Persona 4: Snowy Spring Chapter 06: Into the Unknown
Lyall the Werewolf: It looks like the last chapter wasn't very exciting for most people. I do want this to work, so I'll keep trying.
To Thunder Dragon, you've been dropping a lot of these challenges despite me not showing much interest. I'm not going to ask you to stop but tone it down just a bit. Your Card captor/Spyro challenge has given me some inspiration for an upcoming Spyro crossover I'm planning in the future. Coincidently, I've been playing the Reignited Trilogy on the PS4 recently. It'll be interesting.
(I don't own Persona or Senran Kagura)
"Huh? Where am I?" the girl asked out loud. She was confused and disoriented. She couldn't remember what happened clearly.
All she knew was that she was surrounded by thick fog. She was running away from a weird bear-looking thing not too long ago.
The fog felt familiar. It was like the fog from when she discovered that dead body.
How she wished she could forget about it. If only she didn't leave school early, she wouldn't have found the deceased Mayumi Yamano, and her life wouldn't be hell right now. And now she was stuck in god knows where because of… because of… that guy…? It all happened so fast that she couldn't remember what happened. She knew for sure it was that creep who threw her in here. If only she could remember…
"How could she do such a thing? Her family's business is hurting as is…"
The girl jumped at hearing that voice. However, no one was there.
More voices started to whisper in the girl's ear. They were the same voices whispering behind her back. The voices she hated.
"How disappointing! For their daughter to be working for the enemy."
"I wish Junes would go under."
"Stop it…" the girl tried to cover her ears, but it wasn't enough. The voices kept invading her mind.
Why won't they understand?
All she wanted was to raise more money for college. Her family's store wasn't going to cut it, no thanks to Junes's popularity. Her parents were so wrapped up in stupid family traditions they failed to understand her feelings.
Worst still, that little pain from Junes wouldn't leave her alone.
Why won't they ever leave her alone?
Wait, why was she thinking about this now? She should be looking for a way out. But this fog was so thick she could barely see in front of her.
However, something did come into focus. It was a place she knew all too well.
"Is this… the Shopping District?"
It did look like the boring place she grew up in, including her family's store, but something felt alien to her. It was twisted. This place that just spawned couldn't be natural.
She walked into her look-alike family store.
Her instincts warned her of immediate danger, as the shopping district wasn't the only thing that spawned from the darkness.
The girl's eyes widened as she came face to face with the sinister dark figure.
[-April 14, 2011: Midnight: Yosuke's Room-]
Yosuke couldn't believe what he was seeing.
For a while now, something had bothered him. And no, it had nothing to do with Yumi's bizarre Ninja Transformation, no matter how sexy it was. It wasn't the TV World either. At least not completely.
It was what had been shown on the Midnight Channel the night before. He couldn't get the person he saw out of his head. The gears in his mind wouldn't stop turning. As soon as he got home, he thought, "Maybe I should watch the Midnight Channel again, just to be sure…"
And so he did. It was raining throughout the night. He may as well test his theory while he still could.
Sure enough, the paranormal program came on.
Yosuke watched intently as the screen came into focus. Someone was on again. It was the same girl as before. The image of her was clearer than before. To Yosuke, she looked a lot like his crush, Saki.
He wasn't surprised to see her there, but Yosuke couldn't turn away. She looked like she was crying and in pain.
A hot feeling boiled in his chest as he watched the girl disappear.
Yosuke wasn't sure what to make of it. He hoped he was imagining it due to sanity slippage from his encounter with that TV world. But it was too vivid not to be a dream. If that world was real, then maybe the person on the Midnight Channel right now was…
No! He swore he wouldn't think about it again. It was time for bed. Hopefully, with a good night's sleep, he'd forget all about the incident and wake up from a nice dream in the morning. He'd go see that movie with Saki-senpai and then go about his slow, monotonous life in this boring, backwoods town as usual. He wished to see Yumi in that sexy outfit again, too.
[-April 15, 2011: Afternoon: Yasogami High-]
A terrible announcement was made by the principal of Yasogami High this afternoon. One of the school's students was found dead. Her name was Saki Konishi.
Despite the principal reassuring the students that Saki wasn't being bullied at school and requesting that they refrain from saying anything unnecessary, the students were already gossiping about Saki's death. Some were saying she was found hanging upside from a telephone pole. It was a bystander's mentality at work. If it wasn't happening to them, talking about the incident and spreading unfound rumors was free territory.
When the assembly in the gym was over, the distraught students filed out of the building and went straight home. Save for Yu, Yumi, Chie, and Yosuke. Yukiko wasn't present for the assembly due to getting a call from her family prior.
Yosuke was obviously the most devastated by the news of Saki's passing. The second he heard it, his heart sank. He grew increasingly worried about Skai's lack of response to his calls and texts because the date he planned was today. He hoped he was just being paranoid. Sadly, his fears were realized.
Yu, Yumi, and Chie watch over a saddened Yosuke as he slouched over a wall in the hallway.
Yosuke wasn't the only one affected by the news. Yumi was mentally kicking herself for her negligence in allowing another victim to fall into death's embrace. If only circumstances hadn't led her astray from her original plan. She would have bought a TV, researched the Midnight Channel, and tracked down the killer to prevent further loss of life. But then they found the TV world, encountered Shadows, and Yumi returned to reality with an injured ankle. As a Good Shinobi, she should have been better prepared for any situation. But then, as a Shinobi Student, what could she do? How could she have known the situation would spiral out of control like this?
Yu and Chie weren't sure what to say to console Yosuke. He must have really liked her if he could be in such low spirits.
"Y-Yosuke…" Chie murmured.
After a moment of silence, Yosuke finally spoke, "So uh, Chie, Narukami… did you guys watch the Midnight Channel last night?"
"Huh? You're talking about that now?!" Chie chided. It was bad enough other people were tossing around theories because they weren't involved.
"Just listen and let me finish, will ya?!" Yosuke yelled back. His tone suggested he was serious.
Yu and Chie were taken aback by Yosuke's shift in attitude. Yumi wasn't. She recognized the look in his eyes. They were the eyes of someone who experienced the pain of loss. And he was desperate to seek answers for this injustice.
"After what we saw before… something kept bothering me, so I watched it again. I'm positive the girl on screen… was Saki-senpai."
This revelation came as a shock to Yu and Chie.
"Are you certain of this?" Yumi calmly asked. She long deduced that Saki was the next victim, but she was intrigued that Yosuke figured out that his Senpai was on the Midnight Channel.
"There's no way I'd mistake Senpai for anyone else. She looked like she was writhing in pain… and then she disappeared from the screen." Yosuke turned to Yumi inquisitively, "Tsukikiri, you said you had a different theory about the Midnight Channel, right?"
"Correct," Yumi replied.
"You don't think the Midnight Channel shows your soulmate, do you?"
"I don't. The theory I have is far grimmer than that."
"I thought so." Yosuke nodded, "Do also you know about the guy saying the announcer was his soulmate after he watched the Midnight Channel?"
"Yes, I heard the rumor. However, the next day Ms. Yamano turned up dead. This was after she was supposedly seen on the Midnight Channel." Yumi said.
"Right. And it looks like Saki-senpai died the same way. It can't be a coincidence."
"I feel the same. It was speculation on my part at first, but Konishi-senpai being seen on the Midnight Channel and subsequent death confirms my theory."
"Oh god…" Chie muttered at how morbid this topic was getting. This theory was starting to make sense and she didn't like it.
"Whoever shows up on the Midnight Channel dies. Is that what your theory suggests, Tsukikiri?" Yu asked Yumi. He was starting to form a picture of what was going on too. He did a good job of not showing it, but even he was disturbed by the topic at hand.
"It sounds preposterous, but it lines up too perfectly with what's happening." Yumi confirmed, "I doubt you'll find a soulmate among the dead, anyway."
"And then there's that world inside the TV. That freaky room with the cut posters we found has to be connected to Ms. Yamano's death too." Yosuke said.
"In other words, the Midnight Channel, the TV world, and these murders are connected, right?" Yu guessed.
"I'm glad it's not just us on the same page." Yosuke said with a small smile, "Anyway, if there is a connection, then there's a chance Saki-senpai and the announcer found their way into that world as well. And if we look around, we might find something to do with Senpai's death, too."
"Yosuke, don't tell me…" a distressed Chie said. The way they were casually talking about this was unnerving to her. And if Yosuke was planning to do what she thought he would, things could get worse.
"Yeah. I thinking of going in again. I wanna find out for myself." Yosuke nodded, to Chie's ever-growing anxiety.
"Hanamura-san, I understand how you feel, but you must refrain from such rash action. You recall the dangers in the other world, don't you? This isn't as simple as it seems." Yumi warned.
"Y-Yumi's right! Let's leave this to the police!" Chie exclaimed.
"You think the police can handle this?! They haven't made any progress on the announcer's case!" Yosuke snapped back, "And if we tried to tell them about the other world, they wouldn't believe us!"
Yu and Yumi could agree. Dojima himself confirmed the police haven't been able to identify the cause of death.
"Y-Yeah, but still…" Chie couldn't say anything back. Even she couldn't picture the police mobilizing over something supernatural involved, especially when it came from immature teenagers.
"Hanamura, are you sure it's smart to go exploring that world based on a theory?" Yu asked.
"If I'm completely off-base with this, that's fine. After what I've seen and put together, there's no way I just can't ignore it now." Yosuke said, determined.
"Yosuke…" Chie said with empathy.
Yumi also held empathy for Yosuke. Her parents were killed by Evil Shinobi. She'd want answers, one way or another. And her mission as a Good Shinobi was to eradicate evil so that people like Yosuke wouldn't suffer the same pain she and her friends did.
Yosuke turned to Yu desperately, "Sorry, Narukami, but I'm gonna need your help too. Meet me at Junes. I'll go get ready."
Yu understood why. He was the only one who could enter the TV World, so Yosuke would need his help to go back in.
Before anything could say anything, Yosuke ran off.
"Oh man… this is getting out of hand!" Chie groaned before turning to Yumi, hoping to ask her opinion. However, she was surprised to see Yumi was leaving as well, "W-Wait, where are you going?"
"I'll meet you at Junes as well. I need to be prepared for anything." Yumi said.
"You too?! Aren't you worried about Yosuke?!" Chie asked.
"I am. As he is right now, convincing him to stop may be impossible. He's desperate to find closure." Yumi replied stoically, "I want answers too."
"B-But there are monsters in there. You got hurt last time, remember?"
"I do. And I won't make the same mistake twice. Now if you'll excuse me." following a quick bow, Yumi sauntered from a bewildered Yu and Chie.
"W-Wow… she sounded serious about this, huh?" asked Chie. She turned to Yu with concern, "Hey, what should we do?"
Yu didn't have an answer for her. He did know he couldn't leave this to only Yosuke and Yumi.
"Let's go to Junes for now," Yu said.
"Yeah, I guess we have no choice. Maybe we can stop them." Chie replied.
Yu and Chie left for Junes soon after.
[-Later: Junes Department Store: Electronics Department-]
Yu and Chie arrive at the Electronics Department of Junes. They find Yosuke standing in front of the same widescreen TV they used before.
"You guys came!" a relieved Yosuke said. He had a rope tied around his waist and a golf club in his hand.
"We came to stop you, idiot!" Chie rebuffed, "You can't be serious about going in again, can you? You know how dangerous it is!"
"Yeah, I know… but we escaped once before, and if we use the same entrance as last time, we'll meet up with that bear thing," Yosuke said. He sounded very sure of himself.
"You can't know that for sure!" Chie said. She was sure, because of that rope acting as a lifeline.
Even Yu looked skeptical of the lifeline and golf club. There was no guarantee the rope would stay on once they were inside.
"Look, I can't just move on and act like this has nothing to do with me." Yosuke refuted. He turned to Yu with a dead serious look on his face, "What about you, Narukami? Can you just walk away?"
Yu thought for a moment. This whole thing doesn't have anything to do with him. He could pretend to go about life as usual. The same boring life he was content with. It would be much easier to turn back now and live a normal life. But after coming this far, walking away wasn't an option. This string of murders had to be the catastrophe in Inaba Igor mentioned earlier. And now, a great mystery was in front of him. Everything was happening just as Igor predicted. If so, Yu had to step up.
He already revolved himself to protect his friends with his power. There was no turning back now.
"I can't walk away. I won't." Yu said with conviction. He knew what Igor meant now. To venture into the unknown and solve this mystery. This was his responsibility and his choice.
"Narukami-kun…" Chie anxiously said. He looked kind of cool just now, but it was still worrisome.
"I knew you'd say that." Yosuke was pleased by Yu's decision. Without him, Yosuke probably couldn't enter the world inside the TV. Plus, he'd be defenseless without Yu's Persona power. Speaking of power, he noticed that Yumi, who had superpowers of her own, wasn't with Yu and Chie. "By the way, where's Tsukikiri?"
"She said she'd meet us here, but…" Chie said. Her new friend's late arrival had her as perplexed as the rest.
"I apologize for the wait."
All three jump to their feet in surprise at Yumi's unexpected appearance. She was completely silent and had gone unnoticed until she spoke up right beside them.
"T-Tsukikiri-san, I didn't see there!" Yosuke exclaimed.
"Geez, what was that dramatic entrance about?" Chie wondered while clutching her chest.
"Must be a ninja thing." Yu thought.
"May I assume that rope to be used for your venture, Hanamura-san?" Yumi asked, having spied the rope around Yosuke's waist.
"Yeah. I figured we might be able to use it to pull ourselves out in case things harry."
Yumi looked skeptical, "Do you have any proof a lifeline will work?"
"W-Well, you got stuck before, so I figured the same thing would apply to a rope," Yosuke replied nervously. Yumi gave him a sharp glare for reminding her of that moment. "Anyways, this will work!"
As he said this, he handed part of the rope to Chie.
"W-Wait, I'm in charge of the rope?!" Chie exclaimed as she absentmindedly grabbed the rope.
"You don't wanna go, so it's fine. Instead, the two of us will go, right, Narukami?" Yosuke asked to Yu and Yumi.
"Yeah," Yu answered as he put on the special glasses he got from Teddie. The boys would have stepped into the widescreen TV, but Yumi stopped them.
"Wait just a moment. Hanamura-san, are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?" Yumi asked sternly. She approached Yosuke with an intimidating gaze. "You brought up interesting theories about the other world, but you still recall those dangerous monsters there, don't you? Not only that, you may find something you wish you hadn't. Knowing all that, do you really want to go back?"
Yosuke could sense Yumi's sternness in warning him. He may have wished it was a dream, but he could never forget how scary those monsters were. Even so, he couldn't ignore what his heart was shouting at him.
"Yeah… I'm sure. I want to know why Saki-senpai died."
Having heard this, Yumi turned to Yu with the same sternness.
"And Narukami-san, are you sure you want to help him with this? Hanamura-san has a connection to Konishi-senpai, so I can understand his desire to investigate. But you are different. Even with your miraculous power, you have no personal stake in this. Why get involved?"
"Because it's the right thing to do. Hanamura asked me if I could walk away from this, and I answered no. And somehow, even though I don't know where it came from, I feel it would be irresponsible not to use this power for something." Yu answered.
Seeing that both boys were prepared for their descent into unknown and dangerous territory, Yumi gave a confirmative nod.
"Understood. We must make haste then." Yumi said, to the surprise of her three classmates.
"Y-Yumi…" Chie mumbled in belief.
The busty transfer student turned to her new friend with empathy, "I'm sorry, Chie-san. Now that I know their resolve is true, I must go as well."
"H-Hold on! You got hurt last time, even with that… unique trick of yours!" Yosuke sputtered, to Chie's confusion. He remembered Yumi asking him and Yu to keep quiet about it. So far, Yosuke hadn't mentioned it since no one would believe in a sexy ninja girl. Plus, Chie would probably kick his ass if she knew he saw Yumi naked for a split second.
He was initially going to leave Yumi out due to her injury. Of course, without Yumi and her ninja magic, their defenses against the monsters inside would be less optimal.
"He's right. No need to force yourself, Tsukikiri." Yu said.
"Not to worry. I brought my special ointment with me should we sustain serious injury." Yumi assured, "It'll heal faster than normal medicine. I applied it to my ankle, so I'm in good condition."
"I didn't you had something like that," said Yu.
"Actually, I did pack 3 medicines with me, but if your ointment is as effective as you say, I guess they're useless," said Yosuke.
"However, I don't have very much. We should use it if the medicines you have run out." Yumi said, "One last thing, Hanamura-san. You'd best stay clear of combat. Leave the fighting to me and Narukami-san."
She looked to Yu, who nodded in agreement. To protect Yosuke, he and Yumi would do the fighting with his Persona and her Shinobi powers.
"Y-Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. "Narukami, you should take the golf club. You'll probably need more than I will." Yosuke nodded. Although, he would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling useless without a way to contribute.
"Hanamura-san, I'd like you to handle on to these." Yumi handed Yosuke four small spherical objects.
"What're these?" Yosuke asked.
"Smoke bombs, in case we need to escape," Yumi answered.
"So she does use standard ninja tools. She wasn't kidding when she said she was going to prepare." an impressed Yu thought.
"D-Do I wanna know where you got those, Yumi?" Chie asked, growing more confused and anxious.
"I'm afraid that's a trade secret," Yumi answered. She couldn't explain that she was taught to make them by her grandfather.
"Don't worry about it, Chie. Anyway, whatever you do, don't let go of the rope." Yosuke ordered. It didn't help reassure Chie at all.
Yumi tied the rope to her waist soon after.
"Alright, let's go," Yu said. He touched the screen and allowed his body to sink in, while Yosuke and Yumi simultaneously entered with him.
"Hey guys! Let's think about this!" Chie pleaded with her classmates but to no avail. The Three disappear into the screen, leaving behind shrinking ripples and then nothing.
Feeling a sense of dread and curiosity, Chie pulled and tugged at the rope to get them back, only for the rope to pop off the screen. Whatever was left, anyway. The portion of the rope that hadn't gone in was cut off from what entered the TV.
"See, I knew this would happen… I told you!" Chie cried in horror. She sank to her knees, feeling powerless. She told them. She knew this was a bad idea. "Now what…?"
[-TV World: Studio-]
Yu, Yosuke, and Yumi successfully entered the TV world again. However, due to discombobulation, Yu and Yosuke landed first on their faces while Yumi was positioned on their backs.
"Why does this keep happening?" a bemused Yumi muttered.
"You know, I'd actually complain about the rough landing, but the soft feeling on my back makes it worth it," Yosuke said gleefully. He was referring to Yumi's rear end resting on his back.
Yu said nothing, but it seemed like he was happy too.
"Perhaps I should get off now before you get comfortable," Yumi asked coldly, causing the boys to shiver.
"That's a good idea…" Yu said.
The three teens stood up from the ground and obverse their surroundings. They landed at the TV Station, the same place as before.
"I knew it. This is the same place as last time!" Yosuke said.
"Looks like entry to this world is connected from place to place," Yu said.
"So, future activities in this world have to start from the same location," Yumi concluded. This was convenient. She planned to visit this world multiple times to fully understand it. This place seemed safe from the Shadows, so it was perfect for a base of operations. Not to mention that Teddie fellow could send her back when she was done.
"You guys again?!" the voice of Teddie squeaked. The three teens see him run to them. "Why'd you come back here?!"
"Hey, you're that Teddie thing from last time," Yosuke said.
"It's a one-day door, you know! You can't get out once you're in! I had to let you guys out last time, remember?" Teddie reminded.
"Yeah, whatever. We don't need your help this time. See, we got a lifeline…" Yosuke paused in horror when he realized the rope was cut off. "What…!"
"I had a feeling that would happen," Yu said. By the way, he still had the golf club in hand.
"So did I," said Yumi.
"What… why didn't you say something if you knew it would turn out like this?" Yosuke bemoaned.
"You did suggest it would work based on my being stuck between dimensions." Yumi sharply retorted.
The bleak student sweated himself to reply to Yumi. He turned to Teddie demandingly, "Hey, Teddie! You better let us out of here once we're done investigating!"
"Investigating?" Teddie asked.
"Yeah, this isn't like when we came by accident! We're dead serious." Yosuke replied.
"Hrrr! I'm serious too! Actually, I'm the one who wants to investigate! Why'd you come back here, anyways!" Teddie yelled back. The cartoonish bear paused momentarily before pointing an accusatory finger at the intruders. "Aha! I get it now! You're the ones behind all this!"
"What the hell did you just say?!" yelled an annoyed Yosuke.
Yumi was equally annoyed by the unfounded accusation. Granted, Teddie didn't know them very well enough to trust them immediately, but it was grating to be accused of an evil act.
"You guys are bear-y suspicious. I can tell lately that someone's been throwing people into this world before the fog clears. I thought the four of you were thrown in too, but this is the second time you came here. And I don't think anyone forced you in either."
"Before the fog clears?" Yu asked.
"Yeah, and since you three figured out a way to come here by yourselves, you could force people in if you wanted! Which means you're the culprits! RWARR!" Teddie growled.
The attempt at intimidation was cute, but the accusation drew more ire, especially from Yumi.
"Your logic is utter nonsense." Yumi snapped, "If we were the culprits, why would we willingly walk into a death trap?"
"W-Well, I'm not saying you did it for real… I-I'm just making sure!" Teddie said sheepishly to Yumi.
"Now he's going back on his accusation?" Yumi thought in confusion. What was with his behavior?
"You're still saying something messed up!" Yosuke barked, "If someone was thrown in here and couldn't get out, they might die! What kind-"
"That's the idea." Yumi cut off. There was one thing she did understand. This world was being weaponized for murder.
"Huh?"
"Someone is throwing people into this world with the express intent to kill them," Yumi said grimly.
Yosuke looked horrified, "A-Are you serious?"
"I think she is." Yu answered, "When talked in the shopping district, Tsukikiri said she believed Ms. Yamano was murdered."
"That's correct. And the same fate has befallen Saki Konishi, I'm afraid." Yumi said solemnly, "If only I had acted sooner to protect her…"
"That reminds me… Tsukikiri, when we discussed the case, you said you wouldn't look into the first murder. I thought you weren't being entirely truthful, but…" Yu trailed off with suspicion.
"Yes. I lied to keep you out of danger. It was my intention from the start to investigate the murder and find the killer." nodded Yumi.
"I see." Yu wasn't disappointed nor was he relieved. If Yumi was going to investigate these murders, she'd be in the most danger, even if she was a Shinobi like she claimed.
"You were going to investigate the first murder? Why would you do that?" a surprised Yosuke asked.
"Because it is my duty as a Good Shinobi to root out evil." Yumi declared.
The surprises never ceased for Yosuke, "Good Shinobi? So you really are a ninja then?"
"As I said before, I'll explain myself later. Our first priority is investigating how Konishi-senpai and Ms. Yamano died in this realm." Yumi reminded.
"Right… Senpai and the announcer… they were killed here…" Yosuke trailed off.
"I think it's safe to assume they were attacked by those Shadow monsters." Yu guessed.
"That's the only logical conclusion, assuming Teddie-san is telling the truth about this world." Yumi turned to Teddie questionably.
"O-O course I'm telling the truth!" Teddie sputtered.
"Then enlighten us. When does the fog clear up, and why is it so significant?" Yumi asked.
"When it's foggy on your side, the fog lifts here. And the Shadows get really violent. It's so scary, I have to hide!" Teddie answered while cowering at remembering the Shadows' rampage.
"You know what, each time both of those murders took place, it was pretty foggy on our side," said Yu in comprehension.
"Do you see now?" asked Yumi, "The fog here and the fog from the real world are connected somehow. Right now, there is heavy fog in this world while it's raining heavily in our reality. And when a victim is killed here by the Shadows, they'll appear in our world when the fog sets in."
"That makes sense, now that you mention it," Yosuke said.
"Grr! Enough of this mumbling! Either you guys tell me what's going on or come clean and admit your wrongdoing!"
Yumi and Yosuke glare in annoyance at Teddie's continued accusation.
Despite being annoyed too, Yu remained calm and said, "Okay, Teddie, here's a question for you. Do you know about that weird program? The Midnight Channel? Is it being filmed here?"
That was a good question. At the center of these mysterious events, the Midnight Channel was at the center of it. If nowhere else, this enigmatic program and its foreboding content had to have been filmed here, where no one can enter without help.
"Program? Film? This place has been like this from the beginning. No has done this filming thing here." Teddie answered, "Only me and Shadows are here."
"That can't be right." Yumi said, "The Midnight Channel has shown two people, and those people have died in this world as a result. It can't be a coincidence. As difficult as it is to admit, it logically follows that the Midnight Channel is connected to this world in some way. Someone has to be filming it here."
"I just told you, it's me and Shadows here!" Teddie yelled, "And if people are dying, it's probably because you grizzlies are stuffing them in here and riling up the Shadows!"
At this point, Yosuke finally loses his patience with the talking bear.
"You know, I have had just about enough of you! We don't know what these Shadow things are beyond their hostility! And if anyone dragged Saki-senpai in here against her will, it's probably you!" Yosuke yelled as he pointed at a panicking Teddie.
"M-Me? The culprit?! I wouldn't do such a thing!"
"Yeah, right! You keep saying we're suspicious, but you're the most suspicious one here! Now take off that ridiculous costume and show us who you really are!"
"Ahh! Stop it! Get off of me!"
Yosuke tackled the protesting bear to grab the oversized zipper around Teddie's neck. He successfully unzipped the head and took it off, only to shriek in disbelief at the lack of content inside the costume.
"WHOA! What the hell?!" Yosuke stumbled back.
"W-What on Earth…?!" even Yumi couldn't hide her shock. She was used to bizarre things as a Shinobi, but seeing a living costume was a first.
Once again, the only one who was calm about it was Yu.
"Huh, there's nothing inside," he said flatly.
While Yosuke and Yumi were trying to wrap their heads around how the costume could function without internal organs, Yu casually walked over to the head, picked it up, and placed it back on the flailing Teddie.
Now complete, the grateful Teddie turned to Yu, "Thanks. You really are a nice guy."
"Yo, dude, does anything rattle you?" Yosuke muttered incredulously.
"His stoicism must be instinctive. How inspiring!" Yumi said in awe of Yu's calmness in this very situation.
Yu turned to his classmates curiously.
"Okay, I'll take your word for it that you're not the ones dumping the bodies here," said Teddie.
"Why the sudden change of heart?" asked Yosuke.
"But in exchange, you gotta find the guy who's doing all this! You have to stop him!" Teddie yelled.
"What? Why should we do that?" Yosuke asked, annoyed by Teddie's demands.
"I have no one else to turn to! You have to help me! Please promise me you'll find them!" Teddie begged. He was even using puppy eyes. "I live here, you know! Everything's gotten so messed up because of what's happening! I just wanna live here in peace! Waaahh!" Teddie sobbed loudly.
Yu and Yosuke exchanged sympathetic looks but weren't sure what to do about this crazy bear.
Meanwhile, Yumi was the most sympathetic. Despite his strange appearance and curious origins, Teddie was a victim of these disturbances as well. He must have been alone for so long, and now he was dealing with this. His home was weaponized as a tool for murder by a heinous evil-doer. Because of this evil-doer, two lives have been claimed, while Teddie was suffering in fear of the hostile inhabitance. This couldn't go on. Yumi swore to find the criminal responsible for disturbing Inaba's peace. Despite the new supernatural elements involved, nothing about her mission has changed.
Yumi walked over to Teddie and gingerly hugged him, to his surprise.
"Please, do not fear, Teddie-san. I fully intend to find the culprit and make them answer for their wrongdoings. Now that I know you're troubled by these events as well, I promise to restore the peace of your home." Yumi said with a serene smile.
Teddie purred, happy to hear this.
"Wow, she knows how to put it elegantly," said Yosuke.
"I'll help too," Yu announced.
"What? Are you serious?" Yosuke asked.
"Yeah. I feel sorry for the little guy." Yu replied. Plus, Teddie didn't do anything to hurt them the last time they were in this world, which meant the bear could be trusted. There was also the off-chance Teddie wouldn't let them out if they refused.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" Teddie happily chanted as he clung to Yumi while nestling his head against her chest.
"Okay, I think that's enough," Yumi said as she gently pushed Teddie away. She thought his actions were innocent enough, so she didn't get mad.
"Well, we did come here to figure some stuff out, so what the heck… I'm in." Yosuke said.
"Yay! I was worried you'd refuse. Otherwise, I wouldn't let you guys out again." Teddie said nonchalantly.
"Why you little…!" Yosuke growled. He didn't like that Teddie practically had a gun to their heads.
"Now that we're all in agreement, I think we should properly introduce ourselves to Teddie-san." Yumi suggested, "My name is Yumi Tsukikiri."
"Yosuke Hanamura." Yosuke stated.
"Yu Narukami." said Yu.
"Teddie!"
"Yeah, we already got that," said Yosuke.
At any rate, the four were now united in the same goal. They were going to find the culprit behind the murders of Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi. But first, they needed to investigate Saki's whereabouts in this world before she died.
"Alright, it's time we moved on. We must find out where Konishi-senpai was killed." Yumi said. Yu and Yosuke nod in agreement, but Teddie had different plans.
"Wait, Yumi-chan! I wanted to ask a question." Teddie suddenly said.
"What is it?" Yumi asked curiously.
"What're those things on your chest?" Teddie asked as he pointed to Yumi's breasts, to the latter's surprise.
Yu and Yosuke were also taken aback by Teddie's boldness.
Yumi tried to keep Teddie's innocence in mind as she answered, "T-These are called breasts…"
"They're lovely. May I touch them?" Teddie asked while looking innocent.
"You may not," Yumi answered with a chilling stare. It made Teddie freeze in terror. She realized that Teddie may not be as innocent as he seemed.
"I don't know what he was expecting… Even I wouldn't ask something that stupid." Yosuke winced.
"We should leave them be," Yu said.
[-TV World: Twisted Shopping District-]
Teddie was now guiding the teens through the fog. He gave Yumi and Yosuke pairs of glasses like Yu's. They were similar to the ones Yu had, meaning they could see through the thick fog as well. At least for the immediate area around them. It still made navigating easier.
"Amazing! It's like the fog doesn't exist." Yumi's glasses were an elegant oval shape, colored white.
"Yeah. I can see so much better now with these." Yosuke's glasses were orange and square-shaped.
"I'm glad you like them, Yumi-chan. Will you forgive me now?" Teddie asked.
"Have you reflected on your bad behavior?" Yumi asked as her glasses gleamed menacingly.
"Y-Yes!" Teddie squeaked.
"Then all is forgiven." Yumi smiled.
Still, even with the fog gone, it didn't change the uncanny feeling of this world.
After more walking, the four eventually stumble upon a new location.
"What is this place? It looks like the shopping district." said an astonished Yosuke, "What's going on here?"
Indeed, the streets and buildings look identical. However, the atmosphere was different. Instead of being warm and welcoming, this replica was dreary and foreboding. The blue sky was replaced by jagged red and black circles spiraling across. It was likely because it was spawned in this distorted world.
"Weird places have been popping up recently. It's getting so out of hand, I dunno what to do." Teddie explained.
"By the way, why are you standing so far away from us?" Yosuke asked suspiciously. As he pointed out, Teddie stood a short distance away from the three teens. "You better not be planning to high-tail it again if something happens."
"O-Of course not! I just don't wanna get in your way! Besides, I can give moral support to you guys no matter where I am!" Teddie sheepishly said.
It didn't clear him of suspicion from Yosuke.
"At any rate, the attention to detail is quite impressive," said Yumi as she scanned her surroundings. First, the apartment complex, and now the shopping district. Was there a reason for these real-life places to appear in this world?
"Yeah, I'll say. They really went all out on this place." Yosuke concurred.
"But of all the places in Inaba, why'd they replicate this one?" Yu asked.
"How should I know? This is reality for the one who's here." Teddie answered.
"This is reality for the one who's here?" Yumi asked. What could that mean?
"As usual, nothing you say makes any sense," Yosuke grumbled. He took out his cell phone. It still couldn't use any service in this world. Luckily, other functions were still operational. Like the camera and stored pictures. He showed one to Teddie. It was a photo of Saki.
"Okay, Ted. We came here because we thought this girl might have shown up. Did you see her anywhere?" Yosuke asked.
Meanwhile, Yumi pondered if getting a useful device like a cell phone would benefit her research.
"Yeah, I did. I lost her when she went up to that building up there." Teddie answered. He pointed to a familiar store up ahead. It was Konishi Liquors, where Saki Konishi once lived.
"I knew it! If this is an exact copy of the shopping district, then Senpai's house is here too!" Yosuke rushed ahead.
"Wait, Hanamura-san!" Yumi commanded.
"What?" Yosuke asked impatiently.
"Remember, we are in enemy territory. We can't rush in blindly." Yumi advised.
"R-Right, I know. But we're so close to figuring out what happened to Saki-senpai, I can taste it!" Yosuke said.
"We must be patient," Yumi replied.
"Oh no!" Teddie suddenly cried.
"What's wrong, Teddie?" Yu asked.
"The Shadows are here! I knew they'd attack!" Teddie squealed as he hid behind Yu and Yosuke.
"Everyone, be on guard!" Yumi assumed a battle position. She sensed the killer intent of the Shadows closing in.
On cue, two Shadows emerge from dark patrols. It was the same masked ones as before.
"Oh, man! I knew this would happen, but still…" Yosuke groaned in grim anticipation of the shadows. Sure, the golf club was only for show, but it probably would have helped in self-defense.
"Hanamura, get back!" Yu shouted as he stepped in front of him protectively. Instinctively, he summoned the blue card and called out, "Persona!"
In a burst of blush light, Izanagi appeared standing tall and proud.
The Shadows cringed but were poised to attack Izanagi.
"Narukami-san, allow me to join in this fight!" Yumi said as she stood beside him.
"Tsukikiri, are you sure you're up for this?" Yu asked. He could see the Shadows were ready to attack her as well.
"I told you before, I won't make the same mistake twice." Yumi answered before drawing her ninja scroll, "Shinobi Transformation!"
In a bright flash, Yumi's transformation was finished, and she now donned her Shinobi Outfit, with her fans ready for mortal combat.
Teddie stared wide-eyed at what just transpired. He was surprised by seeing Izanagi for sure, but he was doubly shocked at Yumi's transformation.
"Y-Yosuke… was she…" a wide-eyed Teddie trailed off.
"Yeah, I'm sure she was..." Yosuke replied while wiping his nose.
The Shadows rush forward to their empowered prey.
Izanagi lunged forward with its spear to Cleave at the Shadow in front of it. It was thrown back, losing a fair bit of health. It rebounded for a second attack, trying to bite its prey. Izanagi blocked the attack with its spear.
Yumi meanwhile casts a Black Ice attack at the second Shadow. It did little damage. Thus, it retaliated with a violate whip of its massive tongue. Yumi skillfully dodged the tongue attack.
"Damn… still no effect!" the Good Shinobi grunted.
"Those types are resistant to ice!" Teddie announced.
Yumi turned back to the bear, surprised and curious about what she was informed of.
"Keep calm, and listen! Some enemies have weaknesses that be exploited and can resist certain attacks too. It's just a matter of testing what works on what enemy." Teddie advised seriously.
"So, that's why my attacks were ineffective." Yumi thought. These particular Shadows were resistant to ice, and most of Yumi's attacks were ice-based. In that case, she needed to switch tactics to stay relevant in this fight.
Yu had also heard this and remembered how easily Izanagi defeated the Shadows before. They were weak to lightning.
"Izanagi! Zio!" Yu called out. Again guided by instinct, Yu knew how to command Izanagi, using this odd word to cast its magic.
Izanagi heeded its user's command and summoned a lightning bolt to hit the Shadow. It scored a direct hit, and the Shadow went down.
"Nice shot!" Yosuke cheered.
"Hanamura-san, a smoke bomb if you please!" Yumi yelled while evading the Shadow currently attacking her.
"H-Huh? W-Where did… Ah!" Yosuke remembered that he stored the smoke bombs in his inner breast pocket.
"Here!" he threw one of the smoke bombs in the air.
In a split second, Yumi caught the smoke bomb in hand and threw it just as the Shadow was about to bite her. Its massive teeth clamped down on the smoke bomb, causing it to explode and release a large cloud of smoke.
Yumi pondered on whether or not a smoke bomb would work on Shadows, but it seemed the smoke bomb she threw had the intended effect. It was disoriented and vulnerable. That gave Yumi an opening for another attack.
Eyes sharp as steel and cold as ice, Yumi glared intensely at the Shadow.
"Secret Ninja Art: Ice Pillar Fan!"
Yumi performed an elegant spinning dance as her fans conjured ice. Increasing her speed, a rapid whirlwind of ice formed, clearing away the smoke and carrying the Shadow in the air.
The sharp ice shards shred at the Shadow's round body.
"It may resist my ice attacks, but it doesn't mean it completely nullifies it. With enough force applied, my attacks can still hurt it and cause critical damage." Yumi thought. She assumed as such due to remembering how she pierced one of the last remaining Shadows in their visit. That may have been due to luck, but it was worth remembering.
When the dance ended, the Shadow went down.
"They're both down! Finish them quick!" Teddie yelled.
"Right!" Yu acknowledged as he readied his golf club.
"Understood!" Yumi agreed.
The duo launched forward for an all-out attack. They attack relentlessly until the Shadows die and disappear in an icky black cloud.
It was a complete victory for them. The only casualty was the golf club, now dented and bent out of shape. It was useless now.
"Wow, you guys were awesome! Those Shadows didn't stand a chance!" Yosuke praised, "Seriously, I gotta figure out how you guys do this stuff!"
"Calm down, Yosuke! You're troubling Sensei and Yumi-chan!" Teddie scolded.
"S-Sensei?" Yu asked.
"That was incredible, Sensei! I had no idea you had such an amazing power! No wonder the Shadows were scared of you!"
"Thanks, I guess…" Yu said. He was a bit taken aback by Teddie's admiration.
"Oh, are you the person who can bring people into this world?" Teddie asked.
"Yeah," Yu answered. He saw no point in hiding this ability.
"I knew it!" Teddie cheered. He turned to Yumi and gazed intensely at her outfit with red cheeks, "And Yumi-chan, you're… wow!"
"W-Wow…?" Yumi uttered in confusion. She couldn't really question it due to exhaustion.
"You two are just amazing! Don't you think you so, Yosuke?" Teddie asked the annoyed Yosuke.
"Dude, you call him Sensei, get friendly with Tsukikiri, and show me no respect?!" Yosuke yelled as he shoved Teddie to the ground.
"Sorry…" Teddie said.
"Well, your support wasn't bad. I'll give you that." Yosuke said as he helped Teddie help.
"Indeed. Your advice was quite helpful, Teddie-san," said Yumi.
"Hehe…" Teddie chuckled sheepishly. He was happy to receive praise.
"Alright, you three keep this up, and we'll be fine from here on out." Yosuke said with a wink, "Now, let's get back to the investigation!"
"Actually, there's a slight problem," Yumi said. Before any questions could arise, her transformation ended, and she reverted to her uniform.
"T-Tsukikiri, you're back to normal?" Yosuke asked, surprised.
"But how?" Yu asked.
"N-Normally, I can hold my Ninja Transformation for much longer… But something about this world… drains my energy rapidly. That means I can't access my full power for very long here." Yumi explained between weak breaths.
"Huh? Then what're you gonna do when more Shadows show up?" a worried Yosuke asked.
"I can still fight, even without my transformation. However, to perform my Ninja Arts, I must be transformed…" Yumi said. There was another transformation Yumi could use, but she didn't want to risk an even worse drain on her energy. Plus, it would require her to shred away her clothes, leaving her underwear, and she didn't want to expose herself like that to her male classmates and the bear.
In any event, Yumi couldn't feel any more useless than she did now. She could only do so much until she found a way to work past this restriction.
"Man, what kind of cheap mechanics are these?" groaned Yosuke.
"I can still use my Persona." Said Yu, "In fact, I felt I got a little stronger from that last fight."
"Seriously, what's with this world?" Yosuke wondered.
"Like I said, this has always been like this," Teddie said.
"Not helping."
Suddenly, distorted echoes came out of nowhere. They sounded like whispers.
"I wish Junes would go under."
"It's all because of that store!"
"What the…" Yosuke uttered.
"Oh, look! Isn't that Konishi-san's daughter?"
"You know the one from that liquor store down the street? It must be awful having to deal with a daughter like her."
"Maybe if Junes went under, she'd be working at her family's store again."
"As convenient as that megastore is, it really is damaging the shopping district. It's getting to the point where kids from this neighborhood are willing to side with the enemy."
"I… know this conversation. When I was with Konishi-senpai in the shopping district, these women showed up and started gossiping about her." Yumi said. She started to think leaving Saki to her own devices was another mistake on her part. Maybe if Yumi had stayed with her, Saki wouldn't have felt alone.
"What? Senpai never mentioned anything like this…" Yosuke frowned. For some reason, he felt those gossipy words jab at him where it hurt. It made him angry and frustrated. It was nothing he heard before, but it was especially hard to hear this time.
"Teddie, you said this is reality for those who enter, right?" Yosuke asked Teddie, "Does that mean this place became reality for Saki-senpai when she wandered in here?"
"I only know about what's over here. It's all real." Teddie replied.
After hearing this, Yosuke immediately dashed in, wanting to find answers sooner rather than later.
"Yosuke, wait!"
"Hanamura-san!"
Yu, Yumi, and Teddie chase after the Junes scion.
Upon entering the store, the four found the interior was dark and dreary, with stacks of alcoholic bottles reaching the ceiling, with only a dim blue light cast over the store.
"Dammit, Saki! Why won't you understand?! Our family has poured our blood, sweat, and tears into this store for generations! Have no you shame at all?!"
"Is that Senpai's dad?" Yosuke asked, horrified by the harrowing words he was hearing.
"Don't you even know what the neighbors are saying about you?! Was it for money or some guy? Tell me why you would choose to work THERE of all places?!"
"This can't be right… Senpai always having fun at work. She even said things were cool at home… she never said anything about this!" Yosuke thought aloud. A sharp pain struck his heart. Was it his fault that her father was yelling at her? No, it couldn't be. This had to be a joke. A cruel prank. This world made no sense, anyway. It had to be screwing with him somehow. "Is this how Senpai really saw things?!"
As he looked around the store, Yosuke found something on the floor. It was the movie ticket he gave Saki. But why would she tear it up?
Suddenly, a new voice echoed through the air.
"I never got to tell him…"
"Senpai?!" Yosuke gasped. Suddenly, he felt a sense of false hope. He thought maybe she was still alive in this world somehow. "Saki-senpai, where are you? Answer me!"
"I never got to tell Hana-chan… that he was a major pain in the ass!"
"Wha…"
The boy's heart sank once again. This time, he could hear it break like glass. The words he heard pierced his mind like a knife.
Yu and Yumi were equally shocked to hear what Saki really thought.
It didn't stop there. The venomous, ghostly voice of Saki kept going.
"I was only nice to him because he was the store manager's son. That's all. But then that idiot had to get it in his head that I liked him. God, that's so annoying!"
"I-Is that true… a pain in the ass…?" Yosuke's voice cracked, and he was on the verge of tears. It was impossible. How could Saki say that about him?
"Who cares about Junes, anyway?! Thanks to that store, my family's business is ruined! My parents hate me! The neighbors constantly talk behind my back! It's all so annoying! I wish everything would just disappear and die!"
"Shut up! That's a lie! Saki-senpai's not like that! She'd never say bullshit like that!" Yosuke collapsed to his knees, trying to block out these awful words. It was a lie. Saki would never say that about him. She'd never say anything bad about anyone. They were such good friends. It can't end this way. It had to be another trick by this twisted world. There was no other explanation.
He wasn't the only one in disbelief. She had only known her briefly, but Yumi couldn't believe Saki had such cruel and despairing thoughts. About Yosuke and Junes? Her family's time-honored traditions? The neighborhood she grew up in? Did she truly hate everything around her?
This was the opposite of the girl met before her untimely demise.
Yet, everything from the Twisted Shopping District to the echoing words of malicious gossipers, her father's verbal abuse, and her feelings about every aspect of her life… all came out in this cruel parody.
It was now that Yumi understood how this world functioned. This world spawned these locations based on the memories, thoughts, and feelings of the victims who enter this world. It becoming reality for those who enter was an accurate description.
And now, the four would-be detectives get to experience the aftermath of Saki's ill-fated trip here.
It was worse for Yosuke. He said he was prepared for something unpleasant, but this revelation clearly wasn't it. His heartache and denial was understandable. The girl he fancied secretly scorned his affections. Who could blame him?
"Aw, it's so sad… I feel so sorry for myself. Boo, Hoo!" mocked the voice of another. One so disturbingly familiar.
The four turn to a dark corner of the store and see something emerge slowly, menacingly, and almost casually.
"Actually, I'm the one who thinks everything's a pain in the ass! Hahaha!" It cackled with a distorted and menacing voice.
It looked exactly like Yosuke. The only visual differences were the glowing golden eyes, dark blue aura, and the demented grin on its face.
"Isn't that right, me?"
Lyall The Werewolf: And that's that. Finally got this in. The rest of the battle will take place in the next chapter, which I'm working on as we speak.
The smoke bombs are back from Rise of the Sword and Shield. I figure it should be standard Shinobi fair to have tools like that. Funny how Senran Kagura doesn't have smoke bombs as an optional tool in-game.
I know there may or may not be any questions about it, so I'll talk about the debilitating effect the TV world has on Yumi's Shinobi Transformation. I felt I should make it so Yumi wouldn't come off as OP compared to the Investigation Team. She can still use the Shinobi Transformations, but not in the TV world without being tired after a while. It'll also make her Persona unveiling more meaningful when it happens. However, now it isn't that time.
With that, I'll see you all next time.