-The Memoirs-
Iwatodai Dormitory
04/18 Sat
Evening

"Would you believe me if I told you that a day consists of more than twenty four hours?"

Those are the first words that come out from the Chairman's mouth after Hamuko, Yukari, Minato, Akihiko and Mitsuru sit down together in a room with large electronic console. If Ikutsuki asked that question to someone else, he would probably be laughed at. But Hamuko had waited years for someone to ask her that.

"Yes"

It is obvious to Hamuko that her answer does not match their expectation, given their surprised expression.

"Sorry, come again?" said Akihiko.

"Yes, I believe you…" She repeated her answer. "It's that moment when everything is covered in blood, and everyone else turned into coffins, isn't it?"

"Y-Yes, you are correct" Ikutsuki stuttered between his words. "Can you tell us how long has it been since you first experienced this phenomenon?"

"I was six years old at the time, so… Ten years"

Yukari is looking at her in awe while Mitsuru, Akihiko and Ikutsuki are obviously confused by her answer. Minato, however, remains as stoic as ever.

"Ten years… That's even longer than Mitsuru-senpai…" Yukari murmured.

"But Mr. Chairman, why didn't the Shadows preyed on her yet? She only awakened her Persona not too long ago…" Akihiko asked the bespectacled man.

"I'm afraid I still don't know the answer to that question…" Ikutsuki sighed. "But her ability goes beyond what we know so far. Not only can she changes her Persona, but she can also wield two of them at the same time. As a scientist, I'm greatly interested with her unique ability"

Hamuko does not know if she enjoyed being considered as a test subject by the creepy scientist. But she decided to ignore it for the time being.

"Mr. Chairman, shouldn't we continue where we left off? I think it's best for Hamuko-san to get her rest soon"

Minato, who have finally spoken at last, urges Ikutsuki to continue his explanation.

"Ah, please pardon me. In any case, Hamuko is correct. This phenomenon that you just described, we refer to it as the Dark Hour. It is a time anomaly that appears every night at midnight" Ikutsuki explained to her.

"Only a select few people who have the potential to summon a Persona can experience it. Those without the potential transmogrify into a coffin, oblivious to all things that happened during the Dark Hour" added Mitsuru.

"I see… Does this Dark Hour that you spoke of is related to that gigantic tower that I saw the other night?"

Again, it seems that her question had caught them off guard. She can even hear Mitsuru chuckling to herself.

"Arisato had foreseen your sharp mind to deduce the truth, but I never expected you to be this keen" said Mitsuru.

Minato did? But, she barely spoke to him ever since the day she first arrived here. How could he predict such thing?

"That tower you saw is called Tartarus. It serves as a nest to the Shadows, the same kind of monster that you fought last week" Minato explained. "Our goal is to ascend the structure and unveil whatever truth hidden inside it"

"But, like Minato just said, there will be plenty of Shadows infesting that place, so we'll have to wipe them out too. Pretty exciting, don't you think?" Akihiko smirked at her.

"Akihiko! You just got hurt the other day! This isn't a game!" Mitsuru glared at the grey-haired boy, which causes him to cower in fear.

"In other word, you'd like me to join your group in your expedition to the Tartarus"

"Precisely! I'm glad you're quick to understand what we were saying" Ikutsuki throws her a smile while showing her a white suitcase which contains an armband and a silver gun. "We have already prepared your armband and your Evoker, should you accepted our invitation"

"Wait, hold on a second. Isn't it too soon for her to decide? She only recovered yesterday…" said Yukari.

"Yukari, I understand your concern, but I have little to no doubt that Tartarus is the key to eliminating the Dark Hour. Of course, Hamuko is free to decline our invitation without suffering any drawback, but her ability is invaluable to our cause. Besides, won't it be more comfortable for you to cooperate with your own classmate?" said Ikutsuki.

"Yeah, but still…"

"Yukari, thank you for worrying about me, but I'm fine. I'd like to join this group as well"

"Are you sure? There's no turning back…" said Yukari.

"Yes. Although, my goal is not as noble as saving the world…" said Hamuko while taking the suitcase in front of her. "One of those monsters took my parents away from me. I want to avenge them…"

"Minato-san, do you have a moment?"

Minato, who is going for the stairs leading to the 2nd floor, paused when she called for him.

"Yes, Hamuko-san? What is it?"

"I just noticed that I haven't thanked you yet for saving my life last week, so…"

The blue-haired boy immediately shook his head when he understood what Hamuko is going to say.

"Don't worry about it. By the way, how are you feeling? Have you been well?"

"To be honest, I'm still feeling a bit tired… But I should be back to normal by tomorrow morning"

"Is that so? Perhaps you should go to sleep earlier tonight…"

"Yeah, I think I'll do just that… Sorry for keeping you, Minato-san, you must be tired as well…"

"Not at all, I'm just glad you're okay. Good night, Hamuko-san, have a nice sleep"

Minato throws her a smile before he leaves for the 2nd floor.

"You know, that is the longest conversation anyone has ever had with Minato-kun…"

Yukari, who just arrived from the 4th floor, greeted Hamuko.

"Wait, were you eavesdropping on us?"

"Well, I don't want to butt in if my friend want to confess her love or something. I was a bit disappointed when you were just going to thank him" Yukari with a mischievous smile.

"He saved my life, it's only natural for me to be thanking him. And what do you mean by what you said earlier?"

"I meant exactly as I said. Personally, I think Minato-kun is even harder to talk to than Mitsuru-senpai, and that's saying something"

"Maybe it's because you were afraid that you might fall for his dreamy eyes?"

"No, that's not it. Although, I have to admit that he is good looking and has great personality…" There is a slight tint of red on Yukari's face when she said those words. "Minato-kun is a good guy. It's just that… It feels like something about him is scaring me…"

"I don't know… On the contrary, it feels like I've met him before, he looks so familiar"

Even though last week was supposed to be her first meeting with Minato, Hamuko can't shake the feeling that she had encountered the boy long before she transferred to Gekkoukan High School. But no matter how hard she tried, she just can't remember anything.

Maybe there is more to Minato than meets the eye…

Yasogami High School
05/17 Tue
After School

"Has the target arrived at school?!"

"Yes, Ma'am! Visual ID confirmed! Target arrived in-zone near the end of his mess break, with mother-issued rations in his hand. Current status: In the bathroom, fixing his hair!"

Minato was rather surprised when he learned that Yu and his friends have failed to obtain any meaningful information after they visit Kanji's house yesterday. However, after seeing the eccentric duo in action, he somehow understands the reason for their failure.

What in the world are they talking about?

Minato turned to Yu, who merely shook his head in response. Instead, it was Yukiko who answered the question.

"Um… Hamuko-san is an investigator, isn't she? I think they were trying to mimic her while she was on duty…"

"Yeah, since I want to be a police officer in the future, I gotta master the art of stakeout!"

Minato doesn't know how a professional like Hamuko will act on a stakeout, but he's pretty sure it won't be nothing like what the two were doing just now.

"Shush! Keep it down! You're going to alert the target of our location!" said Yosuke.

It'd be nothing short of amazing if Kanji doesn't notice them, given their poorly-chosen hiding place, which is just at a corner in front of the school's main gate. Much to Minato's surprise, Kanji actually walked past them without noticing their presence. Not long after that, a rather peculiar young boy with a blue cap approaches the towering first-year student.

Yu had informed Minato and Hamuko that yesterday, they met someone who bears an uncanny resemblance to him. However, calling their appearances as resembling each other would be an understatement, at least that's what Minato is thinking after seeing the boy for himself. They both share the same 'smaller-than-average' build and similar dark blue hair with silvery grey eyes. If it weren't for their height difference, it would have been hard for anyone to distinguish Minato from that boy.

"My apologies, were you waiting for me?" the boy asked Kanji.

"No, I uh… I just got here myself"

"I see. Let's take a walk"

Kanji then follows the boy as they're walking down the street heading to the flood plain.

"They're getting away! What should we do?" asked Chie.

"Let's split up" said Yu. "Some of us should be keeping watch near his house, while the rest should follow them in secret"

"I see, that's a good idea" Yosuke nodded. "Alright, I guess I'll follow Kanji along with Chie…"

"Wait, why do I have to go with you?"

"You're not exactly the covert type, so…"

"What does that supposed to mean?!"

"See? You just proved my point!"

Minato sighed. At this rate, they're going to lose sight of Kanji before the two can finish their bickering with each other.

I'll be going with Yosuke and Chie.

"Yeah, you probably should…" Yu is looking at Yosuke and Chie with concern. "We'll contact you if anything comes up"

Minato nods his head. He then grabs Yosuke and Chie on their arms before they leave to follow their new potential ally and his enigmatic friend.

Samegawa Flood Plains
05/17 Tue
Afternoon

"Nee-chan, don't you want to play in the river too?"

Hamuko was studying a certain file while sitting by the riverside when Nanako approached her from the river.

"Sorry, Nanako-chan… Nee-chan is still doing her homework" Hamuko smiles at the little girl who seems to be confused by her words.

"Homework? What kind of homework?"

"It's a secret" said Hamuko while placing her index finger on her lips before patting the little girl on her head. "Don't wander around too far, okay?"

Nanako happily nod as she return to play in the river. After making sure that Nanako keeps her words, Hamuko immediately re-focus her attention to the file on her hands.

Two days ago, Hamuko filed another report to Kikuno, who has temporarily taken over Mitsuru's place as the one in charge, regarding the figure known as Sho Minazuki. It wasn't easy, but thanks to the joint investigation of Aigis and Kikuno, they were able to piece together all the information about the red-haired young man.

It turns out that Sho was actually one of Ikutsuki's test subjects and an orphan, much like the members of Strega. The twisted scientist had them locked up for years to be experimented on, in order to create artificial Persona-users. According to the file, the young man used to be Ikutsuki's favorite because of his vast battle prowess compared to Takaya, Jin and Chidori. However, Sho was never able to awaken his Persona. Because of this, Ikutsuki threw him away as a failed experimental subject.

Hamuko felt pity for the young man because of his rough childhood, much like her own past. However, she can't just let him go either. If Sho is still planning on taking out the Investigation Team members, she will have no choice but to put him down. For good.

"Nee-chan, isn't that your friend?"

Nanako is pointing at a very familiar figure who is walking toward their direction with haste.

"Minato-kun? What are you doing here?"

Minato answered her question by gesturing at her to look at the riverbank. She can see Kanji Tatsumi and a stranger walking together side-by-side. Not far behind them were Yosuke and Chie, who are hiding behind one of the trees.

"Oh, were they on a stakeout?"

The boy nodded his head in response. However, he also writes a couple sentences in his memo to explain their current situation to her.

We're trying to eavesdrop on Tatsumi-san's conversation with that boy. But, things aren't looking too good at our end.

Hamuko can somewhat understand what Minato is saying. No matter how she look at them, both Yosuke and Chie are too conspicuous. If they wanted to get close to Kanji without him or his partner noticing, they should just pretend to walk together while making small talks. That way, they'll be able act more naturally. And even if they do get caught by Kanji, they can just make valid excuse such as wanting to go hang out at Junes together.

Hamuko's and Minato's worry turned into reality, because Kanji has finally noticed the suspicious pair hiding behind the trees. It's hard to figure out what Yosuke and Chie said to Kanji when he confronted them about having followed him from behind, but they somehow managed to piss him off because Hamuko and Minato can hear Kanji angry shout even from the riverside as their friends fled the scene.

"You two better hope I'll never see you again!"

Hamuko sighed. It'll be hard for her and Minato to stalk Kanji after they have alerted of him of any potential stalker.

"Well, I guess that's it for today's stakeout…" said Hamuko. "Minato-kun, you should probably regroup with them"

Minato nods his head before he writes a sentence on his memo.

What will you do, Hamuko-san?

"I'll get Nanako-chan to her home first before returning to ours" said Hamuko with a smile. "See you later, Minato-kun"

Dojima Private Residence
05/17 Tue
Evening

Yu let out a deep sigh when he finally arrived at his home with his clothes wet due to the rain outside. Today has been a long, tiring day. Not only they can't catch the culprit in the act, they were also unable to warn Kanji properly of the threat against him. He wondered if anything might show up at the Midnight Channel, since the rain doesn't seem like it's going to stop anytime soon.

"Oh, you're back"

"Welcome home, big bro!"

When Yu entered the living room, he was greeted by his uncle Dojima and his 'little sister' Nanako.

"Hello uncle, Nanako-chan. You seem to be in a good mood today"

Yu can't help but smile at seeing the cheerful little girl.

"Yup! I played a lot today! Hamuko-neechan brought me to the river and it was a lot of fun!"

Dojima, who was reading a newspaper on the couch, suddenly throws his daughter a questioning look.

"Nanako, who is this 'Hamuko-neechan' that you were talking about?"

"She is Big Bro's friend, I met her when Big Bro brought me to Junes during the holiday"

"Hey, Yu…" Dojima turned to his nephew. "What was her name? Was it Hamuko Kirisaki?"

Yu is rather surprised by the fact that Dojima knew Hamuko on a personal level.

"Yes, you're right. How did you know her, uncle?"

"I met her last year when we were working together on a case. She might be young, she is already working as an investigator for a private security department…" Dojima explained. "But more importantly, how did you know her?"

This isn't good. Depending on his answer, Yu might end up jeopardizing the Investigation Team by casting suspicion on himself and Hamuko.

"I met her back in April not long after I arrived in here. Apparently, Kirisaki-san was an acquaintance of the Amagi Family's daughter. Since Amagi-san and I were friends, we would often hang out together"

His answer might be a little too far-fetched, but it's the only logical explanation that comes to his mind. Yu can't possibly tell his uncle about Hamuko's real reason for coming to Inaba, but lying to a detective is a risky move. He decided to give Dojima a fabricated truth as his answer.

"Is that so? She looked like a good kid, but I don't know if I'm comfortable with leaving Nanako alone with her…" said Dojima.

"Hamuko-neechan is a good person" Nanako pouted at her father's remark about her 'Big Sis'.

"I know…" Dojima sighed. "Sorry, I killed the mood again, didn't I? I'm going to bed early tonight. Yu, you should take a bath first before you have dinner, or else you'll catch a cold"

"Yeah, I probably should… Good night, uncle"

There are only several minutes left until the clock strikes midnight, and yet it doesn't seem like the rain will stop anytime soon. Yu is wondering whether a certain white-haired male will show up again on the Midnight Channel or not. Kanji is a tough guy, so it's unlikely for him to go down without a fight. However, the culprit must be a cunning and resourceful man if he was able to kidnap three highly conspicuous individuals without being noticed. He'll most likely adjust his approach in order to subdue Kanji covertly.

Come to think of it, Hamuko had mentioned to Yu that she just moved in together with Minato to a small house in the Shopping District. Maybe he should try to give them a phone call, to see if they noticed anything or anyone suspicious near the vicinity of the Tatsumi residence after the team left the site this afternoon.

…

…

*click*

"Hello, Hamuko-san. My apologies for calling you at this late hour"

"No, it's okay. I was about to call you myself" answered Hamuko from over the phone.

"Why? Is something wrong?" asked Yu.

"Yes…" Hamuko paused for a moment before continuing her sentence. "It seems that Kanji Tatsumi never returned to his home today. Minato-kun and I have tried looking for him everywhere, but we can't find him. Our culprit may have already thrown him inside the TV"

"I see… I had feared that something like this would happen..." Yu let out a deep sigh. This is just like what happened with Yukiko when she was kidnapped. "What about his mother? Is she alright?"

"She's fine, albeit still a bit shocked by the news of her missing son. So, does this mean that Kanji's Shadow will be making an appearance on the Midnight Channel?"

"I guess we'll see… It's almost midnight…"

Not long after Yu said that, the TV in his room suddenly begin to flicker. For a moment, there is nothing but fog shown on its screen. After that, the fog slowly dissipates, revealing a place that resembles a large bathhouse or a sauna and a familiar-looking male.

Wait, is that Kanji wearing a fundoshi?

"Hello, dear viewers… I'm your host, Kanji Tatsumi, reporting from this 'bad bad bathhouse'! Tonight, I'm gonna introduce you to a sacred site filled with sublime love that surpasses the boundary of the sexes!"

Yu can feel a chill crawl up his back when he heard the sickening sweet voice.

"Goodness gracious, just imagine the things that might happen to me there! Well then, let's get this show on the road. Tootaloo!"

Shadow Kanji winked at the camera and entered the bathhouse behind him, before TV turned off again by itself.

"Hamuko-san… Did you saw…?"

"Yes, that was really, uh… unexpected…" It was unusual for Hamuko to stammer with her words. "Was it like that too when Yukiko-chan's Shadow appeared on the Midnight Channel?"

"Uh, yeah, sort of…" Yu answered.

"I see… Then, what would you have us do? It's your call"

It will be a while until the fog covers the town again. Even if they took their time to prepare and explore the TV world at a leisure pace, they should be able to save Kanji in time. However…

"I think it's better if we save Kanji as soon as possible. There is no guarantee that nothing bad will happen to him even if the fog hasn't appeared yet"

"I agree, nothing was certain about that world, after all… Very well, make sure you call everyone else and have them empty their schedule for tomorrow afternoon. I'll tell Minato-kun about this"

"Understood. See you tomorrow, Hamuko-san"

The Midnight Channel
05/18 Wed
Afternoon

"Hey, Teddie! What do you mean you can't find him?!" asked Yosuke.

The Investigation Team were about to set out to save Kanji when they bumped into a troubling matter.

"I just told you! I can smell someone else in here, but I don't know where he is!"

"This isn't good…" Yu murmured to himself. "We can't just wander aimlessly in this world, it'll be too dangerous…"

"I agree…" Hamuko nods her head. "If only Fuuka was here…"

"Err… Who is Fuuka?" asked Chie.

"She's my friend. Her Persona has a scanning ability similar to Teddie here, albeit much more powerful" answered Hamuko.

Unfortunately, her words only succeeded in crushing Teddie's pride even further.

"Sorry, Sensei… I'm such a useless bear…"

"There, there. I'm sure we can solve this problem" Yu is comforting Teddie by patting him on his head.

"Hamuko-san, would it be possible for you to request help from your friend?" asked Yukiko.

"Unfortunately, she's among my injured friends who are still recuperating after the incident with Sho Minazuki… I doubt she'll be able to make it here on time"

Among all the Persona-users that Hamuko has ever encountered, there's no one more unique than Fuuka, with the exception of Yu. Even when she still had the power of the Wild Card, Hamuko was never able to demonstrate the same kind of sensing ability as Fuuka. Because of this, Mitsuru would often seek out her cooperation to carry out missions where failure is not an option.

"Teddie, is there something we can do to help you locate Kanji?" asked Yu.

"I don't know, maybe if Sensei and the others can tell me more about this guy, I might able to smell him"

"Maybe isn't good enough… Are you sure about this, Ted?" said Yosuke.

"We have no choice. We'll just have to put our faith in him" said Yu. "The question is, where can we get more information about Kanji? I don't think we can find out anything new from his mother…"

"Why don't we try asking that mysterious boy who was hanging out with Kanji yesterday? Who knows, maybe he know something that we don't" said Chie.

"That's actually a good idea" Yukiko nods her head. "But where would we find him? For all we know, he could be anywhere"

Just when they were wondering about what to do, Hamuko can feel someone taps her shoulder. It was Minato.

"Yes, Minato-kun? What is it?"

The blue-haired boy responded by showing her his memo, where he just wrote a single word on one of its pages.

Junes.

"Junes? What do you mean, Minato-san?" asked Yu.

Minato does not immediately answer his question. Instead, he spends some time writing his response on the memo.

I overheard some girls talking to each other this morning. It appears that the boy has been hanging around at Junes in the morning these last few days.

"I see, that was perceptive of you to notice such thing" Yu complimented Minato before turning to a certain red-eyed girl. "Sorry, Hamuko-san… It seems that we will have to leave this matter to you…"

"It's okay. Actually, I was rather curious too about that boy whom you said is very similar to Minato-kun" said Hamuko with a reassuring smile. "I wonder what kind of person he is…"

-The Memoirs-
Tartarus
04/20 Mon
The Dark Hour

"This is Tartarus, the labyrinth that only appears during the Dark Hour" Mitsuru explained to her juniors when they entered the lobby area.

Tartarus… If Hamuko recalls correctly, that's the terminology used in ancient Greek mythology to describe the deep abyss where the souls of the wicked are tortured for eternity. However, unlike the mythical place where it was based on, this Tartarus appears as an impossibly tall and gigantic structure.

"Building up your experience is important, so we're going to have you clear out the first few floors" said Akihiko.

"Wait, by ourselves? Won't you be coming with us, Senpai?" asked Yukari.

"Unfortunately, Akihiko will only hinder you because of his injury" The boxer is looking somewhat disappointed when Mitsuru said that. "And the structure of Tartarus is constantly changing, so you will need my support to direct you from the outside"

Well, that sure made everything more complicated…

"We will also appoint one of you as a leader, in order to keep things under control when you're in there" said Akihiko.

"For real?! Me, me, me, pick me!"

Junpei's excitement is obvious to everyone. While his enthusiasm is eye-catching, Hamuko doubts that Akihiko will pick him because of his impulsiveness. Yukari lacked self-confidence with her own ability. The fact that she have yet to receive an actual battle experience only makes it worse. On the other hand, Minato is both an experienced and a composed individual. The answer should be pretty obvious.

"…You're in charge"

Much to Hamuko's surprise, Akihiko didn't pick Minato like she had predicted. Instead, he points his finger in her direction.

"Wait, what? Why me?"

"Yeah, why her?!" Junpei exclaimed. "Oh, uh… No offense to Hamu-tan, but why didn't you pick me or even Minato?"

Hamuko wasn't really offended by Junpei's opinion. In fact, if she were in Akihiko's shoes, she would choose Minato too as their leader.

"Well, she has fought them, you know…" said Yukari.

"That's true, but there's something else" Akihiko pulled out his evoker before pointing it to his forehead. "Can you two summon your Personas without any difficulties, like she can?"

"Y-Yeah, of course I can!" said Junpei. Even though he's trying his best to sound confident, Hamuko can sense a bit of hesitation in his words.

"I think so" said Yukari.

"These are Shadows we're talking about. I won't even bother to warn you about the stake if you failed to summon your Persona in there"

He made a good point. There are limits to how well they can fight the Shadows with just their weapon. But still…

"That doesn't explain why you didn't choose Minato-san, though"

"Indeed, there's no mistaking that Arisato would make a good leader too" This time, it was Mitsuru who answered her question. "However, he had declined this position before we can even discuss it with him…"

Hamuko, Yukari and Junpei are all staring at Minato with disbelief.

"I just don't think myself as a capable leader. I believe Hamuko-san is more suited than me for the task" said Minato with a smile.

"Of course, we can't force you to take this great responsibility. However, at this rate, we won't be going anywhere" Mitsuru is looking at her with a tender expression. "Kirisaki, will you accept this duty?"

It's just like Mitsuru said, if they can't even make a decision on this trivial matter, they won't be achieving any significant result from the exploration of Tartarus. That means, they won't be able to learn the necessary information to end the Dark Hour, and she will never be able to avenge her parents. There is no other choice.

"I understand… I will do my best"

"Thanks, I knew we can count on you" Mitsuru is thanking her genuinely from the bottom of her heart.

"Now that it's settled, why don't you all start exploring now? We don't have much time before the Dark Hour ends" said Akihiko.

The juniors nodded their heads. But, before they can ascend the stairs leading to deeper part of Tartarus, something caught Hamuko's attention. A blue door suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the corner of the lobby.

"Senpai, where does that door lead?"

"Huh? What door?" Akihiko is looking at her with confused expression.

It seems that Hamuko is the only capable of seeing the door. Ignoring the others, she decided to approach the blue object before touching the knob with her hands. As soon as she does that, Hamuko can feel her consciousness slowly disappearing in a bright light…

"Welcome to the Velvet Room"

The first thing that Hamuko saw when she opened her eyes is a familiar old man with bulging eyes and elongated nose.

"You're the one I saw in my dream… Igor, was it?"

"You are correct, my dear guest. I'm glad that you remember me" Igor is chuckling to himself. "It seems that you are now taking your first step of your journey. The tower that lies in front of you… How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Regrettably, you are still far from capable enough to reach the answers…"

Hamuko barely knows anything about the creepy old man, but there is one thing that is certain. Igor sure loves to speak in riddles.

"Do you know something about my powers?"

"Ah, indeed I do. Your power is unique. It's like the number zero: empty, but holds infinite potential"

"Come again?"

"You, my dear, are able to summon multiple Personas and use them

Igor must be referring to that time when Hamuko first awaken her Persona…

"I suppose you were the one who gives me my power?"

"Nay, my dear... I am but a mere servant to the one who bestow it upon you. And I have been tasked to assist you to my utmost limit"

Hamuko can only wonder about the nature of this entity, and for what purpose does it bestow this power upon her.

"I will tell you again about how I can be of use to you. But first, I should introduce you to my attendants"

The moment Igor snapped his finger, two humanoid beings appear from behind him. One of them is a slender woman while the other is a tall man. They both have similar facial features that consist of a pair of golden eyes and white hair. They're also wearing the same blue-colored clothing while carrying two similar tomes on their hands.

"My name is Elizabeth, pleased to meet you"

"My name is Theodore, but please, call me Theo"

Hamuko responded to their greetings simply by nodding her head.

"Now, I shouldn't keep you for too long. My spare time will also soon grow scarce, but please, come again at your own accord" said the old man.

"Just one last thing…" said Hamuko. "Is this all real? Or is it only happening inside my mind?"

"Of course it's happening inside your mind…" Igor is chuckling to himself. "But why should it mean it's not real?"

Hamuko finds her consciousness drifted away again in a blinding light as soon as Igor said those words.

"Hey… What happened to her?"

"Dunno, maybe she has become like one of those zombies in the news…"

"Really? A zombie?"

Her answer caught her friends off guard as they were surprised by her sudden response.

"That's what you choose to dwell on?! C'mon, Hamu-tan, you were supposed to be our leader!"

A certain blue-haired boy ignored the capped boy as he approached Hamuko with a concerned look on his face.

"Hamuko-san, are you alright? For a few seconds, you just stood there while staring at that wall"

It seems that time flows at a different pace when she was in the Velvet Room. Even though Hamuko was sure that she had spent more than a couple minutes in that mysterious place, only a few seconds had passed in the real world.

"Sorry, I'm okay" Hamuko smiled at Minato. "Let's go, we've wasted enough time"

Junes
05/19 Thu
Morning

For as long as she could remember, Naoto never really liked the countryside.

Unlike the big city where she grew up, the climate in a countryside such as Inaba can be very unpleasant. Even though it's halfway through spring, she can still feel the chill in the air. If it weren't for her job, she would never think about visiting this town.

Nevertheless, Naoto wouldn't let trivial things such as the climate gets in the way of her objective. If she can work on the Inaba serial murder case by enduring this cold weather, then endure she shall. Still, a hot cup of coffee might be nice to begin her day…

"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?"

Naoto can hear someone is greeting her from behind. It was a young female around the age of 18 with auburn hair and red eyes.

"Forgive me, but who are you?"

"Ah, my apologies. My name is Hamuko Kirisaki. I'd like to talk to you for a moment, if you don't mind" said the girl while offering her hand.

She is probably just like everyone who mistook her as a cute boy. Naoto would rather have this free time to herself, but she can't just reject the girl's request. If Naoto can't maintain her social image, it would be hard for her to ask the surrounding population to cooperate with her investigation.

"Of course not. My name is Naoto Shirogane. Please have a seat, Kirisaki-san" said Naoto while shaking the outstretched hand.

The girl smiled in gratitude before sitting on the opposite chair. Immediately after that, a waiter approached them.

"Welcome to Junes! Would you like to order something?"

"Yes, please. I'd like a cup of coffee with cream and sugar" said the girl.

"Understood. What about you, sir?"

"I'll have a cup of coffee as well. Black, without cream and sugar"

The waiter nods his head before he leaves the two of them together.

"I wonder why he called you 'sir', when he should be calling you as a 'miss'"

It's a good thing that she only ordered the coffee just now, because Naoto would probably choke on her drink because of that sudden remark.

"How did you—"

"I didn't. You just admit it on your own"

Naoto can't believe she, of all people, would actually fall for one of the oldest tricks in history.

"Relax, Shirogane-san. Your secret is safe with me. I just thought I need to say something in order to catch your attention" said the girl with a smile.

Naoto regretted herself for letting her guard down. It's obvious that she had underestimated this woman.

"…What gives me away?"

"Your voice. Even though your laryngeal prominence isn't as developed as other boys in your age, you have a deeper voice than usual. That, and I can smell a faint fragrance of a certain body foam you used when you took a bath this morning. It was a rather popular brand among the ladies and it's the same kind that I used myself"

Her deduction is a bit unorthodox, but it's also very accurate. Nevertheless, there's no mistaking that this woman possesses a remarkable intelligence that can rivals her own.

"Alright, you've piqued my interest" said Naoto. "What do you want from me?"

"I only wish to know everything you've learned about Kanji Tatsumi. I know for a fact that you spoke with him a couple days ago"

"I did spoke with him last Monday, but I don't see why you were so interested in it. What are you really up to?"

"Ah, please wait a moment. I can't answer your question unless you've agreed to answer mine. Can I have your words that you will provide me with my desired information?"

It's not as if Naoto managed to obtain any confidential information out of Kanji, so even if she shared her knowledge with this girl, Naoto doubts it will be to her disadvantage. Besides, if by going through this deal means Naoto can learn more about this suspicious, then all the better.

"Very well, you have my words. And I believe you will answer my questions truthfully?" asked Naoto.

"Of course. You may go ahead and ask me your questions first"

The fact that Hamuko can easily control this conversation only made Naoto even more impressed with her cognitive skill.

"First of all, what is your involvement with the recent murder case?"

"Just like you, Shirogane-san, I'm a detective. I was sent here by my superior to investigate the case. Have you ever heard of a group known as the Shadow Operatives?"

Shadow Operatives… If Naoto recalls correctly, that is the name of a special security division of the Kirijo Group.

"Yes, but I wasn't aware that your organization has any jurisdiction in this matter. I thought that the Shadow Operatives only specialized in threat countermeasure, not law enforcement"

"Indeed, you are correct" said Hamuko with a smile. "However, we're investigating this case with a different approach than the police or any other detective agency. Rest assured that our goal is similar to yours, which is to prevent further loss of lives"

There isn't a single hint of falsehood in her statement, so it may be safe to assume that Hamuko was telling the truth to Naoto. That, or she is just a very good liar.

"Next, what are you planning to do with the information about Tatsumi-san?"

"It's very simple. You might have noticed this, but Kanji Tatsumi has been missing for quite some time. I have reasons to believe that he was kidnapped by the perpetrator of this murder case. Your information may prove useful in order for me to locate and rescue him before it's too late"

"How can you be so sure of this, when there hasn't been any evidence that may hint on the culprit?" asked Naoto.

"As I have said before, my approach is different than yours" Hamuko explained. "Unfortunately, I cannot reveal any details about how I arrived at my conclusion"

It doesn't seem like Naoto will be able to know more about her investigation method. Which means, there is only one thing left to ask…

"How do I know you're not the culprit?"

Hamuko merely smiles after hearing her words. It's as if she had predicted that Naoto would eventually ask her this question.

"I don't have any immediate evidence that I can show you to prove my innocence. Although, if I'm the culprit, I wouldn't dare cast the suspicion on myself by confronting a detective such as yourself" said Hamuko.

"Or you could be lying in order to mislead me"

"Perhaps… But our conversation won't be going anywhere if we're using that kind of reverse psychology, don't you agree?"

Of course, Naoto already knew that. But she wanted to figure out how Hamuko would respond to that question. If she was the one being accused as the murderer, Naoto would probably give the same answer.

Not long after Hamuko answered her question, Naoto can see the waiter from before walks toward their direction with two cups of coffee.

"Here you are, sir, one cup of black coffee. And this one is for the lady, with cream and sugar" said the waiter.

"Thank you"

The waiter merely nods his head as he returns to his duty.

"Now, Shirogane-san…" Hamuko took a quick sip of her coffee before calling Naoto's name. "I believe I have fulfilled my end of the bargain?"

"Yes… Very well, I will tell you everything I know about Kanji Tatsumi…"

"I see… So he was like that…"

"I'm not sure how my information could be of any use to you. After all, I only managed to learn trivial stuffs" said Naoto. "I should have warned you before you agreed to our deal"

"On the contrary, I think your information is more than sufficient" said Hamuko before leaving a small amount of money to pay for their coffees. "Thank you, Shirogane-san. I appreciate your cooperation"

"You're leaving already?"

"Yes, I need to make some preparation first before searching for Kanji Tatsumi…" The red-eyed girl took a quick glance as she said those words. "Don't worry, you can count on me to bring him home safely"

Maybe Naoto should try and follow this girl. If what Hamuko said about Kanji being kidnapped by the culprit is true, there is a high chance that she will be able to obtain a vital clue to this case.

"Oh, and one more thing…" Hamuko turned again to look at Naoto just when she's about to leave the food court area. "I would really appreciate it if you don't try to put me under surveillance. I'm afraid I'm not ready yet to reveal everything to you"

Naoto sighed. This is the first time that anyone has seen through her like this. Even if she continues to carry out her plan, Naoto doubts that Hamuko would let her see anything important.

"Your keen mind never ceases to amaze me… I definitely wouldn't want to antagonize you…"

"Likewise, I believe the feeling is mutual" Hamuko throws Naoto a smile before she leaves Junes.

The Midnight Channel
05/19 Thu
After School

When Yu first saw Kanji on the Midnight Channel, he had braced himself for whatever things that may happen inside the TV. However, after the team arrived at the steamy bathhouse, Yu can feel his determination is wavering. This change in his heart was not caused by the Shadows. No, he would rather fight dozens of those repulsive creatures on his own instead of going inside Kanji's dungeon…

"C'mere, pussycat…"

Yep, we're screwed… Yu thought to himself.

"Oh… Such well-defined pecs…"

"There's no need to be scared…"

It sounded like Kanji is making multiple voices, as if he was rehearsing a play.

"Now, just relax…"

If anything, the voices only succeeded in making Yu feel even more awkward.

"Uhhhh... Kanji-kun is here… Isn't he?" asked Chie.

"Yup! The nose knows!" Teddie nods his head.

"Crap... This is so wrong in so many ways..." said Yosuke. It seems Yu is not the only one feeling uncomfortable by their current situation.

"What, this is just like Yukiko-chan's dungeon. We should be able to clear it in no time" said Hamuko.

"N-No! Mine's not like this!" Yukiko protested at the red-eyed girl's statement.

"That's not the point! Hamuko-san is a woman, but this is definitely dangerous for us men!" said Yosuke.

"What are you talking about? Look, even Minato-kun does not seem to be bothered at all"

It's just as Hamuko said, Minato is not showing any sign of discomfort on his face. In fact, his hardened expression indicates that Minato is as determined as ever.

"Well, I can't deny that I'd rather not go inside this place…" said Yu. "But, we can't just abandon Kanji nor can we leave it to the girls and Minato-san. We'll just have to go inside and rescue Kanji as fast as we can"

Hopefully, I won't have to regret ever saying that…

"That's what I'd like to hear" Hamuko gives Yu a pat on his back. "I'll leave it to Yu to decide everything, as usual. Don't hesitate to order us around"

"Alright, we'll split up in two teams. Yosuke and Minato-san, you two are with me. The rest of you will go with Hamuko-san. Standby to regroup if you encounter a strong enemy or if you found the stairs"

Everyone nodded their heads in response before they enter the steamy bathhouse together.

The journey inside Kanji's dungeon is as grueling as Yu had anticipated. Not only the Shadows are harder to defeat, they are also attacking them in a larger group than usual. However, the Shadows aren't the only ones getting stronger. Despite being outnumbered, Yu can see Yosuke taking on multiple Monopolizing Cupids all by himself. Even though they showered him with arrows, Yosuke was able to evade every last one of them with relative ease. It must be thanks to his sparring session with Minato. Well, compared to dodging Minato's blitz attack, evading those arrows must have been pretty easy. It wasn't that long until Yu, Yosuke and Minato had decimated the group of Shadows, with only one Egotistical King remaining.

"Yosuke! That one is strong against electricity, try wind!" shouted Yu.

"Got it! Jiraiya!"

The summoned Persona unleashed a gust of air at the Shadow, cutting it with its razor sharp wind. The attack was not enough to finish the Egotistical King in one strike, as it still managed to summon a pair of Monopolizing Cupids in its near death state. However, Minato soon delivers a reverse roundhouse kick which obliterate the two minions before they can even let loose a single arrow. Not taking any chances, Yu drives his sword at the Egotistical King's abdomen before slashing upward, cleaving it in two as the pieces disappear completely.

"Phew! It's been a while since I'm sweating like this!" said Yosuke while wiping his sweat off his forehead.

"It's only natural, considering we have reached the 7th floor already" said Yu. "How about you, Minato-san? Are you okay?"

Minato only nodded his head in response to that question. However, the blue-haired boy remain focused on a certain door located not far from their current location.

"Is something wrong?" asked Yosuke.

"I think Minato-san is trying to say he feels something from beyond that door…" said Yu. "We should probably wait for the others before we go there"

Chie and Yukiko are still lacking in their combat prowess compared to Yosuke, but there's no doubt that they have grown too from their training with Minato. On top of that, Hamuko is with them, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about. However, Yu can't help but feel anxious with this place. He doesn't have a keen sense like Teddie, but even Yu can detect an absurd amount of ominous aura from beyond that door.

"Hey there! Are you guys okay?"

A voice suddenly echo through the bathhouse hallway as Chie, Yukiko, Teddie and Hamuko approach the males.

"Chie-chan, I'd prefer if you didn't raise your voice…" Hamuko sighed. "Shadows aren't deaf"

"Sorry, sorry… My bad" Chie is looking at the red-eyed girl apologetically.

"How are things on your end?" asked Yu.

"We've found the stairs… But there's a small problem…" said Yukiko.

"There's some sort of invisible barrier around the stairs, so we can't get through it" Hamuko explained. "Did you guys found anything strange on your way up here?"

"No, but there is one passage we haven't checked yet" answered Yosuke. "Minato-san and Yu said they can feel a presence from beyond that door"

"It might be Kanji-kun's Shadow… We'll check it together, but keep your guard up"

When the group opened the door, they can see a bulky humanoid Shadow standing at the middle of the hallway. Standing beside it was Shadow Kanji.

"Dear me, I remember saying this place is for men only. Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm gonna have to ask my pal to ask you to leave"

Shadow Kanji gestured at the larger version of Daring Gigas to attack them, as he started to turn around and run away from the group of Persona-users.

The giant Shadow charges on them while trampling everything on its path. Despite its large size, this Daring Gigas is capable of moving even quicker than its smaller version. However, its carnage was stopped when Hamuko blocked its punch with her sword.

"Ippon-Datara!"

The one legged Persona immediately cast a dark incantation circle on the Shadow. If Yu recalls correctly, Daring Gigas are weak against light and darkness attack. Using a Mudo skill should finish this fight in no time. Unfortunately, his expectation is soon crushed, as the Shadow merely shrugs off the attack without any visible effect.

"Be careful, Sensei! That Shadow is immune against light and darkness skill!" shouted Teddie.

That means his new trump card, the Fusion Spell – Justice, won't have any effect on it as well… It looks like Yu will have to resort to his usual tactic.

"Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, stay back and prepare your elemental attack. Wait for my command" Yu signaled his friend to keep their distance from the Daring Gigas. "Hamuko-san and Minato-san, you two know what to do"

Both Hamuko and Minato nod their heads simultaneously.

"Let's go!"

4 minutes and 22 seconds. That was the time they needed in order to vanquish the humanoid Shadow.

Considering that Hamuko and Minato himself barely did anything except drawing its attention away, Yu and the others did a pretty good job. Of course, if both Hamuko and Minato had fought seriously, this battle would be concluded instantly. But the red-eyed girl had insisted to let their less-powerful members gain some experiences. Minato realized this was all because of that Sho Minazuki person.

When Sho declared his intention to kill the members of the Investigation Team, he also said that he's willing to wait until they have gained more members to their ranks. However, there's no telling if the red-haired man will stay true to his words. And, in spite of their best efforts, Minato and Hamuko may not always be there to protect their friends. In the end, Yu might the only one among his peers who is capable of rivalling Sho. However, it is imperative for the other members to grow stronger as well. At the very least, strong enough to last a confrontation with the red-haired man until Minato or Hamuko comes to their rescue.

"Hey guys… Doesn't it seem like that Shadow is guarding something?" asked Chie.

"Now that you mention it, it is weird…" Yukiko murmured to herself. "We've already found the stairs, so this passage should be a dead end"

"Look, there are some treasures over there!" Yosuke exclaimed when he saw two small red chests not far from their current location. "Maybe those are what that Shadow was guarding"

"Wait!"

Before Yosuke can open one of the small chests, he was stopped by Hamuko, who grabbed him by his sleeve.

"Did you hear that?" asked Hamuko.

Everyone went silent and listened to their surroundings. Now that they've paid more attention, there's a weird sound coming from the chest. It sounded like…

"Chains…" Yu whispered to the others. "I hear the sound of rattling chains coming from that chest…"

"What does that mean? Hamuko-san?" asked Yukiko.

Everyone turned their attention to the red-eyed girl.

"I know this presence… Let's leave it alone, the other chest should contain what we're looking for"

"Is it a Shadow?" asked Yu.

"Yes, but it is beyond any of you… If possible, I'd rather not fight it too…"

Hamuko's answer made them back away several steps from the red object. However, instead of retreating, Minato walked closer toward the chest.

There's no doubt that whatever it is lurking inside this thing is something fearsome. Otherwise, Hamuko wouldn't say something like that. On top of that, the ominous aura emanating from the chest is very similar to that of his Shadow. But for some reason, Minato can feel himself being drawn to it, as his body moves on its own. Or rather, it was his Shadow who controlled his body subconsciously. The key to uncovering his past must be residing in this chest. All he has to do is open it…

"Minato-kun…"

Minato stopped moving on his own when he heard Hamuko called his name. She didn't say anything else, but there's an unmistakable sorrow reflected on her expression.

The blue-haired boy sighed. That was the 2nd time he nearly succumbed to his darker self. He needs to find a way to restrain the raging beast inside him, otherwise he will end up losing himself completely.

He remembered the words that an entity once told him many days ago. Somehow, Minato began to understand the meaning behind it all.

Tread your path carefully… For one wrong step will costs you what you hold dear the most…

In other words,

Abandon his true nature… Or embrace it, and risk losing his dearest maiden… Forever…

"This is it. Kanji must be beyond this door"

By the time they arrived at the 11th floor, everyone except Yu, Hamuko and Minato himself were drenched by their own sweats. It's only natural, though, considering that they have explored this whole place within just a couple hours. Minato was about to restore them back to normal with his healing power when Hamuko intervenes him.

"Minato-kun, please conserve your strength. We don't know what might happen next"

The blue-haired boy was slightly confused by Hamuko's words. It's true that rejuvenating his friends costs him more stamina than just summoning his Shadow. However, it was nowhere near enough to reduce his own performance in battle to a noticeable degree. On top of that, he still has plenty left to spare because he barely did anything up until now.

"But, Hamuko-san… Won't it be better for all of us to work together?" asked Yu.

"I know, but please… Don't waste any more energy than necessary"

Minato nods his head to her request as he proceeds to heal the rest of the team. While he was still unsure of her intention, Hamuko never done anything without reason. He should just put his faith in her and do as she asked. Restoring their mental capacity to use their Personas should be enough for now.

"Thanks. Now, are you guys ready?" asked Yu.

Everyone nodded their head before they unlocked the door leading to the final area by using a key they had obtained earlier. There, they can see the real Kanji being confronted by his own Shadow.

"Hey, this is my private sanctuary. What are you girls doing here, hm? I told you that only men are allowed in here"

"Shut up! We ain't here for you!" answered Chie.

"See? I was right to think badly of them women… They shouted at us, they mocked us… Why can't they accept us for who we are?"

It's obvious to see that Kanji grows nervous with every words that his Shadow muttered.

"I… I don't…"

"Don't tell me that you're going to deny everything I said. We both know how scary women are compared to men"

"L-Like hell, I ain't scared of 'em!"

"Um… Shouldn't we stop him before his Shadow gone berserk?" asked Yukiko.

"If we do that, Kanji-kun will never be able to face himself again…" said Hamuko.

The rest of the team could on nod their heads silently as they simply let things unfold.

"Ooh, how I hate girls… So arrogant and self-centered! Men are much better… Yes, I vastly prefer men"

"Screw that! What makes you think you can say that with my face?!"

"Because, my dear self… I am you and you are me. Don't you think it's time for you to accept me?"

"No! There's no way in hell that you're me!"

The moment Kanji said that, his Shadow was immediately surrounded by thick black aura as it transform into something else.

"Ahahaha! You're me, and there's no denying it!"

Shadow Kanji emerges from the black aura as a large half-black, half-white extremely muscular figure. It carries two Mars symbols made out of metal as its weapon. To make things worse, Shadow Kanji was immediately joined by a duo of humanoid Shadows with similar black and white color.

Since they're now fighting to save Kanji, there is no reason to hold back anymore. Even though Minato's not that comfortable with it, the fastest way to end this fight is by calling forth his doppelganger. As soon as he summons his own Shadow, the duo lunge at Shadow Kanji, intending to pierce its chest with their spear hands. But, before their stabbing attack could even reach their target, they were abruptly stopped by an invisible barrier that is protecting Shadow Kanji.

The two muscular Shadows that were accompanying Shadow Kanji retaliated by throwing their punches at the smaller duo. Fortunately, both Minato and his doppelganger were able to evade the attacks on time by jumping backwards before kicking the two Shadows at their side with devastating force, separating them all. However, Shadow Kanji immediately raises its metal weapons above the small figures, intending to smash them under his w

"Hamuko-san, you're up!"

"Got it!"

Shadow Kanji's attempt to strike down Minato and his Shadow was prevented by the red-eyed girl, who blocked the two Mars symbols simultaneously with her Katana and its scabbard. Despite their massive difference in size and build, Hamuko doesn't seem to have any trouble defending herself against the Goliath.

"My apologies, but I can't let you harm that man"

"A woman! I'll get rid of you first!"

As long as that barrier still exists, Hamuko won't be able to deal any damage to Shadow Kanji, even with her sword unique ability to cut through any resistance. However, Shadow Kanji's attempt to hurt Hamuko is just as futile, because of her formidable defense. The two combatants were locked in a stalemate.

"Sensei, you'll have to defeat those two Shadows first before you can attack the big one!" Teddie, who just relocated the unconscious Kanji to a save area, warned Yu.

"Can you tell us their weaknesses?" asked Yu.

"One of them is weak against fire, while the other is weak against ice. They're both immune to wind, light and darkness attack!"

Yukiko, who immediately understands what she need to do, summoned her Persona to conjure a fiery blast upon the two muscular Shadows. The one whom the real Minato fought merely deflects the attack, while the other one suffers a large burn scar on its chest.

"There! That one is weak to fire!" said Yukiko.

"Alright, good job! Yosuke, go with Yukiko and help Minato-san's Shadow. Chie, you and I will take down the other one. We'll hit it together with ice spells!"

Minato can't help but feel amazed by the young man's ability to assess their current situation, which allows him to employ the most effective battle formation.

The clock is ticking… Minato will have to hurry and finish his enemies before he lose control of his Shadow again. Otherwise, there will be one more adversary to worry about…

Shadow Kanji is by no means a pushover. Despite its strange form, its brute force and large size are more than enough to become a significant threat for the Investigation Team. According to Hamuko's estimation, Shadow Kanji is at least three times stronger than the Daring Gigas that was guarding the 7th floor. On top of that, it also has that impregnable barrier which is strong enough to guard against her special armament.

However, in spite of all those strengths, Shadow Kanji was unable to inflict even a scratch on the red-eyed girl. No matter how ferocious its attacks are, Hamuko would always deflect them. If she was armed by a regular weapon, it would have been broken already the moment she first clashed against Shadow Kanji. But, fortunately for Hamuko, she poses two decisive advantages in this death match.

First, her unique ability allows her to exchange blows with the goliath without any trouble. Of course, Yu and Minato are more than capable to stand their own ground against this Shadow. However, in this situation where attacking the target is not an option, her power is well-suited for the task.

Second, her enemy refuses to engage anyone else besides Hamuko herself. If Shadow Kanji focus its attention toward the others, it might be able to turn the table to its favor. But no, the Shadow merely opted to target Hamuko and Hamuko alone because of its grudge against women. This allows the red-eyed girl to keep it occupied while the others are fighting its minions. All that remains is to wait for her friends to dispel this barrier.

"Minato-san, this one is weakened! Finish it!" shouted Yu.

Hamuko managed to observe the entire battlefield for a while before she dodged an overhead smash from Shadow Kanji. It seems that Yu and Chie succeeded in stunning one of the smaller Shadows with their ice attacks, leaving it vulnerable. Shadow Minato complied by jumping over the muscular figure while clutching to its neck. The ghastly figure then lands precisely behind the Shadow while supporting the vertebrae area, breaking its neck with a loud cracking noise.

Compared to the real Minato who prefer to use non-lethal attacks, Shadow Minato prefer to use deadly force as its combat style. No doubt, it was because of the thing that resides deep inside Minato himself. Still, Hamuko can't help but worry for her the blue-haired boy. It's apparent that Minato's combat style continues to warp the longer he maintains his doppelganger. That's why Hamuko tried to convince Minato not to use his power more than necessary. Because she fears the day when Minato loses control, just like he did in his previous life.

It wasn't that long until the remaining minion was defeated as well. The smaller Shadow burst to tiny pieces when Yukiko and Yu set off a major explosion inside its body. Having two of its subordinates defeated, Shadow Kanji threw itself into a fit of rage.

"No, my babes! You will suffer for that!"

This isn't good… Now that it has gone berserk, Shadow Kanji might use a powerful attack that can cover a wide range, just like Shadow Yukiko once did. To make things worse, they have two additional members to protect, which means her defensive ability would be rendered ineffective against the upcoming danger.

There's no other choice. Hamuko will have to use that…

"Everyone, please draw its attention for a few seconds!"

After hearing her request, Minato soon moves to intercept Shadow Kanji. He is followed by Yu, Yosuke, Chie and Yukiko, who relentlessly bombard it with their elemental spells.

If they can no longer defend against the raging Shadow, they only need to kill it before it can unleash its onslaught.

Hamuko grips the sharp blade of her sword with both her hands, causing them to bleed profusely from the wounds. Ignoring the pain, Hamuko rubs her blood all over its blade before she re-sheath it inside the scabbard. As soon as she does that, her Katana began to hover in the air with its color turning from silver-white to jet-black. The radiant glow that was emanating from the sword is now replaced by a vortex of black haze that envelopes everything in darkness. During this moment, everyone except Hamuko herself were helplessly frozen in suspended animation. With the power of time and space at her command, the red-eyed girl utters a single word that will vanquish her enemy. The name of her sword.

"Umbra"

It all happened in an instant. A streak of light is flashing in the dark like a falling star that cuts through the night sky. Then, everything return to normal as the darkness starts to disappear into nothingness. The black Katana is nowhere to be seen, and there is no visible aftermath to the surrounding area. But moments later, when the team turn their attentions back to their enemy, they began to notice a slight difference.

Shadow Kanji was cut in half right at its center, separating its white side from the black side. The Goliath lets out one last roar of pain before it dissipates and reverts to its original, smaller form.

Hamuko merely smiles at her friends, who were looking at her with both surprise and amazement. Their reactions were to be expected, given that was her first time using Umbra 2nd form in front of them. While its destructive power is no less potent than the Fusion Spell – Armageddon, it still gives her the same debilitating effect which renders her immobile for a period of time. Fortunately for Hamuko, Minato was there to catch her before she slumps onto the floor.

"I'm okay, Minato-kun. You don't have to heal me…"

The blue-haired boy, however, refuses her request as he envelopes his hands around hers to heal her wounds.

"Hamuko-san! Are you alright?"

Yu and the others soon rush to her side with concerned expression on their faces.

"Yup, just pushed myself a bit too hard" Hamuko throws them a reassuring smile. "More importantly, you know what to do next…"

Everyone nod their heads as they turn to look at Kanji, who has regained his consciousness at the same time with his weakened Shadow.

"Heh…Ehehehe… Such a wonderful approach"

Shadow Kanji is chuckling to itself while looking at Yu, Yosuke, Teddie and Minato.

"I take it back… You four would make wonderful boyfriends…"

"W-What? N-No, no! I really don't swing that way!" said Yosuke.

"Ugh… Dammit, stop it…"

Kanji tries to reason with his Shadow, to no avail.

"I don't care who! Won't someone, anyone, please accept me?!"

"That's… Enough!"

As if trying to taunt his host again, Shadow Kanji continues its monologue.

"Accept me for who I am!"

"I said, cut the crap out!"

Kanji dashes at his own Shadow and throws a punch to its cheek, knocking it down.

"Tsk… Can't believe I had this thing inside me…" Kanji gritted his teeth.

Despite his reaction, it seems that Kanji is beginning to accept his darker self.

"I know… I've known all this time that I had something like you! It ain't a matter of guys or chicks… I'm just scared shitless of being rejected" said Kanji. "I'm a coward who tries to make everyone hate myself"

"Be brave, Kanji… We're right here with you…" Yu pats the grey-haired boy on his shoulder.

"You're right… I need to accept to myself…"

Kanji approaches his Shadow with a determined look.

"Get up. Anyone who looks like me ain't so weak they can't take a small punch"

Answering his order, Shadow Kanji gets up from the floor.

"You're me and I'm you, dammit… That isn't some major revelation, get it?"

The Shadow smiles at Kanji before it transform into something else. A bulky robotic figure with skeletal design which carries a large metal in the shape of a lightning bolt as its weapon. Just like what happened to Yukiko, Kanji immediately stumbles backward after he obtains his Persona.

"We'll have to get him out of here. Yosuke, help me" said Yu.

The two teenagers were about to help him up when Kanji denied their assistances.

"I'm fine… I can walk on my own…"

However, Kanji falls again when he tried to stand up on his own.

"Them helping you does not mean you're weak" said Hamuko. "So please drop the tough act, or I will give you reasons to accept their help"

Even though Hamuko was saying that with her usual smiling face, she still managed to intimidate Kanji who is almost twice her size.

"Y-Yes, Ma'am..."

"Geez, Hamuko-san is even scarier than my mom…" commented Yosuke.

"What was that?"

"Oh, uh… It's nothing. I'm just glad we managed to rescue Kanji in time"

Hamuko can't deny it. She's not comfortable with the fact that the culprit is still on the loose, but at the very least, they were able to prevent another victim's death. If her theory is correct, there shouldn't be any more incident for a while, not until someone else appears on the Midnight Channel. Which is a good thing, since Hamuko doubts she will recover her power anytime soon…

"Forgive me, Minato-kun…" Hamuko is looking at the blue-haired boy with a tenderly expression while gently holding his hand. "I'm sorry to be such a burden to you"

Minato merely shrugs his head as he proceeds to carry Hamuko in a bridal style. At first, Hamuko was rather surprised and embarrassed by the sudden gesture. Nevertheless, she began to resign herself to this fate as she starts to drift into a world of dream. It's not as if she hated it. In fact, she rather enjoyed it.

"I don't think we'll have to worry about Hamuko-san, now that she is well-tended" There was a playful tone in Yu's voice when he said those words. "Besides, she looks so peaceful…"

Indeed… To be cradled in the loving arms of her beloved Minato while she falls asleep… There's nothing more she desires than to have this moment last forever…

I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.

- Muhammad Ali

A/N:

I promised you all a new chapter within two weeks time, instead it took me nearly 5 weeks to finish this one up... I have nothing to say but my deepest apologies for making you all wait so long. It's been a tough month for me, but that still doesn't justify myself for breaking the promise. This chapter is significantly longer than the previous ones (more than 11 K words, excluding the A/N section). Please think of it as a small compensation for the long delay.

I just noticed that I never thanked you guys enough for your reviews. Thus, starting from this chapter, I will personally address each and every one of your valuable opinions. Please don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts, because it will help me improve the quality of this story.

Field Medic: Thanks! I just hope I'll never have to get into such accident again. Glad you liked this story.

Synndraval: Yes, I was planning to include the story of P3 as flashbacks, based on Hamuko's POV (as parts of The Memoirs story). Would you prefer it if I write the P3 story as an entirely different chapter? Or would you rather have me create another fic solely for the sake of explaining the P3 events in a more elaborate way? Please let me know what you think in your review.

Nightly7: My bad, you changed your pen name even more frequently than my updates lol. The 'new villain' that you mentioned is actually none other than Sho himself. However, there WAS a new enemy during the P3 part. I'll leave it your imagination to figure that one out.

Daitalion: Sorry for those grammatical errors... I'll try my best to improve my English, but I still have much to learn. Those are some really interesting theories you got there! Unfortunately, I can neither confirm or deny it at this moment, to prevent spoiler... However, I can tell you that your theories are not far from the truth. I'd love to know more about how you arrived at that conclusion.

mocasiotorres27: I haven't thought about including Nihil weapons for the Investigation Team members to use. Gotta admit though, that is a good idea. Let's see if I can somehow get it to this story. To be honest, I'm not that familiar with the characters from earlier Persona games. Perhaps you can enlighten me on those two Wild Cards?

Rosalinda Lancaster Leonhart: Don't worry, he will. In fact, Yu will defeat one of the main antagonists in this fic by using a Fusion Spell.

silgain: Thank you! Looking forward for your next review!

Frankly Forgotten: Ah, I knew that someone will understand the reference. You are correct, Minato's ability is based on the Doppelganger style from Devil May Cry series. Good job on figuring it out!

Qamilla: Yup! Make no mistakes, the other girls (and boys) are awesome as well. However, I believe that Minato and Hamuko are the ones who truly deserve one another. Glad you enjoyed this story.

NewbieFanficter: Thanks! I hope I can write more scenes that will pique your interest.

BlueBragon: Ah yeah, sorry about that... Writing a scene in Minato's POV is actually a lot harder than the other two protagonists. Basically, Minato is having an internal conflict because his gentle and loving nature does not match the entity that resides within him (Death). I intend to highlight his character development based on this issue. Please look forward to future chapters in regard to this topic.

Stormy Cloudz: Yeah, it's really unfortunate because Minato x Hamuko (or Minako) is my favorite OTP. Thank you for following this story!

As usual, there are some things worth mentioning in this chapter, in case you were confused by my writing:

- The name of Hamuko's Katana is Umbra, which translates as 'Shadow' in Latin. Umbra 2nd form attack was inspired by Mugetsu from the Bleach series, with several differences.

- The creature that resides inside a chest after the team fought the Daring Gigas is none other than the Reaper. In P4G, the Reaper may appear on regular treasure chests during the first run of the game (while in the regular P4 version, the Reaper can only appear after you've beaten the game once, during the New Game+)

- The Investigation Team will encounter some members of the Shadow Operatives at the next chapter.

- Some events from P4G like the Scooter License, Okina City Babe Hunt and Camping Trip will also be occurring at the next chapter. Of course, with some modifications for the sake of originality.

Please enjoy this chapter and look forward for the next one!