Day 8, April 18, 2011.
Yosuke and Souji are in class, wondering how Chie was feeling after yesterday?s events. Their worries are dispelled by Chie?s assurance of her good condition. After a brief pause, she thanks Souji and Yosuke for their help the day before, admitting her embarrassment that her feelings were revealed in such a violent manner. Chie asks Yosuke what his facing of his Shadow was like.
Yosuke answers with the most shameless change of topic since Nikita Khruschev asked what the weather was like in Cuba.
Chie and Yosuke wonder why Souji did not have to face a Shadow of his own, and Chie comments that it is perhaps that Souji has little to hide, and that this openness draws others naturally to him. It seems that I?m too much of a little girl to be suave about this. Scratch that, even Nanako could have done that. So I went for a poor joke instead. Chie didn?t get it, but Yosuke came back with a pretty good line.
Their mood improved, the three agree that their main priority is the rescue of Yukiko. Chie really trusts me with this business. I won?t let her down. The
flash informs me that I?m on the right track ? the Charior Arcanum has grown in power.
Souji asks Chie for her contact information, claiming that it would help the three?s investigation.
During school, Souji is tasked to identify a definite article from a group of three. He chooses the correct one, reaffirming his strength of Knowledge. ?The.? A warmup question: English can and, probably, will get much trickier. Knowledge Increased. School ended soon after that, so I decided to check up on a rumor I?d heard.
Souji finds an afro-haired student on the third floor of the school, who quizzes Souji on a series of colours. Red, White and Green are in group A. Grey, Orange and Pink are in group B. The question is ? which group does Black belong to? This guy knows his quizzes, but I figure it out ? it?s all about flag colours.
Having defeated the riddle master, Souji gathers himself and heads to Junes. The investigation team decides to use the central studio as a hub point, returning to it should they get separated. Souji notices a door to the Velvet room here, but does not feel the need to use it at the moment. I ask Teddie to lead us to the castle. It?s go-time, we?re coming back with the shield, or on it. Teddie gives me something called a Goho-M ? it should help me come back should things get too hairy.
Souji has no trouble pushing his way through the first few floors of the castle. If I can get surprise attacks on the Shadows, I don?t have to use up any resources on the fight. Good ? the less we use, the further we can go before using any of our medicines or drinks. Some of the shadows glow an ominous red ? I figure that these are stronger than typical. Still, they give us the experience we need much faster. I manage to pick up the Persona Ukobach on the way.
Upon reaching the door behind which Souji and Yosuke had found Chie on their first foray into the castle, the three investigators feel a strange presence. They rush through. We found Yukiko. Well, not Yukiko precisely ? it was clearly her Shadow. For some reason, Yosuke and Chie didn?t catch on quite as quickly.
Yukiko?s Shadow wonders at the presence of her new guests, but quickly rushes off to search for her Prince Charming, complaining how hard it is to find him The Shadow is looking for something to rely on, something to protect it, something it can serve.
Souji continues his battle through the castle, hearing Shadow Yukiko?s voice around him. She really wants that Prince to come for her ? some sort of knight in shining armour bursting in to rescue her from her captivity in this castle. The Persona Sandman is added to my collection as well, to replace Pixie.
Souji keeps hearing the voice of Yukiko?s Shadow, sometimes interspersed with seemingly the voice of Yukiko herself. She greets the visitors to the Amagi Inn, beckoning them forward. Does she feel trapped by her function in the Amagi Inn? I?d probably be upset about having my life be decided for me from childhood. Anyway, by the time we reach the fifth floor, things start getting really weird.
Despite their efforts to continue ahead, Souji and his companions were continuously transported around the floor, accompanied by Shadow Yukiko?s mocking laughter. Soon enough they realized how to trick the Shadow?s traps and were able to navigate the floor freely. I find myself a Kevlar vest there, which I promptly equip. Soon after that, we find the Shadow again, beside one of the bigger Shadows I?ve seen in this castle ? a tall knight with a nasty-looking spear. I promptly reduce its attack damage and agility, relying on Slime to keep me protected from the worst of the knight?s attacks.
It turns out that the knight is, much like Slime, resistant to physical attacks. I ensure that Yosuke and Chie are at their best to lay into it with their magic by reducing the knight?s defense as well. We get a bit of a scare where a critical hit nearly takes down Yosuke, but it was too little, too late ? the knight went down on the next turn. The Shadow fled sometime during the battle ? I didn?t notice it leave. I dose out the TaPs and soul drops and we continue upwards.
Yukiko?s voice gets more and more agitated as we go up. She screams that she should be left alone, and wants nothing more than her Prince to come and take her away.
Soon afterwards I find a tuxedo, of all things. Why it offers better protection than a Kevlar vest I cannot fathom, but I?ll take anything. By the time we reach the top, we?re empty and exhausted, I?m level 14, my Angel regenerates me naturally and I?ve figured out how to extract my Slime?s Physical resistance. The nearby butterfly takes us down, and I head to the Velvet Room. I have work to do.
In the Velvet Room, Igor explains to Souji what he can do. He says that he can take Souji?s Personas and fuse them, giving rise to new, more powerful Personas that inherit their parents? abilities. He reminds Souji to register the Personas he sees in Margaret?s compendium to then be able to resummon them for a price. I first clear up some space ? having only six slots limits my options, but it appears that I am in for quite the day. As I try to fuse an Orobas from Izanagi and Sandman, the card slips off Igor?s table. Instead, I get Obariyon, who is even somewhat above my own level. It appears fusion accidents can break certain rules in this manner. Still, I need that Orobas, so I fuse him from Slime and Apsaras, making sure he inherits Slime?s Resist Physical. Forneus himself is not hard to find, and I form one from a fusion of Ukobach and Apsaras. Finally, the fusion of Forneus and Ukobach results in the fire-immune Senri, inheriting Resist Physical.
I decide to bite the bullet and go save Yukiko
now. I couldn?t let the girl stay here any longer than she already had. Against my better judgement, we head back up to the double-doors.
Souji and the rest burst through the heavy double doors to finally come face-to-face with the Shadow Yukiko, as well as the real Yukiko, who is sitting helplessly at her Shadow?s feet. The Shadow expresses her delight at having three princes come in to rescue her, and invites her prince to go elsewhere, where she would not be recognized. A brief moment of confusion follows where the four investigators cannot decide which of them are the three princes, but Yukiko?s Shadow confirms that Chie is indeed a prince to her, a strong leader. However, the Shadow exclaims that Chie no longer suffices, as she is not capable of taking Yukiko from her metaphorical prison. Despite the real Yukiko?s protests, the Shadow rants at the chains holding her down ? the history of her family?s inn, as well as her position as a manager. She derides everything having been decided for her. Yukiko, strained, tries to deny this, but the Shadow mocks the girl, pronouncing her useless, with no strength to stay, nor the courage to leave, thus relying on others to rescue her. Yukiko vehemently denies everything the Shadow claims and, with a burst of laughter and exhilaration at its newfound freedom, the Shadow assumes its monstrous form. A monstrous bird in a gilded cage. An apt description for the darker side of Yukiko?s feelings. Still, I know there?s far more good to her than what this thing is trying to tell us.
A few moments in, the Shadow summons a pitiful little simulacrum of a prince. We wreck the thing before it can cause any more trouble, keeping it off its feet with ice attacks.
Soon enough, the Shadow decides that enough is enough, and brings out its big guns, I make sure Chie guards all the time ? no doubt the Shadow?s words cut deep. Also she is weak to fire. Yosuke is my main damage-dealer for this fight, his Persona?s Bash attacks being a reliable move. My role throughout the fight is to keep everyone on their feet with Senri?s Dia ? the Shadow essentially cannot hurt me, so I?m comfortable in concentrating on the others.
Despite my best efforts to protect her, Chie goes down eventually to the Shadow?s attacks, but not before doing her part in bringing down the monster?s hit points. Yosuke and I finish the job.
Yukiko, who had been knocked out at the beginning of the fight, comes to. Seeing her Shadow, she weakly attempts to defend herself, but Yosuke reassures her that she is not alone in her struggles. Chie stumbles over herself to profusely apologize to Yukiko for never understanding Yukiko?s problems, despite being her friend. Chie admits her jealousy of Yukiko, and how she wished for Yukiko to depend on her, admitting that she ended up depending on Yukiko. Yukiko, in turn, admits to never seeing Chie?s real feelings either, so caught up was she in finding an easy way out of her situation. Filled with understanding, Yukiko accepts the Shadow?s words and nature, acquiring the strength of a newborn Persona ? Konohana Sakuya. Exhausted, she falls to her knees. Teddie asks the question we should have been thinking of all this time. Then again, Yukiko?s safety, really, is equally important. Still, she didn?t remember who threw her inside. The only conclusion we come to there is that there must be an actual individual doing these things.
Despite her fatigue, Yukiko takes the time to promise Teddie that she would visit him again. Teddie immediately takes a liking to the girl for her gentle words. I decide to call it a day, have Chie take Yukiko home and let her rest. It makes me an Understanding person.
That evening, Dojima comes home with Adachi in tow, to Nanako?s confusion. Dojima introduces everyone, and Adachi tells Souji that Yukiko has been reported as found again. I play up the relief angle.
Adachi says that the case remains open, as Yukiko?s report gave the police force no information to work with. Before Adachi reveals any more police information, Dojima gives him a solid hit, berating the man for his loose-lippedness. Nanako reminds everyone that it is dinnertime, and the group sits down to a lively get-together.
