--------------------------------Chapter 10: The Mystery Seven-------------------------------------
----------------------------------10th January – near midnight---------------------------------------
Everyone seems to have gathered in a giant room containing a huge plasma screen tv. The room seems pretty empty except for a few furniture such as a table, a sofa, a vending machine and a statue of Sherlock Holmes. The rain pattered softly on the windows as a fog starts to appear.
Yosuke: This room is nice! Spacious and it has a plasma tv. That rocks. Though, thestatue kind of creeps me out.
Naoto: -chuckles- My grandfather loved Sherlock Holmes when he was young. He even bought this statue with his own money.
Kanji: To think that some people would even sell something like that.
Naoto: No….........My grandfather ordered it especially for himself. He was from a wealthy family.
Yosuke: But….....what a waste of money….....
Rise: Guys, we should get comfy and wait until its midnight. Just 1 more minute.
Chie: Comfy!? But we're watching the midnight channel. We're supposed to be tensed.
Teddie: Awww…....You can sit on me if you're scared Chie-chan.
Chie: Haha…..I'll pass…..
Yukiko: Its midnight!
Everyone gathered and stood in front of the tv. They were waiting for a rather long time.
Yosuke: This isn't a nice feeling……I may need to go to the toilet.
Chie: Just keep quiet!
Yosuke: What the hell for!? Nothing is coming on.
Soon, the screen came on. It was showing 7 shadowy figures. The background was the same as the forest they came across. Out of all the 7, only one was slightly more visible. The top half is not so visible but the bottom half is visible. Due to the body shape, it is definitely a guy. He seems to be wearing a pair of Louis Vuitton jeans. That is all that is visible.
Teddie: Whoa!? Seven people!? We're going to have to save seven people!?
Naoto: Probably…………
Visible guy: Hahahaha!!!!!
Everyone: !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Visible guy: Yo!! I didn't know that I will get to meet you guys like this!!! Hahahaha!!!
Yosuke: WH-WHAT THE HELL!?!?!?!?
Kanji: WHAT'S GOING ON!?!?!?!?!?
Visible guy: Hahahaha!!! Poor, poor innocent minds. Hahaha!!! This would really be fun.
Chie: Wh-Who are you?
Visible guy: You don't have to know that now……But you will….in due time….When it finally affects all of you.
Naoto: What do you mean by affect?
Visible guy: Hahahaha!!!! Just forget I said that….I hope to see you soon.…
Rise: What are you talking about?
Visible guy: Bye Bye. –imagine this like the way Ichimaru Gin from Bleach says it-
The tv just turned off by itself. The room remained silent, until…
Yosuke: Who was that guy?
Teddie: He was creepy…
Yukiko: But….somehow, his voice sounded so familiar…..
Naoto: Yeah…..but, I just can't make out who….
Kanji: Anyway, does anyone know what the hell is going on?
Yosuke: I can safely say…........that….........I do not know.
Souji: But there is one thing we all know.
Yosuke: And what might that be?
Souji: We're going to have to enter the midnight channel again.
Chie: B-But, its gotten more dangerous in there. What if we meet those seven people? We have no idea what they're capable of. And we have a choice to enter or not to enter. I'll go with the latter.
Souji: Don't you want to save that world again? What if it affects this world again? We need to find out who those seven are and what they're up to. We have very little information right now. And I'm guessing that the only ones who are more informed about what happened in the midnight channel than us would be them.
Kanji: But you saw what that guy could do right? He could see us and talk to us through a tv!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Naoto: But….....we don't have a choice……......If we want to fix the midnight channel and prevent any future trouble, we should get to the closest form of information that we can. They were standing in the place that we arrived at. So, they can definitely get into and out of the midnight channel at will.
Yosuke: Yeah…the last I remembered was that there were no humans in the midnight channel, except for us of course.
Yukiko: Then….when do you suggest we enter the midnight channel?
Yosuke: Tomorrow, after school.
Rise: But, we can't do that. Tomorrow is the meeting for the dance club. I can't cancel the instructor's trip at such short notice.
Yosuke: Jeez……Let me ask you something. The fate of the world or the dance club? I'm going to have to go with the fate of the world.
Rise: Hey, but we don't even know what's going on!!
Yosuke: That's why we're going into the tv tomorrow!!
Souji: I would suggest we attend the dance club.
Yosuke and Kanji: What the hell!?!?!?
Souji: Not to be against you or anything, Yosuke, but we haven't bought any equipment to go exploring yet. I highly doubt that you all will still have your previous equipments with you. Therefore, we need to buy some new ones. And since we would most probably take a while to get used to it again or rather earn the money to buy it, I would suggest that we don't waste the whole day training but rather fill in our time by attending the club. We can always explore it the next day.
Yosuke: You know, for a guy who hardly says anything, you can come up with such long sentences and such big ideas.
Chie: So…..we're not entering the tv tomorrow?
Yosuke: Heh….I guess not…
Rise: Great!! Then, we shall meet in my class after school.
Everyone: Fine.
Teddie: Yeah!! Can I bring my tango clothes?
Yosuke: Tango clothes? What tango clothes?
Teddie: Oh, the one I found lying on your parent's bed the other day.
Yosuke: You mean YOU stole it!?!?! My parents have been looking for it for a week or two now!!! You do know it costs around 300,000 yen!!!!
Teddie: How come they couldn't find it? It was just lying in your room.
Yosuke: They would probably not suspect their own son…….…WHAT!!! MY ROOM!!!DO YOU KNOW THAT IF THEY SO HAPPEN TO FIND IT, I WILL BE MURDERED!!!!!!
Teddie: Oooooo. Well, I guess I can always put it back.
Yosuke: Your treating this like its NOTHING!!!!!!!!!
Yukiko: Oh, just shut your bloody useless mouth up.
Chie: Eh…….Yukiko, do you know what you just said.
Yukiko: -gasps- Oh, I'm sorry. It just came out again.
Kanji: Ok………Weird……….
Naoto: I feel very uneasy right now. How are we supposed to sleep with so much going on in our minds?
Rise: Don't worry Naoto. We're going to be here with you the whole night.
Kanji: Wait….Whole night?
Chie: Yeah. We're having a sleepover at Naoto's house.
Yosuke: Wait. Then, what about us?
Naoto: My uncle allowed only girls.
Teddie: I can always cross-dress again.
Yosuke: Eh…..Let's just forget about it.
Kanji: But…..I'm going to have trouble sleeping too.
Yosuke: My parents are going to kill me and Teddie on the count of that we snuck out to come here. If only there was someone…….
Teddie: Yeah……If only we have someone that is kind and willing to sacrifice a little. Someone like sensei…..
Kanji: So…….…What do you say senpai? Can we crash at your place?
Souji:………………..Fine………..I guess my uncle won't care so much cause he's out at work.
Yosuke: Great then!!
Kanji: I'll bring my sewing kit and plushies!!!
Everyone:…………………………..
Kanji: Wait!? Did I just say that out loud?
Yosuke: Yeah…….You did.
Kanji: Hahaha……..Just forget I said that.
Rise: Of course!! Then again, I can always use it to blackmail you.
Kanji: Ha!!! But you have no proof.
Rise: I always carry a voice recorder with me!!
Kanji: What the hell!? What for!?
Rise: Haha…….You don't have to know.
Chie: Hah………Another item to stalk Souji with……….
Souji:…………………………
The guys went home after that. It took a while to get everyone's stuff but they all still slept over at Souji's place after that. Even though, with everyone around, no one could sleep well last night.
The next day, after school, in Rise's class……………..
Rise: The instructor will be coming to the unused English room on the second floor of the practice building. We should head there soon.
Yosuke: Aww, man. This reeks. Why can't you create a more interesting club like…..
Teddie: The lingerie club!!
Kanji: Teddie!? Where did you come from? And a lingerie club?
Yukiko: You sicko.
Teddie: I came to get ready for the dance club!! Or lingerie club!!
Rise: Ahh!! You sick bastard. –slaps Teddie-
Teddie: OUCH!! Sensei!! She slapped me!! –cries-
Everyone: !?!?!!?
Rise: But, I didn't slap him that hard!!
Teddie: No. Actually, it was really weak.
Chie: Then, why did you cry?
Teddie: I don't know. It's like my body reacted on its own.
Kanji: Ahh!!! First Yukiko….now Teddie!?
Rise: Let's just go.
Meanwhile, in the other world…….
A path is open yet again, but this time the name is……
TEDDIE.
Two shadow figures are sitting down on the pavement. One was the guy that was talking through the tv. Another one is unknown.
Familiar voice: Whoa? Teddie? Hmmm…….Things are going slow aren't they?
Unknown voice: Hmph. Be patient. –his voice was similar to Byakuya from Bleach-
Familiar voice: Your always like this!! Why don't you try to act a little more like me.
Unknown voice: If I did that, I will have to commit suicide.
Familiar voice: Damn you, Kisano!!!!
Kisano: Hmph. We are on duty today. It's best if you shut up so that we might not need to fight………….........again.
Familiar voice: I can take them if they come. I'll just do a little bit of this….HA!! and a little bit of that…HA!!! –he was swinging his hands as though he was wielding a broadsword.
Kisano: -sighs- Why did I even volunteer to be your partner?
Familiar voice: Cause I'm one of the strongest!! Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!
Kisano: Hate to burst your bubble but you are one of the weakest……Wait, sorry. What I meant to say was…….............You ARE the weakest.
Familiar voice: Ahhh!!! Don't crush my pride!!!
Kisano: What pride?
In the 'English room' but now currently is the dance club room. The instructor along with all the members has gathered. The instructor seems to be giving a lecture on the basics and styles of dancing.
Instructor:……..and so, you need to lift your body higher......OK!!!! If you would please get your pair!!! Then just practice the basic steps that I just told you.
Rise: Senpai!! Did you understand that? I can guide you along through it. –blushes-
Souji: Sure.
Souji and Rise started dancing. But instead of the basics, Rise started him off with an advanced dance step.
Chie: So…..I move here and then here. –doing the basic dance steps-
Yosuke: Follow…..follow…..coordinate……move left and right and…….-trips over his own leg- Whoa!? Ahh!!!!! –bump- OUCH!! My ass.
Chie: Now do you finally understand why you're called Sir 'trips a lot'?
Yosuke and Chie stopped dancing and began arguing.
Kanji: Lalalalala……Chachacha……Domdomdom. –Kanji was dancing the basics like he was a pro-
Naoto: What in the world? How can you dance like that?
Kanji: Oh. I used to take dance lessons when I was around 7 years old. I took it for like a year. –blushes shyly-
Naoto: Only a year!? You're so good.
Kanji: You're not half-bad yourself.
Kanji and Naoto continued dancing as they talked.
Daisuke: Whoa!? Ai!! You can really dance!!
Ai: It's a natural talent.
Daisuke: Why don't you join the drama club?
Ai: There aren't any handsome guys there.
Daisuke: Oh. I see.
Daisuke and Ai continued their conversation and eventually left early.
Yukiko: Lalalalala…….. –Yukiko was dancing amazingly well-
Teddie: Whoa!? Yuki-chan. You dance so beautifully. So graceful.
Yukiko: Erm….Thanks!!
Teddie: Can you help me? –says it in a very naughty way-
Yukiko: Oh. Just ask the instructor.
Yukiko and Teddie continued dancing.
Instructor: OK!!! Just continue if you want to!!! I need to leave!!!
The instructor left. It seems that everyone's not stopping. Rise is practically hugging Souji because she wanted to 'teach' him slow dancing. Chie and Yosuke are trying to get the basics right. Naoto and Kanji are dancing as good as ever. And Yukiko and Teddie were talking more than dancing.
Soon, everyone decided to stop and rest before going to shop for their weapons.
Rise: Ahh, man!! I'm really tired!!
Chie: Well….that's the result of dancing with Souji. Who knew he was so much better than you?
Rise: Senpai is not better!!
Souji: Yeah………....Rise is better.
Rise: Senpai!? –blushes-
Souji: She was guiding me through it.
Chie: Ok. At least you can keep up. Yosuke was so useless.
Yosuke: Hey!! I heard that you know!! YOU were the one who was always bumping into me.
Chie: Me!? Oh, excuse me for breaking your fall Sir 'trips a lot'!!!!
Yosuke: Fine!! If you want to lie go ahead!!
Chie: Me, lie!? Come on, then. You…….me…….the dance floor now.
Yosuke: Alright. Let's see who's mistake it is going to be!!!!
Kanji: Whoa!?
Naoto: They get angry really fast.
Yukiko: Chie's more hot-headed than usual today.
Teddie: I wonder who to support…..?
Yosuke and Chie started dancing the basics. Then, they increased their pace before making a few more advanced steps. Yosuke and Chie are both really good when they are determined to prove the other wrong. But, they can only keep up the pace for a short time. Both of them are starting to get uncoordinated. Suddenly, Yosuke tripped on his own feet and drops on Chie. He tried helping her up but she pushed him off and started yelling.
Chie: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!!!
Yosuke: I'm sorry. It was an accident. Don't get so angry. You won already.
Chie: BUT YOU FELL ON ME!!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW HEAVY YOU WEIGH!!!!
Yosuke: Alright already. What's with the insult? I already said I was sorry.
Chie: THAT'S NOT THE POINT HERE!!!!! WHAT IF THAT HAPPENED IN BATTLE!!!! I COULD HAVE DIED!!!
Yosuke: -talks softly- Geez…..Maybe if you WOULD have died, I wouldn't get yelled at right now.
Chie: Take this.
Chie kicked Yosuke with such tremendous force that he was sent flying to the wall at the back of him. Now everyone in the room are panicking.
Yosuke: Argh. –as he falls to the ground-
Yukiko: Oh my god!! Yosuke!!! –goes to help him up-
Rise: Whoa!? Chie, calm down!!!
Naoto: Yes. That was very unnecessary.
Chie: It was so damn necessary.
Kanji: He just fell on you!!!
Chie: So, what!! Do you want to fight me instead!?!?!?
Kanji: Wait. What? No!!!!
Souji: Damn…….
Souji immediately pressed down on Chie's shoulder pressure point with enough force to knock her out.
Rise: Senpai!?
Souji: She needs to calm down. She's gotten even worse than before.
Kanji: Why?
Naoto: If I'm correct, I remembered that guy from the tv saying something about IT finally affecting all of us. Though I'm not too sure what IT means but he could be referring to what's happening to us. Yukiko is starting to get angry very fast if we fight a little and now Chie seems to turn a small accident into a big problem.
Teddie: But, who or what is doing this to us? –cries-
Souji:………………We don't know yet. But, this only started after we went into the midnight channel. So, it must be something from there.
Yosuke: A virus or disease perhaps?
Souji: I don't know. But, we do know something…….
Kanji: And that would be????
Souji: We can't back down to explore the midnight channel. We need to get to the bottom of this and those seven people know more than we think.
Yukiko: Ok. Since Chie is out cold, I'll bring her to my place. Teddie, help me out guys should just go ahead and buy our weapons for us. You should know what types we like and the quality as well.
Souji: Alright.
Yukiko and Teddie left while carrying an unconscious Chie with them.
Yosuke: Well……Shouldn't we leave now?
Kanji: Yeah.
Rise: By the way senpai, how did you learn to knock people out like that?
Souji: Martial arts. It was compulsory for my school last year.
Rise: You learn that as the basics!?
Souji: No. You will have to be at least 3 ranks lower than a black belt to learn it.
Rise: What!? You got that high in a year!?
Souji: Actually, I was the second from black.
Rise: Wow!! You really are very cool. –blushes-
Naoto: Well, anyway…….Let's get going.
Meanwhile, in the other world…….....The name Chie appeared on yet another road.
Kisano: Chie Satonaka huh?
Familiar voice: Awesome!! Two in one day!!! Yeah!!! –pant- -pant-
Kisano: Don't act like a buffoon.
Familiar voice: Hey!! –pant- -pant-
Kisano: Just shut up and concentrate. You need to focus.
Apparently, Kisano seems to be sparring with the guy. They are fighting hand to hand.
Familiar voice: Aww……Can we rest for a while?
Kisano: Who was it that wanted to spar in the first place huh?
Familiar voice: I thought you hadn't trained in a long time!! I was training my ass off.
Kisano: To train past your limit is a very stupid way. To not train regularly is also stupid. I do not follow these two actions. You on the other hand, follow the first one.
Familiar voice: Are you always going to insult me? You do know that it doesn't affect me whatsoever right?
Kisano: By saying that, it can be said that you are hiding the fact that it is affecting you.
Familiar voice: Why you!!!
Kisano: Shut up!! HE is talking to me…..
Familiar voice: Oh!! –shuts himself up-
Kisano: Ah huh. Right. HE said that we need to get to base now. He has one of THEM.
Familiar voice: The persona users?
Kisano: No, you idiot.
Familiar voice: How the hell was I supposed to know!!?? You were the one talking!!!
Kisano: Yes, but you already know that persona users means nothing to our plan. They'll just get in the way. That's why we have to eliminate them.
Familiar voice: Then, why don't we act now? We can just go into their world and slash them to pieces!!
Kisano: Don't be a fool. You already tried that remember. Whenever we enter the human world, our power gets decreased by 90% and we lose half of our intellect.
Familiar voice: Yeah, but YOUR 10% is good enough. Mine only managed to crack a bone.
Kisano: Forget it. Let's go now,…………….....Nito Magashi.
Nito: Sure can do.
Well, that's the end for this chapter. Sorry I took so long but I was caught up in homework. Normally, I would release my story every Tuesday. I don't think I'll manage this Tuesday but the next one. Hopefully.
Just in case you forgot…….Nito Magashi was a guy in chapter 6. Just read through it again to refresh your memory on what he did.
Well, hope you like it!!!