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December 31st.
"You either kill me, and you'll be able to live in peace until the moment of The Fall. You'll have no memory of any of this. Or, you can live out your remaining days in despair, if you wish to challenge Nyx."
Ryoji, Kotone and Makoto were discussing the upcoming choice involving Nyx and Ryoji in Makoto's room.
"But I'll tell you, again, Nyx is unbeatable. There's no way to stop her."
Makoto raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"
"I just... Do." He sighed. "I can't explain it, I just know she is."
The bluenette hummed, and began to think up a solution.
Ryoji rubbed his forehead. "Look, there's nothing that can be done. So. What's your decision? Die in ignorance or die foolishly?"
Kotone looked very nervous, but gave a firm answer. "Die foolishly."
The boy frowned, and turned to Makoto to hear his answer.
"Neither."
His sister turned to him. "What?" She was taken back by his answer.
Crossing his arms, Makoto explained. "Think about it, Gods, Goddesses and Deitys like tributes, right?" He closed his eyes. "They like it when us mortals give an offering to them, something that means something to us."
"You- Ah... Know that sacrificing one person on top of Tartarus isn't going to get rid of her, right?" Ryoji was... Very confused.
Kotone, on the other hand, was worried. "Yeah, you're not thinking of some kind of blood offering or something, right?"
Her brother shook his head. "No, no. I'm thinking something else."
"...What?" Kotone asked.
"Not telling." Makoto responded.
Ryoji was still waiting for an actual answer from Makoto.
"We're about a month away from everyone on the Earth dying, and you're not telling me what your plan is?!" She wasn't very happy at her brother right now.
Said brother simply nodded his head. "Because it's honestly a fucking stupid plan and I'd rather only one of us look stupid instead of both of us." He suddenly remembered that Ryoji was still techincally waiting for an answer from him. "Oh- uh, I guess... Die foolishly?"
Smiling, Ryoji accepted their answers. "I'm not going to bother arguing with you on that. It's your lives after all. But, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious to what your plan is."
"Not telling."
Her older sister shook her head. "I guess we'll have to just wait and see. I trust you on this, Makoto."
He didn't verbally respond, instead he shared one of his rare smiles.
"Well." Ryoji interrupted the moment. "I suppose we should return to the lounge. I should share some details with everyone about confronting Nyx."
And just like that, they did.
-----
January 31st.
"So... What's your plan, Makoto? Because today's the day..."
Makoto was looking around, a little nervous. "Just... Give him a moment, he'll be here soon."
SEES looked at him. "Who?" Akihiko asked. "Some new user you've found?"
"Not a user, no." Someone was approaching the group, with an unfamilar voice to most members. "Just someone who sees something interfering with my business..."
Kotone looked to her younger brother in shock. "No. You didn't." She took a step back. "How did you even get him in The Dark Hour?"
Shrugging, her brother responded. "I have my ways." He refused to elaborate.
"Nice to meet you all, but I bet it's even better to meet me. I am President Tanaka of Tanaka's Amazing Commodities fame." Tanaka introduced himself. "I understand from Arisato here that you might have need of my incredible bartering and business skills?"
Before anyone could say anything, Makoto began to clarify. "We do. I've explained the general situation to you a while back, there's a very unusual and extra-terrestrial entity just up those stairs and it's threatening every business on the globe." His voice was deadly serious. "It's a long shot, but we really need your help negotiating with it, with the goal of getting it to leave. Can you do that?"
Tanaka looked almost insulted. "Can I- Do you know who you're talking to? Of course I can. Let's not waste anymore time, after all, time is money." Without wasting anymore time, he stormed past SEES and ascended towards the apex of Tartarus.
"THIS is your plan, Makoto?!" Kotone yelled in disbelief. "You're going to get Tanaka to reason with fucking NYX?!"
Makoto sighed. "I told you. My idea is a stupid idea, but it's an idea nonetheless. I'd rather look stupid than both of us looking stupid." He pressed on, chasing after Tanaka. "We've only thought about defeating Nyx, not reasoning with it. And if anyone can do it, it's him. Now come on, I want to see this."
"Nyx is bringing about the end of humanity as we know it and he thinks she can be reasoned with?!" Junpei exclaimed.
Kotone took a deep breath in and out, in an attempt to calm herself. "He told me his idea was stupid. But I didn't think it'd be this stupid." After collecting herself, she marched off after him.
SEES slowly began following her.
"Fuuka..." Began Yukari. "How do you put up with him? As your boyfriend- I mean."
The meek girl shrugged. "He's eccentric and unpredictable, but... He's very sweet, understanding and caring beneath that exterior." She faintly smiled. "I trust in his plan."
"I'm not sure if I should, but if we get through this, I'm going to have a very long and stern discussion about introducing random people to the Dark Hour." Mitsuru could feel the headache forming already.
Koromaru barked.
"He is saying that he hopes Makoto's plan works." She paused for a moment. "And so do I."
-----
"I've heard you've been causing some trouble for our... Business associates. Miss Nyx." There stood Tanaka, bravely staring down the Avatar of Nyx. Gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "Now, what's the problem? Why are you disrupting our business?"
From the sidelines, SEES watched with bated breath. "There's no fucking way this works." Commented Yukari.
"You can definitely tell he's quite the businessman though." Mitusru complimented.
"-now, see. That to me sounds like you're trying to get our attention."
The Avatar of Nyx attempted to interrupt. "The Arca-"
"Ah-bup-bup-bup!" He held a finger up to silence the harbringer of The Fall. "Let me do the talking, Miss Nyx. I'm here on behalf of all of our business partners, and we have a business proposition for you." He paused to observe Nyx and noticed that the strange being in front of him was listening quite attentively.
Kotone quitely muttered. "There's no fucking way this works."
"Now, I've done my history, my homework. I know you're a very impressive and powerful... goddess... thing. And! Our deal to you, is to give you an offering."
The Avatar slightly tilted its head.
Makoto was silently cheering Tanaka on from the sidelines, with the rest of SEES bewildered beside him.
"In exchange, just leave us alone. That's all. Something called a 'Fall' is supposed to happen? Yeah, call that off and we'll give you..." He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a 10,000 yen note. "Ten. Thousand. Yen."
Aigis whispered to Mitsuru. "That is not a lot of money, is it?" Mitsuru silently shook her head.
"That's right! For just leaving us alone and calling off this 'Fall', you can have not just one thousand- not two- not five! But ten THOUSAND yen! Yen is extremely important to us mortals, and it's value even more so. Honestly, this is quite the offer. Especially coming from yours truly- President Tanaka of Tanaka's Amazing Commodities fame." He waved the singular note around in the air. "I'm not asking for much, am I? It's quite a bargain, on your side, I must say. But I'm willing to take this loss to close out a successful business deal! So!" He stuck out his other hand. "How about we shake on it?"
Junpei was clutching his head. "There's no fucking way. There's no fucking way."
The avatar of the bringer of death to all life slowly stuck out it's hand, and met Tanaka's outstretched hand.
"There's no way." Kotone muttered.
Tanaka smiled. "It's a deal!" He exclaimed, before excitedly handing over the 10,000 yen note to Nyx. "Pleasure doing business with you Miss Nyx!" Still smiling he waved, as Nyx fondly examined the note. "I wish you all the best, and safe travels to where ever you decide to take your business ventures next."
Nyx slowly disappeared, taking the note with her.
Turning to the awestruck group, Tanaka spoke again. "I expect one of you to pay for my therapy sessions after this." He looked at Makoto. "You know where to find me." And then started making his decent back to the bottom of Tartarus.
Makoto, with an incredibly wide shit-eating grin, turning to SEES. "Some stupid idea, huh?"
His sister, and the rest of SEES, had very similar responces. Some varient of...
"What the actual fuck."