[Go around and collect rumors again. This time, the Rumormongers will tell you about weapons at the Jolly Roger and armor in Konan. The best rumor for weapons is with the Sumaru Gypsy, and the best armor rumor is with Chikalin in Yumesaki.]

[KONAN]
[You can meet up with Katsuya on the street in Konan, now that the police station is gone.]
KATSUYA: Oh, Tatsuya...didn't expect to see you here. You probably already know, but the police station was destroyed by terrorists. How low!
KATSUYA: Now that we who serve as a shield for the citizens have had our main point of operations destroyed, we can't do anything! This is a failure on my part.
KATSUYA: By the way, what are you doing here? You'd better not be sniffing around out of childish curiosity!
KATSUYA: All you ever do is interfere in my investigations. Go hide somewhere with your little schoolmates.

SAD WOMAN [located on the street, south of Katsuya]: That man...he seems like a detective...he looks like someone I know who died...
SAD WOMAN: I...what's wrong with me? Really...for some reason, my face is becoming all hot. It's strange.
[This woman is funny; she's sort of a running commentary on Katsuya throughout the game.]

[HIIRAGI THERAPY]
[Here you can meet up with Maki (AKA Mary), from Persona 1.]
YUKINO: I never expected to see you here, Sonomura. You look different; I didn't recognize you. Are you working here?
???: Yes. Along with studying, I'm also helping out with counseling. You look good, Yukino. I'm glad to see that.
YUKINO: Ah, Suou. I'll introduce you. This is Sonomura. She was my classmate back when I was attending Hermelin. She's one of my friends who fought alongside me three years ago.
???: You're Suou-kun? I'm Maki Sonomura. Nice to meet you.
[Maki Sonomura: Yukino's good friend who wants to become a counselor. For some reason, it seems that she feels very conscious of the sins in her past. During her high school days, she was awakened as a Persona user.]
MAKI: I see; you've also met Philemon. A friend of Yukino's is a friend of mine. If you've ever got a problem, don't hesitate to come to me for advice.

[Whenever you're ready, go to the W-Slash in Aoba to advance the plot.]
 

[A note about Eriko's dialogue: Because she spent time abroad, she says random words and phrases in English. Not just Japanese Engrish like Eikichi, but actual Roman letters. Anytime she speaks English, it will be in ALL CAPS.]

ERIKO: HI YUKINO! It's been quite a while. You seem to be doing well.
(Eriko Kirishima: Yukino's good friend who works as a model while attending college. She is an occult aficionado who spent some time living abroad. When she was in high school, she was awakened as a Persona user.)
YUKINO: Sorry to call you at such a busy time, Eriko.
YUKINO: This is Maya-san, my partner, who I told you about on the phone; there's Lisa, Eikichi, and Suou.
ERIKO: NICE TO MEET YOU. I'm Eriko Kirishima.
YUKINO: Eriko, I'm sorry to be so rushed, but about what I said on the phone...
ERIKO: OKAY. I was doing some brainstorming on my way over.
ERIKO: Everyone, could you take a look at this COMPUTER?
YUKINO: This is an aerial view of Sumaru City, right?
ERIKO: OF COURSE. My view is that this LEO person's Oracle is undoubtedly based on astrology!
MAYA: "The Ascension of the Twelve Beasts. / When the torrential winds of Revolution and Destruction blow, / all of humanity, with beaming smiles, start down the slope to Hades."
ERIKO: "The Ascension of the Twelve Beasts" refers to the Western ZODIAC, with the PLEIADES at its center. In other words, the twelve signs of the zodiac, focusing on the Ascension.
LISA: Pleiades... wait just a sec! Are you saying that could be Sevens?
ERIKO: THAT'S RIGHT! The first line of the Oracle takes Seven Sisters High School as the center, and draws the ring of the ZODIAC around it!
EIKICHI: Okay, what about the next part? "When the torrential winds of Revolution and Destruction blow…"
ERIKO: What the second line indicates is most likely a location. Amongst the twelve star signs, one embraces the wind ELEMENT and rules Revolution and Destruction. And we have...
ERIKO: AQUARIUS, known in Japanese as "mizugameza." To put it another way, if you look west northwest of Seven Sisters High School, you can see that the next TARGET will be in Hirasaka!
YUKINO: That's the Eriko I know! You say Hirasaka, but that's a pretty broad area. We still can't pinpoint a location.
MAYA: "All of humanity, with beaming smiles, starts down the slope to Hades."
MAYA: That's right. The slope to Hades in Japanese mythology is called "Yomotsu Hirasaka." That's "Hirasaka," like Hirasaka ward.
ERIKO: That's a JOURNALIST for you. The third line is, without a doubt, a puzzle created for the purpose of pinpointing a location in Hirasaka ward.
ERIKO: However, I'm not well versed with the local avenues of Sumaru City. So anything beyond what we've just discussed--
MAYA: Don't even mention it! You've done so much for us! We'll figure something out on our own. Thanks, Eriko-san.
ERIKO: YOU ARE WELCOME. I'm going to spend a bit more time here analyzing information about the Masquerade and the Oracle.
YUKINO: We're counting on you, Eriko. With your help, we can see things a lot more clearly.
YUKINO: Okay, we don't have time to dawdle here! Let's move it, Suou, Maya-san!

[Talk to people]
LISA: Um...Tatsuya... I heard from Maya-san a little while ago that you heard me talking to Sasaki...
LISA: Sorry-ah... the truth is, other than you...
LISA: I'm sorry... this isn't the time to be talking about this stuff, is it? Next time...
EIKICHI: Miss Eri... someday, I will light the fire of love in your heart, and win you!
MAYA: "All of humanity, with beaming smiles, starts down the slope to Hades." There must be a clue somewhere in there. Tatsuya-kun, you try and think of something too.
MAYA: We've already wasted a lot of time, and if we make a mistake about the location, we could be in some pretty big trouble.
YUKINO: You’ve probably sensed it, too, but Eriko is also a Persona user. Kinda brings back memories of the past...
ERIKO: Interesting... so you're Tatsuya-kun?
ERIKO: It's just like YUKINO said, you have the same FEELING as someone I know very well.
ERIKO: You're so quiet and COOL, but you're quite strong and also nice... oh my...
 

[Leave the W-Slash and go to Hirasaka. There are two places on the map that you haven't been able to access before; SMILE Hirasaka, in the southwest corner, and the Sakagami Building on the southeast side. The correct building should be obvious, but if you haven't figured it out, you're supposed to go to SMILE Hirasaka ("All of humanity, with beaming smiles"). When you choose to go to the building, Maya will ask you if this is really where you want to go. Say yes, and you'll head in to begin the dungeon.]

MAYA: SMILE Hirasaka...I wonder if this is the next target...or could it be...
EIKICHI: Thinking about it won't do anything. Let's get our asses in there.
MAYA: Tatsuya-kun. Shall we have a look?

 - Yeah, let's have a look around.
 - No, not here.

YUKINO: Okay. Now that we've decided, let's hurry. We don't have time to screw around.

[Women's Bathroom at SMILE Hirasaka]
EIKICHI: Hey, this is the women's bathroom. Is it okay for me to be in here? What the heck are you gonna start here?
MAYA: Before we start looking for the detonator, we need to get all of the shoppers out of here. Tatsuya-kun, could you loan me your lighter?
LISA: Huh? Maya-san, you smoke?
MAYA: Nope, I don't really smoke. These are my roommate's cigarettes.
LISA: Your roommate... could it be... your Ching-yan?
MAYA: Hate to break it to you, but it's a girl.
MAYA: Ever since I started this job, I've been so busy that I've had absolutely no free time to find a boyfriend. I guess that's because my job is my lover.
LISA: Hoh shon-ah! That totally sucks! I couldn't handle that kind of life.
MAYA: It's not really something I have to 'handle.' Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted to be a journalist. So, every day I feel satisfied.
MAYA: Right now, my job is what I live for! Right, Yukki?
YUKINO: What I live for, huh... well, I don't really know why people live, though.
YUKINO: But, at the very least, I think I might be living in order to fulfill my own dreams.
EIKICHI: It's strange... whenever I'm with Maya-nee, I think of Big Sis, who appears in my dreams a lot.
LISA: Eikichi, that dream--
[The cleaning lady enters the bathroom.]
CLEANING LADY: What are you guys doing in here? Missy, you can't smoke in this bathroom!
[The fire alarm starts ringing.]
CLEANING LADY: Oh dear! Oh no, oh, oh, oh no! That's why I told you not to smoke!
EIKICHI: Baby, please forgive me. Feast your eyes... consider this beauty... could it all be washed away with mere water?
CLEANING LADY: You're a boy, aren't you? Oh, disgusting! You're a pervert! A pervert!
EIKICHI: P-pervert?!
[Eikichi continues to argue with the cleaning lady.]
MAYA: I feel a little bit bad about doing this, but shall we leave this to Eikichi-kun? The rest of us can search for the detonator.
YUKINO: Splitting up and searching is a lot more efficient. Each of us will take one floor, so let's break up and start looking.
[Everyone files out, leaving Eikichi with the cleaning lady.]

[Wander around the floors, collecting your party members. The encounters will stay low while you have fewer party members, but this is a good opportunity to catch up on levels for anyone that's behind, i.e. if Lisa is behind because she wasn't in your party at Aoba Park. You don't have to find anything on the fourth floor-just start looking for your party members. The dialogue may be a bit different depending on the order in which you collect people.]

MAYA [on third floor]: Well, Tatsuya? Did you find the detonator? It's not on this floor.
MAYA: I see, so neither you nor Lisa found it. Then, let's all look for Yukki together. She might have already found it herself.

LISA [on first floor]: Wai! Hey, Tatsuya, I didn't find it. It doesn't seem to be on this floor. 
LISA: You couldn't find it either? Okay; let's look for Maya-san and Yukino-san together. They might have found it already.

YUKINO [in basement]: Suou! Did you find the detonator? I couldn't find it on this floor.
YUKINO: Nobody else could find it either? We've looked everywhere...perhaps this wasn't the target?
YUKINO: This is bad...let's hook up with Eikichi fast, and head over to the other building!

[Return to the fourth floor women's bathroom. Eikichi is still talking with the cleaning lady.]

CLEANING LADY: You wear makeup, and you even peek into the women's bathroom! Don't try to fool me with your tricks!
EIKICHI: Baby, how many times do I have to say it before you understand? I'm not a pervert. I'm a musician!
LISA: Are you still at it?
YUKINO: What's up, Suou? Huh? What’s that noise?

[Everyone looks around. Maya approaches the cleaning lady and discovers something in her bucket.]

MAYA: I found it! The Oracle and the detonator!
YUKINO: How much time is left?
MAYA: Remaining is... five minutes!
LISA: How come you didn't notice it, dumbass!
EIKICHI: W-what's the point of saying that?
CLEANING LADY: You're a rather strange bunch of youngsters. What's all the fuss for?
MAYA: Ma'am, why do you have that detonator in your bucket?
CLEANING LADY: You mean this clock? I found it in the last bathroom in the trash. What a waste, to throw out something that could still be used.
MAYA: That's not a clock, that's the timed detonator to a bomb! It's dangerous, so hurry and give it to me!
CLEANING LADY: What are you trying to pull, stupid? You're trying to steal my clock! It's not a good idea to try to trick the elderly!
MAYA: These are desperate circumstances, there's nothing else to do. We're gonna have to use force!
???: Heh heh heh heh heh...
[Everyone looks around. The toilet flushes.]
CLEANING LADY: Is there a man in the women's bathroom? Hurry up and get out of here!
CLEANING LADY: M-M-M-M-Monster!
[She runs away, leaving the bucket behind.]
YUKINO: Everyone be careful! It's an assassin for the Masquerade!
???: My name is Belphegor. I am the Duke of Hell. As an investigator of harmony on Earth, I govern laziness.
BELPHEGOR: I won't give that detonator to you! Everyone! All together! Together!
BELPHEGOR: Mistress, it's time. Mistress! Mistress!
COSTUMED GIRL: I am the reincarnated warrior of the Masquerade, Ixquic!
(Ixquic: A Persona user of the Masquerade who works for King Leo. At first glance, she looks like a regular cheerful girl dressed in a costume, but for some reason she thinks she is a reincarnated warrior.)
IXQUIC: Okay, everyone! Just as our guru Leo-sama's Oracle says, the evil demon-users have appeared!
LEO SOLDIERS: Heil Mask!
IXQUIC: You! Evil demon-users who want to destroy the world!
IXQUIC: Um... uh... er... um... hang on just a sec.
IXQUIC: Hey, Bel-chan, how do you read this again?
BELPHEGOR: It's "diuturnity."
IXQUIC: The magical warrior reincarnated from di-u-turn-ity, Ixquic, will take the Hand of Justice and whoop your ass!
IXQUIC: Demon-users! Return to the darkness!
LEO SOLDIERS: Heil Mask!
[Everyone ignores Ixquic and goes to look at the bucket.]
BELPHEGOR: Mistress...we're being completely ignored!
IXQUIC: D-e-m-o-n users! Don't ignore the reincarnated warrior of the Masquerade!
MAYA: You're a good girl, so don't interfere. You hurry and run away too, okay?
IXQUIC: Bel-chan, did you hear that? This old woman treated me, the magical warrior, like a kid!
MAYA: O-old woman!
LISA: Hoh san luo! We did it! That's my Tatsuya! I believed in you!
BELPHEGOR: It seems that they've successfully disarmed the detonation device! What shall we do, Mistress?
IXQUIC: Now I'm pissed! Since it's gone this far, I'll just use this remote control detonator to blow this train station building to smithereens!
MAYA: Stop it! If you blow up this building, you'll die too!
IXQUIC: It's okay if I die.
IXQUIC: My family and school both really suck; there's no point in living anymore!
IXQUIC: The reincarnated warrior Ixquic lives for the sake of Justice, and will die a martyr! That's what I've always wanted!
[Maya takes the detonator away and slaps Ixquic across the face.]
MAYA: Don't just go around saying it's okay to die!
MAYA: How the future turns out is completely dependent on you!
MAYA: Saying you're going to die without putting forth any effort proves that you're a kid!
IXQUIC: Okay, I understand...
IXQUIC: …If you really thought I meant that, you're totally mistaken! Kids today are sick of that kind of preaching!
IXQUIC: I won't allow anyone to get in the way of Leo-sama's plan! I don't have the detonator anymore, but I've got a Persona!
MAYA: Looks like you're going to need a severe scolding...
MAYA AND IXQUIC: It's whoop-ass time!
IXQUIC: Aah! Don't copy me! I thought that up myself!

[Fight Ixquic and Belphegor. Water spells seem to work well, especially against Belphegor. Ixquic has Reverse Pariker as her Persona, so use magic, especially Earth spells, and don't physically attack with anyone other than Tatsuya.]

MAYA: Oh no! We overdid it!
MAYA: Okay, here we go!
EIKICHI: Is it gonna be okay to leave this babe here? She doesn't seem to have any desire to reconsider. All that's probably gonna happen is that she'll get in our way again.
MAYA: She just hadn't had grown-ups play with her enough...it's okay! If anything else happens, I'll take responsibility.
[Yukino's phone rings.]
ERIKO'S VOICE: HELLO, Yukino. Have you found the second Oracle?
YUKINO: Is that you, Eriko? Yep, we found it. This time, the Oracle says...
YUKINO: "The Ascension of the Twelve Beasts. / When the spring of Death and Rebirth bubbles forth / from the Cape of Dreams, the road to El Dorado is opened."
ERIKO'S VOICE: HMM..."The Ascension of the Twelve Beasts" is the same as before. The problem comes after that.
ERIKO'S VOICE: If we proceed with the same reasoning as before, amongst the twelve signs of the Zodiac, the one that embraces the water ELEMENT and rules death and rebirth...
ERIKO'S VOICE: SCORPIO-"sasoriza"' in Japanese. Looking from Seven Sisters High School, that's north northeast. In other words, the next TARGET is Yumezaki!
YUKINO: Great job, Eriko! Since we know this much, now we can handle the rest.
MAYA: "The road to El Dorado is opened..."
MAYA: El Dorado... in other words, "The City of Gold." Is there a building in Yumezaki with that name?
LISA: If we just stand here and think about it, we're really going to run out of time. Why don't we think about the next target location on our way to Yumesaki-ku?

[Return to the map. If you try to go back into SMILE, Maya will tell you that the location of the next target is either GOLD or Pachinko Silver. You'd have to be an idiot to not be able to solve this puzzle. There's nothing really new to do, so whenever you're ready, head over to Yumezaki.]