The team would go to investigate the murder cases again, like how they did in previous cycles. They couldn't find out anything, and the fog completely covered the town by the time she realized it, and then she started a new cycle.

This time, she won't let that happen.

She was absent, but left a letter to Aiya. She was sure the letter would pass to Yu later. Then...they would come for her.

She patiently waited for them in the TV World. It seemed a new area was formed by the time she entered this world, as if the TV World knew what she was coming for.

The thought somehow scared her.

The place was different from Adachi's place, but some of the parts were the same.

It was a deformed Yasoinaba, a place filled with Yu's figures from all the cycles.

TV World showed the true self, and this was her true self. She repeated the cycle for Yu, so it was understandable why her place was like this.

It made her ashamed, yet she couldn't do anything about this. This was her true feelings. It didn't matter if everything exposed to Yu now. She had planned this, anyway.

"I don't know why this happens to me..."

She heard her voice. It seemed the team had arrived.

Hearing her own voice, she let out a chuckle.

"How funny to hear my voice in this place..."

Holding the letter in his hand, Yu and the others came to the TV World and found a new area formed. Rise and Teddie led the direction, revealing the place was the deformed Yasoinaba. A figure of the black-haired girl was standing at the entrance, waiting for them.

"Yukiko!"

"Senpai, that's not the real Amagi-senpai!" Rise stopped Yu from running ahead to the girl. "This is...some sort of illusion."

"I don't know why this happens to me...I was with everyone, but the next second I opened my eyes, I was in my room. Time leaped back to the beginning of everything. I...saw him push Yamano-san into the TV. Why...why things were repeated?" Sobbing, the illusion Yukiko cried out.

"W-What is she saying?" Yosuke asked, unable to comprehend the situation.

"...I happened to know the true culprit behind the murder cases, but he was close to Narukami-kun. There's no way...he would believe in me. I...I have to prove it."

"Yukiko knew who is the true culprit?" Chie widened her eyes in disbelief. "B-But...the letter...!"

"Close to me?" Yu frowned. Who did she refer to? Anyone he knew? "Yukiko, who is that!?"

"Senpai, I've told you, she is an illusion..." Rise's voice died out as the illusion Yukiko turned her head to them as if hearing their voices.

"Adachi Tohru..."

After saying the name, the illusion was gone, leaving the team dumbfounded.

"Adachi Tohru? Where did I hear it before?" Raising a brow, Kanji pondered, but Naoto answered it.

"He is the second victim found together with Yamano Mayumi." She lowered her head. "I don't understand...the true culprit is Adachi, and he is the one who pushed Yamano Mayumi?"

"Naoto, did you hear it? She said time leaped back to the beginning of everything...and things repeated?" Yu asked, not only directed to Naoto, but to everyone. "It may sound impossible, but could it be..."

"You mean...time leaping?" Rise said in tremble.

"Whenever I asked her, she refused to tell me what's bothering her. She refused to tell anyone, because no one would understand her...It all makes sense now." He finally knew why she always looked distant and gloomy.

"Dude...it's still hard to believe in it." Yosuke rubbed his hair. "She knew everything from the start?"

"Yuki-chan..." Teddie's face turned gloom. "Maybe we will know more if we explore this place."

"Yeah, Teddie's right." Chie agreed. "She must be in the depth of this place. Let's find her!"

And thus, everyone set out to the exploration. Whenever they met the illusion Yukiko, they knew more about her journey and the failures. Knowing more and more, Yu felt as if someone cut his heart using a knife. It hurts.

There were a lot of Narukami Yu here. Some were dead, some were smiling, some were fighting, and some were crying. It showed that Yukiko treasured him a lot, every part of him.

"There she is!" Rise pointed at the front as they saw another illusion Yukiko. She was holding a knife, and a guy was lying on the floor. "That's...Adachi, right?"

"I killed him, so he would never be able to harm Narukami-kun." She pushed the corpse into the TV, throwing the knife into the TV as well. "I thought killing him would end everything. But the Midnight Channel was still there, nothing was changed. Even though I let it be, I still repeated the cycle. From that, I know I have to solve the mystery of the Midnight Channel to end everything once and for all. Without Adachi, everyone wouldn't awaken the power of Persona. I have no choice...I have to become the culprit. I...have to plan everything by myself."

The illusion Yukiko turned around, disappeared before their eyes.

Trembling, Yu looked at the letter she left for them, it wrote : I am the true culprit. Come and find me.

It was true...she really was the one behind this. It was her who kept a distance between them because she knew she had to confess everything one day. Even Namatame...he was manipulated by Yukiko. He was one of the victims, too.

That was the reason she rejected him because she knew she would only hurt him in the end. She loved him, but she chose to take everything all by herself and rejected him.

"Yukiko..."

Out of the blue, Yu felt a sharp pain in his head. A lot of unknown images flew into his head, causing a severe pain that almost teared his head apart.

"Yu!"

"Senpai! What's going on!?"

Everyone panicked. There wasn't any enemy here, what happened to their leader!?

"I...I'm fine." Panting for air, Yu stopped his friends from shock. He rubbed his head a few times, trying to ease the pain in his head. Luckily, the pain only stayed for a while. It faded as fast as it came. "...I finally understand what happens all along. This is...all my fault."

He saw how Yukiko repeated each cycle by trying to solve the mystery. She was at the breaking limit now. He had to do something before it was too late.

"You're late." A female voice sounded behind the fog as Yu calmed the team.

"Yukiko, we're worried about you!" Chie stepped out, about to run at the girl, but stopped when Yukiko took out a folding fan. "Yukiko...?"

"What are you worried about? You know everything now." Yukiko looked straight at Yu. "I am the one planning everything. I manipulated Namatame to kidnap Konishi-san, and the rest of the victims while playing as your comcrade to pursue the culprit...just like what I wrote in the letter."

"So...you really are a time leaper." Yu asked. He felt his throat was dry.

"...I didn't ask for it. I have been looking for a way to end this." She looked away, pursing her lips. "I'm...tired."

She didn't bother to hide herself anymore. She had been acting tough all the time, but not now. Everything was revealed, yet she didn't find the one behind the Midnight Channel. If this cycle ended, she would return to the beginning of everything and start all over again. She couldn't take it anymore.

Summoning Amaterasu, she cast Maragidyne to the team. Her magic attack was the strongest among them. Carefully not to drag into the flame, Yu commanded the others to step back.

"Yukiko, stop this!"

Ignoring Yu, she continued casting fire spells. She wasn't strong against physical attack, pulling the distance was necessary. And of course, from the ice spells.

She had imagined the fight with her friends, but when it came to reality, it was more suffocating than the way she expected.

Panting heavily, she felt her body weaker. Her hands were trembling, refusing to follow her command. It wasn't because of summoning Persona, it was because her opponents were her friends!

She didn't want to do this!

But she had no choice!

It's not because she wanted to take the role of the culprit!

She wanted to be freed!

She wanted to end this!

"DON'T GET NEAR TO ME!"

She screamed, the flame burned ferociously.

Yu shielded himself using his arms, changing to fire resisted Persona while having the others to stay back from the flame.

Yukiko's Persona was losing control. If they left her be, she would probably be killed by her Persona later. No, he won't allow that to happen! Never!

"Senpai, I can feel the pain from Amagi-senpai…" Rise's voice sounded through his head. He could hear the sobbing. "Please save her, senpai…!"

He smiled.

Yukiko might be the culprit, but at the same time, she was an important friend. She might have done some unforgivable things, yet it didn't change the fact that they spent wonderful times together.

Besides, Yukiko was...more than a friend to him. How could he leave her be after knowing what kind of pain she's been through?

"Yukiko!"

The girl didn't spare him a glance. Perhaps she was at the edge of reaching limits. The fire spell seemed to be getting more and more fierceful. It wasn't a good sign.

He had to get this done as soon as possible.

Inhaling deeply, he ran straight to her.

"Dude!"

"Sensei!"

It caught her off guard as she quickly cast Agidyne on him. However, the fire spell did no damage to him since his Persona was fire resistance. Realizing the fact, she widened her eyes and gasped as his face was in front of her.

Her body lost balance, failed to escape, falling to the back. Seeing this, Yu immediately grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.

Yukiko was stunned, unable to react. The warmth that wrapped around her was familiar. Tears formed in her eyes as the folding fan dropped on the ground. Amaterasu also dismissed in the air.

"...Yukiko, you don't have to take all the burden now. I'm here...we are all here." He wouldn't let her go again, no more.

"I am the one who caused so much pain on Nanako-chan, you know? I am the one who caused Konishi-san's death..." Her eyes directed to Yosuke, which the latter lowered his head in pain. "I'm the one who planned everything!"

"I know!" Yu shouted, stopping her from saying more. How could he not know by now? "I know...we all know. Those you did are wrong...but I'll forgive you, Yukiko."

"Yeah...I'll forgive you too, Amagi." Yosuke said softly. "If there's really someone behind the Midnight Channel, then you're not the one we should blame for."

"Amagi-senpai, we know your suffering now. You're forced to take the role." Rise wiped the tears in her eyes.

"Indeed you are unforgivable. If anyone who has the right to judge, it should be us, the victims." Naoto adjusted her hat, sighing. "But I agree with Hanamura-senpai. The one behind the Midnight Channel is the origin of everything."

"Yeah, senpai. I ain't know any beautiful words, but I agree with senpai." Kanji said.

"Yeah Yukiko, we are all here for you!" Chie smiled, looking at Teddie. "How about you, Teddie?"

"I-I...I'll forgive you too, Yuki-chan."

Their words hit the softest part of her heart. At last, she collapsed. Tears flowed down like a broken tap. She buried her head into Yu's chest, trying to hide her face. Knowing this, Yu tightened his arms around her, uttered a sigh of relief.

She's finally loosened the string that pulled herself to the limit, and now she was in his arms. He would protect her.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."

"It's alright, Yukiko."

Slowly, she calmed down. It was extremely comfortable to stay in his arms, as if he covered the sky on top of her. Closing her eyes, she hoped this moment could continue forever, until -

"...All humans...will become Shadows."

She gasped, jerked up immediately.

"Yukiko?"

Ignoring Yu's question, she looked at her surroundings, but nothing was found.

"Hey...do you hear it?" Frowning, Rise noticed something unusual.

"And I shall descend upon the united world...as the master of order."

"I-I heard it...what's happening!?"

"Both this world and yours will soon be enclosed in a fog that never lifts. It will be the peaceful world that mankind has longed for..."

A fog that never lifts? Immediately, Yukiko remembered the thick fog that surrounded her in the first cycle.

"You...you're the one behind the Midnight Channel?"

"What!?"

"Who are you?"

"I...am Ameno-sagiri...the one rules the fog. One awakened by man's desires. Do what you will, but your world's erosion cannot be stopped. It is an inevitability...You played your part well, stirring up the will of the masses into madness. But that will soon come to an end...Mankind will soon become Shadows and live on in the darkness of the fog, oblivious of their reality..."

"I am the one that shepherds humans to their true desires. Though their hearts longed for peace, it could never be attained...So they tore down the wall between image and reality. Indeed, this is the outcome desired by mankind. And mankind's desires are my desires. That is why I decided to expand this world..."

"You're the one who created this world?" Shielding the girl, Yu questioned.

"This is the part of the sea of unconsciousness that exists within human hearts."

The more they asked, the more they knew the truth. Yukiko remained in Yu's arms, balling her fist tightly.

So...it was the culprit who made her repeat the cycle? Was this Ameno-sagiri that made her suffer through this? Finally...at last, she made it. She found it!

Then, she found some black mist tangling her body. Without the way she could control, the mist caught her and started to form around her. Something lurked into her mind that made her dizzy. A sharp pain stung her and she slowly lost consciousness.

Before her consciousness faded, she saw Yu stretched out his hand.

"Yu-kun..."

Ahem...well, the story is about to come to an end. Sorry, I just want to get this out of my head, and since it has been done for quite a while, I just publish it.