The Team met up inside the Entrance Hall, through the TV. Yu pulled out the photo of Mitsuo Kubo and passed it to Rise, who held it in the middle of the Team, who had gathered in a circle...
"That's him alright... That's the guy who was on the Midnight Channel! It's settled then. He IS the killer... And he's in here now!"
Rise's wrist trembled slightly as Yosuke spoke...
"This guy came to our shop before... Was he... Spying on me...? Oh my god... I really was being targeted..."
"Dammit! Frickin' punk!"
As Kanji yelled, Chie scratched her chin a little...
"Hey, I've seen him before, too... Hmm... Oh, now I remember! Yukiko, it's that one guy!"
"... That one guy?"
"Back in April, remember? He suddenly came and started hitting on you!"
... I'd almost repressed that time. The way he breathed, the way he talked... I thought I might've had to fight him off or something...
Yosuke jumped in.
"Oh, him! The dude who got served by Yukiko in front of the school! Man, Chie, how'd you remember something like that!?"
How could she forget?
Chie continued...
"Well, that was the first time he talked to her, but I remember he was always following her around."
So he was a stalker, too!? Why didn't you say something?
"Um... Sorry, who are we talking about?"
"The dude who came right up to you at the school gates and called you Yuki!"
"Ohhhh... Uh... Really?"
Just as Yosuke was about to respond to Yukiko, Chie jumped right back in, eyes suddenly filled with anger.
"Wait, did he kidnap Yukiko to get back at her for rejecting him!?"
"Um, I didn't really reject him..."
Doesn't change how it seemed to him, though.
Rise started up her own anecdote.
"He came up to me while I was busy working and asked, 'Don't the biker gangs bother you'? Just going on and on about how biker gangs can't do anything unless they're in a pack and stuff...
You, too? Geez, why does this guy have so much free time to just rant at strangers?
"He seemed to be the type who just keeps talking whether you like it or not... If that makes sense. I usually treat those people politely so they don't get offended, but I was so tired that I kinda ignored him. Was that why I was kidnapped...?"
Everyone turned and faced Kanji...
"Huh...? W-wait, I'm not a biker! Ugh... That damn special report... So that's why I got dragged into this."
Chie's eyes gleamed once more...
"You know, I heard he'd been saying stuff about that announcer's affair, too. Lots of muttering about how women who cheat on their husbands should be executed..."
... Well, shit. It sounds like someone needs to work out his women issues... And it was Namatame who cheated. Yamano was single.
"Sounds like we've got plenty to go on."
"You know it, Partner! It's time for a showdown!"
Yu nodded to Yosuke, then faced Rise.
"Can you tell where Mitsuo is?"
"I'll give it a try. Just a sec..."
Rise folded her arms over her chest and clasped the card that had suddenly appeared in her hands tightly, then shattered it, calling forth Himiko...
"... Yeah, I found him! He's that way!"
Rise pointed to the southwestern corner of the Entrance...
Well, assuming the Teddievisions are in the North...
"Alright. Now, we find him. We're so close, we can't lose him now."
... Okay, what the hell. These places just keep getting weirder and weirder.
The Investigation Team gaped at the pixelated forest and mountain cave around them...
"What is this...? Some kinda game?"
"Well, he did taunt us, saying 'try and catch me'... I guess he thinks of all this as a game."
"Ohhh, this pisses me off! I hereby sentence him to a hundred kicks to the face! Let's go!"
Could Kubo really have as much control as Yosuke thinks...? Oh, Chie's looking at me. I guess this is the time I'm supposed to say something pithy, like...
Yu wore a tiny smile as he spoke-
"Let the games begin."
"Gotta admit... All guys love games."
I'm not really sure they'd be Kanji's cup of tea, Yosuke.
Chie sighed...
"And all girls love Teddie!"
The rest of team didn't even face Teddie as they made their way to the entrance of what Rise called 'Void Quest'...
">Begin a new quest
End your quest"
"Begin a new quest
>End your quest"
">Begin a new quest
End your quest"
"Huh? What is this?"
"Please enter your name:"
"Mi_______"
"Mitsu____"
"Mitsuo__"
"Does this mean the game's starting!? Ugh, this pisses me off! Let's go, Senpai!"
Yu nodded to Rise.
I hope she can deal with the escort... Since she has a Persona, she can't be ignored by the minor Shadows. It does limit us a little, but four of us should be plenty to get through here on the front lines, and I can always swap us around later.
"Go, Kintoki-Douji!"
Hmm... I thought Kintoki-Douji fought with a tomahawk, not a miss- Oh, I get. Geez, even Teddie's Persona is a pun.
These things just keep getting stranger.
Yu slashed through the mask floating within a cloud of butterflies...
It's a little strange to be fighting butterflies, too... Some sort of symbolic thing?... Well, duh.
"Wahahahahahahahaha! How dare you stand against me for being a rotten orange! I'll make a worthless human like you taste endless pain! Take this!"
"Critical hit!"
"Punishing hit! Mitsuo has been knocked down..."
"... Huh!? No way... What's this all about? A-anyways... We need to hurry on!"
Orange? Wait... That accent... When the hell's he meet King Moron before the murder, though?
"Good morning. You seem to have slept well last night. You slept so well that not even the noisy siren from the police cars woke you. I think something really bad happened... Can you go by coffee at the arcade? Thanks. Did you hear a girl was killed? It's becoming a dangerous world out there... I don't even feel safe walking around town... Don't let your guard down, and make sure you're not out late, okay?"
... What was that? It seems so familiar...
"Hmm...? Weird... There's a dead end up here... I thought this was the right way..."
"We'll figure it out, Rise."
Three branches, not counting the one we just came from... Well, they say you follow your left to get out of mazes, so...
As Yu stepped towards the wall in front of him, the world went white, before fading in again...
"Huh!? What happened!? We ended up somewhere else... Be careful, Senpai!"
A teleporter maze, huh? Hope it follows some kinda internal logic, or else I'll flip- I've always hated these kinds of puzzles...
"The stairs! We made it!"
Huh... That wasn't so bad. Maybe that'll be the worst this place has to- Nah. You think things like that, and it'll be one-upped, guaranteed.
"A female announcer draws near!"
"Command?"
">Fight
Run"
"Mitsuo attacks!"
"Thou hast done well in defeating the female announcer. Mitsuo has been promoted to the next level."
"Thy Excitement increases by 4.
Thy Emptiness increases by 1."
"This can't be... Does he mean murdering people was just a game for him? He's so on my enemies list!"
No kidding. That's disgusting... But why 'Emptiness'?
Yu pulled the card crafted from four others from in front of him, as Margret began speaking to him...
"Ah, a Neko Shogun with
Bufula...
You have successfully completed the quest... Hmhm... This is a rare Persona... I think I could even beat my master with this."
Igor suddenly shot a short aside glance to his assistant.
"Hm... Wait a moment. The Persona's nose isn't long at all... No, there's no way I can win with this Persona. It's not easy to surpass the master... Regardless, I appreciate your showing me this beautiful Persona. One after another, you make my every wish come true.... What a gentleman... Hmhm."
As Margret smiled gently, a fifth Empress card appeared before Yu...
"For my next request... Bring me a Black Frost with
Auto-Sukukaja...
If anyone can do this, I know you can. I eagerly await your return."
"These're amazing, Sensei!"
Teddie guzzled down yet another can of soda...
Where does it all go?
The bear tossed his seventh can off to the side...
"A corpse discoverer draws near! Command?"
">Fight
Run"
"Mitsuo attacks!"
"Thou hast done well in defeating the corpse discoverer."
"Mitsuo hath been promoted to the next level."
"Thy Sadness increases by 5.
Thy Emptiness increases by 8"
"The next level...? No way! Does that mean he's getting stronger!? Senpai, be careful! This guy may be more dangerous than we thought!"
This is getting more and more surreal. 'Sadness'? Why is he getting sad, if he really is the killer...?
Why do these damn things keep showing up everywhere!?
Yu called forth Mithra, who roared as it summoned a
Garula,
blasting the pile of rubble away...
Finally! Goddamn, things're just obnoxious.
"No... No... No... N... No... o... Nooooo... Nnnooo... Nooo... Noo... Nooooo... N... ooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
"Huh!? N-now what? Did he... Lose it?"
No kidding... But this doesn't seem like the thoughts of a killer, really...
"Hah... Hah..."
"Yu-kun... You think it's time to head back?"
... Dammit!
"... Yeah, I think it's time for us to head back... Could you give us a little patch up for the way out, Yukiko?"
Yu chatted with Nanako for a short while that night...
"Big Bro! I'm sorry I took you so long, but I made you something for you for being so smart!"
Nanako handed a small paper armband to Yu, covered in small drawings...
A magnifying glass, a deerstalker's cap... A katana? Wait, could she know...? But, how could she?
"Thank you, Nanako..."
Yu smiled gratefully.
Nanako giggled.
"Take this!
Freezing Kick Riser!"
The Mysterious Masked Warrior Girl T. Gongen spun her frost-covered legs into Great Wolf, sending him flying back!
"Gah! Good show, Gongen! But now, take this!
Cross Slash!"
Great Wolf summoned a huge blade of energy in his hand and swung hard, before calling down a second to fall on his opponent!
07/30 Sa
Clear
What the hell was that dream last night.
Yu guzzled a bottled mocha as he ran to the roof of Junes, having called his friends on the way out the door.
"Rawr! I've been focusing on this for all of my training! Let's catch the killer!"
Teddie's all fired up. Good to see.
"Let's take him out, then! C'mon, let's move out.''
"Good morning. Did you sleep well I heard that a girl was killed last night. The noise of the arcade was bad, but can you buy some coffee from the cafe in the police cars? Thanks. I can't even safely walk around.... I can safely withdraw cash now. Have you heard? Good morning. Don't be out dangerously late, okay? Relax and don't let your guard down."
"It sounds like he's losing it... He might be insane... Umm... I'm getting kinda scared, Senpai..."
This place seems a bit...
Yu and his friends looked around...
... Insane.
"Dammit, we were here already! What the hell's with this place, it's like we're going back and fourth down the same hallways!"
"... That's brilliant, Kanji. Let's just take it slow at the intersections and see how it goes..."
"Wh...? G-gee, uh, thanks, Senpai."
Note to self- Someone's getting a Topsicle on me after all this.
I'm having a hard enough day wothout you being an asshole.
Yu slide a small bag of yen coins to the Fox with his foot.
The Fox growled...
Okay, this is just getting weirder.
Yu turned the newly fused card over and over in his hand...
The Devil- Succubus. Is this... Some manifest ion of some secret my psyche hides even from me...? Well, Agilao and Mudoon sound useful, at least...
Yu pulled another card, and once more, Margret smiled softly and spoke.
"Ah! You have brought Black Frost, and he has
Auto-Sukukaja...
You have successfully completed the quest. Do you know this Persona's tragic past? Black Frost lived alone for over thousands of years... While enduring this solitude, he prayed to the sky, over and over. Pleading, 'Give me a friend'... Eventually, the god he served granted him a friend for a single day... And the two of them frolicked through the fields, as happy as could be. They spent many precious hours together... And then... The sun set. The friend vanished... Black Frost regretted his request. If he had known he would have been left sad and lonely, he would have never asked for a friend in the first place..."
So, the moral here is 'God is a callous asshole'?
"Hence, Jack Fro- ...... I didn't mispronounce it... Forget it, then. I made it all up anyway.Did you believe me? Adults shouldn't be so easily swayed by what others say. Anyhow, I appreciate that you showed me this wonderful card. One after another, you make my every wish come true... What a gentleman."
Margret gave a small, gentle smile as a sixth Empress card appeared before Yu...
"Well then... For my next request... Show me a Yatagarasu equipped with the
Megido
skill... If anyone can do this, it's you. I eagerly await your return...
"There's something behind this door, Senpai! You think you can handle it?"
"What's the worst that could happen?"
"Gotcha! I'll back you guys up!"
"A Shadow approaches!"
This narration is just getting ridiculous. Seriously.
A Hand Shadow had drawn near, and summoned another to aid it...
An Almighty Hand, huh? If I remember right...
"Pazuzu!"
The Babylonian god appeared before Yu and spouted a
Garula
on the Shadow, blasting it on its back.
"There's my chance! Galactic Punt! Hiyaaaaaa!"
Chie suddenly rushed in and kicked the Killing Hand off into the ceiling, and beyond, shining like a star...
"Phew, good job! Are you okay, Senpai? Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
"Now, to claim the loot."
Playing a character like that is kinda fun.
Yu opened the chest behind where the Shadow stood...
Some kind of ball of black... The Orb of Darkness...? From that '80s game? This is just surreal. But can I truly say I'm surprised?
"Waahahahahahaha! How dare you stand against me for being a rotten orange!"
"Morooka draws near! Command?"
">Kill
Run"
"Kill
>Run"
">Kill
Run"
"Mitsuo attacks!"
"Thou hast done well in killing Morooka. Mitsuo hath been promoted to the next level. Thy Attention increases by 16. Thy Fame increases by 17. Thy Coolness increases by 3."
"What's with this...!? All about attention and fame... I can't believe this! What makes him think this is cool!? Let's hurry, Senpai! We gotta catch this sick bastard!"
... There's something off right there, but I can't quite say what. But this is pretty sick...
"I've got this one! Hiya! GET BENT!"
Kanji slammed himself into the ground, a massive shock wave flying out around him, blasting away all the remaining Shadows.
... Hahaha, what.
"Ah, the hero Mitsuo... Thou hast done well! You're... Yyyooouuuuu'''rrrrrreeeeee....... I... I... Don't have anything... I I I I I I I I I I I I I I DDDDDOOOOONNNNNNTTTTTTHAAVEANNYYTHINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG"
"Senpai, we're closing in! Be careful!"
What the hell is with this guy? He's... Starting to sound like me, from a few months back... Yikes.
"I sense him... He's right behind this door, Senpai!"
"Yosuke, Kanji, keep together around Rise- we can't afford to lose anyone."
As Yu reached to the immense wooden door, the Orb of Shadows suddenly emerged from his pocket and poured inky blackness into the gate, which slowly opened...
Chie took point as the Team barreled in...
"Look! There he is!"
"You Mitsuo? You better be ready to pay, you bastard!"
"Wait, Kanji... Something's not right!"
... Dammit, what the hell is with the Mitsuos? They look...
"Everyone gets on my nerves! That's why I did it! What do you think of that!? Say something, dammit!"
The other Mitsuo simply breathed heavily...
... That one's the Shadow, isn't it? I remember now, this bastard would just ramble for hours if you'd let him, so the human one couldn't be that quiet...
"Nobody even thought of me after the first two people. That's why I went for the third one! I killed them!"
The Shadow remained quiet...
"Wh-what're you all quiet for...?"
"Because... I feel nothing..."
"What're you talkin' about!? Make sense, dammit!"
"What the...? Which one's the Shadow?"
Chie... Am I the only one who can see the black flames and yellow eyes?
"I... Have nothing... I am nothing... And you... Are me..."
"What...? What's that supposed to mean!? I'm... I'm not nothing..."
Yukiko widened her stance-
"No! If this keeps up..."
We at least know what happens, and I know we can handle it- We've never tried to stop them before, and who knows- It might just piss the Shadow off more...
Mitsuo suddenly noticed the Investigation Team.
"Wh-who are you guys!? How'd you get in here...? Dammit, who the hell are you!? What're you doing here!?"
Kanji and Chie responded first-
"Shut the hell up! We came after you!"
"Are you the killer?"
Mitsuo laughed manically...
"Of course I am! I'm the one behind everything!"
He quickly turned back and faced his Shadow again-
"I don't give a damn what this imposter's saying! Hahaha, you hear that!? You have nothing to do with me! Get outta my sight!"
The Shadow breathed heavily once more...
"that goes for the rest of you, too! Why'd you chase me all the way here!? I'll kill you! i'll kill all of you! i can do it, y'know! I can do anything!"
The Shadow suddenly spoke, as Mitsuo fell to the ground.
"So you don't accept me..."
"Ngh... What the...? Aghhhh!"
The Shadow suddenly drew in red fog form all around it and transformed, blasting its owner away...
"Dammit, here we go again. Ready, guys?"
A very quick nod to their leader-
"Once we beat him this case is as good as closed!"
And with Rise's cheer, the Team charged.
Character Setup
"I am... A Shadow... Come... I'll end your emptiness."
... Well, I can't say I don't get it- A baby hiding inside a giant retro game character- Geez, this guy is hitting a little too close to home.
"It's all jaggy and blocky!"
... Wonderful observation, Teddie.
"Come..."
"You'll have to destroy the outer shell first!"
"Got it. You heard Rise, everyone- Let's get this this guy's HP to 0!"
The giant eight-bit-
Mitsuo? I guess?
Suddenly unleashed a bizarre computerized noise-
Command
Fight
And swung its sword several times, generating a huge explosion of colored blocks around Chie-
"Too slow!"
Command
Fight
"Wha-?"
Chie was suddenly blasted again, this time taking the full force of the blow.
Damn- For a giant wall of pixels, he sure moves fast.
"Teddie!"
"You got it, Sensei!"
Teddie invoked Kintoki-Douji to summon an invigorating orange aura around the Team,
Matatarukaja.
The fight raged on- Chie and Yu struck at it constantly, while Yukiko and Teddie kept the party in top condition-
"Protect me, Tomoe!"
Chie's Persona struck with a blast of darkened solar energy,
Black Spot,
Causing the immense figure to to fade and scatter away, the true Shadow falling to the ground.
"Aha! Is this our chance?"
"Let's get'em!"
The attack team ran in and bashed as hard as they could, before then Shadow managed to escape.
The being let out a shriek and summoned a
Green Wall...
Ack, that sound... Why do so many Shadows have to look and sound like babies...?
The raged for a while, the Team scoring a ton of small hits as the Shadow called whirlwinds upon them. Suddenly, the Shadow spoke once more.
"... There's no need to be scared. It'll be quick."
And with that, a wave of searing light dropped down from above,
Megidola.
Almighty attacks? Geez, crazy. But not that scary.
The Shadow then held its head and shrieked, summoning back several of the pixel blocks that made up its shell,
Whisper.
"The shell takes time to finish forming... Destroy it before that happens!"
Yu nodded to Rise, who was scanning from the entryway.
Scanning Personas can look into the future a little, huh? That thing get satellite, too?
The fight worn on, until-
"Take this! Succubus!"
The leotard-clad demon woman summoned an
Agilao
on the Shadow, finally destroying the shell again-
"Bear pile on the enemy!"
"you got it, Teddie!"
After the dust cleared,
"Why...? Don't you want to be at ease?
Whisper
Chant
The shell returned, more completely formed.
"I... I need proof that I exist... That's why... I have to kill you!"
Prayer
Mitsuo leveled up!
Command
Spell
Gigadyne
What. God dammit.
The shell had fully reformed, and summoned a wave of 8-bit lightning.
"Ack- Whwh-!"
Yukiko barely pulled herself through...
"Hyyya!"
Chie suddenly ran up and kicked the giant, destroying it once more, destroying the shell.
"That's what you get! Let's finish him off, once and for all!"
"Right!"
Another All-Out Attack, and the Shadow twitched and fell to the ground wordlessly, the red fog it had absorbed flying away...
It was a short while before Mitsuo awoke from his Shadow knocking him out...
This is taking way longer than everyone before...
"Finally awake, huh? You've been a major pain in our ass."
Mitsuo stared at Yosuke, who was the first to speak after he had gotten up.
"What the...? You guys... Wh-who the hell are you guys!?"
It doesn't matter how much of a jackass he is, I know why we're here.
"We came to rescue you."
"R-rescue me...?"
"The police are searching for you. They think you're the one who killed Mr. Morooka, as well as the first two victims. Is that true?"
"All the cases... All on me..."
Mitsuo laughed manically.
"That's right, I did it!"
Kanji seethed with rage.
"You piece of shit!"
"And not just that bastard Morooka... That stupid announcer and the Konishi bitch, too! I killed all of them! It was all me!"
... You sick son of a bitch.
Suddenly, his Shadow's human form dissolved into red fog, and vanished...
"Wh-where did it go!?"
Chie seemed as confused as Rise...
"What's going on...?"
Mitsuo laughed again.
"It's gone... That frickin' monster disappeared... Take that, son of a bitch..."
The self-proclaimed murderer suddenly collapsed again...
"H-hey!"
"He's exhausted... We need to hurry and get him out of here!"
Yu nodded to Kanji and Rise, then walked over to Mitsuo, asking Kanji to help him carry Mitsuo out.
The Team laid Mitsuo on the ground in front of the TV in Junes. He sat up not long after.
"Where... Am I...?"
Geez.
"It's Junes. Electronics Department."
"Why... Am I here...? What the hell are you guys...? S-stop it... Why did the TV... Nngh..."
Chie's eyes widened a little.
"H-hey..."
Teddie scowled.
"You seem confused from everything that happened. But we have a bunch of questions for you. First off, why did you do all this!? Answer in ten words or less!"
Mitsuo chuckled...
Stop DOING that. Why all the creepy laughing!? "What the hell? Is that a costume...? Heh... What a loser... Get outta my face, you freak..."
"F-freak! Grrrrr!"
"Hold it, Teddie. You're not helping."
Thanks, Yosuke... Can't say I expected you to be the voice of reason, but I'm thankful.
"Are you the killer?"
"Get off my back... I already told you... I did it...
Rise and Chie were shocked...
"Why...? How could you do such a thing?"
"Three people are dead because of you..."
Mitsuo laughed even more...
"Everyone's talking about it, right? It's a huge deal... And I did it! All of it! All by myself...!"
"You just wanted the attention...?"
Yukiko followed up on Yosuke.
"Then why did you target me and the others? How did you kidnap us?"
Mitsuo could barely breathe from his laughter...
"Whoa... Look who it is... Haha, hey Yuki... After all this time... Now you wanna talk to me? Haha... What bullshit."
"Answer me! If you held a grudge against me, that's fine... But why the others!?"
What the hell's with this bastard!? Why's he acting all-
Mitsuo darkly chuckled...
"What a joke... You're so desperate it hurts... I didn't care who I attacked... Everyone pisses me off..."
"You what...!? Gotta... Be kidding me...! You killed Senpai over nothing!?... You son of a bitch!!"
After Yosuke blew up at him, Kanji walked over and towered over the murderer...
"I hope you're ready to get what's comin' to you..."
Another chuckle...
"What, you gonna kill me?"
Yukiko gasped.
"Kanji-kun!?"
... No, I think I see where this is going.
The Emperor grabbed Mitsuo by his shirt collar.
"Kill you..? It ain't gonna be that easy, you piece of shit. What you did can never be taken back. No, you're gonna own up to your crimes and pay for what you did. You ain't gonna be allowed to kick the bucket until you understand exactly what it is you've done!"
Mitsuo breathed heavily, only for Kanji to toss him back to the floor.
"Why, dammit...? Why did she have to die because of this bastard...?"
Yosuke glared daggers at Mitsuo, who just stared at the floor...
"Dude... The cops."
... He's right.
"I'll call them in, Yosuke."
Yosuke shook a little...
"Yosuke..."
Damn, even Chie's worried for him...
After the police arrested Mitsuo, the Team met up at the Food Court...
"At least Adachi-san seemed happy..."
"Well, I guess this means our work is done...
Chie nodded back to Yosuke.
"He did it all to draw attention... I can't get my head around that. It's just wrong. I mean, not that it would've been okay if he had a better reason..."
"I know... Don't worry."
It's disgusting... But I can't help but think about what Might've gotten him to this point... And there's still something bothering me... Maybe it's my imagination?
"It's finally over... Let's leave the rest to the police."
Teddie perked up a little bit after Rise spoke.
"My world will be peaceful again now.
"Yeah. I'm happy for you. We really went through a lot..."
"Like scoring with guys!
"Oh, come on...! Will you ever let it go?"
"What...? Scoring with guys!? Yukiko-senpai...?"
"Y-you don't need to know the details. I'm sure you'd like to forget the sauna incident too... Right Kanji-kun?"
"Urgh... W-well..."
What? Just because he's our underclassman, he doesn't get to know? You saw his deep dark secrets, and besides, I'm pretty sure you're not interested in JUST guys- Why be embarrassed over any of it?
"That's not fair... I wanted to see everyone else's too!"
"That's right. We three are the only ones who saw everyone's secret."
"Well, Chie didn't see yours, Yosuke."
"Hey, so what was Yosuke's like? C'mon, it's about time you told us."
Silly. A little bit creepy, but mostly silly.
"Well, it was... Pretty much like the rest."
"C-c'mon, let's it at that!.. Speaking of which, nothing really happened in your case, huh?"
"Really... Wait, really? Is there something special about Senpai after all?"
Teddie nearly exploded with enthusiasm at Rise's comment.
"Sensei is da man!"
"But now that the case is solved, we won't be calling you 'Leader' anymore, will we...?"
"Oh yeah... It's kinda sad."
Kanji... Chie... You can call me that if you want, anyway... Really.
Rise's eyes suddenly shined brightly.
"Hey, why don't we have a celebration? We always have a wrap party we're done shooting. It's fun, and it'll help give us some closure."
"ooh, a party! That sounds great! Let's go all out!"
"Ooh, ooh! I wanna go to Yuki-chan's house! Gorgeous dinner, hot springs, table tennis, yukata! Geisha, Fujiyama, full wootness!"
So, he's been on both Wikipedia and at least one forum or chatroom... I'm a little worried about an internet-savvy Teddie...
"You're right, Yukiko-senpai's family runs a hot springs inn... A-a hot springs that... Yukiko-senpai bathes in too...?"
"Hey, keep it to yourself... You're sounding like a creep."
Kanji... Well, there's nothing wrong with playing both sides.
"W-well, it sounds like fun, but I don't think it's possible today..."
"Yeah, it's summer vacation. All the rooms must be occupied."
"We can't do a sleepover...?"
"Maybe next time. I promise."
Teddie's eyes shined a little at Yukiko's promise...
Yosuke turned to face Yu.
"Hey, why don't we hit your place instead?"
"... Eh?"
"Oh, but won't your uncle suspicious? Like, 'Why are you all celebrating?'"
... Well, he just kinda invited everyone over... But it's a big day for us! And I say I'm still the Leader until the wrap party ends...
"Alright, let's do this!"
Wow, did I just shout that? I... Can't say I've ever done that before.
"Great! Let's head over right away!"
Chie seemed to have a flash of inspiration after Rise finished talking.
"Oh yeah, if your uncle's a detective, he might not come home tonight... Nanako-chan might be getting hungry."
"Hey, then why don't we make dinner together?"
Yeah, Yukiko, that's a- Shit. Shitshitshitshitshit!
"Ohh, are you good at cooking, Senpai?"
"W-well... Sort of?"
Yosuke crinkled his face at Chie's words.
"What are you saying...? Did you already forget the tragedy of the school campout!?"
"W-we already told you that was an accident!"
"She's right! We just got a couple of ingredients wrong!"
Resulting in a purple, gurgling goo.
"Guys, please don't do this, I'm begging you... I don't need another trauma to deal with..."
Rise leaned forward a little after Yosuke finished expressing his revulsion...
"Hey, I'm a pretty good cook, too! I'll make something for you, Senpai."
"Tadaaaah! Teddie has a great idea! Let's have a cooking battle! The winner will be crowned Iron Cooking Inaba!"
Wait what oh no.
Yosuke seemed to agree.
"A cooking battle? Now I'm even more worried..."
"S-sure, that sounds like fun."
"Aww, but I'll win hands-down. You sure you want to make it that easy?"
Yosuke faced Yu once more, a look of sheer terror on his face.
"Dude, listen to me. For the sake of our stomachs, you have to cook something, too. Help, Yu Narukami! You're our only hope..."
"Then you can represent the guys' team. Nanako-chan will be our judge!"
... Nanako... She's gonna... No, I won't let that happen!
"I can be a taster, too!
"Teddie can be a taster too! At the end, you're supposed to say, 'That was delicious!' right?"
... You poor, sad bastards.
Chie suddenly stood on her feet, a fire burning in her eyes.
"Woo! I'm getting all fired up! Alright! Let us advance forth into the grocery section downstairs! Chaaarge!"
... Well.
After the Team arrived at the Grocery Department, Yu pulled his cellphone and called the Dojima Residence, putting the phone on ...
"Hello, Dojima Residence... oh, hi."
"Is your father working tonight?"
"Yeah, he said he's gonna be late today."
Yu told her about the cooking contest...
"Huh...? Dinner...? You're all going to cook?"
"Ask Nanako-chan about what she wants for dinner!"
Yu nodded to Chie and did so.
"What do I want...? Um... Anything's fine."
"She's just being modest! Ask her again."
Yu nodded to Yukiko and asked Nanako more directly.
I'm being coached about having a sibling by two people who, to my knowledge, are only children... Maybe they have little cousins, too?
"Well, umm... An omelette. I want to eat omelette with fried rice."
"You'll get it. We'll be there soon."
"Okay, Ill be waiting!"
Yu ended the call.
"Fried rice omelette... An excellent choice, Nanako-chan. With a dish that simple, I doubt we'll get a second helping of Mystery Food X."
Yosuke looked at the girls' faces...
"... Huh? What's wrong?"
"N-nothing. Alright, let's go get our ingredients."
And with Chie's awkward stutter, the three girls left...
"Uh... If they're all making the same thing, why are they going to different parts of the market...? Hah... Looks like you'll need all the help I can give you... Hey, what kind of omelette are you making? I'll go get the ingredients for ya."
Well, one of those three are probably gonna try for an orthodox ketchup one, so that's out... I'm not really sure Nanako would like an herbal Provencal-style one, or something with lots of aromatic vegetables... I'll try something more traditionally Japanese- It can be a little strong, but it's familiar to her, and she's a mature kid.
Yu gave gave a short list of ingredients for Yosuke to get-
"That's red miso, not white-"
-And Yosuke went to get the ingredients. He returned right around when the girls had as well. Yosuke noticed a can of something with French on the label-
"Foie gras!?"
Rise brimmed with enthusiasm.
"Quite an eye you've got there, Senpai. It's a must-have for my special omelette! Don't worry, I'll let you have a taste. ooh, or maybe I could spoon feed you."
Rise giggled.
... She's much too cute when she tries to be.
"I heard last time you choked down something so awful that words couldn't describe it..."
"It was horrible."
Yukiko and Chie stared daggers into Yosuke.
"You poor dears... Who would do such a horrible thing...?"
"R-R-Rise-san? This is gonna be the only chance you get to gloat, is that clear?"
"... I'll crush you with one strike."
... Yukiko, please stop that. You're scary when you're like this.
Just then, Kanji walked up, carrying a bottle of something.
"Whoa... You guys look like you're ready to enter the Ultimate Frying Championship."
"Kanji-kun! That's alcohol!"
"Huh...? Oh, uh... Hahaha..."
And with Yukiko's reprimand, Kanji skulked off to put the bottle back.
I hope... Kanji, please don't drink that. You're better than that.
Chie looked around a little, then spoke up.
"By the way, where's Teddie?"
A familiar voice came from nearby.
"Miss...? Am I allowed to eat this?"
Teddie was talking to an employee handing out free samples of grilled steak...
"Of course you can, dear. Eat as much as you like!"
"You're such a nice lady. Is this one cooked already?"
The woman giggled.
"This one's ready too. Oh my, are you hungry for more? Here... I'll open this one, too."
Teddie seemed to sparkle with charisma...
"You're so beautiful..."
"Oh my, no! No, I mustn't! I've got a husband and a son!"
"But I really want this meat... And I want you to cook it, Miss."
"Ohh, I couldn't possibly. The manager would get so upset."
Yosuke glowered.
"... I'm gonna knock the stuffing outta that bear..."
... He's learning to control his mysterious powers, and he's starting to abuse them.
The Team gathered at Yu's home, the girls and Yu taking shifts working on their omelettes, Yosuke and Kanji crowding around Yu. Teddie sat at the table near the TV with Nanako, talking to her peacefully.
Alright, I can just let these sit in the pan and stay warm for now. I should see what's going on with Nanako and Teddie- Something about a promise with her, huh, Ted?
Yu approached his friend and his cousin...
"Sensei... You kept your promise with me... So I should go back over there..."
I'm pretty sure all we agreed to was that you'd help us if we tried to catch the killer. That's it.
"Don't worry about it, Teddie."
"B-but... A promise is a promise... It's not good to break them..."
"You made a promise with Nanako, didn't you?"
"S-Sensei..."
Teddie nodded and faced back to Nanako.
"My promise with Nana-chan... I made a promise to play with her... Can I really stay here...? It wasn't just my promise. Nana-chan made it with me... I'm really... Really happy... Thank you...!"
Teddie's eyes watered...
Suddenly, a fourth Star card appeared before Yu...
Yosuke walked over next to Yu.
"Yosuke... I have a new promise to keep... S-so, I wanna stay here a little longer! Is that okay with you, Sir!?"
"Huh? What're you talking about? You're not going anywhere. You can't just quit your job like that. In any case, if you left-"
"Its reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaadyyy! Incoming food! Outta the way, Senpai!"
Rise suddenly walked up and bumped Yosuke out of her way, carrying an omelette on a plate.
... There's something that's a bit too RED about that omelette...
The rest of the Team gathered around the short table...
Rise smiled brightly.
"Bon appetit!"
"W-well, wait a sec. Asking Nanako-chan to jump in and try these for us is kinda... Unethical."
Agreed.
Chie was indignant.
"D-don't look at us like that!"
"Ohh... So it's like our job to taste it first, to make sure we can keep it down."
"Hey! Kanji, that's mean! Then try mine first, Yosuke-senpai! It's gua-ran-teed delicious!"
"You don't mind me going first? Actually, I've been looking forward to yours. I mean, Risette cooked it herself. Can you imagine how many guys would kill me if they found out? Well then, chow time!"
Yosuke scooped up a bite from Rise's omelette and ate it...
"Urgh... I-I... Can't give this to Nanako-chan..."
"Ooh! It's so delicious that you won't let anyone else have a bite!?"
... Well, I'd better check, too...
Yu followed Yosuke's suit...
... Hot! Hothothot! It's like lava and iron! Holy shit! I think I've gotten burned!
Yu quickly swallowed the omelette before it could cause any more damage to his mouth...
Yukiko smiled sweetly...
"Here, try mine next."
"I'll take this one."
Kanji scooped up a huge piece...
"K-Kanji... That's a lot..."
Despite Yosuke's warning, Kanji swallowed all his piece at once.
"H-hey, say something."
"Well... Uh... How do I put this...? It tastes really um... Boneless...?"
"What!? That's not a word you use to describe taste! Does it taste good, or not!? Tell me!"
Yu took a bite as well...
This one doesn't seem so dangerous... But... What the hell? It's... Utterly flavorless. How? How? HOW!?
Kanji finally responded to Yukiko.
"Not good, that's for sure. It tastes like... Like I'm eating plain oatmeal... It's pretty impressive that you put so many ingredients into a dish and it came out tasting like nothing."
"Y-you're palate just isn't refined enough!"
Nanako reached over to take a bite herself...
"... I think it tastes good."
"Nanako-chan...!"
Chie seemed to sweat a little...
"O-okay... Try mine next. Urgh... I dunno about this... But I think it'll taste good! This time for sure!"
Teddie smiled to Chie.
"I'll give it a whirl."
Teddie took a bite, his smile never leaving his face.
"H-how is it...?"
"Wow, this tastes awful! Ooh! You have to try this, Yosuke."
"Dude, not after you say that..."
Yosuke grabbed a bit in spite of himself...
"Ahhh... I see..."
Yu followed up...
... Mystery Food W. Not as bad as X, but definitely not good at all.
"Well, um... It's a huge improvement over the curry..."
"Yeah, thanks for the consolation... I feel sooo much better..."
Poor Chie... Yosuke can be kinda harsh, but I can't say he's wrong.
Nanako took a bite herself...
"I think it tastes good too..."
... You're so brave, Nanako.
"Nanako-chan...!"
Yukiko took a bite herself...
"Oh, yeah, they're right... They're totally right! It tastes AWFUL!"
Yukiko feel into a giggle fit.
"Hmph. Then try Rise-chan's! I bet you anything mine tastes than hers!"
Rise smiled sweetly as Yukiko took a bite of her omelette...
"U-urgh..."
Holy shit, she's out cold!
"S-Senpai!?"
Kanji's eyes widened.
"Sure enough... One strike."
"Well, Yukiko's and Chie's didn't taste good either... But at least theirs didn't cause any casualities... Hehheh..."
"I-it's a taste too mature for kids! It's a mature flavor! You guys are just kids... I... I... Ahh..."
And with that, Rise started crying...
Nanako sudden;y reached over and took a bite from the Lovers' plate...
"Ngh...! I-it's spicy, b-but it's still good."
No...! Nanako, I've failed you...!
"Nanako-chan...! I knew it! Nanako-chan's the most mature person in this room!"
... Maybe.
Chie was incredulous.
"C-crocodile tears!?"
Kanji faced Yu.
"Oh yeah, didn't you make one too, Senpai?"
Nanako smiled wide...
"You did!? Ooh..."
Nanako reached down to eat Yu's omelette...
"This is really good! I've never had an omelette with fried rice this good! It's amazing!"
Nanako couldn't keep a smile off her face as she ate, finishing it a little quickly...
After she finished, Yu took the plates up and took them to the kitchen, placing them near the sink to clean later.
"Are you full, Nanako-chan?"
Nanako nodded to Chie.
"We're still starving..."
"If you're so hungry, then help yourself to an awful-tasting omelette! Hmph!"
Yeah, that was pretty mean, Yosuke. Just don't say anything.
Yosuke got up to his feet.
"U-uh, I have a suggestion... You guys know about the festival they're holding in the shopping district, right? Why don't we all go?"
A summer festival, huh? I don't think I've been to one...
Rise's eyes shined.
"Oh, that sounds good!"
"Whoa! Does that mean the girls will be wearing yukata!?"
Teddie... What has Yosuke taught you?
"A festival..."
Don't sound like that, Nanako...
"Would you like to come with us, Nanako?"
"I can come?"
"Of course."
"Really!? Yay!"
Yosuke winked and smiled.
"That settles it, then."
"Festival food always tastes great for some reason,even if it ain't anything fancy. Whew... We'll finally be able to eat some edible food for once.
The girls lowered their heads and sighed...
... Well, I know I can look forward to a taiyaki, at least.
The Team all agreed to meet up for the summer festival at the Shopping District's Shrine on the 20th of August....
... Was Mitsuo really the killer...? Something's still bothering me about all this... And his Shadow's still bugging me... It just seemed so...
"B-big B-bro... Wh-wh..."
Yu looked over his handiwork, the blood still dripping from his sword...
"You see...? I'm here... I've always been here... I'll never go away..."
The petrified Nanako couldn't even move, as her cousin climbed over the corpses of his teammates, a frighteningly serene smile on his face as he slowly drew his blade towards her...
"Big Bro's here for you, Nanako..."
Yu awoke with a start, lost in the darkness of the night. He sat still on his bed the rest of the night, unable to sleep...
That's not someone I'll ever be... Is it...?
Yu's Level: 48
Current Personas:
Oukuninushi
Succubus
Hokuto Seikun
Black Frost
Cu Chulainn
Dis
Dominion
Triglav
Parvati
Leanan Sidhe
Genbu
Hanuman
Social Links:
Fool: Rank 7
Magician: Rank 6
Priestess: Rank 5
Empress: Rank 6
Emperor: Rank 3
Hierophant: Rank 7
Lovers: Rank 1
Chariot: Rank 5
Justice: Rank 8
Hermit: Rank 6
Strength: Rank 6
Hanged Man: Rank 4
Death: Rank 3
Temperance: Rank 6
Devil: Rank 6
Tower: Rank 4
Star: Rank 4
Moon: Rank 6
Sun: Rank 7
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