Puella Magi Megami Tensei

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "WARP ZONE!" ~ Super Meat Boy

"If you want to, sure." You shrug, "There's a Terminal at our building, so it'd be a really quick trip."

"You know, I always forget that magic is real." Shoji says, "Let's head out real quick, see what's what."

You nod, turning around and heading back to the living room.

"Hold up." Gouto says as he sits down right in front of the door to the backyard, "If you're going somewhere, I'm sticking with you."

"Huh?" You stare at the black cat.

"C'mon, my only alternatives are "hang around here" or "follow Raido to Michiru's", so if you're going on a little adventure..." Gouto stretches, "You're taking me with you. Copy?"

You glance at Shoji for approval (and in confusion).

"Uh... What if we get attacked by a demon?" Shoji tries to argue.

"They don't bother me." Gouto refutes Shoji with expert precision.

"...Okay? Just, uh, don't fall behind?" You agree to the cat's terms, unsure as to the black feline's motives.

"Feh. You better not slow us down." Gouto fires back, "Anyhow, lead the way, oh great child of the Kuzunoha Clan."

Rolling your eyes at this, you step outside and head straight for the Terminal. You reach out your hand...

...And pop up at your apartment complex.

"...Huh." Gouto grunts, "I always thought you lived in a dojo or something."

"Are you gonna be like this the entire time?" Shoji asks, already tired of the cat's routine.

"Probably. Haven't decided just yet." Gouto hops up onto your shoulder. Surprisingly, he's very light.

Shoji sighs in defeat, "Okay, just making sure."

Moving past this, you and Shoji head up the stairs, and down to Mido's Apartment of Shadows.

"Welcome to the Cathedral of Shadows, where demons gather..." Mido says in the exact same tone he's said it every time you've entered.

Shoji looks up and around, taking in all of the sights and sounds of Mido's house.

"Hey, Mido!" You wave, "I've got a question for you. Wanna chat for a second?"

"Is it about demon fusion?" Mido asks.

"...It's adjacent to demon fusion." You say.

"...That works." Mido nods.

"Do you know how Rumor Demons are created?" You ask.

"Ah, Rumor Demons!" Mido says wistfully, "They are quite rare indeed, even amongst summoners who hunt them! I've read many theses and hypotheses about their initial birth, but none really "hit the nail on the head", so to speak. From what I gather, Rumor Demons are born from rumors that are old, well known, and/or dangerous. Take your Rumor Demon, Turbo Granny, for instance. It is quite a well known rumor, older than many would think, and causes the deaths of those who speed."

"Would a five year old rumor be able to--?"

"No." Mido instantly cuts you off.

You all stand there in silence for a moment.

"Now, have you come to fuse any demons?"

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] *Turns to Mido* "No."

"Oh, not tonight, no." You shake your head, watching Mido instantly lose interest in the conversation, "But I also want to let you know that I ran into someone else who practices demon fusion."

And just like that, Mido is interested again. "Another practitioner of demon fusion?"

"Yep, and she might drop by some time!" You say happily before adding, "...But probably not for a few days. She'll be busy with... Stuff."

"Then I shall wait patiently for her arrival!" Mido nods, "To think, even women are becoming gurus in demon fusion! It's like I'm not alone, even though I'm here in my home!"

Shoji leans in close to you, "Do you think he meant for that to sound... Like that?"

"Probably not." You reply in an equally hushed tone.

"Of course, there was this one young woman who constantly drew attention to the fact that she was a woman partaking in the art of demon fusion, suggesting that she is an exception to the status quo and not part of it. Honestly, she made it seem like only old men could perform fusion, when in reality, young talent and fresh ideas are the backbone of the art! There was this young lady I met who..." Mido goes on and on about... Honestly, you've kinda lost track.

You glance over at Shoji, "...So, is there anything else you want to do while we're out and about?" You mutter, trying not to interrupt Mido.

"No, that was pretty much it." He admits, "...What about you?"

"Nah, I'm fine with heading back," You sigh, "But leaving in the middle of his story seems rude."

"Story? Yumi, this is more of a rant, I think." He jokes.

"...Unfortunately, she bought faulty equipment and atomized herself as she tried to fuse with a demon. She was a good student of mine." Mido finishes, "Oh, you're still here in the Cathedral? Return when you have gathered more demons!"

You and Shoji leave.

"Man, can he ever talk!" Shoji rubs the side of his head, "Makes me wonder how hard it is to fuse your own demons..."

"...I think I knew that girl from his story." Gouto mumbles, "Raido and I searched everywhere for her. ...Oh, uh, different Raido."

Ignoring that for the moment, you head back to the Terminal, and pop back up in Grandma's backyard. You stretch, ready to wind the day down--

Your phone buzzes. Hm, it's a text from Sayaka. You take a look...

> (1) Blueberry: yumi there was this weird guy taking pics of me and mami from across the road!!!! it creeped me out >~<!!!!!! I already told the police but its still kinda bugging me!!!!!!!!

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] *Appears behind Sayaka* "Where?"

Your finger twitches.

>YOU: Can you tell me where he was? I can sweep that area, see if I can find him.

Sent.

"Yumi?" Shoji nudges you, "You've... Got that look in your eye."

"...Look? What look?" You turn your gaze over to Shoji.

"The patent "I'm going out hunting" look that you used to get back in Akami Springs." Shoji says, his tone betraying his inner nervousness.

"That's because I might be going out hunting." You reply, looking at your phone as it buzzes again.

>Blueberry: i took a pic of the street sign when we passed, here u go

Attached to the text is a picture of, unsurprisingly, a street sign.

(INT ROLL: 14+10)

You've been down that road a few times whenever you've been down to the Industrial District.

>YOU: Got it.

You pocket your phone as Gouto hops off of your shoulder.

"So the shepherd dog is going out to snap at the wolf?" Gouto asks, "So, Specs, are you gonna tag along? Or is the "Demon" more of a solo fighter?"

Your blood runs cold. "Don't--?"

"Oh, relax. I won't squeal." Gouto stretches, "I just want in on it."

"What?" Shoji asks, staring down at the cat.

"What do you mean "what"? It's not like I'm gonna follow Raido anywhere soon!" Gouto grins, "Plus, I ain't the kind of cat to peek in on that junk. So, what's the plan?"

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] *Cocking the Trencher* "I just wanna talk to him."

"We're just gonna take a look around, hopefully before anything happens." You instinctively rest your hand on Dawn's handle, "...I hope it's just a misunderstanding like that Idol agency guy."

"Idol agency guy?" Shoji repeats, "I don't remember that one."

"It was a new one." You clarify, "Not in Akami Springs."

"So, the Demon's making a comeback?" Gouto grins widely, "I've gotta see this."

"Yeah, I'm coming too." Shoji says resolutely.

"Alright, suit yourselves!" You turn right around and head right back to the Terminal, "We'll take a bit of a detour to the Gang's base."

"The who's what?" Shoji asks right before you all appear inside the old warehouse.

Rakshasa is sharpening his blades on a whetstone while the cyan-armored demon waits for a turn.

The cat demon is curled up in a ball, sleeping peacefully.

"...A whole sushi bar...?" She mumbles in her sleep, "...Just for us...?"

And finally, off in a corner sulking, is a new demon you've never seen before. He seems to have something that looks like tall grass on his head, grey skin, and a stern expression.

He glances up at you when you arrive, "So you're the human that axed Take-Minakata? You look a little scrawny to me."

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "Fuck around and find out."

"Y'know, that's funny." You grin at the unfamiliar demon, "A group of rogue demons from this very gang told me something similar. Two of 'em died in as many strikes, and I left the last one begging for his life." Your finger finds its home on Dawn's trigger as you instinctively put your thumb under the cross guard, "Care to try your luck as well?"

(CHR ROLL: 17+10)

The demon blinks, smiling right back at you, "...Shit, and here I was thinking these jackasses just got soft! You might be more of a demon than Take-Minakata was!"

"As we have said before," The cyan-armored demon says with a hint of tiredness, "She was more than a match for our previous "boss"."

"I know, spear boy!" The demon shoots back, "It's just a little jarring to learn we can be outdone as demons by humans. You're the kind of gal I can work under, so no, I won't try anything."

"Good." You nod, turning to Rakshasa, "So, who's the new recruit with an attitude problem?"

"Patrimpas." Rakshasa replies, holding his sword up to the light of the moon, "Came in a few hours back, said he'd only join up "once he knew for certain you weren't some shrimp who got lucky." His words, not mine." He hastily adds.

"I'm busy right now, so can you handle his onboarding?" You walk right past the lot of them, "C'mon, Shoji. Let's get this done."

"R-Right." Shoji jogs to keep up with you, "So, what are we gonna do when we find this guy?"

"That's up to him." You reply coldly as you step outside, "If he wants to play a stupid game, we'll give him a stupid prize."

"Easy on the whole "Demon" part, Yumi." Gouto jokes, "We want this guy alive, don't we?"

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "I just want to talk to him." *Casts Charge*

"You'd be surprised what you can live through." You mention offhandedly, "But, unfortunately, it's really gonna come down to him on how things play out. And to my credit, I try to avoid permanent damage whenever I can."

"I guess we should hope he's got a good head on his shoulders, then." Gouto hops off of your shoulder, preferring to walk alongside you, "Otherwise, that head might not be on his shoulders for too much longer."

"Yumi's never killed any-- Uh, she's never killed anyone before Hino." Shoji quickly corrects, "...Speaking of which, are you... Uh, holding up alright?"

[] "I'm fine."
[] "I killed someone, Shoji."
[] "It was self defense."
[] Say nothing.
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Regardless, Shoji stops prying, respecting your privacy.

...Which leaves an awkward silence to choke the air as you walk.

(EVENT ROLL: 38)

Just as you're about to reach the street Sayaka sent you, the air begins to grow colder. At first, you think it's just the night's chill finally setting in.

That is, until you see a snowflake flutter down right in front of you.

Both Shoji and Gouto saw it, too.

"...You guys ever seen it snow in April?" Gouto asks.

"...No?" Shoji replies, "Never in my life."

"Hm." Gouto grunts, staring at the fallen snowflake, "So this is suspect."

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "I killed someone, Shoji."

"I killed someone, Shoji." You say, not daring to look him in the eye.

Shoji looks at his feet, "...Yeah. Sorry about, uh, bringing it up."

"...Not that there was any alternative." You quietly add. You don't know if he heard you.

PRESENT...

[X] "I call dibs!"

"So, what're the chances this is related to the guy we're after?" You ask, "Fifty-fifty? Assured? Unrelated?"

"I'd give it a one in four chance." Gouto nods, "Anyhow, we should probably find out why it's Christmas in April."

Without responding to the black cat's witty(?) comment, you wordlessly summon your demons.

Devil Dog cracks his neck, his rifle dangling from its sling. "Finally! I've been dying to redeem myself for that bullshit showing with that old fuckwit!"

Yurlungur appears next, simply staring at you with an unreadable expression.

Finally, making a dramatic entrance (complete with some sparkles), Black Frost leaps out of your Gauntlet. "Oh, it's nice and cold here, ho! Can we stay?"

"That's why I called you guys, actually!" You clarify, "Keep your eyes peeled for anything that could be causing this out of season snow. Humans, demons, anything in between."

Devil Dog elbows you lightly, "How about that shit?" He points over to...

...An icy castle slowly rising from behind the industrial district's empty buildings.

"...Yeah, that'd do it." You nod, "Wanna check it out with me?"

"Is that even a question?" Devil Dog shoulders his rifle, "Form up, boss! Let's get to work!"

"Bright...?" Yurlungur tilts both of his heads, "Cold..."

"Hee-Hell yeah! Time for mee-ho to Hee-show off!" Black Frost hops up and down, excited to get to work.

It's not a particularly far walk, so you just start walking.

Shoji follows closely behind you, while Gouto keeps a little bit of distance.

"...You didn't call their names as you summoned them." Gouto comments as he walks.

"Am I supposed to?" You ask, glancing down at the cat.

"Nah, it's just something Raido does." Gouto explains, "Which, I'll admit, is charming the first few times, but it just gets annoying after the next million names. "Muh Shuwu"! "Frost Ace"! "Yoshitsune"! And it's all in the same tone, too!"

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "What a drama queen."

"If it were me, I wouldn't bother doing it unless I wanted to be dramatic." You say offhandedly, "Calling their names out makes having them be sneaky a little..."

"Pointless?" Shoji asks, "It's kinda like shouting your attack names as you're doing them."

"Are we ever lucky he doesn't do that, too." Gouto snickers, ""Frost Ace, use Bufudyne!" Ugh, that'd be perfect for a kid's show."

"Congratulations, you just reinvented Pokemon." Shoji jokes, "How do you feel?"

"What the hell is "Pokey-Mahn"?" Gouto asks as he looks up at Shoji.

"What do you mean, "what's Pokemon"?!" Shoji retorts, taken aback by the cat's ignorance, "It's one of the biggest game series in Japan!"

"Then how come I've never heard of it?" Gouto replies.

"Because you live under a rock, I'd think!" Shoji shoots back, "It's got games, anime, movies, toys, even plushies! You have to have seen it once!"

"If the games are so good, why haven't I seen Little Greenie playing them?" Gouto grins smugly as he flicks his tail, "Or are you trying to say she's got bad taste?"

"That's not what I-- It's for a different console!" Shoji stomps his foot, "It's for the handhelds!"

"But you hold a controller with your hands. Is that not handheld enough for 'em?" You get the feeling Gouto is just egging Shoji on at this point.

However, before Shoji can formulate a response, you arrive at the castle. You can see various buildings that were enveloped in the ice, as well as where the road stops and the ice walls begin.

Shoji rubs his arms, "Well, we're here. What's the plan?"

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