"... Join what?" I asked. Their face was still hidden from the shadows.

"Join S.S.E.C. or also know as Yokohama's Prototype Specialized Shadow Eradication Company." The silhouette then took a step forward, revealing herself. It was the girl we encountered a couple of days ago. If I remember correctly, she's...

"You're... Touka Kanazaki." I said.

"Yes I am, and this here on my right is Suzuki Goh." She said and another silhouette came out and revealed himself.

"Yo, it been a while." He said.

"And her?" Kaidou asked, looking at the other silhouette.

"I'm Kikuno Saikawa, messenger from Mitsuru Kirijo and personal maid." She bowed.

"N-Nice to meet you," Kaidou said. He was a bit red. Must be the first time he's seen a maid. I can't lie though, their attire seems to be custom made. Well, Goh and Kanazaki are wearing g their school attire, with both of them having weapons attached on their waist.

"It seems like you're here to fight," I said.

"Well, we are in a shadow infested place," Kanazaki said.

"So you also know about this?" Enki asked.

"The government is aware of the existence of this place but have not made it public." The maid said.

"Why? Isn't this place dangerous!? Won't people get killed, just like that women over there!" Kaidou lost his temper.

"That's the reason we can't make it public. If we did, mass hysteria will happen and riots, at best, would occur." Kanazaki confirmed. I saw Kaidou backed off, he couldn't cool his mind. Even I knew what would happen. But if you knew then, why aren't they taking action?

"If that's true, then why isn't the government taking action?" I asked.

"..." Kanazaki was quiet. She couldn't say anything. It seemed like I hit the jackpot but something doesn't add right.

"Let's make a deal." Suzuki rested his forearm on Kanazaki's head. Making her annoyed.

"If you join us, we'll tell you everything. If you don't..." Suzuki was cut off from Kaidou.

"What, you'll kill us?" He glared.

"What? No. We're not that cold to just kill you off. No, we'll imprison you." Suzuki smirked.

"Well isn't that better," I said, sarcastically.

"What if it's neither?" Enki asked.

" Is there a point asking that? I mean seriously, we've barely known this place and we're here trying to fight three people, who seemed ready to kill us any moment." Kaidou complained.

"Well, that depends if you win the fight," Kikuno said.

"Fight?" Kaidou asked.

"Of course, if you're dealing with me, you're asking for a fight," Suzuki said, gestured. No wonder Rei was worried about us. Suzuki's a delinquent alright, though I don't mind.

"Hey, don't I have a say in this!?" Kanazaki said, frustrated.

"Well whatever, I'll decide depending on which option depending on the fight. You two don't mind, right?" I asked Kaidou and Enki. They both nodded and we prepared our weapons and syringes.

"It looks like you've been using the Ecstasy properly. They might be really good." Suzuki said.

"Ecstasy?" Kaidou asked.

"We'll talk about that after the fight," Kanazaki said. We all took our stance. It looks like I'm going to be dealing with Touka Kanazaki huh. As soon as one of us sprinted towards each other, the sounds of metal clashing and the cement road breaking could be heard into the distance.

"Here I come!" Suzuki took a swing with a mace to Kaidou, who miraculously dodged it.

"He has a mace and a shield! How am I supposed to fight with just a dagger!" Kaidou complained to Enki.

"It's not my fault." Enki ran towards the side since he only had a repeating crossbow with him.

"Ahhhh!!!" Kanazaki charged towards me, with what seems to be like a Tachi or a katana. I dodged her piercing attack and then slashed with my axe, which in the end was slashing the air.

"You're good." She said.

"You too." I took another slash, this time it clashed with the katana.

"Haaaaah!" Kaidou was trying his best to run and gun his opponent, who had the advantage.

"How the hell am I suppose to fight!" He complained once more.

"Just stop complaining and fight!" Suzuki took another swing which made a small crater in the ground.

"Aren't you just a defenceless woman?" Enki said to Kikuno.

"That's an insult." She took out a gun, or what seems to be a gun.

"That's a Steyr model 1911," Enki said.

"You know your guns."

"Well I'm a blacksmith after all but I won't be playing fair. Hephaestus!" He was the first to summon a persona in the fight. He was ready to defeat her, even if it might kill her. But my bad feeling acted up.

"Aren't you a bit immature. Well, I'll cool down your mind for now." Kikuno takes aim with her gun and fires a straight blue light beam towards his persona. It hits and Enki let out a short scream.

"Ah...Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" His persona was disintegrating. Just a piece of it was disintegrating.

"What the hell did you do?" I said and stood in front of Enki who had kneeled down on the ground. His persona had vanished.

"This is called an 'Invoker'. Its disintegrates a persona or seals it temporarily. It gives out a sharp pain to the summoners mind, letting him or she not being able to summon the person for a while." Kikuno explained the device she used.

"Not... Bad." Enki got up, still shaking. The mental attack he just had must have been really destructive.

"If things go on like this, you'll lose," Kanazaki said. She's right. There is no way we can win this.

"I'll give you another choice, join us and we'll tell you everything." She said. Kaidou ran back to us.

"What should we do?" Kaidou whispered.

"We'll join," I said, without giving it a second to hesitate or discuss.

"Alright then." They put out away their weapons, we did the same thing. Kanazaki then stepped forward, reaching her hand out for me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Touka Kanazaki." She said. I took the hand and shake it.

"Ryu Himuro, I'll be in your care." I smiled.

"Alright then, before we explain everything let's get out of here first," Suzuki said. As we walk towards Chinatown, I felt something, somewhere was staring at me. I fidgeted around to see where it was from, but I couldn't see anyone or anything. Maybe it's just my imagination...

"Hey, Ryu! You're going to get left behind." Kaidou said and I ran toward them, catching up.

"What were you spacing out about?" Suzuki asked.

"Its... Nothing." I said. Maybe I'm just dreaming, I am a bit dizzy after that fight. Kanazaki is really good with her katana I must say. Anyway, we need to hear this explanation about everything now, from this place to what the government is doing. I feel like we've entered something really sinister.

"Ah~ There they go. I wished I could have met them before those three showed up." A man, in a black trench coat and a black fedora. He was smiling, deviously. He had a cigarette in one hand.

"Well I'll push my introduction back a bit, I should get out of here before I get spotted by Lorelei." He vanished into thin air, leaving no traces.

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Yokohama Chinatown, 12:05...

"Haaa, Woah, we weren't in that long? I felt like it was hours in there." Kaidou groaned, shocked by the time.

"Well, time works differently in there, so its no surprise." Enki coiled around my neck and his in my hood. It seems like Suzuki and Kanazaki was quite interested in Enki, or particularly what he is.

"It seems like you change into a snake after returning to the real world," Kikuno said.

"Yep, its a neat feature to have though I can barely touch anything with these... Body." Enki was about to cry.

"Oh come on, its a really nice snake. It's white too. I think one of us here is really crazy about snakes though." Suzuki changed his gaze to Kanazaki, who was drooling at the sight of Enki for some reason.

"Ahhhh... Ah! It-Its nothing. L-let's go." She wipes off her drool. It seems like she is really interested in snakes. I wonder why though.

"Well, it's 12:00 a.m. We have school tomorrow since its still Friday." Suzuki said. We had already got out of Chinatown by now. We were standing near the entrance.

"It seems like your guardians would be worried about you, so we shall discuss tomorrow. Though I may not be present." Kikuno told us.

"Eh? My dad's rarely at home but Ryu..." Kaidou looked at me.

"Unlike my mother, Aunt Takemi worries about me. I'm sorry but I do need to go home." I said.

"Then its decided, we shall discuss further on tomorrow," Kanazaki said.

"Alright then, see you tomorrow, Suzuki, Kanazaki." We walked off before I saw a glimpse of Kanazaki face, who was a bit irritated. I wonder why.

"Well let's go. Oh right I'm going this way, see ya Ryu!" Kaidou then runs off to the distance. Passing by each streetlight until I couldn't see him. I then slowly walked back.

"You okay?" I had forgotten that Enki coiled around my neck. How could I forget a snake was around my neck, I might choke or get bitten by venom at this point. It's worse when it's a talking snake.

"Hmm? Me? Yeah, I'm alright. Just... A bit out of shape."

"Really? Well it's your second time fighting and you didn't have that much experience too, so you could have died without that formation we did just now." Enki explained. He had told me about the formation beforehand and wanted to put it to use if we encounter the same number of enemies or larger. I understood and was able to lead the first battle we had. It was a victory but it didn't felt like it was joyous.... It was a defeat after all.

"We could have saved that women if we came in sooner. If we got there sooner. We could have saved her!" I shouted in this dark and empty street. No cars were around, not even a police patrol car. Why?

"So that's what's on your mind,huh?" Enki said.

"You couldn't do anything anyway, even if we came in sooner she would've died," Enki told me the reality.

"But that doesn't me we can't try! She- she had a family that loved her. From that picture itself, she was a good person. A bright one. Why did she have to die?" I kneeled down. Still, it irritated me. So much I feel like I want to rip out my heart.

"So? Why are you standing here like a wuss? If that is happening towards other people, why just stop now? Is it because you're scared? Or what?" Enki had coiled around my neck tighter. I clenched my teeth.

"No."

"... Well we should just listen to the discussion meeting tomorrow." Enki loosened up. I stood up and headed back to my house. Once I got in, the living room was empty and there was no sign of Takemi. She was asleep, I guessed. I then headed upstairs towards my room and opened the door. I sat Enki down on the study table. I then changed my clothes to my pyjamas, which was just a pair of shorts and sweats. I then laid down on the bed.

"... Hey, sorry for just now. For tightening around your neck." Enki apologized.

"Nah, it's my fault. I was too immature. I have to think of others. If perhaps she isn't the only victim and there are others, I need to stand up and fight." I fisted the air. The old me would have not to get involve into thus but, the blood pumping adrenaline was in my body. It was pumping. How ironic. I'm using a syringe which injects what seems to be like adrenaline or ecstasy which they called it.

"You've changed," Enki said.

"For a bit, anyway good night."

"Good night." I turned off the light.

---------------------------------------------------------

Saturday,

After School.....