"MOM!" It was a last ditch effort made by a desperate child. Drew placed as much as she could with her plea, even adding Charmspeak to her call, because her options were getting more and more limited.
Kenta was in danger, Minato tried to keep damage to a minimum, and it was up to her to protect all that was dear to her: her father, her friends, the city. All of these were important to her.
Please.
She was falling, the itsumade reduced into dust by an attack.
Her safety was out of her concern because on the side, another crept towards the unconscious form of Kenta. This must be what the campers said about having too much loyalty being the downfall of others - loyalty to treasured people was a drug unlike any other.
Please save... him~
The Mist around her heeded her call. It collected, compressed and coalesced above.
In a matter of moments, a goddess descended- illuminating the area with white light.
"Drew!" Aphrodite, Goddess of Beauty, could only look on with worry as her child descended from the sky.
Above, Medea rode her chariot. In front of her was an impossibility.
Dark hair. Otherworldly beauty. Riding a magical construct. She was Medea of Colchis, greatest protege of the Daughter of Magic. She was the Witch - one of the first to embody [Witch] in recorded history.
Same hair. Same face. Same golden chariot. The similarities were uncanny. In front of her was that. It was also a Medea of Colchis. A mirror match.
"I'd never thought I'd get to see the day where I'd face myself."
Izanami could only watch from the hole that Drew had created before. The fall to the underworld was long - longer than what Drew and sweet, sweet Minato had endured. But as she was the ruler of the underworld, it was within her power to make that fall last from as long as an eternity to merely a few seconds.
So while she was deep, deep, deeply underground, her goddess status, physiology and the fact that she was in her [Domain] (where her power was absolute) made the distance negligible.
"Oh wow..." Today was the most eventful she's ever experienced in eons.
"You can say that again." Persephone said as she supported Psyche's unconscious form. Odd for a goddess to be this weakened but things like being outside of their [Domain], being in another land, and breaking a [Law] could do that.
When Minato and Thanatos met, there was moment of silence. It was like two predatory animals meeting each other for the first time and not knowing what to do. Psyche, uncharateristically of her, decided to get in-between the stare-off.
"Minato," the goddess said affectionately, "What do you want to do now?"
Minato never broke his gaze against the winged god. "Finish High School."
The goddess nodded fervently, like what he said was the most important thing ever. "Makes sense, makes sense. But... but, I meant now. What do you want to do right now? With Medea I mean."
That got Minato's attention. "What do you need me for?"
Persephone was getting the feeling that she was getting more and more sidelined despite the fact that all the important cards and moves were in her hand. "We can't just act haphazardly in distant lands. Izanami-sama is already being extremely generous by letting be in her [Domain]."
"Any other action could be seen as an aggression pact."
"Because this isn't your land? Japan, I mean."
Persephone nodded. "We gods have long since decided to keep our issues to ourselves. Though I won't deny that some issues bleed into other pantheons, all in all, most powers that are still relevant today tend to maintain their non-interference. It's much easier that way."
Minato tilted his head, "I still don't see why you need my opinion or input in all of this."
Medea cleared her throat, "Minato, if I may," she tucked a stray lock behind her ear, "[Gods] are static creatures, are they not?"
Minato wanted to disagree but nodded, as if deciding that what he knew and what Medea knew were two different things.
"In order for change to happen, they'd need mortal interference." Medea took the offered mug of tea that Izanami prepared for her. "If mortals wish it, then the gods may answer that plea."
"Then why don't you make that decision, Medea? You're mortal too, if I'm not wrong."
Medea made a gesture that said so-so. "Divine Heritage. Daughter of two direct descendants of titans, an oceanid and a sun god. So despite being mortal, I have no mortal blood. I'm more-or-less closer to being an actual goddess than a normal human being."
Minato exhaled. "So if I say that I want to do this, then you all would just nod and do what I say?"
"Crass way of saying it, Minato," Izanami laughed, "but yes."
"If it helps, I really want to at least apologize." Medea added.
Minato couldn't say no to that.
"You're behaving oddly." Psyche cornered the Witch as Minato, Izanami, Persephone and Thanatos prepared it.
"Am I?"
"The [Witch of Betrayal]. The [Scorned Woman]. That's what history decided you'd be." Psyche said, "I don't mean ill because I just love what you're doing. It's gap moe after all, but that does leave me confused."
"I'm more surprised you know what gap moe is." Medea said.
There was a moment of silence between the two women.
"You're forgetting one thing," Medea said.
"And that is?"
"[Witch of Betrayal], [Scorned Woman], [Jason's Ex-Wife]... these are all me. But not all of me."
Psyche tilted her head.
Medea smiled sadly. "I'm human too."
With preparations done: there were ready to do the summoning ritual. Theoretically, it was not impossible to succeed seeing as they had the power of TWO underworld rulers and the deification of death.
"Hold up," Psyche called out everyone's attention, "You're forgetting about me."
Medea looked at Psyche for a few seconds before nodding frantically. "I think you're right. We're not summoning the dead. We're summoning human souls. Having the [Goddess of the Human Soul] increases our odds of success."
"Will this work?" Persephone said, checking things up for a third time. Magic was something she had some competence in but this were things that bordered on [Taboo]. Theory of Relativity can also apply to magic. If the power and will were enough, anything was possible. Unless the [World] thinks that it shouldn't exist, because it will try to neutralize it, anything was possible. This ritual bordered on being forbidden: a [Taboo]. [Taboo] is an action that breaks world [Order] and the [World] heavily punishes offenders. To say that death would be it's kind punishment was definitely a true statement. Being something that could cross the line into [Taboo] territory, there was a chance this could backfire.
"I'm getting nervous," Izanami said, giving a glance at Minato. "We can still stop this."
Minato looked at the uncertainty in their faces. And the hopeful look on Medea's face.
"A chance for redemption is not something I would want to deprive from others." He nodded at the Witch, "Ready?"
"What is happening?"
It was a simple summoning ritual. "I called for the dead souls of my children, but... who are you?"
Psyche was the first to drain of her powers, and was already unconscious by the time Medea came to. Thanatos had flown to catch Persephone who got pushed back by the backlash. Medea suspected that's what Minato did to Izanami as he took off in Pesephone's opposite direction.
Same face. Same dark hair. Posture couldn't be any different. But those eyes.
They shone like topazes.
Minato reached the sprawled form of Izanami. The ritual? Minato couldn't tell if it was a failure or a success but the magic-inclined Persona like Merlin, Scathach and Nicholas Flamel had a sneaking suspicion that something went awry. It worked, they'd told him, but had some side-effects.
"You okay?"
Izanami opened her eyes and stretched.
Minato averted his eyes because, like last time, jello-physics.
"Did it work?" The goddess asked, standing up.
She would've found the blushing boy cute if not for the flash of light that appeared behind him. On reflex, she summoned a wall of earth to shield him.
From the other side, an explosion was heard.
Minato turned around just as Izanami let go of the wall of earth, creating a few clouds of dust and soil.
"I am you, my dear." Not-Medea said, a raised glowing hand, indicating that she was the one who struck first.
"Where are my children?" Medea's stance was defensive, her dark eyes were like rubies. "What have you done to them?"
"Children?" Not-Medea spat, "Spawn of the cheater, they were of no use to me!" Her topaz eyes were ablaze with self-righteous fury. "You know what I'm saying, right?"
"Shut up." Medea's face was serious. "You don't get talk to my children that way."
Not-Medea's harsh look at the Medea was felt by everyone. "Liar! Who was it that snuffed the life out of them? Who was it that slept peacefully the moment her revenge for that man was complete? Who was it that didn't blink an eye when they all expired?"
"That's not true!"
"Oh but it is." Not-Medea took a step forward, Medea taking a step back. "I know the truth."
"You don't." Medea's voice had gone quiet. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Not-Medea's smile was predatory, reached up to her ears. "A dash of aconite, crush almonds-"
"Shut up!"
"Want me to continue?" Not-Medea was almost face-to-face with the distraught woman. "You are-ack!"
Minato had landed the blow, having had enough of this fake's tirade. From the [Sea of Souls] he called out a name, and he answered. The Persona that started it all. His very first. He equipped it with not much ceremony. With the Persona's power, he summoned a ball of flame and hurled it to the fake. "Leave her be." Shadow.
Lucia, Juno and Penthesilea told him that the fake was a shadow. Quite different from the twelve Arcana but similar to what Minato was used to.
Not-Medea laughed, shrugged off the attack, and laughed some more. "Deny all you want... I am what I am. I am..."
"...not you!" Medea intoned. "I reject you! You are petty and vengeful and hateful. You and I are two different people!"
Not-Medea, instead of looking distraught, grinned harder.
With Kenta's unconscious form securely in-place, with Drew's hand pressed in the small of his back (to keep him secure), the itsumade flew off.
The residential district was closest to the densely Misted area from afar. In her head, this was proof that this was not a volcanic eruption, because if it were, then the residential district built by the city would be very far from here.
She wished that they got farther from the Mist but... I have a bad feeling about this.
While flying to the nearest hospital, Drew realized it too late when the Mist passed through them.
That meant two things: either the supernatural phenomenon started moving towards their direction or the power the supernatural phenomenon was exerting was getting stronger.
In both scenarios, there was no good outcome.
However, curious, and because Drew's reflexes were kicking in, the demigod dared to look behind.
High above, was Minato. He wasn't flying , but he rode what is essentially a mythical bird-like creature.
He was also flying away from something.
Not-Medea grinned a Cheshire's grin and summoned her golden chariot. The same exact copy of the one parked up above. Medea knew this because she could sense her own still outside, with her dragons Phil and Don lounging as they waited for her return.
"I am a shadow, the true self."
She took a step into her chariot and summoned gusts of winds.
"Now, my sweet. Care to die for dear 'ol me?"
Minato was already on the move, Orpheus changed to it's upgraded version. "What's a shadow doing here?" No weapon, but his Persona could be more than up for it.
"You know what that is?" Izanami asked with an 'ara-ara'. "This is the first time I've seen something like this, do you suppose it's Greek?"
"I don't think so." Thanatos guided Persephone who side-carried an unconscious Psyche. "I too have never seen something like that before."
Not-Medea created pillars of ice and hurled it to the real Medea. Still, a fake was only as good as it's original, if not weaker. The original dismissed it with walls of flame and strikes of lightning from the tips of her fingers.
"I have nothing to do with you. You and I... are nothing alike!"
The fake grinned harder. "Oh? Then I'll make sure to give you a worthwhile time." She turned to the others, "To you as well."
And so the two fought: a magical battle only seen during the height of the [Age of the Gods].
The Greeks could only apologize at their inaction - any action could be seen as an aggression pact, said Persephone. So while Thanatos and Persephone tried to keep the damage to a minimum, anything beyond that and they could risk a war between Olympus and Takamagahara.
That left Minato, Medea and Izanami. The goddess summoned rotting corpses and skeletons by the wave of her arm. Walls of bones rose up from the ground and formed an even bigger limb that tried to catch the flying fake. "You have to do better than that, you old hag."
Medea matched the tenacity of the fake. She summoned her own sigils, with different glowing colors, that did all sorts of effects. Vines erupted from the ground that tried to subdue the fake, fires of intense heat tried to burn the fake into a crisp, and winds so strong it could pull trees from soil were sent the fake's way. "Ooh, I'm so scared with those attacks."
Minato, for the first time, was left doing the supporting role: any time an opening was available, he hurled agidynes that hit the fake dead on. "Is that all you can do, boy?"
The fake evaded, but in reality, just barely. Any time she was struck or caught by Izanami's antics, she used her magic to completely vaporize the bones. Minato's attacks were dampened with her own magic, and Medea's offense was met with Not-Medea's absolute defense.
For a three-against-one, the fake was doing very well.
She knew all of the original's tricks because she was the fake. Whenever Medea tried to improvise, Not-Medea would intercept her plans because the fake was familiar with the original's thought process and fighting style.
The boy only had mastery over flame. It barely hurt thanks to magical protections that dampened his heat.
Those two were child's play.
The only threat that the fake had trouble dealing with was the goddess.
She was going toe-to-toe with a goddess on her own [Domain] so by default she was at a disadvantage.
Time to remedy that.
The fake summoned magic sigils that rained down light that exploded on impact. Flying atop her chariot, she rained down bolts of lightning and hails of ice that reduced the once tranquil but eerie underground shrine into rubble. The earth above caved in to reveal a starless night sky, moonlight illuminating the surroundings.
Izanami let out a frustrated sigh at seeing her shrine desecrated. Panicked yomotsu-shikome ran away from the rampaging fake, the few that found the goddess implored that she do something about the fight.
Medea quickly summoned her own chariot and sun dragons, and rode it to the open sky. She matched the fake with her antics, traded magicks of such potency that the school above, fortunately deserted, was reduced into piles of concrete and cement.
Minato emerged from a pile of soil and rubble. Dusting his clothes, he studied his surroundings. The battle has gotten out of hand. His school was totaled. Izanami's shrine destroyed. The enemy also took a tactical advantage by being airborne.
Since Izanami was an underworld goddess with intense restrictions that left her unable to leave the earth, she could no longer participate in the battle as it became an aerial one. The Greeks were still unable to meddle and Medea was soloing a threat only he had experience in dealing with. Now what?
"Izanami-san." call him snobbish but calling her with an honorific such as '-sama' felt disingenuous. The Persona equivalent of the goddess even told him to drop honorifics all together but he wasn't that rude.
"Hm?"
"I apologize for-"
The goddess waved him off, "Oh don't be. It was out of your control."
"But your home..."
Izanami clapped her hands. The broken pillars and stones picked itself up. They floated into the air, reattached themselves went to their original placed. "Good as new."
She turned to the on-going battle, "We need to take care of that."
"I really don't like how you play." The fake said with a sneer. It was a chariot battle. An aerial chariot battle. Granted, the original (and thus the fake) didn't have any formal training for it, but one learns over time. "You bring others into the battle."
"And you need to shut up."
The original used her forefinger to touch the surface of her neck, where her vocal cords would have been. "Be silent."
A spell evoked using ancient Greek had more punch to it. It's effect was instantaneous too in that while the fake's lips flapped, no words came out.
That, Medea believed, shorted the fake's repertoire. Hurling and commanding the elements was a middle-rate magic battle. A battle of high level magics used words and arias and all sorts of magics that bent reality to the whims of it's caster.
For a moment, the fake spoke nothing, spittle flying from her lips.
Medea looked at the fake with contempt, fighting the urge to smile victoriously.
"You didn't think I'd forget to take precautions against muteness, did you?"
The fake smiled before the Mist around started to condense around them.
"She's doing something." Persephone said as she laid her unconscious friend on the ground, letting Psyche's head settle on her lap.
"Ara-ara." Izanami said as she watched on as the fake and the Mist started to coalesce.
The fake laughed menacingly as the Mist started to surround her and her chariot.
Medea summoned her own sigils, the same one the fake summoned to total Izanami's shrine, and sent bursts of light into the clump. It connected, as there was an explosion, but when the smoke settled, the Fake...
well...
"How repulsive." Izanami brought out a fan from her sleeve, opened it and shielded her face.
The fake couldn't be considered human anymore. Once the Mist and smoke settled, what was once a human-figure was replaced by... something that didn't pass human.
It looked like a drugged-addicted Mrs. Santa Claus who suffered from a skin disease on Santa Claus' sleigh. The sleigh/chariot was very different from Medea's chariot in that instead of being pulled by sun dragons, it was pulled by not-cherubs with crying faces.
Plus, it was the size of a bus. Mrs. Santa Claus, not her sleigh. Her sleigh was even bigger.
"I hope you guys have it in you to keep me entertained!"
In such a remote area, no one suspected that such a blight could appear. It was like finding a pus-filled pimple in a place you didn't think could form pimples. As such, most of the supernatural world found out about it after the matter has been settled, but among the first to notice were the closer pantheons.
Takamagahara was in an uproar, Izanagi screaming that his ex-wife was scheming something.
The Buddhist sect received word from the local Buddhist, requesting aid to contain a monster of unknown origin with an off-the-charts potential for disaster.
The Jade Emperor noticed as well, and sent out Bishamonten to investigate.
Vishnu couldn't ignore it too, and thusly sent his own emissary to check up on Japan too.
"I'm going in." Minato said.
The gods assembled wanted to stop him, saying that he shouldn't involve himself into such a dangerous foe, but their words didn't have any conviction in them.
That thing outside reeked so much wrongness that even Izanami, an evil goddess, found herself in disgust at the sight.
"That thing shouldn't exist." Minato summarized what everyone felt.
Thanatos wanted to accompany the boy, every fiber of his being wanting to be with him. The boy had such a nostalgic air to him that Thanatos wanted to believe that being with him could complete him. "I... want to-"
Minato raised a hand. "Stop. Don't."
The god didn't heed and took a step forward.
"Don't come any closer."
The god did, anyway.
Only to be stopped by a hand appearing out of nowhere. Reality had been bent. A tear in space appeared, one in-between Minato and the god of Death.
It was white, like it was gloved but it looked like skin too. Velvet white skin. It made a grab to Thanatos' face but the god intercepted it. Using his hands he grabbed-urgh!
Ryoji Mochizuki(?), or memories of one named Ryoji Mochizuki(?), emerged.
Friends. Comrades. Family. An irreplaceable person.
I am... I am...
I am Thou... Thou art I
From the Sea of Souls I Cometh
Minato, It's Good to See You...
OnCe AgAiN...argh!
Death wailed. Not Thanatos, the Greek Deification of Death, no. It was Death. Pure, innocent, childish Death.
The boy looked at Death, a sad but true smile on his face. Death, his one true companion, emerged from the nothingness of space.
Death wanted to remove that sadness. Why is the boy sad? He was a comrade. Important. True. Loyal. Important. Friendly. Comrade. Love. Hate. He should hate what the boy hated. He should destroy that which the boy despises.
He looked up.
And screamed. Yomotsu-shikome cowered behind the goddesses. Underworld, they were protected by his power of death. Here, with the goddesses, they wouldn't wither.
But above.
A shadow. A shadow!
A shad-
"Pharos." Minato stepped forward. He was Death's companion. He was the only one who could call him family. "Ryoji."
The Persona stopped and exhaled.
The gods around him were on edge. Thanatos was taken back at the reflection he was looking at.
It was like looking at yourself naked, and every fiber of his being wanted to destroy it.
"That thing shouldn't exist." Did Thanatos say that out loud? But yes, it's is true. He was Death. He should ONLY be Death. No one else have the right to that claim.
The boy ignored the god's words and stepped forward.
When the being screamed, everything around it died. Plants, yokai, even the earth died. But since they were in the underworld, they reformed again.
Izanami and Persephone looked on, eyes wide and curious at the impossibility of what they were seeing.
"Exalted." Persephone said.
"Exalted." Izanami agreed.
"You ArE PaThEtIc!"
All eyes met the monster Medea was facing. The tide was now in the fake's favor and Medea was forced into being defensive.
It was a sight that any of the gods present have never seen before. An otherworldly demon above and the otherworldly blessing below.
"Ryoji." Minato tentatively reached out and placed a hand on the being's shoulder. Not finding his form hideous. Not finding his wings made out of coffins scary. His helmet not utterly frightening. "Let me handle this."
The being wanted to disagree. Thanatos felt it, because looking at the being felt like looking at himself. But a moment passed and the being known as [Death] agreed.
"It was nice meeting you again." Minato smiled, like a brother to his younger sibling. "Let me handle it." he repeated.
And so, Death vanished once again.
Into the Sea of Souls, Minato felt like a piece of him had returned. Ryoji and Pharos, Thanatos too. Three versions of the same being, reunited as one. He was complete now. Well, more complete than before.
The paradox created by Death meeting Thanatos (this world's version) made it impossibly hard to breathe. Every fiber of his being on fire, as if his atoms were being erased. Truly, the [World] punishes those who broke [Laws].
In a way, he silently thanked Elizabeth by letting him live in a place where showing his [Wild Card] powers overtly were discouraged. It was probably one of Elizabeth's ways of making him live a normal life. It was worth appreciating because it was exactly what he wanted.
On the other hand, he needed to use his power now. That thing above was something he had experience dealing. Leaving Medea to handle it alone would leave a bad taste in his mouth,
A Witch who wanted redemption and forgiveness. She sought to ask for forgiveness not to the man who scorned her, but the children affected by her hatred and revenge. Truly a laudable endeavor. One Minato believed to be a cause worth fighting for.
But that shadow, was not just an obstacle to Medea's dream. It was a danger to him home. His new home. It did not just distracted Medea from her goal, this very world could be harmed if this shadow ran rampant.
Bringing out the red band from his pocket, he tenderly looked at it before pinning it on his right sleeve. Truly it was an ordinary armband but it had been with him from the start of his journey. It was just as much a companion as any of the SEES members.
This world didn't need another Dark Hour. So he will be it's protector. Just this once.
With the armband securely in place, Minato brought out his next possession.
His evoker.
Medea couldn't believe that this fake was this strong. Well, to call it her fake was now getting moot because something that hideous couldn't possibly be her.
"I reject the notion that you are me." She said, guiding the reigns on Don and Phil to evade the fake's attacks.
The surroundings were destroyed. It was a good thing she had moved in a place where innocents couldn't get hurt firsthand but the city was located in a precarious place. Located between the bottom of a mountain and the edge of the sea, any direction she chose to go would undoubtedly spell disaster. Should she go towards the sea, a tsunami was what she feared for the city's citizens. Should she choose mountain, landslide at the very least.
The lesser of two evils here would be the mountain, as the mountain could be used as an environmental boon to this aerial battle. The sea left no room for maneuvering.
"Now, now, don't think you could get away from me!"
The air started to smell like ozone. But there was something in it too. Magic! Mist started to coalesce on the fake too.
"I call upon thee!"
By passing formalized arias and hymns, this was one of the pinnacles of magic. To shorten a spell into four words with the same impact but with a bigger effect. Medea cursed herself for her carelessness.
In the center of the assembled Mist. Something started to form. First came the head, then the arms and legs. A feminine form. From her head emerged piercing green eyes. Her hair was dark and lustrous. Dressed in Greek garbs, carrying a distaff, the form was realized with soft sparkling light.
"To be summoned." The figure said. "Medea, you must be in so much trouble."
The original looked on, face in disbelief. This was her trump card. Medea used this only when absolutely necessary because in her lifetime, she was only able to do this a few couple of times.
To think the fake managed to do this was unimaginable.
"I sUmMoNeD yOu."
The fake's voice was sounding less and less human.
"CiRcE, cHiLd Of MaGiC, wItH mY CoMmAnD, I oRdEr YoU tO aId Me!"
Circe turned to the voice before sneering. "Not in your dreams, demon! I-"
Mist started to gather around her too, and a rune appears on Circe's forehead. "This can't be, but only Medea can-"
"I aM mEdEa Of CoChLiS! ThE tRuE sHaDow! YoU WiLl LiStEn To Me!"
"Medea," Circe turned, "I can't..." her hand started to raise, "I can't control myself. You have to run!"
"Demon!" Medea evaded the magic created by Circe with her chariot. But barely. Circe, due to the power of humanity was just a goddess as Hecate. Her legend played part in the notion of witchcraft, so any attack she did, it was increased in potency.
But her actions were getting mechanical. Easy to read. Still powerful, but becoming predictable. Circe, Medea was starting to realize was becoming more and more of a puppet. In a way, Circe's tactics were predictable but at the same time, it complemented the moves of her fake, which made the battle all the more harder.
The rune on her forehead, a rune that controlled it's subject, might be her weak point, but facing Circe face-on was counterproductive.
It was now two-against-one, odds stacked against Medea's favor.
That is, until, her lone reinforcement arrived.
"Minato!" Medea's surprise was all over her face, partly because of his appearance, but also because of what, or who(?), he rode on.
This was an aerial battle, so to say that Minato was her reinforcement meant he had the means of flight.
A bird, if that is what it's called, he was riding a bird that might as well be a Roc mixed with a human body. It had the size of a car, with a wingspan that was at least four to five meters. With golden red wings, a bronzed body, a dignified face with a beak, it was unmistakable that this one was supernatural.
Minato rode on the bird-human's strong back, standing proudly and defiantly at the fake.
This did not sit well with Not-Medea.
"LeAvE! I hAvE nO bUsInEsS wItH yOu!"
The supernatural creature of Minato let out a an annoyed harumph.
"Foolish fake, have you come to think that we came here to speak to you?" He flapped his mighty wings, sending out gusts of winds that destabilized the shadow's flight. "Know your place." A flap, and a another gust of wind, this time, stronger that the one before.
An unearthly wail erupted from the shadow's mouth.
"MeN! mEn! MeN! ThEy ArE tHe BaNe oF mY eXiStAnCe! ThEy ShOuLdN't ExIsT! DeAtH! DeAtH tO aLl MeN!"
-Persona 3 ost - Master of Shadow [Extended]-
watch?v=idRhQsjc28c
The shadow started to secrete dark Mist. [Miasma], as it was called. The gas version of the black liquid that composed an ordinary shadow.
And by troves, they appeared. Shadows, innumerable, formed. Fake-birds of unearthly origin started to materialize from the Miasma.
One by one, they launched towards the two.
Medea's sun dragons breathed fire to vaporize these birds into oblivion but they were too many, forcing the Witch to maneuver away from the onslaught.
Minato stood proudly, the supernatural creature beneath him flapping his wings to send birds to their doom.
"Shallow, foolish fake, you dare show mere insects in the presence of the [Exalted]'s mount?"
Another flap of his mighty wings and shadows started to vanish in chunks.
I Am The Wings Of My Lord
The Indomitable Warrior That Reigns In The Sky
The shadows started to converge towards Minato, but the mount waved them away, with winds so strong, it tore shadows into shreds.
My Wings Can Stop The Spinning Of Heaven, Earth and Hell,
The Bane of All Snakes
The supernatural creature that might as well be a god soared forth, leaving tailwinds that left openings in the the air. What was once a sea of shadows was systematically reduced in number.
In retaliation, Not-Medea summoned another sea of peons, disposable and understandable flimsy, but it's sheer number would make the weak run away. But not for Minato and his steed. With mere wind (granted, wind so strong it could literally peel off flesh from bone) foes were quickly reduced into small clumps of shadows.
I Have Waged War Against The Gods and Emerged Victorious
The Symbol of Peerless Victory
I Am Garuda, The Bird-King
And I Have Found My Prey
Drew rode on, trying to get away, but the winds were so strong the itsumade failed to fly faster than a bicycle ride.
The strong winds also pushed them like leaves on the wind. They've been pushed so hard that the city was now far out of their reach.
Kenta, Drew made sure that he was secure again, was still unconscious, and Drew worried for him. He's been unconscious all this time since that bookshelf fell on him. This couldn't be a mere injury.
From the corner of her eyes, something was fast approaching.
They were like a flock of birds, but all the demigod-ness inside her screamed to fight it. Like it was perverted and must be vanquished. Her hand twitched, reaching for a blade that wasn't there.
The shadow, sensing it's imminent danger started to get desperate.
"Minato-kun?" In the center of it all was her classmate, atop a ridiculous bird-like creature, fighting what is essentially a sea of black ink.