Meanwhile, Sora and Matt opened their eyes, only to notice they were alone.
"Is everyone okay," Sora asked.
"No one else around," Matt commented.
"Have we been forcefully separated?"
"That seems to be the case."
"I hope everyone is okay."
"I'm sure they are, but we have our mission to take care of."
"Right, I'm sure everyone is doing what they can. We have to trust that they will be okay."
"Let's head over to Junes. If we're lucky, we might be able to catch up with Tai and Izzy inside."
"Yes, let us hurry and get there as soon as possible."
Episode 9
Sora and Matt continuously walk down the endless road in search of Junes.
"Are you sure we're heading in the right direction," Matt asked.
"This has to be the route. I've been following the bus path this whole time. There's no way I could have taken a wrong turn," Sora explained.
"Well, wherever you're leading us, it's not getting us anywhere near Junes. That's for sure."
"All I have heard from you is complaints. If you have something to suggest, you should state it so we can arrive in Junes faster."
Suddenly, Matt and Sora heard a scream.
"Someone's in trouble," Matt said.
"Let's hurry and see who it is," Sora suggested.
Matt and Sora rushed towards the scream, leading them to Junes.
"That was convenient. The scream led us to Junes," Matt said.
"Don't provide nonchalant comments like that. Someone is in trouble. Let's search for them," Sora replied.
Sora and Matt surveyed each floor until they arrived at the rooftop. They spotted Rise, Yukiko, and a mysterious man with a baseball cap at the food court. The man with the cap shielded Rise from Yukiko, who glared at him.
"It's Yukiko and Rise, but who is the man in the cap? He looks suspicious," Sora said.
"It looks like he's protecting Rise from Yukiko. Did something happen between the two of them while we were gone," Matt questioned.
"We are in a glorified version of the P1 Grand Prix. I'd imagine their twisted words caused each other grief. Since the match hasn't officially started yet, he may have chosen one side over the other to comfort her."
"I know we went through the same thing, but watching it live from the outside still hurts. As soon as I see the one portraying General Teddie, I'll give that person a piece of my mind."
Suddenly, Yukiko summoned her Persona, who charged after the mysterious man. In response, the mysterious man summoned his Persona and blocked the attack.
"We don't have to fight like this. Violence doesn't solve anything. Let's calm down and try to talk things out," the mysterious man suggested.
"Do not attempt to deceive me with your words. I will use my full strength to protect my friends and my town," Yukiko declared.
"Wait, can they understand each other," Sora asked.
"If that's true, why are they fighting to begin with? It doesn't make any sense. The match hasn't officially started either. What's going on," Matt questioned.
At the corner of her eye, Sora noticed Rise's face switching from a teary-eyed look to a sinister grin. Rise summoned her Persona and prepared to attack Yukiko, the mysterious man, and their Personas while they were distracted.
"Look out," Sora shouted.
Sora and Matt rushed over to the fray. Matt tugged the mysterious man out of the way while Sora pushed Rise to the ground. Rise was distracted from the sudden fall. As a result, her Persona lost its focus and fired to the ground. Even so, the blast from the attack knocked Yukiko and her Persona away. However, the mysterious man's Persona escaped the attack.
"Woah, talk about a close call. Wait, who are you," the mysterious man asked.
"That's my line," Matt replied.
"Ow, what was that all about," Rise said, slowly getting up while glaring at Sora.
"I could ask you the same question. I wasn't aware that your Persona could fight, let alone stoop so low as to attack Yukiko and that man mid-battle. That is unbecoming of you, Rise," Sora explained.
"Why do you care? It's the creepy guy's fault that he is gullible enough to fall for such a cheap sob story. Besides, I thought we were friends. Why did you have to shove me like that? Friendships are pointless. They don't bring in good ratings," Rise ranted.
"You're mistaken. The bonds I made with my friends made me stronger. If you mock them, you disrespect our trust in each other. I won't allow you to escape after expressing such harsh words," Yukiko said, walking up to us.
"Yukiko, thank goodness you are well," Sora stated, relieved.
"Sora, Matt, what are you two doing here? How did you get here," Yukiko asked.
The atmosphere of the food court suddenly shifted, and Rise's eyes began to glow an eerie gold.
"Four against one seems hardly fair for a fragile girl like me. I need someone to help me balance the playing field. Hey, I know you're around here somewhere. Hurry up and come out here already," Shadow Rise said.
Sora, Matt, Yukiko, and the mysterious man looked around to search for others on the rooftop. Soon, what sounded like rhythmic footsteps entered the food court and danced toward us.
"Hey, boys, did you miss me," Shadow Sora asked, tugging her collar slightly.
"You're the other me. But that's impossible. I've already accepted you. How can you still be here," Sora asked.
"Sweetie, this is the P1 Climax. Anything can happen if you put your mind to it. Seriously, I thought you said you could manage this on your own. You're starting to lose your touch if you can't make that silly man fall for you," Shadow Sora told Rise.
"Are they talking about me," the mysterious man asked.
"Who else could they be talking about," Matt sighed.
"I would have gotten him if those two goons weren't in my way. Are you going to help me beat them to a pulp or not," Shadow Rise asked Shadow Sora.
"I guess I have no choice. Playing with our new friends would make for a fun little exercise. Bring on the ring," Shadow Sora shouted.
Four red pillars descended to the ground, creating a makeshift arena around us.
"What's with those giant pillars," Sora asked.
"I recognize these things. You're stuck inside them until one of us is the victor," the mysterious man answered.
"Then, there are some similarities between this and our most recent Midnight Channel escapade," Matt pondered aloud.
"So, I guess that means you aren't the culprit," Yukiko said to the mysterious man, confused.
"I'm Junpei Iori, a member of the Shadow Operatives. I'm sorry for all the trouble I created thus far," Junpei replied.
"Are you from Mitsuru's group," Sora questioned, surprised.
"That's right. If I may ask, how do you know Mitsuru and the others," Junpei asked.
"We met them not too long ago during a similar situation as this one," Matt replied.
"I see. In that case, do you mind stepping back a bit? I know this hardly counts as an apology, but I want to make it up to everyone after I rudely questioned all of you. I hate to brag, but I can deal with any situation when the going gets tough," Junpei said.
"Surely you don't plan on fighting the two of them at once. That's beyond levels of foolishness," Yukiko replied.
"In that case, let me assist you in this battle," Matt informed Junpei.
"No, Matt. If anything, I should be the one to face them," Sora replied.
"We don't know Biyomon's status if your Shadow is here. It's safer if I challenge them head-on. Don't worry. If this mastermind did anything to Biyomon, I'll make them pay," Matt replied.
"Wow, how manly it is to have your boyfriend do all the heavy lifting for you. It makes me want to vomit. Who even watches this romantic conundrum," Shadow Rise said.
"I don't know. I think it's hot. It makes me tingle everywhere. I'll show you my love by torturing you senseless," Shadow Sira replied.
"I don't know whether to be happy or scared that all of this is happening," Junpei sighed.
"Let's just get this over with so we can move on with our agenda," Matt stated.
"I agree. Persona," Shadow Sora shouted.
Shadow Sora summoned a large bulky bird with burning, winged feathered tips and massive legs.
"A giant red chicken," Yukiko said, questioning the Digimon's appearance.
"It's DarkAkatorimon. Is it true that something happened to Biyomon," Sora stated, concerned.
"But that's not all it can do. I want to show my appreciation to you and make you love me even more," Shadow Sora announced.
"DarkAkatorimon, Dark Digivolve to... DarkSinduramon," DarkAkatorimon shouted.
"Great, it even knows how to Digivolve. This battle might take a while," Matt groaned.
"What's this 'Digivolve' thing you guys are talking about," Junpei asked.
"It's a long story, but digital evolution increases our partner's strengths. The good news is that two can play that game. Persona," Matt shouted.
Matt shattered the card before him, donning his new attire and summoning his trusted ally.
"Matt, I'm here to help," Gabumon replied.
"It's good to see you, buddy," Matt said, stroking Gabumon's head.
"Hey, where'd you get the new outfit? What is that thing? How did it talk? Where can I get that giant sword of yours? Is that thing a talking animal," Junpei continuously questioned.
"I'll explain later. Right now, we have a situation to take care of. Are you ready, Gabumon," Matt asked.
"I will always fight alongside you until the very end. Gabumon, Four Card Arcana Digivolve to... WereGarurumon," Gabumon shouted.
"That cute little creature just turned into a werewolf. That's amazing. It's a little freaky, but that transformation is so cool," Junpei exclaimed.
"I see two beings of darkness standing before us. It won't be easy," WereGarurumon said.
"If anyone can take them down, it's you. Let's show them what we're capable of," Matt reassured.
"If you get even manlier, I might faint from my lust. I'll make sure to savor every painful scream you make with affection. Hey, give me a beat, would you," Shadow Sora asked Shadow Rise.
"You don't have the authority to tell me what to do. Even so, I agree that we should get this party started. It's time to turn up the music. Persona," Shadow Rise shouted.
"We heard a scream from the rooftop and ran towards it. I would never imagine we would end up in this scenario," Matt answered.
"Are you done with your little reunion? It's an unwelcoming sight. You there, the one with the baseball cap. Aren't you supposed to be on my side? Hurry up and take care of them," Rise said.
"Sorry, but I'm going to decline. There was a period when I acted like a big hotshot, only to realize how weak and unprofessional I was. Even at my lowest point, my friends were by my side to help me when I couldn't think for myself. Now it's my turn to protect those in need, so I can't help you," the mysterious man responded.
"That was a boring answer. I yawned during your speech. You need to rehearse those ugly lines first before saying them in public. If you're not going to help me, I have no choice but to bring you all down myself," Rise announced.
Shadow Rise pulled out a microphone stand with a mic as an elegant figure with long hair and a satellite face shield appeared before her.
"Is that Himiko," Yukiko questioned.
"Why do you think it isn't," Sora asked.
"Well, Rise's Persona is more of a support type. She usually helps us navigate through dungeons and aids us in battle. I've never seen her Persona perform combat unless it's an alternate version of her that unlocked recently," Yukiko answered.
"Make sure to listen to the performance of a lifetime," Shadow Rise announced.
Shadow Rise began singing a musical number that echoed throughout the food court.
"I love this tune. It's getting me in the groove. Let's dance, boys," Shadow Sora smiled.
Shadow Sora dashed towards Matt and wailed at him with flurries of punches and kicks. Matt tried to counter by swinging his sword, but Shadow Sora gracefully maneuvered away from the attacks.
"You are too slow. Tell me, are you also this sluggish in bed," Shadow Sora asked.
Shadow Sora continued to tease Matt as she struck him with rapid-fire kicks and punches. At the same time, DarkSinduramon tucked away inside its armor and began rolling toward WereGarurumon. WereGarurumon jumped out of the way each time DarkSinduramon got close to it.
"Wolf Claw," WereGarurumon shouted.
WereGarurumon tried to slash away at DarkSinduramon's armor but could not dent it.
"The armor is too strong. I can't find a way to penetrate it," WereGarurumon replied.
Meanwhile, Junpei ran towards Rise with his bat in hand.
"Sorry, Rise, but I'm going to bring this concert to a close. You can forgive me later," Junpei said.
"Excuse me, but fans shouldn't be running towards the stage while the performance is in session," Shadow Rise announced.
Himiko created a square barrier to protect Shadow Rise. As soon as Junpei struck it with his bat, he bounced away from them.
"Okay, let's try another approach. Trismegistus," Junpei shouted.
Junpei summoned his Persona, a winged figure dressed in red, and threw a fireball at Rise.
"Didn't you hear me? I said no distractions on stage," Shadow Rise remarked.
Himiko created a diamond barrier in front of Rise. The shield blocked the fireball and launched an energy bullet at Trismegistus, knocking it down.
"She's blocking all of my attacks. How am I supposed to stop her," Junpei questioned.
"That's not the only thing I can do. Are you ready for a duet performance," Shadow Rise asked.
"That sounds like a lovely idea. It's time to party hard," Shadow Sora exclaimed.
"Positron Pulse," DarkSinduramon shouted.
Himiko summoned four spheres that shot electricity up in the sky. DarkSinduramon fired multiple lightning bolts from the weapon on its back. The waves of electricity shocked Junpei, Matt, Trismegistus, and WereGarurumon. They crumbled to the ground.
"Matt, Junpei, hang in here," Sora said.
"You have to get up, okay," Yukiko replied.
"Is the show over already? What a bummer," Shadow Rise sighed.
"Is that all of your stamina," Shadow Sora teased.
"Man, these girls are tough. What are we going to do," Junpei questioned.
"Let's switch opponents," Matt answered.
"What do you mean," Junpei asked.
"Shadow Sora is right. She's too fast for my blade to catch her, but you have a baseball bat. You have a better chance at landing a shot at her when all I can do is endure her attacks."
"Okay, I can have a go at it. What about you? Rise's defense is tough. How are you going to break through it?"
"I have an idea. Cover my back in case my hunch is right. I'll take care of Rise's shields. You do something about the cowardly rooster."
"That thing is like a giant bowling ball. How am I supposed to stop it?"
"I'm sure you'll figure it out if you use that brain of yours."
"I can't tell if you're encouraging or insulting me."
"Okay, we have an agreement. I'll see you on the other side."
"You didn't explain how I can deal with that giant thing!"
"It looks like they're back up again, which means it's time for an encore presentation," Shadow Rise announced.
"I'm so glad that we can keep playing. Let's continue to dance endlessly until our bodies hit the floor," Shadow Sora said.
Shadow Rise sang another song while Shadow Sora chased after Matt. Junpei stood in between Sora and Matt.
"Sorry, ma'am, but can I be your dance partner tonight," Junpei asked.
"I like a man who is rough around the edges. I hope you can keep up with me," Shadow Sora replied.
Shadow Sora twirled around Junpei and struck him with a flurry of kicks and punches. Junpei blocked multiple strikes and tried to retaliate as often as possible. Meanwhile, Matt rushed over to Shadow Rise with his sword in hand.
"It looks like you weren't paying attention during our last fight. It is proof that boys are so dumb," Shadow Rise said.
Himiko created another square barrier to protect Shadow Rise from the incoming attack. As Matt was about to swing his blade, he stopped, which confused Shadow Rise.
"Sorry, but I'm not the one you should focus on," Matt replied.
WereGarurumon jumped over Matt and above Shadow Rise and Himiko.
"Fox Fire," WereGarurumon shouted.
WereGarurumon blasted intense blue flames from its mouth at the two figures, shattering the square shield.
"It's as I suspected. The square shield blocks physical damage but not projectile damage. It looks like you can only put one at a time within a certain time limit," Matt stated.
"So, what if you know how my shields work? We still have the advantage," Shadow Rise said.
Himiko prepared to fire another round of lightning bolts at Matt.
"I won't let you," Matt replied.
Matt completed his swing and struck Shadow Rise, sending her up in the air.
"Why do I have to do everything myself? Hey, go help her," Shadow Sora told DarkSinduramon.
DarkSinduramon tucked away inside its body and rolled towards Matt. Trismegistus zoomed ahead of DarkSinduramon to slow it down and hold it in place.
"I can do this. It is just an oversized baseball with a rooster inside. I can do this," Junpei said to himself.
Trismegistus rolled DarkSinduramon towards Junpei, who swung his bat at DarkSinduramon, sending it flying in the air.
"Hey, stop staring at that giant bird and pay attention to me," Shadow Sora said, running towards Junpei.
"Sorry, but it's time to evacuate the dance floor," Matt informed.
Matt pushed Shadow Sora over to Shadow Rise and Himiko and tripped on Shadow Rise's prone body. WereGarurumon set DarkSinduramon on fire with the flames from its mouth. Trismegistus grabbed the burning Digimon and sent it crashing toward Shadow Sora, Shadow Rise, and Himiko, creating a large explosion. As the dust settled, Trismegistus stood tall while Himiko and DarkSinduramon disappeared. Soon, the four red pillars crumbled, and the invisible walls created by them shattered.
"This was not part of the script. What a terrible performance," Shadow Rise whined.
"That was glorious. I hope you can satisfy me another time," Shadow Sora smiled.
Shadow Sora and Shadow Rise melted into black goo as fine golden particles disappeared into the sky. Sora and Yukiko rushed over to Matt and Junpei.
"Junpei, Matt, are you two all right," Sora asked.
"I'm physically okay, although seeing your double and Rise melt like that is going to haunt me for life," Junpei replied, concerned.
"I'm sorry for acting rude to you earlier. I want to introduce myself. I am Yukiko Amagi. It's nice to meet you, Junpei," Yukiko said.
"Yukiko, do you know where Yu and the others are? We were hoping to find Teddie and Yosuke here," Matt asked.
"Unfortunately, I have not seen them since the meeting. I instinctively came here because this is where we usually gather if something is amiss. However, I could not find anyone," Yukiko answered.
"It is okay. We're glad you are well, which is more than we could ask for," Sora responded.
"I hate to ruin the connection you guys are having, but would it be possible to add me into the loop of things? For example, do you folks know what is happening here," Junpei asked.
"I thought you were a part of the Shadow Operatives. We should be asking you for information," Matt replied.
"You have a good point. I'm part of a backup group for emergencies. Mitsuru, Akihiko, Aigis, and Fuuka are usually on the front lines. I was coming back from work, overslept, and ended up here. Another teammate informed me to stay here, but the phone cut out. I hope they are okay," Junpei explained.
"Not to be rude, but your other teammates seem more capable than you. I'm starting to question whether you are a member of the Shadow Operatives," Yukiko said, downcast.
"It's true; believe me. Look, the last thing I remember is Mitsuru went missing. I hoped to search for her as soon as possible, but this happened, and I cannot just ignore it," Junpei replied.
"You did not hear about the P1 Climax," Sora asked.
"I think I heard some weird mascot talking about that," Junpei responded.
"That is General Teddie. He is holding Mitsuru and the others hostage. We must save them and stop him within the hour. If not, the world will end," Matt explained.
"He also showed Mitsuru, Akihiko, Aigis, and another woman crucified inside an arena of sorts. That was when we knew they must be here somewhere," Sora added.
Junpei's face turned pale.
"Is everything all right, Junpei," Yukiko asked.
"Sorry, I was reminded of a similar experience. It's good to know that Mitsuru and the others are here. It makes my search for them easier. Do you know where they might be," Junpei questioned.
"If we had to guess, they are most likely at that misshaped tower over there," Matt replied, pointing at the tall tower looming over the town.
"Tartarus," Junpei exclaimed, astonished.
"Do you know what that is, Junpei," Sora asked.
"I'm not entirely sure, but it looks almost identical to a tower my team explored a few years back. Everything about today brought me down memory lane: the extra hour, the Shadows, and the tower. It's almost comical," Junpei joked half-heartedly.
"Junpei, you said that there are additional members of the emergency group besides you. Do you know if they are here," Yukiko asked.
"I sure hope so. My other teammates were looking for Mitsuru on what sounded like a helicopter. I'd imagine they would have spotted and recognized a tower like that no matter how far away they were. If I were a betting man, I'd say they are heading over there right now," Junpei replied.
"We planned on heading over there after meeting up with our friends in Junes. Unfortunately, we were separated, so we hoped to spot them here eventually, but they never showed up," Matt explained.
"If you are going to the tower, Junpei, we may as well tag along. We want to save Mitsuru and her team after they have assisted us in the past. Plus, I'm not sure leaving you alone to search solo is a promising idea," Sora said.
"Do I look that incapable to everyone," Junpei asked, heartbroken.
"Yukiko, would you like to come with us? There is a chance we might bump into Yu and the others along the way," Matt said.
"If it's not too much trouble, I will join you. I grew up in this town, so even if it turned into a strange maze, I should be able to navigate my way around here the best out of everyone here," Yukiko replied.
"You'll be a great asset to us. Let's head to the tower, find our friends, and end this hour's nightmare for good," Sora said.
"And if we are in trouble, there's always the Junpei-Style Stranger Danger Technique, where you yell loudly for help," Junpei suggested.
"You mean like this? PERVERT," Yukiko shouted.
"Did you have to yell so loudly right now," Matt questioned.
"I guess it's okay to have a practice run-in," Sora said, chuckling.
"Get away from my beauties, you scraggy bearded fiend. Bearsona!"
Out of nowhere, a giant robot landed between them, forcing everyone to jump back.
"What was that just now," Junpei said, panicked.
A recognizable bear jumped up from the cloud of smoke and landed in front of Yukiko and Sora.
"Don't worry, Yuki-chan and Sora. Teddie, your knight in shining armor, has arrived to vanish the naughty, unsightly cave dweller and give him a piece of my bear claws," Teddie proclaimed.
"Teddie, you were here after all. What took you so long," Matt asked.
"I'll answer your questions later, Matt. Right now, I must deal with that crude man who laid his filthy paws all over Yuki-chan and Sora unless they were also referring to you, too," Teddie continued.
"Don't lump me into your weird storylines. Can you please listen calmly for once," Matt replied, angered.
"How can I be so sure that is the case? Can you honestly say that you weren't stripping their clothes away with your animalistic eyes," Teddie interrogated.
"Teddie, that's enough. Matt didn't do anything like that, and neither did Junpei. He's a member of Mitsuru's group," Yukiko explained.
"In that case, why didn't you say so? I'm sorry about that," Teddie said, putting his Persona away.
"That's okay. Wait, I know you. You're that crazy bear on the TV telling us to fight. What happened to your strange costume? How are you friends with them," Junpei questioned.
"How dare you think that phony is anything like me? Look at my marvelous fur and sheen. I'm the better-looking bear; therefore, I'm the original," Teddie replied.
"It's true. The one you saw on TV is the culprit pretending to be Teddie. He's responsible for this whole thing and the one who captured Mitsuru and her group in the first place," Sora explained.
"I guess I can understand why he would pick you to mimic. You are unique," Junpei said.
"I'm unsure if you were complimenting me," Teddie responded.
"More importantly, where have you been all this time? I thought you were with Yosuke here in Junes," Matt stated.
"I was with Yosuke, but we were coming from Yosuke's house. We were going to head over to Junes, but I sensed that Yuki-chan and Sensei were in trouble, so we went our separate ways," Teddie explained.
"I'm glad Yosuke is fine, and if he's with Yu, I'm sure they can take care of themselves. I hope the rest of my group is also safe," Yukiko said.
"I'm sure they are. We must have faith in them," Sora said.
"Hey, Teddie, you're also a navigator, right? Do you think you might be able to direct us to the tower," Matt asked.
"Tower? What tower? Oh, my bear, where did that come from? It's huge," Teddie said, finally noticing the tower.
"That tower is most likely where the kidnapper took Mitsuru and the others. Please, if you can help get us there faster, I would appreciate it," Junpei said.
"I'm not sure. My nose hasn't been working properly since this whole death hour started. The red fog is so thick that it's clogging up my sinuses," Teddie explained.
"How were you able to sense Yukiko," Sora questioned.
"With the power of love, of course," Teddie replied, blushing.
"He's lying," Yukiko coldly remarked.
"She didn't even give it a second thought," Junpei said, surprised.
"That's Yukiko for you. Her words hit harder than her Persona," Teddie cried.
"I felt that firsthand," Junpei agreed.
"Can we please focus on heading to the tower and finding Mitsuru and our friends," Yukiko asked.
"I agree. It's about time for this comedic charade to end. We're running low on time as is. We need to get to the tower as soon as possible," Matt said.
"Then, let's not waste any more time. No matter what obstacles we face, we must head to the tower no matter what," Sora replied.
"All right, I'm all fired up. I'll do my best to lead you to the tower swiftly," Teddie said.
"That's the spirit, Teddie. I believe in you," Yukiko replied.
"If you give me a smooch, I'll work extra hard," Teddie suggested.
"That's never going to happen," Yukiko quickly stated.
"You know, I am starting to think that you should have used the Stranger Danger Technique on him instead," Junpei said.
"It's a little annoying, but I'm used to it," Yukiko replied.
"Hearing you say that hurts my bear heart," Teddie cried.
"Teddie, please focus," Matt said.
"Don't rush a bear with a broken heart. All right, one Mi-chan rescue mission coming right up," Teddie declared.
"Mi-chan," Junpei repeated, confused.
"He probably meant Mitsuru," Sora explained.
Sora, Matt, Junpei, and Yukiko left Junes, and Teddie guided them to the tower.
*To be continued*