Right then, well if things aren't so dangerous then he can work with it he guesses... No sense in wasting time. "Alright, just stay calm for now then got it boss." He'd glance down at the watch, carefully examining things to try and get a feel for their interface. "Now, real talk how do they work. What weapons can we get, what's the time to get em ready. How long and safe is logging out. All that good tech info that needs to be known before a fight breaks out, if I'm going to do battle with monsters I want to prepare as much as possible beforehand."

"Hmmmm, maybe if I try to utilize something..." Kira said, already looking at the watch and checking the features out, swiping through the options that are seen there "For something so small, this interface is already more advanced than the smartwatches that we have nowadays..."

"Isn't that kind of an unfair comparison? Most smartwatches can't transport us into other worlds, you know." Niko chuckles, examining the watch. Equipment...? Where? She fiddled with the watch for at least a solid minute before she decided to leave it for another time. "So we can log out if we bite off more than we can chew in a fight? Isn't that kinda cheating?"

Shinobu goes through the options of the watch as he listens in on the others. "My concerns align with Yagami-sans. Don't really have many questions beyond that other than what can we expect? Do these shadows act similar to animals and are more likely to appear in an environment they are familiar with or do they simply appear anywhere?" he asked as he began to slowly walk forward, making sure of his surroundings as he walks forward

Kaito takes a quick glance down at his wrist before shrugging. "I guess we ought to start making tracks then. This signal isn't going to explore itself after all." The young man looks up to see Shinobu already walking off ahead. He calls out to his comrade as he tries to follow closely behind. "Woah! Wait up for us Shin-chan!"

Turther down the path the trees would seem to begin clearing up until the forest opened up into a large clearing with a stone tower in the center. The tower wasn't very tall, only 1-2 floors at most. The tower itself looked to be somewhat rundown with moss growing on its outer walls. The breeze from before could be felt once again for a moment as if originating from the tower or at least where it stood. The air suddenly felt colder but nothing could be seen in the immediate area. For those that checked there watch they'd now see a few options that seemed to unlock after they entered the virtual world. However, all of them were faded out except one: Log Out Equip CONTRACT The last option especially seemed to stand out as it was a deep shade of blue and almost looked printed on the screen itself as if unnaturally placed there. Yamane would begin speaking in order to answer any further questions. "I'll try to answer as best I can but the truth is we don't have all that information on the watches themselves. As for the shadows, all we have are some government reports but they're not the most helpful. We also have information on how shadows work in other confirmed shadow worlds and its pretty consistent. Rather than going on I'll just get to the point. Mostly shadows stay in designated areas they consider their territory. Smaller shadows don't really show much intelligence beyond simple malice towards living things. The bigger ones are a different story, however. The more powerful the shadow the more signs of human-like sentience they seem to show. This is where things get messy, according to what we've been told about this world shadows here seem to adapt to their environment at a rapid pace. Depending on where the shadow is it may shift forms and 'evolve'. In other words, there's no clear indication what the shadows in that world are like now...kinda what I meant when I said the information was unhelpful. Logging out should be safe as long as nobody tampers with the function. I'd imagine you'd only have trouble if you encountered the one who took this whole place hostage. Things are still mostly unknown though. I apologize for how inconvenient this seems. Luckily, there's also a failsafe escape but it won't be easy. I can extract you all by attempting to override the world's control but even with the tech I have with me apparently the whole place is locked up tight. That's all the information I really have that I haven't already given you.

Kira stares at the contract option, wondering what it is and what will it even do... Regardless, whatever it may seem, he will have to use it first... "Well...I suppose I have no choice...For the sake of her, I will use it!" He then quickly presses the option and simply waits for what may happen next

Kaito couldn't quite follow his teacher's words, but he seemed to swallow a fair bit of info. "The bigger the baddie, the more unpredictable they become. That's more than enough info to work with Sensei!" Seeing the watch display a new option would give the young man pause. He hovers his finger over the option. "Contract? Please don't tell me we need to read over stuff... not when action is right ahead of us!" He lets out a defeated sigh. "I can't get impatient. It's not like that signal is going anywhere." He presses down on the new option. "Terms of service, here I come..."

He whistles for a moment, lot of info to get tossed at him all at once but... All the digging he's done into the nature of this spooky shit, it all adds up with what he's being told here. Or at least anything even slightly factual seeming does. "A contract huh... Fortune favors fools doesn't it, and I've never bothered to read a whole contract before signing it up to now! Thanks for the info by the way Boss, it isn't much but eh I can make it work." With that, he quickly taps the contract button without a second thought. No need to worry with details, not when something exciting is right in front of him.

Niko hesitated for a moment. She's been spooked more than a few times in the last hour or so. Who knows what pressing this button would do. "Contract doesn't sound too great... but I suppose it's better than say, covenant." She taps the contract button, closing her eyes and tensing her shoulders, waiting for something to happen.

Shinobu would stop after seeing the Contract option appear. Even more so since Yamane didn't mention anything about it. "Do you think you can explain the Contract function in more detail?" he asked before finally letting out a sigh as he saw the others immediately press it without care. Apparently caution wasn't anyone's strong point in this group. He'd hesitate but seeing as the others had already done so he decided it would be best to ignore it for now and watch what happens to the others. Not exactly a good idea to be using yourselves as test subjects for a device who the one who gave it to us doesn't even fully understand. If the others wanted to throw caution to the wind the least he could do was learn from their recklessness.

All at once everyone's watches would form a blue arrow on top of their screen. The arrows would all be pointing towards the same structure, the tower in the middle of the field. Suddenly, as everyone was looking at the watches an odd blue door would appear at the base of the tower. The gust of wind surrounding the tower would grow more persistent than before blowing out from the tower in faster bursts as a shadow seemed to form over it. Regardless of the circumstances, the watches would glow brightly as if urging everyone to approach the door. Yamane would be silent at first as if thinking before answering any query regarding the contract option. "Contract option? I don't remember any reports about a function like that. Maybe I should go back through the report but I thought I already memorized all the vital functions. I even skipped lunch to go through it again."

A blue door... Something about it feels almost familiar to him, deja vu? Or maybe he's seen it somewhere before for real, maybe in a dream? "Are my rites for seeing the unseen working better than usual today, or is that door here for everyone in this fine little party? Either way, let's try the other function shall we!" Tadashi walks forward, tapping the equip button of his watch curiously before walking forward. Assuming all went well, he'd stand at the door with whatever the device gave to him at the ready. A smirk on his face as he gazes ahead. "To quote a great source of inspiration, leap before you look. If you stand around staring and wondering the whole time, nothing gets done. Thus, leap before you look!" And with that, the young man walks straight through this door to whatever madness may await him behind it.

Niko absolutely grimaced at the sight of the shadows crawling around the tower, starting to backpedal a little bit. The whole concept of another world and shadows was becoming much harder to grasp the more and more this reality was presented to her. "Y-Yamane-sensei! What do you mean you don't remember a contract option?! What did we just do?!"

"...The door..." Kira takes a step forward before hearing Yamane's comment on the contract option "You mean you don't know?" Kira froze of this confusion, before shaking his head and decided that it didn't matter "...I guess I'll have to go along with what Tadashi-san said ...leap before you look..." And with that, Kira decided to step forward and follow Tadashi into the blue door. With each, widening step, he takes a heartful breath...he doesn't know what will be coming or whether he will come out of it alive or not...but he knows that there is one thing that he must find from this...Not to mention, he's going to have to make sure to keep his fellow students out of trouble, so either way...this seems like the only way forward...

Shinobu would sigh at his fellow classmates and at the revelation that Yamane-sensei didn't know anything about the contract feature. They were definitely off to a great start. He wouldn't access that feature until he knew more. For now he simply moved forward and put a hand on Niko's shoulder to help calm her down. "There's nothing we can do about it now. All we can do is move forward." Afterwards he'd move forward at a pace where Niko could still easily catch up. He'd stand in front of the door and considering he didn't hear either of the other two screaming he'd walk through the door once Niko caught up.

Kaito's eyes gleam with wonder at the appearance of the door. However, he put that wonder aside and placed his hands on his hips. "Come on Teach, that's no good. You can't be skipping out on lunch! No wonder you missed something so important." He shakes his head in disbelief. "Regardless, we'll figure it out! So no need to sweat the small stuff!" He laughs softly as he passes by Niko. "Oi, Niko-tan. I know things are confusing right now, hell, I can't quite keep up with it myself. But we're all in this together, okay?" Kaito would follow shortly behind Shinobu after flashing Niko a smile. Upon arriving at the door he'd watch as Tadashi went about entering it.

Yamane would suddenly exclaim to himself as Tadashi got right up to the door. Yamane: "Wait? These readings? Tadashi! Be careful, the enemy is right on top of you!" Beofre they knew it, something would be preventing them from entering the door. A wall of hardened air would slam into them directly from around the structure. Their gear would most likely materialize before the brunt of the wind hit them. Above the tower, an actual shadow and not the imaginary shadow that Niko for some reason sees crawling on the tower would float down to glide a small distance above it. It almost shared the same appearance as a spirit of some kind. Some might recognize it as sharing the same depiction as a Shikigami except with an odd mask depicting a calm expression seemingly attached to where its face would normally be. A thick fog would seem to begin forming in the air along with the breeze from before. ???: "Move forward? None of you will be moving forward. I don't know why you all came here but in the name of my master you shall go no further. The truth is not yours to grasp freely, not now and not ever. So says I, the second born of the Sephirot, Yesod." After a brief pause Yamane would begin speaking again sounding a bit shocked. Yamane: "T-that's one of the shadow's leaders...Wait, did it say second born? Then there's a chance! I'll get to work opening an exit just in case but I think you guys might actually be able to beat it as long as you keep your wits about it! Just don't do anything too reckless and don't panic!"

Shinobu would be surprised at first but immediately take his distance when he could. He clenched his fist only to now realize he was clutching something. Looking down he saw his antiquity in his hand as well as a Onmyouji's battle garb covering his body. He didn't even have the time to wonder how this happened as he held up his antiquity in a fighting stance. Then again he had no choice but to wonder. "How the hell am I supposed to use a stone dagger as a weapon against that thing. I think the weapons function is busted if this is all I get."

Kaito would momentarily lose his footing from the sudden blast of air. However, he would quickly catch himself and only then notice his outfit. "What the heck?" His school uniform had been replaced with pointed leather boots, a loose white shirt, baggy blue pants, and a red sash around his waist. He quickly felt the top of his head and found a bandana tied to fit him. He had more questions, but knew better than to waste time asking them. Kaito chose to turn his attention to the Shadow instead. "So you're the enemy, huh? I figured they'd be bigger." He reaches down to his left and retrieves a scimitar from the sash. A few practice slashes later and he points it at Yesod. "I'm not too sure how to use this thing, but I do know people are typically allergic to getting cut. So how about we run some allergy tests on you?"

joker awakens to his persona

As the wind flies towards him, Tadashi's form is covered by a long black trench coat, along with a black hat, a fedora. A pair of brass knuckles gleam on his fists, along with a silver revolver sitting in a holster. He turns to face his foe, arms raised up defensively as the wind slams into him. Sending the boy back a few feet as he smirks at the Shadow. "Huh, ya know I was expecting... More than a bit of minor turbulence as an attack. If that's the best you goons can do, I oughta have this case cracked soon enough. Anyways, my turn." In sharp contrast to the two who've merely looked, Tadashi would draw out his gun and take aim for Yesod's chest. Bullets flying in an instant as the boy watches for a reaction. Smiling and adjusting his hat. "Though I have to say, it's a bit disheartening how even here some loser is going on how about the truth shouldn't be free... It's the exact opposite of what I think.",

Niko raised her arms to block the oncoming gust, gritting her teeth as the brunt of the wind nearly smacked her off her feet. As soon as it had cleared she rubbed the back of her neck, looking herself over as her uniform had completely been replaced by what seemed like boxing gauze covering her arms, fists, and chest, and a seemingly baggy pair of black fiber pants ending with bandaged socks, not unlike a monk's uniform. Around her chest was a thick strap that was attached to a glaringly large, orange-red staff with gold ornaments attached to each end. Around her waist, another strap attached to a cartoonishly sized scattergun on her back. "D-Did the wind just change my clothes...? No, it had to be the button right? Oh whatever!" She grabs the staff and slides it off her shoulder, giving it a twirl as if she was familiar with the thing, at least until it bumps on the ground halfway through, accompanied by an embarrassed chuckle. As the real Shadow hopped down in front of the group, her grip on the staff quivered as she swallowed nervously. After a deep breath she'd point the staff towards the shadow, now shaking significantly less. "W-Who are you to dictate who deserves truth? You won't stop us!" Despite her brief spike of bravery, she seemed quite dissatisfied with her battle cry.

"Wh-what the-?!" The gust of wind blew Kira off his feet, though he finds himself landing on his feet later...right before noticing his change of attire "Huh? My clothes...changed..?" Kira looks at his new set of clothes, a shinobi garment colored dark blue with shoulder and lower leg armor. A scarf of the same color of the same color as the garment flutters as the wind blows. There also seems to be a mask that covers the whole entire face that is fluttering with the scarf as well...Slung on Kira's back is what looks like to be a sniper rifle, and strapped around his waist was a ninjato. 'Right...this must be from the contract...but I shouldn't be focusing on this right now!' Kira thought as he looked at the shadow that was now descending, and took out his sniper rifle, taking aim "...You're wrong! Everyone in the world has the freedom to know the truth, and no matter what you say, WE WILL GET IT!" He finds himself yelling with power...a little unusual of him...

The shadow would look down upon Shinobu first floating closer to them as if fixated. "What a perfect weapon for one who can't reach anything. Still stretching for answers? Answers you'll never have. How typical..." Tadashi's bullets would almost seem to make contact but a large veil of wind would surround the shadow causing the bullets to stop in mid-air before falling to the ground. The wind would disperse as the air seemed to become much colder around them. "You all believe the truth is so easy to grasp, that this world is here for you to find answers. The truth is the truth never comes for free. This place will be your grave as you die knowing nothing." Blades tied to chains would seem to form out of the air, the chains seeming bound to nothing yet still somehow holding firm. They would fly to the ground in an attempt to cut straight through each of the group impaling into the ground in the process.

Kaito would flinch at the sudden drop in temperature. His stance momentarily swayed as he stumbles to raise his sword against the blade flying towards him. "C-Crap...! This guy isn't going to make this easy on us! Careful now guys!" He sloppily gets his sword up between him and what may be certain death. He grits his teeth before glancing down at the device on his wrist for any information on what that contract option was. "I don't know about the truth. But I refuse to bite it without knowing more than I do right now!"

Right then, blades flying at him... That's fun, a normal day for an occult detective. Tadashi's got no choice but to evade by moving forward, the blade scraping against his face and leaving a small cut across his left cheek as the boy rushes up with a grin on his face despite the odds and pain. "Heh, you think I'm fool enough to buy the truth is easy to grasp? I know it isn't, that's what makes it worth chasing after... What's your name, Yesod of the Sephirot? My Jewish lore and philosophy are a bit rusty, but isn't that a node on the tree of life within it? Any relation there?" Even as the boy speaks, he's rushing forward and firing more bullets with his right hand, aiming for Yesod's right shoulder as he rushes towards the "man". As soon as he reaches him though, the gun would go away and Tadashi would aim to slam the spiked knuckles on his right fist into Yesod's lower chest.

"Tch" Shinobu clicked his tongue as he heard the nonsense being spewed from this overgrown bird. "Telling me that truth isn't free. I know that more than anyone but I've already paid my dues. An entire class worth." he tightened his grip on the stone dagger as he remembered the scene of that day. "I've finally made it here. I've finally found the path that will lead me to the answers I've been looking for. No. That this twisted world owes me." That nightmarish hell flashing through his mind as his gaze turned to the creature that flew before him. His eyes filled with determination. He wouldn't be blocked here. He refused to turn back now. When the blades came down on his he simply jumped back, taking distance as he tried to analyze the situation. "And I plan to collect on every debt!" he shouted Right now he didn't have any usable weapons. This creature was trying to kill them but seemed to be underestimating them too. Then there is the result of when Tadashi shot at it. A barrier seemed to block the attack. Was the barrier triggered by some kind of condition? Was it a passive skill or an active one? What was the cool down? He would find these things out. Find it's every weakness. The core of it's truth and once he grasped that core he would crush it. Utterly and completely. "If any of you guys have any ranged weapons then this would be the time to use them." "Show me your everything"

"Don't tell me that we'll die knowing nothing!" Kira yelled as he jumped away to dodge the blades coming at him while he gains more distance from Yesod as he takes aim at him with his sniper rifle...though some of it manages to nearly cut him, only to cut the scarf part instead "We did come here for answers, for reasons...for other people." Kira said, looking to the side abit when he mentioned 'other people', before glaring straight back at Yesod "And its because of that we'll get the truth that we will need!" He yelled at the top of his lungs as he fired some shots from his sniper rifle directly at the shadow's head, and/or torso.

Niko gasped as she saw the blades coming towards the group, diving onto the floor and covering her head, a bit excessive for a mere dodge. She blinked an eye open after she assumed the attack was over, slowly picking herself off the floor, using her staff as support. "I don't know what this truth is you're trying to hide, but I won't let you continue to hide it! Without the truth we'll never have the knowledge to create a better future, and I certainly won't let you decide that!" She slings her staff around her shoulder again, pulling her shotgun from behind her back and running beside the party at surprising speed, making sure that no one was in the way. As she saw Tadashi dashing towards the Shadow she knew she had to be quick if she didn't want to shoot at him too, firing only twice into Yesod, the bullet spread being focused around his chest, but never focused at any particular area.

The contract option would only function the same as it had before except instead of pointing at the door it would now point towards the massive shadow as if it was creating interference of some kind with the device. The blades although appearing with great force would have nothing to direct them towards the group thus Kaito would have no trouble defending against the attack. The same effect would occur with the bullets once more. They would stop just short of Yesod before being blow away by a solid barrier of wind. As Tadashi approached the shadow would simply raise itself higher into the air and out of his reach. Yesod: "That is not for you to grasp. You may pursue the truth if you wish but it shall be fruitless. There is nothing you can reach as you are now." Yamane: "The spacial abilities of this shadow are far greater than I predicted. You won't be able to hit it by blindly attacking. If only there was a way to meet it halfway by attacking from the air..." The shadow suddenly seemed to grow distracted by Shinobu's words. It almost seemed to twitch a bit as if agitated. Yesod: "A price paid? Collecting a debt? And you believe that's enough to reach the truth you seek? Such arrogance...Such arrogance should result in a much higher price than your ready to bargain for! Are you willing to reveal a truth regardless of how horrible it may be? REGARDLESS OF HOW IT MAY CHANGE YOU?!?" The shadow almost seemed to have been thrown into a frenzy at Shinobu's words. It's attention was placed on them but in that moment Shinobu specifically would be able to see a change occur in them. In the center of the shadow something was glowing as if calling out to them. It would almost seem as if whatever it was they could simply reach out and take it. Kira's shots would almost seem to hit their mark but the moment he took the shot the shadow was gone in a flurry of wind. It would extend one large claw from under a robe and rush at Shinobu, trying to grab onto them at a high speed.

"Regardless of how cruel it may be." Memories of the times he almost died trying to gain even the smallest hint flashed through his mind. "Or how many obstacles stand in my way." Memories of his struggles of becoming an info broker without his uncle finding out. "Or how many ass hats like you stand in my way." Memories of a time he sat against an alley wall bruised and bleeding while down the alley on the ground were numerous people he barely managed to beat. "I will grasp that truth with my own two hands. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't willing to bet my entire being." He raised the stone antiquated dagger at the shadow. No, towards that one place he noticed the change. As if his body knew what needed to be done. He continued to gaze at the creature with unwavering eyes.

Kaito takes a moment to breathe after deflecting the blade. He clicks his tongue upon noticing the Shadow's effect on his device. "Tch. This guy sure is rowdy! However..." The young man grins as he starts rushing up behind Shinobu. "Tada-chan! You heard Sensei, right? Let's show this punk just who they're messing with!" Kaito quickly sheaths his scimitar before placing his right hand into his left. He holds a position just a few feet behind Shinobu. "We're going to hit them with our combination! Let's show off the impact of youth!" With that being said, he prepares to toss Tadashi into the air once he's ready.

Tadashi looks at Kaito like he's crazy, but only for a split second. He's already reached the conclusion that an attack from the ground won't have the effect he wants, and at the moment this appears to be their best bet. He nods and rushes towards Kaito, preparing to jump. "Your Deduction is sound as far as I can see, risky as well but that's acceptable." There's a strange feeling in Tadashi's mind as he flies through the air, leaping along with Kaito's toss and propelling himself towards the shadow. He could just be going crazy, but for some reason, he mutters words of an unearthly language under his breath while flying towards him. An attempt at gathering 'shadow' upon his fist, unknown to the so-called occult detective. Of course, if he can do such a thing remains unseen. Even if it failed however, he'd still sail straight at his target and aim to slam a blow of his spiked knuckles straight into the thing. OOC: Personally, I feel some magic without a Persona could be rather interesting. But I leave the results of the attempt to our GM. Tadashi's into occult shit enough to try and toss magic around anyway so it's something he'd try at least.

Niko stares at Kaito and laughs aloud, a wide smile suddenly appearing on her face like she were overrun by a burst of inspiration, though her brief amusement is cut short quite quickly as she saw just how furious Shinobu's words seemed to make the shadow, her eyes widening as she darts her eyes towards her classmate. "Hashimoto-kun! Look out!" The young girl would have shrieked the warning out as she started sprinting towards Shinobu, raising her staff to try and guard the oncoming shadow's attack, though she hadn't had nearly enough time to poise herself for the amount of force the shadow might have, possibly resulting in her getting tossed like a hacky sack at best.

Kira was almost certain he hit Yesod before he dissapeared, "H-he saw?!" Kira would then look around the area to look for Yesod, (after hearing Kaito's "impact of youth") only to see him about to grab Shinobu...and he hesitated for a moment...before shaking his head and taking aim at him...so that hopefully Shinobu and Niko wouldn't take any damage "Crap...I don't have a choice..." he said to himself as he pulled the trigger that sent the bullet spiraling in the direction of where Yesod was...hopefully Yesod wouldn't see it coming. But who knows...we'll just have to wait and see...

Yesod would be so taken over by their own rage that they would have been blind to the dagger being plunged into their core. There was a slight pause in the battle as time seemed to stand still for all except Shinobu. The dagger rather than hitting the shadow directly seemed to almost repel its very being. A large hole opened in the shadow's form around where the dagger struck. Within the whole was what looked like a cluster of data, unreadable in this form. Slowly the data unwound itself and began floating into Shinobu's HOPE Device. When it was finished with this process the watch would light up and a new icon was visible. The icon had a strange phrase written on it, "Persona". Just from seeing this phrase though a sense of power would emerge as well. Yesod: "So...t-that's your answer..." Time would begin moving once more with the hole closing up. Yesod's aura had also changed greatly, seeming to weaken by a significant amount. Tadashi would soon resume flying towards the weakened shadow. He might feel something beginning to gather around his fist like some power was trying to form but there would be a sense of emptiness that soon caused whatever power was forming to disperse. Regardless, the punch combined with Niko's staff somehow managing to stop the shadow in its tracks would prove far more effective than anticipated. Yesod would feel the impact of the blow before being sent flying back, just barely catching itself and floating back into the air. Even the bullet would manage to graze Yesod whereas before such weapons could even touch them. They'd struggle to keep themselves afloat but seem to begin growing more enraged. Yesod: "I-I am the second of the branches of the tree of life! You who wish to ascend to the top and face the void, come at me with your full power or perish!" The wind would once more gather around Yesod in a tremendous vortex. The wind would begin spreading out and ramming into the group, trying to push them away. Meanwhile, a strange energy was once more building up within Yesod as if they were preparing another attack.

Tadashi grins a bit, the feel of flesh slamming against his fist is one he knows well. It's comforting in this case, considering before he wasn't even sure that they could hurt this thing. "Heh, the second of the tree of life... Well now isn't that something? Guess my hazy mythic reading was onto something then, but I wonder how your tree of life relates to this virtual world?" He muses aloud, even as he rushes forward against the winds. He can't move too quickly given the pressing against his body, but this is quite clearly the lead up to something bad. "He's getting something ready, don't know what but I think finding out could be bad for us guys!" He lets loose a cry as the attempt to push on keeps up, assuming he was able to get into melee range Tadashi would take his gun in his right hand, send a quick jab towards Yesod's face with the left. A press his revolver as close to the foe's chest as possible before pulling back on the gun in a stunning fan of the hammer which leaves it empty.

Shinobu would simply look on at the words that appeared on his HOPE device. He could feel the power behind those words as he remembered some information he'd come across before of a similar phrase. A wry smile appeared on his visage as he turned his gaze back to Yesod, feeling the power that was coming off of the large shadow. He simply tightened the grip on his Antiquated dagger, putting faith in the one thing that had remained by his side through all the adversity he had encountered since moving in with his uncle. "That's right. This is my answer. I will grasp all of this worlds truths with my own hands. Even if I have to crawl through the mud. I will not falter from my trodden path." He took a deep breath before feeling a type of power well up inside him. One that was always present but never acknowledged until now. He would speak but the words of it's arrival with all of his soul. "PER-SONA!!!!!"

It was quite at first before Shinobu felt a sharp pain go through his body. He jerked his body back in pain as a voice echoed around him. The voice was of a young female however it did't hold any of the vigor expected of one. Instead it's voice sounded cold and calculating, a slight rasp to it as if they hadn't drunken any liquids in days or even weeks. The voice resonated as if that was the only sound left in this world. To finally call upon me. You whose very identity is false. Shinobu fell to his knees as he felt the power boiling inside, as if desperately trying to find a way out of it's fragile container. His veins felt like they were on fire as they bulged. To call mine self is to also curse thine own existence. To bring about calamity to all those involved. He screamed as his body wreathed in pain. The very shadows themselves seem to collect under him as they released what seemed like black embers with an ominous glow. We art a wretched existence since birth. Wield all of mans knowledge curse and sins as thine weapons. All of their wretched secrets to bare against thine enemies As if the darkness tried to set Shinobu aflame he seemed to almost glow. No, in fact there was black fire that had begun to engulf him. His screams had finally began to settle but you could tell from the expression on his face that he was simply enduring. I am thou Thou art I Cursed child who brings about the calamitous truth of your foes. Call mine name and shackle thine self to a path of ruin A black spire of black flames engulfed him as he finally Screamed out to the world. "Pandora's Box!" The flames finally split and then took a form behind him. There, almost as if it wished to remain at his back was what seemed like a girl. Nothing about her seemed at all normal. She floated at his back but her eyes and mouth were sewn shut. She seemed to be wrapped in gauze with numerous lettering written all over it but on closer inspection it seemed more like she was wrapped and bound by a gauze made of flesh. Shackles were around her neck and feet and her arms were crossed in front of her chest with large metal steaks that penetrated through her back almost like twisted wings that protruded through her hands and kept them from moving. Another steak pierced directly through her chest with a long chain attached to it that lead to what seemed like a metallic Rubik's cube that sat nestled in Shinobu's left hand. While in his right hand was the antiquity but it had what seemed like a blade blade of dark energy that encompassed it creating the shape of a katana. Shinobu looked around at first as he noticed the cube in his hand and the woman bound woman at his back as well as the change to his antiquity. A smirk across his face as he turned back to Yesod. "This, I can get used to."

Niko glanced back at Shinobu, blinking a few times when she realized that Yesod's attack was actually stopped. She'd turn her attention entirely to Shinobu for a few moment to make sure her defense wasn't in vain. "H-Hashimoto-kun! You're okay right?" Before she could even process what she was seeing, her eyes quickly went from Shinobu to the massive Rubik's cube woman, blinking a few times as her mouth hung open with awe. Making the rather bold assumption that it was on her side, or at the very least Shinobu's, Niko turns right around with renewed vigor. "You're taking us much more seriously now aren't you?!" Niko raised her staff, finally gripping the weapon with strength and confidence as she dashed to the side to avoid oncoming winds, aiming to slam one end of the staff down on Yesod's side while Tadashi targeted his front.

Kaito would be jump backwards in response to Shinobu's sudden combustion. His eyes darted between the enemy and his classmate as he tried to make sense of what was going on. "Shin-!" His cry was cut short by the appearance of Shinobu's persona. He simply stood dumbstruck while gazing at the mysterious new being. "Heh." He steps out from behind Shinobu and Pandora's Box with a large grin. Placing a hand on Shinobu's shoulder briefly he speaks. "Damn, here I thought I needed to worry about you. But it looks like you've got one helluva Guardian Angel taking care of that!" He continues walking towards Yesod, the winds causing his clothes to flap about wildly. "Oi, Shin-chan! Let's see what sort of impact you and your Guardian Angel have, y'hear!?" Kaito would follow suit with his classmates' assault on Yesod. He grips his scimitar tightly and dashes towards his side opposite Niko. "You're a branch, huh? Well when we're done with you, bastard, you'll be shaken down to your roots!"

Everyone's attacks would serve to stagger Yesod. Tadashi's attacks leaving holes in the shadow's body which would begin to pour with a black smoke while Niko and Kaito's attacks caused the shadow to finally kneel. The wind stopped as Yesod was no longer able to maintain it but the strange energy had yet to fade. Suddenly, the area around Yesod began to glow as the energy seeped out. It was like a slow explosion of light forming a cloud around them. If anyone still stood near the shadow they would notice the light burn them upon making contact. Yesod: "Powerless! Just try to approach me now!" Yesod wouldn't be able to move still but the energy seemed to be having an opposite effect on them than the party. Slowly their wounds would seem to begin regenerating and their energy would be returning. Yesod: "I shall rise again and reclaim what is mine!"

Tadashi sighs and just glares at the winds, seems as if getting close just isn't an option anymore. In fact, the attack would force him back with a quick leap as the burns become a bit too much for him to ignore. "This guy has healing magic too? What a bunch of bullshit, and here I was hoping our first case would be easier than that... So, anybody got any plans or are we just winging it from here?" He's running out of ideas fast, though he'd take the time to reload his revolver while pondering a next move. "If we can't get close then we'll have to attack from range... But I get the sense he can protect himself from that, but what if we could ignore this sudden burn somehow? If anyone has something for that, then do it fast because we can't afford to keep letting him heal. in the meantime, let's try firing from several directions, might be worth a shot." For now the wannabe detective aims his gun up and takes aim, assuming anyone else moved to try and help him he'd wait until all positions were taken. Firing his gun quickly and accurately, though he has little hope for it all things considered.

Niko would let out a brief screech as she tumbled backwards at the sight of the fire, suffering some mild-ish burns that might be passed off as a cooking accident to the right person, clawing at the floor to regain her grounding. "I dunno if we'll get anywhere if we just try to brute force against his healing!" Niko slides her staff over her shoulder, once again drawing her shotgun and firing a couple shots at Yesod as a test to see if she could actually do anything, aiming for a spot fairly far from where Tadashi was aiming, perhaps to try and weaken the monster's regeneration by spreading its attention. "Please tell me someone can stop it from reversing everything we've done so far!"

"Eh?! WAIT!" Kira cried out to Shinobu before he was engulfed with black flames...following the appearance of his persona...the pandora's box. "...That's...something...at least we have something of a chance now!" Kira said, as he tried to land one more shot on Yesod before the teammates near Yesod get slightly burnt by the light around Yesod "Crap! Hang in there everyone! I'll try to land a hit on him!" Kira said outloud before trying to make one more carefully aimed shot to the head before quickly changing positions as he blew his cover

Shinobu looked on at Yesod as he spread that black smoke and began healing himself. His thoughts were a jumbled mess only for a few seconds as the names and effects of special attacks poured into his mind. After a few moments of understanding he would walk forward a little as his fingers began to press buttons on the strange rubric cube in his hand with the chain attached to it. After he finished the cube opened around the sides and released steam as if relieving pressure before he held it up and aimed it at Yesod. "Pandora's Box: Contemptible Sin!" After shouting that a cloud of smoke with crackling purple energy poured out of the box as it's bottom opened. The smoke, acting as if it was alive, moved forward towards it's prey ignoring all other things. If it made contact with Yesod he would feel a burning sensation on his body as a brand burned itself into his flesh. Soon after he would realize he couldn't heal anymore. The brand itself would no longer allow any regeneration. "Yesod. I'll give you one more chance to tell me what I need to know. Your death will be of no consequence to me and you no longer have the right to negotiate." his eyes turned cold as he looked at the creature before him.

"Aaaaah! That's hot! That's hot!" Kaito would shrink back from the sudden burst of light. The heat left him looking plenty flush with small burns forming on his arms and face. He slowly raises his head once again to face Yesod. "Heh. I must admit, you certainly are an impressive first adversary! But you seem to be a little bit confused...." Kaito looked down to see Pandora's attack making its way around him and towards Yesod. "You picked the wrong folks to try and prey upon! I don't know what your goal is but I acknowledge your ambition." He raises his scimitar and points it at the shadow. "But you sorely lack in one area..." Kaito grins widely as the brand appears on Yesod. "One area that my classmates continue to excel in!" He takes a deep breath as his allies line up their shots, and exhales along with their gunfire. He kicks off the ground and begins dashing towards Yesod and his aura of light. "You lack impact! Shin-chan doesn't! Now, you will answer to that awesome power!" Kaito would dive into the light and take a slash at the back of Yesod's left leg before sliding out.

Tadashi's bullet would hit its mark on Yesod's body but the bullet hole would quickly begin to close back up. The same could be said for Niko's shotgun as despite dealing considerable damage the wound would still begin to fade. Even the shot fires to the head by Kira would prove ineffective against the speed of their regeneration. Yesod: "Your attacks...insufficient...You cannot change what is inevitabl-" Yesod would be interrupted by the burning brand searing into its skin just before the wounds it suffered from everyone's shots healed completely. The wounds that had once been closing began to reopen as black smoke poured out. Yesod: "No! This power! I...I-" Once again Yesod wouldn't have time to say anything more asKaito's attack cut straight through their left tendon. Suddenly, any energy sensed from the shadow seems to vanish as if the last of its strength had been used up. It would look back up to Shinobu, oddly it didn't seem to possess any hatred in it's gaze but instead it almost seemed to just be confused. Yesod: "What you need to know? What is it that you truly need to know and what is it you plan to do with that knowledge? Truth is nothing without a foundation to base it upon. What you seek is truth but what you will find is...eternity. Truth is but one...of the branches of life..." Yesod would become consumed by the black smokes as it swirled around their form. Their body would begin cracking and breaking into pieces before finally vanishing into a cloud of the smoke and dispersing. Everyone was silent for a few moments until Yamane's voice could be heard. Yamane: "Amazing...You all defeated one of the leader shadows. I don't detect any more interference in the area but... There still seems to be a strange signal. I'll work on getting you all out of there. Just sit tight for a bit longer." The blue door at the tower Yesod was guarding would be fully visible once again. The contract option on the watches would once more lead to an arrow pointing at the door.

"Dah Dah Dah da Dahn da Dahn da Daaaaaahn!" An excited hum of fanfare comes from Kaito who was still laying on the ground. The damage from his burns made the moment of rest all the sweeter. "So that's one of the leaders taken down, Sensei? Seemed a bit too easy if you ask me... well, not that it wasn't troublesome in its own right." He slowly sits himself up before taking a head count of his classmates. "Is everybody okay? And how about you, Shin-chan? I'm not quite sure I get what that Yesod guy was on about, but was that answer the one you were looking for?"

After Yesod had been hit with the final blow from Kaito, Kira gets out of his newly acquired hiding spot and meets up with the rest of the group, in time to hear Kaito hum the familiar fanfare, and Kaito asking if everyone's ok "I'm fine...I'm somehow getting used to this quickly...but eternity...what does that mean..." Kira looked off for a moment as he thinks about WHY he even went in in the first place...he still needed some answers...

Shinobu would stand in silence as he thought about what Yesod said before hearing Kaito asking for a status update on everyone's conditions. "I-" that was all Shinobu said before his vision blurred and he lost balance, stumbling backwards a little as he felt like gagging an quickly covering his mouth. "A path of ruin for he who seeks the truth. The contract has been forged." those words seemed to ring from Pandora before she vanished. When Shinobu finally calmed himself he looked down at his hand as he saw a smear of blood on his palm. Only realizing now that his nose was bleeding. A small smile crept it's way onto his face as he looked up to where Yesod disappeared. "A path of ruin or eternity huh. There really is no turning back then." he said more to himself than anyone in particular before looking back to Kaito and the others who were no doubt worried about his sudden change in condition. "I'm fine. Just a little dizzy after everything that's happened. How's everyone else feeling." he said, wiping the blood from his nose as his gazed passed over the others.

"What you seek is truth but what you will find is eternity... I can't quite wrap my head around that..." Niko gave a pensive frown to the area where Yesod once stood, though she quickly discarded the thought as she rushed towards Kaito, looking him over closely to make sure he wasn't hurt too badly. "I'll be fine, I think I got lucky and came out with just a couple burns and scratches. Nothing uncommon in a kitchen mishap, right? Are you going to be okay, Rikai-kun? Those look bad, but it's okay, I can try to carry you out of here if need be!" The young girl would ramble to herself, still seeming to be a little high off of adrenaline as her gaze darted around to the other party members, her eyes unfocused and pupils narrowed. Despite that, however, she still wore a proud smile as she looked her comrades over. After a moment or two, she turned her attention to Shinobu, tilting her head and pursing in contemplation. "Sensei, what did Hashimoto-kun do there? If we could all have that kind of power, then I bet we could take on any threat that came here, don't you think? That was Hashimoto-kun right? Not some divine interference?"

Tadashi grins a bit and swirls his revolver around. "Prey slaughtered! And with that done..." He glances around at the group, before locking his eyes on Shinobu. "You alright man? Looked to me like you were tossing around some strong magic... Now, I don't do a ton of spells. But I know for a fact that you can't just throw em around freely, if you gotta head out after that it's understandable. If not, let's keep going." Either way, the "detective" moves forward. Pressing onwards to the blue door and wondering what he might find within. If he can truly enter without issue this time.

Yamane would wipe the sweat from his forehead back in reality. He was worried about how things would go but he had confidence in the students he had chosen. If he hadn't been sure in their abilities then he wouldn't have had them fight Yesod in the first place, still, he knew the truth about the shadow they had faced and saw no reason to hide it. "Yesod, second of the Sephirot, the programs designed by the culprit to fend of intruders in their world. Yesod is both their second artificial shadow and the second weakest. I'm not sure exactly why facing Yesod caused Hashimoto's Persona to be summoned but it seems there's more to this that needs to be looked into. Regardless, it appears as though if nothing else we've gained valuable information here today." Yamane would address Kira and Niko next, seeing no reason there questions weren't necessarily related. "If the shadow said it to Hashimoto then it probably means something more to them, at least in most cases. That power they used...It was a Persona, after all. It almost seemed like Yesod was meant to be their shadow in some ways. I've heard of shadows of people turning into their Personas before but even so, it seemed a bit different from what I understand of that method. Both someone's Persona and shadow are like a mirror of sorts into who they are so it's not uncommon that certain thing they say or do has a special meaning to the individual. Apart from that, what's more, troubling is the fact that if Yesod was Hashimoto's shadow...How could the maker of this world have known that? You've all just entered their world for the first time..." Expierenced, as he was Yamane, was at a loss for the moment. It seemed like a question better suited for someone more specialized in the nature of shadow worlds, not someone who simply had experience with shadows. He decided to report the issue later but for now, they still had a job to do. "I'll be opening a portal back home in your area soon. For now, you're free to look around as much as you want. With Yesod beaten all the shadows in the area should have disappeared as well. Oh, and don't worry about any injuries you sustained while in there. Those will manifest as mental fatigue once you get back. You're only fighting with your psyche in that world." Tadashi would find that the door actually began to open as he approached it. It was almost as if it was inviting him inside. He'd feel something of an impulse to accept it's invitation as if forces from beyond were guiding him. The interior of the door was veiled by a heavy fog, hiding its contents from anyone who didn't step through. Once one stepped through, they'd find themselves within an odd shop with low blue lights, giving the area an almost tranquil feeling. There were all kind of strange things lining the shelves. Strange substances in jars that seemed to be labelled as impossible things such as Question, answer, and the unknown. There were also items of much simpler value that one might find at a general store in the real world. The place would have an out of place feeling and invoke that feeling upon whoever entered. There was a counter with no one there, no one except what seemed to be a small golden bell.

Tadashi looks around the room curiously, the things in jars draw his eyes and he can't help wondering if any of them are magical. Indeed, the entire place songs to his soul with its strangeness. "Wicked cool, I bet whoever owns this place is deep into magic... Maybe even a mystical being?" He looks around in awe just a bit more before shrugging and ringing the bell. He's hoping the owner will show up soon so he can ask what they might know about all this Persona stuff... And what he felt while trying to do magic. "Hehe, feels like a jackpot to me!"

Niko stood herself up, giving Kaito a quick reassuring shoulder pat before going for a quick stroll around the area, not quite rushing towards the mysterious door, that is until she noticed Tadashi had already completely disappeared into the door. "H-Hey, wait we should stick together until Sensei opens up a way out! At least have a line of sight on each other!" Not quite realizing the flaw in her plan, she ran after Tadashi and went straight for the strange door. As she stepped in, she'd slow down, finding her eyes drawn to the jars. Her sense of wonder quickly turned to unease as she started to feel the intense, ominous aura of the shop. Walking behind Tadashi slowly, she'd start darting her eyes around with anxiety, her arms raised in a defensive preying mantis-like stance. "This place is really creepy... first we deal with a giant supernatural monster and now we're in a blue general store. I guess reality's much stranger than fiction huh?"

Shinobu simply follows the two through the door with caution. He had already turned pale and struggling to keep himself up. He leaned against the frame of the door as she looked around inside, bringing his attention to Tadashi when he heard him constantly ringing the bell like an excited child. "Y'know, this isn't a field trip." he'd make the comment as his own attention was drawn to the numerous commodities within. "Why do I have a feeling this place isn't connected to the virtual world? Yamane-sensei, are you seeing this?" he asked, hoping they didn't just walk into a black box.

Kaito couldn't help but wince slightly at the pat from Niko, his burns still stinging. The pained expression didn't last too long as he flashed Niko a grin. "So long as I don't have to go to the nurse's office after this, I'll be good to walk by myself. But thanks for the offer Niko-tan!" Not wanting to invite any more undue pain, Kaito slowly stands himself up. A quick glance around the area has reassured him that combat was actually over. He simply stood there for a moment as he watched his classmates enter the mysterious door. "Personas and Shadows are like two sides of the same coin, huh?" He brings a hand over his heart as he continues mumbling to himself. "I'm not sure why... but I have a bad feeling about this. For everyone's sake, I hope I'm wrong." Shaking away the thoughts, he trailed slowly after the others into the strange door. "Tada-chan... we may be in the clear but let's avoid calling more attention to ourselves. At least for tod-" Kaito would be cut short as he tripped himself up over his own two feet. The young man would find himself falling towards the shelf adorned with the odd jars. Luckily enough, he managed to catch himself just before impact. "Heh...hehe..." He laughed awkwardly while stepping backwards. "That could've been bad..."

As everyone started going into the strange blue door that appeared out of nowhere, Kira, deciding being left behind would not be that great, went into the door with everyone else...right after Kaito caught himself from tripping "Are you ok, Kaito-san?" He asked while taking some time to look around in the room...this strange feeling of tranquility as he heard what seemed to be somewhat the poem of everybody's souls as he then noticed the golden bell. He was about to go for it before Tadashi did it for him. '...nevermind, I guess...' He thought to himself

Shinobu would get no response from Yamane. It didn't seem as though the connection dropped, more so that it was Yamane himself who dropped. In this odd store anything outside just simply seemed to cease existing for a while. As Tadashi rung the bell there's be a slight pause as the sound of an almost pristine ring lingered in the area for what felt like ages. The second the ring finally passed a sudden voice could be heard behind the group. ???: "I'm sorry, I'll have to ask you to wait patiently for a short while longer. The manager is currently busy but he should be available soon." Any who were able to turn around in time would see what seemed to be a boy only a little older than then them. He seemed to be wearing a blue outfit reminiscent of a clerk's uniform but with much more detail added to its design. What was most striking about them was their unnatural white hair and glowing golden eyes. The minute they finished speaking they would seem to have disappeared from view. It was less as though they had simply vanished and more as if they simply were out of view the minute you looked away. The room was silent before another voice seemed to interrupt, this time from the counter as a strange man was now sitting behind it. ???: "I sincerely apologize for the wait. Now, how may I be of service? Or perhaps I should truly ask, how may you all be of service?"

Kaito scratches his head as his face goes flush with embarrassment. "No need to worry about me Kira-chan, I'm quite alright!" His attention would be called away after attempting to assauge Kira's concern. The pristine ring of the bell was simply too bizarre to ignore. His eyes darted around the strange room as the ringing finally came to an end, only to be caught off guard by a new voice. Kaito spun on his heels to face the source of the new voice and what he saw left him stunned for just a moment as the man spoke. "Who...? Look pal, what are you talking about? Who are you?" A brief blink left Kaito stunned again, as the enigmatic young man had simply vanished. "Honestly, what is going on with this place? Why hasn't Sensei responded either for that matter? Argh, I'm getting the heebie jeebies!" The silence in the room seemed to put Kaito on high alert once again. As the next voice emerged, Kaito would nearly jump out of his skin before facing the source. "Aiyeeeeeeh!?" He took a moment to calm his nerves before speaking to the curious man. "Ahem. Right, apology accepted. Wait, the apology isn't important right now! What do you mean how can we be of service? I don't even know who you are, so why do you seem to know us?"

Shinobu simply remained leaning against the door frame. Remaining silent as his gaze remained on the new man who appeared at the counter.

Tadashi grins at the sight of the boy, what a strange person with a strange appearance... Exactly what he was hoping for really. "It's fine, I'm Tadashi Yagami and it's a pleasure to meet you I'm sure! As for your question, I'm curious about it myself... And some other things as well." He bows to the man for a moment, looking down respectfully before glancing back up with a smile. "What exactly is this place we're in for one, I doubt it's just part of the VR world of that you running it are entirely normal. Strikes me as something very strange, especially since you seem to have almost been expecting us. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you some kind of deity perhaps. I'm also wondering what we could be of service with, it seems odd that someone running a mystical... Shop? Whatever this is, would need to call upon a band of teenagers for. Strange, don't you all think?" He looks around the room curiously, glancing at everyone else to gauge their own reactions to both this place and his question.

Niko tilted her head at the sight of the new stranger, particularly staring at his white hair. Maybe he dyed it? She pondered to herself. Not paying too much mind to the boy considering there were several other people who could ask the obvious questions instead, bending over and squinting at the different jars. "Question? How do you bottle questions? Do you just talk into the jar...?" Once the stranger disappears, she stands right up and stares at where the white haired boy was like a startled rabbit. As soon as the old man spoke, her eyes widened with shock. H-How the...?! She looks at Tadashi as he spoke, nod-nodding. "Y-Yeah, Yagami-kun is right! This place seems like a significant change in scenery! And how much does a jar of answer cost? Do I choose what question it's the answer to?"

The man seems unphased by the questions presented. He just maintains an unblinking stare and a large toothy smile. It was hard to tell if he even acknowledged that the group was talking to him but suddenly he would begin addressing everything asked of him. To Kaito: "You could say it's my job to know who you are. You're very valuable potential new customers to this shop of ours, after all. As for what you can do to be of service just wait and listen." To Tadashi: "Certainly full of curiosity. All your questions will be answered in time though. With patience and vigilance, you will begin to understand. Perhaps the thing you should be curious about is those who stand with you rather than what you see before you. That knowledge may prove invaluable to your union." To Niko: "Looking for answers always has a cost in some form, it all depends on the question. There's no guarantee though that the answer you receive is the answer you want though." To Everyone: "Now, provided you have no further questions, I want to formally welcome you to this place. This is, the Velvet Room and I am the master of this place. The one you met before was one of my assistants here. I'm afraid they're a bit shy so it may not be too easy to meet them now. I've brought you to this place for a meeting of sorts. It seems all of your fates are intertwined with the fate of the strange new world you find yourselves in. You all exist as a third party who's actions will greatly alter the events about to take place. As such, I've come to offer my services. Usually, I only extend this offer to those capable of wielding a power known as the wildcard but none present here posses the necessary traits to wield such a power but perhaps in time you'll find that my services offer another benefit."

Tadashi stares at the old man in front of him, that's some strange advice isn't it? Then again, he can't really expect real answers to come for free huh... Fine then, he'll do it the hard way. "I see then, how curious. But very well, I'll take your words into account from here on. I guess I can't do everything myself." He sighs and rubs the back of his head, looking around at the group for a moment. They really don't seem like the types who'd want to do this, but they came here didn't they? So maybe he can count on them to at least stick around. "And what's a wildcard? I assume it has something to do with these Personas? Wildcard, a card which can fill in for anything... More than one perhaps? It doesn't really matter if we don't have one, but I'm curious if my guess is anywhere close." He leans back against a wall, there's plenty more he could question the old man on but he doubts there'd be straight answers. He slouches a bit, hands in his pockets as the boy drawls about something he'd noticed in the man's speech. "Anyways, if we're the third party, that means there's someone else mucking around in here besides just these shadows naming themselves after the Tree of Life right? Interesting to know, given we hadn't been told of that till now."

"The Velvet room" Shinobu finally spoke up "Is not apart of this place is it? This virtual world or the real one. It's name appears on a few forums on the net. Would it be safe to assume the wildcard you spoke of is a persona user too? If the name is anything to go by then I assume they are people not bound by the fate of the world and as a result can alter it." he then shakes his head as if he was done speculating "I guess I should be more concerned with the fact you want to help us fake persona users. You said we weren't wild cards but we'll be able to alter the events to come. What exactly do you know? Is there a wildcard involved in this?" he asked It only made sense to think there is a wildcard involved if he usually only renders his services to them. Either that or he simply renders his services to those involved in incidents involving shadows and persona. He also heard his senior bring up the velvet room once a few years ago. It couldn't be a coincidence right?

"You know, I can't say I've ever been in a situation nearly this crazy, but that response seemed like it was exactly what I was expecting." Niko shrugs as she hears the old man's response putting her hand on one of the jars and spinning it around to see if she could peer into it. "I feel like the only person who isn't a paranormal investigator right now... That being said, I'm with Hashimoto-kun and Yagami-kun on this one. Other people being in the digital world sounds pretty fishy, and I'm even more concerned now since we've never heard of this before hand. Though I guess if we're a third party it's no wonder we're so out of the loop." She takes a moment to examine the surroundings more, really just taking in the aesthetic of the room which was quickly growing on her. "I know you're probably a little overwhelmed with all our questions, Sir, but do you have a name we could call you? And what are these other services we can use? It's not just the jars, I hope."

Once the strange man with a wide toothy grin and bloodshot staring eyes appeared, Kira was taken aback by the man's appearance, before getting somewhat used to it...He still found the man's appearance unsettling...but he guesses that's just the way things are for now... 'now this CAN'T be more stranger... He thought to himself... After hearing everyone ask their question......he still had his own to ask as well... "...Do you know what happened to those that dissapeared, or do you have any idea what happened?" He asked the strange man...maybe this man has some answers for them that they didn't think of before...or maybe this man is somewhat related to this situation? Who knows...

Kaito stands with his arms crossed and his brow deeply furrowed. He was having a rough time parsing all the jargon that was getting tossed around, but he spoke up after listening to his companions. "Alright Gramps, I'll bite. You definitely seem to be the one that's in the know here..." He grins widely at the man before speaking again. "But the way you talk makes it sound like you're only a supporting actor in this. Someone to champion others and send them off to save the world!" He winces at his own words. "I need to cut back on the RPGs... but this is absolutely bonkers enough to fill that trope! Regardless, you say we can be of service. And if your goals line up with Sensei's then I see no reason not to hear you out further!" He laughs loudly before slamming his right hand into his chest, holding his hand over his heart. "We might not be the Wild Card. But a third party that can rock the boat certainly sounds like a wild card to me! It's all about impact after all!"

The man's expression still wouldn't even budge. Even their eyes seemed to simply stare forward as if they weren't truly looking at anyone or anything. Yet their words could clearly be felt as if they were directed at whoever they were speaking to. To Tadashi: "Give or take, yes. A wildcard's power is similar to the number zero. It starts out rather empty but with infinite potential. They draw their strength from the bonds they share with others. You will gain a similar power but we'll get to that in a moment. You're curious about the others who wander this world? You shouldn't concern yourselves with that yet. In time your fates will bring you together. Whether you come together as enemies or friends though, only time will tell that." To Shinobu: "I wouldn't call your powers fake. They are real in their own way just as the power of a wildcard is real in its own way. What more can you trust aside from your eyes and your feelings? The world you've wandered into is one of many possibilities. Reality is decided by what could be rather than what once was. It is because of such laws that the beings you call shadows can exist in such stable forms. As for a wildcard, it's nothing to worry about. A wildcard who refuses the journey will only pose a threat to themselves. Acceptance of one's true self is essential to one's growth. Perhaps you'd know something about this as well?" To Niko: "Ah, it seems I neglected to give you my name. You may call me Igor. The boy you saw before is one of my assistants, Felix. As I said before he's a bit shy compared to the other but don't let that leave a bad impression. I assure you that he's quite good at his job. As for the services, well, their effectiveness will be dependant on all of you, specifically your bond with one another. Unfortunately, you won't truly be able to make use of them until a little later. There are a set of conditions that must be met first." To Kira: "Those who disappeared are here in this world. I can promise they're alive but I can't promise that you'll be able to see them again. Not now anyway." To Kaito: "You seem to understand most of all. Yes, my role in this will be more supportive. It's important to allow you all to make your own way and decide your own path from here on out, regardless of where it may lead you. With that, I believe it's time I officially offered my services to you all..." To Everyone: Igor would bring a rolled up piece of paper before loosening his grip on it enough to let it unravel. The paper would seem to roll out much farther than it at first seemed to be. Eventually, by some miracle, the end of the paper would finally end at the edge of the counter. "I apologize, it's required to be much longer than usual because of the number of people it was made for. To summarize the contract simply has only one condition. That condition being that from now on you all must take full responsibility for everything you do within the coming months. I believe that would be acceptable." Near the end of the paper there would be space for five people to sign. There was also a blue pen sitting next to it, almost as if out of nowhere.

Tadashi is a bit speechless by the end of Igor's words, he really wasn't expecting to be told there were others, that's good info even if details were grossly vague... Bonds though, that he has a hard time believing. Regardless of that, his reply is simple. "I see then, the mystery deepens every moment... It's always a mystery with the supernatural though isn't it, just how I like it too. And you say bonds are the key to your services? That's a new one for me, but I guess I can give it a shot." Throughout this response he reads over the entire paper before them, he makes sure to check every damn bit of it. Wouldn't be the first time a supernatural being hid something in a contract. But assuming it looks legitimately to be what Igor said, he'd sign and smile a bit. "From here on I guess there's no choice... We're a team at least in this, so let's try to work together properly alright? I'm willing to for once so I'm hoping we can all manage at least that."

Niko finally pried herself away from the jars of answer and question, leaning on the counter beside Tadashi to get a good look at the contract, raising a brow at its length. "Igor, huh? Well far be it from me to judge an unconventional name after today. I gotta say, I appreciate the transparency for a supernatural contract-giver type. Not even the school board gives me answers that straight." Despite what would probably be better judgement in her situation, she decides to take what Igor said at face value and not examine the contract too closely, searching for a spot to write her signature down, the words being barely legible and having been scribbled down at lightning speed, as expected of someone planning to be a journalist. "Hey, even if I think some of you are on the weird side, we all just fought for our lives together it worked out seamlessly! Well... we won at least! I think that's pretty good for most standards. Especially since that was some peoples' first fight of their lives!" She flashed a genuine, hyper-optimistic smile, the likes of which she hadn't done since before the initial meeting, clapping her hands together enthusiastically.

Shinobu narrowed his eyes as he heard the last part of his comment. He obviously knew more than he should. He wasn't exactly the type to like being kept in the dark about anything. When he saw the contract being rolled he winced in pain as he tried to stand up from the door frame. He tried not to show it as he walked over, albeit slowly, over to the contract and looked it over. If he didn't see anything wrong with it he would pick up the pin and hover the ballpoint over the line where he would sign his name. He didn't write his name yet, instead his eyes remained on the contract as he asked Igor a question. "You said we're a third party. That implies there are others involved as well as this wild card which seems to be reluctant in being apart of all of this. What is it that you get out of this Igor-san......Not like I expect you to answer anything." he said before writing his name on the contract "I planned to take responsibility for my actions since the very beginning. Long before ever coming here." he said as he stood off to the side, his vision blurring a little as he struggled to keep conscience.

Kaito closed his eyes for a few moments as he ran his fingers along the length of the HOPE device. A large smile appearing on his face before he opens his eyes again, marching up to the contract alongside his friends. "You know what, Igor-sensei? I think I'm getting pretty pumped now! Shin-chan got that really cool Persona thingy, and now we find out that we can also have an awesome power like that too?" He gives a hearty laugh before swiping the pen and twirling it between his fingers. "I'd much prefer not having to fight, but if I'm being honest, I'd rather take that task than give it to anyone else!" He signs his name on the contract's bottom line before turning on his heel and snapping his fingers. "That's that then. I'll be looking forward to working with you Igor-sensei! Your contract struck a cord with my manly mantra, so I hope I don't end up disappointing either of us!" Kaito walks over to Niko and flashes her a grin and fingerguns. "That's the new math and you're getting it, Niko-tan! We're greater than the sum of our parts, and that's what having impact is all about! Y'know?!"

Igor's smile seemed to widen as Shinobu asked their question. Right after Kira signed their name as well the contract burst into blue flames. The flames seemed to condense as Igor held his palm towards the ceiling. The flames gathered right above his palm before dispersing into a fluster of blue butterflies. The butterflies seemed to fly around the room rapidly until the group could see nothing but blue light around them. Igor's voice could be heard once more. "Upon your next victory we shall meet again. Until then, pay close attention as the events to come may change everything. I wish you all the best of luck in your trials." The light would become blinding but never painful or uncomfortable. The world seemed to shift and change as if the world they had just been in was melting away and being replaced by another. The next time they opened their eyes they'd be back in the classroom where they once more. Yamane would be watching over everyone with concern in his expression. "Are you all awake? I was worried when your signals seemed to disappear. Just what happened at the end there?" Upon their return any damage that anyone might have received within the virtual world would be undone, replaced by a dizziness that varied accordingly. It was as if their mental strength had been drained rather then their physical strength.

Tadshi looks over at Igor curiously, the display of power making him observe closely for a while as the contract vanishes. Soon enough however, Igor's said his last words to them and the boy begins waking up. As he does so, he'd lightly rub his head for a moment before standing up with a grin on his. "Well, that was a hell of a start to this case. Feels a little bit like I've gone a round in the ring with some heavyweight boxer and... Not entirely lost, somehow." He laughs for a moment, cracking his knuckles before leaning back against a wall and pulling a pen and paper out of his pockets. He'd write down a few things, "Velvet Room, Igor, Persona, Wild Card, Another Party, Shadows." And place a few notes next to each as he speaks. "So then, we've just found some parts to this puzzle boss. That goon was a real bruiser, but he had some nice secrets behind him. Now then, who wants to explain our findings?" He grins and glances around the room at the others, a smile on his face as he rubs the back of his neck.

Shinobu would observe the strange occurrence as the flames turned into multiple butterflies but bring his full attention back to Igor as the strange man began to talk. Never really taking his eyes off of Igor during the whole process. Up until his senses were flooded by the dazzling light and he found himself waking back up in the classroom. His head was throbbing and his vision was blurry. He could feel himself on the verge of vomiting as whatever voices he should be hearing sounded like muffled mumbles. He tried to get a hold of himself, shaking his head and slowly rising as he tried to make out his surroundings. Something he would find to be beyond his current ability as the world spun and he found himself slamming onto the ground. Any voices of panic or concern being drowned out by the abnormally loud beating in his chest as his consciousnesses finally left him. Only the words ruin and eternity flitted through his mind before he descended into the world of his own personal nightmares. A dream that never allowed him to forget the sin of living, the only one spared on that tragic day years ago.

Niko returned the finger guns to Kaito, responding with her very own chant of "Impact!!" even if she had absolutely no clue what she was saying. As the room was overcome with blue light, she'd squint and cover her eyes, and before she knew it, the familiar classroom she'd come to know for so long. She held her forehead for a moment, seeming to have spontaneously contracted a massive headache from exhaustion. "H-Hashimoto-kun!" She dashed over to Shinobu, having gotten another shot of adrenaline just from the sight of her teammate collapsing. "The watch took his soul! He's dead! It's the first mission and we've already lost o- wait... wait, no he's still plenty alive I think." Finally, Niko took the opportunity to address her teacher. "We found a shop where some long-nosed old man named Igor offered to sell us questions and answers, and then we signed a contract with him saying he would lend us his power as long as we take responsibility for what we do in the virtual world!"

Kaito would be completely mesmerized by the display of light as his surroundings became much more familiar to him. He placed his hands on his desk and went about getting out of his seat... a loud thud came from his attempt as he took a knee on the floor. "Urf... uwooo... t-this isn't fun..." His head was pounding but as he checked his body, there wasn't any signs of damage. Slow breaths were the only thing keeping his lunch down as he picked himself up off the ground. "Well... bleeeh... it seems like we're all back in one piece!" He grinned through the pain and tried to get a good look at how everyone else was doing; the dizziness made this far more difficult than he would've liked. "Looks like Shin-chan is having a... urf.... rough go of things. That's to be expected what with playing around with that awesome power!" Kaito slowly moved from desk to desk before facing Niko with a frown. "Oi! Don't go killing people off that quickly! That's bad luck!" Kaito would finally stop at his teacher's desk, a look of worry replacing his usual happy go lucky grin. "There's more to what we found out in there too, Sensei. The big one is that we aren't the only foreign entities in the virtual world. The second big one being the existence of what that Igor fellow called a Wild Card." His breathing became ragged for a moment, but he soon collected himself. "We should've checked with you before going off and signing a contract with a strange old man, but he didn't seem like a bad guy. And from what I make of it, his goals line up with ours... so I think this is for the best. Y'know?"

Yamane would give his students an odd look as he heard the explanation of a long-nosed man who sold questions and answers. "What? Are you sure you all didn't encounter some kind of error or glitch? It's not exactly unlikely considering we had to take the back entrance into the virtual world. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if there were others brought into that world. You should all be careful if there are others they're most likely working for the one who hijacked that world." Yamane almost seemed to intentionally forget to address the mention of a wildcard but something seemed to be bugging him. "A wild card...? What on earth is going on..." His thoughts would be interrupted by Shinobu passing out along with Niko's panic. "I think it's about time we call it for today. Someone help me take them to the nurse. They should be fine. If I were to guess I'd say that awakening to a Persona took more of a toll on them than anticipated."

Tadashi sighs as the boy passes out... On the other hand, this is a chance isn't it. He'd quickly stand and move to Shinobu. "I can do it boss, I ain't got anything else pressing planned at the moment..." Which he doesn't, that's true. But it's not the whole reason he's doing this, not in the least bit. As soon as the got out the door with their ally, Tadashi would look over at the man curiously. "So, what else do you know Sensei? I'm sure you must know something beyond the basics, or at least someone else who might... That didn't go great, we didn't fail but we could have. I just, I need someone who can help me do better next time. Or even all of us if they're willing. There's gotta be somebody right?" Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. He wants to know to be sure, but he's also fishing a bit. Probing for the man's reaction as much as asking a question. Two birds, one stone.

Yamane seemed to smile seeming to have almost expected such questions. "Well, I am a Shadow Operative. We have plenty of resources for these kinds of things but there's not much we can be sure of with this one. I don't want to make a bad call or worry you guys over nothing so I try to only tell you all what you need to worry about. Though you sound more like you're asking for training rather than information. Hmmm..." Yamane pondered the idea for a moment before answering. "That's no good. I'm still not sure why you all aren't able to summon Personas right off the bat. If it were that simple I could just help you develop your Persona further but at the moment all you have are the weapons you were provided within that world. Remind me Tadashi, what weapon do you use and how do you use them when you're in a fight. I know it might have been your first time fighting a monster like that but what felt the most natural to you?"

Tadashi nods, he can understand but... "Information is good, but I see your logic Sensei. I wouldn't mind more, but your assessment is correct in what I was thinking of." He pauses for a moment, more used to carrying someone knocked out than he probably should be though and not too winded. "Training, I think we all might need to put some work in. Function better as a team... On a personal level though, o brawl, and I've got a revolver. Brawling I've done some before but I'm no master. Guns, only airsoft and that's a poor comparison." He'd stop again, considering for a moment if he should say this. Before deciding to show some trust. "Is it possible to do magic with no Persona? I tried, and for a moment I felt... Something, I was close, and then it just died. I'm wondering if I can leverage that later."

Niko would look back and forth between the other party members, wearing a frown as she looked Kaito and Shinobu over, making sure that no wounds they'd received in the virtual world transferred over, or at least hadn't turned into anything major. "I wonder why that world seemed to give us a whole set of equipment... especially since I'm not very familiar with a staff or anything like that! I guess that's why it'd be good for us to do some training! You think the school gym would have stuff we might be able to use?" As she heard her teacher mention Personas, her head perked up like she heard the revelation of the century. "So you're saying we were supposed to have the same power as Hashimoto-kun? I wonder why we're not able to... well, I think it's okay. After all if that was one of the bigger shadows, we should be okay against the smaller ones with what we have already!"

For a moment Yamane would go silent. Trying to process what Tadashi and Niko were asking as best he could. "The equipment you're given in that world probably has something to do with you as a person. I'm no expert on this kind of stuff but it may just be what best suits your personality according to whatever system is running in that world. Maybe it could even be like a physical manifestation of how your mind defends itself. Personas are an extension of your mind too. From the power they wield to the way they look. I think the reason why your weapons are even capable of hurting shadows without a Persona to strengthen them is that they're similar to Personas in some way. Under that line of logic, it might be possible to use your equipment to cast magic with some kind of catalyst to support it. Maybe I should see what I can dig up. It won't be easy to copy something from the real world into the virtual world if we don't even have the real thing to base it off of. As for training, not sure if the gym would be that useful. Maybe for improving your self-image but you might've noticed how when you got back it was only your mental strength that got drained. Within that world, it's your mental strength that matters above all others. Think of the you in that world as just how you think of yourself rather than the real you. That may sound confusing but if a real Person were to somehow end up in that world without the shadows dragging them in..." Yamane almost seemed to scratch his head at the idea before giving a worried sigh. "Well, the real world hits much harder than any fake one can. Nothing to worry about, it shouldn't be possible in the first place."

"Well in that case training in reality could be just as beneficial! Truth be told, despite the fact that the virtual world seems fit to grant me a bo staff, I only ever got to practice with one as a kid. I was just kinda... winging it, you know? And if I'm only as strong as my mind is in there, knowing how to use the weapon properly would make me all the stronger! Right?" Niko nod-nodded as she approached her teacher, holding her hands together and wearing an enthusiastic, optimistic grin on her face. "That being said, maintaining muscle mass and such probably won't do much good outside of improving our day to day lives so we need to make sure we don't prioritize that over mental exercise. Sensei, do you know any ways we can directly train for the virtual world? You know... without being there?"

Tadashi nods at that, yeah this makes sense... "Niko isn't wrong in theory, though if it'll hold true is another matter. I can understand her logic well enough though. At the very least, I don't think it could hurt, might do some good to become better at working with each other too..." He'd then raise a hand to his chin. "As for a catalyst, I can look into that too. I know... More than I maybe should about magical practices, I've gotten pretty good at digging into them over the years so a bit more research would be right up my alley."

Ymane seemed to smile at his student's enthusiasm. He seemed to already have some ideas in mind. "Well, the first idea you had would be beneficial as well. Learning to use your weapons properly would definitely help in tougher fights. To overall increase your strength though. Not sure how to phrase this but you just have to have more willpower. When you feel confident in yourself and those around you then your power within the virtual world should match that feeling. It's not the easiest thing to give advice on since its something that comes from you as a person. Well, I'm sure that it should come naturally to most of you. Once you've awakened to a Persona it can change a lot for you mentally. I'm sure Hashimoto has changed too since their awakening. Oh yeah, about the catalyst. Try to find something that can fit in the palm of your hand. I'm not exactly skilled when it comes to adding something to the virtual world so smaller is better. Don't worry too much if it doesn't let you cast magic in the real world either not that you'd really find something that will but it just needs to feel real to work."