Thanks to Yosuke lighting the way the members of the Investigation Team were able to navigate the dark halls of Marukyu Striptease as Teddie's nose led them slowly but surely towards where he smelled a powerful Shadow.
"Are you sure we're heading the right way Teddie?" Chie asked as they walked down another hall. "We haven't seen any Shadows in a while so…"
As if on cue the moment Chie said that they heard something just before a Shadow was attracted by the light from Yosuke's Pyro Jack and approached them revealing itself to be a stone with a purple mask as it approached them with another identical Shadow behind it.
"I think so… I smell a powerful Shadow past these three, but you need to be careful." Teddie frowned. "They're strong too."
"Alright, in that case the first thing to do is figure out what works on these creeps." Kanji pointed out as a Persona Card appeared in front of him and he shattered it. "Setanta, Zionga!"
A humanoid figure in armor with a brown cape and wearing a blue and green scarf appeared holding a spear as he rose his spear and a bolt of lightning struck one of the Shadows causing it to pause before continuing to head towards the Investigation Team.
"That didn't work, then how about this?" Yukiko asked as a card appeared in front of her, and she shattered it with her fan. "Ganga, Bufula!"
A winged gray female snake wearing a metallic bra and crown appeared and encased one of the Shadows in a block of ice before shattering only to reveal the while hurt the Shadow was still heading towards them.
"Let me try something!" Chie cried running as she kicked the Shadow a few times knocking it back. "That sort of worked, it looks pretty tired."
"Virtue, Mahama!" Yu called crushing a card as a green angel appeared above him and golden cards appeared in front of both Shadows before invisible blades destroyed them both.
"Wow, that was incredible sensei." Teddie whispered in awe. "You took them both out like it was nothing."
"Well, they were weak to light so if any more of those things show up, we know what to do." Yosuke pointed out.
"Right, so now we just need to keep going to try and find that strong Shadow is and then hopefully the lights will turn back on." Kanji agreed before turning to Yosuke. "Are you sure you're alright keeping that light around?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Yosuke nodded only to frown. "The worst part is that I can't help you guys fight the Shadows."
"Well, I smell that strong Shadow just a little farther ahead." Teddie admitted before noticing a door. "Oh, I think it's right here."
"Are you sure Teddie?" Yukiko inquired looking at the door.
"Positive, there's something powerful behind that door." Teddie nodded before frowning. "At least, I'm pretty sure it is."
Yu turned to the door before nodding and slowly opening it where despite the darkness they could make out Shadow Rise.
"You came! Okay, I'm ready for anything…" Shadow Rise smiled before she took a slow breath. "It's my first time… please be gentle. I'm turning on the lights, ok?"
The moment she said that there was a blinding flash of light before it faded to reveal Shadow Rise was gone and in her place was a large snake-like Shadow with the symbol for male around its neck and the symbol for female hanging off the symbol for male as Pyro Jack vanished.
"What the, what is that thing?" Chie questioned seeing it. "Was that thing keeping the lights off, but why would the Shadow turn them back on?"
"I don't know, but I'm not complaining. Let's just take this thing down and hope that the lights stay on this time." Yosuke pointed out only for the Shadow to release a strange green gas that slowly faded. "What the, what was that?"
"Who knows, but we need to take this freak down." Chie pointed out.
"Right, come Konohana Sakuya!" Yukiko called. "Agilao!"
Her Persona appeared and enveloped the Shadow in flames causing it to cry out before collapsing to the ground.
"Nice one, let's take it down." Kanji grinned as the rest of the Investigation Team nodded charging in at the Shadow and attacking it only for it to whip its tail around after a few moments forcing them to back away.
"That had to do some damage." Yosuke mentioned before frowning. "Still, we can't let our guard down."
"Right, who knows what this Shadow will try. If it was strong enough to keep the lights off it might have some other tricks that we don't know about." Yu nodded in agreement.
Almost immediately after Yu said that the Shadow got up again as it whipped its tail and a wave of green electricity struck the entire Investigation Team, causing them to wince in pain as Chie suddenly fell to a knee and looked sick.
"Chie!" Yukiko cried seeing that.
"This is bad, she's been poisoned." Teddie panicked nervously.
Yu's eyes widened before he frowned. "Change, Virtue Posumudi!"
Crushing a card, a green angelic Persona appeared as a glow enveloped Chie as she felt the poison fading from her body.
"We need to be careful if this thing can poison us." Yosuke frowned as he destroyed a. card. "Pyro Jack, Agilao!"
The same Persona he summoned to give them some light reappeared and shot flames from its lantern at the Shadow causing it to fall to the ground again only Yu frowned.
"Yosuke, try and hit the Shadow again… if we rush in we might walking into a trap." Yu suggested to him.
"Yeah, you have a point partner." Yosuke agreed as Pyro Jack enveloped the Shadow as it cried out again.
(The lights in Marykyu Striptease have turned back on but the Investigation Team has encountered a powerful Shadow that's vulnerable to fire. Next chapter the Investigation Team will defeat this Shadow and continue trying to reach Shadow Rise. As always any reviews or critique is appreciated.)