Part 51: Entry Forty-Six: December 21st, 2009

Entry Forty-Six: December 21st, 2009

Mood: Same as it ever was.
Music: Still not really feeling any music.

Ten more days. Ten more days before we choose how we're going to die.

I wonder if this is how people on death row feel.



For what it's worth, we're doing better than we were. We finally started going back to Tartarus, for instance.



We just spent our time training, though, since for some reason another new path hasn't opened up yet. Fuuka's been training Juno as well...





...allowing her to learn Escape Route. This basically makes those access points scattered throughout Tartarus obsolete. It's very nice.



I've been working on my Persona repertoire as well; I guess I'll need them if we decide to fight Nyx...well, if she's really unbeatable it won't matter either way, but hey. This time I made Suzaku...



...Seiryuu...



...and Genbu...



...to make Huang Long, the ultimate Hierophant Persona. (Huang Long is a personal favorite because he's fucking HUGE. He also has Maragidyne, Mabufudyne, and Mazionga, but he's mostly interesting because of how goddamn big he is.)



(See? Only a few other Personas are even close to this size.)




(We also lucked out hardcore and Kohryu was born with a Heart Item. )



I also decided that it was time to go ahead and take this particular plunge. Here's Thanatos, the ultimate Death Persona that's been living inside me for the past ten years. I figure if anything can hurt Death, it'll be...well, Death.



He's...pretty much what you'd expect. Good at killing stuff. He doesn't do much else, but then again he's so good at killing that doesn't really need to. (See how he inherited both Die For Me and Mudo Boost? That combination is basically broken as hell; if it's not immune to Death, chances are that'll kill it horribly.)



So after I created the ultimate manifestation of Death, I had to go to school the next day and listen to the teacher lecture us about studying for finals. Oh, and the world's going to end soon, just in case you forgot how much of a goddamn mess my life is.



I think some normal people are being affected by the Fall in strange ways...there was something wrong with the Pharmacy clerk, for instance. (Someone on the translation team was getting sloppy, it seems.)



I hung out with Maiko again on the eleventh.



Maiko: I'm going to live with Mom, since she has to cook and clean and go to work...I want to help out too! I don't have to worry about Dad...even without me around, I think Dad will be okay on his own.



Maiko ...We'll still be friends though, right?




...I can't just...




...ugh.





...I can't just let these people die like this, you know? There's...there's got to be something I can do.




The next day, I saw her again.





Maiko: ...I'm leaving today, an' Dad said that even though we're far away, we're still family. I think that should go for friends like you and me, too, so I don't have to be sad. I think family is important...





...shit.



I promised her, y'know?





She gave me a cute little ring she made, and...




...I promised.




I've made so many promises since this all started.




(Attis is a Greek god of rebirth.)





I can't just break all of them. I'm scared, but so is everyone else.






I can't just let her die like this.




...Anyway, I went to the Velvet Room the next day to create Attis; he's a heavily defensive Persona, with no attack skills whatsoever. (Attis is another favorite of mine, mostly because he looks really cool. We got him a little too late for his defensive abilities to be of much use, though.)



After that, I went to see Tanaka.





He had a new friend...



...one he certainly seemed to be interested in.



Tanaka: I don't look at it as a donation so much as an investment. Let me explain...children who learn to cope with adversity are more likely to become rich and famous, like me. I'm thinking of donation 10 million yen. Not a corporate donation, but a private one.




Tanaka: I received it the very next day. Now I can't back out...10 million yen is nothing to me, though. Once these children grow up and become successful, I'll introduce myself to them. I'll say, "I'm the one who made all this possible!" Then I'll be well taken care of in my old age!



Tanaka: By talking to you, I seem to have developed an interest in watching others mature...I thank you for that. Actually, I should be thanking myself for wisely noticing this.




"Once these children grow up..."




...that all depends on their survival, doesn't it?




(Beelzebub is a fallen angel, and is also known as the Lord of the Flies.)





I shouldn't have this kind of responsibility thrust upon me. This is the entire world we're talking about here.





At least I won't be too busy modeling to think about Nyx. Joy.



Exams started the day after that.




I don't think I need to talk too much about those, since everyone's got a pretty good idea of how I did, I'm sure.



I hung out with Mitsuru once exams were over.



We went to Wild-Duck Burger. Apparently it was her first time there.



Mitsuru: I must admit that I'm not very familiar with fast food etiquette...I'm glad you're here with me. ...Is it profitable to sell these items at such a low price? I'd be interested to know the average cost per unit...



At least she seemed able to take her mind off the choice awaiting us.



Mitsuru: I wanted to express my personal thanks to you. We are all facing a trial in the true sense of the term...and we've made it this far because we've been blessed with each other. I admit that I've been hard on you, much more so than the others, but I just wanted you to know...



She'll die too when the Fall comes...




...unless we do something.





Is this the way the world ends? Things just go on like they have been until the very end...and we go out with a whimper?




It's beginning to seem that way.



I've been thinking about another thing, too...do I really want my friends to suffer before the Fall just to find we can't actually harm Nyx? I'm so confused right now.



Oh, since I summoned Thanatos and incorporated him into my repertoire again, the visions have started coming back in force. Useful, I guess.




Yukari: You don't stop by very often, senpai...is something wrong?
Mitsuru: No, I just wanted to talk.




Mitsuru: I have no idea...
Yukari: Oh, by the way, I've made my decision.





Seems like the others are beginning to make up their minds, though.






Yukari and Mitsuru both want to fight against Death, no matter how futile it might seem.




They've made their peace...





...maybe I should start making mine.






They're counting on me, y'know? They think I'll do what's right, and...I don't want to let them down.






The question is what the right thing to do actually is...





...and that's what I'm so worried about.






There isn't much time left to decide.





Oh, and uh, I aced my exams. I mean, the world's gonna end and all, but at least I'm one smart motherfucker.



I spent today talking with Fuuka about the Fall; I worry about her a lot, because she's taken a lot of this on herself.







I think we all have, though. There's ten days left to decide. The whole world is on my shoulders, and in ten days it's going to come down to me.

I just hope there's still someone around to forgive me if I mess up.

Coming up in the next entry: Ten days...