Fate/Reach Out (Fate/Stay Night x SMT Persona 4)

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 24

<><><>

-Emiya Residence, Morning-

"I'm really, really, really sorry about last night, Dojima-san!"

Ryotaro Dojima paid the young adult teacher no mind as he ate the breakfast Nanako made; sunny-side eggs with rice. Though the bandage work Shirou did for his head had been done well and covered the top half of his head, he still suffered from a mental migraine courtesy of the sheet metal poster. And he was in no mood to address the woman that had knocked him out in the first place. He'd had enough trouble with one rookie cop back home, and all he wanted to do for Golden Week, just once, was to relax and not think about any cases.

"I promise," Taiga tried again, bowing and begging next to him. "I promise that it will never happen again!"

The other eaters present just watched awkwardly between the two adults. Taiga had come nearly at the crack of dawn when Nanako started breakfast, and had been courteous and helpful to the detective. It didn't take him long to figure out what her motive was, and subsequently ignore her.

Sakura herself came a little after Taiga, distracting herself by teaching and helping Nanako with breakfast, much to the younger girl's delight.

Shirou was worried because Taiga was on the verge of tears. That was never a good thing; if one didn't feel bad making Taiga Fujimura cry, they would regret it when she inevitably inflicted a nasty, yet harmless, prank in retaliation.

Finally, Dojima gulped down his last bite and, still without looking at her, and said, "Shirou, why don't you and the girls wait outside? We'll catch up."

Shirou was surprised by his uncle's request. He was about to inquire as to his reason but something about his tone and body language made him reconsider. "All right," he nodded, turning to his sister. "Let's go, Nanako, Sakura."

Nanako stared at her father for a moment before nodding sadly. "Okay."

Sakura said nothing, glancing worriedly between her English teacher and her senpai's uncle, but she finally bowed and left as well.

Taiga watched as they got up and left the room, almost tempted to join them. But Dojima only told them to leave, implying that he was going to talk with her without them around. She waited until she heard the front door close before begging and bowing again. "I'm really sorry about last night! Please accept my apology!"

"I will consider overlooking this as an accident," he allowed, and Taiga visibly relaxed in relief. "That being said, I can't overlook your behavior as of late."

"…eh?"

"I've noticed that you apologized for hitting me," he said slowly. "But not once did you apologize to Shirou for intending to hit him."

"Shirou never apologized to me, either!" she pouted. "He started it!"

"That's true, but last I recall, Shirou's rolled up poster wasn't made of sheet metal." Taiga's bravado faltered at being reminded of that, and he pressed on. "What exactly would have happened if you did manage to hit him instead of me?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that. We've been doing kendo for years and that wasn't nearly as hard as my other strikes on him!" Taiga explained with a smile and dismissive wave.

Dojima's frown grew, and he wasn't amused. "Your personality is going to get someone killed one day, even Shirou. Especially Shirou."

Taiga huffed with a smug smile. "Ah, I'm not worried. He's a trooper, and he'd marry me before that would ever happen!"

The detective raised an eyebrow. "So you actually love him that way?"

"Eh?" Taiga blinked, before realizing what she had just said. "OH! Whoa, no! Goodness sakes, no! He's like a little brother to me! I get enough misunderstandings from Homurahara trying to set those gossipers straight!"

"You show a very distinct form of affection then," he said, and turned fully to her with a stern frown and his arms crossed. "You're very laidback and easygoing, but only when it's convenient like Shirou cooking for you. The times you do act on your own you overreact and let your emotions get the better of you. You're especially dangerous to everyone around you that that poor Satonaka girl was scared of calling you Tiger."

"WHAT DID YOU-!?" The teacher started to yell comically, but quickly forced her mouth shut. She knew that if she flew off the handle she might hurt the detective more than just a blow to the head.

"I called you by name," Dojima said evenly.

Taiga lowered her hand and glared. "You know, I'm not really happy of being painted as the villain."

"Can you blame me? You gave me a concussion and are not even remotely sorry for putting Shirou in the same position!"

"I know Shirou! You never lived with him as long as I have!"

"And you don't share the same roof as him. You're the one who warned me about his hero complex, but you don't even monitor him every night, worried that he might get hurt or worse by becoming a vigilante?"

"Oh, so it's a bigger crime not to keep watch than be accused as an adulterer! And I suppose you'd rather him make himself useful like babysit Nanako-chan while you go policing every night?"

"Keep Nanako out of this!"

At the end of their yelling match, both adults were standing and sizing one another through their glares. The following silence allowed both adults to exhale and calm themselves over what was once a civil conversation and apology from last night.

Finally, Taiga huffed and walked out of the dining area. "Where are you going?" the detective asked.

"Outside with Shirou and the girls. At least they don't treat me like a murder suspect."

A moment of shuffling shoes on later, she slid the door shut with a little more force than necessary. Dojima just stared at the hallway she left for, and then sighed and pressed his hand to his face. "Damn it, it's not just with Nanako after all. Why does every conversation I make turn into an interrogation?"

<><><>

-Velvet Room-

As the three of them left the house, Shirou noticed at the corner of his eye a glow of stained glass velvet near his workshop shed. He quickly told them a white lie that he was going to check his shed for something and he'll back soon.

It was good because he really didn't want to worry Nanako or Sakura to see him disappear through an invisible door.

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room."

Again, Shirou found himself within the same limousine from his dreams. And again, he saw the familiar beak-nosed man and stoic woman sitting across from him. Considering that this was a place separate from the real world and one composed of thought, it didn't surprise him.

"What assistance may I offer you today?" asked Igor.

The high school student had only meant to see if this room was really the same, but it would be awkward to leave now that his host was offering. "You said you offer fusion?"

"Quite. And you now currently hold three Personas within the space of your heart. At your current level, I can fuse two of them together with the Normal Spread, or all three with the Triangle Spread. Just a forewarning that any Persona used in fusion will be lost momentarily." As if sensing Shirou's concern and denial, Igor held his hand up. "As such, you can turn to Margaret, who can recall any and all Persona you have since found on your journey. Naturally, her tome can also register Personas created through fusion as well."

"Would they be the same Personas I call on now?"

"But of course," The long-nosed master smiled. "While there are indefinite numbers of Pixies and Eligors based on what humans perceive of them, the ones currently in your own mind are imprinted as you see them. That also means you cannot have multiples of the same named Persona as it would be redundant to summon your exact copy."

Shirou exhaled the breath he didn't know he had been holding. While it was weird to feel… attached, to the Personas in his heart, they've been a great help in his journey and dreams thus far. It wouldn't feel right to toss any of them aside, no matter the justification. "Is there any benefit to this?"

"The most apparent is that the fused Personas create a stronger one… bar some exceptions. Secondly, Personas created through fusion will inherit some skills of those used to create it. If you manage this properly, it is possible to give your new Personas skills that they could not learn on their own. That being said, there are some Personas that cannot inherit skills no matter how hard you try, like a magic-inclined Pixie unable to use fire or physical skills. It is part of a characteristic, if you will.

"But the most important thing you should know, nay, accept, is that one's Persona is fueled through the power of one's soul, and in turn, one's connections with others. In other words-"

"Social Links," the magus bitterly finished.

Igor nodded. "As you have probably noticed, Personas grow stronger through battle experience. But if your fused Persona is resonant to the same Arcana as a Social Link you have made, it will receive a considerable burst of power instantly." He then chuckled. "Why, depending on the situation, your Persona's level may grow further than your own."

Shirou said nothing, but wasn't insulted by the fact that his Personas might be stronger than him. He had already accepted it since he first summoned Izanagi. "What do I have to do?"

"Simply will out the cards you wish to use and hand them to me. I will handle the rest."

With his magecraft steps, it was simple to do so as two cards manifested to Igor's beckoning hand. Though he felt hesitant, almost expecting an argument from his Personas for being used this way. Both Izanagi and Eligor stayed quiet, almost humble and willing to follow his decision as they left his subconscious.

For some reason they had reminded Shirou of himself, and he didn't like it one bit.

Igor stared at the cards once before closing his eyes. He flashed his hand over them once, arranging them side by side on the face side. He waved the same hand over them again, flipping them to their Persona images, and binding them in a single blue prana line. The table they were set on also started to glow with intricate lines of a summoning circle, and an aurora of red lights flashed along the rim even as the cards started to hover.

Shirou didn't know how or why, but as he followed the cards flying higher, it seemed like the ceiling of the Velvet Room didn't exist anymore. At the height of the now starry-like night sky above them, the Izanagi and Eligor cards merged together, leaving a flash of light in their wake.

In their place was a green horse-sized quadruped, resembling a dog with wing-like ears. Its tongue, dangling from the side of its panting mouth, was only a fraction to the length and limpness of its tail. The dog-like Persona, upon seeing Shirou, gave a sharp bark before introducing itself. "I am the great Cu Sith. In my greatness, I have come to serve."

…redundancy aside, the fusion went better than expected. A flash later, the Persona resumed card form before spinning sideways slowly and sinking into his body. Shirou was about ready to scan his Persona when Margaret spoke, "Would you like to see what the Compendium has to say about Cu Sith?"

He almost rejected the offer, but thought better of it since the book was a means to bring back his other Personas… or so they claimed. He might learn more about his Personas outside of magecraft and regular research material as well, so he nodded.

Margaret rose from her seat with book still at hand, marched over, and promptly sat next to the now flustered teen and opened it on both their laps. For her part, the assistant didn't look the least bit embarrassed or angry, but rather confused at his reaction. "What?"

"W-well, isn't this rather close?" he reasoned weakly.

"How else would you plan to read the Compendium?" she asked back.

Shirou could think of many answers about how this was wrong, but after what he had said to Satonaka the other day, he reconsidered. Concerning the entity that was Margaret, she might either not care… or make him regret it with something far worse than a slap to the head.

The first thing he noticed was that the book was large and mostly empty. He wasn't sure if it even had an end if it consisted of so many different kinds of Personas. She didn't have to look far though as the first few pages consisted of the ones he already knew and had. Each Persona had two pages dedicated to it; the rightmost page was similar to how he read them with Structural Analysis the other day, complete with theoretical charts of new skills at higher levels. The leftmost page included a short blurb of their history, origins, and noteworthy feats or traits. Izanagi, Pixie, and Eligor he all knew based on the folklore he'd taken up studying, but Cu Sith he only recalled as the name of another fairy.

As it turns out, Cu Sith of the Sun Arcana was a dog fairy from Scotland who doubled as a transporter and watchdog. He was also one of the fey that villagers feared as they locked their doors and homes to make sure it didn't steal their women. Statistic-wise, it was geared towards strength and speed even though it knew magic spells. Garu and Rakukaja he was familiar with, but not Pulinpa, supposedly able to confuse the target. It also knew Cleave and Agi, which he assumed came from the root Personas.

He was starting to see the benefits of having Igor and Margaret help him on this murder case.

"Anything else?" Margaret asked, after several minutes of reading Cu Sith's pages.

"I would like to call back Izanagi and Eligor, if that's all right."

"Certainly. That will be 6,347 yen total."

Well, that sounded reasona- wait. "What."

"I will need 6,347 yen if you wish to reclaim Izanagi and Eligor. We only take exact change."

Shirou turned to the assistant in wide-eyed horror. He then looked back to her and Igor, both of which had no change in expression since this statement was made. It wasn't the fact that the money was unreasonable to pay, but the fact that he had to pay at all. The contract he had agreed to only specified that he would take responsibility for his actions; not this. "You're joking," he said in denial.

Margaret gave a playful smile. "You are correct. You do not need to pay me."

Again, the magus was floored. One minute he was being told he had to pay, and the next he wasn't? Igor and Margaret both found his reaction amusing and their soft chuckles filled the space of the limousine.

All he could do was blush and look indignant until it passed over.

<><><>

-Fuyuki Bridge, Afternoon-

With all his Personas plus Cu Sith in him, Shirou quickly returned to Nanako and Sakura just before the adults came out as well. Taiga had a passive-aggressive attitude towards Dojima that all but implied an argument of some sort but the children didn't bother prying as to what happened between them.

Though it did worry him about how off Taiga was acting today. She usually bounced back to being upbeat and energetic but she kept staring at him with an unreadable expression. The tension was too much for him so as they walked across the bridge, he finally asked her "Is something wrong, Fuji-nee?"

Taiga nodded. No "Don't worry", no laughing or anything else overly animated, just a nod. She didn't even bother looking at him when addressed. Was she really okay, or did he do something to offend her? He knew he didn't call her by her nickname… so maybe she was upset about what happened last night?

"If it's about the poster, I apologize," he amended. "I appreciate the thought, but I shouldn't have acted like that just because I didn't like it."

A typical Taiga Fujimura response would have to smile proudly and boast about being in the right. Instead what came out of her mouth was a weak "It's alright."

Unable to come up with a reply or follow-up, Shirou kept silent as they continued their walk. Instead, he took the time to appreciate the large red bridge connecting Miyami with Shinto. Even though it would have been faster to get across by train or bus, Nanako loved walking across the bridge the first time enough that she wanted to see it again. Dojima and Sakura stayed close to her to make sure that she didn't fall into the Mion River below, but they were amused by her enthusiasm about what is generally a bridge no-one liked to use.

"Shirou," Taiga finally spoke. "Have I been a good guardian to you?"

Shirou blinked, unsure of what she meant. "Fuji-nee?"

"Have I been a good guardian?" she asked again. "All I do is eat and sleep while you do all the cooking and cleaning. Even Sakura does more housework there than me and she has her own family to take care of, too. I'm supposed to be the responsible one, not the other way around."

He knew that much to be true. He had taken up the responsibilities of managing the housework all by himself, mostly because he was the only one who had learned how to cook. Even if Sakura didn't help him, he found it a relaxing, humane break from work and magecraft, so he was thankful for it.

"I know that," he smiled. "But I don't mind. It's never a dull moment at the house whenever you're around, and I'm more than happy to take care of you."

She seemed to cheer up at his encouragement, but it passed and she glared at him. "Shirou…"

"I know, I know," he said reflexively. "I shouldn't always help people, but you're family and I trust you. Besides, you've helped me plenty of times before."

"Like when?"

"Like whenever Dad left on his trips and you would watch over me while he was gone." He directed his gaze to the Dojimas. "And last Christmas, you took the time to find my uncle and sister. Just because I don't always need your help doesn't mean that you're not helpful when I do."

"Do you mean that?"

He turned to her, still smiling to ease her doubt and concerns. "Of course I do. There's a reason I still call you Fuji-nee."

Her face glanced down and flushed unexpectedly. "I-I appreciate that, but do you think-"

He waited for her to finish, but whatever she wanted to say, she decided not to bring it up. It was probably a good thing because they had reached the end of the bridge connecting to Shinto, and Nanako all but demanded they hurry to see the Verde shopping mall.

Everything else that followed that day happened with little fanfare. After searching through the toy section, Nanako picked out a stuffed platypus and an electronic hand-mirror from "Magical Detective Love Line". She mentioned to her brother how it was her other favorite show to watch, and that they could watch it together.

After wandering the mall a while longer, they settled down to eat at the food court, and talked. Shirou kept the topics simple with the hangouts with his new friends while Nanako brought up how she was doing in school. Everyone else politely listened, feeling no need to distract them other than with questions. Dojima was on break, and Fuji-nee was acting more like her childish self, so it wasn't surprising that they wouldn't bring up their own jobs.

But whenever Shirou or Nanako asked Sakura a question about school or archery, she would make a quick comment before nodding it off and asking her own. She had always been quiet, but he never thought much about it since she all but lived at his house for a year cooking and cleaning. It only occurred to him how little he really knew about her outside of the house, and how little she even shared about herself.

The five of them finished with their lunches and visited one last store for the day; the grocery section, much to Taiga's delight, so tonight everyone could have (in his teacher's words) a genuine Shirou Emiya class™ dinner. With the ingredients at hand, on top of Nanako's new toys, they arrived at the bus stop and waited for the next trip to return home.

"Seems silly to buy all this food after we just ate," Dojima said, lifting his bag for emphasis.

"Nonsense!" Taiga scolded. "It'll be our first real meal in weeks, and you two deserved to be spoiled through your stomachs! Especially you, Nanako-chan."

"Okay!"

"I'm just saying I don't think we can eat everything that's planned for right away, if that was the plan."

"There's still plenty of Greenery Day left to enjoy. I was thinking of passing the time doing some Kendo matches with you and Shirou."

"Pass," the detective scoffed. "My head's still splitting here, and I just want to take it easy before going to bed early tonight. We leave tomorrow, after all."

Like lightning, a scowling Taiga swatted his forehead with a slap; a gentle comparison to her kendo strike last night, but it still hurt. It took him a few moments to realize how down both Sakura and Nanako were.

"Uh, sorry," he mustered. "Didn't mean to kill the mood there."

"It's all right," Nanako smiled, suddenly happy again. "We can visit next year and maybe during the other holidays too. Right, Shirou-nii?"

"Of course," he replied. Though he was happy to see Nanako bounce back, he saw that Sakura looked less optimistic. She even avoided eye contact with him. He would have questioned this but what Nanako said next threw him off a loop.

"Wow! Look dad, there's a pretty park over there!"

A park? But the only one in Shinto was- "Wait, Nanako!"

<><><>

-Fuyuki Central Park-

Nanako remembered the fun days when her mother was still alive, and most of them came from the Samegawa River they used to play by. She wanted to make new memories so her mom up in Heaven would be happy, and to make her dad, brother and sisters happy too.

From a distance, there was a huge open field of grass and trees within walking distance from the metal buildings. At first she wondered where the other kids were, or why everyone else didn't notice it. Surely a park would have been popular for kids her age during Golden Week.

But just as she passed the bench looking out upon it, she stopped and stared. The park looked pretty from a distance, but it was hollow and empty up close. The trees and grass looked dead. The wind was scarce yet cold. It was desolate and unwelcoming, and it reminded her of the day she lost her mother.

It reminded her of Death.

Her dad and the others quickly arrived behind her, feeling just as subdued by the atmosphere. Ryotaro, also his first time seeing the park up close, nearly gapped. "What in the world…?"

"Fuyuki Central Park," Taiga explained somberly, with her usual energy absent. "Ten years ago this was the site for the Civic Center during the renovation project. The building burned down before they opened it though, along with everything else in the area."

"It's kind of a shame," Shirou added. "All these years and they don't even add grass or tiles to it. They just put a park here and left it to be forgotten."

Dojima stared at him, in sudden understanding. "Your stepfather, Kiritsugu… he found you here."

"He saved me here," he corrected.

A pregnant pause followed, and each of the five lone people in the park mulled over the aftermath of the Fuyuki Fire. A city rebuilt, but with surprisingly bright buildings. A park made over the center of the fire, left forgotten. The only known survivor, speaking casually over the event but couldn't hide the tension in his clenched fists.

"Dad," said Nanako. "I don't want to be here anymore."

"Yeah, it's getting late anyway," Ryotaro smiled. "Let's see if the bus has come by yet."

The Dojimas turned and hurried out of the park, not even sparing a second glance as the girls followed. Shirou remained rooted on his spot. He had thought he had put the nightmares of the fire behind him, but the fight with Shadow Yukiko all but proved him otherwise. Even now he could see faint images of that hell that once took place in this park that wasn't a park.

In his heart, he knew he would have rushed in to help anyone he could no matter the danger. He would have most likely died in vain if he had tried helping someone in the fire, but things were different now. He was stronger now, and although he knew he still had a long way to go, his goal was closer now to being realized.

He wasn't going to let good people die without cause again. He wanted nothing more than to make sure that everyone was safe and happy, and he now had the means to do it. He had friends at arms with the same power to do so, and their reward was Yukiko Amagi alive and well. And soon, the rest of Inaba will be safe too once they find the man responsible for Yamano and Konishi.

"Shirou! We're going to leave without you if you don't hurry!"

Smiling at his guardian's joke, the magus turned to follow them back to the bus stop. However, he didn't make more than a few steps before feeling something… off.

Cautiously he turned back to the park, but saw nothing. The park had always given everyone an unwelcome sense of foreboding. But this time was different, as if something was waking up. He just couldn't tell what, let alone see through the fog starting to build up.

Wait, fog?

Instinctively Shirou reached for his glasses in his pants' pocket. He had made it a personal habit to always carry them every day in case the team needed to go back into the TV. In hindsight, there shouldn't be any reason for him to bring his glasses to Fuyuki on what was supposed to be a break from fighting, but magi and sorcerers alike were trained to be paranoid and ready.

At first, he thought he didn't see anything different, but the change was subtle. Where he thought he saw fog before was really a swirling of blood-red mist, which was strangely familiar to him. He briefly lifted the glasses from his eyes, making sure what he saw wasn't filtered through Teddie's makeshift lenses.

A sense of dread filled him when he saw a black tendril rise up from the void. Another tendril also sprouted, and they grew in size as they slithered further out from the ground. In the span of half a minute, the swirling black mass molded into something humane but wavy like a ghost.

"Yomotsu-Shikome," the God Persona... gasped?

Though Shirou couldn't blame his alter-ego, for as the ghost-monster turned to him, he also felt frazzled. The body seemed to be consisted entirely of hair, parted slightly around the arms and legs, but bound together to make something clearly feminine. She wore a white triangle-shaped cloth across her forehead with some kind of writing on it, but his attention was drawn somewhere else. The helmet covering her face, showing puckered lips, clenched teeth, and a glowing blue eye as if it had cracked wider.

And if that wasn't enough, a hand suddenly emerged from below, pulling the rest of its body up much like a zombie would. The limb was as pale as bone, humane and itched with tattoos of the same writing on Yomotsu-Shikome's frock. The head came into view (or rather a triangle cone covering the head with markings over the face) as well as metal shoulder guards and what appeared to be red earrings just under the cone. It tucked its other arm until a spade-like spear with red-ringed flags was thrust high in the air. It was then set down flat end first to help pivot the rest of the body up, equally lean and pale with only purple cloth over its chest and groin.

This demon also had a name. "Yomotsu-Ikusa."

A sense of fear overwhelmed him, not unlike the Ghoul, or believing Yosuke had died. Not just for his safety, but for his family, blissfully unaware of the demons of Yomi. A part of him hoped that this was just a bad dream, some sort of trick due to the trauma from facing Shadows several weeks ago, but he knew this was real. He knew the danger was real.

"Run."

"Wh-what?" While thankful that Izanagi was snapping him out of his trance, something about his tone indicated he had every right to be afraid, which was unsettling.

The hairy hag hissed and coiled slightly back, as if emulating a snake. The warrior crouched back on his bare feet, ready to sprint.

"For thine sake, RUN!"

<><><>

Sakura hated magecraft. She hated the "training" she would be put through, and felt nothing short of miserable having to cope with the… side effects. She could understand why her uncle Kariya tried to break away from it, but in the end he disobeyed grandfather and had died for it. For what little peace he had away from the life of the Matou, she envied him.

She had also believed that she could never get that nice, nurturing normal life she knew only fleetingly as… before being a Matou magus. Fujimura-sensei was so much an older sister to her, even though she already had one, and Shirou-senpai's good-intended nature always warmed her heart. It was living with them every day that she could cope and believe there was still hope beyond what she had lived through the last ten years.

But then Sensei went and found Senpai's extended family. At first she was happy for him, as she would give anything to be back with her old family, but when Sensei all but forced him to leave for the school year just to spend time with them, she felt less sure. It has barely been a month since his extended leave and she felt like she was regressing back to the ten years of training before meeting them.

Sakura still managed, if only because she still had meals with Fujimura-sensei whenever possible, and she had taken up Archery to pass the time. True, Shinji was there too, but Mitsuzuri-senpai had been accommodating with her since she joined, and often told her some Shirou-centric stories to cheer her up when she needed it.

And then she met Nanako-chan and her father. She had been more than a tad jealous seeing how easily the young girl latched on to Senpai as an older brother figure, almost convinced she was being denied of her very few joys in the world. But Nanako was impressionable. She made no secret that she wanted to spend time with her as well, if only because she learned from Senpai as a cook. And yet she praised her for learning, and spoke earnestly for his dreams. Sakura was jealous still, but now only because the young girl had the courage she never did when she was her age.

She loved hearing Nanako-chan and Senpai talk about Inaba during lunch. The sights, the stores, even the little adventures they each had there, and felt overjoyed that they both wanted to include her in sharing stories. Overjoyed… and frightened. For as much as she appreciated the gesture, she had nothing interesting to tell, at least that was normal.

If anyone learned of her true side, her dark secret, her magecraft, they would hate her. Senpai wouldn't want to be with her anymore, and neither would Nanako-chan.

She just wanted to end the day and not worry about anything else, and only bask in the rest of the pleasant day being with a normal, loving family, even if she would pretend being a part of it.

But the thing about magecraft is that it tends to come up at the most inappropriate times… and seems to have it out for ruining her sense of peace.

Sakura had only looked back to Senpai out of curiosity, wondering if the park's significance still bothered him. But just as she also questioned why he was pulling out a pair of glasses (perhaps he was near-sighted?) she felt something happen from deeper in the park. While her training in magecraft wasn't complete, to say the least, she knew an anomaly when she felt one. In fact, she felt two, and she knew the feeling of pure aggression radiating from them.

They were radiating towards her Senpai.

Perhaps he could sense it too. Perhaps it was the glasses or… something else entirely. But he suddenly turned and ran, leaving the food he thoughtfully picked out for their dinner, hurrying to save himself. The invisible monsters followed like a wolf hunting its meal.

Senpai didn't stop, and ran past his guardian, uncle and cousin (rather his sister) without even a word edgewise. This wasn't missed by anyone. "Big bro?"

Sensei was insulted, took a few steps forward, facing directly behind him, and yelled. "Oi, Shirou! What's the big idea just bolting-!"

Before she knew it, Sakura and ran behind her teacher and yanked her back as hard and quickly as she could. "Sensei!"

Her timing was close; the unknown forces of aggression had passed over the spot Sensei had just been standing in. She could not see it clearly, but she knew they had every intention of striking Taiga Fujimura for standing in the way. The sound of steel cutting through the air was as unmistakable as the grazing slash marks across her green dress and shirt.

No one knew what to say or how to react. They only stared at Taiga before turning back to the still fleeing Shirou cross the bridge on foot. Sakura herself was not sure what to do, concerning the safety of her senpai. For once she wished she knew real magecraft and had the means to help him.

Dojima finally broke away from staring at his runaway nephew and kneeled towards Taiga. "Can you stand?" he asked her.

With a searching hand she grabbed his and allowed herself to be pulled up. Her eyes were still fixated on the red haired student she loved as a brother. Her expression was surprisingly calm and blank, leaving Sakura wondering what exactly she is thinking right now.

"Big bro…" Nanako squeaked fearfully. "He's not in danger… is he?"

"Either he is in trouble," Taiga said slowly before marching forward. "Or he's going to be."

Sakura blinked. She had never heard her teacher speak so confidently and authoritative before. "Fujimura-sensei?"

"The rest of you go wait at the house," she said. Then she turned and flashed a smirk and wink. "I'll go drag his sorry ass back home after I'm done with him."

And just like that, she ran off for the bridge walkway. Sakura was both enamored of her brave abandon to save senpai, but at the same time was worried for her. They were both in danger of something beyond them, beyond her, and they needed help.

Her first thought was her… to find Tohsaka. But even if she could find her, it still didn't mean that the Second Owner would be willing to help on the whims of the Matou. That only left-

"'Go wait at home'?!" Dojima repeated with a scowl. "The nerve of her! He's our family too, damn it!" With a disgruntled shove in his pocket, he pulled out his cellphone and hastily dialed a number.

"What are you doing dad?" asked his daughter.

"Calling the city's police department," he answered. "I don't know what's going on, but something tells me that this is too serious to let a lone teacher handle."

"Wait!" cried Sakura. "I know it's hard, but can you just trust Fujimura-sensei? She's a five-dan in kendo and expert Archery instructor, and most of all, can do anything when she puts her mind to it! She brought you and Senpai together, and she can find Senpai just as easily!"

Seconds passed in what seems like minutes between the three of them. Finally, with a resigned sigh, Dojima-san tucked his phone away. "Dammit, I hope you're right."

As did Sakura, for as convincing as her argument was, she had a hard time believing herself. If this was the normal sense of danger like a mugging or kidnapping, then of course Taiga Fujimura would come out on top. But running in headfirst against a wraith? She'd be lucky to come back alive, let alone with Senpai. But she didn't let these worries betray her, for the Dojima's sake.

The purple haired girl then noticed Nanako, facing the bridge with her hands cupped and eyes closed. "What's wrong, Nanako-chan?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm praying to God that he can keep Shirou-nii and Taiga-nee safe. I just hope he can hear me."

Sakura smiled at the opportunity. "I think I know just the place to help."

<><><>

-Miyama Town Streets-

The moment Izanagi barked the order to run, Shirou made a break for the bridge. Luckily, no one else was using the bridge so he could focus on reinforcing his legs to run faster. It wasn't enough to deter his pursuers away, but it helped to keep the gap between them.

He wanted to go back and check on Fuji-nee; he had seen Shikome and Ikusa strike her with their hair and spear respectively as if she were an obstacle, but his Personas all countered his sense of heroics for self-preservation. Furthermore, the further he was away from people, the safer they would be from the demons' line of fire.

He wasn't sure why they were after him specifically, but it was a small blessing enough that he could direct their attention away from Fuji-nee and the others.

When Shirou arrived back in Miyama Town, he mentally mapped his way through the least crowded routes while working his way further west. If he could reach the forest at the end of the city, he could fight them off without endangering anyone. It was too far to go directly west, so if he could work his way southwest…

And whenever there were people walking in the streets he took, he made a conscious effort to run around them by the road, or shove them roughly aside. It was rude and uncalled for, and he could hear them yell at him for doing this, but it was a better alternative than letting them die from invisible wraiths.

As he made a sharp turn by a corner, he took a quick look over his shoulder. As expected, Yomotsu-Shikome and Yomotsu-Ikusa were still chasing him with intent to kill. The hag's hair moved wildly as her ghostly form floated towards him, while the warrior's long strides were not unlike a tribesman crossing fields for big game hunts. Neither of them showed signs of slowing down.

At least it was only the two.

He could only move forward, but only had a few seconds to decide when to turn or not, and hope there wasn't anyone there. But the forest at the end of town grew closer, and through the thick of the woods would be a chance to properly fight back. Just a little further-

"SHIROOOOOOOU! Where are you?"

His mind blanked, and his step faltered. The magus almost completely tumbled down to the road, but recovered before Shikome or Ikusa could close in. That voice…

"When I get my hands on you, you're going to wish I had my Tora-shinai you love so much to curse about! And maybe then I'll use it to beat you up too!"

Yep, that was Fuji-nee all right. The relief of knowing she was all right was hindered by the fact that she was looking for him. At least from the sound of things she didn't know where he was, and he hoped to keep it that way.

Just a little further...!

<><><>

"Dammit Shirou this isn't funny! You made Nanako-chan cry, you jerk!"

It was probably a stretch of the truth, but Shirou always had a weakness for sad young girls. It was a hero thing.

Eventually Taiga gave up trying to call for him and kept searching through the streets. She swore she saw the red-haired teen head down towards the south end of Miyama, but it was never a straight line or pattern. It was almost like he was trying to get away from something, or someone.

A part of her considered calling up her dad and the boys to rally up a search party, but she would rather avoid telling the Inaba detective as long as possible and avoid more bad blood between them. Besides, she wanted to prove to him that she was responsible, and that she did care for him.

She'd show how worried he made them all… by beating it into that oblivious head of his!

"Honestly, it's bad enough seeing you and Sakura-chan pretend that there's nothing going on," she ranted to herself, scowling with each deliberate step down the road. "But now you got yourself a big ego because you're someone's new big brother. Well, you were my little brother for years and you don't sound too proud of it now!"

What made that girl so special anyway? She was precariously cute, sure, and so mature, and maybe it had to do with her worshiping his hero dream, but…

…okay, that's actually a lot. But Taiga still rejected the notion of being the weird one. All she wanted to do was make him less lonely. Was that so much to ask?

Taiga's mood soured from her quick introspection, and she had stopped at a crosswalk somewhere south to the immigrant residence complexes. The odds of finding that idiot now were slim at best, and something in her gut told her that she needed to find him before something happened. If only she had a-

Ah…
Aaah…
"AAAAAH-CHOO!"

A loud sneeze erupted from her nose and mouth, stimulated by some tickling in the former. The teacher rubbed her nose, focusing on what was the pesky bug that had fluttered up to her while she wasn't looking.

Taiga blinked. Fluttering stationary in front of her was something like a small moth or butterfly. What was especially odd was the fact that it was colored completely blue and released sparkles with each wing flap. She had seen it before, just before last Christmas when looking for Shirou's family information.

"You? How did-wait, HEY! Come back!"

Almost as expected, the butterfly flew away in a leading but urging manner. Again Taiga had this feeling that following the blue butterfly was important. Like how it landed on the one file she had been looking for.

Of course, if she were to catch the bug, she might be able to force some answers out.

She didn't notice the streets she ran through, the people she had passed, or even how there were suddenly trees in the way. She didn't care, because she was on the hunt for a blue bug that just flittered ahead like a taunting lure.

No one made a fool out of Taiga Fujimura and got away with it. She might have been thankful for the butterfly's help before, but if its only idea of help is to lead people on wild goose chases, then something was about to give.

Taiga steeled herself, pushing herself faster and faster as if participating in a race. A race to beat the bell to school, or rather hurrying to start homeroom after the bell has rung. A surge of dust kicked out from behind her heels, and her dress fanned just as wide with each step.

Right now, she was a human jet coaster, like the students always gossiped; a jet coaster aiming for a blue butterfly.

She could see the butterfly ahead making more frequent turns as if sensing its impending doom. Taiga smirked predatorily, as it was only a matter of time before her natural speed enabled her to catch up. She just had to keep pushing forward. She had to catch it and maybe use it to find Shirou.

For Shirou. The idiot helper who everyone took for granted.

For Shirou. The accepting sibling of anyone into his extended family.

For Shirou. The proud stepson of Kiritsugu Emiya who she promised that she would take care of.

For Shirou. For Shirou. Forshirouforshirouforshirouforshirouforshirouforsh irou

"HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOA!" Taiga screamed, feeling the tiger within her radiate its awesome power!

Just as her prey was about to turn away, she leaped high in the air with a speed that quickly closed the gap. With the goal within reach, she managed to pivot in the butterfly's direction, lean down and clap both hands over the butterfly in a satisfying clasp-

"Gotcha!"

CRASH!

…right before she blanked out due to momentum carrying her shoulder first into a tree.

<><><>

-Fuyuki Church-

Nanako almost cheered up instantly seeing the church up close. Structural-wise, it was more of a wide building than a large one, with the tallest part focused on the center. It looked exactly like a church would, with an open column entrance and a cross-rod situated on top of the building. It wasn't a big church, but due to being built on top of a hill, it gives an overwhelming feeling to visitors as if God himself constructed it.

Sakura didn't quite like the place anymore. She recalled coming up a few times as a child, but that was when she still had a family. It was… painful, to think back to those days. She thought less of the priest in charge there now. Part of it was because of his relationship with her old family, while another part was simply because he made her uncomfortable. But she didn't know who else to turn to.

Inside was just as impressive, with a large, bright chapel welcoming enough for anyone to come to service. There was already a man inside when they had arrived, standing with his back to them with a small bible at hand. With a flourish, he closed the book, set it aside and turned to greet them. His eyes, parted by his remarkably thin nose, were as dull brown as his wavy hair. His tall figure was complimented by his subtle muscles and strong, confident posture. A dark blue robe draped his shoulders and body, opened enough to show his matching black shirt, pants, and gold rosary over his chest.

"It has been a while Sakura," the man smiled. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Sakura frowned, trying to surpress the uneasy feeling under the man's gaze. "Father Kotomine," she bowed slightly in respect. "What I seek is for… a personal matter."

"All actions committed by man are a form of personal interest, even if done out of altruism," he coldly replied. "Any favor asked here is deemed fair and equal to every other, so please speak of what troubles you."

"It's Shirou-nii," Nanako spoke to the priest, surprising Sakura. "He's run away and I'm worried he might not come back."

Kotomine knelt on one knee so he could properly see the young girl. His expression was neutral, as if holding himself back in what to tell her. "Your brother has run away, you say? A shame, for that means he may have abandoned his duties for more… primal urges."

"It's not like that," Dojima frowned at the implication. "It was more like he was… spooked."

"Spooked? Perhaps I misunderstand the situation. Tell me, child. Why has young Shirou run away?"

"They saw something they shouldn't have," said Sakura, before they said anything else. "Please, they're his family so…"

The Dojima's turned to her with confused, almost worried stares. Kotomine's own face didn't change, as he allowed a small curt nod. "I understand. Rest assured, child. Your brother will be safe after a night's rest."

Nanako gasped lightly as the power of Kotomine's eyes and voice echoed in her head. The poor girl lost consciousness right away and fell into his open arms.

"Nanako?!" Dojima gasped, before confronting the priest. "What did you do to my daughter?!"

"She is merely resting, just as you will soon be," he answered, rising up to make eye contact with him. "There is nothing wrong, so sleep well."

A similar reaction happened to Dojima, failing to reach for his gun in time. This time, Sakura caught him as he slumped to the side and passed out. Together Sakura and Kotomine placed the sleeping Dojima's side by side on one of the empty rows of seats.

Father Kotomine turned to Sakura with a teasing smile. "Using me as a means to hypnotize two bystanders? You're quite similar to Rin when it comes to manipulation." Sakura flinched, though whether he noticed or not, he resumed unperturbed. "But it shouldn't be much of a surprise, because you're-"

"I didn't come here to be compared to Tohsaka-senpai," she snapped quickly, while her bangs covered her lowered face.

"Yes, I suppose not," the priest allowed. "You could have confronted her personally if needed. But since you have come all this way to seek my guidance instead, what troubles you?"

"We were near the park when it happened," she explained, this time making eye contact. "Two anomalies came from the park grounds and chased Senpai. I'm not sure, but I believe he was able to see them while I had only just sensed them."

Kotomine frowned in thought. "I suppose I can't fault a Matou's skill in magecraft compared to a Tohsaka's, but Rin would have given me a concise report on more than just conjecture." Sakura fought back a mixed feeling of anger and sadness before he added, "Of course, she would do so with a condescending remark towards my profession. She has always been troublesome like that."

The purple haired girl felt calmer, but wasn't sure how to feel about Kotomine and Tohsaka-senpai's relationship. Sakura knew that the former was the latter's guardian, but there seems to be a bit of tension between them, even after ten years since… her father died.

"I assure you they were real," she spoke again. "Fujimura-sensei was also there, and the anomalies almost killed her when chasing after Senpai when she stood in their way."

"Fujimura? I believe Rin mentioned her once before. Where is she now?"

"She… chased after Senpai."

"The one who is being chased by wraiths that had also attempted to kill her," he said slowly as if making a lecture. "And yet you did nothing to stop her."

The purpled haired girl flinched and looked down. "I-it just happened so fast, and Fujimura-sensei's not the type of person to be reasoned with once she decides something.."

"Understandable. And I suppose you wish me to save these doomed souls from whatever spirit haunts them."

"Yes, please."

The priest and high school girl exchanged glances. A few moments passed, and then he said "I'm quite surprised that, given the severity of the situation, that you didn't go to Rin first."

Sakura's face twitched into a frown, but she didn't break her gaze this time. "You know why I can't."

Kotomine smiled. "Indeed. Magi often spend more time killing one another for their secrets rather than seeking help or shelter. Very well, I shall endeavor in the rescue of this young Shirou and your teacher."

Sakura bowed her head one more time in gratitude. "Thank you, Father."

<><><>

-?-

"Oooooh, it feels like I got hit by a truck," Taiga groaned as she stirred. The ground felt… flatter, and smoother than she expected of the forest, but she quickly realized she wasn't outside anymore.

The first thing she checked was her hands. No butterfly. Bummer. But at least it wasn't dead… unless it turned into sparkles of light or something. Before she could ponder it more, she stood up and started really noticing her surroundings since the start of her chase.

She found herself standing in a wide-open room, built like a dojo. The wooden floors were polished clean and new, with white marking lines for both the outline perimeter and what appeared to be a fighting ring for Kendo.

It was so surreal, and yet so familiar. It looked almost like the Emiya Dojo to her slight shock, but there were two key differences. First, the lights from the windows kept cycling to bands of orange and black like a revolving picture. Second, there was a sign set up by the shrine, scribbled in kanji. Curious, Taiga stepped out of the dojo ring to see the sign and squinted.

"Taiga… Dojo?" she read, and then blinked. "Wait, this looks like my handwriting!"

Suddenly, a swift blow struck the back of her head. "OW!" She flinched and dropped to one knee to stop from falling down to the floor. She saw behind her a fully dressed kendōka with her tiger-striped shinai extended out. Taiga could tell the kendoka was female because aside from the men over her head, she only wore a white ki top over a pair of blue hakama showing off a bit of her figure. And yet… there was a faint blue aura surrounding her. Was that killing intent?!

"Foul! No stepping outside the ring during a match!"

"Foul?" Taiga blinked. "Match-wait, what are you talking abou-"

Another blow struck her, this time forcibly pushing her down to the ground flat. "Foul! Speaking back against your opponent is prohibited until the match is decided!"

"No… it…" she groaned, but the offending weapon, a bamboo sword, still pressed her down to the point of breaking her ribs.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" The attacker taunted. Her voice sounded familiar, but was probably using some half-assed sound modifier in her helmet to sound more ominous. "To be able to go all out on the fresh meat, and show off just how awesome you are? To strike fear into their hearts before going for the kill? The twerps at the club, the officials at tournaments… they're all afraid of you, and you relish in that."

Despite the pain and the cryptic words, Taiga cracked a smirk. "For someone that was going off about fouls, you sure like to hear yourself talk."

"QUIET YOU! DOUBLE FOUL!"

Just as planned, the kendoku raised her shinai for a powerful overhead strike. Taiga used this opportunity to roll to the side when it fell, the shinai smashed down hard enough to break the wooden floor.

She quickly drew a spare shinai resting in a sword rack, taking position at the opposite end of the ring where the kendoku stood. "All right miss trigger happy. If you want a match so badly, I'll give you one. HIYAAAAA!"

She swung her weapon with ferocious abandon, intending to strike back against her enemy. But the kendoku recovered quickly and started meeting Taiga's lightning-fast strikes with her own quick parries. All five of her strikes were blocked, which stunned Taiga. This had never happened before.

"It must be a thrill," the kendoku said again, her next swing so hard it pushed Taiga back a few feet. "For the first time you might actually have a challenge. Of course, you would never know that if you actually took things seriously."

"I happen to be taking my kidnapping and preemptive murder very seriously," the English teacher snapped and repositioned her guard.

"I can see that. On the surface, you enjoy the simple things of life, but whenever the status quo of your enjoyment is threatened, you attack. You're very much like a sleeping tiger in that regard."

Taiga stiffened. Her hands clenched white around the hilt of her shinai. Hitting her in the back and insulting her kendo bloodlust was one thing, but this?! "Oh, you did not just call me-!"

"Tiger Fujimura," she said deliberately. "The Tiger of Fuyuki, wearing her favorite Tiger-striped shirt, who eats like a Tiger, who sleeps like a Tiger, and who roars like an angry-"

Each uttering of Tiger struck her like a needle injecting her with pure rage. Finally, she reached her boiling point as she roared according to her namesake. "HYOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAA!!!!"

She stomped forward with enough force to crack the wood under her. Then with both hands, she dug her shinai below and swung it up to strike the kendoku's helmet. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT NAME TO MY FAAAAAAAACE!"

CRACK!

In an instant, her rage was gone. In its place, she was rooted in shock as she registered how casually her opponent swung her sword across. Yet it was that action that managed to not only stop her attack, but cut the bamboo in two.

"I have every right to say that name."

The kendoku's spare hand shot for Taiga's torn dress and lifted her off the ground. For the first time, Taiga could see her opponent's face, and what she saw scared her more than how strong she carried herself.

"Because we share the same face."

Behind the bars and breathing gap of the men, she saw her own facial features, only with glowing gold eyes and a calm scowl that held controlled anger.

"And that's my name, too, bitch."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 25: The Inner Child
<><><>

Fuyuki Forest

As a practitioner of magecraft, Shirou was a paranoid, if slightly suspicious person. Although he tuned out baseless rumors around him, he heard enough to know that the forest near the city was considered haunted. In other words, it was entirely unlikely to risk anyone's safety unless they were actively seeking a thrill.

Fortune seemed to favor him thus far in the run, as he saw no more civilians as he entered the forest. A mile later, he broke into a small clearing of dried grass patches and few trees. It was just large enough to fight openly in the surrounding area.

Perfect.

Shirou finally skidded to a stop midway across the clearing, catching his breath. The demons visible through his glasses also halted, but looked no less for wear after chasing the teen halfway across the city. Taking advantage of this, he held his hand out to summon his Persona…

Only to clench nothing but air.

It was as he feared. Whether or not Persona was the same as Magecraft, it required drawing out the necessary prana to use. The only reason he was able to reinforce himself, let alone summon his Persona, was because Teddie's world was saturated with prana and allowed him to use it as an effective outlet.

But even if he couldn't summon his Persona, he still had them to guide and empower him through his subconscious. If only he had a weapon he could-

"Dodge!"

His thought process was cut short at Eligor's barked order, snapping in time to see Yomotsu-Shikome vault towards him, covering the distance between them in a second. Multiple hair tendrils hardened and shot out even as she charged, aimed to impale where he stood.

Reflexes kicked in as Shirou rolled to the side and away from the tendrils, but Yomotsu-Ikusa appeared before him with his body lowered to make a sliding stop. His spear, held high in one hand, fell down like a hammer with just enough distance that the blade would slash the magus.

Shirou, still caught in the momentum of his dodge roll, stopped himself just as he came to his back and rolled to the side as the spade stuck the ground. He forced himself back up the next moment, only to wince as a black spear grazed his shoulder. His footing buckled just enough for Ikusa to follow-up and swing his spade sideways, tripping him back down.

Tumbling forward to avoid Shikome's advance, Shirou's hand caught hold of a long tree branch. Hardly sturdy enough to be called a shinai, but it was best available on short notice. Swinging blindly back, he smacked the hag across the face, causing her to stumble at an angle past him while averting the spiked hair that would have skewered him.

But he was given no rest or time, forced to parry his reinforced yet makeshift weapon against a warrior's own. The deadlock held between them, Shirou staring at the masked helmet of Yomotsu-Ikusa, grimacing how things were just peaceful a few minutes ago.

As dire as the situation was, he was still thankful no one else close to him was in any danger.

<><><>

The next thing Taiga knew, she was hurled across the dojo and hit the floor like a ragdoll, bouncing once on impact. Groaning in pain, she forced herself back on her feet, glaring at the masked doppelgänger. The kendoka abandoned her stance and strutted over, her shinai lightly grazing the dojo matting by the tip.

"Not so high and mighty now, eh Tiger?"

Her glare intensified and knuckles tensed. As much as she was pissed upon being mocked by that word, the kendoka's power was at a whole other level. She was hurt, confused, annoyed, and especially mad, but she didn't rise at the obvious bait. "Okay, so you have the same name as me. I can buy that. But why the hell do you look just like me?"

"I'm what you call a Shadow of the true self. Not the silhouette that comes up whenever you're near light, oh no. I'm that little subconscious thing in the back of your Tiger-shaped head that represses all the things you hate to admit to yourself, let alone everyone else."

"Stop calling me that," Taiga growled, barely stopping herself from yelling.

"Or what?" Her double cooed. "You'll bite me? You 'hate' being compared to something so unfeminine yet you react just like a provoked Tiger."

"I said stop it!" Taiga cried, charging again as she reached for another shinai resting in the sword rack in one motion. Yet despite the power and swing of her attack in both arms, the Shadow casually blocked with her own shinai single-handed.

"You can't tell me what to do," she taunted. "I'm an adult. I'm free to make up whatever rules I want! I keep my youth. I eat free meals at home. I whine when I don't get my way. It's the high life and I love it! Why the hell should I give any of it up?!"

This time, Taiga said nothing. She just kept swinging with strength and technique fitting of an experienced kendoka. Her opponent parried each blow with casual ease, resting her spare hand on her hip while she swung her wooden sword like a fencing epee. Taiga needed all her focus to find an opening and defeat her stronger double.

"Everything was going great until I graduated from high school. After that was college, yet another mountain climbed. I was so caught up with everyone else about the future and crap, but what did the future have in store for me? Careers? Marriage? Family?"

Taiga didn't know what her double was going on about, but she kept attacking regardless. If she was this preoccupied that she wanted to rave about her life, then maybe she could find an opening…

"The truth is there's nothing after all that. Nothing I want anyway. Too soon did we have to move on and get told to 'grow up'. It's the rules of society, they said. As if they were all damn ashamed of all those stupid mistakes they made as teenagers." It was at this moment that Taiga caught the Shadow's weapon in a deadlock with her own, but failed to get close to overpowering the kendoka. "'We can't all be little kids anymore, Taiga-chan! Why don't you just be like the rest of us and grow up? Grow up?! GROW UP!?!?'"

At her sudden outcry, Shadow Taiga's aura flared and by sheer force blew her off her feet. In fact, Taiga found herself flying across the dojo and crashing through the wall.

<><><>

After dropping off the Dojimas at Shirou's house, and bidding Sakura good night with the promise that the matter was all but taken care of, Kotomine set off to find the wraith's trail. If there was any commandment on the boy's part, he didn't let up in running and kept the interference with said wraiths to a bare minimum. He merely had to heal and hypnotize a few angry pedestrians that got something more than a scrape on the knee to keep the incident quiet.

As the line of injuries thinned, he started pacing further down the path, nearing a familiar forest. His mind wandered back to the people and this Shirou's reasoning. Why all this way? Running and leaving his family made sense, as it drew the wraiths away from them. But why not fight back? Why hadn't he used the civilians as shields, and tried to push them away?

It was kind of a surprise to him. He was first and foremost a priest, and once a highly skilled taskforce agent against the likes of monsters and Dead Apostles. But he also knew the basic principles to magecraft to be considered a mediocre one at best, despite the conflict of interest between the Church and Magi Association.

Part of the reason the two didn't get along was how destructive Magecraft was to the world and word of God. Those gifted with magic circuits continued to test the limits of Thaumaturgy, yet could only go so far before the natural order itself came crashing down on their heads. Some took to drastic measures and joined the ranks of the Dead Apostles in pursuit of knowledge, making the Church's job of destroying them all the more difficult.

And yet here was a supposed magus, hiding under Rin's radar, attracting the attention of wraiths, and going out of his way to take the fight out of the streets like some sort of hero.

"My husband's wish is to end all suffering; to bring world peace."

Kotomine's features and fists tightened slightly at the bitter memory, before he forced his expression to stoicism. That "wish" his rival had died along with him, and it would stay that way, because that thinking broke him down in the end. It offered him false hope like how Kotomine clung to his unknown answer like a lifeline.

As he entered the forest and picked up his pace, the priest decided that he was going to save this Shirou two-fold. From both the wraiths, and whatever naïve notion he had of bringing peace to a world waiting to end.

That decision made, he also chose to forgo mentioning this to Rin right away. She might be the Second Owner, but he was her guardian first and foremost, as well as a seasoned Executor back in his day. And if she were to get mad over this slight, he could find some amusement riling her up later.

It didn't take much longer for Kotomine to find Shirou; the sounds of battle helped guide him. Upon entering the clearing, he quickly spotted a red-haired boy with glasses swinging a stick around blindly. To an average person that would be all they could see, but the priest could also make out faint outlines of black and white wraiths dancing around the boy while attempting to kill him. Every so often, their bodies would flicker like television static, leaving brief blinks of their true colors.

He only saw the flashes once, but he assumed that one was a deadly spirit and the other a vengeful warrior. And he almost expected something of a challenge from how Sakura made her plea. Then again, the boy was now being choked by tendrils and held in place by one of the wraiths while the other prepared to finish him off.

Immediately Kotomine sprinted faster than he had to in recent years, silently drawing out red empty hilts hidden within his robes, until four were pressed between each knuckle of his hand and five feet of enchanted steel instantly appeared from them. As quick as this action was, his throw was just as fast, aimed precisely at the wraiths.

All this had been done in three seconds.

This was an important detail because one of the wraiths, the warrior, caught sight of him from the side, and reacted accordingly. Instead of charging and most likely skewering the boy by the spade's point, it skidded to a stop to turn to him and swung in an arc. Kotomine's thrown weapons, the Black Keys, were all deflected and scattered away from the weapon by the counterattack.

The ghost wraith noticed the warrior before the priest, and dodged as best it could by retreating to the side, dropping the boy from its grip in the process. Only one Black Key had hit, staggering it to a woman's shrill scream as the holy charm sapped its energy.

Kotomine clicked his tongue; he could have easily done it in half the time and hit all the marks had he been in his prime.

In reaching for a new set of Black Keys, he almost missed the warrior glowing red and channeling prana. From the position and intent, this action was meant for him. Its extended hand recoiled like firing a gun, and Kotomine saw a block of ice form on the ground directly in front of his path.

He had no time to stop or slow down, so at the last moment the priest spun on his heels and twirled around the ice while advancing. His timing was near perfect as he avoided collision in time to see it shatter like a bomb.

The ghost wraith also chanted a spell with a blood-red prana release, but with more control and finesse equivalent to a medium. Unlike the ice block obscuring his path, a green sphere surrounded his body before seeping into him, as if forcing an unknown weight onto his body. Kotomine suddenly felt sluggish and for a moment almost tripped, but he immediately righted himself and lost no momentum at all. By now he was within striking distance of the wraiths.

As if realizing what control of magic they had was useless against him, the warrior swung its blade for Kotomine's neck, only to meet a fan-spread of Black Keys. Both priest and spirit danced with their blades in fast precision, with the sound of metal echoing across the forest's clearing. Kotomine felt his speed become even more sluggish than he remembered, but considered it to be the effects of the green curse on his body rather than just old age.

The warrior felt confident in the difference of speed, and attempted to end the fight by jumping and swinging the spade down overhead. Its weapon, however, was stopped inches away from the priest's hair. Kotomine's knuckle, aligned directly below and parallel to the weapon, held four hilt stumps in zigzag crossing to stop the weapon's advance.

Kotomine had his attention focused on the warrior, waiting for an opportune moment, but was just aware of the hairy(?) ghost about to rush him from behind. It was at that moment that Shirou, forgotten from all parties up until now, screamed and swatted the ghost aside with his stick. Kotomine followed this opening by throwing a handful of Black Keys at it, four in all.

The warrior, meanwhile, failed to pry its spear out of Kotomine's weapons, and decided to kick the arm holding it down. A flicker of annoyance crossed his face, and the grip on his hands loosened enough to allow the Key holsters to sag. This wraith, however, was still leaning onto its spear and now standing on one foot. It tumbled forward in an ungraceful heap as Kotomine made a more graceful backstep to keep distance.

This allowed him to regroup near the red-haired boy, backs leaning against another while keeping an eye on their opposition. "Shirou, I presume?" the priest spoke first.

"Who are you?" he asked back, watching the wraiths warily still. "How do you know my name?"

"We'll have plenty of time to discuss matters once we're done here. Try not to die until then."

<><><>

"Why won't you grow up, Taiga-chan?"

The English teacher stirred back to consciousness as the words were uttered. They weren't the words from her Shadow, but masculine and judging. Taiga almost expected to wake up in her bed while hearing that same voice chide at her for passing out,

But no such luck; this wasn't a dream. The room was of the same shape, size, and overall design of the last room, but with two differences. Firstly, there was a big hole in a wall that she had no doubt knocked through, that led to the first dojo. Second, in contrast to the appearance of the bright, pristine and well-kept first dojo, this new room was dark purple, littered with magazines, dinner plates and pillows surrounding the ring circle. The circle itself had claw marks resembling a certain big cat, clawed and carved to the point she could feel the marks under her feet.

Oh, and if sporting a few bruises and open cuts on her head and back from that last explosion wasn't proof enough about the reality of this situation, she didn't know what was.

"You're just humiliating yourself now," the familiar voice spoke again, echoing all around her. "All these showy antics are making people laugh at you, not with you."

"It's an embarrassment being seen next to you." Another chided, exasperated. "Why can't you use that energy for something productive in your life?"

"Don't you even care about the kendo championship anymore? I thought you said you would take over where none of us would. How do you plan to do that when you keep getting disqualified for something as stupid and insulting as a 'good luck charm'?"

"Stop doing this to yourself, Fujimura-san. You can do anything if you put your mind to it, but not when your mind is acting equivalent to a child."

More voices came and went, but Taiga couldn't keep up with them all. They talked about her behavior, her immaturity, and other personality flaws. Each word was barbed towards her insecurity, and grew to swarm her in her insecurity. They were people she knew and met growing up, used to hang out with, but for their own reasons had all moved on.

They all eventually died down as soon as Shadow Taiga marched inside. Taiga realized too late that her shinai was out of reach, having been dropped after crashing into the room. She could only watch as the Shadow stepped and cracked it in two like it was a flimsy twig.

She was starting to realize that this wasn't any normal kendoka.

"So what exactly does this prove, beating me up?" Taiga said, slowly backing away from the Shadow's gait. It was more distracting than hearing all those voices just now. "All I've seen you do so far is throwing temper tantrums and breaking the rules to your own benefit."

From the cover of her kendoka mask, the Shadow smiled. "You're not any better yourself, Tiger. We're the same, you and I."

Twitching at that word again, Taiga asked aloud curiously, "Then don't you hate hearing everyone else call you by that name?"

"Damn straight," she admitted, much to the teacher's surprise. "But not for the reason you made up. Tiger is a GREAT name; a STRONG name meant to strike fear in the weak. Who cares if it's not feminine enough? I'm only mad at the little bitches who say it with such cheek and mocking. 'Oi, Tiger!' 'Time to wake up, Tiger!' 'Look at that, it's Tiger-sensei!'"

Each uttering of the word made her flinch. Her anger was still there, but in hearing the mocking sounds of what she knew were supposed to be Homurahara High School students that all knew about her, doubt started to grow. And a small bit of fear. "Wh-what's your point?"

"I know this is a little hard for you to process," the kendoka said sarcastically. "But it's all connected. I wanted to be the best in sports, and thought I could make something of my life. Be the best, and all that. I could do anything I want if I just applied myself, from a school teacher to an Olympic athlete! But the same friends I made in school went about their 'real' lives and left me hanging, saying I was the one dragging them down with my immaturity and dreams and shit."

The Shadow drew ever so closer to her, but Taiga suddenly felt her movements to be slower and timid. All those things she said, what she heard before, it was just a coincidence, right? It couldn't be that they were really the same, right?

"So I thought; why not stay where the best years of my life were? So I went and got a job as a high school teacher. After all, high school students know where it's at; no needless bitching and moaning about life that hasn't happened yet. Just live in the moment and enjoy it for what it is."

Although Taiga couldn't see through the mask clearly, she could see from the body language how the Shadow trembled with each step, squeezing the hilt of her shinai hard enough to split it slightly. "But that plan blew up in my face, because even the little shitheads started calling me immature. And they felt superior to ME because I was acting like a child despite being their teacher. It should have been the other way around, god dammit! It hurts! It always hurts! They're always looking at me with contempt because I couldn't be bothered to act my age. SCREW MY AGE! All those killjoys my age and beyond wouldn't know real living even if it bit them in the ass! And Shirou and Nanako-chan are the worst offenders!"

Something in the Shadow's rant gave Taiga pause in her retreat, just at the end of her side of the ring. "What did you say?" she asked.

"You heard me!" snapped Shadow Taiga. "Those two are nothing more than hypocrites! Shirou keeps fantasizing about being a superhero! He lets himself get strung around like a puppet! He even acts like the maid of the house doing chores with a smile, and he still has the gall to bitch at ME for not being mature enough!"

"N-no he doesn't," was the weak reply. She just talked to Shirou about this on the bridge, and he liked doing all the chores. But he also commented on how she "littered" the house, giving her mixed feelings. Had he really wanted her to help all those times?

"Yes he does! He just does whatever the hell he wants without realizing how much he worries everyone! How much he worries ME! I've given him all my heart and soul and THIS is how he repays me?!"

Taiga was torn. One the one hand, she really wasn't comfortable even admitting that she liked Shirou in any way the Shadow was implying. But on the other, she more than felt annoyed that he just seemed oblivious to not only Sakura-chan but to her as well, two lovely females eating at his house every night with the utmost concern in how he took care of himself.

"And let's not forget Nanako-chan!" she continued, hugging her shinai to her cheek like a toy before mimicking/mocking the other girl's voice. "'My mom died in an accident!' 'That sounds lonely!' 'You're the weird one!'"

"She's just a kid!" Taiga cried with dismay. "She misses her mother and, and-!" She wanted to defend her, but couldn't muster the words to argue against herself, with what she knew she really felt.

"And she uses that crutch to show off her forced maturity!" Shadow Taiga spat, swishing her shinai away. "She uses it to make everyone else feel bad for not growing up like she did. She looks at everyone who is happier than her with such contempt, and don't tell me you didn't notice!"

She did notice. From when trying to explain the housing situation to her, Nanako only said three words that made her feel self-conscious about how effective her role as guardian really was. She would later call out her methods at dinner, saying four words that meant so many things. How confusing the logic of her argument was, or how silly she was behaving about morals and good deeds.

Or even the one interpretation that Taiga took the hardest; how immature she was being in comparison to a six year old.

"They never liked me, so I say screw them. That's right; screw them! And while I'm at it, screw that wallflower bitch Sakura too! And that dead-beat cop Dojima! Screw the 'students', screw the 'friends', SCREW EVERY! LAST! ONE OF THEM! FOR BEING SO UPTIGHT AND BORING!"

Again Shadow Taiga crackled with an explosive aura, cracking the floorboards under her feet and forcibly scattering the furniture away. Food littered the floor, plates shattered against the tiles, pillows ripped and the TV was embedded in the wall with the glass cracked in.

Again Taiga was blown away, but made no effort to defend herself. She was too shocked to react. Her body slammed against the opposite wall, arms and legs spread as her skin started to get further scraped from the unnatural ki attack. But her face was silent in shock, staring at the angry kendoka raging at the world that was fed up with her. Torn between getting laughed or scorned at for her choices. But there was one staggering truth she couldn't deny, no matter how much she wanted to.

This is me. All my stress, my anger, even my bitter sadness.

The Shadow marched towards Taiga again after her episode, acting as if it hadn't happened. She then lifted her shinai parallel to the ground, inches away from Taiga's nose. "So when I'm through beating your face in, I'm going to finally earn the respect I deserve from those ungrateful twerps. No more niceties, no more comical outbursts, no more holding back the pain and hurt whenever someone laughs at my face. I'm finally going to live MY WAY!"

Being so close to one another, Taiga could see her face from underneath the mask grin sadistically. "And then everyone would know and fear the real Taiga Fujimura."

<><><>

There was an unspoken agreement between the magus and priest that they would fight Shikome and Ikusa respectively. While Shirou would at least distract the hairy hag, Kotomine would trade blow for blow with the warrior ghost on a physical level beyond his own.

Shirou knew nothing of the priest, but he was glad to have him on his side for the moment. Up until his arrival, it took everything he had just to keep up with the Yomi duo. If he had only had to deal with just one of them, or at the very least the hairy hag, he knew he could win. But the two of them compensated for their weaknesses with the other's strengths.

Yomotsu-Shikome fought with stealth and trickery as opposed to outright blitzing, and was a magus in her own right. Her entire body looked like it was hair, weightless and nearly formless, minus the sword stuck inside her body. It allowed her to move easily in the air to lash or grapple Shirou whenever in range.

Yomotsu-Ikusa was the superior of the duo and for good reason if he was truly meant to be a soldier of the underworld's army. The lean body and the long reaching weapon made him a deadly foe, and he knew how to use it.

It was an effective strategy: Ikusa would force the pressure on him while Shikome would sneak in to weaken or kill him. Now that the odds were even, the Yomi demons couldn't risk doubling up on either of them now.

Shirou took the offensive now, charging and swinging his branch at the hairy hag. Each attack missed her by literally a hair, and it was all she could do to avoid getting beaten by a blunt object. Her movements were somewhat slower than before, due to the sword Kotomine had struck her with.

Meanwhile, Ikusa continued swinging its spear at Kotomine, now starting to glow with an eerie blue-white light. They met resistance with the rapier-like blades, each swing and making a sound equivalent to a thunderclap, and the priest was not even phased by this growing ferocity of the warrior. His face was as passive as when he first ran in blades brandished, despite Sukunda impairing his movements.

"You'll need more than a stick to purge a wraith," Kotomine said casually to Shirou, glancing briefly to his fight while still fighting.

"It was all I could find!" Shirou barked back.

"Surely you have better means to fight back than what's at hand. Unless you're implying you really are weak and have been targeted for lack of self-defense."

The priests' words irked Shirou. It was true that he was a third-rate magus and had just discovered his Persona a few weeks ago, but the way he said that felt like his criticism was more malicious than constructive. "It's not like I have my sword with me."

"Rejoice Shirou, for your wish is now granted."

To the magus' surprise, one of the priest's many rapiers had appeared, thrown with enough force to be embedded in the ground and tilted upright. Grasping the hilt with his free hand, he immediately realized that the weight and balance was completely different from the katana Daidara made, and did not have as much striking power in comparison.

It was still better than the tree branch he had been using.

Shikome also realized the danger of the weapon as well as she stopped retreating and attempted to ensnare him with multiple hair tendrils. Shirou immediately threw his branch at her, landing a lucky hit on her masked face. Her staggered pause allowed him time to pluck the Black Key off the ground.

With the sacrament sword in hand, Shirou tucked his arm back and charged. Yomotsu-Shikome recovered in time to extend her hair tendrils again. He ducked and turned as they came, thrusting the sword forward when he was finally in striking distance.

"Hoooa!"

The Black Key stuck fast into the screaming hairy hag, but she still had enough fight to swipe a tendril in abandon. This was the closest proximity he'd had with Shikome thus far, and the moment she touched the back of his head, he instantly regretted it.

Fear. He had felt it before, not too long ago even. He remembered the overwhelming sense of vertigo from when the Charming Prince screamed, forcing long buried memories of the burning park to the surface. Following that was the near death-experience of his friend Yosuke, and seeing the castle on fire froze him in another trance.

This fear-inducing touch was similar to the scream he'd heard before; his vision blurred in blotches as if made of paper burning over a flame. He was no longer in a forest but now a mirror image of the Fuyuki Fire as he remembered. The sounds of metal blades against one other dulled in favor of screams and embers. They were normally disorienting before, but these screams belonged to people familiar to him. Yosuke, Satonaka, Nanako, Fuji-nee, all of them. But he saw no one but charred black bodies under flames and rubble.

Moments prior to Shirou's vision of the past, Kotomine played it safe to his sudden atrophy with his deadlock. He wasn't as young as he used to be, and he had never quite recovered over the last decade, so his skills were rusty. Even so, on top of all the impairments, he was impressed that Yomotsu-Ikusa could keep up with him whereas most wraiths and Apostles met their ends quickly.

No, it wasn't skill that kept the wraith alive now. If Kotomine truly wished to, he could have killed both of them in one go but chose to pace himself. The fact that he was impaired by a slowing curse was of little consequence as far as he was concerned.

Rather, it had been some time since he had earnestly done Executor work, and he wanted to test something he'd learned since then.

Just then, all eight of Kotomine's Black Keys were scattered when Ikusa, instead of slashing against them when cross guarding his front, kicked the arms underneath. This also left him vulnerable as Ikusa grabbed the front of his cloak and pulled him up to his masked face. Kotomine couldn't so much as gag before the Yomi warrior made an exhaling sound and purple mist flooded out from under the mask and surrounded them like fog.

"Mi…asma?" the priest gagged, unfortunately forced to inhale the gas. Ikusa threw him down in a heap, and the giant man was coughing once more.

Yomotsu-Ikusa stood over his head. He watched the priest succumb to poison, falling flat on the ground. Moments later he raised his spear-like weapon over his head, poised for Kotomine's heart. The blade point came down like an arrow, piercing through his body in one thrust.

To anyone else, this would have been a fatal strike.

"Interesting."

From the ground, Kotomine smiled in spite of the pain his body suffered. He slowly rose up when he finally felt the Sukunda curse leave his body. Whatever he had intended before was dropped in favor for simply flipping his body completely upright, pulling the weapon's tip from the ground in the process. Yomotsu-Ikusa, still holding the spear lodged inside, found himself violently thrown into the air and impacting the ground behind the priest.

The priest pulled the spear out of his back with both hands and snapped it in two before turning to the warrior, still smiling. "You fight to ensure death for certain, yet don't betray any emotions to the act, even in success. But as you just proved, you show fear at being overpowered. That sense of fear is quite… invigorating."

In a flash, his hands were armed to the knuckles in Black Keys. He raked both arms as far as he could down the warrior's body, then twisted, and parted them to either side, leaving a gory gashed mess. In only two seconds the wraith known as Yomotsu-Ikusa faded into a black substance, and then nothing. Even the broken spade faded away. All that remained was the deep paved marks on the ground made by his sacraments.

It was at this point that the priest noticed Shirou had been ensnared by the hairy hag again, but this time he had a glazed look in his eye. Shikome was casting another spell, this one surrounding Shirou with dark purple glyph marks and purple flames. Dark mist surrounded them, originating from the center of the spell and threatening to destroy Shirou's soul.

This wouldn't do. He was going to save that fool from himself, and no wraith or spirit or wish was going to stop that. So Kotomine swung his arm out and let the Black Keys fly; three aimed at the Shikome wraith, and one at Shirou.

As he expected, the sudden pain in his right leg was enough to snap out of whatever trance he was in.

Shirou quickly gathered his bearings to see more Black Keys piercing the hag, now desperately using her tendrils to pull them out for the first time but finding them resilient. Shirou remembered the Black Key still in his hand, also piercing Shikome, as well as the one still in his leg. He immediately plucked the new key out before stabbing it into Shikome's chest, and then made a desperate gambit to activate his magic circuits. His eight step process was memorized so thoroughly he didn't even mentally recite them as just acting on them for his plan to work, and hoping that Shikome didn't notice before it was done.

Work damn it, work! I don't care if you break down right away when this is over, just make this one thing work for once!

"Trace-!"

Prana surged through his hands and into the Black Keys, reinforcing the fine edges beyond their original capabilities. The once seemingly flimsy and weak-edged blades turned into well-tuned enchanted rapiers for fights beyond mere spirits. But it wasn't enough.

More was pushed in, directly into the furthest points of the blades and expanding along the edges. Small cracks opened across the keys in each hand, allowing pressure to seep out. He knew the moment that he let up the prana would leave and the Reinforcement would end, reverting the blades back to normal form. He could never complete a simple spell in his training in Fuyuki, and he had to be careful not to overextend the spell and cause it to explode.

Which was the exact reaction he was pining for in regards to Yomotsu-Shikome.

For the first time, Yomotsu-Shikome realized what was happening, from the glowing aura of blue surrounding Shirou. This wasn't just a normal Shadow fight to him. It was personal. He wasn't going to let anyone hurt his friends or family. This monster had the gall to use his nightmares against him, and draw those he held near and dear to him for a breakdown.

Even as an all-loving Ally of Justice, Shirou found this to be especially inexcusable.

"-Ooooooooon!"

The cracks finally shattered along the Black Keys and with it an explosion of prana that surrounded the forest clearing in a flash of white.

<><><>

"You're wrong."

Shadow Taiga's smile gave way to bewilderment under her mask. Her other self said that she was wrong, and rejected what she heard, but not in desperation at wanting to dissuade or ignore the argument. Despite getting blown away and literally backed into a corner, she wasn't breaking down or ready to fight back again. Rather, she stared back at her despite the shinai hovering in front of her face. In fact, Taiga looked more calm and sure of herself than since the start of the fight, where she lost her momentum and confidence upon seeing her face on the Shadow's head.

But surely it was a façade, right?

"So you reject me?" she asked for clarity. "Deny all the ugly secrets and things you hate about the people around you?"

Taiga shook her head. "No, I believe you. It's hard to wrap my head around, but if you knew Shirou and Nanako-chan's names, then what you're saying isn't entirely bullshit. And now that I think about it, what you said makes a lot of sense."

"But you still reject me."

"I disagree with your reasoning. There's a difference."

As far as the Shadow could tell, there wasn't. "And what makes you say that?"

"You were right about one thing," Taiga explained. "My life after high school sucked for the most part, and I felt like I didn't fit in anywhere. I wanted to stay at the same high school and maybe become a source of inspiration for the students there. A big sister even. But everyone just makes fun of my name so much that I flip out to hide the fact that it hurts. I was too immature for even my old home."

As she spoke more about her life, a frown grew on her face and her eyes drifted down to the floor. It was like the entire world around her was telling her to grow up, for what lack of subtly it had. But she saw a silver lining to all this.

"But not for Shirou," she smiled. "He puts up with me because he trusts me and likes my company. Sure, he's got no self-control helping others and is taken for granted on that part, but I can't fault him for doing the right thing. He just wears his heart on his sleeve too much."

"And Nanako-chan? She called us weird, and rubbed her superior maturity in our faces."

"Even if that was how I felt, Nanako-chan isn't thoughtless. I've always had my flaws realized by my peers, but she's one of the few to openly state them. She cares in her own way, just as I do in mine.

"But I'm sure if she had the chance to, she would want to have fun like any kid her age instead of acting grown-up. Heaven knows I wanted to have more fun if given the choice. So you're wrong. I don't need to show the world who the 'real' Taiga is. They already do."

The once dreaded tension that filled the dojo since the fighting started easing away like a lifted weight the more she spoke. The Shadow no longer held dominance, and was almost dismayed at the sudden reversal. "…where the hell did this come from? I was just bitching about how you were the clown everyone wanted to laugh at, and NOW you decide to act mature and responsible?!"

"I know, right?" Taiga closed her eyes and smiled, with a slight laugh in her tone. "I only thought of Shirou's benefit at the time when I sent him off, but I never realized how stagnant I let the life around me get. How I hid from my problems instead of resolving them. Between him finally growing up a bit and meeting the Dojimas in person, you were just the final kick in the pants I needed to realize that."

"You're going to fall onto old habits again," The Shadow argued, ignoring the slight falter in her grip. "A tiger doesn't just change her stripes overnight."

"I know," she said coolly, with hardly a twitch at the once hated word. "But I'm not going to let this get to me anymore. It's like what Shirou told me; I'm there for him when he needs me most. He's the little brother I never had, and I love him."

"But you really love that way, don't you?"

Taiga's eyes flew open, caught unaware. But it passed too soon for Shadow Taiga to take advantage of that, as she slowly gazed around the dojo/living room. Memories of eating his cooking until her stomach ached and she slept it off with a smile. Of whacking him down in Kendo only to wait for his diligence to kick in and keep going. Of all the teasing and fights they had, filled with a knowing affection that siblings had.

She allowed a soft smile and nodded. "Yeah, I do."

He never complained about putting up with her. He took her pranks in stride because he knew it made her feel better (as he also deserved it for the times he would call her that name). She didn't even know when these feelings started popping up, but they grew to a point that she couldn't imagine a day without knowing the lovable idiot. If she had to admit that to anyone, it might as well be herself.

By now the purple aura surrounding Shadow Taiga had dimmed to a faint blue hue. But Taiga paid this development no mind as she stood up, walked past the still Shadow, and looked around.

"Which reminds me; I still have to go rescue that idiot from whatever mess he's gotten himself into this time. And give him a few whacks for scaring me and the others."

"Are you going to forget me?"

The tone gave Taiga pause; her Shadow or whatever the kendoka was called, she wasn't haughty and confident anymore. She sounded frazzled by her epiphany, and almost scared.

But she didn't turn around, nor did the smile leave her face. "Tell you what; if I ever do, you're free to kick my ass as much as you like and I won't fight back."

"Even if I were to kill you?"

The very thought gave Taiga the confidence to cross her arms over her chest. "Against my sexy endurance?! Ha! My name's Tiger for a reason!"

And there it was; the proud open declaration to the English version of her name. Had it been any other day this would have ended violently. But now there wasn't any doubt, even to her Shadow, that she was going to face her challenges with her head high. Shirou, Sakura-chan, Nananko-chan, even Dojima-san. As long as she had people like them in her life, she would always have respect as herself.

Taiga, of course, was a simple woman who didn't understand the significance of this talk. She was more animatedly focused on finding an exit out of the enclosed dojo, going as far as kicking what should be breakable shoji doors. "Ow! Geez, what does it take to open these things, a cannon?"

Suddenly remembering the hole she made, she finally turned fully to the kendoka with a peculiar request. "Hey, uh, Black Taiga?" she asked, placing her hands together before asking in a pained expression, "Think you can try and kill me again? At least enough to blow me out of this room?"

The blue hue grew around the Shadow, who hid a smile under her face mask. Just before the room flashed to white, she said, "Not really, but I can show you the way out."

<><><>

Emiya Residence – Evening

The first thing Shirou noticed upon awakening was his room's ceiling. Surprised to find himself in his own bed, he began to wonder if everything up until the park was a dream. A more skeptical part of him knew otherwise, especially since he was still wearing Teddie's glasses, but he was willing to just move on and prepare dinner, if only to alleviate his nerves. With the glasses safely tucked back to his pocket, Shirou left his room and head for the kitchen.

He expected to see the others sitting by the kotatsu, either eating Sakura's cooking or waiting for him to arrive. But the first thing he saw was the tall priest standing in the dining room and staring down the picture frame in front of him.

"You're awake," he said, turning to him. "I am the priest in charge of the church across the city, Kirei Kotomine. Forgive me for intruding in your home, but I had to make sure you and your guardian arrived safely."

"Guardian?" he then noticed the slumped up woman sleeping on the couch. He immediately rushed over to her side, dismayed. "Fuji-nee!"

"I found her on the way back. She was slumped up against a thick tree like she was attempting to bash it with her shoulder. I suspect she was unconscious for some time during the fighting."

Shirou gulped. "So… is she okay?"

"A minor injury," Kotomine nodded. "I also placed a minor hypnotism spell on her, convincing her that everything she saw prior was merely a lucid dream. Knowing her… personality, it shouldn't be too surprising that no one would take her account seriously, whether or not it is true."

A resigned chuckle left the magus' lips. "Yeah, you're right about that. But what about-?"

"Your sister and her father are resting in their own rooms, also hypnotized to disregard what happened."

"I see." It was a big relief to Shirou; he wasn't sure how he could explain to his family about two demons chasing him, especially him bolting on them like that. It was enough of a blessing that they would forget instead of the alternative. He felt he owed this man something, and thought of just the thing. "Would you like some tea, Kotomine-san? It's only fair to thank you for saving my life, and you're a guest here."

The priest's eyes widened slightly. "That sounds pleasant. I accept your offer."

The next few minutes ticked away as Shirou prepared two tea packs while Kotomine sat patiently at the kotatsu. Shirou could only imagine what the older man was thinking, let alone why his gaze was fixed on his father's portrait. He was powerful, fast, and dangerous, able to kill a demon similar in nature to a Shadow without a Persona. Was it because of his status within the Church, an enemy of the Magi Association? Or was it something else?

Well, whatever the man's reason, he was alive now, and so was his guardian. With gratitude in mind, he brought over two sets of cups and the kettle full of fresh tea. He didn't even have the chance to warn Kotomine about the temperature before the man drowned it all in one gulp.

"Aaah, that was quite refreshing," the priest smiled. "Thank you for the tea, Shirou."

"Y-You're welcome," he replied awkwardly and poured his own cup. Kotomine didn't ask for a refill, but the kettle and heater was placed next to his cup if he so wanted. Silence stretched between them once more. Shirou thought about what to ask the man, yet his attention was focused on the same portrait.

"How did he die?"

Shirou blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"The man in the portrait. Kiritsugu Emiya," the priest explained, surprising Shirou again. "I meet him once nearly a decade ago. I assumed he had fallen to hell, but I didn't know the specifics of how or when."

Like a switch, the redhead's wary trust switched to anger and scowling. He'd spoken ill of his father figure, the man who had given him a new life, as if he was some horrid criminal. "You have no right to say that," he growled.

"I apologize if I had offended you," Kotomine explained in a tone that betrayed his words. "But I merely speak from what I know of the man since we last met."

"He raised me," he snarled. "He taught me magecraft. He saved my life."

The older man only smiled sardonically. "While I see he has indeed left you well off in this estate, his method of teaching leaves a lot to be desired. As much as I respect his skills, I haven't felt any of your circuits activate during the fact."

"Circuits?" Shirou echoed. "I can only make one at a time before I pass out from burning myself."

"The fact you believe that to be the right way speaks volumes of your ignorance," Kotomine explained. "As does believing that the act of saving your life redeems the Magus Killer."

"Magus Killer?"

The priest's right eyebrow rose up in surprise. "You don't know anything, do you?" It wasn't a hard observation; Shirou's once indignant rage gave way to confusion and hesitation. He could also hear the slight hitch of fear at the mention of his epitaph.

It was sad, pathetic, and completely hilarious. It took all of Kotomine's self-control not to laugh at the cruel irony.

For his part, Shirou recovered and glared at the man again. "I know enough," he argued, staring back at the picture frame. "I know that above all else, he wanted to be an Ally of Justice. He wanted nothing more than to save people, and I want to fulfill that wish for him to the best of my abilities."

He thought highly of Kiritsugu, and always would. He never forgot the sense of relief he saw, how tightly he was held after seeing his face, or how he wanted to share that feeling. Every time he saw or thought of Kiritsugu Emiya, he saw a heroic sorcerer he wanted to emulate. And he knew there was more to a person than their dark secrets, or their repressed Shadows. He never judged his friends for those unsightly moments, and he wouldn't for his late father.

Kotomine's smile fell, now staring at the teen with an unreadable expression. "An Ally of Justice, you say?" he repeated as he reached out to pour himself another cup of tea. "And what exactly does that mean? Did he ever say?"

Shirou frowned in thought, before answering as the priest gulped his drink. "I don't think so. Only that he wanted to be a hero and he was too old to be one then."

"And you would admire such a vague ideal without question?"

"Of course I would admire it," Shirou argued. "He saved my life-"

"At the cost of thousands of people that died that same night, including his late wife," Kotomine cut him off. "His supposed heroism is the equivalent of a destructive vigilante who would gladly shoot a hostage if it meant preserving a larger sum of lives."

Words died in Shirou's mouth. That couldn't be Kiritsugu, not the one who saved him. Just because Kotomine spoke so surely and confidently didn't mean that he was right. He couldn't have caused the same Fire that he was saved from.

"There's a reason he was known infamously as the Magus Killer; he was a contract assassin who hunted rogue magi that have often threatened the secrecy of magecraft and the lives of civilians. His skills were seen as unorthodox and taboo among more esteemed magi, but they got results. The only inconsistency was how many people died as collateral each time.

"All those people. All those innocent lives, caught in the crossfire. Is that the mark of an Ally of Justice? The needs of the many outweighing the few? That he should decide to end their lives because they are the only thing standing between him and his designated target? What one may call an act of heroism, thousands more would call an act of terrorism.

"His wife, Irisviel von Einzbern, was no exception either. She had loved him and devoted herself to him, willing to do anything that meant the realization of his goal; so much that she allowed herself to die just so he could make the rest of the world happy, or at least attempt it. His act of killing her was the catalyst of causing that terrible fire ten years ago.

"Kiritsugu Emiya did not save you that day, Shirou. The real miracle is that he did not succeed in killing you."

It was a pivotal moment. Shirou was unable to get a word in edgewise during the whole speech. Everything he had believed or built up in Kiritsugu was being torn down by this priest who knew his past life and actions before the Fire. He wanted to believe in the Kiritsugu that he loved as a father, and to reject the man's tales as lies.

Kiritsugu was a hero, despite what he did before. And he was going to follow his dream, even if it meant going against the world itself. He wanted nothing more than to punch this guy right now-

-only for someone else entirely to beat him to it.

The table shook and tea spilled. The tall, muscular body of Kirei Kotomine flew and crashed into the far wall, and now nursed a swollen cheek from an unexpected blow. Both his and Shirou's eyes wandered to the person responsible.

Standing over the table with her clenched fist held out was Taiga, heavily panting as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She stared at the priest with tear-filled eyes scowling at him. Her fist dropped as she pointed at him with emphasis and roared, "You! Big! MEANIE!"

Dumbfounded silence came from both men, though it was unclear if it was from her choice of words or how she quickly regained consciousness.

"You keep going on and on about Kiritsugu in the past, but you don't know jack shit about him after that. Maybe he used to be a mass-murdering mercenary, and maybe he did some bad things I wouldn't be happy to know, but the last five years of his life he raised Shirou as his own son! I don't care if it was guilt or grief or something else, but he buckled his shit down and did the right thing, damn it! Just like Shirou has done his entire life trying to help others."

Kotomine rose slowly from the wall. The last thing he needed was a woman aware of magecraft and gabbing about it. Killing her would require more than a small amount of hypnotism and tying up loose ends at her school, so he sought the easiest solution to put her to sleep again. "You will forget everything you have-"

"Shut up."

Once again Kotomine was caught off guard. Only magi could resist the effects of hypnotism, and he was certain that this woman had no understanding of magecraft or magic circuits in her body.

But instead of slumping to sleep or even showing impaired memory, she marched over, grabbed his cloak and pulled his face down to hers. He was so surprised by her act of defiance he didn't even register it in time. "I'm the Guardian of this household. I'm the one who makes the orders here, and I'm telling you to get the hell out. And if I ever see your face near him or his family again, I'll kill you with my shinai, unfeminine roar, and high heels."

A tense minute passed as Kotomine weighed his options. This woman couldn't know anything about the Church or Magi Association. Although Kotomine was old and tired from his wraith encounter, he could kill this woman with a simple punch. But she stared at him without fear, without falter, and believed in the late Kiritsugu as a good man. She was more than willing to fight him if it meant protecting the man's honor.

And for some reason, he believed she could actually achieve victory over him with those implements if serious enough.

He lightly brushed his hand against hers, urging her to let go so he could stand back upright. After righting his cloak, he turned to Shirou to say "Thank you again for the tea," before leaving.

Moments after the door closed, Shirou and Taiga found themselves exchanging glances with one another. The former was shocked and rooted to his seat, still digesting that his guardian had heard everything. The latter had an unreadable stare, which he could only assume was her way of hiding hurt and betrayal.

Shirou gulped, trying to salvage the situation as best as possible. "N-now Fuji-nee, I can explain-"

She didn't let him finish. Instead, the older woman knelt down to him and hugged him tighter than he ever remembered. He felt so confused, and yet his building fear gave way to relief. It was as if a huge weight had lifted off his shoulders, all because someone close to him knew about his secret and didn't care.

Tears fell down from his eyes, and it was only then that he realized he had been fighting back this feeling since Kotomine strted talking about his father.

"It's all right," she cooed and rubbed his back. "It's all right. Let it all out."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 26: Never the Same

It was close to dark when Ryotaro Dojima came to, that much he knew. He quickly recognized his surroundings as the guest room he was occupying at Shirou's house (honestly, the place was so big it could house all five of them with rooms to spare). He tried thinking back over the day's events: he woke up sore from last night, had breakfast, and got into an argument with Taiga. Then they spent the afternoon shopping, walked to the park… and from there it was a blank.

He quickly left and checked Nanako's room next door. To his relief, she was sleeping soundly, so at least nothing bad happened since passing out. He slid the door closed as quietly as possible before leaving to find Shirou and the girls. Hopefully they might shed some light on what happened earlier.

He didn't get far before hearing a crash, followed by yelling. The cop's hand quickly reached for his revolver tucked into the holster mounted on his waist and pulled it out, allowing the barrel to point loosely at the floor as he continued moving forward. He sneaked through the hallway, treading lightly as to not advertise his presence. If this was some mugging or another crime being involved, then the poor idiot had picked a bad day and place to do it.

I'm on vacation, damn it, he thought bitterly. And the last thing I need tonight is for some dumbass to ruin it!

Dojima came around the corner in time to see Taiga pulling a taller man he had never seen before down to her eye level. After another tense moment the man dusted his robes before commenting on tea and leaving through the front door. Shortly after that, she walked over to Shirou and hugged him and soothed his tears. Now the detective felt like he was eavesdropping on something he shouldn't.

Still, at least his worry about some form of disaster was unfounded. For as sporadic and impulsive as the woman was, she had a firm head on her shoulders whenever family was involved. What he saw just now might have been a rare instance of Taiga stepping up as a legal guardian.

With a smile, Dojima holstered his gun and quietly watched as the two walked off. "I accept your apology, Taiga." He would, of course, say that to her at a later time.

For now, he allowed himself to step out the front door and take a smoke break. As relaxing as the trip had been so far from work, little things kept popping up and stressed him out to exhaustion. He knew there were probably more instances than the whole dinner episode last night but for the life of him he couldn't remember what.

Where did the time go, he wondered? Already it was close to sunset, and he wasn't sure if anyone had dinner yet. Still, the view from atop the hill was quite something, seeing all the streetlights starting to glow with yellow-white. His gaze followed the street down to all the eastern-styled buildings even as he leaned against the Emiya house gate and fetched his lighter.

Fuyuki City was something else, and he noticed more than one car parked along the street. Not that any of them were that car.

Ryotaro's thoughts drifted as he snapped the lighter to his cigarette. Things were simpler when Chisato was still alive. He only had a few things to worry about; work and making coffee, both duties he excelled at. He loved his daughter very much but felt that unless he avenged her mother, he didn't deserve to call himself her father.

At least Nanako was happy now. He didn't want to think about how heartbroken his daughter would have been had he ended up breaking another promise.

Dojima exhaled a puff of smoke building in his mouth, but it could have easily passed as a sigh. "Ally of Justice," he recalled. "If only I had a semblance of your optimism, Shirou."

"Dojima-san?"

The detective turned to see a familiar lavender-haired girl approach him from the street below. Somehow between his wandering thoughts and the dimming sky, he failed to notice her arrival. "Oh, Sakura. You went shopping again at this hour? I thought we had dinner already planned."

Sakura had in each arm several bags of groceries, with tail ends of veggies and fruits most evident. If the weight of them all was any bother, she didn't let it show. Rather, she tilted her head and frowned at him. "You don't remember?"

Ryotaro casually dropped the cigarette to the ground and stomped the embers out. "Honestly my mind's a blank after that trip to the shopping mall. But I do remember buying a whole lot of food for some sort of big dinner. Anything more seems like an excessive waste."

"You're right," Sakura smiled. "But this is actually the food we bought earlier today."

"Come again?"

"You were all tired after the shopping trip, so we rode back here by bus," the Matou girl explained. "But in the haste to get home, Senpai left the groceries at the bus stop so I left to fetch them."

"Ah." It made sense, though Dojima couldn't help but to feel there was something missing from the whole picture. "Are your parents all right with you visiting this late?"

The girl's mouth twitched as if fighting a frown before settling to a sad smile. "Well, it's just my brother and grandfather. As long as I head back after dinner, they won't mind me staying over."

It was obviously a sensitive topic, as Sakura didn't mention her parents at all. In fact, she kept most of her personal life to herself despite Shirou or Nanako sounding so interested. She didn't like talking about school or her home or what she had been doing over the month since Shirou left. Her mannerisms had been so polite that it was easy to overlook her dodging questions or explaining the bare minimum.

As much as he was curious as what Sakura was hiding, this was neither the time nor place for that. She was Shirou's close friend, and for now that was fine for the detective.

"I see," he said. "Well, we really appreciate your company. Thank you, Sakura."

Sakura smiled in a way befitting a kind housewife. "You're welcome, Dojima-san. Now, let's go get dinner ready before Fujimura-sensei throws a fit."

<><><>

"Feeling better?"

"Y-yeah," Shirou sniffed under his guardian's hands. He rubbed his face before she could see his eyes, and she smiled at the child-like action. "I'm sorry, it's just-"

"I know," she said. "That priest guy was an ass and if we see him again it would be too soon."

Taiga hated that man Kirei Kotomine, everything about him screamed "dickhead" from his affable façade to his brutal verbal punches. While she still felt dizzy from that vivid dojo dream, she knew that the priest found her in the forest and said something that made her feel sleepy. Next thing she knew she was in Shirou's house and hearing about Kiritsugu's secret agent lifestyle.

If Kiritsugu were alive, she'd punch his lights out (may he rest in peace), so she settled with the alternative on the mean priest.

"But enough about that," she said as she led him further down the hallway. "You really should get to bed."

"But what about dinner?"

"After the long day we had, I think we can all skip one meal and just settle for a big farewell breakfast tomorrow."

Normally Taiga wasn't one to skip any kind of meal (especially if Shirou or Sakura were cooking it) but she had too much on her mind to just suddenly start stuffing herself. As for Shirou, it wasn't a satisfactory answer to him, but he didn't have time to give a rebuttal. Or rather, he stopped and stared at a familiar spot.

Taiga felt her arm jerk on dead weight, and turned to him with slight annoyance. "The answer is no, Shirou. You need to rest."

"It's not about dinner," he shook his head, still staring ahead. "It's just… this is where Dad-"

His voice fell silent at the memory, but she understood. She urged him forward, to sit along the open space engawa that split the traditional hallway from the inner park of the household. It was similar to the night that Shirou remembered. The beautiful garden, the slight chill of the wind, all that was missing was the light of the moon, having just gone through its new phase.

"So how did Kiritsugu die?"

His reverie gave way to worry and shock, turning to the older woman kneeling similarly next to him. She didn't stare at him accusingly or cross-examine him, but expressed genuine curiosity regarding the late Kiritsugu Emiya. All things considered, she deserved to know.

Silence dragged on between them, before he smiled and recounted the tale. "It was five years ago during the winter. Dad didn't move around much back then, so he would just laze around most days. Maybe he knew he was dying, because that night he just blurted out, 'When I was a child, I wanted to be a superhero.' I asked him what he meant, and if he had given up. It got me angry just thinking about it back then.

"He said that he did give up. 'Being a hero is a time-limited thing, and it becomes hard to call yourself one when you grow up.' I believed that, if only because he said so."

Taiga shook her head, and made a knowing laugh as if to say "Only you, Shirou."

"I decided then and there that I would take his place. I was younger than he was, so it was only right. I wanted nothing more than to make it come true. He laughed. He sounded content and relaxed, with a smile on his face. His last words were, 'Yeah. I'm relieved.'

"It didn't even occur to me that he died right then, smiling. Maybe I just thought he would wake up in the morning, or maybe I was so used to death since the Fire. I wasn't sad or anything but, I still cried without realizing it, like deep down I knew he was gone but just ignored it."

There was nothing else to say after that; Taiga's father arranged the funeral after all, and they were there during the small, private service. Comforting silence passed between them, staring at the sky slowly shedding its autumn glow.

"You really are an idiot," she smiled sadly, still staring ahead. "Couldn't you at least ask for help?"

"Dad was the only one who taught me magecraft," he admitted. "And even then he stressed that I couldn't tell anyone else."

"Mage-what?" Taiga blurted incredulously, before shaking her head. "Nevermind. Not important. What is important is why you couldn't tell anyone, let alone me. Am I really-"

"You're not a liability, Fuji-nee," Shirou cut-in. He knew how depressed his guardian was earlier today and didn't want her to feel even more insecure because of a kept secret. "Only a magus could properly train another magus, and the less… non-magi people know about us, the better."

"Then he too was an idiot," said Taiga. "He just ups and dies the moment you say you'll pick up where he left off, and he doesn't even so much as tell you of someone else to teach you? No notes or pointers or anything?"

"I know a few things, like how to forge a circuit. I'm good enough at it that my life isn't in danger anymore."

Whatever good humor and teasing Taiga had, it died at the end of his sentence. Her head turned to his deliberately slow, and he watched as her facial expression morphed to one of fury. Usually reserved to whoever called her by that nickname. "What."

It felt as if the whole hallway shook from her quiet fury. Shirou fought the urge to gulp before quickly placating her. "Not anymore! I've gotten used to the pain, so the worst I get… off is-" his voice and resolve softened as he saw her face scrunch further. "-a short… concussion?"

The seconds that followed might as well be called "eternity" with how threateningly close the boiling point was. "So what exactly do you do?"

"Fuji-"

"Tell me." The tone was steady and calm, but held dominance like an animal holding down its prey.

"W-well, I focus my magic energy to take the form of a burning rod and direct it into my spine-"

"Your spine," she repeated skeptically, immediately cutting him off. Already uneasy at this angry, serious front of his guardian, Shirou nodded.

"You turn magic into a burning rod and shove it into your spine." A nod.

"Where the base of your central nervous system is." Another nod.

"Which covers your entire body and even connects to your brain." …the fourth nod was hesitant, as if suddenly realizing the suicidal lengths of such training for the first time. He swore he could feel his own spirit dwindle four times over.

"And Emiya-san taught you how to do this?" she asked in a low, predatory voice. It was the first time he heard her refer to Kiritsugu by his family name.

"S-sorta," he admitted. "He taught me how to feel out for a Magic Circuit in my body and I went from there."

It shouldn't be possible, but Taiga's glare managed to narrow even further down, and made Shirou feel that much smaller. "By 'went from there'… you mean on your own?"

"Yes."

"Without him being completely sure that smoldering your nervous system was the right way, let alone watched you as you did it safely?"

"…yes?"

A single twitch of her eyebrow was made in response, and slowly turned her gaze back to the open garden in front of them. He quickly tried to reason with her, making quick excuses. "But it's okay now! I no longer pass out all the time, and if I can't handle the risk of magecraft, I can't properly call myself a hero, right? I know what I'm doing, Fuj-!"

"Hey!" It wasn't so much as Pixie's sudden interruption that interrupted her tenant but how furious she sounded when she did. "My status of existence might be in question, but I'm still part of a race that is commonly linked to magic and fantasy. No Shirou, you don't know what you're doing."

Shirou frowned. After Amagi had been rescued, Shirou took a more curious approach at his connection with his Personas. He had learned from trial and error (as well as getting confirmation from his Personas) that they could hear what he said and heard, and feel emotions towards those of his Social Links. A misconception to this was they couldn't read his mind, which was a good thing as it meant he still had a semblance of privacy, and vice versa.

Usually their input was minimal, mostly towards strengthening bonds with others. But he would still get comments such as these, with no safe way to talk back. So he turned away and whispered under his breath. "Look, I'd be the first to admit that I'm still a third-rate magus, but surely if I keep working hard I can-"

"Shut up and Listen!" Startled by her Taiga-like tenacity, Shirou did as the fey Persona ordered. "Remember that sheath I told you about when you were fighting your girlfriend's Shadow? ("She's not my girlfriend," Shirou quickly chided.) I still don't know why you of all people have it, but in a nutshell it's a super healing artifact that can keep the bearer immortal if needed. Even now it's emitting energy to slowly heal the wounds you got from that fight, but you can't tell that, can't you? That's because instead of turning on your switch, you're pretty much sticking your fingers directly into a power outlet and drawing out prana that way. It goes without saying that you keep getting shocked to death this way too, or at least should have.

"The only reason you're even alive is because Av-er, the sheath, is fixing the nerves you keep burning off. That includes breaking down the circuits you keep stubbornly shoving inside each time. I never said anything before because I didn't know that you kept doing… this to yourself. But now I realize it's not just some one-time mistake but the very definition of insanity. Your entire body is screaming at you, and its saying 'Stop killing yourself you blooming git!'"

Shirou had the decency to look embarrassed. He knew that Pixie, much like Yosuke, meant well behind the teasing and criticism. He couldn't refute that she had a point and he took his magecraft training too much at face value (especially when she was the closest he could get to a well-meaning fey on the issue). But still- "I know my body better than anyone, and I don't think it hates me that much."

"Thou art thy not, for thy art an idiot."

…Et tu, Izanagi?

"I'm gonna kill him."

His mental arguments forgotten, Shirou turned to see his guardian trembling with a calm façade. "Fuji-nee?"

"I'm gonna kill him," she growled again. "I'm gonna kill that bastard, and shove Tora-shinai right up his ass when I do! I don't care if he's already dead!"

She was suddenly standing straight, screaming toward the heavens. "Do you hear me, you absentminded jackass?! I'm gonna fucking kill you!"

<><><>

By the time Dojima and Sakura returned to the house, they heard Taiga's primal yell and mentally prepared for the worst. "Oh no," they chorused.

It wasn't long before they saw an angry yet comical teacher, flailing her arms, eyes glazed over to a pure white, and roaring much like a certain big cat. Surprisingly enough, she was held back by Shirou, arms locked under and over her shoulders, as the red-haired teen did everything in his power to keep her from storming out.

"Let me go damn it! I'm gonna kill that bastard so hard he'll feel it in whatever afterlife he's in!"

"Fuji-nee, please! I can explain-!"

"You've already explained plenty! You were taken advantage by a guy who clearly had a problem with authority enough to just not care how you lived your life after he was gone! Hell, even Dojima here knows how to properly raise a kid, and he doesn't just randomly go on-!"

Taiga had pointed to Dojima midway during her rant, but upon double-taking that he was in the room, her erratic behavior died in place of meek embarrassment. Both she and Shirou righted themselves from their grapple and snapped their arms to their sides as if it didn't happen at all. "A-ah! Dojima-san! And Sakura-chan! W-what a pleasant surprise!"

Seconds passed, but blank stares didn't look fooled or deterred after what just happened. Shirou grimaced in defeat. "You heard all that?"

Lacking tact, Dojima decided to just cut to the heart of the matter on his own hypothesis. "Were you really planning on killing that priest from earlier?"

Shirou and Taiga stiffened, as if surprised he would come to that conclusion. In the detective's peripheral vision, he also saw Sakura shift uncomfortably. "…you saw that too?" Shirou said carefully.

"I didn't hear much; just some yelling and Taiga here making a threat to kill him with high heels." In spite of herself, Taiga laughed nervously. "What was that all about, anyway?"

Taiga turned her gaze to a family portrait to the side. "Let's just say he didn't have any kind words for the late Kiritsugu Emiya."

Dojima could think of nothing to say about that. He would assume that this Kiritsugu guy was all right in his book, saving a young boy and adopting him as his own. The fact that said boy happened to be his nephew Yu Narukami was beside the point. But he couldn't fight this nagging doubt that there was more to Shirou, let alone Fuyuki City, than just a tragedy or two.

"Uhhh."

The soft moan and sudden appearance of Nanako was enough to disarm anyone of the current topic. Indeed, the sight of her rubbing her eye upon the side of her hand both enamored them of cuteness and shamed them of possibly awaking the young girl.

Nanako took one look at everyone in the room, frowning. "Are you fighting again?"

Taiga smiled. "No Nanako-chan. We're not fighting."

"We were just," Shirou added, before exchanging looks with his guardian. "Catching up."

Nanako then smiled in relief, and opened her mouth to say something. Whatever she meant to say was drowned out and forgotten by the low, drumming growl of several stomachs, including hers.

"I guess we could all use that Shirou-class dinner about now," Dojima joked with a smile. "Good thing Sakura brought the groceries." Sakura hefted an arm full of bags for emphasis, also flashing a smile.

"Thanks Sakura," her upperclassmen praised as he took one of the bags off her hands. He didn't notice the bashful red coloring on her face.

"Where did you get these anyway?"

"As I told Dojima-san just before, Senpai forgot them at the bus stop, but everyone was too tired to realize it beforehand. I simply went back to fetch them while you all took a nap."

"Is that what really happened?"

Sakura blinked. Taiga's question was innocent enough, but her gaze was unreadable and daunting. It had to be just one of her moods, as no one in the room remembered what happened earlier today. "Of course, Sensei."

Taiga's expression didn't change right away, still staring at her student for several seconds more. Shirou was worried that she might say something to counter the story Sakura told them (as he was very willing to accept the gift horse for what it was).

Then, the young woman shrugged and dropped the issue. "Just checking." She turned to head out of the dining room/kitchen. "Follow me, Nanako-chan. We have to fetch some new seating pillows."

"Okay, Tiger-nee!"

Taiga froze. And as soon as she did, so did Time itself. There was dead silence. Everyone was afraid to move, but none more so than Nanako. The pressure in the room grew as Shirou, Sakura, and Ryotaro slowly turned towards Taiga, almost worried of what reaction will occur.

Shirou quickly stepped forward, hoping to whisk his sister away from harm. "N-now Nanako, why don't you come help me in the-"

"Nanako-chan. Say my name again. Without the honorific."

Taiga's tone was even and calm, but it was a calm façade before the storm. It was also one that couldn't be ignored for any reason, so Nanako followed through with an innocent, cute whisper.

"T-…tiger?"

The namesake's shoulders hunched. Shirou felt goosebumps and static run through his body, as if the natural order of the world bent to Taiga's whim. But it was clear now that whatever was happening, Nanako was going to face it full force. "That… is…"

Shirou couldn't allow that. It wasn't her fault that she didn't know about the trigger word, and he couldn't let his younger sister take the wrath of his guardian. With all the energy he could muster and forgetting all about dinner, he sprinted in the space between the two, hoping to take whatever punishment in her place. Even as his guardian turned and lunged forward with arms outstretched, he didn't run or guard and took it full force.

So, even as Nanako was lifted up from the ground, held by her under arms, he was ready to intervene. To do so, he grabbed the closest thing he could find (Taiga's sheet metal poster, left on the floor since last night). He could only imagine the sheer rage she was hiding from under her brows, slowly raising up to see her face to face. He jumped with his arms pulled back overhead, but could only watch as she uttered the vengeful words of-

"SO ADORABLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!"

Time had one question on its mind, and that was a big fat "WHAT".

Still, Time resumed on as the danger was averted, and order was restored. Only a few individuals in the Emiya household failed to catch the memo, and stared at the teacher's smiling face with confusion. Her smiling, sparkling face, radiant with pure joy.

Of course, that's not to say that her two words had a strong effect as well. So caught off guard, Shirou could do nothing but drop down like a rock, sliding on his face across the floor mats, and crash loudly into a wall at the other side of the room. No one else present noticed his flying face-fault.

Nanako broke out of her stupor first, smiling at the unexpected praise. "Really?"

"Of course, my little apple girl! I never thought I'd hear anyone say my name with such affection before, but YOU! Just hearing you say my name is like a little kitten's cry! Oh, this isn't a dream, is it? Prove me wrong, Nanako-chan! Say it again!"

Nanako broke into a big grin, and complied. "Tiger!"

Taiga squeed. Never before had a sentence with those two words existed, but to the shock of everyone else in the room, it actually happened. "Say it again!"

"Tiger!"

Taiga squeed again, and it still didn't convince the others that it wasn't a dream. Maybe it was being completely overwhelmed by this development, or he happened to be largely relieved that the worst case scenario didn't happen, but from his corner of the room, Shirou Emiya eventually fainted.

As both Taiga and Nanako resumed playing and laughing, almost forgetting about dinner entirely, Dojima turned to the purple haired girl and pointed. "Has… that ever happened before?"

Sakura shook her head, still staring.

<><><>

Evening, Emiya Shed

The rest of the night had ended without incident. Shirou prepared a large, traditional Japanese-course meal of assorted rice, seafood, and dishes (all simmered, grilled, and steamed). Everyone had their fill, made light conversation of the day's events but generally ignored what happened after shopping. As far as Shirou was concerned, no one had seen or done anything remotely dangerous, and he trusted his guardian to keep the Kotomine episode to herself.

Now that it was late, Shirou snuck out of the house for the annex to try and gauge his Persona skills and magecraft. He didn't regret the choice of helping Nanako sleep last night, but the timing of demons attacking him couldn't have been worse. He needed to prepare in privacy else another outbreak could happen, and he didn't think there was a priest waiting for him at Inaba.

It had been sometime since he had been inside. Everything was as he left it; the toolkit was on the center mat, the spare materials were in the corner to the right, the Taiga was leaning on the old TV, and the-

Shirou's mental checklist came to a screeching halt and he double-took towards the TV (one of the more recently fixed devices in the shed, actually), realizing that he wasn't alone in his makeshift workshop. "Fuji-nee?!"

"Hiya!" she casually waved with a smile. She didn't look at all out of place, but for the life of him Shirou didn't remember Taiga ever entering the shed.

"Wh-what are you doing here?!"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Her smile went from friendly to strained, as if expecting an answer she wasn't going to like. "You weren't planning on smoldering yourself again, were you?"

Shirou blanked as he tried to think of a liable excuse. "W-well… I don't need to now. Although now that I think about it, my circuit is kind of…"

Taiga's frown was now evident. "Shirou, I understand that you love and respect everything Kiritsugu stands for. I've only been the unassuming muggle up until recently, so I can't say how much it affects me. But there has to be a better way to this magic stuff than what you're doing now. What are you, a hero or a masochist?!"

"If it's the latter," gabbed Pixie. "It would make sooooo much sense." The magus twitched, but more or less ignored her.

"I don't need another way," Shirou insisted immediately. But between Taiga's scowl and another impending fey argument, he quickly backpedalled. "What I mean is, I don't know any other way, so I learned to make do with what I have. The only magus I know for miles (if he can even be called that), is Kotomine, and, well…"

Taiga had the decency to wince. "Yeah, not happening."

"Besides, dad warned me not to attract attention of other magi. Fuyuki City is actually a very spiritual place, so it's monitored by a 'Second Owner', or elite magus, like a lord to the land." Shirou frowned as he recalled Kotomine's words. "In hindsight, maybe all of dad's past actions were reason enough that he was considered an outlaw, and moved here without the Second Owner's consent, let alone the Magic Association."

"Well that's just great," the teacher groaned. "Not only is he the biggest terrorist the world's never known, but he's also an illegal immigrant. Okay, then what about that Association you mentioned?"

"Just as bad," said Shirou. "They're a bunch of like-minded magi that keep tabs on one another and the status of magecraft. But all they care about is keeping the existence of magic secret. Even if one of their own was misusing their research on human lives, they'll turn a blind eye if it's discreet enough."

"Oh my god," she paled in horror.

"I know, which is why I'm worried about what's happening in Inaba," he said without thinking. "If there's really a magus behind the murders, then the Association may not interfere at all."

Taiga shot a glance at him, a mix between shock, anger, and realization. "Inaba?"

Shirou realized that he once again put his foot in his mouth, and the God Persona had two words to perfectly convey the feeling.

"Thou damneth."

"SHIROOOOOOOOOOOOU!"

The next twenty minutes would be a one-sided argument trying to reason with a tiger-roaring storm. Thankfully most of it was muted in the confinements of the shed.

<><><>

"-AND OF ALL THE STUPID, BULLHEADED STUNTS YOU COULD THINK OF, YOU'RE TRYING TO CATCH A SERIAL MURDERER WITH MINIMAL WAGE BUDGET WEAPONS, TWO HIGHSCHOOL GIRLS, A KID IN A BEAR SUIT, THE NEWS MEDIA, AND A MAGIC TRICK THAT YOU COULDN'T GET RIGHT FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS?!"

Wounded, dizzy, and now prone on the floor, Shirou struggled to stand back up. "I-it's actually five years-"

"LIKE THAT MAKES ANY DIFFERENCE!"

"-And Yosuke's helping too."

A bamboo sword struck his head for his trouble, slamming him back down to his stomach. "WHO THE HELL CARES?!"

Meanwhile, Yosuke Hanamura was walking home before he doubled over in pain, but didn't know how or why he did so.

Shirou had tried in vain to drop the topic, but his guardian was persistent and a very good "persuader". She even brought her dreaded Tora-shinai with her; it deceptively looked like a normal shinai, and happened to had a tiger strap tied around the grip just under the guard (and even came with a tiger-striped cover case). The strap was the sole reason why she hadn't advanced further than 5-dan in Kendo; having accessories on your weapon was considered disrespectful, and had disqualified her on the spot more than once. Of course, the Kendo students at Homurahara were more than relieved that she may never become a famous Kendo champ after feeling her skill and power in person.

Shirou could only take so much pain before he started talking. Taiga now knew the general gist of what the Investigation Team knew, but he barely managed to keep the true supernatural topics out from Taiga's beat-down; the Personas/Shadows, Midnight Channel, and Teddie's world. His guardian had enough on her plate to worry about.

"Why?"

Shirou blinked. He was surprised to hear Taiga's voice sound so soft and weak, like a whisper. He had been so used to hearing her loud and energetic, even when upset, that it was almost out-of-character for her to be quiet. As he looked up to the woman towering over his bruised and battered body, he saw that she was not an angry teacher anymore, but a sad, worried sister.

"Why do you keep doing this to yourself, Shirou?" she said. Her voice was steady, but tears were falling free from her face. "You've almost died so many times already, most of them in this very room and I never even knew! Have you ever thought of what might happen if you died? How sad it would make me? Or Sakura-chan? Or Nanako-chan?! For god's sake, she just lost her mother! Do you want her to lose her brother too!?"

"Fuji-nee…"

"And if so, why as a magus, huh?! You just told me they didn't give a rat's ass for anyone but themselves! And Kiritsugu? I can't even imagine what kind of hell he went through just to try and do the right thing, only to get hated for it! I want to hate his guts, but I…"

Her body shook with sobs, and she covered her eyes with her hand in some semblance of control. "This isn't just some strung-along favor habit either, isn't it? You can't… you just can't say no to someone in trouble, can you? Even if you might end up dying too? Damn it, Shirou, why?"

Shirou didn't say anything. Rather, he didn't know what to say, as his mind was still reeling at what he saw. His guardian, Taiga Fujimura, was angry. That much was obvious. But she was also openly crying and upset for his life. She always had a caring heart, and perhaps a touch of innocence like a child, but it never occurred to him as to how much he meant to her.

He felt inclined to let her know just why this was so important to him.

"Fuji-nee," he said, and then waited for her to stop sniffling and look at him. "I never told anyone else, not even dad, but… when he saved me from that fire I could barely recall bits and parts of my old life. The furthest I could remember is trying to survive, to get away from the fire and death around me.

"He found me just as I close to giving up. And the strangest thing was, he was smiling. Smiling and crying, as if so relieved. All I could think of at the time was how jealous I was, and why he was so happy to see me. And when he told me he was a sorcerer, and a hero, it made sense to me. He was happy because he helped me. If nothing else, I want to keep his dream alive and spread that happiness to others too."

He would have said more, but Taiga lunged towards him and vice-gripped him into a hug. Her shinai fell to the floor forgotten. "Stupid!" she cried, running her face over his brick red hair. "Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupid!"

Shirou was torn. Was she calling his dream stupid? Why couldn't she understand? He wanted to push her away, to yell at her, but couldn't. Not because her grip was so tight. In fact it seemed desperate. He wanted to be mad, but he found himself worried for her.

"You don't need to do stuff just to make people happy! I'm happy you're in my life every day! I'm happy you cook for me and Sakura-chan, and are so easy to tease! I'm happy you never intentionally call me by that nickname, and just take your dues to make me feel better! I'm happy to know you're doing so much for others, even when I tell you otherwise! I'm happy you're alive, Shirou. Every day. And I'm sure when he found you in the fire, that that was what Kiritsugu was thinking too."

Happy… for being alive? Was such a feeling even possible?

"So please," Taiga wept on his shoulder, and rubbed his back in circles. "Whatever you do in your life, whether it's fixing junk for a living or going into god-knows-where for rescues… I'll support you all the way. Just promise me that you'll come back alive each time."

Alive… he remembered feeling so relieved that Yosuke had survived the chandelier drop, but it was muted on the adrenaline of still fighting Shadow Yukiko. And Yukiko herself; after seeing two people killed after left inside the TV world, it felt amazing to make a difference and save her life. A feeling he knew the others shared, especially Satonaka.

He never intended to die, at least not without making sure one more life was saved. But would the lives of others move on after his passing? Could he have easily moved on with the case if Yosuke had died that day?

Was the act of saving others the same as knowing someone is still alive? The two ideas could work in tandem, but weren't so tightly closed together either.

When he thought about it… he was glad that Taiga was alive in his life too. He owed her so much, even beyond the Dojimas and his friends on the Investigation Team.

Shirou closed his eyes and returned the hug as tight as he could. "I'll come back alive, Fuji-nee. I promise."

He felt her head nod against his head, relieved.

Another bond, and another arcana, marked with the Roman Numeral "XIX". In his mind's eye, Shirou saw a card depicting a yellow-gold sun in the center of the card with black pointed waves. The Sun's circle had a highly detailed face, stylized in Victorian-like art. Shades of warm colors from red, orange, pink, yellow and purple surrounded the sun and were divided in thin line breaks as if highlighting the illuminating nature of the star's heat waves.

Thou art I, and I am thou.
Thou hast established a new bond.
It shall bring thee closer to the truth.
Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Sun Arcana.

For the first time, Shirou embraced the forming of the bond just as he embraced his surrogate sister.

<><><>
???

"Conditioning complete. You're welcome."

"I fail to see how any of this benefits me."

"Maybe not you specifically, but this guy? I'll be honest; I didn't have high hopes for him. He was the underdog in all aspects, and was closer to relate with a normal civilian than a hero or mage. It's because of all of his crutches that he actually fooled himself into being something greater than he actually is. All that, as well as his stubborn attitude, would have marked him dead before the real fun started! I just made sure to beat some of the moron out of him so he would survive a bit longer."

"You cannot force change onto others."

"Actually I can; I'm the all-powerful granter of wishes and desires! I'm the Holy Grail, bitch!"

"…and more people remember the Happy Squirrel Arcana than they do you."

"Heh, cute. Anyway, all I did was poke some bitter souls down there to have a crack at him. I didn't personally manifest myself as a moth to involve a third party member. Again."

"I simply guided her to where she wanted to be. Her choices were made by her own accord."

"Like Tatsuya's? Oh wow, nice glare. But seriously, I can't wait to see how this one will react. Maybe instead of a right hook, she'll give you a swift kick to the-"

"Enough. If you are done with your games, do not endanger Shirou Emiya's life any further until the year is over. The Gods of Fog still have their judgment to make, and his presence is critical."

"Gah, these steam-powered deities are ruining all my fun. Fine, I'll keep my hands off for a little while longer… but no promises."

"Normally I would expect that from you, but your tone does little to ease me even then."

"And with good reason. Remember when I said this place was roomy? Well, it turns out there was a tenant here before me, and he's not the forgiving type."

<><><>

May 5th, Morning, Fuyuki Station

Nanako looked around the busy station, asking a question that circled everyone's minds. "Where's Tiger-nee?"

Shirou hadn't gotten much sleep last night; on top of everything that led to a new Social Link at the shed, he had to stress what he knew to his guardian and make sure she would keep her knowledge and awareness of magecraft to herself. The risk of running into the Second Owner was slim since Shirou managed to do it for a decade, but it was still a risk to have her either lose her memories or be killed on sight.

As he, Sakura, and the Dojimas waited in the train station lobby, the red-haired teen couldn't help but feel nervous. It was one thing that Taiga missed breakfast this morning (which on its own was enough cause for worry), but she left no note or message saying if she would see him off or not. He hoped it was just her oversleeping due to what happened last night and wasn't tracked down by the Second Owner.

"Um, I'm sure Fujimura-sensei will be here shortly, Nanako-chan," Sakura assured the young girl.

Dojima turned his gaze to the clock. This station was so much more crowded than the one at his town, with so many people getting ready to return to their homes. He held Nanako's hand to make sure his daughter didn't get lost in the confusion, who in turn was holding a bag of her souvenirs from the Shopping Mall. "Well, we got another ten minutes before the train leaves. If she doesn't show, we'll have to get on board. Unless, of course…"

His gaze turned to his nephew, still staring towards the outside of the station to see his guardian run in animatedly like usual. The detective's facial features softened. He couldn't get Taiga's words out of his head, about using Shirou as a convenient babysitter for Nanako. Such a role may not bother Shirou in the slightest, but it still seemed unfair to the teen. He had half a mind to suggest to Shirou that he should stay here in Fuyuki with Taiga and Sakura, but wasn't sure how to say it.

"Hmm?" Shirou blinked, noticing Dojima's intent stare. "Is there something wrong, Dojima-san?"

Dojima sighed. "There you go again. I was hoping you would drop that habit by now and call me 'uncle' or something. We're not strangers anymore."

"Sorry," Shirou scratched his head sheepishly. "It's just… you don't feel like an uncle to me. You're more like the big brother I never had."

"Brother huh?" Dojima smiled in spite of himself. "Well, I can sort of relate to that feeling. What, do you want to call me 'big bro' too?"

"I was actually wondering when to start calling you 'Doji-nii'."

Dojima stared at the now embarrassed teen, and then threw his head back while roaring in laughter. Convincing his nephew to stay behind was now the furthest thing from his mind. Shirou quickly joined in, and the girls giggled with them.

"Seriously?" he asked after calming down. "That's the best you could come up with?"

"I almost considered 'Ryuu-nii' but I didn't think that would be fair to Fuji-nee."

"Hmmhmm~! No, it wouldn't!"

Shirou, as well as everyone else, nearly jumped when they heard her voice. But turning to the smiling teacher, one wouldn't think she wasn't already there or they were just waiting for her. This was the woman that was known as the human jet-coaster, who would always sprint to her classroom just after the morning bell.

Punctuality was not her forte by any stretch of imagination (except when food was involved).

"Fuji-nee?! When did you get here?" asked Shirou.

"Just now," she said. "I would have been here sooner but I was getting a few things ready. First off, where's that little apple girl?"

Nanako jumped forward, as if springing from a hiding spot. "Here I am, Tiger-nee!" she smiled with arms outstretched.

Taiga immediately swooned and knelt to the girl's height, hugging her. "Oh, you're just so precious! And that smile! I bet I can make it bigger!"

"How?"

"Why, because I got you something of course!" With a flourish, Taiga reached behind her to a pile of suitcases and book bags piled together in a heap. Shirou nearly gaped at the sight as he wondered how his teacher snuck, much less managed to carry, all this stuff to the station with her.

But that was quickly dismissed as she pulled and flourished something from a shopping bag on top of the pile. "Ta da!"

In her hands was a yellow t-shirt in Nanako's size, with a picture of a platypus cartoon in the center. "Oh, wow! A platypus!" she eagerly accepted the gift and held it up closer to her face. "Haha! It looks so funny!"

"I thought you'd like it. Happy Children's Day, Nanako-chan!"

The last day of Golden Week, made in celebration of the happiness of children. The festivities were of a high note for kids Nanako's age, but as it was also the day that they would be returning to Inaba, Shirou could only make some mochi rice cakes as snacks. Nanako loved them, of course, just as she loved the t-shirt.

"Thank you!" the young girl beamed, before hurrying over to her father's side. "Dad! Dad! Look at what Tiger-nee bought for me!"

Shirou smiled at the animated gestures Nanako made, and how flustered but happy Dojima looked as well. He turned to thank Taiga on Nanako's behalf, but was surprised to see her almost glaring at him. "What?"

"Don't get any ideas," she said seriously. "Only Nanako-chan gets to call me that."

Oh, so that's it. Honestly, it wasn't that big of a loss to Shirou. True, it hurt a little to know that his younger sister got so close to Taiga like that, but he was just as close with her and she was just that impressionable. "So you gave Nanako a t-shirt, but only gave me a lecture?" he teased.

"Of course not. Your gifts are right here!" Taiga gestured to the pile of luggage behind her and lifted two of the top most bags before handing them to the magus.

"Now this bag has all sorts of magic booklets, from parlor tricks to occult theories. This bag too, actually, but it's more of the latter than the former." Each bag was forced into Shirou's arms, and he slowly started to feel the weight pile on as she continued. "Oh, and I got you some self-help manuals on social interaction, a few workout guides to help you exercise, a couple of old textbooks from Homurahara to study, and finally a small collection of English classics to pass the time and brush up on your language reading skills. I'm talking The Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies, a lot of Shakespeare plays-"

"Fuji-nee!" By the time the final bag was handed to him, Shirou could feel his back and legs bend under the pressure. He allowed himself to breath once he gently put his luggage down, before turning to his guardian. "I… I don't need all this."

"Oh yes you do. From what I hear you're falling back into bad habits. It's good that you have some friends to hang out with, but I'd rather you have some books to read and get smart. Your first exams are coming up, you know!"

The magus sighed. Even before she learned about his secret, Taiga was not one to take no for an answer. It was much simpler to accept whatever she had to offer, if only to be considerate of her feelings. "So I just take all of this with me?" he asked, already wondering if there would be enough space in their compartment.

"And one more thing," she said, reaching over her shoulder again. This time she handed him two black cloth-wrapped cylinders that, he realized, had been slung over her shoulder from the start. One was short and thick like a document tube, and the other was long and thin like a fishing pole.

Shirou recognized them almost immediately as a wrapped yumi bow and covered bow case respectively. "This is-"

"Your old archery equipment," smiled Taiga. "Just as Ayako-chan left it."

From near the Dojima's, Sakura gasped. "S-sensei! Is that even legal?!"

"Well, I happen to monitor the Kyudo club as a faculty member on top of Kendo, so I feel that I get a say on who can take what out of the school grounds. And even if I wasn't, I asked Ayako-chan for her permission. She was practically ecstatic since it might convince you to join up next year. She wishes you had a good Golden Week and to have a safe trip back, by the way."

"As much as I appreciate the thought, I can't accept this," Shirou quickly argued. "I still haven't recovered from that injury-"

"You mean from the hazardous shipping accident?" she asked incredulously. "That was almost a year ago, and you dodged my strike just the other night! There was no way that was some fluke!"

Taiga was glaring at him with a knowing look in her eyes. Of course he knew that she knew now that he'd suffered far worse than a broken shoulder bone or burned skin. There was also the fact that he was getting involved in a life-or-death scenario to find a murderer.

"It doesn't hurt to practice what you already know," she added. "Consider it a hobby to keep yourself safe while you're down there."

What Dojima heard was a way to keep Shirou occupied and not act on impulse, to which he approved of. What Shirou heard was a way to stop using magecraft for the duration of the case, which he had mixed feelings about.

From a practical viewpoint, it wasn't a bad idea. It would save money by not having to buy a bow himself, and he still remembered how to use one. It just felt weird holding his club bow again after he quit, and had convinced himself that he needed more time to practice and become a hero.

In hindsight, it was probably one of the dumbest decisions he had ever made.

"All right," he said. "But I don't know where I can use a bow though, since Yasogami doesn't practice archery."

"Actually," Dojima spoke up. "There have been rumors that Shinto priestesses used to practice archery at the Tatsuhime Shrine a long time ago. No one lives there anymore, but it's worth a look if you're interested."

Shirou thought this over… for a few seconds, before shrugging. "That settles it." He then tucked the wrapped bundles under his arm as he lifted his bags with Dojima's help.

"We better hurry," said the detective. "The train looks about ready to leave."

Indeed, more people were filing in the cars and the crowd outside was thinning. If they missed it, they wouldn't make it back until tomorrow night.

Nanako turned to the Fuyuki girls and waved with a big smile, her t-shirt tucked in her other arm. "Bye Sakura-chan! Bye Tiger-nee!"

"Come visit again!" Sakura smiled.

Taiga simply opted to lean down and give a light peck on the girl's cheek. "Don't be a stranger, now!"

Nanako giggled and hurried on.

"It was great seeing you both again," Shirou bowed. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Take care, Senpai." Sakura bowed as well, and fidgeted. Nothing more in her body wanted to go and hug him goodbye, but she couldn't. No matter how much she wanted to, she just couldn't.

Unaware of the other girl's inner turmoil, Taiga had her own dilemma of how to say goodbye. But as deep as it might have been, it was short-lived as she always did what worked for her in Kendo: go with instinct.

So, before Shirou walked away, she lightly grabbed his wrist to hold him in place, leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, much like she did with Nanako. "Good luck," she whispered in his ear, and pulled away smiling.

Shirou only stared at his guardian confused. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had that kind of intimacy with his surrogate sister (or anyone else for that matter). He reasoned that it was just a chaste kiss shared by siblings and that it was her way of showing how much she cared now.

So why did it feel so damn embarrassing?

"Amore, Cu Shirou," the voice of Cu Sith spoke for the first time since his fusion. "Hints of love and affection are evident in the one you call sister. It's all kinds as well. Family Storge is most evident, followed by platonic Agape, affectionate Phileo, and… is that a hint of Eros I smell?"

Shirou's face only grew that much hotter as he ducked away and hurried off. He ignored the seemingly oblivious Taiga, still smiling and content. He also ignored Dojima and Sakura staring slack-jawed, one more shocked than the other. He couldn't ignore Nanako, who somehow managed to cheer him up.

"Getting kisses from your family isn't so bad," she said to him. "I get them from Dad every night when he puts me to bed!"

As both his daughter and nephew left for the train, Ryotaro Dojima stayed behind and stared incredulously at Taiga. For her part, the teacher stared back confused, before slightly glaring. "You're not getting one."

It took a moment for him to realize the implication, and stammered. "Th-that's not-! Gah, never mind. Just… thanks for having us over."

"Anytime," she smiled, although it quickly turned nervous. "So, uh, about that whole head injury?"

He smiled and ruffled his own hair, absent of any wrapping medical tape or swollen bumps. "All water under the bridge."

Taiga shot him two thumbs-up, a wink and an upbeat smile. "Nice~!"

Dojima chuckled; just something about this woman made every day feel like a vacation, which he was thankful for. Tomorrow he would be back to late night shifts and finding criminals, but he was thankful to get a weekend worth of rest.

As he turned to board the train as well, he waved back to Sakura, but she barely noticed him leaving.

The two women stayed behind and watched as the train doors close. Sakura recovered, secretly jealous of how brazen Taiga Fujimura could be with her feelings and not suffer consequences. But she had known her high school teacher for over two years (one of them she wasn't even in high school yet). And she had never seen her act so differently than she did these last three days.

The young girl turned to the teacher on her left, and the wind against her face caused her hair and skirt to sway (the latter she already had her arms down to cover herself). "Sensei?" she asked over the blowing wind. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Never better," she answered, her long dress also swaying but not enough to risk indecency. It didn't feel like a knee-jerk response but one she actually meant. Sakura could see that, as her confidence and energy had never felt so strong before.

But let it never be said that she wasn't perceptive or naïve. Taiga frowned as she exchanged glances with her student. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you just seem so different after this whole weekend," she admitted. "Yesterday especially. Did something happen? Like… a bad dream?"

She certainly hoped her teacher didn't remember anything from the park. She liked Taiga Fujimura. She was the best sister she'd ever had. To have her die because of a breach of secrecy was horrifying, but Father Kotomine erased her memories like everyone else, right?

"A dream?" Taiga echoed, and returned her gaze to the train. It was already starting to roll away down the track. She stared at the car door Shirou had walked through, despite not being able to see him or the Dojimas.

It could be accurate to say that she had a bad dream, where she almost died in a twisted version of a dojo. Where an angry kendoka kept ranting against the world and wanted to kill everything Taiga Fujimura stood for.

It could be equally possible that she had woken up from a bad dream, and that the aforementioned kendoka was her wake-up call to how she had let the best years of her life slip through her.

Needless to say, it felt good to finally move on. She wasn't expecting to learn about Shirou's magecraft and Kiritsugu's past, but she felt proud of herself handling that curveball. She still wanted to wring the necks of them both for being Class A dumbasses though.

She loved them all the same, and had never felt more proud to have known them in her life.

Maybe someday she could help Shirou accomplish his dream through more than just a few books and rampart support. Whatever happened in that "dream" gave her something akin to a super-power. Blue butterflies, talking Shadows, it all felt so surreal. But until she had a better understanding of all this, she'd keep Shirou ignorant; he had enough on his plate as it was.

"Sensei?"

Taiga broke out of her reverie at Sakura's voice, but didn't turn to her or acknowledge her right away. Rather, she just gathered her thoughts to answer the young beauty's question.

"Let's just say," she smiled brighter than Sakura ever remembered. "I made a new friend. And her name is Kaihime."

<><><>

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Fuyuki Gaiden 2: The Tower of Babel

<><><>

"Oi! Tohsaka-san!"

I was heading for the stairs when I heard someone call my name. I politely turn to acknowledge Saegusa-san, the young manager of the track team. Further down the hall, I saw her friends and fellow track hopefuls, Makidera-san and Himuro-san, watching her.

The brown haired girl stopped to catch her breath, and smiled at me as she spoke up again. "W-would you like to do something together for Golden Week?"

"Thanks for the offer, Saegusa-san, but I already made plans." It was a carefully rehearsed line, but it was also the truth. I almost felt bad at having to turn down the offer.

"Oh, I see," she said, downcast. "I didn't mean to bother-"

"Plans?! What do you mean you have plans?!"

Saegusa-san quickly retreated to the side. Makidera-san, the tanned skin track runner, was apparently annoyed by my answer and came up to confront me. Seeing no reason to stand by either, Himuro-san followed to stand by Saegusa-san.

"I mean exactly as I said, Makidera-san," I told her calmly. "I have plans. Why is that such a surprise?"

"Because you always do this!" she complained, pointing to her track team manager. "Normally I could care less if you show your 'highness self' or not, but you keep getting Yukicchi upset with your excuses!"

"I-it's alright Kaede-chan," said Saegusa-san.

But I knew Makidera-san had a point. Saegusa-san was a nice girl, and her warm smile easily won her a small fanbase. I'm a little flattered she would keep taking time to make arrangements with me, but her relaxing nature was the very reason I couldn't relax around her.

And yet I couldn't go around pretending to be distant all year either. Having too little interaction with others was just as dangerous as having too much. I already have Ryuudou-kun making me public enemy number one, and I would rather not have anyone else actually start believing him.

In fact, I would rather that no one was constantly antagonizing me, but I could care less about a certain someone whether he loved or hated me. And no, I'm talking about Ryuudou-kun this time.

"Perhaps I can make room in my schedule for Children's Day," I admitted. Children's Day was fine, as long as I finished my errands in the next two days.

Saegusa-san smiled and bowed. "Children's Day sounds great! Thank you, Tohsaka-san!"

"Geez, that long?" Makidera-san's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You're not just going to weasel your way out of this like you do every time, are you?"

I smiled at her. "Whatever do you mean, Makidera-san?"

She had no answer; she was too busy flinching away from my face. "N-nothing! Just hold up your end of the bargain!"

"If that's all," I bowed to them, and took my leave from school.

<><><>

By day, I was Rin Tohsaka, model and ideal student of Homurahara High School. I was the popular face among female students, both respected and admired from a distance. Although none of the physical exams or school tests had started, last year I all but aced them.

But by night, I was Rin Tohsaka, heir to the lineage of Tohsaka magi, Second Owner to Fuyuki City, and a prodigy with an affinity for all five elements. Every night for the last decade I've worked hard and long in the safety of my estate, my workshop, to live up to my late father's legacy. The only assistance I've had is my guardian arranging my finances and teaching me in my father's stead.

…which, considering who my guardian is, is the same as no help at all.

No matter. A magus has to learn and perfect their art themselves, and share it only with their heir at coming of age. All I can do for now is research until that day.

At the safe haven that was my workshop, I waited until two in the morning, when my magic energy reached its peak. In my hand was a ruby that I have been storing my energy within for some time now. A magus can only hold so much prana in their bodies, and trying to harness it, no matter how well equipped you are, hurts. Magi are still human, after all.

It is for this reason why I have spent the last decade siphoning my magic into these gemstones. Not a very cost-effective plan, sure, but it helps having so much magic in reserves for any use, like a hand grenade. Years of pain and dedication focused on stockpiling as many carry-on reserves as possible was well worth it.

Ah, it appears that this ruby has finally reached its full capacity. That's another for the hoard.

I delicately placed this gemstone in a drawer full of other prana-infused rubies. I kept other elemental gemstones, like topaz and sapphire, separate and organized. I've lost count how many of these stones I used, because I always buy more once I finish. Perhaps this Golden Week I can buy myself a few more gemstones to work on for the next few weeks…

My thoughts trail away from gemstones and the date I have planned when I stared at the Command spells on the back of my right hand. To anyone else, it would look like an intricate blood red tattoo, a single line over two circular crescents. But to a magus, it's proof and status of being one of the next Seven Masters of the Holy Grail War. A battle royale between masters, calling upon seven familiars called Servants, and fighting to the last man for the chance to receive the titular Grail. The prize of an all-powerful wish is a tempting one indeed.

My father and current Guardian were both Masters, once upon a time. Sadly, neither of them won the war. I can understand why the latter would fail, but it seems unfair that he would survive and my father, who took him in as an apprentice, wouldn't. But that's how things were in the world of Magi, especially in the Holy Grail War.

Still, as much as I'm proud to be selected as a Master (even if being a part of the Tohsaka name makes me all but assured as one), the timing doesn't make sense. It has only been a decade since the Fourth Holy Grail War, and each war has had a 60 year reprieve. Command Spells shouldn't be showing up until much later.

I can't be entirely certain what's to happen, as my guardian doesn't know either (damn him). At the very least, I can just keep researching and stockpiling my magic until then. If the war happens on schedule, all is good. I will be an experienced and great magus by then, with my own heir to boot.

If the war comes early, well, I'm sure being the first winner of the Holy Grail War would look great on my resume to the Clocktower.

<><><>

"Aaaah, look at how pretty this one looks!"

I smiled at the animated response. Despite her loud and blunt nature, Makidera-san was very much a girl with more feminine interests. Right now the four of us were walking down a street bazaar and she was staring wide-eyed at a hand-made wind chime from one such stall. Collecting wind chimes was the last thing anyone would expect a track star to do for a hobby.

The design was pretty, I admit. These wind chimes were made of hollowed glass, decorated with painted images and a paper slip tied below. The one that Makidera-san was smiling about had a floral design resembling a sakura tree.

I turned away from the stall and hurried on as soon as that thought crossed my mind.

"H-hey! Tohsaka-san! Wait up!"

Saegusa-san and Himuro-san hurried behind me. Makidera-san stayed behind, as she was still deciding on whether to buy the wind chime first.

"Sorry," I said. "I'm just a little tired from stall hopping."

It has been a few hours since I met up with the track team girls. The greeting was awkward, as I rarely met with classmates outside of school. I almost didn't recognize them in casual clothes. The closest I ever had to a friend was Ayako Mitsuzuri, but I would feel bad distracting her from the archery club just to hang-out.

But the last day of Golden Week was arguably the most crowded. Even with all the tourists leaving home today by train or car, little boys and girls danced excitedly down the streets, eating festive snacks or playing games while deciding which one is Kintarō. We, as four high school girls, should feel out of place as the holiday was meant for young children. But between Saegusa-san and Makidera-san acting so excited, and Himuro-san and I not caring enough to be embarrassed, it was hardly a problem.

So it was technically a lie that I was feeling tired from all this wandering around. Of course, it would feel awkward to admit I didn't like the sakura-themed wind chime and why.

I'm starting to get the feeling that this was a bad idea from the start.

"Is there any stall in particular you want to see next, Tohsaka?" asked Himuro-san. Frankly, I was surprised to hear concern from her at all, as I don't know much about her. She has an impressive high jump, but she doesn't seem like the type of girl to get involved in track.

"Why, whatever do you mean, Himuro-san?" I asked back, if only to sound polite.

"Maki has been window shopping at glass wind chimes, I bought a few art posters for myself, and Saegusa has bought at least half a dozen Kintarō dolls for her brothers. Yet you yourself haven't asked to do anything. You just followed."

…I suppose the glasses should have been the big indicator that Kane Himuro was the smart one of the track team trio. Makidera-san and I have window shopped together before, and I enjoyed theorizing about the use of glass in stuff other than wind chimes. But I neglected to notice the rolled up posters tucked under Himuro-san's arm, or how the suddenly self-conscious Saegusa-san had her arms full of plastic bags, carefully handled as to not drop the cutely stitched dolls.

"It's not that I didn't want to impose," I reasoned. "But I can't remember the last time I celebrated Golden Week. This is all a little new to me."

"It's no trouble, Tohsaka-san," Saegusa-san smiled. "You can pick the next stall if you want!" Before I could form a reply, her face fell as she recalled, "Oh, but you just said you were tired from all this. Do you want to leave then?"

"Leave!?" Again, Makidera-san's voice boomed loud as she marched over. "You just got here and we haven't even done all the fun stuff yet, like food and games! And don't give a stupid excuse like you're off to see Mitsuzuri-san!"

How does Ayako have anything to do with this?

"I'm surprised you bought that," Himuro-san said, noting the small bag in the tan girl's hand. "Didn't you already buy a wind chime yesterday?"

"Yeah, but it broke when that guy pushed me!"

"What guy?" I asked her.

"It's just an excuse Maki made," Himuro-san shrugged. "She tripped crossing the street and the wind chime broke."

"Excuse?! This is no excuse! Somebody pushed me as they passed me and made me drop my wind chime!"

"Did you see this person?"

Makidera-san bristled slightly. "Not… clearly. I barely made out his face as he ran by. I tried to catch up to him but he managed to outrun me and disappear after making a corner turn."

It was clear that even Saegusa-san had trouble believing this story. "Uh, Kaede-chan, you're one of the fastest runners on the track team. It seems unlikely that someone could outrun you at all. And we were right there behind you. We didn't see anything."

"Yes you did! You even held Kane-chan back because you saw the runner come up first!"

I watched the one-sided argument continue to heat up. Saegusa-san and Himuro-san were calm and rational, but Makidera-san grew more aggravated that no one believed her. She did have a habit of changing stories to fit her own convenience.

"Oi, Tohsaka!"

Ah, it seems Makidera-san could save the last bit of her dignity after all.

I turned and greeted the voice with a smile. "Mitsuzuri, what a surprise to see you here."

The track girls only stared in silence. They were probably not used to seeing Ayako act like anything but a tomboy. She was actually quite feminine if you know her well enough, there she was in her casual clothes (pink jacket, white shirt, blue jeans) and also enjoying the weekend.

"That's my line," she smiled back. "You haven't been here all morning, have you?"

"No, just for a few hours. Saegusa-san asked me to accompany them today."

"Did they now?" Ayako turned to the three track girls. For some reason, Makidera-san was glaring daggers at her, which took Ayako and I by surprise.

"And just what are you doing here?" she accused. Saegusa-san quickly scolded her (as politely as she could of course), but Ayako answered anyway.

"Well, there's a fair here of course!" she smiled. "I would have been here sooner, but Fujimura-sensei called me up for some favors."

"Oh? What did she want?" Taiga Fujimura was an English Teacher, adviser of the archery club, and a black belt in kendo, which normally would say she's a responsible woman. Her personality was childish and easygoing, which makes it hard to believe she's a faculty member.

"Just fetching her some archery equipment from the storehouse," she replied, idly fiddling with a set of keys in her hand. "Emiya's to be exact."

I blinked. My attention was now solely on Ayako, as were the girls. "Emiya? As in Shirou Emiya?"

"The Shirou Emiya who's known as the Fake Janitor?"

"The Shirou Emiya who fixed the school generator last year?"

"The Shirou Emiya that quit your club after decking Matou-kun?"

We all turned and stared incredulously at Makidera-san. She returned our confused glances with a slightly annoyed one. "Well it's true, isn't it?"

"Not exactly," Ayako frowned.

My mind was still reeling from this revelation. Emiya's archery equipment. He was forced to retire after a shipping accident broke his shoulder, so he had left his bow and arrow case as a donation to the school. Naturally Ayako was set on getting him back on the team so she kept it under lock and key under his name. Between her hope and Shinji Matou resenting him, no one really bothered with his equipment. Or so Ayako told me.

And then shortly before this school year started, Emiya had moved away. Ayako also told me it was due to seeing some long lost relatives he didn't know he had, and was to spend the year down there to reconnect with them.

Only two things of significant note have happened since. First, the student council nearly imploded within the first two weeks. After taking the fake janitor's work for granted last year, they had to scramble on budget cuts and cancelled events to make ends meet after it became necessary to replace much of school's old and now-irreparable hardware at once.

Second, Sakura Matou joined the archery club, but without Emiya around I suppose she just focused all her attention on other things, such as her studies. The only one who could get her to do anything was her brother Shinji. I couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.

To hear that brought about an expected feeling of elevation within me. I could only guess that this meant one thing. "So, what happened? Is Emiya-kun here? Will he be joining the archery club after all? Do they already know?"

"Whoa, slow down there," Ayako said with raised hands. She then smiled with a teasing glint. "You seem rather excited to see your boyfriend again."

Well, I wouldn't exactly-
BOYFRIEND?!

Saegusa-san and Makidera-san gasped behind me. "Tohsaka-san…" the manager started.

"And Emiya-kun?" the runner finished.

Their bespectacled friend seemed more amused than surprised, judging by the tone of her next word. "Scandalous."

I fortunately had time to regain composure… though I couldn't hide the shock on my face from Ayako. Sometimes I forgot how vile she could be. Is this what friendship is supposed to be? Hanging out here and there, stuck between competing with each other and then embarrassing ourselves?

It's interesting, I admit.

"My interest in Emiya-kun is purely business," I answered with the cold control that my father would be proud of. "He owes me a favor that I have yet to collect, and I would like to know if and when he's available so that I can plan ahead."

It was, of course, a bold faced lie. It was a natural skill for me to pick up over the years, as it helps keep control of situations without blatant hypnotism. And keeping control of one's emotions, power, position, everything, was an important skill for any magus. The lie worked, as they were convinced I wanted Emiya for a favor, although Ayako looked rather disappointed.

"Well, you'll have to wait a while longer," she said. "He was only visiting for Golden Week, and he just took the train back to Inaba this morning."

"Oh," I said. For some reason I felt disappointed. Hopefully the others didn't notice this change of tone either.

"There's still no say whether he'll take up archery again or not," she added. "But Fujimura-sensei was rather insistent on getting his bow, saying that he needed it. It seemed rather excessive with all the suitcases she was carrying around, too."

I blinked incredulously, but it was Himuro-san that asked the question first. "Suitcases?"

"'Oh, those? They're just a little reading material I picked up for Shirou!'" she explained in a rather convincing interpretation of our teacher; right down to the smile and dismissive hand wave. "That's what she told me anyway. It was anything but 'little', though."

I smiled teasingly. "Oh? Referring to Emiya-kun by first name? That sounds something a girlfriend would say."

It was only natural to give a little revenge to Ayako. Her facial reaction alone was worth it.

The track girls reacted similarly as before; gasping and gossiping amongst each other. "Do you think that's why-"

"She wants him back on the team so badly?"

"Apparently he was that good."

"I was only quoting Fujimura-sensei," Ayako snapped. I could see that her face was still red.

"I hear no denial of enlisting him, Mitsuzuri."

"He's that good. In fact, I think he might be some sort of savant. He could do anything he wants if he puts his mind to it."

"Like sports!" Makidera-san agreed.

"Or engineering," Himuro-san added.

"Or cooking!" …huh?

Saegusa-san blushed and looked away when we turned our attention to her. "Umm… we shared a home economics class last year. He always made the best food."

Huh. I did not know that Emiya-kun was a cook.

"That's a shame," Ayako sighed. "For being so in touch with his feminine side, it sounds like the only type of girl that could hope to date him is a tomboy."

I stared at her incredulously. "You make it sound like it's a bad thing."

Ayako stared back confused. "Isn't it?"

That's right. I forgot Ayako sees herself as feminine, while everyone else assumes she's very masculine. She doesn't care about the clash of perceived personalities, though. She must not care what other people think of her either.

That train of thought didn't go much further before Makidera-san suddenly yelled, "I REMEMBER NOW!"

Perhaps this is the kind of tomboy Ayako was referring to?

"Emiya-kun was definitely the guy that pushed me!"

Saegusa-san looked away, embarrassed. Himuro-san sighed. Mitsuzuri-san blinked at her.

I stopped and stared at her. "What."

"I saw it for only a second, but the runner definitely had short red hair and gold eyes! I almost dismissed the likeness since he was gone, but if he was here since this morning, then it had to be him!"

"Maki, you tripped," Himuro-san stressed. "Saegusa and I were there and we didn't see anything."

"And I'm telling you he pushed me!" she argued again. "Geez, what kind of joke is this? Are you that mad at me or something?"

"M-mad?" Saegusa-san squeaked. "Why would you think that, Makidera-san?"

"Because I bailed on you guys trying to chase Emiya-kun. I... almost had him in my sights, but I ended up wasting about half an hour running around the city. By the time I came back, you two kept insisting that I tripped!"

Again she changed the story. Earlier she said he disappeared as he ran the corner, and here she insisted he was within her sights. And seeing Shirou Emiya being seen running around the streets when no one else remembered sounded much like a contrived coincidence.

Himuro-san just rolled her eyes and pulled out her buzzing phone, idly texting back. "It's not like you have any proof we were there."

"Y-yeah I do!" she argued. "Check your photos! Yeah, I remember that too! You took a picture of the guy after I told you to! It was to make sure the guy paid back money for a new chime as compensation!"

Himuro-san stared at Makidera-san, weighing her options to humor her friend or not. It's actually kind of amazing how all three of them, Saegusa-san included, are friends when they barely have anything in common. They just butt heads and share a club that only one of them seems passionate about.

"Fine," she said, pressing her phone buttons again. "But I seriously doubt that there's any… huh?"

Himuro-san's cool composure was absent in place of honest confusion. One by one, we looked over her shoulder to the picture in question. It wasn't in great quality, but it clearly showed Makidera-san ready to pounce and sprint off the ground. It also showed a small brown bag next to her side holding her then broken wind chime, slightly deflated from the drop.

And just at the top corner of the phone was a patch of blurry red on a blurry runner. If that wasn't proof enough, the time and date of the picture was listed from yesterday.

"See? See?!" Makidera-san pointed, equal parts mad and excited. "I was right! It WAS Emiya-kun that pushed me!"

Saegusa-san stared between her boasting friend and the phone. "So Kaede-chan was right?" she said to herself, guiltily.

"But I never took this," Himuro-san insisted, but sounded just as subdued.

I admit, this sounds too suspicious to just ignore. Saegusa-san and Himuro-san are bright students, and wouldn't forget things so readily. Something involving Emiya-kun must have been so important that the girls had to get the event hypnotized out of their minds, only to miss Makidera-san somehow.

And that could only mean one thing. The fake priest.

Why the hell wasn't this brought to my attention?!

"Tohsaka?" Ayako must have noticed my façade slip. Damn, can't lose my composure here.

"It's nothing," I assure her. "I'm just… a little surprised to hear you imply Emiya-kun to be a mischievous fellow, Makidera-san."

The self-titled Black Panther scowled, but I was already walking away. "O-oi! Where are you going, Tohsaka?!"

"I'm sorry everyone, but I'm afraid I have something important to take care of right away. It was fun while it lasted, and thank you for inviting me to join you Saegusa-san."

I bowed deeply to show my gratitude. All in all, it was a fun day. I may not get many of these in the future, and will have to break ties with those around me for the sake of my family lineage. The recent conversation was proof of that. But I spoke honestly when I admitted to having fun.

I was already running down the street for the bridge to Shinto when I heard a voice cry out desperately.

"W-wait! At least buy me some takiyaki!"

Simplicity. Thy name is Kaede Makidera.

<><><>

"Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there."

Service at the Kotomine Church. I'm not an overly faithful person, but the Kotomine family has been close with mine for as long as I can remember. It's probably due to old tradition why I still go from time to time. If not, the fake priest wouldn't let me hear the end of it.

"They said to each other, 'Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly.' They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.'"

Still, I make an effort to only come during the Christian holidays of Easter Sunday and Christmas. Having to study for my craft, on top of school work, has thus far been a suitable excuse as to why I can't come every week.

"But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, 'If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.'"

But today was different. This was something that I couldn't overlook or wait, so I suffer through this service until it's over and I can confront him.

"So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth."

This story from the book of Genesis the fake priest just read aloud was the final piece of the service. After some more stock phrases and the closing hymn, the church occupants started to leave. I stayed rooted in my seat near the front row, glaring daggers at the man.

Because he was the one I find hard to like. Because he was a walking contradiction in both church and magi standards. Because he was my Guardian.

I march up to him to the front of the church when we were finally alone. "You have some explaining to do."

"Nice to see you too, Rin," he replied coldly. "But wouldn't it hurt to greet me properly by my title?"

"Your title is non-existent to what you really are; a fake priest."

He smiled, more amused than annoyed. That trait of his always annoyed me. I almost missed him being a stoic doormat when I was a kid. At least then it wasn't hard to tell when he meant something or not. "Do indulge me, Rin. We are still in the sanctum of God, so my title does hold merit. Unless you wish to speak in the confessional?"

No way will I step foot into that wooden trap just so he can play the role of moral conscience. There are many reasons why I spend as little time as possible in this church, and they all relate to this insufferable man. Still, I grit my teeth and call him by his name, if only so he can stop teasing for a moment. "Good evening, Father Kotomine."

"There, now. Was that so hard?"

Yes. Yes it was.

"As I was saying, you have some explaining to do."

"Whatever do you mean, Rin?" Kotomine asked. Although he knew I was here strictly for business, he still had the gall to play innocent and ignorant. Sometimes I can never tell what the man is really thinking.

"Let's make something perfectly clear; I'm the Second Owner. I know everything that goes on in this city, whether it's a magus hiding here or an outbreak of Dead Apostles. But for some reason, something happened that was clearly magecraft-related only to have been swept under the rug without my knowledge. And I know you well enough that you would do everything to undermine my authority, just to take my title as Second Owner, and everything I own with it!"

Kotomine blinked, surprised that I was able to deduce him so easily. But then he threw his head back and laughed that audacious laugh of his. "Ahahahahahahaha! Oh Rin, that couldn't be any further from the truth. I'm quite content in my position as a 'fake priest', as you so affectionately call me."

Affectionate my ass! Everything he does is half-assed and without effort or meaning. He has the means to be a magus, but he never finishes what he starts learning. He even told me so himself, back when I was still looking to him for guidance years ago. I learned early on that I could master whatever Kotomine didn't bother to, and I haven't looked back on that decision since.

Still, as much as I hate to admit it, Kotomine wasn't a liar. He was trustworthy to an extent, so I can take his word that he wasn't interested in undermining me… for now. "Fine, so you didn't orchestrate this event. But you were aware of it happening?"

"It was brought to my attention, yes."

"How?"

"Why, Sakura Matou told me."

…!

"Have you forgotten? The Tohsaka aren't the only magi family that have lived on Fuyuki's soil." His smile widens, almost sadistic. "Oh, pardon me. I should say 'isn't', as you're the last Tohsaka alive."

Of all the answers I expected to hear, this wasn't one of them. In a way, I was a bit foolish not to overlook this possibility. But… I couldn't rationalize the feeling of-

"She's not a magus," I replied. My voice or posture didn't change, as I refuse to let anyone see my weakness. Especially Kotomine. "She couldn't have known what happened."

"But she was raised by a magus family," he reminded. "In fact, she asked me to help save her classmate from Wraiths. But I'm getting ahead of myself; you don't know the full story, do you?"

And so the fake priest told me what he knew. A family gathering during Golden Week, visiting the Central Park after their shopping trip. Two Wraiths coming out and chasing the young boy, while his teacher chased after him. How Sakura asked to hypnotize the uncle and his daughter, as well as to save the boy and teacher. How he fought against a spade warrior while the boy fought a black ghost, and he brought both the boy and teacher back to their homes.

The names were omitted, and while I didn't know or care who this teacher was, I knew the boy's name. He was the one that fit both of Ayako and Makidera-san's accounts. And more importantly, he was the only one that Sakura trusted enough to all but live at his house.

"This boy," I asked slowly for confirmation. "It was Shirou Emiya, was it?"

"It was."

I stared down at the floor, feeling my bangs slip and cover the view of my surroundings. I don't care. "And… he's a magus?"

Kotomine frowned in thought. "Yes…"

I clenched my hands into white knuckles. How could I have missed this? How could I have been so stupid?!

"-and no."

I looked up at him. "What?"

"Shirou Emiya understands what it means to be a magus and knows how to fight back, but he lacks the practical skills and assessment to be called one. I've suspected enough that he doesn't even know how to use his magic circuits. Furthermore," Kotomine added, finding time to knot his eyebrows together into a frown. "He has a very different set of goals in mind for his supposed craft."

Different goals? But what could be more important than the goal of all magi? To be able to reach Akasha, the Root itself, and the knowledge of everything that ever is, was, and will be?! Unless…

"You mean to tell me that he wishes to be a Dead Apostle?" I asked in slight horror. It would make sense, given his supposedly weak magecraft and hiding under my radar. With immense power, durability, and constant bloodlust, having just one of them in Fuyuki City was a disaster waiting to happen. There was a reason why the Church hunted them down as viciously as-

Wait.

"I assure you," Kotomine smiled. "If that were the case, I would have killed the boy myself."

I glowered in anger and embarrassment. For as much as the fake priest annoys me, he used to be an Executor. Fighting ghouls and Dead Apostles is second nature to him, and he always followed through with duty and protocol. I worried over a detail that meant nothing.

"No, his goals are rather selfless than selfish. Whether he becomes a great magus or not, Shirou Emiya plans to use his talents towards…" he sighed, almost disappointed. "-world peace."

…

I'm not going to laugh. I'm not going to laugh in front of the damned fake priest! I'll laugh all I want at this stupid, ridiculous goal later in the comfort of my home, but damn it not now!

I kept my face mostly neutral, with mouth agape. "E-excuse me?" I hoped the hitch in my breath was more of exasperation than escaped laughter.

Kotomine was still frowning, so I was fortunate on that regard. "He earnestly wishes to emulate the man that rescued and adopted him years ago. I tried to dissuade him from this line of thinking but… he was stubborn."

Stubborn? If anything, the supposed "Fake Janitor" was about as passive as a doormat. Why do I get the feeling that this isn't the full story?

No matter. I'll solve this personally when I get the chance. After all, I told Ayako and the others that I have a "favor" I need to collect.

"If what you're saying is true," I asked him. "Emiya has no proper training, no magecraft skills to write about, and has no wish to see the Root at all?"

"I would be surprised if he even knew of Akasha's existence," said Kotomine. "He probably should have been raised an Executor instead of a Magus, honestly."

For once I agree with him. And this helps make what I plan to do with Emiya-kun on his return all the more clear.

"Is that everything, Rin?"

"It is," I said. "But next time an outbreak like this happens, I demand to be notified immediately."

Kotomine smiled. "I wonder… how would that look to the esteemed Magi Association to know that the Second Owner of Fuyuki would only respond to danger when the Church representative tells her?"

"You know what I mean, fake priest," I snarled, and turned for the exit. He always has to be a smartass, and get the final word edgewise.

"And a good night to you too, Rin."

I hate that fake priest.

<><><>

But not as much as I hate mornings.

School started the next day. I heard more than a few students wish that the weekend could have been longer. Not that I would know, because I ended up going to school half an hour early, and only club members are awake at this time.

I use this as an excuse to catch up with Ayako on small talk and our bet (who would get a boyfriend first before the end of our third year), but I found myself staring intently at the purple haired archer.

She's changed. I've heard her classmates talk about how smart she is, and how much time she dedicates to studying after school. Ayako mentioned with slight envy that she's also pretty good at archery, but seems to hold back whenever Shinji was around. Without Emiya-kun to hover over her, she was adopting the cold, distant façade that all magi know how to project.

I feel both proud and jealous at how easily it comes to her. Almost a shame she's not really an heir to the Matou line… and how low they have fallen over the years.

With nothing more to talk about, I left Ayako and the dojo before she noticed me. With nothing else to do, I headed to homeroom to sit and wait until class started. Just as I reached the stairway-

"Good morning, Tohsaka-san!"

I turned and stared at the energetic woman coming up from behind. Given everything that happened today, all I could do was nod and greet her back. "Good morning, Fujimura-sensei."

Her smile grew wider, happy and relieved. "Thanks, Tohsaka-san. I'm glad there's still someone that greets me properly."

I blinked. This didn't sound like the friendly, cheerful woman posing as an English teacher. "Is there an improper way to greet you, sensei?"

Her smile dropped to a frown. It was so sudden and brief I wondered if it even happened. "Ah, well… just don't call me by my first name, all right? None of the older students here do that, and it kind of hurts my feelings."

"…I don't quite understand, but I won't hurt your feelings, sensei."

"Good girl," she nodded. "If only more students were as kind as you are."

She quickly waves goodbye and hurries off. It was one of the few times we shared a conversation, but something didn't sit quite right with me.

Fujimura-sensei acted… vulnerable. She was still happy and chipper, but she didn't seem to hide the fact she was sad. I didn't say something wrong, did I?

Or what if it was because Emiya-kun was gone now?

…

…gah, I'm must be overreacting. This is Fujimura-sensei I'm talking about, and if there's anything to explain about her behavior, it's an off day.

Shaking these thoughts away, I hurry over to class as the esteemed honor student. I have more important things to worry about.

Starting with Homurahara's first exams of the school year.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 27: Fortitude, Reflex, and Will

<><><>

May 5th, Evening, Shopping District

It was the same thing every night. Just as the young and elderly turned themselves in for the night, the roar of over a dozen motorcycle engines would roll in with laughing delinquent riders. All semblance of peace and quiet was destroyed, and it would last for hours as they raced up and down the streets.

One boy watched the scene play out from his window. This has been going on all week, and he'd had about all he could stand of it. Biker gangs. Damned leathered pansies who thought they owned the world because of riding a hog on their crotch. Sure they carried knives, brass knuckles, and maybe even a gun if they felt rebellious, but they were just punks hiding behind their swagger.

With a growl, he threw on a skull-and-crossbones t-shirt over his head and straightened the belt around his jeans. Once dressed, he examined himself in front of a full body mirror: dark, intimidating clothes, bleached white hair swept back in a crewcut, several piercings around his ears, a small scar over his left eye, and a death glare that would send any pansy crying to their mommies.

This was the look of a man. A man that got shit done, and wasn't afraid of anything.

Nodding to his reflection, the young teen marched down to the door of his family house/store, cracking his knuckles as he did so.

He was just in front of the door before a soft voice called out to him from behind. "Don't do this, Kanji-chan. This isn't what your father would want."

Kanji Tatsumi bristled, but didn't turn to address his mother. "Don't bring the old man into this. I'm doing this for you, ma." His mother was one of the many people who couldn't sleep whenever the biker gangs rolled in.

"All you're going to do is make a few riled up kids hurt and get in trouble with the police." Although it went unsaid, her tone heavily implied "Again."

"The same police that can't even catch some electrician murderer?" he asked rhetorically, finally turning to her. "Hell, they needed some chick on a motorcycle to catch that ATM guy! If they have a problem with me, it's because I can do a better job pounding these shitheads!"

It was one of the many reasons why he didn't trust the cops. Every day people of the Shopping District called the cops with complaints about the noise, his mother included. But by the time someone actually showed up, they would ride off like leaves in the wind. It was clear that the police didn't care enough about them and quickly saw their situation as "The Street That Cried Wolf".

The Tatsumi matriarch frowned sadly. She was small and frail looking in comparison to her tall son. To anyone else, it would look like she was his grandmother with her gray hair and soft voice. "This isn't like you, Kanji-chan. You used to be so kind and thoughtful of others. Now you just go around picking fights."

"And you know damn well why!" he snapped. Without waiting for a reply, he stormed out and slammed the door behind him.

Outside of his house and family owned shop of "Tatsumi Textiles", Kanji realized just how abysmally loud the motorcycles were roaring up and down the streets. No wonder no one could get any sleep whenever they showed up.

Just up at the top of the hill, he saw a row of motorcycles lined up with some scantily dressed girl in front of them holding a flag to signal them. It looked like another race was to start, and he didn't have time to run up and beat down everyone.

From the corner of his eye, Kanji spotted a row of traffic cones lined up against the sidewalk, almost like race track spotters. Kanji didn't know where they got all these, but he frankly didn't care. He just saw a perfect weapon to use.

The flag girl gave the signal, and the motorcycles revved up in reckless abandon. Kanji quickly picked up a traffic cone and threw it overhand. "Eat this, assholes!"

His aim was as true as it was insanely lucky: the cone landed almost perfectly over the lead biker's head, blocking his view. Briefly screaming and using his hands to remove the cone, his vehicle lost control and fell sideways. As biker and motorcycle alike skidded down the road, the other cyclists behind him either tried to immediately brake or speed up to avoid the collision. It was in vain as soon every racer crashed or collided with each other in the biggest pile of totaled vehicles in Inaba's history. Bikers either jumped away or found themselves rolling off of the vehicles to avoid any injury worse than a scrape.

"HELL YEAH!" Kanji roared triumphantly, showing off his bicep-polishing gesture. "SUCK IT, DICKHEADS!"

His victory was short-lived as the biker gang, sans their bikes, started to crowd around him like a mob. Most were hurt and scraped, and all were undoubtedly pissed off at him. One biker, with a purple Mohawk and spike-pierced chin, marched over and glared at Kanji face to face.

"You ruined our race, you little shit," he spat. Kanji wondered if the "shit" was emphasized deliberately as he felt spit land on his face.

Just one more reason to kick his ass.

"You're keeping ma up with your racket," Kanji shot back, rubbing the spittle off with the back of his hand. "And everyone else on this street too. It's pissing us off!"

"What about it?" the biker smirked. "You're all just a bunch of old fogies close to death's door, blaming Junes. No one really cares what happens to you and your rural store homes."

Kanji ignored the laughing jeers, and the few others singing the Junes jingle. He could care less about that department store because there were bigger problems he had to take care of first. One of them was standing right in front of him.

"Just take your damn drag race out of here or else!" There, that was the bastard's one and only warning. If they actually back away, then there would no police and his mother would have nothing to worry about. But if they didn't-

The biker leaned forward, scowling. "Or else what, dumbass?"

Then hell would break lose.

Kanji immediately leaned back and threw a head-butt at the Mohawk biker, knocking him out in one strike. The ringing split on his forehead was worth seeing the guy's eyes roll up into the back of his head, as well as the stunned silence of the mob.

Before they could recover and rush him, Kanji lifted the biker's body by the shoulders and threw him overhead with a roar. The crowd quickly dispersed to avoid the throw, but two unlucky teens found themselves under his body.

Three down. A shit ton of assholes to go.

Kanji immediately threw his arms up to guard his face and crouched down. He had been in enough street fights to know how important it is to conserve energy. Right now the bikers were wasting theirs trying to pummel him, from his arms to his legs and sides. The most they got out of him was a pained grunt from a kick too close to his groin, but his guard held.

He endured about a minute of punches and kicks before he shot up and spun his body with fists clenched and extended. Necks, chins, noses, and faces caved from the force of his windmill punches, and the innermost bikers surrounding him were quickly knocked out.

Those still conscious now regarded him with wary distance. Two reached for their flip-knives, holding them improperly and without the right balance. Kanji screamed and tackled the closest biker, who attempted to intercept him with a punch. The bleached haired teen grabbed his arm, slid to a stop, and swung the screaming biker's body at his gang members.

Suddenly realizing the severity of the fight, the remaining bikers warily stepped away while brandishing their hidden knives. Kanji cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders back one at a time, welcoming the challenge.

One knife wielder screamed and charged. Kanji marched in a power gait, casually grabbing the man's hand and bending it so hard it cracked. The biker dropped the knife with an uncharacteristic girly shrill, which allowed the younger teen to deck his face with his other hand. Two more tried to rush him at once, but Kanji simply ducked and punched both their stomachs at once. As they staggered and gasped for breath, they soon found themselves smacked away to the teen's right by a strong backhand. Finally, a screaming, short member held his hand back to throw a straight punch. Kanji simply palmed his face and shoved him down to the ground.

Never once did his gait stop. Not once did he give as much as a passing glance to them.

He had almost forgotten how great it felt beating these bastards up.

Kanji stopped marching as he stared down the last biker member. The road they stood on was littered with unconscious and moaning bodies. Now he just had to take care of one more dumbass biker dick.

…except it was really a dumbass biker chick.

At first Kanji thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, and had assumed everyone was a guy in the cover of the night (except for obviously the flag girl, but she and a few other spectators bailed the moment the fight broke out) But this biker member was now crouching, staring at him with equal parts horror, anger, and amazement, was different. Her body frame was smaller and leaner, which he assumed was just a young kid suckered into some gang group. The orange jacket and sweatpants were baggy enough to hide the features, and he could see a backwards cap on the head, but the face was a dead giveaway. He could clearly see the make-up along the eyes, half-full lips, and long brown hair flowing to the middle of her back.

Unless this was some really ga-…ho-… weird guy, then the person before him was totally a chick.

The two of them stared at one another, still and silent. The biker's fear gave way to impatience and snapped at him. "What's the matter, shit for brains?! Ran out of juice already?"

Kanji realized two things from that dialogue. First, the biker was definitely a girl. The voice was too high to be a guy's and wasn't at all fake or flamboyant. He had never fought girl bikers before, and tended to avoid girls in general.

But the implications soon died away because of the second realization. He knew that voice. "Shana-chan?"

The girl blinked in confusion, and stared at him with dawning realization. It was weird how he could suddenly remember a girl from elementary school, but it was hard to forget that day.

Before the seemingly inevitable breakdown, the street suddenly got brighter from the headlights of a car. Slowing to a stop, the driver stepped out and gazed around. "What in the-?" the driver gawked in dismay. "I've been gone for three days and this happened!?"

The man's figure was hard for Kanji to make out, due to the headlights obscuring him from view. But as the man stepped in front of his car to confront the two of them, he suddenly recognized him as Detective Dojima; a cop who had more often than not arrested him for "disorderly conduct". Like right now.

"Kanji Tatsumi," the cop said in a disappointed tone. "Still up to your old tricks, I see."

For once, Kanji was thankful that a cop showed up. He'd take anything, even jail, to get away from her.

<><><>

Dojima Residence

As far as returns from extended trips went, Shirou wasn't expecting much with Inaba. In fact, his uncle being immediately called up to work and apprehend a local rebel who could singlehandedly beat down a biker gang on the way home was one of the last things he'd expected to happen. Only after active cops arrived on the scene and Dojima was relieved for the night did he tell Shirou and Nanako about Kanji Tatsumi.

"I know him through work, back when he went around crushing local biker gangs since middle school," he said during dinner. "I haven't heard much since you came over Shirou, so I hoped he was attending classes at your high school…"

"But why does he picks fight with them, dad?" Nanako had asked. "Couldn't he have called the police instead?"

"Kanji's always had a problem with authority. If I had to guess, he fought that biker gang because they were keeping his mother up with the noise. A few on duty cops confirmed that they've been getting similar complaints from the residents for all of Golden Week."

"That's a pretty thoughtful gesture," Shirou noted.

"It is," Dojima agreed before frowning. "But also very violent. And the media's going to be eating this up tonight."

True enough, the evening news special showed coverage of the fight's aftermath, with video focus on the downed bikers and Kanji being escorted into a police car. Several neighbors were interviewed and admitted they only saw the fight start after the roaring of motorcycles stopped as if they had all crashed into each other.

And according to the weather report, this coming Saturday was going to be rainy. Two days from now.

All Shirou could think of as he turned in for bed was, "What if Kanji's next?"

<><><>

May 6th, Road to School

Chie groaned, walking the familiar yet dreaded trail back to school. "Why do the holidays have to end so fast?"

Beside her, Yukiko smiled. "Well, at least they were peaceful. The culprit hasn't done anything yet, so we can use all this extra time preparing for mid-terms."

Chie's frown grew. "Ugh, don't remind me."

"I'm sure you'll do fine, Chie. We can study at each other's houses like we did last year."

The brown haired teen nodded, only feeling slightly better at her friend's offer. She knew the first tests of the school year were coming up, but she hadn't been studying at all. She wanted to say it was because she was more concerned about rescuing Yukiko from her own castle, but a large part of her procrastinated in favor of exercise.

She was also feeling worried about if Shirou had had a good Golden Week or not, and if his guardian Taiga Fujimura was okay. She really hoped so, because she liked her from the first moment they met. And Chie knew that Yukiko would like her too.

Yukiko looked ahead and noticed two boys standing and talking. "Oh, there's Emiya-kun and Hanamura-kun."

Chie's head snapped up to see that her friend was right. With a smile, she immediately sprinted over, waving and crying "Emiya-kun! You're back!" Yukiko blinked and hurried over to her friends.

Whatever conversation they were having (apparently Hanamura was about to ask him a question), it was casually dropped as they waved in greeting. "Good morning, Satonaka. You too, Amagi."

Chie stopped herself next to the red-haired teen, smiling. It was a surprise for Yukiko to see her friend cheer up so suddenly. "So how was Golden Week? And your guardian? Is she okay?"

"Fuji-nee's doing well," said Emiya. "And Nanako and I had a great time over there. I want to say Doji-nii (that is Dojima-san) did as well, but…"

"His uncle got K.O.-ed," Hanamura grinned in amusement. "By his guardian the first night over, and with a rolled up sheet metal poster no less."

Both girls gasped. "Seriously?!" cried Chie. "I hope he wasn't hurt badly!"

"He was pretty upset at first," Emiya admitted. "But it's hard to stay mad at Fuji-nee. She's, well… she's just Fuji-nee."

It was an explanation that only made sense to Chie. The older woman certainly had a unique flair to her, somewhere between mature and youthful. Taiga Fujimura might as well be in a class of her own. Well, either that or "older Chie", as she sure would be a term Hanamura would use.

"I'm a little confused," Yukiko admitted. "You call this Fuji woman 'sister', but Chie and Hanamura-kun called her your 'guardian'. What happened to your parents?"

An uncomfortable silence passed between them. Chie and Hanamura exchanged uneasy glances, dawning with realization, as they gazed back to a solemn Emiya. Why else would someone have a legal guardian, or spend a year to visit extended family, or even try avoiding mentioning anything about his dad?

"You're kidding," Hanamura murmured. "You mean your step-dad? Kiritsugu Emiya is-?"

Emiya nodded. "Passed away five years ago."

"Oh my gosh," Yukiko paled, and bowed her head deeply. "I-I'm so sorry, Emiya-kun! I didn't mean to intrude or sound so insensitive."

"No, no, it's fine. I didn't mean to put off admitting this for so long either, but the murders kept coming up. And…" he trailed off, but shook his head. "A lot of things happened during Golden Week. Stuff I can't really say here."

"But your guardian's fine, right?" Chie asked again, not liking the implied notion of "a lot of things".

Emiya winced and laughed. "Oh, she's fine all right, after what she did to me."

"Well, I say we meet up at our special secret headquarters after school today," said Hanamura, as the awkward tension was now gone. "We can talk all about it there."

Emiya stared at him incredulously, and Yukiko's eyes widened excitedly. "We have one of those?" they both asked in contrasting tones.

Seeing Hanamura smile and mentally boast, Chie shook her head. She was already walking back to school before quipping, "It's just a food court table at Junes, isn't it?"

"Hey!"

<><><>

After School, Junes

Sure enough, the Investigation Team's "special headquarters" was a food court table in public view of everyone around them. And it wasn't just a corner table hugging the wall either, but a round table sitting in the middle. This revelation did little to ease Shirou's worries as he saw everyone around them eating and talking amongst themselves. "Is this really a good place to hold a meeting?"

In his seat across from the magus, Yosuke waved his hand dismissively. "You worry too much, dude. Tell me, what do you hear right now?"

"Nothing noteworthy," Shirou shrugged. "Just some people hanging out among themselves. There're also two women and a man speaking by phone right now."

Yosuke raised both eyebrows and looked at their surroundings incredulously until he identified the three individuals the red-head described, including a girl around their age standing just outside the food court and behind the magus. "Seriously, man? Is this also a… thing?"

"Not exactly," he explained as he shook his head, breaking off from his light meditative state. "It's more like a side benefit of developing the mindset necessary for… doing things."

"Can all guys like you do that?" Yosuke asked him, sounding a little disappointed.

"I don't know, but even if they can't there are alternatives, like a Fami—," Shirou cut himself off and frowned.

"Well, the point is no one else can hear us," said Yosuke. "It's called 'hiding in plain sight'. As long as we act and talk casually around here, then no one would have any reason to suspect we're hiding a secret. I mean, the police arrested us because we were looking suspicious anyway."

"You were the suspicious one, idiot!" Satonaka glared. Yosuke coolly shrugged back.

Shirou had to admit, it was not something a magus would think to do. Normally they would cast bounded fields and hide in seclusion than openly expose themselves. "Even so, we have policemen looking everywhere. If we have to hold meetings here, I would prefer to play this safe and go by some sort of code word."

Yosuke smiled. "Spoken like a true leader. And it makes me proud as your advisor to say: 'way ahead of you.'"

Yosuke reached into his school bag and pulled out a single sheet of paper that looked like a written resume of sorts.

"What is it?" Shirou asked as he was handed the paper.

"A character sheet for Dungeons and Dragons. I've been working on them since after Amagi-san's, I mean, 'Konohana Sakuya's' rescue." Amagi gave a knowing giggle.

Shirou blinked and read the paper over. He wasn't too familiar with pen and paper games like Dungeons and Dragons, but he knew they were immensely popular for groups of gamers. A few words caught his eye, such as "Sorcerer/Paladin" under Class, and "Izanagi" under Name. "Our characters are based off of our Personas."

"Yep," Yosuke grinned. "I know you're new to this sort of thing, but we can do the actual playing over at Teddie's place. Here is more of a trial run on what we plan to do for our next campaigns, so don't worry if you don't get all the rules down yet."

Shirou looked up from his stat sheet to Yosuke, who winked at him. Exchanging quick glances to the girls showed that they had their own copies and seemed keen on playing along. The masquerade was so perfect in its simplicity, and that even a paranoid magus would overlook them passionately roleplaying a well-known pen and paper game together.

Hiding in plain sight indeed.

"As you wish, Jiraiya," Shirou smiled back, both amazed and proud of his friend's endeavors.

"Perfect," the auburn teen grinned. "Now, let me get you up to speed; you're Izanagi, the wandering Sorcerer from a far off town, and had recently been blessed as a Paladin upon arriving in the Yasoba region. You met and helped the wind Rogue Jiraiya (that's me), who was being chased by Warrior guard Tomoe."

"That was my idea," 'Tomoe' grinned to 'Jiraiya's' chagrin.

"Anyway, the three of us get together through some long-contrived means that we don't need to go over again and help rescue priestess Cleric Konohana Sakuya. We know it was an attempted kidnapping and murder after two civilians suffered the same fate, but are still trying to figure out how and why. Where we last left off, you, Izanagi, left for a pilgrimage back home while the three of us went on an important side quest. So, without further ado; how'd it go?"

Shirou smiled and recounted his Golden Week trip as best he could, taking care to stick to the roleplay of his wandering sorcerer paladin (if such a class is even possible). From his family meeting the flower girl (Sakura) and the kendo woman (Taiga), to finding a cursed meadow where two undead monsters chased him throughout town. Luckily, or unluckily as he later saw it, the Cleric Kotomine assisted him and told him some unkind things about his late father. The kendo woman got mad and threw him out, and later gave him plenty of gifts for his trip back, such as his bow and arrows.

"Sweet," 'Jiraiya' smiled. "With ranged weapons, fighting the Shadows will be even easier."

"By the way, what was this important side quest you three partook in?" asked 'Izanagi'. His friends flinched and looked at one another with pained expressions.

"'Important', he says," the tomboy huffed under her breath.

"W-well, it was a learning experience," the raven haired girl admitted.

Shirou was now curious and a little worried. "Guys? What happened while I was gone?"

The girls looked expectantly at Yosuke/Jiraiya, who groaned. "W-well, a day after you left…"

The recounted story used code-names and referred to Teddie as the "bear", but Shirou got the gist of it. Yosuke and Satonaka thought it would be a good idea to train Yukiko in the use of her Persona. Teddie tried flirting with Amagi, got her mad, and fled back to her castle dungeon (apparently she didn't share her Shadow's sentiment on the word "scoring"). After a few floors of fighting and trekking through Shadows, they found Teddie running back to them, and away from a monstrously powerful Shadow. They initially tried to fight it, but between its resistance to physical attacks and immunity to their strongest elements, they had to change plans and run away as well.

Shirou winced at the description of the Contrarian King, as Teddie dubbed it. "That bad, huh?"

"Teddie wants your help as soon as you can," Yosuke added. "He's been a panicked wreck since."

"I see. We'll head over there later then. Which reminds me; does anyone here know about Kanji Tatsumi?"

"I know him," Amagi immediately nodded. "His mother runs the textile shop that our inn gets shipments from. I actually haven't seen him as much these last few years, though…"

"Oh, he was on that news special last night, wasn't he?" asked Satonaka. "Something about beating that biker gang last night, all by himself."

"The noise from their racing was driving everyone crazy, but they always bailed before the cops showed up," said Yosuke. "I guess if this Kanji's beating up biker gangs, he's not in one, huh?"

"It's going to be raining tomorrow," Shirou reminded them dryly. "Kanji's the most recent face to appear on the news, and if our hypothesis is right so far…"

The others nodded, as the rest didn't need to be said. The Midnight Channel would be on, and another clue to who the culprit may target next.

"Although I'm not sure if we can rule 'that' as the culprit's main calling card," Yosuke insisted. "What appears on the Midnight Channel is a warning, but he still hasn't put the other person in yet."

Shirou blinked. "What other person?"

Chie frowned. She was afraid this might come up sooner or later. Hearing about what had happened on his trip back to Fuyuki made her wonder if things might have gone smoother if she had just told him the truth from the beginning. She had just gone over her issues with her Shadow, and already she was keeping secrets from others.

So, she gulped and decided to come clean before things got more awkward. "Your guardian, Taiga Fujimura."

Shirou's surprised and horrified look didn't make things easier, but she pressed on while staring at the table. "It was raining on the night of the news special she was on, and she appeared on the Midnight Channel right after. We didn't know who the person was and you weren't picking up our calls that night. I went over to ask you before you left for the holiday break, and when I realized it was her..."

She hung her head low in shame. "I just didn't have the heart to tell you. You looked so happy and excited for Golden Week. Holidays are supposed to be fun, and telling you that someone close to you could be next would have ruined it for you. But it got ruined anyway, because now she knows your secret. I'm sorry, Emiya-kun."

A long silence passed as she felt everyone staring her down. Hanamura was startled but seemed to be nodding at her reasoning. Yukiko was shocked as if Chie had lied to them, which was a fair assumption. And Emiya… he stared at her as if trying to read her intentions, and his gaze softened each passing moment. It did little to make her feel better, though.

"I see," he said finally. "Thank you, Satonaka."

Huh?

"While I am upset you kept this from me, I'm more upset at myself that I know you're right. If you had told me, I would have spent more time being paranoid and less time spending it with my family. Maybe I could have been more careful. Maybe those Yomi demons wouldn't have come after me if I avoided the park. And maybe I wouldn't have accidentally told her I was really playing a Sorcerer Paladin character with you guys."

It took the others a moment to realize what he meant, and they stared at him in surprise. "You mean she didn't before?" Chie asked. She would have thought that at least the family from Shirou's hometown was in the know before, given how close he seemed with Taiga.

"My dad was insistent that I didn't tell anyone," he said before looking rather sheepish. "But you know, I think it was one mistake I was glad to make telling you guys because, well… it's nice not having to hide it all the time."

"Yes," Yukiko nodding in understanding, and exchanged smiles with Chie. "It's a very wonderful feeling."

"At least until after we get our asses kicked," Yosuke dryly noted with a frown.

Almost immediately after the mood was ruined, and in a complete reversal to her calm smile, Yukiko burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Ahahahahahahahaha! That's so true, ahahahahahaha!"

Yosuke was honestly surprised that he made her laugh, while Chie was scolding Yosuke and unsuccessfully trying to get her friend to calm down. Shirou just watched them with a small smile. Before Inaba, he doubted he would ever be sitting around others and sharing conversations like this. It didn't matter whether it was preparing to save someone else or just meeting up after a long weekend; there was always something to talk about and he could tell from the Fool Social link that they all wanted to be here.

It felt good to have friends.

"All right guys. Let's go pay Teddie a visit."

<><><>

May 8th, Samegawa Flood Plain

As it turned out, Kanji's silhouette did show up on the Midnight Channel, but all the Investigation Team could do was wait (especially to recover from their fierce fight against Contrarian King). Kanji was apparently still in custody so unless the culprit was posing as a police officer, they would have a hard time putting him in the TV world.

At the very least, this meant that they could focus on mid-terms without any problems.

Most of them, anyway.

"Are you sure you don't need to study?" Shirou asked between arm stretches.

"I AM studying!" Chie insisted as she bounced on her feet from side to side. "I'm getting my body pumped so I can cram all my notes for tomorrow!"

Shirou frowned but decided not to comment on how studying should work. If it actually worked, then he had no reason to comment otherwise. And if he was being honest, he enjoyed having the break from studying almost as much as Satonaka. They were both the most physically active people they knew around Inaba, so it stood to reason that they would continue to meet to help each other.

"Today's the day," Chie said to herself, starting to bend up and down for toe touch stretches. "Today's definitely the day!"

"And what a day it is. Just look at those leg muscles!"

Shirou turned away, ignoring the Duke's words. He came to exercise with Satonaka, not stare at her legs.

His wandering gaze stopped as he saw his little sister walking along the road above them. "Hey Nanako!" he waved and smiled.

Nanako stopped and turned to him. Smiling as well, she hurried down the steps to the riverbed. "Oh, big bro! And Chie, too! What are you guys doing here?"

"Hey Nanako-chan," Chie waved, just finishing her stretches. "Just getting ready for training!"

The smaller girl tilted her head to her side. "Training? Then, who are you fighting with?"

"Why, Emiya-kun of course!" she boasted, but flushed at the implications and backpedaled. "Uh, I mean myself! Maybe?"

Nanako giggled. "That's cool! You're a hero like big bro!"

"Uh, well," Chie stammered, flushing at the praise. Because seriously, a hero like Shirou? She'd never reach that level… "So anyway, what brings you out here Nanako-chan?"

"It's Mother's Day," she answered. Chie winced internally at what should be a sensitive topic, but the younger girl just smiled and walked closer to the riverbed. "She's not here anymore, but we always used to play by this stream before. I don't have anything to give her, but I hope she doesn't mind."

"I'm sure you do," Shirou said. "Maybe there's something you could put at your family altar? So she can see it?"

Nanako's face brightened with realization. "The flowers! My teacher taught me and the class how to make origami flowers! I still have them back home, too! Thanks, big bro!"

"Anytime," he smiled, patting her head and earning a giggle. Chie watched the scene play out with a little envy. If only she had a little sister like Nanako. Well, I should at least get something nice for my mom today. Maybe a good grade for my mid-terms?

As Nanako turned to Chie, her face once again blossomed into awe. "Wow! A ladybug!"

"L-ladybug?!" Chie's voice cracked. Almost immediately she spun around with her legs spread and arms up. "Where is it? Where's the bug?!"

Nanako pointed at the older girl. "There! It's on your shoulder!"

Chie snapped her head to her left shoulder, and true enough there was a small, red and black-spotted round bug positioned on her jacket. It looked so small and innocent, but it was still a beetle hiding so many jointed legs underneath its shell.

Her face started to turn blue. "Uuuuuuuuuuh-!"

"That's amazing!" Nanako gushed. "They say that ladybugs bring good luck to whoever they land on! Isn't that-!"

"AAAAAAAAAH!" The kung-fu girl shrieked as she leaped straight into the air, startling Shirou and Nanako. Being closest to Shirou, she latched onto his body for dear life. For his part, the magus stammered and tried to steady himself as the panicked girl's arms and legs held fast.

"Get it off!" she whimpered with clenched eyes. "Getitgetitgetitgetitgetitgetit!"

"N-Nanako?" Shirou turned to his confused sister. "A little help, please?"

She was confused, but nodded and leaned towards Chie's shoulder. With an extended finger, she reached close to Chie's shoulder and allowed the cooperative little beetle to crawl over.

"It's off now," she said, staring carefully at the ladybug.

Chie, watching Nanako carefully direct the bug off her shoulder, exhaled a sigh of relief. "Thanks Nanako-chan. Thanks Emiya-"

She turned to the magus… who she was still wrapped around. And whose face was in very close proximity with hers. "-kun." She squeaked the last syllable, more out of shock than to finish the sentence.

Gently, Shirou's arms reached for her sides to steady her as she hopped her legs back down, and pulled away. Neither teen said a word and glanced away from each other thanks to the very compromising situation they had been in. It was worse for Shirou, hearing the joyous uproar of Eligor in his subconscious.

At least Nanako didn't notice. She was staring at the ladybug on her finger before looking up to the jittery girl. "You don't like bugs, Chie?"

Chie fought back the urge to jump away from Nanako's finger. "I don't like anything with jointed legs or creepy eyes or squirmy bodies or-" she shuttered to stop her growing list. "Just thinking about b-bugs makes me sick!"

"But ladybugs are cute," Nanako insisted, smiling down at the rather complacent beetle. "Like grasshoppers. They wouldn't hurt anyone either."

Chie groaned and slumped in defeat. "You sound just like Yukiko. She's fine around bugs too…" Of course her best friend was more ideal than her. She literally wouldn't hurt a fly. But her? She would jump in a panic over a tiny spotted beetle.

Shirou might have overlooked this if not for Eligor, who was done jesting and laughing at his expense. "She was struggling enough with her inferiority complex, but now it grows in the face of her fears. The poor dame."

"There's nothing to be ashamed about, Satonaka," he said to her. "Everyone has fears, like your fear of thunder-"

"Don't remind me," she snapped coldly and bitterly. The thunderstorm yesterday was one of the worst, and it didn't help that some idiot classmates kept talking about people getting struck and killed by lightning. The only thing that calmed her down was Shirou, who she also latched onto when the power went out before he left to fix it himself.

Everyone in class remembered him as the Fake Janitor, incidentally a title he already earned from school back in Fuyuki. She just saw it as another day being him: a clueless idiot with a kind heart.

"Sorry," he winced. "If it makes you feel any better, I have pyrophobia."

A fear of fire? Chie wondered. That would explain why he froze up when Shadow Yukiko set the throne room ablaze.

"All I'm saying is that what you fear or dislike is a part of who you are, and there's nothing wrong with that. Some might even think it to be a part of your feminine charm."

Her eyes flew open. "Femi…?" Did he really just say that? Did he think she had feminine charm?

"Besides, a lot of kids in my class don't like bugs either," Nanako assured her, watching as the ladybug flew off her finger. "It's not just you, Chie."

Chie switched gazes between Shirou and Nanako, both of smiling and supporting. "Heheh… and here I was thinking about how silly I looked back there. Thanks guys. Now then!" With a chipper smile and confident pose, she turned to the young girl. "We were in the middle of training, but you're more than welcome to join us, Nanako-chan!"

"Okay!"

"Great, now let's start with a kata. Your just move your arms out like this, keep your knees bent-"

While Shirou focused on his own routine, Chie personally guided Nanako through the motions. Perhaps Nanako was a bright and quick study, or Chie was a good teacher, but something told him that she made good progress for a first lesson.

Half an hour later, the session ended and Nanako hurried home before dusk. Shirou and Chie waved her off, though Chie sighed once the girl was long gone.

"I got to get over my fears," she told herself. "I don't want to look like a sissy next to Nanako-chan."

"You're not a sissy, Satonaka," said Shirou. "You're one of the bravest and strongest people I know."

Chie barely fought back a blush. "R-really?"

"You even fought Shadows that resembled beetles," he added. "And back then your fear didn't act up."

She blinked in equal parts amazement and horror. "You're right," she started to grin. "All I have to do is see them as Shadows when I stomp 'em! Bugs might still get to me, but there's no way I can lose to a bunch of Shadows!"

"A little unorthodox, but at least her passion's back."

The Chariot link grew ever so slightly, but Shirou was now past the point of cross-examining it. It was as Igor and Margaret told him before; the Social Link was a mutual bond of trust, and there had to be a reason why Satonaka would trust him after that ladybug episode.

His musing stopped when her fist instantly smacked his shoulder; not too rough to imply anger, but certainly not gentle either. Her glare directed at him was also a bit of a bluff. "If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I'll kill you."

"Noted," he replied with a smile. "Should we stop here for today? We have mid-terms tomorrow after all."

"Yeah, you're right," she answered, only slightly deterred at the reminder of testing. "I got all the exercise I need, so I just need to train my brain too!"

<><><>

May 12th, After School, Shopping District

"Are you serious about this?" Yosuke asked her as he tried to keep up with her brisk pace.

"Dead serious," Chie huffed. "It's the only way."

"All I'm saying is that wishes for better grades are common for emas. Heck, I'm pretty sure a lot of failing students specifically wished for that before taking mid-terms. You're just beating a dead horse here."

"Shut up!" and she bolted further ahead.

Shirou and Yukiko, following close behind, exchanged worried glances. The mid-terms had officially ended today, and the results would be posted for everyone to read a week from now. They were both confident in their answers, and Yosuke seemed more relieved to be done than fretting over any notion that he did good or bad.

But Chie was stressed, and immediately compared whatever answers she could recall with Yukiko. To her shock and dismay, every answer she got was wrong, even the tallest mountain in the Solar System. She was certain she got it right with "Mount Everest"! Damn that King Moron for making a trick question!

Needless to say, Yosuke heckled and teased her, one thing led to another, and she decided to go to the Tatsuhime Shrine. Perhaps the gods above would take pity on her and make it so that her grade was within the top 50%? Or better yet, make it so she wouldn't screw up future tests?

As Chie pondered, Yukiko noticed a familiar place from her daily inn errands. "Oh, there's the Textile shop," she pointed ahead.

Just next to a red torii gate and stone stairway climbing up the hillside was a small building with an orange wooden sign erected above reading "Tatsumi Textiles". As with many family owned businesses of the Shopping District, it was a house that doubled as a store, but it was one of the few remaining in business. It was most likely the endorsement of the Amagi Inn buying their clothes and dyes that kept them afloat.

"You think Kanji's back yet?" Shirou wondered. He tried asking his uncle before, but he refused to talk about work to him, especially in front of Nanako.

"Let's swing by after," Yosuke suggested. "We can think of an excuse in the meantime."

For now, the students followed Chie up the stairway to the now abandoned shrine.

<><><>

Tatsuhime Shrine

For a place that was abandoned, the hill shrine was in a worse state than Shirou thought. With the building closed off, an old offertory box was set at the top of the steps for donations. Traditional thick rope and talismans were seen both hanging above the box and tied around a thick tree to the side of the building. A pile of stones formed a makeshift path branching from the left of the tile road, leading to a small yashiro under a small rusty red toriigate. Shisa-like animal statues and stone built lanterns paired up on each side of the tile road, as well as the yashiro. The dirt looked malnourished with stems of weeds growing, but at there were some healthy trees with plenty of leaves to provide shade for the bugs crawling around.

"Whatever happened to the priestess that lived here?" he asked aloud, still drinking in the entirety of the shrine.

"No one knows actually," Yukiko answered. "Some even believe that the shrine had no one to begin with. Still, children love playing up here all the time, so someone must be taking care of it after all this time."

Chie ran ahead and made a beeline for the shrine. After dropping some yen in the offertory box, she stepped down and turned to a small pole-like stand next to it. She delicately picked up a new plaque, oddly with no front image or symbol, and started to write. "'I want to be smarter. – Chie Satonaka".' Perfect!"

"That's it?" Yosuke blinked. "Weren't you going to say something like, 'I wish to pass this exam'?"

Chie rolled her eyes even as she hung the ema in place and walked back to the others. "Like I'm going to waste a wish on that. If I'm smarter, not only will I not have to worry about future exams, but I'll be able to do all sorts of smart things. It's like getting two skillets with one stick!"

Sweat rolled down Yosuke's head, but he chose not to comment on her butchered metaphor. For her sake, I hope that wish does come true.

"That's an excellent idea, Chie," Yukiko smiled. "And I know you can do it if you apply yourself."

"Thanks, but it's not like I have your talent in studying, Yukiko."

"Well, how about when the summer term finals come up," Yosuke suggested with a smile. "We all get together at my place for private lessons?"

The raven haired beauty let out a single, startled gasp. Before Yosuke knew it, his head was snapped to the side and his cheek burned in pain. "Ow! What the hell was that for?!"

"I expected better out of you, Hanamura-kun!" she scolded. "I can't believe you, making off-color jokes like that!"

"I was talking about a study group!"

Yukiko blinked owlishly. "Study group?" She then let out a silent "Oh" and looked away, embarrassed. "S-sorry. The inn's been getting some strange visitors lately and my hand moved without thinking."

"You should have just shrugged it off," the headphone-clad teen whined, nursing his cheek.

"To be fair, anyone else would have found what you said creepy and wrong," Chie frowned. "I mean, 'private lessons' at 'your place'? Really?"

"How is this my fault when I'm the victim?! Shirou, back me up here!" He turned to ask for help from their leader, but he wasn't standing with them anymore. "Shirou?"

They quickly saw Shirou in front of the ema stand, intently focused and reading the small collection of wishes. "I never realized."

"Emiya-kun?" Yukiko didn't like the tone of voice right now. Too soft and defeated, just like hers from before.

"I never realized the scope of it," he said vaguely. Curious and concerned, the others gathered around him and read the ema wishes.

"I want things to go well with
the person I like!"

"We want Koro to come back!
Please, god. -Saito"

"God, please give me some friends.
-Yoshitaka"

"I have nothing to live for. I want to
recapture the joy of life."

"I'm worried for Haruka-chan.
I wish she could smile more."

"Huh," said Yosuke. "Quite unusual to see wishes like these around. But what scope are you talking about?"

The red-haired magus clenched his hands hanging from his sides, and his face morphed into one of guilt. "Don't you guys get it? These are wishes asking for help."

A stunned silence filled the shrine, broken only by leaves rustling in the wind. Normally ema wishes were about love, health, and happiness. But Shirou was right; these were each written by someone asking for help.

And Shirou stared at each of them, torn and haunted.

Yosuke patted his shoulder in understanding. "Look, Shirou, sometimes you just have to focus on the big picture. I mean, stuff like a lost dog or no friends? Yeah, it's pretty bad. But we promised Teddie that we'd catch the guy that's been throwing people into his world. What we're doing now is a big responsibility."

"But that doesn't make these problems any less prevalent," he argued back.

"I get that, but we can better help everyone in this town by catching the criminal and giving them some relief. These emas aren't important enough to worry about."

"'Not important enough'?" Shirou echoed, his now scowling face directed at the auburn haired boy. "Is that what you think? That the problems not most obvious to us should be someone else's? That we should look the other way and move on with our lives? That their wishes mean absolutely nothing to us?!"

"Emiya-kun?" Chie had only seen their leader angry a few times before; first when snapping at her from telling the police about the TV world, and second when Shadow Yukiko allegedly killed Hanamura. This time was different, as he seemed personally upset at Hanamura's words. What happened to him to make him feel this way?

Yosuke felt his own anger rise, but he could tell, like Satonaka, that for some reason the ema wishes, or the notion of them, meant something important to Shirou. Exactly what, he didn't know, but the guy needed to listen to reason.

And he did so by smacking the back of Shirou's head like usual.

Yukiko and Chie both gasped at his brazen assault. "Hanamura-kun!" the former cried.

Shirou grunted, angered and betrayed by his friend. "Yosuke, what the-"

"I just said 'focus on the big picture,' you idiot," he cut him off, surprising everyone once again with his cold authority. "We're high school students playing Dungeons and Dragons in our free time while a serial murderer is on the loose. Saki-senpai's dead because of that bastard, and I followed you because you were dead-set on stopping him too."

With building momentum, Yosuke grabbed Shirou by his undershirt and pulled him threateningly close. "I don't get what your problem is, but in case you haven't been out from under your rock? The world sucks. If there's one thing I can agree with my Shadow on, it's that. Third world countries are killing each other, children all over the world are starving, world disasters pop up every other year, and I can only guess that's the tip of the iceberg for those not in the know of you-know-what.

"You may think your Persona or magic tricks can bring world peace, but we're still human here. I'm being a realist in focusing on the problems only I know I can fix. And that's stopping a serial murderer before he gets someone else. Don't you dare ever assume I don't care otherwise, because if you do, I'll kick your ass Jiraiya-style!"

The girls exchanged worried glances with each other and the boys in deadlock. Shirou had long lost his scowl when Yosuke began his tirade, and had listened intently. He had realized that in the heat of the moment he displaced his own feelings from past memories on the ema wishes. And in a startling moment, it almost drove his friends away, as he felt and saw the emotions through their faces.

"I…I'm sorry Yosuke," he admitted. "I don't know what came over me." Admittedly it was acts of distant anger that had managed to drive away others in Fuyuki from being close to him, and for once he regretted showing the others this bad side of his.

But Yosuke sighed and released his shirt, as if his apology was enough. "Probably your bleeding heart getting a little excited," he joked. "But that's one of the things I like about you, I guess. You help keep me honest."

"He means it too." Pixie supplied.

The boys grinned in good nature, and the girls exhaled relieved sighs to themselves. "You are right," the magus frowned. "A lot in this world isn't fair or safe for others, and most people are unaware of how bad things really are. For years I spent training myself, never making any progress but kept assuring myself that I would, and that I could make a difference. But here, standing in front of these ema plaques, it's hitting me that I'm nowhere even close. I haven't made a difference at all."

"That's not true," said Yukiko. "You and the others saved me not too long ago. In fact, we're all here alive because of you, Emiya-kun."

Shirou blushed at her earnest praise. Something about the young heiress' words made his deeds seem all the more special. "Y-yes, well, it was still my fault in the first place that Yosuke and Satonaka got involved. They wouldn't have been in danger of their Shadows if not for me."

"Perhaps, but if you had fought my Shadow without Chie or Hanamura-kun…"

…Shirou honestly hadn't thought of it that way before. "I guess you're right," he allowed, feeling everyone's smiles directed at him.

"But still," he continued. "Saving people is not where I plan to stop. If I want to call myself an Ally of Justice someday, I need to help everyone in need. Starting here."

"A-ally of justice?" Yukiko stared at the redhead with wide, dazed eyes, already mentally building him atop a pedestal.

Pretending to ignore her friend's sudden glow (as she knew it would go away soon), Chie asked, "What do you mean here? You're not thinking-"

"I'm going to make these wishes come true," Shirou announced. "Every last one."

"I hate to be the downer realist here again," Yosuke frowned. "But there're hundreds of plaques hanging there. Even considering the relevant ones that were put here for like, a year tops, there's so many people in town and almost impossible to find the right one. You can't possibly grant them all."

Shirou silently stared at the stand, as if ignoring his friend's warning. Then he reached out and grabbed an ema. "I can start with this one."

Chie's eyes widened. "Wait, that's my-!"

"Satonaka. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to borrow your ema as a reminder and a promise. With Yosuke and Amagi as my witnesses, I'll see to it that you reach the level of intelligence you seek and pass a school exam with high marks."

Chie could only stop and stare at him. He was merely standing in front of her with the plaque at hand held up at eye level, but it looked like one of the most heroic poses she had ever seen. And his earnest speech to personally help her study; had it been anyone else, she'd either laugh it off or kick them, depending on how forward and raunchy they were thinking. But she instinctively knew that Shirou's word was as good as gold itself.

She made the smallest of smiles, the briefest of nods, and the softest of affirmative noises. "Mh."

It was, quite frankly, adorable for her.

Yosuke, noticing the very subdued reaction from the tomboy, glared suspicious daggers at the culprit. "All right, what's your secret? Some sort of innate magecraft sorcery?"

Shirou blinked. "Excuse me?"

"When I offered to study with the girls, I got a stinging cheek that I'm pretty sure has faded into a red handprint by now. (Shirou tilted his head for a better look. "Wow, you know you're ri-") But when you said you'd help Satonaka study, she gives probably the most over the top moe reactions possible."

As if snapping out of a trance, Chie blinked and fumed at them. "N-no I wasn't! And even if I was, it's because he didn't make it sound like a creepy pick-up line!"

"I did not make a creepy pick-up line!"

"Studying together certainly sounds fun," Yukiko nodded. "Is it all right if we study together as well, Emiya-kun?"

Yosuke turned to Yukiko in dismay. "Are you kidding me?!"

"I don't mind," the magus shrugged. "But I was offering to help Satonaka, and you seem to be well off academically so far."

"Well, we can all study together then. Between the two of us, I'm sure Chie will be a super genius!"

"Hey! Don't forget me! I can offer lessons too!"

*SMACK!*

"Oww! God dammit, the other cheek?"

"Oh, were you talking about studying again? Sorry."

"Then how come you don't sound like it this time?!"

Chie broke into laughs, and Yukiko followed shortly after. Shirou smiled and patted Yosuke's shoulder for comfort, who was downcast and rubbing his new sore cheek. As the four students started to leave the shrine, it seemed like the perfect end of an otherwise normal day for them.

But it wasn't over yet.

Shirou stopped walking. It was like before from the Fuyuki Central Park, when he felt the presence of someone, or something, watching him. It didn't have the same killing intent as the Yomi demons, but it still unnerved him greatly.

"Guys," he asked slowly. "Anyone else getting the feeling that we're being watched?"

The others turned to him in confusion, before looking uncomfortable themselves. "Now that you mention it..." said Yosuke.

Chie quickly noticed the source, and pointed to above the shrine. "Look! Up there!"

Everyone followed her gaze, and saw the shape of an animal just before it jumped. With surprising agility and acrobatics, the four-legged animal landed perfectly before them, its back facing the entrance they came from.

It was a fox with an orange coat and wearing a red and pink heart-patterned apron. The tail length and weight of its body from the landing implied it to be of adult maturity. Its ears were partially cut along the edges, and scars were seen all over its face, back, and left leg.

Perhaps more startling was the ema plaque hanging from its mouth.

"It's just staring at us," Yosuke whispered, trying his hardest not to flip out from being jumped by an animal.

"What do you think it's waiting for?" Chie asked.

"Maybe it wants to give us the ema?" Yukiko suggested.

The fox moved its head back. It was almost like it gestured for them to come closer.

Exchanging quick glances, it became unanimous to them that the leader should do it. Shirou walked slowly to the fox, careful not to startle it, and was both relieved and perplexed by how calm and still it was. The fox's eyes stared at him with serious focus, its behavior showcasing its intelligence and awareness of his presence.

Shirou's hand edged just under the fox's mouth, and accepted the ema as it was let go. The first thing he noticed was the odd, brittle texture of a leaf stuck on the back of the plaque; it was unlike any shape of plant-life he had ever seen. Then he read the wish written on it:

"Please help Grandpa's legs get better. –Keita"

The fox's ears twitched once, and then it sprinted away behind the shrine.

"Hey, wait!" Shirou called, but the fox was already gone.

"Oh, not every day you see young'uns like you around here."

Forgetting the fox at the moment, the four teens noticed an old man limping his way toward them. "Not much to see here though, especially now that the priestess here has passed away. I come by to tidy things up once in a while to pay her back, but-"

At this, the man cringed and slumped down. His hand reached for his side to comfort it. "-but my legs have been actin' up lately."

Yukiko knelt next to the old man's side. "That's awful. Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"Wouldn't be able to afford it," he frowned. "All I can spare goes to the shrine, and it barely has enough to keep goin'. I don't know what's worse; not being able to maintain the shrine, or not visiting Keita anymore."

"Keita?"

"My grandson."

Shirou looked between the old man and the ema the fox just handed him. Could the fox have known about the old man and his grandson? Is that why it gave him this ema, to let him know?

If so, then what's with the leaf? It was so unusual that Shirou couldn't even begin to discern the shape of it.

As the magus was fiddling with both the leaf and ema given to him, the old man slowly righted himself to standing with Yukiko's help. He stopped and stared at Shirou's hand after the first step. "Th-that leaf!" he pointed, shaking in both age and awe. "Where did you get it?"

"You've seen this before, sir?" Shirou asked.

"Aye, way back when. My grandmother always used to say a leaf shaped like that was the best cure-all herb around, including ache pain! But I thought it didn't grow in the mountains anymore." The man's legs shook, holding up only because of Yukiko's supporting arm. His gaze turned to Shirou's eyes, pleading. "P-please young man! Can I trouble you to spare that leaf?!"

Shirou paused, almost taken aback by the man's plea. It was a surreal feeling, being asked for help personally when he would just act to the general danger. He had forgotten how long he wanted to feel needed, and he wasn't disappointed to finally embrace it.

"Of course," he said, and handed over the leaf. The old man cradled it gently, careful not to wrinkle or crack it.

"Ooooh, this is it, this is really it," he smiled, and stuck the leaf over his pant leg. "Now if I remember this right… yes, it's working!"

The old man's smile grew, and he was standing upright as if decades younger. He then jumped and clicked the heels of his shoes together. "Amazing! The pain I've been feeling for who knows how long! It just up and vanished! In fact, I feel better like I'm thirty years younger! No, fifty! Why, I feel better now than I ever did before!"

The old man began to run around in circles at a speed no man his age would normally be able to do. The whole time, he was laughing in pure glee, and cared not for the bewildered stares that the high school students were all giving him.

He stopped in front of the red-haired teen and shook his hand vigorously. "Oh, bless you young man! You really helped me out! Our meeting here in this shrine was most fortunate! This deserves a little something extra in respects!"

The old man dashed to the offertory box and blindly threw a handful of bills and coins in. Without missing a beat, he made a sharp u-turn out of the shrine, clicking his heels again mid-skip. "Hahaha! I'm coming home, Keita!"

A stunned silence filled the shrine once more, but out of marvel of the man's healed aches and restored vitality.

"Well," Chie spoke after a pregnant pause. "That was a thing."

Yosuke looked back to the offertory box. "Seems kind of a jip that Shirou's the one who gave him the leaf, but the real reward went to the shrine."

As the shrine fox walked back into view with a content expression, Shirou knew better. It knew who Keita's grandfather was, and it knew how to help him in accordance with the wish. It made sure that, by giving the wish and leaf to Shirou, it would reach the grandfather much easier.

Perhaps he was overthinking the fox's reasons, and maybe even willing to ignore how the fox seemed excited at the offerings for whatever reason. But Shirou felt that the fox heard him express concerns and desire to grant the ema wishes. The old man was a test, and he liked to believe he had passed.

Shirou walked up to the shrine and knelt down to the fox's height. The fox turned and stared back at him.

"Thank you," he said.

The fox nodded, taking a liking to the magus.

An unlikely bond between man and animal formed that day, build on a similar desire to spread goodwill. The means and ends might have been different, but the two understood each other, and would grow to learn more about one another.

The Tarot of this bond read the Roman "IX". In the center of the face was a black lantern holding an orange circle light (symbolizing a candle) in the case and a chained red eye at the bottom. The lantern was emitting a yellow light from the circle, with waves of red, purple, red, and blue spreading away from the light source.

Thou art I, and I am thou.
Thou hast established a new bond.
It shall bring thee closer to the truth.
Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Hermit Arcana.

"Our leader is making small talk with a fox," Yosuke quipped, amused. "The guys at school are never gonna believe this."

"I'm right here and I don't believe it," Chie added.

"Still, that leaf came from the fox, didn't it?" Yukiko asked. "If it had more, it would make exploring 'Teddie's place' so much easier."

Healing magic and medicine could only go so far in prolonging dungeon crawling, and their magic hadn't reached the point of healing more than cuts or scrapes. But having only a few of those leaves could solve a lot of problems.

With a mirthful expression, the fox jumped away again towards the space between the ema stand and the large tree. The students quickly followed, and saw that there was a hidden path to the backyard of the shrine.

Compared to the open front entrance, the backyard was greener yet vastly unkempt. To Shirou's surprise, he could make out three target boards for archery, and a small building further down looked like a storage area with the door ajar. As fascinating as the backyard was, it was soon clear that the fox meant to show everyone the several bushes growing further back.

"Holy shit that's a lot of magic herbs," Yosuke gawked.

Chie turned awkwardly to the fox. "So uh… is it okay if we can have some of those to use?"

The fox jumped back to the shrine steps, and beckoned to the offertory box. Exasperated sweat rolled down the backs of all their heads.

"It's seriously expecting payment?" Yosuke gawked again.

"I-I'm sure it has its reasons," said Yukiko. "From what the old man said, these leaves are probably rare and hard to find."

"I guess the myths are true," Chie sighed. "Foxes really are tricky little sneaks."

<><><>

Tatsumi Textiles

After… intense negotiations with the fox regarding ema wishes and payment (nobody had any idea how Shirou managed to do it), the Investigation Team left the shrine satisfied and on to new business. Namely, to check up on Kanji since his news special aired a week ago.

If the outside had the homey appearance of old fashioned wood, then the inside was more of a Japanese-styled family room than a storefront. Stands, shelves and racks were filled with rolls of many colored clothes, with a few tables for good measure. What could be called a shopping counter was really more like a knee-high desk for eating. And possibly the most out-of-choice item in the store was a white maneki-neko statue sitting precariously on a shelf.

Shirou was too busy admiring the room's odd choice of décor when, in a strange case of déjà vu, he felt a smaller body collide with and knock him down. "Ack!"

His friends immediately huddled around them in concern, and he thought he heard the store clerk gasp out too. "Whoa!" "Emiya-kun!" "Are you two okay?" "Oh my!"

"Y-yeah, I think so," Shirou grimaced and nursed his ringing head. He was lucky that the fall wasn't serious enough to knock him out.

He was just about to ask if the person he ran into was all right when he heard him respond, "We really should stop meeting like this."

The young man was wearing a different set of clothes from before; a navy blue jacket over a white dress shirt and thin blue slacks, but the blue hat clued him in immediately. "I know you. We met during Golden Week."

"And how odd we find ourselves bumping into each other again," the boy smiled. "Literally."

"You know this weirdo?" Yosuke asked. Chie forcibly elbowed him for his lack of tact, but the boy merely twitched at the slight.

"I wouldn't call him that," Shirou frowned at Yosuke, before turning back to the boy. "But it was more of a passing acquaintance after arriving at Fuyuki City. His train was leaving, so we didn't even have time to even introduce ourselves."

"Let's remedy that," the boy held out his hand in greeting. "My name is Naoto Shirogane."

"I'm Shirou Emiya," he returned the handshake, and turned to gesture the others. "And these are my friends from Yasogami High; Yosuke Hanamura, Chie Satonaka, and-"

"-Yukiko Amagi," the boy cut in, staring intently at her. "Yes, I read about your disappearance. You're the only survivor from the serial murder case thus far."

Although Naoto was casual in his speech, his blunt lead-in to the murder case set off alarm bells to the Investigation Team. As he pulled back his hand, Shirou felt another sickening case of déjà vu. This time it was like comparing the young Naoto to the priest Kotomine. Dangerous.

Chie recovered first, taking a protective stance in front of her best friend. "What are you implying?" she glared.

"Just making an observation," Naoto replied. "Many details of her survival contrast with what happened to the last two victims, from how long she was gone to where she was found. But I digress. This is hardly the appropriate place to discuss such matters, or a comfortable topic for anyone involved. I apologize."

He turned and bowed to the store owner. "Good day, Tatsumi-san." He bowed silently to the students as well, and quickly stepped out.

"What's that guy's problem?" Yosuke frowned.

"I don't know," said Chie. "But I don't like him."

"I'm terribly sorry about that Yuki-chan," the store owner, Mrs. Tatsumi, said to them. "I'm sure he means well."

Yukiko was still frazzled from the boy's words, but ultimately decided to ignore him for now and approach the counter. "I-it's alright, Tatsumi-san."

"Well I assure you it's a relief to everyone that you turned out alright," she nodded with a smile. "And you're as lovely as always, much like your mother when she was your age. What brings you here today?"

Yukiko smiled shyly from her praise. "Well, if it's not too much trouble, can I ask how your son Kanji-kun is doing?"

"He's upstairs in his room right now. That boy from earlier was just escorting him back for the day."

"Shirogane-san?" Shirou asked aloud, glancing back at the entrance he just left through.

Yosuke mirrored his action before exchanging glances. "An escort? We're talking about a guy that could mow down biker gangs, and he has a damn escort!? If anything it should be the other way around."

"Oh dear," the shop owner frowned suddenly. "I let that slip, didn't I?"

"If it's not too much trouble, Tatsumi-san," Yukiko asked. "But could you explain to us the relationship between Kanji-kun and Shirogane-san? I know Kanji-kun and I were never close, but I'm also concerned for him with all the rumors going around about him."

The Tatsumi matriarch sighed. "Nothing personal, Yuki-chan, but I'm afraid I can't. Kanji-kun's situation is… delicate, and the less people in the know the better. But I can assure you he's safe and sound here."

"For now," they realized. Shirou wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. Kanji was most likely in protective custody, and they couldn't effectively warn him of what may happen to him if the culprit was able to hide in plain sight.

Chie, however, had a different revelation. One that caught her wandering eye since Yukiko approached the counter. "Oh my god. This looks just like-"

"Hmm?" Mrs. Tatsumi turned to the nervous girl. "What was that, dear?"

"Oh, uh," Chie stammered, pointing to the blue clothed table in front of her. "This scarf looks really nice! I just thought I've seen it somewhere before."

"Ah, are you acquaintances with Miss Yamano? She ordered that scarf special you know."

The Investigation Team fell very still, as they all stared at the cloth. It was of red and pink colors synthesized together, and decorated with yellow-white butterfly designs about the size of a fist. Yukiko quickly realized that she did see Miss Yamano wear such a scarf as she was checking in the Amagi Inn. Shirou and Yosuke, along with Chie, were reminded of the noose in the bloody poster room from Teddie's world.

Unaware of the teens' silent horror, she continued to explain. "In actuality, she ordered a pair of matching scarves, but in the end only wanted the women's scarf. It left me no choice but to sell this one separately."

As odd and unlikely as it was, there was a connection between Yamano and Kanji. The scarf his mother made, sitting in open view waiting for a new buyer. It made no sense, and it horrified them.

But Shirou knew what to do. "How much?"

Mrs. Tatsumi blinked, turning to him. "I'm sorry?"

"How much for the men's scarf? I'd like to buy it."

Yosuke pulled him around and away from the store owner, who was now standing up to fetch the scarf. "Shirou, what are you thinking? That scarf is likely the reason Kanji is you-know-what!"

"Exactly," he whispered back. "This could be a clue to figuring out 'his' motive and reasons, or why Miss Yamano only bought half of her ordered set. Would you rather it sit here until someone else bought it?"

"Well, no," Yosuke admitted. "But what do you plan to do?"

"I'll analyze it at home tonight, and then show it to Teddie tomorrow. Maybe between the two of us we can figure something out."

"And if you don't?"

"Sir?" the store owner called over them. "You still wish to purchase the scarf?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Shirou answered, before turning to make his purchase.

He was able to catch Yosuke sighing and muttering under his breath, "I hope you're right."

Honestly, Shirou hoped so too.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 28: Investigative Reasoning

<><><>
May 13th, Teddie's hub space

"Sorry Shirou-sensei," Teddie frowned. "All I can smell is an ordinary scarf." As an afterthought, the bear leaned forward and took another quick whiff of the cloth. "…made of linen."

The human members of the Investigation Team slumped in defeat. "Well, we crossed the bridge," said Yosuke. "Now what?"

"Unless we're missing something important, I guess we can cross off this scarf as being connected to the case." Shirou honestly had mixed feelings about this revelation. His magecraft had only picked up the finer details of how the scarf was made, and nothing odd or supernatural about it.

"So there's nothing we can do about it then," Yukiko frowned, fidgeting with her red-rimmed glasses. She was the newest member of the Investigation Team, but she was determined to help in the case and offer her input whenever possible.

"Can we throw it away now?" Chie asked. "Seeing that scarf is giving me bad memories of that room."

Shirou shook his head. "It may not be important now, but I would prefer to keep this close in case it does become important later. Besides, it would be a waste of cloth and money to just discard it."

"If it's all the same, can I have it?"

Everyone turned to the headphone clad teen, expectantly holding out his hand. "I don't mind," Shirou held out the scarf to him. "But why?"

Yosuke accepted the cloth and started tying it around his neck. "If this is really one of Ms. Yamano's scarves, I want to have a constant reminder about the lives at stake."

"I have to say Hanamura-kun," said Yukiko. "It looks great on you."

"Why thank you, Amagi-san," he smiled, arranging the scarf around his neck. "I was looking for a new-"

"Especially the flower-like pattern."

Yosuke blinked and stared at the cloth around his neck. "Ah crud, I forgot about that."

"Well forget about it now!" Teddie huffed and pointed. "You still didn't tell me why you brought a vixen here! You're violating my house rules!"

"You have house rules?" Shirou asked innocently.

"You have a house?" Yosuke raised an eyebrow.

"It's the principle of the matter!"

Teddie's gloved hand was directed to a bored looking fox, sitting and staring at them close to the tower of TVs used as the exit. It was odd enough that the smart animal managed to follow them through Junes security to the food court, but when they jumped into the electronics TV, the fox jumped in after them.

Yukiko shrugged. "Usagi just followed us. We didn't tell her anything."

Everyone, including the fox, stared at her incredulously. "Usagi?"

"That's her name," the raven haired beauty smiled. "She doesn't have any name or identification of her own, so I made one for her. Besides, she's kind of like the Hare of Inaba right? A fox, yet named rabbit! Hehehe!"

Yukiko was close to breaking into hysterics but the deadpanning fox didn't share her amusement. With a defiant huff-like "Yip!", the still unnamed mammal trotted away from the students by several steps. Then it curled into a ball, tail tucked and ears folded down as if resting.

"I don't think she likes it," said Teddie.

"Obviously," Yosuke rolled his eyes. "Who would want to be named after a rabbit, anyway?"

Yukiko stared to the ground, downcast. "But it's a cute name."

Chie quickly patted her friend's shoulder reassuringly. "I'm sure you had the right idea, Yukiko," she said. "But maybe we should use a name that the fox would like."

"We could always ask."

"You do it then, leader," Yosuke suggested. "You're the only one who can understand that animal anyway."

Shirou shrugged, but walked over to the fox anyway. It really wasn't that difficult to talk and listen. "Let's just get this out of the way. Are you a boy?"

The fox's head was lying on its crossed paws, eyes closed. It shook its head left to right, but remained "napping".

"Are you a girl, then?"

A nod motion. Girl it is, then.

"Do you have a name of your own?"

The fox didn't move right away, but eventually nodded.

"Can you tell me?"

Another pause. The fox opened her eyes and started flexing her paws to scratch the floor she was resting on.

"You can't," Shirou realized. "Have you forgotten?"

The fox slowly nodded. This complicated matters, then.

"Would you like for us to come up with a new one in the meantime?" He asked. At her nod, he started to think of what would suit a female fox. It would probably help if he had a Hermit-aligned Persona to help.

"How about Kitsune?"

The fox made a disappointed growl.

"Yeah you're right, too cliché. Inari?" Her eyes opened and glanced up in thought. Then she closed and shook her head. "Too obvious I guess. …Usagi?"

The fox fully turned her head and stared at him with the same deadpan look she gave Yukiko. "I was just teasing!" Shirou insisted.

"How about Tama-chan?"

The fox's ears and eyelids shot up. She and Shirou turned to the bear that suggested the name, and was beaming at his own suggestion.

"Tama means ball or jewel. Seeing her all curled up reminded me of a ball, and Tama-chan just has a cute ring to it!"

Yosuke frowned. "That's a little bland, don't you-? Whoa!"

The fox suddenly bolted and jumped the mascot bear, startling Yosuke and the girls. As Teddie initially flailed from falling down, the fox held her place and licked his face much like a dog excited to see her owner.

"Ah! Ah! Aa-huh? Oh, uh, good Tama-chan! Good, good girl!"

"I guess she likes the name after all," Chie smiled. At least it wouldn't be as weird as calling the fox by its species or referring her as an "it".

"It does have a nice ring to it," Shirou agreed. Tama the fox. It actually sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember why.

"Awww," Yukiko sighed in disappointment. "I wish she was that excited with me when I called her Usagi. Do you prefer Usagi-chan, then?" The only reaction this got Yukiko was Tama to stop licking Teddie, stare at her even more incredulously, and jump away, annoyed.

"Let it go, Yukiko," the tomboy said to her upset friend. "Let's not turn this into another Chosokabe."

Shirou blinked. "'Chosokabe? The samurai clan?"

"Long story."

Teddie righted himself, and with a big smile, squeak-stepped over to the beauty. "You can get all the kisses you want if you score with me, Yuki-chan!"

With a flourish, Yukiko whipped her hand down and fully opened her steel-bladed hand fan in front of her face with a loud "sheen!" Another unique product from Daidara's Metalworks, and one that the young heiress wielded as much as a dancer would. "What was that, Teddie?" she asked sweetly, hiding her predatory smile behind her fan.

The bear suddenly thought better of his choice of words and gulped. "Uh, nothing!"

"Now that the name issue of the fox's name is resolved," Yosuke said, turning away from the scary heiress. "There's still the question of how and why Tama-chan followed us here?"

Tama glanced to Shirou expectantly, drawing memory to the "negotiations". "Well," he said. "She expressed concern that the leaves are only for emergencies and for those that needed them most. I guess she followed us here to see if my story held merit."

"Yip!" nodded Tama.

"Awesome!" Yosuke smiled, kneeling down and holding out his hands. "Can we please have some, Tama-chan? I think a dozen or so would be a good start! The Shadows here hurt like nobody's business!"

Tama craned her head down to the apron tied around her neck. In her mouth she pulled out a long rectangular frame with beads on sliding rings. A soroban, or abacus as they're commonly called outside Japan.

As the others watched in confusion, Tama swiftly moved her paws on the upright frame, moving beds up and down in a seemingly playful manner. But they soon realized she was making calculations of some sort.

The fox eventually finished, and stared at them waiting. "Uh," Chie started. "Did it just do what I think it did?"

"You mean make a calculation?" Yosuke asked rhetorically. "Let's see, I think that those two are 6's, followed by-"

"294,766."

Everyone turned to Yukiko, seeing her staring intently at the device. "Come again?"

"That's the total that reads on the soroban," she explained. "294,766."

Tama nodded and confirmed her answer. It took another moment for Yukiko's classmates to recover, and realize just how bright a student she really was.

"Okay," said Yosuke. "But what does that number mean?"

"Well, it's certainly not something as outrageous as the price of the leaves!" Chie waved dismissively. A pause later, she turned to the fox to be sure. "Is it?"

Tama nodded.

"Huh. It is."

"Yeah," Yosuke agreed. "That makes sense."

Eventually the thought caught up to everyone. They immediately glanced back to the soroban (mentally double checking that the number was indeed 294,766) and then back to the happy fox, exclaiming, "What?!"

"That's more than the cost of our armor and weapons!" Chie cried.

"Hell, that's more than I made all year at Junes!" Yosuke added. "Are you saying that some stinking leaves are worth more than I'll ever amount to?!"

"Yip!" was Tama's immediate answer, spoken so fast clearly it could be heard as "Yep!"

The Junes employee had never felt so insulted and so depressed in his life. A damn fox thought he was worthless! He pinched the hem of his new scarf and pulled it up to hide his solemn face while Teddie patted his back in comfort.

Shirou coughed awkwardly. "W-well, we agreed on a discount earlier, correct? We're high school students and can only make so much money on our own."

Tama raised an expecting eyebrow. Shirou fought the urge to sigh.

"Such as help granting the ema wishes and cleaning up the shrine."

"Yip!"

<><><>
May 15th, Central Shopping District

Whenever Naoto Shirogane was around, he was seen following Kanji like a chaperone. The Investigation Team first noticed this when Kanji walked to school on the 13th with the blue hat boy following him as far as the gate. And without fail, he would return to the gate just as school ended before leaving with Kanji. No one questioned or confronted the bleached teen about this, as they were scared to confront the scowling biker crusher.

Instead, several girls tried to make small talk with Shirogane, whether it was for getting information or making a pass on him. He was polite enough to respond back, but remained curt and distant as to discourage them until Kanji arrived.

Today was Sunday, and the Investigation Team (plus the curious and stealthy Tama) hid themselves behind both ends of the torii gate, listening and watching for any activity at the textile shop. As of a quarter after one, the whole street was silent, which was both a good and bad thing.

"I wish we could just go in there and talk to Kanji-kun," Yukiko lamented. Her arms hugged the sleeves of her long red dress, and tucked her head down around her flame-patterned scarf (Yosuke had tried to trade scarves with her once he saw it, but she refused). "We can't help him waiting out here."

"You want to talk to that guy?" Yosuke asked from the torri post he was hiding behind. "That's practically suicide!"

"Exaggerations aside, I have to agree with Hanamura on this one. He doesn't look like the kind of guy you want to get lost in an alley with."

"Kanji-kun must have his reasons," Yukiko assured her best friend crouching next to her. "For all I've known him, he was actually rather shy and considerate, and he always helped his mother around in the store."

Yosuke stared at her in growing disbelief. "Are you sure we're talking about the same Kanji Tatsumi?"

As curious as Shirou was about Kanji's past self, it would have to wait for another time. He and Yosuke sat at the end of the gate closest to the shop, and his reinforced hearing was able to pick up sounds from the door. "Someone's coming," he quickly warned them, and they fell into silence.

The store door opened, and Naoto stepped out first. He took two steps toward the sidewalk before turning and watching Kanji put on his shoes on and calling back inside, "We'll be back soon, Ma!" As the taller teen closed the door behind him and buttoned his leather jacket, he grumbled bitterly, "Let's get this over with."

"You don't have to do this, you know," the shorter boy offered. "Your mother was more than willing to run the errand herself."

"And stay cooped up in the house with you? Knowing my Ma, it'll take her hours to get to Okina and back, and I need the fresh air."

"You also realize I have to come along as well, correct?"

Kanji shrugged as the two of them walked up the street hill. "Yeah, well, I figured you'd be bored too so this gives us both something to do."

Shirou frowned as their voices drifted away into whispers. He could only use his reinforcement for so long before wearing out his nerve circuit (and Pixie was adamant to tell him that this would be the last one). As long as he could get close enough without raising their suspicion, he could easily eavesdrop on whatever they had to say.

"What did they say?" the auburn haired teen asked, as he and girls listened in.

"I think they're heading for someplace called 'Okina'," he told the team. "Where's Okina?"

"Okina City's about thirty minutes away by train," Yukiko answered. "I think Mrs. Tatsumi buys materials from the clothing store there, as does our inn sometimes."

"Let's hurry up and follow them," Chie said.

"Whoa, wait a minute," Yosuke said quickly, and held his arm out to stop the tomboy from running. "If we all follow them, we'd get spotted right away. I say we split into two groups. One team will follow them, and the other will stay here and stake out the shop. Tama-chan's good at hiding, sure, but she's still a fox that can't speak so she doesn't count for this." He turned to the shrine fox, and awkwardly added, "No offense."

The vixen closed her eyes and waved her black paw dismissively, as if saying, "None taken."

"I'll follow Kanji and Shirogane-san. I can… eavesdrop, on their conversations without being noticed," the magus explained. He hesitated to realize that he was about to use less than honest methods of his magecraft, but reasoned with himself that it's for Kanji's own safety.

Chie grinned with excitement; she couldn't ask a better partner on this sting. She didn't want Yukiko anywhere near either of those guys, and if she had to have a boy back her up in case a fight broke out, she would vastly prefer Emiya-kun as her back-up. "Awesome! Then let's-!"

But Emiya didn't seem to share her plan or hear her as he had another partner in mind. "Would you like to accompany me, Amagi?"

Yukiko eyes widened, taken aback by Emiya's proposal. "Me?"

"Her?" Yosuke echoed, turning and staring at him, baffled.

"Yrr?" Tama whined with a tilted head.

"It would be easier to blend in if you're there running errands for your inn. And you're probably the only one of us that can help convince Kanji to be more careful. Not only because of your history, but due to, uh," he paused in his explanation, as he recalled their DnD code. "'The Fire Castle Campaign'."

Chie was torn. As much as it made sense, she wanted to be the one to tag along. She wasn't sure what frustrated her more; the worry of her friend Yukiko being put in potential harm's way, or the growing envy in her heart that she wasn't picked.

"I," Yukiko rasped, slowly fighting her shyness. Her eyes glanced over to Chie's for a moment, and she quickly added, "I appreciate the offer, Emiya-kun, but I'm not sure if I can go with you. Not if someone else wants to go more."

Oh Yukiko, always so patient and thoughtful. No doubt; best friend ever. Chie couldn't help but to let a metaphorical cheer, and was ready to voice her opinion-

"No thanks," the headphone-clad student droned. "My legs are still sore from the training session the other day. If a fight breaks out with Kanji Tatsumi, he's gonna kick my ass one way or another. I'll stake out here."

And just like that, any negative feelings about Yukiko going vanished. After all, whoever doesn't go with Emiya-kun has to stay here with… Hanamura.

"I'll stake out too," she relented. "I suck at diplomacy stuff anyway."

"Are you sure?" Yukiko asked, frowning.

"Sure I'm sure!" Chie insisted with a smile and a wave. "Now go on! If you hurry, you can catch the same train they'll take to Okina!"

"She's right. Let's go, Amagi."

Yukiko hesitated for a moment before nodding off with Shirou. The two of them left their hiding spots and ran up the street. Kanji and Naoto were now long gone, so it was only a matter of heading to the train station before it leaves.

Chie watched them leave, fighting a frown and nagging doubt of her decision. She had no regret as it was better than having her poor Yukiko sit and listen to whatever came out of Hanamura's mouth.

Incidentally enough, he was now waving and calling out to them loudly with some "sage advice". "And don't forget to make it look like you're dating! It'll look more natural that way!"

Yep. No regret whatsoever.

<><><>
Yaso-Okina Train Terminal

Shirou and Yukiko had just made the station as it was preparing to leave. Students and tourists alike were boarding the train to the city, but it was still small enough to make out the distinctive duo they were following. They sat a seat section away, within reinforced hearing range, and enjoyed the ride.

Yukiko passed the time watching the rural scenery pass out the window, feeling a sense of yearning for this trip to be real. That she was really leaving behind the town and inn that felt like a prison to her. That she could go beyond Okina City and see the rest of the world, prince or no prince. But she knew that now wasn't the time for romanticism. They had a case to solve.

"What's wrong?" Shirou asked her. He was looking at her with concern, noticing how she had been staring out the window since the train started moving.

"Oh, nothing," she said quickly. She didn't feel comfortable with herself admitting her runaway fantasies yet, but she didn't want to seem like a rude conversationalist either. "I was just wondering if Chie and Hanamura-kun would be all right by themselves."

The magus smiled assuredly. "They fought off and accepted the worse parts of themselves. They'll be fine, and besides, Tama's with them too."

Yes, she should have more confidence in them. Just as she should have more confidence in herself. Nothing will probably happen at the Textile Shop, anyway. Well, nothing bad, anyway. She earnestly hoped for that.

"But still, what if the culprit shows up? He might show up at the store, or he might come after me again along with Kanji-kun."

"Even if that does happen, I'll protect you Amagi."

The way he said it made it sound so simple and easy. She knew firsthand how strong he was fighting the monster that was now her Persona, but it did little to ease her heated emotions. She couldn't remember the last time a boy her age made her heart flutter like this before.

"Um," she blushed and smiled shyly. "O-okay. I'll be counting on you."

Shirou simply nodded, and the moment quickly passed. Whether or not they would actually pose as a couple, it shouldn't be too hard with how natural a charmer he was. Yukiko calmed herself enough to follow up, "As scary as it might be for the culprit to show up, I want to do my part as well and help you stop them."

The magus blinked, briefly glancing to the side. "Amagi."

"You saved my life after all, and I would hate to stand by and do nothing."

"Amagi-!"

"I mean, I'm sure there's something I can-"

When calling her name didn't work, Shirou lightly but forcefully nudged her shoulder. His face was facing straight ahead, and he merely glanced to her while briefly holding a finger up and close to his lips. Blushing at her blunder, Yukiko quickly realized that he was trying to listen in on them again and kept quiet.

<><><>

Kanji slouched in his seat, trying to ignore the pint-sized teen standing next to him and holding the rail. This Naoto guy has been tailing his ass for days, running like clockwork, and he still couldn't get a feel out of him. Most of the time he didn't say anything, do anything. He just stood around and watched him like a hawk.

Or rather, like a cop.

That was the condition of his bail this time. Because the cops were too pussyfoot to admit they didn't have enough of their own guys to monitor his actions, they stuck some private eye shrimp on him and called it a day. Kanji wasn't happy to have any officer following him around, but it was clear that the feeling was mutual. He hadn't forgotten how crestfallen the poor guy looked when told he had to get stuck with him (more so than any other cop he ever met, actually).

Besides, he wasn't a total pain in the ass. He was quiet most of the time, never blew his hat off, and even his Ma liked him. In fact, he looked kind of cute with his large blue hat, dull blue eyes, and thin li-

Kanji turned away scowling and fuming. So what if he was just a little androgini- anderge… whatever. There were plenty of guys who could pull that off, especially in Japan.

Naoto seemed to notice his discomfort, as he turned to ask, "Are you all right?"

At least the kid only talked when it was necessary. "Just peachy," he grumbled. "The sooner I pick up Ma's ordered fabrics the better."

Naoto nodded as if satisfied and resumed watching the scenery in silence. It got on Kanji's nerves so he decided to ask a few questions he had on his mind. "How long do you have to keep following me again?"

"…Indefinitely."

Kanji noticed he had a stern frown on his face when he said that. He didn't like the word much either. "And that means forever right?"

"Or for an unspecified time until further notice," Naoto clarified. "But in a way, yes."

"Great," Kanji spat. "Can't you just let me go early on good behavior?"

"It's not that simple," he now whispered, wary of whoever might eavesdrop. "You're likely to be the serial murderer's next target, and you need to be monitored at all times."

"Do the cops honestly believe that?"

No, they didn't. The Inaba Police Department didn't see the severity of the situation despite two people already dying. They assumed Amagi's survival and a month of inactivity was enough for the culprit to cut his losses. Not many policemen liked hearing the possibility of another dead body hanging from a telephone pole, either.

Naoto went on a hunch that the culprit was going after people that had been on the Inaba news one way or another. The Yamano Scandal, Konishi and Amagi's interviews and most recently, Kanji's act of vigilantism. But instead of acting on this lead, they assigned the blue haired teen to Kanji as a means to kill two birds with one stone.

Naoto was no stranger to higher-ups being annoyed by the age and skill difference of fellow police enforcement, but this was the first time the detective was kicked upstairs, so to speak.

"What they believe or not doesn't matter," Naoto said, avoiding the question. "As long as I'm here, there won't be any more victims."

"I can take care of myself," Kanji scoffed.

"Maybe in a fight of attrition," Naoto allowed. "But the culprit won't necessarily try to overpower you as much as catch you off guard."

Kanji grumbled in his seat along the words of "-cking bastard." With nothing else left to say or ask, the two sat in comfortable silence until the train came to a stop at their destination. Almost immediately, Naoto grabbed Kanji by the arm and dragged him out of the train at a sprint.

"Dude's got a hell of an arm!" The delinquent praised. He didn't expect that much from the detective. Though he was just as confused as to why the sudden rush. And why, after running down the station stairway, they had sprinted hard left instead of right.

"H-hey, Croco Fur's that way!" Kanji exclaimed and pointed to the store behind them. That was the whole reason they came on this trip in the first place.

But Naoto didn't let up, and for the first time he saw the kid look fierce and worried. "We're being followed."

<><><>
Okina Station

The first thing Shirou noticed about Okina was the people.

In Inaba, the rural country town was barely big enough to have its own school district. Between bad weather and only minimal tourist attractions (such as the Amagi Inn), not many people come and stay for long.

The crowd of people walking in front of the station, between stores, and the streets beyond was staggeringly bigger than any crowd gathering he had seen in Inaba. It wasn't as big as Fuyuki City of course, but from the station stop alone Okina appeared to have a lot more convenient stores for tourists.

From the left side of the station, there was a "30 frame" brand movie theater (currently show-casing an old samurai movie he was sure Fuji-nee would have loved), a humble bookstore, and a Police station with a cop standing on patrol. A line was forming outside the gaudy theater for tickets, and a few kids were seen arguing with a business about the unveiling of a "crane game".

On the right was the clothing store with clothes racks and post cards sitting just by the doors. The stylized sign stationed above the glass sliding doors and oddly pinkish décor inside read "Croco Fur"; the place Kanji and Naoto were heading for. Next to that on the station strip was a small establishment called "Café Chagall", with a sign out front promoting its "Owner's Original Blend".

If nothing else, Okina Station was the perfect tourist trap.

"I don't see them anywhere," he said as he searched each end of the street. How could a tall student and short boy disappear so quickly in a crowd?

"I'm sorry," Yukiko frowned from beside him. "I think Naoto-kun saw me while you were listening in, as he took off with Kanji-kun right after. This is my fault." She knew she should have pushed Chie more into coming instead of her.

"Accidents happen," the magus shrugged. "Now that I think about it, what were you trying to say before?"

"Oh, just me rambling on without realizing," she said. "I don't spend a lot of time talking to boys my age, as they usually just want to ask me vague questions like what I'm doing after school."

"The Princess Amagi Challenge."

"Excuse me?"

Shirou was surprised by her reaction. He would have thought a girl as popular as Yukiko Amagi would be aware of the rumors surrounding her. Perhaps the student body didn't feel a need to tell her in hopes of bettering their chances to ask her out?

But Yukiko wasn't the model student everyone thought her to be. She was rather naïve, nervous, and shy around others. She was also self-conscious about her being weak and afraid, but wanted to change that by joining the Investigation Team. Yukiko deserved to know what others really thought of her. They would search for the truth, after all.

"Remember how we saved your character Konohana Sakuya from the Fire Harpy? And how she wanted to serenade and 'score' a bunch of male suitors?"

Mentally processing the code, Yukiko scowled and flushed in embarrassment. Her Shadow was still herself, and she indirectly did say scoring. "What about it?"

"What your classmates do in talking with you," Shirou explained. "It's sort of like what Teddie does, but less obvious and honest."

Yukiko's scowl grew. "That explains a lot," she muttered rather darkly. She always knew she didn't like it when her male classmates talked to her for some reason. Chie must have realized that a long time ago, and always drove them away when she was feeling uncomfortable. Another thing to be grateful of from their friendship, really.

"I'm sorry you have to go through that," Shirou added. "I'm sure if someone took the time to get to know you, you'd be more comfortable around other guys. I can understand how difficult it is interacting with the opposite sex."

"Really? Why's that?"

"Because I'm not very good at talking with girls."

Yukiko blinked.

Shirou blinked twice back.

For a moment, neither student said anything and stared. Yukiko's calm façade broke when her cheeks puffed out and she tried in vain to stop herself. What followed was a spit-like sound before barreling into laughter.

"Pffffffffffffffffahahahahahaha! Ahahahahaha!"

Shirou found himself smiling at her reaction, chuckling. And before long, he was laughing too. They both doubled over and used each other's bodies for support else they'd be literally rolling on the floor. By now anyone within earshot could hear and see them, but they didn't care about that.

"You-ohohohoh…" Yukiko wheezed and pointed, shaking her head with a giddy smile. "You are such a liar! Hahaha!" She slapped his arm for added emphasis, but he either didn't notice or care.

"Ahahaha…" Shirou calmed himself down first and waited for Yukiko to finish before seriously answering, "It's true. Before Inaba, before all this, I was just some handyman that only had a few friends and didn't go around asking girls for dates."

"You don't give yourself enough credit. You and Chie get along great."

"It's just her personality. She reminds me a lot of Fuji-nee, really."

"I see. Still, I feel she has more fun being around you and Hanamura-kun lately." Yukiko smiled bashfully, feeling grateful and a little affectionate. "The same is true for me."

He was clearly different from any other boy she had met. The first time they were alone together, they just sat and ate dinner. No flirting, no weird questions, just silence. He was empathetic to a startling degree, and he helped bring out the best in others.

With Yukiko's feelings conveyed, a new bond was made. In the center image was a black priestess with a pointed back collar, and the rest of her lower body in a black hole. Outlines of white and red highlighted the shadowy figure's outline and features, making it easier to see with the narrow background of red sand, purple sky, and orange sun. A golden halo-like crown hovered perpendicular to the woman's head, the letter "J" was marked like face paint surrounding the eye, and the letter "B" was seen just to the upper right of the face outline. The Tarot card read as "II" below the image.

Thou art I, and I am thou.
Thou hast established a new bond.
It shall bring thee closer to the truth.
Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Priestess Arcana.

"That being said," Yukiko said, glancing around the station area. "We still need to find Kanji-kun and Naoto-kun."

"Let's split up then. I'll take the west side of the station by the theater, and you can check Croco Fur and the café on the east."

"Is that a good idea?" Yukiko could only imagine the number of things that could go wrong. What if they ended up lost? What if the culprit swooped in and kidnapped her again? Or Emiya-kun? What if Kanji-kun got violent again? So many what-ifs, and not enough time to search.

Instead of answering, Shirou reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his cellphone. "What's your cell number?"

Yukiko's eyes widened. "Wha-huh?"

"We're a team now, Amagi, and we'll need to call each other in case something happens. Besides which, this will help us keep in contact while we're looking around."

"O-oh, of course," Yukiko relaxed. She was worried over nothing, as Emiya-kun was more polite and courteous than to ask her out. But there was still a pang of disappointment in her heart…

After exchanging numbers, the two high school students went their separate ways to start the search. Yukiko made a final look back to her new friend and wished him luck. "Be careful, Emiya-kun."

"I'll be fine, Amagi," he smiled, glancing back to her as he kept walking. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Graaaaaaaaah!"

Apparently no one warned Shirou Emiya about "famous last words", or "tempting fate" for that matter. No sooner did he say that, as the magus passed the wall between the station and 30 frame, Kanji Tatsumi let out a battle cry and body-checked him onto the street before he knew what had literally hit him.

<><><>

Kanji timed the move perfectly. He wanted nothing more than to go up and beat the damn ginger within an inch of his life, but Naoto told him to wait and listen. He had to admit, the kid knew what he was talking about, as he couldn't have asked for a better first strike.

The fact that the punk acted smug and confident enough to ask "What's the worst that could happen" was just the icing on the cake.

Wasting no time, Kanji pinned the guy's back with his knees and pulled his arm back with both of his. He also applied pressure in his arms to crack the limb, further debilitating him and earning the bleached haired boy a scream for his troubles.

"Emiya-kun!" he heard a spectator cry. So the asshole's name was "Emiya", huh? Good to know.

"How does the road taste, asshole?" Kanji taunted, further grinding his arms together.

"You… tell…" he wheezed back, slightly moving his free arm back. Before Kanji could retaliate, the ginger's arm shot back and somehow connected a backhand with his chin. "-ME!"

Kanji's arms slipped out of the iron hold they held, allowing the ginger to swat his other hand away. He also managed to somehow roll out and away from his body weight, and the biker crasher soon found himself falling down to the road face first with a crash.

Well, damn. He's got some moves after all.

Kanji pushed himself back, seeing Emiya take a fighting stance and regarding him warily. "Everybody gets one," he said as he slipped into his own stance.

"Gets one what?" Emiya asked.

"One free hit. Now hold still while I-Ow! Oww, what the-OW!"

So focused on whatever Emiya was about to do next, Kanji didn't see or hear anyone march behind him and tug his ear back. It hurt like what his Ma would do whenever she got really pissed. But the one holding his ear wasn't his Ma, but one of her regular customers. She was also his upperclassman from the high school he went to. "Y-Yukiko-senpai?"

"Kanji Tatsumi, you stop this foolishness right now!" She scolded at him with an angry tone he never heard her utter before.

It wasn't the fact that he was afraid of a girl, but he flailed rather quickly to get her to let go. "Quit it! I'm not doing anything wrong!"

"You tackled Emiya-kun onto the ground and tried to crush his arm!" she cried. "What part of that screams right to you?"

"The right kind," he said (ignoring how wrong his own statement sounded), before pointing to the red-haired Emiya. He was now staring at him like a deer caught in headlights, about to be exposed for what he is. Why else would Naoto be spooked about being followed? He'd certainly never seen Emiya around before, and these freaky murders probably happened soon after he showed up. If the guy really wanted to kidnap him for murder or something, if he was the murderer the cops were having so much trouble finding, he wasn't going to take that lying down.

"Because that guy is the-!"

"That's enough, Kanji."

He blinked, turning to the detective. He too looked mad, but was doing a better job hiding it through words as opposed to body language. "You're already on probation with the Inaba Police, and your relationship with them is on thin ice as is. If you're going to carelessly make such accusations, the consequences will be severe."

That shut him up right away, and only an angered grunt escaped his lips. Cops and their rigid protocols, they always pissed him off.

Relieved to see that the crowd was now ignoring the short-lived fight, Naoto walked over and shook Emiya's hand. "I must apologize for Kanji's actions. I feel there was an error of communication on my part."

"It's all right," he tried brushing it off, probably to make a quick getaway. But Naoto wasn't letting him have any of that. His iron grip was still on the ginger's hand.

"Let's take this elsewhere," he said. "I'm sure we both have a lot of questions about each other."

<><><>
Café Chagall

The places available for a quiet discussion were limited along Okina Station, but the café was the best one. The room was bright with the choice of wallpaper (yellow and light purple), floor (gray with white-lined diamonds) and furniture (small blue arm chairs, green couches and blue and white table clothes). The ambience was also nice with the few potted plants and soft music playing in the background. The only not so soft-looking thing in the building was the gruff-looking bald man who owned and ran the place.

Following the ordering of drinks, the first order of business that Naoto insisted was clearing up any notion that Shirou was the culprit (and calming the raven-haired girl down when she attempted to chide Kanji again). It was a simple matter of questioning his timing and place, with Yukiko's confirmation as proof. Kanji didn't apologize for his actions, but at least he recognized being in the wrong and kept quiet.

"Now that we have that issue resolved," Naoto began slowly. "I understand that you followed us here for something important?"

Shirou nodded. "We hoped to talk to Kanji in private though, as it personally involves him."

"If it's all the same, I would prefer to hear it as well." Sensing uneasiness from them, the androgynous boy reached one hand inside his jacket and brandished a leather fold-up pad. Embedded inside was a badge with an emblem of shield and read "Shirogane Branch" on the ribbon.

Shirou and Yukiko stared between the badge and the boy. "You're a police officer?" she asked. "But you don't look any older than any of us here!"

"And where's your picture?" Shirou asked. All he saw was a badge that his district name, but what about the holographic picture ID?

"The peculiars as to why I'm in this field of work are not important at the moment," he replied, pocketing the badge away. "As for the badge itself, it was custom-made for me as I work on cases all over Japan, and never settle in one place. That's why it's not a police badge. It's a detective's badge.

"In other words, I'm involved in this case, and have been assigned to watch and safeguard Kanji Tatsumi until further notice. If you have anything you need to talk to Kanji about, I have the right to know as well."

Suddenly a lot of his behavior and mannerisms made a lot of sense, as did the conversation on the train. But now this meant they absolutely couldn't tell Kanji or Naoto about the TV world. Hopefully a vague warning was enough.

"Well, I guess I'll just be frank," Shirou said, before turning to the tall teen sitting across from him. "We followed you here to try and see if you were all right. Possibly even warn you if we were lucky."

"I've got cops and stalkers following me all over now," Kanji droned sarcastically. "I must be one popular guy."

"Maybe more than you realize."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Kanji, has anything strange happened around you lately?"

Kanji's eyes widened and he felt his body involuntarily twitch despite not moving at all. "S-strange? Strange how? What are you saying!?"

Shirou wasn't sure how to proceed. He had no Persona to resonate with Kanji, and they've just met under bad circumstances. Kanji's voice was rising, his body was tense, and he looked like he might break out to a fight again on impulse.

"I'm honestly not sure," he reasoned quickly. "I'm just asking if something felt out of the ordinary with you lately since your fight with the biker gang."

That seemed to work, as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought. "N-not really. I just started going to school again because Naoto and Ma forced me to." A moment later, his eyes open wide with a sudden realization. "Oh yeah, there's-"

He stopped himself, suddenly glancing to the detective next to him. "Tch," he grunted, and looked away again.,"Nevermind, it's nothing."

"What is it?"

"I said it's nothing."

"Kanji-kun, please," Yukiko said. "We just want to help. If there's anything wrong with you-"

"I'm telling you it's nothing!" he slammed his fists to the table. "And nothing's wrong with me dammit!"

His anger did startle them, but did little to convince that he was fine or that it wasn't important. Even Naoto found his behavior odd, but knew better than to confront him on that subject right now.

Kanji was too angry to answer the question… and perhaps something else. In any case, it was best to shelve this question for a later time else it would get violent again. "If I may ask on his behalf, why do you believe Kanji is the next target?"

Yukiko stiffened in her seat. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"It's only natural to come to this conclusion, since you're here Amagi-san," Naoto explained. "You want to warn Kanji about what will happen to him, and wouldn't have any reason to talk to him otherwise."

Yukiko frowned and stared at her cup on the table guiltily. Shirou spared Kanji one last look, who glared back as if daring him to speak again. "Don't the police have their own theories?" he asked. "You're watching over him, after all."

"And I need to make sure if our theories match. As much as I would like to give you the benefit of the doubt, you're still suspicious and likely to be the culprit."

He heard of Tohru Adachi joking on his own claim that Shirou Emiya's reappearance caused a stir of confusion with the police force, and possibly tied to the murders. His uncle Dojima was quick to dispel the rumors, but one couldn't be too careful.

Yukiko glared at the young boy. What was with these two accusing her friend of being her kidnapper when he gave his life to save her? "Emiya-kun's not the culprit!"

"Then prove it to me. Why do you believe Kanji is next?"

Naoto wasn't budging on the issue. If there was anything that could help solve the case he would take it. The two second year students clearly knew something he didn't, and he wanted to find out what.

Shirou and Yukiko exchanged uneasy glances, as if mentally deciding what to say. Yukiko cleared her throat and answered for the both of them, "Well, it's not much to go on, but I was on the Inaba News before I was kidnapped."

"And?"

"And it might just be coincidence, but Mrs. Yamano and Konishi-senpai were also talked about on TV. Soon after they were seen on TV, they went missing and were found suspended on telephone poles."

Naoto nodded. He had come to the same conclusion based on the Mrs. Yamano scandal and Saki Konishi's "secret" interview. The rumor mill also implied that Yukiko was on the news, but it wasn't considered a detail important enough by the police department. But hearing it from her now helped confirm his beliefs, and he knew he was in the right warning them about Kanji's safety.

Too bad none of them took that claim seriously. It came with the territory of being a young boy detective along supposed older experts.

"Is there anything else you can tell me, Amagi-san?" Naoto pressed. "Something you can remember about your disappearance?"

"I've answered all the questions the police gave me already," she said. "And even then I couldn't remember much that was very helpful." The stuff she could remember, well… it wouldn't have helped the police on their case anyway.

"But you were gone longer than either Mrs. Yamano or Konishi. Your kidnapping broke from the last two, and by all accounts it shouldn't have. You're the only lead we have to catching this murderer, and for the sake of everyone in Inaba, you have to remember. You have to think harder and remember why you're still here."

Shirou was taken aback by Naoto's sudden tenacity. He understood more than anyone the seriousness of catching the culprit, because of the dream he needed to uphold for Kiritsugu. Neither he nor the others could fault Yukiko for not remembering anything more than a knock at the door, as their intent from the start was to rescue her.

But the detective seemed obsessed with getting more than that. His behavior change was subtle in contrast to Kanji's sudden outburst, yet no less sudden and alarming. Were the police just as desperate for answers, or was it just him going beyond the call of duty?

Yukiko more or less came to the same conclusion as Shirou did, and yet decided to answer as honestly as possible to his surprise. "Well, I remember being rescued."

"Amagi?"

Now we're getting somewhere, Naoto thought with no small amount of satisfaction. "What else?"

"I slept a lot in a big room," Yukiko continued. "I remember a giant monstrous bird, made of fire. She sounded like me, upset and furious about being alone and wanting a hero to save her. She was jealous of me, I guess, and wanted to kill me. Then a giant wave of ice came in and snuffed her out. In the wake of it was my best friend Chie, coming to my rescue. The next thing I knew, I was on the rooftop of Junes."

Sleeping… and a monster. Naoto fought the urge to frown. "That's a pretty vivid dream."

Yukiko shrugged with a sad smile. "It was the only good memory I had of my kidnapping. It gave me comfort and hope."

Shirou was impressed with Yukiko's half-truth. The whole scenario was dream-like and hard to explain in context. She didn't even say it was a dream, but had let Naoto come to that conclusion on his own.

"I see." In a way, it was truth to the young girl, and he could probably discern that the victims had all been drugged into a comatose state. There was an unsung hero that rescued her, but like the culprit they didn't make themselves known.

Seeing that there was nothing else to ask of them, the detective turned to the teen sitting to his right. "Kanji, you were about to say something before?" Surely he was calm enough to be approachable now-

"I ain't gonna say shit to you assholes."

Or not. Naoto tried again. "Kanji-"

He slammed his hands flat on the table and shot up, pushing the seat back. "I didn't come all the way to Okina to listen to some 20 question BS. I came to pick up Ma's order, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do."

"Kanji, I can't let you leave out of my sight!" he called out to the leaving teen.

"Then I guess you better get your ass in gear, because I'm taking the next train home with or without you!" Without another word, Kanji Tatsumi left the café with a deliberate slam of the door.

Naoto sighed. Kanji's impatience and short temper made compromise difficult. There seemed to be some sort of trigger related to this behavior, but he didn't know him well enough to discern what. "I'm sorry, but it seems Kanji wishes to cut this meeting short."

"I suppose it's for the best," said Shirou. They managed to warn Kanji about the murderer, and in the end it depended on him to follow through or not. "Thank you for hearing us out."

"Please look after Kanji-kun," said Yukiko.

"Of course," Naoto nodded to them both. As an act of generosity, he left enough money to pay the bill for their drinks. Then he too was out the door.

Shirou exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Well, that didn't go quite as planned, but mission accomplished, right?"

"Yes," Yukiko nodded, before shifting her eyes to his body. "Um, you're not too hurt, are you?"

"Nothing a good night's sleep can't fix." He placed his arm on his right shoulder and rolled it in place for good measure. Compared to Shadows and Yomi demons, a brawl with Kanji was only a minor inconvenience.

Yukiko smiled in relief. Something about their team leader inspired confidence. He didn't even seem to hold it against Kanji for the fight, when he had put so many others in the hospital for making noise. "He's not really a bad person," she insisted.

"I can tell. He was dead set on that order, after all." He was brash and violent, but his actions first and foremost were to helping his mother. In a way, Kanji reminded Shirou of himself when he was young and frustrated over his dad's death.

Wait a minute.

"Amagi," he asked slowly. "I know this hasn't been brought up but… whatever happened to his dad?"

Yukiko's face fell. "Mr. Tatsumi, he… passed away years ago. Kanji-kun hasn't been the same since, now that I think about it."

A somber silence passed between the two before they eventually left and headed home. For Shirou, he realized just how much he empathized with Kanji's struggles, especially after losing a father figure in his life. He wanted nothing more than to save Kanji from his own demons.

<><><>
Evening, Dojima Residence

"You know, we haven't had much of a chance to talk like this since Golden Week."

It was a slow enough night that Dojima was able to come home on time. After seeing Nanako to bed, he found Shirou fiddling with what appeared to be an incomplete robot model in his room. The entire worktable was covered with old newspaper, paint, putty, and all sorts of tools. He didn't know why he did it, but he knelt next to Shirou and talked to him about work and school.

"You're busy with work all day," Shirou said, eyes and hands still focused on the complex pieces. "It's nothing to worry about, Doji-nii."

"Says you," Doji-nii teased. "You've got school work, plus your weekly MOEL job, and whatever you and your friends do after school. Aside from reading Taiga's books, this is probably the first thing I've seen you do that isn't a disguised favor for someone."

"Actually, I'm doing this for the old toy store owner at the Shopping District," Shirou admitted. "He seemed down that no one wanted the models since Junes opened, so I offered to build one in his stead." It was one of the many ema wishes he agreed to help Tama grant the other day, and he figured working on it would help get his mind off of Kanji.

Dojima found himself frowning and sweating from the back of his head. "You're… helping someone by building a model?"

"Me and Yosuke." It was hard to forget how boastful he was about his "mad junk kit skills", that only seemed to excite the store owner even more. "We're doing a race to see who can finish theirs first."

The Hanamura's son? Building a Shopping District toy model? Now Ryotaro had heard everything.

"Shirou, you really should consider smelling the flowers once in a while. You know, have fun. Your school days will be over before you know it."

The red-haired teen set the tools back down to the table and turned fully to his uncle. "I am having fun, Doji-nii. I hang out with Yosuke around town. I spar with Satonaka during weekends. I cook and play with Nanako every other night. But I don't live here in Inaba. I feel like I'm intruding in someone else's life that I have no business in."

"That's ridiculous," said Dojima. He wasn't going to let Shirou talk himself down like this as if he didn't belong. "The tests came back positive. You're my nephew Yu Narukami."

"And neither of us even knew that until half a year ago. At least when I'm doing jobs and favors like these, I feel like I'm earning my quota."

It was one of the main reasons why he delved head first into the murder case. Had he been given the option to refuse to help Teddie, he'd have no reason to stay in Inaba. He agreed to stay for the year on Doji-nii's request and Fuji-nee's permission, but anything longer than a month of lodging in their home would be superfluous.

Little did Shirou know that his words struck a chord in Dojima, who barely hid a pained wince under his breath. In their argument, Taiga called him out for chasing Chisato's killer while leaving Shirou in charge of Nanako. It was better than leaving the poor girl alone night after night, but it was still neglectful and an easy way out.

The last thing he wanted was to make his nephew feel like he owed them.

He silently mulled about what to say as Shirou returned to his model. A minute later, he found his words, "Nanako's taking quite a shine to you, you know. And she doesn't think you're an outsider at all."

Shirou's hands stopped.

"Look," he said, standing up and ready to leave. "Your guardian allowed you to come down here so we could start over as a family. We may have had a rocky start because of this murder business, but that's not important. All that matters to me is that you stay safe. I don't want to lose my nephew again."

Ryotaro had never been anywhere near the tragic events that befell his wife Chisato and sister Miya, but he felt the pain of loss all the same. He would make it up to Shirou one day, and Nanako as well. But only after the people responsible for Chisato, Yamano, and Konishi all paid for their crimes.

Shirou sat and stared at his uncle as he left the room, feeling a genuine sense of worry in his tone. He, too, cared about his well-being in pursuing the killer, and probably saw worth in his life just for being here. If he had known about his secret like Fuji-nee, would he have been as cordial to his wishes?

One thing at a time though. For the meantime, he'd see where this new bond would take him.

The "V" card of the Tarot appeared before his mind this time. The main image depicted what looked like an arrow with flowers attached to its sides on a blue background, but was really a close-up on a pope's blue hat. The top corners had two keys flipped and reflecting each other, while the bottom corners displayed two shadow figures sitting in a red and white space respectively, arms outstretched in front as if pleading to a higher being.

Thou art I, and I am thou.
Thou hast established a new bond.
It shall bring thee closer to the truth.
Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Hierophant Arcana.

So lost in the usual routine of Social Links, Shirou failed to realize what had happened until he heard the sound of a metal clip. He looked down and saw the pair of closed scissors in one hand… and a now shorted stub of a model piece in another. The snipped half was now resting on the work table under his hands.

The magus cringed. "I really hope that piece was supposed to come off."

 

[ArcaneReader]

Damn your writing is so good. I was so excited to read this when I saw the update!

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Damn your writing is so good. I was so excited to read this when I saw the update!

Click to shrink...

Thank you, but I'm actually very far ahead having posted this on several different sites already. Trying to have this all caught up with chapter 50 (not counting the other gaidens) and even then I'm nowhere done with this story lol

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 29 – Living Our Lives

May 16th, Dojima Residence, Evening

It was late when Ryotaro Dojima drove back home from work. Normally he wouldn't have minded as much, as work would sometimes run late at night. It was becoming rather more common due to a string of murders on top of a bunch of other complaints too. He had mixed feelings about tonight in particular, but it was probably for the best that he didn't make a big deal out of it this year.

Because tonight was his 42nd birthday.

He didn't want to get Nanako sad over this fact. Not because she would get worried about getting him a present; monetary gifts were the least of his concerns, and he felt the rare times she would be there to welcome him home a gift many times over. He also expressed to Nanako that she didn't have to worry about gifts on his birthday several years ago.

Among many things, Chisato kept their family together and would help in so many ways; ideas for birthday presents was one of them, as well as baking cakes (Ryotaro would always buy one on her birthday, but Chisato didn't mind). Without her though, birthdays were a little sadder and less welcoming. Dojima made an effort to buy a toy and some cake for Nanako's birthday, but he sometimes wondered if she really enjoyed the toys he bought or was just being polite for his sake.

His mind wandered as he stared at his old moped leaning against the right side of the house gate, rusted and pale after being left outside in the weather. The white scooter wasn't exactly a birthday present, as he bought it after getting a scooter license behind his parents' backs. They actually bought him a bike several birthdays before that, but he had sold it recently to a pawn shop when he realized that there was no space for it. Nanako was too small for the bike herself and didn't want it anyway.

He had hoped to have a son, a younger sibling for Nanako, to give the scooter to when he was old enough. Now it was just lying there by the gate like a decoration due to personal attachment to his younger days. Maybe I can give it to Shirou if he wants it…

Walking past the scooter, Ryotaro fiddled with his key to the door and stepped inside. "I'm home," he announced on habit, as if the sliding door wasn't clue enough.

He almost immediately noticed the dimmed lights of the small room. From his left he saw Nanako and Shirou rousing from their kitchen seats. His daughter looked like she was fighting to stay up past curfew, and his nephew had one of Taiga's books in his hand that was now forgotten. And on the table was a chocolate frosted cake with the biggest, thickest candle he had ever seen lit and placed in the center.

"Happy birthday dad/Doji-nii!"

Dojima was struck with surprise, even as his daughter ran forward and hugged his waist tightly. Shirou just sat back in his seat with a smile as wide as Nanako's, but with some hint of satisfaction and pride at the cake. Ever the detective, Dojima knew right away what he was proud of. "You baked this?"

"With Nanako's help," he said, before sheepishly scratching his head. "I would have gotten you something more substantial, but it was kind of last minute when Nanako told me about your birthday."

"I'm sorry," she frowned and murmured against his leg. She was probably apologizing to both of them.

Dojima smiled and lifted his daughter to his height. It took a bit of effort, as she was growing bigger and bigger. And looking more and more like her mother… "You have nothing to apologize for. Well, except maybe staying up later than you should have tonight."

"I wanted to see you eat the cake big bro and I made for you."

"Well, I gotta admit, it looks tasty," he allowed. He'd had take-out earlier during his shift, but he supposed that it wouldn't hurt to have some dessert at this hour. "All right, let's eat. But you both have to go to bed right after."

"Yay!"

The following meal was quick yet lively. Ryotaro had eaten a lot of cakes, but this was better than any store-brand he bought before. He wasn't sure that he wanted to admit they were better than Chisato's or not, but it had been years since he'd had her cooking, and Nanako was slowly taking over for her in many talents.

"This is delicious," he complimented after a few bites. "You two did a great job."

Shirou smiled knowingly at his cousin. "I told you he would like it."

Nanako giggled. "It must be the secret ingredient!"

"The secret ingredient?" Dojima asked.

"Love, dad!"

Another smile grew on his face. It seemed every night Shirou and Nanako grew closer, reflecting a positive ambience in the house. Just over a month ago, the two could barely hold a conversation with each other for over a minute, now they were baking together and sharing secrets. It gave his wary heart relief that things at home were at least going well.

All and all, it was a fine birthday.

"It certainly helps brings out the flavor," Dojima chuckled out before picking up the remote. "Anyway, let's watch a movie or something. I haven't had a night off for a while."

"Do you have something in mind?" Shirou asked curiously, only for Dojima to shrug.

"Well, let's just flip through the channels and try to find something that we can all enjoy." Dojima wasn't expecting much to be on, and Shirou probably wouldn't mind whatever was. So really, it was Nanako's decision in the end.

Even if it was cartoons, Dojima was pretty sure he could sit through half an hour or so of that Loveline stuff she likes.

The TV came to life with the quick push of a button. And then an image appeared on the screen. It showed a scantily clad bikini girl with red pigtails smiling and playing in the water, and similarly doused in it. Oddly enough, an image of a cold, sudsy glass interrupted the montage, followed by the bikini model drinking a brand soda can. She then turned with a wink and smile to the camera. "I'm tired of diets! Enough of going to the gym. Good thing there's something even I can handle!"

Next to the girl, a stream of bubbles transitioned into the image of a soda can like the one in her hand; one with the summer sky, splashing like water, and the English words "Quelorie Magic" printed diagonally on it.

The commercial ended with a male voiceover. "Slim down this summer with the refreshing taste of Quelorie Magic."

"Ooh! That's Rise-chan!" Nanako declared with a smile, pointing to the screen before the commercial ended.

"You like her?" Nanako nodded in response to her cousin's question.

"Yeah! She's really good! I like her music, and her dances, and she's really pretty and…!"

"Okay, okay calm down." Dojima found amusement in his daughter's enthusiasm. Although he was pretty sure that in a year or maybe less she'd latch onto a new 'favorite' music artist. He couldn't find himself to be as enamored by idols.

He could appreciate the hard work they had to go through (more so than fans these days may realize), and they would have to do something right to make catchy songs. It's just that they were… well… everywhere. On advertisements, on billboards, on the coffee containers. He was pretty certain that there was an idol group having as many as forty female singers and counting, too. "God, I probably sound old."

Another commercial followed immediately after, showing clips of Risette performing in more modest yet revealing idol clothes, and singing. The music was muffled by the commercial voice over. "One Night Only!" it announced, with matching English words appearing over the concert footage.

"Risette live at Okina City!" The voice continued, as other Risette-centric images played out. "New songs! New location! Same Risette! Performing at Okina Stadium June 1st. Tickets on sale now!"

"I can't believe it!" Nanako gasped out in surprise. "Rise-chan's playing in Okina? That's so close!" Her face then fell as she looked down and grumbled out, "I wish I could go…"

"Sorry Nanako, but I don't exactly have the money for tickets." As Rise sang in slightly accented English on the TV, Dojima sighed, mumbling to himself. "The one good thing about this town was there was barely anything noteworthy about it. Things were abuzz before, but now no one's going to shut up about this."

Shirou blinked in surprise. "Why would anyone here care about an idol concert in another city?"

"…Is he serious?" If so, then Shirou was really out of touch with pop culture and kids his age. He merely shook his head, too tired to explain. "You'll find out soon enough."

<><><>

May 17th, Junes, "Special Secret Headquarters"

"The key to magic is confidence. People will always be skeptic and want to learn the secret, but anyone can be dazzled and convinced with the best tricks."

"Uh, Emiya-kun?"

"In fact, some people may wish to perform the art itself, and it's possible as long as they have diligence, an open mind to learn, and, once again, confidence."

"Earth to Emiya-kun."

"But above all else, you must always remember to-"

"Oi! Shirou!"

The magus staggered from his seat and the book in his hands slipped out onto the desk. "H-huh? What's wrong? Is there an emergency?"

The other members of the Investigation Team were exasperated by their leader's obliviousness, but none more so than Yosuke. He looked about ready to pounce on him if he said the wrong word. "Were you even listening?"

"Something about you and Satonaka helping a woman sate her sweet tooth?"

"We already went over that!" Yosuke snapped. Personally he didn't want to think much on the stakeout since it was boring and he had learned a bit too much about Chie Satonaka than he wanted to. Namely that she loved meat so much she had pockets full of gum in meat flavor. Meat. Flavored. Gum. Such a thing shouldn't even exist, let alone be called candy! At least the woman was thankful and they knocked off another ema request for Tama-chan.

Shirou flushed at his lapse of focus. He hadn't expected that a mundane book on magic tricks would be so engaging. "Then I guess I didn't. Sorry."

Yosuke all but shoved the flyer in his hand up to the red-haired teen's face. "I'm talking about the Risette concert coming up two weeks from tomorrow! She's coming to Okina City!"

The magus slowly roused himself back up and read the paper in detail. It showed a full body image of Risette in all her glory during one of her previous concerts. She was wearing a white blouse under a pink and black blazer, tied together in a pink bow and a single pink-black glove over her right hand. The lower half of her attire consisted of a matching pink skirt, complete with a blue tail sash around her waist, gray stockings, and high knee black boots. The attire was very detailed and emphasized her cute features; the copper red hair fashioned in two pigtails, brown eyes shining in the lime lights, and glossed lips curled into a smile mid-song.

Various tagline blurbs were scattered around the poster, emphasizing her "one night only" performance at "Okina Central Stadium", and of course, the premiere date of June 1st.

"You lost me again," Shirou frowned. He never really saw the appeal to idol singers, and it wasn't like she was coming to perform in Inaba.

"Dude!" cried Yosuke, dismayed at the fact that Shirou could be this clueless. "She's only like one of the most popular idols of the year, and a fresh new one at that! AND she's going to perform in OKINA! Literally half an hour away! You and Amagi-san took a train there for crying out loud!"

"But the concert won't be for another two weeks anyway."

"And you call yourself a city boy," he glared in mock disgust. "How could you not go to at least one idol concert? I mean, look at Risette! And I mean really look at her! She's such a cutie pie!"

Shirou's eyes narrowed, hesitating to say the first thing that came to mind. Surprisingly, Chie voiced it in a similarly deadpan tone. "'Cutie pie'? What are you, eighty?"

The auburn haired teen was still gushing at his poster, so he either didn't hear Chie's insult or didn't care. Yukiko, less bothered by his antics, turned to Shirou and tried to explain things clearer. "You see, Hanamura-kun's been here for less than a year, so he's probably heard of her back from his city. But she used to live in Inaba, so a lot of people here are fans. She's also a bit of a rising star among idols, since she came from a small town like ours instead of a big city like yours."

"Ah," Shirou said, finally grasping somewhat of the fan appeal. "That would explain the hype, then."

From their center food court seat, many students and teens were as enthusiastic as Yosuke about Risette's concert; some even more so as they were among diehard idol fans. Girls would gush and wish to be like Risette with her near perfect figure and melodic voice. Various MP3s were playing select tracks of her songs, blaring just loud enough to be heard outside the earbuds. And some (by which it was really two) held and showed off their Risette-themed items like trophies; dolls, t-shirts, and even dakimakuras.

Chie cringed seeing the two fanatics, and suddenly wished she had Shirou's gift of obliviousness. "Yes. That would explain the hype."

"It's a hype well justified!" Yosuke exclaimed. "It hasn't been long since her debut, but she has the makings of being immortalized in the idol industry forever! I'm talking movies, voiceovers for anime characters, the Japanese Record Awards, the whole shebang! She's just that cute! She's just that innocent! She's just that perfect!"

With a deadpan stare, Shirou casually jerked his thumb over his shoulder and pointed towards the duo hugging Risette dakimakuras. "You do realize it's just an act to get fans like you and them to buy their songs and merchandise, right?"

The headphone-clad teen immediately pointed angrily at Shirou, unknowingly crunching the Risette poster in his other hand. "Hey! You get to play your hero fantasy all the time! Let me have mine, damn it!"

"I take it you plan to go to this concert then?"

At that, Yosuke's face slightly became more calm. He crossed his arms and slumped back into his chair. "Dunno. Tickets are going to be expensive, and I need to get them now before they are sold out. Plus…" Yosuke gave a weak chuckle. "Going to a concert ain't that much fun if you don't go with someone you know."

Shirou frowned a bit. Because he could tell that Yosuke actually really wanted to go and see this Rise idol. But the thing that was stopping him was not having anybody to go with.

"Do you guys wanna go?" Yosuke asked, his voice raising a bit in hope as he looked at all three of them.

"But what about Kanji-kun?" Yukiko asked. "He's still in danger of being the next victim."

The auburn teen brushed the concern aside with a dismissive wave. "You said it yourself that the weird Shirogane guy was following him," he explained. "And you already warned them both about the murderer. At this point, we've done all we can to help them and they'll just have to look out for themselves. I doubt something bad is going to happen between now and the concert. Shirou's guardian was on TV too and she didn't have a Shadow to fight."

Elsewhere, in Fuyuki City, specifically the Homurahara School dojo, Taiga sneezed loudly. Her kendo student, seeing this as an opening in their current match, rushed in to attempt a free hit. He would later spend the rest of the day nursing his arm regretting it.

Back in Inaba, Yosuke smiled as he pointed to his poster again. "Besides, when was the last time any of us had some fun since the school year started? The four of us hanging, listening to some pop idol music, no worries. It'll be fun!"

"Sorry dude." Chie raised her arms and formed an 'x' with them. "But I don't have that kind of money to burn. Dad cut me off my allowance after he heard from mom that I didn't study for the midterms. Besides, idols aren't really my thing."

Yosuke turned his head to Yukiko. Though she was still worried about Kanji's supposed safety, she had other responsibilities. "If it was on another day, maybe. But there's a maintenance check, a supply run, and a meeting plan every start of the new month at my family inn. And I'm not too sure about attending a concert either… sorry Hanamura-kun."

Shirou could tell that it now all rested on him. If he didn't say yes, Yosuke was probably going to be bummed out for the entire week.

"Hey! Listen! Go with him!"

Shirou blinked in surprise as he heard Pixie's voice. "Hold on a second," he told his friends, and pulled out his phone. At least this way he could talk to his Persona without looking like an idiot. So long as they didn't realize that it was already off. "What is it?"

"Like I said, go with him!"

"I don't know…"

"Come on, It's just one concert! A concert that he really wants to go to! So what's the harm in tagging along and listening to good music?"

"But I don't really don't care about this sort of thing."

"Just because you've never been to an idol concert doesn't mean that you won't like it later. Don't knock it 'til you try it!"

"But-!"

Despite not seeing her face directly, the magus could feel Pixie's pleading eyes staring at him wet and wide, and could tell that her hands were clasped together as if she were begging. "Come on! Pleaaaaaaaaaaase?"

Shirou felt like he was between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, he wasn't exactly sure he would even enjoy the concert. Money wasn't exactly a problem, he had his own bank account (Even if it was controlled by Fuji-nee, but she would most likely encourage going to a concert with Yosuke). But it would be rather easy if he said he couldn't, and then go and do something he would prefer doing on the day of the concert.

On the other hand, Yosuke was really looking forward to this… and he had a point that it wasn't often they had a lot of fun together. If Shirou said no, the teen would be extremely disappointed.

Considering his ideals, his choice was a rather simple one. Sighing, he conceded to the Pixie in his head before "hanging up." "All right, I'll go. Bye."

"Yay! Click."

Fighting the urge to smirk at the fey's humor, Shirou noticed Yosuke looked torn from the one-sided conversation, and already assumed the worst. "So uh, I guess that means you're busy too?"

"I'll go." Shirou smiled at Yosuke, while the teen's face morphed into one of shock. "I mean, you really want to go don't you? I don't mind tagging along."

After he said that, a wide grin then formed on Yosuke's face. "Dude, sweet!" Yosuke then pumped his fist into the air. "Alright! So we need to go and get the tickets soon! Otherwise we're going to have to deal with a line…"

<><><>

May 20th, Velvet Room

Margaret loved to read, especially historical and mythical stories of ages past. She had long since lost count of how many books she'd read, let alone how many she read twice over. It was just a fascination she had always had, to learn about the past and the beings that would eventually transcend into Personas.

The tales of Gods and their relations to man. How the vile lived and acted before they were slain. How the good triumphed and spread their morals to those who listened. How some became renowned as heroes, and sometimes becoming Heroic Spirits. Reading about these figures and more was how she passed the time, and how she also prepared herself in understanding the multitude of Personas her guest may one day use.

The ethereal beauty was alone for once, casually enjoying her day (evening? Afternoon? Time held no meaning in the Room, really) when she heard the sound of a glass door opening. Her place on "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" forgotten, she quickly looked up and was surprised to see her guest come now of all times. "Oh, Shirou Emiya. Do you have any business here?"

Shirou looked just as surprised as Margaret was, as he hadn't seated himself and looked around. "Well, I was hoping to ask Igor a few questions, and maybe create another fused Persona. Will he be back soon?"

Margaret shook her head. "I'm afraid that my Master is currently away, and I am not certain when he'll return."

The magus blinked. "He left the room? But doesn't he-" He stopped himself, as if deciding better than to be rude like the last time. "Nevermind. It's not urgent, really, so I'll try again tomo-"

"Wait."

Shirou stopped from heading back out the door, and turned to her in surprise. Margaret herself looked like she made the decision at the last minute, as if realizing something.

"This room is tied deeply to your fate. Nothing happens here without a reason, so perhaps there is meaning in us meeting here alone."

"Like what?"

"Well, do you have time to chat?"

Shirou glanced between the door and Margaret. He had intended to come for a reason, even if it wasn't the one he intended. But if fate had decided to let them talk in Igor's rare absence, who was he to argue? "Yeah, I have time," he agreed, walking back to his seat across the table.

He barely made two steps before the platinum blond woman spoke again, "I would like to ask you to sit next to me this time."

Shirou tripped and face-faulted to the floor. He quickly recovered to see Margaret staring at him, amused. "Eh? But-!"

"It's more proper for communication to be sitting together," Margaret explained. "And it might help you learn to court a woman someday," she added with a playful smile.

Flushing in embarrassment, the magus knew better than to argue with her and walked over. He still felt awkward sitting so close to a beautiful woman like her, but she certainly didn't care about his nervousness.

Meanwhile, Margaret stood up and grabbed two wine glasses from the cabinet across from them. As the magus stared and remembered that there was a wine cabinet in the Velvet Room, Margaret took the well-aged wine bottle and poured them each a glass. "Champagne?"

"Oh, thank you," Shirou nodded and accepted his glass. Shirou had first noticed the feature of this limousine-like room, but was more perplexed about the two people sitting in it and their ominous warnings than to ask questions. He took a small sip of his drink, savoring its rich yet bitter taste. The drapes, the neon lights, the opera leitmotif, even the wispy fog dancing out the window screen; all of it was soothing and calming to his soul.

"I've been meaning to ask this for a while," he admitted, glancing to the attendant also sipping her wine. "But why does the Velvet Room look like a limousine? It must be impractical to do anything in this cramped car space."

"The Velvet Room is not just a domain for me and my Master," she explained. "It changes shape and form based on the guests that come here and the destiny they are to overcome. You could say this limousine is a metaphor on your long trip through the shrouded mystery of both worlds."

"I don't think this room suits me though," he said. "When I think of limousines, I think of someone who has privileges and wealth but is careless of them. It's more of a symbol of how powerful they are but are at the same time blinded by it."

Margaret glanced briefly at Shirou, and then took another sip of her wine. "I suppose that metaphor fits you as well."

Shirou frowned in confusion, but as the thought occurred to him, he felt torn and embarrassed that he insulted himself without really meaning it. He certainly had the careless part down pat. "Point taken."

"If it helps, I quite prefer the limo myself," she gestured to the wine glass cabinet in front of them for emphasis. "As there is more luxury. The room of the last guest took the form of a rising elevator. From what Theodore told me, there were only two seats and he had to spend most of the time standing. He certainly didn't mind it though."

"Who is Theodore?"

"My brother, and the assistant to the Velvet Room before me." Margaret's face fell slightly. "I would like to introduce you to him, but he hasn't been quite himself since your predecessor's sacrifice."

"Sacrifice?" Shirou gawked. "But I thought Igor said she was living proof of the miracles of bonds or something."

"She's not quite dead, but not quite alive either," she explained. "Perhaps you will learn the full story one day, but it's not my place to say it. I only had a passing acquaintanceship with her."

Shirou fell silent at that, trying to digest how much he learned from Margaret in just a few words. A brother? And she knew the last guest before him? His mind wandered further down those thoughts as he stared at his drink and suddenly didn't feel as thirsty.

Margaret had her own thoughts circulating. As Master Igor's assistant, she took her duties seriously, perhaps more so than her brother and sister. Theodore had grown too close to his guest, to the point that her eventual departure left him grieving. At least it was understandable. Elizabeth, however, was far less justified as she left the Velvet Room determined to rescue the girl. To this day Margaret didn't know why Elizabeth would shun her duties so readily. Had the wonders of the human world finally won out over her sister, or was it something about the girl in particular?

As much as Margaret loved her siblings, they were both too emotionally swayed by the human world of where their guests would come from. And yet Master Igor didn't seem inclined to punish or think little of them. Sometimes the Master's actions were an enigma even to her.

Perhaps it was because of how trusting he was to humans? He always provided help to those with the Power of Personas. There was no Wild Card before Kotone Shiomi, but rather a group of human friends who could all visit the room freely because of enacting the "Persona Game", and welcomed as guests that way.

Margaret could admit to having a curiosity towards humans. Maybe not to the extent of her siblings being emotionally swayed, but at least invested enough to see if the stories were true. She wanted to see if humans had enough potential to overpower gods and demons within their short lifespan. She wanted to see personally where Shirou's power would take him.

Perhaps this was why they were meeting alone like this?

"Did you know that the origin of limousine comes from a similarly named town in France?" she asked him. "The shepherds of Limousin created a hooded coat to protect them from rain, and the name stuck. Not just for the coats, but for covered coaches as well, when horses were still a popular mode of transportation."

Shirou turned and looked at her as if she had just grown a second head. "Excuse me?"

Margaret smiled softly. "I was just trying to lighten the mood. You have to admit, it is interesting that the work of shepherds led to the manufacturing of stretched cars, yes?"

"I suppose so," he nodded. "It's just that I didn't think someone of your caliber would want to associate herself with me."

"I have more time to spare than you can imagine," she said in a deadpan yet gentle manner. "If we can't find common ground to converse in, maybe we can help each other through mutual benefit. Perhaps even share a Social Link."

Again Shirou stared at her in surprise. He didn't expect her of all people to put her money where her mouth was. "You must have thought long and hard for this decision."

"Actually, the way to making Social Links isn't as complicated as you may think. You've made quite a few already, so surely you understand; recurring meetings, recurring words, gradually and surely your bonds strengthen through understanding one another. But sometimes the heart can be shaken by a single action more than a thousand words could."

The magus knew there was something deep and meaningful in her explanation, but he was drawing a blank. "You lost me," he said.

Margaret's smile grew slightly from amusement, and lightly tapped her wine glass against his. "Today's meeting is much like that single action towards my heart. I wish to be entangled in your fate, and do anything you ask out of me."

Shirou stuttered and flushed in his seat. The platinum blond attendant's words meant well, but they could also stem to more… intimate meanings. And he wasn't certain enough of her personality to determine if she was joking about that or not. But maybe, if she was so serious…

Margaret turned fully to Shirou, barely hearing him mutter something under his breath. "Hm? What was that?"

"Oh, well," Shirou smiled. "I just think I really should meet up with Igor as soon as possible."

"May I ask why you seek my Master? Perhaps I can help in some way."

"This is kind of magecraft related, and you told me yourself that neither of you are magi. I was just hoping that he would help with a hint or something."

The assistant waved her hand dismissively. "That won't be necessary. I've since been reading up on their material and theorems, so I can provide at least general feedback on the basics."

"That's perfect, actually," Shirou smiled. "My magecraft's limited to three spells anyway. Oh, and uh, do you know how to 'turn on' magic circuits?"

"I believe so. Why do you ask?"

"I actually don't know how to say this," he said, with a defeated frown settling in. "So I'll just summon Pixie and let her scream it out clearly."

He casually summoned the Pixie card and crushed it. Not a second later, the fey fluttered in front of Margaret's face, so fuming mad red that she thought steam would come out of her ears.

"He's a bloomin' idiot! For years he got the wrong method down and hasn't gotten anyone to correct him because of mage paranoia! He made impish bad magic by smoldering his own nervous system! I reiterate! HE TURNED! HIS NERVES! INTO! A CONDUCTOR!" The fey screamed at the end, deliberately pointing at the magus with each sentence. "And he needs someone to teach him the RIGHT way so he doesn't STUPID himself to death again!" Having said her piece, she glared at the embarrassed magus and cursed him one last time before leaving. "Dumbass!"

Margaret blinked. Her lips were still lightly sipping the wine in her tilted glass, and her eyes stayed wide even after she finished her drink. Then she laughed; a soft, melodic tone that seemed to follow after the soundless gulp. It was hard to believe she was just drinking and had avoided making a choking fit mid-drink. "And all this time I thought Theodore was the gullible one."

"One of these days you really should introduce us," he smiled back, in spite of his humiliation.

"Ah, I almost forgot," Margaret said softly as she placed her glass down on the table next to her. She then turned fully to the red haired magus and smiled. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. I am Margaret, the one who rules over power." Again the magus stared at her in confusion, amusing her. "Of course we have been introduced before, but this is historic; you are probably the first person to be ever welcomed here by someone other than my master."

"Must be a big deal," Shirou blinked. "But what do you mean by 'one who rules over power'?"

"I suppose you have to figure that out yourself, won't you?" she coyly smiled.

And just like that, Shirou Emiya's ninth Social Link was formed, this time with the mysterious Margaret. Directly above the number "III", the center figure was a black silhouette with a round bottom and thin neck. The figure vaguely resembled a queen with a single eye, with a floating four-pronged crown above the "head". Vines stretched from the card's edge to the queen silhouette, dividing the color backgrounds of green and purple to a regal hue.

Thou art I, and I am thou.
Thou hast established a new bond.
It shall bring thee closer to the truth.
Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Empress Arcana.

"Now then" she said, flipping through a specific textbook that Shirou hadn't seen before. "Let us discuss the 'proper' way to awaken your magic circuits." She spared a quick glance to the magus before flipping through it again. "This is probably going to hurt."

Shirou gulped, but quickly reasoned that it was just the wine.

<><><>

May 25th, Yomenaido Book Store, After School

"Thanks for doing this for me, Emiya-kun."

The magus shrugged casually as they left the store. "I've been meaning to pick up some new material, anyway."

Things had been at a relative calm all week, but it was still busy to Shirou. He and Yosuke managed to find the stadium selling tickets, but had failed to account for the price not being within their budget. Fortunately, thanks to Shirou's respective top 10 in the school testing, Dojima awarded him an allowance with a hefty sum of yen. Enough to buy two tickets with money to spare. It was also just enough to spruce up some extra yen from MOEL and Junes to buy Nanako's ticket as well, who was just as excited to see the idol in person as Yosuke.

Just to be on the safe side though, he tried to talk and keep in touch with Kanji whenever the chance came. But the bleached haired teen would always glare and threaten him to "piss off" before leaving with the young detective in tow. Naoto "wasn't at liberty" to speak either (whatever that meant), but had assured him that aside from his increasingly erratic behavior, Kanji's life saw no abnormality.

So all that left was relaxing until the big day, now a week away. That included making a vegetable garden with Nanako, more sparring with Chie, some training with Margaret, and most recently, going with Yukiko to the bookstore when she asked him for a favor.

"Oh, you too?" Yukiko gazed toward the small bag in his hands. "What did you buy?"

"A how-to book on origami folding. I was thinking of buying some color sheets and teach Nanako later tonight how to fold."

"I see…"

Shirou saw Yukiko's eagerness morph into disappointment. While he had no Priestess Persona to gauge or read her feelings, he could still pick up certain tells from their behavior. "So uh, what about you?" he asked quickly. "What did you buy?"

The raven-haired girl brightened as she held her textbook up. "Oh, Hosoi-sensei recommended me this book about job certificates. I was lucky enough to pick the last one."

The loon with the sock puppet? He's not someone I would consider asking advice from myself. Well, better him than Yamada…

The magus knew he shouldn't think that about a teacher, especially with how the entire ensemble of faculty was unique. But if there was anyone Shirou felt deserved the boot out of Yasogami High, it was Yamada due to how often he pushed the boundaries between a flattering compliment and sexual harassment to a female student. Rather, he found himself more partial to Morooka-sensei than most. Like Shinji, he was an uptight but honest man who made his concerns well known; work hard and don't blow it. And despite being on his "shit list", Shirou always knew the answer when called and wasn't picked on nearly as hard in his class like Yosuke was. Yamada pretended to be a nice guy but was clearly leering and skirt chasing.

Brushing those thoughts aside, Shirou asked aloud, "Don't you already have a job at the inn?"

Yukiko frowned again, making the magus seriously consider a Priestess Persona in the near future. "What I do there is just practice for when I inherit it. When I was kidnapped, it was the last thing on my mind, and even my other self said that she didn't want to inherit. Deep down, I knew those were my true feelings."

Her eyes grew determined, holding her job certificate book as a beacon. "So I'm going to be more honest with myself too! For starters, I'm going to find myself a job with this book!"

What.

"And I… I'm NOT going to inherit my family inn business!"

What?

"And furthermore, when I graduate, I'm leaving this town!"

What?!

A stunned silence filled the quiet street, both teens scared to even move. Yukiko broke first, whispering to herself, "I said it."

She smiled brightly and giggled, twirling on her feet as her school skirt fluttered and turned. "I said it! I actually said it! Hehehe!"

Shirou only stared with conflicting and confused emotions. Yukiko wanted to leave Inaba? She was seriously considering it? Was this why she didn't ask Chie to go book shopping?

Yukiko calmed down, but the smile was still on her face. "So I've decided to prepare for when I live on my own, starting with a job license. Perhaps getting a start-up as an interior decorator."

Shirou couldn't think of a proper response, but she didn't notice as she continued her train of thought.

"But to get a job license I need money. And I need a job to start with to get money. I can't ask my Mother, not when she thinks I want to be her successor. If only there was a part-time job where I could make money discreetly…"

The magus recovered from his shock, mentally sighing. He was Yukiko Amagi's friend, and she trusted him for whatever reason to go shopping for a job certificate book, and admit her own feelings about leaving. He should respect her decision. He should accept that she had her own life choices, and that they wouldn't be in necessary effect for another two years.

But most of all, he should help her in any way he could, despite his feelings.

"I read at the job board up north that you can work at home making envelopes," he offered, pointing further along the district.

Her face brightened with glee. "Really? I'll have to check the board right away!"

She almost bolted for the board on the spot, but stopped to bow gratefully to him. "Thank you again, Emiya-kun. I'm not sure if I could have told anyone else what I told you right now. Especially not Chie."

The red-haired teen scratched his head sheepishly. "I admit, I was surprised to hear that, but if your heart's set on it, you have my support. And I think you'd make a fine interior decorator."

Her smile grew and even as they parted ways for the day, their hearts grew a bit closer.

<><><>

???

I have to save them. I just have to.

Two people had already died. People were already forgetting it but they couldn't bring himself to do so even if they tried. One was a caring, determined newswoman, and the other was a high school student with so much in her future.

The death toll hadn't grown at all since then, thank goodness. The young Amagi girl had cut it close, but in the end she was safe. They had to thank the Midnight Channel for its guidance, but it was still too limiting. All they could get out of it was a silhouette, but they learned where to look.

Following Amagi, two more people had been shown on the Midnight Channel. One was the lone biker woman that single-handedly stopped an ATM robber. Nothing was known about this anonymous heroine other than her hair-trigger temper, and no one had seen her since. Since she hadn't been found suspended from a telephone pole, that meant she had long left Inaba before being targeted. That was good.

The second was the punk rebel Kanji Tatsumi. The police were certainly familiar with his constant rivalry with biker gangs. Many people would want him gone. But he was never without that boy detective with the blue hat following him. That was bad.

"I have to save them," they said, alone in a dimly lit room. The sound of heavy rain was soothing, but also nerve-wracking. "No one else can save them. It's only me."

The clock on the wall struck midnight. It was time.

The old cubed TV flashed to life, a dim and hazy yellow. A new silhouette appeared, but this one had close-ups on her chest and thighs. Something about her movements was familiar, as was the swimsuit.

And then it hit them.

"Risette…" they said. "Risette is in danger."

The rest of the night was spent scribing notes furiously and searching through the internet and news through via smartphone.

The world had lost one celebrity already, and they wouldn't lose another.

"I'll save you, Risette. I'll save everyone. Everyone…"

<><><>

June 1st, Okina Stadium, Evening

Before long, the fated day of the concert had finally come. A bronze dome-like stadium might be one of the oldest looking buildings in the city. And yet it was hard to notice when the sky was dark, colorful balloons and banners were set up, and a large projector towered over it all. Stock footage of Risette's dancing and singing was shown and played in loops, along with the reminder and countdown to her concert.

Okina Stadium was miles away from the station, and the train station was crammed with the youths of Inaba rushing out. It was because of this frenzy, and a lucky break of getting home early, that Dojima drove them over in his car to avoid the hassle. Traffic on the road was still bad, but that was another story.

As the car rolled to a stop by the front entrance, Yosuke quickly unbuckled himself and sprang out of his seat. "Thanks for the ride, Dojima-san!" he said even as he ran out, making a beeline for the ticket booth.

From her seat next to her father, Nanako's eyes widened with awe. "Wow! It's so pretty!"

"Yeah, it is," Dojima agreed. He still didn't quite get the appeal of idols but this Risette had to be doing something right if fans were arriving en masse an hour early.

Brushing those thoughts away, he turned to Shirou sitting behind him. "I'll be home all night, so call me once this concert's over. You kids still have school in the morning, so don't goof off. And keep an eye on Nanako, you hear?"

"Got it, Doji-nii," was the curt nod and response.

"Guys, hurry up! We're going to miss all the best seats!"

Shirou smiled teasingly at his friend's impatience. "That's our cue. Come on, Nanako."

"Bye, Dad!"

"Have fun, and stay safe!" the detective said, and drove off once his daughter and nephew left the car.

The trio followed in line with the crowd, both boys holding Nanako's hand so they didn't lose her by accident. Shirou felt a bit out of place seeing so many people gather in one place. A lot of teens mostly, not just warm-blooded boys but girls around his age that saw Risette as inspiration. There were also adults, but almost all of them were male.

I can only assume that Yamada is one of them.

His dark musing ended as soon as he felt a soft tug on his arm. He looked down to his cousin's frowning face. "I have to go to the bathroom."

"Now?" Yosuke groaned, just as they were steps away from the seating area. He looked desperate enough to bolt ahead of them. "But there's only a few seats left!"

"Better to go before the concert than during," he told his friend. "Besides, there's plenty of room for everyone here."

"I meant good seats! Ones where we can see Risette in person!"

"You do realize that our tickets direct us to row F, right? At least six rows beyond the stage?"

Yosuke didn't. He was more excited at the prospect of going to the concert that he just made sure the ticket he bought was kept safe and in perfect condition than to read the seat numbers. He fished into his pocket and read it for the first time, dismayed that it read "Row F, Seat 34". The best seats of any concert were up in rows A or B, where you could see or even touch the singers and idols up close if lucky enough. But at F row they'd only see her from the large screen set above the stage.

"Bu-gu-gah-Rii-zit-ta-ra-go-GA-"

"Go ahead, Nanako," Shirou smiled to his cousin, and ignored Yosuke's gibberish. "I'll wait for you outside."

At her relieved nod, the duo left Yosuke and made a beeline for the public ladies' room. Shirou watched her head inside before leaning against the wall next to it. He watched as more people passed by in eagerness, ignoring everyone else but themselves and friends they came with.

Shirou didn't notice it at first, since he assumed the crowd was mostly Okina adults and high school students, but nearly everyone was wearing Risette-centric clothes; it was either white-t's with her smiling face on the front side, or black-t's with the words "Risette Is My True Story" printed in pink on the back. Then there were decorative accessories, such as a number of girls wearing their hair in the same pigtail fashion, or guys donning hats with her picture on it. A large number of them, boy and girl, carried a different colored glow stick, ready to be broken and lit in the stadium.

The teen magus realized that everyone had changed and dressed for this occasion, besides himself and Nanako. He was still in his school uniform, and she was in her winter dress. Even Yosuke dressed for the occasion, wearing the same black-t as his fellow fans. Incidentally, he recovered from his little breakdown and leaned next to Shirou with a small scowl.

"Not going to get the best seats?" he teased.

"They take security seriously here, you know. I'd rather actually see a Risette concert than get thrown out for getting cocky."

Shirou smiled. "Yeah, that would suck." His face fell as he said, "Especially if Risette is the next target."

Yosuke's bad mood grew only sour, but for a different reason. He turned and scowled at the team leader, almost betrayed. "Dude, no. We deserve this. We've saved Amagi-san, fought off a bunch of Shadows, survived mid-terms AND got ahead in preventing Kanji's kidnapping. I'm not going to let you ruin this concert for us -for Nanako-chan- because of a hunch we can't even prove anymore."

"She was on the Midnight Channel, Yosuke."

"So were Kanji and your guardian, but they haven't been thrown in. The killer probably realized that the third time wasn't the charm for Amagi-san and is now staying low for Plan B. Or maybe cut his losses and left town, but that's just wishful thinking."

"Then why is the Midnight Channel still on? Isn't it his calling card?"

"How should I know? It's probably Teddie's place seeping through on a bad frequency or something!" It was a bad excuse, and even Yosuke didn't sound convinced. But it was also clear that he just wanted a break, and to pretend for one night that they weren't supernatural crime fighters. That they were high school students doing high school things, like attending a cute idol concert.

Yosuke groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. There was no pretense of DnD, but everyone was too fixated on the concert to pay attention. "Look, there's a time and place for these kinds of things. Risette's only going to be here for one day before continuing her tour, and this will all be a distant but fun memory., And if Risette really IS a victim, we can look into this AFTER the concert. The place is so packed that only a desperate idiot would try something like kidnapping an idol on stage, anyway."

"I'm done!" Nanako cheered, stepping outside with a hop and a smile. She quickly noticed the tense mood between the older boys and frowned. "Are you two fighting?"

Shirou smiled softly. Yosuke was right, the murder case could wait for tonight, and she should be safe for now. "We were, but we resolved it with no harm done." A bit of Nanako's smile returned, and she accepted his offered hand. "Come on, let's go to our seats."

<><><>

Backstage

"Ten minutes to show time, Inoue-san."

A brown haired man in a blue business suit glanced up from his cellphone to acknowledge the usher at the door. "We'll be ready, thanks." Minoru Inoue turned his attention back to his call before adjusting his brown rimmed glasses with his spare hand. "Yes, I'm still here. The magazine interview will be tomorrow afternoon, right after we arrive from Okina. Thank you."

Inoue spared a quick glance to his star idol, Rise "Risette" Kujikawa in her vibrant costume as her team of make-up artists applied the finishing touches on her. Her dark red hair was delicately brushed and groomed into her signature wavy pigtails. Powder and lip gloss was lightly added to her cute facial features. She was as stoic as ever, almost quiet and reserved, but Inoue knew that once she stepped on stage, she would smile and shine as her cheerful Risette persona.

He wasn't sure exactly why she requested to do her next concert in Okina City, and why so soon. But as her manager, he was able to make it work with a few strings pulled and some phone calls.

The make-up artists quickly left the room after they finished, to which Inoue patted her shoulder encouragingly. "We got a busy week ahead of us. I just got a call from Kobunsha asking to interview for one of their magazines tomorrow. After the concert tonight, we'll stay the night at a hotel suite and leave first thing in the morning."

"Mhm," she nodded, barely expressive. Inoue mentally berated himself for putting unneeded pressure on the girl, as her life was busy enough.

"Well, it's just business as usual," he tried again, smiling. "I'm sure you'll do fine." With not much else to say, the manager walked to the door, planning to leave her the few last minutes to get ready.

"Uh, Inoue-san?"

Inoue stopped and turned to his idol, glancing expectantly at him. "Hmm? What's wrong?"

"Don't you have something to say?" she smiled hopefully.

Inoue blinked. "Break a leg?"

"Let me try again," she said. "Today is kind of important, so did anything come in for me?"

Did she mean the concert, or something else? Surely not all the letters from fans recently. June 1st, a Wednesday. What else happened today…? "Oh, that's right! This actually came in just today."

Rise's eyes widened with her smile. A rare show of bubbling joy outside the stage where everything wasn't as glamorous as showbiz would imply. She held her breath, watching as her manager reached to his back pocket to pull out a partially opened envelope.

Inoue brandished the envelope like a trophy to her, grinning ear to ear. "You got the part!"

Rise blinked. "Huh?"

"The lead role to the upcoming Toei movie! It's not official yet, but the producers and directors all want you to be their heroine and are even paying for a new single just for the movie! Isn't that great?"

Hesitantly, Rise took the envelope in her hands and read the letter inside. The contents were just as Inoue told her. Another deal for Risette. Her heart sank.

"Y-yeah, that's… great," she forced the smile up as she handed the envelope back. "But, isn't it too soon to be looking into movie roles?"

"Are you kidding?" said Inoue. "Most idols dream of a chance to get this kind of break, Rise. Your music talents and public appeal have worked out so far, but you'll need something on your own to stand out from all the other idols."

Stand out? How else is there to stand out when fans and agencies want them to wear skimpy clothes? To dance around acting cute and pretend that they never even heard of sex?

Inoue saw her face fall and smiled reassuringly. "You'll do fine, Rise. Acting as a character in a movie is no different than how you take on your Risette role." The walls started to echo with the fans' cheers for "Ri-set-te!". "Speaking of which, your public awaits!"

Inoue quickly left the room, unaware of how distraught Rise was in her room. She couldn't fault him though. He was always so thoughtful and considering how to make the most of her idol career. He meant well, really, and his pep talks before and after shows usually made her feel like this was all worth it.

But today… he didn't even know.

"He didn't know it was my birthday…"

No one did, really. None of her staff team, no one from Takura Productions, not even her fans that would send her tons of fan letters or email or online posts. Her family knew, but only her grandmother sent her a letter.

"My doors are always open, if you have time to visit" she had written.

"Maybe… a break would do me good after all."

<><><>

Okina Stadium Stage

It was dark, even with hundreds of glow sticks waving in the fans' eager hands. They could only see the bright light of the performing stage where Risette was going to perform. Everyone was cheering her name, drowning out any other noise around. Not that it was stopping a certain Risette fan from complaining.

"This sucks! I can barely see the platform!" Yosuke groaned, leaning forward from his small recliner seat, with Shirou on his right and Nanako in the next one over. "Gah, why did we have to get such lame-ass tickets?!"

Nanako blinked and glanced up at her brother. "Big bro? What's a 'lame-ass'?"

"Yosuke!" Shirou glared sharply at him.

"Well they are!" Yosuke insisted. "I'm the assistant manager at the Junes branch in Inaba for crying out loud! My paycheck should be worth a B row at least!"

Nanako turned to him with wide eyes. "You work at Junes?!"

Yosuke groaned again. "Yeah, yeah I do, and it sucks major balls having to work on the holidays for chump change too." He would have said more, such as annoying co-workers and ungrateful customers. But he had a feeling that they were at the concert too, and probably sitting close by.

Nanako luckily didn't hear the auburn haired teen's mumbled curse rant due to the roar of the crowd, so she said the first thing that came to mind. "I love Junes!"

"That's nice," he said, before double-taking. "Wait, what?"

"I love Junes!" she repeated, as if happy to say it again. "I've always wanted to go there!"

Yosuke found himself smiling, as if an angel had come to commend all his hard work and grueling hours. "W-well, feel free to come in with your brother and I'll give you a family discount on topsicles!"

"Yay!"

The lights on the stage dimmed, and the chanting ignited itself into ecstatic cheering. Risette entered the stage, this time without back-up dancers, and the cameras up front caught her every move as shown on the large screen above. "Hellooooooo Okina!"

Thunderous cheers filled the stadium. Even Yosuke was swept up as he stood up and cupped his hands. "I LOVE YOU RISETTE!"

Smiling ever so cutely, the idol quickly fell into step as the music played, and sang just as lovely. The steps looked simple but she followed in rhythm and practice. Her fans waved their hands in select motions.

"Wow!" Nanako beamed, tugging Shirou's arm. "She's so pretty! Isn't she, big bro?"

"Yeah she is," Shirou nodded. He could see why many people, such as his sister and friend, would find her so endearing and popular. It was a tough job entertaining so many people at once, yet idols did it naturally for a living. This Risette looked professional and was a great singer, even though she was supposed to be a newer, younger idol starting this year.

"Thank you!" she called and bowed after the song ended. "Thank you everyone!" she called again, waiting for the applause to die down.

Rise's mind was rearing. She knew what she was doing was probably going to put months of hard work down the drain. The fans cheering reminded her how fun it used to be, and how much she loved to sing and dance for them.

But then again, it wasn't any fun to perform on your own birthday. Especially when no one even remembered it. There were many other problems, of course, but this one broke the camel's back.

"Thank you," she said a third time, calmer yet anxious. "Before I continue, I have a special announcement to make. One I think you should all hear." The crowd was now silent, hanging on her every word. Even Inoue, her manager, was watching from the backstage. Was he proud of her, really?

Rise took a deep breath, steeling herself. There was no going back after this. Thus, she allowed no pretense of being happy, which immediately caught her fans off guard. Not that any of them expected what they would hear next.

"I'm quitting. After this concert, I'm leaving Takura Productions and retiring from idol showbiz."

 

[ArcaneReader]

Thank you, but I'm actually very far ahead having posted this on several different sites already. Trying to have this all caught up with chapter 50 (not counting the other gaidens) and even then I'm nowhere done with this story lol

Click to shrink...

Can't wait to see it!

 

[Kishou the Badger]

The concert was a disaster.

Inoue couldn't believe it. He knew Rise; he was her manager. She always seemed to be calm and collected off the stage. And she was a rising star not even close to plateau-ing. Her fans loved her. Her songs were selling. She had just been told that she was worthy of a movie role for goodness sake! There shouldn't be any reason she would announce quitting in front of her loyal audience.

And yet here he was, riding the limo out of Okina with Rise. Sure, the concert went on as intended, as she played a few more songs, but it was clear that the once happy atmosphere of performing was a lie. More than a few desperate fans tried climbing up on stage to convince her otherwise before security stepped in. And Rise just didn't have that same glow when she sang and danced. It was like all the pressure and tension had just zapped Risette away from existence and the more vulnerable Rise showed herself for the first time.

"You could have told me," he said finally. Rise never liked starting a conversation first, but this silence was aggravating. He didn't want Risette to end this early. Especially this way.

"Told you what?" she snapped, surprising Inoue. Her gaze was still fixed out of her door window, chin and cheek resting on her palm near the door. "That I suddenly wanted to stop just seconds before I was expected to perform? Or that I thought the movie role was a horrible birthday present?"

Birthday? But today was- ...June 1st. "Oh," said Inoue, somewhat ashamed. "I-I'm sorry, I understand that you must feel upset. We can set up something tomorrow after the inter-"

"I don't care," she cut in. "And I don't want to go to the interview, or the movie shoot, or anything else Idol-related. I want to go home."

"Rise-chan, your parents live at least two days away from Okina."

"Then drop me off at Inaba. My grandmother lives there."

"But Inaba is a town in the middle of nowhere."

"Exactly."

Wow, she was serious. Inoue was starting to get concerned, and his frown showed it. "Aren't you taking your hiatus a little too seriously?"

Rise finally looked back to him condescendingly. "Of course not," she said. "I'm taking my retirement very seriously."

"All because we forgot your birthday?" asked her manager.

"Yes!" Rise declared. "And while I'm at it, I'm sick of being some marketing doll for your company because you think everyone's an idiot. Sure, give every guy the expectation that they can fantasize about having us as their first time, or some other kinky sex position."

"Rise-chan!"

"Oh, that's right!" she clapped her hands, smiling in mock realization. "I can't talk about sex because I'm supposed to be an innocent stereotype and role model for young girls!" She then scowled. "It's completely unrealistic! And every idol company has been doing this same crap for, what, thirty years now? If idols are supposed to be role models, then we shouldn't play onto some escapist fantasy!"

"I never thought you felt this way," Inoue said after a long silence. "You used to love singing."

"I do," she admitted, frowning. "I still do. Singing, dancing... I feel like it's the only thing I can convey for real whenever I'm on stage."

Her hand reached over and picked up a stage photo of herself- no, of Risette. It was supposed to be a signed autograph that she would give to her fans after the show, but the mood was so bipolar between depression and denial that she opted for a quick retreat instead. It was among some of the hastily packed items from her concert.

The image was a cute one too; she posed for it just the other day at the same stage before the concert started officially. If one didn't know any better, they'd say she had hundreds of photos made ready as she was performing in the same pose.

"But my voice isn't real. My smile is just an act. Even my name is fake. My stage persona Risette... that's all they see. That's all anyone cares to see. And I'm tired of it, Inoue-san."

Silence filled the car again, and Inoue wondered if this was his fault. He kept pushing Rise to go further because she had the talent for it, and he earnestly believed she could handle whatever the idol business had in store for her. It was almost a shame that she would fall after coming so far in a short amount of time, but that was no excuse for her feeling distraught and depressed.

He didn't want to cause a repeat of Yuko Osada and Kyoko Ochimizu either. The former committed suicide almost ten years ago, and the latter... well, he could see why people claimed her to be a cold-hearted dragon. The details were still vague, and most people forgot about it over time. Still, did Rise consider her Risette role so constricting that she would contemplate suicide?

Before long, the limo drove to a stop at the shopping district of Inaba. A lot of the kids and young adults had left to see her concert tonight, and were probably taking the long ride back home through Okina traffic. But mostly, the traffic and activity were barren to the extent that it felt like a ghost town. Inoue didn't like that.

He had also heard that there was a serial murderer loose in this town with two victims last April. He didn't like that either.

"Rise-chan," he said as his soon to be ex-idol opened the car door. "If it's a break you want I can book you a five-star hotel. Any place, anywhere. Really, money's no problem."

"I appreciate it, Inoue-san, really," said Rise. For as much as he could get on her nerves, he was a good manager and adult figure to her. "But I want peace and quiet with my relaxing time. I'd be harder to find here than on Yakushima Island."

Inoue hummed, though he didn't look convinced. Rise shrugged and added, "Besides, Inaba likes to exaggerate their gossip and rumors. I'm sure this murderer thing has already passed."

Well, at least Rise was aware of the danger, albeit dismissive of it. "Rise, I still believe you could be a great idol if you apply yourself. Not many young women get a chance like you did, especially so early in their career." Seeing her annoyed scowl, Inoue quickly added, "I'll tell the news and paparazzi tomorrow that you're taking a break; that might quell the upset at the concert, and still give you your privacy. If you've cooled down and change your mind about retiring, then we'll continue on as we did; no harm, no foul. But if you're still insistent about quitting, well... it'll be a shame, but we'll find someone else to fill in your shoes. Perhaps help promote Kanamin some more."

Kanami Mashita, Ms. Ochimizu's new idol. She was also a newcomer, just a few months after Rise's debut, and just as well received. Everyone liked Kanami, even Rise liked Kanami. Rise's hiatus might just be the break she needed to get her own solid fanbase.

Satisfied that she had nothing to worry about, Rise stepped out of the car and bowed. "Thanks, Inoue-san. See you around... I guess."

"Take care, Rise-chan."

With that, the limo drove off and left Rise in the dark, quiet streets. Letting out a soft, exhausted sigh, Rise carried her suitcase and box of "souvenirs" with her as she hiked up the hill. She had called and left a message at her grandmother's earlier, saying she would be staying for a while. Really, this was a blessing in disguise; Inaba was literally just a half-hour away from the concert, and her grandmother was usually so complacent and understanding. Having that one birthday card made her day, all things considered.

She stopped as she observed the tofu shop her grandma ran and lived in. Marukyu Tofu, in all its simple glory. All it had to go for it was a dark blue sunshade advertising the name. It was surprising to see it still open despite all the other stores closing down. Guess nothing could beat all natural soybean byproducts. She could even see the small soybean farm to the side of the house, hidden behind the stone wall.

After admiring her grandmother's home, Rise walked up to the door. She was about to knock or call for her, but before she could feel guilty about waking her grandmother so late, she saw a note on the door.

"The door's open. Lock it when you get inside, my dear. -Grandma"

Rise smiled, surprised and touched that her call had reached her. Sure enough, the door was open.

She carefully placed her box down and set aside her rolling suitcase after stepping inside. She never got a chance to change out of her idol costume after the concert. Perhaps she should take a quick shower before bed? Or why not sleep in now and take a long bath in the morning? There were no more photo shoots, or interviews, or Risette concerts...

Her musing stopped when she heard the doorbell, and her mood soured.

Inoue. Who else but her manager would come back at this hour, hoping to change her mind at the last minute? Well, she wasn't having any of that.

Rise opened the door, prepared to make the argument quick; she was tired and wanted to sleep. "Look, Inoue-sa-"

She barely got a good look at the shadowy figure before it moved and pulled her outside. This was definitely not Inoue-san.

Unable to overpower the shadow, Rise cried out for help. But her voice was immediately covered with a sweet-smelling rag. Her struggles were in vain, and she was starting to feel dizzy and lightheaded.

How could this be? How could anyone have known she lived here? This wasn't some stalker fan upset with her quitting showbiz, was it? Unless...

"Guess I got my birthday wish after all," the voice said, equal parts scary and obsessed.

The Inaba Serial Murderer. The night wasn't even over since her concert and she had been caught by them, probably to be used for some bizarre torture before being left for dead on a telephone pole. Even as the chloroform muddled her senses, barely coherent to her numb body being lifted away, and she saw the void-like darkness that was the back of a truck outside the tofu shop, Rise had one bitter thought before succumbing to heavy sleep.

Worst. Birthday. Ever.

<><><>

Fate/Reach Out
Chapter 30: Meet me at Marukyu's

<><><>

June 2nd, Dojima Residence, Morning

Shirou had never been to a concert before, but he was pretty sure that what happened last night was strictly out of the norm.

Not long after Risette's announcement, the crowd erupted with complaints and some in front tried to climb on stage. Yosuke in particular looked devastated and held the magus' body for support (as well as making him promise to never speak of that sentimental display to anyone). Nanako looked sad too, but she sounded and looked more worried for Risette in particular than the fact she was quitting.

Risette didn't have much energy for her concert either. She sang and danced, but it looked like she was going through the motions. It wasn't an effort to make her last concert her best, but rather getting it over with quickly.

Fortunately, the morning news seemed to alleviate whatever worries the fanbase (and Yosuke) might have had since last night.

"Mr. Inoue, is it true that Rise Kujikawa, aka Risette, is quitting the entertainment business?"

The entertainment news channel was showing a conference with the manager Minoru Inoue as hundreds of cameramen and reporters hovered around him. Despite the noise and attention, he didn't look at all deterred by it.

"While it's true Rise-chan has proclaimed retirement, it happened at a stressful time for her. Until further notice, she's taken an extended leave from showbiz and will come back when she's ready."

"But if she doesn't come back?" asked another reporter.

"Then that is her business," Inoue shrugged, nonchalant of the rather serious air to the question. "I know a lot of people wouldn't be happy about that. I'm one of them. But the decision to go on is Rise-chan's alone. Until then, we'll just have to wait and hope for the best."

"Where is Risette staying right now?"

"I'm afraid that's not my place to state here," said Inoue. "Rise-chan wants nothing more than to relax away from the attention of her fans. I will say that she is enjoying her time in the comfort of family members."

The crowd seemed to erupt in questions and each trying to get theirs answered first. Seeing as it was time to go anyway, Shirou turned off the TV once he deemed the rest of the interview unimportant. As he headed for the door, he grabbed Dojima's spare umbrella from the closet; the morning weather said it was going to rain later in the afternoon. "Let's go, Nanako."

"Coming," she said, slinging her backpack on. In moments, the two were out the door and headed for their respective schools.

Their walks were usually quiet. Whether it was because of Nanako's shy nature or Shirou only speaking when needed, there was no need for idle chatter. That was fine, as the two cousins bonded simply with being together in silence. Although today, Nanako broke that silence with a question circling her head since the concert.

"Hey, big bro?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think Rise-chan is going to be all right?"

Shirou had his own concerns about the idol (mostly Investigation Team related), but he didn't expect Nanako to be asking about her. Yosuke definitely, but not Nanako. Then again, she was at the concert too and also a fan…

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "But what I'm certain of is whatever problem Rise is facing in her hiatus, that her family is going to help her through it."

"Really?" asked Nanako. "But what if she doesn't want help?"

"I guess they'll give her space if that's the case. But the thing about family is that they're always there to help when you least expect them to."

They reached the point where their schools diverged. Shirou walked on ahead but Nanako paused at the fork in the road. "B-big bro!" she called out quickly before he left. The red haired teen stopped and turned to her. Even when she blushed and averted her gaze, he stayed and watched patiently for her to finish. "Umm… you'd help me if I was in trouble too, right big bro?"

"Of course, Nanako. You don't even need to ask."

"Even if I was sad and lonely? Even if I was captured?"

"I'd come running to get you always."

The casual admittance and confidence behind his words brought a smile to Nanako's face. "Pinky swear!" she insisted, extending the digit.

Shirou smiled back, and knelt down to her height. His hand was bigger than hers, so strong that even his pinky felt like it could tug hers off. But the gesture was gentle, which made her feel safe.

Around the time her mother died, her father had told her that their family wasn't going to get any bigger.

And yet right at this moment, she was standing and smiling with her older brother.

One that would promise to protect her always.

<><><>

After School, Teddie's Hub Space

Teddie sighed; he knew he shouldn't be loafing around like this, but for some reason he couldn't stop doing it.

This world was getting cluttered again. He had earnestly hoped that with Yuki-chan's rescue the process would stop. To make sure he didn't lose track of time again, he clapped himself a sort of clock. And a "calendar", as Shirou-sensei called it.

Heck, with the stockpile of Daidara weapons, and having no accidents for weeks according to his tally, he went ahead and made the once empty hovel into a sort of living quarters, complete with four walls. Weapons and armor were carefully placed on racks and walls and other stuff (as it was dangerous to drop them all in a pile). A circular table with chairs lined around it had been set up for group meetings. A big couch had been "clapped" and placed in the side corner when he finally found himself a girl to score. (Or was it "date"?) He also moved his blankey and pillow close to that same corner so he could sleep and be close by when his friends came back.

It was a nice distraction, to say the least.

But that wasn't why the blue bear was feeling more blue.

Teddie closed his eyes and sniffed again. There was nothing stuffy or impairing his senses, at least to his knowledge. He knew for certain that something was out there. It didn't matter where he was. He should be able to track the scent, like he did with Yuki-chan and the others.

He struggled to find the mark, much to his dismay and grief. But even so he sniffed again, to find this new world. It was on the tip of his tongue. It was close, and he knew the others were counting on him. Maybe. Maybe…

Or maybe not. The scent still eluded him.

Once more, Teddie sighed, slumping in defeat. "Shirou-sensei and the others are going to be so disappointed…"

If he couldn't help them, they would have no reason to come back to him. They would leave him alone. He would have nothing to do but prance around and think about nothing.

So swallowed up in his thoughts he didn't even notice the Investigation Team arrive through the TV Tower Stack. It was their commentary on the new décor that made him realize he had company, but he wasn't happy or excited by that fact for once.

"Oh, don't mind all that," he droned. "It's been there for weeks."

"Oh, there you are, Ted," said Yosuke. He and the others walked over to the bear as if nothing was wrong. "You made all this?"

"You guys never showed up so I got bored," Teddie explained. He didn't bother turning around or saying much else, which caused the human members (and fox) of the Investigation Team to exchange worried glances.

"That's, kinda why we came over today, Teddie," said Chie. "A lot of stuff happened and we haven't gotten the chance to see you lately."

"So we thought to drop by and visit," Yukiko added. "We even brought you some food."

Teddie's round ears twitched at the mention of food. He slowly turned to find Yuki-chan holding a white bag with some sort of fancy seal stamped on it. "Junes", it read.

Curious, the bear squeaked over and sniffed the bag. At least he could identify the aroma of greasy meat and melted cheese from this proximity, so his nose wasn't broken yet. Gingerly taking the bag from Yuki-chan's hands, he looked again at the expectant faces of his friends. They weren't mad or upset at all, but happy.

That was very nice of them, Teddie realized. But it was also very troubling. He fidgeted with the bag, rolling the paper bag up more. "So you're not here because someone else was thrown in?"

At once, all their smiles fell to some degree of uneasiness and horror. "What?" asked Shirou-sensei.

"You don't know?" Teddie asked back. "Someone was thrown in last night. June 1st, around 11 PM."

"Are you sure?"

"My nose might be a bit rusty, but I can still tell when my world shifts. It always happens whenever someone is thrown in here."

"That's impossible!" Chie-chan cried. "We all saw Kanji-kun at school today and he was the last person to show up on the Midnight Channel!"

Yosuke looked forlorn as he uttered, "Right before Risette."

"Risette-chan?" Yukiko blinked. "But I thought she was still on tour."

"She publically announced her retirement at the concert last night." Shirou grimaced. "Her manager later assessed it as a hiatus this morning, and that she left to live with one of her family members. He just never said who or where."

"And of all the places, of all times, it had to be during another rainy day in Inaba." Yosuke trembled, and glared hotly at the bear. "Teddie! You know where Risette is, right? Take us to her right now!"

There it is. The point where everyone would hate the useless bear. "I can't."

Yosuke didn't believe him. "Bullshit. You know this place better than any of us! You took us to that old shopping district and the castle through all that fog!"

"Y-yes I did, but the way things are now, I don't think I can find my way back to either of those places again."

The others looked shocked and concerned. Yosuke just looked angrier. "Let me get this straight; you roped us into helping you, when you could only smell out Shadows and where other people have been thrown in, and now you're trying to tell us that you can't even do the one thing we need you for?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"WHAT THE HELL?! What makes today, of all days, any different from last month?!"

"Today's different because this world wasn't such a dump!" Teddie snapped back, stomping his squeaky foot in anger. He couldn't help it; he was under a lot of stress and the last thing he needed was being heckled and reminded that his usefulness was at stake.

"Why do you think I wanted you guys to stop whoever's doing this in the first place?!" the bear cried. "Whenever someone's thrown in, they bring in all their thoughts and feelings with them. That means more clutter, more jumbled up thoughts, and even more agitated Shadows! It was hard enough trying to tune out the other voices and focus on the first few places. Believe me, I've tried looking! I've spent all day since I first felt the person's presence here on it but I could only get a general direction of where she is."

"W-well, that's something, right?" Chie asked. "Just send us to where you last felt her and we'll head that way! We don't have to worry about getting lost either because of our fog glasses!"

"Have you ever been on a ship, Satonaka?"

Everyone turned to Shirou for his non sequitur. "Uh… no?"

"Then you don't know how serious they take their navigation and charting. They have to carefully plan the shortest route to their destination by the degrees, especially in long journeys. If they miss their turns by even the smallest margin and keep going straight, they could miss their destination entirely. What you're suggesting to Teddie is to go on a hunch and possibly never find Rise."

"Not to mention all the Shadows we would run into if we take the wrong path," Teddie muttered.

Chie looked downcast. "Uh, right. Forget I mentioned that."

Yukiko had been deep in thought since the revelation of Rise's kidnapping, and finally came to an epiphany. "Say, Teddie? How did you find me?"

"Huh?" Teddie blinked, pausing in pulling the tin-foiled burger out from his bag (as he started to wonder if he was indeed "hungry"). "Well, since I can tell whenever someone comes in here, I usually can tell what their feelings are before the Shadows start showing up. I just try to recall more of those feelings with my nose and follow it."

"Her feelings?" Chie blinked.

"Uh-huh!" Teddie nodded. "I distinctly remember Yuki-chan feeling lonely with a touch of wanderlust. It was more comforting than the last two who were rather angry and bitter in comparison. Of course, there weren't as many Shadows around so my senses were better."

"So are you saying that if you have a better clue as to who Rise-chan might be, you can find her?"

Everyone stopped and stared at the chestnut haired girl. Teddie blinked, unintentionally dropping the foil-covered burger back into the bag… and then dropped the bag as well. "Chie-chan, you're a genius!"

"I am?" Chie asked, honestly baffled. "I-I mean, that was a complete shot in the dark, so…"

"She is." Yukiko half-smiled, amazed and proud that her friend came to the same conclusion she did. "She just needs to be more certain of herself." Chie blushed and gazed down to the floor, not at all used to the praise.

"All I need is just a hint to better understand this 'Rise-chan'," Teddie explained. "Something to give me a better understanding of her, something to know what she is like…"

"Finally!" Yosuke all but shouted with an excited, dynamic pose. "All my months studying Risette trivia and fan sites are about to pay off!" He quickly dug into his school bag and pulled out a notebook as he started scribbling and listing aloud. "Okay, so her favorite color is pink, she's a shy yet friendly girl with a perfect smile, she once dyed her hair blond-"

"Uh, that's great and all, Yosuke," Teddie winced before cutting him off. "But that doesn't really tell me anything about her."

"What are you talking about? All of this is legit from her interviews!"

"Not that it helps me any in finding her."

Between Yosuke's insistence on his knowledge being useful and Teddie not budging on the issue, it was likely to drag out into a very long fight. Shirou quickly stepped in, literally between the two. "Guys, settle down. We'll just have to find another clue that would work better for Teddie."

"But Emiya-kun," said Chie. "It just started raining today, and we have three days to get Rise-chan out before her Shadow kills her!"

"All the more reason to start looking around," Shirou explained. "We are the Investigation Team, are we not?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Teddie nodded. "Why don't you guys start with where Rise-chan was last at before coming to this world?"

"Like we have any chance of finding that out in three days," Yosuke argued. "We don't even know where her relatives are in this town!"

Tama's eyes seemed to brighten as she barked for attention. "Yip! Yorwl!"

"What is it, girl?"

In response to Yukiko's question, the fox made a beeline to the stack of TVs, looking back and urging towards the exit for them.

"I don't need to speak fox to know that she's giving us an obvious lead," Chie smiled. "Let's follow her!"

One by one, the Investigation Team left the way they came in. Only Shirou fell back, noticing how quickly Teddie lost his smile. "Are you alright, Teddie?"

"I don't know," the bear said. "I keep trying to think what I can do, but then I only end up making myself feel sad. It feels so bad, like all my stuffing will burst out at once…"

Sweat rolled down the back of the magus' exasperated head. "But he's hollow inside," he thought bewilderedly, but held his tongue from stating that outright. Teddie always seemed to suffer from low self-esteem in trying to find his worth. It was an endeavor that Shirou more than sympathized with.

"You silly old bear," he said, patting the round dome of Teddie's head. "You don't have to keep proving yourself. You're already my better when it comes to Gradation Air."

"But what about Rise-chan? And whoever gets thrown in after her? If I can't find them, who will save them?"

The bear made a valid point. Shirou mulled it over before shrugging. "I could probably ask my benefactors about a Persona that specializes in scouting, but we can worry about that after Rise."

Teddie still looked worried, but he nodded all the same, feeling more at ease. "Uh, Shirou-sensei? Do you mind keeping what I said about thinking between us? I don't want the others starting to think that I'm useless."

"No one would think that anyway if they knew." Yosuke might crack a joke about it, but when push came to shove he always meant well as the girls did. "Your world is going to be all right and the murder mystery will be wrapped up before you know it. You'll see."

Teddie's frown finally broke back into a relieved smile. "Thank you, Shirou-sensei."

The tarot that best represented Teddie was that of a classic five-pointed star. Much like the Sun, a detailed face was painted on the surface of a gold star. A smaller, black star-like figure was positioned opposite and perpendicular to the vertices, and both star shapes seem to be covering over a white-gold sphere space; possibly the moon. The points of the face star divided the night starry sky into different shades of blue and purple.

Thou art I, and I am thou.
Thou hast established a new bond.
It shall bring thee closer to the truth.
Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Star Arcana.

<><><>

Shopping District

There was a mixed blessing in a rainy afternoon over Inaba. The crowd of people was scarce enough throughout the streets, but because the weather virtually everyone was indoors. The only people remaining at school were in cultural clubs like Drama and Music, or simply studying at the library.

There would still be someone out and about holding an umbrella and walking around for whatever reason, but for the most part, no one was around so no one would question why four Yasogami High students were chasing after a fox through the rain down the hill of the Old Shopping District.

As the team raced down the slope of the hill, Shirou's eyes caught sight of something further down the road and barked to their lead. "Wait, stop! Stop!"

Realizing his intent, Tama stopped and ducked by the trimmed bush next to the Shiroku convenience store. Following her lead, the Investigation Team huddled close under the sunshade and near the old wind-up capsule machine. They took the time to catch their breaths and close up their umbrellas.

Yosuke seemed confused by their change of direction and asked aloud, "Wait, why did we stop?"

"Two reasons," said Shirou. "First and most importantly, we're here."

Everyone looked ahead and noticed the humble Marukyu Tofu store just next to Shiroku. "Marukyu? Risette's related to the tofu lady?"

"Oh, that's right!" Yukiko exclaimed. "Kujikawa-san shares the same family name as Rise-chan! I always thought that was peculiar."

The other members turned and gazed at Yukiko, somewhat exasperated. "That information would have been helpful weeks ago, Amagi-san," Yosuke droned.

"It never came up," Yukiko reasoned with a shrug.

"And to think she's among the top academic students," Shirou muttered to himself. Honestly, for someone that managed to ace her tests and exams with flying colors, Yukiko Amagi was quite slow outside the classroom.

Chie, close enough to hear, turned towards him with a glare. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Shirou said quickly. "Anyway, keep watch while I try to listen in through Reinforcement."

"Why not just go up and ask the lady ourselves?" asked Yosuke.

"Because of Reason No. 2," Shirou pointed again, this time to a police car parked just outside the curb, barely visible under the streetlight.

"That's Doji-nii's car."

<><><>

Marukyu Tofu

When the matriarch of the tofu store called about her missing granddaughter, no one wanted to take the case. When she revealed that her granddaughter was the pop idol Risette, they all wanted to drop everything and take it.

Ryotaro Dojima scolded them of course once he saw the chaos ensuing in the station. He knew some good men on the force, but a lot of them were also lazy and inexperienced. Not that he could blame them fully, since Inaba used to be a quiet town before the serial murder case. None of them knew how to properly handle it, instead they wished that it would silently go away.

Dojima wished that sometimes too, if only for the safety of his family, but he knew that some crimes just don't fade away. Because he realized the severity of the possible call (and partly to stop the bickering of who would go), Dojima volunteered with Adachi in tow; specifically, by driving ahead and radioing the station while everyone was still arguing.

The two cops shared a quick laugh on the ride but when they pulled up to Marukyu's, they were all business, and spent some time questioning the old woman living there.

"I got it; Rise-chan eloped in the dead of night so no one could find her!" Adachi declared with a smile. "She said she wanted to quit, she chose a country town people barely know about, and no one has seen her since the concert! It all fits!"

"That doesn't explain the box and suitcase, Adachi," his senior partner argued, pointing to the two items in question by the front door.

Adachi's resolve faltered, but he weakly reasoned, "Maybe she wanted to travel light?"

"With all due respect, Tohru-kun," a third, elderly voice told him, "My granddaughter is not the same kind of girl you've seen in idol media. She's smart and has a good head on her shoulders. And even if she wanted to elope, she wouldn't have left her cellphone or credit card."

The junior detective slumped down from his triumphant pose and slinked away, hiding the obvious distaste from being called by his first name. "So much for my theory."

Seeing that they wouldn't be distracted again, Dojima turned back to his interviewee and resumed questioning. "When did you notice the contents again, Kujikawa-san?"

"Two hours ago." The tofu shop owner frowned. She was still in her white kerchief uniform, and her hands were molding tofu patties for her latest order, but it was slower than her usual pace. Partly from the conversation with the police officer, and partly due to her growing depression. She still worked, if only to keep her mind occupied…

"And you didn't think to call the police until an hour later?" Dojima clarified as Adachi wrote down their conversation for notes.

"You know how teenagers are, Ryo-kun," she answered with a familiar tone; she always referred to others by their first name as if they were all her grandchildren, which was sort of endearing. "They want to play and goof off the moment they are given the opportunity. And my daughter was fresh off from showbiz. I assumed she had dropped in, slept, and then left to catch up with friends. It was only when I realized that no one had seen Rise-chan at all that I assumed the worst."

"I see." Dojima nodded. He had just dropped off his daughter and nephew to see a Risette concert last night. That same night she decided to call it quits, and disappeared without a trace. Adachi's "elope" theory might have held some merit if it weren't for the box of autographs or her suitcase full of clothes.

"I do hope that it's just some tasteless prank," she added. "Rise-chan just arrived home. She can't possibly be related to this murder mystery that the town's going crazy about."

Dojima would have preferred that as well. All that he got from Yukiko Amagi that pointed to the M.O. was hearing the doorbell, and someone calling her name. The deaths of Yamano and Konishi happened so fast that there was no chance to figure out if there were similar factors in their disappearances compared to Amagi's. Perhaps…

"Do you recall hearing anything last night?"

Kujikawa-san's head shook no, at least partway. She stopped and her face morphed to realization before nodding. "Now that you mention it, I did hear the doorbell last night. I just assumed it was Rise-chan before she let herself in."

"Because you unlocked the door?" he clarified.

"And left a note on it. I knew Rise-chan was coming because she called me after her concert. I told no one else."

Adachi had been scribbling on his notepad while glancing occasionally at the box of autograph pictures before throwing his two-cents in. "Could it be possible that someone read your note and planned an ambush?"

The tofu lady looked hurt and indignant at the very suggestion, but couldn't find fault in his reasoning. "I don't know. But I know that there wasn't anyone on the street when I went outside at 11:14. I remember because that was just after Rise-chan called me."

"About that call," Dojima said. "From what I understand, Rise was pretty popular in showbiz. Was there any reason why she would suddenly quit?"

"What difference does it make, Ryo-kun?"

"Depending on her reasons, it might determine if Rise's disappearance is linked to the perp or someone from the paparazzi."

"Hmm…" She hummed in thought. "Well, from what I understand, she just wanted a break."

"A break?"

"From all that strenuous work as an idol. She sounded happier telling me she was coming over than whenever she had to doll herself up and perform for all her fans. There was a time when she was happy and excited about being an idol, but that passed over time."

"Any reason why?"

"I assume it was thanks to all of the little things that build up over time. The stalkers, the tabloids, the late nights…" The woman sighed. "That manager of hers, I wonder what he was thinking setting up that concert last night."

"But I heard it was a big success," Adachi said. "Or at least, partially as far as ticket sales went."

"It was also Rise-chan's 16th birthday."

The detectives exchanged awkward glances in the following silence. "That's the first I heard about it."

"Yeah." Adachi frowned. "I would think that a rising star like Risette would have her birthday known to the public."

"When Rise-chan realized how different the idol business was to her old life, she did her best to keep her stage personality separate from her private life. She probably regrets that since too many people associate her with what the media shows than how she really acts. Her parents and I were usually an outlet for her stress whenever she had time to call. She told us, 'You're the only people I feel real to'."

"I see," said Dojima. He felt he had a clearer picture of how to go about this now, and had asked all he needed. "Thank you for your time, Kujikawa-san."

"If we hear anything new at the station, we'll call you," added Adachi. "Oh, and feel free to call us again on your end."

"I know how busy you policemen are with your jobs," the old woman said. "But please, Ryo-kun, Tohru-kun, bring my granddaughter back safely."

"We'll do everything we can," Dojima promised. "Good night, Kujikawa-san."

The two bowed and quietly left the store. As Dojima fiddled around in an effort pull his car keys out of his pocket, Adachi stared up at the dark sky.

"I have a bad feeling about this one, Dojima-san."

Dojima rolled his eyes. "If it's another one of your elaborate theories, save it. Just stick to what you know and build from there before jumping to conclusions. No one is an expert overnight."

"Noted," the rookie said. "But hear me out this time; wasn't it raining just as bad before Yamano and Konishi's bodies were discovered?"

Dojima stopped and turned his gaze up to the utility pole next to them. Two women had been found dead and suspended on the wires. They should have been electrocuted, or bore signs of wounds that could kill them, or even drugs in their bodies. No evidence was found at the towers or on either of their bodies, so they could have died from heart attacks for all the police knew.

But now that Adachi mentioned it, it was always raining when the women vanished. Amagi had fit the pattern too. Worst case scenario they would have to assume that Rise was the fourth in this string of kidnappings. Except…

"It just started raining tonight," he said, still staring up. "Last night was cloudy, but no rain. The latest Rise could have disappeared was early this morning."

"Well, it would be kind of crazy for the perp to follow a rigid schedule based on the weather, you know? The news only predicts and forecasts the weather a week in advance, and even then there's a chance of it being wrong."

"Good point," said the veteran detective. "Speaking of, the news said it was going to be raining the next few days, up until Sunday. Best case scenario we have the next two days to find her before she dies."

"That barely fits our search time with the other two any better." Adachi winced. "And it's not like we have any leads like Saki Konishi or the Amagi Inn."

Dojima mulled in thought before digging his keys out and opening the car door. He stopped again, this time looking past Adachi towards the convenience store.

His partner blinked, slightly startled yet unaware that his boss was looking past him, not at him. "Sir?"

Could someone be watching him? The killer couldn't be that daring, and no one else would have figured out Rise Kujikawa's stay would have been here. Not yet anyway.

Dojima stared for a second longer before dropping it. He didn't have time to chase random shadows. That would probably be their plan anyway, trying to distract him from the rescue. "We'll just have to make some rounds and hope for the best. But I have a theory."

"Oh?" Adachi smiled with no small amount of irony. "And what's that, Dojima-san?"

"For someone to kidnap four people without so much as being noticed, they would have to either be very sneaky, or know how to hide in plain sight. Each kidnapping happened without anyone noticing, so there must be some sort of getaway vehicle involved."

The two cops were now inside, seatbelts buckled, and the car's engine roared to life during the course of Dojima's explanation. "So what do we do?" asked Adachi.

"There are street cameras at both ends of the shopping district, and we finally have a time stamp for Rise. We'll double back to the station and see if there's anything out of the ordinary from last night."

Adachi winced. "You think we'll find anything out from that?"

"Wouldn't hurt to look. Like you said, we don't have any other leads."

<><><>

Yosuke poked his head out of the store once he heard the car. He watched it drive down the way to the gas station and turn around the corner before uttering, "They're gone."

From their rushed and sudden hiding spots, the teens all sighed in relief, Shirou especially. Eavesdropping on an official police investigation and hoping no one would notice? He had kept secrets from Fuji-nee and Sakura for years, but this was something else entirely.

"You idiot!" Chie seethed from behind a store shelf. "What were you thinking trying to get closer like that!?

"I was trying to be Shirou's eyes since he was too busy being our ears!"

"We already got arrested once! I doubt the police are going to give us a pass the next time around when they find out we're trying to do their jobs!"

"Ahem."

The fight ended as quickly as it came from the front desk. An old, hunched woman stared at them with her far apart, beady eyes. A small pair of round glasses, sans the temples, sat on the bridge of her nose and looked impossible to see clearly with them. She wore a polka-dot scarf tied over her black hair and a red kimono under a blue apron.

"I don't mind what you kids do in your spare time"-Old Lady Shiroku smiled-"but if you come into my store, at least buy something."

"Oh, we'd love to, Shiroku-san." Yosuke bowed quickly. "But we actually had to duck in here to dry off before reaching to our friend's place. See you when it's nice and dry!"

"Did I mention that I have a promotion sale today?"

Yosuke's foot was out the door, but held in place as he and the others stared back. "Say what?"

"Today is raining, so I'm having a sale," Shiroku explained. "Everything you see in here is 20% off."

Shirou blinked. "20%? Is that a big price cut?"

"That's the idea; it convinces customers to shop here on rainy days and even clear out a bit of the inventory, as you can plainly see."

Indeed, it was a very cluttered shop. Despite the dark rain outside, the room was well lit with the lamps overhead. For merchandise, there were bagged snacks and chocolates, school supplies like pens and lined paper, even medicine and disposable diapers. And then there were various decorative statues from beckoning cats to nesting dolls. Probably the most eye drawing was the statue of a frog with a lit pipe on the center stand. Shirou pondered that this looked more like a warehouse than a store.

And what was with the lines underneath the shelves and tables?

"This…" Yosuke said slowly, eyes widening. "This might actually be good. We've been meaning to stock up on medicine, and the timing couldn't be better for a sale."

"And Daidara's close by," Chie added. "Probably wouldn't hurt to get some stronger armor." To herself she muttered, "And maybe my commission order too…"

"All right," said Shirou to the now huddled team. "We made some good time finding a lead that might help Teddie, so let's use the next ten minutes to get ready. Satonaka and Amagi will stay here and go through the medicine aisle. Buy as much as you can within reason."

The girls nodded, and Shirou handed Yosuke some of his pay from MOEL. "Yosuke, you head to Daidara's and pick up four sets of armor. I'll trust your judgment on what we need best."

"Uh, think you can ask about my order while you're there?" Chie spoke up. "I already paid him for it, so don't worry."

"Wait, what did you order?" Yosuke asked, before horror and realization settled in. "It's not another chain whip, is it!?"

"Of course not!" Chie snapped hotly, much to his relief. "Look, just check if it's ready yet, okay?"

Shirou stepped outside and spotted the fox huddled by the capsule machine. "Tama, do you remember my bow and quiver? Tucked away in the back area of the shrine?"

Tama nodded.

"Do you think you can head over, pick it up, and wait for us at Teddie's?"

Instead of answering, the vixen sprinted at full speed through the rain toward the shrine steps. He hoped the rain didn't bother her much with all the fur, nor that she didn't have trouble finding it. They had cleared out most of the weeds weeks ago and had only just started using the place for archery practice. Or rather, Shirou fired a few shots, content that his skill hadn't waned at all, and tried in vain to teach the same principles to the others.

Perhaps he should ask Ichijo and Nagase for pointers, as they were captains of their own teams. He also still owed Ichijo a favor…

Yosuke slapped Shirou's back, while holding his umbrella over their heads. "Well, the girls are already doing their shopping, so that leaves us with getting armor."

"Actually, I said that you were the only one to get the armor. I even gave you money to help with that."

"Well then, what are you going to do?"

"Something only I can do." Shirou pulled out the Velvet Key and made a turn to the familiar stained glass door. "Talk to my benefactors." A flash later, he was gone.

Yosuke blinked, wondering where the hell his friend went, before shrugging and entering the weapon store. "One of these days I'm going to find out how he does all that."

<><><>

Unbeknownst to everyone involved, a figure was standing solemnly in the rain and fog. It did not bother them. But seeing the fools run around trying to solve everything was amusing.

They were aware of the person who had pushed Rise into the other world, and before her Yukiko. They were also aware of the one that was manipulating this so-called murder case from within, possibly content and amused.

And now they had seen how this boy, Shirou Emiya, was trying to save people before even trying to solve the mystery.

Their fancy with the boy had waned. No, that was a lie. If anything it had grown beyond mere curiosity. He was very similar to the kidnapper and the manipulator in their outlooks. Broken, flawed, and tragic. But whereas one went on to become a tragic character of his own Despair, and the other would watch the events unfold while remaining apathetic and Empty, Shirou pressed on with Hope in his silliest of dreams.

Oh, his aptitude in magecraft mattered, but not in having a leg-up on his competition. They realized he had some knowledge of it the second day of his arrival, even though it wasn't complete. But they were surprised that he used the talent with the help of others in mind.

Sure, the boy was naïve, ignorant, and foolish to the art. But those very flaws had brought out an honest soul willing to look beyond what was shown as a façade. Igor might have given the boy a push, but that was unavoidable as he always backed up Philemon's chosen.

Still, they couldn't afford to play favorites like Philemon or Nyarlathotep. This "murder mystery" was important to the world, and they couldn't be swayed by someone they wished to succeed. And although they earnestly WANTED Shirou to win, he could never become an Ally of Justice if he was just handed victories like this one.

Heroes needed to earn their mantle, to prove they could handle everything Gaia threw at them. Though it wasn't like they could give him someone to save-

…Could they?

Yes. Yes, that could work. It was perfect, even, in more ways than one.

They reached into their pocket and pulled a thin, bamboo comb. This comb looked less like the modern rectangles meant to brush long strokes of hair at a time, but more like a sword hilt with its pointed design.

They brought it to their hair and pulled down. With each stroke along their hair, the power of separation grew.

Soon, all their moral limitations would be gone; whatever happened to it, they couldn't say, but there wouldn't be any compassion towards it. There would be no favoritism from here on, and whoever won would do so through their own efforts… and possibly some more trials set up by them personally.

Shirou Emiya wanted to be a hero, and a hero needed to face villains without moral compassion or restraint.

For the sake of the young man they had grown fondly toward, they would be that villain.

"I wish you the best of luck, Shirou-chan."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 31: Striptease
Velvet Room

The Izanagi and Cu Sith cards were set on the table. The temporal room was silent as the long-nosed man waved his hand. Shirou, having seen the ritual before, kept his eyes more on Igor than the soon-to-be fusion. As his nose picked up the distinct scent of fresh tailored silk and champagne, the table erupted as sigils appeared.

In trying to gauge Igor's technique, he was distracted by the cards once again rocketing to the non-existent ceiling and dancing before blending together in a flash of white. Moments later, the new Persona appeared, feminine in form. She wore a white leotard over her slightly tanned skin, and had flowing blue hair. She looked human enough, beautiful even, but the wings and tail sprouting from behind in the same skin-tone color showed she wasn't normal. In fact, she was very dangerous and represented the Devil arcana.

Her teal eyes shifted to Shirou and she smiled seductively. Without warning, she flew down to his side and started stroking his chin. "Why, hello handsome! My name's Lilim, but feel free to call me Lili for short. Makes me sound almost human, no?"

"Uuuh," was Shirou's intelligent reply. He was aware that Lilims were sex demons, junior to the Succubi, but he was still taken aback from this one's forwardness.

"Aww, you're so cute acting all flustered like that!" cooed Lilim. She glanced back to Igor and Margaret, who were calmly staring and watching them. They might as well be statues, but the she-devil didn't seem to like how cramped the room was. "Say, why don't we go somewhere private and I can show you some of my techniques?"

The boy's face flushed a deep red. Before he could stutter a weak refusal, another Persona from his mind forcibly revealed herself to confront Lilim. "Still your tongue, hellspawn. You will not corrupt this soul under my guidance."

The woman could pass herself off as Lilim's sister in appearance, as they shared the same body size and hair color. The other woman's eyes appeared closed but she was hardly blind. A white sundress covered her body to her ankles, and feathery wings sprouted from her back.

Angel of Justice. Ninth of the nine hierarchies of Heaven, they were among the many messengers and guardians assigned to the equally large number of humans living in the world. Even when found from the remains from a Shadow weeks ago, she claimed to be Shirou's guardian angel, such as she was proving now. Not to say that she wasn't as fond of Nanako as he was.

But perhaps it was a bad idea to fuse Lilim while Angel was around…

Though looking put off from Angel's appearance, Lilim recovered and proceeded to lick Shirou's cheek, much to his discomfort and her anger. "A bit too late for that," the devil grinned. "This guy has a dark, burning fire inside him that's just waiting to get out. And I bet he could rock any girl's world if he let himself run wild."

Angel's eyes scrunched as if narrowing to a scowl. She gently but forcefully wrapped her arms around Shirou's. Tender like a lover, but also possessive. "No man is born perfectly Good or Lawful, but we endear those that try to follow our example. This child tries harder than anyone else, and heroes of the past have an unfortunate track record of acting on impulse than chastity."

"Chastity sucks! Real heroes are so sexy that their fingernails radiate testosterone!" Lilim argued. "And he has the potential to have any and EVERY girl he could want! Why wouldn't he want to have a girlfriend or five?"

"Because it is unbecoming. Love is a sacred bond between family and spouses, yet you seem to confuse it with orgies."

"Don't knock it 'til you try it, honey!" Lilim looked once over at Angel, and smiled seductively. "How would you like to become a Fallen Angel?"

Angel was obviously offended, but didn't show it. Instead she fired her own rhetoric. "How would you like to be a redeemed Nun?"

Lilim gasped as if her mother had been insulted. "I'd rather die before I go through something so demeaning!"

"The feeling's mutual."

Shirou could see and feel Zio sparks ignite from the two Personas glaring at one another. If this kept up, there could be a serious outbreak, leaving nothing of the Velvet Room left. "U-uh, Lilim? Angel?"

"What?" they growled as they turned towards him. Shirou felt his wellbeing at considerable risk now, but he couldn't stop now.

"I understand that you two have a… disagreement with one another." No one was fooled by the gross understatement. "But I would appreciate that you keep your advice and feedback towards my Social Links, so we can all get stronger."

"Understood, child," Angel nodded. Romance was something that took time, and she was content that Shirou would let things take their due course.

Lilim wasn't as patient, and saw this as him siding with Angel. She folded her arms and pouted cutely. "But that's boring! Don't tell you aren't the least bit interested in cute girls?"

Again, Shirou's mind let loose a Persona that couldn't help but add their two-cents in. He felt a bit of horror realizing it was the Duke of Hell, and what he was about to say next. "His heart clearly yearns for young Chie Satonaka, despite his denials and false sense of chivalry. It is most endearing."

"I'm partial to the scent of Cu Taiga myself," the fey dog added, also appearing in the cramped room. "Her kiss still finds its way to his dreams."

"Cu Sith!" Shirou flushed in equal parts embarrassment and anger. How the hell did his Persona even know about those dreams anyway?!

"What is there concern about? They were all chaste in nature after you rescued her from perils such as Kotomine's Tower-"

"Bah!" snorted Eligor. "You are clearly ignorant of the dream where he rescued Chie from the fierce Flygon."

Lilim cracked a smile. "Flygon? That's some sort of lame-man's kiddy monster, right? Why would anyone be scared of a knock-off?"

"The young Chariot has a severe case of entomophobia. It was a dream worthy of film classics."

"Huh. So how cute are these girls he's clearly into?" Lilim asked as she idly twirled her tail along her finger. "On a scale of one to ten?"

"Let me put it this way," said Cu Sith, before letting out a long, primal howl. "Arooooooooooo!"

"Nice."

"Can we please drop this?!" Shirou cried out from his seat. He couldn't sink any lower than he wanted to nor could he hide his face any further. He was just here to fuse more Personas to help Rise. How in the world did it get to the point that they were all talking about Satonaka and Fuji-nee like this?!

"Yeah, sure," Lilim smirked. "I think I'll hang around if your life is like an episode from a harem show."

"My life is not a harem show!" he snapped, for what little good it did.

The Personas finally dismissed themselves back to his subconscious, having their heckling fun. Though it was clear that Angel didn't share his other Personas' good cheer about his love life; in fact, she seemed to be rather disappointed in him.

Igor and Margaret's expressions had the faintest hints of amused smiles. "My," said Igor. "What a colorful ensemble you have collected!"

"And you're quite a hit with the ladies as well," Margaret teased.

Shirou could only glare and twitch with a bright red face. "Are we quite done here?"

"Yes," Margaret nodded, summoning the Izanagi card from the tome now that the joke was over. "Remember what you have seen today, because you'll have to complete the next fusion yourself."

Shirou nodded in understanding. One of the conditions to his magecraft training was to master fusion himself in a series of requests. The first request was to create a "subtle and fast Ippon-Datara". He had been thinking it over after she opened his magic circuits (which was as painful a process as she forewarned), and he assumed what she was asking to create him with a skill or spell to help him get faster. Like Jiraiya's Sukukaja.

Perhaps it was his own Structural Analysis acting up or some benefit of the Velvet Room, but Shirou could see the possibilities of Personas before they fused, including the skills they would inherit and later learn. Cu Sith was a trial run made in a hurry, while Lilim was decided out of other potential fusions because of her ability to learn Sukukaja.

Not that it would happen anytime soon, but rescuing Rise should help towards that.

"I will," he said, before glancing to the older man. "That is, if Igor-san will allow that."

"By all means," Igor smiled while gesturing towards him. "You are our guest, after all."

<><><>

Route to Rise

Sometime later, everyone regrouped and met with Teddie again. They now had armor, supplies, and a lead. Shirou told Teddie of what he'd heard (Rise's worries about her stage life overtaking her personal one) and like a bloodhound on the trail, the bear was off. Shirou and the others followed close behind.

There was a silent anxiety working over everyone on their second rescue run. Yukiko had undergone trial runs through her castle before, but she was still nervous the whole trip as he looked over her shoulder. Chie herself was sporting a bō staff strapped over her back, looking ready to pull it out at a moment's notice. When asked about the change of weapon, she shrugged and insisted that she needed something easier to use. No one really questioned this and dropped the issue; Yosuke in particular was relieved. In fact, Yosuke seemed beside himself as to how to greet Rise.

"How about 'Hey babe! Name's Yosuke Hanamura! And I want to be your boyfriend for life!'? No, too long, I need to make a good first impression. Maybe if I make a dynamic entrance with Jiraiya and whisk her off her feet? I could play a cool song to go with it. I wonder if I have one of hers on my player-"

"For crying out loud, Hanamura!" Chie snapped hotly. "We're on a mission to save Rise-chan! Stop treating this like a pick-up date!"

"I-I'm not!" Yosuke argued, looking at her warily. "I just want to make sure she likes us!"

"Whether she likes us or not is pointless, Yosuke. Chances are we'll have to end up fighting her Shadow." Shirou reasoned from ahead. He'd settled for a short sword strapped to his hip, and carried his old bow at the ready. He had no quiver, but he figured that as long as he visualized the iron-tipped arrows he needed, it would suffice and he waste prana instead of ammunition.

The auburn-haired teen flustered and grumbled as if shimmering in heat, before shrugging it off. "Well, I guess I'll impress her with my actions instead of my words. Dating can wait after."

Shirou and Chie rolled their eyes, and they pressed on. Teddie hadn't been quipping as much since he began guiding them, which they could only assume required his utmost concentration. And why wouldn't it? This wasn't a rescue of a friend and classmate. It was the pop idol Risette, a famous celebrity. If someone like her were to turn up dead, news of such a tragedy would definitely gain widespread attention. Even the Clocktower might take notice.

Yukiko was far more nervous than her friends, still being new to the group and all. It only got worse as their way forward was getting darker and harder to see through. But surely they would find a clearing after getting through this… cave? Was it a cave? She decided to call it a cave.

Suddenly, due to their guide abruptly stopping, everyone bumped and collided with each other to form a tangled pile on the ground. "Teddie! What gives?" Yosuke complained for all of them as they stood back up.

The bear ignored them, seeming to take in a few more whiffs before turning towards them. "Well, here we are! Lost person world number 4, starring Rise-chan!"

"Huh?"

Everyone looked around, but all they saw was darkness. Even the fog glasses couldn't see what wasn't lit up, and this area was very dark. What kind of secret did Rise have to hide here? "Teddie, are you sure this the place?"

"Of course, Yuki-chan!" Teddie nodded. "I can definitely pick up a kindred spirit in Rise-chan here!"

"But why is it so dark here? I can barely see my hand in front of my face," she argued, holding up her hand for emphasis. Not that she was sure if the others could see her or not. "Do we even know what it's supposed to look like?"

"We would if we had seen the Midnight Channel," Shirou said. "Hold on, I'll give us a light."

A card crush later, the divine Persona appeared over his head. Cupping her hands together, she whispered "Hama" before a ball of light started to illuminate their surroundings, such as the pink carpet with heart designs under their feet.

"Ah, that's much better," Yukiko smiled. "Thank you, Ms. Angel. And Emiya-kun, of course."

"It is only a temporary solution," said the divine Persona. "And limiting of my powers until a suitable alternative is found."

"In other words, we need to find a light switch." Shirou supplied.

"Hey, I think I found one!"

Everyone turned and walked towards Chie. Angel's light showed a sort of empty booth back the way they came, like an entrance. It looked like a ticket stand of sorts, and had a big red button with the word "POWER" written in big English letters.

"Guess this will turn on the lights here," Shirou noted.

"But what if it's a trap?" Yukiko asked.

"It's a risk we'll have to take," said Yosuke. "We can't really fight in the dark here."

Everyone exchanged glances and gave unanimous nods of agreement. Shirou reached forward and pushed the button. Lights all over turned on, mostly from the studio steel crates dangling from the ceiling, as well as glowing neon lights that rotated colors. Light blindness aside, the team finally got a good look of their surrounding dungeon.

The pink carpet led to a small elevated stage, wide enough for someone to dance on or enter the large stage door ahead. Red leather couches were set around tables at each side of the carpet, designed with rich taste. Many pink-purple drapes were set up, and partly wrapped around pillars for aesthetic value. The pink stage curtains had patterns of hearts glowing as if coming from spotlights.

The setting was not lost on any of them, except maybe Teddie. Yosuke was busy pinching himself. Shirou's right eye was twitching. Yukiko was busy blinking through the bright lights. Tama craned her neck at the tables and seating. Only Chie had enough function in her mouth to utter the words circling through her friend's heads.

"Oh my God."

Angel's face fell as she covered her already closed eyes in shame, Hama spell no longer active. "Please do not utter the Lord's name here," she weakly pleaded. "It's used enough in these places."

"Oh-ho!" Yosuke grinned perversely. "This looks like the kind you'd find at resort towns, too!"

"I think you're right," Yukiko nodded. Realizing what she said, she blushed and immediately backpedaled before anyone noticed. "N-not that our inn is like that! We do not have one of these at all!"

"Rise's in a strip tease," Shirou groaned bitterly as he dismissed his Persona. "If Fuji-nee ever finds out about this, she'll kill me."

"I don't get it," Teddie asked innocently. "What's the big deal?"

Seeing Yosuke grin towards the bear, Chie quickly stomped on his foot so all he could utter was a pained scream. "I'm not going to let you corrupt him into your image!"

"Look who's talking!" he argued. "You're the one who dropped the word 'scoring' in front of him!"

"Well you're not going to drop the word 'strip'!"

"Strip?"

For a brief moment, Yosuke smirked as Chie clasped her mouth shut. Shirou sighed, thinking it was best to run damage control as soon as possible. "Teddie, the word strip means-"

"Oh Shirou-sensei, I'm already familiar with the term!"

"Y-you are?"

"Of course! It's a piece of road where shops set themselves up against!"

Shirou blinked. As did Chie, Yosuke, and Tama as they stared at the confident bear, trying to process his logic. "That's a strip mall," the magus slowly explained. "It's… not the same thing."

"Huh," said Teddie. "Then a regular strip would be a line, right? Like on a zebra?"

Again there was bewildered silence. "You're joking, right?" Shirou asked finally.

Teddie blinked. "Wouldn't you be laughing if it was a joke?"

Exasperated sweat rolled down the three students' heads, and Tama could only paw her face in shame equaling Angel's. Yukiko, more worried about the lighting affecting her glasses and convincing the others that her inn had no relation to a strip tease, didn't seem to notice the exchange at all. Despite of the fact she stood next to Teddie and Shirou the whole time.

Yosuke and Chie exchanged glances. "Should… we explain to him what strip really means?"

"Please don't."

Marukyuu Striptease, 3rd Floor

The dungeon was as suggestive as the entrance implied. Neon lights lit up the ceiling with bright circles and heart designs. Purple heart-patterned curtains were placed not only as "doors" through the halls, but also set up around the walls with lights of full lips and pin-up women silhouettes. The floor path was almost like a runway, with slick silver and pink tiles more suited to a rich home than an adult setting. The paths, much like Yukiko's Castle, branched out in irregular construction pathways. In the dead ends with big space, was a small elevated stand with a stripper pole set up.

And of course, there were Shadows that more or less suited themselves to the setting. Like the Soul Dancer, a pair of male-female figures in ballroom costumes and in an affection dance. It could have passed as a normal duo if not for the rapier they shared in their off hands, or the black heart with a Lovers Noh mask floating over the space where the heads were absent.

It made for an easy target though, Chie soon realized. She hated the things because of their tendency to throw fire magic around, so she swung her staff at the head fast and hard at the heart-head, smiling in satisfaction as the bodies crumbled and then dispersed into black.

"Ha!" she grinned. "I knew getting this staff was a good idea!"

So confident in her new weapon, she didn't notice the five eyeballs or Hermit numbered Noh mask looming towards her. The area behind the eyes distorted, as the figure was cloaked in camouflage. The Shadow looked like a large black face with red marks under the eyes and a red mane-cape fabric flowing off the edges. The Death Seeker started to crackle with energy, and a ball of blue electricity formed in the space of its open mouth-!

Only to be snuffed completely by a plume of flames underneath it. The Death Seeker Shadow too, was eliminated.

Chie only noticed the heat as soon as it vanished, but gave a knowing smile. "Thanks, Yukiko!"

Not too far from her side, Yukiko exhaled a sigh of relief and lowered her extended fan hand. Konohana-Sakuya, with her crescent feather blade, mirrored the action before she returned to Yukiko's subconscious.

As Shirou and Yosuke finished off their own targets, the group huddled back as Teddie and Tama sneaked out of their hiding spot. "Great job, guys! You're really getting the hang of this!"

"It's still annoying that some Shadows can only be hurt by one sort of attack," Yosuke griped as he holstered his twin short blades away. "Like that floating half-crown mask that looked like a cloud of its own dust-"

"Rainy Sister," Teddie supplied.

"No one cares," Yosuke quipped back. "-and how it was only affected by ice, which Satonaka sucks at."

"My ice does not suck!" Chie huffed.

"Then why can't you do that double thing that you used back at the castle? You could level an entire floor with it!"

"It's a super move! You can't just use super moves willy-nilly! There's a time and place for everything!"

Yosuke only stared at her incredulously for a moment before turning to their leader. "Shirou, you can use Personas with ice spells, right?"

"Not right now, but I'll see what I can do with my benefactors," said the magus.

"Please do," Yosuke nodded, deliberately ignoring the hurt and angry glare Chie was sending them. "Anyway, how are we on energy so far? No one abusing physical arts or anything, right?"

"I got a minor scrape from that DNA-looking Shadow ("Miss Gene," Teddie quickly stated), but nothing a small Dia can't fix."

"Allow me, Emiya-kun!" Yukiko offered, already summoning her Persona to help, but he held his hand to stop her.

"It's alright, Amagi. My scrape is nothing serious, and you've been using a lot of spells as it is."

It was expected from her Shadow that Yukiko had a flare for fire spells, but the healing was a boon as well. She even knew how to cast a wide-spread cure in Media, something both Pixie and Jiraiya lacked. The downside however, was that she was purely specialized in magic. That meant low strength, low endurance, and not even a physical attack art like Cleave. So Yukiko was a bit of a vital asset; she could take away pain and dish it out in spades, but couldn't take it, especially from ice.

"It's no trouble though," she argued. "Sakuya has a lot of energy to spare; I don't think I'm at the half-way mark either."

"Just remember to ration what you have and use the spells when we really need it," Shirou insisted, searching through the medicine bag Teddie handed him. "Especially with the Shadows being a bit stronger than at the castle."

Yukiko frowned. Not just at the dislike of being reminded of the castle, but the implication that the fighting was getting worse. "How could that be?"

"It's raining on your side, right?" Teddie asked rhetorically. "It's like I said before. When it rains on your side, the fog thins out and Shadows get rowdy. That also means stronger Shadows that normally wouldn't come out on a normal day show up here. Like the Rainy Sister."

With the battle over and their injuries patched up, the Investigation Team (plus animals) continued their search. Their current floor seemed to have a single corridor with no branching paths, and no other Shadow made their presence known.

Then they approached a wide curtain. Teddie's nose twitched and wiggled. "Hold on… I'm getting something. Something really strong and smelly beyond that door!"

Yosuke blinked. "Smelly? Well either that's Rise behind the door, or a giant turd-based Shadow."

Ignoring his attempt at levity, Shirou pulled the curtains open. Behind them was a widespread room with square support beams, glowing floor panels, and spots on a lone figure ahead of them. It looked almost like a stage, similar to the castle room Shadow Chie had appeared in.

"Why, hello there you lucky VIPs! I feel so lucky having fans coming so early! But not too early if you know what I mean~! <3"

Again the Investigation Team was shocked into silence. The students quickly recognized the red, wavy hair of Risette, as well as a dark blue aura around her. But her choice of attire was far more startling, for it was more suited to a beach setting… or here of course.

Yosuke licked his lips, and uttered in growing pitch and perversion, "Such an itsy-bitsy, teeny weeny, yellow polka dot bikini-!"

Indeed, the voluptuous figure of Rise Kujikawa, or rather Shadow Rise, was clad in only a matching two-piece swimsuit, her bust bouncing once as she turned to greet them. Her bosom drew the eyes of everyone, even the girls.

"They're so big," Chie found herself saying in envy.

"Anyway, glad you could make it!" Shadow Rise smiled as she spoke to the microphone in her hand. "Today's a special last minute show. I may have quit the idol showbiz, but don't worry! You'll see a lot of me before we're done."

Her hands idly twisted the microphone very… suggestively. "It may be hard to see through all this smoke, but that's the fun of it, right? Teasing your emotions, getting excited the further you go in? I may be a tease, but if you follow me all the way through, I'll show you e-very-thing!"

She jumped and spread her arms wide, breasts bouncing again. "Join me and together we'll show the world my real, bare, naked truth!"

As if on cue, a large, tacky gameshow sign hovered over her head, in colors of purple, yellow, and pink. The form was oblong with bubbles, stars and a triangle with words printed over. In kanji it read "Maru-Q Midsummer Night Dream's Special", and in English were blubs of "Live!" and "Hot!" and "All the Way!" The eye-catcher was "Risette'S E-X-POSED!!!"

"Toodles!" The Shadow waved quickly before skipping ahead in her bare feet.

The Investigation Team made no move after her, as they were still processing what they had just seen and heard. Only Tama seemed unaffected as she looked up to the wide eyes of the humans and bear. Teddie's face flushed, feeling a sort of rising tension in his chest… but he didn't have a heart, did he? He was empty inside. What was this sensation?

Yukiko eventually turned away and looked to her best friend for comfort, blushing as she did so. "Uh, was my Shadow ever-"

"No, Yukiko, yours wasn't as bad," Chie sighed, and holding Yukiko's hand with both of hers for comfort. "And thank God for that."

"I wish she stopped uttering the Lord's name in here." Angel lamented. Not that anyone would hear or react, as Shirou was having a bit of a mental overload.

"Hey! Listen! Hey! HEEEEY! Snap out of it! Geez, he's acting like he's never seen a half-naked girl before!"

"A strip bar, a busty femme, and conflicting virgin emotions? Oh yeah. I couldn't have joined up at a better time if I had wished for one!"

Shirou eventually snapped out of his stupor, as did Yosuke and Teddie, when they heard the sound of cheap audio laughter. "What was that?"

"The Shadows are getting rowdy, just like at the other places!" Teddie answered for them. "All because of Rise-chan's suppressed feelings."

"Oh man, an idol blabbing about sexual innuendos are way worse than a few nasty secrets!" Yosuke cried. "We've got to hurry and save her!"

"That's right! Or else it might end up getting 'bear' naked!"

Almost collectively, Shirou, Chie, and Yosuke suppressed a groan. Humor was not exactly what they needed to alleviate the mood, and Teddie's puns were some of the worst attempts they had ever heard.

"'Bear' naked?"

They had to suppress another set of groans realizing that Yukiko was about to break into a giggling fit again, and take much too long to calm down and help. "He had to say a bear pun in front of her…" Chie lamented.

And yet… there was nothing. Not even a chuckle. Curiously, everyone looked to Yukiko to find her more confused than amused. "That was a pun?"

The incredulous yet innocent question, coupled with the timing, led to her classmates collapsing due to being caught off guard by her taste in humor. Teddie too had fallen, more in defeat that he couldn't make Yukiko let out that melodic laugh from before. Even Tama was swept off her feet, though no one would know it was because she found not just Teddie's pun, but Yukiko's reaction, highly amusing like in a TV sketch.

Yukiko Amagi could only blink bewilderedly at this development.

Marukyuu Striptease, 7th Floor

"I'm so happy you came, my diehard fans!"

Shadow Rise kept an eager lead in front of the Investigation Team, and always had time to drop thanks and innuendoes as they climbed the dungeon floors. Teddie seemed to discover his true gender ever so slowly as he shared the flustered faces of Yosuke and Shirou.

"Gah, so intense," Teddie huffed. "Must press on. And yet, these colors are making my head dizzy."

"Aww, you're trying so hard too! Well, I am feeling a little shy, so I'll just dim the lights for now."

Like a switch, the floor went immediately dark, earning several startled gasps from the team. It was no different from the entrance before turning the power on.

"If you can find me on this floor, you'll get a special reward!"

"Teddie, Yosuke, calm down," Shirou quickly ordered. It wouldn't do for anyone to get flustered before reaching either Rise or her Shadow. The dungeon was a trial in itself getting through the atmosphere and Rise's teasing Shadow.

"I, I know that! I can buckle down and get serious you know!" Yosuke insisted between stutters.

"That's right, Shirou-sensei!" Teddie added enthusiastically. "I'm ready-no, I'm more than ready to climb the stairway to maturity!"

…that was probably the best response he could get from either of them. Still, the team of four teens and two animals traveled warily on through the dark floor, and huddled closer together. It was a good thing that Teddie's nose worked better than their eyes, and they were able to avoid any unnecessary fights or ambushes.

Eventually they had to rely on Angel making another Hama light, which seemed to help keep the Shadows away. Though it was still dark, and expanding too much light would have drained Shirou's energy, so they ended up fumbling and hugging the walls. Arms would reach out blindly trying to grab a curtain… though Shirou's hand ended up brushing against someone's shoulder.

"EEP!" Without any other warning, the figure spun and brained him with their long weapon.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Emiya-kun!" Chie cried out almost immediately in embarrassment. "It's so dark in here that I'm feeling a little jumpy."

"It's… quite alright," he groaned with a ringing headache. "I was at fault too. Sorry."

"Geez, you're like a sitting duck without your long sword," she frowned. For as good a shot he was, he couldn't move very far and had to stay still before shooting. The blade he brought along might as well be a knife for all the good it was doing him. "Tell you what, just stay close behind me! I'll be your front guard!"

Yosuke, ever the desperate suitor, managed to catch wind of the conversation. "Say, Amagi-san?" he asked the black haired girl behind him. "Want me to be your front guard?"

"No."

Damn it, she didn't even let him set up his pitch! Well, it was clear she was trying to put on a brave face, and she didn't have to. "I-I insist, Amagi-san, after all, you don't know what kind of Shadows lurk in the, well, shadows. They could be hideous monsters, like, having see-through guts, or wielding chainsaws!" Seeing her tense, he decided to go for the clinch. "Or, or even having the ability to summon arms that pop up from the ground and pull you underneath!"

"Aaaaaaah!" Two girlish screams echoed the hallways. Surprisingly they came from Chie and Teddie, and both of them latched to the closest bodies to them (Shirou and Tama respectively, and neither seemed to mind). Not exactly the reaction he was aiming for, but hey? If Chie Satonaka was this scared, he could only imagine Yukiko being so terrified that she wanted to hug him too, but nerves wouldn't let her.

But instead, Yukiko smiled and her eyes sparkled. "I know! And in the dark too! Isn't that exciting?!"

The auburn teen could only stare, flabbergasted. His jaw slacked and eye started to twitch. Did he hear her right?

"So many dark corridors and a Shadow could pop up at any moment! Maybe they'd be a pair of zombies bound together in skewers, or a giant blob that can dissolve skin and bones! Why, think of the traps that we could encounter here!"

"Please don't," squeaked Teddie, stroking the fur of a not-so-reluctant Tama like a security blanket.

This… was not the image of Yukiko Yosuke had envisioned at all. She was supposed to be a cute, feminine traditional girl of yesteryear. How the hell was he supposed to get a girlfriend when the girl was excited at the idea of monsters when the tomboy was scared?!

…though in hindsight, this might explain a few things about her castle dungeon.

"I'm going to look ahead!" she said cheerfully as she summoned Konohana Sakuya with a rather eager swipe of her fan. With flames dancing around her rather creepily, she started skipping down the hallway. She was the least suited to play scout but she didn't care. Worse, she started to sing. "Skulls and bones, skulls and bones, spikes and traps so full of holes! Oh, I should have brought a camera…"

Eye still twitching, he turned to Shirou and Chie – the latter clinging even tighter to the former – with a worried expression. Angel floated above ever so stoically with the light illuminating them. "What the hell was-?"

"Horror buff." Chie squeaked quickly between her teeth. "Horror is Yukiko's favorite genre. To an unhealthy degree."

Oh. Well, that's… balls.

Shirou seemed surprised as well, but was far more concerned of Chie's behavior in the dark affecting her ability to fight. "You can protect me, Satonaka."

She looked at him with relieved tears in her eyes. "Thank you."

Yosuke's mood soured as he watched them move on. Then he heard squeaking come up timidly behind him. "C-c-can you protect us too, Yosuke?"

"Shut up," he said, and moved ahead before Angel's light couldn't reach them anymore. Next time he was going to be damned sure to bring a flashlight.

<><><>

Eventually everyone calmed down. The main concern was finding Rise and stopping her Shadow, so there was no time for getting overexcited about monsters or bikini girls. Not that it was stopping Teddie from looking forward to the prize.

As they reached the umpteenth curtain door, Teddie sniffed once before panting and pointing at it. "There! She's there! Rise-chan is just beyond that curtain!"

"Try to contain yourself," Shirou warned dryly, though his hand reached for the curtain all the same. "We're most likely going have to fight."

"And I'm ready to fight in the name of love!" Everyone stopped and stared at the flustered but excited bear. Yosuke coughed to the side, pretending not to look as conspicuous, but no one was fooled or cared about his behavior.

Rolling his eyes, Shirou tugged the curtain open. Though she was barely visible in the dark room, they saw Shadow Rise waiting for them as promised.

"You found me!" she cooed and giggled. "This is my first time, so please be gentle."

Not a moment later, she snapped her fingers. The lights switched on and she was nowhere in sight.

Instead, the room was full of three Shadows. The one on the left was a giant chariot-centric wheel with spikes attached to both hub sides, and a metal lion's body mounted on top of the rim like an ornament. The rightmost Shadow was a blue-steel armored samurai with a bronze round hat-helm obscuring the face, and poised in position with its long katana. And the third Shadow, positioned between the wheel and samurai, was a floating albino snake with a red Noh mask over its face. The slender neck was through the hole of the Mars symbol, which in turn was linked through the hole of the Venus symbol like a keychain.

Teddie could only stare comically, wide eyed. His previous excitement died much like his verbal reaction; weak and nearly silent. "….a….aaa….ah!"

"Well he warned you!" Chie snapped at the bear.

No more banter was made as the Amorous Snake coiled itself like a pretzel and expelled a thick green gas. On instinct the Investigation Team covered their mouths while expecting some sort of poison, but the gas washed over them, seemingly ineffective.

That's when the Rain Wheel literally revved up and charged forward to mow them down. "Scatter!" Shirou cried quickly, as he and everyone else dived and rolled to safety. Teddie barely managed to move away from the wheel, but that was when he saw the spike rolling closer-

SNHK!

To her horror, Yukiko saw Teddie's head fly off across the room, severed from his body. "Teddie!"

"He's fine!" Yosuke called out, even as Teddie's arms waved about wildly, looking for the head. Heck, the fox even went to retrieve the head where it flew off so he would be back to his quivering self soon. They were without tactical support for the moment but they just had to find their enemies' weaknesses and exploit them, right?

Quick to the draw, he summoned the ninja Persona from within and took aim at the wheel as it made a sharp u-turn. "Garu!"

But alas, the mighty green gale aimed at the support beams of the frame might as well have been a cool summer breeze. The Shadow was undeterred.

"Wind's no good!" he barked, before willing Jiraiya to throw a quick jab at it. To his further surprise, his hand hurt after the punch didn't even dent the gold lion head, and was forced to use both hands to stop the revving advance. Poorly. "Punches aren't working either!"

"I'll back you up! Just hold!" Shirou called out. He led the girls further into the room and away from the wheel. Some good fortune revealed that the snake was vulnerable to fire, so he and Yukiko kept it down and dizzy with constant spellfire.

"Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark!" yapped Cu Sith. It was such an annoying sound, but fireballs were still conjured out with each escaped breath. The blossom princess Persona simply raised her hands high in prayer and conjured the flame from the floor.

But while Yukiko was focused on her Persona, Shirou multitasked in drawing projected arrows from his new circuits. He could never thank Margaret or Pixie enough for correcting him, as he never had to worry about burning his spine anymore. With exercises drilled in since Archery club, he fired another perfect shot, this time at the wheel Yosuke was fighting. The arrow tip was reinforced enough to pierce the wheel base, though it did nothing to slow it down.

Meanwhile, Chie charged towards the Rain Leg Musha, swinging her staff wildly behind her like a baton before swinging it down. The samurai stepped away from her attack, and further backed away as she tried to swing across. It was her first time using a staff, but she liked to believe she learned quickly by muscle memory. Watching all those martial arts shows, movies, and even Tomoe helped. The power of the staff was its reach, and as long as she had that, the Shadow couldn't get near her. "Ha! Hoo! Tah!"

But she was still a novice against a pragmatic Shadow. The musha simply bided its time with an enhancing skill and held off from retaliating. Chie's fluid movements finally gave way to an opening – an extended reach in the form of thrusting the staff one-handed. Like lightning, the Shadow closed the distance between them and finally drew its long sword. The slash nearly tore through Chie's armor and sent her flying off her feet at the Shadow's mercy. "Gaah!"

Yukiko glanced away from the downed Amorous Snake in time to witness her friend's vulnerability to the enemy. "No!" she cried, immediately focusing Sakuya's flames on the samurai Shadow. They stopped its advance, but the damage was minimal at best. Yukiko was at a loss; her spells couldn't stop it!

Chie took this reprieve to back away and summon her Persona. As the flames departed, Tomoe shot forth and slashed diagonally across the samurai's armor. She would have followed through again with the other blade, only for the sword to guard at the last moment and force a standstill.

"Yukiko!" she called to her friend. "I could use first aid!"

"O-oh! Right!"

As Shirou tried in vain to blast the wheel with fire magic, the snake finally roused itself up with no interruptions. And thus, the Investigation Team was caught unaware as the snake coiled into another pretzel shape and glowed a light pink.

The wheel's charge forced Shirou and Yosuke to split up again, rolls and all. If they weren't getting hurt from getting run over, they risked it on hitting the floor in a panic. "That thing seems to have no weaknesses."

"Even a strength can be a weakness. If you can't find a weakness, use its strength."

But how, he wanted to ask the Duke. But before he could ask, he saw out of his peripheral vision Yosuke with knives drawn, and attempting to flank Yukiko.

"Amagi! Behind you!"

Surprised from her healing of Chie, Yukiko tensed and looked over her shoulder. She almost relaxed at Yosuke's presence but didn't miss the eerie glow around him. Nor the blades he held up as he swung them down at her back. "Aah!" she cried, barely backing away before he could stab her.

Chie tore her focus from the samurai and blanched. "Hanamura, what the hell?!"

"It's not his fault!" Teddie called out from behind the curtain 'door'. "The Amorous Snake Charmed him into its control!"

"Hey! I got this!" Pixie called from Shirou's head. "Just call me and I'll have him Patra'd faster than you can say-!"

"AIIIIIEEE!" Yosuke cried out, seemingly snapping out of the trance before falling down. Of course, anyone would cry out after taking a kick from Chie Satonaka in a very sensitive place he was now cradling. Again, Yukiko blinked. Again, Shirou winced. And Teddie, Tama, and the Shadows paused and watched with some morbid curiosity at the case of friendly fire.

"There," Chie huffed, ignoring the pointed stares she was now getting. "He's better now."

"…nevermind," the fey deflated.

"I honestly don't know what to make of this," said Angel, just as defeated.

"I do! It's my time to shine!"

Feeling a cue to make a switch, Shirou allowed his new Persona out. "Lilim!"

The little devil fluttered about, sniffing the air twice before smiling. "Oh yes, the Stagnant Air is still ripe for use. Now I just need a volunteer-"

The Rain Wheel finally recovered, revving back for speed before charging head-on at Shirou and Lilim. The former was ready to bolt again, but the latter smiled contently. "Match found! Now, Marin Karin says: STOP!"

A pink hue quickly expelled out and around Lilim's body before hitting the wheel Shadow. The wheel was now saturated in a pink outline and slowed to a stop before her outstretched hand. Lilim allowed her hand to pat the lion figurehead before turning to the now nervous albino.

"Not so fun messing with ailments when they're used against you, huh? That's the thing about Stagnant Air. It affects everyone on the field." Nodding to her improv lecture, Lilim then pulled her hand back into a fist before giving her infatuated enemy its order. "Now my Gorgeous Wheel, Marin Karin says: LET HER RIIIIIP!"

Her behavior was childish, as was the hand gesture of two knuckles pressed together before parting. The wheel did indeed "rip" though. Charging headfirst toward the snake, it reduced the weakened Shadow into the darkened goop of a corpse (only to disappear entirely). With one hostile Shadow left, the wheel turned appropriately to face it head on. The musha turned to face the wheel, but stood its ground all the same. The distance closed between them as the wheel seemed to turn at the last minute, using the spikes to defeat the samurai. In turn, it swung its blade in a deft flash-

And in an instant, both Shadows exploded into black nothingness.

"And that, my duckies, is what happens when an unstoppable wheelie meets an unmovable samurai. The. End."

Lilim nodded to herself after the sage advice(?) and disappeared back into Shirou's subconsciousness. Everyone else stared rather mutely at how quickly the fight resolved itself by forcing the enemies against each other.

"That was… discouraging," Chie said after a while.

"I know," Teddie added. "All that, and I didn't even get a chance to choose! I've been fooled."

Exasperated sweat rolled down the students' heads. "Not quite what I meant, Teddie."

Shirou ignored them as he walked to the blobby mess of the Rain Shadows and started scavenging for parts and cards. For some reason, their remains were of higher quality than the other Shadows, so he had a feeling Daidara would have a field day even having one of these in his hands.

A new Persona was acquired as well; a blond woman with a silver winged mask, wearing chain and leather armor with two swords, one in each hand. Despite having no harness, saddle, or even reins, she sat and rode proudly on a large red horse. "I thank you, master. On my honor as a Valkyrie, I shall serve you to the ends of the world."

"Thank you," Shirou said simply, and accepted the Tarot card she metamorphosed into. Valkyrie of Strength. Another Arcana he had yet to form a Social Link, but she reminded him of someone.

"What… the hell...?"

Chie turned to the slowly raising form of Yosuke. "Oh, you're awake."

"That's all you have to say?!" he wheezed angrily. "After you nearly shattered my nads again?!"

"Well, you tried stabbing Yukiko like some psycho puppet. I figured the best way to stop you was the usual one."

"Guys, we still have an idol to rescue," Shirou intervened. "We can save the bickering for later."

"Right, allow me." Everyone gathered close to Yukiko, who closed her eyes in focus. As the card danced over her fan, she spun around once and slashed the card with the bladed tips of her fan. The flower princess Persona appeared in her prayer position, and a purple vitalizing light bathed everyone with energy. Minor scrapes and bruises healed up, and physical exhaustion slowly left them.

But as soon as the Media came, it left. Sakuya disappeared and Yukiko let out an exhausted gasp of air.

Chie noticed the change right away in alarm. "Yukiko! What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," she huffed. "I think I reached my limit. I can't do any more."

"Amagi-san's only good at casting spells," Yosuke frowned. "If she says she can't do any more, we're effectively a man down."

Shirou rubbed his chin in thought. They'd climbed so far, and he hoped if they made good time, they could have rescued Rise in one day. Maybe it was still possible… "Tama, how much do your leaves cost again?"

A quick abacus calculation later told them that it was beyond their pay. Maybe if they hadn't spent so much on medicine and armor today, they could have scrounged up just enough, but the fact was the fox was not cheap in her services.

"Now would be a good time to head back and rest wouldn't it?" he asked rhetorically. "What do you guys think?"

"I'm volunteering for a respite!" Yosuke raised his hand. A little too enthusiastically.

"But we've come so far!" Yukiko cried. "If we leave now, we'll have to start all over from the beginning!"

"Not necessarily!" Teddie smiled. "I can leave a checkpoint, so to speak, on this floor. So when we come back tomorrow, we'll skip the other six floors and be that much closer to Rise-chan!"

"I guess a rule of thumb is to assume the victims are always at the furthest level," Chie frowned. "Never makes things easy, huh."

"Well, as long as we can save her later," said Yukiko. "I'm sorry we have to leave because of me though."

"We're all tired, Yukiko. Don't let it get to ya."

"Okay Investigation Team," Shirou nodded. "We'll stop here for today, and sleep early so we can head back tomorrow."

Yosuke sighed in relief as Teddie conjured his diorama. "That's good. I think I could use some downtime before round two. Maybe find something good on TV."

The team leader blinked, glancing over to Yosuke in concern. "What did you say?"

"You know, television. Game shows, anime, that sort of thing. What, don't tell me you never used one for anything besides watching the news?"

Shirou seemed to be lost in thought again, as if weighing his options. "Maybe we should keep going after all."

Yosuke blanched at the betrayal. "Dude, are you still high on adrenaline or something? You just said yourself we should rest!"

"That was before you reminded me that an idol's reputation was at stake," he countered, only earning confused looks. "Think about it; Risette just announced her retirement from idol work, and disappears from the world the very same night. No one knows where she is, let alone that she was kidnapped. And if her Midnight Channel airs tonight…"

Yukiko's eyes widened in realization. "Everyone would believe Rise-chan has become a prostitute."

"Exactly."

An uneasy silence filled the room.

"Now hold on, Emiya-kun," Chie argued. "I get what you're trying to say, but isn't that a bit of a stretch? I mean, Yukiko's Shadow was on some power trip about eloping with a prince but no one really believes the real Yukiko is like that."

"Rise-chan's an idol, Chie," her friend said softly. "It's one thing for people to gossip about some small urban girl with an inn to her name. But if the rumor starts, then it will get out to her paparazzi one way or another."

"But it's not even true to begin with! It's just some suppressed psyche going haywire like the rest of us!"

"It doesn't matter whether it's true or not," Shirou frowned, recalling the news media and what Nami said. "If enough people believe even subconsciously in what they're seeing or talking about, then so will everyone else, and no amount of truth could ever fix that damage."

He would save people, that much he knew. But what would saving a person's life be worth if it was going to be forever scarred by a damning commercial and the rumor mill? Kiritsugu may have saved his physical body from the fire, but he could have just as easily left him at an orphanage without ever meeting him at the hospital.

People like Nanako looked up to Rise Kujikawa. To them she was a hero. He knew how much it hurt to find the bad side of his own stepdad, but at least it was by his own choice. But Rise Kujikawa didn't, and he wasn't going to let her go through the same thing.

"Tama," he regarded the fox as he knelt to her level. "Please consider the price of your leaves, just for tonight. This is an emergency."

The fox made no move from her position, or the soroban tool in front of her.

"I may not understand how valuable those leaves at your temple are, and I may understand even less about why you're insistent on making money, but I do know you care about others. You watch over the shrine and make sure those wishes come true, even if no one knows you exist. In fact, rumors have been going around painting you as a ghost haunting the place."

Tama's eyes glanced down to the floor, still silent.

"Please Tama. I'll pay you back later. I'll clean every inch of the shrine. I'll do anything you want. Just allow us to use your leaves for tonight."

Tama's body was still stuck in place. A clearly thoughtful look was present in her eyes, though they refused to look back at Shirou's for whatever reason.

"Tama-chan?" Teddie asked. The fox gave him her undivided attention right away. "If you have any doubts, take it from me. You can trust Shirou-sensei.

"I still don't know what he means about all this Midnight Channel stuff, but I guess it must be important to him to break out and ask for favors. And he seems like a guy who wouldn't do so without good reason. But that's okay, really."

The bear nodded confidently to him. "He's an ally of justice, after all! He always keeps his word, and if he says he's going to pay you back for this big favor, I'm sure he will."

"Teddie…" Hearing the bear speak up for him was touching. He couldn't even begin to put those feelings into words, let alone what else to say to him.

Tama was also moved by Teddie's speech, as she stared intently on the soroban in front of her. Moments later, her neck craned down and she pulled out several zip-lock baggies, each holding a leaf vacuum sealed, and handed them to Shirou.

He was about ready to express thanks when the fox pointed at the soroban intently. The exact amount she wanted for the leaves before, to be paid at a later date.

Shirou only smiled and ruffled her head and ears, earning a yip of contentment. "I'll pay back every yen, with interest."

<><><>

Inaba Road

"You're still mad, aren't you?"

They were driving away from the station, now on a routine patrol in trying to find anything out of the ordinary. Dojima was deadly focused on the road, and his knuckles were whitening from gripping the wheel so hard. Adachi watched nervously as his senior partner continued to give him the cold shoulder.

He hadn't said a word since they left.

"Come on, Dojima-san! It was an honest mistake! I know you said not to touch anything, but I wanted to be sure that the video was there, you know? And I did see the video of Rise getting kidnapped, like you said! You were talking so long explaining it to the guy, anyway!"

Dojima kept on driving.

"But then I started fiddling with the device… and accidentally pressed the record button."

His scowl grew deeper. Adachi didn't notice and kept on gabbing.

"And that's when you came in yelling at me. I told you the video was proof and I could ID the van!"

His eyes scrunched in anger.

"…but since I have no good description to give to a sketch artist, my word might as well be shit. That's what you said, I think."

Dojima did nothing this time, and still said nothing, yet the building silence made Adachi feel very uncomfortable. "I'm really sorry I got you mad."

"Adachi."

He finally spoke, and it wasn't as pissed as he thought it would be. It was more resigned and helpful. "Yessir?"

"There's a saying my senpai would tell me when we worked together, and I made a rookie mistake-"

"You made rookie mistakes, Dojima-san?" Adachi couldn't help asking. He was deftly ignored.

"'Actions speak louder than words. If you have the time to make excuses, then you better damn well have the means to follow them up.'" He final gave the junior detective a side glance, with a bored scowl on his face. "So what should you be doing instead?"

"Uh… working my ass off on the case?"

"Damn straight."

They continued to drive in the patrol car in silence, as Dojima replayed the scene in his head. They had been so close to a lead, and yet it slipped away because of his rookie partner the moment he left the room. He really shouldn't hold it against Adachi, but it's like the guy could do nothing right. Well, when he was through with him, the rookie would learn his mistake and be damn sure not to record over evidence again.

"Dojima-san!"

Adachi's worried cry was enough to get him to snap out of his thoughts and warn him of the danger ahead. Ahead he saw a pale, black-haired figure walking in the middle of the road in heavy rain.

In the back of his mind, he thought back to the damn horror movie he watched one too many times as a kid Nanako's age. But he quickly ignored that sinking feeling of fear as he slammed on the brakes and turned the car hard left.

The tires screeched and likely left skid marks, but the car came to a safe stop beside the… naked girl?

Immediately the two cops opened their doors to talk to her, but she kept on walking past them. She probably didn't notice that she had almost been killed, let alone how cold her body was out in the rain. The only distinctive traits she had to her were her mopey black hair and some small item clenched tightly in her hand.

Well, this was definitely out of the ordinary.

Before Adachi could fumble for a weak excuse, Dojima left the car and called out, "Hey!" She ignored him. Either she was messing with him, or she seriously did not realize he almost ran her over.

He tried again, marching over to directly confront her. "Hey, when someone calls out, you-!"

He touched her shoulder. It was real all right. But what was really surreal was her reaction. The girl jumped almost immediately, and turned to look accusingly at him. Her brown eyes held gaze on him for a few moments, before darting around, looking for something familiar but couldn't find it.

"Whe… where am I?" she rasped.

Dojima unfolded his coat and draped it over the girl's shoulders. He was not one to get embarrassed over some teenage nudity (even ignoring the fact that she could be Shirou's age for all he knew) but it was meant for her discomfort in mind than his own. "Near the shopping district of Yasoinaba," he answered. "Where's your family?"

"Family?" she asked, hugging the coat close to her as if it was hers to begin with. "What is 'family'?"

Dojima frowned. This was looking more and more suspicious, and he didn't like it. "What are you doing here?"

"I… I've just been walking here," she said. "I think I was-Aaah!" she suddenly clutched her head with both hands and fell to her knees.

Whatever she had been through, it was too painful for her to remember. But she had to remember something about her life. Anything. "What's your name?" Dojima asked.

The girl stared up at him with scared eyes. "I don't know."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 32: Shadow of the Real Self

<><><>

Marukyu Striptease, Floor Unknown

"Uggh..."

In a quiet, dark blue corridor, Rise Kujikawa limped forward and supported herself against the wall. She was still in her idol clothes from her concert. She had no idea what time it was, or how long it had been since her kidnapping. Had it been a day since she ended up here? Two? She couldn't tell, not with the lack of windows and the growing headache she was having. At least she wasn't bound and gagged though, small a silver lining as it is.

What the hell went wrong? She just wanted a break from being a sex doll before it blew out of proportion. She had hoped to avoid ending up in a situation like in Perfect Blue. And yet almost immediately after retiring she was drugged and thrown into this closed-off brothel.

She was hungry. She was tired. She was scared. And most of all, she was alone.

But she was Rise Kujikawa, and unlike Risette, she sure as hell wasn't helpless.

"Just gotta find a way out," she told herself. "Just gotta keep moving and find the exit."

Rise knew the situation looked rather grim, but it was easy to block out the unwanted or distracting emotions for the ones that were needed. This was just a horror scene she had to play out, nothing more. Thinking about it wouldn't help her get out.

With her hand pressed against the wall to support herself, she nearly slipped when she felt herself push through a curtain. As discreetly as possible, the red-haired girl slipped through. Her hopes of a secret exit were dashed as she realized that she had only come across a small, suggestive room. Nothing risqué, but her eye did catch a sort of stand table elevated for someone to strut around.

It reminded her of idol dancing for some reason. All the times she had to dance and look cute for the creeps undressing her with their eyes. How many young girls were even at her concert the other night? The ones that she was supposedly a role model for?

Her musing stopped when she noticed a small purple chest in the corner of the room. Maybe it had something to help her? Or was it a trap?

Only one way to find out, really. And what's the worst that could happen to her now short of dying?

…Morbid thought aside, Rise approached the chest and carefully unlocked the hinge open. She looked inside to find a shimmering yellow key. With growing hope, she grabbed it.

"Maybe this can open a way out?" It seems weird to throw a key into a chest and forget about it, but perhaps this would help on some inconvenient lock on the exit door.

"Nah, that's just a chest key for a fancier chest."

Startled with fright, Rise jumped back and held the key in front of her defensively like a knife.

For a moment she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. Even after rubbing her eyes with her free hand, she saw what looked like her with a boob job and clad in a two-piece swimsuit. And that smile… it was anything but welcoming, and looked wrong for some reason.

Despite the fear and confusion, Rise felt strangely calm enough to let out a humorless giggle.

"You're going to kill me now, aren't you? Just like in that movie."

The Other Rise, or what she felt was more like "Risette," shrugged casually. "Meh, pretty much."

Something felt right and wrong about this conversation. She hated the idol business but never enough to even contemplate suicide. Just trying to get out of it led her to this, and she felt strangely content that she was going to disappear from everything without anyone knowing what happened to her. It wasn't like she had much dreams or aspirations anyway, or anymore.

But that was just it. Risette would have given up without a fight. Rise would come down swinging.

And so she rushed forward. Risette's eyes widened and felt the key poke her bare abdomen before Rise's body tackled her down. The sensibly dressed girl felt a phantom pain from where she struck the double, but ignored it just like the headache. Wasting no time, she hurried out the curtain door at a sprint and hoping to find the way out.

"Owwie! Now that wasn't very nice!"

Rise ignored it. This was just some mental trick, probably some sort of drug. This wasn't real!

As she turned the corner though, she nearly stepped back seeing another near reflection of her. But instead of a swimsuit, this one wore something akin to a cheerleader's uniform in shades of blue, yellow and white. She even broke into some chant as she waved her pompoms.

"Stop/Don't run! I am you! Something, Something Marukyu!"

Startled once again, Rise backed away and planned to make another hasty retreat when she felt a firm hand grip her shoulder. She saw her face again with the eerie yellow eyes, and this time dressed like some horror survivor movie protagonist with a camo-uniform. Was this based on the movie deal Inoue set her up with? "Come with me if you want to after-live!"

In response, she stabbed the offending arm with her key, forcing the soldier double to let go. With Cheerleader Risette still in front of her, Rise made a desperate dash past Soldier Risette towards the other end of the hall.

As if Murphy's Law couldn't tip things further, she saw a fourth lookalike with madly brazen hair, goggles and a lab coat. "The odds are clearly against you. It is futile to resist! SO SAYS SCIENCE!"

Rise turned yet again, more concerned with getting away than finding a way out. But in her panic she realized that she had run into a dead-end corner with the other Risettes behind her. And waiting for her was another Risette, one with a more somber gaze and wearing a traditional red and white miko dress. "You can stop now. It was destined to be this way."

Bullshit. She was not supposed to die at the hands of a bunch of lookalikes just for wanting a break. None of this made sense. None of this was fair!

Soon she was surrounded by other Rises, all wearing different clothes with a different phrase or personality, but it was all so overwhelming. All she could see was the Swimsuit Risette that managed to stride up to her as the crowd closed in was the leader.

"Who?" she asked in fear and desperation. "Who are you?"

She couldn't even scream as they started swarming and groping her down. She didn't bother to either. Her mind was still focused on the bikini-clad monster who smiled and told her, "The one and only Risette."

<><><>

Sometime later, Floor 9

"Is it just me or is the fighting getting easier?" Yosuke asked aloud. His question was casual despite the fact he was fighting and hacking a Shadow on a floating purple chair to pieces.

"I feel like we've had this conversation before," Chie commented, also calm as she kicked a scale-like Shadow towards Tomoe for a finishing strike. "I'm still not accustomed to this by the way."

"Not that. I mean, yeah it feels easier to get into, but like we're stronger each time we do this."

"That's probably the adrenaline talking. We did just apply Tama's leaves to boost our energy."

"I don't think that's it either. I mean, I certainly feel like I got up refreshed from the bed this morning and bursting with energy, but I definitely know I'm better off now than when I first came here. It's like I leveled up or something."

Chie turned to give him an incredulous look. "'Leveled up'? What the hell do you think this is, some kind of video game?!"

"Hey, I know that sounds bad, but I feel faster and lighter than I have since I started out in the Castle. It's like all these fights are fine-tuning my muscle memory and getting me stronger. Heck, if I do this enough I'll probably start getting that rock-hard abs and pecs body I always wanted!"

"You can't just get five second massive pecs with magic, you know!" she snapped incredulously.

"Tell that to the magus! He's frigging ripped!"

And what a surprise that had turned out to be. Much like her favorite action movie actor, Shirou Emiya possessed the kind of toned musculature that remained unnoticed under normal clothes but betrayed just how much time and effort he must have devoted to his physical training across many years the moment you get to see it.

The brown-haired girl reassured herself that it was such dedication what was worthy of admiration, not merely the results that made the redhead oh-so-easy to picture in the lead character role in the big melée scene from Trial of the Dragon, and how well oiled his upper body looks...

Chie shook her head. Stupid sexy Shirou aside, Chie had half a mind to berate Yosuke into thinking that this life-or-death fighting exercise routine was literally suicide. He really should try to do actual safe workouts with her sometime. Not necessarily on a Sunday though as those were the times she reserved with Emiya, who happened to earn those "pecs" the hard way. But their conversation was cut short as an explosion shook the floor. Followed by a shrill cry of "Emiya-kun!"

It didn't take a genius to know that their leader had taken a hit for Yukiko. Their designated Shadow target was a small armed tank with a Chariot Noh mask as the "hatch." The Arcane Turret's muzzle was smoking with a white mist, and directly within its line of fire lay a bloodied Shirou, embedded with large chunks of ice.

"Those tank shells are equivalent to a Bufudyne!" Teddie cried from behind a corner. "And that's even stronger than what Chie-chan pulled on Yuki-chan's Shadow!"

Chie didn't care. If that tank had hit Yukiko she could have died. Emiya-kun was probably dying himself after getting caught unaware, but she was going to deliver kung-fu justice on that toy treadmill.

Right then the tank started to glow as it focused for another super shot. Apparently, there were "charge" techniques that could more than double the following physical or magic attack if used. Chie wouldn't mind having one of those one day but now was neither the time or place for that.

"Whaataaaa!" she let out her battle cry, zipping across the battlefield. Her staff in hand, she twirled it sideways just before smacking the top-side of the Shadow with as much force as she could muster. The Shadow might look like it was made of metal, but it was still no less vulnerable to Persona-rich attacks.

"Garu!" Shortly after, Jiraiya's wind magic blasted underneath the Shadow like a geyser. The green blast didn't even lift the tank off the ground as Yosuke had hoped, but the damage was starting to show in the leaking white mist from the tank's iron hinges and the slight droop of the barrel neck.

It wasn't enough though. The tank slowly righted itself up and took aim at its closest target. Chie quickly took a defensive stance by raising her front leg up while her bo staff was held firmly in place in front. But before the worst could happen, a bolt of thunder struck the Arcane Turret and dispersed it into black nothingness.

Shirou was still grounded and in pain, unable to see anything but the strobe-light ceiling. But he still managed to summon Izanagi and strike true through their shared perception. The God Persona, with the Shadow gone and job done, quickly dismissed itself and the magus exhaled a sigh of relief, as did his nurse next to him.

"That was completely reckless, Emiya-kun!" Yukiko chided, resuming her healing through Konohana Sakuya. The ice had only started to melt, and Emiya's wounds weren't even closed up yet. "I told you not to move!"

"And I totally could have handled it on my own," Chie grumbled to herself. She felt slightly vindicated that her attempted rescue ended up like this. The ice shell probably couldn't do that much damage to her if Tomoe could do it too…

"It's not that bad," he said softly. "Valkyrie shielded me from the worst of it, and it was better to cover your ice weakness, Amagi."

"That was still a stupid thing to do!"

"Sorry. I was just making sure you two didn't get hurt."

His words were innocent enough, but they left a profound heating effect on both their faces. Yukiko shyly looked away while Chie huffed to show she was still angry. "W-well, be more careful next time, idiot!"

While Shirou was left wondering why they were flustered, Yosuke glared in contempt as he stood by with the bear and fox. "Geez, the guy could so much as pick his nose and still cause girls to swoon and faint. That's so unfair…"

"I'm worried," Teddie frowned.

Yosuke turned to the bear. Poor thing was not only having some sort of identity crisis, but was also experiencing puberty on top of it too. "Hey, don't get worked up about it," he encouraged. "There are plenty of other girls to find and ask out. You just have to, well, be patient about it. And maybe take a few cues on his fitness physique."

The bear shook his head. "That's not what I'm talking about."

Between Shirou's fast recovery and the ever-present rush to save Rise, Yosuke didn't have the time to ask what he meant.

<><><>

Top Floor

When Rise regained consciousness, she wasn't in the crowded hallway anymore. She was instead bound and suspended against a long metal pole. The glaring lights made her eyes hurt, but she was able to focus enough to see that she was set up on some sort of pedestal.

She wasn't alone either. A bunch of her Risette clones were lined up like an audience. All staring with those unnatural, yellow eyes of theirs. Watching her…

"Gives you a little thrill, doesn't it?"

Rise jumped, seeing the Swimsuit Risette strut up from behind her. The hip sway, the coy smile, all of it was practiced sex appeal. It was almost like the one time she had done a summer photo shoot along with the TaP commercial.

…But of course some facsimile of hers would know that. This was just a dream. No, a nightmare. She would wake up back in her grandma's house any moment now -

"Look at me," the copy ordered. Rise intentionally stared down at the floor, trying to ignore her. "I said LOOK AT ME!"

And she was slapped hard across the face. It hurt.

It hurt.

It… hurt? Just like when those copies swarmed her, she felt their grips too, and when she tried to throw them off -

Risette's flare of anger was gone, now that Rise was staring back with some startling horror. She almost didn't notice a red mark on her own cheek. "Now that I have your attention," she said. "Let's begin the show, shall we?"

Before Rise could even form a protest, the same hand that slapped her darted for her pink bowtie ribbon and ripped it off, including a good half of her blouse. The sound of torn fabric echoed in the closed room, and suddenly a draft tickled her chest.

"KYAA!" she cried, instinctively trying to cover herself. But her hands were bound and cuffed above her. Instead, she could only feebly squirm against the pole, as if playing on some sexual fantasy.

The Risettes in the audience all cheered and whistled. They were enjoying the view.

"They're all watching," cooed Risette, as her hands reached from behind to start groping her. The fingers dug in and pushed up the flesh under her striped bra, so ticklish and close… "All their eyes are glaring holes into your beautiful, sexy frame, undressing you down to your core being!"

"Stop," Rise gasped. This was just fear setting in, nothing about this felt good.

"Aw, I know your first time is always the hardest, but trust me. Do it enough times and you'll become a natural!"

Her hands slowly trailed up her sides, to her arms, and then started to rather forcefully clench through her hair and pulling back. Her bright hairbands and ribbons were removed, disheveling her iconic pigtails into a single pile of red hair.

"Why?" she pleaded. She wouldn't cry. Dream or not, she was stronger than this. She had to be. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" her copy echoed with amusement. "You should be thanking me for doing this. You always wanted to show off your stuff, right? The real you?"

"No!" she cried, shaking her head furiously. "I never wanted this!"

Risette ignored her, digging both hands into her frilled skirt and pushing it up and down, briefly flashing her matching striped panties each time. The onlooker Risettes cheered louder at the striptease, leering more intensely. Rise squirmed further under their stares.

"Are you sure? You seem to be feeling a little excited down here~!"

Rise shook her head again, feeling tears of shame roll down her face. "I am not!"

"Come on, be honest with yourself. I know more than anyone how much you want to show off your T&A instead of play the role of airhead. You want to show off that there's more to yourself than a pretty face, MUCH more. You quit because you were tired of choking that biased garbage and wanted to start over fresh."

This had to be a dream. No other way this big-boobed molester would know all her thoughts. But the sensations of touch and pain reminded her that this was more than that. Her top was torn, her hair was a mess, and the skirt was now fully slipped off her waist which gave everyone a good look at her half-nakedness. Rise didn't know what was real or not anymore.

"So do yourself a little favor and just admit it, alright? After all, I'm you, you're me, we're one and the same. It's not that hard to understand!"

Then and there, she knew at least one thing.

"No," she glared through her tears. "You're Risette. And I'm Rise. There's a difference."

It was the one thing that she could have an identity on. Rise was her real self, like a secret identity. It was the one thing that the idol industry didn't have over her. And it was the one thing she knew that was undeniably true to herself.

"You can pretend to be me all you want," she said with growing confidence. "But you'll never be the real me. You're just some… thing that wants nothing more than to be a sex ad to the audience. I wanted to get out of it, but I guess you didn't. I have more self-respect than that."

It seemed to work, as the audience stopped in silence and the bikini-clad faker stared back with wide eyes. Until she made the angriest, scariest scowl she had ever seen, and Rise didn't think her own face could do that. "Oh. My. God. Do you even LISTEN to yourself, you little skank?!"

"Wh-what?"

"You've been lying to yourself so long that you actually use your stage name as an excuse for your little personality crisis. 'Oh this isn't me! It's just big dumb bimbo Risette! I'm nowhere NEAR as demeaning!' "

"That's-!"

"Oh sure, it's just a marketing ploy by the idol industry to sell fanservice. But who was it that actually allowed those creeps to basically trademark my name and body for some tasteless song and dance?"

"It's not like that!"

"Then why did you make such a big deal about leaving? You could have called in sick but you wanted to show everyone how vulnerable and 'real' you were by quitting in front of a live stage audience!"

"I just wanted a break!" Rise cried.

"And then find some other hobby to try out and see where that goes," the Shadow countered. "If you liked it, then it was your new identity. But if you didn't, you'll just chalk it up as another Risette phase, wash your hands and be done with it. And start the process all over again."

Lies. No matter how convincing they sounded, no matter how much she might have thought that in her darkest moments, it was still all lies.

"All I want is to be me!" Risette cried pitifully, arms extended out as she gestured to the audience. "Not a Risette! Risette doesn't exist! I am no one but myself! A weak, bullied, pathetic self that can do nothing but hide in shame! So please, just look at me!"

No matter how convincing… they were just -

"Look at all of me," she reached for Rise's body, prepared to remove her last articles of clothing. "The only true thing about me. The naked truth."

No, no, nononononononono

"Let this burn into your brains as I show you who I REALLY am! That I really am Rise Kujikawa!"

"NOOOO!" she screamed and flailed, before staring at her mirror with hateful, tear-ridden eyes. "YOU'RE NOT ME!"

<><><>

A few minutes earlier

"She's just beyond here," Teddie pointed to the curtain in front of them, before frowning. "…I think."

"What do you mean 'you think'?" Yosuke frowned.

"Well, I know my nose is still rusty, so I can't tell about smells very far away. But we're so close, and there are so many Rise-chans that I lost count. It's like the Shadow somehow learned to divide herself into smaller pieces."

"But the real Rise is over there too, right?"

"Definitely, Shirou-sensei."

This complicates things, Shirou thought. A fight might break out if they rushed in now, and their energy boost from Tama's leaves was nearly gone. They couldn't let this wait either if her Midnight Channel was going to air tonight.

He turned to the fox, asking as politely as he could; "Any chance we can get more leaves on an IOU?"

She glared and growled a low, threatening hum. Translation: "Don't press your luck."

"Maybe we should just leave here and take it on tomorrow?" Chie asked. "Teddie can set up a backdoor, and we'd be fighting fit for whatever happens."

Shirou shook his head. "If we wait until tomorrow-"

"I know, the Midnight Channel. But aren't we taking a big enough risk as it is? If we fight now, then we ALL might die, and a bad rep from a cheesy low budget commercial would be the least of our problems. She'll be fine as long as the fog doesn't let up soon, right?"

Shirou had considered that on the way up. He would have fought to save her regardless, as one more day in this world was one too many. He almost thought to tell the others they were free to head back while he rescued Rise, but he had made a promise- no, two promises.

The first was with the team itself, that they wouldn't go in alone. True, the others broke that rule but it was on a training mission and they had fled to safety as soon as it got dangerous. They certainly wouldn't let him go off on his own if they couldn't be talked out of fighting before.

And if he was fighting alone, there was no guarantee he'd survive. He'd be okay if his life ensured that Rise would keep hers, except that he promised Fuji-nee he would come back alive if he could help it.

"I don't think that's an option anymore."

Broken from his train of thought, Shirou turned to Yukiko as she explained herself. "I mean, when you found me at the highest floor of the castle, it was before my Shadow appeared, right? I was relatively safe because she hadn't found me yet. And Rise-chan's Shadow is in there with her, so who knows how long it'll take before she says something she'll regret?"

"But that's only if we rush in right now, right? Acting as her audience and hearing all the stuff she wouldn't admit to anyone else? There's no way her Shadow would go crazy like that, right?"

"Tell that to Ms. Yamano and Saki-senpai," Yosuke bitterly remarked. "No one was around for miles to hear their secrets and they ended up dead anyway."

"Well, those two got unlucky because of the fog entering your world almost immediately after they showed up," Teddie reminded. "As long as it's still raining on your side, she won't go berserk."

The students all turned and stared. Something about the bear's tone set warning bells off in their heads. "But?" Yosuke egged on.

Teddie gulped. "But if Rise-chan is harassed by her shadow enough to reject it before the fog, she'll still try to kill her. It's just a matter of when it happens."

"So we have more to worry about than a deadline," Yukiko frowned in thought. "It happened with the rest of us, after all."

As if on cue, the walls around them started to echo. Not just Shadow voices, but more human voices, as if they were watching from beyond somewhere.

"You know, something's been bothering me for a while now," Yosuke admitted. "I know Teddie stressed that no one should know about this place but him and Shadows, but how is it that we hear these human voices too?"

"If they're made from the person's reality, they hear what others think of them. At least, what they think they think… I think."

"I don't mean those voices," Yosuke told the bear. "I didn't mention this before, but it seemed like some of the kids at school saw some of Amagi-san's Shadow moving around the castle floors. Like, maybe they were watching through the Midnight Channel while we were fighting to save Amagi-san and now Risette?"

"That's impossible," Shirou argued. "We all established that the Midnight Channel only happens on rainy nights, and we would travel here well before that time."

"Maybe it records the people that watch the Midnight Channel and projects them here?" Yukiko asked. "Not that it would explain why it's happening for Rise-chan now, of course…"

"Don't look at me!" Teddie cried. "I hired you guys to stop this in the first place!"

"What do you mean 'hire'? You're not paying us!"

The bear's face turned slightly lecherous with a sly smile, narrowed eyes and wiggling eyebrows. "Then would you lovelies like to be compensated in hugs and kisses? They're Ted-deliciouuuuuus~! (hehe!)"

Shirou sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, an action oddly mirrored and echoed by his Persona inside. Yosuke was torn between laughing at Teddie's brazen flirting attempts and crying at the horrible pun. Yukiko blinked owlishly, once again missing the intent on both counts.

Chie blushed, but more in anger as she pointed her staff threateningly at the bear. "D-don't get any funny ideas!"
It was then that a shrill cry was heard deep inside the room, feminine and very terrified. "She said the magic words, didn't she?" Yosuke weakly joked.

"Dammit!" Shirou cursed, barreling through the curtain gate with the others close behind.

What they saw was spiraling darkness with the force of a gale. At the center of it was Rise and her Shadow, the former chained to a stripper dance pole, and the latter leaning (or grinding) against said pole with an ecstatic expression.

"YES! I CAN FINALLY BE MYSELF!" she panted as the swirling mass of darkness flowed into her. "HERE IT COOOOOOOOMES!"

Even as he stared at the birth of a new Shadow, even with the realization of how close Rise was to her own literal demons, even with the severity of the situation slowly sinking in as the Shadow's own size grew, Shirou had only one snarky quip for this development: "What is it with Shadows and exaggerated libido issues?"

When the smoke cleared, Rise herself felt exhausted, and saw strange new faces, two boys, two girls, and two animals (at least she thought that round blue thing was an animal. Was it some sort of future cat?). Those were soon the furthest thoughts on her mind as she noticed that the room had suddenly been obscured by a large shadow silhouette. Up above, she saw what could be best described as a giant wearing a skintight, rainbow-splattered zentai (otherwise known as a full-body spandex). She was hanging higher up against the pole, holding on with just a bent leg, and swinging upside down like a pendulum. The fingers were long and pointed like claws, and the face was replaced with hexagons and a needle arranged like a radio dish, but the pink long pigtails and curvy figure was Risette, without a doubt.

A Risette with another boob job anyway, given the size of them now.

The Investigation Team stared with equal parts shock and bewilderment, especially now since that they were hearing audible cheers and applause from around them. As if energized, the giant called out and introduced herself. "I am a Shadow, the true self! I'm all set to give you what you've been waiting for: watch and weep as I show you every last inch of me!

"And as for you," she glared down, and Shirou felt she was focused solely on him. "You nearly ruined my show rushing in like that! But if you're so insistent, I'll give you an extra-special, extra-INTENSE service!"

"Not the kind of service I want anymore!" Teddie squeaked as he slowly edged further back

Shirou's eyes glanced down to Rise. How scary this must be for her, chained down and forced to hear all her suppressed emotions. And the Shadow agitated her feelings early because she knew he was trying to rush to her safety? Shirou couldn't help but feel responsible, although Rise's life was in danger regardless if he waited or not. So long as she was safe in the end, he could take any punishment.

"Rise!"

No one had thrown the first punch yet, Shadow Rise had her hands up and ready to swipe down while the others raised their weapons in defense. But everyone was now staring at Shirou, who in turn was staring intently at the bound idol.

"We're going to save you and get you out of here! I promise!"

Rise had never met this boy before, but she had a good read on body language. His strong posture, his purposeful stance, the piercing gaze, it was all brimming with confidence and honesty. He believed he could win and help her. And he called her Rise, not Risette. Though her emotions were a muddled mess, she couldn't help but feel hope for this one stranger to be right.

Yosuke however was fuming and glaring daggers. His friend didn't even care about Risette and here he was making a proclamation of her protection before he could? Might as well propose to her on the spot while you're at it! "Damn you, Shirou Emiya…!"

"Hmm, rather passionate for a first timer, aren't you?" said the faceless Shadow. "Maybe I should give you something extra to SHUT YOU UP!"

As she screeched this, she swung around on the pole to build up momentum before extending her claw-like hands to slash him where he stood. The others tensed, and Teddie and Tama wisely diving for a side table near the entrance, but Shirou stared at the claws dead on.

"I plan to return it in kind," he said, before summoning his Persona. A hand crush later, and his newest Persona emerged to parry the hand.

Valkyrie let out her battle cry, chorused by her neighing horse. "Ho-jo-to-ho!" With an expert flourish, she swung her twin swords hard enough to force Shadow Rise's hand back. But she wasn't done yet, the horse quickly sprinted forward with the rider pulling her arms back for a timed strike. "Arm Chopper!"

Both blades slashed the arm, earning a howl of pain from the Shadow as she recoiled. The others quickly summoned their Personas to flank her, Jiraiya and Tomoe striking her flailing body with their weapons as Konohana Sakuya fired an Agi blast at her.

Painful as it was, all it did was make the Shadow angry. She swung around the pole with both legs and her arm, using the momentum of the attacks. Her free arm, even with the jagged sword wounds, waved out as it glowed and then lobbed a fireball that split into several more. "Maragi!"

Everyone immediately took evasive action, but Chie tripped mid-run. Yukiko quickly rushed in front of her friend and crossed her arms in a blocking stance. Her fan was also extended to protect her face, so the worst she felt was a humid heat wave. As one that controls fire, Sakuya was only mildly inconvenienced from the attack, giving Chie plenty of time to strike back.

"Yosuke! Satonaka! You two get Rise out of there! We'll cover you!"

"Easier said than done!" Yosuke barked, but followed the order anyway. "Can't you at least use your -kunda spells?"

"Not really able to do that right now!"

True to his word, Shirou drew his bow and projected a steel-tipped arrow. He quickly assumed a strong stance, took aim, and fired. The arrow found its mark on Shadow Rise's abdomen, which guided his Persona to swing her blades again. Even if it would break down moments later the damage was literally done.

When this was all over, he'd be sure to thank Fuji-nee and Mitsuzuri-san.

"So that's one," the Shadow mused to herself, entirely ignoring the arrow. "Now let's try… Mabufu!"

This time a barrage of ice flew out of her grotesque hands. Amagi cried out and flinched in worry, but Valkyrie simply rode out in front and acted as their vanguard. The biting wind didn't deter Shirou's concentration at all, and although she didn't emerge unscathed, the Chooser of the Slain and her mount shook off the attack as if it was a mild snowfall.

"You could never compare to the size or strength of the jötnar," she spat.

Meanwhile, Chie and Yosuke ran to opposite ends of the stage podium before climbing onto it. As the team's only frontrunners, their main duty was to take the fight to the Shadows and keep their ranged support from getting hit.

Yosuke had always imagined what his first words would be to this idol (even on the way here). He never believed that they would to be fighting words, but that's life. So, with Jiraiya in position, he willed the Ninja Persona to throw his shuriken hands while shouting, "Hey Shadow! Here's your Sonic Punch!"

Both knuckles(?) struck her shoulder, interrupting her barrage of attacks as Shirou and Yukiko made their own. "Ow! That was a terrible line!"

His spirit was wounded, but she was right, even if it was the name of Jiraiya's move, it was so damn cheesy. He should have said something cooler.

"Yosuke! Help me get Rise-chan out of there!" Chie called out, already sprinting to her side.

With a quiet Sukukaja on himself, Yosuke reached the center of the stage a fraction before Chie. He had to stomp down all of his inner fan impulses to ask for an autograph or something else stupid as she was not only in danger, but most likely lethargic. Instead, he took his nata blades and stuck them between the chain links and fiddled with them like lockpicks. Chie then arrived, simply swung her staff as hard as she could to break the chain on her side.

The volley of arrows and fire distracted Shadow Rise, but not enough from the sounds below her. "Oh no you don't!" she growled and literally stomped, the blow empowered with wind magic. Even when she missed, the force knocked the two off their feet and rendered them vulnerable, or at least Chie.

Yosuke, thanks to Jiraiya, merely shrugged off the wind as he stuck the landing with his newfound acrobatics. "Ha! Up yours, techno-color-stripper-priestess! You can huff and puff but you can't blow me, freeze me, or burn me, so don't even try!"

"That's rather bold. Plan to put that to the lie-detector test?"

"You bet!" he boasted. Then he blinked. "Wait, what lie-detector test?"

"This one!" she sang, holding up a hand charged with electricity. Yosuke flinched. "Here's your first and only question! You're gonna die."

"Protect me, Tomoe!"

A moment later, Chie's Persona appeared and flanked her with a strong naginata swing, breaking her concentration. Relieved at the assist, Yosuke followed with his own Persona to gang up on her with punches and spinning discus cuts.

In retaliation, the Shadow palmed both the ninja and warrior, slamming them together like flies. The resulting head pain dazed the two even further, and their Personas almost fizzled out as their summoners fell to the ground.

"No touching the merchandise!" she chuckled, before spinning around her pole and kicking both offstage and into a side table. Their bodies lay still, alive but groaning in pain. The Shadow felt morbid satisfaction at that, a feeling not at all shared by anyone else.

"Chie!" "Yosuke!"

"Don't worry! You're next~!" she said to them in faux cuteness, before lobbing another spell. "Zio-Later!"

Having noticed the slight discharge around her hand, Shirou had already stepped in front of Yukiko and switched out Valkyrie in favor of another. "Izanagi!"

The flash of the Persona was only a moment after the flash of the bolt, but he successfully buffered the attack. The God Persona's eyes seemed to glow as he fired his own Zio right back, almost powered from Shadow Rises. She had no natural resistance and simply lit up like a Christmas tree.

"She's stunned!" Shirou noted with relief. "Quick, Amagi, go over and heal the-"

When he turned, he saw that the black-haired girl had doubled over and was twitching. He was suddenly worried that he had missed a stray bolt guarding her, and turned to her fully. "Amagi! What's wrong?"

"Zio-later."

"Huh?"

Without warning, she threw her head back in jovial laughter. "BWA-hahahahaha! Oh, Zio-later! That's so clever! I got to remember th-"

"AMAGI! Now is NOT the time!"

Her laughter died and was replaced with slight fear. She had never heard or seen Emiya-kun so angry, that it was almost jarring to think he was the same kind leader. Even Teddie and Tama flinched away.

"W-well, you have to admit, it was kind of funny," she reasoned weakly.

"Yeah, and I'm sure we'll all be laughing to death real soon," he deadpanned with emphasis, pointing to where Yosuke and Chie had landed. "Now, keep your emotions in check and help them!"

Yukiko was still put off from his outburst, but he had a point. Breaking into laughter during a serious fight like this was unprofessional, not to mention extremely dangerous. "Y-yessir. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Heal!"

"Aww, a lover's quarrel?"

Growling, Shirou turned back to the recovered Shadow and fired another arrow as Yukiko's Persona used her healing magic. Izanagi mimicked his action by pulling his arm back and throwing his naginata like a javelin, charged with electricity for good measure. Both found their marks, causing her yelp.

"Owwie!" she cried as she crushed the arrow and plucking the spear out. "Seriously though, you need to lighten up, handsome. All that pent-up stress isn't doing your hot bod any favors."

Izanagi surged forward to grab his weapon. Shadow Rise, not knowing how to properly wield the naginata, held it both ways like a pole to bash the God Persona. Instead it became a tug-o-war scenario as both sides struggled to keep it. Shirou's face scrunched in tension as his Persona fought on, and more so as he readied another arrow.

"You can act serious and determined all you want," she continued. "But take it from me, all work and no play makes Risette go crazy. You can only play the same role without so much as a break from monotony for so LONG before something in you snaps." The Shadow's head leaned in closer, and would have likely smiled sardonically if she still had facial features. "And you're just one step away from a big fat meltdown."

"You don't know anything about me," the magus growled as he generated another arrow.

"You'd be surprised what an acting career can do in picking up someone's problems. Though I admit you're a bit tougher to read. You're determined, a lone wolf kind of guy, but you care a lot about saving little ol' me and your classmates there. And you hate anything that might distract you from saving someone from an unfortunate death."

"Your point?"

"I'm just gonna take a shot in the dark and say… survivor's guilt?"

Shirou's eyes hardened and, in a split-second decision, changed from aiming at her thigh to her radio-dish head before immediately firing.

"Gah!" she flinched and let go of the naginata, sparks pouring out of her head wound like blood. "Huh, consider that nerve touched."

Almost immediately, Izanagi pulled back and swung in a powerful arc also directed at her face. "Cleave!"

Not wanting to lose her head, the Shadow was forced to retreat. Fortunately for her, she had amazing flexibility, and simply fell backwards as her legs wrapped themselves around the pole. All she got from the Cleave attack was a grazing blow, cutting only the lower rim edge of her head.

Like a spring lock, Shadow Rise shot back to upright position, and swung her arms down in a haymaker. Izanagi's raised his weapon up to block, but underestimated her reach. The blow swung over his head and struck him square in the back instead (earning a pained gasp from both Persona and magus).

"No touching~!" she half-sang half-screeched, before twisting back and grabbing the pole with both hands. This time she swung her feet up in place before thrusting both at Izanagi. Shirou had a split second to see her feet glow before forcing his next spell command.

"Rakukaja!"

BOOM!

Just moments after a flash of purple empowered them, Izanagi and Shirou flew off the stage before crashing against the wall. The former was stunned into faulty static, and the latter slipped out due to gravity and hit the floor.

Shirou barely caught the action through his own eyes, but he saw a familiar spiral green appear from her legs like Yosuke's Garu. It seemed like she had no elemental preference, lobbing spells as naturally as the magically-designed Shadows. Her attacks on their own shouldn't cause much damage, and she was rather vulnerable in close quarters, but she seemed to fight smarter than the other Shadows they had faced thus far. It was like she was waiting on something, but what?

"That's enough foreplay," she said before pivoting herself and leaning back on the pole. She started to spin around in place, her head leaning back as her satellite head flashed out a laser light. "Supreme Insight!"

Shirou guarded to the best of his ability, as did his teammates once the attack was uttered. Green lines phased over them, almost methodically, vertically and horizontally. In fact, the same waves seem to hit Yosuke and the girls from across the room, just as they finished recovering. As soon as it happened though, the Shadow stopped spinning.

"And with that, I know all your weaknesses," she cooed excitedly.

"That power," Teddie paled as his eyes shrunk. He then cupped his hands and shouted across the room. "Shirou-sensei, be careful! Her power is just like ours!"

Shirou was alarmed but very skeptical. A power like Structural Analysis? Impossible, that was magecraft only, and even then Teddie was the only being in this world for whatever reason to show any signs of scanning.

Yosuke, whether he missed Teddie's warning or didn't care, rushed right in with nata spinning and Jiraiya blitzing over him. He felt a second wind from the healing (and would keep getting healed so long as Amagi was around, the way he saw it) and the Shadow wasn't going to kill itself.

"Dammit, I had a good line for this," he thought dejectedly, but his face hid that mental lapse well as he swung and shouted the best thing he could think of. "Eat steel, stupid!"

He swung his weapon in tandem with Jiraiya's pocket shuriken, only to miss as Shadow Rise leaned back with surprising flexibility at the last moment. At the very least, it stopped her from glowing and likely casting a powerful spell. Determined to keep going, the duo jumped for another attack. She was hanging upside down and clinging onto the same pole that the real Rise was chained to. There was no way she could avoid this.

But to the surprise of everyone, she could. Still following the momentum, the Shadow's legs unhooked from the pole and she followed through, doing cartwheels in succession. Yosuke was on her tail with rapid flurry strikes, but he would always miss by a hair. Even the wind from Garu spells seemed to hit her a fraction too late as she would swerve away at the last minute.

"Stand still, damn it!"

"Uh, no. Like I'm gonna sit and keep taking that."

Shirou watched from afar with an arrow drawn, but he hesitated to fire on the off chance he might hit Yosuke by accident. His aim was good, but two moving targets didn't make it any easier. "Teddie! If there's some element weakness that you forgot to mention during the fight, now would be a perfect time to say it!"

"But she doesn't have one!" the bear cried. "Rise-chan's Shadow is completely neutral to the elements she wields!"

So, unless someone struck her with a hard-enough blow, there was no chance for an all-out attack. That figured…

Chie had tried to follow them, but they were too fast to catch. Realizing that they were circling around the pole stand, she stopped and waited to make a pincer strike. "Steady, steady…" she chanted to herself, keeping her staff steady, with Tomoe mirroring the actions above her.

"Now!" she shouted, sprinting as the Shadow finally aligned herself directly in front. Both fighters were in sync to pierce the enemy, from their movements to their voices. "Skewer!"

However, Shadow Rise chose that exact moment to stop spinning, with one hand remaining on the floor. Then she pushed and sprang into the air, high above the Persona's charging trajectory. Yosuke and Chie saw each other, and immediately tried to backpedal, but their Personas still crashed into one another, and knocked their users back by the impact.

Meanwhile, the Shadow spun in the air like an acrobat, arms crossed over her chest and legs straight before tucking during the descent. She thrust her feet down at the last moment, causing a bit of a quake from her dismount. "YEAH! Stuck the landing!"

The others watched the scene unfold with worry and shock, but none more so than Shirou. Before, when Shadow Rise dodged their attacks, it was a reaction and response. Now she seemed to know instinctively where to move and when to avoid any attack, even ones from her blind spots. She knew when to dodge, how to dodge, and if her claims were correct, knew everyone's exact elemental weaknesses. Teddie was right, her power was like Structural Analysis!

Shadow Rise turned back to the recovering teens. Her body gave off a familiar red aura as she shot her arm out with an Agi. The tomboy cried and curled into a ball, feeling as if the fire was melting her. Then the Shadow repeated the action on Yosuke, this time with a Zio bolt. He too yelped, and was pushed further away by a bounce.

"Here it comes again!" she cried as she glowed for another spell. Her gaze heavily implied that Chie was her target again.

"No!" Yukiko cried, rushing over. Konohana Sakuya trailed ahead, extending her hands out to release an Agi spell.

It succeeded in stopping Shadow Rise, but only briefly. The fireball sailed harmlessly forward as she twirled to the side at the last moment, and calmly launched her spell. Though wasn't fire like Yukiko had expected. It was ice, which crashed onto her Persona like freezing-cold water. "Kyaaaaa!"

"Do you fools understand now?!" The Shadow gloated over Yukiko. "I know your every move before you can make it! I know all possible outcomes, all scenarios, and even your three measurements! Nothing you can do can surprise me now, let alone hit me!"

Shirou crocked his arrow back, but stopped. That Supreme Insight of hers, biding her time to know elemental weaknesses… she was playing the long game, dividing and conquering. If he had been more hands-on with team formations, this might not have happened, but there was little he could do now. Save for winning this fight, of course.

Normal brute force through Persona wasn't going to cut it this time, so he set his bow down and held his hand out in front of him. He closed his eyes and briefly let his mind wander to what Margaret told him…

<><><>

May 20th, Inaba Hill, 13 Days Ago

This was Shirou's first time visiting the hill. He had heard about it being the planned sight for a child daycare, but most days like today, it was empty. Empty, yet a nice reminder of how peaceful the town could feel, with the gazebo, grass, and view of the whole town below.

It was the ideal setting for the first of Margaret's 10-step plan to Magecraft. At least, in theory.

"I warned you this was going to hurt."

Shirou heaved from his crouched state, eyes wide, hands clutching his knee and abdomen to stop himself from collapsing. It wasn't as bad as he made it look though, if there was ANY benefit to his (now discredited) magic circuit making ritual, it was creating a high pain tolerance before doing the actual process.

He trusted Margaret to go through with this, and she did warn him three times if he was certain he wanted to go through with the procedure. Any edge to solving the case was pain well spent, and he didn't want to worry Fuji-nee or anyone else should he have to resort to magecraft again. That said, it was still sudden when Margaret shoved a green, glowing crystal inside him, and sat back to literally watch him grovel in pain.

"To put it simply, everyone has the power of potential inside of them," Margaret spoke. "But how that potential is used or awakened is solely up to the user. For example, a martial artist would harness their power through years of conditioning the mind and body. This potential of theirs takes the form of 'chi' or 'ki.' And as you have seen, you and your friends are blessed with the power of Persona as your potential. It is one that my Master and I specialize in, so to speak. But what sets the potential for a magus, and what they might insist is why they are better than the common man, is that they are born with a switch inside of them."

A switch? How could he imagine a switch when he was never told of this before? Shirou wanted to ask, but clearly the pain was too much to even move his mouth. He could only settle with staring up at her. Margaret, the smart enigma, could tell from body language alone and answered.

"This switch, of course, refers to how they can harness their magecraft. It is no different from how a martial artist can access their ki, or how you summon your Personas. Once you have a grasp of your inner workings, you can use it fully and freely. But that can only happen if you build a foundation for it first."

Shirou knew this of course. That was why he tried making magic circuits over and over again.

"Your problem, however, is that you were led to believe you had to recreate the magic circuits each time when at best you only had to do it once and activate the switch," she explained. "That's about as futile as the martial artist spending years relearning his punch motions, or you trying to re-summon Izanagi under duress again."

That… was actually a decent pair of analogies. Why take the time building something repeatedly when there was already something to use without risk? No wonder Pixie was so mad before. All that potential was wasted for nothing.

But still, could he be blamed for that? He was taught by his dad about this, and surely he had a good reason. Or maybe it was possible for anyone to create their own magic circuits through their potential?

As if reading his thoughts again, Margaret shook her head. "There are limits to how one accesses their potential. Remember when you first fused Cu Sith? He was created using the base of Izanagi and Eligor, inheriting their skills as his own. Skills he could never access on his own otherwise."

"In other words, it is like breeding the best qualities and traits of two parties to make something superior. Magi have been doing this for years to achieve heirs and prestige for their crafts, as Magic Circuits, or rather the switches, are a hereditary trait. Just like some people are born with no skill to whistle, those without a switch can never use their magic circuits."

Heredity trait… so did that mean he had magic circuits after all? But Kiritsugu thought of his skillset in Gradation Air to be useless, and he could barely cast two of those three spells down right after all this time. He thought that, as they were basic spells, he would be able to learn more with practice in keeping his magic circuits stable.

But that was probably a topic for another time, as she spoke of more relevant matters. "What I gave you is called a Plume of Dusk. You could say they are fragments of a living, yet different thing. Existing between mind and matter. They have many uses, from emitting their own space-time barrier to even the miracle of rebirth."

Slowly but surely, Shirou found feeling in his legs again. Huh, this was already a major step up from the hour-long pain equivalent to inserting a red-hot iron into his spine. He didn't feel good enough to talk though, such as ask more about this "Plume of Dusk" thing she shoved inside him, like how she got such an item. That would be for another day.

"It's best to see them as miniature Shadows, that can impart an identity and even a Persona in one's subconscious. But for you that would be redundant. Instead, it is now forcing your magecraft switch on, and the backlash of pain is from opening your circuits for the first time. It is almost the same principle of using Personas, so now you should be able to freely access your circuits without the Plume's help."

Seeing Shirou fully stand upright, Margaret rose from her seat on the bench and wrapped an arm over his shoulders. She paid no mind to the proximity or his flushing features. "The process should wear off overnight, so allow me to carry you far enough that you can reach your house."

The red-haired teen wanted to argue against this, as he felt red in the face again at being so close to her. But he could barely manage a groan as she practically dragged him back to the street corner of the Dojima home.

<><><>

Present Time

"Hmm?" Shadow Rise craned her featureless head to the side. She expected the last standing fighter to either give up or rush in blindly like his friends did. But instead he was just standing there in a trance. Amused, she closed the gap with a few short (but sexy) steps. "Aww, stunned in place? I guess I was little too rough for you. Don't worry, just one more push-!"

"Trace on."

Shadow Rise had intended to stomp him like a bug. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he just vanished, not even caught by the impact or Garu shockwave from her foot. Slightly startled, she quickly searched the area for him. She didn't need to look hard as he had jumped behind her and literally backstabbed her.

The Shadow roared in equal parts pain and rage. "You little shit!" Already her hands reached out to grab him, but all that was left was a sword that was easily plucked and crushed.

Shirou had leapt away almost as soon as she struck, and was on the offensive once again. Shadow Rise turned and saw him sprinting for her legs. She instantly foresaw his trajectory and planned attack and responded in kind by bending in a reverse somersault.

As she predicted, he swung his blade too slow and missed her now rising leg. But he kept swinging, turning with the momentum and hacked at her other leg before she finished the maneuver. It was enough to trip and knock her to the ground face-first.

Deadly and flexible, she flipped herself upright with the intent of swinging her non-damaged leg at him. Shirou guarded his side with his sword arm. What should have been a devastating counter meant to send him flying was suddenly buffered by an arm as strong as steel. If the ringing pain wasn't bad enough, he then followed up with some hidden sword to quickly stab her heel.

Shadow Rise found herself in pain, worse, she found herself losing and forced to retreat back from the smaller boy. "Th-that's far enough you freak!" In desperation, she cupped her hands together and extended them out towards him with a mighty Garu gale. She was pleased to see him flinch back when the winds started to pick up, but that soon turned to horror as he waded through them with strong steps and a mean glint in his eyes.

His speed, his endurance, his ability to summon swords instead of Personas. All of this was inconceivable.

No, it was impossible. She had made accurate readings on all their attack patterns and battle styles, even including details such as reach and elemental weaknesses. Not just this fight but from when they were climbing the dungeon floors, and especially against her entourage of Shadows. This red-haired boy may have been a wild card with altering Personas, but he was always the slowest next to the black-haired hussy and only fought with magic arrows.

So why was he suddenly a red streak swinging magic swords at her?!

"That's it, Shirou-sensei! You almost got her beat!!"

Damnable as the bear was, it was right. Her moves were starting to lag, and if that boy got in one or two more hits, it was over.

Shadow Rise returned to the pole still chaining down the lethargic Rise Kujikawa. Even though she felt like she had dozed off once or twice, Rise could see and hear that same red-haired teen fighting her evil twin. And yet for once she wasn't in control of the fight, he was winning and giving off a powerful aura like in shonen anime shows.

"Who are you?!"

Although it was the Shadow that demanded it, Rise couldn't help but wonder too.

"A high school student. A part-time gas station attendant. A third-rate magus. A proud chef. A big brother. A leader of the Investigation Team before you." He listed his seemingly unrelated titles as if downplaying his role. Yet each one was said with pride, as they were his own accomplishments. His words carried more draw and impact than the new sword magically configuring into his hand, bit by bit. "And above all else, I'm a future Ally of Justice, Shirou Emiya."

Had it been anyone else, Rise (human or Shadow) wouldn't believe them. She didn't think that anyone could say a sappy line like that with a straight face without acting practice, and even then, have some sort of fake tone to play off their inner fantasies.

But that was pure honest conviction in his words. This Shirou Emiya believed himself to be a hero, and for all intents and purposes, he was. He was a shining, brilliant, gallant knight that stood tall against a monster that seemed unstoppable. It was enough to make the young idol cry silent tears and believe that he could save her, even if they had never met before.

It was now that the others finally roused themselves from their weakened states. "Geez, what does that make us, chopped liver?" Yosuke joked, even as he struggled to hold his knives steady.

"We all came here to save Rise-chan and kick her repressed ass back to normal," Chie stated to the Shadow, before half-heartedly glaring at Shirou. "Don't go stealing the limelight yet, Emiya-kun!"

The Amagi heiress summoned her Persona first, and blessed everyone with an immediate Media as Sakuya fanned her arms skyward. "We're in this together, and we'll settle this together."

"That's right!" Teddie clamored, hiding with Tama from behind the door. He still raised a paw to let them know he was with them in spirit. "We're invincible! We're unbeatable! Fight the power!"

"Ruo ruo!" the fox added.

Despite himself, Shirou was smiling. He knew that the others had suffered the most in this fight, yet they were still willing to keep fighting and finish strong. Likewise, Rise was touched and amazed how all these people she had never met were going out of their way to fight and rescue her. She didn't care if it was a lucid dream, or if they were some mercenaries with a motive or whatever. She was starting to feel hope that everything would turn out fine.

But whatever Rise felt about their encouragement was not shared with her Shadow, who was clutching either side of her head and stomping her foot in frustration. "Ugh, are you posers done with the cheesy self-help speeches? God, and I thought my idol scripts were bad!"

"You should just give up then!" Yosuke taunted. "Or stand there while we beat you down to size! Either way works!"

The Shadow almost snarled a nasty reply, reminding them that only one of them could hope to even hit her. But she just stopped and stared (which was very unnerving to Yosuke personally). "'Just… give up?' "

Shirou didn't like how she processed those words. And he liked it even less how she started to laugh.

"Hmhmhmhm! Ahmhmhmhmhm-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

She threw her radio head as she arched her back. Her hands were extended out and open, briefly held in place before groping her own "face." Her laughter echoed throughout the room, and despite this slip of sanity, no one could stop staring in bewilderment. The idea of taking advantage of her being distracted didn't even register to their minds.

By the time Shirou did, he knew they had made a mistake.

"Of course, the answer is so obvious!" Shadow Rise's voice cracked, but she started to calm down and stand upright. "Why keep trying to be someone I'm not when there's no point? The world only knows as me as Risette the idol slut. It's not my real personality, but I don't know if I even have one! I just want to expose my sad, naked truth that I'm really a talentless hack!"

The Investigation Team almost expected Rise to verbally respond to that, but she just slumped further down in her chain bindings as if ashamed. Whenever a Shadow was rejected, the act seemed to leave the person mentally and physically exhausted. Rise probably didn't know what was going on, or assumed all this to be a long dream.

In truth, Rise was fighting tears at having these feelings revealed, but could do nothing at all to stop her. She felt so tired, so useless, so bullied.

"But maybe it's better that the truth stays buried." For a moment, Rise was surprised. Was her Shadow giving up? Was she convinced that she really didn't want to act so brazenly shameless?

She looked up, and saw the Shadow's multicolored hand snatch her and forcibly tear her from her chains. And clutch her painfully hard in her grip. "Aaaaah!"

"At least until I die of course! I'll become a martyr to the idol world, the next Yuko Osada, and those little shitheads can reflect at how they drove me to suicide!!"

"Rise-chan!" "Risette!"

The Shadow held out her spare hand in warning before anyone could think to attack her. "Careful now! I don't know my own strength, and if you surprise me I might end up squeezing her too hard!"

She had them at an ultimatum. She had a long reach and quick reflexes. It took a lot out of Shirou's reinforcement to catch up to her, and now she had a hostage she could end at any moment. And yet things were just starting to get worse.

To remind them, Shadow Rise squeezed her smaller lookalike slightly, and everyone flinched at her cry of pain. Her face, while featureless, might as well have had an evil, confident sneer written all over it.

"Normally I wouldn't do this, but you brats are the only ones who know the truth of what's going to happen here. So, I'm going to be generous and ask you a favor, get out of my domain and relay a little message for me."

"Message?" Yukiko asked incredulously. "What are you saying?"

"I'm letting you live, morons." The Shadow spat, pointing deliberately out the door. "Live so you can go and tell the world the truth about my life! Tell the paparazzi that I quit because they ruined my life, my self-image, and I can't bother to deal with this crap anymore! Tell them that I am sick of being their sex toy and living with this burden they all but dumped on me! Tell them that I died because of them!!"

Shirou was furious. He was mad at the Shadow that was willing to let go, gloating as if her victory was all but assured. But he was also mad at himself for being so weak that the only sure way the team could live was if they abandoned Rise.

He couldn't do that. Rise was a popular idol and many people would legitimately worry over her. The town serial murderer was still on the loose and wouldn't stop until he was caught. Teddie's world would continue to deteriorate, and he had promised to help save it.

But most of all, he was an Ally of Justice, and he responded the only way he knew how: defiantly.

"Rise can tell them that herself!"

Everyone stared at him now. He didn't care, as he fixed his glare on the Shadow. "If Rise has a problem with the idol industry, then she should have the right to confront them instead of hiding and dying here. I don't know what the full extent of her problems are, and I'm sure there's no small amount of self-loathing on her part, but dying is not going to fix the problem. It's going to make people sad, not just her fans, but her friends and family who care about her beyond the façade!"

"Yeah!" Chie added boisterously, as they all converged next to him. "Our leader already made a big deal about saving Rise-chan, and that counts for all of us! No ifs, ands, or buts about it!"

"You're not alone in this, Rise-chan!" cried Yukiko. "We also had our Shadows try to hurt us, say hurtful things, and believe no one would ever understand. Our Personas are proof that we can be accepted for who we are, warts and all!"

"I'm one of your biggest fans, but I'd still risk life and limb to save you if you weren't!" Yosuke grinned. "I'd just hate myself if I let a cute girl die like this!"

The group was unanimous in their stand-off and refused to leave. Even the timid Teddie and aloof Tama stayed right where they were. Shirou felt torn that everyone would continue to stand in opposition alongside him, in a lifestyle that should only be allowed for the most steadfast of magi and hardened of mercenaries. But they shared many of his feelings in fighting for Inaba's peace and for whoever was in danger.

He couldn't have asked for better friends.

The Shadow seemed disappointed, but then shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I guess your bodies can be message enough, so okay! You'll all die first!"

Shadow Rise raised her free hand high up, and glowed with another red aura. "Megidola!"

Unlike any spell the Investigation Team had seen before, there was a bright light surrounding the room that then slammed into the ground in front of the Rises. Shirou's sense of magic alerted him to a smell akin to sulfuric gas, or rotten eggs, but the warning was too little too late.

"GAAAAAAAH!"
"AAAAAAH!"
"EEEEEEEK!"
"WHAAAAA?!"
"Shirou-sensei! Everyone!"
"Hurrro?!"

All four fighting members of the Investigation Team were blown back by the explosion, slamming against walls and crushing tables into splinters. Their armor was burning hot, as was their skin, and bloody wounds that were once closed were forced open again. Even their Personas were destroyed.

Such power. Such ferocity. She had a spell like that in reserve the whole time and only now decided to use it?

"You gotta to be kidding me," Yosuke winced, slumped against a broken piece of a side table.

"Oooh," Chie tried in vain to push herself off the floor, but found no feeling from her waist down. She barely had the strength left to crawl. "How are we supposed to win against that?"

Yukiko had hit her head hard against the wall, and was close to losing consciousness. The gash was shallow, fortunately, but a small trail of blood marred her facial features. "A-are we… going to die?" she asked, almost too soft to be heard.

"No!" Teddie cried as he pushed each of them gently to get back up. "You guys can't die! Not like this! Tama-chan! Your leaves! Maybe they-!"

The bear's hopes were dashed as, looking to the vixen for help, saw the sad, forlorn look in her eyes. Her head slowly shook side to side. This was beyond the magic of her rare leaves. There wasn't anything she could do.

There was nothing he could do.

"No… I have to do something!" he assured himself. "Shirou-sensei! Please! What should I do?! Shirou-sensei?!"

Only Shirou was still on the center stage, or at least hanging over the edge, having dug his sword in at the last moment. The trail of cleaving metal had reduced it to a lump too insulting for even a dagger, and it still looked better than Shirou felt right now. His hands were so raw and numb, they didn't even feel the blood he coughed out as he crawled back onto the podium.

And yet despite the pain which he chose to ignore, he turned his attention to Shadow Rise. His mind was still reeling that she had the power of a mini-nuke at her disposal. If there was any consolation, her chest heaved and shoulders sagged with each pant of exhaustion. That last attack must have taken a toll on her magic reserves.

"Not that she needs any strength left to stomp us to death."

"I'm surprised," she said in a tone that meant it. "You actually took that, on top of all the exquisite pain from earlier too. It's almost a shame you have to die, but you did ignore my generous offer."

She tossed the smaller Rise underhand in front of her. The idol groaned in pain as she hit the floor. She looked no better than he did, in half-stripped clothes, disheveled hair, and broken chains still on her arms and legs. The magus thought he could also see her eyes blurred from wet make-up and puffiness from tears earlier. Are they from now?

"It's over, Shirou Emiya," her Shadow said. "You were certainly eager for sure, but you just lacked the stamina to survive the climax."

Shadow Rise didn't have the strength to crush her with her bare hands anymore, and intended to end everyone -including her selves- in one big bang. And already she was glowing red for the spell, with both hands high up.

"Goodbye… forever!"

Yosuke appropriately summed up the situation in two words, "Aw shit."

Shirou was at death's door once again. He saw his life flash before his eyes, relevant to his time after Kiritsugu Emiya rescued him. His life, he now realized, was so brief and empty and meaningless that he wasn't sure if he could be content if he fell on the job anymore. Not when he realized how fulfilling it was with his friends at school. Not when he promised Fuji-nee he would come back alive.

And especially not with his Personas each goading him to fight on.

"Stand. Stand and fight for truth!"

"You have faced the fires of hell once, Fool, and you can do it again!"

"May my blessing, however small, grant you second wind, child."

"Hey! You can't let the last good memory with Yosuke be a concert! I won't accept it!"

"And I won't accept you dying before getting laid! You are going to snag that idol, dammit!"

"There is glory in death, but not a premature one. You have so much left to do."

"You promised Cu Taiga! A true man NEVER breaks a lady's promise!"

He couldn't let this end. He wouldn't. If only he had more power-

Power. Power just like Structural Analysis.

"Teddie," he finally spoke. His voice sounded so raspy that he almost didn't recognize it.

The bear, relieved to hear his leader speak, quickly climbed the podium next to him. "Y-yes, Shirou-sensei?!"

"I need you to Reinforce my arms," he told him, showing him them in their bare, bloody state. "Keep pouring prana into them until you can't anymore."

"Huh? But I never used-"

"I know, but you've seen me cast it before. I know you can do it."

"Uh, okay," the bear nodded slowly. "But are you sure you can't use reinforcement to move your arms on your own?"

"Not on my own. That's why we're both going to reinforce my arms at the same time."

"You're going to WHAT?!" Pixie screamed from his head.

Teddie's face paled, further evidence that what he had suggested was a bad idea. "But Shirou-sensei, that's dangerous! You don't know what will happen! You need those to get healed first! Maybe Yosuke or Yuki-chan-?"

"We don't have the time for that. Rise's Shadow is almost done charging her second round, and if that hits, we're all beyond healing."

Teddie glanced between Shirou and Shadow Rise. There was no time for anything else. Even if he could conjure a Goho-M now, the real Rise was too far away to take with them. And so, with great reluctance, the bear trotted behind the magus with a paw supporting over each of his shoulders.

"This better work, Shirou-sensei."

Fortunately, Teddie didn't need guidance on how to use reinforcement, and the two overlapped their body-enhancing magic at once. Shirou found he was grinding his teeth down to fight the pain, and slowly but surely, he could move his fingertips again.

He weighed his options. His legs could move, but there was no guarantee he could reach the Shadow in time for a close blow. He only had time for one decisive hit anyway, so anything short of a Persona or powerful sword was doomed to fail. His bow would take too long to fire, and it was too far to reach anyway.

That left him to use one of his Personas. A quick mental view of his entry revealed that Izanagi was the only one capable of dealing the finishing blow, but he was nowhere near as agile to close the gap between him and the Shadow.

He was already conjuring Izanagi's Tarot Card when a thought occurred to him. For a time, he believed Personas to be a new branch of Magecraft and treated them as such. Although wrong he realized that there were several similarities between the two. Then there was that lesson he learned from Margaret and the Plume of Dusk. If he could harness the potential of Magecraft as well as Persona… why not use them both at once?

Instead of crushing the card firmly, he gently grasped it as he began to Analyze. Then Project. And finally Reinforce. All in a matter of seconds.

"Trace… Persona!"

A gunshot-like sound boomed in the room, and a blue aura flared around Shirou and Teddie like a bonfire. The card reconfigured in his hand, forming a sturdy, familiar cloth-covered grip. The magus didn't even need to look to know it was the naginata from his first dream in Inaba. Izanagi's weapon of choice: Ame-no-Nuhoko, the heavenly jeweled spear.

"WHOOOOOOOOA!" Teddie cried from behind him, still pouring prana into Shirou's shoulders. "Th-this is amazing! I feel like I'm gonna go bear-zerk!!"

The wounded but still conscious fighters of the Investigation Team found their crushing despair replaced with stunned awe. Tama stood still as a statue, but her tail was wagging on its own accord. From Rise's perspective, she saw only a blue fire that engulfed the red-haired boy yet didn't burn him. It was scary, and yet so beautiful…

Even Shadow Rise had to stop and take notice. Her Supreme Insight allowed her to instantly know the power of her enemies. The jump of Shirou's power was startling at first, as he reacted faster than she could. But this was entirely different from his Personas or random magic tricks. "This high-energy reading… how is this even possible?!"

"Teddie! When I say now-" Try as she might, the zentai-clad Shadow couldn't hear what the boy told the bear over the roar of their shared power. But in hindsight, she didn't need to know.

"NOW!" "RRRRROOOOOOOOAWWR!"

Shirou and Teddie worked and moved in perfect sync. Lifting his arm, they slightly shifted the magus' body before following in a forward step. And then threw the naginata directly at the Shadow's head.

The speed was worthy of any professional javelin thrower. Despite the odd shape and weight of the Persona weapon, it flew at a perfect trajectory for her head, with enough force to pierce through and kill her. The Shadow knew this much, and knew she didn't have time to finish the spell before it struck. The moments clicked away, everyone waiting at held breath at their hope for victory-

…only for her to turn and dance counterclockwise at the last moment. Just like with Yukiko's Agi spell before, she had perfect balance on her legs and no wasted movement. The Jeweled Spear was a hairline fracture close, just harmlessly passing her hexagonal rim head as instinct told her to move. All the power in the world was useless if she had time to read and react accordingly, just like now.

Her back was turned to them, and her hands were still in place controlling the Megidola. She saw as their ace in the hole sailed further away. It was going, going… gone.

She had won.

"HA!" she yelled, finishing her spin with the intent to blow them up here and now. "You MISSED, Motherf-!"

BRZT!!

Her head was snapped back by a sudden projectile piercing it through. Technicolor blood, metal shards and electric discharge seeped out of the open wound. The force was enough to send her flying off her feet as if she had been shot. And yet she couldn't understand how or why this had happened. She knew everything.

Somehow, he played on her overconfidence of dodging attacks she could read, that she never anticipated a second polearm immediately thrown as she focused on the first. Even their posture implied that they took a second step forward to throw with the other hand.

The damned magus knew she would dodge, and played that against her with a near instant counterattack. And he had the chance to gloat too: "Ataru."

"He fired… before me? Twice?"

Shadow Rise crash-landed into the side tables past the podium and exploded into a puff of dark mist. The Jeweled Spear too fell out of its position in from the Shadow's head, before dispersing. When the blackness cleared, only a bikini-clad human-like Rise was left, laying down on her side.

From their points of view, the Investigation Team could only see a small flash after the Shadow was sent flying. "Did you get her?" Chie asked.

For several seconds, there was no reply but pants between silence. And then, finally, "Yeah," the magus said slowly. "I got her." Everyone exhaled relieved breaths, even Shirou. He was straining to hold himself upright after throwing two copies of Izanagi's weapon in succession.

"Thank you, Teddie," he rasped. Although it was his foresight that knew that Shadow Rise would dodge, it was the bear's supply of Prana and following his instructions to the letter that helped save the day.

"Y-y-you're welcome, Shirou-sensei," the bear said. Whether he was exhausted too or scared stiff, Teddie simply stopped pushing his paws against him and fell back in a slump. With his arms now really numb and his energy exhausted, Shirou wanted nothing more than to rest, but he had one more task to complete here.

He slowly limped over to where Rise Kujikawa lay; the real one. He cared not for her state of undress, as he looked and felt kind of shitty himself. "Hi," he said. Rise almost laughed. Most fans of Risette would kill to have a chance to talk to her. In Shirou's case, he literally did so. And the best he could think to start a conversation was "hi"? "Hi yourself," she replied. "Are you… going to be okay?"

Shirou smiled, extending a hand to help her up. "I'll live, don't worry."

"That's a relief. Thank god."

"If the situation was any different, I'd ask for an autograph."

"Everyone would, really," Rise smiled coyly, despite the gloomy atmosphere. "And I suppose you wouldn't mind getting a kiss for saving my life too?"

"Not in particular," he admitted, feeling she misinterpreted him. Even so, he handed her his school jacket so she'd have some form of decency. "The autograph would be for Nanako."

"Who's Nanako?"

"My little sister; technically my cousin. She was really worried about you after your announcement at Okina."

She had a fan in a little girl? That went to her concert in Okina? All this time Rise thought she was just pandering to lusty males by majority. And this guy wanted to give his sister an autograph from her? That was so sweet.

But then his soft smile grew to a tired frown, and looked towards the defeated Shadow. Rise knew it was alive, if only barely, and a bit of fear came back to her from all the words she spouted out. She found herself shrinking a bit in his Yasogami jacket.

"You're going to have to accept her, you know," he said softly. It didn't make her flinch any less. "Your Shadow may be parts that you hate, but she's still a part of you."

"No," she said. Even after everything that had happened, she couldn't accept it just like that. Not when it tried to kill her. Tried to kill them. "That thing… she's everything that went wrong with me ever since I became Risette. I don't want to associate myself with her anymore."

"And what will you do when this happens again?"

That simple question, more curious than accusatory, felt more disarming than any of her Shadow's insults and retorts.

"Trust me, I know what it's like to keep a secret from the world. One that you feel no one could even hope to understand. One where you have to pretend to be someone that you're not, whatever the intent or reason."

Shirou spoke from personal experience. While the pressures between idols and magi may differ, there was no doubt that they carried a weight unique to them, and that normal people wouldn't fully understand. It was perhaps this reason that Rise wanted to quit, but that was neither the time or place to ask.

"That doesn't mean there aren't people who accept you for who you are," he added. "Your lies, your façades, your secrets… they're still a part of you. You don't have to like them, but the least you can do is acknowledge that they are part of the larger sum that is you."

Rise Kujikawa, the sum of the whole? She had never thought of it that way before, if only because people took one look at her and called her "Risette." But they all shared the same face, the same body, the same life. Could she look past Risette as a job or mask, and see it as a title worth remembering?

Slowly she walked to the side of the podium and climbed down using the wreckage. What was once a nice little strip stage looked like a tornado disaster area from all the fighting. Her Shadow had no injuries from the fighting, but looked no less vulnerable than Rise herself.

She hesitated. This felt so surreal compared to their first meeting, and she could never imagine it coming to this. Still, she knelt and reached out with her hand. "Can you stand?"

Risette, or Shadow Rise, took the offer. There was no hostility between them anymore.

"I'm sorry," Rise bowed genuinely. "I was so caught up in my own problems that I didn't know how much you were hurting. I knew deep down you were a part of me, but I kept refusing that you existed."

Well, she wasn't lambasting her with passive aggressive remarks anymore. That was a start.

"I was trying to ask myself what is the real me, but that's not right at all. You said it yourself before. We're all one and the same. I'm sorry I didn't realize that before."

Shadow Rise smiled, no longer a slasher horror gesture, but a serene one. Then she transformed again, almost in a heavenly counterpart to her previous monstrous form. Her body structure was the same, but looked more compact and holy like a priestess. She wore, instead of a skin-tight zentai, a long white flowing robe that left her black shoulders bare and covered the rest of her body. Her hands held a crown-like visor with the utmost care. Her head was also like a radio antenna, but larger and more highly defined. There were five needles instead of one, a coaxial line reaching far out from the back of her head, and the hexagonal plates, though smaller in number, made up for a larger face. She even had blue hair-like braids flowing over her shoulders.

How this being could even move right with her rigid face was a mystery to Rise, but if her Shadow form showed her careless abandon to the world, this showed her abstinence. Her staring of the being was short-lived as she transformed again, this time into a card. Rise cupped her hands and accepted it with a smile.

"I promise I'll do better this time… Himiko."

The fight was over, Rise was saved, and her Shadow was accepted.

Satisfied, Shirou turned to the other side of the podium, where everyone was just recovering and patching themselves up with medicine and magic. "Let's go home."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Fuyuki Gaiden 3: Shoot for The Moon


The Mitsuzuri clan; a family with a strong history of martial arts and collected weapons. For generations, our clan has been known to have men and women with strong physical fitness and peerless stamina. Our family tree goes back as far as one of the many samurai clans around the Heian Period before branching out to martial arts.

It's an honor to be a Mitsuzuri. To be a strong leader, a capable fighter, to preserve the talent for ages to come. To be a Mitsuzuri is to be a warrior pushing your limit to be the strongest. My father, a retired police officer, is a master of taiho-jutsu. My mother, a traditional Yamato Nadeshiko, has practiced naginatado so long that she named her polearm like a pet. My younger brother is a quick study and is intent to learn kyudo.

…and then there's me.

"Shout~ friends! / Just those words you'll feel that you'll need/
And let your / voice be heard all over the world /
Stand up / when you hear the knock on the door -"

A knock on my door interrupted my singing, and ruined my focus on the music. "Ayako! Time for practice!"

"Okay, mom!"

I'm the daughter and heir apparent of the Mitsuzuri clan; Ayako. Second year student of Homurahara High, Captain of the school's Archery Club, all around competitive girl… with a girly streak.

I feel I need to emphasize that because no one seems to take me seriously when I show them my CD collection, let alone my copy of Risette's newest single.

I turn off the music player and open my closet, exchanging my girly clothes for my martial uniform. Considering it was a white undershirt and black front guard, it was a bit hard to find through all the other dresses and cute clothes I've bought. So many colors, frills, designs… and I haven't worn all of them yet!

It's a dilemma all girls have, I'm certain. Even Rin.

<><><>

My family dojo is nothing special; it's not as pristine and well maintained as the one in Emiya's house (or so I've heard), and it's a dwarf in comparison to the archery dojo at Homurahara. But it has an entire closet full of weapons. Mostly swords and polearms, with the odd exotic weapon like a chain knife, but it's a treasure trove of weapons all around.

But I know a handful of styles. There's archery that I picked up on my own naturally. I would have said I'm proud to be a master of it, but I can't say that in good confidence after seeing Emiya use a bow and arrow. He took to it as naturally as a fish to water. I'd love to learn more from him, but he quit the club last year, and is now visiting his relatives in the rural country town of Inaba.

Then there's kendo. I just started it recently this year, so I'm not so skilled in that one. It's kind of hard to get better when your teacher, opponent, rival, and above all worst enemy is Taiga Fujimura. Mind of a child, body of a… big vicious carnivore. It makes for a dangerous combination, and while I'm learning through her, she's still leagues above any student in Homurahara High. I would say she's worthy to be the best of the best, but she hasn't reached any level higher than five-dan lately.

Last but not least is proficiency of the naginata. A beautiful weapon, really, used back in the age of samurai as their bladed polearm. There are different naginatas meant for men and women (but mostly women), usually in a smaller blade to compensate for the heavy thick pole you swing around. I've always used the o-naginata to try and compensate for my girlish figure, but I'm not sure if it's working.

Tonight's exercise is just my mom and me swinging our weapons. Strike, turn, parry, repeat. The basics are important in any martial art, and once you have them down pat, you can focus better in fights. It's like training to level up, but using the long and hard way instead.

Strike, turn, parry, repeat.

I was about to do my next set when my mom stopped and looked at me. "Something's troubling you, dear."

I blink. "What do you mean? I'm following this routine like clockwork."

"That's just it," she told me. "Fighting and training is about more than routine. You need to have passion in your art, and a reason to pursue it."

I could tell what she was saying, but it's not like we live in an anime or video game. Having a martial arts skill set isn't going to make you become a magical girl or save the world from some ancient evil. Modern warfare and technology has come a long way since the age of the samurai, and the act of aiming and shooting with a gun makes any extension of martial arts next to useless. But even so…

"I'm doing this because this dojo is kind of a big deal. You and dad want it to keep going, don't you?"

"Not if it means you giving up on just enjoying yourself."

"But I do have fun and enjoy myself."

"With swinging a naginata? Or a kendo sword? Or firing an arrow?"

I frown. "I want to keep doing martial arts, mom. Really. It's okay if I don't like doing it, right? It's more of a job to keep it going on. I don't have to like a job to do it."

Because seriously, a lot of people would tend to do work even if it sucks. The reasons vary, like a big payoff or something honorable or rewarding. Maybe not in money, but in something else…

Mom still looked upset with me though. "If you keep thinking like that, Ayako, you'll never reach master status." She walked across the dojo to set her weapon back on the closet rack. "We'll end early tonight. Take this time to reflect on what you really want."

What was that supposed to mean?

<><><>

I'm not an official Kendo club member, because there's no Kendo club for women in school.

It just happened one day after watching a couple shows that had the main characters use wooden swords to save the day. The idea was cool, and the practice behind it was sound too. You swing a wooden, weighted weapon enough, and you'll build muscle to learn the motions. Then you can use real weapons based off their wooden counterparts and deal a lot more damage.

Of course, I've practiced with a naginata and bow for so long that I already have the necessary upper body strength, so the real challenge is muscle memory. While a discipline in kendo sounds like the perfect art to add to my repertoire, I'm not an official kendo club member, so I had to… improvise.

"HA!"

Luckily there's Taiga Fujimura. English teacher, supervisor of Archery, the living proof that scientists have it wrong about the perpetual motion machine… and a total brat.

The situation for the Kendo club is tricky, as Fujimura-sensei is old enough to be captain but is regularly a member. I think everyone just calls her captain and lets her take all the important planning because she's a teacher and highly skilled at the art. She certainly cares more about getting the club into regional contests than spending funds on superficial equipment, for starters.

"YAY! I win again!"

Not that it excuses her for acting like a kid more frequently than her own age. Standing in the arena circle, the taller kendoka was jumping and cheering. She had earned her final point striking the shorter kendoka on the crown of his head, and judging how he was crouching and rubbing it, the helmet did little to buffer the pain.

Sitting in the back with the other official members, I hear them grumbling among themselves. "There she goes again, acting as if the fight wasn't that serious."

"Yeah, but it's amazing how far off she is compared to the rest of us. Shouldn't she be higher than five-dan by now?"

"If you ask me, it's better this way. Otherwise she'll get famous!"

The boys nodded in agreement. I didn't quite follow their logic as to why this was bad. If Fujimura-san was famous and a master of kendo, wouldn't that be a good thing?

…if we overlooked her childish antics of course.

"Besides," they started up again, and spoke more softly. "We all know her shinai seeks out the blood of those that she duels against."

"Such a deadly weapon can only be described as cursed!"

I found their claim ridiculous, but it's not really my place to ask. A kendoka is supposed to give respect to senior members, as well as always pay attention in practice. Not that I'm really an official member but still…

"Okay, Moto-kun. You can go rest for today," Fujimura-sensei told her latest victim as he more or less fled. She turned to the rest of us sitting at the side of the dojo. "Now, who's up next?"

No one stepped forward or raised their hands. They still squirmed and flinched at the idea of having to go up against Fujimura-sensei.

"This is all your fault, you know," one of them whispered.

"My fault?!" A kendoka asked incredulous. Even I was surprised by with the claim.

"You had to blab out loud that Fujimura-sensei is a kendoka, and now she's running us ragged in these sessions!"

"Well, sensei was upset about our last match and really wanted us to shape up. I didn't think the rumors around 'The 'T' of Fuyuki' were true!"

Ah, so that's what happened. It did seem weird that Fujimura-sensei was spending so much time with these guys. Well, if no one else was stepping up…

"I will, sensei."

Sensei turned to me, and I can barely make out the smile behind her mask. "Ayako-chan, perfect! Come on up then!"

I nodded and slipped my helmet on as I carried my shinai over. Some of the boys sighed in relief at not having to fight. I don't see why they keep coming to this club if they don't try to better themselves. Friendly spars among club members could only go so far before they stagnate. Only by facing stronger, more skilled fighters could they learn more and get additional experience. Any gamer would understand that logic; it's how you "level up" in video games.

And Fujimura-sensei is the best there is in kendo. She is even better than me. At least right now. We bowed to each other as custom dictates, the calm before the storm.

Okay, review time. In Kendo, you can only strike at four points; the crown of the head, the side of either wrist guard, the abdomen, and a small space for the throat. Each strike there counts as a point, and the first to get best out of three points wins.

What's more, the strikes don't count unless they have the energy, the accuracy, or the proper stance all at once. Usually matches last up to five minutes, but the matches can go by very quickly if you don't even have time to count the score.

Sensei seems to prefer the straight approach, and her preferred target is the head. As long as I can parry and thrust at her neck, I'll get ahead with a point.

The referee signaled us to begin, and like always, sensei is off like a bullet, and her shinai even faster. I swear I saw her lucky tiger bangle tied to it. "HOOOA!"

From my standing position, I raised my own bamboo sword to a diagonal slant. It wasn't enough to stop her swing, but did divert her enough to hit my shoulder pad. A miss, and the match will keep going until an official hit is registered.

With my sword in position, I quickly thrust at her throat guard. She all but vaults backwards to avoid it, but I press forward in chase. She shifts her arms back into position and swipes down to strike my head to score before me.

"KIAH!" "HOOOOA!"

I connect with her neck. She hits my head. One of the three referees blew their whistle.

"Point, Mitsuzuri!"

Two more to go, but the real fight is about to start.

It's rare to get the upper hand on sensei, but especially so to win against her. She's already designated me as a threat and holding her shinai seriously. She's always been serious in sports, but lately she seems to be making more of an effort to train and spar. I think she only agreed to help these kendo club kids solely to brush up on her skills, too.

The second match starts, and sensei doesn't move right away. I flinch, expecting some sort of advance and barely hold myself back for her to take an opening.

It's easy to assume that to win in kendo, you have to strike first and strike hard. While striking with vigor is very important, it doesn't count unless the strike is in proper form and hits the right target. Those rules might sound very restricting, but when refined with sharp reflexes and precision, a kendoka can theoretically wield a real katana with ease.

But musing on the speed or lack thereof in kendo is pointless-

"HOOOOHYAAAA!"

Or else you get blindsided for not thinking quick enough.

I barely manage to block her, this time getting stuck in a deadlock instead of a parry. Sensei must have anticipated this regardless as her strike was rather light and she made a quick retreat. I chase her forward with the intent to attack her abdomen this time. "KIAH!"

Almost at the same time I swung to her left torso, I feel a deft smacking of wood against my left arm. "HOOOOOA!"

Since it struck the outer rim of my vambrace, that meant- "Point, Fujimura!"

The remainder of the spar became a sort of song and dance. Having read off our moves for a while now, we give up points and advantages to guard our weak spots. Our torsos were well guarded, our arms always moving, and our heads just out of reach from a strong strike. And of course, our battle cries entered a sort of rhythm of rise and fall. During this barrage, there was a brief pause as the refs said:

"Point, Fujimura!"

"KIAH!" "HOOOA!" "KIAH!" "HOOOA!"

Smack, smack, smack, smack, we continued with gusto.

I was tired, my arms were shaking, and my throat was raspy from shouting to make sure my strikes had the right "energy" to count for points.

But Fujimura-sensei? She was a dynamo of energy. Try as I might, I could only go for so long before she overwhelmed and struck past my defenses, claiming her victory.

"Match point! Winner: Fujimura!"

"I WIN AGAIN!" she jumped and cheered loudly like an overeager school girl. At least she remembered to bow to me to signify the end of our match. It's those bouts of rudeness she has which remind me why she's not a higher ranked kendoka.

She removed her helmet to wipe away the sweat in her hair. It's amazing how young and energetic she acts. "Good match, Ayako-chan! You're getting better every day!"

"I'm still leagues behind you, though," I told her honestly. "I mean, fighting you was like trying to fend off a tiger."

"…" Fujimura stared at me blankly, mouth agape in a gasp. I think I heard the other kendoka boys wince and gasp too. Why is-

…Oh shit, I just said that out loud, didn't I? The one rule of Taiga Fujimura is never ever ever say that word in front of her! The one that sounds so much like her given name. Not even the fact that our match is over could spare me from her violent outburst.

Survival instincts, think of something and don't fail me now!

"-Oak! Tiger oak, that is about to fall over you and crush you! Yeah, that's it, heheh-heh…"

Such a weak excuse backed by a weak laugh only showed how vulnerable I was. And even then, the recovery was bad. I had to compare her power to a falling tree? Why couldn't I apologize?!

Game over, girl. Game over!

"Yeah, I work out so much that I'm pretty much the second coming of Kaihime!"

…what.

Was she… smiling? And laughing? And slapping my shoulder like a good sport?

…thank goodness that my mask is still on. I don't think I can trust my facial reaction from seeing Taiga acting so jovial. I can't help but to feel guarded though, like she's already planning her revenge of my slip-up.

"I…I'm sorry," I squeaked, in what little I could do for damage control.

"Yeah, you gave me a good match! Don't sell yourself short. Just keep it up and maybe you'll do better!"

I slowly nod back to her and then walk back to the benches. I'm a bit confused by Fujimura-sensei now. I assume she's a master, so dedicated to martial arts and gung-ho about what she does, but instead of going into a rage, she acts mellow and nice. Passionate, even. Not just in kendo and teaching, but in personality.

Is this what mom was talking about?

"Wow, you did pretty well against sensei, that time," one of the kendoka whispered to me.

I shrug. "I still lost. I'm just glad I didn't get told off for that blunder."

They smiled and chuckled. "Maybe the tiger doesn't have a strong bite on her after-"

"Toshi-kun, you're up!"

The boys stopped rambling and they turned to Fujimura-sensei. Toshi was annoyed. "Come on, sensei, I already did my-"

Toshi-kun stopped. All the kendo members flinched. I don't blame them. Taiga Fujimura, helmet still in her arms, was giving them the Smile.

On the surface, it had the image of a pleasant, happy, generic smile that anyone can make. But you can make out the small facial differences, like how the lips were strained to stay that way, or how the eyes were closed a little too tightly. But what differs a smile from the Smile is the fact that the former was genuine and the latter promised a swift death.

Man, and I thought only Rin knew how to pull that gesture off.

"I said," she said in faux sweetness. "You. Are. Up."

There was no mistake. Fujimura-sensei was pissed. She gave me a stern, sad warning as she knew I didn't mean it. But since the idiots assumed that she wouldn't fly off the handle every time it was said, she needed to make an example. And whether or not he felt forced to see it through or believed he would still get away with it, he slowly made his way to the ring.

"GWOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Not even a second passes before he steps in and she all but bulldozes him while screaming with a powerful forward swing. The club member standing in as referee was all but ignored in this execution session.

I'll pray for you in the next life, Toshi-kun.

<><><>

I practice the naginata to get close to my mom as a proper martial arts woman. I practice the bamboo sword out of love for anime and to beat Fujimura-sensei.

But my third proficiency, the bow and arrow, is something I chose to practice out of a fascination of shooting targets. It's definitely more primitive than a gun, but it's not like I can afford one like an American. But hey, it's not like they have a giant-ass school dojo made solely for the sport, so that's something.

There's just something very soothing and awesome when it came to picking an arrow, pulling it tight on a bowstring, and watching it fly. I remembered the years I struggled to successfully pull back a practice bow. The disappointment of seeing it sink down to the ground just in front of my feet. All the years pulling back and forth, building the muscles to fire farther… it was worth it to see my arrow fly true and pierce through the target rings on the other side of the open range.

It seems funny that I'm the captain of the archery club now. I don't see myself as a master of archery, but more as a caretaker of the trouble students. There's only one real master of archery that I've seen so far, and he's all the way in Yasoinaba.

As odd as the request was, I'm glad Fujimura-sensei asked for his old archery gear, even though she didn't say why he needed it again. Knowing he's practicing again is enough of a motivator to keep me going.

I turn my sights to a target ring. I can see Emiya in my mind's eye, his back facing me. He looks so distant, yet confident. He should still be in the archery club. His mindset is that of a master of the craft. Fast, sharp, calculating, accurate, dutiful… the list goes on. He was a prodigy, we shared the same club, we became good friends, and then he just leaves without looking back.

I still regret not asking him out when I had the chance. I might not find another guy like Emiya to be a future boyfriend in time to beat Rin.

Thinking about it though, when did Emiya and Rin get close enough for him to owe her a favor? I mean, Emiya is just not the kind of guy to ask people to do something for him. It's more of the other way around. Did they have a secret meeting that even Fujimura didn't know about? Are they, dare I think it, together?

I only joked about it when I assumed Emiya was Rin's boyfriend to her face, but she reacted quite off guard and flustered. She's a school idol, highly popular, and if they were really going steady everyone at Homurahara High would have known that by now.

Furthermore, if Rin was actually dating Emiya, she would've told me, if nothing else to claim victory in our secret bet over who could get a boyfriend first. So why the secrecy? Perhaps they went out as friends but didn't go steady? Or maybe they did and then broke up? He did have to leave Fuyuki due to family reasons, so perhaps they ended their relationship by mutual agreement instead of going for a long distance one.

That would have been disappointing if the case. If I were dating Emiya, I'm sure I would have at least tried to make it work. Emails, phone calls, maybe an online game could play together. The trick is keeping contact, right? Well, it would have been more difficult for Rin "Analog" Tohsaka, but if she really wanted to…

I blinked. I replayed the memories of that Children's Day again in my mind. Rin did seem rather excited when she mistakenly thought Emiya was coming back. Could it be that she wants to go back together? What about him though? He spent the holiday here in Fuyuki, but from Rin's reaction is safe to assume he didn't seek her out to catch up with her – heck, I haven't quite forgiven him for neglecting me that way.

And for all I know, he's probably getting cozy with a new girl at Inaba. Maybe a popular school idol like Rin, or someone sort of cute tomboy?

Dammit, Emiya. Who do you think you are to play with a maiden's heart like that?

So mad at that handsome jerk I visualize him as a my target to shoot at, for all my frustration. Preferably at the heart, like the center target ring. My arrow flies, and hits dead center.

Bullseye. Now if only I could strike his metaphorically small brain too…

Just as I was about to draw another arrow, I hear applause. Just around the dojo door were Fujimura-sensei and Sakura Matou. Supposedly, they always ate breakfast and dinner together at the Emiya household (I learned that to be fact from my snoopy younger brother). This is the first time I've seen them arrive at school together though.

"Nice shot!" our teacher smiled. "You're really getting good at this, Ayako-chan!"

"Thank you," I smile back. If Fujimura-sensei thought I was good, then it meant I was doing something right as archery captain. Namely, to pay attention to her members.

Sakura bowed and muttered a soft, "Good morning, Mitsuzuri-senpai," before walking over to pick out her own shooting spot. Sensei is always so chipper and happy, but Sakura looked like someone kicked her puppy into a vat of acid. She's better now than she was the start of the year, but there's no prizes for guessing that was because of Emiya's brief visit.

"Keep your form straight, Sakura," I told her. As her captain, this is probably the furthest extent of what I could help her with.

My purple haired kohai nodded and adjusted her arms slightly. At least Shinji wasn't around. Probably too busy trying to flirt with girls, or stalking Rin. Well, family matters have to be resolved within the family, so it's none of my business anyway.

"Ayako-chan? A word?" Sensei asked. I almost missed the timid tone in her voice.

"Sure," I reply. After setting my bow down gently, I follow Fujimura for a bit, and purposely away from the only other archer on the field. Morning practice isn't mandatory or even required, but more of a perk for early riser martial artists. I think Emiya was the one that even suggested the idea to do so.

But that was a year ago, and not important now.

"If it's about the kendo thing yesterday, I really am sorry," I told her.

Sensei blinked, and then laughed. "Are you still worried about that, Ayako-chan? I know you're one of the more respectable students here, and accidents happen!"

"But-"

She patted my shoulder with a rather sad smile. "It's fine. I had a bit of a self-revelation recently, and I'm trying to keep all my emotions in check. In a way, I'm kind of jealous of you, Ayako-chan."

"Jealous? Of me?" That made no sense!

"It's just, well…" Taiga started, before glancing over her shoulders to make sure we were still relatively alone. "I know what the other students see of me, coming across as more of a tomboy than a teacher. I'm sensitive about my name being used as a joke, and that I'm not seen as feminine enough."

Taiga Fujimura? Sensitive? The only time you would read or hear a sentence with those three words together is if the word "isn't" is between them!

Although, if all her overreactions were a mask for her being slighted all the time… that makes sense.

She looked at me with a sort of begging plea in her eyes. "I have a favor to ask of you, Ayako-chan, but first I want to ask a serious question."

A favor and a question? I'm really starting to get scared for this more vulnerable Fujimura-sensei. But I kinda owe her for the other day, saying that word, so why turn her down? "Okay?"

"First off… why do you do all of this? The archery? The kendo? Even practicing with your family? It's one thing to be good at a sport or martial art for the fun of it, but you throw yourself in them all the time. You can't possibly be training for a war, so why?"

…okay, this is getting weird. I expected a simple question like something about Sakura or the other students, and she's only this serious whenever she's teaching or in a fighting ring. This introspectiveness isn't like her at all!

Still, she has a point, and it reminds me of the talk I had with mom before. Why do I do all of this?

"I think," I started, trying to think of the right words. "I just want to beat my other self."

Fujimura stiffened. "Y-your other self?"

"My weaker side," I clarify. "The one that is trying to learn from the stronger martial artists like you and mom. The one that can't seem to find a balance between my interests and my fitness. I don't know if I'll find the answer if I keep doing this, or if I'm making things worse in the long run. But I think if I'm strong enough to pass my current hurdle, maybe it'll all be worth it."

Because I think that's my problem. I'm still behind other masters. My mother in naginatado. My sensei in kendo. My old club member in kyudo. I can't move forward until I pass at least one of them. What happens after is irrelevant.

"To be better than your weaker self," she muttered in thought. "Yeah, that sounds deep. I should do that more, too…"

"Sensei?"

"Sorry, just talking to myself. Thank you for your honesty, Ayako-chan. I feel more motivated to do this now."

"Do what, exactly? And what about the favor?"

"Ah, that," she frowned, glancing back to Sakura. "Can I ask you to keep an eye on Sakura-chan while I'm away?"

"Of course, sens-EH?!" Did I just hear her right?!

"Sorry for dumping this on you," she smiled sheepishly. "As I told you, I'm kind of having trouble with my emotions right now, and hearing my students throw around Ti-ti… the T-word has been rather straining." Geez, she can't even say that word herself without stuttering! "I've been considering a leave of absence the rest of the school year, and the only thing really stopping me is Sakura-chan. I tried telling her about it, but she didn't take it very well."

That would explain her mood, I guess. Focused, yet monotonous and without the vigor and energy behind it. She would make a poor kendoka-

Wait a minute.

"Sensei, what about the kendo club? And your position watching the archery club?"

"Well, I asked a few other teachers to oversee the clubs while I'm gone. You don't have to worry."

"I'll keep watch over her," I promise. "But do you think you could loan me a second kendoka set?"

"What for?"

I glance over to Sakura. Still staring, still focused, probably absent of life in her. Fujimura-sensei followed my gaze and got my point. "For Sakura-chan? She's not suited for that kind of sport."

"It's not about whether she's fit for it or not," I answered. "She needs some more 'kiai' in her life, especially if you're leaving soon. I can be her personal tutor in archery and kendo, maybe make her my protégé."

The more I thought about it, the more I smiled. I barely knew Sakura, but anyone who is a friend of Shirou Emiya and very familiar with Taiga Fujimura is okay in my book. Rin's great, but we barely interact outside of school. Whenever we do, we try to one-up each other. I'd rather have someone like a kohai to count on me.

Fujimura smiled and sighed at once. "First cooking, now self-defense? I'm getting the feeling everyone wants to play with poor Sakura-chan."

"Is that a bad thing?"

She paused, and then shook her head. "…no, it's probably good for her. I'll give you a copy of Shirou's house keys later so she can cook for the both of you. Anything to help her calm down and relax the rest of the year."

I don't know how to think about that, really. I mean, being able to hang out in Emiya's house without him being there? Maybe I could rummage through his room and find what kind of porn he reads- purely for research of course.

Gah, what am I thinking? "Why Emiya's house? Can't I just invite her over to dinner at my place or something?"

"Well, Sakura-chan doesn't like to impose and make new friends, see. It took her a while to warm up to Shirou because of how stubborn he was. Embarrassingly so, but that's another story. Being at Shirou's big house is sort of like her sanctuary and second home, and I still don't get what makes her so tense about talking about her house or being around Shinji."

Besides the fact that Shinji is kind of a pompous ass? The guy is a decent shot and has good grades, but for some reason that's never enough for him and he overreacts at the worst of times. Sometimes I wonder if Sakura and Shinji are even related; I know one doesn't really deserve the other.

"But anyway, thanks for this, Ayako-chan," Fujimura smiled at me. "First fetching Shirou's archery gear for me on your free time, and now this? I'll be sure to make it up to you later."

"Sure then, sensei." I nod, and she hurried off. Not sure what she does between now and the school warning bell, but it almost always ends with her running late and making her frantic yelling through the halls.

Without Emiya or Fujimura around, Homurahara High is going to be a rather sad place this year. Especially for poor Sakura…

Well, no time like the present, and the initiative is always important in martial arts. I walk back to the shooting field towards Sakura, who was just now looking my way.

"So, Sakura-chan," I smile to her. "How would you like to wield a bamboo sword?"

Her reaction was to be expected. "Eh?"

I'm gonna have to shoot the moon for her.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Ryotaro Dojima didn't want a smoke. Rather, he needed one, but he settled with waiting in the hall for his coffee.

The search for Rise Kujikawa was a bust, for starters. The first lead they got in weeks to the serial killer, and his rookie understudy ended up recording over the video. Even when Adachi claimed that he saw Rise whisked away by someone, all that meant was the guy had reliable transportation and that he rang the doorbell first. It matched Yukiko Amagi's recap of the story, if nothing else. But there was no way to figure out who it was now.

"Here's your coffee, sir."

"Thanks," Dojima grumbled, accepting the warm mug. Adachi might be an idiot, but he had a good head on his shoulders and a lot of passion. It was hard to find anyone that dedicated on the force anymore.

"So, anything new?"

Adachi shrugged his arms in defeat as he handed over the printed report. "No dice. The girl doesn't know her own name, let alone what she was doing in the middle of the rain like that, so finding info on her was hard enough. She doesn't even have a matching fingerprint in our database."

After finding the girl wandering in the rain with only a comb, Dojima and Adachi immediately called for the nearest medical facility to treat her. There were no visible wounds on her, but she was still susceptible to catching hypothermia, and was wrapped in some spare blankets in the car. It was tense ride, but nothing else happened by the time they arrived at the town hospital.

The following few hours were a blur as the two cops jumped between the hospital and the police station, making sure the girl was stable while figuring out who she was. Her treatment in the ER just ended, and aside from her memory, everything was okay.

Even if she didn't know who she was, there was a chance someone else did or that she was a missing person with amnesia. Yet they had nothing on the girl, let alone a clue or idea how to find out.

It felt almost like Shirou Emiya's background checks, but for the wrong reasons and with the opposite effect.

The two walked into her room; a small two-person room with beds, curtains between them, and two television sets. The beds were mobile on wheels and came with built-in wooden desks to serve food. Incidentally, the girl, now dressed in a hospital gown, was wolfing down rice and miso soup set on her table. She quickly noticed the two cops as they entered.

"About time you showed up," she said.

Rudeness aside, she was taking this situation better now that she had been checked in, bathed, and calmed down.

"So, what's the verdict? Who am I?" The only reason she agreed to follow them was the promise that they would find out her identity.

"We don't know," he told her, looking over the papers Adachi handed to him. "No family name, no known birthday, no medical records, no ID… not that you had any of those on your person, so it made the search harder."

She glared at him. "I told you, I don't know any of that!"

"I know, but everything is pointing that you don't exist on—"

" 'Not exist'?! I'm sitting right here talking to you! Why is any of this important anyway?!"

Dojima frowned. She was about Shirou's age, so he could only imagine how annoying and stressful this was for her. "I understand your frustration, but all of this is actually important as it can make or break the difference in knowing your name."

The girl was still scowling but didn't snap at him this time. "So, what does that mean for me?"

"Well, you're a minor, so the best thing we have to do is find someone to adopt you and settle all the legal hurdles," Dojima explained. "But until then, you're free to rest here until your strength gets back. Maybe something will jog your memory by that time, too."

Still, the hospital stay was only temporary. They would take her in for as long she needs rest and healing, and she was rather self-aware for an amnesiac. This wasn't as simple as Shirou's problem as he at least had a legal guardian post-Fuyuki Fire. It couldn't be understated enough that this girl had nothing.

At this point, a young nurse knocked on the open door for attention before stepping in. "Excuse me, Dojima-san? I hate to interrupt, but someone is asking about the girl you found. She said she wants to take her in."

Dojima blinked, exchanged perplexed gazes with Adachi, and looked back at the girl. "Is she her mother?"

"She claims to be her guardian."

"I don't have a mother or guardian," she insisted. She frowned softly. "At least, I don't think so."

"Geez, this is some crazy coincidence," Adachi noted, making another one of his "conspiracy" thinking poses. "I mean, this girl appears out in the rain like she's a Japanese version of Bloody Mary, and before the night's over someone suddenly comes in and wants to take her in. Maybe she's the serial killer?"

Dojima turned to his rookie partner with an incredulous, if not insulting, look. "What kind of idiot would enter a hospital with the intent of killing someone?"

"What kind of murderer kidnaps his victims by ringing the doorbell?" Adachi retorted back, before smirking and pointing at him dramatically. "A clever one. And one that knows how to play off the expectations of others."

The veteran detective didn't like to think of that possibility. Not because Adachi's theory didn't sound that off base (for once), but if there really was a clever criminal playing everyone like puppets, then this case could go on for months and they would never find hide or hair of him. He let one killer go free once; Chisato's. He would be damned before letting another escape justice too.

"Bloody… Marie."

The three cops turned to the girl, muttering the folklore name Adachi dropped. With a distinct sound to the French equivalent. "What's that?"

"Nothing, just… I like that name. Marie."

Dojima turned to address the nurse. "We'll talk to her, but I'm going to have to strongly suggest that she stays over for the night."

"That's what I tried telling her, but she was rather insistent."

The two kept talking even as they walked out of the room. Adachi quickly followed, leaving the girl alone in the room again.

She tried to remember more about herself, like if she had a "family" or a "mother" or a "guardian", but nothing came to mind. She recalled only the car and the rain.

She needed a name though. Everyone had a name, right? She knew that much. Well, if she couldn't remember her old name, she would have to use a new one. And she found herself partial to Marie… Well, until she figured out her real name, she'll answer to Marie.

So satisfied with her first big decision, Marie almost didn't notice the blank TV screen from across her bed suddenly flaring to life.

The screen was on, and yet there was nothing but pale foreground and static. Almost as quickly as it came, the TV turned off a minute later.

Marie blinked, perplexed. Even she knew TVs didn't work like that. "Huh. That's weird…"

<><><>
Fate/Reach Out
Chapter 33: Shirou Emiya versus Mystery Food X
<><><>

June 5th, Dojima Household, Morning

"Here he is! / Tanaka!
Over the airwaves to yooooooou!
Granter of all
Commodity Desires!"

"Good morning, everyone!" A man greeted the viewing audience after the intro jingle to his show. He shined a grin befitting for a salesman… or a politician. "And welcome to 'Tanaka's Amazing Commodities'!"

Every Sunday, Tanaka's show aired as a special mail-ordering program that enticed viewing customers to buy their products. Every episode was live all day long, promoting products to be sold for whoever called the number in the following three days, or at least until the product was still available.

The president of the shopping channel, as well as host and face of the program, was a sharp-dressed, smiling man named Tanaka.

"For this week's sale, we have the Jingi Fundoshi!" Tanaka gestured to the show table below him, and the camera followed. A bright red cloth was seen worn in display on a lower half mannequin. The mannequin spun on a rotating dial for viewers to see all sides of the male garment, and how well it fits. "This vital garment is perfect for festivities and swimming occasions alike! I can't believe the wonderfulness myself, and I'm wearing one right now!"

"Too much information," Shirou deadpanned aloud, even though he was alone and watching the program in his room.

"Call now, and we'll throw in two supplementary helpings of Slimming Food! You remember it as Diet Food and it works just the same way, but it now has a snappy, slimming name that just zaps the fat away by saying it! All for 11,800 yen! Again, the bargain combo of your very own Jingi Fundoshi and Slimming Foods is 11,800 yen! (Warning: sideeffectsofSlimmingFoodincludenauseaandvomittingifbothtakenatonce.)"

"I'll probably pass on that, then," Shirou said. "I still have the trunks Fuji-nee bought for me anyway." Not that he had any plan to use them. Where would he find a place to swim, let alone the time?

"But wait! There's more!" Tanaka continued, now gesturing at an assortment of fish laying on an ice table. Nobody could expect what the man would sell or promote next in his show. "Our second weekly offer is Yasoinaba's local delicacy, the Inaba Trout! Caught fresh and checked regularly by our professionally paid fishermen! For every one trout sold, we'll give away two Amber Seema (because we have nowhere else to put them)! That's a three-fish fresh dinner plan, all for the low, low price of 2,980 yen! That's 2980 yen for three fish!"

Fresh fish? Now that caught Shirou's interest; more so than last week's sale of a pair of shoes and some medicine. He wasn't sure how to check the authenticity of Tanaka's brand, but less than 3,000 yen was well within his budget. It still struck him as odd that he'd decided to look into this shopping channel after hearing about it from a few students walking to school.

But Shirou had to admit; it was a damn catchy tune.

He quickly dialed the number before being answered by one of the operators. "Yes, hello? I'd like to order the Inaba Trout combo."

Before long, he finished citing all the information needed; address, billing, and an apparent "free" membership plan so they can remember regular paying customers. Perhaps he could cook some sushi for dinner as a surprise for Nanako and Doji-nii.

"Thank you so much for your patronage and participation in today's show!" Tanaka bowed. "We'll return for the next three days selling this week's deals, so hurry while you can! To all my loyal customers, I'll see you next time!"

"Here he is! / Tanaka!
Over the airwaves to yooooooou!
Granter of all
Commodity Desires!"

And just like that, the show was over. And that left Shirou with the rest of Sunday to do whatever he wanted.

"Come to think of it, last night was the end of the long rain."

He looked outside and saw a bright sunny glare over the town. Not a cloud in the sky, and the once gloomy, dark weather that fit Rise's sudden hiatus was lifted. They'd rescued her, brought her to her grandmother's shop, and waited patiently for the week to end.

Perhaps now was a good time to check up on her, now that she had recovered from her Shadow encounter?

He pulled out his phone to start calling his friends for a rendezvous at Marukyuu Tofu.

<><><>
Shopping District, Tatsuhime Shrine

A long, tired sigh left Rise Kujikawa's lips as her shoulders sagged and body slouched on the bench. "What is it with people and their single-minded obsession with the rich and famous? Don't they have better things to do?"

News of Rise Kujikawa's arrival in Inaba had spread like wildfire. When someone realized that the old woman at the tofu shop was named Kujikawa, which was the same surname as the idol on hiatus, everyone started talking and visiting. There was some scare about Rise's sudden disappearance before arriving, but aside from her silhouette prior to the concert, she hadn't appeared on the Midnight Channel at all.

That still didn't discern gawkers from visiting every day. For the first few days Rise just slept in the upstairs bedroom, hoping to avoid the worst of the paparazzi until they got bored. But sitting still was never Rise's strong suit, and if she was going to stay in Inaba for a while, she would have to nip the problem in the bud.

So, she put on a spare apron over her casual clothes and started to help at the tofu shop. It was clear right away that everyone wanted an excuse to talk to Risette, no matter how homely or plain she looked right now. She was used to it, but she was still annoyed. Which led her to hiding in a hilltop shrine for her lunch break.

The rouge-haired teen ate her tofu bento and thought back to that "TV world" she'd been trapped in. It felt like a lifetime ago since her near-death experience, and her thoughts were still hazy on the details. She even remembered flashes of the fight as if she were fighting there, from Himiko's memories. But the one thing she couldn't forget, even if she wanted to, was that boy who saved her, along with his friends. Strong and determined. Fierce, yet kind. He probably even had his own emotional baggage if what her Shadow said was true, but he didn't let that stop or break him.

Rise smiled. His friends said they would talk to her again when the rain stopped, and she couldn't help but feel excited about seeing him again. "I wonder where Hero-kun is right now…"

"Excuse me?"

Rise blinked out of her daze and saw a boy in a blue suit walk up to her. A taller boy that looked like a biker-gang member was dragging his feet behind them, looking like he really didn't want to be here. "Uh, hi. Can I help you?"

"You're Rise Kujikawa, correct? The retiring idol?"

Rise fought the urge to frown, but couldn't quite stop the bitter tone in her voice as she asked, "What do you want, an autograph?"

"Nothing like that. I just want to ask some questions," the boy answered, pulling out a badge to show her. "I'm Detective Naoto Shirogane, and I'm looking into the homicide case."

Rise was suddenly alarmed. "I'm not the culprit if that's what you're thinking."

"Not likely, no. But you might have some information vital to the case, and I just want to make sure there aren't any loose ends."

"Don't I have a right to an attorney for this?" she asked cautiously.

"Only if you have something to hide," Naoto replied coolly. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you retire from showbiz?"

"I do mind, actually, but I'll tell you anyway. Work was getting stressful, so I wanted a break."

"That's it?"

"No, I was really drugged off my ass and thrown into some haunted brothel to play a role in a psychological horror film until I apologized for the uproar," Rise replied. As true as the statement was (to a degree), it was so laced in sarcasm that it made the boy and thug bristle somewhat.

"U-uh, right," said Naoto. "How familiar are you with Miss Yamano?"

Rise shrugged. "Some news producer that got caught in that love scandal a few months back. Kind of hard not to hear news about it somewhere."

"I see. And what happened to you when you were kidnapped?"

Rise was tense talking to this boy before, but she really didn't like where the discussion was heading now. "What are you talking about? I got lost on the way back through the woods before someone found me as I came into town."

That was the story she had decided on; she wasn't sure exactly what this Midnight Channel was yet, but she was lucky enough to have been rescued before her Shadow made a big broadcast to everyone about her little striptease. No one had reason to believe she was ever "kidnapped" other than the two policemen her grandma called (as well as her rescuers) and it was decided not to make any mention of her on-and-off kidnapping. Otherwise the news media would make a big spectacle about it and ruin her public image.

Naoto kept a steady, level glare fixed on her, showing that he didn't believe a word of it. "I recall hearing rumors that you actually arrived at your grandmother's house sometime after 11:14 PM, on June 1st. You were immediately caught off guard when a man rang the doorbell and whisked you away into his getaway van. Then you were found leaving the Junes Department store with four students of Yasogami High, one of which accompanied you as far as the Shopping District before you returned home."

Okay, so this Naoto guy was either a really good detective… or someone who was really obnoxious with no sense of privacy. "So, the Inaba rumor mill is still active as ever, I see. What makes you think I was kidnapped anyway?"

"You just told me," Naoto insisted, much to Rise's confusion. "Your left eye twitches whenever you lie and your chest heaves slightly when you get excited."

People could figure out stuff like that?! That was absurd! And if Rise had bad body language that anyone could read, then wouldn't her manager and instructors have said something to her?! "I-I don't have tells like that!"

"You don't," he said. "But that reaction just now was good enough."

…obnoxious it is, then.

"Which is why I'm asking you directly for the truth," Naoto said. "Now I'm going to ask again; what happened when you were kidnapped?"

For a long moment, Rise said nothing. Then she turned to stare at the detective straight in the face and told him two words: "Fuck off."

The bleached teen, who was minding his own business, snapped his head over to Rise with a shocked expression. Naoto himself looked like he had swallowed a lemon whole and tried to make a proper response.

"I-I'm sorry, did you just tell me to —?"

"Fuck. Off," she said again. And damn did it feel good.

Rise herself was never openly hostile to others and tended to just suck it in for the sake of her "Risette" image. Maybe it was the liberation of quitting and not having to play ignorant anymore. Maybe it was due to a long day of sitting through so many star-struck fans. Or maybe it was Naoto hitting too close to home with his questions after a near-death experience just days before.

Yes, she was Risette, but she was Rise too, and there was so much more to her than just entertaining the masses. She could be crass and rude, bubbly and romantic. She could make sarcastic remarks, make tofu, and solve complex math equations!

But above all else she was honest and loyal, and very thankful for the hero's entourage that saved her. Rise knew something weird and intense was going, and the world full of Personas and Shadows was in the middle of it all. She had no reason or obligation to tell some obsessed brat about it.

"We're done here," she added, taking her unfinished lunch with her. She would have to find another quiet place to eat.

Rise made it as far as the steps before Naoto shouted after her. "This isn't some game! Two people have died already, and I know you're involved in this! If you have the slightest idea of what is happening in this town, you will tell me what you know now!"

Her pace stopped, and she slowly turned to glance at the young detective in her peripheral vision. "Aren't you the one treating this like a game?"

Naoto stiffened.

"I don't care how good or skilled a detective you are. You solve mysteries for a living. You could read all about my fan blogs or my autobiography, but you just assume that I would help you because you demanded answers. I don't know what your deal is, but you don't know a thing about me. So drop the hard-boiled PI deal you have going on here, because I'm not buying it."

With her piece said, Rise left the shrine.

Kanji Tatsumi tsked in disgust. This is why he hated girls. So emotional, so bitchy, and so friggin' entitled to their damn opinions! He'd known that this was a bad idea from the start. "Geez, I thought pop idols were supposed to be all cutesy and pure and shit," he said to himself. "Why do people get a boner around her, again?"

"A game," the detective said sadly. "I suppose she has a point."

"Hmm?" Kanji turned to his parole officer, still out of his funk. He could barely make his face out from the rim of his hat lowered like that. "You say something, Nao?"

"Nothing important. I'm just remembering that, as a detective, I shouldn't harbor such feelings on a case. It was… a bad move on my part."

The biker thrasher nodded in understanding. He could recall a few times when being too caring led to a big screw up, including that one time… "Well, mistakes happen, yeah? But it shouldn't be fair that people get all anal because you're doing your job, right? You just gotta learn to keep your heart close to the vest, you know?"

Naoto stared at Kanji with a blank expression. He stared back, taken aback at how feminine his androgynous face looked, and how big those blue-grey eyes looked— wait. Was… was he crying? Goddammit he wasn't good for this shit!

"W-what?!" Kanji spluttered, looking away. "I didn't say anything weird, right? J-just don't let what that girl said get to you, okay Nao?"

The detective shook his head, smiling. "No, you didn't. And you're right. Thanks, Kanji." A moment later, the smile fell into an expression of slight annoyance. "But as I keep telling you, my name is Naoto."

"R-right, sorry."

<><><>

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid—!" Rise cursed with each stomp down the stairway. Even after quitting from her life as Risette, Rise still had to carry all the troublesome baggage and then some! Everything was supposed to get better now! Maybe not right away or all at once, but it certainly shouldn't have drawn so much negative karma either!

Not one thing had gone right since she quit!

"Rise?"

The idol perked up at her name. Not Risette, just Rise. And as she turned, she saw it had come from none other than that red-haired Hero-kun (and his friends of course). The events of the other day flew by her, from his impassioned speech to his dogged determination. And his casual clothes (a simple blue-and-white t-shirt and jeans), reminded her of his coat offer after the fighting was done.

…okay, so maybe all this was worth it after all.

"H-hi, He—erm, Shirou-kun," she stammered. Just seeing him made her feel hot and flustered.

The dense idiot didn't notice, though some of his friends did. One of them, an auburn-haired teen with a butterfly scarf, quickly stepped forward with a smile and an extended hand.

"A-and I'm Yosuke Hanamura! I helped too, and I always wanted to save you! I mean, meet you! And, well—"

"Let me guess. A fan?" Rise asked as they shook hands.

"He's been looking forward to meeting you again all week," Shirou noted.

"He even called you a cutie pie," the brunette teased.

Yosuke blushed, stiffened, and blanched all at once as he turned to the two teens. "Guys. Shut up," he seethed through his teeth. "You're killing me here!"

But they looked like they were having too much fun to just stop there. The brunette was even jabbing Shirou's chest with a smirk. "Remember when he was thinking of a good pick up line to save her with? 'Hey babe! I'm gonna be your boyfriend for life!' " she impersonated in a tone implying a try-too-hard manner.

"Or on the way here? 'I get to see it all firsthand!' " Shirou made his own impersonation that sounded just as off-key. " 'Her curves, her posture, even her beautiful slim—!' "


Yosuke slammed a hand over both their mouths before they could say anymore. "Dammit guys, why are you doing this to me?!" he pleaded. He then quickly turned to Rise with a weak laugh. "Ahahaha, they're such kidders! I didn't say that. At all. I never said any of that."

Rise chuckled. A small laugh that was almost drowned out by Yosuke's blathering, but it was there. "Thanks. I really needed that." Yosuke seemed taken aback by her smile. She could only assume that the guy, while meaning well, rarely got on a girl's good side. If he knew how to make a girl laugh more naturally…

"Anyway, I guess since you're all here, you're going to tell me what happened the other night?" They all nodded. "Great, so why don't we find some place to talk?" She looked around before whispering, "Somewhere that I won't get hounded by fans?"

"Well, the shrine's right up here," the black-haired girl said. "We can catch up with Tama-chan and—"

"No," Rise cut her off. "Not there. Some detective and his thug of a Watson are up there, and I don't want to see them again right away."

Shirou blinked, finally brushing Yosuke's hand off his mouth. "Naoto and Kanji? What did they want?"

"I'll explain later, but can we find a place first?"

<><><>
Teddie's Hub Space

It took some debating and brainstorming. As the Junes store was packed during Sundays, they couldn't go to their special headquarters and expect to hide in plain sight this time. They couldn't go to someone's house either, as the Amagi Inn was a tourist central and it would be hard to explain to any of their family members how or why they were friends with Rise Kujikawa. It was a bridge they would have to cross sooner or later, but not now.

They eventually decided to sneak quickly through Junes, go to Teddie's world (with Tama absent) and explain everything there. A hefty exposition on magecraft, TVs, and Shadows later…

"Wow." Rise gulped. "That's… real heavy stuff, there."

"We still don't have a clue on who the serial killer is," Shirou admitted. "Unless you saw who threw you in?"

Rise shook her head. "It all happened so fast. I was tired and exhausted from the concert when I finally got back to Grandma's, and then the doorbell rang. I thought it was my manager, so I opened the door. I think… I was gagged or something, but I didn't see or hear the guy clearly. Next thing I knew, I was in that weird place."

The Investigation Team exchanged frowns. "No new clues on the killer."

"Maybe not," Rise added. "Someone came in a van just after I arrived, and threw me in."

"How do you know that?" Chie asked.

"That Naoto guy told me." She frowned at the memory. "He somehow knew I was kidnapped and kept asking what happened to me. He was being a real jerk about it, though."

"I can imagine," said Yosuke. "The guy's been so gung ho about his job since we first met him. What's his deal?"

Yukiko brushed her stray hairs back and readjusted her fog glasses. "I'm more concerned about this getaway van. We know now that the culprit has used it for all his victims."

"Yeah! So now we just have to find the driver and haul his ass to the authorities!"

But Shirou shook his head before Chie could leave and act on impulse. "Won't work. We don't know what kind of van was used, and even if we did find the right culprit among all the other van drivers, we'd have no proof that he could have done it. We'd just be making ourselves look like fools and tip him off to who we are."

Chie flinched. "Oh… right."

"Besides, I'd rather not risk the chance of engaging the criminal headfirst. If he's a magus worth his salt, he could just as easily overpower us in his living quarters. A magus's sanctuary is their domain, where they have the most use of their familiars and bounded fields."

"But magi are technologically repressed fuddy-duddies! None of them would have a reason to use something like a car to begin with!"

Shirou found himself nodding. "Yeah, that's—" He stopped and turned to the speaker. "Teddie… how do you know that?"

The mascot blinked before he looked away. "I… don't remember."

The poor bear was feeling moody again, so Shirou decided against pressing the issue. "Regardless, we still don't know enough about this killer, so all we can do is wait and try to catch him in the act."

"Good plan!" Yosuke smiled. "We know his pattern now, and what exactly to look for! As long as we can figure out who his next potential target will be, we'll have the advantage!"

The plan was set, and even Teddie was feeling confident. But there was still one more issue to settle…

Rise Kujikawa, the retired idol, was a Persona user now. Should they ask her to join them? Would she even want to join?

"Uh, guys?" Rise broke the silence. "I've been thinking the last few days, since you rescued me."

Her gaze lowered to the unique floor pattern of murdered silhouette figures. "The thing is, I've been really stressed with work lately, and came here just to get some peace and quiet. So, in a way, it might be my fault for making things more complicated for you, getting involved in this murder case?"

"We don't think that," Shirou interjected, though he wondered briefly if he was really speaking for everyone or just himself.

"Damn right we don't!" Yosuke slung his arm around his neck. "We're just a bunch of superpowered, alter-ego teens with an attitude! We love saving cute girls!"

"A true bro!" Pixie nodded with approval.

"I prefer hoes first." Lilim licked her lips.

"Shut it," Angel scolded.

"Cute girls comment aside," Chie said, "we definitely don't think of you as a burden. I mean, Yukiko here was in the same boat just a month ago!"

Rise's face started to quiver with emotion. "Uuuuuuuuh, well… I really appreciate what you guys did for me, e-especially you, Shirou-kun."

"Me?"

Before anyone knew it, Rise had swung her arms around Shirou and hugged him tight with an ecstatic expression. "Thank you sooooo much! I love you guys!"

Shirou promptly went into shutdown mode. The closeness of the idol's body against his, and her bubbly, cheerful words cause a fire to erupt in his cheeks. Several of his Personas summed the situation thusly in his non-responsive mind.

"Whelp, you're dead Shirou."

"How? Why? He hasn't even acted on debauchery!"

"FOOL SHIROU EMIYA! YOU BETTER NOT BETRAY THE CHARIOT!"

"Oh yeah, the first ever conflict of the love polygon. This is gonna be good."

It took him a moment to realize that they were referring to the rather ignited reactions of his friends behind him. Yukiko was more confused than alarmed, and Yosuke was glaring daggers of envy at him. Chie herself looked like she wanted to punch him and Rise's lights out.

But he had no idea why.

At least Teddie tried to be diplomatic. "Uh, Rise-chan? I understand that Shirou-sensei did indeed help you, but so did the rest of us. Including me! I helped him mark the finishing blow on your Shadow, you see!"

Rise finally parted from her hug and smiled at the bear. "Aww, does Teddie Bear wanna hug too?"

"Yes," Teddie answered, before realizing what had just happened. "Wh—huh?"

But Rise obliged anyway, leaning down and hugging the bear across his dome-like head. "You were really brave out there, weren't you? Thanks."

Teddie's face turned warm and he started to drool, but was undoubtedly happy at getting some attention after all the teasing Shadow Rise pulled. It almost made wondering about the meaning of life worth it.

Chie and Yosuke's indignant rage was soon replaced with confusion akin to Yukiko's, and had no time to really question it before Rise walked over and hugged all three of them at once.

"Mmmmmmmm!" She hugged as tight as possible, and Yosuke could swear that if he wasn't Personafied, she might have broken something. Not that it would matter, if it was from her…

Finally, Rise let go and looked at the three in the eyes. "I mean, really! Thank you! I-it's not too weird to say thanks like this, right? I didn't come on too strong with the hug, right?"

"W-well, the hug was kind of startling," Yukiko admitted.

"Especially with the 'love' part," Chie deadpanned.

"Oh, that? Yeah, guess a little Risette is still in me, because I always tell my fans I 'love' them. It's kind of my way of saying thanks for helping me with their support."

"So… she meant platonically."

"Oh, thank you Father above. You have not forsaken this child before he even began."

"Aw phooey. She really is a damn tease."

Shirou found himself sharing an odd sense of relief with his peers at the explanation. It allowed him to feel even more proud of being thanked for saving her.

"Which is why I was thinking: do you guys need my help?" Rise asked.

"Huh?"

"I don't know what my power does yet, and I would understand if you don't want me to do anything, but I wouldn't feel right without paying you guys back in some way. And I feel like I could do a lot of good, too."

Shirou frowned. "It's going to be dangerous."

"I know, but you'd help me, right? Just like I'd help you?"

The brick-haired magus sighed. He felt like he should say no, but at the same time he didn't. She knew how to keep a secret and was determined to pay the team back for their help. The others didn't seem that opposed to the idea either (especially not Yosuke). "Teddie?"

"On it, Shirou-sensei!" A quick cupping of paws later, and a pair of pink and white fog-filter glasses appeared. He then knelt and offered them to her like a servant would a queen.

"Here you go, Rise-chan! Proof that you are one of us!"

Rise smiled as she accepted and put on the glasses, immediately feeling better without the fog overwhelming her. "I'm really glad that you guys are the first friends I made here."

The Fool Arcana's growing strength couldn't agree more.

<><><>
June 9th, MOEL, After School

As he waited in front of the gas station, Dojima exhausted the end of his cigarette and snuffed it out under his heel.

He felt that he was having a string of bad luck lately. The lead on Rise's kidnapping was a bust, even though she ended up fine and home again. The nameless girl with no record looked like she might end up in foster care, only for some "blonde bombshell" to come in and take her after answering their questions. Then there was the lead last night on a suspicious person that might be the killer, about whom Adachi can't stop babbling about near civilians.

And finally, Shirou, that very same night, wanted a scooter license. And he was awkward as hell about it.

"About this license," he said before leaving. "Did you decide on this yourself, Shirou? No one talked you into it?"

Shirou's face couldn't tell a lie, and he soon scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, to be honest, Yosuke talked me into getting one. His reasons seemed... poor in taste, but I think there's an opportunity in using it to travel around the town, or to Okina City and back. I could even run errands or pick up groceries while you were busy."

Dojima had to admit that it was a sound idea, but it might have also been an excuse. "And what exactly was the Hanamura kid's reason?" he asked. Shirou's face had flared red and scrunched up as if he had eaten a lemon and a hot pepper at once.

"I really don't want to talk about it."

Dojima had mulled it over. He actually did consider what to do with his old scooter out back, and anything to get his mind off the murder case might do him some good. So, he had told him, "We'll talk more about this once you get your license. IF you get your license. Now I'm off; keep watch over the house while I'm gone."

"Doji-nii!"

Snapping out of his reverie, the veteran cop saw his nephew and friend cross the street from the bus stop to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Adachi and I just stopped to get gas, and some minor business. What about you guys?"

Shirou seemed to be holding back a grin. "Guess."

"Oh, a challenge?" Dojima grinned back. "You're starting to sound like Nanako. Let's see… by the triumphant, excited look on your face…"

He trailed off, taking a good look at Shirou. Then, a moment later… "I give up. Where?"

Exasperated, disappointed sweat rolled down both the teens' heads. Dojima knew the question that was cycling their heads before they said it, and felt the need to justify himself. "I can tell when someone's lying and what they're thinking when they are, but when it comes to where you might go, it's a blank."

Shirou still had a deadpan look in his eye, almost insulted. "It's just that I thought after last night it would have been obvious."

Dojima blinked. And suddenly connected the dots. "Your scooter licenses? Already?!"

As one, Shirou and Yosuke flashed their new plastic ID cards. "We studied all night, went to take the test and got 'em in one try!" Yosuke boasted. "Though maybe I studied too hard as the test itself was kind of easy…"

"I know it's just a written test, but still," Dojima scratched his head exasperatedly. "Guess it's a good thing I called your guardian in advance about this."

"So, you and Fuji-nee are okay with this?" Shirou asked.

"I can't say no now that you've gotten your license." Dojima smiled. "And Taiga seemed rather excited about the idea. In fact, she was already talking about getting you a motorcycle for your 18th birthday."

"Dude!" Yosuke patted his friend's back. "You got the okay! AND a motorcycle on the way! What did I tell you? Operation Up Close and Personal is so gonna work!"

Shirou flinched and shot him a peculiar glare. Yosuke seemed to remember the current situation and looked up to see Dojima's perplexed reaction. "Operation what?"

"Uh, I mean, gotta go read through my catalogue! See you tomorrow, Shirou!" Yosuke bolted away, not once looking back.

"It's a long story," Shirou explained. He looked reluctant to explain what Yosuke meant.

Still, Dojima had to ask one thing. "It has nothing to do with the murder case, does it?"

"No!" he exclaimed. "Of course not!"

"Good. Now that I know you're not in trouble, mind if I borrow you for a few minutes?"

Curious, Shirou nodded, and was led closer into the gas station. "Hey Adachi!"

"We just finished filling her up, sir."

Shirou saw Adachi returning a gas hose into its holster and Nami finished cloth-cleaning the surface to fine detail. They were working on an old, rustic scooter of white chrome paint and bright surface lights. A spare tire sat compact in the case behind the seat cushion, and the design allowed only the front wheel to be seen in front of the handlebars. It was compact, shining, and somehow vaguely familiar.

"Is that…?"

Dojima nodded. "My old scooter. I just had it fixed up at the shop, and then brought it here for gas."

"I offered to do a bit of last minute touches myself." Nami smiled. "Even offered an employee's discount on your behalf!"

Shirou walked over and took an appraising look at the vehicle. "Are those twist grips?" he pointed at the handlebars.

"You can tell?" Dojima smiled.

"I didn't think they sold these at stores anymore."

"They don't. At least not in local ones, so I had one of the repair guys at work help me out in secret." Dojima blinked and tried downplaying the tidbit. "But uh, don't tell anyone, okay?"

Adachi watched them talk about the scooter and chuckled. "You always act strict at the station, but you're really a cool dad on the inside, huh?"

Like a switch, the detective turned to his junior with a scowl. "Shut up and get in the car."

"Geez, always with the yelling." Adachi winced. "All I'm saying is that you're giving away a pretty slick form of transportation to your nephew. The suspicious guy is probably using something like this too; driving through the backstreets and taking pictures of the neighborhood to the Amagi Inn—"

"Stop blabbering! I said get in the car!" Dojima yelled. This time Adachi quickly complied and left. Nami also left to continue work, giving a quick wave to Shirou as he did.

Now alone, Dojima calmed himself. He really didn't want Adachi to get wound up on his theories aloud again, especially with Shirou around. Hopefully the so-called suspicious character was no one dangerous and not related to the murder case, but one couldn't be too careful.

"Anyway," he started again. "I was around your age when I got my license. Took the test behind my parents' backs, and when they found out, my dad gave me such a thrashing." He laughed mischievously, before quickly adding, "But don't tell the girls about that."

"I won't." Shirou nodded.

"Now, I know it's not anything new," he rambled again, "but it still runs pretty well. Of course, if you want to scrap it for the money to buy another—"

"No, it's perfect. I mean, I prefer an older, more reliable model anyway." He smiled in earnest. "I'll take good care of it."

"Be sure to take care of yourself, too," Dojima sternly added. He was still happy about how receptive and caring Shirou was to his new scooter. "Obey all the traffic laws and be safe. You do that, and I'll look the other way if you drive off to town." He held out his hand, with the keys to the ignition. "Can you promise me that?"

"Of course! Thanks, Doji-nii!" Shirou shook his hand, accepted the keys, and hopped on the scooter. With that all settled, Dojima walked back to his car to drop Adachi off before heading home. But he soon realized that the newly christened scooter driver hadn't left the gas station yet.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't have a helmet."

Dojima smiled with amusement as he pulled out his old spare from the backseat. "Are you a size large?"

<><><>
June 15th, Okina Station, After School

Over the last week, Shirou took time for practicing with his new scooter and learning the layout of the town. He had to admit that Adachi had a point that a suspicious person (or even a serial killer) would want to know as many hiding places in the town as they could.

And things were relatively calm again. For all anyone knew, Rise had just arrived in Inaba and there was officially no Midnight Channel special about her. She was enrolled into Yasogami High shortly after, and the interest of getting a celebrity as a girlfriend soon fell out of favor when Morooka went moral guardian on their asses.

Of course, he had also forced Shirou and Yosuke into the Student Health Association last week, but that was another story.

Now, Yosuke had finally gotten his own "motorcycle" (really a scooter, but Shirou had long since given up on correcting him). It was a neat design for sure, painted yellow-orange with angular parts, but it looked more built for speed than practicality, and the weight of an anvil could crush it. He decided that riding together was better than riding alone, so they made their way to Okina City later that day.

It was as busy as ever, no one even taking notice of the two scooter-riding students as they parked their vehicles. Yosuke was in high spirits as he stretched and smiled. "Hellooo, Okina Station! Getting here was easier than I thought!"

"It's just the next town over," Shirou explained as he unstrapped his helmet. "A real trip would be trying to get to Fuyuki City on these things. And we would have been here sooner if you hadn't run out of gas halfway."

Yosuke flushed in embarrassment. "I really shouldn't have cheaped out on gas just to fool around with more money."

"No, you shouldn't have. So, what now?"

"We wait, my friend." Yosuke smiled, leaning confidently against his "motorcycle." "Wait for the girls to come begging us for a ride."

Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose and suppressed a groan. "Ugh, not the up close plan again."

"Yes, the up close plan again!" Yosuke insisted and corrected. Though he quickly lowered his voice when he realized how it could ruin said plan. "Dude, think about it! We could pick up girls by showing off our new motorcycles. Aren't you interested in squeeze play?!"

"I don't play baseball," was Shirou's sarcastic retort.

Naturally, Yosuke glared. "Shirou, that joke wasn't funny the first time, and it sure as hell isn't funny now."

Shirou had heard enough of the plan from Yosuke last week. He was excited to get a "motorcycle" license in order to try and pick up girls and feel the "squeeze" behind him. In fact, all he seemed to talk or fantasize about was having someone "up close and personal" to him as he rode his hog. Shirou didn't get it at first, but Lilim was more than happy to fill in the details just as he was drinking water:

"I'll give you a hint: it starts with 'Oh' and ends in 'Pie'!"

Shirou made a very loud spit-take that day.

He had thought Yosuke's plan was endearing and was a sign that he was getting over the late Saki Konishi. Now, after the initial embarrassment of the real plan, he was rather disgusted at his friend's ulterior motives. Not to mention how stupid it was in hindsight.

"Yosuke, how many times do I have to tell you?" Shirou said irritably. "A scooter can't hold two people in the same seat. It's illegal!"

"Details, details! All we need is motorcycle—"

"Which we don't have!"

"A scooter is a motorcycle! Just, you know, smaller." Shirou rolled his eyes, but Yosuke ignored it. "Trust me, a motorcycle is a chick magnet! Even if it's just a scooter, it's bound to turn some heads! Then when we upgrade to a real motorcycle, that's when the plan really kicks off!" He held his hands out in front of him and twisted them as if real handlebars. "Vroom vroom, man!"

"Even so, that's years from now. Not exactly a sound plan to find a girlfriend."

"Yeah, but we're city boys, you and me. Inaba's too small a town for any of us to find a girlfriend. We can't just sit there like everyone else waiting! We need to take the initiative!"

"How is waiting by our scooters taking initiative?"

"We need to play it cool first." Yosuke winked as he explained. "Then, when a chick or two comes by and sees us, we'll roar our engines like the badasses we are, making them beg for a chance to sit and ride with us! By the time we finally get our real motorcycles, we'll be dripping in pheromones!"

The normally patient Shirou wanted to pull his hair out. He couldn't stress out enough how flawed this plan was. Nothing Yosuke said made any sense! Even if he wanted to get a significant other like Yosuke did, he would rather try talking to someone than pose by a scooter and expect someone to be impressed enough to walk up to him.

"Let it go, Shirou." Pixie sighed from within. "He's too far gone and committed to this."

She was right. No matter what he said or told him the past week, Yosuke had brushed off his concerns and only kept fantasizing about literally picking up a girl to ride with him.

Shirou took a slow, calming breath, pocketed his scooter key and walked away. "Good luck," he said.

"Wha—? Hey!" Yosuke balked. "Where are you going?"

"I don't want to dilute your pheromones," he quipped. He had better things to do in the city than sit by his scooter under the sun all day.

"Fine! Have it your way!" Yosuke huffed and blew a raspberry. He would get all the girl attention to himself, and no natural-born lady killer would distract him from his plan!

"Yep." He smirked as he leaned against his "motorcycle." "Someone's bound to notice me sooner or later."

The early summer sunlight was very welcoming on this nice day…

<><><>

Shirou spent the next few hours exploring the city and learning landmarks along the way. He didn't stray too far from the station, though in hindsight he probably could have seen more of Okina with his scooter.

Well, no use crying over spilt milk. He would need to check up on Yosuke again anyway. He paid a visit to a few stores that sold an assortment of products including toys, groceries, and music. With his paychecks from the MOEL job, he purchased a bit from each (a new pony plushie for Nanako, some ingredients for the upcoming camping trip, and a copy of Rise's latest single).

Yosuke's birthday was a week away, so the CD might make a good gift. He thought it was the least he could do after blowing him off earlier.

As he retraced his steps back to the station, he decided to make a "call" and pull out his phone. "Pixie, guys? You don't think I was too hard on him, do you?" he asked into the device.

As his Magician Persona, Pixie knew most about his bond, and gave him the good news. "He's mad, but he'll get over it in a week or two."

"You gave the guy more outs than he deserved," Lilim said. "Even if he did find a girl into scooters, she'd be too shallow for anything more than a quick lay. And then he'd bomb that too."

"Indeed," Valkyrie said. "If the women of today are anything like my sisters at arms, they wouldn't give in so easily to something as basic as pheromones."

"Though the idea does have merit in the future," Eligor said. "Play your cards right, young Fool, and you'll be the one pulling the Chariot for Satonaka."

Cu Sith snorted. "Or like Taiga pulls his. She owns a motorcycle herself!"

"Please, don't bring them into this." Shirou groaned. "They're the last people I want to imagine giving rides."

"So, what about Rise?" Pixie asked. "She seems to be pretty clingy around you."

"And who wouldn't after that rescue?" Lilim replied, with an evident smirk on her lips. "Keep this up and he might even pop the idol's cherry!"

"Let's not be hasty," Eligor, Cu Sith, and Angel all argued in unison.

"The way you guys are reigning in his hormones, he's not going to know what to do when actually courting a real girl. And when that day comes, it's gonna hit him like a set of funbags!"

It was at that moment when Shirou was making a turn around the corner when his train of thought was derailed. So engrossed in literally his own mind, he didn't notice the slight ledge elevation of tiles, and his foot tripped mid step-turn. "Whoa—!"

And he landed face-first into something big, white, and soft. He barely had time to see it, but now his vision was obscured by the material. Shirou was barely aware of others staring at him; some with amused grins, others with flushed faces. He tried to right himself, and used his hands to push himself off the softness that broke his fall.

"Stop touching me you PERVERT!"

Shirou was shoved aside by the… person in front of him. Shirou fell down to the ground, over the same tile that tripped him no less. He looked up and his jaw dropped. The only noise that escaped him was a sharp intake of air.

For the person standing before him was a girl no older than him. Her short blue hair with a red ribbon around the top center crowned her amber eyes and flushing scowl. Her school uniform was a white button shirt with a red bowtie and a short tan skirt. But most impressive about her was her chest. Each breast was almost as large as the girl's own head, barely contained in her uniform.

It was single-handedly the biggest rack Shirou had ever seen in his life, and he had not just fallen on top of it, but touched it as well. He couldn't help but stare in disbelief.

Even Lilim, the sex demon, didn't know how to properly respond. And when she did, she was subdued. "I uh… called it?"

"That woman is going to have a VERY promising future as a wet nurse, one day," Eligor noted.

"Now THAT'S the ultimate 'squeeze,' " Pixie said with equal parts envy and awe. "Thank goodness Yosuke isn't here."

With no response since the literal run-in, the buxom girl glared harder at Shirou. She stomped to show her anger and get his attention. And make her bust bounce to boot. "What are you, some kind of creep?!"

Shirou said the only coherent thing circling his mind. "How do you have a spine?"

"What was that?!"

"Uh, I mean—!" The redhead quickly scrambled back upright and bowed in front of her. "I'm terribly sorry! It was an accident, I swear!"

The girl's glare softened as she leaned back. "You think you can get away with this with just an apology?" she scolded.

Shirou tensed, knowing that there was no real excuse. He should have been paying attention, and been more careful not to fall on her.

"I don't care how much you like them! You can't go falling into a girl's breasts face-first like that!"

The magus high schooler looked up and blinked. "…what?"

"What?" his Personas echoed.

An amused smile grew on her lips. "So, are you going to tell me your name or will I have to dub you 'Disgusting Pervert' henceforth?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shirou slowly stood back upright. "Dare I ask why?"

"For when I sue you, of course."

"Huh, she's a real hot–cold character, huh?" Lilim noted.

"A devil is more like it." Angel fumed.

"Hey! I resent that remark!"

Shirou was beginning to agree. She clearly didn't mean her threats, as they were intended to get a rise out of him. It was understandable, but two could play at this game.

So, he casually shrugged and asked, "You would seriously take me to court over an accident?"

The girl crossed her arms over her massive chest, still sardonically grinning. "I'll tell them that you deliberately charged at me with the intent to grope."

"From the turn of the corner?"

"That you're a stalker at my school."

"We wear different uniforms," he reminded, gesturing at his gakuran.

"My old school in Tokyo."

"I'll just tell the jury that I got lost in the Aoyama Twin Towers."(1)

The girl let out a sound that was almost a chuckle and a cough, and couldn't quite hide the smile. "Okay, I admit, that's was really clever." Seeing him share that smile though forced a scowl again. "But I'm still mad and demand satisfaction."

"Tell you what. I've been feeling a little hungry, so I'll buy a meal for both of us. My treat."

The blue-haired girl was about retort to his offer when her stomach loudly voiced its opinion. Flushing at her hunger, she scoffed. "Well… as long as you're treating, I'll forgive you. This time."

"Great. I saw an udon stand a couple of streets back."

"Udon? Yes, that does sound rather pleasing for a meal. Lead the way, Pervert."

Shirou winced, but perhaps he deserved that regardless.

"Actually," he said as they started walking, "if it's all the same for you, my name is Shirou Emiya."

"Hmm, it does sound nicer than Disgusting Pervert." She smiled. "Yes, I suppose Emiya will do."

<><><>

The early summer sunlight was beating down hard this long day…

And Yosuke was fighting the strong urge to sleep. But everyone just walked right past him.

What was he doing wrong?!

"Surely there's someone watching from afar," he told himself. "Hey! Anyone wanna see my new motorcycle?"

Finally, a cute woman in a tube top stopped and gave his ride a look of appraisal. For about two seconds. "That's a scooter," she said, before walking away and muttering under her breath, "idiot."

That was a big blow to Yosuke's self-esteem, and he slumped on his bike seat in frustration.

"Dammit Shirou, how do you do it? You practically have the girls on the team eating off your hands and you don't even know it!"

Yosuke almost didn't tell Shirou about his plan to get a moto—erm, scooter license, for the simple fact that he was a chick magnet. Girls seemed to like him for his kind, heroic, and even slightly naïve nature. It would be more natural to girls if there were two riders in their new motorcycles, and he hoped between his savviness and Shirou's talent, someone would want to talk to them!

Only Shirou clearly didn't want to do it. He kept trying to reason with him the beauty of his plan, convincing him he could get someone outside of Inaba to fall for him, but he was against the plan every step of the way. Shirou agreed to get a scooter license at least, but the moment Yosuke needed his pheromones the most, he bailed. Some partner.

"Gah, what am I worried about?" Yosuke shrugged. "The guy is denser than lead. It's not like he's going to pick up some random girl in the middle of a city."

Yeah, he had the right plan, he was sure of it! Staying in one spot, in front of the station, he was seeing so many people coming and going. Someone interested enough in the coolness that was a motorcycle was bound to talk to him. They'd hit it off, start dating for a few years, and then ride into the sunset happily ever after.

"Hmm?" Yosuke squinted his eyes and gazed over the street across the station. "Wait, is that Shirou? And…" Yosuke's jaw dropped. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

It was indeed Shirou, and he was talking to a girl. A very cute girl. A very cute girl with the biggest, roundest, most glorious set of boobs he had ever seen! His first thought was thinking of having her ride on his motorcycle, and feeling her squeeze (or rather smoosh) them against his back.

But wait… she was talking to Shirou Emiya, of all people. And they seemed to be hitting it off! How?! He stood by a guaranteed chick magnet for the better part of three hours, and Shirou found a bombshell all on his own?! Well, knowing Shirou it probably wouldn;t mean anything, right?

"Wait… she's stopping him from crossing the street. Now she's writing something down on a slip of paper… and handing it to him? Oh god she better not—SHE DID! SHE GAVE HIM A 'CALL ME' SIGN!!"

Shirou had gotten a girl's phone number. A busty, beautiful girl's phone number. And he did it without a damn motorcycle.

Yosuke stood there rigid and pale with his thousand-yard stare even as the girl walked away with bouncing boobs and a swaying skirt twirl. Shirou eventually crossed the street, evidently with a blush as he stared at the slip of paper before pocketing it. And that's how he found Yosuke, still staring at the spot they were at earlier.

"How'd it go?" Shirou asked. Whether he was that full of himself or that oblivious, Yosuke didn't care.

"Shirou, who was that girl?" he asked without even looking at him.

"Huh?" Shirou asked as well, looking back to where she had departed. "Oh. We uh, bumped into each other while shopping. Then we started talking and—"

"And she gave you her number?"

"Y-yeah, to her kickboxing class. It's what she learned for self-defense herself, and she insisted I had to call them early to set up a class."

"Sure she did," Yosuke said. He was too emotionally shot to raise his voice, much less turn his body.

Now Shirou looked worried. "Are you okay?"

"Just peachy. After all, I sat under the sun doing nothing for three hours, and you were invited to go kickboxing with a girl. Guys do not just get invited to kickboxing with total strangers."

Shirou frowned and fought the urge to remind him that he was no better with his "motorcycle" plan.

"But I guess it's okay. I mean, she's beautiful, young, and full. Soooo full. And unless you had another miraculous recovery or some bullshit luck, there's no way you could have touched her breasts or something, right?"

If there was one sure thing Yosuke could take solace in, it's that Shirou is still human and prone to making mistakes. He wasn't a sex god or anything like that, and certainly couldn't get away with touching someone without a good thrashing.

Except Shirou winced guiltily. "Uh, well, about that…"

Yosuke's eye twitched once. "I hate you. I hate you so… soooo… soooo much."

They left for home soon after, and Yosuke refused to look at him. Although Pixie assured him he wasn't Reversed (whatever that meant), Shirou decided he would really need to make it up to him with two birthday presents.

<><><>
June 17th, Camp Grounds, Evening

Shirou had been excited for the school campout trip. He appreciated the focus in developing love for the hometown and nature. Someone had to pick up all the trash anyway, so making it a school event was rather clever, if not manipulative. Not everyone shared his same dedication for good deeds, as a good number of students had called in sick. Kanji was one of the absentees.(2)

By a stroke of luck, members of the Investigation Team had been paired together as a group. As the trip was open to first and second year students, Rise was allowed to attend too, albeit in her own group.

The process of cleaning took all day from morning to dusk, and everyone was split into sections to remove as much litter off the mountain as possible. All the students, clad in their matching gym uniforms, were now relaxing at the campsite benches as they prepared meals.

From his seat on the bench, Yosuke whined and slumped on the table. "Man, I thought the school camping trip was going to be fun, but it was just a big pain in the ass. My back is killing me!"

"It wasn't that bad," Shirou reasoned as he rubbed his shoulder. "Though I hate to admit that I must have pulled something from all that work. I can't believe someone would leave a whole bike out here."

"Litterers should be responsible for their own garbage. Forcing us students to pick up after those assholes is just slave labor!"

The two teens groaned in exhaustion. At least the day was over, and there would be no more manual labor for the rest of the trip.

"But man, this is so going to be worth it!" Yosuke grinned and licked his lips. "The girls are cooking dinner for us! I can't say much about Satonaka, but Amagi's got the tradition of her inn's cooking behind her! We're so lucky to be paired up with them!"

"I hope so."

Yosuke blinked, noticing his leader acting tense all of a sudden. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, I just feel like I should be the one cooking," he insisted. "I noticed that the girls bought a lot of ingredients from Junes yesterday. I kept stressing to them how they should stick with something simple, but they were so excited I didn't want to discourage them. I figured that if the worst comes to pass, I would cook tonight's meal."

"Dude, it's like Satonaka just told you; 'you don't need to do everything!' You work yourself ragged enough as it is. A job at the gas station, paying off your debt to the fox, and all the other weird stuff you did running around doing odd favors."

"But—"

"Just relax, you've earned it," Yosuke consoled; his friend was troubled, and the whole Okina incident was long behind them. "It's not like the girls need saving from cooking."

Shirou still felt a sense of unease. "I should go check on them. Maybe they need some seasoning advice or something."

Meanwhile, at the cooking station behind their table, Chie and Yukiko stared at the smoldering pot of bile with dismay and worry. "Is curry supposed to be this color?" Chie asked aloud.

It was a purple mass, with purple steam rising up like a bad omen. It was hard to tell if it was liquid or solid, or what happened to their vegetables, kimchi, and shrimp. "Should we have put in the rice before or after the potato starch?"

Neither girl had an answer to that. What's more, they had run out of all the ingredients they bought at Junes. They figured that if they added more, the curry would look better, but instead it turned darker and… sludgey.

"Should we taste it?" Yukiko asked hesitantly.

Chie flinched. "O-only if you do it first!"

The girls exchanged glances, mirroring their awkwardness. Was this stuff even safe to eat?

"Is something wrong?"

Shirou's arrival was the timely interruption they needed. "Ah! Emiya-kun! We were, uh, just finishing up!"

"Yes!" Yukiko nodded. "Though it would help to, well, garner a second opinion, you see?"

The heroic redhead looked into the pot, took a sniff, and flinched away while restraining hig gag reflex. "Gah, what in the—!? Is this really our dinner?"

That did no favors in raising Chie's self-esteem. Emiya was nice and honest and she cared very deeply about his opinion (unlike Yosuke's). Yukiko also held a degree of respect for their leader, and was relieved that he took the time to apologize for his outburst during their last battle.

If Emiya didn't like their cooking, then it was proof positive that they had screwed up somewhere. But maybe it had a hidden aftertaste?

"W-we put all our love into it!" Chie explained. "Does that count?"

He looked to her and simply asked, "How does it taste?"

Suddenly neither girl wanted to look directly at him.

Shirou looked back at the pot. Somehow, he knew he should have prepared dinner, but the girls were insistent on doing it and he figured there was no harm in cooking a simple dish like curry. All rational thought was telling him not to eat it. It was a fight or flight response he'd had ever since that awful, scarred moment before meeting his foster father.

Still, he could trust his friends, right? They wouldn't make curry that bad, right? Steeling himself, he grabbed a bowl and poured a portion of the meal into it. With his spoon, he took a bite—

And immediately wished he hadn't.

The toxin was already working through his body, weakening the muscles from the mouth down. His face turned purple, and his eyes bulged out. He had dropped the bowl and spoon without care as he struggled to bring a hand to his mouth. Whether to force it down or claw it out, he didn't know, but all he could mutter with absolute terror was, "Oh God!"

"Thou canst not save thee…" Was Izanagi's voice, laced with the same horror of impending doom.

Even the rest of the Personas were reacting negatively to the curry, all mirroring his spike in fear, all speaking at once and over each other.

"Such vile—! Is this retribution for my actions? Solomon!?"

"There's no Valhalla in this! Oh no, I can hear Hel's cruel laughter! SAVE ME LORD ODIN!"

"Oh Father! Why have you forsaken me?!"

"Not even Beelzebub can stomach this holy crap! AND HE'S A FUCKING FLY!"

"I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, I DON'T WANNA DIE—!"

"*WHINE WHINE WHINE WHINE*!"

It was a valiant effort for all of ten seconds before Shirou's body gave out. The foul curry (no, the Sin) was forcibly ejected back out of his mouth, along with his breakfast and the combined mess splattered over his covering hand. "Blaargh!"

It took all his energy for the emergency maneuver, and his body fell into temporary shutdown. Eyes rolling back and motor functions failing, the failed hero swayed forward for a moment before falling sideways. Anything to avoid further contact with the Sin.

His body fell with a dull thud. His mouth was left agape and his hand stunk of vomit. His color paled from the sudden food sickness, and it looked very convincing that he had died.

The only solace he could take away from this was in one brief moment, before the Sin claimed him, was that Chie and Yukiko had both stared at him with admiration in their eyes. Until they screamed, that is.

<><><>
Evening, Girl's Tent

"Shirou-kun is dead?!"

"No, he isn't!" Chie stressed. She didn't know what was worse; Hanako Ohtani's snoring, or Rise-chan's constant interruptions. "He just passed out for a few minutes. Then Hanamura tried shoveling down the same stuff and he passed out too. They're both fine and sleeping in their tent somewhere."

It was now past curfew, looking to be a long, sleepless night with empty stomachs and a heavy sleeper. A while ago, Rise snuck into their tent and talked about how her group's day went. One thing led to another, and a passing mention of bad food knocking Emiya out forced Chie to relate the whole cooking story. Not that she had to, but Rise wouldn't calm down or keep quiet otherwise.

"Oh, good," Rise said in relief. "If your cooking had actually killed Shirou-kun, I would've called my lawyer to sue you."

The brunette's eyebrow twitched. "Like I asked your opinion on our cooking in the first place."

"What? Most people would kill to have a chance to talk to me and hear what I have to say!"

"But aren't you retired?" Yukiko asked. "Why does it matter what you say or not?"

"Especially when you've been unhinged for the last two weeks now?" Chie added.

The rouge-haired teen just smiled and fell back onto her sleeping bag. "Hehe, yeah, you're right. Sorry, it's just so fun being able to say what I want without rules or schedules. I never really got to do fun stuff like sleepovers before."

"What do you mean?" Yukiko asked. "Being able to sing to thousands of adoring fans, and free to travel the country for tours is amazing. Every girl at least once dreamed of being in your place, Rise-chan."

Rise didn't say anything right away, and the only sound was the obese girl's snoring. When she spoke again, it was without her usual peppiness and energy. "I used to think that too, you know. But everything about that life was like a strict schedule. I was told what to eat, what to wear, when I could take my bathroom breaks, and that's just the tip of the iceberg."

"I had no idea being an idol was so demanding." Yukiko frowned. She had thought her inn duties were demeaning enough, but she probably wouldn't have lasted as long as Rise did as an idol.

"No one does. I didn't even know it when I started out. I thought I would be popular and make a lot of friends doing this, but everyone just reveres me. Even my group wouldn't stop asking me 20 questions about my work the whole day."

Chie was starting to feel bad for her. She didn't know Rise personally, let alone her idol persona Risette, but it must have been bad to warrant retirement and a Shadow intervention. It was easy to forget that because Rise was still the new girl of the group, and a first-year student at that.

Yukiko had similar thoughts on the manner. She was trying to escape her situation at the family inn, but all she had done to rebel was earn money by folding envelopes in secret. Even worse that it was Emiya's idea. Rise had announced in front of everyone her stance and left with her head held high. And yet it was all a front to hide her sadness. Not even her brave act had brought her any closure or satisfaction.

Before either of them could think of what to say, Rise shot up to a sitting position with a smile. "But enough about that boring stuff! I'm young and single, and I'm going to make the most of it!"

"And how do you plan to do that?" Chie asked.

"Getting a boyfriend, for starters!" Rise grinned, which turned a bit too lecherous. "Which reminds me; is Shirou-kun taken yet?"

Both second year girls balked and flushed at the question. Alarm bells were also rising as Rise made it fairly clear that she was pining after their team leader. They didn't like that at all.

"W-well, no," Yukiko stammered. "I don't think Emiya-kun is seeing anyone…"

"That's hardly our business, much less yours!" Chie snapped to hide her embarrassment. "Why are you even calling him by that name anyway?"

"It's his given name. Besides, he calls me by my given name too. My real one, not my idol identity. It's only fair to show how much I care about him by forgoing the traditional custom, isn't it?"

Dammit, I'm so far behind, Chie thought bitterly. She still wasn't ready to sort out her feelings regarding Emiya, and a pretty ex-idol was already making advances? Why couldn't she have been more receptive to him when he was nice and heroic to her?!

"Wait a minute, Rise-chan," her black-haired senpai reasoned. "I'm sure Emiya-kun has many good traits. Many good… admirable… desirable traits," she trailed off with a dreamy smile. Not that another dream of him as a housewife to her was the point of her interruption. Nope!

"B-but surely there are other boys at Yasogami High that would love to be your boyfriend! Maybe even someone who would appreciate your affection more than Emiya-kun would!"

Rise was a tad insulted by the idea that Shirou-kun wouldn't appreciate her, but she could still see the point of Yukiko's argument. If there was another decent guy in school that was otherwise lonely or friendless, it might be worth trying to get to know them. She had been there before. "Like who?"

She drew a blank, and ended up blurting the only other name she could think off. "L-like... Hanamura-kun!"

Rise and Chie shared a flat look. The kind that said, "You're kidding, right?" Honorable and witty he might be, Yosuke Hanamura was definitely not boyfriend material. Much less compared to Shirou Emiya, but that was like comparing rocks to diamonds.

Even Yukiko realized this as she quickly backpedaled. "You're right, bad example. Then… maybe Kanji-kun? Or Naoto-kun?"

Rise shook her head. "I still have a bad first impression of that detective guy, and Kanji-kun didn't even say a word to me the whole time, so I'm guessing I'm not his type." Then she blinked. "But you know, I did hear that they both got into this fight with a teacher the other day. I think it was your homeroom teacher."

"King Moron?" Chie blinked. A fight between those King Moron and Kanji could never mean anything good, but why would Naoto get involved? "What happened?"

"Yesterday before the trip, they bumped into each other at the gate and Moron-sensei was ranting about his behavior in middle school, and threatening to expel him if he caused trouble like with the bikers. Naoto came over to try and mediate the situation, only to get chewed out for being some 'dropout punk with no business in an adult career.' I heard Naoto looked about ready to punch him before leaving."

"He doesn't know anything about Kanji-kun," Yukiko muttered darkly. "Or Naoto-kun for that matter."

"I know." Rise frowned. "I mean, I wasn't much nicer to Naoto either, but he was bugging me after a stressful time. Moron-sensei seemed to hate him on principle of existing."

"He has a speed record of jumping to conclusions," Chie said. "He wasn't that much nicer to Hanamura or Emiya-kun when they first moved in either."

"He was mean to Shirou-kun!?" Rise yelled. "He is so on my shit list!"

"Well, Emiya-kun doesn't seem to mind. The first day, King Moron tried to publicly humiliate him by saying he was thrown out of his city into the middle of nowhere. But then he turns and asks him if it's self-depreciative because he just insulted himself for living in said 'middle of nowhere'!"

Rise threw her head back and laughed, louder than her senpai's own giggles. "Oh man, I wish I got to see that! Shirou-kun is just so cool!"

"GZZZNOOOOORRK, HOOOOOONCH."

The girls all flinched and looked at the still snoring Hanako. That last snort was especially loud and reminded the second years that they were still hungry and unable to sleep through the night. "I'm starting to get why we're the only girls here."

Yukiko leaned forward with an inquisitive look. "Do you think she'd stop snoring if we covered her mouth and nose?"

"Yukiko!"

"Nah, it never works, even in the cartoons. You're better off just drowning out the sound yourself."

"And how are we supposed to do that?"

Rise just smiled and dug into her knapsack. "Plugs or muffs?"

"Huh?"

"Would you like to wear earplugs or earmuffs?"

The girls were still confused, even as Rise pulled out a zipped-up bag full of silicone studs and what looked like to be a padded pair of cups bridged together with an arced leather band. After a moment of consideration, Chie accepted the bag and Yukiko the earmuffs.

"You actually packed stuff like this?" Chie asked, playing with one of the plugs in between her finger and thumb.

"When you travel a lot as an idol, you kinda have to bring everything with you. This is my first camping trip ever so I made sure I was prepared for a good night's sleep."

Yukiko exchanged glances with her friend. They only brought what the school had asked them, which was food to cook and a sleeping bag. "What else did you bring?"

"Well, I couldn't bring my whole wardrobe, but I did bring some other essentials. A toothbrush, comb, makeup kit, bottled water, some snacks—"

Being so hungry and tired, Chie nearly lunged at the idol's shoulders as she uttered that beautiful S-word. "Snacks? What kind of snacks?!"

"Just some boxes of animal crackers," she replied pulling a box out and shaking it. "I was hoping to look for the secret penguin cracker today, but I was heckled by my team so much the only time I got to eat was dinner. It was pretty sucky tempura too, now that I think about it."

She would have rambled on, but she saw that both girls were staring at her box and salivating. "Oh yeah, you guys didn't eat at all, did you?"

"Not after what happened to the guys." Chie shuttered, remembering how they looked after eating their cooking. "Hanamura's never going to let us hear the end of it."

"Uh, Rise-chan?" Yukiko smiled weakly. "I-if you don't mind, is it okay—?"

"Help yourselves." She lightly tossed a box to Yukiko, and then another to Chie. They eagerly tore the tops open and guzzled the graham snacks in under a minute. I hope they didn't eat a penguin in one of those boxes…

Although grateful, Chie still moaned dejectedly as she shook the empty box downward. "Oh, this isn't enough to fill my tummy. I need meat and pudding!"

"Sorry, those were the only two I had on me."

"At least we won't starve entirely." Yukiko smiled. "Thanks, Rise-chan. But you better hurry back to your tent if you want to get some sleep. You wouldn't want to get in trouble if King Moron finds you gone."

"Actually, I was kind of hoping I could spend the night with you two. I have a spare pair of earmuffs and a sleeping bag and everything else. I won't take up that much space!"

Chie and Yukiko stared bewilderedly at her. An unvoiced question seemed to broadcast itself through their faces as if question marks hovered over their heads. Why?

Rise frowned. "Why did you think I left my tent? You guys are the only ones who see me as a person, not an idol. And sleepovers are supposed to be fun. This is my first sleepover in… well, I don't know how long, and I want to enjoy it with my friends."

Hanako's dour snoring was the only sound heard in the tent, but it might as well be as calming as a cricket's chirp now. It slowly dawned on Chie and Yukiko that for the longest time, they never had any friends other than each other. And that friendship almost ended with certain death and regret for both of them.

Even with Emiya-kun and Hanamura, their circle of friends was still small, and they had no other girls to relate to. What they saw in Rise was a little of both of them; Chie's insecurity of stepping out of her comfort zone, and Yukiko's unhappiness of living to one's expectations of others.

"Chie-chan? Yuki-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"We are friends, right?"

More snoring dragged on.

"Of course we are," Chie said finally. "Now move your bag over here. There's plenty of room next to Yukiko and me."

Despite the tight fit, grumbling stomachs, and snoring of an unreasonably fat student, the girls all slept soundly that night.

<><><>

(1) This was a leftover clever wordplay on the character of this scene, as the Aoyama Twin Towers are a real thing, albeit were until name changed, and Aoyama was the surname of the girl here. TLDR, I worked on a visual novel project that ultimately ended up going nowhere, but I at least had fun writing up scenes with one of the dateable female leads. I mostly wrote this scene to help signal boost it but now I rather not bring it back up anymore. It was a good experience and lesson in writing though.

(2) Fun fact; when Kanji was kidnapped at March 17 in canon, he's gone for almost THREE WHOLE WEEKS (regardless of when in that time frame you save him too). He was mostly absent before the first month of school (or so the narrative implies), but his mandatory attendance policy kicks in when he joins the team on June 6. He still goes to school as enforced by Naoto and his mother, but since Naoto needs to keep an eye on him, he wouldn't go on the camping trip even if he wanted to.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Inaba Chorus 1: Yasogami School Days

<><><>

Melpomene Mask XII

April 26th, Samegawa Floodplain, Morning

You are Yosuke Hanamura, and you are having a bad week.

You thought that life had finally given you a break for once after you had awakened your inner Persona Jiraiya, joined forces with Shirou and Satonaka, and braved the frontier of Teddie's world to save Yukiko Amagi. Yes, it was the adventure of a lifetime like your Shadow said, but it was all for a good cause. You were no longer the world's punching bag and it felt great to take a stand against it and all who had pissed on you in the past.

But there were no Shadows in the real world. No murder cases to solve. No need for action or superheroes. In boring old Inaba, you were still just Yosuke Hanamura, and people had no reason to change their actions around him.

Housewives still gossip behind your back, students from the shopping district avoid you like the plague, and your coworkers at Junes only pay attention to you if they had something to bitch about on store policies. In short, life as usual.

And you still have to go to school too, which sucks. But today, you hear a few of your fellow classmates talking ahead. "Did you hear? They found Amagi-senpai."

You feel a surge of pride and accomplishment, being one of the few responsible for rescuing the school idol. Yes, it was a team effort, but they couldn't have done it without you.

"Huh, really?" the other student asked. "So, does that mean she wasn't part of the case?"

"How should I know?" the talkative one replied. "I just heard people talking about it."

Your pride soon gives way to annoyance. They didn't sound happy at all that Yukiko Amagi was rescued, let alone cared. They were gossiping about the murder case as usual.

"You think Amagi-senpai might have been the next target after Konishi-senpai?" one of the gossipers asked. "The culprit must be going after people for their looks."

"No way," his friend dismissed. "Those two are completely different. I mean, one's an inn heiress that's pretty much royalty around here, and the other's a tramp who—"

Suddenly aware of the implication, you are about ready to snap and show some Jiraiya-fu on the dumbass freshmen, consequences (or King Moron) be damned. But before you can, another student briskly walks past you from behind, and then the gossipers. They both pale and promptly clamp their mouths shut as soon as they see him.

As soon as he was out of earshot, they changed topics. "B-by the way, did you hear that it's going to rain tonight?"

You don't care about the idiot gossipers anymore. You're more concerned about that boy. You've never seen that kid before, yet you can't help but find him familiar. Maybe if you had gotten a closer look before he rushed past you…

<><><>

June 7th, Homeroom

You have a plan. A devious plan. One that will make the most out of this sucky ass camping trip coming up, even if it kills you. All you need is to borrow Shirou for five minutes while you both browse the swimsuit area for women at Junes.

But that idea hit an impromptu roadblock.

"Emiya! Hanamura!" the demon king's voice bellowed. You were just about to sneak out of the room when he saw fit to call you both. Shirou happened to still be in his seat getting ready to leave too. "Do you know what day it is?"

Shirou, your friend, your team leader, possible eroge protagonist in another life, stated the obvious. "June 7th?"

"And what's important about June 7th?" the King of Morons asked patiently.

You ponder over it, and then snap your fingers. "Araki's birthday!"

Moron and Shirou look at you funny. You would expect the former not to get it, but you can't help but wonder what kind of life the latter has to be so ignorant…

"It's Health Week!" your teacher said. "And last I checked, you two aren't part of the Student Health Association! Do you know what that makes you?"

"Unaffiliated?" Shirou shrugs.

"Out of here?" You quip, already turning to leave.

"Slackers! And I hate lazy, good-for-nothing kids wasting space in my classroom! So I signed you both up to fill in for a few absentees."

"WHAT?!" you screech. "You can't just drop this on me–us! –like this! I have to go make my rounds at Junes for crying out loud!"

"You can go shopping for lingerie on your own damn time!" he dismisses you scathingly. You bite your tongue off to avoid ranting because chances are he's not going to listen. He doesn't seem to care whether you work at Junes or not, if he implied you wasted time shopping there. Not that you really want to correct him that on what you had planned to do there today…

"You big city boys are all so damn spoiled! Well, tough! At this school, we expect every student to pitch in! Or are you not man enough to do something as simple as stock inventory?"

You see three options in your head:

1. Punch him.

2. Punch harder.

3. Kick him in the nads.

You are SO tempted to pick number three, but for your sake, Shirou once again saves the day. "We'll be on our way."

"Good," Moron nodded; he seems to have grown a sort of soft spot for Shirou Emiya of all people, but he'd rather die than admit that out loud. "Now hurry up to the infirmary. I went ahead and called them saying that you'd be there. You're welcome!"

And with that, the fugly-faced teacher with a hunch stormed off, leaving you both mad and crushed. Why today of all days?

Shirou just smiled and patted your shoulder reassuringly. "Let's go."

<><><>

You didn't know what to expect, but as it turned out, the Health Association group really did need all the help it could get; because the ones in charge reminded you way too much of two certain Junes employees. Always complaining, didn't care about the work, and always tried to dump everything on you the first chance they could get.

It was startling that as soon as you and Shirou walked through the door, the group left both of you on infirmary guard duty while they pranced around the school to see if "anyone needs help" or something. If anyone should be thanking King Moron, it was them, not you.

The only thing of interest that happened was some white-collared businessman (Kitano from Sando Inc. or something?) and saying that the gauze order wouldn't come in for another month or two. Luckily Shirou remembered all that when he relayed it to the health team.

At this point, you don't even care what they're talking about. You haven't done anything since coming here, short of playing secretary. Shirou, bless his heart, doesn't seem to mind or care, and still hung on their talk like he's part of the group and ready to help. The custodian has found his calling, it seems.

All you hear right now is:

"Blah, blah blah. Blah blah blah."

"Blah, blah Konishi blah blah."

Wait, what?!

You snap your head up and look at Shirou. He stares back with the same shocked expression that tells you, "Yes Yosuke, I heard him too."

Konishi is the surname as the late Saki, your coworker and… friend, from before.

"Oh yeah, Konishi-kun." The Health Association president nodded sadly. "He can't help it, after what happened…"

"He"? Oh, that's right; Saki told you once that she had a younger brother. Were they talking about him?

It was at that moment the door opened. Everyone stopped talking and stared. It reminded you of that little incident on the road after saving Amagi, and you recognize him as the same kid from before. You also saw Saki's likeness in him: the slanted eyes, the grey hair, the facial structure… but instead of a smile you had grown used to on Saki's face, his expression was stoic and rigid. Blank. Almost like he could fade into the background without anyone noticing.

And given how nervous and skittish the health group was acting now, they probably wished that he was anywhere but here. Which is weird, as not just a minute ago they were complaining about him. What was their deal?

"I'm sorry I'm late," Saki's brother said as he stepped inside.

"I-it's okay, Konishi-kun!" the president said rather quickly. "You don't have to come anymore, really! We found two replacements to fill in for you, and you have to help out in your parents' shop anyway!"

"But I don't want to be the only one…" he trailed off, too melancholic to even finish the sentence.

"Well, then… help out Emiya-kun and Hanamura-kun clean up this room!" You almost miss it, but Saki's brother twitched at hearing your surname. That was one of two warning flags going off in your head.

"Wait," you speak up. "You mean help the rest of us, right?"

"Someone has to go report to the teacher," one of the health kids explained.

And there was the second one.

"It's simple! You clean a little, and you're done. Y-you can handle that, right?" Without so much as waiting for a response, they move for the door as the depressed grey-haired teen stepped aside. "Bye, guys!"

They quickly leave the room and you hear them all but run after closing the door behind them. Leaving you stuck in this room with clean-up duty and a moody, upset teen.

To be fair, you can't really blame them for wanting to bolt as quickly as they did. You certainly don't want to be near him, and he shared that sentiment from the way he refused to meet your eyes.

You don't think that you would be able to handle this without Shirou around, if for nothing else than moral support. "Nice to meet you, Konishi," he smiled and extended his hand in greeting. "I'm Shirou Emiya; just transferred here from Fuyuki City this year."

He just stares at it before looking up to Shirou's smiling face. Then he turns toward you, as if expecting you to say something.

…you feel like you should, but you don't know what.

"Y-Yosuke Hanamura," you finally squeak out. "And you must be —"

"Saki's brother, yes. First year," he says, with a hint of annoyance. Then his face shows the first bit of emotion ever since stepping in— anger. "And I hate you. Both of you."

You wince. Shirou's arm pulls back. Not a very good start, but you figure that you deserve it anyway. You may have not been the one to kill Saki Konishi, but you sure as hell made her personal life worse getting worked up over a crush.

Thinking back, you really were a pain in the ass. Still kind of are, too. You're sitting there feeling awkward as the silence drags on, and then the brother breaks it as if he didn't snap at all.

"Can I go now?" he asks lazily. You're confused; earlier he said that he wanted to work, but now he wants to get out? That doesn't make any sense.

Shirou mulls it over a moment, and then nods. "Sure." Saki's brother is already making his way for the door—

But you call out and tell him, "After you help us clean this place."

Both Shirou and Saki's brother stare at you. Your friend is confused and concerned regarding your reasoning, and the young freshman seems to challenge you.

"I have to help out at home," he explains. "It's a mess… you understand, right?"

Of course you understand; you know how Saki really died and are doing everything in your power to prevent her death from happening to anyone else. But it's been two months since she passed away, and he's acting more or less the same as you saw him on that odd April morning. You can't just let this continue on.

You want to help Saki's brother, at least to make it up to her in some way.

"If you're really needed back home, you wouldn't be here," you counter. "And didn't you just say you wanted to help?"

He stares at you for a long moment. You almost forget that Shirou is in the same room until he says, "I'll get the mop."

That seemed to be the right thing to say as Saki's brother shrugs and holds out his hand. "Get me a rag and I'll do the shelves."

Between the three of you, you clean the shit out of that infirmary. None of you talk the whole time and eventually go your own separate ways when you're done… and when it was painfully obvious that the Health Association group was long gone.

<><><>

Thalia Mask XI

June 4th, Faculty Office, After School

You are Chie Satonaka, and you sometimes play a hero for fun.

But right now, you're in the faculty office with Kondo-sensei to decide what after school club you want to join. It's kind of a requirement for Yasogami students to join at least one cultural and/or sports club, but the options don't look so good in your opinion. Your best friend Yukiko had talked about trying out for drama, but you don't see yourself as an actress. You're not pretty enough for that.

You wish that there were better sports options, but the fact is that Yasogami High is a small high school in a small country town. The men's sports are limited to soccer and basketball, and they aren't very popular. There used to be some girl sports clubs like tennis and track, but a lack of members and general interest saw to them being disbanded for the year.

"Don't you have an English culture club?" You ask hopefully. If you need to take a club, you want to improve your language skills.

Kondo-sensei shrugs apologetically. "I barely have the credentials to teach English, and I'm more of a P.E. teacher and sponsor for the sports clubs. I don't want to overload myself by stretching too far!"

You slump your head down, discouraged.

"Well, maybe there's something we can do," he said. "Our current sports teams lack managers. It's something both captains have argued about because none of the members have the motivation to even clean up after themselves."

You perk up. "Really? Can I work out with the team too?"

"Sure, why not?" You like Kondo-sensei; he's so carefree and open-minded. Why couldn't he have been your homeroom teacher? "You're free to do whatever you deem necessary working with the team of your choice. Oh, and I should mention that we are planning on giving another student a similar position, but as a means for her to make up on missed credit. Since you asked first, she'll be given the club you don't pick by default."

Oh, well, at least one club won't be left hanging. But who would be forced in such a position in the first place?

"So, would you like to help the basketball team, or the soccer team?"

You ponder over it. You remember that Ichijo-kun and Nagise are the respective captains of each team. You don't necessarily dislike either boy, though you do know that Nagise has a serious aversion to girls and Ichijo-kun is another Yukiko fanboy. If you are going to be a team captain, you need to decide which you would rather put up with for the rest of the year. Not to mention how both teams have problems in motivation and team spirit, not unlike what doomed the women's sports.

Will be it basketball or soccer? Soccer, or basketball?

You decide to settle your decision with a yen coin flip.

<><><>

June 7th, Field, After School

It's your first new day as the soccer team manager, and you introduce yourself. "Hi! I'm Chie Satonaka! I look forward to working with you guys!"

Everyone is smiling at you, even Nagise. With confidence, Kondo-sensei leaves to check on the basketball club and introduce their own new manager. As soon as he does, almost all the soccer guys swarm around you a little too close for comfort. You flinch back in reflex, barely stopping yourself from snapping a forward kick at the nearest set of legs.

"So, Chie-chan, you want to hang out after practice?"

"Actually, can we end practice now? You're a guy like us, right?"

"Can you help do our laundry first?"

You fight the urge to frown. While very flattered that you're being given the kind of attention that follows Yukiko around, what you're getting doesn't feel right. Well, you never like how the guys hounding your best friend acted either, but the guys here are treating you like you'll give them cheat-sheets out of practice.

You fight dangerous Shadows that can kill you with ease, and these wusses are afraid a little labor and sweat. How pathetic.

To get their attention, you blow on your whistle (a little something you bought to really drive home the image as soccer manager). The shrill noise makes all of them stagger back while covering their ears with a wince.

"Okay, that's enough soliciting!" you shout. "I'm in charge, and you are all going to start working your asses off! Now get in formation and start with team passing!"

"Wait, what about—?"

You blow again. Harder, and longer this time. The boys all scramble in position, grumbling in annoyance.

Good. You're here to shape up a team, not make friends.

<><><>

The practice ends on a good note in your opinion. The guys are grumbling about pain and sore joints, but exercise is all about pushing your body further each time and getting stronger for it. The soccer team has been too complacent until now, and you're going to have to make up some lost time this early spring. You take the time to write down notes on your clipboard about each member's strengths; Hanamura calls your writing illegible but you traded these with Yukiko all the time.

The only spectator that showed up was a first-year girl who came to watch Daisuke Nagase play. She stayed and cheered for a while before leaving. Nagase didn't seem to notice or care, and was outright dismissive when the guys teased him about it.

After practice, you made sure to tell each and every one of them to clean up the field. Any complaints they made were silenced by your whistle.

The only one still left in the now clean field is Daisuke Nagase, with his tan skin and iconic bandage-over-the-nose look. He is grinning from ear to ear as he pats your back. "Man, you're a natural, Satonaka-kun! We might actually win a game for once."

"I appreciate it Nagase," you tell him. "But soccer is a team sport, and everyone needs to pull their own weight. I suppose I don't need to tell you, the star player, how to work, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," he shrugged it off, almost indifferent.

"Hey, Daisuke! Are you up for some ra…?"

Coming from your six, you see the blue-haired captain Kou Ichijo approach you two and wave in greeting. His voice trails off as he glances at you. "Ch-Chie-chan? What are you doing here?!"

"I'm acting as the new soccer team's manager," you shrug. "It was Kondo-sensei's idea."

"Seriously?" He sounds both incredulous and disappointed, as he then sighs and dips his head in defeat. "I wish our team manager was half as enthusiastic, at least."

"Who do you have?"

"Ai Ebihara." You and Nagase both winced in sympathy. "She flat out told us the only reason she took the job was to make up for her absences before blowing us off."

You've heard rumors about Ebihara. The moon to Yukiko's sun. Witty and smart, yet cruel and abrasive. Pretty on the outside, stingy on the inside. Possesses full confidence in her looks and actions, but ultimately rebels and acts on personal interest.

Or the too-long-didn't-read version: Ebihara's a cold-hearted bitch.

Still, she is popular, so she must have some sort of fanbase. But even knowing how sour a person she is, they must either have the delusion of making her nice, enjoy being dominated or something of that nature. Maybe if you had that image too… Gah, no, get your head out of the gutter! No more Shadow Bananas!

"Man, just for going through that, you deserve an Aiya special," Nagase said, before turning to you. "What do you say, manager? Up for some ramen?"

You perk up at the mention of Aiya and ramen. No Junes brand stuff or Hanamura trying to bail out on a deal. You're faintly aware of Ichijo paling and trying to say something, but you don't care. You want a meat bowl supreme. "I'd love to!"

<><><>

Aiya's

You are in blissful, euphoric heaven. Or at least somewhere close enough. And no, it's not because you're sitting between two admittedly cute guys and having dinner together; that kind of crap is for cheesy girl-centric romance manga. No, you're here only for food, as it has been too long since you had a yummy bowl of meat and ramen.

You still haven't beaten the Rainy-Day Challenge, with food going as far as the Meat Dimension, but one day you'll accomplish it. Until then, practice makes perfect, and you're making good time on this meal so far.

"Mmmmhm! This is the best!" you cry.

From your right, Nagase laughs. "Glad you think so. We try to eat here at least once a week, but can never decide on what day to do it. Our practice times never align, you see."

From your left, Ichijo-kun groans. "You can't just decide something like that right away, Daisuke. We barely have enough money for ourselves here."

"It's cool, I can pay for myself," you waved it off. And you mean it. Your allowance was just enough to see a good 'ol Aiya bowl once a week, so long as you don't do something stupid again like break an umbrella or ruin the shoji door. Maybe you could try commissioning for a weighted umbrella weapon next time?

"Man, look at you, acting all independent now!" Nagase said. "And here I thought you'd be stuck in Amagi's shadow forever."

Luckily your mouth was full; gulping food down was no different from gulping down your fears and anxieties, or that roller coaster of emotions from the castle. Yukiko eloping, the princess fantasies, your Shadow going on and on about Yukiko and Emiya-kun…

They're bad memories, and you don't want to think back on them again.

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm my own girl!" But that doesn't mean you can't be miffed at the idea that you have no social life.

"I think what Daisuke is trying to say,"—Ichijo smiles—"is how nice it is to see you without Amagi-san all the time."

You glare suspiciously at him. "So you can try and ask Yukiko out, you mean."

Ichijo's face blanches, to your small satisfaction. "Th-that's not it at all!"

You don't buy it. Next to Yukiko's family, the Ichijo family is the closest thing that Inaba has to royalty. Tea ceremonies, traditions and customs, the works. Whenever you hang out with your other friends like Hanamura and Nagase, he's nice and cool and friendly. You actually found him cute at one point while watching him play basketball last year.

But whenever he bumps into Yukiko, he gets all tongue-tied trying to say something like a confession or asking for a date. You were there each time and made it clear to him not to ask her out again, but he keeps persisting even when he said he wouldn't. You never trust a guy alone with Yukiko, and Ichjio is no exception.

Still, you're vaguely aware of what Emiya-kun told you the other day. "Give him a chance," he said. It's weird, as it's not like the magus knows Ichijo any better than she does, but he seems to find the good in anyone. Probably because of that Social Link perk he also mentioned before.

You can trust Ichijo at least… just not anywhere around Yukiko. There's a difference.

"She's outta your league anyway, man," Nagase reminded him. Ichijo glares back, but you smile at your star player for his agreement. "Why not ask that girl from our class? Sada… Saki… whatever, you know the one."

"Oh? Ichijo-kun has a girlfriend?"

"A real doting fan, this one. She keeps making sweets in Home Ec., saying stuff like 'I made these for you, Kou-chan!' "

You and Nagase laugh. It was all in good fun, as while you don't like the idea of Yukiko and Ichijo being an item, you think he's a decent enough guy who deserves a girlfriend. It was kind of sweet that he had someone call him Kou-chan, too.

Only Ichijo-kun wasn't laughing. He was sighing. "You don't like sweets?" you asked him.

"Nah, I like sweets just fine," he shook his head. "I just wish all the girls would stop calling me 'Kou-chan'. I mean, Kou's such a crappy name. I hate my name."

"Yukiko: how I hated that name."

You cringe. That little admission hit too close to home, going right back to Yukiko's Shadow.

Nagase shrugs in a very insensitive manner. "Well, what are you gonna do?" Then he protects his newly bruised abdomen in a very unmanly manner. "OW!"

"I think what Nagase is trying to say," you explain as you pull your elbow back, "is that you don't need to think too deeply about the name meaning something. I mean, my name has so many different ways it can be written, but I'm stuck with the kanji that means 'thousand branches'. I stopped trying to figure out what that meant years ago."

Ichijo looks at you in bemusement. You're not sure what you're trying to say either, but if I could cheer up Yukiko about her name then you can do the same for him.

"You're a nice guy, a skilled athlete, and pretty easy on the eyes too. But if you're still upset about being called your given name, I guess I'm stuck with calling you Ichijo-kun."

Ichijo blushes, to your faint surprise. But he smiles too and seems to have cheered up again. "Th-thanks, Chie-chan. That means a lot."

It was nothing really, but it still feels good to be praised on a job well done.

Aside from plans on future club meetings and when to meet up at Aiya's again, the three of you eat in comfortable silence. It was a nice change of pace from the Investigation Team, not having to worry about life-threatening Shadows and monsters.

Being a team manager is going to be a piece of cake!

<><><>

Melpomene Mask XIX

May 26th, Spare Classroom, After School

You are Yukiko Amagi, a new rising star.

Yesterday you had purchased a book all about job licenses. You certainly intend to apply yourself as an interior decorator, but building different skills and a wide range of options is ideal for a good résumé, and it pays to have a back-up plan. So instead of wood shop or home economics, you join the drama cultural club.

You arrive at the door of the classroom where they host the club, but hesitate. You briefly wonder how taking up acting will affect your schedule around the inn, but find the concern to be silly. You plan to strike out on your own in the future, so if you can't make little choices like these, you really will be stuck in Inaba forever.

Besides, after what happened with your kidnapping, the inn staff has been reorganized, and your mother fully recovered. You take a moment to compose yourself, and with a determined nod, you go inside.

"…Now let's move on to tongue twisters," you hear a voice say as you slowly close the door behind you. You walk in further, but softly to not draw attention from their on-going practice. "Ready? The sixth chick cheek's shixth cheep… Argh!"

"The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick!" A brisk voice cuts in, so fast and yet nuancing their s's perfectly. "You're still not saying it correctly. Are you sure you're the club president?"

You see a small group of students gathered around, more girls than boys. The one that strikes you the most is a girl with short dark hair with a green tint, and a light blue hairclip over her right bangs. She's wearing the typical school uniform, only with a slightly longer skirt and knee-high socks. She notices you first, with wide grey eyes and a growing smile.

Eventually all the other club members do too, as they stare and gossip amongst themselves.

"Wow, is that Yukiko-chan?!"

"Miss Amagi is joining our club?"

"Holy crap! She's looking right at me!"

"She looks so pretty in person…"

"Where do you think she bought that sweater?"

You feel a little self-conscious from all the attention, especially as it seems like the girls are talking almost like the boys Chie warned you about. What have you ever done to warrant a "Princess Yukiko Challenge" anyway?

"Quiet down, everyone!" A stern voice cut through the room, and its speaker, a bespectacled male, walks over to you. "Yukiko Amagi, I'm President Nagai. It's a pleasure to have you join us. Welcome to the drama club!"

He quickly introduces the other members in the club, who all greet you with mutual enthusiasm.

"Thank you," you reply. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Not at all. We're just practicing today, and our main play isn't set until the end of the year," Nagai explained. "Just try to catch all future meetings every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and you'll be fine."

"Don't worry about meeting every day, either," another girl spoke up, also wearing glasses. "We won't kick you out, but the more you train, the better you get at impressions, expressions and stuff."

"Thank you, miss…?" you ask, as you don't quite remember her name yet.

"Oh, Mika's fine," she says quickly. "I'm the vice president, by the way. I don't see myself as much help though, or very good…"

The president quickly turned to her with a smile. "That's okay, Mi-tan. I know you put a lot of effort into the club. And you're so cute too."

"Don't call me Mi-tan in front of everyone!" the vice president scolded in a tone that was embarrassed… yet teasingly affectionate. And they seem to be in their own little world staring into each other's eyes.

Huh. So this is what Chie calls "sickening sweethearts."

Rolling her eyes, the brisk student grabs your hand and leads you to a corner of the room. You remember her name being Yumi Ozawa. "Forget about them. You need all the practice you can get, so let's get cracking."

"N-now?!" This was happening a little too fast for your liking!

"Hey, no time like the present! Now, let's go over our voice lessons."

You quickly find Ozawa to be an inspiring teacher and expert in drama. She explains things in a simple and easy to understand manner. Even when you make mistakes she quickly and gently corrects you.

You were both so involved in your perfected breathing that you fail to notice everyone else has left. Seeing no reason to stay any longer, you say goodbye to Ozawa and head home.

You give your parents slight worry coming home late, but then you quickly pick up late night duties, homework, and cooking practice. You've been surrounded by teachers and knowledgeable peers all your life, and it seems weird that you only started to notice after what happened in April.

As grateful as you are, you can't be a porcelain princess forever, and will have to move out of this town one day. Until then, you make sure to learn every important self-sufficient skill that you can.

<><><>

June 2nd, Amagi Inn

"Auuuugh," you sigh as you collapse onto your bed, naked sans towel. If there's a perk of owning a hot-springs inn, it is having access to its very soothing water after a long day, even indoors with showers and built-in bathtubs. Unfortunately, you were so tired and ready to doze off at a moment's notice that you couldn't stay in longer.

You were very lucky today. You almost died, trying to save Rise-chan. It never occurred to you until that moment about the very real danger of facing Shadows, and you were a kidnappee just a few months ago. The water has helped in soothing your aches and pains that didn't carry over to the next world. But you were still full of stress and anxiety that couldn't be washed away in a single bath.

If only you were stronger, or better in control. You slipped up at a funny joke that the Shadow made, and Emiya-kun rightfully reprimanded you. You attacked the Shadow with Sakuya's strongest flames only to get blindsided by a counter-spell of ice. You were helpless when a second Megidola was all but ready to turn you into ash, and saw your life flash before your eyes.

And in that moment, you realized how much your friends, inn staff, and especially parents worried about you. How they cried when Chie carried you limping through the door. How they hugged and kissed you and uttered "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" over and over as if they were blaming themselves. You had almost caused anguish to them all over again by rushing to your demise.

But it was better than living with the fact that Rise would have died. You don't regret your choice to fight, just your inability. At the very least, if you can't stop the Shadows on your own power, you'll make sure that no one else dies on your watch.

You owe this to your friends who saved you before, and especially Emiya-kun and Teddie who pulled off a victory at the last moment. For all his flirting, Teddie was downright loyal and brave when the chips were down. And Emiya-kun, even in his bloody and battered state, looked so strong. So manly…

The sudden ringtone of your phone interrupted your lusty daydream with a start. Now wide awake, you reach into your bag and check the caller ID. It was Ozawa, whose number you obtained earlier this week after practice.

You've only known Yumi Ozawa for a short while, but she's a savant on the stage. The other day, she perfectly rehearsed a part that was intended for Mika, and had taken the role of the character as her own. Her one-on-one sessions with you also helped you get better among your fellow drama club members, although she insists that you have talent as well.

Curious as to what she's calling you for, you answer. "Hello?"

"Hi, Amagi. Sorry about missing practice."

You blink. Today was Thursday so… oh right, Mika said they had drama club practice that day. "It's okay. I missed practice too."

"Really? What happened?"

"Something… important came up," you answer. You had forgotten all about practice when Chie and the others decided to visit Teddie, and from there it became a mad blitz to rescue Rise-chan from inside the TV world. "What about you?"

"The hospital called and said that my mom collapsed."

"Oh my!" You shot up from your bed. Memories of your own mother passing out during Yamano's visit come to mind, and every bad thing leading up to your kidnapping too. "That's horrible! Is she all right?"

"Yeah, she's fine," Ozawa said. "After all, she wasn't the one hurt at all."

You're confused. Not only is Ozawa starting to sound peeved, but what she's saying doesn't make sense. "What do you mean? Didn't she collapse?"

Ozawa sighs from her end on the phone. "My mom lied, saying it was the only way she knew I'd come. She didn't collapse, but someone else was in a hospital bed."

"Who?"

A tense silence followed, before Ozawa uttered two words full of contempt and anguish. "My father."

You're almost positive that you misheard that. How could anyone hate their own father? You weren't sure what to say in response, but the moment passes as Ozawa speaks again.

"No, not my father," she amends, before growing in volume and achieving the intensity of a rant. "He left us ten years ago for another woman. He's always been a dirty scumbag like that. And now he's all sick and on his deathbed. He comes crawling back, saying that he wants to see his family again, and it pisses me off!

"I was finally able to move on! I had completely blocked him out from my life! And now he's ruined that, just like he's ruined our lives before! And despite the fact that he LEFT HER, mom is actually going to stay by his side until he dies! I can't believe how stupid she's acting!"

You're taken aback by Ozawa's anger. You've seen her act before and know that she's very expressive in emotions, but this feels unsettling. She seems to have been through a lot concerning her father, but wants nothing to do with him even as he's dying?

"Ozawa," you finally speak. "I'm sorry to hear about you and your father, but… don't you think you should honor his wish?"

Ozawa immediately snaps at you. "What do you know?! You never had to live with him, or see him walk out with some… some hooker on his arm!!"

You choke on your words. It's true that you can't understand Ozawa's position, but she's also ignoring the important issue. Death is final. You've had a brush with it more than once to know that horrid feeling of helplessness. If her father was fine, she'd be free to act like this. But when you die, that's it. And to die with regrets is just awful…

"I'm sorry, Amagi," Ozawa says softly. "I… we just decided on the major roles in our upcoming play, and then he drops back into my life. I just really needed to tell someone how unfair this is, you know?"

"I know," you reply. Chie has always been a close confidant for you and vice versa. You can sympathize with Ozawa's conflicting emotions, and needing to tell someone.

"Don't worry, this won't affect practice," she tells you. "My absence was a one-time thing. Same for you, right?"

"That's right," You tell her. You doubt anyone will get kidnapped again now that Rise-chan is safe.

"Great! Then we'll play catch up next week! See you then. And… thanks for listening, Amagi."

"Of course, Ozawa. Take it easy." You hang up, slumping down to your bed again.

This has been such a depressing, exhausting day. You can save people from the TV world, and yet others still die in unfair ways.

You get dressed, find your father, and hug him tight. The scare of your kidnapping is fresh on his mind too, and he hugs you back.

You may not want to take over the inn, but you certainly would never wish ill to the family you love.

<><><>

Thalia Mask XIX

June 6th, Music Room, After School

You are Rise Kujikawa, retired idol by the name of Risette.

You didn't really know what to expect upon entering Yasogami High School. Yes, you were popular and had fans, but every student in the general area tries to hound you with questions, shake your hand, and other stuff. You ignore it, believing that the craze will die out soon and you can make some friends past the idol persona.

You love music, and want to try playing an instrument at least once. So, after discussing it with some teachers and your friends Chie-chan and Yuki-chan, you decided to join the music band club, or music club for short. You hesitate for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. With the memory of your big entrance this morning still fresh on your mind, you have a feeling that you'll get a lot of unwanted attention before everyone gets used to you.

You open the door and step into the music room just as a girl was about to leave. "Oh!" She looks no older than you, is shrinking back in a posture like she could fade into the background, but her face sticks out. Her short green hair tops her head, her small brown eyes… and those cute red cheeks! She looks almost like a Pikachu!

She seems to stutter as she looks you over, her shock and surprise increasing two-fold. "Y-y-yo-you're—!"

"Yes, I'm Rise," You smile at her. Between all the screams and requests for autographs or pictures, having someone stutter cutely was a welcome change of pace. "I came by to see if I could join the music club."

Her mouth flaps around like a fish before she runs inside. "Captain! Captaaaaain!!"

<><><>

As it turned out, everyone in the music club was rather mellow. There were faint whispers and a lot of staring, but it didn't look like anyone cared that you were famous.

"As you're all aware"—the band captain gestures to you—"this is Rise Kujikawa, a first-year. She'll be joining our troupe starting today, so let's give her a warm welcome."

You were standing before the school's symphony band, sitting in chairs with sheet music stands next to them. A wide variety of instruments were available, ranging from clarinets and violins, to trumpets and trombones. You swear that you can even see a tuba player in the back. "Welcome!" they all chorused.

The band captain turns to you after introductions. "So Kujikawa, aside from singing, have you had any experience with musical instruments?"

"Not in the slightest," you admit with a chuckle. "But I'm familiar with notes and sheet music, if that helps."

"We can always use another coach." He nodded. "We'll decide on what you can play later. Just sit back and watch for today. Matsunaga, bring her up to speed in the meantime, alright?"

The girl from earlier stuttered again. "Y-yes, captain!"

The two of you sit down on a few seats in the far corner, away from the rest of the band members. "Okay, break's over! Let's take it from the top!"

The symphony that followed was appropriately rustic. It wasn't perfect by any means (since they're training to perform together) but it was getting close. You're excited to be a part of this. No single important star that takes over and no background singers are around to make the lead look good. This is just a well-oiled cohesive group where everyone's nearly the same and they have their own part to play.

"U-um," the Matsunaga girl next to you stammers again. Not loudly of course, as she doesn't want to interrupt the other band members. "So, Risette, I-I mean, Kujikawa-san—"

"Just Rise is fine," you tell her. You see no reason for the two of you to be politely distant.

"Okay, Rise-chan." She smiles. "So, like the other culture clubs, we meet every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Except for a week before finals, so everyone can study."

You cringe at the mention of "finals." At least you came to the school year late and have one less test to worry about.

"We don't worry about attendance either. Our band is good, but we usually perform at small places. Like senior homes and hospitals."

So the symphony band was only eligible for charity events? You have mixed feelings about that, honestly. On the one hand, you did just retire from showbiz so it's nice not having to go directly into the limelight of big featured events like school-to-school band concerts. On the other, it's such a major step down from your idol career that it is almost sad. Not mention that not as many people could hear the band play their hearts and souls out.

After a few more songs, the captain calls rehearsal to an end. Then everyone packs up their instruments and leaves. They don't spare you or Matsunaga a second glance. Matsunaga herself seems to slip into a routine of standing up, dusting her skirt, and collecting the sheet music.

You sit there in confusion, watching and wondering why one girl is doing clean-up, or why she's even in the band. "So uh, Matsunaga?"

"Ayane."

"Huh?"

"M-my full name is Ayane Matsunaga," she tells you with a smile. "I never got a chance to properly introduce myself, and it's only fair that we call each other by our given names, right?"

…It takes all your self-control not to jump up and squeeze the cute out of her, but you manage. The Investigation Team's reactions told you that not everyone likes the sudden touchy-feely reaction.

"A-anyway, what exactly do you do around here? Why are you in this club?"

"Oh, I play the trombone," Ayane smiles. "I joined this club because I love music and have always been inspired by the songs that bands and idols played, like yours!"

"Glad to hear it." You smile. You can tell that she's one of your more modest fans, drawn by your singing appeal rather than sex appeal. Not that it would make you want to go back ever…

Then you blink as a thought occurred to you. "But wait, why weren't you playing today? And why were you running around doing errands instead?"

Ayane looked down and away from your gaze. "O-oh, I'm not very good. I'm a reserve member, so I don't go to performances. I practice sometimes, but I mostly help take care of the paperwork and cleaning."

That sounds more like a manager's job… or a secretary's.

"But someone's gotta keep this place all clean, right? I can't do much regarding music or performing yet, so I help out with this." She continues collecting sheet music and putting them back in the giant locker-like storage. "You can hurry on out of here, Rise-chan. Don't let me keep you waiting."

You suddenly get why you're so attached to Ayane. You thought it was just how she was cute, young, and innocent (probably ideal in the idol market). But more than that, she's so lonely and wants to be a part of the band so much that she'll do grunt work. She was like you before you ever became Risette.

"I'll help." You announce as you rise from your chair.

Ayane looks at you in surprise, not at all expecting the offer. That alone makes you sad and all the more determined to help her, even as she's shaking her head no. "N-no, it's okay, Rise-chan! It's my responsibility, so please don't go out of your way or anything!"

"I insist," you state and move your chair towards the back end of the room. "We're bandmates now and we help each other out like a team. And what kind of bandmate leaves someone to do all the hard work?"

Ayane's cheeks glowed bright red, nearly reached her whole face.. "W-well, okay. Thanks, Rise-chan."

You both clean up the music room quickly, and manage to finish in time to leave before the sky got too dark. You look forward to the next practice, and in the meantime ask your grandma about getting a new instrument.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 34: Calm Before the Storm

June 18th, Morning, Mountain River

On the morrow, the students of Yasogami High were dismissed and allowed to go home. For the members of the Investigation Team, Yosuke asked everyone to follow him instead of everyone else to the buses. But the progress to their destination was slow as he still hadn't fully recovered from last night's dinner.

"Ugh..." Yosuke moaned as he held his stomach, every so often slowing his pace. "That was worse than the time I ate tofu! I'm never eating curry again for as long as I live!"

Shirou wasn't in a better position himself, but he had dealt with worse pains than an upset stomach. He simply hid his discomfort better. "Yosuke, maybe we should head back home," he asked him. "Stomach pains are not exactly best for mountain hikes."

"No!" he yelled as he started to walk faster. "We're the only ones left on the mountain, and we're gonna make the most of it! Besides, we're almost there! Come on, girls!"

Chie, Yukiko and Rise exchanged bewildered looks, and Shirou gave a resigned shrug. Yosuke still hasn't explained what his plan was to any of them, but was very insistent they skip the morning bus and come right over.

Since the rest of the Saturday was considered a rest day, they could do whatever they want, and it was a long bus ride back to town. With the majority of the Yasogami students all taking a beeline from the mountains to their homes (and most likely their beds), that left the five teens alone. And if anyone was willing to enjoy nature's splendor after being forced to clean it up yesterday, they were.

Their long hike ended at a steep cliff overlooking a waterfall and riverbed. Yosuke beamed and shouted, "Woohoo! We're here!"

It was a truly beautiful site; lush green trees all around the body of water, the relaxing sound of wind, leaves, and running water, a spray of droplets forming a small rainbow from above… even ignoring the rather steep height and the big, sharp rock in the middle of the river, it was worth the trip alone just coming here.

"Yeah, real pretty." Chie nodded, and taking a moment to admire it. The moment quickly passed, and she turned to leave. "Well, let's go."

"Wait, what?!" Yosuke cried, seeing the girls leaving. "Come on, we just got here! It would be a waste to not go swimming after all that hiking!"

"Hey, if you want to go swimming, that's your business. Don't let us stop you."

The girls were already starting to leave to catch the next bus before Yosuke uttered three words. "You owe us."

Chie and Yukiko flinched. It was clear that he was talking about dinner last night. "B-be reasonable, Hanamura-kun. We didn't eat dinner either."

"Yeah, because you fed us your poisoned crap!" he snapped. Then he sighed and tried again. "But I'm willing to let bygones be bygones if you do this one little thing for us. A little afternoon swim. What's the harm in that? Well, besides an upset stomach, of course."

"Look, we're sorry, okay?" said Chie. "But you can't just spring this swimming favor thing on us last minute!"

"And besides, we don't even have our swimsuits with us," Yukiko added. "It wouldn't be a problem otherwise, but we just can't."

"Man, if only I brought my swimsuit," Rise lamented. "But no one told me there was a river here in the first place."

"So if you all had a swimsuit, then you'd all go swimming?" Yosuke asked.

"Well, yeah. But like Yukiko said, we don't have them, so—"

"So I got you covered!"

Yosuke surprised the girls by pulling out three pairs of women's bathing suits from behind his back. "Introducing the brand-new Junes original swimwear, just in time for the summer!"

Rise was beside herself at the idea of a free gift, especially with a cute swimsuit. Chie and Yukiko, however, exchanged uneasy glances between each other and the hangers holding the three swimsuits. "Hanamura-kun…" Yukiko started slowly. "Did you have these with you the whole time…?"

"Well, after you told us that the guys from last year swam in the river, I couldn't pass up a chance like this! I even got some help in picking the designs and the sizes just right!"

No one noticed Shirou wince from the side, as they were still staring at the swimsuits and mentally processing Yosuke's words. "Dude." Chie paled. "This is so wrong."

"Oh come on, girls!" Rise smiled, leaning over to look closer at the clothes. "Sure, what Yosuke-senpai did was a little creepy, but it's the thought that counts. And we're getting these nice swimsuits for – wait. Is that design the same one my Shadow wore?"

"Yep!" Yosuke grinned, lifting the yellow polka-dot bikini up for emphasis. "I picked this one out special, just for you! What do you think?"

Rise's smile had fallen the moment she spotted the bikini, and she was now scowling rather darkly at him. "Do the words 'too soon' mean anything to you?"

As Yosuke started to sweat nervously, Shirou sighed and shook his head. "Yosuke, I thought you said you would tell the girls about this plan of yours."

"I'm telling them now."

"You know what I mean. What exactly did you think was going to happen, springing it on them like this?"

"Hey, don't think you can take the moral high ground. You were the one who gave me all their measurements in the first place!"

"YOU WHAT?!?!" Chie screeched in horror. As she flinched, covered her chest and lifted her leg up defensively, one thought circled her head. Shirou Emiya knows my three sizes. Shirou Emiya knows my three sizes. Shirou Emiya knows my three sizes!

Yukiko too was staring at him, equally embarrassed. She couldn't even think of a proper response to having her inner shame exposed like this. Though it didn't stop her from trying (and failing) to open and close her mouth repeatedly.

Rise, on the other hand, took the news surprisingly well. With an intrigued expression and some flirting to boot. "Oh ho! Shirou-senpai, I didn't think you were so daring!"

"I-it's not what it looks like!" he insisted quickly, hands shaking. "Yosuke asked me – or rather tricked me – into finding out because he said he lost the information prior. It wasn't until after I did it that he was trying to pull this off, and, well, I didn't expect him to seriously go through with it!"

Honestly, Yosuke was reminding him a bit too much of Shinji lately. If it weren't for the fact that the latter had a fortune under his family name, he'd probably not get away with half the stuff he did, be it flirting or blowing off steam.

"Well, swimsuits that fit are better than ones that don't I guess. But how did you find out, anyway? Did you peek at us at our homes changing?"

Shirou blushed and groaned, deciding to just be upfront about the whole thing. "I was actually lightly brushing your backs and using Structural Analysis to know the size of your clothes… and underwear."

Chie and Yukiko's faces glowed bright red. Rise's too, but it was small compared to her sultry smile. "Very daring."

"How can you be so… so glib about this?!" Yukiko snapped, much to the surprise of everyone. "Emiya-kun just violated our personal privacy to find out our measurements! Aren't you the least bit ashamed or outraged about this?!"

"Ah, they're just numbers," Rise said dismissively. "I'd half expect someone in Shirou-senpai's position to make our clothes explode or something before just satisfying a silly question. Numbers and measurements just enhance the imagination of the people, and it's rather harmless to know and see that than some pin-up nude shot. At least, that's what my agency told me about disclosing my sizes."

The tomboy raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Your three sizes are public knowledge?"

"Eh, sort of. They insisted my bust line to be listed two centimeters higher than normal."

Thoughts drifted back to the late Shadow Rise for obvious reasons. "That explains a lot," Shirou snarked. Chie and Yukiko exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Feeling that the conversation was getting sidetracked, Yosuke quickly stepped between Shirou and Rise, holding up the swimsuits again. "Well, we can keep arguing about the specifics, but the fact is that it's a nice day out, there's a river down there and we aren't getting any younger! So go on, pick your suit and start swimming!"

The three girls exchanged glances and thought about it. For two seconds. "No." "No." "Hell no."

"Oh come on!" Yosuke whined. "You three said it wouldn't be a problem if you had swimsuits, and you still owe us for dinner last night!"

"I don't owe you anything," Rise disagreed.

"We don't trust your appeal on swimsuits," Yukiko added.

"And you're the only one who keeps bringing up dinner." Chie glared.

Yosuke was fuming. Nothing he was saying was convincing them to go, even the reminder of that Mystery Food X they cooked up. If only there was more dirt to use on them, like an I.O.U., or the authority of someone. As is, they're barely getting peeved at the fact that Shirou scanned their clothes.

Wait, that's it!

"Come on, Shirou, back me up!" He asked, holding back a smug grin. "You're our leader, so tell these girls to get changed and swim with us!"

"No."

"Ha! You heard him, now go and—!" Yosuke stopped as he processed what he'd just heard. "Wait, you too? But why?!"

"If they don't want to swim, that's their decision." The red-haired magus shrugged.

"But… but dinner! We could have died last night eating that shit!"

"Hey!"

Shirou held his hand up to stop an argument between him and the girls. "I'm not so petty as to take revenge due to a bad meal. What happened was a mistake on their part, and the fact that they didn't get to eat at all is just as bad as us passing out." Yukiko sighed in relief, and Chie looked smug as Yosuke's defense was torn down.

"However," Shirou's tone grew threatening, and the second-year girls both stiffened. "I do agree that last night was the worst meal I have ever eaten. I vow to later pound out any bad habits and fill you up on proper techniques so that you may pass as adequate cooks. Is that understood?"

Both girls gulped and nodded. Though there was a bit of innuendo that caused more than a fair amount of blushing for the girls (including Rise) that almost went over Shirou's head. That is, until two familiar voices popped up.

"Teeheehee! Get it, Angel? He said 'pound'!"

"Yes, Lilim, I heard."

"And in the same sentence, he even said 'fill—'"

"Yes, yes, I heard that too."

Luckily the innuendo was forgotten as Yosuke (either missing the wordplay or simply not caring) pressed his case again. "Dude, help me out here! I paid good money for these swimsuits!"

"And they clearly don't care enough to take them. You at least saved the receipts, didn't you?"

As Yosuke's words devolved into angry, unintelligible gibberish, Shirou knew that no, he didn't save them. Shirou shrugged, walked over to the edge of the cliff and unzipped his track jersey.

Yosuke found his voice again and quickly asked the question on everyone's mind. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"Getting ready to swim," he answered simply. "Just because the girls don't want to swim doesn't mean I shouldn't. Like you said, it would be a waste not to do so after a long hike."

"But you're missing the—!"

Whatever exasperated argument Yosuke had in mind died when the jacket slipped off his shoulders. Everyone got a good look at Shirou's backside, wearing a white undershirt but doing nothing to hide the tone and muscles underneath. "Poywaaaah…?"

And then there were the arms, thick and strong, yet lean and flexible. Already he was pressing one hand on his opposite shoulder and holding it in place as he spun the shoulder in place. Yukiko lightly pulled the collar of her own jersey in self-conscious heat, and gulped at the sight. "O-oh my…"

When that was done, Shirou then bent over to remove his shoes and sweat pants, revealing a pair of blue trunks underneath. Stopping above his knees, they allowed a good view of his strong calves. Chie was stuck staring between his leg muscles and his rear end, but stuck to the latter as he bent lower. Another thought circled her overheating head, and it was "Huminahuminahuminahuminahuminahumina…"

Blissfully unaware of the reactions he was getting, Shirou turned around as he set his clothes aside, safe away from the cliff's edge. Then, with eyes closed, he reached and pulled up his undershirt. The audience was flashed by his physique of flat abs and modest pecs. It was clear he was a high school student and not exactly ripped, but what they did see was very flattering and appealing. Rise drank the view for all it's worth, slowly licking her lips once over as she did.

Eventually Shirou did open his eyes, but was suddenly self-conscious of everyone around him, at least what they were doing. "Um… why are you all staring?"

Those words broke the unexplained spell cast over them, and they suddenly wanted to look anywhere but him. Even Yosuke was caught staring, mostly out of muscle envy and realizing just how far his charm on the fairer sex went.

Suddenly, Rise reached over and snagged all three swimsuits from his hand and ran. "No peeking!" She yelled without looking back. The second years were right behind her, unanimous in their tacit decision.

Shirou and Yosuke blinked, baffled for entirely different reasons. "What just happened?" the former asked his friend.

Yosuke turned and stared with a blank expression. He opened his mouth to say something, thought better of it, closed his mouth and shook his head. Part of him wanted to be mad at Shirou for his innate sex appeal, but another didn't want to offend the gift horse by looking or asking too much. So he just accepted this win of getting the girls to swim in the river as intended, and started to change to his swimsuit too.

Poor Shirou was left baffled, which made things worse as a certain sex devil wouldn't stop laughing the whole day.

<><><>

June 20th, Yasogami High Road, Morning

"Bwaaaaaaaaaaaah." A loud yawn escaped out of Kanji Tatsumi's mouth. After relaxing and sleeping in the last two days, it was almost a pain to go back to school again, much less walk the way there.

From behind him, Naoto Shirogane followed him as always. It'd been weeks since this set-up started, but it was made less awkward over time. The fact that his grandfather was actually a regular customer at Tatsumi Textiles helped break the ice a bit.

"Are you feeling all right?" Naoto asked.

"I will be," he replied as he rubbed his eyes open. "I just wish I could sleep in again like I've been doing all spring."

He was not looking forward to another day of the same old shit. Male students making big talk before shitting themselves seeing him, girl students avoiding him and talking shit behind his back, shitty teachers acting apathetic to the world around them... with one especially shitty exception.

"That King Moron better not show his face around me again if he knows what's good for him."

Naoto gave him a stern frown. "Kanji, I understand how you feel, but you can't lash out because of what he said to you."

"It's not what he said to me that pissed me off," he snapped back.

Naoto was now staring at him intently, making the bleached haired teen more upset and awkward. He wasn't good at talking his feelings out, leaving himself open. He was a man that solved his problems with his fists, never running away.

Not that he would run away from the little guy even if he could. He was surprisingly good company these last few weeks, and was sharp as a tack. Which was why he was pissed to hear King Moron, of all people, call him a drop-out punk.

Naoto was smart enough to read between the lines. He was smart enough to know that Kanji took offense for his sake, and didn't need that spelled out like anyone else. He could say one minor detail and the kid would know exactly what he meant. Hell, he was so much better than him that he deserved more than this babysitting treatment.

The shorter boy lowered his gaze down to the road, and the brim of his hat hid his face. "You still shouldn't act so rashly. People are starting to talk about you again."

Apparently with the news so dry of content, the reporters tried looking back into what happened to Kanji the Biker Thrasher. Rumors were already spreading, and he recalled one asshole from cram school talking trash the other day. He would have rearranged his face if not for his sister apologizing on his behalf and dragging him away.

Kanji scoffed. "Yeah, I like to see that bastard try after screwing up the last two times. Besides, weren't all his victims girls?"

"It's still telling that Emiya-san and Amagi-san tried to warn you about your safety," said Naoto.

"I still don't like him," said Kanji, and that was the end of that.

For the duo had now arrived at the school gate, and would have to part ways.

"See ya in a few hours, Naoto," he waved as he continued toward the school building, and ignored the flurry of girls trying to converse with him. It was a good thing the guy didn't go to school here.

At least no cops or crazy shit can get me here…

<><><>

June 22nd, Junes Food Court, After School

As per usual, the small town of Inaba felt even smaller whenever the rain came. Everyone stayed indoors for the most part, and most school clubs canceled or ended early. That seclusion extended to Junes, as even the regular shoppers decided against eating at the top floor food court.

"Hey hey hey! Watch it, I'm already soaking wet!" Yosuke yelled. Tama ignored him and continued to bristle her fur free of water next to him, much to the humor of the girls.

"Aw, don't be like that, Hanamura!" Chie teased. "Tama-chan is giving you your birthday present after all!"

"Yeah, wet fur is great," the now seventeen-year old teen groaned. "And I guess I should be grateful she even bothered to get me something at all."

"Hey, my birthday was on the same day as my concert," Rise argued. "Sometimes no attention is better than the wrong kind of attention."

"And didn't Emiya-kun give you two presents?" Yukiko asked, eyeing the gift bags he had set aside.

"It was the least he could do after what happened in Okina." He still had nightmares of Shirou being surrounded by buxom women while his motorcycle melted in the hot sun. It was nice to get a new music CD and set of sharpened knives of course (or Kris as they're called), so he might finally let Shirou off the hook for ruining "Operation Up Close and Personal" for him.

It was a happy birthday for him, all things considered, and he still had cake with his parents to look forward to.

"Now that we're all here," Shirou said, ignoring Yosuke's plight, "We need to talk about what we saw last night."

"That Midnight Channel, right?" Yukiko asked.

Rise shivered, feeling ever so grateful that she, or rather her scantily-clad Shadow, didn't appear on TV. "I owe you guys big time, don't I?"

"Yeah, you do," Chie said. She didn't really want to tell her that finding out about her kidnapping was a complete accident, and that stopping the Midnight Channel broadcast was just coincidence. Although… "But I wouldn't worry about it too much, because we thwarted the guy's plan."

"What do you mean, Chie?"

"Well, there's got to be some reason the culprit keeps throwing people into the TV, right? All crazed murderers have some sort of vendetta towards people they target."

"Like with the Yamano scandal!" Yukiko exclaimed.

"Oh, that news reporter?" Rise asked. "Naoto mentioned her too. I never met her personally, and the only thing we had in common was appearing on the same talk show once. Not together, of course."

"We do know that the targets have been all female, at least to this point," Shirou added. "Yet if Kanji is a target, then that pattern is now moot."

"So that means the only possible rationale for targeting people is those that have been on TV recently," said Yosuke.

"And that means…" Chie began, before slumping in her seat. One could swear they saw smoke coming out of her ears. "Gaah! My brain hurts! I know it's on the tip of my tongue, but I don't get what's so important about all this!"

"Let's look back for a second," the ebony-haired girl offered. "We all established that the Midnight Channel shows people that appear on the TV prior. What we don't know is why. It's a good first step."

"We all saw Amagi-senpai's 'commercial' after she was thrown in, and it was talking about how she—" Yosuke would have said more, but Chie was glaring daggers at him for making her friend shrink in her seat in embarrassment. "W-well, we all saw what happened."

"I didn't," Rise said. Playing a bit of charm, she leaned over her seat and smiled at him. "Go ahead, Hanamura-senpai. What was Yuki-chan's show like?"

Yosuke gave an uneasy smile as his eyes darted between her and Chie. He could either disappoint his favorite idol, or earn a thrashing from his tomboy friend. It was a lose-lose situation all around. "Well, uh… you see—"

"It's on a need-to-know basis," Chie finished for him. The girls exchanged heated glances, and Yosuke gave a quick sigh of relief that he was off the hook.

"No fair! I'm a part of this team too now, am I?"

"And I bet you would LOVE to share how your initiation into our D&D group went down in full detail, right?"

"N-no… but that's beside the point! How do I know that your Shadows weren't all thought up by some perverse misconception on wanting to know the real thing like with me?"

"It is, okay? End of discussion!"

Rise's cheeks puffed out to a scowl, before turning with cute doe eyes towards the team leader. "Shirou-kun! Please tell me what it was like with Chie-chan's Shadow!"

"Wha—?!" Whatever triumph Chie felt in shutting out Rise from the "Yukiko's Castle" incident was dashed at her next ploy. She immediately flailed her arms in worry. "No! Don't tell her that! Don't tell her anything!! Don't even mention the--!"

"Talking board…"

Both girls blinked. "Huh?" "The talking board?"

It only just occurred to the group that Shirou had been in deep thought. Indeed, he'd had an epiphany upon hearing the girls' argument, and remembering something he heard once from Nami the gas station attendant. "It's just, this Midnight Channel is like a giant talking board. People notice someone on the T.V., immediately think about them, and they appear on the Midnight Channel.

"It was originally spread as a rumor that watching it would reveal a soulmate. People watch it anticipating someone they know or like to appear, only to get someone they knew from the news. And the more it happens, the more they believe it works, even if it is just coincidence."

Yosuke's eyes widened. "Wait, are you saying that the Midnight Channel isn't just some advance ransom notice, but something we're making happen?"

"Not just us, but the whole town," Shirou stated. "For some reason, the culprit is channeling all our thoughts into that world, and we're all subtly altering how we see Shadows of ourselves and other people."

The group hung on Shirou's every word. It was a good thing that the murder mystery was covered up as a Dungeons and Dragons quest, for it could very well pass off as some typical world-ending lore they were hearing at a tavern or something.

"Doesn't that seem a bit beyond a magic-person's control?" The retired idol frowned. "I may not be the expert here, but your footnotes imply that to do the real groundbreaking stuff, you need a lot of energy before the world breaks it down and kicks your ass for it."

"And even with the human sacrifice angle, only two people have died recently," Yosuke added morbidly. "Normally that would be the case, but Teddie's world seems to be an entirely different dimension from our own, and the same rules don't apply. It would be more accurate to say that the culprit discovered the world by chance and is trying to learn how to utilize it."

"I don't get it." Yukiko tilted her head to the side. "What could be 'utilized'?"

"Teddie himself explained that the world is connected to our own's weather patterns, despite never having been out here to see for himself. When the fog is heavy here, it is clearer there, and the fog directly interferes with how the Shadows act. The culprit could very well be using the people that appear on TV as guinea pigs before throwing them inside, and seeing the different Shadows that could be born from other people."

At once, everyone's feelings melted into mutual anger. Even Tama's fur bristled, showing once more how knowledgeable the enigma fox was. Still, Shirou wasn't done yet. "Perhaps the culprit is involved somewhere high up like the news media, or is just sitting back and watching the show at a distance. Regardless of method, he seems to be targeting people exposed on the media in some way. Yamano is self-explanatory, with her scandal all but beaten like a dead horse."

"And Saki-senpai ended up getting a lot of flak just for seeing the body," Yosuke muttered. "It just had the unfortunate consequence of showing her resentment of work… and me."

A somber silence passed for Yosuke and the late Saki Konishi. Only half of the Investigation Team present knew what happened that day, but those that didn't could tell how much it affected him still. Tama even went out of her way to brush against his leg for some comfort. With a small smile, Yosuke returned the favor and scratched behind her ears.

"Then there's Yukiko," Chie said a moment later. "She's one of the most popular girls at school, and made out to be this unreachable princess."

"Fuji-nee – my guardian," Shirou quickly added for Rise's benefit. "Appeared by virtue of being a 'mysterious stranger' stopping a robbery. Rise's would have implied to be selling out after quitting the idol business. And Kanji…"

"Rebellious teen with a hate boner for authority?" Yosuke snickered. "Yeah, I can see why he'd be picked."

"Well what about you three?" Rise asked, referring to Chie and the boys. "You never told us how you fit in the pattern."

"We don't. We never appeared on TV and only encountered our Shadows because we were in the TV World when hitting an emotional low point."

"Even Shirou-kun?"

Everyone looked at their leader. Rise and Yukiko turned to Yosuke and Chie respectively, hoping for an answer. Yosuke focused on petting Tama some more and Chie started fiddling with her metal pins, both feeling awkward and sweaty.

Smiling in amusement and awkwardness of his own, Shirou explained for them. "To be honest, I was able to summon a Persona without a Shadow. I didn't quite realize how it happened either until I did it."

"Okay, but how?" Rise asked. "Is it because of your 'Wizard' class thing?"

"I think it's because I'm a guest of the Velvet Room, actually. Igor and Margaret implied that other people have entered the room before, and having some sort of contract allows entry, usually in the form of an awakened Persona." Shirou felt there was more to his awakening, but that was for neither here or now.

Yosuke coughed into his hand, bringing everyone's attention to him. "Back to the main topic. We now have an idea of what the culprit does with the Midnight Channel and Teddie's world. However, there is still the fact that he might set his sights next on Kanji Tatsumi, now that the audience is focused on him again."

"We told him and Naoto that he was likely to be the next victim," Yukiko explained. "But that was over a month ago. And Kanji-kun has been distant since that meeting."

Yukiko had tried to talk with Kanji whenever she could; walking to school, at lunch, after school, visiting the shop on errands, but Kanji never seemed to bother meeting her halfway. He always had an excuse, or used as few words as possible, or preferred Naoto to talk for him (which was as polite of a way for him to tell her to leave). She merely wanted to be friends again, but he was always shaking and eager to leave at the drop of a hat.

"He's in good hands at least, right? I mean, he's got that cute boy detective following him every day, and you'd swear they're an item."

Chie wanted to admonish Rise for thinking that way. But she started to envision the two boys herself. Kanji, gruff and mean, but strong and seemingly okay with Naoto following him around. And Naoto, small and lean, trying hard to assert authority but needing Kanji to bring out his inner manly image…

…okay, maybe she did have boys love fantasies, but it was okay since Rise and Yukiko and even Tama were into it too, right? They certainly looked like they had the same lusty looks in their eyes, right??

Shirou simply raised an incredulous eyebrow while Yosuke groaned and palmed his head, confused and annoyed respectively at the scene playing before them. "I'll never get this 'yaoi' thing," Yosuke muttered to himself, before adding a nearly quiet, "They're not even that cute together."

"Just… don't say anything like that in front of them, okay?" Shirou warned tentatively. "Kanji has a short fuse and seems to be offended easily."

Rise giggled. "No worries! Fantasizing from a distance is what girls like to do. Although…"

The girls suddenly stared at the boys, with growing flushes. Yosuke blanched and jumped out of his seat in worry with an accusatory finger point. "Don't you effing dare!"

"Too late!"

If it was possible, Shirou was even more confused. "Am I missing something here?"

Yosuke could only stare at him with an expression of anger and lament. "How I loathe your gift of obliviousness, Shirou Emiya…"

<><><>

June 23rd, Floodplain, After School

People were starting to look at him funny again.

Kanji had endured the school gossip before because no one had the nerve to actually bother him. Teachers could make a stink all day about how he didn't apply himself or something, but as long as he kept up attendance and did their homework, then they couldn't do anything.

As he gathered his things and finished tying up his shoes from the getabako, he looked up to see a few second years tense and hide further up the stairway. They were the same guys too, for the last few days. He recognized Amagi-san and that red-haired Emiya in their group.

Kanji just shrugged and left. Amagi was no different from the other girls, he was still mad at Emiya about Okina, so screw them.

Just outside the gate, he saw a big gathering of female students from all years. They were trying to make a pass on the boy detective again, now that they had caught on to his pattern. He pitied the guy. No one seemed to understand that he REALLY didn't like the girls' attention, because he was too polite and aloof to refute them.

At first, Kanji was thoroughly pissed off because of how annoying girls are. Even when Naoto kept turning them down, they were too stupid to listen. Barely fighting back a curse under his breath, the bleach-haired teen lumbered over and made a loud greeting. "Yo! Naoto! Ready to go?"

It had an immediate effect. Half the girls bristled and dispersed, while the rest turned and glared at him. One bitch took extreme offense to that and confronted him. "Stop bothering Naoto-kun! We have as much right to spend time with him as you do, if not more!"

"Hey, it's not like I have a choice otherwise," he snapped. As much as he liked the guy, he was still annoyed that he needed a cop to supervise him.

"You could always choose to change that ugly mug of yours," another girl said rudely. "You know, doll yourself up!"

"Even then, who would hang out with you? Some toy, I bet? For a boy?"

The girls laughed at their little joke. Kanji clenched his fist. He wasn't going to hit them. Too many people would be mad and upset; the school, his ma, the cops, his old man… basically it wasn't something a man should ever do, no matter how tempting it was.

It didn't hurt that they were right. Who exactly would want to spend time with a guy like him? Outside he acted abrasive and thuggish, but beyond that… at least on the outside he looked and acted more of a man than inside.

Even Naoto looked annoyed at him, as he turned to all the girls before staring straight at him and said, "He still makes better company than any of you."

…wait, did Kanji hear that right? He had to, because nearly all the girls stopped laughing and turned to the blue-haired boy in shock and betrayal.

"Let us go, Kanji."

Kanji dumbly nodded and followed his chaperone. The girls didn't try to follow them, but still tried to placate him. "B-but Naoto-kun—!"

"I'm busy," he said, still walking away. "And even if I wasn't, I'd find better things to do than waste time with shallow girls."

Damn. A bit mean-spirited, but still an awesome burn. Go Naoto!

When they were finally down the hill and thus alone, Kanji muttered his gratitude. "Thanks."

Naoto didn't answer back aside from a nod, and that suited him just fine. They didn't need to speak at all. And when the detective did need to talk, it was straight and honest business. He really wish he could make it up to him sometime. Maybe… no, the last time he tried to be nice only made things worse. He'd keep himself in check fighting others, but that's it.

"It's going to rain tonight," Naoto stated.

Indeed, it was rather cloudy up there. Kanji could even hear the faint rumbling of thunder, so it was going to be another downpour for sure.

Though it was still a random topic to bring up. "What about it?"

"Victims have always disappeared during cloudy or rainy weather," he said simply.

Oh, was that all? Kanji scoffed as he adjusted his school bag over his shoulder. "So the serial killer is finally going to try his luck on me now? About damn time."

Naoto frowned, but didn't comment on Kanji's swagger. "In the light of the growing risk to your safety, I'll be spending the night at your house."

Kanji stopped, nearly tripped, and gaped at his short chaperone. "WHAT!?" He seriously didn't just ask that, did he?!

"It is only for the night," he stressed. "Maybe two, to be on the safe side. I've already discussed the matter with your mother, as well as my grandfather, and they both agree that it would be the best course of action."

"You brought Ma into this?!" Dammit, she always liked Naoto for some reason, so he must have played on her sympathies or something. And if she was okay with that, then she… and then the others at school…

No. No, no, no no no no no! This was not happening! This WILL NOT HAPPEN! "Well forget it! You're not spending the night in my damn house!"

"And why not?" Naoto asked dryly. "Although you haven't appeared on T.V. since last month, the media is already making theories that you will be next."

In a small town like Inaba, news on people didn't die out right away. The serial murder scare was the biggest thing to happen since Kanji could remember, so it would only make sense that people were getting impatient. Some believed that the killer must have stepped out after what happened to Yukiko failed, while others openly wondered why Kanji Tatsumi wasn't making waves in the news lately.

It was almost like everyone was actively rooting for him to get killed, and he felt a bit peeved about that.

"So what? Let them talk," he said. "They'll just keep making shit up, anyway."

"I agree," Naoto said. Kanji was pleased, until he added, "Then you have no problem with me staying the night?"

"What?! NO! I never said that!"

"I am merely taking proper measures given my assignment towards your protection, Kanji. Staying the night at your house will make keeping an eye on you easier. It's more of a surprise that I hadn't thought of this sooner."

"B-but two guys…" Kanji stuttered, losing the argument. "W-we're both guys! Sleeping over shit is with a guy, and… and… a girl!" That kind of thing was bad. Well, Naoto was fine as far as guys went, but that talk about boy toys earlier…

Naoto turned towards him fully, barely hiding a look of contempt. It… reminded him too much of how girls looked at him. "All I'm asking is to spend the night at your house. Not your bed."

Kanji flushed at Naoto's blunt statement of the matter, but refused to give up. "It's the principle of the matter! A man does just not spend a night with another man for no reason!"

"So you care more about your pride than your own safety?"

"Yes! No, I mean…!" Kanji growled. Dammit, just when he thought he was different from everyone else!

"I thought you said you didn't care about what others thought about you."

"I don't! It's just…" Kanji's voice trailed off, unsure what to say. If Naoto stayed at his house, then the rumor mill would have a friggin' field day about his… preferences. It was looking more and more likely to happen too, as the cop just shot down his arguments with logic and questions.

But if he somehow convinced Naoto not to go through with this… then what? Those weeks spending time tolerating the other's company, the small talks they made during delivery runs, all the times he'd see him off and then wait for him at the school gate. Would all that really start being an obligation again? Would he actually get tired of him and leave?

He really didn't want to have him sleep over, but to get him all mad at him for being an ass, or even worse, cry…

"FINE! Do whatever the hell you want! I don't care!" He stomped ahead, doing everything he could to not turn and look back at his face. The rest of the walk was painfully silent, and he didn't raise any objections when his mother showed Naoto the guestroom.

He may have run away, but he didn't say sorry. Real men don't apologize.

<><><>

Evening

When Kanji yelled, everyone was ready to bolt, but it was just a nervous reflex. According to Shirou, Naoto Shirogane was going to spend the night at Kanji Tatsumi's house, much to the anger and embarrassment of the latter.

It shot down any plan to make their own stakeout, and since they were both fresh from an argument, no one saw the need to bother them.

Thus, the Investigation Team broke off for the night. Of course, with Yosuke's bad luck kicking in, he was immediately called in to help with a Junes shift, so he had no down time. Oh, and he'd have to check the Midnight Channel with the others too, which made the day even longer for him.

It was late when Yosuke locked down Junes and rode the bus to his home street. Late, cold, and raining. He was so tired, so caught up in his depressing thought cycle of why me, that he failed to notice another person in front of him before colliding with them.

Or rather, her, given her modest set of boobies.

"Kyaah!"

His brief trip to marshmallow heaven ended with a shrill cry. Yosuke quickly jumped away, bowing and clapping his hands in offering. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see where I was going!"

"I-it's okay. I was distracted too."

"Really?" Yosuke's shoulders sagged in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I've watched so much anime when this kind of thing happens where the main character gets punted for so much as a grazing grope, and I always told myself 'glad that will never happen to me'. But lately my luck has been all over the place, where I can't even find a girlfriend. Not like I actively try to peek or anything, I just can't help myself. You have a nice body, by the way and why can't I stop talking?!"

The Junes assistant manager had blown it, he knew. He kept rambling like a motormouth, saying whatever popped into his head, and said stupid shit to ruin an already bad first impression. The girl was already laughing and pointing at him. Now she was going to burn and reject him for wasting her time.

"You're funny!"

"I-I am?" That wasn't the rejection he thought was going to happen.

He took a closer look at the girl in front of him, with the help of a street lamp. A slim body with a nice rack hiding under a big raincoat, slightly pale hands holding a yellow umbrella, a cute face with rusty brown eyes…

Yosuke found himself in love. He knew he felt that way about Saki Konishi before, but she was gone now, and apparently hated his guts. As much as he missed her and wanted to avenge her, he knew he needed to move on and find someone else. He didn't know why, but looking at this girl, who took the accident in stride and said that he was "funny" gave him some hope that this wasn't some sort of dream or prank.

And then, with a beautiful smile, and almost drowned out with an oddly well-timed thunderclap, she said the eight lovely words all guys want to hear from their true loves;

"Would you like to go out with me?"

 

[Introspective Tinkerer]

Poor poor Kanji.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 35: Fallen


June 24th, Velvet Room

Shirou liked to think that he was starting to become a man of the world. Yes, there were still things he was ignorant about, such as the nature of magecraft and the identity of the culprit murdering people in Inaba, but he was quick to adapt and accept things as they are. He kind of had to grow into that mindset after seeing a handful of Shadows reveal what they really thought of the world around them, and how they went contrasted against the people they represented.

But he would still get blindsided from time to time, such as finding a new face in the Velvet Room when he entered, around his age no less.

She was sitting opposite of Margaret on the upholstery, with her legs crossed and writing something on a piece of parchment in her hands. She wore thigh-high strap boots over black and white striped leggings, and a short red checkered skirt that failed to meet where her leggings ended. Shirou found himself staring a bit too long at part of her pale legs' skin before realizing how… revealing her position was, and quickly gazed away. Further up, she wore a black belt with a golden buckle slightly loose around her waist and a white button-down sleeveless blouse. A black tie and red choker with a key lock were present around her neck, the former more prominent than the latter. Black and red striped sleeves covered her arms and a big blue bag was slung around her shoulder. Last but not least, topping her short black locks was a matching blue cap with a golden "V" badge sewed onto it.

Her grey eyes glanced up to him briefly, and then back down to the parchment in her hands. A few seconds later, she stopped and did a double-take, before suddenly stuffing the paper and pencil she was using in her bag. "Geez, ever heard of knocking?!"

Shirou blinked. As far as he knew, Igor and Margaret were the only residents in the Velvet Room, and that the room wasn't open to others so easily. Somehow sensing that she didn't want to talk to him, he turned to Igor. "Does she have a contract, too?"

Igor's smile broadened, as if impressed. "A good assessment, but not quite."

"This is Marie," Margaret told him. "She'll be joining us in the Velvet Room as an apprentice to our Master and help you on your journey. Her soul is very young and--"

Marie let out a low growl with a fierce scowl being promptly directed at the Being of Power. While not at all threatening, Margaret seemed to get the intent and dropped the matter quickly. "Well, she's brusque to say the least. I hope you can overlook that and get along with her."

Shirou glanced between the veteran guests and the new one. They hadn't given him a reason to think this was some sort of trap, or trojan horse plot meant to throw him into a bad situation. Marie might look like she wanted to be anywhere but here right now, but if she could help, then he'd accept the olive branch.

"Nice to meet you, Marie. My name is Shirou Emiya," he said. The black-haired woman crossed her arms and looked away, not feeling particularly friendly. "So, what do you do here?"

Marie shrugged. "I make Skill Cards," she told him simply. But when he kept looking at her, expecting more, she relented. "Personas can learn and use only a finite set of abilities, from magic spells to support moves. The Nose and Margaret told you before that fusing Personas allowed you to inherit skills, right?

Shirou fought the urge to chuckle at what was likely Igor's demeaning nickname. The old gentleman, at the very least, didn't seem to notice or care. "Y-yes."

"I'm the alternative. It takes me a while to actually draw them out, but as long as you have an idea of what skill you want, and it's not going to stupid yourself to death again, then I can make it for you to equip to your Persona. One-time use."

"I like her!" Pixie declared. Shirou wasn't sure if he shared the same sentiment yet.

"Well, it certainly sounds helpful," he smiled. "Think you can make me one right now? A healing spell that affects everyone. Media, I think it was called."

Marie immediately reached for her bag to pull out a notepad and start drawing. "Yeah, whatever Four."

Shirou tried, and failed, to look passive, but something about the term she used baffled him. "'Four'?"

"It's in your name, isn't it? Fourth son. And I think you're the fourth 'unique' guest in this room, or something. So that's who you are now."

Shirou's brow twitched a bit. "Actually, my name reads as 'samurai warrior'."

Marie shook her head. "Not as catchy. You're Four now, deal with it."

Shirou sighed. Marie's thing seemed to be making nicknames for people that she thought suited them best to what she knew or saw of them. She was also rather stubborn on what she decided to do, which might make future conversations an uphill battle.

But he could worry about that later. Marie was focused on her Skill Card task, and he had his own task to complete. "Anyway… I'm ready to fuse now."

"Excellent," Igor's perpetual grin broadened. "Show us the fruits of your labor."

Exhaling a breath, Shirou imagined two Persona cards in his hands. "Lilim, and Valkyrie," he said to himself. "This should work… yes? Yes, I think so."

The fusion of Personas was complicated, as the compounding of Arcana resulted in an entirely new one. There was probably a deep mathematic breakdown for the process, from the Arcana to the strength of the cards. But that was neither here nor there.

He tried to imagine how Igor made them rocket into the air, but that was a bit too much flair for his skill level. All that was necessary of the ritual was to fuse them, and temporarily killing them so their spirits could be reborn into a new consciousness. It pained him to think that, but they were not truly alive to begin with. They were literally facets that could be changed or thrown away by other people.

That didn't mean he cared so little for them as to not keep using them even after a prior fusion.

For now, Shirou held both cards on his palms. With a steadying breath as the flow of prana grew, he clapped both cards together and power surged from the gaps of his hands. Tenderly, he removed his hands and saw not two cards, but one.

He pulled his hands away, and no flash happened like the previous time. Instead a card slipped out and fluttered to the floor like… well, a card. Everyone stopped and stared at the floor, before Shirou leaned down to pick it up and look it over.

The image on the Tarot was of a woman, serene and eyes closed, holding in her hands a string guitar instrument named after her. She wore a green leotard with gold and white around the upper body, and a veil loosely flowed around her arms.

"'Sarasvati the Priestess'," Shirou read, confusion slowly setting in. "I don't get it. I should have gotten Ippon-Datara."

"Sometimes, the forces that move the arcana can lead to… mistakes," Igor explained. "Ashamed as I am to admit it, sometimes I too fail to create the desired Persona through fusion, and you are a fledgling to this craft. It's almost expected the first time would be a mistake."

"So fusion is not a certainty?"

"It is highly probable, at least. Just with… a two percent factor of mutating into something else entirely."

"HA!" Marie let out a single laugh, a wide smile on her lips as she went back to drawing. "Maybe I should call you 'Fail' instead of Four." Shirou's ears burned with humiliation.

"I'm sorry," the First Tridevi Persona spoke, her spirit appearing as a faint outline above her card. "I did not mean to come into being this way, as a hindrance to you."

Shirou had been upset, sure, but accident happened. Magi that screwed up tend to end up a lot worse for wear, and yet all Shirou got was a different card. He had been meaning to get a Priestess card for Amagi anyway, so if anything, it was still a win.

"It's fine," he smiled. "I'll be counting on you in the future."

Sarasvati's serene face graced him with a small smile before the spirit faded away, and the card slipped into Margaret's compendium for safe keeping. He could only hold onto so many Personas in his mind at a time, so he focused on the most relevant issue of completing Margaret's request.

Sure enough, reusing Lilim and Valkyrie for a second fusion was much more successful as a new figure appeared, with a flashier fanfare.

Standing on only one leg was a tall man with one eye. Bronze was adorned around him, such as the greaves, the metal helmet, and other pieces on his arms and back. In his left hand, a pair of forceps. In his right, a hammer. His green skin was covered mostly by a black, leather welding apron with a crooked "4" stylized on it. Another "4" mark was also marked on his helmet, over the spot where a hole for the right eye would be.

He saw Marie spare a quick glance at the new Persona and smirking to herself. No doubt she felt very validated of his nickname now.

"An Ippon-datara with Sukukaja," Margaret nodded. "Well done."

"This hardly feels like progress, though," Shirou frowned as the silent blacksmith reverted to a card. Igor literally pulled it off with magic, and he had to settle with acting like a stage magician just to get a pass.

"It is to be expected, but the process was to see how you manage in a new study beyond Gradation Air. Now, we can begin our next lesson."

"Right," he nodded, and the two of them stood up.

Marie stopped her drawing and looked at Margaret with surprise. "Wait, you're leaving?"

"Only temporarily."

"Then let me come too! I'm getting cabin fever from being stuck in here for weeks!"

Shirou blinked, turning to Margaret for inquiry. "What is she talking about?"

"As we've explained before, Marie is staying with us as an apprentice, but her state of being makes it hard for her be outside for very long. Like it or not, she is tied to your fate and is the main reason why I brought her here."

"Yeah, I love lodging and sleeping in a cramped car seat," Marie quipped, turning to Shirou. "Seriously, it sucks in here. It's small, dark, and stuffy, they only have wine to drink, and both of them creep me out with how silently they sit here all the time."

"What do you mean 'creepy'?"

"Well, for one thing, I never see the two leave."

That alarmed Shirou, as he looked to the ever-stoic residents of the Velvet Room. Igor sat in his hunched posture the whole time, and Margaret was currently looked over the Compendium on his newest Persona. He figured they were abnormal people, beyond even magi, but how abnormal were they? He was just thankful that they had his best interests at heart for whatever reason.

Still, he recalled the one-time Igor was absent when he visited the Velvet Room, and could only imagine Marie's discomfort sitting with these enigmas 24/7. All this pondering raised some questions, but he knew better than to suddenly ask--

"Question!" Pixie spoke, suddenly popping out of Shirou's subconscious. "Mister Igor? Margaret? Do you guys poop?"

Everyone stopped and stared at the fey Persona. Margaret's normally stoic face showed a rare instance of surprise. Marie's own slowly turned red, slowly veering from shock to rage. Igor didn't react, which was scary by itself. Shirou sunk back in his seat and swore, for a moment, that the room was silent and he couldn't hear the opera motif at all.

"W-w-why did you even ask that?!" Marie stammered with a red face.

"What? You said yourself they never left! I wanted to know!"

"ShutupIhateyoustupiddumbfairy," the apprentice growled, streaming a bunch of words together in a single breath. She turned from Pixie to Shirou, and seemed to glower at him even more. "And you, shutuptooforIhateyoumorestupidjerkfacewithsupressedpervertedthoughts!"

"Hey, I didn't even say-!"

Igor suddenly laughed, breaking the tirade. It was the same gleeful laugh Shirou had grown to know the man by, and he spoke as politely as ever. "Oh yes. I poop."

A long, awkward silence filled the room. Margaret was still decidedly silent, refusing to look anywhere but the door. Marie stared wide-eyed at the long-nosed man for his casual answer. Shirou was left with even more questions that he knew he had no desire to ever ask.

"Huh. I see." Pixie said. "Curiosity satisfied then. Bye!" She waved before dispersing back into Shirou's troubled soul.

Marie turned to him with an expression of tiredness and resignation. "Please let me out."

<><><>

Inaba Hill, Late Afternoon

The following lesson on magecraft involved learning to actually use the new magic circuits, and feeling out the mana around him. Shirou had already knew how to do this in the TV world, but to do it out in the normal world was beyond him until now. The feeling was scarce, but the rich smells of mana were still intoxicating. In fact, they almost overwhelmed him to the point of knocking him out by senses alone.

Was this how the highly-trained magi felt every day?

With the lesson complete, Margaret saw herself out and left. After resting for a few minutes on the ground, Shirou was about to leave when he noticed that their audience hadn't moved from the gazebo since they got there.

"Why are you still here?" Shirou asked.

"I'm making the most of this trip," Marie said, fiddling with a used steak skewer in her hand like a toothpick. "And you're still here. I'm fine to be outside as long as I'm around you."

"Was it really that bad in there?"

"The Velvet Room is like a gilded prison for me, and until you came around, I thought I was going to be stuck there forever."

He kind of figured that she cared more about the outdoors than seeing his magecraft in action. He didn't mind, and simply allowed her to come along because she asked. Margaret and Igor agreed, saying she was allowed to leave as long as they were together. It was also why he agreed to buy her a steak skewer before heading here.

"But why were you there in the first place?"

Marie's eyes narrowed before she tossed the skewer into the waste bucket in front of her. It missed and hit the metal rim. "Well, it was either their place or trying to find somewhere else on my own, and that's kinda hard to do when you 'don't exist'."

Something about that statement seemed ominous, but her body language and tone made it clear that she didn't want to talk any further on the subject.

She rose up from the bench and walked over to the grassy field. "There's so much green here. Like, all I remember seeing recently was black, white, and purple. But there's a lot of green here. No, not green… some brown too."

She looked wistful as her gaze looked up to the orange dusk sky, muttering softly: "Leaves of green fly away / Farewell to you, clouds of the sky / I fly as well, lost as the day. / Farewell to you, star up so high."

Shirou smiled. "That was a nice poem. Did you just make it up?"

Marie stiffened, as if forgetting he was there and listening. She looked at him like a deer in headlights. "N-No! I-I-I wasn't making up a poem at all! It was just… words of association I was thinking up! Yeah, that's it!"

When he didn't look convinced, her face flushed and she looked away with crossed arms. "ShutupIhateyouyoustupidjerk!"

"Tsun alert! Tsun alert!" Lilim sang.

"Hey, I want in that next time!" Pixie demanded.

Ignoring the peanut gallery that was his own subconscious, Shirou's gaze lingered on the town below the hill. He barely got to see this view the first time he came here with Margaret, but…

"It really is big, huh?" Marie asked, joining next to him.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I lived in Fuyuki City most of my life, which was plenty big itself with urban and suburban architecture. But this little town of Inaba? It feels… vibrant."

"...yeah, it does."

Shirou looked to his side. Marie had a wistful look again, but it was almost a mask of sadness.

"I don't remember anything about myself. Where I'm from, who I am… my clothes were gifts from Margaret, and my name was something I picked on a whim. I was too confused to really notice the first time I was wandering around, and got mixed up with some cops. Akechi and Niijima, were they?"

She mulled the thought over before shaking her head, resuming her train of thought. "Anyway, walking around the streets, eating meat, riding the bus here; it was all nostalgic and stuff. Like I can almost remember something. Maybe I used to live here, or at least somewhere just as pretty. But I don't know for sure…"

"You have no memory at all?"

"No, and it really bugs me," Marie lamented. "I just know there's an answer somewhere in this town, and I just need to find it."

Shirou thought over what she said. Well, he knew what he wanted to do, but how to phrase it required a bit of thinking. "We'll look together then."

"Huh?"

"Personally, I'd feel awkward for you helping me with Skill Cards unless I did something to pay you back in return. So whenever you feel a need to see more of Inaba, let me know and I'll show you around."

"Please do," Marie nodded. "I expect you to keep your word, Four. No backsies."

She was obviously expecting him to help her now, but she looked happy that he offered to begin with.

Unsurprising to him at this point, another tarot card materialized in his mind's eye. The image was of a humanesque figure with a curved face like a beak, holding a staff and bisected from the shoulder. This figure stood in an orange sphere, surrounded by more color backdrops of dark purple, green, blue, and violet. It looked like the orange circle was like a gem, further emphasized by the smaller red circle below it and the black arm-like wreaths surrounding it.

Thou art thou, and thou art I.

Thou hast established a new bond.

It shall bring thee closer to the truth.

Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Aeon Arcana.

Aeon? Shouldn't the arcana be Judgement, based on the Roman numeral XX? Would he have to double up on Thoth equivalents now, or was Marie that abnormal?

"I'm hungry, and demand more meat," she suddenly declared. "You have money, so you will buy me some. Or no card for you."

Despite himself, Shirou smiled. They were going to get along just fine.

<><><>

June 25th, Shopping District, After School

The world was out to shit all over him, it seemed. News stations making guesses about his next course of action, students of Yasogami talking shit behind his back, and that thing with Naoto… geez, couldn't he have asked before making decisions like that?

Still, Kanji Tatsumi shouldered on. He was a man that was afraid of nothing. It would take more than all this to really get to him.

For once, Naoto wasn't around to pick him up. The kid was usually punctual, but he wasn't waiting at the gate today when he came out. Come to think of it, he had mentioned that he had to do some sort of errand first and would meet him back at his house or something?

Figures; the kid was probably ticked about the sleepover the other day still. That's fine; he preferred being alone anyway.

"Stop right there!"

At the intersection of the lower end of the shopping district, he saw a familiar yet unwelcome face calling him out. He wore a different school uniform than Yasogami, more like a tuxedo than a gakuen. He had a rigid, hostile pose of bending his arms and legs, like the ones on Shonen shows about guys that win with sheer guts. Yet he was still getting soaked by the rain. Either he was trying to look cool, or he forgot to bring an umbrella.

Kanji tsked. "You again…"

"That's right," the beady-eyed boy spat. "I'm Mitsuo Kubo, the one who will bring you to justice!"

The bleach-haired teen shook his head. He wasn't in the mood to deal with him again, much less give Kubo's sister trouble having to save his ass. "Look, chickenshit, I don't care who you are or what you do for your free time. Just leave me out of your damn LARPing or else I'll give a good, painful reminder of who I really am."

His threat did the trick as Mitsuo flinched and stepped away. Good. As much the guy pissed him off, he was just a nameless nerd. Knew less about fighting than a biker, and had none of the confidence to muster behind.

It would be a pointless fight, in other words.

He was just a few feet away when the guy suddenly yelled back at him, "Everybody knows you did it!"

Kanji stopped, and looked back to the guy. "'scuse me?"

"You heard me!" Mitsuo yelled. "You killed the announcer! And that Konishi girl, too! You're a big, tough guy who does whatever he wants and the cops hate you for it! You really killed them, but no one has proof! That's why that worthless shrimp of a detective is following you! To find proof!"

Now he had Kanji's full attention. With a glare, he walked back to him.

The action only seemed to embolden Mitsuo, from the growing smirk on his face. "And you know that, don't you? You might have fooled everyone else, but not me! Or the police!" he deliberately closer to him as they were now at arm's length. "And it's a shame that you make your mommy worry about you, too! You're nothing but a piece of shit!"

His eye twitched, and his hand tightened to a white fist. It would be so damn easy to punch his lights out and make him regret it, especially for talking shit about his mother and Naoto--!

Naoto.

Just thinking about the kid made him weird. He still hated the guy, but… Naoto never actually did anything to deserve it, and never made him feel small just for being different. He gave him a hard time that was like being scolded by another parent, but in some ways, he was more of a man than Kanji ever thought he could be.

So instead of acting on what he would do, he took a deep breath and asked himself; what would Naoto do?

"Go ahead then," Kanji said. "Hit me."

Mitsuo blinked. He didn't expect that reaction. "Wh-what?"

"You want to kill me? Or have me arrested? Don't you want to beat me up for those people you accused me of offing?"

"I-I… uh…"

Yep; call his bluff was the right move.

"Huh. Well that's a shame."

Kanji's foot suddenly stomped hard over Mitsuo's shoe. Mitsuo's eyes bulged and he screamed like a girl before falling down on his ass. Right into a puddle, no less, judging by the splash. How fitting for a little wannabe bitch.

"Say what you want about me all you want, chickenshit. But you bring Naoto or my ma into this, then there's gonna be hell to pay." He then whispered close to the boy's ear. "And not even your sister will help save your worthless ass."

Satisfied in his throbbing pain, the delinquent teen turned and continued his walk back home. Mitsuo looked back at him in shock. "Th-That's it?"

"You're not worth beating up. There's no fun in pushing around a weakling, and I'm already in enough trouble as it is." He then spared a glance to the aggressor. "Then there's probably the fact that you're trying to play martyr by getting me to fight you. Get beat up, call the cops, spin some sob story to them and blame everything on me, right?"

He said nothing, which was telling in and of itself. Kanji gave a cold chuckle. "Yeah, like I'm really that stupid."

"S-So you're running away?!" Mitsuo cried, voice cracking. "Then you admit to killing those girls?! You're the serial murderer!"

If it were anyone else, Kanji might be compelled to care and make him shut up with force. But hardly anyone went out during a rainy day in Inaba, so Kanji let him whine and howl all he wanted. He knew desperation when he saw it. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that, chickenshit. Go ahead and tell someone else. You know, who cares."

Mitsuo tried one last attempt to egg him on. "Coward!"

But Kanji kept walking, raising his hand behind him with his middle finger extended.

<><><>

Evening

Mitsuo Kubo hated people.

Everyone was so fake that it hurt. They made fun of him, criticized him, and then labelled him the one at fault whenever he tried to do something.

Why talk about the murderer when no one was actually trying to find him? The police couldn't find him after months of looking. Or were they just sitting on their thumbs being useless? They're the ones with the problem in this town - nay, this country!

Kanji Tatsumi had to be the one responsible! It made sense that he'd go after girls because he had some aversion to them. And he wasn't at all kind to Yuki-chan, so he tried to get rid of her out of revenge. It had to be!

Most of the time Mitsuo came back home right after cram school, but he had tried to do something cool for once in his meaningless life, and confront the wannabe hardass. But it didn't turn out like he had planned at all. That punk was supposed to be intimidated by him. He was supposed to confess for his obvious crimes and then everyone would praise Mitsuo Kubo as the hero.

But just like everyone else, he didn't take him seriously. Why? Why couldn't anyone take him seriously?!

Well if they don't want a hero that deals with the trash of society? Fine! Then maybe he'd make them wake up by striking fear into them. He had been too soft on them, but not anymore! No one was ever going to laugh at him again!

No one--

The front door opened. "Mitsy, I'm home!"

Mitsuo's mood made a complete 180. He rose up from his brooding corner in the room and turned to the door. "Nee-san!"

His older sister was the one person he could trust. It was weird seeing her so soon after her transfer from Misaki Town, but it was a welcome surprise bumping into her… where did they meet again? The bus stop? The floodplain? Well, that didn't matter anymore. She was here now.

The smiling brunette quickly donned an apron and started pulling plates from the cabinet. "You hungry, Mitsy? I'm having a craving for beefsteak, and found some nice imported meat when out shopping. Mind helping me?"

Ignoring the so-called affectionate nickname she always called him by, Mitsuo smiled and nodded. "Anything for you, sis."

Moments like these were such a blessing to Mitsuo. It was hard to stay mad as long as his sister was around. In his mind, the world was at peace because of her. And it was amazing how quickly it happened, in hindsight.

For as long as he could remember, it was just him and his parents. It was just them for now, as their parents suddenly went out on a second honeymoon. Or at least that's what Nee-san told him, but they left their car here…

Oh well. At least Nee-san was here for the both of them, so their deadbeat folks could stay away forever and he wouldn't care. She understood him better than they ever did.

Preparation went by very fast, and the two them were now seated to enjoy their hard-earned meal. Or Nee-san's, anyway; Mitsuo mostly watched and set the plates up.

"Let's eat!" she announced. Utensils were picked, meats were cut, and mouths were chewing. A very good dinner indeed.

"This is really good, sis!" Mitsuo praised. "Where did you say you got this from again?"

"Found a nice section of imported meat at the Junes mall."

"Junes? Why were you there?"

"Oh, my new boyfriend works there," she said with a smile. "His whole family runs the branch there so he showed me around. He was so nice that he almost gave me the family-friendly discount."

"Ugh," Mitsuo groaned. "Junes is just a festering shithole full of idiots."

"Mitsy! You shouldn't say things like that!"

Everyone scolded him for speaking his mind. That was a painful constant in his life. They got mad and scared so he really got worked up too. But Nee-san was different; she was nice and patient and always easy to talk to. He could say anything to her without getting her offended or leaving him.

"Well, it's true!" he argued. "They want only new, shiny things and basically left the shopping district out to dry. These dumb townspeople… they're just as much of a problem as the murderer around here."

"The murderer?"

"Oh yeah, you were out of town when it happened," Mitsuo said. "There's this murderer guy that killed two people already; a dumb tv announcer and some smashed high schooler. Everyone's been talking about it for a while, but no one knows who did it yet, let alone who he might target next."

She mulled over his words between bites of her beef. A pale hand brushed back some of her brown hair before resting her cheek on it. "If these people were so bad, then why would anyone care that they're gone?"

"You know how people are; they get offended over every little thing." Mitsuo complained. To that, his sister nodded in agreement. "Besides which, only their families care that those two are gone. Everyone just wants to know when it'll happen again. The news is already betting that it'll be Kanji Tatsumi."

"Tatsumi-kun… oh, the delinquent that bumped into you the other day!"

"Yeah, that's him." And he was clearly the one at fault. It was all that bastard's fault. Mitsuo was innocent; he did nothing wrong.

"So, what are you going to do?"

Mitsuo looked up, his sister staring at him inquisitively. "Huh?"

"You seem so upset about this murderer thing. Do you want try and catch them? Find out where they are, or who they are? Stop them before they get to Tatsumi-kun?"

He scowled at the thought. Whether or not Kanji was innocent, he had no plan to help that asshole. Truth be told, he wanted him gone, and didn't care if he got killed.

"Or maybe you want to… finish what the murderer started?"

"Huh?" Mitsuo asked again, once more confused.

His sister was smiling wickedly. "It works out for the better either way, doesn't it? If you catch the one responsible, then people will respect you and get peace of mind after trying to put it off for so long. But if you start killing people, maybe even target the ones that are especially heinous, then that too would rouse them out of their rut. They'd be forced to acknowledge you, your ideals, your carnage…"

"B-But heroes don't go around killing people." It was true that Mitsuo had thoughts of doing such things. But they were just that; thoughts. To actually go through with it would mean becoming a villain. And, as silly as it was, all he ever wanted was to be a cool superhero.

"Normal heroes wouldn't," his sister agreed. "But you could be a special kind of hero, Mitsy. An anti-hero that works against the law, to target people that think they are safe from it."

Special? Him? That was… kind of exciting. He had never been told that he'd amount to anything before, but the possibility of being special made him want to get up and do it. He couldn't make his sister disappointed, not when she was looking at him so expectantly.

But he still had doubts if this was a good idea. "I don't know…"

"Come on. There must be someone you want to get rid of. Someone you know who the world wouldn't miss?"

The list was too long for Mitsuo to count, he realized. He had a lot of people who'd be better off dead. There was that Yasogami teacher King Moron that chased him more than once when he was trying to see Yuki-chan. There were those leeches Satonaka and Emiya that beat him up and threatened him when he was trying to ask Yuki-chan out. There was even that kid in the blue hat following around Tatsumi that looked at him funny; people who did that always talked shit behind his back.

Out of all of them, the one person he really wanted see drop dead first was the one that pissed him off the most. But… "Forget it."

"Come on," his sister frowned. "Tell me."

"You won't like it. You'd think it's a stupid idea."

"I'm on your side, Mitsy. Trust me!"

They stared at one another, and when he thought about it… yeah, she always did have his back. She never got mad or offended like everyone else did, so maybe… "Kanji Tatsumi. I want Kanji Tatsumi dead at my own hands and make this town feel safe from his jerkass ways!"

She tilted her head, slightly bewildered. "Huh. You really dislike Tatsumi-kun?"

"I told you you wouldn't like it!" He whined. Now she was going to scold him, lecture, put him down--

"I never said that," she insisted, to his shock. "I actually agree he'd be a good target. He seems fairly popular with the rumors going around. If we play our cards right, we might make it look like a case of self-defense in case someone asks…"

Mitsuo stared at her in awe. This wasn't some string-along joke, was it? They were actually contemplating murder like some game? All on her insistence? It was startling enough, but the most he took out of this conversation was relief.

"I better get started, the weather is perfect for it," she said to herself, already heading out to grab the umbrella by the door. "Keep your phone on, and we'll go over the next few steps later, Mitsy."

"You'd really help me?" he asked, almost moved to tears.

"Of course!" She closed her eyes and grinned at him, revealing her awfully sharp canines. "Just leave everything to Sacchin!"

<><><>

Dojima Household, Almost Midnight

"Sacchin?"

"Yep! Her full name is Satsuki Kubo. but she prefers to be called by a pet name she got a long time ago. I'm telling ya man, I'm on cloud nine whenever I'm with her! She laughs at my jokes, is really friendly, and even made two coworkers break down in tears with just a few words!"

"That's… that last part is hardly a quality to praise someone for."

"Yeah, but these two were a constant pain in my ass, complaining about work they never could do and ranting to me whenever they so much as broke a nail. As an assistant manager of Junes, I can't really call them out or else I'd look bad. But Sacchin… man, she had never met them before but she had them absolutely pegged. It was amazing. Scary, sure, but still…"

"Ah, well that's different."

Shirou was quite happy for Yosuke. After waiting nervously for the next shoe to drop (namely Kanji's kidnapping or the interception of the kidnapper), some good news in his friend's social life was always welcome. Although his intention at Okina didn't work out as planned, he finally found someone to call his own.

Small talk before midnight… Shirou never imagined he would be doing things like this, even in the midst of important work of keeping the peace of the town. And it was almost morbid that he and Yosuke were so calm at the moment.

The fact of the matter was, Kanji had suddenly disappeared. Yukiko only found out just a few hours ago when making an errand call to the textile shop. Now the team was on high alert watching the Midnight Channel as the seconds ticked away.

Shirou tried to be optimistic. Naoto was also gone, so maybe they went into hiding without telling anyone. But if that was true, then they'd have to rescue the young cop as well, and he doubted their capacity to handle two dungeons in succession. If only they had gotten the jump on finding a dungeon early like with Rise, but he knew the saying that 'lightning doesn't strike the same area twice' to be quite appropriate.

"But man, do we really have to help this guy?" Yosuke asked. "He probably doesn't need us to begin with."

"We could always check with Teddie tomorrow just in case," Shirou said, fiddling with the control box. "Right now I'm setting it up to record the image, so we might have something to play back later."

"Good plan. Though I wish we had thought about it when Amagi-san was kidnapped, or had the chance to do so with Rise-chan."

Shirou's eyelids fell half-way in a deadpan expression. "Glad to know Sacchin has such a faithful boyfriend."

"Dude, give me some slack! I only met her a few days ago!"

"That doesn't exactly help your case."

"Well, aren't you an expert on relationships now." Shirou shrugged, and was willing to let the matter drop when Yosuke quickly spoke up again. "So what about you?"

"What?"

"Honestly this question has been eating me up lately, but I figured I might as well ask while we're waiting and on the line. Satonaka, Amagi-san, Rise-chan. For your sake, I won't mince words: which one's your type?"

Shirou was silent, trying to process what he had just heard. When he finally did, his face matched his hair, his phone almost slipped out of his trembling hand, and the only sound he could make was a sharp inhale equivalent to a mouse's squeak. "...!!!"

"Come on, I promise I won't tell anyone! It's just I'm curious how you're handling your love life, as well as how you plan to actually resolve your situation. You got, like, the whole girl side of the team pining for you now! For your sake, you better decide who you want to date before it gets out of control."

"For once, Yosuke has a point," Pixie told him.

"Why do anything?" said Lilim. "Keep putting it off, let the romance bubble, and the situation will resolve itself. Chances are either the best of them wins or they all do. That's what every other lead in harem shows do."

"You mean like those spineless, brainless, chauvinistic stains in society that twist and lead on poor maiden's hearts in some sick form of entertainment?!" Angel spat, sounding rather judgmental at the moment. It almost worried Shirou how intensely she spoke her thoughts. "I've seen too many a love triangle strangling the ethics of heroes because they can't make a committed decision."

"Obviously it must be the gallant Chie," reasoned Eligor.

"His mannerisms compliment Yukiko more!" Sarasvati declared.

"Cu Taiga has already made her claim on him!" Cu Sith barked.

"Personally I'm kinda hoping for Rise," Pixie said to herself.

"Marie," was the single grunt of reply from Ippon-Datara.

"Ugh," Shirou finally recovered from the shock of Yosuke's question, but was now reeling from the voices in his head arguing for dominance.

Unaware of his mental war, Yosuke had waited patiently before asking again. "So come on, man. Who would you pick?"

"I-I don't know--"

"Idiotswithalibidosay'allofthem'."

"All of them?" He said, before realizing what Lilim just tricked him into saying.

A brief stunned silence ensued as all parties in the conversation registered this. Yosuke was first. "What?"

"WHAT?!" His arguing Personas soon after.

"YES!" the devil cheered.

"That doesn't count!" Angel bristled. "They have too many unique traits to be desirable on their own! Just because he can't decide on one of them, doesn't mean he should DO that!"

Thank God quite literally for his sensible retainers. "What I mean is I don't have a preference in girls. Satonaka, Amagi, Rise, they all have their own charms so I can't really decide yet."

"Huh. Well, I guess that makes sense."

Shirou let out a relieved sigh, as did his collective unconscious. Lilim was fuming while Angel was beaming and pleased with herself. The question on intimacy was put on hold for now…

And just in time, too, as soon the clock struck 12, and the TV screen flared to life.

The image was crisp and clear, much like with Yukiko's channel prior. But instead of a grandiose castle or a striptease bar, the background was that of a modest wooden building. The music playing was almost like a slow, smooth jazz for more intimate events.

"Good evening, darling viewers!" A voice spoke from the TV, sounding familiar but having a very distinct "camp" feeling to it. "On tonight's episode of 'Bad, Bad Bathhouse', we transcend the gender barrier by searching the superb sites for sublime, scandalous sensations! That is, of course, for boys only."

The camera then panned out from the close-up view of the building to show a muscular teen with bleached hair and wearing nothing but a loincloth around his waist. He was also posing rather seductively with a flush and a smile, with each deliberate movement emphasized with a light effect of flowers "popping" out.

Shirou could only stare mutely as the voice and face clicked in. "No way…" What they were seeing on screen was--

"That's right! I, Kanji Tatsumi, will lead the charge and venture into this exclusive haven! All you need are three things;" A close-up was directed to his pecs as his shoulders hugged them close enough to tense. "A smoking hot body…" Then to his licking lips. "Boiling hot blood…" Another cut to his hips as they shook the loincloth in place. "And a shaking, grooving fanny!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" Yosuke whispered fearfully on his end of the phone.

"Well that's enough horsing around! I'm all hot and bothered now, so I'm off! Wish me luuuuuuuck~!"

The last thing to show on the Midnight Channel was Kanji's Shadow prancing into the bathhouse.

For a long while, Shirou could only stare and wonder at what he had just seen. Hearing Yosuke on his phone broke him out of his trance. The video seemed to have affected his friend more, as he was struggling to find the right words to say. "So, uh… dude. Yeah, like… dude! What I mean is… DUDE!!"

"Meet up tomorrow at Junes? Dude?"

"Huh? Y-Yeah, sure, du- I mean, yeah, see you tomorrow." Yosuke quickly hung up.

Pocketing his own phone, Shirou looked again at the TV. He tried playing the recording tape again, maybe pay attention to the words and setting for clues. But all that came up with an error screen of black and white fuzzy static. "Figures…"

Well there was one mystery solved and a comfort to take away from this; no one could see these Midnight Channel specials again.

Still, it was odd; he hadn't seen anything so animated or revealing on the Midnight Channel before. In the past, it was the Shadows waiting there on the screen, as if beckoned by the viewers. But when someone was thrown in, their entire life got thrown out of whack with over the top sexcapades into the unknown. It was one thing to see it happen with Amagi's channel, but then in Rise's dungeon and now Kanji's channel...

Shirou sighed and shook his head. This just proved it. "Yep. Definitely libido issues."

"Says the magic stud."

"I heard that, Lilim."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 36: Sauna

<><><>
June 26th, Velvet Room

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT TO SIDELINE ME?!?!"

Shirou flinched and looked up at the fuming face of a black-haired devil hovering in front of him. "Now, Lilim—"

"You need me to fight off the other Shadows that fling curses and hexes around! You would have been dead without me literally sweeping that fight with the snake, the wheel, and the samurai! Not only am I helpful, but think of the A-material I can bring! You're going to a frigging sauna! You can't leave me out of this!"

If Shirou was perfectly honest with himself, this was part of the reason why he wanted Lilim absent from his mind. Her innuendo seemed to grow by the day as she went around with him, and she seemed almost stir-crazy at the prospect of getting a proper candidate to start The Devil Social Link. While he didn't see this power as a gross hindrance anymore, he still wasn't actively seeking to start up new links. They seemed to come naturally when they did, so he'll just wait and welcome them with open arms when they do.

"I've also already left Valkyrie with Margaret," he said, lightly glaring at the amused woman. "And she didn't make as much of a fuss."

"That's because her kind regularly fetches corpses from battle instead of taking part in them, but that's not the point! Why does SHE get to go?!" the she-devil screeched. It was obvious who she meant.

"Angel's my guide to Nanako who I have a Social Link with. I'd rather keep my active roster with Personas that can help me with my immediate friends and loved ones."

It was a new dungeon, and he wanted to be prepared in rescuing Kanji. He needed stronger, capable Persona, blessed by the Arcana. He hadn't noticed at the time as his fusion ability wasn't as grandiose as Igor's, but Sarasvati and Ippon-Datara were both slightly stronger from their original level. They were definitely coming along, as were everyone else.

He made a point to ignore how childishly smug Angel was acting in his subconscious, though. Clearly their century-old conflict of Heaven and Hell would never be resolved.

"That's still not fair! Why are you being a jerk about this?!'

"Because he's taking his power seriously."

Shirou and Lilim turned to see Eligor sitting next to his contractor (sans horse). "A fool he may be, but fools can only last so long through luck alone. A true warrior cultivates his power and skill so future conflicts will be met with easier effort."

"But I'm power and sexy in one card pack!" Lilim huffed. "Shouldn't he have as much power available as possible? Heck, he can bring Valkyrie too, while he's at it!"

Eligor shook his head. "The danger of having too many weapons at hand is lacking the skill or time to use them all. Most fighters stick with one weapon for their lifetime and perfect it. And if they branch out, then they master one weapon before learning the next."

The devil seemed to accept his argument, but still looked mad. "Yeah I guess he would want to master you sooner to get closer to Spat-skirt."

"On the contrary, I wish to also sit out of this sortie."

"Wait, what?" Shirou was just as surprised as Lilim upon hearing this. "But why? You're one of my leading fighters."

"Izanagi is your sword. Pixie is your wand. Cu Sith is your gale. Sarasvati is your frost. Ippon-Datara is your hammer. If you wish to master your fusion powers, you need to learn to make do with what's at hand. To understand your limits. That will help cultivate your judgment in using new powerful Personas."

Shirou found himself nodding to his Persona's assessment. The fight against Shadow Rise was still fresh in his mind as a near disaster, and he never had time to properly assess what Personas to use yet. If he couldn't handle them at this point, then forget saving Kanji; saving anyone would be impossible.

"Then where does Angel fit in all this?" Lilim demanded.

The lights in Eligor's helmet dimmed and narrowed as they glanced over him. "Moral conscience."

"I KNEW IT!"

Smartasses… Even Angel was offended.

"Do you guys have a point going on or do I have to kick your red pubic ass out of here?" Marie complained, eyes locked on her notepad. "You're making it hard to draw the cards you want."

"Are you really an amnesiac?" Shirou asked incredulously.

She looked up at him coolly and with a critical once-over. "Are you really the star of a harem show?"

Shirou's face flushed. Lilim grinned. Eligor awkwardly coughed into his gauntlet.

"I am not!" / "Hell yeah he is!" / "...possibly."

The other members of the Velvet Room were obviously amused, watching as mutely as ever. Marie simply shrugged and resumed her sketching.

Eligor quickly regained his composure and turned to his summoner. "That aside, do you remember the grafting technique you used on Izanagi?"

"You mean Trace Persona?" Shirou answered. That was a literal last-minute saving grace, turning a Persona into their iconic weapon, or at least one that best represents them. It was a miracle he turned Izanagi twice in succession with Teddie's help.

"I am concerned for Chie's weapon proficiency. At the castle she used a chain whip. An accident. At the strip club a staff. A coincidence. And now as we prepare to storm the sauna, she is considering yet another weapon. At this point, it is a pattern."
Shirou could see where he was going with this. "So you want me to Trace you into a new weapon for her?"

"Make him a lance!" she proclaimed, arms spread wide. "A HUGE one with a big, flaming head that can pierce the deepest wo—"

"Lilim, please," the red knight held out his hand like a father would to an overactive child. "Hierarchy men are now talking."

Shirou found himself smirking at how casually Lilim was shot down and reduced to angrily sticking her tongue out. It wasn't inaccurate either; Eligor was a Great Duke of Hell, and he led many legions of demons. The original Lilim were children born of Lilith and Samael to spite God in the Garden of Eden, before a new, deformed generation were conceived in Hell.

In other words, Eligor held authority over her kind. As did Shirou as their summoner.

"I have watched Chie's fights, and her talent lies in martial arts rather than a weapon. I want you to graft my card into a weapon for her, yes. But not a lance," he looked briefly at Lilim as her mood soured. "I want you to focus on my horse, and then turn him into a pair of greaves."

Greaves? An odd choice of a weapon as they're made to protect legs, not attack. But he could see Chie focus on kicking, despite her Persona using a polearm. "I think I can do that," he nodded. "What's your horse's name, anyway?"

Eligor shrugged. "If he ever had one, it is lost in history, and was never even mine to begin with. He is a fine steed that had lived in the Garden of Eden before reanimated by Beelzebub. Though I have taken to calling him "Abigor", after one of my pseudonyms."

Shirou thought it over, and turned to Igor and Margaret. "Could I get some help here? I'd rather have it not break down like my other Gradation Air attempts."

"It will, if you treat it like your previous Magecraft arts," Igor said. "You are probably the only one who understands the full concept of your Trace Persona ability. It is you and you alone that can set the limitations of your power, and break them."

"Consider it part of your training," Margaret added. "And don't worry. We won't let you 'stupid yourself' to death."

Well, at least Pixie was satisfied with that.

Shrugging, Shirou immediately dismissed Eligor into card form, and gently cradled the card in his fingers. He thought back to the steps of magecraft, with the careful focus on a predetermined form of footwear.

He then clenched his hand over the card, and a flash of light later, he was holding a pair of fur boots. They looked innocent at a glance, but the hoof design under the heel and lack of store identification would catch the attention of any sharp-eyed salesman. Structurally, they were very durable and even came with a minor fire shield charm. These Boots of Abigor were perfect, and had a bit of the lingering spirit of Eligor himself in them. Much like Teddie's projection, they wouldn't break down.

Still, he nearly fell over in exhaustion after the attempt. For now, he could only do this technique once a day, so he'd have to plan accordingly.

"Congratulations," Lilim deadpanned. "You got a weapon for your athletic not-girlfriend. Now all you have to do is put me in the book with Maggie here."

She then huffed, crossed her arms, and looked away with him, eyes shut. As much as she was accepting this now, she still didn't like being set aside. She was just a Persona, a facet of himself that may or may not be an extension of himself, but he preferred to think of each Persona as their own person.

"Marie, could you make me a Stagnant Air skill card next?"

Lilim's eyes snapped open.

"Geez, you love making me work, don't you?" Marie huffed with no real venom. She then handed him the card she was working on. "Not that I'm complaining. I could use the distraction, and I owe your little she-devil for that nickname: can't believe I didn't think of Maggie sooner. Anyway, here's your Media card."

"Thanks," Shirou said, accepting the skill card and turning to the she-devil. "There. Now you have a new skill to look forward to when I get ba-AACK!"

Lilim had tackle-hugged him to the side, clutching his side a bit too closely to her slim body. "I LOVE YOU MY LITTLE ROM-COM LEAD!"

"I AM NOT A ROM-COM LEAD!"

Maybe this wasn't the best idea…

<><><>

Junes, Midday

For the umpteenth time, Naoto called Kanji's cell and got no answer. "I was careless."

No one had come after Kanji Tatsumi at all during the rainy days, and during that time Naoto's grandfather had called him up to discuss something. That something turned out to be talking about old stories of his parents, continuing the long trend of police detectives that took on any case.

It was nice to unwind and think back to those days, but work never rested for long, and Naoto knew if they were still alive, they would continue to solve cases and find the truth of said mysteries.

They were a team, after all, well respected. They got far together in a male-dominated work force. Naoto couldn't afford a single mistake if he wanted to be as successful as them.

And yet he did just that; Kanji was under his charge and for the few hours he left to see his grandfather, he was gone just like the others. If only he hadn't listened, if only his grandfather didn't call--

No, it wasn't Grandpa's fault. It was my decision in the end to go see him, and he had told me before that it wasn't urgent. I should have anticipated this and brought Kanji along, but…

Maybe I shouldn't have pushed to stay over that night.

That argument shouldn't have happened. Naoto could see Kanji was upset about the very idea of him staying over, but he persisted on the issue anyway. The bleached-haired teen refused to look or talk to him after that, so Naoto thought the call couldn't have come at a better time. He'd catch up with his grandfather and give Kanji the needed time to calm down before the day was over.

Part of Naoto hoped Kanji was just fuming mad and acting out, finding more biker gangs to fight. He had been growing more hostile ever since the talk with Emiya and Amagi, and despite Naoto's best efforts he refused to talk. There was another possibility in that he would show up at Junes, as people from all over town came here to shop.

But it was becoming apparent he might have to call the police for help, despite the fact that they had dumped the responsibility for Kanji on his shoulders, including finding him after losing him. No one was convinced that Kanji was missing yet, but that would change in a few days' time.

Then again, maybe it was also a hurt sense of pride of having to rely on them in the first place. Whether they believed him or not, this would give them an excuse to look down on his failure.

"Oh, it's you again."

Naoto recognized the dismissive kind of tone, but it took a while to jog his memory of who. Looking up, he saw a copper-haired girl wearing an orange, floral stamped blouse and white khakis. He briefly noticed a small heart-shaped locket around the girl's neck before registering her face. "Ah, Kujikawa-san."

"Shirogane," she returned, clearly still angry but at least trying to be polite. She quickly glanced around the store. "Where's Kanji Tatsumi?"

Naoto's eyes narrowed. "How do know his name?"

"Geez, I get you're playing detective, but do you have to suspect everyone?" Rise snapped with a growl. "We go to the same school, and a lot of the first-years gossip about him. He only seems to ever hang around you though, so it seems weird that you're here but he isn't." At this point she actually looked sad. "I know his mom through my grandma and I heard some… concerns, so I figured if anyone knew what happened to him, you would."

"I see…" Yes, that would be logical to assume. Rise and Kanji both attended Yasogami High, and she'd probably heard his name more than once in the weeks following her entry. And living just across the shopping district street would mean she'd know right away if something was wrong there.

With those facts in mind, the detective frowned and fiddled with the helm of his cap. "Truth be told, we had a… disagreement the other day. I had hoped to give him some time to himself, but when I came back he wasn't at home. I have no idea where he could be."

"Oh," Rise said sadly. "He wasn't… kidnapped, was he? Like the announcer lady and that one third-year?"

"Too early to say," said Naoto. "It's the worse-case scenario I would like to avoid, though, but I don't know how to find or contact him."

"Maybe it was something that happened that made him snap? Like that disagreement you two had?"

Naoto's frown grew. "…perhaps I had pushed too much when I suggested we spend the night together. I always knew he was an odd boy, but to react like that—"

"Odd? What do you mean?"

Naoto thought twice about telling her, but she seemed genuinely concerned about Kanji. Fact is, this was an urgent matter and he needed all the help he could get. "He seems to hold a front of forced bravado almost constantly. I recall a number of times when I or someone else asked him about odd or strange behavior, and he would react as if being unfairly criticized. I can only assume it has something to do with a trauma, or perhaps a case of gynophobia."

Rise blinked, trying to remember what the word meant, before leaning forward in a hushed tone. "You're saying the scariest delinquent of Yasogami High is afraid of girls?"

"At the very least, he abhors feminine behavior. He is also socially withdrawn, constantly abrasive and trying to prove himself. After spending several months with him and thinking back to these signs, I'm fairly certain he has an inferiority complex."

"Girls and inferiority complex," Rise repeated to herself. She then nodded to him and started to head for the elevators. "Thanks, that's all I needed to know."

"Can I ask you something?" Naoto called out. Rise didn't turn, but did stop to listen as she waited. "I'm thankful you are concerned and looking for him, but I can't help but wonder why you, a former idol, would care to do this. As I just told you, he holds a general aversion to many of the girls at school."

A tense moment passed. Naoto didn't think she would really answer, and didn't blame her. He was about to leave and try searching the town when she spoke again. "I was in his position once, the teasing bit I mean."

Naoto blinked before nodding in understanding. "So you empathize with him."

"Yeah. It's not easy fitting in while being the weird or odd person out. And if what you told me is true, that complex thing… then he really needs to know that there are people that worry and care for him."

"I see… And for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

This time, Rise fully turned to face the detective. "Huh?"

"You were right, about how I treated things like a game. I have a lot of pressure on my family name to solve this case, and I'm viewed with as much contempt by the police as by you. And it wasn't fair taking things out on you, whether you were really kidnapped or not.

"I just…" Naoto paused, hiding his face under his hat further. "I don't want anyone else to die. Not when there's something I could do to make a difference."

Rise was honestly surprised. She still had some bitter feelings upon first meeting Naoto, and she didn't think he took her words seriously. Looking back, he tried to placate her on the lives of others, but she assumed he was trying to guilt her into complying. Instead, he was just that committed, perhaps even more than most of the cops that just wanted the disappearances to stop.

This Naoto guy reminded her a lot of Shirou.

"I see," she said, before smiling. "Well, maybe I was a little too quick to judge myself. You're not so bad after all, Naoto-kun."

"I thank you," he nodded briskly, still hiding his eyes under his hat. Rise swore she could see a faint smile and tear trail. "Good day, and good luck."

"You too," she said, and watched as the young detective left the Junes front entrance. At the same time, the elevator door finally opened… next to the one Rise was waiting in front of it.

"Stupid Junes and their dual-linked doors," she cursed under her breath, digging her phone out to angrily text. "I blame Yosuke-senpai!"

<><><>

Tatsuhime Shrine, Midday

"AAAACHOO!!" Yosuke sneezed mid weed-pull, before chuckling. "I bet my new girlfriend's bragging about me!"

Tama just rolled her eyes and plopped back down on the bench she was resting on.

The back of the Tatsuhime Shrine had really cleared up over the past month thanks to their efforts, and Tama was so receptive of them that she allowed the Investigation Team to hang around as a sub-base from Junes. Today was Sunday, so that gave the Investigation Team all day to gather intel on Kanji while preparing for the dungeon, as well as other important errands.

Because as luck would have it, Kanji was too hidden in the foggy other world to be found on scent alone, as Yosuke could attest to checking on Teddie early this morning. It would be safe to assume from now on they would need more clues before searching.

Anyway, the gang had split up and checked around several points of Inaba for information gathering, before heading back to regroup at the Tatsuhime Shrine. So far only Shirou and Rise were left unaccounted for, so Yosuke took the time to weed out the rest of the field while Chie practiced with her new weapon.

Her friend Yukiko, who had agreed to watch, blinked bemusedly. "Nunchaku?"

"Yep!" Chie nodded, brandishing her new weapon in her hands. A pair of long, black, hardened sticks connected by interlinking metal chains. "Got it just in time for the new dungeon, and I think they'll come in handy this time."

From his position in the back garden, Yosuke looked up with an accusatory gaze. "Like the chain whip and the short staff?"

"They were learning processes! You switched out the wrenches, you know!"

"Yeah, and I stuck with dual blades," he argued. "Amagi-san is using a better version of the metal fan Daidara-san made her, too."

"And Emiya-kun switched to a bow and arrow! I don't get why you're complaining about my choice of weaponry."

Yukiko frowned, quickly intervening in the fight by pulling Chie away from Yosuke's earshot. "Chie, what's wrong?"

"Huh?" The brunette flinched, but shook her confusion off with a wide smile. "Nothing's wrong! I'm peachy-keen!"

"Honesty has always been one of your better qualities, Chie. So much that it's easy to tell when you're lying."

Yukiko may not be the most aware of the world around her, but when she focused on what she did know, she had no equal. It was how she could study and ace tests to be at the top of her class. And having known Chie for years, she knew without a doubt that something was bothering her friend.

Chie's smile crumbled, before sighing in defeat. "Was it that obvious?"

"I was there when you fought my Shadow and Rise-chan's," said Yukiko. "I know we need weapons to fight Shadows, but you're the last person I expected to pick one up."

Chie looked offended. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You're literally one of the strongest people I know," she replied quickly. "You'd sooner dash towards Shadows with your Trial of the Dragon moves than swing a staff around."

She had a flush growing, equally flattered and embarrassed. "Th-They're just that. Moves. Moves of an amateur."

Yukiko tilted her head in confusion. "Hanamura-kun looks self-taught in swinging his knives and he doesn't seem all that bothered about it."

"Like his opinion matters."

"And what about mine? Or Rise-chan's? Or Emiya-kun's?"

Chie looked ready to retort until the last moment, where her embarrassment came back two-fold and her mouth closed firmly. Just as the ebony-haired girl was about to ask what was wrong, the answer to her question came to her like a splash of water. "This has something to do with Emiya-kun, doesn't it?"

Nothing came out but a hesitant squeak. "…maybe."

Yukiko giggled. She couldn't help it; the thought of Chie trying to impress Shirou was so adorable and cute!

Chie knew what was coming and snapped. "This isn't funny!"

To her credit, Yukiko stopped right away. "I'm sorry," she said, the laughter soon forgotten. There was a time and place for everything. "It's just… he's the last person to judge someone unfairly like that. You shouldn't even worry about that."

"But he makes using many weapons so easy. Like the katana or his bow, and he can just make more swords appear like, well, magic! Not to mention he has more Personas than the rest of us combined, and well… it's no contest."

She gripped the nunchaku in her hand tighter. "That's why I need to find the right weapon. The perfect weapon for me, so I can be that much stronger for everyone on the team."

Chie slipped into a stance and started flailing the weapon between her hands in rapid movements. "Aiaiaiaiaiai! "Whataaa-OW!"

Somehow during the shuffle, one end of the nunchaku spun up instead of down. Gravity took over and it clunked her square in the head, which she quickly rubbed with her free hand. She tried to smile through her wincing tears. "Okay, looks like I need to practice some more…"

If there was one thing that Yukiko hated seeing, it was self-doubt. She had wallowed in it for so long that it was surprising she didn't notice Chie having her own insecurities sooner.

"I admit, Emiya-kun has a lot of powers, and with them a lot of responsibility." She then took Chie's nursing hand into both of her own. "But we're a team, and just because he can do everything, doesn't mean that he should."

"Yukiko?"

"You may not think strength is important, but it is. You strike hard and fast before any of us, especially Emiya-kun, so we can focus on our next Shadow. We depend on you more than you know, because you're this team's strongest fighter. And you don't need any secret weapon other than your true self."

"Yukiko…" Chie was beyond touched. Here was her best friend, coming out on their first adventure together in the Shadow World, and giving her a much-needed pep talk. She had been worried it would be a bad idea, but aside from fighting monsters and having more friends, nothing had changed. And by the looks of it, nothing would between them either.

So she wasn't surprised that she was nodding with her friend with a bright smile. "Yeah, you're right! I don't need some lame-old prop! I can kick ass just fine without one!"

Chie carelessly tossed the nunchaku to prove her point, and Yukiko smiled with her. Maybe if she was lucky, her discarded weapon would clunk Hanamura right on the head.

THUNK! "OW!"

Chie and Yukiko immediately paled, and turned around to where the weapon flew.

...that wasn't Hanamura.

"OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY, EMIYA-KUN!"

Shirou winced and nursed his aching forehead while holding the offending weapon in his other hand. "Why would you throw something like this around anyway? Kids play here, for goodness' sake."

"Oh, suck it up," Yosuke quipped as he and the fox walked over to them. "Your thick head should have cushioned the worst of it."

Chie was about to snap angrily at him when her phone, as well as everyone else's, started to ring. They wordlessly pulled them out to read the message.

"Looks like Rise-chan found something out about Kanji-kun," Yukiko said.

"Great!" Yosuke smirked, already making for the shrine gate. "Let's hurry back to Junes and hear all about it!"

<><><>

Junes

Tohru Adachi hummed to himself as he carried his modest bag of groceries out of the cash-in line. He'd found some cabbage rolls to last the week, and for once he didn't bump into that crazy old lady who thought he was her grandson. She really tried his patience at times, but he hadn't had any reason to get overly ticked off lately. Heck, he's been having a lot of fun recently.

Dojima was probably the best partner he could ask for in this small urban town. He was experienced, gruff, serious, and made it plain what he wanted. He was also a family man so there were times where, despite him saying otherwise, he cared about Adachi. It left him conflicted that he couldn't do better, but some partnerships just aren't meant to last. With that in mind, he waited in front of the elevator after pressing the call button.

"Hope tomorrow doesn't get too hectic…" he said to himself. It was currently his day off today, and he'd already heard rumors spreading that Kanji Tatsumi was missing. No one was certain it was true or not given that it was Sunday and a similar scare happened with Rise, but then again, you never knew what would happen in a supposedly crazy town like this.

His musing stopped when he heard the elevator open and a group of teens walked out of it. He waited for them to leave before doing a double-take. It was Dojima's nephew, Shirou Emiya.

And the kids he was arrested with the other day, Yosuke Hanamura and Chie Satonaka.

And the girl from the Amagi Inn, Yukiko.

And… the retired idol Rise Kujikawa?!

Man, talk about an ensemble! Why were they all together?

"Are you sure we shouldn't go back to change into our uniforms?" Yukiko asked softly as they walked away. "They'd be better suited for this kind of thing."

Adachi looked between the elevator and the group of kids that didn't notice his presence at all. A moment later, he discreetly trailed the group while looking as inconspicuous as possible; easy in a department store full of eager shoppers all around.

"We'd stand out if we suddenly go home and change into our uniforms on a Sunday, and even people in cram school need to take breaks," he heard Shirou explain. "Besides, our supplies are all safe with Teddie. We'd only need to worry if we're bringing new stuff."

The brunette boy, Yosuke, scoffed. "Says the guy who got one of his girlfriends some new shoes."

Wait, did Adachi hear him right? Girlfriends? Well damn, who knew Dojima's nephew was such a player?!

Though it didn't look like the Satonaka girl was wearing anything different or eye-catching. Rather, she was carrying a box under her arm. Was she embarrassed by the gift and didn't want to wear the shoes right away?

If Shirou was embarrassed though, his next comment didn't show it at all. "You're just jealous because you didn't think to give shoes to your girlfriend yet."

"…shut up."

Well played, Emiya. Well played.

At this point, they entered the electronics store, and Adachi stopped following as to not arouse any suspicion. He did see Rise latch onto the red-haired boy's shoulder and make an excited remark that he was too far away to hear.

What did they plan to do in the electronics store? And who's Teddie? Other cops noticed them entering there a lot, but their duties were just keeping to their patrols and making sure no one shoplifted or waved around weapons again.

Adachi paced in front of the store, looking in to see the odd quintet talking in front of a big TV. He was currently off duty, so he had no reason to act professional. It meant he had no reason to look into this either. Something about Emiya and his circle of friends seemed to imply he was in the middle of all this…

But what did he know? The other guys at the station would never believe him, and they barely got Shirogane out of their hair. Dojima's nephew was on thin ice as is, but if it turned out that what he was doing wasn't at all bad or illegal, he knew the veteran cop would go medieval on the ass for jumping the gun.

…Adachi really didn't want to be the one chewed out if that was the case, and made Dojima and the others annoyed enough as it was. It was a miracle they didn't hate him more than Shirogane, really, but he always fancied himself smarter than he looked.

"Well, it's not my problem," Adachi shrugged, already doubling back to the elevator. He was fairly certain that kids like them wouldn't get into any trouble.

<><><>

TV World; road to Steamy Bathhouse

"Girls and an inferiority complex… Girrrrrrrrrls, compleeeeeeex…"

As soon as they told Teddie the clues to Kanji, he went to work sniffing through the fog. Everyone followed the bear as he did his thing, but were getting worried through the long trek. "He's been at this for twelve minutes now," Rise said. "Is this normal?"
"He said the fog has been messing up with his senses, so things must be getting harder to pick up," Shirou told her. "But with the clues we gave him, he should be able to pick them up accurately."

"Oh, don't worry! I know the way back home easy!" Teddie turned to them with a smile. "It has a distinctive smell of Yosuke, and it was a nice safe space away from most Shadows."

"Wait, why me?" Yosuke asked. "I didn't do anything!"

Chie looked to the eerie sky, a hand stroking her chin in thought. "Actually, weren't you complaining about something that time? Needing to have to go…"

"Ah, he needed to use the restroom, right?"

"That's it!"

"But that means…" Yukiko began, before she and Rise both turned to Yosuke, standing between them. She quickly ran in fear and clung to Chie's back. "EEEEWWWWW! That is so gross."

"What?!" the offended teen yelled. "I so didn't piss my pants!"

Rise made a repulsed face, and took deliberate steps to the side, away from Yosuke. "…I so didn't need to hear that."

"Well, I didn't!"

"And no one bothered to ask, thank you very much!" Chie yelled back. "You're just making it sound more suspicious the more you bring it up!"

"How is telling the truth suspicious?!"

"Because you're awfully specific on whether you peed your pants or not!"

"Because I didn't!!"

As he watched from behind Yosuke and the girls' growing argument, Shirou smiled wistfully. Tuning their voices off, he looked ahead and picked up the pace with Teddie leading the way. "We're walking to save a fellow student, and we're making jokes at each other's expense. When I planned to fight Shadows, this isn't what I had in mind."

"You don't sound all that upset," Teddie noted.

"Well, it certainly beats having to do this alone," he replied. "Between helping others and catching the culprit to this whole mess, hanging out like this feels… nice."

"Yeah, it does," he said quickly with a smile. Of course the bear would do anything not to feel lonely.

"Shirou-sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"You've noticed that the Shadows that have been converted to Personas, they have similar powers to when they were berserk, albeit on a smaller scale."

"…I did notice a pattern, yes." Jiraiya's wind. Tomoe's ice. Konohana Sakuya's fire. "It's very convenient we have a full team of varied elements to exploit the Shadows' weaknesses."

"Yeah, very lucky," Teddie said. "Although… Rise-chan's powers would blow ours out of the way in terms of scouting, if she… no, when she gets used to it."

Ah, so that's it. "You're worried Rise will take over and do a better job as support?"

Teddie frowned. "You saw what her Shadow did. We barely beat her when she literally danced around us- I mean, you guys. And if, no, when she figures out her powers-"

"Then you'll be there to help her."

The bear blinked and looked up to him. "Huh?"

"It's possible her Persona abilities would dwarf anything you or I could scrounge up, but she's new to this. She's going to need all the help she can get to keep up on our mission from here on out."

"That's true…"

"Furthermore, you're still our resident expert on this world, knowing more than the rest of us, and you still got me beat when it comes to Gradation Air. Your Reinforcement was vital and helped save the day." Shirou told him with a smile. "You're invaluable to us, Teddie. Never forget that."

"Shirou-sensei…!" Teddie sniffled, overcome with emotion, and his eyes watered so much it looked like he was condensing mist from his tear ducts.

Wait, mist?

Shirou looked around him, noticing for the first time how oddly thick the fog was around them, obscuring their view even with the glasses on. The others stopped arguing and were also starting to notice the shift in the fog.

"Uh, guys?" Rise called out. "Is it just me, or is the fog getting thicker here?"

"It's not fog, it's steam," Yukiko said quickly, lifting her glasses up briefly. "Fog is essentially a state of water condensed into cloud form, but closer to the earth's surface. And it lifts out of the TV world to become rain in our world."

"Wow, you can tell?!" Chie asked. She and the others were amazed by her deduction and wisdom.

"It's not that hard to figure out," Shirou said. "The water cycle is one of the basics of science. Anyone who's ever made a mini-cyclone with two taped-up soda bottles could understand that."

"That, and my family owns a hot springs inn," the heiress reminded. "You can tell the difference easy between a cloud formed by lower humidity and one made with too much. So much that the water boils quickly from a heated source."

"Is that so," said Yosuke dimly. Then his eyes widened, as if a lightbulb went off in his head. "Wait, wasn't the Midnight Channel last night set to a sauna?"

As they looked around, they could make out the inner details of a bathhouse changing room around them. Pale and pink tiles led inside, with rows of lockers leading to a set of wooden doors at the end. Small stools and towels were set up for changing, giving it more ambience without the presence of people.

Teddie smiled and spread his arms in glee. "What do you know! We're here!"

Everyone stared at the bear, exasperated. "Why didn't you say anything before?" Yosuke asked.

"Probably because you were all too busy talking about bowel movements," Shirou told him. "On the plus side, we're in a changing room so if anyone has to go…"

"I'm fine, thanks," Yosuke droned. The girls snickered amongst themselves.

Before anyone made another step forward, a sultry voice called out from nowhere. "C'mere, pussycat..."

Everyone stiffened, and someone let a rather shrill squeak of fear. "Wh-what was that?!" Rise cried out.

"These places tend to have voices pop up that are meant to reflect the victim's reality," Shirou explained. "But this feels…"

"Oh... Such well-defined pecs..." Another voice called, both soothing and welcoming. If words had feeling, they might have caressed the young teens whom their words were directed towards.

The voices were close, and soon everyone was looking up to see two bodybuilders standing at the door and looming over them like giants. They were both in monochrome down the middle, their left half white and their right half black. Besides the briefs hugging their groins, they were naked and well chiseled in muscle. Their faces were remarkably human, sporting full lips and thin black mustaches. They could pass off as identical twins, with the only difference between the two men being insignias itched on their biceps; one had a blue T on his black side, and another had a red N on his white side.

They were both smiling at the group, and the man with the N said, "There's no need to be scared..."

"…I think I might take that bathroom break now, thanks."

"Eww."

Ignoring Yosuke, Shirou took a tentative step forward towards them. "Is Kanji Tatsumi here?"

"Indeed," The T man nodded. "Do you wish to enjoy a soak in the Steamy Bathhouse?"

"I just want to find Kanji, and hopefully bring him back home," Shirou said. "I don't have the time or money for your services, sorry."

The two bodybuilders turned and exchange frowns, shaking their heads and tsking. "Such a waste of good manhood. I was hoping someone of his beautiful physique would be a shoe-in."

"Truly a lost cause if there ever was one, Nice Guy."

"Wait, your name is Nice Guy?" That would explain the N, at least.

"That's correct. And I am Tough Guy. No relation." The T guy paused long enough to smile and make a knowing side-glance. "Yet."

"Oh, you big softie!"

...this was getting off track, and horribly awkward at that. "I'm sorry you feel I insulted you, but me and my friends here just want to bring Kanji back. Too much steam and hot water could lead him passing out from heat stroke, or even drowning under the water. And you don't want your business to go under because of that, do you?"

Tough Guy and Nice Guy exchanged glances and whispers again. Back at the group, Chie looked between him and her friends. "What the hell is he doing?"

"I don't know," Yosuke shrugged. "Diplomacy rolls?"

"I thought DnD was just a cover," Rise said.

"And isn't this dangerous? I mean, those are Shadows, right?" Yukiko asked.

"They don't look like Shadows. Personas, maybe?" Teddie wondered.

"Wait, you don't know? I thought you lived here, Teddie."

The bear shook his head. "All I know for sure is that they come from this Kanji you're looking for, along with the rest of this place. It's not all that different from Yuki-chan having that prince Shadow around."

"Prince?"

Rise's question was ignored in favor of Yukiko's embarrassment, as Chie quickly added, "That's different. It had a Noh mask and everything, while these guys look like humans. How could you not know every weird thing that goes on here?"

Teddie had a frown on his face that looked wise beyond words. "Would you have tried looking for answers before all this?"

No one had an answer to that.

"Okay, thanks," Shirou told the two bouncers before returning to the others. "Okay, we're clear. Kanji's inside so let's hurry after him."

The bear and teens all blinked. "Wait, just like that?" Yosuke asked.

"Mister Emiya here has made a convincing case for your… fairer friends," Tough Guy frowned towards the girls. "As long as you behave yourselves and don't do anything untoward to our guests, you are free to enjoy the facilities."

"Do enjoy yourselves!" Nice Guy added with a smile, before sneering aside, "Although I doubt moody bitches would feel anything short of a spanking."

Rise and Yukiko gasped in shock. Chie took a threatening step forward with a few choice words to say but stopped when Shirou placed his hand firmly over her shoulder.

"Quickly," he said rather tensely. "Before they change their minds."

Chie kept her mouth shut for as long as they passed the grinning, waving Guys. Upon entering the bathhouse, a heatwave hit them from the steam, blending with the fog and wooden décor in an orange haze. The path was long, there were rows of benches to sit against the walls, and indentions full of burning red sauna rocks.

When they were at a far enough distance and out of earshot from the entrance, Chie returned the favor by turning Shirou around to face her. "What the hell was that about?!"

"This dungeon is apparently a men's only sauna," Shirou said. "They were intent on only allowing me, Yosuke, and possibly Teddie in, but not you three."

"And now you're concerned about being nice with Shadows? We could just kick their asses like all the others!"

"I'd rather avoid conflict with facets of Kanji's psyche if I can help it."

Everyone looked surprised and concerned. Yosuke in particular looked fearful. "Facets?" Yukiko asked.

Shirou nodded, turning to Yukiko. "They looked different, but they were definitely Shadows, and strong ones at that. They were kind of like the Charming Prince in having a deep connection to his psyche and this dungeon."

"Oh! Like how Yuki-chan wanted to score all the hot guys in the castle?"

"Teddie!" Chie growled. "Learn some damn tact! You know that's not true!"

Beside him, Yukiko slumped and hid her face in her palms. Teddie pondered for a moment before snapping his digits. "Oh, that's right! She didn't just try to make a move on Shirou-sensei and Yosuke, but you too, Chie-chan! OWW!"

"That's NOT what I meant!" she shouted after giving the bear a fresh lump.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?" the inn heiress lamented to herself.

Rise pouted as the context of the situation, while interesting and hilarious, flew straight over her head. "You guys owe me an explanation for this later," she demanded.

"No, we don't!"

Throughout the whole squabble, Shirou was pinching his nose in exasperation. "ANYWAY," he finally raised his voice, forcing the others to listen. "We're not ready yet to take those Shadows on, and even if we could, we might damage Kanji's mental state worse than him outright rejecting it."

"I… guess that makes sense," Chie admitted.

"It was tricky talking to them, I admit. They kept eyeing me like a piece of meat or something," Shirou continued. He failed to notice the girls exchanging knowing, embarrassed looks. "But I managed to convince them to give us a pass."

"Just like that?"

"...I might have promised to give them a full back massage on a later date."

Bewildered silence filled the room. Chie turned to Yukiko. Yosuke to Teddie. Rise to Tama. Then they all turned to Shirou, who was sheepishly rubbing the back of his head and blushing. "I couldn't think of anything else, all right?!"

Yukiko giggled. "Helpful to a fault even to Shadows? That's just so like you, Emiya-kun!"

"Yeah yeah, he's a great, weird guy. Can we hurry up and find Kanji, now?" Rise asked. "This place is so stuffy I think my hair's getting a perm."

"Good idea. This place looks rather wide between floors, so if anyone has a plan of action, now's a good time for suggestions."

Yosuke's hand shot up. "I have a suggestion, leader!"

"What is it, Yosuke?"

"Can we head back and call it a day?"

For a moment, no one said anything. They had assumed he was joking, but the uneasy smile said otherwise.

"But we just got here!" Teddie told them. "And I know for sure Kanji's down here!"

"And that is all great progress! So I think it's safe to head back and rest up for another day, perhaps maybe a week later, or two."

"Yosuke-kun," Yukiko said slowly. "You're not… scared, are you?"

"What? Me? What a silly proposition!" Yosuke quickly replied. He tried to laugh but his voice cracked between chuckles. "I just uh… need to check up with Sacchin, see. I promised her dinner tonight, and the phones don't work around here so I was thinking of heading back and seeing we can…"

At this point the girls were glaring. Even the fox. "Okay, I'm scared! You saw those two guys! They're ripped, campy, and looked like they wanted to plow me to the ground! My ass isn't safe here, man!"

"Not helping your case, Hanamura," said Chie.

"We're going to have to fight them eventually, especially if we want to save Kanji before his Shadow kills him. We promised to save all the victims involved in this, and Kanji is no exception. You don't want anyone to end up like Konishi, don't you?"

"Well, no, but—"

"And even if you decide to head out without us, you do realize that you'll have to run into those guys again, right? Because they're guarding the door and thought you to be very lean and handsome."

Between the dry tone of his voice, and the deadpan stare in his eyes, Shirou wasn't the least bit amused of his suggestion to leave. Seeing everyone else stare at him with the same level of disdain, perhaps even more, Yosuke slowly lowered his hand back down. "This is gonna suck," he whimpered.

"Well, since there are no other suggestions, I guess we'll move on to business," Shirou said.

"And what business is that, senpai?" asked Rise.

"The same thing we've been doing from the start. Fight Shadows, get stronger, and find Kanji before the next rainstorm. But more importantly, we need to get everyone up to speed on tactics."

 

[Heliel43]

Is this caught up to FF net story? I am still waiting for chapter after Yusuke's vampire gf arc

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Is this caught up to FF net story? I am still waiting for chapter after Yusuke's vampire gf arc

Click to shrink...

Not yet, but I hate having to sit on this for so long so it'll be done by the end of today. Or tomorrow. And then I'll also get to work on the latest chapter
(god I dread having to share this on Ao3...)

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 37: Boiling Tensions

<><><>

Deep in the Steamy Bathhouse

The first thing Kanji felt when he came to was that he was hot. Like, stuffy hot. He knew it was June, but this was unbearable. "Ugh, dammit Ma, would you turn the AC on or something?"

He blinked his groggy eyes awake, but it was soon clear that the room wasn't hazy from his rousing eyes, but from smoke and steam. He didn't remember his house being like this. In fact, this didn't look like his house at all!

"The hell is this!?" Kanji shouted, but there was no answer.

It looked like he was in some sort of old-styled steam room usually found in resorts and inns and stuff. Filled with buff men in nothing but their towels… no way he was staying here.

"Geez, if this is Naoto's idea for a prank, I'm gonna make sure he regrets it," he grumbled, making his way to the door.

Leaving the cramped sauna room, Kanji walked down the left side of the long hallway, hoping to find a way out. He kept finding doors that led to other sauna rooms, and longer hallways even. It was soon clear that he was getting lost, and he felt creeped out as if there was someone, or something, watching him.

"Shit," Kanji muttered, tugging the collar of his shirt. He had slept in shorts and his flaming skull tank-top, but he might as well be wearing leather slacks with how hot it was in this freaky place. "It's so damn hot in here."

It was getting harder to move, as if the heat itself was a weight bearing down on him. Part of him just wanted to try and sleep again, but he couldn't. Not here. Not when he didn't have any idea about how he ended up here, or that someone was still watching him from behind.

He almost gave up trying to find a way out when his search for an exit led him to some sort of built-in pool at the far end of the room.

"Hmm… maybe a morning soak will help," he mused aloud. Not that he knew if it was morning or not. He reached for his shirt, ready to pull it over his head and set the clothes aside, when he realized he didn't have anything else to wear. What could he go in, his underwear? Maybe try one of the towels lying around, but did he really want to look like some toga-wearing freak? In a bathhouse-like place where the guys get all flamboyant, flexing muscles and showing off their-

No. The clothes stay on. He decided to wring them dry back home later or something. He straightened his shirt and hopped into the pool. The water was heated as well, but in a way that just made him melt and feel at ease. So much he could close his eyes and lean back with a smile.

"Aaaaaah, that's the stuff." Despite the tension of being stuck in this weird place, Kanji allowed himself to relax in the moment.

<><><>

Steamy Bathhouse, Floor 2

Rise was no stranger to pressure or nerves. She'd never forget the feeling of first stepping before a live stage audience after months of preparation for songs and public speaking practice. So really, learning how to summon the inner will to fend off bloodthirsty monsters should be as easy on paper as well as execution.

But this was a worse feeling, she realized.

Yes, she was scared. Petrified even. Terrors of running from her Shadow doppelgängers and how her then-not-friends getting gored and blasted away was more traumatizing than any lynch mob her security might break up.

And her new friends, who also had that same near-death experience, didn't hesitate at all in going after them. It didn't matter what the Shadows looked like, or what strengths they had. They fought them indiscriminately just for being in the way of their search.

"Yosuke, switch to wind when needed, but stick to offense otherwise! Satonaka, stay with the others and mind your distance! Amagi, hang back with fire but mind your prana in case we need healing!"

"""Roger!"""

Shirou was so scarily efficient in treating this run as a training mission. He focused on all of his surroundings, ensuring that the Shadows never got the drop on them. He would always lead with spells on Shadows they hadn't seen before to see what worked best and remembered those weaknesses (thanks in part to Teddie of course). He knew how his teammates worked best according to their Personas and strengths, giving curt orders to rein them back in.

No wonder he was the team leader.

"WATAAH!" Chie's battlecry echoed through the freaky bathhouse as she roundhouse kicked the cop Shadow in the side of its hollowed-out gut. Her new weapon, a pair of fur boots that gave off an almost Viking-like vibe to them, seemed to ignite in fire with each kick. It looked like she was in her natural element.

"Satonaka, stay in formation," Shirou ordered. His back was towards her, and he was busy swinging overhead at a cupid Shadow, but he knew where she was.

"Right! Sorry, these boots are just awesome. Thanks again, Emiya-kun!"

Meanwhile, Yukiko squared off with another cupid Shadow, extending her whole fan like a shield over her upper body. The Shadow pulled back its bowstring and launched an arrow, but she danced to the side and deflected it past her. Following up, she spun her fan's edge down at the Shadow's face which caused blackened muck to splatter out like blood.

Yosuke came in from behind and slashed both knives at the back of the weakened Shadow, killing it. Following up, he turned and slashed his Persona card. Jiraiya promptly blasted the boulder-shaped Shadow high enough to land it in a pool of boiling water behind it.

"Wow, that was really good, Hanamura-kun!" Yukiko smiled.

Normally he would have appreciated praise from Yukiko Amagi, but he had a girlfriend now and he had to be faithful to her. That, and his current track mind was having tunnel vision on the Shadows and nothing else. So much that he kept chanting "Just keep fighting, just keep fighting, just keep fighting, just keep fighting" like a mantra.

Before long, the skirmish ended and the path to the next stairway was clear. Shirou calmly sheathed his sword and told everyone to "take five".

Rise found herself letting out a breath of relief she didn't know she was holding and slumped down to the floor. Teddie and Tama immediately huddled up to her side. "Ugh, between the humidity and the fighting, I don't think I can last much longer."

"We have a lot more floors to go, but it might be best to head back after climbing the next set of stairs," Shirou told her. "But before that, I think it's time we teach you how to summon your Persona too."

"Right," Rise frowned. "Sorry, I must be dragging you guys down."

Shirou shook his head and extended his hand to her. "I should be the one to apologize. With the rush to help Kanji, I forgot to help you summon your Persona first."

It was always a tough transition for a new Persona user to figure out how to use their power. Shirou figured it out by virtue of being a magus and applying what he knew (even misinformed as it was) into practice. The others were just normal teenagers with simple problems and didn't grasp the trick as easily as he did.

Helping the blushing girl back up, he stayed close to keep her upright. "It just requires a trick to do it, and once you get it, it'll come naturally."

Before he could rely this knowledge, Teddie's nose twitched and he frantically waived to Shirou for his attention. "Sensei! There's a Shadow nearby!" Sure enough, a grunt-like growl echoed around the bathhouse, causing the Investigation Team to tense in preparation again.

Shirou tsked. "Missed one. And it sounds close too."

An aura suddenly flared around Rise. He saw her eyes closed and hands clenched as if in prayer. Himiko's figure solidified behind her, with her hands down at Rise's level and holding a golden visor over them. Rise opened her eyes and saw the world even more clearly combined with her glasses. Numbers and symbols flared, and she could see the figure of a Bribed Fuzz lurking behind a corner.

"There!" she cried out, pointing to the hiding Shadow.

"Ippon-Datara!" Shirou reacted first, summoning his blacksmith Persona. With surprising agility for a being with only one leg, he leaped forward like a whip with his hammer arm poised back to strike.

"SMAAAAAAAASH!"

With a battlecry fitting the sound effect, his hammer struck true and dispersed the Shadow in a single strike. The impact was hard enough to even crack the wood floor below. Having hoped to get the first strike itself, the Shadow was caught unaware by the counterattack and suffered a quick death.

Ippon-Datara looked further down the hall around the corner to be sure, before turning towards Shirou so his one eye made contact. "…Secure." The Persona stated before he returned back to Shirou's subconscious.

The team exhaled relieved breaths. "That was a close one. Thanks, Rise-chan!"

Rise smiled and nodded at Yukiko. Blinking, she realized what just happened, and jumped with a wider smile. "Hey! I did it! I summoned my Persona, Himiko!"

"And without my help at that," Shirou said.

"Rise-chan's amazing!" Teddie added.

"Hehe, thanks!" she giggled. "But wow… this is kind of weird. I feel like I'm seeing the world in three perspectives or something."

"Yeah, it's kind of wonky like that," Yosuke started, before he double-took. "Wait, three? You should only see things in two."

"Well, it's more like two-and-a-half, really. I can see in front of me, and around Himiko, but also through this visor thing like it's virtual reality, or some sort of spy-op game. There are numbers, charts, and maps flying all over it. I know if it was anything else I would probably go crazy trying to figure out, but it's all easy enough for me to understand. I feel like I can see anything."

"Really? Like what?" Yukiko asked.

"Let's see…" Rise said, and stared more intently into Himiko's visor. The shaman Persona moved her head much like a radar, back and forth slowly in a deliberate scan. "I… I can see Kanji. Two Kanjis actually. There's a lot of Shadows up above, and some really big readings a few floors down. Must be those big guy Shadows at the entrance. And… I think there's about a dozen floors total, give or take one below."

"Tw-Twelve floors…?!" Yosuke gawked. He had hoped the dungeon would be a smaller one like Saki's liquor store or Yukiko's castle, but to have a dungeon being as large as Rise's, if not larger, was something that made him very uneasy.

Shirou too was bothered by the news, but for different, less self-conscious reasons. "I was a bit afraid of that. Are these dungeons supposed to be getting bigger?"

"I know the cluttered emotions that come whenever someone is pushed in makes the Shadows more agitated, and thus stronger," Teddie explained. "But I think a dozen floors is the max limit of how deep these places will ever go, because there's only so much thoughts and emotion a person can have when they come here."

"So we should just accept eleven or twelve as how deep these Shadow dungeons go?" Shirou asked, to which Teddie nodded.

"If it helps, we're on the second floor right now, close to the stairway to the third," Rise said. "So it's only ten more floors to climb."

"That's awesome!" Chie cheered. "I mean, not that we still have a lot fighting to do, but the fact how your Persona is like a super radar!"

"Indeed. There's only so much my nose can do," Teddie added humbly.

Himiko vanished back to her subconscious, but Rise was decidedly not as excited as everyone else was. "Yeah, but…"

"What's wrong, Rise-chan?"

"I'm sorry, it's just, my Persona seems to only be good at seeing things and doing dungeon crawling support. I can't move while she's active so I'm just a dead weight when it comes to fighting." She sighed bitterly, clenching her hand into a fist. "I was kind of hoping I could fight with you guys too…"

No one knew what to say. None of their awakenings were smooth transitions either, but they had weapons to fight with and some form of fitness thanks to P.E.. The closest Rise probably ever got to physical exercise was dancing, and that was rare.

Shirou and Teddie exchanged knowing glances and nodded.

"It's a bigger responsibility than you may think, Rise," Shirou told her. "That kind of ability blows away anything Teddie or I can do."

"That's right! You're amazing, Rise-chan!" Teddie added. "You just need to have more confidence in yourself!"

Rise looked happy at the encouragement but still uncertain. "But… I don't know how else to fight."

"So? You'll learn. None of us are experts in this sort of thing either, which is why we're doing this as a team."

Team… she could get used to that. She usually had back-up singers and always led the charge as an idol, but it felt nice to ease back a little as intended.

"Okay," she nodded with a smile. "Thanks, guys."

"Great! Now we're definitely one more Persona stronger for whatever comes our way!" Yosuke smiled and looked at everyone. "...can we leave now?"

Shirou fought the urge to sigh. "Yosuke, this is the third time you've asked that since we got here. Are you going to keep asking that every time we find the stairs?"

"Yes! Because Teddie's dioramas only teleport us between the entrance and the flight of stairs!" It was sound reasoning to try and put off an escape route until reaching the next checkpoint, but Shirou had a feeling that Yosuke would demand escape constantly if Teddie wasn't so reluctant to use a GoHo-M unless it was an absolute emergency. "Besides, you said we should head back after this next set of stairs! You said that!"

"I did, didn't I?" Shirou noted aloud. He knew they hadn't made much progress climbing floors, but that was due to taking the time to work on tactical maneuvers. After the near disaster that was Shadow Rise, Shirou knew they couldn't face future Shadows without being a cohesive and well adapted team.

"I'm all for heading back," Chie said. "Yukiko and Rise-chan are both exhausted, Homophobura here is close to a mental breakdown, and we're still in debt paying Tama for the last batch of leaves we bought. We're not exactly in top-shape to keep going."

It was surprising to see Rise out of breath due to her lack of fighting, but there was a lot of running involved in finding and fighting Shadows. The sauna air didn't make things easy either. He regretted not giving Rise enough time to adjust fighting with her Persona yet, but there was always next time. And there was time for Kanji until the next rainfall.

Weighing all those options, Shirou nodded. "All right. We'll head back for now."

"Oh, thank god," Yosuke sighed with audible relief as Teddie puffed up a GoHo-M. Considering how well he held up, Shirou allowed him this.

<><><>

June 28th, Samegawa Flood Plain

The last few days were actually a blur and a bit hard for another get-together at Junes. Yosuke made it a point to keep putting it off with excuses like work or hanging out with his new girlfriend. Shirou, for his part, gave him his needed space to adjust while keeping himself occupied, hanging out with the other members of the Investigation Team, and even some time with the Dojimas during the evening.

Yesterday he helped fulfill another ema request for Tama, directing a lost dog back home. It was one of the harder good deeds he had to do, as the dog was not friendly or patient to strangers. But a little time, patience, and a steak skewer from Souzai Daigaku carried the day. Tama was pleased that another ema wish was granted, as it meant more people would pray at the shrine, and even waved him off the leaves bought at the striptease dungeon.

And the day before that, after retiring from the bathhouse, Shirou helped Yukiko do some last-minute grocery shopping. Yukiko was still serious in her endeavors to eventually leave Inaba, and after the disaster that was the camping trip, she had decided to practice. For better or worse, he agreed to help her by being her taste-tester.

Which led to today, sitting under the gazebo, staring at a neatly packed and visually appealing boxed lunch. Yukiko sat next to him, staring expectantly and trying to hide her… excitement? Nervousness? Pride? Shirou honestly wasn't sure.

"Well?" she asked. "Go ahead and try it."

Shirou just stared at it, keenly aware of the pungent smell it was giving off. "Did you taste it yourself?" he asked simply.

"No, I haven't," she admitted shyly. "I wanted you to be the first one to try it."

Anyone else would have been touched and moved by a gesture as sweet as this. But Shirou wasn't moved. His eyes narrowed in suspicion and her smile faded. "…are you sure this is edible?"

Yukiko pouted. Those were not the words she hoped to hear before a taste test. "It's not poisonous."

Shirou eyed the piece of food in his chopsticks with scrutiny. "Forgive me for being skeptical and experiencing PTSD after eating The Sin you and Satonaka made."

Geez, it was hard enough due to him being a smartass about her cooking, but he was still holding that over her head too? "I wish you'd stop calling our cooking that."

"Would you prefer… what did Yosuke call it again? 'Mystery Food X'?"

Yukiko blushed. Both names were bad, actually. "Just eat it, already. Please."

Shirou shrugged and did just that; he promised to taste this for her, and he couldn't help her cooking (or Satonaka's) without learning more about her quirks in cooking. He popped the bit of food in his mouth, and started to chew the soft omelet loo-

CRUNT!

…there was something inexplicably hard inside the morsel that couldn't be chewed further. He was also picking up the raw, burnt taste coming out of it. It wanted to be anywhere but his stomach, that much is certain.

"Do it for her."

Sarasvati was right. He needed to do this for Yukiko and help her grow as a proper cook. He taught someone how to cook once in Sakura, he could do it again. Even if it was becoming clear he would have to un-train Amagi and Satonaka first…

Fighting off the growing sense of nausea from the bite, he finally swallowed and eased his breathing. After a few tense seconds, he turned to Yukiko, still brimming with high expectations.

"It's bad," he said bluntly.

Yukiko's mood soured immediately, as her head dropped down in depression.

"But I didn't pass out. That's a good sign of progress."

"Thanks, that makes me feel so much better," Yukiko lamented dryly.

Shirou sniffed the meal again, trying to pick out the smells in the plain-looking... mystery food, should he call it? Or minor sin? "I think you just tried to go too fast in style and flavor. I told you to stick with the basics, but you seemed to dump all the eggs, noodles and greens into one bowl while dabbing it completely in, what, four different condiments?"

"…five, actually."

Shirou stared at her blankly, before picking up another piece of food with his chopsticks. Yukiko's mood brightened, thinking he was going to give it another try. But instead, he held it towards her and said, "Your turn."

"Eh?"

"Your skill level at cooking is simply abysmal. If you ever want to get better at cooking, you need to taste for yourself how bad the flavors are. Even if you followed the recipe to the letter, there are some things that instructions can't tell you that taste buds can."

"B-But I made it just for you," she insisted.

"And it's bad," he told her again. "You need to properly understand exactly what makes your cooking bad so you can avoid doing it yourself. Honestly, you should have done that already, considering what your 'curry' turned into."

Yukiko winced. Admittedly, the smell alone from the campout curry was enough to make her second guess herself, but it was just a fluke, she told herself. Just… conflicting cooking ideologies between herself and Chie. None of them were to blame for causing Emiya-kun and Hanamura-kun to pass out!

And if none of that was true, well… then it was Chie's fault!

She knew her cooking wasn't… great, per say. Not enough to be served at her family inn, but she had never cared before. Maybe if she just stared at him cutely enough, he would back off? It seemed to work in getting a few boys to leave her alone, lately.

"How are you ever going to live on your own if you can't even bother to eat your own food?"

…nope, he wasn't budging. Maybe he didn't think she was cute enough?

Not really. What she didn't know was that Shirou almost gave in right then and there, until Sarasvati reminded him that she was uncertain of her own talents, preferring to shy away from them. It was enough to push forward and insist that she wanted to leave Inaba, she needed to do this for herself.

Sighing, Yukiko opened her mouth and accepted Emiya-kun's offering. Even if it was the food meant for him, he was feeding her. The thought alone brought a smile and flush to her cheeks as she started to…

To…

Oh goodness.

OH GOODNESS GRACIOUS!

"BLUACK!" she spat the food out on the ground in front of them before coughing. She thought she could block out the smell if that was the only problem, but it was like trying to like a smoldering ball of ash hardened into a mud-covered rock. Nevermind swallowing it; she couldn't hope to chew it without feeling grossed out.

"Water! Water!" she cried, fanning her tongue and looking around their seats. She was so glad she thought to bring bottled water for this lunch date, and that Shirou opened one for her before handing it over. She guzzled it down so fast and clumsily that some droplets spilled down the sides of her cheeks and chin, even staining the top of her sweater.

Shirou patiently waited for her to finish drinking, gasping for breath as the foul taste was cleansed from her mouth. "You understand, now?" he asked her.

Oh, she did. She knew her cooking was bad from what people had told her, but she never actually knew how bad. She'd never felt so fearful for her life eating something before. That it came from her own hand was terrifying. And to think the Sin, the Mystery Food X, was enough to make Emiya-kun and Hanamura-kun enter a near death state…

Guilt and horror from the campout incident resurfaced, as she hugged him tight with tears bawling out her eyes. "I'M SO SORRY, EMIYA-KUUUUN!" she wailed.

Shirou stiffened and blushed. He didn't expect such a reaction from her, and he felt bad making her suddenly cry like this. "U-Uh… there, there, Amagi?" he said awkwardly, patting her back.

A few minutes passed as she calmed down and dried out the tears in her eyes. They were now glinting with an odd mix of determination and pity. "I," she sniffled. "I promise to do better for your stomach's sake, Emiya-kun!"

"That's… great?" Well, as long as she was going to do better cooking now, this was fine, right?

"Hey, big bro!"

Shirou was instantly relieved and happy to see Nanako skip over to them. The feeling was mutual, as the young girl was acting a lot more cheerful since Golden Week. By now she was familiar with all of Shirou's friends, and it was fairly common for her to drop in and ask what they were doing. Like right now. "What are you two doing?"

"Just practicing my cooking and having Emiya-kun here try it." Yukiko explaining, looking at the box lunch on Shirou's lap.

"Can I have some too?"

""NO!""

Nanako flinched at both teens' immediate outburst. Shirou pulled the box lunch away and Yukiko's hands were spread-out forward to stop her, both wide-eyed with fearful expressions.

Seeing the younger girl confused and hurt, Yukiko waved off her protective reflex and smiled. "I-I mean, you wouldn't like it, Nanako-chan! It's… not very good…"

"Oh, okay," she nodded. "Then I'll just have some when you make a good boxed lunch!"

Nanako was so simple and innocent. It was a matter of "when" the food would be good rather than "never" to her, and she was willing to wait until that happened. It was the kind of confidence boost Yukiko didn't even know she needed, which was why she was speechless.

Realizing that fact, Shirou smiled and answered on his friend's behalf. "I'm sure she'll like that very much, Nanako."

"Yay!" Nanako cheered. "I'll be rooting for you!"

"Y-Yes! I'll do my best, thank you Nanako-chan!" Yukiko smiled.

They waved and watched Nanako hurry on to her friend's house. When the younger girl was out of earshot, Yukiko sighed. "This… didn't turn out at all like I had hoped. Sorry."

"You're not going to hug me and cry on my shoulder again, are you?"

"No!" she squawked, more embarrassed than offended. "Maybe…"

"Relax, it's fine," Shirou told her. "Teasing aside, we all have our strengths. And I'll keep eating whatever you make until you get good enough to serve it to Nanako too."

"Really?"

"Really. It's the least I can do after all the times your healing helped us in the TV world. I'm counting on you."

Yukiko's face burned brighter as she looked away. "Th-That's my line," she stammered. But it wasn't an unpleasant feeling, really…

<><><>

Steamy Bathhouse

Kanji had lost track of time and what was going on. Soaking in the bath helped a bit, but that endeavor made his clothes wet and sticky. Maybe he should strip down next time he needed a soak. There was nothing else to do, anyway.

At first, this was kind of nice. No one around to scream or judge him, and he could relax as long as he needed. Finally, some time to himself to cool off, and maybe wait until someone did find him.

But now it was just effin' creepy. He had seen no one for… hours? Days? He didn't even know how long he had been stuck in this place and it was something that both scared him and infuriated him. Not that he would ever show that weakness to others. Part of him felt that he really wasn't alone here and that someone was watching him.

"Stop hiding and show yourself already you bastard!" he screamed as he ran through the halls. He rested enough to try wandering the place, but his stamina wasn't like it used to be. Something about this crazy sauna made him just want to sleep and tune out everything.

"Oh, but I'm not decent!"

Kanji stiffened. He was both relieved and rather scared that he'd heard someone for the first time since he got here. Something about the voice sounded familiar, and he couldn't quite put his finger on what. He turned around to see the newcomer.

It was a man with bleached hair smiling and reclining in a pool of waist-deep water. Kanji quickly realized he looked just like himself, and that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Oh god was he-?!

"THE FLIPPIN' A!?!" Kanji wailed as he jumped away.

"Hiya, handsome!" The double waved at him, grinning and opening one eye to look at him. His eye was that of a cat's, gleaming a bright yellow gold. "Sooooo glad I finally found you!"

'Found me'? What the hell was this guy going on about? "Who the hell are you?!"

"I'm you, obviously. Don't you notice the muscles, the scars, and the other subtle male charms? I've been looking everywhere for you, you know."

Talking to himself? This had to be a dream, right? He had been wandering for so long that the smoke was getting to him. Yeah, that's it. Thinking about it like that, he was willing to accept this for the moment. But it was still creepy as hell.

"Th-Then why are you…?" he pointed, but couldn't finish the sentence, as his mind was still processing what was going on. Luckily, or perhaps unfortunately, the other Kanji smiled coyly while splashing the water with his feet.

"Well, it took so long to find you, you know, but when I did, I was trying to think how to make a good first impression. You didn't seem to be causing a hassle running around like a headless chicken, so I'm just taking it easy cooling off here. And what a rest, my feet are KILLING ME. But enough gabbing, come on in! The water's great!"

"The hell I'm going in the same pool with a lookalike! Hell, I wouldn't share a pool with another guy period, much less someone who's naked!"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not naked, just a little indecent. I'm wearing a towel hugging my crotch and showing off ALL my curves."

"Men don't have curves!" Kanji screamed.

The golden-eyed Kanji's smile never left his face. It was honestly creepy seeing him grin like that. "Aww, don't be like that. We're both guys here! No evil hussies are here to muck everything up!"

"Hu-Hussies?" Something about that word struck a nerve with him.

"You know, girls! Aren't they just the worst?! Always lying, always gossiping, and able to get away with double-standards because they're 'sooooo sexyyyy'," For the first time the other Kanji's smile dropped, especially as he dragged the last two words sarcastically. "You can never trust such two-faced bitches. Much less Shana-chan."

Kanji's face paled. He didn't know how or why, but this other guy knew Shana-chan… and his words hit a little too close to home. A long pause followed before the doppelgänger pulled up a long clear sponge lathered in some soap. "Hechima?"

Kanji had heard enough from this guy. He needed to get out now. Without a word, he bolted further down the hallway, looking for what looks like an exit.

The other Kanji just reclined further back and smiled as he lathered himself. "You can run all you want darling, but you can't hide! Especially not from yourself!"

Himself? Ha, no, he was a man. A man always faces their problems head-on, and right now he was getting away from this deathtrap. If he couldn't, then he had to hope someone from the outside would get him out. Naoto, his ma, anyone… surely SOMEONE was going to get him out of this crazy hell, right? Right?!

<><><>

June 29th, Okina Station

"Sorry dude, BZ 2day @ Junes. L8r?"

Shirou read over the text Yosuke left him over and over again. Even after replying back with a simple "okay", he still couldn't believe his friend was putting off Kanji's rescue for so long. By now the police and locals of Inaba were convinced he had been kidnapped by the culprit after being absent from school for so many days. The only thing holding the Investigation Team back searching was Yosuke, as they promised to always go together as a team, and yet he always had an excuse these days.

He was fine for waiting if they were ready, and he could understand if Yosuke had personal conflicts going back to the bathhouse, but they were running out of time. The weather report said it would rain later in the week.

"I'm done, Shirou-senpai!"

Shirou pocketed his phone and greeted the voice coming out of Croco Fur. "I see you got everything you need?"

"Yep! Grandma's allowance for the tofu job is kind of cheap compared to Inoue's checks, but the stuff here was within budget anyway!"

Rise carried four shopping bags under her arms proudly and smiled through her incognito disguise of a white hat, wide sunglasses, and her hair let down. Instead of her school uniform, she was now wearing a white blouse over orange shorts and black leggings. She made a quick turn-around so he could see all sides of her attire. "So, how do I look?"

"Pretty nice," he said. "I hardly recognize you."

"That's kind of the idea," she told him. "I'm done with showbiz, so I need to keep my wardrobe updated so I can hang out in Okina without getting hounded by the paparazzi until they get the hint."

As best as Rise's efforts to stay hidden were, they didn't last long when word of mouth got out. By now every Risette fan with an ear on the floor knew that Rise was currently living in Inaba. Aside from a boost of tourism for the Amagi Inn, not much had happened since. In a few months, maybe she could wander around Okina without worry of someone hounding her.

"Was this shopping trip really necessary though?" Shirou asked. "I thought idols as popular as yourself would have a ton of clothes already."

"Well, most of them are costumes to begin with," she shrugged. "I also left on short notice. I didn't want to waste any time packing my bags and making it a bigger deal that it already was. Perhaps if I had been more patient or spoke out sooner…"

He frowned, saying the only thing he could think of. "Sorry." The whole mess with her quitting as an idol couldn't have come at a worse time. He could only imagine how traumatic it was for her, or any of his friends for that matter.

But Rise smiled and shrugged it off. "It's not your fault, senpai. I quit because I needed a look in the mirror, anyway. And besides…" Her smile grew as she stared pointedly at him. "I wouldn't have gotten to meet my new friends. Like you."

"I-I see…" Shirou coughed nervously and looked away, blushing. It just made Rise giggle, finding his shyness adorable. Man, if Shinji ever found out about this…

"But seriously, you could have asked Satonaka or Amagi to do this with you. Girls know what other girls should wear, right?" It was one thing he still didn't quite get. It was never the fact that he wouldn't do things for his friends if they asked, but he thought the girls would think twice before asking him for a favor, Social Link or no Social Link.

"Maybe, but guys know what they think looks cute on the girl they like," Rise told him. Then she pouted. "You do like me, don't you Shirou-senpai?"

The next words left Shirou's mouth without thinking. "Is this one of those trick questions girls like to ask so much?"

Rise blinked, giving him a sense of urgency that he might have offended her. The moment passed when she just laughed. "You're so funny, senpai!"

"So I've been told," he said. Lately, he found himself less inclined to keep his thoughts to himself. Had he shown this side of himself to anyone back at Homurahara, they'd probably see him as some sort of enigma or freak. But after seeing the extremity of his friend's Shadows born out of suppressed issues, something clicked within him that his own secrets weren't that big of a deal.

At least the ones he was willing to tell.

"I just… think you were the best person to ask."

Shirou blinked out of his reverie. "Huh?"

"I mean, don't get me wrong. Chie-chan and Yuki-chan are great, and Yosuke-senpai's… well, someone likes him so he's kind of busy with his own thing! But you're open, and you recently moved into Inaba too, so you probably have an idea of where to find fun hang-outs and stuff. I'd feel more comfortable hanging out with someone in case other people recognize me."

Fun hang-outs? Shirou didn't think of himself as social or outgoing like Rise. Well, it was true he had been more active since coming to Inaba, he just wasn't sure if he knew the kind of places she would enjoy. "I'm not sure if I know the kind of places you would like to hang-out," he admitted. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt for us to explore Inaba together."

"Really? Woo-hoo!" Rise jumped and cheered. Part of her didn't think Shirou would go along with her request, but he did and everything was perfect!

Well, almost.

"There's just one thing I need to ask," she said seriously, lowering her glasses enough to show a disapproving frown. "I've noticed you've been getting chummy with the other girls on the team. You're not going to lead any of us on, are you?"

"Wha-?"

"She's asking if you plan to act on debauchery."

Angel's voice, coupled with a memory of a specific phone call with Yosuke, suddenly flashed in Shirou's memory brightly enough to make him pale and blush in quick succession. "N-NO! Of course not!" He would never think about cheating. That kind of emotional manipulation was exactly what he feared happening with Social Links. Even if he did somehow pull that off, Fuji-nee would definitely make him regret it.

Rise smiled, satisfied and happy with his response. "Ah, that's good! I would hate to think you were some playboy." She then leaned in and gave him a wink. "Now all I have to do is woo you with my cute charm, Shi-rou-Sen-pai!"

He… didn't know what to make of that comment honestly, so he just glared at her. He was still blushing though, so he unintentionally amused her more. He just wished everyone would stop hounding him about his love life. But even so… he felt he could understand and appreciate Rise's eagerness and friendly behavior. He never expected a former idol to be so approachable, but perhaps that's why so many people loved her as Risette. Some of that behavior was present as Rise.

His senses dimmed as the card marked by "VI" appeared in his mind's eye. A black ink heart in a pink backdrop filled up most of the image of the card. From under the heart and cutting the face into thirds was a tree with fruit dropping off the lower branches. The heart looked like it was being cradled by hands from above and a sun hovered over it. From the lower corners on each side of the tree were two figures in their own colored sections; a silhouette of a man in the left indigo corner, and a silhouette of a woman in the right magenta corner.

I am thou, and thou art I.
Thou hast established a new bond.
It shall bring thee closer to the truth.
Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Lovers Arcana.

"Now come on!" Rise smiled, latching onto his arm with both of hers, and started dragging him away from the station. "Let's have a tour of Okina so we can decide what to do the next time we come here!"

Shirou sighed, but still allowed himself to be led along by her. "Isn't this the part where the girl wants to do something fun, rather than sightsee?"

"Oh Shirou-senpai! Being with a guy like you is the fun part!"

<><><>

June 30th, Shopping District, Souzai Daigaku

I'm the luckiest guy alive.

That was what Yosuke thought as he sat and stared at his girlfriend across the table they had sat down at together. Nothing but sitting and eating, and occasionally flirting. "Your smile looks so adorable, Sacchin."

Sacchin gave him that same smile between bites of her steak skewer. "You're pretty cute yourself, Yosuke-kun!"

They laughed and smiled.

Every time he saw the cute angel that was Satsuki Kubo, he just felt so giddy and light. She wanted nothing more than to spend as much time with him as possible. Sitting at the food court while he worked at Junes. Waiting for him at the school gate when school ends. Late night texts that sometimes share pictures slowly get more and more… daring.

It was times like these being with her that he felt he didn't have a care in the world, not having to worry about stuff.

I think there's something important to do, though. Was it homework? Well, that can wait until later.

Sure, the Souzai Daigaku wasn't a very good place to set up a date, but frankly he didn't care. And let the people gossip all about him and his family. It meant nothing as long as he was with Sacchin.

Then again…

"You sure you don't mind me being here?" Yosuke asked her. Just because the stigmata might not bother him, it might make things harder for Sacchin like with Saki-senpai.

"The only one complaining is my younger brother, and even then, he keeps skipping out on his job," Sacchin said. She then looked over her shoulder before leaning in with a whisper. "Between you and me, he likes to complain about everything that isn't a video game or superhero comic."

"Well, who doesn't like a good video game or superhero story?" Yosuke smiled back.

Younger brother… something familiar about this. Ah, right, Saki-senpai had one too.

"Think I could meet him at some point?" he asked. Being friendly with a girl's family members always scored points with being better boyfriend/girlfriend material.

"Not for a while," she shook her head. "He doesn't like going outside, and he's been very seclusive after a run-in with Tatsumi-kun."

"Tatsumi? That sounds familiar…" Yosuke noted aloud. Wait, does she mean Kan-

"Say, how about you visit my house for the weekend?" she asked suddenly. "It's just me and my brother, and if you like video games, maybe you two can get along."

"'For the weekend'? This weekend?" Yosuke asked. "I don't know… it's going to be raining, isn't it?"

"I always thought the rainy weather to be pleasant, honestly," she said softly. "Everything in the land gets cleansed and the sound of drops is relaxing. Especially in a romantic night…"

"R-Romantic…?" Yosuke's cheeks started to color. Surely, she couldn't mean… this early in their relationship?!

"Well, it is our one-week anniversary, today," Sacchin said. "You said you wanted to take me out to someplace special than Junes, but I think you deserve something a little special for our milestone, just like how you like to spoil me."

And what a milestone! If he did everything right, he might even pass Shirou Emiya in reaching manhood first!

Shirou Emiya… wait, he asked me something lately.

"Uh… I might need to check my calendar for that," Yosuke said, reaching for his phone, and surprised to see it turned off. Wait, don't I always have this on?

Sacchin reached over and touched his other arm on the table. Their eyes met. "Surely you don't need to make time for me, do you Yosuke-kun?"

Yosuke didn't know what to say. But then, he didn't need to say anything because of how touched and happy he was. He really was lucky and happy to have met her.

Still, I feel like I'm forgetting something… something very important. What IS this something?

He started to feel Sacchin's leg slide up against his, slowly and seductively. That definitely promised something to look forward to.

Well… maybe it's not that important as the girl in front of me. I mean, heck, she's asking me to spend the weekend at her place! That shouldn't even be a question!

"Well, Yosuke-kun?" she asked again, batting her eyelashes at him.

Yosuke sighed but smiled. He just couldn't say no to her. "Sacchin, I would love to-"

"So this is where you are."

Yosuke snapped out of his emotional trance, and paled. Standing behind him with a deadpan stare was his red-haired classmate. "Sh-Sh-Sh-Sh-SHIT-irou! Wh-Wh-What a surprise!" On the outside, Yosuke tried to play it off cool, despite slipping his tongue making a slight curse.

But mentally he was hyperventilating, as the memory of their last shared texts came to mind. Crap, crap, crap, crap, CRAP! I KNEW I was forgetting something!!

Shirou ignored him, turning to the girl sitting at the other end. "Satsuki Kubo, was it? Yosuke told me quite a number of glowing compliments about you. Pleasure to meet you."

"And you must be Shirou Emiya. Likewise." She extended a hand out to him. He politely shook it as brief as possible.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your date, and I normally wouldn't impose on a 'one-week anniversary' plan…" Yosuke gulped at how dryly Shirou phrased that. "But I'm going to need your boyfriend for the night."

"Aww… can't he stay?" she asked while leaning in and batting her eyelashes. Yosuke loved that about her. She just looked so mesmerizing like-

"No."

Sacchin blinked. "Wh-What?"

"I'm sorry, but no," Shirou told her simply. "I'm afraid this is rather urgent. In fact, Yosuke is going to be busy with me and my friends for the rest of the week. Aren't you, Yosuke?"

"Y-Yeah, that's right." Yosuke was honestly just as stunned as Sacchin. He didn't think anyone ever turned down Sacchin's charm that bluntly.

"Good. Satonaka and the others are waiting for us at the food court. We have a big D&D session to catch up on." Shirou did not wait for Satsuki or Yosuke to leave a comment before grabbing the latter by his wrist and dragging him to the hilltop bus stop.

"Uh, call you later, Sacchin!" Yosuke waved and called out to her.

When the two of them were at the stop, Shirou let go of Yosuke's hand… and then quickly smacked the back of his head. "OW! I thought that was my thing!"

"Your one day off on your 'busy schedule' all week and the first chance you get, you're out dating again?" Shirou snarled. "I'm starting to think Morooka-sensei had a point about his rants on debauchery."

"I-It wasn't like that!"

"Then why was your phone off? Satonaka and I have been trying to call and text you for the last hour."

"I don't know!" Yosuke snapped. He had been surprised seeing that himself but didn't have any time to question it.

"You were the one who said we shouldn't go in unless we were a full team," Shirou reminded gravely. "We've all been waiting on you for days, and you were just making weekend plans with your girlfriend?!"

"I'm sorry, okay!?"

A long moment passed after Yosuke's outburst, breaking the tension between them. Yosuke almost immediately deflated, and his head sank down. "I just… for the first time I feel like I'm somebody important. A guy with a great girlfriend doting on him, and then I guess I let it get to my head."

Shirou frowned, thinking back to the time he spent with the others the last few days. "I guess I can kind of understand that. Having breaks like these from fighting Shadows is more tempting and rewarding than going back in there.

"But we can't just keep sitting idly by. Kanji Tatsumi is still missing, and time's running out for when we can rescue him. Because after tomorrow, it's going to start raining for the next three days."

"Man, we always seem to be cutting these rescues close, huh?" Yosuke weakly joked. Shirou didn't laugh, and honestly, Yosuke didn't either.

The wait for the bus seemed to take longer than usual, so Shirou (with only a little urging from Pixie) coughed before starting a new topic. "So, uh… what's it like having a girlfriend?"

"Oh, it's amazing!" Yosuke gushed, almost blooming with vigor. "She's sweet and funny, she laughs at all my jokes, always makes time to see me, man I could go on and on about how awesome she is!"

"Please don't," Shirou groaned, already regretting asking. Yosuke just laughed more, thinking more about how happy he's been being around her. But as he did, he also recalled something else.

"But you know, the weird thing is that whenever I'm with her, I seem to forget everything else but her."

Shirou looked baffled. "I thought you liked having a girlfriend, though."

"I do! She's great, but… I want some me-time to myself, you know? She's been bothering me all week, even when I'm at work. It was like there was this nagging sensation in my head that made me forget everything but her. It felt nice at the time, but then I just… forget what I was supposed to do."

Shirou stared at him intently. Yosuke took that to mean he was being annoyed again and scratched this chin nervously. "Yeah, I know, sounds weird and sketchy. She's not a bad girl though, honest!"

"I see…"

The bus finally started to appear from further down the road. "Are you prepared for this, Yosuke? You know we have to go back to the bathhouse."

"Yeah, I'm good. I've had enough time to prove and bolster my red-blooded self." He was almost looking forward to seeing those two burly Guys again. If only to scream and ram his knives into their faces with testosterones pulsing.

"Good. Because we're going to save Kanji, and you have no excuse to complain about leaving after all the time we waited on you."

Yosuke winced, wishing he had more time to spend with his girlfriend. "…fair enough."

"One last thing."

Before Yosuke knew it, Shirou suddenly kicked him hard enough in his right shin to knock him off his feet. He swore he felt a static shock from that blow too, and he cradled his leg in agony. "OW! Sonova-! What the hell, man?!"

"That was from Satonaka," he told him. "I told her I'd do it on her behalf since she planned to hit you in a particular part of your body. Again."

He soon realized that his friend spared him from a horrible, painful fate by enacting a lesser one. Tears of gratitude started to mix with those of pain. "Th-Thanks a million, Shirou."

"Don't mention it," Shirou said, and helped him up to climb onto the bus as it arrived.

<><><>

Neither boy noticed Satsuki staring at them the whole time since they left the skewer stand. "That Emiya boy shrugged off my hypnosis," she muttered. "Interesting."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 38: Shadow of the Masculine Self
<><><>

Steamy Bathhouse Entrance

It was a long time coming, but Shirou was making good on his promise to Nice Guy and Tough Guy. Part of him hoped they had forgotten or that they weren't at the front entrance anymore, but they have been patiently waiting and reminded Shirou of his end of the deal, with the necessary tools at that (table, towels, massage oil, the works).

Luckily he had experience in giving massages to Taiga years ago, and he read a book on how to give massages and the techniques involved during the reprieve, so he was prepared. It was really fortunate that the Shopping District had the exact book he needed, but that was another story.

And if nothing else, Shirou Emiya was a man of his word, and was now currently pressing the back of Tough Guy to relieve pressure points. Judging by the Shadow's euphoric moans, he was doing something right.

"Ooooooh YES." Tough Guy said. He rolled his shoulders slightly and pressed his head deeper on the head towel he was resting on, enjoying the feel of Shirou's hands over his oily back muscles. "Your hands are just simply divine, Shirou-chin!"

"Are you sure?" Shirou asked as he worked. "It's been a while since I've done this, so I think I'm a little rusty."

"Rusty, you say?" The bodybuilder Shadow beamed. "Could've fooled little ol' me. You're pressing all the right joints so wonderfully!"

"I'm glad you appreciate it. I want to make up for the long delay we had coming back."

"And it is so worth it!"

Despite himself, Shirou smiled. He strived to always help people for praise and feel a bit worthier, and despite this being an obvious enemy he would have to fight, that moment wasn't here or now. In fact, if this could help avoid fighting Kanji's Shadow at all, it was worth the investment.

"How the hell did I get roped into this?!"

From the next table over, Yosuke was standing over Nice Guy, also set up for a massage. He looked like he rather be anywhere but there and didn't even try touching the Shadow yet.

"You have no right to complain, Yosuke," Shirou told him dryly. "We all waited on you."

"I-I'm not complaining! I just find this coming from completely out of left field! Couldn't you do both yourself?"

"I need time and focus on one at a time, and you're the only other person they'd allow to help, like it or not. We don't have the time to spare."

Shirou emphasized his point with a hard elbow drop at the lower back of Tough Guy. Between the impact of the blow and the cry of pleasure the Shadow made, Yosuke couldn't help but cringe.

"I-I don't even know how to do massages!"

"Just rub your hands over my back in circular motions. I'll tell you when you're being too rough and need to press somewhere else."

"See, even Nice Guy is willing to make this easy on you," Shirou told him expectantly. "So start rubbing. The sooner we both get this done, the sooner we can find Kanji."

"B-But he's so thick and veiny and… manly," he muttered the last word softly with envy. Shaking his head out of that train of thought, he quickly added, "Look, I get that I'm getting punished for this, but this is way beyond my comfort zone!"

"Did you even use the oil?"

"It feels gross, man! Like, dipping my hands in vinegar!"

"It's meant for the customer's enjoyment, not the masseur's!"

"Since when are Shadows customers?!"

Nice Guy sighed, his patience clearly waning due to not having gotten a massage yet. He pushed himself enough off the massage bed to turn and look flatly at the worried teen. "Would you rather I give you the massage instead?"

Yosuke smiled, willing to take any lifeline out of this. "Oh, you're volunteering?! Well, my back has been feeling a bit stiff lately—"

"Because I'm thinking of pounding you firmly into the ground until those aching bones of yours are as fine as the grains of salt that I would then use to season my dinner."

It was as implied a death threat as the jovial "Nice" Guy could put it, and it left Yosuke feeling sick and nauseous. He could see the no nonsense expression on his face matching his deadpan tone, and he clearly had the bulk to follow through on his words.

Yosuke gulped, briefly tugging on his scarf to do so. Then he forced his smile back up and quickly squeezed the oil out the bottle into his hand. "On second thought, let's not strain those big muscles of yours! You deserve a good old-fashioned rubdown!"

"That's more like it," Nice Guy smiled back, and laid back down.

Realizing that he had no more excuses, Yosuke started to press his hands down over Nice Guy's back. He groaned and looked away, completely creeped out by the feeling. This Shadow wasn't really a man, so this didn't count, right?

"Lower," the Shadow commanded. Yosuke moved his hands down as instructed, still doing the rhythmic circles to placate it. Hopefully this would end soon and they could get Kanji out and he could salvage his date with Sacchin-

"Lower."

He nearly stopped and gawked. "I did go lower!"

"Lower than that."

The auburn-haired teen hissed through his teeth, and reluctantly moved his hands lower. "F-Fine, but this is as low as I'm going!"

"Oh, don't worry, I won't let you touch my balls." Graphic image and bluntness aside, Yosuke was so relieved to hear those words. "Those are Tough Guy's property."

Yosuke's relief gave away to a single eyebrow twitch and loud, internal screaming.

Further back at the entrance, the girls and Tama watched the massages with rapt interest. "I feel kind of bad for Hanamura-kun," Yukiko admitted.

"I don't," Chie spat. "If his constant dating makes it so we can't save Kanji-kun in time, I'll never forgive him."

"Well, I wouldn't be in a hurry to come back here either with those biased bouncers around," Rise said. "They wouldn't even let us use the shortcut until Shirou-kun massaged them."

Honestly, standing in front of the path they'd made through that Goho-M? Talk about petty.

"At least Emiya-kun is taking this well."

"Yeah…"

While Yosuke was slowly going through the notions, Shirou was doing this almost naturally and enjoying himself. It wasn't hard to imagine how sensual those hands could be, as Tough Guy let out an occasional moan of satisfaction.

Chie, Yukiko, and Rise all swooned in a dreamy sigh. A guy that knows how to please a girl in more ways than one… that was always a plus (never mind the fact how he was technically massaging a guy).

Rise then noticed their bear friend having a peculiar expression on his face; flushing red and mournful. "What's wrong, Teddie?"

Teddie didn't answer right away, as he was still staring at Shirou. Then he turned, face slightly red, and asked her, "…is it weird that I kind of find this hot?"

The girls all stared at the bear with alarm and shock. Even Tama, previously resting in a corner, declared her surprise well as she shot up and turned to him.

Poor Teddie got defensive as his flush glowed brighter. "What?! That's why I was asking!"

<><><>

July 1st, Samegawa Floodplain

They were ready.

It had taken the last two days of training and strategy, but Shirou could finally say they were like a well-oiled unit in fighting. Rise's sensory skills were especially a boon by having a layout of where the Shadows were and how many were present on a floor at a time. The other members had seemingly grown in leaps and bounds with new skills and spells to use, and they even found some rare treasures like an electricity suppressor for Yosuke.

Shirou himself had a stronger grasp on his Personas' limitations and was fully ready to test the tools at his disposal to fight Kanji's Shadow, or at least his facets in the Guy bouncers. Having finally reached the top floor and prepared as much as possible for the inevitable fallout, nothing was stopping them from marching to the final room and rescuing Kanji.

Except a mutiny to rest a day before going in.

Chie was the most adamant about it, going as far as to physically pull Shirou away from the door.

"We've been fighting all the way up here! Yukiko's out of breath, our supplies are all used up, and we sure as hell don't have the money to buy more of Tama's leaves!

"But Kanji-!"

"-Will be fine for one more day. The rain's not going to let up yet, the worst of the Midnight Channel has already happened, and it doesn't look like Kanji's Shadow is going to burst yet. We haven't even seen him the whole time we've been here."

"And thank god for that," Yosuke had said, but no one commented on his delivery. They did listen to his input though. "Look, as vice-captain of this team, I have to side with Chie on this one."

The others predictably made fun of how he wanted to get away from the bathhouse and into Sacchin's arms, and to Yosuke's credit he was only mildly sidetracked from the point he was trying to make. "Every time a fight with one of our Shadows comes up, we get our asses kicked, and barely win by the skin of our teeth. And each time that happened, it was because we were not at the top of our game or had some fights already leading up to them. These Shadows keep getting stronger, and we need to be at our best from here on out."

After that, it was a unanimous decision as the others agreed to head back, and Shirou had to swallow his pride for a day.

As he and Chie lived closer together, they were once again walking the same road down the floodplain, with umbrellas at hand. The walk was quiet, and he had no cues to start a conversation with Chie as Eligor was absent.

But should he start a conversation? She looked like she didn't want to be next to him, daring only a few awkward glances his way.

Come to think of it, it was raining too when they first met under the gazebo. At least she got a new umbrella this time.

"Hey, uh," Chie started, surprising him. She was still looking ahead and away from him, though. "You're not mad at me, are you, Emiya-kun?"

"Mad? Why would you think that?"

"You were scowling the whole time since I argued for going back instead of fighting. It was kind of scary."

Oh. That. He didn't even know that he'd had a scowl on his face, but he recalled feeling very bitter back there. "No, Satonaka, I wasn't mad at you, or the others. What you and Yosuke said made a lot of sense. I was… madder at myself, really."

"Yourself?"

"If I had been a bit stronger, or managed our time better, we could have rescued Kanji by now. All I could think about was what I could have done better, or if I hadn't screwed up—"

"No." Chie stepped in front of him and was now scolding him again. "No, I'm going to stop you right there. This is no one's fault." She paused. "Well, a little bit of Hanamura-kun's fault, but that's it."

Despite himself, Shirou chuckled. He had a feeling that poor Yosuke was never going to live this down.

"Kanji-kun is still fine. And he will be when we get him back home tomorrow. You've done enough making sure that we got close enough for a fresh battle and getting us ready and coordinated and stuff. Among other things." She awkwardly tapped the ground twice with her right foot, testing her shoes after kicking with the Boots of Abigor for what felt like hours.

"So don't beat yourself up about this!" she added with a smile. "You're a great leader! No one blames you for managing time, or doubts how serious you are rescuing Kanji-kun. Allies of Justice need their rest too."

Shirou was speechless. He had been warned about his habit of overworking from his family and peers for all he had known them back in Fuyuki. Taiga and Issei were the most concerned about his wellbeing, and Sakura did her part to cook breakfast to alleviate some burden off him.

He was so used to being mocked for his dream of being a hero that he never heard someone appeal to it as a reason to rest. "Allies of Justice need their rest too." He could have never fathomed such a sentence. And yet, all he could do was gasp in awe upon feeling a sudden, unexpected warmth fill him.

It felt… nice.

"Hey, Satonaka-kun!"

The moment ended as a voice called out to the now startled Chie. She turned with some surprise and unease at the approaching teenager their age. "T-Takeshi-kun?!"

"I didn't think that I'd see you out in the rain, and with someone other than Amagi-san!" he said casually, walking up to them. He carried his own umbrella, which he looked over and under it as if looking for Yukiko.

He then settled on appraising Shirou head-to-toe before asking her. "So who's the guy? Wait, don't tell me; your recruit, right? A fellow 'Ally of Justice', like you were going on about earlier? You haven't used that title since grade school!"

Chie's head dipped downward, and her umbrella was pulled closer to cover her glowing face. Takeshi either didn't notice or care as he continued. "Actually, I think you were part of the Runt Gang way back in kindergarten, and after that you were the undisputed King of the Hill."

Shirou looked between the two; the more names Takeshi listed, the more humiliated Chie reacted. It didn't help that he didn't seem to have a tone of endearment towards those memories, either. He was embarrassing her, and… was her lip trembling?

"Oh, and the Vanguards of the Lunch Revolution! Man, the crazy names you came up with!" Takeshi chuckled. "What exactly are you this time? A Defender of Earth's Peace or something silly like that?"

"I-I…"

"Shut up."

Chie and Takeshi were startled by Shirou's sharp tone. He was scowling again, directing his anger towards the teenager that came to greet them.

No. Chie realized it was different. That time wasn't anger. This was.

Takeshi quickly stepped back, holding his hands up. "Whoa, hey man, relax. I'm just joking—"

"Do we look like we're laughing here?" he cut him off dryly, gesturing to him and the clearly uncomfortable Chie.

Takeshi winced. "N-No, I guess not. Let me start over." He then extended a hand out to him. "Name's Takeshi Kouno, old friend of Satonaka-kun! Pleasure to meet you!"

"Shirou Emiya. Trust me, the pleasure is all yours."

"Emiya-kun…" Chie hissed. Just because Takeshi was being rude didn't mean he should be rude back.

To his credit, Shirou noticed Satonaka's warning and restrained his emotions a little bit. He still made no move to shake his hand, though, and Takeshi took the hint. "Look, Kouno was it? We're kind of in a hurry here, so if you have something to say, make it quick."

"Oh, don't worry! I'm not getting in between your date or anything!" Takeshi said. For some reason, Chie felt a pang of disappointment rather than embarrassment of what he implied. "I was just passing by for some… errands, when I saw Satonaka-kun, and I was wondering how Amagi-san was doing these days. Satonaka-kun is her best friend so—"

The story was already sketchy enough on errands, but as soon as Amagi's name came up, Shirou knew how crestfallen Chie felt without showing it, and nipped the problem in the bud. "Ask Amagi yourself how she's doing. That is, if you have the balls to actually talk to her."

Shirou was already walking past him as he spoke. Again, both teens were gobsmacked how cutting and brutal his verbal responses were. Chie spared a glance at Takeshi to see him failing to make a sound out of his flapping mouth, before leaving him and rushing over to Emiya as they continued to walk home.

"You didn't have to be that mean," Chie told him.

"So it was okay for him to make fun of you like that?"

"I'm used to it," she argued. "We were classmates up until high school, and only friends at that. Nothing really came between us since he had his eyes on Yukiko."

Shirou frowned. Would an old friend really take another's dreams and feelings for granted? Clearly there was more to this Takeshi Kouno than Satonaka was letting on, but he was her friend and it wasn't any of his business.

He felt he needed to say something to her. Anything. But what? Dammit, of all the times to be without Eligor…

They reached the street corner where their destinations split off, but both of them hesitated to leave. For several minutes they stood in the rain, waiting. They spared each other glances but just as quickly looked straight ahead as if afraid to make eye contact.

Still not a word spoken.

"Weeeeeell," Chie dragged the word out, making a long, exaggerated step off to the side. "I better get home for an early night's rest! Tomorrow's a big day after all!"

Now or never. "I'm sorry."

Chie stopped and looked back. "Huh?"

"About Kouno, I mean," Shirou said. "I usually don't go off badmouthing people like that, but when he talked about your titles and laughing, it bothered me, for a lack of a better term, and I just said things without thinking. Because I've been there too, mocked for wanting to be an Ally of Justice and I saw how sad you were that I thought…"

Chie stared at him, wide-eyed. That didn't look like a good sign. Rather, he saw it as his cue to leave. "Forget I said anything. It was just stupid of me."

"No, no!" she said quickly. "I mean, I get it, Takeshi-kun can be rude sometimes. I don't want you badmouthing him again of course. I was just surprised hearing you snap at him like that. You had a reason though, and hearing it makes me… happy."

She smiled at him, relieved and thankful. As opposed to her sad resignation from meeting Takeshi earlier, this was a much-needed improvement on her mood. Enough to also relax Shirou with a deep exhale.

"Well, we Allies of Justice got to stick together, right?"

"Right!"

And there was nothing more to be said. Come tomorrow, they would finally rescue Kanji.

<><><>

Steamy Bathhouse, Top Floor

Kanji was exhausted. It didn't matter where he ran to or how far. He couldn't find a way out of this damn bathhouse! Instead, he just found his way right back to his lookalike, even in a different room. It was so frustrating, and this heated sauna was getting way too humid now.

"You've been way too tense, darling!" The other Kanji said, walking around a big room with nothing but a towel around his waist. Why don't you just relax and take a load off? Oh, and watch that wet floor sign over there; the water in this room tends to spill over a lot."

"Screw that!" the sweating, bleached teen snapped. "Just tell me how to get out of this damn place!"

"Don't you get it now? There is no way out!"

"Bullshit!! I had to have gotten in here to begin with, right? What kind of prison doesn't have a way to get out, you know, for the jailers and shit!?"

These arguments were just as aggravating as getting lost. This guy, supposedly his "Shadow" (who didn't at all look black or dark or anything like that, just creepy), kept talking in circles about how he needs to accept his innermost feelings and junk. What did he think he was, some looney foreign therapist?

Lucky for him, even the Shadow looked tired of their play-by-play, sighing dramatically with his hand resting on his chin. "I guess you have a point. Then again, you reinforced the beautiful, dim-witted men stereotype by getting lost for nearly a week."

"I thought I told you to can it with the— wait. A WEEK!?!" Kanji was flabbergasted. He lost track of time and thought he was just gone for a really, really, long day, maybe two at most. But seven? Crap, his ma and Naoto must be worried sick how he went missing like those murder victims back in April. Well, Ma at least. Not so sure about Naoto.

"Alright, I've decided," The Shadow said, pleased with himself. "I'll let you out. On one condition."

"Figures," Kanji spat. That was the most stock 'evil bad guy line' he had ever heard, and it pissed him off a bit that someone with his likeness said it so seriously. "What do you want, then?"

"For you to admit your deepest, darkest secret to me, and accept that we are one and the same."

"That's it? Fine, I'm—"

"You didn't let me finish~! I don't want a fake verbal promise you'll break as soon as I show you the door." The Shadow leaned closer to Kanji with a creepy smile. "I want you to forever promise that you are – how should I say this? – VERY MUCH in touch with your feminine side!"

Something about those words chilled Kanji to the bone, and a knot in his stomach started to form. He hid this unease with angry swagger. "Wh-What the hell's THAT supposed to mean?!"

"Come now, handsome. We both know you're not that dense. You're me after all."

Suddenly the door was slammed open and a stomping of feet rushed in.

"There they are!"

"Kanji!"

Kanji looked back to the door in surprise. Among the five teens wearing glasses (and some cute looking mascot character), he recognized at least two of the people in the crowd. "Emiya? Yukiko-senpai?!"

"Wait, what are the bitches doing here?!" Shadow Kanji stomped in anger. "This is supposed to be a MEN'S SPA!"

The red-haired girl winced and uttered under her breath, "That's gynophobia, all right…"

Emiya stepped forward to confront the Shadow, standing between him and Kanji. "Kanji, come with us. I promise when this is over, we're going to take you home."

"Wait, I get out of here?"

"Yeah, we have an escape route."

That was the best news Kanji had heard all day! Or week, rather. He didn't care if he had to be near a few girls, just as long as he could get out of this freaky place!

"HA! Joke's on you, asshole!" Kanji smirked and pointed at the copy. "I'm getting out of here, and don't have to see, hear, or think of your ugly pansy mug again!"

"B-But I'm YOU! How could you think this handsome face to be ugly?!"

"To hell with that!" Kanji snapped, already marching to the group. "You can die in this overgrown bathtub for all I care!"

<><><>

Shirou was worried. This was almost too easy.

They had managed to catch up to Kanji and his Shadow in time before the transformation. That was lucky… or maybe a coincidence. Perhaps they could finally get out of this without a fight, and they were just better safe than sorry.

He liked to think that he was just getting paranoid or nervous due to a magi lifestyle being ever-so riddled with death, but… something didn't feel right.

Kanji feeling emboldened enough to mouth off his Shadow probably had something to do with that.

"You'd rather trust those hussies and jerks than me? Than yourself!?" The Shadow demanded.

Kanji stopped and turned to snap back. "They didn't keep me prisoner here!"

"I never put you here in the first place. I kept you here, yes, but to protect you. From those ugly little liars."

"Why you-!"

Shirou could see how this fight was escalating too quickly, and he pushed Kanji back. "Enough of this, we're leaving." If there was a chance to avoid a deadly battle, he would take it.

He stopped when he felt a sudden killer intent in the room, from behind. He wasn't the only one, as Teddie's fur bristled and Rise's Persona sense kicked in. "Guys! We got- KYAAAH!"

Without warning, two monochrome blurs rushed from behind and attacked the girls. The others turned and blanched at what they saw.

"Oh shit, it's the bouncers!" Yosuke cried in dismay. For once, Shirou couldn't blame him for feeling scared of their presence.

Nice Guy and Tough Guy were both very tall, muscular Shadows, and for the first time they were showing the extent of their physique by manhandling the female members of the Investigation Team. The former had Yukiko and Rise both in a painful bearhug, while the ladder was applying a sleeper hold on Chie. They were completely at their mercy.

Shirou immediately drew his sword at pointed at them. "Let them go!"

"I'm afraid that isn't an option, little Shirou-chin." Nice Guy told him, almost sounding sincere.

"You are free to leave, but the girls must be punished." Tough Guy added, squeezing ever so tightly around the struggling Chie's neck.

"That's not fair!" Teddie shouted. "You gave your word after Sensei and Yosuke gave you massages!"

"I say it's perfectly fair," Shadow Kanji scoffed. "You girls think you can just keep breaking the rules whenever it's convenient for you, and then cry foul when you happen to see someone flashing you? Sorry hunnies, NOT in MY bathhouse!"

Yosuke pulled out his knives and moved to swing at Shadow Kanji. "You son of a—!"

"Yosuke, no!" Shirou grappled him from behind and held him. "Don't do it!"

"You said that the Guys are some part of Kanji's psyche before, right?! That means if we beat the source, they'll go away!"

"We're trying to save Kanji, remember?!" Teddie warned him. "If you kill his Shadow, you'll kill him too!"

Yosuke's struggle reluctantly ceased. "I know that, but…!"

This whole thing was a trap. Shirou couldn't berate himself more for letting this happen, brought down half their fighting strength in an instant, and Yosuke felt the same way. The only way to safely save the others was for Kanji to fully reject himself. The fight was determined entirely against them and they were forced in an impasse.

"I'll deal with you cuties later," Shadow Kanji taunted with a wink. "Now as for you…"

The real Kanji was numb. He couldn't stop staring at the two burly men seemingly choking the life out of the girls like from some weird torture video. He barely knew these girls, and yet they came all this way… to help him?

And… he was somehow causing their pain? Was this his fault?

A tap on his shoulder shook him out of his trance, and he saw his golden eyed doppelgänger grinning at him. "I'm waiting on that heartfelt apology~."

Somehow, Kanji knew that if he just played lip service, or at least made it convincing, this would be over. Before he would have denied it as a fact of pride, but this…

"Why are you doing this to them?" he asked, gesturing toward the Guys.

"It's what we want. What we deserve after everything we've been through."

"The hell are you talking about?"

"I'm just going to say it plain; WOMEN SUCK!" Kanji's Shadow roared, no longer smiling. "They're so arrogant, so self-centered, and so damn entitled! They complain that chivalry's dead, but they want to be pampered like little princesses and knock men down like dogs!"

If Yukiko and Chie were aware of anything but their own dimming consciousness, they probably would have winced at the too-close-to-home admittance.

"They cry when you get mad, they gossip behind your back, they spread nasty lies," The Shadow ranted, his features contorting with line listed. He then stared at his shaking hands. "They just take one look at me and laugh like I'm… I'm some sort of FREAK to them!"

He started to stomp in a tantrum, enunciating his re-enactment of shrill girl voices. "'You bake cookies? That's so not you!' 'You like to sew? What a queer!' 'Why would a guy like you do painting?' 'Are you really a guy?' 'Shouldn't you act manlier that this?' What do they know about being a guy? About being manly? THEY'RE JUST A BUNCH OF GIRLS!"

The Shadow grew more unhinged and angrier as he talked, looking much like the regular Kanji during one of his own tantrums. No one dared to stop him, worried at how he would react. But as soon as the rising anger came, it went away with a sense of somber melancholy.

"I hate them, really. But deep down? They scare me," The Shadow admitted sadly. "They can do so many mean things to you, and even when you mean well or apologize, they are never satisfied. They would go so far as to wish your head on a pike if they can make that happen, and who would people rather listen to? A scary guy, or a cute girl?"

It was then that Shirou realized that they never once encountered Shadow Kanji throughout the whole dungeon crawl. Yukiko and Rise's Shadows saw fit to taunt them mid-way as they searched for their shared person of interest, but not Kanji's. Which meant that this Shadow was probably more dangerous than any they have faced before. Was it because it had more time to fester and grow?

"Men are easy to understand. They're strong. Loyal. Hard-working. Straightforward. They can be stupid, but also simple, because you can tell when a man likes you or not. Even if you piss them off, at least they're upfront about it. They'll just kick your ass and admit so right to your face. Women would just mock you and play the victim to get their way.

"And Naoto," The Shadow smiled and squirmed as the name left his lips. "Oh, Naoto, he's just an angel. So lean yet forceful. Angry but in a tranquil manner. Mysterious and at the same time honest. There was nothing extravagant in our meetings, nothing grandiose or romantic like those bitches would dream about, but it didn't matter. Those few months with Naoto… were the happiest I've had since daddy dearest passed away. And now he's going to hate me. Unless I admit I've been wrong."

Suddenly, Kanji had a flash of clarity.

"What do you say? Are you ready to admit the real you, Kanji Tatsumi?"

"…yeah, I hear you all right."

POW!

No one saw the blow coming. Kanji reared his arm back and decked his own Shadow in the mouth. The force was so strong that it sent the Shadow careening across the room and crashing into a small side pool.

He felt a phantom pain over his own jaw but ignored it. Damn, so that's what I feel like…

At the same time, Shirou and Yosuke noticed the Guys stagger and their grips on the girls loosen. Immediately they summoned their Personas Izanagi and Jiraiya to strike them while they were still stunned. Ironically, the body-builder Shadows were body-checked across the room, allowing the three girls to safely land on the floor relatively unharmed.

Teddie and Tama rushed over to them. "Are you girls okay?!" "Hrrn!"

"Ugh, five more minutes," Chie half-groaned in drowsiness, craning her neck as she did so.

Rise was the worst off of the three, having turned on her back and was clutching her sides. "Oooooh… I never thought a hug could hurt so much."

Shirou quickly dismissed Izanagi for Sarasvati, casting light healing over the girls. "Get ready, it looks like a fight is going to break out."

"Is it weird to admit that I'm kind of glad this is our best outcome?" Yosuke joked. No one had an answer for that, and just watched the inevitable fallout from the sidelines.

Yukiko was the most torn. "Kanji-kun…"

Meanwhile, Kanji and his Shadow were in their own world, the former watching his double climb out of the pool and then stumble down to the floor. Both had a hurt jaw, but the impact of the punch was more emotional than physical.

"You… you punched me?!" The Shadow screeched, cradling his swollen cheekbone.

"Quit whining. If you have my face, then you should at least be able to take a punch."

"But why… why would you help the same sex that ridiculed you?! Why would you lie to yourself?!?"

"Yukiko-senpai and the others don't deserve that kind of crap! A true man doesn't make girls cry, let alone hurt them!"

'That's rich! Coming from the guy who made Shana-chan cry!"

Kanji flinched but stood vigilant. "And you think blaming everyone associated with her is any better!? You claim you're like me, but you're a rag-wearing pansy throwing a hissy-fit! Take responsibility, dammit!"

Shadow Kanji's posture was outright hostile. Barred teeth, clenched fists… and especially the glowing aura that Kanji could see spike. "Even you reject me now? You reject me like everyone else?!"

"I don't know what the hell is going on, but I know two things for sure. For one, I'd never be able to look Naoto in the eye if I let you have your way. And second…" He pointed defiantly at the Shadow and yelled, "This is no way in hell you're me!"

Shadow Kanji growled, and the aura around him grew darker. Kanji felt a distinct feeling that he was getting weaker but tried to stare him down. He did, however, step back as soon as the Guy Shadows landed behind Shadow Kanji with mighty thuds to crack the wood.

"YOOOOOOOU…" he bellowed. "I WILL MAKE YOU REGRET EVER SPURNING MEEEEEEE!"

An explosion of darkness knocked Kanji off his feet, his body sliding over the wet wood tiling. Try as he might, he couldn't get back up, like a lead weight was strapped over his chest. The Investigation Team hurried past him with weapons drawn for battle.

When the dust and smoke settled, standing there was a giant figure with a size and muscle bulk that dwarfed even the Guys by a few extra feet. Shadow Kanji was now an Olympian in physique and colored in perfect monochrome; half white, half black, wearing only a loincloth. Around the upper body was a bed of roses arranged like a Mars symbol pointing down to the crotch, and vines grew out to entangle around the arms. Surprisingly enough, Shadow Kanji's original face was still intact, popping out of the bed of roses from the chest up. Perhaps the most alarming feature of this Shadow's form was the pair of golden Mars symbols it held like weapons.

"I am a Shadow, the true self! And all I want to do is be true to myself! I don't care who gets in my way, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO KILL THEM DEAD!"

To follow through with this threat, Shadow Kanji took a single step forward before swinging his right-hand gold weight down so that the round end would hit the ground.

"Scatter!" Shirou ordered as he lifted the real Kanji up, and the team split in time before the attack connected, barely avoiding the shockwave explosion that followed. Dust and splinters were sent flying from the impact, with a piece of sharper shrapnel nicking Yukiko in the arm.

"Yukiko!" Chie cried. She would have rushed to her friend's side if they hadn't been separated by the attack with Tama, Teddie, and Yosuke being in similar straits.

"Ahh!" she yelped, reflexively covering her arm. "I-I'm all right!"

"Me too, sorta!" Rise whined on all fours, having tripped during the escape.

"You won't be when I'm through with you!" Shadow Kanji roared, stepping forward to swing the second weight down where they were.

"Izanagi!"

Luckily, Shirou was with them, and his God Persona intercepted the attack in time. To ease off on the pressure, he also let out a Zio attack through the weapon to shock their enemy. He may be stronger than a normal Shadow, but with gold being an excellent conductor, it was only natural that the effect should stun him for a bit.

"Hmm?" Shadow Kanji, however, didn't seem affected at all. His lecherous grin just grew wider. "Are you really trying to taze me, bro? Bitch, please. Fanatical Spark!"

Almost right away, a stronger surge of blue thunder pulsed out from his body and through his metal symbols, shocking the ground around him. Shirou immediately tried to buffer as much damage as possible so the shock wouldn't hit the girls behind him. He and Izanagi held out due to natural resistance, but the force was stronger than any other electric attack he had felt until now, and nearly caused his legs to buckle.

"Emiya-kun!" Yukiko cried.

He winced and exhaled a steady breath as the last sparks of electricity died out, with Izanagi barely staying stable. "That… shouldn't have hurt as much as it did."

The Shadow reared back his second arm as he spoke. "A bit of advice, mano-to-mano; a real man can dish as much as he can take, not either or. Try again when your Zio is a Zionga at least."

After sharing his advice, he swung the weight at Izanagi's open midsection. He took sadistic joy at Shirou's wide-eyed expression of pain before he went… bing?

"Huh?" he blinked before he noticed a transparent shell around him, and the sudden appearance of a Shaman Persona. "Well, that's new."

"What in the--?" Shirou asked aloud, before noticing he was being held from behind by Himiko's user. Rather close at that, since he could feel her brushing against his back. "Rise?!"

Rise giggled, sliding the visor off to look at him. "Himiko's not a fighter like the rest of you guys, but she can support you and protect me. I thought that if you were in her small shield range, she could protect you guys too."

Yukiko was beside them too, just under Himiko's body. Between the quick thinking and ingenuity of her skills, Shirou couldn't help but smile at her. He didn't even mind the skinship as it meant that their lives had been saved. For now, anyway. "Thanks."

Rise smiled, as did Yukiko.

That moment of peace shattered as a harder strike rang against Himiko's shield. Rise yelped, biting her lip down against the phantom pain. "Amagi, can you heal her?"

"Not in here, there's not enough room for Konohana Sakuya!"

"Guess it's up to Pixie," he said, summoning the fey right away. But with her limited healing, it would be a stalling tactic at best. He just needed to wait on the others to find an opening…

"So all I have to do now is break your little bubble? This is too easy!" Shadow Kanji gloated, continuing his assault. "I'm not even sure if I need my posse to help me whip you bad boys and girls down!"

Shadow Kanji's smile was soon wiped out as a fast, straight punch hit his face hard. "Aacck!" The gargantuan Shadow stomped back, almost dropping the symbols outright, while his small human hands cradled his important feature. "My face!"

"Keep your dirty monochrome hands off of Risette's Persona!" Yosuke shouted, sprinting alongside Jiraiya to get some quick hits in. "The fight's just getting started!"

Yosuke managed to quickly stab at the Shadow's legs, taking advantage of its top-heavy size. Jiraiya continued to deck the Shadow like a boxer, ducking and dodging every time the enemy Shadow tried to swing those gaudy weights around. The weight played a huge factor as he couldn't lash out against the naturally agile Persona quickly enough. Now fully absorbed in fighting Jiraiya, Shadow Kanji was successfully dragged away from Himiko so the others could recover without pressure.

Despite the strong start, Shadow Kanji wasn't worried. He had been in fights before with street gangs, and knew that the quick ones usually had piss-poor endurance. All he needed was just one opportunity, and an opening for that hit. "Has anyone ever told you that you've been coming on too strongly?"

It seemed to have worked as Yosuke's expression gave away to shock, but instead of pressing the attack or slipping, he just jumped back. "Nope! Ignoring that! Your turn, Satonaka!"

"Aww, don't be like-GYAH!"

The Shadow's banter was interrupted, this time by a hard staff strike at his stomach. Tomoe held her weapon there for a second before lowering and pointing it down. Chie, running straight forward, stepped on her Persona's staff before her for a boost in momentum. In perfect synchronized movement refined with hours of practice, Chie jumped as Tomoe lifted.

The spirited girl soared in the air, higher than she could ever achieve on her own. She reached the surprised real body of Shadow Kanji in the bed of flowers, and threw her leg forward to meet him. "Galaxy Kick!"

In a panic, he tried waving his hands to stop her. "Wa-Wa-Wa-Wait just a FUMPF!"

Shadow Kanji's words died as Chie's foot sank into his face. Literally. It was like the face was just a putty mold that she ruined and it imploded around her boot.

"I didn't think that could really happen!" Although she didn't show it or say it in the heat of the moment, Chie was quite disturbed. She had seen this kind of thing happen in anime, but never in real life. Then again, the Shadow World worked on different rules and this was the Shadow of Kanji Tatsumi, not the human.

Luckily, with her other foot free, she broke loose by applying an impromptu backflip to launch herself back and out of the Shadow's body. With the added bonus of hitting him a little more.

She even stuck the landing back on the ground with a crouch and just some cracked wood. "Ha! That went perfectly!"

"Hell yeah, it did!" Yosuke agreed with a grin. "This guy may be a titan, but he's slow as hell!"

Annoyed and head ringing, Shadow Kanji lurched back upright with his weights as support. His humane face returned to normal but had lost its haughty smile. "Slow as hell, huh? Well, I have just the remedy for that." He turned slightly back to the Guy Shadows, patiently hanging in the back since the fight started. "Boys! I'm going to need your help after all!"

"But of course!" Tough Guy smiled, already striding into the battle.

"Let's make this quick just to be on the safe side, Master Kanji," Nice Guy said, flexing his muscles in a rear double biceps pose. "Heat Riser!"

A triad of colors (orange, green, purple) flowed over Shadow Kanji's body, before a stunning rainbow aura shone around him. Whatever had just happened, it couldn't be good.

"Let's blitz him!" Yosuke shouted. "We just need to focus on Kanji!"

Rise, with Himiko still active, notice a sudden spike of power in Shadow Kanji, and paled. "Guys, wait! He's—!"

The warning came too little too late. Jiraiya and Tomoe vaulted forward, easily jumping over Tough Guy who tried to intercept them with a grapple. With a winding fist and twirling spear respectively, they struck forward at Shadow Kanji's smug face.

But he just grinned against the Personas' blows, the muscles of his face actually hurting Jiraiya's fist than the other way around.

Yosuke gulped as a sense of trepidation set in, a feeling he was all too familiar with when pain was imminent. "Oh crap."

"Harder!"

He grabbed Jiraiya's arm and spun him around like a flail, giving Yosuke an uneasy sense of vertigo like riding a roller coaster without actually moving. The wild attack caused Tomoe to back away in order to avoid friendly fire.

"Better!"

He then hurled Jiraiya to the other end of the room, the Persona's body crashing through a small support beam and against the wall. Yosuke quickly followed suit with a wall dent of his own, and felt enough pain from the attack to knock him out. Jiraiya fizzled out of existence soon after.

Angered, Tomoe lunged forward with her spear, trusting her reaction time to be faster than the bulky Shadow's. He was still leaning forward when he had thrown Jiraiya so there couldn't be enough time to even block her strike.

"Faster!"

A blink later, he was gone, and her spear pierced the empty space where his shoulder used to be. Instead Shadow Kanji was looming behind her, grinning with both arms raised behind him with the weights pointed downward.

"STRONGER!"

BOOM!

The wooden floor exploded from the impact, leaving a hard bedrock underneath. When the dust settled, there was no sign of Tomoe left, let alone a gory corpse.

Chie exhaled a breath of relief, having dismissed her Persona at the last moment. The act was so shocking and draining that she nearly collapsed to the ground. "I didn't think that would work…"

"Clever girl," Shadow Kanji admitted, before turning fully towards her. "But not clever enough!"

"Cu Sith! Sic'em, boy!"

Those were words no one, least of all Shirou himself, would ever expect to hear him say out loud. But it served as a perfect distraction to the giant Shadow as a green fey dog charged forward with a snarl and swung its whip-like tail with a powerful slash. For good measure, Konohana Sakuya lobbed fireballs his way at a distance, forcing the Shadow to back away least he be burned.

As his Persona landed blows, a slightly bruised Shirou closed the distance to Chie and helped her up. "We have to get rid of his weapons. Can you still use ice?"

"Yeah, but I'm better at physical attacks. You know that."

"Amagi will help too. It'll work, just wait on my signal."

"But—!"

"Trust me, Satonaka."

Chie would have argued more, but the finality on Shirou's words told her that this wasn't up for debate. Not in the middle of a deadly Shadow battle, anyway. And he was their leader at the end of the day. He trusted them to follow his lead, and she trusted him to know what he was talking about.

But more importantly, Tough Guy choose that moment to make a beeline for them and swing a haymaker down their way, forcing both of them to leap away at the last moment.

"I don't know what you're planning, but you're not going to hurt Master Kanji as long as I'm around," he taunted, flexing his arm before charging at her again.

"Fine by me!" Chie shouted. "I've been meaning to get payback for that sneak attack, you creep!"

Her foot shot forward to stop his fist, and the impact cracked the ground beneath them. Undeterred, Tough Guy threw another punch at her. Chie hopped back and turned to dodge out of the range of his fist, and then finished her spin by lifting another leg to strike him in the face.

A hit!

Chie's victory was short lived as the Shadow's eyes snapped open and he threw a punch at her midsection before she had time to dodge. The force was enough to knock her into the air, back a few feet, and land hard on the ground.

Tough Guy took the time to crack his neck muscles from the hit but didn't let his eyes leave her downed form. "You're going to have to try better than that to beat me, girl."

Despite the ringing pang in her abdomen, Chie pushed herself up and smiled. "Don't worry," she said, with Tomoe's card in view, just in range of her high kick. "I haven't even begun to fight."

Snarling, Tough Guy rushed over with rapid fisticuffs, the blows matched by Tomoe's rapid spear work as she burst into being. Chie kept her distance, bouncing back and forth as her Persona fought the bodybuilder. Despite the severity of the battle and stakes raised, she felt a sort of adrenaline high that made her excited.

This felt natural. Perfect, even. She didn't need to compare herself to anyone else, least of all Shirou, because in this moment, she was in her element. And she could kick this Shadow's ass all on her own.

As they squared off, Shadow Kanji was slowly gaining an edge over Cu Sith now that the element of surprise was gone. His enhanced senses made all the difference, as he now matched the fey dog Persona in agility, taunting him by twirling his symbol around in front of him. "You want the stick, doggie? WELL GO FETCH!"

He slashed the symbol sideways, meeting Cu Sith's face with the narrow arrow edge. A single blow was enough to send the dog flying and he dispelled out of his corporeal form with a whine. Shirou, meanwhile, coughed some blood out of his mouth alongside the phantom pain.

"I told you I'm unstoppable, baby!" The flamboyant Shadow grinned, stomping over to him. "You're not the only one that likes to use a team, and mine are in a class of their own! With such sexy bods to boot!"

"Do you ever shut up?" Shirou snapped. Sure, the other Shadows liked to gloat, but this one was especially loose-lipped.

"Don't be like that, hun!" he smiled, inching ever closer to him. "You'll enjoy the sound of silence when you and your little buddies die real soon! So just wait because there's nothing you can do to stop it! It'll be over faster than you can say—"

"Dekaja!"

The sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the room as the powerful aura around Shadow Kanji faded away. The bulky Shadow tripped mid-step, having lost his speed and he fell to the ground in a comically graceless flop. Everyone turned to see the one responsible, a recovered Yosuke in a crouched position, left hand over his face, and right arm clenching his short blade to summon Jiraiya again; who mirrored his posture.

"Ha! So much for your little power-up!" Yosuke grinned. "Took me a while to remember I that had this spell to use, but like with my self-healing, it's a jack-of-all-trades thing, and the perfect counter to use against you! What do you say to that?!"

"Heat Riser!

Almost immediately after, the same rainbow glow surrounded Shadow Kanji, giving him a literal second wind. Everyone's gaze was now on the monochrome bodybuilder, flexing his muscles to a side chest pose.

"I say your intelligence is almost as pitiful as your hand dexterity!" Nice Guy shouted. "I am Master Kanji's shield, and I will continue to support him with the necessary means to defeat you! Your efforts are useless! Useless! Useless, useless, use-!"

"Dekaja!" The shattered glass effect promptly ended the Guy's rant, and depowered Shadow Kanji once again. Yosuke and Jiraiya seemed to pose again for the spell, arms crossed like a T and both hands flipping the bird.

"The same thing applies to you, dumbass," he said. "As long as I can keep your so-called 'Master' back on a level playing field, it's a win for me. Keeping you preoccupied to do nothing but waste prana on him is just a bonus. And FYI, that impersonation sucked!"

With a snarl and popped blood vein, Nice Guy made a front lat spread as he cast his spell again. "Heat Riser! You wouldn't know sucking if you were a pufferfish! You're the one wasting prana like the mewling knave you are!"

Without skipping a beat, Yosuke leaned forward with both arms extended back, imitating a hawk in motion. "Dekaja! I can do this all day, Tiny!"

"Heat Riser! Cannot!"

"Dekaja! Can too!"

"Heat Riser!"

"Dekaja!"

"Heat Riser!"

"Dekaja!"

"HEAT RISER!"

"DEKAJA!"

The two of them (three if you counted the Persona) continued to shift their bodies as they volleyed their spells like a ping-pong match. Shadow Kanji continued to glow and dim in rapid succession, staring at himself in shock and confusion. In the meantime, Shirou kept his distance away from Kanji and close to Yukiko as her Persona quickly applied Dia-grade first aid.

Rise groaned. "If it weren't for the fact that they're actually throwing spells around, I'd accuse them of immaturely showboating at each other. Feels like a kind of thing you'd read in a shōnen manga."

"Well, it's working to keep the Nice Guy occupied, so I'm willing to overlook it," Shirou said. "Right now, we need to get rid of Kanji's symbols while he's distracted."

"Sounds great, but how? The only other guys strong enough to lift those things are… well, the Guys!"

"Is it part of the plan you told me about earlier, Emiya-kun?" asked Yukiko.

"Yeah, but we still need help from one other person," he said, before calling out across the room. "Satonaka, are you ready?"

"Give me a sec!" Chie called back, still fighting Tough Guy. "Just need one good hit…"

"That's my line, girl," the Shadow said. It was a testament to his fitness that he could speak so evenly while exerting his muscles to throw a Rampage of fisticuffs. "Once I get you into another sleeper hold, you'll stay asleep."

Jumping out of range of his attack, Chie bent her knees down to make herself looser. "Yeah, not gonna happen. Not this time. I'm done playing games here."

Tomoe was suddenly dismissed, a brief flash that startled the Shadow long enough for her to close the distance between them.

Both incredulous and insulted, Tough Guy's face morphed to a stern frown as he readied his fists for another Rampage. "Do you have a death wish, girl?!"

"Oh, I'm making a wish all right! On a shooting star!" She leaped forward in a hop, spinning in place, and then landed on her left foot. With her right extended at the same time. Aimed right for his crotch. "Galactic Punt!"

BOOM! CRASH! Ding!

With a powerful roundhouse kick, the Tough Guy Shadow was sent flying so hard and fast that he might as well have been shot out of a cannon. The quick crash that followed came from the bathhouse roof, where Tough Guy left behind a perfect outline of his body from launch; hunched forward, rounded edges for shoulders where the arms should be, and legs crossed over each other. No doubt he was still in that position even as he soared further beyond the horizon.

Everyone stopped and stared, still processing what they had just witnessed. From his hiding spot, Teddie broke the silence asking aloud the important question. "What the fluff just happened?!"

"I… think she just kicked Tough Guy to the moon. If there is one in this world," Shirou answered slowly. Looking down, he noticed a faint viscous liquid splashed in front of Chie, and it didn't look like sauna water.

"Yay!" Rise cheered as she pumped her fists up. "Just what I'd expect from Chie-senpai! Woo!"

Yukiko giggled. "Well, she's the strongest one of us on the team, that's just to be expected."

"Uh, well… it's nothing, really!" Chie said, slightly embarrassed at the praise.

"You killed Tough Guy," Nice Guy croaked, before his face scowled with intense hatred. "YOU KILLED TOUGH GUY!" He started to dash towards her, forgetting all about his Master Kanji in order to enact vengeance on his other half.

"And you're joining him, sissy!" Yosuke yelled, Jiraiya lunging towards him with a sucker punch before he could reach her. POW! A single blow to the jaw was enough to rear the Shadow back and knock him on his back. But the attack left Yosuke with a phantom pain in his arm that Jiraiya had punched with. "Gaah! Geez, that smarts!"

"My turn~!"

Yosuke paled, looking up through Jiraiya's eyes to see the creepy grinning Shadow Kanji holding one of his symbols up with his beefy hand. He then swing it down like an executioner's ax. The Ninja Persona barely managed to leap to the side at the last moment before the floor exploded in a cloud of wood splinters.

"That clinches it!" Shirou said. "Amagi, Satonaka, it's time!"

"Right!" "Roger, leader!"

Yukiko stepped up first, facing the Shadow of her old friend with her Persona summoned. Konohana Sakuya spread her flower-petalled chain, sending a fan-wave of fire out to strike both of the enemy Shadows. With Nice Guy vulnerable and only able to curl closer to his body at the moment, Shadow Kanji used his symbols to protect his face and flower garden under his torso. The flames harmlessly licked over them, which given their girth and stamina, might as well be comparable to a sun's heat wave.

"What was that?!" Shadow Kanji taunted. "Compared to all the blunt blows your posse made, I barely felt a thing!"

"Don't worry! We'll cool you right off!"

From the other end of where Yukiko stood, Chie was behind him, and their Personas acted quickly. Sarasvati played a note on her lyre, and Tomoe spun her naginata in place; both actions followed with blocks of ice flying in a wide spread.

Grinning, Shadow Kanji turned to face them and shielded himself again. The ice came just as quickly as the fire, and felt just as harmless. "I always knew girls were weak, but this is just pathetic!"

CRACK!

"Eh?" Shadow Kanji looked down, seeing his weapons crumble in his hands until they were just gold dust. "My symbols!"

"Funny thing about metal," Shirou said, smirking. "It has a higher tolerance to temperature than most objects, but it still expands in heat and contracts in cold. Normally the act to expose it so quickly in fire and ice would be impossible in practical terms, but this world runs on altered reality."

"And gold happens to be the most malleable of known metals," Yukiko added. "Its weight is only possible by its density. Solid gold is simply not strong enough to last under extensive use."

"In other words, you've been scienced!" Chie ended with a dramatic point. "So up yours!"

Yosuke gave her a flat look. "'Scienced', Satonaka? Really?"

"Guys, focus!" Rise said. "He's down and vulnerable! Give him hell!"

The team took the opening as soon as they could, rushing over to the still shocked Shadow Kanji. Shirou hacked at his leg with a slash. Yukiko slapped at his arm with her fan. Chie kicked hard at his crotch. Yosuke jumped up to jab his fingers into his eyes. All these attacks and slapsticks happened in quick brutality, doing everything to end the fight as quickly as possible.

It worked to a degree. When the All-Out Attack ended, the Shadow was ragged and bloodied, but still standing. They just needed to push a little more.

Yet, despite the sudden turnaround, and surrounded by all four fighting members of the Investigation Team, Shadow Kanji didn't rage or despair at losing his weapons. Rather, he started to cackle in mad laughter. That gave Shirou a bad feeling; the giant Shadows always seem to get more emotional as the fight went on, good or bad, and it always meant trouble.

"Oh you darlings are so naïve," Shadow Kanji grinned between giggles. "Let me show you something… absolutely toxic. Forbidden Murmur."

A thick cloud of purple gas suddenly expelled out of his pores and swept around most of the room. Shirou felt the effects almost immediately and he started coughing.

"Emiya-kun!" Yukiko cried, rushing to his side.

"Sh-Shit, I feel so nauseous," Yosuke rasped, quickly supported by the shoulder of Chie.

"Be careful, guys!" Teddie called out from the back. "You've been poisoned!"

"It must be a situational poison," Rise noted. "One that targets men."

"Bingo! Give the piglet a prize!" Shadow Kanji chuckled. "As you can see, I don't need my sex toys to defeat you. Just some… machinations."

The team stopped and stared in shock. Mostly by fear, but the last comment raised even more questions. "Uh… did he just call his weapons—"

"SHUT UP, HANAMURA!" Chie flushed and snapped before he could finish that question, going as far as to push him away.

"There it is! The bloody rage! Let me help you bring it out! Let me hear your Roar of Wrath!"

This time, orange-red gas expelled out of his body. The team immediately edged back and covered their mouths, wary of inhaling the unknown substance that could be something poisonous again. Shirou didn't feel any different, so he believed that nothing had happened.

For about five seconds.

"RAAAAAAAAA!"

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

"Shirou-sensei, watch out! Chie-chan and Yuki-chan have gone bear-zerk!"

"I can see that, Teddie!" Shirou growled. This was bad; Chie was normally the front-line fighter, but her attacks were so wild that Shadow Kanji was just dancing around her. Yukiko was even worse as she just threw her fan wildly and kept tripping on the water to pick it back up. And they weren't even thinking of using their Personas. Rise was barely able to shield herself with Himiko's barrier, but it was a small comfort, as with two moves the team was effectively crippled.

Shadow Kanji enjoyed every minute of this. "Look ma! No hands!" he taunted, raising both sets of hands up as he moved away.

A gas that poisons men, and a gas that enrages women. At least they weren't mixed, or else a poisonous rage really would be the end of them. Yukiko was the healer, so she needed to recover first. Actually, he could help both her and Chie at once.

"Pixie! Me Patra!"

The fey Persona followed the command right away without commentary, creating a ray of light that illuminated the room in a rainbow cascade. The girls immediately stopped their frenzied movements and clutched their heads from a migraine they were just now becoming aware of.

"Uh… is this what a hangover feels like?" Chie asked aloud. She quickly realized how close they were to Shadow Kanji and stepped protectively in front of Yukiko. "Get back!" she barked, jumping back while at the same time quickly summoning Tomoe to skewer him.

The lance grazed through his arm and triceps, leaving a thick red gash. Growling in both pain and anger, he suddenly spun his upper body into a lariat with such speed that he quickly connected with Tomoe's helmet. Chie herself was whipped to the side, seeing stars and almost knocked clean off her now wobbling feet. A gash started to form on her scalp, marring her features with strings of blood.

"I'll deal with you two later," he promised, already stomping past them. "But first… now Nice Guy!"

Crap! There was still one of those bodybuilders left! Shirou looked around, failing to see any sign of the monochrome Shadow. He wasn't as dangerous as Tough Guy, and not as nimble either. As long as he could find him before he got close enough to—

"Behind you."

Shirou's nerves stood on end. He had no time to summon a new Persona, and simply swung his blade as he turned. Or at least that was the plan before Nice Guy hooked his arms under Shirou's armpits to lock his arms and cross-choke his neck.

"I rarely feel the need to use my Heat Riser technique on myself," the Shadow explained. "But this time is an exception."

Shit, he'd actually enhanced himself while they weren't looking?

"Hey! Let go of him!" Pixie yelled, throwing Zio after Zio at Nice Guy's face. "Why aren't you listening?!"

"Shh shh shh shhhhh," Nice Guy hushed quickly. "Don't struggle. It'll all be over soon."

Yeah, for them. If he could summon a new Persona. Try as she might, Pixie's zaps might as well be bug bites with how they didn't even bother Nice Guy. Between her low aptitude and the poison, it was a struggle for Shirou just to stay awake. Yukiko and Chie were too far away, and Yosuke was casually swatted away by the bigger Shadow.

This was a worst-case scenario.

Grunting through the hold covering his mouth, Shirou immediately imagined Ippon-Datara's card; his power should be enough to pry his body free. Already the card was dancing within range of his hand. If he could just touch it—!

CRUNCH.

Shirou barely fought down an urge to scream. Standing before him, Shadow Kanji had his thick white arm crushing his hand. He tsked and waved his humane hand in a scolding manner. "Not this time, handsome." Forcing his hand up, Shadow Kanji then lifted his arm, reared his titan black arm back, and chopped against his elbow hard.

A crack, then a split, and a complete severing with a sickening squelch of blood.

<><><>

Pain. So much pain. Almost like that one time.

Shirou couldn't stop himself from screaming, but he wasn't sure if he was anymore. All sound seemed to be muted to a dim heartbeat. His own? Or… someone else's?

The Shadow of Kanji had a sardonic smile on his face, whispering something that he couldn't make out. Taunting him, mostly. And pointing to his left arm, holding something. Why? What was… wait. A severed arm?

Oh… so that was what the pain was.

Was this how it will really end? It seemed so surreal. He'd survived countless Shadows before. A giant frog, a towering dominatrix, an angry phoenix, a technocolor stripper… okay, those were pretty ridiculous in hindsight, but did he really need the shame of dying to the most ridiculous of all, a very campy bodybuilder?!

Looks were deceiving, though. It was foolish to think that with his active enforcer gone and his weapons destroyed, Kanji's Shadow would be easier to defeat. He'd had more tricks up his sleeve… and still had the raw power to rip their bones apart.

If the poison didn't kill him, the bleeding from his arm's stump would.

No, he couldn't let this happen. Even now, the others were fighting, desperately. He couldn't make it out clearly though; his vision was getting dark, and he was still being held by Nice Guy in a numbing hold. Almost like fire, and it was burning…

Wait… why was the scenery changing? It was almost like everything had been lit up… and burning….

'My first memory was of fire.'

The scene before his eyes morphed. The steam house was no longer present, the wooden floor having been replaced with cracked asphalt, broken pieces of glass, and random chunks of concrete. The heat surrounding him went from somewhat stifling to a scorching inferno, and the bright red and orange flames darkened to otherworldly black and blueish hues.

Everything burned, even materials that shouldn't be flammable in the first place like rock and steel. People, of course, were no exception.

'My second memory was of the agonized cries of a woman.'

The seven-year-old child he once was covered his ears to the screams. Some begged him for help, others cursing him to die with them, a few uncomprehending ones simply asking for a reason.

All of them in agony, all of them waiting for the release of death. But then again, so was he.

'My third memory was of the tears falling from Father's eyes.'

The pure bliss in Kiritsugu's eyes that day would forever remain in Shirou's memories, even now.

The child wondered how anyone could ever be as happy as him. Was it possible for him too? Was it… as simple as what Fuji-nee said? Being happy with being alive?

Could he be happy with his own life?

'Is it alright for me to live, Father?'

Could he be allowed to live when so many others were denied that right on that day?

Could he be allowed to die today without first atoning for his sins?

'Is it a sin for me to want to live, Father?'

Between the poison and his spurting arm, it hurt to do anything. He felt cold in both body warmth and realization. The bitter realization that if he were to die here and now, the killer would get away. That his friends, whether they survived or not, would never be the same.

In the end it was fear that pushed the magus, the Persona user, into action; the realization that the enemy may not stop after claiming its first victim too terrible to bear.

'I want to live!'

Shirou Emiya couldn't allow himself to die yet, not like this. Not with his friends on the line. He'd brought them here, possibly leading them to their defeat, they were his responsibility.

He had to live in order to save them, no matter the cost to himself.

'I want to be ____!'

Damn the poison, damn the Nice Guy, damn the arm! He could still call someone to save them from this fight. He reached deep into his soul, to find a Persona that could answer his call. Either they ignored his plea, or it went unheard in his weakened state, so he called again, deeper.

And that's when he heard it; a primal roar unlike any Persona he had ever seen or heard before. It was simply indiscernible. He thought he also heard Izanagi cry out, but the sound was quickly silenced. What was left was a raw power that seemed to just consume him. A Tarot card appeared, just in front of his eye, blackened as the night sky on each side. He reached for it with his hand, barely aware that it was now ablaze.

'Fire is my blood!'

<><><>

"I'LL KILL YOU!!"

Tomoe surged forward in a powerful thrust that punctured Shadow Kanji in the stomach. To his credit, he grinned despite a slight trail of blood coming out of his mouth. "Ha, to think this was enough to send you into a frenzy! Maybe I should have played with his little piggies first."

Chie roared again, rushing to sweep-kick his legs, only stopped by his thick muscle. Gritting her teeth, she jumped away before he could swat her across the room.

This wasn't supposed to happen! They were supposed to kick Kanji's Shadow's ass, give him a pep talk, and bring him back home! Even with the close calls they'd had in previous fights, they always came back in top form. They were ready this time! READY!

And yet Emiya-kun… his arm… his arm was—!

"Yuki-chan! Yosuke-senpai! Shirou-senpai's heartbeat is dropping way too fast! You have to get him out of there NOW!"

"What the hell does it look like we're doing?!"

"Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay…!"

Chie heard so many voices from the others going around, but her eyes were focused solely on the bastard Shadow, grinning like a murder clown as he blocked most of Tomoe's strikes. She had to get his attention, just long enough for them to get to Emiya-kun!

But Shadow Kanji could see them both trying to run past him on either side, and he held his arms out wide in expectancy. "Ooh, don't be like that! Come closer and hold me! HOOOLD MEEEEE!"

At the height of his scream, Fanatical Sparks flew around him in a wide radius around him; a perfect maneuver of attack and defense. The teens screamed in pain, Yosuke taking the worst as he was knocked out thanks to his weakness towards electricity. Due to a combination of pain and exhaustion in constantly trying to get past Kanji, Yukiko too collapsed.

Chie forced herself to stay up, trying so hard not to let herself trip over her feet by counting her heaving breaths. Just needed to rest a bit, then try again, maybe hit him just hard enough to win?

No, that was foolish. He might be weak, but everyone else was weaker and he knew it. Yukiko's prana reserves were almost all gone, and even after she purged his poison, Yosuke was too weak to help now. What could Chie do on her own? Without Emiya-kun?

"This is bad," Rise said, as if also realizing the severity of the situation. "This is really, really bad."

"Don't worry, guys! I still got the item bag! I'll save Shirou-sensei!"

Shadow Kanji's eyes glanced over to the room entrance, where Teddie and Tama had dragged the real Kanji over since the fight started. Teddie, seeing the Shadow stare at him down, quickly covered his mouth.

"Aww, so the teddy bear wants to help too? I almost forgot about you, but we have a no pets policy," Shadow Kanji said. He cracked his knuckles and started to march over to him. "Well, I was thinking of redecorating with some animal skin pelts anyway."

BOOOM!

A sudden explosion and subsequent heatwave stopped the fight. Everyone turned to the source, to see a giant tower of fire where Shirou and Nice Guy were last.

Only Nice Guy was nowhere to be seen; the most likely explanation was he was instantly incinerated from the blast. All that stood there now was their leader, covered in a shadowy hue… and a flaming arm, cradling a Tarot Card.

Chie felt relieved at first, as this meant he was okay and had a great comeback going. But the more she looked at him, the more she felt a sense of fear and foreboding, that something was terribly wrong. "E-Emiya…kun?"

The fire wasn't blue, instead being a tainted, bloody orange. It was bigger, and more volatile than any summoning fire before. The Tarot card summoned… it was hard to tell if it even WAS Tarot because both spinning sides were completely black.

And when he spoke… it was like a voice of the Legion, unable to hear anything but a deafening, crushing voice.

"K̷̬̬̲̝̗͓̎̄̄̏͛̀͑̀̈͝å̵̯g̷̢̪̲̬̫̜͗̄̀̽͛̈́̋͠͠ų̴͈͕̳̮̺͓̖̏͒t̶̨̰͇͉̭̱͎̠́̍̃̓͒͝͠s̴̙͖͕̫͖̻͙̥̗̍́̑͗͜ū̸̯̫̜͙̂̇̍͋c̷̡̹̥̳̩͚͚̮̈́̔̄̋͆̾͝ĥ̶̹̗͔̼̻̺͇̥͖̿̈́ȉ̵̡͎͇̻̺̹͇̄̅͋."

The summoning that came forth was like an explosion, bigger than the last, that blinded everything in light, and then, silence.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 39: Crash and Burn


When the light finally faded, only Shirou was still standing. Everyone else had been blown away to the far corners of the room. Even Shadow Kanji was forced to kneel and raise his arms to buffer the worst of the explosion of raw power.

Standing over Shirou was a Persona more fearsome than any they had ever seen before, one that could almost be mistaken as a Shadow. It was masculine in form, and only visible from the torso up as an endless cycle of flames erupted from below like a turbine engine. Charcoal black covered every inch of the giant's body, with specks of black ash fluttering off his body as if it was decomposing. He was illuminated with molten red flames that lit up crack-like veins. All the veins connected to the center of his body, where a blood red circle was visible, pulsing with each breath like a heartbeat. The arms were as long as boa constrictors, topped off with sharp obsidian-shaded nails. The face was the only body part not obscured in any black, and rather was like looking directly at the sun. Bright, pulsating orange-red light with flames swirled around the rim of his "face" in a clockwise fashion, with a yellow gold sheen in the middle from a metal, angular face. It was more of a mask than a face, lacking any facial features, but it managed to express hostility just through body language.

Shadow Kanji forced a laugh as he pushed himself up. "Tehehe~! Oh, you think you're so cute getting a surprise power-up after a near death experience! You're barely standing over there, and you want to tussle with me again?"

Shirou didn't answer back. The Shadow had a point that he shouldn't be anywhere close to fighting fit, but it wasn't normal to just summon a new monstrous Persona, much less a flaming arm where the last one was cut off.

"Oh, the silent treatment, huh?" Shadow Kanji spat when it was clear that Shirou wouldn't reply. "Fine! I'll tenderize you just like I did your little friends! Heeeeere I~!"

"B̸͓̏u̵͎̟͚̒̽͑̃r̸̜̺̪͍̐͗̿̌n̴.̷̞͑͑͋"

A barely audible command was the only warning before a column of flame exploded just behind the Shadow, with the force and shock of a cannon. He was frozen stiff in fear; even if he couldn't see it, he could feel the flames lick dangerously close to his back. The heat was enough to wilt some of his roses and thorns growing from his upper body.

Just as quickly as the attack came, it went away, and only then did Shadow Kanji look behind his back to see the attack's aftermath. A punctured hole in the wood, followed by very darkened char and still crumbling ash was the only proof that an attack had happened.

He then turned back to Shirou and Kagutsuchi. Where the hell did that firepower come from? He didn't even see that big flaming Persona move any more than a finger flick!

Still, Shadow Kanji felt some hope and glee shine through with an uproarious laugh. All that power and he missed?! "What did I tell you, hun?! You can't even aim right with that sorry excuse of a genie! Did you lose your cool along with all that warm blood earlier?"

"T̴̩͉͕̞͛̈h̴̼̒͘á̷͙̜t̴̳̗̥̐͛̅͛ ̶̘͍͊͠w̴̧̡̹̓̊ͅa̶̲̱͉̪͑̌͘ś̵͕͖̤̀͌̿ ̵̢̧͝͝ȃ̸̟͚̾ ̷͎̩̺̆̈̈́w̷̻̕a̸̦͋̑ṙ̸̪̊͂͑n̵̛̫̿̽̍i̵̧̱͓͉̍n̵͕͝g̶̹͈̩̈́̆̿ ̶̡̣̆̈́͗̃ş̶́h̵̰̥̓o̶̮̲͕̅̓͝t̵̟̥̫̄̌̊, ̵̗̙͐̈́"Shirou told him coldly, his voice still vibrating with an ethereal tone. "T̵̳̤͉͆h̷͔̏e̷̯͒̄ ̶̧͍̩̂̓͊͠n̷̨̼̖̅ę̶͂̀̊ẍ̴̖̹̠̼́͐̉͠t̵͚̫͇̱͠ ̸̮̣̍̑̈́̀ö̴̱͉͉̬́̀̓̆n̸̢̡̯̼̈́e̸͎͎͂ ̵̘͕͝ẉ̵͍̬͆͌̑ö̶͚͕̘́͜n̴͎̰̯̜̂͂̽̎'̸̘̞̤̓t̶̗̘̺͊͜ ̶̩̰́̔͋͠ḿ̷̺̫̟̰̆̚ĩ̶͈̎s̸̡̝͎͍͂ṣ̴͋.̶̠̯̔̇̂"

The next one won't miss.

The next one won't miss.

That single sentence circled in Shadow Kanji's mind like a mantra of madness, eating away at his confidence. His smile stayed, but only a shell of its former mirth as his face turned sickly blue. He meant those words.

No… this bastard had to be bluffing! And why wouldn't he? Bluffing was expected in high intensity fights, when someone was on their last legs!

"You sexy, insufferable asshole!" The Shadow yelled. "You're going to regret not finishing me off when you had the chance!"

Shirou lifted his stub, and the flaming arm gestured to come closer. Kagutsuchi mimicked the action. "T̴̘͕̼́̍͐h̷̬͈̮̖͊̃̔e̴̥͑̈́͒̉ǹ̵͇̮̪͑̓̋ ̷̳̩͖͛̈́̃͝g̶̼͉̳̾̍ò̶̪ ̶̥̗̓̓ä̸͈̪́h̶̯͖̆ͅe̴̡̖͎̱̔̈́a̸̲͍͗d̷̹͙̓̌.̸̻͔̮̹͆̒ ̵̳̍͋̉T̸̨͍̥̣͒̈́à̶̢̘̻͊̄k̵̘̟͗ë̴͙͇̫̩̐͂̍ ̷̗̆͊́͝ÿ̷̳̳̜̫́͐ȍ̵̞̝̲̔͌̆͜ǘ̶̗̯̳̿r̸̡̗͉̝̍̋́̉ ̷͈̖̇̃͠f̵͈͒͋̉͗r̴̢̰̈ȅ̶̡͚e̴͙̼̜̙͗̑̔ ̸̧̨̘̮̏ş̶̛̠̗̾͝h̶̡͙͊̀͒o̵̝͒̕͜͠t̴̢̮̰̑̐͠.̸̢̠͉̫͋́̄̕ ̴̯̳̙̈́̑̀E̸̛̫̳̯̋͌̑v̶̨̐̍͝ė̸̯̉ŗ̶͙̣̦̂̒y̵̛̰͚͍͈ö̵̧̝́n̷̥̜͈̎̿̚͝ě̸̖̠̭ ̶͍̮̐̅̍̌g̷̩̜̤̻͆e̶̠̲̳̅̓̏t̷̞͇̩͉͂̿̌͝s̵̼͌͂͗̿ ̸͚͇͎̾̍̇̑͜ȏ̸͈͍̆ņ̷̠̥̪̔e̴͔̫̋͂.̶͙̺̲̐͑͜"

Oh, that was it!

Shadow Kanji roared as he broke into a sprint. His monochrome feet cracked the wood with each step, reminding everyone just how much power was in his bulk.

Shirou made no move to dodge, but his new Persona hovered down to intercept. To further mock the Shadow, Kagutsuchi spread its arms open.

"DIIIIIIE!"

Shadow Kanji threw a heavy punch forward, strong enough to crack apart bones and stone with ease. And Shirou himself should know, given what happened to him just five minutes ago.

But when the punch connected, it hit Kagutsuchi like a soft clap. No power, no tension… just a casual impact. Everyone stared with astonishment.

In awe, Chie voiced her thoughts out loud. "What the hell…?"

Shadow Kanji was frozen in fear. His quivering eyes looked up to the fire god Persona before him; if he had a face, it would probably be sneering at his feeble punch.

With a panicked snarl, Shadow Kanji punched with his other arm, equivalent to a rifle shot in speed and power. Despite having a body made of charcoal and ash, the hit bounced off of Kagutsuchi as if hitting rubber. He simply tried again with the same arm.

"GRRAAAAAAAAGH!" Again and again, the Shadow unleashed an onslaught of punches. Every hit connected to Kagutsuchi's body, but he showed no signs of pain.

Eventually the assault stopped, with the Shadow forced to catch his breath and notice a numbing burn on his large knuckles. Kagutsuchi's body was like molten rock, but so hot to the touch that the constant friction had set his arms on fire. It was enough to make him panic and try to snuff them out with fanning and slapping.

In desperation, he quickly followed up with another move. "Fanatical Spark!" The flames in his enlarged hands were quickly extinguished as electricity flew out in curving arcs. Wood cracked, water splashed, the room shook as thunder itself struck inside. And with such close proximity, the Shadow was confident that it would be the killing blow.

But… nothing followed. His move was enough to mow down the rest of the team, yet the floating, flaming Persona didn't look phased at all.

"I̵̦͒s̷̠̑̕ ̵͎̍ț̶͌h̷̨͍͔̔a̸̛̤͌t̸̘̽́ ̴̰̫͚̋̑̀ǐ̵͙͍t̸̰̩̩̓̋?̸̯͗" Shirou asked in a bored tone. Shadow Kanji flinched, involuntarily taking a step back.

"Why… why am I scared?" he asked himself aloud. "You may be tough and can take a hit, but you're nothing, you hear?! I knocked you down once, and I can finish the job! I… I'm the man of the house! The manliest thing to ever shit out pure rugged, meaty beauty! What can a poser like you possibly do to me?!"

As if to challenge his taunt, Kagutsuchi finally moved his hand. It was a slow action, watching the long fingers flex to reveal his palm, and a spark of flame started to spin in place. It looped once, glowing in a bright circle. It spun again, but slower as the epicenter was longer now.

Shadow Kanji knew that if he finished charging that attack, it would be over. The deciding factor came down to whether Shirou would pull the trigger in time or not. And yet that Shirou bastard stood there, staring at him with those scornful eyes. He had changed ever since his near-death experience, as if his Persona gave him assurance in his victory. It was infuriating to admit too, but nothing Shadow Kanji had could possibly kill him at this point.

Well, if he couldn't hurt the Persona itself, might as well nip the bud at the source.

"So you're finally going to try and attack me, huh?" He crackled. "Too bad you seem to be using all your energy on your Persona…"

With surprising strength and speed still in his legs, Shadow Kanji leaped like a cheetah to close the distance between him and Shirou, arms raised high for an electric-charged haymaker. "BECAUSE YOU'RE WIDE OPEN!"

The onlookers gasped at the danger their leader was in. From that angle he would be lucky if his spine or brain didn't crack like a watermelon. It looked like this time that Shadow Kanji's blow would be for the kill. A good thing too as the third cycle was just being marked.

"SHIROU-SENSEI!" "GET AWAY!" "EMIYA-KUN!!"

But Shirou did not move back. He did not react. He simply leveled his flaming arm and…

FHOOOOM!

An endless stream fanned out as if coming from a flamethrower.

In midair, Shadow Kanji couldn't follow through with his attack. The flame instantly burned his eyes, and his rose bush burned all the way to the roots. His arms swung down, but the pain and blindness made his action sloppy, missing the mark entirely.

In fact, the flames were so intense that they had the force of air behind them and managed to push the giant back to his starting position, give or take a few extra feet. Even from his distance he could feel the heat scorch with the intensity of a summer day – no, a burning building.

It was no mere flame. It was the gale of an inferno. That boy literally had that power in his fingertips, when by all accounts he shouldn't. Or maybe… it wasn't him at all?

"Who the hell are you?" Shadow Kanji asked in horror.

"Ý̸͎́͋͠͝o̵̧̼̻͛́͠ü̶̖̮̜̺̓r̵͙͎̭͋́ ̸̟͚̭͈̜̦̇̈́̀̋̈́́r̷͉̮͚̆̆e̸̹̭̪̙̣̿̓͂͝c̷̮̰̟̈́͌̈́̌̆̕k̵̟̓̍̚͜o̷̞̓͑͗n̸̡̰̫̤̑̎͋͒͜i̶̢̮̜̟͛͐͊͠n̷̒͜͠ͅg̵̜͙̏͗ͅ," Shirou told him, as his Persona's fire spell finished engraving the final glyph. "F̵̘͚̭̞̞̱̘̒ͅį̶̱̫̀̆̈́̉͋̚͝f̶̫͔̝̳͍͙̍̓̀̅́̉͝t̴̬̼̘͒͂̂̎͝h̸͕͛̈́́̇͂̌ ̸̡̮̜͍͇̖̄͋̽̋̋̉͝͠C̸̮̮̘̄͗̌̊̇̄͊̐y̸̫̲̤̒̎̓̇c̶̫͔̪͖͒ḷ̴̡̯̲̥̤͙̂é̴̦͐̂̎̀!̶̪͓͍͍̮͚̃̋͆͊͘"

The glyph in the air shimmered brightly, almost as blinding as the sun. And then the heat expanded as if the sun itself magnified its rays to where Shadow Kanji stood.

"GRAWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

His body was consumed in a fiery conflagration instantly. The rose bush wilted away into ash, his white half body charred to a darker shade than his other side, and he even decomposed on the spot.

When the fires finally subsided, Shadow Kanji's muscular body was no more, and he had returned to his loincloth-clad form. Ash and burn marks marred his skin, and he leaned over on all fours with a raspy cough clearing out the smoke he inhaled.

It was over. He was thoroughly, brutally beaten down, and struggled just to keep from collapsing to the ground.

But the look in Shirou's eyes was not one of mercy. Without much prompting, Kagutsuchi channeled his prana again in the glowing glyph attack. While Shirou's conscious friends wondered in mute horror what was going on in his mind, the downed Shadow felt the pressing urge of self-preservation to run away. However, he had no feeling in his legs after riding in his giant form for the entire battle. The most he could do was drag himself back.

"T̶̡͈̜̯̼̣̪̃͂̎ͅh̷̞̹̥̜̪̽̀é̸̹̩͂͐̆̍̿̉̕r̶̡͌͂̆͒̃̉̓͗͆͘ĕ̶̢̜͔̭̞͕͈̗̇̔̋̏̽̐̾̋̕͜ ̷̣̰̝̩̜̳͈͎̇̋̈́͑̒͘į̸̙̬͛̾̽̀̅̇͋̒͝s̷̛̱̻͈͈͈̪͈̲͕̀̆̈́̔͜͝ ̷̡͖̟̙̫͎̠̜͊̐̎ń̵̻̜̟͉̞͓̮̈̀o̶̠̾͂͠ ̶̤͇̜̜͔̬͓̗̂͂̐͛̂̀̒͌̚̚ę̷̛̦̗͕̞̀̓͜s̶̛͈͇̦͇͖̜̉̊̔̉͝ć̵̡̛̰̝̩̦͎̮̓͌͂̏a̷̢̡̘͔̟͉̞͉̍p̷̨̙̻͍̑̇͌̆̄͒͊̾̕͠ͅȅ̸̠̇͑̄̓̀̆̈͝," Shirou told him, and Shadow Kanji believed his apparent executioner. Already the first circle was complete.

"N-Now wait a minute, hun! I know when I've been licked! I surrender! See? Look, I'm waving a white flag and everything!" Shadow Kanji proved his point by grabbing and waving his loincloth flap in front, for lack of any proper substitute.

Shirou was undeterred. The second circle was glowing now.

"Okay, I get it! You're pissed off about the whole 'me cutting your arm off' thing! Want to beat the pent-up rage out of your system! Well, message received! Good job! You deserve a bout of manly applause for that!" Shadow Kanji clapped for effect, straining a smile as he did.

Third cycle. Everyone watched on bated breath at what was going to happen. The tension in the air was literally growing as the build-up led to another inferno attack. Even in a sauna, Shadow Kanji felt a different kind of perspiration form from his head.

"But, seriously! I give up! I can't even hurt you anymore if I tried! You… you don't have to go this far, don't you? One of those was more than enough for me, thank you!"

"Ÿ̷̟̯ͅỏ̷͔̥͖̮̝̥̬̟̏̏̎̌́͒̈́́̄͜u̸̢͋͊̐͒͊̀̊̽͠͠'̷̛̣̤͎̥̫̤̩̭̺͒̍l̵̨͖̼̝̳̣̮͓̖̏̈́̇̅̅͐̈́̂̆̆ļ̴̮̱͈̻͕̎̈́͊͛̈́͜ ̴͙̲̞̹̺̯̆̕n̴̨̝̥̺̉̈́̒̀̚ͅe̷͔̟͠ę̶͎̦̼̍͌̉ḏ̸̡̧̥̥̤͕̟͂̂̿͊͝ ̷̺̹̣̻͎͑̏̐́̈́̎̈a̴̧͖͕͍̯̤̥̅͝t̷̯̼̪̹̽̽͂̿́̒͘͝ ̴̫̻̺͒͐̓̀̈́͋̚̕l̸̨͖͖̣̙͕͍̅͑̽͊͝e̵͈͕̎͛̀̈́̋̿̕a̷̗̙͚̦̘̙̻̼͐̈́̂́̓̂s̷̗͚̹̦̗̆̏̋̓̋̈́t̴͉̭̪̥̰̒̔͗̾̿̚͝ ̷̣̟̘͍̻̙͙͋̀͐̿͒f̸̨̟̪̠͔̫̉̾͋̀͌̏͂͜͝õ̴̲͍̰̲͙͙͍̮̽͛͌̓̀̓u̴̮̙̮̭̪̾̇͐́̏̀̾̕̚͜r̶̭͍̈́͜ ̷̨͙̥̦̗̣̪͔̃͋̏̾͐̎̈̉͠ͅm̵̳̜̳͓̫͎͌̓̾̂͐̌͛̒̀͐o̵̮͋̊r̸̨̳̜̼̓̔̅̉̓̅̔̚͘͜è̵̢̲̳̻̦̫̐̓͛͊̎̂̋͘͠.̴̳̇͒̃̈́͆̊̓͘̕" Fourth cycle… and many more to go if the threat holds true.

Chie finally found her voice in time to reprimand him. "Emiya-kun, that's enough!" She started to run towards him, but a wall of flames erupted in front of her, almost catching her by surprise. She flinched back and fell flat on her back, staring at the fire with a mix of horror and bewilderment.

"Sh-Shirou-sensei?!" Teddie cried in disbelief. This couldn't be the same kind sensei that wanted to save his home, was it?

"My god, he's serious," Rise whispered. This wasn't like him at all from her place. Was it because of that Persona?

"This… this isn't how I wanted it to go! I didn't care who, or why! I just wanted to fit in! Someone, please…!"

Fifth cycle was now complete, and Kagutsuchi was already moving his ghastly limbs to finish the spell.

Shadow Kanji couldn't bear the pressure anymore, curled up in a feeble position and clawing at his bleached hair. "JUST ACCEPT ME FOR WHO I AM!!!"

For a moment, Shirou's hand faltered, and a strange look in his eye showed hesitance. But that moment was gone in a blink, hardened by the determination to follow through. "Ş̸̺̘̜̬̱͔͛̚͜ó̴̢̡͔̝̟̣ͅr̵̢̨̫͕̞̻̀̾̋͒̀́̚̚r̸̢͚̫̫͓̯̓͂͆̃͂͒̾̐͛ý̸̻̎͒̔̕͝,̶̨̣̖̗̮̪̬̜̃͛́́͋̈́͂̾ͅͅ ̷̡̲́̊̐̎̏͂͊̔̚b̷̧̊̔͒͝ư̴͇̝͙͉̪͉̳͈ẗ̶̢͍̖̼̻̲̺̬͇̊͆̀͠ ̷̞̗̗̖̰͎̙͇̓͌͆͗̎͒͜͝Ĭ̸̡̱̣̥̺̌̈́̐̅̊̒ ̷̡̱̠͕̊̔͐ḓ̷̨̢̦̙̘̩͍̹́̓͜ó̵̬̣͊͊͆̐͒̉̈́̚n̴̡̢̻͖̼̱͚̳̺̤̔̋̏̊̓̓̕̚̚͝'̷̨̭̙̌͌͆͑̋̆̆͗̕͝t̵͎͎͙͚͙̄̂̿̇̍̒̈͝ ̷͙̹͇͎̣͓̠̌͐͗͋̂̐̽̌͘͠s̸̠̤̱̠̬̒̈́w̴̮͆̑̈́͆̄͑̉̃͑̌ĭ̷̢̢͎̫́n̵̳̬̄̐̇͑ͅg̶̛͙͚̠̤͕̼ ̶̢̬̺̋ẗ̴̨̮́͆͑̉̈́̓̚h̶̢̯͕̬̰̦̹́ͅͅä̶̢̛̖͕̤̙̰́͆͂̊͑͆͠ẗ̵̨̆́̍̕͠ ̶̧̰̩̬̻͗̈̒̔͘͝w̴̺̗̼̿̔̀̕ḁ̵͓̫̰̗͔̂̈́̀͌̆̚ͅý̸̧͖͇̃͂͛̓̕̚.̶̬̠̩̹͙̄̌" he scoffed, ready to recant the spell.

"SWING THIS!"

Finally, Shirou turned his attention away from Shadow Kanji. His surprise was short-lived as he saw a singed fist coming right at him.

POW!

In one blow, he was out like a light. The flames from his severed arm, the wall of flames, and even the Persona Kagutsuchi faded away right after.

Kanji Tatsumi spat on the floor, and idly snuffed out the lingering embers on his jacket and pants with palm pats. He could admit not being the smartest student in his class, and it felt weird having to save some pansy poser with his face, but he knew he just had to save him… or himself, whatever.

The Shadow slowly receded from his position, staring wide-eyed at his other self. "You… saved me? But why?"

Honestly, running headfirst into the fire and punching Emiya out cold was the easy part. He didn't want to acknowledge this Shadow thing and hoped that if he kept putting it off in his mind then it would go away. Except that wasn't how life worked. And at the end of the day…

"I've… always known."

"Huh?"

"I've always known you were inside me, alright?! Or at least, something like you…" he stammered with a scowl and flush. God, it felt so embarrassing saying this out loud, especially now that Rise and Satonaka-senpai were watching him. "But you weren't the only one scared out of his mind. It was never just about guys or chicks… it was getting rejected. It's easier to just get everyone else to hate you right from the start than to screw it up being yourself. Being someone no one knows how to react to."

He stared at his hands dejectedly, trying and failing to form fists. "Now look at me. Been calling you a pansy the whole time, but deep down I'm the total pansy picking fights just to look tough…"

"So… you really don't hate me?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm not that self-loathing." Kanji huffed. Yeah, he knew he was a problem student and a punk, but if guys like Naoto and Emiya gave him the time of day for his wellbeing, there had to be something in himself worth saving.

Shadow Kanji stared at his real self silently, no longer his haughty vile self. He felt a strange sense of peace and humility now, and it was almost perfect to turn over a new leaf. Almost. "…say it."

"Say what?"

"You know~. That promise?"

Kanji scowled, memories of the deal suddenly coming up. "Seriously? Right now? You're still hung up about that?!"

"It has to be now!"

"Says who?!"

"Please? For me?"

"Oh, for the love of… fine! But I'm only going to say this once!" Kanji groaned with crossed arms. If only to get his inner bastard to shut up. "I love doing knitting and sewing with ma! I like home economics shit more than sports shit! I apparently have a feminine side because you exist. So, you're me, and I'm you, dammit! Happy now?"

It was a loud, angry admission but one spoken from the heart and heat of the moment. Shadow Kanji started to glow in a blue light, and a serene smile graced his lips. "The happiest," he said, a sentiment Kanji surprisingly felt mutual about.

The Shadow transfigured briefly into an intimidating black giant modeled like a bulky action figure. White paint was itched onto the design of a skeleton in an overlying pattern where each main bone part was supposed to be; skull on the head, ribs for the chest, and so on. Leather fiber connected each main body part for flexible movement, with red and blue wires faintly visible on the segments between the shoulders and arms. Finally, gripped in one of its white plastic gloves was a large gold-bronze blade shaped like a thunderbolt. A moment later, the newly formed Persona flickered away into a card that melded into Kanji's subconscious.

"Take-Mikazuchi, huh?" Kanji smirked. "That's a badass name…"

He felt a sudden urge to fall over and collapse, as if the adrenaline of being stuck in this bathhouse for so long was finally catching up to him. But he held on, if barely. Palming his face to try and starve off the headache, he now became aware that Emiya's arm was losing blood again, and the peanut gallery was still staring at him while waiting for something to do, even with Amagi and the other guy starting to get up.

Angrily, Kanji pointed to the bleeding student and yelled at them, "What the hell are you guys waiting for?! He's down an arm, dammit!"

<><><>

Eight of Cups, upright…

You feel something is missing. By all accounts, you should be happy and content with your life. Loving family, caring friends, strong support… but it was a lie. No, more like a replacement, meant to hide away your scars.

You do not know what it means to truly be happy, to act on your own accord. The best you can do is help others experience their happiness and share in the accomplishment. You never walk away from a person in trouble… but you can walk away from your own problems. They do not matter.

"Sh███u, c█me ██, ███e up! █e won!"

"█e's ███ █oving. █s he…?"

"He'█ going ██ be if █e don'█ d█ someth███! Just… pa███ the arm ███ now, to sto█ the bl███ing!"

Knight of Pentacles, reversed…

Your life was stagnant, seclusive. You took the pursuit of hard-work and diligence so far that you missed out on the world around you, trying to prepare for a world deep down you knew that you weren't ready for. You couldn't cope with normality after your scarred past, but you couldn't hope to survive the horrors in the Moonlit world, either.

You excuse your lack of experience to perfect your talent, but do perfectionists ever venture boldly into the unknown? Not unless they are ready, they would insist… but when is anyone ever ready?

"Man, his un██ is goi██ to █ill us ██en he f█ds █ut that his ██phew's down an █rm."

"███t's the least ██ our ███ries!"

"Wh█t a███t the le██es? They'██ a sort ██ mira███ cure, righ█?"

"Wait, ██w a█e le███s suppo███ to help th██ guy ███ his a██ ███k?"

Six of Swords, upright…

You have changed, that much is certain. You have fought against the change when you first came, stubborn to stick to your old ways. But now you see how important it was to come here, to see others struggle in their own hardships.

You feel so much weight of your past bearing down, almost suffocating just to remember. But they do not feel as restraining anymore. Not with the future looking so bright, and the burden made lighter.

"H█s ar█… ██ere is ██?"

"██h? ██… o██r █here I ███ss."

"So███ne g█ and ge█ ██. R██ht ██w!"

"Y█k█-c█a█—"

"█ sa██ ge█ m█ his ███damn a█m!!"

Nine of Wands, upright…

Even with death imminent, you will get back up again. Courage, persistence, resilience, all of these are necessary for your dream, and if you can't handle every setback you are not worthy to pursue your dream.

It has not been easy, as every step outside your comfort zone feels like a misstep. But you are not alone. You have comrades by your side.

"H-He██ █t is."

"Do yo█ ██ally th███ th█s █ill wo██, ███iko?"

"No, █'ve ne█er ███ed th██ b██ore. B██ if th███'s ev██ a ██ance i█ █ou█d save █im…"

"…it'█ █ll █ou ██en."

"██ght. Ph██… ██carm!"

<><><>

The sudden emersion of light broke the darkness in his mind, and a sensation unlike anything he had ever felt before enveloped his body. It was like being submerged in heated water while tasting and smelling the most succulent of fruits at the same time. Even the once-numbing phantom pain was ebbed away in a feat best described as miraculous.

Shirou Emiya shot upright from the floor with a sharp intake of air. And then he gasped and choked as his lungs worked overtime to provide oxygen to his battered body. He patted his chest to steady his breathing with both arms.

Wait. Both arms? He looked down to his chest, seeing both arms attached and none the worse for wear. The only difference was a faint scar line circling the cubital area and the outer joint of his right elbow. Had everything been a dream? Did it really happen?

The fight… Kanji! Everyone!

Shirou finally looked up, just noticing he was surrounded by his friends. They were battered, bloody and tired, but alive. There was a calm in the room now that there were no Shadows left.

Yosuke was clutching his shoulder, a smile slowly forming on his face. Tama stared at him intently as always, her tail faintly wagging now that he was awake. Kanji was with them too, standing aloof and looking away from the circle around him.

But what really floored him was seeing the girls. Chie had collapsed to her knees on the ground, having lost feeling in her legs and couldn't properly sit down. Yukiko was just pulling her arms back as the faint silhouette of Konohana Sakuya faded into light. Rise's voice choked, her hands clasped over her mouth and fighting back hiccups. Each one of them stared at him in disbelief, worry, and relief… through puffy, tear-filled eyes.

They were all crying… for him? They were all certainly waiting on him to say something, at least. "…Is everyone o—"

"SENSEEEEEEEEEEI!"

The first one to react was Teddie, bawling as he lunged toward the magus from behind (where he couldn't see). The impact nearly toppled him over forward. The bear couldn't reach his arm fully around to hug him, so he flailed and rolled his head back and forth, tears flying out of his eye ducts like sprinklers on full blast.

"You're back! You're really back! I knew you'd come back around, but I was so worried with the bleeding, and the fire, and then the bleeding again! You scared me and Tama-chan and everyone we're just glad you're okay! WHAAAAAAAhahahaAAAAAAA!!"

"G-Geez, Teddie, you're such a crybaby," Yosuke chuckled… before wiping his eyes with his arm and sleeve. "You-you gotta play it cool, man."

"It worked," Yukiko murmured. "Emiya-kun, your arm… it's okay now, isn't it?"

"Y-Yeah," he rasped out, looking down at the scar line again. "As good as new, even. Did you--?"

Yukiko smiled, nodded, and brushed the tears away from her eyes. "It actually worked. I'm so relieved."

"Whaaaaaaa!" Rise's emotions poured out, lunging forward to hug his abdomen. "My Shirou-kun's aliiiive!"

"H-Hey! Not so rough, Rise-chan!" Chie scolded… with a pout and blush? "He just came to, you know."

The former idol sniffled, unable to form a coherent reply. She merely settled for hugging him tighter, crying with the bear.

It still felt so surreal. He'd had a few close calls dying in this world before, but to come out of it in a true miraculous fashion was… well, no words could describe it. The emotion high was certainly evident in how everyone was reacting though.

"Guys," he started. "I understand that you're relieved I'm okay but… could you let go so I can stand up?"

"Can you even stand?" Chie asked as Rise and Teddie reluctantly let go. "You got it worse than the rest of us, and then that fire Persona you called…"

"What fire Persona?"

The question their leader asked threw them for a loop. They exchanged worried glances, weighing what they should tell him. "You… don't remember?" Yukiko asked.

It was spotty, but he remembered how painful it was losing an arm. How he tried to stay conscious when the fight was turning for the worst. How he heard surreal, ethereal voices. After that it was a blur, but given how severe the aftermath was, that might be a blessing. "…the things I do remember I'd rather forget, honestly."

Another tense silence followed, as no one knew what to say to that.

"But really, it's fine," he continued. "It was my fault getting blindsided like that. And it's not that… strenuous…" He was all but grunting now trying to push himself off the ground, and then winced when his arms gave out. "Haha… nothing a little rest can't fix."

"Bullshit."

The Investigation Team all turned to Kanji. He still stood aloof from the conversation with a scowl and arms crossed. When he turned to look at Shirou, it was with a determination he'd never seen in the young man before.

"It's like what my old man said once: 'A man shouldn't make a girl cry in worry for any reason'," he recited. "'And in the chance that he does, he works to make them feel better yesterday.'"

Rise pouted through her tears and stamped her arms down as she yelled at him. "Shut up, Moronji! It was your fault that Shirou-kun got hurt, you know!"

Kanji looked taken back and snapped right back. "D-Don't call me a Moronji! It wasn't my fault with the arm, either! It was that other me who… said was just like me… I mean… dammit!"

Yukiko puffed her cheeks to fight back giggles, a sentiment shared by the others. After everything that had happened, a little levity was greatly appreciated. Whether Kanji realized it was light teasing or not, he was not laughing.

"W-Whatever! Point is, you need to take better damn care of yourself, and I'm not standing by to let you stand on… well… well you know!" Still fuming, Kanji didn't give the others to argue a counterpoint before he leaned down to pick Shirou up. "Now are we getting out of here or what? Just point us to the exit and I'll handle the rest."

It was a surprisingly thoughtful gesture from the delinquent, one that no one would expect given his former hostility. On the other hand, it was an awkward sort of problem that even Shirou noticed.

"Uh, I appreciate this offer Kanji, but…"

"But what?"

Yosuke finished the question no one else could. "But are you sure you want to carry him like that?"

Kanji's arms were supporting Shirou's legs and upper back and held him close to his own body for balance. It was a more familiar way to carry a loved one, hence the name "bridal carry".

"Hey, this is easiest to hold him without straining himself!" Kanji argued. "You got a problem with that?"

"Oh no, by all means go ahead. If you want to get hitched with Shirou here, I won't stop you."

Kanji blistered, almost dropping Shirou from his arms outright. He kept looking around, suddenly aware how no one but a confused bear and smug-looking teen was staring at him. "What th-HITCHED!? That's not—I'm not a— I'm just helping! It's not what it looks like, okay?!"

"Dude, it's totally okay if you're into your feminine side." Yosuke grinned. "I mean, you accepted your big burly Shadow so that means you must totally be into dudes! Hell, weren't you going on about Na—"

"Yosuke," Shirou spoke suddenly, slowly wrapping one arm around Kanji's neck. "Could you come over here for a second?"

"Sure, what's up part—?"

POW! Thud!

"GRAAAH!" Yosuke was punched so hard in the face that he hit the floor in a whiplash spin. He barely registered the punch, the puddle of water that he hit, and who'd done it. "What the hell, Shirou!?"

"Just testing the reflexes on my arm," he said, clenching his fist. "And while it's still sore, I'm satisfied that it works well. Thanks again, Amagi."

"Anytime, Emiya-kun."

"You didn't have to hit me, though!"

"And you didn't have to be an ass to Kanji, either."

The biting remark was enough to surprise Yosuke, and it was only then he realized that the others were all giving him disapproving looks. "Uh… sorry, man."

Kanji grunted with his head whiffed to the side. "First Moronji and now jokes at my expense… what the hell did I ever do to you guys?"

"You mean besides always blowing us off when we tried to warn you weeks ago?" Chie asked snidely.

Kanji flushed, too proud or embarrassed to move from his defiant pose and justify a proper response.

Despite everything, Shirou gave a relieved smile that the worst was behind them for now. "Let's all just go home."

<><><>

July 2nd, Shopping District

Mitsuo was panicking. Just as he was walking back from cram school for the day, he saw him, being lugged around by his sister's boyfriend no less. He followed at a distance just out of earshot to be sure. Maybe the foggy weather was playing tricks on him.

But when he got to the textile shop, there was such screaming emotion when the Tatsumi matriarch yelled with tears and the boyish cop reprimanded him. He acted so out of character just taking this in stride but there was no doubt.

Kanji Tatsumi was back.

He somehow survived and was back at his house. But how…?!

Unable to watch this anymore, Mitsuo ran back home and locked the door behind him. He collapsed by the door and curled into a ball, not bothering to take off his shoes.

Eventually his brown-haired, rusty-eyed angel of a sister noticed and kneeled at his side. "Mitsy, what's wrong?"

Mitsuo could almost cry at the unfairness of it all. "We're screwed. We're so screwed! That punk-asshole is still alive!"

"You mean Tatsumi-kun?" Sacchin asked, surprised. "Are you sure?"

"I saw him get escorted back to his home!" he wailed. "The police are going to question him, and then they're going to come knocking on our door and get us! We can't do this, nee-san! If he talks, we're through!"

"Mitsy, it's okay, calm down," she told him.

"No it's not! Everyone is going to be out to get us now!" he cried hysterically. "They're gonna find out—"

"Look at me, Mitsy." She told him firmly. He snapped at her gaze, ready to yell that things were so bad, but almost immediately the rage and panic was gone. Her soothing eyes quelled the despair in his heart, and he finally calmed down.

"The truth is, I never actually sent Tatsumi-kun away," said Sacchin, much to her brother's surprise. "I was scouting on how to do it based on what the serial murderer did, but that same night he finally showed up and did it himself."

"Then… that means—"

"They can't connect us to being guilty of a crime we didn't commit," she told him. "I doubt he would have any memory on who actually did it either. Otherwise the cops would have found the real killer by now after he failed with Yuki-chan and Kuji-chan."

Mitsuo felt a surge of relief. They weren't guilty after all. They won't be questioned or arrested for attempted murder. He wouldn't have to leave his sister's side, where he felt important and wanted after all.

And yet, at the same time, there was a bitter knot in his stomach. That Kanji was alive at all felt like a perversion of justice. He was clearly a jerk nobody liked, so why did he come back like Yuki-chan and Risette? Why wasn't he dangling from a telephone pole instead?

Whoever this serial murderer was, he was losing his touch if he failed three out of five times.

"So now what?" he asked numbly. He felt so lost without his sister's guidance and allowed himself to be pulled up from the ground in her firm hands.

"What else?" she asked back. "Clearly, we both know that the serial killer is failing, unable to kill even the most unpleasant of delinquents. I say it's our turn to tip the scales a bit."

"Do you… really mean that?" The last time she said they'd go after Kanji Tatsumi it had been a false start. In fact… "You lied to me before, saying you'd take care of him."

"I know, and I'm really sorry Mitsy," she told him with a pleading look in her eye. "It happened before I even realized, and I just wanted to make you happy knowing your big sis was reliable."

"Well, I guess I understand," he admitted. He just couldn't hate his sister even when she lied. At least she cared. "But I want in, next time."

"You're sure?"

"I want to be a hero, like you said. I can't be one if I'm scared all the time."

"And you won't, Mitsy," she patted him firmly on the shoulder, comforting. "We'll pull off a caper so flawless that they'll believe we're the true culprits unless the real one dares to stand up."

Mitsuo smiled with an unnatural, giddy glee inside. Sacchin licked her lips and smirked, picking up her umbrella by the door. "Let's do some recon before dinner, shall we?"

<><><>

Evening, Dojima Household

Fortunately, after reaching the exit, Kanji relented in letting Shirou walk the rest of the way. Though that was only due to his own fatigue finally setting in. Yosuke was all but volunteered to bring the bleached teen back (though to his credit he shrugged his shoulders and carried him back). With a successful rescue, and a promise to Teddie to check up on him more, he went home to try and relax.

He just hoped Dojima didn't notice the now ring-like scar around his elbow. It would be kind of hard to explain exactly what had happened if hard pressed. If Doji-nii asks, I'll just say there was a soldering accident at the gas station when I was trying to work a welding iron. And that… I was too occupied to notice the pain. Gah, that will never work.

He tried to preoccupy his thoughts with cooking spare ingredients for lunch tomorrow; a sort of "cooking date" with the girls to help with their culinary talents (or rather lack there-of). It was meant to be just Satonaka and Amagi, but Rise heard about it the other day and wanted in, especially to unwind from a successful mission.

His worries and musing stopped as soon as he heard the door open. Nanako, sitting by the kotatsu in front of the TV, also perked up. "Dad's home!"

Dojima slipped his shoes off at the front door but he didn't come inside right away. Instead, he ushered in two more guests. One of which being his partner on the murder case, Adachi.

The cop noticed the two kids and waved. "Oh, hey there! Dojima-san's family I take it! I'm Tohru Adachi, a friend of your dad's! Pleasure to meet ya!"

Truth be told, this wasn't the first time Shirou had met Adachi, but it was the first time they were formally introduced. It was more for Nanako's sake than him, as she was now hiding in the back staring at Adachi. Or rather, at the other guest, who happened to be…

"Shirooooooou! Get me something good to eat! *hic!*"

-a wailing woman in a tiger-striped shirt slumped in the rookie cop's arms. Shirou froze, mentally processing what he saw and heard, dropping the spatula and ladle in his hands from the shock of it all. "Fuji-nee?!"

Slumped over Adachi's shoulder, Taiga Fujimura groggily raised her head up and gave a wide, flushed smile and slow wave. "Hiiiiiiiiiii! I want a dinner, and a bath and yoooooooou—" she slurred with a deliberate poke. The implications startled the men, especially Shirou, as he froze again upon how to respond to that.

"—to make it for me."

A wave of relief combined with exasperation engulfed Shirou as he struggled not to collapse and figure out what to say to her. He settled for the obvious. "You're drunk, aren't you Fuji-nee?"

"A very good question!" Taiga said with a grin. "You're smart like that, Shirou! And the answer might surprise you!"

"So you are," he deadpanned.

She pouted back. "I said might. Party-poo-poo-poo-peeeeer*hic*!"

"So, Fuji-nee huh?" Adachi asked. "Cute pet-name. All this time I've been calling her Fuji-cake."

The definitely drunk Taiga Fujimura giggled, nuzzling her head closer to his neck and chest area. "Aww, because you want to eat me aaaaall up, dont'cha?"

Shirou's eye twitched, and everything around him was drowned out to white noise from Cu Sith's roaring. He had an idea on why that was the case, and he didn't want to think about it. Not with how happily flustered Adachi was right now with his guardian.

Dojima was just as disgruntled, pinching his nose as he pointed over to the living room. "Just set her down at the couch without flirting, please. Nanako, set it up if you can."

"O-Okay," Nanako replied. Confused as the young girl was, she did as she was told by fetching some spare blankets as Adachi lugged Taiga over.

"Sorry to have sprung this up last minute," Dojima said as he meant it. "I tried calling your cell earlier, but you weren't picking up."

"I-It's fine," Shirou stuttered. He didn't think being in the Bathhouse dungeon for so long could make them miss calls as they never took stock of their time before. "But… why is Fuji-nee here in Inaba?"

"You got me. I only found out after my partner started bragging about meeting her at a hidden pub in the shopping district. Shiroku's, I think."

Shiroku's? The drug store next to Rise's tofu store?! Why was that a pub?! No, why was Fuji-nee at a pub to begin with? AND WITH ADACHI?!

"Shirou, calm down! You're hyperventilating!" Pixie's words were the needed rock for his emotional high. Perhaps the near-death experience had shaken him more than he thought. He didn't need this right now.

"I was just as surprised as you are, of course," Dojima added. "Not just her being here, but him finding a date? He couldn't get one after—" he stopped and shook his head. "Nevermind, it's work-related, and we're not at the station. Anyway, since Adachi lives on the way here, he came over to help us bring her here for the night."

Taiga was laid on her side on the couch, saying sweet nothings to Adachi and Nanako both. "You have such a comfy home, Nanako-chan! You're so luckyyyyyy! *hic*"

"Fuji-nee, why are you here?" Shirou asked her as he and Dojima walked over to the living room.

She started to frown. "You don't want me here?"

"I… am happy to see you again, really," he admitted. She was one of the bright spots of his normal routine back in Fuyuki, one of the two people that knew at least a part of his guarded self, and now among those that knew his real self. "But what about Sakura? Don't you still have a class at Homurahara High to teach? Or run the Archery club?"

Taiga's frown turned to a scowl. "Oooooh, that place? I quit."

"You mean you were fired?!" he cried out. Dojima and Nanako were just as alarmed. They all knew she had a habit of overreacting, but not even Shirou expected her to lose her stable teaching job! Already he was dreading the fact that he would have to support her night and day with cooking as she continued to get drunk, treating the whole house as a mess—

"No no no!" she whined. "I meant I took a break! Whazzit term again? A fur-*hic*… fur-*hic*… fur-loooooow. And Ayako-chan's watching Sakura-chan now, don't worry!"

"O-oh." A furlough. A leave of absence. He didn't think she could cash that in with how often she was late to her own classroom at the start of each day. And he could trust Mitsuzuri to watch over Sakura… or at least keep Shinji away from bothering her. That was all relieving, but… "But why?"

The somber topic made her frown grow and somewhat more lucid. "After Golden Week, I've been trying to change myself for the better. But it was hard when everyone at the school didn't take me *hic* seriously. I was able to block out all that out before but not anymore. Not when I realized I wasn't… happy with myself."

"I'm happy with yourself, Tiger-nee." Nanako said.

The small comment made the drunk woman smile for a moment. "Thanks, Nanako-chan." Then she scowled again. "At least she's considerate."

Shirou was taken aback by the remark aimed at him. "Huh?"

"I wanted to check up on how you were doing in Inaba, maybe relax down here too with you and Nanako-chan. I got down to the station as a surprise and called you today for you to greet your favorite big sister figure!"

A sense of unease filled Shirou's being. "Today?"

"Today! Otherwise it wouldn't be a surprise! But you didn't answer any of my calls! You were so embarrassed that I was coming that you blew me off entirely!"

Again, with the missed phone calls. That fight with Shadow Kanji must have taken longer than he realized. "B-But Fuji-nee, I didn't even know you were coming!"

"That's even woooooorse!" she bawled comically, hiding her face on the cushion.

"Cu Shirou, we really need to work on your foot-in-mouth disease."

He so didn't need this right now, but he sighed and asked her, "So then you got upset, wandered around the streets, and found a bar, right?"

She shifted her head back, barely a nod.

"And then you met Doji-nii's partner here who tried to bribe you with sweet-talk and food he'd pay for." Another nod. Adachi himself looked pretty proud of himself and happy of this, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"…and he didn't have enough money to get you all the food you wanted, right?"

"Right," slurred Taiga through the cushion.

Adachi flinched, and Dojima chuckled. "Heheh. That sounds about right."

"Only because you slave-drive me with barely any pay," the rookie whined.

"I can give you a raise, you know," the older cop reminded. "I'd also have to work you harder, too."

"…my current wage is fine, thanks."

Shirou smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Fuji-nee. I'll make it up to you right away."

He then stood up and addressed his uncle. "Is it okay if I go out real quick for shopping?"

"Huh?" Dojima blinked. Where did that come from?

"I've been thinking since there's five of us tonight that we should have a big meal for everyone involved. You're staying, aren't you Adachi-san?"

"Well, all I have left back at my place is some cabbage casserole," he admitted. Then he stammered, looking back to Dojima. "Oh, uh… of course I'd leave if I'm imposing your hospitality, sir."

"No, it's fine I suppose," Dojima answered to both questions. If they were going to have a bigger gathering tonight, then who was he to argue Shirou's judgment? He was kind of in the mood for his nephew's cuisine anyway.

"Shirou's cooking~!" Taiga giggled, turning to look at him with tear-filled eyes of joy. "You really do love meeeeee!"

Shirou let out an embarrassed grumble. Growing up with her meant he had put up with more than his fair share of teasing and annoyances on her end. But the kiss back from Golden Week popped back into his head and left him conflicted. Whatever, it was a few months since they saw each other, and he was making it up to her with his food anyway. He'd allow her this pleasure for tonight.

"I guess the only place that would be open right now is Junes," Adachi said. "You could probably get there faster if you take Dojima-san's old scooter."

"Junes?!" Nanako latched onto Shirou's shirt and tugged it rapidly. "I wanna go! I wanna go!"

"Nanako, it's late," Dojima told her. "The only places that would still be open are groceries, and Shirou is only going there for a food run."

"And I'm not allowed to carry passengers on my scooter," Shirou added.

"I don't care! I still wanna go!" she whined. "I never get to go there…"

Dojima opened his mouth to argue against the contrary but realized he never actually did take her there. He was rarely around at home as it was, especially with the murder cases. Shirou also winced, realizing that he never got the time to take Nanako there at all either. He was swamped with schoolwork and Persona fights but to anyone else, he had less of an excuse.

"Besides, they have the pickled radish that you like. I was going to get it myself."

As her father felt a sense of guilt and warmth of her selfless request, Shirou brushed the hair on her head affectionately. "I don't mind if she comes," he said, subtly asking for permission.

Dojima really didn't like the idea of his daughter going out of the house late at night. His first response was to try and convince her to drop it tonight so they could go another day, on more ideal conditions. But that wouldn't be fair, and he knew it. Shirou was the surrogate brother that Nanako looked up to, and Taiga being here reminded him of their argument on their hands-off parenting.

Nanako deserved more trust. They all did, really. "…thirty minutes."

"Huh?"

"You two can go to Junes for thirty minutes tonight, and then come right back. Just as long as you're safe and you keep your phone on this time."

Nanako's smile blossomed almost immediately, and Shirou's relief was just as rewarding. "Yay!" "Thanks, Doji-nii."

"Yeah yeah, just don't have too much fun," Dojima joked with a smile. "I'd go with you two myself, but someone has to watch over Taiga."

"Hey! I'ma plenty okay to take care of my-*urrp*!" The drunken tigress' weak argument (and weaker burp) only earned beads of sweat from her onlookers, less than impressed with her condition.

"I can watch over her, Dojima-san!" Adachi insisted… a little too enthusiastic.

Dojima gave him a long stare before adding, "But then someone would have to keep an eye on you too."

"Hey!"

The kids were already on their way out the door. "Get your coat, Nanako. We're going to have to take a bus over."

"~Everyday's great at your Junes!~" And with that they were out the door.

"Huh, nice kids," Adachi said with a smile.

"Yeah," Dojima agreed, before kneeling down to the kotatsu. He turned the news on, just in time to hear the meteorologists bring up the weather forecast.

"And it's a good thing Kanji-kun was found too. With so many students coming back from kidnapping, maybe the murderer will stop targeting them. You wanna know what I think?"

"No. Now wash your hands and then set the table."

"Huh? Why?"

"We're off the clock and I don't want you talking about the case when the kids come back," he said in warning. "Besides, you want to impress Taiga, don't you? The fastest way to her heart is to cater to her stomach."

"That's no different from how you boss me around everyday…" Adachi grumbled but complied and headed over to the sink.

Truth be told, Dojima did hope that the cases would end soon. Adachi's conspiracy theories were welcome compared to the rest of the police department trying to put it off if possible. The stress and tension of unanswered questions was enough to make even the most stubborn officer throw up their hands in defeat.

Taiga's visit was a welcome surprise with how much her presence made things better in the Dojima home, but the timing couldn't be any worse… or perfect depending who you asked. He looked over her sleeping form in concern. "I just hope you being here isn't an omen of things to come."

The only appropriate response, fitting for Taiga, was a loud snore.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 40: Tightly Wound


Velvet Room

Between Kanji's rescue and the welcome dinner for Taiga, it had been a long day that guaranteed a long sleep for Shirou. He barely registered the pillow under his head before he was out like a light, and the next thing he knew, he was hearing opera and sitting in a familiar velvet seat.

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room," came a familiar greeting from the man with a big nose.

"Igor-san." Margaret and Marie were there too of course, but the latter was slouching and drawing on a notepad.

"First off, allow me to congratulate you on your progress so far," Igor said. "In three months' time, you have grown a small but strong camaraderie with your fellow Persona users, kept the quiet town of Yasoinaba at peace, and I believe you are even on Margaret's remedial course for magecraft."

"I still can't believe that you two aren't really magi." Shirou admitted aloud, before realizing how arrogant that comment sounded. "Uh, no offense."

"It is quite all right," the long-nosed man said softly. "There are many secrets in the world, and in the space between worlds. There is no shame in being ignorant. Some might say there is a bliss in staying that way."

"Although I'm afraid we have more troubling news to discuss." Margaret opened the tome on her lap and lifted it to show Shirou the current page. A blackened card with the design of a flaming giant. "You've awakened an anomaly in your sea of souls. The Persona Kagutsuchi."

"I… don't remember what happened at the time," Shirou admitted partially.

"That is to be expected," she said. "Normally a Persona is used as an extension of themselves with absolute control. But when a Persona's power overshadows the user, it takes over as the dominant personality."

A Persona so strong it could control him? That was a scary thought and a major liability. "So what happens now? Can you remove it?"

"If only it were that simple," she shook her head, closing the book. "Personas that bear a special imprint on the user are tethered and immovable unless transmogrified. It is in the name, after all; they represent the truest form of your inner self."

"But that doesn't make any sense! I awakened to Izanagi, and he was removed from my subconscious when you fused him!"

"Izanagi wasn't yours to begin with."

Those words, spoken casually, shook Shirou to his core. The Persona he had when he first awakened in the TV World… it wasn't his own? But Kagutsuchi was? What in the world did that mean? Did he even want to know?

"The gift of the Wild Card is truly a double-edged sword," Igor said softly. "Your personality is malleable enough to accommodate others and support them, and you are free to act however you wish. But that in turn leads to a crisis. What is truly a semblance of yourself if you can pick and choose certain aspects so easily? Can you define yourself without the company of your loved ones?"

Shirou looked away, watching the azure-violet mist move from outside the window. "I… don't know." He never had to think too deeply with these questions before. He just knew he wanted to be a hero, an Ally of Justice, and wanted to pursue that goal. The end result, the center, was all that mattered. Or so he thought.

"Then pay it no mind," Igor said. "The path of a Persona user is one of hardship and growth, and that growth is determined by your own will. The answer, whatever you decide, will come to you in time, so there is no rush."

"Except for the fact that I have a year left until my future is forfeit."

"Well, there's your motivation then," Marie said, looking up briefly from her notepad. "Figure it out along with whoever that mysterious murderer is before Christmas."

"Until then, you must bear the weight of your new Persona's power," Margaret said. "Kagutsuchi will awaken whenever you are under duress, but it will get easier to control as your heart grows stronger. And when you finally find your answer, perhaps you will harness that power in earnest."

"If only it were that easy," he lamented. Most things in life never were. "I think it's morning now, so I'll see myself out."

Igor nodded at him. "Until we meet again, farewell."

Shirou nodded back, and was ready to leave via the door, or let his senses fade to nothing, whichever came first. That is, until a small scrap of paper caught his eye on the floor, just in front of him. It looked like part of a notebook that had been torn off cleanly. "What's this?"

Everyone looked down as well. Marie did a wide-eyed double-take and barreled over to the floor in a sudden brazen panic. She snatched the paper up before Shirou could, forcibly crushing it in her fingers before stuffing it in her pocket. She then shot a glare at him. "Shutupitsnoneofoyourbusinessyoudidntseeanything!"

"Uh…" Shirou was dumbfounded. Not just at her reaction but her compromising position. Marie was still on all fours glaring at him. She was perpendicular to him, so that meant he could see part of the crease of her plaid skirt just enough to show the curve of her derriere. As well as the lining of her… unmentionables.

Marie quickly realized this, following his point of view. She then flushed a brighter red before pulling her skirt down and standing upright to glare down at him. "Youdidntseethateither! ShutupIhateyoustupidmagicpervert!"

"I-I was just—" he stammered, hands waving, trying to explain himself. But to no avail. She was mad and beyond reasoning. At the corner of his eye, he saw Margaret smiling and waving at him.

"Wake up already!" Marie snapped and then reared her palm back to strike.

July 3rd, Dojima Residence, Morning

*SLAP!* *BAM!*

When Shirou came to, he was forcibly turned over and collapsed on the side of his bed. With a stinging red handprint over his cheek. "Oww!"

Well, that was one way to wake up from the Velvet Room. He quickly decided to skip going there for the day to give Marie some space.

The noise of his "waking" must have shaken the whole house, as he heard a knock at the door. "Big bro? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Nanako, I just… had a scary end to my dream."

"Was it a nightmare?"

"Something like that."

"Oh," said Nanako. "By the way, Chie-chan called earlier and said that her and your friends were coming over at lunchtime. She said something about a cooking lesson?"

That perked him up right away. "Oh, I almost forgot. I better get ready."

<><><>

Afternoon

Omelets. That was the plan to ease them into proper cooking lessons. They were simple to make, with the main ingredient being an egg. It would be a helpful starting point for lessons as he could give some pointers to correct them for better, more complex dishes.

And yet somehow all three of them managed to mess that up. Worse, they left the kitchen in such a state of disarray too.

After tasting each omelet for himself, he looked over each of the girls, wearing color-coded aprons (red, green and pink) covered in flour and condiment stains. Before each of them was their omelets that deceptively betrayed how they really tasted. The girls looked back at him expectantly with hopeful smiles.

"Start over," he told them sternly and watched as their three faces all fell to frowns. Chie and Yukiko looked resigned to being bad chefs, but Rise was flat-out devastated.

"Sh-Shirou-Senpai doesn't like my cooking?!"

"Honestly? No. It's a miracle you three didn't burn the house down with your collective failures." That admission crushed their spirits more, but he was not there to hold their hands. He was there to teach them how to cook.

That, and he REALLY didn't want the Dojima household to burn up in any capacity.

Yukiko was still wincing from his words. "Isn't that a little harsh?" she asked.

"Yeah! They can't be all bad!" Chie argued. Her bravado faltered upon seeing how unmoved her classmate-slash-cooking-teacher was. "Can they?"

"Yes, and I'm going to go over why each of them is the case," he said. He turned to the first dish to his right. A pretty golden-brown omelet cut open with red filling and steaming heat. "Rise, your dish easily looks the most presentable of the three—"

"Thank you, Senpai!" Rise chirped happily.

"—But it's like eating lava. You've laced the omelet in so many spices I couldn't feel my tongue, much less discern the ingredients like the foie gras you used in it."

For a moment, Rise said nothing. Then her face morphed into a fragile frown and series of sniffles, surprising the other girls. "Y-You're being a jerk, senpai! My food is delicious! An-and a mature flavor! You're being a- a-… whaaaa-!"

"No crocodile tears," he sharply told her. He had seen her cry before, and this act was clearly set up for sympathy. Realizing it wasn't going to work, Rise sheepishly smiled and rubbed the back of her head, tongue sticking out. "And relax. You seem to already have a good sense of cooking since you can make something you would like. But not everyone has the same taste buds, and you need to remember that for when you cook for others."

Rise gave a thoughtful nod, smiling to herself. She looked like she'd take his words to heart, which was good. Shirou then turned to the next person down the line. He looked up and down again, trying to gauge the plain-looking dish. "Amagi, how do I put this? Your food is passable at least, and a major improvement from the curry for sure. But this is also very… boneless."

"'B-Bone-'?!" The inn heiress stuttered, expressing a sudden flare of indignation. "Emiya-kun, that's not a word you use to describe taste!"

"And that's kind of the point," he coolly told her. "There was no taste. Food isn't something you just eat for sustenance but something you enjoy. You have a favorite food, right? How it smells, how it feels when you bite into it, how you savor the morsel in your mouth before you swallow? That makes you want to eat more of it and come back to it."

He pointed to the plain-looking dish she made, of pure yellow-white egg flop. "I did not get any of that from your omelette. You threw everything into your dish, cooked it too long, and came out with a net zero meal. You might as well have served me uncooked rice."

Yukiko grumbled to herself, muttering about how maybe to serve her favorite food. Shirou then turned to the last dish… and probably the easiest to grade. "Satonaka, your food is just awful, and that's probably the nicest thing I can say about it."

"How is that nice?!" Chie immediately demanded.

Shirou rubbed that back of his head awkwardly. "Well, it's not as noteworthy of a failure as the other two." Chie just fumed at him angrily, prompting him to offer more constructive criticism. "I noticed that you followed the recipe book a bit, which is good. But when you saw Rise and Amagi do their own thing, you started to second-guess yourself, and tried to compensate. A chef always has to keep their wits about them in case there's a problem in the kitchen, as there's no shame in taking steps to get better. To be distracted from their dishes is just a recipe for disaster. No pun intended."

Chie's face softened by the end. She stared bitterly at her sloppy mess of an omelet. "We tried really hard, though…"

"Yeah! We even put in our love and everything!" Rise insisted.

"I wouldn't throw those words around carelessly," he told them. "To say 'put your love in it' would mean to incorporate what you love in food, not throw everything in and hope something sticks."

"Is that a real lesson or something you made up?" Chie asked.

"Neither. It's something Sakura told me once."

Yukiko tilted her head quizzingly. "Who's 'Sakura'?"

"She's a friend back in Fuyuki." he said without thinking, and somehow immediately regretted it.

The girls' reactions grew wary and uneasy, as if the room was suddenly covered in a chill. Rise in particular narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "A 'friend', huh?"

"Do you… teach her cooking, too?" Chie asked shyly.

"...yes?" Shirou answered awkwardly. "She's my kohai so I kind of have to watch out for her, right?"

"I-I'm your kohai too, senpai!" Rise cried. "Please teach me cooking too!"

"H-Hey! Wait in line!" Chie snapped. "He said he'd teach all of us, remember?!"

"I agree, although I'd argue that some of us need this more than others," Yukiko insisted darkly.

"The only reason you're here is because you poisoned him, remember? At least I asked to come!"

"More like butting in! Besides, your cooking isn't all that better compared to us!"

"ENOUGH." Shirou voiced his annoyance and slight anger clearly in a single word, cowing the girls' bickering. Letting the tension out from his pinched nose and exhaled breath, he walked over to the kitchen. "Look, just… watch me as I do this. Making an omelette is easy."

He gathered a bowl, fork, and some spare eggs left in a hostler. After cracking and emptying the yolk into the bowl, he whisked them with the fork to blend the two together. "First off, you need to make sure the egg is mixed well before cooking. The yolk needs to be pierced first before blending, so it's easier to just stick with a fork for this than a whisk. A little pepper goes a long way too, but only add that after it's thoroughly blended."

The girls watched him with apt interest, not a word uttered as he cooked. They noticed right away how relaxed and casual he was in his movements. No spills, no mess, and efficiently quick too. He was in his natural element.

"High heat cooking should only be done after lots of skill and practice," he continued, before cutting a bit of butter onto a spare pan. Then he poured the mixture onto the pan too, watching it sizzle around the edges. "The good news about low heat cooking is that it trades off time and avoids sticking. Perfect for practice."

"But wait, don't you have to put the milk in first?" Chie asked, remembering the recipe she read.

"Some do, some don't," Shirou answered. He continued to stir the omelette a bit in the pan with a spatula now. "It depends on what you put into it, but the point is to learn how to make a basic omelette first."

There was something tantalizingly interesting in watching a chef cook; the transformation of common everyday ingredients into something new and delicious. He didn't have the flair of technique any of them (especially Yukiko) expected of an experienced chef. Rather, the only trick he did was flip the pan a bit to make the omelette jump too. He made it sound and look so easy, explained each step with more hook than any Yasogami teacher could ever hope to do.

...so why couldn't they do the same thing?

"-And that's how you make an omelette," he said, presenting the meal on a plate before them. They stared at it with wonder… and then confusion.

"It looks about as plain as Yukiko-senpai's," Rise noted. Sure, it had a golden shine to it, but there was nothing noticeable that could make it desirable to eat like her own.

"I'd say it looks more like some big pile of scrambled eggs," Chie argued.

"But, wouldn't that mean it's actually crumbled? Erm, 'scrambled'?" Yukiko asked.

"Appearance in cooking is one thing," Shirou told them. "Usually the main deciding factor is the taste."

The girls exchanged looks. Part of them still felt scorned from having their own cooking graded poorly. There was still a bit of denial of just accepting Shirou as the better cook. It smelled so good though...

"Aren't you guys ready yet?"

From the opposite side of the house, Nanako and Taiga had spent the day watching cutesy anime shows and the newest Magical Detective Loveline episode. Nanako was invested, but Taiga looked very bored slouched on the couch as her eyes kept wandering to the kitchen.

"Just about," Shirou said. "I'll make some more, but feel free to help yourself to what's available."

"FINALLY! FOOD!" Taiga cried as she barreled for the kitchen. She stood over the counter and looked over the assorted omelettes with muted excitement.

Nanako stared between the four plates with wide-eyed enthusiasm. "Oh, this all looks so good! Which one should I try first?"

The three girls exchanged awkward looks. They had been so confident before, thinking at least Nanako would love the meals they prepared. And to Yukiko's credit, she felt she did better than last time. But after the dressing-down Shirou gave them, they wanted to put their meals anywhere but on a plate. Not necessarily the trash yet, but just not in the open.

Taiga might not get what was going on, but she was far from ignorant. And reading the room, she knew that the girls were not good cooks. Letting Nanako-chan try theirs first-hand was probably a bad idea for the poor girl, so she stepped in quickly. "Let me try first, Nanako-chan! I'll find the best one for us to share!"

"Okay!" Nanako accepted innocently. She watched as Taiga pulled out a spoon and dug into the first omelette, to which Rise let a confident smile grow on her face. Om-Nom-No-... silence. Then a faint whistling as Taiga's face glowed bright red.

"BWAAAAAAAAAH!" Taiga roared, suddenly breathing fire to the shock of everyone. She jugged a glass of water immediately to douse her mouth. "TOO HOT!" she screamed before chugging a second gulp. Rise lowered her head in shame.

After Taiga cooled down, she tried the second dish. Her face relaxed, but then she took another bite… and another, and another, licking her lips longer each time. Yukiko subtly leaned in to wait for the verdict.

"Too cold and lifeless," she declared, pushing the plate further away. Yukiko frowned and leaned back in her seat.

At the third dish, Taiga took a single bite… and then immediately spat it out to the side. "Patoowie! Not right at all!" Taiga did not see Chie stare at her with a stern, indignant frown.

Fine, their dishes sucked, but surely Shirou's wasn't that great, right?

By this point, Taiga had a look of defeat of having tried three bad omelettes before going to the last one. Her spoon picked up a small piece and lopped it inside her mouth. Her eyes bulged, and then closed as a catlike smile grew on her face, complete with an audible, euphoric moan as she nibbled the spoon for all its morsels.

"Ooooh yeah, this one is juuuust right~!" she swooned before scooping up a second, bigger, spoonful. She had no doubt who made this one. "Nanako-chan! Try this one! It's the best of the lot!"

Nanako walked over and took a big spoonful herself. If possible, her grin of wide-eyed wonder grew wider and cuter. "Mmmhm! You're right! It's delicious!"

"As it should! Your big bro made this, no question!"

"Wow! Really?!"

"Of course! He's a great cook, remember?"

The two continued amiably while praising Shirou and the food. The Yasogami girls could only stare between themselves and the plate dejectedly, with the plain truth staring right at them.

Shirou was the better chef, and even a third party preferred his dish over theirs. Looking it over again, they wished they had obtained some of that omelette for themselves when they had the chance.

"Done," Shirou announced, sliding the plate in front of the girls. "Try a bite."

It looked just the same as the last plate, but somehow more tantalizing than ever. A brief moment's hesitation, and Yukiko reached for the first spoonful. Chie and Rise were soon to follow, and all three took a bite nearly at the same time.

...Wow.

There… really was no comparison.

It was so mouth-watering delicious from the first bite, and made them want to eat more. He probably used less ingredients than any one of them, but managed to refine it so well that it might as well be cuisine.

Chie and Yukiko shared lamented glances. Oh, how they regretted not letting Shirou cook the curry during the camping trip! And Rise found herself caressing her own cheek as she chewed as much of the omelette as she could to get every last bite in.

Shirou waited patiently as they ate, taking satisfaction and pride in their delighted faces. Hopefully this was a good first step to convince them how to properly cook from now on. Not that he minded cooking for them every now and again, perhaps for school lunches. "So what do you three think?"

"It's delicious!"

"Best omelette ever!"

"Please marry me!"

The last of the responses was what caused Taiga to spit out her drink. Nanako was the only one startled by the spit take, as everyone else was just as baffled by the outburst. Taiga turned to them with eyes rage-white. "WHICH ONE OF YOU SAID THAT?!"

Chie, Yukiko and Rise, staring at her like pale deers at headlights, all pointed amongst themselves. They were seated by the kitchen sink left to right. It was hard to tell which one actually said it because while two sets of fingers were pointing in one direction, they were all too close to see who. Taiga gave them each the stink-eye, trying to discern the odd one out.

"Marry… oh, I've been meaning to ask you something, big bro."

Shirou felt both relieved and apprehensive that Nanako broke the tension. Regardless, he smiled at her and gave her his full attention. "What is it, Nanako?"

"I've been thinking. You not only know Sakura-chan back home, and that other girl who Tiger-nee said gave you your bow, but Chie-chan, Yuki-chan and even Rise here." Nanako tilted her head in curiosity. "You have a lot of girl friends, don't you, big bro?"

One could hear the summer cicadas click outside, and the tension grew worse than the outburst earlier. Shirou could feel pointed, worried stares from his female teammates centered on him. "Uh... I guess so?"

"Which one is your favorite?"

Oh god, her too!? "I, uh… can't quite say yet."

"You are not convincing anyone." He was going to have words with Angel later...

Nanako continued her innocent probing. "So you're not worried about their cooties?"

"Excuse me?" What was she implying?

Taiga was suddenly all smiles as she knelt to the youngest girl's height and patted her head. "Oh, Nanako-chan, cooties is just a made up word by silly boys who don't understand romance!"

"Oh," the girl said, easily impressed. The two were now being corralled back to the couch, carrying one of Shirou's omelettes to eat.

"And there's no need to worry about Shirou being with a lot of girls at once for long!" she added jovially. "Because if he does, then he'll be forced to move in with your mother in heaven! And we certainly don't want that."

Shirou gulped, and he swore he heard at least one of the girls doing so too. Somehow Fuji-nee made a threat to his life sound so subtle and yet so teasingly sweet to Nanako's ears. At least suspicions on his love-life had been put on hold again.

"L-Let's clean up!" Chie declared suddenly. "I mean, we have plenty of… well, not so much good but… we're good on food and we certainly shouldn't overstay our welcome here!"

"Yeah, I have a lunch rush at the inn coming up!" Yukiko added quickly. The two of them took their failed dishes and dumped them in the trash without a second thought.

"Oh, me too!" Rise followed suit to empty her dish before waiting behind them in line to wash the plates. Shirou took this moment to untie his apron and hang it by the stove handle. He needed a bit of a break dealing with another round of love-life questioning.

Still, why the hell did that keep coming up!? Just because he interacted with the fairer sex several times didn't mean he was some "harem show protagonist", did it? What happened today was just an odd circumstance. They were all friends first and foremost.

Besides, I have plenty of male friends! I have the Social Links to prove it! Magician and Star. Counting the Hierophant link with Doji-nii, that's three male bonds! And for the females I know personally are Sun and Justice. Then, Chariot, Priestess, Lovers… Empress… Aeon… Does Hermit count?

Okay, maybe those weren't good examples. Fuji-nee's Sun aside, all those links were from Inaba. I must have made more friends in Fuyuki! And no, coworkers and family don't count.

Let's start backwards this time. I know for certain that only Sakura and Mitsuzuri are my female friends. As for the male ones, there's Issei, and… and… well not Shinji anymore. Wow, I have even less friends in Fuyuki than Inaba, and I've only been in Inaba for three months. Then that means…

Shirou's head banged off the stove with a dull thud, startling the girls but he didn't notice or care. The shadow over his eyes hid the wide-eyed horror of his epiphany. Oh Izanagi my life really is a harem show, isn't it? The only thing that could make it worse is if half the men I knew were secretly women in drag!

<><><>

Meanwhile, somewhere in Inaba…

"-choo!"

<><><>

July 8th, Junes, After School

It had been almost a week since Kanji's rescue, and the team relaxed on their reprieve. Whenever Shirou wasn't making the rounds around town (or getting harassed for dating advice), he was hanging out with friends or family. Giving Taiga a tour around Inaba, while also remembering to show the new "sights" to Rise later. Training with Chie by the riverbed while discussing moving plans with Yukiko. Spending the night talking with either his uncle or younger sister. Working at Moel, or very rarely filling in part-time at Junes (like today).

By now Shirou felt he had a good feel for Junes like the back of his hand. When not heading to the electronics store, or the food court, he would sometimes swing by the grocery department for some good deals, or marvel at the many specialized departments that truly showed why Junes was outperforming the shopping district stores. Not to mention all the sales they promoted for frugal shoppers. However, Junes refused to sell weapons or medicine without any sort of prescription notice, so there was no reason for the Investigation Team to take their business there.

And Shirou didn't feel comfortable with the idea of working there when he had a job at Moel already. Still, he was willing to step in because Yosuke needed help. It was especially true as he looked increasingly tired as the work day went on.

It was only after their shifts ended and they were resting at the desk that he inquired about it. "Are you okay, Yosuke?"

Yosuke let out a long dejected sigh that sounded more dour than usual. He was staring at his phone longingly, waiting for a call or text to happen. "I'd be lying if I said I was. It's just… Sacchin hasn't called back all week."

"What?" Shirou was baffled. Yosuke's girlfriend struck him as the clingy type, and should have jumped at the chance to have him all for herself. "You two were practically attached to the hip all of last week, though."

"I know, it's weird!" Yosuke said. "One day she just said that she was going to be busy doing some errands, and hasn't returned any of my texts or calls since. I also tried checking up at her place and there wasn't anybody home. Not even her brother."

"That is concerning," Shirou scratched his chin in thought. Her whole character was a mystery, from her sudden appearance in Inaba to how peculiar their meeting was. With the urgency of saving Kanji looming over them at the time, he didn't think too much about it. But maybe she had tried to use magecraft on him at their first meeting? "I wonder…"

"Wonder what?' Yosuke asked. His face then started to pale as he came to a grim realization. "Y-You don't think she might have gotten caught by the killer, right? Like what happened with Saki-senpai?"

"There have been no new rumors going around since Kanji, so I think we're in the clear there." Shirou reasoned. "We'll just have to keep an eye out for her in the meantime."

"Y-Yeah, she'll be fine," Yosuke agreed, if mostly for his own benefit. Shirou didn't have the heart to tell him that he was suspecting her as the culprit.

"Dammit, today was just the worst!"

A loud shrill cry came from one of the two female Junes employees at the far end of the empty food court. The gaudy looking, student-aged girl continued her rant, adding, "If I had known today would be so busy, I would have called in sick."

"I know, right?" her snooty friend added, just as loud. "I mean, 500 yen is barely worth a bonus. At this rate I'll never save up for my graduation trip."

"Think we can ask for more? Hanamura's son is right over there."

They looked over to Shirou and Yosuke's table, unaware that they had been listening to them. A moment later, they looked away with evident fear. "Well, I don't see his new girlfriend around," the gaudy one remarked.

"Think it's safe to try?" the snooty one asked.

They stared back at Yosuke for a moment longer, before unbridled fear forced them to look away again. "O-On second thought, let's not. It's not like he'd actually do anything to help."

"Y-yeah! And he'd probably complain to her after. N-Not that we're scared of her or anything!"

"Right! 'Cuz we're not!"

Yosuke snickered to himself. It didn't take much for Shirou to discern that these two were the problem workers mentioned the other day. Clearly whatever Sacchin said to them was well deserved and still left a mark.

"But seriously, we need more money," the gaudy one affirmed, as the two resumed walking through the court. "I might have to ask my parents to help pay for my graduation."

"Why not just get a guy to help pay for it?" the snooty one suggested. "That's what Saki did last year, right?"

Like a switch, Yosuke's good humor fell, replaced by a despondent look.

The gaudy student chuckled. "Funny story how that turned out. She apparently got together with a college guy and left with him. Before long, she came right back like a whipped dog, saying she'd save money and skip town her own way."

"Does that mean she got dumped?" the snooty student asked.

"Dunno, but what I do know is that she started working here for money…"

By now the two had walked far away that their loud gossiping couldn't be carried over. Shirou had half a mind to go over and give the two a piece of his mind, but didn't want to leave his friend in a shocked state.

The magus didn't need Pixie to tell him exactly what was wrong. Yosuke might have a girlfriend now and be trying to move on, but he still cared for and missed Saki. The fact that she died hating him only made the guilt inside him feel worse.

"Yosuke--"

"I know what you're gonna say," he cut him off. "And it's fine. It doesn't matter. It's all just hot air, not going to let that get to me."

Yosuke was clearly hurting, from how he was grinding his teeth to trying to find the words to say. But he kept up a brave front. "We… we're the only ones who can avenge Saki-senpai, and protect people like Sacchin from this ever happening again," Yosuke said. "We're special. We're the only ones who can do this."

"...yeah, you're right," Shirou agreed. It surprised him to hear Yosuke sound this serious, this driven, to solve the case and protect the town. He never thought he would meet anyone else in his life willing to take the risk.

Yosuke chuckled, clearly relieved a little bit. "I don't know if it's luck, fate, or destiny, or even something else entirely. But I think it was a very good thing that someone like you came along, Shirou. I doubt I could have gotten this far without you, much less mature past the kid in me inside the TV."

"Da da da daaaaaa~!"

His Personas always seem to find the right word to end on, and Shirou felt just that much more accomplished hearing Pixie sing.

<><><>

July 9th, Evening, Shiroku's

Taiga giggled with an intoxicated face as she stepped out of the shop-turned-night-bar and waved goodbye to the owner inside. "Thanks for the booze, Shiroku-bachan! I'll be back tomorrow~!"

Old Lady Shiroku was practically unrecognizable from her morning appearance, now sporting heavy make-up, hair-spray, and a red rubber dress. She barely gave her new favorite patron a glance as she cleaned one of her glasses. "Just don't get lost, Taiga-chan. It's raining hard tonight."

"Kaaaaay!" she replied amiably as she started to leave with nothing but a thick raincoat to protect her from the elements.

She had grown to really like Inaba in the short time since she had moved over. Everyone liked to gossip, so she learned a lot of stories from people after a few consecutive nights of drinking. Stories of the man scared of cats, the ghost lady collecting bugs and fishes, and a little errand boy trying so hard to get a lonely girl's attention.

Of course, there was a lot of talk about the murder case. But without anyone actually showing up dead since the Konishi student a few months ago, interest had died down a bit. Some speculated that the killer had gotten cold feet and skipped town, with any disappearances being a coincidence. More thought that they were trying but failing to kill the new missing students, and waiting for the opportune moment.

It wasn't much, but Taiga felt like she was on the right track. Almost like she was being guided by another butterfly. Like hell I'm going to let Shirou handle this on his own.

So absorbed in thinking about her new gossip material, and slightly stumbling in her steps, she didn't notice the other person she was passing by until they bumped shoulders. "Ahh!"

"Gah!" he grunted, snarling at her under his umbrella. "Watch where you're going, you, you... young lady!"

Taiga scowled at him. "Same to you, you hunchback beaver!"

"Oh, like I haven't heard that one before," said 'beaver' rolled his eyes. He was just as tipsy as she was, if not more from the brief moment he fought upchucking his booze. "Iiii don't have time for this! Young girls like you *hic* should go straight home to the books, not screwing with boys on exam week!"

"Who are you, my dad?" Taiga said. She didn't know what was more insulting: being accused of being a young student or an easy girl.

"I might as well be! Now go home already, missy!"

Taiga's mood soured further, and knew she couldn't stand being around this man for another second. "I'm going, I'm going!" She briskly walked further down the dark street. She had recently rented a place for herself and it was just a short walk away from the shopping district and Dojima's house. She was so looking forward to a shower and bed right about now.

"Good!" the drunk man nodded, watching her for a moment before lumbering forward. He didn't get far before he noticed another person further up the road, standing under the streetlight by the shrine. "And that goes double for you too!"

The young figure in the rain didn't move, but as he lumbered forward, the drunk Morooka could make out the kid he'd seen once or twice by the skewer stop, Souzai Daigaku.

"You...you're that Kubo kid, ain't ya? Think you're hot stuff because you go to a cram school, *hic* while pestering girls at Yasogami High? You're damn lucky you're not in my school, because I'd have your ass expelled faster than you can say the Junes catchphrase!"

The boy didn't move or react as the teacher got closer. It got him more riled than usual. "Well? Got nothing to say, you smelly orange?!" Morooka stalked closer. He knew that he shouldn't bother the annoying little brat, but he was drunk and more than a little cranky. Not getting proper respect had a little to do with it too. "I'll see to it that your worthless future is ruined, you hear me?!"

"No one is going to miss you when you die."

Kinshiro Morooka did not have a moment to question the new voice, let alone scream, when he felt his neck be punctured by something sharp.

He could only watch in horror as Mitsuo Kubo's smile grew wide and giddy, as if watching something morbidly amusing. He wanted to run. He wanted to scream. He wanted to at least punch the brat's face in, but his entire body failed him. There was a sickening warmth from his neck while everything else turned cold.

Morooka's voice cracked weakly as if he was being choked, struggling to look at what was wrong with his neck. He saw a young girl leaning down from behind, kissing his neck- no… biting it. Enough to draw blood. Even suck it down a bit?

When the girl pulled away, her lips and cheeks were bloody, idly being licked at with her tongue. "Not very filling, but that should be enough. Finish the job, Mitsy!"

Finish? What are they--?

"RAAAAAAH!"

SKLCH!

Morooka's body was flung to the ground as he felt another sudden pain in his body. This time from the screaming fish-eyed brat lunging at him with a knife embedded in his abdomen.

This… was this some kind of joke? Dying by a pair of young teenagers with a vendetta towards him? Was this occult or something?

No one would notice him, or save him. He could only stare up at the rainy sky and the two teens looking down at him. The boy seemed to have a bit of panic in his eyes, while the girl regarded him with cold indifference.

"I… I can't believe it! I actually ki--!"

"You did it, Mitsy. You're finally a hero."

With that, in the cold dead of a rainy Inaba night, King Moron breathed his last breath.

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 41: Ethical Effort


Philosophy was never a well-liked class in Yasogami. It was hard enough in the rest of the curriculum to study and research how to answer questions in topics like literature, history, and science. There was usually only one right answer to such questions. But not Philosophy.

And King Moron made sure to hammer that point across, much to the dismay of his students.

"The Greeks broke their ancient philosophy down to three sciences: physics, ethics, and logic," he explained. "Physics obviously relates to the laws that make up the world around us, which we discuss through the use of math and science. The logic part comes in via common sense, based on part of the universal laws and experience. It's the part where you come up with your damn memes and jokes."

Although the class was silently digesting his lecture, a number of them rolled their eyes in an effort to fight the urge to groan or express displeasure vocally. King Moron never missed a beat in squeezing in some insulting barb to them.

"And to round it off, ethics are the difference between right from wrong. What determines what is good or moral choices. I'm sure you brats were all taught such ethics when growing up, like how to keep your yaps quiet or disciplined when you do something wrong."

Yosuke scoffed under his breath, "Like any of this is important."

"I heard that, Hanamura," the teacher said. Right away the teen flinched and tried to look inconspicuous (paying attention, writing 'notes' on his paper). "You have trouble with authority? Well, maybe if you apply philosophy into your daily life, you might understand how 'important' it really is. So tell me, what do you plan to do in your future?"

"Huh? Oh, well… just kick back in a manager's office with a beautiful wife, nothing special."

Morooka's frown narrowed. "I believe I owe you an apology, Hanamura."

"Really?"

"Such a simple dream has no need for any critical thinking, so it's wasted on you." Right away Yosuke's hopes were dashed, feeling unfairly put down by King Moron. Shirou did feel the statement was unfair, no matter how true it might have been.

"What about you, Emiya? What's your plan for the future?"

Oh, so now it was his turn. Well, if he was going to be publicly embarrassed, might as well do it with gusto.

"I want to be an ally of justice." He said clearly. "I want to save people like a hero would."

He heard Yosuke snort from behind him. A few other students giggled as well. And Morooka just stared at him, baffled. Clearly no one expected such a childish life goal from Shirou, of all people.

"Why?"

Shirou blinked, almost missing the question. "Huh?"

"Why do you want to be an ally of justice?"

He had plenty of reasons, but all of them were personal, private, and a sensitive topic to go over. "I just…do. That's all."

His teacher scoffed, before walking back to the blackboard. "Let me rephrase the question, Emiya: do you HAVE to be an ally of justice, or do you WANT to?"

Again, Shirou was confused. Looking over to Satonaka next to him, he could see that she and the other students were sharing similar expressions of bafflement. "…is there a difference, sensei?"

"The need to do good can be expressed as 'duty', while the want is out of the interest in 'self-love'," Morooka explained, as he finished writing the English words "GOOD WILL". "Nothing in the world, or even beyond that for that matter, can ever be called good or moral unless it has a reason to be. A 'good will'. You can list so many different virtues as to why you do good things: smarts, athletics, judgment, tenacity. But they can just as easily be bad virtues if, say, the serial killer had them. Thus, making it a bad will."

The casual mention of 'serial killer' perked a few students' attention, the Investigation Team included.

"If you truly just want to help people out of the goodness of your heart, then it can be called a good will. If you have any sort of ulterior motive in mind, then it can't be called ethical, even under good intentions. Compensation, notoriety, prowess… like it or not, the ends will not justify the means as they are never the end until the day we die."

Dead silence. Shirou was mystified. It was typical to feel like dying when going through King Moron's rants and spiels, but this felt uncomfortably dark.

"So, wait," a student asked, raising his hand. "Does that mean there's no meaning in life at all?"

"If you ask philosophers in the field of Nihilism, then yes, life ultimately has no meaning. But we're not talking about that yet. We're going over Kantianism."

Then, Morooka lifted his textbook to rest open on one hand and began reading. "'We have, then, to develop the concept of a will which is to be esteemed as good in itself without regard to anything else. It dwells already in the natural and sound understanding and does not need so much to be taught as only to be brought to light. In order to show this, we shall take the concept of duty. It contains the concept of a good will, though with certain subjective restrictions and hindrances, but these are far from concealing it and making it unrecognizable, for they rather bring it out by contrast and make it shine forth all the more brightly.'"

Shirou could see why Morooka was a teacher for a reason. When he got into his lectures, he had charisma that commanded others to listen. Shirou felt especially drawn, hearing the theory explained so clearly to him. Except not many students seemed interested at all. They were either dozing off or looking at their textbooks in a way to ignore him.

Morooka continued reading. "'On the other hand, it is a duty to preserve one's life, and moreover everyone has a direct inclination to do so. But for that reason, the often anxious care which most men take of it has no intrinsic worth and the maxim of dosing so has no moral import. They preserve their lives according to duty, but not from duty.'" He snapped the book shut in his hand, looking directly at Emiya in particular. "In short, an act of kindness or heroic justice can only be called morally good if it's acted on a strong duty, or obligation."

Had it been anyone else, it might have been profound or deep. But the silence was more of apathy than awe, as if they had heard such spiels before.

"At least according to Kant," he said, before casually setting the book down and pacing the classroom. Just like that, the moment was gone. "And personally, I think Kantianism is garbage. It revolves around the idea that humans are just rational creatures, limiting our potential. There are many other empirical theories that argue against this, stating what they think is the real reason to do ethical actions."

Yosuke, more annoyed than usual from the class, couldn't stop himself from crying out indignantly. "Then why the hell are you teaching us a theory you don't even believe in?!"

"Because I'm teaching you little brats how to think for once!" King Moron roared back. "Think on what you personally think is important, just like all these thinkers did! Laying the groundwork of research for others to expand and grow from! That's the whole point of philosophy!

"If you don't like something, then argue it! Look for something that makes sense! Preach it to the heavens, for all I care! You can agree with me or not. Like Kantianism or not. Like Nihilism or not. But never assume you know everything. That's what Socrates taught us; true wisdom is knowing you don't know everything."

At that moment, the bell to end the day had rang, letting the class heave a collective sigh of relief. Morooka was first to collect his things off the front desk, before giving one last announcement. "Consider that your homework assignment! Find an empirical theory you believe is true to some form and why. I expect it to be ready when you take finals."

The majority of the class groaned and expressed annoyance. Not as loudly or visually, as he always looked for an excuse to lambast someone.

With the students free to spend the rest of the day as they wanted, they paid no mind to their teacher leaving.

It was the last time any of them saw him alive.

<><><>

July 10th, Shopping District, Early Morning

For some reason, Shirou felt the need to walk by the Shopping District. He rationalized that it was to check up on Kanji, or how Fuji-nee was doing in her new apartment. Maybe even do a jog to work on his cardio. He ignored the nagging knot in his stomach that something was wrong, as he brushed it off as nerves after a harrowing rescue. He'd lost an arm after all, and nothing short of divine intervention from a friend fixed it.

The fog was still lingering after days of rain, giving the town an eerie look in the early morning. It was hard to see a few of the buildings. Inaba was normally quiet and inactive, but it could easily pass as a ghost town if tourists didn't know any better.

It was just very early morning, and not everyone would be up yet. He didn't think his friends would be up unless they had a job, like the inn or Junes. And he knew for sure that Taiga wouldn't be up unless she had breakfast to look forward to. Yes, he just needed to get her breakfast. Some eggs and rice might be good.

Yes, maybe even some tamako kake gohan, with soy sauce, mirin, chopped nori, a second egg, and maybe some red sakura denbu-

Red?

Shirou doubled-back from his walk; on the street pavement was a blotch of dark red liquid, dried and splattered as if falling from the sky like a raindrop. His sharp senses told him what it clearly was, but he denied the possibility. Even if he could see and smell other red markings next to it, also dried up from the mid-summer heat.

Against his better judgment, Shirou slowly craned his head up to see where it had come from. His peripheral vision noticed a telephone pole close to where he was standing, but he ignored that. It had to be just a coincidence.

But nothing could deny the truth of what he saw dangling in the sky.

A mangled corpse hanging from a water tower, supported by a twisted (broken?) leg clutching the railing. Dried blood having once spilled from stiff limbs and dangling parts of clothes. A familiar position that he had never seen before but had heard of firsthand.

Worse… it was someone he recognized.

No.

No, no, no no no!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

A scream broke out from a startled woman just leaving her house. Suddenly the street was more aware, as others looked out their windows and doors. Already murmurs started to rise, and many pulled out their phones to call the police or take pictures.

Shirou didn't stay for the gathering, as he had a more pressing concern to look into. He hurried down the street, at least being quick but conspicuous enough not to look suspiciously involved.

When he made the turn at the corner, he sprinted for all his worth to Fuji-nee's address. She had to be fine. There was no way she was caught up in this now of all times, months after she appeared on the Midnight Channel, right?!

Shirou arrived at the building that was her living address and found the apartment door she was in. He was reaching for his spare key to her door in his pocket but stopped when he noticed that the door was ajar and broken at the lock. He gulped and pushed the door open, walking inside.

He didn't need to be a magus, or a detective really, to know there was a scuffle here. Granted, Taiga Fujimura never really learned how to clean up after herself unless it was on a plate. But dirty clothes? Papers and pens for grading? Manga and light novels left half-read? That was one kind of disorganized mess.

It wasn't like a pushed over sofa, or shattered glass from a beverage. And… it was so small he barely noticed walking over the small flat, but there were a few pieces of shredded cloth that looked like they belonged to her green dress.

There was no body… yet. Taiga was nowhere in the apartment, and the worst one could assume was that there had been a fight in her room. A kidnapping, maybe? Or even…

He looked over to the table stand, where a big, blocky-sized TV stood. Slightly shifted off its original resting place, judging by the indent it left where the dust hadn't collected over.

There was no mistake of the implication. She was pushed into the other world by the killer. "Dammit. Fuji-nee…"

No, worrying about her wasn't going to help. He might have been too late for one teacher, but there was time to save the other, surely.

With nothing else in the room to find, he walked briskly out the door and dialed a number on his phone. "Satonaka? Get the others. We have another victim, possibly two."

<><><>

Junes Food Court, Afternoon

"Wait, King Moron? Seriously?!"

It was no secret that many Yasogami High students hated the meanest teacher at their school. Deep down, Yosuke hoped he was the culprit involved in the string of murders lately because he seemed like a likely scapegoat. What's one more justification over his seemingly irrational hatred over students and their hormones?

But there was no joy, relief, or satisfaction that he died like this. He was an asshole, but not even he deserved to be a murder victim. No one deserved to die like this. And on top of that, Taiga Fujimura was likely thrown in too?

"I confirmed as much when I first saw it and heard others from the crowd as well before the police arrived," Shirou explained. "It was our teacher, all right."

"B-But that breaks all the rules!" Chie stammered. She didn't know if it was the summer heat or stress, but even wearing summer casual clothes didn't help them from feeling this distraught. "What about the Midnight Channel? Or the news? No one would seriously think about him through the talking board thing, either!"

"It can't all just be a coincidence up until this point, right?" Rise wondered fearfully. "I mean, killing one person instantly and then sending senpai's guardian inside at the same time?"

"Maybe we don't know anything about the Midnight Channel," Yukiko said. "Or our culprit, for that matter."

"Dammit!" Yosuke slammed his fists on the table. "After all that, we're back to square one?! I mean, trying to catch a culprit even the police couldn't find? What the hell were we thinking?"

"We were thinking of preventing another death like this from happening."

Somehow, Shirou's cutting words snapped them out of their cloud of despair. Now that he had their undivided attention, he continued. "We've prevented three potential deaths so far and have come out stronger each time for it. If we stopped here because of a setback, then the culprit wins. Fuji-nee's still out there and I'm certainly not going to give up now. I made a promise to her to get out of this case alive.

"And so what if we don't know everything about the case? Or the Midnight Channel? We'll just keep figuring it out. That's what King Moron taught us, remember? 'True wisdom is knowing you don't know everything'."

The tension around the table eased considerably, and it was clear that his words had gotten through to them. Although still worried of the daunting task ahead of them, it was all the more reason they needed to work together able-minded. In particular, Chie and Yukiko exchanged determined nods and smiles.

Rise clutched her hands close to her chest and beamed. "Ooooh, my fragile idol heart's swooning, senpai! You really are a cool leader!"

"Man, you make it sound so easy, partner," Yosuke sighed with a ghost of a smile. "But yeah, we promised the bear too, didn't we? Can't really give up after coming this far, or else he'd be bawling his eye stamps out."

"Hey, that's right!" Chie exclaimed. "Teddie should know what happened to Fujimura-san and King Moron! Let's go see him!"

"But what about Kanji-kun?" Yukiko asked. "Shouldn't we check up on him, just in case?"

Shirou had considered that and figured checking up on him meant 'ask him to join the team'. Knowing Kanji, he'd do so in a heartbeat and put his physical prowess to good use. But for all they knew, he was probably still under close watch from Naoto, and by extension the rest of the police department. "We'll check up on him later, after we get this matter sorted out. One more day of rest might be good for him."

"If you say so…"

<><><>

TV World, Teddie's Hub Space

The entrance to Teddie's world looked as dour as expected for a floor with murder outlines, but it was still nice to see it look a little home-y with Teddie's sleeping arrangements set up. It was his home, after all, and he knew the team would come through the same TV every time.

"Hey, Ted? You got a min…ute?" Yosuke trailed off as they neared the corner of his 'room'. Everyone was similarly dumbfounded and silent.

"Uh, hub! Huuh! Whoa! Haa!" Teddie grunted with each bounce of his small feet. If that wasn't enough, he moved his equally short arms up and down.

"Is he… exercising?" Chie ventured.

"Looks more like he's flopping around like a fish," Rise said.

"Ha! Hoa! Huh?" Teddie stopped mid-bounce, and his expression brightened seeing everyone. "Oh! Shirou-sensei! Everyone! You're here!"

"What was all that about?" Chie asked.

"Well, I've been deli-bear-ating. You guys have been doing all the fighting with your Personas, while little 'ol me is just stuck with a nose getting more and more clogged up." The bear then leaned forward in a stretch, trying to reach his toes. Given how top-heavy his build was, he managed only a few inches. "I thought that -urk!- maybe if I get a little closer to my dream bod, I'd awaken a Persona or something too, maybe."

"You have a dream bod?" Yosuke teased with a smile. "What, like one of those bodybuilders from Kanji's sauna?"

"I was thinking more like Shirou-sensei, actually. He's a lean, mean, stud-scoring machine!"

Shirou pinched his nose close to his eyes. He could feel the stares of his teammates directed at him ranging from amused to annoyance… and Yukiko seemingly uttering a dark curse under her breath. "Well, as flattered as I am of your goals, Teddie," Shirou began. "I'm afraid this visit is business-related."

"Oh, kinda figured," Teddie frowned slightly and stood back upright. "So, what's up?"

"Did you notice anyone getting thrown into the TV last night?"

Teddie "Hmm"ed as he stroked the spot that was likely his chin. "So, I wasn't just imagining things. I definitely smelled two- no, three people coming in at once at some point. Through the same TV even, but that's about it."

That threw the group for a loop. "Three people?" Yosuke echoed.

"I know, right?! Luckily, it only really changed one spot, so my world didn't get any more messed up than usual. Except I think it got really, really messed up compared to the other places. Like dark and ominous-y."

Right away, Rise moved several paces away from the group and summoned her Persona. Himiko moved her head back and forth like a radar, blipping to her visor the changes in the TV world. "Teddie's got a point. I'm sensing a big shift up north of here, bigger than anything before it."

"So, what, the culprit is pulling off triple-time?" Chie asked. "I mean, I can understand maybe Emiya-kun's guardian. But no one else appeared on Midnight Channel that we've missed, right?"

"Maybe they're her peers?" Rise suggested, dismissing her Persona. "Close friends she brought with her on her furlough?"

"No," Shirou said firmly, shaking his head. "Fuji-nee said she came alone to Inaba, and part of the reason I assume is because she wanted to be away from her… co-workers."

Then again, didn't she use her Yakuza connections to find his uncle Dojima in the first place? Maybe they were unfortunate casualties to this scenario, but there was no way to know for sure yet.

"Do you think she knew King Moron personally?" Yosuke suggested. "They were thrown in at the same time."

"Definitely not. He was an abrasive person to begin with, and she's… well, she'd react much like Satonaka would in her place."

An odd sense of pride and embarrassment filled Chie, feeling what she heard was a compliment. She thought back to how the older woman reacted to the news anchor unwittingly calling her "tiger" and giggled. "I so want to be like her when I grow up."

"Then maybe your guardian killed King Moron by accident?"

"That's also impossible. Fuji-nee is always careful about her strength in kendo, and doesn't go around hurting others. The worst she could do for revenge is a practical joke."

Yosuke snapped his fingers, annoyed that the theory was shot. "Then why was King Moron killed so quickly?"

"Maybe he got unlucky and was killed right after he was pushed in. We just have to make sure no one else dies until we can get them out."

Teddie blinked owlishly, his eyes as small as dots in alarm. "Wait, what?"

"Well, we found someone dead back in our world already. So that means there's two people still here." Yosuke explained.

Teddie looked at everyone else, who nodded in agreement. The bear held his head worriedly, as if feeling a migraine. "What are you talking about? No one's left here!"

"What are you talking about? We saw the corpse of our jackass teacher King Moron this morning, right after the rain last night!"

"That doesn't change the fact that you're wrong!"

"How the hell am I wrong!? Three people got in, one died and got out! What's so hard to understand?"

Teddie looked very bristled, and stared back at Yosuke. The teen towered over him, but at that moment, it was Teddie who looked to be the more dominant figure. "Let me put this in a way you can understand, Yosuke. Three people got in. No one got out yet. And before you ask; yes, this was before you guys showed up today!"

"Are you absolutely sure? I mean, you've told us before you've been having trouble smelling around here lately."

"Just because I can't pick up someone's scent perfectly doesn't mean I can't tell when this world changes! Three people are here! End of discussion!"

Yosuke gulped, backing away and waving his hands in defense. The bear could be pretty scary when he wanted to be. "O-Okay, if you say so, Ted…"

"But if that's true," Yukiko wondered aloud. "Then our teacher wasn't pushed inside? Then how did he die?"

Shirou, having seen the body himself, thought back to the signs. "He bled to death, most likely. Something, or someone, stabbed him enough times to stain his clothes. Then hanged him by the water tower to look like the other deaths."

"Why does that matter?" Chie argued. "Plenty of Shadows have teeth or blades that can work for puncture wounds. We fought a giant grass baby for crying out loud!"

The Momentary Child, a child-like Shadow as Chie had described that was seen wandering the Striptease the other day. During their break from rescuing Kanji, the team went back there for some training and teamwork. Compared to the Contrarian King, that fight was much more manageable due to their higher level of experience.

"It matters because it might be different from the other bodies. It would help us to know if Yamano or Konishi were found with similar wounds."

"No… they weren't." Yosuke's bitter words spoke of certainty. He'd paid extra close attention to how Saki died and any rumors of how they found her body. "This case is so confusing to the cops in the first place because there's no sign of how the victims died. Rumors came up that they were poisoned to death but couldn't figure out how or why."

"A Shadow killing them in this world could probably do that," Teddie explained sadly. "The body returns fine, but the psyche and soul are gone."

As the rest of the team mulled over the dark topic, Shirou thought over the details once more. "In any case, I think we can conclude that our late teacher didn't die in the TV world, but in our world."

"Yeah, but was it really our culprit? Or someone that got lucky to get revenge on King Moron?" Yosuke asked.

"I don't know yet, but I intend to find out. There are three people here right now, and Fuji-nee's likely one of them." He turned to their team scanner. "Rise, can you locate the new dungeon if you had just one person to work off of?"

"As long as they're in the same area, I think so," she answered, resummoning her Persona again. "I take it you want me to find your Fuji-nee?"

"What else do you need to know, though?" Yosuke argued. "From what I've seen and heard, she's basically an older, stronger, more comical Chie Satonaka. Heck, I bet she has the same low points."

Rise quickly pried the visor off her face, jubilant glee evident on her features. "Ooooh! Like what her Shadow was like? Tell me, tell me!"

"Don't you dare!" Chie roared with a red flush. Her anger hid away her embarrassment pretty well, but Shirou had a feeling she was equal parts shy and mad.

"Come on, it's for the investigation! What's a little secret gossip between friends?" Yosuke clearly meant it in teasing, but him looking between Yukiko and Shirou for confirmation could be taken more of judging her reaction regarding them.

Chie was now gritting her teeth and barely grounded out her threat. "Stop being an ass, Hanamura, or I'll bring up your painful secret!" That was enough of a reaction to elicit a loud gulp from him.

"Knock it off. Both of you," Shirou scolded sharply. They exchanged awkward glances before looking away, fortunately dropping it. It was ironic that they still couldn't admit their secrets to new team members. If the Investigation Team was going to keep working together, they'd need to iron out all their interpersonal issues.

But that would have to wait. He turned back to Rise, who reluctantly went back to scrying herself. "It's true that Fuji-nee shares similarities to Satonaka; upbeat, athletic, determined. She's usually more laidback and enjoys sleeping and eating whenever given the chance."

"Definitely Satonaka," Yosuke noted aloud. Chie glared at him as Yukiko stifled a giggle.

"She's also stubborn; once she sets her mind to it, she'd see to it that it goes her way. She's almost always late to the class she teaches and has a bit of an ego."

"Sounds more like Hanamura to me," Chie quipped back. Yosuke returned the glare and Yukiko chortled more.

"I'm getting something," Rise said, looking intently through Himiko's visor. "But it's still vague. I need a little more to zero-in."

"Like what?" Shirou felt he had a wealth of knowledge to provide for his guardian, but it would help to get the specifics first.

"Shadows are more drawn to the unseen emotions, remember?" Teddie offered. "The kind that they didn't want others to know about. Does your Fuji-nee have anything like that?"

Shirou frowned. Normally Fuji-nee was so vibrant and jovial and honest. He couldn't think of any time where she had some sort of slip of emotion. Except that one time. "I think deep down, she has an inferiority complex about herself. Worried that what she does is not enough. Doesn't like it if secrets are kept from her."

Himiko's head tilted ever so slightly to the right. "Go on," Rise urged.

"And despite her child-like demeanor, she's also shown times when she can be mature and reliable. But… no one ever seems to notice or care," he continued. In a way, he was just realizing all this himself. "She got mad whenever someone called her 'Tiger' instead of 'Taiga', and made a point to get revenge later, but it was hiding the fact that she was upset."

"Oh, Shirou-sensei…"

Following Teddie's sad comment, a somber silence fell over the group. Rise felt the compulsive urge to hug her heroic senpai, but she knew finding Fuji-nee would help him more. She felt she had a good feel of where to find their target now. Yosuke and Chie felt especially guilty getting wound up earlier with a fight. Yukiko's laughter was gone, and she found her gaze pinned to the floor.

Then she caught sight of something that piqued her interest, a smile slowly curling on her lips.

"I found her," Rise announced. "And the other two are just as close. I'm not sure if it's because they brought their own baggage into this world too, but it's much bigger than the other dungeons 'til now."

"Well, that's ominous," Yosuke said. "Maybe the culprit is one of the three and is hiding out here?"

"I wouldn't rule out that possibility, but we won't find out pondering things here." Shirou turned to address the team. "All right, let's… go?"

His planned speech died as he and everyone else stared at Yukiko. For some reason, she was now wearing a different pair of glasses over her eyes that looked more fitted from a joke box. The frames were glassy opaque and lined with circles that hid her brown eyes. Attached to the bridge was a thick gag nose with a thin black 'stache on either end. It was the most ridiculous thing Shirou had ever seen.

"Hehe, roger!" If Yukiko recognized it was a silly accessory too, she either didn't care or was having too much fun as she saluted, regardless of the stares she was receiving.

"Yukiko," Chie asked finally, sternly frowning at her best friend. "Where did you find those?"

"Teddie had a whole pile of them over there," she said, pointing to said stack of similar glasses. "They look funny!"

"Hehe, oh yeah," Teddie laughed sheepishly. "I uh, got bored waiting for you guys again, so I've been practicing making some new glasses designs for Kanji. I might have gone overboard."

"I'm surprised you didn't think to make glasses for yourself yet. Or have you?" Yosuke asked.

"Hmph! My eye holes are made of the same lenses as your glasses, you know! I have no reason to make myself a pair!" He muttered to himself softly, "especially when they would just fall off my face."

"Here Emiya-kun! You try a pair!"

"Huh?" Yukiko didn't bother waiting for a proper response by Shirou before stepping up close to him. With one hand she plucked the fog-filtering glasses off his face, and then pushed the gag glasses in another. He was suddenly left with a deliberating headache and difficulty to see, barely able to register the team around them. But he did see and notice the stifling laughter now. He must look ridiculous.

Yukiko pointed and laughed right away. "Your face, haha, your face! Oh-ho Emiya-kuuuun, you look so ridiculous, pwahahahaha!"

"Wow, Yuki-chan's really losing it. Not that *snrk* I blame her." Rise barely kept it together looking over Shirou. Their normally serious, stoic leader, wearing such silly eyewear.

And predictably, he was annoyed. "Why am I even wearing these?"

"W-Well, think of them as… back-up glasses!"

"Oh, I'm afraid those won't work in this world," Teddie shook his head. "They don't have the same filter lenses as the ones I made for you guys."

Yukiko actually sounded upset to learn about this between giggles. "Teehee. Aww, too bad."

"More like a blessing. I can't imagine walking around Inaba with these things, much less in a dungeon." Shirou argued. His hand reached to the gag nose covering his real one. "I mean, what's this nose piece for, any-?"

'Squeak!'

A loud honky squeak filled the studio space, startling everyone into silence. Shirou hesitantly clenched his fingers over the nose piece again and felt some sort of air pressure inside. Said pressure let out a high-pitched sound befitting a pet's squeaky toy. Or even an accordion letting the noise out too long.

"BWAAAAAAA HAHAHAHAHAAAAAA! *snort* AHAHAHAHA!" Yukiko laughed so hard she fell over on her back, kicking and rolling on her aching sides. Everyone else joined in her chorus, but they were nowhere near as loud or animated.

At some point during the laughter, Tama decided to stop hanging from the TV stand and pluck a pair of gag glasses for herself. The prospect of a squeaky toy clearly excited her.

Shirou's eyebrow twitched, but for all he knew, no one could see it through the thick lenses. He didn't know if his Personas were laughing at his expense. Slowly, he removed the gag glasses, taking care not to crush them in a fit of rage. They didn't have time for this.

"Are you all quite done?" he asked evenly. The others had the decency to look a little embarrassed of their reactions. Except Yukiko, it was taking her a little longer to calm down.

Finally, she sat up to look at him, pulling out her own gag glasses. "That depends," she asked back. "Are you feeling better?"

Shirou blinked. "Huh?"

"I know it's important we have to rescue your guardian and the other victims, but you can't do that if you're feeling sorry for yourself. I'm sure she wouldn't want to see you having any doubt in yourself."

Yukiko clearly spoke from personal experience, in relation to her own Shadow. It's not that he didn't appreciate the gesture, but the timing was suspect.

Still, Shirou smiled and reached over to pull his classmate up. Having people like her, like this team, watch out for his well being was somewhat liberating. Fuji-nee would be happy meeting them for the first time. That would make all this Inaba case nonsense worth it. "Thanks, Amagi."

<><><>

Road to Taiga

The Investigation Team could understand with each trek walking around why Teddie didn't like his world getting "cluttered". Each place of a victim's reality was haphazardly placed down without regard to the original spot, a style that would contrast with the others. While some places looked accurate to reality like the shopping district, others were grandiose in the fantasy like the castle or strip joint. The pathways to each new place were simple at first, as if entering a new movie set in a studio (thus enforcing the idea that this is possibly some big elaborate filming plot by the culprit). They felt natural at first, gradually giving away to a new area without it feeling entirely out of place. A gate and some tiles leading to the castle, a dark cave for the strip tease, things like that.

But this new place they were going to, there was a very clear divide how different it was from all the others. A literal line at that, where the ground went from smooth and flat to rough and blocky. Pixelated, even. The color of the road past that point grew darker, less vibrant. The few trees they saw were thick and cartoonishly blocky, but each one further down had fewer green leaves, more branches. The further down the path they went, the more it was like entering a graveyard, and only Yukiko found that prospect exciting.

They finally reached their destination at a big thick (and pixelated) gate barring entrance to a tall Romanian castle, but with a horror vibe to it. Tall towers climbing to the sky, with small sets of towers suspended and branched out. Dim yellow lights in small windows at each bridge and tower room. Steep cliffs that carved out any land or entry around it besides the single, long bridge beyond the gate.

Even the sky of waves resembled more of an old 8-bit game with how they rather blinked into position every second rather than flowed. The waves converged on a single point, blending in like a sun or black hole (or was it a red hole given how the color changed?). There was also one addition to the sky that was meant for the area: a white glowing half circle with a sliver of black waning from the left side.

Finally, just at the top of the gate was a sign in red letters (that gave the distinct scent of blood), printed in English letters for all to see:
Moon Voidania

Chie forced a laugh, pointing to the sky. "G-Guess you have a moon in your world after all, Teddie."

"The castle or the space ball?"

Ignoring them, Yosuke tried to push, then pull, the gate open. It didn't so much as budge either way. "Well, aside from the world looking like some sort of old school horror video game, the only creepy thing about this place is how the entrance is locked."

"Has that ever happened before?" Rise asked.

"Technically it happened last time with those two Guys guarding the bathhouse," Shirou commented. "But that was it."

"Teddie once said that the Shadows attack us because they have a feeling we're snooping around where we shouldn't be," Yosuke said. "Maybe they're upping the security every time to make sure we don't get in?"

"Is that really the case?" Yukiko wondered. "I can understand Kanji-kun at least, but if what Emiya-kun said about his guardian is true, would she feel this guarded about her true feelings?"

"If it was just Fuji-nee, no," Shirou said. Her strength and positivity always shone even when she was downtrodden. "But with two other victims? Or worse, the mastermind himself in the furthest level, then this closed entry makes sense."

"So what do we do now?" Chie asked. "Bust the door open?"

Before Shirou could even begin to ponder that idea, his senses picked up a faint sound beyond the gate. Like the galloping of a startled quadruped… acting bipedal? It was strange, and yet it was somehow familiar.

Then he heard it. "-gottagetouttaheregottagetouttaheregottagetouttaheregottagetouttahere-!"

"My word, is that-?!"

He didn't need Cu Sith's confirmation on the matter. But he did need to move. "Guys? We should back away from the gate. Now."

The sense of urgency wasn't lost on them. Yosuke, Chie and Yukiko still stared at him in confusion as he moved towards the gate wall. Teddie picked up the scent right away, and Rise summoned Himiko for a better view. They both blanched at what they saw. ""Oh whoopie cushions/crapbaskets!"" They cried at once, over each other.

"-gottagetouttaheregottagetouttahereGOTTAGETOUTTAHEREGOTTAGETOUTTAHEEEEEEEEEEEERRRE!"

By now everyone had barreled out of the way of the blocky gate, some running, some tripping, and at least one dive-jumping forward. Not a moment later, the barreling force heading towards them slammed into the gate like a bullet train and snapped them both away in two. An explosion went off, and all that was left when the dust settled was a young woman in slightly tattered clothes, sprawled on the floor and eyes dizzy from running.

She was just barely conscious enough to congratulate herself. "I made iiiiit~. Hooraaaaay."

"Fuji-nee!" Shirou ran to her side right away. He turned her around and set her upright on his lap, shaking her lightly to stir her. "Fuji-nee, are you okay? Fuji-nee?"

"So that's his guardian, huh?" Yosuke wondered aloud. He and the others crowded closely to him, but kept their space. "I'm kinda surprised she managed to get out all on her own."

"Uh, guys?"

"Does this count as saving her, though?" Yukiko asked, then pouted. "We didn't even get to see the inside of the castle."

Rise tried again to get their attention. "Guuuuuys…"

"Well, look on the bright side," Chie said, pointing to the gate without looking back. "She opened the way for us! I'm sure after she's all rested, and if we get Kanji-kun on board, we'll be ready to-"

"Guys, seriously! Shadow at your six!"

That snapped them out of their stupor, and they turned back around to see a Shadow sprinting towards them. It resembled a warthog, tusks pointed forward as it galloped towards them with small front legs. Grafted to the back of the shadow was a motorcycle back wheel and engine, gunning and reverberating with each step it made and made somewhat deadly (if gothic metal) with a series of spikes grafted off the side. A black rider's helmet covered the hog's face, capped with a Noh Mask on top representing the roman mark of Chariot.

"I've heard of Wild Hogs, but this is ridiculous!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Funny thing. That's what that Shadow's called."

The hog shadow squealed as it reeled back mid-charge before glowing red, and it sped at the team faster at its impromptu wheelie. Sparks flared up brightly and it was easy to hear the loud sound of tires burning rubber on the bridge. Whatever it was going to do, it was going to hit them hard and fast.

"Let's roast this porker!" Chie roared, summoning Tomoe right away. Jiraiya and Konohana Sakuya appeared just as quickly, and they peppered it with their elemental attacks given the distance between them was still vast.

Ice, wind, fire. Nothing stopped it, and they didn't seem to hurt it either. Again the pig shadow oinked aloud, only second to the roar of its engine, which started to steam up. Maybe the fire did do something after all?

"Oh no. Guys, you need to dodge!" Rise warned urgently. "It's gonna blow!"

"But Emiya-kun is in its line of fire!" Chie argued. And his guardian too was in danger, but that didn't need to be said.

"I got this!" Shirou didn't try to carry or move Taiga away, but he didn't need to so long as he had a Persona. "Izanagi!"

His first Persona shot out like a bullet, deciding for the direct approach instead of magic. As the crossed paths, Izanagi swung his naginata with all the force he could muster, a true Power Slash that hacked flesh and metal alike. The Wild Hog's screams were now of pain, showing that the attack was effective.

But it wasn't enough to kill it! Worse, the Shadow was just upon them, ready to detonate! Maybe if he could recall Izanagi back, he'd have enough time to strike again, or at least buffer the explosion to save the others?

No. The others wouldn't want that. Fuji-nee wouldn't want that. If he couldn't think of a way to get them all out, himself included, what kind of hero would he be?

Before he realized, his guardian shifted in his arms, and a dim blue light caught his peripheral vision. "Kaihime!"

A second figure barreled towards the Wild Hog, a streak of yellow and green. This Persona too struck the Shadow with a quick-draw horizontal slash. However, the strength, speed, and even elegance of the cut was the sign of a true swordsman, managing to bisect the Shadow so clean that it severed its target into two. And the two halves of the Wild Hog fell harmlessly over the bridge edge, disintegrating rather than exploding, leaving behind only a pathetic, drowned out "Sweeeee…"

Everyone was struck dumb in awe. They slowly looked up from the non-existent Shadow remains to the new Persona. A porcelain white-skinned woman that seemed to glow like a ghost, wearing a yellow furisode kimono with red petal designs. A green sash with yellow stripes fastened the kimono around the waist, also held together by a red knotted string. From the waist down, the kimono was cut into thin-like ribbons resembling a broken skirt, giving ample freedom of movement, and revealed matching black greaves guarding her shins. In her left arm, the kimono sleeve was completely unblemished, cradling a long black sword sheath in her demure hand. But from her right arm, the sleeve was torn completely off, revealing her supple shoulder and a black vambrace over her hand, which was holding her weapon. A long katana, black and red hilt, sun-shaped guard, and a distinctly orange-and-black striped tail at the end. The most striking feature was her wavy fire-red hair, and a tiger-painted mask covering her face.

After a few more seconds, the Princess Persona cleaned the edge of her blade by her sheath, and then slid in inside before vanishing. Now everyone turned to where they saw the Persona appear from. Taiga Fujimura had her hand clenched out in front of her, eyes closed in intense focus.

No one knew what to say. They were all numb in thought. Thinking how insane that was. How impossibly COOL that was, and how it seemed to break so many rules they had learned thus far about Personas and Shadows. Even Shirou didn't know what to say, except tentatively say her name again. "F-Fuji…nee?"

"Hehe…" Taiga chuckled, turning to give him a smile. "Finally. I can say I've saved you… for once…"

Her body slumped in his arms, and Shirou feared for the worst. "Fuji-nee!"

"It's okay, senpai!" Rise told him as Yukiko knelt to his side with her Persona. "She's just unconscious! I'm not sure how but she must have awakened her Persona on her own!"

"Yeah. I mean, it always left us winded whenever we accepted ourselves," Yosuke consoled him, a firm hand over his shoulder. "Plus, she was running out of this dungeon all ragged. It's no wonder she's exhausted."

Konohana Sakuya's light of Diarama enveloped the sleeping woman, cleaning away the dirt and grime. "And she doesn't seem to have any serious wounds either. No blood, no scratches… she'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

"Thank goodness," Shirou sighed in relief. He couldn't imagine losing her too after Kiritsugu. Or anyone really… is this how they felt the other day? Brushing those thoughts aside for now, he shifted his hold on her to a bridal carry before standing off the ground. "Let's go back."

"Now?" Teddie cried, dismayed. "You're going back now?! But we just got here!"

"We only came here to help Fujimura-san, remember?" Yosuke told him. "Now that she's here, there's no reason to go in."

The bear looked especially frustrated, almost like he wanted to argue his case more. But taking one look at Shirou, and Taiga in his arms, deflated the bear. "All right…"

It was sometimes easy to forget with all the murder cases and juggling through school and work that there was a reason to all of this. A promise they made to help save the bear's fragile world. This could very well be the stronghold of the culprit, the source of everything wrong in both their homes… and they weren't going in yet.

"I'm sorry, Teddie," Shirou consoled. "I know how much this means to you. And once we get Fuji-nee back up on her feet, and see about recruiting Kanji, then we'll be ready to finish this."

"You mean it?"

"I more than mean it; I promise."

Teddie nodded, comforted by the reassurance. But something was still bothering him, leaving him with conflicted emotions. I should probably find or fuse a Star Persona soon.

<><><>

Junes Electronics Dept.

The rest of the walk back was quick and quiet; the new dungeon gave distinct "final boss" vibes as Yosuke would comment on, and it was unanimously agreed to prepare more for the upcoming battle.

That said… there are times when people lower their guard, expect things to just work out as they normally do. Nothing had gone wrong before, so why assume things would spiral out of control now?

Except that they had as early as before dawn, or last night. A new victim was found killed, and three people were thrown inside the TV. Two were still inside now, and it was likely that one of them was the culprit responsible.

It still came to a surprise for Shirou, the first to exit the TV, when he saw Kanji and Naoto turn over to him from looking at another TV on display. They looked surprised to see him there, wondering how he suddenly appeared.

Naoto's eyes narrowed as he noticed Fujimura in his arms. "Emiya-san, isn't that one of the missing suspects?"

Shirou nearly panicked, but he reigned in his nerves to try and salvage this. "I can expla-AAACK!"

The giant TV portal opened again with a pool of white light, with the body of Yosuke Hanamura colliding into his. They collapsed in a heap with the Junes part-timer groaning as he pushed himself off. "Dammit, Shirou. I thought we agreed to space apart whenever we go through the TV!"

"What did Hanamura-kun say?" Yukiko's voice echoed from beyond the screen.

"I think he said, 'we can all go through, we're clear'." Chie guessed. The screen glowed white again.

Shirou and Yosuke's eyes widened with alarm for different, but equally concerning reasons. They leaned up to quickly voice their concerns. "Girls, wait, not-!" "Nononono-!"

They fell on deaf ears as Chie collapsed on them stomach-first, forcing the two back down to the floor. Yukiko appeared next, landing hip-first to Chie's backside. Then Rise, clonking heads with the inn-heiress and collapsing further on the pile of investigators. Finally, Tama popped out, staying long enough to bounce off the former idol's skirt before dashing through the store and slipping through the crowd. Had no one saw the fox beforehand, they wouldn't have noticed a thing.

Slowly but surely, the other members realized that an uncomfortable position wasn't their only problem at the moment. Naoto's face stared at them with wide-eyed, slack-jawed shock. Whatever the young detective expected, it wasn't such blatant disregard for the natural laws of order.

No one could think of anything to say. Except for Kanji, who suddenly looked very smug and vindicated towards his small ward. "I told you they were all inside the TV!"

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 42: Paradigm Shift

<><><>

Dojima Residence

"You told him we were all inside the TV?! What the hell were you thinking?!"

"Hey, I didn't know for sure, alright?" Kanji huffed defensively. "It's not like I was going to bring him inside, anyway."

"That's not the point!" Yosuke yelled. "You can't just go around telling people these things, especially your cop chaperone! No one in their right mind would believe it!"

"Why wouldn't they? It's the truth, isn't it? And we all saw it just now."

Yosuke gave up. He groaned angrily and slammed his head against the coffee table before gripping his head in both hands; one to tear out a fistful of hair, another to turn the volume up on his headphones. Whichever worked better to blank out his mind.

Naoto didn't look any more composed himself. Arms crossed, eyes forced shut, and enough all-around tense body language that one could see a vein pulse on his head. The girls of the Investigation Team gauged him with a mix of worry and fear. For that reason, they sat farther away from him on the big leather couch just across from the kotatsu, which the other boys sat around at.

Meanwhile, Shirou was by the phone finishing up an important call. "Yeah, she's fine now. Resting in my bed actually."

"And you waited until now to tell me this because…?"

Shirou felt sheepish, as if somehow he was being sternly glared at from the other end of the phone. "…I know I should have called sooner, but I didn't know where else to go. It's not like I could go and put her back in her apartment."

"That's what hospitals are for, Shirou."

"It's just a concussion, there's no need to take her to the hospital."

A heavy sigh was heard from the other end. "Look, I'm glad you're all safe. But it's crazy recklessness that had your guardian second-guess you here in the first place. We'll have to question Taiga later if she knows anything about the recent homicide. But for now, we're busy with our investigation so this will take a few all-nighters. Until then, try to keep a low profile."

Yeah, there was no way he was going to keep that promise. Sorry, Doji-nii.

"I know, I understand. My friends and I are just going to hang out here until she wakes up. I'll keep an eye on her tonight. And Nanako too, of course."

"Thanks. Stay safe, Shirou."

"You too, Doji-nii. Bye."

After setting down the phone on the receiver, he let out an exhausted breath of relief. That was one less hurdle to worry about for now; Taiga was safe, and he convinced his skeptic cop uncle that she was not a victim at the moment. And that he found her by coincidence, that was a big point of contention too.

Now to deal with the other elephant in the room, patiently waiting by the kotatsu. Setting up an appropriate meeting place would have been a simple matter of meeting at the food court, but Fuji-nee needed to rest first. There was a bit of pushback from Naoto demanding to set her to the hospital or the police, hopefully to get answers in the process. The Investigation Team wanted privacy and comfort, seemingly making a compromise impossible.

But luckily one was made. With Nanako out at a friend's house and Doji-nii busy with work, their house was the perfect place to talk.

Shirou walked over and sat at the end of the kotatsu opposite to Naoto and Kanji. The boys regarded him with attentive focus, with the former glaring with such intensity that he looked ready to demand answers.

"So, how do you want to do this?" Shirou asked Naoto. "It's a pretty long story if I go it over from the beginning—"

"I require more pressing questions answered first before I trust whatever you have to say," Naoto quickly interrupted. "To start with: who are you? Really?"

Well, that was definitely a loaded question. The detective probably knew all the obvious answers, such as his name and place of birth. What would satisfy Naoto's question? It wasn't as if his late stepfather had told him how to go about this in case secrecy wasn't an option at all.

Then again, he did have the inspiration on what to do. He probably shouldn't answer it like this, but… he always wanted to do it since Kiritsugu adopted him.

"Well, to tell the truth," he said slowly. "I'm a Sorcerer."

He hoped it would be a moment of gravitas. Kanji was wide-eyed and staring at him with awe. Yosuke and the girls were impressed by his delivery, but also confused as he knew he always insisted on being called a "magus". He might have to explain things later.

However, Naoto's scowl turned from angry to annoyed. "Yes, and I'm a level ten Kobold Ranger with max Search, Listening, and Reasoning skills. Given by my lack of reaction, I say you fumbled your Charisma check."

Shirou blinked, confused. Naoto rolled his eyes before reaching down to his bag set in front of him on the floor. In a flourish, the detective prince pulled out a clipboard, with a DnD character sheet filled out in neat writing.

"Oh," he said numbly, realizing what he meant. "You uh, want to join our campaign?"

"I am not interested in your Dungeons and Dragons code. I know it's a front, and I'm not here for games. I want you to take this seriously and answer my questions."

"Okay, but… I wasn't lying about the sorcerer thing," Shirou explained weakly. Naoto's eye twitched, subtly telling him it was the wrong answer.

After a few tense moments of staring, Shirou sighed. "I guess it would be better to show you then."

"Show me what?" Naoto asked, still regarding him warily.

"My magecraft." He held his hand out, already imaging a kunai knife he had seen Daidara create once through Shadow materials. Suddenly concerned and worried, Yosuke reached over to his side and stopped him by pushing down his wrist. It was a simple matter as he sat perpendicular to him and the detective, almost like a mediator.

"Dude, are you nuts?" he said. "You told us once you couldn't show off your hidden talents like that."

"Naoto already saw us jump out of a TV screen. I don't have the means or the heart to rectify that mistake, and he looks like he's not going to believe me on words alone."

"Well, I believe ya." Everyone turned to Kanji, surprised by his easy show of faith. "You saved my bacon, after all. No way you could be the killer guy the cops are looking for."

"I wouldn't trust them so readily, Kanji," said Naoto. "Not until they've disclosed everything they know about the case."

"Come on, Naoto, I told you everything that happened. The weird bathhouse, my Shadow, the Senpai fighting, Emiya-senpai's… arm…" He trailed off upon realizing that the last part wasn't privy to be shared, judging by the team's glares at him. "He got better!"

Maybe I can just show him the scar? Shirou thought. No, Naoto didn't look like he cared about such details. He wanted proof of what was happening and although he didn't insinuate anything yet, was banking on the fact that he and his team were responsible for what was happening. If only there was a way to prove that just because they could enter the TV they weren't the suspects for every kidnapping and murder in Inaba.

Then it hit him. "Naoto, put your hand on the TV."

"Pardon?"

"You want to know what happened at Junes? Then just put your hand on the screen. Trust me, this will explain everything."

"This better not be some sort of joke," Naoto warned, but complied. He rose up from his seat and stood directly by the TV set in the room. He placed his hand on the screen, and aside from the cold touch and faint dust line, he felt nothing.

"Now Kanji," Shirou said, pointing to the TV. "It's your turn."

"Huh?"

"Put your hand on the TV next to Naoto."

"Wh-Whaa?!" Kanji flustered, looking between him and the TV. "B-But isn't that being a little too… close?!"

Shirou thought it over. He wanted to say it would only be a moment, but he knew personally how tricky it can be to pry your hand back out of the TV. "Well, if you don't want to do it, I guess I could ask Yosuke-"

"I didn't say I wasn't gonna!" Kanji snapped quickly. "Just… it'd be kinda weird, you know?!"

The others stared at him with baffled expressions. Kanji's face was bright red in humiliation, and before he could stammer another word, he marched over to the TV next to Naoto. He took a wide step to the side away from him though and leaned in from the other side just intending to touch the glass for a second before pulling away.

To his surprise, his hand seeped into the screen like it was water, while Naoto's side remained hard as ice. The ripple effect shattered this quickly as the whole TV was flashing monochrome ripples, forcing Naoto's hand into the portal too.

Both teens were stupefied, staring into the white void without realizing their arms were sinking in further. Shirou and Yosuke quickly pried both of them away before the duo was thrown into another part of Teddie's world. They stared at the screen even as they were safely pulled away, and it returned to its normal dim black color.

Their reactions were expected. "Wh-wha… wh-wh-wha-?" "WHAT THE HELL?!"

<><><>

It took a few minutes for them to calm down and digest the rest of the explanation of the case as the team could tell them. Shirou worried that the shock might have numbed them from their surroundings, much less the talking, but they occasionally asked for a clarification on certain terms ("Mage-what?") and paid close attention throughout.

At the end of it, Kanji tried to contextualize the thoughts for the both of them. Or at least for him. "So, let me get this straight. This serial murder guy who's been on the run for months now, he's killing people with a TV? What, does he whack them with a flatscreen or something?"

Yosuke hissed with annoyance. "Not with a TV, through the TV!"

"Oooh, I get it now. He hits them with a flatscreen so hard their heads break through it."

Yosuke facepalmed. Shirou immediately followed suit as the girls joined in via their own chorus. Kanji didn't know why, but he felt his intelligence was being mocked by this shared gesture and he pouted.

"I believe what they mean to say," Naoto began slowly. "Is that the previous victims – as well as you, Kanji – were brought into another world that can accessed by a TV."

"Yes! Thank you!" Yosuke exclaimed, gesturing to the young detective. "Is it that hard to understand?"

"Actually, I'm struggling to even accept the insanity of it all," the detective dryly complained. "A secret occult of spellcasters is one thing, but apparently anyone can enter this TV world as long as they have a… Persona, you call it?"

"Yep!" Rise smiled and winked. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Not the word I would use," Naoto said. "Moreover, you said that Emiya-san was able to enter the TV before any of you?"

"Yeah, why?"

Naoto turned his gaze fully back on Shirou. He had a feeling what was on the young detective's mind. "You claim to be trying to stop the murders, but it could all be an elaborate ploy to enact something more heinous. There could be another culprit going around pushing people in, or you could be the one responsible."

For a moment, no one said anything. Some were disbelieving of the words they heard. Even Kanji glanced at his ward with disbelief.

Chie bolted upright from her seat, furious. "That's bullshit! Emiya-kun doesn't have a deceitful bone in his body!"

"Keeping a secret of the occult says otherwise, as does the nature of his… Social Links? Could be mind control for all we know."

"Trust me, I've had concerns about that already," Shirou calmly reasoned. "But I feel I was given this power – the power to enter TVs – to stop what was happening to begin with. At least that's how I discerned what my benefactors had told me; they refused to elaborate further."

"A convenient excuse," Naoto said. "But that is still no proof that you aren't the one the police are looking for."

"How about the fact that he has an alibi?"

Everyone turned towards the front door. Standing just by the corner of where the door and stairway met was Taiga, barely supporting herself with her hand on a wall. She was covered in light bandages over her scalp and wrists, and there was a slight limp in her step. And yet she looked focused and undeterred in walking over to the living room.

It still gave Shirou conflicting feelings of surprise and worry seeing her up and about. "Fuji-nee, you should stay in bed!"

She ignored him, still locking gazes with the diminutive detective. "The day Ms. Yamano went missing was the same day Shirou was on a train bound for Inaba. It wasn't until the late afternoon until he arrived, and he was busy getting settled in Dojima-san's house – THIS house – until dark."

"Yes, and other prime suspects have alibis too," Naoto argued back. "Taro Namatame, the man who cheated with her, was busy with his family's delivery business and has been guilt-ridden since her death. But if magic is really at play here, then Emiya-san has no limits to how he could pull a caper. He could have… could have jumped into a TV on the train, found Ms. Yamano in her hotel room and then killed her there!"

"Okay, now you're just reaching," Taiga deadpanned. "Shirou told me already how this has been going down; a person is pushed into a TV world full of monsters and are left there to be mauled to death. This usually happens on a rainy night. When the rain lifts, their corpse reappears on a power line by morning."

"That is the story they are going with, yes."

"And let's say, hypothetically, that Shirou is the one behind this murder mystery." A few of his friends bristled at the implication, but otherwise held it in. "Never mind all the convoluted reasoning as to why he goes to rescue the kids that get sucked in in the first place, but his only crime would be pushing someone into a lion's den with no way out. No prints, no clues, nothing but word of mouth testimonies that would be written as crazy talk. Not to mention that if you did convince too many people that this secret TV world is real, the occultists will probably wipe your memory of the whole thing, or worse…"

Taiga then smiled, akin to a smug cat. "We may not be able to prove he didn't do it, but you sure can't prove that he did, either."

Naoto's frown couldn't get any lower even if he tried, and he looked torn between staying grumpy or giving up in defeat. It didn't help that the others stared at him with some vindication that there couldn't be a case made against one of their own. It was enough to make him turn away from the stares and hide away under the brim of his hat.

A thought occurred to Kanji though, as he absently scratched his scalp. "So, wait, if there's another magic guy running around doing the murders, then wouldn't it be hard to accuse him too?"

Most of the Investigation Team's faces fell right away. "Aw shit, haven't thought about that," Yosuke muttered aloud.

"The important thing is to stop the culprit first," Shirou said. "From there, they'll either proceed with the court laws of the town or be taken to the Clocktower for a Sealing Designation."

"A what now?"

"I don't quite understand it myself, Kiritsugu only mentioned in passing. It's called a great honor on paper but it's considered so dangerous that no magus ever wants to get one."

"Why's that?"

"To a magus, studying their craft is everything. A Sealing Designation preserves a craft for posterity, but it's like being embalmed and preserved in wrapping like a mummy… while you're still alive."

A long silence filled the room, the only sound being Yosuke's low whistle. That did sound like a karmic punishment to have.

"I suppose there's a small comfort that the magi do have some semblance of justice," Naoto said finally. "And while I have many, many more questions about them, the more pressing matter is this case itself."

Shirou nodded. "And we'll need to work together on this. Can I trust you to keep this to yourself?"

"For now." Naoto extended his hand out. Shirou accepted it with a firm shake, much to the relief of his teammates.

"Well, now that we're all on the same page now," Yosuke began. "We just need to figure out who killed our 'dearly departed' homeroom teacher."

"A vampire did it."

Everyone turned and stared at Taiga. She mentioned it casually, yet with certainty.

Yosuke blinked. He had to have misheard it. "What."

"A vampire did it," she said again. "I saw it happen… what day is it?"

"July 10th." "Sunday."

"Ah, good. It happened last night, then."

Kanji gulped, and awkwardly gripped his neck while looking over his shoulder. "Uh, when you say vampire, you mean those scary gothic freaks that bite our necks for blood, right?"

"Are there any other kind of vampires?" Taiga asked rhetorically.

"Not unless we want to get into specifics." Shirou uttered this almost to himself, but it was just loud enough for everyone to hear in the room and fill them with dread.

Then suddenly, Yukiko burst into laughing. She recoiled in her seat, slapped her legs, and shook so much that her sides hurt. "BWAHAHAHAHAHA! A vampire? Haha, oh, that's a good one! Next you're going to tell us they sparkle in the sun like in that ridiculous American novel! Ahahahaha!"

"Yukiko!"

"Teehee! Relax, Chie! It's just a joke! A joke that I'm sure Fujimura-san and Emiya-kun are in on! I mean, it's so out there that soon they're going to be… not laughing too."

Yukiko's voice fell when she looked between Shirou and Taiga. From what little she knew about the Homurahara teacher, she was eccentric and energetic, easily knowing how to liven up the mood. Even her ward had some moments of levity, and the very least knew when to humor her.

But they treated this moment with the upmost severity that it was becoming less likely they were going to drop the act.

"Fuji-nee… are you certain?"

"Your homeroom teacher was a mouthy jerk with an overbite and purple monkey suit, right?"

"Well, that's a broad generalization yes, but—"

"Then yes, I'm certain. She bit down on his neck and everything."

Kanji flinched and paled considerably whiter. "Wait, it was a girl vampire?!"

Naoto took a deep long breath. Magic cults, TV portals, and now vampires? All these urban fantasy beats were really grating on his nerves. None of them made sense or felt orderly at all. "I was barely able to get a copy of Mr. Morooka's autopsy report, and he had puncture holes on his neck from someone biting on him. The killing blow, however, was from a stab wound at his abdomen."

"That was from her accomplice. Not sure if he was a vampire too, maybe a zombie servant or something-"

"A ghoul," Shirou corrected.

"Yeah, that. Anyway, I was just walking out of Shiroku's when it happened. Passed the guy who had a lot to drink himself. I was going to go home and try to forget seeing him when I heard him ranting at some kid further down the street."

Taiga sighed bitterly, taking the time to sit next to Shirou by the table. Everyone else huddled or leaned in closer to listen. "I don't know what I was thinking at the time since I was still tipsy, but the next thing I knew, some girl I've never seen before ghosts him from behind, bites him, and then eggs on the boy to stab him. Poor bastard was dead in seconds.

"They started talking about hanging the body up on a telephone pole like the others, and I knew they had to be involved in the murder shenanigans. My phone was dead so I couldn't call the authorities right away, so I hurried back to my apartment to call there. Barely a minute after I closed the door, it bursts open from a single kick by that vampire.

"I guess she realized right away I was watching and wanted to cut off loose ends. I was shocked sober and fighting on adrenaline, but I think she was just playing with me while trying to get her ghoul to deal the killing blow. So I gathered my strength for one last push and tackled them to the wall! Next thing I knew, I was in a weird castle and they weren't anywhere around, so I took my cue to exit. Then I found some pig on wheels and then you guys."

"Wait," Shirou blinked, mentally backpedaling. "You pushed them into the TV?"

"I did?" Taiga asked back. "Oh right, you mentioned something about TV portals before. I thought it was just a magus thing only you and the culprit could do. That would explain how I got there then."

That… was a concerning reversal, but not an unwelcome one. Taiga pushing the duo into the TV world must have thrown a wrench into their plans. They must have created the new castle and decided to hide out there for the time being.

Still, why would the culprit decide now to change tactics? Did they really realize that sending us to the TV wasn't working anymore and have gone for the kill directly? But King M-erm, Morooka-sensei doesn't fit the pattern at all, and they missed Fuji-nee months ago…

"Sounds like you got really lucky back there, Fujimura-san," said Rise.

"I know, right?!" Taiga started to tear up, as if the reality of the situation had set in. "I really thought I was gonna die! That I'd wouldn't marry or wouldn't be able to eat any more of Shirou's cooking!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Yosuke groaned. As he was closing his eyes and pinching his nose, he didn't notice the heated glares he got from the girls. They could argue that their leader's cooking was, in fact, a big deal.

As for Shirou, he felt relieved. The fight she had engaged in explained the ruined apartment. And there was no doubt that a vampire of any class would have the strength to overpower a kendoka of Fuji-nee's caliber. There was still one question that bothered him. "Fuji-nee, how long has it been since you awakened your Persona?"

"Persona? Oh, you mean Kaihime!" Taiga's eyes brightened almost immediately with recognition. "It was such an amazing rush calling her out for the first time! That never happened before! I mean, I knew she was there ever since Golden Week, but—"

"Since Golden Week? How?!"

"Well, I was chasing you after you bolted at the park! I ended up getting lost, found some butterfly and then dealt with a kendoka-armored me trying to kill me."

Shirou's worries only grew from there. His guardian was in danger the whole time and he didn't notice? But, she had a Persona now, so that meant she had help accepting it, right? "Then, who rescued you? It wasn't Kotomine, was it?"

"The priest? Hell no!" Taiga's face scowled at the very thought of him helping her. He'd probably act all smug about it too, lambasting her questionable life choices and nitpicking every other thing her Shadow said. "I saved myself from my own Shadow, thank you very much!"

"Huh?" "What?" "Seriously?!" The group all gawked and cried out in shock and disbelief. Surely she had to be lying.

"What's so surprising about it?" Taiga asked back. "It's just the negative you that's stressed out and hiding. Psychology 101. I couldn't beat myself, so we talked it out and accepted that I needed some growing up to do. That's how it worked with you guys, right?"

Suddenly no one wanted to look at her, and they tried distracting themselves with whistling and barely mumbled omissions. There was quite a bit of embarrassment realizing that she accepted her Shadow without being killed.

Chie coughed awkwardly before steering the topic to relative territory. "S-So, uh, a vampire? Seriously? Doesn't that seem a bit extreme to be the one responsible?"

"No, I think this makes sense," Shirou said, much to the team's surprise and fear. "A vampire would be the plausible culprit to the Inaba murders since spring."

"I thought we were looking for another magus, though," Yosuke argued.

"It's rare, but still possible, for a magus to resort to vampirism to extend their lifespan. We call these kinds of vampires 'Dead Apostles'."

"That's ridiculous!" Rise exclaimed. "Wouldn't we recognize who this vampire, or apostle-whatever person is? I know I was manhandled by a big man, not a girl!"

"Dead Apostles are known to have the power of hypnotism through eye contact. All three of you mentioned having your memories blur between answering the door and waking up in Teddie's world, so maybe you were hypnotized to forget who abducted you."

"But wouldn't it be, like, impossible for a vampire to move around?" Kanji said, slightly unsure himself. "Like, garlic and mirrors? Or the fact that they turn to ash in direct sunlight. No way they'd avoid that all spring."

"I can't say how accurate all the myths of vampires are, although the sunlight still counts." The team released a collective sigh of relief. "However, I've been warned that strong Dead Apostles can overcome that weakness with barely a hindrance."

Chie gulped down the anxious lump in her throat. "So you're saying if we're fighting a strong vampire, we're screwed?!"

"At the very least, this vampire is crafty," Shirou said. "From what we've seen from the weather forecasts, we've seen sunny days, rainy days, and foggy days. If she played her cards right, the vampire would be active on non-sunny days, scope the town, then throw a victim into the TV near the dead of night."

"So uh… we can't just drag her out in broad daylight, can we?"

"You can try, but there's a reason why the Clocktower treats hunting vampires and Dead Apostles so seriously. I honestly doubt we can handle one as we are now."

Shirou stated it as fact, almost casually without worry or care. But the gravitas of the moment was distinctly grim. If they barely got out alive by the skin of their teeth with every Shadow encounter thus far, a final bout might be beyond them.

Even Taiga looked calm and thoughtful. "'As you are now', huh?"

"Fuji-nee?"

"We should all get some rest for tomorrow," she said as she stood back up. "We're going to need the energy for training."

Training? Shirou was about to ask her what she meant when he heard her quickly mutter, "I'm just glad I had the foresight to bring my shinai on furlough."

Shirou started to perspire, already realizing what the ominous statement could mean. "F-Fuji-nee, I really don't think-"

"You had your chance, Shirou. Let your Fuji-nee have her turn." Her tone left no room for discussion. Just mixed signals. A cheery tone, a heartfelt smile… and a barely contained lust for battle.

"Uh, Shirou?" Yosuke asked slowly after she left back upstairs. "What does she mean by that?"

"Remember when I told you she was a fifth-dan in kendo? I think she's going to show us exactly how she earned it."

"That samurai sport?" Kanji smirked. "I fought a few enthusiast punks like that. Can't be that bad."

"Trust me, it can." And that was all Shirou said on the matter. Before long, the Investigation Team (plus Naoto and Kanji) decided to rendezvous in the TV world after school tomorrow, and hopefully learn more about the other missing persons from the rumor mill.

<><><>

July 11th, TV World, Teddie's Hub Space

Teddie was anxious. He couldn't sleep a wink all night (day? Afternoon?) since the gang left, as he counted the minutes down until they went back to the gothic castle. If I weren't so weak, I'd go there myself, he thought more than once.

He was so excited when they came back the next day as promised. But… he was surprised by the new guests as Shirou-sensei introduced them to each other. Kanji he could understand, he was most likely their newest member considering the pattern since Yuki-chan. Taiga-chan was a bit more surprising but she was a proven Persona user. She carried herself with the confidence to match Shirou-sensei and then some!

But who was this new weird-smelling guy in the hat?

In any case, they all looked at him with mirrored expressions of surprise. The hat guy, "Naoto", seemed to be numbly muttering softly, glancing between Teddie and the world around them. Taiga leaned forward, scrutinizing him with a glare for some reason. And Kanji, well… he just stared in shock.

"So, what's the zipper for?" Taiga asked.

"It's to keep my head in place, what else?" Teddie answered. It seemed obvious to him, like why water was wet or why the fog lifts.

"You mean your face mask," Naoto offered.

"No, I mean my head. See it moving and talking?" For emphasis, he moves his eyes and wiggled his ears.

"Then what's inside?"

"Nothing." Chie said confidently. "Literally nothing, and he somehow moves on his own. Trust me, you don't want to see it."

"I kinda do," Yukiko whined.

Naoto glared at Chie before sighing bitterly, as if a dark scribble cloud loomed overhead. "I've just got to accept the fact that nothing makes sense anymore, don't I?"

"That would be for the best, yes," Shirou consoled.

Kanji's arm shook, and his face started to flush. His hand reached out, stuck in a gesture between reaching and pointing. "C-Can I touch your fur?"

"Uh, no." Teddie refuted awkwardly. He took a squeaky step away for good measure.

"J-just for a sec?" he tried again. "I just want to compare how authentic your fur is to other furs."

The bear huffed defiantly at the thug-like teen. "No means no!" Kanji frowned but relented.

"Well, now that we've gotten to know each other," Taiga began. "I gotta ask, what's with the glasses?"

"Oh, Teddie made these," Shirou said. He walked over to pat the bear's head, who beamed at the affectionate praise. "It's because of him we were able to see through the fog."

"Interesting. Do you have any more for us?"

"Oh, I can make them right now! Just give me a-!"

"Wait, Teddie!" Yukiko cried out. She rushed to his side and then knelt over his ear to whisper something. The bear's eyes grew wide as he listened to her plan.

"Woah… are you sure, Yuki-chan?"

"Trust me, it'll be great." The smile on her face was practically shining, and Teddie just couldn't say no.

"Then here we go! Three specially designed glasses for our new members!"

He clapped his hands twice, and the new specs appeared in his paws. The trio leaned over expectantly… and looked confused. "Uh…" "Wha?" "Huh?"

"Go ahead! Put them on!" Teddie urged. Behind him, Yukiko nodded with a grin breaking out, and Shirou had a resigned expression on his face.

"But… don't these look different from the ones you guys are wearing?" Kanji asked. He took it anyway, as did Taiga and Naoto, and they put them on. They noticed the changes right away, with the fog filtered away from the lens.

They also noticed how animated the others' faces were looking at them. Because they were wearing ridiculous joke glasses with attachable nose and 'stache.

"Teehee. Perfect… just, pffm-perfect! Bwahahahahaha!" Yukiko erupted into laughter almost right away.

"Hahaha, man, those look great on you!" Rise added. How genuine she was being was hard to tell from her guffaws.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Taiga huffed. She was annoyed, but she couldn't deny a good prank when she saw one. Even when she was the victim. "Well played, bear."

"'Well played', my ass!" Kanji snapped, throwing his gag glasses off into the horizon. "This shit ain't funny!"

"D-don't take it out on me!" Teddie flinched. Kanji was big, and could easily overpower the bear if he wanted to. He was already placating the wrathful teen with a new pair he conjured in his cupped hands. Kanji swiped the glasses right away, putting them on his face…

Only to meet more laughter. He was wearing another set of gag glasses, what were the odds? Rise and Yukiko were the loudest, and Taiga had a sly smile on her face.

"You picked up my spare! You must really like my glasses, Kanji!" Teddie said jovially.

"Haha, sucks to be you, man!" Yosuke chortled. The fox next to him chuckled in a tone similar to an old American cartoon dog.

Chie was doubled over, holding her stomach. "Ahahahaha! Oh my sides, oh my sides!"

Even Shirou couldn't resist a chuckle. He thought the joke was a little crude at first… but the fake-out was just too funny.

BANG BANG BANG!

The laughs turned to screams as gunfire went off. Naoto had a revolver gun in hand, pointed down to a pair of gag glasses thrown down to the ground. His face was contorted in an expression of pure, utter fury.

"I've had it with all these distractions and antics," he seethed, pocketing the weapon away."If we are all done behaving like children, can we please move on?!"

No one moved. They regarded Naoto with a degree of fear and disbelief. He stomped forward and snarled, "That means give us real glasses NOW!"

Teddie never clapped so fast in his life. He practically bowed and offered his hands out in apology, daring not to look up. Naoto snatched a pair with blue frames and oval lenses before slipping them on. He huffed once before walking away, deliberately stepping on the damaged glasses underfoot. "Now can we please hurry and find this gothic castle you mentioned yesterday?"

On the one hand, Shirou could understand where Naoto was coming from. His nerves were likely frayed from yesterday, and he was barely holding it in. A moment of levity was the absolute last thing he wanted, and he didn't appreciate the others treating this case as a joke.

But he took it quite too far back there. Shirou could tell it was a fake air gun (probably too young to own a real one, regardless of license) but it still left a crushing impact. Kanji looked awfully guilty as if he had said those words, and just mumbled an apology to Teddie before picking up a pair of black sunglasses. Yosuke looked back to his phone, as he had been all day, worried about Satsuki's confirmed disappearance and what it could mean. Yukiko was close to tears despite Rise and Chie's support and comforting words.

The only reason Naoto was really here was to satisfy his curiosity, but maybe that was a mistake. We are in no hurry to face Naoto's Shadow at any rate.

Taiga didn't take that lying down, though. After appraising her designated pair of glasses (brownish, leopard-skin framed sunglasses with large lenses), she approached the sulking detective with a pout of her own. "You know, you should appreciate your youth more often."

Naoto turned to her with a scowl. "I'm trying to solve a case that endangers the youth of this town."

"So is everyone else. They've been at this longer than either of us have realized, and I'd say they've handled things just fine for some meddling kids and a bear." Taiga glanced over her shoulder really quick. "And a fox."

"Even so—"

"Do you have friends, Naoto-kun?"

Taiga's question came so out of left field to the detective, and not just in the timing. "Why would you—" he started to ask, voice crackling slightly. Then he cleared his throat and spoke again, more firmly. "I-I mean, I have no need for friends."

"Not even Kanji-kun?"

"I'm his chaperone. Nothing more. I don't want friends."

"Don't want or can't find?"

Naoto glared. "What's the difference?"

"Whether you gave up or not," Taiga coolly answered, turning away. "Take it from me, an adult that wished she had more time in the prime of her youth; don't go rushing headfirst into growing up. The years will catch up before you know it."

After everyone got the chance to calm down, Teddie guided the whole party back to Moon Voidania. Tensions were still high for many reasons, and no one said a word the whole trip. The gate was still blown open from the outside following Taiga's escape, and they crossed the blocky bridge to the bigger, wooden gate in the castle proper.

Inside was a large foyer of purple brick coloring, spread out large and far. Two chandeliers hung upon the ceiling with dimly lit candlesticks illuminating the room. There were three doors excluding the gate they just walked through. Two small doors at the left and right walls of the room, and a larger door at the top of the elevated spiral staircase, likely to the next floor.

"So, Teddie, Shirou," Taiga asked suddenly, looking all over the room. "The Shadows you guys fight don't pop up right at the front door, right?"

"Not to my knowledge," Shirou answered. Teddie confirmed it with a shaking "no" motion.

"And the big Shadows that pop up at the end of these dungeons, they don't actively try to fight us, right?"

"Nope," Teddie confirmed. "They actually try to run away from us."

"Perfect. We'll train here then."

"'Train'?!" Shirou balked. "Fuji-nee, please reconsider-"

"You need this, Shirou," she said solemnly. "You can't keep fumbling with these Persona powers you barely understand when your bodies can't handle the heat."

"So… training from hell?" Yosuke guessed. "This is gonna suck, right?"

"That's putting it mildly," Shirou warned him. It was enough to give his teammates a wince. Rarely anything got under his skin like this.

"Is it even safe to train here?" Rise asked. "I mean, right in the culprit's lair?"

"Of course; it'll psyche the vamp-pair out knowing we're here and getting ready to kick their asses. Obviously we can't go any further because Naoto's a non-combatant. But frankly, none of you are ready for what's beyond this door. Maybe a little beyond to at least fight the Shadows, but only on this floor."

"We've handled Shadows before," Chie argued. "Can't we just fight them until you're satisfied?"

"You can beat up as many Shadows as you want for exercise, and you can handle them on auto-pilot. It's the tough guys you need training for, because they'll not just out-muscle you, but take advantage of your lack of tactics."

No one had a proper argument to that. She may not have fought monsters before, but she had years of practical expertise under her belt. One look from her and she could see how unrefined everyone was in skill.

They needed every skill, hack, trick, and technique with the thorough practice they could wring out to handle a real damn vampire.

"Well, no time like the present!" Taiga grinned wide. "The first lesson of the Tiger Dojo is… DODGE!"

Shirou expected this development as he had heightened senses since first awakening to his Persona, and fighting Shadows with killing intent. And yet his guardian, his undefeated master, managed to close the distance between them so fast that he didn't have time to guard. And then in the same breath, hit him so hard with her trademark shinai that he got a concussion.

The last thing he heard before he blanked out were seven words that he wished Cu Sith didn't say at all.

"She is definitely a keeper, Cu Shirou."

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 43: Reshuffling

July 12th, Moon Voidania, Ground Floor

"Again!"

Taiga stood over them, proud and strong. She was sweating from the brow, but it was only from exerting herself. It was nothing compared to the rather battered teens struggling to stay off the floor.

The first to rise up was the delinquent fighter. He was a powerhouse through and through, despite joining the team around the same time as her. He had fighting experience, even if it was just in alleyway fights, but it helped bridge the gap.

"Stop screwing with us and use your Persona already!" Kanji yelled. He had plenty of stamina to burn, and his agitation at being led by the nose meant he could keep going for days.

Taiga puffed her chest and chuckled. The wooden sword in her hand tapped her shoulder in eager anticipation. "I don't need to use Kaihime to kick your butts."

"I'll show you!" Kanji yelled, holding a compacted wet floor sign in both hands before swinging it towards her. Taiga effortlessly dodged with the slightest step back.

Yosuke did a double-take upon noticing the weapon for the first time. "Uh, Kanji? Where did you get that sign?"

"Junes!" he yelled between swings. "Closet! By! Men's room!"

"Wait, you stole that?! I got in trouble when it went missing, dammit!"

"Needed! Weapon!" He continued. "No Time! For! Daidara's! Will! Return! Later!" The arc of his wide swings was actually quite impressive, as were the dance-like dodges Taiga performed to avoid contact.

"Dude, I know we said you could take anything in the hub place Teddie sleeps at, but that's Junes property, and I got in trouble the other day when that went missing and-!"

Yosuke's rant stopped when Kanji turned to look at him. It wasn't a deadly gaze, but a bored one that encouraged Yosuke to make his point already. Taiga herself stopped and gave Yosuke a similar look. He changed gears, realizing it was a lost cause and that he didn't want to get hurt over this. "…and since it's technically still within Junes' property, I'm willing to overlook this."

"Good," Kanji nodded. Then he paused in thought. "So uh… where were we?"

"At the part where I knock you on your butt."

"Cool. Wait, wha-AAAAAGH!" POW! A powerful free-handed punch collided with his unprotected abdomen and sent him flying across the room. Yosuke and the others barely got time to leap aside as he sailed past them and hit the hard wall.

"KANJI!" Naoto, one of the spectators, quickly rushed to his side with a first-aid kit on hand. Even if Kanji and the others were now super strong to withstand hits like these, it still scared him and they still suffered pain no matter how subdued.

"Too easily distracted!" Taiga yelled as she pointed at him. Her finger turned towards Yosuke. "That goes double for you, Yosuke-kun!"

"Oh crap!" That was Taiga-speak for "you're next" and he was nowhere near ready for another bout with her!

So, he ran. He had the best agility out of everyone on the team, next to Satonaka. If nothing else, he had confidence in keeping away from her long enough for a proper counterattack.

Only Taiga Fujimura was a monster in human form; she didn't weaken. She didn't tire. She didn't stop. Her physical prowess was quickly noted to be above anything in their weight class, given how she could regularly punch Kanji out. So Yosuke's belief that he could outrun her was a fool's hope. He'd be lucky to last a few seconds with her chasing him.

Desperate, he slashed his conjured Persona card for Jiraiya, and had the ninja Persona scoop him up from the ground, bridal carry style (thank goodness Kanji wasn't conscious to mock him for this) while keeping a safe distance away. It worked… until the tigress simply pushed herself to run faster, and closed the distance with the power of a running wind ghost.

With no other options, he settled for desperate pleas. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"

"Just need to time this right," Yukiko answered to herself, barely a whisper. Her fan was out, leveling her spinning Tarot in the air for the right time to focus. Keeping a Persona sustained long term was draining, but if she could time the release just right, she could use minimal energy without the drawback.

She'd gotten the idea from reading a fan comic Chie had recommended to her a while back. Only problem would be a bit of lag in having the summon happen. But that's where timing was everything…

"There!" she focused on the point where Fujimura would pass, and swiped her card. Konohana Sakuya immediately conjured a bright flame with a bright light rising up like a geyser, stronger than a mere fireball Agi.

After days of fighting and struggle, she was the first of many on the team to cross a threshold and cast the next tier spell: Agilao.

And it hit perfectly against Taiga's intended path. "I did it!"

That victory was short-lived though. Before the flames died out, her body vaulted out in a tucked roll, minimalizing the burns on her clothes. Taiga continued her sprint and shifted targets to Yukiko. Startled, the fair-skinned girl stepped back and threw her fan outward, blades first. Taiga pivoted to the side at the last moment, and before Yukiko could hope to pull the chain on her fan back for another attack-

"Too slow!" POW! A heavy blow to the back of her neck and she was knocked out.

An opening! Jiraiya moved faster than he ever dared before, circling to her backside with a full-on Power Slash. With both his knives and the shuriken blades, a two-pronged attack! Even better, an endless onslaught of Power Slashes with a ki scream! She'd never see it coming!

"Atatatata-!"

"Too wild!" BAM!

Except she totally did. Turned 180 degrees with a sideways swing before he could even get close to scratching her. The blow was buffered by Jiraiya's form, but Yosuke still collapsed to the ground and cradled his wounded stomach.

Taiga swung her shinai down a few times, shaking off the impact of the blow. He got closer to her that time; not bad. "And all that's left is…"

"WATAAAAAH!"

Chie leaned down from her hiding spot above, on the head of a gargoyle lamp on the first floor. She dive bombed foot-first, her only warning being a battle cry as she fell. Taiga jumped back at the last moment, but even her reflexes couldn't fully save her from the impact on the ground which sent her rolling.

If Taiga's dodging was like a dance, then Chie's assault was her matching dance partner. Her punches were scarce when she felt she could get a quick hit in, while her legs kicked in rapid movements and precise steps.

She fought better with her boots than any other weapon, she realized. She was free, in full motion, and better yet, she felt like her favorite kung-fu star from Trial of the Dragon. Lighter than air, faster than lightning, able to do anything.

Except hit this damn woman! Maybe if she extended her reach and summoned Tomoe-!

"Too wide open!" THWACK!

Nope, bad idea. Thump.

A bell was rung, courtesy of Teddie hitting it with a tiny hammer (he personally conjured the bell and hammer for this training session). "And that's game! Tiger-chan chalks up another win at 19 consecutive victories! While the Investigation Team is still stuck with their one and only win!" Tama tallied a mark on a chalkboard behind them as he announced the results.

"How are we still losing?" Yosuke whined from the ground. Try as he might, he was too weak to pull himself upright. "We beat her once before, so that must mean we can do it again."

"Correction: Shirou beat me once," Taiga insisted. "And he's busy helping your weakest link learn some self-defense!"

Ah, now they remembered. Shirou knew Taiga better than anyone and used Rise's surveillance to counter her every move. After that win, though, she made a beeline for Rise and easily knocked her out. Shirou was able to rally with the others for a close second round, but it still ended with their loss.

So she changed gears a bit from her crash course battle royale. While she continued to beat some survival skills and tactics into the rest of the team, Shirou would work with Rise one-on-one to better her defenses.

Looking over at the far corner of the room, they could see Rise trying and failing to protect herself with a quarterstaff (Chie's leftover weapon that she had loaned her) while Shirou swung his sword in easily choreographed moves. Soon, she started to flail and fall forward, only for Shirou to quickly catch her under her arms. She smiled and uttered something that to her, seemed to be of profound effect given how flustered he now looked.

"What are they doing?" Chie asked, accusatory.

"I don't know," Yukiko uttered darkly. "But I don't like it."

"I don't like being stuck here for days," Kanji grumbled, nursing his arm after Naoto patched it up. "I want to kick some ass, dammit!"

"You guys still need a few more days of this before you're remotely ready," Taiga warned. A chorus of groans followed soon after.

Finally, Yosuke was pulled up from the ground with a helping hand from Chie. It hurt to stand but it wouldn't be for long. "Ah well, might as well get the next round under way. I'll heal this time." With a quick card slash, Jiraiya appeared and healed everyone one at a time, starting with himself. Diarama really worked wonders.

"I'm surprised you are all still willing to keep fighting after days of this," Naoto said. "On top of schoolwork, no less."

"Yeah, well I'd rather take this training punishment than study for finals any day." Yosuke answered. Chie and Kanji nodded in agreement.

Taiga stopped and blinked, looking like a deer in headlights. "Study? Finals?"

A calm before the storm, one that only Shirou had experienced before, and he paled in fear. Somehow, Taiga's slow reaction scared the others more than fighting her the last few days. It didn't help that she yelled so loud it shook the castle.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU STUPID KIDS TELL ME YOU WERE ALL ON FINALS WEEK!?!"

<><><>

July 13th, Homeroom, Morning

Yukiko moaned as she massaged the back of her neck (and unintentionally got some pointed stares from nearby boys). "Uh, my back is so sore."

"Speak for yourself," Chie groaned back, her upper body lying on the top of her desk. "I can't feel anything below my waist."

"I can't feel my everything," Yosuke countered, slightly muffled. His forehead was firmly planted on his desk, and his state of slouch held no equal.

By now the rest of Class 2-2 was baffled and confused. The one sitting to Shirou's left leaned over to him and asked aloud, "What the hell happened with you guys?"

Even Shirou looked ragged with baggy eyes and swollen arms, but he hid that discomfort better than his friends. Shrugging, he offered the easiest excuse he could think of. "Group study. Finals are coming up, after all."

Their classmates took that explanation at face value. Hanamura and Satonaka were among the most academically challenged students of the class, and their mental fatigue showed to bring down two of the brightest. The four of them had been together since early spring and always left to do their own thing which led to rumors circulating that they were some sort of double date going on.

There was already talk about who was dating who, but that was one bit of the rumor mill Shirou was not entitled to find out. No matter what his Personas said otherwise.

But the real reason for their exhaustion was because of Fuji-nee. When she found out that finals were coming up, she got so mad that she cancelled training until further notice. But not before beating everyone senseless with her shinai for letting this information slip. And he did mean everyone. That included Naoto, Teddie and Tama, despite them being spectators. That even extended to Taiga herself, inflicting self-harm for letting this happen in the first place.

Fortunately, she was convinced from doing any more harm to herself and others until finals were over and done with. And it seemed that it would be a little while before the rain came, so plenty of time to rest. Or at least get back into the swing of things. Despite the tragedy of Morooka's death, the students still needed to go to school.

"Good morning class!" An auburn-haired woman strutted in, smiling wide. Her pink blouse was not fully buttoned up and showed off an ample bust with alluring jewelry around her neck. A velvet purple skirt was cut up to her knees and showed off her leggings and red high heels, deliberately clicking with each step.

It was Noriko Kashiwagi, the biology teacher who quickly stepped in as substitute homeroom teacher. She stressed that it was temporary, but so stressed the word 'further' that she could make it full-time for the students who wanted to know her better… with pointed looks at the young boys in the class.

"Good morning, sensei," the class replied, bored and tired.

"Now now, that's not the proper way to address your new homeroom teacher! You need to say Kashiwagi-sensei. Although I wouldn't mind if you all call me Noriko-chan." She winked, expecting some blushes or laughs. All she got were more groans.

Needless to say, everyone missed King Moron now for the wrong reasons. They'd rather take an angry, berating philosophy teacher who'd double down as a pastor than a sultry adulterer getting way too eager to share the wrong kind of "biology lessons". Boys were creeped out by a late forty-year-old woman making advances on them, and girls hated her for subtly insulting them and catering to her own delusions of beauty.

It seemed only fitting to punish the students that wanted King Moron dead for so long with a teacher objectively worse than him.

"Hmm?" By now, Kashiwagi noticed four of her students looking less than attentive. "My, Emiya-kun. Are you and your friends all right?"

"Just a little tired from our group study last night, sensei," Shirou said. Yukiko nodded to back the story up. Kashiwagi didn't spare her a glance.

"Well, don't strain yourself too hard, boys," she said. "Nothing's more important than your health."

Nothing more was said, despite there being an instinctive need for one. The teens were too tired to be annoyed by her clear bias, and she quickly started the morning lesson. Shirou himself would have let it go had she kept it professional after that. But then she had to open her mouth again.

"By the way, I've been hearing talk of you boys wanting to date our new first-year now that poor Morooka-san isn't around to heckle you," she said conversationally as she wrote down the last few notes for the lecture. "I wouldn't get my hopes up on asking Kujikawa-san out. People are always different in real life than on TV, after all."

Kashiwagi sneered darkly, a look not so hidden despite her turning to face the blackboard. "There's nothing so great about an idol anyway. Gets cold feet on stage and gets all that adoration? She's just a piece of inexperienced jailbait."

"Better that than a delusional vamp."

The words came out of Shirou's mouth faster than he meant to. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation. Maybe he was becoming more open with his thoughts since coming to Inaba. Or maybe he was still a little peeved at his teacher's behavior earlier. It could even be he just felt inclined to defend Rise's honor from a person who badmouthed her, regardless of their position.

But the resounding crack of the chalk on the board sounded like a gunshot. Every student straightened up and held bated breaths, realizing very quickly how tense the room was. Shirou's words clearly affected Kashiwagi with how hard her hand was clenched. Everyone else glanced between the two, worried about what would happen next.

"Emiya-kun," she said slowly as she turned to him. She tried to smile but it was clearly a strained expression on her face. "It's not polite to say things like that to your teachers."

"I agree," he said evenly.

And that was all he said. The tension only grew from there, and Kashiwagi was scowling at him.

"Then why did you say that to your teacher just now?"

"I did no such thing."

"But you said-!"

"I said it's better to be an inexperienced jailbait than a delusional vamp," he repeated clearly. "What do you think that meant?"

More than a few students were stifling laughter. Kashiwagi did not share the sentiment. The intent was there from how he phrased the insult. But there was no guilt or admittance, and he could pass it off as making another comparison.

Kashiwagi hated being made a fool of… but she found it strangely attractive being led on by a man's wit. And just then, the bell rang signaling lunch break. Grudgingly she packed her things to go to her next class, barely sparing a word edgewise. As soon as she left, everyone hovered by Shirou's seat with unbridled interest, barely giving his friends any personal space. Some even pushed against his and Satonaka's desks with their bodies just to lean closer to him.

"Dude, first King Moron, now Kashiwagi? Do you have balls of steel or something?"

"That was just awesome, man! You gotta teach me your material!"

"You really should have taken the Class Rep position when you had the chance!"

"Hey, uh, can I join your group study sometime too, Emiya-kun?"

"No fair! I was gonna ask him first!"

"Yo, senpai!"

The last one came from a boisterous underclassman. Nearly all of class 2-2's eyes turned to the door, and they all saw Kanji Tatsumi leaning his head in with a hand outstretched to call. He didn't seem to notice or care about their reactions. "You got a minute? I need some advice for a Home Ec. recipe."

"Coming, Kanji." With that, Shirou pulled out of his desk and left. The surrounding students gave a wide berth, looking at him with more awe than before.

They then turned to the remaining students in the sitting area, suddenly dubious. "Seriously, what's your deal?" One of them asked.

Chie glared at her hovering classmates. "Excuse me?"

"Every time someone goes missing at this school, you and Emiya-kun are at the center of it," a chatty girl noted. "Yukiko-chan, I can understand. But Rise-chan's practically attached to his hip, and now he's all buddy-buddy with the school delinquent?"

"Come to think of it, you two were kinda out of it during April," another said.

Yosuke huffed derisively. "What'd you expect? Someone died while staying at the Amagi Inn, and Konishi-senpai died too. It was a pretty shitty month."

"I… guess you have a point," a boy student conceded. Maybe before no one would have cared about the late Saki Konishi given the rumors, but Morooka's death reminded them that anyone they knew could be a victim. There was a fear present now that no one was really safe at the school.

Even a boy from a cram school and his older sister had disappeared, and they knew Yosuke was at least a little familiar with them. At the very least, they pitied how unfair the situation was right now.

"Yeah, but after that? You all started acting closer like BFFs. Or some family group from an anime!"

"It all circles back to Shirou Emiya. I know a cousin who lives in Fuyuki City, and went to his same old school. He told me that Shirou's some kind of legend back there."

Yukiko's eyes gleamed as she leaned closer. "Did you say… he's a legend?!"

"Probably not the kind you think, Yukiko," Chie chided.

"I'd say he is," a girl argued. "He has some sort of sixth sense when it comes to machine appliances, and he would have made pro in the archery field if not for some injury last year."

"I bet he has a bunch of girls waiting for him back home." The female student, and a few others, chorused in swooning. "Ahhhh, so romantic."

"But don't worry, Chie-chan, Yukiko-chan! We're all rooting for you!" Another girl told them, with several nodding their heads in agreement.

Chie flushed and recoiled while Yukiko blinked owlishly. "Wh-wh-what's that supposed to mean?!"

"Next to Rise-chan, one of you three have the most realistic chance of well… you know." Even Yukiko was starting to flush at the implication.

"You guys have way too much time on your hands," Yosuke deadpanned.

"Can you blame us, Hanamura? Your new best friend is the hottest thing in town since a Junes sale."

"Yeah! And for all we know, Emiya's some sort of urban fantasy hero in the making and will save us from the evil underbelly of the demons or something! That'd make a cool story, actually."

Yosuke laughed sheepishly while Chie slumped in her seat, a bit embarrassed. "Haha, you guys are such dreamers…"

Still, a nagging doubt in their minds grew as they heard their classmates' gossip; how much did they really know about their team leader?

<><><>

After School

Naoto glanced down at the pocket watch in his hand. A cliché for a British-themed detective, but one he thought was fitting and cool to the kind of detective he wanted to be. It helped to keep your mind open and learning, such as how to read roman numerals and the old-fashioned way to tell time.

He couldn't help but feel… nervous. Not because he knew what could possibly blow this case wide open if any of it could be proven true, but because of how he reacted. Kanji trusted Naoto, but he also trusted the Investigation Team as they called themselves. He pushed quite hard for mediation between them, for Naoto to at least apologize for the other.

Oh, Naoto knew full well that he had screwed up. Had that mistake occurred anywhere else but the TV world, he would have gotten a vicious scolding from the police department using a firearm like that. But Naoto felt that they wouldn't heckle him because what he did was wrong. Only that he did something worth punishment.

No one on the force liked him. They barely tolerated him, looking for any excuse to get away from him. They did not like getting shown up by a high schooler on how to do their job. The Investigation Team was just as elite by virtue of being the only ones that knew about the TV world, so it wasn't like they were innocent.

Some people just liked to prey on weakness, on admission. If he were to show that, even with a genuine apology, they would take that kindness and hold it over his head, demanding more out of him. Their bruised egos and pride would need more compensation than anything a mere apology would give. Nothing would ever satisfy them short of his career as a detective ending in failure.

He'd worked hard to build his reputation as a detective, even if the title Detective Prince was very much a mocking moniker from various officers. It was hard to earn recognition… and so very easy to lose it.

It was the equivalent of spending hours making a block tower and then accidentally knocking it down. Sure you could build it back up but the stigma of the mistake would—

"Hey, Naoto!"

A loud, familiar greeting broke Naoto out of his thoughts. Stuffing the watch away, he saw Kanji waving as he walked over to the gate. By now their school day ritual was so routine that there was hardly any pressure between them.

Although this was the first time that he saw Emiya-san following him.

"Kanji, Emiya-san," he greeted them both. "I see you're both recovering well from training."

"Wouldn't be my first time sparring with Fuji-nee," Shirou said before sighing. "I kind of hoped the last was behind me, though."

"No kidding. Your guardian-sis is such a badass, senpai," Kanji said. He looked no worse for wear, rolling his shoulder in place with a smile and interest for another session. "I can't remember the last time I got that good of a workout!"

"I'm not sure if what you went through counts as a 'workout'," Shirou said. "Fuji-nee put you through the wringer the most."

The bleached delinquent bristled at that memory and awkwardly scratched his neck. He could still recall the image of her battle cry as she charged at him vividly. "She might have gotten mad about the whole 'severed arm' thing. Sorry again, by the way. But besides that, you guys have been fighting for months now, right? I'm behind enough as it is, so every little bit of training counts."

"Are you actually looking forward to fighting for real?" Naoto asked, alarmed.

Kanji had the decency to look even more embarrassed. "Uh… I mean, I know how serious this is. Which is why I want to give this my all. Gotta make it up to my fellow senpais for getting my a-erm, butt out of the fire."

"Rise is in the same year as you, though," Shirou pointed out.

"Well, she's my senpai in experience. That's what she said, anyway."

"Yeah, that sounds like her."

Naoto was taken aback when Kanji laughed with Shirou. In all the time that the detective had known his ward, Kanji was so guarded with his feelings that the young detective had only ever found out about his sewing and cooking hobbies through observation. And yet one day he just confided his interests to the Investigation Team in casual conversation on the way to Junes.

That was another thing Naoto noticed. Kanji seemed to be smiling a lot more often these days. He was always a considerate young man and meant well, but his constant anger and inferiority complex followed him like a raincloud. Whether he got shocked out of his rut or found new appreciation for life, it was hard to say with this "Persona Awakening". But one thing was for certain.

"You've changed, Kanji."

"Hmm?" he blinked, regarded Naoto with a frown as he mulled the words over. "Is that good?"

"It is. Before, you would have flown off the handle if someone so much as mentioned the word 'strange'."

His frown fell farther, and his legs shook. It still had an effect on him, but not as pronounced as before. "Oh, right. That. Still working on that."

"I can see that," he nodded. "And I have little reason to worry about you while I'm gone."

Kanji blushed, still unused to praise. "Uh, Thanks, Na-wait, 'gone'? What are you talking about?"

"I'm leaving for Misaki Town. In fact, I'm boarding a train to leave this evening." Their baffled reactions were question enough, so he elaborated. "Satsuki Kubo was believed to be a resident there before moving back to Inaba. If there are any clues about her motives or mental state, they would probably originate from there."

"You really think she's the vampire, though?" Kanji asked.

"Based on what Emiya has told me, supported by my own observations, she's at least the number one suspect. The timing of her arrival is suspect enough, and no one has seen the Kubo parents for weeks."

If Naoto had any pride, it was in his deduction skills. Satsuki Kubo was an enigma, suddenly appearing without warning and not officially on record of living in Inaba. She kept mostly to herself, but the few times people did see her they were instantly charmed by her looks and appeal (a textbook example of a charismatic charmer). And now, the night after Morooka's death, she and her brother Mitsuo had gone missing. When shown a picture, Taiga swore she was the same person that tried to kill her that night.

The only one who refused to believe this revelation was Yosuke. Not that they could blame him; Sacchin was his girlfriend.

"What good would finding clues there do us?" Shirou asked. "If she really skipped town here or there, there probably wouldn't be anything there that points to her being alive, much less a motive."

"I'd rather be the judge of that myself," Naoto replied. "You are more concerned about apprehending the suspect, but it won't matter if we can't build a case."

"Are you sure you can't just wait until we find her?"

"It's not like I can be of any help otherwise," he shrugged. "I lack a Persona to fight with, and the IPD refuse to cooperate with me. They only gave me the ticket fare because it would mean that I'd be leaving." And be out of their hair.

"And you think leaving will help us?" Kanji asked. "Come on, Naoto, you can't limp out like that! You're stuck with me indefinitely, remember?"

"The culprit has already successfully thrown you into the TV. As there hasn't been another case of kidnapping after the first attempt, you are safe from any further attacks, Kanji."

"And we're gonna stomp down her big castle door! I mean, we all know the vampire's behind all this mess!"

Naoto frowned. "I wonder…"

"Huh?"

"Nothing. In any case, I feel this trip will help us bring one step closer to the truth of the mystery, one way or another. That's why I'm going."

The blue-haired detective turned to his new red-haired colleague. "Emiya-san, can I trust you to watch after Kanji in the meantime? He seems to have taken a liking to you."

Kanji flinched back, face turning a sickly white as the words played over in his head. "What the-? What the hell do you mean by 'liking'?!"

"I don't mind," Shirou said, briefly ignoring him. "I've been meaning to get to know him better, anyway."

"I see. Then that's good."

"What the hell are you saying 'yes' for, senpai? Don't I get a say in this?!"

"Do you not approve of Emiya-san?" Naoto asked him.

"W-Well, no…"

"Then there shouldn't be a problem." Kanji still looked dismayed, but he grumbled under his breath instead of raising further complaints. Satisfied, Naoto turned and left them at the gate. "I'll be back in a few days. Please don't die."

<><><>

Samegawa Flood Plain

It was a quiet, awkward walk from school. As they reached the road parallel to the riverbed, Kanji groaned and kicked the dirt under his foot. "Dammit, why did Naoto have to leave?"

Shirou didn't have an answer to that. He knew Naoto had just explained why but he didn't think it was the real reason. "He'll be back before you know it," Shirou told him.

"I know that, but…"

It was understandably upsetting with life changes happening after coming to terms with yourself, and not all of them were good. Shirou could tell how much Kanji enjoyed Naoto's company. Exactly how much and why was none of his business, but the least he could do was try to make up for it.

"Incidentally, I heard some rumors back at school that you were involved with some gang of bullies." Kanji stopped and stiffened. Shirou quickly added, "I didn't believe them, of course, but I wanted to ask if you knew something about them."

Kanji sighed, a mixture of sadness and relief. "No, it's just… kinda sucks hearing that. You pick a fight against some bikers, and suddenly everyone thinks you're a biker. Kinda messed up if you ask me."

"They just don't know you, Kanji. You can be a little intimidating by appearance, but if they know how nice a guy you really are, they'd trust you."

"Yeah, and I bet everyone trusts you easily, senpai," Kanji remarked bitterly, turning to face him with a scowl. "You had quite a crowd back at your homeroom."

"I wasn't very social before I came to Inaba, to be honest. I wasn't exactly scary, but I didn't try hard to understand other people either."

The delinquent's face betrayed a look of astonishment. Normally Shirou wouldn't consider sharing much about his past, but he felt a kinship with Kanji since hearing about his father. "I've… also been in fights before. And I can confirm that it gets people worried. So at least consider others before you act on your own. Before it was just your mother, but you have the Investigation Team backing you up. And Naoto, too."

"…thanks, man."

"Anytime."

They continued to walk home, a comfortable silence with nature's white noise around them. Then Kanji coughed, drawing attention.

"Listen, uhh… Whenever you have time, could you maybe hear what I have to say?" he said shyly. "I feel all cramped inside, and I'm too dumb to know what it's about on my own."

Clumsy as he was, Kanji genuinely wants to change for the better. What else could he do but endorse that?

Shirou smiled and nodded. "Of course, Kanji."

Then, Kanji's Tarot came into view, number "IV". A silhouette of a regal figure (as noted by the cross and bedazzled crown on his head) sporting a cape with red tassels, over a silver cuirass. Stained glass set the background in cool colors, mostly of purple and green, with the purple set closest to the silhouette. A scepter and a shield were placed side by side of the figure.

Thou art I, and I am thou.
Thou hast established a new bond.
It shall bring thee closer to the truth.
Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Emperor Arcana.

"And to start off," Kanji said as Shirou's senses came back. "Maybe I should go smack some bullies before the night's over."

Shirou winced. "Didn't we just talk about how you have a negative reputation?"

"Yeah, but if I beat up the trouble-makers, the town will be safer! Then they'll start trusting me like you, senpai! Hell, you have to help me out on this because you already have a good rep!"

One way or another, Kanji looked determined to start the life of a street vigilante. "…And now I know how Fuji-nee felt."

<><><>

July 14th, Shopping District

Waiting by the bus stop crossing at the shopping district, Shirou idly pocketed his weekly pay from MOEL. He glanced once more at the gas station, looking and failing to find one of the regulars there. "Nami-san isn't here today either."

Fuji-nee was lenient enough to give the team until Saturday to resume training. They would meet up after school and work through their day off. Although Shirou wasn't extending past his physical needs, he found juggling social lives kind of taxing in their own way. The fact that they helped bolster the power of his Persona still left him with mixed feelings, so he didn't think too much about it. It helped that he felt a state of zen whenever working.

His work schedule for MOEL was always flexible, so he tried to work whenever he could because of obligation (like his other jobs back in Fuyuki, actually). However, Shirou hadn't seen Nami any of the times he worked or passed by the store to work. He brushed it off as bad timing before and being busy with rescuing Rise and later Kanji. Something must have happened though, as the older attendant was never around, even on days when Shirou tried to see him lately.

Come to think of it, where did Nami live? Shirou had to share his place of residence when he first applied, but Nami always dodged the question when asked. He didn't sign a work application when he got the job either. Maybe he lived in a seedier part of Inaba, rife with gossip?

"Hey, Four!"

Shirou snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at the corner of the street. To his surprise, Marie was waving and running up to him.

"Marie? What are you doing outside?" To his knowledge, she either wasn't allowed to leave or couldn't leave the Velvet Room without him. And here she was, impatiently tapping her foot like they had an appointment planned.

"Waiting for you, of course. Did you forget your promise to help me?"

"Uh…"

Marie's face fell to a stern scowl. "You did, didn't you?"

He did, admittedly. But it came back to him quickly that yes, he did promise to help her own memories. "A lot of stuff happened I didn't have the time before. Sorry."

"Well, you have time now," she insisted, already yanking at his arm. "I'm not stepping back in the Nose's stuffy limo for another minute until you take me somewhere."

Well, he was free, and he did owe her for waiting so long, so he was willing to make it up for her. "Like where?"

"I don't know, somewhere lively, I guess. This… 'Joo-ness' I keep hearing about."

<><><>

Junes – Electronics Department

"Every day's great at your Junes". That phrase should rather be "every day is packed". It was the closest Adachi could ever see or feel of a bustling city life and it was because a bunch of villagers hunted around the department store for sales.

Not that he was one to talk, picking up yet another cheap bargain meal from the deli. Now all he had to do was avoid that old woman…

Just as he was dreading the trip to the front door elevator, a familiar face caught his eye inside the electronics store. She was in a bunch of stylish designer clothes now from the plaid red skirt to the blue hat, but he'd recognize her anywhere (after doing an all-nighter of finding out who she was). "Oh, Marie-chan! Glad to see you're doing better!"

He walked over to her, standing in front of the large display screen. She was surprised to see him, as was Dojima-san's nephew standing next to her. "Oh, it's the detective guy."

"Oh, you remember me!" Adachi said. "And I see you made a friend with Dojima-san's nephew, too!"

"Dojima-san… the other detective?" Marie wondered. She turned to Shirou with a surprised look. "He's your uncle?"

"Small world," he said. "And it's a surprise to see you here, Adachi-san."

"Well, with the recent murder victim and now two missing kids to find, it's just faster and cheaper to buy food at Junes than anywhere else," Adachi explained. Oh wait, he wasn't supposed to mention that stuff in public, was he? Crap. "Uh, not that you heard it from me. And don't worry, the police are on the job!"

"But… you're here, off the job," Marie pointed out.

"I'm off duty right now. Sometimes rest and relaxation are just as important to diligent hard work. And it certainly beats finding lost cats." His suit got so dirty that day, and he had to put his first paycheck towards the cleaning bill!

"But enough about me," he said, changing gears. "What are you two doing here?"

"I'm just showing Marie around," Shirou told him. "Hoping something will jog her memory."

"Ah. Anything come to mind?"

Marie turned back to the large screen TV. "Not a whole lot. But… I now know how to use a TV. I guess that's something?"

Adachi chuckled, turning to the red-haired teen with a thumbs up. "Not what I expect on a first date, but it sounds like praise to me! Way to go!"

"…Thanks?"

<><><>

Junes – Food Court

Before long, the three of them left the store and ordered meals at the food court. Adachi offered to pay for the group, assuring them he was the responsible adult, even if he was surrounded by country hicks flooding every corner of the store. While the two got themselves some grilled skillet meats (another new thing the girl was learning apparently), he ordered a small sandwich for himself. It would be a while before he would eat his at-home dinner and a little meal wouldn't hurt.

"There's a lot of people at this 'Joo-nes' place," Marie said between bites, looking at the other tables around them. While not everyone was sitting down and eating, a lot of them were walking into and past the food court, almost aimless. Their heads were always looking at the next bright ad that was distracting them. "Why is that? Don't they have anything else to do?"

Adachi snorted dismissively. "Of course not. Inaba's a town in the middle of nowheresville, where activity is dead in all but a few places. People come here to shop, eat, and hang out because there's literally nothing else to do."

"That's… a rather bleak outlook, Adachi-san," Shirou said slowly. Great, he must think that he was a jerk or something. He was certainly appraising him like one with that wary stare.

"That's just how it is," he argued. "You're from the city, so you know how there's more to do there than here, right?"

"What, like watching TV?" Marie asked for him.

"Nah, anyone can watch TV anywhere. But at places like Shibuya, with big towers and jumbotrons that play commercials and TV dramas 24/7? They make the prized flat screen at the electronics store look like a remote."

Her eyes widened considerably, already imagining what such a tower would look like in her mind. "That's… big," she said.

"Exactly! And there are plenty of stores spread out too, not just one big collection like with Junes. People move around here because they feel there's more stuff to do than anywhere else. But in a city, people constantly move around just to get to all their favorite spots or workplaces on time."

Shirou took another bite of his sizzled meat as they talked. He took the time to mull his words over as he ate before speaking. "I understand the appeal to city life, Adachi-san. As you said, I grew up in one and have grown used to it; so many different places to find and see, that you can't fit it all in one day. But sometimes, having everything you need closer together is just as good. Inaba may not be big, but it has a sense of community all the same."

Adachi blinked. He stared intently at him with a guarded expression before slowly nodding. "Heh… you're definitely Dojima-san's nephew."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry, it's a compliment. He'd say some pretty profound stuff too… when he's not yelling at me, anyway."

Shirou chuckled at that. Good, having a little fun always lifted the mood in an otherwise boring setting. And he knew Dojima-san didn't mean the stuff he said to him. Most of the time. At least he put up with him.

"So you're like your uncle?" Marie asked Shirou. Although she wasn't looking right at him when she said that; her attention was directed towards a mother and son pair, with the latter loudly asking for a soda drink.

"I… like to think so." Shirou looked to Adachi for confirmation. "What do you think?"

The rookie detective hummed in thought. Which didn't take long, given what he knew about the two. "No doubt in my mind. They both have this 'badass' vibe about them, and a sharp mouth at that."

Whether it was from the praise or backhanded insult, Shirou's face was now tinted red. He quickly hid his shyness, though, and Marie was none the wiser. "Do you think… I'm like my mother?" she asked.

"Kids take a lot after their parents," Adachi said. "Looks, personality, hobbies, even fashion sense."

"It's not like I picked these out myself," Marie argued, gesturing at her hat and handbag. "Maggie gave these to me."

"Maggie? Oh, your new guardian." He only saw her once at the hospital and damn, what a fine-looking woman she was. That blonde bombshell certainly beat Miss Yamano by a landslide. "How is her place?"

"Cramped, lousy, way too blue, da ba de da ba dye," she told him. "And I'm pretty sure there aren't any 'eclectic loutwits' in there, either."

…damn, talk about living off the grid. Even Shirou looked uncomfortable hearing that. Or rather, what he was about to ask her next. "Do you really not remember anything?"

Frowning, she dug into her handbag and pulled out an old bamboo comb. She clutched it firmly as if afraid it'd fly away from her hand. "All I know for sure is that this belongs to me."

Adachi leaned over to see the item clearly. "I remember that comb," he said. "It was in your hand when we found you."

"Is it anything special?" Shirou asked.

"I'm not big on women's fashion, but it looks unique enough to me. It's probably an heirloom from an old family dynasty."

"Not that it matters," she lamented, already pocketing it. "Having it doesn't help me at all."

…okay this was way out of his comfort zone now. The mood around them was pretty grim, and a young girl was sad. He'd say something to steer away from this, maybe laugh off the bad memory but Shirou had that look in his eyes that screamed he wasn't going to just drop this subject until he was satisfied.

It was the same look he saw in Dojima-san in some cold cases, really.

"Well, I think I overstayed my welcome," Adachi said casually as he rose from his seat. "I hope things look up for you later, Marie-chan."

She barely acknowledged him with a nod, and that was fine. He wasn't good with this sensitive talking stuff. He walked briskly past them on his way to the elevator, before a stray thought came to mind.

"And Shirou?"

Shirou turned to look at him from his seat. Adachi glanced back over his shoulder. A tense moment passed as one waited patiently and another was struck with nerves.

Adachi didn't know what he was doing, as a young kid like him was none of his business. He shouldn't have said anything and just kept going. But he was still Dojima-san's nephew, almost like a son even. So…

"There's no need to handle every problem by yourself. You've got your whole life ahead of you before that happens. And don't be afraid to ask for help. That's what the police are for, after all!"

Smiling and nodding, Adachi left it at that before hurrying out of the store. He shouldn't carelessly offer his time like that, but it was just something to pep the boy up. He gave enough vibes as a cool friend to his relative and nothing more would come of it.

I hope.

<><><>

As Adachi left, Shirou felt an odd bond formed from Adachi's genuine concern. In spite of his inexperience and bluster, he was still trying hard to help. If it wasn't clear from talking with Marie, it was clear now from his parting words.

The new Tarot resembled something out of Halloween more than anything else. Purple background with barbed lines at the lower corners, a silver oval light at the center (like the moon?) with a curved stripe of cerulean crossing over. A quartet of animals moving around the border in a circle: a bird, a dog, a cat, and a goat. The prominent silhouette in the center looked like a castle jester, from the pointed shoes, a two-pronged cap and belled hat, a scepter, and a golden neck ruffle.

The most startling fact was seeing the number "0", but this card looked nothing like the Fool Arcana. So that meant—

Thou art I, and I am thou.
Thou hast established a new bond.
It shall bring thee closer to the truth.
Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Jester Arcana.

Jester. Another variant card, like Marie's in fact.

Speaking of which, Marie had a scowl as she stared in the direction where Adachi left. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't like him," she said simply. "He smells… empty."

Shirou blinked. "Empty?" He couldn't help but sound incredulous. He could smell magic himself, but he never heard of a description like 'empty' defining someone's aptitude, or even lack thereof.

"You know, like, fake? Flakey?" She added more adjectives as she waved her hands in place, as if that helped explain things. It didn't. "I just don't trust him, okay?"

Normally Shirou wouldn't second-guess a person like that. Adachi seemed genuine in his interaction with them. But if this whole journey to the TV world had taught him anything, it was that looks could be deceiving and that everyone wore a mask. He even saw a demasking in the real world, sort of, through Kotomine.

And he just made a social link with Adachi. Was there more to the cop's façade than he was letting on? "Are you saying I shouldn't either?"

Marie shrugged, turning back to her half-finished meal. "I wouldn't recommend it, but it's your life journey, not mine. Knock yourself out."

"I'm sorry our little trip got sidetracked like that," Shirou said. "I didn't count on Adachi meeting us like that."

"Emptiness aside, it was still fun. Is this what hanging out with friends feels like?"

"More or less."

"I kinda like it. And I wouldn't mind meeting more of your other friends."

Shirou smiled. Maybe it was because she had confided in him how troubling her amnesia was, but they felt a little closer today, not unlike the spontaneous bond he had with Adachi earlier. "I'm sure they'd love to meet you too."

After finishing their meals and more small talk, Shirou eventually walked her back to the Velvet Room, and paid himself an overdue visit with the tenants for some Persona fusion.

<><><>

July 15th, Moon Voidania, Top Floor.

It was almost boring waiting.

She had full control of knowing what happened in this castle. It was an extension of her power, and a perfect training ground to master her abilities. Even more so than the town she hid in prior.

She was worried when some strangers came in after her and her brother ghoul, but they simply settled to train right at her doorstep as a means to mock her. That they knew she was waiting and they were going to prepare for the inevitable conflict.

She eagerly awaited the day of their confrontation but found it hard to keep her patience. The beasts in this world (Shadows, if she recalled) barely sated her thirst. If only she could convince them to come to her now…

Luckily, she found her 'in' with the colorful looking beat suit creature.

It was so easy to tempt the bear, just like it was for anyone else. Just look into their eyes and say a few charming words. Her boyfriend was surprisingly resilient, but not as much as his other friends.

The bear was just as resilient, surprisingly enough, despite her honeyed words and practice batting her eyes at him. But then an unexpected development happened. It appeared, from the depths of the bear's hollow heart.

And he was much more accommodating. For now, the bear was her prisoner in another room, for blood supply, while her champion was free to act on her whims. A new servant who welcomed the role with open arms, despite the bear's weak protests. Perhaps deep down he wanted this? She didn't know, nor did she care. She simply found a way to finally be rid of those interlopers.

From atop her throne, she looked down at the Shadow. Similar in form and shape as the bear, but with a stern frown and golden oval eyes. "You called, mistress?"

"I want you to dispose of our nosey guests. Use whatever means necessary."

"Yes, mistress," said the Shadow, and left to do his duty.

Ah, loyalty. Why is it that good help had to come from so deep inside someone's subconscious these days?

 

[Kishou the Badger]

Chapter 44: Into the Void

July 16 – Junes Food Court

Yosuke arrived early at the food court, waiting for the others. It was agreed that they should avoid grouping up as much as possible after a few close calls with the police. It was raining non-stop now, and Shirou figured it would be a good day to check on the 8-bit castle. Not for training, but to see if things were escalating yet.

Luckily, Junes tables had tarps for bigger seating groups for when the rain rolled in, and with how big the Investigation Team was getting, a bigger table was necessary. Kanji was happily petting Tama, Chie was stretching her hands and legs, and Yukiko was asking Rise something about acting lessons. All they had left to wait on were Shirou and Fujimura-san.

In the meantime, Yosuke stared at his phone yet again, waiting for something to happen. A call, a text, anything, to ease the worries that festered since his teacher's death. "Sacchin…"

"What are you saying, Shirou? Sacchin's… Sacchin's another victim! She has to be! She can't possibly be the culprit! She wasn't even here until the deaths started!"

"Then how do you explain her and Mitsuo disappearing the same day Morooka-sensei died?"

"They probably went into hiding, or… or the real kidnapper just took them without putting them into the TV to avoid suspicion!"

"Fuji-nee saw the one who killed our teacher. She's certain that the Kubo siblings are to blame."

"It was dark out that night! And… and raining! It could have been anyone! Hell, she was even drunk and then thrown into the TV right after!"

"She still remembered more than the others when put into her situation. For all her faults I trust in Fuji-nee."

"Are you saying you trust your guardian over your friend here?"

"…"

"Okay, you're right, jerk move. But how do you think I feel about all this?"

"Yosuke—"

"She isn't a vampire, okay? I mean, come on, do you realize how crazy that is?! That I'd be dating some horror monster that was responsible for what happened to Saki-senpai?!"

"Well, we'll figure this out one way or another. I just don't want you to get your hopes up when the worst comes."

This case sucked. No two ways about it. That conversation with Shirou was cycling in Yosuke's head as a morbid reminder while he scrolled through his texts. All of them from him, and in growing desperation and impatience. He tried to convince himself that the only likely scenario was because she got stuck in the TV world where there wasn't a phone signal. Trapped in a dungeon with no way out until a Shadow decided to eat her.

Although she could just as easily be sitting on her metaphorical throne waiting for them. No, that wouldn't make sense. Wouldn't the mastermind actually take the fight to the ones messing with their plans? Unless she had some ulterior motive, maybe.

It was a constant mental struggle for Yosuke, trying to decide if Satsuki Kubo was the villainess or not, or why she had done so. Why the lies, why the killing… why mess with the world at all. Shirou said that vampires were creatures of the night and thought differently from humans. The blood drinking was actually a vital need to sustain themselves, for example.

Oh, and finals were in a few days. How could he possibly study with everything going on? The timing of it all couldn't be any worse. He wouldn't be surprised if Satonaka scored higher than him this time.

…okay, no way in hell was he going to lose to Satonaka in academics. All the more reason to resolve all this sooner than later.

"Oh, they're here!" Chie said aloud, noting the arrival of the last two members of their team. They waved them over as the duo sat down with them.

From there, conversation was kept minimal and vague while Yosuke sort of zoned out. He did hear Shirou ask for a clarification on the weather report, and Fujimura insisting on better study habits, but it was as much white noise as everything else in Junes.

His mind was returned to the questionable state of his girlfriend. Please respond when you get this. He had written before. Where are you, another time. He tried to avoid sounding too desperate but it was barely a mask he held up. What if Satsuki had already been killed? Wait, if she was really a vampire, then wouldn't she be dead to begin with?

"Huh?" Yosuke stirred, looking up to see Shirou shaking his shoulder.

"I said we're going to Teddie's place now. Are you coming?" Teddie's place being code for "big screen tv portal" in case the cops were listening in, not that they had to worry. Only Naoto ever figured out their DnD lingo, and luckily he was on their side.

"Oh, yeah yeah, sure."

Well, he could worry about that later. He could use some of Teddie's bad jokes right about now.

<><><>

TV World, Hub Space

Somehow things went from bad to worse. There was no sign of Teddie at the main gate. Usually he was pacing or waiting in front of the TV stack for them to visit, or more recently so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice them right away. This time the bear was gone.

"Teddiiiiie! Where are yooooou?!" Rise cried out. Only her echo in the vast TV world reverberated back.

"Geez, why would he leave here?" Chie grumbled. Her face was scowling, but she was just as worried as everyone else that Teddie was gone. "I thought we had a pact to never go out until we're all here."

"Come to think of it, hasn't Teddie been acting a little… off, lately?" Yukiko asked.

"He's a talking bear in another dimension," Taiga said. "He's not exactly normal like the rest of us."

"No, I think Amagi-san has a point," said Shirou. "Ever since you pushed the vampires in, he's been antsy about finally confronting them. They're probably responsible for ruining his home dimension."

"Well, yeah. We promised to help him when we first came in, after all," Yosuke recalled. "Must have driven the poor guy nuts when he saw us squatting at the front door."

"Hey! We've been working towards making sure you guys didn't die fighting a vampire! You should be thanking me!"

"Oh, uh, thanks, sensei," Kanji said earnestly. Taiga was taken aback, clearly not expecting someone to literally thank her, but she beamed all the same.

"Regardless, we need to focus more on finding Teddie first."

"Where do we start looking?"

"Where this mess all started from," Shirou said, his gaze turning to the south. "The vampire's castle."

Nothing more needed to be said; as one, the Investigation Team marched down the fog-entrenched path to what would likely be their final destination. Fitting that it was a dungeon suited for a final boss in a video game.

Everyone was anxious. They had to find Teddie, stop the culprit, and come back alive. Thoughts of those lines circled their heads with each heavy step, and before long they were at the gates of the blocky NES-filled nightmare.

<><><>

Moon Voidania, Second Stratum

It was dark inside, almost as expected.

The shading of the interior almost hid the blocky texture from keen, discerning eyes, were it not for the light illuminated by pixelated flames. It was different from the main entrance room they'd used as a makeshift dojo the last few days and more akin to a cavern than a castle.

Before the Investigation Team made a single step forward, a black text box opened up in front of them.

>_Begin new quest

End your quest

"Eh?" Taiga blanched. Before anyone could think of a response themselves, the screen changed and typed itself out.

Enter Player One

Please enter your name:

Mitsuo__

"The hell?" Chie felt her anger rise upon reading the screen. "Is that guy taunting us?!"

"Guess he really thinks this is a game," Yosuke noted, coming to reluctantly believe that at least the brother was involved. "I thought this was supposed to be Castlevania, not Dragon Quest."

"Wait, there's more," Rise said as the screen changed.

Enter Player Two

Please enter your name:

Sa4@#%(!-/

ERRORERRORERRORERR010101010112010—

The screen seemed to glitch just as the name was typed, and then spelled a long series of number codes much too quick for the human eye to read, much less comprehend. Just as quickly as it happened, the screen shattered into glass pieces, only to subsequently vanish like a Shadow slain. A grim silence followed as the Persona users tried to discern what they had just seen.

"That's… new," Yukiko said slowly. It was actually scary, and not the good kind that intrigued her.

"Yeah, but what the hell was that?" Kanji wondered aloud. Rise and Taiga looked similarly alarmed.

"We don't fully understand it ourselves," Shirou explained. "But these dungeons seem to reflect the subconscious thoughts and feelings from the victims thrown in here."

"Teddie would know more about this, probably," Yosuke said. He awkwardly tugged his scarf, thinking of the bear. "Then again, he was just as much in the dark about these things as the rest of us."

A sickening growl broke their thoughts as they saw a pack of Shadows appear further down the corridor. The team reflexively summoned their Personas, with Yukiko and Yosuke quickest on the draw. They blasted the Shadows with a conflagration of smoldering flames and fierce winds, one strong enough that the conflict was over before it could truly begin. The Shadows were incinerated in an instant.

The team, still tense, slowly relaxed as they realized there weren't any more enemies coming… for now. "Wow, that was… easier than usual." Yosuke said, stupefied.

"Must be the new spells we learned," Shirou noted. Ma-prefix spells with a wide area of effect wasn't anything new, but the suffix-a spells were a game changer. A bigger cost of prana for a stronger burst of damage.

Mazio, Mabufu, Garula, Magaru, Agilao, Maragion. They reminded him of a similar fantasy game series that Yosuke had tried to get him into. Final Fantasy, he recalled. Even their physical attacks were stronger now, even if their names weren't as obvious to the power behind them.

Taiga grinned like a smug cat as she puffed her chest out and brandished her shinai over her shoulder. "You're welcome," she boasted. The training had definitely paid off.

"All right, guys, let's stay focused and start looking for Teddie," Shirou said. "Rise, do you have a read on him?"

"I think so," she answered. "I know he's further down at least."

With nothing else to say, the team started to explore the pixelated castle. The Shadows went down quickly, barely given a second thought. They were small fries now to the team's battles, even the newcomers weren't all that bothered by them. Kanji had regularly fought gang members while seeing the worst from his own Shadow. Taiga had years of martial arts under her belt and connections to her grandfather's "business".

The Shadows never had a chance.

<><><>

"Finally!" A jovial voice giggled from the throne, watching a crystal ball before her. "I was starting to think they would never leave past the first stratum!"

And what efficient fighters they were! They weren't holding back any more like they did when propping themselves up during training. They were fast. Quick. Merciless. They used just the right attacks to obliterate the Shadows, or at least knock them off balance before swarming them in a big ball of violence.

Even in the rare situations where they couldn't hit that sweet spot, they just resorted to the hardest hitting attacks they could. One girl's samurai ghost smashed the ground so hard that a flurry of fists surged out in a wide area. Tatsumi-kun's skeletal toy ghost swung its bolt-sword like an executioner's ax and almost always decimated its foes in one hit.

But the older woman, the one who survived their encounter, was different. She just knew that this woman was the biggest hurdle, next to possibly the boy with multiple changing ghosts.

She was the perfect warrior with both speed and strength. Her defense was just as good as she kept her footing loose and was spatially aware of her surroundings. She lacked the elemental prowess of her teammates but seemed to be greatly favored by luck with her close calls and critical hits.

She was like a luckier Yosuke-kun, actually. Speaking of whom, he was showing a bit of resolve now, and his knife skills were a bit sharper. Maybe he'd be different from Shiki-kun.

Well, it would depend on how they handled the first hurdle…

<><><>

Moon Voidania, Third Stratum

Taiga wiped the sweat from her forehead with a relieved sigh as they climbed to the next floor. "Whew! We're on a roll here!"

It was probably foolhardy to feel boastful or proud, but Shadow-busting has always been therapeutic for the team. Infusing their pent-up frustrations and fears into their Personas before blasting the monsters away, there was no feeling quite like it.

It did wonders for Yosuke's self-esteem as he shredded all the Shadows he could with his wind and slashing attacks. Not a perfect fix, but close.

"Just stay focused," Shirou said aloud. "For now, we should focus on finding Teddie."

Rise quickly summoned her priestess Persona for a scrying. "Hmm? Hey guys, I think Teddie's on this floor!"

"Wow, that was fast," Kanji noted. "And with just a straight line in front of us, too!"

It was indeed a single corridor before them. It stretched so far that there didn't seem to be an end on the other side, or it was too far away to be seen from the blocky candle lights.

And so they walked.

And walked.

And walked.

Before long the team soon realized that it was farther than it had any right to be. It was like an endless path that didn't change or had an end in sight.

Finally Chie voiced a concern that was no doubt circling all their heads. "Uh, guys? Is it just me or—?"

"'Does this pathway never seem to end?" Kanji blurted out. "Yeah, I was starting to think that too."

"It's… not that much farther, is it?" Yukiko tried not to sound tired, but her slouching lean to the wall was evident. A few others had slumped over to catch their breath, the adrenaline from their lower-level fights waning.

"Probably just a dungeon gimmick to delay us somehow," Yosuke said. "Like trap doors and such."

Rise exhaled out a loud breath and summoned her Persona, which towered behind her as before. The hall was just wide enough to fit her, but not to scan around her. Just as well, she only planned to look straight forward… and was surprised by what she saw. "This is… guys, we're in trouble! This entire floor is a trap!"

"I think that much is obvious by now," Yosuke quipped, earning an annoyed slap to the shoulder from Chie.

"How bad?" Shirou asked.

"Just listen."

They did so. They weren't sure what to be listening for, but it came to them in a distinct sort of churning and metal cranking. It wasn't like any Shadow growl they had heard so far, and they could just faintly hear it beyond the walls. In fact, the walls were slowly crawling to the side as if watching out from the window of a moving car.

"The floor is actually small," Rise explained "But that's because the hallways themselves keep rotating. They shift from behind and latch on ahead of us, just outside of our view, while also pushing so that another hallway can be slotted. We're moving forward but the place keeps moving backwards. Sort of like a conveyor belt."

"Wait, they're just gonna trap us here until we die of starvation?" Taiga asked incredulously. "That's a pretty devious, if not boring, way to stop us."

The bleached-haired teen stomped his foot down in frustration, "To hell with that! We came here to help Teddie, didn't we?! I'm not just gonna sit here and wait for little miss vampire to swoop in and eat us!"

"Actually, maybe we should?" Yukiko reasoned. The others looked at her, confused. "Think about it. We're already stuck here, and the room goes in a circle? If we stay long enough, we might reach the other side and find Teddie."

"That's assuming that whatever Shadow is rigging this room lets us reach the end," Shirou said. "Or isn't aware of our positions either."

"Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if the one responsible here, the mastermind or just a big Shadow, has some form of clairvoyance like with my Persona. Given how no Shadows have appeared here at all, they might want to psyche us out indirectly rather than have a straight-up fight."

Kanji deflated, but still clenched his fists in anger. "Dammit," he growled. Many others in the team shared his bitterness. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

"Hey, it's not like we can be in two places at once," Chie lamented. "All we know how to do for sure is summon our Personas, and even that feels way out of our depth."

Kanji stared at her. Yukiko stared at her. Everyone was staring at her, even the fox that seemed to blend into the background whenever it fancied doing so. They all had the same, wide-eyed expression towards her too. Chie suddenly felt very embarrassed at all the attention. "Wh-what did I say?"

<><><>

"How are our guests fairing?"

"Sir, I think they're onto us. They're rushing through even faster than before!"

"No matter. Keep pushing the rooms back. Every bit of time between us and them is a step of certain victory for our mistress."

"Yes, sir!"

The Shadows were more cunning than at the previous dungeons. Their presence in the castle relegated them to mere lackeys of differing ranks under the master, but their cognitive awareness meant that they were more than just mere beasts. At least until they transformed to fight. The form of human silhouettes was necessary to operate the crane.

The mistress was clever in realizing this feat within them, within himself, and breaking them free of their mortal limitations. Stopping the intruders was the least he could do to repay her.

Still, he expected a bit more from this "Investigation Team". Did the training and downtime make them soft? Were they not preparing themselves for this confrontation for months now? They believed that this would be their "final dungeon" to solving the case, and it was. Just not for the reasons they thought.

"Huh?" The Shadow stopped turning the giant cog wheel at the side. He was not worried about stopping as last he checked, the brats were very far behind. He moved down the hall and spotted a wide, white circle with markings carved and etched over the floor. "That wasn't here before…"

The Shadow's overseeing boss followed his gaze, realizing what it was right away. "It's an ambush!"

"I know, that's what we're-GAAH!" The Shadow was slain in an instant with a pair of blades hacking his turned neck off. Before it could transform and fight, a wooden shinai and a wet floor sign bludgeoned it into exploding dust.

The rest of the Investigation Team stepped out from the circle and visibly relaxed as they did, like an invisible burden had been lifted. "I can't believe that actually worked!" Chie said.

"I can't believe you came up with a brilliant idea!" Yosuke told her. "What is this, opposite day?"

"I'm more impressed with that cage-mat stuff Emiya-senpai pulled," Kanji grinned. "They didn't see us at all while our Personas were moving for us!"

"Thanks, but the magecraft was luck on my part," Shirou admitted. He patted Chie's back, unknowingly causing her to flinch and blush. "It wouldn't have worked at all without Satonaka's idea."

Taiga grimaced, covering her mouth with her free hand. "Just, let's… not do that again anytime soon," she said, fighting the urge to throw up. "I'm still reeling from motion sickness after sitting and running at the same time."

"So that's how you bypassed my Möbius strip. Clever."

The team's victory was short-lived upon hearing another voice, just beyond the darkness covering the hallway further down. Only a pair of golden, slanted eyes stared back at them from the shadows, but it was enough to get the team to tense and be on guard.

"You hid your presence in a bounded field, so we wouldn't pick up your presence as your tamed Shadows marched deeper inside. As expected of you… 'Shirou-sensei'."

Shirou was surprised by the last word, as were the others. The figure took a few squeaking steps forward and they saw a familiar figure with a sinister sneer instead of a smile. "Teddie?!"

"Guys, watch out!" Rise called out. "That's not Teddie. Not ours, anyway."

Looking closely, the team could see a faint purple aura surrounding the Teddie lookalike. But he was still unlike any Shadow they had encountered thus far. Teddie's voice was usually high and chipper, as if coming from a child. But this other Teddie, while arguably the same voice with a filter, sounded composed and mature. A condescending voice that talked only to tear down someone else's worldview.

Like Kotomine.

"Alright, you!" Chie shouted and pointed. "Where's our Teddie? The real one!"

"Haven't we done this song and dance enough times by now, Chie-chan? I am in fact a part of 'Teddie', and thus real, as we are intertwined. In fact, one could say I am his true form."

"But you look exactly like him!" Kanji snapped.

"Exactly. Shadows take the form of suppressed desires and motives. Why else were you, Yuki-chan and Rise-chan running around in loincloths, princess dresses and bathing suits?"

Shirou had to admit, he had a point. The other Shadows they had fought were wearing drastically different wardrobes to suit the theme of their captive dungeons. Yosuke and Chie's Shadows were outliers, but they sort of appeared without a demesne or theme of their own.

Looking over to the group, half of them were very perturbed by the Shadow's remark; namely the rescued members. Their silence and embarrassment were telling enough. Taiga, on the other hand, looked thoughtful and nodded to herself. "Makes sense, I guess," she said softly.

Suddenly Yosuke paled, a thought coming to him. "Wait, don't tell me— You're the one behind the murders?"

Shadow Teddie's eyes squinted slightly in irritation. "That would be a trite twist if true. 'The lonely bear was secretly the mastermind, playing its guests like fiddles'. Not that it's an unreasonable theory based on what little you know, but no, I am simply a servant to my Mistress."

Mistress? This was the first time they had ever heard of Teddie having a "mistress" in this world.

"Hey, Shirou," Taiga whispered next to him, a backhand covering her mouth from Shadow Teddie's view. "Let's try to glean some intel out of this guy."

"Is that a good idea? This is Teddie's Shadow we're talking about." He glanced over, but the Shadow hadn't moved closer to them. Nor had he stepped away. He was just standing there. Menacingly.

They all knew that this situation could end up in a fight, and the friendly Teddie was still nowhere to be seen. A quick look towards Rise, shaking her head no, confirmed that.

"I'm not talking about his personal baggage if that's what you're worried about," Taiga added. "I mean more about this 'mistress' character. She's probably our vampire friend who whisked him away and brought out his evil twin."

Ah, now he understood what she meant. It would be hard normally to interrogate a vampire's thrall, but it wasn't like they had any better leads. Teddie's world was different enough that even if Shadows were hostile, they were loose-lipped and explicitly shared what was meant to be hidden. The truth was just as dangerous as their pent-up rage, but could they use that to their advantage?

It was worth a shot.

Giving a quick nod to Fuji-nee, he stepped forward to address the Shadow. "If you don't mind me asking, Teddie, who is this mistress? Why work for her?"

"She has freed me from my chains of the 'real Teddie', and I am indebted to her. She has grand plans to spread her Palace to all corners of this world and shape it as she sees fit."

It was concerning to learn that their Teddie was a captive, but not as much as a supposed doomsday plot. "Wait, like rule the world?" Yukiko asked, eyes widening. "That's why we've been thrown into the TVs?!"

"Not necessarily, but my Mistress did glean the potential," the sinister bear said. He turned his head up to gaze somewhere beyond the ceiling. "This world is saturated with prana and limited by imagination. There is no filter to suppress the inner psyche, and once it is actualized, it blooms to form a world within a world."

That sounds almost like— Shirou stopped his thoughts there. There was a more pressing matter to address. "What are you saying?"

"Must I spell it out to you?" The Shadow droned, turning back towards him. "Why do you think our worlds are connected? Or that you each have your own Shadow?"

The Investigation Team all exchanged glances with each other, pondering. "Uh… what's so weird about it?" Kanji asked innocently. "They're us, right? To become Personas?"

"And what of every other Shadow you have fought getting here?"

Chie gasped out the word that everyone was thinking. "N-No…!"

That question chilled the team to the bone with horror. If Shadows were a reflection of themselves, then were they just going around slaying other reflections? Were they killing… other people?

No, they couldn't be people. They weren't cognizant enough, and Shadows could become amalgams by bonding. But how was such a feat possible anyway? Magecraft had rules to follow, even the true magics. It just wasn't humanly possible.

Wait… the revelation came to Shirou like a thunderbolt. "They're human thoughts," he said. "This whole world… is a collective unconsciousness?"

"Correct," Shadow Teddie nodded, pride showing in his voice. "Every thought made by every human by every moment forms Shadows in this world. They are small thoughts, easily discarded on a whim after the attention is diverted. Alone they are as fickle as specks of dust. But when such thoughts gather over time, the stronger the Shadow's form."

So that was where Shadows came from. For a moment, Shirou thought back to Nami and their conversation about a talking board. Shaking his head, he almost missed Chie asking another question, "So, what's your mistress' plan from all this?"

"That, you don't need to know, for you are not permitted to see her," Shadow Teddie said.

"And why the hell not?!" Yosuke yelled.

"You wish to fight her and take her to justice. I am here to stop you. The only reason we are not fighting right now is that I still hold a little sentimentality to you all."

"So you don't want to fight us?" Rise asked hopefully.

"I don't want to waste time fighting you," he clarified. "There's a difference."

"Sounds to me more like you're a chicken," Kanji taunted. "You never fought the other Shadows before, and suddenly you think you can take us on now that you're one yourself?"

"Kanji-kun!" Yukiko chided him. How could he be so careless and egg on Teddie's Shadow to force a fight?

Fortunately, the Shadow just chuckled before explaining. "Every Shadow you have faced has only grown exceptionally stronger because more and more Shadow thoughts have been accumulated from your 'Midnight Channel'. Last time you fought yourself, Shirou-sensei almost died. Do you really want to take your chances with me? Or the Mistress?" Even though Kanji had deflated by this point, the Shadow leaned in condescendingly to drive the point home. "Because in case you aren't aware, she's a vampire. A being several times stronger than any Persona. And very, VERY famished for blood."

Yosuke winced like he had been sucker-punched. Every bit of confirmation of this "vampire" story made it harder for him to hold onto hope. Was it truly too late to help Satchin like it was for Saki-senpai? He didn't want a repeat of that, not now.

Shirou had a similar crisis. It was one thing to speculate on why a vampire was here, or even take Fuji-nee's word for it, but quite another to be outright confirmed by Teddie's Shadow. He usually acted so differently from the wonders of the world. Excited even. But never apathetic. Was Teddie, Shadow or otherwise, truly an accomplice to this mistress? This mastermind? The one who put people into televisions to kill them?

He had to know. "You know what vampires do, right?"

The other Teddie tilted his head to the side. "What of it?"

What of it?! Shirou wanted to scream but remained calm, if barely. "What about this world?" Shirou pressed on. "The reason you asked us to help was to stop it from being cluttered from all these thoughts in the first place!"

"That," The Shadow said, "Was simply an impulsive desire of mine, born out of a fear of the unknown. Fear of change. I had just forgotten the best way to handle it."

"And what is that?"

"To just ignore it."

A stunned silence filled the room, enough that one could hear the kindling of blocky fire lighting the hall. No one dared utter a word but all silently demanded an answer via staring.

"Obtaining the truth is simple, actually," The Shadow continued jovially. "You just have to believe it to be the truth and move on. It is hard to discern the truth from a lie, so it is better to just not waste the effort."

Shirou barely got the words out of his mouth through grinding teeth. "Well, that's a lie and you know it. How can you just pretend nothing's wrong when people are dying? Doesn't that alone deserve to have answers?!"

"People die all the time. It is simply an inevitable fact of life. Even if you do save someone from an instant death, they'll succumb and pass on through natural causes anyway. Ignorance, as they say, is bliss."

"So, it's fine to live without knowing how or why your life is at risk? Just because we die someday doesn't mean we should give up when it's convenient for someone like your mistress! Why should people be denied knowing the truth about the world they live in?!"

Shadow Teddie scowled at him, finally losing patience. "You of all people should understand how hard it is to grasp that truth, Sensei. The Clocktower. The Church. The powers that be, the ones aware of the moonlit world. They will make sure that their secrets stay hidden and buried from the ignorant masses."

"Th-That's…" Again, Teddie somehow had knowledge about magecraft, even through the connection of his Shadow. Just what is he?

"It's a smarter way to live. But I guess I shouldn't expect you to understand, Sensei. You've imprinted on me, on Teddie, so much that he didn't listen to reason either."

Shirou's blood chilled in grim realization. "Teddie already rejected you."

Although Shadow Teddie's face was frozen, one could sense a chilling smile emanating from it. "Right again, Sensei. It is a shame you weren't there to witness his folly, but he breathes yet still. The true despair to his existence will be seeing you die by his own claws."

And before their eyes, a familiar swirling vortex surrounded Shadow Teddie, only without the fanfare of an orgasmic battle cry. Rather, it began with the shattering of the small hallway around them, causing everyone to freefall down to the foyer they had used for training. Between their Personas and refined reflexes, they landed safely but didn't have time to even catch their breath from screaming.

A moment later, their newest challenger landed nearby with a tile-shattering thud. It was grotesque, to say the least. Shadow Teddie didn't really transform as he did expand into a lumbering giant. His limbs, his body shape, everything stretched and grew. He couldn't stand up under the weight of his new form and instead hunched over on all fours. The once stubby glove-like paws became enlarged claws, curved to a lethal point. The face cracked at the left eye hole, both of which were now hollow windows to the darkness inside. Slanted, blue-purple neon eyes stared back, giving them a foreboding sense.

"I am a Shadow of the True Self," he said. "There is only one truth you need to know. You will all die here!"