Chapter 10: Climbing Up
SEES arrived at Tartarus five minutes before midnight. Once again, the transformation that Minato could only describe as 'majestic' took place, still starling Junpei and Yukari. Akhiko appeared too distant to care.
Mitsuru had arrived one her motorbike, and rolled it into the lobby. "As we explore Tartarus, I'll be making this our temporary base of operations." she said, patting her bike. Strapped to the back were various odd instruments that looked like they were from the 1960's.
"Cutting edge technology," Minato joked.
"I bet she'll turn out to be an excellent shot with a musket, Boss," David said.
"By the way, I found out something interesting about Tartarus. A few floors up, there's something preventing you from going any higher. The tower seems to have a number of these interspersed among the floors. I know I told you that the layout changes each day, but these barricades seem to be in fixed locations. Therefore, I'd like you to try and reach the first barricade. I'm counting on you." she explained.
"No sweat." Minato answered. He pulled out his brand new saber, and examined it. This would make killing shadows easier.
"Dude, I thought you said you couldn't get any weapons!" Junpei said, rather envious of Minato's shiny new sword.
"I'll get you something later," he answered. "If you kill more than I can, I might even get you something better than this… of course, the same goes for Yukari as well."
"Are we really making this a competition?" she asked, annoyed.
"It gives you more of an incentive to stay focused. I don't want a repeat of last time," Minato answered. With that, the trio entered Tartarus. The first floor was decimated, with practically nobody from SEES taking any damage. The second floor fell similarly, and they continued to ascend. By the time they reached the fourth floor, Minato had acquired two more Personae, Slime and Apsaras. Both of them seemed pretty useless, so he usually offered them to the Card of the Beast as soon as he got them. After several offerings, he finally kept two just in case. He didn't think he would ever use them, however, since his tactical ambushing and new sword made shadow slaughtering even easier.
As SEES systematically cleared out the fourth floor, Minato once again experienced Shuffle Time. This time, however, there were no Persona cards, so he chose one with a picture of a sword on it.
Yukari and Junpei turned to see Minato seemingly materialize a bow complete with arrows from thin air. From what he could tell, it was slightly stronger than what Yukari had.
"Yukari," he said, turning towards them. Their eyes were practically bulging out of their heads. "Got you a new bow."
"Minato… how did you do that?" Mitsuru asked over the transmitter.
"That was one of our Boss' opportunities!" Jack roared over the transmitter.
"Jack?! How the hell are you speaking?"Minato asked suddenly.
"We just cracked the transmitter's signal, Boss," David chimed in, once more over the transmitter. They had been too quiet in Tartarus, and he now knew why.
"Arisato, order them to stand down," Mitsuru said.
"You heard Mitsuru-senpai… And let me give my own explanations, guys." Minato said. The transmitter went silent, and Mitsuru realized the signal was once again private.
"That still doesn't explain how you can just make a brand new weapon out of nowhere," Junpei said. Minato took a big sigh.
"Okay. So sometimes, after we kill some Shadows, I see floating cards in my head. They basically play a little shuffle game, and then I can pick one of them. The last few times, I just acquired new Personae from the cards, but this time, there weren't any Personae. So I chose one with a sword on it, and then the bow appeared in my hand." Minato stated. "I know it sounds stupid, but it is what is."
"…What are you, a videogame character?" Junpei asked. Jack and David materialized behind him.
"Videogame characters WISH they had the abilities of our Boss!" Jack screamed, startling Junpei and Yukari.
"He makes those you deem 'overpowered' look like a joke compared to him," David added.
Minato, oddly enough, smiled at this outburst. "Of course I do," he said with a shrug. "But we don't have time to waste here. It is only one Dark Hour, after all. Let's go."
With that, he gave Yukari her new bow. Jack and David disappeared once more, and Junpei just sighed. Minato was a smug bastard, but he couldn't deny that without his leadership, things would've been ridiculously difficult early on. But Junpei also knew that he was getting stronger… and he'd surpass Minato soon.
When they reached the fifth floor, they found what appeared to be a clearing and a green device similar to the one at the entrance off in a corner. Minato approached it and smacked the top of it with the hilt of his sword. It began to glow like one of the access points.
"Hmm… could you try using that? I'd like to test something," Mitsuru asked.
"This could be a trap, Boss… every access point has already been activated. So why would this one be off?" David warned in his head.
"True..." Minato agreed mentally. "Junpei, come here for a second."
"S'up?" Junpei asked as he stood next to him. Without warning, backed off of the device and pushed him forwards, making him hit the button located on top of it. Junpei vanished instantly.
"What was that for?!" Yukari asked, running up to Minato.
"Just wait." Minato instructed, eyes fixed on the device. Before Yukari could protest, Junpei appeared on the device again, an angry look on his face.
"Hey man, what the hell was that for?!" he asked.
"We had to see if this really was a teleporter, so I volunteered you." Minato said with a shrug.
"You could at least warn me!" he screamed.
"But you're fine, right? Don't get worked up over nothing," Minato said, turning to continue down the hall. Junpei swore under his breath.
"Wait! It seems that there are three large Shadows in the center of that floor. They aren't moving but you'll need to defeat them if you plan on moving forwards," Mitsuru said.
"No sweat," Minato said, twirling his sword in his hand. "I don't think we can jump these guys, so get ready. I can probably take out one of them immediately, but don't let your guard down."
"Sure thing," Junpei grumbled. As they approached the center of the floor, three large eagles with IV carved on their masks simply hovered in the center of the room.
"Mitsuru-senpai, analyze," Minato said as he readied his Evoker. Mitsuru began scanning when the fight started.
"Danse Macabre!" Minato yelled as he fired. Jack popped up behind an eagle and proceeded to annihilate it completely. Minato staggered back as Jack disappeared. That still wasn't a move he could use often.
Yukari and Junpei ran next to him and summoned almost simultaneously.
"Garu!"
"Agi!"
A tornado struck first, followed by a fireball. The intended target, the eagle closest to them, flew through it, unfazed. Minato grabbed Yukari and dashed out of the way, leaving Junpei alone. He tried to raise his katana to intercept it, but only succeeded in getting a nasty gash on his shoulder.
"The enemy uses wind attacks and is unaffected by wind, light, and dark, and can absorb fire!" Mitsuru said. "It seems that piercing attacks are its weakness!"
"Time for that bow to shine," Minato said, raising his Evoker once more. "Get ready, the last one is coming for us!"
Yukari took aim at the Shadow heading straight towards her as Minato moved aside. He summoned again.
"David, Sukunda!" he shouted. The Fiend appeared above him and played a quick jig that abruptly turned into a diminuendo. The Shadow slowed in midair, giving Yukari enough time to put an arrow in it, causing it crash to the floor. "Another!" Minato commanded.
Yukari shot it again, this time in the wing for good measure. As the Shadow struggled to get up, Minato jumped on it and began to hack away at it. It struggled and raged underneath him, but he severed its wings and rapidly stabbed it in what he thought was the back of its head.
"That's its ass, Boss!" Jack screamed. Minato turned around, falling on it as he did, and severed its head. It disappeared into the same ichor all Shadows seemed to become. He quickly rose and turned to check on Junpei and Yukari, and almost wished he hadn't.
Junpei was crumpled into a ball on the floor next to a wall, his katana feet from him to his right. He was bleeding profusely from his chest and stomach. Yukari had a few scars on her back, but was now focusing mainly on avoiding the Shadow's strafing runs at her. She was clearly at a disadvantage, with her Persona's only attack being wind based.
"Damn, looks like Junpei tried to take it alone." Minato thought as he ran towards them. "He knows he's weak to wind moves. He should've asked for support!"
"A man's pride can be both his greatest strength and weakness," David said suddenly.
"Boss, he still doesn't accept you as leader," Jack added. "You've gotta straighten him out, or else he'll kill himself."
Minato mulled over these thoughts as he summoned David once more, casting Sukunda on the eagle. Yukari shot it out of the sky again, and it died easily once grounded.
"Whew…" Yukari sighed as Minato finished the Shadow. A look of horror crossed her face as she realized that Junpei was busy dying in the corner. "Junpei!"
"Jack, David… can I give my Magatama's effect to somebody else?" Minato asked as he approached the two of them.
"No can do, Boss. That would be like giving that person a part of your soul." Jack answered. Minato mentally cursed, and pulled out the single revival bead he had found earlier. He walked over, moved Yukari aside, and made Junpei eat it. He almost choked on it, but was alive.
"Augh, dude, what the hell?!" Junpei coughed as he rose, clutching his stomach. The wounds on his upper body had closed, leaving slight scars, but his stomach was still in bad condition.
"I guess it does work like a Senzu Bean," Minato said. He looked at Yukari, who nodded. She summoned Io and used Dia on Junpei, fixing his stomach then on herself, fixing her back. "You good to go? I won't judge anyone if they want to stop for today."
Junpei scowled. "The bastard got lucky. Let's keep going, man."
"C'mon, Junpei, don't let it get to you. You should know when it's time to call it quits." Yukari said.
"…Let's go take a break in the lobby for a bit. I'm a little tired now… I used three skills, after all," Minato said, sheathing his sword. He didn't say that it was because he wanted to visit the Rooms.
"If you need a break, then sure. Can't go forward without our leader, right?" Junpei asked. Minato knew he was insulting him, but pretended not to notice.
"Watch it, Junpei… I don't have a problem beating you within an inch of your life. Especially since I know I can bring you back in a flash." Minato thought as he stepped onto the teleporter.
"You should do that a few times to show him how weak he really is," David suggested.
"I bet if we lopped off a leg, he wouldn't be so jumpy," Jack added. There was silence. "What? That was a good pun!"
"You and Ikutsuki would love each other," Minato thought. He reappeared in the lobby, and was immediately drawn to the golden clock. The Dark Hour still had around forty minutes left, according to its singular hand, but he realized there was a little slot for offerings at the base. Junpei and Yukari had soon arrived from the teleporter, and he called them over.
"What now, man?" Junpei asked, annoyed. Minato wordlessly dropped money into the slot, and he felt that all of his exhaustion and wounds began to heal. He watched the clock as it turned backwards one full cycle, resting at the same place it had been beforehand. He turned to Junpei and Yukari. They had scars beforehand, but they were all but gone. Both of them noticed the regeneration as well, and looked at themselves, awestruck.
"The clock can reverse any damage we take," Minato said. "But it costs money."
"Tres bien, Minato," Mitsuru said, watching the scene from afar. "A teleporter and a method to heal ourselves... Perhaps Tartarus wants to be explored?"
"Dude, who cares?!" Junpei yelled He had returned to normal after his fatigue was cured. "Let's go kick some more Shadow ass!"
"Seriously?... Well, I guess I wouldn't mind a few more floors," Yukari said. Minato chuckled.
"Lemme visit some friends first," he said, walking off to the corner. "Be back in a flash!"
With that, he disappeared into blue butterflies, and reappeared in the Velvet Room. Igor was waiting for him, his classic smile somewhat returned.
"Ah, there you are," Igor greeted. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. Well… I suppose it's time for me to explain what I really do here. It is my job to create new Personas. But in order to do that, I must fuse the ones you currently have together… In other words, I shall merge them into a single Persona. Furthermore, if you've established a Social Link, you may create even stronger Persona. As you accumulate more and more Personae, please, bring them to me before you offer them."
"Ah, you saw that, huh?" Minato chuckled. "Don't worry, I've still got some. Let's see what we can make."
After learning about fusion spreads, Minato discovered that he could only make Nekomata, who seemed pretty useless, and Omoikane, which he was certain was a tentacle rape monster. Obviously, he went for Omoikane.
As the fusion began, however, the Card of the Beast appeared on the table and the flames on his Candelabra flickered wildly. Igor grimaced.
"It would seem that your new card allows you to force certain skills onto your Personas during fusion, ignoring whether they can inherit them. It eliminates the element of chance altogether…" he said. Minato grinned.
"Hell yeah, Boss! Now all of your Personas will be almost as badass as us!" Jack screamed as he popped into existence, a small floating skull next to Minato.
"Who knows? Maybe a few of them might actually be worth using now," David added.
"Let's find out, shall we?" Minato asked. He focused, and saw Omoikane's skills. Zio, an electric move, and Dia, a healing spell. He could choose two more, so he threw Slime's Bash and Apsaras' Bufu on as well.
His Persona appeared as cards, floating above the table. They slowly rose, the Card of the Beast sending forth waves of some black energy into each, until they stopped, and a flash of light erupted between the two of them. Omoikane appeared, looking at Minato. He vanished wordlessly and Minato knew he had entered his soul.
"Personae created unnaturally lose their individuality," Igor stated. "Omoikane should have introduced himself…"
"That's only a minor setback, Master," Elizabeth said. "After all, our guest will now have more control over his power than previously thought possible." Igor sat in silence, contemplating this.
"I'll tell you if anything weird happens," Minato said, rising from his seat. "Thanks for everything."
"One moment, please." Elizabeth said suddenly. "I actually have a few requests for you… if the Master would allow me to ask. Naturally, you will be rewarded for completing them."
Igor turned to Elizabeth, and then to Minato. "I see no more harm in your request, Elizabeth."
"Wonderful!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Minato could swear he saw Igor's eyes brighten a little. He really was a nice guy.
Elizabeth then proceeded to inform Minato of her slightly convoluted request system, but he got the basics down. Some quests had time limits, others didn't, and each was pretty self-explanatory. However, he quickly realized a flaw in her plans.
"How am I supposed to carry a beetle shell from a gigantic beetle here?" Minato asked as she finished her list of requests.
"I'm glad you asked! I have spoken to the owner of the Crimson Room on the matter, and he has given me a wonderful contraption. Behold!" she said, and with a flourish, she pulled out a tiny black box. "The Dimensional Compactor! Simply open the box in front of the intended target, and it will be instantly stored inside! Similarly, opening it with some of the contents in mind will cause them to reappear."
Minato laughed. Loudly. For a good minute. Then he took the box. Looked at it. And laughed again.
"Lucifer's really planned for everything, huh?" Minato asked, calming down.
"Indeed. He knows far more than I expected," Elizabeth said. "I trust you will pay him a visit now?"
"That's the plan," Minato said. He realized as he put the Compactor in his pocket that his pockets were actually quite packed. He then decided to use his headphone wire, and strap the compactor to his wrist. He'd need new headphones soon.
"Tell him Elizabeth sent greetings, and would enjoy speaking again at his earliest convenience."
Minato nodded, and left the Velvet Room. His friends were still resting, and he eyed the clock. It hadn't moved. He then entered the Crimson Room.
He greeted Lucifer with his customary bow, and took his seat. "Elizabeth sends greetings, Master, and wants to speak again," he said.
"I know." he answered simply. "Are you interested in how much Macca you've acquired?"
"Of course," Minato answered eagerly.
"Thirsty for more power, eh?" Lucifuge asked with a smile. Paimon laughed.
"You've managed to acquire 720 Macca," Lucifer said. "It would seem you can acquire a new Magatama. Interested?" Minato may as well have been a dog with a treat hanging in front of his eyes. "For 500 Macca, you can purchase a Magatama that grants you increased speed and flexibility forever… Focusing on it will immensely increase your speed to levels that far surpasses any mere mortal's… Of course, you will lose the previous effects for twice as long as you used it... Should you use the effect for more than ten minutes… well, I'll let you see what happens." Minato laughed.
"Have I ever told you I love you?" Minato asked, leaning back in his chair. "No, seriously, I do. You've been helping me out constantly, friend." He pulled out the Card of the Beast, and felt something change within it.
"The price has been paid. Here," Lucifer said, with a wave of his hand. Another Magatama appeared on the table in front of him, and Minato ate it without a second thought. Again, he felt as if he died for a moment, only to return stronger than normal. He saw Lucifer smiling wider than usual.
"The Master would prefer that you not believe him to be overly charitable," Paimon said. "After all, there are also a few things you need to do for us in your world."
"Yes… the Master has a few connections he wants you to establish. Return during the day, and he will send you to a few. These connections… they will give you tasks to accomplish. Do them not only for Master, but for yourself… though it seems you have already met one of them." Lucifuge said.
"Kazuya," Minato said. Lucifer nodded.
"His tasks will change you… but it will be for the better. If you haven't already noticed, these connections also double as your Social Links." Paimon said. "Handy, isn't it?"
"Any friend of his," Minato began, gesturing to Lucifer, "Is a friend of mine." Lucifer smiled.
"I am thine Master… And thou art my disciple… He who possesses the Card of the Beast… I give to thee a portion of my Majesty… Thou shalt draw forth hidden strength from thine Fiends… And thou shalt bask in my Light… The Light of Lucifer…" Lucifer said. Minato bowed, his own strength increasing even more. "Now, go forth. Enjoy your newfound abilities."
"The pleasure is all mine, Master," Minato said, raising his head. "I'll see you around. Later."
With that, he left, returning to the Tartarus lobby. "Let's go," he said quickly, moving to the teleporter. Junpei and Yukari grinned and followed him.
Floors six to nine introduced new shadows, none of which were remotely challenging. Even the beetles he had to hunt, resistant to physical attacks, could be hacked to death once knocked over by a wind or electric attack. He used the dimensional Compactor, but nobody questioned him this time. They had gotten used to his antics.
No shadow could resist SEES, and Minato's newfound speed made him even deadlier at close combat. Junpei was becoming proficient with his sword, and Yukari's new bow had enough power to stop weaker Shadows in their tracks.
"Is it just me, or did he get better all of a sudden?" Yukari asked Junpei as they killed a Shadow trying to flee from them. She was watching Minato dash at a Shadow at a ridiculously fast pace, only to turn, backflip over it, and slice down through its back. The Shadow died instantly.
"No kidding…" Junpei muttered. Minato turned and waved to them as he approached.
"So I got my beetle shells!" he exclaimed as he approached. "Now, I just need to find a golden Shadow and kill it."
"Why are you doing this, again?" Yukari asked.
"A resident of one of the rooms I visit, Elizabeth, asked me to get her some stuff. Some of it is dropped by Shadows in Tartarus… I need to hunt a golden shadow to get it." Minato explained.
"Ya mean like those two over there?" Junpei whispered. Everyone turned to see two golden Shadows apparently trying to sneak away from them. They looked like hands.
"Good eye," Minato commented. SEES immediately began a stealthy pursuit. Unlike other Shadows, however, the new golden ones noticed, and took off at an alarming rate, splitting up. "TAKE THE OTHER ONE!"
Minato rushed towards the Shadow that broke right, leaving Junpei and Yukari in his dust. They looked to see him turn quickly again.
"Like hell we're gonna catch that one!" Yukari yelled, frustrated. "Let's follow Minato." They took off after him, only to see something incredible.
The Shadow began running along the wall, at superhuman speeds. Minato closed his eyes, focused on his Magatama, and took off after it. He ran up the wall, gaining on it, and then bounded past it. The Shadow jumped to the opposite wall, but Minato jumped once more, intercepting it in midair. He sliced right through it, grabbing the coin it dropped and crashing into the stairs for the next floor. He pulled on the power for a minute, and stopped once he got to his feet. He felt sluggish to himself, but knew everything would return to normal soon.
"Dude, what the hell?" Junpei asked, panting as he approached. Yukari was lagging behind him. "How did you do that?"
"Indeed, Minato…" Mitsuru began over the intercom. "You abandoned your comrades. I expect a real explanation."
"One of the Rooms I visits gives me magical items that I absorb. I can use them whenever I want, and they enhance my physical abilities." Minato answered. He stated it in a matter of fact manner, uncaring of any weird looks he received. "Shall we go?"
A bit tired, the trio was more than glad to see a teleporter on the tenth floor. They used the clock once more, only for Minato to realize he was practically out of money, and the Dark Hour barely had twenty minutes left.
"Minato," Mitsuru said as she approached him. "After defeating the floor guardians of the tenth floor, I advise you to end the operation. After all, a leader must consider the status of his allies."
He turned, and, to his surprise, both Yukari and Junpei looked as if they were ready to pass out. He was so absorbed in testing his new powers that he hadn't even realized they were on the verge of collapse. The clock could restore the body and refresh the mind, but it couldn't stop real exhaustion
"Guys…" he said, turning to face them. "I can deal with this one alone if you want… I should've seen how tired you were."
"Tch. No way," Junpei said, hoisting himself up.
"Knowing you, you'll end up in a different dimension or whatever," Yukari said. Minato looked them over. He would let them join him… but he would end the fight quickly.
"Then, let's end this." Minato said. They used the teleporter, and, in the center of the room waited three pink and white hands that looked like differently colored versions of the golden Shadow he killed.
"I took the liberty to analyze them already. These enemies are resistant to all types of magic, but weak to blunt force trauma," Mitsuru said. "I hope you have a Persona with the right ability. Your weapons aren't suited for this battle."
Minato grinned. He sheathed his sword and walked forward.
"Oh shit, Boss is about to get real!" David screamed excitedly in his head.
"KICK THEIR ASSES!" Jack screamed.
"Cover me, Yukari," Minato said. He summoned Jack, casting Tarukaja on himself. He activated his Magatama and moved forward at an impossible speed. Using his momentum, he stepped in front of the first Shadow and accomplished one of his childhood dreams.
"SHIN!" he yelled, punching the shadow up once with his right hand. "SHO!" he screamed, following it up with a second, lightning fast hit from his left, putting the Shadow properly into the air. He shifted, and did an impossible spinning uppercut. "RYUKEN!"
The first Shadow hand flew upwards into the roof, dying upon impact. Junpei and Yukari were frozen in place. Mitsuru had no comment. The other two Shadows were similarly confused. Once Minato landed, he dashed towards another and did a spinning jump. He extended his leg.
"TATSUMAKI SENPUKYAKYU!" he yelled. He had copied the move perfectly, and knocked the Shadow to the floor. He finished it by jumping to the roof, bouncing off of it, and doing an impossibly fast curbstomp. Unfortunately, he broke the leg he used in the impact. Regardless, he used his second Magatama, instantly healing himself, and turned to the last Shadow. It was panicking, and turned to run.
"JOUDAN SOKUTOGERI!" Minato yelled, bounding on the Shadow in a flash and kicking with all his might and speed. He sent the shadow flying into the wall, and drew his Evoker. "Omoikane, Bash!" he shouted, pulling the trigger. Behind him, the giant brain raised its mass of tentacles in the air and slammed it down on the Shadow, splattering it. He stopped calling on his Magatama. The fight lasted less than a minute.
After Minato silently returned from getting his newfound treasures, he grabbed the awestruck Junpei and Yukari, and returned to the lobby. Mitsuru was equally stunned, but he managed to get them to return to the dorm for the night. He was extremely tired without the regenerative abilities at his disposal, but he still failed to sleep. So he made some tea and watched the Dark Hour fade away.