Kyoko's thoughts were going at a mile a minute, that she didn't hear Sayaka walk up to her.

"Hey, Kyoko. Alone on your way to school today?" Sayaka asked.

"Oh, Sayaka." Kyoko said. "What is it?"

"Well, I saw your face was pretty glum. Well, more glum than usual." Sayaka said. "And I thought it was pretty weird since you got a boyfriend now. What's bothering you?"

"...Celeste was on the television last night." Kyoko said. "She was the topic of a news report."

Sayaka looked confused, before realization hit her. "Oh no… then that means…!"

"On top of that, she was on it previously as well. There's not a 100 percent chance, but still…"

"Wait, why didn't you mention that earlier?" Sayaka asked.

"I was so focused on the new murder that it must have slipped my mind." Kyoko said.

"I'll go check up on her today, she texted me her new address." Sayaka said. "And since I got several days off, I'll go frequently whenever I can."

"Thank you, Sayaka." Kyoko said. "Is it fine if we can keep this one between us?"

"Huh? Why?"

"If my intuition is wrong, I don't want to get everyone worried for nothing." Kyoko said.

"Ahh, fair point. So keep it between us Ultimates, huh?"

"Yes. Exactly."

"Gotcha, gotcha. Though if our friend is in danger of being kidnapped by a psycho serial killer, we gotta look out for her." Sayaka said. "Even if the psycho serial killer would probably be the one in danger."

"That is also true." Kyoko agreed.

"But… I can't help but feel a little bit worried." Sayaka admitted. "Do you feel like this when you feel like you're about to hit a big breakthrough in a case?"

Kyoko shook her head. "No. But if it's with someone I consider close, it's a feeling of concern."

"Okay, good to know. I'll go visit Celeste and see how she's doing." Sayaka said. "I'll make sure that creep doesn't get anywhere close!"

Kyoko smiled, feeling a deepening bond as Sayaka showed her resolve. "I'll leave it to you, then."

"Anyways, have a good day at school!" Sayaka smiled, before realizing what she said. "…jeez, I sound like a mom."

There was a small look of amusement on Kyoko's face, before she waved goodbye to Sayaka.

"Oh of course this was the house she got." Sayaka sighed.

She was looking up at the house in front of her, which was one of the larger ones in Inaba. It was located high-up on the hillside, with stairs leading up to it. It almost resembled an old mansion, which was likely why Celeste chose it. Sighing, Sayaka rang the doorbell and waited. She heard a few steps and the door opened to reveal Celeste, dressed in her usual look, minus the hair extensions.

"Hey Celeste!" Sayaka put on her usual jovial tone.

"Ah, Sayaka. What a pleasant surprise." Celeste smiled. "Do come in. But take off your shoes first."

Sayaka put her shoes away and walked in. While the interior of the place was unmistakably Japanese, several of the design choices and furniture were all European-inspired, with a gothic theme.

"What do you think?" Celeste asked, seeing Sayaka look around.

"How did you do this so fast? It's only been a few days." Sayaka asked.

"Well, I have quite the efficient deliveryman." Celeste said with a small shrug. "He's a rather talented man for someone who looks so unseemly."

"O-kay." Sayaka said, as Celeste led her to the living room.

"What brings you here?" Celeste asked, pouring a cup of rose hip tea, a brand that the two of them both enjoyed. "I'm willing to bet it's not for a friendly visit."

"Yeah, you got it dead-on." Sayaka picked up a cup and took a sip. "Good stuff… Where was I- oh right. I'm a bit worried since you found the body of the last murder. How are you doing?"

"Perfectly fine, thank you." Celeste smiled, taking a sip from her cup. "Why do you ask?"

"...you see a dead body and you're perfectly fine?" Sayaka asked.

"We've seen quite a bit on the few times we helped out Kyoko, non?" Celeste pointed out.

"Yeah, fair." Sayaka said. "But I am pretty concerned you think that the best time to move to a new town is after a murder happens."

"Well, said murderer is now behind bars, isn't he?" Celeste asked. "I got to watch as he had a breakdown. It was quite amusing, and I'm curious about this small town now."

If only it were the real one. Sayaka said internally before drinking the rest of her tea. "Well, if you're totally fine, okay. But is it fine if I can come every now and then?"

"You, Kyoko and all your friends are always welcome." Celeste said. "I welcome the visits."

"Alright, then." Sayaka put down her empty cup, before looking around. "Is your cat here?"

"Grand Bois Chéri Ludenberg is back at home." Celeste said. "I did not see a reason to bring him, although I do miss his presence.

"Aw man. No petting time." Sayaka pouted before standing up. "Anyways, thanks for the tea, Celeste. I'll be on my-"

"Hold a moment, Sayaka." Celeste pulled out a deck of cards and started shuffling. "Surely you can't leave before a friendly game of Blackjack?"

Sayaka watched the expert card shuffles at work. "...you're trying to piss me off, aren't you?"

Celeste placed the deck down on the table, spreading the cards. "Yes, darling. I am."

After seeing the test scores (Kyoko unsurprisingly got the top score), the team all gathered together after class.

"Aaaaaaaah, we're finally free!" Yosuke stretched his arms. "Hey, I got an idea. Why don't we go somewhere during summer vacation?"

"Hey, you guys have motorcycles!? Lucky you!" Rise said, walking in with Kanji.

"I was saying we should go somewhere over summer vacation, like the beach." Yosuke suggested. "It'd be a pain to go by train, but a motorcycle...!"

"Hm, I haven't been to the beach in a long time either…" Yukuko said.

"The bright sun, the glistening waves, that luscious scent drifting from nearby stands, the dripping of meat juices…" Chie daydreamed.

"Is food all you can think about...?" Yosuke asked.

"Well, it was the last thing she said…" Kyoko pointed out.

"Hey, why don't we get our licenses too? It's just a written test, right?" Rise asked.

"We can't. We're too young." Kanji said.

"Aww, sorry Kanji! But my birthday was last month, so I'm sixteen now." Rise smirked.

"Hey, that's cheating!"

"How does aging count as cheating?" Kyoko asked.

"I think it's a good idea for you guys to get your licenses. It only takes about a week." Yosuke said. "I know Kyoko's got a scooter from her uncle, but what about you guys?"

"It's supposed to be for work, but there's a scooter at the inn!" Yukiko remembered.

"We got one as a gift at the office that's just sitting around. I bet I could borrow it if I asked!" Rise said. "...I'd have to call my manager, though."

"Huh. Is this actually working out...?" Yosuke said. "How about you, Chie?"

"A scooter, huh?" Chie put a hand under her chin.

"It can be any kind as long as it's lower than 50cc." Yosuke said.

"Then I might be in luck!" Chie smiled. "One of our relatives loves motorcycles! Maybe he has a scooter I can borrow."

"Whoa… This might really happen!" Yosuke grinned. "Let's all get our licenses and hit the beach together!"

"Hold up. What about Sayaka and Teddie?" Kanji asked.

"Sayaka doesn't have a scooter, but she does have her bicycle." Kyoko remembered. "I'll tell her about it later and we'll see what we can do."

"And as for Teddie, hmm." Yosuke pondered for an answer. "If he doesn't move around, he could pass as luggage."

"Ehhh, that's stretchin' it a little…" Kanji shrugged.

"It'll be fine. If we can't get him on with one of us, we'll just strap on some wheels and tow him." Yosuke said.

Yukiko started to giggle at the idea.

"Wh-What's so funny?" Chie asked.

"Teddie… on wheels… Heehee… Roller skates...!" Yukiko was hitting her leg while laughing. "Ahaha...It's perfect!"

"Well, I've made up my mind. I'm gonna get my license!" Rise said. "The beach, huh...? I've gone before for pinup shoots, but it's been a while since I went for fun! Sayaka and I are gonna be the highlights of the beach! Though, I'm sure the lucky couple are gonna be each other's highlights."

"What do you mean?" Kyoko looked confused. "I've seen Yosuke in a swimsuit before."

"Well, have you seen him in a swimsuit while he's your boyfriend?" Chie said, a rather sly smirk on her face.

"That's absurd." Kyoko said. "I-"

Kyoko took a moment to think about it, and after a few moments, she had started to blush. Although her expression remained rather stoic, it was clear that she was thinking of it.

"Oh my God, she never thought about it." Chie said.

"Why's she lighting up like a Christmas tree?" Kanji asked.

"I can't help but feel a bit of pride, not gonna lie." Yosuke rubbed the back of his head.

"And of course you're unaffected cause you're shameless." Chie sighed.

"Huh?!"

"You would've made a dumb comment about seeing the rest of us in swimsuits if you weren't dating Kyoko." Chie said.

Yosuke wanted to argue, but Chie did have a point. He sighed in defeat. "Alright, I gotcha. Anyway, looks like we're set on going to the beach. Yukiko, Chie, you guys should get your licenses too. Then you can ride motorcycles with us."

"Well then, let's do this!" Chie pumped up a fist.

"Yeah!" Rise cheered.

"Huh? O-Oh, yeah!" Yukiko joined in.

"Uh, Kyoko-senpai? You there?" Kanji snapped his fingers in front of her to see if he could get a reaction out of her.

Chie had taken Kyoko to Aiya, having finished up training for today.

"Today is a steak bowl day! Just you wait!" Chie said in a sing-song voice.

"Is that really a good idea considering we just discussed going on a beach day?" Kyoko asked.

"Eh, I'll burn off the calories no problem." Chie dismissed with a wave of her hand.

"I-I don't have any more…"

The two heard a young boy's voice whimper from around the corner.

"D-Don't tell me they're at it again!?" Chie realized.

"Let's move." Kyoko said.

The two quickly ran over, seeing a group of teens harassing an elementary school student.

"What are you up to!?" Chie shouted.

"Huh? Aw, not them again!" One of the teens said.

"Heheh, don't worry, I know how to handle these bitches." The leader said.

"Dude, one of them's a cop, remember?"

"H-Help…" The crying boy sobbed.

"Hear that, "Chie-chan"? He wants help." The leader said.

Chie blinked in surprise. "How do you know my name?"

"We ran into the guy you saved last time… had a friendly conversation." The leader smirked. "He told us all kindsa stuff. Like where you live, and about that precious "Yukiko-san" of yours."

"What are you trying to pull?" Chie asked, tone dangerous.

"Oh, I'm just gonna have a little chat with this kid. Stay put, okay?" He said. "You too, cop, if you even are one."

So he thinks I'm a fake detective? Kyoko thought, slipping a hand into her pocket. I suppose that's an advantage in our favor.

"Cause who knows what'll happen to "Yukiko-san" if you get in our way?" The punk leader said in a threatening tone.

"Haha! Man, that's nasty!" One of the other teens laughed.

"Why you-!" Chie grit her teeth.

"You're making a foolish mistake." Kyoko warned, stepping up.

"Yeah… We can't let these guys get away!" Chie agreed.

"You sure about that?" The leader asked. "So you don't care about what happens to your loved ones?"

"Fine. Then hit me!" Chie dared him, stepping forward and shocking the teens. "You're pissed at me, right!? Then why don't you just take a swing at me? I won't fight back! Be my guest! The face, the chest, pick a target! Come on!"

"...Freak." The leader muttered, looking away.

"What's with this bitch, she for real?" One of the teens looked annoyed. "Whatever man. Let's go."

"I only hope you're making a trip down to the police station." Kyoko said, as police sirens started to go off.

"What?!"

She held up her phone, showing that she had called the local police. "They're on their way right now, and in the time you took harassing my friend, I took the liberty of taking pictures and sending them to make sure you're identified. You three will be arrested for theft and threatening bodily harm."

"S-Shit! We gotta go!"

The three teens booked it as the sirens and cars followed them.

"M-Miss… Thank you…" The little boy said to Chie.

"Huh? Oh, no, don't worry about it!" Chie dismissed. "If anything, you gotta thank my Ultimate Detective friend here!"

"Is your home close by?" Kyoko asked. "Can you get there yourself?"

The boy nodded and ran off.

"Ugh, my heart's still pounding." Chie said. "Was that stupid of me?"

"I would've stepped in physically if need be." Kyoko reassured her. "And besides, you managed to protect that child. That's something anyone should take pride in."

"Heh. Thanks…" Chie rubbed the back of her head. "It might've been stupid, but I wanted to save them… That kid, Yukiko… How I feel about this isn't fake. I really want to protect them."

"You've been doing a fantastic job already." Kyoko complimented her.

"Um, well…" Chie looked embarrassed. "It might be dumb with how you're an Ultimate and all that, but I also want to protect you. I might be a little flaky, and you don't need protecting, but I want to do it all the same."

Kyoko looked at her hand, before holding up a fist. "I'll be counting on you, then."

"Huh?" Chie looked confused.

"It's a fistbump. A few of my classmates at Hope's Peak told me of it. Mondo did it a lot with the others in class so…" Kyoko blushed a bit.

"Y-Yeah, I get it." Chie could see Kyoko wasn't used to this, as she returned the fistbump. "I'll be counting on you! So… let's have some steak!"

"Can I get something lighter?" Kyoko asked.

Sayaka was rather drained as she left Celeste's house. She got rather annoyed after losing ten games in a row, so she had switched up tactics. She knew Celeste liked playing video games as well, so she tried challenging her to a fighting game. It was a much more even match, though she did lose a few times. It allowed her to keep Celeste's ego in check while also making sure her own self-esteem wasn't completely destroyed.

"Well, I'll call that a win in my book." Sayaka stretched her arms as she walked down the road. She stepped to the side to make sure the cars could pass her, making the right call as a fairly large delivery truck sped by. "I wonder what the others are up to right now…"

As she walked, a few drops of rain started to fall.

Kyoko was sitting in her room, hearing the raindrops hit her window. She had just finished translating some scripts for her part-time job, and was waiting for the Midnight Channel to come on. As soon as she finished, the screen turned on with its usual sickly glow. She saw the outline slowly come into focus.

As I thought. Kyoko stood up. So then someone really will be-

But to her shock, the blurry image disappeared completely, instead revealing what seemed to be a casino.

"What?" Kyoko widened her eyes. How is it already focused?

"Ladies and gentlemen! Come one and come all to the most dangerous game!"

"That voice…" Kyoko realized. "No…"

Several coins fell down in front of the camera, before several gunshots rang out, piercing through several of them. The one that had fired it was Celeste though she was dressed differently. Instead of her usual gothic design, she instead had on what appeared to be the suit of a casino dealer, but she had gold armaments all over her body, including a clawed glove. She still retained her hair curlers, allowing Kyoko to identify her with how she had a visor on that hid the top part of her face.

"Come on down to Hell's Casino, for a thrilling time! Put your lives on the line in this deadly game to win all sorts of prizes!" Celeste twirled the gun, before sticking the gun in a holster. "I hope to see you all soon, and put everything on the line!"

The program turned off, and Kyoko had to sit down. Panic was seeping in, as she realized the situation had taken a turn for the worse. Not only did the killer throw someone in again, this time one of her friends was the victim.

Wait, what happened with Sayaka? Didn't she say she was going to stay with her? Did something happen to her?

She pulled out her phone, only to see that Sayaka was already trying to call. She picked up, only to hear Sayaka screaming.

"Kyoko, I'm so sorry! Celeste was fine when I left her house, I swear! I should've stayed… I should've stayed!" She let out a yell of frustration, and the sound implied she had kicked something.

"Calm down. Yelling won't change anything." Kyoko said, though she herself was very much in a mode of panic. "If you were there, you might have been in danger too."

She heard Sayaka kick something again, before she saw Yosuke trying to call. She put him on the line.

"Kyoko, Sayaka, did you guys see that?!" Yosuke said.

"Yes I did! Rrrgh!" Sayaka grumbled at her mistake.

"So Celeste was the next victim?" He asked. "Argh, we're really bad at trying to prevent people from getting tossed-"

"Don't remind me!" Sayaka shouted.

"Yosuke! Yooosukeeee!" Teddie's voice came from Yosuke's line.

"Alright already, I hear you!" Yosuke sounded annoyed. "Sorry, I'm gonna give the phone to Ted."

"Sensei! It's me, Teddie!" Teddie called. " I finally got to see the Midnight Channel with my own eyes. Now I know exactly what's happening."

"Lay it on us, Teddie." Kyoko said.

"That girl's suppressed emotions are resonating with the other side, which are picked up by the TVs over here. It's clear now that it's not being filmed by anyone. Mystery solved!" Teddie said. " But that pretty girl… She must already be inside the other world! What're we gonna do!?"

"Calm down, Teddie." Kyoko said. "We'll make a plan first."

"Right! You got it, Sensei!" Teddie agreed.

Kyoko felt Teddie's strong trust towards her, nodding.

"I think my heart skipped a beat…" Teddie said in a bit of a swooning voice.

"Oh, you stop that right now! I'll punt you into outer space if you try anything funny!" Yosuke shouted, taking his phone back. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine." Kyoko was touched by how defensive Yosuke was of her.

"But hey, how could she be already inside!? What happened to the blurry image that we usually see in advance?" Yosuke said.

"We did see a blurry image." Kyoko said. "But it shifted not longer after."

"And with the tight time frame…" Sayaka said. "Is that it? But I thought the killer saw people on TV first before tossing them?"

"Something must be different…" Kyoko thought. "Was it instant? Did it happen only seconds ago?"

"Whatever it is, we'll find out soon enough." Yosuke said. "Let's meet up at headquarters tomorrow."

"Right." Kyoko nodded.

Yosuke left the call, but Sayaka stayed on. "Kyoko, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, Sayaka." Kyoko said. "It wasn't your fault."

"I'm gonna have trouble sleeping tonight…" Sayaka hung up.

Putting her phone away, Kyoko looked at the television. Celeste…

The team had arrived at Junes, and were discussing what was going on.

"Okay, Rise and Teddie are checking out the other side, so we'll go ahead and start the meeting." Yosuke said. "Now, about what happened last night… You guys all saw it, right?"

"Yeah, that gambler girl who's an old friend of Kyoko-senpai was on it, right?" Kanji said.

"But why her?" Chie asked. "I'm pretty sure she wasn't involved with Ms. Yamano, right?"

"Well, she was the one that found the body of King Moron." Yosuke said.

"Then there's a connection, right?" Yukiko said. "Well, not with Ms. Yamano, but a reason."

"Ooh, maybe that's why?" Chie said. "Cause she was connected to King Moron's death!"

"So what, the killer tossed her in the TV to shut her up?" Kanji asked.

"Yeah, that's almost exactly what I was thinking." Yosuke said. "But the problem is that was a copycat killer that killed King Moron, and not the real one that targeted Yukiko, Kanji and Rise."

"And even then she just found the body, she didn't watch him kill King Moron." Chie pointed out.

"And we still don't know why he targeted people who were shown on TV…" Yukiko said, turning to Sayaka and Kyoko. "Any insights?"

The two of them were both silent. Both of them were staring at the ground, having tuned out the entire conversation. The Ultimates were clearly beside themselves with worry for their friend, with Sayaka feeling guilt that she could have possibly done something to prevent the kidnapping. Seeing they were distracted, Kanji hit the table, jolting them out of their funk (though also scaring some of the others).

"A-Ah, what's up guys?" Sayaka put a smile on her face.

"Hey, we know it's eating away at you two." Kanji said. "But moping around ain't gonna fix anything!"

"But-"

"No buts!" Chie said. "Besides, we will help her!"

"We'll save her." Yukiko nodded.

"It's a promise for both of you!" Yosuke said.

While they were still both concerned, the reassurance from their friends managed to quell their worry for the moment.

"Everyone…" Kyoko smiled, sensing their resolve.

"Thanks so much!" Sayaka bowed.

"We'll catch the killer and ask everything we need to know, face to face." Yosuke declared.

Rise ran over, having finished her search.

"Hey, good timing! How'd it go?" Chie asked.

"There's definitely someone in there, but it's a bit more difficult at the moment." Rise said. "It should be good to go once we get some more information…"

"We can help with that." Sayaka stood up with Kyoko. "You can call us the Ultimate Experts!"

The team entered the TV World, where Rise summoned Himiko to try and scan for Celeste. Teddie was sniffing the air to help, but not much was helping.

"Is there anything that you can tell us that might help?" Rise asked.

"Well let's see… she's conceited, she's a liar, she's a bit of a jerk, she gambled using the school's lunch budget one time…" Sayaka was counting off her fingers.

"...are you sure you're friends with her?" Kanji asked, as the others sweatdropped.

Kyoko thought about it, putting a hand under her chin. She thought back to all the times she and Celeste talked. While Celeste was always a rather intriguing person, she remembered she always had an air of mystery around her. She never acted completely like herself… if that even was herself.

"She never shows her true self." Kyoko said.

"Um… wasn't that everyone that faced their shadow?" Chie asked.

"No, it's different." Kyoko shook her head. "Celeste has many different sides to her that she has shown at Hope's Peak, but I'm inclined to believe she has never shown who she really is. Her true origins are a mystery, and I'm sure that's one thing she's never shared with us."

"She's a total mystery with many sides, huh…" Rise said. "Wait, I think I got something!"

"And I smell something too!" Teddie added.

"Lead the way!" Sayaka said, pointing at nowhere in particular.

"Hold on Sayaka, I just remembered." Yosuke said. "We discussed your weapon, right?"

"Weapon?" Kyoko asked.

"Oh, right, that slipped my mind because of everything." Sayaka said, as Yosuke pulled out a box from behind the TVs they used to enter. "I had called Yosuke about it a while back, and this is what Junes had in stock."

The box opened to reveal an advanced bow and arrow set. Sayaka slung it over her shoulder.

"I thought fighting at a distance would suit me." Sayaka said, spinning around. "What do you think?"

"Like Robin Hood!" Rise gave her friend a thumbs-up.

"It's a compound bow, so it should be pretty straightforward." Yosuke said. "Just watch where you point that thing."

"Yeah yeah, I gotcha." Sayaka nodded, before pointing again. "Now, let's go save Celeste!"

"...which way are you even pointing?" Kanji asked.

"...you know what, this makes total sense." Sayaka sighed.

The team was standing outside a Transylvanian-styled castle, with a much darker and gothic theme compared to Yukiko's castle.

"A castle?" Rise said. "What, does she think she's like a princess or something?"

"I thought it was going to be a casino though." Kanji said. "Why's it look like this?"

"I think we're going to find out." Yosuke said.

Kyoko stepped up, fixing her glasses. Celeste… we'll get you out of there. I swear it!

Kyoko's Social Links:

Magician (Yosuke Hanamura): MAX

Chariot (Chie Satonaka): Rank 9

Priestess (Yukiko Amagi): Rank 7

Emperor (Kanji Tatsumi): Rank 4

Star (Teddie): Rank 3

Lovers (Rise Kujikawa): Rank 1

Hanged Man (Sayaka Maizono): Rank 6

Justice (Nanako Dojima): Rank 5

Hierophant (Ryotaro Dojima): Rank 6

Fool (The Investigation Team): Rank 7

Hope (Hope's Peak Academy Students): Rank 4

Kyoko's Personas: Izanagi, Mada

A/N: That's right, folks. Mitsuo's arrest wasn't the end! We're entering original dungeon territory with Celeste! But just be wary that this isn't gonna be an easy task for the Investigation Team, as we enter the castle. It's gonna be a very different experience for the team compared to previous ones...

Feel free to leave a review. See you all next time.