Part 60: 9/17/11 Part 2

9/17/11

We headed into the TV world, information in hand.

VIDEO- "The Secret Laboratory"

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> You told Rise about Naoto being treated "like a child"…
> And you explained Naoto's abnormal obsession to solve the case.
I see…
So he's being stubborn about the case…
But it seems like it's rare for Naoto-kun to get so worked up over something.
Okay… I've got a good feel for him. I think I can do this.
It wont' take long for me to find him with my Persona, so be ready to follow me once I do!

Rise led us to a weird bunker.



It's all sci-fi… Heyyy, doesn't it remind you of those secret hideouts in live action shows?
Oh yeah… Hehe, I used to watch Featherman all the time when I was a kid.
I hear that those are really tough shoots. A lot of the actors do their own stunts, like jumping through fire themselves.
Well, it's every man's dream to do that stuff.
Yeah, I can understand that. They're action-based, like kung fu movies.
And just the phrase "secret hideout" has this exciting ring to it!
I totally hear you.
Actually, when I was a kid, I had my own secret place near the mountain by Yukiko's house.
I'd pretend that a legendary kung fu master was teaching me special techniques. Hwataaa!
You got it all wrong…
But hey, so this secret hideout thingy came from Naoto's mind?
I guess our proper boy detective isn't as grown up as he looks.
Alright, let's get going.

A mechanical voice rang out as we entered.



Defense System: THREAT LEVEL: YELLOW
DEPLOYING GUARDS INSIDE THE FACILITY.
WARNING! WARNING!
ATTENTION INTRUDERS! LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY!
I REPEAT: LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY!
Huh? Intruders… That means us, right?

The place had a creepy green atmosphere, but at first it just seemed like every other place we'd been.



Defense System: ATTENTION INTRUDERS! LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY!
I REPEAT: LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY!
Does this mean… Naoto-kun doesn't want our help?
I-I don't really get it, but let's go on for now!

That warning seemed to be looping in the first three floors, like it was just an automated system.



Defense System: ATTENTION INTRUDERS! LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY!
I REPEAT: LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY!
Hey Senpai, when Naoto-kun appeared on the Midnight Channel…
He said he was going to undergo a "body alteration operation"…
Did that mean Naoto-kun's going to be altered here!?
……
Crap, we need to hurry!

With renewed urgency we rushed forward, but it seemed the facility wasn't going to make things as easy as we'd hoped.



Security System: THREAT LEVEL: ORANGE.
MAJOR FACILITY AREAS LOCKED.
ELIMINATE THE INTRUDERS!

And sure enough we found a door conspicuously locked.



Gate Check: ENTRY IS FORBIDDEN TO ORDINARY COMBATANTS.
PLEASE PRESENT YOUR ID.

We didn't have any ID, so we were forced to push on ahead.



Defense System: I REPEAT: INTRUDERS WILL BE ELIMINATED!

And security just kept getting tighter as we pushed on.



Security System: ELIMINATE THE INTRUDERS!

There was another door that seemed even heavier than the earlier one.



Gate Check: ENTRY IS FORBIDDEN FOR ORDINARY COMBATANTS AND RESEARCHERS.
PLEASE PRESENT YOUR ID.

We couldn't find any way to progress, but we did manage to find a key card on the floor.



We headed back up to the fourth floor to see what was behind the locked door there.



We charged through the door, and found the main research area. Of course a powerful Shadow was waiting for us there, we sort of expect this by now.

VIDEO- "Dominating Machine"

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Boss Battle: Dominating Machine
This thing is really annoying. It's got a very fixed pattern. It will alternate between casting Power Charge to increase its physical power and Herculean Strike to hit your whole party with a bunch of damage. If it gets a critical on the Herculean Strike it'll Power Charge again. This continues on until it reaches low health. You'll know this is the case because it'll change its posture and stop acting. You've got a few turns at that point to kill it before it uses Last Resort, which will kill it and maybe or maybe not wipe your party out. This guy's not really all that hard. The dick move is that a slightly weaker version of him shows up as trash later in this very fucking dungeon.

The robotic Shadow was guarding another keycard.



We returned to the sixth level and unlocked the door.



Things really stepped up when we passed that door.



Defense System: THREAT LEVEL: RED.
DEPLOYING INCREASED GUARDS WITHIN THE FACILITY. THE INTRUDERS MUST BE ELIMINATED!
Man… It's seriously rejecting us…
We'll just have to get ourselves fired up and bust on through!

And the increased security just proved to us we were getting close.



Defense System: STOP THE INTRUDERS!
Okay! I can sense Naoto-kun nearby!
Just a little more to go… Hang in there!

And sure enough, we reached the deepest level of the base, and Naoto was waiting.

VIDEO- "Contempt"

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And so was the Shadow.



Dealing with this child has been quite a pain…
No! No, no, don't go!
It's useless speaking with you. I need to go back now…
Why? Why're you leaving me here!? Why am I always left alone!?
It's so lonely… I don't wanna be alone!
Naoto-kun…
You wear the same face as me… It's as if you're implying we're one and the same.
But the difference between me and you is…

That was when things started to get… bad.



These childish gestures are no mere affectation… They're the truth.
The fools all say it, don't they…? "You're only a child," "Keep out of our business, kid," and so forth.
No matter how many cases you spend hours cogitating over, no matter how many crimes you solve, you're a child in their eyes.
It's your brain they're interested in. The grey matter locked up in that skull.
As long as they need it, you're an ace detective! But once you're done, it's back to the playpen with you.
You haven't the means to deal with society's two-faced nature…
You're just a lonely child.
Naoto…
I wanna be a grown-up…
I wanna be a big boy right now… Then they'll see who I am…
I… I want a reason for me to stay…
That's enough. I can find my own reason for living…
Hah… I'm telling you that's impossible.
You are but a child. How can you change that essential truth?

Naoto was starting to crack under the Shadow's pressure.



At your core, you admire the sort of "strong" and "cool" men who populate detective fiction.
But in trying to emulate them, you must know that in truth, you're nothing of the sort-you're a child.
There's no avoiding first principles… Admit that you're a child, and admit that there's nothing you can do about it.
Now then! Our analysis is complete. Let us begin the body alteration procedure.
You have no objections, do you… "Naoto" Shirogane?
Stop it!
"Naoto"… Such a cool, manly name!
But a name doesn't change the truth. It doesn't let you cross the barrier between the sexes.

Yeah, it turned out there were a few things we had missed in our investigation of Naoto. Like the fact he's a she.



Wait, what…? Did he… Did I hear that right!?
H-He's not a guy!?
I won't throw a tantrum… That accomplishes nothing…!
*chuckle * Hahahaha! How often I've heard those words from the adults.
"Throwing a tantrum won't solve anything, Naoto-kun," and other such bilge!
They made you cry, didn't they?
Yet here you are, mimicking those same men. What exactly are you trying to justify?
What…?
It's all right. You needn't suffer anymore. That's why you're undergoing this body alteration procedure to begin with.
You throw a tantrum, but it fails to change the situation a single bit… I can quite understand the feeling.
After all… I am you.
That's not true!!
Don't say it!
It's okay… Let the kid spill the whole thing.
If not, Naoto's just gonna keep hurting…
We'll just do our job and kick the Shadow's ass. Yeah?
*chuckle * Ahahahaha! As if you know anything about me!
You'll kick my ass, huh? Fine… Go ahead and try, you lizard-brained imbecile!!
Save the discussion for later!
Here it comes!

You know, I've seen ninja frogs, leather chicks sitting on other chicks, big flaming birds, big flaming dudes, oil-paint strippers, giant hellbears, and evil babies, but giant cyborg Naoto was still pretty out there.

VIDEO- "Shadow Naoto"

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Still, it began just as every other battle.



What? Are you sick of yourselves too?
Very well… Then let's begin the special operation!

Boss Battle: Shadow Naoto
Shadow Naoto is a very strange fight. She's got no weaknesses or immunities, but is resistant to Fire (which makes sense, but only in long retrospect). She starts out the fight with a mix of Attacks, Brave Blade (a powerful physical hit), and a really nasty attack called Mute Ray that does heavy damage, mutes, and drains SP from the character. This is actually probably the most dangerous thing Shadow Naoto does in practice because it's very easy to find yourself running out of gas towards the end if you're not high enough level to really kill her quickly. After you've done some damage, Shadow Naoto changes tactics up a bit. You'll know you've reached this phase because there's a vocal taunt.



Then she'll cast Element Zero, a spell that negates all your elemental resistances for a few turns. Now she'll largely stop using physicals, and gains all four elemental -dyne spells and an attack called Galgalim Eyes. Galgalim Eyes is a quite nasty little move that reduces someone to 1 HP and afflicts them with the Enervation status, which halves their stats. So this is where we also start to see how Shadow Naoto's AI is different. Shadow Naoto will try to target any weaknesses in the party with her -dyne spells. So, for example, if you've got Yukiko in the party she'll almost exclusively use Mabufudyne. She'll especially focus on elemental spells when Element Zero is active. If she does manage to knock someone down she'll usually follow it up with a Mute Ray, which is of course pretty bad. When we get her into the lower parts of her health bar, we'll see another phase change.



Why won't you lie down and die!? You children can't do anything at all!

She'll cast Element Zero again, and then start constantly throwing out elemental magic. She also gains Element Zero as a normal skill now, so she can just refresh it whenever she feels like now. This phase will either be very easy or very hard. If you're high enough level and have enough SP left to weather the barrage of -dyne level magic you'll win, otherwise you'll die. It's that simple.

So the trick to Shadow Naoto is pretty simple really. It starts and ends at your party selection, really. You need to minimize your weaknesses, because it's absolutely crucial that Naoto not get a bunch of extra Mute Rays off and tank your SP into the ground. Beyond that, it's just a matter of dragging her down. There's not much to it, and if you're having problems it's almost certainly just that you aren't high enough level. Oh, and Shadow Naoto has a hilarious death animation (and really just awesome animations in general).

We smashed the Shadow into wreckage, eventually.

VIDEO- "Awaken Sukuna-Hikona"

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Ngh…
Are you awake!?
Where am I…?
I remember you all arriving, and…
That's right… You saw everything…
……
I lost both my parents in an accident. I was still young, so my grandfather took me in.
I was inept at making friends… so I spent my time reading detective novels in my grandfather's study.
When I grow up… I'm gonna be an awesome, hard-boiled detective…!
My parents were proud of their job. I had no qualms about following in their footsteps…
An inherited occupation can feel stifling to many, but I welcomed it. I yearned for the day I could be a detective myself…
Perhaps I inherited that desire from them as well.
I was always alone… Seeing that, my grandfather must have believed it was his duty to help me realize my dream.
I secretly aided my grandfather with his clients… And before I knew it, people started calling me Junior Detective.
At first, I was delighted. But not everything went so smoothly…
What was that you said about "You're only a child..."?
Not everyone welcomes my collaboration when it comes to solving cases…
My status as a "child" was sufficient to offend many of those whom I worked with.
Were that the only issue, then it would have resolved itself with time…

Poor Naoto. She's trying so hard to prove herself as a detective, but she's so afraid that she'll never reach her dreams because of something she can't change.



Do you not like being a girl…?
Is that why you always dress like a boy?
My sex doesn't fit my ideal image of a detective…
Besides, the police department is a male-oriented society.
If they had the slightest "concrete" reason to look down on me, no one would need me anymore…
You don't know that.
Hey…
You must know already that what you yearn for isn't to become an adult or become a boy…
……
You're absolutely right.
I'm sorry… I kept ignoring you, pretending you didn't exist.
But you are me… and I am you. You've always been inside me.
What I should yearn for… No, what I must strive for isn't to become a man.
It's to accept myself for who I really am…
> The strength of heart required to face oneself has been made manifest…

And by understanding that she needed to stop trying to be something she never could, Naoto gained the power of Persona.



> Naoto has faced her other self…

Her Persona is Sukuna-Hikona, who I only recall as a tiny little god.



That just left one other bit of business to discuss, really.



Haha… No wonder the perpetrator has eluded the police…
But it's apparent now… This case is far from over.
That's right… And you proved it, Naoto.
Anyways, we can talk more later. We need to get you out of here.

We returned to Junes. Naoto was barely able to walk, I think that was especially hard on her.

VIDEO- "Back At Junes"

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> Naoto is breathing heavily…
Sheesh… She really put her life on the line for this…
But without her efforts, we'd never have realized…
…that the culprit is still at large.
You're too frickin' reckless, dammit…
I never doubted that you'd all come for me…
Although the reality turned out to be far beyond what I'd imagined.
Tch… What a dumbass. You're no genius at all.
We were tearing our hair out over you…
So you did worry about her, Kanji! Awww…
Shuddup! M-Mind your own damn business!
I'll take her home. I don't think she can go back by herself.
It's… all right… I can…
No way, missy! Don't think that doing everything on your own is the "adult" thing to do!
C'mon, let's go. Grab on!
> You were able to rescue Naoto safely.
And… it seems the case is not over yet…

Dojima was already home, and Adachi was there as well.

VIDEO- "Relief"

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Sorry, we got off early today…
C'mon, take a seat.
They found Naoto-kun! Oh, uh, do you know who Naoto-kun is?
He just up and vanished without a word, but it looks like he's back now.
Way to put a scare into everyone… Yeesh!
I'm relieved.
……
…You don't seem surprised.
You didn't already know he was found, did you?
Awww, you really oughtta do somethin' about that habit of yours, Dojima-san.
They go to the same school. Rumors spread fast out here, y'know.
But man, why'd Naoto-kun disappear?
I guess he can be a little difficult… Maybe he got sulky after being given the boot and ran away from home?
But I tell you, I was shocked to hear that he up and vanished like that.
If there'd been a fourth kidnapping and murder, we'd be back to square one again…
Adachi…

That man runs his mouth like crazy.



How're we gonna make a case like this?
I wonder if Dojima-san's instinct is right… Maybe there really is another perp out there. The real one…
Adachi! How many times I gotta say it!? Quit running your mouth like that!
Whoa! S-Sorry!
Alright, see here!
Don't worry about the case. Just go study like a normal student.
If you don't…
……
*sigh * I'm going to bed.
Sorry… I killed the mood there.
But yeah, I can totally understand why Dojima-san's worried.
Just leave the case to us police. You know the problems it could cause if something happened, right?
Like, if it happened you were mixed up in it, we'd be real worried…
Are more scary things going to happen?
N-No way, Nanako-chan! Everything's all right now!
We caught the bad man, so no more scary things will happen. Right? Everything's just fine.
Okay…
A-Anyways, your dad's just a worrywart.
Leave it to me! You might not know to look at me, but I got the most brains in the whole police department!

Yeah neither of us were very convinced by that statement.



W-Well, now that Dojima-san's gone, I should get going too… G'nite!
> Adachi went back home.
What does "got brains" mean?
It means he's smart.
Huh… So things'll be all right…?
> Nanako has fallen silent…
> The night passes with the awkward mood hanging in the air…

Another killer… And this one is clever enough to avoid the suspicion of the police, Naoto, and all of us. How the hell will we ever find them?