Persona B: The New Wildcard

by Biffposts

Forced to move to the Japanese suburbs of Mata, American transfer student Biff Chanum quickly discovers a shadow-filled parallel world known as The Dreamlands which manifests the dreams and cognition of humanity. Armed with the power of persona, it'll fall to Biff and the strength of his bonds to protect Mata from imminent destruction at the hands of an army of shadows.

1. Enter: Biff Chanum

Enter: Biff Chanum

This is a story of a hero. One of infinite potential who would go on to accept a great burden placed upon him. It is a story of one who, when all seemed hopeless, held faith in the strength of his bonds in order to carry on no matter what tribulations he faced. Hope is a fickle thing; it can lead to salvation or ruin depending on how it's placed, but it is this hope that gives us the strength to look towards our future in the darkest of times.

This story takes place in the suburbs of Mata, two years after the events of Persona 5. Alas, as time has passed, the Phantom Thieves have faded in the cognition of the public to the point of a widely known rumor, with the events involving Yaldabaoth forgotten when the world was reborn. Speaking of cognition, humanity has regressed in a way, apathy seizing the masses. It can't be helped, and no one is to blame, it's just a cognitive response to hardship in the world. A persona, if you will. The global change of heart can only be so effective in altering the minds of humanity when painful burden grips the populace in a steely embrace, distorting their perception of life around them.

Mata for the most part functions as housing for people working in the city, as Tokyo is a brief subway ride away. There are several tightly packed neighborhoods that are surrounding a centralized downtown full of shops, entertainment, and the ever-busy Mata Train Station. Beyond those are various farms stretching out as far as the eye can see, creating an atmosphere of isolation despite the bustling locale and Tokyo in the distance. As a whole, Mata could be described as very bland. This is due in part to the box-shaped residential districts that seem to organize people in as plain of rows as possible. The houses are all similar with minimal space between them; the town organizers likely having designed the neighborhoods with the intent to fit as many people as possible to be shipped off to work in the city. Though the downtown of Mata is loud, bright, and bustling, it really isn't anything particularly unique and is largely indistinguishable from the many other suburban shopping districts.

Enter Biff Chanum. Speeding towards the Mata Station is a train carrying the recently delivered child of destiny. Biff Chanum is a fifteen-year-old foreign exchange student from America, transferring in his sophomore year to Makisini High School making him a Japanese second year. A strongly built kid of above average height, Biff has a very distinct look to him. Shoulder length blonde hair rustles as he looks around his surroundings, though it's not cut in a way that detracts from his masculinity, a peculiarity furthered by the vividity of his grass-green eyes. His face is highlighted by his strong jawline and small, slighted features. More than a few Japanese natives have given Biff brief looks of surprise as he passed them, but he didn't notice or care. The chilly Japanese spring air lent Biff to dress in a white dotted grey collared shirt, a brown leather jacket that looks as good as new despite frequent use, and dark blue jeans. He sighs as he closes his eyes and leans back in his seat as a myriad of thoughts rushes through his conflicted mind. He feels as though he should harbor some resentments towards his parents for shipping him off to Japan, but really it's not that bad. Sure it sucks to be taken from all of his friends and the life that he knew, but the prospect of a year in a foreign country is oddly enticing despite the blandness of the rows of white houses his train zips past.

Checking his phone habitually to see no new messages, Biff is briefly disappointed before remembering that there hasn't been any service for the past three hours of train ride from the nearest airport. It's crazy to think that just a day ago Biff was saying goodbye to a couple of friends before taking off for his year abroad. The memory brings him back to the conversation his parents first had with him about the subject.

Biff's father sat at the dinner table, just getting home. Until then it had only been Biff and his mother eating and making small talk, but for some reason, she seemed unusually restless this evening. The kitchen was dark as always, a large room with a circular, wooden table in the center and various appliances and cabinets lining the walls that didn't lead into adjacent rooms.

"Hey there," Biff said fairly absentmindedly before scooping a bite of mashed potatoes into his mouth. He takes his time to finish chewing before finishing his greeting. "How was work." Several moments pass without a response from his dad and Biff looks up, having expected him to say "Good" or something like that. Instead, his father was just looking right at his mother, raising an eyebrow as if to silently ask a question. She shakes her head in response.

Mr. Chanum furrows his brow and turns to Biff. He notices his son's pointed glare and stumbles for a second. "Ah- I… Good. Work was good." There's an awkward pause. "Biff… There's something your mother and I have meant to talk to you about."

Biff laughs good-humouredly, "When you put it like that you've already got me worried, nice job" He pauses for a moment. "What's up?"

"We heard something from a friend of ours about a Japanese foreign exchange program through your school..." Mr. Chanum begins, shuffling briefly in his chair. At just this first sentence though, Biff already is aware of what's to come. His parents had always been the type to enlist him for extracurricular activities and various camps without his previous knowledge but he never expected them to go this far. Biff's face contorts into one of twisted horror as his father continues. "And after discussing it we've decided to enroll you."

"Wh- bu-" Biff is incredulous that his parents would actually do this and is at a lost for words; before he can stammer out an objection his father continues.

"And we think it'll be an incredible experience for you. We just had to snatch up this chance before someone else did, I'm sure you'll understand."

Suddenly Biff is taken from his daydream as the train's brakes screech to a halt, drowning out all other noise. He looks around himself to see other passengers, all native Japanese, standing up. A high school aged girl whispers to a friend standing near her. "Huh, another American. It's not even close to tourist season."

Biff doesn't respond initially, planning to act as if he never heard but changes his mind. Conveniently he speaks fluent Japanese after having picked it up early in school, blissfully unaware that it would lead him here, to him it was just a foreign language that he felt like trying and carried on with it. Nonetheless, he turns around, golden locks bobbing gracefully. "Actually I'm an exchange student, name's Biff Chanum."

The girl blushes, not expecting this foreigner to speak Japanese, most of them don't after all. "I-" She turns to her friend in embarrassment then back to Biff. In response he just smirks briefly before walking out of the now stopped train and stepping into the Mata Station, breathing in the fresh air.

The station is a dreadfully packed locale, with people running to and fro all around to catch their train or to meet friends and family just arriving. Biff briskly walks towards where a bright sign points to the exit, swiveling his head to take in the foreign sights. Seemingly out of nowhere though, he's slammed into by an unknown mass.

"Ah!" Shouts a voice as Biff falls backward onto his rear. "Are you ok, mate?"

Biff groans briefly before turning to his side to meet eyes with his assailant, the attacker having fallen over as well. "Yeah, I'm fine," Biff mutters before pushing himself up. "You?" He asks with an eyebrow raised, looking the boy below him up and down.

It seems to be a student about the same age as Biff, wearing a black peacoat with black chino pants. He has a shrewd look to him, as though he were constantly hiding something or plotting some devious deed. Deftly, as if it were no big deal, this new kid jumped up to his feet from lying down. It was an impressive maneuver, but Biff now turned his attention to the boy's face, as he was clutching a hand over his right eye, glancing about him as if searching for something. "Yeah.. uh...I..." He begins to mutter, distracted by his search. "Ah! There!" Under his left foot was a small piece of cloth. He quickly stoops over and snags it before pulling it over his covered eye. Now letting his hands fall to his side, Biff spies that it's a black leather eyepatch with an 'x' pattern imprinted on the material, but in doing so he really can't help but stare. Breaking the awkward tension and seemingly realizing the point of fixation, the boy touches his eyepatch. "Oh! This, uh, this is my eyepatch." Another awkward pause, Biff doesn't really have much to say on the subject. "But you probably knew that aha... " He sticks a hand out, offering his extended palm to Biff to shake. "My name's Boto, I lost my eye when I was in elementary. You know, just kid stuff haha."

Biff firmly grips his hand and reciprocates the shake. He manages a half-hearted laugh at the awkward joke. "I'm Biff. Biff Chanum. I'm new to town."

"Ooh well then mind me asking, I know you give off a uh…" Boto glances at Biff's golden hair and Western features, "Tourist-y vibe... but are you by any chance transferring to Makisini High?"

"Yeah," Biff says, raising an eyebrow at Boto's mildly racist comment. "I'll assume you are as well?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. Just moved here from some no-name country town." Boto shuffles in place, "Aha, I'm honestly kinda nervous for Thursday. My old town was pretty small so I feel way out of my league, you know?" His eyes go wide and his legs bend slightly, as though he were ready to flee at any moment. "Ah! But why am I telling you this? Um well alright I…" Boto pulls out his phone and checks the time before sliding it back into his coat pocket. "I have to get going. Got plenty of havoc to wreak before the big day. People to see… uh…. Places to go or something like that."

Biff can't help but smile at the awkward mannerisms and poor attempts at jokes. "In that case will I see you at the orientation? Wouldn't hurt to have a friendly face there."

"Oh! No, I can't make it there, but I'll see you at school." Boto at this point has started to walk off, blending into the crowd. "...On Thursday that is!" Biff hears him shout before the mass of people obscures his view; leaving for his destination, Biff smiles slightly and shakes his head at having already met such an odd fellow.

As he continues his trek towards the housing division of Mata, Biff steadily strolls through the shopping district. The central street he walks on is situated between two looming walls of buildings gazing down with their neon eyes that beckon him to enter, illustrious words promising "Japan's best ramen," and many other perfect cliches. Several restaurants and shops pique his interest and he makes a mental note to check them out sometime later, after all, he's got plenty of time to exploit every little detail Mata has to offer.

There's not much farther to go now. Biff takes a right and enters the neighborhood that he'll be calling home from now on. The road he walks along is lined with freshly budding trees, some of which are lovely pink cherries, just blooming with brilliant blossoms. Plenty of people mill about the area, most heading towards the shopping district, a large amount of which appear to be high school students as well, no doubt attempting to squeeze out the last drops of summer with their friends who aren't cramming to finish any work they have in preparation for the new year. Biff can't help but notice that everyone he passes looks undeniably dreary. Must be the school year blues. I guess every good thing has to end. He thinks; it's odd, really, no one seems to be laughing or talking in more than a hushed whisper, just shuffling towards their destination, failing to take in their surroundings. Well, it's not that there's much to be appreciated besides the vibrant trees; the monotonous colored houses cause the overlying flora to appear artificial. Suddenly Biff realizes he missed the house he's supposed to stay at. He turns around and carefully reads the addresses until he arrives at number 117. The thing about Mata neighborhoods is that all of the houses effectively look the same, so this one has nothing to make it stand out besides a small, undeveloped garden in the scant front yard. They are all moderately sized beige buildings with white accenting and roof. The second floor of the rectangular homes have small, black metal balconies that stretch forward from a partitioned entrance. Squinting to look, Biff doesn't see any movement within.

He takes a deep breath before approaching the door. Biff hadn't been briefed on what the people he was staying with would be like besides being told there was a mother, father, and a daughter a year under him. The white door looms above him, waiting for him to come and seal his new fate. He stretches his arm out towards it, fist clenched to make his presence known but hesitates, closing his eyes briefly to consider the bizarre turn of events that lead him here. Biff opens his eyes once more and smiles before rapping sternly on the door.

From within he hears sudden movement before a higher voice, that of a woman, calls out. "Hanae, Eiki! He's here!"

There's more movement and the sound of someone rapidly descending stairs. A man's voice responds. "Ah, Oh it's happening. Alright dear, big moment aha… come on now, wait where's Hanae? Oh, nevermind, open the door, he's just standing out there." And with a latch turning and a soft creak, the door swings open, revealing to Biff a middle-aged couple, smiling brightly.

To the right is a woman wearing an apron and a red checkered shirt, her brunette hair tied back in a messy ponytail. She speaks first, "Hello! You must be Biff Chanum." She sticks her hand out to offer a shake to which Biff quickly reciprocates.

The man takes the brief silence to speak his mind as well. "Very nice to meet you Mr. Chanum, sorry Hanae couldn't be down to greet you and… one moment." He takes a step back before shouting in an animated manner, "Hanae! He's here!" The man before him has dark hair combed into a comb-over and large, semi-rimless glasses on. He wears a baby blue dress shirt paired with a navy blue tie, as though he's just gotten home from work. Now regarding Biff again, the father continues his thought, "And uh… oh, wait, come in, please."

Biff happily obliges, walking in and taking a look around. The house is respectably sized on the inside. He's entered into a living room of sorts, with an L shaped couch going along the left wall and partly along a divider wall with an opening that leads to the kitchen. Straight ahead, across from the entrance, is a small hallway that leads to three doorways, one of which opens into a staircase that goes upstairs. The house is decorated modestly with pieces of wall art hung up, interspersing with several well-placed ferns. The color palette is very neutral, comprised of dark greens, beiges, whites, and browns. Some of the art appears to be homemade, with glossy paint creating various landscapes and views that Biff assumes are from around the town on basic, art store canvases. Before he can reflect on the thought more, though, the father speaks up.

"Ah, I'm sure she'll be down… uh… any minute now aha, anyways my name is Eikichi, but feel free to call me Eiki." Eikichi offers his hand to Biff to shake, who once again does so. Pulling away, Eiki puts one hand on his hip and gestures to his wife with the other. "And this here is Asami." As he does so she smiles cheerfully once again and gives a short wave to Biff.

Biff waves back, laughing gently at their awkward, rushed mannerisms. "Well thank you for letting me stay with you for the year, I'll try not to be too burdensome… You're the Riles, right?"

Asami laughs lightheartedly, "Oh it's Ryleigh, but don't worry, people get it wrong all the time. And it's really our pleasure, you seem nice enough so far so I'm sure we'll get along just fine." She pauses for a moment, stealing a quick look at her husband. "Well, we also thought it'd be a good experience for Hanae aha. She doesn't g-"

Interrupting her thought comes a girl from upstairs. Biff finds it safe to assume that this is the Hanae he'd heard so much about. Her hair is pulled back into a messy ponytail, similarly to her mother. Wearing a loose-fitting pink t-shirt and shorts, she obviously has no intent to go outside today. Hanae steps out of the staircase absentmindedly and yawns. "Awright," she says mid-yawn. "I'm rea-" Suddenly she stops, noticing Biff already in the house and goes pale.

"Oh… speak of the devil." Asami blurts out once Hanae enters. "We were just talking to Biff about-"

Beginning to stutter, Hanae interrupts trepidly, "Yeah I- uh… yes… no… hello, I..." She takes a breath to compose herself. "Sorry… I... ha… wasn't expecting that. Um… You guys didn't wait for me?"

Eiki scratches the back of his head, "Well you were taking a while and he was just kinda standing there so… sorry."

There's an awkward silence following that mild tension before Biff speaks up trying to salvage the conversation. "Anyways hello. I'm Biff." He approaches Hanae as he says this, offering his hand for yet another handshake.

"I know." She blurts out, surprising Biff with her abrasiveness, but suddenly she goes pale again and blushes. "O-oh I didn't mean that… I uh… hello." Hanae bows in a manner that is awkwardly formally for the exchange.

Biff can't help but chuckle, his hand lingers, having been unintentionally ignored. He withdraws it smoothly. "No problem, you're fine." As he says so he looks around himself towards Asami and Eikichi. The latter has his arm around Asami, both of them smiling at their daughter's exchange, not paying attention to Biff's recognition.

Eiki steps forward and pats Biff on the shoulder as he walks towards the kitchen. "Well come on you two. Biff, I'm guessing you want to eat and get right to bed, just getting off your flight and all. Plus you've got a busy day tomorrow. Shame you have to get right into things less than a day after you arrive."

Wincing at the comment, Biff remembers that school orientation is tomorrow, then two days after that, the first day. He yawns as he speaks up, "To be honest yeah, I'm exhausted."

From behind him, Asami laughs in that same cheery way. "Well then let's get to dinner first then you can head right to sleep. We prepared a bed for you before you came so don't worry." Biff picks up that she's waiting for him to enter and walks behind Hanae as she quickly shuffles into the kitchen. Near the leftmost wall within is a short, rectangular chabudai table with four cushions placed around it. Biff follows the lead of Eiki and Hanae and sits on one, facing the table. To his right sits Hanae, and to his left is her father. After a brief moment, Asami brings four plates of curry out, placing it at each of the settings.

"You should be honored, Biff," Eikichi says with a smile. "It's not every day we get one of Asami's home cooked meals." He winks at Asami as he says so, and she just blushes in response.

As they eat, Eiki and Asami make small talk with Biff, pleasantly chatting with as Hanae picks away at her meal. They discuss his recent journey and just how different Mata is from his hometown, with Hanae occasionally briefly joining the conversation to give her two cents. Tasting the food, Biff is pleasantly surprised. It's far better than any food from a Japanese restaurant he's had before, probably because, well, it's real Japanese food. As the spice of the curry licks at his tongue, its foreign flavor reminds him of the fact that he's really living in Japan now. It may not be where he'd prefer, but looking around the table, it doesn't seem like it'll be too bad.

"How is it, Biff? I hope it's not too hot, I haven't made curry in a while." Asami says, smiling at Biff.

"Well to be completely honest, this blows my mom's meals out of the water," Biff says with a laugh in response to Asami making a not so subtle attempt to gauge her meal's quality. "Mostly I'd just get takeout or something on my way home from school. Otherwise, my dad was fond of cooking hamburgers occasionally."

Hanae speaks up. "Don't like burgers." But that's all she says, it was barely a complete thought, much less a comment on the subject.

"You… wait what?" Biff prods, confused. "Were you saying you don't like burgers or that I shouldn't like burgers?"

It would appear that Hanae was barely aware of what she had said, as she goes wide-eyed, pausing her playing with the curry. "I… uh don't like burgers…" While that answered Biff's question, she goes on, to his surprise. "Or meat. I'm a vegetarian."

"A vegetarian..." Biff mutters, mildly incredulous, the conviction of a red-blooded, meat-eating American on his tongue.

Suddenly Hanae's demeanor changes and she gets deadly serious. Looking in the direction of Biff, but not directly at him, she speaks, though it doesn't feel as if she's addressing anyone in particular. "Well yes, considering the carbon footprint of the meat industry is so absurdly large I decided to just abstain, it's not like I'm missing out on too much cons-" and then she stops. Catching herself mid-rant she goes bright red and snaps her head back down at her food. "...yeah um…"

Biff's at a loss for words, he hadn't foreseen this at all. "Uh.."

Eiki and Asami both laugh at the display, the latter speaking up first. "Oh don't worry Biff, she's cute, isn't she? Hanae sometimes gets so intense without even realizing..."

Eikichi continues with a sly grin. "I think you two'll get along just fine. Aha, I'd hope so at least, because you'll be roommates for the next year." At that last statement, Biff and Asami go wide-eyed and Hanae nearly chokes on her curry.

On the verge of freaking out, everyone begins speaking at once. Hanae stumbles for words, stammering, "Room- I- wha- you- nev-" before burying her face in her hands.

With a mixture of confusion and accusation, Asami speaks up, "Wait, what? Eiki I thought we were hav-"

Eikichi puts his hands up in surrender, "Ha… uh… just a joke. Not a very funny one at that. He's staying in the guest room. I got it all cleaned out for him." Everyone at the table is now glaring right at Eiki. "And speaking of bed I think it's about time to hit the sack." He stands up. "You're welcome to just leave your plate there, Biff, Asami and I will clean up after dinner. That reminds me: we put your box of luggage you mailed over inside, so don't worry about that. Hanae, could you please show Biff to his room?"

There's a brief moment of silence. Biff glances in Hanae's direction to see she's still bright red from earlier. "Y-yeah ok." She mutters, standing up and beginning to leave the room.

Biff takes this as a sign for him to exit as well. He stands and clasps his hands, facing the couple. "Thanks again for dinner. Night."

Eikichi puts an arm around Asami, who's still giving him a mean look. "Oh, no problem Biff. I won't see you tomorrow because I've got to head to work early but have fun at orientation. I'm sure there'll be plenty of fun and exciting things at your new school."

"Yeah…" Biff starts to say before realizing that Hanae's leaving the room. He turns around and follows her just as she disappears through the doorway. While exiting he starts to hear Asami berating Eiki for his comment earlier.

Catching up to her, Biff follows in close pursuit as she walks down the short hallway past the stairs, taking a right just past them into a small room. Hanae steps to the side as she enters, allowing Biff to pass by. Looking around, there's a plain bed with white sheets along the far wall with a window above it that peers out into the miniscule side yard, mostly just granting a view of the adjacent house. On the left wall there's a dresser and a desk side by side, together taking up about most of the wall space. Opposite it is a metal bookshelf adjacent to the bed. The walls are painted a dark green, similarly to the living room.

As Biff takes in his new quarters, he eventually turns back to Hanae who is currently still standing near the doorway. He notices that her face is still red from dinner, and upon locking eyes becomes even brighter so. She speaks out, suddenly and quickly, "I'm sorry. I don't hate you."

Biff raises an eyebrow. "Huh?"

She fidgets slightly, holding both of her hands behind her. "A-at dinner when I panicked. Um… I hope you didn't think I was afraid of being around you... I just… I don't know I-"

Biff stops her there. He gets what she's saying. "Don't sweat it. That was really weird for everyone involved."

"Ha… yeah. My dad sometimes gets that way… ha," Hanae smiles in a somewhat sad way as she says this, looking greatly relieved. "Uh well I'll see you tomorrow, then…" And that being said dashes out of the room, leaving Biff to hear her feet pounding as she runs up the stairs to the second floor.

After that exchange, our ever brave hero smiles and laughs to himself. Biff approaches the box with his clothes and necessities within, changing into a more appropriate sleeping outfit. He sits on the edge of the bed, thinking through the events that led him here once more. Somehow he still finds his circumstances unbelievable, but there's no sense dwelling on how badly the odds are against him. He lies down, head resting on the pristine pillow. From here on out, things could be either hectic and unpredictable or banal like most school years. Either way, he looks forward to seeing what happens. Thoughts such as these fill his mind, slowly fading to a grey as he feels his eyes slipping closed.

Biff's eyes snap open. Something's wrong. He remembers drifting to sleep but now finds himself seated on the ground. In front of him lies an unimaginably dark forest, with only the nearest trees visible. He looks up, noticing that the trees stretch seemingly endlessly into the sky, their tops obscured by the darkness. As his senses adjust the details refine, and Biff sees shadows dancing in front of him, cast across the trees and flickering wildly. An encapsulating warmth also heats his back, slowly growing in intensity as he sits there. Stimulated by this realization, Biff turns around slowly only to face a bonfire. The flame, stretching about as tall his himself, sits in the center of a large circular area marked off by blue stonework. In the same moment he notices something else. Two figures, both made silhouettes by the fire, stand ever still as they face him. One assumes a sitting position in front of a circular table, while the other stands nearby.

As his senses adjust, he sees the situation before him in better detail. The entirety of the ground all around him is a deep blue, and the firepit is decorated with a giant, golden 'V' right in the middle. At the table sits a wiry, elderly man with sunken eyes and an inhumanly long nose. Standing next to him is a woman, evidently a teenager with hair done in a long braid stretching down to the ground, its color somewhere between grey and blonde. She dresses in blue, formal attire like some sort of otherworldly flight attendant, and piercing through the dimly lit surroundings her glowing yellow eyes stand out to Biff in great measure.

The man speaks up in a creaky yet wisened voice, tinged with a sort of gleeful tone. He stares directly at Biff, finally breaking what felt like an eternal silence. "Welcome… to the Velvet Room." As he says so, he stretches a hand forward, beckoning Biff closer. Biff approaches gingerly, still unsure exactly what's happening. He would assume this is a dream except that the whole experience feels so real despite the surreal atmosphere. "It would appear we have yet another guest, and my, my, what an interesting one at that." The man looks around himself then back at Biff. "My name is Igor, and I am truly delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter." Igor raises his left hand, gesturing at the woman standing to his side. "This is my assistant, Safie, she is a resident of this place as well."

Biff opens his mouth as if to speak but really can't think of anything to say so he figures it may best to just see where this goes.

Following Igor's lead, Safie addresses Biff. She places a hand on her heart as she speaks. "I am Safie, welcome. I will aid you in the coming times."

Igor smiles in a startlingly creepy manner. "This room reflects the state of your heart; a fire shining through the pitch blackness that surrounds you, staving off the dark." Igor folds his hands in front of him, resting them on the table, appearing to be gathering his thoughts. His voice becomes gravely serious, changing from his kindly, almost goofy tone from before. "It would appear that circumstance is leading you to a remarkable fate. The future will most certainly be filled with much tribulation, but if I can offer any advice it would be to always hold out hope, no matter how bleak it may appear. Our intent is to aid you on this journey and to hone your potential so as to allow you to fulfill your destiny. Only those bound by a contract may enter, and I assume in the coming time you will enter into such a covenant. When this happens I will summon you back. Time runs out though, and a new morning dawns. I look forward to our meeting again, only then I will be able to explain our role in supporting your development; in feeding the fire of your heart. Until we meet again, I bid you farewell."

Before he could even get a word in, Biff is once again opening his eyes, except now he's back in the bed he fell asleep in. It's an absurd experience to seemingly transport between worlds in such a hypnagogic manner, and his hands shoot to his sides, desperately gripping the sheets in an attempt to verify that he's really here.

As he spazzes out on the bed, Hanae pushes the door open, rubbing her eyes. "Um… Biff it's almo-" She stops, noticing his display. "I uh... p-probably should have knocked... And um" she spins around mid-sentence and dashes out.

Biff pushes the bedsheets off and sits on the edge of his bed, sticking his head in his hands. That dream, or, whatever it was plays back through his mind. It's as vivid as if it were a memory, so it doesn't feel like a dream. Everything felt so real, but the scenery was so out of this world. "What the hell…" He mutters, still trying to make sense what happened. "Maybe it was one of those prophecies... Like a vision of the future… heh." His attempt at a joke for himself falls flat as it just makes him more worried considering what that man, Igor, said. His words play back through his mind: "The future will certainly be filled with much tribulation." Biff grimaces as he remembers, sliding off the bed to get dressed for the day. The smell of curry wafts into his room from the rest of the house. "Well, it's a big day today, I can think about all that later; now it's time to eat." With that said, he exits into the living room, turning into the kitchen.

Asami hears him enter and turns, previously having been busy at the stove top. "Good morning, Biff. Eiki isn't here, already left for work. Is leftover curry fine for you?"

"Hey," Biff says, looking around the room. "Yeah, curry's great." He notices Hanae sitting at the table, staring deeply at a bowl of curry and rice. She hasn't really noticed Biff due to being lost in thought, so he decides to make himself known. "Morning," He says as he sits directly across from her.

Hanae's eyes go wide and she blushes slightly. "Ah! H-hi," but trails off in saying even that. Biff isn't really sure how to continue from there, so just sits for a brief moment as Asami brings his breakfast over.

"Thanks," he says, looking up at her to which Asami just smiles kindly. Biff takes a bite of the curry, still as good as he remembers it. He looks at Hanae again, noticing that she's still dressed in sleeping clothes. Considering there's a school event, Biff wonders why she isn't prepared to go so he decides to ask about it. "Hey Hanae, wh-"

Barely giving him a second to speak, Hanae suddenly snaps her head up towards him, speaking quickly in a near-desperate tone, "I'm sorry I entered your room without knocking."

Biff's caught off guard, mouth wide. He pauses for a moment before responding with a wave of his hand. "Oh, I don't care. You're fine."

"R-really?" For some reason, Hanae appears to be shocked at Biff's carefree response. She's silent for a moment, mulling it over. "Um, you were kinda freaking out this morning… are you ok?"

He forgot that she saw him panic earlier. Biff chooses his words carefully, as the truth would probably seem crazy. "Yeah… just a nightmare…" There's another silence before Biff continues. "Well anyways, why aren't you dressed to go out? Don't we have orientation today?"

Asami speaks up from the kitchen, responding to Biff, evidently having been listening. "Oh, it's only for new students, Biff. Speaking of that, it's about time for you to go; you may want to hurry up."

Biff looks over at a clock suspended behind Hanae. It's 8:30 and the orientation starts at 9:00. "Oh! Thanks, Mrs. Ryleigh," He begins rapidly eating his breakfast to make it to school on time.

"My pleasure, and call me Asami," She says with a gentle smile despite Biff having his back to her.

After eating and getting ready to go, Biff stands in front of the door out of the house, Asami behind him. "Now, you know how to get to the school, right?" She asks, concerned in a motherly way. "The orientation takes most of the day, so they recommended to bring lunch from home." As she says this, Asami hands him a boxed lunch.

He slips it into his tote bag. Biff would have rather worn a backpack but apparently Makisini High has a rule against them for some reason, forcing the students to use the school bags instead. "I looked over a map on my way here." Biff points the direction away from the shopping district. "It's that way, up on a hill. Hard to miss."

"Exactly, now get going or you'll be late, aha," Asami says with a giggle, shoeing Biff out.

He steps into the front lawn, seeing a couple of prospective high schoolers making the same trek that he is, a few accompanied by parents. The walk to his school takes only a few minutes, and the building it almost appears menacing as he approaches. Makisini is built on a small hill, the road to which is lined with cherry blossom trees, blossoming with a vibrant pink. Plenty of parents are standing about with their future students, forcing them to pose for pictures in front of the path. The building itself is three stories tall, rectangular from the front, and surrounded by an eight-foot-tall wall. Aside from the construction comparable to a fortress, the building itself is nothing spectacular. The map Biff had read earlier stated that there's a practice building and attached gym behind the towering main campus along with fields for various sports sitting further behind it on the more level ground.

Biff treks up the hill and approaches the open main gate, walking through a small courtyard into the main building. Inside, the school is fairly basic, sticking to a color scheme of greys, whites, and browns. Rows of shoe lockers surround Biff, beyond which an assortment of parents and students stand milling about, some talking, some just looking awkward, all seemingly waiting for something. A hallway stretches in both directions, leading to classrooms and a turn that would take one around the rectangular campus most likely to more classrooms.

Across the hall from the entrance is a woman sitting behind a glass window, greeting new entrees. "Hello!" She says, seeing Biff. "Over here!" He approaches the woman, a faculty member seemingly in her mid-twenties, acting surprisingly spry for someone working in a school at the beginning of the year. "Aaaaand what's your name?" She asks as she flips through papers once Biff stands before her.

"Biff Chanum," He says, looking around him once more.

After a minute more of flipping, she pulls out a paper and hands it to him. "Here you go, that has your schedule on it for the year, the tour schedule, what group you're in, and any other info you might need. The tour'll be starting soon so just make yourself comfortable until then, mkay?"

Biff walks away as she greets the next student. He decides to stand over in a less populated area of the entry hall as the thoughts of last night fill his mind once more. His back rests against the wall, turning the whole situation over as he tries to make sense of it when suddenly he's snapped out of his thought.

"Hey there," Says a voice from his left. "I'm Hideo Kotchi." Biff turns his head to see a boy about his age standing next to him, back to the wall. He's stuck his hand out towards Biff to which Biff raises an eyebrow, slightly dazed from being pulled from his contemplation. The boy looks slightly sad at being denied, his hand drooping. "O-oh not much for small talk aha. Um…"

Biff stands straight and shakes Hideo's hand. "Biff Chanum, sorry, I was just… thinking." Biff looks this new figure over. Hideo wears a red Hawaiian style t-shirt with blue floral print underneath a semi-zipped blue sweater along with khaki slacks. Otherwise, he's a tall (approximately the same height as Biff), slender figure with light brown hair done slightly quiffed in a wave fashion, obviously quite deliberately. His mannerisms can best be described as goofy, awkward, and mildly feminine.

Quite relieved from being saved from such an awkward situation, Hideo laughs, smiling with a goofy grin. "Yeah, you looked real serious there." He runs his hand through his hair. "So uh… you look awfully touristy. You a transfer student?"

Biff relaxes once more, giving a cocky smile. "What? Is it that obvious? Yeah, fresh from America."

Hideo grimaces jokingly. "Ew. Well I'm a transfer too, just like from elsewhere in Japan."

"Let me guess. Parents made you move?" Biff says with a chuckle, able to fully relate.

"Heh, yeah. Dad got a new job" He rolls his eyes. "So that really, really sucks." Hideo pauses. "Oh but I shouldn't be complaining aha. Mata sure is uh… pretty? At least some of it."

That being said, a loud, somewhat nasally male voice speaks up from the center of the entrance hall. "Hello, can I have everyone's attention please." There's a moment of silence as everyone in the room stops their chatting and turns to the speaker. It's a student, seemingly a senior, with combed over, jet black hair, a slightly wirier than average frame, and rectangular glasses. He seemingly personifies the classic high school over-achiever. "Hello, yes, I am Akito, the third year class president and," He gestures to a girl standing to his left. "This is Miho, second-year class president." Biff goes wide-eyed upon seeing her. Miho's a woman of average height and build as well as of incredible looks. She has a face that's both gentle and serious with pastel pink hair that stretches down slightly in front with thin side bangs and a long ponytail behind. (Author's note: Despite the pink color, her hair is not dyed. Considering this is persona-anime world, absurd hair colors are allowed. Also pink is this character's primary color so it's necessary.) Biff glances to Hideo who's transfixed, jaw open. The girl turns to the two boys briefly and gives a knowing smile before turning back to the small crowd of people that had gathered in front of the two representatives. Akito continues. "The school wanted us to be guiding the tour, so we'll be leading you around the school. Side note before we begin: Due to… ah…" He flips through some papers on a clipboard he's holding before reading off it, "Technical difficulties, the practice building and attached gym are closed, so that part of the tour won't be happening. Instead, we'll just have the information sessions in the classrooms at the end. Now we're running short on time so if you could divide into your tour groups we can get started. I'll be taking group A to the upper floors and group B will start here first. They were supposed to hit the other building as well but… ah, it'll work out, nevermind."

The presidents begin to take their designated groups out, Akito heading up one of the flights of stairs that brace both sides of the greeting window that evidently also contains the faculty office. Miho begins to take her group down the leftmost hallway. Before Biff and Hideo bring themselves to move, though, the latter speaks first. "Dude."

Biff shakes his head, knowing exactly what Hideo's getting at. "I know, right?" As fate would allow, the duo is together in group B with Miho, a coincidence they're more than happy to have happen; a coincidence that would nearly lead to ruin.

Miho walks along the hall, narrating their trip all along and talking to the guests at the front of the group of about twenty or so. "Now this hall is mostly for the first years. Here we have class 1-A, 1-B, and so on. While most of these rooms are only classes, some of them hold things like the student council or the clubs that won't be able to meet in the practice building." The tour continues on, rounding a corner that leads to the back side of the building. The entire back side of the school is covered in windows that look out to a rectangular yard, across which is the ominously mentioned practice building. The group continues along this hall, to the right of which are more classrooms and the first year board for displaying information like test results or upcoming events. "To your left, you all can see the school's recreation field and practice building." The tour group looks out before turning back to Miho. "Alright everyone, we'll be heading up to the other floors soon. If you have any questions just make sure you stop me."

"Biff, dude, her voice is like an angel. It's so gentle and kind and I think I'm in love" Hideo whispers to Biff in such a manner that the latter is unable to tell whether it's a joke, serious, or somewhere in between.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Biff stops as the tour group rounds the corner. "Hold up, I need to take a piss." He locates a bathroom conveniently nearby.

Hideo gives Biff a quizzical look. "We're going to lose the group, they might be the ones getting pissed. Can't you hold it?"

Biff shifts uncomfortably, making a confused face at Hideo's pun. "No, I can't hold it. Just stand guard for me because I don't want to be alone. We can catch up."

Hideo rolls his eyes and leans his back against the wall next to the bathroom. "Ok, ok. Just… be quick, alright?"

"Will do," Biff says, jogging into the bathroom. As he goes, he hears Hideo call out his name from the hallway. "I'm going as quick as I can," Biff shouts back. There's a brief moment before Hideo calls his name again, this time more urgently. "Alright, hold on, damn." Biff finishes up and washes his hands. "What is it?" Hideo has his face and hands pressed against the glass wall looking out at the practice building, so Biff gets closer, repeating his question. "Hello? What is it?"

Hideo slowly turns back around, pointing at the practice building. "There's a purple light coming from there. It's just flashing intensely before going away then coming back on." He turns to the glass again, staring. "Look! See!"

Biff approaches the window too. As it would turn out, there is, in fact, an intense purple light shining from within one of the practice building halls. "What the…" Biff mutters. "What do you think it is?"

Hideo shrugs, face still pressed against the glass. "I dunno, I can't see what's making it."

Taking a step back and clasping his hands together, Biff smirks. "Well, then I vote we go check it out."

Hideo turns his head to Biff before looking around himself again. "I'm not going to lie… I kinda do too, we've already lost the tour group anyhow…" Hideo scratches the back of his head, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "I don't know, though…"

"Awesome. Now, the first step is making sure we can actually get in there. Wouldn't be surprised if it was locked." Biff approaches the door leading out to the yard and attempts to open it. It's unlocked, easily allowing him entrance.

"Wait, what? Oh well, guess we're doing this." Hideo follows up behind Biff, walking around him and through the door, mildly hunched over as though sneaking. "Come on, let's be quick, though I doubt they'll notice we're missing."

Refusing to hunch over like Hideo, Biff just confidently walks over to the door directly across the pavilion on the yard and attempts to enter it. Shockingly it opens as well. "Wow, I didn't actually expect to get this far. You'd think the school would have this building locked if it were experiencing 'technical difficulties'. Well, you first." He says with a grin to Hideo.

Hideo slowly approaches the entrance, looking in. To the right of them is a hall that leads to the gym, to the left, the rest of the practice building. "Yeah, it's a bit odd we can just stroll in here. The purple light's still going though so… wait what the hell?"

"What is it?" Biff asks, starting to lose his nerve a little.

"I swear I just saw the back of someone turn the corner towards the light." Hideo pulls back out. "I'm starting to get the feeling this might be a bad idea... but at the same time I really want to see what's going on."

Biff raises an eyebrow. "Wait, really? That just makes me want to check it out more, let's go." As he says this, he steps into the practice building, cautiously taking a look around him. Biff turns back to Hideo and offers him a hand to pull him in.

Hideo ignores his hand and steps in. "Regardless I guess I should go with you anyways, just so you don't get murdered or something."

"That's the spirit," Biff says, lowering his voice greatly. "We might want to be quiet." He takes a large step, putting his back against the wall and sneaking along towards the hallway with the light. Despite the wall of windows, the practice building is still dark, due to no lights on and the sun being on the opposite side. The duo stealthily approaches the hallway in question. Biff puts up three fingers, counting down before he and Hideo peek out. The wide hallway they're now facing appears to be the center of the building, leading out to several other smaller hallways full of club classrooms. Directly across from Biff at the opposite end is a closet, the door, and framing of which are made of a dark mahogany, oddly standing out from the rest of the building and opened slightly. It's placed so oddly, unevenly spaced between two rooms, that it creates an unsettling feeling just looking at it. The purple light suddenly starts up again, illuminating the entire hallway as it radiates from within for several seconds before declining to just a dull glow.

Biff pauses, staring at this odd door, motivated to continue by an overwhelming curiosity, yet driven back by fear of the unknown. He turns to Hideo to gauge his reaction and reads a similar sentiment on his face. There's almost like an otherworldly urge to continue forward, piercing through the fear of such an oddity. Biff speaks up, "Hey, this is weird and all, but I really, really, feel like I have to check this out. I know we just met and all but… can I count on you to stick with me?"

Hideo sits in silence, his conflicted face bathed in the purple glow. His brow furrows, "Yeah alright. I really don't want to do this but… I feel the same as you do, it's like it's calling to me, and I don't think I'm willing to leave now, for some reason I need to find out what's in there, just, you go first, alright?"

This last comment caught Biff off guard. It was phrased in a fairly dry manner so naturally he'd be pissed at someone pushing this on him, yet when he glares at Hideo, well, his visage seems to hold a combination of despondency and odd determination so Biff lets it go. "Ok, stick right behind me, I'll protect you," Biff says with a bow, trying to make a joke, its impact lost in the context of their surroundings. Hideo just tries to force a smile, the fear present on his face. Moving forward, Biff gingerly takes a step forward as though he were testing the ice for weak points. The duo takes their sweet time, the rush of emotions brought about by the door in question keeping them from going any faster. Any thought of missing the tour group has been completely abandoned by now; there are bigger problems at hand. Biff finally stands an arm's length from the door, his breathing having intensified to a ragged gasping. He reaches out, placing a hand on the already partially opened frame, the other being used to shield his eyes from the light. "Ready?" He asks, slightly turning his head towards the compatriot who stands right behind him, peering over his shoulder with no regard for personal space.

There's no response for a moment before Hideo murmurs, "I don't know."

Biff turns his head even more, glaring at Hideo. "The hell do you mean you 'don't know'? Are we doing this or not?"

Flustered, Hideo stumbles over his words, "I, well, I- I was just thinking out loud ok. Uh, just come one, open it, get it over with."

"Fine, fine," Biff says, rolling his eyes before securing his grip on the door. He takes a deep breath before mustering up the strength to throw it open. Before them stands a sight, that although they didn't have any expectations for what to find, was still exceptionally odd. Suspended in the middle of the closet is what looks almost like a shimmering purple teardrop-shaped hole in the air. What was inside this hole was entirely obscured by the light pouring out, only subsiding briefly every few seconds before intensifying once again. "What…" Biff starts, staring at the rift floating just a couple feet away from him.

Hideo watches over Biff's shoulder, the fear present on his face replaced only by confusion. "What is that even supposed to be?" He asks to no one in particular.

Biff assumes that he's asking him, though, turning around to face Hideo. "How do you think I know? I'm not even sure what to make of this."

"I wasn't asking you, I was just… uh… I don't know, man, I guess-" Suddenly Hideo stops his response, going wide-eyed and taking a step back. "The hell?!"

A sharp chill runs down Biff's spine. Things were creepy enough, but Hideo's reaction fills him with an intense dread, and before he knows it his body is spinning him around to face the hole in space. A dark liquid begins forcing itself slowly through the tiny hole. It's a deep black, shifting sludge that begins pooling on the floor, filling the small closet. Purple light still gleams out of the edges of the rift like a dreadful eclipse. Biff steps back before the sludge touches him, stepping out of the closet. Horrible dread transfixes the two, this new development completely capturing their attention before any thoughts of fleeing occur. Suddenly the tiny hole expands slightly, forced open by two tendrils of the same dark substance that lash out, gripping the doorframe and pulling intensely as a large mass forces itself through, adding to the collective pool. Finally it stops, an eerie silence settling in the practice building. With a lunge, the puddle moves forward as though controlled by a mind of its own, sloshing into the hallway and retaining the shape of a loose, shifting, amoebic body, various small tendrils sticking out, serving to aid it in its advance.

Suddenly it begins jerking itself around while remaining in the same position, as though something from within was trying to force itself out. The middle of the puddle raises up, keeping the now suspended mass folded part way over in an arch shape. The center begins to solidify, forming a bulky, rectangular body while the bottom portions split apart and mold themselves into two pairs of feet. Standing now before the two is a shuddering quadrupedal beast with no distinguishable features besides its shadowy, shifting body. There's not even a head, only a cylindrical torso and four legs. In all, it stands roughly four feet high and six feet long, about the size of a very large dog. Biff and Hideo both step further back as it takes this more recognizable form. The figure gives off a combined aura of displacement in this world as well as bestial, malevolent intent, as though for whatever reason it doesn't belong here. It previously hadn't given any signs of noticing the two boys, but now snaps the front of its body to face them as it makes a spine-chilling sound like some sort of disgusting slurping. As though testing its body's capabilities, the beast takes a ginger step forward, right in the direction of Hideo. Finding its legs to work sufficiently, there's another slurping sound as two red eyes open on the side facing the boys, before finally an uncannily large, sick smile pulls across the beast's 'face,' revealing a full set of teeth that appear oddly human-like. It bends slightly backward, the smile never leaving its face.

Biff suddenly snaps out of his trance-like paralysis, noticing the monster's intent. "Down!" He shouts, yanking Hideo with him towards the way they came in the exact instant that the beast springs forward, lashing out with claws that suddenly extend from its feet. Its freshly formed body seems to be out of shape, causing it to crumble to the ground on the landing. Hideo dashes alongside Biff, running towards the door they came through. He grips the handle, ready to flee when suddenly Biff grabs his shoulder, stopping him from advancing."Hideo, stop"

Hideo spins towards Biff, "What the hell're you doing?"

Biff's face noticeably darkens despite the already dim lighting. "There were young kids on that tour. First years… this monster doesn't look too tough, but if we let it go, who know's what it'll do."

This response wasn't expected at all, the only thoughts running through Hideo's mind were to flee as far as possible as quickly as possible. But after getting called out for it, well he can't just let it go. "O-ok alright, but what'll we do? We're defenseless."

Biff turns around to check on the monster. By this point it's clambered to its feet and is making a strange, enraged hissing sound while facing the duo. It begins to move, slowly at first but picking up speed in a mad dash. "Run first! We'll figure out the rest." Biff takes off down the hall that leads towards the gym, Hideo keeping pace with him. Biff looks over his shoulder to see the exact opposite of what he wanted at the moment. The beast was steadily gaining on them, the terrifying smile never leaving its face, as though enjoying this predatory chase. He whirls his head back around, looking for some way out, previously not knowing where they were running. A set of wooden double doors sit at the end of the hallway, granting that vital hope. "The gym... Hideo." Biff says between steady gasps for air.

"Biff, we'd be cornered, what's your plan here?" The doors draw near, and the two boys lower their shoulders on the approach, slamming the heavy doors open. Simultaneously they both plant their back against the doors from within, shutting them against the nearing foe.

Biff grins to Hideo, bracing himself for the monster's impact. "My plan? To get un-defenseless." That being said, a heavy impact suddenly attempts to force the doors open, succeeding partially before the boys slam them shut again. The monster begins repeatedly throwing its weight against the doors, but not mustering enough force to overpower the other side.

A look of fear crosses Hideo's face at that comment before it changes to frustration. "Undefenseless isn't a word"

"Whatever," Biff murmurs, thinking through his next step. Suddenly he steps away from the side he was holding closed, dashing off towards a storage closet on the other side of the gym. "Hold the door!" He shouts over his shoulder.

Hideo goes wide-eyed as Biff suddenly sprints off. "What the hell? BIFF!?" He shifts himself to the middle of both doors, stretching his arms across. The monster slams it once more, opening it partially before Hideo forces it closed again. "Biff! I can't hold this! What're you doing?"

Currently, Biff is busy. Having entered the storage closet, he's rapidly tearing through the sports supplies kept back there. Deflated basketballs, badminton rackets, and all the works lay scattered about. "Come on, come on." He murmurs, searching for something in particular. Hideo's call reaches him, so he turns over his shoulder and shouts. "I'm coming! Just a minute!" Biff's concerned expression suddenly turns to sadistic glee. "Ooh, come to papa." He reaches into a pile of equipment and pulls his treasure out: A solid wooden baseball bat. "Perfect," he says, love in his eyes. Biff turns back around and runs out the closet. "Hideo! Here I come! Fully loaded and ready to kick some ass!"

Hideo looks concerned despite the fact that he's not struggling against the monster anymore. "Biff, it stopped."

An expression of disappointment crosses Biff's face. "What?" That disappointment turns to panic, though, as he realizes the connotations. "Wait hold on, Hideo get out of there!" Mid warning, the doors slam open with crazy force as the beast dashes into the room, sending Hideo sprawling across the gym. It evidently took a head start to break in, and now the situation's managed to get even worse. The monster slows its pace as it slowly approaches Hideo, still grinning cruelly. A steady clicking noise fills the gym as it walks, its razor claws tapping against the ground, fully extended and ready to tear the defenseless Hideo to shreds, still accompanied by that sick slurping noise.

Hideo begins to push himself backward slowly, unable to keep up with the monster's advance, fear most likely keeping him from standing. "No… no…" He mumbles as if trying to plead with such a creature. "No…" Somehow the beast has failed to notice Biff's absence, its back turned to him. Biff hunches down, trying to avoid making noise as he sneaks up on it, assuming that the beast intends to toy with Hideo and if disturbed may opt to go for the quick kill method. Tense seconds pass and it stands right in front of the fallen boy, the grin on its face growing somehow bigger as it raises a razor-sharp claw, building up for a lethal swing; but Biff unleashes his lethal swing first. In position, Biff winds up with the bat and slams it into the monster's legs hoping to succeed with the crippling strike. Logically, such a blow would have broken an earthly creature's limbs instantly, but the monster's rubbery legs just fell out from under it, showing no visible damage. As it tumbled to the ground, Biff took the opportunity to follow up with an overhead swing to its torso, sacking it for a solid hit.

Wary of a counterattack, Biff takes a couple steps back, keeping a sharp eye on the monster. Hideo takes this opportunity to retreat around and behind Biff, placing the bat-wielding menace between him and the foe. "Biff! Just letting you know, uh, it's getting back up so..." As he says this, the creature is planting its feet under it, pushing its body back into a standing position. The wolf-like monster is shuddering violently, and that furious hissing has picked up again, perhaps an indicator of Biff's attack working.

"Yeah Hideo, I can see that. Thanks." Biff spits back with an eye roll. He takes a ready stance as the monster turns to face him once again. "Holy hell what're you made of?" Biff pulls off his jacket and throws it to the side, pushing up his sleeves. "Well looks like I'll just have to find out." That being said, the creature dashes forward at Biff, swiping hastily for a desperate attack. Biff side-steps left, dodging completely before crouching slightly to build up into a backhanded swing into the monster's back, sacking it. The beast immediately retaliates with a slash, offering Biff only a moment to raise his right arm in defense, cutting him with several of its razor claws. The wound isn't too deep, but it draws blood, slinging it gruesomely across the gym floor. The grin on its face stretches even further, satisfied with its small victory until Biff bashes that smile with the butt of the bat. Undeterred by his injury, he immediately follows up with another overhead slam, knocking the monster flat. It begins shuddering violently to a further degree, yet seems incapable of standing as Biff positions himself for the finisher, placing himself right up against its left side. He sticks the bat along the monster's still smiling face as though preparing for a golf swing. "Hey Hideo, watch this one." Biff winds up and unleashes, batting the shadowy creature halfway across the gym, sending it sliding across the floor. When it finally comes to a rest, it begins disintegrating, its shadowy form dissipating into a reddish-blackish mist that disappears shortly after.

Biff stoops over and grabs his jacket in his left arm, breathing heavily despite the fight being resolved so quickly. Hideo, still standing a few paces back, runs up to Biff in congratulations. He raises his arm for a high five. "That was pretty damn cool if I do say so. Not gonna lie, thought we were goners for a moment haha, um… thanks for that."

"No problem," Biff grins cockily, returning the high five. "OW! Damnit. I forgot about that." The high five impact on his right arm makes him remember the wound he sustained. It's not too deep, but should probably be addressed if they're to continue on. "Hideo, go check out where that thing died, looks like it left something behind. I need to get this fixed up real quick." Biff gestures to his arm as he walks to a first aid kit attached to the gym wall. He wraps the wound in gauze after stopping the bleeding, demonstrating the full extent of his medical abilities. "Well it works." Now safe to avoid damaging his clothes, Biff pushes his sleeves back and puts his jacket on. "Hey, Hideo, what'd you find?"

Hideo currently is bent over the dead monster, sifting through a pile of something. He grabs it all and returns to Biff. "I don't know why, and I somehow doubt there's a good explanation, but it dropped 500 yen and a few shiny rocks."

"What?" Biff says, grabbing the loot from Hideo. "500 yen is pretty sweet but what are we supposed to do with these rocks?"

Hideo looks at them again, "Maybe we could sell them. They're kinda cool looking."

"Sell them? Who would want to buy some shiny rocks that came out of a demon wolf?" Biff pockets both the money and stones. "Well anyways I call dibs. I killed it."

Hideo begins walking out of the gym, waving his arms in exasperation as he speaks, "Geez I dunno, maybe some weapons dealer would buy it."

Biff follows, "Weapons dealer? Why would they want some junk I beat out of a monster? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Dude, I don't know, it was just a hunch; it seems like a good game mechanic. You know what, nevermind, let's just get back to the tour group. I've had enough almost dying." Hideo begins strutting to the door leading back towards the main school. But there wasn't enough almost dying, not yet.

Biff dashes forwards, getting in front of Hideo. He rests the bat on his shoulder and stops his companion with his free hand. "Waitwaitwait. We haven't even got to the good part."

Hideo raises an eyebrow, putting his hand on his hip. "The good part? You've got to be kidding..."

"No, hear me out. Let's at least take a look at that purple thing. The monster came out of it so it's got to be interesting. Plus, well, what if more come out or something, they could just flood this building then that'd be a really big problem." Biff's tone becomes more solemn towards the end there; he seems to be serious about getting to the bottom of this.

"More coming out?" Hideo exclaims. "That's like, exactly what we don't want to face. What if when we try to mess with that purple thing, another monster comes out. Except a bigger, scarier one? This whole stupid thing isn't our problem."

Biff takes a step back and grips the bat, swinging it in practice a few times. "Then I'll give him one a' these," He jabs with the tip of it, "And one a' those. We've got this, the last one only died in a couple hits."

Hideo laughs with a combination of nervousness and amusement, Biff's stalwart attitude easing his anxieties. "Alright, alright, I'll go with you. But you're going first again."

"Whatever you say, boss," Biff says, turning pivoting and crouching as he begins to approach the light once more. They both walk over in turn, Biff taking the lead as he rounds the corner and approaches the dark door. Throughout the entirety of the conflict, the rift never ceased to pulsate with that intense purple radiance in random intervals. He swings the door open, jumping as it smacks the wall on the other side. Once again they stand facing the teardrop-shaped hole in space, moving ever slightly as it remains suspended in mid-air. There's a tense silence as the duo anticipate another devilish creature coming out, but nothing of the sort happens. As that tension subsides, though, the same supernatural feeling of intrigue draws Biff closer while repulsing him with an oddly otherworldly sensation of horror. It feels as though the rift is pulling at him. Like he absolutely needs to learn more about it despite the disproportionate fear it inspires. "Hey Hideo…" He mumbles, distracted by the enticing light. "I'm going to touch it…"

Hideo only murmurs something incoherent in response, likely feeling the same all-consuming enchantment.

Biff reaches forward, arm shaking as he stretches towards the purple tear. A deep voice resounds in his head. "Reach forth and grasp your future. One more trial awaits you. Succeed and awaken your truest self. Step forward into a brand new world." These words don't even register with Biff; all of his attention has been captured by the rift, somehow blocking out all other senses. His palm stops just under the quaking oddity. Biff breathes in deeply and pauses momentarily, gathering the courage to take the leap. The conflict of emotions feels like it's tearing his heart apart, but he grins once more and closes his fist around it.