Synopsis: A casual gamer finds himself in the body of Tohru Adachi, right after he had just gave Namatame the idea to 'save' people. Things get stranger when events outside the game occur. Now he has to leverage the wonky mechanics of the world to avoid going to jail, getting killed and being stuck with a dead end job. He soon finds that he's more similar to Adachi than he thought. SI is Adachi. P3/P4

AN: Writing this for now while slowly working on my main fic, which I want to update with a humongoud chapter instead of a bite size one. Currently job hunting and working on a different Re:Zero story too, but that's somewhere else. In any case, just felt like writing this so yeah.

Chapter 1: Adachi got hanged, now I have to deal with Murders! (and Cabbage)

"Save her yourself… you can do it. I'm busy, so I'm hanging up now. Bye."

The words moved out of my moth automatically. After I put the phone down I sat frozen.

What the fuck did I just say? How the fuck did I get in an office? Did I just say all of that in Japanese when I only knew a few words the typical overseas Otaku would know?

I check … my phone? This isn't … yet, it is, my phone. It wasn't the a three-year old Samsung Galaxy phone that has been with me throughout my university and job hunting days… but yet, this HTC phone whose model which … I don't kno-

It's a HTC Inspire 4G, ordered from the closest city, Okina City. I had hoped that it would alleviate the boredom from work, didn't really work out, signal sucks ass in the boonies.

… Well, shit.

Thankfully no one had noticed my little erratic episode.

Mostly because it was in the middle of a rainy night, and in a police station that didn't have many people staffing it.

Ah yes, Inaba's police department was always short on staff. The recent murder cases that I was technically not responsible for, after all, those fucking gold digging bitches deserved it. Going after poor old Namatame's money... Bitches and Whores!

They deserved being 'dropped' into the 'TV', hah, that sounded hilarious now that I think… about it.

Oh fuck, I did that? I… am… Tohru Adachi.

The primary antagonist of Persona 4.

… What do I do now?

It's nearing the end of the 15th of April…

More of Adachi's memories trickled back to me over the next two hours of overtime that Dojima had me running since that ass wipe of a department head ended up loading off most of the recent 'unfortunate' deaths.

Yeah, they weren't my fault. After all, I'm just some unfortunate schmuck dropped off in a universe where there are fucking GODS going around playing with mortal's lives, giant world ending entities and fucking Nyarlathotep.

Thankfully, I'm an avid Persona 4 fan and I have a vague understanding of important events and info. Unfortunately, this is real life now and I'm fucking terrified of potentially being possessed by Ameno-Sagiri.

Oh, and now I have to somehow survive the plot of P4 Arena where fucking Minazuki Sho who wants to rip my Persona out of me will be gunning for persona users.

I actually have no idea of the 'Dancing All Night' plot and I'm going to avoid thinking about it because the concept was stupid anyways.

Alright, my shift is over. Aside from accidentally using my native language of English to say goodbye to Dojima (who only grunted, poor Nanako) there was little hiccups.

I simply follow the familiar feelings that my body had to lead me to my car, started the engine, turned on the headlights, windscreen wipers and drove back home.

My home was a house that I recalled, was just a little smaller than Dojima's. The family had moved out of Inaba as they joined their married son in staying in Hokkaido, somewhere, I didn't actually give a shit to remember. But hey, the place was purchased cheap.

It was a little lonely, having so much space for myself.

But then it fits Adachi? Me? Hell, it fits the both of us.

Granted, Adachi was more 'sociable' although I was definitely genuinely friendly.

And definitely not murder happy.

I spent the rest of the night categorising this new world's info. Most countries were completely the same as I remembered it, with the exception of Japan's Kijiro group and bastardised anime names.

*Sniff* I hope Re:Zero still ends up being written, there was one more episode to go…

Thankfully, all the passwords came naturally. Adachi was rather well off actually, despite having a job as Dojima's 'slave'. I mean, having 30,000,000 million yen saved up even after purchasing this house? Thank the gods (except Izanami, Angra Mainyu and other evil ones) that Adachi had rich parents, even though their relationship wasn't the best after he bombed his career back in the city.

Well, with some information from 2016 I could actually save up some money to buy some properties that I know for sure will be worth a lot more in the future. Adachi had actually studied Law back at his university; in my case I had studied Management with a plethora of extra subjects. In the end I got a SAP job after interning at a big consulting firm, I was in the middle of driving to the office for my second week of training when I suddenly usurped Adachi's existence.

I thought about what I wanted to do… I'm part of Izanami's experiment right now and I'm not entirely sure what would happen.

If I recall correctly, the only two times Adachi took direct action was pushing that creepy ass Mitsuo into the TV and sending Namatame a note to keep 'saving' people.

Oh, and killing King Moron too, but who the fuck gives a shit about that asshole anyways.

Hmm, I'm not sure what would happen to the plot if I don't follow that path.

After all, I need to buff up the Wild Card until he can take on Izanami, Ameno-Sagiri, Kunino-Sagiri, Sho Minazuki and maybe Labyrs.

… All I could do it myself. But then again, I've read enough Isekai stories and just spoiled myself to Re:Zero's Isekai Deconstruction plot so I'm not too keen in being the 'hero'.

Still, I might have Magatsu Izanagi, or at least some other Persona that might be useful.

And the thing about Persona users is that as 'humans' we have 'unlimited' potential, probably.

Honestly I would prefer being a 'Demi-Fiend' since they have the body of a demon and heart of a human, which means same potential AND immortality (of a certain type).

I don't think Magatama's will be in this world, however… that might be incense cards, I mean, they sold those in Persona 3 to increase Persona stats and that just might be the key to me surviving all this shit.

Yes… that's it!

But first, there's something I need to test.

And that will have to wait till tomorrow since there's no fucking way I'm going to the TV world while it's raining.

Strong shadows appear there.

Until then, I will have to maintain the masquerade of being Adachi.

I can't enter in the next two days due to rain tomorrow and Sunday being the first day enters the TV world…

Or can I?

April 17th Sunday (Sunny)

I hate my job. I would rather be an English – Japanese Translator than be a detective who ends up doing shitty work out in the countryside.

And that old lady that keeps giving me shitty food everyday… well, I was at least much more polite to her than normal Adachi who simply hides from her.

I thanked her for the food, bought some thai chilli's from Junes, and bastardised everything into some spicy minced pork + vegetables dish.

I regretted not buying cabbage. It would have tasted better, but at least doing things this way assuages my guilt and saves food.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually agree with Adachi on this shitty job. At least Dojima makes it bearable, although I don't think the excuse of being 'under the weather' would work any longer.

It's actually pretty hard to be Adachi's level of incompetence and laziness, considering that I am actually a rather diligent guy.

In any case, I think I was being too competent at my job since people ended up giving me more work, which would be a good thing if it was ANY other job!

I mean, this is a dead end job by itself. Granted, that was due to Adachi's one fuck up of nonprofessional behavious, but still…

I want fucking out. If my experiment succeeds… however…

I waited till it was evening and I had fortunately got off work early. I've been exercising and ran through some drills that Adachi had learnt through his police training. He's been slacking off the training in recent months due to boredom however, so that's unfortunate. Still, even though I couldn't bring home the gun I still had that toy gun Adachi modified back then to shoot real bullets. A few words about patrolling for the murderer at night to Daidara were plenty of excuse for him to not be suspicious about a cop buying actual weapons.

Still, I had better be careful about our relationship…

In any case, I'm currently armed with a katana and my modified pistol, a Nambu Model 60. 2 Cartridges, and with a full one inside that's… 15 rounds. I'm wearing my exercise clothes, a white T-shirt and some track pants along with some leather armour over it. I also have a sack with me, some rope and flashlight.

I'm prepared after all. I'm rather different from Adachi, who was impulsive and generally the epitome of the Fool Arcana.

I also have a general plan and reasoning for why I'm doing this. Basically, I have to graduate from a 'filthy casual' and 'git gud' to become powerful. There's no way I'm sitting around to let some 'Goddess' and other powerful beings like Margaret bash me up. Who knows? There might be even more threats later on considering that Izanami had 'awakened' more people other than me, Namatame and Yu Narukami.

I would prefer to try to gather my own group of Persona users in the future, although, only after I have sufficiently make myself super strong through some incense cards, if possible.

If not, I can just 'join' the investigation team, ingrate myself etc… you know, so when the time comes I can just say that I must have made a 'mistake' in encouraging Namatame. As for 'killing' Saki Konishi and that Yamano? Well, I'm not going throw the blame around so I'm hoping I can get someone I can trust enough to tell the truth and hopefully they will believe me when I say I got thrust into this role.

I set my large television (thank you Adachi for impulsive buying tendencies) face up on the floor, tied a long rope to home's heavy couch and slowly descended down into the TV.

I wasn't that worried considering that EVERYONE survives being thrown into the TV world, which meant that they couldn't have fell that far… As for getting out, there's Teddie…

Sure enough, I actually touched the ground right after my whole body went through the TV.

Huh, my theory of television positioning is a success! So putting my TV face up does have positive effects! Excellent, excellent!

The eerie foggy atmosphere? Not very excellent.

I was strangely calm. Even when I saw three flying balls with GIANT mouths and tongues.

Hableries, great, I get to start with fodder.

I have an actual weapon, plus a pistol to fall back on.

Still, better not get cocky. They were flying after me, two of them splitting off to flank me.

I ran ahead, baiting the one that was flying straight at me to come.

It did, and I slashed after using its previous flight speed to calculate when to strike.

I hit it, and my attack cleave it apart, almost completely. I quickly stabbed it as it was trying to fly away from me, dispersing it into motes of black smoke.

"Meh, I can take all of you on." I say, using a parapharased line from Jack Slash.

After all, it only invokes bad luck when you're underestimating badassery.

Some wiggling sound came from in front of me as the other Hableries came after me. A quick glance through the fog showed a giant hand figure.

Fuck my life! A Magic Hand! They are fucking resistant to physical strikes. I want a refund.

Oh, and two Habelries are WAY more annoying than one.

I side stepped one of them, only to be LICKED by the other one in the chest.

It stung, it was disgusting. It hurt, not too badly, but it felt like I had rough sandpaper being scraped across my skin, and that's past my armour. Thank everything that I am armoured! But still, I felt as if my skin had definitely been torn a bit.

Oh, and the tongue had somehow flung me backwards two meters, where the magic hand was waiting to hit me. I blocked the force with my Katana, only to be pushed back.

Well shit…

Time slowed as I felt my body heating up. It wasn't panic to say, but more like, a survival instinct that I never knew I had, guiding my mouth and hand motion.

A card had settled into my left hand.

"Per…" I grip it tightly.

"So…" The card lights up with blue flames that did not harm me.

Na!" The flame erupts violently as I crush the card.

"Who calls to me...? One who seeks to survive and thrive within unimaginable darkness... Will you even use the power of calamity itself to protect yourself? I am Magatsu-Izanagi... I shall be the last one standing among the mountain of corpses …"

With only a thought, the Persona rushes at a Hablerie, and cleaved it. Killing it instantly.

I felt strength drain from me, the stinging pain on my chest had intensified even as my wounds were fading gradually.

"Zio!" I shout while looking at the magic hand and charging the remaining Hablerie with my katana.

I killed the Hablerie as electricity shot out from Magatsu Izanagi's blade, shocking and damaging the Magic hand.

The masked animated glove wasn't knocked down by it, but that didn't matter when Izanagi gave it another shock.

As it died I felt power surged from within me, I knew that my Persona had 'leveled up!'

But I was unprepared to see this when I thought about it's stats…

Magatsu Izanagi (Hanged Man)

Level: 3

Strength - 4
Magic - 3
Endurance - 6
Agility - 6
Luck - 2

Physical: -
Fire: -
Ice: -
Electricity: -
Air: -
Light: -
Darkness: -

Move list: Regenerate 1, Invigorate 1, Cleave, Zio

I saw it, a status screen similar to the one in the game right in front of my face.

Well… looks like some mechanics of this world are a bit wonky and gamey.

The different Arcana is… unexpected, yet, fitting in a sense…

The Hanged Man Arcana persona's generally focused on survivability, and so the regenerate and invigorate wasn't too surprising except for the fact that they never appear in initial Persona's.

Even after Magatsu Izanagi disappears I can feel it's power healing my wounds and recovering my energy.

This… will be very useful. Hehehe…

"Hahaha… Thought you could take me, could you!? I basked in my victory, for a moment.

Why? I looked down and saw coins, specically, 100 yens and 50 yen coins.

I may well have found a new side job… best thing is, I don't have to share.

That's around 700 yen gathered… heh, time to earn some cabbage money!