...04/10/2009 Sunday; Dark Hour...
...FULL MOON OPERATION...
The city streets stretched ahead of S.E.E.S., washed in the green glow of the Dark Hour.
The buildings looked taller. Emptier.
Long shadows dragged across the asphalt as the group made their way toward Iwatodai Station.
Between their steps and the distant echo of the wind, voices blended — scattered comments, poorly disguised worries.
Where Ken might be.
Whether Shinjiro would really show up before the fight.
Yukari walked beside Fuuka, but in the middle of an interrupted sentence, her gaze drifted behind her.
Hiro was a few steps away from the group.
His shoulders tense.
His eyes fixed ahead, yet empty — as if the city wasn't there, as if something inside his head screamed louder than the world around him.
Yukari slowed her pace, letting Fuuka walk ahead. Her steps naturally brought her to Hiro's side.
She watched him for a moment before speaking.
"Hiro… are you okay?"
He took half a second longer than usual to answer. His eyes didn't leave the road.
"More or less…" He exhaled slowly. "I've got a bad feeling."
Yukari frowned lightly. "What do you mean?"
Hiro rubbed the back of his neck, scratching lightly as if trying to organize his own thoughts.
"Think about it… Shinjiro went out to take care of something and still hasn't come back. Ken just disappeared." He gives a humorless half-smile. "I don't know… something's off."
Yukari looked down for a moment. The tip of her shoe scraped the asphalt, dragging a dry sound.
"You're right…" she murmured. "Not to mention I can't get what the president said out of my head."
Hiro turned his face slightly, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
"You thought it was weird too, huh?"
She nodded without hesitation.
"Yeah. It felt like he wasn't worried… or like he didn't really care."
Hiro's jaw tightened.
"I thought the same thing." His voice came out lower, harder. "And I don't like it one bit."
He shrugged, but there was nothing relaxed in the gesture.
"It's like he doesn't care about what we're up against." A brief silence. "And Ken can't hold his own for long with that spear."
Yukari inhaled deeply before answering.
"Ehh…" She glanced sideways at him. "Besides… I noticed you've been really on edge because of Aragaki-senpai."
The words hit Hiro harder than he expected.
His chest tightened.
He looked away immediately. The green light reflected in his eyes, making it impossible to hide the weight he carried.
Something twisted inside him.
Even before Shinjiro left…
A dull unease pulsed in the bottom of his chest, insistent, begging him to have done something different. To have gone after him.
But he couldn't explain why.
The feeling had already been there.
And now, it was only growing.
And deep in his heart, an uncomfortable certainty settled — something was wrong.
Hiro drew in a sharp breath, as if trying to rip that weight out of his chest by force.
"Yeah…" his voice came out deeper than he intended. He shot Yukari a sideways glance and shrugged. "I can't stop thinking about it. I should've—"
Before he could finish, Mitsuru made a gesture that made everyone look at her.
Her arm rose, fist closed.
Everyone stopped.
Mitsuru stared at the station ahead, her eyes narrowed, alert.
"We're here." Her voice was firm. "They're on the other side of the street."
The group's eyes followed the same direction.
Two silhouettes outlined by the green light.
One floated a few inches above the ground — large, wrapped in something that resembled twisted bars.
The other moved close to the asphalt, the size of a big dog, its body strange and irregular.
The two Shadows remained still, turning their heads from side to side. Harsh sounds escaped them — distorted growls, impatient.
Junpei scratched his cheek, disbelief on his face.
"What the heck…" He let out a nervous laugh. "This is the path we take every day to go to school…"
Akihiko narrowed his eyes, jaw tight.
"Hmph…" He crossed his arms. "Strange… it's like they were waiting for us."
Mitsuru turned toward Fuuka, slightly curious.
"Any sign of Amada?"
Fuuka closed her eyes for a moment, as if searching for something in the void. When she opened them, the worried shine did not go unnoticed.
"No…" She shook her head. "I didn't feel his Persona… or Aragaki-senpai's."
Hiro's fingers curled tightly at his side. His nails pressed into his palm.
"Damn it…" he murmured under his breath.
Mitsuru cast a quick glance behind them, toward the path they'd taken. For a second, she seemed to consider waiting.
Until the Shadows' growls echoed again — louder, more impatient.
Time was not on their side.
Aigis stepped forward, posture rigid.
"Kirijo-senpai." Her voice was firm. "We need to act. I know it's not ideal, but the Arcana Shadows could attack at any moment."
Mitsuru closed her eyes briefly, taking a slow breath. When she opened them, the decision was already made.
"We have no choice." She spoke without hesitation. "We'll fight without Aragaki and Amada."
Her gaze shifted to Minato.
"Arisato." Her tone was serious, direct. "You know what to do. Who goes with you on the front line… and who stays back?"
Minato's eyes traveled across the group in silence.
For a moment, the green streets of the Dark Hour vanished from his mind, replaced by a dry crack of shattering glass — the image of Fuuka's forearm pierced through, blood running too warm to ignore.
He tightened his lips.
Fuuka couldn't be exposed.
His gaze moved onward, passing Akihiko, Junpei, Aigis… until settling on Hiro, standing beside Koromaru and Yukari. The dog perked his ears, alert, as if he could feel Minato's eyes on him.
Minato lowered his gaze for a second. Drew in a deep breath.
When he looked up again, his eyes were set.
"Hiro." His voice was steady. "You, Koromaru, Mitsuru, and Yukari — can you stay with Fuuka?"
Hiro didn't hesitate, nodding immediately.
"Of course. I'll stay with her."
Minato turned to Mitsuru, determined.
"I've already made up my mind." He inhaled. "I'm going with Junpei, Aigis, and Akihiko."
Junpei tilted his head to the side, clenching his fist tight near his body. A restrained smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Let's do this!" Junpei shouted in his mind, fired up.
Mitsuru nodded, drawing her rapier in a precise motion. The blade reflected the green light of the Dark Hour.
"Good." She looked at Minato. "Since there are two, Takeba and I will take one of the Shadows."
Her gaze swept through the entire group, serious, leaving no room for doubt.
"Everyone ready?" Her voice dipped slightly, heavy with warning. "This fight will be more complicated than the Hermit Arcana."
The answers came together, strong, almost like an impact.
"Yes!"
Mitsuru closed her eyes for a moment, then turned toward the station.
"Good. Let's go!"
She took the first step.
The metallic sound of weapons being drawn echoed through the empty street.
Hiro slid his hand inside his coat and pulled out the kukri, spinning it once in his palm before tightening his grip.
Minato drew his sword, the blade slicing the air with a crisp sound.
Junpei yanked the greatsword from his back, resting the weight on his shoulder with an eager grunt.
Yukari fitted her hand on the bow, fingers steady, posture focused.
Akihiko adjusted his gauntlets, the joints of his fingers cracking beneath the metal.
Step by step, S.E.E.S. crossed the street.
When they reached the front of the station, everyone stopped almost at the same time.
Ahead, the two silhouettes stopped merely watching.
They moved.
The smaller one advanced first, hopping across the ground. With each movement, a dry metallic clank echoed through the empty street.
Its form came into full view.
A golden body reflecting the Dark Hour's green light, shaped like a dog — but hollow inside.
From foreleg to hind leg, there was no flesh, only an open metal framework, exposing the empty space within.
Gears and plates covered the front legs, bent at unnatural angles. The back legs repeated the shape, simpler, as if they were an incomplete version.
The head was a single sheet of metal, shaped like an Egyptian Nemes — rigid and imposing. In the center, a bluish mask stood out.
Its black, vertically aligned eyes glowed red, fixed on the group.
At the corner of the mask, carved in Roman numerals:
X.
The air grew heavier as the second presence moved.
The larger Shadow floated forward slowly, never touching the ground. Sharp, spiked metal bars surrounded it like a suffocating cage.
Inside them, roses of every color were crushed together — beautiful, yet grotesque.
Petals fell onto the concrete.
But before touching the ground, they dissolved into black mist.
Above the flowers, a feminine figure rose.
A white dress draped smoothly along her body, decorated with soft pink details. Her skin — arms, legs, face — reflected no light. It was absolute black, empty. In her raised left hand, she held a single red rose with cruel delicacy.
Long blonde hair descended like something ethereal. A blue feminine mask hid her expression. On the forehead, in Roman numerals:
XI.
The two Shadows stared at S.E.E.S. in silence.
The air vibrated.
Some swallowed hard, too stunned by the imposing presence of the Strength Arcana to hide it.
Minato stepped forward.
His sword rose.
One by one, everyone moved into position. The sound of weapons settling cut through the heavy silence.
Fuuka clasped her hands together, almost like in silent prayer, and quickly stepped back, placing herself behind Hiro. Her heart pounded fast, but her voice was steady.
"Get ready." She closed her eyes. "They're going to attack."
As if responding to her call, both Shadows unleashed a distorted scream — metal and fury tangled into an impossible sound.
The battle began.
TO BE CONTINUED...