Part 37: 7/8/11-7/10/11

7/8/11

It rained today, so I headed to give the fox some good news.



Nanako had a question for me when I got home.



…Why do people die?
> Is Nanako talking about her mother, who died in an accident?
> Nanako is looking straight at you…
> This is a difficult question for a girl Nanako's age to understand…
> But, with your level of expression, you were able to explain it to her.



I see… This is hard…
But I get it! Thank you, big bro!
> Nanako is nodding her head cheerfully.
Is there anything else?
Well, ummm… Oh, there is!
> Nanako's eyes are gleaming…
What happens to a person.. when they die?

I don't know myself, but that's not what a kid who's lost their mother needs to hear.



So, it is true. Mommy went to heaven.
> Nanako is smiling happily…
Oh, yeah, I saw this on the news: "Robbery at the post office."
……
Why do bad people do bad things?
I don't know.
I see… You're not a bad person, so I guess you wouldn't know.
> Nanako looks relieved.
But if there were no bad people, Dad would be home more…
Last year, there weren't many crimes, so Dad was here a lot.
He used to pick me up from kindergarten…
……
Are bad people more important to Dad than I am?

Dojima's… complicated. But I know there's nobody more important to him than Nanako.



…I don't get it.
> Nanako is thinking.
……
> It seems that Nanako is bearing her sadness stoically…
> You feel that you understand a bit of Nanako's loneliness…

If we manage to stop the killer, that'll also mean Dojima can be home more. Just one more reason to bring the bastard down.



…Let's talk about something else, big bro.
> You decided to talk about something different with the lonely-looking Nanako…
> It's getting late, so you put Nanako to bed and went to your own room.

It's still raining tonight, and it looks like it's going to keep going tomorrow.

7/9/11

Another day, another wish from the fox.



I headed down for my traditional celebratory Aiya bowl, then went home. Looks like the fog is coming.

VIDEO- "Checkmate"

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Weather Announcer: The week ended on a wet note as rain clouds moved into the area.
As a result, a thick fog is expected to form in the Inaba region later tonight…
> it seems the fog will set in tonight…

Also if Nanako is reading this it was Dojima that stole your pudding and not me.



> There's a bowl of homemade pudding!
> …Nanako's name is written on the bottom of the container.
> ……
> Eat Nanako's pudding…?
> …
> ……
> ………
> Stolen food always tastes good… But you do feel guilty about it.

Soon enough midnight came.



> The fog has set in…
> No one is appearing on the Midnight Channel.
> Since Rise has been rescued, it seems the killer was thwarted this time…

Why do I have this terrible feeling? We saved Rise, the Midnight Channel is blank. What could happen?

7/10/11



I awoke to the sound of sirens.

VIDEO- "The King Is Dead"

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> Did something happen…?
> You cell phone is ringing.
> It's from Chie.
D-D-Did you hear yet!?
They found a dead body just outside the shopping district!
I don't get it! I mean, we…
Look, we're all meeting at Junes. Come over right away!
> Chie hung up.
> You're sure that you rescued Rise…
> …It would be best if you hurried to Junes.

How could this have happened?



Yosuke went over to check out the scene. He should be back soon…
*gasp * Yeah, it was murder all right.
The body was hanging upside down on an apartment's rooftop railing…
But… how could that…?
That's not all.
The victim this time…

How could we have been so wrong?



K-King Moron…!?
You mean THAT King Moron!? Senpai's homeroom teacher?
Wh-Why…!?
What on earth's going on here!?
How am I supposed to know!? But I talked to a guy there who saw it!
It's true… There's no mistake.
Gotta be shitting me… Ain't the killer targeting people who get shown on TV?
I ain't never seen King Moron on the Midnight Channel, or any other programs!
Why…? Why did this happen?
I thought we finally figured some things out… Were they all just a big coincidence…?
Maybe the Midnight Channel doesn't have anything to do with this…
Dammit! We came so far, and now we're back to square one!?
Were we in over our heads, trying to catch a culprit that even the police couldn't find…?

But it doesn't matter. Even if we've been wrong the whole time we need to keep trying.



Damn straight!
We started this thing 'cause the police can't tell their asses from their elbows.
We give up now, and that shithead's gonna be on the loose forever.
This ain't the time for bitching and moaning… We just gotta keep on keepin' on.
Kanji-kun…
Hmph… Big talk from someone like you, Kanji.
Wh-What's that s'posedta mean!?
*sigh * I know…
We're dealing with a murderer here. But we've all risked our lives to get this far…
No way we'll back down.
And we promised the bear, too…
Hey, that's right! Maybe Teddie knows something about this!
Well, since moping around won't do us any good, let's go see him!

We headed to the electronics department and got another surprise.

VIDEO- "Teddie"

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Now that's unusual…
Hi there. Did something happen?
Female Employee: Ah, Yosuke-kun.
Male Employee: Great timing. Did the manager tell you anything about this?
There's been this weird mascot around our department for quite a while now…
Is there some kind of campaign on today?
Mascot…?
Female Employee: He said his name was… Uh, what was it? Terry? Eddie?
Male Employee: Well, there are no customers around, so I guess it's fine… I better get back to my station.
Please don't tell me…
Whoa, h-he's here!

And indeed, Teddie was there. At Junes. In the real world.



Wh-What the…? I mean, how'd you…?
It took you guys long enough! I've been waiting.
Teddie, are you okay on this side!?
How did you even leave your side!?
Of course I can come out. There's an exit.
It just never occurred to me to do it before.
But spending time with you all sparked my curiosity about this world!
I did wonder if it was a good idea, but my feel started moving before I could decide.
And when I thought about it, I had nowhere to go, and it was a waste to go back. So I waited here for you.
Oh, someone asked for my name. So I told them, "I'm Teddie."
So that's why…
Oh yeah, there's something we need to ask you!
How long have you been here, Teddie? Did anyone enter the other world?
I stayed until the fog settled in on my side, but no one came.
You're positive? You really didn't sense a single person?
I just said that I didn't! I was there all by myself, like always. Hmph!
And your nose wasn't clogged or anything…?
Grrr, aren't you listening!? I was utterly, totally, and 100% alone! That's why I came over here!
But I can understand if you don't believe me. My senses aren't that good lately anyways…

Still I think we can trust that Teddie's doing his best.



Oh! Sensei's heart is radiating pure kindness…!
Well, it's true that the Midnight Channel was blank last night.
And even before that… Teddie says he didn't sense anything, right?
Does that mean… King Moron was never on that side?
Hmm… What's going on?
Hey, hey, I wanna go somewhere!
Huh? Now ain't the time, dude… You seriously don't plan on going back, do you?
Where do you wanna go, anyway?
I want to give this to Rise-chan. It's for her.
> You received glasses from Teddie.
Rise-chan will probably back us up from now on!
So I'm gonna fight alongside you with everything I got!
Don't think of me as the same cute little Teddie!
I'm an all-new model! I have a powerful attack, an unbeatable defense, and a winning smile!
Today begins the New Legend of Teddie!
Wow… A new legend…
> …Teddie has joined the group as a front line fighter!
> He'll definitely be a strong asset in your battle against the Shadows.

Even if things are looking down, we're stronger than ever.



Uh-oh, people are starting to stare… Keep it down, willya Ted!?
C'mon, let's go somewhere else!

We headed down to the food court.



Nobody was over there, except for you, until the fog came back. Correct?
That's what I've been saying.
He didn't show up on the Midnight Channel either…
What's up with that?
No clue…
But I think we can be sure now that King Moron was never thrown into the TV.
Then what, he was killed over here?
Why not throw him into a TV, like all the rest?

Clearly the killer had some special reason to kill Morooka.



They never intended to…?
So you're saying he wasn't like the other victims to begin with? But why?
Maybe the culprit thought he couldn't kill any more people by throwing them into TVs.
I mean, we prevented his last three attempts in a row.
Ahhh, I get you… That could be it!
So they snuffed someone on our side this time to make sure it worked.
Dammit… If that's true, then we have no way of preventing more murders unless we catch the killer!
We need more clues…
I wonder if Rise-chan's up and around yet.
Yeah… We'll have to put our hopes on her.
*sigh * It's so hot out.
…I'm taking this off.
Wait, you're not talking about your head, are you!?
Cut it out! There's kids watching!
Geez… They'll be scarred for life if they see an empty mascot walking around. Have a little consideration, man.
I'm glad you're back to normal, though. Your fur's all fuzzy again!
C-Can I feel it…?
No!

We weren't exactly sure what Teddie was talking about here at the time.



I trained and trained, hoping to someday score with Chie-chan and Yuki-chan… And now I finally have an inside!
Yeah… good job with that.
Come on! Can't we give it a rest with the whole "scoring" thing?
Dude, you're hollow. Taking your head off isn't gonna cool you down!
But I just told you! I'm not hollow anymore!
Agh, it's too hot. I can't stand it…

And then we found out exactly what he meant.

VIDEO- "Hollow No More"

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And holy shit.



Y-Yes…?
Do you have anything to wear? I'm basically like a newborn at the moment…
T-Teddie? Is that really you…?
Umm…
Wait, did you say you're like a newborn!?
Then don't take the bottom part off!
You need some clothes, right? C'mon, let's go look around…
That's… Teddie…?
He said he's not hollow anymore… So, like… he grew himself a body in there?
What kinda creature would do that!?
I mean… what IS he?
……
*sigh * Then again, this is hardly the first bizarre thing we've seen…
And I gotta admit, it's probably better than him walking around in his bear suit.
Oh, hey, weren't we gonna see about talking to Rise?
I was so shocked that I lost track of what we were talking about.
Let's head over to Rise's place. As for Teddie… He's with the girls, so he should be fine.
> You went home to change before heading to the shopping district…

We decided to wait for the girls and Teddie, so we stopped for some Topsicles first.



Dude, how many are you going to eat? You're gonna get a stomach ache.
*gasp * Sorry we're late…
How'd it take you that long to find clothes for Ted?
Whoa…! I-Is that you, Teddie…?
Oui, monsieur! How do I look?

I had to run with it.



Uh, don't encourage him.
I have to say, it totally blew my mind, but he's Teddie alright.
This guy had to make it a huge ordeal… Everything was new to him, so it turned into a big mess.
He was so excited in the women's section that he started blabbering…
Hey, you can't just go around doing whatever you please when you're in this form, got it?
Well, he can't help it. It's his first time in our world.
*sigh * All right… You don't need to get all mopey like that.
I never said I won't forgive you!
I'm so glad! I was worried that you didn't like me anymore.
*chuckle * Man… If you can behave yourself, you'll be pretty cute.
Is he cute…? What do you think, Kanji?
Huh? What're you asking me for?
Well, I was just wondering if he was your type.
Ohhh… I get it.

Kanji's not taking shit from Yosuke anymore, which I think is good.



Snrk… *chuckle *
It ain't funny, Yukiko-senpai.
S-Sorr-heehee…
You'll have to forgive Yukiko. She's helpless once she gets this way…
Oooh, please, everyone! Don't fight over me, baby!
Shuddup! You picking a fight with me!?
Ahahahahahaha!
Geez… oh well.
> Yosuke handed a 1,000-yen bill to Kanji.
Here, Kanji. Get whatever ice cream you wan, just share it with Teddie.
We're gonna head for the tofu shop. Wait here until we get back.
Wow, you're rich!
I can't just take this from you!
Think of it as a welcome-back party for Teddie.
Just don't go around making a racket.
Whoa, Yosuke, what's gotten into you? You're acting like a real senpai all of a sudden.
Oh, I get it. You might say differently, but you're still nice to Teddie.
I'm glad Yosuke's developing into such a mature adult. Someone who doesn't let trifles bother him.

This was going in a direction that I could already tell was going to be hilarious if you weren't Yosuke.



Oh, it's about Teddie's clothes, that's all. We didn't have the money for them, so we charged the rest to you.
Charge?
WHAT!? You put it on my account!? What the hell, Chie!? I never said you could do that!
What else were we supposed to do!? This stuff was expensive, even for Junes!
You seriously charged it to me?
Wh-Why would you do that!? You know I've been saving up to buy a motorcycle!
Oh, that. You don't need one.
What!?
C'mon baby. Stop fighting over-
Shuddup! This is your fault, y'know!
Grrrrr…
You listen here, Ted… You better take really, really, REALLY good care of that.
If you put even a single tear in it, I'll make your next set of clothes out of the bear hide you took off!
Yo Teddie, don't let it get you down.
Let's go get some Topsicles.
Let's go on ahead… I think they're going to be a while.

That person Kanji had been talking with was already at Rise's.



You're…!
Are you here to ingratiate yourself with Rise Kujikawa now?
Geez… Why did the clerk even let them charge it to someone else…?
Huh? W-Wait, you're that guy we saw with Kanji…!
Precisely. I don't believe we've met since then-In fact, I don't believe I've ever introduced myself.
My name is Naoto Shirogane. I'm investigating the multiple murders that have occurred here.
Mind if I ask you a few questions on the subject?
The latest victim, Kinshiro Morooka… He was a teacher at the school you all attend, correct?
S-So what?
The public is focused on the fact that he is associated with the second victim's school… But in truth, that's irrelevant.
What intrigues me is the inconsistency.

I don't know who this Naoto Shirogane is but I'm damn impressed.



What do you make of that?
…How are we supposed to know?
Well, we'll leave it at that.
For my part, I'd like to solve this case as quickly as possible.
I'll be keeping an eye on you all.
Well then, until we meet again.
Who is that guy…?
It felt like he completely saw through us… He even knew about the TV thing.

Before we could continue on, Rise showed up.



Rise-chan!
Are you okay now…?
Good, good…
Are you all here to check up on me?
Well, yeah…
Oh, um… Do you guys have a moment?
There's something I want to tell you.
Follow me. My grandma's taking care of the shop today.
Huh? Sure, okay…

We went to the shrine with Rise.

VIDEO- "Rise"

Click Here For Video!

When I came to, though, I was already in the other world.
Still no real information on the killer…
We met this weird kid named Naoto a second ago…
Oh… He's come to the shop several times. He asked me a lot about the incident.
I didn't tell him anything about the other world, though. I figured it'd be a waste of time.
Actually, he asked me about you guys too, but I just made up some stuff.
Like, "They found me unconscious on the roof at Junes."
Well, I guess that's close enough to the truth.
Um… So…
Hm…? What's up?
Um…
I-I really appreciate what you did for me…
Thank you soooo much! I love you guys!
Huh…? Awww, you don't have to thank us!
Dude… She's so cute…
Man, it's finally hitting me that you're the real deal. You really are Risette.

It was good to see that she was feeling better, I have to say.



Do I… sound weird?
Oh, but I guess it sounds more "natural" this way to the public…
I'm sorry… I've practically lost touch with what the normal me is like.
Haha, no need to apologize. Just do what comes naturally.
I think everyone has multiple sides to them. You don't have to force yourself to decide on just one.
Haha, it sounds convincing when Yukiko says it.
Huh…? R-Really?
……
Thanks.
*chuckle * I'm glad you're the first people I got to know here.
Oh yeah, we almost forgot your present. The Teddie Glasses.
Um, you don't have to take them, but… Well…
> Teddie gave you a pair of glasses to hold onto for when Rise joined you.
> But what you should say when giving them to her…?
Senpai… Would you be struggling without my help?
I can help you in that world, right?
With my power…
So wouldn't it be better if I joined the team?

It seems I didn't even need to ask her to join.



These are kinda proof that you're one of us…
> You explained the effect of the glasses to Rise.
I see… I do remember you all wearing glasses over there.
Thanks, Senpai. Now I'm part of the team, too!
> Rise Kujikawa joined the group!
> She'll definitely be a strong asset in solving the case.

I think Rise's powers are much stronger than Teddie's ever were, so we'll be in even better shape now.



I'll be going to Yasogami High, starting tomorrow.
But I don't have any friends yet, so don't ignore me, alright?
I do owe you my life, so… you know…
Leave it to me.
W-Wow… I didn't realize you were so cool, Senpai.
This sure is a rough time to transfer here, though.
The kidnappings, King Moron's death… All that, and exams are soon, too.
*sigh * Exams… Now I'm depressing myself. I wonder if there's any chance they'll be cancelled…
I doubt it. They always hold exams, rain or shine…
*chuckle * I almost got killed by those monsters. Compared to that, exams are nothing.
Alrighty then, let's discuss the case some more tomorrow at our special headquarters.
Yo. How's it going?

Kanji had some incredible news.



Though if you count the ones I had before, that makes six, so I still win.
No one asked…
We're all done talking already!
Let's go, Senpai!
Uh… When did you get so chipper?
Do you go to Yasogami, like Senpai? I'll be starting school there tomorrow, so I hope we get along too.
Huh? Oh… cool.
Uhh… What grade are you in?
…Snrk.
So where's Teddie?
He's over there, finishing up his fifth Topsicle. What are we gonna do with him?
Well… I guess I'll take him home…

We split up and headed home.

VIDEO- "That Night"

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Announcer: The serial murder case in Inaba has claimed a third victim.
The news shocked local residents, who have not seen another murder in three months, and assumed the spree had reached its end.
The deceased taught at a local high school. Since his body was found arranged in a similar manner as the last two victims…
> King Moron's picture is on the news.
> It seems he really was murdered…
What's wrong?
Was it someone you know?
…He died?
> Nanako seems scared…

She wasn't taking this well.



> You calmed Nanako down…
I'm all right…
> Nanako seems somewhat relieved.
Announcer: This marks the second consecutive death, after Ms. Saki Konishi's, where the target was involved with Yasogami High.
Mr. Morooka was known for his strict teaching methods, and is said to have had constant friction with his students.
The police will be pursuing this line of inquiry, and are planning to begin a large-scale investigation tomorrow.
We now turn to our reporter at the scene for more details…
> The news is livelier than usual…
Dad won't be coming home again today…
> Maybe you should try another magic trick…
> You move a finger on your right hand…
> …to your left hand!

It was an old trick but I figured it was pretty good.



> This time, you move a finger on the left hand…
> …to your right hand!
It moved!
Hey, how did you do that? Tell me, tell me!
> Nanako seems to have cheered up…
> You put Nanako to bed and decided to call it a night as well…

God this day has been a mess. What else could happen?

Later that night…



Welcome.
It's been quite some time…
> It seems you've been called to the Velvet Room…
Do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world…
I have summoned you within your dreams.
How are things proceeding…?
Are you gradually drawing nearer to a solution to the mystery…?
Yes.
Excellent.
The season has changed, but your future is not yet closed.
In time, a path will open to you.
Our true reason for calling you here tonight is to provide a new form of assistance to help you achieve just that.
Fusing Personas… Have you been using our services diligently?
The aid we will henceforth provide is an advanced form of fusion…
I speak of the power to fuse four or more Personas at once.
I am quite certain that this will enable you to command even stronger powers…
> A new type of fusion is now available!
Now… your journey will soon reach its climax…
And as a result, many challenges-which I cannot forsee at present-await you.
Most interesting… *chuckle *
Well, until we meet again… Farewell.