Of Shadows and Breathing Styles

by Togo_Togawara

Summary:

"Shinazugawa. Do you have any injuries apart from the cut you inflicted on yourself?"
"No. Why?"
"Shinazugawa! The blood demon art!"

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"Seriously, just what the fuck is this place."
"I wish I knew, too. Could we have stumbled into the demon's lair?"

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After finishing a mission, a blood demon art sends the Water Hashira and the Wind Hashira into an unknown place

Chapter 1: Falling into hell

Had Giyuu noticed what was about to happen during the mission he had with Shinazugawa, he might have been able to help the white haired man. The newer lower moon 1 definitely had given them some trouble, considering how fast they were, but it wasn't the hardest battle they had fought. The demon was actually pretty weak in terms of strength, so that helped with taking down the demon faster than he had thought.

However, neither had taken into account that the demon had not used its blood demon art. They had been so focused on giving chase and slaying the demon, the fact that it had not used its ability completely slipped their minds.

Giyuu sheathed his sword once the job had been finished, Kanzaburo landing on his shoulder. He turned over to Sanemi, who was busy cleaning his injured arm while Sorai flapped around him. He had sliced his arm to lure the lowermoon towards the two, and he was sure the crow was scolding him. Somehow. Which had been too easy. “I don't think constantly injuring yourself is gonna help.” the water user spoke up after a long period of silence. Sanemi scoffed at his words, clearly not liking them. In fact, he acted as if the other Hashira hadn’t said anything at all. It didn't surprise Giyuu in the slightest. He was well aware of how much Sanemi disliked him.

He looked down at the floor, noticing that there was far more blood than there was. He didn't have any dangerous injuries, only small bruises. And, as far as he knew, Sanemi only had a slice on his arm, and that was because of his blood. “Shinazugawa. Do you have any more injuries apart from the cut you inflicted on yourself?” he asked.

“No. Why?” the white haired man responded, almost sounding annoyed. Giyuu frowned as he knelt down, a hand brushing the bloodstains. His mind was screaming that something was wrong. Because there's no way.

Just then, he saw a crack slowly forming on the floor. His eyes widened slightly, having not noticed it earlier. However, the crack was where the bloodstain was. Giyuu let out a quiet gasp when he saw the crack getting bigger by the second, right where the blood was, as a pinkish red glow emitted from it. “Shinazugawa! The blood demon art!” he warned as he tried to run towards the white haired man. However, the ground crumbled beneath him.

Sanemi's eyes widened when he saw Giyuu slowly fall down into a hole that was emitting some sort of light. He heard Kanzaburo squawk, and he swore he saw the crow fall down from Giyuu’s shoulder. He sheathed his blade, running towards him and grabbing his wrist with both of his hands. Giyuu winced, literally dangling for his life. Sanemi was on one knee, doing his best to pull the Water Hashira to safety, Sorai trying to help. He was gritting his teeth, beads of sweat rolling down his face. “Hold on, you idiot!” he gasped out as the ground continue to crumble around them. Giyuu just nodded, placing his feet against the ground that seemed stable enough for him to put his weight on. However, that small glimmer of hope easily crumbled when the ground crumbled below Sanemi. The wind Hashira’s eyes widened as he slowly fell down the hole, still holding Giyuu’s hand.

---

Once Giyuu’s consciousness came back and he was able to fully grasp his surroundings, he realized two things.

Number 1: The place he was in was not the forest he and Shinazugawa were battling the demon in, and instead it was some strange building with tentacles coming out of the ground and faces plastered on the walls, with their eyes and mouths closed. It was a very eerie and uncomfortable sight to see, especially waking up in a place like that.

Number 2: Shinazugawa was not around him anymore, unlike earlier when he was trying to pull him out of the hole the two fell inside.

Naturally, his head started to move around, his eyes searching for the wind Hashira. Even if he was unconscious, or awake. He just needed to find him. He scrambled to his feet, unsheathing his sword as he started running around the place. Wherever he went, it was completely plagued with tentacles that seemed to hold up the structure for some reason, and the faces on the walls gave him the feeling that he was being watched. As he turned, he thought he had arrived at a dead end, but then the tentacles on the wall slowly unwrapped and revealed a path. Giyuu couldn’t help but stare at what he saw, obviously surprised. This place was getting more confusing by the second. He needed to find Shinazugawa, and fast. And after that, find a way out and get back to the Corps.

Navigating through the dimly lit halls was a chore, especially trying to find Shinazugawa. Giyuu could not find him at all. Which concerned him greatly. The wind Hashira could be in danger, for all he knew.

 

“YOU PIECES OF SHIT!”

 

Speaking of the devil, that was Shinazugawa. Giyuu turned the corner as another path opened itself for him, finally finding the wind Hashira.

He was surrounded by strange creatures, swinging his nichirin blade at them. He sliced through them, and it didn't seem like they were regenerating. Still, the amount of them was concerning. Giyuu charged at one of them, concentrating his breathing as he leapt in the air. Shinazugawa’s eyes widened when he saw the Water Hashira. “Tomio-”

 

“Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel.”

 

Giyuu chanted as he flipped mid air, creating a circular slash that decapitated one of the beings. He landed gracefully on the floor, the head rolling down a few centimetres away from him. Slowly, he turned to his colleague. “Are you alright, Shinazugawa?” he asked. Shinazugawa was about to answer, but he jerked forwards. Giyuu let out a noise of surprise when the wind Hashira grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards him. Giyuu turned his head, seeing as the two nearly dodged a… fire attack? Where did the fire come from?

“I have no clue what kind of demons they are, but I think that’s a blood demon art.” Shinazugawa informed, getting into position. Giyuu nodded, preparing himself as well as he looked at the remaining demons.

Two of them—no, four of them. Two pairs were holding each other, what looked like a man and a woman without any head, a heart floating above them with a red mask that had the letters VI engraved on its forehead, and holding some sort of sword. The remaining enemies were a pair of crosses with a wheel that went through the four sides, one part of it being bright orange and the other being a icy blue. “Be on your guard.” Giyuu warned as he and Shinazugawa charged at the demons. The Wind Hashira leapt into the air, in direction of the pairs with the heart shaped balloons above them as he rose his sword up in the air.

 

“Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind!”

 

He shouted as he slashed the air four times, almost resembling claws. The attack itself created a wave of dust, something that made Shinazugawa cover his eyes. Just as he landed down, thinking that he got them, the dust cleared, revealing that they had been unaffected by the attack. His eyes widened at that. “What?! But how?!” he shouted in disbelief. It didn’t give him enough time to react, as several attacks hit him. He coughed in shock, rolling backwards from the attacks. It was painful. Really painful. Still, he pushed himself back up.

“Shinazugawa!” Giyuu called as he dodged an attack by jumping backwards, worried for the wind user. Said person growled as he got into a stance, glaring at the demons

“Those things… My wind breathing didn’t even scratch them at all!” Shinazugawa exclaimed. Giyuu frowned at the revelation. How could the demons not be affected by wind breathing? Could they be resistant to it? But how?

“Shinazugawa! Switch targets with me!” the Water Hashira told him. Before Shinazugawa could even say anything, the black haired man was already getting ready to jump at the dancing demons. He leapt up, dodging their attacks as he prepared himself.

 

“Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust!”

 

He thrusted his sword forwards, piercing through the mask one of the dancing demons had. The red item shattered upon contact, the demon screeching from what looked like pain. Giyuu winced, that screech was incredibly loud, he thought his ears were going to bleed. The demon stumbled around, the dancing becoming messy and uncoordinated until it fell to the floor, slowly becoming a black mass and disappearing. Giyuu stared at it, shocked at the reaction. He definitely hadn’t been expecting that at all. But it was good to know that these demons’ weaknesses were the masks.

He launched himself upwards as he avoided another fire attack, which he guessed was from those strange crosses. He swung his blade, cutting the mask of the other dancing demon in half. That seemed to do the trick, as the demon repeated the same thing the other one did until succumbing and becoming nothing but a black mass that dissipated into the ground.

The Water Hashira huffed out a breath, turning to look at Shinazugawa. He was easily defeating the crosses, using his wind breathing to tear through them. They crumbled easily to the wind, far easier than when Giyuu attempted to fight them. Once they were gone, there was a long pause, a deafening silence taking over the two Hashiras.

And then Shinazugawa toppled over and fell forwards, using his sword as support as he let out a groan of pain. Giyuu ran to him, kneeling down next to the wind Hashira. “Fuck! Fuck, ugh those damn demons..!” the white haired man cursed under his breath, his free hand grabbing his side.

“Did the Blood Demon Art hit any vital organs?” Giyuu asked.

“No, don’t think so, but- ngh! It definitely got a hit on me. Fucking dammit. Hurts like hell.” Shinazugawa growled, shutting his eyes for a second as he tried to control his breathing. Giyuu nodded, taking in the information.

“We have to be careful. We don't know what they're capable of.” he muttered as he slung his arm around Shinazugawa, helping him get up. The wind Hashira gritted his teeth, his right arm was around Giyuu’s shoulders. However, he let himself be lifted up, because he’s injured and in an unknown place.

Slowly, the two wandered around the place, deciding to try and avoid any sort of demons for now. They walked around for a bit before they arrived at a room hidden by some tentacles that opened the path for them. It was a small room, with a box on a stand, no signs of demons around. The box looked tempting to use. However, Giyuu chose not to open it, instead he gently placed Sanemi down and leaned him against the wall.

“It looks like the attack left a nasty bruise.” Giyuu analyzed, seeing the other’s abdomen. Apart from the scars, now there was a bruise from the attack the white haired man had gotten. The wind Hashira cursed under his breath, grumbling some curse words to himself. Giyuu patted his body, trying to find something that could soothe the pain. He remembered Kocho talking about an ointment, but he didn’t get it before the mission. He mentally chastised himself for that, but still.

“You can rest, if it helps. I’ll stay up and on guard.” the Water Hashira told him. Shinazugawa glared at him at that.

“Like hell I will!”

“Shinazugawa. You took a hard blow.”

“I’m fine! We can’t doze off here!”

“You need to rest. You’re injured.”

“I’m not gonna die because of a stupid bruise, you piece of-”

 

“Grrrrggghuuuagghh…”

 

They both froze when they heard the guttural moan of whatever that was. Giyuu quickly covered Sanemi’s mouth, looking around. There wasn’t any demons in the room, but it sounded nearby. “We have to be quiet.” he whispered. Shinazugawa glared at him in response, but agreed. Albeit somewhat aggressively. They sat in silence, listening closely to try and locate where the demon was. The only thing Giyuu could hear was the sound of his own breathing, his eyes darting to the path where the two had come from. The tentacles had closed again, the room was now shut off from the outside, if he could even call it that.

“Looks like it’s clear for now.” he sighed, taking his hand away from Shinazugawa’s mouth. The white haired man sat up right, annoyed.

“Seriously, just what the fuck is this place.” he groaned.

“I wish I knew, too.” Giyuu hummed, sitting down “Could we have stumbled into the demon’s lair?” he asked.

“Don’t think so. That lowermoon used its blood demon art. It wouldn’t make sense for it to just. Bring us to its home.” Shinazugawa shook his head. Giyuu nodded in agreement, because Sanemi was right. The demon wouldn’t willingly bring them to their home. Even so, their ability brought them to a strange, different place. The question as to how it activated after it was beheaded was what bothered the Water Hashira the most. Because how can a blood demon art activate itself post mortum? It made no sense at all.

Giyuu turned to Shinazugawa, about to ask him something, but he stopped when he saw his eyes closed and his head tilted forwards just slightly. Giyuu closed his mouth, realizing that the Wind Hashira had fallen asleep. The black haired man just shook his head, deciding to stay quiet and let Shinazugawa rest. He got up, deciding to open the box that was in the room. He approached the box with caution, not wanting to risk getting lured into a trap. He placed his hands on the box, feeling the wood brushing against his fingers. He felt around it, looking for a way to open it. It was, surprisingly, easy to open. Inside was a… bottle. Of something. Giyuu turned the bottle around, noticing that the plastic read ‘Umugi Water’. He raised a brow, having never heard of a brand like it before. Still, it was better than nothing. At least they had water.

Giyuu walked over to where Shinazugawa was, careful to not wake him up with his footsteps. He sat down a few meters away from the Wind Hashira, deciding to close his eyes as well. It didn't hurt to rest for a bit, right?

Chapter 2: Bright red eyes

When Sanemi opened his eyes again after sleeping, he was surprised to see that the room had changed completely. Instead of the room with a chest on a small table, now they were out in the hallway again. He exhaled sharply, scrambling to his feet. His body still ached, for some reason. But he pushed himself up, ignoring the pain. He looked around, trying to find Tomioka. The Water Hashira was nowhere around, which was already concerning. “That idiot..!” he muttered angrily, unsheathing his sword and starting to run, looking for his colleague. He had to find him. Because who knew what that idiot could do on his own? Sanemi didn’t know.

He wandered around the area, his free hand holding attached to his abdomen as he ran, his teeth gritted while he concentrated his breathing. If he did that, then it wouldn’t hurt as much. And he could focus on finding that damn egotistical idiot. He leaped up in the air, jumping over a group of demons that were just there, completely ignoring them. He kept running, even if his body burned in pain.

Until he finally found the idiot. Engaging in combat with two giant demons, with pure black bodies, almost metallic. They had long, silver hair that reached their shoulders, and they were wearing nothing but some weird versions of a Fundoshi. Tomioka jumped backwards, dodging a fist that swung at his face. There was blood pouring down from his forehead, but it didn’t get into his eyes, meaning his sight was still intact. For now, at least.

Sanemi took a leap, his sword pointed at the demon as he swung at it. However, to both his and Tomioka’s shock, the demon turned to him and swung his fist, which connected with his face. The Wind Hashira fell backwards, roughly landing on the floor. He rolled back, but was able to get on one knee. He brought a hand to his face, wiping off blood that came from his nose as he ignored the way his abdomen burned in pain. He looked up, glaring at the demons. “You good for nothing creatures…” he growled, a grin slowly spreading across his scarred face “I’m going to make sure you get sent to hell.” he threatened, pointing his nichirin blade at them. They didn’t say anything, the masks they had on their faces not moving as they slowly walked towards him. He didn’t expect them to say anything. None of the demons here seemed to have the ability to speak.

“Shinazugawa, get back!” Tomioka shouted as he charged at the demons, his blade enveloped with water. Sanemi jumped back, allowing the Water Hashira to attack.

 

“Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!”

 

Tomioka performed a constant barrage of attacks at the demons, who cried out in pain at the constant attacks. But even that didn’t seem like enough to kill them. Sanemi jumped up. Tomioka glanced at him, understanding his plan. The water user jumped back, allowing him to act.

 

“Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!”

 

Sanemi swung his blade several times, creating a whirlwind that hit the two demons. It sent them flying to the wall. The white haired man exhaled, the adrenaline slowly subsiding and now being replaced by anger. He turned his head to look at Tomioka, who was busy taking care of the blood on his forehead, trying to wipe it off. “Why did you go off on your own, you dumbass?!” Sanemi shouted, pointing his blade at the black haired man. Tomioka frowned as he raised his head up.

“I thought you were the one who ran off.” he spoke up, making Sanemi blink in confusion, his blade lowering “I closed my eyes to rest, and when I opened them, you weren’t there.” he recalled, his eyes somewhat unfocused. For a second, the Wind Hashira thought he was about to pass out. Sanemi frowned at the explanation. Something wasn't right

“When I woke up, I was out in the halls, and not in the room again.” the white haired man said. Tomioka frowned.

“That’s the same thing that happened to me…” he whispered, his eyes trailing off. Sanemi cursed under his breath.

“This place just keeps getting weirder and weirder…” he mumbled to himself. Tomioka nodded in agreement, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Unfortunately, his body gave in, and he fell to his knees, his sword having slipped from his grasp and fallen to the floor. Sanemi tensed up when he saw the Water Hashira fall down to his knees. He knelt down next to him, his blade sheathed.

“Idiot! Hey, pull yourself together!” he said, alarmed.

“Sorry, Shinazugawa. I feel dizzy.” Tomioka whispered, leaning his head against the other's shoulder. Sanemi gritted his teeth, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. Of course. If he was bleeding from his head, he must have gotten a serious head injury. If only Shinobu was here, she would know what to do. She's the damn doctor for a reason.

“Don’t fucking apologize, you dumbass. Just stay still, I-” he patted his pockets, trying to find anything that could help with the wound, or the bleeding. That was when he noticed the water bottle on one of Tomioka’s pockets. He reached for it and grabbed it, ignoring if the water user tried to complain.

“Here, drink this. I have no clue if this is gonna help, but at least it’ll keep you hydrated.” he said, struggling to unscrew the cap of the bottle. Once he did though, he brought it close to the black haired man’s lips. Albeit reluctantly, Tomioka grabbed it from Sanemi’s hands, and slowly started drinking. Sanemi sighed, scratching the back of his head as the black haired man gulped down the drink. However, both of their eyes widened when a faint, light blue glow appeared around the Water Hashira. Sanemi flinched away, while Tomioka just sat there, surprised. The glow enveloped him for a few seconds before it disappeared.

“...What... What the fuck?” Sanemi let out, confused at what he just witnessed.

“..My wound..! It’s like… It’s like it never was there..!” Tomioka gasped, bringing a hand to his head, trying to feel the wound. But it just wasn’t there. Sanemi’s eyes widened at his words.

“Are you serious?!” he exclaimed. Some bottled water had healed Tomioka. Like, actually healed his wounds. What. Nothing in this place made sense at all. Sanemi brought his hands to his head.

“Nothing in this god damn place makes any fucking sense!” he groaned loudly, throwing his head back and messing with his hair. Tomioka shook his head, looking away. He didn’t understand anything either.

“Let’s be careful. Clearly, these demons are different from the ones back in our home.” the water user said as he got up. Sanemi huffed, shuffling back to his feet as well. Tomioka had a point. If only Sorai was here, maybe he could find the exit of this place easier.

“...Wait.” the white haired man mumbled, face dawning upon realization “Where are our Kasugai crows?” Tomioka froze, his eyes widening as he just now realized neither of their crows were with them.

“Kanzaburo..!”

“Shit! Sorai!”

---

“This is the first time I meet a pair of talking crows! If it wasn’t for the fact that I fight Shadows a lot, I would have thought I’d be dreaming.” Sorai listened to the girl with soft, auburn coloured hair and bright red eyes who saved him and Kanzaburo giggle, her tone as cheery as always. Even if the two had been with her for a short amount of time inside the place she calls Tartarus, she remained positive and cheerful.

“Giyuu…” Kanzaburo sobbed quietly yet again as he nuzzled into her chest, staining it with tears. Sorai sent the other crow a glance. The only thing the old crow had been doing was cry for his master. And while he understood his sadness and worry, Sorai was getting… annoyed, to put it lightly. Kanzaburo was old, and could barely do anything. It was a miracle how he still worked for the Corps, and how he was assigned to a Hashira , of all people.

“Hey, buddy, it’s okay, don’t cry! We’ll find your friend, and Sorai-kun’s friend! Just- It’ll take some time.” the girl assured the crow, her bright red eyes showing nothing but kindness to Kanzaburo. Sorai wanted to correct her, to tell her Sanemi wasn’t exactly his friend, he was his master. But he decided to stay quiet for now.

“Really..?” he asked.

“Of course! Besides, with me here, nothing will happen to them.” she nodded, a big smile on her face. Sorai had to give her credit, for all of her confidence, she was an experienced fighter. Both with a weapon and with her fists. She had a naginata sheathed, the sheath was wrapped with a cloth around her back and front body. He was sure she would make a fine Demon Slayer if they were back at their home. The only thing was, she didn’t have a breathing style. And yet she still did strange things. Things that Sorai couldn’t exactly explain because he still couldn’t grasp them. Like summoning a strange figure on her own and controlling it.

“Looks like there are some Shadows over there.” the girl hummed, pressing her back against the wall as she peeked her head from behind it. Sorai frowned. That’s what she called the demons that roamed the place. He narrowed his eyes, looking at the group of demons- or Shadows. He didn’t know what to call them anymore. But there were also… Figures. Of people.

“Are those… people..?” the girl muttered, her eyes narrowing as well. Sorai jumped from her arms as soon as she said that, much to her surprise, and flew upwards to try and see. And Sorai swore he had never been more relieved and worried at the same time.

“Sanemi..!” he rasped out.

---

“To your left!” Giyuu listened to Shinazugawa, rolling to the right and dodging a wind attack. He ran towards the muscly demon, swinging his blade at it without any mercy. The demon cried in pain, but those erratic noises fell deaf on Giyuu’s ears. He cut off its head, breathing heavily.

“Just how many demons are here?!” Shinazugawa growled as he used his second form to cut through more demons. At least these ones didn’t seem to be resistant to his wind breathing, which made it way easier to kill them. At least he made damage.

“Shinazugawa, behind you!” Giyuu warned, blocking a light attack from a demon that was holding a book above its head. Shinazugawa jumped up in the air, dodging a punch. He twisted his body in the air, his eyes focused on the giant.

“Tomioka, out of the way!” he ordered. Giyuu jumped up immediately as soon as the white haired man said that.

 

“Wind Breathing, Ninth Form: Idaten Typhoon!”

 

When he was upside down, Shinazugawa swung his sword in a circular motion, creating a powerful gust of wind. It cut through the demons, their erratic cries of pain basically music to the white haired man’s ears. The attack created a big cloud of gust, which made both Giyuu and Shinazugawa cover their eyes to avoid getting dust in their eyes.

 

Big mistake

 

Giyuu felt something pierce his shoulder. He choked out a noise of pain, coughing in surprise. He looked down at his shoulder, seeing an arrow stuck there from behind. He landed on the floor on one knee, bringing a hand to his shoulder. Shinazugawa’s eyes widened when he saw the arrow. However, before he could try to help, an arrow brushed his cheek, creating a cut that drew blood. He turned his head, seeing a group of three small demons with wings, pointing their bows and arrows at the two. Shinazugawa gritted his teeth, using his sword to deflect the arrows. “They just keep coming out of nowhere!” he snarled, annoyed.

“Ngh…” Giyuu groaned, his head fuzzy. He brought a hand up to his head, his vision slowly becoming cloudier and cloudier, and the other pulled out the arrow. He exhaled quietly, attempting to get back up to help Shinazugawa. He needed to help him. He had to help…

 

Who did he have to help?

 

Slowly, he charged at whoever he first saw, swinging his blade. It was met with another blade, colliding with each other. “What the fuck?! Tomioka! What the fuck are you doing?!” he heard someone shout in front of him. He didn't respond, instead swinging his blade again. He pushed someone back due to the sheer force of the attack, probably the person that was shouting at him.

“Idiot! Hey, stop that, Tomioka! I’m not your enemy! Hey!” He kept swinging and swinging as he ignored the shouts, just trying to cut whatever was in his way, almost all swings were met with blocks from a sword similar to his and words that went through one ear and left through the other. He just kept going.

 

Until suddenly he felt something hit the back of his neck, and he blacked out.

---

When Sanemi saw Tomioka slowly fall forwards, he caught him, ignoring the way his leg was burning from the pain of being shot by an arrow. He didn't understand why the Water Hashira suddenly started to attack him. If it hadn't been for his gut feeling, he would have injured him gravely, for sure.

A weapon flew past him. Turning his head around, he saw the three demons being impaled by what looked like a naginata. They all let out cries of pain before they slowly disintegrated. “I'm glad I was able to reach you before something terrible happened.” a voice said, laced with nothing but relief. He turned his head back again.

Right in front of him, he saw a girl around Genya's age, maybe a year older than him. She had auburn coloured hair tied into a ponytail, hair clips with the letters XXII on the right side of her head held some loose strands, and bright red eyes filled with life. She wore a strange attire, one that Sanemi had never seen before. “Are you alright?” she asked, her tone soft and filled with worry. He blinked, surprised.

“Sanemi!” his eyes widened as soon as he heard Sorai cry out his name. He looked up, seeing his Kasugai crow fly to him.

“Sorai!” he called, extending his hand out for his crow. He landed on his fingers as the Wind Hashira slowly brought him close. The crow leaned onto his cheek, nuzzling against him for comfort. His gaze softened slightly, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Ah, so if you're the one Sorai-kun was looking for,” the girl smiled before glancing at Tomioka “then this means he's the one Kanzaburo-kun was crying for.” she assumed, holding Tomioka's sleeping crow in her arms. Sanemi nodded, somewhat on edge. And he was sure she noticed, because her smile softened.

“What are you guys doing here, in Tartarus?” she asked as she walked over to the naginata, picking it up and placing it back in its makeshift sheath “This place is plagued with Shadows. Not only that, but people become weak just being here, because it drains you and makes you fatigued. It's almost a miracle you both are okay, let alone still able to fight the Shadows.” she spoke, her tone serious as she shook her head. Sanemi's eyes widened at her words, the realization of how much more dangerous this place was than he and Tomioka had thought. Although something did made his brain pause to think.

Tartarus? Was that the place he and Tomioka ended up in? At least he knew the name of the place now, but still. He had never heard of a place like that in Japan at all. “Shadows?” he asked.

“Yeah. It's what the beings that reside here are called.” the girl nodded “They pray on people's conscious minds, eating it until they become nothing but a shell of themselves.” she told him, her face darkening. Sanemi tensed up, suddenly her tone had turned bitter. It had been so out of nowhere, too.

“Follow me! I'll take you guys to a room without Shadows.” she smiled, her tone regaining back it's bubbly self. The wind user blinked, surprised by the switch up she just did. However, he nodded. He sheathed his sword and picked up Tomioka, while the girl picked up his sword to carry it with her free hand before she started walking, Sanemi trailing after her. Sorai settled on his master's shoulder, not wanting to leave his side right now. Sanemi didn't blame him.

“Why is this place called Tartarus?” he asked.

“I'm not really sure. As far as I remember, it's always been called that.” she answered, letting out a sigh “It's the same with the Shadows. As far as I remember, they’ve always been called that. Don't know why.” she shrugged her shoulders. The Wind Hashira huffed quietly. Well, wasn’t she trustworthy. The only reason he wasn't being violent was because:

1. She was a girl.
2. She saved him from Tomioka.
And 3. She found Sorai and Kanzaburo. 

“How did you even find the crows?” he asked, a brow raised.

“I heard screams, so for a second, I thought there were people trapped here. It's not exactly uncommon to find people lured into Tartarus.” she explained as a wall of tentacles revealed a room for them to rest, several wooden boxes laying around “If anything, it was more of a shock that I found crows. It's the first time I ever see animals inside of Tartarus.” she admitted, gently placing down Tomioka's nichirin blade. Sanemi gently propped him against the wall, sitting him down on the floor. The auburn haired girl then placed Kanzaburo on his lap.

“The little guy was crying for him a lot. I became a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to find both of you. Or finding you dead.” she exhaled, rubbing the back of her neck. The Wind Hashira clicked his tongue. As he narrowed his eyes, watching her head to the wooden boxes and opening them.

“Oh! Life Stones, good!” she cheered to herself when she opened the second one. Sanemi raised a brow, not sure what Life Stones were, or what they did. She walked back to him, handing him a weird looking thing.

“...The fuck is this?” he asked.

“A Life Stone! It’s a candy that helps recover and heal wounds. Don’t ask me how it works, because I dont know either.” the girl explained. Sanemi hummed, taking the small candy in his hand. He looked at it closely, narrowing his eyes, before he basically tossed it inside his mouth, starting to chew.

“Wh- Ow! Why is it so hard?!” he yelped, confused.

“Not all candies are soft and easy to bite into. With Life Stones, you gotta let them stay in your mouth, so they soften.” she explained, barely holding back her laughter. Sanemi glared at her for laughing at him, but he still did what she said. It definitely became better, because it softened, and he could bite into it without it hurting his teeth. He definitely felt a lot better once he ate it, feeling lighter than before.

“I’m still so confused on how this heals wounds.”

“I dunno either, honestly. I wish I could answer that question as well.”

Sanemi sat down, Sorai jumping down from his shoulder and attaching himself on his finger as he extended his hand. The girl, on the other hand, was busy cleaning the naginata’s sharp blade, wiping off black goo from it. The wind user guessed it was from those ‘Shadows’ creatures things. It was still weird to not call them demons, because they technically were demons. At least in his eyes.

“Ah, right! I never asked for your name!” she suddenly spoke up, her face faltering slightly “Sorry. I was really busy making sure we could find a safe area.” she apologized. Sanemi stared at her.

“The hell are you apologizing for?” he asked.

“Well, I was speaking to you like if we were friends of some sort. But I don’t know you at all.” she explained, scratching her cheek nervously. Sanemi sighed. She did have a point, neither of them had introduced themselves to the other. Sanemi didn’t exactly trust her. Sure, she helped him, saving him from Tomioka’s sudden attacks, and also killed the Shadow creatures. But she was a stranger. Even if she wasn’t a demon, she was still a stranger with a weird attire.

“I’m Arisato Minako! It’s nice to meet you!” she beamed, a bright smile on her face as she extended her hand out. Sanemi stared at her hand for a second, his brows furrowed, before he relented and took it, shaking it lightly.

“Shinazugawa Sanemi.”

Chapter 3: Time problems

When Giyuu came to be and he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Shinazugawa speaking with a teenage girl that looked older than Tanjiro, the two of them sitting on the floor. He shuffled slightly, bringing a hand to his head. It looked like he was still in the demon dimension with Shinazugawa, but the question in his mind was: Who was this girl?

“Ah! You’re awake!” the girl gasped when she saw him, clasping her hands together with happiness. She was happy he was awake, for some reason. Shinazugawa turned his head, clearly pissed.

“Shinazugawa?”

“Wanna explain why you decided to randomly attack me, Tomioka?” Shinazugawa asked, a brow raised. He sounded pissed. Giyuu blinked, confused at the question. He did what?

“Attack you?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. The white haired man's eyes widened at that, almost looking offended. The black haired man didn't know why.

“You don’t remember?! Those little flying fucks shot you on the shoulder and then you started attacking me!” Shinazugawa shouted, shaking him violently. Giyuu just shut his eyes, letting the wind user shake him as much as he wanted.

“Shinazugawa-san, stop that! He was charmed by the Shadows!” the girl exclaimed, trying to stop the white haired man from possibly murdering Giyuu. Even Kanzaburo was squawking at the Hashira.

 

Wait.

 

“Kanzaburo?!” Giyuu gasped when he saw his Kasugai crow on his lap. The girl was able to pull Shinazugawa off of him at that point, somehow. The animal slowly looked up at Giyuu, tilting his head with small tears in his eyes. A small smile spread across his face, one filled with nothing but relief to see his crow, and to see he was okay.

“I’m so glad you’re okay…” he whispered as Kanzaburo nuzzled onto his cheek. The crow cried quietly out of joy when it saw its master. Shinazugawa huffed as the girl let go of him, a smile on her face at the small reunion.

“I’m glad to see Kanzaburo-kun is happy.” she sighed, relieved. Giyuu looked up at her, confused.

“Who are you?” he asked. She giggled, not finding the question offensive at all.

“My name is Arisato Minako! I was the one who found Sorai-kun and Kanzaburo-kun, and kept them safe while looking for their owners.” she introduced herself, holding her hand out. Giyuu stared at it for a few seconds, not exactly knowing what to do. When she shook it lightly, he realized what she meant. He took her hand and shook it gently.

“Tomioka Giyuu.” he said. Arisato smiled at that.

“Nice to meet you, Tomioka-san!” she beamed. As he sat up, she explained a lot of things to him. How what he and Shinazugawa deemed as the demons of the place were called ‘Shadows’ and how they hunted humans that roamed around this place by eating their brains and leaving them in a state where they can’t even speak. Giyuu couldn’t help but tense up at those words. Shadows were like demons to him, basically. Except Shadows ate peoples' minds.

She also explained how the place they had ended up in because of the demon they were fighting was called Tartarus, which was the Shadows’ home, and how the longer you spent there, the more drained and fatigued one felt. So, somehow, the two hashiras had ended up in the worst place they could have ever imagined. Which was great.

Giyuu sighed. “Well, this is definitely the best situation we could have gotten ourselves into.” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Arisato looked at him with sympathy, almost understanding that the situation both Hashiras got themselves into was pretty fucking terrible.

“Yeah, I know. Ending up here is… not ideal at all. It's a super dangerous place.” she sighed.

“How the hell did you end up here, anyways?” Shinazugawa asked. Arisato tensed up at that, rubbing her arm as she averted her eyes.

“I was… curious, about the tower. So I decided to venture inside on my own. I didn’t realize how bad of an idea it was until I went through with it.” she explained, almost sheepish about it. Giyuu narrowed his eyes. The way she said it made him think there was something off about her recollection. Like if she was hiding something. But who was he to pry? He had his fair share of secrets. Like how he didn’t deserve to be a Hashira.

“And how long ago was that?” Giyuu asked. The girl frowned, trying to remember.

“Like… eight hours ago..? Around that period of time.” she said, unsure. Shinazugawa sputtered at that, eyes wide from the shock.

“You’ve been in this hellhole for eight god damn hours?!” he questioned. Giyuu stared at the girl, shocked. How had she survived for so long? She said that the longer someone was in Tartarus, the more drained and fatigued one could be. She must have a lot of stamina if she had been here for that long, then.

“The only way to tell how much time has passed is tricky to realize, I only realized it on my fourth hour here. The trick is that every hour, the tower’s structure rearranges by itself. So, one minute you could be sitting in a room without any other entrances than one, and another minute you might find yourself out on a hall with Shadows.” Arisato continued, and when she said those words, that was when Giyuu realized it had to be true. When he and Shinazugawa had woken up after resting, they had been in completely different places, separated. Which meant that around an hour had passed while they slept to regain energy.

“No. That- That is bullshit, there’s no way.” Shinazugawa deadpanned.

“No. No, if you think about it, Shinazugawa, it actually makes sense that the tower rearranges itself without any sort of help, because then that explains some things.” Giyuu shook his head “Remember when we woke up in completely different rooms that the one we were in when we were resting? Or when the floor didn't look the same?” he reminded. The white haired man paused, his eyes slowly narrowing as his brows furrowed. He looked like he was thinking hard about it, and he seemed to realize that the water user was right.

“Shit, you’re right.” he groaned, burying his face on one of his hands.

“It’s a bit difficult to get used to, yeah.” Arisato chuckled “The good thing is that neither of you looked fatigued! And I think you both have been here for almost two hours! You both must be strong!” she said, trying to make the mood less tense.

“Well, of course we are. We’re Hashiras for a damn reason.” Shinazugawa deadpanned. Arisato blinked at those words, a look of confusion flashing on her face. Giyuu raised a brow.

“Hashiras? What’s that?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. They both stared at her like if she had grown a second head. But she genuinely looked like she meant the question. She looked like she had never heard of demons in her entire life.

 

“Is it, like, a food? Or a job?”

“...Huh?”

“Hah?!”

---

At first, Minako had thought that maybe, just maybe, being stuck in Tartarus with two adults that looked like good fighters wasn’t going to be so bad. They both seemed strong, both mentally and physically, so maybe she wouldn’t have to do all the work.

 

“What do you mean you don’t know what a Hashira is?!”

 

But then, she realized. They were weird. Like, actually weird.

They were, apparently, ‘Hashiras’. Which was this high and respected rank amongst the group they were part of, which they called ‘Demon Slayer Corps’, a group that Minako had no clue what it was, or how it existed. And they kept explaining how they slayed demons, which were common back in their land. But the thing is, Minako was more than sure that demons do not exist. At least as far as she knows. They didn't exist. Unless they were talking about them, but she doubted it.

“Wait… What date is it?” Tomioka asked.

“Um… May 24th, 2009.” Minako recalled “Why?” she asked. She watched how slowly, both Tomioka and Shinazugawa’s faces lost their colour, their eyes widening and their mouths hanging open.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, concerned.

“Wh- There’s no way. That can’t be right.” Tomioka shook his head “It should be 1912.” Minako raised a brow.

“Nope, it’s 2009. Maybe you two hit your heads and lose your memories?” she asked, however she frowned at her own question, realizing how stupid it sounded “Wait no, scratch that idea. That can cause amnesia, but definitely not messing with memories.” she shook her head “This is weird. Sorry, but no. It definitely isn’t 1912.”

“Dammit! That damn lowermoon demon must have sent us into the future with its blood demon art, somehow!” Shinazugawa cursed, slamming his fist down on the floor. Minako flinched away out of instinct when he did, frowning.

“A lowermoon demon… Is it strong?” she asked.

“Not as strong as an uppermoon, but they’re still stronger than the average demon.” Tomioka answered.

“I see. Well, now the thing is. How are you both going to get back?” Minako asked. The two Hashiras fell silent at that, not knowing how to answer. The auburn haired girl sighed. Well, she had nothing to lose. She might as well try.

“Alright. I’ll help you both find a way back to your time.” she told them, crossing her arms. They both looked at her, surprised.

“Why? You’re literally a stranger to us.” Shinazugawa questioned.

“Well, obviously you both are strong, but staying in Tartarus for a long period of time won’t help, especially because Shadows and demons are different from one another.” Minako started “And also because, well. You guys need help. I can provide help. Even if I literally just met you both.” she added, shrugging. Shinazugawa just stared at her, his gaze definitely holding suspicion about her.

“Your help is definitely appreciated.” Tomioka said, thankful. Minako smiled softly at that, happy that at least the black haired man was appreciating her help. Even if Shinazugawa wasn’t as grateful as he was. Just then, she paused, closing her eyes.

“I hear it. The floor is rearranging itself.” she whispered as she got up, one of her hands reaching for her sheathed naginata. The other one snuck it’s way to under her jacket, wrapping her fingers around the item on the holster around her waist.

“Are you going to go out on your own?” Tomioka asked as he got up, the white haired man following suit.

“Even if I didn’t, Shadows roam around every corner of Tartarus. We’re not going to be completely safe.” she told them, slowly walking towards the entrance of the room. The tentacles slowly unwrapped themselves, creating an opening.

“Are those… stairs?” Shinazugawa asked as he and Tomioka walked up to her.

“It looks like when it rearranged itself, the tower placed the stairs to the next floor.” Minako hummed, tapping her finger against the wood of her weapon’s handle as she walked towards the stairs.

“So there are more floors?” Tomioka inquired.

“It is a tower, so…” Minako mumbled, sweatdropping. She took a step on the stairs, slowly walking up. Tomioka and Shinazugawa followed after her, climbing up the steps right behind her.

“...It looks the fucking same.” the white haired man deadpanned when they reached the next floor.

“Well, yeah? The floors always look the same.” Minako said, sounding like if it was the most obvious thing ever. Tomioka hummed, showing some interest in that aspect.

“What’s next? Someone else trapped here with us, too?” Shinazugawa asked.

“Well-”

 

“H-Hello? Who goes there?”

 

A voice asked. The trio paused completely, not moving. “...Did you both hear that?” Tomioka asked.

“...You have to be fucking kidding me.” Shinazugawa groaned, bringing a hand to his face.

Chapter 4: Navigator

Fuuka had lost track of how long she had been there, in this strange place with those creatures roaming around. She didn’t know how, but she had been able to detect where they were. So, with that ability, she had been able to avoid them, hiding from them and cowering, hugging herself for comfort as she wished for someone to come help.

 

“Well, yeah? The floors always look the same.”

“What’s next? Someone else trapped here with us, too?”

 

And then she heard voices. Voices of people, actual people, speaking. There were others here, in this scary and distorted place. One sounded like a girl around her age, and the other sounded more gruff, and aggressive, so she thought it was an older man’s voice. She gulped, taking courage.

“Well-”

“H-Hello? Who goes there?” she asked. It was silent for a few seconds, and Fuuka started doubting if the voices were actually real or if what she had heard was just a figment of her own imagination mixed with the desperation of someone rescuing her.

“...Did you both hear that?” a third voice ask, quiet and smooth. Fuuka's eyes widened, bringing a hand to her mouth. So she wasn’t imagining things! There were other people here!

“...You have to be fucking kidding me.” the gruff voice uttered, almost... annoyed

“Hey! Um. How can you talk to us?” the girl asked.

“I-I don’t know. I-I can hear you all, and speak to you, but-but I’m not sure on how I can do this.” Fuuka explained, fidgeting with her hands.

“Okay, that’s. That’s something. Um- What’s your name?” the girl asked. Had she noticed how scared Fuuka sounded? Was she trying to get her to focus on anything but her fear? Because if she did, that was really kind of her.

“Y-Yamagishi Fuuka. Um, m-may I ask for your names?”

“I’m Arisato Minako! The gruff voice you heard is Shinazugawa Sanemi, and the quiet and soft voice is Tomioka Giyuu! It’s nice to meet you, Yamagishi-chan!” the girl, Arisato-san, introduced herself and who Fuuka assumed were her… friends? Colleagues? Partners? Acquaintances? She wasn’t sure.

“N-Nice to meet you.”

“It looks like she might be in this floor. Perhaps we could locate her.” Tomioka-san suggested, his voice still quiet. Almost emotionless, even. Fuuka, however, felt relief at the idea of being around people. She didn’t want to be alone for much longer.

“Alright! Yamagishi-chan, we’re coming for you! Just be careful of the creatures here!” Arisato-san warned her.

“Oh, I-I think I’ll be okay. I’ve… I’ve been avoiding them this entire time.” she admitted.

“Really??” Shinazugawa-san asked, and by the sound of it, he sounded impressed.

“Yeah. I-I don’t know how, but I can… sort of tell where they are?” she explained, although she herself was unsure of her own words “And… I can- See? Sense? I just- I feel presences different than the creatures.” she continued.

“Then that has to mean we’re nearby!” Arisato-san gasped, Fuuka could hear the excitement in her voice.

“This place just keeps getting weirder and weirder.” she heard Shinazugawa-san grumble under his breath.

“Yamagishi-san. I hope it’s not too much to ask, but if you can sense us, could you guide us towards you?” Tomioka-san asked. Fuuka gulped quietly, her hands trembling slightly. She didn’t know if she could do it. She wasn’t that strong. She was weak willed.

But they could help her. Maybe they could keep her safe. And just that, just the idea of staying with people she can be safe with, it brought this feeling of determination to her chest. She took a deep breath, mentally steeling herself. She had survived being here for a long time. She could do this.

“I-I’ll do my best, Tomioka-san.” she finally answered, almost sounding like a promise she was going to fulfill.

“You got this, Yamagishi-chan!” Arisato-san cheered her on. That made her face brighten slightly. She took a deep breath, concentrating as she closed her eyes. Suddenly, it felt like all of her surroundings had disappeared, replaced by a pitch black void. And suddenly, all of those creatures, as she sensed them, became more evident to her, being highlighted in a dark purple. And so did the presence of the non creatures, highlighted in bright blue.

“I can feel it… I can see where you guys are…” she whispered “Please, be careful. There are more creatures.”

“We’ll take care of them with ease after we find you. Do not worry, Yamagishi-san.” Tomioka-san assured her. She nodded, a quiet hum leaving her lips. Slowly, she guided towards her, the bright blue auras getting closer and closer as she told them where to go. Until, eventually, she saw them from her hiding spot. Her chest tightened.

“O-Over here!”

---

Sanemi wasn’t expecting many things while the group was searching for Yamagishi. He had decided to just try to not be surprised by this place anymore. Because if he didn’t expect anything, it’d be fine.

“O-Over here!”

The soft, shy voice of a girl broke him out of his thoughts. He turned his head, seeing a small, frail-looking girl coming from behind a pillar, with teal-coloured hair and brown eyes and a strange attire as well. Her voice sounded like Yamagishi’s, too. “Are you Yamagishi-san?” Tomioka asked. She timidly nodded.

“Don’t worry, you’re safe with us!” Arisato assured her with a big smile. Yamagishi let out a breath of relief as she fell to her knees. The auburn haired girl was quick to run to her side.

“I was so scared…” she whispered. Sanemi didn’t blame her for having this reaction. With no demons around, and suddenly finding yourself in a place like this, it was normal to feel terrified.

“How long have you been here?” Arisato asked as she helped up the teal haired girl.

“I-I’m not sure. But the place- It rearranged itself. Four times.” Yamagishi answered, leaning onto the other girl for support.

“So, that would mean four hours, right?” Sanemi asked. Arisato hummed.

“F-Four hours?!” Yamagishi gasped, her eyes wide.

“Mhm. Don’t worry, we’ll keep you safe until we find an exit.” Arisato assured her, a soft smile on her face. Yamagishi just nodded. It showed she trusted them. She could trust them, and she was sure of it. The determination on her face showed it.

“A-Alright.” she nodded.

“Shinazugawa and I will clear any Shadows in the way.” Tomioka informed as he unsheathed his blade, a sheath that Yamagishi looked like she had just noticed “Yamagishi-san, is it alright if we ask you to sense how many there are, or will that be too much for you?” he asked. She nodded, much to Sanemi’s surprise. He watched as she closed her eyes and clasped her hands together.

“From the looks of it, there aren’t many of these ‘Shadows around us. S-Still, there are some to the left.” she informed.

“Alright. Don’t worry, they’ll be a piece of cake.” Sanemi assured the two girls, unsheathing his own nichirin blade.

---

Minako watched the two men head to the left to dispose of the Shadows, which left the two girls alone. She turned to Yamagishi. “Yamagishi-chan, here.” she said as she took out her Evoker from its holster. Yamagishi’s eyes widened as she saw it.

“Is-Is that a gun??” she asked.

“Yes, but no. It’s… difficult to explain. But if we’re in danger, I want you to aim it at my head and pull the trigger.” Minako told her. Yamagishi stared at her like if she was insane. But Minako was serious about this. She really was. And she couldn’t explain it to her right now, because Yamagishi wouldn’t believe her.

“Are-Are you sure?!” she asked.

“Yes. And please, do not let Tomioka-san or Shinazugawa-san see it.” Minako added. Yamagishi gulped before nodding, hiding it in the jacket of what she assumed was her school uniform. The emblem gave it away, that she was from Gekkoukan High. A school built by the Kirijo group.

“Let’s go.” Minako smiled, grabbing Yamagishi’s hand gently before she started jogging to try and catch up to the two swordsmen to see if they needed help. Because, sure, they probably could deal with Shadows easily. But what worried her was that Shadow. The one that rarely ever appeared, but when it did, it would settle nothing but fear wherever it roamed. It worried her that they might encounter that Shadow. Because even she isn’t strong enough to face it right now.

“There they are!” Yamagishi pointed. Minako’s head turned, seeing the two adults easily dealing with the Shadows. The two girls stayed by the sidelines, watching. Minako would only intervene if she really needed to. Tomioka had jumped up, slowly falling towards a group of Shadows. Minako’s eyes widened as she saw his blade slowly being enveloped by what seemed like water.

“What the-”

“Is that… water..?” Yamagishi whispered, her eyes slowly widening. Minako nodded.

 

“Water Breathing, Eight Form: Waterfall Basin.”

 

She heard a voice echo through the place as Tomioka swung his katana downwards, creating a vertical slice with water that cut the Shadows in half. “Amazing…” Minako breathed out, her eyes sparkling.

 

“Wind Breathing, Fifth Form: Cold Mountain Wind!”

 

Another voice echoed through the area as Shinazugawa created several circular slashes that tore apart more Shadows. “So cool..!” Yamagishi whispered, amazed. Minako had to agree. It was so cool seeing the two swordsmen in action. It was almost as if they were in sync. Or like if they were dancing.

“Yamagishi-san, Arisato-san.” Tomioka called once all of the Shadows were killed. Shinazugawa turned to them.

“That was so cool..!” Yamagishi spoke up, sparkles around her.

“It wasn’t that much.” Tomioka shook his head.

“Nuh uh! You both were killing it in there! You were like fwoosh! And fwaa!” Minako exclaimed as she tried to replicate their moves, holding a nonexistent katana while doing so. Yamagishi nodded in agreement. Tomioka just sweatdropped, and he decided to not say anything else. Shinazugawa rolled his eyes at his attitude, which made the auburn haired girl quirk a brow. Did something happen between them?

“Should we move?” Tomioka asked.

“I mean, what else do we do?” Shinazugawa deadpanned.

“Yeah, let’s keep moving. Maybe there’ll be something on the other floors!” Minako suggested, positive. Well, at least trying to be positive. Because someone had to be in the strange group that had formed out of these four.

---

They chose to rest after exploring the whole floor and fighting Shadows, finding an empty room—if you didn’t count the chest that the auburn haired girl opened, of course—with more than enough space to rest. Fuuka understood why the group paused in the room. Having to fight Shadows all the time made the others constantly tired, even if they were experienced. Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san had decided to take a small nap, but not the girl. Arisato-san yawned as she stretched her limbs, showing signs of tiredness. “Um, Arisato-san… Maybe you should sleep?” the teal haired girl suggested. The auburn haired girl shook her head.

“Nah. Someone has to stay vigilant incase Shadows decide to pull a sneak attack.” she said. Fuuka frowned. Sure, she was right, but the teal haired girl could sense the Shadows. She could easily warn her.

“But you look tired. Are you sure you should-”

“Yamagishi-chan. I’m fine.” Arisato-san insisted, giving the girl a smile that didn’t seem natural at all. It made Fuuka pause, suddenly feeling a chill run down her spine. How can she smile like that? It was scary, for some reason. The teal haired girl relented, deciding to just not insist anymore.

“How did you even end up here, Yamagishi-chan?” she asked, curious. Fuuka flinched at the question. She wasn’t exactly ready to have that conversation yet. Especially because she’d rather not talk about it right now, in the tower that the group was trapped in.

“I-I think I’d rather not talk about it here.” she said as Kanzaburo nuzzled close to her, sleeping. She gently pet his head, enjoying how soft his feathers were. That, and he seemed to like it. Arisato-san gave her a small smile.

“That’s completely understandable. When you feel ready to share, I’ll be there to lend an ear.” she assured her, her face softened. Fuuka looked up at her, a look of surprise flashing on her face.

“R-Really?”

“Mhm! Pinky promise!” Arisato-san beamed quietly, holding out her pinky. Fuuka stared at it, surprised. Slowly, she reached for it, a smile filled with nothing but joy and gratefulness on her face. They interlocked pinkies, the promise strengthening.

Shinazugawa-san’s crow, which Fuuka learned he named Sorai, suddenly flapped its wings, flying up and landing on Arisato-san’s shoulder. She eyed it, confused. However, she squeaked when it pecked her forehead.

 

“A-Arisato-san!”

“Sorai-kun, what the heck?!”

“Sleep!” both Fuuka and Arisato-san stared at the crow in either confusion or disbelief.

“Eh?! I'm fine!”

“Sleep!”

“Or else what?”

“Peck!”

“Wha- OW!”

 

Fuuka watched as Sorai basically threatened Arisato-san to get sleep, or else he’d peck her head to hell and back. The auburn haired girl was, practically, forced to get sleep. And Fuuka just watched, sweatdropping. Once Sorai made sure Arisato-san was asleep, he flapped his wings again, landing on Fuuka’s shoulder. The girl looked at him.

“Sorry for having you force her to sleep.” she apologized. Sorai shook his head at her apology, almost as if he was saying she didn’t need to apologize. She gave him a small smile in return, moving her hand up and petting his head. He leaned onto the touch, closing his eyes.

“Thank you for looking for this spot. You’re really amazing.” she complimented. Sorai seemed to enjoy the compliment. Long before Fuuka knew, she ended up closing her eyes as well.

Chapter 5: Rage

When Minako opened her eyes, she was alone. Outside of the safe room. Her eyes widened as she scrambled to her feet, unsheathing her naginata. This was why she didn’t want to fall asleep! Because if she did, they would all lose track of time, and she wouldn't be able to guide them!

“Dammit! Not even Sorai-kun or Kanzaburo-kun is with me!” she cursed under her breath. This was bad. No, scratch that, it was terrible. Because she was alone.

“I’m more than sure Yamagishi-chan might have a Persona. But she hasn’t awakened it, and it’s a navigation based one.” she rambled to herself as she ran down the halls of the Arqa block. She had to find them. She had to. What if they were injured? What if they died? She wouldn’t be able to deal with it.

The blood curling scream and the gunshot did not make her feel better. In fact, it made her feel horrified. Because she realized what it meant. She pushed her legs to go faster, her breathing erratic and uneven. But did she care about it? No, she absolutely did not care. Her priority was the safety of the rest. Eventually, she saw a glimpse of Shinazugawa’s hair and clothes, which made her pick up the pace even more. And there, she saw it. Something that made her blood boil.

The Reaper, with its gun pointed up to the sky as it got ready to launch an attack. Tomioka, with blood coming from his stomach, where a gunshot wound remained. Shinazugawa, fallen on the floor with Tomioka’s limp body on top of him, not moving at all, probably due to the shock. And Yamagishi was on her knees, cowering in fear and shaking like a leaf while holding back Sorai and Kanzaburo from flying to their masters and getting injured, or worse, killed. Minako felt nothing but rage at the scene. Because this was her fault. Because she shouldn’t have listened to Sorai.

She took out a Zionga gem from her pocket that she had kept from her previous Tartarus expeditions with the others before she aimed at the Reaper as she reeled her arm back, and then threw it. A lightning attack stunned the Shadow. “What the-” she heard Shinazugawa let out, confusion clear in his tone.

“Sorry for being late.” she spoke up, slowly walking until she was in front of the Hashiras.

“A-Arisato-san!” Yamagishi gasped, her face filled with relief.

“What was that??” Shinazugawa questioned as he tried to get up. Minako turned to him. Her eyes widened when she saw that he was also injured, his blood staining the floor. He got hit in the leg with the Reaper's gun. Her eye twitched, her face darkening as her rage growing more and more.

“You’re gonna regret it…” she threatened, spinning her naginata in her hands before she charged at the Reaper. The Shadow couldn’t move because of the Zionga gem, which brought a grin to her face. She swung her weapon downwards, and then upwards, before she jumped up. Twisting her body mid air, she let out an enraged cry before she swung her weapon for a third time, knocking down the Reaper and pushing it back a few metres away. She jumped back, breathing heavily.

“Yamagishi! Do it!” she ordered. Yamagishi’s eyes widened when she said that.

“W-Wait, right now?! A-Are you sure?!” she asked.

“Yes! Tomioka-san will die if we stay here for too long! We have to end this quick!” Minako ordered. Yamagishi gulped, nodding. Shakily taking the Evoker from the pocket, she aimed it at the auburn haired girl’s head, ignoring the way Shinazugawa tried to get her to stop and how Tomioka was just opening his eyes. With a shaky exhale, Yamagishi pulled the trigger as she closed her eyes, not wanting to see the scene at all.

Her head jerked to the side as a shattering noise echoed throughout the place, a bright blue fire enveloping her. Her eyes glowed slightly as the familiar figure appeared behind her, an erratic cry came from it. Slowly, she raised her head up, a grin on her face. “Let’s do this. Orpheus! ” she exclaimed, raising her hand. The figure of a robotic woman with long, bright orange hair and glowing red eyes, with a heart-shaped lyre on its back appeared behind her, roaring as it charged at the Reaper. A strong fire attack was launched at the Shadow while Minako charged at it, her naginata ready to attack. With a warcry, she jumped up and stabbed the Reaper in the chest. It cried in pain, aiming its gun and shooting the air.

The auburn haired girl yelped as a wind attack hit her, pushing her back. She rolled on the floor, quickly getting back before it could hit her again. She dodged a lightning attack, though she got hit by another wind attack that made her roll back again, right where Shinazugawa and Tomioka were. "ORPHEUS!" she shouted. Her Persona roared as it swung its lyre. The Reaper dodged the attack, as Minako expected. She dug through her pocket, taking out a Bufula gem as she charged at the Shadow. She threw it, the gem hitting the Reaper. Although it didn't freeze it, which was what Minako wanted to happen, it did hit it and lowered its health. She jumped up, dodging the lightning attack and swinging her weapon. The Shadow blocked it with one of its guns, but Orpheus swung her lyre, hitting the Shadow on the face.

“ORPHEUS! AGILAO!” she screamed as she dug her blade into the Shadow's chest again, feeling like her throat was going sore as her Persona roared, casting Agilao on it. The Reaper cried out, attempting to shoot its gun. But Minako wasn’t having it. Using her naginata’s polearm as support, she pushed herself upwards and kicked the metallic object, avoiding it summoning a stronger attack. Orpheus swung her lyre just as the auburn haired girl ducked, hitting it in the face. It fell backwards, limp. Minako pulled out her weapon, watching the Reaper become nothing but a black mass that slowly disintegrated. She exhaled, breathing heavily as she slowly turned to the others, exhausted from the fight.

---

Sanemi didn’t know what to think when Arisato killed the big Shadow that snuck up on the three while searching for her once they woke up and noticed that the layout of the tower had changed and separated them again. When she slowly turned to look at them, Sanemi thought he was looking at someone completely different. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes were dull and held nothing but bloodlust, and her face was stained with the black mass the Shadows become once they are killed. The Wind Hashira was speechless. But somehow, the sight itself felt… familiar to him.

“Yamagishi.” the auburn haired girl called again, her tone soft. That snapped Sanemi out of his thoughts. The teal haired girl’s head perked up when her name was called.

“Y-Yeah?” she asked.

“Shoot me with the Evoker again.” she said. Sanemi's eyes widened, realizing Yamagishi still had that odd looking gun in her hands. She looked down at it before she slowly raised it, pointing it at her head.

“Y-Yamagishi..?” Tomioka asked, his voice quiet. Sanemi looked down, realizing he was still bleeding from the wound. The white haired man pressed his hand against it to try and stop the bleeding from becoming worse. Tomioka hissed in pain, gritting his teeth.

Again, the shattering noise happened when Yamagishi pulled the trigger, Arisato being enveloped in blue flames yet again. However, this time, a different figure appeared. A woman with green skin and dark green hair that reached the end of her tattered, red dress. She ported a gentle expression on her face as she slowly floated towards Sanemi and Tomioka. She placed her hands on their foreheads, a green aura enveloping them. A warm, calming aura that slowly made the pain go away. Sanemi's shoulders relaxed, he hadn't even realized they were tense, as he didn't feel anymore pain on his legs. He looked down at Giyuu, seeing his eyes half open as the gunshot wound slowly closing.

Arisato slowly walked up to him, her naginata sheathed. Kneeling down, she helped Tomioka sit up. “Thank you, Silky.” she turned to the woman, who nodded. She disappeared with a bright blue glow. Sanemi stared at Arisato, watching as she helped the Water Hashira up.

“Is anyone else injured?” she asked, turning to look at Yamagishi. She shook her head.

“Sorai, Kanzaburo and I are okay.” she informed.

“That Shadow was insanely strong and dangerous.” Tomioka admitted as Sanemi got up as well, undusting himself.

“Arisato. What the fuck was that.” he demanded, looking straight into the auburn haired girl’s eyes. She stared back, not scared.

“That. Is a Persona.” she answered “A manifestation of a person’s feelings.”

“How can you summon more than one?” Tomioka asked.

“That, I don’t know. It’s an ability I have, and I don’t know why.” she admitted, scratching the back of her head “But what I do know, is that Yamagishi has the same ability to summon a Persona.” she added. Sanemi’s head turned to the named girl, who just looked confused.

“I-I do?” she asked.

“Mhm. But it’s different than mine, because you can sense the Shadows. So I’m thinking you might be a navigator of some sorts.” she explained, crossing her arms. Sanemi and Tomioka exchanged a look of confusion, not understanding the situation that much.

“So if I… If I shoot myself with this gun… Will I summon this… Persona, thing?” Yamagishi asked.

“It’s… a bit more complex than that. This” she gently took the gun from the teal haired girl’s hands, who let her “is an Evoker. It symbolizes death, and when using it, you acknowledge your mortality and accept death.” she explained. Sanemi listened to the explanation closely, his brows furrowed. The explanation she was giving sounded bad. It was like if she said ‘hey, we’re gonna die’ or something. He wasn’t very fond of it.

Yamagishi slowly pointed the gun-shaped item to the side of her head, closing her eyes. She pressed the trigger, a shattering noise echoing through the place a bright blue fire enveloped her. Sanemi raised one of his arms, the sudden gust of wind taking him by surprise. When he uncovered his eyes, his jaw dropped.

Yamagishi was inside some strange water sphere. The figure of a woman with long, blonde hair and a bandaged head, including her eyes, with a beautiful pink dress. Sanemi stared at the ‘Persona’ in awe, mesmerized by it. It was the first thing he had ever seen something like this. “I… I can see…” Yamagishi whispered.

“See what?” Tomioka asked.

“Arisato-san’s weaknesses… And… S-Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san’s..!” she gasped. Sanemi raised a brow.

“Our weaknesses?” he asked. Arisato paused, it looked like she was processing the information. And then her eyes slowly widened, her mouth hanging open.

“NO. FUCKING. SHOT!”

---

It had been hours ever since the group discovered that maybe, just maybe, Giyuu and Shinazugawa have Personas. The water user wasn’t that sure that he was deserving of having a Persona. Shinazugawa, on the other hand, was reluctant about it. Mostly because of the method of how to summon one. Yamagishi, on the other hand, had been excited about her power, saying something about being useful and helping with the Shadows.

Much to the Hashira’s surprise, Yamagishi had fainted after summoning her Persona, so Giyuu offered to carry her while they searched around Tartarus. As it turned out, summoning a Persona for the first time was exhausting, according to Arisato. Although she did recently wake up, Shinazugawa insisted on making sure she was being carried. So now, as the group walked around another floor of the tower while being careful of the Shadows. That, and opening some boxes and getting more items that somehow heal their wounds. He still did not understand how that worked, it was really confusing. But he supposed he shouldn’t question it when he was in a place like this.

“No Shadows around.” Yamagishi informed as Shinazugawa carried her for now. Even without using her Persona, her abilities were still fascinating. How she could detect enemies easily. If only back at their time, they had something like this.

“Alright, let’s keep going.” Arisato nodded. Without realizing, the auburn haired girl had taken the role of the leader when it came to combat and exploration unless it was required for Yamagishi to step up. And Giyuu could see why. Her decisions carried nothing but conviction, yet she still cared more for him, Shinazugawa and Yamagishi than herself. That was evident from before, when she fought that powerful Shadow that nearly killed him and Shinazugawa by herself and won. A feat that Giyuu still has some hard time wrapping his head around.

“Wait!” Yamagishi said. The trio stopped dead in their tracks, looking at Yamagishi with a raised eyebrow.

“What is it?” Giyuu asked.

“I… I can sense other people! They’re a floor above us!” the teal haired girl informed, a bead of sweat rolling down her face, her eyes slightly wide. Giyuu’s eyes widened slightly at her words, and he swore he heard Arisato sputter something he didn’t quite catch. Other people. There were other people inside of Tartarus, apart from them. The water user didn’t know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

“Are they also Persona users?” Shinazugawa asked.

“I-I’m not sure. I can’t tell without my Persona.” Yamagishi shook her head, a frown on her face. Arisato had the Evoker with her, just incase they’d run into that strong Shadow from a few hours.

“That’s fine. Let’s head to the next floor.” Arisato hummed. Everyone present nodded in agreement. With Yamagishi’s directions, and avoiding the Shadows, the group slowly made their way to the stairs. Each step echoed throughout the creepy, distorted place that was Tartarus, and as they walked up the stairs, Giyuu couldn’t help but have a feeling that there was something big going to happen. That there was going to be a big event. And it wasn’t going to be something good.

He shook off that feeling as they made their way to the next floor. As always, it looked the same as the previous floors. Giyuu had grown used to it. Though the faces on the wall still felt like they were staring right into his soul. But he chose to ignore them. “Keep on going to the right. They’re around here.” Yamagishi instructed. And like soldiers, they followed her commands. They went down the right path, walking with caution. Although, the sound of voices speaking did indicate that there were other people inside. Giyuu frowned. Had they also gotten lost? Maybe they could help them, although a group of seven was already big.

“And I’m telling you! I heard a voice!” a loud boy exclaimed as soon as they turned the corner. Giyuu eyed the group closely. Three boys, two looked around Yamagishi and Arisato’s age, while the last one looked a year older. They all were wearing similar clothing, which Yamagishi explained was the school uniform of the school she attended. They had the same logo on the chest.

The first one had short, dark blue hair, his bangs covering one eye, and blue eyes. He stood straight, one of his hands placed in the pocket of his pants, while the other held a sword.

The second boy, the loud one, had brown hair and brown eyes, with a weird hat on his head, and a small bit of facial hair on his chin. The uniform he wore had a dark blue t-shirt with a messy collar. He had a big sword on his hands. Like, genuinely big. It reminded Giyuu of Tengen’s swords, but this boy’s sword was bigger.

The last boy had short, slightly spiky, silver hair and gray eyes, with a small bandage over his eyebrow. Apart from the uniform, he had this bright red vest with a letter sown on one of the sides. And he didn’t have any weapons, at least visible ones. So Giyuu guessed he used his fists. He had seen Arisato use her fists and her legs to get rid of a Shadow before.

“Those… Those are students from my school…” Yamagishi whispered, her eyes widening slightly.

“Junpei, calm down.” the blue haired boy spoke up, and his voice reminded Giyuu of Tanjiro’s blond friend, the scaredy-cat one “We’re here to find Yamagishi.” he shook his head. So the one with the hat was named Junpei. And the group was here for Yamagishi.

“While I agree with leader, I am also curious about the voice.” the white haired boy admitted. Leader. So the blue haired boy was the leader of the small group.

“Do we reveal ourselves?” Giyuu asked, looking at Arisato. She nodded, although her eyes looked focused. He raised a brow, but he didn’t get to answer.

“No harm in it.”

She took a step forwards, stepping into the dim, purple light. The white haired boy seemed to notice her, because he blinked in surprise, mumbling something Giyuu didn’t quite catch. The water user decided to take a step after her, revealing himself. Shinazugawa did the same, Yamagishi still on his back.

“Sanada-san? What’s wrong?” Junpei asked.

“Look.” the white haired boy said, pointing at the group. The other two turned their heads, their eyes widening when their eyes fell on them.

“What… the hell..?” Junpei asked.

“I think that fits the situation.” Giyuu hummed “How did you all end up here?” he asked.

“We came here to rescue Yamagishi Fuuka.” the white haired boy answered.

“You came for me?” Yamagishi asked as Shinazugawa set her down, walking until she was visible. The three strangers’ eyes widened even more.

“You’re Yamagishi Fuuka?” the blue haired boy asked. She nodded, although she still stuck by Shinazugawa’s side.

“It’s nice to see you’re okay.” the white haired boy smiled.

“It’s because of them.” she signaled her head to the trio.

“It was no problem, Yamagishi-chan!” Arisato smiled “Besides, those Shadows were pretty easy to take care of.” she added.

“You beat one to the ground. With your fists.” Shinazugawa deadpanned.

“Shush!”

“Um, who are you?” Junpei asked, afraid. Giyuu raised a brow, confused as to why he seemed so scared. But then he remembered.

“Shinazugawa, maybe you shouldn’t scare them.” he suggested, looking at the white haired man. Said person’s eye twitched at those words.

“The fuck you mean, you little-” he started, grabbing Giyuu by the haori. However, a soft tug to the white haired man’s uniform got him to stop. He looked back, seeing Yamagishi.

“Please, don’t fight.” she pleaded quietly. The wind user sighed, letting go of the haori.

“Can you two not fight for like five minutes, thank you.” Arisato sighed, turning to the three strangers “Sorry about that! We’ve been here for… some time now. So, you can understand we’re a bit… stressed.” she explained nervously, rubbing the back of her neck.

“How long have you been here?” the blue haired boy asked.

“I think this place changed like 10 times. Or more.” Shinazugawa recounted, bringing a hand to his forehead.

“So you’ve been here for more than 10 hours?!” Junpei questioned.

“Yeah…” Arisato sweatdropped “But! Now you guys are here! So, that means we’re saved!” she beamed.

“Looks like we made the right decision entering Tartarus this way.” the white haired boy “I’ll see if I can contact Mitsuru.” he added, mostly talking to the other two as he brought a hand to his ear.

“Who’s Mitsuru?” Giyuu asked. This person’s name sounded similar to Kanroji’s first name, now that he thought about it.

“She’s our senpai. Ah, we haven’t introduced ourselves, have we?” Junpei sweatdropped “The name’s Iori Junpei! This gloomy turnip head over here” he wrapped an arm around the blue haired boy’s shoulders and pulled him close, who just let out a noise at that “is Yuki Makoto, our field leader! And the white haired boy is our senpai, Sanada Akihiko!” the boy grinned. Arisato hummed.

“My name is Arisato Minako! And these two are my acquaintances. The white haired man is Shinazugawa Sanemi, while the black haired man is Tomioka Giyuu.” she smiled.

“Acquaintances?” Yuki asked.

“She’s been helping us ever since we woke up here.” Giyuu continued “Only Shinazugawa and I are… close, per say.” he added, internally cringing at the way he said that. They weren’t close. Shinazugawa hated his guts.

“Ah, Yamagishi, here.” Sanada suddenly piped up, handing Yamagishi a familiar-looking gun. Giyuu blinked, recognizing the design. He sent a look at Arisato, who stared at the gun as well, a frown on her face. A bead of sweat was rolling down her face.

“T-This is!-” Yamagishi gasped, but the words died in her throat.

“It’s not a real gun. Think of it as a… good luck charm.” Sanada assured her as he continued trying to get to this Mitsuru person. But he frowned as what Giyuu could hear was a weird noise.

“No luck. It’s all static.” he sighed. Yamagishi frowned.

“Let’s head back to the entrance. We can also take you all back home.” Yuki said, the other students nodding in agreement. Giyuu narrowed his eyes. Back home? They couldn’t get back home. Because Shinazugawa and him weren’t even from this time. But how can you tell that to a bunch of kids who came to rescue you?

He snuck a glance to Shinazugawa, he was also thinking the same. Or, at the very least, something similar. He glanced away. “Lead the way.” the water user found himself saying, deciding that he would deal with this later.

---

 

Chapter 6: Arcana Shadows

---

“Whoa, check out the moon!”

When Iori said that, Minako glanced out the window that, conveniently, the group was passing by. The moon was glowing bright green, and it was full. Her gaze hardened at the sight. She wondered where they were.

“Why is the sky dark green?!” Shinazugawa exclaimed, confused. Minako tuned out the explanation that was being given by Sanada, instead choosing to continue to stare at the moon.

“Arisato-san? Are you okay?” Yamagishi whispered to her, concerned. Minako slowly turned her head towards her.

“Yamagishi-chan. Something big is coming.” she muttered back to her. Yamagishi’s eyes widened in response.

“S-Something big? Like what?” she asked.

“I don’t know. But what I do know, is that we’re going to have to use our Personas.” she whispered, closing her eyes “So, I want you to protect Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san.” she asked. Yamagishi blinked.

“P-Protect them?”

“The way they fight is different than what I do. I don’t want them getting hurt. So, please.” she pleaded quietly, clasping the girl’s hands. The smaller girl gulped before nodding, her gaze showing determination.

“Hey, wasn’t the moon full during the Monorail operation last month, too?” Iori asked. Yuki nodded, while Sanada’s eyes widened. Minako narrowed her gaze. ‘He must have noticed, then.’ she thought.

“Was it?”

“I think so. Why?” Sanada turned to the field leader of his group, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. He was nervous, Minako picked that up from his expression. Slightly wide eyes, sweat rolling down his face.

“Hey, did you see the moon the night the dorm was attacked back in April?” he asked.

“It was full.” Yuki answered, tilting his head to the side. Sanada’s eyes widened as he brought a hand to the communicator on his ear, trying to call for his friend. Minako knew it wasn’t going to work. If he didn’t reach her before, why would he be able to reach her now? It’s why she made the decision to take off on her own, unsheathing her naginata from her makeshift sheath.

“A-Arisato-san, wait! It’s too dangerous!” Yamagishi called for her as she chased after her. Her warnings were futile, because she already knew.

“Yamagishi! Arisato!” Sanada shouted, his voice dying down the further away she got from him. Because if her guess was right, it was one of the 12 Arcana Shadows. She got on the elevator, her hand quickly selecting the option to go back to the entrance.

“Arisato, wait, dammit!” she heard Shinazugawa call for her. Turning her head, she saw the two Demon Slayers and Fuuka reaching for her, the other students behind them. And as they all jumped on the elevator, their world flashed.

---

Fuuka brought a hand to her head as she opened her eyes, realizing she wasn’t back in the purple halls anymore. And while she was about to cheer that she was safe, she soon realized that she wasn’t, because the sight before her was a grotesque one. “What in the world..?!” she couldn’t help but say, because she had no other words to say.

Two giant Shadows were a few metres away from everyone, one of them holding a girl hostage. A girl with long, red hair and red eyes, who she recognized as Kirijo Mitsuru. “There’s TWO of them!?” she heard Sanada-senpai gasp as Fuuka guessed he saw his friend being held hostage by the Shadow with the sword “MITSURU!” he shouted. Said girl was trying to free herself from the Shadow’s grasp, but it wasn’t working.

“What’s going on?! Nothing’s working!” a girl with brown hair said, laying on the floor and covered head to toe with injuries.

“What the fuck?!” Shinazugawa-san exclaimed.

“She’s in danger..!” Tomioka-san whispered, alarmed. Fuuka felt a bead of sweat rolling down her face at the scene. She had to do something. But what could she do? Her Persona was good for detecting weaknesses, but not fighting!

“Shinazugawa, don’t!” she heard Arisato-san shout. Looking up, her eyes widened when she saw Shinazugawa-san in the air, his blade out of its sheath.

“What the-”

“Shinazugawa-san!” Fuuka cried out, realizing what he was about to do.

 

“Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind!”

 

His sword glowed bright green as he released four slashes of wind, trying to hit the Shadow. However, to his and Fuuka’s horror, the attack didn’t do anything. The other Shadow, the one holding a staff, raised it in the air.

“SHINAZUGAWA!” she heard Tomioka-san cry out, and she swore time stopped at that moment. She could feel her eyes widen as an attack was charged against him, a lightning attack.

A flash of red and green flew past her, and before she knew it, Tomioka-san had jumped up. And then lightning struck.

And she saw Tomioka-san fall down to the floor, his body covering Shinazugawa-san’s. Shinazugawa-san just stared at him in pure disbelief, his eyes wide. Fuuka covered her hand with her mouth, her face holding nothing but terror. “SHINAZUGAWA-SAN! TOMIOKA-SAN!” Arisato-san screamed, wanting to run to them.

“Don’t!” Sanada-senpai was holding her back from doing something stupid.

“Just stay back, leave this to us.” Yuki-san told her. Arisato-san looked enraged by the comment, and she definitely looked like she was about to punch him. However, that was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. Fuuka turned her head, her eyes widening once she saw who entered.

“Moriyama-san!” she called, running to her.

“Yamagishi, stop!” She heard Shinazugawa-san call for her, but she ignored him.

“What are you doing here?! This is dangerous!” she exclaimed.

“Fuuka… I just- I needed to see you… And apologize to you…” Moriyama-san whispered, her voice breaking halfway through. Fuuka blinked, surprised when the girl got on her knees. The teal haired girl knelt down next to her.

“Moriyama-san…” she whispered, her gaze hardening. She had to protect her. She had to protect her friend. Slowly, she raised the Evoker, pointing it at the Shadows who turned towards her and Moriyama-san.

“Wait! That’s not a real gun!” she heard Sanada-senpai shout.

“I know.” she responded, turning to aim it at her forehead. And as the Shadows slowly approached them, she closed her eyes.

“Persona.”

---

Minako mentally cheered when she saw Yamagishi summon Lucia again, the blue fire pushing the Shadows back and getting them to let go of the red haired girl, who flew backwards. Sanada was able to catch her before she fell to the floor. That was completely awesome of her and she was going to pat her in the back and hug her for being so awesome. “Is that… A Persona?” Iori asked from behind her. She wanted to retort, but she could just stay quiet and just reveal she has a Persona. It’d be infinitely funnier like that.

“I can see their weaknesses!” Yamagishi informed.

“You can?” Yuki asked.

“I see.” Sanada whispered “Mitsuru, let her take you place. And let us handle this.” he told the red haired girl. Minako smirked, realizing it was time to fight. She cracked her knuckles, excited. This fight was definitely going to be easier than the one with the Reaper, but she didn’t mind at all, she thought while lunging at the Shadows.

“Arisato!” Sanada called.

“Arisato-san! The Shadow with the staff is weak to slash attacks!” Yamagishi informed. Grinning, she jumped up and swung her naginata, landing a hit on the Shadow with the staff. It cried out in pain, taking a step back. The Shadow with the big sword roared, swinging its sword at her. Minako reacted quickly, using her legs to block the hit, hissing in pain as she boosted herself backwards, flipping midair before she landed next to Shinazugawa and Tomioka. She stood in front of them, almost in a protective manner.

“Shinazugawa-san! How is Tomioka-san?!” she asked.

“He can’t fight with an injury like this!” he answered. Minako gritted her teeth at that, worried about him.

“Watch out!” Iori screamed. Minako’s head snapped, seeing the Shadows heading towards them. She readied herself, spinning her weapon until its blade pointed at the two Shadows.

“HERMES!”

Suddenly, another Persona appeared, and she heard Iori scream its name. Her eyes widened when Hermes slashed at the Shadow with the staff. “Another..?” she heard Shinazugawa whisper.

“Yamagishi! What is the Shadow with the sword weak to?” Yuki asked. Yamagishi jumped slightly at that, but she narrowed her eyes.

“Lightning!” Minako cursed under her breath as she looked inside of her pocket, looking for a Zionga gem. However, Sanada beat her to it, as he grabbed an Evoker of his own, summoning a Persona of his own. It threw a lightining attack.

“What are they doing??” Iori asked as a strange patterned circle appeared in front of them, spinning and spinning until a light covered them slightly.

“Their weaknesses changed! They can change what they’re weak to!” Yamagishi exclaimed.

“Shit.” Minako muttered as she breathed out. The sword wielding Shadow charged at Yuki, who blocked it with his own weapon. He summoned his Persona with his Evoker, and for a moment, Minako froze up.

A figure similarly looking to Orpheus. To her Persona. The Persona used its lyre to push back the Shadow.

“The one with the staff is weak to piercing attacks!” Yamagishi informed. The unnamed brown haired girl got up, aiming her bow at the Shadow. She shot several arrows at it, pushing it back.

“The one with the sword is weak to wind!” Shinazugawa got up, gently placing Tomioka down. He grabbed Minako’s shoulder, pulling her back slightly. She blinked.

“Arisato, look after Tomioka.” he told her. Before she could even say anything, he boosted himself up in the air, twisting his body in the air.

 

“Wind Breathing, Seventh Form: Gale, Sudden Gusts!”

 

He swung his sword, creating several slashes that almost looked like a whirlwind. The sword-wielding Shadow cried in pain as both of its arms were cut off by it. “What the fuck?!” Iori exclaimed. Minako didn’t blame him for reacting like that. Yamagishi and her reacted a similar way when she first saw the way the two fought.

“Keep attacking it!” Shinazugawa barked out as he ran at the sword-wielding Shadow. With its arms regenerated and the sword back in its hand, swung its sword, to which Sanemi blocked it with his nichirin blade. He pushed the weapon back, as well as the Shadow. Minako knelt down next to Tomioka, carefully raising him up and giving him a Life Stone so at least he could heal some of his wounds.

“I got it!” Yuki exclaimed, summoning… Another Persona. That was Angel. She had her earlier, before she got stuck in Tartarus. Could it be that he also had the same ability as her?  But how? Had he also been…

Minako shook her head, watching the Shadows change their weaknesses again. “Yamagishi!”

“Staff, Strike! Sword, Water!”

“Wait, water?! No one here has a Persona that can use water attacks!” Sanada exclaimed as his Persona and Iori’s started attacking the staff-wielding Shadow. Minako frowned. The only one who could do any damage was down, and Shinazugawa confirmed he couldn’t fight like that. Just then, from the corner of her eyes, she saw Tomioka slowly getting up, his stance wobbily. Her eyes widened.

“T-Tomioka-san! Stop, don’t get up!” she exclaimed, reaching her hand out for him. He ignored her words completely as he exhaled, concentrating his breathing.

 

“Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool.”

 

He twisted his body, swinging his blade in a whirling motion. A sharp whirlpool was created out of thin air, tearing through part of the armour the sword-wielding Shadow had, and even almost cutting its mask. Tomioka landed down, rolling away from a lightning attack. He winced, clearly still in pain.

“Polydeuces!” Sanada called, his Persona swinging its fist—if Minako could even call it one, that is—at the staff-wielding Shadow, punching it in the face. Several times. Which was, inarguably, satisfying to see. Minako decided to stay near Tomioka, watching as he charged at the Shadow with the sword again. His sword was enveloped by water yet again as he fell downwards, in direction of the Shadow.

 

“Water Breathing, Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin.”

 

He swung his sword vertically, cutting down the Shadow. An erratic cry of pain echoed throughout the lobby as the sword-wielding Shadow slowly fell to its knees, becoming nothing but black mass. Minako quickly rushed to his side once he dropped to one of his knees. “I told you to not fight.” she sighed, shaking her head. He just groaned in response. Minako wanted to slap him for being so stubborn.

“WATCH OUT!” she heard Yamagishi shout. Her eyes widened, seeing a strong electric attack being sent towards them. Orpheus wouldn’t be able to withstand it, and Tomioka was weak to electric attacks here. She stood in front of him, her naginata ready.

“ARISATO!” Shinazugawa screamed.

“I call for you. Mothman.” she whispered, a bright blue fire covering her and Tomioka completely. The lightning attack reflected, being sent back to the Shadow with the staff. Though it didn’t seem to harm it at all.

“Yamagishi!”

“Slash!”

“Got it! Jikokuten! Getsu-ei! ” she called, another Persona appearing as it swung its sword, a powerful slash hitting the Shadow.

“Again!” she ordered. Jikokuten swung again, not giving it any mercy. The Shadow was pushed back from it, but it wasn’t dead yet.

“It’s changing it’s weakness again! Now it’s Strike!” Yamagishi informed.

“Oh god dammit!” Minako growled “Just die already, Jesus fucking Christ!” she charged at it with her fists out. She dodged its attacks before she boosted herself up, running up its arm and punching it in the face. The mask cracked a bit.

“HIT IT AGAIN!” Shinazugawa exclaimed. He didn’t need to tell her twice. She dodged another attack, using her naginata to block them before she swung her arm again, punching it in the face yet again and knocking it down. She jumped backwards, landing on the floor.

“It’s down! Polydeuces! ” Sanada called, summoning his Persona yet again before it charged at the Shadow, slamming its fist right into its face. It fell down, motionless. Slowly, it started becoming black mass, dissolving.

“Is it over?” Yamagishi asked as her Persona dispelled.

“I think so.” Minako nodded as she knelt down besides Tomioka again. He was breathing heavily, and wincing.

“What the actual fuck were those things? Were those Shadows?” Shinazugawa asked.

“Yeah, they were. They're... stronger than the average Shadow.” Sanada nodded, helping Mitsuru up. Minako glanced away from her.

“Moriyama-san, are you okay?” Yamagishi asked, turning around to look at the girl.

“Fuuka, you…” the girl, Moriyama, whispered. Minako raised a brow at that. These two seemed to know each other, for some reason. Maybe friends? Or classmates? She wouldn’t be surprised. The other question was how this Moriyama girl wandered inside of Tartarus. She was sure that the other group had a hand in it. They were here for Yamagishi, after all.

“Tomioka-san?” she called, looking at the black haired man. His eyes were closed, his breathing was ragged. Minako frowned, digging through her pockets to try and find anything that could heal him.

That was before he fell to the floor, unconscious. She choked a gasp of surprise. “Tomioka-san!” she exclaimed. Shinazugawa turned to her, a frown on his face as he hurried over to the two.

“Dammit. He’s completely out.” he grumbled under his breath. Minako frowned.

“I told him not to, he didn’t listen.” she sighed. Shinazugawa nodded, gently sliding both of Tomioka’s arms around his shoulders, his hands set on the water user’s legs before lifting him up.

“Is he alright?” the nameless brown haired girl with the bow asked, concerned.

“He’ll be fine. Just unconscious.” Shinazugawa shrugged her worries off.

“Still. It would be wise to take him to the hospital so they can treat any sort of possible wounds.” Mitsuru spoke up “Same with Yamagishi, and the both of you.” she told them. Shinazugawa sent the girl a look, a brow raised.

“We’re fine.” Minako deadpanned.

“You call him fine?!” Iori questioned, pointing at Shinazugawa with his arms “That man is covered in head to toe with scars!” the white haired man scowled at that.

“Hey. He kept Yamagishi safe, be nice.” Sanada told him, jabbing the younger boy on the side. Iori jumped slightly, sending a weak glare at the white haired. Minako sighed quietly.

“This is going to be a long night…” she whispered to herself.

Chapter 7: Normality

When Giyuu woke up, the first thing he saw was a white ceiling. His eyes squinted, trying to recall where he had seen it before. But nothing came to his mind. “He’s awake!” he heard a familiar voice gasp, he could detect hints of relief and joy in their voice. Turning his head, he saw the figures of both Yamagishi and Arisato staring at him with smiles on their face, clearly happy to see him. His eyes narrowed.

“Arisato, Yamagishi…” he greeted. Arisato smiled brightly in return. A smile filled with nothing but relief. Giyuu's gaze softened. Why did that smile remind him of someone? He had seen the smile before.

“Tomioka-san! How are you?” she asked. He hummed.

“Well, I feel sore… Is that normal?” he asked.

“I-I don’t know? I wasn’t struck by an electric attack before.” Yamagishi sweatdropped.

“Eh. Kinda? You get used to it after a few times. It does suck when it's your weakness.” Arisato shrugged. The teal haired girl shot a glance of concern at the other girl, and Giyuu stared at her. There were a few seconds of awkward silence in the room.

“What? Why are you both looking at me like that?”

“You concern me a lot, Minako-chan.” Yamagishi said, sweatdropped. Arisato didn’t seem to be offended that. In response, she simply smiled. Giyuu sweatdropped. The auburn haired girl was a weird person. He did notice how Yamagishi referred to Arisato by her first name. So they probably became friends while he was out of commission. That was good to know.

“Ah. How is Shinazugawa?” he asked, concerned for his colleague. He didn't know if he got hurt during the fight, because he was literally hanging onto consciousness by a thread. Yamagishi blinked.

“Shinazugawa-san? He’s right next to you.” she said, pointing her hand in front of her. Giyuu turned his head to the other side, surprised. Shinazugawa was sitting on a chair, his arms crossed below his chest and his eyes closed. He looked like he was sleeping, his head was tilted forwards. Giyuu blinked, surprised.

“He stayed here all the time you were unconscious. Sanada tried to get him to leave so he could get some rest, but he outright refused. He even threatened him.” Arisato explained “Not gonna lie, it was pretty funny to see Iori and Sanada almost shit their pants when Shinazugawa-san glared at them.” she added, cackling.

“Be nicer to them, Minako-chan.” Yamagishi told her, almost exhasperated by the girl's behaviour. But there was a small smile on her face despite the comment she had made.

“Hey! I’m plenty of nice!” Arisato exclaimed, feigning offense at the comment. But the smile on her face did not lie. She didn't mind Yamagishi scolding her. That got a grunt out of Shinazugawa. The three turned around, seeing him slowly raise his head up, opening his eyes. He narrowed his sleepy gaze, which fell on the two girls.

“The hell are you both doing here?” he asked, uncrossing his arms and rubbing his eyes, his voice groggy. Giyuu blinked. So that was what his voice sounded when he wakes up.

“Well, we snuck in to visit Tomioka-san.” Yamagishi admitted, feeling guilty about it.

"You were the one hogging all of the time to stay here." Arisato huffed. The words made Giyuu blink once he finally processed them, as well as the ones she had said earlier, surprised. Shinazugawa did that? Did he really stay here all the time, waiting for Giyuu to wake up? But why? Didn't the wind user hate the water user? Shinazugawa sighed at her words, shaking his head. He almost seemed completely used to them. Then his eyes fell on Giyuu, his eyes slowly widening when he saw that he was awake.

“Tomioka?” he called, rubbing his eyes to see if he wasn't seeing things.

“Hello, Shinazugawa.”

“Hello? Hello?! You- You! You!!” he exclaimed, immediately lunging at him. If it hadn’t been for Yamagishi quickly getting up and restraining him to keep him away from Giyuu, he would have landed a hit or two on him. Giyuu mentally thanked the teal haired girl for that, he greatly appreciated it.

“Alright, alright. Shinazugawa-san, calm down. He’s awake, just wait until he’s discharged so then you can punch him.” Arisato told him. The white haired man scoffed, but the promise of getting to hit the Water Hashira after he was healed did seem like it tempted him to sit back down. Giyuu sweatdropped. He definitely didn't feel like getting punched. At all.

“How long was I out for?”

“3 days. Currently, it’s the 12th of June.” Arisato explained, shifting her sitting position as she leaned forwards “We’ve been stuck in Tartarus for days. But, for us, it had been hour.” she revealed. Giyuu’s eyes widened as he jolted to sit up.

“We had been stuck there for days? How did we not notice?” he asked.

“It’s because of that weird, creepy, dark green sky.” Shinazugawa grunted “Those kids that were looking for Yamagishi called it ‘The Dark Hour’. Apparently, it’s an extra hour of the day. It’s when Tartarus appears. It turns out, Yamagishi and the other kids’ school turns into Tartarus during this extra hour.” Giyuu nodded, taking in the information with wide eyes. It was difficult to believe. But he and Shinazugawa could do Breathing Styles. And then there also was the whole Persona fiasco. So he wasn’t exactly sure that it was that hard to think about.

“That’s all the information we were given. Kirijo-senpai said he wanted to talk to the four of us together, because we were together in Tartarus.” Arisato added, stiff. Giyuu noticed. Maybe she thought they wouldn’t notice, but he did. He glanced at her, a glint of curiosity in his eyes. He wanted to ask if she was okay.

“Fuuka-chan. If it’s okay, can you tell us how you got in Tartarus?” she asked, turning her head to look at the teal haired girl, almost as if she was diverting the attention from herself. Giyuu kept it in mind as he turned his head as well, and he was sure Shinazugawa did, too. Yamagishi gulped, placing her hands on her lap as she lowered her head, she looked like she was mentally preparing herself to say it.

“Before this all happened, us being stuck in Tartarus, I mean. I was… heavily picked on by a group of girls in my class.” Giyuu saw how Arisato tensed up from the corners of his eyes “They would push me down, throw my books to the ground… A lot of mean things. The reason I ended up in Tartarus was because…” she stopped for a second, taking a deep breath “They hid my laptop, which I built myself from scratch, and hid it in the gym. When I went to get it, they locked me inside. And then I ended up in Tartarus.” she finished, rubbing her arm nervously as she avoided eye contact by keeping her head hung low.

“Was one of them that brown haired girl who wandered inside?” Shinazugawa asked, his tone serious. Giyuu snuck a glance at his colleague, his eyes widening slightly when he saw the expression on his face. It was one of anger. He was angry. And his anger only grew once Yamagishi nodded in confirmation.

“Why the fuck would they do that? Seriously, do teenagers in this time not grow mentally?” he grumbled, shaking his head in clear disappointment. Giyuu silently nodded, agreeing with him.

“She apologized for it, though!” Yamagishi quickly jumped to Moriyama's defense, raising her head up “She's working to be a better person and friend!” Shinazugawa raised a brow at that.

“Well, I’m glad she is doing that, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that she put you in danger.” Giyuu stated.

“I-I know!” Yamagishi exclaimed “I’m well aware of that fact. But…” she trailed off. Arisato glanced at her.

“Well, if she has apologized and decided to start changing, then good for her.” the auburn haired girl shrugged. Giyuu looked at her. Well, she had a point. If she was changing, that was good. Besides, she could protect Yamagishi if anyone bothered her.

“Fine.” Shinazugawa grumbled under his breath, sinking back into the chair.

“What happens now?” Giyuu asked.

“Well, the nurses will probably check on you, which is when we’ll have to leave.” Arisato started, Shinazugawa grunting in what seemed like annoyance “When they discharge you, I’m sure Kirijo-san will want to speak with all of us.”

“Yeah, because I have a lot of damn questions.” Shinazugawa huffed.

“So do I.” Yamagishi nodded “Especially with the whole… Persona thing.” she added. Giyuu hummed, deep in thought.

 

“NO. FUCKING. SHOT!” Arisato practically screamed, a look of disbelief in her face.

“W-What is it??” Yamagishi asked, her face showing nothing but confusion and nervousness as her voice echoed through the area.

“HOW?! HOW CAN YOU BOTH POSSIBLY HAVE A PERSONA?!” Arisato questioned, setting her hands on the water user's shoulders and violently shaking him.

“What?? What do you mean??” Shinazugawa asked, confused. Giyuu was, too. But since he was being shaken to hell and back, he couldn't exactly voice out his thoughts.

“NORMAL PEOPLE SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO BE HAVE RESISTANCES AND WEAKNESSES TO THE ELEMENTS THAT THE SHADOWS AND THE PERSONAS USE!”

 

“Yeah…” Arisato whispered quietly, her eyes trailing down to her lap. Giyuu glanced at her again.

“Are you okay, Arisato?” he asked. Shinazugawa and Yamagishi turned their heads to her, confused and concerned respectively. The auburn haired girl just gave them a very forced smile.

“Just tired, that’s all! Being in Tartarus for so long really took a toll on me.” she assured them.

“Oh yeah. As soon as we arrived at the dorms, you literally fell on the couch, and wouldn’t get up…” Yamagishi sweatdropped.

“It was a good snooze.” she giggled, keeping positive.

“You slept for a damn day, how are you still tired?” Shinazugawa deadpanned. There was a small beat of silence after the question

“...I don’t know either.” Arisato smiled, making the white haired man bring a hand to his face out of what seemed like either annoyance or desperation. Giyuu sweatdropped.

---

Once Tomioka-san was discharged the day after, and when both Kanzaburo and Sorai were able to see their masters, as Minako-chan, Shinazugawa-san and Fuuka accompanied him after exiting the hospital, they saw a limousine parked near the entrance, almost as if it had been waiting for them. “What is that?” Tomioka-san asked, Shinazugawa-san casting a suspicious glance at it. Fuuka didn't blame them.

“Ah right I forgot you both were from the Taisho era for a moment.” Minako-chan sweatdropped, Fuuka rubbing the back of her neck as she said that quietly “That’s a limousine. It’s a big car that can fit a lot of people. People with money use it as a way of transportation.” she explained, her voice low so only the group could hear them. Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san stared at the vehicle, almost gawking at it. The door to the back seat opened, Kirijo-senpai slowly coming out of the vehicle. She had her cool and respectful aura around her as she flipped her hair.

“Cool…” Fuuka whispered to herself, looking at her with admiration. The red haired girl slowly walked towards the four.

“I was informed of when you were being discharged. Tomioka Giyuu, correct?” she asked. Tomioka-san nodded silently, snapping out of his small trance.

“My name is Kirijo Mitsuru. First and foremost, I wish to thank you personally.” she started, bowing her head down in respect “Without you, Shinazugawa-san and Arisato-san, we wouldn’t have been able to defeat those Shadows. Your help was essential.”

“Ah- No need to thank us. We were only doing the right thing.” Tomioka-san shook his head, Sorai cawing in agreement. Kirijo-senpai stared at the crow in surprise, seemingly now noticing his and Kanzaburo's presence. She quickly recovered from it.

“No, I insist, Tomioka-san. However, there’s a very important reason as to why I came here.” Kirijo-senpai continued “If you please come with me.” she signaled to the limousine. It meant that they had to go in. Fuuka was the first one to react, walking to the vehicle and getting in. It seemed that the action got the others to react. One by one, they all got inside the vehicle.

“It feels like I’m slowly being dragged down.” Tomioka-san commented, his hand pressing against the materials of the seat while Kanzaburo seeked rest on his lap.

“Yeah, it feels… weird.” Shinazugawa-san nodded as Sorai settled on his master's shoulder. Minako-chan relaxed on her seat, crossing a leg over the other as she closed her eyes. Fuuka glanced at her.

“Are you tired?” she asked quietly.

“I want to sleep again, honestly.” she admitted, yawning quietly as Kirijo-senpai got in the car as well.

“We’ll be heading to the dorm building, which is where now Yamagishi resides, as well as my team.” she explained.

“Which are the teenagers that were in Tartarus, correct?” Tomioka-san asked.

“Mhm. We’re called the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad. S.E.E.S for short.” Kirijo-senpai continued “Each one of the members possesses a Persona of their own, and is aware of the Dark Hour.”

“How did the Dark Hour even begin?” Shinazugawa-san asked, curious. Kirijo-senpai looked down, silent for a few seconds. Fuuka glanced at her, a glance of concern on her face.

“No one knows.” she finally answered. Next to her, Fuuka heard Minako-chan quietly scoff. She snuck a glance at her, confused. Before she could ask, however, the limousine stopped.

“We have arrived.”

---

As soon as Mitsuru entered the dorm building’s fourth floor with Fuuka and the three strangers and the two crows in her tow whose names he had long forgotten, Makoto knew that the mood dropped significantly. Junpei and Yukari, who had been bickering about something he didn’t care about, stopped talking and turned their heads to them. Akihiko, who had been cleaning one of his boxing gloves, looked up and immediately put it down. All of the attention in the room went to the group.

“Welcome back, Mitsuru.” the boxer greeted her. She nodded in response, guiding the group to the couches. They all sat down, Fuuka scooting close to the auburn haired girl.

“Where’s Ikutsuki-san?” Fuuka asked.

“He left a few minutes ago. Apparently, something important came up.” Junpei explained, scratching the back of his head. Makoto nodded, confirming his friend’s words.

“I see.” Mitsuru hummed.

“I guess we should introduce ourselves first?” the black haired man suggested.

“If you want. We can always introduce ourselves first.” Yukari suggested.

“Technically, most of you already did.” the auburn haired girl stated.

“Oh yeah-”

“Well. My name is Takeba Yukari. It’s nice to meet you.” Yukari introduced herself.

“My name is Shinazugawa Sanemi.” the white haired man said.

“Tomioka Giyuu.” the black haired man simply said. Makoto understood him.

“And I’m Arisato Minako! It’s nice to meet you, Takeba-san!” the auburn haired girl beamed, a big smile on her face. Makoto paused for a second. She looked similar. But to who? Who did she look like to make him think where he has seen her before?

“Kirijo-senpai explained to them what Ikutsuki-san explained to me.” Fuuka told them, her voice snapping the blue haired boy out of his thoughts.

“Mhm. Now there’s something else we want to talk about.” Mitsuru added.

“About what?” Tomioka asked.

“Arisato.” Makoto spoke up “She has the same ability as I do.” Arisato blinked, her eyes widening slowly as she processed the words.

“Wait what?!” she questioned, leaning forwards “You mean you also have multiple Personas?!” she asked, a bead of sweat rolling down her face.

“Wait, that can happen to multiple people?” Fuuka asked, surprised.

“Yes. Yuki here has the ability to possess multiple Personas.” Mitsuru answered.

“What the hell…” Shinazugawa let out, confused. Makoto didn’t blame him. He probably was still confused about the entire situation.

“Meanwhile, we don’t know if you both have Personas.” the red haired girl continued, her head turning to Tomioka and Shinazugawa. They both blinked.

“You both remember what happened, apart from being active during the Dark Hour. Those are normally the qualifications for someone to possess a Persona.” Akihiko continued.

“Can we also bring up the fact that you both did some… weird stuff with your swords?” Yukari spoke up, raising her hand as if she was in a classroom.

“Yeah! The whole water and the wind that came out of the sword!” Junpei nodded. Shinazugawa and Tomioka shared a look at that. Makoto eyed them closely, seeing how the black haired man looked uncomfortable to answer that, while the white haired man just looked annoyed.

“You don’t have to answer that right away.” he spoke up, noting how his peers turned their gazes to him “If you feel uncomfortable to answer that, it’s okay. We just met.”

“Yeah, we’d rather not answer that.” Tomioka nodded. There was glint of thankfulness in his eyes, that Makoto understood. He nodded back in response.

“Understandable. What do you suggest we do, Mitsuru-senpai?” He asked, turning to look at the red haired girl. She was still his superior, at least in other matters that weren’t fighting on the field.

“Perhaps we could lend them one of the rooms on the floors. Of course, they’re dorms for the students, but…” she trailed off. She snuck a glance to Akihiko, who tensed up visibly. Makoto raised a brow, deciding to not question it right now.

“Is it really okay for us to stay here?” Tomioka asked.

“Yes. Of course, I’ll speak with the chairman about this. He’ll help with the arrangement.” Mitsuru nodded.

“Thank you.” Shinazugawa said, bowing his head down respectfully. Tomioka did the same, the two showing their gratitude for the offer. Arisato just smiled as a way to say thank you to them.

“No need. Yuki, could you take Tomioka and Shinazugawa to the second floor while I bring Arisato to the third floor?” Mitsuru asked. Makoto nodded.

Chapter 8: Dorm life

Giyuu settled in the room he was given, noticing just how different it looked from his own in his Estate. And he was still getting used to it. He placed his nichirin blade and its sheath against the wall, next to the bed. Gently, he took off his haori and folded it as neatly as he could and placed it on the bed, far from the pillow. He then sat down on the bed, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes. He was still trying to process everything. 2009. The future. No demons. Shadows. Dark Hour. All of it made his head spin. He exhaled quietly, running a hand down his face. What would Sabito do? What would his sister do?

A knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked up, seeing it open only to reveal Sanada. “Hey.” he greeted. Giyuu nodded his head as a way to greet him, watching the white haired boy entered the room.

“Sorry for entering, it’s just that… This room used to belong to someone, and I just want to take some of the things in it.” he apologized, a smile on his face. Giyuu raised a brow, intrigued. So he had gotten the room of what was safe to assume a former member of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad. He would ask why this member left, but maybe it was a touchy subject. Especially with how Sanada seemed to be forcing a smile.

“I understand.” the water user nodded. He didn’t say anything else, which seemed to make Sanada more relaxed. A very loud silence fell in the room as the white haired boy collected a few things while Giyuu waited, his foot tapping against the floor as he did so. Sanada wasn’t there for long, at max a few minutes. Some things took longer to find than Giyuu had expected.

“Oh. Mitsuru said she’d get you, Shinazugawa and Arisato clothes tomorrow.” the boy suddenly commented. Giyuu blinked.

“She did?” he asked. Sanada nodded. He didn’t say anything else, instead leaving the room once he was finished. When he was gone, Giyuu’s back fell backwards, falling on the soft mattress. He placed an arm over his eyes, exhaling.

 

“Oh yeah. Be careful with what you say in the dorms.” Yuki spoke up as the blue haired boy led the two up to the second floor. Giyuu and Shinazugawa glanced at each other, a look of confusion on both of their faces. The warning had completely taken them by surprise, especially because Yuki was the one saying this.

“What do you mean?” Giyuu inquired.

“There are cameras in the building. I’m more than sure both of you are going to be surveilled for these past days.” he explained, the water user tensing up while he heard the wind user scoff, clearly not liking that.

“Of course they would…” the white haired man grumbled.

“They did the same with me. Just beware of what you say. If you’re not careful, your secrets could be revealed to us without you knowing.” Yuki advised, his tone laced with a small hint of concern. Giyuu nodded, thankful that they were told this.

 

As he dwelled upon his thoughts, he saw Kanzaburo slowly peeking his head out of the water user’s haori. He reached his hand, gently petting the old crow on the head as a soft smile came to his face. The animal closed his eyes, enjoying the affection. Giyuu sighed softly. As peaceful as this was, he really wanted to get back home. They still had things to do. Like defeat Muzan. And protecting Master. And to teach Tanjiro to master Water Breathing so he could be the next Hashira.

---

As Sanemi walked up the stairs to the third floor, about to go look for Arisato, he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard voices of some people speaking. He peeked his head, seeing it was Arisato and the Kirijo redhead. They both looked serious, and Kirijo had a hint of annoyance in her eyes. Sanemi raised a brow, staying hidden.

“Arisato, please. I understand that-”

“No. No, you don’t understand anything at all. Kirijo, I’m not joining your stupid group. Fuuka-chan only joined because she wanted to. But I’m not like her.” Arisato spoke, crossing her arms. Her voice was quiet, serious. Unlike what it was back when she was in Tartarus with them.

“I’m only cooperating because of Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san.” Sanemi blinked when he heard both his and Tomioka’s names come out of her mouth. Because of them? Why?

“They have the potential to be Persona users, right? Of course, I-”

“What are you going to do? They practically don’t have anywhere else to go. Are you or that chairman of yours going to extort them?”

“How dare you even suggest that?!”

“And what did you do with the bullies that Fuuka-chan had to deal with? Are they going to be punished?”

“Yamagishi has decided to let go of that. If she chooses not to do anything about them, we won’t.”

“What kind of bullshit logic is that?!”

“Arisato, please calm down. The school is already taking action with the teacher who falsely reported Yamagishi as sick instead of missing.”

“You better have that rat-faced bastard expelled.”

“I assure you, Ekoda is facing the rightful punishment for his actions.”

“Good. Because if he isn’t, I’m going to make sure that fucker does face the karma he deserves.” Arisato turned on her heel, walking towards what Sanemi assumed was her dorm room. He heard a door open, and then it loudly slammed back shut. He didn’t even wince when he heard it, but Kirijo did. He walked back down the stairs, deciding to go back to his own room. Besides, he probably shouldn’t have been listening in to that conversation anyways. It wasn’t his business.

But there was, again, that look on Arisato’s face. It wasn’t just the look this time, it was her tone as well. The anger, the disappointment, the disbelief. It was as if she was a completely different person. It makes him wonder what she’s hiding. What she isn’t telling them.

“...What the fuck am I thinking.” he groaned, bringing a hand to his face as he arrived at the second floor. To his surprise, he saw Tomioka coming out of the room he was given. He wasn’t wearing his haori either, so Sanemi assumed he left it inside.

“Shinazugawa? What was that loud noise?” he asked.

“A door slam. Someone was angry, I don’t fucking know.” Sanemi dismissed, waving his hand around “Did that wake you up or somethin’?”

“No, but it did scare Kanzaburo.” the white haired man sighed. Of course it scared that old ass crow. Why didn’t he think about that? Well, he tends not to think of Tomioka, because he makes his blood boil. He always thinks he’s so much better than others.

“When are you- No, nevermind.” he interrupted himself, shaking his head as if he knew that question would lead to a pointless conversation “I’m gonna head down to take a bath. Did you take one?”

“No. I’ll go after you.”

“Got it.”

 

---

“So this is him…” Minako whispered as she typed in her laptop, her eyes staring at her laptop’s screen. It was, what, almost 12? The others had all gone to sleep, and yet here she was. Still awake, searching for that bastard. The ugly, old bastard, she had to add. He was really ugly.

She snuck a glance at the camera in the room, the device she covered with a piece of paper. She was sure it was still going to record her voice. So, as long as she didn’t say anything too risky or out of place, she’d be fine.

Her eyes turned back to the laptop as her fingers moved on their own, typing and typing. Slowly, a grin crept up her face as she typed it all down, even gluing a picture to the text. She exhaled quietly and shakily, doing her best to hold in her laugh. ‘Take action? People with power all love to talk about being in the right and doing the right thing… But the truth is that those in power don’t give two shits. Not at all.’ she thought as she pressed the enter key, and sent it.

Men are power hungry wolves who seek to destroy humanity and cause pain. That was what she was sure of.

 

She, like them, also was like that, she just refused to accept it.

 

Once it was all done, she closed the tabs and closed incognito mode, content with what she had done. She looked back out the window. ‘Ah, it’s turning dark green already.’ she thought, seeing the sky distorting into that disgusting shade of green, the moon shining brightly despite not being at full shape. She pushed herself up, grabbing the naginata from the closet. She didn’t mind going hunting for Shadows right now. Some tend to roam outside of Tartarus. So it served for some stress reliever. She opened the window of her room, jumping out with her naginata in her hand.

---

Giyuu is surprised to see a box on the floor, right in front of him first thing in the morning. However, he remembered what Sanada had told him last night, he guessed what it was. He got up, Kanzaburo slowly stirring awake as well as he walked over and crouched down, staring at it for a few seconds. He slowly opened, revealing a few sets of fresh clothes, a note on top of it. He took the note first, reading it.

 

Tomioka-san:

Kirijo-senpai went out last night with Sanada-senpai and I to buy clothes for you and Shinazugawa-san. Arisato-san packed the boxes in the morning while we were getting ready to go to school. Throughout most of the week, almost everyone but Arisato-san, Shinazugawa-san and you will be out of the dorms because of our schedule. I thought it would be nice to let you know, so I wrote this note because I know I wouldn’t be able to speak to you in the morning. There’s a big variety of clothes for you to choose.
I’ll see you guys in the morning.

-Signed, Fuuka

 

Giyuu hummed softly as he finished reading the note, folding it neatly before placing it on the desk after reading the back of it with instructions on how to put on the clothes. Kanzaburo looked at it with curiosity. Giyuu took out several of the clothes, eyeing them closely. They looked so… weird. Was this what people wore in the future in Japan? Not yukatas or kimonos?

It took him a few tries to get the clothes right. He ended up putting on a white t-shirt without any pattern, a pair of dark blue pants with a white stripe on each side and white socks. He looked at himself in the mirror above the sink in the room. He looked so… so different. It felt like he was… A completely different person. Like he was not from the 1910's.

Kanzaburo squawked, bringing Giyuu out of his thoughts. The crow flew up, perching himself on Giyuu's shoulder. The Water Hashira walked out of his new room, looking outside the window. It was a bright and sunny day, and he could see it from the window. He walked down the stairs, his nose picking up the smell of food half way. He walked down, seeing Sanemi sitting down on one of the chairs, his foot tapping against the floor. He looked lost in thought.

Not only that, but he could hear someone singing in the kitchen. He guessed it was Arisato, since she was the other one in the building apart from them. “Shinazugawa?” he called. Said person jumped, startled. His head snapped towards him, and he let out a scoff.

“My apologies, did I scare you?”

“Jeez, don’t fucking worry about that. No, I was just… Just thinking.” Giyuu nodded, noticing the slip up. He wanted to ask more, but he had Yuki’s words in his mind, playing like a broken record yet again.

 

“There are cameras in the building. I’m more than sure both of you are going to be surveilled for these past days.”

 

They were being watched, observed, spied on. Against their will. Well, Giyuu understood it. Somewhat. But still. Even in their rooms? It was creepy. As if privacy didn't exist at all in this building, because for all he knew, he could be spied on while being naked. “Arisato’s making breakfast?” he asked, deciding to get those thoughts out of his head. Shinazugawa nodded.

“She insisted on doing it. She said something about not being able to stand still for more than five minutes, or whatever.” the white haired man explained almost dismissively, Sorai perched on the chair. Giyuu just nodded, sitting a few chairs away from him as he waited for Arisato to finish making the food. He didn’t know how long it took her, but next thing he knew, a plate of rice porridge was placed right in front of him, same with Shinazugawa. He blinked, seeing Arisato with a smile, like always. She never stops smiling, now that he thought about it. He rarely saw her not smile.

“I didn’t know what you both liked, so I just did the first thing that came to mind!” she spoke, putting down a plate of food for the crows before sitting down herself in the middle with a plate of her own.

“You know how to cook?” Giyuu asked as he looked at the food with a raised brow.

“Yeah? Is that not- you know. Normal?” she asked. The water user didn’t say anything as he took a bite of the food. His eyes lit up slightly as he swallowed.

“It’s really good.” he commented, sparkles around him. Shinazugawa turned his head to him, surprised to hear him say that. As if he never expected him to compliment her cooking. Arisato, on the other hand, looked over the moon about, sparkles all around her.

“Really?!”

“Mhm.”

“I’m glad you like it, Tomioka-san!”

Shinazugawa just stared at the interaction, blinking at them. He then turned to his own plate, deciding to take a bite as well. He was silent for a few seconds, as if he was analyzing something. Arisato was looking at him with curiosity.

“...Not bad.” he finally said. Arisato’s face brightened even more.

“I’m really glad!” she beamed, a flowery aura around her. Shinazugawa didn’t bother to look at her, more focused on his own plate. That was when Arisato started eating herself. The trio sat in silence as they ate. Giyuu focused more on the food, occasionally sending glances at the other two. Shinazugawa ate slowly, enjoying the food, while Arisato was rather fast when eating. Almost as if she feared she wouldn’t be able to eat everything in time. Giyuu furrowed his brow.

“Oh! Featherman R is gonna be playing soon!” she gasped as she finished her plate, as if she just remembered that.

“Featherman R?” Shinazugawa repeated, raising a brow.

“Mhm! It’s a superhero TV show that’s really cool! Wanna watch it with me?” she asked. The two Hashiras looked at her in confusion, as if she was speaking another language to them. Arisato was just sitting there, smiling as she finished her plate of food.

“Sure?”

“Awesome! Lemme clean the dishes and do something and then we can watch it!”

Chapter 9: Technology

“OH WHAT TH-” Minako couldn’t help but laugh at Sanemi’s surprise, watching him flinch away from the TV when she turned it on. After she found the camera in the lounge and covered it with a piece of paper, same thing she did like back in her room, and did the dishes, she went back to the lounge and turned on the TV, which took both Hashiras by complete surprise.

“So this is a TV…” Tomioka mumbled, watching the device with interest.

“Yep! And this here,” she picked up the TV remote that was on the table in front of the TV “Is a TV remote. It serves as a way to change the channels, to switch what you want to watch!” she explained, a smile on her face. Tomioka hummed, nodding. He seemed more interested than perplexed, unlike Shinazugawa. The white haired man was still staring at the device in disbelief, his eyes wide and his nonexistant brows raised. Minako didn’t blame him for reacting like that.

“Get comfy on the couch! I’ll find the channel that shows Featherman R.” she told them as she messed with the buttons, switching the channels to find the one where the superhero show played. It took her half a minute, but she finally found it. Just now, they were playing the intro, so Minako happily skipped over to the couch, settling down between the two and making herself comfortable. A smile made its way to her face as the intro played out, the theme music being too catchy. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Tomioka moving his head to the rhythm of the song, enjoying it.

---

Yukari, Makoto and Junpei were expecting a lot of things when they arrived at the dorms. Mostly expecting it to be empty. But then they remembered the three people they had now living there 24/7.

Speaking of said people, the three were sitting on the couches of the lounge, talking about something neither of the students could distinguish at first. Especially with Shinazugawa and Arisato's loud tones overthrowing Tomioka's quiet tone.

“No, like, I don’t understand! Why can’t they be honest about their feelings about being heroes and having these powers?! They can just- talk! It's not that hard!”

“Well, I’d say that the constant fear of not being able to express yourself without being judged is… eating the back of their minds.”

“But they’re friends?? Why would they judge them??”

"Well-"

“You’ve never had friends, Tomioka, you wouldn’t know!”

“Be nice to him! I’m sure he has friends!”

"I have friends."

"See?! He does have friends!"

"Your crow does not count!"

"I wasn't talking about Kanzaburo."

 

“What in God's green Earth did we walk into?” Makoto spoke up, finally making the others aware of the students’ presence. Arisato’s head turned to them.

“Oh! Yuki-san, Iori-san, Takeba-chan!” she greeted “We just finished watching a few Featherman R episodes, so we were discussing them.” she explained. Yukari’s face morphed to one of curiosity.

“You did?” she asked.

“Yeah! Tomioka-san was really invested!”

“They didn’t need to know that.” Tomioka sweatdropped. Arisato just smiled sheepishly.

“Nah, it’s fine, Tomioka-san!” Junpei told him, a grin on his face “Anyone can enjoy shows like Featherman R! Doesn’t matter the age you have!” he assured. Tomioka just nodded.

“Wait. How old even are you guys?” Yukari asked.

"I'm 17! Gonna be 18 next year!" Arisato smiled. The brown eyed girl paused. Arisato was their age? Then shouldn't she be going to school? Hell, she could even be studying at Gekkoukan! But she's not, for some reason Yukari didn't exactly know. Arisato was just this bundle of mystery to her.

“I’m pretty sure both Shinazugawa and I are 21.” Tomioka spoke up, looking at what Makoto assumed was his colleague. The white haired man nodded in response, confirming the fact.

“21?!” both Junpei and Yukari exclaimed in disbelief. Makoto winced slightly at the loudness. But he was just as surprised as they were. He hadn’t expected them to be in their 20’s.

“Why are you guys surprised?” Shinazugawa asked, raising a brow—although Makoto did not see any eyebrows on his face, so he had no idea how that worked—at them almost in amusement.

“Well- Tomioka-san looks around our age.” Yukari admitted, her hands behind her back. There was a beat of silence that went by, and it was really awkward. The white haired man was waiting for them to continue, and so was Tomioka. Yukari didn’t want to say anything, and neither did Junpei. As if they were afraid to say what they were thinking.

“And Shinazugawa looks like an old man.” Makoto spoke up, bluntly saying what he thought. Both Junpei and Yukari went still like stone, their faces sweating. They forgot how blunt their leader could be at times.

“The fuck did you say to me, you runt?” Shinazugawa asked, a smile filled with anger on his face as he slowly got up from his seat. Both Yukari and Junpei gulped.

“H-Hey, Makobro, maybe you should retract your statement…” Junpei said, his body trembling like a leaf. Yukari nodded in agreement, leaning onto her capped friend to try to not get her knees to buckle and make her fall.

“It’s true. You look older than what you are.” Makoto shrugged.

“You little-”

“Shinazugawa, calm down.” Tomioka told him as he got up as well. The black haired man placed a hand on his colleague’s shoulder to try and stop him from trying to possibly murder the students. Shinazugawa turned to glare at him, opening his mouth to say something.

“Alright, that’s enough out of you.” Arisato sighed, forcing Shinazugawa to sit back down on the couch “You, calm down. You,” she pointed at him “learn to control what you say.”

“Hn.” Makoto only said. Arisato just sighed, muttering something under her breath that the blue haired boy didn’t catch. All he heard was 'kids'. Was she thi

“Oh shit! Makobro, Bleach is playing soon!” Junpei exclaimed. That snapped the boy out of his trance, as he and Junpei were fast to sit down on the sofas.

“Bleach? What is that, a show about liquids?” Shinazugawa asked. Junpei and Makoto slowly turned their heads to him, looking as if he had said the dumbest thing in the world.

“You uncultured swine.”

---

Minako sweatdropped as Iori swapped the channel and Yuki didn’t let Shinazugawa or Tomioka get up from the couch, stating how they must see Bleach and appreciate its greatness. Meanwhile, the auburn haired girl had decided to slip away from the scene, scooting closer to Takeba to let the chaos unravel. “Boys will be boys, I guess.” she heard the other girl mutter. Minako couldn’t help but chuckle at that.

“Heavy quotations on that.” she said “Where’s Fuuka-chan?”

“She said that Moriyama wanted to hang out and bring her to a karaoke.” Minako hummed. She didn’t exactly like the Moriyama girl, but if Fuuka trusted her, then she orobably shouldn’t intervene.

 “What about Kirijo and Sanada? Where are they?” she asked.

“Busy. Sanada-senpai has boxing club duties and Kirijo-senpai said she was called to the office alongside Odagiri-senpai.” Takeba informed her. Minako just hummed, glancing at her. She had a frown on her face. Something was bothering her.

“What’s up, Takeba-chan? Why do you look so down?” she asked, her voice low so the others in the room wouldn’t hear her. Even though she doubted that would happen, because Yuki was currently wrestling Shinazugawa, keeping him in a headlock to stay sat on the couch while Iori was looking for the channel they play Bleach. All of this while Tomioka watched with a deadpan expression on his face. Takeba turned to look at her, surprised.

“Was it… that obvious..?” she asked, her voice soft. Minako nodded.

“Yeah. You’re not good at hiding your emotions.” the auburn haired girl pointed “You don’t have to tell me about it. But if you don’t feel good, you should get some rest.” Minako smiled, patting the girl on the back. Takeba looked at her, her eyes holding nothing but surprise. But also a hint of gratefulness. The brown haired girl just nodded, as if she appreciated her giving her the option to not say anything about it.

“I’ll… take that offer when I’m ready.” Minako just nodded, giving her a thumbs up.

“GET OFF OF ME, GOD DAMMIT!”

“Stop struggling Shinazugawa.”

“SHUT UP TOMIOKA! WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU NOT BEING RESTRAINED?!”

“Because I’m actually being cooperative and staying still instead of complaining. Maybe you should try that.”

“WHY YOU- CAN I GET SOME ASSISTANCE, TOMIOKA?!”

"Do not help him, Tomioka."

"SHUT UP YUKI!"

“I FOUND IT!” Iori cheered loudly just as the intro song to what Minako assumed was Bleach. She chuckled.

“I’m gonna sneak away before I get dragged into this watch party. Wanna do something?” she offered Takeba a way out of the situation as she extended her hand, a way out which the brown haired girl gladly took, placing her hand over the girl’s and being dragged away. Minako smiled brightly at that.

Chapter 10: Trip to the Mall

When Mitsuru and Akihiko came back into the dorms, all of the worries they had previously washed away when they saw the others all gathered around the table, having dinner. It smelled really good, and it made Akihiko’s mouth water. Arisato looked up. “Oh, there you guys are! You two are late!” she beamed.

“Welcome back.” Makoto greeted, his mouth stuffed with food from his plate. Mitsuru blinked, surprised by the sight. She snuck a glance at Akihiko, who was just looking at the food like if he was starving. He was, actually. He hadn’t eaten after lunch because the boxing club kept him busy, and then Mitsuru called for him to discuss something. And they lost track of time.

“I see you all have started having dinner.” the red haired girl observed, a hand on her hip.

“Yeah! Arisato-chan made it! She’s a killer cook!” Junpei beamed. Akihiko’s gaze faltered slightly. A killer cook. He remembers calling Shinji that whenever he made meals for him and Mitsuru.

“Well, I think I’m a good cook.” Arisato giggled, a faint blush on her cheeks “Besides! Takeba-chan helped me, too. She’s really fast when it comes to getting things!” Yukari blushed.

“I-I was just doing what you were telling me, Arisato-san..! There’s no need to praise me for following basic instructions!” she tried to argue, her voice growing weak as the sentence went on.

“Nuh uh! You were very helpful! I would have taken longer to make this if it hadn’t been for your help!” Arisato insisted, ruffling Yukari’s hair playfully, making the girl let out a noise of surprise.

“I didn’t take you for the type to cook. Where did you learn how to cook?” Mitsuru asked as she and Akihiko sat down, immediately being served a plate of sukiyaki.

“Oh, my dad taught me! He was this really awesome, killer cook, all of his meals were amazing!” Arisato recalled, a fond smile on her face.

“Your dad?” Tomioka asked, his mouth stuffed to the brim with food as he extended his plate, silently asking for more.

“Mhm!” Arisato nodded as she served the black haired man more, a big smile on her face.

“Tomioka that’s your third plate.” Shinazugawa pointed out, both brows raised in amusement, a smirk on his face.

“You’re on your fourth. Don’t think I didn’t see Arisato sneakily serving you more.” Tomioka countered, the same deadpan look on his face as he swallowed.

“Wha- That’s not true!” Shinazugawa exclaimed.

“Ladies, ladies! Calm down, calm down!” Arisato laughed loudly, shaking her head with a smile “There’s more than enough for everyone, so you can eat as much as you want! I even left some for Fuuka-chan in the freezer if she comes back with hunger!” she assured the two. The boxer looked between the two adults. He had noticed how strong they are back when they fought against the two big Shadows. In his mind, it made sense they ate a lot. They probably were skilled fighters. Skilled with their weapons.

Shinazugawa was more interesting to Akihiko. His body was littered with scars like if it was some sort of canvas, and he wasn’t afraid to show them either. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, showing his scarred forearms and hands. He also had scars all over his face and chest. They looked so old, yet they didn’t seem like they were healing any time soon. Perhaps he could use Polydeuces to cast Dia on him? Maybe that would heal them.

“You must cook a lot, then.” Akihiko hummed, already a few bites into the food. Maybe he should just not dig his nose into other people’s business.

“About every day, yeah. Sometimes I go to eat at Hagakure, though. Their ramen is so good.” Arisato hummed in response, her mouth watering and her expression softening at the mention of the ramen establishment.

“Is it really good?” Tomioka asked, curious.

“Mhm! I could take you and Shinazugawa-san there one day, if you want!” she offered, a big smile on her face. Tomioka seemed excited about it, since he nodded with a glint of excitement in his eyes. He almost seemed like a little kid.

“Don’t drag me into this.” Shinazugawa deadpanned.

“Nope! You’re not getting out of this.” Arisato grinned, almost like a cat. The white haired man sighed in response, almost annoyed.

“Well fuck me…” he grumbled under his breath.

“What about school?” Makoto asked.

“Homeschooling.” Arisato responded. She had answered so fast, it was almost like if she had been prepared for the question. Akihiko blinked. She was homeschooled? He certainly wasn’t expecting that. He snuck a glance at Mitsuru, who also looked at him. They both had the same thought. But it was better to talk about it later.

“When will the chairman come over, again?” Junpei asked, looking at the Kirijo heir.

“According to him, he’ll come late this week, probably Saturday. He said he wishes to speak with Tomioka, Shinazugawa and Arisato in private.” Mitsuru informed.

“Wifth ufsh?” Shinazugawa asked, his mouth full. Tomioka sweatdropped at his attitude, but he said nothing.

“Yes, he wants to talk with you three.” Mitsuru nodded.

“Yippeeee.” Arisato sighed, deflating.

“Do you not like the chairman?” Tomioka asked, tilting his head to the side.

“Don’t get me wrong, he sounds like a kind man. It’s just…” she paused, taking a deep breath “The jokes. They are so… so bad.” she exhaled, sounding like her lungs were dying. Akihiko winced. He understood that. Ikutsuki’s jokes weren’t exactly… the best.

“His jokes?” Shinazugawa asked, sounding like if he was done.

“Yeah…” Yukari nodded, understanding how unexcited she sounded. Akihiko nodded as well. He shared the same sentiment when it came to hearing the man’s puns. They were horrendous.

“I had to listen to him making puns while he was reporting the Monorail incident. Suffer.” Makoto said, a deadpan look on his face, as always. Mitsuru choked on her food while Junpei laughed.

“You had to do the report about the Monorail to him?! Oh, I pity you man.” he said, ruffling Makoto’s hair.

“Personal space.” the blue haired teen said.

“Don’t know her!”

“Not funny.” Makoto sighed. Akihiko discretely nodded in agreement.

---

It was a brand new day, which meant it was time to show the two adult men that now lived in the dorm around Iwatodai. And who better to show them around that herself? Besides, that meant that she could also go grocery shopping! “Alright! Now you guys look like you’re from the late 2000’s.” Minako grinned, placing her hands on her hips as she looked at her masterpieces.

“I am not used to this, and I don’t think I ever will get used to this.” Tomioka said, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Minako had given him a white shirt with a caricature of a cartoon, black cat with pretty big eyes, a pair of dark blue gym pants and some sneakers, as well as a dark blue hoodie tied around his waist.

“You look like an idiot.” Shinazugawa deadpanned, looking at the water user as if he was committing a crime. Shinazugawa was wearing a very different outfit. He had a white collared shirt, the collar slightly unbuttoned, showing his collarbone. The sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, showing the scars there. He had the same belt he wore with his uniform, which held up a pair of black jeans and some brown shoes.

“You look like an arrogant noble.” Tomioka shrugged. The white haired man’s eye twitched.

“Why you…” he mumbled, his hands twitching as if he was desiring to strangle the life out of the other man.

“Ladies, ladies, calm down.” Minako sighed. As for herself, well, she was wearing a pale red sundress with short sleeves and a high collar, a white jacket over it that had really long sleeves, thigh-length black socks and small, white boots.

“Seriously, how do you two not kill each other on a daily basis?” she asked as the group walked down the stairs, sweatdropping.

“I ask myself that question.” Tomioka hummed in agreement. It made Minako hold in a laugh, not expecting him to say that. But Tomioka seemed like a blunt person, if she was honest. But she liked that in people. She preferred the cold, hard truth.

 

When she receives it, of course. Not when she has to say it.

 

She shook the thoughts away as the trio exited the dorm building. The day was somewhat cloudy, but there were no rain warnings. Which was good, she didn’t want the day to rain while the group is still outside. "So, where are we heading first?” Shinazugawa asked.

“Well, I’m going to go stock on healing items. Hence, we’re going to Paulownia Mall!” Minako announced, placing her hands on her hips.

“Paw- what?” Tomioka repeated, confused. The other man looked just as confused as him.

“Paulownia. It’s named after a genus of flowering plants. It has a lot of things.” the teenager explained “We have to take the Monorail to go there, though.”

“Monorail?”

“Think of it like a… train, but smaller and faster!” Minako explained, dragging the two men with her as she walked.

“A smaller and faster train…” Tomioka mumbled, blinking. The auburn haired girl just dragged them with her. From the corners of her eyes, she picked up the knowing, dull glance of a pair of blue eyes. Her eyes dulled for a moment as well, she knew who this was and what they wanted.

 

Not yet.

 

---

Arisato really wasn’t lying when she said that this ‘Monorail’ was like a smaller version of the trains that Giyuu and Shinazugawa were familiar with. The two men sat on the comfy, velvet seats, something that they were still getting used to, while she was standing still, holding onto one of the hanging, metallic, triangular items. The vehicle rumbled slightly as it moved, the passengers conversing with each other. Their conversations fell deaf on Giyuu’s ears, his brain focusing on his own thoughts as Kanzaburo peeked his head from under his shirt. “Ah, look, there it is!” she gasped, pointing at the window with a bright face. Giyuu turned his head, and so did Shinazugawa. His breath caught in his throat once he did.

The sight of the beautiful sea glowing due to the sun, reflecting the sky like a canvas, while the monorail’s tracks were built over the sea, standing proudly. It was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. The water user had never seen something so breathtaking before.

“Pretty sight, is it not?” Arisato asked, a smile on her face. Giyuu nodded in response, his eyes fixated on the view. He had never seen something like this.

“The sunset is even more beautiful.” the girl assured as they neared their destination. Her words made Giyuu want to see it now. He wanted to see the sunset now.

“Next stop, Tatsumi Port Island.” the thing Arisato called an intercom announced, making Giyuu jump slightly. Shinazugawa got up, stumbling a bit because of the rumbling but hanging onto the metallic supports to stand up. Giyuu chose to wait until the vehicle stopped moving to get up.

Getting out of the monorail, the trio walked out of the station. Kanzaburo and Sorai popped out from their hiding spots, the latter flying to his master. Kanzaburo snuggled closer to Giyuu, the sun warming up his feathers. It was a warm day. And Giyuu liked it.

"I'm glad the Monorail was able to start working again." he heard a woman say in a worried tone, his eyes narrowing towards the source of the voice "When I heard of that accident where it almost crashed onto another on May, my son wouldn't let me use it." Giyuu's eyes widened slightly. An accident on the monorail? On May? What were they talking about?

 

“Hey, wasn’t the moon full during the Monorail operation last month, too?”

 

Iori's words suddenly rang in his mind, his steps coming to a halt as he realized. That means that there's been more of those strong Shadows during the Full Moons, right? Which means those kids have been fighting the Dark Hour for some time. And no one else has realized? Were they the only active people during the Dark Hour, then?

"Hey, Tomioka, hurry your ass up!" he heard Shinazugawa shout, snapping him out of his thoughts. He nodded, catching up with the other two, although those thoughts lingered in his mind.

 

Perhaps I'll get my answers when I meet that Ikutsuki man.

 

Chapter 11: Supplying up

"Here we are! Welcome to Paulownia Mall!" Minako announced, stretching her arms out with a big smile as the familiar tune of the building filled her ears. Shinazugawa and Tomioka stared at the inside of it in pure amazement, their eyes wide.

"What the fuck..." Shinazugawa murmured, blinking a few times.

"This is... big..." Tomioka whispered, his eyes trailing off to look around at all of the shops. Minako chuckled softly at that, not exactly surprised by their reactions at all. After all, this was all foreign to them. And from what she remembered from her studies, shopping malls had not been invented until the 1940’s or the 1950's.

“In here, we have everything we need for our explorations.” she explained “There’s a pharmacy that sells healing items, it’s great to go during Saturdays because of the discount.”

“So we can buy those… Life Soul candy things?” Shinazugawa asked

“Life Stones, first of all.” Minako corrected him “And second, no. Those, we can only get them in Tarty Sauce, as far as I know. Dunno if there's another way to get them.” she added, shaking her head.

“...Tarty Sauce?” Tomioka repeated, making a face.

“Code name for the tower. Tarty Sauce, Tortoise, Tacky Tower, whatever you wanna call it.” Minako shrugged.

“How many names do you have for it??” Shinazugawa questioned, sounding done.

“Uh… Lost count.” she sweatdropped, making the other facepalm. She quickly dragged the two towards the pharmacy before they could actually say anything else. Tomioka just went along with it.

"So we can talk about the tower as long as we don't mention the name?" the blue eyed man asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yep! Kirijo said so." Minako nodded, the group entering the pharmacy. A different tune was playing from the one outside, a less upbeat one.

"Ah, if it isn't my favourite red eyed customer." an old man with grayish, long blue hair tied in a small ponytail, a beard and a pair of gray eyes greeted "Hello Minako. How have you been?" he asked as she approached the counter. She chuckled in response.

"Yo, old man! How's the business been going?" Minako asked, a grin on her face.

"Well, considering the fact that you have been buying every Saturday a lot of things, you've been giving me a lot of money and bringing a lot of customers." the old man laughed.  His eyes then fell on the two men behind her, a brow raised.

"Who're they? Friends?" he asked "They look older than you."

"These are Tomioka Giyuu and Shinazugawa Sanemi. They also know about the 25th hour of the day." she whispered the last part to him. His face turned soft.

"Victims?"

"Yes and no. They're like me."

"Alright." he nodded, turning to the two men "I'm Aohige Kozue. Here, you can buy whatever you need for your battles." he told them.

"You know about it?" Shinazugawa asked, a brow raised.

"An unlucky few are able to stay conscious during it. I don't remember much of it after it passes, but Minako here explained it to me after she saved me from the Shadows, as she calls them." the vendor explained "This is my way to repay her."

"That's truly kind of you:" Tomioka nodded.

"Thank you. Now, I assume you're stocking up?" Kozue hummed, watching Minako nod.

"Yup! Let's get some meds!"

"Do not say that again. It sounds weird." Tomioka deadpanned. Minako just giggled, a smile on her face.

---

"Iori-kun? What's wrong?" Fuuka asked as all of the second years huddled up together in the emptiness of class 2-E during lunch. She had been pulled away from Natsuki, with Takeba-san apologizing to her as Yuki-kun dragged her.

"Okay, this- this is gonna sound nuts, but when I passed by the- the faculty office, all of the teachers were there, right?" Iori-kun started, his face as pale as a paper sheet. It made Fuuka's stomach churn. Something was wrong.

"Yeah, you arrived late, I remember. But Toriumi-sensei arrived even later than you did, which in itself was surprising. That, and she looked kind of scared, for some reason." Yuki-kun nodded. Despite looking as stoic as always, his brows were furrowed, a sign of what Fuuka assumed was concern for the taller, and some sort of desire to know what he was getting at.

"Well, I- I overheard them when I was late for class. They- They said that Ekoda was found dead. In- In his home." he shakily announced. Fuuka's eyes widened slowly, her mouth parting open as a strained, quiet gasp rolling out of her throat. She was horrified. A teacher had been killed? And in his home?

"...You're kidding me." Takeba-san said, a look of disbelief flashing across her face "You- Stupei, don't say those things! You're not going to scare me!" she said, yet the look on her face showed a small hint of fear.

"Ekoda hasn't shown up all day." Yuki-kun informed, and Fuuka could hear the uneasyness in his voice "Unless he's sick and the teachers are talking about someone else, it actually correlates."

"B-But! Wh-Who would do such a thing?" the teal haired girl asked in a whimper, her voice shaking.

"M-Maybe it was... A-A robbery?" Takeba-san suggested, a bead of sweat rolling down her face.

"I dunno. No details were specific. All I heard was that he was shot." Iori-kun shook his head "And with that revenge website thing going on around school..." he trailed off.

"Revenge website?" Yuki-kun perked up, a harsh look on his face.

"Revenge Request." Fuuka nodded, trying to make sure her voice wouldn't break as she felt her whole body shaking "A website where people- They put the names of others who they despise while on anonymus, and then- I-I think they pay the people hosting it to kill them." she explained, her palms sweating as she spoke.

"You- You heard of it?" Takeba-san asked. Fuuka nodded.

"I-I stumbled upon it while I was googling things. From- From what I heard, the link to access it is very hard to get." she added. She wouldn't lie to herself, the girl has actually checked the website more than once. She had the url written in a memo in her laptop. But yet she never did anything, just watching the request forum with hesitance.

"Which means the people who run it are just murdering others in the dead of the night." Yuki-kun hummed, crossing his arms.

"This is nuts. Absolutely fucking nuts." Iori-kun exhaled "Ekoda wasn't the most liked person or teacher. Hell, he was- he was an absolute jerk, and a piece of shit for what he did to Fuuka. But..." he trailed off.

"Yeah... Even he didn't deserve that." Takeba-san nodded.

"But people don't think that." Fuuka whispered, a hand clenching the fabric of her uniform.

"...Death is not justice. Just because he wasn't the most likeable person. I didn't like him, but even that doesn't warrant his demise." Yuki-kun stated, his eyes flickering to the floor as he exhaled shakily. Fuuka looked at him, and for a moment, she swore she saw some hint of sadness in his eyes, and his fingernails digging onto the skin of his forearms.

"Makobro..." Iori-kun murmured, looking at him in surprise. Takeba-san hesitated, a hand reaching to him but stopping midway.

"I'm okay." he assured the others "But we need to discuss this with Sanada-senpai and Kirijo-senpai." the other three nodded, more than content with the plan.

---

"This is a lot..." Tomioka sweatdropped, with Sanemi nodding in agreement as the two stared at the plastic bag filled to the brim with recovery items. Arisato smiled in response.

"I'll go and pay! I got enough money from Tatter Tot." she assured them, skipping over to the counter. Sanemi just brought a hand to his face, rubbing his forehead in dismay as he let out a groan. All of the nicknames for Tartarus that rolled out of her tongue got more ridiculous each time she said them. He did not want to hear them anymore, he was so close to yelling at her to stop.

"The nicknames are... Something." Tomioka commented, awkwardly standing by the wind user. The other scoffed at the way he was trying to sugarcoat things.

"You can just say they're fucking annoying or they suck." he deadpanned, removing his hand from his face. Tomika didn't say much, just humming in response. They stood near each other in silence, Sanemi not bothering to look at the other Hashira beside him.

"...I think there might be more of those big Shadows." the black haired man spoke up "Like the ones we fought in the ground floor Tartarus." Sanemi's eyes widened, turning to look at him in surprise. Tomioka had a frown on his face.

"Are you shitting me?" he asked. The black haired man shook his head, making the pit on Sanemi's stomach grow.

"No. I overheard some women talking about a monorail accident on May, which I assume was a month ago. And Iori mentioned the moon being full during a Monorail Operation. The moon was full when those big Shadows that could switch their weaknesses appeared." he explained, Sanemi's arms folding themselves below his chest as he listened. It was just a theory, of course. They couldn't be 100% sure of it. Maybe Tomioka was just digging a hole so big and filling it with his theories.

"If we go about this theory, then I think those big Shadows appear once every month, during the full moons." Tomioka added.

"Which means those kids are gonna be fighting until they drop dead, or they find a way to get rid of the Dark Hour." Sanemi grumbled, shaking his head. Seriously, what did they get into? How did they even get into this clusterfuck in the first place? If only they had noticed that stupid demon's blood demon art, they wouldn't be in this situation!

He exhaled angrily. "Stupid kids." he mumbled.

"Alright, everything's been paid for, we got our meds!" Arisato announced as she bounced her way back to the two. Tomioka's attention diverted to her.

"Okay. Where to next?" he asked, ignoring the way she phrased her words. A big smile appeared on the girl's face.

"It's time to panic!"

"...It's time to what?" Sanemi repeated, a confused look on his face. Tomioka looked just as confused as he did. The girl just ignored their faces as she slung the bag around her forearm and bicep.

"Come on, come on! I'll show you the best place to play games at! Let's play!" she ushered, grabbing their hands and dragging them with her. For a moment, Sanemi's eyes widened as he saw Sumi smiling at him warmly, everything else dying down around him. He felt his breath hitch in his throat, his hands trembling for a moment.

"Come on, big brother! Let's play!"

"Su... mi..." he whispered.

---

 

Chapter 12: Just communicate

"Fucking pieces of shit! Die!" Shinazugawa sneered through his teeth as he practically smashed the buttons to try and kill as many zombies as he could. Minako just watched, amazed that he had been able to last as long as he was doing.

"You're doing better than I was." Tomioka hummed, watching intently the game. Eventually, though, the white haired man lost, and he huffed in annoyance.

"Hey, don't look so down! You did pretty good for a beginner, Shinazugawa-san!" Minako assured, gently jabbing the man with her elbow. He only groaned.

"You can't say that, you literally got the higher score out of the three of us!" he hissed, glaring at her. It made Minako laugh, because he was right. But that was because she knows how the machines here work. She's not from 1912, after all.

"Still! You didn't die the first twenty seconds." she smiled.

"Please don't remind me of my failure." Tomioka commented, a gloomy look on his face. Kanzaburo sat on his shoulder, sleeping. Sorai, on the other hand, was perched on top of the machine, watching his master with a glint of either confusion or disappointment.

"Let's try something else! Like..." Minako trailed off as she paused, her eyes falling on a punching machine with a score "That! That shouldn't be too difficult." she suggested. Sorai jumped down, landing on her shoulder as he nodded in agreement. The auburn haired girl smiled.

"Ah, Sorai-kun agrees with me!" she beamed happily.

"I think he just likes you because you feed him really good food." Tomioka pointed out. In response, he got a glare from said crow.

"Alright, to the punching machine we go." Shinazugawa huffed as the trio walked over to the machine Minako had pointed at, a few coins in her hands. Shebwas rattling them in her hand as they approached.

"Who wants to go first?" she asked.

"I'll go first." Shinazugawa smirked, crackling his knuckles. His mood seemed better, and he actually seemed excited about this. Minako nodded, inserting the coin in the slot and pressing the button. The machine made a rumbling noise and the punching bag came down, a small tune playing.

"All yours, Shinazugawa-san!" the auburn haired smiled, taking a step back. The white haired man grinned, reeling his arm back before he slammed his fist against the punching bag with force, sending it backwards. The scoreboard started to rapidly pick up, the three of them watching intently, some more than one.

 

Score:
914

 

"Heh, not bad." he chuckled with pride, rolling his shoulder.

"Do you wanna try, Tomioka-san?" Minako asked, looking at the black haired man. He stayed silent, as if he was debating whether or not to accept that offer. In the end, however, he nodded. He walked up to the machine as the auburn haired girl repeated the action of inserting a coin and pressing the button. Tomioka slowly reeled his fist back as the punching bag came down. He took a deep breath, and then hit it as hard as he could, watching as the numbers went up fast.

 

Score:
897

 

"Hah. I beat you." Shinazugawa said, smug about it. Minako rolled her eyes playfully.

"I was expecting a bit more." Tomioka mumbled to himself, looking down at his fist "Arisato, can I try again?" he asked.

"Really?" she asked, raising a brow. He nodded. She glanced at Shinazugawa, who also seemed surprised. However, she nodded and inserted yet another coin and pressed the button, watching as the punching bag dropped down. Tomioka reeled his fist back before he punched it yet again, harder this time.

"Ow." he winced, shaking his hand slightly as he had not expected it to hurt that much. His knuckles were slightly red, but he didn't pay it much attention, instead focusing on the score.

 

Score:
923

 

"WHAT?!" Shinazugawa exclaimed, eyes wide. Tomioka looked at him.

"I beat you." he declared.

"NO YOU DIDN'T!"

"The machine says otherwise."

"ANY OF OUR COMRADES KNOW I'M STRONGER THAN YOU!"

"They also comment on your attitude."

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"Nothing."

"You little-"

 

Minako ignored their banter as she inserted yet another coin on the slot and pressed the button, the bag coming down yet again. She smirked before spinning on her heel and kicking the bag with force, much more than she intended it to. She watched the score raised fast, an expectant look in her eyes.

 

Score:
945

 

"Oh! I beat my record, awesome!" she beamed, a happy aura around her.

"Wh- HOW?!" Shinazugawa exclaimed, looking at her in shock.

"Perseverance, baby!" she grinned playfully, planting both hands on her hips as she said that, almost as if she was showing off. Tomioka looked at the number, blinking.

"Alright, let me at it one more time!" Shinazugawa growled, pushing his sleeves up even more and the girl thought for a moment that he was going to cut his blood flow on his arm from the veins popping on his face "I'm gonna beat both yours and Tomioka's damn scores!" Minako just giggled at that, feeling her chest lighter for some reason. She was having fun. Genuinely having fun.

Though that joy morphed into surprise when she saw something glowing behind the two men. A tarot card. Two tarot cards, to be exact. She hummed to herself. 'I see...' she thought.

---

It was a miracle that any of the teachers did not ask him any questions, because Junpei could barely focus on the classes. He tried, he really did. But he just couldn't. All he could think of was the conversations the teachers were having with the principal and the chairman inside of the teacher's lounge, with Ikutsuki-san trying to calm down the teachers and say that the police were on it and with the school's principal starting to plan for the funeral. The teachers thought that they were going to die as well, and Junpei didn't blame them.

His hands were shaking and sweating like crazy, and he hadn't even noticed until he felt someone grab them, with his stare digging holes onto the desk. Looking up, he saw both Yuka-tan and Makoto looking at him with concern. He blinked, realizing it was already a period of in between classes. "S-Sorry, guys. I'm not..." he trailed off.

"We know. Kenji said that he was worried about you." Yuka-tan told him as she squeezed his shoulder for comfort. Junpei swallowed as he nodded.

"Cafe Chagall. I'll pay." Makoto said "I want to know about that Revenge Request website." he added. Junpei looked at him. He looked so calm, Junpei was almost jealous, because he wished he could remain as calm as he did.

 

But then he saw it, the insecurity in his eyes. His leader was nervous, just as him. He was probably scared, too. He just didn't show it that much.

 

"Is Fuuka tagging along as well?" Yuka-tan asked, receiving a nod as an answer.

"Second year only meeting. I'll send her a message." the other two nodded.

---

The ride back to the dorms was peaceful. Giyuu looked at Arisato, seeing as she was asleep on Shinazugawa's shoulder, hugging a plush that she had gotten from what she called a 'claw machine'. It was the plush of a weird creature, all white with a blue hat and blue shoes and a weird face. Giyuu thought it was cute. Shinazugawa was calm, holding the bag of medical supplies they bought for Tartarus as well as a bag with groceries that they got after eating in that Hagakure place that Arisato had mentioned last night. "Didn't expect her to be tired." the wind user mumbled. Giyuu looked up.

"She has... a lot of energy. Like Rengoku or Kanroji." the blue eyed man hummed, looking down at her. She was sleeping so calmly, it almost felt unreal to see her like this. Shinazugawa nodded in response.

"Almost annoying." he mumbled, just loud enough for Giyuu to hear. The blue eyed man glanced at him. Shinazugawa was looking at Arisato with... something else other than rage. Which was unusual, at least to the Water Hashira. Shinazugawa was always a bundle filled with nothing but anger and thirst for battle and killing demons. He showed it when he stabbed Kamado Nezuko during the trial, or when he looked up after Kamado Tanjiro had fought back. So seeing him expressing, although he wasn't exactly doing that, any emotion other than anger was really... off putting. But also really sweet. Giyuu didn't know what to think of it.

"What are you looking at?" Shinazugawa asked, looking at him with annoyance. And there was the bundle of negative emotions again. Giyuu just shrugged.

"Seeing you calm is weird." he answered, turning his gaze away. He heard the white haired man growl, a hand setting down on his shoulder with force.

"You..." he said threateningly as he leaned towards him, but stopped when the two heard Arisato hum in her sleep. Turning their heads, they saw nuzzling closer to the wind user's shoulder, pressing the plush tighter against her and a look of discomfort flashing on her face. They both froze, surprised. That seemed to do the trick, because her face went back to calm one, her arms squeezing the plush more.

"Don't move. You'll wake her up." Giyuu said, watching as Sanemi's head fell downwards from his words, letting out a noise of reluctance in response.

"Why do you care, sir I'm better than everyone else?" he asked, resting a cheek on his hand. Giyuu blinked at those words, his brain slowly registering them.

"Excuse me?" he let out, his brows furrowing.

"What? Don't act like you don't know. You're constantly acting like you're better than us Hashiras, and it pisses me off." Shinazugawa deadpanned. Is that what he really thought? Was that what the other Hashiras thought? That wasn't it. That wasn't really it at all.

"That's not true." Giyuu shook his head "I don't view myself as better than you, or the others."

"Well, what is it, then? 'Cause with that attitude, it fucking looks like it." he asked. Well, it was more of a demand. Giyuu inhaled sharply. He didn't really want to have this conversation right now, when they're still away from their time. But the words just left his throat.

"I'm not like the rest of you because I-"

 

"Next stop, Iwatodai. Next stop, Iwatodai."

 

Giyuu's words were muffled to other strangers, but not to Shinazugawa. He watched the white haired man's eyes widen slowly in surprise by his answer just as Arisato was slowly stirring awake, her eyes fluttering open. She yawned quietly, rubbing her eyelids. "Did I miss something?" she asked, turning to look at the two Hashiras. Neither of them answered immediately, with Giyuu looking down at his lap and Shinazugawa staring at him.

---

 

Chapter 13: Ace Detectives on the case!

The walk back to the dorm was quiet, and awkward. Sanemi and Tomioka didn't speak to each other, nor even send each other a glance. Arisato didn't even notice it, too busy being in her own little world while skipping around and humming happily to herself about what to make for dinner. Some foods, Sanemi recognized. Others, he had no idea what they were. Tomioka was just looking at the girl, making sure she didn't stray away. Sanemi, on the other hand? He was too busy thinking about what the Water Hashira had just told him moments prior, while still on the monorail.

 

"I'm not like the rest of you, because I'm not the Water Hashira. I'm underserving of that title."

 

Undeserving? Undeserving?! What in the name of all that's holy did he mean by that?! What did he mean by he didn't deserve the title of the Water Hashira?! He's exterminated many, many demons! He's a strong and respected member of the Corps! As much as he disliked the man, he's strong, he's smart, smarter than Sanemi is, and he's capable capable. He didn't understand why Tomioka thought of himself like that! It was stupid, but he didn't understand what went through his mind at all.

So deep in his thoughts, he hadn't realized that they had arrived at the dorm building until he saw Arisato open the door. He snapped out of his thoughts when the trio entered the building, the chilly air hitting his arms. "We're back!" Arisato announced loudly, yet there was no sort of reply back. The girl raised a brow at the lack of answer, and so did Sanemi and Tomioka. The silence was... unsettling.

"Maybe they haven't arrived yet?" Tomioka suggested.

"Yeah, no. The sun's setting. There's no way that they haven't arrived yet." Sanemi shook his head.

"Well, maybe I'll be able to surprise them with some very good dinner!" Arisato beamed, excitement on her face.

"Do you need help, Arisato?" Tomioka offered. Her eyes lit up in joy at that.

"Yes! I'm going to teach you the ways of the curry!" she exclaimed, practically vibrating from excitement. Sanemi could barely react, seeing how the auburn haired girl grab the black haired man's wrist and dragged him towards the kitchen and took the grocery bags from the white haired man, leaving the Wind Hashira alone in the common room. That was good for him to gather his thoughts without anyone bothering him. He walked over to one of the couches, plopping down on the soft surface and letting out a sigh while the bag with the medical supplies just rattled.

'Tomioka... Just what the fuck do you mean by that.'

---

"Alright! Junpei, Ace Detective on the case with his fellow companions!"

"Don't be so loud. You'll draw attention to us." Yukari chastised, staring at Junpei like if he was an idiot.

"So we'd be Ace Detectives, then?" Yamagishi asked, tilting her head to the side and unintentionally following the taller boy's game. Junpei grinned, while Yukari just facepalmed.

"So this is the Revenge Website." Makoto hummed, peering close to the screen from Yamagishi's shoulder. It was a pretty simple website, with the background of a painting; a dark green sky reigning above the ground, with black clouds floating on it and a crescent, bright green moon glowing down. There was a forum to fill, with the slots to fill with the name, the address, the reason why you hold a grudge with them, etc. On the top of the forum is a promise of anonimity, a promise that none of the targets would ever find out who wanted them dead. His eyes narrowed. The painting was beautiful, really beautiful. But it also gave him the chills. Like when he had first entered the Dark Hour when he was a child.

"Okay, the painting is really cool. But this just proves Makobro's suspicion that this person knows of the Dark Hour." Junpei commented, his arms crossed.

"Yeah, this is a dead giveaway." Yukari nodded.

"To us, though." Makoto reminded "We four are aware of the Dark Hour. That's why we recognize it. But to others, they just view this as a normal painting. It's probably as to why they've been able to go under our radars for so long." he told them. Junpei sighed, scratching the back of his head. The only reason they are looking into the website was because Ekoda died.

"Jeez... I know it makes sense, but... It's still really effed up." the taller boy breathed out. Yukari nodded in agreement.

"As fucked up as it is, someone did it. Someone sent the request and Ekoda-sensei died. Sitting here and saying it was bad does nothing." Makoto shook his head.

"I agree with Yuki-kun. If we can do something about it, then we should act." Yamagishi shyly chimed in, her hands moving at a rapid pace as they pressed the letters on her keyboard.

"What are you doing, Yamagishi?" Junpei asked, his eyes trying to follow the girl's movements. She didn't answer, her focus on the screen right in front of her. A few seconds later, though, she exhaled in defeat.

"No good." she said.

"What is no good?" Yukari asked.

"I tried to get into the owner's account to try and get their information, or a name. But I couldn't. There's some kind of wall that blocks me from getting in." she explained, a frown on her face.

"You know how to hack?" Makoto asked, his interest clear in his tone.

"And program, yeah. It's something I taught myself." Yamagishi explained "But let's talk about that later." the other three nodded. They needed to focus on the matter at hand. Approach a different route.

"Well, if we can't find who the owner of the website is, then our next step is finding who sent the request." Yukari said, her arms crossed.

"Well, gee, that'll be easy." Junpei huffed with sarcasm "Everyone in the school hated Ekoda, even the teachers. I can't think of a single person who liked him." he reminded.

"Yeah, I've heard Toriumi-sensei complain about him." Yukari nodded, frowning.

"Actually." Yamagishi spoke up "There's someone in my class who doesn't hate him. Iwasaki Rio."

"The captain of the girls' volleyball team?" Makoto asked "I've heard about her from Tomochika. He said that she's devastated."

"Well, that's at least someone we can cross out..." Junpei sighed "One out of... thousands..." he added, sulking.

"We just have to keep looking. There'll probably be someone who hated him so much that they wanted him dead." Makoto suggested "For now, we can't exactly tell the senpais about this. We can't confirm if the person that runs the website is aware of the Dark Hour." his classmates nodded, but Yamagishi looked hesitant to do so.

"Should we really act on our own?" she asked, nervous. Makoto understood her hesitance.

"Until we can get a small list. There's way too many people to suspect right now. We need to draw out a smaller list." he told her, setting a gentle hand on her shoulder "Right now, everyone is a suspect. And we can't afford to make any sort of mistakes." her brows furrowed, but she nodded. With that, Makoto grabbed an empty notebook.

"Right now, I don't remember every single name of every single student. Junpei, I'm gonna need you to help me out with the ones in our classroom."

"You got it, leader!" Junpei saluted, a smirk on his face "Junpei, Ace Detective will not let you down!"

"Yukari, you ask around in the clubs. You're a pretty popular student."

"I'll see what I can do." Yukari nodded, a serious look on her face.

"Yamagishi, look in your class, too. And also try to get some information online."

"I'll do my best." Yamagishi said.

"I'll ask Odagiri-senpai for the student roasters. If not, I'll sneak inside the school again."

---

The two third years arrived at the dorm, the smell of freshly made curry hitting their noses. "Welcome back!" Arisato's voice greeted them in a singing tone. Akihiko chuckled as he and Mitsuru walked over to the table, their surprise clear when they saw that it was only her, Tomioka and Shinazugawa this time.

"Where are the second years?" Mitsuru asked, raising a brow at the lack of people there.

"No clue. We arrived and it was completely empty." Shinazugawa shrugged as he wiped his mouth with a napkin, wiping off any stains on the corners of his mouth. The two looked at each other.

"Club activities, maybe?" Akihiko suggested, unsure. Mitsuru shook her head as if to say she had no idea.

"Well, if you guys are hungry, you can sit down and eat! I'll save enough for them!" Arisato assured them, her smile soft. Tomioka reached out his plate forward, indicating he wanted more.

"Can you eat any slower, dumbass?! You're practically gulping down the food!" Shinazugawa scolded the other man harshly, reaching his arm to slap him on the back of the head, which Tomioka easily dodged by ducking down.

"Hey- Hey! No slapping!" Arisato said, trying to calm them down. Mitsuru and Akihiko simply sweatdropped, deciding to sit down and not say anything about it.

Chapter 14: Hiding behind the glasses

When the evening had come, an unfamiliar figure to the Hashiras and the auburn haired girl had entered the dorm building. With his long, brown hair, his dark eyes hidden behind his glasses, and the lavish suit, he had walked over to the command room, where the rest of S.E.E.S was. Most, at least. They were all sitting by the command room, turning to look at him as soon as he entered. "Chairman Ikutsuki." Mitsuru greeted, as regal as always. Her words broke off a tense silence that had filled the room.

"It's good to see you all are alright." the man smiled, his hands laced together as he walked up to the control panel "How have our unexpected guests been holding on?" he asked.

"They have the potential, both of the adults I mean. Mitsuru scanned them while they slept the first night they were here." Akihiko answered, his arms folded below his chest.

"I see." Ikutsuki simply hummed, turning to the screen "May I ask... What are they and Yamagishi doing?" he asked, a brow raised in curiosity.

"They're playing videogames together." Yukari answered "I think they're playing Mario Party 3 right now and-"

 

"GOD DAMMIT GAME, CAN I MOVE MORE THAN 2 GOD DAMN SPACES?!" Arisato cried out, banging her head on the floor with force.

"Maybe don't do that..?" Tomioka suggested, a beat of sweat rolling down his face.

"I don't control the rolls! The dice is for visual effect, you can't actually time this shit!" Arisato huffed, pouting. There now was a small mark from her hitting her forehead with the wooden floor.

 

"Yeah, it's going as chaotic as you would expect." the brunette continued, sighing in either pure awe or pure despair.

"Where did they get that gaming console? Did one of them buy it?" Ikutsuki inquired, a hand scratching his chin.

"Apparently Arisato had been in there for longer than Yamagishi, Shinazugawa or Tomioka." Makoto finally chimed in, his voice as quiet as ever "So she just killed a lot of Shadows and got a big amount of money."

"Jeez. I know that you can make bank from the Shadows in Tartarus, but dude..." Junpei sweatdropped "She could end up being the richest out of all of us! Ah, well. If you don't count Kirijo-senpai, that is..." he added.

"I have to say, she's kind of suspicious." Makoto continued "She has the same ability as I do. Not only that, but she has an Evoker. And I'm pretty sure that she has no relation to S.E.E.S or the Kirijo group. So, how does she have one?" he asked. The question lingered in the air, no one had an answer to it.

"Well, since I intend to speak with her, perhaps I can get some information in regards to that." Ikutsuki offered, a smile on his face.

"That would be greatly appreciated, chairman." Mitsuru nodded.

"For now, we should just observe them. Who knows, perhaps they're dangerous. Keeping a close eye on them would be the best course of action for now." the man added, turning to look at the screen.

"Are you sure, chairman?" Junpei asked, unsure that the idea could work "I mean, I'm not sayin' we shouldn't be careful, totally respect that. Hell, even Shinazugawa scares me a bit. But they've kept Fuuka safe while she was left to die in Tartarus for god knows how long. I don't think they're bad people." he commented, his hands inside of his jacket's pockets.

"I agree with Junpei." Makoto nodded. The blue haired boy's eyes narrowed as he saw the surprise expression flickering across the man's face for a second. As if he hadn't been expecting them to be against his words. As if they were expected to be wary of them. But to Makoto, those men weren't evil. Suspicious? Yes. But he didn't see himself fearing them.

 

Then again. When was the last time he had feared something? Ten years ago?

 

"I suppose you make a good point." Mitsuru hummed "We can't exactly act distant around them, either. They'd probably notice it easily. Iori's not a good actor, Akihiko's too straightforward at times and Yuki's not exactly bothered by many things." she numbered.

"Hey!"

"Wow."

"I take offense to that, senpai."

"I agree. Besides, they've also helped in taking down the big Shadows that surprised both Kirijo-senpai and I." Yukari added, her hands laced together behind her back "When their element switched again once, it swapped to water. Tomioka, despite being injured by a lightning attack- He charged in and knocked it down again. They were willing to risk their lives for us, a bunch of teenagers they didn't know." Ikutsuki stared down at the five, clearly surprised. The glasses hid it well from most, but not from Makoto. His posture eventually relaxed.

"Well, I suppose we can't exactly come to the point that they truly are evil if they did protect you all." he hummed, nodding in acknowledgment "Still, just be careful about them. I still haven't exactly found anything on them. So-"

 

"YOU LITTLE UNGRATEFUL HUMAN BEING!" Fuuka shouted, cutting off Ikutsuki. The group stared at the screen for a moment, completely taken aback by the outburst. They had expected it to be Arisato or Shinazugawa, hell, even Tomioka, but not Fuuka herself.

"I apologize Yamagishi, I did not intend to take your stars-" Tomioka choked out, his hands raised as a sign of defeat, almost nervous? It was surprising.

"I worked hard for those stars! Why?!"

"The third roulette was going too fast-"

"Too fast?! I've seen way faster software in my life, Tomioka-san!"

"I'm so sorry-"

"Good job Tomioka, you're going to win your first ever game in this entire evening." Shinazugawa dryly chuckled, a smirk on his face. As if he was clearly enjoying the other man getting verbally jumped on by the teal haired teenager. Which was absolutely true, by the way. He was definitely enjoying Yamagishi, a normally soft spoken and shy individual, growing louder and angry.

"You're in second, I don't think you should say that." Arisato chimed in with a knowing tone.

"Shut the fuck up, brat."

"You're just salty you haven't been able to win a single game here~." Arisato continued, her tone teasing and malicious. Shinazugawa shoved his hand forward, attempting to shut her up, but she just ducked and laughed in response to her words.

"This is why Mario Party is amazing." the auburn haired girl smiled.

"No it's not!"

 

"...Okay." Yukari spoke up after a wave of silence, taking a deep breath "Can we make a petition to ban Mario Party?" she asked.

"No." Makoto shook his head immediately.

"God dammit."

---

"Hello, Yamagishi." the four in the common room perked up upon hearing the voice. Sanemi turned his head, seeing a man with long, brown hair and dark eyes, hidden behind a pair of glasses. He wore a simple brown jacket with pockets over a black turtleneck, brown pants and white shoes. His eyes narrowed, his instincts on high alert.

"Ah, Ikutsuki-san!" Yamagishi gasped "I didn't know you'd be here!"

"I just arrived here, Yamagishi-kun, no need to worry." the man shook his head, turning his attention then to the three "You must be Arisato, Shinazugawa and Tomioka, correct? My name is Ikutsuki Shuji, I'm the chairman of Gekkoukan High and the adviser of S.E.E.S. Kirijo-kun has told me about you three." he introduced himself. The wind user glanced at the water user, it seemed like they both had the same thought in mind.

 

This man is suspicious.

 

"Nice to meet you." Arisato politely said, bowing her head down. Tomioka did the same. Sanemi just nodded.

"Now. I hope I wasn't about to ruin the fun for you four: I just hoped I could talk to each individually." the man continued "Arisato? Is it alright if I speak with you first?" he asked. Wordlessly, the girl answered with a nod, pushing herself off of the floor and placing the controller down before walking over to him, following him up the stairs. It's akin to a little duckling following after its mother. A bizarre comparison, one that gave Sanemi the chills. It seemed like she didn't like him.

"Is it just me, or does he seem like he knows more than he lets on?" Tomioka finally spoke up after a beat of silence.

"Huh? Do you think so?" Yamagishi asked "If anything, he seems like a polite man. Just... With an odd sense of humour." she admitted.

"No, something's up with him. Dunno what." Sanemi mumbled to himself, sharing another glance with Tomioka. Yamagishi switched between looking at the two, clearly uneasy.

"Do you really think so..?" she whispered. The two nodded. She pursed her lips, as if wanting to say something more. But she didn't know what to say, so she decided to stay silent, turning to look at the TV screen.

 

"...Would Minako-chan be mad if I roll to try and get Chance Time?"

"Absolutely. Go for it."

---

Walking out of the room, Minako swore she had to slap herself like once or twice to calm down. This man is so, so irritating! Faking his politeness and all of that shit, and the puns- oh how much she loathes those god damn puns! He acts like he's a saint, like he's nothing but kind, and sweet! She can tell he was faking it. He's faking his entire god damn personality.

 

"Ah, you wouldn't want them finding out, right? Of course, I have no direct involvement with your other friends. At least, when it comes to the website. I was quite surprised that Ekoda-kun had died a few days after you arrived. But it makes sense with the timeline of events, now that I think about it. Who knew you could be so vile and evil, Arisato-kun?"

"You're a bastard, you know that?"

"Ah, such crass words."

"Who cares about my language? The only reason why I am merely tolerating you is because you're giving them supplies. I still despise you."

"How rude."

"Shut up. I haven't forgiven you for what you did to us. For what you did to Sho-kun."

"Oh, you know how much of a sho he would put."

"You're a bastard and a terrible pun maker, you honestly make me actually appreciate those who dedicate their entire careers to the entertainment industry."

 

"Fuckin' stupid lookin' ass stickman figure..." she murmured under her breath, a vein popping on the side of her face as she walked down the stairs, her steps slow. She definitely needed to calm down, or else she'd end up blowing up on someone. And she didn't want that.

"Arisato." Tomioka greeted once she arrived at the common room. She looked up, seeing the three still seated there. The weight on her chest lightened massively as she walked over to them.

"What are you- Why did Fuuka-chan land on Chance Time?" Minako cut herself off, deadpanning.

"Revenge." Fuuka said, the blocks spinning fast.

"Wait- You're not gonna steal a star from me, right??" the auburn haired girl asked as she sat down, Tomioka passing her her controller back.

"I- Not you specifically, but..." Fuuka sweatdropped as she pressed the A button, her character—Princess Peach—jumping up.

"Wait- Oh that's coins and stars." Minako whistled.

"I'm going to cry." Fuuka sighed.

"I mean, you can still fuck someone over!" the auburn haired girl suggested.

"I did get myself on the receiving end first..." Fuuka mumbled, concentrating. The block was spinning so fast, Minako couldn't see clearly. But Fuuka pressed the button, and was able to get herself.

"Yes!" she cheered.

"Oh, okay, that's good. For you, at least." Tomioka commented, sinking back into the sofa. The auburn haired girl turned to him, seeing his face showing nothing but a relaxed expression.

"Why do you insist on playing on the sofa? Isn't it better to be close to the TV?" she asked, raising a brow.

"It's soft and comfortable." the black haired man merely responded, closing his eyes for a second.

"MOTHERF-" Sanemi cursed, cutting himself off with a loud groan as the block landed on his character, Waluigi. Minako cackled at that.

"Hahaha! Second place is now last!" she taunted, dodging another attempted grab from the white haired man. She settled down by sliding closer to Fuuka, who was focused on reading the minigame rules.

"Wait do we have to repeatedly press the button for this one?" Tomioka asked as he, unwillingly, got off of the sofa and sat down on the floor to get closer to the TV.

"Oh yeah! Have fun with that." Minako just smiled, pressing the button to start the game.

"Shit."

"Oh no."

---

"You guys having a game night right now?" Junpei asked as he entered the lounge with Makoto, watching the four sitting near the TV, on the floor, with the Nintendo 64 right in front of it. At the moment, Fuuka had the controller, and she seemed very focused on the game.

"Oh! Hey you two!" Arisato cheerfully waved at them "Yup! We're taking turns in playing Yoshi's Island! Wanna join?" she asked.

"Sure, sounds fun." Makoto shrugged. Junpei had noticed how grumpy? annoyed? Tomioka looked. His arms were crossed, and it almost seemed like he was pouting? In a way?

"Is Tomioka-san okay?" he asked Arisato in a hushed tone, pointing his thumb at him as he raised his brow.

"Oh! He just hasn't been able to get through a level without mine or Fuuka-chan's help." she answered "Platformers are not really his thing, he's not very good. Shinazugawa-san has laughed twice at him failing his respective levels over and over. That's why he's kinda pouty right now." Junpei just let out a small 'oh' sound. That made some sort of sense. Still, it felt unnatural to see such an expression on Tomioka's face. It would be the same if he ever saw Makoto pout! And his leader isn't very expressive. Sure, Junpei's seen him be angry and he has seen the small smile when the trio of second years saw Moriyama apologizing to Fuuka. But he rarely shows emotions, too.

Now that he carefully thought about it, without drowning in exams or having his mind locked in killing Shadows and sending Hermes into battle, Tomioka and Makoto were pretty similar, more than he thought. Both were aloof, distant and introverted. Both had a striking face that could charm any ladies, their eyes showed more emotion than their facial expressions, both were soft spoken and more on the quiet side in a conversation, seemingly preferring to blend in the background, and were skilled with their preferred weapon, a sword. Of course, they both have distant fighting styles, and Tomioka seemed more experienced with the sword in the little Junpei saw him battle. But still, they were similar.

'...Could Makobro be a distant relative of Tomioka-san? Am I thinking this too hard?' he thought, scratching the back of his head. He probably was. He almost sounded like a conspiracy theorist or something.

---

 

Notes:

Originally this chapter was only going to focus on Ikutsuki and Minako, but uh. Yeah it kinda. Snowballed while I was doing research on N64 games.

Chapter 15: Gear up

The next day, both Giyuu and Shinazugawa had been called into the fourth floor, as well as the rest of the group. Of course, it had been after the students had all left for their classes, which meant it gave the rest a few hours to prepare. The two were on the kitchen, washing the dishes after they and Arisato had had their share of breakfast. It was silent, somewhat awkward. There wasn't any tension in the air, not that. It just felt awkward. 'If I had to guess, it might be because of what I told him back in the monorail.' he thought, putting away a clean spoon that Shinazugawa had given him 'It's the first time I've ever told someone that. In all honesty, it made my chest feel lighter. Less burdened. I hope that it didn't ruin my chances of having a normal relationship with Shinazugawa.' his brows furrowed and his lips formed a thin line at that thought. Normal relationship. He was sure Shinazugawa didn't like him.

"Seems like we're done." the other man spoke, snapping Giyuu out of his thoughts. He looked down, seeing the cutlery all clean and dry. He hadn't even noticed they finished.

"That's right." Giyuu just said, rolling the sleeves of his shirt back down now that there wasn't any potential water that could be splashed at him. He saw how Shinazugawa flickered his hands above the sink, drying them there instead of using a rag or some type of cloth. He blinked at that.

"Why not use a rag?" he asked.

"I've already dried my hands, it's not like it matters or whatever." Shinazugawa shrugged, rolling down his sleeves. Giyuu just hummed in response, remaining silent for some time. He wanted to ask the other something, about the reason as to why it's so awkward for them to talk at the moment. But as much as he wanted to, with the cameras that plagued almost every single room of the dorms, he didn't think it'd be easy to have a conversation with Shinazugawa. Not to mention how explosive he could be. One wrong move or word, and he'd probably be dead meat.

"Shinazugawa..." he started, drawing the other man's attention to him "Listen. About what I said back on the monorail-"

"You two done with the dishes?" Arisato interrupted Giyuu, walking in the small kitchen while holding a small, pink carton on one of her hands. The two turned to her. She was wearing a long sleeved pajama dress, so long it went past her knees, and had a blanket wrapped around her stomach like if it was an obi.

"Why are you in your pajamas?" Giyuu asked, confused.

"I'm not planning on going anywhere. I'm either staying in bed, probably trying not to die within the covers, or staying on the couch, probably reading manga or watching anime. Whatever plucks my twanger, or whatever." she shrugged, taking a rather loud sip of her carton with a straw before returning to the lounge. Shinazugawa just stared at her, blinking. Giyuu, on the other hand, just nonchalantly followed after her, confused. She had a whole fort of blankets on the couch, in which she remained inside, all curled up and squeezed in. It looked like she was comfortable there.

"Did you... take a bunch of snacks from the kitchen?" he asked, catching the whiff of food from inside the blanket cavern.

"It's not a crime, so." Arisato hummed, her mouth stuffed with food. Giyuu just nodded. She was right. But he was still curious.

"Are you alright?" he asked "Did you get sick?" she gave him a look, and he thought that maybe he shouldn't have asked, because maybe it had been disrespectful. But she had a soft smile on her face.

"I'm not sick. It's just that time of the month for me, and I have terrible cramps during it, so I'm just making myself comfortable. I don't wanna snap at anyone, either." she explained. Giyuu blinked, his mind processing what he was just told. Time of the month. Cramps.

Oh, Arisato was on her period.

He must have looked like a deer in headlights or something, because she huffed out a laugh. Giyuu snapped out of his thoughts, looking at the girl. "Do you want me to get you anything? I've heard that something hot helps." he suggested. She looked at him with a grateful glint in her eyes.

"I'll tell you if I need that, thank you Tomioka-san." she smiled softly. The Water Hashira nodded at the response, seeing that the TV was on. He decided to sit on the floor, by the couch, his eyes fixated on the TV.

"Is this that pirate show one? One Piece?" he asked.

"Yeah." she nodded. Giyuu settled on nodding silently as well, his gaze focused on the colourful screen. Although, on the back of his mind, he was wondering what Ikutsuki wanted this time.

---

"Any luck?" Yukari asked Makoto, the two having bumped into each other during lunch. He sighed.

"Not much. The rumours of the website were spread a few days before he was targetted, so we can't narrow it down through that." he started, scratching the back of his head "I asked Odagiri-senpai as well. He went on a bit of a tirade on how much of a respectful man Ekoda was."

"Uh huh." Yukari huffed out, rolling her eyes.

"He did end up admitting that he didn't agree with how he treated students at times, and he seemed especially vicious when I brought up Yamagishi's case. He told me that Kirijo-senpai ended up telling the rest of the council the fact that Ekoda had written her down as sick instead of missing." he added. Yukari hummed in response.

"Did he say when?"

"A day after we rescued Yamagishi. So the perpetrator would have... Four or five days to submit the request." Makoto counted, hoping he got the math right "Which is a long window of time, still." he shook his head. The brown haired girl exhaled, bringing a hand to her temple.

"Just great. I don't think we're doing much progress." she said dejectedly.

"I'm aware. Still, we have to keep going."

---

"What is the occasion for today? Are you here to nag me to join S.E.E.S again, Aki? Do you not know when to quit?" Akihiko laughed softly at Shinji's question as he chugged down his ramen noodles.

"Nah, not today. You got lucky." he joked, shaking his head "Just here to tell you the progress of the group." he hummed. Shinji visibly rolled his eyes, but he paid no mind to it.

"Alright, surprise me with whatever news you got."

"We have a new navigator now. She's better in her field than Mitsuru." the boxer started "Remember the girl who went missing?"

"You mean Yamagishi? Psh. Don't remind me. It's already troubling that those second years tried to get information by going to the alleys." the taller boy huffed, his cold hands placed on the ceramic of the ramen bowl "Not to mention the red eyed beast that came a few days before them." Akihiko blinked.

"The what?" he asked.

"A girl around the second years' age. She came there also asking about Yamagishi. She got no answers, and was fine with it. But then those punks that hang around made some indecent comments about her." Shinji's brows furrowed, a small hint of disgust in his tone "Never seen someone wipe the floor with a bunch of adults so fast before." the boxer's gaze narrowed. A girl around the second years' age?

"What did she look like?" he quizzed, curious.

"Reddish brown hair in a ponytail, red eyes, red scarf, she has an MP3 and a pair of headphones hanging around her neck." the brunet described, Akihiko's breath catching in his throat "She left after wiping the floor with those grunts."

"You mean Arisato??"

"You know her?" Shinji asked, raising a brow.

"Yeah. She was in Tartarus as well when we went to rescue Yamagishi, and she also has a Persona. She kept her safe, along with two other people. Tomioka and Shinazugawa. Those two, I think they're around their twenties? Maybe. They're very much older than all of S.E.E.S." his friend hummed, swallowing some noodles that he placed in his mouth.

"Huh. Can't believe you convinced some adults to actually babysit you." Akihiko rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on, we're not that bad."

"Mitsuru doesn't know when to catch a break, and you're a fight junkie. The second years need better people to take care of them."

"You were the same!"

"Yeah, I was. Until I got common sense, unlike someone else."

"Shinji!"

---

"No, whales can't actually breathe underwater. They have to resurface to keep breathing." Minako stated "They're mammals, their lungs aren't the same as a fish's lungs." she explained. She had no idea how the three had gotten into this conversation in the first place, but it had just spiralled into random topics that Minako could think of.

"That is actually bullshit, I don't believe you." Shinazugawa deadpanned.

"Me neither. It sounds unreal." Tomioka nodded "A whale needing to resurface to get oxygen? Why?"

"Alright, let me pull up Google to prove you that it is a true fact." Minako sighed, reluctantly crawling her way out of her comfort fort. She got back on her feet, walking over to the computer of the common room, the two adults trailing after her almost immediately while being careful to not knock over any snacks.

"I don't genuinely fucking believe you. It's like a human dying from breathing too much oxygen! It's not true!" Shinazugawa exclaimed.

"...Boy, do I have news for you." Minako sweatdropped, whispering those words to herself as she sat down on the chair, shifting a bit due to the pad she was wearing. Still, she pushed through as her fingers pressed the letters of the keyboard with ease.

 

'Why can't whales breathe underwater?'

Whales and dolphins are mammals and breathe air into their lungs, just like we do. They cannot breathe underwater like fish can as they do not have gills. They breathe through nostrils, called a blowhole, located right on top of their heads.

 

"See?" Minako said, her hand waving at the screen. The two adults looked taken aback by the sudden information, and by the fact that they were wrong. Minako paused for 

"...What the fuck." yeah, that was just about the reaction she expected.

"Wait, google the-"

"We're back!" she heard Iori shout. Looking up, she saw the four second years enter the building.

"Welcome back!" she greeted, waving her hand.

"What are you guys doing there?" Takeba asked as Fuuka approached the trio.

"I broke Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san!"

"What!?"

"Huh?!"

 

Minako started laughing at their reactions, holding her stomach as she did. The cramps definitely didn't help, and instead made her stomach recoil, but that didn't matter to her right now. Especially because Ikutsuki wanted them in the command room. She let out a sigh once she finished laughing. For a moment, she thought about forgetting everything.

 

You can't forget your crimes.

---

It was almost 8 pm when all of S.E.E.S gathered inside of the command room. The odd trio of Sanemi, Tomioka and Arisato stood up, while the rest were sat down on the seats of the room. On the table right in the middle of the circle of seats was a metallic case closed shut, something which had Sanemi's full curiosity. "First and foremost, I'd like to apologize about the lack of seats. I was not expecting for you three to join us tonight." Ikutsuki started, an apologetic glance cast over his eyes. Sanemi didn't buy it one bit.

"It's alright, Ikutsuki-san." Tomioka shook his head, answering for the trio "It was a sudden meeting." at least he seemed polite around the older man. It was better for him speak.

"Thank you. Now, I also apologize for calling you all again so soon, but I brought something special today. Before I get into explaining what it is, exactly, let me show you." Ikutsuki said, getting up from his seat. Slowly, he opened the case, revealing its contents to everyone. A red armband with a number on the bottom and the letter 'S.E.E.S' on the front, and some strange clothing as well as a trio of cartridges. The look of excitement from Iori's face didn't miss Sanemi's sight.

"I'd like to provide you all with some new equipment." Ikutsuki announced. So that meant that the group had been going into Tartarus without proper equipment? Were they actually insane? Sanemi furrowed his brows, crossing his arms as he looked at the contents of the case with a frown.

"After spending some time in development, we're now ready for the battle testing phase." the brown haired man explained "The Shadows are getting stronger. You just barely won the last battle. We can only assume they'll grow even more powerful still. That's why you all need something more to stay in the fight." Sanemi's jaw clenched "From now on, I want everyone to use these during your operations."

"What exactly is that, chairman?" Yuki asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Combat gear, complete with a matching armband and..." the man paused, giving it a second or two to build some excitement. Sanemi rolled his eyes.

"Your new trump card in the battle against the Shadows: cartridges that enable the use of Theurgy."

"Theurgy?" Yamagishi asked, curious.

"In Greek, it means 'spiritual magic that could reach the gods." Arisato spoke, looking off to the side.

"Correct, Arisato-kun!" Ikutsuki smiled, clapping "To put it simply, it synchronizes with the user's emotions and, when the right conditions are met, allows them to unleash an attack of immense power." he explained. That was... too vague. Way too vague of an explanation. Did they not know how to achieve these conditions? Were they just expecting for the kids to know how to use them?

"Oh, you're talking about signature attacks! Aw yeah! I've been waiting for something like this!" Iori grinned in excitement, sparkles dazzling in his eyes "Okay, how does it work?!" wasn't that the million dollar question. Sanemi looked at Ikutsuki, awaiting for an answer.

"Well, about that... It's a bit difficult to explain." the man said "I think it might be easier if you just try it out for yourselves." he suggested.

"So what you're saying is that you don't know how the hell it works." Sanemi assumed, his fingers curling around the fabric of his sleeves.

"Shinazugawa-san..." Yamagishi said, looking at him nervously.

"That is not fully wrong. The reason I don't know how it works is because I don't possess a Persona." Ikutsuki shook his head "I can't try out equipment that isn't fit for me." Sanemi clicked his tongue, but he dropped the tone.

"All right. We'll try it out." Yuki nodded.

"Hold on, isn't it dangerous to use something like this without knowing how it works?" Takeba chimed in, being the actual voice of reason. Sanemi appreciated someone having more than a single brain cell on the group. Why weren't they questioning this man? He was suspicious.

"Don't worry about that. Despite Theurgy not being tested, the rest of the equipment has. It's been determined completely safe." Ikutsuki assured "Oh, there's a manual for it as well. Take a look at it if you feel the need." as if that would help. Sanemi bet the manual was just as helpful as this man was. Which meant 0 help.

"Well, I'm sure glad I made it in today." Ikutsuki smiled "With Yamagishi-kun joining us, Kirijo-kun can go back to being a frontline fighter. That means SEES is going to have a new line up after today. And what better time than now to roll out this new weapon, don't you agree?" Sanemi didn't agree. But he wasn't here to voice it out. They'd end up nowhere. Ikutsuki looked at the clock, his eyes widening slightly as he looked at the time.

"Oh, would you look at the time?" he pointed out, turning his head back at the group "I'd like to talk more about this, but I've been quite busy with the investigation into those large Shadows." oh, and here is the confirmation that there has been more than one huge Shadow. Just great.

"I think we're on the verge of a breakthrough though, so I'll be sure to let you know what we find soon." he added, turning to look at the red haired girl "Okay, I'm leaving the rest to you, Kirijo-kun." he said before getting up from his seat, walking towards the door. Sanemi glared at him the entire time until he left the room. Only then, did he fully relax. His instincts screamed danger about this man. And he trusted his gut.

"And there he goes..." Takeba sighed, shaking her head.

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

"More like careless." Iori shrugged. That felt like the first smart thing he's said in this entire time. And Sanemi agreed.

"It's fine. We should just give it a go, like the chairman said." Sanada said.

"In fact, since everyone's already here, it might be the best opportunity." Kirijo nodded "Let's head into Tartarus and try out our new equipment."

"Are you three coming with?" Yuki asked.

"Well, the other option would be waiting out the extra hour. I don't think it's a bad idea to go into Tartarus. What do you think, Shinazugawa, Arisato?" Tomioka hummed, turning to look at the two.

"I'm staying in the sidelines if I go. No way I'm fighting today." Arisato said. She then turned to look at Sanemi, who seemed to be debating it.

"Fine. I'd get bored anyways." he groaned.

"Awesome. I'm excited to see how the two of you fight, especially." Sanada admitted "We didn't see much during the fight against those two Shadows." Kirijo got up, walking over to the two. There were two guns in her hands, and she gave one to each.

"Here. All of us SEES members have one." she said. Sanemi stared at the gun he got, his gaze narrowing. The flashback of Yamagishi shooting Arisato and that figure appearing behind her while she fought the Shadow that almost killed him appeared in front of him for a moment. But he pushed that memory to the back of his mind, just nodding.

"I've been wanting to get back into the swing of things, anyway. And this will serve as a good test of our team lineup with Yamagishi as backup." Kirijo admitted "How does that sound, Yuki?" she asked, looking at the blue haired boy. All he did was give a thumbs up.

"Man, this trump card stuff is getting me so pumped up!" Iori beamed "I'm gonna be like 'Take this! Super Ace Junpei Attack!'... or something like that." he sweatdropped. This boy just didn't take it seriously, did he? Did he only want to play hero? He was pissing Sanemi off.

It didn't help that he sounded exactly like Genya, either.

"I'm a little nervous, since this is my first time with you all. I've only been with Minako-chan, Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san. But I'll follow your lead." Yamagishi nodded, a small smile on her face.

"All right. We'll go into Tartarus once everyone is geared up."

---

 

Notes:

Sanemi: "This boy sounds like Genya."

WELL THATS BCS IN RELOAD THEY GOT THE SAME ENG VA SANEMI-

Chapter 16: Back to hell

Standing in front of the school SEES went to, Giyuu was tapping his feet patiently, while Shinazugawa had his arms crossed. Kanzaburo and Sorai were on their respective master's shoulders. Arisato, on the other hand, still taking sips of her drink. "Are you sure about staying in the lobby with Yamagishi?" the Wind Hashira asked.

"I'd rather stay. At least for this week's expeditions to Tartarus, whenever SEES wants to go." she shrugged.

"That's understandable. Moving around a lot would make it uncomfortable in your current state." Giyuu hummed "Besides, I feel more at ease if you're around Yamagishi to protect her. After what happened with those giant Shadows, I'd rather her be around you." he added.

"Yeah, that makes sense." Shinazugawa sighed, a hand messing with his hair. Giyuu sighed, a hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

"Where are they, exactly? Are they still getting ready?" the black haired man asked, impatient.

"They're still changing, probably." Arisato hummed, watching the sky closely. The moment it flickered from dark blue to dark green, Giyuu felt a chill go down his spine. His breath hitched as he saw the lights dying slowly, leaving the streets surrounded in nothing but darkness. The smell of blood hit his nose, it hit him hard. The smell of blood was everywhere. His face visibly scrunched up.

"Jeez... The streets aren't better during the Dark Hour..." Shinazugawa uttered, his brows furrowed.

"Tartarus is worse. Shadows never end there." Arisato shrugged, turning to the building. Giyuu did the same, ready. However, his eyes widened at the unexpected sight. The school slowly started to shake, the ground below it raising up. Both him and Shinazugawa watched in utter shock as the building started morphing, growing upwards while assembling itself randomly, becoming nothing but an unstable mess that stood its ground. The tower was massive, almost reaching the moon. Sorai cawed out of shock, staring at the building with wide eyes.

"This... This is Tartarus..?" Giyuu asked, looking at the structure in disbelief.

"Yup. This is the hellish tower you two were trapped in for some time." Arisato nodded, a frown on her face.

"Holy shit..." the white haired man whispered, eyes wide. This was the tower? This jumbled, unstable mess was where both Hashiras had been trapped in?

"Is it gonna be safe now?" Shinazugawa asked as the trio slowly walked towards it.

"Only the lobby is ever safe. Unless you don't count the giant Shadows that invaded it that one time. The rest of the floors of the tower are filled with Shadows." the girl explained as she rested her empty hand on the door, pushing it open. Giyuu felt a shiver go down his spine as they entered. The lobby was just as he remembered, the blue, circle rug, the grandiose-like stairs, the white walls, the roman columns. It gave off this odd feeling of security. That here, people were safe.

"What's with the clock?" Shinazugawa asked, looking at an area of the giant lobby. Near the stairs stood a pendulum clock, made out of birch wood with golden accents.

"No clue. According to Kirijo, that thing is just always there." she said as she stood in the center "For now, let's just wait for the others." nodding, the two adults did their own things. Giyuu hung with Kanzaburo, the old crow nuzzling his head against the man's cheek. For a moment, he glanced at Shinazugawa, seeing him swinging his sword, the green blade shining. Sorai, on the other hand, had decided to stay with Arisato. She was preening his feathers, and he was letting her. He never saw Sorai with someone else other than his master in the few missions he had had the pleasure of being with Shinazugawa. Please read that pleasure with half sarcasm.

The door of the tower opened, a breeze passing the group. Giyuu slowly turned his head, his eyes widening. It was SEES. But they looked different. More determined. More ready.

Over his uniform, Yuki was wearing a black blazer jacket with a single gray stripe along with a zipper pocket, a shoulder guard labeled "3," and black gloves.

Over her uniform, Takeba was wearing a black and gray hooded zipper jacket and a shoulder guard labeled "4". Additionally, she was wearing one black archery glove on her right hand.

Over his uniform, Iori was wearing a black blazer jacket that he had tied to his waist and white and violet gloves. In addition, he had a white baldric to carry what Giyuu assumed was his weapon.

Over her uniform, Yamagishi was wearing a black and gray poncho with a teal turtleneck long-sleeved shirt underneath, an obscured shoulder pad labeled "6," a waistband with a pouch and a holster for her Evoker, and black fingerless gloves, as well as a device on her head that Giyuu recalled Arisato calling them 'headphones'.

Over his uniform, Sanada was wearing fingerless gloves, a white belt-bag on his back, and a black harness that looped over his shoulders, as well as a shoulder pad labeled "1". He had a holster underneath his right arm as well.

And finally, over her uniform, Kirijo was wearing a modified black vest with a cape attach, a shoulder guard labeled “0”, and elbow length gloves.

Each and every single one of them looked absolutely determined and ready to venture into this hellish tower. And Giyuu couldn't help but stare. "Awesome..." he heard Arisato whisper.

"Oh man, this is awesome! We're like a super elite task force!" Iori, ever the upbeat teenager, exclaimed.

"Come on, could you at least wear it like you're supposed to?" Takeba sighed, almost defeated "Oh, but it does look like everyone's outfits are a bit different." she pointed out.

"Each one is made to complement our physiques and fighting styles. They were testing the prototype out on me, but it feels even better than it did before." Sanada explained as the trio walked over.

"It's very light and sturdy. I wonder if it's the same materials they use in the military, or maybe even the ones for spacesuits." Yamagishi commented, admiring the material of her poncho.

"How would they even get those types of materials?" Shinazugawa questioned, raising a brow.

"The Kirijo group are known for their connections. It wouldn't surprise me if they pulled some strings." Kirijo spoke, a smile on her face "Seems like the armband isn't for decoration either." she added. Yamagishi pulled out a book from her pouch. It was thin, and small, and Giyuu wondered how it could fit there.

"According to the manual," ah, that was the so-called manual Ikutsuki had given them, then "there are a bunch of different features built into it. For example, it can give out a reading of your vitals." she read "What else..?" she mumbled.

"Seems like that thing might actually be useful." Shinazugawa commented under his breath.

"Is there anything about the Theurgy function?" Giyuu inquired, cocking his head to the side. He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't curious about it. He was itching to know.

"There's a function that notifies you when to use it, but..." the teal haired girl trailed off, her brows furrowed "It doesn't look like there's much information about that. All I can tell you is that you load the cartridge into your Evoker to use it." she shook her head.

"Nevermind, I was right. It's useless." Shinazugawa sighed.

"Let's make it our objective for today. Make sure to stay alert, everyone." Kirijo stated "That includes you three." she added, turning to look at the outsiders.

"Us?" Arisato repeated, pointing at herself.

"Yes. As you are unofficial members of SEES at the moment, and two of you currently do not possess Personas, you're wandering into dangerous territory. I understand that you've survived there for a long time, but I still want you to be careful." the redhead explained before pointing at the blue haired boy "Yuki here is the current field leader. He gives out the orders when it comes to exploration and battle. So please, at the very least, follow his lead." Giyuu glanced at the boy, who had a nonchalant expression on his face.

"As long as neither of you die, you can do as you want." he spoke.

"Our fighting styles are very different than yours." Shinazugawa started "We're used to fightin' on our own. So I can't exactly tell you we'll adapt instantly. Just don't make us do stupid shit, and we'll be fine." he shrugged. Yuki nodded in response, understanding.

"Alright, with that out of the way. Yamagishi, you're going to be our backup, just like I mentioned before. This time, I'll be joining the rest of you in battle." Kirijo said.

"I'm going in too. I gotta make sure my skills are still sharp." Sanada chimed in, an excited smile on his face. Giyuu wondered if this boy's excitement for battle ever wore off.

"M-Me too!" Takeba chimed in.

"All right, then including Yuki, Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san, that will be our team tonight." Kirijo approved with a nod.

"Wait! I wanna go, too!" Iori exclaimed "I was so ready for this! You can't just put me on standby!"

"We can't go without Yuki." Sanada shook his head.

"What about them, then?!" the capped boy pointed at the two Hashiras.

"Don't bring us into this." Giyuu shook his head.

"Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san need to awaken their Personas. Besides, they possess great skills. This is a one time exception." Kirijo argued.

"But..."

"Hey. I'm out today, so. I'll stay in the lobby with you, Iori!" Arisato spoke with a smile "Besides! That way, we can protect Fuuka-chan!" she added as she walked over to him "Who better to cover her than the ace of the team and the girl with the naginata?" she asked, gently jabbing him with a wink.

"Yeah. We need our ace to keep his energy." Yuki nodded, seemingly understanding what the auburn haired girl was attempting to do.

"O-Oh, really?" the boy asked, happy about it "When you put it that way, how can I refuse? Don't worry, Fuuka! Minakocchi and I will protect you! Nothing's getting past me!"

"Uh, okay..." the girl muttered, not exactly sure.

"Us." Arisato corrected.

"Right! Us!"

"If you feel unsafe, you can call Shinazugawa or me." Giyuu whispered at Yamagishi. She graciously accepted that with a small nod.

"There he goes again..." Takeba shook her head "Fuuka, if it gets too dangerous, just leave him behind. And don't be afraid to ask Arisato to smack him if he tries anything funny." she told her friend.

"Okay, got it."

"A kick to the head could do, but I dunno if I can do that like this. But! I can do a gut punch!" Arisato grinned.

"Wh- Huh?! What do you mean 'got it'?! Please don't punch me!" Iori shouted, cowarding away a step or two.

"Yamagishi, could you scout the area and find a good floor for us to start on?" Kirijo requested.

"Okay." with a nod, Yamagishi took out her Evoker and aimed it at the side of her head. Giyuu grimaced as she pulled the trigger. No matter how many blue flames covered her, or no matter what Lucia looked like, he was still reluctant to use the Evoker, to summon a Persona that was supposed to be the manifestation of his soul. He didn't understand. How can they do this so flawlessly? How can they accept that they could die so easily? They're teenagers. Teenagers living in a normal world, with no demons.

 

They weren't like Shinazugawa or him, who have to fight demons every single day, risking their lives for the sake of ending the demons and ending Kibutsuji Muzan.

 

"It seems... different than before?" Yamagishi spoke, unsure.

"How so?" Shinazugawa asked.

"It seems distorted... It's probably just temporary." she said, shaking her head "I'll try and find a stable floor for us to start on."

"You can tell that much already? Wow Fuuka!" Takeba praised. Giyuu had to agree. Lucia was amazing. And so was Yamagishi herself.

"It could be because we didn't enter the usual way last time, or because of those huge Shadows." Sanada suggested while Yamagishi did her scanning "We have no idea what's gonna happen in here. Not that I'm complaining though." he added. Kirijo shook her head with a sigh, as if she was used to this behaviour. It made Giyuu think. Did they know each other long before SEES? There were certain members that appeared closer than others. Sanada and Kirijo were two, but Iori and Takeba also appeared close. Like a pair of siblings.

"All right. Let's go."

---

Minako pulled out a manga from her bag as she sat by Lucia, watching the others get on the teleporter and go to another floor. "Man... And I was so stacked, too..." Iori sighed, his body hunched forwards in defeat. The auburn haired girl glanced at him.

"Why are you so excited to go on battle? Isn't being on the side lines sometimes better?" she asked, curious. He shook his head.

"I'm not denyin' it, I know! It's just..." he paused, letting out a sigh before he plopped down besides her "I don't have much for me. I don't have Makobro's awesome powers, I don't have Yuka-tan's popularity, I don't have Sanada-senpai's charm, I don't have Kirijo-senpai's intelligence and I don't have Fuuka's ability to provide support or to navigate. I'm just... plain ol' me, y'know?" he rambled "I can only goof around and act like a clown because how else will I be anything? Fighting's all I got now, and since we wanna end the Dark Hour, then I won't have anything else..." he asked. Minako's gaze softened at that. She closed her manga and put it besides her on the floor.

"Sorry. I probably shouldn't be venting my struggles to someone I just met." the boy sheepishly apologized, scratching the back of his head.

"You know you don't have to act like that, right?" she asked, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked at her in surprise.

"H-Huh?"

"I bet that there are things that you're good at. And, if it helps, I'm sure that everyone you mentioned is also bad at something." she assured "Like, look at me! I don't look like it, but I got issues controlling my temper!" she suggested, pointing at herself with a smile.

"Wait- Really?!"

"Yeah! I'm not exactly proud of it, but it's a flaw. And even though I try to get better at it, it still sometimes comes up." she nodded, her expression soft, almost sour "I blew up at Kirijo the first night we were at the dorms when Tomioka-san was discharged from the hospital."

"You did?" Iori leaned forwards, curious.

"Fuuka-chan told me. The reason why she was trapped in Tartarus and all. I was... mad. Really mad. Because I thought that whoever did that to her deserved some sort of punishment." she sighed, running a hand through her bangs "I feel like shit about it now, though. Because Kirijo didn't exactly have any blame for it. I hope she doesn't hold that outburst against me." she chuckled. There was another beat of silence, only Fuuka was talking because she was giving information to the others.

"Well, your concerns were pretty normal." Iori admitted "I'd be pissed too. If a friend of mine got hurt or went missing and no one was doing anything, I think I'd take matter into my own hands." Minako looked at him in surprise. However, she smiled softly.

"Heh. Would that mean going all gung-ho about it?" she teased, cracking a laugh out of the taller.

"Hey! I'm pretty awesome! You should see me in the field!" he boasted "I'm out there, batting enemies to oblivion like there's no tomorrow! I'd dare say my Persona is stronger than Sanada-senpai's!" he said.

"Well, we can see about that next time! You and I, on the front lines, kicking Shadows' asses! How does that sound?!" Minako suggested.

"Alright! Sounds awesome, Minakocchi!"

---

"Let's go, Penthesilea!" Kirijo summoned her Persona, striking the enemies with ice attacks. Two of them, the same crox with the plates that him and Tomioka had encountered at first, were knocked down. The strange tower, however, stayed still.

"Nice job, Mitsuru!" Sanada grinned.

"Akihiko, I'm counting on you!" she said, making the teen smirked getting into position.

"Sanada-senpai, you have a skill that can hit a weakness!" Yamagishi informed.

"It's time to hit them hard! Polydeuces!" Sanada summoned his own Persona, a crackling thunder hitting the last Shadow and knocking it down.

"Let's finish them off with an All Out Attack!" with a nod, the three other Persona users charged in, hitting the Shadows with all they had before they killed them.

"Nice job." Yuki nodded as the battle ended.

"It wouldn't have been succesful without Tomioka-san spotting it." Kirijo added "I hope that these two battles were enough to show you how we battle in SEES." she turned to the two men.

"It's... completely different." Tomioka commented.

"Especially that All Out Attack thing. Never in my life have I seen that." Sanemi added "But we'll get used to it." he shrugged.

"Like they say. Improvise. Adapt. Overcome." Yuki hummed "Or something..."

"Yamagishi, have you figured something out about the Theurgy thing?" Sanada asked.

"I'm sorry, it's still unclear. I am picking up something during battle, though..."

"There's no pressure. Just continue your observation." Kirijo shook her head "Now, I'm quite curious. How about we let Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san battle the next Shadows?" she suggested.

"You want to see us fight?" Sanemi asked, a brow raised.

"You did say your battling style was different than ours. So I say letting you two fight the last one seems like a good idea." Kirijo explained.

"I might be able to see how you two fight, too. That way I might be able to form more team lineups. We are..." Yuki paused, counting with his fingers "Nine people here. One of them is a navigator, so if we exclude Yamagishi, that means we have eight people that can fight. And two of them can do it without their Persona. There are many possibilities that I can form." that made sense in Sanemi's head. Eight people, and not all of them go into the tower at once.

"All right. Yamagishi, where is the next Shadow?" Tomioka asked.

"It's far ahead. I'll guide you guys there." with a nod, all of SEES and the Hashiras started jogging down the halls of the floor. Sanemi had his sword ready at hand, the excitement of rushing into battle and ravaging enemies clear in his expression. It was time to show them how them demon slayers got the job done. They ran for a while, coming across a few chests that they opened and contained items. It was free stuff, no one would say no. But it made the Wind Hashira wonder who the hell was leaving these items behind, because it was highly convenient for them.

"There's one over there!" Takeba pointed.

"Tomioka, wanna do the honours?" the Wind Hashira asked. With a nod, the black haired man ran straight at the Shadow, swinging his nichirin blade. It made contact with the enemy, cutting it in half. Jumping back, Sanemi caught up to him, seeing the Shadows break into two of those into two balances and a black blob.

"Main weaknesses between both of these Shadows are ice! The balances repel wind while the maya is strong against it!" Sanemi cursed under his breath at his luck. Why did they have to be strong against wind?

"Shinazugawa, I'll take care of the balances. Kill the blob." Tomioka told him as he rushed in. Sanemi grinned.

"Don't tell me twice!" he shouted, watching the other leap up.

 

"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide."

 

With his sword enveloped in water, Tomioka performed several slashes, cutting down the balances to nothing. "What in the?!" Sanemi heard Takeba gasp as the Water Hashira gracefully slid across the floor. The Wind Hashira grinned as he ran at the other Shadow, his sword ready as the wind enveloped his blade and his body.

 

"Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!"

 

Creating a horizontal cyclone pattern as he dashed at a blinding speed, his blade had cleaved through the Shadow's goo, tearing it to nothing in just seconds. "That was really quick..." Sanada said as black goo stained both of the Hashiras.

"That's how we do it." Sanemi smirked, priding himself in the way the two had stunned the teenagers. 'It's how experienced swordsmen do it. No big deal.'

"Were those all of the Shadows in this floor, Yamagishi?" Tomioka asked.

"Yup, those were all! I have to say, it was amazing seeing you two destroy them in just seconds." the teal haired girl chirped happily.

"I suppose we should move onto the next floor, then." the black haired man hummed.

"What- Hold on a second! What was that both of you did right now?!" Takeba questioned "I have never seen someone do that! Are your swords enchanted?!" she questioned.

"No, this is natural. We don't need to use these specific swords to make that work." the Water Hashira shook his head.

"That was anything but natural." Yuki joined "It was as if you yourselves were performing the skills a Persona normally does."

"Not to mention, I have never heard of a Persona or a Shadow with water-based skills." Kirijo hummed "What you two just did is out of this world." Sanemi rested a hand on his hip

"Well-"

"Hey. Maybe we can ask these sort of questions after we finish this expedition." Sanada came to their rescue "We're still in Tartarus. They can explain those cool tricks of theirs after we're out." he told them.

"But!-"

"Do you guys wanna continue asking questions in the middle of this hell? Or do you wanna go back to the lobby through the teleporter?" Sanemi asked "I won't hesitate to toss you all onto the device, I don't care if you're scrawny little kids or some teenagers with weapons." he threatened, his gaze narrow. He must have looked scary, because he saw Takeba flinching and both Yuki and Kirijo tensing up. He wasn't here to play. He was here because he wanted to go back home.

"OW!" he yelped when Tomioka pulled his ear "Tomioka, what the fuck?!"

"That's enough. Out of you, and out of you three." he deadpanned "I'd rather not get killed because of petty arguments. Let's move." he told them before letting go of Sanemi's ear and starting to walk, Sanada following him almost immediately. Sanemi grunted, rubbing his ear as he fell into step behind them, and he heard the other three as well.

---

 

Chapter 17: Theurgy.

The moment they took a step into the next floor, everyone was surrounded by darkness. Makoto slowly walked up until he reached a bifurcation, getting used to the darkness. He squinted his eyes, looking around. It was dark, completely dark. He frowned. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. Slowly, he turned his head to look for the others. But only Tomioka was there with him. And he looked surprised as well. "Yuki? Where are the others?" he asked as he turned his head to observe his surroundings, confused.

"I don't know." he answered, readjusting the grip on the sword in his hands.

"Huh?! What? Why is it all dark? Where did everyone else go?!" they both heard Yukari through their communicators.

"What the fuck happened? Why am I only with Takeba?" ah, that was Shinazugawa. So him and Yukari were together. That was reassuring.

"Please, everybody, just stay calm!" Fuuka's voice rang through the area "It looks like you were all sent to different locations on this floor." she explained.

"The tower can do that?" Shinazugawa asked, his tone hinting at his surprise.

"Apparently." Tomioka hummed quietly.

"So they separated us by force." Akihiko stated, and he didn't sound happy one bit. Makoto wasn't, either. This situation was bad enough as it was. Something could make it worse.

"That was probably the distortion thing Yamagishi spoke of earlier, then." Tomioka suggested, a hand resting on his chin, as if he was deep in thought.

"It must have been, yeah." Fuuka nodded.

"There's danger lurking in this darkness." Mitsuru said, her tone was serious "We need to regroup as soon as possible. Yamagishi, can you guide us?"

"I'll do my best!"

 

With those words, the navigator of the group focused on getting them all grouped up. Makoto and Tomioka started to walk, the older one alert for any sort of enemies being around. "How long have you known how to use a sword?" Makoto asked, looking at him with curiosity. If he was honest, the leader of SEES wanted to ask about that thing he did with the water and his blade. However, he knew he'd get nowhere with that, especially in here, what he considered to be hell incarnated. The man turned his head, somewhat surprised at the question.

"I believe it was when I was around... nine, or ten. Maybe eleven? It's been a long time." he answered, uncertain. But all that made Makoto's curiosity grow. If he recalled correctly, Tomioka and Shinazugawa were both 21 years old. So they had both been training in the art of the sword since a young age.

"That's a long time..." he mumbled "Were you interested in doing kendo from such a young age?" he inquired. He was curious, and he was allowed to satisfy that curiosity with questions. However, maybe he shouldn't have asked, because Tomioka's face expression visibly changed. It showed sadness and frustration.

"Not exactly. I just..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say. Makoto stayed silent, looking at the man as he tilted his head, waiting for him to continue.

"Leader, Tomioka-san! Be careful!" both of them tensed up when they heard Fuuka's warning. Before any of them could react, Makoto felt himself being pushed back. Tomioka quickly blocked an incoming fire attack with his blade, the metal suffering no damage upon contact.

"Yamagishi! Can you scan these enemies?" the man asked as Makoto shuffled to his feet, pulling out his Evoker.

"I'm preparing the scan!" Fuuka confirmed.

"Leader, Tomioka-san! Akihiko and I are on our way!" Mitsuru informed.

"Thanks Mitsu-"

 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

 

Yukari's scream rang out throughout the comms. Makoto froze up. Yukari was in danger. He needed to find her.

 

"Yukari-chan!" Fuuka exclaimed.

"Shinazugawa-san is with her, is he not?!" Akihiko questioned.

"I'm trying my best over here! We're fucking surrounded!"

 

"Everything just went into chaos in just a few seconds..." Makoto mumbled. He moved fast, dodging attacks as he sliced at the Shadows, managing to get them back. Although it barely did anything.

"Fuuka! What are they weak to?" he asked. His tone sounded demanding, but the situation was dire. They needed to get out of it as soon as they could.

"T-They- They have no weaknesses!" Fuuka gasped. Shit. This was bad. Okay, maybe it's actually time to panic.

"Let's hit them hard then." Tomioka exhaled, jumping up. His blade was enveloped with water.

 

"Water Breathing, Eight Form: Waterfall Basin!"

 

He swung the sword downwards, water coming towards the Shadows. Yet all it did was push them back. Tomioka cursed under his breath, blocking incoming attacks with his water-enveloped blade. He swung it, blocking the magic the Shadows threw at them. Makoto's eyes were unable to lock in one place, darting around to try and look for an opening, for some help. Something. Anything. Anything.

"GRAGH-" Tomioka choked out as he was flung backwards. Makoto's eyes widened, seeing him flying backwards and crashing towards a wall as a result of a combined attack the Shadows did. Electricity, wind and ice. He hit his back, his knees hitting the floor. He was able to catch himself before his body fully hit the floor.

"Tomioka-san!"

"Tomioka-san! Your health, it's low!" Fuuka warned. The man just grunted, using his sword as a way to support himself, breathing heavily.

"Shit! Mitsuru, go and help them! I'll go to Takeba and Shinazugawa!" he heard Akihiko shout through their communicators. Makoto snapped out of his daze, summoning Jack Frost to chip away with some Mabufu, to at least try and gain some time. It barely did anything. He gritted his teeth.

"Persona!" he shouted, summoning Archangel and using piercing attacks to try something. It didn't do anything, all it did was push them back. Why was it not working? He had to do something. Anything. His teammates were in danger.

Omoinake, Mazio. Nothing.

Forneus, Bash. Nothing.

Orpheus, Agi. Nothing.

Nigi Mitama, Garu. Nothing.

Nothing was working. And these Shadows weren't like the ones they fought in Tartarus' lobby. They were weaker. Way weaker. And yet, and yet Makoto was struggling. He was struggling more than he should. And he hated it.

His heart hammered against his chest, sweat dripping down his forehead as he kept summoning Personas like in a tandem attack, his ears ringing at all of the noises. He heard someone calling for him, was it Tomioka? He wasn't sure, everything was blending in together. He breathed heavily, his brows furrowed together. His eyes looked down at the cartridge of his Evoker, his gaze narrowing. "Ah..." he let out.

"Ah! Leader! Insert the cartridge into your Evoker! Just like Yukari-chan did!" he heard someone tell him. It sounded like Fuuka. Yukari had also done this? That meant she might have unlocked her Theurgy. But was this really going to work? Maybe. Hopefully. He didn't know. He was grasping onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, it could work.

Scratch that. No, it had to work. Because he wasn't going to let the negative posibilities slide into his mind and make him doubt. There was no time to doubt, and there was no time to fear. He had to act, now. No matter what. He pushed the cartridge onto the opening of his Evoker, its pale blue glow turned to a fiery red. Without hesitation, he pointed it to the side of his head, and then pulled the trigger.

To his utter surprise, both Orpheus and Apsaras had appeared, dancing together in the air before a light yellow pentagram appeared, notes playing from both Personas. Both Makoto and Tomioka were surrounded by the pentagrams, their wounds—Makoto hadn't even noticed he had gotten hurt at all—healing as a soothing melody washed over the place. Not only that, but Makoto felt faster.

"Was that..." Tomioka mumbled, his eyes wide. Makoto didn't bother to listen to the rest, his mind focused on the fight. He summoned Oprheus and Apsaras at the same time, his head aching greatly. And yet he didn't care. They both attacked, the fire and ice combining together before it pierced through one of the Shadows, black goo splattering everywhere as an erratic cry rang out. The blue haired boy ignored it, rage evident in his eyes.

"Over there!" he heard Mitsuru. Looking up, he saw her running towards them, a mix of worry and frustration in her face.

"Senpai..!" he whispered.

"Penthesilea!" she shouted, summoning her Persona. Orpheus strung his lyre again. Ice and fire mixed yet again, creating a beautiful yet deadly scenery that reduced the Shadows to nothing. Once it was all over, once all of the Shadows were gone, Makoto collapsed backwards, almost falling to the floor. Had it not been for Tomioka, he would've. His head rested against the man's shoulder, his gaze droopy, tired.

"Leader!" Mitsuru gasped, running over to him. She knelt down besides him, worried.

"He's okay. Just exhausted." Tomioka said, his tone soft. He looked guilty about it. The red haired girl just sighed in relief.

"Thank god. I thought..." she trailed off before shaking her head. Makoto saw how she grabbed from her bag some medicine, to which he gladly took and consumed, his breathing relaxing.

"We need to regroup. Shinazugawa and Takeba are still in danger." Mitsuru informed. With a nod, Makoto shuffled back to his feet, Tomioka helping him.

 

And then he saw a card appearing behind the black haired man, the word Apostle whispered into his ear like a melody.

---

"GRNNGH!" Yukari held her bleeding arm with her free hand as she watched Shinazugawa block the strikes of the Shadow with difficulty "Dammit!- Takeba, get outta here!" he barked, pushing back the Shadow.

"What?! No! I-I can't leave you!" she exclaimed, shaking her head violently. She couldn't leave someone here! She didn't care if Shinazugawa was a capable man, she just- her conscience could not let her leave him here! Blood dripped down her arm and palm, leaving minuscule puddles there.

"Just- Fucking do as I tell you! Get outta here and get Sanada!" he exclaimed, his head jerked to look at her with anger. He was angry. But he was also worried, worried about her safety. Yukari could see it, she could see it in his eyes.

"But! I-I can't do that! What if-"

"AAAGH!"

Shinazugawa howled in pain as he was knocked to the floor, his sword flying out of his hands. Yukari's eyes widened, watching as he landed a few inches in front of her. The Shadow hit him hard again, with him coughing out in pain as he rolled on the floor. "S-Shinazugawa-san!" she gasped, hissing in pain as she knelt down besides him "N-Not again..." she whispered, a look of fear flashing in her mind. Why? Why did this always happen? Everyone who protected her always got hurt.

"Ngh! Takeba! Listen to me, god!- Aaagh, son of a bitch-" Shinazugawa groaned, reaching a hand out and gripping the fabric of her black jacket tightly "You're injured, this Shadow's too powerful, alright?! Just- Get Sanada! I'm not telling you to cower back to the entrance like a coward, alright?!" he snapped "You got strength, and I can clearly see it! But right now, you alone can't defeat this!" he gritted his teeth.

"S-Shinazugawa-san..." she whispered, looking at him in disbelief. He sounded like he wanted her to leave, to be safe. But why? He hardly knew her. And yet here he was, protecting her like if she was someone precious to him. She bit her lower lip.

"Everyone's always protecting me... And getting hurt because of it..!" she muttered, her bloodied hand slowly curling up into a fist, her vision becoming glossy. For a moment, her mind flashed, memories coming to her. April 9th, when Makoto summoned his Persona, when she witnessed his will to protect her. And the most recent, their fight against the Shadows in the lobby. She barely contributed, Kirijo had protected her. Her senpai could have died because of her. She couldn't do anything. She gritted her teeth as she got back on her feet, her arms reaching and readying her bow.

"Just- What am I even doing anymore?! What's wrong with me?!" she snapped, more to herself than to Shinazugawa. His eyes widened, watching her in concern.

"Yukari-chan..." Fuuka gasped. Yukari wiped away any sort of hint of tears ever appearing, a glare on her face. She wasn't going to let others get hurt because of her.

"Fuuka. I need you to back me up here." she said, ignoring the way her arm ached, the way her heart was practically about to jump out of her ribcage "I'll hold this thing off until Sanada-senpai gets here!" she declared. Ignoring the way her injured arm was screaming at her to stop, she readied several arrows, aiming at the Shadow and starting to hit. It was like a storm, at first she shot two before she aimed upwards and released several, the projectiles raining down on the Shadow and knocking it down.

She then summoned Io, her light serving as a warm embrace, almost motherly. Both her injuries and Shinazugawa's were healed, with him staring at her in utter shock. Her grip on her bow got better, a smirk coming to her face. She was stronger. She's stronger. She won't let anyone get hurt anymore. She's the healer of the team for a reason. Her leader said so himself. "Takeba..." she heard Shinazugawa whisper.

"Wait, is this..?" Fuuka gasped "Yukari-chan! Load the cartridge into your Evoker!" she told her.

"I know." Yukari nodded "Now's the time!" she exclaimed as she took the cartridge and loaded it up. Without hesitating, she aimed the Evoker at her forehead and shot it, power coursing through her veins as Io appeared behind her. A gust of energy appeared, and Yukari knew what to do. She reeled her hand back, arrows made out of wind appearing before she released them all towards the Shadow without mercy, all of them hitting the bullseye. Io then produced a wind torrent that flew her upwards. Her body twirled in the air as she reeled the cord of her bow back as another wind arrow, stronger than the last ones, started to form, she aimed before releasing it, hitting the Shadow and creating a wind cyclone, killing the enemy. She gracefully landed on the floor, breathing heavily.

"...I-I... I did it..." she whispered, her eyes slowly widening in disbelief. She did it. She killed the Shadow all on her own! She did it!

"Takeba, what the fuck was that?" Shinazugawa asked as he slowly got up, staring at her.

"Ah- S-Shinazugawa-san, are you alright?! Do you need me to heal you?!" she asked, worried.

"Wha- Worry about yourself first! I'm fine, they're just light bruises." he shrugged it off without much concern, lightly hitting the girl on the head to get her to stop worrying "I told you to leave." he added.

"Ah- Sorry. That- It was my fault that situation happened." she shook her head, looking away. She heard the other sigh, and braced herself for a scolding. Instead, she felt a gentle pat on her head. She looked up, seeing a stern yet soft expression on the man's face.

"It could've been worse. Glad to see that you're okay. Don't be an idiot again." he told her, messing with her hair slightly before letting his hand fall back and walking towards the direction his sword had fallen. Yukari slowly brought a hand to her head, placing it gently there.

"...I didn't know Shinazugawa-san could be so brotherly..." she muttered to herself. Why did that leave her wanting more of those headpats? She slapped herself before she could think of anything else, following after the man like a lost puppy. And then she was met with Akihiko running towards them, a look of worry in his face.

"Are you both alright?!" he asked, breathing heavily.

"We are. Thanks to Takeba." Shinazugawa signaled to her with his head. The gray haired boy sighed in relief at the answer, his shoulders relaxing.

"Are there any more enemies around, Fuuka?" Yukari asked.

"There are still! And some of them are blocking the elevator to the entrance. You should regroup before you do anything else!" she informed. The bow user clicked her tongue at the answer, annoyed. Couldn't this end already? She wanted to go back to the dorms after what just happened.

---

 

Notes:

Welcome to:

The SEES members are slowly getting attached to the Hashiras. Today we present: Yukari and Makoto going wild.

Chapter 18: Brutus, Atlas pt.1

Giyuu felt relief when the group ran into Sanada, Takeba and Shinazugawa. He swore his heart was going to leap out of his chest when he nearly rammed into Sanada without noticing. "Is everyone okay?!" Kirijo asked, looking at the other three with worry.

"Could be better without that heart attack of a situation, to be honest..." Sanada dryly laughed, rolling back his shoulder "But Yamagishi said that the elevator of the floor was surrounded by enemies. So we'll have to get rid of them." he explained.

"Absolutely fucking amazing." Shinazugawa bitterly commented, his expression showing his annoyance at the situation.

"Well, these sort of situations aren't rare. But it is rather peculiar that the Shadows are guarding the one-way elevator in particular." Kirijo hummed, rubbing her chin. She seemed deep in thought. Giyuu took a peek at the room that contained the one-way elevator. It was filled with Shadows. A lot of them. He frowned. Were they coordinating or something? Did they know they were here?

"How should we proceed?" Giyuu asked, looking at Yuki. As he was appointed the field leader, his input was more important than the others'. The blue haired teenager closed his eyes, thinking.

"We need to give Fuuka some time to prepare the scan. Which means..." he trailed off "Yukari, you're on support. Your healing is important, you've always saved our asses." Yukari nodded "Sanada-senpai, Kirijo-senpai, you two will be on back-up right now. Your Personas have abilities to buff and debuff, right?" they both nodded "Then focus on that."

"What about us?" Shinazugawa asked, raising a brow as he pointed to himself and Giyuu.

"You both will be on the front lines with me." the two of them on the front lines? That was an interesting decision to make. But if he was confident in it, then sure, why not.

"Sure. Sounds good to me." Giyuu nodded, switching the grip in his blade to an offensive stance.

"Heh. Let's kill 'em." Shinazugawa smirked. He always seemed ready for a fight.

"Fuuka. Prepare your scan." Yuki ordered without hesitation.

"Understood!" With that, the trio of sword users ran towards the Shadows, with the other three not far behind. Yuki swung his blade, cleaving halfway through one of the Shadows. However, he got hit by a bash attack, making him step backwards. Giyuu jumped forwards, using the eight form of Water Breathinf to chip some damage. He was able to kill one of them, at least. The others quickly backed away.

"Yamagishi?"

"T-Those are so many Shadows! I-I'm trying to scan them all at once, but-"

"Don't! Focus on doing one by one. You're still new to being a navigator." Yuki told her, summoning Orpheus. The figure swung its lyre, sending two Shadows flying backwards and causing them to crash against the wall. If the bluehead knew, was what went through Giyuu's mind for a split second. He looked at Shinazugawa, seeing him punch a Shadow down before digging his blade through the mask, shattering it. The Shadow cried erratically, the sound hurting Giyuu's ears, before he watched it melt into nothing. Shinazugawa had a smirk on his face, the strange mass the Shadows were made of stained both his jaw and his cheeks. He always looked feral, but the Water Hashira realized something. Shinazugawa was... pretty. Not pretty as in pretty strong—even though Shinazugawa was undoubtedly stronger than Giyuu—but pretty as in his appearance. He was pretty as in pretty.

He quickly snapped out of his trance, blocking a piercing attack with his blade. He stepped back, swinging his weapon to push away the Shadow. He really needed to get his mind back into the fight and out of the gutter. He grunted as he felt a Shadow slash at his arm, yet that wasn't exactly painful, just annoying. Warm blood trickled down from his upper arm to his hand, but he paid no mind to it. He's used to this. It comes with the job of being a Demon Slayer. He charged at the Shadows, his blade was enveloped with water. He caught a strange, pinkish red aura around the Shadows he was going to attack. It was a debuff.

 

"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash."

 

He cleaved through two Shadows, cutting them in half with his blade. His face and uniform got stained by the black mass, but he paid no mind. "Nice going!" he heard someone cheer. Maybe it was Sanada, or Takeba, or Yamagishi, he didn't know. He just continued to fight. He charged with Yuki, the two swinging their blades at the same time, knocking back the Shadows, yet it didn't knock them down. The Water Hashira clicked his tongue.

"You won't do anything with weak attacks!" Shinazugawa chewed out as Sanada's Persona came out, waves of thunder ripping into the Shadows. Giyuu gritted his teeth at that. He knew that, of course he did. But one single wrong move, and everything could go wrong in this hellish tower.

"Yuki. When you did your Theurgy," Yuki turned to look at him, his brows furrowed "you healed me, yes. But I also felt faster, and more focused. Like if my accuracy became better. Do you think you can do it again?" he asked, hoping that it would work.

"Not now. I don't think the Theurgy is ready to be used. I need more time." he said. Giyuu nodded.

"Then Shinazugawa and I will get you enough time." he said, pushing the boy back as he swung his blade. The water produced by the blade put out a fire blast directed at them. Yuki nodded.

"Sanada-senpai! Kirijo-senpai! Lower their defense and attack!" he barked out the order like a natural leader. The two third years nodded, their Personas flying towards the Shadows. Penthesilea and Polydeuces rammed their respective weapons into the Shadows, pinkish red and fiery red glows surrounding the Shadows. Good, that was good. Giyuu rushed in, concentrating his breathing.

 

"Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirpool."

 

He twisted and bent his body like he was dancing, the water spinning cutting through the Shadows. Some melted, others got damaged. But it seemed like Yuki's plan was working. All he had to do was buy more time with Shinazugawa, and everything was going to be fine. They'd get out of this situation alright. He can tank some attacks, it's fine.

Until it's not fine. One of the enemies shot out a Mazio, and hit almost everyone. Takeba and him got the worst of it, they got knocked down. He groaned in pain, falling on his knees and using his katana as support to not collapse completely. "Tomioka-san!" he heard Kirijo call in worry.

"Kirijo-senpai, sub in for Tomioka-san! Sanada-senpai, get Tomioka-san back up and healed!" Yuki said, summoning the Persona he called Jack Frost and used ice to try and do something. Giyuu felt a pair of arms drag him away from the Shadows. He looked up, seeing Sanada drag him like a ragdoll, grunting as he moved. His brows were knitted together. It made Giyuu feel like a burden, really.

"I'm not as good as healing as Takeba, but I hope that this helps." the white haired teenager said, Polydeuces hovering besides him. He was covered by a soft green hue, his wounds healing slowly. Giyuu heaved. It was too damn slow, and his head was pounding. Everything hurt. And yet he wanted to do something. He raised his head, seeing Sanada shielding him with Polydeuces while the teenager ran into the fight despite Yuki's protests, his words unintelligible to the black haired man. Everyone was fighting, and getting hurt. And he was just on the sidelines.

His breath caught in his throat as his mind drifted, the scene blending into the memory of his Final Selection. Sabito's figure vanishing forwards, rushing to the demon that was going to kill many of the participants in that fated day. He reached his hand out, his  His heart beat began to speed up, his chest tight. No. No, they were going to die- he was going to die- he had to do something- anything- God don't take him away again. Please do not. Please at least let him save these kids.

 

"It symbolizes death, and when using it, you acknowledge your mortality and accept death."

 

Giyuu felt everything stop as his gaze slowly drifted to the Evoker hidding within his haori's sleeve. His body acted, reaching for it and taking it out. "Accept death..." he whispered, his eyes closing. For a moment, his thoughts drifted. To his sister, who took care of him even when she was going to die, knowing she wouldn't make it if it meant he'd live. To Sabito, who had helped him pick up that fear and battle it, who had sacrificed himself in order to save many, who was a hero. To Urokodaki, the man who was so harsh yet so patient with him, teaching him Water Breathing and believing in his story. The first one who ever believed him.

Slowly, he pointed the Evoker at his chin, his heart relaxing slowly as the finger curled around the trigger. The word that left his mouth came almost naturally.

"Persona."

---

"Get back!" Sanemi barked out as he released several slashes that looked like a whirlwind, protecting Kirijo from a strong, incoming fire blast.

"Ngh! Thank you, Shinazugawa-san!" Kirijo grunted, sliding backwards as she held her arm in pain, blood trickling down.

"Mitsuru! Behind you!" Sanada screamed in alarm. Sanemi's head snapped, seeing Kirijo about to get a blade plunged through her stomach. His eyes widened as he quickly turned, hoping he'd be able to reach her in time, even wanting to cheat by using the first form of his Breathing Style.

 

"Wind Breathing, First Form-"

 

"Persona."

 

A strong gust of wind hit everyone, sending the Shadows flying backwards. Sanemi grunted, raising his arm to cover his face in surprise. Was this another enemy? "That's..!" Yuki gasped, surprised. What? What was going on?

"No way!" Takeba exclaimed, her voice sounding both shocked and relieved. The Wind Hashira lowered his arm, his breath catching in his throat upon finally understanding what was going on.

Tomioka had been surrounded by a blue fire, his eyes wide and glowing a bright shade of blue as a figure slowly started to form. A hand reached out, putting the fire out with the swing of its arm, slowly becoming visible. A man with long, peach-coloured hair stood on one knee, holding a large sphere over his shoulders as a white fox mask that Sanemi hadn't seen before, but he knew it was warding mask. The mask, curiously, had a strange scar-like mask on its right side. His neck was cranked uncomfortably, most definitely from the weight placed on his shoulders. The sphere was dark blue, and it made Sanemi feel shivers running down his spine. The man wore a green kimono, patterned with a hexagon design of yellow and dark green, tied off at the waist, below which he sported a pair of tattsuke-hakama pants and over which a plain white haori. Around his calves were a pair of kyahan, that bore the same design as his kimono, which his pants were tucked into, as well as black tabi socks and a pair of zōri on his feet.

"That's... Tomioka-san! You awoke your Persona!" Sanemi heard Yamagishi gasp in shock. That was Tomioka's Persona? He actually did it?

"Atlas. Malaqua!" Tomioka ordered, raising his empty hand and pointing it forward. The figure roared, the sphere glowing brightly as blades made out of water spun rapidly, flying towards the Shadows.

"Yes! We have a chance now!" Kirijo spoke up, seeing how most of the Shadows had been stunned. Yuki saw it, too.

"Everyone, charge!" he roared.

"Polydeuces, Mazio!"

"Penthesilea, Mabufu!"

"Archangel, Cleave! Nigi Mitama, Magaru!"

"Io! Magaru!"

"Atlas, Malaqua!"

 

The attacks came all in a sequence, mixing all together and creating a powerful blast that killed the Shadows. Sanemi stumbled back, the blast radius hitting him hard. He lowered his arm after a few seconds, his jaw dropping at the aftermath. There was nothing but black mass on the floor. There were no remains of the Shadows at all. He stared, eyes wide. "...Wh..." the flimsy words left his  What... What just happened?

When he heard a thud, he turned his head. Tomioka was supporting himself on his katana, breathing heavily. His Persona had long since dispelled, leaving him weak. Sanemi's legs moved on his own, running towards the other Hashira. He knelt down besides him, letting the black haired man lean on his shoulder. "...Shinazugawa..?" the other slurred out, looking up at the other.

"Just rest. We'll be heading to the entrance anyways." the white haired man grumbled, putting the other's sword back in its sheath. It was silent for a few seconds, awkward. The kids were all catching their breaths, tired. Takeba was healing those who needed it, while Yuki was digging his hand through his bag, trying to find anything that could help.

"...What you just did..." he started, his tone awkward as Tomioka raised his head, a brow raised "It was... It was cool." he admitted. The other blinked, his eyes widening in surprise just slightly. However, he hummed, his gaze soft. And that soft gaze made Sanemi's heart skip a beat. What? When did the other look so... so soft? It made him feel weird. Why?

 

Of course, however, he couldn't let his guard down inside of this tower. And the sound of chains echoing throughout the place made him freeze. He knew that sound.

---

 

Notes:

Atlas: The famous Titan who led the rebellion against Zeus in the Titanomachy. When the Titans were defeated, Zeus punished Atlas by condemning him to carry the heavens upon his shoulders for eternity.

Skills: Malaqua (light water attack that hits all enemies), Aques (medium water attack that hits an enemy), Mabufu, Getsu-ei, Fatal End, Rebellion, Sukukaja.

Chapter 19: Brutus, Atlas pt.2

"They did it! They defeated all of the Shadows!" Minako fisted the air at those words, a big surge of relief coursing through her body.

"Fuck yeah, let's go!" Junpei cheered, punching the air out of pure excitement.

"And Tomioka-san has awakened his own Persona, too!" Fuuka gasped happily. Minako faltered at that, a bit surprised. Right, Fuuka had said it before, but Minako hadn't fully registered it, trying to stop Junpei from charging in. It was still weird to get a grasp on. Tomioka had awakened his Persona? Well that was... something. Not what she expected, but... It was okay! If anything, she was sure it would be okay.

"W-Wait... Th-This presence is..." Fuuka whispered, her eyes slowly widening. Minako frowned. Something was wrong. There was a look of horror on Fuuka's face.

"Yamagishi? What's wrong?" Junpei asked, cocking a brow up.

"It- It can't be! But how?! M-Minako-chan-"

"Yamagishi!" she heard Shinazugawa through the communicator "We have to get outta here, now!"

"Shinazugawa-san, what's wrong?!" Takeba asked.

"Hey! Stop pushing!"

"Just get your asses in the teleporter, now! Before it-"

The sound of a barrage of gunshots made Minako freeze in place. Oh no. You had to be kidding. Did the damn Reaper appear at the worst possible moment and find them?! You had to be kidding her! "Shit!" she hissed under her breath as she watched the elevator glow, a group appearing. Takeba, Kirijo, Sanada and Yuki. Sanada and Kirijo were both bleeding, the former from his leg and the latter from her shoulder. No sight of Shinazugawa and Tomioka. Minako's gaze hardened, watching Junpei help carry the injured out of the two-way elevator.

"What- What happened?!" the capped boy asked, worried.

"This strong Shadow appeared out of nowhere. Shinazugawa and Tomioka pushed us onto the one-way elevator and forced us back here." Yuki bitterly spoke, steadying himself with Takeba's help as she started to heal the third years. Minako's hands slowly curled into fists. What the hell were they thinking?! They were going to kill themselves if they fought the Reaper again!

"Shinazugawa-san! Tomioka-san! Please, get out of there! This presence, it's Death!" Fuuka exclaimed, worried.

"We got it under control!" Shinazugawa assured. No, no they didn't! Dammit! They were going to die there! She had to do something! Screw not fighting because of her period! Screw that!

"Junpei." she whispered. Said person looked up towards her. She saw the flash of panic in his eyes. The fear, and the worry. And she understood.

"Fuuka, I'm going in! Tell me what floor they're in!" Minako exclaimed as she unsheathed her naginata.

"What?! Are you insane?!" Sanada shot at her. She ignored him as she jumped onto the two-way elevator.

"They're somewhere between floor 44 and floor 47!" Fuuka told her "Minako-chan... Be careful!" the teal haired girl pleaded. Minako nodded, pressing the button of the elevator to take her to floor 42. That was where she had to start.

"Minakocchi! Hold on!"

---

Sanemi heard Tomioka holler in pain as the Wind Hashira rolled on the floor, narrowly dodging a bullet. His body was flaring in pain. This bastard of a Shadow showed up again. The white haired man looked down at his shoulder, blood oozing out like a river. 'Shit! I took that hit for Takeba, and now I can barely move my arm!' he thought, his jaw clenched. "Tomioka! Use your Persona!" he yelled.

"R-Right! Atlas!" Tomioka called as he pulled the trigger, summoning his Persona. Atlas roared, slashes being thrown at the Shadow with the guns. It barely seemed to do anything though, as the Shadow tanked those hits like nothing as it let out a low roar. Sanemi gritted his teeth, glaring at it. Breathing, he had to control his breathing.

"Atlas!" Tomioka called, with his Persona sending water attacks at it. The Shadow stood there for a second, it's rugged coat stained with dried up blood hovering above the ground, before it aimed its gun at the Water Hashira. The other quickly moved, the bullets instead hitting the one-way elevator. The machinery let out strange noises before it just... died down. The pale green lights died down, melting into pitch black. Sanemi's eyes widened. 'Did it... destroy the teleporter?! Shit!'

"TOMIOKA, MOVE!" he screamed as he ran towards the Shadow, jumping high up.

"Shinazugawa, don't!"

 

"Wind Breathing, Fifth Form: Cold Mountain Wind!"

 

As he rained down on the Shadow, his arms moved despite the pain increasing on his shoulder. He created several circular arched slashes that increased in size with each slash. All of them hit their target, Sanemi landing down a few steps in between the Shadow and Tomioka. The coat resulted damaged, and some of the chains around the Shadow had been reduced to ashes. The black haired man looked at him, shock written all over his eyes. "S-Shinazuga-" the white haired man clenched his jaw as he lunged his arm to grab the other, pulling him back to his feet by the arm and began to run with him.

"Wh-"

"We gotta get away from that Shadow! Come on!" he urged, sheathing his blade and tugging Tomioka for him to react fast. The water user blinked before nodding, beginning to put the remaining energy he had left in his legs. They both ran, ran for their lives. In the halls, all of the Shadows there were shaking like crazy, their bodies were convulsing before they blew up into puddles and lumps of black goo.

"What the hell is going on with them?!" the wind user questioned, but it was more to himself than to Tomioka.

"Just keep running until we find the stairs!" the idea sounded like the best. The two men kept running down the halls, the distant sound of chains echoing against each other made Sanemi stay on edge. It felt like they were the demons the corps were chasing around to kill. Was this how they felt whenever he was sent out to kill them? Was this what fear felt like?

"Yamagishi! Can you provide some help!?"

"Sh—gawa— mioka-san—! Get o—, —ickly!"

"Great." Tomioka grumbled under his breath, while Sanemi gritted his teeth. He looked down at the communicator, seeing it nearly crushed to ashes. Did this happen when the giant Shadow attacked? If so, then they were utterly fucked.

"Stairs!" the wind user gasped out, feeling blessed to see the stairs. His feet ached, his shoulder hurt, but he didn't care. Once they got to the next floor and found a hiding place, they'd be safe.

Until pain flared up in his leg, making him stagger and fall. He groaned, looking down at his leg. Blood oozed down from a wound, from a hole. It shot him in the leg. 'Bastard...' he thought, attempting to get up. That simply failed, though. He couldn't move. Pain was flaring all throughout his body. "Shinazugawa!" Tomioka called, panic in his voice. He looked up, seeing the Shadow slowly looming towards him. Sanemi felt his heart beating quicker, eyes wide as he stared at the Shadow. Was he... going to die here? Was this it?

'I guess that this is it, then...' he thought, his hands curling around the steps of the stairs. Yet the idea terrified him, for some reason. Why? He didn't understand-

 

"Sanemi's no pitiful child. Not even close. His mom loved him. She loved her sons from the bottom of her heart. You don't know the first thing about him, you wretched demon! Don't drag your filth over his memories!"

"You've gotta enjoy life. Yeah, we could face death at any moment, but lots of Demon Slayers find love too. Some even start families. I mean, the Sound Hashira has three beautiful wives! Imagine that. Three! Wow, that's a lot. Three wives. One would be enough for me. Just one lady I can love from the bottom of my heart..."

 

'Masachika... I think I'll be seeing you sooner than I thought...' he thought, his eyes closing as he heard the trigger go off, waiting for the pain to come to him. But it didn't. Slowly, his eyelids peeled open in confusion, the pain he felt had gone numb.

Tomioka stood in front of him, his stomach bleeding. He was breathing heavily, a thin trail of blood coming from his mouth. He was struggling, he was struggling to keep Total Concentration Breathing Constant to slow the bleeding. Sanemi's eyes widened at the sight, a look of disbelief flashing in his features. What the fuck? Why did this idiot jump in?!

Tomioka toppled forwards, falling on top of Sanemi. The act seemed almost protective, as if he was shielding Sanemi from the Shadow. "T-Tomioka..?! What the hell are you doing?!" Sanemi asked, frantic, trying to shake the other off of him. The black haired man refused.

"Tomioka!"

"N-No... If I do so, then it'll attack you..." the other coughed.

"Are you insane?! If that thing shoots you again, you'll die! You-"

"I know..." Sanemi's eyes widened. What?

"You- What?!"

"I know... And it's okay..." the white haired man gaped at the other. What the hell?! What was wrong with him?!

 

"I'm not like the rest of you, because I'm not the Water Hashira. I'm underserving of that title."

 

'Fucking idiot..! I'm not going to let you die! Not until you explain that to me!' he thought, his hand reaching for his Evoker, pointing it at his forehead. His hand was shaking, and he hesitated for a moment. Because he is fighting against death. But it didn't matter.

"PERSONA!"

---

Junpei and Minako rushed around, looking for the two adults inside of Tartarus, their movements frantic. "Where the hell are they?!" he exclaimed, cutting down a Shadow that got in their way.

"I dunno! Just keep looking!" she urged, spinning her naginata and cutting down a Shadow as well. The Shadow with the guns had to be nearby, he heard the chains, he heard them. He just hoped they could get to them in time before anything happened to them.

"It's Death. That Shadow is almost unbeatable. You have to be heavily prepared and hella strong." Minako explained "I tried to fight it once, when I was stuck here. I nearly died.

 

"PERSONA!"

 

The sound of a trigger being pulled, as well as Shinazugawa's voice shouting that word, made the two's steps come to a halt. Right in front of them, to their utter disbelief, the Shadow Minako called Death being tossed backwards like a ragdoll and slammed into a wall by a figure. By a Persona. The figure of a young man with an average build and short, spiky black hair. A feature that Junpei had noticed were two prominent scars on his left cheek. Not only that, but there was a strange mask that covered the upper part of his face, a dark green helmet-like mask with a few cracks on it. The figure was wearing uniform that consisted of a dark gakuran jacket, white belt, and baggy hakama pants tucked into white wraps of cloth around his ankles. It was holding the Shadow back with a sword, just keeping it in place.

Junpei stared at the fugure, gaping. What the hell? That Persona looked... nothing like the rest of the team's Personas. All the while, the injured figures of Tomioka and Shinazugawa were limping away from the Shadow, and instead were approaching them. "TOMIOKA-SAN! SHINAZUGAWA-SAN!" Minako screamed as she ran to them, a look of horror on her face. And how could she not be horrified? They were both bleeding like crazy!

"Let's hurry. The teleporter here stopped working 'cause if this damn Shadow." Shinazugawa grunted. Oh that was actually terrible. Was that why they didn't hurry to the ekevator immediately? He decided not to ask anything though. Nodding, the two teenagers helped the adults walk, with Junpei carrying Tomioka over his shoulders and Minako supporting Shinazugawa and helping him wak. They hurried to the stairs, and the capped boy felt like they were on a time limit, really. It felt like they had a ticking time bomb on their hands.

Luckily, once they got to the next floor, they only let out sighs of relief. This was a floor with already cleared floor guardians. And there was a two-way elevator. "Alright, hang on there Tomioka-san." he whispered, sitting the black haired man against a wall.

"Shinazugawa-san... That was your Persona, right?" Minako quizzed, a frown on her face. He only nodded.

"Let me try and summon it again..." he uttered, voice drowsy as he pointed the Evoker at his forehead, pulling the trigger. The same figure appeared, looming over the group. There was a kind smile on its face, small yet gentle.

"Can it heal?" Junpei asked. The figure answered for his summoner with a nod, bright green magic slowly beginning to wrap around Tomioka like a blanket. The hole on his stomach started to regenerate and close, something to which Junpei looked away, not wanting to bare the sight of the way healing worked. He's felt it, he's felt the way his muscles were forced to heal, the way his cells got restored. It was unnerving, but you get used to feeling it. Though seeing it was a completely different story.

Once Tomioka was healed, Shinazugawa then focused on healing his own wounds. They were smaller, but still worrying. "Can't believe we survived two encounters with that thing..." he uttered under his breath. Junpei blinked. Come again?

"Huh?? Wait, you're tellin' me that it's- that it's not the first time you've seen it?!" he stammered, looking at them with shock. The other three just nodded. They have faced that Shadow before?! And survived?! But how?! Minako said that thing was Death itself! What the hell?!

"Let's go back to the entrance. I'm sure that the others are worried." Minako suggested before he could ask anything again. The two adults nodded, leaving Junpei in the minority. If there was a voting, of course. He just sighed and accepted it with a nod. It was better to just listen to them for now, while they're still in this hellish tower. He helped Tomioka get up, the four walking to the elevator, with questions still lingering in his mind.

---

 

 

Notes:

Brutus: The grandson of Ascanius. A magician who predicts great things for the unborn Brutus also foretells he will kill both his parents on accident. He is banished, and after traveling to Greece, he discovers a group of Trojans enslaved there. He becomes their leader, and after a series of battles they defeat the Greek king Pandrasus.

Skills: Magaru, Garula, Killer Wind (Medium damage-dealing skill from Persona 2 that hits all enemies), Zan-ei, Mighty Swing, Charge, Diarama.

Chapter 20: Moonlight activities

Minako sighed, sitting on the cardboard box by herself as she took a sip of her can, her legs swinging repeatedly. She was rocking her head from side to side, humming a random tune that she got stuck in her head. "Hey there, Delilah, what's in like in New York City. I'm a thousand miles away but girl tonight, you look so pretty, yes you do..." she hummed quietly, finishing the can before tossing it into a trashbin, nailing the throw just as the Dark Hour began, the sky painted dark green. She cheered to herself.

"God I'm so amazing." she chuckled.

"Are ya not gonna be a child for once?" a voice asked. Minako rolled her eyes, turning to look at the newcomer.

"Ah, come on, Jin-chan! We only live once!" she beamed. The boy sighed, his appearance visible under the dim light of the moon. Sporting short dark blue hair with the right side being slicked back and dark blue eyes hidden under orange-tinted glasses with black frames. He wore a green jacket with black straps with two detached sleeves, and navy blue pants with a black pocket and black shoes, a silver briefcase held by one of his hands.

"Really. You're like a golden retriever at times." Jin huffed, sitting down next to her. She only smiled, handing him a can. He took it, popping it open and gulping down a quarter of it almost immediately.

"We were startin' to get worried, y'know." he huffed.

"Sorry, sorry! I was a bit reckless, but it was fine! I told you guys that I'd be going on a really long expedition, didn't I?" she smiled. He just shrugged in response, impassive to her demeanor.

"So? What's the deal with you teamin' up with the Kirijos?" he asked, a brow raised.

"Ah, straight to the point as always." Minako shook her head "Before that, I need to know if you were able to dig up anything on what I asked?" she quizzed. He chuckled, an arrogant smile on his face as he opened the briefcase.

"Gotta admit, it's not somethin' you'd ever ask me. But then again, when do you ask me for anythin' normal?" he asked. She let out a soft laugh as she took the book and papers he gave her. Her eyes narrowed as she read the contents carefully.

"I had to threaten a fuckin' teenager for the damn thing, y'know? He was a whuss, but his sis was hella annoyin'. She packed a fight." Jin huffed, and the image of him trying to fight a girl appeared in Minako's mind, making her snort "Luckily enough, they left. Apparently, somethin' about a school trip." he continued, waving his hand in a dismissive way. The auburn haired girl hummed softly.

"So what they were saying is true, then..." she mumbled to herself.

"Am I gonna get an explanation?" Jin asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Ah! Sorry!" Minako sheepishly apologized "You see, while I was in Tartarus for that long period of time, I met a group of interesting people. One of them is a student at Gekkoukan, she was stuck in Tartarus for a long time without awakening her Persona and was able to survive." she recounted, seeing the interested glint in Jin's eyes "Her power is really cool! She's a navigator! Though she joined SEES..." she sighed, her distaste clear in her tone.

"Great." Jin rolled his eyes.

"But there were two people that I met there that are more interesting than her. They claimed to be from the Taisho era, specifically from 1912." she started, seeing the confusion flash on Jin's face.

"The fuck?"

"Yeah, I didn't believe them at first at all." Minako sweatdropped "But... They can use Persona skills without a Persona. They called it Breathing Style." she explained. Jin's gaze narrowed.

"Is that why ya wanted me to steal a kid's book?" Jin asked.

"It's not stealing if it was never reported, nor do they know who you are." Minako smirked, winking at her friend "But thank you! With this, I think I might be able to try something out." she said. He just hummed, getting up.

"Also. Wanna ask before I leave. Was you sending the request to kill that bastard teacher related to that girl ya met in Tartarus?" he asked.

"Ding-a-ding! Right on the money, Jin-chan!" Minako beamed as she hopped off of her seat, undusting herself "The piece of garbage deserved it. Nobody liked him!" she laughed, her hands laced behind her back as she tucked the book under her arm.

"Well, your judgement is usually sound and right. So I don't doubt it one bit." he hummed before turning to her with a smirk "We got a target to get rid of. Takaya's waiting for me. Wanna come with? The only thing you've been doin' is just go to Tartarus and hang out with those SEES losers." he asked, holding out his hand. She smiled, taking it.

"Why, I'd be honoured, sir!" she joked, cracking a laugh out of him as the two began to walk. Her walk was practically a skip, but he didn't seem to mind. If anything, he was used to it. That was Minako, always the upbeat one. The walk didn't take long to reach the other two.

"Playing double agent, then?" a girl asked, cocking her head to the side. She had long red hair with white ribbons and oval-shaped brown eyes, sporting a black headband with a pure white ruffled style with a fake dagger attached, giving the illusion that her head has been impaled with it. Outside of that, she wears white style-like fabric collar with a black ribbon, a white long gothic lolita dress, white stockings and high heeled shoes. In her hands, she was carrying a long chain with a small red hand axe attached to the end of it.

"Yup! That's right, Chi-chan!" Minako beamed, popping the 'p' on purpose. The brown eyed girl remained unnerved to her upbeat attitude.

"That'd mean acting. Although you've always been good at it, Minako." a man commented. He had long, platinum blond wavy hair and yellow eyes, wearing a wire like headband, faded and torn light blue jeans with a red, ragged scarf tucked in the back pocket, a studded white belt and brown boots. His sleeves were fully tattooed on both arms and he had a small tattoo on his lower back.

"Aw, thanks Taka-chan!" she smiled, a flowery aura around her "So. Who's tonight's target?"

"Such enthusiasm." Takaya chuckled, a hand resting on the gun attached to his belt.

---

"WOAH-" Junpei let out as he fell to the floor, his greatsword slipping out of his hands and cluttering against the floor. Shinazugawa huffed, shaking his head at him as he lowered the practice sword.

"You're doing it wrong, Iori." he told him, grabbing the other's arm and yanking him upwards, setting him back to his feet "You're rushing in and tiring yourself out easily." he scolded. Junpei groaned as he took back his greatsword. Why did he beg Shinazugawa for help again? He could have gone to Tomioka, or anyone else! But Minabro's fighting style was different than his, Kirijo-senpai's pierced and thrusted instead of slashing, Yuka-tan uses a bow, Fuuka is their navigator, and Sanada-senpai uses his fists—besides, he would probably lecture him about all the sorts of styles there were. Which only left Tomioka and Shinazugawa.

And, if he could be honest, Shinazugawa was more approachable than Tomioka. Sure, the man had his, um. Difficult personality, to put it lightly, and Tomioka was more like Minabro. He can't get a read on that guy, and he was... a bit creepy.

"OW! What was that for?!" he complained when he felt his head getting hit with the wooden sword. Shinazugawa sighed.

"If you're not gonna take this seriously, why bother asking me to help?" he deadpanned.

"I am taking it seriously!" Junpei retorted. He was, he really was! Why couldn't he see it?! Why couldn't anyone see it?!

"Well, with that attitude, you'll get nowhere. You'll just get yourself killed in a fight. Practically useless." Shinazugawa said, shaking his head again. Junpei's jaw clenched at those words.

"Shut up!" he shouted, swinging his weapon at the other. The attack was flimsy, slow. The other easily side-stepped to dodge, the weapon hitting the ground instead.

"Iori-"

"Shut up! You don't know anything about me!" he yelled, swinging his weapon again. Shinazugawa stepped back again, a frown on his face 

"Iori!-"

"You think you're so cool because you can do those stupid windy tricks with your sword! That you’re the best because you're so good at fighting! I don’t need someone else telling me that a dumbass-" a swing "unmotivated-" another swing "lazy," and another swing "sleazy guy like me will ever be something good to the team and is dead weight!" he screamed, hitting Shinazugawa on the shoulder. The white haired man let out a yelp of pain, bringing his empty hand to his shoulder.

"Ow! Agh- Fucking hell..!" he cursed. Junpei blinked, heaving. His eyes slowly widened, realizing what he had done. Shit. God, he was just the worst, wasn’t he? What was wrong with him?

"...Sorry. I should've-"

"You’re right." Shinazugawa sighed. Junpei let out a noise of confusion. He was?

"I am?"

"I'm not you. I don’t know what the fuck goes through your mind. But you need to sort it out." the sword user crossed his arms "Because whatever negative complex you got in your head is affecting your performance."

"...W-Wha..?"

"Besides, I'm not the best at what I do. There are people who do it better than me." he looked away, a hint of melancholy in his eyes, something so strange, so odd "And I'm also shit at stuff. No one's perfect at everything. You’re gonna fail at things." Junpei was silent, his eyes fixated on the man in front of him. That was... certainly something he had never expected from him. Shinazugawa never looked like the type to give a pep talk.

"...I'm not good at this shit. How the fuck did Masachika do it..?" he mumbled under his breath.

"Masachika?" Junpei repeated, a cocked brow. Shinazugawa tensed, and it was visible.

"He... was a friend. Someone close to me." Ah. Junpei understood, staying silent about it.

"...Sorry about hitting your shoulder."

"Hey. I pushed some buttons I should've left. Not your fault."

---

"Do you just feel like... something's wrong?" Gyomei's head perked up at the question. He turned his head, recognizing the familiar presence of Uzui, the Sound Hashira, standing near him.

"Uzui? What do you mean?" he questioned.

"Just... A really weird feeling I'm getting." the Sound Hashira shook his head, the sound of his gems rattling gave it away for Gyomei "Ever since Tomioka and Shinazugawa left for their mission, I've just been getting this really weird feeling." Gyomei hummed, his brows furrowing together.

"If you'd like, we could investigate the area." he suggested.

"You wouldn't mind?" Uzui asked.

"No. If anything, going there would make me more relieved to go. Both Tomioka and Shinazugawa are remarkable fighters and incredible Hashiras. Yet they have a strained relationship with one another-"

"You can say that Shinazugawa despises Tomioka." Uzui told him, and it sounded like he was holding back a laugh.

"...I suppose you might be right about it." Gyomei sighed "I'm worried that Shinazugawa may start something he'll regret." he said.

"I guess you have a point." the Sound Hashira shrugged "I'm gonna go and get ready. Do you want me to bring my wives so they help?"

"Their help would be greatly appreciated. Besides, I enjoy speaking with Suma and Hinatsuru. They're very kind."

---

 

Chapter 21: Eager to learn

"Yukari. I need to talk to you." Yukari raised her head, seeing Makoto standing in front of her. His eyes were droopy, tired. But he looked serious. And she could tell that it was urgent just by his posture. He was tapping his foot against the floor impatiently.

"Alright. Sorry girls, I think I won't be attending practice today." she apologized to the members of the archery club she'd been talking with, rubbing the back of her neck.

"It's okay, Yukari-chan!" one spoke, her tone reassuring. With a nod, the brunette walked away with her leader, striding down the hall. Junpei and Fuuka had been waiting for them. The taller had been leaning against a wall, his arms folded below his chest. The shorter was standing nervously, shifting her weight from foot to foot with her hands laced together while held against her chest. They both looked concerned.

"Do we have a lead?" Yukari asked, her tone serious. They nodded.

"I asked Odagiri-senpai to dig up records of previous students. Apparently, on Kirijo-senpai and Sanada-senpai's first year, a group of third years had been expelled for both selling illegal substances on school property, but also..." Makoto trailed off, his face churning in disgust. Yukari frowned. That wasn't a good sign.

"...extorting a second year for nude pictures and then sharing them on adult websites." Fuuka finished, her body physically recoiling. The archer felt her stomach churn in disgust, something crawling up her throat. She forced herself to swallow her lunch back, her face visibly losing color. That was disgusting. That was utterly disgusting.

"...Pieces of garbage..." she muttered.

"I actually talked to that girl a few times." Junpei spoke "She works at Chagall, since she dropped out of highschool after her third year. She's super sweet, it's difficult to believe someone would actually target her." he huffed, his brows knitted together, his gaze harsh. Yukari understood that anger. She shared it. She was sure Makoto did, too. Fuuka was more worried, she could tell by her expression.

"Group of five. Here are their names." Makoto said, giving Yukari a small paper with the names "Ekoda only expelled them for selling illegal substances. According to Ounishi-sensei, who was the only one I was able to get information out of, the girl told her about the extorsions in her third year." he glared. His voice was laced with hatred. It was odd seeing Makoto like this, but also refreshing, in a way. Yukari read the names many times, memorizing them. Her fingers curled around the sheet, her grip strong yet shaky. She was seething.

"And you think they found the Revenge Request website and typed Ekoda's name there to get back at him for expelling them." she said.

"Yeah." Junpei nodded "Makes sense."

"But why wouldn't they also target the girl?" Fuuka chimed.

"Not really. Since they're not aware that she told a teacher about what happened because they'd been expelled the year prior, why would they target her?" Makoto asked. He had a point. How could they know if they were gone?

---

Sanemi and Tomioka had been on the lounge when the others arrived. The white haired man looked up from the writing lessons Tomioka had been putting him through, the noise of the door opening catching his attention. "Welcome ba-" Sanemi stopped, seeing the grim expressions on the second years' faces. That was... usually not a good sign.

"Where are Kirijo-senpai and Sanada-senpai?" Takeba asked.

"Upstairs." Tomioka briefly answered, brows furrowed "What happened?" he asked.

"It's... a long story." Yamagishi sighed, looking at the others for a moment "I'll stay here and explain to Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san. You guys can go ask Sanada-senpai and Kirijo-senpai." she told them.

"Alright. We'll tell you how it went." Yuki nodded, the other three walking up the stairs. Leaving the two Hashiras and the navigator alone. Her shoulders hunched forwards, as if she'd been keeping something from them.

"Did anyone pick on you?" Tomioka asked as the teal haired girl approached the table, looking at her with concern. Sanemi frowned.

"N-No! No, no, that's not it at all!" she exclaimed, waving her hands around nervously "I, um... I should probably start from the beginning." she said, sitting down one a chair, next to Tomioka. She did glance at what they'd been doing for a moment, a flash of curiosity on her features.

"So, as you both know. I'd... been bullied ever since my first year at Gekkoukan High by a group of people. One of them was... my friend, Moriyama Natsuki." Sanemi nodded "She and her friends had locked me up inside the gym overnight. And because of the Dark Hour and Tartarus... To them, I had disappeared from the gym."

"Because you were stuck inside of Tartarus, and to you, it was ten hours stuck there, but to them, you were missing for ten days." Tomioka hummed, and she nodded.

"That's right. Because of that..." she paused, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath "A rumor spread out between the group. They thought that I had escaped out of the gym, and that killed myself." Sanemi went stiff at those words. Did they really think that?

"There was also a rumour in the school that I was haunting it. Because the Shadows were luring them to Tartarus every night, one by one. And then they'd appear in the morning in front of the school gates." she sighed "But that's... not all. The school never once looked for me or got worried because I was written off as me being sick."

"...Wait. So you're telling me that a teacher wrote you off as being sick?!" Sanemi exclaimed, slamming his hands down on the table. She flinched at the noise, but nodded as an answer. What the hell?! So not only were the kids messed up, but also the teachers?! What the fuck! 'The world's gone to shit.' he thought, bitterly mumbling to himself.

"Um... That teacher, he tried to keep my friend quiet when she confessed her action. He said that he was thinking of the students, and that it was in her best interest to keep quiet to not stain her records-"

"That's bullshit." Tomioka deadpanned "He wasn't looking out for any of you. He was only looking for himself and the reputation of the school. If he truly was worried about the students, then he would have let your friend report you as missing." he stated. Sanemi stared at him, surprised. Woah. Since when did he become so... protective? Defensive? He didn't know how to describe it, but it felt... weirdly satisfying to see. To see Tomioka Giyuu, the stoic and quiet Water Hashira, express emotions and speak.

"What happened to that bastard of a teacher?" Sanemi asked, curious. Silence filled the room, Yamagishi looking down at her lap with a frown on her face. And suddenly, Sanemi regretted asking that. It was silent, but even so, it was really loud.

 

"...He was murdered."

 

Another wave of silence crashed inside the room, but this time it was quiet. Eerily quiet. Sanemi's eyes had widened, his jaw hanging open. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the surprised expression on Tomioka's face, the way his shoulders had visibly tensed. The teacher had been murdered? Really? Sanemi wouldn't even wish that on someone—unless, of course, we were talking about that dead beat, drunk bastard he loathed so much and he happened to be related to by blood. Who would have done that? And why? Who would stoop so low as to kill someone?

"He was... murdered. And-" she paused, swallowing "And Yuki-kun, Iori-kun and Yukari-chan, as well as myself, we've been looking into it."

"You have?" Tomioka asked.

"Mhm. And we believe that someone put a hit on him on a revenge website." she revealed. Sanemi tensed. Revenge website? Why were people so bored now a days?

"You got a hint on who?" he asked, and she nodded.

"We've been looking into it ever since I joined SEES, since the teacher died a few days after I returned to school." she continued "It's kind of a thing we've been doing on the side, we never really told the third years, or Minako-chan, or either of you."

"So that's why you've been arriving late some times." Tomioka hummed.

"Yeah... And I-I don't think you'll like our current lead."

---

"Thank you for the help, Kozue-san." Jin politely said, bowing his head down. The man laughed softly.

"No worry, kid. I'm just glad to be of use." he smiled, wrapping up the boy's wrist with a sterile gauze bandage "Try not to play with fire next time, though. You don't want to get burnt worse." he told him. Jin only nodded, not saying much before leaving the pharmacy, Minako waiting for him while reading the book. She looked... confused, to say the least.

"What's in it?" he asked.

"Well, the first few pages are an explanation on this thing called Total Concentration Breathing, which I assume it's related to the Breathing Styles Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san have. And I am... confused." she admitted, scratching the back of her head. He raised a brow, leaning forwards to see what she meant.

 

Total Concentration Breathing is a breathing technique which involves expanding one's lungs to intake as much air as possible, accelerating one's blood flow and heartbeat while increasing their inner body temperature, resulting in their bones and muscles becoming more excited.

Using Total Concentration Breathing essentially enhances the user's physical traits and capabilities while still remaining human. Such traits include superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, endurance, and the mental abilities needed to keep up with their superhuman bodies, such as a faster thought process and reaction time. Being more proficient in Total Concentration Breathing is key in raising one's survivability while fighting demons.

• Strength: Users of Total Concentration Breathing gain superhuman physical strength, being able to perform feats such as slicing through boulders and trees, generating huge gusts of wind with a single sword swing, effortlessly breaking a person's arm, shattering ribs, picking up and flinging another person with a single arm, launching a person tens of meters, and moving massive boulders with their bare hands.
• Speed: Users of Total Concentration Breathing have the ability to move and travel at superhuman speeds. They are able to easily move faster than the eye can see making it seem as if one teleported. Users can cross great distances instantaneously, and evade extremely fast attacks such as sound or lightning.
• Stamina & Endurance: Users of Total Concentration Breathing possess inhuman stamina and endurance. Users can remain active for prolonged periods of time without tiring out.

 

Jin stared at the book, brows furrowed. "Yeah, this is... weird." he commented. It almost sounded unbelievable. How can someone move boulders with their bare hands? It sounded straight out of a fantasy book. Not only that, but traveling at superhuman speeds was only possible for sound or lightning. Being able to reach such speeds was impossible.

"Yeah..." she huffed "Well, it's not like it's gonna stop me, anyways." she shrugged.

"Are you sure ya wanna learn all of this? It looks like it's a lot to do, and it'd take too much effort." he asked, crossing his arms.

"I know! But think about it! If we do ever learn this, we'd be stronger!" she told him, a flowery aura around her "We'd be unstoppable!" he sighed.

"Whatever ya say..." she smiled, continuing to read the book "Who even wrote this?"

"According to the author? Someone named Agatsuma Zenitsu."

---

"Yes, I remember them." Mitsuru nodded "They were... unpleasant, to say the least." she sighed, Akihiko nodding in agreement.

"Two of them tried to pick fights with me a lot. I'm glad they got expelled." he commented, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. She sighed. She wouldn't say this out loud, but she shared the same sentiment as her friend.

"We suspect they had a hand on the murder of Ekoda." Yuki revealed, the atmosphere turning icy cold almost immediately. Mitsuru remembered that. A small funeral had been held for the deceased man, as well as a memorial the day after his death had been announced to the students. And, as much as she despised him for unintentionally letting Yamagishi suffer on her own for ten grueling hours stuck in Tartarus—which is why she is so grateful that Arisato, Tomioka and Shinazugawa had been there to protect her from the Shadows—she never once wished for him to die.

"You think they did it?" Akihiko asked, a brow quirked upwards while his position switched, leaning forwards.

"We think they put a hit on him on the website called Revenge Request." Takeba said "They have a motive to do so. After all, it was Ekoda who expelled them." she added. Mitsuru frowned.

"That is a very serious accusation." she spoke.

"We know." Iori nodded.

"It wouldn't hurt to look into it, right?" Yuki pressed, cocking his head to the side. Mitsuru and Akihiko exchanged a small glance.

"...Alright. Tell us what you've found out so far. We'll inform the chairman about this."

---

 

Chapter 22: People we lost

It's during one of the group's expeditions to Tartarus due to Sanada's persistence to get some training in before their next big target that Minako finally found the opportunity to gather information about Tomioka and Shinazugawa's special abilities. While the three and Yuki were looting a floor with barely any Shadows and a lot of chests, she approached the water user. "How do you do it?" she asked. He turned his head towards, a brow raised.

"Do what?" he quizzed. Right, be more specific.

"The water thingy, the whatchamacallit... The- The Breathing Style thingy, whatever you call it." Minako said, fumbling with her own words slightly, much to Tomioka's pure confusion "I've always been curious on how you do it." she admitted.

"I have to agree." Yuki chimed quietly as he and Shinazugawa approached them too "It's like you can use your Persona's abilities without needing to summon them, even though you've both awakened them now." he hummed "It's really cool, though." he added, quieter. The auburn haired girl silently nodded in agreement, taking note of the big bag filled with money the white haired man was carrying under his arm.

"It takes a long time to learn. It did for me, at least. I'm not sure how long it took Shinazugawa." Tomioka started "It's a technique we've been taught, and learned from previous users of it." he explained. Minako hummed as she nodded. It completely correlated to the information the book said. So that meant that Agatsuma was truly alive during the Taisho Era, just like Tomioka and Shinazugawa.

"Of course, there are different styles. I use Water, since that was the style I was taught by Uro- by my teacher." he cleared his throat, hoping that neither teen caught onto his slip up "Shinazugawa uses Wind, since that's the style he was taught." he continued like if it was nothing, like he hadn't almost dropped a name, while unsheathing his blade. It was then when Minako noticed the dark blue metal. Had it always been like that?

"The colour of our blades represent it." Shinazugawa added, bringing his own katana up. The metal was green, unlike Tomioka's. Minako hummed, lips pursed together. Did the Breathing Styles affect the blade? If so, then would her naginata turn a different colour if she learned a Breathing Style? 'Wait, no. Agatsuma's biography said that it had to be specific blades, called 'Nichirin Blades'. So that means I can’t have my naginata change colours. Fuck.' she thought, huffing quietly as she watched Yuki stare at the blades with something akin to amazement in his eyes. He was like an open book, honestly.

"I want one." the blue haired boy admitted.

"Yeah- Well- These are, uh..." Shinazugawa started, sweatdropping "We dunno where our teachers got them. So uh. Yeah." he stammered, looking away. Minako held back a laugh. It was so obvious that he was lying, and she was sure Yuki caught onto it as well. She didn't look though, instead she was deep in thought. She hadn't read the book thoroughly yet, she'd just started it. Agatsuma was a rather dramatic writer, if she could comment on that. But even so, could she learn the basics? Did the author explain how to learn Total Concentration Breathing? It explained what it was and what it did, but she hadn't gotten to how Agatsuma learned it. He must have been trained by someone.

"I can sense the presence of a person on the next floor! There are Shadows near them!" Fuuka's nervous tone tore into the conversation, startling both adults and Minako for a moment. She blinked. Right, Tartarus. She forgot that they were here. It had been so peaceful, can you really blame her? Yuki sprinted towards the stairs, the others following him.

"How many Shadows?" Tomioka asked.

"There's two blobs- two presences. But I can’t tell how many will appear once you cut them down." Fuuka answered.

"Arms." Minako said.

"Huh?"

"Eh?" both Fuuka and Shinazugawa let out a noise at the same time, and it was almost adorable.

"Look at the number of arms the blobs have, and at the size. Bigger blobs usually come in four or five Shadows." she explained as they hurried up the stairs, their footsteps echoing throughout the place "Smaller blobs come in one or two. That kind of stuff."

"Ah! It's like a videogame, kind of!" she said.

"If you think about it, then yeah." Yuki nodded.

"Take two rights and then continue forwards!"

---

"There we go." Sanemi sighed as he stepped out of the teleporter, carrying the unconscious girl in his arms. She was wearing a Gekkoukan uniform—the school most of SEES attended. A group he and Tomioka were now part of, as the armband attached to his upper arm of his haori indicated. Tomioka had it too, just under his haori. He shook off the thought as the group walked all out of the teleporter.

"That's a lotta money!" Iori whistled, seeing the bag that Sanemi had filled now being carried by Yuki.

"There was an entire floor with money, no Shadows around, and you expect us to not loot?" the blue haired teenager asked, his tone dry. Sanemi could still hear the sass and sarcasm. God, it reminded him of Tomioka, and he disliked it. He doesn't need another... another Tomioka. He doesn't wanna insult the man, he still needs to have that talk with him. A talk that he hopes it'll come soon.

Iori laughed in response to the question posed, slinging an arm around the shorter boy's shoulders. The blue haired boy sighed, but he didn't make a move to push the taller away, as if resigning himself to that fate, or something. 'Even though Iori sounds like Genya, he acts more like Uzui than anything...' he thought, looking away. Genya acting like Uzui? He'd rather die by a Lower Moon than ever witness or imagine that. Uzui was reliable, but he was so annoying at times.

"That was the last one." Sanada commented as the Wind Hashira gently placed her down on the floor "Her name is Hasegawa Saori. She's a second year."

"Hey, weren't some of the second years making a fuss about her?" Takeba asked.

"Oh yeah! Something about how she seduced someone's boyfriend, or something." Iori nodded, brows furrowed "She doesn't seem like the type to do that, though. The few times I've seen her, she's been nice." he added.

"Bullies go for whoever they want." Yuki shrugged, a frown appearing on Sanemi's face almost immediately "I heard from Odagiri-senpai that she seems to have trouble interacting with the other students. That makes it easy for her to be bullied." he spoke. Yamagishi visibly tensed up, her breath drawing a hitch at those words. It was quiet, but he noticed. And so did Sanada.

"Bullies should just find a hobby, really..." Takeba murmured under her breath, a glint of annoyance in her expression. Nothing else was said as the third years carried the two unfortunate victims and the group exited Tartarus. The Wind Hashira glanced at Tomioka, seeing him engaging in conversation with Arisato, Yuki and Yamagishi. He frowned.

"What's with the long face?" he jumped slightly at Iori's question. He turned to the teen, who was looking at him with curiosity. A brow was raised.

"...Don't worry about it." he said, waving his hand dismissively as he continued to walk. But Iori was someone who didn't budge, he was persistent. Like Genya.

"You were lookin' at Tomioka like a kicked puppy. Like if you were jealous, or something." he hummed, Sanemi's hand twitching at the comparison. A kicked puppy? Jealous? What the hell did the kid mean by that? Tomioka would be the last one he'd ever feel jealous about.

He was a loner, someone who probably didn't have any friends, or people who he can hold close to his heart.

Like Sanemi, even though he has Obanai he lost Masachika and his family.

He was someone who isolated himself from others, choosing to remain silent and distant in order to not form any friendships.

Like Sanemi, who chooses to lash out in anger and push people away, although he chose to let Obanai in, who did the same for him.

Tomioka- He'd never dream to be that guy.

Because he and Sanemi were two sides of the same coin.

"I'm not jealous of that soaked idiot, Iori. Shut it." he huffed out, eliciting a shocked wheeze out of Iori. The teen coughed into his hand, surprised by the words uttered.

"Woah there! I was just askin', you know!" he laughed "But if that's what you think, then sure." he shrugged, a teasing smile on his face. At least he left Sanemi alone and chose to not continue the conversation. Still, the question was utterly ridiculous. Jealous? Why would he be jealous of Tomioka, of all people? Him and Sanemi... were pretty much the same, as much as Sanemi hated to admit it.

---

"You wanted to talk to me in private?" Giyuu asked as he met up with Shinazugawa the next evening, the two arriving at a shrine that was located in the island. If the Water Hashira recalled correctly, this was the Naganaki Shrine, according to Arisato. Very few people came to it. The Wind Hashira nodded, hands shoved into the pocket of his dress pants.

"Yeah. My mind's just been eatin' me about what you said to me in the monorail." the man started, Giyuu's shoulders tensing up slightly "You've always said that you weren't like the rest of us Hashira. And at first, I thought you meant you were above us, that you thought of yourself as better than the rest of us." Giyuu's gaze moved away from the path, looking away from the man. He still couldn't believe that he believed it was like that, when it clearly was it. He wasn't better than them, he was just a placeholder for the next Water Hashira.

"And yet that day, you said you weren't the Water Hashira." the Wind Hashira continued "So, tell me, Tomioka. What the fuck are you talking about?" he asked, standing behind the shrine. The area was deserted, no signs of life. Giyuu exhaled, turning to look at Shinazugawa. If he was going to tell him, then the very least he could do was look him straight in the eye.

"I was never the Water Hashira." he started, shoulders sinking into the warmth of his thin jacket as he searched how to approach the conversation without making the other explode in confusion "And I never will be. I'm just a placeholder until someone more suited for the job arrives." he said, hoping that it would satisfy the other's curiosity. But Shinazugawa was... to put in a gentle way to say it, not the brightest.

"The fuck? Are you disregarding Oyakata-sama?" he questioned, ready to lunge at him.

"I could never. Oyakata-sama is someone who has gained my utmost respect." Giyuu shook his head, preparing himself to jump away from a possible attack. He took another breath.

"A long time ago, I was found by the former Water Hashira, Urokodaki Sakonji." he started, Shinazugawa's eyes narrowing with curiosity as he dropped his stance, deciding to let him talk "And under his guidance, I trained with a boy. His name was Sabito. He had lost his family to demons, and we bonded over our mutual losses. He was... He was my best friend." his tone dropped, voice growing softer at the memory of Sabito. He, who should have lived. He took a deep breath, as if allowing himself to let go of Total Concentration Breathing for just a moment to, simply, breathe. Once he was calm, he gazed up at the sky, the warm orange and pink blending together beautifully.

"He was kind, overwhelmingly kind. Although he had a strange... obsession with being more of a man that he already was." he allowed himself to softly chuckle at the memory, the sound dry, forced. The corners of his eyes catching the way Shinazugawa looked surprised at the mere action, eyes widened just slightly and lips parted open.

"We did everything together. Laughed, cried, trained, ate. And when our mentor deemed us ready, we were sent to Final Selection." his fists clenched slowly "Most of the participants called it a 'miracle selection'. Do you want to know why?" he asked. He was going to give the answer to him, of course, that's what the man had asked him for. But still, he couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Why?"

"All demons but one were killed that year." Giyuu answered, closing his eyes for a moment. He heard Shinazugawa let out a noise of disbelief, but Giyuu didn't want to hear it. It was as if he sent himself back down the memory lane, the warm blood dripping from his forehead and covering his eye. Pathetically reaching towards his friend's vanishing figure, calling for him while his voice broke.

"And all participants but one survived." he added, slowly turning his head to look at the Hashira. His face dawned with realization, as if he figured it out. Still, it wasn't like Giyuu was going to stay silent. Shinazugawa had been wanting to know the entire truth. And even though he can't bring himself to say everything, he can... he can tell him about Sabito.

"Sabito killed almost every demon there. Yet he passed away and was eaten by one during the time in Mount Fujikasane." he said, bitterness and self-loathing blending onto his tone "And you want to know what happened to me? I was injured by the first demon that saw me, losing enough blood to become too dazed, too useless to do anything." he spat out, anger flashing in his eyes. Anger, gut-wrenching anger directed at no one but himself.

"How can I be a Hashira if the only reason I was able to become a Demon Slayer was because I was so weak my best friend had to protect me, and died because of my incompetence?" he asked, closing his eyes. He didn't want to cry, not here, not now. Yet the guilt and the pain was suffocating, threatening to drown him in a peach-coloured sea until his lungs couldn't work anymore, images of his friend and his sister drawn in the water haphazardly.

"...I know what that's like." Shinazugawa spoke, his voice quiet. Something uncharacteristic of him. Giyuu opened his eyes, seeing the other had crossed his arms, looking down. He didn't say anything else, and it made Giyuu's heart clench.

"You- You don't. You don't know. You were able to behead demons during your Final Selection. I didn't. I just slept, like a weakling." the water breather shook his head "I don't deserve to stand by you all. Sabito did. But he- But he died. And I couldn't fucking do anything!" he snapped. He didn't even mean to snap, he just- he just couldn't hold it in anymore. It just grew so difficult to stop it.

"I never should’ve passed that damned Final Selection. I should’ve died instead of Sabito. He would’ve been a better Water Hashira than me. He had the skills, the better judgement, the-"

"Shut the fuck up!"

 

Giyuu's head recoiled to the side as pain flared up on his cheek.

---

"Shut the fuck up!" Sanemi snapped as his hand flew, his palm making contact against Tomioka's cheek. The Water Hashira seemed surprised at the action, and Sanemi faltered for a moment. However, the anger that flooded his mind was strong.

"What the actual fuck is wrong with you?!" he exclaimed, hands shooting out and grabbing the collar of the other's shirt "Are you just going to disregard your friend's sacrifice by trashing on yourself and believing you shouldn't be alive?! Do you think Sabito would have wanted that?!" he questioned, seeing the way Tomioka's eyes widened at that.

"You don't know anything about Sabito!" he shot back.

"I don't!" he shouted, Tomioka's anger faltering "Of course I fucking don't know the guy! But if there's anything I know, is that if he's your best friend, then he'd come out of the ground and slap you several times for thinking that way!" he said, aggressively jabbing his index finger against the Water Hashira's chest. The other's breath hitched, eyes almost fully wide. The wind breather took that opportunity to calm down and let go of Tomioka's shirt.

"Wha-"

"Believe me." Sanemi started, voice softer this time as he did his best to control his temper "I know. I know what it's like to feel weak. It happened with Masachika, it happened with my family, it happened with Kanae. But if there's one thing that I know, is that I kept moving forward. Even if all I had was anger, I kept pushing through, the desire to kill demons was the only thing I had in mind." he said, shaking his head "And... Listen, I know it's not gonna be the same for you, but you have to switch that mindset. You gotta... You gotta take whatever you got in your mind. And try to pour it out in a more healthy way. Not the way I do, because, well-"

"I think exploding at everyone does not, indeed, classify as a healthy way." Sanemi sputtered at the comment, almost laughing. Almost. Tomioka looked more relaxed, albeit a bit on edge. And how can the Wind Hashira blame him? He did just get yelled at.

"And... Look, I know we don't have the best relationship—it's practically non-existant. But..." he sighed, almost feeling like he was vomit out the next words he was going to say "we're here together. And we- we gotta rely on each other if we wanna get back to our time." he told him. Tomioka stayed silent, staring at him. Actually staring. And for a moment, Sanemi felt uncomfortable.

"...You're not that bad when you open up to someone, you know..." Tomioka breathed out, relaxed. Sanemi blinked. He... He was? Huh?

"Eh?" he let out. Tomioka didn't say anything else, instead walking past him and walking towards the box, leaving the Wind Hashira to dwell upon his thoughts.

 

"You're not that bad when you open up to someone, you know."

 

What in the hell did he mean by that, and why did Sanemi feel his cheeks burning? Why was his heart racing?

---

Yukari didn't usually come to the shrine that much, she really only came the days before the week exams, wanting to have some good luck before beginning the hell that was exam week. She'd began doing it back in her first year, though that was a story for another time. But just earlier, she had heard screaming coming from the area, and for a moment, she panicked. Was Koro-chan okay? If she recalled correctly, he was about to go on his walk. Had some drunk bastard gone into the shrine area and bothered the poor dog? Her legs took her to the entrance, breathing heavily as she was ready to confront whoever was bothering Koro-chan. However, she stopped when she saw a rather... hilarious sight.

Tomioka was scurrying away from Koro-chan, who was being coddled by Shinazugawa. "Oh, come on, Tomioka! How can you say no to this little guy?" the scarred man asked, tone teasing. What? Huh? Yukari didn't know that Shinazugawa was soft with animals. That was... unexpected. Nor did she expect that Tomioka seemed... scared of dogs.

"No. No, get him away. Shinazugawa, I swear to god-" Tomioka insisted, walking backwards and away from the dog. Koro-chan whined, ears flopping down in sadness, and god- Yukari wanted to hug him so badly and give him all the toys and the food in the world.

"Don't mind Tomioka. He's just a very mean idiot." Shinazugawa huffed, patting the animal's head as he ignored the offended noise the other let out. The red-eyed dog barked happily, turning to Shinazugawa and tackling him to the floor, licking his face and causing him to laugh. Yukari quickly took out her flip phone, taking out a picture of the scene as a smile slowly creeped onto her face. She had no idea what had transpired earlier for them to end like this, but her day just got a lot better, her mind taking away from the investigation of Ekoda-sensei's death.

She quickly messaged her friends and sent the picture to Makoto and Junpei, closing her flip phone once it had been sent before approaching. "Hey Tomioka-san, Shinazugawa-san!" she greeted with a smile.

"Ah- Takeba, hey." Tomioka greeted, a bit surprised to see the other there. Shinazugawa, on the other hand, had frozen in surprise. Koro-chan was the sweetest, jumping off of the man and running to her. She crouched down, letting him jump into her arms-

"Hey Koro-chan! How have you been?" she asked, her hands squishing his fluffy fur. He barked in joyous response, tongue sticking out. She laughed.

"Is he yours, Takeba?" Shinazugawa asked, trying to look the same as always, which was a composed and angry man. But she'd seen right through, and he knew.

"No. He had an owner, the priest of the Naganaki Shrine, but..." she trailed off, brows furrowing at the memory of what the woman had told her, Fuuka and Makoto before she quickly shook it away. The two men seemed to understand, although Tomioka still refused to go near him.

"Hey, Koro-chan." Yukari whispered, getting the dog's attention "Go and tackle Shinauzgawa again!"

"Huh?!-" Shinazugawa could only yelp as Koro-chan pounced on him, licking his face and eliciting laughs from the white haired man, all the while Yukari smiled at the scene. And, from the corners of her eyes, she also caught the ghost of a smile on his face, something unexpected, yet pleasing. She noticed how the two had seemed somewhat guarded around SEES, except Fuuka and Arisato, so it was nice to know they could just... be human? Children? Happy? Happy. Yeah, let's go with happy.

---

 

Chapter 23: Socializing (Giyuu can do that, yes)

Summary:

*Gives Giyuu grandparents*

Notes:

I just had the dumb idea of making SEES + Giyuu and Sanemi watch the Twilight Movies but like.
The timeline is not timelining

"Yuki? Where are you going?" Makoto paused, looking up. It was a warm day, and Tomioka was looking up from the couch. He seemed to be the only one in the building, if you didn't count the blue-haired boy himself, of course. Which wasn't surprising, considering how the temperature was getting higher and higher as summer progressed.

"I'm going to Bookworms." he answered. The confused look on the other man's face gave away that he did not know what Makoto was talking about. The boy mentally facepalmed.

"Book store. Getting books." he clarified, drawing out a soft 'oh' from the man.

"Is it alright if I come with you?" Tomioka asked as he got up from the couch. Makoto raised a brow, surprised.

"Aren't you always with Shinazugawa? I thought you'd be with him today as well." he asked.

"He went to the shrine to visit the dog with Iori. Takeba told us his name is Koromaru." Tomioka shook his head "I'm not exactly a fan of dogs." Makoto hummed. Understandable He debated whether or not to take the man with him for a few seconds. Bunkichi and Mitsuko would probably like the new visitor, right? He's been there with Fushimi and with Bebe, so they'd appreciate the new friend, hopefully. Besides, Tomioka was nice. Sure, he was quiet and a bit straight-forward, and a bit dense. But he wasn't a bad person. It'd be a different thing if he was with Shinazugawa. Call him a bit judgemental, but the other man was... very loud and rude at times.

"I don't care." he shrugged. Tomioka took that as a sign to follow after him, a small glint of joy in his eyes. Makoto let him catch up, his gaze narrowing at the man. Maybe he could learn from him by going here? Maybe he could learn who trained him. He recalled him almost saying his name on accident the other day on Tartarus. Uro-something, Tomioka had cut himself off before he could finish saying the name fully.

They headed to the strip mall at the station, the walk was silent. Makoto had placed his headphones on, with Light the Fire up in the Night blasting at an almost high, ear-blasting volume. He didn't put it at full incase Tomioka wanted to talk, which didn't seem likely. Until the man tapped his shoulder. Makoto raised a brow as he took off a headphone, looking at the other man quizzically. "You always wear those whenever you're outside, unless you count, uh..." he paused for a moment, brows furrowed as he racked his brain for a word "Turquoise." Makoto blinked. Unless counting what now?

"...Turquoise?" he repeated, staring at the black-haired man like if he was an idiot.

"The tower." Tomioka clarified. Makoto's face went blank. Turquoise? The tower? Tartarus? Huh?

"Why are you calling it that?" the blue-haired boy asked.

"Ah. Well, Arisato-san calls it that to avoid suspicion." he facepalmed at the reasoning. Really, Arisato?

"Do you want to listen?" he asked. Tomioka meekly nodded, curious. Makoto paused the music and took off an earphone before offering it to the man, who graciously took it and placed it on. Makoto then lowered the volume of the music before he played it again. Tomioka's eyes widened slightly at the sound of the music, lips parting slightly as he listened. It seemed like he was analyzing it. The blue-haired boy raised a brow, a silent question. The man seemed to notice.

"...It's different from what I'm used to listening to. It's nice." he commented, yet he sounded pleased with the tune he was listening to. Makoto's eyes narrowed, content with the answer. With that, they continued to walk until the two arrived at the strip mall. There was a lot of people there, which is why the blue-haired boy took back the headphone he had lent Tomioka, turning off the MP3 player and had both the device and the headphones hanging around his neck.

"Here we are." he said as he walked to the book store, opening the door carefully. The sound of a bell rang throughout the small store.

"Welcome to Bookworms!" Bunkichi's cheerful voice reached Makoto's ears as the teenager stepped forward "Well, well, well! If it isn't Makoto-chan!" he warmly smiled, Mitsuko standing by the desk filled with books. The store was filled to the brim with books, just like the other times he's come here before.

"Hello, Bunkichi-san." he greeted.

"We were just talking about you." Bunkichi's expression soured into a guilty look "We've been feeling a bit guilty for troubling you about the persimmon tree." he explained. Makoto shook his head.

"I wouldn't worry about it." he spoke. Bunkichi's expression immediately brightened.

"Ohh! Good one!" he laughed "I 'wooden' worry about it? I'm glad you can joke around even at a time like this." it wasn't a joke, but Makoto remained quiet. If it made Bunkichi feel happier, then he was fine with him interpreting it as a joke. But still, he was dead serious about the topic.

"Makes me feel like we're not so different, you and I. Lord knows I can't pass up a good pun." he chuckled, his face slowly turning sour.

"Forgive me for asking." Tomioka spoke up, his presence aware to the elder couple "But what's this about a persimmon tree?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Oh my! We didn't see you at all, sir!" Mitsuko gasped, surprise in her eyes.

"Ah, I apologize. I brought someone over." Makoto quickly spoke.

"I'm Tomioka Giyuu. It's nice to meet you." the black-haired man spoke, bowing his head in respect.

"Ah, what a polite young man!" Bunkichi chuckled "I'm Bunkichi. Urokodaki Bunkichi. And this is my wife, Urokodaki Mitsuko." Makoto heard Tomioka's breath hitch as he raised his head, surprise written on his face. He raised a brow, confused by that. Both by the reaction, but also because Makoto hadn't heard Bunkichi's last name before.

"Urokodaki?" the blue-haired boy asked.

"Yes! That is my last name. It means fish, scales, and many things related to water!" Bunkichi smiled "Is something wrong, young man? You look like a fish out of the water with how you're staring!" he laughed. Tomioka blinked, snapping out of what seemed like a trance.

"I apologize." he murmured.

"No need to apologize, Giyuu-chan." Mitsuko shook her head, a kind smile on her face. He just nodded in response.

"About the persimmon tree. It's... It's a reminder of our son." Bunkichi began, sadness sticking to his expression as he looked down at the desk, finding it more interesting than looking at the two Persona users "Before his death... he was a teacher at Gekkoukan." Tomioka stiffened visibly, brows furrowed slightly at the mention of the couple's son passing away "He planted that tree on graduation day with the students of his very first class."

"It must be important to you both, then..." Tomioka spoke, realizing what they could mean.

"It is... And just when we thought that tree was about to bear fruit..." Mitsuko trailed off, shaking her head in confusion "Why now? Why do they want to cut it down now..?" she asked. Makoto frowned. Why would they cut the tree down now? What prompted the school to do that?

"It'll be okay." he assured, shaking the questions off of his mind and deciding to keep them for later. Mitsuko smiled kindly at him, appreciating the gesture.

"Thank you, Makoto-chan. I'm all right now. That made me feel a lot better. It's very comforting talking to you." she said, the corners of her cheeks crinkling because of the smile. Makoto politely nodded.

"Maybe they might rethink the choice of cutting down the tree." Tomioka suggested, Makoto turning to him "Or perhaps they might move it to another place for it to bear fruit." the Wildcard doubted it. The school seemed to want to do that. Not only that, but most of the students didn't seem to care.

"That would be wonderful, Giyuu-chan." Mitsuko hummed softly.

"Oh, wow! You two have really gone and captured my wife's heart!" Bunkichi laughed "You both must be popular with the ladies! My wife's no sucker, after all!"

"Ah- I apologize, that was not my intention-" Tomioka stammered.

"Ah, lighten up Giyuu-chan! I was just joking!" Bunkichi chuckled, a smile on his face "When I look at you both, I feel I'm looking at myself when I was in my prime!" he added fondly. Tomioka blinked at that, surprised.

"Thank you, Bunkichi-san."

 

"A bit of an action guy, huh? Well, we have a section here just for ya!" Bunkichi-san beamed as he showed Giyuu a shelf. He nodded as he browsed it, curious.

"Harry Potter?" he read as he took out a book and looked at the cover.

"Ah! That one! It's a novel from a british author! It's a pretty good read, in my opinion!" Bunkichi-san smiled, patting his back "Tell you what, since this is your first time visiting, you can take the book for free!"

"H-Huh? No, I-"

"Aw, come on, Giyuu-chan! I insist!" Giyuu sighed, looking at the book before giving in.

"Alright then, Bunkichi-san..."

---

"Who's a good boy!? Who's a good boy?! You are!" Iori cooed as he fondled Koromaru's cheeks, the dog barking happily. Sanemi sweatdropped, holding back his smile as he stared at the scene. It was a very... weirdly warm scene. But he didn't mind it. If anything, looking at the scene brought... memories. Suppressed memories he would rather not remember.

Instead of seeing Iori, now he just saw Genya. Tiny, little Genya, cuddling a dog of one of the villagers with a big smile on his face, running to Sanemi and Sumi to show them the cute dog. Sanemi's face contorted into a frown, his breath hitching. Shit. Shit, memories why now? Why did they have to come up now? He quickly shook his head, almost slapping his face to force himself to not remember. At least, not right now.

"Koro, go tackle him!"

"Wha- Hey!" Sanemi let out a yelp as he dodged Koromaru's charge, instead lunging at the dog and trapping him in his arms "You tryna be a little sneaky dog, huh?! Good luck, buddy, you ain't gettin' the drop on me this time!" he asked, patting the animal. Koromaru yelped, licking Sanemi's face in joy.

"Huh, he seems to like you, Shinazugawa-san!" Iori commented as he approached.

"Yeah, dogs like me a hell of a lot." Sanemi let out as he sat up, scratching the animal. He leaned onto the touch, clearly enjoying the attention.

"Seems like it. Is it the same for cats? Are you an animal whisperer in secret?" Iori teasingly asked, making the Wind Hashira roll his eyes in response.

"Ah, shut it Iori." the teenager raised his hands up, faux defeat. Koromaru barked.

"I think the lil guy might agree with me here!" Iori joked.

"Oh come on!"

---

 

Notes:

"But Bunkichi and Mitsuko's last name is Kitamura-"

SSSSHHHHHHHHH

Chapter 24: Full Moon

Notes:

Should have been longer but mental health and school said otherwise...

The clocked kept ticking, the sound resonating all throughout the room. SEES all gathered in the fourth floor's command room, everyone sitting down on the available seats. Shinazugawa-san opted to stay standing, leaning against the sofa while staring daggers at Ikutsuki-san. Fuuka had sat next to Minako-chan, seeing the girl having a similar stare as the white-haired man. It was unnerving. They had the same expression. She swallowed nervously. They'd been waiting for the Dark Hour to come, and everyone was geared up. Still, she just didn't understand why the wind user and the auburn-haired girl were glaring at the chairman. Did he rub them the wrong way? Had something happened?

"Today is the day of a Full Moon Operation." Kirijo-senpai started, clearing her throat to try and break the silence "This Shadow is not going to be as easy as the ones we've faced in Tartarus."

"Does that count the Reaper Shadow we encountered?" Tomioka-san asked, raising his hand politely. It was as if a student was asking a teacher a question or something

"No. That one is... We're not sure which one is stronger or not." the heiress shook her head "Penthesilea's analysis skills were... not as advanced as Yamagishi's." Fuuka looked down. She could probably analyze it if she had enough time or experience, like Kirijo-senpai, but that- that thing is so slippery! It's so difficult to catch! She glanced at Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san for a moment, just to confirm they were here. It was... scary.

"Yeah, I figured." the scarred man murmured under his breath, rolling his eyes. Tomioka-san nudged him gently, as if to say 'shut up'. He only grumbled in response. Fuuka kept that in mind. It seemed like they were willing to listen to each other more than listen to the rest. She could tell by the body language that they were comfortable with each other. And with her and Minako-chan, too. And she was sort of happy about it, if she could admit!

Eventually, the clock ticked off midnight, and the room's lights died, an eery darkness was casted upon the room. The only source of light was the equipment the Kirijo group funded, and the moon's glow that filtered through the windows. Fuuka swallowed as she stood up, taking out her Evoker. "Looks like it's time." Yuki hummed. Everyone gathered around the navigator as she summoned Lucia, clasping her hands together. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"Any luck, Yamagishi?" Sanada-senpai asked.

"Just a moment..." she answered back. She drowned out everything else, surrounding herself in a dark abyss, shielded by Lucia. Blue lights surrounded her, those which were her teammates only. And then, far away from them, was a mass of red, violent, and hungry. For a moment, it made her heart spike. Her eyes opened, lit up in realization and a small hint of fear.

"I found it! I'm picking up a large Shadow in the city!" she announced.

"Hey, we were right!" Iori-kun said, his eyes wide in realization and joy.

"Yes, it seems like our full moon hypothesis was correct." Ikutsuki-san hummed, delighted by the information. Almost too delighted, might Fuuka add. But she bit her tongue for now. She... There had to be something off about him if Shinazugawa-san and Minako-chan were so... openly distrusting of him. At least by body language.

"It's located in Iwatodai, inside a building on Shirakawa Boulevard." she informed as she shook those thoughts out of her mind. First, Shadow. Then, drama. Simple as that.

"Hmmm, Shirakawa Boulevard." the chairman commented, stroking his chin "They've been finding the Lost in pairs lately. Now I understand why." he nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. She had heard about the Lost being found like that from classmates who liked to gossip, but Fuuka wasn't exactly sure what they meant. And they never really approached her anyways because, well. She was the ghost girl of 2-E. They don't want to turn out like her, disappearing for countless days and then appearing back into life like nothing. At least Iwasaki-san was kind, though. A bit blunt, but she was kind.

Maybe she could join the volleyball club as a manager? She's frail, sports are not her forte. She'd be winded just from trying to dive and save a ball. Or maybe that be too much if she topples those responsibilities with her cooking club. She wasn't sure yet.

"In pairs?" Kirijo-senpai asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Oh. Wait, is that where the fucking-" Minako-chan started, her face dawning in realization and some hint of disgust "Oooooh. Oh, I see now." she trailed off to herself, pinching the bridge of her nose as she let out an audible groan.

"Ah!" the heiress gasped "Now I understand as well." she nodded.

"Uh. Context?" Tomioka-san asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah, I'd appreciate it, too. I'm unfamiliar with that area, so I'm not sure what's in there." Fuuka nodded "Although judging from Minako-chan's... delighted expression, I can assume she doesn't like it." she added, hinting some sarcasm in her words.

"I've heard about it, but..." Yukari-chan trailed off, sweatdropping.

"Oh, that's where all those hotels are. That explains a lot!" Iori-kun smiled, and now Fuuka had a bad feeling "You've heard about 'em, right Fuuka? Where people go to... y'know..." he trailed off. Fuuka felt her face beginning to burn in embarrassment, the realization of what her teammate was implying was slowly settling in her head. She quickly covered her face, looking away.

"What is wrong with you..?" Yukari-chan scolded, lightly hitting the taller on the shoulder.

"Come now, don't let your imaginations get carried away. They're no different from any other hotel. The rooms are just a bit more... exotic, that's all." Ikutsuki-san assured, and Fuuka could see the surprised look on Iori-kun's face.

"How do you know that?" Minako-chan jabbed, crossing her arms.

"Again. Can we have some damn context here?" Shinazugawa-san repeated, raising a brow as he signaled to the black-haired man and himself.

"Wait- You don't know?" Yuki asked, surprised.

"Uh. No?" Tomioka-san answered, confused "Should we... be aware of something about Shirakawa Boulevard? Is there some sort of reputation it has?" he quizzed. Fuuka stared at the two men for a moment, her face falling into a blank look. What? How did they not know?

"I'll explain to you two later!" Minako-chan assured them, a nervous smile on her face "Let's just- you know- focus on the mission!"

"I don't know about this. Maybe I shouldn't go." Yukari-chan began, rubbing her arm.

"Aw, look at you Yuka-tan. You're such a child sometimes." Iori-kun teased her lightly. The brunette's expression hardened into an annoyed glare.

"What?" she scoffed "Who are you calling a child?!" she asked, about to grab his collar. Luckily, Yuki-kun stepped in and placed a hand on his wrist, shaking his head. The archer let it go, although she was still glaring at Iori-kun.

"Alright, fine. Let's go." she huffed "I'm reserving a spot on the line-up for today's operation. No objections!" she declared.

"That's the spirit!" Minako-chan cheered, clapping happily.

"Wha- You- You can just do that??" Iori-kun questioned, confused.

"So? Who's gonna take the lead?" Yukari-chan asked, ignoring the taller.

"I don't see any reason to change the current leader we have right now." Kirijo-senpai spoke, a hand on her hip "It's clear he's indicated for this. Under his command, we haven't gotten many problems with him."

"If we don't include the last Full Moon..." Iori-kun muttered, a pout on his face. But a stern gaze from Shinazugawa-san shut him up.

"Yamagishi, I want you to handle support during the operation."

"I'll do my best!" Fuuka nodded.

"All right, go ahead and decide on the rest of the team. Let's do this."

"Right."

---

"So what's the deal with those hotels that Ikutsuki mentioned?" Minako sighed at the question, bringing a hand to her temple. She knew it was an innocent question coming from Shinazugawa and Tomioka, but still. She would rather not answer this. But a promise is a promise.

"Okay. So, did you have these sort of places back in the Taisho era were people would go and like. Have sex?" she asked. Tomioka's face faltered.

"Wait- Are they like oiran houses?" he asked "Is this prostitution?" Minako shook her head, seeing the way Shinazugawa's face went blank, as if he was trying to process what his colleague had asked.

"No! It’s like- It's like consensual!" she stammered "Okay- Let me just- I'm trying to explain this here, alright?!" she huffed, her face growing red from embarrassment. She slapped herself to calm down, crossing her arms.

"Is everything okay?" Takeba asked, looking at them with a brow raised.

"Yep, just keep walking!" Minako ushered, pushing the other forwards out of embarrassment. The archer just let out a string of confused noises, but obliged nonetheless, shuffling forwards and deciding to begin a conversation with Sanada. The auburn-haired girl sighed.

"So it's like... A weird mix of an inn. And an oiran house." she started "In a sense of you pay to stay here with people you come with, like... Like, for example, a couple. And you can have sex with your loved ones and all. And there’s um. There's probably toys and all of that stuff, I don't know how the interior looks." she explained, trying to be as vague as possible but also be helpful. Tomioka's expression hardened, and she saw his cheeks slowly becoming pink. Shinazugawa's face still looked the same, but he looked annoyed.

"Ah, so that's what it is." the water user said blankly, bringing a hand up to cover his flustered face.

"I feel like we should've known about that when Ikutsuki said that the victims were being found in pairs but it just flew over our damn heads." the wind user groaned, shaking his head. Minako sweatdropped.

"Yeah, no, don't worry about it." she waved her hand reassuringly "Although, if anything, I'm more concerned about the fact that the Lost being found in pairs. We kight have to watch out for status ailments." she hummed.

"Status ailments? You mean like when Tomioka got shot with an arrow and got brainwashed and tried to kill me?" Shinazugawa asked.

"Yeah- I explained that whole debacle to you both while stuck in Tartarus." Minako deadpanned, somewhat disappointed.

"I'm sorry, I forgot about that because we got distracted with the big Shadows." Tomioka said, completely honest with his words. The auburn-haired girl sighed in response. Well, she couldn't exactly argue with that, could she? It was when they first met SEES, and when she defended them.

When she betrayed Takaya, Jin and Chidori just a little bit. But it was fine! They'll forgive her. They always do. They were her friends, after all! Her actual friends...

"Well, it's fine. Let's just revise them really fast so you don't forget them." the two men nodded, seemingly content with this "So we have Poison, which is when you lose health until you're clinging to life. Charm, which is when you turn on your allies because the enemy seduced you with whatever flipping capabilities it has to do so-"

"What-

"-Panic, which is when you go on a frenzy and can't summon your Persona and are left open to attack. Rage, which is when you go apeshit and you basically pummel an enemy to the ground. Fear, which is when you're scared shitless and can't do anything, with the possibility of you running away. Distress, which is when you're left open and can't dodge. Down, which is when you-"

"-Get hit hard by an attack you're weak to." Tomioka said it for her. Minako smiled at that, happy to see that they at least remembered that from the many Tartarus runs.

"Right on the money, Tomioka-san!" he looked proud of that, for whatever reason "Next we have Freeze, which is when you get hit with an ice attack and can't move. Same with Shock, but the only difference is that you get hit with an electric attack. And lastly, we have Dizzy! Which is the same as Distress, pretty much." she finished.

"So that would make 10 status ailments to look out for." the water user nodded, letting out a small hum.

"Seems easy enough. We have items for it and I'm pretty sure Takeba can counter them." Shinazugawa shrugged.

"It's easy until it isn't." she shook her head, remembering the many times she's gotten hit with status ailments and had to have Chidori help her. She apologized countless times to the girl for it, to the point where Chidori told her to stop apologizing.

"Should we be looking out for a specific one tonight?" Tomioka asked, curious.

"Well, if they're finding the Lost in pairs, then be careful about the Charm one. Just- Just don't fall for a sexy Shadow." she sighed, bringing a hand to her face. Charm was probably the one she loathed the most. It felt icky.

"Never fucking say that again." Shinazugawa deadpanned, giving her a weak glare.

"Hey, Tomioka and I have had our experiences with that ailment, we can joke about it." she huffed.

"Oh that's right, I got shot with the arrow that one time." he absentmindedly hummed as the group arrived at a hotel, with Shinazugawa sighing in annoyance at those words.

"You say that like it's the discovery of the year." he grumbled. Minako decided to tune out the possible bickering as she looked up at the sign, brows furrowed.

 

Champ de Fleurs

 

'Here goes nothing...' she thought, lips pursed into a thin line and brows furrowed. Was it too late to back out?

---

 

Notes:

Edited: 05/09/25

Chapter 25: Deep hatred

Notes:

CW: Implied Abuse, a small moment of sh from Sanemi.

LISTEN I KNOW I SAID I WAS ONLY GOING TO POST DRABBLES AND SHORT STORIES BUT. I GOT THAT MOTIVATION TO PULL AN ALL NIGHTER FOR A LONG CHAPTER AND STUDY. DOUBLE WIN.

"Whoa! Looks just like I imagined!" Junpei grinned upon spotting the hotel, although his face then narrowed "Champs... Dee... Floors..? How d'you say that?" he asked, looking at the group. Makoto blinked. He remembered Bebe talking about this once, but he forgot what it meant. Or how to pronounce it.

"It's Champs De Fleur." Kirijo-senpai answered "It means field of flowers." Ah. So that's what it meant. He totally forgot about it. Well, he wasn't that good with french to begin with, anyways. He appreciated Bebe's efforts to teach him french, but it hadn't been a success so far.

"Sounds weird." Shinazugawa-san grumbled, brows furrowed.

"I suppose neither you nor Tomioka-san have ever taken french lessons at your school?" the redhead asked, looking at the two adults. They both stiffened for a moment, something that made Makoto's eyes narrow at them.

"No." Tomioka-san merely answered, shaking his head. It seemed like he didn't want to continue the conversation. Arisato had probably filled them in on what this hotel contained inside, so they were probably flustered. Well, at least Tomioka-san looked flustered. He can't decypher what the fuck is up with Shinazugawa-san's face.

"This is the place. I can sense the presence inside." Fuuka cut in the conversation, as if to rescue the two adults from an incredibly awkward silence and glances. Makoto took his gloved hands out of his pockets, readjusting his collar so it wouldn't be so tight.

"Then c'mon, Leader. Let's get this over with!" he nodded in response to Yukari's determination. The group all huddled up for a discussion before entering, a necessary precaution to take. Makoto would rather not have a repeat of what happened the last Full Moon.

"Alright. Yukari, Junpei, Kirijo-senpai and Sanada-senpai you're going to come with me." Makoto spoke, his hands buried deep in his pockets "That's going to be the main team. And then Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san will be another one."

"Huh? Why is Arisato staying back?" Sanada-senpai asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

"And why are Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san on their own?" Takeba added "Not that I don't trust them, but wouldn't it be safer for the group to be bigger?" she suggested.

"Have you seen what those two can do on their own? Their whole debacle of the swords and shit?" Junpei asked, raising a brow "They'll be fine just the two of them! Shinazugawa-san can heal anyways." Makoto looked at him with a raised brow. That was odd. Normally, Junpei would also jump the gun. Maybe there was something going on? He'd ask later.

"To add to Iori's words, and to answer Akihiko's question, I'd rather not leave Yamagishi alone on her own during the Full Moon Operations either. Like in Tartarus, I'd rather not take any risks at all. Shadows are able roam outside of Tartarus, not just inside." Kirijo-senpai answered, coolly flipping her bangs "Which is why Arisato is the perfect person to stand guard. Not only does she possess the same ability as our leader, but she's also skilled with her blade. Besides, she's trustworthy enough to be left with Yamagishi." she stated. Makoto needed to ask her how she did the whole debacle of flipping her hair and actually looking cool. When he tried to do it, it always looked awkward.

"I'd counter the whole argument about Minakocchi having multiple Personas being the better option," Junpei began "but if she wants to stay here, then it's up to her." he shrugged. Arisato gave him a relieved smile in response, and he smiled back.

"Alright. We're going in."

---

The hotel was incredibly dark and gloomy, the electricity having been sucked out of the building the moment the Dark Hour had began. It almost reminded Giyuu of his own state, the atmosphere giving off a void of life. The pink or purple, he couldn't see the colour clearly, rug on the floor was stamped with squares, reminding the water user of Tanjiro's haori. 'I wonder if him and his sister are okay.' he thought, brows furrowed together.

He readjusted his haori, looking down at his new belt. Ikutsuki-san had been kind enough to provide both him and Shinazugawa with new belts that contained a holster for their Evokers and a pouch with items incase they needed to restore their health and their stamina. The water user took a small breath, immediately recoiling as he brought his sleeve up. What was that smell? "Can anyone else smell that?" he asked. The kids all looked at him weirdly, but Shinazugawa...

"It smells like shit here." the wind user grumbled, bringing a hand up and covering his nose.

"I don't... smell anything." Takeba said, confused "Are you guys okay?"

"I don't smell anything weird either." Sanada nodded, tilting his head to the side.

"Leader, everyone. Can you all hear me?" Yamagishi's voice bounced off of the walls, reaching everyone's ears.

"Loud and clear!" Junpei nodded.

"I-I think there's something weird going on." she began "I can... I'm detecting a major presence upstairs, all the way on the third floor, and I assume that's the target. But- But on the second floor, there's another presence... And it's different from the Shadows. I-I don't know how, or why- But- But be careful."

"Tomioka and I can deal with that other presence. You five head to the third floor and kill the bastard Shadow. The less time we waste, the better." Shinazugawa told them, his unsheathed blade resting between his shoulders like it was nothing. Giyuu merely nodded in agreement.

"Both of you be careful then." Kirijo told them, a glint of worry in her gaze.

"We'll be fine." he only said before he and Shinazugawa hurried over to the second floor, their steps silent yet fast. They climbed up the stairs in a flash, arriving at the second floor in just a few seconds. The other group did the same, splitting up and taking the stairs to the third floor.

"A-Also! Um, Minako-chan said to be on the lookout in case there's another Full Moon Shadow, like last time!" Yamagishi added.

"She thinks we're gonna have another two Shadows?" Iori asked.

"Thank you for the information, Yamagishi." Giyuu spoke "Can you tell us where that strange presence is?" he asked.

"Um- I-I can't pinpoint it exactly, I'm sorry!"

"It's okay. We'll just find the bastard and kill it." Shinazugawa assured.

"We open all of the doors?" Giyuu asked, turning to the man.

"We don't have much of an option anyways." with a nod, the duo began opening the doors of the rooms. Most of them were either empty, of with the coffins of the beds that were supposed to be people. There was even a room with three coffins on the bed, which implied something that he would rather not think about. Giyuu shivered, the smell of the place growing stronger. Why is it that they were the only ones that could smell that? Why couldn't the rest of SEES smell it?

"Don't you find it weird that we were the only ones that could smell that?" he asked, turning to look at Shinazugawa as they hurriedly walked down the halls. He looked at him as if he was an idiot.

"Of course I fucking do. It's really weird." he scoffed "But it might be related to that presence Yamagishi felt." Giyuu nodded. He had a similar idea as well. Perhaps it was another Shadow, or maybe...

He rested his hand on the doorknob to another room and opened it as he shook his head, moving those thoughts away and ready to investigate it. Only to then step back in surprise, his eyes slowly widening in shock. "Tomioka? What's-" Shinazugawa began, peeking through Giyuu's shoulder, eyes widening as well. Because why was a woman just standing there? Her head was lolled downwards, covering her expression from the two slayers. Her skin was pale, disgustingly pale, and there were bruises on her neck. There probably were more under her kimono.

"Another person that can withstand the Dark Hour?" Giyuu murmured as he walked towards her "Ma'am? Ma'am, can you hear me?" he asked, setting a hand on her shoulder to see if she would respond. The woman slowly looked up, Giyuu's breath hitching as his eyes made direct contact with hers.

 

Lower

One

 

Blood red schlera, purple irises, and her eyes had x marks on them. Before Giyuu could even react, he was lunged backwards, crashing into a wall. He grunted, slowly getting back up. Shinazugawa was frozen in place, the water user could see the way his eyes were so wide, Giyuu believed they could have popped out of their sockets just like that. "You..." he murmured, hands tightening into fists. Giyuu blinked. Shinazugawa... knew this demon?

 

"Shinazugawa killed Lower Moon One." Himejima told him and Kocho after the meeting. Giyuu blinked.

"He did? That's amazing!" the Flower Hashira gasped with a smile "But that..." she paused, her features saddened.

 

"It's you..." Shinazugawa growled, the grip on his katana so tight Giyuu thought it would have shattered had it not been so sturdy. The demon just grinned, her silky black hair began hover slowly.

 

"His friend was killed in that fight, right?" Giyuu asked.

"Yes. The demon was able to kill his friend after one of the victims she kidnapped attempted to defend her." Giyuu hummed, closing his eyes for a moment. Out of instinct, his hand reached for the left side of his haori, Sabito's side.

"I wish that wouldn't have happened." Kocho sighed with a soft expression, glancing at the way the new Wind Hashira had left.

 

"IT'S YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KILLED MASACHIKA!"

---

"IT'S YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KILLED MASACHIKA!"

 

Fuuka recoiled from the scream of utter rage Shinazugawa-san had let out, her hands pressing her headphones tighter against her ears, blinking. "Wh... What was..." she whispered, confused.

"Fuuka-chan, did you hear that?!" Minako-chan asked, turning to the girl with a surprised look. She almost looked concerned.

"I-I did- It was- It was Shinazugawa-san..." she said, her tone shaky. She was worried. What he had shouted...

"That means there might be someone in there that hadn't been affected by the Dark Hour." the auburn-haired girl realized, her face going from surprise, to concern, to a neutral look "Or one of those demons they mentioned..." she murmured under her breath. Fuuka blinked. What? Demons? What did she mean?

"What..?" she let out, confused. Minako-chan mumbled something before sighing.

"Can you dispell Lucia? I don't want the others to hear." Albeit confused by the request, she nodded, Lucia disappearing. Minako-chan took a small breath before she began to unwind. She told her about how Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san had come from the Taisho Era, how they told her about the existence of man-eating demons, how their special abilities were actually abilities they honed... Everything. The auburn-haired girl didn't hold back at all. And Fuuka was left silent, processing the information she had just been dropped.

It sounded insane. It sounded absolutely insane. Demons? Man-eating demons? Breathing Styles? Taisho Era? Nothing was making any sense. But... Minako-chan didn't seem to be lying. She was being honest. Her shoulders weren't hunched or tense, they were completely relaxed with each word she spoke. And Fuuka... Something in her told her to believe what her friend told her. She bit her lip, taking a deep breath.

"I see..."

"I understand if you don't believe me, but this is what they told me. And I... I know they're not lying." Fuuka nodded at her friend's words. She was looking down, the navigator couldn't pinpoint what glint she had in her eyes. She took a deep breath.

"I-I'm glad. That you... That you told me." Minako-chan looked at her in surprise "I... I want to ask both Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san first before I... I come to my own conclusion. I want to hear the story from them." the other nodded, and once she finished, Fuuka felt a wave of confusion upon seeing Minako-chan raise her pinky finger.

"Promise?"

"...Promise."

 

Makoto had frozen up at the scream that had come from the second floor, the group pausing momentarily in their fight against the Hierophant Shadow. Even the Shadow was confused by this, and that must have been a feat. What the hell was that? Was that Shinazugawa-san's voice? What was he talking about? "There might be another human person." he whispered, coming to realize that someone else was in the Dark Hour.

"No way!" Yukari gasped, dodging a light attack.

"Iori! Go and stop Shinazugawa from killing someone!" Sanada-senpai shouted. Junpei stiffened, surprised for a moment, before he nodded, quickly turning away. The Shadow tried to stop him, almost panicking at the thought of him escaping the battle, but the silver-haired boy moved faster than the Shadow could have ever anticipated. He charged and jumped, swinging his fists at the enemy. He managed to land a good hit before rolling on the floor.

"Keep your eyes on me, fucker." he growled as he shuffled back to his feet, a smirk on his face. And Makoto wasn't going to lie. That was really cool. That, and hearing Sanada-senpai swear was also cool.

"Trying to show off without me, Akihiko?" Kirijo-senpai chuckled with a smirk that matched the boxer's energy, inserting the cartridge in her Evoker.

---

"I'LL KILL YOU!" the scream tore from his throat as Sanemi as he ran to Ubume, his blade enveloped by wind. He slashed, but the damn bastard dodged it, jumping to the side. Sanemi's head snapped to her direction, his veins popping.

"Fufu. It certainly has been a while. Are you a Hashira now?" she asked, the hall and the room changed—frankly, the entire floor had changed. Instead of the dark and gloomy walls and floor, now the two Hashiras stood in a fleshy abomination of a building, the sight grotesque. Silky pink skin had been torn up, the flesh was squishy and small gushes of blood spilled out when Sanemi stepped on the flesh. He gagged, his stomach churning.

This was just like when he and Masachika had been sent to kill the demon. But this time, Sanemi knew that this was an illusion. He knew this wasn't real. And he did not fear this damn demon. No, he despised her. He loathed her. He hated her. And all that hatred was channeling into his blade and his fists. "I'm going to kill you again. For what you did to Masachika and for what you did to your own daughter!" he roared, charging at her. She smiled in response, dodging his blade again. But it had been closer, since he got to cleave through her hair.

"What did she do to her daughter, Shinazugawa?" Tomioka asked as he stood by Sanemi's side.

"Tortured her child because she had this sick pleasure of others needing to depend of her, a total sadist." he informed.

"Now now. You're twisting the truth. Her illness stole my own dear daughter from me. I merely wished to nurse her back to health. I wanted my little girl to be healthy again, and-"

"In that case, why not go to a doctor?" Tomioka interjected "Or were you so sick in the head that you thought you were better than the doctors?"

"I'll do you one better, Tomioka. Since she adored having her daughter depend on her only, she killed her when she tried to escape the suffering." Sanemi said, glaring at Ubume. She didn't even flinch, but her expression morphed into one of annoyance. Tomioka's gaze hardened, and Sanemi saw a vein pop in the back of his hand.

"You're disgusting." he spat out. Ubume didn't say anything. Instead, she lunged at them. Tomioka blocked, while Sanemi dodged. He took a breath. The smell... It was really fucking strong here. Which meant... 'Mirror, incense. Those things. Where the fuck are those things.' he thought, looking around the room. He had to find those things, and fast. Her illusions were stronger if those things were there.

"Shinazugawa-san! Tomioka-san!" hearing Yamagishi's voice reach them was sort of a relief for them.

"Yamagishi, we're in a bit of a situation here-" Tomioka said as he swung his blade, cutting off one of Ubume's arms. But almost immediately, it regenerated. Sanemi charged at her, thrusting his blade into her chest. That caused her to let out a screech, elbowing Sanemi in the face. Something cracked in his face, probably a bone, but he couldn't focus on that.

"I know! But the presence you two were after is stronger now!"

"We know! We're fighting it!" Sanemi answered, moving his blade down and tearing through her flesh. The bitch regenerated almost instantly, her eyes wide with rage.

"I'll kill you!"

"Try it, bitch! I beheaded you once, I'll do it again!" he barked, stepping back as he ducked, dodging an attempt for her to scratch his eyes out.

"I'll send someone to back you up!"

"DO NOT!" both Tomioka and him shouted at the same time, startling the poor girl.

"We'll be fine on our own!" Sanemi assured her.

"DIE!" Ubume screeched as she charged at the two Hashiras, rage filled in her voice. They quickly rolled out of the way, Ubume crashing onto a wall and recovering almost immediately. Sanemi cursed under his breath.

"Dammit- Tomioka!" he called "This bitch- She's the one who caused the smell! It's because of her incense burner! She has a weird fucking fragance and a strange mirror that make the illusions of hers really fucking powerful!" he told him.

"So her Blood Demon Art caused this?" Tomioka gestured to the state of the floor. Sanemi nodded.

"But we need someone out of the illusion to break them!" he added. Now that he thought about it, maybe they should have asked Yamagishi to send someone instead of outright refusing due to instinct.

"What? But then..." he paused. Almost as if his mind lit up with an idea.

"Yamagishi! Please tell me that there's someone heading to the second floor!"

"Huh?! Um- J-Junpei-kun is heading there!" Iori. That would do. Alright, that was good.

"Tell him to look for a demonic-looking mirror that doesn't reflect and for an incense burner and break them!" Sanemi told her, tripping on his own step while he dodged.

"A-Alright!" She said that without any questions, which was a bit confusing. But the less time they lost, the better.

---

"Junpei-kun!" Junpei had flinched when Fuuka had called for him, if he could be honest. He had just gotten to the second floor when her voice had reached his ears. It almost seemed desperate. And, because of what they had heard, because of what Shinazugawa-san had shouted, he thought that Fuuka had heard it too.

"Fuuka!"

"Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san need your help!" she informed "You need to find an incense burner and a mirror that doesn't reflect and destroy them!" Junpei blinked. He had to do what now?

"Huh?"

"I know, I'm just as confused as you are!" she spoke "But- But they need your help!" Junpei swallowed thickly at her words. They need his help. He- He gets the spotlight! This was what he'd been waiting for, right? This was his chance!

And yet he can't help but freeze, to doubt. What is he doing?

"Dammit..." he murmured, the grip on his greatsword loose. Why is he hesitating? What is he doing? What's wrong with him? Why is he like this? 'I... I'm nothing if we end the Dark Hour, but... It's the right thing to do. It's what heroes do... Then why am I so selfish..?' he thought.

 

"I'm not you. I don’t know what the fuck goes through your mind. But you need to sort it out."

"I'm not the best at what I do. There are people who do it better than me."

 

'Shinazugawa-san...' he thought, chest tight. He... He saw potential in him, right? He could do this. He believed in him. He couldn't throw that away! Everyone... Everyone also believed in him! Sanada-san sent him to help Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san! He swallowed away whatever fear or insecurity he had and took off, running down the halls and slamming the room doors open to find the incense burner and the mirror. He was going to do this. He was going to help, to be the hero! This is what he's been waiting for!

The incense burner was actually pretty easy to find the incense burner. Burners, plural. They were all sitting next to a doorframe of one of the rooms. Two of them. Junpei smirked, raising his great sword up and swinging it. The first burner had shattered into pieces when his blade came into contact with it. The pieces all spread out on the floor, with him stomping on it just for safety meassures. He did the same with the second one, swinging his weapon sideways and smashing the burner against the wall, the remains scattered.

The mirror was... complicated. All the mirrors he had come across reflected his figure, so he had no idea what to do there. So he ended up asking Fuuka for help. "I-I don't know what to do here, Junpei-kun..." came the meek answer. He sighed loudly in response.

"Great..."

"I-I'm trying to think, really! I just- Huh?"

"What happened?" he asked, confused.

"Ah- I see!" Fuuka gasped, confusing him even further "Sorry! Minako-chan said that I should look for a presence similar to the one Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san are fighting."

"Oh, that’s a good idea! Tell Minakocchi she needs to share some of her intelligence with me sometime!" he joked.

"Pfft- Hahaha!" the laugh he got from Fuuka was absolutely worth the risk. He smiled as he readjusted his cap while running around

---

Giyuu couldn’t say he wasn’t satisfied when he heard the demon screech in despair, the distant sound of porcelain—or whatever the material incense burners were made of—reached his ears. It would have been nice if she hadn’t screeched right in his damn ear.

He jumped back and regrouped, seeing the illusion of the fleshy surroundings weakening slowly. "NOOO! NO, NO NOOO!" the demon screamed, almost as if she was throwing a fit.

"I didn’t think demons could be so childish." he mumbled to himself, Shinazugawa snorting besides him. He must have heard. Was his comment that funny?

"DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU!" she howled, lunging at them. Giyuu prepared himself, but the Wind Hashira was faster, cleaving through her torso. Blood splattered on their clothes, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. The demon’s regeneration had slowed down significantly. All Iori had to do was stay away from them and shatter the mirror.

"Shinazugawa-san! Tomioka-san!" of course things could never go as planned. Iori had slammed the door open, looking at them with a mix of a panic and relief.

"What the fuck are you doing in here?!" Shinazugawa barked "You have to find the mirror and-"

"The mirror is in here!" Iori cut him off. His hand was touching some of the flesh, but since he wasn't trapped in the illusion, he couldn't feel it. And maybe that was for the better. The demon lunged at the teen, her nails aiming for his eyes. He yelped as he stepped back, instead her attack scratched his face, creating a cut there. Blood slowly dripped down, small driplets falling onto the floor.

"What the fuck?!" he screeched, the demon pausing for a moment. Her nails had small bits of the teen's blood, and she slowly brought them up to her face, licking them.

"This taste..." she murmured, a wicked grin slowly settling in her face. Giyuu paused. Oh. Oh no. 

"Iori, get away from her now!" he called.

"MARECHI!" Iori sidestepped as she tried to pounce on him, her stumbling to the floor.

"Marechi!? What is she talking about?!" he questioned.

"You're a marechi?! Shit, this is worse than I thought!" Shinazugawa hissed, bringing his blade to his arm "Iori, just find the damn mirror and shatter it! Do not let the demon get a hit on you or trap you in her damn illusions!" he warned, slicing his arm. A large cut appeared

"I have no fucking clue what you both are talking about, and I want an explanation later!" the teen told them, pointing at them shakily as he hurried into the room. Giyuu shut the door, the two Hashiras and the demon standing outside.

"Two marechis... I must be lucky." she wheezed, looking at Sanemi with a grin. She almost looked like an animal desperate for food.

"Shut up." the Wind Hashira growled, seeing her standing wobbily. For a moment, Giyuu pondered. This demon was supposed to be dead, so why the hell is she here? Was it because of the Full Moon Shadows? Could they affect their minds?

"Shinazugawa, let's end this." Giyuu said.

"I agree." with a nod, they both got into position.

 

"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide."

"Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind!"

 

Their attacks mixed together, wind and water combining in a rather beautiful way to Giyuu as they slashed through the demon, their blades cleaving through her skin. Once the attack was done, Giyuu looked around, seeing the illusion of the fleshy surroundings die down, the flesh squelching in horror. He winced at those sounds. They hurt his ears.

He looked back at the demon, seeing her... standing still. She was regenerating. He frowned. They must have aimed wrong or something, right? But he was sure that his fourth form had hit her neck, and he swore he saw Shinazugawa's second form cut her head in half. How..?

"I'LL KILL YOU!" she screamed in agony and fury, charging at them.

"WATCH OUT!"

 

Iori's blade came swinging, lodging itself in the demon's neck. He blinked. That... That couldn't be. The blade... Unless it was made out of the same materials as the Hashiras' katanas, he absolutely shouldn't be able to damage her neck. He looked at the wound, seeing... seeing the same matter Shadows made when they died. The black goo. Did that mean..?

"I-I- Oh god-" he winced, a look of horror in his face. The demon's head snapped towards him, fury in her gaze.

"YOU! HOW DARE!" she screeched. The boy froze, a look of horror in his face. She aimed at him, but Giyuu moved faster, pushing Iori's blade to fully cut off her head. It fell to the floor with a soft thud, her expression one of shock. It was silent for a moment, nobody said anything. The two Hashiras had been waiting for her to regenerate, while Iori... Iori was frozen in shock.

"And stay dead. Bastard." Shinazugawa sneered, glaring at her as she slowly began to convulse, her body dissolving into nothing but black goo. Giyuu exhaled, bringing a hand to his face. A few bruises and cuts, nothing more. That was good. Shinazugawa was the same, except that big cut in his arm he made himself.

"Did I- Did I just- Did I just fucking kill someone..?" Iori choked out, his grip loose until his greatsword fell out of his hands, clattering against the floor. He looked absolutely horrified of what he had just done.

"No. That wasn't a human." Shinazugawa shook his head, blood dribbling down his arm in thin lines. Giyuu quickly headed for his pouch, taking out a medicine and handing it to the Hashira. He nodded as a thank you, taking it.

"A-Are you sure? I-I mean, she sounded and looked like one, and-"

"That was a demon. We'll explain everything to you after we finish the operation."

"And the others?"

"They didn't see it, they don't need to know."

---

 

Notes:

I was gonna do both lovers and hierophant but I divided it. Anyways I'm going to attempt to make chapters longer from now on.
Also for the explanation as to why Ubume was here. As Giyuu noted, she was a Shadow. She just had the same abilities and appearance as the canon Ubume. Why was she bleeding? Illusion. When she trapped them in her illusions, the goo became blood in their eyes.
There will be more demon-shadows, but like I said, they're not the real deal. If the Canon Ubume was here, I'd be more than sure she would have destroyed the building lmao.

Chapter 26: To give in to your desires

Notes:

CW: Sexually explicit content is written in italics. I put a warning before it in bold.

Junpei insisted on not healing for now. The cut on his face wasn't too deep, and he thought it was cool. It was going to make for a very badass scar. He did clean it up per Tomioka-san's insistence, saying something about how his blood was valuable and he should not have it dribbling around so carelessly. Whatever the hell that meant. So the trio headed to the third floor, with the two swordsmen having no sort of concern about the fact that their clothes were stained with black goo. Black goo that came from that-  from that- from the thing.

He felt bad calling it a thing, but here's the thing. Junpei wouldn't exactly call it a human, but he also wouldn't call it a Shadow. He was just so... conflicted on what it truly was. They had called it a demon, but he wasn't entirely sure it was that. Demons had horns and wings and red skin and were in Hell! Maybe that's what they called it instead? Thinking so much about it made his head hurt. He shouldn't be thinking this over so much, but he can't help but think what the fuck he witnessed.

That, and Shinazugawa-san's furious shout... That thing had killed his friend. Did that mean that they had actually been experiencing the Dark Hour for longer than Junpei had?

"Alright. Yamagishi, reporting back to you." Tomioka-san spoke as he sheathed his sword "We've taken care of the anomaly." he informed, wiping off the black goo from the left side of his haori.

"Eh? Ah- Ack! I'm sorry, I was distracted for a moment!" Junpei heard Fuuka respond, and he blinked. Distracted? What were she and Minakocchi doing outside? Maybe she was just busy with the Full Moon Shadow. Probably that, yeah.

"G-Good job to the three of you!" okay, her cheering made him feel a little bit better about the fact that he decapitated a... possible human being. God, he still felt like he did something terrible. Did he really do that just a few seconds ago? Did he really just take a life? Or was he going insane because of the Dark Hour? He hoped not, but...

"We're heading to the third floor." Shinazugawa-san gruffly said, a hand messing with his hair.

"Alright! Minako-chan says to be careful." Junpei stiffled a laugh at those words, covering it with a small cough. Right, careful. Honestly, all he had to do was take one look at Shinazugawa-san. That man was not careful at all. The many scars said it. That wasn't to say he wasn't cool as fuck, though. Shinazugawa-san was probably one of the coolest people he has gotten the chance to meet.

They arrived at the third floor, Junpei guiding them to the giant door where the Shadow was and where the others were fighting. "Alright! Let's go in there!" Junpei grinned, grabbing the knob and twisting it, attempting to open the door. Highlight the word attempting. Because it didn't budge. The capped boy blinked, attempting to open it again. No luck.

"...What the fuck?" he whispered, furrowing his brow. That was... not how it was supposed to go.

"Junpei! Are you outside?!" he heard Yuka-tan call from in the room.

"Yeah! I've got Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san with me!" he shouted.

"The door isn't budging at all!" Sanada-senpai grunted, clearly not pleased with this. Junpei isn't, either.

"That means we still have some fuckers to take care of." Shinazugawa-san groaned, a hand reaching for the handle of his katana.

"I'm sorry! There's another Shadow in the room with you four! But it's also outside with the other?? I don't know, this is confusing..."

"Shit." Junpei breathed out.

"Alright. Can you locate it, Yamagishi?" Kirijo-senpai asked.

"I'm trying... Where is it..?" Fuuka murmured under her breath. Junpei cursed under his breath again. Forcefully separated. This was like a horror game. A horror game set in a love hotel? Even worse. Why is he even imagining this?! He really shouldn't be thinking about that! Right now, he needed to find a way to get the door open and get the others out of there. Who knew what could happen?!

The moment his eyes set on the strange mirror, he was doomed. If it didn't reflect, did that mean that the thing that attacked Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san wasn't fully dead, even though he saw it melt and combust?

---

CW: Sexually explicit scene below. Everything in the scene is written in italics. Skip it if uncomfortable.

 

He could feel the lips of someone else on his. He was kissing someone. Or- well, someone was kissing him. No difference in that. Although, he couldn't tell what was going on, or what he had been doing before. His mind felt fuzzy, and the hand that was treading through his short, white hair definitely wasn't helping, either.

He moaned, his hips shifting beneath the other's thigh, rubbing his crotch against it. The heat pooling up was driving him crazy, he needed his clothes off. Now. The room smelled like flowers or something, he couldn't focus on that. The lips of the other person and those deep blue eyes staring back at him made him feel like he was drowning. And he didn't want to be pulled out of the sea, he wanted to drown there, to be lost, never found.

He gasped when their positions switched, his back hitting the soft mattress. His gaze was hazy, disoriented. His uniform was slowly being taken off, the man right on top of him being so gentle and careful. It almost felt unreal. The dim, pink lighting of the room highlighted the man's face, framing it beautifully. "Shinazugawa, you're so gorgeous." he breathed out, his hand coming up and brushing away his bangs, pushing them to the side.

"Sanemi..." he breathed out.

"Hm?"

"Sanemi. Call me that." he murmured. The man above him looked surprised, but he nodded, leaning in and kissing him again. His lips were soft, yet he was firm. Sanemi reached his arms, helping him tear the uniform off of him. Not literally, of course, but he just felt so impatient. He pulled away, slowly leaving a trail of kisses down his neck that made him feel on fire. Sanemi let out a shaky breath, tilting his head to the side, giving him more room to work with.

"Call me by my name, too. It's only fair." the black-haired man hummed "I want to hear you say it, Sanemi." those words tickled against his skin, sending goosebumps all over his body. His name... His name. He's racking his mind, trying to find it. He's always called him by his last name, but-

Finally, he found it. "Giyuu..." he whispered, his eyes set on him. Giyuu's lips moved upwards, the ghost of a smile resting there. Sanemi's chest filled with a strange warmth, eyes fluttering slightly. That smile was gorgeous. The blue-eyed man unbuckled Sanemi's belt, moving the pants and his fundoshi down. His gaze set on his private parts, eyes widened slightly. Sanemi swallowed, watching Giyuu gape at his pussy.

He gasped at the feeling of a thumb press against it, not going in. He shuddered, letting out a shaky breath as Giyuu stopped that. He glared at him, but that look didn't stay for long, because he leaned down and kissed him again, all the while his hands were being so gentle, taking their time to explore and map every inch of his body. His touch was feather-like, his hands were warm. He was clearly taking his time with him.

Once they pulled away, Giyuu focused on his chest, his fingers tracing the scars under his pecs. There was this look of fondness in his eyes, as if adoring him before leaning down and pressing his lips against them. Sanemi's cheeks felt warmer, his gut twisting in... in whatever he was feeling. Giyuu made his stomach churn with positive feelings. He wasn't used to this.

Giyuu slowly trailed down, covering his stomach with kisses, then his navel, and then his scarred thighs, ending up kneeling down on the floor, his face right in front of his pussy after he finished showering all of his scars with love, hickeys spread all throughout his body. His hands were set on Sanemi's inner thighs, keeping them apart just enough for him to fit right in.

"If it's too much, just shout my last name." the black-haired man breathed out, pressing a kiss to his inner thigh before sinking his teeth softly. That drew a moan out of Sanemi, his back arching as Giyuu covered his inner thighs with bite marks, slowly working his way up before finally leaving his thighs alone. Sanemi drew out a shaky breath, finally feeling like he could breathe.

But then the bastard kissed his pussy, making his back arch off of the bed slightly. Sanemi let out a quiet moan, goosebumps shooting out throughout his entire body. Dammit, he never knew Giyuu was good at this! His entire body felt on fire as Giyuu's tongue slowly pushed inside, making his gut twitch. His legs are set on the black-haired man's shoulders, and he guided one of Sanemi's hands to his hair. It's like he's giving him an option to opt out if it ends up being too much. Just like earlier too, when he said to shout his last name if he felt uncomfortable.

Sanemi's jaw tightened at the feeling of having something inside of him. It was uncomfortable, but he forced his body to relax, to take this. It eventually became less uncomfortable as the seconds passed, his breathing having grown erratic, moans began spilling out without any sort of control. His hips began moving against the muscle, hearing a groan out of Giyuu. That caused vibrations against his labia, his body twitching as he choked out a gasp. He swore he was seeing stars, spots of white clouding his vision as he cranked his head back, the sensations overwhelming him.

It was... Wait, he was- He wasn't supposed to be here, right? He was supposed to... to be doing something else.

That train of thought ended the moment Giyuu's tongue hit deep, making his back arch and a particularly loud moan spill out of his mouth, eyes so wide he thought they were going to bulge out. "Ah- Fuck! Ah-ha! Giyuu!" that voice did not sound like him at all. How did he manage to make such a sound?

"Mm, close?" he felt Giyuu mutter those words against his privates, and Sanemi could feel a smirk. He nodded impatiently, wordlessly pushing his hips against his mouth, wanting more. Understanding what he wanted, the black-haired man nodded and dove in, the assault relentless. Sanemi felt like he was on fire, his entire body felt on fire, he was burning-

And then he fell limp as he reached his climax, his eyes rolling back and a strained gasp leaving his body. Giyuu slowly pulled away after he thoroughly cleaned his pussy, a satisfied yet dazed look on his face. However, he blinked, stepping back for a moment and bringing a hand to his temple. "Ngh..."

"Giyuu..?" Sanemi tentatively called, sitting up as he looked at him in confusion. The man in question blinked, almost as if snapping out of his own daze. Those beautiful, deep blue eyes slowly widened in what Sanemi recognized as horror and confusion as he stared daggers at him.

 

Sexually explicit content ends here.

---

Giyuu stared in horror at the naked Shinazugawa right in front of him. He brought a hand to his face, his chin coated with- with something he did not recognize. What just happened? What did he just do? Did he just- Did he actually- He brought a hand to cover his mouth, staring down at the floor in disbelief. This could have escalated to worse things.

He shook his head, quickly searching for his clothes. He couldn't look at Shinazugawa in the face at all. This was all wrong. He was covered in- in marks he left on his body. He didn't even want to talk about Shinazugawa's privates- He was invading his privacy! He invaded him-

Did-

He really wished he didn't just assault him like this. He'd never forgive himself for this. Because holy shit, this was just- so wrong. He almost wanted to puke.

"Tomioka-san!" He thanked the gods above that Yamagishi's voice came in "Finally! I couldn't get through to you, and I still can't get through to Shinazugawa-san!" she spoke, her voice laced with panic. Giyuu swallowed his anxiousness before he could even answer, cringing as he tasted something else. He did not even want to think what it was. He didn't want to fill his memory with- with the act that he just commited.

"Don't worry Yamagishi. I'll get him, I promise." he assured in a hurried tone before cutting off communication for a few seconds. He turned to Shinazugawa, who was still looking at him in confusion. His legs were still spread open, but Giyuu just- he couldn't look there.

"-Charm, which is when you turn on your allies because the enemy seduced you with whatever flipping capabilities it has to do so-"

Giyuu cursed under his breath. They had both been charmed by the Shadow "Please forgive me for this, Shinazugawa." he muttered before slapping the Wind Hashira harshly, making him fall back into the mattress. The other blinked, his eyes slowly losing that dazed look. Giyuu sighed in relief when he saw the other come back, but he was not ready for the aftermath. Shinazugawa... He wasn't going to be happy about this. He slowly sat up, as if processing what was going on.

"...WHY THE FUCK AM I NAKED?!"

---

"I got through to everyone!" Minako sighed in relief when she heard Fuuka say that, a hand placed over her chest. Thank god everyone was back on their senses.

"The Shadow must have casted a massive Charm on everyone or some shit if it was able to get everyone out of your range." she commented, a hand messing with her bangs lightly. For a moment, her fingers brushed against the scar above her eyebrow, and she froze, but she quickly hid that. Besides, Fuuka was too busy trying to group everyone to even notice what Minako was doing.

The auburn-haired girl looked away, seeing a familiar shade of gray on a rooftop, twin gold eyes staring at her. Not in disappointment, at least she hoped so. All she did was smile in response to the stare she was getting, as if it was her way of saying she wasn't helping. Or maybe just convincing herself. She wasn't sure anyways. Maybe she was going insane at this point.

Notes:

Yeah, I put headcanons in here.

Chapter 27: Twisted love

Notes:

My goal with this fic is having a chapter posted once a week or once every two weeks. In a way that you guys have content once a month.

Sanemi had tried his best to get dressed as fast as he could, but with the uncomfortable feeling between his legs and the fact that Tomioka was not looking at him at all did not help. Well, he appreciated the Water Hashira not staring or making questions, but still. He felt a shameful heat spread throughout his cheeks, fumbling with his ankle belts before he was able to get them in. To his surprise, however, Tomioka offered him his uniform jacket. He blinked, staring at him. The other wasn't even looking at him. "...Why?" he uttered, confused.

"You, um. I-I left marks all over you." Tomioka stammered, cheeks flushed  "I don't... I don't think you want them seen." Sanemi looked down at himself, seeing the marks scattered all over his chest. He didn't hesitate in taking the Water Hashira's jacket, slipping it on and buttoning it almost fully. He left the collar open, not wanting it around his throat. He sighed, grabbing his haori and putting it on. It definitely felt weird to not have air hitting his front constantly, but he'd rather miss out on that than have the kids exposed to- to what just happened to him and Tomioka.

"Can the two of you hear me?" Yamagishi asked, concerned for their wellbeing. While Sanemi appreciated the girl finally reaching them, he'd rather not talk about what the fuck just transpired between the Hashiras.

"We're okay." Tomioka replied, thankfully. His voice was still composed, so Yamagishi couldn't see his flustered expression. If it had been any other situation, Sanemi would have been amused. But given what happened, he... didn't want to be seen either. Not like this. 'I only ever told Iguro and the Master this...' he thought. Well, Kanae too, but she's... not here anymore. He exhaled, bringing a hand to his face. This just felt like a nightmare.

"Where are the others?" Tomioka asked.

"Yuki and Yukari-chan are on the first floor, same with Junpei-kun, while Kirijo-senpai and Sanada-senpai are on the second floor. You two are on the third floor." The Shadow separated them, then. Sanemi cursed under his breath. Bastard.

"We'll regroup on the second floor." he merely said, fixing his mess of a hair. Tomioka was wearing the top of his uniform now, but he had a shirt underneath. Sanemi never noticed it.

"We don't speak of what happened here." he hissed quietly as he readjusted his belt, his sheath comfortably attached "Got it?"

"Yes." the other nodded, putting on his haori. Sanemi hummed, content as he headed to the door.

"Shinazugawa." Tomioka called quietly as he followed. Sanemi inhaled sharply, not looking at the other. His hand was already on the doorknob.

"Mm?"

"Sorry. For, uh. Slapping you." the other awkwardly apologized. Sanemi blinked. Slapped? When did he- Was that the reason why he felt his cheek stung really hard? Sanemi brought his other hand to his cheek, pressing the palm against it. It was warm. Probably red, too. He exhaled.

"Don't worry 'bout it." he merely said, opening the door.

---

"Junpei, what happened to your face??" Makoto's brows furrowed at Yukari's question, seeing the other sporting now a jagged and recent scar that ran over his right cheekbone from his ear and to over his nose. The taller gave a nervous grin.

"Sorry! I got a lil bit careless!" he sheepishly apologized, a hand placed on the back of his neck "But I'm fine! Promise!" he assured.

"Are you sure?" Makoto asked "Don't you want it healed?"

"Nah! It's just a small scar! It'll heal anyways!" he shrugged it off with a smile.

"I'm so sorry... I only detected a Shadow and that weird anomaly..." Fuuka apologized, guilt seeping into her tone. Makoto shook his head quietly.

"It's okay." he only said.

"We have more problems, too. I hate being the bearer of bad news, but the Shadow has put up a barrier within the building while you guys were out of range, so no one can access it at the moment." Makoto heard Yukari groan in response.

"Great. So the Shadow has trapped us down here." she huffed.

"I'll try and find a way to break the barrier. Shinazugawa-san had said to reconvene on the second floor." Fuuka informed them. Makoto trusted her. She had Arisato on her side, too.

"Alright! We're heading that way, Fuuka!" Junpei assured. With that out of the way, the trio hurried up the stairs to the second floor. In his mind, the blue-haired boy was already planning on ways that would lead the Shadow to a painful death. And he was sure Yukari shared the same sentiment. He could practically feel her anger radiating out of her. He had no idea how much time they had left, either.

"There you guys are!" Sanada-senpai's relieved voice was heard the moment they stepped foot on the second floor. The two third years ran to them, breathing heavily. Their faces were flushed, and Makoto caught a hint of smudged lipstick on Sanada-senpai's cheek, clearly wiped.

"So you guys were one floor below, huh." the boxer commented, pausing to catch his breath "But still, for there to be another one... I didn't expect it." he added.

"Arisato said it, so maybe she had an inkling?" Yukari suggested, arms crossed.

"Are you three okay?" Sanada-senpai asked, concern on his face.

"I'm fine. Woke up alone." Junpei shrugged. Kirijo-senpai gave him a glance, worry etched on her face. Must have been because of the scar he had.

"Anything happened to you two?" Makoto asked, tilting his head to the side. He decided to give Junpei a break. Both of their faces began to bloom bright pink.

"N-Nothing odd! Nothing at all!" Kirijo-senpai quipped. Her lipstick was also smudged, but she didn't seem to notice. Makoto paused, looking between the two. Oh. Now he understood. 'Well, at least Yukari was able to snap out before any of that even happened.' he thought, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. He'll check later to see if Sanada-senpai also got slapped.

"More importantly, Iori, what happened when we sent you to help Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san? When did you get a scar?" she asked, shaking her head to try and cool down her blush. Junpei coughed, surprised.

"Uh- Well- Um-"

"You kids alright??" Shinazugawa-san's voice cut him off. The two men were walking towards them, and-

Was Shinazugawa-san wearing Tomioka-san's jacket, or was he tripping balls?

"Yeah, we're alright. Just... a bit taken aback." Kirijo-senpai uttered, attempting to fix her unruly hair, something that Makoto just noticed..

"That's a relief." Tomioka-san breathed out, relieved. His shoulders had relaxed, so did his body.

"No one was harmed from the attack, but..." Yukari uncomfortably trailed off, cringing before shaking her head "Nevermind. Are you both alright?" she asked.

"Don't worry about us. We're alright."

"OH, I GET IT NOW! It's the mirrors!" Fuuka gasped loudly, scaring a few people "Oh- I am so sorry for my outburst!-"

"It's alright. Did you figure something out?" Makoto asked, cutting her off before she could ramble.

"Yes! The mirrors in the guest rooms resonate with the Shadow that got you. Their readings are practically the same." Fuuka informed.

"Are you suggesting we destroy the mirrors to shatter the Shadow's barrier?" Tomioka-san asked, a brow raised.

"Minako-chan says that it might do the trick! So I trust her fully!" Fuuka nodded.

"All right... How do we go on about this?" Sanada-senpai asked, cracking his knuckles.

"Two rooms in this floor have the same reading as the Shadow, rooms 204 and 205. There's another room on the third floor with the same reading, but since the Shadow is there, it's interfering with my readings." Two on the second floor, one on the third. Makoto nodded.

"Junpei, head to the third floor with Sanada-senpai and Yukari. Tomioka-san will come to room 205 with me and Kirijo-senpai will go to room 204 with Shinazugawa-san." he ordered "We'll break the mirrors at the same time to weaken the Shadow."

"Seems like a good plan!" Junpei grinned, already turning his body around for the stairs "Onwards we go!" he marched for the stairs, with Yukari letting out a reluctant sigh as she followed. Sanada-senpai did as well, leaving the other four alone.

"Shall we go?" Kirijo-senpai asked, receiving a gruff hum for an answer. They headed for room 204, leaving Makoto alone with Tomioka-san.

"Let's get going, Tomioka-san."

"Yes."

 

Room 205 had two coffins on the bed. Two people. And Makoto was not about to think about it. Nope. Not at all. He focused on the mirror, his gaze wandering. There was no reflection. Just like that other mirror from the third floor, the one that he and Yukari had looked at. "Hey, be careful on breaking the mirrors that aren't influenced by the Shadow." he informed "Break the ones without a reflection."

"Thanks, leader." Sanada-senpai's voice came through the communicator.

"It's the same as the one at the entrance of the room the first Shadow was in." the black-haired man commented.

"Really? I guess we never saw it because we were dead set on getting to the Shadow." Makoto hummed. His gaze then wondered. Well, it was the perfect time to ask now.

"Why are you wearing Shinazugawa-san's uniform top?" he asked. There was a pregnant pause, Tomioka-san's cheeks beginning to grow warm.

"How about we stop talking for a moment."

---

The shattering noises echoed through Fuuka's headset, reaching Minako's ears. She winced out of instinct, but really, it was nothing. Just mirrors breaking. No big deal. "Did they get them?" she asked, head tilted to the side.

"Mhm! They got it!" Fuuka beamed, relief and joy in her expression. The auburn-haired girl nodded. She... sadly didn't share the same sentiment. But she chose to smile. Just smile! She's always done this. It's easy.

"...T-That's good!" she beamed.

"It is!"

---

Running up to the third floor, Sanemi scowled at the Shadow's appearance. A large heart that had a jelly-like texture, with the Male / Female signs floating within it. Wings sprouted out of its body on either side, keeping it up in the air. On the top was a tiny black head, a pink mask with a sad expression covering it. The Wind Hashira drew out his blade, the green metal painted by a dim, pink light. "So it was you!" Takeba said, anger flaring within her "I'll teach you not to mess with a girl's heart!"

"Let me join in on that, Takeba." Sanemi spoke, a grin slowly spreading across his face "I have some business to settle with this fucker."

"We'll get it this time! I believe in you, team!" Yamagishi's cheering only served to spread his and Takeba's fury.

"Unforgivable..." Takeba began as the Shadow charged up an attack "I'll never forgive you for that!" she roared as she summoned Io, strong gusts of wind flying towards the enemy.

"I'll rip you to shreds!" Sanemi lunged at the Shadow at the same time as Takeba's attack, his blade enveloped by wind.

 

"Wind Breathing: Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind!"

 

He slashed four times, his blade cleaving through the jelly-like body before he ducked down, Takeba's attacks hitting the Shadow head on. He grunted as he landed on the floor, quickly rolling away before the Shadow could smack him in the face with the stupid wings. He jumped back, landing next to Tomioka. "Be careful! We are unaware of what it can do!" Kirijo warned.

"We'll have to use trial and error." Tomioka spoke, grabbing his Evoker "Let's see what I can do." he whispered before pulling the trigger. Atlas rose up, blasts of water shot at the Shadow. Yet while it hit, it seemed to do nothing, making him huff in annoyance.

"Yuki, any plan in mind?" Sanemi asked, turning to the boy. He paused, his blade blocking a fire attack.

"Waiting on Fuuka to set up the scan. Hit it hard." he merely said. That was more than enough for the Wind Hashira, who summoned Brutus with the click of his trigger. Killer Wind was casted, the gusts sharp and deadly. The attack tore through the gooey skin, the Shadow crying out.

"GAH!-" he heard Sanada cry out, his head snapping to his direction just in time to see an arrow piercing his shoulder, making him stumble and fall down. Blood seeped through the white cloth, staining it. Sanemi paused. That arrow.

It was the same arrow he recalled Giyuu's shoulder being pierced by before they met Arisato. That could only mean one thing.

"GET AWAY FROM SANADA! THAT ARROW MIGHT HAVE CHARMED HIM!" he shouted, his voice carried throughout the entire room. It wasn't an actual statement he was sure of, for all he knew he might not be under the influence of the Shadow, but he wasn't about to risk it.

"What?!" Kirijo gasped, her concern for her friend evident on her face. Just then, a bright pink light filled the room. Sanemi's eyes widened. Special attack, probably. A giant heart appeared in front of the Shadow, convulsing violently before it exploded, the blast hitting everyone. The Wind Hashira grunted as he took it head on, only sliding backwards. Tomioka was the same, having used his sword to block part of it.

"Is everyone okay!?" he asked.

"We're okay!" Takeba shakily answered back, letting out a sharp breath.

"Sanada-senpai is down!" Shit, not good. He turned his head, seeing Sanada's body slumped against a wall, eyes closed, brows furrowed. Sanemi cursed under his breath.

"Giyuu, cover me! I'm checking on Sanada!" he barked as he ran to the teenager, not caring for the reaction the other slayer had. He knelt besides Sanada, Takeba coming to help too.

"Pulse weak." he muttered under his breath, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. It tickled. Not in the good way.

"Here." Takeba said as she used a Balm of Life. Sanada's face softened, eyes opening as he grunted.

"Ow..." he murmured.

"Be more careful." Sanemi only said, smacking him lightly on the head.

"That attack... It's dangerous if you get hit when charmed!" Yamagishi informed. A little bit late, but appreciated, nonetheless.

"Kirijo-senpai, get the defenses down!" Yuki called "Junpei, hit it hard! Tomioka-san, cleave through it!"

"Go to hell!" Iori shouted as Hermes and Atlas appeared, a combo of slash attacks hitting the Shadow hard. It flew around the room, dodging some attacks. Sanemi ran for it, jumping high up.

"I'm not letting you get away, dickwad!"

"Shinazugawa-san, wait, don't!"

---

Junpei's eyes widened as he saw the Shadow's eyes glowing, a blast hitting Shinazugawa-san right on. He flew and crashed through the wall, coughing in pain. The wall broke, the man falling onto the hall. "Shinazugawa-san!" Yuka-tan called as she made a move to try and help.

"Takeba, careful! He might have been manipulated by the Shadow!" Kirijo-senpai warned.

"Lovers Arcana, mind manipulation..." Fuuka whispered "Please, be careful and help each other!"

"No need to tell me twice! Hermes!" Junpei summoned his Persona, who charged straight for the Shadow "Fuuka, are there any weaknesses?!" 

"Fire won't work! It resists Electricity and Piercing!" well shit. Hermes could only use physical attacks, then. It was the same with Sanada-senpai's Persona.

"Junpei, Sanada-senpai! Hit it as hard as you can!" Makoto barked out the order like a natural leader. Junpei complied, Hermes slashing at it. More of that weird goo skin dropped to the floor, as if it was attempting to resemble blood. But Shadows don't bleed.

"Tomioka-san, help!" Yuka-tan squealed. Junpei turned his head. Shinazugawa-san's blade was being blocked by her bow. He got charmed. Shit.

"Slap him hard!" Tomioka-san told her. What?!

"Slap him?!" Junpei and her asked at the same time.

"Do it! It worked for me!" he insisted, dodging a fire attack. Junpei looked back, seeing the other hesitant.

"I'M SO SORRY SHINAZUGAWA-SAN!" she apologized loudly before slapping him hard. Junpei recoiled hard at that. Ouch. That had to have hurt. The white-haired man blinked, as if snapping out of it.

"...Did I get slapped again." he groaned, rubbing his cheek. Yuka-tan nodded, quickly checking the other's wounds.

"Be careful! It healed!" Kirijo-senpai spoke.

"The bastard can heal?!" Junpei questioned as tentacles shot out, attempting to attack. Makoto and Junpei didn't let it though, swinging their blades at the same time and cleaving through the tendrils, cutting them down.

"Apart from it charming others and that attack, it's pretty damn weak!" the capped boy grinned.

"Don't get overconfident now." Makoto warned, but even he had a small smile on his face. Junpei grinned.

"I'm just getting started, dude!" he grinned, inserting the cartridge onto his Evoker, the blue turning red. A column of fire appeared behind him as Hermes charged up, his body glowing red, like his Evoker. The Persona ran at the same time as he did, slashing and slashing at the Shadow before Junpei jumped up and dwung his sword downwards like a bat and a massive blast erupted. Junpei jumped backwards.

"You got its health down to where it was, Junpei-kun! Nice job!" Fuuka praised.

"We have to knock down its health more!" Sanada-senpai huffed.

"I have an idea." Makoto hummed, inserting the cartridge onto his Evoker. Huh? But his theurgy was healing-based, was it not? What was healing going to do? The blue-haired boy didn't hesitate on pulling the trigger. And if Junpei could understand what had happened in just a few seconds, then it'd be great. Because Makoto summoned two different Personas, walking back as they took over some microphone stand for some reason. Gibberish chatter reached Junpei's ears, with the two Personas cheering before confetti blasted at the Shadow, knocking it down.

"...What the fuck." he muttered under his breath. That was not Makoto's usual theurgy. That wasn't his theurgy, right? What, so he has now more than one theurgy? Just how lucky could this guy get? What the fuck!

"All out attack! Now!" Junpei stood still, his legs refusing to move. Instead all he did was watch. Watching how Tomioka-san, Makoto, Kirijo-senpai and Sanada-senpai all ran in and hit the Shadow hard before Tomioka-san jumped high up.

 

"Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust."

 

He thrusted his sword forwards, the blade piercing and shattering the mask. As the black-haired man landed on the floor with grace, the Shadow cried and howled in pain, moving erratically before dropping to the floor, unmoving, melting. Junpei sucked in a breath. Well, that was it for tonight's operation, huh. A lump formed in his throat as the others cheered. Most of them, at least. Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san stood off to the side, undusting themselves.

They beat down another opponent. He should feel proud of his performance. He did good.

And yet he can't help but feel bitter.

---

"Shinazugawa." Giyuu called softly, the others up ahead. The wind breather paused in his step, turning to look at his comrade with a raised brow. The water user swallowed.

"I apologize. For what happened at the room in the hotel." he said, head ducked down in shame.

"You already apologized to me for slapping me. You got me out of that stupid charm thing twice." the other deadpanned.

"No. That's not- Well yes, I apologize for doing that." Giyuu fumbled, shaking his head "I was talking about when... when the Shadow put our minds under its control." the other visibly stiffened. Probably uncomfortable about the topic, but still.

"You- You weren't yourself. Don't-"

"It still doesn't make it okay." Giyuu cut him off "It was an invasion of privacy, and breaking boundaries. I- I shouldn't have seen you like that. I shouldn't have- I shouldn't have been exposed to your privates like that." he insisted before bowing down "Please, forgive me." A beat of silence passed through the area, a soft gust of warm wind fluttered in the air. Giyuu gulped. Perhaps he should have brought this up another time, when Shinazugawa was more comfortable discussing this.

"...It's fine." Giyuu blinked, looking up at Sanemi when he said that.. His eyes were closed, brows furrowed. Annoyed, but not at Giyuu. At least, the Water Hashira hoped so.

"Not many know about... about that. I would have liked coming out about it when I was comfortable enough, but..." he paused, taking a breath "I know you're not the type of person to screw others up by revealing secrets anyways. You're just..." he went silent, as if trying to think of what to say. Giyuu tilted his head.

"Not good at conversations?" he offered.

"I'd say terrible." Shinazugawa corrected without malice. And he was right. He's terrible at socializing, Kocho pointed it out herself.

"Yes, you're right." he curtly nodded, gaze tearing away for a moment "...I won't pry on your private life either. And if I ever mention something about it to the others without your permission, feel free to hit me." he added. Shinazugawa coughed, breaking into a fit of surprise laughter. Giyuu was being completely serious about it, but if it lightened up the mood, then maybe he should mention about it being a joke.

"You're unbelievable, Giyuu." he laughed, shaking his head in amusement. There it was again. Giyuu. His first name. Not his last name. It made his chest light, butterflies fluttering in his stomach.

"You said my name again." he murmured. Shinazugawa blinked.

"Wait- Shit, I did? Fuck, uh-"

"It's fine." Giyuu quickly cut him off before he could actually apologize "I... I don't mind you calling me by my first name." he awkwardly said. The words were strung together in a way that they made the sentence sound very much forced. But the way Shinazugawa's face softened at his words was worth it.

"Then you use my first name too, then. Only fair."

"Very well then, Shina- I mean Sanemi." he stammered. The name rolled off of his tongue awkwardly. It was going to take a while to get used to this. But if it meant that him and Shinazugawa were becoming closer, then... it was alright.

---

 

Chapter 28: Past pain

Notes:

CW: Allusions to domestic abuse in a flashback.

"So... what you're saying is that you're from the past, and you hopped into the future." Junpei asked. Shinazugawa and Tomioka nodded in response as Minako slurped quietly on her ramen, Fuuka next to her. The group had gathered in Hagakure, a table free for the five of them to talk. Fuuka and Junpei wanted answers from the two adults, and they seemed compliant to answering. Minako herself had questions too, but she didn't want to give away too much information. All she was doing was eating.

"Mhm."

"And where and when you're from, there're these creatures called demons, that were once normal human beings, that feed off of people."

"Yeah."

"And your really cool sword techniques are actually just called Breathing Styles and your swords are specifically made to kill these demons and you're members of an organization called the Demon Slayer Corps, which is illegal, and dedicates their life to hunting down demons and killing the king, Kibutsuji Muzan."

"Yes." there was pregnant pause, Junpei's mind actively saying the information quietly so he could process it. Then, his face brightened, a big smile on his face.

"That's pretty dope, if I'm honest!" he beamed. The two adults looked surprised at the reaction, it made Minako snicker.

"Really? No freakouts, no yelling, nothing?" Tomioka asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I mean, if you had told me this before I found out about the Dark Hour, I definitely would've freaked out and went all, I dunno, probably cry or somethin'," he shrugged "but it's been a few months ever since I joined SEES. So I'm not as freaked out as I would be." Tomioka and Shinazugawa glanced at each other.

"I think the Dark Hour might have de-sensitized us." Fuuka sweatdropped.

"I mean- I thought I killed someone but it just turned out to be a Shadow. So. It may have fucked us up a bit." Junepi added. Minako swallowed her bite of food, reaching for the glass of water and taking a large gulp of it.

"And also shooting yourselves with a fake gun to summon your Persona." she added.

"That's true." Tomioka nodded "I think our mental states are far from perfect." Shinazugawa grunted in agreement.

"How's your injury, Junpei?" Minako asked, her hand pointing at her cheek, as if to mirror the now scar that was on Junpei's face.

"I'm good! Just itches a lot, but I'm holding back from scratching it, like Kirijo-senpai recommended." Junpei grinned, giving her a thumbs up. From the corners of her eyes, she saw how Shinazugawa's gaze narrowed, opening his mouth as if to say something. But then he closed it.

"Didn't it warrant you unwanted attention?" Tomioka asked, and the boy with the cap on his head faltered for a moment.

"No, I... Well. Sort of. Just from the teachers and some of my classmates, but nothing else." he shrugged, finding the noodles more interesting than the group's faces. Minako nodded at that. She'd ask later.

"But now that I think about it... Minako-chan, how did you ever find out about the Dark Hour? And how did you get an Evoker before we met?" Fuuka asked, turning to the auburn-haired girl. Her posture stiffened visibly, her breath coming short with a hitch. All eyes were on her. Just like she despised. She disliked the attention on her like this. She swallowed, a bead of sweat rolling down.

"I... guess I can tell you." she said, suddenly the bowl of ramen looked more interesting than the faces of the group. Her gaze narrowed, lips pursed into a thin line. There was no way she could avoid this conversation.

"...March 5th, 1999." she began "A long time ago, back when I was a little girl. I... I actually lived here with my parents and my twin brother."

"You have a twin??" Junpei asked, surprised. She nodded slowly.

"Ten years ago, that night, on the Moonlight Bridge. We were on a trip. I don't remember where we were heading, but it didn't matter. Because one moment, we were in the car, laughing. The next, all I could see was fire." she revealed, her gaze dark.

"...Fire..?" Shinazugawa whispered, his voice laced with confusion, and concern. Although the latter was barely palpable, Minako could still hear it. It was really appreciated.

"My parents died that night. I pulled my brother out of the burning car like I could, because I didn't want him to die like our parents. But many vehicles kept exploding. I couldn't hear anything, all I could hear was ringing. I-I fell off of the bridge due to one, I got separated from him." she spoke, her body shaking involuntarily. She could still remember the explosions going off and reaching her ears, the way the cars around her kept exploding, the two figures she could see fighting. One of them reaching for her and her brother and then-

She shut her eyes, feeling water splash against her body, sinking down. Gasping for air, swimming up despite how much pain she was in.

"Minako-chan, you... You were in the incident of the Moonlight Bridge ten years ago..?!" Fuuka gasped quietly "But- But only one survivor was reported that night! Could it be that..!" she paused.

"Yeah. Because I fell off into the water and survived by a miracle, I wasn't seen by the paramedics. I basically crawled out of hell." the auburn-haired girl said, her hands had dropped the chopsticks in the bowl and her hands had settled on her lap. Fuuka had dropped hers too, placing a gentle, warm hand over hers.

"What's the incident of the Moonlight Bridge?" Shinazugawa asked. Right, him and Tomioka didn't know because they were from the Taisho Era. The auburn-haired girl couldn't bring herself to speak, there was a lump in her throat.

"I-I dug up online about it because I was curious. It's a massive vehicle accident that racked up nearly 20 deaths from it. Only one survivor was reported, but since they were really young, their identity was kept private and they were only referred to 'Young M'." Fuuka explained. Minako nodded in confirmation. Nearly 20 deaths had been caused. Her and her brother's parents had been within those casualties. Her brother was alive. But she didn't know where he was. He could be anywhere in Japan. Maybe even out of Japan.

"Holy shit..." the wind breather murmured, eyes wide. He was staring at Minako, she knew it. She could feel their gazes fixated on her. It made her skin crawl.

"Wait. How come you had to research information about it?" Tomioka asked. Fuuka tensed up, but she wasn't nervous.

"Because when I wanted to look for it, barely any media sources had anything about it. I had to go deep in the web to find anything about it. Old news reports and old newspapers."

"What?! But if an accident killed almost 20 people, then it should have been reported like hell!" Junpei exclaimed, nearly slamming his hands on the table. He covered his mouth when Fuuka shushed him, apologizing quietly.

"...Unless someone wanted to keep it a secret from the public." Tomioka whispered, brows furrowed. Minako silently agreed. And she knew exactly who. But she kept quiet.

"But why??" Shinazugawa questioned.

"...Because it could be related to the Dark Hour?" Junpei hesitantly answered. But a nod from Minako made him feel more confident about his answer.

"This spurred on from us asking how Minako-chan came into contact with the Dark Hour. So I believe it is related." Fuuka nodded.

"But, still! Who would..." Junpei began, but he fell silent for a moment. It was as if he had realized the culprit. And Minako waited. He waited for him to say the answer he came up with.

 

"...The Kirijo Group..?"

 

The whispered words resonated through the area, no one daring to say anything. It almost felt like saying them was taboo, completely prohibited. Minako scanned the reactions. Shinazugawa looked both shocked and angry, while Tomioka had a frown on his face. He probably had considered the possibility but didn't want to say. Junpei looked like he had just found a body in a horror game, and Fuuka... Fuuka looked pensive, though nervous. A vast sea of reactions, yet all of them were expected.

"What the fuck..." Shinazugawa finally whispered, breaking the sharp silence that had settled down "What the fuck!"

"Quiet." Tomioka hissed "But still... The Kirijo Group covered it? Why would they do that?" he questioned, his fingers curled tight around his jacket. Looking closely, Minako could see a vein popping there. Was he mad in her place? It looked like it.

"They might have had a hand in the accident, at least involuntarily. I'd hope so." Fuuka suggested "But still... it's messed up that they tried to hide it." she shook her head.

"Trying to cover their own asses, huh..." Shinazugawa growled, his eye twitching "This only makes me trust Kirijo and Ikutsuki less." he said, as if this just proved his point.

"Don't blame Kirijo-senpai! Maybe she didn't know about it." Fuuka quickly quipped, a frown on her face. Shinazugawa opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it a second after, deciding to keep silent. It was probably for the better.

Although Minako's eyes narrowed when she saw the figure of a tall boy leaving, recognizing him for a split second. The hell was he doing here?

---

Mitsuru sighed as she looked at Akihiko attempting to sneak around from the corners of her eyes. He wasn't really good at this, she could quite literally see him. "What exactly are you trying to do?" she asked, looking up from her own books and notes, and turning to face the silver-haired teen that was trying to sneak away. He froze, body going rigid completely. It was clear that he hadn't expected her to catch him in the act.

"Uh- I- Well- I-I was going to go and bother Shinji!" he stammered, a dumb, nervous smile on his face. Mitsuru stared daggers at him, her face indicating that she was, indeed, not buying it at all. He slumped forward, defeated.

"Alright, fine... I was going to go look for Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san to ask for a spar." he dejectedly said. The heiress sighed.

"Akihiko..." she grumbled, her tone taking almost a disappointed stance. Which she didn't mean to, she just doesn't want her friend getting into trouble. As much as she appreciates having Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san on the team and providing help with their incredible swordsmanship and abilities, a part of her is still suspicious of them.

"Listen. I know it sounds idiotic-"

"Because it is."

"-hear me out Mitsuru. I just..." he paused "You heard what Shinazugawa-san had said back in the Full Moon mission." he began. Mitsuru crossed her arms, nodding at the memory. It had been completely out of left field.

 

"IT'S YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KILLED MASACHIKA!"

 

"I remember, yes."

"Aren't you... curious about it?" he pressed "Shinazugawa-san sounded furious but also... distraught." Mitsuru's brows furrowed. She hadn't noticed the tone, given the fact that they were battling against the Hierophant Shadow at the moment.

"I would be distraught if my friend died and I found their killer." she said.

"That... good point." he nodded, deciding to not argue.

"Akihiko, if he ever does speak about it, it'll be on his own accord. We have no reason to pry on his and Tomioka-san's pasts." she scolded.

"You can't deny you're curious though."

"When have I ever said that?"

"I've seen the way you gaze at them with curiosity. Don't deny it." she held her hands up in surrender at that. It is true. Sometimes, she's shot them a glance of confusion or curiosity a few times.

"I'm not denying it." they sat in silence for a while, their stances lowering slowly. Neither of them spoke, yet the communication was clear with their gazes. It would never be as strong as Akihiko's and Aragaki's.

"Now sit down. We have english to finish studying. We wouldn't want Toriumi-sensei to chew us out for using the wrong punctuation."

"Oh hell no, I'm not repeating a Hino."

"You did not name that after Hino's error-"

---

Shinjiro sighed as he opened an eye the moment he heard footsteps heading towards him, seeing the red-eyed girl standing right in front of him, looking down at him. The same girl that had rightfully kicked the asses of a few assholes here. Her eyes, unlike last time, were dull, dead. "Whaddya want?" he asked, raising a brow as he shifted his sitting position, the cardboard boxes far from the ideal chair. But they made up for it. It's not like he had anywhere else.

"You were listening in on the conversation at Hagakure's." she spoke, her voice as soulless as her eyes. An accusation he couldn't refute. He nodded.

"Yeah. And?" it's not like he meant to. He was just there. Wrong place, wrong time. 

"Don't go telling your little buddies from SEES this." she spoke, slowly leaning her head down as her face became shadowy, her bangs hovering above her eyes. She wasn't blinking. Shinjiro paused, a shiver running down his spine. He took a breath, glaring back at her.

"I don't need to tell them shit." he bit back. How long had she practiced this void, soulless stare? Or did it come naturally?

"Good. Wouldn't want to have to shut you permanently." she hummed lowly, her gaze narrowing. She was still not blinking, and it was creeping him out.

"Wh-"

"Although the suppressants will do it, eventually. Just like the rest of us." she added, a verbal jab at him. It wasn't mocking, she was just stating the obvious. Yet it still was a jab towards him. His glare hardened at that.

"Shut it." he growled "I don't need to tell anyone what I heard, not like it fucking matters." he scoffed. She leaned back, finally allowing him some room to breathe. Her posture relaxed, too.

"Good to know we don't need to air each other's dirty laundry." she shrugged, turning to leave. Shinjiro pushed himself up to his feet, hands shoved in his pockets.

"What's your business with SEES?" he asked. She didn't fully turn, only moving her head to look behind her shoulder.

"It doesn't concern me. I'm just there because of certain people, nothing else." she shrugged. Shinjiro scoffed. He didn't buy it.

"What about your other buddies, then? Do they know you're making new friends?" he asked.

"What, they came to visit you while I was with the others?" she asked, raising a brow. He huffed. At the lack of answer, she turned to face away again.

"Mention this to your buddy and I won't hesitate to double you over and kick your ass. I did the same with the low-lives that roam around here. I won't hesitate to do the same with you." she threatened "You're way better off not hanging around here, anyways. The smoking and the drinking reeks of death. As much as it fits you, you're better off in another area." she added, walking away. Shinjiro watched her, his fists clenched at his sides and his jaw tightened.

"Like you're any better, Arisato." he clicked his tongue, sitting back down on the cardboard boxes.

---

"Woah, Junpei! The hell happened to you?!" Tomochika had asked the moment he had stumbled upon the capped boy at the school gates and saw the scar, a glint of surprise and confusion on his gaze. Junpei looked up from his book, a brow raised.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Wha- Dude! You got a scar on your cheek!" he exclaimed, jabbing his finger against the healing injury. Junpei hissed at the contact, stepping back.

"Ow."

"Sorry." Tomochika apologized, his voice quieter "But... dude, are you okay?" he asked. Junpei just smiled.

"I'm alright, don't worry! It just itches."

 

"I-Iori-san." Hasegawa began during lunch break when she approached "Um. Is it okay if you pass by the health committee after school?"

"Huh? Why?" he asked, confused.

"About your scar. I may have some products that could soothe the itching." she offered.

"Ah! Thanks, Hasegawa-san! That's really nice of you!" he grinned.

 

"Iori." he turned his head when he saw Toriumi-sensei standing in the classroom, telling him to come. He blinked, surprised, but nodded, waving Yukari and Makoto goodbye before walking up to his homeroom teacher.

"Is something wrong, sensei?" he asked.

"No, no. I'm just... worried, about you." Toriumi-sensei spoke, placing her book on her teacher stand "Has your home situation gotten worse?" she asked. Junpei swallowed, his body tensing up. Ah, right. He forgot that the faculty had been made aware of his home situation by the principal. They rarely brought it up, even Ekoda had been respectful of it.

"No. Dad just... passes out before he can do anything." he shook his head "This- This scar isn't from him, or anything. I just did something stupid." he assured. Toriumi-sensei nodded, still worried, but relaxed.

"I see. I'm sorry if it was an uncomfortable question, but all of the teachers talked about it during lunch break, and I... I thought something had happened." she admitted "Ounishi had asked one of her classmates to offer you something for it."

"Ah yeah, Hasegawa-san! I was just heading there." he nodded.

"Mhm. Just... if anything happens, you can tell me." she told him. He nodded again. Because what else was he supposed to do? Deny it? It would just be suspicious.

 

Junpei shrugged off those memories, changing the grip on his sword. He blocked a swing from Shinazugawa-san, the bokken in the man's hands was strong. The capped boy grunted as he pushed the other back. "Nice going, kid." the man said, a smirk on his face "But you still got a long way to go if you, Arisato and Yamagishi all wanna learn Total Concentration Breathing." Junpei let out a huff, a grin on his face as he spun his blade like a baseball bat, his confidence high.

"I know that! But news flash, that ain't stopping me!" he declared, cracking a chuckle out of the white-haired man in front of him.

---

 

Notes:

The game doesn't specify the dates of the important events that have taken place in the past and not in the present so I took creative liberties with them as well.

Chapter 29: Some damn context, at last.

Notes:

"Who are the Hashiras' favourite SEES members and civilians? Each other don't count."

SEES
Giyuu: Minako, Fuuka and Makoto.
Sanemi: Minako, Fuuka, Yukari and Junpei.

Civilians
Giyuu: Bunkichi and Mitsuko
Sanemi: Maiko

"I insist." Kirijo stated firmly as she pushed the devices onto Giyuu and Sanemi's hands, much to their chagrin. The argument had been going on for a while, to the point where Sanada was staring.

"Y-You don't have to give it to us for free- I'm sure the money we have is more than enough to pay you back." Giyuu tried to reason.

"No. It is my duty as the founder to ensure that you both are well-adjusted."

"That just feels like an excuse." Sanemi deadpanned, trying to give the girl the devices back.

"I've already paid for them and had Ikutsuki-san help me set them and put my number and the rest of the team's numbers, anyway. It would be a waste to not use them."

"You-"

"Don't try and fight it. Mitsuru will force you to accept." Sanada chimed with a chuckle. Kirijo's cheeks bloomed a faint shade of red at the teasing.

"Akihiko!"

"And that's my cue to RUN-" the two Hashiras watched dumbfounded as the boxer ran from the heiress, leaving them both standing around with the new devices in their hands. Giyuu looked down at his own, inspecting it closely. It was a sapphire blue device that could flip open like a book. His eyes sparkled slightly. This was basically the equivalent of their Kasugai crows.

"She's stubborn..." Sanemi huffed. Giyuu silently nodded in agreement.

 

"Ah. Looks like Kirijo wants to talk to the group." Giyuu commented as he read the message on his phone, watching Sanemi play with Koromaru again. The Wind Hashira had grown rather fond of the dog. Well, really fond. So he visited the shrine a lot. And Koromaru- well, he's just happy to see him. Giyuu is still... not exactly able to approach close without cowering, sadly.

"She does?" Sanemi asked, his face moving up.

"Mhm." Giyuu nodded "Report of the last Full Moon."

"We should have done that like some days ago. Or right after the mission." the Wind Hashira huffed, looking down at the dog "We gotta go now, Koro." the dog whined at that sadly, looking at Sanemi with big eyes. Giyuu sweatdropped. Ah, Koromaru was trying to get Sanemi and him to not leave.

"I'll come back again, buddy." the white-haired man smiled, scratching the dog behind the ear before pushing himself up to his feet. Koromaru barked happily, licking the wind Hashira's hand. Sanemi smiled softly, walking over to Giyuu.

"You know," Giyuu began as they started to walk back to the dorms "the rest of the Hashiras would not actually believe that you could be this soft." Sanemi groaned at that, bringing a hand to his face.

"Don't even get me started." he huffed "I'd have Uzui up my ass, teasing me like crazy." Giyuu nodded.

"I think Kanroji would try and see how much more soft you could get."

"Which is exactly why I'm never showing this side to them. Only Iguro." Sanemi insisted, shoving his hands in his pockets "And, well. Now you, I guess." he awkwardly added. Giyuu hummed. He truly did value the small friendship the two had. Well, Giyuu wouldn't really know if Sanemi would call it a friendship. Companionship, maybe? He didn't know. Maybe it was better if he didn't label it.

Besides, the way his heart sped whenever he saw Sanemi smile was... concerning to him. He had a faint clue, but unless he talked to someone, he'd never know if his suspicions were right or not.

---

"...And that's the summary of what happened on the night of the 7th." Mitsuru finished, with Akihiko nodding in agreement. The group all sat in the command room, reporting to Ikutsuki what had happened in the last Full Moon. Well, Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san were standing up, the former standing politely near Yamagishi and Iori while the latter leaning against the couch, standing right behind Arisato with a bored expression on his face.

"These Shadows seem to be quite a bit more formidable than the ordinary ones." she added.

"I see. So our enemies are growing stronger as well." Ikutsuki-san hummed, stroking his chin "Well, it's not all bad news. In fact, I called today's meeting because-" he began with a smile. Akihiko leaned forward, ready to listen.

"Hold on." Takeba cut him off, speaking. Akihiko blinked. Huh? Was something wrong?

"Before we go on, I'd like to ask Kirijo-senpai something." she spoke, her tone calm. The boxer frowned. Was this really the time?

"Oh?"

"I know I'm not the only one thinking this. So much has been happening lately..." she shook her head "I feel like I've just been getting dragged along without really understanding anything. But now, I want answers." she took a deep breath "So I'm gonna ask you straight out. You've been hiding something from us, haven't you, Senpai?" she accused. Akihiko's gaze hardened, his gloved fingers curling around his skin. Not tight enough to hurt, but tight enough for his fingers to pinch his forearms.

"Takeba-"

"No, let her speak." Shinazugawa-san gruffly said, a hand firmly placed on Akihiko's shoulder "She has the right to ask questions. We have 'em, too." Tomioka-san nodded in agreement, his gaze narrowing. Takeba looked relieved at that, giving the two adults a grateful nod before she continued.

"You're always acting like you don't know anything about the Dark Hour or Tartarus. But they're connected to that accident ten years ago, aren't they?" she asked. Akihiko's breath hitched.

"You mean..." Iori began, his tone shifting. He had a hardened expression on his face, his jaw clenched tight. Something wasn't right Did he... Did they dig up something from the past? It would explain why Takeba would bring this up, but Akihiko hadn't been expecting Iori to also have done some research.

"Y-Yukari-chan..." Yamagishi began, tentatively reaching a hand.

"There was an explosion near our school, and a lot of people died. It must've been big news back then. You know about it, don't you?" she asked. Akihiko glanced at his friend, a glint of concern in his eyes. She looked calm, but... she was just as tense as he was at the moment.

"...Yes." she answered, nodding slightly.

"Luckily, no students were injured. But something's off here." Takeba continued "At the time of the incident, there were several unexplained absences."

"And you believe it is not a coincidence." Tomioka-san hummed. The brown-haired girl nodded.

"Yeah."

"What do you mean?" Mitsuru asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Well, I dug up some old school records, and found something interesting. Those students weren't just absent. They all suddenly collapsed and had to be sent to the hospital." Takeba continued "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?" she asked, a hint of a darkened expression on her gaze "Those girls that bullied Fuuka had to be hospitalized too while she was stuck in Tartarus with Arisato, Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san." Mitsuru looked to her lap, her brows furrowed. Akihiko reached a discreet hand, placing it on her back.

"I want an explanation!" Takeba exclaimed as she got up to her feet, a glare on her face.

"So do we!" Iori joined, with Yamagishi nodding in agreement. Akihiko looked at them, a mix of disbelief and annoyance in his eyes. Shit, this was getting out of hand.

"What really happened on the day of that accident?! The Kirijo group built our school, so you have to know something! Tell us the truth!" Takeba demanded.

"Takeba, sit down-"

"Shut up, Senpai!" she snapped at Akihiko "What, are you in on it, too?! You know the reason behind this?!" she asked, taking a step forward. He gritted his teeth. But a hand on his shoulder held him back from snapping back.

"I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. It just never seemed relevant." Mitsuru tried to excuse as she shifted in her seat, unsure.

"You do realize that you three put yourself in a, quite frankly, bad spot by not revealing this possible information you have?" Tomioka-san asked. His tone wasn't condescending or hateful, nor was his expression. But three... Was he adding Ikutsuki-san in the mix, too?

"Tomioka-san?" the heiress asked, confused.

"A good leader trusts the people that follow him and doesn't hide information. You may have had your reasons, but at the end of the day, what you've shown is a lack of trust in us." the swordsman spoke, shaking his head "You aren't to blame for your reasons. But the reluctancy you had with sharing information does come to bite you in the ass, as they say." Mitsuru swallowed, looking down.

"Tomioka-kun-"

"Shut." Shinazugawa-san hissed "Let Kirijo talk, old man." Ikutsuki-san looked surprised and offended at that.

"Very well. I'll... I'll tell you everything. I don't want to lose the trust you all had in us." she breathed out, Akihiko setting a hand over hers. She grasped it gently, a way to keep herself grounded. Takeba sat back down, a look of expectancy in her eyes.

"Shadows have many mysterious abilities." Mitsuru began "Some research indicates they can even affect time and space. We think of them as enemies, but what if we could somehow use them to our advantage? They could be a source of unimaginable power, couldn't they?" she suggested. The question raised some brows from the second years, but Arisato... Her face had darkened visibly.

"What..?" Takeba murmured.

"Are you saying someone tried to take their power?" Shinazugawa-san asked.

"Fourteen years ago, one man pursued that very line of thinking. He was the former leader of the Kirijo Group. Kirijo Kouetsu." she said, looking down at her lap "...My grandfather." she revealed. Noises of shock and disbelief came from the second years, their eyes wide at the revelation.

"My grandfather was obsessed with the Shadows. He wanted to harness their power, and create something extraordinary."

"Harness their power?" Yamagishi asked.

"Create something extraordinary?" Yuki questioned.

"He assembled a research team, and over several years, collected a significant number of Shadows."

"He was?! Damn, that's fucking crazy!" Iori exclaimed.

"Ten years ago, however. During the last stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power. Consequently, the nature of the world was altered."

"And that's when the Dark Hour began?" Tomioka-san asked.

"Yes. Tartarus and the Dark Hour had been born." Mitsuru nodded "According to the records, the accumulated mass of Shadows split into several large ones that later dispersed. These are the Shadows we've been encountering on full moon nights."

"Is that why they're so difficult to predict when they'll appear?" Yamagishi asked.

"Wait- This doesn't make sense." Takeba shook her head "If what you said is true, why does our school turn into Tartarus?" she asked.

"Because that is exactly where they conducted the experiments." Arisato spoke "Am I right, Kirijo?"

"Yes." Mitsuru nodded.

"Then those students who were hospitalized..." Takeba trailed off.

"It's just as you fear." Mitsuru shook her head, a glint of impotence in her eyes "It was a highly populated area, and the Kirijo Group had influence there. They could essentially do as they pleased. Port Island must have been the perfect location for them. So yes, as Arisato and you all must have guessed, the experiment ten years ago was conducted at Gekkoukan High School."

"Just what are you trying to say here..?" Takeba whispered, her tone shaky. Akihiko uncrossed his arms.

"Takeba, you got the answers you wanted, right?" he said. He didn't want this continuing. They were supposed to be here for the group report of the Full Moon Operation. Nothing else.

"Senpai, don't you see?!" Takeba exclaimed, standing upright so fast that the chair was knocked down to the floor. Everyone flinched.

"We're just cleanin' their mess!" Iori said loudly, also getting up "All that SEES is for is just cleaning the mistakes of some wannabe rich man who fucked up so badly he fucked up the world completely!" he hollered.

"Did you lie to us, Kirijo-senpai?" Yamagishi asked, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. Mitsuru was silent.

"And you knew too, didn't you, Sanada? You've just been using them since they joined." Arisato asked "Or did you not care for the origins of the Dark Hour, of what brought upon us? Considering how much you love fighting, this is just a free opportunity for you." she spoke, mocking. Akihiko's jaw clenched.

"I never said anything like that!" he exclaimed as he got up "So what if I knew about this shitshow?! I don't need to tell you my reasons for fighting in the Dark Hour!"

"Everyone, calm down-"

"Shut it, Ikutsuki-san!" Iori howled "I bet you knew too! You're just as guilty as Kirijo-senpai-"

"I NEVER WANTED THIS EITHER!" Mitsuru shouted as she got up, stomping on the floor hard. A loud silence filled the room, everyone tense. Akihiko looked at his friend, surprised by the outburst. She exhaled, bringing a hand to her temples.

"I apologize for my lack of tact." she spoke "But I want you all to listen to me. Think what you'd like, it was solely my decision alone not to share the information. I apologize from the bottom of my heart, as my intent was never to deceive you all. My highest priority was recruiting people to SEES. People who had the potential, who could fight the Shadows, who could help. I never had a choice on this either. I never had the option to reject the power I was given or not..." she said, her hands clenching at her sides. Akihiko looked at his friend, reaching a hand and holding it gingerly.

"That's enough." she nodded curtly.

"Takeba-kun, Iori-kun, everyone. I want you all to listen." Ikutsuki-san spoke "The ones to blame are solely the ones in the past, who made the grave error of trying to pursue their greed. Because of their selfishness, they lost their lives. Everyone here is in the same boat. We share the same burden of being the only ones aware of the phenomenon known as the Dark Hour."

"But..." Takeba trailed off, her face scrunched up with a hint of impotence. Akihiko glanced at her, as if testing her to see if she was going to blow up again. But she didn't. Dejectedly, she sat down again, avoiding the boxer's gaze. Slowly, the ones who had stood up sat down, leaving once again only Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san standing.

"It's been ten years since the incident. No one knows why those Shadows suddenly return. It's merely just a coincidence that it was timed with Yuki-kun's transfer." Ikutsuki-san continued, the named student blinking "But now that they're here, we have the chance to find and destroy them. Do you realize what this means?" he asked.

"More unpaid work?" Shinazugawa-san asked in a deadpan tone.

"Well- Yes. Sort of. But! What if I told you that the twelve Shadows are the cause of everything?" he revealed. Akihiko's eyes widened in disbelief, his gaze set on the chairman.

"You're saying that if defeat them all, Tartarus and the Dark Hour will be gone?" he asked.

"Exactly!" he nodded with enthusiasm "That's what I was going to tell you earlier. See, it's good news, isn't it?" he asked.

"Can that really be true?!" Yamagishi gasped, a note of relief in her voice.

"There's evidence to support it, yes." Ikutsuki-san nodded "And this is where our true battle begins."

"Our true battle..." Takeba whispered.

"Regardless of what's happened in the past, we must fight to protect people. The Shadows are gaining strength. We can't afford to wait for them to strike first." the chairman said.

"Right." Mitsuru agreed.

"And there are still many mysteries surrounding Tartarus. For instance, why did such a gigantic structure appear in the first place? The answers must be out there somewhere." the older man continued.

"Hm..."

"I'm sorry. But if you say there's evidence to support it, you're going to have to show said evidence. Or else, I won't believe you." Arisato stated as she got up from her seat again, a deadpan on her face "Not to mention, I'm not a part of SEES. I'm not an official member."

"Eh?" Ikutsuki-san let out, looking at the girl with confusion.

"I'm just here because of Fuuka-chan, Junpei, Shinazugawa-san and Tomioka-san. I'm no member of SEES." she shook her head, turning to the door and beginning to walk towards it "I appreciate you giving me a place to stay, but I'm not fighting."

"But why?" Akihiko asked, getting up "Don't you want this to end?" Arisato fell silent as she reached the door, her hand resting on it. A few beats of silence filled the room, the others getting up as well.

"Minako-chan?" Fuuka called, looking at the auburn-haired girl with concern.

"Have a good night." she simply spoke, opening the door and leaving the command room. She shut the door quietly, leaving everyone to drown in an awkward silence.

---

"Arisato, wait." Minako paused when she heard someone call for her. She was already out of the dorms when he caught up to her. She turned, seeing Shinazugawa walking up to her, Tomioka close behind.

"What? If you're here to try and convince me, no, I already said I won't fight." she sighed, shaking her head.

"No, we're not here to do that." the water user spoke quietly "We're here to keep you company and make sure you don't wander off and do something reckless."

"Whuht?"

"It was Sanemi's idea, not mine. He's worried about you." he added.

"Wh- I told you to keep quiet about that!" Shinazugawa hissed. Minako blinked.

"You're... worried. About me." she repeated. It sounded almost foreign. Why would they be worried about her?

"Well- Yeah." Shinazugawa sighed "Listen. After what you told us the other day, about the whole... accident you had and everything. You're practically cooperating with the people who inadvertedly hid the accident that killed your parents." he said.

"If you believe you'd inconvenience us with your worries, then please shake those thoughts off." Tomioka added. Minako blinked, an unfamiliar feeling coiling in her chest. Why were they so concerned? She was- She was fine! She was, really! But...

"You don't have to hide your feelins' or whatever. I dont'- I dunno how you work, but. You're nice to me, so... We got each other's backs."

"You made her tear up, dumbass!" Shinazugawa scolded as Minako felt a pair of arms wrap around her.

"I didn't mean to." Tomioka spoke, a small hint of guilt in his tone. She blinked, feeling her vision watering and something warm sliding down her cheeks. She sniffled softly, realizing what was happening.

She was crying. Actually crying. She'd only ever cried around Jin-chan once.

She hid her face on Sanemi's shirt, trying to muffle her sobs and hide her tears. Though it didn't do much, but the two pairs of arms wrapped around her definitely felt nice. It made her feel better about herself.

---

 

Notes:

I feel like I made the reveal scene more heated. But to be fair, with what Minako told Junpei and Fuuka before, I didn't want them to stay fully silent and just be shocked. Even if their assumptions about the incident were wrong, they still want some sort of justice for their friend. Also let Junpei say fuck. I know the game's only f bomb went to Shinjiro. But come on! Let these teenagers all swear!

Chapter 30: YA! KU! SHI! MA!

Notes:

Mixing both FES and Reload scenes is fun.

'I can't believe I'm actually doing this...' Minako thought with a frown as she remained in the shade of the boat, a hand grasping her red scarf and curling her fingers around the fabric. She couldn't believe that they were actually heading to Yakushima, where... where he was. Where the son of that bastard was. Technically, he wasn't to blame, but it still didn't make it okay. Her body shivered, and she hugged the jacket closer to her. Most of the members of SEES had a tense atmosphere around them, remaining under the shade.

Except Junpei. Him and the two adults of the group were under the sun, with the teenager having a giant grin on his face, joy stamped on his expression. "HAHAAAH! AWESOME!" he shouted, pointing at the island "There it is! YA! KU! SHI! MA!" he beamed, punching the air as he turned to the group. Though his face faltered when he saw their somber expressions. It seemed like they were all still tense.

"Minakocchi? You good?" Junpei asked as he approached her "You're usually pumped about things. Seeing you like this is kinda..." he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. She shook her head, noticing the concerned glance Fuuka was throwing her way.

"...'m not a fan of the sea. Sorry." she mumbled, closing her eyes. Junpei hummed, a glint of understanding in his eyes. He sat next to her, a knee bent up while the other was laid flat.

"Well, I'll keep ya company! As your very awesome friend, you will only get the best company!" he smiled, dramatically stretching his arms out. She huffed out a soft laugh at that, a small smile on her face. It was definitely nice to have someone keep by her side. Her gaze trailed off, seeing both Tomioka and Shinazugawa peeking out at the approaching island, gaping at the sight. She muffled her laughter.

"I think Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san are at a loss for words." she commented, discretely pointing at them.

"Their flabbers are gasted." Junpei grinned, cracking a laugh out of Minako. She threw her head back, her shoulders relaxing. Why is this guy so good at making her feel better about herself? What sort of magic does he have on her?

"TOMIOKA-SAN, DON'T-" they both wheezed at the sight of Sanada trying to make sure Tomioka didn't fall over while Shinazugawa laughed as well, as if mocking his fellow Hashira "HOW ARE YOU SO HEAVY-"

"I'm sorry." the man apologized as Sanada pulled him back. The silver-haired teen sighed in relief. Minako got up, slowly walking over to the deck. The sun shone brightly, painting the island with an almost ethereal glow. And yet, as much as she wanted not to, there wasn't any positive light she could see it in.

"I wonder... What kind of flora and fauna can we find here?" Fuuka asked as she stepped out into the light as well, a small smile on her face.

"Oooh! Perhaps we can find foxes!" Junpei gasped.

"I wanna catch some crabs!" Minako joined.

"Crabs?" Shinazugawa asked "Why crabs, specifically?"

"Because I can prank people by putting them under their beds!" she cackled, a grin on her face.

"WHAT!?" both Fuuka and Junpei exclaimed, taking a step back from her. She laughed at their reactions, shaking her head.

"Just kidding~!" she teased.

"Don't scare us like that!" Junpei pouted.

"Crabs are cool. But I like penguins more." Tomioka added. Shinazugawa gave him a look. The water user raised a brow

"What?"

---

Boarding off from the yatch, Giyuu and Sanemi stared at the inside of the building Kirijo had guided the group in. It was... so out of place for them. Marble collums and walls, beautiful tapestry, plants carefully taken care of hanging from the railings... It was like nothing they had ever seen before. "This is beautiful..." Giyuu murmured. Sanemi nodded in agreement, the wind Hashira suddenly feeling... incredibly small. Sure, he had amassed a rather... large amount of money because of his demon slaying job, more than enough to keep his family well and taken care of if they were alive keep himself stable and more, but- but he never even imagined to standing inside a building this pristine and luxurious.

"Wow..." Yamagishi gasped, eyes wide in amazement.

"It's like we're in an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Fabulous..." Iori whispered, looking around. Sanemi had no idea what that show was about, but he didn’t have time to ask Iori about it. The sound of a door opening garnered the Hashira's attention, as two women wearing the same long, black dress and a white apron greeted them.

"Welcome back, Milady." they both greeted at the same time, bowing down. They were referring to Kirijo, probably.

"We won't be here for long, but I'll be relying on you all during our stay." Kirijo spoke.

"Of course!" they both chimed happily, smiles on their faces. Kirijo's posture had relaxed as well, Sanemi noticed.

"And you all must be her associates from SEES, correct?" one asked, receiving various nods as a collective answer "Allow us to properly welcome you to the Kirijo Vacation Home."

"Associates..?" he heard Takeba murmur before she looked at Kirijo "U-Um, is this the right place?"

"They did say it's the Kirijo Vacation Home. I do not think Kirijo-san would guide us to the wrong place on purpose." Giyuu stated.

"Dude, real-life maids..." Iori whispered. Ah, that was what they were called. They reminded Sanemi of the Kakushi, in some way.

"Calm your horses, dude." Arisato rolled her eyes playfully at the capped boy's reaction.

"I knew she was from an important family, but this definitely confirms it..." Yamagishi spoke lowly. The maids began to walk, and the group followed them as Sanemi took the environment surrounding them. How important truly are the Kirijos? How wealthy must they be in order to be able to have vacations in this home? He swallowed. His siblings would have given anything to have a home like this. Happy as they were with Ma, they... they deserved a good home. A bigger home.

They stopped when a man had stepped out of the same door the maids did. A tall, impressive-looking man with black hair and gray eyes- Well, eye. He had an eyepatch over one of them. He was dressed fully in suit and tie, it made the Wind Hashira wonder how the hell he was not sweating in the heat. Perhaps the building had some sort of A/C system, like Arisato called it?

"It's good to see you." Kirijo spoke. The man nodded. He didn't say much else, instead walking past the group. Although he did stop beside Arisato, Sanemi and Giyuu, staring at them. His eye widened for a moment, as if he had seen something he shouldn't have.

"Is everything alright, sir?" Giyuu asked, tilting his head to the side. He shook his head.

"No. Nothing at all." he spoke. His voice was gruff, low. The man was probably in his fourties, maybe. He continued walking past them, leaving them alone.

"W-Was that..?" Yamagishi began, turning to look at the heiress.

"...Her father?" Takeba finished the question for her, just as in disbelief as the teal-haired girl.

"T-Talk about intense..." Iori commented "H-He won't make us walk the plank, Senpai... R-Right?" he asked.

"Don't be stupid." Sanada deadpanned.

"What's with him wearin' a suit in this kinda heat..." Sanemi grumbled under his breath.

"I think some people are just naturally cold." Giyuu shrugged. Kirijo smiled at their behaviour.

"We won't be here for long, but make yourselves comfortable." she spoke, holding back a faint chuckle.

"Sweet! This is gonna rock!" Iori cheered.

"Ah, the beach is right next to the building, is it not?" Giyuu asked.

"Really?!" Iori exclaimed "Can we go there?! Please?!" he asked.

"I don't see a problem with that." Kirijo nodded. The capped boy cheered loudly, fist-bumping the air.

"This place rules! Oh man, I'm so ready for it! Come on, let's goooooo!"

"Already?! Junpei, we just got here!" Takeba said "Ugh, whatever. Just give us some time to change."

"See ya there! Because I ain't wasting a single minute!"

---

Giyuu sighed as he stepped out into the sun, holding a cooler under his arm filled with drinks for the teenagers and for him and Sanemi. The sun was shining on full force, nearly blinding him. 'I have to thank Arisato for the sunglasses...' he thought, putting them on. The kids were still getting changed, so at the moment, it was just him and Sanemi. Speaking of the other, the Wind Hashira was already there, laying on a bed under an umbrella.

He was wearing a pair of dark green swim trunks reaching his thighs that faded to a lighter green on the waistband. Not only that, but he had a hawaiian shirt with short sleeves unbuttoned, proudly showing off his scars, even the ones under his pecs. Perhaps he thought that they’d be easily disguised under the many other scars? The water user didn't know. The Wind Hashira’s eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping. Though he did open one when he heard Giyuu approaching.

"Took you a while to get here." he said as he sat up, looking at the cooler with a raised brow, a silent question on what that was.

"Sorry about that. I asked for a safe way to storage drinks for the group in case the heat got to them." Giyuu sheepishly apologized as he placed the cooler down between both beds. His own beach wear consisted of just simple, dark blue board shorts with waves stamped on the ends of the shorts. He put his hair up in a high ponytail instead of the usual low one, not wanting it to get in the way.

"Huh. Good idea." Sanemi hummed.

"The maids offered if us both wanted beer, since we're both adults, but uh... I've never drank before and I'm not sure about you." he added, sweatdropping.

"Beer?"

"Alcohol."

"Oh. Gross. No way in hell. It’s shit." the Wind Hashira immediately scowled at the mention of alcohol. Yeah, Giyuu figured his fellow Hashira would say that. He plopped down on the bed next to him, sighing.

"The kids are still changing?" Giyuu nodded.

"I heard Yamagishi ask Takeba for help with her swimwear while I was walking with the cooler. Yuki was ready, but he was waiting for Sanada and Iori." the Wind Hashira hummed.

"Sunscreen?"

"I haven't put it on yet." He gestured at the bottle of sunscreen in the pocket of his broad shorts. The other snatched it, pouring a bit on his palm. Understanding his actions, Giyuu turned around.

"You saw the way that Kirijo's father looked at us, right?" Sanemi asked, brows furrowed as he began to apply the sunscreen on the Water Hashira's back. Giyuu nodded.

"Yes. Although he was also looking at Arisato as well as us, for some reason. And I..." he paused "Perhaps I may have imagined it, but I thought I saw regret when he looked at her." he commented. He knew the look of regret very well. And Kirijo's father had it in his eye. Sanemi huffed.

"Probably because his father basically fucked up the world." the white-haired man said.

"But why just at her? Why not at Takeba, at Iori, or at Yuki?" Giyuu countered. Sanemi paused, his movements also stopping. His palms rested against Giyuu's shoulderblades, silence overtaking the two.

"I don't know." he finally answered. It was fine. Giyuu didn't expect him to, anyway.

"Come on, turn around so I can apply this on your face."

"Uh- Shouldn't I do it myself?"

"You can do the rest of your body." Giyuu resigned, turning to face Sanemi. He was close, too close in Giyuu's opinion, but he bit his tongue. The cream was moist, being spread along his skin. For a moment, Giyuu moved his face away slightly, brows furrowed.

"Not a fan of it, huh?" Sanemi asked "Sorry. But unless you wanna get burned, you gotta put it on." he seemed to understand his dislike for it. Giyuu groaned quietly, but sat still, allowing the other to spread the sunscreen on his face.

Once he was done, they both stared at each other for a second, suddenly both aware of the distance. He saw the other’s cheeks reddened, and he was sure his owm were, at the very least, a faint shade of red. Giyuu leaned back, looking away as he reached for the bottle of sunscreen to put it on the rest of his body, avoiding Sanemi's gaze.

---

Sanemi sighed as he listened to the kids making a fuss, taking off the sunglasses Giyuu had lent him. Apparently Arisato gave them to him, but since he was going to be busy admiring the crabs, whatever that meant, he gave them to Sanemi. Something among the lines of shielding his eyes from the sun while bathing under it, or whatever. He got off of the bed, walking over at them. "What's with you and making noise, Iori?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Ah- Shinazugawa-san?!" Iori exclaimed, jumping back "When did you get here?!"

"I was the first one here. You can ask Giyuu for confirmation." he signaled to the Water Hashira, who was busy observing a crab. Just like he had said. Yuki didn't seem to think twice before he walked over, crouching down and doing the same. Sanemi paused, his face scrunching up in a horrific realization.

"Same person..." Sanada and him uttered at the same time, sweatdropping. He can deal with one Giyuu! He doesn’t need two! What the fuck!

"Oh! Is that a cooler?" Takeba asked as she pointed to the cooler Giyuu brought. Sanemi nodded.

"Giyuu brought it. It's got a lot of drinks in there."

"Sweet!" Iori cheered as he ran to it, opening it "Yoo! We got sodas here! Mad Bull, woohoo!"

"Don't have an energy drink before heading in the water." Sanada sighed as he walked over "What do we got here?"

"Is there water?"

"Oh! Is this Jumbo Juice?"

"This is all loaded up!"

Sanemi shook his head in amusement, turning to Kirijo. She'd been the only one that hadn't rushed to the drinks. Well, apart from Yuki, that was. "Hey. Where's Arisato?" he asked, walking up to her. She glanced at him for a moment.

"She hasn't come out of the room. She said she had some trouble with the swimsuit, but she refused to let any of us inside." she explained, worry clear in her tone. Sanemi hummed, a frown settling in his face. Kirijo probably wanted to check on her again, but considering what had happened in the last SEES meeting... She probably thought the auburn-haired girl wanted some distance from her.

Still, she didn't let Yamagishi in. And that caused concern for Sanemi.

Maybe it's just him being overprotective of the girl, but Yamagishi and Arisato were probably the closest inside the SEES group. They were the first ones to call each other by name, at least ever since the two Hashiras met the group, so there was clearly some amount of trust between them. That, and what Arisato had told them in Hagakure... "Giyuu and I'll go check on her, if that eases up your worries." Sanemi spoke up. She looked at him, surprise etched on her face.

"Really?"

"Mhm. She probably isn't gonna let any of SEES in. And if Yamagishi couldn't, then I doubt Iori can. Which just leaves Giyuu and I." he shrugged. Kirijo gave him a grateful smile in response.

"Thank you, Shinazugawa-san. I appreciate it a lot."

"Don't mention it."

 

Walking down the halls, the maid guided the two Hashiras to the room that had been left for Arisato. They both bowed their heads as a thank you while the maid retreated. They both stared at the door for a few seconds, awkwardly standing there. "Uh, do we knock, or-" Sanemi opened the door without hesitation, cutting off Giyuu. The Water Hashira sighed.

"Nevermind..." he whispered.

"Arisato, are you in- here..." Sanemi's tone fell, his eyes slowly widening as he stared at the girl inside. Giyuu choked back a gasp, a hand covering his mouth. Arisato was staring at them in shock, a hint of panic in her gaze. But that wasn't what worried the two Hashiras.

No.

 

What worried them, what had gathered their attention had been the endless amount of scars on her body. Burns and cuts permanently marked on her body, the scars didn't look like they had healed properly at all. There even was a lightning scar on her back.

 

"...Arisato..?"

---

 

Notes:

Did you notice that Minako was always wearing long sleeves and clothes that would cover up her scars?

Chapter 31: Buried beneath.

Summary:

Minako, and scars.

"...Arisato..?"

 

Giyuu stared with wide eyes at the sight of Arisato, the many scars scattered across her body almost made him recoil. She stared back at them, eyes wide in a panic. Just... Just what was this? What the hell was this? These all couldn't have been made by the Shadows. Maybe that lightning scar that went from her shoulder blade to her hip, and maybe some of the smaller burns as well. But the others? No, the others looked like they had not been made out of carelessness or on accident. They looked like they'd been put on her body by force.

"What- What are you two doing here..?!" she stammered, taking a step back. The curtain of the room was pulled, shielding Arisato from any possible onlookers outside. Giyuu just... he just stared. He was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say?

"We came here because you hadn’t come out to the beach..." Sanemi began, his own voice was weak. He was probably just processing the sight as well. Wasn't it ironic? Both Sanemi and Arisato were covered head to toe with scars. But while Sanemi's were mostly self-inflicted because of his blood, a deadly weapon to abuse, Arisato's were probably not self-inflicted, but rather inflicted on her by force.

"I told Kirijo to not worry about me! Shit." she uttered under her breath. Giyuu frowned.

"Arisato-"

"Get out. Please- Please, get out." she told them, cutting off Sanemi while using some bedsheets to cover herself from their gazes. There was shame in her gaze. Shame, and fear. Giyuu felt his breath hitch at her tone. She wasn’t upbeat or energetic. She sounded so small and scared. Just like a small child.

"Arisato." he spoke, his tone soft. She stared at him, sweat dripping down her face. He needed to mind his words here. Or else he might fuck it up. Especially knowing his incredible social abilities. Note the sarcasm here.

"Do you want to stay here and not go down to the beach?" he asked. She swallowed, slightly recoiling in surprise before shaking her head up and down. She didn't want to go to the beach with the others, got it. He understood.

"Do you want us to get you some clothes? Will that make you feel safer?" he continued. She nodded, more energetic this time. He quickly walked over to her bag with her things, grabbing the first thing he got, which was a pale red maxi dress with bell sleeves that covered almost all of her scars. The collar was open, which would reveal a bit of the scars on her neck and collarbone. So he got an ascot that was dark red and had white maple leaves stamped on the cloth. He turned, seeing Sanemi coaxing the other into lowering the bedsheets, calming the girl down.

Now that Giyuu really thought about it, Arisato never once wore clothing that revealed skin. She always wore long sleeves all the time, so much that you'd think she's a naturally cold person. Even if she were to wear something summer-like, like some short jeans or short sleeves, her limbs and her neck were always covered up. That's what he had believed, that she was always cold. Not... Not this.

She quickly got dressed, fumbling slightly with the clothes before she managed to put it on. The lower part of the dress fluttered down until it nearly reached the floor. Giyuu glanced at her, seeing her shoulders lower down, relaxed. He felt more relieved at that, his chest lighter. He hesitated for a moment, considering what should be the next step. She had asked them to leave before, so maybe that was it?

He took a step back, but her hand shot out, grabbing his wrist tightly. He blinked. Her grip was shaky, almost desperate. "Don't..." she whispered. He didn't say anything, looking at Sanemi. He was already looking back at the other Hashira, and he looked just as confused as him. But they decided to not leave, sitting by the edge of the large, queen-sized bed. She ducked her head. She didn't want to speak. Giyuu understood that.

"You did good." he flinched at the voice for a moment, looking around. But then he realized that Sanemi hadn't spoken at all, he looked more focused on keeping Arisato calm. He let her rest her head against his forearm.

"I'm inside your mind, idiot."

'...God?'

"Oh my god, what the fuck. I'm not god, I'm your Persona."

'...Oh.'

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'OH'?!"

Giyuu chose to ignore that, focusing on Arisato. "Are you feeling better?" he asked. She just nodded. That was good. He was glad.

"What... What happened?" Sanemi asked. There was concern in his tone. He had mostly remained quiet, but the question lingered on both of the Hashira's minds. What had occured to her?

She hesitated for a moment, swallowing audibly before she exhaled. "Remember when I told you that... that I had been involved in the Moonlight Bridge Incident?" she asked. Giyuu nodded.

"I... I had to survive on my own for a few days before I was found by a man. His name..." she paused, inhaling. Her hands trembled, as if the memory made her feel small.

"was Ikutsuki Shuji."

---

Fuuka was surprised to see that when Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san came back, they had brought Minako-chan with them. And she wasn't wearing a swimsuit at all. Which drew in the teal-haired girl's curiosity. Although the threatening stare that the Wind Hashira had on his face, as if daring anyone to ask and see what happened, was super scary, which is why she backed out almost instantly.

Minako-chan sat down on a bed under the shade of an umbrella, relaxing as she laid down on it. Her body was covered by a pale red maxidress. She shared a glance with Junpei, as if they both realized that something had happened when Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san went to look for the auburn-haired girl.

"Minako-chan, are you alright?" Fuuka asked as she approached her, Junpei following her almost immediately. The red-eyed girl glanced at them for a moment.

"Hm? O-Oh yeah! I just forgot to pack a swimsuit." she laughed, waving her hand almost dismissively. Fuuka frowned at that. That couldn’t be it. She and Minako-chan had packed together, and she saw her pack two swimsuits.

She opened her mouth to speak, but then her eyes lingered on Minako-chan's collarbone. Two nasty burnmarks were there, barely visible. But if one were to look closely, they’d see it. Fuuka had closed her mouth slowly, the sight made her voice die down. Her friend raised a brow, silently asking if she was alright. Fuuka just nodded.

"Want a drink, Minakocchi? We got a whole lotta variety here!" Junpei grinned, opening the cooler.

"Ooooh, lemme get one!" she exclaimed as she lunged to sit up, excited for the drink. Fuuka just sweatdropped, a smile on her face. She wondered how they were able to be so happy all the time. Well, almost all of the time. It seemed so exhausting.

"Want a drink, Fuuka?" Junpei offered.

"Sure."

---

Giyuu was in the sea, sitting politely when Sanemi had approached, shirt left behind on one of the beds. The white-haired man tread slowly deep into the water, already halfway there when the Water Hashira turned to look at him. "What are you doing?" he asked as he sat down next to his colleage, the water reaching their shoulders. Giyuu looked back at the sea.

"Just watching the fishes. I can't swim." the Water Hashira said. Sanemi blinked. What?

"You can’t swim?" he asked. Giyuu nodded. Well that was something Sanemi hadn’t even thought to be possible. But then again, he didn’t really know his colleage very well. He hadn’t actually made an actual attempt to get to know him. He had just stuck to hating him like he had killed his younger brother.

He probably shouldn’t have, honestly. They just both suck at communicating. Like, greatly.

"Well, why not try?" he offered. Giyuu glanced at him, a brow raised in curiosity. It was a silent question.

"I'm not gonna go ahead and say I'm amazing at swimming, but I know at least the basics. I can teach you." Sanemi said with a casual shrug.

"That sounds nice. I'd like to take that offer." Giyuu said, and for a moment, Sanemi thought he was smiling. There was a small twitch, his lips curling upwards at the end for a split second. It made his heart skip a beat, heat rising to his cheeks.

"Alright."

---

"How can it be..?" Takeharu murmured to himself as he sat on his chair, presence locked away in his office as the cigarette was crushed within his palm. It could not be. It simply couldn’t. He wanted to rip his hair out.

"First, the Dark Hour, and now this." he said, breath hitching as he got up, walking to his drawer. He opened it in a swift movement, taking out the portrait that was inside. He swallowed, staring daggers at it with his good eye. The picture had long since deteriorated over time, but he didn’t have the heart to throw it away or make copies. He brought it with him like a luck charm.

The many, many people plastered on the paper were all smiling happily, wearing celebratory kimonos, the date on it evident.

1912, post-Muzan defeat celebration.

His gaze zoned in on two men on it. Their features were unmistakibly similar to those of the men that his daughter allowed to join SEES, yet there were also some differences. Like the missing limb the man with bright eyes had, or the way the bright haired man with scars styled his hair was slightly different. But that couldn’t be. They couldn’t be the same men.

Something was not right.

"...I need to call him. And fast. Something is going on." he whispered "Kikuno, call Mitsuru here once she and her companions are back!"

---

 

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of The Nights of the Shadows and the Demons