Z's Opening Rant

I've decided to stop calling this blurb before every chapter an "Author's Note" because, while I usually do my best to clarify my thought process in writing certain parts of the chapter, I usually just end up taking this space to shout my recent activities at you, gentle readers, pretending you care and that this is apparently Twitter. You're more than welcome to skip this superfluous opening.

Phew, so, first things first. For one, all of my apologies for getting this chapter out so late, and shorter than the usual ones at that. Just breaking the one-month threshold, in fact. I didn't get many reviews on the last chapter but I did get a few follow alerts, so at least people are still paying attention to this story. Hopefully, anyway.

So this chapter's where the connection to P3 is revealed. Honestly, writing this was fairly challenging for me because this is the point where I've realized that I've kind of thrown my dots all over the board, meaning that connecting them with this chapter was going to either make the threads sensible and well-done or terrifically paper-thin and slipshod. I had to triple check this chapter to make sure that all the clues I've tossed in will check out later along the story. I've also been trying to involve a bit more of Souji and Naoto's romantic relationship without crowbarring it inappropriately into the main narrative, an attempt I believe I'm succeeding at but I'm never 100% sure. Please let me know what you think. As with the other chapters, I'll be checking on feedback and editing as appropriate. I care about my readers!

For the record, I've been supremely busy since my last chapter for a couple of reasons; besides work and school, I've also been digging into what could only be called a Persona 4 binge.

I managed to obtain an early copy of Persona 4 Arena, and I'd been playing it nonstop since then, working Akihiko as my main. The individual character stories are, in true Persona fashion, well written and simultaneously familiar and new. Even if you're not a fan of fighting games, I advise you to check it out; gameplay-wise it's considerably simpler than other combo-based fighters but still retains a measure of depth. Easy to learn, hard to master, as it were. It's also an intriguing continuation of the anime storyline (I say anime as opposed to game because in the game his name is Souji and he's coupled with Naoto, dammit) and draws some very interesting threads between P4 and P3.

On the subject of Naoto, coincidentally her story in P4A without spoiling anything involves her investigating the Kirijo Group, a coincidence I feel oddly proud of, considering I hardly think the idea original to only myself. She's also the character I lose to the most with her instant-kill Hamaon and Mudoon spells. Sukuna-Hikona is a cheating bastard and Akihiko clearly has no Homunculi.

I'd also imported a copy of the light novel Persona X Detective, and let me tell you, I've had serious trouble adjusting to Naoto with long hair. Not longer hair, for those who haven't seen the cover/illustrations, but to-the-back length long. It's almost unnerving. Same face and personality, but she does not look like the Detective Prince. Probably just a personal preference, considering we as an audience are used to seeing her with her shorter hair, although I'm going to argue that one's hair cannot grow that long in one year without some discombobulated hormones or the involvement of chemicals. Don't get me wrong, the story is quite engaging and the illustrations (done by the same artist as the P4 manga) are stellar, but sometimes I have to glance at the cover to remind myself what Naoto is supposed to look like in this setting. I've also been working on and off on a translation of the novel as I go about it, but between work, school, my writing projects and this story, I can't give a definite ETA on it yet for any parties who may be interested.

Anyway. Please enjoy this next chapter, and as always, reviews always, always help me. Especially when it comes to getting the next chapter out faster (cough).

Saturday, January 11th, 2014
9:16 P.M.
Seta Private Investigation Office, Nakano

The light of the table lamp shined on the sheets of paper sprawled messily on the desk, with the glimmer of the moon and the city lights shimmering through the office window. A soft snowfall was drifting through the night sky, permeating the window with frost. Souji flipped through them again, scanning the words on the pages in a fashion that was half determined and half frustrated. His notebook was filled with writing and various footnotes scrawled into the margins. Makoto and Takigawa had already gone home, but Souji was persistent in finding some lead in the information they gathered before he left. Perhaps it was a futile effort, but he reasoned that there couldn't be any harm in trying.

A retired business executive, Hideyuki Kasuka, had been found dead in his home a week ago. While the police were still in the middle of investigating his death, Kasuka's family had commissioned Souji to also look into the details of Hideyuki's death; for some reason or other the relatives of the deceased executive didn't seem to trust the police's ability to solve the case. It was an unusual request, but Souji couldn't find any reason to deny it at the time.

An interview with the coroner had revealed nothing about how Kasuka died. The results had apparently come through as showing a completely neutral death; there were no signs of strangulation, abnormal heart conditions, external wounds, brain trauma, high-voltage shocks, fractured bones, or anything beyond the fact that apparently the man's internal organs had simply ceased functioning. All signs pointed to Kasuka having been perfectly healthy, at least in a medical sense, at the time of his death.

Even considering the possibility of a homicide, the man did not have any real enemies to speak of; he was well-liked by his co-workers and what few friends he had, he had not shown any signs of depression or anything that could implicate suicide according to testimonies from his family and friends, and the man's home hadn't even been broken into, if what Souji had overheard from the police at the scene were correct. The doors and windows were locked at the time the body was found, although it was hard to judge the exact truth of that statement.

So either he did die a natural death, or the criminal is very careful, Souji thought, glancing at a newspaper clipping reporting on the business executive's death. He clapped his hands together and held them briefly against the small heater humming near one of the legs of his desk. The frigid air of January had begun to seep into the office, and while Souji preferred the chill of winter to the blazing heat of summer, the chill still created something of an uncomfortable atmosphere in his office.

Those were really the only two possibilities, however the reported state of Kasuka's body indicated that the death was anything but natural; while the body was completely intact with no signs of injury, at least none that could be discovered by the coroner, it was contorted as if the man had writhed in agony, and his face held an unnervingly terrified expression that had been frozen in rigor mortis. Not to mention that if it had been a natural death then there would have been something, anything indicating it as such. Souji breathed into his hands and rubbed them together.

Souji sighed, resting his forehead against his hands. This case seemed hopeless. Even the murders in Inaba held a lead; Izanami had spread the rumor of the Midnight Channel in order to garner interest. However, unlike the Midnight Channel, the culprit behind Kasuka's death clearly did not want to draw attention to whatever it was he or she was after. It didn't help that being a private detective who wasn't commissioned by the police meant his resources were limited; he couldn't access any reports on the case nor examine the crime scene himself. What confidence the Kasuka's seemed to have in the Souji seemed unwarranted.

Souji raised his eyes as he recalled Inaba. The bodies of Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi had also had causes of death listed as only unknown. They had also been strung up on telephone poles and an antenna respectively as a result of dying inside the Midnight Channel. Kasuka's death held some parallels; Hideyuki had apparently died of nothing, and while the body didn't appear on a telephone pole he had apparently died in an area where ostensibly a homicide couldn't have occurred - inside his home, with the doors and windows locked. Is that it? Is someone using the Midnight Channel again? Souji wondered, folding his hands together.

It was at that point that a loud knock was heard reverberating against the door of the office. Souji was jolted from his drowsiness by the sound. A client? Now?

"Is this the office of Souji Seta?" A soft female voice called through the door. Groaning in his mind, Souji pushed himself from his chair and walked over to the door. He'd shoo them off and then probably go home. The case was already giving him a headache, and while he appreciated the recent influx of cases his relatively new agency had been receiving, he did not need the worries of another one on his mind so soon.

Standing in the doorway was a young woman in her early twenties. Maroon hair fell to her shoulders, neatly arranged, and she wore a black fur-trimmed winter coat, a white turtleneck, khaki slacks and shin-high boots. Her features were delicate and narrow, and her eyes were of a dark crimson matching her hair.

Souji raised an eyebrow. She seemed tangentially familiar to the young man, as if he'd seen her on television or out of the corner of his eye somewhere, but he couldn't recall the face or a name to go with it. "I'm sorry, we're currently closed. If you've an inquiry to make, you're more than welcome to return tomorrow."

The young female seemed to scrutinize him, her expression neutral. "I apologize for arriving on such short notice, but I'm afraid we are short on time, and I am uncertain as to whether or not I will have the opportunity to speak with you again. You are investigating the recent murder of Hideyuki Kasuka, aren't you, Seta-san? I believe I can help."

Souji jerked his head up. Certainly it wasn't unknown that he was investigating it, but...murder? Had she drawn the same conclusions as he had? Who was this woman, and how could she possibly know? And how could she help? Perhaps she was with the police...no, she would have identified herself as such. That statement had released a veritable horde of questions flying about within his mind like sheets of paper in a wind tunnel.

While at this point Souji simply wanted to close up and go home, he couldn't let something like this slide. Souji nodded slowly, eyeing the young woman carefully. "In that case, perhaps you should step inside."

The office was very clean, if modest; it was fairly small without much furniture. On the right side was a small counter top with facilities for tea and coffee. In the center was a couch aligned with the wall in front of a coffee table, and on the left was a small room holding the amateur detective's files and coats. Near the back by the window was a large redwood desk.

Souji flicked on more of the lights in the office and moved to brew some tea, gesturing for Mitsurue to have a seat at his desk, which she did. Out of the corner of his eye he guessed she must have been at least four to five years older than he. He took one of the warm cups and placed it in front of the young female who accepted it gratefully, while Souji himself took a seat behind his desk, pulling out a pen and his note pad.

"Since you already seem to know my name, why not start with yours?" Souji began amiably.

As young woman nodded. "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I am the head of the Kirijo Group," she said matter-of-factually. It wasn't a boast, merely a statement. Even so, Souji was rather taken aback. Now he remembered where he had seen her before. Souji had heard the name before on the news and was aware of at least some of the company's power, but he wasn't expecting to be approached by such a high profile person for a while now. "Hideyuki Kasuka was a former employee of ours, and a friend of my late father."

Souji nodded, scribbling down the notes. He raised an eyebrow at the young woman, Mitsuru Kirijo, gesturing for her to continue. "I have reason to believe that his death is a result of murder, and is connected with a string of deaths of other former employees of the Kirijo Group."

"Perhaps you better start from the beginning," Souji said apprehensively, eyeing the young woman carefully. He was rather surprised that such a string of strange deaths hadn't made any appearance on the news or other media cables. The implication of a connection also implied that the modus operandi of the killer was recognizable. So there were previous deaths of this nature, but they had apparently flown under the radar. She nodded again in response.

"Very well. The first death occurred several years ago, in 2006. At the time, the police and our own investigators found nothing. The second death was reported a year later, the third a year after that, and a fourth in...2009." Mitsuru seemed to hesitate somewhat as she recited the last year but continued. "At the time the murders began, my father Takeharu was the head of the Group, and so I was not involved or even aware of the deaths. It was only after I became the head of the group and a fifth murder in 2011 that I became fully informed on the matter of the deaths."

Souji tapped the pen against his chin. A string of murders spread over the course of about eight years. "You said earlier that you believed them to be connected. How so?" The young man had a feeling that he already knew the answer, but he had to make sure.

Mitsuru glanced at the warm cup of tea briefly before raising her eyes to meet his. "There was a pattern. Each of the victims were former employees of the Kirijo Group who had since moved on to other professions by the time of their death, and each of them died in the same fashion."

Souji pursed his lips, glancing at the notebook. "Unknown causes that none can identify," he assumed. Mitsuru nodded in affirmation.

"In addition, certain aspects of the cases were identical; the victims always died in their homes, and there were never any leads in any of those cases, leading them to being closed. The pattern is too close together for each death for it to be anything less than foul play."

"So you believe one or more culprits are responsible for their deaths. Do you have any suspects? Motives? Or any idea as to how they were killed?" Souji inquired, firing off the questions rapidly.

Mitsuru seemed to pause. "Those questions...may be difficult to answer," she said quietly, as if unsure whether or not to answer honestly. A silence persisted for a while with both Mitsuru and Souji in deep thought.

"How familiar are you with analytical psychology, Seta-san?" Mitsuru asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

Souji glanced at her quizzically. Analytical psychology? Jung's theories, if I remember correctly. What does she want to know about those? The possibility that she was asking about what the Souji thought she was asking was there, but he was uncertain. "Analytical psychology is based primarily on the theories of Carl Jung, and deals mainly in the unconscious of the human psyche and self-realization," he responded. The young woman in front of him nodded. Souji still had little idea of where she was taking this discussion. The silence returned but was more swiftly broken this time around.

"Do you recognize the terms Persona and Shadow?" Mitsuru asked seriously.

That got the Souji's attention. Personas and Shadows...there was very little doubt in his mind that the young woman before him was more knowledgeable on those concepts than he was. In Inaba, they used Personas, facets of their own psyche, to fight Shadows, the repressed dark thoughts of the human's unconscious mind.

"I do recognize the terms," Souji said carefully. "They're a fundamental part of Jung's theories." He wasn't entirely sure what Mitsuru was after, and thus decided that he shouldn't reveal how much he knew just yet. "Excuse me for saying, Kirijo-san, but what does that have to do with the murders?"

Mitsuru shook her head. "It is important for you to understand this." She sighed, seeming frustrated not at Souji but rather at herself before looking at him. "Perhaps I may save us some time by asking you outright: are you a Persona user?"

Souji was very careful to hide his astonishment. Perhaps it was simply naivete but up until this point, he had assumed that only he and his classmates were capable of using Personas. His friends were forced to face their shadows within the world of the TV, and conquered them to obtain Personas. It hadn't occurred to Souji that there might be other Persona users, or those knowledgeable about them, beyond those who had encountered Izanami.

However, what concerned Souji was how Mitsuru Kirijo apparently knew that he was a Persona user. Souji and his friends had been relatively cautious about concealing the existence of the TV world, Personas, and Shadows (although a brief recollection of the school trip to Tatsumi Port Island made something of a hole in that assertion), and no one outside of their group besides Namatame, Adachi, and to a certain extent Dojima knew exactly what they had been doing.

"You wouldn't have asked me that without solid evidence suggesting as much," Souji said cautiously, deciding that in the end it didn't really matter. At this point it wouldn't do to hide it any longer; the fact that Mitsuru had asked the question meant that she was at least fairly confident in what his answer would be. "But yes, I am. Or rather, I was - I find little reason to use my Persona as of late. How is it that you guessed that?"

"I had been paying attention to the murders in Inaba when they were occurring three years ago," Mitsuru said. "Your name came up quite a few times in the reports I examined. I had suspected that you had the potential, but my suspicions were only confirmed when I spoke to Tohru Adachi. You specifically mentioned fighting Shadows with Personas inside the TV world, according to him." Souji wasn't sure whether to frown or to smile at Adachi's involvement. That's right...he was there when I confessed everything to Dojima at the station. That particular recollection was unpleasantly close to the memory of Nanako's kidnapping. "It's because you are a Persona user that I feel that you are one of the few capable of solving this case."

Mitsuru set the teacup down on the desk and folded her hands together. "How much do you know about Personas and Shadows?" She asked.

"Shadows are the repressed negative thoughts and emotions created by the human unconscious," Souji said, folding his arms as if he were giving a school lecture on the subject. "When a Shadow is denied or rejected, it grows by attracting lesser shadows, becoming something of a being of its own in the process. When a person accepts their Shadow, their Shadow becomes a Persona, a manifestation of their true self." Souji smiled softly. "Shadows are...also capable of developing an ego of their own and becoming Persona users in the process, although from what I understand this is a particularly unique occurrence." Teddie would be in an uproar if he knew that his sensei was gossiping about him in such a manner. "I'm afraid I do not know much more than that," he said.

Mitsuru nodded in approval. "That is certainly more than I expected," she said, tilting her head to the side and frowning slightly. "Although I had been unaware of that last detail, but that is for a later time. Now then, what do you think would happen if everyone, or at the least the entirety of Japan, became aware of the existence of Personas, Shadows, and what they were capable of?"

If people knew? Souji wasn't sure what to think of that. Personas were powerful entities, but Souji's could only be summoned in the realm of the TV, which was a reflection of the collective human unconscious. Despite the power they wielded, Personas were limited in their capabilities. If people knew about Personas, it was more than likely that they'd eventually be acknowledged as facets of reality, in the same way that the sun rising in the morning was accepted.

On the other hand, if everyone knew about Shadows...would they accept those so easily? They were the hidden sides of people that every human is afraid to show; the jealousy, resentment, fear, anxiety, perhaps even hatred. Sides of themselves that people weren't willing to see or acknowledge. It was difficult enough for the investigation team to accept their Shadows, and that was usually after the Shadow had been subdued by a difficult battle each time.

And what if people were to deny them? Ostensibly the danger wasn't real as the Shadows only manifested and therefore attempted to kill the person in the TV world, but the thought of it still unnerved him.

And then there was that last part about people knowing about the abilities of those who held a Persona. It wasn't unreasonable to think that there were more Persona users in the world, and the only requirement to enter and manipulate the TV world is a Persona, as far as Souji knew. Teddy had expressed concern at some point about preventing others from using the TV world for malicious purposes. If humanity suddenly gained an awareness of Personas and Shadows, who knew how the TV world—the collected human unconscious—would be affected?

"I am not entirely sure," Souji finally said after a long silence, his tone uncertain. Mitsuru stared at her lap before turning her head up.

"Judging from your answer, I'm assuming then that you are unaware of the fact that Personas and Shadows are capable of taking on a physical form in the real world, and in this world they are capable of altering time and space." Mitsuru said rather bluntly.

Souji was taken aback, unsure exactly of what to think about this newly presented fact. It wasn't all that far-fetched, however: Izanami's plan had been to merge the material world and the world of the human unconscious in fog. Had the goddess been successful, Shadows would have been prowling all of Inaba - no, the world - for the rest of eternity. "My...experience with Personas and Shadows lead me to the impression that they could only manifest in limited areas," he said, carefully leaving out any mention of the TV world. It was true, though; the only thing that Personas allowed people to do in the real world that Souji knew of was access the TV world.

Mitsuru nodded. "I believed the same at one point, but more than once such an idea has been proved wrong."

"How so?" Souji asked, puzzled. Mitsuru seemed uncomfortable at the question.

"I'm afraid the answer to that is...a very long story. Suffice it to say, however, it is very much the truth, and I ask that you simply take my word for it."

Souji nodded. He couldn't exactly be sure, but it was a safer bet to trust Mitsuru on this. She certainly knew more about Personas and Shadows than he did, that was for certain.

"Have you been to Tatsumi Port Island?" She asked rather abruptly.

Souji nodded quizzically. "Yes, once. For the school trip during my second year." What did she mention Tatsumi Port Island for?

Mitsuru looked somewhat surprised at the notion, apparently not expecting such an immediate and casual answer. "I...see. In that case, I am assuming you are familiar with Gekkoukan High School?"

Souji nodded again. "Yes, that was the main focus of the trip. I believe the intent of the school trip was to build relations between urban and rural students. Something of that nature," he said dismissively. "Why do you ask?"

"Because fifteen years ago, the island on which Gekkoukan is located was originally home to a research facility owned by the Kirijo Group, and operated by my grandfather. My grandfather was gathering and performing experiments on Shadows in order to amplify and harness their abilities." Something of a downcast shadow cast itself across the Mitsuru's face as she recited the sentence, almost as if she were guilty of the implications.

"Harness the abilities of Shadows?" Souji said, frowning. It was enough for Shadows to apparently manifest in the real world, but apparently someone had been purposefully causing them to manifest and gathering them in order to do...what, exactly? "You had mentioned earlier that Shadows are capable of altering the operation of space-time. Is that really possible?"

Mitsuru nodded. "Yes, that's correct." When Souji's face took on a skeptical expression, she gestured towards him. "Consider that Personas and Shadows are fundamentally one and the same, and the abilities your Persona possesses. Do those abilities really seem to be in line with the rules of the physical world?"

On consideration, Souji had to say no. The actual abilities of Personas aside, from experience alone he couldn't discount Mitsuru's assertion. After all, together with his classmates, Souji had been partially responsible for slaying a deity, all with the powers of their Personas. Even within a realm such as that of the one within the television, by all accounts that should not have been possible.

Shadows and Personas could perform what could only be called sorcery; hurling bolts of lightning, balls of fire, chunks of freezing ice and gales of wind from seemingly nowhere, in addition to healing wounds instantaneously and other things.

"I see your point," Souji said, lowering his notebook.

"As I was saying, my grandfather was attempting to utilize the abilities of Shadows. The experiments failed, the laboratory was utterly destroyed, and for a time, the fabric of the world was altered." Mitsuru seemed to repress a shudder, as if on the verge of reliving bad memories.

"What is it that you mean to say, Kirijo-san?" Souji inquired.

"My ultimate point is that it would be exceedingly dangerous were the general public to become aware of the existence of Personas and Shadows. Perhaps more experiments will be carried out and the mistakes of the Kirijo Group will be repeated, and more lives lost in the process. Perhaps Persona users will be forced to experience persecution at the hands of those without the potential. Perhaps Shadows will run rampant through the real world, or certain undesirable types will gain the potential of Persona and inflict chaos with the power. The possibilities are almost endless, and nearly all of them are grim. I believe that the culprit behind the murders has the ultimate goal of bringing forth the existence of Personas and Shadows for all the world to see, and that somehow these murders are a means to that end."

Souji frowned. He'd been flipping through multiple blank pages in his notebook, unsure of what to write and where. If Personas could manifest in the real world and everybody knew about it...then what? Mitsuru's predictions were certainly possible, but they were just a few of literally thousands of ways that humanity would react to the implications of Personas and Shadows. The Souji raised his hand. "Hold that thought. This is a lot to process. Why exactly do you think that this is the culprit's motive? I mean, most of the murders have been without any clues. I can't imagine you'd draw such a radical conclusion without solid evidence. Maybe he's just someone with a grudge against your company?"

Mitsuru shook her head. "I had believed it was simply that. The Kirijo Group was responsible for the creation of certain...unsavory elements in the past. However, that doesn't explain why the culprit is only targeting former employees, and ones that were involved with research on Shadows at that."

So then, presumably Hideyuki and the other victims were also aware of Personas and Shadows. Souji's frown deepened.

"Tne if his plan really were to make humanity aware of Personas, how exactly does he plan on doing that? Putting it on the news or something?"

Mitsuru withdrew a small journal from her coat. "We know because of this." She laid it on Souji's desk where the young man promptly picked it up and began flipping through it. Within it weren't necessarily entries but clearly legible notes. It wasn't direct evidence; none of the targets were named, but there were diagrams of residential buildings, entry and exit strategies...nothing that could directly implicate the killer, but enough to know that whoever murdered Mitsuru's people was planning his targets. Souji frowned, though. It didn't answer his question of how Mitsuru knew - or at least had an idea of - the culprit's motive. In fact, it seemed to contradict it; if what the culprit wanted was to make humanity aware of Personas, shouldn't he have been drawing as much attention to the murders as possible?

It was near the end of the journal that Souji's eyes widened. It was just scribblings, but enough to generate no small measure of anxiety within him that perhaps Mitsuru was correct. There were notes on Inaba and transcripts of the news reports, ideas on how to publicize the deaths, broadcast stations and newspapers to send the information to when the killer's plan was apparently complete. So the culprit's plan was to, at the very least, draw attention to murders that the culprit had presumably carried out with a Persona he could summon in the real world, or something similar.

"We managed to successfully predict his next target a few months ago and prevented him from doing the deed, and tracked him for a few days. The people I sent to investigate found what used to be the killer's hideout, a small one-room apartment in Shinjuku. It's where we found that log." Mitsuru gestured to the journal Souji was holding in his hands.

Souji nodded before closing the journal and placing it back on the table. "So you predicted his target once and know his motives; do you think you could do it again?"

Mitsuru sighed, rubbing her forehead with the tips of her fingers. "Unfortunately, as you've no doubt realized from having investigating Kasuka-san's death, we haven't been able to repeat such success. What we do know, however, isn't the killer's next target but rather where he'll be."

"And that is...?" Souji said, gesturing for Mitsuru to continue.

"The country estate belonging to the President of the House of Councillors, Sakai Rokujin, located in a rural area near Saitama. The culprit's journal suggested as much." Mitsuru said confidently. "I'm not sure exactly what his purpose there is, but that's what I want you to find out. After all, it's not as if the President is a former employee of the Kirijo Group."

Souji's brow furrowed at the proposition. The President of the House of Councillors was a very large target indeed; the culprit was certainly aiming high. "Well, I'm not getting anywhere with investigating Kasuka, and it's not as if I don't want to take the case, but how do you suggest I investigate the country estate of one of the most influential politicians in Japan? It's not as if I have police authority," he said, frowning. It was a frequent problem that Souji was running into, considering that he hadn't actually received a police commission yet and therefore didn't have the grounds to perform the same procedure of investigation as they did.

A small smile crossed Mitsuru's face. "It'll be easier than you think. As a matter of fact, Rokujin-san has sent out numerous discreet requests for investigators to come to his estate. As I understand it, he is very...particular about who he invites. All I would have to do is recommend your skill and expertise."

Souji raised an eyebrow. "It...couldn't really be that easy, could it?" he said apprehensively.

"The Kirijo Group is on good terms with Rokujin-san. My father helped fund his campaign when he was running for the position. I cannot speak on Rokujin-san's character personally, but what I do know is that he values our opinion. He contacted me personally and asked that if I were to know of any exceptionally skilled personnel to send them his way." Mitsuru said, pursing her lips. "If nothing else, this is the best chance we have."

"And what exactly do you want me to do there?" Souji asked.

"Proceed with your investigation as you would normally. Do as Rokujin-san or one of his representatives asks. I am not sure what the President is looking for, but do your best to fulfill his requests and in the mean time, find out what you can about the culprit."

"You do realize that there is a distinct possibility that the culprit won't be present," Souji said, frowning. It would be one thing for them to latch onto this lead, and another thing for it to turn out to be nothing but a wild goose chase.

Mitsuru shook her head. "If the clues we've pieced together are correct, the culprit will definitely be there, although he'll have likely changed his identity or disguised himself as one of the investigators. Perhaps he will be one of the staff, or an employee of the President." She looked briefly worried. "I realize that I am asking a lot of you. This must be stressful. I'm not going to force you to take the case, but-"

Souji waved off the Mitsuru's concerns nonchalantly. "Don't worry about it. It's not as if I was getting anywhere with Kasuka in any event. I'd be more than happy to take on this case, Kirijo-san."

The young woman breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I truly appreciate this." Mitsuru glanced at her watch before standing up. "Unfortunately, our time is up; I must return. I'm sorry for disturbing you so late, Seta-san."

Souji gave the female a tired grin. It had started growing much later than Souji preferred. "Not a problem. You've given me a lot to think about. Good night, Kirijo-san."

"Good night to you as well, Seta-san. I wish you luck. Here is my contact info. Please inform me of any developments that may come from the case." Mitsuru pulled a card from within her coat and handed it to Souji, who pocketed it swiftly. She began to make her way out of the office when Souji called out to her.

"Ah, one moment, Kirijo-san," Souji said, suddenly remembering that next week he had intended to return to Inaba. It was with a distinctly sinking feeling within his heart that he felt he may not be able to keep such an appointment with the way things were. "When do you expect that, if Rokujin-san invites me, I'll be investigating?"

Mitsuru shook her head uncertainly. "I'm afraid I can't give you a definitive answer of that at the moment. I'm sorry. I wish I could give you more concrete details" Souji sighed and nodded his head. He figured as much. The Souji hadn't readily adjusted to the implications of his work interfering with his private life, but there was nothing more he could do about that at the moment.

"Very well then. Thank you anyway. Good night, Kirijo-san."

With that, Mitsuru Kirijo softly stepped out of Souji's office and closed the door behind her.

Souji sighed and rest his head on his hands. Certainly no good deed went unpunished. When they defeated Izanami, he had expected that that would have been the last of hearing of Personas and Shadows in any sort of conversation, much less one of this context. He glanced at his desk and smiled softly at a picture of him and Naoto when they had gone on a date in Okina City. It was an awkward photo, one with Souji's energy contrasting rather sharply with Naoto's reserved demeanor. Almost forlornly, he gently gripped the frame of the photo.

"I hope you'll wait for me," the youth said softly. It'd been almost a year since they'd seen each other last, and with this it could be longer. Sighing, he raggedly stood up and gathered his things, flicking the lights off as he left the office.

Monday, January 19th, 2014
2:09 P.M.
Rokujin Country Estate

So this case was only one in the frame of a larger one. Personas and Shadows...Naoto understood Souji's apprehension with involving Makoto and Takigawa. They couldn't, or at least shouldn't be involved. It would only complicate matters further, and it was doubtful that the pair would even believe them.

Souji stretched and folded his arms. "That's the gist of it, anyway."

Naoto tapped her chin with a finger, contemplating what she'd just been told. Revealing the existence of Personas and Shadows to the world...that was a plan with very grave implications indeed. But if that's what the culprit was attempting to do, then why murder former employees of the Kirijo group? What purpose did such acts serve? The general public was fickle. They would only pay attention to one sensational news report for as long as it took for another one to spring up, and like magpies attracted to shining objects their attention would be diverted.

It was a good feeling to be in the loop, however. Souji's retelling of his interview with Mitsuru Kirijo had filled in some important blanks, and now that they knew that the culprit was a Persona user or at the very least aware of Personas, it gave them more ground to work from.

"One other thing, Souji, that you forgot to mention," Naoto said, causing the young man to tilt his head at her quizzically. "What are the cameras and surveillance equipment for?"

"Oh, right. I hadn't explained those yet." Souji scratched the back of his head. "It was Kirijo-san's recommendation, once I received the President's request. When I informed her of what the nature of the President's request was, she thought we might need it to watch for whoever - or whatever - might be responsible for them. After all, this is a large estate. We can't keep an eye on everything here. One of her colleagues brought it over to the office before we left. I think her name was...Yamaguchi? Yamagishi? I can't remember exactly. But it's high grade stuff, as I'm sure you could tell." Souji leaned back in the chair, grinning. "I could hardly get Makoto to lay off them before we had to leave. But that's about everything. What's your take on this?"

Naoto wasn't entirely sure what to think. The involvement of Personas and Shadows raised several questions and answered them as well. One of the ones scratching at the back of her mind was whether or not the culprit behind Kirijo's murders was the same one who kidnapped Kaede Rokujin, and possibly the others within the house, or if perhaps the acts were linked. If they were, however, there was no evidence suggesting as such.

"There aren't any solid conclusions we can draw at the moment, even knowing what we know," the detective said finally after a long moment of consideration. "The best opportunity we have for solving any of this is to continue exploring the manor...and keeping an eye on everything the cameras are watching. We should treat these as separate cases. I recommend that we find Kaede Rokujin first, and gather any details on the culprit of Kirijo-san's murders while we can."

Souji nodded. "Sounds good. We haven't gone through too much of that tunnel we stumbled upon. It's unlikely that that part of the estate isn't somehow involved with the disappearances." Souji glanced at his watch. "On that note, we should probably be returning to the base. I think Takigawa's starting to grow resentful that I'm lumping him with all the work."

Naoto nodded, and stood up before making her way to the door. She was suddenly stopped as with a blush she felt Souji wrap his arms around her from behind, his head leaning on hers.

"I won't conceal anything from you anymore, Naoto. I should have told you earlier," he said softly.

It was always something about his honesty, the way he was so forthcoming with his affection that seemed to make her heart feel as if it would swell out of her chest, and yet at the same time his statement was disconcerting. With a fairly solid comprehension of the situation Naoto understood the need for discretion, and yet it was evident that Souji felt guilty about it, and Naoto couldn't help but feel just a little bit resentful that he had left her out of the loop on this. There was also the matter of his collapse that she still fretted over, although Naoto fervently hoped it wouldn't happen again.

"Don't work too hard, Souji," Naoto said, twisting her head to peer up at him.

Souji chuckled in response. "Right, sorry for collapsing, too."

"You should be sorry," Naoto responded, gripping his hands in her own delicate ones. He felt warm now, a sharp contrast from the chill his skin had taken when he had apparently fallen unconscious. "If anything had happened to you, I don't..." Naoto sighed, a mix of happiness and anxiety escaping from her lips. She gently released herself from his embrace and turned her head to his, her expression breaking out into a soft, somewhat mischievous grin.

"But this is hardly the time or place for such things. We have a case to solve, Seta-san," Naoto said, smiling at him.

Souji nodded, returning her grin with one of his own. "Right."

Monday, January 19th, 2014
2:31 P.M.
Rokujin Country Estate

When the pair returned to the base, the twelve monitors were arranged in a neat and orderly bank, all of them shimmering with crisp video feeds, with only the occasional interference as the wireless receivers sent visual and audio feeds to the minotirs. Souji whistled at the remarkable display.

"I've never been able to work with equipment like this before." he said, impressed. Pinned to the wall were several sheets of paper with the floor plan printed on them, red thumb tacks indicating where the cameras were being placed. The hallways as they were monitored by the cameras were clear, and the view distance was quite far. Some of the cameras were set in junctions and watched multiple hallways at once; one of them were placed in the room with the trap door, where the tunnel was. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Makoto," Souji said, patting the young woman seated at the computer on the shoulder.

Makoto waved her hand modestly. "It was nothing, although I'm sure you could hear Takigawa complaining from the other end of the manor," she said, smiling softly. "I don't think he's stopped complaining ever since we came here." The last of the twelve monitors lit up as Takigawa powered the camera on, the view of the main stair between the first and second floor coming through the video feed.

"Yo, is it working?" The grinning visage of the delinquent filled the camera as he tapped the lens.

Makoto winced nodded and picked up a nearby walkie-talkie that was resting on the desk. "Yes, both audio and visual feeds are coming in just fine, but don't tap the lens, Kaito-kun, you could damage it. It's not our equipment," Makoto said, reprimanding the youth who just rolled his eyes. The young woman sighed. "That should do it then, Kaito-kun. Come on back; Seta-san and Shirogane-san are here as well."

"Well that's great, since I just finished all the legwork for them. Heading on back now." The walkie beeped and fizzled as the communication ceased. Makoto turned in her chair to look at the Souji and the detective. "So what's our next move?" She asked.

Naoto pursed her lips. "The floor plan being complete will be of considerable aid, but as evidenced by the tunnel that Souji and Takigawa-san discovered earlier, there's much more to this manor than what's readily visible. There's also the body; we don't know who that man was or what he was doing here, or how exactly he died in that unfortunate location." That reminded Naoto that she had taken the man's notepad, which she withdrew from a pocket. Souji tilted his head questioningly at her. "What's that?"

"Something I found on the body. It's written in French," Naoto said. "Takigawa-san vouched for your ability to read the language, Souji." Souji frowned at it as he plucked it from the sleuth's hand and flipped through it. "My French isn't as stellar as it used to be," the young man admitted. "I'll take a look at it later. In any case, we should keep in mind that we haven't actually gone to the third floor yet, either. Honestly, it could be completely inaccurate. We're taking Hollander-san for his word that that's really the layout of the third floor."

Naoto nodded in affirmation. "We should focus on one thing at a time, however. The third floor aside, I believe the next course of action would be to fully explore that tunnel that we stumbled upon. There was a body there of someone who was trapped there. It's entirely possible that we'll find more concrete evidence within those premises."

Souji hefted the metal case of climbing equipment from the table that Takigawa had brought earlier that day. "Well, now's better than any other time. Makoto, toss me the walkie." The young woman did as such, and Souji tapped on the transmit button.

"Takigawa?"

There was a brief moment of silence before the walkie fizzled to life. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Naoto and I will be heading to the room on the second floor, where the trap door is? Meet us there."

Takigawa groaned on the other side of the line. "Great. We get to have another session of spelunking, is that it?"

Souji grinned. "Something like that. Quit your belly aching, it'll be fun. Probably." He shut off the transmission and jerked his thumb at the door. Naoto tucked her forensics kit under her arm, on the off chance that they might need it. Souji flashed a confident smile at her. "Shall we?"

Monday, January 19th, 2014
2:54 P.M.
Rokujin Country Estate

"Took you guys long enough. You'll probably need to change Prince-kun's bedsheets after this, huh? You did spend an awful lot of time in her room," Takigawa said flippantly, an unnaturally huge grin on his face. The auburn-haired youth leaning against the side of the door in the hallway as the pair approached. Naoto gave him a puzzled glance before suddenly burning crimson as she realized what the delinquent was implying. "N-nothing of the sort happened between us!" the flustered detective asserted. Souji merely responded by lightly punching the youth in the head. "None of that, now. We're working."

The three of them entered the room which was arranged just as they had left it; the trap door was propped up and the length of rope that lead down the shaft was still firmly attached to the floor. The large couch that had originally been covering the trap door was still shoved off irreverently to the side of the room.

Souji placed the metal case on the floor and took out a compass, a roll of masking tape and a pair of flash lights. "Takigawa, stay up here with the walkie. I'll contact you if anything happens." The delinquent waved his hand. "Sure thing. The hell's the tape for, though?"

"To mark our way," Souji explained. "We don't know if that tunnel's just a straight line or if there's an entire system running underneath the house. Either way, we should be cautious. Naoto, I think you can leave your forensics kit here. I'm not entirely sure we'll need it, and if we do we can simply come back for it."

The detective nodded. "If you're certain. The extra load would prove unwieldy in any case," she said, placing it next to the climbing equipment. Souji clipped the walkie to his belt and tucked the flashlight securely into a jacket pocket as he began to lower himself down the shaft, with Naoto following after him. The young man's shoes made a slight tapping sound as it impacted with the concrete surface of the tunnel, and he swiveled the flash light around. The tunnel was exactly as he'd seen it last; utterly featureless, with only gray concrete walls marking the square shape of the tunnel. Except...

As Naoto made her descent, Souji frowned. "Hey, Naoto..." She glanced at him questioningly as she descended, her anxiety rising in response to his worried tone.

The silver-haired male pointed at a spot on the floor when Naoto reached the floor of the passage. "There was a body in this tunnel, right?"

Naoto took out her own flashlight and swept it around the floor, her own frown matching that of her partner's. Sure enough, it was empty; the body of the man they'd examined not just this morning had vanished. Naoto was unsure of what to say as she knelt down on the floor of the tunnel to examine the space where there had once been a decaying corpse.

The splotches on the ground made by the body's decomposing fluids were still present, indicating that the body had certainly been there, but any trace of it had vanished; the clothing, the body itself, no visible residue of skin or other tissue that might have been attached to the body.

"Maybe...Arakida's people took it?" Souji said doubtfully, as if he didn't believe his own words. Naoto shook her head.

"The body was too frail and the shaft is too narrow to safely remove it intact, not to mention that the ladder is essentially defunct. Unless they know of another exit out of here or they had a body bag on hand, they couldn't have moved it without breaking it apart." The possibility was there, however, as unlikely as it seemed; Arakida was aware that there was a cadaver rotting underneath the house, so he may have taken the opportunity to discreetly remove the evidence that any foul play had occurred within the manor.

It wasn't so much the actual disappearance of the body that was unnerving so much as it was how seamless it seemed to be. Besides the dark stains on the ground there was literally nothing to indicate that there had been a deceased body occupying this space. Even the smell had dissipated, although the odor should have persisted for at least another day, given the relatively isolated environment of the tunnel.

Souji's frown deepened, but he waved it off, sighing at this new and disturbing development. "There's nothing we can do about it now. I'll talk to him after this and see if he's got anything on it. It must have happened before Takigawa set a camera in the room." He waved a hand. "For now, let's focus on one thing at a time." He swept the flashlight at both directions that the tunnel lead. "Well, should we just flip a coin? This tunnel could lead anywhere."

"Our best option would likely be to simply pick one direction and go to the end of the tunnel, or as far as we can," Naoto said, pursing her lips as she pointed down one end of the tunnel. The sktcch sound of Souji tearing masking tape off of the roll echoed through the cavern as he stuck a long strip of it to the wall. "Sounds as good of an idea as any."

The tunnel wasn't anything remarkable further down. It held the same gray, featureless, square format that it had been at the trap door entrance. Souji continued to mark their way down the tunnel with strips of white masking tape, but after traveling for a solid fifteen minutes it didn't seem necessary.

Eventually, there was a break in the featureless tunnel, one that caused both Souji and Naoto to stop in their tracks and stare wordlessly. They had reached the end of the tunnel, supposedly, but what occupied the end of the tunnel was nothing less than a shock.

A thick, square sheet of steel measuring almost three meters across occupied the end of the tunnel where ostensibly a concrete wall should have lay. A large electronic keypad was embedded on the left side, although there were no visible hinges on the exterior. It looked akin to a bank vault door or the entrance to a safe bunker of some kind.

After a period of long silence, Souji glanced at Naoto. "I hope you brought a crowbar with you."