that he was fearful for his life. He didn’t see the trail of electricity that snaked past him from the door until it was yanked back, pulling with it the thrown naginata. A coating of oil yet clung to the blade. The creature behind him attempted to wrangle in its audibly bestial nature, but the end result was akin to an eldritch being attempting to pose as a human.

‘ You can’t run from me! YoU cAn’T IgNoRe Me FoReV E R! ’

Perhaps the latter was true, but Naoto was ready to put the former claim to the test. He dove through the divide, and the world around him suddenly twisted. Around him, the fog had taken on a soft blue color, and the air wasn’t so painfully cold. It was yet humid, but it didn’t feel as malicious. Moreover, if he listened closely, he thought he could hear something, the whisper of music on the wind. He could tell it was some form of operatic piece, but his hearing wasn’t sharp enough to tell more than that.

He hit the ground at what felt like a considerable speed, but it seemed to bend under him, allowing him to get by without scrapes. He filed the observation away for later. He had more immediate concerns on his mind. He pushed himself to his feet and turned to look back through the doorway. Now, it was relegated to a tiny opening, a narrow wall of dark yellow. The blue world went on infinitely beyond it, a logistical improbability for any location besides an alleged dreamscape.

Standing in the doorway was a dark silhouette. He knew the shape was that of his pursuer, but in the light gradient between the two plains, the finer details that began to emerge once were rendered invisible. It only stood there, silent, immobile, but he could feel it watching him still. He would be much more comfortable once he left the area of this glimpse into hostile territory.

With his safety sorted, he set about understanding this second plain the associate called his own, starting with a question of how he hit the ground at top running speed without so much as a loss of air. H e put a hand to the ground. At first, it felt coarse like a patch of dirt, as one would find all over in nature. When he pressed against it, though, it took on a more elastic property, similar to a trampoline, or the walls of a padded room.

“ I did not intend that ground to catch your fall, specifically, but I am quite pleased with my incidental readiness. It took several weeks to find the correct balance between… Ah, I’m rambling. You must forgive me, I don’t have a chance to converse with new people often enough. ” The voice’s monologue gave Naoto a chance to turn his questions to it, the master of this place.

“You speak as though you can see me, but I can’t see you. I find that disturbing, if I may say so.”

“ I cannot see you, per se, but I can sense you. Your body’s presence here is palpable , hence my knowledge of your movements, and one only touches the ground in such a way if they are investigating it. I would stop, but I fear my detection for this world is a wide web that I’ve no method to untangle conveniently. ” A flicker of light at his feet drew Naoto’s eyes down again, where he found a trail of electricity circling him. It shook to and fro to gain h is attention, then broke away to retreat into the distance, always staying just within his line of sight. “ You may find the field evened with me in the range of your own senses. Come this way, but feel free to take your time. We have all night, should we need it. ”

While Naoto was, admittedly, curious about the lucid dream, he was more curious about the person who already knew it. He followed the trail of static at a brisk pace as it lanced across the landscape.

The surroundings started taking on a more distinct shape as they went. Visibility improved drastically, allowing Naoto to see trees shooting up into the distance. He found himself in the middle of a fog-cloaked forest, with the blue hue giving the impression of nightfall. Perhaps it was only recognition bias setting in, but Naoto felt more welcome here than where he first awoke. Then again, that could also be chalked up to the lack of monsters chasing him…

Wait, monsters. Hadn’t Yu said something about monsters? Yes, he most certainly had, calling them the cause of death. Was that one of them? If so, why was it in his dreams? The list of questions he had for this associate was growing exponentially.

Soon, the spark lead him into a clearing at the center of the woods. It was nearly a perfect circle, indicating that it was shaped rather than formed naturally, as perfect shapes often were. This was also the case for the small pond, which formed a crescent moon around an outcrop of land. Its waters were clear, free of any debris or ripples of disturbance.

Sitting on that outcropping, resting on its legs like the head of a household at the table, was a massive figure that struck shock into Naoto’s heart. It was easily nine feet in height, and it looked as though a quarter of its stature was tucked away with its legs. She dreaded to imagine the size difference between him and it had it been standing.

The figure was garbed in black. A form-fitting coat laid sleek across its front, dotted with numerous buckles and zippers running its length. Its hands were resting on its lap, and, to Naoto’s growing fear, its fingers were capped in metal claws. Only the white ribbons trailing down from the back of its head offered any reprieve from its dark presence.

Its mask, though slotted as to not hinder its breathing and eyesight, hid the entirety of its identity. Only a pair of yellow eyes stared out from within, beacons in a sea of black, and Naoto couldn’t help but see the similarity to the entity that chased him before. A long fracture crawled up across its face plate, almost completely segmenting its left eye from the rest of its head.

It raised a hand, and Naoto jumped back, but he saw it wasn’t moving towards him. Rather, it was raised to show that it was empty.

“ Greetings, Shirogan e -san. I welcome you to... ” Before he could finish hi s greeting, he gasped quietly before moving hi s hand to cover hi s eyes. “ Oh my, I hadn’t planned for this possibility. My sincerest apologies. ” For all the frightening things he had seen since waking in the dream, Naoto was only completely lost now. He was about to ask, but then he considered that, if he was covering his eyes, then the source of hi s discomfort was visual. He looked down…

...Only to remember that he had thrown off his jacket, shirt, and binder before going to sleep. Apparently his lack of upper-body attire had transferred o nto the form he took now. It suddenly made more sense that he was so irrationally cold. His skin went deep red, and he hastily covered his chest with his arms, as much as those relatively spindly limbs could at any rate.

“You couldn’t see that I wasn’t wearing a shirt!?” His vocal training was failing to cover his naturally higher octave, but he had much greater concerns than keeping up that facade, especially with less deniable evidence of his womanhood on unwanted display.

“ As I said, I only had a general knowledge of your presence, like a charcoal figure sketch. By the rising sun, I am terribly sorry for this. I thought it best to bring you here as you were in reality, to lessen the confusion somewhat, but it seems my decision backfired. Curse my lacking foresight into the waking world. Here, I have a solution. ” He turned his head and blindly undid the zipper on his coat so he could pull it off. “ Use this, it should provide ample cover. ”

As soon as he held it out, Naoto took it off his hands. It was much too large for him to wear normally, as it was made for a giant, and it fit a normal human like a tent, but, true to the figure’s word, it covered him completely. It took some work to make it sit somewhat casually without being held up manually, and the end result was less like a coat and more like a robe. It hid his breasts, though, and that was enough.

“Ugh… Thank you for the coat. It’s… appreciated.”

“ Of course. Again, I cannot apologize enough. If there is some way I can make it up to you, then... ”

“Um, can I look now?”

Naoto’s ears perked as a third, much higher-pitched voice entered the conversation. He followed it to behind his host, and he found a little girl peeking nervously from around his back. She couldn’t have been more than six years old. Her brown hair was kept in two pigtails, and she looked like she wanted to sink into her own long-sleeve shirt. She looked familiar to Naoto, as if he had seen her once before somewhere, but that memory alluded him, lost in the fog.

“The moment has passed, yes. You can come out if you wish.” The figure moved his arm as to not block the girl’s view of Naoto. She hesitantly walked around him, though she made a point of staying within arm’s length of him.

“Um, hello. I like your hat.”

Naoto checked the top of his own head. As she said, he had somehow taken off his upper-body clothes, but remained in his hat. He wasn’t quite sure if that was physically possible, but there were many seemingly impossible things occurring around him.

“Thank you. It’s something of a family uniform, you could say.” Naoto’s openness apparently helped break the ice, and the little girl ventured an extra few steps away from her guardian.

“How did you get here? I haven’t seen any other people here in a while.”

“That is actually my doing.” The figure gestured towards himself for emphasis, but Naoto found his attention somewhere other than his admittance. Without the coat, it was easier to see that he was wearing a suit of armor. He couldn’t tell how thick its plating was, but even the thinnest plate mail, as it seemed to be, wouldn’t have left much room for a properly proportioned body inside. His true form, whatever it might have been, was gaunt relative to his overall stature. “I brought him here so we could speak of something important.” The little girl tilted her head in questioning.

“’Him?’ But, she, I mean, he has… you know.” She crossed her arms over her chest instead of saying it out loud, to Naoto’s relief. “I thought only girls had those?”

“Ah, that is a touch complicated.” The figure appeared to be lost for words, or at least a simplification of the words he wanted to say. “Some individuals are... uncomfortable with the body they are born in, so they seek to emulate their preferred self.” He seemed uncertain with his statement. He looked to Naoto with a degree of embarrassment. “Pardon, but is that an accurate phrasing? I fear I haven’t much... experience with matters of gender dysphoria. Curses, that wording sounds so stiff...”

“It’s not dysphoria.” Naoto wanted to bite his own tongue with how quickly the retort came to it. Hasty denial was a key indicator of dishonesty, which he wasn’t being. He was simply unaccustomed to people seeing through his disguise, that was all. With his mind eased by his rationalization, he thought it best to clear things up for the increasingly confused little girl. “In my field, it is common for women to be disregarded, so I took up dressing and acting as a man would. If no one notices that I’m not a man, then I don’t feel the need to correct them.”

“Oh, I think I get it.” The little girl was following well, though she looked about as incredulous as a six year old could. “Grown ups can be so silly sometimes. Right, big bro?”

“Yes. Yes they can.” The figure was outwardly engaging with his, apparent, little sister, but Naoto could tell that he was looking at him through the corner of his eye. It was an analytical gaze, one that was uncomfortably familiar. “I’ve never been one for such discrimination. A job well done is a job well done, period, and the Shirogane family has a strong record, indeed. Speaking of.” He reached over to comb his fingers through the child’s hair with a practiced carefulness.

“Shirogane-san and I have a matter of importance to discuss, so I fear we will need a little privacy.” At his request, the girl deflated, almost shrinking away from his touch.

“But, I thought you said we were going to play today?”

“I did, and I fully intend to, but an unexpected order came in for me. Don’t be upset, though, I’ve thought of something really fun for you. I know you’ll love it. Tell me, have you ever heard of an okapi?”

The girl lit up at his question.

“I heard about those! They’re like, a zebra and horse in one, right?”

“Yes, and a giraffe as well. They are actually related to giraffes. You might be excited to know that there’s one somewhere in these woods, waiting for you to find it.”

“Really!?” She was bouncing on her heels now, and it created a mirrored joy in her brother.

“Yes, really. Stay in the woods as you search, okay? The okapi doesn’t wander far from home. I will be along as soon as we are done talking.”

“Okay!” The girl rushed into him, throwing her hands around him in a quick, but heartfelt hug. “I love you, big bro.” He patted her back twice.

“And I, you. Have fun.”

With that, she was off, racing from the clearing in search of the mysterious okapi. She turned around long enough to wave at Naoto.

“Bye, miss… I mean, mister.” She winked knowingly, as if promising to keep the ‘secret’ between them. Naoto waved back, though he didn’t say anything. She only caught a glimpse of his wave before vanishing into the trees.

“You understand that I have questions about her now, yes?”

“Of course. Chief among them, how a human girl could be siblings with a being like myself.” He straightened his posture, though his overall demeanor remained approachable. “The quickest means of explanation would be to tell you what I am in the first place. So, proper introductions.” With his hands on his lap, the figure bowed to Naoto, though his height meant he could still see him clearly the whole time. “I am Izanagi. It is a pleasure to meet you at last.”

“Izanagi?” Naoto couldn’t help but be incredulous. “I assume that is a code name, as I very much doubt I am being greeted by the creator of Japan.”

“You aren’t wrong. But then, you aren’t right. My name truly is Izanagi, though not the original. Rather, I was modeled after him, albeit loosely.” He chuckled a bit as he shook a foot. “I don’t imagine he wore ridiculous bladed footwear like mine, for one thing.”

So, whatever this Izanagi was, he was created, not born. Was Teddie the same sort of being, then? Him being modeled after a human, rather than being born as one, would explain his strange biology. But then, strange creatures were appearing everywhere. Best not to assume until all of them were cataloged.

“This next bit might sound disconnected from the point briefly, but it is related. Tell me, are you familiar with the works of Carl Jung?”

“The psychologist?” The very human psychologist, to be precise. How did a human who died half a century prior relate to modern events? “I understand some of his basic concepts, and I know that he worked with Sigmund Freud, but, in the end, both spoke largely without the backing of proper research to support their claims. They’ve been written of as pseudo-scientists by the greater community, as I understand it.”

“You are correct. Their methods were shoddy, and their sample sizes were embarrassingly minute. However, Jung’s theories actually held a small amount of truth.” Izanagi put a hand against his chest, directing attention to himself. “I should know. I am a Persona, after all.”

“Persona?” If he recalled correctly, Jung described the persona as the facade one showed outwardly in social situations. He never mentioned anything about towering humanoid monsters. Naoto chose to sit, as the discussion was entering a dense patch that required total concentration. Izanagi seemed pleased.

“Indeed. I am the other self called upon for protection in the other world, the one you were briefly introduced to last night.”

Another self to face another world. The idea of other worlds was still difficult to comprehend, but there was no other explanation for what he saw. That sword was as real as the inch of hair he lost to it.

When Naoto mulled the concept over a little more, he started making connections of his own.

“If your species, for lack of a better term, is named after a facet of the human psyche, would it be accurate to say that you are connected to a human, hence your assistance?”

“Your deduction is on point. I am, as you have no doubt surmised, the other self of Yu Narukami.” He again lifted his hand as Naoto’s defenses visibly rose. “You’ve no need to shy from me, though. I assure you, I’ve no love in my heart for that arrogant… On second thought, I shan’t use the descriptor I had in mind in polite company.” Naoto was still hesitant, but his curiosity was far greater.

“No, do go on. Who better to ask for an evaluation of an individual than their own other self?” Naoto was taken by surprise when Izanagi let out a hardy laugh. The look in his eyes was that of an employee venting about a bad boss.

“Very well! This could be therapeutic. However, I must set two disclaimers. First, though I am bound to serve his command by our contract, I am not limited only to those actions he specifies. So long as my end is upheld, I can do whatever else I please. Furthermore, on this same point, he has no means by which to extract information from me. Anything we say will remain between us until you deem it fitting to reveal to others.”

“That sounds… oddly convenient. Almost too convenient.” There was an old saying about gift horses, but there was also a saying about curiosity and cats. Naoto preferred the latter. “Why would he allow you to speak with me if his hold on you is supposedly so tenuous?”

“Arrogance. Sheer arrogance, and nothing more.” A note of anger reached his tone, but he restrained it moments later. “Pardon, I’m getting ahead of myself. As you have seen for yourself, he tends to be quick to categorize and slow to reconsider. He assumes, as I only do as he says and nothing more when in his presence, that I do exactly the same when elsewhere. It is an enraging facade to maintain, but I thought it worthwhile. And I was correct. Here you are. I beg your pardon for my saying so, but I have been waiting for him to slip up and allow someone of your ilk here for a long while.”

Naoto was still uncertain, but then a thought occurred. Narukami swore to never tell him a lie. He withheld truths, but he never replaced them with falsehoods. If this truly was his other self, and his rule about honesty held true as a command, then what Naoto was receiving was entirely truthful. He retained the possibility that he was being spun a yarn, but he also accepted the possibility that it was the exact golden fleece he had been searching for.

“I suppose self-loathing isn’t a new concept. If this is what it manifests as in these strange times, then so be it. Please, continue.”

“Gladly. Then, the second point.” He waved a hand to the world around him. “This space may seem solid, but it is, nevertheless, a dream, made of fragile stuff. A great enough shock to the sleeper could unravel their connection to my domain. Therefore, I must tread carefully about what I reveal as to not shunt you back to your body, abandoning what progress we could make.”

“There always seems to be a catch.” Naoto’s disappointment was great, but Izanagi’s was greater.

“I apologize. Were it the case that I could tell you everything without repercussion, then I gladly would. The secrets he keeps in his vest threaten not only himself, but… No, that would be saying too much. Suffice to say, you are the only one capable of pulling his secrets into the light, and I will help you as much as I am able. You’ve an unshakable ally in me, I swear by my blade.” He unsheathed the naginata strapped to his back for emphasis, and when he saw the thick sheen of black viscera yet clinging to it, he thought it an excellent tool to continue the lesson. “Ah, yes, you may be interested in hearing about the creature that chased you when you first arrived.” Naoto nodded firmly.

“If it is one of the monsters who inflicted that mockery of death on the victims, then yes, I am interested.”

“Mockery of death?” Izanagi was thrown off his rail. “Are the bodies in an abnormal condition?”

“You don’t know?” Now it was Naoto’s turn to be unprepared. Yu prided himself on being ahead of him in terms of what he knew, or so he acted. “Yamano and Konishi are seemingly suspended in time. They show no vital signs, but also no decay. It’s as if they are no longer biological beings. Were one to exhume them now, I imagine they would look just as they did when buried. It is the first sign I found that told me of this case’s supernatural leanings.”

“That is… abhorrent.” Izanagi’s expression was one of shock and disgust, one that permeated his stiff mask. He clutched his naginata all the harder and swiftly made to scrape the remains of the monster from its blade. He wanted nothing more to do with it. “The Shadows are brutal beings, but this is a depth of deprivation I had not considered possible.”

“Is that what they’re called? Shadows?” Another Jungian term. It meant the part of the human mind that one unconsciously repressed. It was, to Naoto’s knowledge, an extension of a Freudian defense mechanism.

It was also another chilling implication.

“Are they rooted in humanity as well?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” He was examining his weapon to make sure every last smudge of black was cleared away. “The majority of Shadows are mindless beasts, shavings from the collective mind of humanity. They represent your darkest aspects, such as the Christian deadly sins, or the vices of Buddhism. However, some are darker yet.” Satisfied with his weapon’s upkeep, he set it aside and refocused on the conversation. “All humans possess an inner darkness, a repository of all the negativity they have accumulated and repressed. For most, it remains small, manageable. Some go a step further, where their repressed self begins to manifest in their actions. However, there is a final stage, one that only comes to light in the other world.”

“It becomes a Shadow.”

“The very same, and a powerful one at that.” He glanced back from whence Naoto came, but it was a fleeting glimpse. “They are sequestered in the unconscious realm, waiting for a chance to strike at the human they spawned from and free themselves from oppression. When a human crosses over to this side, they are made prey to their own darkest self.”

“Then those who were killed weren’t murdered by a human. They were murdered by their own Shadow.”

“Yes and no. Make no mistake, though the possibility remains that the first death was an accident, the second, committed after the realization of the first victim’s death, was quite intentional. It and every kidnapping since.”

“That is your group’s method, then.” This was a huge breakthrough, both the means of murder and the means of rescue, two pieces that had been missing since the very beginning. “Using Narukami’s ability to pass into the other world, they retrieve the victims before their Shadow can kill them. But, wait.” Naoto’s roll was brought to an abrupt stop. “If there are prior victims in the group, how can they cross into this world to rescue others? Wouldn’t that make prior humanoid Shadows congregate towards them?”

“Perhaps, if not for one thing.” Izanagi picked up a stone that had been sitting beside him. It was covered in dirt so that almost none of its real surface was exposed. “You might think I have described two different entities to you, Personas and Shadows, but they are made from the same fibers. A Shadow is hostile because it is repressed. However, if one is able to face their darkness and bring it to the light...” He wiped a trail of mud from the stone, revealing its bright gray surface underneath. “...then it is transformed. To face one’s own Shadow is to gain the strength to face them all, creating a Persona. That is the key to their power.”

“I see...” It made sense. That was why they were all dedicated to seeing this case end. They knew the monsters on the other side intimately, and they wished to ensure that no one else had to face them. It was a noble goal, if executed childishly. “Then, was Narukami the first surviving victim?”

The timeline began to form in Naoto’s mind. Yu Narukami was thrown into the other world by the killer. He faced his Shadow, transforming it into Izanagi, who he then used to rescue those who came after and instruct them on how to do the same as him. Perhaps Teddie was involved? Yes, that made sense as well. He did say Teddie was the crux of their ability to save victims. He must have…

“Not quite.”

At once, all of Naoto’s conclusions were broken down. He was getting, perhaps, a mite too ahead of himself. Of course it couldn’t be so simple.

“My other self is… unique, in that I did not come to him as a Shadow, nor did he acquire me before the power to open the door. Both abilities sought him out, as though coming to him in a dream. His first crossing, before he understood what was happening, he accidentally brought Yosuke and Chie, both, with him. I believe the rest fills itself in.”

Naoto nodded, piecing the correct timeline together. While on the other side, those two must have awakened to their power, possibly with the aid of Teddie. Yukiko was kidnapped, and, as she and Chie were close, the newly-empowered group set about its mission of saving victims. It matched what Naoto observed from their world.

Furthermore, it possibly unveiled the origin of the killer, as well. Yu Narukami wasn’t the suspect, that much was certain. However, his… awakening, for lack of better term, outlined the method by which one could gain access to the other world. The killer must have had a similar experience, suddenly finding themself given the power to cross over and, more importantly, drag others over. It was, of course, speculation, but it was sturdy unless another means of awakening came to light.

“I may be able to use this information. The suspect makes use of televisions… That much alone could make all the difference. Does the same hold true for other forms of electronic screens, such as computer monitors?”

“I… do not know.” Izanagi put a hand to his chin, the possibility inciting consideration in him. “I suppose I’m quite glad you’re not the killer. It may not have even occurred to me. Perhaps there is some way to make him test the idea, while making him think it was his own...” He stepped away from the thought to nod approvingly. “Were it only that your mind could join the others in the waking world. I can only dream of the strides you could contribute towards, were he to set aside his stubborn pride.”

“Agreed. Being able to interact with the supernatural aspects of the case would certainly improve efficiency, yet I’m held at bay. It seems your other self has decided what box I belong in already.”

Come to think of it, would Naoto really be able to use what he had learned? Short of testimony about two people entering a room with a television and only one coming out, it didn’t make the task of identification any easier. It was like performing an operation with a scalpel at the end of a ten foot pool. No matter how accustomed he could become to the unwieldy instrument, it would always be less efficient than having a normal scalpel in his hand.

“...I may despise myself for mentioning it, but there is a way to change your label in his eyes.” His tone was as hesitant as his words suggested. Naoto had no such reservations.

“If it allows me to solve this case, then I would do anything.

“I feared you would say that.” His eye lights dimmed as he came to terms with what he was about to suggest. “The secret lies within his team. You now linger alongside them, but if you can enter their ranks, it may overwrite his current perception of you.” Naoto was somewhat underwhelmed.

“I feel I’ve become as close as I am able already, yet he still holds me at arm’s length, the effect of alcohol notwithstanding. I can’t imagine a way to change that.”

“You’re not looking at the right angle.” Despite his hangups, Izanagi was still trying to direct him down the right path. “He would call everyone on his team his friend, yes, but that is not their only connecting feature. What does everyone investigating this case alongside him have in common?”

Was there another connection? One that wasn’t coming to him yet? He went over what he knew of them in his head, looking for any connecting threads. Most of them were victims of the kidnapping, come to think of it…

...And those who returned had a high probability of having bested their Shadows…

The answer struck as the landscape of his mind shifted, revealing a new path forward.

“They all use Personas.”

Izanagi nodded solemnly, unable, or unwilling, to say anything further.

“If I were to cross over to the other world and uncover the power for myself, it would be impossible to hold me back as he has. I just need a way…”

The killer! Of course, the answer was obvious. All he had to do was draw the killer’s attention to himself and trick him into throwing him into the television. Best case scenario, he could learn their identity. Worst case scenario, he would be cast to the other side and have a chance at acquiring the power of Persona.

“Do no tread so lightly on these cursed grounds, Shirogane.” Izanagi threw off his hospitality, speaking with all the weight of his namesake. “You assume to face one’s darkness is a trivial thing, despite having two corpses that attest to the contrary.”

“You said a Shadow is composed of the individual’s darkest self, that which they seek to hide.” Naoto made to stand, his plan already set in stone. He was ready to progress on his own. “I’ve nothing to hide, from myself or from others. Whatever trivialities it poses me with, I’m certain I can overcome them.”

“Arrogance!” Izanagi thrust a finger forward, projecting a hostility so palpable as to strike fear into Naoto’s heart. “You assume your victory before you hold it in your hands. At this rate, all you will accomplish is building your own funeral pyre.” He lowered his hand and repressed his fury, taking on the rigidity of a stone statue. “You should know one last thing about the Shadows. Those without minds, the shavings of humanity’s bleakest self, wander contently in the fog. They only become hostile under two conditions: when faced with a Persona user, and when the fog lifts. Only those with ties to a specific human become hostile otherwise, and only to the one they came from or those attempting to guard them.” He lifted his hand once more, pointing with cold finality towards the gate Naoto came through.

“You were chased by a Shadow through the fog when you awoke here, correct?”

At once, his meaning was clear, and it shook Naoto to the bone. He recalled the heaviness of his limbs and his inability to think clearly, all brought on by that creature.

“Indeed. That was your Shadow. To cross into this world again would be to face it for a second time, and I assure you, I will not be there to save you.”

“I… I don’t understand.” Naoto was wracking his brain, turning over every rock he could find. “I’m a stable individual. Why do I have a Shadow?”

“Were they given the chance to ask before their encounters, I am certain every single survivor would have asked the same.” Izanagi turned his eyes on Naoto, but not in searching. No, he looked as though he already knew the answer. “You claimed to my sister that you only masquerade as a man, and yet, you refer to yourself in the masculine, even in your mind.” His hand lanced out and threw aside a fold of Naoto’s makeshift robes, briefly revealing the skin they hid. He scrambled to put it back in place as Izanagi continued.

“Your words, thoughts, and actions, at every juncture, show disparity. These are the spawning grounds of Shadows, the uncertainty of the human psyche. Are you so sure that the Detective Prince is merely a mask, or have you bought into your lie and become the mask?”

Naoto’s hands clamped painfully around the loose flap of coat, holding it shut with the desperation of a starving man.

Man… Why did he think ‘man,’ specifically?

There it was again, ‘he.’ A male pronoun, resting in his thoughts. He wasn’t even aware of it, but now, every thought about himself was a nail being driven under his skin. It was the first time he had been so painfully aware of his own working mind.

Suddenly, his left hand went limp, unable to hold onto the coat anymore. His legs felt week beneath him, and he could hear a thick, cloying static lapping at the heels of every word that passed through his head.

“What’s happening… to me?”

“And this is why I must restrain my words.” Izanagi shook his head, cursing himself as he flashed to Naoto’s side to hold him up. “The shock has disturbed your slumber. You are passing from the dream. I pray this shan’t wipe our meeting from your memories.” He held out a hand in invitation.

“May we meet again, Shirogane-san.”

Naoto couldn’t think clearly, but acting upon that gesture was second nature. He raised his hand to meet Izanagi’s and took it, though the Persona’s limb far overshadows his in size. Before he could conclude the formal shake, however, Izanagi sank his claws down, cutting a thin line across Naoto’s wrist. He pulled his hand back, and the physical shock rippled across his unraveling form.

“Agh! What was that!?”

“Dreams are transient things, oft forgotten despite our best efforts.” Izanagi stepped back, letting Naoto fall. He couldn’t feel the impact with the ground, though. Rather, it felt like a part of him was sinking through it, filtering down to the plain below, where his body was waiting. The world was going as fuzzy as his thoughts. All he could see was Izanagi.

“But pain, pain does not fade so easily.”

-

Groggy.

Heavy eyes.

Sore back.

That was how most mornings began for Naoto. It was even worse when he wasn’t in his own bed. The mattress in his hotel room, despite being the most fitting one he had surveyed, wasn’t suited to his unique support needs.

At least it was more private than the default groupings Yasogami had assigned. Sleeping through the night in a binder was never kind on his ribs, and it only intensified his back’s daily protests. Not to mention how awkward deciding which rooms he should be placed in would have been. Either he was placed with the boys and risked being outed, or he was placed with the girls after being intentionally outed to some. Neither option boded well for him.

Before his mind fully awoke, he got the sense to check his phone to see if it was time to get moving. To his dismay, it was twenty minutes before his alarm. It was an irritating in-between. If he had thirty minutes left, he could have rolled over and gone back to sleep. Ten minutes, he could have gotten a head start at preparing for the trip back. But no, it was twenty minutes, too short for continued sleep and too long for leisurely morning rituals. It was with heavy fingers that he turned off his alarm. What he would give for a tall mug of coffee.

If nothing else, he supposed, it would give him more time to acclimate to his clothing. He rolled out of bed with some difficulty and drearily scanned the articles on his floor. Shirt, jacket… ah, there was the binder.

But, wait, where was his hat? His hand went to his head to scratch idly, only to come in contact with the base of his hat. He must have somehow gotten his shirts off without disturbing it. Odd, but not nearly worth rushing to complete consciousness to ponder on. Instead, he made to grab for his binder, reaching out as far as he could to try retrieving it without standing up…

A sharp pain bolted up his arm, and he retracted it, the shock forcing his mind to wakefulness. He held it close to his chest and rubbed with his off hand to try soothing it. When he looked, there wasn’t an open wound, but it felt like there was a deep cut, directly across his wrist. Perhaps it was some form of arthritis setting in from his long nights over his desk. He would have to see a doctor to confirm, but it felt like the most likely…

‘But pain, pain does not fade so easily.’

Suddenly, he forgot all about the cut on his arm. The pain coursing through his head was far worse. It was like his brain was pushing out against his skull, filling up with hours of information in the span of seconds. He clutched both sides of his head and nearly toppled onto the floor from the blinding agony.

When it passed, he was fully awake, and he remembered everything.

Izanagi.

Personas and Shadows.

The killer’s method.

His own plan.

He jumped on his jacket, nearly tearing it apart to get his notebook from its pocket. His hand was shaking as he wrote down everything he could. His wrist protested, but he was deaf to his own body’s warnings. If he could ignore its aches for his own security of mind, then he could do it for a case as well.

There were two nagging voices in his head that slowed him, though. The first said that what he remembered couldn’t have been real. It must have only been a dream, albeit a complicated one he could recall with crystal clarity. He promised himself that he would corroborate whatever he could later, and that was enough to silence it well enough to continue his recordings.

The second was much harder to dispel. It rang with Izanagi’s warnings. He didn’t truly know what his plan would bring him into contact with, and what little he knew of his own Shadow said it was a fearsome being. Its mere presence was enough to slow his movements, as if dulling the ties between mind and body, and its words were sharp enough to cut at any ego.

It knew what his… no, what her faults were, faults she didn’t realize were there until Izanagi made them impossible to ignore. So much of her identity, built on what she once held as only a convenient lie. Now it ran under the faculties of self she constructed so deep that she couldn’t recall it as a lie under her own power.

It saw these faults in her sense of self, and, if Izanagi’s warnings were true, it would target them. It knew where to strike to make her fall. Would she be able to withstand its assault? If not, would she be able to pick up the pieces it left behind? Furthermore, which of those two, if she could accomplish either, would lead her to the Persona she sought? Survival wasn’t her goal, merely a byproduct of it.

Now that she could think clearly, or at least acknowledge the tangled knots that were her mind, this willingness to gamble with her own life was also troubling. Did she truly think her own existence to be worth so little as to be a token in her games? One false spin of the wheel of fate, and this ploy of hers would spell her death.

One thought, and one thought alone, made her look past her fear. It was ironic, she thought, that the very thing giving her courage was the very obstacle she needed to overcome.

Past his incessant arrogance, his biting remarks, and never-ending games, Yu Narukami took his work seriously. He was certain to know of her disappearance the moment it came to pass, and his pride wouldn’t allow him to simply leave her be. If all else failed, him and his team would be her lifeline. They hadn’t let a single person die since their founding. They wouldn’t start now.

This was the one certainty that allowed her to start plotting the specifics. Before all else, she needed to guarantee her ticket into the other world. The killer targeted those who made enough waves through a televised appearance to make the general public talk. What did she have to say that would cause large enough ripples to draw their attention? Moreover, what station would she say it on for the greatest impact? She would have to pull up viewer counts to make that decision. For now, she had to think up what she would say.

Think, think, what would the public latch onto?

There was a knock at the door, one that nearly made her jump out of her skin.

“Shirogane-kun? Are you awake? Kashiwagi-sensei is about to start roll call.”

It was… Yu? Why was he speaking so formally? Naoto knew there weren’t any other people on the other side, going by the lack of footsteps.

She checked her phone again. It was ten past her alarm. She had been so wrapped up in her planning, she lost track of time. She scrambled for her discarded clothes and belongings, having much less time to get them all together than she would have liked.

“I’m awake, Narukami-san.” She double checked to ensure her personal affects were on her before opening the door, a part of her glad to leave the hotel setting behind. “I’m afraid I lost time mulling over one of my many cases.”

“Oh? Well...” Yu sounded like he wanted to say something witty, but the energy to do so fled him as soon as he thought to conjure it. At a second glance, there was much not quite right about him. Aside from his overly formal first statement, he was squinting. He was constantly correcting his stance as if having problems with his balance. Now, he was showing difficulty with forming sentences. Naoto recognized the symptoms, but she knew better than to say the cause aloud.

“Did you have trouble sleeping last night? You seem tired.”

“Uh, yeah.” He nodded briefly, though he failed to hide all signs of his relief. “For a supposed love motel, the beds aren’t all that great.”

Perhaps it was the beds.

Or perhaps it was the consequences of the alcohol in his system. He was suffering from a hangover. As Izanagi had said, he was prodigiously drunk.

This was all the proof she needed to verify the contents of her dream.

“I know precisely what you mean. Perhaps the trip back will give us time to recover.”

“Here’s hoping.” Yu took a few steps, managing to maintain his equilibrium in motion much better than when he was standing still. “We should get going, before Kashiwagi-sensei comes looking for us. I would rather not interact with her right now, if it can be avoided.”

“I agree.”

As Naoto followed him, her plan practically wrote itself. She wouldn’t stand for being the outsider looking in any longer. Whatever awaited her on the other side, she would face it, whether she was ready or not.

“I agree completely.”

Chapter Text

“We’re here with an exclusive inside scoop on the Inaba murders investigation.”

The news was certainly milking the murders for all they were worth, wasn’t it? They could have waited until the bodies were cold to turn their deaths into a spectacle, at the very least.

Actually, they could have waited until the real killer was caught instead of the copycat the police were holding up as the perp. A bunch of lazy, prideful clowns is what they were. They knew full well the only thing connecting Kubo to the first two cases was his own testimony. Lacking proof of his involvement, he should have been disregarded in all but Morooka’s murder. In fact, if Naoto’s insider documents were to be believed, which any sane person would, his testimony referenced climbing the television antennas to hang Yamano. The problem was, that antenna wasn’t nearly strong enough to support two people, meaning his testimony was physically impossible!

Yu had to restrain himself from shaking his head in disgust. He didn’t want to worry Nanako, who was right by him frying up breakfast. That she could go about her day more at ease was the single silver lining to this circus of incompetence.

“How’s that toast coming, big bro?”

“Almost ready, lil’ sis.” Not that Yu had much to do with it. The toaster worked independent of him. Still, him being there to monitor it made Nanako happy. That, in turn, made him happy. As a bonus, he was in the best position to listen in on what the general public was being fed without appearing too absorbed in it.

“Joining us today is the esteemed detective who was brought in to aid our police in Mitsuo Kubo’s capture. Welcome, Shirogane-san, it’s an honor to have you here.”

“The honor is mine.”

Now Yu didn’t care how absorbed he seemed. He looked across the room at the screen, seeing that Naoto was, as said, in the interview seat. What was she doing taking part in a puff piece like this?

The answer was, she wouldn’t do such a thing. There was something else going through her head, he was sure of it. But what?

“Before we begin, I have to ask; for as relieving as it was, and for how much easier it made putting him away, how disappointing was it to have your investigation conclude with the killer turning himself in?”

“My disappointment isn’t a valid factor. The only thing that matters is bringing an end to the murders, regardless of the method.”

Yu smirked at her answer. She wasn’t speaking in the past tense, he noticed. Peculiar, at least for those who weren’t in on the dirty little secret. Any cops listening were probably getting sweaty, though.

“Ah, well said. What’s most important is that all the loose ends have been tied up.”

There was a glimmer in Naoto’s eye. She spotted opportunity.

“I wouldn’t say so much with certainty just yet.”

“Oh?” The piranha was smelling blood in the water. He was seeing his exclusive interview blow up into something much juicier right before his eyes. “Has your sharp private eye found something amiss? I would think having the killer in custody with an admittance of guilt would be enough.”

“It would be, but your statement isn’t entirely accurate. What we have is a suspect in custody. His guilt, and the magnitude thereof, is yet to be proven.” Naoto paid no mind as the audience sputtered and murmured at her statement. She simply took a sip of her coffee before continuing. “While admittance is a conspicuous indicator of guilt, one that should very well be followed up on, it would be anarchy if anyone could claim the burden for any crime and have their word be instantly taken as fact. It provides a gray area under which another perpetrator could sneak through, and justice would be served to the wrong individual.”

“You make a good point, but it doesn’t change the fact that the evidence puts Mitsuo Kubo at the scene of the most recent murder.”

No it didn’t, Yu agreed. However, Yu also saw how the anchorman’s statement could be used as a springboard to disprove his own hypothesis. He was all too excited to see Naoto put it to use.

“Indeed. I have little reason to believe that he was not the perpetrator of the third killing. However, has any evidence arisen to place him at the earlier two besides his own testimony? Any length of puzzling on my part has turned up negative. We have no reason to believe that he was at the scenes of the initial crimes. Furthermore...” Naoto curled up a hand and placed it over her mouth, silencing herself. “Pardon my tangent. I fear I’ve had much on my mind, of late.”

Yu could see her plan rolling out from miles away, and he could only appreciate its wide reach. Her statement not only cast doubt on the official story, but substantiated her claims with simple reasoning that anyone could follow. She had thrown a firebrand into the beating heart of the public, and they would go about lighting a fire under the complacent police force. If they didn’t get moving, they would surely choke on the public relations disaster. It also kept that same backlash away from her front door by establishing herself as one of the only people looking into the lacking evidence.

Ruthless, efficient, and executed in such a way to keep her far from the blast radius. It was almost artistic. The newest of the Shirogane detectives certainly had a strong head on her shoulders.

A head he had almost lopped off…

No no, he wouldn’t get hung up on his actions just yet. That would come later. For the moment, he had a long day to prepare for, starting with breakfast. He turned the brunt of his attention back to the toaster as the news continued on behind him.

“Your insight into the case has been enlightening, Shirogane-san. I’m sure our viewers are enriched for your presence. Now, do you think you would be willing to answer a few questions about yourself for them? They must be curious about the Detective Prince.”

“Of course. Ask at your leisure.”

Yu rolled his eyes. Of course they wouldn’t let her on air without giving a few token points to the baser wants of show business. If that was the trade it took to get things moving again, then so be it. He would have done the same.

Ah, there was the toast. Now for butter…

-

“You have any brothers or sisters, Narukami?”

It was a strange question from Naoki, but then, so was the buildup to it. That people would talk behind his back about his sister was despicable. Couldn’t he enjoy a bit of steak in peace? Oh well, if it was the only topic shift he could come up with, then Yu would oblige.

“Not exactly. Only child on my end, but I’ve kind of turned into my younger cousin’s brother figure.”

“Oh right, you did say you were staying with your uncle.” Naoki hesitated to take another bite, a cloud of thought descending on him. He tried to throw it off with another question. “What’s it like suddenly being a big brother?”

It was a strenuous tightrope to walk. He knew Naoki hated being pitied, but Yu didn’t want to go the exact opposite direction and brag about Nanako to him. Something subdued, but honest was called for.

“It’s different. Having someone to look out for… isn’t something I was expecting. Then again, she is pretty self sufficient most of the time. Laundry, breakfast, studying. Sometimes, it’s like she’s the older sibling.”

“You two must’ve picked up a few of the same genes or something, then.” Now he was starting to get his good mood flowing again. “You better watch out, mister ace, or you’ll be upstaged by the kid.” The thought made Yu smile.

“If she ends up excelling like that, I’d say I would be proud to be her brother.” Maybe she would put it to better use than him while she was at it. A head like hers could take her places, so long as no one tried taking advantage of it. Maybe he could do something to keep the vultures away.

Yu’s ponderings were halted by a slight dip at the corners of Naoki’s smile. It was like a wisp of doubt had found its way into him.

“Proud, huh. Can’t say I have much to be proud of. Always been kind of a slacker, while she was out working a second job...” He realized what direction he was heading towards, and he changed trajectory with a shake of the head. “Maybe I could stand to learn something from the two of you. If nothing else, you could show me how to ignore it if I break a leg, right?”

Yu outwardly chuckled at the jab at his bullheadedness, but it wasn’t himself he was really thinking about. It was obvious how much was floating around in Naoki’s head. He tried to act like it wasn’t, but it didn’t make the issues go away. They were just drifting, thickening, waiting for something on the surface to congeal around.

At the same time, though, Naoki was resistant to outside attempts to add that something. The only person who could make him face the truth, was Naoki himself. Until then, Yu didn’t mind being a buoy for his mood. Everyone needed emotional support now and then, even if they were too proud or ignorant to admit it.

-

“Hey, what’s with the bag?” Chie hadn’t even said a greeting before lasering in on what Yu was carrying. And he had done his best to hide it under the table, too. Well, Junes’s tables weren’t exactly bulky anyway. It was a plan doomed to failure from the start. Even Yukiko spotted it once Chie called him out.

“You didn’t invite us here just to give us something, did you?”

“I might have.”

“Yu!” Instead of being happy, Yukiko quickly set about chewing him out. “I thought we already talked about the gift thing. While we appreciate the thought, we don’t want to be given things out of the blue.”

“I know, I know.” He couldn’t help but chuckle. This was the first time in his life he had ever been told off for being too generous. It was one of many things that set his friends apart from the… friendly acquaintances he used to coexist with. “I have a reason this time, though, if you’ll hear me out.” Chie pursed her lips suspiciously, but she took a seat across from him all the same.

“If your ‘reason’ is something like, ‘oh I just felt like it,’ I swear...”

“No, nothing like that.” Yu gestured to the seat next to Chie, and Yukiko took it. With them both settled in, he had the implicit go-ahead to explain. “It’s been a few months since we’ve had anything happen, as far as the case goes. It can’t just be me getting nervous about that.”

“Ugh, yeah.” Now he was talking on a wavelength that Chie could agree with. “It makes me think you-know-who is working on something big, and big means bad when it comes to creeps like this. Why’s the gap so big this time, anyway?”

“They could be keeping their head down after the copycat thing?” It was more a question than a suggestion, but a lack of disagreement made Yukiko continue. “Everyone’s talking about Morooka like the same killer did it, when it was actually someone else. If I were the killer, I would almost see that as an insult. Their pride is hurt. So they could either be waiting for people to cool off and see that something’s wrong, or cooking something up to set the record straight.”

“Hmm, could be.” Yu didn’t see anything wrong with the hypothesis. It didn’t get in the way of anything as far as he knew, but then, there wasn’t much to get in the way of in the first place. There wasn’t enough information to go on. “In any case, I figured we would all be getting kind of antsy, so I want to do something nice for everyone to keep morale up.”

“Well, when you put it like that...” Chie still hesitated, but she couldn’t deny that it was something more than an excuse to throw money at them. “Okay, you have a point. I give up!” She dropped her guard, letting herself accept the inevitable with a friendly smile. “So what did you have in mind? Another beach trip or something?”

“I considered a vacation, but we don’t really have the time to enjoy ourselves right now, between school and watching the midnight channel.” Yu brought the bag out, its black cloth entirely obscuring its contents. “With that in mind, I thought gifts were a good fallback. I’m still working out what I’m getting everyone else, but I remembered you two talking about something you wanted.”

“Did we mention anything like that?” Yukiko put a finger to her chin, trying to recall. “I’m sorry, I really don’t remember.”

“I guess we will when we see it.” Despite her earlier hardline denial, Chie was starting to get excited. “Alright, let’s see it. First guess… uh, lifetime steak buffet pass at some fancy restaurant?”

“Not a bad idea.” In fact, Yu filed it away for later. Christmas was just around the corner. “I’d let you keep going, but I get the feeling you’ll want as much time as you can get with it, so I’ll skip ahead.”

From the bag came two yellow envelopes, the sort one would expect to find official documents in. The thick, rectangular bulges at their bottoms said it was something else. He handed one off to each of them and watched intently as they set about opening them. Chie’s eagerness now fully ran away with her as she all but tore it open. A hand went in, and when she felt the contents, recognition sparked in her eyes.

“This feels like a game box. Yeah, definitely is one. Why all the fancy wrapping for a…?” She pulled it out, and her heart stopped. Whatever she was about to say turned into a low whine of air, like a tire with a hole in it.

To anyone out of the loop, it looked like any other game case, if a fancy one. The background was a silver gradient, going from light in the upper left to dark in the bottom right. Between them, serving as a dividing line, was a cast of characters falling from the sky. There was only one going in the other direction, a guy in a blue nobleman suit with a sword and a mask. It was a simple cover, leaning on minimalism to give off a fantastical aura. To most people with some taste for the genre, it would be an interesting hook.

For Chie and, soon after, Yukiko, it was so much more. Yu very much enjoyed hearing Chie’s shocked whine turn into an elated squee. Her jaw flapped as if to talk, but what came out only vaguely sounded like words.

“Fi emble, it, it’s Awakening! It’s Fire Emblem Awakening!”

Yukiko’s reaction was taciturn, but no less joyful. She stared at the cover for a spell, her eyes practically glowing as if set upon the holy grail, before holding the case against her chest.

“I take it you like it?”

“How did you get these!?” Chie ignored his initial question, though it was unclear if she had heard it at all. “It isn’t supposed to be out until next year! It shouldn’t be done yet!”

“You know, you would be right if it was any other game studio that made it. A little insider knowledge for you, though, Nintendo runs a tight ship.” Yu leaned back in his chair, satisfied with his work. “I’m told the bulk of the game’s content is finished and on those carts. You should be able to play through all of the main levels, and they said you’ll get updates as they finish optional levels and tweak what’s already there.”

“You… pulled strings to get these, didn’t you?” It was the first Yukiko had spoken in a hot minute.

“It wasn’t much, really. I mentioned how big of fans you were, and the guys in charge of making it were happy to get a working version out for you. Oh, but they ask that you don’t spill anything in those carts to the rest of their player base before the official release. Okay?”

“Deal! Deal, deal, deal.” Chie jumped to her feet, almost knocking her chair over in her rush. She had enough mind to stop and give a quick bow. “Thank you so much, you’re the best! Come on, Yukiko, I need my fix!”

“C-coming!” Yukiko was a little more careful with her seat as she made to follow, and she gave a more proper bow before running off after Chie. She looked like she would almost keep pace with her, too, which was no small feat, considering.

Yu, meanwhile, was free to relax and bask in a job well done. He treated his friends right.

Which made the niggling concern at the back of his head bite him all the harder. It had been scratching at him since the other night, and it wasn’t letting up on its own.

He would sort it out soon enough. For now, he was in a good mood. Nothing was going to ruin it for him.

-

His good mood was ruined. Staring at himself in the bathroom mirror, rubbing the headache out of his temples, he couldn’t stop dreading what was waiting for him outside.

“It’s for the Social Link, Narukami. It’s for the Link.”

He genuinely liked the vast majority of his Social Link holders. Kou and Daisuke were cool, Ayane was a bundle of kindness, Yumi was probably the most driven person in Yasogami, and he could go on for hours about his team and Nanako were he bereft of tact. That being close to them also empowered his Personas was a bonus.

There were a select few, though, that made him yearn for an isolation cell. Specifically, three came to mind. First, Eri Minami, the absent mother. She annoyed him more than any of the hyperactive kids at the daycare could dream to. Plenty of people were lazy. To be slothful, though, only to turn around and complain about the results of that sloth, drove him to drink.

Second… Well, actually, Dojima was just confusing anymore. He was about as absent as Eri at first, but the more Yu saw of him, the harder it was to call him lazy. He had driven out of his way to pick Yu up the night Nanako ran away because of his negligence, and ever since then, he had been much more responsive to what his daughter wanted from him as a dad and needed from him as a father. His behavior was improving, admittedly, but something just kept Yu from fully accepting it. He couldn’t put a finger on what, and his inability to figure it out was even more infuriating than the way Dojima used to be. It was a source of irritation that he didn’t have time for.

He would much prefer puzzling over it until the end of time, though, instead of hearing one more whiny command from the wannabe princess, and holder of his Moon Link, Ai. She didn’t ask him to go places with her. She ordered it, as if he was her butler. She wanted this, she needed that, and she expected others to do it for her. It was all the gluttony and arrogance of the business world with none of the cunning.

The only reason he hadn’t told her to take a hike from day one was because of the Link. He was the leader of his team. They counted on him to be capable, and after the injury he sustained from Teddie’s Shadow, he refused to turn down any means of improvement, no matter how strenuous. For them, he would do damn near anything.

“It’s for the Link. It’s for Orochi. You can do this.”

He straightened himself out and wiped the last of his visible disdain from his face. For once, he was thankful for his extensive appearance training. It let him look enthused when his insides were marinating in regret. He just had to straighten his hair, and he was ready. He walked casually out of the bathroom, and Ai was tapping her foot impatiently outside.

“Geez, took you long enough. Did you get stuck or something?”

She was a challenging one. Fortunately, Yu liked a challenge. It was maybe the only thing about the situation in-and-of itself that he liked.

“Sorry. Automatic sinks are never reliable.”

“Oh gawd, they have those stupid things here?” Ai’s irritation was redirected, taking much of the heat off of Yu. It was exactly the reprieve he needed. “I don’t get why they don’t just use handles anymore. Or better yet, have the sinks always going. That way I don’t have to touch stuff in there.”

Yu bit back the need to tell her how stupid that idea was from a financial perspective. The water bill would have been staggering. Not to mention the automatic sensors also didn’t need to be touched to work. She didn’t see where she was wrong, though, nor did Yu want the migraine that would ensue from trying to explain it to her. It was good, then, that Ai was done with the topic, discarding it like a used tissue.

“Whatever. We wasted enough time here, and I’m thirsty. Buy me a frappuccino. Low-fat, with soy cream topping.”

And now he was suddenly her unpaid intern. It wasn’t that much worse than what she had already been demanding of him, but the presumption she lobbed at him was all he could take. He could almost hear his wallet snapping shut, hopefully breaking one of her nails in the process.

“Buy it yourself.” It came out of him before he could wrangle his anger back, and a pang of dread rolled through him. She snapped around to look at him with shock, as if the word ‘no’ was a direct insult to her ancestors.

“What? No guy has ever turned me down.”

...Why didn’t that sound like a whine? This was the part where every other bratty daughter of a bigwig would have started hurling threats, a trap he saw many newcomers fall into, one that he had been thoroughly instructed to avoid.

Ai wasn’t doing that, though. She sounded more surprised than anything, almost impressed. Yu had to have been going crazy. Someone like her shouldn’t have reacted positively to being told off. Almost as soon as this new face revealed itself, it was buried again under blasé disinterest and an upturned nose.

“Whatever. It’s not like I can’t afford it anyway. Let’s go, I’m not getting less thirsty here.”

And like that, she was off, prowling the mall for her low-fat drink of choice. Even so, that momentary break from the norm left Yu off-balance. He followed her, his mask back in place, but he felt his personal cheat sheet turning to dust in his hands. Suddenly, this Link had become much more interesting.

“Hurry up! What, the big shot soccer star can’t keep up?”

Oh, there was the whining. He almost felt lonely without it. Almost.

-

Yu’s day was long, but productive. He made three of his friends happier, endured a session with one in particular, and netted a grand total of four Social Link advances. He was normally doing well to pencil in two in that time frame. As a bonus, the Orochi he fused was shaping up to be a much needed bolstering of the party’s wind and ice magic, two fronts that were somewhat lacking due to the physical nature of Yosuke and Chie’s move sets and Teddie’s wide, but taxing range of talents. It was a good day by every metric.

Even so, he was kept from enjoying it. Sitting at his desk, he knew there were a few matters of housekeeping that needed attending to, and he didn’t like their implications. Both matters, by some stroke of luck, were related to a certain detective prince. Or perhaps it was her way of tormenting him for…

No, that could come a bit later. The more pressing concern was the fox in his hen house. Someone knew his secrets. Which secrets? That was uncertain. Going strictly by the phrasing Naoto gave him, they could know any amount, with the only limiter being a minimum of his reputation and true wealth. It was a worrying degree of leaked information. He needed to seal it, before his past sank his present.

It was simple, of course, to narrow down the suspects. Only two came to mind, those who first brokered the idea of including Naoto in the group. A file for each suspect sat in front of him on his desk, their most pertinent details itemized for swift verification of deductions going forward. The rain at his window helped him focus on the facts, like a natural metronome.

Kanji. He was straightforward and unyielding in his blunt honesty. He would take a great deal of insult were he faced with lies from someone he trusted as much as Yu. Furthermore, his infatuation with Naoto was a poorly kept secret. Its bearing on the current matter was minimal, but it did put him in a position to be more easily convinced by her.

Rise. Her infatuation with Yu was both obvious and admitted, at least to him. Any form of dishonesty on his part was likely to trigger a nervous reaction in her. The industry she escaped from was soaked in lies, and she was most likely vigilant to never fall into such a space again.

Looking at both cases, he couldn’t say he blamed them. They had every right to question whether the person they had come to know, respect, and love was who he said he was, especially if Rise’s intent was to become closer yet. By his reckoning, he absolutely was the person he claimed to be, but Naoto had access to records from much farther back. That version of him deserved every bit of suspicion he received. The fact that Yu’s current efforts were yet hampered by him was, at once, impressive in the scope of his past accomplishments and infuriating in his inability to work around them.

The way forward was, in concept, simple. He would find out which one knew something, uncover what they knew exactly, and be as honest about that information as he could be without opening further closets. They deserved to know, and he wasn’t comfortable lying to them more than strictly necessary.

He couldn’t just confront them outright, though. For one, it would alert the innocent party, giving him a greater mess to clean up. For two, any premature dipping of his hand risked exposing a card he would rather keep to himself. This was a job for a scalpel, not a napalm payload.

As both had backgrounds that lent themselves to the deed, a deeper digging into Naoto’s words was required. She had said that her insider had reason to suspect him before their collusion. It was that very reason that drove them to seek Naoto out.

On reflection, it was a logical course of action on the mole’s part, as Naoto was vocal in her distrust of him at one point. Perhaps this was an extension of that “seed of doubt” plan of hers. He was in no danger of being labeled the killer, his most immediate reading of her tactics, but revealing what he actually was also fell under that umbrella. It was exactly as she said, but in a manner he hadn’t considered.

Had either of them acted in a way that suggested they knew something more than he thought they did shortly before Naoto began advancing on the team? He saw much of Kanji, both in and around that time frame, but he never acted strangely. He was a historically awful liar, meaning that if he knew something, he would give it away in his actions if not his words. Perhaps, then, he went to Naoto immediately upon discovering it, not giving Yu a chance to see him before receiving advice in better hiding it? It was possible, if unlikely.

The same could be said of Rise. Every action from her was either in line with her norm or explained completely. She was open with him. She trusted him enough to be. The thought that some aspect of himself, even one that he no longer represented, undercut that trust was disturbing to the nth degree. Perhaps, then, she deserved to know as much as he could tell her anyway. Maybe they all deserved that much. He was their leader, after all. It was his responsibility to…

Wait. His line of thought there wasn’t stable. Partway through, logic buckled under the pressure of affection. He held much for her, enough to derail his investigation. For as much as it hurt him, he needed to set it aside to look at events objectively.

On reflection, he had implemented a proviso into his assessment of her actions. Those that didn’t fit with her normal behavioral patterns were “explained.” This implied that he had noticed something wrong in her actions, and that she had said something to detract suspicion from them. One possibility in this was that all was as she said and Yu was being paranoid.

The other, was that she was intentionally covering something up. She was cunning in her own right, a little devil whose machinations were endearing. Every time she talked her way into being closer to him than the others, preventing him from being alone with “competition,” was interesting in how complex her plan was to achieve a simple end goal. It was cute to him.

Now, though, a plan might have been implemented to sidetrack him. There was a chance that he had been wrapped around her finger. What, then, was the inconsistency he subconsciously ignored? Where was the shift in her actions? Had her behavior noticeably changed between two points of contact…?

It struck him suddenly, and the implication took his breath away. The shrine festival. Throughout most of the event, Rise was her normal affectionate self. It was a great night, full of flirting, teasing, and general good times. Right at the end, though, she had changed course, saying that she wasn’t ready for the relationship. It was a strange change in opinion, but Yu accepted her reasoning at face value. He didn’t want to come across as entitled, nor did he want himself to behave in such a manner, so he didn’t read too much into it.

Had she seen him paying the cops? Yes, that had to be the catalyst. When they first started climbing the stairs, Rise was as easygoing as ever, but her turn came after he left briefly to pay them. There was a possibility that she had seen him bribing officials! Yu cursed himself for his sloppy work.

But, wait, it was only one possibility, and it was a minor point. All he had done was secure them some privacy. Did anything else verify this theory? Could Rise have found anything else to make her distrust him? He had to be overreacting, right? There couldn’t have been anything Rise could find to make her…

Yu’s heart stopped. He abandoned his desk and rushed to the bookshelf. He dropped to the bottom shelf and pulled out stacks of heavy, boring textbooks. Behind three layers, hidden in a small recess in the wall behind the shelf, was the face of a safe. Reaching for the turn dial, he entered a code.

Four left. Eleven right. Twelve left.

The lock clicked, and he threw the door open.

Inside, rows of folders sat, seemingly undisturbed since last he opened the safe. To be certain, he went through them all, one by one, checking all of the names.

Yes… yes, they were all still there, and in the same order he left them. From Narukami to Tanado. No one had been in his safe. No one saw these files. This allowed him to breathe easier. He shut the door and reset the lock, then started putting the covering books back into place. His secret was secured.

Still, even with that possibility dismissed, he was left with a sour conclusion. Between Kanji and Rise, the more likely suspect, by a large margin, was Rise.

Somehow, he had driven away the woman he loved.

And Naoto took advantage of that.

Yu could have cracked the three inch history book with his bare hands. That damned Detective Prince saw Rise in a state of distress and used her to further her own ends. Whether she trusted him or not, Rise had been turned into a pawn! This insult would not stand! He knew his family had kept fastidious records of the Shirogane family. He could use them now. He could bring the Shirogane name burning to the ground with a snap of his…!

In shock, Yu threw down the books in his hands, their heavy thud against the floor snapping him out of his tirade. He blinked, and the reality of his thoughts set upon his shoulders. He had just threatened to destroy her and everything she worked for, on a hunch. No, Rise’s concerns in him were well founded, and Naoto made fair trade of the matter. Information for the same. It was no different from Yu’s own dealings with Naoto, but with the positions reversed.

As his heart steadied, Yu leaned forward to press his head against the cool spines of his books. It helped take the heat from his blood and gave his mind some focus.

“That’s not me anymore.”

He turned his thoughts from ill-considered vengeance to the matters really at hand. Rise had reason to suspect him, and the only other person who knew why was Naoto, who also had reason to despise him after the sword debacle.

Yeah, it was about time to face the music on that one. It was one thing that he let himself get plastered in front of his friends, whether they knew it or not, but he then allowed his inebriation to drive him to violence against someone he considered a potential ally. It was unforgivable.

He needed to make amends for it. But how? Naoto would likely reject any money he sent her way. She would take it as a bribe for her silence on the incident, when he truly did want to settle the matter amicably.

Could he instead float her more information on the case? She was hungry for any intel she could find, so maybe it would be enough to sooth relations.

...No. No, it wasn’t enough. And it still kept her at arm’s length, belaying his own ego. That was why he kept her so far away, his ego wouldn’t allow a big shot like her to take his spotlight on the team. For everyone’s sake, he needed to cast his pride aside.

This was it, then. The answer. He would take up Rise’s end of their trade and help integrate Naoto into the team proper, as a fellow investigator. It was well overdo, and it wouldn’t take much to convince everyone. Especially after her public standoff against the official story that morning on the news. She deserved his full cooperation, both for her obvious talent and for his own uncouth, to say the least, behavior towards her in recent months.

His clock ticked a heavy beat as the minute turned. Then the television began to buzz and whine. Yu stood from his prostration and dusted himself off. The midnight channel, unlike all of this messy nonsense he had woven for himself, was something he could handle. He turned to look at the screen, and his eyes widened.

There was a dark silhouette standing in the static. After so many months of inactivity, the killer was about to strike again. Yu hurried to the screen, grabbing a thin piece of paper and a pencil on his way. Placing it against the glass, the figure could still be seen. He had forty seconds, perhaps, to trace their outline. If they could find out who it was before the picture became clearer, they had a shot at preventing the kidnapping entirely, a possibility that couldn’t be ignored.

He barely finished before the minute hand clicked, signaling the end of the midnight channel. The static faded away, and Yu was left with his copy of the next victim. It was only an outline, lacking any definition, but it might have been enough. He cleared his desk, reorienting all of his attention on the case. He made a second copy by tracing the first, and then he started looking closer. Were there any defining characteristics he could pencil in?

It looked like they were wearing a hat. Using the visible bump of hair at the edges of the outline, we has able to add a rough estimate of where its rim would set on their head. From what he could tell, the hat’s shape was rather distinct. Perhaps, then, he could search for an exact model to advance his sketch further.

Only, he felt like he had seen it once before. Something in him was telling him that it was too familiar. Following this instinct, he started sketching in details he thought should have been there. It was a narrow possibility, of course, but he had the time, and the original outline if he was too off-base with his guess.

The more he drew in, though, the more familiar it became. There was an inward dip just above the rim and before the upper dome of the hat, implying that there was a band of some manner along that strip. Then he noticed the small bump at the very top. This could have been a central covering for the intersection of many seams, meaning that the rest of the dome around it could have been composed of vertical strips of fabric.

As he drew in these details, each more fine and exact than the last, he recognized the shape coming together in front of him. It was a classic detective-style hat, popularized by the trend of fictitious detectives in Europe around the time of the original Sherlock Holmes novels. It was somewhat altered, though, perhaps to maintain some visual uniqueness against the mass production models around it.

Then, he realized that he recognized its exact make. There was only one person in Inaba with a hat like that. At once, his thoughts were thrown right back to where they began.

It must have been because of her news coverage earlier. The public’s chatter would, hopefully, stir the police, but it also stirred the killer.

It might not have been exactly how she intended, but Naoto was about to become very close to the case, indeed.

Chapter Text

The chime of a grandfather clock echoed throughout the Shirogane estate. Age had slowed its cogs, but it marched ahead with diligence, painstakingly counting out twelve rings. Few souls heeded its call. Of the two who lived in that sprawling mansion, one was fast asleep, his own age demanding that he rest well before the witching hour.

The other, though, heard it well, it and the droning patter of rain at her study’s window. She sat alone in the dark, watching, waiting.

Then, a light, and a tuning whine. Naoto’s eye went to the television, to the midnight channel that appeared under specific circumstances. This was the most assured lead in her investigation, the one element whose regularity could be trusted.

As dependable as that ancient clock, it showed her what she wanted to see. There was a dark figure on the screen. It was difficult to see, but she could make out the shape of her own hat anywhere.

Her plan worked. The public was talking about her, or rather, him, the Detective Prince, and the killer took notice. She was next on the chopping block. One of two things could happen next. Either she died, or she received a Persona, the very force that allowed Narukami’s group to investigate that other world.

There was a third option, of course. She could have set herself up as bait in a more traditional manner, turning her knowledge of the killer’s target against them to lay a trap. Only, she doubted that would work. The people that had been victims weren’t ever able to so much as catch a glance. Between the surprisingly sharp Rise Kujikawa, the proven brawler Kanji Tatsumi, and the copycat murderer Mitsuo Kubo, none of them had been able to evade capture. For all Naoto knew, the killer was using some degree of magic to cover their trail. Or perhaps it was simply a chloroform rag applied when least expected. Anything was possible, leaving her options for counter-planning minimal.

If the opportunity came about, she would take preventative action, but she didn’t put stock in that idea. No, the more likely outcome was her kidnapping, and she would make preparations as such. Her schedule was cleared for the next few weeks, up until the next predicted period of heavy rains, when the fog would descend. Were she to remain ensnared past then, she suspected the fog would once again clear to reveal a time-locked corpse.

Her only hope, then, was Yu’s vow. Her trust in him as an individual was… sparse, if she was being honest, but she knew there was a part of him that wouldn’t allow her to die in the other world. Whether that part was Izanagi or his adherence to his friends’ mission, which might have been one and the same, she knew he would bow to its influence over his whole. Her survival was all but assured.

There was, though, one snag she had yet to account for in full. One variable that prevented her plan from being absolute. She had faced it once, and she ran from it.

She took a deep breath before rising from her desk and leaving her personal chamber. She paced slowly through the manor, both to appear natural in the eye of her security systems and placate her own sense of hesitation. Down the hall and to the left, she found one of the few rooms in her home without video surveillance. Which was all well and fine, as a bathroom should remain private. She wasn’t there for the standard utilities, though. She stood in front of the mirror and took a long look at herself.

Or rather, “himself.” Even in the sanctity of her own home, she felt the urge to maintain her cover. The front of her business-casual buttoned shirt was entirely flat, leaving her indistinguishable from any male her age. By all accounts outside of her private circles, she was a male. She was Naoto Shirogane, the Detective “Prince.” For years, she had thought this only a cover to fool the outside world.

Izanagi, though, was as meddlesome as the human he spawned from. Much like Yu Narukami, he either spoke in riddles or harsh truths. When it came to his perception of her, he pulled no punches.

Naoto’s mouth went dry as her hands went to the topmost button on her shirt. She excused the fumbling of her fingers as a result of not directly watching her work. Her eyes were locked on the mirror, though that staring contest, that game of chicken with herself, was shaken as the first button popped loose.

She found no stability with the loss of the second, or the third. Quite the contrary. She found the deft movements of her hands to be all the more hampered with every step forward. To think, these hands she had long trained to handle sensitive evidence, and even more sensitive wiring and machinery, were struggling to simply operate a shirt. She had no excuse for why this was, so she didn’t acknowledge the problem. She only voided her mind and continued.

The last button was the most troublesome of all. Her hands were shaking terribly. Just as she began thinking it would have been easier to tear it apart instead, it, by some miracle of physics, slid through the hole, parting the two halves of her shirt. Nodding at her reflection to reaffirm herself, she rolled her shoulders to shed the garment.

This was a step further than she expected to reach. As promising as that might have sounded on paper, it meant she was unprepared for the version of herself in the mirror. And this time, it was harder to use anything but “herself.” As good as they were for hiding certain features with the aid of a shirt, there was little reason for someone who was biologically male to wear a binder.

Now that she was looking at herself, she noticed how much a binder looked like some form of sports bra, or an exercise top for the exceptionally unendowed. Not to be harsh on Satonaka-san, but she could imagine it being a part of her wardrobe were it green instead of plain black.

Naoto chided herself for stalling. The dangers of idle thoughts. She looked herself dead in the eye as her hands moved again, now to the base of her ribs. It took some finagling to work her fingertips under the hem of the binder. It was a tight fit by design. She could already feel the tingling of her skin as that little bit of fabric was lifted, freeing up blood flow to the area. She dreaded that feeling’s uncomfortable spread as her body yearned for a rare chance to breathe.

Slowly, as swiftly as she could force herself to move, she pulled the binder up.

Inch.

By inch.

By inch.

She was almost at the point where the skin stopped following her ribs and started bulging over an excess of fatty tissues and the relevant hormonal glands. That was to say, her breasts. A little further, then, not much more to go at all. She began pulling the binder out, further releasing its intense pressure on her chest.

As she took in a deep breath, attempting to sooth herself, her lungs jolted. It felt like her diaphragm was being shocked with jumper cables. Her body instantly tried rejecting the air on instinct.

The first wave came out like a hoarse breath, but then came the coughing. She was forced to double over the sink, her hands retreating from their laborious work to grab its rim and keep her from colliding with the porcelain. The snap of the binder against bare skin only added to the myriad signals pulling her breathing pattern every which way. It almost felt like she was trying to squeeze something out of her lungs, and the increasingly liquid sound of her coughing fit didn’t help that perception.

With what felt like the last heave before throwing up, something emerged to the crossroads between her lungs and esophagus. Her eyes watered terribly during the cough that followed to eject it from her. Her gasping mouth did little to stop it, but the sliver of it that slithered over her tongue tasted like a concoction of acids, mucous, and copper.

Through blurry eyes, she could barely see the lumpy, crusty green mass she hurled into the sink, nor did she want to see it. She scrambled for the faucet, and with a twist, the water came, washing it all down the drain. It got stuck briefly on its grating, but there was little it could do to hold against the high pressure sink, even with the strength to cling to a breathing tract.

When she was sure it was gone, she plunged her head down into the water flow. It was lukewarm, but against her skin, reddened by strain, it was refreshingly cool. It gave an anchor to her tumultuous mind that allowed her to think somewhat clearly. To take in what had happened.

Her attempt to face herself once again failed. She never usually had so much trouble taking off her binder, but watching herself while she was doing it had caused an adverse reaction. It was like she was physically unable to look at herself, at her real self, in the mirror without her internalized disgust making itself known. Her body was as hesitant to see what it was really like as her mind.

If she couldn’t stand to face her other self there, in the safety of her own home, in the privacy of a bathroom, what chance did she stand against her fears made manifest? This was that nagging final obstacle she couldn’t find an answer for, and it scared her.

-

Classes the next day were fuzzy, as blurry as her vision after her latest coughing fit. She had little trouble keeping up with the material, but that was only because she had already gone through the majority of it on her own time to prepare for the coming weeks of absence. She answered when called with ease, but it wasn’t really her answering. It was an echo of herself. Some automatic supplement of presence.

Was this the Detective “Prince” subsuming her real self in yet another way? Or maybe she was being paranoid. Yes, that very well could have been. Between the fears she already had and the inevitable second confrontation with her Shadow, she was likely a bit on edge.

She had to calm herself down soon. Her kidnapping would be within the next two days, at the very latest, so it was imperative that she was prepared for whatever the other world had in store for her. Once classes ended, she decided, she would go for a walk.

Yes, a calming walk. It was better than being alone in a dark room by herself at any rate, and it possibly gave the killer an opening to throw her into the other world sooner. That would give Yu’s group a greater opening between her kidnapping and the next occurrence of fog. That was her best chance.

Except, it was only that. A chance. A possibility. A gamble. To call it anything else was sheer arrogance.

These were the thoughts in her head as she passed through the school gates, her peers swarming past her on every side. She was only passively aware of them. Were any to be watching her, she would have no idea.

She turned to a side road branching off the main, leaving behind the crowd and her prior train of thought. She didn’t have the time to rewire her entire way of thinking so soon. The most she could do, she surmised, was brace herself for what form her Shadow would take to get under her skin.

Logically, she could look again to the midnight channel for guidance. For each of the others, or at least those who had time between their kidnapping and the next fog, what she could presume to be their Shadows each appeared in their place, displaying some aspect of the anxieties they represented to the world. These second broadcasts had been yet another sticking point for her in months prior, but Izanagi’s information helped her contextualize them and, from there, make use of them.

In each case, they had taken a form that heightened their abrasiveness to the person they were born from. Mild-mannered Yukiko was paired with an attention seeking princess who lacked tact. The excessively masculine-in-behavior Kanji faced the most degrading caricature of homosexuality one could imagine. The then-confused Rise was given an inflated reflection of the source of her uncertainties, Risette.

Come to think of it, all three of the above were intensely sexual in nature. Yukiko’s Shadow wanted a man, Kanji’s Shadow… also wanted a man, come to think of it, and Rise’s was looking to give a performance not suitable for television. The only break in that pattern was Kubo’s, but given his scattered lack of self-identity, it was unlikely his Shadow had much material to build itself from. If anything, it was likely only a shell of an entity.

Barring Kubo’s, then, she could assume her Shadow would take on a sexual demeanor. It would have been effective, if she was being honest with herself for once. Perhaps it would mirror Rise’s Shadow. It would wear something skimpy and threaten to peel even that away.

This was the image in her head as she passed by the Samegawa River. Yu was right about one thing. The sound of its flowing water was a soothing presence. Even if it made it more difficult to listen for anyone approaching her. Anything less than a sprint would have been drowned out by the river. For all she knew, she was being followed at that moment, not that she minded. Let them come, it would have been easier to get it over with already. The anticipation was often worse than the event it preceded.

Hmm, perhaps she was missing something. The others each kept up a thin layer of cover over what they represented, building up to a grand finale which, in all likelihood, only that group had been audience to. Were her Shadow to be in a bikini, that would have given away her secret right out of the gate. It lacked the twisted sense of showmanship the midnight channel usually carried with it.

In that case, it might be wearing something over the skimpier attire, presuming it would care for undergarments. It would still be something provocatively charged, though, such as the cleavage-bolstering dress that Yukiko’s Shadow wore. Perhaps a bathrobe, then? That would have tied into her latest failure to face herself in a bathroom setting.

...No, her Shadow was already formed enough to pursue her when given the chance. She had no means of knowing if it could change the form it took on in the span of only a day. Something that reached further back, then. Was there an outfit that more closely resembled some other aspect of her personal dilemma?

Ugh, the river setting was pleasant, but the moisture in the air was the exact opposite. She could feel it on her skin, seeping into her clothes. If that accursed binder was uncomfortable when dry, then this thin sheen of water made it…

...That was it. Her binder. It was an integral part of her real world disguise, so of course her Shadow would take it as inspiration for its own. It followed, then, that it would be wearing something tight that constricted her assets at first, only to peel a few layers off later. What fit that description? A suit of skintight latex?

Oh god, she didn’t need that image of herself in her head. Even if her Shadow didn’t have such attire, her conceptualization of it in that state would haunt her for years to come. She put a hand to her head and shivered in a vain attempt to dispel the phantom from her brain.

“Hey, you alright?”

Naoto jumped at the sudden intrusion in her thoughts. She turned around to find Kanji Tatsumi about a dozen paces behind her, close enough to notice her shaking. He seemed worried, wide eyed and uncertain if he should rush ahead to help hold her up. Naoto didn’t think to ask why he was there at that moment, as her more immediate concern was burying what she had been thinking about a moment ago.

“I’m fine. This damp air doesn’t agree with me, that’s all. Thank you for your concern.”

“Don’t act so bored about your own health!” At once, the intensity he was known for returned in a display that, to the unaware, might have been taken as aggression. It was partially that, perhaps, but not directed at Naoto herself. “Last thing you need is to be hacking up your own lungs again. C’mon, the air’s drier uphill here.”

He waved her along to emphasize his order. He was a stubborn individual, so ignoring him would only make him try harder to convince her the second time. Besides, it was clear that he meant well. Naoto wasn’t getting anywhere in her ponderings, so she thought, why not? She followed him up the hill, and by the time they reached the top, the air was, indeed, much more agreeable, if not for the reason she gave him. A certain restrictive undergarment gave far fewer protests now.

“You were right. My thanks, Tatsumi-san.”

“Don’t mention it.” Kanji plopped down at the top of the hill and shifted his legs as if his ankles were sore. Had he been walking for a while? No, he couldn’t have. School had only gotten out…

Naoto checked her phone, only to see that it had been twenty minutes. Huh. She must have been more absorbed in her thoughts than she realized.

“Humidity is the last thing you need when you’re sick, and that chronic whatever you’ve got sounds like a real bitch. How’d you not notice the air messing you up sooner?”

Of course, that much was common knowledge. Naoto knew well how much worse her condition became when it was damp, hence the excuse, though she was usually fine for a while near slower moving, cooler bodies of water. It was only places that regularly contained hot water, and, thus, steam, that gave her issues after a short…

Wait. Was that why she coughed up so much the night before? Was it just a response to the damp bathroom air coinciding with her removing her binder? If that was the case, she felt like a class act fool.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have much say in where a crime scene is located. I’ve often had to work in far less tolerable locations than this.” Naoto decided it was only polite to sit, too, though keeping a few feet between herself and him. “I’ve learned to live with my condition.”

“...Dumbass.” Kanji shook his head in disapproval. His stony, lightly scarred features only made his scowl worse, though Naoto could feel the lack of ill intent behind it. “You’re acting like if someone who was allergic to milk chugged a glass of the stuff to show that he could. You don’t have shit to prove to anyone like that, so knock it off.” Naoto couldn’t help the short chuckle that escaped her.

“I’ve truly fallen far, if I’m being lectured on bravado by the likes of yourself.”

“...What’s that supposed to mean?” So he could give a harsh critique, but not take one? Good to know.

“Nothing, nothing. For the record, I didn’t intentionally seek out the river. I simply wandered while thinking and ended up here.”

“Shit, you’re lucky you only got this far. I’d hate to see what’d happen if you did that in the bad part of town.”

Naoto was aware of that neighborhood, and she knew well to avoid it, even unconsciously. She recalled ending up there once before while Teddie was wandering, though, and something bad did, indeed, almost happen to him. Kanji’s warning was a valuable one. Between it and his earlier direction towards dry air to breathe, his help was quickly becoming appreciated.

Although, now that she had a moment to think on it, wasn’t it strange that he just so happened to be right behind her to give her advice when she apparently needed it? Hmm. It bore further investigating, and she believed she knew a swift way to uncover the truth.

“Most unsavory types should know that enforcers of the law, including myself, are likely to be armed and on a swivel. They would find me a difficult target even before engagement.”

“You’re underestimating just how dumb some people are.” A cocky smirk came to his lips. “Hell, those bikers I roughed up a while back? Last one didn’t think to try swerving out of the way. He just let me roll up and clobber him. You always hear about big wig criminals, but the small fries don’t think ahead too good.”

“I see. Though, if I recall correctly, you also failed to think ahead in that instance, yes?” Naoto’s question caught him off guard. He quickly lost his prideful grin, replacing it with a nervous hand on the back of his neck.

“I mean, yeah.” A sliver of confidence returned to him in a moment of rebound, though it was far from a full recovery. “I’m still right, though, yeah?”

“Hmhm, yes, you are.” She watched as his ego puffed back up. With it on the ascent, she saw her chance to slip under his minimal defenses. “And, to your credit, you dealt with them efficiently. Even if I had wandered into unsavory territory, I don’t suppose I had much to worry about with you at my back.”

“Damn straight!” Kanji’s pride peaked, unaware of what he just confirmed.

“So you admit that you would have been there in that case, meaning that you were following me?”

At once, all of Kanji’s composure was dropped. The egg was firmly on his face, and he had no means of denying it. Naoto took her own moment of pride. It wasn’t a difficult victory, but it was an efficient one.

“Checkmate, Tatsumi-san. Would you care to comment, or should I try to figure it out on my own, like the ‘Private Dick’ I am?”

“...Shit, like you don’t already know.” Kanji’s rough exterior went cold, giving her the scowl reviled across Inaba. “You think I don’t see what you’re up to? I figured someone needed to give half a shit about you staying alive.” And like that, he had lost her.

“I, don’t know what you mean. What are you referring to?” It couldn’t have been the damp air, or the bad side of town. He didn’t know she would be going that way.

“That news interview thing? I saw that. You think I don’t know a taunt when I see one?”

...Oh. Had he figured out her plan so quickly?

“You didn’t show up there to keep people in the loop with the murders. You wanted to make them all talk, to make sure you ended up on the midnight channel. Guess what? You did it, congrats, now the killer’s after you.”

He was admitting to knowing about the midnight channel? It was like any and all veils of secrecy were being thrown aside. What was going on here? She needed to reestablish equilibrium, to give herself the solid ground of knowing where everyone stood.

“Wait, you know about the…?”

“You fucking know what I know!” He shot up to his feet, putting every muscle in his body towards yelling at her. “Enough of your bullshit, I know damn well you know what we’ve been up to. Why else would you give half a shit about all of us? Thought I was doing you a solid, helping you get in with everyone so you didn’t go doing something stupid, but now you’re doing something stupid anyway! What the Hell!?”

If this was how he showed concern, it was little wonder why people feared him. Naoto hated to admit it, but seeing him worked up into a lather, even knowing about his gentler nature, put an ounce of hesitation in what she thought to be a heart of iron. Her self-preservation instinct kicked in and made her stand, though she fought back the urge to flee or assume an openly defensive stance.

“You want a direct answer? Very well. Every day I spend with missing data is a day in which a new victim could be endangered. This is the most efficient way available to me to acquire that data.”

“New victim? Damnit, you’re making yourself a victim! Either you’re too dim to realize it or you’re putting yourself that much above everyone fucking else that got kidnapped, and it’s pissing me off!” His yelling was as loud as it was impassioned. The only reason no one had come running to find out what he was up-in-arms about was likely because they were afraid of being caught up in it, too.

As much as Naoto loathed to admit it, she was becoming worked up as well. If accusations were being aired, she had a few prime pieces of her own to put forward.

“As if your group is in any less danger. You’re pursuing the individual who sought all of your lives. You know firsthand how dangerous they are, and yet you’re doing it anyway. Perhaps I am being reckless, but for you to say it is the height of hypocrisy.” What was this rising heat in her chest? It felt like anger, but it burned more than that, as if that emotion had been distilled into its purest form.

“We’re doing it ‘cuz that bastard made it our problem! We didn’t have much choice. You’re doing it to get off on your massive fucking ego! We got thrown into this shit, literally, but you’re here choosing to stick your dick in the beehive.”

“Are you saying that I’m being flippant about the murders? Me?” He had the nerve to disrespect her efforts like this? He sounded like every damned officer in that station, but worse since he knew full well the true scope of what was going on. Anyone with a passing awareness of it would have done the same.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying! This ain’t a game, Shirogane. You ain’t earning brownie points by getting a high score here. I’d say keep your nose out of it, but it’s too late for that, isn’t it? Damnit, your stupid showboating is going to get someone killed. And people think I’m immature. At least I don’t go waving my dick at an actual murderer for the Hell of it!”

‘For the Hell of it?’ ‘Brownie point?’ ‘Game?’ Did he truly think she wasn’t taking this case on with absolute seriousness? If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was calling her a stupid kid…

Like that, Naoto suddenly realized what that feeling in the pit of her heart was. It wasn’t just Kanji’s doing. She was used to scorn from her contemporaries on the police force. She was numbed to Yu’s dogged insistence of being the one on top. Now that it was Kanji, though, that thing she reviled most was beginning to truly crystallize.

For all her work, for the countless cases she alone resolved, for her years of intensive study that would have broken the souls of anyone else, she was still being looked down at, like a stupid little girl. With that realization, the hate coursing through her heart went cold, and she faced the molten rock of Kanji’s explosive disposition with unbending steel.

“You can believe whatever you want, Tatsumi, but I am well and truly done with roles foisted on me by the ungrateful. I will not be denied a day longer, and, come Hell or high water, I will see this case resolved.” The complete void of emotion with which she spoke stopped his momentum in its tracks, as if he had rammed headlong into a wall. Or perhaps it was something she had said, she lacked the capacity to care. She straightened her jacket and turned away to leave him behind, him and every ideal he represented in her mind. “We’re done here.” It took until she reached the road for Kanji to reclaim his footing, but even then, his own rage had cooled again into craggy stone.

“Fine, but don’t come crying to me when you figure out how much shit you just buried yourself in.”

His final barbed comment glanced off of Naoto’s iron hide. She would care about what he had to say as soon as he got off his high horse and spoke to her as an equal rather than a little girl he wanted to keep locked in her room. And he didn’t even know that she was a girl!

The remnants of his invasive temper pushed a growl through her teeth. She needed a long walk to cool her head. When she looked up from her thoughts, she noticed that she had already gone a fair distance. The river wasn’t anywhere to be found, replaced by some sparse housing. There was nary a person in sight, though, beyond a delivery van a few buildings away dropping off packages.

The important part was that she hadn’t been followed again. She didn’t need anyone trying to talk her into passivity before she took the next necessary step. She nodded to herself with certainty, steeling herself with her earlier declaration.

She wouldn’t be denied a day longer.

Just as she thought she was starting to calm down, she heard someone approaching her from behind. She readied her most passively cold expression in the event that it was Kanji, but before she could turn to find out, an arm wrapped itself around her neck and yanked back hard.

As soon as the situation registered, she tightened the muscles in her core and launched the point of her elbow back into her assailant’s kidney, forcing them to double over. With their chest forcefully pushed into her back, she could say with certainty that it was a man of thin build, though that was the last thing she was able to discern. Before she could make a second move, the other hand found its way to her face, and, with it, a damp, sweet-smelling rag.

There was a hair’s breadth between her mind recognizing the chloroform attack and her body responding to the noxious compound. She lost any tension to fight back with, and she swiftly went limp in the arms of her assailant, the killer. The world flickered in and out of darkness as she fought to stay awake. This was what she wanted, but with the reality of the situation upon her, the dread she failed to suppress before was taking its toll.

It was much too late to back out now.

Blink.

She was being moved towards a vehicle. She couldn’t say what it was, though. It was much too blurry to even say its color with any certainty.

Blink.

Now it was dark, as if she had been herded into a room without lights. It smelled a bit like cardboard, and there was a square of even darker black right in front of her, growing closer.

Blink.

Had the lights been turned on? The air had gone… yellow, but it was even harder to see. She thought she heard herself speaking. She couldn’t feel her own lips well enough to confirm or deny that.

Blink.

Chapter Text

Of all the fodder Shadows, those who were basically masked rocks with arms tended to be the most troublesome. Their defenses were about what one would expect from a sentient mound of stone, and being hit by one followed the same pattern. Unless the exact element its specific structure was weak to was utilized, fighting them became a chiseling chore. Their only overarching weakness was their lack of mobility, making it difficult for them to close in for attacks on their own.

The inverse was also true, much to their detriment.

Long, deep gouges scraped across the iron walkway, left behind by a boulder Shadow clawing its hulking frame from the gravel-bath behind it. Such Shadows were incapable of emotional displays, but the depths of its desperation to survive filled in that blank with surplus. One quaking hand ahead of the other, it pulled itself away from the sound of combat behind it.

Then, the noises stopped.

It didn’t stop to look, but its continued movement was little help anyway. The boot would have pinned it to the ground either way. It looked up into the bloodshot, shrunken eyes of a bleached-blonde human, and the last thing it saw was that human’s wide shield being brought down across its face.

Kanji was nothing if not thorough. Though the first hit compacted the mask’s eyes, he kept swinging, like a railroad worker driving in a spike. The edge of his shield was the sturdiest blunt weapon on hand, making it perfect for reducing the Shadow’s one clear weak point to dust. Again and again, he brought his shield down, until no facial features remained. He was panting heavily by the time he finished.

Yosuke, who had been tactfully biting his tongue for several minutes, finally decided enough steam had been released to approach Kanji without a scalding-hot blast hitting him.

“Hey, are you… okay?”

“Why you ask?” If Kanji could see himself in that moment, his head snapping towards Yosuke like a bull about to charge, he would have known exactly why.

“Uh, no reason. I mean, you just kind of seem more pissed off than usual today.”

“More pissed than… What do mean by ‘usual?’”

“To be fair, Kanji-kun...” Yukiko stepped between Yosuke and Kanji, saving the former from accidentally stoking the steam engine anew. “...You do have a bit of a resting scowl. It’s kind of deeper now, though, and you’re being a lot more aggressive.”

“That’s an understatement.” The visor lifted from Rise’s face, letting her look at Kanji with just enough admonishment to cover up the concern welling up inside her. “You’re putting out double the force today. Most people would have their muscles pull clean off their bones doing that, you know.”

“Calling it ‘clean’ isn’t all that true, but she’s right otherwise.” Yu was the only even voice in the room, approaching Kanji without fear or chastisements. “You can tell us if something’s bothering you. I promise, we’ll take it seriously.” At Yu’s promise, the tension in Kanji’s muscles was lessened, though the new depth of his scowl remained almost as deep as the ravine he carved in the now-melting Shadow. He strapped his shield back onto his arm properly, taking the enabler of his violent venting out of the picture.

“I’m having trouble believing that Naoto, the smart guy in town, actually went through with a plan this stupid, even after I showed him how stupid it was. I swear, that guy is a stubborn pain in my ass.”

“Uh...” Chie’s head slowly tilted to the side, gradually slipping on something she had just heard. “Plan? What plan?”

“You know, the news thing. That interview thing he did on TV the other day.” Kanji fully turned his back on his massacre, only to be faced with a sea of confused faces. Even Yu had an eyebrow raised. That, in turn, triggered Kanji’s confusion. “Wait, did none of you catch it? Really?”

“I saw the news thingy.” Teddie was carefully scratching the side of his mascot head with his claws, as though they were the only things he had that were sharp enough to cut through whatever he wasn’t understanding. “It didn’t look like a plan to me, though.”

“Come on, guys, stop messing with me. It ain’t funny.” Kanji shook his head, finding himself disappointed more than anything. “Senpai, could you explain it? You’re better at it than me.”

“I would, but I don’t know what you’re talking about either.”

With that admission, Kanji was wholly consumed by absolute befuddlement, both his jaw and his shield hanging loose from him.

“...Holy fucking shit. Hold on, I… I gotta wrap my head around this.” He put a hand to the side of his head. It wasn’t gripping tightly, though. It looked more like he was trying to catch the brain goo as it melted out of the pores in his face. “None of them saw it. I just don’t get it. What the Hell...”

“Hey, don’t rub it in like that! It’s already embarrassing enough!”

“That’s what I’m trying to digest here, Chie-Senpai, I’m dumb as shit! But I’m the only one here who saw that twerp slapping his ass at the killer!”

When his grand discovery finally poured out alongside the backwash of his failing thought process, the team was instantly shoved under the waves of the revelation. Yosuke was the first among them to surface.

“Are you saying that he got himself kidnapped, on purpose?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” With all the mental force he could muster, Kanji set the burning question of what the hell just happened aside to focus on what was more important. Namely, the dumbass they were there to save. “He got himself thrown in here because he knew that we all survived the bastard’s shots at us and came back with something that let us hunt them down better than anyone else. That’s what Naoto wants.”

“That… That...” Yu’s head dipped low enough that the glare of his glasses covered his eyes. His exterior went cold, but before anyone could get worried, he booted back up, like a computer passing a file it didn’t know how to read at first. “That makes sense. When I saw the report, I thought the personal questions were some sort of trade, giving the station something for their ratings in exchange for a platform to reveal his uncertainty in the case’s conclusion.”

“Yeah, same here.” Now Rise was scowling, though hers was much shallower than Kanji’s. “It sounds like a detective move, but making it so his price was also something he wanted to give anyway… I guess that’s what makes him a Prince.”

“ Hold on, you guys are kind of glossing over something here.” Chie cut back into the discussion that had long since left her behind, and she brought with her a potent edge. “Since when does he know that we’re investigating the killer? That’s our secret!”

“Now that you mention it, that is a good question.” Yukiko put a hand to her chin and looked at the three domineering the topic curiously.

Among them, Rise and Yu found no answers to give. Were it only them in the spotlight, that silence might have persisted. However, Kanji didn’t abide by silences he could fill.

“It’s kind of obvious, isn’t it? Or am I alone on this one, too? He’s had his nose in our business since before you guys saved my ass. He hunted Senpai and me down to talk to us about the murders instead of the adults around us. For me, sure, it made sense with me being on the Midnight Channel then, but he sounded like he was looking for Senpai, too, who was never on there. It’s too convenient.”

“That was a red flag from the start.” With Kanji’s piece given, Yu had found something to build up from. “Then he tried to convince Rise that I was dangerous to figure out how I fit into the investigation. He knew I was deep in what was happening, but he didn’t know how, so he defaulted to me being a suspect since the cases only picked up in full around the time of my arrival in Inaba.”

“Oh, that reminds me! Kanji, didn’t he let it slip to you that the police were looking harder at Mitsuo Kubo’s case after we brought him back?” Rise was quick to jump on the bandwagon, too, with her own vital bit of insight.

“Yeah. Weird for a detective to have a tongue that loose, don’t you think? He dropped that shit on me on purpose so we had something to work with for our end of the case.” Kanji had a small smile going for his part in actually contributing to a solid case, though it deflated a bit as he glanced to the side. “Doesn’t make up for him pinning the blame on Senpai, though, or this dumb crap he’s pulling now.”

“Let me put this together.” Yosuke took in all three testimonials and their evidence, shuffling them around in his head. “Naoto’s been onto us from square one, and all of this...” He waved towards the surrounding laboratory in a show of exacerbation. “...Is, what, his way of forcing open a spot on our team?”

Yu nodded, a succinct answer to wrap up the mess of threads just dropped on the floor. The confirmation sent Yosuke’s attention back to Kanji.

“And you said you tried warning him, but he didn’t listen?”

“That’s right.” The memory returned some depth to Kanji’s creased brow. “That jackass ran off, saying something like, ‘I won’t be denied a day longer’ or some shit.”

“Huh.” Teddie’s eyes widened, the sparks from connecting wires almost visible through the lenses. “You know, isn’t it funny that we were trying to be friendly with Naoto right before this? It almost feels like it was part of a plan, but we did that ourselves. Weird coincidence, right?”

“Right.” Yu looked up towards the ceiling, taking in the space around him. Even as everyone started looking at him, he didn’t look back, lost as he was in his thoughts. The attention on him did let Rise’s own evasiveness escape notice. “You know, it’s ironic. I was about to suggest we let him in on what we’re doing officially.”

“Seriously?” Chie was still somewhat incredulous, though it wasn’t clear how much of that reaction was a side effect of the prior conversation. Yukiko, though, didn’t share her hesitation.

“If he knows everything about us anyway, then there really wouldn’t be any harm in it, right?”

Chie’s mouth twisted to bite back the unformed mass of thoughts coming to her tongue.

“I mean, I guess not...”

“It would be nice if we weren’t stepping on each other’s toes all the time.” Yosuke scratched the side of his head, only dropping his hand when he reached a conclusion. “I probably would’ve agreed with you, partner. Not that it matters now, with him being the new victim and all.” It was Kanji’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

“You’re all saying we would’ve let him join up the day after he pulled his little stunt?” At Kanji’s question, everyone glanced around to everyone else. No one objected outright, with Yosuke and Rise going so far as to nod softly. Kanji couldn’t help himself a moment longer. A deep, rich laugh came to him. With it was a sharp, almost evil grin, and when he got back an ounce of self control, he rolled his shoulder and cracked his neck with gusto. “Let’s get moving. I want to rub it in that cocky bastard’s face!”

Kanji didn’t wait for agreement or dissent before he turned and marched off with renewed purpose. Not even the sticky puddle of deceased Shadows he walked across for the second time slowed him down. Yosuke was once again in the unenviable position of wanting to bite his tongue, his jaw only loosened by the distance between him and Kanji. He turned to Yu with cold sweat beading on his forehead.

“He… seems happy.”

“Would you prefer if he was still angry?”

“...Nope, happy is just fine.”

-

“Guys, why is that treasure chest rattling?”

“I can explain that later, Rise-chan.”

“Are we going to open it?”

“Only if you want the most dangerous Shadow of all wearing my bear hide like a scarf.”

“...Jeeze, Teddie, descriptive much?”

“I’m still traumatized.”

“Why do you sound so cheery about it?”

-

Kanji was the group’s arrowhead for a long while after his mood lifted. He was the first one into battle, the first to leave it when the smoke settled, and the first to brave the descent into the bowels of the secret base. All he was missing was a big sword in his right hand to complete the hero look he had about him, but he wielded his shield lethally enough. As he stepped onto the next floor down, the others close behind, he hummed to himself.

“Still kinda weird to be going down instead of up. Air’s getting kinda heavy.”

“That would be the gravitational pressure.” Speaking of oddities, having Yu, who was fully dressed for the heroic occasion, trailing behind the normally-garbed Kanji was another point for the board, though the irony was lost on him. “The deeper you dive into the ocean, the heavier all the water above you presses down. It’s not usually this pronounced with open air, though.”

“Well, this air is pretty dense.” Rise walked along like normal, but Himiko glided behind her smoothly, as though she wasn’t touching the floor at all. “I’ve been meaning to point it out for a while, but I don’t think the fog in this world is made of water. I can’t even tell if it’s made of normal molecules and stuff at all.”

“Wow, weird.” Science wasn’t Chie’s forte, but she understood the basics well enough to see when something was up. “Hey Teddie, you know anything about that?”

“Nope, nothing. The fog is just the fog, and it keeps Shadows calm. That’s all I’ve got.” When Teddie reached the bottom of the stairs himself, everyone was staring at him in a startled manner. That usually happened the first time someone met him, but not thereafter. “What’s wrong? You look like I grew a second head. That’s the saying, right?”

“Yes, but, um, that’s not quite what we’re looking at.” Yukiko came down behind him and hesitantly pinched the tuft of fur in the middle of his head. She pulled up slowly until his mask popped back into shape. Teddie felt around where the crater had been moments ago.

“I didn’t even notice that! Thanks, Yuki-chan.”

“I am the healer here, even if that was an abnormal injury.” She snickered under her breath, her cheeks going red for a second. “You kind of looked like popped bubble wrap.”

“If the pressure is getting high enough to do that, we should be careful.” When the need arose, Yu stepped in to remind everyone that he was the leader, despite Kanji’s claim on the lead position. “We don’t know how the fog will affect us going forward, so if anyone starts showing signs of pressure sickness, let me know. Look for things like dizziness or nausea.”

“Good call, partner.” Yosuke took stock of himself, making sure all his aches were from combat and not the world itself hating him. “I wish we knew more about the fog. Maybe we could raid some of this lab’s equipment later and run tests on it?”

“I will not allow my laboratory be used for such an excuse of research!”

The door a head of them whirred open of its own accord, the pipes around it spitting steam and grinding gears. Beyond it was a large chamber with a monitor bolted onto the far wall. Kanji lead the way in, letting them take a closer look at the screen. There was someone on it, but their back was turned to the camera. Three things stuck out about them.

One, their voice coiled and warped like a thing with malice of its own.

Two, they were wearing a lab coat, denoting them as a scientist.

And three, they were wearing a familiar blue cap. This, along with months of experience with such encounters, revealed the figure’s identity.

“Shirogane’s Shadow, I presume?”

“To think, Narukami would admit to his presumptions. Truly a day that will go down in history.” As it spoke with sheer sarcastic venom, the Shadow kept its back turned. It seemed preoccupied with the bits of machinery that appeared to the untrained eye like a random heap of moving parts attached to a steel table. The buzz saw on a metal arm was recognizable, but everything else looked like nameless set dressing for a sci-fi film.

“Your taunting them from a place of safety isn’t endearing, for the record. It merely makes you look more childish.”

“Silence!”

At once, the flame was revived in Kanji’s gut, and his eyes widened into bloodshot pits of rage at the bottom of his cavernous scowl.

“Naoto! Is that you!?”

“Stay out of our affairs, you ignorant buffoon!” The Shadow’s head whipped around, revealing a bottomless pit of golden hate. Staring into its depths, even the torrential force that was Kanji was forced to recoil. A bitter cold washed over the room, sending shivers through the intrepid, would-be saviors.

“It is aggravating enough to be dismissed by the ceaseless pride of Narukami and denied by my own heart, but to be looked down on by one with a single-digit IQ is an insult I will not suffer.” The Shadow reached for a control pad to its left, its fingers tapping with blind awareness of its senselessly flashing keys. It pulled the lever at its side, and an alarm went off. All throughout the group’s chamber, red lights roared to life and steam hissed with boundless scorn matched only by the one who beckoned it. It was a repelling force, but such flight was cut off as the doors at either side crunched shut with finality. “I see that my security thus far has been insufficient. Now, you face the pinnacle of my creations.”

Kanji’s only warning was the forced spreading of his legs. He looked down to find the floor he stood on being pried apart. He jumped to the side, but his escape from being pulled in half still left him on a shifting platform.

“Yuki-chan, hold on!” The head of Teddie’s costume popped open, letting his human form lance out and grab Yukiko’s wrist before she tumbled backwards into another widening ravine. His support let her find more stable footing, or so much as could be gained at the time, and she nodded receptively despite the pallor coming over her at the narrow escape.

Yosuke managed the same feat under his own power. He tried his best to figure out what was happening, but little could be found with the naked eye. Realizing this, he searched instead for Rise, who was being held above the faltering floor by Himiko. It seemed she was an airborne Persona, after all.

“Rise, can you see anything?”

“Yeah, there’s something coming, and it’s big. Eyes on the middle!”

Hearing her warning, Yu and Kanji, both, took up arms. Between the shifting plates, a mass of metal began to rise, and with it, a hulking form emerged from the depths of the facility. Kanji raised his shield and watched. He was the first to see the metal monstrosity as it arrived, and its glowing green eyes locked on him first.

“The experiment must not be interrupted. Make it so, my Dominating Machine!”

The master’s word was given. The rising floor it stood on locked into place, creating a single stable space surrounded by islands of footing all around it. With exception to the mere twenty foot ring it occupied, nowhere in the room was more than three steps from a fall with no visible bottom. The infiltrators were trapped in its web, and, with orders in hand, the Machine stood, unraveling into a man-made monster no less than fifty feet in height with a chassis of volcanic red.

“Tch, you call that security? We’ve beat up bastards twice as big!” For all the flair and gravitas lent to the big reveal, Kanji was unshaken. If it would be a giant robot fight, then he knew how to answer the threat. His card came to him, bringing with it a smirk. “Take-Mikazuchi, let’s show this bucket of bolts what a real man looks like!”

The card was crushed, and a guttural roar echoed from the ether. Shards of blue coalesced into a blinding flash. In the brief moment before it faded, there was a harsh metal crunch, and the Domineering Machine was driven back. This gave Mikazuchi all the room he needed to appear, cocking his neck in a wordless assertion of might. The Domineering Machine put a hand to its chest, where part of its shell had compacted under Mikazuchi’s knuckles.

“What drivel. Your cherished masculinity will not protect you from the forward march of science. We will break you first, and the barrier you lord over us next.” The Shadow once more turned from the screen, its interest fading. “Make certain my work goes undisturbed.”

The screen flickered off, but the Shadow’s last words were enough to spark renewed purpose in its creation. Whatever operations took place in its head, they lasted all of a picosecond before it raised its sword, a sharpened chunk of metal as long as its own limbs.

However mighty it was, though, the Machine was slow, its every motion laborious to the extreme. One could hear its frame screeching under the combined pressure of fog and metal. Mikazuchi was its superior in terms of agility, crossing the bulkiest segments of its arm together as a barrier between itself and the lethal edge.

Both moved as slugs next to Jiraiya and Tomoe, who moved under the cover of the hulking Mikazuchi. When facing a lion, one scarcely noticed the ants at their feet.

“Garula!”

“Bufu!”

The twin lithe Personas crossed each other’s paths and spun about in unison, launching matched columns of magic as one. The wind glanced off of the Machine’s hide with as little effect as a handful of sand.

The ice, though of a weaker concentration, proved much harder to shake off. Patches of frost crept across the shell, painting over red and silver, both, with ravenous blue and seeping deep into the automaton’s joints. Its arm hitched at the peak of its ascent, leaving its imposing blade a useless monument.

“Alright! Nail it, Kanji!”

“You got it, Chie-senpai! Mikazuchi, bust the bastard.”

The onyx mech wound up another punch, but without the cover of summoning, the Machine had ample time to react. Mikazuchi swung, but his opponent sprung as well, its remaining arm shooting up to meet him halfway. The struggle of overclocked motion could be heard even clearer than before, but the operation was a success. Mikazuchi’s arm was clamped tightly about the wrist, his punch halted before it could land another shattering blow.

Kanji’s own brawling instincts compelled Mikazuchi to reclaim the limb, but the Machine’s sturdy build shone through, holding fast against any attempt to pull free with raw force. Normally, stepping back to throw a grappling opponent overhead would have worked well in this situation, but with the edge of their arena at Mikazuchi’s heels, that wasn’t possible, and Kanji knew it.

“Damnit…!” Kanji could feel the incredible pressure on his wrist, echoing through Mikazuchi to his own body. He could feel the muscles connecting his fingers to his arm being hamstrung, preventing him from using his hand at all. Not that it would have helped him face the Machine anyway. “I need some backup here!”

“Hold it steady, I’ve got an idea.” Yu was hopping across the gaps between platforms, keeping his head up to ignore the danger he was putting himself in. He would have simply grappling hooked his way across, but he needed more concentration to shuffle through the many cards in his head. When he found the newest addition to his roster, his smirk was practically palpable through the thick sheet of his helmet. “Yamato-no-Orochi!”

His card wasn’t smashed so much as it was eviscerated by an upward swipe of his clawed glove. The torn pieces spiraled towards the dueling duo in eight great streams, their billowing clouds of velvet expanding outwards into hulking strands of animate energy. The first things to materialize were sixteen slit eyes, glaring coldly into that world as the rest of their bodies burrowed through the divide. Chords of emerald scales stretched over raw muscle.

The trailing bodies were coiled together, unclear as to where the eight became one, but the octet of hissing heads advanced nonetheless. Each moved as its own entity, yet as one. They wove through the gaps between the Machine’s limbs, the bodies that followed crushing down on metal. One pulled a leg out towards the Machine’s side, while another tugged back in an attempt to compact its knee. A particularly adventurous serpent spiraled up its locked sword arm, and the iced metal that supported it began to crack. Rise was quick to spot which patch had given first.

“Senpai, this thing isn’t built for the cold!”

“On it.” Yu’s order was a simple snap of the fingers. The heads of Orochi pulled back from the body they bound, and with a grating cross between a hiss and a screech, all eight howled with cold malice.

The Machine writhed in the coils of Orochi, but no matter how it tossed or turned, it couldn’t shake the tons of reptilian flesh pinning it in place. Its own frame was already heavy enough, but the addition of yet more mass overloaded it entirely. All processes shifted towards staying on its feet. This, though, came at the cost of losing power in its arm, the only thing holding back Mikazuchi.

“Yukiko-senpai, I need some healing here!”

“Oh, right!”

“I’ll help!”

Yukiko and Teddie nodded at each other, and their cards floated down to them. With a flurry of claw and fan, both seals were broken, setting free the Personas they held. Kintoki-Douji dropped onto the segmented platform with a heavy thud, and floating above him was Amaterasu, the fair goddess of radiant light. Her crystal wings spread wide, and through them flowed a holy magic.

“Diarama!”

Amaterasu brought the tips of her wings to a point, channeling her strength towards Mikazuchi. She was joined by the less deific, but still quite potent magics of Kintoki, whose support redoubled the verdant spell cast. Winds of green danced across the white bones painted on Mikazuchi’s shell, and his body reclaimed its truest vigor.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!”

Kanji roared from the depths of his soul, and Mikazuchi roared with him. Their actions synchronized. One foot was planted firmly in the steel ground, and the other followed. Then, they pooled all of their strength into one more attack. Sparks rippled down Mikazuchi’s arm. Kanji could almost feel them himself.

“He’s down, now he’s out!”

Mikazuchi crashed forward, charging into the Dominating Machine. Like a vending machine shaken on its base, it began to topple backwards, its earth-shaking feet lacking any sort of bends to grip the ground. A wayward wind would have been enough to topple it entirely.

Kanji wasn’t just a wayward wind, though. He was a fucking thunderbolt.

Groaning through his focused, crushing power, Mikazuchi carried through his charge, throwing all of its energy into the turning of his waist, and from there up the length of his arm. Kanji could feel it rippling through his body. It was more strength than he could have imagined not half a year ago. If he had faced any normal person with a fraction of the power in his arm alone, he would have taken their head clean off.

He wanted to see if this so-titled “Dominating” hunk of junk stood any better of a chance.

Mikazuchi swung with all of the force it rode, following the first maxim of a good punch. One should never hit an opponent. A real fighter knew to swing through them. Take-Mikazuchi was a damn good fighter.

The crunch reverberated through the room with deafening force, bouncing off the walls and echoing deep into the abyss below. Then, a quieter series of clacks and clanks followed. Yosuke jumped aside to dodge the helmeted head that had once been attached to the mechanical monster’s beefy shoulders.

Mikazuchi now stood a head taller than his opponent, both in pride and height. Static sputtered from the stump of a neck he left behind like the beast’s dying breath. He never got to hear it give its last. The only thing mightier than Kanji was the ever-present pull of gravity, and gravity would have its due. The many heads and coils of Orochi fled the toppling giant as its body went limp, succumbing to the unstoppable force it had so foolishly cemented itself in front of.

There was a piece of floor behind it, but it was a flimsy platform next to the one who was meant to guard it. The No-Longer-Dominating Machine’s body tore through it like an asteroid on meteoric entry. Down it fell. Down, down, down. If one listened close, they could hear the dullest ripple of the Machine’s impact, muffled by the thirty seconds of free fall it took to reach the bottom. Kanji was all ears, and the ringing of the mech’s corpse was to him the deciding bell. He crossed his arms and grinned a well-earned grin.

“For all your science talk, that bucket of bolts was worthless! We win!”

“No, my glorious creation!” As if summoned by the death of its sentry, Naoto’s Shadow returned to the monitor above them, this time giving all of its attention. Its eyes were wide and manic, that once focused hatred scattered and deranged. It punctuated its torrential outrage with pounds on the panel in front of it. “My design was perfect! Years of research and construction, ruined!”

“I wouldn’t call it perfect.” With a wave, Yu dismissed Orochi, and he looked up at the screen with all the cold calculation he could push through his mask. “It was strong, but it lacked any protocol in the event of an enemy as strong as itself, let alone one with backup.” He peeled the sheet of steel from his face, letting the Shadow see the true disappointment overtaking his features. “That machine and the one who created it are both steeped in arrogance.”

“My, how the tables turn.” From somewhere behind the seething form of his Shadow, the real Naoto once again spoke, his voice devoid of most any shred of interest. “You would do well to step back and rethink your approach. You’re embarrassing both of us.”

“Grr, shut up, shut up. SHUT UP!” There was a loud crack, and when the Shadow pulled its hand back, it was covered in shards of metal and rivulets of black blood. “You’re ruining everything! My research, my investigation, the respect I so rightfully deserve!”

Most everyone looked on at the Shadow’s breakdown with either forced neutrality or caution, but not Kanji. Maybe it was his ears acting up, or maybe he was delirious from how much he put into that last attack, but he could’ve sworn he heard something under the distorted tone and tantrum. Something he recognized.

Was it… desperation?

With so much fire spit, the Shadow reclaimed its composure, though its every action was tinted by an obvious desire to reach through the screen and strangle every human it laid eyes on.

“That’s it. You cannot be allowed to leave my laboratory alive. You will be thorns in my side for every day I allow you to live.” Its attention locked on those two meddling souls it had longest fought against. “Yu Narukami, Kanji Tatsumi. You wish to ‘save’ my foolish other self? So be it. Come to the experimental theater at the heart of this facility. The door will be unlocked. I can’t wait a day longer to pull those thick skulls from your useless shoulders. Imagine the density that could be achieved with them. My next creation will be perfect, perfect I say!”

With that, the Shadow left once more, and the room began to twist again. Everyone buckled in for the ride as the platforms all reformed into a continuous whole, barring the gap left under the guardian’s collapsing mass. When all was as it used to be, the doors reopened, freeing their captives. Chie was the first to find her footing.

“So… Does anyone else think Naoto-kun’s Shadow is kinda… underwhelming?”

“You mean besides all the yelling and killer robots?” Yosuke dusted himself off. For a hi-tech facility, there sure was a lot of dust. “Yeah. It’s like a kid playing pretend scientist. I guess that explains how over-the-top this whole secret base thing is, right?”

“Pretending, huh?” Kanji hadn’t moved an inch. Not as the floor reconfigured, nor as the others chatted about it. He picked up the general pulse of the conversation, though, enough to incorporate it into his thoughts. “Playing at being bigger than he actually is...”

“Kanji? Hey.” Yosuke snapped a finger in front of his face, finally breaking his thousand-yard stare. “You good, man? You’re muttering to yourself over here. Shouldn’t you be pumped about putting down that robot?”

“Uh, sure. Yeah. It was nothing.” Kanji pulled back as much of his pride as he could, but much of it was already long faded. Yosuke noticed, but he kept that to himself.

“C’mon. We’ve got a lot of ground left to cover before we get to the bottom of this place.”

Now that was a thought Kanji could get behind. He nodded tersely with a newfound purpose.

He had a lot of shit that needed saying, and only one person he could say it to.

Chapter Text

True to the Shadow’s word, the final barrier waiting at the depths of the facility was unlocked. It was a towering set of double-doors, likely several feet thick of pure steel. Looking at it, Kanji doubted he could have broken through it himself. Although, that was a secondary thought.

Instead, he found his focus drawn to the design on the doors. It was a big bird of some kind on a red background. Its wings looked like they plumed out into flames instead of feathers. He had noticed it on a few tapestries here and there in the halls before, but this was the first time he thought about it.

“Senpai, what’s this bird thing here?”

Yu looked up from his final sword polishing to check what was being asked of him.

“Looks like a phoenix to me. A mythical fire bird.”

“Mhm, same here.” Yukiko’s preparations were much less flashy, idly chewing on one of the blue soul drops they had amassed. “Supposedly, whenever a phoenix dies, it burns down to ash, but then it comes back from them in full health. I always thought it was inspiring, like coming back from even the worst situations stronger than ever.”

“Coming back stronger. Being born again.” Kanji stared a bit longer at the phoenix. He had a sneaking suspicion he was the only one thinking it had some bigger meaning to it, but what? If he was going to find out, then this place, the so-called scientist Shadow’s lab with the bird on its door, was probably his best bet.

“Okay, I’m all limbered up!” Chie was bouncing between her feet, her springs ready to pounce. How she managed that kind of mobility with all the metal on her fighting boots was a mystery for another day, one probably linked to all her training.

At the sound of her battle cry, everyone else wrapped up their business. Yosuke was gripping his knives tight, and Yukiko hastily downed the last of her soul drop. Teddie had his angry eyes on, or, you know, that weird happy fighting thing he did with his claws. Kanji couldn’t really describe it, like Ted had trouble matching the right emotion to what his body was saying.

Yu and Rise, though ready, seemed kind of distracted. Senpai was spending a little too long on his sword when it looked crystal clear minutes ago. Rise was getting Himiko’s scanners ready, ‘calibrating’ she called it, but she was taking longer than normal, too. It was almost like the two were putting off confronting the Shadow for some reason.

Kanji didn’t get it, and, for all he knew, he was probably dead wrong anyway. All he knew for sure was that there was a Shadow to beat and a dumbass detective to save. He’d sweat the small stuff after the fight.

“We all good? Then let’s do this shit.” He stepped forward, and the door beeped at his approach. Metal screeched as it slid aside. The door opened, but with how much of a struggle that looked and sounded like, it was clear that whoever built the thing never expected it to actually be used. Its progress was glacially slow and labored.

Come to think of it, that was a running theme with the stuff this Shadow supposedly built. Powerful, striking, but inefficient. It was all cool-factor without functionality. Something in Kanji twinged at the thought.

That theme continued as the Shadow’s domain revealed itself. The room was big in every sense of the word. Looking straight up was a one way trip to vertigo. It ran about as long, too, and every inch of the place that wasn’t a machine was covered in wires and scrap metal. For a high-tech lab, the place was filthy. The only thing with any shine to it was the wall of monitors at the far back, where the Shadow had looked in on their fight with the Ex-Dominating Machine from.

All the science junk spread around was just set dressing. Front and center in the room was the main attraction. There was a rusted slab of metal, its contaminated surface covered by a thin, green sheet about big enough for someone to lay on. There were two undone belts dangling off the sides. Whoever built it didn’t want the victim escaping before whatever experiment was being done here was complete.

That experiment, to the shock of anyone even remotely familiar with formal medical and scientific procedure, involved a lot of very primitive, very sharp tools. The buzz saw was as big across as Kanji, and he could easily jam three of himself in the drill. How either could be used on a human body without utterly tearing it apart was a mystery. Striking, but inefficient. The only thing with a degree of accuracy to it was what looked like a big laser pointer, but it had an awful lot of wires hooked up to it for a laser that was supposed to just barely break skin.

Standing in front of the setup were the scientist and subject, both. The group expected as much. They expected the Shadow to be domineering over its real self, bludgeoning them with the black bile of their soul, pushing them to the brink before pushing them over it with an audience to watch.

What they got instead was the scientist on its knees, crying, and Naoto looking down on it with annoyance, like someone who hated kids being asked to babysit. He looked up at their entrance, and he sighed in relief.

“Thank goodness. I didn’t know how much longer I could stand this one’s incessant whining.” Naoto began walking towards them, but the Shadow lunged forward, wrapping its arms around his leg. It was only clear now how long its sleeves were. There wasn’t a hint of its hands to be seen under them.

“No, don’t go! Can’t you see I made this procedure to help you?”

“Unless you intend to cut off my arms, I don’t think any of the tools you have here will be much help at all. Now let go of me.” Naoto kicked her leg, prying it from the Shadow’s grasp. This left its arms free to beat on the floor as its tantrum picked up.

“U m , Naoto-kun?” Yukiko was as confused as anyone, but she still felt the need to do something in the face of this absurdity. “ Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.” He glanced back at the Shadow that was furiously pounding the ground. “I’m just severely disappointed. I was told that a Shadow was the culmination of everything one hated about themselves. I imagined much, but to find this instead… Words fail to describe how let down I am.”

“ Why!? Why won’t you take me seriously!? ”

Naoto groaned with all the seething hate that had accumulated in the pit of his stomach.

“Because you won’t take yourself seriously. No one of dignity would conduct themselves in such a manner.”

“Hold it, timeout!” Yosuke snapped out of his delirium. His brain was working again, and it had several questions. “How do you know about the Shadows? I mean, obviously you’ve seen yours, but if that’s the only one, how would you know what they’re supposed to be like?”

“I will explain later. For now, we should leave this place.” Naoto looked around at his surroundings, squinting to make it all out through the fog. “The longer I remain here, the more likely I am to wind up dead. And that aside, I feel I won’t have much luck in talking through my issues with that… creature. To think, I thought I could get somewhere this way.”

Suddenly, the banging metal went quiet. Its absence was palpable. Chie dropped into a readied stance by the time the Shadow looked up, its golden eyes cold and emotionless.

“ Is that all I am to you, a means to an end? ” It glanced over the group, its eyes tightening in barely restrained anger at the sight of Yu. “ A way for you to get your Persona and join the real investigation? ”

“You know about those, too!?”

“I can explain momentarily, Hanamura-san.” It was clear how done with all of this Naoto was. He just wanted to leave before he could be subjected to another round of senseless whining. “ As for you, yes. You should know full well that I’m here to see the killer apprehended. If I didn’t want that, I wouldn’t have crossed paths with you a second time of my own free will. Much less now that I see what you really are.”

Rise was almost instantly on edge. She saw where this conversation was going, and she didn’t like it.

“Naoto, don’t…!”

“Let him go.” Kanji held out an arm, much to Rise’s surprise. His tone was even, almost calculated. “He’s gotta face this shit now, or it’ll just get worse. I’d rather fight something half cooked than burnt to a crisp.”

“ Typical. I’ve proven useless to you, so I’ve been abandoned yet again. ” The Shadow, slowly, slowly, drifted to its feet, its slack frame belying the toiling, ravenous intent behind its human facade. “ I thought you, of all people, would sympathize. ”

“ Please.” Naoto was all but rolling his eyes now. “I have no sympathies for a child that doesn’t know their place.”

There was a glimmer in the Shadow’s eyes. Anger? Stubbornness? Excitement? It could have been any of the above, but it was a thick intent either way, hidden from Naoto only by the fog.

“ You sound just like those officers. ‘Settle down kid.’ ‘It isn’t your place to question, brat.’ To be used and thrown away, that is both of our fates. ”

The hairs on the back of Naoto’s neck stood up, and his heart started to beat harder. His superiority was cracking.

“What are you talking about?” Naoto’s objection was along the lines of what Kanji expected, but the tone was different. No, not the emotional tone. His voice was sounding lighter. More… girly? “I am the Detective Prince, the figurehead of this investigation. I need no more respect than that.”

“ Is that why they were so swift to cast you to darkness when they found the conclusion they desired? That is not respect, it is the highest insult! ” The Shadow’s voice echoed and thundered. The storm was coming, and it was the herald, the boisterous bringer of truth. “ You were forced to go behind their backs to find any traction through their delusions, and yet you fell prey again to Narukami’s stubborn pride! Wherever you go, you are but a child in their eyes! ”

“Partner.” Yosuke was ready for the worst, but his mind, ever racing, hadn’t gone quiet yet. “What’s it talking about?”

He glanced over, but Yu wasn’t looking at him. He was staring dead ahead, a hand on his sword’s hilt. Whatever he was thinking, it was hidden behind his mask.

“Partner?”

“Lies, all lies!” Naoto dragged attention back to himself, but his voice was wavering more.

“ The only liar here is you, Detective ‘Prince!’ Your very name is a fabrication. ” It sounded like it was trying to chew through the title of Prince as it passed its lips. “ Naoto. Prince. What manly titles, taken by one who deserves the respect of their field. For all you’ve done, you want to be just like the manly, cool detectives you grew up admiring. But you cannot fill their shoes, not those of the fictional or the real. Your own parents knew as much, naming you so deceptively. After all... ”

“Stop!” The voice that came from Naoto was one wholly alien. All his control over it was lost, spiraling to the depths alongside his tattered disguise.

“ ...How could those pigheaded louts ever respect a woman detective? ”

The pin dropped. Its quiet ringing reverberated through the chamber, impeded by neither voice nor thought. Finally, a response coalesced in the barren depths of Kanji’s shaken mind.

“He’s a chick!?”

“ Yes, you ignoramus. Naoto is no Detective Prince, but a Princess in a toy tiara! ” The Shadow lashed out at Kanji, as though trying to wipe a smudge from its presence. Its attention soon returned to the focus of its tirade. “ You are but a woman and a child, playing games as the adults try to work. They do not respect you, nor will they ever. Yours is the life of Icarus, flying to the sun only to have your wings burn away. This is your delusion, Naoto Shirogane! ”

“Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Naoto’s hands clamped down over her ears, trying in vain to block out the words bubbling up from the secluded corners of her soul. “What gives you the right to say any of this garbage about me!?”

Two more hands grabbed Naoto’s face, cupping it up to force her to look in the Shadow’s endless golden eyes. The grin on its face was rife in hunger.

“ Because we are one and the same. I am you, and you are me. Is that not the nature of Shadows? ”

“ No, you’re lying!” Naoto tried to pull away, but the Shadow held tight. She needed to escape. She wanted to run far away and never look back.

Kanji watched in grim acceptance. The infection was coming, whether Naoto wanted it to or not.

“You’re… You’re not me!”

Suddenly, the Shadow’s touch went cold. No, it was more like it was draining her heat away, siphoning any energy it could find. The air flowed towards it, and it carried on it hundreds of thousands of black chunks, a fine mist of Shadows ready to be devoured. It flowed in to feed her Shadow’s gluttonous being.

And the Shadow howled in laughter.

“You came here seeking power beyond your ken. You’ve found it! You’ve found me, and now, I’ve found the source of the weakness holding me back!” The Shadow released Naoto, bringing its arms back.

Naoto saw what was coming. The attack was being telegraphed well in advance, but she couldn’t move. She couldn’t run anymore, no matter how much she wanted to. Her body wasn’t listening anymore. She knew it would be the death of her, but she never suspected the sentiment to be taken so literally.

All she could do was stare into the Shadow’s eyes as it struck, a snake leaping from the grass.

Then, something moved her. There was a hand on the back of her shirt. It grabbed her collar, catching her neck with some sort of sharp claw as it threw her away from the Shadow. Its hands slammed together, its wrists nearly cracking in the absence of a head to crush.

“You…!”

Naoto caught a glimpse of her savior. He was blurred by the unnatural exhaustion overtaking her, but his black armor was unmistakable. Yu glanced back, locking eyes with Naoto through the dense film of plastic over his. It was a look she had never seen in him before. Stoic, but caring. Firm, but giving. At once the leader of men and just another soldier on the ground.

It was a look fundamentally different from the Narukami she knew, but, in his own contradictory nature, that made it fit Yu all the better.

“No one else is dying here!”

“Ah yes, you’re bound by your word. How sickeningly arrogant.” In the span of a few short moments, the Shadow’s attention snapped from its own human self to the armored noble that now stood before it. The black miasma flowing into it grew darker, and its motions attained a challenging, more hostile edge than its earlier grandiose displays.

With the Shadow watching him now, Yu couldn’t retreat to secure Naoto, lest it get a chance to attack them both. Fortunately, with Yu taking all of both its line of sight and attention, Kanji had the cover he needed to act, flanked by Yosuke.

“We gotcha.”

Naoto landed against the bulk of Kanji’s chest, the impact, though better than hitting the floor, still kicking up the dust in her mind to a blinding storm. She tried looking up at him, but she was already slipping out of consciousness. Yosuke saw this, and he grimaced.

“I’ll get her out of here. Cover me.” Yosuke held a finger up over his mouth, cutting off any idea of yelling, which would have drawn the Shadow’s attention back to Naoto. Kanji, not trusting his voice to listen, just nodded and handed Naoto off to him.

Yosuke hauled her over his shoulder and ran. Kanji stepped up in his place, and Chie was right behind him. Looking back, Yukiko and Teddie were taking up the last line between the Shadow and Rise. It looked like Yosuke was putting Naoto next to her.

Kanji didn’t like the idea. If the Shadow went after Naoto, then it would hit Rise at the same time. Never cluster together like that if it could be helped. He would’ve yelled that at Yosuke if he hadn’t been warned not to make the Shadow look that way.

Oh well. Nothing to do about it but beat the shit out of the Shadow before it got that far. From how thick that black smoke cloud was getting, he guessed it was about time for the main event.

“How long I’ve waited to put you in your place, Narukami. Your wealth and machinations will not help you here! No, you’ve trespassed on my domain, and now you will finally pay for your transgressions!”

“You’re not the first Shadow we’ve fought.” Yu stared his opponent down, unwavering in the face of its transformation. He drew his sword, holding it up with both hands overhead. He had a sneaking suspicion it would come out swinging, overcome by its own blinding rage.

“I know as much, but I intend to be the last!”

At once, the black fog swelled, and it burst, a flash of dark hiding its twisting flesh. It didn’t deafen them, though, letting everyone hear the tools wind up. The buzz of the saw and drill was loud, but it was somehow worse when it was muffled by what sounded like cutting meat. A blotch of oily blood splattered over Yu’s left eye, but he didn’t move to wipe it. He wouldn’t let his parry stance falter.

He thought his decision paid off as the light returned and a form blew forth from the fog. It was smaller than every other Shadow that came before. It was still about the size of a normal human. Its right side even retained the look, though its skin had gone as dark as its blood, and its eye was exchanged for a glowing dome of yellow. The left half of its body had been replaced by a cast of chrome. Its joints whined and whirred with every twitch, a constant twitch as though its form wasn’t sturdy enough to go unmoved by the ticking of its own gears. From its back sprouted a pair of wings, the kind one more expected on a plane than a living creature, and each hand held what looked like a child’s depiction of a laser pistol.

This was the form now charging Yu, just as he expected. His mind poured over what it was seeing. He would need to time this down to the millisecond if he was going to cleave off one of its wings right out of the gate. That would weaken it substantially, giving his friends a better chance at fighting it head on.

All the numbers came back, and his stance tightened, ready to take the chop. The Shadow grew closer, closer. He could see the twitching around its hollowed eyes, pangs of its mania seeping through the procedure it conducted on itself. When it was less than three feet away, hurtling towards him at upwards of a hundred miles per hour, he took his shot and swung down with all his might.

Suddenly, the sound of the Shadow’s engine muffled. It was stopping. No, pulling back! When Yu swung down, all he cleaved through was empty air, and the tip of his sword was planted in the ground with a bone-rattling chunk. Tremors coursed through him, and he found himself unable to move from the recoil. His muscles were shaking too bad to respond appropriately. It would clear in the span of three seconds, but he didn’t have that much time. The Shadow was hovering just beyond the range of his sword, and it had both guns pointed at his head. Its eyes were blinking, scanning him, and, though what remained of its mouth was stiff, almost taxidermied, he could almost see its manic grin.

It didn’t say a word. It didn’t brag about its victory over him. No one liner. No monologue. All the sound it made was the twin clicks of its triggers and the electric whine of its pistols charging.

“Hey, jackass!”

Suddenly, the drawback of single-minded focus was made abundantly clear. It made executing on one task easier in a vacuum, but it often blotted out one’s surroundings, which could lead to a monkey wrench in one’s plans. Or, more specifically, the fist of a towering, obsidian mech and the boot of a yellow-garbed warrior. The Personas each lorded over the Shadow in size, and Tomoe’s kick thrust it into the overwhelming impact of a fist nearly as big as itself.

Tomoe leaped away with its support completed. This left Mikazuchi to follow through on its punch, forcefully ejecting the limp Shadow into the wall of monitors behind it. Its body shivered and jolted as currents from the broken screens flowed through it. A cascade of glass shards and sparks rained down over its prone form, but still it fought against the twitching and the copious dents in its metal shell to glare at its attacker. It looked past the immediate tower that was Mikazuchi, instead homing in on the human it spawned from. Kanji’s face was twisted, carved into a deep scowl, one that didn’t break against the burning hate in the Shadow’s eye.

“This ain’t a one-on-one. I don’t know what your beef with Senpai is, but you fuck with him, you fuck with the rest of us, got it?”

“...Hm. It seems I’ve let myself slip. To be outmaneuvered by gorilla...” Methodically, it pried itself from the wall, lifting up from it to hover over the assembled intruders. “You’ve proven able in cases with a numerical advantage, like so many ants swarming over a carcass. It would be pertinent of me, in this case, to shift the playing field.” One solid jolt washed over it, and with a flash of its eyes, the room was bathed in red. A droning alarm filled the air, and the lab beyond began to shake.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Footsteps. Scraping, metallic, overlapping in a way that made counting them impossible. But one thing was certain; they were getting closer.

“Guys, company in, like, ten seconds!” Rise’s eyes were darting over the data. Every pass through made her movements more manic, hasty, frightened. Then, in a moment of clarity, she realized where they would all be coming from. She jumped from Himiko’s visor and mustered up all her strength to drag the unconscious Naoto away from the wide open doorway behind them.

“I recall you having some choice words about my original Domineering Machine model.” The Shadow’s metal half was warping. From the inside, something was running through it, pushing its dents out and smoothing its chassis. It was healing itself, using the coming army as a smokescreen to carry out repairs. “You will find the new iteration far more prepared for your underhanded trickery.”

“Says the bastard sending a whole fleet of the damn things at us!” Kanji looked down at his shield. It was strong, but he didn’t think it could block out an ocean of angry steel.

“I hate to say it, but we need to split our strength.” Yosuke, with only a pair of tiny knives to his name, was looking increasingly useless against the robots trying to pincer them, but what he lacked in brute strength and armaments he made up for in planning. “Half of us need to hold off the backup while the other half takes out Naoto’s Shadow. If we can finish it off, it might call off the alarm, but we can’t do that if we’re steamrolled first.”

“It’s risky, but playing safe isn’t an option anymore.” Yu heaved back with all his weight to pry his sword from the ground. The tip was badly dented and scratched. Whatever was on the other side of the thin panels on the floor, it was a lot stronger than the visible sheets. “We’ll need to build a wall behind us. A few sturdy front liners, and a healer to...”

“You guys head out there.”

Yu’s thoughts screeched to a stop as he turned to make sure Kanji’s head was on straight. It was a rash decision of the sort he made in the middle of a rampage, but he appeared to be calm. More calm than usual. That glint in his eye, like sunlight on plate mail…

“Are you crazy!? You’d be taking on the big boss Shadow alone!” As ever, Yosuke felt like he was the only voice of reason in the room. The idea was a new level of absurd.

“It’s either I fight one-on-one in here, or whoever we send the other way is outnumbered even harder. This is the fairest split we’ve got.”

“I mean, yeah, but you won’t have any backup! Or healing! Or...”

“If you think I’m going to let anyone get through me with you guys on the other side, you’re dead wrong.” Kanji glowered back over his shoulder. It was a grim expression, but it didn’t budge. “Besides. I’ve got some shit I need to say. I don’t want you guys hearing me and thinking I’m a pansy for it.”

“...Let’s go.”

“Huh? Partner?”

“I mean it.” Yu stepped back, keeping an eye on the Shadow in case it tried anything while they were restructuring. It was still busy with its repairs, fortunately, but they needed to get moving. “When Kanji says something like that, he means it. He won’t let us down.” He nodded firmly to his friend, and Kanji’s bleak determination was split by a sharp, yet warm grin.

“You’re damn right I won’t!” Kanji planted a foot in the ground, a declaration that he wouldn’t be moved. “I’m counting on you to keep those big bastards off my ass, so count on me to do the same here.”

Yu nodded, and then he raised a hand, waving the others to follow him. He was the first through the door. Yosuke glanced back to Kanji in hesitation, but he relented, running after his partner. Chie’s departure wasn’t so quiet.

“You better be telling the truth, or I’ll never forgive you.”

“Heh, Hell hath no fury, right?” Kanji stretched his arm in, putting his hands against each other. The shield blocked how his fingers pressed at the inner rim from view, checking for something. “They’ll need you bad out there, Chie-senpai. Good luck.”

In a fit of some strong emotion, maybe anger, maybe the same unyielding spirit that possessed Kanji, she chased off after her new targets. Yukiko was close behind.

“Just yell if you need healing, and I’ll be here in a second.”

Teddie flipped around on his feet to draw attention to himself.

“I’ll be here twice as fast!”

Behind them by some margin, dragging Naoto with her, was Rise. She looked up at Kanji, pouting to hide the bad feeling festering in the pit of her stomach.

“I’ll be watching from Himiko, and I’ll run support if I can. Give it Hell, Kanji.”

“Don’t you worry, Rise.” The door zipped shut behind her, leaving Kanji on his own with the Shadow. Just him, and his opponent. “That’s what I do best.”

“Hmph. It seems Narukami’s arrogance has transferred to you, his loyal dog.”

The Shadow’s eyes flashed. Its procedure was complete, and as it floated up to overshadow its new subject, its shell stabilized. The Shadow was at full strength, as though it hadn’t taken the brunt of Mikazuchi’s strike.

“It ain’t being arrogant if you can bite as hard as your bark.” The insult was pointedly ignored. Kanji’s focus was singular. He couldn’t afford to get thrown off target by a cheap jab like that. “And you’ve done a lot of barking yourself. Maybe you’re the one chatting shit here, ever think of that?”

“I have no thoughts to spare on the thoughtless, but I will give you my thanks.” The Shadow lifted up its pistols. They vibrated in its hands, charging, overclocking. The bulbs at their tips were glowing from the heat they put off. “Once I’ve dissected you, I will be freed to spend more time tormenting Narukami for his crimes against me. First you, then him, then every other simpleton that has dared to look down on me.”

“That’s why you’re here, then, to prove all of us wrong?”

Kanji’s question received no response. Instead, it only leveled its guns and pulled the triggers. His first thought was to summon Mikazuchi to tank it, but then he saw that the beams were green, and the air around it was whipping like crazy. It was a mechanized wind spell. Lucky him, Mikazuchi was weak to that.

Second solution, then. He threw himself to the side, using his shield to slow his fall without putting all the force right on his arm. Its curved edge made it easier to roll out of the dive. By the time he was right side up again, two streams of concentrated air had cleaved through the ground, revealing the much shinier metal under the rusted iron plates. Back up above, the Shadow’s guns were smoking, and when it pulled the triggers, they clicked uselessly.

“Damn you, why didn’t you attempt to block it with your big head? Surely your skull would have been thick enough!”

“You really thought I was that dumb?” For the second time in the last week, Kanji saw right through someone’s plan. It was counting on him trying to take the hit, so it charged up its weapons to full power. A one shot kill. “Maybe I would’ve been a few months ago, thinking that’s the ‘manly’ thing to do, but a real man don’t let his pride get in the way of making good on his word!”

Kanji saw an opening. It was messing with its lasers, trying to get them to work again. Its focus was split, but he could push it further.

“Take-Mikazuchi!” He crushed the card in his left hand, but he held the crackling energy there, its glow blocked by his shield. The Shadow, blind to this, jumped back to attention, its head on a swivel.

“...Where is it? I heard the summoning mechanism, so where is that inferior scrap heap you call a machine?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know!?” With the Shadow’s attention diverted to finding the absent Mikazuchi, Kanji charged ahead, forcing it again to shift priorities. Its guns were still defunct, so it threw them aside, freeing its hands for a direct encounter. Its eyes blinked as it scanned him, and it tilted towards him, its engine pumping up for something big.

“You think your strength a match for mine? I am above human limits, you fool.” As though proving its point, its trusters kicked in, launching it towards Kanji. It was easily tripling his speed, maybe more than that. He couldn’t tell.

All he knew was that it had done exactly what he thought it would.

As the two neared a head-on collision, on the metallic, sturdy Shadow would have escaped with less damage, Kanji thrust his shield hand forward, throwing a ball of card dust and crackling magic in its face.

“Chew on that!” He dropped down to his knees, sliding under the now blinded Shadow. Normal dirt wouldn’t have been too effective on glass eyes, but the electricity dancing over its sensors must’ve been messing with something in there.

“Gyah, you filthy ape!” The Shadow clawed at its own eyes, further blinding itself, but it didn’t stop. It was putting distance between itself and Kanji. Its focus was all shattered. Between the opponent it knew and the blinding, biting haze on its sensors, it didn’t have an ounce of attention to spare to the cloud of dust flowing behind it. “When did you find the slightest stratagem in your hollow skull? You’re a brute, a neanderthal, yet you dare bare fangs at me!?”

“You ain’t the first one to call me all that shit.” Kanji allowed himself a bit of indulgence. It was time to uncork something that’d been brewing for a long while. “I’m a punk, the biggest bully and dipshit around, right? Everyone says it, everyone knows it. For a while, I thought that way myself. But you see, I learned something.”

The Shadow bumped into something. When it moved, it sounded like a machine, so it thought its own had torn through the rabble outside already. By the time it knew it was mistaken, Mikazuchi had already clenched both hands around one of its wings.

“When you act just because you want everyone looking down on you to piss off, you ain’t proving them wrong. If anything, you’re proving them right. I thought everyone hated me, so I turned into the biggest dick in town. No one made fun of Kanji Tatsumi.”

“Let go of me!”

Mikazuchi’s hold was tightening. No matter how the Shadow struggled, or how hard it fired its thrusters, the mighty bulk holding it down was too resolute to move.

“I thought everyone hated me because I was a sissy, a man playing with dolls and sewing needles. I was wrong, though. They hated me because I acted like a complete douche. They thought I was bad news, so I turned into bad news. I turned into exactly what the people I hated wanted to see me as.”

The Shadow was kicking at Mikazuchi’s stomach now. His hide was as sturdy as the rest of him, but the same couldn’t be said of the Shadow’s wing. The metal was breaking away. The seam between its body and wing was pulling open, revealing a mess of tangled wires that sparked and sizzled from the strain.

“It took a long time to learn what I was doing wrong. It took someone who saw me for what I really was, under the mountain of bullshit I built up to hide in.” Kanji looked down at his hands. They weren’t rough and scarred like someone might expect of a punk like him. He held a shield well, but he worked better with more delicate stuff. He knew that now.

“What I’m saying is, you’re a fucking hypocrite.”

At the sound of Kanji’s nail hitting home, Mikazuchi’s hand clamped shut. The Shadow screamed in agony as its wing was reduced to pulp, and it fell, a stream of torn wires cascading over it from its wound. It pushed itself up, fighting through the tremors rippling over it.

“You… Y-y-y-you...” Its electrical circuits were all draining out through its torn wing. None of its systems were getting an adequate charge. It slowly rewired itself on the inside, but it wouldn’t have enough time for a full repair. It staggered forward, constantly dropping back to its hands as its legs failed to hold it up. “What gives you any right to compare the two of us? I am the superior being. I am a famed detective, and you are nothing. I am...”

“If you’re so smart, then you know you’re not convincing me.” Kanji crossed his arms and recalled Mikazuchi with a flick of his neck. Now, it was just between him and the Shadow. “I guess that means you’re trying to convince yourself. Again.”

The Shadow was shaking. Not from its gears. Not from its wounds or its failing power grid. No, these tremors came from its human side. Its stiff skin was twisting. Its mouth opened, and had its lungs still been intact, it would have snarled.

“I WILL CUT YOU DOWN!”

All power was rerouted to its thrusters, and it threw itself forward. The loss of a wing made its flight roughshod and uncontrolled, but Kanji wasn’t running. All he did was pull his shield to his opposite side, ready to bat the Shadow like a baseball. He didn’t hide that much, unlike the hand slipping under the shield’s brim.

The Shadow came in close, but then, it stopped, and pulsed back. It saw his shield coming out, swinging where it would have been had it kept going. Its bait taken, the Shadow put all power towards one more forward thrust.

It was only then, after the shield had passed and it was nearing another collision, that it realized the only trap sprung was Kanji’s. In his right hand, clenched tight, was the short blade hidden in his shield.

He thrust forward, and between his immense strength and the Shadow’s unstoppable momentum, the sword tore clean through its mechanized shoulder. It only stopped when its hilt crunched against its outer hull, and, though he grunted from the effort and skid several feet, Kanji was untoppled. The Shadow sat there, stunned, held up by the sword cutting through yet more of its vital circuitry. Kanji leaned forward, and he whispered, a course, exerted growl.

“Told you I wasn’t that stupid.”

The Shadow looked up at him. Shaking. Jittering. Twitching.

Screaming.

“Damn you!”

At once, the Shadow’s hands launched up, grabbing the sides of Kanji’s head. Its grip was strong, but not enough to crush him. It had lost too much power for that. Instead, it thought back to the trick first used on it, between the robot and the warrior. Its engine revved to life one last time, and it threw the last of its power into a downward thrust. Kanji yelled in pain as his back crashed into the ground, cracking through the tiles and leaving a dent in the material beneath. But the Shadow was still pushing.

“I will not be looked down on any longer! I won’t! I won’t!” Its force doubled, and though they barely moved, the pressure was making it hard for Kanji to breathe. He gasped between grunts of pain, but little air found its way in. “You will not insult me again, you or anyone else! I will have respect, or I will have your blood, Tatsumi…!”

“Enough.”

A loud bang echoed through the room. Maybe it was all the blood rushing through his ears, but Kanji’s hearing went dull as it punched through his brain. He could still feel the hands on his head letting loose, though, and he dully heard a second bang. The Shadow let go of him fully now, and its dark figure backed away.

In the metal half of its head, there were two clean holes, both scant inches from its eye. It looked to the doorway it had been too busy rampaging to hear, where Naoto now stood. Her body was limp, her expression somewhere between melancholic and hateful. She leaned against the door frame, her hat drooped over to cover one eye. The other stared unflinchingly at the Shadow, down the barrel of her gun.

“How can you expect anyone’s respect, when you don’t respect yourself?”

A third shot rang. This one was followed by cracking glass as the eye on the Shadow’s human half was punctured. It stood there for several moments, just staring, as though it was failing to recognize what happened. Then, the light in its last eye fizzled out. Its limbs stiff and joints hardened, the Shadow tilted, then fell. It crashed to the floor, its hat rolling away from it and the wires on its back, once sparking uncontrollably, went still. The sword embedded in its shoulder was jammed the rest of the way through and clattered to the ground beside it. A black haze bubbled up through its skin, hissing through the cracks in its metal half like steam, and soon, the mutated abomination it had become was swallowed up.

As the transformation reversed, Naoto’s arm went limp. She numbly put her gun back in its holster before she could drop it, then she looked up at Kanji, sprawled out in the crater he had been used to create.

“Are you all right, Tatsumi-san?”

“Me? Yeah.” His voice was much too hoarse for his claim to be taken seriously. The only movement he seemed able to make under his own power was grinning in some last ditch effort to reaffirm his claim. “Not everyday you get to stab a cyborg with a sword, so I’m feeling pretty good. Hey, could someone pick that up for…?”

“You big dummy!”

Ahead of everyone else, Rise came screaming through the door like a thing possessed. Her fury only burned brighter when she saw Kanji with her own watering eyes. She dropped down next to him and firmly grabbed his shoulder, trying to pull him up and possibly throttle his arm at the same time.

Kanji’s bravado immediately died, giving way to clenched teeth and an unrestrained hiss of agony.

“Ack! Rise, hey, yelling later, healing now! Shit!”

Rise recoiled and slowly let him lay back down, but her scowl/pout combo remained.

“Fine, but you’re getting an earful from me later. Telling us not to worry, now look at you.”

“Here, I think I can fix that.” Yukiko knelt by him next, her hands already glowing green with healing magic. Her skin was starting to go pale, though.

“You sure about that, Yukiko-senpai? You’re looking kinda...”

“Drained? Yeah.” Her smile was tired, but she didn’t let it stop her. “Turns out, Naoto-kun’s Shadow fixed the ice weakness, but accidentally made it weak to fire. Between that and healing, I’m kind of wiped.”

“I’ll help!” Teddie didn’t run to Kanji’s aid, but only because he wasn’t on his feet at all. Instead, he was riding on top of Kintoki-Douji. His costume was looking kind of flattened, probably a mix of the air pressure and getting the stuffing knocked out of him out there, but he was still as peppy as ever. That was almost as much of a booster for Kanji as the second flow of Diarama being pumped into him.

“Thanks, guys. I owe you...”

“No you don’t.” Rise’s temper had abated somewhat, letting an ounce of gratitude slip through her angry facade. “Just get better so I can nag you or something.”

“Heh, got it.”

Naoto couldn’t explain the warmth she felt seeing all of them swarm to Kanji’s aid. Their care for him was almost palpable. She would try putting it to words later. For now, she had other things to do. The black for parted, and her Shadow, fully human once more, stood there, quiet and complacent. If there were ever a time to face it, now was that time.

“I… really am a fool, aren’t I?” She didn’t feel the need to pad the blow. Trying to cover the issue would only cast a new shadow on her heart. She looked into the darkness, and the dark looked back, waiting for her response. “I’ve spent my whole life trying to live up to the legacy of those who came before me. My parents, my grandfather, all respected detectives. So when I started gaining fame as my grandfather’s assistant, and then as a detective in my own right, I internalized the family pride as my own. But, that wasn’t all I took to heart, unfortunately.”

Naoto stepped closer to her other self. Seeing it in that over-sized lab coat, she understood the greater truth her heart had materialized into. It took great effort on her part, but she reached out and pushed it from the Shadow’s shoulders, letting the childish disguise fall to the floor.

“Those I worked with didn’t take kindly to working with a child. They didn’t care for being… competed against by someone so young. Really, my womanhood was a mere garnish next to what they truly found distasteful, but as the police are already a male-oriented occupation, it became a focal point to my detractors. And I allowed it to become my own focus as well.”

Looking down at herself, at her own disguise meant to garner respect, she couldn’t help but realize how childish it was as well.

“I wanted their respect, so I sanded off what I thought they hated and tried acting in a way they couldn’t possibly degrade me for. I wanted to prove them wrong, prove to them that I wasn’t just a child, but letting them influence my behavior, I allowed them to shape who I am. I wasn’t establishing myself. I was only hiding myself. My insecurities, my identity, my very body. All things I allowed them to twist into something I was, and still am, ashamed of. It seems Tatsumi was more correct than I’d like to admit in his analysis of my character.”

“You don’t got shit to be ashamed of.” Kanji’s voice was quiet, but it still carried a sturdiness in his certainty that let it travel far. “Chick or not, you’re still a damn smart person. You just have the same problem as the rest of us. It takes a lot of hard work to shape yourself instead of letting everyone else do it for you.”

“That it does. That it does.” Naoto nodded in agreement. Then, she reached out and put her hands on her other self’s shoulders. “You’re the parts of myself I was really trying to hide. My gender was just the surface, in essence, only another layer in the disguise. You’re my insecurities, my fear of being seen as a child in a world for adults. You’re me, I’m you, but I swear, I’m done being afraid. I will face myself, and earn my own respect.”

The chill of the Shadow’s skin vanished. It was starting to feel warm, now, and the terror Naoto found staring back at her in the mirror was no longer there. She saw herself, and for the first time in many years, she was able to smile. Her reflection smiled back.

Then, it erupted in a blinding blue light. When the flash faded, her human double was gone. Standing in its place was an even smaller entity. It almost looked like a toy robot, no longer so affixed on making its mechanized parts look cool. Somehow, that self-assured form made it more respectable. Its head was made of a smooth, blue metal with a big yellow ‘v’ set over its red ring eyes. A cape-like set of wings rested on its back. Despite the rest of its fictitious, yet understated appearance, its suit was finely pressed. It was young, yes, but it was no less of a detective for it.

This was a self Naoto could find pride in.

Her reborn self faded into the light, but she felt it hadn’t gone away. It lingered in every strong beat of her heart, a certainty in herself that had been numbly absent for so long. Real certainty instead of bluster. It was… nice.

Much less agreeable was the sudden exhaustion that overtook her. She nearly dropped to the ground, but someone rushed up to grab her, holding her up by the shoulders. She looked up with the intent of giving her gratitude, but instead, she was filled with shock.

Yu had come to her aid, but he had, at some point, taken off the mask of his costume. His skin was as pale as Yukiko’s, and he was dripping in sweat from the fight. He was careful not to get any of it on her, though, and completely gone was any sense of condescension she had long associated with him. In its place, she found only pride, but pointed outwards. At her?

“Don’t worry. That tiredness fades after a few days of rest. You need help getting back to our world? It’s a bit of a long walk.”

Naoto didn’t know how to respond. To his credit, though he didn’t say anything, the look in his eyes said he understood her confusion. Perhaps that meant he would be willing to explain himself clearly for once?

“I… suppose I could use some help. My legs feel kind of numb.”

“Hey, hows about I help you out, then? Senpai’s kind of wobbling himself, you know.” The healing magic faded, and Kanji launched himself to his feet. He was stretching out his back when Rise turned on him, any need to hold back now gone with the wind.

“Only because he was being as much of a dummy as you! Seriously, you both thought turning yourselves into walls was a smart idea!?”

“In my defense...” Yu had trouble finding the exact right words to actually defend himself. He looked more embarrassed than anything. “Orochi was able to take a lot of the heat off of everyone else.”

“At the cost of you soaking up that damage yourself.” If Chie hadn’t been limping into the room, she looked half ready to tear into the boys herself. “Why is everyone on this team so freaking reckless?” Yosuke hovered near her in the event that she needed someone to catch her. For now, though, he was free to roll his eyes.

“Welcome to my world.”

“And then there’s all that stuff you were saying about yourself!” It seems Rise hadn’t been derailed by the continuing conversation around her. She was quite good at filtering out distractions when she was pissed. “Sure, you can be dumb sometimes, really dumb. But you’re a great guy! How dare you call yourself all of those horrible things when we’re right here?”

“Wait.” The wind was taken out of Kanji’s sails. All he had left was the pink rising to his cheeks. “You, uh, heard all that?”

“Uh, duh! You’ve got a mouth like a freaking fog horn! I didn’t even need Himiko to hear you!”

“Oh. Well, uh.” Kanji scratched at the back of his neck, hunting for a way to salvage the situation. “At least you guys know how much I appreciate you now, right?”

“As if we didn’t already know.” Yu’s smile was warm, accepting. Naoto was leaning against him for support as they made their way towards Kanji. “You did good today, man. However much you appreciate us, we feel the same way back. That’s a promise.”

“Aw crap, Senpai.” Kanji was kind of deflating under all the praise, whether it was given in a barbed manner or not. “Here I thought I said I didn’t want to sound like a pansy, but you’re making it real freaking tough.”

“Uh, guys?” Back atop Kintoki-Douji, Teddie was fighting to pull his suit back into shape, but it was easier said than done. “Can we go now? My beautiful fur is going to lose its fluffiness at this rate.”

“Yeah. Let’s do that, and stop talking about me for a sec.” Kanji was more than happy to oblige. He nodded Naoto over, and while she expected to just lean against him like she had Yu, she was surprised when he got down to a knee to let her up on his back.

“Are you… making a joke about my size?”

“What? No.” He was matter-of-fact in his response. “After popping your own Shadow to save my ass, I owe you at least this much. Hop on, we’ve got good seats back at the hideout to catch our breath on.”

It was a bit awkward to say the least, accepting so much help from someone she had insulted so thoroughly… a few days ago? Time was difficult to track in the other world. Either way, she swore to herself she would apologize for that in full, when she wasn’t about to pass out from exhaustion. As she climbed up on Kanji’s broad back, he found a few more words to give.

“And for what it’s worth, you’re manlier than a lot of guys I know. Don’t gotta be a man to be manly.”

Naoto found herself laughing at that. It helped that she knew Kanji wasn’t able to be anything but blunt.

“I seem to recall you mentioning something about that before. I believe your words were, ‘Most of the girls I know are freaking scary.’”

“And now one of ‘em is packing heat. You’re only making what I said more true, you know.”

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you’re okay, Kanji?”

“Yeah. I’m good.”

Naoto long had her eye on the team’s little hideout in the woods. What purpose did it serve? Obviously it had to be for something big. It was relatively secluded in an area people were psychologically inclined to avoid after having been inhabited only by a biker gang for years. It screamed “nefarious goings on” almost as loud as the laboratory her subconscious apparently crafted.

The seclusion certainly helped make their passage into the other world easier. How they managed to not be spotted for the months before they moved the television they used as a gate out of Junes was a mystery, or perhaps it was just strong logistics on Yosuke’s part. That ease of entrance was helpful, but it wasn’t the main point, or so Naoto was surmising now.

Truthfully, it was just really nice having somewhere to crash after hours of fighting monsters.

Naoto wanted to get home soon, as her grandfather must have been worried sick, but she needed to build up the energy to make it there first. Days in the other world left her feeling… hollow, she supposed. She felt like one strong wind would blow her away, as if the fog had seeped into her being. Her Persona held her sense of self steadily in place, she noticed, but it didn’t help the rubbery feeling in her muscles.

However, the others had it worse, she admitted. Where she was passively sapped by the fog and her Shadow, they actively fought against both. Kanji and Yu in particular were in rough shape. Almost as soon as they returned, Yu collapsed into a reclining chair and clocked out. He was fast asleep. Judging by how no one lowered their voice in light of his sudden onset of unconsciousness, Naoto gathered that he was out cold and would remain like that for a long while.

Naoto herself was on one side of the couch. Kanji was at the other, and Yukiko was looking him over. She took her role as the team’s medic quite seriously, even as Kanji protested.

“I’m telling ya, I just need to sit down for a minute. My back should straighten itself out. Not like you have your magic here anyway, you know.”

“I may not have magic, but I do have some medical training.” Yukiko’s firm stance wavered a little, and she looked aside in embarrassment. “I mean, enough to help guests at the Inn if there’s an emergency, but I should be able to tell if something’s wrong.”

“Then you should see that I’m telling you the truth.” Hearing his words alone, one might assume that Kanji was being abrasively defensive. His tone didn’t help much, either, but seeing him as he acted in the other world helped Naoto get a more accurate reading of him.

That wasn’t raw contempt in his eyes. It was concern, and quite a potent dose of it.

“Seriously, you should rest, too. You wrung yourself dry keeping us on our feet.”

“...Fine.” When Yukiko relented and sat down, it was like she let herself feel how tired she was. The way she was wavering in her seat and the distanced glaze over her eyes were both key signs that she was feeling lightheaded, at least. Chie noticed it before Naoto, though, and was already rubbing her back. Satonaka was perhaps the only person in the room who still had some energy to give.

Well, her and one other.

“Just… gotta… push here and…!” The big blue bear head popped back into the right shape, and Teddie sighed with relief, holding the restored costume to his chest lovingly. “There we go! All fixed and handsome again.”

“Aw gross, you got Shadow slime on this thing!” Yosuke was working in spite of how tired he was. The bags under his eyes were deep enough to carry a month of groceries, but he was still working himself down to the nub, picking bits of dried black ooze from Teddie’s suit. That had to say something about the mentality he built up as a lifelong retail worker. “You get to wash it next time. This stuff is nasty.”

“Heh heh, thanks.”

Naoto’s curiosity was reaching the end of its rope. Now that she was “in the group,” maybe she could get one or two things straightened out.

“May I ask what’s so special about that suit of his?” She wasn’t going to delve into full detail about what she meant. She would keep its lack of traceable material, and how its fibers matched those of Teddie’s actual hair, to herself for the time being, if only because she didn’t have enough mental fortitude left to unravel everything.

“Oh, it used to be my body.”

Perhaps it was the previously mentioned weariness taking its toll, but Naoto had no means to make that answer sound less confusing. How lost she was must have been obvious, at least to Yosuke.

“He lives in the other world. When we first ran into him, he was just an empty suit that talked a lot. When he grew himself a human body, don’t ask, he came over here with us. But he still talks a lot. Actually, I think he talks more now.”

“I see...” Naoto really didn’t see. And there she was thinking she was prepared for anything after her own little escapade.

“Oh, and I can still control it like it’s my body! Here, watch.” Teddie promptly popped his mascot head on over his real one. The size and curvature of it suggested that it should have rolled around over him without a base to rest on, like a bobble head, but it seemed to lock in place as soon as it touched down.

Then it blinked. And the mouth, which should have been stitched on, moved.

“See? Human and bear, I’m the best of both worlds!”

Well, that answered one question, perhaps even two if she made the short leap in reasoning that he used his own suit’s design and/or materials while crafting his human form. But then, that lead to an entirely different branch of questions. The scope of this topic was starting to overwhelm her. She groaned in exhaustion.

“I think that’s enough questions for now.”

“I hear you. This stuff is a bit much to take in all at once.” Yosuke nodded in sympathy, then pulled the bear head off of Ted. “You cleaned the inside of this thing, too, right? You have a shift tomorrow, and you probably don’t want to spend it with your head stuck in more Shadow goo.”

“Yes, I did! I swear I… Is that a juice stain? How did that get between the eyes in here?”

“Ugh...”

“Actually, there’s one thing I need cleared up.” Kanji looked over at her from his side of the couch, idle curiosity shifting his expression. “You were talking back there like you already knew what Shadows and Personas and all that are. How is that?”

The bottom of Naoto’s stomach threatened to drop out. It would have been easy to just throw the blame at Yu’s feet, since he was technically the source of the leak. He ordered Izanagi to tell her that, so, by extension, Yu told her, but she didn’t want to destabilize an effective team by shaking their trust in their leader. Before she could come up with a convincing lie or half-truth, Yu stirred, as if summoned by necessity.

“That would be me.”

“Huh?” Rise popped to attention from her half-sleeping state. She shared a glance with Naoto, a knowing look, before returning to Yu. “What do you mean?”

“It’s about time I admitted something to you guys.” Yu scratched at the back of his neck nervously, and it wasn’t a false front as far as Naoto could tell. He was too bleary from waking up to lie effectively. “I’ve actually been trading information with her, telling her about what only we know to get access to what she knew.”

“Wait, so then… Kubo?” Chie’s mind jumped a long way back, and Yu nodded in confirmation.

“Yeah. Naoto’s the one who gave me the file with all of the evidence on Mitsuo Kubo’s case. In exchange, I confirmed that we were conducting our own investigation and saving victims.”

Naoto noticed a slight omission from his admission. That wasn’t the only piece of information she received in their first trade. It covered two points, but not the third. But then, her third question had little bearing on the present conversation.

“Why didn’t you tell us that, partner?” Yosuke looked somewhat confused. Any other emotion he felt was kept to himself, but that little hint was enough to make Yu’s features wilt in shame.

“I guess… You could call it pride. Or arrogance, rather.” Hearing that admission from Yu was an utter shock to Naoto. That he would use the same word to define himself as Izanagi did… “I didn’t want to admit that we needed help, let alone from someone who once believed I was the killer. But we did need it, desperately. Kubo’s case was rubbing me the wrong way, and, let’s face it, we hadn’t made any headway towards finding the real killer ourselves. I figured, worst case scenario, we would confirm that Mitsuo was a copycat.”

“Best case, you’d be helping someone else track the real bastard down.” Kanji nodded as he followed along. “You know, it wasn’t a bad plan. Wish you’d told us about it sooner.”

“I know, and...” Yu swallowed dryly. The words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat. He was struggling with them, his instinct conflicting with what he knew needed to be said. “I should have trusted you all with this, or asked you before making the trade. I’m sorry.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it.” Yosuke waved it off. A smile broke through to the surface. “You were doing what you thought would bring this crazy train to an end. And, to be fair, we might have still been hung up on that whole her accusing you thing at the time. You’re better at thinking objectively than us.”

“You know, it kind of makes sense.” Rise looked around the room, lingering for a moment longer on Naoto. “If you had already been telling her stuff, then the next thing to do would have been bringing her onto the team. Were you trying to get around to saying sorry when you told us about that plan before?”

“Yeah. I just, couldn’t find the words. You know?”

“Hold on a moment.” Naoto heard something there. Something that had the potential to make her feel quite ridiculous. “Did you just say that you were planning on recruiting me yourselves?”

“Yep.” Kanji’s response was as direct as ever. “Apparently, Senpai was going to ask us about it, but then he saw you on the Midnight Channel. Seriously, it would’ve been the next day.” Kanji shifted in his seat awkwardly. “I was gonna rub it in your face, but that’d just feel tacky now.”

“I can’t believe it.” Naoto lowered her head into her hands, clutching the ridges of her skull desperately. “Are you really insinuating that, if I hadn’t gotten myself kidnapped, I would have been invited to aid your investigation anyway?”

“Well, yeah. Pretty much.” Yosuke was starting to feel Naoto’s embarrassment vicariously. “But hey, you have a Persona now, and you got some junk off your chest. That’s gotta feel good, right?”

“I suppose so, but still.” Naoto closed her eyes. It was the only logical step after covering them. But then, she started to tilt forward, her body sensing its chance to shut down and finally sleep. She jolted awake and blinked, forcing back the urge.

“Whoa there!” Kanji was already on his feet, ready to catch her. He backed up after she caught herself, but he was still at the ready. “You alright?”

“Ah, yes. Just tired.” It felt like she had gone days without sleep. Come to think of it, had she slept over there? It was all fuzzy and blurred, lost in the fog of her mind.

“We should get you home, before you pass out here.” Yu pushed himself to his feet, gradually, slowly, like a stone golem prying free of its own rocky frame.

“I can help her get back, Senpai.”

“You’re recovering from an injury. I’m just a bit worn.” Yu put a hand on Kanji’s shoulder, giving him a wry grin. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough after fighting a Shadow one-on-one and carrying her all the way here yourself? Leave some work for the rest of us.”

“Well… When you put it like that.” Kanji sat back down, something his body greatly thanked him for. He relented, giving Rise room to jump in.

“But you better get your butt home and sleep when you’re done, too. Got it, Senpai?”

“I will, don’t worry.” Yu chuckled at the forceful order being given to him. Only Naoto was privy to how absurd this interaction was in the grand scheme. But again, she didn’t need to bring it up. “Are you ready to head back, Naoto?”

“Yes, I am.” The process of standing was a mite difficult. Her joints and muscles didn’t want to bend correctly, but she managed to brute force her way to her feet all the same. “Grandfather must be worried sick, I’m sure.”

“Get home safe!” Rise gave her the bubbliest goodbye she could, bringing Naoto’s attention to her. They shared one last look. Rise’s face went eerily calm. She pulled the tip of her phone out of her pocket and tapped it, all while staring directly into her eyes. Naoto nodded in understanding.

“I will, I assure you.”

Chapter Text

The amber glow of sundown had given way to violet hues of night. The array of stars above, seemingly revolving around the full moon, was a stunning sight, but Naoto supposed the locals were quite used to the spectacle. Or perhaps she was just relieved to look up and see something besides yellow fog or rusted sheets of choking metal. She certainly felt more free now, though whether that was more in body or mind, she was uncertain.

Yu’s presence didn’t lend her closure in that regard. This was the man who had not a month prior swung a sword at her head, and who had done his level best to maintain some semblance of superiority over her no matter how close she came to uncovering his secrets.

Now, though, he seemed… off. She was used to seeing his two faces: the brilliant, cool headed leader of his team and the conniving, yet oddly truthful schemer that lurked in the darkest corners. She had added the polite, but merciless Izanagi to the faces she associated with him, but that still didn’t account for the unreadable neutrality she saw in him now. It was almost like being accompanied by a terracotta statue. At least he was in his street clothes now. She would have been even more confused if he was still wearing that ridiculous armor.

An awkward silence sat between them for a number of miles. Neighborhoods came and went, but neither said a word since leaving their little shack in the park. She knew he wouldn’t have offered to accompany her in private if he had nothing to say, as he wasn’t the sort for such wasted air when there was much to be done, so she wracked her brain for a way to begin whatever discussion he had planned before losing his courage.

“It appears you’re as good as your word, Narukami-san. Even though you despise me, you still came to save me.” It was, perhaps, a bit barbed of an opener, but it was the most direct route to the problem she could come up with. It bore fruit, too, making the formless clay of his expression droop.

“What is a man if he goes back on his promises? Nothing, I wager.” His eyes drifted to the side, away from her, staring into the grass along the side of the road. “Not that it can replace a lack of substance.”

Naoto repressed the urge to raise an eyebrow. That sounded like introspection to her ear, something she had become intimately familiar with over the last week or so. Yu straightened himself out, but the loss of cohesion on his brow remained.

“You’re probably surprised that I admitted to our meetings, aren’t you?”

“In all honesty, I don’t know how to feel about that.” It was an instance of his two prior behaviors clashing. While she knew him as one who hid much, he was also forthcoming to and about his friends. Was this indicative of which aspect of him was greater?

“You’re not alone there. Definitely not.” A wry grin rose to his face, but there was an undercurrent of bitterness that made it feel forced. “I can hear all those years of training screaming at me for it. Let me tell you, they are quite loud.”

“Ah, so there’s a special training regiment for turning out a Narukami, then?”

A chuckle split Yu’s lips. It was rich enough to overcome the bitterness, though tints of it remained.

“I don’t know about the others, but Mother never let a day pass without drilling some lesson into me. A diet of greed on my silver spoon, you might call it.” The momentary flicker of real life was soon quashed again by the clay falling back into place, leaving only cold regret. “Listen. I wanted to… apologize. For everything.”

Naoto was immediately skeptical. She wanted to deny it as some ploy at first, but then she remembered his vow. He didn’t lie. He only dressed up the truth. Tried as she might, she couldn’t find any nefarious angle to view his statement from. Furthermore, he had already admitted some of his machinations to those he had the most reason to hide his worst self from.

“My, what could have brought this out of you? I don’t recall any hesitation when you almost cut my head off.”

Yu cringed at the memory, as if he were the one being threatened with a blade.

“I want to blame the alcohol, but we both know that’s not an excuse.”

That certainly lined up with Izanagi’s explanation. Of course, Yu didn’t know that she already knew about his inebriation that night, so she needed to play it as though it was a revelation.

“You didn’t seem that drunk to me.”

“Again, training. If the other guy loses more composure than you, it’s easier to turn a contract in your favor. All the better in my case, since no one wants to claim they were under the influence while making a deal with a kid, preventing the chance that they might claim the contract as null. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book.” Yu twisted his face into the hungering beast Naoto knew lurked somewhere in him, but she sensed in its exaggeration that he was mocking himself. It was hard not to laugh at the kabuki-esque display. “And I know them all.”

That last point, for as overplayed as his delivery was, sounded quite serious. It seemed to pull him back down to Earth, like a lead balloon.

“I know how to make alliances without truly investing myself in them, and I know how to frighten enemies while appearing the reasonable party. That night, though, I think I flubbed both points. I intimidated a potential ally, and in doing so, made myself look the part of a crazed lunatic. I have no excuse for my actions.”

Naoto nodded simply. It was an acknowledgment with no judgment, though she had several judgments she wanted to pass.

“If you would humor me for a while, how would you excuse it if pressed?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” He shrugged, slipping deeper into the clay. “That pride I told everyone about, I think that played some part in it. The training, too. ‘Never trust a detective,’ I was told. ‘If they’re not on your payroll, they’re an obstacle.’ What a joke...” Yu put a hand to his face, trying to hide the twinge of anger deforming his eyes. “Didn’t I ever consider that, if a detective was suspicious of me, maybe I was in the wrong? No, of course not. It’s never our fault. It’s everyone else’s for not going along with our plans.”

Naoto was beginning to feel like she wasn’t a part of this conversation anymore. He was talking to himself, or, more aptly, yelling at himself under his breath. Chewing himself out. Although, the use of the plural ‘our’ suggested he was also targeting at least one other person with his words. If anything, Naoto was an enabler for a tirade that had been repressed and fermenting for a long time.

“Hell, maybe I wasn’t supposed to ‘consider’ anything. From the moment I was born, it was just, scenario A, response B, outcome C. You see a situation, you create a roll to fill it, and you play that roll until you get what you want. Then you discard it all and move onto the next one. Like some damn machine having formulas punched into it. Like my only real roll to fill was to print money. Well maybe I’m sick of it!”

Despite herself, hearing Yu raise his voice, that shook Naoto. He always acted like he was in control, no matter what side of him was showing. Now, that shell had been broken, and she saw the writhing tendrils beneath it lashing without direction. It was like watching an old god go mad.

“ Enough of the money talk, enough backstabbing, cloak-and-dagger bullshit! Enough treating ourselves like gods when we’re lower than the fucking dirt! Enough…!”

Yu jumped when Naoto put her hand on his shoulder. With his yelling halted, he realized that he was breathing heavy and sweating. The wind was gone, and he wilted. The clay reformed over him, but it only added to how tired he looked.

“...Sorry. I, don’t know what got into me.”

“I think I might.” Before Naoto could explain, she noticed that she heard running water in the distance. It seemed they were only a few blocks from the Samegawa. It wouldn’t be that much of a diversion to go past it instead of the direct route home. “This way. The river clears your mind, correct?” Yu looked up at her with slow, troubled eyes, but the smile that lit them was real.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

-

When they arrived, Yu all but collapsed onto the top step leading to the riverside. It was close enough for him to sink into its ambiance. Naoto joined him there, but she remained silent for a spell, giving him a chance to realign himself.

Suddenly, something ran across Naoto’s lap and landed next to Yu. Before she could jump away, she saw him reach up to pet the intruder. It was then that she recognized it as a fox. Its face was scarred, and it wore a red, heart-dotted apron around its neck.

“Sorry, but I don’t have anything to eat on me today.”

The fox leaned into him, as if assuring him that it was fine. It reminded Naoto of a service animal trained for patients with anxiety issues.

“You’ve certainly accrued some… interesting friends.”

“That I have.” Yu soaked in the warmth of his furry friend, but a part of him looked all the colder for it. Naoto was confused by the distortion of her perception of Yu, but at the same time, something about it made sense.

“Would you mind if I made a few observations?”

“No, go ahead.” Yu was staring listlessly into the water. At any rate, he looked much too drained to continue his tirade even if he wanted to.

“Very well. It seems to me that you’ve failed to be honest with yourself for a long time.” Naoto watched him closely for any reaction. He was still for now, but there was no telling when that would change. “You said before that you were used to creating roles. That’s what you’ve done here. You saw positions that needed to be filled in your friend group and in Yasogami and proceeded to craft a self to fill them. Am I correct?”

“More or less.”

Still nothing. So far, she must have been covering ground he expected her to notice. She needed to dig deeper.

“However, that’s only one end of the equation. For every role you create, you must throw away the one preceding it. Until recently, you’ve only discarded temporary positions, but now you’re trying to apply your technique to something deeper.”

His eyes were drooping. She was getting closer.

“You weren’t trying to replace some fictitious role. You’re trying to establish a complete new identity by discarding the version of yourself you view as corrupted. You don’t want to be a Narukami any longer. You want to be Yu.”

“Yeah. That’s about it.” Yu reached up to scritch under the fox’s chin. He worked up a little bit of energy. “I always wondered why uncle decided to take his wife’s family name, considering the prestige he comes from, but now I know. It’s more a weight around my neck than anything.”

“But that’s not the end of the matter, now is it?” Naoto dug in her heels. If she was digging, she was going to reach the bottom. “You underestimated the difference between a role and an identity. For as much as you tried to leave your old self behind, it keeps surfacing whenever you encounter scenarios familiar to your old life. That’s why you’ve despised me for so long. That’s why your first instinct is ploys and long games. For as much as you want to change, you’re still the same person at heart.”

He flinched at the verbal assault. She was breaking new ground.

“And people say I’m ruthless. You’re not in the mood for mercy, are you?”

Naoto shook her head, and Yu smiled softly.

“Good. I don’t deserve it anyway.”

Something became excruciatingly clear to Naoto in that moment. She was told that a Persona was the actualization of someone’s real self. If this was the case, then that would imply that Izanagi’s disdain for Yu was reflective of an aspect of Yu himself. Now she saw what that aspect was. She suspected self-loathing for a long while, but she hadn’t found the reasoning behind it. Now that she could identify it, perhaps she could help mitigate it. After all, the Yu she saw when he wasn’t reverting was a stand up individual who she had no qualms aiding in his time of need. If it helped deal with the version of him she hated at the same time, all the better.

“You know, your friends strike me as the forgiving sorts. Were you to tell them all of this directly, I’m certain they would accept it and help you.” Naoto’s suggestion was genuine, but it still made Yu recoil.

“I… wish I could tell them. Believe me, I want nothing more than to be honest with them. But this conflict of self isn’t my only problem.” Yu tried to pull his hand away from the fox, but it pushed forward, forcing him to stay in contact. He relented, leaving his hand where it was. “It’s one thing to deal with internal hangups, but outward actions are something else entirely. I can’t just take those back. No matter who I become, who I want to become, it won’t change the fact that I was willing to hurt people.”

Naoto’s eyes narrowed. She was aware of his ravenous accumulation of power, but the specifics alluded her. As such, she couldn’t justify trying to soothe his worries. Not when doing so might passively dismiss real crimes. She needed more information.

“What exactly are you referring to?”

His eyes drifted away from her again. Perhaps she could lighten the mood somewhat. She wasn’t particularly good at the “good cop” routine, but she saw its value.

“It couldn’t be as bad as attempting to behead someone.”

Yu didn’t react to the joke directly, probably because she wasn’t that great at telling jokes, but it did bleed some of the tension from his face.

“The only thing making it a lesser crime is that I wouldn’t be holding a bloody sword at the end. In every other way, though...” His explanation slowed to a stop. Despite his stated desire to change, he seemed to have trouble looking at his old self’s actions directly. “If I were to tell you what it was, I’m afraid it would make it harder to work with me on this case. It’s the same reason I can’t tell everyone else. If it came out, our team would fall apart, and a murderer would go free. I’m not about to risk everything we’ve both been working for just because I’m sad. That’s the exact kind of selfish bullshit I’m trying to make up for.”

That was an odd stroke of irony. He desired change, but it was the strength of his earnest desire that prevented him from changing. He was trapped in his own webs. Were she not seeing half of a decent human being in him, as well as his position at the center of the investigation, she would find it cathartic. As it was, this might have been as much of a threat as he claimed it to be. Assuming that his actions were as bad as he claimed, too.

“Once this is all over, though…” Yu looked up, staring at his reflection in the water. Was that resignation in his eyes, or determination? She couldn’t tell. “Naoto. I know you owe me nothing, but could you do something for me?” Naoto wasn’t expecting a request, but that was no reason to turn it down. She had plenty of valid reasons already.

“It depends on what you’re asking.”

“Sooner or later, we’ll find the killer. After that, I’ll be out of excuses. One month. If more than one month passes after our work is done, and if I haven’t come clean to everyone, including you, I want you to tell them everything you know about me. Just like you told Rise.”

Naoto froze. She thought she had sidestepped him for once. She thought she was gaining some ground. The “game” between them might have been over, but with one sentence, he unraveled what advantage she thought she had over him. She didn’t show her fear outwardly, though. She wasn’t certain if he was just stabbing in the dark, fishing for a reaction.

“What, you mean back when I thought you were the killer? I’m fairly certain they’re all aware of...”

“Naoto. Please.” Yu looked her in the eye for the first time in an hour. The weight of his exhaustion was palpable. “I told you, I’m tired of all the sneaking around. We’re not enemies anymore, so drop the dumb act. We both know you’re smarter than that.”

Naoto didn’t know how to respond. He was dropping the curtain between them with some finality. That veil of secrecy had somehow become the bedrock of their acquaintanceship. Without it, she was forced to step back and take in Yu for what he really was. He was a person, much like her, one who was tired of the life he had lead.

Somehow, that made it both easier and more difficult to speak plainly with him.

“You’re certain of this, then? I admit that I don’t know everything myself, so the information they would receive from me is incomplete.”

“That’s exactly why I’m asking you.” A faint grin passed over him. It was wispy and transient, like fog molded into expression. As soon as she noticed this echo of pride’s past, it was gone. “If you tell them before I can explain myself, it would make it that much harder for me to hold onto them. If I can’t manage something as basic as honesty with the people I care about, then maybe I don’t deserve to have friends like them. They definitely don’t deserve being lied to by the likes of me.” He sighed, as if making his request, setting a timer for the disintegration of the life he pined for, had sapped him of the last of his courage. “How Rise still trusts me at all right now is a mystery to me. Maybe that’s just how much she likes the me I’ve tried turning into.”

A beat of silence passed between them. She gave him that much, just to make sure he didn’t want to walk back on his deadline. She had to say, she was impressed he was willing to go that far to punish himself for his deceit. Perhaps he had created something more solid than she gave him credit for, not that it mitigated his condition. With all this in mind, she acquiesced.

“If you promise to be upfront with me from here on out, I will do as you ask.”

“Done.” Yu reached over with his free hand. Naoto took it in hers, and they shook, each side firm. “No more tricks, no more schemes, and no more fighting.” As they pulled their hands back, a weight visibly lifted from Yu’s shoulders, and a few shades of color returned to his skin. “I wonder if this is what you guys felt like all this time. Clearing out some of the baggage has been… refreshing.”

Implying, of course, that he didn’t receive the sense of relief Naoto experienced upon awakening to her Persona. Was there something inherently different about the means by which he awakened?

Maybe, maybe not. That was a question for a later date. She had already done well by accepting the presence of magic. Its minutia could wait.

“So, as a form of deposit on this new agreement between us, when did you begin to suspect who my informant was?”

“Ha, I should have expected you to ask that.” He was actually relaxing now. Naoto felt the urge to loosen up as well. “Let’s see… It was right about the time when she and Kanji vouched for giving you a second chance. It made both of them suspect. Kanji hadn’t otherwise shown any odd behavior, but Rise’s hesitation when we were at the shrine festival stuck out to me. One moment, she was all for the fun evening we were having. The next, she was asking for a bit more time to settle some personal business. It was strange, but I didn’t think about it too much.” Yu glanced over at Naoto, signaling her to fill in the next blank.

“That is, until circumstances presented her as a potential mole.”

“Yep.” Yu nodded, but his eyes drifted down again. He turned his attention to the fox, who was patiently waiting at his side. Yu rewarded its wait with a scratch behind the ear. “As best as I can tell now, she saw something that made her suspicious that night. Then, she went to you because you’re the only person she knows who’s ever spoken out against me. You told her what you know, and you started working together. Fair trade. She gets the information she wants, and you get an in-route to our investigation.”

He was disconcertingly accurate. On second thought, Naoto supposed he wouldn’t be so infamous among his peers, old and new, if he weren’t so sharp. She was thankful that they weren’t enemies, per se, any longer. Even so, she had some professional tact to uphold.

“You understand why, for the sake of my partner, I can’t outright confirm or deny anyone’s involvement with me.” To Naoto’s disclaimer, Yu rolled his eyes and chuckled. At least he was taking it on the chin. “However, I will say that your reasoning is hypothetically sound. If Rise were my partner between the two suspects, that would likely be the lead up to our agreement.”

“Of course, not your secret to tell and all.” Yu waved off her continued secrecy. If anything, he seemed impressed, considering his easygoing smile. “Well, if your ‘unknown’ partner has any interest in what I’ve told you tonight, go ahead and tell her. I mean, ‘them.’ What you do with this information is your business alone. Although, you understand why putting it in the wrong hands at this moment might be a detriment to our investigation.”

Naoto simply nodded. She fully intended on letting Rise in on their discussion. Those were the terms of their agreement. She would just have to add the corollary of why Yu was still withholding it from the others.

But then, that raised the question of why he was all right with Rise knowing more of the truth at this point in time. Did he trust her more than the others? Or perhaps…

Wait, she could just ask him now. That was going to take some getting used to.

“Considering your hypothesis that Rise is my informant, I must ask, why are you so forgiving of her potential actions against you? From what I understand, your past self didn’t take kindly to any threats.”

Yu’s calm aura dissipated somewhat, as if struck by a gust of scalding air. It was a noteworthy reaction, more so by how he attempted to move on without acknowledging it. His calm was pushed back into place, and he pressed his lips together in contemplation.

“Promise not to judge me too harshly?”

As if nothing else he said or done in all the time they had known each other could be judged harshly. Naoto raised an eyebrow, and Yu snorted out a coarse laugh.

“Right, dumb question.” Yu shuffled on his step. Naoto couldn’t tell if it was because of physical discomfort or emotional. Possibly both.

Hold on… His cheeks were going pink. Why did Naoto recognize this situation?

“Rise… I think I love her.” His eyes were going shifty. They didn’t settle on any one spot, as if everywhere he looked, he found someone staring at him. It took remarkable willpower to not laugh at Yu Narukami, the Wolf of Tokyo, acting awkwardly like a teenage boy thinking about a crush.

When Naoto realized that it wasn’t an act, she had to put a hand to her mouth to physically hold back a chuckle. Yu heard the coarse puff of air, though, and he curled in on himself like an armadillo.

“Pardon, I didn’t mean to laugh.”

“I know, I know, I’m just that much of a nervous wreck.” As normal as he tried to sound, Yu couldn’t hide the redness creeping across his face. “A lifetime of being taught how to fake an emotion, surprise surprise, does nothing to help when you actually feel it. I’ve gone through the motions a million times, but now it feels like… like...” Yu rolled a hand, hunting for an answer he didn’t have.

“...Like the motions are going through you?”

“Exactly!” Yu uncurled all at once, a spring releasing its potential energy and launching through the air. It let Naoto get a clear look at the all-consuming blush. It went all the way to the tip of his nose. “The butterflies in my stomach, the weakness in my knees, and I swear I’ve felt my heart skip at least ten beats in the last two months. I always thought those cheap romance novels were full of it. Shows what I know.”

“Are you sure you haven’t come down with something?” Naoto couldn’t claim expertise in romantic matters, either, but this was looking a lot like a terrible fever to her.

“...I guess you could say that.” Yu folded up again, his head landing on his hand in a forlorn slouch. The blush didn’t disappear, but something washed over him and watered it down. “A conscience. One that makes it all too clear why she probably hates me now.”

Naoto was at a crossroads. Should she try to encourage him, the man she hated with a burning passion not two hours ago, or should she let him stew in it as recompense for what he had done? Furthermore, how would she tilt everything she had heard to Rise later, in his favor or to his detriment? She felt like she was currently the lynch pin in relations between the two, and anything she did would echo long and loud in days to come. She was used to being a seeker of justice, but this was an entirely unique experience.

The only answer she had was that which had long been her guide and goal. That which all detectives walked with and towards. The truth.

“If she hated you as much as you think she does, she wouldn’t be trying to uncover more about you. She would have already left this relationship behind.” Naoto was surprised by the certainty with which she spoke. Was this tailwind, this surge of confidence, what speaking with only truth felt like? It commanded Yu’s attention, and he looked to her like the rising sun.

“Let’s say that she is my partner, as you’ve asserted. Why would she put this much effort into finding the real you if she didn’t hope that the real you was worth finding? You’re fighting your egocentric worldview, are you not? Then you would do well to stop transposing your view of yourself onto what you imagine everyone else views you as.” Naoto turned to him, a small tick of a grin lifting her cheek.

“And here I thought you were an expert at getting into people’s heads.”

Yu was left to blink, stunned and wordless. Then, he snickered to himself.

“I guess not, if I’m being backed into a corner by someone who, by all rights, should be blacking out right about now.”

Oh Naoto most certainly felt like passing out. It felt like she had been awake for weeks on end in the other world, which she might have been for all she could recall clearly. She just so happened to be too stubborn to shut down before she had the last word. Her willpower was starting to fade, though, so she allowed herself to laugh, just a little bit, at one of his self-prods. Yu noticed almost instantly, and his mood lit up.

“By the gods, she has a sense of humor. Who would have thought?”

“I know, surprising, but not as much as you fumbling over your little crush.”

Now they were both left to laugh. Their mirth was rather tame, both for their subdued personalities and shared exhaustion, but it was a moment of genuine human connection. Naoto might have reflected on them finding a shred of humanity to share with each other after months of dueling like chess-playing AI programs, but, again, she was much too tired for that.

It was nearing time for them to get moving again. She doubted how much longer she could stay awake, and Yu was looking about as worn by her judgment. Even so, they could let a few more minutes pass. Be it silence, be it jabs at one another, it was a pleasant evening as their old battle of wits was thrown aside, left to drift away on the river.

Chapter Text

“He really said all that?”

Naoto nodded over the rim of her coffee mug. Even with how much she had been consuming, she still couldn’t quite wake up. If this weren’t so important of a conversation, she might have already fallen asleep. She wasn’t going to pass out again before telling Rise what she wanted to know. Especially not so early in the morning. What kind of host would that make her?

“It would seem he’s so accustomed to a secretive lifestyle that he doesn’t know how behave otherwise.” Ignorance. Ultimately, that was what she found to be the predominant factor in his actions, at least in a sense. There was a great deal of malice in him, but with the caveat that it was instilled in him by an outside force. That was the diagnosis she provided Rise over a shared pot of coffee.

Of course, there were one or two small things that she excluded. Rather, there was exactly one thing she excluded. Despite her sense of self-preservation raking her over the coals for it, she kept the… altercation between them at Tatsumi Port Island to herself. She didn’t need to leave Rise with the fear that two of her teammates might turn on each other. That point was one she was willing to leave behind her.

“That covers everything.” Naoto set her mug down on the coffee table. It wasn’t helping anyway. “I don’t think I’ll be able to get anything else out of him for the time being, at least nothing pertinent. What will you do from here?” She half expected Rise to lay out some big scheme to get her way, or at least a wink with as much implication behind it. Something about her gave Naoto the funny feeling that she was a plotter of that nature.

Instead, Rise took a long drink from her cup to settle her nerves. Her eyes were closed, but it did little to hide the resignation inside.

“I guess all I can do now is wait. He’ll talk when he’s ready, and I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt until then.”

Naoto nodded in understanding. It almost sounded like Rise was paying him back for his willingness to give her space when she said she needed it.

“If I might say, you have remarkable patience.” The thought had been lingering in Naoto for some time, but now was her first opportunity to voice it. “Or perhaps stubbornness, depending. You have enough social standing to take any partner you so wished, and yet you choose to wait for someone who doubts if he’s even a decent person.”

“I see what you’re doing, you know.” Rise quirked an eyebrow, her expression turning amused. It was preferable to her being downtrodden, if a little disconcerting. “You’re trying to make me think that telling you about why I actually like him is my idea instead of asking it yourself.”

And now, Naoto remembered why she had that funny feeling. Of course, this was someone who independently saw through Yu’s machinations. Naoto didn’t stand a chance of tricking her with the basics.

“It seems you’ve found me out. Pardon me.”

“...Well?” Rise rolled her wrist at her, that wry grin not dissipating in the least. “Come on, you can ask. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Oh. Right.

“I’m still not used to being direct with you people.”

“Now’s your chance to learn.” Rise was, as Naoto said before, stubborn to a fault. But Naoto couldn’t let her get away with having all the fun in this exchange.

“All right. As you might say it...” On a sleep-deprived whim, she picked up her mug again and held it aside, only her pinkie and ring finger looped through the handle. “What do you even see in that boy?” As soon as it came out of her mouth, Naoto locked up and cringed, as if she had bitten into a block of salt. “I am never speaking in that manner again.”

“Aww, why not? It was cute!”

Naoto was glad she decided to put her hat on. It let her pull it down and cover her shame. Her hand uncomfortably fiddled until all of her fingers were properly through the handle of her mug. All the while, Rise giggled openly.

“Okay, since you asked so nicely, I’ll tell you.” Rise took one last victorious sip from her cup. When it passed, though, her mood sobered some. It helped Naoto ease out of her defensive huddle. “Let’s make one thing clear. All of those other ‘partners’ you mentioned, don’t want to date me. Not really.” Naoto raised an eyebrow.

“I believe I’ve heard someone say, specifically, that they wanted to date you. It’s difficult to misinterpret a statement like that.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard it too, all the time.” Rise shook her head, her lips scrunched up as if she had bitten salt. “Everyone’s so enamored with me. They love me, and isn’t she so pretty and popular? Oh man, have you guys seen her today? Risette is so hot!” Her own stage name was hissed out, like a cat dislodging a hairball. She shook her head to get the foul taste off her tongue.

“They all want Risette. But I’m not Risette anymore, I’m Rise. Not that any of them care. They don’t love me. They love the idea of me.” The hot flash of anger drifted off, leaving Rise cold and wilted, a flower at the onset of Fall deprived of the warmth it yearned for. “I know better than to tie myself down with Risette now, but that’s all they want out of me. I want to make room for me, they want the me that I faked being for my whole life.”

“Except for him.” Like a lily pushing up through the melting snow, a small, warm smile sprouted. Its petals were short, hampered by the ice it was just encased in, but it was a sure sign of the coming Spring. Then, she chuckled, a rich, bubbly chuckle. “You know, the first time we met, he didn’t even know who Risette was.”

“...What?” That someone as well connected as Yu could live for seventeen years without hearing about a rising star was an almost fantastical idea to Naoto. Even she had heard of Risette before meeting Rise, and she actively avoided the idol scene for how sickeningly manufactured it all was. “That’s… absurd.”

“I know, right?” The bubble popped, and with it came the stream of giddy energy that Naoto more properly knew as Rise. “We met when he tricked some paparazzi that were after me into a wild goose chase up the mountain. He didn’t know me, but he knew their type enough to say he didn’t like them. Then when he met me, he just… let me vent. He’s the first guy I’ve met in years that didn’t go starry-eyed, but also didn’t start throwing insults and dirty looks at me. He treated me like a human being. It was great. He really understood the sort of world I came from, and, I don’t know. We kind of struck a good note together making jokes about all of that garbage.” Naoto didn’t particularly like love stories, but Rise’s joy for her own was overflowing. She couldn’t help but soak a little bit of it up.

“Then he saved you, and that was that, right?”

“Uh, kind of.” Rise made a so-so hand wiggle, but it didn’t knock her too far off her prior course. “It was really what he did for Teddie after he took care of my Shadow that sealed it. Oh, you probably didn’t know that Teddie also had a Shadow, did you?”

“I thought Shadows only came from humans? Aren’t they specifically formed from a human’s…?” Naoto pinched the bridge of her nose. She could feel the headache this line of questions would lead to, and she didn’t have the energy for it. “Never mind. Continue.”

“Apparently, something I said set off Teddie’s issues, and his Shadow came. It was a big one, too, a demon bear with empty eyes. Easily the scariest thing I’ve seen over there yet.” A chill ran through Rise as if to prove her point. Her eyes jittered from side to side, as if she was afraid it was still looking at her. “Nothing we hit it with actually hurt it. I scanned the thing, and turns out, the real body was inside of the shell we thought was its body. So what does Senpai do?” Rise flung her hand up, as if tossing a paper airplane.

“He whips himself right into its eye, breaks his leg on landing, and stabs it in the face that was in its face.” Ah, so that was how he ended up with that wound. Naoto had wondered. “All of that, and weeks of healing up after, just because we were in trouble. Just because he wanted his friend back.” The blazing uproar of emotion simmered down, but she held onto the warm hearth it came from. She didn’t seem to ever want to let it go. “That’s the Senpai I know and… love.”

And now her cheeks were going bright red. Maybe those two would make for a good couple after all. Their colors matched. Except now, Rise looked to be getting a bit defensive about it, pouting like a little girl with her hand caught in the cookie jar.

“There, I said it! I love him. Happy?”

“Yes, actually.” Naoto took her mug up and had another sip of coffee. That was exactly what she wanted to know. And, fortunately for Rise, those qualities she so admired seemed to largely be what constituted the ‘real’ Yu, whatever that might have been between his various selves. It was only a question of if she could then accept the parts she had yet to see.

“Enough about me!” Rise demonstrably disliked being on the back foot in conversations. That predatory gleam in her eye laid her intent bare, and Naoto’s smugness withered. “I’ve seen you getting awful chummy with a certain someone, and it’s kinda obvious how he looks at you. Spill it, I want your details now!”

To this request, Naoto could only tilt her head, as if hoping it would dislodge some semblance of knowing what she was on about. Unfortunately, she didn’t appear to have any such knowledge tucked away.

“I’m going to need more information. Who and what are you referring to here?” The romance part was written clear in the context, but beyond that, Naoto was stumped.

“Come on, it’s no use playing dumb. I’m waiting.” Rise all but tapped her foot, staring a hole directly through Naoto. Her eyes were wide but sharp, piercing through any perceived deception to cut out the truth she desired.

When she didn’t find any hint of it, though, her certainty began to fade.

“Wait… You really don’t know? Like, really really?”

“Yes. Really.” Naoto was quickly losing her nerve. When was the last time she was so entirely lost in a conversation? She couldn’t recall, and that kind of scared her.

“Wow. Okay.” Rise put a hand to her face, hoping to cover up the harsh snort of laughter that popped out of her. “Sorry! Sorry, it’s just. You’re supposed to be the smart one here, you know?”

“I am fully aware of my reputation. Unlike whatever it is you’re on about.” She could hear the irritation in her own voice. Why was she getting so worked up about, what? A supposed romantic ‘thing’ that she didn’t know anything about? This wasn’t like her.

“Okay, let me spell it out for you.” Rise looked to be finding great joy in this exchange. Or, rather, like she was sucking it directly out of Naoto. “The guy who was sprinting through your lab to get to you. The guy who beat the crap out of your Shadow while also screaming its ears off about why it was wrong. The guy who was paying enough attention to you to figure out what you were doing before the rest of us. The guy who was so worried about you that he tried to talk you out of your plan, even though he knows that he sucks at talking. That’s the guy I’m talking about.”

The pieces thrown at her drifted through the cytoplasm of Naoto’s brain, adrift like so many vacuoles of thought. She sifted through the contents of her mind for them, but they slid through her fingers, pulling together into one massive pool in the middle of her head.

When they finally popped, inundating her mind with their acidic payload, Naoto nearly dropped her mug.

“Are you suggesting that… He…?”

“Yeah, come on. You can say it!” Rise was still obviously enjoying herself, but she started trying to guide Naoto down the path instead of poking her along it with a stick. When Naoto’s heels refused to pick up the pace, Rise leaned forward as far as she could and dropped her voice to a whisper. With every word, her head bobbed to keep pace, and Naoto’s followed closely. “Kanji. Has. A. Crush. On. You.”

“N-no! That couldn’t be.” Naoto threw herself backwards, sinking into the thick cushion of her chair. She had to scurry out of her hiding spot when a splash of hot coffee landed on her lap, giving her yet another thing to scramble over. With a fistful of napkins yanked off the table and onto her lap, she found enough mental capacity to start arguing her case. “I’ve done nothing but look down on him for months now. Yesterday was our first conversation that didn’t end in one of us storming off.”

“Have you ever heard of playing hard to get?” Rise was smirking, flaunting her knowledge of human interaction over Naoto, all in a bid to make her accept what was being handed to her. “Or maybe part of him is reading it as you being as shy and hard-headed as he is. Having stuff in common makes falling head-over-heels way easier, especially big stuff like that.”

Naoto set aside the description of Kanji as “shy,” as well as the implication that she was also shy. Hard-headed, sure, but shy?

“Our personalities are entirely different. There’s no way he could connect with me like that.”

“You heard him on the other side. He was laying out exactly why he relates to you.” Rise calmly took a cube of sugar from the middle of the table and stirred it into her cup. She was ready for the long haul. “Surface stuff doesn’t matter as much as what’s deep down, and he saw something in you he likes. And I think you noticed it, too.” She winked playfully over the rim of her cup. “Don’t think I didn’t hear you two chatting it up on the way back.”

Okay, so maybe they did have some stuff in common in a way that might condone those sorts of feelings. Maybe. But still…

“He only found out I was a girl yesterday. How could he...”

“Seriously?” While still playful about it, Rise was quick to put a stop to the argument she was hearing.

Upon reflection, Naoto realized exactly why. Yeah, that was a flimsy one, admittedly.

“Okay. So perhaps he does have a crush on me.”

Rise grinned a little wider at Naoto’s acceptance. The first step was taken.

That still left Naoto in an odd space. She had just yesterday accepted her own gender, and now she was falling headfirst into a discovery like this? She felt uneven, far from prepared. Her nervousness came through as taps against the side of her mug.

“What am I supposed to do with this information?”

“Whatever you want.” Rise shrugged. That was as far as she needed to push to get the ball rolling in her eyes. “I think you two might hit it off pretty well, but that’s your choice.”

“You don’t understand.” Naoto swallowed her pride, like a coal stuck in her throat. Rise was so intent on getting Naoto to open up, so now she was going to put that two-way street called trust to the test. “I’m not in anything close to the right state of mind to be making a choice like this. I can’t even look in the mirror without repulsing myself. And now I’m supposed to be trusted with the knowledge that someone I respect, and who I owe much, has a crush on me? I’m sorry, but I’m not ready for any of this.” Naoto did everything she could to make her discomfort clear, and when Rise saw it, she set her teasing aside for one blessed moment.

“It’s that bad for you?” That look in Rise’s eye. Was that empathy? Was this reminding her of her own struggles somehow? Even if it wasn’t, Rise still looked like she wanted to scoop Naoto up in a protective hurdle, held back only by decorum. Naoto wasn’t sure how to feel about that, either. “Okay. Here’s my plan.”

And she already had a plan. Naoto expected as much, but it was a relief nonetheless.

“Kanji is obviously seeing something in you that he respects. Remember, he doesn’t throw that stuff around lightly. Get him talking. If you can get him to spill the beans, it’ll give you a new perspective to look at yourself through.”

That… wasn’t the worst idea, but she still had some concerns.

“What if I tip him off by asking? I don’t want to open up that conversation before I’m ready to take it seriously. It would just hurt him.”

“Hmm, he’s a lot more observant than you’d think, I’ll give you that.” Despite the downward tilt of that admission, Rise’s knowing smirk had returned to her. She was confident in her idea. “But there’s a catch. Pretty much everyone knows that he’s crushing, but I don’t think he realizes it yet. It’s too embarrassing for him to admit, so unless you bring it up directly, his brain will probably blot it out like it always has. That should give you more than enough space to work with.”

So she wanted her to use his blind spot to her advantage? That felt scummy somehow. But then, it was in service of not stumbling into a topic she knew she would royally botch as-was. Did that make up for the continued deception? Naoto slid back in her chair, but not far enough to make it look like she was trying to hide in it.

“I’ll… Think about your suggestion. Thank you, very much.”

“Hey, that’s what a gal pal is for, right?” With a wink and a finger gun, a new pact between them was formed. A much friendlier one. “I’ve got your back.”

“Ah, that’s reassuring.”

Rise nearly jumped out of her seat. Naoto wanted to as well, but she was too drained to work up that much energy, even with a jump start of shock.

Now that she was paying attention, she heard the slight squeak of the floorboards as an older man waded into the room. His steps were slow and methodical. While the years hadn’t taken his hair from him, its color wasn’t so durable, draining to a dark gray. He took his age in stride, though, working with the slowing of his body rather than fighting against it. He was comfortable in his skin, no matter how old and withered it became.

“Good morning, grandfather. How long were you listening?”

“Oh, long enough.” He was a slight man, as he paced into view, but he had a kind face to him. To Rise’s eye, he was exactly the sort of old guy who would splurge on a big, European-style mansion like this in his twilight years. He nodded towards her with an easygoing, but heartfelt smile. “It’s good to see my Naoto find herself some good friends. She’s never been, how you say, sociable, so thanks for giving her a go anyway.”

“Grandpa!” Now Naoto was trying to disappear into the padding. Rise was quicker to take to his gentle teasing, because of course she was.

“Hey, everyone likes the cool, mysterious types. I just couldn’t take my eyes off her.”

For no bigger than he was, Naoto’s grandpa had a hearty chuckle.

“I hope you weren’t too disappointed, then, to hear she doesn’t swing your way.”

“Ah, the flame of love that cannot be! It burns my heart to cinders.”

“That’s quite enough laughing over me, thank you.” Naoto’s voice lost its rigid presence. These were the two people who could rob her of her cool without a drop of effort. She was forced to turn the mirror on someone else to spare herself. “Were you looking for a particular book, grandfather? I could help you look.”

“No no, I was just browsing. You get your rest. You need it, after the week you had.” He walked past them, his finger hovering just shy of the rows of spines lined before him. His hand seemed to know the way, leaving the rest of his attention free to look at the girls over his shoulder. “If I recall, and correct me if I don’t, the years aren’t good on the memory, but you were a victim, too. Weren’t you, Rise-chan?”

“I was.” She glanced over to Naoto, whose look took on a cautious edge. So suddenly, the two felt like they were being watched under a microscope. “I-I don’t remember much, but I remember it was super exhausting.”

“I would think so. You two were lucky to make it back, wherever you were taken. Who knows what would’ve happened if those friends of yours didn’t find you.” His eye opened a fraction wider, reading them both for a reaction. After a few moments, perhaps two seconds that felt like minutes wading through tar, he corrected himself. “Although, I suppose they found you after you got away. Sorry, slip of the tongue.” He cackled softly to himself, selling his image as an old coot. “Still kinda funny, the same bunch of kids wound up finding both of you. And weren’t most of those kids also victims who made it back? Actually, all but two or three were, come to think.”

Naoto had to hold back the sigh of relief as his hand finally settled on a book to pluck from the wall. She was much less relieved when she saw that it was an old interrogation manual, penned by her grandfather’s grandfather. It was a Shirogane classic, only to be broken out at the most deserving times due to the withering pages. She could only find its selection to be pointed.

“Eh, probably just coincidence. Killer drops you all off at the same spot, and they just happen to be going that-a-way often enough. I’m thinking too much about it. What matters is, no one’s died in a few months, aside from that one teacher. It’s almost like you kids are a good luck charm, holding back more murders. Or maybe I’m going senile.”

“I doubt it, grandfather.” Naoto didn’t know why she felt so bold, but she was taking a chance by engaging with him. “I expect to see the sun go dark before you lose your sharpness. Your hunches have yet to be proven false.” To all the praise, that rich, hearty chuckle returned. The dark clouds passed, and he was once again just a kindly, eccentric old man.

“You might be right, dear. But look at me, rattling on about the last thing you want to be thinking about, yeah? I’ll let you two get back to your girl talk, or whatever you call it these days.” He paced by them again, but he paused, his free hand going into his pocket.

“By the way, I think I’ve misplaced the keys to that lab of ours. Couldn’t for the life of me think of where I left them.” His wrist turned, and something dropped from his pocket, clinking against the hardwood of the table. It was a set of keys, some as old as the building, others brand new. “I’m not too worried, though. What’s the worst that could happen? Someone maybe solve a mystery behind my back? Help lock up a killer or some such?”

Naoto looked up at him, looked up to him. He was averting his gaze, but his smile was all-too knowing. Slowly, quietly, she picked the keys up and slid them into her pocket.

“Stranger things have happened. And whoever these hypothetical key-finders are, I’m sure they’ll be careful.”

“You and me both.” The lazy drifting of his eyelids fluttered slowly, lopsidedly, almost like he was winking. “See you around, Rise-chan. You take care of my Naoto now.”

“Don’t worry, I will!” Rise waved him off happily, and when he was gone, the creaking floorboards far away, she slumped tiredly into her seat. She looked lost, as if she had been blasted by a barrel of smoke. “Oh my god, he figured us out.”

“I should have expected as much.” Naoto pulled the keys out and turned them over in her hand. And to think, she thought she had to sneak off with them before. “He’s the one who taught me everything I know, and people call me a prince. If he were a little more spry, I don’t doubt he would be jumping in to help solve this case himself.”

“Dang. Props to your grandpa.”

Naoto nodded in agreement. Props to him, indeed.

“I suppose now is as good a time as any to show you what we have at our disposal.” She struggled to push herself up out of her plush, cotton-filled tomb, but she couldn’t find the strength. Rise was happy to lend some, offering a hand to pull her up. “Our equipment has already been useful in my investigation of Teddie, so I don’t doubt it will be of assistance in finding our human killer.”

“Oh yeah, you did say you were digging into him, didn’t you. What’d you find out about him anyway?”

“I think it would be easiest to show you. This way, and if you think the paintings are watching you, they probably are.”

Chapter Text

After an unknown but excessively long period of time, the machinery in the room finally started to wind down. Good thing, too. Yu was just about to fall asleep. He blinked the dreariness from his eyes to look over at the doctors crowding around their monitor. They were a flurry of waving arms and flailing lab coat flaps. One used their pen to point to something or other on the screen. The only thing Yu could tell for certain about any of them was that they were equally baffled by what they were seeing.

“Excuse me, can I take these sensors off now?”

“Oh, yes. Go ahead, we have all the data we need.”

They didn’t look like they knew what to do with that data, but they had it. Which meant Yu was free to pluck the suction cups off of his face. As much as his patience was being tested, alongside the state of his health, he still had to admire the technology involved. Being able to scan someone’s brain without breaking the skin. He wondered if there was something ticking away in these things that he could use in one of his little gadgets. A device that can be triggered just by thought? That would be useful. If he didn’t get anything from the checkup results, at least that idea let him walk away with something useful.

“I’m going to go wait in the lobby, seeing as you’re all so busy.” It took more than a few seconds for any of the doctors to respond to Yu’s statement.

“We’ll be right there with your results, Narukami-san. We just have to make sure we’re reading them correctly.”

“Of course, of course.”

Well, this was an odd afternoon, even by his standards. He thought he was in for a semi-standard checkup, but he couldn’t recall ever having a brain scan conducted before. What led them to doing that again? He couldn’t quite recall. Oh well, it didn’t matter so long as whatever they got hung up on was as interesting as their collective warbling suggested. He couldn’t wait for them to actually tell him what they found instead of being needlessly vague. He was done with that kind of behavior on all fronts.

When he got back to the lobby, he was ready to apologize profusely for holding up the line, but then he saw that the only people there were Naoto and Rise. He looked around in confusion.

“Is no one else done yet?”

“I’m just as surprised as you.” Naoto put aside the book she had been reading and stretched. She seemed to have been there for a while. “I don’t suppose the good doctors found something of interest in your checkup?”

“I think so, but no one will tell me exactly what yet.” He took the seat next to her, grateful for a chair that wasn’t medically stiff. “You might have been onto something asking us all to come in for this.”

He knew the other world was dangerous for a person’s health, but he thought that amounted to the fog nausea and the physical danger posed by Shadows. It never occurred to him that any of this could affect deeper aspects of the body.

“Senpai, you have a little something...” Rise pointed to her forehead. Yu checked his, and he found a round groove right in the middle.

“Must be wear they had the brain scan cup.”

“Brain scan!? Why did they give you a…?”

“Yo!” Before any of them could react, Chie all but collapsed face-first into the next chair down. “I swear, I never want to see another thermometer in my life.”

“Agreed.” And there was Yukiko, though she had the self control to sit normally. It looked like Yu’s timing was better than he thought.

“You guys get a swarm of lab coats arguing over this and that, too?”

“Yep.” They answered definitively at once. It was evidence enough in Naoto’s book that she was correct in her concerns.

“I see. Then going by the pattern...”

“I freaking hate hospitals.” Kanji was next to skulk into the lobby, his natural scowl a few inches deeper than normal. His sleeveless shirt exposed circular marks on his wrists and upper biceps, matching an additional mark on the side of his neck. “Senpai, think we can jump to the other side soon? I want to hit something real hard.”

“As long as it’s not my knees.” Yosuke might have arrived before Kanji, if he wasn’t limping. No, it was more like his joints weren’t acting right. His knees refused to hold together long enough for him to take a proper step, so he was kind of noodle-walking. Kanji noticed how much he was struggling, so he pushed one of the chairs closer to him. “Thanks, man. Turns out, those rubber reflex hammers start hurting if you use them, like, fifty times. Who knew?”

“Shit, that sounds rough.” Reclining in an environment with friends instead of doctors seemed to soothe Kanji’s anger, the extra layers of crag on his brow chiseling off. Then he noticed Chie, who was still face down. “Uh, you know how many butts have been in these things, right, Chie-Senpai?”

“Don’t care. Too tired.”

“I’m sure they’re cleaned often.” Yu spoke with the authority of the only person among them who had actually worked in a hospital. Although, he might have been biased about cleanliness standards considering that he was the janitor.

“That they are, twice a day.” An older man in a lab coat joined the kids in the lobby. He held a stack of papers separated into different stapled packets, and he was followed by Teddie, who had procured a sucker from somewhere. How intense had his tests been if he had been given sugar to make up for it? Either way, he seemed happy enough with the trade. He was the only person among them who didn’t look like he wanted to grouse about anything. “I’m sorry about the wait. We’re really scratching our heads over the numbers we’re getting.”

Yu shared a glance with Naoto. Perhaps it was in their best interest to keep their ‘numbers’ away from further scrutiny. They didn’t need national coverage as medical marvels.

“It could be that something in your system is off today. A lot of this stuff is routed to a central server, right?”

“Hmm… Could be.” The old man shrugged and straightened his papers out of nervous habit. “If I’m honest with you, I don’t know heads or tails about any of this new computer stuff. Most of our traditional measures should be accurate for you, though, so hopefully our system mistake isn’t too much of an inconvenience.”

“It’s perfectly fine, sir!” Teddie, with an eternal skip in tow, hopped in front of him and bowed slightly. “Thank you for your time.” That was enough to make the man smile.

“My, so polite. You have a good day, son.” He handed over the stack of packets before bowing to everyone else. “Again, so sorry for the trouble.” Teddie stayed standing there politely as the man left, and when he was gone, he spun around to smile at the others.

“Older people always like polite youngsters.”

“Good work, Teddie.” Naoto let a small breath out. That was close. She pulled the table between the chairs closer to her, clearing off a space to work with. “Let’s see if we can make sense of what they couldn’t. If you would?”

“Sure thing!” Teddie happily slapped the papers to the table, fanning them out so any of them could be taken. Each was clearly labeled with a name. “Can we start with mine? I’m curious how pretty my bones are.”

“Bones?” That caught Yosuke’s attention, making him think about something besides his knees for the first time since he sat down. “They gave you an X-ray?”

“By my request.” Naoto quickly scanned for his document. Yu saw it first. Although, it was a little tougher to find than he thought. Apparently, Naoto needed to cover Teddie’s lack of family name somehow, so she just slotted in ‘Hanamura.’ Technically, that was where he was living, so it almost made sense. “Has Rise told you of my own discoveries regarding him?”

“Oh, sorry. Was I supposed to tell them?” Rise was a little embarrassed at the suggestion that she missed an implication. “I thought this would be kind of personal for him, so I kept it quiet.”

“No worries, Rise-chan.” Teddie put up his hands in peace, still upbeat and sucking on his treat. “We’re all friends here, and I’ve got nothing to hide. What’s up?”

“I wish I had known about your openness a few months ago.” Naoto shook her head in minor annoyance, but she pushed it aside in lieu of what was more immediately important. “When I began to suspect that you weren’t from Japan and that where you came from was somehow connected to the killer’s methodology, I took fingerprints and hair samples in an attempt to scientifically deduce your nationality. However, I ran into a few snags. Firstly, you don’t have fingerprints, or any kind of natural skin oils.”

“He… What?” Yosuke was left scratching his head. “I mean, now that I think about it, I haven’t had to clean up any greasy prints of his. But still, that’s weird.”

“Not really.” The only person who wasn’t put off in the least was Kanji. He just shrugged. “People use acid to burn off their prints all the time for gang shit.”

“Oh, I’ve seen that in some of Chie’s movies before!” Yukiko lit up in understanding, proud of herself for connecting the dots. “And it’s not that unusual for people to have dry skin. Do you moisturize a lot, Teddie?”

“You mean lotion? Yeah.” He wiggled his fingers with the swagger of a peacock waving its feathers. “My paws are nice and soft!” After a second of showing off, he turned his hands over, looking closely at his fingertips. There was a slight dip in his eyelids, a drop of reflection, but it was gone before anyone could point it out. “I’ve never burned them before, though. That sounds painful.”

“It usually is.” Naoto was flipping through his papers, skimming everything on her way to the laminated X-ray sheet. “At any rate, while his lack of fingerprints has a plausible explanation, the hair sample is far less compromising.” She dug a hand into her pocket, pulling out a pair of photographs. “The image on top is of a handful of hairs I procured from the inside of his costume’s head while he was on break at Junes.”

“You were stalking him while he worked?” Chie pulled her face up from the cushion, her uneasiness punctuated by the deep red pressure creases in her skin. Yukiko put a hand over her mouth as to not interrupt with an outburst. “That’s just wrong.”

“I admit, it wasn’t my proudest or most precise investigation, but it was productive in one regard.” She pointed to the follicle in the center of the frame. “Notice how the coloration is uniform all throughout the strand. In normal hair, there are layers separated by the age of a given segment. There is also supposed to be a central column from which one can extract a DNA sample. However, neither detail is present in this sample. Rather, it appears to be synthetic in nature.”

“My hair is…?” Teddie ran a hand through his golden locks, tugging at a few strands to make sure they were actually connected to his scalp. He was shaken by the suggestion, deeply and profoundly. It was a look that left a sour taste on Kanji’s tongue. He was quick to put a hand on the younger boy’s shoulder.

“Hey, chill man. She said she got it from your costume. Could be she accidentally mixed up your hair with some stuff from that.”

“I don’t think so.” Yu leaned in to point at the picture himself. “Look at the color here. That’s yellow. His old body doesn’t have any fur this shade.”

“That’s exactly what I thought. Fortunately, I did manage to accidentally take some of the costume’s material in my haste.” She pushed the first photo aside, revealing that the second was focused on a strand of blue. “As you can see, it is identical to the hair from his head. I didn’t understand how that could be, but something you told me, Teddie, made it clear to me.”

“Huh? What?” Teddie was just about to the point of chewing on his sucker to distract himself.

“You said that you created your human form knowingly. With this in mind, it seems reasonable to say that you used the blueprint of what you knew of humanity and applied the same process by which your original body was made in order to fabricate your new body.”

“Then that means...” Teddie looked at his hands again, his big blue eyes trying to find something in them that would make what he was thinking go away. Nothing came to him, though, leaving him with only one conclusion. “My body is… fake.”

“Hey now, don’t go talking like that.” Kanji used his grip on the kid to shake him. It was the only way he could think of to get him to stop staring at himself. “We already knew you weren’t human. This ain’t that big a deal. Besides, you made that body once, right? Then now that you know more about us, you can start upgrading it, changing out the ‘fake’ stuff for something more real looking.”

“That’s a great idea, Kanji!” Rise clapped in agreement, hoping beyond hope that it would inject some positive energy into the situation. “It’s like a super makeover! If you don’t like how you look, then we can help you find a way to look like the sweet little Teddie we know you are on the inside.” Now, Teddie’s big old eyes were staring at Rise and watering.

“You mean it? You really mean it?”

“Yeah, man. We mean it.” Yosuke would have slugged him in the shoulder affectionately if he could reach. “So you’re kind of weird. Welcome to the circus. We’ve got an opening between the kung-fu tomboy and the knife-juggling city kid.”

“…I know you didn’t just call me out, Hanamura.”

“I called myself out, too! Lay off.”

“You guys are the best!” Suddenly, like a trap snapping shut, Teddie grabbed Yosuke and Kanji in a big, personal-space defying bear hug. “The beary best, I mean it!”

“Uh… You, too.” Kanji awkwardly patted his back, unsure of what else he should do. “Didn’t you want to see that X-ray or something?”

“Oh, right!” With his memory jogged, Teddie jumped from the flustered guys to the packet in Naoto’s hands. She had already reached the page in question, and she was staring at it with an eyebrow raised.

“I suppose if you’re going to be… renovating, I found a good first step.” She tilted the page towards him, and it was less crisp than Ted had hoped.

“It’s all cloudy and stuff. Is that how these are supposed to look?”

“No, not at all.” Yosuke craned his neck to get a better look at it. “I see his skin outline there, but everything inside it is blotted out.”

“That means one of two things.” Yu looked it over closely, trying, and failing, to decide which one was more likely before voicing the possibilities. “Either your skin is made of a material that absorbs X-rays, or you don’t have bones.” Thank goodness they planted the idea of malfunctioning equipment in the staff. There was no possible way to excuse this otherwise.

“Mhm, mhm, got it!” Teddie nodded affirmatively, the old giddy flame back in his eyes. It was a massive relief to everyone involved. “I need to fix my fingers anyway, so I’ll start with my skin! Mark my words, my body will be perfect.”

“I’m sure it will be.” Yu gave him a thumbs up and a big smile. “If you need any biology books to read up on, let me know. I have a few sources that you might find useful.” Teddie clasped his hands together and bowed deeply, almost dropping his sucker in his excitement.

“Thank you, Sensei.”

“Can we get to the rest of us now?” Yosuke was back to rubbing his knees, reminding everyone of the various states of distress they assembled in. “I want to know why they felt the need to keep hitting me.”

“You mean besides how hitable you are anyways?”

“I haven’t done anything to deserve being hit in months, and you know it!”

“Yosuke-Senpai does bring up a good point.” Naoto disarmed that argument before it could begin. They had enough on their plate without an old feud flaring up. “For everyone besides myself and Rise, the doctors found something notable enough to test repeatedly.”

“Hold it.” Kanji suddenly looked downright indignant. “They didn’t do any weird shit to you two?”

“Nope.” Rise shook her head, and then she winked. “Apparently my eyes are really good, though, so that’s neat! I thought all the stage lights would’ve burned them out by now.”

“That ain’t fair, man. Why us?”

“We’re about to find out.” Setting aside Teddie’s file, the next two closest to Naoto stuck out. “Yukiko-Senpai, Chie-Senpai, you both said that you were given repeated temperature readings, correct?”

“In the ear and mouth, hundreds of times each.” Chie’s lips curdled, as if she was that disgusted by the taste of the thermometer. Yukiko shrank in on herself and averted her eyes.

“I drew the line at the rectal thermometer they tried to make me use.”

“Oh that’s gross!”

“Tell me about it.”

While those two shared their painful experiences, Naoto passed Yu one of the files. It was Chie’s, on closer inspection. He flipped through it, looking specifically for the temp reading. It should be early on… Ah, there it was. Wait, was that a Fahrenheit label? Yu didn’t think he saw any Americans on the staff, but he might have missed them with all the wires hooked to his brain. Good thing he knew how to read Fahrenheit just fine, or he might have missed what was odd about the record.

“Chie, you aren’t feeling any sort of chill right now, are you?”

She looked at him and tilted her head.

“Uh, no. I’m feeling fine.”

Yu nodded, and when he glanced over, he saw Naoto had located the same section in Yukiko’s notes.

“And you, Yukiko-Senpai. Have you been running a fever lately?”

“I don’t think so. Why do you ask?”

Naoto and Yu looked at each other, the pieces snapping together between them in unison.

“It says here that your body temperature is a few degrees above the point of normality. You should be running a visible fever, and yet you aren’t.”

“And yours are going the exact opposite direction, Chie. I would expect to see your skin paled, at least.”

“Are you serious?” Chie looked down at her hands, but they looked the same as ever to her. “I swear I don’t feel cold at all right now.”

“And I don’t feel hot.” Yukiko glanced from her hands to Chie’s. Then, without warning, she touched them together. “Huh. You do feel kind of cold to me.” Instead of being red-cheeked embarrassed by the bold move, Chie was focused on the point of contact.

“You feel like you just got out of a pair of thick gloves. Freaky.” While they proved to themselves that they were being told the truth, Naoto and Yu found their cases solidifying.

“Interesting. Very interesting.”

“That it is.”

“So one’s running high, and the other’s running low.” Kanji didn’t mean to butt in. He rarely meant to do that, but it sort of happened anyway, especially when he had questions. “Don’t you think someone here would’ve said they had the flu or something then? This is a hospital, that’s their job.”

“In all likelihood, the lack of tertiary symptoms kept them from an accurate diagnosis.”

Yu nodded in agreement with Naoto’s judgment.

“If, for example, Yukiko was actually running a fever this high, there would be a redness to her skin and probably some sweat. They couldn’t find any connecting issues with her, though, so they defaulted to making sure their temperature readings were right. It wouldn’t stand if their equipment was causing an error like that.”

“You know, now that I think about it, I don’t think I used the same glass thermometer twice in there.” Yukiko put a hand to her chin, a small detail coming back to her. “They kept switching between glass and electric ones, but they always pulled the normal ones from a new box. You don’t think they threw all of them away because they thought something was wrong with them, do you?” Rise shrugged.

“Probably. They had no reason to think you were anything but a normal patient, so if they saw something that didn’t line up, they’d assume it was on their end.”

“So that means, we made them waste two whole shipments of thermometers.” A wave of guilt rolled over Chie, and now Yukiko was going feverishly red in the skin. “Whoops.”

“Don’t worry, Chie-Senpai. Those things are cheap enough, and I’m sure they get ‘em cheaper buying in bulk.” Kanji didn’t explain how he knew any of that, but the way he spoke suggested that he wasn’t pulling it out of his ass. “Can’t say the same thing for that rig they had me hooked up to if they think it went screwy.”

“Oh?” Naoto took interest in that suggestion. She was shuffling through his file, but her ears were open. “You wouldn’t happen to know what it was reading for, would you?”

“Hell if they let me see their fancy screens, or if I could read ‘em anyway.” As if reminded of the marks on his body, he started itching at the one on his neck. “If I had to guess, it might’ve been a heart rate thing. They had stuff hooked to most of the spots where you check for it, and one on the left side of my chest.”

“I see.” Naoto nodded along, her search window narrowing. “Did they conduct the standard stethoscope test first?”

“Yeah, first thing the doc did when he came in.” Kanji stopped his scratching to glare at a far wall. It was like he was trying to express it without scaring anyone. “Kept making me breathe deep over and over. You’d think they could get it in one, and without the fancy junk doing it for them.”

“You would think so, but I get the feeling that something else is to blame.” Just as she said that, Naoto’s eyes closed in on the offending detail. A glance was all it took, and she did much more than that. “I would imagine you’re in quite good shape, correct?”

“I mean, I guess you could say that.” He started scratching his neck again, and he was staring off, too. Only now, there wasn’t the intensity of anger behind it.

“Then it would be accurate to say your cardiovascular health would be sturdy as well. I would estimate, for someone of your age and build, that your average heart rate per minute would be in the low-to-mid seventies while resting.”

“Considering that the minimum is about sixty, that sounds right.” Yu looked over Naoto’s shoulder, and when he saw what she was looking at, his brow furrowed. “Then why did they only measure forty?”

“They what?” Kanji pushed himself out of the chair. Naoto saw what he was going for, and she handed him the paper, leaving her finger on the page to point out the number. After several seconds of staring at it, he put two fingers to the side of his neck.

“What are you…?”

“Shut it.”

Yosuke clammed up, left to watch like everyone else as Kanji silently mouthed the thoughts in his head. A minute later, the hand slowly drifted down to his side.

“Huh. Well shit.” He tried reading the stuff around the heart rate, but it was all gibberish to him. It wasn’t that important anyway. He mostly just used it as an excuse to think. “That means my heart is really good, right? Like, it has to work less to do the same stuff?” Naoto began her explanation with a simple nod.

“Seeing as your blood pressure is within normal parameters and you’re not showing any other signs of degrading health, then yes. Your heart’s efficiency seems to have increased substantially.”

“Lame!” Chie was suddenly and severely peeved about what she was hearing. “We just get wonky body heat, but he gets a strong heart? Rip off! I want my money back!”

“I mean, it is kind of unfair.” Yukiko’s objection was quiet, but still she didn’t want to fan Chie’s flames. “But look at it this way. If your body is better suited for the cold, then you don’t need to buy as many layers for Winter. And I won’t be as hot when it’s time to clean the hot springs.” Chie grumbled under her breath, but she relented.

“Fine. Keep your stupid good heart. See if I care.”

“It’s not so bad, Chie-chan. I probably don’t have a heart!”

“Why do you sound so calm about that?”

“Because it means I get to make one.”

“Enough weird shit, Ted.” Kanji plopped back into his seat and chucked his papers to the table. He seemed to be in higher spirits, though. “Yosuke-Senpai, you’re up. They beat the crap out of your knees with hammers, right?”

“Rubber hammers, but yeah.” He rolled up the legs of his pants to better examine the affected areas. “These better not bruise. I have work tomorrow!”

“So that would be a matter of reflexes.” With the process sharpened to a point, Naoto honed in on the pertinent information. Only, it wasn’t a simple record like the others, which Yu also noticed.

“Looks like they have an extra note on yours.” While Yu delivered the news, Naoto made a small hum of intrigue.

“Don’t make that sound. I feel like a lab rat here.”

“Apologies, Yosuke-Senpai, but this is suitably unusual. You see, when the plexor test is delivered...”

“The hammer?”

“Yes, the hammer. The test is simply testing for any reaction. The expected result is a spasm in the general direction of a kick. However, when your were tapped, you kicked directly out and retracted directly in, according to this note. This is an immensely greater degree of coordination than the majority of people.”

“Yosuke, coordinated?” Yukiko looked at him incredulously. He had to suppress the urge to glare back at her.

“Not a word. Especially not you, Chie.”

“Fine, I’ve got two. Garbage can.”

“That was my bike messing up!”

“Can we get back on topic?” Naoto’s request was delivered like a strike of thunder. At once, Yosuke and Chie went ramrod straight.

“Yeah, yes.”

“Sorry.”

Naoto took a deep breath, then released it.

“How do you stay calm while they bicker? It’s constant.”

Yu couldn’t help but chuckle.

“After a while, you realize the worst of it is self-regulating, for the most part. I think we all want out of here quickly, though, so can we keep it down for now?”

Chie and Yosuke, both, were suitably shamed, sinking back in their seats.

“Yeah, I’ll stop poking him.”

“And I’ll ignore it if someone says something rude. For now.”

“Thank you. I’ll buy us all lunch soon so we can talk about that habit.” Yu nodded to Naoto, giving her the go ahead. For her part, she was relieved.

“We only have one more paper to examine before we can start making connections. Once we’ve finished, you can argue to your hearts’ content.” Naoto picked up the last file and offered it to Yu. “Considering whose this is, would you like the honors?”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Yu gladly accepted, the suppressed irritation resurfacing in his stony eyes. “I would love to see why they felt the need to scan my brain.”

“Scan your brain!?”

He looked up from his work to the direction from which he was assaulted by that barrage of bewilderment. Barring Naoto and Rise, everyone was staring at him like he had grown a second head. Thank goodness he didn’t, or it would have been strapped into the scanner, too, among other things.

“What? Kanji had to use a heart monitoring system.”

“That’s just checking my pulse!” Kanji was known for getting a little heated at times. Now, though, he was downright livid, blunted only by the focus of his outburst being overwhelming distress rather than anger. “They had eyes in your fucking head, man! Doesn’t that bother you!?”

“Kind of, but mostly because it was annoying.” Yu continued to flip through his packet, the point of that test still eluding him. It only served to exacerbate his irritation. “If something was actually wrong with my brain, I would have noticed it before now. As it stands, it’s probably as passive as all of your changes.” His lips tightened as he flipped by another useless page. “I’ll tell you for sure once I find it.”

“As much as I agree with your assessment, it’s still quite strange. They wouldn’t call for a brain scan without reason.” Naoto had a hand to her chin and her gaze on the page, trying to find anything that would explain the chain of events. Then, she noticed a conspicuous lack of ink in one row. “It looks like they left your body temperature reading blanked out. Why would that be?” She pointed at the spot, and Yu tilted his head once he saw it.

“I don’t know. They checked both ears, as standard.” Just then, his eyes widened, a memory surfacing from the haze of exhaustion. “Oh right, it was after they checked my temp that they had me hooked into the scanner. That doesn’t explain why they left this part blank, though.”

“No, but perhaps technical failure can.” A series of events came to Naoto’s mind. She wasn’t certain of it yet, but it seemed plausible from the outset. “It was an electric thermometer they started with, as per standard operations?”

“Yes.”

“And the scan you went through specifically targeted the electric neural signals in your brain. Is that also correct?”

The pieces clicked. Yu’s eyes widened, and he started flipping faster.

“Uh, electric what?”

“Neural signals.” Naoto gave her full attention to Kanji, trusting Yu to find the section from there. “The brain works through a combination of chemical messengers and electrical signals sent between its various neurons. These signals stimulate the nervous system, effectively telling the rest of the body how to follow the brain’s directives.”

“Okay… I think I get it. Kind of.” He still looked like he was lagging, but he wasn’t completely lost. “Still might be the freakiest thing I’ve heard all day. My brain’s got a charge in it?”

“I didn’t know that, either.” Rise was following the discussion much more closely. “Does anyone know how much electricity there should be up there?”

“Current estimates range from twenty five to thirty-five watts, enough to consistently power a small light bulb.” As Naoto explained, she noticed that she wasn’t hearing the flip of paper anymore. She looked over and found Yu following her explanation.

“Those estimates wouldn’t happen to say what would happen to a brain if the charge in it was closer to, just as an example, one hundred watts?”

Naoto knew better than to accept that as just a hypothetical. She snatched the papers from Yu’s hand, which he was expecting and allowed. She quickly skimmed the page, and near the bottom, she found the triple digit measurement. It was surrounded by various notes in red ink, none of which she could decipher due to the haste of their scribbling.

“No, not those estimates. But I have seen other reports to this effect.” She slowly looked up from the page, her expression trapped between her stoic facade and a display of confusion greater than any of them had ever seen. “Most generally, right after someone has been electrocuted to death.”

“Well, that’s concerning.” Despite saying as much, Yu was far from visibly or audibly concerned. His emotional state did not match that of any of the others.

“Senpai!” Rise was on him like a frightened puppy, but she wasn’t just cowering. No, she had a hand to his forehead and the other pinched over his wrist. Electricity messed with the heart first, right? “Are you feeling okay? You’re not shaky at all, right? Does water tingle or hurt when you try to drink?”

That was a momentous day for the team. It was rare to see a break in Yu’s calm demeanor. It was rarer, still, to see him become flustered instead of inflicting that status on someone else.

“I’m fine! Really! Like with everyone else, whatever changed also made it so my body works fine like this, I promise!”

“Then why is your skin all red? That must be heat from all of the...”

“Oh gee, why would his skin be red?” The promise Yosuke made only held true between himself, Chie, and Yukiko. There was no clause in it to stop the steady flow of sarcasm for anyone else. “I can’t possibly see why Yu, who currently has a pretty girl leaning over him and touching his face, would be blushing.” Once he dropped the ‘B’ word, the entire context for Rise shifted, and she jumped back, her skin tone racing to match her Senpai’s.

“Waa! I-I wasn’t trying to- I mean, I was just…!”

“No no, I get it! I completely understand what your were doing. It was kind of sudden, and...”

The burning firestorm of worry that had, just seconds ago, swept across the team died out all at once. Yeah, Yu was perfectly fine. Kanji was the first to stop staring at the awkward display and get back on track.

“So Naoto, got any clue why we’re a bunch of mutants now?”

The description, against all odds, made a harsh snort of laughter pop out of her. She was immensely thankful that no one heard it over the winding down conversation between Yu and Rise, if it could be called that. She just ignored how Kanji was looking right at her when it happened, and that there was a light dusting of pink on his cheeks now.

“It’s too early to be certain, but I have two hypotheses. Keep in mind that both could be close, but that neither one is necessarily the whole truth.” She cleared her throat, pushing down a layer of building mucus that she knew had to be dealt with before long, in order to wrap up this matter as best as she could. “In either case, I believe with some certainty that the phenomena is linked to our Personas. I can draw a line from what I know of them directly to the changes that account for everyone’s slightly different symptoms, for lack of better term.”

“Could call ‘em mutations.”

There was that phrasing again, and it almost made her laugh. Almost. She was expecting it now, so her professionalism won out. Barely.

“That would be close, but possibly not flattering. We’ll discuss terminology later. Moving on, my first thought was that they could be unintentional side effects of housing these Personas within ourselves.”

“So for me and Chie...” Yukiko was touching Chie’s hand again, as if double checking. “Because we have hot and cold Personas, our bodies turned hot and cold?”

“Exactly.”

“And because Take-Mikazuchi is a big tough guy, my insides got tougher?”

“Close enough.”

“That lines up for most of us, but I’m not seeing how Jiraiya just being there would make my coordination better.” Yosuke cautiously rolled his pants back down. Enough griping about his knees, more contributing to the conversation. “If anything, that seems like an intentional change, like using a permanent buff on me.”

“I admit, my first theory is the less stable of the two. As you said, it doesn’t perfectly match your case.” Naoto was quick to admit the fault in her ideas. In fact, she had a few more to lay out. “Furthermore, if this is caused by our Personas remaining inside of us, then it would stand that the effect would diminish once we’ve summoned them. However, you would have surely noticed the effect if it continuously fluxed in such a way.”

“Which brings me to my second theory.” Naoto’s posture shifted, growing straighter, displaying more certainty. This was her winning card. “Personas are specifically utilized to combat the Shadows in their home environment. They hold great power, but they have the weakness of being connected to frail humans. Would it hold, then, that the changes in your physiology are passive effects knowingly granted by your Personas in order to make you more capable of fighting alongside them?”

“Hey, I actually understood that one!” Kanji seemed very pleased with himself. “You’re saying that we’re their weak spot, or that protecting us is their whole gig, so they gave us a kind of armor so we don’t bite it.”

“I’m impressed.” Naoto almost felt the pride rolling off of him. It was pride well earned, too. “That’s precisely what I’m suggesting.”

“Okay, now mine makes sense.” Yosuke was quick to shift gears to the new theory, and it didn’t scrape against his case as sourly. “Jiraiya’s an agile fighter, so he made it so I can keep up with him and whatever we’re up against.”

“Tomoe uses ice magic.” Chie followed Yosuke slowly into the point, hoping she wasn’t being mislead. “So now that I’m more comfy in the cold, I can stand her casting more ice spells?”

“It should be the same with me and Amaterasu, then, except with fire.”

“And my strong-ass heart lets me keep pummeling longer and harder!” Kanji slammed his fists together. He was feeling real tough. But then, a thought hit him. “So, how does Senpai’s brain thing make fighting easier?”

“It takes a lot of brain power to keep up with an act.” Rise cut in before Naoto could even attempt to answer, but she wasn’t just throwing darts at the board. “Trust me, I know. Personas are extensions of ourselves, and Senpai uses more than one. So maybe all of the extra neural stuff helps him keep track of all his Personas and what they can do on the fly?”

“That’s… actually better than what I was going to suggest.” Naoto was a bit sheepish, being outdone so thoroughly as to be forced to admit it. “I thought it stemmed from his original Persona, Izanagi. He is lightning based, so increased electrical activity would be a direct connection.”

“Maybe it’s both. Izanagi is supposedly the god that made Japan, right?” Yosuke was clear and careful in laying out his case. Apparently so clear that even Teddie could follow.

“Oh, so if Izanagi is supposed to be smart enough to make a country, then more brain power would fit right in. No wonder Sensei is so cool!”

“I see, I see.” Yu was looking to the ceiling, halfway between the hospital lobby and his thoughts. When he came back down, he was notably more at ease than before, at least on the surface. “I guess learning about that was worth being strapped up like Frankenstein’s monster.” Then, he hummed and looked at the two girls who were waiting long before him. “That doesn’t explain why you two weren’t affected.”

“For me, it could simply be too early.” Naoto answered right away, like she had long had that answer under her cap. “I haven’t fought with Sukuna-Hikona yet, so it’s possible she doesn’t know how to best adjust my physiology yet. Or it could be that the effect I’ve been granted didn’t trigger any alarms for my examiners, much like Rise.”

“Huh?” At hearing her name, Rise was left kind of confused. “What makes you think I got anything special?”

“You said as much. You told us that your eyesight came back as exceptionally sharp, despite how the conditions you’ve worked in should have damaged it. It only makes sense that a Persona like Himiko, who is navigational, imparted on you greater senses, thus amplifying your ability to work as one.”

“Whoa...” The possibility hadn’t occurred to Rise, but now that the seed was planted, it was taking root at record pace. “So I have super vision!? Awesome! Do you think I might learn how to see through walls eventually?”

“That… is left to be seen.” Naoto marked her calendar. She actually riled up Rise instead of the other way around. “But nevertheless, we should be mindful that these effects could increase in severity. With luck, the changes to our bodies will maintain functionality, as they have thus far, but it wouldn’t hurt to keep track of them just to be certain.”

“I’ll see about hiring a shared physician for that purpose, if you all consent.” The moment Yu saw a problem, he offered himself as the solution. It was like clockwork. “We’ll keep tabs on our own conditions for the duration of the case, but after it’s finished, we would have room for professional checkups. I would suggest annually, but we can adjust as things pop up. Does that sound good?”

“It’s probably smart to keep tabs on this stuff, now that we know about it.” Yosuke agreed totally with that much. “But we should decide how when we’re not totally blasted from doctor crud already. I never want to see another one in my life. And if that bastard has a hammer...”

“Okay, fair enough.” Yu held up a hand to cover his laughter. Apparently, just a few minutes was far enough in the past to consider it all a funny memory. “That covers everything, I think. Teddie has a project, we’re all mutants, and we might mutate further, hopefully for the better.”

“That’s the long and short of it.” Naoto made to push herself from her seat, more than ready to be anywhere else. “We should call it a day. I imagine you all want a chance to recover from...” No sooner than she put pressure on her legs, a rough pulse ran through her chest. She felt her eyes watering, and her ribs were creaking like an old iron gate. She dropped back into place, and no sooner than she landed, well before she could find her handkerchief, the coughing fit set in.

Kanji jumped into action. Yu was the first to have a hand on her back for support, but that didn’t stop him. He reached for his left pocket and pulled out a white rag. On closer inspection, the fabric was too thin to be a real rag. Rather, it was a handkerchief, one with a fairly elaborate pattern in the trim. Its high quality didn’t keep him from shoving it into Naoto’s hands, and she put her against her face, stifling her coughs and the spatters of spit and mucus trying to retch free of her throat.

Finally, with a loud, agonizing hack, the lump came loose. It sat heavy in the cotton, about as wide as her badge. She didn’t dare check to see how tall it was. She was just glad it was out. She gasped for breath, her words finding her as her thoughts cleared.

“Thank… Thank you. And sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Kanji took the used up rag back. He folded it a few times, then balled up the rest before chucking it into the bin at the other side of the room. “I’ve got plenty of the things sitting around. You good? Need, like, a glass of water?”

“No, I...” A few straggler wheezes sputtered out behind the rest, clearing out the fluid on her tracheal walls. “I’ll be fine.”

“I can’t imagine having to live with that.” Rise once had some harsh words for Naoto, but all of them were long lost, especially now that she saw her like this. “Did they find anything in your checkup that might be the cause?”

“No, I doubt it. I’ve had a personal doctor since the symptoms first emerged, three years ago. If someone specifically looking for the cause couldn’t find it, I doubt we would be so lucky as to stumble into it blindly.” While she was talking, she noticed that there was more rustling paper. Yu was going through one of the packets. When she looked closer, she saw that it was hers. He had stopped right when she noticed, but he was still staring intently at the page. “I told you, I doubt any of that will be of use if you’re...”

“You said it’s been three years, right?” Yu’s voice stopped Naoto’s objection cold. She wasn’t the only one. Just from those who were already in her line of sight, Chie and Yosuke had both locked up, statues guarding the door to Poe’s manor.

“That is correct.” She didn’t know why she felt compelled to answer. This was a kind of influence he never managed to exert when they were enemies, not even when he had a blade in his hands. This was a more terrifying presence.

“All of this fluid buildup is starting in the lungs. Also right?”

“I believe so, yes.”

Yu’s brow pressed together and dipped sharply. His clay-like features hardened. It almost looked like an iron mask.

“This measurement is accurate?” He held the paper towards her, angling it so Kanji couldn’t see. When Naoto saw what he was pointing at, her heart jumped into her throat, but she nodded all the same.

“Y-yes.”

“What number?” Rise forced herself out of her deadlock, if she had even been in one to begin with, too look at the page. Naoto wanted to stop her, dear gods did she want to, but she didn’t have it in her. She watched in horror as Rise saw the truth she had long hidden. Her face twisted into terrified awe as the terrible reality revealed itself. Then she looked down, and her presence shrank in on itself.

“I’ve been dwarfed.”

“D-dwarfed?” Yosuke stumbled headfirst out of his frozen state. His features were alight with embarrassment and excitement in equal measure as he glanced to where Rise was staring in shame. “You mean like…?”

All of the chatter around them fell on deaf ears and Yu continued his line of questioning. The world was silent aside from his one goal.

“Has your doctor never suggested that this number here might be related to your chronic problem?”

“Huh?” Naoto knew that was what this was all circling around, but she saw no connection between her single greatest shame and her never-ending plague. Yu saw the lack of recognition in Naoto’s features, and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Of course not. Most Japanese doctors don’t know their heads from their asses about this kind of thing.” Yu put a hand on her shoulder, his hard facade breaking down to show a fervent gentleness underneath it. He had the decency to drop his voice to the lowest whisper he could manage.

“I’ll keep it brief. When you bind, the material has to go somewhere. For people of average sizes, that isn’t much of a problem. Maybe a centimeter of compression, at most. For someone like you, though, I would estimate a few inches of compression, all crushing your ribs inwards. This can hurt a lot of your organs in that area, and right now, it looks like it’s compressing your lungs. That would cause irritation, and irritated lungs produce mucus thinking that it’s an internal problem that can be flushed out. Since it’s external, though, they’ll just keep doing it, leading to exactly what you’ve been dealing with.”

“I… I… Oh.” Naoto was at a loss for words. It was so simple when it was laid out, but in her endless attempt to bury problems instead of dealing with them, she separated the pieces so they might never meet. Now that Yu forced the pits open, though, it was plain as day.

“I understand that you need the binder for your mental health, but you should know that you’re weighing it against your physical health. You deserve to have all the facts.” Yu’s expression softened further. She could see in him some semblance of guilt, even though all he did was reveal what she might have been doing to herself. “Do you want some studies on the topic? I can have them sent out in just a day or so.”

“That would be helpful. Thank you.”

This was a strange new dimension to tread, and Naoto had no traction. She was hurting herself, but by doing so, she was sparing herself a different kind of pain. What should she do? Sacrifice one for the other? She feared the pain, but she could see no way to avoid it all.

“Holy shit, just wear something baggy!”

Kanji’s out-of-nowhere yelling was like a cannonball through her stuffy thoughts. Naoto was left blinking blindly as light invaded her sanctum.

“Baggy?”

“Yeah, baggy!” Kanji pantomimed a large covering over himself. “Big guys wear bigger stuff so they don’t look so big. If you wear something big, no one would notice a damn thing. Try a trench coat! We’re going into winter, and you’ve already got that detective look to you. People wouldn’t look twice.”

Naoto’s head felt very empty. It was a strange sensation. She sat there motionless for a long spell, everyone looking at her. Even so, she didn’t have the decorum to stop herself from dropping her head into her hands and groaning.

“Why didn’t I think of that!?” The tension in the room deflated with her exacerbated cry. No one said anything, since that would just rub it in. They let her bleed it out on her own. When she collected herself from the heap she collapsed into, her serious face was back and she was working on a plan. “Okay, where would I find a trench coat my size? Not Junes, their sizes are too generalized. A tailor, then?”

“If you insist, sure.” Kanji shrugged, snatching up the paper from Yu’s hands. He took once good read of the page, then nodded. “Okay. I can have something whipped up in two weeks. I’ll take pictures every couple of days to make sure you like where the design is going. Can’t go wearing it if it looks like crap. That sound good?”

Naoto was taken aback again, this time for different reasons. A better reason, she thought.

“Yes. That would be a big relief.” Behind Kanji, Rise was winking at her. It was very encouraging, but please stop! “Send me a quote for your rates when it’s convenient.”

“You got it.” Kanji took his chance to smirk at Yu. “See, Senpai. That’s called helping without stubbornly denying anyone who tries to pay you back for it. Take the hint.” To Yu’s credit, he laughed with Kanji at the jab.

“Point taken.” He agreed with Kanji, but at the same time, he had a glimmer of mischief in his smile, too. “You’re going to apply a hefty discount to the quote, aren’t you?” Kanji instantly went wide-eyed and jammed a hand over Yu’s mouth.

“Shut it!”

Naoto used that opening, chuckling under her breath to scoot closer to Rise. In their own little bubble, she felt safe whispering what was on her mind.

“That was among the most convenient turns of events I’ve seen.”

“Two birds with one stone. Way to go, tigress!”

“Tigress?”

“Hmm, you’re right. You’re more of a panther. A smaller big cat, but deadly all the same.”

“And you’re a conniving ferret.”

“Thank you!”

Naoto shook her head. These were the people she was stuck with for the foreseeable future. Still, watching Kanji get flustered over a kind gesture, Yosuke and Teddie try to pry him off of Yu, and Chie hold up Yukiko as she laughed herself silly, she couldn’t help but look forward to it. Maybe this would be better for her health than she first thought.

Chapter Text

Yu looked long and hard at the heap of instruments before him. There were plenty to choose from, even after everyone else found their own. So what if Chie and Yukiko took the horns, which he was currently playing in Music Club? If they thought they could get used to them the quickest, that was perfectly fine. The Junes concert was in three days, so pickiness wasn’t an option. He could still use the xylophone, or the bass, or maybe the triangle if he was feeling saucy. There was just one small problem with those options, and the rest laid out before him.

“Are you okay, Senpai?” Apparently, he took too long to decide, earning him Rise’s attention. Normally that was a welcome thing, but not here, not when he wasn’t in control of the situation. It just made him feel awkward. The only recourse he had was to be upfront and blunt.

“...I don’t know how to play any of these.”

With his admission, all the chatter around him stopped. The others were staring in stunned disbelief, none more than Yosuke.

“Are you serious? But, you said you took music lessons when you were younger?”

“Yeah, for the classics.” Oh how he wished he could just sink into the floorboards right about now. Too bad he hadn’t installed an emergency trap door for such an occasion. He didn’t think the other band members would much appreciate that. “Violin, viola, flute, clarinet. I could sit down at that piano over there and play Beethoven’s ‘Hammerklavier’ from memory.” His ego enjoyed the little bit of puffing up he was permitted before the dire truth of his current circumstance returned to him. It was a fair attempt to keep his mood aloft. “But for modern, idol-type music? I have no idea where to start.”

Damn his mother and her holier-than-thou preaching about how current musicians weren’t worth paying attention to. What good were the ‘classics’ now? No, of course he couldn’t learn to play guitar. That was for grungy guttersnipes, or whatever derogatory name she had for them.

“Don’t sweat it, man.” Kanji was quick to knock him out of his funk, metaphorically and literally, with a heavy swat to the back. Yu must have been out of it, since he had to flail a bit to keep from going face first into the instrument table. “At least you know how to read the stuff. That’s better than most of us.” Okay, that was actually a nice way to spin it. It almost made him feel better.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

“We’ll find something for you to play.” Rise started looking over the options herself. Maybe she knew these things well enough to say if his classical training applied better than he thought it did? After a solid twenty seconds, she stopped looking at the instruments and turned her attention directly to him. She was scratching her chin, and she had that conspiratorial gleam in her eye. It only got more obvious as she framed him with her fingers, sizing him up like a vital piece of the scenery. “You know, you could have a great stage presence. Maybe enough to be part of the headline. Hmm…”

She wandered away from the table, much to Yu’s confusion. Her plan was clarified, though, when she pulled the mic from its stand. She looked at him dead on with the widest, most unsettling smile as she flicked it on.

Only, it didn’t sound like it came on. She noticed it, too, and she brought it closer to her mouth.

“Hello?” Nope. Her voice wasn’t coming out of the speakers like it was supposed to. It was just her normal volume, coming from her and her alone. “Shoot, is this thing broken?”

“That’s all we need.” Yosuke didn’t know music better than anyone else there, but he knew a busted machine when he saw one. And he knew what a broken mic could do to a performance.

Good thing this was a matter firmly within Yu’s wheelhouse.

“Can I see that for a second?”

Rise, seeing no reason not to, handed the malfunctioning mic over, and Yu set to work opening up its casing. It looked like the last person to do so only finger-tightened the screws. That was terrible for it, but lucky for him. He didn’t have to hunt down a screwdriver to lay its wiring bare to him. It only took a glance at the insides for him to find the source. The burned mechanism was kind of a dead giveaway.

“Looks like the power source is fried. Everything else is intact, but without power, it won’t be doing much.”

“Figures.” Chie slowly shook her head, propping herself up on her horn in a way that really needed to be chided out of her. “The thing we really need just happens to be broken. How are we going to have an idol concert without any singing?”

“It’s easy enough to fix.” Yu had his phone in his hand before he spoke, and he was already firing off a text. “I’ll have it working again by tomorrow.” Yukiko leaned over his shoulder, trying to snag a look at the number he was contacting. It was gone before she had the chance, though.

“What kind of sources do you have to get the parts in a day?”

“The kind of sources that really like money and know that I have plenty of it.” Like gnats to a piece of fruit. They were predictable, and he could always count on them to chase the yen. Maybe to his doorstep, maybe off a cliff. It just depended on where he needed them. “Until then, we’ll just have to be creative. Let’s see, this wire here...” Yu reached his hand into the guts of the mic, to Naoto’s shock.

“Isn’t that an electrocution hazard?”

“Not without the power source, remember?”

“Oh… Right.”

Yu could see where she was coming from, of course. It was good practice to use rubber-handled tweezers anyway, but he didn’t have any on hand. This would have to do. What he did have, though, was enough. He slipped a hand into his pocket, and it came back with a familiar suction cup. Wide, clear, and with a length of wire stretching from the back.

He hooked it up to the mic’s loose wire, and from there, he stuck the cup to the side of his head. As soon as it sucked into place, a low whine came from the speakers. It was with no small amount of pride that he spoke into the receiver.

“Testing, testing.” His voice boomed out from the speakers. Success.

“Whoa!” Teddie was jolted from his tambourine ‘practice’ by the miraculous revival. He zipped to Yu’s side with wide eyes, his excitement seeping right through his bear suit’s lenses. The tambourine rang and jangled as he jumped around. “That’s so cool, Sensei! How’d you do it? How? How?”

“The electrical signals from your brain…!” Naoto realized it swiftly, and Yu confirmed with a nod.

“It was enough to short circuit a thermometer. So I started thinking, if I directly harnessed it somehow, could I power my little gadgets with nothing but my brain?” The explanation came to them through the speakers, answering his question in the same breath as he posed it. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep with those parts in my pocket, but I guess we’re lucky I did.”

“That’s incredible, Senpai!” Rise was suitably impressed, not that was hard for Yu to leave an impression on her. The attention made him unspeakably happy nonetheless. Literally. He was trying to answer her, but the words weren’t coming to him. That was unusual. “Now, let’s get this show on the road!”

“But we’re not…!”

“I meant our practice, Yosuke.”

“Oh. Okay, that’s better.”

-

Rise was painfully aware of the myriad problems popping up all around the room. It was like her first day of practice all over again, then multiplied by six.

No matter how much Yukiko blew, her saxophone didn’t make a peep. It was just air flowing through a metal tube. She didn’t know how to focus it right through the reed, or what any of the buttons did. Chie was marginally better with her trumpet, but that wasn’t saying much. She just hammered the triggers randomly, like it was supposed to magically make music happen. She also failed to pace her breathing, practically crushing what was in her lungs through the trumpet all at once before stopping for a big inhale. Pacing would be key for her.

Yosuke was out of tune in several ways. None of the strings on his guitar had been properly set. It was kind of obvious that it had been sitting around for a while, left to gather dust and lose proper tension. On top of that, he wasn’t even holding it right. He wasn’t applying any pressure at the tops of the strings. He plucked the right notes after a brief rundown on the layout, thank goodness for small miracles, but he was far from ready.

Kanji and Teddie had the same problem in that neither one could gauge how much force they needed. It was kind of surprising that Kanji hadn’t punctured the drums yet. That wouldn’t stay true for long without an intervention, though. Teddie didn’t have to worry about violently shaking his tambourine apart, but the sound was still off. His beats weren’t consistent, going from super loud to barely a clink and back again. He acted the youngest out of all of them, and it was clearest now, with him kind of playing with the tambourine instead of learning to really play it.

Naoto was a bit rusty with her keyboard, but that was already shaking off. Her only problem, then, was in having no one else syncing up with the music properly. The audio anarchy was throwing her for a loop. She was trying to keep up, bless her dedicated little heart, but she wouldn’t get anywhere until everyone else straightened out.

There was one abject failure going on that disappointed Rise most of all. Yu had the perfect looks to be singing duet with her, or so she thought. He had the right charisma for the part. He was giving it his absolute all, and that was wonderful. He was even keeping the right timing for the track! It didn’t change the fact of the matter, though, one that she was only just now realizing despite it having stared her in the face from the moment they first met.

His voice was flat.

“Thinking hard about it, doesn’t help you one bit.”

Very flat. She had heard text-to-speech programs with more animation than him.

“You gotta say goodbye to thousand lies, yeah.”

And he had all the vocal range of a broken slingshot. That line was supposed to be a big call to arms, a rocket launching up from the heart. Instead, it sounded like a half-asleep professor coasting through a lecture. Maybe the only reason she hadn’t noticed it before was because of the certainty he usually spoke with. It was easy to project a confident range onto him since he always sounded like he knew what he was talking about, or maybe he had been trained to speak with his lacking range in mind. Now that he was singing, something Rise was intimately familiar with, she saw that quirk of his tone in broad daylight for the first time. Something had to change here, before the art she loved was butchered any further.

“Okay, hold it everyone!” The instruments around the room went quiet, mercifully quiet, giving her the elbow room to speak her piece. First things first, Yu. “Senpai, I know you have a big heart in there, but I’m not hearing it.”

“Sorry.” The shame on his face made it clear that Yu knew exactly what she was talking about. He averted his eyes and slowly distanced his mouth from the mic, lest his problem be broadcast again. “I’m not used to showing emotion in my voice.”

“What do you mean by that?” The concept was distinctly alien to Rise. She was bad at talking when she was a kid, but as soon as she got her shell off, the emotion became second nature.

“My parents drilled it into me, ‘never tip your hand.’ Letting whoever you’re making a deal with know how you’re feeling is a good way to get yourself conned, so keeping it out of my speech was lesson one. Now, it’s just how I talk. And sing, I guess.”

Oh geeze, that was awful. He didn’t talk about his parents much, but whenever they came up, Rise liked them less and less. The disappointed head shaking from Naoto said she was in the same boat.

“They raised you to be a business mogul, not a person.”

“That sums it up.” The shame was still potent, but now Yu was showing something else. Was that… anger? He didn’t get angry much, either, but Rise couldn’t blame him.

What she could do was try to fix some of the backwards lessons they beat into him.

“Here, I think I can help you with that.” She stepped up to him, and to his clear surprise, her foot slipped between his, nudging his stance wider. “Stand up straight. You need a strong posture for this.” Once she said it out loud, he received the message just fine. Straight back, wide shoulders, head upright. There, much better! “You have everything you need on the inside, but you’re having trouble getting it out. So, we’re going to blast that shell off, brute force style!”

“That sounds like something Kanji would say.”

“Hey, sometimes hitting stuff real hard works fine.”

She didn’t see it, but Kanji got a nice surge of self esteem from the assurance.

“What you’re going to do is yell as loud as you can into that mic.” Rise’s direction made Yu raise an eyebrow. He trusted her advice, though. He lifted the mic up to his mouth, but Rise stopped him. “And I don’t mean just yelling. Look deep in your heart and find something you feel super strong about. Something that makes you happy enough to shout, or angry enough to scream. Either one works.”

Again, Rise didn’t see it, but Naoto was suddenly shrinking back. She made herself ready to jam her fingers in her ears. Yu glanced her way, but he didn’t direct any attention towards her.

“You’re sure this is a good idea?”

“Positive. It helped me when I was getting started.” Rise gave him her most confident nod and smile before letting him have some extra space to work with. “You already have everything you need. Now, you need to let it loose. Scream so the whole world can hear it! Let your heart out of its cage!”

Rise intended her speech to work him up to the edge. She was fully ready for him to yell it out right then, but it didn’t come. Not yet. He closed his eyes, and his brow was lowering in thought. It looked like he was reaching real deep for it. How many layers did his parents make him bury it under?

Then, there was a twinge. His hand squeezed around the mic. Was it coming? His nose was scrunching up, and though he kept his lips together, she could almost feel the snarl he was restraining. Yeah, he was going for the big one, but his trained instinct to hide it was getting in the way.

“Don’t hold back, Senpai! Let it all out!”

She pushed, and he responded. His teeth were bared, and he was starting to sweat.

Towards the back of the room, Naoto had decided that her earlier plan wasn’t good enough. Instead, she ducked down, hiding behind her keyboard stand. It wasn’t much for cover, but it would have to do. It worked a little less when Yosuke dropped in, too.

“I’ve seen him mad exactly once, and I’m not sticking around to see what it looks like in full.”

Wise words. She would just have to make their limited cover work.

At least they had it to themselves. Chie was too curious to do anything but watch. Yukiko was right there with her, staring intently at Yu as he dredged up the blackest bile of his soul. Kanji, meanwhile…

“You got this, Senpai! Come on, burn that rubber!”

“Sen-sei! Sen-sei!”

...He and Teddie were very supportive.

The spring was coiling. Tighter. Tighter. His skin was going red from exertion. It was a physical strain to express emotion on this scale. His scowl deepened, and his eyes clenched painfully tight. If he compressed much more, the mic would shatter in his hand.

“You’re almost there!” Rise wasn’t frightened by the display. Far from it, she was ecstatic to see him finally finding his voice. He just needed a little more of a push to reach it. “Your parents don’t control you here! Your heart is yours, so act like it!”

His eyes snapped open, bulging and bloodshot. His teeth pried open, splitting wide as the mass of sludge pushed up from his lungs.

Yes, this was it! They were about to hear him speak for himself, for the first time ever. Rise was ready for it.

Naoto and Yosuke were, too, in a slightly different way. They were under the keyboard, and the open side of the stand was blocked up with his guitar. Naoto had her ears plugged, a benefit Yosuke couldn’t get so long as he was holding the barricade up. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

Yu lifted the mic to his mouth, and, feeling it coming, his head dipped down to meet it. His stance slid open further. When he was hunched over, like a beast ready to tear into its prey, it arrived.

It wasn’t a shout. It wasn’t a scream. It wasn’t even a roar. It sounded more like a hurricane tearing out of the speaker, and the room shook with the storm. Window panes were rattling. The lights were flickering.

Kanji, once shouting his encouragement, was forced to brace himself against the gale. He could feel it shaking his bones, and even his big meaty hands couldn’t protect his ears. Chie and Yukiko were worse off, pressing together as if the unified mass would make them sturdy enough to hold. Teddie was all but blown away by the continuous boom.

Naoto and Yosuke were proven the smartest of them all, safe in their bunker. It still shook and waned, but it held, giving them the only safe spot in the room.

Rise didn’t need any protection like that, though. She was used to noise that would blast ear drums clean out. Even if it was hurting her, she wouldn’t want to move, not when she could see the tumultuous eye of the storm.

Yu always held himself together so well. Too well. It was hard to tell when he was feeling anything but placid. He opened up to her fairly often, but even then, it felt like he was holding something in, always trying to laugh at what was hurting him instead of really dealing with it.

Not now, though. She poked a hole in his barrier, and everything he held in was clawing out like a hoard of ravenous rats. His eyes were shrunken, manic, wreathed in red and sunken deep in ravines of hatred etched into his face. His hair was thrown out of place, bristling in the wind like a mob of pitchforks. His shirt was straining against his body, fighting not to burst as his muscles demanded something to fight. It felt like he was building up to something, a second surge, a deeper layer long hidden, maybe even to Yu himself.

Before he could reach it, a loud crack rang through the room.

It startled him out of his singular focus. As soon as the scream stopped, the coughing came. The first few banged out of the speaker, but he was quick to shift to his other hand. They were deep, throaty coughs, the kind that put Naoto’s fits to shame, and his eyes were watering just as bad.

Around the room, it now looked like a storm had hit the building. Little pieces of glass had fallen to the floor, dislodged from the structures they used to rest in. The windows were webbed in cracks.

“My eyes!” The fearful yell drew attention to Teddie, who pried his bear head off and turned it over. He looked at his own face forlornly, running a hand over the lines now running across the lenses. “My beautiful eyes...”

“Sorry.” Yu forced himself to speak, but it only made the coughing worse. Rise rushed over to help hold him as he coughed up a lung, running a hand over his back.

“Are you okay, Senpai?”

“Never been… that loud. Hurts.”

As the dust and debris settled, Yosuke cautiously poked his head from the keyboard bunker.

“Is it safe to come out now?”

“Why didn’t you warn us!?” Chie had a pinkie in each ear in a futile attempt to scoop out the ringing. Yukiko fell back on her butt, wavering back and forth woozily. “You knew it was coming, so why did you let it happen!?”

“Pardon us.” Naoto was next to leave the safety of their hiding hole, straightening her jacket out to reclaim a degree of composure. “We only had moments to respond. There’s only so much to be done if ours were the only flight responses to trigger.”

“Shit, man. You sound bad.” Kanji was quick to recover, and quicker to jump to Yu’s aid. “You need water? A cough drop?”

“Yes. I mean… both. Please.”

“Stop talking. You’ll make it worse.” Rise expected to get a big response from the exercise, but not quite that big. Or destructive. Gosh those windows looked expensive. “You sit down for now. We’ll sweep up the glass, and then we’ll find something else for you to play. Maybe singing just isn’t for you.”

Yu nodded in agreement, then his eyes went shamefully to the windows he busted alongside Teddie’s ‘injury.’

“I’ll pay for that. And your eyes.”

Teddie sniffled as he hugged his head to his chest.

“I have enough stuff to fix it. But it still hurts.”

“Sorry.”

-

“I didn’t think that was possible.”

It was a miracle, Dojima made it home for supper for once. It had to be on the night when Yu had billing papers to sign for the school, too. It was an interesting series of events to explain, especially when his voice still felt hoarse. At least it didn’t keep him from working. He had enough to do that night.

“Neither did I, but I guess it is.”

“What did Kujikawa-chan call it? Scream therapy?” Come to think of it, she never named it specifically. That was a close enough name for it, though, so Yu nodded. “Sounds reckless to me, and this is why. She really wanted you singing that bad?”

More like she wanted him to sing with her that bad. Despite being cautious about him, she still cared enough to try doing something together. And he blew it. He wasn’t about to tell Dojima all that, though, so he just nodded again.

“I think it sounds kind of neat.” At least Nanako was having fun. That made one person. “Isn’t there a kind of music that’s all yelling? You would look so cool doing that, big bro! Um, if you could do it without hurting yourself, I mean.”

“I think you’re talking about metal, Nanako-chan.” Okay, two people. Adachi was laughing it up. “Say, did you record it? Imagine if we could weaponize that kind of screaming. Just throw a noise bomb through the window and let it bang the perp out!”

“Knock it off, Adachi.”

Adachi looked like he expected a pop to the back of the head, but when it didn’t come, he was a bit surprised. He wouldn’t push his luck, though. He just took a long drink from the mug with his name painted on the side. Well, that was one way to make sure no one grabbed the wrong drink at dinner. With Adachi pacified, Dojima turned his attention back to the scratchy-voiced punk with a big bill to pay.

“You’re sure you can handle paying that all off? I can chip in if you need it.”

Now it was Yu’s turn to be surprised. He never had anyone offer to help him like that before. Still, he couldn’t accept in good conscience.

“I’ve got it. My mistake, my bill. But, thanks.”

“We’re family, aren’t we?” Dojima shook his head at the bare pride on display, but he let it go, dropping a piece of sushi in his mouth and mumbling as he chewed. “Family helps each other.”

“No talking with your mouth full, Daddy!”

As Nanako chided her father’s bad manners, Yu was left with something else to digest. Family helps , huh? What a novel concept.

Chapter Text

Matching a song’s beat was really hard without the rest of the band around to, well, set the beat. A tambourine alone did not a band make. But that didn’t stop Teddie from practicing. As soon as he finished fixing his eyes (in a process that Yosuke couldn’t understand no matter how he tried to explain it to him), he went out to the best place around to focus.

Well, the park was kind of the only place to practice besides the music room. Ruin his big debut by playing where everyone could hear him? Oh no, that would be a special occasion. So he played alone as the sun set, a stone’s throw from their hideout.

He was getting better with it, too! Rise-chan was super clear about what problems he was having. Instead of hammering it randomly, he was trying new ways of hitting it, seeing how each one sounded. Coming from a different direction and with a different force made a sound that was a little bit… different! He had so much to learn about playing music before he could shine like a rock star, but he would do it! For his friends, and for all the fans-to-be!

Right as he was about to test with a bit more strength, just a little bit, he heard the grass crunching. Was it an animal? No, that was too much crunch per step to be a little paw. It had to be a human. His big debut was in jeopardy! He snapped towards the sound and jammed his tambourine into his neck. No one would guess it was in there.

Oh, wait, it clattered around in there when it hit Sensei’s sensor tube thing. He almost forgot all about that. This was no time to have a memory flash, though. His secret practice was about to be compromised! His only solution was to stand as still as possible and try to make them leave quickly, whoever it was.

But then, he noticed something odd about the footsteps he was hearing. There wasn’t much time between them, so they were running, but the timing wasn’t steady either. The pattern was sporadic, and the way the source shifted left and right sounded like a jagged serpentine. Either the person was moving funny on purpose, or they were struggling to stay straight and fast. Teddie was reminded of a horror movie, with a victim sprinting to escape a monster or serial killer.

Just as he was about to run towards the sound and help, the source sprinted into view. They were small and somehow blended into the swiftly darkening woods. As Teddie suspected, they were struggling, blindly, raggedly running for dear life. They didn’t seem to have seen him yet, long black hair slicked over their eyes with sweat.

“What’s wrong!?” He yelled, hoping both that he would catch the runner’s attention and not scare them off by showing concern. As soon as his voice reached their ears, though, their eyes snapped to him, wide and quivering. Faster than he could register, the tiny figure turned tail and sprinted towards him, diving behind him. Teddie had to blink to catch up with what just happened, and by the time he looked back, he saw a child taking cover, his fingers clenched on the soft fur of his costume.

This close, he saw that it wasn’t just any kid. He knew those black curls anywhere, but everything else about Akira was thrown off. The dirt staining his skin and clothes was running, mixing with sweat, and dripping down him as a brown slurry. Under the dirt, his skin was pale like paper, and the way he shivered made it seem thin.

Akira’s mouth was snapping open and shut in a pantomime of speech. He was trying to answer Teddie’s question, either because he knew it was asked or because the answer was all he could think of, but no speech left him. He was breathing too hard and otherwise wracked by a panic attack. Teddie could only imagine it was because of another type of attack.

A switch flipped, and Teddie’s demeanor went stony. He scanned the trees where Akira had emerged from, his every sense probing the environment for any sign of a pursuer. He didn’t see any movement. He didn’t hear any other human footsteps on the grass. He didn’t smell the salt from anyone else running. Past his physical senses, he couldn’t feel anyone else around for miles. The two were alone, so far as he could tell. And he was pretty sure he would know otherwise, since the Shadows he usually tracked were more able to blend in than most humans.

“I think you lost them.” With the area cleared, Teddie softened again and went back to the frightened child on his heels. His warm assurance and presence helped Akira relax. Though he still shook and the ghostly hue of his skin remained, his fingers didn’t clench quite as hard and his breathing slowed.

Teddie was about to ask about what just happened, but then he saw something odd. Akira was grabbing a patch of red fur, but Teddie saw two shades of red under his hands. One was the bright fur he knew. The other was darker, and it seemed to spread out where he was touching. Slowly, he reached down and pulled Akira’s hands away.

There, he saw thin cuts all across his palms and fingers, with a few reaching around to the back of his hands and knuckles. They weren’t big, but with all the dirt and grime built up around them, Teddie knew from the books he had been reading that they would make Akira sick if they weren’t cleaned. He mulled over what he could do about that, but then he remembered the stockpile of medicine they kept in the hideout.