Author's Note: OMG, another chapter! Did you think this was kaput? Fooled ya, didn't I? ;)
Truth be told, I needed a serious holiday break. I've been running myself ragged with my professional projects, and this had to go on the back burner. While I can't give any guarantees as to how quickly I'll release chapters from this point forward, I want you to rest assured that this story will go on, no matter how long it takes me! Now, without further ado...
XIX
Thursday
April 18, 2013 — Early Morning
Overcast
The next morning, Shou and Emi walked to school beneath the thick, oppressive gray skies. Kouta hadn't yet awoken, and they'd decided it was better to let him rest for the ordeal ahead.
"Do you think he'll be ready?" Emi asked.
Shou told her that if anyone would recover in time, it would be Kouta.
"Yeah, you're right," Emi said. "The guy's got the constitution of a bull. Heck, if we tried to make him stay, he'd probably bust out of the dorm."
At this, Shou began to laugh, and after a moment, Emi joined in.
Then they both went quiet.
"Do you think we'll be able to do it on our own?" she asked, after a moment. "I mean, that was really tough yesterday, and much as I hate to admit it . . . Yoshiro and Tethys—Tess—whatever her name was . . . really helped us out. Without them, we would've been in real trouble."
Shou nodded.
"And we don't even know if they'll stand in our way again," she said. "I don't think we can fight Hope/LESS and another berserk Shadow, even now that Kouta has a Persona. This could be suicide."
"We'll do our best," Shou told her. "That has to be enough."
Emi sighed. "Geez, when you say it like that, it sounds so simple. I wish I could be as confident as you."
Shou felt himself redden slightly at the compliment. Still, the truth was he was just putting on a strong face. Now that he was the leader, he knew he had to have confidence enough for everyone. Even if, on the inside, he was every bit as afraid and doubtful as Emi. Yet that didn't change the fact that what he'd said was exactly right: they could only do their best, and believe it would see them through. The only other option was leaving Sayoko to her fate, and that was something he wouldn't even consider.
They walked the rest of the way to school in silence.
Thursday
April 18, 2013 — Lunchtime
Overcast
As Shou was heading toward the cafeteria, he rounded a corner and nearly collided with . . .
Yoshiro Morigami. With his sister and Tethys.
Shou froze, and for a moment the two young men stared at each other. What would happen now? Briefly, Shou was struck by an image of Yoshiro's Persona, Adonaios, barreling toward him. Could Personas even be summoned in the real world? Shou didn't think so, but he wasn't exactly certain. He was learning all the rules as he went.
"Watch where you're going," Yoshiro hissed.
Shou stepped aside and let him pass. Yoshino followed her brother, sparing a moment to stick out her tongue at Shou. But as for Tethys . . .
She hung back. Her green-eyed gaze regarded Shou. "Your intervention yesterday was appreciated," she finally said.
Shou raised an eyebrow at her in surprise.
"According to my calculations, my master would have perished without your aid. I believe the appropriate response in a situation such as this is . . . 'thank you.'"
At a loss for what else to say, Shou replied, "You're welcome." Then, another thought occurred to him. He asked her if the twins planned to intercede in Prodigy Palace again.
"My master has no intention of returning to that world this afternoon," Tethys replied. "His exact words were . . . 'They won't be able to handle another of those things without my help. I'll just sit back and allow them to get themselves killed.'"
Shou swallowed. While a part of him couldn't believe Yoshiro's arrogance, there was another part that feared his words were true. Without both Yoshiro and Tethys, would he and his friends stand a chance if Sayoko's Shadow ran amok?
"Nevertheless," Tethys continued, "I feel a certain . . . regret that I'll be unable to return your favor. How strange." She shook her head. "A useless feeling. I must rid myself of it."
Shou was about to reply that it wasn't useless at all when he was cut off by Yoshino, calling from down the hall.
"Tess, come on! What are you waiting for?" she yelled.
Tethys offered Shou a curt nod. "I must take my leave, Tanimoto. Farewell."
With that, she was gone.
Shou watched her leave, feeling torn. On the one hand, he, Kouta, and Emi wouldn't have to deal with interference from Hope/LESS after all. On the other, would they be able to handle things on their own? Well, they would just have to try.
He took a deep breath, and headed off for lunch.
Thursday
April 18, 2013 — After School
Overcast
After the last bell, Shou and Emi headed back to G Hall to pick up their gear. They found Kouta waiting in the lobby, with all their equipment piled on the couch. "What took you guys so long?" He smacked his fist and palm together. "I've been going crazy here! Let's beat some Shadows and save Sayo-chan!"
Shou and Emi traded a look, and then they both began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Kouta demanded.
Shou clapped his friend on the shoulder and thanked him for lightening the mood.
Kouta looked bewildered. "Uh . . . you're welcome? I guess?" He scratched his head. "A-anyway, let's get going already!"
Within the hour, Shou, Kouta, and Emi emerged from the Shadow Line train, and onto the front lawn of Prodigy Palace. It looked the same as before—like Morigami Academy, but with countless futuristic accoutrements, the spires reaching toward a black, starless night sky, the strange domes crackling with electricity.
Ahead, that black-and-red portal pulsed ominously. Shou shared a glance with his friends, then proceeded inside.
On the other side of the portal, Shou was surprised to find himself in that huge room with the glass dome in the center—the room in which they'd fought Kouta's Shadow. Apparently, their progress through Prodigy Palace could continue unabated.
"Finally," Kouta said, "a chance to kick some Shadow butt!" He hefted his shinai, and dashed down the hallway at the far end of the room.
"Senpai, wait up!" Emi yelled.
It was too late; Kouta had already disappeared into the gloom.
Emi sighed. "Should've seen that coming."
Shou chuckled, and together they headed after their friend. Kouta really could always be counted on to brighten things, despite whatever dire circumstances they faced. Perhaps that was one of his greatest strengths. From reading "One Punch: First Round" he knew how important morale was in a fight. Kouta would ensure that they continued to remain optimistic, no matter the danger they faced.
When he and Emi caught up with Kouta, they found him bashing around a Hablerie with his shinai. "Nobody told me how fun this was," he shouted. "Man, I could do this all day! Kill Rush!" The massive, green-armored form of Esau appeared and smacked the Shadow into submission.
"Hey," Emi exclaimed, "careful! You don't want to waste all your strength on these small fries. We've got Sayoko's Shadow to worry about, remember?"
"Sheesh," Kouta said, "you're a real spoilsport, y'know?"
"Well, someone's got to knock some sense into you!" she shot back. She gave him a light whack on the head with the soft part of her tennis racket. "Running off, acting like this is a game. This is serious business!"
Shou hid a smile behind his hand. Some things just never changed. Before Kouta and Emi could continue their bickering, he brushed past them, proceeding down the dark hallway; a moment later, his two friends ceased their argument and fell in behind him.
They battled through more long corridors, bringing down brown-clothed Trance Twins bound by cuffs and collars connected with wire; black, spiky Burning Beetles; cherubic Obsessed Cupids; Black Ravens; and others. Shou added Ukobach, Angel, Senri, and Omoikane to his Persona collection. They also found a Stun Stick for Kouta, and a Tough Jersey for Shou himself. In addition, there were small, round, cloudy-white candies—Soul Drops—as well as a three-pack of Health-On! brand Dokudami Tea.
Through this, Shou occasionally felt a strange surge of power flow through him. Sometimes it raced through his body, an electric thrill, and afterward he could swear he felt physically stronger. Other times, it was a tide that rose up within the depths of his being, and he felt his current Persona gain new potency. With all the video games he'd played in his youth, he couldn't help but wonder . . .
Was this what it felt like to "level up"?
He didn't have time to consider this long, because the dim, LED-lit passage came to an abrupt halt at a large set of silver-inlaid double doors. A mounted plaque read: "Principal Sato."
"This is it," Emi said.
"Yeah," said Kouta. "Ready?"
Shou nodded, then pushed open the door.
Inside was a massive, purple-carpeted office, almost as big as a basketball court. Enormous bookshelves occupied the entirety of one wall, filled with oversized tomes and textbooks. On the opposite wall lay a series of paintings, all of them showcasing Sayoko: conducting an orchestra; playing tennis before an enormous crowd; jockeying a horse at the Japan Cup; giving a lecture while standing in front of a blackboard filled with impossible-to-decipher mathematical equations; and more. At the far end of the room was a gargantuan mahogany desk, and behind it, a red-backed Pininfarina Xten office chair, facing the wall.
Suddenly, the chair began to turn . . .
"Sayoko!" Emi ran toward the chair, where Sayoko sat slumped, unconscious, still in her school uniform. When she reached the Class President, she began to shake her by the shoulders. "Sayoko, can you hear me?"
Shou and Kouta rushed over as well, gathering around the desk. "Sayo-chan!" Kouta exclaimed. "Sayo-chan, hey, we're here to save you!"
Sayoko began to stir. "Uh . . . huh . . . what's happening?"
"Excuse me. What are you three mentally-deficient undesirables doing in my office?"
As one, Shou, Kouta, and Emi spun.
Shadow Sayoko stood in the middle of the room, one hand on her waist, stylus twined between her fingers, the other holding her glowing tablet; she wore the same sharp midnight pantsuit as the day before. She glowered at them. "Oh, are you too thick to comprehend what I'm saying? I'll speak more slowly, then. What. Are. You doing. In my office?"
"Hey, isn't that the same thing she wore yesterday?" Kouta remarked.
"Wh-what?" She stormed forward. "I'll have you know this outfit is perfectly clean, pressed, straight from the closet! How dare you question my—"
"What is this place?"
All eyes turned to Sayoko, who'd risen from the chair, and was supporting herself on the desk.
"Ah, Little Miss Class President is awake," said Shadow Sayoko.
"I don't understand what's going on," Sayoko murmured. "Why do you look just like . . . me?"
"Hmph," said Shadow Sayoko. "So weak-willed, you are. I suppose it's only natural your feeble mind can't grasp the situation."
"Feeble mind?" This roused Sayoko from her semi-conscious state. She rose to her full height and slapped her palm upon the table. "Don't you know who I am?"
Shadow Sayoko cackled. "Why, but of course! Poor, sad Sato Sayoko, so afraid of her own superiority, so filled with self-loathing!"
"I . . . I'm not . . ."
"Look around you," Shadow Sayoko said. "Look at this world you've created. A place where only the smartest, best, most talented can exist! A place where you can just blend into the background. Where you're one face among the crowd."
"You're wrong! I'm the Class President! I'm—"
"You're selfish, is what you are," Shadow Sayoko retorted. "You'd never give away your intelligence, your abilities; you have too much of a superiority complex for that! To be normal would be the worst fate of all for you! And yet you can't bear to be the only one in the spotlight. The one person upon whom all hopes and dreams are placed! Wouldn't the world be a much better place for you if only the most brilliant were allowed to thrive? You could fade quietly into the throng while still clinging to your talents like the egocentric little girl you are!"
"You're . . . you're wrong!" Sayoko yelled. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I . . . I like being Class President, I . . . I . . ." Her voice faltered.
"You what?" Shadow Sayoko asked, an edge of mocking creeping into her tone. "You like being the center of attention? You like having all the weight of your father's expectations placed on your shoulders? Oh, if only you were born a fool. Then it wouldn't matter. But you're too smart for your own good. Admit it, Sayo-chan. The only reason you really do all this is because you live in fear of disappointing your father, the great Sato Shogo-sama. Because you know there's already one way in which you can never stop disappointing him: you, his only child, are a girl, and—"
"Don't!" Sayoko cried.
"All he ever wanted was a son!"
Sayoko's eyes widened in horror. Her gaze swept to Shou and the others. "It . . . it isn't true," she said weakly. "Otou-sama . . . he loves me . . . He loves me every bit as much as . . . as if I were a boy . . . She's lying!" She turned to her Shadow self. "You're lying!"
"I'm not," her Shadow replied. "I also know that you're a distant relative of former Prime Minister Sato Eisaku. At least, according to dear dad. Quite a legacy to live up to."
Sayoko reared back as if slapped. "How . . . ? How could you possibly . . . ?"
"Haven't you figured it out?" Shadow Sayoko asked. "Truly, you aren't as smart as you think you are. The answer is simple. You're me. And I . . . am you."
"That isn't . . ." Sayoko murmured. "It can't be . . ."
"Sayoko," Emi said, "you have to—"
"You're not me!" Sayoko screamed.
Fwoosh! With a bright flash, a tide of smoke swept out from Shadow Sayoko. When it cleared . . .
Clang! Fssssh! Clang!
An enormous mechanical head loomed before them, its eyes bright with electric light, its huge mouth opening and closing with a metallic banging. Steam poured out of vents on its sides, and atop its head was a clear glass dome with those now-familiar purple electric currents crackling within it.
"Ahahaha!" the Shadow laughed. "Bow before my mighty intellect, or die!"
"Oh, you gotta be kiddin' me!" Kouta said. "What the hell is this thing?"
"I . . . I can't . . ." Sayoko murmured. Then she fainted. Luckily, Shou managed to catch her. He set her gingerly in the principal's chair.
"You ready to start pulling your weight?" Emi asked Kouta.
"Oh, I was born ready for this!" Kouta shouted. Then he raised his Stun Stick and charged.
Emi sighed. "Idiot." Then she rushed in after him.
Shou followed suit.
Then the Shadow spoke two words: "Addle Vent."
Fssssh! As they neared, more steam burst from the Shadow's vents; only this time the steam was tinged a sickly yellow. It rushed toward them in a wave, enveloping them all in wisps of smoke. Suddenly, Shou's head began to spin. His mind felt like hazy; his thoughts indistinct. He spied a shape amid the smog, a shadowy figure, and . . .
He struck!
"Yowch!" came Kouta's voice. "Watch where you're swingin' that damn thing!"
Bam!
Shou felt a powerful impact with the back of his head, and for a moment his vision blacked. When he recovered, he spotted Emi behind him, wildly laying about with her tennis racket.
What was happening?
Being hit by Emi seemed to have cleared whatever was clouding his perceptions, and he felt a powerful instinct. He reached into the sea of his soul and drew out the Persona Pixie. "Me Patra," he growled.
Like a veil lifting, the yellow mist disappeared, and with it, the confusion. Kouta and Emi were beside him, both with their weapons raised, about to bash each other's head in. They blinked in surprise. "Hey, whaddya think you're doin'?" Kouta cried.
"I could ask you the same thing!" Emi yelled.
"Um, guys?" Shou gestured toward the enormous Shadow before them, its mouth still clacking open and shut.
"Oh. Yeah," said Kouta.
Yet before any of them could press the attack, the Shadow uttered in a mechanized voice, "Burn to Ashes." It opened its mouth wide, and the barrel of a flamethrower emerged, spraying them all in flame.
Inside his mind, Shou heard Pixie shriek in pain. Agony wracked his body, the fire searing his skin. His legs buckled and he collapsed, his bat falling from nerveless fingers. He knew right then that the fire had hit his Persona's weak point, and when he glanced sideways, he saw Emi in the same position.
"Yaaaaaah!" Kouta ran toward the Shadow. "Kill Shoooooot!" The powerful, armor-clad form of Esau appeared, bashing the Shadow once, twice, thrice with his great nodachi.
The Shadow recoiled briefly, but then its eyes flickered with light. "Double Slam." It rose into the air and smashed into Kouta twice.
At this point, Shou had recovered. He snatched up the bat and rushed in to defend his friend. He swapped to Angel and struck with a spell, Garu! It had worked so well against Kouta's Shadow, so he thought it might serve well against this one as well. Unfortunately, however, the winds buffeted the metal Shadow with no effect—it was blocked completely!
"Bufu!" yelled Emi. Rakhel appeared, summoning up a spike of ice. This time, the spell dented the metal, but it still didn't hit the Shadow's weak point.
"You bastard," Kouta growled. He laid into the Shadow with his shinai, whacking it as hard as he could.
"Um, I don't think that's working!" Emi said.
"Everything I smack breaks eventually!" Kouta roared. "If I keep doing it, I know I'll beat this thing!"
"You know that's the definition of insanity, right?" Emi asked. "Doing the same thing over and over, but expecting a different result?"
"You callin' me crazy, Emi-chan?" Kouta demanded.
"I'm just saying—"
"Venom Vent," the Shadow said.
This time, purple smoke filled the air, and Shou found himself coughing. A weak, sickly feeling came over him. Just standing made him feel like he was losing strength. Not good! Not good at all! He glanced sideways, and saw Kouta and Emi were ill as well. Was there anything he could do?
He searched the sea of his soul for an answer, but none of his Personas could counteract the poison. If only there was something else . . .
He thought about the items he had in his pack. The medicine they'd received from Kaede had been good for restoring their health, but Shou didn't think it would work for this ailment. Then he remembered the three-pack of Dokudami Tea. Yeah, that could do the trick! "Dokudami" meant literally "poison blocking plant." It was their best shot.
Shou dug out the three-pack, tore one free from the clear plastic wrapping, and unscrewed the cap. He guzzled most of it in one go, and . . .
He felt better! Much, much better!
He called out to his friends, and when he had their attention, he tossed each of them a tea. Within moments, they were standing straighter, and looking healthy again. Yet before they could press their attack . . .
"Mind Charge." The violet electricity within the dome atop the Shadow's head intensified; its entire form began to vibrate with intensified power.
Shou's stomach dropped. If this thing sprayed them again with fire, even stronger than the last time, it might be over for them. In the heat of battle, all his misgivings had faded away, replaced by a confidence spurred on by adrenaline and backed by the support of his Personas. Yet now, for the first time, he felt a truly palpable fear. This was life or death. They could very well be killed, and Sayoko along with them.
And that's who they were fighting for, wasn't it?
That thought restored his will to carry on. He had to do something! But what?
He searched deep within his soul for answers. So far, all the Shadows they'd encountered had a weakness. If this Shadow used fire, and wasn't vulnerable to wind or ice, there was only one element left. Omoikane could use Zio. But . . .
What if he was wrong? What if this Shadow didn't have a weakness? If he switched to Senri, he'd be completely immune to the Shadow's flame attack. Only, then he'd be leaving his friends defenseless for the sake of self-preservation. That wasn't the kind of action he believed in; it wasn't who he was!
"Shou, do something!" Emi yelled.
Shou nodded. When it came down to it, he believed in the power of his bonds. He believed in his friends! He had to trust that taking the bigger risk to save them all would see them through.
He called up Omoikane, and the Persona appeared above him—a floating brain with tiny eyes and countless tendrils. "Zio!"
Lightning crashed down upon Sayoko's berserk Shadow and . . .
Bzzzzzz! Whicka-whicka-whicka! Bzzzzzt! Fsssh . . . With a lot of buzzing and whirring, the Shadow short-circuited, toppling sideways.
"Oh, hell yeah!" yelled Kouta.
Now was their chance. Shou called for . . .
An All-Out Attack!
They charged the Shadow, clobbering it with their weapons. Kouta, in particular, was gleeful. "This is my kinda attack!" he roared. He struck the glass dome atop the Shadow over and over again, and suddenly it began to crack. As the Shadow's steel exterior was hard to dent, as soon as Shou and Emi saw this, they switched their assault to the dome as well. More fine cracks appeared, and then . . .
Bzzzzzzt! The Shadow's eyes flared, and it reengaged!
Shou, Kouta, and Emi fell back.
"What now?" Emi asked.
Shou told them they couldn't let it get off its next attack.
"Kouta, can you use Zio?" she asked him.
"Uh . . ."
"Don't you know?" She covered her face with her palm.
"Well, I kinda just wanted to hit things," he said sheepishly.
"Can you do it or not?"
"Yeah, I . . . I think I can!" He turned to the berserk Shadow. "Esau!" The huge armored figure appeared above him. "Zio!" The Persona leveled its nodachi at the Shadow and . . .
Kra-koom! Another bolt of lightning!
Once more, the Shadow collapsed.
"This is it!" Shou yelled. "Take it down with everything you've got!"
He and his friends rushed in for their second All-Out Attack. This time they concentrated fully on the glass dome. As they struck, more and more fine cracks appeared, and then . . .
With a mighty crash, the dome collapsed inward. Purple electricity spurted forth, but instead of striking Shou and the others, it started shocking the Shadow instead. The entire mechanical monstrosity began to vibrate violently. And then, at last . . .
The Shadow dissolved.
"Oh, thank God," said Emi.
"Yeah, that was rough," said Kouta.
"No thanks to you, meathead! Wasting so many attacks when you could've just used Zio to begin with . . ." Despite her words, she was smiling.
"Hey, shut it," Kouta replied. "We beat it, didn't we?" He grinned back.
Shou strode to where Sayoko sat in the principal's chair. She groaned, regaining consciousness. "Sayoko, can you hear me?" he asked.
"Uh . . . what . . . ? What happened?" She blinked, staring past Shou, at . . .
Her Shadow.
Shadow Sayoko strolled haughtily up to the desk, looking none the worse for wear despite having been beaten.
"You," Sayoko said.
"Yeah," said her Shadow. "Me." Her lips pulled into a smirk. "So what do you have to say for yourself, Sayo-chan?"
"I . . . I'm sorry."
"Oh?" The Shadow's eyebrow quirked upward.
Sayoko turned to Shou, Kouta, and Emi. "I'm sorry, all of you. You put your life on the line, and for what? Because I was too stubborn to accept the truth? If something had happened to any of you, I . . . I would never forgive myself!" The corners of her eyes glistened with half-formed tears.
"So you've finally come around, then?" asked Sayoko's Shadow.
"Yes," she said. "Everything you said is true. The fact is . . . I hate being an overachiever. The only reason I work as hard as I do is because I feel a responsibility to live up to expectations. My . . . my birth was a difficult one, you see. It left my mother unable to bear any more children. So the Sato family legacy falls entirely on my shoulders." She wiped at her eyes. "I know that if I was born without talents or great intelligence, I wouldn't be counted on to do so much. Yet I can't bring myself to wish for that, or even pretend I'm less than I am. Because I . . . I . . ."
Emi stepped forward and laid her fingers on the back of Sayoko's hand. "It's okay," she said.
"I'm a shallow person," Sayoko finally managed. "Even if I don't like all the attention, I do like the respect. The opinions of others are important to me. I want everyone to think I'm smart, gifted. I couldn't bear anyone thinking anything less of me. That's why I wished for . . . all this." She gestured at the trappings of Prodigy Palace. "If everyone else was the same as me, I'd still be thought of the same way, but without all the pressure. Silly, isn't it?"
"Totally silly!" Kouta said.
Emi elbowed him hard.
"Ow!" He rubbed his arm. "I mean, I'm just sayin', life's more interestin' with a few morons like me in it. Ain't that right?"
Sayoko stared at him. Then she began to laugh. "Thank you," she said through her mirth. "Thanks, all of you."
"So you comprehend, then?" her Shadow asked.
"Yes," Sayoko said. "You're me. And I'm you."
A voice echoed in Shou's mind.
The strength of heart required to face oneself has been made manifest . . .
Shadow Sayoko disappeared. Then, above Sayoko's head appeared a tall figure in a flowing white dress, with spectacles in one metallic hand, and a large tome in the other. Atop its chrome-plated head was one of those glass domes, filled with bright electricity.
"Dvora," Sayoko said, breathless. "My Persona." She reached up toward it, but then her legs gave out and she sank back into the chair.
"Let's get you outta here," Kouta said.
"Yeah, we'll take you back to your dorm," Emi said.
"No," said Sayoko.
"No?" Emi asked.
"I'd like to come back to G Hall, if that's all right with you," Sayoko said. "I think . . . we have a lot to talk about."
Kouta and Emi looked at Shou.
He nodded.
"G Hall it is, then," Kouta said. "Let's do it!"
With that, they headed back to Morigami Academy.
Next time, on Persona Gaiden: New Class . . .
Sayoko's learns the whole truth! The Exploration Team gains a valuable addition, and school resumes in earnest . . .
Social Links
Fool — Morigami Exploration Team — Rank 2
Magician — Hayabusa Kouta — Rank 2
Justice — Kazami Kaede — Rank 2
Strength — Shirogane Naoto — Rank 1
Hanged Man — Ariwa Reiko — Rank 2
Death — Kageshiro Ryuu — Rank 1
Sun — Narukami Yu — Rank 1
Attributes
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Expression — Rank 2 — Eloquent
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