Piece Deaux – Within the Hearts of Man
Souji looked down at his phone.
"We really could use your help right now! Miss you!
-Chie"
He frowned.
"—And some possible leads on the identities of the masked heroes from the Inaba incident three weeks ago, as well as theories as to what the creature that was defeated was, and where it came from have now surfaced—"
The now famous clip of a caped and masked Chie summoning her Persona to attack the Shadow in Samegawa replayed on the T.V. as the commentator talked. Souji dug his fingernails into his palm as his fist tightened.
"Back to Inaba!" His mother had said. "Whatever for? It's too much of a hassle. And besides. Your father and I might be getting transferred again anyway."
"Souji-Kun…? Hey, are you alright?" The girl with the feathery brown hair asked him. Souji blinked.
"…Yeah, sorry. It's just that whole Inaba incident…" He indicated towards the T.V. inside the dining hall.
"Oh right," She said, "I remember you saying you had family back there right?"
Souji nodded. The girl turned to look at the T.V. as well.
"—Therefore, various rumors have been circulating; from speculation that the mysterious creature is evidence of a, quote, 'Alien Takeover', to theories that the incident was nothing more than a clever and elaborate marketing campaign in use by the department and grocery store, Junes."
Shaky footage of the mysterious Shadow was being shown. It was brandishing the countless knives it wielded with its dozens of bony black arms.
The girl turned back around quickly and frowned, her gaze focused to the ground.
"You're not scared are you?" Souji joked. He was grinning.
"…I have to go." The girl said. "My class starts in a few minutes. Thank you for visiting me though!"
Souji watched quietly as she quickly gathered her things and left the table.
"B-bye." She said quickly and left.
"See you later, Takeba-San." Souji said. The girl stopped and turned around, flashing a warm smile.
"You can just call me Yukari." She said. Souji nodded.
He watched her go, then finished his meal and left as well.
[Meanwhile, somewhere in the mysterious Tower inside the T.V. World…]
"Hyah!" Yosuke exclaimed as he landed a few well-placed slashes on the enemy Shadow. It burst into black ooze which dissipated into the air.
"Phew." He said, wiping his brow.
"Yosuke!" Chie called down the hall. "I found the stairs, what do you want to do?"
"Let's keep going. We gotta get to the top as soon as possible!" He replied, and then followed after her.
"We're gradually catching up—" Teddie said, panting as he followed the rest of the group.
"The presence I sensed from before—it seems to be slowing down."
Naoto frowned. "I don't like this." She said. "It seems as if they're trying to let us catch up…"
"No time for hesitation!" Said Kanji. "We gotta keep going! Don't worry, I got your backs!"
Yosuke and the others nodded, and continued onward.
As they ascended the stairs and made their way through the labyrinth that was the next floor however, Teddie stopped suddenly, stunned.
"Th-this is!" He said.
Yosuke spun around. "What? What is it?"
"Sh-she knows we're here… she's waiting for us on the next floor! She's strong!" Teddie said. The others gasped.
"What do you mean, she knows we're here!" Chie exclaimed.
"She?" Kanji said.
"There's no time. I wanna finally meet this person we've been chasing this whole time." Yosuke said, punching his open hand determinedly.
"Hah! Now we're talking, Senpai!" Kanji said, nodding.
"I hope we can handle it…" Yukiko said softly. Chie placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Hello? You've got the Fist of Burning Justice Hero with you!" Chie said, smiling. Yukiko nodded.
"Let's go!"
The group made their way up the stairs and stopped.
"There she is!" Yosuke exclaimed. Ahead of them a lone woman stood, facing away from them. She held a gun in her left hand which gleamed and shined uncannily.
"W-who are you!" Naoto asked. The woman said nothing. She turned around slowly, smiling and eyeing them with her piercing yellow eyes. She wore what seemed to be a cross between a vintage flight stewardess' uniform and an elevator attendant's uniform, and it was as blue as a field of the deepest azure hue of delphiniums in night time.
"Greetings." She said simply, pushing back a lock of golden blonde hair. She wore it in a short bob cut.
"So you are the ones who have been following me all this time I take it?" She asked. She placed a hand on her heart. "My name is Elizabeth."
She pointed the gun she had held in her left hand at the group.
"And you are…?"
Everyone tensed up.
"Why did the Shadow appear in our world!" Yosuke asked, "Why did the Fog come back!"
"Shadow…? Fog…?" Elizabeth said innocently, pouting her lips.
"I don't know anything about it I'm afraid…"
"What are you doing here?" Kanji asked, ready in his trade mark fighting stance.
"I'm… looking for someone…" Elizabeth replied, her smile fading. She looked away at the floor for a moment, then re-averted her gaze to the group.
"…You're not looking to get in my way, are you?" She said, her mischievous smile returning. She cocked the pistol.
"W-wait a second!" Yukiko said, "There's no need to fight, is there?"
Kanji stepped forward. "Heh. She started it!"
"…And we'll finish it!" Yosuke said, readying his Kunai knives.
"Hyaaaaaaah!" Kanji roared, running forward as he cocked back the steel riot shield he held as his weapon. Yosuke followed, twirling a Kunai knife on his finger as he went.
Elizabeth smirked. She placed the gun to her temple.
"I'll summon it this way, if it'll bring me closer to you." She said softly.
"H-huh! What the hell are you doing!" Kanji exclaimed, stopping dead in his tracks.
"W-wait! Don't do it!" Naoto cried.
Elizabeth pulled the trigger with a smile, and with a bang, a familiar blue whirlwind of energy enveloped the mysterious girl, and above her the fiery magician, the Persona Surt appeared.
"A-a Persona! No way!" Yosuke exclaimed, looking up at the demon in awe. Surt rushed forward, and with a swing of his flaming sword sent a wave of countless lightning-quick slashes at the two dumbfounded boys.
"Aughhhh!" Yosuke screamed as he flew backwards and landed on his back with a thud. His Kunai knives clattered to the floor. Kanji blocked the first wave with his riot shield, but the force of attack knocked the shield from his hands. He turned to look at Yosuke, incapacitated on the ground, and then back at Elizabeth. His eyes widened.
She smirked at him, her piercing golden-yellow eyes seeing through his tough-punk façade.
"Go Surt." Elizabeth said simply, and the magician-demon held his sword to the sky, sending a rain of hellish fire down towards Kanji.
"KANJI-KUN!" Naoto cried, and deftly took a Magic Mirror from her bag and threw it over Kanji, just barely making it in time to intercept the attack.
The wall of fire was repelled, and sent back toward Elizabeth.
"Ugh.." She grunted as she shielded herself with her arms to withstand the attack. When the attack subsided, she scowled at Naoto.
"That's not fighting fair—" She said. She called back Surt, and placed the gun again to her temple, this time calling forth Pixie.
"This is what happens when you don't fight fair!" She exclaimed.
Pixie called forth a triplet of shining, glowing orbs that came down from the ceiling. It descended silently on the group.
"Everyone! Brace yourselves!" Teddie cried, before the entire room was consumed in light.
As the wall of destructive energy from the explosion drew closer to Yukiko, her eyes widened.
"A-am I going to die…?" She thought to herself. The light consumed her. She closed her eyes.
"Souji-Kun.. help us…"
Suddenly the light dissipated, and the group was left unharmed.
"H-huh!" Yukiko said, opening her eyes.
"D-did we die..?" Chie asked, opening one eye cautiously.
Elizabeth looked up, as if hearing someone speak.
"…I see." She said, after listening for awhile. "Then I'll spare them." She turned to the group.
"How fortunate for you! Providence has favored you on this day." She smiled, and turned to leave, then stopped.
"But if you are going to be players in His scheme, you'll need to hone your skills. This just won't do. Until then… Farewell."
She walked away.
"D-damn you…" Kanji said, on one knee. "Who are you…?"
"L-let's fall back for now.." Naoto said, her voice shaking.
"But.. why didn't she finish us off…?" Yosuke asked, holding his side as he struggled to his feet. "Ugh—damn that hurt…"
"I'll get us out of here pronto!" Teddie said. "Traesto!"
Having had the near brush with death, as well as new clues and of course, more questions, the Special Investigation Team decided to call it a day, resolving to meet at the Junes Food Court after school the next day to discuss what had just transpired.
[The Next Day, May 14th 2012]
The door to the dorm creaked open, then shut.
The blonde haired girl with the deep blue eyes as clear as her resolution to her purpose looked up, then went back to her studying.
"Welcome back." She said. "How was it?"
The girl who had just entered the dorm hung her overcoat on the coat rack and sighed. She tossed back her thick, wavy crimson hair.
"Nothing's come up." She said. "However, that can easily change. Tomorrow night is…"
"I know." The other girl who was studying at her desk replied.
"Will we confront them?"
"There's another thing…" The red-head said, her husky, sultry voice carried an air of weight to it.
"His Evoker. It's missing."
The blue-eyed girl shut her book and stood up promptly. She kept her piercing blue stare at her books however.
"Who else knows…?" She asked.
"No one." The other answered.
"Are you planning on telling…?"
"I… I don't think Yukari should know yet…"
[Meanwhile, on the campus of Okina University..]
"You again…?" Yukari said with a raised eyebrow. She was smiling. "This is a long way from Gekkou high isn't it?"
Souji grinned sheepishly.
"I…" He paused for a moment, choosing the right words. "I know. I wouldn't come all this way if I didn't have a good reason." He said coolly.
Yukari looked at the younger boy skeptically once again. "Oh?" She said, deciding to bite, "And what reason is that?" She casually picked up her books.
"To see you."
Yukari looked up suddenly, taken by surprise by the high school junior's frankness. She laughed it off, but Souji could tell by the way she looked at him that he had gotten to her with the remark.
He was used to spotting the signs. When a girl looks at a boy who piques her interest, her eyes change in the most miniscule way; her pupils dilate just a bit and her stare lasts for just a moment longer, as if to feed on and take in everything about the boy she's looking at.
Only boys with as much experience breaking girls' hearts such as he could notice such a tiny detail.
Souji smirked.
"Yuka-Chan!" Someone from behind them called. She turned around.
"Oh crap…" She said to herself quietly. Her fellow Okina U student and his friends walked up to them.
"Yuka-Chan, hey girl… What's up?" He said, grinning. Yukari flashed a polite smile.
"Hey Kimihiro-San. Just about to head home. Why?" Right as she said that however, she instantly knew she had made a mistake- she had left an opening for the obnoxious admirer to continue the conversation.
"What a coincidence!" He said. "So 'm I. Lemme walk you, yeah? We can do karaoke on the way!"
Yukari laughed half heartedly. "No thanks. Midterms are coming up… I should really get going.."
"Oh come on! Quit bein' so uptight." He took hold of her arm.
"No really, it's fine.." Yukari replied, pulling away.
"Alright, alright…" Kimihiro said, letting her go. "I'll see you later then.."
"Yeah.. See you." Yukari turned to leave.
"Oh, don't I get a hug goodbye?" He said, smirking. His friends snickered.
"Umm… No, definitely not, sorry." Yukari said harshly and turned again to leave. Souji tried his best to conceal his smirk. The obnoxious student's friends laughed heartily, effectively embarrassing Kimihiro.
He scowled.
"You got something on your skirt there—" He said, running his hand over the surface of Yukari's short, pleated skirt. He cupped her butt, feeling the soft firmness of her curves before pretending to flick away a piece of lint.
"Oops, there. Got it." He said smugly. His friends were in an uproar.
Yukari wheeled around, dropping her books, and landed a solid open-handed smack across Kimihiro's face, effectively wiping the smile of his face. He scowled again, taking firm hold of her small wrist.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" He said. Souji glared at him, stepping forward.
"Hahaha! Who is this little prick? Your boyfriend? I had no idea you were such a cradle stealer, Yuka-Chan!"
"Let go of me you creep!" Yukari exclaimed.
"Hey you stupid little kid—", One of Kimihiro's rowdy friends stepped forward.
"Adults are trying to speak here, so—UMPH!"
Souji threw a hard right hook, putting his shoulder into the punch to add more torque. His fist landed solidly on the college student's jaw, spinning as it impacted his pokey, unshaven cheek, to tear the skin and add extra damage to the punch. He sat down, stunned.
"OH FUCK NO!"
Another one of the goons threw a wild haymaker Souji's way. He deftly ducked under it, spinning around as he caught the older teen's wrist and twisted his arm backwards behind him in one fluid motion.
"This arm," Souji said in a low, calm voice, "This arm belongs to me now."
"Fuck you!" He said, his voice strained.
"Oh?" Souji said, then pushed the older teen's arm forward, nearly breaking it.
"ARGH! FUCKER!"
"Get off of him!" Another one of the hooligan's friends cried, rushing Souji from behind. Souji spun the man whom he held captive by one twisted arm around, using him as a human shield against the attacker's wild punch, and threw a hard side kick to the assailant's nose. He stopped dead in his tracks, and fell like a downed Redwood tree to the floor. His nose burst with blood. Still holding the first student by his arm, he placed a hard kick behind his hostage's left knee cap and stepped down hard on his calf, forcing him to his knees. With one hard straight punch to the back of the head, he laid his hostage out.
"S-Souji-Kun!" Yukari exclaimed. Souji stood over the three knocked out students, still holding up the one clenched fist he used to lay out the last hooligan, then turned his glare to Kimihiro.
He let go of Yukari.
"Ch-chill the fuck out bro!" He exclaimed, trying to maintain his macho façade.
"I-I was just playing around but you had to take it all far and shit—" Kimihiro said, and promptly walked away.
"FUCK!" He exclaimed as he went, smacking the books out of the hands of a random onlooker in a fit of rage.
"Souji-Kun…" Yukari said, blushing as she looked at the high school student.
He was looking down with contempt at the defeated college students, and then finally looked over to Yukari.
"Yukari-Chan are you—OW!"
Souji was hit with a hard slap across his cheek.
"Idiot! Are you trying to die? Who do you think you are!" She grabbed her books and stormed off.
"Stupid boys! Why do they always think they have to act tough and protect the girl! Ugh!"
Souji rubbed his cheek, grinning as he watched Yukari stomp off. Her round butt rolled cutely in her pleated skirt as she went.
The hot, dizzying swell of anger a man inevitably experiences when he is ready to throw hands subsided, and he headed back home, wondering if he should've taken it a bit easier.
"Good thing I equipped a Chariot Persona today.." He said to himself with a shrug.
[Meanwhile, back in Inaba…]
"Yeah, see you later!" Yukiko said, waving goodbye, and left with Chie. The rest of the Investigation Team left one by one, until Naoto and Kanji were left.
"I'll see you tomorrow at school, Kanji-Kun." Naoto said. Kanji offered an awkward salute-wave.
"Uh.. yeah. See you…" He said, looking away. Naoto turned to leave when suddenly Kanji stopped her.
"N-naoto-kun…" said Kanji hesitantly. She stopped.
"Something the matter?"
Kanji scratched his head.
"I uh.. it's just.. well… I just wanted to say… thanks for saving me back there. So yeah. Thanks."
Naoto looked over at Kanji, who was flushed red. She smiled sweetly.
"You're welcome…But your thanks are unnecessary. I'm just relieved you're okay." She nodded.
"Heh..Yeah… But uh.." Kanji looked away again. He gathered up his voice.
"…Don't ever risk your life for me again. Got it?" He looked into Naoto's eyes. She blinked, then raised an eyebrow.
"…Are you feeling okay Kanji-Kun? You should go home and get some rest.."
Kanji laughed, scratching his head and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. See ya tomorrow!"
And with that, he ran off towards Tatsumi Textiles. Naoto watched him leave, then shook her head, smiling.
"Idiot... Of course I'll look after you."
She turned and headed towards home.