When Teddie opened his eyes, he found himself wearing his bear suit again, standing in a vast and endless expanse of fog. He looked around in confusion.
"Where am I? Wasn't I just in the hospital?" Teddie asked himself.
It was then that he remembered what had happened earlier, when Nanako drew her last breath. Teddie wept again, heartbroken by the reality of it all.
"Nana-chan…" Teddie muttered despondently.
As Teddie stood around hopelessly, the sound of a passing vehicle began to approach him.
12/4
Yui and her friends had all gathered at the hospital, with the exception of Teddie, who never showed up at home. While this was concerning to everyone, they had to trust that he was alright while they brainstormed the reasoning behind Namatame's actions.
"I was thinking it over last night. If Namatame is 'saving' people by killing them, wouldn't that mean he didn't save us, by his definition?" Yukiko told the others.
"The Shadow Namatame on the Midnight Channel last night considered Nanako's death a failure." Naoto recalled.
"What does that mean then? Was he really putting people into the TV to save them?" Chie asked.
"Even if he was, he still threw Saki-senpai and Yamano into the TV. Or what? You think someone else was involved?" Yosuke responded.
"Wait a second...those threats!" Yui said.
"Huh?" Chie asked.
"Remember those threat letters I got? I realized something about them." Yui stated.
"The first letter said, 'Stop rescuing them'. The second one said, 'If you don't stop, the next one to go in and die will be someone dear to you.'" Naoto noted.
"Right! That doesn't make sense if we follow Namatame's logic!" Yui pointed out.
"If someone thinks death is salvation, would they imply murder?" Rise asked.
"No, I wouldn't think so." Marie replied.
"Now that I think about it, the wording, 'to go in and die' is strange. If Namatame were the culprit, wouldn't he say something like, 'I'll drag in and kill'?" Kanji noted.
"Could it be...that someone else wrote that letter?" Naoto wondered.
"I think so! Ignoring that Mitsuo kid, up until now, we've believed that there was only one killer. But we might be starting to see that that's not the case." Yui declared.
"Let's go. I believe it's time we asked Namatame about all this." Naoto stated.
"Threats? What are you talking about?" Namatame asked, sitting in his bed.
"So he didn't send those letters." Chie exclaimed.
"We have to face the truth. That includes you, Namatame. It's time you told us everything." Yui told Namatame.
Namatame looked at Yui reluctantly, but understood that he was in no position to negotiate.
"Will you even believe what I tell you?" Namatame asked skeptically.
"We're the ONLY ones who will believe you. The only ones who will understand what you're saying." Yui reminded him.
Namatame breathed a deep sigh and nodded.
"Very well. I will tell you my story."
Namatame folded his hands and held his head upright.
"I returned home in order to hide from the buzz about my affair."
"Now onto the news. City Council secretary Taro Namatame had an affair with TV announcer Mayumi Yamano." The TV news played.
Namatame sighed, doing everything he could to drown out the repetitive noise of his affair, mostly by drinking beer. When this failed to work, he shut off the TV, throwing the remote in frustration.
"I recently lost contact with Mayumi. On that night…"
The clock struck midnight, and Namatame's TV screen flickered on again, displaying a static filled image of Mayumi running from a wave of darkness.
"Mayumi?!" Namatame whispered.
Mayumi tripped over, reaching out helplessly as the wave of darkness enveloped her. Namatame instinctively reached out to her.
"Mayumi!" Namatame shrieked.
When Namatame touched the screen, his hand phased through it, causing him to recoil in shock. The TV turned off at this point, leaving Namatame standing in horror.
"I'm sure this comes as no surprise to you, but you're fired." Namatame's boss informed him.
Even though Namatame expected this, he still felt distraught, worsened by the sight of the news on the TV in the room, reporting that Yamano had been found dead.
"I thought the Midnight Channel was just some childish rumor. But I thought that maybe what I saw that night was an SOS from Mayumi."
Namatame tuned into the Midnight Channel again to confirm his suspicions. This time a new image appeared on the screen, of an individual Namatame recognized.
"Isn't that the girl from the liquor shop?!" Namatame said to himself.
"I tried to warn her. I wanted to save her. But she didn't take me seriously…"
Namatame watched in horror as the Midnight Channel showed Saki Konishi being consumed by shadow, while a dark duplicate of her stood over her and watched with glee. He repeatedly tried to call the liquor store, desperately trying to warn someone, but all in vanity.
"Pick up! Please, pick up!"
"I knew she was going to be killed, and still I couldn't save her. It was mortifying..."
Namatame watched hopelessly as the image of Yukiko Amagi flickered on the Midnight Channel. But it was then that an idea came to him.
"Suddenly I realized what I had to do. I was going to hide her somewhere, where no one could find her, not even the killer."
"Are you trying to tell me that it's safe over there? You are, aren't you?!" Namatame asked the girl on the TV, a hopeful smile growing on his face.
"No matter what the TV world was like, it was better than being killed. I would bring her back out once things quieted down in the real world. But I knew she wouldn't understand if I tried to explain things. I just had to kidnap her."
"My plan was to use my family's delivery service to pull it off. I tried to warn the police before about all this, but they didn't listen. I thought I was the only one who could do this."
Namatame watched in horror as the image of Nanako appeared on the Midnight Channel, in disbelief that the killer would target a child. Even so, he grit his teeth and prepared himself for what he had to do.
Namatame hung his head in shame after telling his story.
"When I followed the little girl into the TV, for the first time, I questioned what I was doing. I had no idea they couldn't leave on their own!" Namatame stated.
"You really were trying to save them…" Yui said.
"In my mind, I was playing the Hero." Namatame said as a self-reflection.
"There weren't anymore bodies once you started rescuing people. So to you, you really were saving them." Yosuke said.
Marie glared at Namatame.
"You say you had no idea they couldn't leave? Bullshit!" Marie said harshly.
"Marie-chan…" Rise scolded Marie.
Namatame shook his head.
"No...she's right. I think I realized the TV world was dangerous sooner than that. If I didn't think so, I wouldn't have gone to see you all." Namatame confessed.
"Gone to see us all? What are you-" Yosuke began to ask.
Yosuke's eyes widened in realization.
"Wait! The concert! You were at the Junes concert?!" Yosuke asked Namatame.
"Yes. I was disguised as a janitor. I wanted to know why the people I saved were hanging out together, and how much you all remembered. But I couldn't bring myself to say anything and just went home. I must have felt guilty about it all." Namatame explained.
Namatame clutched his head in despair.
"I was trying to save everyone. But I ended up doing the opposite!" Namatame shrieked.
"I suppose you can hardly be blamed for not understanding the Midnight Channel." Naoto admitted.
"I truly am pathetic and foolish. I'm so sorry…" Namatame apologized.
Namatame looked up at everyone.
"Please, I beg you. Find whoever is behind this. You're the only ones who know about that world." Namatame pleaded.
Yui nodded, causing Namatame to give a weak smile. Just then, a nurse barged into the room.
"Are you Yui-chan?" The nurse asked Yui.
"Ah, yes! Sorry, I know we're not supposed to be in here…" Yui began to say.
"Never mind that! Come quickly, please!"
Yui was confused, but proceeded to follow the nurse, and her friends followed right behind.
Yui's mind and heart were racing, unsure what to think of the situation. But when she entered the room, saw Dojima standing over Nanako's bed, and heard the distinct beeping of the heart rate monitor, she breathed a gasp of shock and disbelief. She went over to Dojima with no idea what to say at first.
"I can't believe it…" Yui whispered.
"Neither could I…" Dojima said with a look of relief.
Dojima fell into Yui's arms...and for the first time in what must have been years, he began to cry. A wave of relief and hope washed over everyone in the room, and Yui cried right along with Dojima.
"Nanako-chan's alive!" Chie tearfully exclaimed, holding onto Yukiko, who was also shedding tears.
"Is this real? It is, right?!" Yukiko asked.
"Amazing! This kind of miracle really does happen!" Kanji celebrated.
"Thank god…" Rise cried happily while Marie hugged her.
"'Thank god' is right. This is a divine blessing if I've ever seen it!" Marie stated with a smile.
"Ah, damn! Why couldn't Teddie be here to see this?" Yosuke stated with teary eyes.
Dojima and Yui looked over Nanako one more time. Seeing Nanako's breathing was enough to confirm that she had indeed survived.
"Nanako's holding on for dear life. She really is as strong as her mother…" Dojima said.
When Yui returned home, she stayed up watching the news. They were reporting more and more about the fog, and the rumors that it was causing health problems for people staying in it. Yui drifted off to sleep, something that became just a little easier to do after learning about Nanako's survival.
Teddie stood in the middle of an empty Velvet Room, wallowing in sorrow and self-pity.
"I felt so lonely and sad, and started to wonder why I exist. Then I remembered...I am only a Shadow. Once upon a time, human emotions started to grow and form a Shadow. It tried to forget it was a Shadow, so it took on this form and searched for a place to belong. But Shadows are not allowed to visit the human world."
Teddie looked up, making eye contact with nobody.
"Sensei, when you see Nana-chan in the afterlife, please apologize to her for me. Tell her I'm sorry I couldn't save her…"
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Teddie spun around in surprise to see Marie sitting on the seats.
"Marie-chan! When did you get here?!" Teddie asked.
"I just got here. I guess Margaret and the Nose are away on errands or something…" Marie replied, as though Teddie knew what she was talking about.
"How much of my rambling did you hear?"
"None of it, honestly. Like I said, what are you doing here? Everyone was worried about you."
"I don't know how I ended up here. I was in the hospital not that long ago…"
"Teddie, Nanako-chan's alive!"
Teddie's eyes grew wide.
"Really?! She's alive?!"
"Yes. We couldn't believe it at first, but she's still holding on." Marie said with a smile.
"Thank goodness! Thank goodness!" Teddie cried, picking up Marie and hugging her.
"Teddie...you're so emotional…" Marie muttered.
Marie suddenly felt Teddie's hands wander a little too far.
"Hey! Where are your hands going?! Idiot!" Marie shouted, pulling herself away from Teddie and smacking him.
"Sumimasen...I'm just so relieved." Teddie said.
"Well, don't stay here anymore. You belong in the human world."
"I do?"
"Yeah."
"OK Marie-chan! I'll find my way back. I want to see Nana-chan again!"
Teddie disappeared from the Velvet Room with a flash, leaving Igor and Margaret in his place.
"Welcome back." Igor said to Marie.
"Were you waiting long?" Margaret asked.
"No. I kind of wish you'd leave more often. It's better being by myself in here."
"Don't be silly, Marie-chan." Margaret said.
"What? I mean it."
12/5
Yui and her friends were all relaxing at Aiya's after having spent all day going around investigating and talking to the town residents. Though they welcomed a good Chinese meal, they were a bit demoralized that they could not find any more leads.
"Don't fret. Gathering new information on a incident from over half a year ago will always be challenging." Naoto told everyone, hoping to ease some concerns.
Naoto stood up and left the restaurant to get some fresh air.
"Even Naoto-chan's stumped…" Kanji stated.
"I can't think too hard. I get enough headaches as it is…" Marie said.
"It's alright, Marie-chan. It's mostly our problem, not yours." Rise told her.
"I'm sorry I haven't been much help."
"Being here for us is enough. I promise." Rise said with a smile.
Aika came over to Yui's table carrying a Mega Beef Bowl, much to her surprise.
"The Mega Beef Bowl? I didn't order this. And also, it's not raining." Yui pointed out.
"I know. It's a special occasion...to celebrate your sister's recovery. I hope you don't mind." Aika explained.
Yui brightened up at this kind gesture.
"That's so thoughtful of you. Thank you, Aika-chan!" Yui said gratefully, and began eating.
Yui spent some time eating each slice of beef. To her surprise, she was exceptionally hungry this time around, and managed to make it all the way to the rice.
"Excuse me. I'll come back and finish this." Yui told Aika as she stood up.
Yui stepped outside and met with Naoto.
"What are you thinking about, Naoto-chan?" Yui asked her.
"I'm thinking of the possibilities. Of the important criteria for our culprit." Naoto stated.
"What would they be?"
"They had to have had contact with Konishi-san and Yamano. They need to have a clear enough grasp on us that they can predict our actions. And they need to be able to approach your home without attracting suspicion." Naoto listed off.
"I see. That all makes sense to me."
"Can you think of anyone who fits these criteria, senpai?"
"Let's go back inside first. It's way too cold out here."
"Yes, very well."
Yui and Naoto went back inside the restaurant, telling the others what they had discussed. Yui sat back down and continued to eat her Mega Beef Bowl. To everyone's surprise, Yui ate the final bite of rice and laid her chopsticks on the table, having conquered the Mega Beef Bowl.
"Arigato, Aika-chan." Yui said politely.
"Eh?! You actually did it!" Chie cheerfully.
"Congratulations." Aika commended.
Yui mulled over the possible culprits in her mind. After enough thinking, her expression darkened as some ideas came to her. She turned to look at her friends.
"There are some things that I found strange." Yui told them.
"Like what?" Yosuke asked.
"Namatame's diary had a detailed list of everyone he had saved. But...I realized Kubo Mitsuo's name wasn't in it." Yui stated.
"Well of course not! Mitsuo was a copycat killer. He went into the TV on his own and killed King Moron." Yosuke replied.
"Is that really what happened though?" Yui asked in response.
Yosuke appeared confused by this question.
"She has a point. We have been operating under the assumption that Kubo Mitsuo entered the TV world of his own volition. However, we never confirmed that." Naoto explained.
"That's right. And if Mitsuo didn't go in on his own, then there's only one other possibility…" Yui said.
"He was tossed in there by the culprit!" Yosuke spoke up, understanding their reasoning.
"But who is the culprit?" Chie asked.
"There is someone I can think of…" Yui said with a serious expression on her face.
"Really? Who is it?" Yosuke asked Yui.
Yui took a deep breath before speaking again.
"Adachi…" Yui declared.
"Eh?! Him?! There's no way a clumsy guy like him could-" Rise began to say.
"Interesting how you mentioned him, senpai." Naoto stated.
"You thought the same thing?" Yui asked Naoto.
"Something about him has been bothering me for a while now."
"What's that?" Chie asked.
"I'm not too sure, admittedly." Naoto confessed.
"Is now a bad time to say that I never really liked that guy?" Marie asked.
"What do you mean, Marie-chan?" Chie asked Marie.
"He always seemed...off to me. But it wasn't any of my business, so I just didn't say anything..."
"Oh! I remembered something! He visited the inn when Yamano was staying with us." Yukiko told everyone.
"Are you certain?" Naoto asked Yukiko.
"Yes. And he must have been in contact with Konishi since she was connected to the case." Yukiko answered.
"It's true. As weird as it may be, he fits the criteria. We can't rule him out as a suspect." Yui said.
Suddenly, Naoto's phone began ringing.
"Hello? This is Shirogane. Hm? Now? I understand." Naoto said as she answered the phone.
Naoto informed everyone of what the call was about, prompting them to head for the hospital.
Yui and Yosuke were riding the elevator up, which gave them time to discuss some details of the case.
"I spoke with Dojima-san earlier today. I asked him about the situation with Mitsuo. Apparently, he blacked out in the interrogation room when he turned himself in." Yui told Yosuke.
"What? He turned himself in? I didn't know that." Yosuke exclaimed.
"The police didn't take his confession seriously. But that was when Mitsuo was investigated by Adachi." Yui explained further.
Just then, Adachi walked by, appearing puzzled by their presence.
"Huh? What are you two doing here? Nanako-chan's room isn't here, you know." Adachi said.
Yui and Yosuke glared at Adachi.
"What's with those angry looks?" Adachi asked curiously.
"Adachi!" Dojima called out, walking on his crutch.
"Dojima-san! What are you doing up? You need to rest!" Adachi told Dojima.
"Adachi, where's Namatame?" Dojima asked him.
"He was transported out a while ago. I was looking for you so I could let you know." Adachi answered.
"Transported?! Who authorized that?! I was going to ask him more questions!" Dojima asked angrily, grabbing Adachi by the collar.
"Cut me some slack, Dojima-san…" Adachi said pathetically.
"You know, there's something about those two murders. Namatame didn't have a sound motive, and his alibi was solid..." Dojima muttered.
"Is that your detective's intuition again?" Adachi asked nervously.
Adachi pulled Dojima's grip away.
"But like I said, he's been transported already. There's no point getting on my case about it."
"What are you two doing here, anyway?" Dojima asked Yui and Yosuke.
"We need to speak to Adachi." Yui stated.
"Do you mind giving us a full account of when Yamano vanished?" Yosuke asked Adachi.
"Hmm...let me think. The reporters were forcing their way in, so I was there to serve as an undercover bodyguard. But my memory's kind of fuzzy about that time…" Adachi replied.
"Did you ever speak with Saki-senpai?" Yosuke asked further.
"Yes, I did. She was the witness who found the body, after all. We talked maybe once or twice."
"Did you learn anything about the threat letter I got?" Yui asked.
"Threat letter? Oh, that! I wonder whatever happened to that letter…" Adachi responded.
"Hey! I thought I told you to send that letter to the lab?! Don't tell me you forgot!" Dojima said to Adachi.
"Sorry about that. You were in that accident, and things got so crazy that I..." Adachi said with a nervous chuckle.
Everyone was beginning to scowl at Adachi even more now, which left him unsettled.
"What's gotten into you all? I have to go! Need to make a report at the police department." Adachi said as he began to walk away.
"I have a question for you as well." A voice said to Adachi.
Adachi turned to see Naoto, along with Chie, Yukiko, Rise, Marie, and Kanji, all giving him a judgmental look.
"I know for certain that Namatame did not kill the first two victims. Someone else did." Naoto stated.
Adachi looked at Naoto with a look of unease.
"Adachi-san, would you know who that might be?" Naoto asked seriously.
"What are you talking about? You've lost me." Adachi asked in confusion.
"Cut the crap! She's saying YOU did it!" Kanji said aggressively.
"What?! Don't be ridiculous!" Adachi said in a shocked tone.
"Just admit it! It was you, wasn't it?!" Marie shouted.
"How can you say that? I didn't do it! It was Namatame! He threw them all in!" Adachi shouted back.
Everyone gasped at this statement, with the exception of Naoto and Yui, who were both now staring coldly at Adachi.
"What did you say, Adachi?" Yukiko asked.
"He threw them in? Do you know something about his methods?" Dojima asked Adachi with a grave tone.
"Adachi-san...something you said some time ago has been bothering me. Now I understand what it is." Naoto said, walking closer to Adachi.
Beads of sweat began to form on Adachi's forehead.
"Do you remember at the time of Dojima-san's accident, when I read Namatame's journal out loud?"
"These are all the names of the victims, including his failed attempts from the third name onward! And Morooka's name and address aren't listed here!"
"Amazing! This proves it was him!"
"How does it prove anything, hm? Isn't that just a bit strange?" Naoto asked Adachi, her eyes looking at him from underneath the brim of her hat.
"At the time, the police didn't know about those failed attempts. But you didn't say anything about that when Naoto read the list. Adachi...explain yourself, now!" Yui said harshly.
Adachi's eyes darted around the hall, and he suddenly sprinted away into Namatame's former room.
"Hey! Son of a bitch!" Kanji shouted.
Yui and the others went into the room Adachi ran into, only to find the room dark and empty.
"Where did he go? We saw him run in here, didn't we?" Yosuke asked.
Yui looked across the room at the large TV, and knew in an instant where Adachi fled to.
"He's in there...the TV world." Yui stated.
Dojima struggled towards the others, his wounds acting up again. Yui caught him as he was about to fall.
"Dojima-san. It's OK. Leave this to us." Yui told Dojima.
Dojima looked up at Yui and nodded, accepting that he had no choice but to let them take care of things from here.
Back in Nanako's room, Nanako was beginning to wake up as she detected someone in the room.
"Teddie?" Nanako said, seeing Teddie standing by her bed.
"Nana-chan. I'm back. I'm so glad you're alive." Teddie told Nanako.
"Teddie...you disappeared in my dream. Where did you go? I was calling for you." Nanako told Teddie.
Teddie stared in surprise at this statement.
"I heard onee-chan's voice, and your voice too. I heard everyone. Thank you for being with me, Teddie…"
Nanako fell back to sleep, her energy still low. Teddie held her hand one more time.
"So what if I'm a Shadow? There has to be something only I can do!" Teddie said to himself.
12/6
Yui and her friends had entered the TV world to search for Adachi. Despite Marie's protests, Rise insisted she stay behind, denying even the slightest risk of something happening to her in the TV world. Rise tried using Himiko to search for Adachi, but she found it extremely difficult due to the fog, which seemed to have worsened since they last visited.
"Guess this means both our world and this world are going nuts." Yosuke commented.
"It's no use. I can't get a trace of him…" Rise said hopelessly.
Himiko faded away for now.
"Geez, Teddie. Where are you when we need you?" Rise muttered.
"Guys, look!" Yui called out.
There Teddie was, standing on a pathway and looking out into the fog. He turned to look at his friends in an almost apologetic way.
"Sensei. Everyone." Teddie mumbled.
"Where have you been, Teddie?!" Yosuke exclaimed.
Rise ran up to Teddie and hugged him tearfully.
"Teddie! You stupid bear! Why are you so late?!" Rise scolded.
"I'm sorry, Rise-chan." Teddie apologized.
"Where have you been all this time?" Kanji asked.
"I've figured out a lot about myself and this world. Things I wished I didn't know at first. I'm willing to tell you all about it, if that's OK with you all."
Teddie proceeded to explain everything he knew, and who he was.
"You're a Shadow?!" Yukiko exclaimed.
"Yeah…" Teddie said sadly.
"OK, so? What's wrong with you being a Shadow?" Kanji asked Teddie.
Teddie seemed confused at this statement.
"You are able to use a Persona. That means you have an 'ego'." Naoto noted.
"Just like humans, see?" Chie added.
"You're not just a Shadow. You're one of us." Yui said with a smile.
"I'm...I'm human?" Teddie asked in disbelief.
"Please don't leave again. It's like I was trying to say before. You belong with us." Yui told Teddie.
Teddie suddenly began wailing like a baby, though it was clear that he was crying tears of overwhelming joy.
"Arigato! Thank you all so much! I'm so happy I met all of you!" Teddie sobbed.
"That's great to hear. Now stop crying! We need your help!" Yosuke said to Teddie.
"Rawr! I'm going to give it my all! Just wait!"
Teddie quickly wiped his tears away and focused intently on his surroundings, determined to find Adachi. He began sniffing the air, and quickly locked onto a powerful energy sensation.
"It's over there! I can vaguely smell it, but there's a powerful energy coming from that direction!" Teddie explained.
"That way? But that's…" Yui began to say.
"Wait...that's where we went the first time we got here! That creepy apartment room!" Chie remembered.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Yosuke said.
Yui and the others reached the door to the apartment room and heard a voice coming from behind it.
"Damn it...I had my eyes on her, and then she went and had an affair. Stupid bitch…" The voice muttered.
Chie kicked the door open, allowing the others to barge in.
"You crooked bastard…" Yui growled.
Adachi was looking out the window, basking in the ethereal yellow glow. He glanced over his shoulder to look at them.
"You're all such pests. Sheesh…" Adachi stated.
"Adachi...you were the killer, weren't you?" Yui asked.
"What does it matter if I was? Seems like this world will fuse with the other one soon anyway." Adachi said in an uncaring way.
"What do you mean?" Naoto asked Adachi.
"This world will soon become reality, and humans will turn into Shadows."
"What is he talking about?" Kanji asked the others.
"Don't change the subject! You threw Yamano into the TV, didn't you?" Yosuke shouted.
"You really want to know, huh? I'll tell you, for what it's worth. Truthfully, that time was an accident. I called her to the lobby to ask her something. But then she became hysterical..."
"Wait, something's wrong! This isn't Adachi we're talking to. It's just a projection!" Rise exclaimed.
Adachi began to glitch like TV static, confirming Rise's suspicions.
"Bravo! I'm surprised you noticed so quickly!" Adachi applauded sarcastically.
Adachi began to walk toward the window, which opened up a portal into a new part of the TV world.
"You want to come find me? I dare you to try!" Adachi taunted.
"Hey! Get back here!" Chie shouted, chasing after the fake Adachi.
The others followed closely behind. As they entered the portal, they were horrified to see the shopping district, crumbled to ruin as though it had become a warzone.
"Isn't this wonderful? Looks like this world has taken a real liking to me! It's like I'm the king of this world. I can go wherever I want, and those monsters won't even touch me. You brats, however..." Adachi said delightfully.
A colossal Shadow appeared behind Adachi, trudging its way over to Yui and the others.
"You think that's gonna scare me? Take-Mikazuchi!" Kanji shouted, summoning his Persona.
"Persona!" Naoto shouted, summoning her Persona as well.
Naoto and Kanji proceeded to fight back against the Shadow, staggering it with each strike they took.
"Senpai! Go find Adachi! We'll handle this!" Kanji told Yui.
"OK!" Yui replied.
Yui and the rest of the team ran past and searched for Adachi. They found him sitting on a chair, in what appeared to be the remains of the Amagi Inn, which greatly distressed Yukiko.
"This hick of a town was so boring, I spent my days glued to the TV." Adachi muttered, staring down at a TV on the floor.
The cracked flat screen TV showed the image of Yamano speaking, to which Adachi responded by pressing his foot down on the screen. Gently, but visibly frustrated.
"I was secretly cheering her on, but then she…"
In a flash of light, Adachi appeared in a reconstructed inn, standing before Ms. Yamano. Yui and her friends realized that Adachi was showing them a glimpse of the past. However, they were locked behind glass doors, powerless to get through and forced to watch the scene play out.
"Who are you? What do you want so late at night?" Yamano asked Adachi.
"That whole thing about the affair. It's just a lie, isn't it?" Adachi asked.
"That's none of your business!" Yamano shouted at Adachi.
"So...you don't deny it. Shame. I even had a thing for you..." Adachi muttered.
Adachi looked away from her dismissively.
"Turns out, you're just a stupid, worthless bitch." Adachi said scathingly.
"Stay away from me, or else I'll scream for help!" Yamano threatened.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Adachi shouted.
Yamano stepped backward in fear at his outburst.
"You need to feel a bit of fear to cool that hot head of yours. Come closer..." Adachi said devilishly.
Adachi approached Yamano slowly, before suddenly rushing up and grabbing her collar.
"No! Get away! Let go of me!" Yamano shrieked.
When Adachi pushed her up against the TV, she fell right in, screaming in terror as she was transported to the TV world.
"*gasp* She fell in! Amazing! I pushed her all the way in!" Adachi said in surprise, cackling in evil delight.
"That happened in our lobby?!" Yukiko said in disbelief.
Another flash of light brought everyone back to the ruins.
"I had heard rumors of the Midnight Channel. But it was sheer coincidence that I discovered my powers this way. I couldn't stop laughing! This was when I knew it was going to be a blast!" Adachi continued, still cackling.
"So you tested your powers on Yamano?" Yui asked accusingly.
"Ha ha ha, no! I'm more pure hearted than that. I was just trying to teach that stupid bitch a lesson." Adachi retorted.
Yui was in complete shock and disgust at Adachi's blatant misogyny and disregard for others, as was Yukiko and Chie.
"God, you really are the worst!" Chie said angrily.
Suddenly, the giant Shadow from before appeared, toppling over a piece of the inn as it pursued Yui and her friends.
"Burn in hell!" Yukiko shouted, summoning her Persona to ignite the Shadow.
"I've got your back!" Chie told Yukiko, summoning her Persona to unleash a mighty kick on the Shadow.
"There's no use fighting back. This town will soon be covered in fog, and this world will be reality!" Adachi said as he stood up and disappeared.
"Senpai! Go on ahead! Teddie! Don't lose sight of Adachi!" Rise said, summoning her Persona to protect Chie and Yukiko.
"You can count on me!" Teddie said confidently, leading Yui and Yosuke towards Adachi's true location.
They ended up in what seemed to be a shadowy recreation of the police station, and when they peered through the one way mirror, Yosuke shouted in horror at what he saw.
"Saki-senpai!" Yosuke shouted.
Adachi was sitting across from the table, looking at Konishi with ill intent in his eyes. Konishi stood up from the table in discomfort, made worse by the naturally cold atmosphere of the interrogation room.
"What's going on? Weren't you supposed to question me?" Konishi asked Adachi.
"Oh, I have a question alright. You had a fling with Namatame, didn't you?" Adachi said accusingly.
"What?! I did not!" Konishi said defensively.
"Hey, hey, it's cool. I'll keep your little secret, as long as you do what I tell you." Adachi said coyly.
Adachi got extremely close to Konishi, putting his face far too close for comfort. The moment Konishi could smell his breath, she slapped him in the face, causing him to flinch and step backward.
"So...you won't?" Adachi muttered.
Adachi's mouth suddenly curved into an evil grin.
"I know just what to do with you!" Adachi shouted.
Adachi grabbed Konishi's face and slammed her against the TV screen, shoving her into the TV world. Yosuke slammed the glass in rage, as witnessing Konishi's fate was far worse than he ever imagined.
"Fuck! Adachi, you fucking bastard!" Yosuke roared.
"Damn high school bitch. This world is complete shit." Adachi mumbled.
Adachi stuck his head into the TV.
"Cry and beg for forgiveness, bitch! Maybe then I'll let you out!" Adachi taunted, even if Konishi couldn't hear him.
Adachi pulled his head out of the TV laughing uproariously.
"Yeah right. Like hell I'd go somewhere that dangerous." Adachi cackled.
Adachi suddenly appeared before Yui and the others, and they promptly glared at him with infernal gazes.
"I was supposed to be an elite in the capital. But I ended up in the middle of nowhere. Still, I got to have these cool powers." Adachi stated.
"So what? We're supposed to feel sorry for you, all of a sudden?! I'll never forgive you!" Yosuke said angrily.
"Hey now, put yourself in my shoes. I had no idea the TV world was dangerous. I never meant to kill them. Mayumi and that little brat clearly tricked Namatame. They got what they deserved. Did I really do anything bad?" Adachi said as an excuse.
"Shut the hell up!" Yosuke shouted, punching at Adachi.
Yosuke's fist was met with static, and Adachi's laughter.
"Moron. That's not the real me, remember?" Adachi taunted.
"What about Namatame? What did you do with him?" Yui asked Adachi.
"After Konishi's body popped up, he called the cops in the middle of the night. And guess who happened to pick up?" Adachi said, almost cheerfully.
The image of Namatame appeared before them, making a phone call to the police.
"Really?! So that's the nature of how they died? And you're saying the next one is going to be a girl in a kimono that appeared on that weird TV program? Look, Namatame. Do you really think anyone will buy that?" Adachi said on the other end.
"You have to believe me! You have to protect her!" Namatame pleaded.
"Listen, Namatame. The cops aren't going to act just because of some weird TV program that you obviously dreamt up." Adachi stated plainly.
"But…" Namatame began to say.
"I know! Since you're so desperate, why don't you save her yourself? You could hide her somewhere where no one could find her."
"Somewhere where no one can find her…"
"You'll figure it out, right? I know you can do it!"
Namatame hung up, staring at his TV in contemplation.
"Amazing, isn't it? Namatame misinterpreted what he saw and called me, of all people!" Adachi squealed, clearly proud of himself.
Yui and Yosuke glared, unamused.
"I just gave him that little push. And with that, the more people you saved, the more people Namatame kidnapped. You created a vicious cycle with your good intentions. This was all your fault!" Adachi said with devilish glee.
The giant Shadow caught up with them again, prompting Yosuke and Teddie to spring into action.
"Yui-chan! Let us handle this Shadow, and go after Adachi!" Yosuke told Yui.
"OK!" Yui replied, chasing after the image of Adachi.
Yui chased him all the way to a large, desecrated office building, and the two of them stood underneath the almost crumbling roof.
"You threw Mitsuo into the TV too, didn't you?" Yui asked Adachi.
"He came to me himself to turn himself in. But it was too early in the game. It was before we had any idea who the killer was. Luckily, he was written off as just a prankster, and got sent over to me. I never imagined someone would want to take credit for someone else's crimes. If we closed the case, Namatame would stop saving people, and I couldn't have that, right? So I told everyone that I sent him home, and tossed him into the TV on impulse." Adachi explained.
"You must feel pretty lucky, don't you? All those things working out for you so nicely. Then why are you like this?" Yui asked begrudgingly.
"Worked out? Hardly. You had to go and screw things up again. Thanks to you, Mitsuo was treated like the real killer and was arrested again. He did such a lame copycat killing too. But I suppose it DID work out, since Namatame continued saving people. He must have gotten such a high off of that." Adachi stated, ignoring Yui's question.
Yui walked further, climbing up a flight of crumbling stairs before reaching an isolated room, where Adachi was sitting at a table with dozens of empty bowls on it. His sarcastic applause indicated to Yui that this was the real Adachi.
"Bravo! I'm impressed you made it all this way!" Adachi said jokingly.
"I won't ask again. Why are you doing this?" Yui asked sternly.
"You're asking me what my motive is? Well...I don't really have one. It was just that I could, and it was fun. This world is really to blame isn't it? It reflects people's true thoughts." Adachi said, motioning to the TV world.
Adachi stood up with a twisted grin on his face.
"Aren't you all just high-schoolers? You should be studying instead of working on this shit. Study hard, go to college, marry a cute girl…"
Adachi looked at Yui with a sick glance.
"Oh, that's right. You can't do that last one." Adachi said mockingly.
"Don't you DARE go there!" Yui said angrily, pointing her finger at Adachi.
"What I'm trying to say is, why get worked up over something you can't control? Don't you have anything better to do? You're all a bunch of lonely losers!" Adachi stated.
"We're not the lonely ones here…" Yui said coldly.
Adachi's face contorted in pain for a moment before quickly switching to a confident and cocky expression.
"Don't act so high and mighty! You stupid, worthless dyke!" Adachi said in irritation.
"What did you call me?" Yui asked with narrowed eyes.
"You heard what I said! Man, I can't stand girls like you! What's the point of your existence if you're not interested in producing offspring?"
"That's far beside the point, Adachi."
"Whatever. Like I said, everyone will end up as Shadows. You're too late to stop it."
"Moments ago, I thought you were despicable. The most vile and unpleasant human being I've ever met. But I see how it truly is. You're the most pathetic person I've ever known." Yui stated.
Adachi flew into a rage at this statement.
"Shut the fuck up already! You're so annoying! I don't need pesky brats like you in my new world!" Adachi roared.
Adachi pulled out his gun and pointed it directly at Yui's head. Yui froze instinctively, and despite her eyes now filled with fear, she put on a brave face to spite Adachi.
"Whatever you think you're pulling, I'm gonna end it now!" Adachi threatened.
"You can't shoot me. You're too much of a coward." Yui dared Adachi, doing her best not to reveal that her blood was running cold.
Adachi laughed in ridicule.
"Wow! Very bold! Do you even have a brain in there for me to shoot?" Adachi asked.
Yui shut her eyes and grit her teeth just as a gunshot rang out. When she opened her eyes, she realized she wasn't dead, noticing that Adachi had angled his gun to the ground in front of her. Seeing the smoking barrel of the gun and the hole in the stone where Adachi shot made Yui realize just how close she was to dying.
"Oh fuck! This guy really is crazy!"
"Did that get your heart racing? The only reason I joined the police force was so I could carry a gun." Adachi said, carelessly spinning the gun around his finger.
Adachi pointed the gun at Yui again, his sick expression never leaving his face.
"Stupid bitch. You're not worth the bullet. You deserve a much more agonizing death for getting in my way. I think I know just what to do…"
Adachi looked past Yui. Yui looked behind her for a moment and saw a cracked, but still functioning TV screen. She gasped in horror, knowing what Adachi was thinking.
"No. No! You can't do this!" Yui shrieked.
"Oh, yes I can! Now no sudden movements! I won't miss a second time!" Adachi shouted, slowly walking closer to Yui.
In one sudden movement, Adachi rushed toward Yui and pushed her against the TV screen. Despite her efforts to resist, Yui eventually slipped into the TV, screaming as she fell to an unknown part of the TV world.
"Hmm...wonder where that leads to? Hopefully someplace horrible!" Adachi said to himself.
Adachi stuck his head into the TV screen.
"Good luck surviving whatever's over there, bitch!" Adachi taunted.
Adachi pulled his head out of the TV and laughed maniacally, believing that he had won.
Yosuke and Teddie were struggling to finish off the giant Shadow until the others caught up with them. Together, they all struck the Shadow at once, finally toppling it over and subduing it. As it dissipated, the team reoriented each other.
"Where's Yui-chan?" Chie asked.
"Probably with Adachi right now. Come on, we gotta hurry!" Yosuke stated.
"Guys! Something's wrong!" Rise told everyone.
"What is it, Rise-chan?" Yukiko asked.
"I can't see Yui-senpai up ahead!" Rise said, using Himiko to search where Adachi should be.
"What?! She's not dead, is she?" Chie asked in fear, assuming the worst.
"No, I'm picking up her reading somewhere else, but I don't know where!"
"I think I smell sensei too! Wherever she is, she's not here anymore." Teddie said, becoming very concerned.
"What's going on?! How could senpai just disappear on us when we're so close?!" Kanji asked.
"Everyone...look!" Naoto called out.
Off in the distance, where a destroyed Junes food court was located, a large and cracked TV screen flickered on. The team ran towards it to get a closer look, and what they saw was something out of their most horrid nightmares. Chie in particular screamed in horror at what she was seeing. The TV was showing an image of Yui, wrapped up in bandages and regal garments that made her look like a pharaoh. She was standing outside the entrance of a grey, stone building and holding a microphone in her hand. She held up the microphone to her face and began to speak.
"Attention, viewers! My name is Yui Narukami! And it is with great pleasure that I am able to announce the grand unveiling of my newest gallery! Come one, come all! See for yourself the fruits of my labor. I give you...the Narukami Exhibit!"
Author's Note(11-10-23): Oh no...