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“Terrible incident.” Shizuka mutters, looking up from her rice. For once, she isn’t smiling. “Just goes to show you can’t completely rely on an AI…”

In two days’ time, your neighbour Celeste Tachibana will die. She will be killed by the denizens of the Blackened Void. Her corpse will then be displayed for the city to see. That is the gist of AETHER’s new message. When you first read it, you felt like a wrecking ball had smashed you in the gut. The words cannot stop repeating themselves in your head. They drown out all other senses, turning your limbs numb.

“Ne, Takashi. Make sure you sign up for proper driving lessons.” Shizuka says. Her voice is so far away. Your arm is one of a dead machine, shovelling rice and fish into your mouth without comprehension for the taste. “I don’t want my little brother to be involved in an accident…”

What was the purpose of this? Why had Celeste been chosen? To punish you? Did you cause this to happen, by interacting and treating her to lunch?

“Takashi? Are you listening?”

AETHER’s intension…what was it? The obvious idea was having you rescue Celeste. Did you even possess the capabilities to do so, with less than a week’s experience with Ippon-Datara? Sure, you beat those Shadows in the tutorial stages of the game, but how many of the fuckers would AETHER throw at you this time around…

“Takashi!”

A voice rams you head-first back into reality. You blink and jerk your head upwards.

“Whuh?”

Shizuka is looking directly at you, frowning. She places her chopsticks on the edge of her plate and leans forward a little. “Are you feeling okay, Takashi?”

“Um…”

“You look like something is really bothering you.”

>Nothing, nee-san. I’m alright.
>Have you seen Tachibana-san lately?
>If someone you knew was in danger, what would you do?
>I’m just not feeling very hungry this morning.
>Custom option.

>>40888046
>>Nothing, nee-san. I’m alright.
>If someone you knew was in danger, what would you do?

>>40888046
>If someone you knew was in danger, what would you do?

>>40888046
>Explain to her that what happened to us is about to happen to Tachibana, and that there is a very real risk of her dying, if she isn't dead already.

>>40888046
>>If someone you knew was in danger, what would you do?

This is such a stereotypical question that I just have to pick it.

>>40888046
>Custom option.
Think up an excuse for why we'll have to leave for a few days. RESCUE MISSION TIME.

>>40888046
>If someone you knew was in danger, what would you do?

>>40888156
>>40888086
These

>>40888156
>>40888086
this

If it isn't clear to everybody yet, Dojima was a dense motherfucker dealing with a kid he's known for half a year.

That's a bit different from a sister who's lived with you for longer, actually knows how you act BEFORE shit hit the fan, and is fully aware and capable in the Persona area.

Besides which, if we've already failed to eat breakfast, lying is going to fail spectacularly.

>>40888046
I love you nee-san, I need to help a friend for a few days.

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>>If someone you knew was in danger, what would you do?

Downcast, you ask her that.

“That’s an odd question, Takashi.” She responds, looking thoughtful. “Why do you ask?”

“Can you just answer it?” You reply.

“Well, okay.” Shizuka looks at you quizzically, then continues. “In my opinion, it would depend on the level of danger and how familiar I am with this person. If it’s nothing serious and it’s only a casual acquaintance…then I might give some encouraging words. If it’s a friend, then I would see for myself what trouble is going on and then consider my next move.”

“But what if it was life-threatening?” you ask. “What if this person would die if left unchecked?”

“Then I would leap in, no questions asked.” Shizuka says, “I would do everything in my power to help my friend. I would never forgive myself if I stood by and did nothing.”

“…I see.” You respond, playing with your rice with plastic chopsticks.

You sister lifts the bowl of miso soup to her lips and slurps the rest of it down. “Now you’ve definitely got me convinced that something’s going on. What is it?”

You glance away. “It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

“…yeah.”

Shizuka gives you a long, hard look. She sighs. “If you’re dead seton not telling me, then there’s not much I can do. But Takashi, I am your older sister. It’s my duty to take care of you. If there’s anything troubling you or if you’re feeling depressed about something, you can come and talk to me. I will always be there for you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, nee-san.” You reply, attempting to give her a nervous smile. “It’s not much, honest.”

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Breakfast resumes as usual. You somehow manage to eat the rest of your meal without choking like a fish and bring the dishes over to the sink. You then sit back down at the table as Shizuka does the washing up. Telling your sister about AETHER was out of the question. Normal people, or those who had not yet been cursed by it, could not see the application. Your conversation with Celeste a few days ago had proved that. Besides, you don’t want your precious older sister to get involved with the Blackened Void. Not today, not tomorrow, not in a million years.

“I’m going to bed.” She yawns, “See you later today, Takashi…”

You nod in response, still deep in thought. Shizuka climbs the stairs and disappears out of sight. You can faintly hear the mechanical hiss of her bedroom door sliding open…

What to do now?

>Search around the house for anything useful.
>Check AETHER for instructions.
>Head outside right now.
>Check if Celeste is still at home.
>Custom option.

>>40888708
>Search around the house for anything useful.
>Check AETHER for instructions.
Why not both?

>>40888708
>Check if Celeste is still at home.
Right, we don't know about the accident yet.

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Takashi portrait persona style.

>>40888708
>Check if Celeste is still at home.

>>40888708
>Search around the house for anything useful.
>Check if Celeste is still at home
>Check AETHER for instructions.
>>40888742
Shit man that's good, you make that? we'll need one of him with a smugsnake grin in the future. not at that point though yet

>>40888708
>Check if Celeste is still at home.
then
>Explain to Shizuka that what happened to us is about to happen to Tachibana, and that there is a very real risk of her dying, if she isn't dead already.

>Search around the house for anything useful.
>Check AETHER for instructions.

>>40888708
>>Check AETHER for instructions.

>>40888708
>>Check if Celeste is still at home.

>>40888708
>Check if Celeste is still at home.
then
>Search around the house for anything useful.
then
>Check AETHER for instructions.

>>40888764
Please stop saying smug snake. Its making me understand the usual reaction to tv tropes here.

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[1:00 am, 3-Apr-2129]

Celeste Tachibana awakes with a start. She bolts upright, her mind spinning and her limbs numb. She clutches her head and moans.

“What happened…?”
For a moment, she sits there, unmoving. Her memory then sparks.

It all returns to her. The car, the mass of bodies sent flying high into the sky, the blood spilled like smashed jars of strawberry jam. The night sky, the roads, the destruction becoming black and white like an ancient photo. Shadowy arms grasping around her and pulling her down into the unknown.

“…!”

She resists the urge to vomit and instead dry heaves, grasping at her stomach. Gasping, a disgusted, low rumble comes of her mouth. Then she looks up at the sky.

She cannot see it. Something is blocking her way. It is not just one object. Rather, whatever it is made up of lots of smaller objects.

The ground is surprisingly soft. She knows one thing: she is no longer within Akumachi City, with its concrete pathways and tarmac-covered roads. She climbs to her feet.

“Hello?” she calls to the silence. “Is anybody out there?”

Her voice echoes through the darkness. Her fears are confirmed; she is alone.

“I must be dreaming.” She mutters, “How do I wake up?”

Her phone then rings, startling her. She pounces on it like a leopard on an unsuspecting prey. A fumble later and that damned AETHER program is revealed in all its glory for her to see.

“Welcome, player two, to the exclusive AETHER beta!” A tinny, feminine voice sings. “This is a brand-new, genre-defying video game combining the best elements of…”

>>40888742
Very nice.

>>40888742
Ooh, excellent!

Writing now...

>>40888913
>“I must be dreaming.” She mutters, “How do I wake up?”
That is pretty much how you wake up.

File: takashi_remorse.jpg (354 KB, 1280x720)

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>>Check if Celeste is still at home.

You want to believe. You seriously wish this is true. Nothing in the world is perfect, everything is possible. It’s possible that AETHER encountered another error and is lying to you. Knowing your luck, the chances of your neighbour sitting at home, unharmed, is close to zero. You decide to check anyway.

You head outside and dash up the stairs to her apartment. Panting for breath, you slam your fist on the door. One knock, two knocks, three knocks. Nothing happens. No bewildered girl yanks open the door and demands you to tell her what the hell you are doing at this time in the morning. Your head sinks down and you clench your fist.

Hah, who are you kidding? Did you actually believe you had a chance back there? What a joke.

You trudge back to your apartment, scowling at the existence of the otherworldly game.

>>Search around the house for anything useful.

If you’re going back to the Blackened Void (and there’s a near 100% chance AETHER will call you there today), you might as well prepare adequately.

For one, the spoils from the Forgotten City are still there. The steel-tipped combat boots, the mountain-climbing backpack and the medkit. When you had made your grand return from the first excursion, your sister had been so relieved that she didn’t question where you had found your little set of adventuring tools. You had been quick to stash them under your bed to avoid future questions. Now, with a grimace, you’re drawing them out again.

You still don’t get why the boots fit you like a glove. It’s probably due to AETHER again.

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There are a few snack bars in the pantry. You take them and shove them into your rucksack, along with a bottle of water. You proceed to turn over every nook and cranny in the apartment, excluding your sister’s room, searching for anything that will assist you fighting shadowy monsters in a ruined world located in another dimension. So far, your efforts have proved fruitless. You find a few coins, and that’s it.

There’s one last place you haven’t searched though: your mother’s room. The mere thought of entering makes you gulp. The matriarch named Rumi Wakui had always kept a tight leash on the household’s finances. It is why you and your sister are living in a standard building block despite your mother making bank through stock exchange shenanigans every year.

Yet, Celeste Tachibana will die in two days. As her fellow player in AETHER, you have to do something about it. You don’t know how useful you’ll be, but you’ve decided to try. You summon up your courage, wait for the door to open and walk inside.

You search. As expected, there’s not much you can use. Pawning off her jewellery is a one way ticket to getting grounded and forced into a miniature debt. Mother doesn’t keep any weapons at home, either. Most of her money is electronic, too. After some persistence, your hands catch something. There’s a sum of cash hidden in a drawer, not a large amount. 5000 Macca. Nevertheless, if you stole it without warning, your mother would become particularly irritated.…

>Take all of it.
>Take all of it and leave a note behind.
>Take half of it.
>Don’t take it.
>Custom option.

>>40889366
>>Don’t take it.

>>40889366
>>Take all of it and leave a note behind.

>>40889366
>>Don’t take it.
It's not like we need the money right now.

>>40889366
>Don’t take it.

I would rather not deal with the consequences

>>40889366
>Don’t take it.
Money is kinda unnecessary.

>>40889366
>>Don’t take it.

>>40889366
>Don’t take it.
It's probably not enough to buy any useful supplies. And we don't have time to go bargain hunting. Let's just head on out.

>>40889366
>Don’t take it.
Can get more by killing three scrub shadows.

>>40889366
>Don’t take it.

>>40889366
>Custom option.
Enter our sisters room, if anything she might have some useful stuff. We can tell her we got curious and played with some of her stuff since we did awaken our persona after so long.

>>40889366
>Don’t take it.

>>40889490
She's in there right now, sleeping. We don't want to wake her and have to explain where we're going.

>>40889366
>Don’t take it

>>40889366
>Take all of it and leave a note behind.

Little rant, level with me.

So I’ve been thinking about Takashi, his Hermit Arcana, and his original Persona Ippon-Datara. Now as we know The Hermit arcana is a representation of withdrawal in order to do soul searching or staying out of the spotlight.

Hermit Arcana:
Upright: Soul-searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance
Reversed: Isolation, loneliness, withdrawal

Now our Arcana is the path we use to get through our life, and the Hermit became ours after the realization that without the ability to use our Persona and our sister being so amazing, Takashi withdrew into himself, trying to figure out what his purpose was. Our inability to use a persona but us having an arcana was signified in the fact that although we had “No mask” or no ability to use our Persona.

Now Takashi built walls between himself and his family in the process of finding his way in life,
"i NEveR STOp MaKinG wALLS! ThAT's tHE LifE oF iPpON-dATara!"
—Ippon Datara, Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army

Not to mention Ippon Datara is supposedly a Japanese God left to degrade.
“A one-eyed, one-legged monster said to live deep in the mountains of Kumano, Japan. Believed to be the degraded blacksmith god, Ame no Me-Hitotsu no Kami.”
Like our Sister we have a “God Persona”, our Persona could actually be very powerful but for some reason it was sealed away from us and left to degrade. Just as Takashi’s relationships degraded while he walked the Reversed Hermit path.

Now Takashi has become a Fool/Wild Card, allowing him to overcome his old Hermit persona and take the spotlight, our quest. Perhaps we can restore Ippon to his former glory in the process?

>>40889735
That's great, but we didn't pick improved item crafting.

>>40889735
The fuck are you on about.

>>40889805
We can in the future, so no worries we will become true to our persona

>>40889735
It will probably happen as our equivalent to Messiah or Izanagi-no-Okami. Though seeing as we are (as those jackasses who took over the Velvet Room love to remind us) the Weakest Fool, it's going to be a long while before we get it. Especially since we can't use Fusion.

>>40889841
How Takashi is going to evolve his persona, I think.

>>40889853
That actually might make it easier, since we're forced to focus on his "main" persona more often.

>>40889886
>How Takashi is going to evolve his persona, I think.
Wouldn't we just do that by beating the shit out of things with it?

>>40889366
>Don’t take it.
Ha ha, no way.

>>40889910
......no. Personas aren't pokemon. They are in SMT, though.

>>40889910
Sort of. Personas level up through combat, but to get them to their next stage takes personal growth and resolve. It's a qualitative thing, not quantitative.

>>40889910
http://megamitensei.wikia.com/wiki/Ultimate_Persona

Spoilers abound, particularly in the Persona 3 section.

>>40889366
>Don't take it.

>>40889973
>An Ultimate Persona (or Advanced Persona) is a Persona formed when an individual takes up a resolution in his or her heart.
What if we take up the resolution to beat the shit out of things with it?

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>>Don’t take it.

Your grasp stops a few centimetres above the wad of cash. Better not risk a scolding when she gets home. You can get money from fighting Shadows too, right?

You exit. On the way to the entrance you check AETHER again. It appears that you are just on time. The program is flashing, the symbol in the center spinning around. The screen turns dark and then the words ‘Tutorial II’ pop up in big blue letters.

The female voice comes back. “Welcome, player one, to the second part of the AETHER tutorial. Oh no, it seems that your teammate is in a nasty predicament! She has been surrounded in the Blackened Void. If you leave her there, she might die!”

You put on your shoes, sling on your backpack and walk out the door. It’s go time. There’s burgenoning tension in your stomach and you try to ignore it. No turning back now.

“AETHER is a game that requires cooperation. If you do not work with your teammates, victory will become impossible! To support and encourage this, we have included a rescue function in the game. If you are in a situation you cannot win, send out a distress signal to your teammates. Hopefully, they’ll come to save you. Now, please check out the current distress message right now.”

The lift doors roll open. You walk in and slam the ground floor button. It hurtles downwards. This is what appears on the phone screen.

>>TEAM STATUS
>>DISTRESS SIGNALS
From: Celeste Tachibana
Where: Hazebound Woodlands (Sector 1)
Info: Attacked by the denizens, send backup immediately.

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A map of the Blackened Void then comes up. Since you have not yet explored Sector 1, the screen is filled with dark clouds. You notice a red circular marker in the corner of the screen, flashing gently.

“Obviously, you might not have time to write a message, so all distress signal messages are automated. Whenever a distress signal is sent, the location of the person will be displayed on the world map. Bear in mind that this is the only time objective markers will appear. Also, it is possible via roundabout ways to void out or interfere with the distress signals, so keep that in mind!”

Your destination has arrived. The ring of the lift pierces through the air. You step out the doors and walk into the sunlight. It’s another bright day. The fact that it’s the weekend makes the residents of Akumachi City all the more elated and joyful. The place you are going has absolutely nothing of the sort.

Out of curiosity, you also check the TERRITORY STATUS page…

>>TERRITORY STATUS

[The Forgotten City (Sector 0)]: 0%
[Hazebound Woodlands (Sector 1)]: 0%
[Sector 2]: LOCKED
[Sector 3]: LOCKED
[Sector 4]: LOCKED
[Sector 5]: LOCKED
[Sector 6]: LOCKED
[Sector 7]: LOCKED
[Sector 8]: LOCKED
[Sector 9]: LOCKED
[???]: LOCKED

>>40890098
Is he dead?

>>40890395
no celeste is

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“Let’s talk about how to enter the Blackened Void. You’ll notice that we have provided you with a map of your home city. Numerous doors will lead to various parts of the Blackened Void, which you will no doubt unlock over the course of your journey. At the beginning, there is only one. Please head over to the location displayed on the map right away.”

It’s in District 5: the main residential area of Akumachi City. A section of residential blocks, small parks and convenience store strips. You skulk off. The people around you are so caught up in their own lives that they barely bat an eyelid at you. No-one questions why you are lugging a bag around or why the expression on your face is solid enough to act as a heavy paperweight. Good; they wouldn’t believe you and it saves you the trouble of making excuses.

You stare down a narrow back street. There’s the usual stuff there: dust, a few rats scurrying about, overflowing garbage cans and a wave of shadow casted from the opposing buildings. What’s important is the ornate door, with ten symbols positioned in an oval on it. You spot The Fool and the Magician through the gloom, the youthful boy and infinity magician. You ignore the rest and push it open.

The world flashes white and all of a sudden you are back in the Forgotten City. Towering, broken skyscrapers, cracked roads, rusted traffic lights and filth in the air. The zeroth sector feels just like home, if your apartment secretly turned out to be a dumpster.

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“Remember we said that numerous doors will lead to parts of the Blackened Void? It’s the other way around too! Doors inside the sectors will lead to areas inside the city. The ones outside your safehouse are noteworthy for leading to special vendors, which you can shop from at will. We playtested without this function, and it proved too difficult for the players! Most of them failed, oh my! Anyway, to open these doors, you need keys. The basic ones are made out of iron. Later on, you will see keys made out of materials such as aluminium, uranium, silver and even diamond!”

You eye a package in the front doorstep of the safehouse.

“We’ve provided you two complementary iron keys to get started. Please, open some of the vendor doors outside the safehouse.”

You unwrap and retrieve the iron keys. They jangle as you fiddle with them. They’re very old fashioned, nothing like the electronic locks used in modern civilisation. It’s almost fascinating. There are seven doors lined in a neat row ahead. The first one leads to back to Akumachi City and the second is obviously headed towards the Velvet Room. Numbers three to seven are unknown. Might as well test them one by one…

[Choose only one]
>The door with the green leaf plastered on it.
>The door with the intertwined snakes displayed on it.
>The door with the hammer carved on it.
>The door with the bullet painted on it.
>The door with the TV printed on it.

>>40890497
>The door with the intertwined snakes displayed on it.

need the healing

>>40890497
>The door with the TV printed on it.

Our safe house is gonna need furniture.

>Most of them failed, oh my!
... what happened to them?

>>40890497
>The door with the TV printed on it.
info? Having a map to reach Tachibana would be nice.

>>40890497
>The door with the hammer carved on it.

>>40890497
>The door with the intertwined snakes displayed on it.
Sounds like it's recovery items. I think we'll need them.

>>40890497
>The door with the green leaf plastered on it.

>>40890497
>The door with the hammer carved on it.

>>40890497
>The door with the green leaf plastered on it.

>>40890497
>The door with the bullet painted on it.

>>40890497
>>The door with the hammer carved on it.

>>40890497
>The door with the intertwined snakes displayed on it.
Healing items get.

>>40890497
>>The door with the intertwined snakes displayed on it.

>>40890497
>The door with the green leaf plastered on it
Get the feeling this is the healing fountain

>>40890497
>The door with the intertwined snakes displayed on it.

But we already have a medkit!

>>40890497
>The door with the green leaf plastered on it

>>40890655
do you want us to waste all of our potions and mana on dia spells? Its not like we've got a shortage of macca anyway when we can just loot our moms panty drawer

>>40890497
>uranium
How soon until we meet people/corporations/bad guys who want to blow up the world with nukes made out of that?

>>40890748
Maybe it's depleted uranium.

>>40890748
>using nukes
>when you can use personas
Its not like the shadow land is the only source of uranium either.

>>40890748
You'd need a big fucking key to make a nuke.

>>40890497
>The door with the intertwined snakes displayed on it.

>>40890497
>>The door with the hammer carved on it.
Crafting, it looks like.

>>40888046
>“Terrible incident.” Shizuka mutters, looking up from her rice. For once, she isn’t smiling. “Just goes to show you can’t completely rely on an AI…”
It's almost certain more wrecks would be caused by idiots wrenching control from a good AI than would be caused by bad programming.

>>40890888
I wasn't going to say that, but.....yes. Autopilots already pretty damn good, and 100 years is a long time.

>>40890748
>using fission nukes
>when you can use fusion nukes

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>>The door with the intertwined snakes displayed on it.

You shove the key into the lock and turn clockwise. The chains binding the door in place shatter and crumble into nothingness. So does the iron key.

“We’ve made it so that keys disintegrate upon usage! This is to prevent the players abusing them.”

“Great…” The first thing that sprung to your mind upon hearing the phrase ‘diamond key’ was pawning them off for shitloads of Macca. As usual, AETHER has slammed your hopes against the ground and run them over with a bullet train.

You shove open the door and step through.

The first thing you realize about your new location is that it’s pleasantly warm. It’s bright and the sounds of conversation fill the air. The floors are made out of wood and humidity is everywhere. Water splashes in the distance and a boy giggles.

You blink and see a young girl standing in front of you, peering at her phone. She looks up at you, then back down again. Deep breaths are taking, slow and heavy. Finally, she speaks.

“W-welcome to the Hebi-Ko Medical Facility!” she stutters from behind a desk. “H-how may I help you today?”

>Is this a hospital?
>Do you sell medicine here?
>How much for healing?
>Who are you?
>Custom option.

>>40890950
>Is this a hospital?
>Who are you?

>>40890950
>Who are you?
Beyond worst girl anyway.

>>40890950
>Who are you?
>Is this a hospital?

>>40890950
>Are you an AI or something?
if not
>How did you get a job at this place, anyway?

>>40890995
but thats not cat

>>40890950
>Do you sell medicine here?
no point in wasting time

>>40890950
>Who are you?
>Is this a hospital?

>>40890950
>>Who are you?

>>40890950
>>Who are you?
>>Is this a hospital?

>>40890950
>Custom option.
"Hi. Weird question, I know this is going to sound crazy, but: Where are we? Geographically, I mean, what part of the world is this building in? I got here in kind of a weird fashion."

Alright, which one of these doors has Bat or Monkey behind it.

>>40891112
Probably green leaf or tv.

File: Trish.png (1.19 MB, 881x1928)

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>>40890950
>Are you related to that Fairy I've heard about?

>>40890950
>>Custom option.
"What the hell?"

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>>Who are you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16ul6psPBf4

You ask her the most basic of questions. A fuse is lit.

“I-I’m sorry! I forgot to introduce myself! Please forgive me!” She then proceeds to bow like a broken machine. Her orange cap falls off and lands on the carpet. She shrieks and scurries to pick it up. You step back. This whole situation is getting pretty damn embarrassing. Thank God nobody is watching.

“My name is Shizue Noguchi! I’m an assistant worker at this medical facility. I-I only just started working a few days ago, so please forgive my inexperience!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay…” You try to placate the girl. This makes her stop, although she takes the time to wipe away a few tears. Great, you’ve got a crybaby on your hands.

“So…is this a hospital or something?” You ask casually, doing your hardest to not give away the fact that you have absolutely no bloody idea where this place is.

“N-not exactly.” Shizue replies. “This is actually more of a hot spring. It’s a really good hot spring though, please believe me!”

“…um, alright?”

“Hebi-Ko is more of a healing spring. Our Personas enchant the water. We can heal your wounds for a fee. It doesn’t matter how i-injured you are, one dip in our baths and you’ll be back to normal in no time.”

“Oh.” You nod your head. “So if I’m hurt, I can come here and heal up?”

“Y-yes. We’ll charge money dependent on how many people are with you. Kids below the age of five get to come here for free.”

“What if I’m grievously wounded? Like, there’s a big gash down my side and blood’s spilling out? Will your baths work?”

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“Er…I t-think you should go to a hospital for that. But there have been cases like that and our hot water has worked so…” Shizue tries to give a smile. It looks strained like beef jerky. “I think so?”

“Really? Thanks.” This seemed rather useful, considering the amount of fighting AETHER would inveitably put you through. Looks like that key was put to good use after all.

“Um…one more question?” Shizue asks.

“Yes?”

“How did you find this place? You need special permission to come here! I-If you don’t mind responding, that is!” The attendant is quick to wave her hands about, the universal sign for completely panicking. “All of our customers are rich and well-connected people. We sometimes get a few…”

Shizue now looks terrified and appears to be trying her hardest not to speak the next few forbidden words. Duty overrides her fears and she answers.

“…yakuza members here as well! Big and scary men with scars and suits!” Shizue gasps. “B-but you don’t have to answer. We have a policy of not asking our clients questions...”

You freeze up. “I…I’ll get back to you on that, Noguchi-san. I don’t think I need healing right now, so I better go.”

Without another word, you dash back to the exit. The ornate door leading to the Forgotten City is standing in front of the regular doors. You toss it open and step through.

The icy airs of the dilapidated metropolis hit you in the face. You tumble out the door, arms flailing around like windmills. Eventually, you come to a halt metres away from the safehouse door. So, the Hebi-Ko springs were favourites of the upper class criminals? Damn it, you knew this gift was too good to be true. Looks like you and the team will have to keep your mouths shut in there…

You sigh and reach into your pocket.

One key remains. Which door will you open this time?

[Choose only one]
>The door with the green leaf plastered on it.
>The door with the hammer carved on it.
>The door with the bullet painted on it.
>The door with the TV printed on it.

>>40891571
>The door with the TV printed on it.

>>40891571
>The door with the hammer carved on it.

>>40891571
>The door with the hammer carved on it.

>>40891571
>>The door with the hammer carved on it.
Halt. Look upon the clock, and you will see that it is the hour of the cudgel.

>>40891571
>The door with the hammer carved on it.

>>40891571
>>The door with the hammer carved on it.

>>40891571
>The door with the bullet painted on it.

>>40891571
>>The door with the hammer carved on it.

>>40891607
The hour of the cudgel? sounds like a good time.

>>40891571
>The door with the hammer carved on it.

>>40891571
>The door with the hammer carved on it.

>>40891571
>The door with the hammer carved on it.

>>40891571
>The door with the hammer carved on it.

>>40891571
>>The door with the bullet painted on it.

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[3:00 am, 3-Apr-2129]

Celeste walks. In her right hand is a thin iron sword, its hilt cold and dark as her surroundings. She picked it up from a bundle of dirty clothes laid on the ground. Why it was there is still a mystery to her. She has no time to think for such matters. A game is being played and she is the unlucky victim. She has to move forward and find a way out of this nightmare. It is a thought process that will keep her busy and prevent her from succumbing to her hopelessness.

Though, she does not understand why she is ‘player two’. Who is the first? There is a TEAM STATUS option on the program menu, but it has been arbitrarily locked out as part of the tutorial. Had her head been clearer and under less duress, she would have long since figured the solution out.

“AETHER is a game that refuses to hold your hand! We have disabled objective markers in our latest build and replaced them with simple descriptions. That way, your success will be all the more rewarding!”

Celeste scowls and continues on.

She walks over a bridge, the rotten wood creaking and groaning. She stops at the end, for she is no longer alone.

“This…”

“Oh no! Shadows have appeared!” the tutorial voice cries, “They are just one of the groups of enemies lurking inside the Blackened Void. It seems like that you need to defeat them in order to advance, so get to it!”

So the game wanted her to fight? It was a while since her fencing lessons in her home land, but she was in no way defenceless. The card of the Magician appears in her palms. She crushes it.

“Sati!”

The reborn goddess appears in a torrent of cobalt. Flames gather in her Persona’s palms.

She glares at her enemies formed out of the ground, the Basalts and the Maguses. Sati flexes her fingers and presses them into a prayer stance. The fire burns brighter.

“Maragi!”

>>40891836
Oh, look at Miss "Has had her Persona for more than two days" here. All casting multi-target spells and what not. Impressive.

>>40891836
It's a high stakes fight for Celeste.

>>40891902
did somebody say steak?

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>>40891953
No. Stake. Being a pun, or play on words, about the post-death display of the character that is the source of her pictures. I have a hundred of these and I will use all of them.

>>40892149
Good, Bols deserved better.

>>40892149
I prefer steaks. What about steaks on stakes? Do you have any of those?

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>>40892208

File: Steak-on-aStake.jpg (68 KB, 536x800)

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>>40892223

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>>The door with the hammer carved on it.

You unlock it and enter. This new location, in comparison to the previous hot springs, is hotter. It’s also a bit dimmer. A smoky atmosphere fills the room. Rows and columns of metallic objects, armor sets and sharp pointy stabby weapons, fill your line of sight. The scent of iron and carbon is enough to make a metallurgy otaku wet himself with glee. You hear the sounds of loud clanging in the background.

“We’ve got a customer!” A girl in a yellow tracksuit yells. You walk over, curious. “Quick, nee-chan. Let’s go!”

“Waah, really?” Another girl wearing a kimono burst out from the back. She has an egg-shaped hairclip in her round black hair. Wait, what? “Coming, coming!”

“Sorry,” You begin “But do you girls know—”

“Wait, hold on!” The girl in the tracksuit shouts. “It’ll only be a moment, sir. Hurry up, nee-chan! Get into position.”

"But..."

"I know, I know!" the other girl shouts.

You watch, dumbfounded as the two girls leap onto the counter. They take inhale, exhale and then…

“Welcome to Phoenix Soul Metalworks!” They holler.

“I’m Ami!” The girl in the tracksuit shouts.

“And I’m Ruri!” The girl in the flower-patterned kimono exclaims.

“And together…we are the Hephaestus Siblings!”

Virutal fireworks explode, triggered by a computer. Eardrum-throbbing rock music plays out of a nearby boom box. A synthetic tapestry unfolds and curls from the wall, revealing the namesake of the two girls and the shop symbol of a hammer against an anvil. The two enthusiastic girls pose, like characters out of a shonen manga.

>>40892223
I suspect that you might be an idiot. But don't worry, many idiots go on to live long, fulfilling lives, full of adventure, excitement, and not very many brain cells.

>>40892149
What is it with edginess like this that makes it sell like hotcakes? Is there a point where it just becomes a parody of itself? Did they have to leave the headphones on because the orange hair wasn't enough of an indicator that it was her?

I'm not mad, hell I haven't read/watched any related media, just confused.

>>40892276
Cute.

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>>40892223
My grandma had the best recipe for these. I never got it from her before she died, though. Thinking about it brings back good memories, though. I miss you, Nana.

>captcha is steak
>how appropriate

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You stare at them, blank-eyed.

This is completely unimpressive.

“…what?”

Adrenaline fades. The music stops. Everyone freezes in place. The area is quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Upon seeing your new deadpan look, the twins moan and groan.

“Ah, dammit! We failed again!” The girl apparently named Ami growls. “This guy isn’t impressed at all!”

“Is it because we didn’t have enough fireworks?” The girl named Ruri thinks, biting her lip. “Definitely not enough fireworks…”

>Excuse me, but where the hell am I?
>What do you guys sell?
>Suggest ways to make their theatrics better.
>Ignore them and inspect prices of goods.
>Custom option.

>>40892355
>Suggest ways to make their theatrics better.

>>40892355
>Custom option.
"So do you do this every time someone walks in, or just for new customers?"

>>40892355
>>What do you guys sell?

>>40892355
>>What do you guys sell?

>>40892355
>Suggest ways to make their theatrics better.
>What do you guys sell?

>>40892355
>Excuse me, but where the hell am I?
>What do you guys sell?

>>40892355
>Suggest ways to make their theatrics better.
ONLY OPTION

>>40892355
>>Suggest ways to make their theatrics better.

Skimpy costumes. I mean, it must get hot working around a forge in a damn kimono, right?

>>40892355
>>Suggest ways to make their theatrics better.

>>40892355
>Excuse me, but where the hell am I?
>What do you guys sell?
>Suggest ways to make their theatrics better.

>>40892377
>>40892355
Seconded

>>40892355
>>Suggest ways to make their theatrics better.

>>40892355
>What do you guys sell?
Let's keep this short. Not to be rude, but we do have someone to rescue. Granted, she's doing pretty well right now, but she still needs the backup if she's to get out of here alive.

>>40892355
>Custom option.
"No I'm impressed, its just this caught me off guard is all"
>What do you guys sell?

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>the Fire Sisters have arrived

>>40892355
>What do you guys sell?
>Suggest ways to make their theatrics better.
Maybe if they're impressed with the suggestions when they put them into practice, they'll start giving us discounts

>>40892287
Akame Ga Kill is so over-the-top in edginess that it's hard to take seriously sometimes. I could list a few of the most extreme examples, but it's easier to just say that if the author wants you to know that a character is a bad guy, he will not be subtle about it. At all.

>>40892355
>Excuse me, but where the hell am I?
"And you two seem really familiar, for some reason."

>>40892450
Ok you convinced me, lets go with this.

>>40892355
>What do you guys sell?
>Suggest ways to make their theatrics better.

>>40892450
They can't afford to give discounts, why do you think they're trying so hard to impress new customers?

>>40892461
That's what I figured. After reading up on the characters they all seem to be jerks in one way or another but look like saints compared to the antagonists. Kinda like Ceasar's Legion compared to the NCR just quite a few shades darker.

>>40892355
>Suggest ways to make their theatrics better.

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These two girls (possibly twins?) look really familiar. Like, in a past life, they might have been your sisters. Not that you wouldn’t mind being the older kid for once. That Ami girl in the tracksuit looks kinda cute, too. A strange emotion springs forth from within you. You have the urge to pin that girl to a bed, reach for a toothbrush and clean the everloving shit out of her teeth…okay, that’s enough of that train of thought.

>>Suggest ways to make their theatrics better.

Your first instinct is to suggest dinosaurs.

“You girls need more dinosaurs. Stuff like Triceratops, brontosauruses and tyrannosaurus rexes. Maybe have some shitty film music playing in the background. Goddamn I love myself some Jurrasic age reptilians.”

That would be stupid, so you refrain from saying that.

“Do you guys follow any idols?” You say.

“Idols?” Ruri asks. “No, why?”

“Idols are charismatic. They sing and dance. This is just a suggestion, so maybe you can learn from them?” You reply. “Seriously, watch GENESIS Pro. They’re a group of android idols and they’re great.”

“Mmm…okay then! We’ll give it a try.” Ruri says.

“Thanks for the suggestion, mister!” Ami grins.

“So…what do you two do here?”

“We sell weapons!” Ami cheerfully explains. “Phoenix Soul Metalworks is a store for all kinds of metallic objects, such as armor sets, swords, halberds, axes and more!”

“People say that melee weapons are going of style, not that guns have been invented.” Ruri follows. “But we still think there’s room in this world for traditional equipment. We attract lots of customers, so we must be doing something right.”

“Sounds like you two are pretty popular.”

“Yep! Well…not on the surface at least.” Ami replies. “This entire shop is run by us two. Not bad for a bunch of middle-school kids, huh?”

You have an inkling that they controlled the Hephaestus Personas of the Hierophant Arcana. Better not engage in a fight with these kids, then…

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“Our hours are from 8 am to 9 pm on every day except Sundays.” Ruri says. “We also run a crafting business. If you bring rare materials, like say lemegetonite, we can create custom weapons for you. At a fee, of course.”

“Dunno where you would find those, though…” Ami mutters.

You glance around the shop. Apparently they’re having a bargain sale today. You spy a pair of bronze knuckledusters on a nearby shelf. The price has been slashed by 50% and costs 4000 Macca. You currently have 4300 Macca. There are better, more expensive weapons next to it….

>Purchase it.
>Don’t purchase it.

>>40893081
>Purchase it.
It's on SALE!!! You don't pass up savings like this!

But seriously we should probably save our money for healing.

>>40893081
>>Don’t purchase it.
We're committed to kicking people in the face.

>>40893081
>Purchase it.

>>40893081
>Purchase it.
Now we can both kick and punch. And it's not like we have anything else to spend our money on for the time being. If we need healing by the time we get back we'll probably have picked up some more money from fighting Shadows.

>>40893112
The fight scenes will be more fun to read if we're doing more than just kicking.

>>40893081
>Purchase it.

>>40893081
>Don’t purchase it.

>>40893112
Nah, were a fool, whos apparently quite weak, best to use versatility and brains instead of overspecializing.

>>40893081
>“Our hours are from 8 am to 9 pm on every day except Sundays.”
"Shouldn't you be in school? Can't touch this."

>Purchase it
What if we use the boots AND the knuckledusters?

>>40893081
>Purchase it.

>>40893081
>Don’t purchase it.
Don't really think it's my sort of thing.

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>>40893048
>You have the urge to pin that girl to a bed, reach for a toothbrush and clean the everloving shit out of her teeth

>>40893081
>Don’t purchase it.

>>40893081
>>Purchase it.
Hopefully we won't have to pay for anything else while we're here.

>>40893081
>Don’t purchase it.

>>40893081
>Purchase it.

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Does Takashi have an android fetish?

>>40893081
>Don’t purchase it.

>>40893081
>Purchase it.

>>40893081
>Don’t purchase it.
I'd rather get a pierce or slash, thanks.

Mysteriously self-reloading crossbow?
Chainsaw drones whose remote control fits in pants pockets?
Boot Knife?

....you know, sticking to the hands-in-pockets restriction, while interesting, is really fucking hard.

>>40893081
>Purchase it.

>>40893081
>Purchase it.

>>40893447
show you're thinking a katar? Punch-knife

>>40893522
A katar is a damn big punch knife.

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>>40893207
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1jY7BLQVMc

>>40893382
Do you want him to?

[3:30 am, 3-Apr-2129]

The last Shadow is engulfed with flames and withers away to a crisp. Celeste grips her knees and pants. Sati disappears and the tarot card of the Magician appears in her place.

She is tired. Sweat is falling. For a person like Celeste, whose Persona burns up mana like nobody’s business, this was a normal sensation after spreading so much fire. How long had it been since she fought with her Persona to this extent? She can’t remember, not in this haze.

A candy bar or anything with lots of sugar would be nice. The Shadows have dropped no such thing. Only Macca and useless junk is all that’s left. To distract herself from her headache, she picks them up anyway.

“Ah…”

She slumps down, against a nearby oak tree. A small rest is fine. Just for a moment, to regain her strength back. AETHER is calling her to move, but her legs feel like lead weights have been bolted to them.

This proves to be her undoing.

She closes her eyes, and time passes. When she opens them, she notices a figure standing in front of her. It’s too dark to make out the exact appearance, but she can see a spear equipped and pointed ears sticking out from the side of the head.

“Hello?”

Then nearby bushes rustle, and more figures appear. Some are tall, others short. Bulky and thin. Swords, axes and bows are in their hands. They stare at her with eyes as hollow as the gateway to Hell. Celeste cautiously climbs to her feet and summons her tarot card behind her back.

“…can I help you?”

The figures shriek and attack.

>>40893382
Oh god, that would be hilarious

>>40893648
>Do you want him to?
Sure.

>>408936
Err, wrong picture

>>40893648
Seriously starting to wonder why the MC is dicking around with doors instead of getting with the rescuing.

>>40893732
It's a tutorial, Aether won't give him the map until he's done with it.

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>>40893648
uh oh

>>40893648
>Do you want him to?
No, because all the current waifu-candidates are not androids and it would be creepy for him to drop one of them for an android because of his fetish should one show up.

>>40893771
>No, because all the current waifu-candidates are not androids

ARE YOU SO SURE?

>>40893771
What about his teacher?

>>40893771
Fetish != the only thing you care about

>>40893825
She's in the running? ... I should have considered that.

I'd be happy with him friend or sister-zoning every girl so far, regardless.

>>40893808
Pretty sure.

>>40893841
Not that I know if, just playing Devil's Advocate.

>>40893648
>Do you want him to?
Yes, just don't go overboard it.

I'd love it if the android thing was at some point exploited as a weakness.

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>>Purchase it.

“Can I buy this?” You place the knuckledusters on the glass counter.

“Sure!” Ami exclaims, tapping the keys of a nearby laptop. “That’s one of our weakest stock though. We're going to melt them down for scrap at the end of the week. Are you sure you don’t something better?”

“Ehehe…” You laugh nervously. “I don’t have much money with me today. Maybe next time?”

“No problem. It happens to everyone.” Ami replies, retrieving a plastic bag from under the table. “Here you go, that will be 4000 Macca.”

You exchange the money and receive a pair of BRONZE KNUCKLEDUSTERS. It is a very basic weapons and looks like it’ll crumble after a while, but for now it’ll do. You also have your STEEL-TIPPED COMBAT BOOTS to support it. It is immediately deposited in your bag.

“Anything else?”

“Nah, I think I’m done for the day. It’s about time I headed off.” With that, you turn on your heel and leave.

“Bye mister!” Ruri calls, “Come back soon!”

You return to the Forgotten City. The time is now 10 am in the morning. 38 hours remain until Celeste meets her fate at the hands of the Sector 1 denizens. You stare into the horizon of steel and concrete and breathe, water vapour condensing in the air in front of you.

“Did you shop well?” The tutorial voice rings. “Hopefully you did, because those facilities will be crucial to your success. Now, it’s time to head off to the new sector. Your session’s Blackened Void has ten sectors, numbered zero to nine. One for each player, how nice! To travel to a new sector, you must enter the nearby Metro and board the underground train.”

Part of the Forgotten City’s map has been revealed. True to the tutorial’s words, there is a location marked on the screen. A symbol of a little electric train.

You get the premonition that if you head there, you won’t be coming back to the Forgotten City for a while…

>Enter the metro immediately.
>Mess around the safehouse.
>Visit the Velvet Room.
>Explore the Forgotten City.
>Custom option.

>>40894035
>Enter the metro immediately.
We're on the clock.

>>40894035
>Enter the metro immediately.

>>40894035
>Custom Option
If we have Celeste's number, try calling her. Otherwise,
>Enter the metro immediately

>>40894035
>>Enter the metro immediately.
We are -not- having Celesteak for dinner tonight, no matter how well those shadows might cook it.

>>40894035
>>Enter the metro immediately.

Uh, girl to rescue. Why would we even consider wasting time?

>>40894035
>Enter the metro immediately.
We've got a time limit.

>>40894035
>>Enter the metro immediately.

>>40894035
>Enter the metro immediately

Tick-tock

Our lack of preparation is going to screw us over and this will end with us getting rescued by the far more competent damsel.

>>40894035
>TRAIN YOU IDIOTS
we're going to get our shit kicked in if we go in now.

>>40894140
We got full mana, knuckledusters, steel-toed boots and whatever else in our backpack. We got this shit.

>>40894157
Our training will be the shadows and shit we have to kill throughout the zone on our way there!

>>40894035
Head for Celeste's last known location

>>40894140
We ain't got time for preparation.

>>40894157
We've got somewhere less than forty hours. We don't have time to train significantly without also tiring ourselves out. Besides, we have a penalty to XP anyway, grinding isn't a good strategy for us.

>>40894035
>Explore the Forgotten City.

Try to find that unarmed combat manual we found a page from so we can get the basics on qi casting.

>>40894035
>Enter the metro immediately.

>>40894035

>>40894090
>If we have Celeste's number, try calling her.
Seconding that

>>40894194
Forgotten City was level-appropriate for us when we were taken there.

Celeste needs her Maragi to take these shadows on. WITH fencing lessons. Do the math.

>>40894214
We don't even know how to fight. Forget Persona XP, TAKASHI needs experience in fighting.

>>40894140
>>40894157
Assuming the time on the last Celeste Intermission is around the present time for us, we have about nine hours before Celeste's smoking body is found somewhere in the city, and I do mean literally smoking because she will be burnt to a crisp. There's no time to prepare or train.

>>40894226
Didn't Mom say our new school teaches that?

>>40894258
Actually, I fucked up the times of the Celeste Intermission. It should be the 2nd of Apr, not the 3rd.
Whoops!

>>40894337
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJxCdh1Ps48

>>40894337
Thirty-three hours, then. Still, we should hurry.

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[4:15 am, 2-Apr-2129]

Celeste runs.

Behind her, the figures roar and give chase.

They were not friendly. The moment they had seen her, they had swung axes, sliced with swords and fired arrows at her body. She barely managed to summon a couple of fireballs to distract them and escape. Her mana was practically gone now, Dia having been used to seal her cuts and fade away her bruises.

“Hah…ah…”

She cannot hear Sati now, not without her magic. Her fragile sword found itself lost in the chaos. She is completely defenceless, and she is aware of it.

“No…no…”

Her foot catches hold of a tree trunk and she trips. She stumbles across a grass hill and falls. Her body bounces and rolls all the way through mud, plantlife and god-knows-what. Eventually, she slides to a halt in at the front of a bog.

The howls and cries of the loathsome figures are approaching. The thought of all imminently deceased runs through her head? Is she going to die here? In this unfamiliar world away from her family and friends? She didn’t deserve this! She still had so much to do!

“I’m sorry…” she whispers, tears leaking from her eyes, “I couldn’t do it…I’m sorry…”

Her phone slides out of her pocket. She slowly turns her head to squint at the bright screen.

“Oh dear, it looks you are in trouble now!” The dreaded voice from the phone sings, “But don’t worry, this is all part of the tutorial! Whenever you fall, a distress signal will be sent out to your teammates. It should be emit itself right about…now!”

The phone beeps and a mugshot is revealed. Celeste’s eyes snap open wide.

“Make sure you don’t lose your phone. The signal is being transmitted from there, after all!”

The figures have reached the bottom of the hill. Celeste pays them no mind. She grabs her phone and nestles it deep inside her clothes, in a place where it cannot be dislodged. Her body hurts in a dozen places and mana exhaustion seeps through every nerve. It is the worst she has ever felt in her life.

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And yet, a candle of hope is ignited within her soul.

“Takashi-san…” she grins tiredly, “Sorry to have brought you into this…”

A club, wooden and brute-like swings itself down on her head and she is knocked into the blackness…

…

…

[7:30 am, 2-Apr-2129]

Takashi Wakui wakes up.

>>40894657
>“Takashi-san…” she grins tiredly, “Sorry to have brought you into this…”
That's our line!

>>40894633
>a place where it cannot be dislodged
???

>>40894657
>“Takashi-san…” she grins tiredly, “Sorry to have brought you into this…”
She is so going to owe us more of those jelly bean things when we rescue her.

>>40894718
Her bra. Probably...

>>40894718
her bra?

>>40894726
The obvious conclusion is that social linking brought her into this. It's all his fault. She doesn't owe him shit.

>>40894752
"Obvious" does not mean true

>>40894752
>Your session’s Blackened Void has ten sectors, numbered zero to nine. One for each player, how nice!
This points toward it being predetermined.

Or there's a party limit.

>>40894781
No shit? It's so obvious that it's going to cross their minds, though. Assuming he tells her she's a Fool.

Are we doing that? Telling her he's a Fool?

>>40894688
We need to say it when we find her now.

>>40894844
fuck yeah we are
when we pull off this rescue we're gonna be dual wielding personas

>>40894752
It could be social linking, or it could be that the game just grabs people who are going to die. Or it could be both.

>>40894844
She's involved now, and she's going to find out sooner or later when we swap Personas.

>>40894863
Yeah we're probably going to need that heal

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>>Enter the metro immediately.

You follow the simple directions presented on the map. A left turn here, squeeze between a pile of wrecked cars there and you reach the concrete staircase leading to the underground. Somewhere, a drop of water falls from the ceiling and splashes on the murky puddle. Like all other areas in the Forgotten City, the Metro is near silent and without life. No rats scurrying about, no flies buzzing around corpses, nothing.

There aren’t any Shadows, either. How unusual. Perhaps the train station was ‘protected’, like the safehouse was? Then again, best not to make assumptions so quickly.

You push past a barricade which, at some point in the past, may have been painted bright screen. The shutters of a ticket stand leer at you, the lights from barely surviving emergency lights shining on it. Rubble crunches under your feet. The scent of dampness and rust is overpowering.

You reach the platforms. Only train is there: a steel beast with half its windows broken. Paint has peeled off and to make matters worse it’s one of those really old ones with its wheels grinding against a standard train track. The first, obvious impression is that this thing looks like a legendary piece of shit, unable to carry passengers even if it cost its life.

…

You board it and sit in the front carriage. Next to you, a shattered display panel flickers to life.

“WELCOME to to…TO THE HOLLOW EXPRESS.” A scratchy, guttural voice hisses from above. IT HAS BEEN…BEEN...<DATA NOT FOUND> YEARS SINCE THE LAST TRAIN. PLEASE ENTER YOUR DESTINATION.”

The words ‘Hazebound Woodlands’ have appeared on the panel. You press it. Lag causes the machine to process for thirty seconds before confirmation.

“HEADING TO SECTOR 1: HAZEBOUND WOODLANDS. PLEASE DON’T FORGET THAT SMOKING IS PROHIBITED ON THIS TRAIN JOURNEY…”

The ancient cogs and gears crank and spin. Beams of yellow peek out from shattered lamps. The train begins to move, hurtling down the tracks…

>>40895049
Odd. Everything else about AETHER has appeared very recent and well-maintained. Did they not make this part of the Blackened Void, and are just repurposing some previous Otherworld's leftover infrastructure?

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…

One hour passes. Thirty-seven hours now remain.

During the train ride, you slip on the boots and place the knuckledusters inside your coat pocket, ready for use at a moment’s notice. The rest of the journey is spent thinking about the best ways to utilize your Personas. Ippon-Datara is good for bashing down walls and setting things aflame. Pixie had good lightning magic and could heal. What kinds of synchronicity could these two have?

The wheels screech to a stop and the train ceases motion.

“YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT THE HAZEBOUND WOODLANDS. HOLLOW EXPRESS HOPES THAT YOU HAVE HAD A PLEASANT RIDE AND IMPLORES YOU TO CONSIDER US AGAIN.”

“Hold on, Celeste…”

You leap off the train and run through an almost carbon copy of the Forgotten City’s metro. Past flickering fluorescent tubes, broken vending machines and remnants of posters. You pound up the staircase and burst into the outside world.

>SECTOR 1: THE HAZEBOUND WOODLANDS.

You see trees and grass. Actual, natural-grown trees with thick brown trunks and bushy grass patches. This fact would amaze you, if it weren’t for the persistent miasma of whiteness covering everything. Fog is everywhere, covering the roads, twisting through the plants and filling up the air. You sight extends to a couple of metres in front of you and is cut off by the sheer density of the water vapour. Everything else ahead seems to disappear into shadows.

It’s cold. You shiver. The next time you come here, you’re bringing a coat. Some gloves and hats would be nice, too.

You crane your neck upwards and squint. The sky is covered in thick, dark clouds, whose outlines you can barely make out. Just like the Forgotten City.

Well, the name of this sector was certainly appropriate; you’ll give it that.

>Proceed forwards.
>Search for anything nearby.
>Find a way to illuminate your way.
>Custom option.

>>40895341
>Search for anything nearby.

>>40895341
>Search for anything nearby.
>Find a way to illuminate your way.

>>40895341
>Find a way to illuminate your way.
Can we make a torch with Ippon-Datara and some branches?

>>40895341
>Search for anything nearby.
>Find a way to illuminate your way

>>40895341
>>Search for anything nearby.

>>40895341
>Search for anything nearby.
>Find a way to illuminate your way.

>Search for anything nearby.
>Find a way to illuminate your way

>>40895341
>Search for anything nearby.
>Find a way to illuminate your way.

Since our Hermit persona gains experience at the normal rate and it should be getting plenty of use in the real world thanks to the need to hide our Wild Card abilities, maybe we should try to use others while here?

File: hazebound_woodlands2.jpg (149 KB, 1280x1024)

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>>Search for anything nearby.

You do that. The mist persists in obscuring your vision. You almost trip over a rock. However, you are rewarded with a small treasure chest in the vicinity. The bad news is that it only contains 1500 Macca. Oh well.

You also find a very thick, decently-sized piece of wood lying on the path. You stare at the object, then down at your chest.

A metaphorical light-bulb appears above your head.

>>Takashi: Illuminate.

"Go!"

You summon Ippon-Datara and order it to light the tip of the wood. The Agi spell does this perfectly, creating a nice torch. Better keep a close eye on the flame, otherwise it might burn down to your fingers.

It appears this was the right decision, because some of the fog around you is dissipating. Your sight is slightly clearer now.

You walk forward.

And walk.

Stepping through a forest, carrying a flame, is a new experience for you. It’s really like you are in a video game. Too bad your nerves are on edge for the presence of Shadows or monsters. Otherwise, it might have been comfy and relaxing.

Wait!

A low, groaning sound is floating its way to your ears.

Something is lurking in the shadows. You grit your teeth and narrow your eyes. Discerning is tricky, but you manage to do it anyway. The unknown object is positioned on the ground and is slowly crawling in your direction.

What do you do?

>Walk forward and check it out.
>Stand your ground and wait for it to come.
>Hide somewhere and wait.
>Custom option.

>>40895677
>>Hide somewhere and wait.

>>40895677
>Hide somewhere and wait.
>Custom option.
Check our phone. How close are we to Celeste's emergency beacon? Maybe that's her.

>>40895677
>Hide somewhere and wait.
Check phone see if it's her.

>>40895677
>Hide somewhere and wait.

>>40895677
>Hide somewhere and wait

>>40895677
>Hide somewhere and wait.
also: >>40895707

>>40895707
This

>>40895677
>>Hide somewhere and wait.

>>40895707
Backing

>>40895677
>>40895707
I'll support this.

>>40895677
Put out our torch if we hide. It would just be embarrassing if we didn't.

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>>Hide somewhere and wait.

You sidestep behind a tree, blowing out your torch as you do so. You ain’t a soldier, despite your background, but you do know that you can’t afford to take chances here. Whatever is ahead of you could be an enemy. Might as well make sure.

>>Check phone.

Celeste’s distress signal isn’t even close. You still have a lot of ground to cover before you find her…

…

The mysterious figure is coming closer. It’s definitely alive, judging from the rhythms of its gasps and the erratic movements. At the moment, it’s nothing more than a shadow in the mist. It’ll pop into view in a few seconds…

…

You rub your eyes and focus.

Hold on…that can’t be…

No way…

…is that a fucking elf?

Yes, it’s a humanoid creature with sharpened, arrogant features and pointed ears. If that’s not a generic fantasy elf, you don’t know what is. Except, this elf appears to be in a bad shape. For one, its flesh is darkened and rotting. Red veins leak through the skin and sickly green boils cover its facial features. Eye are bloodshot, breathing is ragged and the fact that it’s crawling on the ground as opposed to walking definitely sets off a few alarm bells.

“Originally, we were going to have Shadows in the Blackened Void and nothing else. After some revision, we found this to be boring. So we’ve added unique denizens to each sector! For what purpose do they exist? That will be up to you, the players, to find out!” The tutorial voice then shuts itself off again…

If the elf had heard it, recognition doesn’t show. In fact, it looks far too busy pulling itself across the barren dirt path to pay any attention to you. Just as you are wondering your next move, the elf collapses.

Its hands reach up to clutch its head. A warbling, shriek of agony is sounded. Black aura begins to cover its entire form. Ippon-Datara snarl in your head and Pixie chatters excitedly.

File: mage.png (254 KB, 215x302)

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The elf cowers on the spot, curling itself up into a small ball. It sobs and trembles. If it would speak, it would surely be begging the Grim Reaper to give it another day. The presence of danger is growing larger and larger. You reach into your pockets for the knuckledusters.

Then the elf’s arms slam down on the earth and it screams for one last time. A cleave is produced, running from the center of its jaw all the way to the back of its next. The head splits apart and inky darkness spills from within. The shadow quickly devours the rest of the body, producing more and more darkness by the second. The terrifying about this procedure is that it’s so quiet, apart from the slurping and the gulping of the shadow against flesh.

Then the shadows twist up and around, forming the appearance of a hooded monstrosity with a single eye and a lantern instead of a torso.

A Mage Shadow. One of the standard, intermediate types. And thus, an enemy. Maybe you could slip past it unnoticed, if you stayed quiet…

And then the Shadow looks in your direction and summons wind to slice your tree into pieces. You are now in the open.

Well, so much for that!

>Summon Ippon-Datara
>Summon Pixie
>Guard
>Check AETHER for something about combat.
>Flee.
>Custom option.

>>40896129
>Summon Pixie

>>40896129
>>Summon Pixie
>Check AETHER for something about combat.

>>40896129
>>Summon Ippon-Datara
>Check AETHER for something about combat.

>>40896129
>Summon Pixie

>>40896129
>Summon Ippon-Datara
use phys on it
>Check AETHER for something about combat.

>>40896129
>Check AETHER for something about combat.
inb4 we get the "AETHER is a game that refuses to hold your hand!" message again.

>>40896129
>Summon Ippon-Datara

>>40896129
>>Summon Ippon-Datara

>>40896129
>Summon Ippon-Datara

>>40896129
>Summon Ippon-Datara

File: Ippondatara.jpg (20 KB, 261x577)

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>>Summon Ippon-Datara

The card of the Fool is crushed and the one-legged demon appears. He rushes forward, swings his hammer mightily. The Mage Shadow is knocked back and wobbles. It isn’t finished though, as proven by its quickly resuming its balance and lunging forward. Its forehead clashes with Ippon-Datara’s hammer and the two of them struggle. You can feel the strain from all the way over here.

Then the Mage Shadow gives an almighty shove, sending Ippon-Datara reeling. It then gazes at you with its solitary eye and fires a blast of green wind.

>Roll 1d20
>Best out of three rolls.

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>40896408

Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>40896408

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>40896408

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>40896408
Rolling one more since one of those was a d100.

File: Pixie.png (1.16 MB, 3620x2716)

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>>18/20: Great!

You manage to dodge to the side in the time, albeit not entirely unscathed. The wind scratches against your right arm lightly, tearing at the fabric and giving yourself a few tiny cuts. Nothing that a good Dia spell can’t fix. Speaking of which…

You reach into your soul and withdraw the potential of the Magician.

“Change!”

The card reforms and shatters. Ippon-Datara is switched out for the mischievous Pixie. She giggles briefly, before electricity weaves itself around her fingers and fires at the Mage Shadow.

>Roll 1d20
>Best out of three rolls.

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>40896572

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>40896572

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>40896572

Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>40896572
Go, Pixie, go!

>>40896572
>3620x2716

Jeez...

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>17/20: Great!

The Mage Shadow does not appreciate electricity. At all. You understand this because the thing wails in agony as the electricity courses through its system. This time, it collapses to the ground, twitching. A burned smell fills the air.

You leap into action. Your boots pound across the dirt path. You close the distance to the Shadow and give it slam your feet down on it. It grinds the monster into dust, defeating it once and for all.

…

300 Macca is left behind after the fight. You pick it up.

“…what?”

An overwhelming sense of strength flows through you. It is like a bolt of lightning, shocking your nerve endings down to the tips. Deep in your soul, Ippon-Datara roars and slams his hammer against the ground. The experience you gained from defeating your foes has served your well. It appears that your Persona has gained a new technique. The fact that you didn’t understand the technique sooner is mystifying.

[Choose only one]
>Mudo (Does darkness damage with 30% of instant KO to one foe. Rate is doubled against those with a weakness)
>Tarukaja (Increases offense, one ally)
>Rampage (Light physical damage to all foes)

>>40896733
>Mudo (Does darkness damage with 30% of instant KO to one foe. Rate is doubled against those with a weakness)

>>40896733
>Mudo (Does darkness damage with 30% of instant KO to one foe. Rate is doubled against those with a weakness)

>>40896733
>>Rampage (Light physical damage to all foes)

Mudo is too unreliable

>>40896733
>Tarukaja (Increases offense, one ally)

>>40896733
>>Rampage (Light physical damage to all foes)

Gotta have that crowd control. Plus if it works like it does in the game, it's useful against single targets as well.

>>40896733
>Mudo (Does darkness damage with 30% of instant KO to one foe. Rate is doubled against those with a weakness)

>>40896733
>Rampage (Light physical damage to all foes)
useful.

>>40896733
>>Rampage (Light physical damage to all foes)
I get the feeling we'll need CC soon

>>40896733
>Rampage (Light physical damage to all foes)

>>40896733
>Rampage (Light physical damage to all foes)

>>40896733
>Tarukaja (Increases offense, one ally)

There's a time dilation effect in the void isn't there?

How much time would pass in the real world?

>>40896930
We're not sure. Everyone who's been here has also been unconscious for a fair amount of time, so it's not clear how much time they actually spent in the void.

>>40896930
I think it's quite possible we were actually unconscious.

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>>Rampage (Light physical damage to all foes)

This is the technique you choose. A nice, strong physical attack for Ippon-Datara. You imagine the demon bursting through an entire crowd of Shadows with his hammer swinging about. Man, that sounds totally awesome. For some reason Pixie didn’t gain much experience during the fight. Must be due to that limitation those guys in the Velvet Room were talking about.

The end of the road awaits you. You have only just begun your mission to rescue Celeste. A clock is counting down until the end. With grim determination by your side, you relight your torch and resume you trek into the heart of the Hazebound Woodlands…

…

…

[Elsewhere...]

Celeste Tachibana wakes up. Her hands are bound and her magic is sealed.

She is now chained to a wall.

>>40897125
So there's something smart in here, too. Great.

Thread will end here today. Thanks for participating, everyone!

Archived thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/40888008/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwilightThorn
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Next thread will be on Wednesday, 9:30 pm UTC as usual. This might change, so watch my Twitter for announcements. Hope to see you all there!

>>40897203
Hope to be there, Thorn. Thanks for running.

>>40897203
Thanks for running.