'Makoto,' Messiah's voice echoed in the Wild Card's mind. 'I am detecting a confirmed energy signature consistent with a lesser Shadow entity. The hypothesis appears correct.'
Makoto and Ryoji, several blocks away, shared a look. Without a word, they changed direction, breaking into a run.
"Where are you going?" Kegawa called out, irritation in his voice.
"What attacked Tosen—it's here! And it's active!" Ryoji shouted back already pulling ahead.
"I'm following!" the old tanuki declared, refusing to be left behind.
'I miss Fuuka's navigation,' Makoto thought, the absence of his former teammate's precise tracking keenly felt.
'The signature is weak but distinct. I am certain of the direction,' Messiah confirmed.
'Could we not summon a navigator Persona? Perhaps you could finally bench Lucifer, Universe,' Apollo quipped.
'The only one here who is unwelcome is you, not I,' Lucifer retorted coldly.
'What are you on about? I am the most beloved!' Apollo declared.
'Not in the slightest,' Odin stated bluntly.
'I have to say iiiit, but I agreeee,' Fafnir screeched.
'Eh!?' Apollo was aghast.
'It is dishonorable to disrespect one another, yet Lucifer is not entirely incorrect,' Yoshitsune added quietly.
'Do not worry, my shining friend! I would never disdain you!' Robin Hood chimed in supportively.
'See!? I am the most loved! Ah ah!' Apollo crowed.
'Sorry to say it, but I am. Hee ho!' Jack Frost chirped happily, a sentiment echoed by a chorus of agreement from nearly every other Persona.
'I must take a position here. Jack Frost is correct,' Kohryu admitted, sounding faintly ashamed.
'No! Not you too, Kohryu!' Apollo wailed.
'Could you all please be quiet?' Makoto requested, his internal voice strained.
'Hey, Universe! You would never… b-bench me… right?' Apollo pleaded, the word itself seemingly causing him pain.
'Just tell him yes and let's focus,' Thanatos's voice cut in, laced with exasperation. Makoto shook his head, tuning out the rest of the divine squabble.
Back at the shrine, Tosen saw his chance. The shadow, destabilized by the holy ground and his attacks, left a brief opening.
With a final, lightning-enhanced burst of speed, he drove his tanto deep into a weak point in the creature's side, twisting the blade. Black, ichorous blood spurted from the wound.
"Finally. It's over for you," Tosen declared, yanking the blade free and immediately striking again for a definitive blow.
The shadow collapsed, its body beginning to dissolve into motes of evaporating darkness, its choked, suffocating sounds fading into nothing. Tosen stood over it, watching warily for any sign of movement. There was none.
Tsubasa let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. 'It's over. That yokai is strong… I don't understand why the President was so worried. That was nothing like the other one.'
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of running footsteps. Makoto, Ryoji, and an old man she didn't recognize arrived at the shrine's entrance.
"TOSEN!" Kegawa shouted, his human disguise melting away in his agitation.
"Master," Tosen replied, his gaze dropping to the ground like a chastised child.
"What did I tell you? Stay in bed until you recovered! But no! You couldn't listen! Always this reckless pride!" Kegawa scolded, swatting the shisa on the back of his hand.
"Sorry, Master. But I must report to Lord Nurarihyon in Nikko. What I witnessed… it's urgent."
Makoto's eyes were fixed on the dissipating remains of the shadow. 'So these lesser Shadows can be defeated by others. They aren't invincible.'
'It is because they are native to this world's cosmology,' Thanatos explained, his voice clear in both Makoto and Ryoji's minds. 'Even though Nyarlathotep catalyzed their creation from a god's Shadow, they lack the inherent connection to the vast Sea of Souls that empowers those born of humanity's Collective Unconscious. They are powerful, but they can be felled.'
Ryoji, back in his human form, approached Tosen. "Sorry to ask, but can you tell us what you saw? What attacked you?"
Tosen looked at Ryoji, recognition dawning in his eyes. He bowed slightly. "You are the Shinigami I saw before I lost consciousness, correct?"
Ryoji chuckled. "Just call me Ryoji. Ryoji Mochizuki is fine."
Tosen nodded, accepting this. "We can talk at my home," Kegawa interjected, bowing respectfully towards the shrine's altar. "Let us not disturb Lady Inari's peace any longer." He gestured for the group to follow him. Ryoji and a compliant Tosen fell in step behind the tanuki, with Makoto following closely.
"Tsubasa, we're here. Report," Sona's voice came from the path as she arrived with Rias, Tsubaki, Akeno, and Koneko.
"The fight is over, President. The yokai was victorious. However, Mochizuki and Yuki are also here with an unidentified elderly man," Tsubasa reported.
"Mochizuki is here?" Rias's voice was suddenly filled with a desperate hope. She immediately pushed forward.
"Wait, Rias!" Sona called out, trying to apply logic. "If they are here, it confirms the Shadow's presence. But if the fight is over… that man must be Mr. Kegawa…"
Her attempt to analyze the situation was futile. Rias was already striding toward the group, Akeno and Koneko following with matching sighs and smirks.
"Let's go," Sona grumbled, motioning for Tsubaki and Tsubasa to follow.
"Mochizuki! Makoto! Hello!" Rias called out, waving.
Tosen immediately stiffened, his face hardening into a mask of hostility as he recognized the Gremory heiress—those red hair were impossible to mistake for anyone in the supernatural world.
"Calm down, Tosen," Kegawa commanded sternly.
"Hey, Gremory," Ryoji waved back amiably. Makoto simply nodded. "Hi."
"Hey, Mochizuki, can I ask you—" Rias began, but Sona swiftly cut her off.
"This is not the time," Sona said sharply. She then turned and offered a perfect, polite bow to Kegawa. "Good afternoon, Mr. Kegawa. I hope you are well." She then offered her hand to Tosen. "I am Sona Sitri, one of the two supervisors of this city, alongside Rias Gremory."
Tosen accepted the handshake with clear reluctance. "Tosen Raion."
The tense, formal moment was shattered. Ryoji's head snapped around, his body going rigid. His easygoing expression vanished, replaced by one of primal alarm. He was staring at the nearly vanished puddle of darkness left by the defeated Shadow. It was… quivering.
"GET BACK!" Ryoji's voice was no longer that of a boy; it was a command that vibrated with ancient authority. He looked directly at Makoto, his eyes wide with a fear he rarely showed. "MAKOTO! GET AWAY FROM THERE NOW!"
In that instant, Ryoji Mochizuki was gone. In his place stood Thanatos, the God of Death, his presence washing over the shrine in a wave of chilling finality. His form seemed to flicker as he delved into the shared space of Makoto's mind, a silent, urgent warning.
From the last, fading stain of the lesser shadow, a new form erupted. It did not crawl or step out; it unfolded and materialised into existence, a being of pure, concentrated malice.
It was the shadowy silhouette of a woman, her form elegant and terrifying, with eyes that burned with the light of hateful stars. Izanami, the Shadow Self of a goddess, the most powerful creation of Nyarlathotep in this world, had arrived in the heart of Inari's sanctuary.
The air froze. The gentle breeze died. The very light seemed to dim and bend around her.