Meanwhile, Ken, Koromaru, Kanji, Mimi, and Joe walked down a hallway filled with red fog. Even with the special glasses Teddie created, Kanji, Mimi, and Joe could barely see. The fog was thick enough to muffle their footsteps as they carefully surveyed their surroundings.
"Was your school always this expansive and disturbing," Joe asked Kanji.
"It's like a haunted house, a murder mystery game, or an escape room," Mimi commented.
"Our school is smaller than this. I'm even having difficulty figuring out where everything twists and turns. None of these classrooms are in the right location," Kanji complained.
"Can we please focus on our mission and keep our guard up? You are all acting like children," Ken sighed.
"You are too stiff. You are only young once, so you should take advantage of your youth. I bet you would be cuter if you loosened your brow and smiled more," Mimi replied.
"I'll consider that advice. Right now, our priority is rescuing Mitsuru and the others and stopping whoever summoned this tower for their grandiose scheme," Ken responded.
"Nothing gets past you, huh," Kanji said.
"You could learn some things from him," Joe replied.
Episode 12
As they continued to walk down the hall, Koromaru ran toward one of the doors. After sniffing the contents behind the door, Koromaru jumped back and growled.
"What is it, Koromaru? Did you find something," Mimi asked.
"It appears someone is on the other side of that door," Ken informed everyone.
"Let's bust this door wide open," Kanji said.
"We don't know if a Shadow is inside," Joe told Kanji.
"That's reason enough to barge into this classroom. There's no point opening it slowly if the enemy will attack us regardless. We should jump at them in one motion whenever possible. You can be a little clueless," Kanji retorted.
"He called you foolish. That's a new one," Mimi giggled to Joe.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Joe replied.
"It is as though I have teamed up with children," Ken sighed.
Koromaru whimpered at Ken's response. Kanji aggressively opened the door. Red fog spewed out from the classroom as Kanji and Koromaru entered the room first, a music room with sheet music scattered all over the floor. Music stands and chairs circled the room, creating a makeshift ring. Portraits of musical composers stared down at the ring with glowing eyes. The chalkboard had the tournament title written in sheet music. A single cross stood by the corner of the makeshift ring where a familiar figure hung on it with a distressed look. Koromaru quickly baked to grab everyone's attention.
"Akihiko," Ken said, rushing over to the cross.
"They got him good, too. I've never expected him to have such a pained look," Kanji replied.
"He needs immediate medical attention. Quick, bring him to the ground at once," Joe informed.
Ken, Kanji, Joe, and Mimi quickly undid the knots on the cross, safely bringing Akihiko down to the ground. After catching his breath, Akihiko slowly came to.
"Akihiko, are you okay," Mimi asked.
"Don't push yourself too hard. You look spent," Joe replied.
"Ken, everyone, you're all here," Akihiko said, gasping for air.
"It's alright, Akihiko; you're safe with us now," Ken replied.
"I'm sorry for letting you see me in such terrible shape," Akihiko replied.
"You got nothing to be sorry about," Kanji stated.
"It was the enemy who did this to you. Don't worry, we're going to catch the evildoer and make them eat their words," Mimi declared.
"It's nice to see you all free-spirited. I wish I could join in, but my body feels heavy," Akihiko replied.
"You just need to focus on getting better. That's the most important thing," Joe replied.
"Oh man, was I late to the party? Sorry about that. I was trying to get here as fast as I could, but these hallways are nothing to sneeze at," a voice said.
Everyone turned to the tired person leaning on the door. He wore a baseball uniform and looked about the same age as Akihiko.
"Junpei, I'm glad you made it," Ken replied.
"Ken, do you know this suspicious man," Mimi whispered, leaning over to him.
"Oh, that's Junpei. He's the one I referred to when talking about the additional members of our squad," Ken explained.
"He doesn't look the part," Joe said.
"He's more of a scrawny clown than a Mitsuru's teammate," Kanji added.
"Ouch, way to hit me where it hurts. I can hold my own, so you shouldn't underestimate me," Junpei said, dejected.
"Don't mind them, Junpei. They mean well. Have you seen Yukari on your way over here? I heard she informed you to stay at your position, but knowing you, you'd rather jump into the fray instead of staying still at one location," Ken said.
"Why should I care about her? She's the one who left me in the dark to fend for myself. More importantly, why did you save Akihiko before I arrived here? Are you trying to take the spotlight from me? I'm a member of the Shadow Operatives too. I should at least have some glory added to my name," Junpei retorted.
"What are you talking about, old man? Akihiko was stressed out, so we had to help him out. Why should we have to wait for you," Kanji asked angrily.
"Is that how you talk to your senior, who has more experience with this stuff than all of you combined? Seriously, youths have no respect for their elders," Junpei scoffed.
"Say that again," Kanji yelled.
Kanji was about to walk up to Junpei, but Ken stopped him and pointed his spear at Junpei. Koromaru stood next to Ken and growled at Junpei.
"I can't remember the last time I fought against Junpei. It's quite exhilarating," Ken said.
"Ken, what are you doing? I thought you two were on the same team," Joe questioned.
"It's because he's a bad guy. And since Ken and Akihiko know him, that must make this Junpei person a Shadow," Mimi deducted boldly.
"It took you long enough to figure it out. Then again, I wasn't planning to hide it in the first place. Now that my identity is exposed, I say we take this fight to the next level. Bring on the ring," Shadow Junpei shouted.
Four red pillars emerged from the ground, creating a barrier surrounding everyone inside.
"Joe, take care of Akihiko and get him out of here. Ken and I will take care of this shady person," Mimi said.
"Are you sure you will be alright? He may look incapable, but he's still a part of Mitsuru's group, so he must be strong," Joe stated.
"Don't worry about it. If something happens to Mimi, Koromaru and I will be here to back her up," Ken answered.
Koromaru barked, agreeing with Ken's statement.
"Even so," Joe continued.
"Let it go, Joe. Sometimes, a man must do what is needed. Make sure you beat that it senseless, you hear me," Kanji informed.
"I intend to. Persona," Mimi shouted.
Mimi shattered the car before her, donning her new attire and summoning a familiar friend.
"Mimi, I'm here to help," Palmon said.
"Palmon, you always look so cute whenever I see you," Mimi replied, hugging Palmon tightly.
"Woah, that's a talking plant. You all have such cute companions. It almost makes me wish I had something like that," Kanji told Joe.
Kanji and Joe assisted Akihiko out of the arena as Joe tended to Akihiko's wounds.
"Four against one isn't fair at all. Isn't there someone else here who could help me even the odds," Shadow Junpei asked, looking around.
Suddenly, one of the portraits hung on the wall fell to the ground with a loud thud. An astute girl was on a ladder, replacing all the portraits hanging on the wall with images of her brother in stylish and manly poses. As she finished putting up the last photo of her brother, she took a step back to marvel at her work.
"Finally, there is actual art in this otherwise dusty room. Seriously, how can you have a tournament without the greatest man in the history of the world glorified in such a fantastic manner," the astute girl said, drooling.
"Who's that," Ken asked.
"That's Kari's Shadow. Kari, one of our teammates, has a bit of a brother complex, and her Shadow took that feeling and cranked it up to eleven," Mimi explained.
"Is she going to be my partner? She looks like she has a few screws loose, but beggars can't be choosers. Hey, you, you're on my side, right? Hurry up and help me beat these fools up so I can stand in my rightful place as the center of the spotlight," Shadow Junpei informed.
Shadow Kari scoffed.
"Hey, what was that for," Shadow Junpei asked.
"The only person allowed to be the center of attention is my brother. Maggots like you don't have an iota of charisma that my brother holds, which is why he is the greatest man alive," Shadow Kari explained, returning to her world.
"They don't seem to get along," Joe said, confused.
"Maybe this match will end faster than usual," Kanji replied.
"Look, you can get back to decorating this place with those pictures of yours after we beat these fools up. Otherwise, our battle will make a mess of those portraits you care so much about," Shadow Junpei suggested.
"You make a fair point. Very well, let's get this over with," Shadow Kari said, descending from the ladder and entering the ring.
"She's pretty simple and straightforward," Ken commented.
"It's one of her charms," Mimi replied.
"My esteemed guests, welcome to our gracious battle. Now, please die for the sake of our goals," Shadow Kari replied.
Shadow Kari summoned DarkLadyDevimon, who wore a seductive yet sinister grin.
"That's quite the powerful Persona you have there. However, my Persona is just as great. Persona," Shadow Junpei shouted.
Shadow Junpei summoned his Persona, a winged warrior dressed in red with a red gem on its helmet.
"It looks like things are finally getting serious. Let's show them how strong our bonds can be, Palmon," Mimi said.
"Say the word, and I will be with you every step of the way. Palmon, Four Card Arcana Digivolve to... Lilymon," Palmon shouted.
"I hope you're ready because we're going to show you how dangerous we can be when fighting for our friends," Lilymon informed Shadow Junpei and Shadow Kari.
"You can take that silly concept of friendship of yours and shove it to the ground," Shadow Kari replied.
"Darkness Wave," DarkLadyDevimon shouted.
DarkLadyDevimon summoned waves of bats to swarm and burn Kari and Ken. Koromaru howled, summoning its Persona, Cerberus, a three-headed black dog with forked feet. Cerberus spewed flames from all its mouths, burning all the bats that came in their direction.
"That was amazing," Mimi said to Koromaru.
"A little heat is nothing. Watch this," Shadow Junpei said.
Shadow Junpei's Persona, Trismegistus, charged through the flames and struck Cerberus, destroying it. The shattered Persona caused temporary whiplash to Koromaru.
"Koromaru, are you okay," Mimi said.
"Koromaru will be fine, Mimi. Right now, we need to focus on the task at hand," Ken replied.
Using the invisible walls to its advantage, Trismegistus swiftly bounced around the arena, trying to catch Mimi and Ken with its sharp winged blades.
"Two can play this game. Flower Wreath," Lilymon shouted.
Lilymon zipped around the arena, clashing with Trismegistus during each encounter. Eventually, Trismegistus stopped and was unable to move. As Lilymon rapidly flew about, it scattered a bundle of vines. Using the vines to its advantage, Lilymon trapped Trismegistus to prevent it from moving.
"How do you like that," Mimi asked.
"It's just a bunch of vines. It's no big deal," Shadow Junpei answered.
Trismegistus burned the vines away with the flames released from its hands.
"It's going to take more than that to stop us," Shadow Junpei said.
"You should be aware of your surroundings instead of gloating," Ken told Shadow Junpei.
Ken wailed his spear at Shadow Junpei, who barely dodged the attack. Ken endlessly thrusted his spear at Shadow Junpei, not letting go of his advantage.
"You can't get the jump on me like that. It's rude and uncalled for. I will teach you to show me the respect I deserve," Shadow Junpei replied.
Shadow Junpei went on the offensive and swung his bat multiple times at Ken. The two exchanged a series of blows that echoed all over the room. At one point, Koromaru swiftly spun underneath Shadow Junpei, causing him to lose his balance.
"Oh no," Shadow Junpei said, falling to the ground.
"Overconfidence was your real enemy," Ken said, glaring at Shadow Junpei.
Without remorse, Ken prepared to stab Shadow Junpei through the chest with his spear. However, a picture of a fist struck Ken, pushing him back.
"What is that," Kanji asked.
"I believe that is an image of Tai in a superhero pose. But where did it come from," Joe questioned.
The portrait returned to Shadow Kari, who was holding a frame of a muscular Tai soaring through the skies in a standard superhero pose.
"Once again, my beloved brother saves the say. Isn't he such a wonderful person," Shadow Kari said, rubbing up against the frame.
"You almost hit me. I wish you told me that you had some special ability ahead of time," Shadow Junpei remarked.
"I didn't do it for you. I did it to end this battle and continue decorating this room with more fabulous images of my brother. It doesn't bother me what happens to you since you are irrelevant to my plans," Shadow Kari explained.
"She's unnegotiable," Ken replied.
"Therefore, die for the sake of my handsome brother," Shadow Kari yelled.
"Black Wing," DarkLadyDevimon shouted.
DarkLadyDevimon transformed her hand into a spike and thrust at Ken. Ken moved out of the way, but Shadow Kari anticipated it. Shadow Kari quickly drew an image of Tai as a knight and summoned him. Knight Tai emerged from the portrait and swung its blade down at Ken. While Ken dodged the blade, the impact pushed Ken back, and he lost his balance.
"Time to end our VIP experience," Shadow Kari said.
Shadow Kari brought Knight Tai back to the frame and drew another image. This time, Tai wore a samurai outfit and emerged from the portrait. Samurai Tai was about to cut Ken in half, but multiple darts pierced through the image, causing the picture of Tai to tear and crumble.
"Tai, no," Shadow Kari said, crying.
"At the end of the day, a portrait is a flat piece of paper hiding behind glass. Remove that protection, and it will be easily damaged," Mimi said, posing with her darts.
"How dare you hurt my Tai like that? I will never forgive you," Shadow Kari screamed.
DarkLadyDevimon launched another spike at Mimi, who moved out of the way. As DarkLadyDevimon retracted her spike, Koromaru jumped on the spike. Realizing what was happening, DarkLadyDevimon stopped retracting her arm, but Koromaru continued to run up its arm. Jumping from the spike, Koromaru dropped down onto Kari, cutting the frame in two with its kunai.
"How could you do something so mean? Now I need to get another frame," Shadow Kari replied.
DarkLadyDevimon overgrew her hand and slapped Koromaru. Cerberus covered Koromaru as it took the brunt of the attack but stood its ground.
"Let me show you what a true knight looks like," Shadow Junpei said.
Trismegistus jumped to the ceiling and swiftly zoomed down at Koromaru and Cerberus, creating a large crater. When the dust settled, Trismegistus lifted its hand but realized nothing was underneath it.
"Green Trap," Lilymon shouted.
Lilymon spun around DarkLadyDevimon and Trismegistus, releasing pollen from its hands that paralyzed them.
"I can't move my body," Shadow Kari said as she tried to create a new frame.
"Hey, what's the matter? Get up already," Shadow Junpei shouted at Trismegistus.
"This is where your spotlight ends," Ken told Shadow Junpei.
Ken launched Shadow Junpei in the air with his spear. Cerberus flung Trismegistus up with its tail.
"Vicious Vine," Lilymon shouted.
Lilymon launched multiple vines from the ground and DarkLadyDevimon and Shadow Kari, sending both up in the air.
"With this attack, you will perish," Ken announced.
Kala-Nemi launched multiple holy talismans into the sky. Cerberus created dark inscriptions all over the ceiling. The talismans and seals surrounded Shadow Ken, Shadow Kari, DarkLadyDevimon, and Trismegistus.
"Flower Paddle Bomb," Lilymon shouted.
Lilymon transformed her hands into a flower gun. It fired explosive powder around the seals and talismans. Upon contact, the seals and talismans exploded. The explosion caught Shadow Junpei and Shadow Kari, who could not manage the energy and collapsed to the ground. Trismegistus and DarkLadyDevimon disappeared as Shadow Junpei and Shadow Kari dissolved into black goo, releasing golden particles into the air. The four red pillars shattered, and the invisible walls that surrounded everyone disappeared. Satisfied with the outcome, Ken, Koromaru, and Mimi reverted to their usual selves and headed over to Joe, Kanji, and Akihiko.
"How are you feeling, Akihiko," Mimi asked.
"I'm doing better now, thanks to Joe's treatment. However, it'll still take some time for me to regain enough strength to summon my Persona. That cross sapped much of my energy," Akihiko answered, standing up.
"What could the kidnappers possibly want with your energy," Joe questioned.
Koromaru barked to grab everyone's attention. Ken, Joe, Mimi, Kanji, and Akihiko noticed the remaining particles flowing up to the vents and disappearing.
"It's those gold balls of lights again. Didn't something like that happen earlier when we fought Ken and TK's Shadows," Kanji asked.
"Yeah, and those particles were headed straight to this tower," Mimi commented.
"What could all of this mean? Are these particles getting collected somehow? What are those participles, and why are they getting collected," Joe pondered.
"Akihiko, when we were heading towards the tower, we sporadically ran into standing coffins. Doesn't the electronic silence, the coffins, and this tower remind you of something," Ken suggested.
"You're saying that this event is eerily similar to the Dark Hour and Tartarus, aren't you," Akihiko replied.
"Izzy mentioned something about the Dark Hour as well. Can we ask what exactly the Dark Hour is about and how it relates to this tower," Joe asked.
"It's a long story, but in short, the enemy we fought previously summoned this tower to summon a dangerous being. Unfortunately, we unknowingly assisted in breaking the seals that allowed the figure to appear. However, with the help of a valuable friend, we were able to stop the end of the world from happening," Ken explained.
"Now that I think about it, the enemy we are at odds with is trying to turn Personas into Shadows and collecting that power. What if that power is getting collected to this very tower to summon another being," Akihiko pondered.
"Does that mean we've been helping to undo the seals just like your group did before," Mimi asked.
"I hate to admit that possibility is true, but these two situations are too similar to be considered a mere coincidence," Akihiko replied.
"Akihiko, with such a similar approach to their grandiose scheme, do you think the perpetrator has any relations with him," Ken asked.
"Who do you mean by that," Joe asked.
"He's someone we considered as an ally, but he turned on us and tried to bring about the end of the world. I understand what you mean by that, but the number of people related to him or the old Kirijo group in any way is exceedingly rare, if not gone entirely. While it would minimize the suspects, I failed to see why they would want to redo the horrors that occurred three years ago," Akihiko explained.
"I've wanted to ask this, but why did you and the others return to Inaba so soon? Did you find a clue about who Labrys is or something," Kanji asked.
"We saw a sudden spike in Shadow activity in Inaba and went to investigate. However, our car got ambushed, and you know the rest," Akihiko replied.
"Whether the adversary is related to him in any way, the fact remains that they harmed you, Mitsuru, Aigis, and Fuuka to enact their scheme. They will pay for doing this," Ken said, clenching his spear tightly.
"You mentioned that you helped stop this person from bringing about the end of the world. If I remember correctly, didn't General Teddie say something along those lines," Joe questioned.
"Yeah, I remember. General Teddie said that we only have one hour to finish this tournament and crown a new champion; otherwise, the world will end," Mimi added.
"That's not good. If the enemy's methods are the same as his, then we don't have that much time left. I'm not sure how long it took for you to get here, but the sooner we get up the tower, the faster we will find the truth in all this chaos," Akihiko said.
"Hopefully, we'll be able to find Mitsuru and the others as we head up the tower. The sooner we find them, the more hands we will have to defeat whoever this foe is," Ken said.
"Alright, let's keep this party going. You said to follow those sparkling lights, right? If they're heading up, all we need to do is find some stairs and keep heading upward," Kanji replied.
"Akihiko, are you sure you're okay to move in your condition," Joe asked.
"Don't worry about me. I have enough strength to do at least that much. Besides, I can't just sit here and do nothing while this town is in turmoil. If I need to rest along the way, I will inform you. Is that okay," Akihiko replied.
"That's fine with us. Now that Akihiko is a part of our group, our power level has increased dramatically. Nothing will stop us now," Mimi shouted.
The group left the room to follow the gold particles up the tower.
*To be continued*