Chapter 9; Gear Up
...29/07/2009 Wednesday; Dark Hour ...
The eerie green light of the Dark Hour seeped through the dormitory windows, casting strange shadows on the walls.
President Shuji eyed the briefcase on the table at the center of the room.
"Well, now that we've finished explaining everything, let's talk about the new suit..." Shuji began, but his words were interrupted.
Fuuka felt a chill run down her spine, a sudden cold that made her shiver. Something was terribly wrong.
"Yamagishi, what's the matter?" Mitsuru asked, noticing her friend's tense expression.
Fuuka clasped her hands, summoning her Persona, Lucia, which appeared beside her with an ethereal glow.
"There's a Shadow... it's left Tartarus and is wandering the streets!" Fuuka announced, her voice tense.
Akihiko's eyes widened in surprise. "Out of Tartarus? Is it a Shadow Arcana? But it's not even a full moon yet."
Fuuka shook her head, worry deepening on her face. "No, it's not a Shadow Arcana, but even so, it's very strong. It seems to be heading toward Naganaki Shrine."
"The shrine?" Junpei repeated, narrowing his eyes as he tried to process the situation.
President Shuji clapped his hands suddenly, drawing everyone's attention.
He picked up the briefcase on the table and, with a swift movement, opened it to reveal its contents.
"Since you're heading out to track down this Shadow, it's the perfect opportunity to test the new suits," Shuji announced, a confident smile on his face.
Inside the briefcase lay a new suit.
One of its standout features was an armband engraved with the S.E.E.S. emblem and a number.
Minato picked up the jacket, examining the fabric with curiosity. "This material... it's heavy but so smooth at the same time."
Shuji stepped closer, ready to explain. "In short, these suits are made from a special condensed military fiber. It's easy to repair and cheap to produce. But at the same time..."
The president walked to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and returned to where Minato stood.
Without warning, he thrust the knife into the jacket Minato was holding. However, the blade didn't pierce the fabric.
"But it's tough enough to withstand some of the Shadows' attacks, whether physical, non-piercing, or weaker magical attacks," Shuji finished, looking satisfied.
"Each suit was custom-made for each of you. This one is yours, Minato. The other suits are in the command room. Aigis, come with me. The scientists have prepared something special for you."
Mitsuru, assuming a leadership stance, gave her orders. "Everyone, suit up. We'll meet back here in five minutes."
"Got it!" they responded in unison.
They then raced upstairs, heading to the command room, where the suits awaited them.
Upon arriving in the command room, they found boxes on the central table, each labeled with their names.
Hiro picked up the box with his name and saw the number 8 on the lid. "Let's see what we've got here."
When they were finally dressed, they descended the dormitory stairs, now equipped with their new suits and ready for battle.
Minato came down first, checking the edge of his sword.
His black jacket with white accents on the cuffs and collar stood out, and underneath, he wore a buttoned white shirt with the collar fully closed.
On his left arm, Minato displayed a red armband bearing the Gekkoukan High emblem, including the initials "S.E.E.S." and the number 3.
A white belt around his waist held his Evoker holster, along with other essential items.
His black pants matched the jacket's style, and he wore black shoes to complete the look.
Behind him, Yukari pulled the string of her new bow, testing the tension.
Her black jacket, similar to Minato's, was open, revealing the long-sleeved white shirt underneath, adorned with a large red bow at the neck.
A light pink vest over the shirt contrasted with the black of her jacket.
Yukari wore a short pleated black skirt, with black socks reaching just above her knees.
On her feet, she wore classic brown shoes. Her Evoker holster was strapped to her right thigh, and she carried a silver bow engraved with "S.E.E.S.," along with a quiver of arrows on her back. Her armband displayed the number 4.
Junpei, with his usual nonchalance, admired his new greatsword. He kept his dark-blue cap, wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt partially rolled up to his elbows.
The shirt, with a military style and a small chest pocket, was complemented by blue combat gloves.
The white Evoker holster was fastened to his right leg, and his jacket was tied around his waist. Junpei wore black pants and combat boots, with his armband showing the number 5.
Akihiko, adjusting his new black combat gloves with silver details and metallic studs, wore a red buttoned vest with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
A black belt secured the Evoker holster, and he wore fitted black pants and brown shoes. His armband displayed the number 1.
Mitsuru descended gracefully, arranging her long red hair.
She wore a stylized military uniform, predominantly black with gold and white accents.
The sleeveless jacket revealed her white long-sleeved shirt underneath, decorated with a large red bow at the collar.
She wore black gloves that extended to the middle of her forearm. The jacket reached down to her hips, and a black skirt matched the rest of the uniform.
A white belt held the Evoker holster and side pockets containing Tartarus crystals.
Mitsuru carried a rapier with an ornate golden guard. Her armband displayed the number 0.
Fuuka, adjusting her new headset, wore a black and gray poncho over a teal turtleneck with long sleeves. Her armband bore the number 6.
Lastly, Hiro descended the stairs, twirling his new scimitar before sheathing it.
His suit differed from the others, consisting of a black trench coat full of pockets, with the left sleeve rolled up to the elbow.
The stitching along the back of the trench coat suggested embedded armor plates within the fabric.
Hiro wore military-style pants with red knee pads and fingerless biker gloves.
His long-sleeved white shirt had the left sleeve rolled up to match the trench coat, with the collar open.
His armband displayed the number 8, and his Evoker holster was strapped to his left thigh.
Mitsuru, adjusting her gloves, asked firmly, "Are we ready?"
Junpei, placing his greatsword into the sheath strapped to his back, responded enthusiastically, "Ready for action."
Hiro, adjusting his trench coat, commented, "Seems like instead of a jacket, they made a trench coat for me. Not bad."
Fuuka, arranging her headset, warned, "The Shadow's getting close to Naganaki Shrine. Someone needs to go ahead and deal with the weaker Shadows that are appearing. It looks like our target is making weaker Shadows emerge from Tartarus."
Mitsuru, walking to the dormitory entrance counter and grabbing two motorcycle helmets, decided, "I'll go. Hiro, come with me."
Hiro, confused, asked, "You have a motorcycle? Since when?"
Mitsuru, handing Hiro one of the helmets, replied calmly, "I got my license last year."
Hiro watched as Mitsuru exited the dormitory and looked at the helmet in his hands, beginning to put it on.
Akihiko approached and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry," Akihiko said with an encouraging smile. "Mitsuru is a good rider."
Hiro sighed and followed Mitsuru outside, where he saw her pushing the motorcycle to the street.
The bike, sporty in style, was silver, and a white box with medical supplies was mounted on the rear.
Tightening the helmet, Hiro questioned, "Didn't you say no electronics or vehicles work during the Dark Hour?"
Mitsuru, already seated on the bike and putting on her helmet, explained, "Yes, normal vehicles and other electronics don't work. But the command room computer and my bike were made with parts from Shadows. That's why they work."
She turned the key in the ignition and pressed the start button, bringing the motorcycle to life.
Mitsuru revved the engine a few times to warm it up before looking at Hiro.
"Hop on. And hold on tight," she instructed.
Hiro, getting on the back and wrapping his arms around Mitsuru's waist, made a request, "Don't kill us, alright?"
With a determined smile, Mitsuru put the bike in first gear. "I won't."
She sped off, making the tires skid.
The bike quickly gained speed, and Mitsuru shifted gears with precision, leaning into the curves toward Naganaki Shrine.
"Hold on!" Mitsuru warned, as she slid through a sharp turn before accelerating again at high speed.