WE ARE S.S.I.D. - ONLINE HEADQUARTERS
Myriad Truths has logged in
Youthful Wind has logged in
Kamui Miracle has logged in
Myriad Truths
Hey. Did everyone have a good night's rest?
Burning Petals
Oh, Seta-kun! And Hanamura-kun and Teddie-kun, too! What a surprise to see you all awake at this time.
Burning Petals
Yes, we're all a-ok on our end. Chie's still out though, but she's sleeping like a log and drooling, so she must be fine, too.
Youthful Wind
I...think we didnt need to noe abt the drooling thing Amagi （−＿−；）
Myriad Truths
I do that sometimes.
Youthful Wind
Y do u sound so proud of that?
Burning Petals
Snrk!
The Man's Way
Uh Amagi-senpai, h-how's Naoto doing?
Complete Analysis
awwww kanji so ur worried abt her afterall! (^ _ ^)
The Man's Way
Guh since when did YOU pop in?!
Complete Analysis
ive been here all along moronji ur just too preoccupied wif naoto-kun 2 notice
Youthful Wind
Don't make him all flustered, Rise, he just spilled coffee all over the dining table
The Man's Way
Wha! Wha! No I didn't! The thing just slipped from my hand is all! I'll clean it up afterwards!
Youthful Wind
Only afterwards?!
Kamui Miracle
KaNJi iS SooOoOooO irREsPoNsiBlE
The Man's Way
A-anyway just answer the question already!
Burning Petals
Well she's—
Shield of Justice has logged in
Myraid Truths
Ah
Kamui Miracle
Ho-hOH~
The Man's Way
!?
Youthful Wind
Oh hey there Naoto, we were just talkin abt u
Shield of Justice
...Yes, I can see that.
Youthful Wind
Huh?
Complete Analysis
oh i was just showing naoto-kun my phone so she can keep updated on wat we're talking abt b4 deciding 2 login
The Man's Way
!?
Shield of Justice
Tatsumi-kun.
The Man's Way
Ah wait don't get the wrong idea Naoto
Shield of Justice
Thank you for your concern.
The Man's Way
I wasn't being...huh?
Shield of Justice
There is no need to worry. I am well.
The Man's Way
...That's...great to hear. Yeah.
Complete Analysis
awww wats wif the boring sounding answer?
The Man's Way [Private Mode]
Dammit can you stop making this any more weird than it already is?!
Complete Analysis [Private Mode]
ohhhh somebodys shy arent we ;)
The Man's Way [Private Mode]
Rise...
Complete Analysis [Private Mode]
im just kidding kanji, cmon lighten up!
The Man's Way [Private Mode]
...Hard to do that when you keep telling me the same thing everytime this happens...
Myriad Truths
Anyway, so everyone's doing alright?
Burning Petals
Yup.
Complete Analysis
yupyup~
Shield of Justice
Yes.
Youthful Wind
Great! We're all ok on the guys' side too
Youthful Wind
So it's just Satonaka left huh...
Youthful Wind
Y do I get the feeling that something like this has happened b4?
Dragon Hustle has logged in
Dragon Hustle
Ahhhhhhh that was the best sleep I've had since coming to the city!
Dragon Hustle
And oh my gosh everyone else is already awake and online?! Yukiko why didn't you wake me up?
Burning Petals
You looked like you were having such a good sleep I didn't want to disturb you...
Burning Petals
I mean, you were even drooling...
Dragon Hustle
Aww, Yukiko, thanks. That's...wait drooling?
Youthful Wind
Not this again...
Dragon Hustle
Ehhhhh I didn't get the couch dirty did I?! Oh man oh man I'm so sorry Naoto-kun I didn't mean it!
Shield of Justice
It's fine, Satonaka-senpai. It's nothing to worry about.
Dragon Hustle
Ugh but still to leave my saliva all over your couch...
Youthful Wind
Can we pls talk abt something else, we've been through this already
Dragon Hustle
...Wait you even told everyone about it Yukiko?!
Burning Petals
Yes, why?
Dragon Hustle
Aaaahhhh why did you do that?! Ugh this is so embarrassing...!
Myriad Truths
? But that happens to me sometimes too.
Kamui Miracle
yeAh i gET drOoL aLL oVEr yOsuKeS cLoSet aLL tHe TimE
Youthful Wind
U guys need to stop sounding like ure proud of that…（−＿−；）
Burning Petals
Yeah I thought it was something common – I'm sorry, Chie, I didn't mean to embarrass you...
Dragon Hustle
Seta-kun... Teddie… Yukiko...
Dragon Hustle
Thanks :) and it's okay Yukiko, I know you didn't mean it.
Youthful Wind
We're really getting off-track aren't we...
The Man's Way
Uh...what did we even login for again?
Myriad Truths
Ah. That's right.
Myriad Truths
We're all heading to Kishitani-sensei's apartment today, right?
Myriad Truths
What would be a good time for everyone?
Complete Analysis
well...ive got 2 settle sum stuf wif my manager 1st
Complete Analysis
theres supposed 2 b sum promo event 4 my album l8r but u can all go ahead without me! ill join u after im done :)
Myriad Truths
Ah, alright.
Myriad Truths
How about the others?
Burning Petals
The rest of us here should be fine with any time. How about on your end?
Youthful Wind
Same for us here
Complete Analysis
ehhh then its only me? y do i haf 2 work on a sunday geeez...
Complete Analysis
ah well, it cant b helped...jus dun miss me 2 much, k senpai?
Dragon Hustle
Annnnnd there she goes again
Myriad Truths
Leave it to me.
Youthful Wind
Annnnnd there he goes encouraging her again
The Man's Way
What time should we set off?
Burning Petals
Hmm... How does 10 o'clock sound?
Youthful Wind
Yep, shld be fine
Shield of Justice
Shall we make our way there in our designated groups?
Kamui Miracle
DEsi...wHat?
Youthful Wind
Yeah, we shld...better to be safe than sorry
Youthful Wind
Tho Sonohara-chan said there shldnt be a problem now, I still don't have a good feeling abt walking through town in a large grp
Shield of Justice
Very well.
Burning Petals
Still... To think that Sonohara-chan is actually the original wielder of the sword spirit that attacked us... It's almost hard to believe...
Youthful Wind
...Yeah... Sounds like she's been through alot herself
Kamui Miracle
hrRRrNnnGHHhh...pOoR aNricHaN…
Kamui Miracle
iTs tImES lIKe tHiS THat cALlS fOr A BeAr hUg!
Dragon Hustle
Just don't. You'll only scare her away.
Kamui Miracle
WhA...?
Complete Analysis
nah that wont happen
Kamui Miracle
oH yAY!
Burning Petals
Mm-hm, she'll cut you into pieces instead!
Kamui Miracle
NooOOoOo Σ(Дﾟ;/)/
Youthful Wind
Aw cheer up Ted, you know the girls are just teasing
Kamui Miracle
yOyOYoSuKeEEeeEee...!
Dragon Hustle
Anyway Ted how're you feeling? You seemed kinda...off after we left the TV world yesterday
The Man's Way
...Oh, that. We asked him bout it, but he didn't tell us either...
Myriad Truths
Teddie, is it alright with you to tell us here?
Kamui Miracle
MmmMMMmmMnnN...
Kamui Miracle
tHE thInG iS iM NOt sUrE oF It mYsElf...
Complete Analysis
ne teddie...this isnt goin 2 b like last time will it?
Kamui Miracle
huH?
Complete Analysis
ur not...gonna up n disappear like u did last time rite?
Complete Analysis
pls tell me ur not gonna do that
Complete Analysis
otherwise ill never talk 2 u again dumb bear
Complete Analysis
u promised, rmb? that u wont leave without saying anything again
Kamui Miracle
rIRiriRisEChANnnNnNnNnn...
Youthful Wind
Well, since the lovely Risette has made such a request, u can't possibly turn her down, right Ted?
Youthful Wind
Don't worry, man. We'll figure things out together. Just like old times, yeah?
Kamui Miracle
Yo...yOsuKeeEEeeeEe...!
The Man's Way
Yeah Teds, whatever it is we'll face it with ya. I mean, we're a team, right?
Shield of Justice
Indeed. Teddie-kun, you don't have to handle this by yourself.
Dragon Hustle
Yeah Teddie, we'll always be here for you. Besides we might even figure things out for you faster if we can all put our heads together!
Burning Petals
Mm-hm. If there's something bothering you, don't hold back on asking for help if you need it, okay? We'll be happy to listen and do anything we can to help.
Myriad Truths
You're not alone, Teddie.
Kamui Miracle
EeeEveRYoNeEEeeE...!
Complete Analysis
...huh? wat happened? its been a while since...
Youthful Wind
Ahh, it's nothing, don't worry
Youthful Wind
Ted's just too busy crying to say anything
Youthful Wind
Let's give him another moment or two to let him settle down...then we can all talk this out together.
Youthful Wind
And after that...I need to come clean with u guys abt something, myself.
Myriad Truths
…Actually, there's something I've been meaning to tell you all about, too.
Shield of Justice
...As do I, as a matter of fact.
Dragon Hustle
Whoa, wait, why is this suddenly turning into some confession session or something?
Burning Petals
Well, in that case...
Dragon Hustle
Huh wait you too Yukiko?!
Complete Analysis
sure makes u feel like uve been left out, huh kanji?
The Man's Way
Why're you always picking on me?!
Burning Petals
It's not really a confession, actually, but lately I've been hearing things from the staff at the inn about a particular guest they've had over for the past week when I called them up to check on things.
Burning Petals
Apparently... That guest has been going around asking a lot of questions about the case two years ago, and even made a special request for Yamano-san's room.
Burning Petals
And sometimes, when the staff passed by their room...they would hear someone talk about revenge or someone not being able to rest in peace or something along those lines…
Youthful Wind
Uhh...
Burning Petals
Oh oh, and sometimes they'd even sound angry and murmur things like "Where did he go?" or "I'll find and kill him for doing this to me"...
Dragon Hustle
Waaaaaahhh I don't want to hear this!
Myriad Truths
What happened in the end?
Dragon Hustle
Why are you curious about this?!
Burning Petals
Well...
Dragon Hustle
Teddie please hurry up and stop crying and come back already...!
April 28, 2013
In the streets of Ikebukuro, Tokyo
"Uh, Shizuo..."
"Hn?"
"Did something happen? You seem to be in a particularly good mood today..."
"...Am I?" The same response that he had given Celty yesterday left Shizuo's lips.
"Affirmative," Vorona answered. "Normal circumstances, Shizuo-senpai would not take people who deny debts lightly. However, today is an anomaly. Perhaps, something has triggered Senpai's endorphin release, therefore explaining Senpai's behaviour and possibly positive mood."
"Not that it's anything bad, of course," Tom quickly added. "In fact, if you're really happy about something, I'm glad for you, and I'm sure Vorona is, too. I'm just concerned, is all."
"Ah..." Shizuo rubbed the nape of his neck.
Was he really as happy as Celty, Tom and Vorona were making it out to be? He didn't really feel that way. Rather than call it happiness, Shizuo would say it was...serenity. Like the calm ocean waves in temperate weather – not too stormy, nor too sunny – or the stretch of a vast, open grassy field swaying in cool spring breeze. The kind of feeling that, if he had to simplify it even further, was akin to a flat horizontal line.
But, it was not true peace. Somehow, it felt that way.
After all, the only significant thing he had done was accept this power and the turmoil of emotions that came with it fully into himself. But that did not necessarily mean he had it all under control just yet. If he had to be honest, not just to himself but to the kids that helped him, he was still scared, even at this juncture. Not as much as he had been before, but there was no denying that slither of fear that was still crawling in the depths of his heart.
Still, it was a lot better now that he had taken the first step towards the peace he never got to truly enjoy. When he thought about that, though, Shizuo couldn't help but inwardly sigh as he replayed the scene of Izaya's Shadow in his mind, and fleetly wondered if the flea would ever be able to feel the same someday.
But Shizuo was determined not to go back on his word. That would make him no different from the debtors that chronically refused to pay up and covered their stubborn reluctance with excuses and lies, and the comparison alone irked him. No, he said he would be okay with whatever decision the flea had made, so no matter how the end result made him feel Shizuo would not do anything to force Izaya into making a choice he wasn't comfortable with. He could only hope that someday Izaya could arrive at that decision himself, and feel the same sense of happiness-like flatness that was rippling in Shizuo's chest.
The man in the bartender suit allowed himself a tiny, hesitant smile and said, "...Yeah, it's a good thing."
Tom grinned. "Ohhh, that's great, that's great. Care to share what good news it is?"
"It's a lil...complicated."
"Ah! I know that phrase... Is it a relationship thing?" This, Tom said in a whisper, while Vorona only watched on quietly and curiously.
Shizuo blinked. "Eh... No, nothing like that."
"I see," Tom said normally. "Well, whatever it is, I'm glad it's put you in a good mood."
Shizuo let out a hum and distractedly reached for some stray strands of hair falling over his forehead. He rubbed his fingers against it, feeling the coarseness of the bright yellow dye that coated his hair, and was about to drift into his own thoughts when a conversation and a few familiar voices reached his ears.
"Like. I. Said. It just has to be Shizu-Shizu and Iza-Iza the other day!"
"You're still harping on that...?"
"Of course! I mean, I mean, isn't it so mysterious? It's so obvious it's them expressing their love for each other, yet we're not shown their faces?! It's to bait us, right? Right?"
"...And you just admitted you got baited...?"
"Karisawa-san... She's hopeless..."
"Ah," Shizuo muttered.
"...Ah," parroted the people who had just crossed his path.
At the same time, at an apartment along the Kawagoe Highway
"Eh... So you're saying that Seiji died...because of something non-human from another world?"
Turning up in her usual attire, Namie, who had let her honest confusion and disbelief show in her expression and words, was met with resolute and firm stares, especially on the Investigation Team members' ends.
As they had all promised, Anri, Shinra, Celty, Namie, and the Investigation Team – with the exception of Rise – had gathered in the Kishitani residence to go over what had happened the past two weeks to solve the mystery behind Yagiri Seiji's death. Shizuo, who didn't want to worry Tom and Vorona any more than he already did with not turning up for work yesterday, promised to drop by later so that Shinra and Celty could update him in person, while Rise would join in after work on her own side was done as well.
Since Namie was invited so suddenly, Souji thought it would be most appropriate to inform her of what the TV world, Personas and Shadows were about briefly, before going on to explain where his team stood in all of this and how Izaya and Shizuo had been involved. Shinra then went on to share about his experience in that other world, but was careful not to let his excitement completely overtake him and made sure not to reveal too much about Izaya's Shadow; she might just scoff and leave, and Shinra was certain she wasn't the least bit interested anyway.
After they were done with the overview, the discussion delved into the topic of the Malevolent Entity, in order to answer the question that had been burning and eating away at the former head of Yagiri Pharmaceuticals for the past two weeks.
However, her reaction was not what everyone had anticipated.
"Do you seriously expect me to believe that?" she said, folding her arms.
Shinra looked slightly disappointed. "Well, not that I don't understand where you're coming from, but is it really that hard to believe?"
"I've been told something similar by a prisoner who was clearly not in the right state of mind, so you can't exactly blame me."
The Investigation Team's eyes widened. "A prisoner...? Hold on, do you mean Adachi-san?" Yosuke asked.
Namie blinked, appearing mildly taken aback. "Adachi Tooru, was it? Yes, I was referring to him. Why?"
"Wha—how did you meet him? And when?"
Namie frowned. "When I first arrived in Inaba, more than a week ago. That was after the bastard Izaya gave me some information about a possible lead there, when he found out that a similar case had taken place two years back. He even gave me a fake police pass so that I could meet with Adachi Tooru-san on the false grounds of questioning him about the murders." Her nose wrinkled as she said this. "But for some reason he snapped at me and went on a bit of a deranged rant."
Despite the obviously unpleasant experience Namie was relaying to them, Shinra let out a laugh. "Namie-san seems to attract people who rant, huh?"
"Unfortunately," she seethed, gritting her teeth. Then, she visibly relaxed. "But I put up with it. It was for Seiji's sake, after all. But in the end it turned out to be some unbelievable rubbish about another universe inside televisions. Just like what you all told me."
"It's not rubbish!" Teddie exclaimed at the top of his voice, leaping off the sofa like he had done the previous night. "That place is my home, and Sensei and the others worked so hard to make it so beautiful! It really ruffles my fur to hear you call it 'rubbish'!"
"Teddie..." some of the Investigation Team members muttered softly, while Souji patted him on the shoulder and reassuringly told him to calm down.
"Your home? Fur?" Namie narrowed her eyes in a disinterested fashion. "You're all just really having me on, aren't you?"
Before anybody could respond, Souji got up from the sofa, walked straight for the television in the living room, and let his hand sink into the screen.
All was silent, the air charged with a tense yet playful sort of aura, as everyone turned to see Namie's reaction. The woman was, understandably, unable to come up with a retort, and could only glue her eyes to the phenomenon and to the silver-haired adolescent as he withdrew his hand.
"I didn't want this to turn into another interrogation," was the only justification Souji gave, returning to his seat.
"You go, partner," Yosuke whistled.
Namie, however, looked neither amazed nor amused. "That was...a surprise, I'll admit. But I still don't entirely believe you."
"Huh? Well what other doubts do you still have?" Chie asked.
"Harima Mika."
Souji, Yosuke and Anri perked up at the name.
"What about her?" Yosuke asked.
Namie regarded him with a gaze, as cold as always. "My doubts are concerning that girl. Why? You sound like you know her."
"Not...personally, no," Yosuke admitted, casting his eyes downward. "All I know is that she was Yagiri's...I mean, Yagiri-san's brother's girlfriend. And I can kind of relate to—"
"Hah!" Namie cut him off with her bitter chuckle. "Girlfriend? Since when? I don't recall ever approving them having that sort of relationship." As she spoke, her eyes blazed with a sort of envious fury, holding in them an intense but twisted sort of passion. "Seiji doesn't... Seiji didn't need anyone else but me. And definitely not a so-called 'girlfriend' that failed to protect him when she swore she would."
Yosuke was unable to think of a proper reply to that, while a look of knowing and understanding gradually surfaced in Anri's facial features. "Y-Yagiri-san couldn't have... To Harima-san..."
Namie glanced sharply at her. "She broke her promise."
While the others appeared slightly confused, Anri's eyes widened. "Wh-why...? Why did you do something...something so horrible to her?"
"You better watch your mouth," Namie warned. "What I did to her is nothing compared to the betrayal and pain Seiji must've felt."
"Wait... You're the one who had Harima-chan's throat cut up?" Yosuke said, raising his voice even though he knew how disrespectful it was. "How could you? She was just... It's bad enough she was so upset about your brother's passing that she lost her memories of him, and you had to go and slit her throat on top of that?"
Namie snorted. "You're making her out to be some pitiful damsel in distress. For your information, she wasn't that badly affected by Seiji's death. It was the memory-altering pills I gave her that caused her amnesia."
"Wha...?!"
Now the group of youngsters started voicing their shock, questioning Namie's motives for committing such an act against Mika while Shinra and Celty attempted to calm them down. In contrast, Anri remained silent in the midst of the uproar going on around her and the whispers chorusing within her body.
Seeing the reaction she had gotten, Namie took a deep breath and got up from her seat. "As I had thought, this is going nowhere." She then turned to face Shinra, giving the underground doctor an icy glare. "I suppose that means I can take my leave now, right Kishitani-sensei?"
"Ahh wait, Namie-san—"
The woman didn't listen. But she stayed all the same.
Because at the moment she was about to head for the door, something akin to a rope had wrapped around her wrist and prevented her from taking another step.
Knowing fully well the origin of this entrapment, Namie turned back and scowled when a PDA screen was forced into her face.
[...It's fine if you think this is of no real use to you.] Using another shadow, Celty was typing in front of her. [It's fine if you think leaving would be more worthwhile of your time. It's fine if you don't believe us. However.]
Namie remained wary as Celty hesitated for a split second, before the Dullahan typed further.
[Doing something like that to Mika-chan, to Anri-chan's friend, because of something that was beyond her control... That's not something I will take lightly. And, I believe, neither do these children.]
"...And you held me back just to say such a meaningless thing?" Namie questioned.
Celty shook her "head". [I just want you to remember that you are as accountable to them as they had sworn to be to you by promising to find your brother's murderer.]
Namie was silent, her expression remaining unchanged. Nonetheless, Celty called her shadows back, and let the PDA return to her sleeve.
For a moment or so, there was no movement nor speech, no discussion or talk about the case going on, despite the true purpose of this gathering. Even Namie, who had attempted to leave earlier, was not moving an inch from where she was standing, still keeping her eyes on Celty as though she were a tigress watching its prey.
Then, the woman let out a deep breath and took out her phone.
"Yesterday morning, I received this video clip."
She turned the device around so that everyone could have a look at the screen, which was depicting a landscape view of a dark, isolated alley in between two decrepit buildings. There was no sound coming from the speakers, and Namie didn't bother with the volume control either, so the only hint of what or when they could expect to see something happen was Namie's "Around the 23-second mark."
And then sure enough, not long after she said that, they saw the scenery change slightly. As they looked closer, they could see that something shaped like a person was running out of the shadows of the alley. The video zoomed in at that moment, and managed to capture the facial features of the figure as they ran frantically.
"That's...Mika-chan?" Shinra said, earning a few surprised glances and some "Ehh"-s from the Investigation Team members.
"She looks kind of...different, though?" Yosuke commented.
"Ahh, it's a bit complicated, really," Shinra admitted. "But to cut the long story short, that's not how she really looks like."
"In any case, the person in the video is confirmed to be Harima Mika-san," Naoto said. "But why do you believe that this video is casting doubts on her?"
Namie shot her a look that almost screamed "Are you blind?" as she kept her phone away. "That alley is where Seiji's body was found," she said coolly. "And this video was taken on the night Seiji died, the time matching exactly his time of death."
Yukiko's eyes shone with understanding. "So... Yagiri-san is thinking that Harima-san is linked to..."
"B-but that's not possible," Anri said, unable to remain silent on the implied accusation that Namie was making. "Harima-san loves Yagiri-kun. That's without a doubt. She wouldn't...wouldn't bring harm to him."
"...In the first place, it is already impossible if we look at it from another perspective," Naoto pointed out. "If Yagiri Seiji-kun's death was due to something that happened in this world, there would certainly be traces of it on his body. But nothing of the sort was found."
"Yet in the end Seiji died," Namie said, refuting Anri's point rather than Naoto's. "Since she failed to keep up her end of the deal, why should I hold onto mine? And besides," she paused here to lock eyes with Naoto directly, "don't you think you're being ridiculous by blaming it on another world when this city is already abnormal in the first place? Seeing that you're so convinced Seiji's death is caused by something non-human or that he died in another dimension or whatever it is you're calling it, then let me also ask you this: how is it possible that the brat was spared? As loathe as I am to admit, she stuck to Seiji like glue and followed him everywhere, and as you have seen, she must've been right there when Seiji died. How is it that whatever was targeting Seiji didn't kill her along with him?"
The whole room was filled with thoughtful silence as everyone considered Namie's words. "Well..." Chie started. "Maybe the killer just didn't think it'd matter if Harima-chan died or not. I mean, even if she did go to the police, they wouldn't believe her if she had said that whatever killed Yagiri-kun wasn't human. And besides, the Malevolent Entity guy said that all it wanted was to 'see the outcome of one boy's death', so...I guess Harima-chan's reaction was part of that outcome?"
"Unless," Souji said, "the Malevolent Entity wanted Harima-san alive for a reason other than that."
While his teammates, Celty and Anri were stunned by and visibly concerned about that possibility, Namie was inclined to question it. "For what?" she said bitterly. "For what purpose is she being kept alive, and not my Seiji?"
"...I'm afraid I don't know," Souji replied, avoiding Namie's eyes.
"Then go and find out," Namie spat, before she blinked and settled down. "Or just wait for Orihara Izaya to wake up. I wouldn't put it past him to know the answer and withhold it so that he could see what kind of a reaction he would get. That's basically why I came here anyway."
"Sorry, Namie-san, but aren't you giving Izaya a bit too much credit?" Shinra asked, shrugging. "Sure, he's the kind of person who would do that, but in a situation like this I highly doubt even he knows what's really going on. In fact, I daresay he's just as clueless as you are."
"Oh?" Namie raised a brow. "Then, do you mind explaining to me why the last thing he said to me, before I left for Inaba, was that I shouldn't try calling him while I'm there because he would be 'going on a long trip' and be completely uncontactable?"
Now Shinra was just as taken aback as everyone else was.
"I'm sorry, could you please repeat that?"
Namie didn't, and went on to say, "And then when I found out that he went missing and I really wasn't able to get through to him on any of his phones, all of a sudden he sent me that video I showed you earlier."
"But that...can't be possible," Shinra said carefully. "Well, I'm still not entirely sure about what you mentioned about his long trip, but from what I know, Izaya shouldn't have been in any condition to contact you, or you him, be it physically or mentally, during the past two weeks."
[You said you received the video clip yesterday morning, right?] Celty added. [If I may be frank, as Shinra said, that's impossible. Izaya never had any of his phones with him all this while. Even if he did, he couldn't have switched it on, even, let alone sending a video clip. I couldn't get my PDA to work the moment I stepped into the other world.]
Namie looked like she didn't quite know what to say to that, other than, "...But, this number is definitely his."
"Of course, we're not doubting that it came from his phone," Shinra hurriedly clarified. "The real question is, was it really Izaya who sent it? That's what Celty and I are saying."
"So someone else did," Namie said slowly. "But it doesn't change the fact that it came from his phone. Do you even realise where I'm going with this?"
"Mmmnn yeah I do, but Namie-san, even if Izaya did hide something like that from you, it doesn't mean he definitely knows everything about what's going on. Surely you're aware that it's highly unlikely that Izaya filmed this video himself. He probably just got it from one of his sources but thought he didn't need to pay much attention to it or that you didn't need to know."
"That's precisely what I'm trying to say. Whatever it was, it doesn't change the fact that he knew about it. Keeping this from me is inexcusable."
"Ahaha, then feel free to scold him as much as you like when he gets up," Shinra said, beaming.
"...I'm sorry, but," Souji politely interrupted, "Yagiri-san, did you return to Ikebukuro because you received that video clip?"
"Of course I did," Namie answered, as if the answer was obvious from the start.
"Did you notice anything...strange about the city when you returned?"
Knowing looks abounded around him, whereas Namie kept an indifferent expression and attitude. "As a matter of fact, I did. I couldn't find the bastard anywhere, first of all. He wasn't at his apartment, he wasn't pestering Heiwajima Shizuo – well, I couldn't even find Heiwajima Shizuo anywhere – didn't reply any of my messages or calls, wasn't at the hospital..." Her brow twitched at the mention of the place. "Even when I tried asking his sisters, they told me they never had a brother in the first place. I have to admit, that was quite priceless, seeing them deny his existence outright."
"Wha... Even his own family...?" Yosuke murmured, exchanging glances with the rest of the Investigation Team members.
Namie noted this reaction. "Why? Did something else happen to the city again?"
They hesitated in answering and explaining to her what could've happened, in the simplest terms and without going into much details about Izaya's Shadow, but instead of the same disbelief and doubt they had been expecting, Namie seemed to accept it without further enquiry.
"I'm not surprised," she said. "That bastard has a non-exhaustive list of enemies who are out to kill him. Even I think he's the worst human being to have ever existed. Not that he cares."
"...Does he really?" Naoto muttered, mostly to herself.
"Anyway," Yukiko spoke, "isn't it...strange that Yagiri-san was unaffected, unlike the rest of the city? If Orihara-san's existence truly was being 'erased' from everyone's memories, then why wasn't it the case for Yagiri-san?"
"You have a point, Yukiko-chan," Shinra said, folding his arms loosely. "Oh? Actually, come to think of it, Celty and Anri-chan were both unaffected too, right? I remember Celty telling me that it was because of that that she could bring Izaya back, but she didn't tell me all the details."
As everyone turned to Celty and Anri now, the Dullahan unhurriedly typed on her PDA while Anri fidgeted. [Oh, that's right... That's our true purpose in meeting up today.]
"Guess we got a lil' carried away," Kanji said, appearing slightly sheepish.
"Yeah, that— That happens," Yosuke grumbled.
[Well, um... I'm not quite sure how to begin explaining.] The moment Celty raised this for everyone to see, she brought her device down and erased the message. [Ah, that's right! I received this message...actually a lot of messages, from an anonymous sender. They claimed to know Izaya, and about what's been happening. They even told me how to get Izaya back.]
"So we've got another person on our side all along?" Chie said.
[I guess so. They told me a lot of things, some which I still don't really understand... So I was wondering if you all would know what they might've been referring to. Um, but it might look like a bit of a mess on my PDA, so...]
Shinra flashed her a reassuring smile. "I think I might know just the thing. Pass me the PDA, Celty."
Celty complied without a question, and they all waited as Shinra tapped on the screen a few times. After that, he left his seat in a hurry, and returned with a laptop in his arms.
"I had the whole exchange saved and emailed it to myself as a document file. Then we can have it opened on the laptop so that it's easier for everyone to see."
"Thank you, Shinra-sensei."
"No need, no need," Shinra said, waving Souji's display of gratitude off. "I'm the one who can't thank you all enough for letting me be a part of this phenomenon."
As the underground doctor spoke, he opened up his email and clicked on the attachment. When the file was successfully opened, he set it on the living room table and turned it such that most of the people present could get a clear view. There were various comments made by the adolescent Persona-users as they read and took in every word.
"...Oh hey, they were talking about us," Yosuke said. "All our movements, meetings, talk about the Midnight Channel, Namatame, Adachi...even Marie-chan and Izanami—whoa wait, who the heck is this guy? It almost sounds like they were right there with us. I mean this is a bit too detailed, if you ask me..."
"Could it be..." Yukiko gasped. "The Fox?!"
"...Amagi, you...you actually sound like you believe that."
"Yeah, if it really was the Fox, shouldn't it be just saying 'yip'?" Kanji wondered.
"That's your concern?"
"Hey, pipe down, can't concentrate with you being so noisy, Hanamura," Chie tilted her head back to complain.
"Why is it that whenever you get annoyed, you pin the blame on me?" Yosuke replied, sighing and shaking his head. Chie simply ignored him, and tried to direct her attention to the laptop screen instead.
"But Yosuke made a good point," Souji said. "Whoever this person is, they knew everything about what happened two years ago, right down to the smallest detail. Especially with regards to the fog and Izanami's plans."
"...And that's not all this person knows about." Naoto used her index finger to touch the screen, pointing at a particular paragraph. "Please, take a look at this."
The message had read:
...There is also one other thing that might be of interest to you. Namely, about Seta Souji's cousin, Dojima Nanako, and one of the members of his team, the one named Teddie.
It has not been brought to my attention if you have been told or not, but I will simplify the circumstances for you so that you have a clearer idea of what I'm suggesting for you to do. At that time, Dojima Nanako, in the most unfortunate yet fortunate turn of events, got involved in the case the Investigation Team kids had been seeing into. As a result, she was unable to make a full recovery from the fog's detrimental effects on her, and passed away in the hospital. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt, the kids went to confront Namatame Taro, to demand an explanation from him for the injustice he had committed the young girl.
...All except for Teddie, that is.
Teddie, you see, was the only one who remained by Nanako-chan's side even as all of his friends went to find Namatame. And in that moment, filled with the same despair that fuelled his friends' actions, this interesting being remembered something.
He remembered that he was a Shadow.
To this Shadow, who had forged for himself an ego and personality, and has had countless happy memories of being together with his friends and Nanako-chan... He realised that all of that shouldn't have happened. He thought, it was because of his coming to this world that resulted in Nanako-chan's death. And yet, even though he had regained his memories, he knew of nothing he could do to bring her back. And because of that, this pitiful creature fell further into his sorrow, falling, falling, falling—
"Teddie-kun..."
The blue-eyed blond couldn't ignore the looks he was getting, and for a moment had to lower his head and stare at the floor. Then, he looked up into Souji's eyes, and said quietly, with a soft smile on his face, "It's okay, Sensei. I'm okay. Nana-chan's all right now, so I'm not sad anymore. So..."
Souji murmured his name, and gave a comforting nod, before he continued reading from where Yukiko had left off.
-falling, until he arrived at a certain place.
...Frankly, what happened after is a little confusing, so I'll keep it short. Essentially, Teddie's departure from what you would call "the real world" and into this time-space helped bring Nanako-chan back. I say "helped", because honestly it's impossible to say for sure if it was even related to it at all. Well, anyway, Teddie eventually – and obviously – made it back, and this, I would say, was entirely due to the bonds he had made with the people around him.
My point being, Courier, Izaya is actually stuck in a similar situation himself. Only, made a bit more complicated because of a certain entity's influence...but, my point still stands.
At this juncture, Celty requested for them to skim past the next few lines, and to focus on the instructions that she had received.
That's right, basically all you need to do is to leave the human world. Now, don't fly into a panic—
Actually, wait, I think you already did. It looks like you logged into the chatroom.
...Ah, you're back? That's nice to see. Alright. First, let me clarify what I meant by "leaving the human world" so that I can set you at ease.
What I'm trying to say is, if you want things to return to normal, you must first recognise and remember that you yourself are not human. In other words, you are like an "outsider" that has been invited to mingle and stay with human society. Not unlike Teddie.
And, just like Teddie, you have formed bonds of your own with the people around you.
On top of that, you are a Dullahan, which makes you even closer to the other world than Teddie may be.
Putting it all together, it means that you are most likely capable of traveling freely between the two worlds as well. Perhaps, even, with greater skill and control. For simplicity's sake, I will only refer to two separate worlds, but the truth is far more complex than that. Well, not that it's necessary for you to know now, as you will soon find out later if you choose to follow my instructions.
Earlier, when I said you have to "leave the human world", I meant that you have to follow Teddie's example and, basically, "fall" into the same realm that he did. Not that I'm asking you to mirror his sadness or anything like that – though you are welcome to try – because as it turns out, there's an easier method to access that realm. In the form of a door, somewhere in Ikebukuro.
Ah, but don't misunderstand... That's not all you have to do. That's why I said that what happened with Teddie and Nanako was rather confusing. In your case, there's even a slight hiccup on top of that, if you plan on tackling this in the state you are in right now.
Yes, I'm referring to the fact that you're currently separated from your head.
Allow me to be blunt, Courier: there's no telling what will happen if you, the body, decide to travel to that realm without the head accompanying you. Ultimately that head is still part of you, an "outsider" existence. You came to Ikebukuro because you could still sense the head's presence, right? That means the two of you are still connected, however thin that thread may be, so you can't really be considered as two independent entities. In Teddie's case, though he is a Shadow fragment that split off from his original host's psyche, he has already severed that connection and is now a whole existence by himself, so it wasn't an issue for him.
On top of this, your head also has all of your missing memories, yes? That makes the journey into the other realm even riskier.
Remember what I mentioned earlier? I said that you must first recognise and remember that you are not of this world. So if you the body don't reconcile with the memories contained in your head – the memories of your life before arriving in the human world – then you haven't truly "remembered" like Teddie did. I think you know where I'm going with this.
...Now don't get all upset. Like I said, it's up to you to decide to believe me, and it's up to you to decide if you want to go through with this.
You're obviously not keen on finding and retrieving your head for the sake of Orihara – which I don't blame you for, honestly speaking, I even feel a bit guilty for ever suggesting that to you – and frankly, I think I'm going to feel even guiltier for what I'm about to tell you next.
Courier, even if you do manage to bring Orihara back, there's still the matter of the fog that has to be cleared. As I explained earlier, our villain of the month decided to make a flashy comeback by erasing Izaya's existence from this world. How he managed to achieve that, now, is by releasing a fog upon the town. A fog so dense that it has the citizens all blinded to the existence of Orihara Izaya. Why that person in particular, though, is anyone's guess.
But, what I do know, is that the fog this malevolent entity has unleashed upon the city isn't only blocking everyone's access to their memories of Orihara. It's also altering their perception of reality. This sounds vague, yes, but essentially what I'm trying to say is, everyone's not just forgetting about Orihara – even their perception of reality itself has been altered to believe that they are living in a world where Orihara Izaya never existed. But when all that's been said and done, that's not the fog's true purpose.
No... It's to serve as a conduit for the human world and the Shadow world to come together. Exactly like what happened – or was going to happen – to Inaba two years ago.
And I'm going to be blunt again, but without your head, dear Courier, I highly doubt you are able to bring Orihara back and get rid of the fog altogether. Besides, the latter isn't even within your domain of control.
It's within Saika's.
Saika, you see, works by creating and spreading a fog of fear between the human beings it claims to love so much. Or to be more precise, the fog it creates blinds the human beings affected to more positive emotions like happiness and optimism, and instead directs their attention to their fear and negativity, which most humans prefer to suppress deep within their hearts. When caught in such an illusion, the normal reaction is to try and suppress that fear again by reaching out to the more positive and encouraging thoughts, right? ...But the thing is, what do you think is the first deceivingly positive thought they hear?
Yes, it's a very simple: "I love you".
Well, how Saika works exactly isn't the message I want to bring across here. The key here is: if you want to lift the fog that has been released into the city, you will need Saika's...Sonohara Anri's help. Being a supernatural creature that operates using fog, there shouldn't be much of a problem to use Saika to lift it. The catch here is that you can't dispel the fog just like that.
No, what Sonohara Anri will have to do...is to use Saika to absorb the fog into herself. And if she does that, she also faces the risk of losing herself to the fog, because the fog is going to merge with the fog that Saika is capable of producing. But, of course, it's all dependent on how strong a will she possesses to withstand it, so ultimately I have no say in what the outcome will be.
...Now don't look at me like that. Yes, as much as you don't want to get her involved, especially in something so risky, I'm afraid you do need her help if you're resolved to return things to normal. Well, these are just my suggestions. The choice to make remains in your hands. I am only here to provide you with whatever information you need.
"...'And as for how I know all of this... That would be revealing too much about my identity, so let's just say I have my way around technology and leave it at that. Well, I bid you good luck. Don't hesitate to contact me again if you need more help, I am always available'..." Naoto trailed off as she finished reading the last message aloud.
Though the decision that Celty had made and the outcome of that decision were already obvious by now, the Investigation Team members still found it all a bit much for them to swallow.
"Seriously, first of all, who is this guy? They really give me some crazy stalker vibes..." Yosuke said, shuddering.
"Hmm, somehow I think I have a vague idea of who it might be..." said Shinra, who was looking somewhat nostalgic. "But...anyway, Celty, I'm so proud of you, for making such a stressful decision. You really are very brave."
As Shinra looked in her way with a warm smile, the smoke trailing off the base of Celty's neck formed a small cloud that went poof as she typed her reply. [That's, um... I-it's not that big of a deal, really. If anyone is brave, it has to be Anri-chan.]
"Eh, no...not at all. Celty-san, you were very brave," Anri said meekly before turning away. "If it was me, I... I don't think I could've made the same decision as you did..."
[Please don't look down on yourself like that, Anri-chan. It was because of my unwillingness to locate my head that led to you being involved. It had nothing to do with courage or anything like that...]
"B-but that's not..."
[And you're strong enough to contain all that fog and restore things to normal. That's something only you are capable of doing, and it was so risky but you did it in the end.]
"That's... I only did that because... It didn't have anything to do with being brave or..."
"How about settling on both of you being brave? Really, Celty, how much more adorable can you get? Telling Anri-chan not to look down on herself, and then doing the same to yourself," Shinra interrupted, chuckling.
[Shinra...]
"Yeah, it was a hell of a gamble to make," Kanji agreed with firm nods. "I mean, trusting some stalkerish guy who popped up outta nowhere and sprung all this info on you, and then leaving you to decide on your own if you'd believe them and take that big risk... Not just anybody can do that."
[Well, Ikebukuro is my home, after all. I can't just sit idly by and watch it get used by some...thing.]
"Ahh, I totally get what you mean," Chie replied, grinning. "When you put it that way, I think all of us here would feel the same way, too. 'Cept in our case, it's Inaba." Her teammates nodded at that, sporting similar smiles themselves.
"But, man... To think that the solution was related to what happened with Nanako-chan back then," Yosuke commented.
"And that's not all. The idea of forgetting someone exists, and the idea of absorbing the fog... That's what happened to Marie-chan too, right?" Yukiko pointed out.
"Come to think of it, this whole situation has actually been pretty similar to the case from back then," Chie said. "From the fog, to the discovery of the body, to the talk about who found it, to the Midnight Channel...and now, there's even a parallel of sorts with Nanako-chan and Marie-chan. Then there's the thing with the tournament too. I mean about the Malevolent Entity and the way it posed as our Shadows and stuff... The only thing that's really different is Orihara-san and Heiwajima-san's Shadows splitting themselves up."
"What did one of 'em say again? Something about 'time and space being unstable' or something?" Kanji said, pulling a face as he tried to recall.
"...But the anonymous sender said this. That the fragments of Orihara-san's Shadow that we saw were the result of the Shadow attempting and failing to devour his mind," Naoto highlighted, scrolling the screen back to an earlier segment of the document. "If we are to believe them, then the question is...why did the same happen for Heiwajima-san?"
Yukiko's eyes lit up. "Maybe it had something to do with, um, whatever the Malevolent Entity had done to Heiwajima-san?"
"Oh. That." Yosuke grimaced. Shinra was chuckling sheepishly, to Celty and Anri's confusion, while Namie remained dispassionate and only lifted a brow slightly. "Yeah, that's probably it."
"But in the first place, was it truly because of a Shadow's attempt to devour one's mind, or the instability of time and space?" Souji asked.
"Something tells me it's a bit of both," Yosuke said, but he didn't sound entirely confident of his answer.
"It is... I think." To everyone's surprise, it had been Anri who answered. "I...am not sure if it's really what happened, but if Saika truly works in the way that person said it does, then... I believe it's quite likely."
"Huh? What do you—"
"I see!" Shinra said, cutting Kanji off. "If we take Saika to be something similar to a Shadow, then that does make perfect sense. Actually, I'm even inclined to believe that what that person meant by 'devour' isn't in the literal sense of the word." In his growing excitement, the underground doctor elaborated without anyone having to ask him to, "In a way, Saika's forced intrusion into the minds of her victims works similarly to that, right? It becomes an ever-loving, very motherly presence that the victims find comfort and solace in, like they're surrendering their fears to Saika in order to forget about those fears that Saika has brought to their attention. But Shizuo-kun, you see, got cut by some Saika children over and over, but he wasn't affected by their voices at all, which makes me think is because he's always been aware of his own fears.
"And I've been thinking a lot, you're free to disagree with me if what I'm about to claim is wrong, but aren't one's fears related to one's Shadow?"
The Persona-users' eyes widened.
"Of course... So that's what it means to 'turn people into Shadows'," Naoto murmured.
"No wonder...we weren't affected even though we got cut," Yukiko said. "We've already faced our fears – our Shadows. And those Shadows have become our Personas, protecting us from the fog. That must be why those Saika children saw us as a threat to them."
"And why we could summon our Personas. They were...well, more like we were just trying to protect ourselves," Yosuke added. "But, wait, actually that doesn't really explain why our Personas could be summoned here. I mean this is still the real world, after all."
"That's where the warped time-space must come into play," Shinra theorised. "I mean, as Namie-san mentioned, even before your arrival or the existence of the TV world here, this city is already not quite normal in the first place. That's why I love it here! Ah, but I'll love anywhere as long as Celty is with me."
"...Could the Malevolent Entity be making use of that?" Souji wondered aloud. "After all, if Ikebukuro is already experiencing some form of time and space instability, it would make achieving its goal much easier than with any other place, especially since it failed to do so with Inaba."
"I still don't see why it had to be Seiji," Namie bit out acidly. "Anyway, Kishitani-sensei, how long is the bastard going to stay asleep? This wait is becoming ridiculous."
"Ah, that's right, I haven't checked on him since last night." In spite of that, the unusually bright smile on Shinra's face didn't falter, as though he felt no guilt. "Be right back."
"W-wait, Shinra."
"Hmm?" The underground doctor immediately turned in the direction of the voice. "What is it, Teddie-kun?"
The blond was wearing a pensive expression and looking at the ground, shuffling his feet. "Um… I was wondering… Can I go in with you?"
"Eh?" Shinra, as well as Celty, were surprised at such a request. Interestingly, the rest of Teddie's friends, and even Anri, were not. "Sure, it's not an issue... But, why?"
"There's something…I need to be sure of," Teddie replied, giving a drawn out sigh. "I just hope…I'm wrong about this."
A/N: And with this, we have officially stepped into Arc 3 territory, where dreams are made, answers are revealed, and a whole bunch of crazy stuff happens. You have been warned. XD
Concerning this chapter in particular, I have to say I'm not exactly happy with how it turned out... But I do hope it's answered some of the questions you might have. Or, should I say, given you something to think about rather than really answering anything, concerning I've sort of led you all into believing something to be true when it turned out to be a lie before (coughPsychecough). Yup, it's all up to you to decide who or what you want to believe at this point, haha. But not to worry, since this is the final arc, the actual answers will definitely be revealed :)
Thank you all for your support! :)