"Ted, do you smell any shadows?" Yosuke inquired as they ran through the halls.
Teddie sniffed the air only to frown. "I… I don't know, I can sort of smell something but… something about this place feels funny, I have a weird feeling about it."
"What kind of feeling?" Chie asked. "Is there something dangerous in this place?"
"I… I don't know." Teddie frowned. "I just… Yosuke behind you!"
Yosuke's eyes widened as he turned to see a group of three shadows that looked like headless couples with a floating heart above their heads as they tried to strike him with flames only for him to jump back.
"What the, what are those things?" Chie questioned in shock.
"How the heck should I know?" Yosuke pointed out. "They're Shadows right Ted?"
"Yeah, they are. I should have smelled them but…" Teddie started only for Yu to shake his head.
"You can't blame yourself Teddie." Yu reassured him as a card appeared in front of him. "High Pixie, Mazio!"
The Persona appeared and struck the three shadows will small bolts of lightning causing them all to wince in pain.
Seeing that Yosuke glanced at Yukiko before she nodded and the two of them summoned their Personas.
"Maragi/Magaru!' Yosuke and Yukiko called together as three small tornadoes of flame enveloped the shadows knocking them to the ground as they groaned in pain.
"Nice one you guys, leave the rest to us." Chie grinned. "Let's take them down."
Kanji smirked. "Sounds good to me."
The two of them ran to the shadows and attacked them together destroying them.
"That wasn't too tough." Yosuke admitted. "Is there anything else nearby Ted?"
Teddie frowned before closing his eyes and sniffing the air only to shudder.
"Teddie?" Chie asked noticing that. "What's wrong?"
"It's hard to tell for sure, but I don't think there are any more Shadows around right now." Teddie replied. "Sorry you guys."
"It's alright Ted, if we do run into more Shadows we'll just take them down like the last three." Kanji mentioned with a grin. "Right guys?"
Yu smiled. "Right, let's keep moving."
The other members of the Investigation Team nodded at that before they continued exploring the dungeon.
As they ran around a corner another two shadows that looked like statues noticed them and tried to attack Yukiko.
"Ted, do these things have any kind of weakness?" Kanji asked quickly.
"I… I don't know." Teddie admitted nervously. "Be careful, they look strong though."
"Obviously, Tomoe Bufula!" Chie called as her Persona appeared and struck one of the Shadows.
"Take-Mikazuchi, Zio!" Kanji called striking the other Shadow as it collapsed in pain. "Nice."
"Izanagi, Zio!" Yu declared as his original Persona appeared striking the first Shadow causing it to fall.
"Let's take them out before more show up." Chie said quickly causing the other members of the Investigation Team to nod as they rushed towards the Shadows and struck them together destroying them.
"Sensei, I have a really bad feeling about this place." Teddie admitted nervously. "It feels really weird."
Yu frowned before taking a breath. "It's going to be alright Teddie, we're sticking together, and we'll get Rise out safely."
Teddie stared at Yu before smiling and nodding. "Right sensei."
With that the six of them continued searching for the stairs only for Yukiko to open a door and smile. "Here they are, that wasn't as bad as it could have been right?"
"That's true, the quicker we can find the stairs the better." Yosuke agreed. "Is everyone doing alright?"
"Yeah, there weren't too many Shadows on this floor." Chie answered with a grin.
"True, but this was just the first floor." Yu mentioned. "I have a feeling there's going to be a lot more as we keep going."
The others nodded in agreement as they ran up the stairs only to almost immediately have a group of Shadows notice them.
"More of these things, well we know what works right Yu-sempai?" Kanji asked with a grin.
"Yeah." Yu nodded as the two of them summoned their Personas again and struck the shadows with bolts of lightning knocking them to the ground before Chie, Yosuke, and Yukiko attacked and destroyed them.
Teddie suddenly paused at that and frowned. "Something really feels wrong you guys, I don't like this place."
"Don't worry Teddie, I'm sure everything will be ok." Yukiko reassured him.
Teddie nodded uncertainly only to frown as they continued searching for the stairs.
"Wait a second guys, isn't it kind of weird we've only seen a few Shadows in this place?" Chie asked as Yukiko opened a door revealing the staircase. "Do you think they're waiting for us somewhere?"
Hearing that the other members of the Investigation Team paused.
"Well, if there are Shadows waiting for us, we'll still be alright as long as we stick together." Yu mentioned calmly.
"Not to mention if we come up with some more combinations like before right Yukiko?" Yosuke inquired.
"Right." she nodded with a smile as they reached the third floor and ran down a hallway before opening a door to see Rise only her eyes were yellow, and she was wearing a bikini before she turned and noticed them.
"Hello, all you fans out there! Thanks for coming today! Today, you're going to see every last inch of me!" Shadow Rise smiled. "What's that? You don't believe me? Ahahah! Okay, okay! They why don't we… Oh, but you won't be able to see with all this smoke, huh? Okie-dokie! Just follow me a little further in and I'll prove I'm every bit as good as my word!"
Seeing that the members of the Investigation Team flinched.
"That… was a bit extreme." Kanji admitted.
"Yeah, you can say that again." Chie nodded in agreement.
(The members of the Investigation Team have encountered Shadow Rise but the Shadows seem to be plotting something. Next chapter the Investigation Team will continue searching through Marukyu Striptease and the Shadows will do something rather unexpected. As always any reviews or critique is appreciated.)