Aika remembered one instance when her Social Link with Adachi strengthened, back in July – he'd come over in a panic, nearly in tears, confessing to her that he'd done something so horrible that her uncle would never forgive him (he never really specified what exactly he did, come to think of it). "Aika-chan, you've gotta help me!" he wailed, sinking to his knees and clasping his hands together, as she just stood at the stove with a spatula in her hand, looking confused.
"Um… So what's going on?" It was the easiest thing to say, especially since she had no idea what the situation was.
"I-I-I just did something horrible and Dojima-san's gonna be so mad, and—"
"Okay, calm down. Deep breaths." Adachi had complied, but didn't look any less tense. "Okay, I know Uncle's pretty hard to please on principle, but he doesn't get that angry often."
"Define that angry."
"Like…" Aika had smiled sheepishly; she really couldn't come up with a better example. "Remember how he was that time you accidentally arrested me? He doesn't get like that very often."
Adachi had shuddered. "Wow… I guess the best way to rile him up is to do something unspeakably horrible to you or Nanako-chan, huh?"
Aika had smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I guess. Hey, listen, since you're here…" She'd put the finishing touches on the boxed lunch she was working on and handed it to Adachi. "Can you deliver this to him?"
"Yeah sure, no problem. I should get going—"
"Hold it," Aika had said as she quickly shoveled food into another box. "This one's yours."
"F-For me?"
Aika had smiled brightly as she handed another box to him. "Yeah, of course! I mean, you're practically family now."
Aika smiled bitterly as she recalled the memory. Practically family, huh? Her friends insisted on accompanying her to the hospital – probably because they were worried that Adachi would try to shut her up by shoving her into a TV again. But she was prepared this time – she'd have to be careful, because there was no way she could take Adachi at face value anymore. I still don't believe it…
Adachi showed up ten minutes late, with two cups of steaming coffee in his hands. "Hey, Aika-chan," he greeted casually, handing her a cup. Aika smiled as she took the cup from him, but set it down on the table next to her. If he could try to kill her once, then he could easily do it again – no need to give him more opportunities to do so. "Aren't you gonna drink that?"
"Maybe later," Aika said. "I ate before I came."
He smiled sheepishly at everyone else in the lobby. "Sorry. I'd have brought more if I knew you guys were coming too. Why are you guys here, anyway?"
Yosuke refused to look in Adachi's direction at all, and Aika could see him actually shaking in rage. Of course, his anger was understandable – after all, he'd already lost Saki to Adachi, and he almost lost Aika as well. "Moral support," was all Aika said. "So Uncle…"
"His recovery's been slow," Adachi said. "It's because he keeps sneaking out of his room all the time. I'm sure he'd get better fast if he just sat still for a while, but I can sorta understand that it can get really boring, being cooped up all day." He sighed. "Geez… with Namatame finally relocated, I was looking forward to going home…"
Aika froze. "You mean you relocated him already?" she asked. "But you said…"
"Yeah, I know I told you that we were gonna relocate him after I met with you, but something came up, so we did it earlier," Adachi answered easily.
He's lying, Aika thought. He's lying, lying, lying, lying, lying…
"You sure you're doing okay, Aika-chan?" Adachi asked. "You still don't look too good."
That had to be an attempt to get her to reveal that she was onto him – Aika was sure of it. But she wasn't going to fall for his obvious ploy. "My fever finally went down last night, and it hasn't come back," she said, "and I feel a lot better. But I kind of wanted to discuss Uncle and Nanako's…?"
"Oh, right!" Adachi said quickly. "S-Sorry."
"Adachi-san, if I may," Naoto interrupted.
"C'mon, Naoto-kun," Adachi said, smirking casually. "Can't you see how worried Aika-chan is about her family? I'll talk to you after I finish with her."
From the corner of her eye, Aika could see Yosuke clenching his fists, trembling even worse than before. "It's okay, Adachi-san," she said stiffly. "Go ahead, Naoto."
"You seem to be in an awful hurry to get Namatame out of this hospital," Naoto said with a stoic expression.
"Huh?" Adachi mumbled. "Oh, well, yeah. I mean, we can't have him around with Dojima-san and Nanako-chan here… Didn't you think so too?"
Suddenly, the elevator door opened, and Uncle dragged his feet out, looking tired. "Adachi… there you are… Where's Namatame? There's been a lot of noise today for some reason…"
"D-Dojima-san!" Adachi yelped. "What are you doing here?"
"Uncle, you're supposed to stay in bed!" Aika said on impulse, but then she readjusted her priorities – if Uncle heard what she and her friends had to say, then he'd be able to help them.
"Namatame's just been relocated," Adachi explained. "Sorry. Aika-chan wanted to meet with me, so I was gonna tell you after that."
"You did what?" Uncle snapped. "Who authorized that? There's still more I need to ask him about!"
"G-Gimme a break, D-Dojima-san!" Adachi stammered.
"I can fill you in," Aika said in an even voice. "Basically, he's responsible for all the kidnappings – because of TV stuff – but not the first two murders."
Uncle sighed. "That's what I thought…"
"Well, he's already been relocated," Adachi said. "There's no use hassling me about it." He frowned sternly at Aika, but his expression barely affected her at all – after all, that cruel smirk of his that she could still sort of remember was so much worse. "What's your deal, Aika-chan? Getting involved in police business? That's not like you!"
"What's gotten into you today?" Uncle asked. "It's odd to see you taking work so seriously…"
"You should get back to work too, Dojima-san," Adachi said with a smile. "You're current assignment: get better as soon as possible!"
Uncle sighed yet again. "Why did you want to meet with him, Aika?" he asked.
"She wanted to know what exactly was going on with you and Nanako-chan… medically speaking," Adachi answered for her.
"Yeah, there's that," Aika said. "And… there's one more thing I need to confirm with you, Adachi-san." She stepped forward, crossing her arms, and Kanji and Yosuke stood protectively behind her. "Mayumi Yamano, the announcer… do you think you can tell me what exactly happened when she was killed?"
"Huh?" Adachi asked. "You wanna know about her?" He sighed and shrugged. "Well, I can't say anything for sure offhand… it's not like I saw her or anything. Besides, it was months and months ago."
"You also questioned Saki Konishi, didn't you?" Yosuke demanded.
"Why wouldn't I question her?" Adachi asked. "She found the announcer's body. But she didn't know much about it, so I only talked with her once or twice. Was that all you wanted to ask? Well, I hope it helped."
Something hardened in Uncle's gaze, and he stared at Adachi in suspicion. Aika exhaled slowly, mentally bracing herself for some sort of revelation. "There's one more thing. What about the warning letter?"
"Warning letter?" Adachi echoed.
"The one that was delivered to her house," Naoto elaborated. "It's in police custody now, correct?"
"Uh, I don't really remember…" Adachi muttered.
"Hey!" Uncle shouted. "Whaddya mean you don't remember? Some bastard's been threatening my niece, and you forgot to take it down to the crime lab for processing?"
"S-Sorry…" Adachi mumbled. "Aika-chan disappeared right after that, and then there was your accident. With one thing and another, it sorta slipped my mind… Besides – that thing was just a prank, wasn't it?"
Everything felt wrong, but Aika pushed forward anyway. "Just a prank, Adachi-san?" she said quietly. "Just like the way you pushed me into the TV? Was that just a prank, too?"
"What?" Uncle's voice came out as a low, dangerous whisper. "You told me that she jumped in of her own accord. What's this about you pushing her in?"
"C-C'mon, Dojima-san!" Adachi stammered. "Aika-chan's had it rough for the past few weeks, so she's probably still confused about everything that happened."
Aika couldn't handle it anymore. "I'm not confused!" she screamed, clenching her fists. She could feel tears rapidly forming in her eyes, and she looked downward to avoid letting Adachi see her crying. "You… You monster…"
"A-Aika-chan…?"
"H-How dare you?" Yosuke said in a low, dangerous whisper. "SAKI-SENPAI ENOUGH FOR YOU, YOU SICK BASTARD?"
"Give me one good reason…" Uncle said in a shaking voice as he visibly trembled with rage. "… why I shouldn't just strangle you right now…"
"Dojima-san, Yosuke-senpai, please calm down," Naoto said. "Adachi san, I've been fixated on something you said before. Do you recall when I read Namatame's diary at the scene of Dojima-san's accident? At the time, I said, 'Even the victims who survived and were never released to the public are written here.' And in response, your words were, 'Then that settles it.' How, I wonder, would that settle anything? At the time, the police had no idea that there had been other attempted murders related to the case… You had no reason for saying such a thing. After all, there are countless examples of people disappearing for a few days. Yet when I read the list of names, you raised no objection. Odd, that. What do you say to that, Detective Adachi?"
"I-I don't know!" Adachi yelled.
"Fuck Namatame!" Uncle practically growled. "What the hell did you do to Aika, Adachi?"
"N-Nothing!" Adachi yelped.
"You son of a bitch!" Yosuke yelled. "You tried to kill her, didn't you?"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Adachi said defensively. "And I have work to do!" And with that, he ran away.
"Get back here!" Kanji shouted as he ran after him. And the group quickly followed suit. Uncle tried following them as well, but then he stumbled. Thankfully, Aika was nearby, so she managed to catch him before he fell.
She didn't miss the way he practically clung to her as well. "Uncle…"
"Aika, he really tried to…"
He stumbled forward, and Aika felt his grip on her shoulder tighten. "Uncle, you need to—"
"No," he snarled. "I'm going after him. That bastard's gonna get what's coming to him…"
Aika sighed – there was no point in trying to talk Uncle out of his current mindset. "Come on," she said. The two of them made their way upstairs, and it seemed that everyone had congregated in Namatame's previous room.
"Damn it, I swore I saw him run in here!" Aika heard Yosuke yell.
"Where the hell'd he go?" Kanji shouted.
"Either he's hiding, or he's in the TV," Aika said flatly. Uncle grunted in pain, and Aika felt him sinking. "Uncle!"
As if on cue, a nurse ran into the room. "Dojima-san!" she cried. "For heaven's sake, what are we going to do with you?"
"Sorry," Uncle sighed. "Guess I just got carried away…"
"Do you even want to get better?" the nurse ranted. "If you keep this up, there could be lasting damages! Have you forgotten how much trouble it caused you last time?"
As Uncle slung one of his arms over the nurse's shoulder, Aika bowed to the nurse. "I'm so sorry for the trouble."
"Dojima-san, I can only imagine how frustrating it is to have this man for a father," the nurse said, clucking her tongue disapprovingly.
Aika smiled faintly, not bothering to correct her. "Uncle, you have to promise that you'll stay in bed until your wounds heal."
"But—" he protested.
"We'll find Adachi-san," Aika assured him. "Don't worry."
"Aika, that bastard tried to kill you," Uncle said, and he looked so utterly broken that Aika felt guilty for getting trapped in the TV world in the first place.
"It'll be okay," she said. "Whatever happened to me before won't happen again. And as long as he's on the other side, I can fight back."
"'Sides," Kanji said, stepping up next to her. "We'll make sure he doesn't lay another finger on her."
"Aika-senpai will be safe in our hands, Dojima-san," Naoto said.
"You can count on us!" Chie added cheerfully.
Aika groaned. "You guys make me sound totally useless…"
"That's right!" Rise gasped. "Senpai is very well-versed in Almighty spells."
"Not to mention," Yukiko interjected, "her skill level magic-wise is—"
Uncle made a noise halfway between a whine and a groan. "No more…"
"Off we go, Dojima-san," the nurse said briskly.
Uncle peered over his shoulder one last time before he left. "Good luck."
"Oh yeah…" Chie whispered. "Come to think of it, Aika got a new Persona, huh? I don't think she's ever used it before!"
"That's right…" Naoto said quietly. "We never entered the TV at all during Senpai's illness and the turn in Nanako-chan's condition.
"You're right, Naoto-kun," Yukiko said. "We haven't trained in a while, so we'll probably be out of shape."
"We need to look for Teddie, too," Rise pointed out.
"Are you kidding me?" Yosuke almost yelled. "We're just going to let him sit there and not do anything?"
"There's nothing he can do to us if we don't confront him," Aika tried reasoning with him. "And he can't get out without our help either!"
Yosuke turned all his attention on her at this point. "Why are you being so calm about this?"
"Because panicking about it won't solve anything!"
"You could've died!"
"But I didn't!"
"If we didn't come for you, you would have!"
"Maybe, but I'm here now, and I'm fine!"
"Okay, okay," Chie said. "You guys are getting way off topic here. And I agree with Naoto. It doesn't make sense for us to just go charging in, guns blazing, only to get our asses handed to us 'cause we didn't prepare properly. By the way, Aika, you probably already know this, but Yosuke tends to get a little… protective of you. Remember, back when we thought that only people connected to Ms. Yamano's case would be targeted? Yosuke freaked out because he thought you'd be targeted one day? Don't fight it, man. You'll lose."
Aika exhaled sharply. "Fine… But I still think we should wait. If we're going to lose, it shouldn't be because we didn't prepare properly. That's all."
Yosuke sighed. "All right. What're we gonna do?"
"I say we go in tomorrow," Rise suggested. "Do all our prep work today."
"Or, how about this?" Yukiko quipped. "Today we go around town updating our equipment and buying medicine and stuff, and then later, we'll go into the TV and train for a bit. Then tomorrow, we'll spend the whole day training in the TV, and we'll go looking for Adachi-san the day after that."
"A training regimen…" Naoto mused. "Simple, but effective. I like it."
They went to Daidara's workshop first. "Hey, Uncle!" Chie called cheerfully as soon as they entered. "So… Uh…"
"Why don't you just tell him what's going on?" Aika suggested innocently. "I told my uncle."
"Okay, Uncle, you have to promise you won't tell anyone, okay?" Daidara simply raised one eyebrow as Chie launched into her explanation.
And, one Chie was done, Daidara's expression barely changed. "Oh," he said. "So that's what it was."
"S-Seriously?" Chie screeched. "Aren't you, like, really pissed off at me for keeping this a secret?"
"No," Daidara said bluntly.
"What about repeatedly putting my life in danger just to solve a murder mystery?"
"Whatever. It's your life." Chie yelled in frustration and tugged at her hair. "Though now that I know what's actually going on… be careful."
"H-Huh?"
Daidara looked to the side. "And this is all gonna be over after this last TV trip, right?"
"Y-Yeah…?" Chie said slowly.
Daidara nodded once. "Good."
And then, all of a sudden, Chie threw her arms around Daidara's waist. "Thank you, Uncle, thank you, thank you, thank you!" And, all the while, Daidara just pat her head awkwardly, his face slightly red.
"Geez, Aika," Yosuke said. "Your boyfriend's parents run Junes, and you insist on going to Satomi Tadashi for medicine?"
"I get a discount here," Aika said. "Besides – it's cheaper here than it is at Junes."
"Yeah!" Rise cheered. "Go shopping district!"
"Represent!" Kanji added.
"I hate you all," Yosuke grumbled, and Yukiko snorted in laughter.
"Oh hey!" Tamaki Uchida said from the front of the store. "How's everything going, Aika?"
"Um…" Aika mumbled. "Crazy. Sorry I had to take so much time off work…"
Tamaki just smiled at her. "Don't worry about it. I hope everything's okay with your family now."
"Uncle and Nanako are still in the hospital, but they'll be fine," Aika said. "I mean—Uncle will be fine, a-and Nanako—"
"Gotcha," Tamaki said, saving Aika from an awkward explanation. "So, what can I get you guys?"
"Um…" Aika stared downward at her feet. "C-Can I get some medical kits?"
Tamaki raised an eyebrow. "Just medical kits? You're settling for that?"
"H-Huh? O-Oh, c-could I also get some sedatives and stimulants?"
Tamaki sighed and shook her head. "Amateur." Tamaki reached into a cupboard and pulled out a large metal box. "I've got some bead chains, some soul food, some soma—"
"Wait, wait, wait," Chie said. "What?"
"Problem?" Tamaki asked, smirking. "If you're going demon hunting, you might as well be prepared."
"We're not exactly demon hunting," Yukiko said slowly.
"Oh, he's a demon," Yosuke muttered. "The demon of all demons. He's Beelzebub."
Tamaki winced sympathetically. "I hear you, kid. That thing was a bitch to take care of."
"T-Tamaki-san…?" Aika said faintly. Just what was going on?
"Let me know when you finish, okay Aika-chan?" Tamaki asked. "I want you all back here in one piece. Catch my drift?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Rise said excitedly.
Tamaki smiled warmly. "Good… Now go kick some ass!"
After Satomi Tadashi, the next stop was Aiya's for lunch. "I swear, that lady knew way more than she let on," Kanji said flatly between mouthfuls of meat.
"Same," Chie agreed, voraciously digging into her beef bowl. "Isn't she your boss, Aika?"
"Yeah, but I had no idea…" Aika said quietly, absentmindedly stirring her ramen with her chopsticks. "I never said anything about that stuff to her, and Tamaki-san never asked me anything about it either…"
"It was almost as if she was speaking from previous experience…" Naoto mused.
"Not to mention, she did say demon fighting instead of Shadow fighting," Rise added. "Maybe she's some kind of legendary demon slayer?"
"Tamaki-san the demon slayer…" Aika said slowly. "It sounds like something she'd like to do."
Yu Narukami chose that moment to join them. "How is everything?" he asked politely. "Are you enjoying the meal?"
"You betcha!" Chie said excitedly.
"Ah, Yu-kun," Yukiko said. "I'm so sorry I had to cancel our plans the other day."
"Wait, wait, wait," Yosuke interrupted. "Plans? With him?"
"It's been a while since we've hung out together," Yukiko said simply. "We were planning to meet up here at night on the day finals ended. But then Nanako-chan…"
"I'm glad to hear your family is doing better, Aika-san," Yu said gently. "I hear you've been remarkably brave all this time. If it were me in your place, I wouldn't know what to do."
Aika smiled sheepishly. "It's because of everyone else here," she said. "If I didn't have my friends with me, I don't know how I'd have been able to handle everything. Um… How did Kanji put it? It's a cliché because it's true, dammit." Yukiko choked on her tofu and burst into giggles.
Chie would have probably groaned in frustration, if she weren't laughing herself. "N-Never mimic Kanji-kun like that again!"
"D-Do I really sound like that?" Kanji muttered.
Naoto chuckled, making Kanji's face turn red. "An accurate imitation."
Yukiko cleared her throat. "Anyway, Yu-kun," she said quickly. "I'll be a little busy for the next couple of weeks, so what do you say we meet on Christmas?"
Yu's face turned bright scarlet. "Wh-What?"
"Well, it's the one day I know I'll be free," Yukiko continued, completely oblivious to the fact that Yu's face was growing redder by the second, and that it was hard to tell if the taller boy was even breathing. "I can meet you here, and we can walk around the shopping district. How does that sound?"
"I… I…" Aika bent her head downward, trying not to laugh at Yu's predicament. "I-I'm free on that day, that is…"
"Okay, so it's a date!" Yukiko said, and Aika was honestly surprised that Yu didn't pass out right then and there.
"A-A date?" Yu squeaked.
"Are you feeling all right, Narukami-senpai?" Naoto asked. "Your face is red. If you feel that you're coming down with a cold, you should rest."
"Why is everyone getting sick all of a sudden?" Yukiko asked. "First Aika – then again, she was kind of a special case – then—"
"I should get going," Yu said quickly. "U-Um… I-I'll see you on the twenty-fifth, Yukiko-san…"
As Yukiko walked away, Yosuke snorted in laughter. "So much for the Amagi Challenge."
"It isn't a challenge if Yukiko's the one who asked him out, isn't it?" Aika asked him teasingly.
Yukiko looked utterly confused. "What? What did I do?"
"Hey, great catch, Senpai!" Rise said, clapping Yukiko on the back. "He's really cute!"
"H-Huh? What are you…?"
"Yukiko," Chie said flatly. "You pretty much asked him out on a date."
"I did what?" Yukiko gasped. She stood up. "Yu-kun, it's not a date! I-I mean, we'll still go out that—I mean hang out! We'll hang out that day! But it won't be a date!" By now, the entire restaurant was staring at her. Her face and Yu's face were identical shades of red, and as she sat back down and he went about his work, they both refused to look at each other.
At that moment, Aika could finally relate to Yukiko on a spiritual level, because she couldn't stop laughing.
Aika absentmindedly weighed her new rod in her hands, wondering why she bought it in the first place if she was going to rely primarily on spells to fight. Her whole body felt heavy, and she was almost sure she was going to fall sick again because of how thick the fog inside the TV was. "There's this malicious aura everywhere…" Rise said quietly. "It feels completely different from the last time I was here. I think we'd better hurry."
"Is Teddie in here?" Aika asked worriedly. She hadn't set foot in the Velvet Room since her dream with Teddie there, and the fact that he disappeared so suddenly scared her to no end.
Rise quickly summoned Himiko and sighed after a few seconds. "No… I'll try finding Adachi."
Aika groaned, pressing her hand to her forehead. "This fog's making me feel sick…"
"Just hang in there, Aika," Yosuke said, putting his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "We'll just find Adachi, kick his ass, and get out of here."
"I sense him!" Rise announced. "Adachi's definitely in here!"
"Well that settles it," Naoto said. "There's virtually no doubt remaining that he's the true culprit. Once we capture him, solving the mystery of this world and the rest of this case can't be far behind."
"Why…?" Rise mumbled. "Why can't I find him…?"
"No luck?" Kanji asked. "Adachi or Teddie?"
"Both…" Rise sank to her knees. "Teddie, where are you?"
"Why don't we call it a day?" Chie suggested. "It won't do us any good if you collapse."
"I agree," Naoto said. "If Rise-san became fatigued, even if we found Adachi, our capacity in battle would be reduced."
"And this fog's affecting all of us, too…" Yukiko said quietly. "We can't fight like this…"
The group exited the TV and made their way to Junes's food court, and Aika all but collapsed into the table. "Damn it!" Kanji yelled. "We came so far to run smack into a dead end!"
"What's wrong with me?" Rise almost whined. "My powers are completely useless!"
"U-Um…"
Aika would recognize that voice anywhere. "Teddie!" She sprang up and trapped the bear in a tight hug.
"Y-Y-You little…" Yosuke stammered. "Where the hell were you?"
"I-I'm sorry…" Teddie said quietly.
Rise threw her arms around him as well. "You idiot! Bad bear! Bad! You're so late! Who do you think you are?"
When Rise started crying, Aika couldn't help crying as well. "D-Don't you ever do that again!"
"You know how much trouble you caused, y'dumb bear?" Kanji demanded, despite his relieved smile. "Where the hell were you?"
"I'm sorry…" Teddie said again. "I figured out a lot of things… About me… and that world. U-Um… I told Aika-chan in that Velvet Room place…"
"You saw him, Aika?" Chie shrieked.
"I wasn't sure…" Aika mumbled. "I-I thought it was just a dream… I-I'm sorry… I had a really high fever that day, so I didn't know if it was real or not."
And so, Teddie explained everything he'd told Aika before – and everyone listened intently. "Shadows are suppressed human thoughts given form," he explained. "Everyone has them inside."
"Wait," Yosuke interrupted. "You say you're a Shadow, but you didn't attack us. And you kept telling us from the start that you wanted to bring peace and quiet to that world, right?"
"But in the end, I was just an ordinary Shadow…" Teddie lamented. "Nothing special about me at all. I did everything I could until now to try and make my world peaceful, but instead, the weird fog started seeping out into this world too… I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. If I really was special, then maybe…"
"It's no big deal," Yosuke said with a careless smile. "We thought you might be something like that anyway."
"N-No big deal?" Teddie repeated. "I take offense to that one, Yosuke! No one would think such a pretty bear could really be a Shadow!"
"Huh…" Aika mused. "So I had Social Links with two Shadows…"
"Not to mention, you possess the power of Persona," Naoto pointed out. "A Shadow is suppressed power. Once controlled by the ego, it becomes a Persona. Doesn't it follow, then, that you must have developed an ego? Whether the ego masters its Shadow, or the Shadow awakens to its ego, the only difference I see is the order in which the process occurred."
"Oh, so Teddie's practically human then!" Chie said cheerfully.
"R-Really?" Teddie stammered.
"Well, yeah," Aika said. "You're not special – none of us are either. You can't do most things on your own – I can't speak for the others, but I know I can't. And your Shadow was only the second hardest to deal with, so—"
"Uh, second hardest?" Chie interjected. "Third hardest! Then comes Rise-chan's, and then yours, Aika!"
"Oh yeah…" Aika said, smiling sheepishly. "So you're better than me, Teddie. You've gone through so much these past few weeks, and you never once lost control of your Persona like I did."
"Anyway," Naoto said quickly, "we should move along with the case. We don't have much time."
"Yessir, Nao-chan!" Teddie said cheerfully.
"As it turns out, someone did make an attempt on Aika-senpai's life," Naoto explained. "That someone murdered Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi in the spring."
"It was Adachi," Yosuke said, clenching his fists. "It's his fault all this happened."
"Adachi?" Teddie asked. "Him? Really?" He sighed. "But you all know him. If you can't find him, I don't think I can help you."
"But it's hard to get pumped about this sort of thing without someone cute and fuzzy around," Kanji said seriously.
"That's me!" Teddie said cheerfully. "Fuzzy!"
"Hey… guys?" Yukiko piped up. "That butterfly's been sitting there for a while now." It took Aika an embarrassingly long time to realize that Yukiko was pointing at her. She looked down at her right shoulder, and, sure enough, a shimmering yellow butterfly was sitting there innocently. She shrieked in surprise and startled, crashing into Yosuke, who was sitting next to her. The butterfly barely reacted to the sudden movement, choosing instead to calmly flit to the center of the table. All of a sudden, there was a bright flash of white light, and, when the light faded, Aika found herself with her friends in a strange room surrounded by pillars.
"Wh-What the…?" Yosuke whispered, standing up but not drawing too far away from the group. "This isn't in Junes…"
"M-Maybe it's a new room they opened up today?" Chie suggested innocently.
"This is…" Rise whispered. "This can't be right, but… I feel… safe. It's weird."
"I-I sense someone really strong!" Teddie yelped.
"But is it hostile?" Naoto asked pointedly.
Aika felt like she was floating. She had every reason to panic, and yet she felt calm – almost unnaturally so. "This feeling… It's like the Velvet Room…"
The butterfly descended to a green circle in the center of the black and white checked floor, and a tall man appeared in its place. A porcelain mask covered half his face, and his long brown ponytail flowed in the wind. Kanji took a defensive stance in front of the group. "S-Stay back!" he yelled, his voice cracking slightly. "Make one move, and you'll get it! I-I ain't kidding around!"
The man held up one hand calmly. "Peace, Mr. Tatsumi," he said in a smooth voice. "Now…" He strode towards Aika, only to be blocked by Yosuke. "I mean no harm."
"That's for us to decide," Yosuke said firmly, frowning at the man.
"Wait, you guys," Aika interjected. "This place is safe. I can feel it."
The man cleared his throat. "Well then, allow me to introduce myself. I am Philemon, the dweller between consciousness and unconsciousness. Some time ago, you all awakened to the power of Persona, correct?"
"Th-That's true…" Yukiko said slowly. "B-But… H-How did you know that?"
Philemon smiled serenely. "A quick look at the heart of the current Wild Card holder told me everything I needed to know."
Aika gasped and covered her mouth with one hand. "M-Me…?" Philemon nodded once. "W-Wait, but that means… I-If you know about the Wild Card, then—then that means…"
"Correct," Philemon said, nodding again. "I am the master of the one you know as Igor."
"So we can trust you, then!" Aika said, sighing in relief.
"I decided to show myself to you for one purpose," Philemon said. "Mankind is trapped in an eternal paradox – a paradox conceived by choosing to see only what one wishes to see. What awaits you in that paradox is a cruel fate indeed."
"I don't get it…" Chie mumbled.
"Neither do I…" Yukiko agreed.
"Quit your yammering and get to the point already!" Kanji yelled, raising his fist threateningly.
"K-Kanji!" Aika squeaked.
But Philemon barely reacted. "All will be explained in due time," he said calmly. "Consciousness and unconsciousness are drawing ever closer together – if anyone can separate the two once and for all, it is you. The strength of your hearts have manifested into Personae. And your resolve to face your challenges head-on…" Philemon closed his eyes and smiled. "Why don't you see for yourself?" All of a sudden, everyone's Personae rose from them, and exclamations of shock and confusion rang throughout the strange room.
Aika regarded her new Persona Kaguya for the first time since her disappearance. On the surface, Kaguya didn't look all that different from Aoandon – only there was a faint white glow to her as opposed to a bluish one. Her hair – or what her hair would have been if she were really human – was longer, and there were no horns on top of her head. Her eyes glowed white, like Aoandon's, though not maliciously so. Kaguya… Aika clasped her hands together and smiled as she closed her eyes. Thank you.
"Wait, so we all get new Personas now?" Chie asked.
"The goddess Amaterasu…" Yukiko whispered. "She's me, and I'm it…"
"This is so awesome!" Yosuke enthused.
"I feel like a new man!" Kanji added.
"I-I get one too?" Teddie asked in surprise.
"Oh, I'll be able to find Adachi with this for sure!" Rise cheered.
"Perfect," Naoto whispered.
"Everyone," Philemon said sharply. "This mystery is drawing to a close. If you have the faintest strength to reach out for the truth, the stars will shine even through the fog. I wish you all the best of luck."
And with that, the world around them faded, and, when Aika opened her eyes once more, she was by the Samegawa River with all her friends. "Th-That really happened…" she whispered, covering her mouth with one hand. "Philemon…"
"Oy!" a voice from a little ways away shouted. "Senpai!" Aika saw a tall, skinny figure running toward her through the fog.
"Hi Naoki-kun," Aika greeted him pleasantly. "It's been a while."
Naoki put his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "I finally found you… I heard about what happened to your sister. I-If there's anything I can do…"
"Thanks, Naoki-kun," Aika said, smiling. "Nanako's going to be fine now." And, for the first time, she couldn't be more sure of that fact. "Thank you so much for your support, though."
"Yo," Kanji said, slinging one arm around Naoki's neck. "When all this is over, you and me are gonna play video games all night, all right? I heard there's this new American one that came out, and you get to fly a plane—"
"May I join this little video game party?" Naoto asked innocently. Kanji made a choking noise, his face turning bright red.
"I-I wanna play too!" Teddie whined
"Sure, if you want," Naoki said.
Aika giggled. "Yukiko, you and I are gonna have a sleepover when this is all over too!" Chie announced. "You, me, Aika, Naoto-kun, and Rise-chan!"
"Not to mention…" Yosuke's arm was suddenly around Aika, and she leaned into his embrace. "We never got to go on a proper date, so we should probably get on that."
Aika laughed. "I can't wait!" And, despite all that had happened, despite the fact that the mystery still wasn't solved, Aika felt truly happy.
Aika woke up to the home phone ringing the next morning. She dragged her feet downstairs, rubbing her eyes sleepily, and picked up the phone without hesitation. "Dojima residence," she said automatically.
"Hey, Aika-chan," she heard her mother say on the other line. "Sorry, did I wake you up?"
"Yeah…" Aika mumbled. "What are you doing up so early anyway?"
"Well, uh…" Mom sounded nervous and strangely hesitant. "I… wanted to make sure I could talk to you before you went out with your friends."
Aika frowned, already knowing where this was going. "Is this about Mikage-cho?"
"Yeah," Mom replied. "Uh… How do I put this…"
Aika pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Mom, Uncle and Nanako are in the hospital. I can't leave them now." And there was the case too, but Aika decided to save that for future ammunition if her mother felt especially persistent.
"That's just it, though!" Mom said. "Sweetie, uh…" There was shuffling on the other end of the line.
"Hello, Aika?" she heard Dad say. "Listen – you need to stay in Inaba for a bit longer."
And… that wasn't the response Aika was expecting. "Wh-What?"
"Ryotaro and Nanako will need all the help they can get to get back up on their feet after this whole incident," Dad elaborated. "We're needed in Mikage-cho, so we can't be there just yet—"
"What do you mean by 'yet'?" Aika demanded.
She could practically hear the smile in his voice. "Aika… After Mikage-cho, we're all settling down in Inaba, once and for all."
"A-Are you serious?" Aika shrieked.
There was more shuffling on the other line, and Mom was back. "Listen, sweetie… I realized something when we left last week – I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to leave you all by yourself, I didn't want to leave Ryo-chan and Nana-chan… We're a family, Aika, and we've all done a pretty lousy job of acting like one. It's not your fault, it's mine." There was a slight pause, and her mother laughed. "Your father's saying that it's his fault too, but it's mostly mine… Okay, it's our fault. Happy now?"
More shuffling. "When you have the time, do you think you could clean out the house across the street from Ryotaro's?" Dad asked. "That's our old house – Ryotaro and Chisato never let us sell it."
"Oh, those little glow-in-the-dark stars should still be there on the ceiling!" Mom said. "But I bet they don't glow anymore… H-Hey, I'll bet Aika-chan's crib is still there too!"
Aika laughed. "Um… I'm kind of caught up with… TV stuff at the moment, but I'll look into it. I'll get my friends to help too!"
"Perfect," Mom said. "Okay, good luck, sweetie, and be careful!"
"Call us when you get back," Dad instructed.
"Seriously, though," Mom said. "If I hear a news story about you hanging upside down from a telephone pole a few days from now, I'll kill you. Even though you'll already be dead."
Aika giggled. "Okay, Mom. Bye!" She hung up the phone, feeling strangely energized, and got ready as quickly as she could before riding her scooter, almost going past the speed limit, to Junes.
Once inside the TV, Rise clapped her hands together excitedly. "All right, Kanzeon!" she enthused. "Let's go! Teddie, you help too!"
"B-But my nose is all dried up!" Teddie protested weakly as Rise's new Persona materialized behind her and covered her eyes.
"Less talking and more sniffing!" Rise said. "Let's go, Teddie!"
"I-I can do this!" Teddie said enthusiastically. A strange yellow aura surrounded him as he frowned in concentration, making Aika's heart jolt. He waddled past the crowd to a barely visible entrance to the group's right, and… "I sense it from… thisaway."
"Is it Adachi?" Kanji asked hurriedly.
"How do I put it…" Teddie said slowly. "It's kinda hazy, but at the same time, it feels like I've got a whopper on the line. But… that's weird. If I remember right, that's where Yosuke, Chie-chan, and Aika-chan came from when I met them for the first time."
"Really?" Aika asked, steping behind him and peering at the walkway. "I don't really remember…"
"We were all kind of out of it at that point, remember?" Chie asked. "But… what was it about the place we went to?"
"That was the creepy-ass room where all the faces on the posters were cut out!" Yosuke said.
"Adachi's there for sure," Rise said. "Thank you so much, Teddie! I couldn't have done it without you!"
Teddie's face turned red. "I-It was dumb luck… It's because that's where I first sensed Aika-chan and the others. That's why it kinda smelled over there."
"Wait, did you say smelled?" Chie interjected. "Wasn't that the room where Yosuke had to go to the bathroom, and…"
Rise gave a mortified shriek. "You're saying… he peed his pants there?"
"Ew, I don't wanna hear it!" Yukiko wailed.
"I don't remember this at all!" Aika ranted. "How do you guys remember this?"
"Oh, you lie so bad!" Yosuke yelled at Chie. "Dude, I did not piss my pants! Quit spreading random rumors about stuff like that!"
"Uh, well…" Chie mumbled. "It happened so long ago, my memory's kinda fuzzy, you know…"
"Okay, guys!" Teddie said enthusiastically. "Enough fuzziness! Follow me, the master of fuzzy logic!"
Yukiko burst out laughing at that. "Oh wait, you guys!" Aika gasped. "I forgot to tell you! My parents called this morning."
"And?" Yosuke asked anxiously. "What did they say?"
"I'm staying in Inaba!" Aika said cheerfully. "Once they're done in Mikage-cho, they'll move here, and I'll be staying here with Uncle and Nanako until they do!"
"Senpai, that's great!" Rise squealed, throwing her arms around Aika.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," Naoto said, "but Adachi is still here. We must capture him immediately."
"All right, then let's go!" Chie said excitedly.
As Aika entered the strange room for the second time, she could feel everything coming back to her slowly. Her mind was in such a haze the day she first entered the TV – not to mention, the fog made her sick, and Aoandon kept talking to the point that she felt like her head was going to explode – that it was no wonder she didn't remember many details about her first trip into the TV.
"That damn bitch…" Adachi's voice echoed. "I noticed her first, and she just had to run off and have an affair…" Sure enough, Adachi was standing by the window. He whirled around, a fierce, slightly deranged scowl painted on his face, and a shiver ran down Aika's spine. Nothing about the night Nanako was kidnapped came back to her, and yet she was still so, so scared. "Who's there? Oh… it's you guys. You're very persistent."
Aika opened her mouth to say something – anything – but no sound came out. Her whole body was trembling, and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself, as if they alone could protect her from Adachi. This man knew where she lived, knew exactly what to do to frighten her, actually tried to kill her… Yosuke stepped in front of Aika, clenching his fists. "You bastard… You're the real killer!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Adachi said in much to smooth a voice.
"You're not lying your way out of this one, damn it!" Yosuke yelled. "Just being here proves it! Answer me! You're the one who threw Ms. Yamano into the TV, aren't you?"
Adachi laughed, and Aika let out a whimper. "It was an accident," he said simply. "She started struggling. What else was I supposed to do? I called her out to the lobby because I wanted to ask her something. And then she started getting all hysterical on me…"
And then, in the corner of the room, three wispy apparitions appeared – Mayumi Yamano, Adachi, and a TV. "Who're you?" Mayumi asked. "What's this 'something important' you called me out here for?"
The fake Adachi stepped toward her. "What they say on the news isn't true, is it? All that talk about you having an affair and whatnot… It's all a lie, right?"
Mayumi crossed her arms and glared at him. "Why do I have to explain myself to you?" she demanded.
The fake Adachi took one step toward her, and she took one step back. "I see… so you don't deny it. You caught my eye, but it turns out you're another worthless bitch…"
Mayumi took another step back. "What's wrong with you…? D-Don't make me call for help!"
The fake Adachi groaned. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He smirked cruelly. "I think you need to see what it's like to fear for your life… It'll get your head straight." The fake Adachi put his hands on her shoulders, ignoring her protests, and smashed his lips into hers. Then, without warning, he shoved her into the TV, and, sure enough, she was gone. "Sh-She fell in…" The fake Adachi laughed. "Wow… So people can go all the way inside…"
Aika covered her mouth as the apparitions disappeared, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach. "Good thing no one else was around there in the middle of the night," the real Adachi said.
"That… happened in our lobby…?" Yukiko asked, mortified.
"I learned about the Midnight Channel through some rumor," Adachi said. "You hear a lot of fishy stories like that on the force. But it was pure coincidence that I touched the screen and discovered my power. I burst out laughing when I found out. I knew right away that this was going to be interesting!"
"So you tested it out on Mayumi Yamano!" Yosuke accused.
"Nah, it was nothing like that," Adachi replied. "I'm a very sincere person. I was just trying to punish the stupid bitch for betraying me. Yeah, putting them inside the TV was never the plan. But y'know, both Mayumi and that dippy high school girl struggled for no reason."
Aika had to bite down on her lip to keep from screaming out loud. "So you were responsible for Saki-senpai's death!" Yosuke said in a dangerously low whisper.
"Saki…?" Adachi echoed. "Oh yeah, her name was Saki Konishi, or something like that. At first I just called her in 'cause of work-related stuff. Her being the one who found Mayumi's body and all. And naturally, if there was any chance she'd seen something, I'd need to know, right?"
"Y-You monster…" Naoto whispered.
The fog seemed to swirl around where the apparitions of Mayumi and Adachi once were, only now the area looked like a police interrogation room – incidentally, the one Aika was in twice. An apparition of Saki was there – not her Shadow – as was one of Adachi. "What's this about, anyway?" Saki demanded. "Didn't you call me in for more questions?"
The fake Adachi stepped quickly toward her, and she stepped back toward the TV. "Well, we'll get to that," he said. "But you know, I saw you this afternoon." He smirked and put one hand on her cheek while running his fingers through her hair with the other. "You were getting pretty cozy with that Namatame."
Saki jerked out of his grasp and slapped him. "S-Stay away from me!"
"Huh…" the fake Adachi muttered. "So I'm not good enough for you? Well, I know how to deal with girls like you…"
"N-No!" Saki cried.
Aika squeezed her eyes shut. Though she couldn't see what was going on, she could tell Adachi was doing the same thing to Saki that he did to Mayumi.
"God, these high school girls today," the fake Adachi ranted. "This world's gone straight to shit. When I was in school, I wasn't allowed to do anything but study my ass off… I was supposed to be the best of the best, and instead they stick me in the boonies… But I guess I got this sweet power to make up for it." He chuckled. "Life's not so bad after all." Without warning, he stuck his head inside the TV. "Get on your knees and beg, and maybe I'll let you out!" He stepped away from the TV, laughing cruelly. "Like that'll happen."
The apparitions disappeared, and Aika finally reopened her eyes. "It was easier the second time," the real Adachi sneered. "High school girls are thinner, y'know? Lighter."
"You son of a bitch!" Yosuke practically growled.
"C'mon, give me a break," Adachi said with a deranged smirk. "I didn't know it was dangerous inside the TV. It's not like I was trying to kill them. I mean, I'm sure they hit on Namatame, not the other way around. A council secretary will one day rise to power himself. Mayumi and that high schooler were just gold digging. They got exactly what they deserved. I didn't do anything wrong at all."
"Shut the hell up!" Yosuke exploded. "You knew from what happened to Mayumi Yamano that people die in here!"
Adachi sighed. "So what if I knew?"
"I'll bet you tricked Namatame too, didn't you?" Chie demanded.
"Nah," Adachi said carelessly. "He called the police in the middle of the night after they found that Saki girl's body. The rest of the force had their hands full with the double homicide, and it happened to be me who took the call."
"Namatame said the police refused to take him seriously," Naoto said. "You were responsible for that, then."
"Oh, quite the contrary," Adachi replied. "If anyone else had taken the call, sure, but I actually believed him, y'know? I just oh so subtly dropped the hint, and the rest is history." He laughed. "Isn't that amazing? Of all the people who could've received Namatame's call, it ended up being me. And he completely bought into his vision of this world. The more people you guys saved, the more he'd kidnap… Both sides had the best of intentions, so the game of cat and mouse would never end."
"You gotta be shittin' me!" Kanji yelled.
"Why?" Yukiko demanded. "What reasons could you have for doing that?"
"None, really," Adachi replied carelessly. "It was fun."
"You murdered people just for the fun of it?" Chie shrieked.
"C'mon, all I did was put people in there," Adachi tried reasoning. "And that Kubo kid? That was fun, too."
"Then you mean to say that Mitsuo Kubo's disappearance was your doing as well?" Naoto asked. "I did sense something odd in his course of action. If he had special powers and wanted attention, why resort to a regular copycat crime? But that wasn't the case. Kubo had no such powers. In fact, he was thrown in by you, correct?"
"It'd been a while since I last put omeone in the TV, so I really got a kick out of that one," Adachi sneered.
"How come Mitsuo didn't say anything about you?" Chie asked.
Adachi chuckled. "I just led him to a room at the station with a TV, switched off the lights, and did it while he was still startled. As long as he didn't see me push him in and no one else did either, no one else would either… even if he survived. C'mon, I'm a detective. I can put things together."
"Th-The police station?" Rise whimpered.
"Yeah, he turned himself in," Adachi continued. "The police were desperate to pin it on anyone, and if the kid really did it, they might have announced the case was closed. And if that happened, Namatame would stop 'saving' people. I couldn't let that happen, or the game would be over. That's why I told the others I sent him home. I came up with the idea to put him inside the TV on the spot."
"This isn't a damn game," Naoto practically snarled. "These are people's lives you're talking about!"
"But then you guys interfered, and Kubo was arrested again, and everyone acted like he was the true culprit all along," Adachi said, glaring at everyone. "It worked out in the end, though, 'cause Namatame kept saving people. I guess the guy started do develop some messiah complex, huh? What an idiot."
"How dare you?" Yosuke whispered, his voice shaking with rage. "How dare you murder people for such a stupid reason? You bastard! I'll never forgive you!"
"You can keep your forgiveness," Adachi shot back.
"Then why'd you try to kill Aika, huh?" Yosuke demanded. "Was what you did to her just a game to you too?"
"Oh, Aika-chan?" Adachi asked almost absentmindedly. "Well, isn't it obvious? She knew too much."
"Wh-What?" Yukiko gasped. "B-But how could…?" But before Yukiko could say another word, more apparitions were back – this time, of Adachi and Aika.
Only this time, Adachi was the one by the TV screen, with Aika behind him. He leaned in toward the TV, so close that his nose was almost touching the screen. "Oh hey, so that Midnight Channel thing's legit, huh? So Nanako-chan's my soulmate? That's weird…"
Aika's apparition stood frozen on the spot. "Nanako… she…" The apparition shook her head furiously. "Adachi-san, I need to borrow your phone."
Adachi turned to face her. "Huh? Why?" Aika took one step forward, and Adachi took one step back. But he seemed to have overestimated the distance between the TV and himself, as his hand became partially submerged in it.
The shock was instantaneous as Aika's apparition gave a shrill gasp. "Y-You… You can do it too…"
"Huh?" Adachi's apparition turned to look at the TV, and his expression shifted into what the real Adachi wore now. "Oh. That."
"B-But…" the fake Aika stammered. "How?"
The fake Adachi smirked. "How indeed?" He stepped threateningly toward Aika, who stepped back until her back was against the wall. His finger traced the edge of her jaw, and his hand settled under her chin, which he propped up so that she could look into his eyes. "Cute little Aika-chan… What am I going to do with you? When will you ever learn to mind your own business?"
"It was you," the fake Aika whispered. "You were the one who sent those warning letters."
The fake Adachi's smirk widened. "Oh yeah? Where's your proof?" He put his hands on the fake Aika's shoulders and pressed his forehead to hers. The real Aika couldn't stop shaking, though she forced herself to keep watching. "Okay, then. I'll humor you, Aika-chan, since you can be annoyingly persistent. Yes, I sent those letters."
"S-So you're the one who murdered—"
"'Murdered' is such a strong word, don't you think? It'd imply that they're my victims. I prefer the term test subjects. And do you know why I'm telling you this, Aika-chan?" He leaned in close and whispered n her ear: "Because you won't remember any of it."
The real Aika wanted to close her eyes, but she forced herself to watch the way Adachi so effortlessly lifted her into the air, so easily threw her – not even pushed her, but threw her – into the TV. She sank to her knees, not even bothering to watch the apparitions disappear, as the real Adachi smirked at her. "I got you good, didn't I, Aika-chan?"
And, for that moment, she felt… dirty, almost. Even though Saki and Mayumi had it so much worse… "Shut the hell up!" Yosuke yelled. "How… How could you…" He let out a horrible scream and charged toward Adachi, brandishing his swords.
"Yosuke-senpai, wait!" Rise cried. But then Yosuke sliced one of his swords downward – right through Adachi. At that, Adachi's body flickered. "This isn't his real body! The real Adachi is somewhere else."
"But this guy feels different from an ordinary Shadow," Teddie said. "It doesn't seem like he's going berserk."
"Wow, you can tell that much?" Adachi asked with fake astonishment. "This me is just around to greet you guys and thank you for wasting your time by chasing me in here. I'd say this world has taken a real shine to me… I feel like it's given me everything I ever wanted. And the monsters don't attack me at all. Maybe they can tell we have the same goal?" He chuckled darkly. "By the end of the year, Inaba will disappear completely into the fog. Soon, this place will be reality. I'll be in this world, so if you want me, come and get me. This world has a mind of its own. We'll see which of us it favors."
"Keep your bullshit to yourself!" Kanji yelled. "It's about time you shut the hell up. We'll finish this right now!" He threw a punch at Adachi, only for the detective to disappear.
Adachi's voice echoed through the room. "What a chump… Didn't I just tell you the real me is somewhere else? I'll be expecting you all… We'll put an end to this."
"Get back here, you!" Chie yelled. But it was too late – Adachi was long gone.
"Aika!" Yosuke yelled, rushing to her side. "Are you okay?"
"I-I…" Aika mumbled.
Then, Yosuke trapped her in a tight hug. "It's okay. You're safe now."
And, slowly, Aika stopped shaking. "I-I'm okay now…" she said after a while. Yosuke didn't let her go, and she strongly suspected that it was more for his own comfort than for her own. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to calm her still frazzled nerves.
"It appears that Adachi was rather confident that you wouldn't remember his attempt to murder you, Senpai," Naoto said.
"But that stuff he said…" Yukiko said. "About how Inaba will disappear into the fog… Does that mean this world and the real world are merging, somehow?"
"It felt like…" Rise mumbled. "… he's gained some strong power after coming here."
"Not only that…" Teddie interjected. "Maybe he got taken over by that power."
"So this world's gonna engulf the real world by the end of this year?" Chie asked.
"The people in town are acting weird," Teddie said. "It's like the Shadows that emerged from them went berserk. If the fog gets even thicker and this town is completely shut off from the outside world… Then… the other side might become full of Shadows, like over here."
"You mean…" Rise said slowly. "Everyone's gonna turn into Shadows?"
"Damn it…" Yosuke muttered. "Damn that bastard! Why…? We went through so much to get here… and now it turns out that he was just pulling our strings this whole time?"
Aika slipped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, burying her face into his chest.. "No more…"
Yosuke sighed, resting his head on top of hers. "Yeah… It's about time we finished this. I don't want to feel this way ever again."
"There's nowhere else we can go from here," Rise said, "so why don't we just train?"
"Yeah!" Chie agreed. "Hey Yosuke, Aika, Yukiko, remember how we were with Kanji's Shadow? We need to be that prepared! We need to be even more prepared than that! Then we can smash his stupid smug face in!"
"Why don't we start right now?" Yukiko suggested with a smile. "We're already here."
"Aika, can we go to the shopping district area?" Yosuke asked.
"Yeah," Aika replied, already knowing what he wanted to do. "Of course. You want to see her, don't you?"
Yosuke smiled wistfully. "Now that I know what actually happened, I have to see her."
"Saki-senpai's Shdaow?" Chie asked. "Okay. The rest of us will butt out, since we didn't know her all that well."
"Okay," Rise said. "We'll wait at the entrance. Be careful, you guys."
Saki Konishi's Shadow was waiting for them, sitting on the countertop with her legs crossed, and she rolled her eyes when she saw Yosuke trailing closely behind Aika. "Sheesh. The first time you show your face here in weeks, and you bring him along." She gave Yosuke a careless wave. "Long time no see, Hana-chan."
Yosuke stopped dead in his tracks. "S-Senpai…"
They'd been holding hands as they walked together, neither of them wanting to let go, and Aika finally released his hand and faced Saki head on. "We know who killed you," she said confidently.
"Yeah, I know too," Saki replied. "I finally figured it out. I was gonna tell you, but you never showed up."
"S-Sorry…" Aika mumbled. "I just… got caught up in stuff. But now I know exactly how you feel."
Saki raised one eyebrow. "Say what?"
"Because the same person tried to kill me," Aika explained.
"And you didn't die because Hana-chan saved you?" Saki asked, crossing her arms.
"They all did," Aika whispered.
Saki smirked. "That's good, then. If you let her die in here, Hana-chan, I would've haunted you every time you came in here for the rest of your life."
"I wasn't just going to abandon her here!" Yosuke burst out. "I… I couldn't let the same thing that happened to you happen to her…"
"Hmph…" Saki flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Wish you could've saved me from that asshole like that."
Yosuke sighed and stared at the floor. "I wish I could've done that too…"
"Well…" Saki hopped down from the countertop. "I won't keep you here for too long. You better not lose to that creep, you got that?"
"We won't," Aika promised.
"Hana-chan?" Saki snapped her fingers in front of his face a few times. "You there?"
"Did you mean it?" Yosuke whispered.
"Huh…?"
"What you said," Yosuke clarified. "About me being a pain in the ass… Did you mean it?"
Saki looked away. "Yes…"
Yosuke sighed. "I'm such an idiot…" he muttered to himself as he turned away from the dead girl. "Come on, Aika. We need to start training."
"Y-Yeah…" Aika mumbled. "U-Um… I-I'll try visiting later, S-Senpai…"
"Wait," Saki said sharply. "I said you were a pain in the ass. I never said I hated you." Yosuke froze on the spot, but didn't say anything. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you never saw this coming. You had your Shadows, and I had mine. Hell, I'm one of them right now. Yeah, I was pissed off about everything, I never liked you the way you wanted me to, and that just added to everything." Her eyes flickered over to Aika. "But what was it that she said? There's lots of sides to us, and Shadows are just some of them – but it's not all that we are." Saki suddenly snorted in laughter. "Well, now it's all that I am, but it's a little too late for me." She put her hand on Yosuke's shoulder. "Listen to me, Hana-chan. No… Yosuke. I don't hate you. I never did."
"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you," Yosuke whispered.
"I'm glad you didn't let the same thing happen to anyone else," Saki said. "You've changed, Hana-chan. I'm impressed." She turned around. "Now go. Get out of here. If you get your ass handed to you by that creepy detective, I'll have the old me haunt you for all eternity."
"Thank you, Senpai," Yosuke said sincerely, bowing his head. He grabbed Aika's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Let's go."
Aika stared up at her test results, with Yosuke standing next to her with one arm around her and Chie and Yukiko standing a little ways away. "I don't believe this…" she mumbled.
"Hey, at least you passed," Yosuke pointed out.
"Yeah, barely," Aika grumbled. "A few more points off, and I would've failed!"
"But you were sick, and you had a lot of personal stuff going on," Yukiko pointed out.
"Oh, come on, Aika," Chie said. "Relax, already! At least you don't have to take make-up exams."
"When do you want to start studying for those, Chie?" Yukiko asked. "I'll help you!"
"I wanna kick some Adachi butt before we start studying," Chie said, slamming her fist into the palm of her hand.
Aika stared down at her feet. "We're… really ending this once and for all, aren't we?"
"Yeah!" Chie said cheerfully. "We can do it!"
"But what about… after?" Aika asked.
"We'll still hang out and stuff," Yosuke assured her. "We just won't have the case always hanging over our head."
"You promise?"
Yosuke hugged her closer to him. "Wow, you're really worried about this, aren't you?"
"Come on, Aika!" Chie said. "You, me, Yukiko, Rise-chan, and Naoto-kun still need to have our sleepover!"
"And we should definitely spend a night at the inn again," Yukiko said.
"Since break's coming up, maybe we should all go skiing!" Yosuke suggested. "It'll be like that time we all went to the beach, remember?"
Aika giggled. "Okay…"
"Don't worry," Yosuke said. "We're not going to leave you, even after the case is over."
"Okay…" Aika sighed. "Lunch break's almost over… So we're finishing this today, okay? We can't drag this out any longer."
"Okay!" everyone affirmed.
"Adachi-san!" Aika cried as they ran through his strange red world.
Sure enough, the detective was standing there, smirking at them, and he looked so normal that Aika almost forgot that he was the true culprit behind everything and that he tried to kill her at one point. "Wow, I'm surprised you guys made it this far."
"Allow me to confirm the crimes you've committed thus far," Naoto said. "You had suspicions that this world was dangerous, yet you threw Mayumi Yamano into the TV. Knowing full well that Ms. Yamano died here, you did the same to Saki Konishi. Not only that, but you duped Namatame into taking over your murder attempts, while you watched like a spectator at a game. When the disappeared stopped dying, you sent a warning letter to ensure more victims. Even when a copycat killer arose, you had the gall to eliminate a suspect under investigation. And on top of that, you tried to murder your partner's niece, someone who trusted you, because you believed she knew too much. Two people died in the last six months, and a young girl is in critical condition… But that's not all. If at any turn something had gone wrong, many more would have succumbed… All for some foolish excitement, like a criminal reveling in the chaos he creates!"
"Yeah?" Adachi retorted. "So what's your point? All I did was put people in here. It's the world that really kills them, isn't it? This world reflects people's thoughts. Which… Oh dear… Does that mean the real culprits are everyone on the outside, including you?"
"To hell with that!" Yosuke yelled. "You did that stuff knowing full well that those people were gonna die! If that's not a crime, then what is?"
Adachi just laughed at him. "You're so self-righteous."
"How can you say that?" Chie shrieked. "Aren't you a police officer? Out of everything you could've been, didn't you specifically choose to join the police?"
"Don't make me laugh," Adachi replied carelessly. "Just because someone joins the police doesn't make them some sort of 'agent of justice'. Y'know why I applied? So that I'd legally be able to carry a gun. You'd be surprised how many are like that. I thought it would be fun too, but to tell the truth, that was a wash. Everyone around me was such an idiot… I made one tiny mistake, and they all got on my case and sent me here to Nowheresville as punishment. I was bored shitless and wondering what to do next… when I discovered this power."
Aika didn't miss the way Yosuke's body seemed to stiffen. The similarities really were uncanny… "For cryin' out loud…" Kanji muttered. "Why a bastard like you?"
"Why a weak, pathetic little girl who can't do anything on her own like Aika-chan?" Adachi shot back. Aika wanted to scream. "I guess this was just our reward for having to put up with this shithole. I did that stuff 'cause I could. And it got interesting, so I watched."
"That's your reason?" Yukiko yelled. "You can't be serious! You really don't care what happens to our world?"
"Let's be honest," Adachi said. "There's nothing great about the real world, is there? It's just dull and annoying as hell. No one accepts that's the way things are. They're just stuck with it 'cause they can't deny it either. Those who actually succeed in life… they just happen to be born with the magic ticket called 'talent'. If you don't have it, you can either accept or deny that fact until you die. That's your only choice. Once you realize that, all you have left in life is despair. The ultimate game over. Wouldn't it be better if that kind of reality was wiped away?"
"That's complete BS!" Rise cried.
"Brats like you are so damn naïve…" Adachi muttered. "You piss me off. Listen – you might have hopes and dreams right now, but that's only because you know nothing of reality. One day, you'll see. You'll be faced with the boring reality that boxes you in, no matter where you go."
"You're the only boring thing here!" Kanji shot back. "If you wanna disappear, go ahead! Stop dragging us into it!"
Adachi huffed in annoyance. "Stop yelling, punk. I understand that you're all afraid and gotta act tough to cover it up, but geez. I'm telling you all this based on my own experience in life. Think about it for a second – once everyone turns into Shadows, they'll still keep on living, oblivious to all the things around them. So how's that different from the way it is now? No, this'll make things much easier for everyone."
"Easier?" Yosuke echoed. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"C'mon!" Adachi said as he started to pace back and forth. "How many people out there actually think about what's real, or what's right and wrong? Next to none, I bet. It's useless to think about those things in the first place. You don't get anything out of facing reality, and there's no way to change it anyway. What's the point in brooding over things you can't change? It's better to just ignore them and believe only what you want to believe in life."
Aika clenched her fists tightly, and she finally found her voice. "So… because you didn't get what you wanted out of your life, you think everyone else thinks the same way that you do?"
"Ah, Aika-chan, so glad you could join us," Adachi said mockingly.
"So you're just frustrated with your own life and want to take it out on the whole world?" Aika continued. "Is that it?"
"Nobody wants a world like that!" Chie yelled. "It's just you, dumbass!"
"Don't you remember what it was like when your Shadow came out?" Adachi sneered. "It must've been enjoying life far more than you!" He looked downward, and his body was cloaked in a dark blue aura.
"Adachi-san!" Aika cried as she tried to run to him, but Yosuke grabbed her wrist to hold her back.
"Be careful!" Teddie warned the group. "I dunno what's happening!"
"You all saw Shadows as mere monsters, right?" Adachi demanded, his voice coming out distorted and his eyes glowing yellow. "These things move on pure instinct! They go wild because you defy them! You annoying little brats are the ones who aren't wanted in the new world!"
"Speak for yourself!" Yukiko snapped. "Living is too painful for you, but you don't want to die… Of course no one would understand! It makes no sense! You're just throwing a tantrum like a kid who can't have his way!"
"People can't live alone," Naoto said solemnly. "If you give in and sever your ties to human society, it will naturally become hard to live in it. Yet you refuse to face life and admit your fault, running from your own humanity like a coward. And though you claim to find life troublesome, you caused nothing but trouble for others! Your twisted logic is that of an immature, egotistic brat!"
"Sh-Shut up!" Adachi yelled. "Stop trying to act so tough! You guys can't even stand on your own unless you deny everything I said!" He clutched his head, as if he was in pain.
"Adachi-san!" Aika called again, but Yosuke was still holding her back.
"S-Stupid teenagers!" Adachi ranted. "You have no idea what kind of shit I've been through!"
"'Favored by the world' my ass…" Yosuke practically growled. "I'm gonna say it flat out: you're just a worthless criminal!"
Adachi screamed as darkness swirled around him. "We have to save him!" Aika yelled. "I think the Shadows might be affecting him!"
"Don't try to rationalize his actions, Senpai," Naoto warned. "That man is a monster, and he will pay for his crimes."
"Senpai, he tried to kill you," Kanji reminded her. "No matter how close you guys were before, you can't forgive him for that now."
Adachi looked almost deranged, hunched over and scowling as he was. If she weren't so ready to fight, Aika would have probably cried for him. So instead, she slammed her rod into her Persona card. Delibitate. "Come, Kaguya!"
And, with a few more attacks from everyone else, the battle ended quickly. "D-Damn…" Adachi groaned. "This is lame… Oh well. Our world's gonna disappear soon, no matter what. I didn't have anywhere to go back to anyways…"
Aika smiled bitterly. Practically family, huh?
"Everyone's gonna become Shadows…" Adachi laughed, then started convulsing.
"Adachi-san!" Aika cried. His body turned pitch black, and he rose into the air. "Wh-What happened to you…?"
"All humans will become Shadows," he said in a deep, emotionless voice. "And I shall descend upon the united world… as the master of order."
"Guys…" Rise said quietly. "This isn't Adachi! It's someone completely different!"
"Both this world and yours will soon be enclosed in a fog that never lifts," said the floating being above them. "It will be the peaceful world that mankind has longed for. I… am Ameno-sagiri. One who rules the fog. One awakened by mankind's desires. Do what you will, but your world's erosion cannot be stopped. It is an inevitability. You played your part well, stirring up the will of the masses into madness. But that will soon come to an end. Mankind will soon become Shadows and live on in the darkness of the fog, oblivious of their reality."
"What the hell are you?" Yosuke yelled. "Why are you doing all this?"
"I am the one who shepherds humans to their true desires," Ameno-sagiri continued. Though their hearts longed for peace, it could never be attained. So they tore down the wall between image and reality. Indeed, this is the outcome desired by mankind. And mankind's desires are my desires. That is why I decided to expand this world."
"Y-You're saying you're the one who created this nasty-ass world?" Kanji stuttered.
"This is part of the sea of unconsciousness that exists within human hearts," Ameno-sagiri explained. "A hollow forest born from bloated desire and false imagery. Humans view the world as they see fit. They wish not for truth, but rather prefer the undesirables be hidden in fog."
"It's just like what Philemon said!" Aika gasped. "Consciousness and unconsciousness are drawing closer together!"
"Still, humans fear what they cannot see," Ameno-sagiri continued. "That brief yearning for truth becomes a ray of light which breaks the fog and torments the Shadows."
"That's why they attack and kill whoever's nearby at the time…" Yukiko mused. "Then… this place isn't simply affected by people's hearts. It actually exists inside them?"
"Mankind abandoned its pursuit of the truth," Ameno-sagiri said, "placing itself in the depth of chaos and falsehood. Thus, my strength has grown, and the fog will not lift. Your world will be engulfed by the hollow forest."
"Seeing only what they want to see…" Aika said quietly. "So you're responsible for the Midnight Channel too?"
"So that's why those who got famous suddenly appeared on the Midnight Channel, one after another!" Rise gasped. "It was all in people's minds!"
"So the Midnight Channel we all saw in Namatame's hospital room…" Naoto mused. "That wasn't Namatame's true intentions at all. We let ourselves be deluded by our own blind rage, and…"
"We saw only what we wanted to see…" Aika whispered.
"But you all…" Ameno-sagiri said slowly. "You all mastered your own Shadows, and you currently use them as weapons. A new development in human consciousness? Perhaps. That must be tested." And with that, he disappeared, and a large sphere that looked suspiciously like an eyeball appeared in its place.
"C-Come on!" Aika called. "Let's go!" Everyone summoned their respective Personae and charged at Ameno-sagiri at once, but the eyeball barely reacted. Suddenly, Shadows flew everywhere, knocking everyone off their feet.
Aika's chest exploded with pain as the Shadows struck her and lifted her into the air so that she was eye-level with Ameno-sagiri. "Why are you so intent on resisting?" he asked almost menacingly. "What can one tiny human hope to accomplish?"
Pain radiated through her body. Her friends might have been screaming for her, but she couldn't hear them. "Y-You're wrong… I… I'm not alone… W-We won't…" It felt like the sphere of Shadows keeping her afloat was crushing her. "W-We won't… give into you…!" The sphere of Shadows drew closer and closer to Ameno-sagiri, so close that it was almost fading into the eyeball. Aika's vision darkened. Is this really… the end?
"Aika!" she heard Yosuke cry, as if from far away.
Then it was as if she was being forcibly pulled away from Ameno-sagiri, and soon, her body was trapped under two large arms. S-Susanoo? She squeezed her eyes shut and reopened them to clear her vision. Susanoo loosened his grip on her slightly, and she called her Persona card to her. She drew it close to her chest and crushed it with all the strength she could muster. Per…so…na… "Kaguya!" One Morning Star was all it would take to finish off Ameno-sagiri – her friends had gotten him down to that level at the very least. Kaguya complied, and Ameno-sagiri was engulfed in white light.
And then, it was over. Aika all but collapsed to her knees when Susanoo finally released her, but she didn't miss the way Ameno-sagiri was staring at her. "I see…" he said slowly. "Your powers are strong. Power comes from the heart. You have proven to me human potential. Very well. I will lift the fog from the place to which you will return. Mankind's desires are my desires. If mankind so wishes, I will return at any time. I am always at your side, watching…"
"Well, don't wait up!" Teddie said. "We'll keep that from happening, no matter what!"
"Time will show the path humanity takes," Ameno-sagiri said simply before fading into the light.
And, as if on cue, Adachi collapsed where Ameno-sagiri was before. "Adachi-san!" Aika cried, crawling over to him because she didn't have the strength to stand.
"You think…" Chie said slowly, "… it was controlling Adachi-san?"
"Who can say?" Naoto asked. "I believe it was at least partially his own intention as well."
"A-Are you okay?" Aika asked worriedly, helping him sit up.
"S-So that's how it is, huh…?" Adachi said faintly. "Fine. Live however you want. If you think… that you have the power to change the future… then go right ahead."
"Everyone has the power to do that," Yosuke said solemnly.
Adachi laughed bitterly. "Get out of here. The Shadows will finish me off."
Aika shook her head firmly. "We're not leaving you."
"If we leave you here dying…" Yosuke said in a low voice, "… and a dead body eventually appears, then what? What does that accomplish for anyone? Your stupid game's over. We're taking you back. Live and face your punishment. That's how it works in our world." And with that, he helped Aika prop up Adachi as they both stood up.
Adachi laughed weakly. "Isn't it funny, Aika-chan? We both have the same power, but things turned out so differently for us…"
"Power is power," Aika said simply. "It's what you do with it that matters."
"Yeah…" Adachi sighed. "Maybe if I'd been more like you, things wouldn't have gone this way…"
Adachi sat with his back propped up against a wall at Junes, struggling to breathe. "Are you okay, Adachi-san?" Aika asked concernedly. It seemed like such a normal thing to say, like Adachi hadn't committed all those murders, like Adachi hadn't tried to kill her, like he was still the same detective she'd gotten to know over the past year. And, more than anything, she felt sad and disappointed that he, of all people, was the true culprit.
Adachi laughed weakly. "Still care about me, after everything I did, Aika-chan?" he asked.
Aika looked away. "It's hard to stop caring…"
Suddenly, a police officer walked up to Naoto. "Greetings, Shirogane-san," he said. "We got word from Detective Dojima. He's wanted on suspicion of murdering Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi, and for being the cause of the disappearance of Aika Nakamura, correct?"
Naoto nodded, her face expressionless. "Correct."
"Understood," the police officer said. "We have an ambulance waiting downstairs. Should we have them bring the stretcher up here? Detective Dojima assumed that one would be necessary. He wanted the suspect to be carefully taken into protective custody. It… Well, it was a personal favor to him."
Naoto sighed. "Then yes, please have them bring up the stretcher."
"Understood," the police officer said once more before leaving once and for all.
The next several minutes passed by in a blur – Adachi was taken away by an ambulance, and the group was herded over to the police station for questioning. And, once again, Aika was the last to be questioned, only this time, instead of just Yosuke, everyone was waiting for her. "You guys…"
Yosuke smiled as he grabbed her hand. "Come on. We want to show you something." He, along with the rest of the group, led her outside. Aika looked up at the sky and gasped. Stars twinkled in the cloudless sky, and there was a fresh layer of snow on the ground. It was still cold, but not excruciatingly so, like it was the night they almost indicted Namatame as the killer. Yosuke put one arm around her and hugged her close to him. "It's finally over…"
Aika leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Thank you. Thank you so much…"
"C'mon, don't get all cutesy just yet!" Chie said. "Everyone, hands in!"
Everyone complied, with varying ranges of confusion painted on their faces. "Uh…" Kanji muttered. "What're we doing?"
"Ooh, what's this?" Teddie asked excitedly.
"Everyone ready?" Chie asked. "Let's go! We did it! Woohoo!" An awkward silence lapsed between them. "What the… Why didn't you guys say anything?"
"I think that was a little hard to get on the spot," Rise said sheepishly.
"Which part did you mean for us to say?" Naoto asked in all seriousness.
"The 'woohoo' part!" Chie cried.
"Can't we just do it over?" Kanji asked.
"Man, having to redo something like this kinda kills the fun of it…" Yosuke grumbled.
"But everyone does stuff like this in movies and manga and stuff!" Aika pointed out. "We have to do it too!"
Yosuke sighed. "All right, Chie. Do that weird call again."
"Not if you're gonna call it weird," Chie shot back.
"U-Um…" Naoto said uncertainly. "People are beginning to stare… I don't think we should stay like this for much longer."
"My hand's getting kind of sweaty," Rise complained.
"Okay, so let's just say 'woohoo' then," Aika said. "Okay?"
"Sheesh, you don't need to explain it again," Chie grumbled. "I'll start it. Okay, ready? Here goes… We did our best."
"Woohoo!" everyone cheered.
"Uh…" Yosuke piped up. "Aren't you supposed to do something like this before you start something, not after?"
"Wh-Who cares?" Chie snapped.
Everyone just laughed at that – Yukiko for longer than the rest – and Aika just stared up at the clear sky, thankful that everything was finally over.
OH MY GOD, YOU GUYS THERE'S ONLY ONE CHAPTER LEFT TO WRITE. AAAAAHHHHHHH.
Anyway, this chapter was just oodles and oodles of fun to write. And most of the Social Links got cameos in this too! Other than that, everything is pretty self-explanatory.
Please review!