Reverse Tarot - entrance

No matter how many times Adachi had transferred from one world to another, the transition never ceased to give him a light sense of nausea. Maybe it wasn't as bad as falling headfirst into the TV World, but it sure as hell wasn't pleasant. …But there was something different about the sickness he was feeling now. The atmosphere felt almost as if it was suffocating him, finding difficulty in catching his breath for a few moments. Maybe it was just the fact he hadn't visited through the Metaverse Navigator for a while, but even between breaks in that method he'd never felt something so… Oppressive, entering in. Keeping his mask on wasn't an option if he wanted any chance of catching his breath. After a few more moments of struggle to break through the atmosphere and failing, he ripped off his mask, taking a couple of deep breaths through his mouth while collecting himself, attempting to relax slightly. Luckily, when he tore off his needlessly gaudy accessory, Magatsu-Izanagi hadn't popped up to hover ominously behind him. As far as he was aware, the mask wasn't necessary for anyone but the newer recruits. Everyone else had their own ways of summoning. Evokers, cards, or, in his case, a massive ass headache. At least a benefit to that was not having to bother with the mask restricting him, casually attaching it to one of his belts as he finally grounded himself. The mask didn't have any sort of strap to hold it together, but that wasn't too noticeable with how it hung on regardless—one of the many peculiarities of this world Adachi didn't really care to ponder. Now that he'd gotten past that much, he'd been quick to slip out of the alley and step into the open area near them. No cognitive figures, no shadows, not even any sort of real aesthetic change. "This place looks…" His eyes fell back onto Sho, pausing momentarily for some sort of dramatic tension. "...Pretty damn boring."

3:45 AM

As if to punctuate his words, a loud, exaggerated yawn escaped him, stretching out for a moment as he further observed the scene. It didn't seem like much more than the usual outside of a shadow's main hub, most of the buildings completely untouched and scenery lacking anything really noteworthy, save for the red hue. That begged the question of where exactly the center of all of this even resided. There weren't any obvious clues pointing to their destination, and he wasn't even going to bother asking Sho, knowing the kid probably wouldn't have much of value considering how he was acting about the whole situation. Guess the best way to get anywhere was to see if there were loose shadows roaming around. The more of those abominations they ran into, the more likely they were probably going to get to their hub. That was, if it was even anywhere near them. Though, Adachi had to guess that Sho wouldn't have transported over in Shinjuku if he knew the source was too far. Or, maybe he was just giving the kid too much credit. "Get your ass moving already." For how the man barked his words, he certainly didn't seem to be in too much of a hurry himself, continuing at a somewhat leisurely pace through the city as he peeked down a couple more alleys for any signs of activity, only being greeted by eerie silence in return. "We ain't gonna find anythin' standing around." Would've been nice to have some sort of navigator, but his Persona wasn't made for that sort of gig, and Sho's whole gimmick had him filling every other single niche except a guide—Not that he'd be a particularly good one, anyway. Regardless, it didn't matter too much. As long as they were observant enough and kept their guard up, nothing should have gone wrong. The only real issue was making sure they knew when they were in too deep.

The transition from one world to another brought with it a strange, disorienting sensation before Sho could roll his eyes at Adachi— briefly, everything around him looked almost malleable, warping itself at the older man's tap of the button on the phone. However, it wasn't the sight of the new, stylish outfits he and Adachi had miraculously been changed into that told him they'd successfully made the trip. Instead, it was that uncomfortable sensation that caused the hairs on his neck to go on end, upright as though they were soldiers standing at attention. That sense of being watched, being stalked. Whether it was by the Shadows or… well, whatever the hell was in charge of the Shadows. Glancing up at the moon above, as crimson as it was last time, Sho didn't have a doubt in his mind that there was something every bit as powerful and nauseating as all the last governing entities he'd run into. Feeling the cold metal of his sword's pommel on his hand was nothing short of a comfort in a place like this. Trying to push down his unease as he surveyed the immediate surroundings alongside Adachi, Sho chuckled at his dismissive attitude. "Yeah, on the outside. You ain't seen nothin' yet. Oh, and cool outfit, by the way." Undoubtedly, Adachi was in a similar state to Sho internally, trying to seem less off-put by the atmosphere of this place. He'd known the guy long enough by now that he could tell the indifference he displayed wasn't anything more than an act. Hell, he practically hid eighty percent of his real feelings and personality half the time. It had gotten easier with time to tell what Adachi was really thinking underneath his bluster, but of course he'd keep up the act anyway.

4:46 AM

The redhead knew now wasn't the time for him to be psychoanalyzing, though; and he really didn't need Adachi ordering him around, for the record. Not that Sho took it too personally, but he certainly could've done without the older man treating him like he had no idea what he was doing… "Chill out, would ya?" He picked up the pace, moving ahead of Adachi with a huff. "I know where we're goin', you don't hafta get on my ass. Just don't fall behind." As convenient as a navigator-type might have been in this situation, Sho knew where to go for now– or at least, he had some idea of where to go. The same place he'd followed someone's signal to when he first got here, where Yosuke's rescue had been carried out. What better place to check for more information, right? Back then, it didn't feel like there was much opportunity to explore when a teammate's life was at stake, and the Shadows there were nothing short of bloodthirsty in their attempts to stop the group dead in their tracks; Hopefully, things would be a little different this time around. Despite Adachi's nagging, there wasn't half as much of a sense of urgency as before while Sho led the way to their destination. It helped that the Shadows in the first layer were scarce, hardly blocking their path or even acknowledging the two at all. Well, so long as they didn't make too much of a racket, anyway. As much as a part of Sho wished a Shadow would be stupid enough to step up in front of them, the more rational part of him won out in knowing it'd be for the best to conserve his energy for when it really counted. Between him and Adachi, they certainly weren't lacking in power, but lacking numbers still meant they'd have to be more careful not to let their guard down.

4:46 AM

As the duo got further and further in, beyond the desolation of the first layer of this world, Sho found it increasingly difficult to hold back a grimace as the oppression permeating the air all around them only started to intensify. No doubt Shadows would get a hell of a lot more active; it couldn't have been too long before Sho and Adachi might've found themselves surrounded. "Shit's gonna get messier as we get further in, so keep your eyes peeled, yeah?" He stole a glance over his shoulder at the man as they walked on, every street and alleyway seeming to become more and more narrow. Whether they were really entering a more enclosed space or Sho was just feeling more anxious and like the walls were closing in on him, he wasn't entirely sure. The redhead couldn't help but wonder how much more to this place there would be, and just how much more unsettling it could possibly get. The feeling of moving through Phlegethon wasn't unlike that of stepping through a den of hungry predators, and as much as the danger of it had a way of exciting him, that excitement probably couldn't stay prominent over the impending dread for too much longer.

What was this about him ‘not seeing nothing yet’? Adachi refused to believe that anything there was going to be too shocking despite what his senses were telling him, raising an eyebrow at the boy, but maybe he’d be proven wrong. Not that he really wanted to be—If Sho was just exaggerating, at least he could write it off pretty easily. But, if he wasn’t, then they’d actually have to do something about it, and that would mean even more work for him… Now he was regretting making the effort to enter this place. Curiosity killed the cat, after all. For Adachi, that curiosity simply led to a greater workload, which might as well have been death to him. "Whatever." His eyes turned down to his outfit for a moment, lazily observing the gratuitous amount of cuts and burn marks throughout it. For being a representation of himself, it was a pretty damn lousy look. Couldn’t he have at least gotten something a little less… Edgy? Seriously, he looked like some thirteen year old’s OC… "At least it’s not as bad as yours." Not that he actually thought the kid’s was that bad, but he couldn’t refuse a clear entrance for a snappy response. It was about all the power he had here, with how Sho was pushing himself into the front to lead, just as he always did. The last thing he wanted to do was follow that kid around again—He’d already had more than enough of that from the P-1 Climax alone, but it wasn’t like he exactly had a choice in a place he didn’t know half as well as the kid. "I ain’t gonna fall behind," he muttered, absentmindedly grabbing for his revolver and lazily spinning it around. If there were any shadows around, it should’ve been enough to keep them at bay, but he didn’t see any popping up yet. Not that he cared much either way, but, if he could get in a little action without having to bring out that thing, then he’d gladly take it. "Just keep yourself moving."

3:33 PM

The walk was a rather quiet one, all things considered. Usually, the kid would be talking up a storm, with Adachi throwing in some snarky responses every now and then, but things had been uncomfortably silent now. It only made the feeling that he was suffocating under Phlegethon’s oppressive and twisted energy even more intense, having to remind himself to take a couple of deep breaths as they walked to keep himself from getting consumed by it all. God, this sucked. Even fiddling with his gun had begun to get boring, turning into nothing more than an anxious tap against his side as he attempted to keep himself from going insane. There was almost a relief when Sho opened his mouth again. As stupid as the kid’s statement might have been to him, at least it was something to fill the empty space. "It's almost like I do this for my job." Finally, he put the revolver back into his holster, though didn’t take his hand off of it completely, eyes flickering across the scenery before them to take in any potential dangers. Nothing, yet. But it seemed that if there was anything, it’d only be more of an issue as they got further as they lost space for mobility. "Don't worry about me. I'm not a goddamn idiot." Flanking spots were a pretty clear pain in the ass, now. With how narrow things were getting, any sort of shadow attacks could easily come around the front and back, leaving them completely cornered as if sheep being brought out to the slaughter. Well, that wasn’t the exact analogy he was looking for, considering they weren’t exactly oblivious to the danger they were getting themselves into, but it worked well enough. With the sounds of slithering nearby, a confrontation with these things were practically inevitable, and, considering the space they were in, it didn’t seem he’d have a lot of options to keep to his own physical weapons…

3:34 PM

And, just as he and probably Sho had expected, they weren’t able to keep up this peaceful stride for much longer, a grotesque blob having turned the corner and begun a transformation with a horrific shriek. That had signaled the other shitty creatures to come piling in from both sides in a flurry, Adachi’s eyes turning to the space behind them, rushing to fire a couple of rounds at a couple flying fuckers and throw out a few knives to keep the creatures on the ground at bay. …Not that it’d work for long. Even he wasn’t stubborn enough to think he’d get away with just that, and Adachi wasn’t counting on Sho being able to handle both the front and back on his own. Not that the kid wasn’t strong—Hell, he’d fought against both the kid and his old… Whatever the hell Minazuki was multiple times, being barely able to keep up—but that wasn’t exactly a one-person task with how they were piling on. Despite knowing that, he still didn’t exactly want to bring that thing out if he didn’t have to… Some stray bullets and throwing knives weren’t exactly helping too much, though, and eventually he knew he didn’t have much of a choice, having to steel himself and use the growing anxiety and annoyance within him to conjure the monster within, a light flash in his head as pain erupted throughout. Fuck. That never hurt any less. In fact, he was pretty sure it'd gotten worse overtime. Whether that meant that power was increasing or eating at him more wasn't something he'd particularly contemplated on—wasn't like it mattered much, either. Could have even been the environment, for all he knew, but it sure as hell wasn't enjoyable by any imagination, causing him to instinctively tug at his hair and let a pained laugh slip out from between his teeth as the red and black abomination appeared in front of him.

3:34 PM

Those brats all got some sort of fancy summoning technique, and he was still stuck with this, even a decade later. It was seriously unfair… Then again, having some sort of "fragment of power" within him meant that was probably the only way he'd ever be able to do things. Some sort of punishment for that power he got and the shit he did with it, or whatever moralist tale someone could weave out of his shitty ass situation. Ugh, there he went, getting stuck in his head again. Wasn’t like it mattered much—Magatsu-Izanagi was pretty good at operating on his own, swinging away at the oncoming hordes while Adachi got his bearings in check. Those blades had certainly packed a punch, these sorts of little guys being little more than pests when faced with something like him. The number of them wasn't exactly something that his Persona had been too well equipped for on his own, but Adachi hadn't particularly felt like expending more mental anguish on these weaklings than he had to. They couldn't have been very far in, considering how they were still in a pretty basic, squished landscape, so using those skills wouldn't do anything but make getting to the meat of the place more exhausting. Still, worst came to worst, a wave of fear and instakill would have probably taken out a good chunk of them. "Don't bother too much with them." He shook his head slightly, working to collect himself as his eyes gazed upon the horde that Magatsu-Izanagi had been slicing through. A couple began to crawl up his legs, as if attempting to corrupt something that had already been far from pure. The very image made Adachi scoff, considering for a brief moment shooting at them off as his hand hovered above his holster. That consideration didn’t last long, though, hand shifting from the grip of his gun to making its way into one of his stitched-up pockets before facing towards Sho’s side, making sure that things were relatively clear. "Let’s just keep walking."

3:34 PM

Maybe the kid had a little more of a positive relationship with his other selves, but Adachi? He hated that side of him. All it'd ever done was be a nuisance or downright curse, depending on the day. The endless pain that thing put him through and the years he'd probably lost to it wasn't exactly anything he was happy about, and neither was the sort of shit he got into because of his abilities. He could have gone back to being a waiter if all else failed in Inaba, maybe not killed two people and did… What he did to them. Instead, he went through with all that, and paid the consequences in prison. Even then, those assholes dragged him out, all because of his bullshit Persona and the deity that made him into some stupid vessel. And now, here he was from the aftermath of it all, permanently indentured to Kirijo-san. So, yeah. Safe to say, he didn't care much for Magatsu-Izanagi. Besides, when he looked at that thing… He never saw himself. Whatever that thing was didn't reflect him. Hell, it was just a goddamn reskin of Yu-kun's Izanagi! And a shitty looking one, at that! How the hell was he supposed to see that as his other self!? He wasn't some… Corrupted version of the kid, or whatever the hell that thing was implying. He wasn't anything like that, right!? …Magatsu-Izanagi always made those sorts of stupid thoughts heighten whenever he was out. Maybe he should've looked into getting some sort of help for that sensation of unbearable ripping and tearing at his brain, but it wasn't like anyone could ever help with that. No one even understood what the hell was going on with him in the first place, let alone any fix for the impossible conundrum that he was. The best he could do was attempt to distract himself from the talons that thing had dug deep into his skull with its presence.

3:34 PM

"I still think you're overexaggerating stuff here." Composure was a much more difficult thing for him to keep up now, but there wasn't any way in hell he'd let that through. Not that he could keep a light cringe or wince from slipping, but he worked to keep his voice and face as neutral as he could. "Looks like any regular deity infestation to me." It certainly didn't feel like that, but he was gonna keep that part to himself. No reason to worry the kid about past trauma like that, especially when he wasn't sure if any of what he was experiencing was credible. Trusting his senses in a place like this felt like a recipe for disaster with the worries that Sho was putting into his throbbing head. Still, he had to admit the moon that hung overhead had felt a little off compared to these other sorts of places… But making any assumptions now with Magatsu-Izanagi out wasn’t going to do him any good. Maybe once that thing was able to rest, he’d be able to consider it all with a clearer frame of mind. For now, he just let the thing swipe away, giving it little more active attention than what was necessary to keep it moving along and protecting their rear, acting as nothing more than a guard dog. Guess that was one thing they did have in common; they were simply pawns under the control of someone else’s whims. Yeah, what a great connection that was. He was so glad to have something like that rotting his skull.

The Shadow's shriek tearing through the uncomfortable silence acted as a strange kind of comfort for Sho. Finally! He'd been itching for something, anything to take him out of the dark corners of his own head, on top of the sheer boredom beginning to creep its way in. As off-putting as it could've been to Adachi, the redhead could hardly bring himself to run at his usual motormouth capacity; not in the face of the paranoia currently plaguing him. He didn't know what exactly it was. Right now, all he knew was that something about this place was making his stomach turn way too much for his liking. Maybe a fight was just the distraction that he needed, right? Battles like this always did have their way of breaking him out of his head, after all. With the Shadows piling in, Sho's train of thought had taken a turn to a place that was a hell of a lot more comfortable. Calculations of the enemy's numbers, their distance relative to himself and Adachi, observations of size and estimations of strength, and the decision of what action to take in retaliation. The space was narrow enough that he only really needed to worry about what was in front of him; Adachi had the rear covered almost instantly, a sight that had Sho grinning before he directed his attention to his share of the hordes. Looking at what he was up against, none of them seemed big or strong enough to warrant bringing out a Persona just yet. Besides, even though he'd gotten to be more than confident in his mastery over them, Sho did have his preferences when it came to forms of combat; and nothing could ever beat a good ol' up close and personal brawl in his book. "Heh, alright, bring it on!"

9:38 AM

He punctuated his taunt through drawing his swords a split-second before dashing forward to meet his opponents halfway, wasting no time in going on the offense. Skewering and slicing a path through the lot of them brought on that rush of endorphins in his brain like nothing else, and while a tighter space meant less room to move around freely, it also meant that there was less room for him to get surrounded and dogpiled. That being the case, Sho's onslaught was mostly undeterred by his opponents. At least, until more of the little bastards started to pour out of the damn woodwork: suddenly, it started to look like rushing it wasn't the best idea, even if Sho lacked the same kind of ranged options that Adachi had at his disposal. However, when some Shadows got the clever idea to try and get him from his blind spot, the scarred wild card could only smirk in response. Of course the idiots couldn't anticipate him having someone watching his back, even when he wasn't always visible. When it seemed like mere blades wouldn't cut it anymore, Tsukiyomi appeared within the blink of an eye to mow down the cluster that leapt for Sho's back, almost as if he didn't feel like being outdone by Magatsu-Izanagi appearing just moments earlier. Tsukiyomi in particular always seemed to have a more protective air about him in battle; it could've been just because he was essentially Sho's starter Persona, but at times, it felt like he'd appear at the slightest implication of harm coming to his master, eliminating the threat with ruthless efficiency. Hell, the more he thought on it, Sho knew exactly where that part of its behavior came from. It was comforting for him to know that, in some way, Minazuki wasn't totally gone.

9:39 AM

From that point on, the weaklings might as well have been throwing themselves into a blender as Sho and Tsukiyomi had carved through the remaining clusters of them practically back-to-back. The redhead had gotten so swept up in his own excitement of it all, that when the area was practically all clear, he felt a twinge of disappointment that it had to end so quickly. Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted. "Thanks for the save," Sho addressed Tsukiyomi with a smile, to no response other than a stare before he disappeared back into the recesses of his user's psyche. Never much for words, as always. Not that Adachi seemed like he was in the mood for much of a conversation either, when Sho looked at him. In spite of trying to be nonchalant about it all, the guy couldn't exactly hide the toll summoning that Persona always took on him. "...yeah, maybe. Something's just… weirdin' me out about this place, and I can't put my damn finger on what it is." He heaved a sigh, wiping the remaining Shadow goop off of his swords with a flourish. "You sure you wanna keep that thing out?" Sho glanced at Magatsu-Izanagi for a brief second, the thing seeming more than happy to slash and stab away at any stray Shadows while Adachi walked on. "Ya might save some more energy leavin' the stragglers to me, y'know. Wouldn't want you pushin' your old bones too hard before we even get anywhere here, right?"

9:39 AM

It sounded like he was just making fun of Adachi's age, and he most definitely was, but with Sho's teasing came an underlying concern that he was mostly certain Adachi would just brush off, because why the hell wouldn't he? At the end of it, he was just as much of a stubborn bastard as Sho. Even when it came to his Persona practically draining the damn life out of him and giving him raging migraines. At this point, he'd fought alongside Adachi more than enough to notice what a toll Magatsu-Izanagi took on him. Did Kirijo know what kind of shit Adachi carrying that kind of power in him entailed, besides it making him stronger? Hell, did she care? Probably not, and hey, maybe she had a right not to. It wasn't like Adachi was ever the best person in the world, even reformed, but… the same was true enough for Sho, and just from his own perspective, it seemed a little fucked up that his jokes about Adachi being old and worn down sometimes felt more and more like they were coming true. Not that Sho would ever admit to genuine concern for Adachi's well-being, even while he spared the occasional glance between the man and his Persona stalking behind them as they advanced through the second layer of this nightmare of a world.

Sound of a thanks from Sho to his other self simply made Adachi scoff and roll his eyes at the display. Did those things even need that sort of treatment? They were just tools—Weapons to be used for their owners’ whims. Whether or not they’d done good didn’t mean they deserved a pat on the back. Wasn’t like they got that sort of shit, and they were the ones putting themselves through the pain of suffering them. Well… Really, pain was a term that only applied to him. Still, they wouldn’t even be out of their prisons if it wasn’t for the work their wielders gave them. But, maybe that was just him being bitter about the parasite he’d been inflicted with. Wasn’t like he didn’t understand the sentimental value that Tsukiyomi held to the kid, beyond what those others had with theirs. That Persona wasn’t just his, acting as some sort of representation to that obnoxious asshole that lived in his head for however many years. Wasn’t like he’d be particularly kind to that sort of manifestation, though. Hell, if he had that power Sho did, he’d never even bother bringing Tsukiyomi out. Not if he had to face that. …Though, like Sho’s relationship with Tsukiyomi, he’d come to understand a bit of what Minazuki had going on, too. He just wanted to protect someone and give them their dream, right? As stupid as it was, he had some kinda goal, to the point of throwing his life away to keep that kid safe. What a lousy way to go out! His stupidity was his downfall—Granted, it was a fate Adachi could have easily met as well. How he hadn’t still perplexed him, but Hi-no-Kagutsuchi wasn’t exactly like the part of Izanami that possessed him. Who knew what could of gone down there, even as one of the few to actually observe some of the event on top of the tower.

2:04 AM

When he was knocked out of his thoughts, the sound he was greeted to was an obnoxious, high-pitched voice. Sho's voice hasn't always read like that, but when he was in this state? The words weren't even comprehensible to him; all he knew was that they were only adding to his pounding head, each syllable bringing more and more with it until he felt his skull was about to combust from all of the outside stimuli. And, when he got overwhelmed, there were never the best results, and now wasn't much different. "Shut up." The snarl that erupted from him even took him aback momentarily, cringing to himself at the venom that seeped through. That was Magatsu-Izanagi slipping into his mind and twisting his words again. Heh, seemed like that thing almost controlled him more than he did it, at times. How depressing. But, he'd at least correct any mistake he could there, not wanting to let that creature's influence have the final word there. "Don't worry 'bout me—ain't any issue." Yeah, sure. Anyone knew that one was a lie. When Magatsu-Izanagi was out, the mask dropped entirely, yet Adachi still fumbled to keep it on as much as he could, in some sort of mental battle to keep his wits about him. There was no way he'd let that thing take control of his mental state entirely—as much as he didn't think he cared about how he presented himself, coming off as a deranged lunatic wasn't exactly his style. It wasn't even like he'd said much to establish that sanity, but holding that thing out for prolonged periods of time limited his speech pattern even more than usual. Nothing more than the essentials needed to come out of his mouth, since anymore would leave him in even greater pain having to strain practically every part of his body to make himself appear and sound fine.

2:04 AM

There was a way to fix that—Well, temporarily, at least. Not that Adachi liked to use them in dungeons, but he still found himself shuffling around in his belt pouch and bringing out his prescribed painkillers, uncapping the bottle and slipping one into his mouth and down his throat without any sort of liquid. They weren't anything particularly fancy, but they did the job well enough. Made Magatsu-Izanagi less accurate, movements generally a little more drowsy and less hard-hitting, but if it took away a bit of the edge, then the man wasn't complaining. Besides, most of the things were big enough targets that accuracy wasn't too major of an issue, and since they'd become mostly stragglers, an extra hit or two spent on them wouldn't hurt that monster too much. Seemed like he was doing more than fine, regardless. Swinging and tearing at shadows was something that Magatsu-Izanagi could seemingly do with glee in any state—Nothing could change that. In some ways, it was a great aid to him, not having to worry about directing his Persona in every single little way. In others, it wasn’t something he liked seeing much, regardless of the pain it caused him physically. At least he’d been given the benefit of ignoring that for the time being, not bothering to give his “other self” a glance as they continued to walk. "You still haven't told me about where we're going." His words were much more calm and put together than before, collecting his bearings as the medication kicked in. It was a short relief, but it should have at least lasted long enough to get him through the rest of this without losing his mind, as much as he despised how it dulled his senses and made his stomach churn. "What's so special about this place to freak you out so much? Because this sure as hell ain't anything out of the ordinary."

2:04 AM

There had to be something more interesting than these endless corridors, right? At the moment, this broad investigation had felt like a bit of a waste besides the oppressive atmosphere clueing them in to some greater threat. Well, that, and the name of it, which he’d take advantage of later for his own personal expeditions.

Ain't any issue, he said. Yeah, right. Suppressing a scoff, Sho returned his swords to their scabbards and started back in the direction of his intended goal. Even trying to keep his mind centered on that, he couldn't help what Adachi's dismissal of his own deteriorating state made him feel— sure, maybe it was easy for him to brush it off, knowing how he saw his job as basically his punishment, but did he really think no one else could see it differently? In spite of all he'd done, people still cared. Dojima-san, Nanako, Yu… even Sho himself. Even if they were just about it, Sho could guess they'd enjoy watching the man destroy himself about as much as he was. Which was to say, not at all. "Where Yosuke was, when we came to get 'em out." Sho answered his question, side-eyeing Magatsu-Izanagi as the Persona ripped and tore away at whatever Shadows still remained in close enough proximity; it did a damn good job of watching their six, if nothing else. At Adachi's follow-up question though, all he could really do was sigh. "...I already said, I don't know what it is. It's just… givin' me a gross feeling. Kinda like I'm nauseous. But it feels… weirdly familiar, too. It prolly shouldn't, but it does. Ain't sure why, but it creeps me out."

6:09 AM

It was almost like… something in him was calling out to something else here. Yearning to break free, to just get out. To… reunite with something else, maybe? Something in Phlegethon? What the hell could that even be? This place, it hadn't even existed until recently, so what could it possibly have to do with Sho…? All those questions… they probably wouldn't find any answers to any, not yet, but they could at least get closer to a lead on… something. There was hope that the third layer would have that lead, but who knew how true or false that hope could turn out to be? Definitely not Sho. The walls closed further and further in as they approached the tail end of the second layer, and the redhead's stomach formed a knot inside, tighter and tighter. Sho could hardly even find it in himself to try and lighten the mood, the gloom of it all consuming even his sense of humor. Ugh. He was starting to think coming down here with only Adachi for company was a bad idea… The wailing of the Shadows courtesy of Adachi's Persona seemed to be the only thing filling the silence for a while; at least until Sho finally found the right words to describe what he felt again, before they were replaced with the same thought of God, I fucking hate this place. "...almost feels like somethin' here's… callin' out to me. Like it's a signal I'm s'posed to follow, or some shit. Hard to explain." As they entered the third layer, Sho wasn't able to find any respite from that strange uneasiness; it'd only bug him more and more, until anxiety turned into downright irritation. When could he just get the hell out of here and go back to feeling normal?

Huh… Hanamura-kun was really this far in? Guess it didn’t look as menacing at a glance than the previous level, but he must have had some protection not to die out here. Sure, kid was a pretty decent Persona user, but he still only had one, and the things here were ravenous… Definitely didn’t help in minimizing Adachi’s suspicions, at the very least. Whatever, wasn’t a big deal right now. Sho’s rambling was the main point of curiosity. Felt like the kid was just saying shit for the sake of it for the most part, but something stood out. ‘Feels… weirdly familiar.’ Definitely wasn’t something to be taken lightly. Maybe it was just his own underlying anxieties getting the better of him, but it was hard not to feel something a little strangely recognizable about how the place felt. Sho’s words definitely matter more than his there, though, and narrowed it down a hell of a lot. Wasn’t many candidates that they both knew. In fact, out of the handful they’d dealt with, there was only one that really stuck out in his mind. …That’d be something for later him to think more about. If he got too caught up in his head, he’d missed the even crazier shit the punk said. Calling out to him…? That… Wasn’t something he’d been experiencing. Then again, what he was experiencing in his head right now wasn’t exactly great, either, and he wasn’t gonna be able to keep it going much longer if they kept on walking like this.

5:20 AM

"Place looks safe." That probably wasn’t entirely true, but there weren’t any shadows passively patrolling their nearby surroundings, so they wouldn’t have to worry about the little assholes for a moment. The more open area had been a breath of relief too, as the claustrophobic buildings had started to make him feel like he was suffocating more and more the further they went. Then again, that wasn’t just the scenery, but it definitely hadn’t been helping anything. At least here they could keep an eye out in the distance in case anything started approaching, being able to get the jump on them before anything tried to do the same to them. "Let's take a break for a minute." It was more for him than Sho, as much as he wouldn't admit it. Not that he really had to, as his actions betrayed his wish to cover all of that up, falling against the wall between the second and third layers as soon as Magatsu-Izanagi left with a hand darting to his head. Ugh, that piece of shit really didn't need to make things so hard even on his exit… Felt like everything it did was just to spite him nowadays. Always taking more and more from him, as if they were in some shitty, unagreed upon contract. If this all kept up, he wouldn’t have much more to give pretty soon. Wasn’t an issue to think about right now, though, slipping a hand into a pouch on his belt and pulling out some gum. Well, it looked like gum, but the people back at the Shadow Ops called it Chewing Soul. Not that he cared much about what it was, as long as it helped to recover some of his energy and soothed the lingering pain. "Ya got any idea where that signal's pointing you?" Back to the actual topic at hand after the brief pause and he’d collected himself more. That comment from the kid about being directed somewhere had been strange, so there was no way in hell he wasn’t going to push. "And don’t just say ‘the center.’ There’s gotta be somethin’ more there.”

5:20 AM

His eyes flickered over to Sho, trying to gauge the abnormalities with the kid. Definitely didn’t look comfortable in the slightest. Wasn’t behaving like he usually was, either. He hadn’t even heard a stupid ass pun come out of him since they got there—Now that was strange as hell. “What the hell’s up with this area, anyway?” He’d forced a more airy and bouncy tone now, a feigned smirk on his face as he stared out into the distance. “Why would it just go from all those annoying buildings to a wasteland like this? Least I kept my place consistent in the aesthetics. Whoever’s in control here could really take a couple design classes.” Sheesh, that was terrible, but at least he was trying to lighten the mood, even if it wasn’t that great. Hell, he’d even worked up the energy to shoot Sho an actual smile to see if it did shit. …Much as he hated to admit it, seeing that kid all moody and upset wasn’t his favorite sight in the world. In fact, it sorta sucked. Wasn’t often he saw a frown or sign of uneasiness from the kid, so when it did hit, it made his chest sink and throat tighten. Stupid ass brat… Hopefully they wouldn’t be here much longer, so he didn’t have to see that any longer than he had to.

Nothing about this area felt safe to Sho, even if it looked to be barren at first glance. No Shadows in view, sure, but that didn't mean there was nothing here; the agitation inside of him only seemed to grow, his skin crawling more and more. He wondered if that meant he was getting closer to whatever the source of all this would turn out to be. He didn't know if he wanted that to be the case anymore, considering that it started to feel more than likely that Sho wasn't going to like what he'd find at all. "...yeah. Sure." Under regular circumstances, maybe Sho wouldn't have agreed to Adachi's proposal that quickly, but it was clear enough that the older of the two needed some time to recuperate. Hell, maybe Sho did too, even if he really wasn't tired at all. Not physically, at least. His nerves were feeling a shit-ton worse for wear by comparison. In battle, a tired brain was practically as bad as a tired body; there was no sense in pushing himself too hard, or else he'd make a fatal mistake sooner or later. With a heavy sigh, he leaned up against the wall next to Adachi, his foot still impatiently tapping against the ground as he tried his best to calm his own nerves. "No damn clue. All I know is it's here somewhere. Prolly deeper than this… whatever this is." The next thing Adachi said wasn't too far off from Sho's own thoughts, wondering just what the hell was up with this place. "Pfft…" He couldn't help a small hint of a smirk making its way into his expression, even progressing into a small smile as he looked to Adachi. "Maybe it's a work in progress or somethin'. Probably gonna be some bullshit maze or somethin' next time we come here."

12:06 AM

It wasn't hard to tell what Adachi was going for with the sudden change in his tone from the usual "tired of this shit" kind of way he'd act towards everything. Sho knew he wasn't really acting like himself, either. It was hard to think up any zingers in a place like this, with the way it all seemed to fuck with his head. Hell, maybe that was a signal in itself, outside of the unnerving one his gut seemed to be picking up on. "...I'm thinkin' maybe we should head back now," He redirected his gaze up to the crimson skies as he posed the idea. "Could be a bad idea goin' any further without a bigger group. 'sides, I kinda feel like this place is gonna make me puke if I stay too long, y'know?" He wouldn't dare to voice it, but Sho got the feeling that the same went for Adachi. Not that Sho was afraid or anything of what was ahead of them, but even he knew when to be practical about shit sometimes. As much as he loved going in guns (or swords, he guessed) blazing, he'd probably have to save that for when there was less of a risk of Adachi overexerting himself doing the same.

Open!

Phlegethon was… interesting. It seemed to be reminiscent of other iterations of what people called "the other world", and yet, the further and further in Makoto led his half of the team, the less familiar it seemed to be. The third layer looked to be strangely desolate compared to the previous two, rather than looking like what he could best describe as "the Dark Hour but red". Come to think of it, when he recalled the rundown of the P-1 Climax Mitsuru had given him after that whole mess, maybe that tracked with this situation seeming to share the same culprit. Hi-no-Kagutsuchi… Sheesh, that was a mouthful. Maybe he could just shorten it to "Kagutsuchi", but even then… hm. Maybe he could just call it "Kagu"? The deity wouldn't appreciate that, in all likelihood, but what reason did Makoto have to care? Most likely, Adachi and Naoya's group had advanced into the next layer after this one, while the blue-haired operative's team had elected to stay a ways behind. It was usually a solid strategy, but in this case, Makoto wondered if it was more like throwing out bait for the god they intended to destroy. Well, maybe "bait" wasn't the best term to use. Either way, Sho was likely to be a prime target, although he wouldn't have been surprised if the god was vindictive enough to include Adachi in that equation… Advancing through the third layer hadn't been too arduous of a task so far, as relentless as some of the packs of Shadows could be every so often. Considering the amount of firepower their team had, alongside Kujikawa-san's navigation skills, it was all manageable enough. Unfortunately though, the same didn't seem to be holding true for the other team…

3:21 PM

"Oi, Star, Bard. Don't panic, but we've got a bit of a situation. Hi-no-Kagutsuchi's fucking with Crescent, Ursa apparently left to go somewhere, and the rest of us are walled off. I'm gonna try to regroup with Naoya-san and Nozomi-kun, but we could use some backup if you can still find us. Fourth area's got a lot of fog and Shadows and shit, so hopefully the entrance hasn't been shut. If it has… well, guess that's Bard's decision to make." …yeah, that didn't exactly sound like smooth sailing. Kagutsuchi hadn't wasted any time in making his move, and the rest of the group seemed to have been separated. Needless to say, it was time to pick up the pace. "...did everybody get all that?" Makoto looked to the rest of the group, still calm and stone-faced as ever in spite of what they'd just heard from Adachi. "Star, we'll need you to pinpoint the nearest entrance to the fourth area, then we'll make a beeline for it. I'll take point, and clear a path for us if needed. Let's keep our cool, and we'll get through this." On that last sentence, his gaze moved to Yu in particular; of everyone, Makoto knew he wouldn't take the news very well. The last thing any of them needed to do was fly off the handle. Not that he wouldn't understand or empathize if they did… after all, the bond between them was as clear as day. They were like family to one another. If it looked like any one of them could die, of course they'd be afraid… …It wouldn't come to that, though. He wouldn't let it. No one would die under his watch. Not again. With his orders given, Makoto turned to continue walking ahead, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword. Any Shadows deciding to stand in his path surely wouldn't remain there for much longer.

When Rise appeared to reconvene with the group, she was in her usual casual attire, hair down but no make up, trying to appear as normal as possible. Granted, being a famous movie star made it hard to walk around, but usually no one bothered her. Perhaps they figured that someone of her status just wouldn’t be so casually out and about. Even if they did recognize her, she couldn’t resist a selfie or two. She told her bodyguard where she was heading-- thankfully, Kirijo-san had been open to appointing her one that was aware of the other world. It made times like these much easier. She excited the car and walked in with her team. Stepping into the metaverse for the first time in years made her head ache, a wave of nausea overwhelming her a moment as things shifted around her. She wasn’t used to the new attire: a shimmering white dress pooling around her knees, covered in black protective fabric on her arms and legs, and a pair of boots better suited for this world. Touches of blue and black decorated her new outfit, reminiscent of Kanzeon and Kouzeon in their influence. However, she quickly got used to moving with the group, the nausea fading and the light fabric making it easy to move. Aster kept her eyes and ears open, falling into the role of navigator easily. It was a skill she never forgets, an extension of her empathy and perceptive nature. If anything, she only gets better at it with age. The walls of trash and buildings all coalesced into her mind as an easy to follow guide, knowing where dead ends were and where shadows awaited. “Guys…” She finally interrupts, her heart sunk as she sees the large mass of energy on her radar. “There’s something here-- something big. Please be careful.” She kept her eye on her team, half listening to the other team as Viper spoke orders. It was hard to hear his voice again after all these years, making snakes twist in her chest, but she tried to brush it off and appear strong. (edited)

7:00 PM

It was when she heard yelling and screaming that she started to panic, stopping behind her team and yelling into their minds: “Guys!? Everyone, what’s going on!? Answer me!” She watched as Crescent and Ursa’s presence seemed to shift, Crescent disappearing altogether towards the great mass she saw before, and Ursa suddenly being cut off by the party. “Crescent! Crescent, answer me!” No response. It was as if something was blocking her, keeping her from reaching him. “No… No, I can’t get to him.” She could still hear Ursa sneezing, and could still see her. However, walls seemed to appear on her radar, trapping Ursa in an endless, ever changing maze. When Viper started to speak, she couldn’t contain her upset, “What happened!?” She barked, yelling so loud it almost made everyone’s head’s rattle. “How did you all get separated!? Why didn’t you keep everyone together!?” (edited)

7:00 PM

She listened quietly, seething as Viper explained the situation. “Hi-No-Kagutsuchi must have been the presence I sensed earlier… we need to get to him now. If we don’t…” Aster shakes her head, eyes pricking with tears, “But I can’t see him. He’s lost on my radar, and I can’t get to him…” More snakes twisted inside of her, around her stomach and heart. Helplessness overwhelmed her, and it took everything she had to keep from bawling. No… not again. She can’t take seeing everyone like this again. “Ursa is still on my radar-- darling, can you hear me? Don’t go too far--” She pauses. There was someone else there with Ursa, someone she didn’t identify. It wasn’t a shadow, either… “I think… there’s another person here. It’s not a shadow, but a person… Ursa, can you tell me who you see?” Aster takes a moment to remove her gear, looking at King and Bard as she’s given directive. She bawled her hands into fists to stop her shaking, nodding and letting Kouzeon cover her eyes once more. “Right. We’ll get through this,” she assures, pursing her lips before giving directive. “If we head to the right and then straight through, we can get to the others. Everyone, stay close together. Walls are appearing to try and separate us, but we can make it.” She had to be strong for the others. The strength in her heart could be felt through out the team through their mental link, allowing Aster to support her friends in some small way. (edited)

...Eesh, with all the talk of who was supposedly behind all this, Dragon couldn't help but find that speculation coming to mind more and more as they ventured further into the lion's den. Familiar feelings, a sense of dread that would well up in the back of one's throat, the oppressive atmosphere itself, draining her spirit and strength with each and every fighting move. But to hear it from Rise herself, There's something here-- something big. ...That didn't sway her too much in the ways of confidence. Striking, a flurry of crystalline shards, ice encasing and dispatching any lone shadows that strayed close. Haraedo-no-Okami attacking with a level of grace Chie herself was hardly capable of, that white ponytail whipped up in a frenzy from action, that glint of golden armour- It was a sight to behold. Whereas Chie couldn't help but make comparisons of her own outfit to the few heroines she'd seen in classic kung-fu movies, tight and practical, yet with it's own less so, flourishes. noting the multi-layered sleeve pieces that connected from the elbow downward, bodice and shorts- accompanied by pieces of hanging cloth, adorned with an elegant design much befitting of the codename she had chosen. It...was no match for her Persona, but... Eh. did that matter? The brunette had no idea how these 'metaverse outfits' worked. And it didn't seem that she'd have much more time to think on these things, as Rise's voice starts to grow worried, a shift in tone one could easily predict to happen at some point, but this??? "Wait what's--" Her lip curls into a snarl, fists curling up out of impulse. There was nothing here to fight directly of course, but that typical chariot drive - Had she not been with a team, she may have charged in further. and even now, resisting that urge proved to be difficult.

9:04 PM

"Ugh. I KNEW we shouldn't have let Ada- UGHHHH viper.. lead a team. what does he go and do ?? get them split up like, the moment they start heading deeper???" like, what did he expect ? going so far in with Sho of all people and NOT having a backup plan for escape should things go wrong?? "Right. we. need to keep moving. but I am SO giving that cocky asshole a piece of my mind when we find him."

Ears pricked and fur slightly bristled as he entered into this new yet familiar realm. He had been a part of that dastardly arena with ken a while back so he knew this aura... and this smell. A stench. Kagu chan's smell always reminded him of burnt pizza. Maybe since he was a fire deity? Or because he's rotten! Either way it made the whole place smell as grody as it looked, even with his goggles helping him see a bit better in the fog- only slightly though. Not as affective as they were before...? Or Kagu chan is stronger... He doesn't like that thought. As they went through he'd bring up the rear, keeping an eye out for sneak attacks and covering blind spots with his speedy attacks! "Bard?" The name felt weird to bark out, even weirder as a robotic voice from his collar translated it. He was so used to Makoto or even just Mako! But code names!! Important! The canine jogs over to the blue haired man's side, ears flicking back briefly at the pounding voice Rise spoke in... he'd shake himself out as if his fur was wet, getting a grip real quick. "It will be okay. We will help them." He barks firmly, confident, his tail held high as he circled his teammates and gave each one a gentle nuzzle or lick of encouragement before dashing forward again to help out.

Something felt… Off, this entire trip. There was a odd air around them, only intensifying as they traveled further into the depths with sparse encounters. Even in the few moments they had gotten into a fight, Izanagi-no-Okami had been noticeably tense, further this odd tension that had washed over him ever since he'd stepped foot into this place. Or, maybe he was simply echoing his user's paranoia. After a while, he had begun to convince himself that it was all in his head. No one else seemed particularly bothered—Then again, no one else had been in this other world other than him, either. Maybe he should have spoken up sooner about how he was feeling. Maybe then all hell wouldn't have broken loose. The other group had been ahead, right? It was hard to tell in this place, but he wouldn't have been surprised. They had no issues so far, from what he had gathered, even running into less fights than them… Almost as if the person behind this realm wanted them to be further apart. As if he knew they were there, and were planning something. …No, he was just worrying too much. Everything was fine. Everything would be okay. This was just a normal scouting mission, and they would be out before they knew it. At least, that's what he hoped for. But dreams often couldn't become reality, and this was no different. In fact, it was more like a nightmare coming to life, the more he heard Viper-san speak on the situation and Aster-chan's voice burn through their heads. Sho… Ted… Everyone had walked right into a trap, and he couldn't… He didn't do anything about it, even though he knew something was off. Why… Why didn't he say anything? Now they were all hurting… Where was Ted? They… They needed to find him… But, if they went after him, then… What would happen to Sho? Would he…? No, he… He couldn't...

10:36 PM

…That train of thought was broken when he caught Bard's eyes hovering on him, barely catching his words. The gesture was enough to ground him, just enough before things had spiraled too far. All King could do in return for a moment was give a weak, shaky grin as an attempt at reassurance. He… He had to be strong, for everyone's sake. An anchor to hold them down. They were in pain… It would be selfish of him to act out now… … "We'll bring both of them back safely." Of course they would. With Senpai's leadership, they could do anything. That's what he was trying to convince himself of, at least. "We won't let Hi-no-Kagutsuchi win." As a small sign of comfort, he had bent down to give Koromaru a light pet on the head in return for the other's contact, but he didn't make it the entire way, freezing in place as he heard Dragon's scolding of the other team, particularly of their leader. Not that he hadn’t heard it before from other members of the Shadow Operatives, but still… It wasn't comforting to hear, especially not right now. "Let's avoid pointing fingers…" Not that he couldn't understand the distrust of the older man, but it wasn't what they needed right now. Well… It wasn't what he needed right now, at least. "Hi-no-Kagutsuchi isn't one to play fair, especially against someone who tried to kill him. The whole thing had to be a trap that they didn't realize they were falling right into until it was too late. I'm sure we would find ourselves stuck in the exact same place if we were in their situation..." Despite his attempts to keep his voice clear and confident, a slight, wavering undertone had made its way through the cracks, voice having softened as he spoke to mitigate any of the emotion coming through. Everything was just… Too much. The blame games were just the tip of the iceberg of all the mental carnage currently being ravaged in his skull, frustration and hopelessness brewing and everything just seemed to pile on more and more. (edited)

10:36 PM

…Tears had begun to well up at the corners of his eyes before he had even realized. Shit. There was no way he could let any of them see that… He instinctively turned away, doing his best to wipe away any potential sign of weakness. They didn't need to see that. No one did. If he wasn't the strong leader, he was nothing. No one would want to deal with him if he let his true emotions shine through—that was something he had learned well growing up, and even if he had allowed himself to break that boundary with a couple of select individuals, it was still impossible to imagine everyone would be so kind… After all, Kings had to be strong to lead their people, right? Otherwise they didn't deserve their crown in the people's eyes. …Harsh words, but they did what they had to, shaking those thoughts of pain and doubt out of his mind temporarily. It at least allowed him to somewhat face his teammates again, if nothing else. Though, that didn't mean he could ignore one major issue: Teddie. Even if Sho was a top priority, something didn't sit right with leaving Ted with a stranger… Sure, he had been overly trusting—even he was well aware of that fact by now—but in a situation like this…? It… Didn't feel right. Something was off, and he needed someone to go check on Teddie. Not that there was anyone that could right now, considering it seemed pretty dangerous to head either direction split off from a navigator, but… Someone had to do something. …Wait. Yosuke… The thought made him cringe, but if his partner had truly been working with Hi-no-Kagutsuchi in any form, maybe he would have a chance. It was at least worth a shot to try to get him in here. Otherwise, Teddie could have been getting in a much worse situation than he was in now.

10:36 PM

How would he…? Oh, right, the app should work, even this far into Phlegethon. Hi-no-Kagutsuchi's power at least shouldn't have overwhelmed the Velvet Room yet, if the familiar blue door that stood near the entrance was any indication. Igor and his attendants still had some sway, and that should have been enough to get a few messages out, even this far into the malevolent deity's domain. Texting and walking probably wasn't the smartest plan, from personal experience, but he needed to get something out to Yosuke… He kept his unsheathed sword balanced under his arm before pulling out his phone and navigating to his partner's contact information, doing his best to steady his hands as he typed manically. We have an emergency. Hi-no-Kagutsuchi revealed himself as the one behind the other world and took Sho, and Teddie went off with someone we don't know. You can help, can't you? We're going to where the group got split first, where Sho's likely being held. It might be good if you get over here to look for Teddie. Don't put yourself in too much danger if you do. If not, we'll try to get to her as soon as we can get the others away from Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, but that might be a while... Good luck, and either way I'll see you soon. Love you. <3 Hopefully that would be enough… And not overly suspicious, if Yosuke’s superior had caught any glimpse at it.

10:36 PM

…Was he putting Yosuke in too much danger…? Bringing him into this place by himself, trying to get him to disobey the being that had him at metaphorical gun point… No, not only putting him in danger here, but in all of this. Even if Yosuke wasn't going to tell him directly… Would everyone still get hurt if Yu showed too much of what he knew? Yosuke's secret wouldn't be a secret much longer if he was too obvious with that information, and their friends, family, them… They could still all get hurt if Hi-no-Kagutsuchi decided that Yosuke hadn't covered his tracks well enough, for all he knew, especially now that… That thing, was likely to get even more power… It was a ticking time bomb before Yu said something stupid, or Yosuke felt pressured to tell him too much, and then— …Deep breaths. The last thing he needed to do was stress himself out like that. That line of thought would be saved for after they got everyone out of here and assessed the damages, like any regular work mission gone wrong. Getting too caught up in his head worrying about everyone getting hurt or lost had only ended up in him getting nearly killed himself—it was certainly a reason behind at least a few of the scars that adorned his skin. Keeping a clear mind would likely avoid that fate… Being a King meant he had to keep his head up, no matter what. He wouldn't falter for anything. Maybe later, once he was alone, he would let it all out, sobs, screams, and all. For now, all he could do was muster the energy to keep a stoic face, cape waving triumphantly as he followed close behind his senpai towards the unknown.

To say that things weren't looking good would've been an understatement without question, one which Makoto certainly hadn't felt the need to speak of. Not only was Sho's signal cut off, unable to be located, but Teddie had been separated from everyone as well. Not untraceable like the former, but in the presence of someone unfamiliar; at least, from what Makoto could gather from Kujikawa-san's reactions to what she was picking up. He didn't know whether or not to call that an improvement, but either way, he found himself leaning towards operating on the assumption that it wasn't. Two possibilities came to mind: option A, stemming from the idealistic half of Makoto's mind, was that the stranger was just a person who'd been so unlucky as to stumble into the Metaverse at a time like this. Option B, stemming from the realistic part… the stranger was here at this specific time for a reason, and they were in league with Hi-no-Kagutsuchi in some way or another. Oh, well. Something to think about later on. At the moment, the more pressing matters at hand demanded his focus. Adachi, Naoya-senpai, and Nakahara-san needed assistance, and Sho and Teddie needed rescuing. That, and… well, morale was looking to be taking a hit as far as Makoto's own group was concerned, but that was to be expected. They'd pull through, in the end. They had to.

12:01 PM

It was probably best for him to leave the reassurance to Yu, when he thought about it— as much as he might not have been too keen on placing blame for the situation going south on Adachi, he could understand why Satonaka felt that way. Even moreso, Makoto understood that it wasn't necessarily his place to speak on the situation between Adachi and the Investigation Team, hence why he chose to keep quiet. Straight ahead, and to the right. Makoto repeated the directions as he continued his stride forward, only stopping once he felt something press against his shin. After looking down to identify what it was, or more accurately who, a soft smile had briefly made its way onto his lips. But of course. Why was he even worried about morale when Koromaru was right there? He was getting up there in years, but Makoto swore it hadn't affected his cuteness factor one bit. "We're counting on you too, Koro-chan." He lightly patted the shiba's head as he kept walking, before redirecting his gaze forward. "Everyone… be ready. We're about to have company, no doubt." As he'd mentioned before, Makoto took point, picking up the pace in his stride as the company he expected finally appeared in the group's path. His stone gaze hardened into a steely glare as the Shadows approached, rapidly. Took them long enough. The path which Kujikawa-san had laid out was undoubtedly the right one, considering the number of enemies pouring from that direction in force.

12:01 PM

Without so much as a whisper from its summoner, Thanatos thundered into existence, bursting forward with its blade drawn and Almighty magic surging into a pulsating orb near its mouth. Once ready, the Persona wasted no time in firing, laying utter waste to the advancing enemies in its path. Though of course, where they'd been obliterated, more had appeared practically seconds later. Not that it'd make much of a difference to the Shadow Operative continuing his frontal assault. There was no doubt the others would have the back covered, as well as left and right; all Makoto and Thanatos had to do was keep moving forward, keep tearing their way through until they were closing in on Adachi's position. With the Persona clearing a path and meeting the Shadows head-on, they at least didn't have to worry about them getting close enough to cause any real damage. Straight ahead. Then, to the right. The turning point came into view soon enough, at which point Makoto saw fit to send out a brief status report over the link Kujikawa-san had established while he continued onward. "Closing in on your position. We won't be long."