Part 7: April 15 Part 2: An Invitation, Answered

-Reach Out to the Truth-


Some Shadows have weaknesses. If you can pinpoint that weakness and take advantage of it, the battle will be a lot easier!


I can tell this one has a weakness too! Try stuff out and see what works!

In combat, you can use the Analysis command to have Teddie call up information about the Shadows you're facing.




This one's tough! Hang in there!

Thanks, Teddie.

The first time you fight any Shadow, you won't know anything about it. All those question marks fill in as you get through more fights and use different attacks on them.



Sanzo's new power gives him a lightning skill. Let's try it out.




I'll keep track of what attacks have what effects on enemies!

How lucky! This Shadow was weak to electricity. What are the odds? Because of its weakness, it took extra damage from the attack and is now Down. Downed combatants are vulnerable to being Dizzied and losing their next turn, if they take another solid hit before then. More importantly, Downing any enemy gives you 1 More--an immediate extra turn.

Sanzo's advantage ends this battle before too much damage can be done.





I was pretty worried when those things came right out of the wall like that! I'm glad that's all over. Say, what was that thing anyway?

> Sanzo Genjo has faced his other self...He has obtained the facade used to overcome life's hardships, the Persona Izanagi!



Izanagi, the father of Japan. Translation: "He-Who-Invites."


Did I hear you say "Persona"!? What was it--I mean, what did you do!? Hey, you think I can do it too...?
Calm down, Yosuke. You're troubling Sensei!
S-Sensei?


I can't believe you were hiding such an amazing power! No wonder the Shadows were scared of you! *gasp* Are you the one who's able to bring people into this world?
Hah! That's what I thought! This is really something.
Don't you think so, Yosuke?


Sorry...
W-Well, your support wasn't bad, though. I gotta give you some credit for that.
Huh? R-Really...? Heehee.
All right, you two keep it up, and I think we'll be fine from here on out. Now let's get back to the investigation!






Unknown voices: It's all because of that store...
Wh-What the?
Unknown voices: Oh, I heard that Konishi-san's daughter is working there. Oh my...How could she, with her family's business suffering like it is? I heard their sales have gone downhill because of Junes.
S-Stop it...
Unknown voices: That poor father...to have his own daughter working for the enemy. What a troublesome child...


You said that this place is reality for those that are here, right!? So, does that mean this was Senpai's reality when she wandered in here?
I only know about what's over here.
Fine...
Whatever's going on here, we'll find out ourselves!






Middle-aged voice: Saki, how many times do I have to tell you!?
I-Is this...Senpai's dad?
Middle-aged voice: You know what the neighbors say about you, right!? Aren't you ashamed of yourself? You're the eldest daughter of a family who's owned this store for generations! Is it the money? Or did you meet some guy there? Just tell me why you have to work THERE, of all places!
I...I can't believe this. She seemed like she had fun at work. She never said anything like this to me...
You're telling me THIS was how Senpai really saw things!?


It's the photo we took the other day with the other part-timers at Junes.
Wh-Why's it cut up like this?

>The scrap of the photo shows Saki Konishi smiling. Yosuke is standing next to her...

-Border of Insanity-

I never had the chance to say it...
Is that Senpai's voice!?
I always wanted to tell Hana-chan...
Huh? Me...?
...that he was a real pain in the ass.
I was nice to him just because he was the store manager's son, that's all.
But he takes it completely the wrong way and gets all enthusiastic...What a dip.
P-Pain in the ass?
Who cares about Junes, anyway? Because of that store, our business is ruined, my parents hate me, the neighbors talk behind my back...I wish everything would just disappear...
I-It's a lie. This can't be...
Senpai's not like that!
It's *sniff* so sad...I feel so sorry for myself. Boo hoo...


H-Huh? Two Yosukes?


I-I wouldn't think that...


Screw the shopping district, and Junes too! You're sick of everything, especially living out in the sticks!
What're you saying!? That's not true, I--
You put on a good show of being carefree and happy-go-lucky 'cause you're so terrified of being alone. The more the merrier, right? You've gotta be surrounded by people to block out the pain of isolation. And what's this about checking out this world for Saki-senpai's sake? Hah! I know the real reason you came snooping...
S-Stop it!
Hahaha! Why so panicked? I thought I was just spouting bullshit! Or maybe...I DO know everything you're thinking! Why's that? Because I AM you! You just came because you thought it sounded like a good time! What else is there to do out in this shithole? A world inside the TV--now that's exciting! You didn't have a single other reason for coming here, did you!?
That's not true...Stop...Stop it...
You're just trying to act like a big shot. If all went well, hey, maybe you could even be a hero! And that Senpai you were so sweet on? Her death was the perfect excuse!
That's not true! What are you!? Who are you!?
*chuckle* I already told ya. I'm you! Your Shadow! There's nothing I don't know about you!
Screw that! I don't know you! You can't be me, you son of a bitch!

-Awakening-


Hahahahahaha! That's right, say it again!


You're not me! You're nothing like me!


Ha! That's right. I am ME now.


I'm not you any more, see!?



EVIL ROCK MUSIC



EVIL SPIRIT



Yosuke collapses...



...and his Shadow moves in for the kill.

-I'll Face Myself: Battle-







Shadow Yosuke is here to teach us about Guarding. He immediately leads off with his strongest attack.





Izanagi is weak to wind attacks, but Shadow Yosuke wastes his 1 More on trash talk.


This one's much tougher than the last type! Be careful! Whenever you feel threatened, just defend yourself!



Sanzo can hit Shadow Yosuke's weakness as well, so victory will go to whoever can protect himself best. That's where Guarding comes in. When you use your turn to Guard, the next attack that hits you will do much less damage, and it won't Down you if it hits your weakness.



Shadow Yosuke always Guards before using Wind of Oblivion again...



...so if you Guard in turn, you'll be safe.



He also has a melee attack, and this ability...





...which doubles its damage. When he uses this, hit him with Zio and use your 1 More to Guard.





Eyes flashing across the screen = someone's about to have their ass handed to them.







Like so.

Feinne posted:

As promised, here is a fight with Shadow Yosuke from the original Persona 4.

The fight is basically identical, it's just a tutorial on Guarding. Next time is when we'll see things get a bit different.

Also an opportunity for those who have only played The Golden to hear Teddie's original voice acting.

-I'll Face Myself-




Y-Yeah...What happened?


You...You're...not me...
That thing came from you, Yosuke. You have to admit it, or it'll go berserk again...

> Yosuke seems reluctant to accept it.

You have to be brave.
Brave...




You're me...and I'm you. When you get down to it, all of this is me.

> The strength of heart required to face oneself has been made manifest...Yosuke has faced his other self. He has obtained the facade used to overcome life's hardships, the Persona Jiraiya!



Jiraiya, the gallant ninja.




I wonder if that was something Senpai had been keeping deep down inside. Haha..."He was a real pain in the ass," huh? What a way to find out. Geez, this is so embarrassing...
If you weren't here, I don't know what woulda happened...Thanks, Sanzo.


Hey, Teddie. Could Senpai have been attacked by her other self here? Like how it just happened to me?
I think so. The Shadows here were originally born from humans. Sometimes the fog clears. Then they all go berserk...And you saw what happens next. A strong-willed Shadow draws others to it. And the big mass of Shadows kills the host.
So that's why people die when it gets foggy in our world...
Yosuke's pretty worn out...This world isn't made for humans. It's not comfortable for you here. I don't hear any more voices. I think we're done with this place. Let's go back.


So that shopping district, and the weird room we saw before...Did they exist because the ones who died entered this world, and it became their reality? I guess what I'm trying to ask is: Did those places form because of the people who entered this world?
I don't know. It's never happened before. But that's probably where they were when the Shadows attacks them.
This world killed them?
The fog does lift here sometimes. The Shadows get really violent then. I always get so scared. I have to hide when it happens! I sensed people here twice before. But both of them disappeared after the fog lifted...
So let's get this straight--Senpai and that Yamano lady were thrown in here, and since they couldn't get out, they wandered around. After a while, that Shadow thing came out of them. The fog cleared, it went berserk, and it ended up killing them...Does that sound right? So if I'd been here until the fog cleared, I woulda been in much deeper trouble?
Yeah. I'm pretty sure. You were lucky. Sensei and me were here with you...
Dammit! Senpai and that announcer...They were stuck here all alone. No one could save them!
Yosuke...
They disappeared when the fog lifted. But they were safe before that. No Shadows attacked them. They attacked us, though...Maybe they're keeping a close eye on us. They might see people who investigate this place as enemies. It'll be dangerous, but we might be able to fight them! We might save people!
Are you saying, if anyone else gets thrown in here, we can save them before they disappear!? Like how you guys just saved me!?
We won't know unless we try.
Anyways, we need to catch the one who's throwing people in here and make him stop. Yeah...I'm finally starting to understand what's going on.
U-Um...Can I ask something too? If Shadows are born from humans, what was Teddie born from?
You don't even know where you came from!? How should we know?
I know some things. Mostly about this world...But I don't know anything about myself. To be honest, I never thought about it until now...
Are you serious? No wonder we couldn't get a straight answer out of you.
Will you guys...come back here?
We made a promise.
You'll...keep your word?
Well, you're the one who said you weren't letting us out unless we do.
Oh! Th-That's right! Okay, I'll let you out. But there's one thing.
I'll be waiting for you guys here. You need to come in from the same place every time. So we can meet up.
The TV at Junes?
You could come in from somewhere else. But then you won't end up here. You might show up somewhere I couldn't get to you. Then you'd be doooomed...Got it!?
Well, pretty much...
Alright, can you show us the way out?




Okay! Go go go! Squiiiish!
Argh! Hey! Stop squeezing, you little--Whoa!


Y-You guys came baaack...!
Huh? Chie? Whoa, what's with that face?

WHAM.



-New Days-

Ow!
The nerve of you guys! You are such morons! I can't believe this! You guys suck!
The rope got cut off--I had no idea what to do...I was so worried...
I mean, scared stiff, dammit! I hate you both!


Maybe we did go a little too far...
Let's apologize to her tomorrow.
I'm completely wiped out. I'm gonna go home, soak in the shower for a while, and get some sleep. I think...I'm gonna sleep well tonight.
Hehe. Well, see you in the morning!

> Near the flood plain, while walking home from Junes...




Um...Are you getting used to your new town and school?
"Well, it's kind of weird how shame shadows come out of people and kill them inside the TV, and also I think we traumatized Chie today."
Somewhat.
...I'm glad to hear that. It must be difficult, moving to a place you know nothing about.
I've never been out of Inaba, so I wouldn't know what it's like to transfer to a new school. Oh! Are you getting along with Chie? I mean, I always leave early, so...Umm...
I don't know yet.
I see...
Chie's very supportive, you know. It's always her who gives me the little extra push I need. We had homeroom together last year too, and I still remember how we'd cut class sometimes.
Oh...I should get going. I need to make tomorrow's arrangements with our head chef. Our inn can't function without me right now. Um...I'll see you at school, then.



Announcer: Our next story is an update in our ongoing report on the bizarre murders occurring in Inaba. At around 7:00 A.M., local high school student Saki Konishi was found dead in Inaba's residential area. Since the body was positioned similarly to the last victim, and since Ms. Konishi was the one who discovered that body, police are proceeding under the assumption that this may be a serial murder case related to the death of Mayumi Yamano. The coroner's report has established Ms. Konishi's time of death at around 1:00 A.M. last night. The body went unnoticed until this morning as a result of the heavy fog blanketing the area.
Another incident...Dad won't be coming home tonight.
I'll be here with you.
...I'll be okay. Can you help me do some stuff around the house?

> Nanako seems to be very reliable for her age.

Narrator: ...Amagi Inn, located upstream of Samegawa River, is the town's oldest historical landmark. Vacationers are known to travel surprising distances in order to visit its open-air, radium-rich hot springs.
Reporter: After the incident with Ms. Yamano, the manager has stepped aside, leaving her daughter Yukiko to fill her shoes.

> Yukiko is on TV, wearing a kimono.

Reporter: In other words, she's a manager who's still in high school. Now that has a nice ring to it...Let's see if we can interview her. Excuse me!



Reporter: We've heard that you're the new manager. Is it true you're still in high school?
Oh, well, I'm only filling in temporarily...
Reporter: Someday, though...That aside, wow! You're looking gorgeous in that kimono. You must have a lot of male visitors.
Huh? No, um...

> The reporter's rambling goes further and further off the subject...

This is boring.
Oh, I need to do the dishes.

> You decided to help out with the housework.



This is where the game unlocks the Status screen, where you can see how the kids are doing and what their Personas can do. Here's Sanzo.





And here's his Persona, Izanagi. He takes less damage from lightning attacks, is weak against wind attacks, and is immune to dark attacks. (Nothing uses dark attacks.)

Every Persona has the same five combat stats:
Strength, which affects physical damage dealt;
Magic, which affects damage dealt & received for the other elements;
Endurance, which affects physical damage received;
Agility, which affects chance to hit, chance to be missed, and turn order;
and Luck, which affects chance for critical hits and status effects.

That gibberish down at the bottom is Izanagi's skill set. Atlus's SMT games use their own made-up words for most skills, because it's just not a proper RPG unless shit's pointlessly obtuse somehow. Izanagi starts with a lightning attack, a physical attack, and a defense boost. You can also see the next skill he'll learn, which is a defense decrease.



Here are the non-combat stats that come into play around Inaba. These are one thing that Clear Data carries over, so Sanzo is the very model of a modern major-general.

And here's our other Persona user, Yosuke.





Like the Shadow that spawned him, Jiraiya is strong against wind, and weak against electricity. He starts with a wind attack, a physical attack, and a minor heal. His next skill is an agility increase. He does not get to keep Power Charge.



> Will something appear on TV?


Weather announcer: The region has seen an abnormal amount of fog over the past few years, and the cause of the climate change is unknown. Whatever the reason, residents of the Inaba area should be careful. Our broadcast tonight was extended to bring you up-to-date news on the incident in Inaba. The time is now midnight.

-Who's There?-



> It seems that if conditions are met, you can see it as many times as you want...



>It seems to be a woman. It looks like she's wearing a kimono. The image is so out of focus that you can't tell who it is...



> Would you be able to touch the person on screen?
That would be an extremely rude thing to do!





> You decide to go to bed for tonight.

-Aria of the Soul-


Welcome. Do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world...I have summoned you within your dreams.

> It seems you've been summoned to the Velvet Room.

And so we meet again.
This is a space that only those who have, in one way or another, entered into a contract may enter. In your daily life, you subconsciously heard the call to awaken, and you chose to follow the destiny of your inner voice...thereby enacting your glorious awakening to your power.
Hold on to this...

> Obtained Velvet Key.

From this night forth, you are our guest in this Velvet Room. Your destiny will require you to hone your power, and for that, you will inevitably require our help. There is but one price for this assistance: You must abide by your contract and assume responsibility for all decisions you may make.
I don't get it.
...That is fine, for now. The Persona you have acquired--It is a side of you that shows itself when you face the world around you. Perhaps you can think of it as...a facade of determination you wear to face various difficulties in life. Your Persona ability, however, is that of the wild card...Compared to that of others, it is very special. It is like the number zero: empty, yet holding infinite potential within itself.
Special...?
The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart, and the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The power of these Social Links is what will determine your Persona's abilities.
Control one's heart?
Social Links are necessary for more than strengthening your Persona. At times, they will help light the way to the truth you are searching for.
Where will your awakened power of the wild card take you...? I look forward to traveling the road of your destiny together. *chuckle* 'Til we meet again...