Inaba Shrine

September 7

12:00

Minato stood at the offering box of the small shrine. The town was beautiful, too bad it had to be home to such a massive prick. He stood there, squeezing the handle of his Evoker violently. "Where are you, you sick-"

Finally, he heard steps coming towards the shrine. He looked behind him, staring down the silver-haired boy as he walked closer, finally stopping several feet away…

….

Souji looked at his opponent, his massive sword sitting on his shoulder. They both merely locked eyes, silence creating tension that no god or demon could break. Fire filled Souji's eyes. "We going to do this?"

The blue-haired boy grabbed the gun he used to summon his Persona last time, pushing it to his skull. "Let's go." Souji then smashed his card, Izanagi bolting from behind him.

….

The silver-haired boy's Persona stared down Minato, unease filling his head. The boy seemed strong, but Minato wasn't one to back down so easily. He pulled the trigger, Orpheus appearing behind him. This was it, time to make him pay…

….

The four of them all stared each other down as the tension grew. The wind rustled a bush nearby, but no one moved. The two humans then charged, swords in hand, colliding into each other with massive force. Orpheus swung his harp violently at Izanagi as well, barely missing. The fight was on…

Minato and Souji continued their fight as Izanagi and Orpheus battled. Minato's wound on his skull had busted back open, but he didn't care. Souji's lip was busted, bleeding almost as much as Minato's head gash.

The two Personas kept colliding, constantly dodging each other's attacks. Orpheus was already hit once, causing Minato to shudder. He didn't want his friend getting hurt any worse than he already was.

The two Persona-users finally backed off, sweating and bleeding. "Orpheus!" Minato called him back, Izanagi backing off as well. Both Personas disappeared as their users prepared to summon something much bigger…

"Lucifer!" Souji crushed his card, the mighty Persona appearing behind him, roaring at their foe.

"Messiah!" Minato pulled the trigger on his Evoker, his majestic Persona appearing behind him.

Both Persona-users screamed the same word: "Megidolaon!" Massive blasts of Almighty energy slammed into both of them, screams unleashing as explosions enveloped the entire shrine…

….

As the dust cleared, both Persona-users were on their knees, their Personas levitating behind their respective summoner.

Souji was the first to speak. "Dammit, you bastard!" He began to stand. "Where's the Persona you attacked us with this morning!"

Minato growled. "What the hell are you talking about?" He tried to stand, but couldn't, a sharp pain in his chest keeping him down. He cracked a few ribs. "You're the one who attacked my dorm!"

"Bull shit!" Souji began walking towards Minato, his sword still in hand. "You attacked me, my friends… My family…" He stopped just short. "Now I'll kill you! Lucifer, Megidolaon!" Nothing happened. "Lucifer!" He looked back at his Persona.

Lucifer was staring at the building, past Minato. He looked as if he was on guard. Souji looked back at the shrine, seeing the other Persona was also staring at the building as well.

"Well, well…" A voice rang from the shrine, a voice that sounded all too familiar. Both boys looked on, wide-eyed as someone walked out of the shrine…

….

The figure walking out seemed to be shifting his shape, changing from Minato to Souji and back, smiling evilly. On his head was the same scar Souji gave him the night before. "Looks like everyone's all here." He said, his smile still covering his face.

Minato was finally able to stand, backing away from the building. "Who are you..?"

The man laughed. "I'm you!" He pointed at Souji. "I'm him, too." He then melted into what was most likely his normal look, a pale boy with black hair, a piercing sticking out of his lip. He laughed. "I'm also me, too."

"What's going on here?" Souji looked on, confused. Was the blue-haired boy telling the truth…?

The stranger laughed. "I'm not at liberty to say." He stuck his hand out. "Just give me your Personas and we'll be done here."

Minato laughed. "You think making us fight each other is going to weaken us that much?" Minato pulled the trigger of his Evoker again, leading Orpheus to appear, launching a fireball at his face.

The attack was dodged almost immediately. The stranger laughed violently. "C'mon, is that the best you-"

A massive bolt of lightning smashed into his back. Minato looked back, seeing the other boy's Persona glaring at the stranger.

The stranger laughed again. "You will not beat me! Nemesis gives me strength!"

"Nemesis…?" Minato looked on. Just then, his skull began throbbing violently. He looked back at the silver-haired boy, who was also holding his skull.

A voice rang out throughout the shrine. "Boy… Your journey is complete…"

The stranger's eyes widened. "No! Please! I can beat them!"

"We have no use for you… Be gone…"

The boy let out a shriek of pain, holding onto his head. After a few gruesome seconds of this, he fell, blood gushing from every hole in his head. He was dead.

It was then, a dark aura seemed to float from the boy's body, beginning to take shape: A girl with porcelain skin. It was the Persona that attacked Souji and his friends.

Souji looked over at the blue-haired boy. "I guess I should apologize-"

"Save it for later, man. We have a bigger problem…"

They both looked on as the young girl levitated in front of them, her fragile skin gleaming in the sun. Her voice rang out throughout the shrine, echoing violently, sounding like hundreds of voices in one. Her words sunk deep into their hearts…

"We are Nemesis… We are here for the Wild Card…"