Hey again everyone! I know that this one came out a little later then the last chapter, but I'm pretty sure that you'll like this one! On another note, I'll be answering some questions on this fic and responding to reviews on the previous chapter, so...yeah. Some of them I've already answered through a PM, but I want to tell everyone the answer to the questions. So… let's start.

- lincoln time - No, I will not have Yu be using an Evoker to summon his Persona. He will be using the Tarot card to do it. Though that might change at some point. And no, the Kirijo group does not know about Yu's Gamer powers.

- blarg7865 - He may encounter people from the Abyss that we already know who move around a lot, like Lolikiano Mistream, and her Grand Warrior, Dylan. Yes, that is his name for all of the people who aren't caught up with the manhwa. And he will be learning more skills other than the generic ones and ones unique to Persona users. Like summoning.

- MysticSpider - Levels are relative. They correspond to age, and potential skill level to anyone else who isn't a PC, who gains levels, and gains potential and realized skill levels as they progress. Besides, I've played games where NPCs are like level 20 and have horrible health. Also, I know what those two stats usually do, and… I don't really see where the issue is where you would have to explain what they do… If I find it by the end of this chapter, I'll address it at the end, along with any other reviews that happen to come up while I'm writing this up.

- Guest - Yes, the goal was for you to hate them, because they're going to be important. So hold onto all of your rage and hate for them until that event happens, because you're going to love what happens.

Anyways, with that done, it's time for the next chapter!

"Speech"

'Thought'

"Telepathy"

"Shadows"

Windows/Skills

Arc 1: Jester's Folly: Chapter 4: The True Self

Yu walked up the stairs to the scaffolding, panting slightly from the lack of SP in his system, as well as the flipping around. "Okay Yu… time for those eleven points in INT to pay off… where the hell am I?" He closed his eyes and retraced his steps mentally. He began to walk forward. "Right… we walked in a straight line this whole time. Why am I worried?" Yu smiled and then groaned. "Great… I jinxed myself…"

Bloodlust Detected

50 feet behind you and closing

"Yep…" Yu looked behind him and saw a hoard of those Hableries coming towards him. "…" He took off running. "Shit shit shit shit SHIT!" He quickly outran the crowd, seeing as they were really slow, but he was still tired from his previous battle. He doubted that he could take that entire swarm, even though he took out the first six very easily. 'Next time… don't be… so flashy… when fighting!' He expected an INT point for that, but quickly realized that it was common knowledge. He looked at the [Detect Bloodlust] update window and saw that if it was a constant source of bloodlust, then it didn't annoy him with windows every time they got closer or farther away from him, instead, the numbers just changed as the distance changed, which seemed very useful. He gritted his teeth as he pushed himself to run faster. He watched the window and when it disappeared, he just kept running. All that meant was that he was out of range of the bloodlust, which wasn't that far. He panted heavily as he ran, completely out of energy, but his need for survival pushed him farther.

You have honed your speed and reflexes. +1 DEX

You have broken past your old limits and pushed through your new ones! +1 VIT

The heavy panting quickly became controlled breaths as soon as his stat leveled up. He paused for a moment to catch his breath, then looked behind him, seeing the hoard far away, but close enough to be a problem still. He groaned as he kept running, slightly faster than before. Seeing as his DEX stat was almost four times of those things, he was still able to distance himself fairly quickly, making the crowd actually seem like a single large being. He looked behind him again and saw that the hoard of Hableries have stopped chasing him. So… he collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. "What… the hell… are those?!"

A squeaking sound came closer to Yu. "Those are Shadows… All I know is that they're dangerous… which is why you need to leave now!"

Yu slowly stood up and dusted off his pants, still slightly out of breath.

You have chosen to live to fight another day, and ran from impossible odds. +1 WIS

Yu sighed and then looked around. The fog cleared only the slightest bit. He hummed to himself and then looked at Teddie. "Where are the others?"

Teddie turned around and led Yu to a stack of TV's. "I already sent them through! I told them that I'd leave the exit open until you walked through!"

Yu smiled. "Thank you… What's your name?"

Teddie pointed at himself with a thumb. "I'm Teddie!"

Yu nodded and stepped in front of the exit. "So… how do I…!"

Teddie began to push Yu through the exit. "Out out out! I'm a busy bear!"

Yu looked back at Teddie and stepped forward, knocking the bear off balance, causing him to fall. He watched the stuffed bear flail around for a moment before helping him back up. Yu then shook his hand. "Take care of yourself Teddie. I don't want to see you tattered and thrown away, okay?" He then stepped through the exit, waving goodbye.

Mitsuru looked over the records of Yu's parents. She wasn't liking what she saw. "There are multiple cases of unprovoked violence towards other employees, abuse of their position, embezzlement… how my father kept these two is shocking…"

Akihiko cracked his knuckles. "You want me to take care of them…?"

Mitsuru shook her head. "No. We can't be linked in this at all. We're going to have to hire someone."

Fuuka nodded. "But who can we hire? It's not like we can just use anyone…"

Aigis raised her hand. "Mitsuru-san. I believe that I have an idea of who we can hire for this job."

Yu stepped through the TV, then tripped and fell face first onto the ground. He groaned slightly.

Chie yelped and then saw that it was Yu. "Oh my god! He's okay!"

Yosuke quickly helped Yu up. "Dude, are you alright? Please tell me that you're alright!"

Yu was still exhausted, so all he did was give a slight thumbs up.

Chie sighed in relief "Thank god you're okay! We wanted to wait, but that bear forced us through the exit… D-Did you get hurt?"

Yu shook his head. "I'm fine."

Yosuke looked at Yu like he was crazy. "Dude, there is no way that you're fine. I mean, that place is horrible! And… were we in there for a while…?"

A 'bell' rang through Junes. "Attention shoppers! Our daily limited-time sale will now begin at the side dish area on the first floor! Why not try the delicious, fresh produce Junes picked for you as your side dish for dinner tonight? All ages are invited to take advantage of this incredible bargain!"

Yosuke groaned. "We were in there for a while… I don't think that any of us are okay… but… huh?" He looked past Yu and looked at a poster. He let Yu stand on his own two feet and walked over to it. "This poster was in that creepy room…"

Chie walked over to Yosuke as well. "Hey… your right. I couldn't tell before, without the face, but it was Misuzu Hiiragi… She's been all over the news lately. Something about… her husband having an affair with the announcer lady who died the other day…"

"Her name is Mayumi Yamano… she may be dead, but she's still a person." Yu walked in between the two of them, just in case they started fighting.

Yosuke nodded. "He's right… we can't just forget her name because she's dead… But, could this mean that the room we saw could be related to Yamano's death?" He looked at the ground, a worried expression on his face. "Now that I think of it… there was that creepy noose hanging from the ceiling…" He shook head with a noise that I can't describe. "Stop! No more! We gotta stop talking about this!" He looked up at the ceiling with his eyes closed. "I'm gonna wipe what happened today from my brain! I don't think that my heart can take it anymore…"

Chie nodded and looked at the ground. "I'm feeling a chill too… Let's go home… I wanna lay down and sleep…"

Yosuke looked at Yu. "I'll take her home. You should go home too. We're all feeling the same thing, so you'll need some rest." He then walked off with Chie.

Yu looked around and saw that no one was looking at him. He used [Rengoku] and got a message.

You're extensive use of [Rengoku] in such a short amount of time has unlocked it's hidden ability!

You can now create dungeons to hunt monsters in!

Dungeons unlocked:

Zombie

Ghost

Shadow (!)

Yu looked at the last one curiously. He pressed on the ! and watched as a dripping red window popped up.

WARNING! THIS DUNGEON CAN BE INFLUENCED BY OTHERS, AND YOU MAY ENCOUNTER A CREATURE THAT WILL KILL YOU IN AN INSTANT!

He stared at the window and then gulped. "Well… the shadow dungeon is out for now…" Yu then tried to open a Zombie dungeon. A normal red window popped up.

This dungeon may only be used at night!

Yu then groaned. "Fine… I'll play by your rules game." Yu broke the barrier and walked around Junes, until he reached the weapons section. He looked at a katana and then scowled. "I wonder…" He looked around and saw that no one was looking at him, then he saw that there were no cameras, not even those round ones. So he broke the lock subtly and shoved the katana into his Inventory. He then entered a barrier and walked away from the now empty casing. "Sorry… But I need this weapon." He pulled it out of his Inventory and looked at it with [Observe]

Imitation Katana

A cheap blade that, while it can still cut, is nothing compared to the real thing.

5 - 15 slashing damage

5% Crit Chance

100% Durability

REQ STR to wield: 5

Yu sighed at the crappy stats on the weapon, but relented. "A weapon is a weapon…" He walked out of the empty copy of Junes and towards Dojima's house. "Man… A fast travel option would sure come in handy…" He looked up at the red sky. "… Really? No fast travel?" A window popped up.

We want to give you every chance to train your stats up! You might be stronger now, but anyone can reach that level of skill through training and/or drugs, so… get to work!

He groaned. "Fine…" He started running again at his top speed, and then tripped over a rock that… wasn't there before.

"You know kid… You might be new to this place… So I'm gonna tell you this right now." A man in a red jacket with a claymore on his back looked at him. "Stay out of my way, and you won't get hurt." He pulled a slice of pizza from… somewhere and began to much on it, like he hadn't a care in the world.

Your barrier has crossed into ?'s. Demons will begin to spawn.

Yu drew his blade once he read the word Demon. He then looked behind him and saw the man.

?

Dante

LV: ?

He didn't bother to use [Observe] on the man, because if he couldn't see his level, he doubted that he could see his stats.

The man looked at Yu. "Really kid? You're gonna fight me with that puny thing?"

Yu shook his head. "No. I just know that something's going to happen."

Bloodlust detected!

All around you!

[Detect Bloodlust] has gained a level!

[Detect Bloodlust] has gained a level!

[Detect Bloodlust] has gained a level!

[Detect Bloodlust] has gained a level!

Yu tensed up and looked around him to see creatures appearing around him.

Dante yawned. "What, are you scared of these small fry? I guess a kid like you would be." The white haired man took another bite of his pizza and drew his blade from his back. "I'll handle this. Just leave."

Yu Observed one and then nearly laughed at their stats.

Marionette

HP: 100/100

SP: 0/0

STR: 5

VIT: 3

DEX: 7

INT: 1

WIS: 0

LUK: 0 (Puppets don't get luck)

He then let lightning course through his arm and he launched [Zio] at one of them. It didn't kill them, but it shocked them for a moment. "Why? Like you said, these are small fry."

Dante actually did laugh. "You know what? I think we're gonna get along nicely kid." He finished his slice of pizza and smirked. "Let's dance!" He rushed forward, leaving an afterimage of himself...that ran the other way, shooting dual machine pistols.

Yu watched Dante tear through a hoard of enemies. His [Sense Danger] ability went off and he stepped out of the way of a downward claw slash that tore through the ground. He slashed at the demon and dealt a horrible amount of damage. "Fuck this!" He jumped back and a card floated down in front of him. "Come! Persona!" He sliced through the card and summoned Izanagi in a burst of blue flames.

Dante looked back at Yu and his eyes widened. "Is that a Devil Trigger?!" He was then hit in the face. Hard. "Bastard!" He threw the claymore at the demon who hit him and sliced through it. He landed in a crouch, with his two black and white machine pistols crossed across his chest. "Oh, you're gonna get it now!"

Yu blocked another strike from a demon and had Izanagi strike it, sending it flying towards a wall. The impact killed it. He smirked and then jumped back as a comically sized blade attached to one of the demons sliced through the air in front of him. '38 seconds' He had Izanagi hold that one in place as he jumped over and cut the very thin strings that were attached to the demon. They snapped with ease and the demon fell limp. Yu beheaded it, killing it quickly. '10 seconds' He saw the claymore land near him and he rushed over to it. He had Izanagi pick it up and prepare to throw it. '5' "Dante!"

Dante just finished off the crowd around him and looked over at Yu, who was holding Rebellion. "Did that kid just say my name?"

He lobbed the claymore at Dante, causing it to cut through the air around it. '1' Yu deactivated Izanagi and saw that he still had his SP. He found an exploit.

Dante smirked and held out his hand to catch his blade with ease by the handle as it stabbed into the demon behind him. He placed it onto his back again and held out his hand, causing a guitar to form from a swarm of bats. He started to strum the strings expertly as sparks of electricity formed in the air around him. Dante grinned as he slammed his hand down, playing a demonic chord and sending a bolt of lightning through the hoard of demons, turning whatever got hit by it into ash. He threw the guitar away and as it faded into bats, flaming gauntlets appeared around his hands in a burst of black flames. He rushed through the crowd towards Yu, hitting anything that got in his way.

"Izanagi!" Yu summoned his Persona again just in time to block a triple assault from the demons. He channeled [Zio] through Izanagi and used it to shock the demons. Yu slid under them and sliced at their backs multiple times, killing them. A window popped up, but he ignored it. He flipped out of the way of another demon, who was then obliterated by Dante.

Dante punched through a demon who attacked the kid and let his gauntlets fade as he drew his claymore again. He stood back to back with Yu as a reflex, remembering when he fought against these things with his brother. That he killed. "You still wanna stick around kid?"

Yu stood back to back with Dante, holding his blade in front of him defensively. "No way am I going to leave now. I'd probably be hunted down and dragged back here anyways." He dispelled Izanagi and looked at the window…s.

You have gained a level!

Through the act of fighting with a blade, the skill [Sword Mastery] has been created!

Sword Mastery (Passive): LV:1 EXP: 17.37%: The art of wielding a weapon comes naturally to some, but most spend their entire lives mastering a single weapon.

+ 10% damage when using Swords

+5% Crit Chance when using Swords

-10% Durability degradation on all Swords

[Sense Danger] has gained a level!

[Detect Bloodlust] has gained a level!

[Summon Persona] has gained a level!

[Zio] has gained a level!

You are in perfect synchronization with Dante. You are both empowered greatly for a time.

Yu readied his blade and at an unsaid signal that only people who either fight together for years, or people who adapt quickly feel, they rushed forward, and began hacking through their enemies, each slash killing at least two demons. For Dante, this was child's play now. The only reason he was having a little bit of trouble before was because he was still waking up. For Yu however, the difference was almost stunning. His blade, while still an imitation, cut through the puppets like they were paper. From an outside view, it almost looked like the two were dancing. Windows began to pop up around Yu, but he kept ignoring them and continued the fight, wanting to get it over with. Yu sliced off limbs, blades, guns (don't ask) and all sorts of other stuff as he cleared the crowd with Dante.

Dante was actually starting to have fun now, his blade cut through the demons instead of hacking through them, he moved faster, and he could see through the wave of demonic blood he was creating like it was water. He had no idea what that kid did, but damn it felt good! He was tempted to change weapons, but he was having fun with Rebellion, so he figured, what the hell, and kept killing.

After what seemed like hours to Yu, but was really only a few minutes, he slashed through the last demon on his side, panting heavily as a rain of demonic blood began to fall from the sky, painting Yu's hair a dark red.

You have gained a level!

You have gained a level!

You have gained a level!

[Sword Mastery] has gained a level!

[Sword Mastery] has gained a level!

[Sword Mastery] has gained a level!

[Sword Mastery] has gained a level!

[Sword Mastery] has gained a level!

Dante clipped his blade back onto his coat and began to clap as he walked over to Yu. "Not to bad kid. You got guts, and that'll take you a much farther then anyone can ever guess." He held his hand out to the kid. "I'm Dante."

Yu looked up at Dante, still panting. He stood up slowly and then took Dante's hand, looking him in the eye, even if he had to look up slightly. "Yu Narukami."

Dante shook his hand. "I gotta say, I expected you to die from this, but your really came through at the end. Your sword, though…" He looked at the katana and laughed. "W-What the hell is that?! Did you buy that at a thrift store?!"

Yu groaned. "Stole it, actually… and I got it from that store over there." He then pointed at Junes. "I know that it's quality is nothing compared to a real blade, but it's the best I can do right now."

Dante scoffed. "Well, if you can kill demons with that butter knife of yours, then you'll be a badass in no time." He slowly drew his blade. "Now then, let's see how skilled you are." He slashed at Yu, who rolled out of the way.

"God dammit! Izanagi!" He crushed the card and Izanagi blocked Dante's next strike. Yu jumped back and used [Zio] on Dante, though the electricity was just channeled into his blade.

"Learned to deal with that shit a long time ago kid!" He jumped away from Izanagi and started twirling his blade mockingly. "Though your whole… summoning thing is new. Never had to fight two opponents that shared the same mind. Wait… have I?"

Yu gritted his teeth and sent Izanagi after Dante again, drawing his attention with a frontal assault while Yu ran behind the white haired man and tried to attack him from behind. He failed when Dante began to use dual scimitars.

"Come on kid! You can do better then that!" Dante kicked Yu away, sending him flying.

HP: 102/300

Yu dispelled Izanagi and summoned him again, making sure that he landed on his Persona's shoulder. "As much as I enjoyed our fight against those demons Dante, I feel like I'm not exactly… prepared to fight you just yet."

Dante chuckled as he pulled his dual pistols from his coat. "You really think that I'm gonna let you get away if you have a power like that? No! You got the devil in you kid, and I want to know what makes it tick!" He began to fire at Izanagi, who simply deflected all of the bullets by spinning his weapon.

Izanagi then rushed at Dante, and then stopped short, launching Yu towards the demon hunter. "Let's try this out!" '[Cleave]' A blue glow surrounded the shoddy blade and he clashed with Dante, barely holding his ground.

Dante faked surprise. "You're pretty strong for a scrawny kid. Tell me, who do you work for?" He pushed Yu back. "Mundus? Lucia? Virgil? That bastard could never learn when to die… or is it Sanctus?"

Yu activated [Cleave] again. "I don't know who any of those are! I'm just trying to survive!" He rushed Dante again, with the man blocking the strike with ease.

Dante smirked. "Seems to me that you're throwing your life away, attacking me like thi-" He stopped short when a blade was stabbed through his chest. It was Izanagi's Naginata.

Yu smirked. "I don't know what it is with everyone wanting everything to be so flashy." He activated [Cleave] one more time and swiped his blade across Dante's chest.

[Cleave] has gained a level!

Dante went limp on Izanagi's blade.

Yu stared at Dante as Izanagi dispelled. "… Okay, that's enough theatrics Dante, I know that you're still alive."

Dante groaned as he stood up, the cut on his chest sealing itself up as he stood. He dusted the sleeves off of his jacket and then sighed. "Been awhile since I've been stabbed with something that isn't my own sword." He stretched for a second, before sighing. "That was pretty good for a beginner kid." He then snatched Yu's blade and snapped it in half. "Shitty quality right? You don't need it."

Yu stared at the broken blade. "…"

Dante shrugged. "What's the matter?"

"… That was my only weapon."

"So?"

Yu stared at Dante, then sighed. "I'm not going to win this, am I…?"

Dante shook his head. "Nope. But, you're interesting kid." He pulled a card out of his jacket. "Here's my card. Give me a call if you ever have a demon problem." the barrier began to shatter and Yu was suddenly left standing alone in his own barrier with a card floating down towards the ground. He picked it up and just gave it a good, hard look.

"… Devil May Cry…?" Yu slipped the card into his Inventory and resumed his walk like nothing happened. "What does that even mean…?"

You have defeated a horde of Demons!

You have unlocked the 'Demon' dungeon!

"Oh god da- …" Yu shook his head and swiped away the window, just annoyed. And exhausted. And above all else, he had one question once the events of the day finally set in. "… WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!"

Yu sat with Dojima and Nanako at the table in the living room, his hair grey again. Apparently demon blood comes out very easily. He didn't care to check Dojima and Nanako's stats. He didn't want to intrude on their privacy.

Dojima looked at Yu, slightly nervously. "Um… well, I doubt that you know, but… have you heard anything about a student named Saki Konishi?"

'Best not tell him about the Midnight Channel.' Yu shrugged. "Well, she wasn't at school today… oh! And she works part time at Junes."

[Deception] has gained a level!

"Is she a friend of yours?"

Yu shook his head. "Not really, I only talked to her once, but she seemed close to Yosuke Hanamura. He's… still not sure if I can call him a friend when I've only been here for three days…" 'And in those three days, I've been through more hell then I'd ever… that's not true. It's just been a clusterfuck of different crazy scenarios that shouldn't be connected, but they are.'

"Huh…" Dojima sighed. "Well, to be honest… we got a call about her today. She's missing." He looked down at his ramen. "We have people looking for her, but we haven't turned up anything yet."

'She's missing?! Then… the Midnight Channel definitely isn't for finding your soulmate… and with that TV world… is… is she dead…?'

Dojima sighed again. "Work just keeps piling up…"

Yu blinked at that. "Well, you're a detective right? Why don't you just focus on the important cases and pass the obvious ones down to the patrol cops?"

Dojima shook his head. "If I could, I would, but we just don't have enough cops here to do that. On top of that, there was this theft at Junes this afternoon… and we have no leads. No fingerprints at the scene… and the lock was broken, so we can't look for anyone who has a past of petty theft…" He sighed again and turned on the TV.

It just happened to be the news. "And now, more on the case still casting a shadow over the foggy town of Inaba." A picture of Mayumi flashed onto the screen. "Not long ago, television announcer Mayumi Yamano was found dead in the small town. Up until now, her whereabouts up until her death had been unknown. But the police have released that she had been staying in the region's Amagi Inn."

'The Amagi Inn… the announcer was staying in Yukiko's families inn before she died?'

"She had apparently been staying there alone. Perhaps she was taking a vacation to recover from her ordeal…?"

The commentator who… probably knew nothing of what was going on, opened his mouth again. "Oh yes! The Amagi Inn! Their hotsprings are first-rate! The manager's teenage daughter also works there! It's rumored that she'll take over this spring. If that happens, she'll be the youngest manager on record! I should book another trip there…"

Yu groaned and shook his head. "Just don't say anything else… rumors are just rumors, and no one at our age can handle that stress…"

"U-Uh… I-I see…" The anchor cleared his throat. "N-Now onto our weather report. The rain has began to subside, and as a result, from now until morning, heavy fog warnings will be in effect in the Inaba region. Visibility will be severely reduced, so please be careful if you plan on driving in the area."

Yu tuned out the rest of the news. 'Okay… let's phrase that into something that I can work with… Mayumi Yamano was found dead while staying at Yukiko's family Inn… and Saki is nowhere to be found, though she found the body… She was also on the Midnight Channel last night, so… could that be connected to that other world…?' Yu shook his head. 'Even if it did, there's no physical evidence that the TV world even exists other than me going there…'

Nanako looked over at her father. "Is the ramen ready now…?"

Dojima shook his head. "Give it a little more time."

Yu sighed and stood up. "I'm going upstairs to study." He walked towards his room and up the stairs. Once he entered his room, he pulled out his phone and texted Mitsuru. 'We need to meet.' He pulled up his skill list and stared at [Summon Persona] for a bit. "… How am I going to train you…?" He activated the skill and the card formed from nothing. It landed in his hand. He flipped the card over and it was a picture of Izanagi staring back at him, his weapon across his chest. "… You're me… so why does your name sound so familiar…?" He stared at the card, then crushed it, freeing his Persona. He turned around and stared himself in the eyes.

He stared back into his own.

Yu lifted his left hand, and Izanagi did the same. He looked at the spear and thought about him setting it down.

Izanagi set the spear down.

Yu picked up the spear and tried to [Observe] it, but nothing came up. He sighed and dispelled Izanagi, the spear going with him. "I'm sure that Mitsuru could explain…" He then checked the time and smirked. "Time to hunt. [Rengoku]!" A pulse of energy emanated from Yu and he then opened the window in his room and hopped out of it, landing on the street. He heard a moaning from behind him and when he turned, he saw three zombies behind him. "[Observe]"

Zombie

LV: 3

HP: 200/200

SP: 0/0

STR: 5

VIT: 5

DEX: 2

INT: 1

WIS: 0

LUK: 0 (Your dead. Your luck sucks)

Yu chuckled. "What did I expect out of the Zombie dungeon?" He stared at the three walking corpses and summoned Izanagi silently. He threw his arm towards the monsters and Izanagi flew towards then and sliced through one of them. He then hit one of them with the blunt end of his spear as he sliced through another one. Yu walked up to the zombie and thought about Izanagi becoming a weapon. Izanagi glowed and dissolved.

ERROR! Your Level in [Summon Persona] is insufficient to perform that action.

Yu was disappointed, but not enough to be distracted. He stepped to the side and knocked the zombie down again. He launched a [Zio] at the corpse and watched as all three bodies faded. Yu stared at what remained. "… Is this money?" He picked up a stack of yen and placed it into his Inventory.

Yen: 1000*

"It's real money…" He stared at the new numbers and then looked at where the other bodies fell and saw more money. He quickly deposited the cash and looked around to see that more zombies were spawning in. He smiled again and let electricity course through his arms. "This is gonna be good."

"THIS IS NOT GOOD!" Yu was running from a large hoard of zombies that had spawned a few minutes ago. He ran, and ran… and ran… until he saw Dojima's house. He jumped on top of the car and pulled himself up onto the metal roof of the car cover and panted heavily. He couldn't fight those guys without a weapon, and he didn't want to risk running out of SP by using Izanagi… He figured that he should call it a night anyways. He had collected a fair amount of money, a total of 10000 Yen*, a couple of teeth, some ribs for some reason, and this weird purple stone labeled as a Soul Stone. Yu sighed as he entered his room. He closed the window behind him and broke the barrier.

"You've been busy."

Yu flinched and whirled around to see Mitsuru standing there. He relaxed and sat down on the couch. "How did you get here so fast?"

Mitsuru chuckled. "I never left Inaba. My plane doesn't leave until tomorrow." She pulled a case from behind her and set it on the table. "Have you had second thoughts?"

Yu shook his head. "Actually, I needed you to answer a question of mine." He summoned Izanagi, making Mitsuru fall backwards. "Does the name 'Izanagi' mean anything?"

Mitsuru slowly stood up and created a barrier around them. "How… How are you doing that?!"

Yu was confused. "Doing what?"

The red head pointed at Izanagi. "That! How did you summon your Persona without an Evoker?!"

Yu blinked. "You can't do this?"

Mitsuru shook her head. "No one can! It should be impossible to call forth your Persona without forcing it out!"

Yu shrugged, then collapsed when Izanagi dispelled. "I can't keep it up for long though… A minute a most…"

Mitsuru stared at Yu, then chuckled. "Well, that's to be expected. Maintaining your persona is very strenuous on your psyche. And the fact that you're able to use it without the use of an Evoker means that it must be more taxing than usual." She helped Yu sit up straight again and then sighed. "As to your question, it isn't surprising that you don't know of him." She grabbed the chair by Yu's desk and sat down. "As you know, the Shinto religion is dying out to the more common ones such as Christianity and Judaism. Izanagi is one of those gods."

Yu looked at Mitsuru like she was crazy. "So… my persona is… a god?"

"No. While it may be named after a god, its power pales in comparison to the true Izanagi."

Yu's look intensified. "There's a real Izanagi?!"

Mitsuru nodded. "Every single god of every single religion exists. Though, they cannot enter our realm, and have most likely stopped caring about us long ago. Save few…"

Yu had regenerated enough SP to be able to move again, so he scooted closer to the woman. "How do you know this?"

Kirijo sighed. "Well, I've encountered a god before. The Greek goddess of the night, Nix."

"And you survived?"

Mitsuru looked at the ground. "… Not all of us did… our field leader sacrificed himself to stop The Avatar of Nyx from destroying the world."

"The… Avatar?"

She sighed again. "For gods to enter the material world, they need to have an Avatar. Nyx, while completely neutral, wanted to grant the wish of man, which was death. The entire world was engulfed in the Dark Hour, and people became Shadows… There were hundreds of them… we were quickly overtaken, and… they were afraid of him. Our field leader… he performed a miracle. He stopped Nyx and… and…" She wiped away her tears and then took a deep breath.

!Quest Alert!
Learning the Past

Main Quest: Learn the name of the Shadow Operative's past Field Leader

Reward: Quest line unlocked! 500 EXP

Do you accept this Quest?

[YES/NO]

Yu subtly hit YES and nodded. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Mitsuru nodded and then looked back up at Yu, her face as stoic as ever. "Thank you, but we've seemed to veer off of the original subject. Anyways, Izanagi is a god from the Shinto religion. He was supposedly half of the last generation of the Kamiyonanayo**, who were responsible for creating the archipelago of Japan. That is not true. In truth, humans created Izanagi and all the other gods through the collection of Idea Power, I'll explain that part at a later date if you decide to join us."

Yu nodded slowly. "And… the spear?"

"The spear… Hmm… well, because your Persona is named after the god Izanagi, I can only guess that it is the Ame-no-nuboko***, a form of naginata, which is a bladed form of a polearm, that was used to create the land under our feet."

Yu gave Mitsuru that 'are you crazy' look again. "… Okay… so, now knowing all of that, if the Persona is supposed to be a reflection of the soul, then what does that say about me?"

"I have no clue. It could mean a number of things." Mitsuru opened the case and revealed the Evoker again. "So, would you like to join us…? And before you say no, the previous issue of yours is being… taken care of."

Yu stared at the gun-like object and then gently took it out of the case. "This is proof that I'm one of you, right?"

Mitsuru nodded. "When you pull the trigger, a needle will go into your hand and record your DNA, only allowing you to use it if you need to."

Yu closed his eyes and pulled the trigger of the Evoker, causing a needle to stab into his hand and take some of his blood.

HP: 299/300

You have joined the guild: The Kirijo Group !

You may now receive guild related quests!

Mitsuru smiled and held out her hand. "Welcome to the team, Yu-san."

Yu tentatively took Mitsuru's hand and shook it, creating a verbal contract.

Mitsuru took her hand away and stood up. "We'll send you the paperwork, along with a company computer to perform your job with." She closed the case and grasped the handle. "We expect big things from you." She opened the window and gave Yu one last look before she jumped out of the now open window.

Yu groaned as he placed his Evoker into his Inventory and heard a shattering sound. Apparently, there was a range for being in someone's barrier as well. "What the hell is with today…?" He flopped back, laying down on his couch. "Let's recap. I was dragged into this 'Abyss', I fell into a freaking TV, talked to a weird… stuffed bear… thing, killed some things called Shadows, stole a fake katana, used said katana to slaughter a hoard of demons with a professional demon hunter named Dante, fought Dante and survived, killed some zombies, got chased by zombies, and now I've joined a fucking guild!" He calmed down slowly and then closed his eyes, mentally exhausted. "I wonder how this day could get worse…" As he fell asleep, a single thought rang out rang out in his mind. 'Jinxed'

Yu woke up early to a tapping at his window. He slowly opened his eyes and looked out the window to see Aigis outside of his room. He sighed and opened the window to let her in. "Good morning Aigis."

"Good morning Narukami-san." She set down a packet of papers and a laptop. "These documents are merely a safety precaution as well as a way to legally integrate you into the Kirijo Group."

Yu nodded and was about to ask for a pen, but was stopped by Aigis setting one down in front of him. He quickly read through the packet, understanding all of it, and he then signed his name on the bottom of the final page. Yu handed the pen and the contract to Aigis. "Here you go. And don't you need to hurry? Won't your plane leave without you?"

Aigis shook her head. "Of course not, Narukami-san, as I am the pilot."

Yu just accepted it and nodded. "Okay, well, good luck, and I wish you well."

Aigis nodded and exited through the window, which Yu closed right after she left.

Yu closed his eyes again, ignoring the windows he got for sleeping. He groaned and stood up, not seeing the use of sleeping anymore. He glanced over his textbooks and then sighed. He had gotten five more levels just yesterday, but he didn't feel any sense of accomplishment. Just dread. The fact that he had only gained four levels from those demons said how weak they were, but… he could barely scratch a single one of them without Izanagi. And that guy was tearing through them like they were nothing. He obviously had a long way to go, but he didn't have the slightest clue how far until yesterday. In fact, he still had no clue, but what he did know, is that he's out of his league. If any of the people he fought with yesterday had tried to kill him, he'd be dead. There's no doubt about that, and he still had to figure out what the hell this Abyss is. Is it another world, or a way of life? Yu shook his head and equipped his school uniform and walked down the stairs. He saw Dojima getting ready to walk out the door.

Dojima grabbed his jacket and walked towards the door. He looked over at Yu. "Oh, you're up." He checked his watch and sighed quietly. "Well, I'm off." He walked out the door without another word.

Yu was about to ask why he was in a rush, but Nanako looked up at him before he could say it. "Dad has to go do something. He got a call, so… he left." She looked back at the door with a worried expression.

Yu looked down at Nanako and slowly began to understand her pain. She worried so much about Dojima, and he couldn't spend as much time as he wanted with her because of his job. Every time he stepped out of the house, he risked his life for his town, and… more importantly to him, his daughter.

'I am thou…Thou art I… Thou hast established a new bond… Thou shalt reach new strength when creating Personae of the Hierophant and Justice arcana!'

Social Links

Wow. You got one of these so early on. Didn't expect that. These have two effects. The first one is that as the link between the player and the target strengthens, their overall bond increases, as well as their efficiency in battle when paired together. The second is that the more levels in the social link for each person you interact with enough you have, the bigger the bonus of Persona Fusion depending on the results arcana. Persona Fusion will be explained by Igor.

NOTE: People can have the same Arcana for their Social Links. Because of this, the bonuses from fusion do stack, but complications may occur if people of the same arcana meet.

Yu read the window, then looked back at Nanako, somehow feeling a slight bond between the two of them. He looked at the time and then sighed. "I have to go Nanako. I promised to meet up with some people before classes today."

Nanako nodded and grabbed her stuff. "They why don't we go together? My school starts earlier then yours, so…"

Yu nodded and took her hand. "Sounds good. Are you ready to go then?"

Nanako nodded, a small, happy smile on her face. The two walked out the door and towards the Samegawa.

Yu waved Nanako off as she walked towards her school. He sighed and turned around to see Dante in his face. He jumped back and then stared him down. "What are you doing here Dante…?"

Dante shrugged. "I finished my job, heading back to the station, and I saw you walking around with a little girl." He took a bite of a slice of pizza that Yu still didn't know where he got. "So, what is she? Sister? Cousin? Really young GF?"

Yu stared at him. "Cousin. What does it matter to you?"

Dante took another bite of the pizza slice. "It doesn't. Not to me anyways, but you've drawn the attention-" He swallowed the pizza and shuddered. "Not buying this brand anymore. Where was I…? Oh yeah. You've drawn the attention of demons now, so you might get attacked at night, they might kidnap anyone who's close to you if you become enough of a problem to them."

Yu's eyes widened and then looked down at the ground. "Son of a bitch…"

"Of course… I could always be convinced to stay here and take care of the problem… for a price, of course."

Yu looked up at Dante. "How much will it cost to hire you?"

Dante sighed and pulled a notebook from his jacket. "Let me check my rates here… Extermination is $500 up front, or about 60000 yen… rounded up. Scouting is $100… plus an extra $50 per demon I have to kill… and Protection detail is about 50 bucks a week, with an extra 25 per target." He put away the notebook with a sigh. "Well? What'll it be kid? You wanna protect the girl?"

Yu nodded and pulled 8000 yen out of his pocket, as he opened an Inventory window in there. "Here. There's a little extra in there, but I doubt that that's a problem." 'There goes my money…'

Dante whistled softly. "You sure kid? Because that looks like it's all of your allowance."

"Just take the damn money."

"Hey, a job is a job. And this one will be easy, considering you only killed some pawns." He took the cash and shoved it into his jacket. "At least Trish can stop nagging me about getting a steady paying job. Though I might have to do some Exterminations during this job, so… yeah."

Yu groaned. "Just… do your job and we won't have a problem. If she's hurt by a demon, hell, if she even sees a single demon… I don't know. I guess I'll just fire you, or dock your pay while she's hospitalized." He walked past Dante. "If you want to discuss the finer details, it can wait until after midnight. If you're doing your job, then you'll know where I'll be." Yu briskly walked away, thanking [Gamer's Mind] repeatedly as Dante faded in the distance.

Dante stared at Yu's retreating form and smirked. "Well I'll be damned. The kid has some balls after all." He chuckled as he began to follow Nanako. He paused as he heard sirens in the distance. "… Not my problem." Dante whistled as he resumed his walk.

Yu looked stood next to Yosuke and behind Chie in the gymnasium, because apparently there was some kind of announcement that the principal wanted to do. It was really… confusing, that the man would call for an assembly today, when there were police sirens blaring all day. He heard two girl gossiping near the group of three, but he ignored them.

Chie looked at the time and sighed as she closed her phone. "Yukiko said that she's be here after lunch…" She shook her head and looked back at Yosuke. "I wonder why they're holding a school assembly all of a sudden." When she got no response, she looked slightly concerned. "What's wrong Yosuke?"

Yosuke glanced up at her, seemingly dragged out of his own thoughts. "Huh? Oh, it's nothing…"

Yu looked up at the stage and saw Ms. Soufe standing behind a podium.

"Everyone, please settle down! The school assembly is about to begin." She looked to her left at an old man with a long, white beard. She then walked away from the podium as the man took her place.

"I… regret to inform you that I have a terrible announcement for all of you…"

Yu was about to look at his name, but that caught his attention more than the principal's name. 'This is about those sirens…Someone's dead.'

"One of our third-year students, Ms. Saki Konishi, of Class 3…" He looked down for a moment, as if he was trying not to break. "…has passed away."

Yu, Chie, and Yosuke all looked shocked. Chie was the first to speak. "Passed away…?!"

Yu looked down in thought. She seemed like a nice girl, so he didn't get why someone would want to kill her… unless he was right that something's not right with the Midnight Channel.

Yosuke just grimaced as he looked down, his hands curled into tight fists."

"She was found deceased early this morning, and the reasons of her passing are currently under investigation by the police. If they ask you for your cooperation, I urge you, as students of this school, to provide only the facts."

A slight murmuring went through the crowd of students about Saki.

"Alright, quiet down!" After a moment for the crowd to grow silent again, the principal cleared his throat. "I have been assured by the faculty that there was no sign of bullying involved in this… tragic incident. So mind what you say! Not only to the police, but to anyone who asks!"

"Found dead… how could this happen…?" She turned to Yosuke to ask if he was alright, but she stopped herself short, as it was pretty obvious that he wasn't.

Yosuke stared at the ground in a stunned silence.

Yu barely listened to the principal anymore, and was just worried about Yosuke. He looked like he was taking the news really hard.

Yu and Chie were walking back to class without Yosuke. He said that he had something to so and he left. Neither of them could think of anything to say to each other… well, in Yu's case, he just didn't want to talk. He was just going to think.

"Did you hear that she died the same way the announcer did? That's so creepy right?"

Yu stopped walking and listened in on the girls that were gossiping about the way their classmate was found dead… I should've infuriated him to no end, however [Gamer's Mind] took care of that before he could act rashly.

"Well, last time it was from an antenna, and this time she was hanging from a telephone pole. It's got to be a serial murder case…"

"Someone said that the cause of death was some unknown poison."

"Unknown? Come on, be serious. This isn't some sci-fi drama… Oh! By the way, did you hear? Someone saw a girl that looked like Saki on that Midnight Channel thingy. They said that she totally looked like she was in pain! Isn't that scary?"

One of the girls laughed a little. "Sounds like someone had a nightmare! The media's been broadcasting their interviews with her non-stop. They probably just had Saki on the brain." The two girls then walked off to their classes.

Chie groaned. "Sheese… It's real easy to throw around theories when you're not personally involved… I mean, how could they talk about her like she's nothing more than a conversation piece?!"

Yu shook his head. "Some people are just like that. They're either horrible people, or they genuinely don't know what they're doing wrong."

Yosuke walked up to the two coming from the front door. "… Hey… did you two check out the TV last night…?"

Yu shook his head. "I fell asleep before I could."

Chie sighed and nodded. "I studied to hard and fell asleep…But seriously Yosuke? You're doing this now too?!"

Yosuke snapped back at Chie. "Just listen for a sec!" He took a few slow breaths and then nodded to himself. "Something kept bothering me… so… I watched it again, and… that girl was definitely Saki-senpai."

This seemed to shock Chie, but all this did was confirm Yu's theory.

"There's no doubt about it… And… Senpai looked… she looked like she was writhing in pain…" Yosuke shook away his oncoming tears. "And… then she disappeared from the screen…"

Chie just stared at Yosuke. "W-What…?"

Yosuke stared Chie in the eyes. "You heard that Senpai's body was found in a similar position as that announ-… of Miss Yamano's body… right?"

Yu and Chie just nodded.

"W-Well, remember that guy you told us about Chie? How he was all excited that Ms. Yamano was their soulmate? Maybe… just maybe… but Ms. Yamano might've been on that Midnight Channel before she died too."

Chie began to grow worried again. "W-What's that supposed to mean…? … Hold on… are you saying that… people who appear on that TV… die?"

This actually shocked Yu, so he showed it. He knew that it was something else, but he didn't expect it to be that bad.

Yosuke shook his head. "I… can't say for sure. But something tells me… that this can't just be a coincidence…" He looked into Chie's eyes. "Plus, remember what that bear thing said? How that place was dangerous, and that we should leave before the fog clears?"

Yu looked over at Yosuke. "Te- The bear talked to you too?"

Yosuke just nodded at Yu. "Oh, I never got to thank you for saving our asses back there… I wish there was some other way to do it, but I can't think of anything else to do but to say thanks." Yosuke sighed, glad that he got that bit off of his chest. "But, the bear also told us that someone had been throwing people in there while he pretty much dragged us back to where we came from. And… that room with the torn up posters on the wall… That has to have something to do with that announcer's death! I-I mean… don't you just feel some kind of connection there…? Couldn't that world inside of the TV have something to do with Yamano and Saki-Senpai's death?!" He looked at Chie and saw that she was a little… well, she was processing this. So he turned to Yu. "Well…? What do you think…?"

Once Yu started to think about it, Yosuke was right. It really was too coincidental to just be random chance. If… IF the announcer was thrown in there like Teddie had been saying, then it's very possible that Saki was thrown in there as well. "You're probably right… there are way too many coincidences here for all of this NOT to be connected to the TV world."

Yosuke looked a little lighter, like something was taken off of his shoulders. "So… it's not just me, huh?"

He then looked back at Chie, who… didn't seem like she got it entirely. "If there is a connection, then it's a really good bet that both of them went inside of that world… That would explain the posters in that one room. Which means… that if we look around again, we might be able to find a place that's connected to Senpai, too."

Chie had a look of realization on her face. "Yosuke… please don't tell me that you're going to go back in there!"

Yosuke nodded. "Yeah, I am. But I can't get in on my own…" He turned to Yu. "So I need your help."

Chie shook her head. "Don't do this! Y-You should just let the police handle this, an-"

He looked at Chie again. "The police haven't made a single connection in the official case! They can't even figure out if this is a homicide or not! Besides, what do you think that they'll say when we tell them that there's a world inside of the TV?!" He turned back to Yu. "Please… I'm begging you…"

Yu nodded. "I'll help you get in. To tell you the truth, I wanted to go back there and explore a bit myself."

Yosuke nodded sadly. "Thanks… I know that it's dangerous, it's just… I need to know why Senpai had to die like this…And… there's no way that I can ignore it after what I've seen…" He took another slow breath to steel himself. "I've already gotten some of the stuff that I needed, but… I still need to go get some stuff. I'll be waiting for you at Junes." Yosuke ran out the doors to the school, leaving the two of them behind.

Yu waited for a moment, then started walking towards the front door.

Chie tried to stop him. "What are you doing?! Do you have any idea what will happen if we get caught doing this?"

Yu smiled. "You make it sound like we're doing something wrong. We're just helping a friend who isn't feeling that well through the day. He said that he needed to get some stuff, so who's to say that it isn't cold medicine or something?" He looked behind him, up the stairs. "And do you really want to listen to King Moron blather on about his generation for the third day in a row?"

Chie thought for a moment, then shuddered. "Yep. You have a good point! Let's go!" She sprinted out the building, wanting to get as far away from Morooka as she could.

Yu shook his head and walked out the doors, immediately entering an empty barrier of his to get to run at his top speed. He was at Junes in about ten minutes, glad that it was a small town. He waited a few minutes to break his barrier and then walk inside. He smiled when Yosuke came barreling through the automatic doors. "I thought that you said that you'd be waiting for me."

Yosuke panted heavily. "How… How the hell did you do that?! I didn't even see you pass me!"

Yu shrugged. "I was always faster then most people in my class, and there are a lot of ways to get here in a small town like this."

Yosuke quickly caught his breath and nodded. "Alright then… wait in the electronics department then. I still need to get some things." He walked into the store and went into… somewhere that Yu didn't follow.

Yu nodded and walked around in the grocery area to see if there was anything that he could get for dinner. He then looked at the snacks area and what he found… well, in hindsight, it shouldn't have surprised him at all.

Rice Cakes

Heals 10 HP when consumed.

Really should've seen that one coming. He took a look at some of the more healthy stuff and was not disappointed.

Health Warrior Chia Bar: Apple Cinnamon flavored

Decreases HP Regen time by 10 seconds (stacks) for 1 minute

Heals 25 HP when consumed

Yu grabbed that one and… a few more, and then walked away, just carrying them. He walked into the electronics section and saw that there still aren't many cameras around, so he shoved them into his Inventory just in case he needed them. He still felt bad about stealing, but this was a matter of survival. He waited for a while and then saw Yosuke coming back with a rope tied around his waist, holding a golf club and the rest of the rope in his other hand.

Yosuke smiled. "Glad to see that you haven't bailed on me just yet." He offered the golf club to Yu. "Here. I know that it isn't much, but I couldn't get into the swords. Someone stole one of them yesterday, and my dad has them on lockdown."

Yu shook his head and then winced internally. "You guys should really get more cameras." He took the golf club and gave it a few test swings before he Observed it.

Standard 5-Iron Golf club

6-10 bludgeoning damage

10% Crit chance

100% durability

REQ STR: 4

He swung it one more time and he got a skill for it.

Through the act of fighting with a blunt weapon, the skill [Blunt Weapon Mastery] has been created!

Blunt Weapon Mastery (Passive): LV:1 EXP: 17.37%: The art of wielding a weapon comes naturally to some, but most spend their entire lives mastering a single weapon.

+ 10% damage when using Blunt Weapons

+5% Crit Chance when using Blunt Weapons

-10% Durability degradation on all Blunt Weapons

He smiled and was about to head into the TV, when Chie showed up, panting. She looked up at the two teenage boys. "You… you guys can't be serious! I can't let you do this!"

Yosuke shook his head with a sigh. "I know that you won't Chie, but I'm asking you to look the other way for once and hold onto this." He held the rope out to her. "You're our lifeline. If anything goes wrong in there, I'll tug on the rope and you'll pull us out of there. Okay?"

Chie looked like she had so many questions, and concerns, and complaints, but she just settled for a reluctant nod as she grabbed the coiled up rope.

Yosuke smiled. "Thank you." He then turned around and started to walk towards the TV with Yu. "Well, are you ready?"

Yu looked at Yosuke. "Are you sure about this?"

"Positive."

Yu nodded and stuck his hand through the TV. When he was about to step through, Chie voiced her concerns again.

"Please be careful in there! If Saki really did die there, then… so could you two!"

Yu looked back at Chie. "We'll be fine Chie. Don't worry so much, okay?" He let Yosuke jump into the TV and he smiled at Chie before stepping into it as well. The two began to fall through the countless TV screens again, and Yu looked over at Yosuke. He saw… a problem. "Ummm… Yosuke? The rope's been cut."

Yosuke looked up at where the rope should be. "What're you talking… about…?! OH GOD DAMMIT!" The two landed on the ground, and while Yu rolled perfectly again, Yosuke… landed on his ass. Again.

Yu sighed as he dusted himself off. He then walked over to Yosuke and helped him up.

Yosuke groaned in pain. "Thanks… hey, we're in the same place as before…does that mean that we'll see that bear here again?"

Yu shrugged and began to look around. Yosuke was right, they are in the same area as they were before, it was just a little more foggy.

You have entered the Realm of Truth and Desires!

While you are in here, you will be blinded by the fog of the mind, and will grow incrementally more exhausted as time goes by. The exhaustion effect is negated by [Gamer's Body]

"Well, we're definitely in the TV world again…" Yu willed away the window and then heard a squeaking noise behind him.

"Y-You guys came back…Why'd you come back?" Teddie walked up to the two with a bewildered expression on his face.

Yu smiled as he turned around. "Hey Teddie. I know that this looks bad, bu-"

"Oh… I know what's going on here! You two are the ones that've been throwing people in here! I'll stop you right here!" He tried to growl menacingly, but it was… actually really adorable.

Yosuke yelled at Teddie. "What the hell did you just say?!"

"This world has been getting more and more messed up, and this is the second time you two came in here! And I don't think that anyone forced you in… that make you two the most suspicious! That means that you two have been throwing people in here!" He tried to roar this time, but is was still really funny.

Yu sighed. "Ted, use your brain. If we were the ones throwing people in here, then why would would we risk coming back?"

Teddie hummed in thought. "That's true… but you're still the most suspicious!"

Yosuke yelled at the bear again. "You know that if someone was thrown in here, they might die if they can't get out! Who would do such a-" He paused in thought, then had a look of grim realization. "Wait… All this talk about someone throwing people in here… does he mean Senpai and Ms. Yamano? Did that… 'someone' throw those two in here…?" He looked over at Yu. "W-What do you think?"

Yu nodded. "That has to be it. There's no way that they could've fallen in by accident. We tested that. That means that there's someone out there that… has the same power as me…" 'I just hope to god it's just the one where I can open the TV…'

Yosuke shuddered at the thought. "Yeah… I agree. So…" He turned back to Teddie. "Let's assume that he's telling the truth… Could that mean that someone's throwing people in here, intending to kill them…? If… if that's the case…"

Teddie stomped his foot… paw… thing on the ground. "What're you two mumbling about?! Why'd you come back here in the first place?! It's a one-way door! You can't get out once you come in! I had to make an exit last time, remember?!"

Yosuke looked down at his rope and sighed. "You had better let us out when we're done investigating here…"

Teddie growled again. "I'm the one who wants to investigate! I've lived here for a looong time, and it's never been as noisy as it is now! Do you have proof?! Proof that you're not throwing anyone in here?!"

Yu sighed. "No, we don't. But if you think for a moment, if we WERE the ones throwing people in here, and we KNOW that it's a one way door, why would we risk coming back here? And… if we were the person messing up your world, I doubt that we would've been sloppy enough to fall in her in the first place."

Teddie looked at his feet-paws and then groaned. "That isn't enough to convince me!"

'Well, Wisdom of 1 is coming into play now.' "Well, there's also the fact that if I wanted to bring people in here to kill them, I have had plenty of chances. And was there a hint of my scent in either of the two areas once the people were thrown in?"

Teddie shook his head. "Well… no… bu-"

"So that means that I didn't throw them in. And Yosuke can't. I'm the only one besides the killer who can make an entrance into here. And I know that THAT really is suspicious, but if I wanted people dead, then why would I have sacrificed myself so you guys could escape?"

Teddie groaned, then sighed. "Alright… I believe you. But you have to promise me something."

Yosuke sighed. "What is it…?"

Teddie suddenly looked pitiful. "I don't want my world to be all messed up like this… If you're not the ones doing this, find the guys who are. Please… I just want to live in peace…"

!Quest Alert!

Awakening of the Magician

Objective 1: Agree to assist Tedde

Objective 2: Discover the area where Saki Konishi died

Objective 3: Defeat ?

Reward: 3000 EXP, Chain Quest Unlocked, [Garu] Skill book

[This quest cannot be denied]

Yu thought for a moment and then remembered what Igor and Margeret said to him.

"In the coming days, you will enter a contract of some sort, after which, you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny…"

"If you fail to complete whatever task it is that brought you to us, your future will be forever lost."

Yu nodded and placed a hand on Teddie's shoulder… haunch… whatever it was. "Teddie… The whole reason we're here is to find answers. If those answers lead to the person behind this, then I'll help however I can."

Teddie sniffled. "R-Really…?

"Really. I promise that I'll do whatever I can to help you Teddie." Yu stood up straight and then looked over at the path they didn't take last time. "So, Yosuke, what do you say we take the road less traveled this time and head to the growling path… that's still growling."

Yosuke shook his head. "Okay, can we back up for a minute?" He pointed at Teddie. "What is that thing and how do you know it's name?!"

Yu looked back at Yosuke. "Oh, he told me after he pushed you guys out of here. And… I think that he's a bear…? Not sure about that." He looked at Teddie. "ARE you a bear?"

Teddie nodded and tried to flex. "Yep! The most manly bear there is!"

Yosuke thought for a moment. "Well… You have human hands and feet… so technically, you really are the manliest bear there is, considering that you can walk, talk, and fight."

Teddie shook his head. "Nope! I can't fight! I got no muscles! But, I can provide tact…tacta-…"

"Tactical?"

"Yeah! That! I can provide tactical and moral support!"

Yosuke sighed again. "Well, we have weapons… but they're mostly for show… But before we go look, we need to figure out what's going on here."

Yu nodded and sat down. "So, the fog has appeared twice in the past week, and every time the fog appeared, a dead body popped up."

Teddie tilted his head, which was kinda his whole body since he has no neck. He fell onto his side. "Dead body…? Whenever the fog appears? Well, I know that whenever it's foggy on your side, the fog lifts here. That's when the Shadows get violent!"

Yosuke sat down as well. "Okay… but what the hell are Shadows?"

Teddie shrugged. "Shadows are Shadows. I don't know anything else but that."

Yu closed his eyes. "Okay, so… people are being thrown in here, and they go missing in our world. Then they're killed by these Shadows whenever the fog lifts. And once they die, they're sent back to our world…? That makes no sense. Why would their bodies leave this world…?" 'Well, it's called the realm of Truth and Desires, so… maybe because they're dead, they have no more desires, so they don't belong here anymore once their dead, and expelled from this world in a random location.'

Teddie shrugged. "I dunno."

Yosuke deadpanned. "You're real helpful Ted…"

Yu sighed. "Well, until we have more ideas or evidence, we know two things. That someone else who has the same power as I do are throwing people in here, and that these Shadows are killing them on foggy days in our world… We need to figure out the killer's motive, and his way of execution…"

Yosuke looked over at Yu wryly. "You sure know a lot about this…"

Yu shrugged. "I used to watch a lot of crime shows. Didn't have much to do in the city."

Teddie jumped up with a smile. "Well, until you guys find this 'killer' of yours…" Teddie somehow twisted around and pulled two pairs of glasses out of nowhere. "Ta-da! Introducing, the 'Teddie Glasses'!"

'… What is it with people pulling things out of nowhere today? Observe'

Teddie Glasses

Special glasses the mysterious creature Teddie created!

Allows you to see through the fog of the mind, as well as prevents the exhausting effect of this world.

Yu took the black pair of glasses and he put them on. "Woah… Yosuke, put them on."

Yosuke sighed and grabbed the orange pair of glasses that Teddie had. He put them on and fell back in surprise. "Holy-! What are these things?! It's like the fog doesn't exist!"

Yu stood up and then looked over at the remaining path. "So, now that we have some semblance of a theory, let's actually start our investigation."

After a good 15 or 20 minutes of walking, the group of three ended up in a… weird, green lit shopping district that had those red spirals instead of doorways. They had chatted a bit along the way, Teddie learned Yosuke's name after saying wrong ten times in a row, probably just to piss them off.

Yosuke looked around, really confused. "What is this place…? It looks just like the shopping district…" He held his head and shook it violently. "What the hell is going on here?!"

Teddie shrugged. "I don't know… but some weird places have been popping up lately. Things are getting so tangled… I don't know what to do…"

Yosuke turned around and then glowered at Teddie. "By the way… why are you standing so far away from us…?"

Teddie waved his hands in front of him. "D-Don't get the wrong idea! I-I can't stand too close to you two! If we got in a fight, then I'd just get in the way!"

Yu looked up at the sky, really confused why the area was green, because the sky was spiraling black and red like the doorways. He slowly walked forward and then readied his golf club, just in case any of those Shadows showed up. He had to protect them. Teddie can't fight, and he was pretty sure that Yosuke couldn't either. "So, Teddie, is this where Saki-senpai fell?"

Teddie shrugged. "I don't know who this 'Saki-senpai' is, but I do know that a person came in here!"

Yosuke looked even more confused as time went on. "Man… they really went all out on this… but of all parts of town, why'd they replicate this one?"

Teddie shrugged. "I dunno. This is reality for the one who's in here."

"Hana-chan…"

Yosuke's eyes widened. "That was Senpai!" He ran forward, past the both of them.

"Yosuke wait!" Yu reached out to him, then groaned. "Let's go Teddie!" He ran after Yosuke, with Teddie's squeaky feet squeaking behind him as they chased the lovelorn kid. They soon wound up in front of a liquor store.

Teddie began to cower in fear. "S-Shadows! They're here…!"

Bloodlust Detected

10 ft in front of you

Yu scowled and gripped his golf club harder. He watched as two black blobs came out of the red and black spiral doorway. They had the same masks as those Hableries. The exact same, actually.

Yosuke fell back as the black masked blobs rushed towards them. "What are those things?!"

Teddie whimpered.

Yu scowled. "Those are Shadows. These are the things that killed Senpai and Yamano." He walked towards them as they rose into the air. The Shadows seemed to form a ball with the masks sticking out of them.

Slipping Hablerie

Yu yelled as he hit one into the ground with little difficulty. He then hit the other one to the side with no remorse. It didn't take out a lot of their HP, but it felt kinda good. Yu groaned and then decided that he wanted to end this quickly. "Persona." He activated [Summon Persona] and the entire area lit up as blue flames came forth from behind Yu. He smirked and then was hit in the chest by a third one.

HP: 258/300

"Stay calm and listen."

Yu looked behind him to see Teddie staring at him.

"All Shadows have strengths and weaknesses. These ones are weak to Lightning, so if you have anything that involves Lightning, use it."

Yu nodded and used Izanagi to launch him into the air. His persona shattered then reformed behind him, allowing Yu to land on his shoulder. Yu closed his eyes and thought about how to use his lightning affinity. After a few seconds, his thoughts were interrupted and he was forced to go back onto the ground. He dispelled Izanagi and used [Zio] on his golf club, though instead of it being a short burst of power, he wanted it to be a constant stream of power.

A special skill has been created through a special action!
Though empowering your weapon through utilizing the elements, the skill [Elemental Enhancement] has been created!

Elemental Enhancement (Active): LV:1 EXP: 0.10% SP cost: 10 SP per minute

You are close to the elements, and they have allowed you to infuse their essence into objects.

Grants an element to your weapon or armor for a time.

Elements available: Lightning

His golf club sparked with electricity after a moment and he smiled. He didn't have long to celebrate, however, as a fourth Hablerie rushed him. He slid under the strike and hit the thing as hard as he could, sending an electrical shock through it, seemingly doing more damage to it. But it wasn't enough. He kept the skill up and then summoned Izanagi again. His Persona's blade sparked as well. Yu stood still as Izanagi rushed into the slowly growing crowd. He sliced through one of them, killing it instantly.

"Shadows also have weak points on their bodies as well. This type of Shadow's weakness is their mask!"

"Thanks Teddie!" Yu jumped over another one and hit it really hard on the mask, sending a violent shock through the ball, and it slumped over.

[Blunt Weapon Mastery] has gained a level

He hit it again on the same part of its body and it disintegrated into… something. He looked over at Izanagi, who kept getting hit. Yu dispelled Izanagi and then looked over at his HP.

HP: 138/300

'So, when Izanagi gets hit, I take the damage, but after a certain amount of damage taken, he shatters, making me pay the full SP cost of keeping him active for a minute.

[Elemental Enhancement] has gained a level.

The sparks on the golf club became stronger and Yu blocked the tongue of the Hablerie, shocking it's innards, doing critical damage and stunning it. He hit the Shadow's mask as he briskly walked towards the remaining Shadows. They shuddered as he walked towards them, and they rushed at him. Yu hit one to the side and dodged out of the way of another one, slamming the club into its mask as it passed him, dealing a fatal blow.

Danger detected!

Right behind you!

Yu smirked and held the club behind his back, and as soon as the Hablerie's tongue touched his weapon, it was on the ground. He looked down at it and quickly finished it off.

You have gained… 160 EXP

Yu panted lightly as the last Shadow dissolved into nothing. He shut off [Elemental Enhancement] and he sighed. "Thank's for the help Teddie. Probably would've gotten seriously hurt there." He dusted off his clothes and walked back over to the two spectators. "We should keep going. It's not safe here."

Yosuke stared at Yu. "W-What was that?! Did I… hear you say 'Persona'?! What was it- I-I mean, what did you do?!" He then smiled a tiny bit, kinda hopeful. "Hey, you think that I could do it too?"

Teddie walked up to Yu, a glimmer of worship in his eyes. "That was amazing Sensei! I am one impressed bear!"

Both Yu and Yosuke stared at Teddie. "…Sensei?"

Teddie ignored them. "I can't believe that you were hiding such an amazing power! No wonder the Shadows are afraid of you! This is amazing!" He turned to Yosuke. "Don't you think so Yosuke?"

Yosuke scowled and then pushed Teddie hard, causing him to pivot on his head and flip back onto his feet. "Dude! You call him 'Sensei' but don't show me any respect?!"

"Hana-chan…"

Yosuke looked towards where Saki's voice came from and saw the red and black doorway. "I'm coming Saki!" He ran forward and phased through the red and black stuff.

Yu groaned in frustration and walked towards the doorway, but paused when he heard voices echoing from somewhere.

"I wish Junes would just go under."

"It's all that store's fault!"

Yu looked around, trying to find out where the voices were coming from. "What is this?"

"Oh, I heard that Konishi-san's daughter is working there."

"Oh my… how could she, with the family business suffering like it is…?"

"I heard their sales have gone downhill because of Junes!"

"That poor father… to have his own daughter working for the enemy…"

"What a troublesome child…"

Yu frowned. "Hey… Teddie, you said that this place is reality for the people who come in here, right?"

Teddie nodded.

"So… that would mean that this was Saki-senpai, who is the person who fell in here recently, that would mean that this was her reality when she fell in here, right?"

Teddie shrugged. "I only know what goes on over here… but I think so…"

Yu nodded and looked around to see if there were any more Shadows appearing before touching the doorway, causing the spiraling door to fade. Him and Teddie ran into the store and saw Yosuke looking up at the ceiling, mesmerized by something.

"Saki! How many times do I have to tell you!?"

Yosuke seemed shocked. "I-Is this… Senpai's dad?"

"You know what the neighbors say about you, right?! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?! You're the eldest daughter of a family that's owned this store for generations! Is it the money?! Or-or did you meet some guy there?! Just tell me why you have to work THERE of all places!"

Yosuke looked down at the ground. "I… I can't believe this… She always looked like she had so much fun at work… She never said anything like this to me…" He suddenly became pissed off. "You're telling me that THIS is how she saw thi-" He looked over at the desk and then noticed something of interest. He ran over to them, with Yu and Teddie following close behind. "These photos… hey…" He picked up a destroyed Polaroid picture on the desk. "This is the picture that we took with the other part-timers at Junes…But w-why is it cut up like this…?" It was a picture of Saki, with Yosuke standing next to her. The other ones, if there were any, were cut out."

"I… never had the chance to say it…" Saki's voice echoed from everywhere.

Yosuke looked up again. "S-Senpai… That's her voice…"

"I always wanted to tell Hana-chan…"

Yosuke started to smile slightly. "S-She wanted to tell me something…"

"That he was a real pain in the ass!"

"W-What?!" Yosuke suddenly looked pained beyond belief.

"I was nice to him just because he was the store manager's son, that's all! But he takes it the wrong way and gets all enthusiastic… what a dip…"

"P-Pain… In the ass…?"

"Who cares about Junes anyways?! Because of that fucking store, our business is ruined, my parents hate me, the neighbors talk behind my back…"

Yu gritted his teeth as he forced his own memories away.

"I just wish everything would fucking disappear…"

Yosuke looked back at the picture. "T-That's a lie… It's all a lie… Senpai's not like that…!"

A mocking voice called out from their right. "It's…" The voice sniffled. "So sad… I feel sooo sorry for myself… boo hoo…!"

The three turned to the right and saw Yosuke leaning up against a pillar of kegs. He had glowing yellow eyes and this weird fog around him.

"Actually, I'm the one who thinks everything's a pain in the ass!" Yosuke laughed as he stood up straight.

Yu looked at the new Yosuke and looked at his name.

The Winds of Stagnation

Shadow Yosuke

LV: 4

Teddie looked in between the two mostly identical people. "What the… Two Yosuke's…?"

Yosuke ran over to his Shadow. "W-Who the hell are you?! I-I wouldn't think that!"

Shadow Yosuke laughed mockingly. "Yeah right, how long are you gonna keep deluding yourself?" Shadow Yosuke smirked. "Screw the shopping district, and Junes too! The hell with it all! You're sick of everything… especially living out in the sticks!"

Yosuke took a nervous step back. "W-What are you saying…? T-That's not true at all… I don't… I don't think that…"

Shadow Yosuke smiled in victory. "You always act so carefree, and happy-go-lucky, 'cause you're so terrified of being alone! The more the merrier right? You've gotta be surrounded by people to block out the pain of isolation!" He then leaned in closer and looked over at Yu. "And what's this crock of shit about checking this place out for Saki's sake? Hah! I know the real reason why you came snooping…"

Yosuke shook his head in denial. "S-Stop it…!"

Shadow Yosuke started laughing again. "Why so panicked? I thought that I was just spouting bullshit! Or maybe… I DO know everything you're thinking! Why's that…?" He gave Yosuke a second to think. "Because… I AM you!" He chuckled. "You just came because it sounded like a good time! What else is there to do in this shithole?!" The Shadow adopted a thinking pose. "A world inside the TV… now THAT'S exciting! You didn't have a single other reason for coming here, did you?!"

Yosuke looked completely defeated as he looked down at his feet. "That's not true… stop it…just stop…"

"You're just trying to act like a big shot… If all went well, hey, maybe you could even be a hero! And that Saki you're so sweet on, her death was the PERFECT excuse!" Shadow Yosuke looked at Yu again. "But then HE had to come along and steal your thunder. Showing you up with that awesome power of his, as long as he's around, you'll never be the hero! You'll always be second fiddle, and he'll always take people away from you! Just like your dad did when he brought you here in the first place! Really, it's all his fault that you're even like this anyways…"

Yu looked over at Yosuke, who was trembling from rage.

Yosuke looked at his Shadow. "That's not true! What the hell are you?! WHO the hell are you?!"

Shadow Yosuke chuckled. "I already told ya… I'm you! Your Shadow. There's NOTHING that I don't know about you."

Yosuke shook his head again. "No! Screw that! I don't know you!" He looked back up at his Shadow and yelled in his face. "You can't be me, you son of a bitch!"

Shadow Yosuke began to laugh hysterically. "That's right! Say it again!"

Yosuke hesitated for a moment, but then stared into his Shadow's glowing eyes. "You're not me. You're nothing like me!"

Shadow Yosuke smirked. "That's right… I am me now. I'm not you anymore, see?!" A black fog surrounded him and black, foggy tendrils shot from the rapidly glowing silhouette.

Yu looked over at Yosuke, and then ran over to catch him as he fainted. "Teddie! Get Yosuke to safety!"

Teddie ran over to to the two and struggled to drag Yosuke away from the area.

Yu turned back to the growing figure and the black fog around the Shadow was sent after him in a violent gust. He summoned his Persona just so he could stand his ground. He dispelled Izanagi and saw a giant frog with a giant, golden, vicious grin with the upper torso of a humanoid figure. The humanoid figure was purely black with golden, metal stars bolted to where its eyes should be. Yu felt fear begin to well up in him, before [Gamer's Mind] made him much more calm than any human being should be in a situation like this.

"I am a Shadow… the TRUE self… I'll crush anything that bores me… starting with YOU!" Shadow Yosuke lept into the air and when he landed, a wall of wind emanated from him and tore down the real walls, revealing a battlefield.

Yu gritted his teeth and Observed the Shadow.

The Winds of Stagnation

Shadow Yosuke

HP: 300/300

SP: 365/375

STR: 15

VIT: 12

DEX: 28

INT: 15

WIS: 9

LUK: 15

'His stats are triple what Yosuke's are, and he's fast, except for his DEX, which is quadruple. So he's fast. Despite his size, he'll be much faster than me. So I'll have to keep him down.' "Teddie! Give me an analysis!" Yu summoned Izanagi and then activated [Elemental Enhancement] to give himself an edge. He had Izanagi rush the giant and distract him as he ran around, striking the legs of the frog. He barely did any damage to it, but he wanted to whittle it down and survive if he could.

Shadow Yosuke laughed maniacally as he gripped Izanagi. "How long can you survive this!?" He then threw the Persona at Yu, who dispelled Izanagi before he could be pinned by the Persona. He summoned Izanagi again and gritted his teeth as a blue film overlapped the Naginata.

HP: 295/300

Izanagi rushed Shadow Yosuke and struck at him multiple times win quick succession.

HP: 275/300

[Cleave] has gained a level!

Yu winced slightly as he watched his HP drain.

HP: 155/300

He shook off the pain and pulled one of those items from his Inventory and consumed it.

HP: 200/300

HP: 196/300

HP: 192/300

"Sensei! I got his weaknesses! You need to strike it with Lightning and on it's stomach!"

Yu nodded at Teddie and and ran behind the giant frog while Izanagi distracted it. He was really wishing that he had a bladed weapon right now, though he still struck once, dealing critical damage. He then smirked as he fired a [Zio] from his left hand straight up at Shadow Yosuke, dealing critical damage and stunning him.

SP: 255/275

[Zio] has gained a level!

Yu re-summoned Izanagi to his side and activated [Cleave] again.

HP: 137/300

He then snapped and had Izanagi stab up into the frog's stomach a slice down the length of the Shadow, dealing massive amounts of damage to both parties. Turns out [Cleave] takes HP per second of damage given as well.

HP: 17/300

Yu dispelled Izanagi and rolled out from under Shadow Yosuke and Observed him again.

HP: 1/300

Yu ran over to Teddie watched Shadow Yosuke sway a bit, then collapse, only to stand again. He wanted to show mercy, but… well, it's not a person, right? So he held his hand out towards the dying monster and finished it off with one last [Zio]. He watched it fall down as red and black fog spilled from the slice Izanagi had made like it was blood. The body of Shadow Yosuke twitched slightly as its body slowly began to melt into red and black ooze. Aster said ooze faded away, Shadow Yosuke was laying there as Yosuke.

Yosuke groaned as he woke up. He stared at the sky as he laid down. "I… I…"

Yu ran over to Yosuke with Teddie following behind. "Yosuke! Are you okay?!" He helped Yosuke to stand up.

Yosuke nodded. "Y-Yeah… I think so…What… What happened…?" He turned around and saw his Shadow staring at him.

"…"

Yosuke shook his head. "You… You can't be me…"

Teddie walked up to Yosuke and patted his back. "That thing came from you Yosuke…You have to admit it… or it'll go berserk again…"

Yosuke looked down at the ground.

Yu sighed. "Look, Yosuke… everyone has a side like that. It's always hard to accept that it exists, and even harder to accept that it's a part of you."

"You little bastard! Making me look bad in front of your teachers! Get the hell out of my sight! I never want to see you again!"

"But once you do, it'll feel like all the weight that you've been carrying your entire life will go away. That's your Shadow. And… you need to accept that… But your Shadow isn't just you. You're still yourself. He's just a part of you."

For helping your friend through his mental crisis, you have gained + 2 INT and 1 WIS!

Yosuke turned around and looked at Yu. "Myself huh…?" He then looked back down at the ground. "Dammit… It hurts to face yourself." He took a deep breath then turned back to his Shadow. He walked towards the clone of himself. "I… I knew that you weren't lying… But… I was so ashamed of myself, that I… I didn't want to admit it…You… You're me… and… and I'm you. Heh. When you get down to it, all of this is me."

Shadow Yosuke looked shocked, then nodded with a soft smile, his eyes slowly beginning to mirror Yosuke's as the weird fog around it was replaced with soft blue light. Soon the clone of Yosuke faded and a persona rose from the light.

Calm Before the Storm

Jiraiya

Jiraiya looked down at Yosuke and nodded. He then shattered and the light faded, leaving behind a card that slowly spun down in front of Yosuke, before shattering into hundreds of shards. Those shards spun around and then flowed into Yosuke, knocking him back slightly.

Yosuke held a hand over where the shards entered his soul. "This… is my Persona…?" He turned back to Yu and nearly collapsed again. Instead, Yu caught him and helped him to stand. "Thanks… You know…? When we heard Senpai's voice… I really thought that she was calling to me… And when she said all those things… I thought that those were things that she had hidden deep down inside of her…" He chuckled bitterly. "'He was a real pain in the ass' huh…? Heh… what a way to find out… Geez… this is so embarrassing…" He looked up at Yu. "If you weren't here… I don't know what would've happened… Thanks man…" Yosuke then looked at Teddie. "Hey, Teddie. Do you think that Saki-senpai could've been attacked by her other self here…? Like how it just happened to me?"

Teddie nodded. "I think so. The Shadows here were originally born from the humans on your side. Sometimes the fog clears here, and then they go berserk. And… you saw what happens next. A strong willed Shadow draws others to it, and the big mass of Shadows kills the host."

Yosuke nodded a bit. "So… that's why people die on foggy days in our world…" He then groaned as his eyes slowly closed.

Teddie looked worried, which was somehow cute on him. "Yosuke's pretty worn out… we need to get him out of her as soon as we can. This world isn't meant for humans… it's not safe for you guys…"

'Not safe for humans… but I'm not affected by this world… I know that I'm still human… but… it's worth looking into.'

!Quest Complete!

Awakening of the Magician

Objective 1: Agree to assist Tedde

Objective 2: Discover the area where Saki Konishi died

Objective 3: Defeat ?

Reward: 3000 EXP, Chain Quest Unlocked, [Garu] Skill book

Yu flinched when the quest alert popped up, and he expected to see the book appear in his hands, but nothing happened, so he assumed that items from quest rewards go directly into his Inventory. He slowly followed Teddie back to the entrance, being careful not to rush Yosuke. They soon stood in front of a stack of TVs.

You have returned to the entrance of the dungeon! All forms of recovery are accelerated slightly.

Yu looked back at Teddie who sighed.

"I'll be waiting for you here."

Yu smiled reassuringly. "I'll come and visit as much as I can Teddie. It must get really lonely here, hiding from Shadows and just… waiting." He helped Yosuke through the exit and then waved at Teddie as he tried to look decent by backing into the exit, but he tripped and fell through the exit.

* 1000 yen is 8.92 in American dollars

** Kamiyonanayo: The seven generations of gods that emerged after the formation of heaven and earth.

*** Ame-no-nuboko: The spear that Izanagi and Izanami wielded to raise the first land mass.

So, this was actually kinda hell to write, but I refused to wait another month like the last time, so, here we are. And I know the amount of crap I'm going to get for putting Dante in this because he isn't in Persona. Let me explain the loopholes that I'm going to use to bring him into this. Dante was a boss fight in the second Shin Megami Tensei game, Nocturne. Technically, the persona franchise stemmed from those games, so I'm using that branching connection to bring him into this. And as for why Shadow Yosuke was a really easy boss fight for Yu is because he used his Persona as a distraction while he came up with a plan. That's the best I got right now, and I may have a better explanation/excuse next chapter. So, if you like the story, follow it if you'd like, leave a review and I'll try to answer anything you ask, and I'll see you next time!