Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Chapter 2 - Priestess

April 17, 2009 – After School  – Full Moon: 22 Days

Ryoji’s eyes open, this time facing up at the white ceiling of a hospital room. The beeping from his heart rate monitor steadily increased as he came to consciousness. His mind feels clear from pain for the first time since he arrived in Iwotodai. He then becomes aware of someone’s presence beside his bed. 

“You’re awake!” Yukari exclaims when she realizes that his eyes are open, “… Uh… Say something if you can hear me…”

“… Hungry…”

“Thank goodness, you really did wake up.” Yukari’s relief then turns into one of exasperation, “How much sleep do you need?! It’s been a whole week! … I was so worried about you…”

Ryoji blinks the tiredness away as he listens to her concerned voice. He smiles and places his hand over his chest, “How cruel of me, to cause such a beautiful girl distress… I’m truly an awful man, aren’t I?”

Yukari’s eye twitches. She’s not amused. “Anyways, this is Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. It’s a short walk from the station. The doctor couldn’t find anything wrong with you. He said you were just exhausted… But in my opinion, there’s clearly an issue with your brain.”

Ryoji snickers a bit at her scathing words. His expression then softens as he makes an attempt to be honest with her, “My apologies, Yukari… It’s good to see you too.”

“You kept sleeping and sleeping… You know how worried I was?!”

“No, how worried were you?”

“Ugh… Look at me, I think I grew grey hairs this past week!”

Ryoji pretends to inspect her hair, “Hm… I think I see some.”

“N-No way! Seriously?!” Yukari frantically grabs at her short hair, before she stops and glares at Ryoji’s giggling, “You’re such a jerk!” Despite her words, he can see the relief in her eyes. It was a strange feeling, to have someone wait for him as he was in a coma. Thinking about it fills him with all sorts of warm, fluttery feelings… 

Yukari’s expression sobers and her gaze shifts to the side, “Hey, I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything… Even though I was supposed to protect you, I…”

“Please, don’t apologize… I was afraid too. But, we’re here now, aren’t we?” Ryoji offers her a reassuring smile, “There’s no need to beat yourself up over it.”

“… I guess,” Yukari then quickly shifts her tone, “B-But wow! Your power really is something!”

“Oh, you think so? What were those things anyways?”

“You mean the Shadows? They’re what we’re fighting against. And the power you used, we call it ‘Persona.’ We’ll explain everything later. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before…”

Ryoji shakes his head, “It’s fine, I’m sure you had your reasons.” He watches her stand up from her seat and walk towards the window. The afternoon sun paints the room in a soft, warm glow, contrasting the green from the night. 

“I, uh… I wanted to tell you that… I’m sorta like you.” Yukari looks out the window contemplatively. 

“What do you mean?”

She hesitates for a moment before explaining, “My dad died in an accident when I was little… And my mom and I aren’t exactly on good terms… You’re all alone too, right?”

Ryoji frowns slightly as he thinks about it. There’s not much he does remember about himself in the first place. But the fact that he hasn’t heard a word from his parents the whole time… It hurts. But at least he knows that they’re out there, probably working hard as usual. “I’m not alone anymore… I have friends now! You, Junpei, and Mitsuru are all with me. It’s more than I could ask for.” 

“… That’s not… Uh– well– Yes, you have a point.” Yukari awkwardly fidgets with her fingers, “Truth is… I already know about your past. But it didn’t seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine… It was back in ‘99… There was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but no one really knows what happened.”
“I’m sorry to hear that…”

Yukari sighs sadly and continues, “He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group. So, I’m hoping that if I stick around long enough, I’ll find out something.” Ryoji can hear a tone of firm determination in her voice. “That’s why I’m going to Gekkoukan High, and that’s why I’m here when this happened to you.. Of course, I panicked and wasn’t much help… It was my first time fighting them, too. I’m sorry, you wouldn’t have to go through all of this if I wasn’t such a coward…” 

“It’s alright, you saved me on the stairs…” Ryoji still remembers how Yukari stubbornly refused to leave him. If she hadn’t done that, they would most certainly have died. “Without you, I don’t think I could’ve done anything… I promise to never forget it.”

Yukari looks back at him with a wry smile on her face, “You and your promises… Here I am telling you all of this the minute you wake up. I had been wanting to tell you this for a while… So thanks for listening!”

“Of course, Yukari. I don’t mind it at all.”

“Alright, I’m gonna get going. I’ll let the others know you woke up. Take it easy, okay? Be a good patient!” Yukari walks to the sliding doors of the hospital room, “… See you later, Ryoji.”

April 18, 2009 – Early Morning  – Full Moon: 21 Days

Hearing Junpei’s voice was a much needed relief to Ryoji’s mind. After all this talk about “Personas” and “Shadows,” he was desperate for normalcy.

“Yo, Long time no see, Ryoji!” Junpei caught up to him as he approaches the school gates. “What’s up? Did ya get a stomach ache or somethin’?”

“Good to see you, Junpei… I’m feeling much better now.” Ryoji doesn’t want to lie to him, but how else is he supposed to explain his disappearance? He doubts Junpei would believe him anyways…

“I got something to tell ya! Get a load of this– Oh, wait! I’m not supposed to spill!” Junpei scratches the back of his neck apologetically, “Forget you heard anythin’...”

“Sheesh, someone’s full of energy today…” Yukari walks up to the two boys and shakes her head, “I could hear you from all the way over there.”

Junpei raises his eyebrow at her unexpected appearance, “Huh? You two didn’t come to school together today? What, did you guys have a fight–”

“Ugh! I’ve heard enough about that. It was ONE time. He’s been going to school on his own since the second day…” Yukari then changes her tone to a more friendly one as she addresses Ryoji, “Anyways, are you feeling better? Sorry to hit you with this so soon after you recovered, but the Chairman wants to talk to you today. Head to the 4th floor of the dorm after school today. Got it?”

Ryoji nods his head and gives her a thumbs-up, “Got it, I won’t forget!”

“H-Hold up!” Junpei looks between them in confusion, “Why are you being called out by the Chairman? What the heck did you do?!”

Yukari rolls her eyes before walking past them, through the school gates, “It’s nothing serious, now come on, let’s go before we’re late!”

April 18, 2009 – Afternoon  – Full Moon: 21 Days

Playing catch up with school work has not been the most pleasant experience. Dare he say, it’s worse than fighting that Shadow… The curriculum moved quickly in the week he was gone. In his history class with Mr. Ono, apparently Ryoji missed the whole Stone Age. The school didn’t even give him a pass for missing so much class time! Ryoji has been working on a week’s worth of assignments throughout the whole day, only half paying attention to the current lecture. He can hear Mr. Ono going on about samurais and the Sengoku era, something about Jomon period houses… It provides some nice background noise, at least. 

“Ryoji… Psst!” He can feel Junpei lightly kick his desk to get his attention. “Help me out man, what’re those houses called?”

Uh oh… How is he supposed to know anyways?! He’s been asleep for a week… Of all the people Junpei could’ve asked, surely there’s someone better, “U-Um… Elevated houses?” 

The moment he answers with that, Ryoji knows he chose the wrong answer. He hangs his head in shame as Mr. Ono ridicules him for the incorrect response. 

How embarassing… 

April 18, 2009 – Evening  – Full Moon: 21 Days

Yukari offered to walk back with Ryoji to the dorms after school. She explained along the way that she wanted to make sure he got there safe. Also, since she later mentioned that she was also going to the 4th floor to talk to the Chairman as well. It just made sense that they might as well go together. 

… 

“Ah, there you are.” Ikutski looks up as the two of them enter the room, “Looks like you’ve recovered, I’m glad to see that. Please, have a seat.”

Seated around a low table are the Chairman, the boy in the red vest, and Mitsuru. Ryoji takes note of the very large console on the other side of the room, it looks like some sort of control station. On the table, rests a large, silver briefcase. Yukari walks over and takes a seat next to Mitsuru on the plush, red couch. He stands there, uncertain, before taking a seat next to the older boy. Ryoji can infer from what Ikutski mentioned the other day, that this is Akihiko Sanada. He has a lean, muscular build and a bandage over his left eyebrow. Ryoji recognizes him from Gekkoukan, and smiles at him in a friendly manner. Akihiko acknowledges him with a firm nod of his head.

Ikutski continues talking as everyone gets situated in their seats, “There are some things I need to discuss with you. But before that, I believe I mentioned him earlier. This is Sanada.”

“Hey there.” Akihiko speaks once he’s formally introduced. 

“Hello. Your voice, it sounds familiar…” Ryoji tilts his head to the side, “Were you on the roof after the fight?”

Akihiko grins at his observation and nods, “I was, I’m surprised you remembered that. When we got to you, you were completely unresponsive. It’s good to see you’re back up.” 

“I see… Thank you.”

The boy’s conversation is brought to an end as Ikutski clears his throat, bringing them back to the topic at hand, “Okay, let me start off by asking you this: Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?”

“… Excuse me?”

“A reasonable reaction,” Mitsuru muses, “Do you remember the night you came here? You had to have noticed the signs. The streetlights going out, things that stopped working… The unusual appearance of coffins… With so many things amiss, didn’t it feel like you were in a different time? … That’s the Dark Hour– a time period hidden between one day and the next.”
Ryoji reflects back on the strange nights he’s had here… It’s true, it did feel like he had stepped into a completely different space. “Is that so… the Dark Hour…”

“The Dark Hour occurs every night, right at midnight,” Ikutski explains, “It’ll happen tonight, and every night to come.”
“Normal people don’t realize it, since they’re all sleeping inside their coffins.” Akihiko adds, “But that’s not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting.” He leans forward, closer to Ryoji. There’s a note of fascination as he continues, “You saw them… Those creatures. We call them Shadows. They only appear during the Dark Hour and attack anyone who roams free outside the coffins. It’s our job to defeat them. Pretty exciting, isn’t it?”

“Akihiko! Why are you always like this…” Mitsuru displays a rare look of frustration, “You just got hurt the other day!”

Ikutski chuckles, attempting to ease the growing tension, “Now, now. He does his work well, in any case. Let me get to the point. We are the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad– SEES for short. On paper, we are classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Mitsuru Kirijo is the leader, and I’m the club advisor.”

“A Shadow feeds on the minds of its prey; the victim becomes a living corpse. They’re responsible for most, if not all, of the incidents you see on the news.” Mitsuru adds on. “The news calls it ‘Apathy Syndrome.’ They don’t know what’s really going on, and pretend that it’s under control.” 

“Correct,” the Chairman nods his head, “Although rare, there are those who can function during the Dark Hour. Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. That’s ‘Persona’– the power you used the other night. The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. Which means, it’s all up to you guys.”

“What he’s trying to say…” Mitsuru reaches over and opens the briefcase. Inside the case is a similar looking gun to the one Yukari had on that night. As he gets a better look at the model, he can see the letters “S.E.E.S” inscribed on the side. Ryoji also sees a red armband with the black lettering on it as well, he recalls Yukari wearing this… There is also a matching holster for the gun as well in the case. “ We want you to join us, Ryoji. We’ve prepared an Evoker for you. We’d like you to lend us your strength.” 

Looking at the Evoker, as Mitsuru called it, he feels a sense of unease. Ryoji thinks about the Shadow he and Yukari encountered the other night. It was frightening, but he can’t forget how desperately it tried to escape in its final moments… Even though it tried attacking them, it suffered such a miserable demise. It was proof to him that these Shadows experienced emotions just like he did. He shudders thinking about how it must’ve felt in the end, “… But, we’re hurting them… I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

His small protest is met with a tense silence. Akihiko straightens up and narrows his eyes, “Don’t think about it too much. There’s no use in wasting your sympathy for those creatures.”

Mitsuru casts a nasty side eye to Akihiko before she looks back at Ryoji, “Please, we need your help.” 

“Wait, you can’t ask him like that! Who could say no?” Yukari’s voice raises in protest, snapping Ryoji out of his thoughts. “I mean, it’d be nice if he joined, but–”

His mind was already made up, “– It’s fine, I’ll join SEES.”

After he says that, he feels some of the tension die down amongst the group. Ryoji can see Yukari look away from him. He’ll talk to her about it later.

“Thank you so much, truly.” Ikutski smiles in relief, “Oh, I almost forgot! About your room assignment… Why don’t you just stay in the room you have now? I don’t know what the holdup is, but I guess it worked out in the end! Hahaha!”

I joined SEES to fight the Shadows… My heart feels warm… Huh?! Ryoji puts his hand to his head as he suddenly hears a girl’s voice ringing inside his head, “I am thou, thou art I… Thou hast established a new bond… Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fool Arcana.”

“What? Who’s there?” Ryoji speaks aloud and looks for the speaker. All he gets are worried looks from the three other people in the room. He tilts his head down and hides the bottom half of his face in his scarf, “P-Please excuse me…”

“Hm, well, that’s all for today!” Ikutski claps his hands together and smiles, “I’ll follow up with you regarding our ‘club activities’ later on. Well then, shall week-end this meeting? You know, because it’s the weekend?”

“Pfft… Week-end… weekend…” 

“Ryoji, you don’t have to humor him…” Yukari sighs.

April 19, 2009 – Dark Hour – Full Moon: 20 Days

Ryoji stayed up late to make a dent in his school assignments… It feels never ending. Why is there so much work in the first week of classes anyways? In any case, Ryoji pushed himself to finish half of the workload before calling it a night. 

He just finishes getting ready to sleep and lays down under the covers, when suddenly, the lights go out. It seems the Dark Hour has arrived, he didn’t realize he spent so long on his homework… 

“Hey, how’ve you been?” 

His eyes snap open at the sound of the boy’s voice, “It’s you…!” Even in the dim light, Ryoji can still see the mysterious boy from the first night, sitting on his bed. “How did you get in here?”

“I’m always by your side… Also, your door isn’t locked.”

“Oh.” 

“Soon, the end will come.” The boy states rather plainly, “Thought I’d let you know.”

“Uh… Thank you? But I’m not sure what you mean…”

“The end of everything. To be honest, I don’t really know much else about it.” After saying that, the boy stretches his arms and lays down. He stares at the ceiling, as if contemplating something… “Looks like you’ve awakened to your power. That’s cool, I guess. Good chance it’ll end up being your salvation, depending on what you do.”

Ryoji watches as the boy completely makes himself at home. It’s a little funny, but mostly bewildering. He notices that the boy is still wearing the same striped outfit from before. He doesn’t know what to say and just lets this strange boy talk.

“Do you remember when we first met? I expect that you honor your commitment. Even if you forget me… I’ll always be watching you. Okay then, see ya.” The black fog from that night materializes around the boy, and when it clears, the boy is no longer there. It’s like he was never there at all.

“Oh, goodnight...” Ryoji was so puzzled he had forgotten to ask for his name. After a few moments of silence, he decides to go to sleep. 

April 19, 2009 – Evening – Full Moon: 20 Days

Although he would’ve loved to go outside today, Ryoji decided to spend the day finishing up his assignments. At least he will be caught up with everyone else now… It was a necessary evil. Once it was finished, he went to lie down again. His brain felt like mush after doing homework all day long. Ryoji then hears someone knocking on his door, and he recognizes the voice to be Yukari’s.

“Are you in there? If you are, Sanada’s calling for us.”

“I’ll be down there in just a moment!” Ryoji replies as he drags himself out of bed. This shouldn’t take too long…

… 

“I’d like to introduce you to someone.” Akihiko stands at the entrance to the dorms. He turns to the door and speaks in a firm voice, “… Hey, hurry up.”

“J-Just a sec! This thing is heavy…” 

Both Ryoji and Yukari exchange shocked expressions as they recognize the voice. The door opens revealing… Junpei dragging in a suitcase and several bags.

“Junpei?!” Yukari exclaimed.

“Junpei!” Ryoji cheered.

Yukari looks at Akihiko in dismay, “Why is he here? Wait– Don’t tell me…”

“It seems you two are already familiar with him.” Akihiko chuckles softly at their two different reactions, “He’s staying with us from now on.”

Junpei sets his bags down and tips his baseball cap, an impish grin on his face, “Heh… Wazzup?”

“He’s staying HERE?! You have got to be kidding me!” 

“I bumped into him the other night.” Akihiko continues despite Yukari’s obvious ire, “He has the potential, but he awakened to it recently. I told him about us, and he agreed to help.”

Ryoji, in complete contrast to Yukari, is thrilled to see Junpei, “You have the potential too?”

“Sure do,” Junpei laughs sheepishly and his face looks almost pained, “He found me cryin’ like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins– I don’t remember much, but man, that’s embarrassing! He said that’s completely normal though, in the beginning… Like bein’ confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that?”

Ryoji thinks to the circumstances of his own awakening, “Um… I wouldn’t say I was crying.”

“Hey, what’s with the tough-guy act?” Junpei teases him.

“Huh? Tough guy act?” Ryoji frowns and looks at Yukari, “Am I being a ‘tough guy’?”
“W-Why do you need my opinion?!”

Junpei grins again and sighs whistfully, “Man… I still can’t believe it. I had no idea– Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one. Wouldn’t really wanna be doin’ this on my own. You gotta be stoked too, right? Having me join?” 

“… I-I guess?” Another hesitant reply from Yukari. 

“Alright, I think we’re about ready.” Akihiko decides to change the topic, “With this many people, we can finally start exploring that place…”

Junpei adjusts his hat eagerly, “Ohh! Are we about to go do something? I’m gettin’ pumped!”

“Oh, you mean Tartarus…” Yukari’s expression sombers into a small frown. 

“Tartar sauce? What?” 

“Hehe… ‘Tartar sauce’...” Ryoji covers his mouth as he laughs. 

Akihiko continues explaining without missing a beat, “It’s a place that holds the key to understanding the Dark Hour… Or so we think. The Chairman will give us more details tomorrow night, so be ready.”

  … 

Shortly after Akihiko and Yukari left to go to their rooms, Ryoji stayed behind with Junpei. He wanted to help him move his luggage into his new room. What he didn’t anticipate was how heavy the suitcase was. But, in the end, they were able to get everything into the room. 

Junpei whistles in admiration as he looks around the space, “Hey, this place isn’t half bad! It’s a lot bigger than my old room.” He then kneels down and opens the suitcase, removing some bundles of clothes. “Isn’t this awesome? We’re totally free to do whatever!”

“Yeah, it is very nice.” Ryoji sits on his knees next to Junpei, “I still haven’t decorated my room yet…” His gaze falls on how much Junpei actually has. There’s a suitcase, a duffel bag, a smaller bag, and a backpack. Ryoji thinks back to his singular bag sitting somewhere in his closet… Junpei has a whole life in those bags, it just reminds Ryoji about his lack of memories.

“Hey, no worries, man!” Junpei shoves his shoulder in a playful manner, “Besides, from what I’ve heard, you’ve had a crazy week. Akihiko didn’t tell me the full thing, but I gotta know what all went down!”

Ryoji chuckles a bit, “Ah, do you really want to know? It’s kind of a long story.”

“Don’t be like that, I asked ya, didn’t I? I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

… 

“… Dude…” Junpei was at a loss for words once Ryoji finished explaining the events leading up to this moment. “Remind me to never piss you off…”

Ryoji shakes his head, concerned that his friend was now afraid of him, “P-Please don’t worry! I would never do anything to hurt you, or anyone! I promise!”

“Haha! Relax, man. I’m messin’ with ya!” Junpei pats him on the shoulder reassuringly, “I can tell you’re not that type of guy. Still… That’s pretty cool, I kinda want to see this other Persona of yours now.”

“Maybe we’ll see it again if we encounter another Shadow? I’m still not sure how all of this works.” Ryoji smiles apologetically. He takes a look around the now fully decorated room. As he was talking, they had managed to set up everything in Junpei’s room. There’s various baseball memorabilia scattered around, it’s clear Junpei has an interest in the sport. And based on some of the trophies, participated in baseball at one point.

“I’m so psyched for tomorrow!” Junpei flops back on his bed, “There’s probably a lot of Shadows things in that ‘tartar sauce’ place. I can’t wait to test out my new power!”

Ryoji recalls the discussion from last night, he looks away from him as they sit on the bed together. He still has his reservations about actually fighting the Shadows, but it doesn’t look like he has much of a choice. “Haha… Yeah…”

“Hm? What’s up? Ya scared?” Junpei teases him.

“I’m not sure, to be honest… it’s not fear though, I know that for certain.”

“What do you mean?”

He pauses as he tries to sort out these conflicting emotions inside. Ryoji’s voice tentatively comes out as he attempts to explain, “It just feels a little cruel; the Shadows are alive too. There has to be a way of communicating with them, instead of resorting to violence.”

“H-Huh?! Ya want to talk to those things?” Junpei sits up in astonishment, “From what Akihiko told me, they’re tryin’ to kill us! What’s the point?”

“But, maybe there’s a way we can get them to leave us alone? What if it’s all just some misunderstanding? … What if they’re just as afraid as we are?” 

Junpei shakes his head vehemently, “Dude, are you crazy?! They’re not just attacking us, they’re also going for other people. People who don’t have the same powers as us. We can’t just let those monsters keep hurting everyone!”

“I… I’m sorry.” Ryoji stands up from his spot on the bed, “I didn’t mean to upset you…”

“… ’s fine.” 

“Goodnight, Junpei.”

“Yeah, ‘night.”

Ryoji closes the door to Junpei’s room softly. He makes the short walk back to his own room next door. In comparison, his dorm room feels like a skeleton; Just the bare necessities to function. There’s no personality to it, no history. Ryoji looks at himself in the small mirror in the corner. He’s not as “colorful” as Yukari or Junpei. Ryoji thinks of Yukari's pink sweater and light brown hair, and how her eyes look in the sunlight. His thoughts drift to Junpei, he wears a faded blue shirt underneath his school blazer. The baseball cap that he wears But while his clothes may be darker than Yukari’s, the memory of his laughter shines brightly within his mind.

His gaze turns back to the mirror and what he sees in the reflection. His hair is darker than black, contrasting with his pale skin. There’s a small black mole underneath the corner of his left eye. Even the clothes he’s wearing lacks colors, the one thing that makes him stand out is his yellow scarf– And it’s not even his– it’s his mother’s. Only his eyes feel like “his” own. His irises have central heterochromia, the two blues are separated by a strange black ring. People can’t help but look at his eyes, they’re hard to miss. Ryoji then frowns and backtracks, since when did my eyes have this black thing in them?! It wasn’t there a week ago, but it’s there now. It only serves to make him look more uncanny. 

“You can be weird sometimes, y’know?”

I look weird sometimes too.

Ryoji shakes his head, what’s going on with him? There’s no use in comparing himself to his friends, it’ll only make him more miserable. Besides, he doesn't want to dwell on these negative thoughts; It must just be because of the recent dispute with Junpei. A lot of very stressful events have happened, there’s no point in taking it out on himself. Ryoji smiles at his reflection, even though it seems silly, he feels oddly comforted by it now. Throughout everything, this is who he is, this is how the world sees him. No amount of amnesia can take this away from him, this body is his own.

Feeling better, Ryoji turns away from the mirror and changes into the shirt and pants he wears to sleep. There’s always tomorrow… He lies down under the covers, feeling the familiar softness of the sheets. Ryoji smiles to himself and closes his eyes.

April 20, 2009 – Early Morning – Full Moon: 19 Days

Waiting idly by the gates for Junpei, Ryoji sees the two gossiping girls from the other week. This time, it seems they’re talking about trying to make it through their first class.

“I’m always so drowsy on Monday mornings…” 

“Yeah, me too. The only thing you can do is sleep through the first period.” 

“Wait… Tomorrow is when we have morning assembly!” The girl with the white bag sighs, “Ugh… I’m too lazy for that. I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear…”

“Hey, how about we try to sneak out before the assembly?”

“Good idea! … Is what I would say if Odagiri isn’t constantly patrolling the halls…”

The other girl grumbles as they start to walk away to their class, “Noooo… He’s such a stickler… I forget he’s even a student too sometimes.”

“Oh! Speaking about forgotten students, I heard a rumor that there’s this third year that…” Ryoji doesn’t catch the last part of that girl’s sentence, they’re too far away now. He’ll probably end up hearing more about it later anyways. 

“Yo! Ready to kick some ass?” 

He looks up to see Junpei walking towards him. He seems to be in a better mood than last night, much to Ryoji’s relief.

“Good morning, Junpei.”

“Thanks for helpin’ me move in last night. The dorms are pretty cozy! In my opinion though, the best part is that we’re the only ones who can fight these Shad– Er… I mean enemies!”

As they begin walking to their classroom, Ryoji keeps his thoughts to himself about the topic and just smiles at his enthusiasm, “Hehe… You seem pretty excited for this!”

“Well, DUH! Who wouldn’t be stoked about fighting for justice?” Junpei then sighs and his pace slows, “Though, to be perfectly honest… I ain’t got a single clue as to what we’re supposed to be doing. But! I’m sure we’ll find out. They did say that they’d explain everything.”

“Hm… Yes, it’ll certainly help when we have more information to work with.” Ryoji reaches out and tugs on the sleeve of Junpei’s uniform blazer, “Do you want to come with me to the faculty office? I need to drop off the homework I missed.”

“Sure– Wait HUH?! You already finished it?!” 

Ryoji chuckles at the shocked expression on Junpei’s face, “Yep! I didn’t want it to pile up even more.”

“W-Woah… You’re really somethin’ else, man.” He shakes his head and grins, “Alright, let’s go!”

April 20, 2009 – Lunchtime – Full Moon: 19 Days

Yukari brings back some snacks from the in-school store. It’s not much, but it’ll get them through the rest of the day. Ever since that night on the roof, Ryoji has had a near insatiable appetite. It’s starting to cause a strain on the supplies in the dorm’s kitchen…

As he’s discovered, Ryoji’s amnesia allows him to experience many things for the “first” time. This has been particularly delightful with food. He’s found that he tends to gravitate towards more sweet treats than anything else. 

Ryoji watches as Yukari sets down several packaged pastries onto his desk, his eyes light up when he notices that she bought him one of his current favorites: Apple strudel. There’s also a few packages of melon, yakisoba, and fried bread. But his hand is already moving to what his heart desires most.

“I knew you were going to go for that one first…” Yukari sighs and shakes her head. Much to his dismay, she snatches the apple strudel away before he can get to it. “Come on, choose one of the other ones, and then you can have this.”

“Nooooo…! You’re so cruel to me, Yukari.” Ryoji whines and reluctantly opens a package of melon bread. He takes a bite out of the bread, it’s still very delicious, but he craves the sweetness of the strudel. 

“Thanks for the meal, Yuka-tan!” Junpei also reaches out, aiming to grab one of the goods on Ryoji’s desk. 

Yukari’s hand moves lightning fast as she slaps Junpei’s hand away, “Hey! Hands off! They’re not for you.”

“Ow! Hey…!” Junpei cradles his hand to his chest, “What the heck?! Those are all for him? That’s not fair!” He watches as Ryoji opens the second melon bread already, “Wh-What?! Where did the first one go?”

Yukari takes one of the yakisoba breads and unwraps it, “On our second day, I noticed that Ryoji didn’t have any way of getting food. So I’ve been buying him stuff from the vendor.” She sighs and shakes her head, “With the way you hang around him, I’m surprised you didn’t notice sooner.”

“What?! You’ve known me for almost 3 years and you’ve never done anything like that for me!” 

“… Please stop arguing…” Ryoji looks between his two friends, a third half-eaten melon bread clutched in his hands. “Junpei, please take some. I don’t need to eat all of this, and I’m sure you’re hungry too.”

Junpei uncrosses his arms and his expression softens at the offer. Before he can respond, the classroom gets quieter as the door slides open. A few students move out of the way for the one who just entered. Mitsuru strides over to the trio at Ryoji’s desk, “Excuse me, can I have a minute? Come to the room on the fourth floor when you get back to the dorms tonight. I have something to tell you all.”

“Ohh, are we having that talk already?” Junpei rolls his shoulders, there’s a clear tone of anticipation in his voice.

“I’ll save the details for later. See you there.” And with that, Mitsuru exits the classroom as quickly as she came.

“Damn, she doesn’t waste any time…” 

Yukari brushes a hand through her hair irritably, “She’s probably busy with Student Council or whatever. Unlike us.”

“Woah, Yuka-tan! Do I sense some hostility?” 

“Well, it’s not that I don’t like her… she’s just…” Yukari trails off, she then looks at the suspiciously silent Ryoji and her eyes widen, “What the?! When did you get that?”

While she had been distracted, Ryoji had stealthily taken the apple strudel back from her. He was mid-bite when Yukari finally noticed, “Hm? What’s wrong?”

April 20, 2009 – After School – Full Moon: 19 Days 

The train comes to a screeching halt, throwing everyone on board in a chaos. Ryoji and Junpei clung on to the handles above for dear life as they fought to stay upright. Once the train comes to a complete stop, Ryoji helps a few people gather their lost items as Junpei asks around for information. When he comes back, his face looks grim, “Another person jumped on the tracks…”

“Oh no… Are they alright? I hope they didn’t get hit by the train…” 

Junpei exhales and shrugs his shoulders, “I dunno, they’re not tellin’ us the details. Only that it’s another Apathy Syndrome case…”

“I see.” 

“Been happening a lot lately, it’s gettin’ out of control. It’s like the whole world’s fallin’ apart…” He casts a look at Ryoji, “This is why we have to do somethin’ about it. We have the power to put an end to this.”

Ryoji doesn’t respond. He’s aware of why they’re going to fight, and he wants to help this city stay safe. But there has to be another way to go about this. He’ll find a different way…

April 20, 2009 – Evening – Full Moon: 19 Days 

By the time they got there, everyone else was already waiting in the command room. Ryoji notices that Yukari is no longer sitting next to Mitsuru, opting to take the spot Akihiko was in last time. On the couch, both Mitsuru and Akihiko are seated together. After explaining the delay on the train, Ryoji quietly takes a seat next to Yukari, with Junpei sitting to his right. 

“Okay, everybody’s here. I’d like your undivided attention.” Ikutski begins, “For a long time, Kirijo and Sanada were the only Persona-users that we had. But that number recently jumped to five. Therefore… Starting tonight at 12am, I’d like to commence the exploration of Tartarus.”

Junpei sits up as he asks his question, “Sorry, I asked this yesterday, but what’s this Tartarus thing again?”

“You haven’t seen it, Junpei?” Yukari shakes her head in exasperation.
The Chairman chuckles, “ That’s no surprise, Tartarus only appears during the Dark Hour, after all.”

“Just like the Shadows… Interesting, huh?” Akihiko pulls his black gloves over his hands more securely, “You can think of it as the Shadow’s nest.”

“… But, Sanada, what about your injury?” Yukari glances at his left shoulder. 

“Since Akihiko hasn’t fully recovered yet, he’ll only come as far as the entrance,” Mitsuru’s words are as cold as ice as she glares at the boy next to her. Akihiko grumbles something under his breath, looking very upset about that fact. 

“Well I’m sure he won’t complain as long as you don’t go too far in,” Ikutski smiles, “Since we’re dealing with Shadows, Tartarus isn’t something we can avoid. But simply defeating Shadows during the Dark Hour isn’t enough. We must get to the root of the problem. We need to destroy the Dark Hour. That’s the goal of our club.”

Junpei jumps up from the seat and pumps his fist in the air, “Relax, I’ve got your backs!”

“… I’m not so sure about this…” Yukari faintly mutters. Junpei briefly glares at her before sitting back down. 

The Chairman continues to speak once he has their attention again, “Investigating the mysteries of that tower is part of our job. Exploring it could provide us with much needed information. Please consider this as our top priority.” He removes his glasses and takes a moment to gently wipe them off with a cloth. “Our society, while remaining blissfully unaware of the Shadows, is slowly but surely succumbing to their influence. As much as it pains me to say this, I would say the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of you Persona-users… As some of you know, I can’t summon a Persona, which is why I will remain here during your expeditions.”

Once Ikutski finishes what he has to say, Akihiko stands up and grins, “Alright, with that out of the way, it’s about time we head over to Tartarus."

April 20, 2009 – Late Night – Full Moon: 19 Days 

Ryoji had many different expectations while they traveled to their destination. However, as the path to Tartarus got more and more familiar, those expectations were thrown for a loop. Akihiko and Mitsuru lead them to… Gekkoukan High.

“… This is it? THIS is the place?” Junpei is the first to speak. He walks up to the closed gate and peeks through the bars. “T-This is our school. Did we just take the wrong turn?”

It’s almost strange to be at the Gekkoukan after the sun has gone down. There’s not a soul in sight other than for SEES. The crisp, spring air blows through, ruffling their clothes. Ryoji can feel the weight of the Evoker as it rests in its holster on his hip. In his pocket lies the pocket knife Yukari gave him on that fateful night. Before this, the night he was released from the hospital, Ryoji went back to that staircase and found it where he had dropped it. Ever since then, he’s carried it in his pocket. Hopefully, no teachers ask him to empty his pockets while at school… That would be a mortifying situation to deal with, to say the least. Ryoji still takes that risk, the pocket knife almost feels like a lucky charm to him.

“Just wait a few minutes.” Akihiko pulls out his phone and checks the time, “It’s almost midnight.”

April 21, 2009 – Dark Hour – Full Moon: 18 Days 

At first, nothing happened. The sky turns into the green they’ve grown accustomed to by now. Ryoji directs his attention to the school, hearing a peculiar rhythmic ticking, “… Are we sure this is the right–”

The ground beneath their feet begins to rumble violently as the school suddenly starts to stretch upwards. Chunks of other, unknown, buildings rise from the ground with it, climbing higher and higher into the sky. These added parts to the school look like they come from a different time altogether. Some are old columns one would see in Ancient Greek architecture, and others are mechanical gears that balance precariously off the edges. The structure twists and contorts, almost as if it’s reaching towards the crescent moon above. Parts of this amalgamation jut out at odd angles, creating a jagged silhouette that cuts through the night sky. Several large, glowing clocks decorate the dark structure, but no hands move, the time is fixed to 12. The most notable clock resides above a large doorway, metal beams extending from it like rays of light. Once the rumbling ceases, all anyone can do is stare at the imposing sight before them… Ryoji can’t even see the top of the building from where he stands. 

The few remaining cherry blossom trees sway in the wind…

“This is Tartarus–the labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour.” Mitsuru breaks the silence, “Once the Dark Hour passes, everything will return to normal.”

Junpei takes a step back in shock, “Labrynth? You’re telling me our school is this ‘Shadow’s nest’ thing?! Why did our school turn into a giant tower?!”

Mitsuru doesn’t answer, instead she looks back at Tartarus.

“You don’t know either…?!”

“Junpei, calm down. I’m sure it’s complicated.” Yukari crosses her arms, “Who cares anyway? It’s not like it changes our minds about fighting.”

Akihiko chuckles and faces the group, “We’ll just have to find out. Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek; this will be our first time exploring it. Exciting, Huh? There has to be some sort of clue in here about the Dark Hour.”

“Akihiko.” Mitsuru shoots him another icy side eye, “I respect your enthusiasm, but you won’t be accompanying us today.”

“… I know, I know… You don’t have to remind me.” 

“Alright then… SEES, let’s begin our mission.”

… 

The group stops walking once they reach the first step of the stairs. Everyone takes another moment to observe the space they’re in, it’s a hauntingly beautiful sight. At least, to Ryoji it is. Inside the tower looks almost “peaceful” compared to the outside, like being in the eye of a storm. Several tall marble columns support the weight of the pentagon shaped roof. The middle of the roof is open, allowing a pale light to filter in from above. Which serves as the only light in this room. As Ryoji looks around, the room feels even larger without any walls surrounding them. Through the gaps in the columns, in the distance there are multiple freestanding bell towers; Some closer than others. The most notable feature in the room is the long staircase, leading up to yet another enormous clock. This one was more ornate than the others they’ve seen thus far, looking like an old-fashioned stopwatch with a doorway carved into it. It’s supported by four long beams, two being made of metal, and the others being marble. Another, relatively much smaller, grandfather clock stands to the side. On the other side of the stairs, a large mechanical platform waits to be activated. In front of the stairs, someone’s motorcycle is propped up on its kickstand. And then, finally, Ryoji notices a translucent blue door… That specific shade looks familiar somehow. 

“Woah… It’s even cooler on the inside…” Junpei mumbles.

Yukari anxiously tugs on a lock of her hair as she speaks, “It’s just as creepy though…”

“This is only the entrance.” Mitsuru leans against the motorcycle, “The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs.”

“First, we’ll have you three get a feel for the place. Why don’t you have a look around?” Akihiko suggests. 

“What? By ourselves?!” Yukari exclaims.

Mitsuru rests one of her arms on the handlebar of the motorcycle, “We’re not asking you to go very far. I’ll help you navigate by feeding you information from here.” She pats the strange contraption on the back of the motorcycle. It does look like some sort of communication device with the antenna sticking up from it. Ryoji wonders how any of it functions in the Dark Hour, as to his knowledge, electronics and vehicles don’t work during this time. He wonders if it's somehow connected to Mitsuru’s Persona.

Junpei raises his eyebrow questioningly, “Wait, so you two didn’t plan on coming in the first place?”

“That’s right.” Akihiko still looks miffed about his “ban” from exploring Tartarus. “Because of that, we have to appoint a group leader to make any necessary decisions.”

“A leader, huh?” Junpei gets an excited grin on his face and points to himself, “Oh! OH! Me! Me! Me! Pick me!” 

Akihiko stares at him with a forlorn look and sighs. He pinches the bridge of his nose and turns to Ryoji, “Mochizuki, you’re in charge.”

Wait what? What?! He had been more concerned with the mystery of the motorcycle to really pay full attention. He snaps back to the present as Akihiko says his name. “M-Me?” Ryoji can feel everyone’s stares on him now. Junpei looks particularly upset by this decision.

“W-Wait! Why him?! He doesn’t look like a leader!”

Yukari’s face forms a slight frown, “He has fought them before…”

“That's true, but there is also another reason.” Akihiko removes his Evoker from the holster with his left hand, aiming it at his head. “You two, can you summon your Personas without any difficulties, like he can?”
Junpei stutters for a bit before doubling down, “Y-Yeah, of course I can!”

“… I think I can…” Yukari’s answer is not as confident as Junpei’s, but at least she’s honest about it.

Akihiko lowers his Evoker and shakes his head, “These are Shadows we’re talking about. Without your Persona, you’re screwed.”

“Hold on, but isn’t there something wrong with his Persona?” Junpei continues his protest, “How can he be the leader if his Persona just goes crazy?! Ryoji, you told me that– Huh? Where did he go?”

??? ???, ???– ??? – Full Moon: ??? Days

A strange calling came from the blue door in Tartarus, and Ryoji couldn’t resist it any longer. His legs started moving on their own, as if in a trance. He felt the Velvet Key in his pocket as he neared the door. In the distance, he could hear Junpei’s voice, but it felt more muffled the closer he got to this door. Ryoji gets the urge to unlock the door, so he takes the key and inserts it. He hears a faint click as the door unlocks…

As expected, Ryoji finds himself seated in the Velvet Room. When he looks at Kotone, she simply smiles and waves at him. Not a single part of the room has changed from the last time he was in here. What do they do while I’m away…?

“I’ve been waiting for you.” Igor greeted him, “The time has come for you to wield your power. The tower you’re about to venture into… How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist?” A sigh escapes his clenched teeth, the perpetual grin seems to mock the boy in the chair, "Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power.”
For the first time in a while, Ryoji speaks up, “You keep mentioning something about ‘the nature of my power.’ I’m wondering why this is so special, for lack of better words.”

“Your power is unique.” Igor answers, “It’s like the number zero… It’s empty, but at the same, holds infinite possibilities. You, my boy, are able to possess multiple Personas, and summon them as needed. And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp… But do not fear. Seize what you’ve earned. Your power will grow accordingly… Be sure to keep that in mind.”

“How unique, indeed.” Ryoji nods his head thoughtfully. 

“My spare time will soon be scarce. But please come again at your own accord. I’ll tell you then about my true role… the manner in which I can best assist you. Until then, farewell.”

April 21, 2009 – Dark Hour – Full Moon: 18 Days 

“Hey, Ryoji! Are you alright?” 

He can feel someone shaking his shoulder as he becomes aware of his surroundings again. It’s a bit disorienting to go to and from the Velvet Room, he always feels a bit groggy after it, “H-Huh…? Yukari? I’m alright, don’t worry.”

“Yeah, what’s up? Ya look like a zombie.” Junpei stands next to Yukari. The other two members of SEES are still by the stairs leading up into Tartarus. 

“Well, I just used my key to enter this door here…” Ryoji explains as he gestures to the blue door beside him. “My apologies for leaving you all without a warning… I promise to tell you all when I go to the Velvet Room again!”

Why are they looking at me like that…?

“H-Huh? What door?” Yukari raises her eyebrow in concern, “And what is the ‘Velvet Room?’ Are you sure you’re alright?”

Junpei laughs and shakes his head, “Man, you really are crazy.”

Trying to save face, Ryoji stammers as he attempts to explain himself, “W-Wait! Didn’t you also sign the contract?” He pauses and remembers what Igor said… “Ah, well, I guess not… He did say that they hadn’t had a guest in years…”

“You’re… Really not helping your case here, man.” Junpei sighs and playfully shoves Ryoji’s shoulder, however, it feels more aggressive than it had in the past. “Dude, you’re s’posed to be our leader! Get your head in the game…”

“Hey, you three! Come over here!” Akihiko calls out for their attention. They walk over and find Mitsuru dragging out several large burlap sacks. Ryoji can see all sorts of weapons poking out from the top. 

“You’ll need more than just your Persona in combat,” Mitsuru explains as she starts to lay out the assortment of weapons. It’s like there was just a whole arsenal hidden behind that staircase! “While not as strong as your Persona, having another means of protection may save you in some situations. Please, find what works best for you.”

There’s so many options to choose from, almost too many. Ryoji silently wonders how Mitsuru and Akihiko acquired these. Perhaps it was from previous expeditions? There’s a collection of swords, bows, a few spears, and even a mace. All of them are sharpened and cleaned, except for one lone axe. He watches Yukari choose a bow and arrow, and he briefly recalls her talking about her archery club. It seems fitting that she would select a weapon she’s familiar with. Junpei picks up a longsword, swinging it around like a baseball bat a few times to get a feel for it. Ryoji… Feels stuck on what weapon he should use. He kneels down and his eyebrows furrow together in concentration. The sword seems like the most reliable choice here, capable of blocking and attacking. Ryoji hesitates…  He recalls the frenzied struggle of the Shadow from that night. It would hurt to be cut to pieces. I would need to be able to take them down in one strike… His eyes then catch sight of a sledgehammer–a blunt force weapon. Maybe if I hit them just right… 

Ryoji stands back up, taking the sledgehammer with him. It’s not too heavy, the markings on the side indicate that it’s roughly about 6kg. It’s only for a last resort anyways… He feels uneasy holding it in his hands. Is he even capable of using it? How does everyone else seem to be able to put this feeling aside? Ryoji shakes himself out of it, he needs to focus.

“Looks like everyone’s ready,” Akihiko stands by the stairs, “Good luck up there.”

Mitsuru nods her head and starts to tinker with the device on the back of the motorcycle, “Don’t worry, I won’t push you too hard. You’ll be just fine.” Her expression softens into a gentle smile as she waves them off. 

With Ryoji at the front, the trio begin climbing the steps leading up to the dark entry way into Tartarus. Once they reach the top, he looks down at Mitsuru and Akihiko. They look so far away now… “Okay, let’s go.” Gathering his courage, Ryoji crosses into the labyrinth that awaits them.

…

Ever since they entered Tartarus, Ryoji feels as though someone is watching them. The hallways are not lit very well, making it hard to see what’s in front of them. It’s like walking through the hall of an extremely distorted Gekkoukan. Besides the sounds of their footsteps on the tiled floor, there’s not a lot of noise. The faint sounds of machinery are the loudest sound so far, and even those only register to a “speaking” level. Much to the group’s horror, once they all finished climbing up the stairs, the passageway back closed in on itself. For now, they are effectively locked in Tartarus. 

They come to a stop by one of the windows, Ryoji looks out at the crescent moon, their only source of light. Shortly after, a faint static noise fades in and out of his head, like someone tuning a radio. Based on the reactions from both Yukari and Junpei, they heard it as well.

“… Hello…? Can you all hear me?” Surprisingly, Mitsuru’s voice comes from the static.

“W-Woah! Is that you, Mitsuru?!” Junpei swivels his head around, trying to find her.

“Yes, I’ll be providing audio backup from here on out.”

“Wait… Ya mean, you can see inside here?”
“It’s my Persona’s ability.” Mitsuru calmly explains, “I’d like to join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day. That’s why outside support is imperative.”
Yukari takes a few tentative steps closer to Ryoji, her bow clutched close to her body. Despite her obvious apprehension, her usual sarcasm shines through, “Well that makes me feel better…”

“Now, based on your current location, you can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. They shouldn’t be too tough, but please proceed with caution. Keep in mind, these are real battles you’ll be engaging in– Like right now! I detect a Shadow right in front of you.” Her voice suddenly raises in alarm. Ryoji then hears the sound of something slinking towards them from the dark. He quickly steps in front of them both and draws his Evoker. 

When the Shadow actually appears, it’s almost cute? It’s significantly smaller than the one from the night on the roof. The blobby, shapeless form scoots towards them. It doesn’t even reach to his knees. “Hehe… Look at the little guy!” Ryoji’s Evoker lowers to his side as he takes a few steps closer. However, he swiftly retracts his steps as he narrowly dodges the Shadow’s lunge attack. It’s slightly less cute now that it’s trying to kill him.

“What the heck are you doing, man?!” Junpei exclaims, “Hit it or something!”

“R-Right!” Ryoji aims the Evoker at his head once more, feeling the sensations as he did last time, “Persona!” He pulls the trigger, once again hearing the sound of breaking glass. Orpheus materializes in front of him, awaiting his command. Yukari and Junpei both watch in rapt attention as Ryoji successfully summons his Persona. 

“W-Woah!” Junpei stumbles back in surprise, but he has an eager grin on his face, “Now that’s more like it!”

 Ryoji… Doesn’t know what to do next. “Orpheus! Do something!” He’s unfamiliar with how Orpheus attacks, as it was ripped apart before it could act. The Persona wastes no time in removing its lyre and strums it. All of a sudden, the Shadow catches on fire, it squeals in pain as its arms thrash around. “Ah! No! You’re hurting it too much!”

“Mochizuki, stay focused.” Mitsuru’s voice commands, “This would be a good opportunity to finish it off.”

Ryoji just wants the Shadow’s painful screeches to stop. It seems he has no choice other than to put it out of its misery. With a heavy heart he readies his sledgehammer… He runs up close enough before slamming it down onto the Shadow, crushing it beneath the cool metal. Nothing remains of the creature when he lifts his weapon back up again. There was hardly enough time to think about what he was doing. Everything happened so quickly. Ryoji touches his hand to his chest, only now does he realize how fast his heart was racing.

“Excellent victory.” Mitsuru’s voice sounds content, “Stay alert, more Shadows are on the way.” 

Just as she had finished saying that, a group of three Shadows emerged from the dim hallways. Ryoji prepares himself for another fight, hoping that Orpheus has other ways of eliminating foes. Before he can take a step further, Junpei blocks his way, “Hey, save some of the action for us. It’s my turn now! I got this!” 

Ryoji blinks in surprise, before readying his weapon again, “Go for it, Junpei!”

“Heh, check this out. Looks like I’m up!” Junpei hesitates for a moment before his expression focuses, “Persona!” He pulls the trigger, recoiling from the sound. A Persona clothed in black armor emerges above Junpei. It wears a pointed golden helmet on its head that has small matching wings on the sides. There’s a much larger set of wings on the Persona that are the most striking part. These similarly golden wings flair out from its heels, giving the impression of a bright sun. After its appearance, the Persona dives straight for the Shadows, slicing them with its sharp wings. The Shadows are instantly defeated by this attack. Junpei stands proudly and turns to look at Yukari and Ryoji, “Aw yeah! How’d ya like that?”

Yukari smiles slightly and rolls her eyes, “Yeah yeah, pretty amazing…”
“Junpei! You were great.” Ryoji gives him a thumbs-up. 

Even Mitsuru chimes in, “Well done, Iori. Considering it was your first battle, you did well. Takeba, don’t be afraid to show them what you can do.”

“Heh… You guys…” Junpei grins and chuckles to himself, “You haven’t seen nothin’ yet! I’m jus’ warmin’ up!”

“More Shadows are coming your way!” 

With the warning from Mitsuru, the team turns to face their next opponents. Ryoji and Junpei glance at each other and nod their heads, it’s more than either of them can take down on their own. Yukari suddenly moves forward, a sense of determination in her eyes, “Wait! I got this one.” She takes out her Evoker and presses it to her forehead. “Just point it to my head… then pull the tigger… Persona!” 

Yukari’s Persona manifests after the trigger is pulled. This time, it’s a disembodied bull head with the horns curving upwards. Ryoji then notices that there’s some sort of feminine figure in a yellow dress seated atop the bull, using it like a throne. Its hands and ankles are chained to the horns of the bull’s head. A sudden gust of wind sweeps through the Shadows, launching them around the corridor. Yukari then finishes the attack by taking an arrow from her quill and firing it from her bow, lodging it into one of the Shadows. That Shadow lets out a wail as it dissolves in the ground. 

“Woah! You’re not so bad yourself, Yuka-tan!” Junpei cheers her on from the side.

“You did it!” Ryoji remembers how distressed she got whenever she tried summoning in the past. A sense of confidence fills him as he looks at his two friends. As long as they’re together, they can do this. “Alright, let’s finish them off quickly!” Ryoji pushes his thoughts as far back as he can, he can’t let himself keep hesitating. Hopefully, he’ll be able to try his plan of communicating with the Shadows another time… All three of them ready their weapons before charging in to eliminate the remaining Shadows.

After the battle, Yukari lets out a deep exhale, “Woah… I actually did it…!” The smile on her face feels like it’s enough to light up the hallway. It’s nice seeing such genuine happiness from her. She looks alive.

“Fantastic work, Takeba!” Mitsuru’s voice congratulates her over the static, “You performed as well as I hoped you would… Great, looks like everyone’s gotten used to handling their Personas. Now, there should be a staircase nearby. Do you see it?” 

Coincidentally, the staircase happens to be right in front of them, Ryoji nods his head and answers, “We see it, Mitsuru.”

“Good. A staircase is the only way to proceed to the next floor. I can’t allow you to go any higher today, but please remember it for next time.”

Ryoji does wonder how much further their “connection” can go. He assumes not very far, as Mitsuru’s voice occasionally gets hard to hear due to the static. It would make sense to assume that’s the reason why she doesn’t want them to explore higher today. 

His senses get alerted as he hears the sound of another group of Shadows approaching, “Persona!” Ryoji’s response time is faster than it was previously. If it’s to keep his friends safe, he’ll ignore how awful it feels to harm another creature like this. Orpheus plays its lyre, once again setting a Shadow ablaze. He follows up with another crushing blow before moving on to the other ones. The fire from Orpheus’ attacks lights up the room as he creates openings for Yukari and Junpei to join in. It seems these Shadows are very weak to fire, so Ryoji uses that as the quickest way of disposing of them. 

The fires eventually extinguish as the battle comes to a close. Ryoji is starting to feel very exhausted from summoning Orpheus repeatedly. He makes a mental note to be more conscientious about when he summons it. Ryoji leans against one of the walls and looks up at the ceiling, trying to steady his breathing. As he does so, something twinkles above him. It starts to descend lightly, and as it gets closer, Ryoji realizes it’s some sort of card. He holds up his hand and lets it fall into his palm. There’s a beautiful drawing of some sort of fairy on the front, she has reddish brown hair and is wearing a blue leotard and high boots. And on the back, there’s a similar mask design as the Velvet Room key. He wonders if this is what Igor was talking about by the “faces of possibility.” Flipping it back to the front, he takes note of a name at the bottom of the card.

“Pixie…” Ryoji mumbles to himself. As he does so, the card glows and then dissolves into light. He feels a warmth in his chest as the light fades. 

“Huh? What was that? Did you say something?” Yukari stands to his side, it seems that she didn’t see the mysterious card.

Ryoji smiles and stands straight again, “Oh? Don’t worry about it, Yukari.”

“… If you say so…”

“Great job, everyone. You’re doing an outstanding job.” Mitsuru’s voice enters their minds once again, “I don’t detect any Shadows left on this floor, please return downstairs as quickly as you can. We’ve done enough for tonight.”

“Whaaaaat?! We’re already done?” Junpei whines, “We barely did anything!”

Ryoji shakes his head in disagreement, “That’s not true. I think it was enough that both you and Yukari summoned your Personas. And remember, this was only a test of our abilities.”

“Mochizuki is right, you all did an excellent job. Don’t worry, Iori, there will be plenty more opportunities to explore later on.” Mitsuru assures him.

There’s a few moments where Junpei looks like he’s about to object further, but he sighs and nods his head, “Alright, yeah. I’m gettin’ tired anyways… Wait, how do we get back anyways?”

“There should be an Access Point somewhere on this floor, think of it as a one-way teleporter.”

A lightbulb goes off in Yukari’s head as she thinks, “Oh! Wait, I think I know what you’re talking about! Everyone, follow me.”

For the time being, she leads the other two boys through the twisted hallways of Tartarus. It’s hard to imagine this is the same place that their school is… Now that the Shadows are gone from this section, it makes it much safer to walk through. Although, Ryoji did notice that their opponents didn’t seem particularly strong. If anything, most of them would go down in one or two attacks. It wasn’t at all similar to how it was on the roof of the Iwotodai dorms. What made that Shadow different? Why was it different? So many questions float around in his head, and he can only speculate on the answers. 

They come upon a machine that looks identical to the contraption at the entrance of Tartarus. It almost appears as if it jumped straight out of a science fiction novel. With its blinking lights and bright colors, it’s almost a wonder how Ryoji and Junpei missed it as they were exploring. 

“Thank goodness…” Ryoji sighs, it’s good to know that they’re not just locked in Tartarus for who knows how long. He figured there would be a way back, since Mitsuru and Akihiko are familiar with the inner workings of Tartarus. 

“Dude, you said it.” Junpei pokes the machine with his longsword, “Fightin’ Shadows is cool and all, but being trapped in here is not.”

“Good work, Takeba. This is indeed the Access Point. Once you step onto the platform, you should appear at the entrance. Akihiko and I await your arrival.”

Ryoji decides, as the leader, that he should be the first to test out this teleporter. He takes a step onto the illuminated platform and stares at the blinking red button on the small control panel. “I’ll go first… So do I just… Press this button– WOAH!” 

Ryoji blinks the light out of his eyes and quickly pats his arms and face. Checking to make sure his body was still in one piece. In that split moment, he felt a complete weightlessness, like his body completely ceased to exist. What a horrible feeling… True to Mitsuru’s words, he’s back on the ground floor of Tartarus. He can see the two older students still waiting for them at the staircase. 

Suddenly, Ryoji feels an impact on his back that knocks him over. He hits the ground face first, causing him to cry out in pain. As he turns the upper half of his body around, he realizes what happened. Ryoji had idled on the platform for too long, and Junpei was teleported right on to him. He just flops back down onto the cool, checkered tile beneath him. It almost acts as an ice pack for the increasingly red mark on his forehead. It feels nice… Until Yukari decides to join the pile only moments later. Ryoji feels his soul leave his body as he gets smothered by the weight of his two friends. 

“Augh! What the heck are you guys doing?!” Yukari complains as she quickly pushes herself back up. She straightens out her clothes and starts to fix her hair. “Idiots…”

Junpei sits up, not even bothering to get off of Ryoji’s back, “Hey! At least give us a sec before you come down!”

Ryoji says nothing, in his mind, he thinks he can hear a choir start to sing to him. Is this the end of my journey…? My head hurts again… “Junpei… P-Please…”

“Oh! Woah! Didn’t see ya there, dude!” Junpei scrambles off of Ryoji, finally allowing him to breathe again. Ryoji doesn’t move for a bit, deciding that he’s had enough for today, “It’s fine…”

“Are you all alright?!” Mitsuru jogs over to the group, very clearly worried. In the background, the sound of Akihiko’s laughter could be heard… “Perhaps we should call it a day.”

Thus concludes SEES’ first expedition into Tartarus, with Ryoji being the leader this time. As the time turns to 1am in the real world, they watch the tower collapse in on itself, reverting back to Gekkoukan High. So many mysteries surround that place… But Ryoji believes that they can uncover every last one. Maybe, if they do, the fighting will end. 

On the walk back to the dorms, Mitsuru keeps an eye on him, checking for any signs of a concussion. So far, he’d gotten lucky and only suffered some bruising to the affected area. It’s still noticeable enough for Ryoji to feel self conscious about it. He’s already thinking of ways to cover it up… Once they’re back in the comfort of the Iwotodai dorms, Ryoji turns to Akihiko, “May I talk to you for a moment?”

“Hm? What is it?” 

“I was just wondering… Do you happen to have any spare bandages? Like, the ones you use above your eye.” 

Akihiko tilts his head ever so slightly, “I do… But why are you asking me this?”

There’s an awkward pause as the two stare at each other. Ryoji sighs and then points to the large bruise on his head. Trying to silently indicate his concerns.

“Oh yeah, kind of a nasty fall you took there. But I still don’t see how this has to do with bandages… Did your skin break? Here, let me take a look–” 

“Wait n-no, that’s not what I was–” 

“Relax, this’ll only take a second if you quit moving around.”

Ryoji attempts to pull his head out of Akihiko’s grasp, but it’s no use. He feels his head get tilted from side to side as Akihiko inspects him for any further damage. Even with his injured arm, Akihiko is unnaturally strong. Ryoji eventually stops trying to get away and simply allows him to finish assessing him. 

“Hm…” Akihiko takes a step back, finally releasing Ryoji’s head from his grasp. “No bleeding… You seem fine to me.”

He totally missed the point! “Thank you, but I really just wanted some way to cover it up…”

“Really? That’s what this is about?” Akihiko chuckles a bit and reaches into his pocket, “Why didn’t you just say so?” He then produces a roll of white adhesive bandages. Akihiko tears off a section large enough to cover the bruise on Ryoji’s forehead. Without even asking, he moves to apply the bandage himself–much to Ryoji’s surprise. He can feel the practiced ease of Akihiko when it comes to this, as if he’s done it thousands of times before. “There, is that good enough?”

“Yes, thank you, and sorry for the trouble.” Ryoji feels a bit embarrassed after that whole ordeal, but he’s glad he asked.

“It’s nothing. Besides, we all have to look out for each other. We’re a team, remember?”

Ryoji looks up at him before smiling, “A team… Right! We are a team!”

“Haha, there we go!” Akihiko grins and pats him on the back, “Make sure you watch out for the other two, not that I doubt their abilities or anything. It’s just, you’re our leader now. We’re counting on you.”

“I promise, I’ll do everything in my power to keep them safe.” Ryoji’s conviction almost surprises him, almost. Ever since he awakened Orpheus, it has almost felt ingrained in his bones. He pulled the trigger to save Yukari. In that moment, Ryoji vowed to himself to never lose someone again. 

But… Who did I lose in the first place?

April 21, 2009 – Early Morning – Full Moon: 18 Days 

Another sunny spring morning greets Ryoji as he waits for Junpei to arrive at the gates. He lifts his left wrist, displaying the time on the stopwatch. Ryoji is curious to see how long it takes him to get to Gekkoukan. So far, since the moment he knocked on Junpei’s door, it’s been about half an hour. Ryoji then takes a closer look at the stopwatch around his wrist. He seldom removed it from his person, even wearing it to sleep most nights. It’s been with him for a very long time; He can tell by how the leather straps have been worn by age. But, Ryoji can’t fathom the reason behind this watch having two straps. The bands makes an “x” shape around his wrist, and the dial situated in the center. In spite of its unusual design, Ryoji is very fond of his stopwatch.

Out of the edge of his peripheral vision, he sees a student walking his way. Ryoji recognizes this boy from the first day, the one who was talking about the teachers. As the brown haired boy comes closer, Ryoji smiles and waves to him. 

The other student waves back and stands in front of him, “Hey, you’re Ryoji, right?”

“Yes, that’s me. Why do you ask?”

“I knew it, it’s pretty easy to recognize you. I’m Kenji Tomochika, we’re in the same class!” The boy introduces himself before continuing, “Y’know, I heard from Junpei that you’re pretty close with Yukari. So what’s up with that?”

Ryoji feels a slight frown of confusion form on his face. Why do people keep asking me about this? “Well, Yukari is my friend, that’s all.”

“Eh, I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m looking for someone with more experience.”
“I’m… Not sure I understand what you mean.”

Kenji shakes his head dismissively, “Anyways, we better hurry, there’s a morning assembly today.”

Ryoji didn’t expect this interaction to take such a turn. He has several questions, but refrains from speaking them out loud. What was even the point of that interaction? It doesn’t even sound like Kenji was all that interested once he heard Ryoji’s answer… He decides to follow behind his new acquaintance, realizing that Junpei must’ve not seen him by the gates. With a quiet sigh, Ryoji clicks the stopwatch off.

  …

“… and that concludes the main portion of today’s assembly. Next, we will hear a word from the Student Council’s new president, Mitsuru Kirijo, from Class 3-D!”

Ryoji blinks back to reality as he realizes that he got lost in thought again. Throughout the assembly, he couldn’t help but think back to last night in Tartarus. He was already making strategies for tonight’s expedition, wondering how to optimize Orpheus’ abilities. However, by doing so, he completely forgot to pay attention to the student speaking on stage. He watches as Mitsuru steps up to the podium, preparing to speak. Behind him, Ryoji hears Yukari whisper to him, “So she did get elected… Well, I guess she is the most popular girl in school…” 

Junpei, seated to Ryoji’s right, nods in agreement, “You can say that again… There’s like some kinda aura around her.” He lowers his voice even more, “Besides, this school’s owned by the Kirijo Group, right?”

Ryoji leans in to hear Junpei better. He didn’t realize Mitsuru came from wealth. Looking back on it, it does explain some things. Like how they’re able to have special gear to activate their Personas. Ryoji then wonders about the origins of the Evokers… Someone was clearly studying how to summon Personas.

“Yeah,” Yukari sighs, “I try not to think about that.”

Mitsuru then begins her speech, “Thank you. As I begin my term as Student Council president. I’d like to share with you my vision for this coming year. It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school. However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment. That is why we must restructure our daily lives to accommodate this lofty goal. 

“I’d like each of you to dig deeply into your well of emotion, and re-evaluate your convictions… To imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key,” She recites with a practiced ease. There’s not a single instance of Mitsuru stumbling or losing track of her words. Her eyes survey the student body as they listen to her speak, “My own ideas are but one person’s vision. I am certain that many of you have your own visions of the future… For us to reap the full benefits of our education, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasm are essential. Thank you.”

The gymnasium full of students begins to clap as she concludes her speech. Junpei leans back in his chair, astonished, “Dang… That was freakin’ amazing…” He turns to Ryoji, “So, do you have any idea what she just said?”

Ryoji covers his mouth as he quietly laughs at Junpei’s question, “I think I got it. Would you like me to explain?”

“Uh… Yeah, I’ll pass…”

April 21, 2009 – Afternoon – Full Moon: 18 Days 

School has already been much easier since Ryoji took the time to catch up. He also finds that he’s able to pay better attention during the lectures. Not having to manage a splitting headache and constant fatigue has really changed how he views his education. Now, it’s significantly more enjoyable to listen to the teachers and participate in class. There’s a certain joy he gets from engaging with the material. He feels as if he could spend all day just reading through the content of each subject.

Ms. Toriumi begins the class by instructing them to open their textbooks to the 12th page. They’ll begin their unit on literature from the Meiji era. Ryoji skims ahead to read the introduction paragraph to this period of time. It’s marked by Japan’s industrial revolution at the beginning of 1870. A few names are mentioned such as Natsume Sōseki, Shinga Naoya, and Ichiyō Higuchi. 

However, it seemed Ms. Toriumi had other ideas, “… You know what? I’m tired of these textbooks. I just went over this novel in the last class. I’ve got a great poem we can discuss instead! Close your textbooks, everyone, and listen…

Isolated cloud

suspended over the tall

snowy mountain peak–

“–HEY! Kenji! You better not be sleeping back there! You should be ashamed of yourself, napping while I pour my heart into this reading! You’re getting an essay on top of the reading assignment today.” 

A loud groan comes from the back of the class where Kenji sits. The rest of the class stays absolutely silent in the face of their teacher’s wrath… Instead of the Meiji era, Ryoji learns the valuable lesson to not attempt sleeping in this class.

“What was that?!” It seems she wasn’t done yet. “For that, I expect a slice of cake when you turn it in, too! And don’t cheap out with the store-bought stuff like last time!” 

What a frightening woman… 

April 21, 2009 – After School – Full Moon: 18 Days

With the school day finished, Ryoji packs up his supplies and prepares to leave. But before that, he glances around for Junpei. Sure enough, he can see the familiar face of his friend already walking up to his desk.

“Hey, ready for our first club meet?” Junpei greets him with his usual grin. 

Ryoji blinks a few times, confused. It takes him a moment to recall that he joined Junpei’s club a few weeks ago. Until now, he hadn’t been able to participate in it. He’d lost a whole week due to being in the hospital and then had other business with SEES. “Today is our first day? How exciting!”

“Right!? And for today’s mission: Paulownia Mall!”

“Hm? Paulownia? Aren’t we supposed to stay on campus for clubs?”

“Er… That’s just a suggestion!” Junpei begins to push him towards the door, “Come on, we’re wastin’ time just standin’ here!”

…

Ryoji and Junpei walk out of the main entrance of Gekkoukan. Once they get to the bottom of the staircase, they notice a group of girls standing nearby. Ryoji recognizes one of them as the girl who gossips to her friend in the morning. Suddenly, a different girl gasps and points to the top of the stairs, “Look! It’s Sanada!”

Sure enough, Akihiko stands as resolutely as ever. His gaze scans the passing students before landing on the two boys. The moment he makes eye contact with Ryoji, Akihiko makes a beeline towards them. His movements are stopped as the group of girls crowd around him. An audible sigh can be heard from the taller boy…

Junpei leans in to talk to Ryoji, “Have you noticed how popular Akihiko is with the ladies? Man, take a look at that. I didn’t use to talk to him much, but now I’ve got a good excuse.”

“I guess? He doesn’t look like he enjoys it though.”

“Dude, what are you talking about? Who wouldn’t want to be in his shoes?” Junpei laughs, “Seriously, not only is he the captain of the boxing team, but I’ve heard he’s never lost a match! Who woulda thought boxing would turn him into such a chick magnet?

“… Chick magnet?” 

“I mean come on! You don’t even see girls flock like that on TV! I wonder where they’re going…”

Ryoji looks at the group of girls as he listens to Junpei. His thoughts wander to imagine himself in Akihiko’s position. What would having the admiration and attention of these girls feel like? He thinks it would be nice to be held in such a high regard… But, it just doesn’t feel true. Do these girls know anything about Akihiko? Besides his achievements in boxing or his appearance. Do they know about his injury? About his commitment to SEES? Who is Akihiko to these girls?

He shakes his head, trying to clear his mind of the suffocating thoughts. Ryoji is just in time to see Akihiko finally moving past the group, making his way towards them again. The girls try to get his attention again, but he seems completely unaffected. Instead, Akihiko only addresses Ryoji and Junpei, “Hey, are you guys free this afternoon?”

“Hell yeah! We’d love to join your little, uh, group there.” Junpei chuckles as he adjusts his baseball cap on his head.

Ryoji shakes his head, “Sorry, but Junpei and I have club activi–” Before he could finish, Junpei clamps his hand over Ryoji’s mouth, silencing him. 

“Dude, shh! This is our chance, don’t ruin it!” Junpei whispers harshly before looking back at Akihiko, “Don’t mind him, y’know how he’s always saying weird stuff. We’re totally free!”

Akihiko nods his head, “Good, I want the two of you to meet me at Paulownia Mall. You know where it is, right? I’ll be at the police station.”

“… T-The police station…?” The previous excitement quickly leaves Junpei’s voice. “You mean, we’re not hanging out with your friends?”

“Who?” Akihiko looks around in confusion until he notices the girls around him. He scoffs and shakes his head, “You mean them? I don’t even know their names. They talk so much it gives me a headache. Anyway, I’m going on ahead. Don’t keep me waiting.” Much to the upset of the girls, Akihiko then begins to walk away from them.

“Wait! Come back!”

“Wait for us!”

“Aww… Why can’t he be more friendly?”

Ryoji and Junpei are left speechless as Akihiko dismisses the girls so casually. He feels particularly upset by the fact that Akihiko doesn’t know their names. Even if they annoy him… Shouldn’t he take the time to learn who they are? 

Junpei shakes his head and crosses his arms, “Man, how can he not know their names?! I mean seriously! Just look at them! … H-Huh?! Ryoji, what’re you–”

With a newfound determination, Ryoji pulls himself away from Junpei. He starts walking towards the girls who are still chasing after Akihiko. Trying to talk to the whole group seems a bit intimidating, but singling out one should be easier. He sees the girl from the morning and moves to block her path. Ryoji flashes a charming smile at her, “Excuse me, sorry for getting in the way, I just wish to know your name.”

“What? My name?”

“Yes, if that’s alright with you.”

She glances at her friends before mumbling her response, “… Hayashi Hitomi.”

“What a beautiful name, thank you for telling me.” Ryoji bows slightly to her.

“O-Oh! Thank you… Hey, you’re that guy who walked to school with Yukari, aren’t you?”

Again with this? “Yes, that would be me. How could you tell?” 

“I mean… You’re kind of hard to miss…” Hitomi gestures to his yellow scarf. That’s a fair point, Ryoji sticks out like a sore thumb with his scarf. But he refuses to remove it, no matter what. 

“I suppose that’s very true.” He chuckles a bit. “Say, do you think you could introduce me to your friends? I would like to get to know you all!”

For some reason, Hitomi’s face starts to redden. She looks at the group of girls that are following Akihiko. Her voice comes out more flustered than before, “W-What? Uh… Sure, maybe next time…! I should probably go catch up with them though.”

“Oh! Forgive me, I didn’t mean to keep you here for too long. Goodbye, Hitomi.” Ryoji waves farewell to his new acquaintance as she leaves. He turns his head as he hears Junpei’s footsteps getting closer to him. 

“W-Woah, dude… I didn’t take you for the playboy type…”

“What do you mean? Did I say something wrong?”

Junpei scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, “Well… Don’t you got somethin’ with Yukari? What’re you hitting on other girls for?”

“I was?”

“What do you mean?! What else were you doing?” Junpei exclaims in bewilderment. 

“I don’t see the problem…” Ryoji shrugs his shoulders. He smiles happily and touches his hand to his heart, “I made a new friend today! Isn’t that great?”

“F-Friend?!”

“Yes! And hopefully I’ll soon become acquainted with the other girls as well.” 

Junpei’s shoulders slump forward and he shakes his head, “Both you and Akihiko are hopeless…”

“By the way, what is a ‘playboy’?”

“You know what? Let’s just go to Paulownia already…”

… 

The mall is more lively today than it was previously. Students, workers, and people from all walks of life pass by them. Something odd catches Ryoji’s eye as they head towards the police station. In this busy mall, one student stands completely still. He takes a few steps closer to this person, taking note of her empty eyes and quiet mumbling.

“Pardon me, but are you alright, Miss?” Ryoji tilts his head. It doesn’t seem like she heard him though. He reaches out, intending to shake her out of her stupor, but he feels Junpei pull him back.

“Hey man, just leave her alone, alright?” Junpei starts leading him away by the wrist to the police station. “She’s another one of the Lost.”

“Wait…! We can’t leave her there? What if someone accidentally knocks her over?” Ryoji looks over his shoulder at the idle girl. The sight of her causes him to feel almost nauseated. It’s not just the fact that she’s suffering, but also the fact that no one spares her a passing glance. How long would she have stood there before anyone noticed? 

“Let’s tell the police about it,” Junpei suggests, “Maybe they’ll get in contact with her family.”

“… Maybe? You mean there’s a chance they won’t?”

“It happens, that’s how some of them end up on the tracks.” Junpei stops them in front of the police station, “Sometimes, people wait too long to do anythin’ about it. Apathy Syndrome has gotten so common that a lot of people just ignore it.”

“How horrible…”

Ryoji pushes open the door to the station, letting Junpei walk in before him. They can see Akihiko talking to an older looking officer. The two’s conversation comes to an end as they hear newcomers enter. 

“Thank you, Sir.” Akihiko nods his head to both Ryoji and Junpei, “These are the guys I was talking about earlier.” 

The officer narrows his eyes at the two boys, not yet speaking. Sanada continues to introduce the two parties, “This is Officer Kurosawa. He helps keep our squad well-equipped. And, this is from Ikutski.” He pulls out two envelopes from his pocket to give to Ryoji and Junpei. Inside, a shocking 5,000 yen in each of them. Ryoji immediately wonders how many apple strudels he could purchase with this. He shakes his head, trying to stay focused, this money is clearly for supplies. 

“W-Woah! Sweet! Looks like these are our war funds!” Junpei laughs and counts the yen a few times, confirming the amount. 

Ryoji carefully stores the envelope in his own pocket, “This is very generous of the Chariman…” 

“You can’t fight empty-handed, so find something you like.” Akihiko explains. “Officer Kurosawa has connections… But, these things still cost money.”

For the first time since their arrival, the officer speaks up. His voice is low and sounds fatigued. “Of course they do. Nothing in life is free.”

“I realize that. Well, I’ll see you later. Thanks again.” Akihiko then swiftly exits the police station. Leaving them alone with the stern Officer Kurosawa. He’s always coming and going so soon.

“I’ve been informed about you two. My job is to maintain peace in this city, regardless of the circumstances.” The officer glances at the wall of “Missing Persons” papers. There’s too many to count… “I’m just an ordinary police officer, but it doesn’t take a genius to know something strange is going on here. I’m only doing what I think is right. If you need something, we can talk in the back.”

… Which is how Ryoji ended up in a dimly lit storage room with Officer Kurosawa. The air inside the room is stifling and uncomfortable. Junpei opted to “stand guard” out front, saying how it made sense for Ryoji to go, since he’s the leader. Which, in all fairness, was a good point.

Ryoji surveys the current weapons and armor available to them. After checking his wallet, he was surprised to somehow find 3000 extra yen in there. Even though, just a few days ago, he’d been as poor as a church mouse. He’s not complaining though, especially after looking at the prices on the items. Not much left over for food… Oh well.

Several minutes later, and after much deliberation, Ryoji settles on buying new weapons for Yukari and Junpei. At first, he was unsure about how to discreetly carry these back to the dorms, but Officer Kurosawa assured him that they would be delivered by nightfall. 

There’s a thought he has to tell Kurosawa about the girl with Apathy Syndrome, but he quickly remembers Junpei’s words. He wants to trust that someone will help her, but knowing that sometimes even the police don’t do anything… Ryoji decides it’s best to take this into his own hands. He meets up with Junpei, who was still hanging outside the station, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Eh, it’s no problemo.” Junpei’s grin fades as he looks at the envelope. “But seriously, only 5000 yen? Kinda stingy considerin’ we’re supposed to be savin’ the world here…”

“It’s alright… He could’ve given us nothing at all.” Ryoji softly counters. 

“Whatever, I’m gonna head out. Kinda in a bad mood right now…”

“Oh… What about our club meeting?”

Junpei shakes his head, “I’m not feelin’ it right now.”
“Are you alright? How about we walk back togeth–”

“Just leave me alone!” Junpei suddenly snaps at him. Ryoji feels a strange pain in his chest as he looks at his friend. There’s a moment of silence where neither of them say anything. Junpei then scoffs and walks away without looking at him. 

“Wait…” Ryoji’s voice is swallowed up by the noise of the busy mall. He wants to follow him, to make sure he’s alright. But that pain holds him back. He stands there, unable to move for a few minutes. What’s going on with Junpei? Was it something I said? Did I do something wrong? It hurts… I still need to help that girl. I guess I’ll just do it alone.

Ryoji eventually wills himself into walking to the girl on the other side of the fountain. She’s still standing in the same spot from when they left her. He sighs to himself and musters up a smile, “Hello, my name is Ryoji. What’s your name?” The girl doesn’t respond, she continues muttering under her breath. He can’t hear what she’s saying exactly. Her lack of response doesn’t stop him, he just continues to talk to her. “Hm… You go to Gekkoukan, right? You look a little familiar… Sorry if this seems too intrusive, but do you mind if I search your bag? I just want to find your student ID.”

He counts to 20 seconds in his head, waiting for any kind of response. He gets none. Ryoji apologizes again before he gently opens her school bag, taking care to not disturb the contents too much. It doesn’t take him long to locate her ID. “A-ha! Look, I found it! I’m good at finding things, you know.” His attempt at humor falls a bit flat… “Anyways… Let’s see what name a pretty girl like you would have! Oh… Hayashi Aoi…” 

That surname is sickeningly familiar, he feels his hands shake slightly as he holds her ID. “Y-You have a younger sister, don’t you? I think I met her earlier today… She’s a very nice girl, I’m sure she’s worried about you.” Ryoji looks at Aoi, nothing has gotten any semblance of a response. He returns her ID back to where he found it. She’s a third year at Gekkoukan, her notebooks look to be very well kept. Ryoji looks for some sort of other identifier in her bag. He finds a picture of a small, black and white kitten. While absolutely adorable, it doesn’t help much… After a few more minutes, it becomes obvious that he’s not going to find anything. He zips up her bag and sighs, it’s not looking like Aoi is moving on her own, but he has one more idea. “May I hold your hand?” … Another 20 seconds pass with no response. “If you’ll excuse my rudeness…” Ryoji looks around before taking her hand in his, almost flinching from how cold her skin is. It’s like holding the hand of a corpse. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you home safe. I promise.”

… 

Walking with Aoi took some getting used to. At first she wouldn’t move at all, but Ryoji kept trying, which resulted in very slow progress. Then, he had to adjust to the stares he got from people passing by, but Ryoji was able to ignore it for the most part. His priority is getting this girl back to her home, and soon. With the sun getting closer to the horizon, he knows he has to speed up his search. He’s clearly not getting anywhere by just wandering around aimlessly. Aoi hasn’t changed at all since he first found her in Paulownia. At least she’s still capable of movement, he doesn’t know what he would’ve done if she wasn’t. 

“Let’s take a break here, alright?” He lets go of her hand and sits her down on a bench by the Port Island Station. The streetlights flicker on as dusk begins, and Ryoji is no closer to figuring out where she lives. He’d been trying to ignore how ridiculous this plan was, but what did he expect? It’s not like she’ll magically know where her home is, at least not in this state. 

Ryoji begins to wonder if he should start asking around for more information. It’s a better plan than walking around aimlessly all night, “Okay! Breaktime is over.” He helps Aoi stand up again to continue their journey. They’ve gotten this far already, he’s determined to finish it. Perhaps this would be a good time to ask for help…

 Ryoji spots someone standing nearby in an alleyway. Maybe this person knows where she lives? “Excuse me, sir…” His voice trails off as he takes in the person standing before them. Ryoji has to look up to make eye contact with the stranger. A pair of sharp, grey eyes glare down at him from underneath a black beanie. Ryoji assesses the rest of the man’s appearance. The dark, maroon peacoat is the most eye-catching part of this person’s outfit. It’s then that he notices he’s not standing at his full height. Just how tall is he? “Can you help me, please?”

For a moment, Ryoji thinks he’s being ignored, but the other person finally says, “Why?”

“I’m trying to get her home, but I don’t know where she lives.”

“Ask the police, not me.”

“No, I’ve gotten this far already.” It’s also getting late, the sooner he gets her home, the better. “Please, do you have any idea where her home is?”

The man sighs, “ … Fine, but don’t be makin’ this a habit.”

“Thank you!” Ryoji is a bit confused by his words though, “Why shouldn’t I? These people need help…”

“Just don’t ask me if you do it again. This will be the only time.” He pulls his beanie a little further down. 

He listens as the man tells him the address to Aoi’s house. It turns out, they’re a lot closer than he’d thought. She lives only a few blocks away, it’s likely the man must’ve seen her walk home at one point. Once he’s done, the man disappears down the alleyway. While Ryoji is tempted to follow him, he has more pressing things to attend to, “Come on, let’s go…”

Night has fallen, streetlights illuminate their path. The walk is quiet, the only sound being the shuffling of their shoes on the pavement. With a sigh, he turns his attention to the door in front of him. Ryoji steps up to the door and knocks twice to get the attention of anyone inside. It’s not long before a familiar face opens the door.

“What are you doing here?” Hitomi frowns, confused. Her expression falters once she notices her sister standing next to him. “Aoi?”

Ryoji didn’t expect this part to be so difficult. He didn’t think to prepare something to say once he actually got to her home. How does he even explain what’s happened? “I found your sister at Paulownia earlier… She’s been stricken with Apathy Syndrome.”

“You’re lying, not my sister. She must be tired.” Hitomi reaches out to Aoi, “Hey, come on, when did you become a prankster?” Once she makes contact with her skin, Hitomi jolts back in horror. 

“I’m not lying…” Ryoji can’t bring himself to continue looking at her face as the realization dawns on her. 

She reaches out again to her sister, quickly pulling her inside the house. The door is all but slammed in his face, leaving him standing in silence. Maybe it’s for the best he doesn’t involve himself further in this… All he wanted was to make sure Aoi was back with her family. He backs away from the house and to the sidewalk. As he’s turning to find his way back to the dorms, for a moment, Ryoji could’ve sworn he saw the man standing from afar.

April 21, 2009 – Evening – Full Moon: 18 Days

Ryoji didn’t even realize he was already at the doors to the Iwotodai dorms until he almost walked into it. He feels a sense of relief being back in the comfort of something familiar. That relief is short-lived as he recalls the interaction between himself and Junpei at Paulownia Mall… Maybe he’ll be able to reconcile with him tonight. Ryoji wears his usual smile and opens up one of the doors to walk inside.

“Welcome back. Perfect timing, I’d like to speak to you for a moment.” Mitsuru greets him the moment he enters the dorms. In the lounge area, Ryoji sees the Chairman and Akihiko sitting around the tea table.

“Of course, what is on your mind?” 

“Regarding our exploration of Tartarus… Akihiko is still on the mend, so for now, I’d like you to lead the team. You never know when a powerful enemy might appear, like the one you faced the other day. It’s best to be prepared, or else you may find yourself in a difficult situation.”

“Understood…” Ryoji is only half listening, for some reason, he’s beginning to feel very unwell. He does his best to hide his discomfort as he converses with Mitsuru.

“Good. So, whenever you’d like to explore Tartarus, just let me know, and I’ll gather everyone there. You are also free to go out at night, I’m sure there are other things you will need to take care of… Well, that’s it. Keep up the good work.” She smiles at him before going back to reading on the couch. Her posture is immaculate even while relaxed. He thanks her and looks towards the other two seated nearby. Ryoji decides to talk to Akihiko first.

“Excuse me, Akihiko… I was wondering about that police officer from earlier…”

“Hm? Oh, Officer Kurosawa doesn’t have the potential to enter the Dark Hour; he’s just an ordinary policeman.” He looks up from re-lacing his boxing gloves. “He knows about us and helps out when he can.”

“I see, thank you…” Ryoji thought he had more questions to ask him about the policeman. However, he can’t seem to recall any of them. “Goodnight, Akihiko.”
“See you in the morning, Mochizuki.”

Ryoji faintly remembers that he wanted to thank Ikutski for the money. Even though he’d much rather go lay down, it would be impolite to not express his gratitude. “Mr. Chairman…”

“Yes? What is it?” 

“I would like to thank you for the 5000 yen. It has gone to good use.”

Ikutski laughs and shakes his head, “There’s no need to thank me! And I did see that you purchased new equipment. It’s good to see you taking your responsibilities so seriously.”

“Of course, it’s what I must do as the leader.”

“I’m still impressed by your performance in Tartarus– Once you got the hang of it, of course.” The man chuckles as both of them reflect on Ryoji's initial blunder with Orpheus. “Tell me, what did you think about it?”

“Me…?” Ryoji doesn’t really want to think about the guilt he still feels over killing the Shadows. “It was a piece of cake!”

A brief look of surprise appears on Ikutski’s face. He then claps his hands amusedly, “Why, that’s absolutely remarkable! Would you like to apply to become the next chairman?”

“I think you fit the position just fine, sir. There’s no threat of me taking your place any time soon.”

“Haha! ‘Any time soon’ he says… Guess I’ll have to keep an eye on you then?” Ikutski chuckles to himself and sighs, “I won’t take up much more of your time, have a good night.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Ryoji leaves the lounge area and looks at the staircase leading up to his floor. As he slowly ascends, he wonders if he should talk to Junpei tonight. Something is definitely going on with him… It’s starting to worry Ryoji. He hesitates outside of the door to his friend’s room. 

Leave me alone!

… Maybe it would be best to give him some space. A lot has happened today for Ryoji, he figures it’d be a smarter move to be well rested. He sighs as he continues on into the room next to Junpei’s. It still looks and feels as hollow as he left it. 

Ryoji gets himself ready for bed and sets his stopwatch timer… Tomorrow will be a better day…

April 22, 2009 – Early Morning – Full Moon: 17 Days

This morning, it was Kenji who was first to greet him, similar to yesterday, “What’s up, Mochizuki? Huh? You’re all by yourself?”

“Hm? Oh, good morning.” Ryoji can’t say he’s too enthused about being reminded of his lack of companions. He had knocked on Junpei’s door, but there was no response. And Yukari always seems to leave before him… It’s not like he dislikes the walk to Gekkoukan, but having someone to walk with would be nice. He then catches Kenji looking around him before sighing in frustration.

“Dude, I thought the rumor about you and Yukari was true…”

“I see… Sorry to disappoint you.” Ryoji smiles apologetically. When will this rumor finally end? I hope Yukari is spared from this…

“Eh, it’s fine. It’s not like I care or anything.”

“W-What? But you keep–”

“–But, you’ve sure had some bad luck transferring here.” Kenji casually interrupts.

“I have?” 

“Yeah… You know, with all the weird stuff that’s been happening… How everyone’s been saying that they’re hearing strange voices…” He shrugs and chuckles, “But with the way your head’s in the clouds, I doubt you’ve heard much of anything.”

Ryoji once again feels very confused by Kenji’s comments. He doesn’t feel like he’s unlucky, at all. Ever since coming here, Ryoji has felt more alive than ever. Even with the Dark Hour, he has no regrets about being in Iwotodai…  

April 22, 2009 – After School – Full Moon: 17 Days

When he sees Kenji walking up to his desk, Ryoji feels as though he’s experiencing déjà vu. He was hoping to talk to Junpei today, but it seems like this classmate has other plans.

“Hey, man, I’m gonna get some ramen after school. You wanna come?”

The mention of food was all it took for Ryoji to become interested, “Of course! Thank you for asking.” 

“Don’t mention it. Besides, I don’t have anything else to do later. Besides… We could finish our chat from this morning.” Kenji says he doesn’t have anything to do, but Ryoji clearly remembers otherwise. Ms. Toriumi had given him another essay to write tonight, and another cake to accompany it. Ryoji decides to not mention it… It’s probably fine… 

… 

The ramen shop Kenji had in mind was located on the top floor of the Iwotodai strip mall. Even though Ryoji walks past this very mall multiple times a day, he hadn’t yet taken the time to look around. What makes this worse is how the mall is right next to the dorms. On the bright side, Ryoji now knows that he doesn’t need to only rely on Yukari for food. At one point, there was food in the kitchen pantry at the dorms. That didn’t last very long once Ryoji got to it…

Hagakure, the name of the restaurant, is a modest place. It has a warm and comforting atmosphere, it’s the type of place that instantly puts you at ease. A small television is tucked away on top of a bookcase in the corner of the shop. Ryoji has been occasionally watching the screen, it seems like some sort of game show is playing today. He doesn’t get many of the questions right… But he does feel like he’s learned some interesting trivia for later.

Ryoji and Kenji sit at the counter as they eat their ramen. Since he doesn’t have a lot of money, Ryoji opted to choose the cheapest option. To his surprise, it’s shockingly delicious! It’s also nice to have something other than dry pastries… 

“Whew! Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Kenji sighs as he sets his empty bowl aside, “… Well, was I right, or was I right? The soup tastes great here.”

“Yes, I agree. Thank you for inviting me here.” Ryoji replies with a small nod of his head. “Though, I fear my tongue still burns…”

Kenji laughs and rolls his eyes, “Well, duh. Who eats ramen the moment it’s served?! You didn’t let it cool off or anything…”

“W-Well… How was I supposed to know it was hot?” 

“Are you serious? It’s common sense, dude.”

Ryoji looks down at his empty bowl, still feeling the dull pain from the boiling water. Maybe he should’ve expected it to be hot, “I must’ve just been too excited.” He explains with a small laugh. 

“You know… I bet they put a special ingredient in it–something no other ramen shop would ever use. Probably some sort of secret spice…” Kenji suddenly looks away, “Oh, sorry. My bad. I always geek out a little when I eat here.”

“Why are you apologizing? I think it’s wonderful that you enjoy this so much! It’s great food, in my opinion.”

“Really? You think so?” His usual grin comes back as he responds, “Man, wasn’t expecting that. I think I’m liking you more by the minute.”

Now it’s Ryoji’s turn to be surprised. He doesn’t know how to respond to this, but it makes him feel warmer. Not just because of the ramen, but because of his new friend. 

Kenji continues to speak, “By the way, I hear you and Takeba are pretty close. Damn you move fast! I mean, you just transferred here… Can’t blame you. A man’s gotta be aggressive in this day and age.”

“A-Aggressive?” Ryoji shakes his head, “You know… Despite you suggesting otherwise, you seem fairly interested in us. I can’t help but wonder why.”

“Well… It’s sort of my secret plan. Let’s hang out after school again sometime, I’ll tell you all about it.” 

“A secret plan?”

“Yeah! We’ll get some food and I’ll let you know what I’ve got planned.” Kenji chuckles. “Oh man, just wait ‘til you hear it, dude. You’re gonna flip when you hear it!”

“Okay then, I’d love to meet again in the future.” Ryoji isn’t too sure about this “secret plan” of Kenji’s. He hopes it’s not something that causes trouble for Yukari… Ryoji’s smile falters as he hears that voice in his head sounding once again.

“I am thou, thou art I… Thou hast established a new bond… Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Magician Arcana.”

He can recognize the voice this time: It’s Kotone’s. 

“Woah, are you okay? What just happened?” Kenji’s voice pulls him back to the present.

“O-Oh! Yes… My apologies.” Ryoji sits up and does his best to pretend that nothing is amiss, “I just get, um, headaches sometimes. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“Huh… Okay, if you say so.” He then gasps and stands up, “It’s already dark?! Damn, I missed my favorite show… Oh well, come on, let’s get going.”

“It is? Wow… Time goes by so quickly…” Ryoji muses to himself as he stands up. 

“Hold on– Wait, before we go…” Kenji pulls out his flip phone and holds it out to Ryoji. “Let’s swap numbers! Come on, give me your phone.”

Ryoji just stares at the flip phone in Kenji’s hand, confused. “Huh?” It just occurred to him that he doesn’t have a phone of his own. He never thought of it before, none of the SEES members have asked for his number before. Ryoji smiles apologetically, “Ah, I see… Sorry, Kenji, but I don’t own a phone.”

“What?! No way! You’re joking…” Kenji almost looks personally offended by this. “How does any self respecting teenager these days not have a phone? Are your parents super strict or something?”
“My parents? I’m not sure… They’re not around very much.” Ryoji answers simply. He doesn’t know how to respond to this, so he just keeps it straightforward. 

He puts his phone back in his pocket with a confused expression, “But… Then wouldn’t they want you to have a phone? So that they can keep in touch?”

“I… I don’t know…” Ryoji begins to feel an odd sense of unease as he tries to come up with a better answer. He hadn’t thought about it, but he hasn’t heard from his parents at all since arriving in Iwotodai. Kenji makes a good point… His hands worry with the scarf around his neck, “It’s fine, I’m sure they just trust that I’m alright… They’re really busy, you know?”

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything,” Kenji quickly tries to change the topic, “Here, let me just…” He digs through his school bag and rips out a scrap of an old English assignment. Kenji hastily writes a sequence of numbers down before handing it to Ryoji, “If you get a phone in the future, make sure my number is the first one in there!”

He takes the torn piece of paper and holds it close to himself. It feels like it has more value than gold, “Okay, I promise. Thank you, Kenji… I appreciate it.”

“No problem, now let’s get out of here, yeah?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

Kenji’s number is safely kept in Ryoji’s pocket, right next to Yukari’s knife.

April 22, 2009 – Evening – Full Moon: 17 Days

“Welcome back.” Mitsuru greets Ryoji the moment he walks into the dorms. She’s in her usual seat, reading a new book. “By the way, about Tartarus… It goes without saying, but exploration can be very tiring. Take caution to not become too exhausted. The others may also experience fatigue after spending extended periods of time in Tartarus. If you want my evaluation of everyone’s condition, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, Mitsuru. I was actually interested in going to Tartarus tonight, as long as everyone else is ready.” 

She closes her book and nods her head, “Very well, SEES is in perfect condition. Would you like me to gather everyone?”

“Yes please, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Right away–” Mitsuru sighs and shakes her head, “–Akihiko, sit down. You are still recovering.”

April 22, 2009 – Dark Hour – Full Moon: 17 Days

As the Dark Hour begins again, the trio climb through the winding hallways of Tartarus. True to what Mitsuru said, the floor’s layout has shifted around. Under her supervision, Ryoji, Yukari, and Junpei proceed past the first floor. This time, there’s less hallways, leaving them more exposed to attacks. Luckily, due to Junpei’s two-handed sword, they’re able to still maintain an advantage. Before they left on this current expedition, Mitsuru mentioned that she sensed a “strong presence” on higher floors. Ryoji has made it their goal tonight to find what she detected. 

“There’s an enemy ahead, look out!” Mitsuru alerts them to their latest attackers. He’s noticed that the Shadows appear to be smaller than he remembers. As he readies his Evoker, he suddenly feels a new “possibility.” It feels different than Orpheus. It’s smaller and almost delicate, like the wings of a butterfly. This is what Igor must’ve been trying to tell me… He focuses on this feeling before pulling the trigger, “Pixie!”

Instead of Orpheus, what materializes is a living version of the card from their last expedition. She’s about as large as the mysterious card too… Pixie then summons a bolt of lightning, striking the Shadow down. The battle is over in an instant, and Pixie dissolves into shards of light. Ryoji inspects his Evoker as he hears his friends gather around him.

“Woah, what was that all about?” Junpei scratches his chin as he looks at Ryoji.

“It looks like he really does have a special power,” Mitsuru comments, “We had our suspicions about it, but now we know for certain.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Yukari 

Ryoji places his Evoker back into its holder and nods his head. His thoughts drift back to the night on the rooftop. Does this mean, the thing that came out of Orpheus was also a Persona? He closes his eyes and tries to find that presence from before. Pixie and Orpheus are easily identifiable, but the one he’s looking for feels out of his reach. Ryoji can feel it lurking there, he just can’t access it the same way. Strange… Why are you different?

“Yo! Come on, dude! Snap out of it, would ya?” 

The action of Junpei shaking him by his shoulders brings him back to the situation at hand. Ryoji adjusts his grip on his sledgehammer, “Ah, right. Apologies, I was just testing something. Let’s move on, shall we?”

“Hold on, before you head out, I’d like to offer a suggestion.” Mitsuru begins, “It might be beneficial to split up to cover more ground. The Shadows shouldn’t cause you too many problems as of now. This should help us clear the floor faster.”

“Splitting up?! In this place?” Yukari shivers as she looks around. “You gotta be kidding me…”

Ryoji pats her on the shoulder, a gesture she quickly smacks away, “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do perfectly fine. You did great last time.”

“What’s wrong Yuka-tan?” Junpei snickers, “Scared? Don’t worry, I’ll keep ya safe!”

“Yeah, no thanks.”

“Well, I think we should at least give it a try.” Ryoji would honestly prefer they stay together, but he keeps that to himself. “But let’s stay on the same floor, just to be safe.”

Before he even finishes his statement, Junpei is already walking away from them, “Alright! Leave it to me. Whoever kills the most Shadows wins!”

“W-Wait, Junpei! Did you hear what I said?”

Yukari scoffs and rolls her eyes, “What happened to ‘protecting’ us? … Oh well, I’ll go keep an eye on him, I guess.” She starts to follow after Junpei but turns to Ryoji one more time, “You’ll be alright on your own, right?”

“Yes, I’ll be just fine. Thank you, Yukari.”

She smiles and nods her head before breaking out into a light jog to catch up with their wayward friend. Ryoji turns the opposite direction and begins to investigate this floor. There’s not much to be found, only a few chests containing supplies. Still no clues about Tartarus or the Dark Hour… 

It’s not very long before he stumbles across another Shadow, his hand moves to his Evoker, but hesitates. This is his chance to do things differently. Ryoji lowers himself to a crouching position, setting his hammer down.

“Mochizuki? What are you doing?” Mitsuru’s concerned voice transmits into his head.

“It’s okay, I’m just going to test something…” He waits a few seconds, listening to see if she will try to stop him. No further response comes. Ryoji then starts to inch closer to the lone Shadow. 

The Shadow notices him and starts to charge towards him, getting closer and closer. Ryoji braces himself and holds up his hands, “Hey, please calm down I just– OW!” It completely ignores his words and slams into him. He loses his balance and ends up completely on the floor. The Shadow continues its attack, swinging its long arms at him. He takes a few hits before managing to get ahold of his sledgehammer again. “Gah! –Please, listen! Can you understand me?” 

His words don’t seem to stop the Shadow at all, it just keeps mindlessly attacking him. Ryoji pulls himself to his feet and sighs, he doesn’t want to do this, but he’s starting to get really hurt. He can feel the pain of several new bruises beginning to form on his body. “I’m sorry…” With a heavy heart, Ryoji brings his hammer down onto the Shadow. It screeches in pain and shrinks away from him. 

“Mitsuru, did you see that?” He kneels down next to the Shadow again, it seems less interested in attacking. “They can feel pain too…”

It takes her a moment before she responds, “I’m aware, but we can’t allow that to distract us from our mission.”

“I know, but still…” Ryoji reaches out his hand and gently places it on the Shadow’s head. It feels cool to the touch, and despite its slimy appearance, it has a strange sensation of nothingness. The feeling reminds him of Aoi’s hands… He tilts his head to the side and continues to take note of the creature in front of him. “Wouldn’t it benefit us more to study them? After all, this is their home.”

“Interesting… I haven’t seen one behave quite like this before. Keep your guard up, this could be a trick.” 

He smiles and shakes his head, “No, I have a feeling this one has done all it can. It only used the same attack on me anyways.” Ryoji slowly gathers the Shadow into his arms and presses his face against its mask. “It’s okay now… See? Everything is okay.”

“Mochizuki…! Please be careful.”

The Shadow squirms against him, likely as confused as Mitsuru. Ryoji just holds on to it and continues to make an attempt to calm it down. It takes a few moments before anything changes. Slowly, Ryoji can feel the Shadow beginning to change. It starts to glow, melting its inky exterior down, and morphing into something new. Once the glowing fades, the Shadow has completely changed into something new. It now takes on the form of a familiar looking snowman. It even has the same pointed hat and expression. 

“It’s… So cute!” Ryoji hugs the snowman and laughs. He can feel that this one is very much not a plush toy. It’s moving and significantly colder than he anticipated. Almost as if he were hugging a block of ice. 

“Hee-Hoo!” the former Shadow then starts to glow again. It then dissolves into shards of light, similar to Orpheus and Pixie. Ryoji can feel a warmth in his heart… When he closes his eyes, there’s a new presence within him. The name “Jack Frost” comes to him from the depths of his mind.

“Fascinating…” Mitsuru’s voice almost gets lost in the static, “It was a very risky move, putting yourself at risk like that.”

Ryoji picks up his sledgehammer and stands back up fully, “Apologies, Mitsuru… I was just curious.”
“I understand, however, you shouldn’t put yourself in such precarious situations. We cannot afford to lose anyone, especially you.”

Especially me? “Right, I’ll keep that in mind.” Ryoji then scans his surroundings, it’s suspiciously quiet. “Speaking of everyone, where are Junpei and Yukari?”

“Right now, they’ve just come upon the stairs for the next floor. Would you like me to guide you to them?”

“Yes, I think it’s time we regroup.” 

Seeing his friends' faces again was enough to give him a sense of relief. Mitsuru instructed them to wait by the stairs while Ryoji made his way to them. Once he got there, Yukari was the first to come up to him.

“Ugh, look at you!” She gestures to his bruised face and obvious limp, “I left you alone for 5 minutes and you come back like this?!”

“Aw, you’re always so worried about me. You have my most sincere apologies.”

“Oh shut up…” Yukari sighs and looks to the side, “Is it really so hard to take care of yourself? How are we supposed to continue like this?”

Junpei joins them and he seems surprised by Ryoji’s disheveled appearance, “Dude, I thought you’re supposed to be, like, super strong… You look worse than me!”

“I’m quite alright, it’s only a few bruises.” He tries to wave off their concern. “I’ll be good to keep going.”

Yukari frowns and shakes her head, “No, wait… Let me try something.” She unclasps her Evoker and fires it at herself. Her Persona manifests, but instead of attacking, she does something else. A strange, yet soothing, sensation fills his body. It doesn’t last very long, but Ryoji suddenly doesn’t feel any pain at all. He checks where his bruises were, only to find nothing there. “Yukari… Is this…?”

Junpei is taken completely by shock, “What?! Hey! Where was this when I was getting beat up?!”

She puts her Evoker away as she snaps back at him, “I only just now realized I could do this, thank you very much.”

“I think it’s wonderful!” Ryoji excitedly grabs her hands and starts to jump with joy. “I feel even better than before!”

Yukari quickly attempts to pull her hands away, “What the– Hey! Let go! What’s gotten into you?” 

Ryoji stops jumping and looks down at their hands. Her hands are warm and soft, he can almost feel how real she feels. “Ah right, my bad.” He lets her hands go and then pivots to face Junpei. Before the taller boy can say anything, Ryoji reaches out and holds his hands as well.

“D-Dude! You’re not supposed to do this kind of thing to guys!”

“Both of you…” Ryoji rubs his thumbs against the tougher skin of Junpei’s hands; But none less alive than Yukari’s. He eventually lets go of his hands and smiles at them, “You’re really here.”

“Uhh… Duh? Where else would we be?” Junpei raises an eyebrow.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryoji shakes his head and starts to climb the stairs, “Let’s keep going.”

…

It’s not long before Ryoji starts to understand what Mitsuru meant by how taxing exploring Tartarus can be. He can see how fatigued his companions are, but there’s still no teleporter in sight. Yukari has single handedly been keeping them all afloat, but even her healing potency is dwindling. Ryoji is also starting to run out of the spare healing items that’d been scattered around. Even Junpei is starting to tire, as much as he’d like to deny it. 

“I found it!” Mitsuru suddenly calls out, “Up ahead, there’s that presence I felt… It’s a stronger Shadow, I do not recommend engaging with it in your current state.”

“Thank you, Mitsuru.” Ryoji takes a moment to observe the layout of the room. He spots a machine that looks similar to one of the teleporters, but much larger. “We’ll head back now, this is all I wanted to achieve today.”

Junpei loudly sighs as he leans against the new teleporter, “About time… I’m totally beat…”

“Yeah, I agree.” Yukari winces as she flexes her hands, clearly sore from overuse.

“I’m sorry for pushing you all so hard…” As he steps up onto the platform, Ryoji can also feel a dull ache in his arms. His head was also beginning to hurt, switching Personas so often was starting to take its toll. “We’ll take a break before coming back, alright?”

“Sounds good to me, I just wanna get outta here already. Which one of these buttons takes us back anyways?”

“Junpei! Wait! Don’t just start pressing buttons!” Yukari reaches out to stop him, but she is a moment too slow–

–Once the light fades, the trio find themselves back on the ground floor of Tartarus. Luckily, this landing wasn’t as disastrous as the one previous. Ryoji can still feel the bruise from the other night… He wonders why Yukari’s abilities didn’t heal it. Speaking of Yukari…

“You idiot! You’re so lucky that you pressed the correct button!” She’s currently busy scolding Junpei. 

“What’re you so worried about?” Junpei chuckles, “I’m a pro at this stuff!”

“Yeah right…”

“We turned out just fine, right? It’s no big deal.”

 Ryoji can feel his headache intensifying as he listens to them bicker. Luckily, the sound of approaching footsteps breaks up their conversation. Mitsuru and Akihiko are quick to greet the returning party, with the latter focusing on Ryoji first, “So, it’s true then, you can wield different Personas? I’ve never heard of this before… How are you feeling now?”

“Right now? Um… I guess my head hurts a little?”

“Did you hit it again? Let me–”

He quickly takes a step back, bumping into Yukari, to avoid Akihiko. “– No thank you! I don’t think it’s a physical injury this time.”

It’s then that Junpei moves in front of Ryoji, “Hey, don’t forget about me! I did pretty great, right?”

“Yes, both you and Yukari did exceptionally well.” Mitsuru nods her head approvingly, “It’s impressive how far you three have gotten in only two nights. For so long, we were confined to the first floor. With Mochizuki, we’re finally making some progress.”

“You give me too much credit, really…” Ryoji bashfully shakes his head. “I couldn’t have done any of this without all of your support.”

“Well, let’s head back for the night. You all deserve rest after all your work.”

… 

On the way back, Ryoji noticed that Yukari seemed more withdrawn than usual. In fact, these past couple of days, he hasn’t heard much from her. There’s just something about the way she carries herself that feels different. It worries him. But he has a suspicion as to where this came from…

After parting ways with Akihiko and Mitsuru, the trio walk down the hallways to their respective rooms. He waits until Junpei returns to his room before Ryoji pivots, turning back to Yukari’s room. For a moment, he hesitates outside. She’s likely tired enough from Tartarus… Despite this, he finds himself knocking on her door, “Yukari? It’s me. Do you have a moment?”

At first, there’s no response. Ryoji considers trying at a better time, until he hears the door unlock and open, “Hey, what’s on your mind?” 

“Well, I’m just wondering if you’ve been feeling alright?”

“Me? I’m doing fine…” Yukari crosses her arms and leans against the doorframe. “Why do you ask?”

“I’ve been wondering… You seemed upset by my choice to join SEES.” Ryoji decides to get to the point. “Do you want to talk about it?”

It didn’t look like she expected this. Yukari fidgets with a strand of her hair as she thinks, “What is there to talk about? Besides, it doesn’t matter anyways.”

“It doesn’t matter?” Ryoji shakes his head. So he was right, something about that had changed Yukari’s mood. “How could you say that? It matters because it’s clearly affecting you. Maybe you’ll feel better if we talk about it.”

“You think so?” She sighs before standing up straight and opening the door, inviting him in. “Let’s talk about it then.”

“Thank you.” Ryoji acknowledges her invitation and steps past the threshold into her room. It’s strikingly different from his own. Looking at the decorations, Ryoji gets the feeling that Yukari really likes the color pink. The room looks tidy, but not to a suffocating degree. On her vanity, there’s a legion of make-up products all organized by color. He takes a seat on the edge of her bed, and waits for her to join him. “It stuck out to me how you were the only one to say anything against them. Now, I wonder why that may be, and why it causes you such anguish.”

Yukari sits next to him, keeping space between them. “Anguish? That’s not the word I’d use. More like frustrated, I guess.”

“Frustrated?”

“I don’t know, it just didn’t feel right.” Yukari smooths out her skirt on her lap. She then finally looks at him, “Ryoji, do you really want to be a part of SEES? Don’t lie to me.”

“Yes, with my whole heart.” He smiles assuredly, “I wish to do everything I can to help. This power of mine… It’s needed.”

“I see… But, they didn’t give you a choice.” Yukari refutes. “How can you be okay with that?”

Ryoji glances down at his hands, “It’s okay, because I made this choice the moment I first got here.” He laughs slightly, “Besides, I’ve found a reason I’d like to stay. Someone I’d like to keep safe… Now who could it be?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I won’t be naming any names buuuuut…” He closes his eyes and holds up his hands. “I think it’s a good enough reason to join SEES.”

For a moment, neither of them say anything. Yukari eventually chuckles and cracks a smile, “It’s not so bad… I can’t believe I was ever even worried.” She muses to herself before looking over at Ryoji. “Hm? No response? … –Did you seriously fall asleep that quickly?!”

April 23, 2009 – Early Morning – Full Moon: 16 Days

It’s still in the early hours of the morning when he wakes up–or rather– woken up by someone. For a few moments, Ryoji wonders when he redecorated his room. Upon seeing Yukari above him, the memories from last night return to him.

Ryoji sits up, adjusting to the morning light, “Oh… Good morning, Yukari! Did you rest well?”

“It would’ve been better if you didn’t take up half of my bed…” 

He takes a glance down at her bed. It seems he must’ve fallen backwards from his seated position from last night. At some point, Yukari must’ve covered him with a blanket. Though, she did have a point: Ryoji had slept in an awkward spot. “I see. My apologies, but why didn’t you wake me up then?”

“You don’t think I tried? I think a rock would’ve been more responsive than you.” Yukari scoffs. “Now get up, we have to get to class soon.” As she says this, she picks up a pillow and begins to half-heartedly hit him with it. Ryoji laughs and lifts his arm to attempt to block her ambush.

“Yukari, that’s not very nice! I only just woke up…” He decides it’s probably best to listen to her and stand up. Ryoji then catches the pillow, preventing any more attacks. “Since we’re already here, why don’t we walk together?”

She attempts to pull the pillow back, only to find that he’s refusing to let go. “Why? What’s the occasion?”
“No occasion, is it wrong to want to simply be with my friend?” 

“I guess not…” She smiles and lets go of the pillow, “Sure, but I need to finish my makeup first.”

This causes Ryoji to pause for a moment. Makeup? He watches as she steps over to her vanity, where the assortment of products wait. “You wear makeup?”

“What do you mean?” He can see her baffled expression in the reflection of the mirror. “Of course I wear makeup, a lot of girls do.”

Ryoji joins her by her vanity and investigates the different types of product. He remembers seeing advertisements for some of these. “Isn’t it only for special occasions? Like formal dinners or parties?”

“Huh? No? This is pretty standard. Where’d you get that idea from?”

“Oh… I’m not sure, to be honest.” 

Yukari rolls her eyes and focuses on applying the products to her face. “Well, you should know that some of us like to put effort into how we look.” 

“But… I don’t understand, you’re already beautiful, why do you wear makeup?”

“No need to try and flatter me. Besides, you’ve only seen me with makeup on.” She sighs, “The answer is pretty simple though: It’s because I like this. It gives me time to wake up and get ready for the day.”

He nods his head thoughtfully, “I see, so it’s more of a meditation for you?”

“Close enough, yeah, I guess you could call it that.”

Her hands effortlessly select the desired cosmetic item, as if she’s done this many times before. It doesn’t take long before she finishes her look. After checking herself in the mirror–and snatching lipgloss back from Ryoji’s grasp–Yukari is ready to go. He opens the door for her, letting her walk through first, “By the way, thank you for last night. Next time, I’ll make sure to not take up your whole bed.”

“It’s fine, but don’t be talking about ‘next time’ so soon.” Yukari quickly retorts, “It’s my room, not yours.”

“Aw… So you don't want to be roommates?”

“Not at all.”

“How cold!” Ryoji dramatically wilts against the staircase railing, “Here I was thinking that we're the best of friends…”

Yukari doesn't even pass him a sparing glance, “Don't get ahead of yourself.” She pauses at the bottom of the staircase, looking behind her, “Come on, don't make me drag you again.”

In an instant, he puts himself back together, “Ouch, Yukari… You don't have to remind me.” He skips a few steps on the way down for fun. His mind goes back to that moment she's referring to. Knowing now what would've awaited her at the top, Yukari’s chances of survival were slim. How could he have even considered giving up? It seems like so long ago, but in reality, it'd only been a few weeks—and he wasn't even awake for a chunk of that time. So much has already changed since he first got to Iwotodai. Even the weather has started to change, he's noticed that the morning walks feel warmer lately. The sun shines just a bit brighter as they step outside of the dorms. 

His thoughts are interrupted by that familiar ache of hunger. Is it even possible to get something to eat? Ryoji checks his watch for the time, “Hold on… We have plenty of time before school begins. You lied to me!”

“When did I lie? I said we had class soon,” Yukari chuckles.

“We have a whole hour!”

“Do you seriously want to deal with the morning rush?” 

Unfortunately, she had a point. Being crammed in the train cars had been a particularly distressing experience for him. “But I’m hungry…” Ryoji grabs her sleeve and tugs on it a bit, “I know! Let’s go get ramen! I have a friend who showed me a good spot last night.”

“You gotta be kidding me…” Yukari shakes her head, “Thanks, but I’ll pass. There’s better food to eat in the mornings.”

“What do you mean?”

“Hold on,” She looks at him incredulously, “No, what do you mean? What in the world have you been eating in the mornings?”

“Well… It’s mostly whatever I can find in the refrigerator. Food seems to just appear there sometimes– Why are you looking at me like that…?” 

“Oh, no reason.” She curtly replies. It’s hard for Ryoji to interpret the expression on her face. Though, it doesn’t seem to be good. “I have an idea though: how about we go somewhere after school?” 

“Of course!” He doesn’t even have to think twice about agreeing to her request. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Yukari laughs under her breath, “Jeez… You’re not even going to ask where we’re going?”

“Nope! It’s more fun if it’s a surprise, isn’t it?”

“It’s really not that special– Oh, never mind… Let’s go.”

… 

The two of them make it to campus with an abundance of time left. Just as they’re walking up to the gates, Ryoji spots a familiar face. It seems that Hitomi is back to school after the incident from the other day. As he walks past he can overhear a conversation she’s having with her friend.

“Is it just me, or have there been more weird people around lately?” 

“You’re talking about Apathy Syndrome, right?” Hitomi replies, “My sister got it the other day… I’m worried that I’ll get it now.”

“She did? Oh, I’m sorry… Don’t worry though, there’s no way you’ll get it.”

“You think so? I’ve just been feeling depressed…”

“Yeah, maybe you should join one of the athletic teams to get your mind off of it! They’re accepting new members now.”

The rest of their conversation fades away as Ryoji passes by them. Something about the mention of athletics had caught his attention. Once they get inside Gekkoukan, he decides to ask his question, “Yukari… You’re a part of the archery club, correct?”

“Yeah, I am. Why do you ask?” 

“I was just wondering, would it be alright if I joined?” 

Yukari appears to ponder his question before shaking her head, “Sorry, it’s a girl’s only club. I don’t think you meet some of the requirements…”

“What? Why not?”

“What do you mean why not–” She sighs in defeat, “Anyways, if you’re interested in joining a club, I can give you a recommendation.”

“Oh? Which club?”

“One of my friends, Yuko Nishiwaki, is the team manager for the track team,” Yukari begins to explain, “Right now, they really need new people to join. But don’t think about slacking off, or she’ll get seriously pissed off.”

Yuko Nishiwaki… Okay, easy enough to remember. “Right! Thank you, I’ll look into it more later.” Ryoji nods his head enthusiastically. He figures joining a track team might improve his performance in Tartarus… Those stairs are no joke… 

April 23, 2009 – After School – Full Moon: 16 Days

Ryoji had spent the majority of the day thinking about where Yukari was going to take him after class. It occupied much of his thoughts throughout each class. When the time came for them to leave, Ryoji was more than ready to go. There’s just one more thing he wants to do before leaving with Yukari. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Junpei standing by the window, looking outside.

“Junpei!”

He turns his head and grins when he sees him, “Hey, what’s goin’ on dude?”

“Well, Yukari and I are going to go to a mystery location soon, would you like to come along?”

“A ‘mystery location’? Whaddya mean?” 

Ryoji shrugs his shoulders, “I have no idea! But she said that she wanted to take me there.”

“Huh? What? How do you have no idea?” Junpei scratches the back of his neck as he debates whether to go or not. He eventually shakes his head in dismay, “I’ll pass this time… It’s hard to manage both school and Tartarus. I’m already so behind!”

“What are you talking about, Junpei? You were already behind even without Tartarus.” Yukari’s voice startles them, neither of them had noticed her walking up behind them. “Plus, we’ve only been there twice. You have no excuse.”

“W-Woah! A little warning next time, Yuka-tan…”

“Wait, are you really behind? I could help you!”

Junpei pulls down the brim of his hat to cover his eyes, “I’m totally fine, don’t even worry about it. I know I’m not!”

“Yeah, we can tell.”

“Hey! I feel like we’re ignorin’ the fact that I actually want to do my homework…” He sighs and crosses his arms, “That’s gotta count for something, yeah?”

“The bare minimum, great.” Yukari turns on her heel and begins to walk away, “Come on, Ryoji, let’s go before it gets much later.”

“Oh, right!” He quickly follows after her, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process. Once he’s at the door, Ryoji turns back and waves to Junpei, “I’ll see you later, okay? Bye bye!”

… 

One short train ride later, they arrive in a very familiar location. Paulownia mall isn’t as busy on this day, only a handful of people mill about the plaza. Yukari eventually stops outside a building nearby the police station.

“This is Chagall Coffee.” She gestures to the sign above the doors, “Sometimes, when I have extra time in the mornings, I come here.”

“I see… It looks nice.” He muses to himself as they enter the building. Wait, why didn’t she just take me here earlier? Ryoji doesn’t voice this thought, instead choosing to look around the interior. There’s a collection of tables and booths dispersed throughout the cafe. There’s a few patrons already inside at a few of the tables. He’s led to the counter and looks up to the menu board. “There are so many choices here… What should I get?”

Yukari shrugs her shoulders, “You could try the coffee or maybe get something to eat?” She points to the display case to their right, the foods inside consist primarily of dessert items. “It’s mostly just snacks anyways, I wouldn’t stress about it too much.”

“I can tell…” He peers closely at his options here, it’s simply too difficult to choose only one. It doesn’t help that he’s still hungry as well. Earlier in the day, Ryoji had checked his wallet, and he’s now at around 12000 yen. Strange… Technically, he could afford to buy one of everything, but should he? “Okay! I’ve made my decision!” 

“Took you long enough…”

“I want to try the chocolate cake.” Ryoji points to the dessert, “I remember reading about it in one of our assignments. I’m looking forward to trying it for myself.”

“Have you not had it before?” She looks at him in bewilderment.

“Well… I’m just not sure. But that just means I get to enjoy it for the first time again!”

Yukari shakes her head, “If you say so…”

Not much longer after they place their orders, the two of them take a seat at one of the tables nearby. Ryoji picks up his fork and cuts into the slice of cake, but before he takes a bite, he notices Yukari didn’t order anything to eat. “Hey, would you like to have some?”

She sets down her cup of coffee before she responds, “Oh, it’s fine. I’m supposed to be on a diet anyways.”

“A diet?” He holds up the fork to her, “Not even for a little bite?”

“Ryoji, I’m fine, really.” She can’t help but laugh a bit, “Thank you though.”

“Alright, this could be the best cake ever, and you’d never know!” He finally relents and eats the bite of cake. It’s more sweet than the strudel, but not unpleasantly so. 

There’s a moment of peaceful silence before they hear a buzz coming from Yukari’s phone. When she opens it up to check the incoming message, her face turns into a scowl. She snaps her phone shut and brushes her hair out of her eyes. Ryoji doesn’t miss her negative reaction to whatever it was she just read, “Yukari? Is everything alright?”

“Hm? Yeah, everything is fine, it’s just my mom.” 

Judging by her fidgeting, it’s obvious that something went awry. At the same time, Ryoji is starting to get the feeling that she might not want to talk about it. He doesn’t understand why someone would react like that just because of a text from their parents. “Well… If you ever want to talk about it, you know that I’ll listen.”

“Oh… I know, thank you.” She exhales and leans back in her chair, “Maybe another day, okay?”

“Okay, whenever you’re ready.” Ryoji nods his head. He then glances at her phone lying on the table. “By the way, where do you look to buy a phone?”

“Why? Did yours break or something?”

“That’s actually interesting that you asked–” 

“You don’t have a phone, do you?” It’s not really a question.

“Woah! How did you guess?” 

“Just had a hunch.” She dryly responds. “Don’t you know how dangerous it is to not have one? You could get lost or hurt, and we wouldn’t know about it until it’s too late!”

Ryoji really hadn’t thought about that possibility. He’d been doing alright for the most part anyway, “I understand your concern, but you really shouldn’t worry about me. I’ve found my way around pretty well!”

“… I think we should get you a phone.”

“Can I finish my cake first?” 

“What kind of stupid question is that…?”

… 

The next stop on their outing is the music store a couple of meters away. Turns out, on the inside, there’s a section dedicated to electronics. There’s a wide selection, despite it being such a small shop. Yukari leads him to a glass display case against the wall. In it, are several different models of phones in all sorts of colors.

Ryoji observes his options. The newer models are priced much higher than older ones. His eyes land on the more colorful of the options, “Oh, what’s this blue one?”

“Hm? The Fujitsu?” Yukari leans over to see which one he’s pointing to, “I’ve heard good things about that one. A friend of mine has one, she loves it.”

“Really?” He glances at the others, but they don’t catch his eye as much as this one. “It’s nine thousand five hundred yen…”

“Seriously?! Jeez, do you even have that kind of money?”

“Kind of?” He opens his wallet and shows it to Yukari, “I’ve noticed that, when we’re in Tartarus, I get money. Right now, I’m at around twelve thousand.”

“What?! No way!” She takes his wallet from him and counts for herself. Once she’s done, she hands it back to him, “ Weird… I guess it’s kinda lucky then. So you want that one?”

“Yep!”

“Well, that was easy. Are you going to get the white or the blue one?”

“I’m going to go with the blue one,” He points to it again, “The color reminds me of the sea, I like it.”

Yukari nods her head thoughtfully, “It is a nice color… Sounds good to me! I’ll help you set it up once we get back to the dorms.”

April 23, 2009 – Evening – Full Moon: 16 Days

An hour and nine thousand five hundred yen later, Yukari presents the newly activated phone to Ryoji, “So, now that you understand how to use it, try it out for yourself!”

Taking the phone into his hands, Ryoji carefully opens it up, “Thank you, Yukari. I couldn’t have done this without you!” He navigates the homepage, clicking on various apps. As he opens the contacts, Ryoji sees that there’s a number already listed. “Hm? Is this your number?”

“Oh, yeah, it is. It’s for emergencies only!” Yukari points her finger at him for emphasis, “And don’t send me weird stuff either! Got it?”

“Got it!” He opens up the camera app next, “This is the camera, right?”

“It is, you should take a picture. I kind of want to see how the quality of the photos turn out.” 

Ryoji fiddles around with the controls until the screen displays himself, “Oh! It’s me!” His thumb presses the center button, capturing the image of his face. It’s a little blurry and out of focus, but it’s clearly still himself. “Yukari, look! Not bad, right?”

“Uh… Here, let me show you.” She takes the phone from his hand and holds it up, aiming the camera at herself and Ryoji, “First of all, wait until it focuses. Do you see?”

“This looks much better already! You’re good at this.”

“Oh stop it, I’ve just had more practice.” She smiles at the camera and makes a peace sign, “3… 2… 1… Smile!”

Ryoji panics and ends up mimicking Yukari’s pose in the moment before she presses the button. He takes his phone back and looks at the photo. The picture itself looks much better than his first attempt. “I think this is my favorite!”

“How is it your favorite? You only have two…”

“Well, it’s the best of the two.” Ryoji then aims the camera at Yukari, taking a picture of her before she can react, “Got you!”

Yukari quickly lunges at him, trying to get the phone back, “Hey! Delete that! I wasn’t ready!”

He just laughs and moves out of her way, “No way, why would I?”

“You jerk! Come back!”

Ryoji runs out of his room… and straight into an unsuspecting Akihiko. He stumbles backwards from the collision, but is caught by the older teammate. 

“Woah there, careful where you’re going.” He balances him before taking a step back.

That step didn’t even matter, as Ryoji hides from Yukari behind him, “Please help, there’s a terrifying Shadow after me!”

“Stop using Sanada as a shield!” She tries to chase him around, only to be separated by Akihiko. 

“What exactly is going on here?”

“Nothing, it’s whatever.” Yukari huffs irritably and lowers her voice, “I’ll get you back for this, just you wait.”

“She just threatened me! Is that allowed?”

“I…” Akihiko looks between the two, “What did you even do?”

“Nothinggg, just this…” Ryoji quickly raises his phone up to snap a picture of Akihiko.

“Huh? That’s it? It’s just a picture.”

“Whatever,” Yukari crosses her arms and walks across the hall to her room.

Akihiko scratches his head, “Alright then. By the way, Mochizuki, are you planning on going to Tartarus tonight?”

Oh, right, Tartarus. “Sorry, not tonight,” he admits, “I’m sure everyone is still tired from last night.”

“It’s fine, I was just curious. You’ll take me with you next time, right?”

“Next time? Sure–”

“Not on my watch.” Mitsuru’s voice echoes from the staircase, startling both of them, “You’re still recovering.”

“I know, I know…” He hangs his head as he retreats into his dorm room for the night.

“Apologies, Mochizuki. Have a good rest of your night.” And just like that, she disappears up the stairs. 

Ryoji idles in the hallway for a few more moments, eventually deciding to call it a night. His room is significantly quieter when it’s just himself. Outside his window, the moon is just scarcely lit. Only a sliver of it is still visible. He sets his new phone on his desk and watches the night sky until Dark Hour begins again.

April 24, 2009 – Early Morning – Full Moon: 15 Days

On the way to Gekkoukan, Ryoji suddenly remembers Kenji's phone number. It’s still in his pocket with Yukari’s knife. He takes out the paper and enters in what’s written to his contacts. I’ll have to get Junpei’s later. 

For once, he doesn’t see Hitomi or her friend at the school gate. Instead, two boys have taken the place they usually stand. The taller student with longer hair and glasses speaks to the one with an orange backpack, “I went to the arcade again yesterday, and wouldn’t you know it? I spent my entire allowance… I got seriously hooked on that punching game, now my muscles are sore.”

“The arcade at Paulownia Mall, right? Game Panic has a good selection, but it’s always so packed. It’s all about going on the right day.”

“Seriously? Let’s go later and check out what’s open… That is, if you can spot me some change.”

“No way! You still owe me for that game of Super Neo all the way back in 2003!”

Ryoji watches as the two boys walk away once the first bell rings. Are there any debts that I have? Any friends waiting for me to pay them back? He knows it’s pointless to try to get himself to remember, that hasn’t stopped him from trying. Some part of him has to know something, anything… After all, he was able to recall a distant memory about his scarf. Thinking about that has Ryoji wondering again about his parents. They have to know, I’ll ask Ikutski if he has their phone numbers soon. 

April 24, 2009 – Lunchtime – Full Moon: 15 Days

“Hey, what’s up, Ryoji?” Kenji greets him in the hallway to their class. Ryoji had returned from the school shop with an armful of apple strudels. He’s planning on saving some for later tonight, but it’s hard to ignore the weird looks from other students. 

“Oh! Kenji, I bought a phone yesterday!” He struggles to pull his phone from his pocket to show him.

“Woah! That’s one of the ones that turn on its side right? I bet it was expensive.”

“Yeah… It was almost ten thousand yen.”

“TEN THOUSAND?!” He jumps back in shock. “Dude, where did you get that kind of money?”

“I guess I’m just good at saving?” 

“Man… I just blow all my savings at arcades…”

Ryoji stores his phone back into his pocket, almost dropping one of the packages in the process, “Well, it’s not too late to start. I could help keep you on track if you’d like!”

“Sure– Wait! Stop distracting me,” Kenji leans against the doorframe to 2-F, “You doing anything after school today?”

“Today? Let me think.” There was something after school… What was her name again? Yuko! “That’s right! I was actually going to go to track later.”

“T-Track?! Uh… Not that I care, but if you’re ever looking for something to do–” He pushes himself off the wall, “ –Come talk to me, man. I’ll be at my desk.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.”

“No prob. Well, I should get back to studying… NOT! Hahaha! Who needs to study, right? Right…?”

The forced laughter is not enough to convince Ryoji, “Are your grades suffering that badly, Kenji?”

“Whaaaat? Nahhh, I’m just fine!” He begins to shrink backwards into the class, “A-Anyway, talk to you later!”

Ryoji follows him into the classroom shortly after. He spots him talking to Junpei by the window. It sounds like they’re talking about a lost bet… Kenji turned out to be the loser and handed some yen to a very smug looking Junpei. I wonder what the bet was on?

April 24, 2009 – After School – Full Moon: 15 Days

“It should be over here…” Ryoji stands in front of the double doors that, allegedly, lead to the track field. He’d seen a tan girl in a red and grey track uniform walk out here. It stands to reason that the field should be here. 

He walks through one of the doors, and sure enough, Ryoji is soon standing on the rubbery track. A distance away, he spots a group of students in black standing in a half circle around the girl from earlier. He’s taken out of his thoughts once he notices the coach walking over to him.

“Are you interested in joining the club?”

“Yes sir, are there still available spots?”

“Plenty, follow me.” He makes a motion for Ryoji to tag along. They get closer to the six other students on the field. Once they’re close enough, the coach gets their attention, “We have a new member joining us today.”

He takes that as his cue to introduce himself, “Good afternoon, my name is Ryoji Mochizuki. I hope to join your team!”

The girl from earlier acknowledges him, “Hello, I’m the team manager:Yuko Nishiwaki. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You’re Nishiwaki? Yukari recommended you to me!”

“Hm? You know Yukari?” She squints her eyes at him, “Ohh I see… You’re that junior with the scarf. We’re in the same year, so you can just call me Yuko.”

The coach snaps his fingers at a teammate standing off to the side, “Kazushi!”

“Yessir!”

“This is the future captain of this team.” He gestures to the boy he just called, “He’s a great runner and scores well in competitions. Kazushi, keep an eye on the new guy here, okay?”

“You got it.” Kazushi steps up to Ryoji, clearly assessing him. “Aren’t you the guy who went out with Yukari Takeba on the first day of school?”
“It’s… It’s really not like that at all…” Ryoji shakes his head tiredly. 

“I’m Kazushi Miyamoto. You’ve seen me around, right?”

“We’re in the same class, I remember you.” 

“Nice! Well, just because you joined mid-season, don’t think I’ll go easy on you!”

“I am thou, thou art I… Thou hast established a new bond… Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Chariot Arcana.”

Kotone’s voice pieces through his thoughts once again, startling him. He needs to find a way to tell her to at least wait until he’s not around other people. The track team stares at him as he regains his awareness. Embarrassing…

It’s Yuko who first speaks up, “Since today is your first practice, just have a look around and then call it a day. I’ll make sure your uniform is ready for next time.”

“Thank you very much!” 

For the next hour or so, Ryoji wanders around the track. He finds various hurdles and a pole vaulting area. Once the team is done practicing for the day, he decides to head back to the dorms as well.

April 24, 2009 – Evening – Full Moon: 15 Days

“S’up, dude?” Junpei greets him in the lounge, “So you and Kenji are friends now, huh? He says you’re a pretty cool guy.”

“He said that about me? That’s nice of him.” Ryoji walks closer to the dining table where he’s currently sitting.

“Yeah, I’m sure you two will get along just fine.”

“That reminds me…” He sits next to him, “I saw Kenji giving you money earlier, what was that all about?”

Junpei chuckles and pulls out the exact amount from his pocket, “Oh, that? Just a bet between us. Guess what it was about!”

“Uh… I’m not sure…”

“Alright I’ll tell ya.” Junpei lounges in his chair as he speaks, “The bet was for which club you’d join. He said it’d be the art club but I, as your best friend, knew it’d be track.”

“How’d you guess so accurately?”

“Easy, you probably chose it for Tartarus. Am I right, or am I right?”

Ryoji didn’t realize he’d be so easy to predict, “Woah… You’re really good at this!”

“I know right? Speaking of Tartarus…” He sits back up, “We should totally go to Tartarus tonight. I’ve heard that The Lost are increasing, so we better kick some Shadow ass.”
The Lost are increasing? Ryoji thinks about the man he encountered the other day… “Maybe not tonight, we really pushed ourselves last time. It’d be best to rest before returning.”

At this, Junpei sighs and nods his head, “Whatever you say, I know I’m ready to go.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Just before Ryoji leaves, he pulls out his phone, “Wait, could you please give me your phone number?”

“Woah! Check it out!” He grins and eagerly takes his phone, “This is pretty sweet! Lemme put my number in real quick.”

He waits patiently as Junpei enters in his information to his phone. The sound of approaching footsteps causes him to look up. Mitsuru and Akihiko, who were just sitting over by the couches, now stand at the table.

“Forgive me for not asking last night,” She begins, “It would be beneficial for us to all have a means of long distance contact.”

Once he gets his phone back, Ryoji immediately offers it to the other two, “You don’t need to have a reason, I would’ve asked you eventually!”

“My point still stands. It’s best if we have many ways of transferring information.” 

Akihiko takes the phone from Mitsuru after she’s done, “I don’t use my cell often. If you need something, just call me.”

Now, with everyone’s contact information, his contacts list looks less barren. “Thank you, I promise to not be too much of a bother.”

“What’re you bein’ so formal for?” Junpei pats his shoulder, “We’re all friends here, aren’t we?”

“Oh, yes… You’re right. Okay then, I promise to be as bothersome as possible!”

“That’s the spirit!”

Mitsuru cracks a smile, “If only you were this enthusiastic about your academics, Iori.”

“Heyyy!”

“Speaking of academics,” Ryoji disengages from the group and heads towards the stairs, “I’ve got some homework to complete tonight. I’ll see you all tomorrow!”

April 25, 2009 – Early Morning– Full Moon: 14 Days (New Moon)

Seeing Hitomi and her friend by the gates has become a regular part of his mornings. Even though he knows it’s impolite to eavesdrop, Ryoji does it anyway. 

“Oh hey, you know the bookstore at the strip mall,” Her friend begins, “Isn’t their grand reopening today?”

“Huh? A bookstore?”

“Yeah, it’s right by Wildduck.” She shakes her head, “Seriously, Hitomi, we’ve been at this school for a while… You should explore more often.”

“Only if you go with me.” Hitomi links her arm around her friends, “It’s so boring when I’m on my own!”

Ryoji watches the two girls walk away as the first bell rings. A bookstore? I’ll check it out later…

April 25, 2009 – After School – Full Moon: 14 Days (New Moon)

Much to his dismay, Ryoji had forgotten that track doesn’t meet on Saturdays. This does present the opportunity to visit the bookstore he’d heard about earlier that day. He hops off the train and makes his way over to the mall. In the strip mall by Wildduck. But… I’ve never heard of a place called that. Is there another strip mall I don’t know about?

His question is answered almost instantly as he looks up to read the bright orange sign above the building he’s standing in front of, “Oh, there it is…” Ryoji looks through the glass and sees the busy interior. It becomes more obvious that this is a fast food restaurant, and a popular one at that. There are so many people inside, he can hardly make out any details. Ryoji even sees a few of his classmates seated at the tables. 

But, that’s not what he came here for, “Come on, focus!” Ryoji looks to his left and spots a tiny little shop named “Bookworms Used Books.” As he gets closer, he sees several mountains of books set up around the building. It’s harder to find the door than anything, Ryoji narrowly avoids knocking down a stack of books in the process.

The interior of the bookstore is even more shocking. It appears as if books are bursting from the very walls of the store. And in the epicenter of it all… Is a small, elderly couple. Once the two take notice of Ryoji’s presence, they turn to face him. The older man, hunched over with his pipe, greeted him first, “Welcome. What would you like today? We have fresh mackerel!”

“F-Fresh Mackerel?” Ryoji is wildly caught off guard. Fish? In a bookstore?! He keeps a polite smile on his face as he responds, “No thank you, I’m just looking around for now.”

The elderly woman somberly shakes her head, “… Sorry, as you can see, we don’t sell fish here.”

“Hey, you’re a student, aren’t you?” The man blurts out, “You must be from Gekkoukan High, right? That means you’ve probably seen the persimmon tree there…”

It’s hard to get a word in with the man, “A persimmon tree? At Gekkoukan?”

“Do you think I’m making this up?!” He jabs his pipe at him, “I’m serious! It was planted beside a walkway in a courtyard at the school.”

 “I’m sorry. He’s rambling on like an old man… Just ignore him.”

The atmosphere feels a little tense for Ryoji’s liking. He starts to back up out of the store, “I see… Well, I’ll be on my way then. Apologies for causing such a commotion, ma’am.”

Now that he’s out of that stuffy room, Ryoji has a chance to breathe. Something about that tree seems to be important to the couple. That man was insistent about the existence of the tree. If it’s at school… He probably still has time to go find it.

… 

By the time he gets back to school, most of the students have already left for the day. It’s almost unsettling walking through the empty halls. Through his search for this tree, Ryoji became very acquainted with the layout of the campus. He didn’t even think to go down different hallways.

His search comes to an end as he locates the small tree. It’s in a small grassy area with a bench placed off to the side. Ryoji was surprised to find that there was a student occupying that bench. Her short, teal hair made her almost impossible to miss. The girl’s head snaps up as she hears his footsteps approaching. For some reason, she looks almost afraid as she watches him. Ryoji offers a friendly wave, which seems to ease some of the tension in her body. He decides to focus on his original task, letting the anxious-looking girl be for now. 

… 

“Welcome to Bookworms.” The old man greets Ryoji again when he returns back to the store, “How many guests? Smoking or non-smoking?”

“No thank you, sir.” Ryoji holds up a single leaf instead. He’d picked it off of the tree, bringing it back as evidence of the man’s claim. “I went back to Gekkoukan and–”

“– Oh! Is this a leaf from the persimmon tree?” The man’s eyes hold an almost childlike joy in them, “It must have grown quite a bit to produce such splendid leaves!”

The elderly woman also shuffles a bit closer to get a better look at the leaf, “… Wait, so you didn’t come here to buy books? Did you come here just to show us this?”

“Well… Yes.” Ryoji places the leaf into her hands, “It’s why I came back.”

“I knew it!” The man cheers, “I knew right from the start that you’re a kind young man!”

“O-Oh, you did? Thank you, sir…” He adjusts his scarf as he listens to the man’s praise.

“I’ve been meaning to go see that tree for a while now, but I’m not sure if these stumpy old legs will make it that far… That wasn’t meant to be a pun. You know, ‘stumpy,’ ‘tree stump.’ Catch my drift?”

“Very clever, dear.” She smiles at the man.

“Allow me to introduce my wife, Mitsuko.” He uses his free hand to gesture to her before gesturing to himself, “I’m Bunkichi. If you don’t mind, would you tell us your name?”
Ryoji nods and bows his head, “Ryoji Mochizuki, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“So that’s your name…” Bunkichi hums thoughtfully to himself, “Then we’ll call you Ryoji-chan from now on!”

“I am thou, thou art I… Thou hast established a new bond… Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Hierophant Arcana.”

Ryoji barely manages to keep himself still as Kotone’s clear voice startles him once more. Will this happen every time I meet new people? … Hopefully it’s not as bad next time… “Thank you both, I’ll be sure to visit you again soon.”

Mitsuko nods her head and slowly waves him off, “Yes, it is getting dark outside. You best be off now. We’re open every day except Sunday.”

April 25, 2009 – Evening – Full Moon: 14 Days (New Moon)

Ryoji returns to the dorms a little later than he’d anticipated. He’d opted to walk around the strip mall before deciding to head back. When he opens the door, Akihiko’s face is the first thing he sees, “Ah! You startled me…”

“Where have you been?” He crosses his arms, giving him a stern look. 

“How long have you been standing there…?”

“Since I’m injured, you better be training. If anything happens, it’s on you guys to deal with.” 

“I know.” Ryoji attempts to step past him, “There’s nothing to worry about, really.”

He’s stopped by Akihiko’s arm, “Now wait just a moment, it’s been a few nights since we’ve last been to Tartarus. You’re not thinking of skipping tonight, are you?”

“Um… Maybe?”

April 25, 2009 – Dark Hour – Full Moon: 14 Days (New Moon)

The teleporter sends the expedition team to the floor they left off on. Previously, Mitsuru had mentioned a dangerous Shadow lay ahead. The room that the enemy is in has a different appearance to it. It’s only a single corridor that leads to a spacious arena. 

“Everyone, stay sharp.” Mitsuru’s voice crackles in their heads, “I’ve observed that every few floors, you’ll encounter a powerful foe blocking your way. These ‘Gatekeepers,’ as we’ll call them, aren’t simply going to let you pass–you’ll need to be prepared for a real fight. Are we ready to engage in battle?”

“Thank you, Mitsuru, for the information.” Ryoji leads his friends up the staircase to face their opponent, “We’re heading in, please keep us updated.”

“Understood. There’s no shame in retreating if this proves to be too challenging.”

Junpei swings his sword, warming up for the upcoming fight, “Nah, we got this, it’ll be a total breeze!”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Yukari shakes her head, “We’re ready, leader.”

With that, the three readies their Evokers and enter the arena. The Shadows do give off a more imposing feeling to them. There are two smaller white hand Shadows that flank the main target. A large, spiked wheel with a lion’s head and tail roars at Ryoji’s team. 

“Orpheus!” Ryoji pulls the trigger on his Evoker first. He recognizes that the Shadow hands are especially weak to fire. Ignoring the way the creature screeches, he targets the second one, unleashing another burst of flames. 

“Two enemies have been knocked down!” Mitsuru calls out. 

Yukari follows up with a few well aimed arrows into one of the hands, killing it on the spot. The second one is able to get up, but it’s not long before Hermes swoops in to bisect it. 

“Aw yeah!” Junpei cheers at his win, “Did ya see that?!”

Ryoji smiles for a split moment before catching a blur of movement headed straight towards Junpei. “Watch out!” He hurls himself at him, knocking him over. The next moment is filled with a blinding pain as the wheel’s tail slams into Ryoji’s side. He is flung across the floor, but he hardly feels the impact of the ground in comparison. A searing pain spreads through his right ribcage, no doubt bones have been broken. He can’t even breathe as he watches Yukari and Junpei continue to fight. 

“What happened?!” Mitsuru’s voice feels muddled through his pain. “Is someone able to heal Mochizuki?”

“Working on it!” Yukari runs around the arena, trying to keep the Shadow’s attention on her. Junpei is struggling to stand, but he’s able to fire his Evoker again. Hermes lands another strike on the wheel before Junpei is able to get his footing again, “I’ve got this, go help him!”

Ryoji hears the sound of Yukari’s Persona being summoned, and a few moments later, the pain subsides. Feeling his bones being mended is rather unpleasant, but it certainly beats being dead. He reaches for his own Evoker laying next to him, “O… Orpheus!” With another pull of the trigger, his Persona launches into the fight again. One last attack from it is able to bring down the Shadow. 

With the battle now over, he continues to lay on the cold floor. Part of him still hurts from the attack he took, just significantly less. Ryoji feels Junpei’s hands trying to help him sit up again. He takes solace in knowing that his teammates are relatively unharmed.

“What were you thinkin’?” Junpei checks him for any other injuries, “You shoulda just let me get hit.”

“No… What if it hit your head?” With their assistance, Ryoji is able to stand up again. “You would have died…”

“Yeah but– nevermind– thank you…”

“Of course, it’s the least I could do.”

Yukari pinches Ryoji’s arm, “Stop that. What in the world is ‘least’ about almost killing yourself?”
“Ow! Hey…” He laughs quietly, reaching over to pinch her arm too. Which earns his hand a light smack. “You did a good job at keeping it distracted.”

“What else was I supposed to do?”

“It seems like everyone is doing alright,” Mitsuru chimes in, “Mochizuki, do you feel well enough to continue? We still have plenty of time before the Dark Hour ends.”

Ryoji picks up his sledgehammer from where he dropped it. Now that his injuries are healed, he’s feeling a lot better about continuing, “I’m alright! We’re going to keep moving.”

??? ???, ???– ??? – Full Moon: ??? Days ???

“Ah, there you are. Welcome to the Velvet Room.”

The last thing Ryoji remembers is returning from the 11th floor. There was another Gatekeeper, so he made the decision to return to the ground floor to regroup. One thing led to another, and now he’s back in the Velvet Room. Igor and Kotone are still in the same spots as last time. 

Igor continues speaking to him, “I suppose it’s time for me to explain what I really do here. It’s my job to create new Personas. But, in order to do so, I must fuse your Persona cards together… In other words, I shall merge them into a single Persona. The number of Personas you have buried within you is approximately 170… We’ve never seen a visitor with this many possibilities before.”

“170?” Ryoji can hardly believe his ears. He still only has Orpheus, Pixie, and Jack Frost available to him. “You’re saying I’ve barely scratched the surface?”

The ever-smiling man nods his head, “Indeed… If you establish Social Links, you may be able to create even stronger Personas too… This should prove to be veeeery interesting.”

“Social Links… Is that when I hear Kotone?” He looks at the attendant standing to Igor’s side.

“Correct!” She shuts her book and makes direct eye contact with him, “When you establish a bond, it unlocks more possibilities for you.”

“I see… Please don’t take this personally, but is there a way to maybe.. Tone down your voice?” Ryoji carefully poses this question to her. Despite his tone, much to his horror, it sounds like she’s about to cry.

“You don’t like my voice?” She covers her face with a hand. 

Ryoji sits up in his chair, “Wait! No! That’s not what I meant–”

“– Master Igor… I don’t like this guest very much. May I dispose of him?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

It really doesn’t help Ryoji’s nerves when Igor doesn’t answer with an immediate ‘no.’ “We will do no such thing, besides, it’s not often we get guests with such potential.”

“Aww…” Kotone reveals that she was never upset at all. In fact, there’s a wide grin on her face, “I was just joking! I’ll try to make it less intrusive for you, okay?”

“Okay, uh, thank you…” 

“Are you ready to fuse your Personas?” She flips through her book before stopping on a certain page. “Looks like you only have three as of now. Your Orpheus and Pixie can fuse into Asparas!”
Fuse my Personas to create a new one? Ryoji shakes his head, “I can’t do that. How could I ever say goodbye to them?”

“They won’t be gone forever! Once a Persona is registered in my compendium, you can get them back at any time.”

“Really? Do you promise?”

“Yes, all it takes is a small fee.”

“Maybe not this time, sorry.” The idea of giving up any of his current Personas is out of the question, especially not Orpheus. “I think I should probably go now, my friends are waiting for me.”

“Until next time, farewell!”

April 25, 2009 – Dark Hour – Full Moon: 14 Days (New Moon)

He closes the Velvet Room door behind him as he steps back into Tartarus. Junpei and Yukari are relaxing on the staircase, while Akihiko and Mitsuru appear to be deep into discussion among themselves. Ryoji approaches the latter, waiting for them to finish their conversation, “Excuse me, sorry, I have a quick question.”

“Go ahead,” Mitsuru turns her attention to him. He always finds it a little intimidating to meet her icy gaze…

“Do we still have enough time to fight the Gatekeeper?”

She closes her eyes, focusing on something only she can sense, “… Yes, but I wouldn’t recommend engaging right now. This foe is more dangerous than the last one.”

“I see, thank you.” Ryoji can still feel the phantom pain from the attack he took earlier. It’s not as bad as it was initially, but it did slow them all down. Luckily, the rest of the team hadn’t yet sustained an injury like that. 

“Mochizuki, do not try to rush.” Her voice comes out as more of a warning than anything. “If you need to take a break, that is perfectly alright.”

“I know…” Ryoji sighs, “You’re right, we should go back.” 

April 26, 2009 – Early Morning – Full Moon: 13 Days

If it weren’t for his phone ringing, Ryoji felt tired enough to have slept until the middle of the day. He doesn’t even remember the walk back to the dorm, or even laying down. The SEES armband is still pinned to his shirt. Ryoji groggily reaches for his phone, and only by a miracle does he actually find it. He opens it up and answers the call, “… Hello…?”

“Yo, It’s Junpei! You got a minute?”

“Oh, good morning… I’m listening.”

“Do you wanna hang out today?”

“Uh…” Ryoji rubs the sleep from his eyes before responding, “Yes, what time would you like to meet?”

“Sweet! I was thinking we could meet in front of the strip mall at noon. How’s that sound?”

“It sounds like a plan, I’ll see you there.”

“See you!” Junpei then ends the call. At least he seems excited to hang out soon.

By the time Ryoji drags himself out of bed, he only has 30 minutes to get ready. He opens his closet to survey his options. It’s limited to his school uniform and a few other shirts for a complete look. A few minutes of deliberation later, Ryoji settles on grabbing his bomber jacket off the hanger. Before leaving, he checks his appearance in the mirror. He’d got so used to seeing himself in his uniform, the idea of wearing other clothes hadn’t even crossed his mind. The bruise on his forehead had mostly healed by now, “Hmm…” How come it hadn’t been healed by Yukari’s Persona? It was able to fix his broken bones, but not a little bruise? That also reminds him of Akihiko’s injured shoulder… Are there certain conditions to be healed?

April 26, 2009 – Daytime – Full Moon: 13 Days

By the time he gets to the Iwotodai strip mall, Junpei is already waiting for him outside of Wildduck, “Hey dude! What’s goin’ on?”

“Well, I just woke up when you called.” Ryoji admits, “How are you? I hope you didn’t have to wait too long.”

“Me? I’m fine, I was already out anyway. And who better to spend the day with than my buddy?” He pats him on the back before pushing him towards the doors, “Now come on, let’s get some lunch!” 

Entering the restaurant felt like stepping into another world. Despite how busy it is, there’s something almost ethereal about it. The colors remind him of the interior of a hard-boiled egg. Junpei and Ryoji stand in line, waiting for their chance to order. 

“So, dude, do ya know what you’re gettin’?” 

“I don’t know…” Ryoji shrugs his shoulders. “I’ve never eaten any of this before.”

“Huh?! Seriously? Not even a hamburger?”

“Haam-bah-gar?”

“No, no, like this: ‘Ham-buh-ger.’ It’s German.” 

“… Ham-bug-ar?” Ryoji tries again. It’s kind of a fun word to say out loud. “Hambugar!”

He sighs and gives him a thumbs up, “Close enough, it can also just be called a ‘burger’ for short.”

“Wow, I didn’t know you could speak German!”

“Uh… I don’t… WAIT! It’s almost our turn.”

Sure enough, they’re next in line to order, “I’ll just get what you’re having. If it’s something you like, I’m sure it’ll be good!”

“That is true,” he nods his head thoughtfully, “Alright, go find us a table to sit at while I order. I’ll meet you there.”

“Okay! Thank you!” Ryoji steps away from Junpei and begins looking around the crowded restaurant as per his request. After some searching, he manages to secure a booth by one of the far walls. Ryoji sits down on the orange cushion and keeps an eye out for his friend. There are a handful of students from Gekkoukan dispersed throughout the tables. Most of the patrons happen to fall within that age bracket, with only a few exceptions. There’s some families dining here as well. He doesn’t mean to stare, but an unpleasant feeling rises in his chest. Ryoji places a hand over his heart, trying to ease this painful emotion…

“Hey, are you alright?” Junpei sets down a tray of food in front of him. There’s a concerned look on his face, “Something botherin’ you?”

Ryoji blinks, adjusting himself back to the present situation, “Hm? Sorry, I’m fine, no need to worry.” He quickly shifts his focus to the food in front of him, “This looks so good! Are these the ‘hamburgers’ you mentioned earlier?”

“Sure are!” He takes his seat across from him, “I’m still so confused how you haven’t had one. Seriously, have you been living under a rock or somethin’?”

Ryoji watches how Junpei handles the burger before mimicking him. He picks it up in his hands and takes a bite. This… This tastes really good! It takes him a moment to realize that he was asked a question. The way Junpei phrased that… Does he know? Should I tell him? Ryoji stares at the burger, “Um, this would be a good time to tell you…”

“Tell me?” Junpei laughs awkwardly, “Whatddya mean?”

“I… Well, I don’t remember things very well.” He hesitantly states.

“What? So, you have amnesia or somethin’?”

“That’s the only explanation for it. My memories from before this school year are all gone.” It surprises him how difficult it is to admit this. 

Junpei leans back against the cushion of the booth, shocked. “Y-You’re serious? But, you don’t act like one. Like, sure you’re a little…” He pauses and shakes his head, “But, amnesia? Dude… That’s intense.”

He’s not too sure what that pause was supposed to imply, and maybe it’s best he doesn’t. Ryoji just nods his head, “I don’t understand it myself, it’s just something I have to live with.”

“You don’t? Wait, didn’t your parents tell you or something?”

“Maybe, but if they did, I don’t remember.” He looks down at the tray. “Unfortunately, I also have no way of speaking to them.”

“No way… So you’re just totally on your own here?” Junpei goes quiet after this, thinking to himself. “Have you tried askin’ Ikutski about it?”

“The Chairman? Why would I do that?”

“I mean, he probably has to have a way of contactin’ our parents. We are staying under his care after all.” He awkwardly scratches the back of his neck, “I dunno though, it’s probably a dumb idea…”

“No, I think that’s a very good idea! Thank you, Junpei.”

“Y-You think so? I mean– Of course it’s a good idea! Some might even call it a great idea.” His eyes light up and he snaps his fingers, “You know, this could be kinda fun!”

“Which part?” Ryoji doesn’t think any of this is particularly enjoyable. He couldn’t even remember his own name for a bit.

“You probably don’t know much about movies, do you?”

“Yes, that is correct.” Where is he going with this?

 “I was thinkin’ about takin’ you to the cinema sometime.”

“The cinema… Why would you do that?” 

“You’re totally missin’ out on all the good movies!” He proudly pats his own chest. “What kinda friend would I be if I didn’t show you?”

Ryoji feels a flicker of something, it’s like a weight is slowly lifted from his heart. “What if I end up forgetting everything again?”
“Then that gives me another opportunity to take you back!” 

“Oh…” 

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, don’t worry.” He assures him with a smile, “Thank you, I look forward to when we can go to the cinema.”

April 26, 2009 – Evening– Full Moon: 13 Days

Ever since they returned from Wildduck, Junpei has been playing movies for Ryoji. Most (if not all) of the films fall under the “action” category. There’s even a decent amount of foreign films in his collection. It’s a bit hard to watch the violent scenes, but he sticks it out. He feels better knowing that Junpei is having fun though.  It’d only been around a week since Ryoji last visited Junpei’s room. Yet, by some unfathomable reason, one would think it’d been years. Food wrappers litter the floor, and clothes are strewn with reckless abandon. The only somewhat decent spot is Junpei’s bed, and even that is in a debatable state. He almost wonders if this is a secret floor of Tartarus. There’s no way this place is habitable!

It’s gotten dark out, the light from the TV screen is the only source of illumination in the room. Ryoji can feel himself starting to get tired as he sits next to Junpei, who’s very much still wide awake. Seeing the end credits for the film start to roll gives Ryoji the opportunity he’d been looking for, “Hey, Junpei…”

“Yeah? What’s up?” He’d already been in the process of opening another DVD case.

“It’s getting a bit late, don’t you think?” 

April 26, 2009 – Dark Hour– Full Moon: 12 Days

“Maybe…” Junpei sighs and puts the DVD back. “Jeez, it’s already Dark Hour? Sorry for takin’ up your whole day, man.”

“It’s fine, I like spending time with you.” He stretches his arms out and stands up. It’d been a long day of just watching movies, but Ryoji feels exhausted. “I wouldn’t be opposed to doing this again.”

“Nice! We can totally do this whenever.” Junpei sighs, “Man, wish we coulda gone to Tartarus tonight…”

“You do?”

“Yeah! Who doesn’t want to go beat up some Shadows?”

“I guess… But doesn’t it feel like we’re intruding on their habitat?” 

Even in the dark, Ryoji can still see the confusion on Junpei’s face, “You’re still on about that? Come on, man, those things are monsters.”

“I’m aware,” his shoulders slump, “It’s so hard listening to their screams…”

“It’s not so bad. Plus, you gotta think about this: Killin’ these Shadows means we’re savin’ other people.” Junpei pats Ryoji’s back, “So cheer up, we’re real-life heroes!”

He smiles halfheartedly, “R-Right… Heroes.” 

“That’s the spirit!” His hand tightens on his shoulder, “You know, if you’re not up to bein’ the leader, I can take over.”

“Um…” 

“You can trust me, right? We’re buddies, you know I can do this!”

In some ways, Ryoji is tempted to agree with him. Would it really be so bad to let Junpei take the role? He opens his mouth to say, “No, I can’t do that.” That’s strange, why aren’t I saying yes? “This role was entrusted to me by our seniors, I trust in their reasoning.”

Junpei’s hand falls away from his shoulder with a heavy sigh, “It’s not like they wouldn’t understand. We’ve all seen how you fight… Without Orpheus, you’re practically a sittin’ duck.”

“I’ve gotten better.” Ryoji wants to bring up the incident from when they fought the Gatekeeper, but decides against it. “They believe in my abilities, so I will not let them down. I’m sorry, Junpei.”

“No need to act tough, there’s no shame in admitting when you can’t do somethin’.”

He takes a few steps towards the door, “How about we get some rest and talk about this another time? We’re both tired, and if I’m not mistaken, today is Monday.”

“Oh crap! It is!” Junpei frantically picks up the calendar from his desk, “I don’t wanna wake up early…”

Ryoji returns to his own empty room shortly after wishing Junpei goodnight. Going from the disaster zone of a space to this is odd. It looks nothing like the bedrooms he saw in the films… He lays in his bed, but unable to sleep. Something bothers him about what Junpei had said previously. Does everyone else think that way too?

Exhausted, Ryoji sits up and looks at the shelf behind him. It’s not as empty as it was a week ago. He has his phone, the receipt from Chagall, Yukari’s pocketknife, the SEES armband, and his Evoker. Ryoji’s eyes focus on the Evoker, eventually picking it up.

Ryoji aims it at the pocketknife, “Persona.” 

Nothing happens. 

“Persona.” He pulls the trigger on himself, and Orpheus emerges in a burst of light. It seems almost confused as it hovers in the air above him. Does something have to be alive in order to activate it? I wonder if I can use this on a Shadow…

Now that he has a better look at it, Ryoji can’t help but find it odd, almost uncanny. It looks so close to himself, but at the same time, unfamiliar. Orpheus’ white hair is longer than Ryoji’s, the bangs nearly obscure its right eye. Obviously, there are inhuman elements to it, especially in the legs. “It’s good that you can fly, because I imagine it’d be hard to walk, huh?” Calling those things “legs” would be a disservice. It’s more like two cylinders attached to the main body. 

Orpheus just blankly stares back at him in complete silence. Ryoji’s ears pick up on a soft frequency that the Persona emits. He’d never noticed that before, granted, Tartarus is not exactly the ideal spot for something like this. Ryoji aims the Evoker at Orpheus, “Persona.” 

Nothing happens and it seems like Orpheus has had enough of this. It fades away, seeing that there’s no present danger. For a moment, when Ryoji had looked into its eyes, it felt like someone else was staring right back.

April 27, 2009 – Early Morning – Full Moon: 12 Days

The pair of gossiping girls weren’t by the front gate this time, Ryoji found them by the shoe lockers. He stays on the other side, not wanting to get caught.

“Ugh, can you believe it?” 

“Believe what?” Hitomi questions.

“Kirijo’s speech last week was so good, our principal wants to do another…”

“Seriously?!”

“It’s so embarrassing, right?” She giggles, “Imagine getting jealous and competing against a student at his age!”

Hitomi sighs, “Why do we have to suffer because of his ego?”

…

A teacher from another class stands at the podium onstage, “We’ll now begin this morning’s assembly. First, our principal has some words he’d like to share with you. Please give him a warm welcome.”

“Thank you,” the school president takes the stage and prepares to speak.

“What’s the deal with the assembly?” Yukari’s voice whispers from behind Ryoji, “You think it’s about the recent incidents?”

Junpei gives a half hearted shrug, “Beats me, he shouldn’t even know about the Shadows or anything. I just hope this doesn’t take too long…”

“Ugh, I know… His speeches always drag.”

The Principal clears his throat before beginning, “Today, I’d like to tell you all about my, um, vision for this school year. As you are aware, strange incidents have been reported on the news lately. It is my firm belief that none of you are involved. However, if we want to better our school, then we need to accept responsibility for change. Dig deep down inside, and tap into your imaginations. But don’t lose touch with reality. As they say, ‘There’s no use in crying over spilt milk.’ This is the key to reaping all the rewards that school has to offer…”

“Wait a minute… Doesn’t this remind you of Mitsuru’s speech?” Yukari murmurs to them.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Junpei scratches his head, “What’s up with that?!”

April 27, 2009 – Lunchtime – Full Moon: 12 Days

Ryoji sits at his desk during the lunch hour, eating the remainder of his stash. He figures he’ll buy something different next time, just to change it up a bit. The apple strudel has had an iron grip on him since Yukari first bought it for him. “I know it hurts… It’s not you, it’s me.” Ryoji mumbles to the half eaten strudel.

“Mochizuki?” Mitsuru stands by his desk.

Oh… How long has she been there? “Yes? How may I help?”

“I’m sorry if I’m… interrupting, but I need to talk to you after school. I have a special request for you.”

“A request? For me? How fun!”

“Yes, I apologize for being in a rush,” she continues, “I don’t feel comfortable asking anyone else. I’ll tell you more about it after school, okay? Au revoir.”

Ryoji waves goodbye as she leaves. He looks back at his strudel, “She’s always coming and going so quickly… I wish I could talk to her for longer.”

April 27, 2009 – Afternoon – Full Moon: 12 Days

Math class or –as Junpei calls it– nap time is one of the only subjects Ryoji struggles with. He can understand the formulas, but the moment he’s left to solve it on his own… It gets a bit tough. Even still, he’s in a much better spot than his unfortunate friend who struggles with basic arithmetic. Ryoji looks up from his textbook to find that Junpei isn’t even on the right page.

“Alright, let’s review quadratic functions. You all remember those, don’t you? Sometimes the graph will be a parabola, or sometimes a hyperbola. Well,they’re certainly beautiful curves… But they can’t measure up to parabolic and hyperbolic spirals!” Ms. Miyahara is on another one of her tangents. She takes a piece of chalk and begins to draw four different spirals on the board. Ryoji only recognizes one of them from the lesson. “Now, Iori–”

“Huh?! Me?”

 “– Which of the following is not an algebraic spiral?”

“Hold on, how the heck am I supposed to know something like that?!” Junpei buried his face in his hands, defeated, “Ryoji… Please…”

“Um… It should be the first spiral.” 

“It’s the first spiral!” Junpei sits up to answer.

“Correct! Well done.” Ms. Miyahara points to the correct answer, “This is a logarithmic spiral. When the golden ratio is the growth factor, it’s called the golden spiral…” She continues to talk about the different properties of the spirals. 

“The way it spirals kinda reminds me of Tartarus…” Junpei mutters, “What, just me? Anyways, thanks for your help, dude!”

Ryoji can hear his classmates faintly whispering about him. It sounds like they’re impressed that he got it correct. 

April 27, 2009 – After School – Full Moon: 12 Days

At the end of the day, he waits outside 2-F for Mitsuru. He isn’t waiting for too long, as the clicking of her boots gets closer.

“I apologize for making you wait.”

Ryoji stops leaning against the wall and shakes his head, “No worries, I understand.”

She crosses her arms, “To make the long story short, I want you to join Student Council.”

“Me? … Thank you, but why me?”

“Because of your leadership ability,” Mitsuru explains, “Being President is very time consuming. I’d like to have additional help available in the event of an emergency.”

“I see…”

“You understand my situation. I’m asking you since you know what it’s like to be a leader. Will you accept?”

“Of course, I’d love to do anything I can to help.” He doesn’t have to think too hard about his answer. Ryoji can only imagine how stressful it’d be in her position. 

Her shoulders ever so slightly lower when she hears his response, “I knew I could count on you… I’ve already filed and approved your student council membership on your behalf. But you’ll have to go to the faculty office to sign everything.”

“I’ll go as soon as I can, thank you.” 

“I’m sorry for making arrangements without your permission, but I do hope you can understand. I’ll be waiting for you in the Student Council Room.”

The moment Mitsuru walked away, Ryoji immediately went to the Faculty Office. Inside, he sees Ms. Toriumi sitting at the desk. She looks up once she hears him enter the room, “Oh, Ryoji. Can I help you?”

“Excuse me, I’m interested in joining the Student Council.”

“Yes, I heard from Mitsuru.” She digs through a stack of papers to pull out a page for him. “All you need to do is read this and sign here.”

Ryoji takes the paper, doesn’t read, and uses a random pen to sign his name. Once he’s done, he hands the page back to Ms. Toriumi. 

She raises her eyebrow as she accepts the paper, “… Well that was fast… Alright then, leave the rest to me. Good luck in Student Council.”

… 

After he’d completed the signing, Ryoji went to participate in track. Just like she’d said, Yuko had prepared a track uniform for him. Against everyone’s wishes, Ryoji still wore his scarf as he ran with the others. It’s not like it changes much for him either way. He’s cleared 15 floors in Tartarus with a worse outfit, this is nothing in comparison. 

Once the meet is over, Ryoji finds Kazushi clutching his side. Based on his expression, something isn’t right, “Are you alright?”

“My side is killing me…” He straightens up, but it’s clear he’s still hurting.

“It is? Did you do something to it?” 

“Ugh… I don’t know, it’s whatever.” Kazushi waves off his concern. He’s still breathing rather hard as he speaks, “… How ‘bout you? You okay? You’ve been pushing the pace…”

Ryoji shrugs, it’s much better to be running for fun. “I’m alright, just hungry.”

“You don’t even look tired… Wh-What kind of training have you been doing?”

“Uh, it’s super special and super secret.” 

“That’s what I thought. Or else… I wouldn’t be like this…” He laughs, “Ryoji, You’re crazy. This is your first meet, and you destroyed me.”

“My bad…”

“I knew the Bay Area competition would be tough, but I never expected going up against someone like you…” Kazushi finally catches his breath, looking more resolute, “I’ve made up my mind! Ryoji! One day, I’m going to beat you!”

What have I done… “I’ll be looking forward to that day.”

His enthusiasm turns into guilt, “Sorry… I shouldn’t get so worked up over it. Let’s get go–Ugh!” Kazushi abruptly collapses to the floor, holding his knee.

Ryoji kneels down, worried, “Kazushi?!”

“Ow… My knee. I think I twisted it…” 

Much to his shock, his teammate pushes through the pain to stand up again. Ryoji also gets back to his feet, “Should we go to the nurse?”

“Nah, sorry… Let’s just go.” Kazushi walks past him, uninterested in pursuing that conversation. 

Just as Ryoji is about to leave the campus, he spots Yuko by the shoe lockers in the main lobby. He decides to talk to her, after all, it’s better if he is familiar with all of the team. “Hey, Yuko! How are you?”

“Hm? Oh, Ryoji.” She acknowledges him with a nod, “What’s up?”

“I was just wondering if you wanted to walk with me.”

“Nah, I’m in a hurry today. Bye-bye.”

“O-Oh! … Bye-bye.” Ryoji waves at her as she briskly exits the school. 

April 27, 2009 – Evening – Full Moon: 12 Days

Before going back to the dorms, Ryoji stopped at a few vending machines. He’d noticed them on his usual route, but never actually took the opportunity to use one… It was a bit of a disaster for him. He had to call Yukari and have her explain to him how it works. Now, no vending machines will know a moment of peace again.

“Yo, dude!” Junpei sits on the couch with Mitsuru and Akihiko, “Heard you might be joinin’ the student council.”

“Yes, I signed the papers earlier today.”

“Seriously? … Kirijo, don’t you think this guy has too many ‘leadership’ things?”

Mitsuru doesn’t even look up from her teacup, “It’s good to be productive with your time. Correct, Iori?”

“R-Right…” 

He continues on his way to the second floor, to where his room is. But, Ryoji has other plans before he rests for the night. He knocks on Yukari’s door, “Open up, I’ve got something for you!”

A few moments later, she opens her door, “Hm? What is it?”

“Gifts!” Ryoji reveals a NasTea he bought at the machine, “Thank you for helping me earlier. I thought you might like this.”

“Oh, you didn’t need to get me anything… But I appreciate it.” She accepts his offering. 

“Well, I wanted to, so I did!”

“You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told.” He steps away from her door, “Have a good night, Yukari!”

“Goodnight, Ryoji.” 

April 28, 2009 – Early Morning – Full Moon: 11 Days

Looks like those two aren’t here today either, maybe they’re by the shoe lockers again? Ryoji wanders around, looking for his daily source of news. His search is interrupted as he hears Mitsuru call his name. 

“Good morning… Have you gotten acclimated to our school yet?” She inquires.

“Yes, I believe I have. It wasn’t too difficult to get into the routine.”

“I see. Your ability to adapt to new situations and environments is impressive. By the way, there’s something I forgot to tell you…”

“What is it?”

“Most times, you can find me in the lounge. However, I won’t be there if there is something I must attend to.” Mitsuru explains, “On those days, we will not be exploring Tartarus.”

“I understand.” Ryoji silently wonders how far they would even get without her navigation… Her connection has started to get spotty the higher they get. Is it even safe to continue exploring like this?

April 28, 2009 – After School – Full Moon: 11 Days

The school day passes by without incident. He’d been mainly preoccupied with deciding what to do with the rest of his day. Ryoji knows he’ll want to go back to Tartarus soon, but that’s not until later… He passes by Kenji and gets an idea… “Good afternoon, how are you today?”

“Hey, ‘sup dude? I’m gonna head out soon. How ‘bout you?”

“I’m good, I was just wondering if you’d want to hang out today.”

“For real? Sure!” Kenji stands up from his desk excitedly, “Then let’s go get ramen again. I wanna hear more about you, too.”

… 

 Ryoji takes care not to burn his tongue like he did last time. The flavors of the dish really come out when you can actually taste it. Ramen, conceptually, is simple. This simplicity is not a negative, in fact, it acts as a stable base. Allowing a near infinite amount of combinations and flavors.

Kenji finishes his ramen before he does, “Man, this always hits the spot. This flavor’s pretty addictive, huh?”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Ryoji is reluctant to finish his bowl. It would mean the end of such delicious food… 

“Hey, dude, your dorm’s co-ed, right?”

“Yes, it is. Why do you ask?”

“So, can you go into Yukari’s room and stuff?”

“Only if she lets me.” He’s starting to wonder what Kenji’s fixation on Yukari comes from. She’s come up a little too frequently… 

Kenji’s eyes widened in shock, “A-Are you trying to say there’s something going on between you two?”

“Why would there be? Is it so hard to believe that we are friends?” 

“Well, I’m not interested in girls her age, anyway.”

Ryoji stops moving the moment he hears that, “Sorry, I don’t think I understand…”

“I’m more into older women,” he so casually admits, “How ‘bout you?”

He has to admit, he’s not very knowledgeable when it comes to romance… But something about this really doesn’t feel right. What am I supposed to do here? Ryoji coughs awkwardly, “I haven’t given it much thought before.”

“Come on, dude… You gotta put yourself out there more! You’ll end up wasting your good looks.” Kenji laughs. There’s a long stretch of silence that follows before he starts talking again. “Okay… To tell you the truth, I–wait, this is just between us, okay?”

“I’m listening.” He can’t imagine what could possibly come next…

He leans closer and lowers his voice to a whisper. Kenji even makes sure that none of the other customers are listening in by chance. “I have my eyes on someone. This is the ‘secret plan’ I was talking about. I’m going to ask her out. Not that it’s a big deal or anything. Well, I guess it is a big deal since she’s a teacher at our school.”

“K-Kenji…” Ryoji doesn’t want to be rude, but this can’t be a good idea. 

“I want you to be there when I ask her out. But you gotta promise you won’t tell anyone, okay? ‘Cuz if people find out, they’ll be all like, ‘That’s inappropriate’ or whatever…”

Uh oh, I can’t break a promise! Surely he won’t actually go through with this. “Okay, I promise. But–”

“–Awesome! I knew I could count on you!” Kenji then gets up from his seat, “I gotta go, my favorite TV show is on! Laters!”

Ryoji can’t even get a word in before he’s out the door. … What just happened?

April 28, 2009 – Evening – Full Moon: 11 Days

“Welcome back, Mochizuki.” Mitsuru greets him when he returns to the dorms. It looks like everyone is here today, including Ikutski. “The internet line, which was ripped apart by the Shadow, will be fixed tomorrow. If you have a computer in your room, you should be able to connect. That takes care of everything that was damaged… Except, of course, Akihiko’s shoulder.” 

Junpei speaks up before Akihiko gets the chance to, “Speaking of the internet… You play any online games, Ryoji?”

“Can’t say I do, given that I don’t even own a computer.”

“Huh?! Are you serious?”

“Yes, it’s true.” 

“When you do get a computer, you gotta check out ‘Innocent Sin Online.’ I was totally addicted to it, but then I got burnt out. Give it a try sometime.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.” Ryoji then turns his attention to the Chairman. He recalls what Junpei had said the other night. “Excuse me, sir…”

“Ah, Mochizuki,” Ikutski smiles pleasantly, “How are your explorations of Tartarus proceeding?”

“Very well, sir! I hope to bring more success to SEES.”

“Excellent, that’s what I like to hear.”

“… I do have a question, if that’s alright with you.” 

“Of course! How may I help?”

Ryoji musters up the courage to ask, “Well, I’ve noticed that I can’t contact my family… I’d like to let them know I’m safe and well. Do you have any information on how I could get in touch with them?”

“Hmm…” Ikutski stands from his chair, “Let me check. Kirijo? May I have your assistance with this?”

In an instant, Mitsuru sets down her book, “Yes sir.”

“Good, this shouldn’t take long. Mochizuki, you can just wait in the lounge until we return.”

“Understood, thank you!” Ryoji takes Mitsuru’s empty spot on the couch, silently watching the two walk up the staircase. He can’t help the excitement he feels as he thinks about talking to his parents. I wonder if they miss me too… 

… 

Ryoji continues to wait patiently on the couch, even when everyone else goes to their own rooms. He’s this close to getting the answers he’s been wanting since the beginning. It’s taking them a while… But he doesn’t mind. At some point, he begins to feel himself getting tired. The lounge has this unique comfort to it. He yawns and closes his eyes. Ryoji figures there’s no harm in taking a little nap, they’ll wake him up when they get back.

April 29, 2009 – Morning – Full Moon: 10 Days

“Dude, you’re still here?!” Junpei is the one to wake him up. 

He looks around, disoriented, “… What…?” How is it daytime? I only closed my eyes for a moment! Ryoji sits up in a panic, “We’re going to be late! Come on, Junpei! Maybe we can still make it!”

“Woah woah! Relax…” He places a hand on his shoulder, “It’s Showa Day, we don’t have school.”

“Oh…” 

Junpei sits next to him on the couch. In his hands is a black laptop, there are quite a lot of stickers on it. “I tried knockin’ on your door, but you were here the whole time.” He laughs to himself and opens up his laptop, “Anyways, since you don’t have a computer, I thought you might want to use mine.”

“What for?” Ryoji leans over to get a better look at the screen. His question is answered as Junpei clicks on one of the items, which opens up to a game. “Oh, do you want me to play?”

“Yeah! I’ve been wonderin’ how you’d do with videogames.” He clicks through a few prompts and sets up a “guest” account for him. “Alright, now, you can create a username.”

“I see…” Ryoji looks at the keyboard and enters his own name. “Like this?”

“Dude, no way! You never use your real name with this kinda stuff, what if some weirdo tries to find you?” Junpei deletes his name and starts typing a new one. The end result is: Tw1L1gt_S4muR41. It’s the name of the first movie they watched together. 

It takes Ryoji a bit to learn the controls of the game, but he got the hang of it thanks to Junpei. As it was explained, this type of game is called an MMORPG. The abbreviation stands for "Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game.” Junpei had to stress to him about not giving his real name away to others online… For a bit, Akihiko watches them play before leaving to do something else.

He ends up wandering around the map and just messing around. It’s not much longer before a female avatar with a red outfit approaches his character.

GURLINREDD >sup XD

Tw1L1gt_S4muR41 >Hello.

GURLINREDD >asl???

>oh wait, r u a nub? u r, huh? >_>

Ryoji points to the screen, “Junpei… What am I reading? What does this mean?”

“She’s just asking about you.” He explains, “ASL means ‘age, sex, location.’ Like your gender and stuff. She’s also asking if you’re a noob.”

“A noob?”

“Newbie.” He points to the screen, “Hold on, she’s typing again!”

GURLINREDD >oh wow. u haven’t even finished makin ur character yet o_O

>welcome to teh game! good thing i’m using my low level alt.

Tw1L1gt_S4muR41 >Thank you. I’m still figuring things out.

GURLINREDD >i think its jus u an me, this is kind of a dead MMO these days xD

Tw1L1gt_S4muR41 >It’s not popular anymore?

GURLINREDD >srry got kinda ooc there =o

>we r supposed to be our “alternate selves” rite? uhhhhh… yeah 

>if ur not gonna tell me ur name, ill give u one 

>how bout tatsuya??? ya thats perfect imo ill be maya =D

Tw1L1gt_S4muR41 >Okay, it’s nice to meet you, Maya.

GURLINREDD >have a little deja vu? ;p

“Tatsuya and Maya?” Junpei mutters to himself, “Hey! I know those names! They’re from a kinda niche game, Eternal Punishment. Heard it was good, but the devs abandoned it. Tell her that you know the game!”

“Why would I do that? Isn’t that lying?” Ryoji’s hands rest on the keyboard. 

“Trust me, dude.”

Tw1L1gt_S4muR41 >From Eternal Punishment, right?

GURLINREDD >o rly? im impressed!! didnt think many ppl played that

>if u c any jokers, b sure to rescu me, k? ^^y

GURLINREDD >ne way, im usually idling here on my days off… >_>

GURLINREDD >so if ur bored, we can lvl togethr. It sux to be lonely =P

>srry, gtg :/ 

>remember, lets think positive! Traesto! xD

After that, Maya’s character disappears. Ryoji got a small headache trying to decipher her words… Just as he’s about to talk to Junpei about it, he hears Kotone. It’s a bit better than usual, her voice isn’t as loud as previously.

“I am thou, thou art I… Thou hast established a new bond… Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Hermit Arcana.”

“So, do you like it?” Junpei leans back against the couch, “Kinda forgot the game fell off a bit ago. But it shouldn’t be too boring if you have someone to play with.”

He nods his head and exits the game, “Thank you for allowing me to use your laptop. I had fun, we should do this more often!”

“Yeah? You’d want to?” He grins, “Alright, then come to me whenever you feel like booting up the game again!”

“I will!”

April 29, 2009 – Evening – Full Moon: 10 Days

The cool night air is refreshing after being indoors all day. He passes by people on the street as he makes his way to nowhere in particular. In all honesty, Ryoji just wanted to be outside and explore some more. Most businesses are closed today, so there’s not much to do. 

He stands at a stoplight with a couple other people, waiting for the signal to walk across the street. It’s then that he feels someone bump into him from behind… and start walking out into the street. The lights of an oncoming car rapidly approach the crosswalk. Ryoji reaches out and yanks the stranger backwards by the arm, “Careful!” Strangely, the person shows little to no reaction to any of this. They have a vacant expression, almost like a walking husk of a person… It’s not unlike what he saw with Aoi. 

“Excuse me, sir, can you hear me?” Ryoji attempts to speak to this man, but nothing seems to get through to him. Even though it’s getting late, he can’t just let this person stay here. He doesn’t want to think about what could’ve happened if he hadn’t acted so quickly… Ryoji leads the Lost away from the crosswalk and checks his pockets. 

Shockingly, he can’t find any identification on this stranger. No ID or anything… Ryoji considers finding the man in the peacoat from last time, but he decides otherwise. With not many other options, he settles on walking the man to the police station. It would be a better idea than what he did back then. He was right… I really did get lucky.

April 30, 2009 – Afternoon – Full Moon: 9 Days

Today, they have a new teacher standing at the front of the class. It’s a man with thick-rimmed glasses and a lab coat. Ryoji initially believed him to be some sort of chemistry teacher… But after listening to him speak, he’s not so sure.

“I’m Edogawa, and I’ll be teaching… Oh, let’s call it ‘integrative learning'.” He giggles to himself before continuing, “My goal is to ease some of the stress you suffer as students, of which I assume there is plenty. Think of it as psychotherapy through magic!”

Junpei passes a note to Ryoji while Mr. Edogawa is speaking. It reads, “Dude, what is WITH this guy? You understand anything he’s saying?”

Ryoji shrugs and writes his response, “Not sure, but I’m interested.”

“Yes, that’s right. Quiet down. No talking… Silence, I say!” The teacher shakes his fist at the class. Once they’re quiet, he regains his composure, “Were you surprised to hear me bring magic up? Well, this study was very recently published, so it’s not well-known just yet. But, ‘those who believe will be saved.’ In other words, the placebo effect is hard at work. That means, believe your studies are paying off, and eventually they will!”

Another note is passed to him, “What the heck is placebo??”

“I think it’s kind of like believing in something fake? There’s more to it though.”

Ryoji was so busy writing, he hadn’t been listening to the teacher, “ … Once you’ve begun your training, you’ll have to live in two worlds at once: the real world and the dark realm. If you ever lose the ability to distinguish between the two, then you’ll be headed straight for disaster.”

Another note is quickly passed between them, both are completely lost on what the context for this conversation could be. “Is he a Persona user? Does he know about the Dark Hour?” Ryoji writes to Junpei.

“Sounds like it, especially with all that talk about ‘two worlds.’ Should we ask him??”

“Maybe not right now… It’s still too soon. Let’s keep an eye on him.”

“Good thinking! Pass this to Yukari.”

This is a little difficult, as Yukari sits in the first row. It would be a risky move, but not impossible. Ryoji waits until Mr. Edogawa’s back is turned before tossing it to her. Yukari looks back at him, confused, before reading the note. Once she’s done, she tosses it back to him.

“Idiots.”

April 30, 2009 – After School – Full Moon: 9 Days

Ryoji goes to track after classes end for the day. He notices how Kazushi keeps trying to surpass him at every opportunity. But, with his knee, he can’t quite keep up as well.

“Alright, one more time!” Kazhushi came second in a sprint against Ryoji (again), “I’ll show you what I’m made of! … Ow!” Yuko, Ryoji, and another teammate stand around him as his knee gives out and he falls to the ground in pain.

“Kaz!” Yuko kneels down next to him, “Let’s get him to the infirmary!”

… 

Ryoji and a few other teammates wait nearby as the nurse attends to him. This is how Ryoji discovers that Mr. Edogawa is the school nurse… I did not expect that.

“Anemia?” One of the older members sighs.

“C’mon… We’re counting on you to be captain next year.” Another says.

“The big meet is next year, but don’t push yourself too hard.” The older teammate then turns to Ryoji, “Mochizuki, can you take him home?”

“I will.”

Kazushi looks wholly defeated right now. He can hardly lift his head to respond, “Sorry…” The other members leave to return to practice. Once the door is shut, Kazushi glares at Ryoji, “What are you looking at? I’m fine. … My anemia is just acting up.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” He doesn’t want to seem condescending, but this is definitely worrying. 

His glare dissolves into one that looks more flustered, “O-Of course. It’s nothing I can’t handle… Damnit! I can’t do this! I can’t lie to you!”

“What do you mean?”
“The truth is… It’s my knee. It hasn’t felt right ever since that first day you came to practice. Even if I put medicine on it, or massage it, the pain won’t go away.”

So there was no anemia… Ryoji really was wondering how knee pain correlated to that. “That’s horrible, do you think it’ll ever heal?”

“Of course. But, I can’t afford to stop training, so I’ll work through the pain.” Kazushi appears to be happier after saying that. “Next year, there’s a national competition. There will be participants from all over Japan. I have to win at that meet! I can’t put my training on hold!”

“I hope your knee heals sooner rather than later.”

Kazushi grins confidently, “It will! But, there are a lot of nosy guys on the team. If they find out, they’ll keep bugging me about it… Ryoji, please keep it a secret, alright?!”

This is the second questionable promise I’m making in 24 hours… Am I really doing the right thing? “I promise, nobody will know.”

He stands up slowly, “Thanks… If I go easy on it, I can make it home by myself. Don’t worry about me, go back to training.”

“Alright, have a good rest of your night, Kazushi.” Ryoji resists the urge to help him walk out of the office…

April 30, 2009 – Evening – Full Moon: 9 Days

Paulownia Mall doesn’t have as many people as usual this time. He wanted to go to Chagall Cafe before finally returning to the dorms. Ryoji didn’t end up going to the cafe, and got distracted by the water fountain in the middle of the mall. He stares as his reflection distorts in the rippling water, lost in thought. 

He manages to tear his gaze away from the water and looks around the indoor mall. Seeing the crane machine again brings back memories of that one night. Sometimes, it feels like he’s still on that roof with Yukari. Ryoji tries to recall how he felt before becoming aware of the Dark Hour. It’s difficult for him, as he can’t recall feeling much at all. He can remember glimpses of happiness, but it’s muted in comparison to now. Am I already forgetting things again? Why is this so difficult for me? 

During his walk around the mall, Ryoji catches a glimpse of a very familiar shade of blue. It’s coming from down a back alley… But it has to be the Velvet Room. Curious, he goes into the alley to see for himself. And sure enough, Ryoji finds the same blue door he’d found in Tartarus. What are they doing here? He turns the knob on the door and enters the Velvet Room.

??? ???, ???– ??? – Full Moon: ??? Days ???

“Welcome to the Velvet Room,” Kotone stands at attention by Igor’s side, “I am truly sorry to bother you, but I happen to have a huge favor to ask.

“What kind of favor?” Either way, Ryoji is planning on following through with it. 

“I have been looking for someone with exceptional strength. If you don’t mind, will you accept my requests? This may require you to escort me around but… I will give rewards for your efforts!”

“What requests do you have?” 

“Hooray!” Kotone jumps up and down excitedly, “There’s quite a few, but I’d like to explore Paulownia Mall first! It’s way too stuffy here…”

She can leave the Velvet Room? Ryoji smiles, “Then I accept this request.”

Kotone looks absolutely elated, “Perfect! You have a week to complete this… I’ll be waiting for you.”

May 1, 2009 – Early Morning – Full Moon: 8 Days

Ryoji feels a little guilty about not going to Tartarus last night. He keeps meaning to, but gets distracted by every little thing. Tonight, they’ll go… Probably… 

“Hey, Ryoji!” Yukari meets him outside the gate to Gekkoukan, “Mornin’. It’s getting warmer, huh?”

“Good morning, Yukari… I guess it has been.” 

“Well, it is May already.” She looks at the cherry blossom trees. They’ve long since lost their pink petals, but there’s still a beauty to them. “It’s amazing how time flies.”

“True, I was just thinking about that last night…” 

Yukari then frowns a bit as she stares at him, “Uh… You’re not planning on wearing that scarf during the summer, right?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” He can’t imagine taking off his scarf for anything other than to bathe or wash. It acts more as another layer of skin than anything.

“What? You’re going to get too hot and–” She sighs and shakes her head, “–Never mind, you’ll see soon…”

“I’ll be fine, how bad could it possibly be?”

“Oh, just you wait,” she scoffs. “You know, it doesn’t seem like the number of Apathy Syndrome cases has been decreasing lately…”

Ryoji thinks of the stranger he helped to the station the other night, “Yeah… I hope we’re able to find a way to stop it.”

“You’re right…We’re the only ones who can fight the Shadows. I guess we should train more, so we’re ready if anything like that comes up again. Especially me… I don’t wanna be a burden on everyone else again…”
“Yukari, you are never a burden.” Ryoji reaches out to pat her shoulder, but stops before actually touching her. His hand falls to his side, “We wouldn’t be here without you. I wouldn’t be here without you. So please… Stop saying that about yourself.”

She nods her head enthusiastically, “Let’s get to class, okay?”

May 1, 2009 – Afterschool – Full Moon: 8 Days

Ryoji packs his books into his bag and gets up from his desk. Finally free… He then spots Junpei trying to get his attention, “Oh! Hello, do you need me for something?”

“Kinda, Akihiko’s gettin’ checked up at the hospital today.” Junpei starts walking with him out of the classroom, “He called me earlier, askin’ me to bring somethin’. Yup, looks like he knows who to count on!”

Yukari, who managed to sneak up on them again, speaks up, “He only asked you cuz you don’t have anything else to do after school.”

“H-HEY, I resent that!”

“Just kidding,” she laughs, “So what did he want you to bring?”

Junpei scratches his head, looking confused, “… The class roster for 2-E.”

“What’s he want that for?” She taps her chin before shrugging, “… Well, I don’t have practice today, so I’ll go with you. You’re coming too, right, Ryoji?”

“Am I allowed to?” He was originally planning to fulfill Kotone’s request, but he’s not opposed to this. “I would like to join you two!”

“Cool, you’re with us then.”

“W-Wait a minute…” Junpei looks to be a bit flustered, “It was me he asked.”

… 

The journey to the hospital wasn’t too eventful. Junpei was just quieter than he typically can be. Internally, Ryoji feels guilty about agreeing to come with him. It’s too late to go back now, as they enter the hospital and go to where Akihiko would be. 

When they reach the room, there’s no sign of their friend, but there is someone else here. Ryoji can’t believe who he sees sitting by the bed: It’s the man in the peacoat! He blinks a few times in shock. His other friends are equally as confused.

“Um… Is Sanada… in this room? By any chance?” Junpei keeps his distance from the stranger. The man stays silent, quietly observing them. Ryoji can feel unease from the others, but he’s just more curious than anything. 

“What are all of you guys doing here?” Akihiko’s bewildered voice comes from behind them. 

“We came to see you! … But, it doesn’t look like anything is wrong with you.” Yukari looks him over in confusion.

“I’m just here for a check up.”

The stranger rises from the chair, “Is that it, Aki?”

Akihiko nods, “Yeah, thanks.”

“I don’t have time for this shit.” He glares at them and takes several long strides towards the door. His gaze lands on Ryoji, and he pauses, “You’re… Never mind…” With a shake of his head, he continues on his way out. Junpei jumps out of his way after receiving a particularly mean look. 

Once the door closes, Junpei speaks up, “Wh-Who was that?!”

“A friend from school… sort of.” Akihiko casually explains, “You know how the number of Apathy Syndrome cases have been increasing? Well, he knows a few people who are suffering from it, so I was asking him about it… Hey Junpei, did you bring what I asked?”

He grins and strikes a confident pose, “Of course, Sanada!” Akihiko nods and starts to move his left arm around. The other three watch in silence… “Uh, you shouldn’t move your arm too much.”

“It’s nothing. I’ve wasted enough time already. I need to get back to my training.”

“Yeah! Gekkoukan’s golden boy! He was born to be in the ring!”

He just stares at him with a straight face, “… Sometimes, I really don’t get you.”

Yukari cuts in before Junpei can respond to that, “By the way, Sanada, why boxing?”

“You mean, why did I choose the sport?” Akihiko lifts his hands and makes a fist, “It’s not the sport itself I like; I just wanted to learn how to fight. … I know what it’s like to feel powerless… and I don’t want to feel that way again.” He then grins and feigns a punch at Yukari, “Plus, I’m curious to see how strong I can get. It’s like a game, only I’m competing against myself.”

“… Well that’s an interesting way of looking at it.” Junpei awkwardly laughs, “Ya know, I’m into games too!”

“Yeah, video games.” Yukari rolls her eyes.

“Hey, they’re good for hand-eye coordination!”

A friend from school? So that means… He’s Akihiko’s age?! He looked much older to me… 

May 1, 2009 – Dark Hour – Full Moon: 7 Days

“I detect one Shadow in this floor’s central area. It’s relatively strong, so be cautious.” Mitsuru issues their warning for the upcoming battle. They all had warmed up by rushing through floors 11-13, as per Ryoji’s suggestion. It might not be the best idea to be testing out tactics, but he has to start somewhere. 

His team goes down the dark corridor to face their foe. Already, there’s an intense pressure in the air, this one more reminiscent of the dorm Shadow. Which tells Ryoji that it will be weaker, but still very dangerous, “Yukari, can you focus on healing? Just in case we need a quick recovery.”

“Got it, I’ve got you both covered.” She stops abruptly and gasps when the Shadow comes into view, “There it is!” It practically takes up the entire hallway with how large it is. There are two long pointed “arms” that rotate with the upper body. The lower half has wheels for legs, the strange part are the stone feet that protrude from those wheels. 

“It seems you’ve attracted the guardian’s attention. Its Arcana is the Chariot.” Mitsuru explains, “Begin your attack!”

She doesn’t even need to give the command before all three Personas are summoned. Ryoji is starting to learn that each Persona and Shadows have their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, Orpheus, who specializes in fire attacks, is good at clearing certain types of Shadows. But not all Shadows are weak to fire… Which is where things start getting tricky. Especially now, as they make a very unfortunate discovery.

Hermes swings in to deliver its special physical attacks… Only to be completely blocked by the Shadow. There’s not even a scratch, no damage was taken. This is bad for several reasons, the main one being: Junpei’s Persona is almost useless now. It also means that they can’t attack it with their own weapons.

“Wh-What?! Since when was that a thing?” Junpei jumps to dodge an attack from the Shadow. 

“Hermes can use fire attacks, right? Try that!” Ryoji shouts as he summons Jack Frost. He knows it won’t do much, Junpei’s Persona doesn’t have a strong affinity for magic. But it’s something.

As expected, Hermes’ next attack only produces a small flame. Junpei lets out a groan, “This is so stupid! How are we supposed to beat this thing?!”

“Just keep attacking, it’ll go down eventually.” His arm gets nicked as he attempts to dodge the Shadow. For such a bulky creature, it’s surprisingly nimble. It covers the arena within seconds during its lunges. Ryoji is able to recover quickly thanks to Yukari, as long as nothing gets broken, they should all be good. After trying one of Pixie’s lightning attacks, Ryoji switches back to Orpheus, “I’m not finding any weaknesses, do your best, everyone!”

The Shadow starts to move slower after a few more minutes of the persistent attacks from SEES. They’ve been doing well to avoid any devastating attacks, allowing Yukari to occasionally pitch in with her own. With their combined efforts, the Chariot finally is defeated. Everyone takes a break at the stairs, trying to catch their breath. Most Shadows go down within one or two attacks… That one took way more than that. Even more than the other Gatekeeper. 

“Well done, you made that look easy.” Mitsuru comments. “Is everyone doing alright? 

Ryoji quickly checks his teammates before responding, “We’re all alive. Junpei has a few bruises from falling, but overall, we’re safe.”

  “Good… I’m getting an interesting reading from the floor above you.”

“We’ll check it out, thank you.” Ryoji pushes himself to stand up, “Alright, let’s go.”

True to her observation, floor 16 is vastly different from the other floors. It’s a wide open area, no walls or hallways. From this place, Ryoji can look out and see other floors below them. To be honest, there’s not much going on this floor. There’s a small desk to his right and… Something peculiar. A mountain of school desks and chairs are piled in front of the staircase. There’s a bright, green, glowing energy field surrounding it, with a pillar in the center. At the top of this pillar, rests a clear orb of light. Looking at it reminds Ryoji of the moon…

“What’s this? There are no Shadows on this floor… It’s a dead end.” Mitsuru sounds confused, “Please investigate this floor thoroughly before returning.”

Ryoji walks over to the desk on the right, finding a paper. It looks worn and faded, but there’s still some legible text, “Hey, check this out…” 

“Whaddya find? Is it a treasure?” Junpei peers over his shoulder and frowns, “It’s just some paper! Boring…”

>The power supply expansion has been completed. What’s unusual is the excess wattage. Why would an island with only a school on it need so much power?<

“Hm… There’s not much else here.” Ryoji rereads the old document a few more times, trying to find any hidden meanings. He carefully folds it and puts it in his pocket, “Let’s head back for now. This is as far as we can go for now.”

May 2, 2009 – Early Morning – Full Moon: 7 Days (Half Moon)

Ryoji had shown the document to Akihiko and Mitsuru, but neither of them could add any insights. For now, he’s going to keep it with him… Maybe he’ll find a use for it eventually?

He overhears the sound of Hitomi and her friend talking about something…

“Golden Week starts tomorrow. Have you got any plans, Hibiki?”

“Ehh… Not really. But I’m not gonna miss tomorrow’s show!”

“Oh yeah! You mean Tanaka’s show, right?” Hitomi laughs, “When I hear that jingle, I can’t resist buying something… I never miss it when it’s on Sunday afternoons!”

“You’re going to go completely broke…”

The two girls walk away once the bell rings. A TV show on Sundays…

May 2, 2009 – After School – Full Moon: 7 Days (Half Moon)

Kotone was more than ready when Ryoji invited her out of the Velvet Room. She left the room so fast, he had to run after her to catch up. He finds her standing at the water fountain with a concentrated look in her eyes, “Yes… What a beautiful piece of architecture. If I’m correct, these are what’s known as ‘fountains’.”

“Yes, that’s true.” Ryoji looks around, seeing if there are many people around. Luckily, it seems it’s a slow day today, so the mall is relatively empty.

“Perfect!” She steps over the rim of the fountain and stands in the water. “Humans have taken the foundation of life, turning it into play. Isn’t that wonderful?”

He nods his head, “Right… Be careful not to get your dress wet.” 

“Why don’t you join me? Enrich your life with the power of water!”

“Oh, really? If you insist." Ryoji steps into the water with Kotone. It doesn't even reach his knees, “Ah! It’s really cold!”

“Is it? I feel perfectly fine!” She laughs at him, kicking some water in his direction. “You know, there’s a fascinating rumor I’ve heard… If one was to sacrifice a few coins to the fountain, that individual's wishes would be granted by the spirit.”

“So you say…” He’s starting to lose feeling in his legs, “I think I see some coins beneath the surface.”

Kotone leans down to retrieve a few coins, “Ohh! So there is truth to this rumor… My planning has paid off quite nicely…”

“Your plan?”

“Percicley. We must make an offering that is worthy of the fountain spirit!” Kotone discards the coin and reaches into her pocket. She pulls out a blue velvet coin purse, “I’ve brought a good supply of coins… 2000 of your 500-yen coins, to be exact.”

“You’re silly, I don’t even have that kind of money,” he laughs.

“Did I stutter?” Kotone has a menacing smile on her face, “The price of a wish is very high, but I’m sure you will be able to pay off the debt.”

“W-Wait, that’s not actually my money… Is it?”

“Fountain spirit! I make this opening bid for you!” With a graceful flip of her hand, she begins to dump the contents of the pouch into the fountain. Ryoji is too stunned to react, he can only watch as a torrent of coins fall into the water. He can feel his wallet get a little lighter… She suddenly stops pouring the coins, “Whoops! Looks like I got too excited… I don’t even know what I want my wish to be! … I will have to give this more thought.”

Ryoji doesn’t even want to think about how much money he might’ve lost. Does he really try to pick the coins out of the water? He’s seriously considering it before he hears Kotone getting out of the fountain; She’s making a beeline to the police station. He quickly hops out of the fountain to follow her.

“Now… What might this facility be? The gentlemen inside look so serious.” She points to the posters, “Most wanted… Reward… Hey, they’re copying me!”

“Should we tell them to stop?”

She actually looks like she’s considering this, “That is a good idea… But I shan’t mess with these sorts of things. I’ll allow it for now.”

“For now?” Ryoji follows her as she moves on to another building. If he remembers correctly, this is the place Junpei told him not to go. 

“Escapade..?” She then jumps up and down in excitement, “This must be the ‘club’! It’s a shame we didn’t come during the night, I would have loved to see how they dance.”

“Do you know how to dance?” 

“Yes, I do! When you are not around, I enjoy dancing around the Velvet Room. Would you like to see?” Without waiting for an answer, Kotone raises her arms and starts to slowly move in circles. The way her arms are positioned, it looks like she’s dancing with another person. Her steps are light and precise as she closes her eyes. Kotone’s dress ripples like water… Ryoji doesn’t realize he’d been staring until he hears her laughter. “My technique is quite disarming, is it not? 

May 2, 2009 – Evening – Full Moon: 7 Days (Half Moon)

Ryoji returned Kotone to the Velvet Room once she was satisfied with exploring. The walk back to the dorms was miserable, as the cold water clung to his clothes. He was hoping it’d dry quicker, but it was simply not in the cards. 

“Hey man!” Junpei waves at him from the couch, “Three-day weekend starting tomorrow! I asked some peeps if they wanted to hang out, but the only ones interested were guys… “

“You best use your time wisely. Midterms are rapidly approaching, after all.” Mitsuru is quick to remind him.

Yukari, who had been happily texting on her phone, now looks bummed out, “And here I was, thinking I could just live in blissful ignorance for a few days… Woah, wait. What happened to you, Ryoji?”

“Yeah, did it rain or somethin’?” 

“I was with a friend from the Velvet Room,” He begins to explain, “It’s where Igor and Kotone are.”

“Igor? You mentioned that name a while ago…” Junpei scratches his chin, “Do you, uh, need someone to talk to?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“N-Never mind…”

Ryoji doesn’t stick around for much longer, he’s been itching to get warm again. Also, now knowing that there’s a few days of break, he plans on catching up on some sleep. Staying up so late every night has started to take its toll… He can’t wait to get a full night’s rest.

May 2, 2009 – Dark Hour – Full Moon: 7 Days (Half)

“Hi, how’ve you been?”

It’s a voice he hasn’t heard in a long time. Ryoji opens his eyes to find the strange boy sitting at the foot of his bed. The boy hums a quiet tune, waiting for a response.

He tries to keep himself from falling back asleep, “How’d… you get in?”

“Forgot already? I’m hurt. You’re making me cry.” His face remains the exact same.

“Apologies…” That’s right, he said something about always being with me.

“One week from now, there will be a full moon. Be careful, a new ordeal awaits you.”

Ryoji wonders if he’s still asleep, “A new ordeal? What…?”

“You will encounter one of them.” The boy stands up, “You must prepare, but your time is limited… I’m sure you’re aware of that, though. I’ll come see you again if you survive, okay?”

“Huh? Oh… Okay. Goodnight…” 

May 3, 2009 – Daytime – Full Moon: 6 Days 

When he finally wakes up again, it’s almost noon. He’d slept for much longer than he intended. Part of him feels frustrated, as he didn’t question the boy at all. How silly of him to miss that opportunity… Why did he mention the moon next week? 

Ryoji gets up and looks at the calendar on his wall. He hadn’t given it much thought when he first got here, it’s just a calendar… He looks at the date a week from now, May 9th. Supposedly, that’s the day the “ordeal” will happen. Ryoji grabs a pen from his desk and circles the day.

His phone buzzes on the shelf with a text from someone. Ryoji opens his phone to read the message from Junpei:

>u awake? that girl from the game sent us a message

>Just woke up. I’ll be over in a moment

… 

GURLINREDD >wb tatsuya *^-^* good 2 see u again

Tw1L1gt_S4muR41 >Hello again!

GURLINREDD >u remember me rite? :0

Tw1L1gt_S4muR41 >Of course I do. It hasn’t been that long since we last spoke.

GURLINREDD >u really DO remember!!1 n_n

>this is exactly liek when tatsuya and maya remember ^_^-b

>hmm… wut kinda ppl r we, playing inside on a beautiful day?

Tw1L1gt_S4muR41 >I’m just here to spend time with you again.

GURLINREDD >LOL really??

> teh outside is overrated xD imma gamer 4 life 

>we’re sposed to be leveling but we jus keep on chattin :3c

>eh, grinding gets old rite? more fun talking to u, tatsuya

Tw1L1gt_S4muR41 >I enjoy it as well. I hope we can talk more often.

GURLINREDD >zomg! ummmm… i’ll be afk for a bit!! logging off rn, sry!

>forgot the big sale ends today =x

Maya’s character disappears from the screen, so Ryoji logs out as well. He looks at Junpei sitting next to him, “I couldn’t imagine wanting to stay inside all the time. There’s so much to do every day!”

He shrugs and accepts his laptop back from him, “Eh, I can kinda understand her. I’d rather play games all day than go to school…”

“I enjoy school, it’s fun!”

“Dude, don’t even lie to me.” He chuckles, “You look like you’re daydreaming half the time I look at you.”

“That’s the fun part! The material isn’t too difficult to understand for me, so I only pay attention when I need to.”

“Seriously?! How does that even work with your… Y’know.”

Ryoji shrugs his shoulders, “How should I know? I’m just happy that I have this.”

“Yeah…” Junpei walks over to his DVD shelf, “Hey, let’s watch some movies!”

May 4, 2009 – Daytime – Full Moon: 5 Days 

Yesterday, Ryoji spent it all with Junpei watching movies again. Every time he thought they were done, another would start playing. It’s not so bad, being able to spend that time with him. There’s nothing he needs to worry about for now, not even Tartarus… Well, maybe he should be concerned. If SEES can’t proceed to higher floors, then they’re likely missing out on information. Ryoji has already noticed that there’s a trend with the Shadows. They get stronger the higher they climb. 

In the lounge, he looks around for Mitsuru. He’d gotten so caught up with Junpei that he’d forgotten about the warning. Ryoji feels it might be best to let someone else know about it, just in case…

“Akihiko, have you seen Mitsuru today?” 

He looks up from his boxing gloves, “No, I haven’t. Why? Do you need her for something?”

“Well… I just need her to know something I’ve just learned.” Ryoji sits on the couch next to him. “Do you mind passing the message to her?”

“Sure, I can do that.”

“Thank you, Akihiko… Sometimes, I see this boy in the dorms, and he tells me very strange things.”

His attention is definitely grabbed now, “A boy? The only ones who should be here are SEES members and the Chairman.”

“Right… I don’t think anyone else can see him.” He remembers Yukari’s reaction from the very first night. “But he told me a few nights ago about an ‘ordeal’ that’s going to happen soon. It should be on May 9th.”

Much to his surprise, Akihiko nods his head, “Alright, I’ll let her know.”

“Thank you, I’m very sorry I didn’t mention this yesterday. I got distracted.”

“It’s fine.” He stands from the couch with a grin, “Looks like I have to get ready, then.”

“But, your arm…” Ryoji’s words fall on deaf ears. How does Mitsuru get him to listen?

May 5, 2009 – Daytime – Full Moon: 4 Days

For the last day of the Golden Week break, Ryoji decides to visit Bunkichi and Mitsuko. The little store is as cramped as usual, but it has its charm. He opens the door to Bookworms, “Good morning!”

“Oh, you came back! Um…” Bunkichi squints at him, “What was your name again?”

“Ryoji Mochizuki, sir.”

“I’m just joking! I know who you are… I’m not that old.” He chuckles to himself, “My wife and I were just talking about you, Ryoji-chan.”

“Really? I guess I was meant to come here today.” 

“Say… Do you like melon breads?”

He nods his head, “Yes, they make for a good snack.”

“Good. Someone gave some to me, but I have more than enough. Go ahead, take one.”

“Am I really allowed?” Ryoji sees several packages of melon bread on the counter. He reaches out and selects one from the pile, “Thank you very much!”

“Don’t worry about it; it’s just melon bread. There’s no need to thank me.” The man sighs and shakes his head, “Ryoji-chan, you’re so polite. I wish he had been that way… Here, how about you take one more for a friend?”

I couldn’t possibly take another from these two! But… How can I say no? Ryoji ends up picking another package to take back with him, “You’re too generous, thank you.”

“… What was your name again?”

Mitsuko breaks her silence to correct her husband, “Remember, dear? This is Ryoji-chan.” She smiles apologetically, “I’m sorry, he’s terribly forgetful lately.”

“Where did he run off to, dear?” His eyes surveyed the small shop, “He should be here helping customers…”

This is the second time the elderly man has mentioned another person. Ryoji’s curiosity piqued, “Who is ‘he’?”

“Our spoiled son. He hasn’t been back in a while….” Bunkichi looks at Mitsuko somberly, “Where did he go, dear?”

She closes her eyes, a pained expression on her face, “Must you, dear…?”

“… Oh, that’s right. Our son is deceased.” He sighs. “My apologies, Ryoij-chan. I hope I’m not making you uncomfortable.”

“It’s alright, there’s no need to apologize.” Ryoji quickly assures them. What a cruel fate, to outlive your own child… 

“Hey, hey, why the gloomy faces?” He makes an attempt to lighten the mood, “It’s dark outside. I don’t need it to be dark in here too! … Please come again. We’ll be waiting for you, Ryoji-chan.”

He takes that as his cue to leave the grieving couple, “Yes, I promise I’ll be back. Have a good night, both of you.” Ryoji waves to them on his way out of the book store.

May 6, 2009 – Early Morning– Full Moon: 3 Days

Despite not doing all too much over the break, Ryoji feels fulfilled with how he spent his time. He was looking forward to going back to school the entire time though. Now that he’s back by the gates, Ryoji listens in to Hitomi and Hibiki’s conversation…

“Golden Week is over. I’m pretty sad… Hitomi, did you know rabbits can die from sadness?”

“Okay… First, you’re not a rabbit. And second, that’s just a rumor.”

“What?! No way… I thought it was a scientific fact,” Hibiki grumbles. “Speaking of being sad… I saw an elementary school kid at Naganaki Shrine the last time I visited. She looked so sad playing by herself. I felt sorry for her…”

The first school bell rings, signaling the beginning of the day. Ryoji didn’t even know there was a shrine nearby…

May 6, 2009 – Morning– Full Moon: 3 Days

“I don’t feel like teaching today…” It’s hard to remember a time where Ms. Ounishi did teach the class something. “Last night, I was watching TV when I saw a special on trains. Speaking of trains, let’s talk about the rhombus-shaped instrument on the roof of the train. Power is generated when this device comes into contact with the overhead wires. You look like you know what I’m talking about, Mochizuki. Let’s see if that’s the case.”

He sits up in his seat, alarmed, “Y-Yes!” 

“What do you call the device that helps generate electric power for the train?”

This is bad, I don’t know anything about trains! “Um… A generator?”

“Looks like I was wrong about you. The correct answer is: pantograph. Most modern trains take in electricity by bringing the pantograph into contact with the overhead wires. However, the monorail we use has the pantograph hidden under the train instead.”

Ryoji just looks down at his textbook in shame. Trains aren’t even close to what they’re learning right now, how was he supposed to know? He’ll have to study on trains just in case it shows up on a quiz…

May 6, 2009 – After School – Full Moon: 3 Days

Today, Ryoji wants to introduce himself to the Student Council. He stands next to Mitsuru before a group of desks. There are five other members present in the room. Notably, a girl with glasses and long brown hair fidgets anxiously. She refuses to look up from the floor. There is also a boy with slicked back hair and a yellow armband on his left arm. He is giving a stern glare towards Ryoji… 

“Everyone, this is Ryoji Mochizuki,” Mitsuru gestures to him, “He’s the one I’ve been talking about the past few days. He’ll be joining us in Student Council.”

“Ryoji, huh…” The boy with the armband speaks next, “I’m Hidetoshi Odagiri. I supervise the Disciplinary Committee.”

The girl with the glasses fidgets with her hair, “… I’m Chihiro Fushimi, the Treasurer. I’m a sophomore, and um… I’m still learning the ropes, so… please be patient with me, Mochizuki.”

“It’s my pleasure to meet you all!” Ryoji can very clearly feel Hidetoshi sizing him up. 

“… You must be talented if the President hand-picked you.”

“I am thou, thou art I… Thou hast established a new bond… Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Emperor Arcana.”

Ryoji doesn’t get to respond as he’s accosted by Kotone’s voice. Mitsuru instead keeps the conversation going, “Today, we’ll just do introductions. It’ll be your job to help us, Mochizuki. From now on, you have my permission to enter the Student Council Room whenever you need to. That includes after school, too. Thank you for joining us today.”

May 6, 2009 – Late Night – Full Moon: 3 Days

It’s already gotten so late… Ryoji sets his pencil down and stares out his window. Ever since he got back from Student Council, he’s been studying. Yukari stressed the importance of the upcoming midterms to him earlier. So he’s taken it upon himself to do well. While most of the content is easy, Ryoji still struggles with mathematics. Something is just not clicking with him about it. If something has three sides, it’s a triangle, right? Why do I have to prove it? What else could it be? And many such cases… Ryoji wonders if he should stop by the school library tomorrow. Perhaps there are more books about geometry… Or trains. 

He exhales and rests his head on his desk. There’s something about this “arcana” that keeps popping up. At first, he assumed that it was only something that concerned the Velvet Room. Kotone is always too eager to announce that Ryoji’s made a new connection with one… But, Mitsuru had brought it up during the fight in Tartarus. So it’s not just the Velvet Room that is aware of it… What does it all mean? I’m too sleepy for this tonight…

May 7, 2009 – After School – Full Moon: 2 Days

The day went by uneventfully, before he knew it, it’d already ended. Ryoji then spent a considerable amount of time in the library, just going through each section. To his delight, he found several books on geometry and even one on the monorail. The latter is more about the history of Port Island’s monorail, but it should be sufficient enough. As he’s exiting the library, Ryoji nearly bumps into a familiar brown haired girl, “Oops! My apologies, Chihiro… How are you today?”

“Um…” She freezes on the spot and stares at him rather intensely. Chihiro then takes a deep breath and… “WHAT DO YOU WANT?!”

It’s such a loud voice for a seemingly quiet girl! Ryoji is stunned momentarily, “I… Just wanted to talk.”

“I don’t have anything to talk about!” She fixes her glasses and it’s like all her aggression evaporates, “S-Sorry… Um…” Chihiro then quickly walks away from him before he can respond. Ryoji stands in place, confused. Maybe I’ll try talking to her on a different day…

May 7, 2009 – Evening – Full Moon: 2 Days

Walking back to the dorms was a little difficult today. Not all the textbooks he checked out fit in his bag, so he carried the remainder in his arms. Which made it difficult when trying to cram himself into the train. By some miracle, none of the covers got damaged, even when there was another emergency stop. Another person with Apathy Syndrome fell into the tracks… Ryoji has been noticing a lot more of these incidents. He just wishes there was something more he could do to help. 

“Yo, dude!” Junpei looks up when he hears Ryoji return to the dorm, “Hey, have you noticed how many more of those freaks there are in town lately?”

“You mean the Lost? But yes, I was just thinking about that on the way here.”

He sighs, “Talk about boring… Let’s go to Tartarus for a little action.”

Akihiko’s attention is grabbed the moment “Tartarus” leaves his mouth, “Maybe I should come along too. I’m dying of boredom.”

“Akihiko… Are you trying to make me angry?” Mitsuru shuts that idea down immediately.

“No Tartarus tonight… I have something I must do.” Ryoji walks past them, “Good night, everyone!”

May 8, 2009 – After School – Full Moon: 1 Day

During class, Ryoji continued to read through the books. He feels like his understanding of geometry has gotten… slightly better! He’d spent all night going through the equations to varying degrees of success. It’s more than he knew previously, which has to count for something.

When the bell rings, Ryoji packs up his textbooks and gets ready to leave. Before he can leave, he’s stopped by Kenji, “Wait, Ryoji! Before you go… I actually wanted to talk to you for a sec. Don’t worry, it won’t take long.”

“Hm? What’s going on?”

“C’mon, let’s head to the courtyard downstairs.”

… 

Ryoji is led by Kenji to the area where the persimmon tree is. It’s quiet and no one else is around, he listens to the faint rustling of the leaves.

“Thanks for coming, man. You mind waiting here for a sec?” 

“Sure, I’m just wondering why we are here.” Not that Ryoji minds, it’s a nice day outside. 

“Okay listen–but don’t freak out! But I’m gonna go ask Ms. Kanou out right now!”

Uh oh. “R-Right here? Right now?” He glances around, “Are you sure you don’t want to wait?”

Kenji laughs him off, “No way! It’s time for me to go get myself a girlfriend. Here I go!”

Some time has passed since Kenji ran away to go ask out his teacher. The entire time, Ryoji has been staring at the persimmon tree, questioning his choices. Thanks to Junpei’s movies, he now has definitive knowledge that this sort of relationship is… very, very bad. His original instinct had proved to be correct after all. There’s no way she says yes to this, she’s the adult here. She would know better… Oh, here’s Kenji now.

“Dudedudedude! Oh man, you gotta listen to this!” 

Oh no, please don’t tell me she said yes. “What is it? What did she say?”

“She said yes! Can you believe it?! She said YES!”

“Y-You’re right, I can’t believe it…” 

Kenji is absolutely ecstatic as he continues rambling, “Just as I was about to ask her out, she asked me if I wanted a private lesson! A private lesson, dude!”

“A private lesson?” So, he didn’t actually ask her out? If so, then the biggest bullet ever had just been dodged. 

“She invited me over to her house, dude! Oh man, I’m not ready for this!” He’s in his own world, not even really listening to Ryoji anymore. “I probably shouldn’t try to go too far with her today, right? But then again, she is an adult, so…” Kenji keeps talking to himself without an end in sight. After a bit, he comes to his senses, “Oh. Hey, Ryoji, you’re still here? Sorry, I gotta get going. Later dude.”

May 8, 2009 – Late Night – Full Moon: 1 Day

“Tomorrow is May 9th.” Ryoji says as he looks at his calendar. It feels like this past week moved by so quickly. He wonders if that boy’s warning will hold any merit… Part of him hopes that it isn’t something too dangerous. The words “... if you survive” don’t support that hope very well. 

Ryoji sits on his bed with a book about the monorail. He’s gotten to the section that talks about the evolution of its emergency brake. Looking at the diagrams and layouts of the monorail over the years is surprisingly intriguing. By the time he finishes the book, it’s only a few minutes until Dark Hour. … So much for getting a full night’s rest.

May 9, 2009 – Early Morning – FULL MOON

“Hey, Mochizuki.” Akihiko stops him outside the school gates in the morning. “Today’s the day, right?”

“Yes, if I’m correct, something should happen today.” He puts a hand to his head, “When I woke up, my head was hurting a bit. I don’t know if that means anything though.”

“It could just be a lack of sleep.”

“True… I didn’t mean to stay up so late last night.” Ryoji’s hand drops back to his side.

“On another note, how are you feeling with Tartarus? Do you feel like you’re getting stronger after every battle?” 

“Yes! We’re all doing very well, aside from a few hiccups here and there.”

“Great, keep it up. My wounds will heal in no time, and then I’ll be able to join you on the front line.” Akihiko crosses his arms, “It’s been far too long already…”

“Please, take the time you need to recover.” Ryoji can almost hear Mitsuru’s voice scolding Akihiko for this. The first bell rings, he walks with him to class, trying to persuade him to not jump back into combat so soon…

May 9, 2009 – After School – FULL MOON

While he would love to go to his clubs today, Ryoji gets the feeling he probably shouldn’t. That “ordeal” he was warned about could happen at any time… It’d be best to return to the dorms, that way he’s ready for anything. 

May 9, 2009 – Dark Hour – FULL MOON

Mitsuru

She works silently in the command room. Akihiko told her previously about Mochizuki’s “visitor” who gave him a warning. Supposedly, something should happen today… Thus far, it’d been relatively average. Mitsuru knows better than to underestimate the Dark Hour. In the event his prediction turns out to be true, SEES must be ready to act. 

Mitsuru stops working with her communication device as she hears the door open. It’s not getting a stable reading. At least, not to the effect it has in Tartarus. Earlier, she’d sent Akihiko earlier out on a patrol of the area, it seems like he’s back now.

“You’re still at it?” He gestures to the device.

“Yes. You never know when an enemy might appear.”

“But, I thought you couldn’t scan outside of Tartarus?”

“To be honest, I am indeed lacking in that area,” She sighs. “Maybe this is the best Penthesilea can do in terms of data-gathering. Although, the power of the Persona seems to be much broader than I thought. We even have someone who can switch Personas in the midst of battle. … There’s something special about his ability. It hasn’t even been that long since his awakening, either.”

Akihiko nods, “Yeah, I was surprised too. But in the end, it’s up to him whether or not he can reach his full potential.”

At that moment, Mitsuru detects a reading on the device, “Hm?” This reading sends a jolt of fear through her… “It’s a Shadow!”

“What?! You actually found one?!”

“Something’s not right. The reading is too big.” The data she’s interpreting is uncomfortably familiar. It’s not a normal Shadow by any means.

“Wait… Is it like that huge one from last month?”

“… It must be.”
He gets that infuriating grin on his face again, “Then this is going to be fun. I’ll go wake up the others.”

… 

Ryoji

“We’re here!” Himself, Junpei, and Yukari all arrive at the Command Room as per Akihiko’s request. Ryoji hadn’t slept, wondering when the “ordeal” would arrive. Turns out, it’s right now. 

“Where is it!? I’ll rip it a new one.” Junpei looks around as if the Shadow is in the room with them.

“We’ve detected a Shadow outside of Tartarus,” Mitsuru addresses them. “We don’t know for sure, but we think it’s another big one. We have to defeat any we find out there as quickly as possible. Most people don’t know the Dark Hour exists. But, if the city gets destroyed, there will be panic. That must be avoided at all costs.”

“In other words, we need to kick some ass, right? Well, count me in!”

Yukari casts a sidelong glance at him, “Junpei…”

“Akihiko, you stay here and wait for the Chairman,” she orders.

“Wha–?! Are you kidding!? I’m going!” 

“You still need to recover. You’ll just be a hindrance.” She remains calm in the face of Akihiko’s anger. “They’ll fare better than you, in your current state. Have faith in them, Akihiko… They’re ready. You’ll get your chance. But for now, wait for the Chairman.”

He looks at Ryoji with a stubborn expression, before… finally… he concedes, “Damnit.”

Junpei joins in, “Relax! I got it covered!” 

“… Guess I’ve got no choice. Mochizuki, you’re in charge.”

“Understood, thank you.” Ryoji had a feeling he’d be placed as the leader again. As he’s come to find, it’s not something he dislikes. 

“Ryoji again…?” Junpei grumbles to himself.

Mitsuru steps closer to the group, “We’re counting on you.”

“I promise to do my best.” He meets her gaze.

“Looks like you’re stuck bein’ the leader again.” Junpei sarcastically comments, “... Sucks to be you.”

Akihiko faces Mitsuru, “You should let the three of them go first. You need to be ready, right?”

“Correct, wait for me in front of the station. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Yukari nods her head, “Got it. Alright, let’s go!”

… 

They’ve been waiting on the steps of the station for a few minutes now. Each of them keeps an eye out for Mitsuru’s arrival. Yukari nervously fidgets with her pearl earrings, “Where is she…?”

“She’ll be here soon.” Junpei says, more focused on a rock than anything.

“Oh… There’s a full moon tonight.” She shivers, “But it looks so creepy during the Dark Hour.”

Their peace is disturbed by the sound of an engine rapidly approaching. They all stand to attention, getting ready to fight this threat… Wait… Is that…? Ryoji squints his eyes, “Mitsuru?”

She pulls up to them on a white motorcycle, nearly hitting Yukari, and removes her helmet, “Sorry to keep you waiting. Listen carefully. Tonight, I’ll be providing support from here. Everything else is the same. The Shadow is currently located inside a monorail not far from the station. To get there, you’ll have to walk on the tracks.”

“Are you serious?! Isn’t that dangerous?” Junpei exclaims.

She shakes her head, “Don’t worry, no electronic equipment is operable during the Dark Hour, including the monorails.”

“But… Your bike.”

“It’s special.” She simply explains. “Now, if circumstances change, I’ll notify you immediately. Let’s get started.”

… 

The gravel crunches under their shoes as they make their way to the monorail. Ryoji keeps taking a look at the full moon. Tartarus stands out against it, like a dark dagger cutting through the moon’s light.

“You’re almost there, it’s about 200 meters ahead. Get there as quickly as you can.” Mitsuru speaks through their shared connection. 

And sure enough, the three of them arrive at a lone monorail. It has a particularly powerful aura coming from within. Ryoji can already feel the difference from the Shadows they’ve encountered previously. 

“This is it… right?” Yukari glances around, “We just got here, but I don’t see anything out of the ordinary…”

“The readings are definitely coming from that monorail. Proceed with caution, and stay together.”

Junpei chuckles confidently, “My Persona’s just itchin’ for a fight!”

“Then let’s go!” Yukari is the first to start climbing the ladder on the side of the monorail. When she’s about halfway up, she glares down at the two of them, “Don’t look up.”

What did I do to deserve this hostility?!

The interior of the monorail is absolutely still, like it’s holding its breath. There are a few ominous coffins throughout the car. Junpei takes a look at one of them, knocking on it, “This poor guy must be a passenger… He’s been transmogged, huh… Creepy.”

“Yes, this is what happens to ordinary people during the Dark Hour.” Ryoji comments. He has a very bad feeling about this place. 

“So… Guys like him don’t remember a thing, right? Reminds me of someone…”

“Really? Who?” 

Yukari grips her weapon, “Wait! We’re not at the station, but the doors were wide open–”

The monorail shudders violently, the doors begin to slide shut on their own. Junpei rushes to a door, trying to keep it from shutting. His efforts are futile, and his fingers are pinched by the door, “Damn, it won’t open! Ow… My fingers!”

“What’s going on? What happened?!” Mitsuru’s voice echoes in their heads.

“The monorail closed its doors on us,” Ryoji responds, “We’re stuck inside now.”

“It must be the Shadow… It knows you’re here. Be ready for anything! Proceed with extreme caution.”

With Ryoji in the lead, they carefully travel to the next car. Strangely enough, these doors allow them to pass through. There’s no Shadows here either, just more coffins. They continue to move, being sure to keep an eye on everything.

“What the heck? There’s no Shadows…” Junpei complains. “I was all ready to go and everythin’.”

“It’s so quiet it’s creepy…” Yukari sticks close to them. It isn’t quiet for long, when a Shadow falls from the ceiling, right in front of them. Ryoji can tell this isn’t their main target though. 

“There it is!” Junpei readies his weapon. The Shadow turns around and leaves through the next car’s door. “Hey, get back here, coward!”

“Wait!” Both Ryoji and Mitsuru shout at the same time. She takes over the lead, “Something’s not right… The enemy is acting strangely.”

“But if we don’t go after it, we’re gonna lose it!”

“Mochizuki, you’re in charge over there. What do you think?”

Ryoji reaches out to Junpei, “Hold on, we should be careful–”

He smacks his hand away, “Who needs your advice?! We can beat that thing no problem! Hell, I’ll do it myself!” 

“Junpei, wait!” Yukari calls after him as he follows the Shadow. They don’t have time to follow him, as a swarm of Shadows spawn around the two. 

“Let’s beat these quickly! We can’t let him get too far!” Ryoji pulls out his Evoker, putting it to his head, “Orpheus!”

The two weaker Shadows, luckily, are weak to fire. Which is perfect for his Persona. It’s over before the battle even had a chance to properly start. With the way cleared, the two take off running into the next car.

“This is just what the enemy wanted!” Yukari groans in irritation, “Damnit, Stupei! What are you thinking?!”

More Shadows pop up to try to stall them, but Ryoji quickly disposes of them. He can’t afford Junpei getting hurt. “Out of our way!” The more time they waste on the smaller Shadows, the higher chance it is something will happen to him. 

“Don’t you think he’s acting weird?” She says once they reach yet another car without Junpei. “Did you say something to upset him, Ryoji?”

“… I don’t know, I don’t think I have.”

“Well, we can ask him once we’ve caught up to him!” 

They come to a stop once they see their friend surrounded by Shadows. It does not look like he’s doing too well. Ryoji fires his Evoker, “Persona!”

“Don’t! I’ve got it all under control!” He shouts at them. But Orpheus and Io clear out the remaining foes before he gets completely overwhelmed.

Yukari helps Junpei up from the floor, using her Persona to heal his minor injuries, “See! That’s what happens when you don’t listen… So, are you alright?”

“O-Of course I am…” He pulls the brim of his cap over his eyes. “I was doin’ just fine…”

“Please, Junpei… Let’s stick together next time, alright?” Ryoji can feel his heart rate beginning to slow. But, his friend still refuses to look at him.

“Hey, what’s your problem–”

Yukari is cut off by Mitsuru, “Be careful, you three! Stay alert!”

A few moments later, the monorail begins to move, quickly gaining speed within seconds. The team is almost thrown off balance by the sudden acceleration. “Woah, what the!? … Why are we moving?!” Junpei yelps.

“It seems the monorail is under the enemy’s control…”

Yukari stabilizes herself with the overhead handholds, “I think we can confirm it for real!”

“We need to stop the train!” Ryoji starts moving towards the next door. Yukari, then Junpei, follow along. The train speeds up even more as they move.

Mitsuru agrees, “Quickly! If we don’t stop it, it’s going to crash into the next train.”

“WHAT?!” Yukari gasps, “How are we supposed to stop it?”

“I sense a strong presence in the front car. That must be the one we are after. You’ll have to defeat it to stop the train!”

“What kind of messed-up ride is this?!” Junpei groans. More Shadows descend upon them, but they’re more than ready for an attack. Orpheus and Hermes cut them down, not even stopping their pace. 

Strangely, Ryoji’s stopwatch activates, showing a time of 7 minutes and 32 seconds… And counting down. “We don’t have time, I think this thing is going to crash in about seven minutes!”

“Seven?!” Yukari fires an arrow into another Shadow, “That’s not nearly enough time!”

“It’s going to have to be–” He nearly trips as the train lurches forward, gaining more speed. He checks his watch anxiously, “It’s counting down faster!”

“The primary target is in the next car.” Mitsuru calls out, “There’s no time to wait, engage in combat now.”

This Shadow is absolutely massive, no doubt. It’s the most human-like one they’ve encountered thus far. The body has the appearance of an emaciated woman. The left half of its body is completely white with black tendrils of “hair” and the right inverts those colors. The top half is bare, but it wears a long, white skirt on the bottom half. The hair looks normal-ish, until further inspection. Long black and white scrolls protrude from its head, stretching across the walls of the car. On its face, rests a bright pink mask.

“What the hell?!” Junpei is the first to react, “… Is this the friggin’ boss?”

“We’re in the front car; it’s gotta be.” Yukari readies her bow.

“We have five minutes and fifty seconds left,” Ryoji raises his Evoker once more as the Shadow lets out a deafening roar. The three of them summon their Personas in quick succession. Orpheus casts its fire spell, which seems to do some damage to it. The others barely have time to get their own attacks in before the Shadow raises its hand, summoning its own reinforcements. “Junpei, target the smaller ones! We can’t let them distract us.”

“On it!” He swings his longsword, cutting one down. The other one turns to the boss and uses a healing spell on it. “Crap! That’s not good…”

Ryoji checks his stopwatch again… 4 minutes 58 seconds… It’s not looking good for them. Landing a hit on the main Shadow is getting progressively more difficult, as more minions replace the defeated ones. What makes it worse is whenever the monorail hits a bump, which causes them to miss their attacks. 

“The enemy is reeling! Finish it off!” Mitsuru’s announcement feels like a godsend.

“Orpheus!” Ryoji fires off his Persona before rushing forward. He winds up his sledgehammer and swings it as hard as he can at the boss. Ryoji can feel the heat from Orpheus’ flames as it burns through the Shadow. It finally dissolves into the floor, defeated. Junpei and Yukari finish off the lingering minions, finishing the fight. He checks his stopwatch and lets out a sigh, “We had two minutes and fourty-five seconds left…”

“We made it in time?” Junpei looks around before his face becomes concerned. “H-Hey wait! Why are we still moving?!”

“We’re going too fast! Where are the breaks on this?!” Yukari begins to run around the car, looking for the emergency brakes.

Junpei searches with her, “Damnit, I don’t know how to stop this thing!”

Ryoji checks his watch, the time has actually sped up significantly, now there’s only a minute left. He can see the other train in the distance by this point. At his feet, is a small panel. Ryoji recognizes it from the book he read last night. “Junpei! Yukari! Just run back as far as you can!” He runs into the pilot cabin and looks at the control panel in front of him. There are too many levers and not enough time. It’s hard to even see through the dark and all the monorail’s shaking. If he messes up… As long as they’re safe… Ryoji grabs what he thinks is the emergency brake, closes his eyes, and pulls on it with all his remaining strength. 

He doesn’t dare move, even when everything returns to silence. Ryoji keeps his eyes closed and can’t let go of the brake. His entire body shakes as he tries to remember how to breathe. Ryoji can feel something warm around him… Cautiously, he opens his eyes to check on his friends. To his surprise, they’re closer than he expected them to be. Yukari has her arms wrapped around his waist, and Junpei has an arm around both of them. Ryoji’s hands finally release the lever, falling to his sides. Somehow, he manages to find his voice, “… Is… Is everyone alright?”

Junpei lets go of them both and takes a few steps back, “Y-Yeah…”

“I think…” Yukari also releases Ryoji from her hold. 

“Can anybody hear me?!” Mitsuru’s voice can be faintly heard through the static, “Someone please tell me you’re all safe…”

“This is Ryoji speaking, I can confirm we are all alive and well.” Somehow…

Yukari laughs weakly, “My knees are shaking…”

“Mine too.” He offers her to lean on his arm, but she shakes her head.

“Dude… I’m like drenched in sweat.”

“Gross! So that’s why I smelled something bad…”

“H-Hey! How could you have smelled me when your face was on that guys’ back?!”

“… It does sound like everyone is safe.” Mitsuru sounds relieved. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more on my end. I don’t detect any more Shadows, you all did a wonderful job. So, please, come home…”

“We’re on our way, thank you.” Ryoji is starting to regain feeling in his hands again. 

“Wait,” Yukari looked out at the large planes of glass, the other train was frighteningly close, “How did you know which one was the brake?”

He fixes his scarf as he replies, “Mostly instinct, but last night I read a book about monorails…”

“You’ve saved me again” She sighs and smiles, “Thanks.”

"Always."

… 

Akihiko

His foot restlessly taps against the floor as he waits for any updates. Last he heard, the monorail had gone rogue while the team was confronting the “big one.” I knew it, I should’ve gone with them. Akihiko keeps his eyes trained on the transmission device, practically burning a hole through it. He jumps as he feels the Chairman’s hand on his shoulder, “Relax, Sanada. We have to have faith in them.”

“I know… But still–”

“–This is Mitsuru. We’ve successfully completed the operation. The monorail didn’t sustain any noticeable damage.”

“Thank you, Mitsuru.” Ikutski has a pleased smile on his face, “When I heard that they’d hijacked a monorail, I feared the worst. Well done. Now, I don’t have to worry about tomorrow’s headlines.”

“The team did a great job. They’re learning quickly.” 

Akihiko still feels uneasy. Of course, he’s relieved that everyone is safe… But… “What are the Shadows up to? Taking over the monorail… This is getting out of hand.”
“I’ll be looking into the matter.” The Chairman pushes up his glasses.

She speaks up again, “Does this mean… it’s begun?” 

“Hmm. Let’s not jump to any conclusions. For now, we should study their behavior for patterns or clues. We cannot afford to always wait for them to make the first move.”

“If I had more power, things wouldn’t be so difficult for the others…”

Ikutski chuckles, “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Mitsuru. You’re doing fine. More importantly… Do you have anything to drink, Akihiko?”

“Huh?” What an odd request… “Why do you look so tired, Ikutski? … Wait, don’t tell me that bicycle out there is yours!”

He collapses on one of the chairs, exhausted, “Boy, am I gonna be sore tomorrow!”

May 10, 2009 – Late Night – Full Moon: 29 Days

Ryoji

The walk back to the dorms had to be one of the slowest he’s ever moved. Adrenaline and stress has completely worn him out by this point. He’s only moving because he keeps thinking about how great it’ll be to lay down.

Once safely back in his room, Ryoji faceplants into his bed. Tonight had been absolutely terrifying towards the end. He can’t remember feeling a fear like that before… It’s such a strong emotion, overwhelming, even. 

Ryoji rolls onto his back, staring up at his ceiling, “I don’t know if you can hear me… But you were right. An ordeal did happen…” He meant to say more, but now that he’s comfortable, Ryoji quickly falls into a deep sleep.

…

???

I have a friend.

He doesn’t speak much, but I know he’s there.

He’s been sad recently, it hurts to watch.

I don’t understand why he feels this way.

Or why it hurts me to witness.

But I know that I can help him.