--------------------------------Chapter 11: Time To Explore------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------13th January---------------------------------------------------
After school, in Junes….
Yosuke: AAAAAHHHH CHOO!!!!!! –sneezing-
Chie: Ah, gross.
Yosuke: I can't help it, dammit. I'm sick.
Yukiko: Then, why did you come today?
Yosuke: Cause I felt bad about letting you guys down yesterday.
Kanji: It's better than coming along with us when you can't even fight.
Yosuke: I can. Maybe just a little.
Teddie: Shouldn't we go now?
Naoto: Not yet. Souji-senpai and Rise aren't here yet.
Chie: Where are they?
Naoto: Rise has to tend to the store for a while because her grandmother went out. Souji is helping her.
Chie: Oooo. Love birds already huh?
Naoto: Shut up.
Chie: Whoa!? Haha…..Sorry…..
Kanji: So……you guys wanna eat something? I'm starving.
Chie: Yeah!! We'll put it on Yosuke's tab.
Yosuke: Whatever. I'm too sick to complain. Achoo!!
Yukiko: That's ok. I'll pay for myself.
Chie: Fine, fine. I'll pay too.
Kanji: Then, let's go and order!!! Naoto and Teddie, do you want anything?
Naoto: I'll pass.
Teddie: I just ate.
They left to get some food while waiting for Souji and Rise to come.
Meanwhile, at the tofu shop…
Customer: And….a bean paste one. That's all.
Rise: Ok. So, you're total would be 2000 yen.
Customer: Ok here you go. –handing her the money-
Rise: And here you go. –handing the customer the tofu-
Souji: Was that the last customer? –mopping the floor-
Rise: Yeah. You've been a huge help senpai!! Thanks a lot!!!
Souji: No problem.
Rise's grandmother: I'm back.
Rise: Welcome back. Are you done with everything already?
Rise's grandmother: Yes. Huh? Who is this young helpful boy?
Souji: Oh. Souji Seta. Please to meet you.
Rise's grandmother: Ah…..You're the Souji I've been hearing about. You know, Rise really likes you.
Rise: Grandma!! –blushes- We have to go. Bye.
Souji:……Ahh!!?? –he was being pulled away by Rise- It was nice meeting you Rise's grandmother!!
Rise and Souji left to meet the others at Junes.
Kanji: -munch- -munch-
Yukiko: -munch-
Chie: -chomp- -chomp- -burp-
Yosuke: And now you know why you don't get asked out often.
Chie: Oh…Jusrh shurt upsh. –munching while talking-
Teddie: How long has it been?
Naoto: About half an hour. Where are they?
Kanji: Hmmm…….Maybe their making out somewhere!!
Naoto: I'll kill you.
Kanji: Ok. Ok.
Yosuke: Anyway, you guys got everything right? –sneezes-
Chie: Yeah.
Yukiko: Hey, they're here!!
Souji and Rise just arrived. Souji was carrying a wrapped up katana.
Yosuke: What took you guys so long!! You can't treat a sick person like that!! Making me wait!!
Souji: Sorry. We had to go back to my place to take the katana.
Rise: I'm sorry too. My grandmother took longer than usual.
Chie: Anyways, you want to go or not?
Kanji: Let's go!!
The group went into the other world…....and arrived at the same spot of when they first entered. The trees were still there but there are three roads that lead to somewhere.
Yosuke: Whoa!? What's with the three roads?
Kanji: Let's see. –approaches each road- !?!?!?!?!?
Chie: What is it?
Kanji: It says Yukiko Amagi on the first road, Teddie on the second and Chie Satonaka on the last.
Everyone: What!?
Teddie: What's going on?
Naoto: No idea.
Yukiko: It could be signs or warnings.
Naoto: But what is it that makes me think that these names are related?
Yosuke: Don't ask me. You're the genius here.
Souji: The recent ways they have been acting.
Naoto: That's right!! The ones who have been acting differently are these three. Yukiko gets irritated by the slightest bit of argument. Teddie cries like a baby even by the slightest little pain and Chie gets hot-headed even faster now and wants to pick fights.
Chie: EVEN faster now? –twitch-
Yosuke: You can't deny the facts. ACHOO!!!!
Souji: We should start exploring already.
Yosuke: Right. Then, give us your commands leader.
Souji: I want Rise to support us from here.
Rise: Roger.
Souji: And to make sure that she is safe, Yosuke and Chie will stay back.
Yosuke: Fine, fine.
Chie: Whatever you say.
Souji: Kanji, Naoto, Teddie and Yukiko will follow me to explore.
Kanji: Explore what actually?
Souji: The end of one of these roads.
Naoto: Ok. Fine with me.
Souji: But first, Rise, if you may?
Rise: Right.
Rise holds her hands together to summon her persona but nothing's happening.
Rise: It's not working.
Souji: You need to picture it in your mind like how you did whenever you summon your persona.
Rise: I'm doing exactly that.
Rise continues trying until she starts to sweat and feel light-headed.
Rise: I just can't do it.
Souji: Use your heart and think about your persona.
Rise tries again but the attempt proved futile. She tries another time and fails again.
Rise: I can't do it senpai.
Souji: Just try one more time. We need your help no matter what.
Rise tries again but this time, she succeeds. Kanzeon emerged following a flash of light.
Rise: Kanzeon……
Souji: Ok. Yosuke and Chie, you guys practice summoning your persona too. The rest follow me. Rise, keep us informed.
Kanji: But senpai, which road do we follow?
Souji: -thinks- Yukiko's road.
Yukiko: !? Fine…..Let's go.
The main party left, following Yukiko's road. They walked for a few minutes before reaching the end of the road.
Kanji: Whoa!? What the hell is this?
Naoto: It's creepy.
Yukiko: Ahhh!!!! -shivers-
Teddie: This place makes me feel sick.
Souji:………………
The end of the road led them to a giant mansion. It's so big that no one can see the end to the mansion or the top. It is surrounded by trees and the sky is dark. The door appears to be rusted and full of dust. There is also a corridor above the door but it's just for 'design'. At the bottom side of the corridor were 3 dead bodies. They look human. They appeared to have been hung from the neck and they're 'inside-out'. Blood was dripping from the bodies and a terrible stench hangs in the air.
Naoto: Who could have done this?
Souji: Rise, are you there?
Rise –through Kanzeon- : I'm feeling sick. Not the view but what's inside the mansion.
Souji: Either way, we're going in.
They entered the mansion. Inside was very luxurious……..if it wasn't for all the blood everywhere and the dark environment.
Yukiko: Bleu!! –closing her mouth- I feel sick.
Kanji: E-Eh…do we have to continue?
Souji: Rise, scan ahead and tell us where to go.
Rise: I sense a passage on the upper floor. It leads straight.
Kanji: Straight where?
Naoto: The mansion stretches forward. I think its going to be like a maze.
Teddie: A maze? But I'm not good at mazes.
Kanji: We've been exploring mazes since day one in the midnight channel, dammit!!
Yukiko: Are we going or not? I don't want to be here.
Souji: Let's go.
The party moved up the stairs and went through the west door as instructed by Rise. They came to a hallway which stretched forward and then into many different rooms. Rise instructed them to follow the northeast door and they came to a maze. Rise gave them directions and they followed it until……
Rise: Guys stop!!! There are 3 shadow approaching.
Souji: Damn. What types?
Rise: Two Miss Gene and one Creation Relic.
Souji: Its weakness?
Rise: Electricity for both.
Souji: Kanji, it's your field.
Kanji: Ah…..Fine.
Rise: Here they come.
The shadows approached them and began assaulting. Surprisingly, they were only using normal attacks. Souji had to stall while the rest of the team tried summoning their persona.
Souji: Damn…..-sweating- Izanagi!!.....Zio!
A lighting bolt fell on one of the shadows but its effects weren't good enough.
Souji: Guys!! Hurry!!
Kanji: I'm trying, I'm trying!!
Naoto: Focus….
Teddie: Kamui…..KAMUI!!!!
Yukiko: Damn.
Rise: Guys, quickly. Senpai is really getting tired.
Souji: Damn it. Using my persona is straining me. I'm still getting used to it again.–mumbling-
The Miss Gene smacked Souji into a wall and he fell in pain.
Kanji: Senpai!! Come on!! ROKUTEN-MAO!!!!
Kanji finally managed to summon Rokuten-Mao. He immediately used the skill, Maziodyne, to vanquish all the shadows. He fell down in exhaustion soon after.
Kanji: -pant- -pant-
Souji: -pant- -pant-
Naoto: That was really close.
Yukiko: Yeah. I could have summoned mine, but Kanji was faster and his skill was much more effective anyway.
Teddie: Phew. At least, sensei's safe.
Rise: Are you ok, senpai?
Souji: Yeah…..
Rise: You sure you don't want to come back?
Souji: I can manage. Are you alright?
Rise: Yeah. Keeping Kanzeon active is easy.
Naoto: Why don't we rest here for a while?
Kanji: That would be great!! –lies down and relaxes-
Souji: Rise, scan ahead and let us know what we have waiting.
Rise: Ok. Just give me a minute.
Kanji: –snores-
Naoto: Kanji must really be exhausted.
Souji: Yeah. We just got back into the world of persona again. We need to get used to summoning them again.
Teddie: -cries-
Yukiko: What's wrong Teddie?
Teddie: My persona…..didn't come out.
Naoto: Its alright. At least, we all managed to summon the cards. We were just too slow, that's all.
Teddie: But that's not it!!
Yukiko: ???????
Teddie: The picture on the card was Kintoki Douji instead of Kamui.
Yukiko: But why is that?
Teddie: I don't know. My head hurts.
Naoto: Either way, I think we should continue. I'm getting a bad feeling about waiting here.
Souji: Ok. Rise.
Rise: Right. The path is clear. You may need to fight a little more. Just follow my directions.
Rise gave the group directions that led them upwards and forwards. They fought a few enemies on the way up. They continued along a spiral staircase, a game room and a bedroom. Eventually, they had to fight yet again…...
Rise: Three Creation Relics and four different types of Maya.
Souji: Right.
Souji summoned a stronger persona this time (he got a few when they were taking a break), Kali, and he used the skill Deathbound. Kali swiped her swords to the ground to create some sort of giant black smokescreen? It missed most of the shadows but sliced two Maya's into two.
Kanji: My turn.
Yukiko: Me too.
Kanji summoned Rokuten-Mao and willed it to use Mazionga (using Maziodyne drains too much energy). Rokuten-Mao took a step forward causing thunder to rain down on the enemies. Two of the Creation Relics died (do they actually die?) but one remained standing. But not for long, because Yukiko summoned Amaterasu and used Agilao on the remaining Creation Relic. It exploded with a very nostalgic sound.
Naoto: And I'll take the remaining two.
Naoto summoned Yamato Takeru and used Deathbound. Yamato Takeru started doing one of its stunts and slammed its sword into the ground creating a smokescreen again!? The remaining Mayas' got sliced into two.
Rise: Great! You can continue. Move up the eastern stairwell and then make an immediate left.
Souji: Roger.
Teddie:……….
Rise: What's wrong Teddie?
Teddie: My persona….isn't as strong as the rest.
Souji: Don't say that. Your persona is strong. A persona doesn't get its power from its level but from the heart of the user. And your heart is big, Teddie.
Teddie: Sensei…-sniff- Alrighty!! Bring on the shadows!! I'll show you my skills!!
Rise: Whoa!? He's really pumped up now.
The party followed Rise's instructions and kept on moving until they reached a giant room. It wasn't decorated much except for a giant picture of a robed guy. His face was covered. An eerie song was playing and a guy wearing a hood stood in the center. It appears to be one of the 'seven'. At the back of him was a shining piece of stone.
Souji: You!?
Figure: Hahahaha….Well….It was fun watching you guys come up here but unfortunately, your going to have to fight me.
Kanji: Why the hell would we need to do that for?
The guy then removed his hood to reveal a rather nostalgic face.
Nito: Yo….....
Rise: -gasps-
Naoto: What the..!?
Souji: Nito….You're one of them!?
Nito: Hey!! You can still remember me. That's great!!
Souji: What's behind you?
Nito: If you want to find out then come.
Kanji: Enough with this thing. You want to fight? Then be my guest.
Nito: Sweet.
Nito then held out his hands and was gathering energy. The energy was slowly forming to make a long katana reminiscent to that of Sephiroth's katana. It was red and soaked in blood.
Souji: !? So….you're going to be like that huh?
Nito: You're not seeing the big picture are you?
Souji: What do you mean?
Nito: Try talking to that Rise girl. She didn't guide you when you were on this floor.
Souji: What!? Rise….RISE!!!
Nito: Hahahaha!!! Can you guess why my sword is covered in blood??
Souji: !? You wouldn't……...
Nito: Even all three of them didn't stand a chance. Haha!! And now it's your turn!!
Nito dashed to Souji with full speed and then there was a huge explosion.
Ok!! I'm done for this chapter. Sorry that I was a little late. It's because I had exams.
Well…anyway…Hope you like it so far!!!