Chapter 10; Battle arms

...29/07/2009 Wednesday; Dark Hour...

The motorcycle speeds through the deserted streets, with Mitsuru in control and Hiro riding behind her.

The streets are filled with coffins, silent witnesses of the Dark Hour.

The green sky shines intensely, and the rain falling takes on a red hue, turning the streets into a grim scene.

Mitsuru hits the brakes and takes a sharp turn, heading for the final stretch toward the Naganaki Shrine.

"This place... looks like a massacre." Hiro comments, holding tightly to Mitsuru's waist.

"We're almost there." Mitsuru replies, shifting gears with precision.

Suddenly, Fuuka's voice echoes in their minds through Lucia's telepathy: "Kirijo-senpai, Hiro-san, Shadows are approaching you."

They both look back and see flying shadows quickly closing in.

"Leave them to me!" says Hiro, pulling the Evoker from his holster with a determined expression.

He points the Evoker to his own head, feeling that familiar surge of excitement rush through him.

"Let's go, Lucifer!" Hiro shouts, pulling the trigger.

A blue flash spreads, and Lucifer appears above the motorcycle, his presence imposing.

With an agile move, he extends his hands toward the Shadows and unleashes a blast of Agi.

Flames shoot forward, completely incinerating the shadows.

"Hiro, in front of us!" Mitsuru warns.

Hiro quickly turns and sees a massive Shadow blocking the path.

In the middle of the street, a creature resembling a giant metallic statue, with glowing orange eyes and short limbs, waits for them.

Mitsuru brakes hard, and they both dismount quickly. She draws her rapier while Hiro spins his scimitar in his hand.

"Physical attacks probably won't work. We'll need our Personas." Mitsuru assesses, focusing on the Shadow.

Without hesitation, Hiro charges at the creature, delivering a strike with his scimitar.

But with a swift movement, the Shadow casts Garu, and blades of wind hit his shoulder.

The suit absorbs some of the impact, but the pain still lingers.

Hiro's attack lands on the Shadow, but the blade bounces off the metallic surface. He steps back, frustrated. "You were right; physical attacks won't do the trick."

"Get back, Penthesilea's attack might hit you!" Mitsuru orders, pulling the Evoker from her holster.

Hiro leaps away as Mitsuru focuses, pointing the Evoker to her forehead.

She whispers, "Persona," before pulling the trigger.

Instead of the usual flash, a blue mist surrounds Mitsuru, with small ice crystals floating around her.

Her Persona, Penthesilea, emerges behind her, clad in silver armor with blue accents, wielding two swords.

Penthesilea spins her swords, casting Bufu.

A cold cloud forms, releasing ice crystals that shoot like arrows, hitting the Shadow and freezing parts of its body, exposing a weak spot on its head.

"Hiro, now's your chance!" Mitsuru shouts, putting away her Evoker.

"Got it!" Hiro replies, charging with his scimitar in hand.

The Shadow casts a light spell toward Hiro, but he dodges at the last second, jumping to the side.

With a shout, he scales the creature, reaching the damaged area—a metallic mask covering the weak spot.

With effort, he pierces the mask with his scimitar and then leaps away.

In mid-air, Hiro pulls out his Evoker again, aiming it at his head.

"Persona!" he shouts.

Lucifer appears, flying toward the Shadow with a powerful beat of his wings.

He plunges his hand into the creature's head, tearing off the mask from its weak point.

With a dark laugh, Lucifer breaks the mask in two, causing the Shadow to dissolve into black mist.

With the victory, Lucifer disappears, and Hiro lands beside Mitsuru, who sheaths her rapier.

They share a high five, pleased with the outcome of the battle.

"Are you hurt?" Mitsuru asks, looking at Hiro's shoulder.

Hiro shakes his head, putting the Evoker back in its holster. "I'm fine, the coat absorbed that hit."

"Let's go; we need to reach the shrine quickly," Mitsuru says.

Hiro nods, and they both run back to the motorcycle. Mitsuru starts it up, accelerating toward the shrine.

"Kirijo-senpai, Hiro-san, are you both alright?" Fuuka's voice echoes in Mitsuru and Hiro's minds through telepathy, concern evident in her tone.

"Yes," Mitsuru replies, shifting gears. "We took care of the weaker Shadows. Has our target arrived at the Naganaki Shrine?"

"Well, yes, it reached the shrine... But Lucia can't locate the Shadow," Fuuka continues, her voice hesitant.

"What? So it disappeared?" Hiro asks, glancing at the green sky above while holding onto Mitsuru's waist.

"No, it's still out there," Fuuka quickly responds. "But its trace is very confusing. It's like it became invisible to me as soon as it entered the shrine's territory."

Mitsuru furrows her brow, her expression growing serious. "A Shadow that turns invisible? That's something I didn't expect. Akihiko, where are you guys?"

"We had to fight some Shadows along the way, but we're halfway there. Why?" Akihiko replies through telepathy as well.

In the distance, Mitsuru and Hiro spot the Naganaki Shrine. A strange sensation starts to settle over both of them.

"Hiro and I just arrived at the shrine," Mitsuru announces, braking the motorcycle abruptly. "We'll check the perimeter around the shrine until you arrive."

"Understood," Akihiko replies. "I'll let the others know. And both of you, be careful."

Hiro dismounts from the motorcycle, feeling the energy around them. "It feels like the Shadow is everywhere… It's hard to explain."

Mitsuru removes her helmet, scanning the surroundings intently. "I feel it too."

At the entrance of the shrine, a large red torii gate stands out, with a long staircase leading to the top.

Mitsuru and Hiro begin to climb the stairs, their footsteps echoing in the night's silence.

When they reach the top, something strange happens. They pass through a sort of invisible barrier, and suddenly, the green sky of the Dark Hour vanishes.

In its place, a sunny sky appears, bathing the shrine in a warm and unsettling light.

Hiro and Mitsuru exchange confused glances.

The shrine's main building is ahead, with a large tree nearby, wrapped in a thick rope with paper strips hanging from it.

Everything seems too normal, as if the Dark Hour had never existed.

"Wait. Did the Dark Hour ended?" Hiro asks, still stunned by the sudden change.

Mitsuru observes the sky, a thoughtful expression on her face. "No. If it had ended, the sky would be dark. The Dark Hour is the extra hour between one day and the next. In other words..."

"In other words, it should be midnight." Hiro completes, his confusion growing.

He starts walking around the shrine, his eyes alert for any sign of danger.

Suddenly, he stops, his eyes focusing on an invisible silhouette that only he can see.

Hiro quickly draws his scimitar, pointing it toward the strange object.

"Mitsuru, do you see that?" he asks, his voice tense.

Mitsuru narrows her eyes, trying to identify the figure. "Yes, I see it."

With a swift movement, Hiro strikes with his scimitar, revealing that the invisible object is, in fact, a bell.

The metallic sound reverberates through the shrine, echoing eerily.

But something inside Hiro changes at that moment.

His expression hardens, his eyes fully dilate, and he lets his scimitar fall to the ground with a dull thud.

"Hiro?" Mitsuru calls, noticing the sudden change in him.

Before she can react, Hiro abruptly turns and lunges at her, grabbing her neck with brutal strength.

Mitsuru struggles, trying to break free, but Hiro's strength is overwhelming.

"Hiro... Hiro..." Mitsuru tries to speak, her voice weak as she fights for air. "It's me... Mitsuru."