Chapter 40 / Brawl
May 3rd, 2012 / Morning
Inaba Outskirts
KANA'S POINT OF VIEW
Inaba, or close to it at any rate. We were on the outskirts of town, but had to go through the main street to get here. And the vehicle we had traveled in, wasn't exactly the most discreet. Mitsuru was also a bit displeased about this. Plus we were all in full combat gear. Or rather what we had all decided would be our combat gear while working as Shadow Operatives. Well, my outfit, was more or less something that Yukari, Hamuko and I had spent a lot of time on. Something that was flexible but provided a good amount of appropriate protection.
I had a long sleeve deep crimson shirt that was underneath a black leather vest. I was wearing a black skirt that went just over my knees, but I also had black nylons over my legs. At my waist was a special made belt where my weapon was kept. The chain sword wrapped around it, and designed for me to just as easily draw my weapon put and to put it back in place. I also wore black combat boots that had metal framed around its edges so I could have something that could possibly deflect my chain sword if needed to. My hair was dyed a jet black and done up in one large braid and hung freely over my left shoulder. Aigis had pointed out that my golden eyes were easily highlighted because of this overall look. Not many people would know what her eyes signified. When we were in the city or a populated area I had a long black coat that could easily hide my chain sword at my waist. I wasn't wearing it now but it was in the limousine we had rode in to get here.
Mitsuru, who was currently drinking tea as we were coming to a stop was in a black catsuit that clung tight to her body and showed every curve of her body. This was likely why she had a white fur coat that went along with it. She also had a holster at her waist that held her evoker. I personally also had a holster attached on my upper thigh, as putting it off my waist wasn't an option with my weapon being where it is. Aigis looked no different than usual, the most distinct feature she had was her red tie.
When we finally came to a final stop we were at a junkyard just on the outskirts of town. I noticed we had actually bypassed where Kayane lived. He had pointed out his place when Hamuko and I had visited him. I was still convinced that Kayane had a Persona. From all my experiences with the people that had a Persona, there was a certain feeling I had when around them, and I was sure I felt the same thing with him. Well it was only a feeling, and I knew I couldn't base anything off of that. But it was all I had to go off.
"Mitsuru-san. Our activities are supposed to be undercover, correct?" Aigis suddenly speaks and I am drawn back to the present and away from my thoughts.
"Yes," Mitsuru looks to the android raising an eyebrow.
"For undercover missions, it will be necessary to keep all personnel and vehicles from being noticed," Aigis was reciting things that Mitsuru had covered this already.
"Aigis-san, I know where you are going with this," I frown a bit, as does Mitsuru.
"Mitsuru-san. May I say something that I've been meaning to say for a while now?" Aigis continued anyway.
"No," Mitsuru quickly replied.
"Understood," Aigis said and her face mostly expressionless.
"All I told them was to give us a car with enough space," Mitsuru sighed as the window to the driver compartment came down.
"Kirijo-sama, our contact has arrived," the driver informed.
I turned to look out the window where a man was approaching us. Mitsuru told me before that he is Detective Kurosawa.
"Oh my...this was not our designated meeting area, yet he has discovered us," Aigis said as Mitsuru was now stepping out of the vehicle with Aigis and myself behind her.
"You want to know how I did it?" Detective Kurosawa gave a slight grin to Aigis.
Mitsuru cleared her throat and seemed to be partially annoyed at Aigis dig at the fact that we had drove through Inaba in a limousine and we had just about gathered as much attention as you could get going through a small town like Inaba in such an overly obvious vehicle. "We appreciate your cooperation, Detective Kurosawa."
"Long time no see, Kirijo-san. And Aigis, was it?" Kurosawa gave a polite nod to them as the tone shifted to more friendly business manner.
"Indeed, it has been a while," Aigis nodded.
"Ah, this is Takahashi Kana. She has recently joined us," Mitsuru introduced me.
I gave a quick bow, "I've heard about you. It's a pleasure to meet you." Well it was brief but this was the police officer that helped keep them supplied with good weapons back when they were SEES. It seemed that he too had moved forward in his career since then.
"New recruit huh? Nice to meet you," he gave a nod towards me.
"We shouldn't stand out here while we talk. Please, get in," Mitsuru motioned for us to re-enter the limo along with Kurosawa.
"Ah, sorry. I haven't seen you in a while, so I had a lot to say," Kurosawa said as we all got back into the limo. Which had more than enough room for us to sit inside comfortably. I enter in last but Kurosawa is already jumping onto the reason he was here. "I found out quite a bit regarding the case you had me look into. First I reviewed the report on the incidents from last year. One of the suspects mentioned the word, Persona."
My eyes got big, "So the incident we heard about...those serial murder case and kidnappings might have been related to Shadows?"
"It's probably related. But I wasn't done there. Parts of this guy's testimony were even more outlandish. If you can take what's in the record at face value, then it seems Persona-users can enter TVs within the Inaba region," Kurosawa continued without missing a beat. But his words made all of us stop.
"Ener TVs? What does that mean?" Aigis spoke the immediate question.
"Just what it sounds like. You physically stick your body into the screen and go inside. He claimed there was another world in the TV. And dropping people inside it was the method behind last year's murders," Kurosawa expanded but he definitely looked skeptical about it, but if it was on the police report then, this was coming from one of the suspects from that case.
"This all sounds rather absurd. I'm surprised it was included in the police report," Mitsuru muttered. I could understand that. If the Kirijo Group's practices were anything to go off, this wasn't something you typically let authorities learn about. Even the details of the Shadow Operatives and what exactly we do was not something known to anyone but those higher up that needed to know.
"I got in touch with the detective in charge at the time and said the same thing. Apparently, the report was filed by a young partner of his at the time. He'd entertain the wildest testimonies, like this one," Kurosawa referenced his own experience with learning about it. No regular police officer would have ever written down something like this. Even if it was the truth, it isn't something that just anyone would believe is true.
"Still, something that strange is no different than say a school turning into a large tower at midnight," I said to try and keep them focused, and not on the absurdity. It wasn't like the things we had seen in our past was any less absurd. This was different, and lined up with the power of Shadows. "The power of Shadows and Persona holds dominion over time and space. You two should know that better than anyone."
"Regardless, if this was what really went on, the police would have had no chance cracking it. But that detective Dojima is one shrewd guy. Even with all the supernatural hocus-pocus surrounding the case, he caught the culprit. That's all I have for you right now. I should be going. I doubt either of us has time to reminisce over the old days," Kurosawa chuckled slightly. "Though it all feels like yesterday. It's funny, though. I thought the fighting was over, but you guys surprise me every time I see you."
"The fighting won't stop. Not for a while yet," I found myself saying.
"Indeed. The more we find about the Kirijo Group's past, its likely there will be even more fights for us in the future. Either against those creatures or the ones in plain sight," Mitsuru mused for a moment. Yes, although Shadows were a more straight forward enemy, Mitsuru had some fighting to do with establishing the reputation of the Shadow Operatives and proving their need. "Still, Thank you very much, Officer Kurosawa. Er...why don't we at least see you off?"
He shook his head, "Oh, that's all right. I've got my own car. I doubt my department would appreciate your tastes. If I ever showed up for work in something like this, I'd be the talk of the force until the day I retired." He gives a light chuckle as he exits the limo and giving a slight wave as he walks away.
"Mitsuru-san, this could be bad. Our sense of social aptitude is in question," Aigis commented.
"Ngh...I can't deny that," Mitsuru sighed. She shook her head, "Let's focus on the task at hand."
"So maybe we should test to see if Persona users really can enter TVs. That should be a easy thing to test right?" I got out of the limo with Mitsuru and Aigis coming out behind me.
"There is a discarded TV over there. If the environment does not matter, we can use it to test the phenomenon," Aigis said pointing to a rather large TV. That definitely looked big enough for someone to get through.
"Wait, Aigis," Mitsuru hesitated as Aigis began moving towards the TV.
Had Kayane been apart of this? Could he enter the TV? If he had a Persona, then he would likely know all about this ability.
"Don't worry. I'm just going to touch it," Aigis called back as she neared the TV. Mitsuru and I moved closer as Aigis drew near and then...her hand easily went into the TV. "Amazing!"
"It's like a ripple across water," I mutter as I get closer.
"Interesting...it's exactly as the police report said. What's it like inside? Do you feel anything?" Mitsuru asked.
"Not particularly...no, wait a moment," Aigis features change quickly. "It's the same as mine. It's hard to say definitively since this is my first encounter with it, but I believe this reading is from a personality module."
"So Labrys is in there? She's inside the TV? Does that mean she has a Persona?" I found myself asking.
"If she is in there, then our culprit must also have more intricate knowledge of the particulars of what happened in this area," Mitsuru thought for a moment.
"Huh...sounds like fun," a familiar voice came from above us. I looked up and found the sight of a man in a red cape.
"Is that...Akihiko?" Mitsuru quickly spoke up. Akihiko then jumps down from the stack of TVs he had been on top of and landed gracefully in front of us.
"You didn't show up at the rendezvous point, so I went looking and found you here. This whole TV thing is pretty interesting," he said and casually walking next to Aigs and put his own hand to the TV. "Huh, weird."
"Akihiko...what on earth are you wearing? Just what were you doing overseas?" Mitsuru commented so I took a double take as to what the silver haired young man was wearing. Well, other than the red cape he had no shirt on. Instead he boldly showed how much muscle he had gained since he left. He wore tattered brown pants and red boots. His fist also had red mixed martial arts gloves. Around his waist looked to be a machete on one side and his evoker from his holster.
"Hm? Didn't I tell you that I was on a training expedition?" He seemed somewhat confused.
"It's good to see you, Sanada-san," I found a moment to finally interject.
"Oh hey, Kana-san. Good to see you. How's Takahashi?" He smiled.
"She's doing well, though she's busy looking after Kokoro since Yukari is busy working," I try to ease the tension a bit.
"All good to hear. Eesh, I'm gonna have to make a point to go see them after this whole business is taken care of," Akihiko scratched his head.
"Akihiko, don't tell me you came here from the airport like that...does the concept of keeping a low profile mean nothing to you?" Mitsuru seemed to be unable to stop herself from commenting.
"Mitsuru-san, I believe we have lost the right to complain about that," Aigis commented. Mitsuru frowned, clearly frustrated about the whole subject at this point. She had definitely tried but the success on that front had been incredibly low up to now.
"It's only been a few wandering eyes, I don't think its been that bad," I try to comfort her.
"Thanks, Kana-chan," Mitsuru manages to smile.
"Anyway. We can go inside from that TV, right? What are we waiting for?" Akihiko was eager as usual.
"You just got here and you want to jump right in? Not even going to spend time catching up with your friends? I mean Mitsuru-san has missed..."
"It's quite alright, Kana-chan," Mitsuru quickly cut me off which caught me off guard for a moment. "Still Akihiko, you haven't changed at all. We don't know the situation inside yet, and we'll need a secure means of getting out."
"So what? If we want to get Labrys back, someone has to go inside, right?" Akihiko seemed to be caught up on the whole situation, which I guess saved us all time. More than likely Mitsuru had already called him prior and brought him up to speed. "Our target hijacked a plane just to throw her into a TV in this town. If we sit on our hands, it's possible we'll be put in serious danger. We're different from how we used to be. We made the choice to fight Shadows as professionals."
"It's barely been over a year since then. We haven't changed all that much. Even if you feel that way," I interjected.
"Says you. How much more have you learned thanks to those tutors and just living in the world with the others. I can tell that you've changed quite a bit, Kana-san," Akihiko made it seem like there was a significant difference to me. And maybe it seemed that way to others, but my goal still remained the same. "That's why I traveled around the world and trained harder than ever. And now that something's actually come up, you're hesitating?"
"That is not entirely true," Aigis spoke this time. "There has been a number of difficulties faced getting to this point."
"I explained it to you previously Akihiko. We discovered a number of additional facilities and projects that were underway by my Grandfather. It's made starting the Shadow Operatives have significant setbacks. That isn't why I called for you Akihiko. I needed you here so we could act in a appropriate manner," Mitsuru looked as if she was torn between conflicting emotions.
"Still we can't afford to wait. If the culprit that took Labrys acted that quickly, their might be a reason, so we should move quickly," Akihiko brought up a solid point.
Mitsuru sighed, "All right. Wait right here. I need to go make a phone call first," Mitsuru stepped away for a few moments.
"She looks stressed. Has she been doing alright?" Akihiko turned to Aigis and I.
"She is running the Kirijo Group and taking the head of the Shadow Operatives. That coupled with finding out even more things her Grandfather did in the past has not made it easier," Aigis said flatly.
"Sanada-san, I think more than anything she wanted your support because she has been so stressed lately," I added.
"Yeah, I get that," Akihiko nodded and kept his eyes on Mitsuru who was on the phone next to the limo. "It's her way of dealing with everything that's happened."
"And you running off around the world is yours?" I countered.
"Yeah, I guess so," Akihiko let out the smallest of sighs that I barely noticed. Then again, us facing off against a power like Nyarlathotep was eye opening for many reasons. There was a realization that there was more powerful beings in the world that could potentially be a threat, not just to the future of the world, but also a threat to the efforts of what others had done in the past. Nyarlathotep had been aiming to break Arisato Minato's Great Seal so that The Fall would come to occur. To do so he had manipulated Arisato Yoshimitsu, a scientist and Uncle to Minato and Hamuko. Things were made clear that something could happen again in the future. The aftermath of that conflicted inspired Mitsuru to form the Shadow Operatives, and for Akihiko's quest to get stronger.
"All of you are just trying to figure out how they want to live their life, right? Finding out the truth of Minato's death was one thing, but finding out how more connected he was to the overall incident and the Dark Hour was something else. But the thing is we are still finding more and more about the atrocities that were committed by Kirijo Kouetsu and those that worked closely with him and believed in his ideals. Mitsuru wants to make it right for those left behind," I found myself somewhat irritated by some of their actions, but it wasn't like I knew them that well, even though they all treated me like family. But all of them, Hamuko included, acted rather selfishly when it came to the memory of Arisato Minato.
"We all want to make it right," Aigis spoke softly. "My creation came with the many deaths of not just my sisters but scientists as well. All for the ambitions and purpose of one man. While I am allowed to make my own choices now, my sisters were never given that chance."
"That's why you want to save Labrys, so your older sister gets that same chance," it wasn't a question. That much was more than obvious at this point. We can't all just be chasing our past, right?
"I get what you are talking about, Kana-san," Akihiko spoke after a moment of silence. "Unfortunately, all of us that were a part of SEES have things we can't forget. That we can't allow ourselves to forget. We almost did once. Us remembering is what led us to find Hamuko and eventually you. We had all unknowingly wiped out the difficulties that Minato had faced from our memories with the Abyss of Time. We weren't aware that us moving forward that all of us all secretly harbored a wish for it to be easier to carry Minato's memory. So we remembered his actions but not his struggles. The only reason we found out was because of what Minato left behind in that journal."
"So what? You have to travel around the world to figure out what you want? Meanwhile there are people here that could have used your support and..."
"That's enough, Kana," Mitsuru spoke sternly as she came back. "We all have to figure out in our own way how to deal with the life we have. The things we've learned along the way is a burden that each of us have to find a way to live with. That responsibility is ours alone."
I felt a flash of irritation upon hearing her, not because of what she was saying but how she was saying it. As if she had resigned to this. Accepted that it was just the way it is. No wonder why Hamuko got irritated at them. Did they have any fight in them? "I thought the whole point of this was to safeguard the future? How can you expect to do that when you are all stuck in the past?" I said before I could stop myself.
Mitsuru went to speak but stopped. I was surprised I had said that and covered my mouth but Akihiko, Aigis and Mitsuru said nothing to reproach me.
"I'm sorry," I quickly apologized. I hadn't meant to cause something like this.
Mitsuru shook her head. "No, you're right. While my efforts may do good for people and the future of this world. My reasons for doing so aren't as idealistic as that. My Father died trying to correct and pay for the mistakes of his own Father. Minato died to save a world that had barely given anything to him. His thoughts in his journal, and how he referred to the members of SEES as his only family is something I can't get out of my head. Then we learned about Takahashi Hamuko, his twin sister. That led us to a discovery of other horrific things that had been done by the Kirijo Group. The technology we use now to fight the Shadows was not something that came from no where. The unfortunate truth is that many suffered and died for the breakthroughs and discoveries for the things we use to be able to combat them. So yes, I am trapped in the past. But I feel if I don't do all I can to correct what I can for those past actions, then I can't take the Kirijo Group into the future and properly help make the world a place that does not wish for The Fall. An impossible task, perhaps. But one I am resolute in seeing to the end. And it starts here, by saving Labrys. I hope to find her and help her so she no longer needs to be trapped and bound to what she had to experience. I don't know what I can do, but I will do all in my power."
"I was created to be a weapon. They didn't want us to feel or be able to think on our own. If that is the reason my older sister was locked away, then I want to save her. The man Ikakure Renji was forced to leave due to his desire to not treat her as such. I feel it is our responsibility to see that his thoughts and feelings finally come true. So that his death will not be one of just another victim of the tyrant Kirijo Kouetsu," Aigis spoke clearly and concisely.
"We all have our reasons, Kana-san. It isn't like our goals are that different, but how we achieve it and our motivations will differ. For me, I felt my outlook was too narrow. Even as strong as we were I still feel like I didn't understand the strength that Minato had. We heard his reasons and what was the source of that strength. I still don't know if I understand it even after my journey," Akihiko shook his head. "I don't think I'm in the right place to support my friends still, but if I made no progress on my journey then maybe that is my next step. That's why I'm here now."
"Shadows are a primal creature. We are driven by base desires, because Shadows are splintered parts of humanities minds. For the most part, Shadows can't think, we simply covet what we do not have. A Shadow created from someone's denied anger will seek to destroy indiscriminately. One born from lust will seek any form of pleasure. Each Shadow different, but mindless and unsure of how to fulfill their desire. For me, I was a collection of different Shadows, forced together due to the experiments of the Kirijo Group. It was Hamuko that allowed me to form my first thoughts. I wanted her to like me. I mean she was never afraid of me. Even my handlers of the Kirijo Group were terrified of being close to any Shadow. Even me, and I was more benign than the other Shadows. I had little concept for what was going on. Over time as I started to develop my sense of self, I began to realize how horribly mistreated Hamuko was. And I slowly gained my desire to protect her. All that while I had retained my Shadow formed, until the moment where I had to act. It was my first resolute decision, and first action I did of my own free will. My body right now is how I showed my desire to protect her. I mean it was convenient way for me to take all attention from Hamuko because I looked exactly like her, but I know I took her form because I wanted to be strong. And Hamuko was the strongest person that I knew then. Even now I still think of her as the strongest," I sighed heavily as I turned towards them and taking a moment to glance at the three of them individually. "I know I have a lot to learn still. But I want to keep moving forward. To be strong enough to protect Hamuko and all of you. To know what it means to be human. All I do know is that I want to protect all the lives I can, to prevent tragedies that have ripped families apart like Hamuko and Minato."
"You've come a long way, Kana-chan," Aigis said with a smile. "While all of us have our reasons, you included, it doesn't diminish our efforts. We will still have positive influences to the lives involved. Even if our motivations seem selfish or stuck in the past. But for all of us, moving forward means also dealing with that past."
"I hope you can understand Kana. For me, correcting what I can and giving compensation to those effected by my Grandfather is my first step before moving forward. That's why I want to help you and Hamuko. Your creation and use was because of those men. And even if you only exist because of those events, you were down there for over a decade alone as your way to protect Hamuko. For that I owe you more than I could ever give you. And Hamuko who never got to know her twin brother due to the greed and ambitions of those people I owe an even larger debt I could never hope to pay back. While it was not my ambitions or mistakes that led to the suffering of the victims, it is my duty as a Kirijo to atone for the mistakes of my family. So this is how I move forward, by trying to put things right and help those that deserve it." Mitsuru stepped forward and put her hand on my shoulder. "And right now we have a job to do. Another action that is likely caused by my family in some fashion. Labrys another victim of that past. But I need your help and the others to make it right."
I nodded, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hold us up."
"Don't worry about it," Akihiko chuckled and gave me a wink. "Sometimes we all need a reminder to what keeps us going. But we don't have any more time to waste. Let's get moving before the culprit can do whatever they are aiming for with Labrys."
"I made arrangements for Yamagishi to head this way and back us up. In the meantime, it will be just the four of us," Mitsuru said as we all gathered in front of the TV. "Alright, Shadow Operatives, let's move out."
Aigis turned to the TV and put her hand through the screen, and with only a moments hesitation she dived into the TV. Akihiko gave an amused chuckle before he followed suit. Mitsuru went in only a moment later. I put my hand to the TV and had the weird sensation as if it had gone through something and yet felt nothing. I couldn't hesitate anymore and quickly pushed myself through the screen and into the TV. Finding myself falling deeper into this other realm. I had no idea what was in store for us, but I would do all I could to help Labrys.
May 3rd, 2012 / Time Unknown
Yasogami High School?
My mind was in a haze. Exactly what had I been doing? Actually I had a horrible headache, as if it was pulsing in pain as I sat up. When I opened my eyes I expected to be inside my room or at the very least inside my house. That's not where I found myself to be. This was...my classroom? No I graduated, so why would I be here? My mind was an absolute mess. I felt a sense of urgency, like something bad had happened but for the life of me I couldn't exactly remember what that was. I slowly pushed myself to my feet and staggered a bit, having to steady myself on a nearby desk.
"It seems like you were rattled on your way down," a new voice, a familiar voice came from next to me. I turned to see that, of course it was familiar. The voice belonged to me. Wearing the Yasogami Uniform, along with his slick black hair were golden eyes. Something about him made me cautious, like I should get away from him. But I don't have the capacity to run, or barely stand at this moment.
"Why am I here?" I asked. Any answer even from someone I am wary of would be better than nothing.
"Have you forgotten?" my Shadow seemed to find this development amusing. "I suppose it isn't that surprising considering what happened." He stepped towards me and put a hand to my head. I flinched but after a moment the dizziness faded and everything felt more focused. "You hit your head pretty hard. No doubt the order of the events is all jumbled up. I'm confident you'll remember shortly."
"Maybe I should be asking why you are here," I said staring at him.
He sighed, "So hostile even after I fixed you up? I suppose that makes sense, you and I are the same after all. I doubt we'd last very long if I left you with a concussion. Give it time and you'll figure things out." He chuckled but its undertones gave me the chills as he moved next to a desk and put his hand on it. "I would say we had a lot of memories here, but it would be a lie, right? All we ever did was hide in the back at our desk, trying to not exist at all. We did our school work and nothing else. Never talked to anyone, never made friends."
"Yeah," I agreed without hesitation. "It was pointless to try and do something like that. In the end all of them will leave anyway." I felt a pain in my head and I grabbed it. Something felt wrong about what I just said.
My Shadow laughed, "Excellent, most excellent. This couldn't turn out any better. But since we are here, how about we have a look around? We need to figure a way out anyway, right?"
He wasn't wrong, staying here served no purpose. Not sure what his eagerness was all about though. I made my way to the door of the classroom and stepped out into the hallway. "Why is this place so empty?"
"A question that we will have to find an answer for," My Shadow seemed to know but obviously wasn't going to share. Well, whatever I could figure things out as needed. For now I would just head to the stairs and head out of the building.
"Ikakure-senpai?" a voice came from down the hall. I looked back and saw a girl. Who was she...oh right I know who she is. I should have recognized her right away. Her hair was mostly gray but had a tint of blue to it and her unmistakable crimson eyes. She was naturally dressed in the Yasogami High summer uniform. Her cheeks were flushed as if something had recently irritated her.
"If it isn't the Student Council President Labrys-san," I gave her a smile but my head pulsed. I grabbed it on reflex.
"Wha'cha doin' here anyways? You lookin' for dat girl of yours?" Labrys' accent was one you just couldn't forget once you heard it. Wait, had I heard it before? Something felt off.
"Girl?" another pain in my head. What did she mean? Was I forgetting something.
"Ah, crap. Got no time to chat, Ikakure-senpai. I have to go break up this tournament," Labrys ran past me. "I'll see ya later!" She called back.
The pulse in my head was more than I could handle. I had to grab my head with both hands. "My girl? But who is..." Then like the opening of a dam it all came back and I collapsed to the ground and let out a scream. "RISE!"
"What did I tell you? It all come back to you," My Shadow stepped out into the hallway. I glared up at him.
I came chasing after Rise. She had been taken. But who was that girl I just saw? And why did she act like she knew me? More importantly how was it that I acted like I knew her? Something about this was definitely not right. My head still felt like a mess but it was feeling a lot more clear now. My Shadow seemed somewhat amused by the situation. Okay time to focus. I dove into the TV after Rise. And then something happened. Yeah that's right. Falling into the TV had been significantly different than all the times I had gone through one before. Even when I dived in to try and save Nanako before I had been able to land relatively safely. But this time had been different. Instead I was blinded and to add more on top of that I was assaulted by a myriad of colors that disoriented me and made it impossible for me to tell how I was falling, which led to me hitting my head pretty badly on the ground. Which led to me waking up in my classroom and my Shadow healing me?
My Shadow shook his head, "Don't give me that. You're me right? Why wouldn't I help myself? I mean its your power right? And it wasn't doing either of us any good for you to go around with a concussion."
He wasn't wrong about that...and I was messed up enough that I had momentarily forgotten how I had even got here. I looked down the hall and started walking down. I looked back and my Shadow was gone. Guess it was only convenient for him to be around for a short time. Still, could shadows do something like that? There was just too much to this situation that just didn't seem to make any sense to me. No I had to push that off for now. I needed to find Rise. "Rise! RISE!" I yelled down the hall as I got to the stairs. Nothing. If anything it was strangely quiet. Why Yasogami High School? But it was only partially because looking up showed lights as if I was on a sound stage. If this really was the TV world then was this simply a dungeon created by whoever was thrown in here? Rise was thrown in but it wouldn't shape into anything for her, she had her Persona. And it seemed illogical for a world to be created for an individual that had already gone through that.
So there was a new victim then? Maybe it had something to do with Labrys. She certainly isn't anyone I had seen before, but I had somehow known who she was and her name. Whatever reason for how I knew that is likely the answer I needed. Okay so she's the Student Council President...and if she was going to break up a tournament then maybe the gymnasium is the place she is heading. Well its about the only lead I have...and likely Rise was not in a place where she could use her Persona. If that's the case then likely the goal was to cut off communication and...a thought dawned onto me. Rise was targeted because of her ability to communicate and connect people. I had a goal for the moment and that would have to do. I stopped and looked back down the hall.
My backpack was sitting next to my classroom. I quickly made my way back and grabbed it. I must have appeared in this room and lost my backpack when I fell and hit my head. I opened it and pulled out my sickles. Alright, weapons will likely be needed while inside this place. I hadn't seen any Shadows yet, but that didn't mean it wasn't a possibility. I went to head back to the stairs but something new stopped me.
"Hey, Senpai! You're here for this tournament thing too?"
I turned to see my kohai, Tatsumi Kanji walking from the far side of the third floor. "Tournament? What are you talking about? Labrys mentioned that too and..."
"Ahem, ahem. Is this thing on?" A voice came over...speakers? I turned to see a TV hanging in the hallway. And clearly on the screen was Teddie, but he was wearing some sort of military type hat and a red cap, as well as using some sort of cane.
"Teddie?" I shook my head. "What the hell is going on?"
"Ah Kay-chan! I guess you were a little eager and got here before you even knew what the main event was. Don't worry let me play you the promotional video!" Teddie then disappeared and replaced by something else.
"Rivals...They are...Friends! Yet powerful foes! The desperate fighting program amongst High School students!" The screen flashed a screen that showed all of us. Chie, Kanji, Yukiko, Yosuke, Naoto, Yu and even me. Teddie and Rise were not shown. I immediately realized that the ones missing were the ones capable of scanning and communicating with others. Also, I'm not a High School student anymore. The announcer continued. "A new legend is about to start!" It showed a ring. Like a wrestling ring. Just what was going on? And then in zoomed in to show Teddie once more.
"May the manliest of all men, come on down!" He exclaimed.
The video shifted as it now was introducing all the "competitors". The announcer continued, "Nobody touches his precious Nanako! The Sister-complex Kingpin of Steel, Narukami Yu!" The video briefly showed Yu before it shifted again. "Wage slave in the boonies by day, hero by night! Captain Ressentiment, Hanamura Yosuke!" Just like with Yu they flashed an image of Yosuke. There wasn't any time to take it in before it shifted. "A spunky dragon with deadly legs. The Carnivore Who's Discarded Womanhood, Satonaka Chie!" It showed Chie as well. But like the ones before it, quickly it was on to the next fighter. "Please escort me to the ring, my Prince! The Distressed Hostess Snow Black!" Yukiko appeared next. I was starting to get curious about this...
"Blooming roses and bulging muscles. The Bloodcurdling Beefcake Emperor, Tatsumi Kanji!" Again an image flashed up along with the title. It continued on, "The body of a child and the brain of a genius. The 2000-IQ Killjoy Detective, Shirogane Naoto!" An image of Naoto showed up. "The performer who prefers isolation. The Cold Thorned Composer of Desolation, Ikakure Kayane!"
"Fight and survive towards the one throne waiting at the end! Fierce Fights! The battle begins here tonight!" The announcer finally finished and the video faded away.
That wasn't just a coincidence. The order in which we were introduced was also the exact order of how we each came into our power as Persona users. Yu, being the first, followed by Yosuke, then Chie. Kanji was next but technically after that it would have been Rise and then Teddie before getting to Naoto and then myself. But as I noted before, the two individuals capable of communication and scanning were not included. So if Rise was taken for that reason, then no doubt Teddie would have been an equal threat. Which means whatever was happening was dependent on them not being able to communicate with us.
"Quite the good video I would say. I'm especially proud of it," Teddie appeared back onto the TV. But if Rise was taken, then this wouldn't be the real Teddie. He was too on top of things, and likely a fake. One reason to cut off Rise was to prevent her from pointing out something like that...which would also mean it is something that she was capable of seeing through. So, likely a trick was involved. "Got the gist of it now, Kay-chan?"
"You want us to fight, right?" I looked back at Kanji who seemed somewhat confused.
"Yeah, that's the ticket! This tournament is to determine who is the best after all," The way those words came out sounded wrong, and wasn't something Teddie would ever say. He never cared about anything like that.
"Alright, lets get this match going," another voice, unmistakable comes up. Rise. I turn to the TV and see her there, smiling, as if she can't wait to see us fight. So they were in the announcer room huh? "No need to hold back, let loose all that pent up aggression and let it all out!"
All of us that were deemed participants had been given a moniker that represented us. Mine made sense. The Cold Thorned Composer of Desolation. A reference to a few things about me. One, my tendency to go off on my own when faced with problems and turn people away, even Rise. That explained Cold Thorned...because I knew it was that habit that could also hurt people. Composer of Desolation is likely just a reflection of my own inner thoughts. Despite what everyone had done for me since I met them, I still felt in some ways, alone. The only one that could stop those thoughts was Rise. And so, I knew that Rise on that screen was a fake from the moment she spoke. She would never encourage something like this. But it would be no purpose in pointing that out. It was obvious that whoever was responsible had the ability to do some pretty convincing imitations. At the same time it was obvious that they didn't know us very well. Not enough to make it convincing for all of us. Using Teddie and Rise as the ones running this tournament was a red flag from the moment they showed up.
"So Senpai, we gonna rumble or what? Not that I expect you to put up much of a fight," Kanji's words brought my attention back to him. "I mean, let's face it, you've never been that good in a fight. You've pretty much depended on your special skills to come out on top right? A real fight, you'd have no chance. Kinda pathetic if you ask me. Yet you have all those people respecting you as if you got all the answers. Give me a break. I'll show you how a real man fights."
His words were direct and meant to force me to fight. Everything inside me told me that this was wrong. Not to mention Kanji didn't really care that much about if someone was a better fighter or not. Was this another trick? Was the power to manipulate and deceive so much that it could manipulate perception? Was that why I had known Labrys? Or was it more complicated than that? Either way my sickles were ready as I took a defensive stance. It was better I said nothing at all. If my words were what gets manipulated then staying silent would be able to provide more information than talking. Now how could I do this without hurting Kanji or even myself? I felt like I had control of myself, so the one responsible seemed only concerned with getting us to fight. Meaning the outcome itself was likely not as important.
"Alright, Round One for my lovely Kayane starts now. Show Kanji hell!" Rise's voice urged me forward. Using her to motivate me into fighting? How idiotic do you get?
"Tch, this fight is over before it began," Kanji was charging. I don't know what Kanji was seeing or hearing on his end but now that the fight was starting it didn't matter. Kanji had one of the highest physical capacities of everyone on the Investigation Team. That mean focusing with magic attacks would likely be an advantage on my part. But it would be ridiculous to think I had some sort of advantage just because I had powerful attacks on magic and physical sides. Underestimating Kanji would be a big mistake though.
I threw my sickle, not at Kanji but at the wall, the blade sticking into the wall. Then I ran towards Kanji. Just as I was getting close I moved into a dive and avoided Kanji's attack with his folding chair. The chain slid across the ground as I pulled it and using the momentum I caused Kanji to tumble to the ground. I yanked my sickle from the wall to recover it as I summoned Benzaiten and hit him with Bufudyne that slammed him again against the ground. Something about this felt strange. My movements felt faster than they had ever really been before. It had been so long since I had done anything like this. Was the constant training for my stamina actually having an affect. No time to think about that.
Despite the heavy hit and how decisive I had been in my opening move, Kanji was back on his feet and looming behind him was Takeji Zaiten. That name was another for Dairoku Tenmaou and could also be referred to as the Demon King. The title itself was a reference to Nobunaga Oda, a warlord that had once united Japan, but was more known for his cruelty in battle and some of the methods he used to achieve that victory. But The name Takeji Zaiten could also refer to the place where the Demon Lord resides in. I understood its significance when it came to Kanji. It was about his determination. Just like Nobunaga Oda, he no longer cared what people though of what he did. He would defend his beliefs no matter what anyone said. Yes, the visage of Takeji Zaiten was proof of how Kanji had grown to not only accept himself but how he no longer cared about how he was perceived.
Like the others, their time on the Investigation Team had been a lot more than just a life threatening situation. It had changed their lives. Kanji, who had been afraid of the thoughts of others, if anyone was to know about his hobbies. Afraid of that rejection he took up the visage of a punk, becoming strong so that people feared him. So that he would never have to hear their scathing remarks. He did it all to protect himself. And it was the others that showed him, he didn't have to hide it...and that the ignorant opinions of a few was hardly a good enough reason to be ashamed of what he loved.
I would not underestimate the strength and resolve needed to overcome something like that. Social pressure and the need to be accepted. I'm sure a part of me could understand that. But Kanji had found people that did accept him. And he learned that he didn't need or want everyone to accept him, he just needed friends who did. And he had found that.
Kanji was persistent, if not a bit reckless in how he attacked. But with his Persona looming over him, it was quite an intimidating presence. On instinct I jumped back and flipped around and tossed my sickle up towards the lights and wrapped around it with the blade buried into the metal frame of the lighting rig. I used it to pull myself away further and then using added strength from Benzaiten to pull my sickle free. I had more room but it wouldn't last long. I had Benzaiten Launch a wave of fire towards Kanji, but he expertly jumped over it. Brute force wasn't the way to win this. I threw my sickle onto the ground and stabbed its blade as far as it could go. Then helped it more by kicking down onto it. Thankfully the floor was not made of concrete. My other sickle in hand I saw Kanji was right on top of me. I had only a couple steps to react. I jumped to my left and set my footing and then launched myself over Kanji, making him slide to a stop. Kanji was taking note of my chain this time and he grinned.
Takeji Zaiten brought his weapon onto my chain and his concentrated lighting attack quickly moved down the chain. That was fine though. The lighting got to the end and sparked off, but my grip on the sickle was not something that allowed electricity to pass through it. So while I could feel the energy from it sparking, it could not damage me. Instead I changed directions as a now irritated Kanji continued his charge.I flipped back around and jumped over Kanji's attack. Soon I had him following me in circles again and again. If I wasn't more agile than Kanji then this plan wasn't going to work.
He brought Takeji Zaiten to attack me directly but I countered with Benzaiten and used the opportunity to jump past Kanji one last time. And then I pulled on the chain hard. Before Kanji realized I had flipped the chain up around him and confined his arms. Forcing him to let go of his chair, I used my momentum and shoved him to the ground. And then before he could say anything I smacked him hard with the back side of the sickle. Kanji still resisted but I tossed it aside and punched him across the face.
"Winner is Ikakure Kayane!" It was Rise's voice, enthusiastic that I had just beaten up my friend. That was not Rise.
I untangled Kanji from the chain from my sickle and sat down against the wall in the hallway. I still needed to pull my other sickle from the ground, but that could wait a moment while I catch my breath.
After only a moment, Kanji stirred. "Oh damn, you don't pull your punches, Senpai."
"Good idea to use my chain as a conductor but I was kind of hoping you'd do that," I commented, wondering if his words would be manipulated like before, but whatever odd sensation I had felt before seemed to be gone. And if the goal was to get us to fight, there would be no reason to continue that farce after the match was over. "How are you feeling? I tried to ensure I got to a point where you were considered beaten. Though I'm not sure at one point that would be since I'm not sure who we are dealing with."
"Well you did knock me around pretty well, so just a bit sore but I'll be fine. Still, I knew you'd be hard to fight, but not that hard," Kanji let out a big sigh. "What's this crap about Teddie hosting a tournament? And why'd you have to say all that crap about my hobbies man? I wasn't even sure I told you about all that stuff."
"Hold on, I said something to you?" I had a feeling that this could be the case.
"Yeah, you kept insulting my plushies I make for the shop and...wait, you don't know?" Kanji quickly put it together.
"I didn't say anything at all actually," I said thinking about it. "That would mean all the things you said to me to push me to fighting would have been part of the deceoption as well. So their power is that all encompassing?"
"So you weren't talking but I only thought you were? That isn't good," Kanji understood the implications of what it could do.
"It's why they kidnapped Rise," the pieces fit together. "Her power likely would be able to dispel that illusion. So in order for it to work, keeping us separated from her and also Teddie is likely an important part of their plan."
"Wait, they took Kujikawa? What the hell is the point in making us fight? This all sounds stupid as shit," Kanji shook his head.
"You're right. This is all pretty pointless if their goal was just to make us fight each other. There has to be a different reason, but I think if they are able to manipulate what we see and hear, it might be best for us not to try and meet up with the others. I take it if you are here then so is everyone else," I said it but Kanji looked away.
"Well, I dunno about that," he said and avoiding looking at me directly. I raised an eyebrow and reluctantly he continued. "You see I was really tired and I was kinda careless so I might have...fallen into my TV at home."
I blinked, "You fell into your TV at home?"
"I was up late studying so...look I'm embarrassed as hell already I don't need the third degree," Kanji cheeks were red. I had heard that Kanji had been focusing on his studies more and I think I had an inkling why.
"You know, you don't have to stress yourself so much on catching up to her," I said flatly to which Kanji finally looked to me.
"Catch up?" it took him a moment to realize what I meant. Instead of denying it or brushing it aside he got a bit glum, his shoulders sagged as he sat next to me against the wall. "I need to. I don't want her to see me as a dumb brute, you know? I mean, she's so smart. She travels across the country helping adults solve mysteries and what can I offer her that others can't? There are better men than me for her but I..."
"Your worried because you don't get to see her. She leaves town for jobs she can't even tell us about. And you think one of these times that she leaves, she won't come back," I knew because I could see it in Naoto's eyes when she talked to me a few days ago. While she wouldn't admit it, she had been thinking along the same line herself. With all her jobs away from Inaba, she's worried that by coming back Kanji might find someone. Someone that she feels is a more reliable partner than her. Yet she is also considering that having a relationship is just a foolish school girl wish.
"Tch, I'm an idiot, go ahead and laugh Senpai," Kanji muttered.
"Well you're an idiot if you think she only cares about book smarts," I chuckled a bit. He glared at me for a moment. "She's studied for most of her life, her mind was filled with riddles, puzzles and complex questions about motivation and why people act the way they do. But you know what she hasn't done? She hasn't lived. The Investigation Team and her experiences since then have taught her that her view of life has been somewhat narrow. Tell me, do you think she cared about how much you didn't know when you were teaching her how to ski? Do you think she cares when she looks at what you've done with crafting? She might be smart but you know quite a bit about living that she doesn't. And I don't think I've ever seen her smile more than when she was learning to ski from you."
He blinked for a moment, "Am I trying too hard?"
"Kanji-kun, you know about her deepest, and darkest secrets that she would never tell anyone. And you told her yours right?" I asked him somewhat bluntly.
"I...uhh...yeah. I mean it didn't seem fair for her secrets to be out and not know anyone else's so I thought I should...like I owed her," Kanji said which was understandably hard for him to admit.
"People don't forget things like that. I would say that girls especially don't forget something like that. Despite her air of confidence when she's working on a mystery. In area's she's not confident in, she is quite shy. I think you know that better than anyone. Look all I'm trying to say is that you don't need to try and be more than who you already are. I'm sure you know that. You already stopped caring about how people perceive you right? This is no different than anything else. But you won't know if you don't take a chance and talk to her about this. I mean, aren't you better at taking your problems head on?" This was the best I could do for the both of them. And it was a reminder to myself how young we all really were. Compared to what we have gone against up until now...problems of the heart and how best to move forward were favorable issues to deal with. I got to my feet. "First though, we need to rescue Rise. I have a feeling she's alright for now. But until we determine who is behind this and their motivations, we don't know if it will stay that way."
Kanji got to his feet as well, "Thanks Senpai. I appreciate your advice."
I shook my head, "It isn't like I know any better. I've barely lived life myself. I only know what I've observed and the little I've done myself. So feel free to blame my lack of experience if it doesn't work out."
"You should have more confidence in yourself, Senpai," Kanji added as we walked towards the stairs. Then suddenly, Kanji smacked right into something. "Ow! What the hell is going on?" I turned and Kanji was banging against something...something that couldn't be seen, but it was in the space that I had just easily passed through.
The TV in the hall came to life once more, "Oh right, I forgot to mention, this is a tournament, so only the victor gets to move forward! Too bad Kanji. Now get going Kay-chan! You're next opponent is waiting for you!" This fake Teddie then disappeared just as quickly and the TV turned off.
"So whoever it is, is pretending to be both Teddie and Rise?" Kanji was rubbing his face where he had slammed into the invisible barrier before.
"Whoever it is behind it is camera shy. They've only used deception and illusions to get what they want. Though I did run into this girl named Labrys. She claimed to be the Yasogami Student Council President. For some reason I knew who she was," I had only just remembered her.
"Labrys?" Kanji thought for a moment. "I can't remember who the new new Student Council President is. But if she is here inside the TV then she's connected to this whole mess right?"
"Good point. It's a place to start to try and figure this out. I'll try and get to the announcer room and see if Rise is being held there. If they are actually following the logic of the school and broadcasting out to the TVs around here," I said that but also figured it was possible that it was a deception as well. I needed Rise, for a lot of reasons. I needed to know she was safe, but if I wanted to figure anything out I needed her help. I felt that the goal here had nothing to do with putting Rise in danger. Only that she was a threat to the effectiveness of whatever the greater plan was. I looked to Kanji. "Sorry, looks like you're stuck here."
He shrugged as he collapsed onto the ground, "It's find Senpai. Honestly, its better you are moving forward. If they are deceiving us then I'm too brash to be the one to figure this out."
I couldn't help but chuckle, "I dunno sometimes its better to brute force your way through things. This is going to be difficult though. I'm likely to face the others. Without any direction I won't be able to avoid them."
"Then don't," Kanji said it so simply that I couldn't help but smirk. "Win or lose that means one of us is going to reach the end, and we'll figure this out."
It was a simplistic view, but probably the right stance to take in this situation. I wasn't sure if I could afford to take a risk that any opponent I faced was the real article or not. The problem being if they could make Kanji believe I had been talking when I had been completely silent then would it be hard for them to disguise someone or maybe a Shadow. Either way, I needed to be cautious about how I approached this. "I'll have Rise contact you as soon as I can get to her. And see if anyone else is here."
"Alright, be safe out there, Senpai," Kanji offered me a final word of comfort.
I turned and began heading down the stairs. It hadn't been long since I had been in here. The worst part of it was there was no idea what kind of danger was ahead. Was the culprit in this case looking to kill? Or was this some other goal? Either way a few facts was clear...and the most disturbing of it was that whoever it was, had the power to enter the TV and the most disturbing of it was they knew who the members of the Investigation Team was. They knew they had to take Rise and Teddie out of the picture. And the culprit seemed determined to make the remainder of us fight.
May 3rd, 2012 / Time Unknown
Yasogami High School?
KANA'S POINT OF VIEW
"Aigis-san? Sanada-san? Kirijo-san?" I got to my feet. Something about falling in to the TV had been incredibly disorienting and for a while I hadn't know which way was up. Somehow I had managed to land on my feet but it had taken me a bit before I felt stable enough to stand. I found myself in the middle of a field. A track field? I could see I was outside of a school. I recognized it. It was Yasogami High School, the school that Ikakure Kayane had recently graduated from but his girlfriend Kujikawa Rise was still attending. But I had gone through the TV right?
I focused my senses and I could feel it all around me...that sense of animosity and hint of anger, and jealousy. This was no doubt the realm of a Shadow. Spending years hiding from the more vicious Shadows that stalked the halls of the Inoto Hospital Research Center in the depths of it hidden labs had made it something I could never forget. But there was something more to it...something I couldn't quite figure out. Maybe it was pointless to try right now. Still, the fact that the others weren't nearby was a bit disappointing. All I could do was see if they were inside the School. Though this was a world made from the power of a Shadow. There was no telling what dangers would lie ahead.
With no other options I made my way towards the school. As I approached I saw a...TV? Why would their be a TV here? Just what exactly was going on? Then as if it detecting I was looking at it...it switched on.
"Rivals...They are...Friends! Yet powerful foes! The desperate fighting program amongst High School students!" The screen flashed a screen that showed multiple individuals. One of them immediately jumped out at me. Because, I knew him. It was Ikakure Kayane. Who were these others? Wait if they were connected, then were these the others that had been kidnapped? No, the numbers didn't add up for that to be the case. One had silver hair, another black, one boy and girl with brown hair, the other a bleached blond. Then Kayane had black hair as well. It was hard to tell anything with that quick glance as it quickly shifted. The announcer continued. "A new legend is about to start!" It showed a large wrestling ring in the middle of a stadium like environment, with lights and a huge production. Then A red, white and blue creature donned in a strange military type hat and a red cape along with some sort of cane. He stood in the center of the ring.
"May the manliest of all men, come on down!" He exclaimed. But just like before the video quickly shifted. The announcer continued, "Nobody touches his precious Nanako! The Sister-complex Kingpin of Steel, Narukami Yu!" The video briefly showed the silver haired young man with a katana striking a pose in the ring.
The video didn't give me time to get any more details as it shifted and the announcer moved forward as the next guy showed up on screen, "Wage slave in the boonies by day, hero by night! Captain Ressentiment, Hanamura Yosuke!" It was the brown haired guy who was wielding a pair of ninja weapons, kunai. He just like the first guy that was shown, was wearing a Yasogami High School uniform. I only knew this because of the time I had met Rise with Kayane.
Once more it shifted, "A spunky dragon with deadly legs. The Carnivore Who's Discarded Womanhood, Satonaka Chie!" It showed the short brown haired girl who I suspected was wearing the girls Yasogami High School uniform but over top was a green and yellow jacket that was zipped up and had a few pins on it. It was all the details I could pick up other than the fact that she didn't seem to have a weapon.
The video kept moving forward and was announcing the next one, "Please escort me to the ring, my Prince! The Distressed Hostess Snow Black!" Like the girl before her, she was wearing the Yasogami High School uniform but on top of hers she wore a red cardigan. In her hands an elegant fan. Was that her weapon?
"Blooming roses and bulging muscles. The Bloodcurdling Beefcake Emperor, Tatsumi Kanji!" This time it was the kid with bleached blond hair and also had piercings. He was wearing the high school uniform but his shirt had a skull and crossbones on it, and was clearly not wearing the uniform as intended. He also seemed to be a more muscular build than the other guys.
Again an image flashed up along with the title. It continued on, "The body of a child and the brain of a genius. The 2000-IQ Killjoy Detective, Shirogane Naoto!" My eyes widened. She wore the same outfit I had just seen her in. I hadn't recognized her on the initial screen because it only showed a small part of the young woman, but no doubt this was the detective that had been assigned as a watcher by the Police. She had been part of the team at Inaba as well when the serial killings had occurred. She knew Kayane. My thoughts before had hoped Kayane had been a Persona user. But why? Why had I thought something like that? Especially because it meant him being a Persona user also meant that he had been in danger. And that the wishes of his relatives to keep him out of the danger of the world of Persona and Shadows had gone unanswered.
"The performer who prefers isolation. The Cold Thorned Composer of Desolation, Ikakure Kayane!" The announcers voice made me wince at his announcement. Why would he be given a title like that? His black hair was parted down the middle, and his cool blue eyes made it impossible to tell exactly what he was thinking. From a certain angle, he probably looked cold or that getting too close could be a bad idea. He was wearing black slacks and a white dress shirt. In his hands was a pair of sickles that were connected by a chain. So it was true then. Kayane was a Persona user and he was here now, in this world. I felt myself go weak in the knees and slid to the ground, my eyes still looking at the TV screen.
"Fight and survive towards the one throne waiting at the end! Fierce Fights! The battle begins here tonight!" The announcer made a final declaration as the video apparently finished and the TV turned to static before it switched itself off. My eyes continued to look at the now empty screen.
I wanted to protect him. Now, all of this was my fault. If I had been with Labrys, and prevented the culprit from taking her, then none of us would be here. Now, they were all in danger because of my mistake. I felt my emotions bubbling up and I hit the ground with my fist. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry," I muttered to no one. I did my best to calm myself and stop the tears that were now falling. But the thoughts wouldn't leave me. How many times have I failed to protect someone? How many mistakes have I made that could lead to someone getting seriously injured...or dying? Not knowing any better just seemed like a convenient excuse. Regardless of why or how, I had made a mistake.
So what will you do now? That is what Oneesama would say if she was here. Hamuko, even after I had failed her, called me her sister. I was a Shadow...I only existed because of Hamuko, because of the horrible things we both experienced. I existed because of the love she showed me. That is what I believed. That was why I didn't want to fail her. I didn't want to fail anyone. Now, Kayane, my first friend beyond Hamuko or the others that were once known as SEES. I could have unknowingly put him in danger.
I got back to my feet and wiped away the last of my tears. All I could do was find him. From there, I could protect him. That's all I had to do. Then once he was safe I could find Labrys, and then the others. There was still time, time before something bad could happen.
There was a door that went into the schools gymnasium. I opened it and went inside. I couldn't hesitate. I had to move forward. When I entered and moved to the center of the basketball court, the outside door slammed shut. Then a large stack of chairs fell into the space in front of the door and I quickly stepped back. As alarming as that was I turned around to see that I wasn't alone. It was a girl, in red. That's right her name was Amagi Yukiko. She stood there with her guard up, and just like the video she was using a fan.
"Wait, stop! I'm not an enemy," I put my hands up to show I wasn't holding anything.
She paused, "Who are you?"
"Oh, um...my name is...Takahashi Kana. I'm a friend of Ikakure Kayane," I hoped that would make me less suspicious.
That did seem to soften her, "You know Kayane-san? But how are you here inside the TV?" Her suspicion was still high. And probably deservedly so.
"You need a Persona to enter the TV right? My friends and I came in here for a purpose. We're all Persona users," I explained what was likely an obvious observation, but it left little room for doubt. "I had no idea that Kayane could use a Persona."
"Oh ho ho, what is this? Another raven haired beauty has entered into the tournament? Yuki-chan, how about you introduce me to this friend of yours?" A TV had dropped down between us, and on the screen was that strange bear like creature of red, white and blue, but had the odd military hat on.
"Teddie! What is the meaning of this non-sense? And where is Kayane and Rise-san?" Yukiko ignored the one she called Teddie's initial inquiry to ask her own questions.
"Tsk tsk tsk, right now I'm General Teddie! And don't worry, Kay-chan is competing just like everyone else," He waved off the subject as if it was not a big deal. But wait what did that mean?
"Competing? What are you talking about?" I asked, completely lost on what he meant.
"Hmm, seems like you are more looks than brains," he said so casually but even if I didn't know him, the insult still stung. I was still learning, and I knew I had a lot more to go. "What are you even doing here? Go away, you weren't invited."
Wasn't invited? This was planned then? That video had intended for those individuals...for what? To have them fight? Why? Even if Kayane was a Persona user that wasn't something he would do. Not if he didn't have an alternative. "No! I'm here to get Labrys, and Kayane-san!"
"You are so annoying, I thought you were good looking but you are getting uglier by the second," This General Teddie glared over at me. I found myself shrinking back a bit but I shook it off and stood my ground. I needed to be strong. "You shouldn't...be...be...be...beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee." Suddenly the TV screen turned to static for a moment. When his image returned, his eyes were a pale gold and I could tell right away. He was a Shadow. "Case 04: Unintended Intruder. Entering elimination process." Suddenly the image fizzles out and a noise washes over the area that makes me grab my ears, as if it...did I just get scanned?
"What's going on!? What did you do?" I yelled at the screen.
"You..." the girl Yukiko suddenly started talking. "Who do you think you are anyway? Showing up here and talking about Kayane-san like you know him. As if you could even come close to understanding what he's had to go through."
Her sharp tone caught me off guard as I looked back to her. She looked angry, I mean she had been cautious before but she hadn't been angry. Only hesitant and I was sure I was getting through to her before General Teddie had appeared. Was that it? That noise before, that definitely was the power of a Shadow. Whatever he did...that was what was going on now. I knew I shouldn't rise to the provocation but I spoke before I could help it, "I do know about what happened to him as a kid. I know he hasn't had an easy life."
"Ha, that's rich, someone like you making that kind of comment. You aren't even human," words that came from the girl Yukiko pierced through and I felt my heart beat more. There was no way this girl would know I'm a Shadow. That was more than enough confirmation that something else was at work, but the words still hurt.
"I know, I'm not worth anything. I only exist because of others but I...I'm going to do my best for everyone. I'll live my life for them," I'm sure that saying this was pointless. What I saw before meant that we were likely being forced to fight. So if what I was hearing was any indicator, it was only to make us fight.
"Ha, I bet no one will even realize your gone after I end your life," the voice I was being led to believe belonged to this girl snarled and took a more aggressive stance. "Come Sumeo-Okami!" A Persona appeared behind Yukiko, a brilliant golden and emphasized just how beautiful this Persona was. No, this Persona could not belong to someone that held malice like those words wanted me to believe. That name was familiar. Oh right, my tutor had been going over Japanese history. It was a reference to Amaterasu. The sun goddess was truly something that only certain people could ever hope to have as their Persona.
"Oh looks like were ready to get this match started! No need to hold back. Go for broke!" I recognized the voice. It was Kujikawa Rise but no...I knew instinctively that this was also a result of the Shadows power.
"I'll do what I can, but I can't afford to lose here. I have to get to Labrys and Kayane-san," I stepped back and went to grab the evoker to summon my Persona...but the thought of doing so and I felt it happen in a instant. Eurydice stood behind me, ready. I blinked for a moment, "Huh? So this place brings you closer to your psyche?" That explained why a Shadow could have such a large domain...this place likely was where Shadows lived. Perhaps a splintered part of the soul of unconscious, but yet a place that could be reached by Persona users. No this wasn't the time to think about that.
Eurydice stood in the long elegant black dress and long auburn color hair with pale white skin. In her hands was an elegant harp that my Persona used in probably less than elegant ways at times. Still as I readied myself for this fight, I could feel my Persona ready to fight with me. I could feel it around us as Yukiko looked ready to charge at me. Like a noise that was scratching against us as we looked at each other. This was the power of a Shadow that was manipulating our sense, forcing us to fight even though we had no reason to do so. Yukiko stepped forward and launched a attack.
I reacted by jumping back and quickly using Bufudyne as it clashed against Yukiko's fire attack. The clash of opposing elements caused a flash of light for a moment, but on reflex I used it to use Ziodyne through the clash. But as the vision cleared, Yukiko was jumping over my attack in a spin that looked equally elegant as it did beautiful. I still had my chain sword around my waist, but using it seemed too dangerous. A mistake in my part could seriously injure Yukiko. But...
I leaped forward with enough momentum to go into a slide as Yukiko sent another fire attack down but I went underneath her before she touched the ground. I grabbed the hilt of the chain sword and swung it wide as it came free from my waist. Yukiko was forced to retreat back as I got to my feet and the chain formed into the sword. Yukiko became hesitant, although the expression on her face said otherwise. Was the deception meant to stay in place until the fight was resolved? I did notice something that was off though. The movements were different than her expression. So was that a limitation? You could manipulate perception but was it limited to facial expressions and words? Well yeah, if all you are doing is changing perception, then that meant body posture and movement couldn't be changed. This, should have been obvious from the beginning.
But what now? With my chain sword she won't take a chance to get close again, but it seemed Yukiko was quite more adept with magic anyway. I kept my eyes trained on her but focused more on her overall body and kept my eyes away from her face. Instead focusing on her subtle movements. I saw it, she was hesitating, she was worried...no. Was she angry? Was something she was perceiving from me making her angry? Likely with words and facts that I shouldn't even possibly know. Yukiko made the next move and tossed her fan towards me, I moved and saw the fan veer off and stick into the wall. When I looked back, Yukiko had a new one in her hand. That was one sturdy built fan, and had a definite edge to it. Still...I needed to end this with a decisive blow. And I couldn't wait.
I swing my chain sword and let the blade extend out to the chain, but swung it in a easy predictable route. Yukiko side stepped and went to attack but Eurydice was there to deflect the attack as I let the chain go back to a sword and this time swung in a wide arc with more power this time. Yukiko had to roll to the ground to avoid it, and so she couldn't avoid my bombardment of Bufudyne only a moment later and it sent her spiraling back and slid to a stop at the base of stacked chairs. Was it enough? Had I gone too far?
"Winner is Takahashi Kana! Congrats girl! See you at your next match," The Fake Rise image showed on the TV screen but I ignored her. I was more worried about Yukiko. I dropped my sword and made my way over to the girl.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry," I found myself saying as I turned her over.
"Nngh...That was rough," Yukiko's eyes fluttered open. She looked up at me and then she smiled and reached up at me. "I'm alright, you don't need to cry."
I hadn't realized I had been crying but I couldn't help it. "I didn't want to fight, but I also have to keep going, and I didn't want to..."
Yukiko pushed tears away from my eyes and sat up, "Takahashi-san, right? Please, its alright. I'm fine."
But I couldn't help it. And my tears only got stronger.
A/N:
And Arena is officially under way. Going into Arena made me realize just how much of a mess it can be to keep track of all the moving parts. Especially when you have other stories converging onto each other. And really that was one of the things I felt needed to happen to make it seem just as important as it was in the original game. Although in my opinion the Persona 3 cast may be too well adjusted to life past high school. And I've always been a little irritated about that fact. Mitsuru's motivation for starting the Shadow Operatives felt fine, but the time table doesn't really match up for me. Two years since the end of The Answer has happened, and she has supposedly set up a new branch of basically secret police and get it recognized by the government and also found other Persona users? That is a little bit out of the realm of believability in my opinion. Simply because the level of secrecy she has to maintain and how she has to convinced people that this Shadow Operatives force is needed.
Obviously in the first Arena game there is still significant doubt from the police as to the need for this organization. Especially when at the end of the day it is essentially one devoted to cleaning up after the mistakes of the past. Specifically the past of the Kirijo Group, which would look very suspicious to anyone that is unaware of the events of Persona 3...which would be, nobody outside of SEES or parts of the Kirijo Group. So who would sign off on this kind of thing without proof of it? Realistically, nobody would. So we're really left with questions as to how the Shadow Operatives are allowed to exist, much less be able to supersede police authority on situations like terrorism.
I don't go too much into this aspect but for this story, the Shadow Operatives are essentially in a probationary period. Mitsuru has some support among the higher ups in Japanese government. Enough to give her a chance to prove the need of the Shadow Operatives, but not without some oversight or restrictions. Although honestly in any situation needing the Shadow Operatives comes up there is hardly anything anyone could do to restrict them. It isn't like anyone can dive into a TV to follow them in this case. Except Naoto. But that was just lucky on the Police side to hire an observer that just so happens to have a Persona.
Moving along, we also see Kayane's Shadow take a more solid form while he is in the TV. Yet Kayane still has full use of his Persona, and while his Shadow is somewhat demeaning to him, it isn't like he is getting in his way. We certainly haven't seen the last of him hanging around as we push forward. Kayane has a bit of a few problems off the back when he finally wakes up, after suffering another head injury that his Shadow willingly heals. I wonder what you guys think of that whole situation. Or Kayane's fight with Kanji for that matter.
Kana has a lot to go through herself. She's still discovering who she is and her own beliefs. Although she had been living as a human for the last year, she is still trying to catch up to everyone. Though thanks to tutors provided by Mitsuru she is becoming more educated and is slowly starting to understand her own desires and feelings. I would say that at the moment her desire to protect Kayane is more of her latching on to him for being one of her first friedns outside of SEES. I think it makes sense from a psychological stand point. As people grow up they tend to look back fondly on their first friend or first thing they like. It becomes something that can't be tarnished. And even if you end up growing apart of losing contact with that person, for the most part if we encounter them down the line we would welcome them back into our lives without a second thought. Without thinking about how they might have changed since then. We want to give them that chance to live up to the memories we have in our head.
The problem in this situation is that Kana doesn't know the whole story, only parts of it. She knows what was made available to the public but not how he has handled it or the emotional side of the situation. And I think that plus her having the information that Kayane has a sister is going to have a continued effect on her. How it affects her moving forward...well I guess we'll see as it develops.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter of the story. It is one of the longest chapters to come out in quite some time. Let me know what you think and leave a review, or send me a PM if you want. I'll see all of you in two weeks with the next chapter.
Also a side note for people that might follow my other works. My next chapter for Chrono Trigger: Defiance of Fate will be going up next week at some point, so look forward to that!
