AN: We're finally here, the second part of Persona Gnosis. If you haven't read the first story, you might not get all the references to that one here. I decided quite a while ago that I wanted to make a new story for this second half, rather than keep going with the first story, so here we are. In the last chapter of Gnosis, we got to discover Kei Kakusa's real name. And now, we're going to meet the 'real' Kei. But of course, Shintaro and the others will be coming back. Please read, review, favourite, follow, etc!
真·女神転生
SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI
Persona: Gnosis – Supreme Sophistry
Arc I: Breakthrough
|Yokohama Streets|12:00 am|
Keiko was riding through the streets of the city of Yokohama, focused on reaching her goal. She had to stay hidden in the Akartharto Kosmos, until she was close enough to the building she had been researching from afar since she first discovered it. If she were to be detected early, she might not be able to break in and find out if her plan was a success.
"Stay calm...I can do this."
She turned around a corner, zipping past the myriad of cars out on the road. Her heart was racing, both with excitement and fear. All her powers would be required if she was to take on those lurking in the ominous structure that no one could see – at least, not in the real world. Only those within the Theio Kosmos could see it, and bask in its mammoth size and lurid hues, casting a foreboding light over the city's harbour.
As she zoomed past the familiar buildings in her area, she caught a glimpse of Yokohama University in the distance. The place she had been studying for three years, living life as a normal student. But after the previous year of school ended, everything changed.
To think that the last exam was the biggest worry on our minds. I can still remember all of that day. It was then I 'met' Shintaro and the others for the first time.
Chapter 1: Spring of Memories
Earlier that year...
|March 24th 2017|Yokohama University – School of Computing, Examination Hall A-1|10:15 am|
Today was the final day of examinations for most of the country, and for the students of the School of Computing at Yokohama, it was no exception. This morning's Computer Science test was in progress, and in the silent classroom, every student was furiously writing on their papers, using every bit of knowledge in their brain to ace these questions. In the front row of the class, one student was on her final question, about complex data protocols.
This was Keiko Moriya, a quiet student in her third year. With this last exam, she and her friends would be on their Spring Break. For the past three years, she had spent nearly every single day with them. The hard days of studying, the fun days of partying, or just the evenings where the four of them played games. All of those moments were special. And so was this one, where they were all hard at work at the exam in the giant hall.
Compared to the other young lady in her group, Keiko was more mundane in terms of her clothes and hair. Shoulder length, brown hair, just as she'd always kept it. Her usual teal and black striped t-shirt and denim jacket with short leaves had become a signature look of hers. She'd never been one to dress up, and after high school, she was grateful to never have to wear skirts again.
Finally, she finished her question, and read over her answer in the sole minute left. All seemed good. While it wasn't perfect, her revision over the past month had helped her ace the last theory exam of the year, and her practical project, a homemade game, had already been submitted. Soon, the examiner called for everyone to put their pencils down. Keiko looked around, and saw her friends' relieved faces.
Looks like they're all as glad to be done with that paper as I am.
Before long, Keiko was making her way out of the hall, free for the Spring break. Her three friends immediately surrounded her, briefing sighs of relief.
"Phew! Am I glad to be out of there. I know exams are important and all, but I just hate how quiet and tense they are..."
This was Midori Moribashi, whose pink streaks in her silver hair certainly made her stand out more than her best friend. She stretched her arms up high, relieved to be out of the uncomfortable chair. Even in exams, she wore the same general outfit, her flashy green tank top, jeans, and sneakers. She always seemed to be dressed for exercising in style, Keiko thought. Perhaps she would have worn her karate gi all over the school if she was allowed.
"Well, they don't normally allow you to play rock music during exams..." One of the two males in the group said. "Although maybe that would have helped. You know that local band Terror Bite? Whose songs we've been listening to every single night while we study together? I still don't know how they wrote an entire song about x86 architecture, but it actually helped..."
Ryota Nanbara had been changing his look a lot over the year, but today he had picked out a sharp blue chequered shirt and black trousers. His elegantly curled black hair was what he worked the hardest on, however, and Keiko had always wished she could get her own to look a little like his. He had on the black and gold arrow necklace his boyfriend had given him last Christmas – in fact, he had never left home without it, due to his love of archery.
"Just imagine what the next year of school is going to be like. Hopefully, we can stick together again. Professor Shiozawa wouldn't split us up, would be? I can't imagine studying without you guys. Especially not Ryota here..."
This was Hajime Yoshioka, whose red hair was more unkempt compared to the more beauty-conscious man of the group. He had quite the stubble, as well, contrasting again with Ryota's clean-shaven face. As ever, he was dressed to impress, in a black short-sleeved shit, an elegant red waistcoat, and smart black trousers and shoes. It was a far cry from the fencing uniform he wore in his club.
"We should say goodbye to him, and thank him for all his help over the year," Keiko said, happily. While she had many teachers over the years, Professor Shiozawa was her favourite. It was hard to explain, but she felt a kinship with him.
Midori nodded. "Yeah, we owe him big time. Without him, Hajime would have been in big trouble."
"Why did you have to single out me, girl?" Hajime said, with an exaggerated pout.
"She only does that to tease you affectionately, you know," Ryota said, dryly, while adjusting his glases. "After three years of knowing you all, I've picked up on things like these. Like the way Keiko's face lights up whenever someone brings up kendo – yeah, see?"
"Oh, you..." Keiko said, giggling. In good spirits, they made their way through the halls and stairwells of the campus, white and light blue in décor. This building was an impressive one, that had a vague boat shape, perhaps to evoke the harbour city feel of Yokohama. As they passed by the windows, they saw the fountains, and the myriad of students either leaving the campus or heading toward their next exam. Before long, they were at the office of their favourite teacher.
|Professor Shiozawa's Office|10:30 am|
The room inside was barely decorated. While most professors tended to have at least a few personal items in their workspace, this one did not. Despite that, Keiko enjoyed coming here with the others. Sitting at the desk, the teacher was typing away, deeply focused on his monitor. It was only after a few moments that he realised he had guests. He quickly locked his screen, before either student could get a closer look at the screen.
"O-Oh! It's you four. The 'Quad Corp'! I wasn't expecting you here..."
This was Katsuhiro Shiozawa, a professor here with remarkable tenure. He may have been 65, but he still was spry, having kept up running even in his later years, and the track team at college were impressed with his talents, often suggesting they recruit him. And not jokingly, either.
"Sorry, sir, we didn't mean to disturb you..."
"Ah, no need to apologise, Keiko. Your last exam was this morning, right?" Shiozawa said, friendlily. He had a somewhat infectious smile, that was prone to making those speaking to him smile in turn. The grey bushy beard, the somewhat scruffy haircut, and his brown suit had been his signature look for quite some time, and thus, Keiko and the others couldn't help but recognise him.
"That's right, Shiozawa-sensei! And I think we aced it, thanks to your help." Midori said, happily, stretching her arms up high. "I don't think Hajime could have done it without you."
"What, again?!"
The professor chuckled. "Oh, come on, Hajime, she's been doing that since your first class together. But honestly, I didn't do that much. So, what are you going to do during spring break?"
"We don't have any firm plans, but we're going to go around town and celebrate for the rest of the day," Keiko said, happily. "What about you, sir?"
"Me? Well..." Shiozawa began saying. "I suppose I'll keep up with my running. And also – hmm?"
Keiko turned around and saw another teacher, that seemed to be in his forties. Red-haired, he had dark stubble and was quite tall and slender. She had seen this professor before around the campus, but never in any of her classes, so she assumed he was in a different department. His red shirt and black tie reminded her of the outfit Ryota wore on his first date with Hajime. The latter was considerably more casual, from what Keiko recalled.
"Katsuhiro, we have to talk. Right now." The unfamiliar man said, ignoring the quartet of students.
"What is it, Hideki? You look a little on edge. Setsuna and Ichika are alright, aren't they -"
"Of course, I'm on edge! You haven't been keeping up with that Gnosis game?" 'Hideki' said, looking at the other four students nearby, tilting his head towards the door.
He wants us to leave? But I wanted to talk to the Professor, about the job we were talking about...
"Gnosis game?" Hajime asked, curious. "Wait, that one that blew up big last week?"
"Yeah...we were so busy with school, we haven't really had time to check it out," Ryota said, somewhat awkward.
"...I'm very sorry, everyone, but I'll need to ask you to give us some privacy," Shiozawa said, now looking very tense. "Please, have a good break. I'll see you all next term."
Quickly, Keiko and the others left, closing the door behind them.
"That was odd..." She said, perturbed. "Why would they be so anxious over a video game?"
"Beats me..." Ryota said, shrugging. "Professor Yoshinaga's always been a little moody. At least that's what I've heard in the cafeteria sometimes, from the Geography students."
Keiko's hair pricked up as she heard that name. Yoshinaga somehow felt familiar. As if she had met someone with that name before.
Or was there more than one person with that name? I don't remember, exactly. The letters didn't have their surnames. I should know, I read them a thousand times.
"Shame, he's pretty good looking. Not as much as you, obviously." Hajime said, arm around his love.
"Flatter me as much as you wait, dude, but you still owe me for eating the last takoyaki last night..."
"That's it!" Midori said, excitedly. "Takoyaki! We need to celebrate with some damn good food, don't we? And Minato Mirai 21 is the best place to get some. Come on, let's go!"
"Y-Yeah! My treat!" Keiko said, happily.
The group left the campus, heading towards the famous shopping hub of the city.
|Minato Mirai 21|12:30 pm|
Keiko saw the large Ferris wheel, the Cosmo Clock 21, and smiled. It was one of the city's most well-known skyline features, especially at night. The area was full of incredible shopping malls, parks, businesses, skyscrapers, art museums, and other landmarks. As part of the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area, Yokohama was something truly special for these young people.
"So many people are out shopping today..." Hajime said as they passed through a busy commercial street, full of lit signs, lanterns and wafting enticing aromas.
"Yes, how observant of you," Midori said, sticking her tongue out, as they went around a corner.
"Don't worry. Look at all the people you see selling takoyaki every single day here. We'll get some, don't worry." Ryota said, admiring the Yokohama Landmark Tower in the distance. "Oh man, when it's fried to perfection..."
They passed several high school students, in black uniforms. Keiko looked at the trousers the boys were wearing, somewhat intrigued.
"Oh, I think I recognise that uniform. It's Shujin Academy, or something." Hajime said, happily. "Based in Aoyama. They were in the news a lot, remember?"
"We haven't been down to Tokyo properly for a while, we need to get on that." Midori said. "Remember last time, everyone was still talking about the Phantom Thieves?"
Ryota nodded. "I still have their app on my phone, but it's pretty much dead now. Just like Shido's chances of becoming Prime Minister. We sure dodged a bullet with that guy."
Indeed, last year had been a turbulent one for Tokyo, with all the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns. Keiko and her friends were mostly busy with their college studies or their various other shenanigans among themselves. But it was impossible to avoid talk of the Phantom Thieves, and their stealing of hearts. Especially as many of their targets were high profile ones.
That PE teacher who was sexually assaulting his students, the famous artist who was a plagiarist, the money-hungry gang leader, the head of Okumura Foods, and of course, the corrupt politician Masayoshi Shido. Then there was that Detective Prince, Goro Akechi. Whatever did happen to him? He was huge, even at college.
"Well, I guess something else will have to fill the void the Thieves left when they stole our hearts," Hajime said, coming to a stop. "Like this takoyaki stand right here!"
"Nice segue," Ryota said, impressed.
Soon enough, the four had their tasty food in their possession, with lashings of sauce and seasoning. Now they had found a relaxing spot to sit and take in the sights of Yokohama, and the people going by. Sitting in the shade of a large tree, the group were devouring their delicious food, their favourite snack.
"Y'know, even after all this time, I still feel like a tourist. I guess all of us except Kei are like that, huh?" Midori asked.
Indeed, while Keiko was native to this city, the other three hailed from other parts of the country. Ryota came from Nagoya, Hajime was from Beppu, and Midori had moved from Osaka. For various reasons, neither of them had felt like returning to their home cities much, even during vacations. And thus, Keiko never had to worry about having to be all alone during time off from school.
"Yeah, I guess so. I've barely left this city. But I can't complain too much. I love it here." Keiko said, with a small smile. "I just wish..."
"...That you had ordered more sauce on your food?" Ryota asked.
Hajime frowned. "No, dummy. She's talking about...um...you know..."
"Oh, right. Shinshuto?"
"Yeah...I'm sorry, Ryota-kun, I shouldn't be thinking about that now. We're meant to be celebrating, not dwelling on the past."
"Girl, never apologise for being sad. After what you went through that day, anyone would feel a little blue from time to time." Midori said, arm around her dear friend.
Keiko smiled, as her mind went back to her childhood. A time she had talked about with her three best friends, the only people she had ever confided in. When her family was still whole.
Her parents, Misaki and Reiji, had Keiko, their only child, rather young. And thus, her mother's younger sister was only a teenager while Keiko was six. She ended up being more like a big sister to Keiko than an aunt. Whenever her parents were too busy working, Junko Kaya would always be there to look after the young girl, the niece she treasured so much. They had spent so much time together in Yokohama, playing, as peaceful days came, one right after another.
She was an energetic, warm young woman, Keiko remembered. Always eager to talk, and her eyes were set on a happy future. She hadn't quite set on what she wanted to do after school yet, but as long as she was surrounded by friends, she knew she'd be okay. It had been Junko who inspired Keiko to join the kendo clubs at school and later at university.
"The way of the sword is so exciting, so tense. Course, I've never actually gotten to use a real one, only bokken and shinai, but when you're facing your opponent, it doesn't matter what weapon you've got. You just have to remember what you're fighting for."
Keiko had heard things like that from her quite a lot. Junko certainly wanted to be a wise, but kind mentor figure, whether she had the talent or not. The days when they all got together at Keiko's grandparent's house for dinner were her favourite. Great food, and lots of laughing, talking, and games.
Then came the evening Junko told Keiko that, for one year, she would be leaving Yokohama for Shinshuto city, a place that the young girl had never heard of. She didn't know anything about it, other than she wouldn't be able to see her aunt for a long time.
"But I don't want you to go, Aunt Junko! I...I need you! Shinshuto's too far away! Four hours on the train!"
"I know, Kei-chan. But I want to see new places, meet new people. And Shinshuto sounds like a lot of fun. There's a giant theme park with a big wheel, a lovely beach, and some great stores. It's only one year, you know. Tell you what, I'll write you a letter every week. You'll get to hear all about it, like my new school. It's called Kansei High. See how big it is in this picture? It's the oldest school in the area..."
After a lot of crying, and reassurance from her mother and father, Keiko finally accepted that Junko would be leaving. She waved tearfully at the train station, as her aunt left Yokohama. Neither of them knew, however, that she wouldn't be coming home.
Indeed, Keiko had received many a letter from her aunt. Yet, as she read them, she got the impression that something big was happening, that she wasn't telling her niece. At first, most of the letters were really positive, talking about her new friends. In her homeroom, she had two very clever and polite students by her side, and one girl that, while not quite as bright, was still very kind, and fun to be with.
During the summer, Keiko was taken to the city by her parents, much to her delight. However, it had become harder to recollect what had happened during her visit. A lot seemed murky, for some reason. Yet she did recall Junko had many friends, just as she wished. And not all of them were from Kansei High School. Some were in Chieki Academy, in the city's Mizuho region. The two schools were fierce rivals, eclipsing the others in the city.
One of her aunt's friends had even given her a present. A book, Forest of Spring. It was translated into Japanese from English, written by an Irish author who loved their country's mythology, weaving mythological references anywhere they could. It was a charming illustrated novel about animals of great intelligence, forming their own society in the titular forest.
I haven't read that book for so long. I left it back home with my grandparents. Hopefully, they haven't touched it. I kind of want to see it again. Who was it that gave me that book again? Was it 'Shintaro'? My aunt seemed to really like him, even if he did like to read a lot.
However, later that year, a lot of terrible events happened in Shinshuto. Keiko didn't quite understand it, being so young, but she remembered her family being worried sick, especially her mother. There had been a fierce argument one evening, with her mother screaming at her father.
"No, we can't just leave her there! She's my only sister! I can't...I can't stand the thought of her being there all alone! The entire government building was destroyed, the mayor was killed, and not to mention everything that happened before! Shinshuto isn't safe! We have to get Junko back home with us, whether she wants to stay or not! I'm going on that train, with or without you!"
"But honey, what if something happens while we're there? It might not be safe to just wander in, with all that Bythos have done there. I understand how worried you are, but...I can't let you or Keiko-chan get caught in the crossfire."
Eventually, however, Keiko's father agreed to come with her mother. Keiko, eager to see her aunt and make sure she was safe, forced her way into coming as well. She was adamant, like her mother and aunt. And so, they went on the first train they could get to Shinshuto, an early morning one. All three of them were silent on the way, focused on how they could convince Junko to return to Yokohama.
But then something happened just as the train was arriving at the station in the Asakita district. Keiko had ran back to one of the back compartments, having realised she'd dropped her favourite doll, a blue cat called Aoineko. Just as she picked it up, everything went to hell. There was a lot of screaming, a lot of shaking, and everything went dark. She passed out, on the half of the train that managed to stay on the tracks.
The front half, however, had fallen down a chasm that had ripped open via an 'earthquake'. At least, that's what the government deemed it. When Keiko woke up, she was surrounded by traumatised strangers, as well as the emergency workers who had been dispatched to investigate and help the survivors.
But the city had no survivors whatsoever. In fact, very little of the city's structure seemed to have survived. As far as the eye could see, there were buildings smashed to pieces, collapsed bridges, endless wreckage. It was no longer possible to safely walk into the city from the train station, or any other path or road. For everything had been utterly destroyed, and it was nearly impossible to recognise that this had once been Shinshuto city.
Keiko remembered being asked a lot of questions by scary-looking men about where her parents were. It soon became clear, however, that they had been on the half of the train that had crashed into the chasm. From the height it had fallen, it was abundantly clear no one could possibly have survived. And when the girl heard that her parents were no more, she cried. She continued to cry even after her grandparents arrived, and the tears did not stop for a long time.
And with the city in utter ruins, with no survivors, it was obvious Junko and her friends had also perished. Yet no corpses were found. Bizarrely, while many structures were totalled, no dead bodies were found among them. Or any other animals, for that matter. And the oddities didn't stop there. Rescue workers that went in reported hearing voices, experiencing massive headaches. More than one of them disappeared while searching the devastated city for any survivors. Eventually, the government decided to cordon off the area, unable to decipher what exactly happened.
Keiko had thus spent the remainder of her childhood with her grandparents, and it was never the same after that. It felt like a massive part of her had been torn out, with her beloved parents and aunt vanishing in the blink of an eye. She had dreamed of going back in time, to convince Junko never to get on that train. Or to find out what really happened. She had never quite believed that an earthquake, as dreadful as they were, could do something like that to an entire city.
But as she grew older, she began to accept that her dreams of saving her aunt, her parents, and the city of Shinshuto, were just dreams. Yet she still couldn't help but wonder, what would her aunt be doing if she was still alive? Would she had continued to pursue her love of kendo? Could she have gotten together with that bookworm she loved writing about?
Keiko had felt so alone since then, distant from everyone else. She never found anyone that she felt she could confide in, or trust. Perhaps there was a fear that, like her aunt, they would die without any warning. But then came university, when she was finally old enough to make her own life, without her protective grandparents watching over her.
And rather quickly, she had met Midori, Ryota and Hajime. They were all video game lovers, each with their own interests and other hobbies, but together they just seemed to click. As if they were meant to be together. They studied together, played games together, went out partying together, everything. They had been lonely in their own ways as well, until they met each other. Of course, they did have friends outside of each other in their various college clubs, but they had remained a firm unit of four.
"Are you okay, Keiko?" Hajime suddenly asked. "You were just gazing at the river..."
She had been so lost in thought, she hadn't realised everyone else had finished eating, and were ready to move on.
"O-Oh! I'm fine, everyone. Looks like we're done with lunch. Where are we going next, gang?"
"Remember how we were saying we haven't had time for gaming lately? Let's rectify that, right now." Midori said, rubbing her palms together. "I say we go to as many game stores as possible, and each of us picks out a new game. And tonight, we play one of them together. Deal?"
"Deal!" Ryota said, excited. "Just as long as we're not forced to endure 50-hit combos again."
"Well, you don't really endure them, I usually KO your characters before they even hit the ground..."
The group left, heading towards the main shopping streets. As they did, Keiko smiled, looking at the many sights and landmarks of the city, and the groups of people walking past.
Aunt Junko, wherever you are, please be happy. When I'm with these guys, I feel like I can do anything. I wonder if you were like that with your friends in Shinshuto?
|Game Force|2:30 pm|
After much browsing, the group had picked three games, leaving Keiko. Always the most indecisive, she had gone back and forth between games, and now they were in a new branch of a popular chair of game stores, one that had happened only last month.
"Come on, girl! You not seeing anything you like at all? Not even any fighting games?"
Keiko sighed. "You know I'm no good at those...and why did you think playing as Ash Crimson was going to be 'easy'? I mean, he's kinda cool, but I don't even get what a charge input is!"
Laughing, Midori ruffled Keiko's hair. "Oh, he's not that bad. Try learning Ángel sometime, then you'll be crying. Wasn't there something you were interested in?"
"Hmm. Well, there was some action game I heard one of the guys in Computer Science talk about...oh?"
She noticed a game on the shelf, one of the newer releases. The cover had a picture of a very sleek mobile phone, held by a person's hand, with various 'demons' in approaching them. The title, as displayed in glowing green letters, was Gnosis.
"Oh, that's the game that other professor was asking Shiozawa-sensei about. Does it look good?" Midori asked. Ryota and Hajime came over, curious.
Keiko took one copy in her hand, and looked at the synopsis on the back. As she read it, she went pale with horror. Not only did the screenshots depict a very familiar place, she saw the name of a city she could never forget.
Shinshuto City, for nearly twenty years, has rapidly grown, and has become known across Japan as a place of new opportunities. People are flocking to the city from all over Japan, including you, a transfer student hoping to seize your future here.
Yet, your arrival coincides with the emergence of the sinister Bythos, a group that causes massive unrest from behind the scenes. You, alongside your new friends, will awaken untold power via strange smartphones called 'Gnosis'. With this transcendent power, you shall wage war with Bythos and their leader, the enigmatic Nisa Liat.
Yet it seems Nisa and yourself share the gift of the Wild Card.
Will the Knowledge Seekers be able to protect the ones they love from the curse of Bythos?
"What the hell?!" She screamed, causing a few others in the store to give her strange looks.
"What, Keiko-chan, what's wrong?" Ryota said, concerned. "Is your PC not compatible with it? I can help you upgrade your RAM if -"
"This isn't funny! Don't you remember..." Keiko began, but with the eyes of the other people still looking in her direction, she became even more tense. "...What we were talking about while we were eating lunch?"
"You mean about Shinshuto?" Hajime asked. "What's that got to do with this?"
"Everything! Look at this!" Keiko said, handing him the case. He and the others read it, and their eyes went wide with shock.
"Hold on. How could they get away with using a real-life place in this game?" Midori asked, disgusted.
"Real life place?" A teenage girl said nearby. "I wish! Then I could ask Noboru-kun out...he's so cute!"
Noboru? Wait, I've heard that name too. What's going on here?
"But...Shinshuto was destroyed years ago...wasn't it?" Hajime asked. "Sixteen years ago -"
The girl laughed. "Uh, no, stupid! This game's not been out that long. Supreme Sophistry aren't even that old! And there's no real Shinshuto city!" She went on her way, leaving the four utterly confused.
Keiko, numb, silently looked at the company's logo on the back. There, sure enough, it said "Supreme Sophistry" in bold white and black letters.
What the hell is going on? Was she too young to remember? But that doesn't make sense, no one would forget something like an entire city being destroyed!
"You guys okay over there?" One of the store's employees asked. "I've been hearing about Gnosis every single minute here. If you wanted to buy it, you're pretty lucky. We keep running out."
Ryota looked at the store clerk, curious. "What can you tell us about this game, sir?"
"Huh? You don't have to be so formal...well, there's the main story, and then all the optional online content you can do with other players. It's strange, though. Supreme Sophistry weren't really a huge developer until now. But then, all of a sudden, they got huge, and made this new game available on every system. They got their start in Yokohama, apparently."
In this city? How could I have missed this before now? I mean, we were busy studying, but something like this was going on and I didn't even realise until just now. This is insane.
"So...there wasn't a real-life Shinshuto city, was there?" Midori asked, pretending to be curious.
"Nope. I mean, from all the videos and screenshots I've seen of it, it looks pretty real. But I bet they modelled it after other cities in this country. Probably even this one. So, you going to buy it? It's in high demand, so you might have to wait for a while if you pass on it now..."
This is insane. Shinshuto was real. I was there the moment it was destroyed! The day my parents and my aunt died! But now it's a fictional place in some RPG? That's impossible!
Keiko knew she couldn't let this go. She needed to find out what exactly was going on. Especially if this game held the answer as to what happened all those years ago.
"Alright, I'll take it." She said, much to the surprise of her friends.
"What, you serious?" Midori asked.
"I want to see what all the fuss is about. And how exactly Supreme Sophistry were able to pull this off. We'll start tonight."
They purchased their games, and left, Keiko leading the way. After dinner, they would investigate this supposedly fictional Shinshuto...
|Keiko & Midori's Apartment|18:30 pm|
The group decided to gather at the girl's place, the most tidy of the two. After a quick dinner of teriyaki chicken and rice, the four went to the living room, which was mostly black and white in décor – full of basic furniture that the girls had managed to find for cheap. In the corner was Keiko's shinai, next to Midori's karate medals from the competitions she had won in high school.
"Are you sure you're ready for this, Keiko?" Ryota asked. "I mean...what if this game is dangerous? Supreme Sophistry might be spying on us already..."
"Dammit, Ryota, don't say things like that!" Hajime said, disturbed. "Supreme Sophistry managed to make almost everyone forget a real-life city was destroyed sixteen years ago. How do you do something like that? They didn't just ask everyone nicely to put aside a tragedy so they could use a city as the setting for their biggest hit!"
"Guys!" Keiko snapped. "I know you're scared. Trust me, I'm scared too. But I can't back away. I have to see this for myself. If this is really the same Shinshuto I remember. The place Aunt Junko went to."
Her anxiety soaring, she put in the disc in the PC connected to the TV. After everything was installed, the game booted up quickly, with the flashing word 'Gnosis' on the screen, and below, the option to start a new game.
"Huh. No anime intro or anything?" Ryota asked.
"I guess Supreme Sophistry's budget didn't extend that far..." Hajime mused.
"Go on, Keiko," Midori said, right next to her.
She pressed the button, and after a moment, she saw an aerial shot of a train going past the Japanese countryside. The camera swiftly zoomed in to the train itself, where it went into a first-person view of someone sitting on the left-hand side by themselves. Just then, Keiko felt a sudden twinge of pain in her head.
"O-Ow..."
"You okay?" Midori asked.
Keiko shook her head. "No, not really. But I must keep going."
In the game itself, it transitioned to an extremely comprehensive character creation menu. No one had ever seen as many options to customise someone's face before, let alone the myriad of physical build sliders. Slowly, Keiko navigated the many options and managed to create someone very close to her actual self, especially their face. Yet, they changed the hair and eyes to turquoise, a far cry from her brown hue in real life.
"Wow...that's pretty lifelike. Maybe a little too much." Hajime said, while his boyfriend nodded.
"What are you gonna call yourself, then?" Ryota asked.
Keiko hadn't actually thought about it. For her character's first name, she put in 'Kei'. For the surname, she hesitated for a moment. Then, she put in 'Kakusa'.
"Why Kakusa?" Midori asked. "I mean, 'hidden'?"
"Well, yeah. I'm hiding my true self while I'm here. I might just be the only person playing this game who knows this is – or was – a real city." Keiko explained.
Sure enough, the full view of the character revealed their purple Kansei High uniform. And Keiko remembered seeing it before. Junko had shown her it once, remarking that she referred it to Chieki Academy's green one.
"It needs a little something..." Midori said, scratching her chain. "What about a hair accessory? Can you do one here?"
"Actually..." Kei said, her cursor over the 'extra' section. Sure enough, there was a wide variety of accoutrements, and there was a whole page of hair accessories. One jumped out at her – it looked like a pair of scissors. She selected it, and it was equipped right away.
"Wow, it looks great on you. I mean, her..." Ryota said. "I'm gonna have to pick one out of those for you for your birthday."
Hajime frowned. "Aww, but then I'll have to think of a gift to get her..."
"Yeah, fair point. Your gift ideas are kinda...uninspired." Ryota said, laughing. "But I guess gift cards are...passable."
As Kei, she got off the train, and walked onto the station within Asakita. It was incredibly detailed, the environment, and the NPCs around were rather expressive as well. There was something unnerving about them to Kei, though. She couldn't quite explain it, but it felt like they were a little too lifelike. She walked out of the station, and into the city proper. Everything was brightly lit, especially the theme park in the distance, with a colourful Ferris wheel.
"I've...seen this before," Keiko said, her eyes wide with shock. "This is where Aunt Junko's dorm was. She showed me it once when I got to stay here!"
She came to an abrupt stop, just as a salaryman was walking behind her. He bumped into her and was rather annoyed. Keiko's character turned around to face him, without any prompting.
"What are you doing, coming to a complete stop? What's wrong with you, miss?"
A prompt to either type in a message or use the microphone came up. Keiko opted for the latter and said:
"I'm sorry, sir, please forgive me. I'm new here. Is this really Shinshuto?"
"Huh? Of course it is. I've lived here for forty years, after all. Are you sure you're okay?"
Keiko thought for a moment, about whether she should ask him anything else. Deciding against it, she said, "Yes. I'm fine."
"Look, you better get indoors. Have you heard of B.Y.T.H.O.S.? Bright Years for the Honest Ones of Shinshuto, they call themselves. I don't really know what they're like, but they're making some pretty big threats all over the internet. One of their psycho members might be lurking around. Stay safe, okay? And look where you're going!"
The man walked off to the left, disappearing into the night. Following the map on the bottom left of her screen, she made her way to the 'Sakura Dormitory'. Keiko recognised it right away – she had been outside this place, in the flesh. She'd recognise the pink brick walls anywhere. Slowly, she walked in, and was greeted by the dorm mother, a Ms Ota. She was a warm woman with a fuller figure, short black hair, in a beautiful pink dress.
This is the same woman Junko wrote to me about in her first letter. Yes, I remember now. But how would Supreme Sophistry even know her? Did they manage to find a city census or something?
"Hello! Ah, you're the new transfer student we've been expecting. You better get to your room. First day of the new year tomorrow. Here, I'll show you the way up. I hope you like it – there aren't any other rooms available in the city for students like you, after all..."
Keiko's, or rather Kei's dorm room wasn't exactly spacious, but had the usual things one would expect, a bed, a study desk, a bathroom and toilet, and a fridge. Junko, in her letter, had said her room was pretty nice, similar to the one she had back in Yokohama. Once Keiko chose to go to sleep, she was given another menu, this time questions similar to personality tests one would get online.
"What's this for?" Ryota asked, leaning in closer.
"Presumably it determines your starting stats or something?" Midori guessed.
Sure enough, she was write, as the answers Keiko had chosen had led to a very balanced build, with no boosts to any one stat, and no stat being decreased either.
"Perfectly balanced, just like Keiko herself..." Hajime observed. "Let me guess, if Midori was doing this, she'd have max Strength…
The next question was to choose one's favourite weapon. Without needing to think about it, Keiko elected for the katana.
"Predictable as ever..." Midori said, smirking.
Before the game could transition to the next day, the screen went dark. "Huh? What's happening?"
"I-I don't know! The computer's still on, so it's not a power cut..." Keiko said, alarmed. Her heart was pounding now. Perhaps Supreme Sophistry really was spying on them."Ryota, you're closest to the TV, can you please check it's -"
Before he could get up, the screen flashed a bright blue. Keiko gasped – she seemed to be lifted off the sofa, and the others vanished from view.
"Ryota! Hajime! Midori! What's happening! H-Help!"
A blue door seemed to be flying at her, and it opened right as she was about to collide with it...
|?|
Eventually, she found herself sitting on a train. An elaborate, first-class carriage, with a fully stocked wine bar, plush blue velvet seats, and draped curtains on the windows.
In the centre of this room, there was a giant blue table, and a...peculiar figure was sitting at it. They seemed to be a caricature of a balding old man, clad in a fancy black suit, with bulging, bloodshot eyes and an impossibly long nose.
Next to him was a less strange, yet still oddly dressed, young lady. She had flowing platinum blonde hair and yellow eyes that seemed to be glowing. Her blue dress seemed like a maid's outfit, almost, complete with a blue headband decorated with butterflies and roses.
"...Huh? Who are you two? What is this place?"
"Welcome to the Velvet Room. This is a place between dreams and reality, mind and matter." The old man said, with a polite tone. "Do not be alarmed. I have summoned you here from the 'real' world. You will be safely back with your friends very soon."
Keiko blinked. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure I understand, um..."
"Oh, I have forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. And this is my dear assistant..."
The young lady curtsied with grace, smiling. "My name is Lavenza. I am very sorry for the confusion, but you see, we've been waiting for someone with a genuine gift. In the video game you've just purchased, most will encounter a simulation of this place and my master's abilities, but you are the first one able to come here..."
Igor chuckled, putting his hands together. "Indeed. This is the first time the Velvet Room has taken this form in sixteen years, after all."
"Sixteen years?!" Keiko asked, alarmed. "Wait, then...does that mean you know Junko Kaya?"
Igor and Lavenza looked at each other, then back at Keiko.
"Ah...it seems you and one of my previous guests are more deeply connected than I first thought. Very interesting. They were a charming young lady, much like yourself. But just as they reached the end of their journey, something unexpected happened. However, what exactly did transpire remains ever elusive, even to us."
"Yes...they disappeared, and never returned here," Lavenza said, sadly. "My Master, with my siblings, ended up helping other guests afterwards. It was unexpected that this room would take this form again."
"You must return to your world now. But do not forget. We are always here to help you on your journey. I will explain more about my powers in the future, for you will be in need of my assistance. For now, hold on to this."
He waved his hand over the table, and out of nowhere, a blue mobile phone appeared. A rather sleek, high-end looking one, it had a picture of a key on the back. Keiko took it in her hands, and gazed at it, in awe. Was this meant to be a key for this place?
"I bid you the best of luck. Farewell, dear guest..."
With that, Keiko's vision went white, and the mysterious pair vanished.
This, she would later realise, was but a prelude to the chaos due to unfold in both Shinshuto and Yokohama.