A/n Hello everyone! Took me a long time again, but here is another chapter of "Tales of an Evil Mind"! I know that an eternity passed since last update, that's why I don't want to promise anything, since it clearly didn't work last time, but just know that even if the updates are scarce, this story is no way cancelled!
And now, let us move to the foggy Inaba, where Ren will meet a rival worthy of his skills...
Ren didn't understand a thing. What was going on? What's a Moel? Where was he? What happened after he escaped from Shido's crumbling palace? Why was this man/woman looking at him almost lustfully?
„I'm sorry..." The gas station attendant walked toward him and was now so close that Ren felt an overwhelming urge to start blinking rapidly. „I'm sorry, but… may I please touch you, sir?"
„What!?" Ren paled and his eyes widened „Hell no! Just what the hell do you think you're doing…?
The boy tried backing away, but the other person followed him every step with an extremely creepy smile on their face.
„Please, sir, I need to touch you..."
„No!"
„Just for a split second, sir!"
„No - Crap!"
The teenager lost balance as he tripped over a branch that he didn't notice while backing away. Now he was lying on the ground, and the gas station attendant kneeled right next to him, still smiling like a maniac.
„Ohohohohoho" The person giggled stupidly, poking Ren all over his body. What's strange was that with each touch Ren felt like a great power entered or left him. „Tehehehehehe..."
„Hey."
They both raised their heads and noticed that a middle-aged raven-haired man in a police uniform was glaring at them.
„Fill up my car while you're at it. Regular's fine."
„Dojima-san!" Ren got up and ran to the cop „Thank God! Just what on earth is going on here? Where am I!?"
„Do I know you?" The police officer looked at him carefully „ No, I don't think so… So you must be new in town, huh? Just like my nephew… Hey, wait a second… No offense, but you look terrible. Did something happen?"
„Are you kidding? Don't you recognize me? You know, the guy who helped you catch the famous mafia leader Makoto La Diablita Nijima redhanded?"
„Makoto Nijima?" The man blinked „What the hell? What are you even talking about?"
„No..." Ren whispered, and slowly began to piece it all together. „Don't tell me..." He slowly looked up at the sky, and saw… nothing. Just pure darkness. „Oh, Goddammit! I've fallen through a plot hole, haven't I!?"
„Plot hole?" Dojima looked at him confused „Kid, are you on drugs? This is all real life!"
„I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM!" Rey yelled furiously „I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON!"
„Well, you said you have fallen...if so, you might have hurt your head" Dojima muttered. „That might explain memory loss and being so aggressive."
„I..."
„We'll be taking you to the hospital next morning if the symptoms continue." The man decided „For now, you're coming with me. I won't let you sleep on the street in this condition."
The police officer wrapped his arm around Ren's shoulder, and the boy, confused, decided to follow him.
„Wait!" The gas station attendant extended his/her/its hand after them „But..."
None of them were listening anymore, as Dojima closed the door after Ren, and started the car, leaving for his house.
The attendant was left behind, still extending the hand.
„But..."
LINE BREAK
Dojima's house was not very big, but it certainly was cozy and warm, unlike Ren's room in LeBlanc. The smell of freshly made daigaku imo actually made up for all the broken sake bottles and cigarettes laying literally everywhere.
The cop had to leave for work as he received the news that the body of someone named „Hanamura-san" has been found hanging from Junes' advertising billboard, but he still managed to introduce Ren to another boy his age, named Yu Narukami. Though Narukami wasn't in the mood for small chat for some reason.
„Yosuke..." The silver-haired boy kept repeating, staring blankly into the TV. „Why, oh why was it the spider costume, Yosuke..."
„Will you please stop this?" Ren finally had enough „What is wrong with all of you people!? Can someone finally tell me where I am!?"
The other teenager looked at him, pale and sweating.
„Quiet" Yu said simply. „Please… Whatever you do, just be quiet… Dojima-san isn't here, so..."
„What the hell are you talking about!?" Ren yelled „What is wrong with all of you people? Why are you all acting like THIS" He walked to the nearest window at pointed at the sky „is normal!?"
He interrupted, as someone's footsteps were getting near. Ren wasn't sure if it was possible to tell a person's mood from their footsteps, but if it was, well, the person sounded pretty pissed off.
„Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. " Yu whispered, standing up. He looked at Ren with anger mixed with terror „You… why couldn't you just be quiet? Why couldn't you listen? Now she's coming... We're both fucked... Oh God. Oh God. Oh God..."
„Huh?" Ren looked at him „Who's coming?"
The person was now at the bottom of the steps. The light was dimmed, but the shadow of whoever that was was visible. And it was big... Now, that Ren thought about that, the footsteps were pretty heavy too…
„… Haru?" Joker suddenly found himself at a lack of jokes.
But it wasn't Haru Okumura. It was…
„Nanako-chan..." Yu was as white as the wall he was standing next to.
A young girl appeared at the bottom of the stair. She could not have been older than 8 or 9. The girl was small and petite, even for her age. She was dressed in a pink Junes T-shirt and was holding a doll in her hand.
Ren breathed with relief. The weak lightning must have made her shadow look this huge.
„I asked you, and I did it multiple times, to not be so loud while I have a headache." Nanako said, looking at the silver-haired boy „Do you really have to be so disobedient ?"
„Nanako-chan, please..."
„Perhaps you're just a slow learner?" She calmly asked as she took a few steps toward the boy „Perhaps I should just make myself clear once again? Do you want that? Do you want that… big bro?"
Ren looked at Yu. The other boy was trembling with fear and attempting to hide behind the sofa.
„I ASKED IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT!" Nanako shouted suddenly, charging at the silver-haired boy.
„No!" Yu replied, jumping back „Nana-chan, I beg you! This won't happen again, I swear! I beg you, I'll be good now! I'll be good!"
„You better be." Nanako hissed „This is my final warning for you, big bro. You and your queer group of friends caused me enough problems as is. Wasn't my last message clear enough?"
„HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!"
They both looked at the source of the voice. Nanako must have just now noticed Ren, as her dense eyebrows lowered with anger.
„Dude, what the hell!?" Ren was choking with laughter „She is totally owning you!"
„Oh, I see." Nanako looked at Yu „You piece of shit! You brought another five 0 to my house!?"
„NO!" Yu fell to his knees „I… I swear, I don't even know him!"
„AHAHAHAHA! I-I CAN'T! A TWO YEARS OLD GIRL! HAHAAHA- OOOOWWW!"
Suddenly, Nanako appeared by him. With one swift kick to the stomach, she sent Ren to the ground. As the teenager was down, she grabbed him by the hair and with unprecedented strength pulled him to the other side of the didn't really know what was happening, but he realized Nanako picks him up and places him against something.
A TV.
The boy's eyes widened as he looked back and noticed that the moment his back touched the TV, the screen became soft and wet. It almost felt like he was touching the surface of water, and not something that should be cold and hard.
„Oh?" Nanako asked, holding his face against the TV „You're not laughing anymore? Come on, laugh for me! "
Ren could not laugh, because she was holding his mouth shut. Not that he wanted to, anyway. All he could do was to stare at her, with his eyes widened. How could such little girl have such incredible power?
And then he noticed it: Nanako's hands were covered in gangster tattoos.
„What's your name, hotshot? I ASKED WHAT'S YOUR NAME!" The girl yelled, and, without waiting for a response, she… pushed Ren's face through the screen. The boy gasped, as he suddenly found himself staring at a completely another world – one covered in yellow fog, without any traces of humanity.
„AMAMIYA!" He yelled back „IT'S REN AMAMIYA!"
Once again he felt an unpleasant feeling as Nanako grabbed him by the hair, back to the real world.
„Silly, silly Amamiya-kun." The girl gave him a wicked smile „First day in town and already hanging out with the wrong people. Too bad that in this town such mistake is going to get you killed."
„What!?" Yu gasped „Nanako-san, he's just..."
„Same goes for you, big bro" The girl turned to him, „You think I didn't realize the Investigation Team is still looking for the killer, even after I framed poor old Adachi? You've costed me over one hundred million yen worth of drugs, you filthy scum!"
Suddenly, the doors opened.
„Nanako, it's raining!" They heard Dojima's voice „What did you do with my umbrella!?Good time as any for a smoke."
„Daddy!" The girl let go of Ren and, jumping happily, ran to the entrance door „It's in the hall closet, dad!"
„Ah, there it is!" The man smiled and patted Nanako's head as she giggled with joy „Thanks a lot, Nanako."
The man was getting ready to leave again, but the girl grabbed his coat.
„Hey, dad, if you come back earlier today, can we go to Junes?"
„Nanako, you know I have to work..." The man hesitated „At the other hand… Fine, I'll try to get back home as soon as I can. Then we can go anywhere you want."
„Yaaaaay!" Nanako again jumped happily and hugged the man's legs „Thanks a lot, dad!"
„Okay, but I really have to go, and so do you, remember? Your private math lessons start this week."
„Oh." The girl's smile faded a bit „O-okay."
„How about I give you a ride?" The man offered „Go get your coat. I'll be waiting in the car. Good time as any for a smoke."
„Okay, dad!" The girl yelled after the police officer, and as soon as he left, she turned around to look at the boys. „I'll deal with you both once I finish my multiplication lesson." She announced in a grave tone as she grabbed her coat „Here I go, daddy!"
Ren, still massaging his throat, weakly walked towards the other boy.
„What the hell was that!?" He asked confused.
„That's..." Yu turned to him, panic and dread clear in his eyes" That was the true culprit behind the Inaba Murder Spree.
LINE BREAK
„That's impossible!" The girl with short, brown hair stood from the table and looked at them with her eyes wide open. „You're telling me all this time it was Nana-chan that's been throwing people into the TV!?"
„She killed Yosuke-kun..." The pink-haired girl whispered through tears, not looking at anyone.
„That's her.." Yu was still pale, and looking around in terror „She's… She's somehow involved in some sort of drug-trafficking mafia. That Mayumi Yamano murder, people being thrown into the TV's… that's all Nanako. When someone was starting to know too much, she simply got rid of them by placing them in that other world."
„Well, but why haven't you told us anything!? We spent the entire year getting innocent people arrested for supposedly being the culprit!"
„You don't understand, I was scared! After the Yamano case, she just… she knew that I know. I was supposed to be the key witness in that case, yet I was placed in the house of the murderer! Can any of you even imagine how I felt!?"
„She killed Yosuke-kun…."
„If Yu-senpai has been fearing for his life, then I guess it's possible he may have kept planting false evidence to move our suspicions away from Nanako. „The girl in blue deduced „However, our best course of action would be not to make hasty decisions. We should simply question Nanako and see what she has to say."
„That's fine and dandy, but we still haven't decided what we will do to her after we catch her. „everyone turned their eyes to the black-haired boy „Personally, I'd go with murder, but torturing and crippling her for life would work too, as long as Dojima would get to watch a footage of that event"
„As I said, we would be questioning her." Naoto replied slowly „We need to establish what Nanako has to say, and what her potential motives were..."
„Question? Are you serious!? Wh-what are you even doing here!? I thought..." Ren stopped, as he realized that after he's fallen through the plot hole, not everything was how he remembered it „Never mind, I guess it's not the time for your mental shutdown yet."
„My what now?" the girl raised her eyebrows
„Never mind." Ren waved his hand. He wasn't going to tell her. Not that he'd feel bad, it's just if she knew, she might have tried to prevent it, and, if he had to choose, he vastly preferred Akechi's detective work over hers.
„Sensei!" A squeaky voice exclaimed „I'm beary, beary sorry but I can't bear-lieve it Nanako would do something like that! That would be so beary unbearable! That bear stands with Nana-chan beary strongly!"
„… What the hell is that?" Ren rubbed his eyes with disbelief, looking at the person in the bear costume."
„That's just our friend." Yukiko sighed „Sorry about him, he's just a little bit… you know." She pointed to her head.
"But that's true, Teddie." Yu replied weakly „She's evil."
„Can you PLEASE stop it?" Ren snapped at the boy sitting next to him, which clearly was trying to move as close to him as possible.
„Oh." The blonde punk scratched his back nervously „Sorry, Senpai, I just..."
„Whatever."
„What are you thinking about, Naoto-kun?" Yukiko asked.
„I just have a strange feeling..." the blue-haired girl muttered „That something is extremely wrong here. I mean, Nanako-chan as a murderer? It just doesn't seem very logical. How could she possess the strength required to push people inside of the tv?"
„Distortions." Ren muttered, and everyone looked at him. „At least that's what I heard."
The boy hung his head as suddenly fleeting images of all the good times he shared with Morgana flashed before his eyes.
What did he do to deserve this?
It's not like he was constantly abusing Mona, they shared some good memories too. For example, just a few days before the cat ran away, it came back all dirty and filthy because it was raining outside. Ren could not stand to see him like that, so he took the cat to the laundromat, and even picked the most expensive washing machine. Hell, he even manually squeezed Mona dry.
How could the cat just leave…?
He walks away
The sun goes down
He takes the day-
„Okay, back to the point." Chie interrupted his thoughts „Distortions, you say? Well, honestly, we started to suspect something like that after we didn't manage to save Shadow Kanji, but..."
„That was just too horrible..." Yu whispered, somehow even paler.
„Okay, I have enough of this bullshit!" The blonde slammed his fists into the table and stood up „Stop grilling me about it, goddammit! I apologized three times already, what more do you want from me!?"
„WE GOT YOU, YOU BRAT!"
Everyone turned around to see where the voice was coming from
„OH SHIT!" Yu yelled in terror and ducked under the table „Oh, crap! Guys, RUN!"
The other teenagers yelled something to each other, but Ren could not understand what was being said, as soon the Junes Food Court erupted in chaos.
The visitors started fleeing in terror, as their screams mixed with the sounds of SMG rounds being fired. Ren stared in awe as dead bodies started to drop all around him. Someone grabbed his hand, and dragged him from the table, towards the exit.
The chaos was intensifying with every moment, but for a few seconds they ran dangerously close to the person firing the shots – It was a young, 20-something female with dyed, long red hair. Ren could swear he saw her somewhere, but could not remember where.
„AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She laughed maniacally, sticking her pierced tongue out, as she kept turning and shooting in every possible direction, the look in her eyes nothing short of insane „HAAHAHAHHAHA!"
Rise, as she was the one who rescued Ren, gasped and ducked under the table. They managed to get to the end of the food court, but even the rest of the store was already in full chaos – waves of cops have entered the building, and a full-on shootout between them and the attacker began.
„What the hell is this!?" Ren yelled, looking at Yu, as they nearly collided with the rest of the group in front of the elevators, and the sounds of shots fired faded a bit „What's happening?"
„I don't know!" Yu exclaimed, even paler, pressing the button repeatedly „But I think she must have hired them to get rid of me..."
„NAAARUUUUKAAAMI!" someone roared and a chair suddenly landed just next to Ren, breaking into small pieces.
All of the teens looked back to the food court, and Yu gulped – just a few meters away, and clearly glaring at them was an extremely muscular young man, with short, spiky blond hair. The entirety of his body was tattooed, including his face, which gave him sort of a tribal/animalistic look. The man bared his teeth, which didn't even look like human ones – if anything, they looked like teeth of an adult Bullterrier or Amstaff, or even a Wolf..
He roared again before he charged right at them, quickly pushing through waves of people wishing to use the elevator to flee.
„Akihiko, don't let them escape!" The red-hair yelled, at the same time concentrating her attacks on Ryotaro Dojima. The cop must have gotten here along with the other officers, and he was now shooting in the direction of the female, and at the same time smoking a cigarette he was holding in his other hand.
„Crap!" Yu moaned, pushing the button again and again, but the elevator seemed to be stuck.
The blonde was getting closer and closer, just a few steps away from them…
„Oh, for God's sake! Give me that!" Ren yelled and pushed Yu out of the way. Concentrating as hard as he could, he gathered all his strength and hit the elevator button.
His hand now hurt like hell, but the elevator door slowly opened, just in time for all of them to ran inside.
Just at the moment Ren pressed the button for the first floor, the rest of the team saw that their pursuer launched himself into the air, attempting to jump in after them. A few moments later, the door closed, they heard a loud „dud" sound, as if something collided with them heavily, and the elevator started descending, playing the „Everything's Great at Your Junes" theme.
„Oh my God..." the silver-haired boy laid back against the corner of the elevator „Oh my God, what's… what's wrong with her!?"
„Quit being such a puss." Ren looked at him condescendingly „I think it was pretty cool."
Yu looked at him shocked and was about to respond, but Naoto was the one who spoke first.
„It will be OK, senpai. We'll be safe now..."
„We're not!" The boy looked at her „Don't you get it? Nowhere will be safe, she won't stop until she gets me!"
„This won't happen." The detective assured him „I believe there can be no more room for doubt. Nanako proved herself to be a cold, heartless mass murderer. Once we leave Junes, I will personally make sure she's brought to justice..."
Suddenly, something hit the top of the elevator heavily. And again, and again, so much so that it was clear it was not a mechanical sound.
„Oh my God." Chie looked at the other teens „Don't tell me he's..."
The banging was getting louder and heavier, it was clear the top will give in any moment now, but luckily that's when the elevator stopped at the lowest floor. When the panicked members of the Investigation Team got out, Ren pressed the button for the highest floor, sending the elevator back to the food court, and jumped out just at the doors were about to close.
Everyone was breathing heavily, and all of them looked at Ren with gratitude. Risette was crying.
„Quick thinking, senpai." Kanji patted his back, but the raven-hair was not impressed.
„Stop it." Ren said calmly „The only person I'm doing this for is myself. Also, I'd recommend doing something if I was you guys. He'll be back soon."
„Oh, crap!" Chie looked around „There's nowhere to hide..."
„We have no choice." Naoto decided „We'll have to enter the TV world for now."
„The what?" Ren turned to her.
„It's a long story. It's where we came to save people that have been thrown into the TV. At least that's what we thought we were doing… Anyways, if Nanako is desperate enough to throw this kind of stunt, then I believe she's not scared of being found. We should head to the electronics department. I believe she's currently in the TV world as well."
„What?" Yu looked at her „Then why would we…?"
„Calm down, senpai. There's currently nine of us, and she's alone. What could she possibly..."
At this moment, the elevator beeped, and the small screen above indicated that it began heading down.
„Well, you can stay here if you want." Ren looked at the leader of the Investigation Team „So where's this electronic department!?"
„Over here!" Chie pointed and ran first „Come on, don't just stand there!"
The rest of the group ran after the girl. They entered the main fragment of Junes. They all managed to get in before the man exited the elevator, but he was surely on their tail. The store was empty, but that was hardly a surprise after what was happening upstairs. Chie and Yu were leading the way, with Ren walking after them. The raven-haired boy could not help but feel disgusted by Yu. What even was his problem? Some random people shooting at him, and the dude already looked like he was about to cry. If he'd only knew what horrifying shit Ren went through on a daily basis…
„Here we are." Yukiko said, as they entered a room filled with all sorts of equipment, from freezers to microwaves and washing machines. However, most of the room was occupied by all sorts of TV's. „Junes' electronic department. It's from here that we depart to that other world..." Suddenly, the girl stopped. „Department- Depart..."
„Oh, no..." Chie whispered softly and her expression became as blank as it could.
„Haha… HAHAHAAHAHAHA… AHAHAHAHA! HEY, CHIE, CHIE!" The raven-haired girl elbowed her friend „Oh my God Chie did you notice? We DEPART from the Electronic DEPARTMENT! AHAHAHAHAHA!"
„Yes, Yukiko, that's so clever and funny." The girl responded, her facial expression not changing a bit.
„I know, right!? Hahahah..."
„What's wrong, Yu-senpai?" Naoto asked, trying to outshout Yukiko's laughter.
„I… I don't remember which one was it." The silver haired boy muttered.
„You what?" Ren turned to him „Oh, that's just great..."
„Hey, you can't really blame me! I..."
Suddenly, the silver haired boy stuttered and looked somewhere in the distance, behind Ren.
„What?" The other teen asked. Yu began moving his lips, but it seemed like not a word could come out from him. „Come on, what!?"
„S-senpai..." Naoto pointed to the same direction.
„Oh, for God's sake, what!?"
Shakingly, all of the other teens brought up their fingers and pointed to the same point. Irritated, Ren turned around, but as he saw what exactly the other teenagers were pointing to, the only thing he managed to say was:
„Oh, holy sh-"
„DIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" The red-haired woman shrieked firing her guns. Except now instead of guns, she was holding two missile launchers. „Die! Die! DIEEEEEEE!"
In the last moment, suddenly the person in the bear costume jumped at the group, pushing them out of the way just as the grenade exploded.
„Oh my God, no! Teddie!" Yu yelled, as a bloodied part of the bear's head landed in his hands
„Yu-kun, let's go!" Chie grabbed his hand.
They were barely escaping, the females' insane laughter ringing in their ears, as one TV exploded after another. They could feel the heat of the explosions, they were covered in parts of Teddie's body, and as they just managed to run past a corner, they had to stop abruptly as they encountered yet another obstacle.
The blonde, tattooed man was blocking their paths, standing on all fours and again exposing his teeth, staring at the teenagers hatefully.
„Woof! Woof!" The man roared as he charged at them, still on all fours.
„Goddammit!" Ren grabbed Yu „Which TV was it, you idiot!?"
„I don't know, I.."
„DIEEEEEEE!" The red hair blocked their only way of escape, standing at the other end of the alley and reading her weapon again.
„Why don't you guys do something!?" The black haired boy looked at Yu's friends
„We can't!" Naoto replied, „Only Yu can..."
„Oh, you're damn straight I can." Ren hissed as he took the silver-haired boy by the hair and placed him against one of the TV's that weren't destroyed yet.
„What are you doing!?" Yu yelled, „We can't use this TV, we don't know where we'll end up!"
„Shut your mouth and GO!" Ren yelled, pushing the other boy inside of the TV.
He managed to overpower Yu and felt the other boy's losing ground. Ren felt the other teenagers grab his clothing, also wishing to be transported. He would be able to easily knock them away, but before he could even think about doing that, they were all freefalling through a white tunnel right into the TV World.
Just one second after the TV swallowed all of them, Ren looked back and saw the missile hitting right in the center of the screen, and the exit to the real world faded.
A/n I realize Ren may have been too mild in this chapter, but don't worry, he'll show his psycho side again in the next one ;)