Chapter twenty, took a while but I'd say things are mostly progressing as I'd planned. This chapter marks the start of the endgame of the first quarter of the story.

I do not own anything.

Chapter 20-The Red Reflection

"Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."

Perhaps being a dog of war was better than a bastard dog, or maybe there was no difference between them. They were good for only killing and destroying, both of which Goro knew quite a bit about. If he had to guess, so too did his canine opponent. It was a service dog, or a former service dog. Like him, the god's eyes glowed with the tempered flame that came from seeing combat.

Crimson and teal-colored sparks exploded from their first collision. Normally, when his laser blade met flesh it cut through it with amazingly ease, not that he got to use it on living flesh often. Instead, his blade was pushed back as if it had met a power of equal strength to its own. His mind racing and his blood pounding in his ears, Goro glanced at the fangs of his bestial foe. Since entering the Metaverse he'd been able to see things he couldn't before; in this case, he saw the near silvery shine of the dog's teeth. Animal teeth weren't supposed to glisten like that.

So, he's moved onto experimenting on animals. Why am I not surprised! His right foot shot backwards to balance himself as he raised his sword arm again, still shaking a little from the previous clash. Expectedly, the modified dog leaped at him again, this time using its claws for a frontal assault. They too glistened with silver light that was in every way unnatural for an earthly animal.

Both combatants fell backward, but one regained their footing faster than the other. Goro sucked in a breath as he watched a red glow line the canine's fur, which stood up on end making it look less like fur and more like a coat of razors. His tightly guarded nerd-knowledge sprung to the forefront of his mind.

Instead of attempting another parry that would off-balance him, he dodged, right at the last second.

Even he had to admit, there was something darkly spectacular about watching the beast curl itself into a ball as it launched itself at him. It seemed like an attack torn from some anime or video game; then again, the Metaverse was a place that blended reality with fantasy with impunity. Though he was successful in avoiding injury, it was still a little too close for comfort. Goro could practical feel the energized hair needles gliding across his white and gold-accented uniform as he twisted his body to the side. While a part of him wanted to relax, the fighter in him warned that it wasn't over, not by a mile.

He was proven right as the dog skidded to a stop, leaving drag marks on the floor of the subway car. Flames shot from the canine's clenched jaws, once its blood-colored eyes met Goro's, the jaws opened and out came a red-hot fireball aimed directly at his chest.

The Quasar Saber burst into a torrent of teal-colored fire that was swung upward. Intertwined with the flames was now a lining of plasma energy that propelled the attack upward, straight through the ceiling. Within seconds of the deflection the teenage assassin's right hand drew his pistol, his fingers squeezing down on the trigger; four gold-lined shots burst from the muzzle.

None of them had any visible affect upon the empowered beast. The entire train car became awash in blistering hot heat, which was visible in the flaming aura surrounding the larger-than-average attack dog staring him down. They collected around the jaws, Goro's heart skipped a beat as he realized what was coming. A second later and the beast opened its maw releasing a concentrated blast of flames that would have incinerated him on the spot had he mounted a defense of his own.

"Phoenix! Fire Break!" Shouted the brown-haired youth dismissing his laser pistol and putting his right hand to his face. Manifesting in a cloud of blue flames that quickly became orange and yellow, came the firebird of legend.

Instead of hitting him, the fire blast was deflecting to the sides, melting away the metal and glass of the subway car as if it were paper. Ordinarily, this would have been when alarms started to sound and passengers scream in terror as they jumped from their seats and demanded the train to stop. There were no passengers on this otherworldly subway nor was there any stopping this train. Even with Phoenix's protection up, the Persona-user still felt traces of the heat licking at his skin, a testament to the power of the dog, but also of his own Sun-aligned Persona shielding him as he could have been feeling worse.

Seconds after the attack began, Phoenix decided to end it. Flapping its wings, the bird sent shockwaves of heat and ember rocketing outward causing the entire train car to shake like a toy. As her wings flew outwards a circle of flame-like markings materialized, then broke apart releasing an orange-colored wave that washed over enclosed space.

Surprise momentarily colored the attack dog's face as it realized that its fire attacks were no longer an option. It didn't spend too much dwelling on them; the beast decided to go the physical route by lunging at him with gleaming white fangs that could easily tear into his flesh. Goro was prepared for it though. Dismissing his Persona, he stepped to the side just enough that the lunging beast was still within his striking range. He timed it right, raising his laser blade just as the dog's midsection passed before him.

He didn't smile as blood flew upward from the wound. Goro never particularly thought of himself as a sadist, at least not when it came to harming anyone who hadn't personally slighted him. This dog was the same as him, something breed to kill and as soon as its duty was accomplished it'd be tossed away like a dirty rag. That connection, that similarity is why he felt a ping of guilt as the massive canine slammed against the seats, blood spilling from its wound.

It was unknown if the beast felt similar sympathy for him, it certainly didn't act like it as its head rose and shook off the dizziness from its failed attack. Teeth and fangs were upon Goro in seconds, only kept at bay thanks to the cackling mass of energy projected from his cutlass-like hilt. Goro stumbled backward, all the way up to the scorching hot metal that was the wall. Droplets of canine saliva dripped against his knees as he attempted to steel them.

Murderous hatred was reflected in the dog's eyes as it tried its hardest to chew through his energy blade and rip his neck open. Gnashing his own teeth, Goro tried to think of a way to turn the tide of the struggle before such a thing came to pass. He imagined it would take him long to bleed out along the floor of the train car; actually, such a fate seemed almost preferable to being dragged back to Shido a bloodied and broken mess. Just the mere thought caused all the muscles in his body to flare up giving him the strength to push back against the canine monster. What had been a compressed blade suddenly burst into a roaring teal-colored torrent of energy that forced the dog back.

SLISH!

Yelping in pain, the attack dog seemingly backed away as smoke rose from the wound stretching from its right side snout down its neck. Its jaws must have hurt as well as Goro's Quasar Saber glowed with a brightness that lived up to its name. His own eyes were illuminated with an azure light in the lankness of the flames he and his fellow Phantom Thieves manifested when summoning their Personas. His blue-lined eyes met the blood-colored orbs of the beast, both charged at one another with the intent to kill and maim driving their bodies.

If Goro's laser blade wasn't cackling before then it certainly was it once more was caught in the jaws of the genetically modified attack dog. Arcs of bright green and white lightning lashed out in all directions, tearing holes and jagged lines in the subway car as the two powers struggled against each other. This time, the animal wasn't messing around as it took Goro placing his free arm on his left arm to kept his blade level and his attacker at bay as it attempted to crush the energy blade in-between its jaws. He knew if he was to get out of this alive he was going to have to summon more power from within, something he was growing quite used to.

On your six! Blared his two main Personas, the fact that they were speaking in unison could only have meant that it was serious.

Twisting his head around, he saw it indeed was. "Oh, come on!" Running at him with equal sharp fangs was another attack dog, this one slightly smaller than the one he was currently trying to hold off. Not wasting any more time on curses, he whipped out his pistol and began firing, his aim being only half-accurate as he already had something else to worry about. A few of his shots connected, and unlike the larger dog, they did some visible damage. Heart-racing, he careful aimed one last shot, hitting the dog square in the head. He didn't waste time patting himself on the back, he had one shot left in his current cartage and knew what he had to use it for. Swinging his arm around, he pointed the muzzle directly at the dog biting down on his Quasar Saber.

Before he could squeeze down on the trigger, his back hairs stood up on end. Goro knew what that meant.

Crashing down the broken window and tarnished steel exterior came a third dog, its maw open and claws out. This time, they dug into Goro like demonic hooks as his body flew sideways, his focus temporarily lost. The impact against the opposite wall hurt, but the feeling of being torn into by a wild animal hurt more. Pain flared through his body from two sides; instinctively, he blindly lashed out with his elbow feeling something connect. For a second, the pain dulled, then it came back twice as strong. There was more wild flailing about, but it didn't do any good as the larger hound and its companion were now tearing into him like a chew toy.

Everything hurt, worse than any physical agony he'd experienced prior. Goro didn't have to think hard as to why.

This was where his journey had led him, where he always knew things were going to end. Still, he was a little torn on rather or not getting torn apart by dogs was worse than a crowd of people cheering for his death. With the latter, he could have at least remained defiant to the end unlike here were all he could do was uselessly cover himself and blindly strike out in half-hearted hopes of survival. It was a pathetic but fitting end to a life such as his.

Something inside of him disagree.

Roaring in defiant fury, his struggles became fiercer, slightly surprising his attackers, who responded by biting down harder. The scent of blood filled nostrils. It was liquid fuel to some hidden machine inside of him. He fought harder, his laser blade flailing about and his free hand clenched into a fist that meaninglessly lashed out again and again.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

One of the bodies mauling him went limp, the other backed off. His ears perked up at the sound of gunshots that apparently weren't aimed at him. Wide-eyed, he jerked to the direction they'd come from, his bloody mouth falling over at who his unlikely savior was.

Up until now, he'd never seen Jō's "business face", though he'd sometimes wondered what it looked like. As he stood across from him, his pistol held leveled at the attacks dogs, he got to see it. A straight frown that conveyed little to no emotion and cold eyes that could have frozen over a raging inferno. Briefly, they swerved to meet Goro's; they softened for a fraction of a second before hardening again. Blood lay splattered against his pants leg and shoulder; a thin red stream rolled down his left shoulder, from where he spotted a couple of claw-like markings.

Bearing its fangs, the large attack dog howled and began charging at the retired killer.

"Jō! Jō, you have to get away!" Yelled the teenager as he struggled to stand up in spite of his injuries. "You can't take that thing on head-on! It's not a normal dog!"

"I can see that; normal dogs go down in a single shot!" Shouted back the older male as he continued to fire upon the approaching beast. He didn't seem phased by the fact that none of his shots were doing any sort of damage. The man deserved credit for keeping his cool faced with such an oddity. Maybe because he had a plan. Jō's eyes flashed as the canine leaped at him with its paws stretched out. With great expertise he ducked while rolling forward; his right arm shot out, a knife held tight in his fingers. As he came out of his evasive roll Goro spotted several streaks of blood falling from the blade, which itself glowed with a bluish-silver light he recognized.

From across the capable car the two sides stared each other down. Humans and beasts, yet all sides bastards in every sense of the word.

"I gotta say, that's probably the biggest Belgian Malinois I've ever seen. Not even the finest breeders in the Navy could get them to grow that big." Goro don't bother to question how Jō knew the species, but it was a bit helpful to know what they were up against. "Shido has some deep pockets, eh? Then again, I know some people in the Navy who are into black marketing and contraband. Whoever sold those puppies must have gotten quite a paycheck in return.

Groaning as he sat up, the teenager decided not to dig too much into his senpai's statement. He already had enough to worry about. "If I had to guess, Shido's had them modified somehow. Make no mistake, he's got the resources and callousness to experiment on innocent animals."

"Wannabe dictators always have traits like that." Chuckled the old hitman. His brown eyes briefly swerved to the wounded teen then back to their canine foe. "As soon as I kill this thing, we're getting off this train and I'm giving you first-aid. No arguments."

His voice told Goro that if he tried to back-talk him it'd only end badly. While he had no intention of doing so, there was another reason. Once more, his back hairs stood on end. His ears perked up as they picked up the sound of metal being pounded against.

In spite of the pain, he jumped upward, his arms moving to reload his laser pistol then moving it toward the ceiling. He fired several shots, and in turn heard at least two feral shouts of pain confirming his fears. Across from them, the lead dog barked, a command to its packmates above the pair of humans.

Well, this is a fine mess I've gotten myself into! Let's see how I can get out of it! Snarled the old killer as he prepared his body for another go-round with the modified attack dog.

If I live through this, I don't think I'll be taking the subway for a while. His enhanced senses served to give him some indication as to where the next attack was going to come from. All Goro could do was wait out the short seconds before hand.

The two assassins felt their backs press up against one another. Jō summoned all the strength in his body to hold back the dog snapping at his face and neck. Rolling off the jaws was the strong scent of blood, the blood of his kohai. Something inside of him ignited, giving him the extra push he needed to keep the canine at bay, much to its frustration as it tried in vain to overpower the old killer.

Based on the howls and cries of pain Goro could tell his shots were hitting something, they just weren't the killing blows he would have liked. For a splint second, the metal ceiling groaned, then it burst open in a shower of shrapnel and sparks as what came down was another attack dog, this one having arcs of bright-yellow lightning cackling between its fangs.

Oh joy, Chuckled his monochrome-colored Persona. This one knows Thunder Fang! Hey, think the big one over there knows Super Fang? It certainly knows Crunch and Bite from the way it was digging into you earlier!

Holding down the urge to reprimand Loki, Goro waited until the perfect moment to attack. Flipping his pistol into a reverse grip, he swung it with all the force his wounded arm could muster; his free right arm reached back to grip his Quasar Saber. Seconds after hitting the sidewall it seemed the attack dog was getting back up to attack again. Following a swift stab through the stomach its body went deathly still, especially after the energy blade briefly enlarged itself at Goro's behest. Gnashing his teeth, he brought his blade upward, energy still surging into it from his body. What came out was an crescent-shaped burst of emerald energy that smashed through the roof of the train car.

Ignoring the aftermath, the rogue hitman spun around and leveled his left-hand pistol on what lay behind him-his Hangman mentor struggling to hold back a hound from hell. Getting a clear shot was difficult, too difficult, so he went for grazing shots. After several of them the dog yelped in pain giving Jō the window needed to hit back, a knee-strike to the belly followed by an outright kick.

With the beast shaken and away, Goro could finally get a clear shot, which was exactly what he set out to do.

Hatred and defiance flashed in the former Navy dog's eyes as it caught sight of the toy-pistol aimed at it. Its maw opened, this time it wasn't fire or lightning that came out of it, just soundwaves, pure bone-rattling sound.

The hell is this?! It's like I'm being tasered! Screamed Jō as he felt as if his entire body had been shackled and bound in place. For the first time in a long while, he felt something resembling fear seize his heart. A cold sweat ran down his forehead and arms. He immediately began fighting against the feeling with all of his might.

In a similar boast was the younger assassin, his mind racing at a hundred miles a minute. T-This roar, i-it's some kind of fear-inducer!

If dogs could have smiled than both males were sure that's exactly what the attack dog was doing. A single smile before it lunged at them intent on finally rending the humans to pieces.

Move! Move! MOVE!

Pure willpower, it had been all the two bastards had had to rely on since they were young. It hadn't always been ideal, but it had gotten them through, time after time. Born into such cauldrons with little warmth they had no choice but to use the fires of their willpower and hatred to move them. Time after time, it had seen the young Persona-user and ex-gangster through. And it did so again.

Two bodies surged forward, slamming hard into that of the lunging dog, shocking it and its masters from behind its transmitter. On the other end, the signal went dark as operators and observers struggled to figure out what had happened. The answer was quite simple-Goro Akechi and Jō Shishido weren't ready to die yet, and most certainly not at the jaws of some genetically altered attack dog.

Said dog landed on its backside, disoriented and dazed as it struggled and flailed to turn about on its legs. Its would-be prey were intent on not giving the beast that opportunity. Their free arms went for the neck to hold it down while their other arms gripped their respective weapons tightly. Goro's laser blade burned with emerald light which contrasted to the red-stains on his formerly pure white uniform. Jō had switched out his combat knife for a new weapon, an improvement over his original. Rather than looking like some "run-of-the-mill" weapon, the machete showed signs of technological refinement. Blue Tron-lines ran up the length of the blade giving it a near futuristic appearance which nicely complimented its stylized handle. Hidden beneath his clenched fingers was a blue light that served as an indicator that the weapon was at full power.

But instead of the intended target Jō was forced to use it on another enemy, one coming from his and Goro's six o'clock. A furry-shaped spinning disc was held at bay by his blade. Jō gripped the weapon harder, commanding what power lay within to respond to him, it did. With a roar, he pushed the second dog back. Goro was forced to divert his attention as well. Coming bounding at him was a third dog, this one with enlarged jaws he knew would leave him and his companion seriously hurting if they sunk into them. Re-positioning his laser blade, he pointed the tip toward the approaching threat and called forth the supernatural power within him.

Within his ear came the demonic laughter of Loki, a phantasmal finger tracing the air before him. A shudder filled the train car seconds before Goro's laser blade extended several feet, no longer green and white but instead blood-red with green arcs jumping about. The earlier tactic of biting down on the blade to stop it no longer worked for the canines. In seconds the third dog was kabobbed, its body going deathly still as its internal organs were cooked by the supernatural heat of the elongated sword. Growling in his throat, Goro raised his weapon upward, completely splitting the dog in two as the laser blade traveled skyward, cutting a clean path through the metal ceiling.

Amidst the commotion, the lead dog managed to wiggle out of the hold of the two assassins. Jumping back, it snarled in fury at their attempts to kill it as well at the deaths of its packmates. It was the last straw.

Exploding from the lead dog was a mass of crimson flames that charged the air with malicious power. Needless to say, it caught the attention of both males. Goro's eyes went wider than Jō's as he knew what was coming, but they both could see it.

Rising behind the mortal dog was a monstrous dog, a canine demon bearing three heads.

"Is that what I think it is?" Snarled the veteran assassin bracing himself for what was likely going to be his last go-round.

Goro stepped forward. "Jō-san, stay behind me." Placing his hand to his face, the teen ran through his options, realizing there was only one, especially as he felt the energy build-up in his opponent. Three jaws filled with hot flames that would burn through his protective clothing and roast his and his companion like pigs. There was a brief huff before all three maws opened; fire exploded in every direction.

Jō felt his heart skip a beat seconds before everything went black. Though his instincts told him to keep his eyes on his opponent, they instead went to his unlikely kohai. Life turned surreal in that moment-his mind flashed back to a distant time. A woman with pitch-black hair and cold amber-colored eyes was staring him down, demanding for him to remove himself from her presence. He had every intention of doing so, but someone was holding his hand, keeping him in press.

"He's my brother! Like hell I'm just going to abandon him!"

Exploding toward him was a tidal wave of orange and yellow, stopping short thanks to a glass-like barrier that appeared seemingly from out of nowhere. Their path forward blocked, the flames rapidly extended in every other direction.

Eyes slammed shut, jaws clenched, and muscles tensed, and finally everything went black.

"So they…called you a bastard dog, huh? Anything else?"

She knew there was something else, something in particular. It was the reason why the young brown-haired boy couldn't meet his mother's eye. He couldn't bear to see his sorry state reflected in her tearful eyes. Equally so, she couldn't take seeing him looking so despondent. Arms reached out and pulled the child into a tight embrace. Tears slipped from the eyes of mother and son as they allowed their emotions to break free.

This wasn't the first time, and it surely wasn't going to be the last.

This was their fate, one they could not escape from.

Not in life at least. There was one escape from the ridicule and mockery they both endured.

Precisely three years from now she'd find that escape and seize it for herself leaving the boy alone to face the continued mockery alone.

"Why…why did you leave me, mommy? Did you…did you really hate me that much?"

The answer never came, and slowly the boy accepted that it probably never would. Then again, the answer might have always been there and he just didn't want to accept it. In the end, he supposed it didn't really matter; he'd come too far to turn back.

Besides, he also made a promise to her, a promise that he wouldn't give up until the end.

"-oro, Goro, come-on, kid. Just open your eyes for me." Came the distinct male voice from the edge of the abyss. "You've been through worse than this, right? So get your ass up, we've still got some things to do."

Quicker than he realized, the youth was fighting his way out of the darkness toward the light. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard of a thing to do, maybe because the rogue himself was brimming with active energy that propelled him forward. Reaching out, he found the light and cracked open his eyes. Immediately, pain raked his body; he took it as a sign that he was still alive for if he were dead then he wouldn't have been feeling much of anything.

In the background fire crackled and smoke drifted across the sky. Slowly, memories drifted across his mind reminding him of what had happened. His canine foe had attempted a massive fire attack in such a confined space, the results had been…less than desirable for either party.

Groaning, he sat upright, at least partially acknowledging the sharp jolts of agony that shot through his body. He looked down and sighed in relief to find he had all four of his limbs, albeit banged up and bloodied from his previous ordeal.

"That didn't go as I expected." Admitted the brown-haired teen.

"Curiously, how exactly were you expecting things to go?" Questioned the older hitman with a raised eyebrow and humorous smirk. "You jump on a speeding train pursued by man-made hellhounds and…fight them off or become a human chew toy for them leaving the rest of us to do what? Mourn or drop everything and go risk you?"

"If you must know," he winced. "It was more of door number one, but things went…off the rails so to speak. You shouldn't have came after me."

"And you shouldn't have ran off on your own, but here we are. No use in complaining it now." He motioned to a nearby pillar just a few feet away. "Come on, I don't have a lot on me, but it may be enough to get you patched up so you can walk. I have no idea where we are or if the others can reach us, but something tells me we can't stay here."

Goro agreed with him, for more reasons than one.

A lone howl rose through the dark quiet of the crash site causing both hitmen to go still. Neither of them visible cursed or complained at the canine call, which was quickly answered by more. All they did was quietly steel themselves, rising to their feet with their weapons ready. Turning around, they stared at the twisted heap that was formerly a subway car, now little more than a hill of burning metal and shattered concrete with red lining. Standing at the top was the lead attack dog, and at its sides were new companions. All of their blood-colored eyes zeroed in on the two humans.

Blue flames surrounded the human teenager, red flames the lead dog. An archer rose up behind the former and a three-head hellhound behind the later. There was another howl, and then the battle began.

Robin Hood let loose four arrows, two of them hitting the manifesting Personas of the attack dogs while the others merely exploded on impact. Metal and debris were scattered in all directions, but all the combatants remained focus as ever. Through the smoke came three dogs, claws and jaws out.

Eyes cold as glaciers, Jō swung his machete while aiming his cut. In the blade's wake was a bluish-white trail that became spattered with red. His gun sounded shortly afterwards, each bullet sailing through the air and passing through flesh with sickening crunches. Still, the dogs got up and kept attacking. That was fine by Jō, he'd adjust to the speed of the dogs and was ready to counter attack when needed. After dodging a straight forward lung, another came at him with jaws cackling with electricity. It didn't bother him in the slightest for the end result of getting bit was the same if the dog was normal-pain.

SLISH!

He had to admit, he felt a ping of guilt at murdering the modified creatures. Many of these dogs were no doubt former service animals, having been trained and fought bravely for a flag and a country. Now they were down here, in this otherworldly hell being used up like pawns. It was sad, but no unexpected. The world was a cruel place, for man and beast alike.

Robin Hood stood strong against the three-headed hellhound that slammed into his energized bow. From a single glance he could tell this Cerberus was different, it was unnatural in every sense of the word. Shrugging off the beast's bite he stepped backward and notched three arrows, one for each head, and fired. Dark energy exploded from the three maws, meeting the arrows and exploding on contact. Amidst the clash Goro and the lead dog attacked one another, laser blade to fang and claw.

The world sure is full of surprises. Me, finding some kind of worthy opponent in a dog, a dog that for all I know is…just like me. His feet slid across the blood-caked floor as he twisted his body around to parry the oncoming attack. Sparks of green and black erupted from the meeting of laser and teeth. Annoyed, the dog barked, shooting out several bullet-sized masses of dark energy. With refined grace, Goro dodged them all, his eyes never once leaving the lead dog who seemed to be looking for an opportunity to attack. He decided to give it one with a feint, a stylistic twirl best saved for a ballroom instead of a battlefield.

The dog took the bait, lunging at him with its altered fangs dripping with saliva.

His face twisted into a dark smile as he leveled his blade at the approaching set of jaws. They were in just the position he wanted. This beast would meet its end the same one as it previous packmate did.

Except that didn't happen.

Multiple arcs of lightning twisted around the dog's teeth, tripling in intensity as they clamped down upon his energy blade. From the collision came a storm of yellow and teal-colored sparks of electricity that nearly blinded Goro. His left hand immediately grew hot as the fantastical circuitry that made his laser blade operate began to come under siege. A second later and the circuitry burnt out causing the blade to vanish right before Goro's eyes.

"SHIT!"

He was sure that the dog was grinning, that was the only explanation for the dark chill running up his spine. Or maybe that was just the realization that he was screwed.

The residual electricity was drawn into the dog's jaws further strengthening its fangs. If the bite didn't kill Goro or knock him out then the shock certainly would. Internally, he braced himself for the pain that was to follow, and prayed he'd have enough strength left over for some sort of counter attack.

Out of nowhere it came, a white pillar coming down hard upon the attacking dog, driving it into the ground.

Heart racing, Goro glanced upward, surprise coloring his face as Robin Hood smiled back at him. The smile didn't last long as the caped Persona's mouth retched open in a scream as two sets of jaws clamped down on his back. Tendrils of darkness exploded from the wounds while crystal-like cracks rapidly began to spread across the archer's body. There was no need or time to despair for his Persona, Goro felt his agony as if it were his own; because it was. Dropping his malfunctioning hilt, he gripped at his shoulders, unable to physically grasp the phantom pain now eating away at him.

Then came the next attack. His ears heard the ground cracking, yet his body was too sluggish to react. What he ended up with was a pair of teeth digging into his ankle. Goro threw his head back in a scream in agony as the pain was now coming from two places.

He was helpless, nothing but a lamb waiting to be butchered.

Turning its gaze toward him, the lead dog looked ready t do just that. While its Persona bore down upon Robin Hood it readied itself to dig into his flesh.

From the corner of his eye came a flash of silver and gray, it struck the dog in the side, blade driven in deep and blood sipping from the wound. Immediately, its gaze went to the one who'd thrown the knife-the bloodied but smirking veteran who lay surrounded by a number of dog corpses.

"You gonna keep playing around with the pup, or do you want a real challenge, Fido?" Jō leered.

Muscles bulged, literally. It was amazing and horrifying to watch as the already enhanced dog grew stronger, its size enough that it resembled more a wild cat than a dog. The machete was expelled from the body. Eyes glowing red with anger, the dog charged at Jō, its body leaving the ground as it changed into a spiraling mass of teeth and claws that zipped over the concrete.

Jō was fast enough to avoid getting torn in half, but not without taking a glancing blow to the side. Blood flooded his clenched jaws as his fell onto his side, pain coloring his vision a multitude of colors.

The younger assassin tried to reach forward, but the dog biting down on his ankle merely tightened its grip. Any more and Goro worried if his foot would be torn off completely. Goro's own eyes dilated as he reached for his pistol and aimed it at the beast holding him down. Violent anger flashed in the dog's eyes, highlighted by the crimson flames that sprung up around its body. He squeezed down on the trigger, not caring if he emptied an entire clip into the dog so long as it eventually let go. It did, once its face was reduced to little more than an unrecognizable mess of charred flesh and bone.

From above him, Robin Hood bellowed in outrage, finally finding the strength to throw off the Cerberus that had been gnawing at his shoulder. The wounds remained, but his strength and will was unscathed. Shooting forth, he caught the approaching attack of another hellhound, its giant jaws snapping at him as he wrapped both hands around the artificial Persona's mouth.

SNAP!

Goro directed his attention toward the battle between his unlikely mentor and the lead dog. Jō was losing. Throwing aside dissolving Persona, Robin took aim with his re-summoned bow. At his summoner's command, he let the empowered arrow fly. It impacted the Cerberus Persona with a resounding thud that was followed by several more. Just as the dog and its wounded Persona turned its attention to the humanoid pair, the Archer of Sherwood let his final arrow fly, its tip glowing with power. Jō saw it coming and did his best to scramble out of the way.

Boom!

Chunks of concrete was thrown outward in all directions, body parts too. Jō instinctively covered his face while Goro did his best to stand, his eyes narrowed. Both he and Robin Hood knew that wasn't enough to bring the lead dog down.

They were proven right as the smoke cleared to reveal a bloodied, but still very-much standing dog. Now he and the runaway assassin were even.

Cerberus reared its head back, flames gathering around each of its three jaws. Robin Hood raised its bow, not a bow notched, but multiple white and violet-colored orbs of energy surrounding it. Goro's eyes and those of the Malinois met. Another moment of silent acknowledgement, then their respective Personas let loose with their attacks.

The three flames from the heads merged into a massive fireball that left a heated trail across the ground. It slammed hard into the multiple rays of divine energy, pushing against it like a dam attempting to hold back a flood. Flames of orange and white coloration shot outward leaving scorch marks on the ground and in the ceiling. Spider-web cracks spread along the ground, growing with each second as the two sides put all their remaining strength into their attacks. Gradually, rays of purple-lined light began to pierce the fireball, just as its flaming core flashed bright orange.

BOOM!

His vision was blinded from a mixture of the searing light and flying debris. It felt as if the entire level they were on shook from the bomb-like blast wrought from the two attacks. Goro was sure he could hear his own teeth and bones rattling. As they did so, he attempted to peer over his arm for any sign of Jō. Even if he was a veteran killer who'd danced with death before, this was likely a little beyond what he'd envisioned handling.

Smoke rose from the gigantic crater in the ground that had been where his attack had met the dog's. Speaking of the dog, it was gone from physical sight and mentally sight. Goro wanted to guess it had retreated having realized it couldn't win without sacrificing itself. If so, it was a smart tactic, one that should the beast's intelligence had risen along with its physical capabilities.

The ground of Mementos, usually looking like something out of a nightmare now resembled a battlefield. It was definitely something out of the ordinary as normal battles between Persona-users and Shadows didn't yield such destruction. Now, Persona-users battling each other, that was a different story.

"Jō! Jō! Jō!" Called the teenager again and again over the sea of wreckage that had once been a quiet albeit creepy subway tunnel. Panic began to grip his heart when the older man failed to answer his calls.

A pile of concrete and pipes groaned, then broke apart as a figure rose upward. "Shiiiit, that's definitely the hardest hit I've taken in a while! Hell, it was probably more intense than some of the fire fights I've been in!" Blood and dust matted his body. A red line trickled down his forehead onto his chin, its center being a rather nasty-looking gash atop his right-side forehead. He stumbled as he rose upward, attempting to dust himself off. "My little kohai, it looks like I underestimated you."

Goro laughed at his collapsed, the pain so great his body having seemingly gone numb. "After all that, all that you just witnessed, you're still calling me your junior?"

Smiling as he shuffled over, Jō looked over the injuries the youth had accumulated during the battle. First and foremost was the bite wound on his ankle. That had to be taken care of first. "Hey, it was impressive, but I've been around and I've seen worse. This wasn't the first time I had to deal with trained attack dogs. Just the first time I've dealt with some that breathed fire and lightning, oh, and could turn into furry bullets. Honestly," He fell onto his butt alongside the winded teen. "It feels like I've been transported into one of Natsuo and Shuya's cartoon shows."

"The Metaverse tends to be like that-fantasy becoming reality, but some of reality's rules still applying, like death for instance." Coolly shot back the brown-haired assassin. "You shouldn't have come after me, you have people to look after." Goro said after a pause.

"You're right, I do; you're one of them." There was something oddly soothing about the way he smiled back at him. It was a small smile that told him no matter how much he argued he wasn't going to get anywhere in changing his mind. To Goro, it looked like a toned-down version of Natsuo's, proving the two did in fact share some relation to each other. "Those kids, your teammates, they're still so green, but I knew I could trust them to look after Natsuo and Shuya. You're the one that I worry about." Reaching out, he patted the Persona-user's head as if he were a child. "Hey, I was young too once. I told you, it took me a while to realize there were people who actually wanted me to keep living."

Chest tightening, Goro tried to look away. "You…really think after everything I've done anyone would want me coming back alive?"

"Well, me and my niece and my nephew certainly want you to stay alive for as long as possible." Chuckled the veteran. "Isn't that enough for you to at least make an effort to take care of yourself? Besides, when we met them, the Phantom Thieves seemed pretty relieved to see that you were alright."

"…Jō," began the seventeen-year-old with quivering shoulders. "T-T-Thank…thank you."

"Don't mention it, like I said, you're someone that I have to look after. I may be a killer, but I like to think I've learned a thing or two about looking after people. This…parenting thing…I've slowly understood why Saiji took it so well." He laughed as he stood up, offering Goro his hand. "Let's get some place more secure so I can treat you."

He was pretty sure he had at least one or two Personas who knew some healing spells. Once he regained enough strength, he could call upon them; but like Jō said, after they were some place secure. Quietly, he took the older man's hand. It was the first time he'd ever had to lean on someone else for support. They got almost ten steps before their ears buzzed with the sound of a car horn. Light illuminated the darkness of the tunnel. Goro felt Jō's muscles tighten until he whispered to him that it was alright.

"Hey, we finally…we…" Ann's words died in her mouth as it dropped open in shock, her pink-gloved hands rising up.

She was far from alone. As the others disembarked from Morgana's car form, they took stood still frozen in horror at the state of the two bastards. Some such as Haru and Futaba visibly stiffed as their eyes saw the countless cuts and wounds from which blood trickled down. They looked like they'd just been mauled by a wild animal, which they had been; except the animals weren't wild, they were trained to kill, just like them.

The only ones not totally shocked were Natsuo and Shuya, who showed visible relief at seeing the two of them alive in spite of their state. Tears were on the verge of slipping from the latter's eyes before he broke ranks and ran for his uncle, throwing his arms around him as tightly as possible. Jō responded accordingly, patting his head and apologizing for scaring the boy.

Ryuji was the first to verbally recover. "C-C-Crow…A-Akechi," he started with a shaken voice. "W-W-What…what happened to you?"

As usual, the odd one out was the girl with hair the color of flames. "What does it look like, Skull, they got into a dog fight."

"We won, sorta." Goro joked. It hurt to laugh, but he couldn't help himself.

Natsuo quietly smirked as she walked over to the two of them. Goro didn't miss the somewhat scared look Shuya shot his sister or the passive stare her uncle gave her. That was enough to put the pieces together. Her smile fell as she came within breathing space of him.

"You stupid asshole!"

Her punch hit him like a steel mallet, or maybe that was just his exhaustion making the punch harder than it really was. Personally, Goro was more willing to believe that Natsuo was simply stronger than she looked. With her, he'd learned looks could be quite deceiving.

Naturally, her sudden punch caught everyone off-guard.

"Hey! What the hell was that for?! Can't you see he's already had the shit kicked out of him!" Roared Ryuji roughly grabbing the elder Hashioka by the shoulder and spinning her around. "You-hey!"

With equal roughness Natsuo wrenched her shoulder free before moving onto Goro. The other Phantom Thieves began to step forward, their intent being to stop her if she sought further harm on the red-masked teen. They stopped as they watched her gently begin to look him over, her new behavior a startling contrast to her actions a second again.

"Geez, what kind of girl is that?" Whispered Morgana to the still shocked but recovering Joker.

"One that…" A sigh slipped past Akira's lips, which also twisted into a thin smile as he watched the scene. "One that cares about our Crow. Mona, think you can heal these two up?"

"Certainly! But, um…quick question. Crow, Jō…" Nervously, the blue-eyed feline motioning to the scene around them. In particularly the scattered bodies and blood stains; they made Morgana's hair stand up on end for more reasons than one. "What…what happened? What did you guys do?"

"Exactly like bird-nose said, we got into a dog fight, and sorta won." Jō replied with a wave of his hand. "Do him first."

"No, Mona, do Jō first. I'm fine, I've been through worse than this."

Both human and cat looked to him, as did the others. Just as Jō had looked to him with a look telling him there would be no arguing Goro did the exact same. Heaving sigh, he bowed his head in recognition. Seeing it, Mona decided to do as asked and tend to the retired assassin first. It wasn't like they were in active danger so he could take his time.

Try as he might, Goro couldn't bite back the small smile that formed on his lips as he felt Shuya's hand grip his. Through all the fighting his gloves had been torn exposing his raw skin beneath. It felt…good to feel a warm hand on his. A second pair fell atop his shoulders causing him to turn to his left. He was honestly surprised to find Natsuo's eyes twinkled with relief and sadness and relief. It was a surreal sight for him.

"Hey, Natsuo, do you know some first-aid?"

"Huh?"

The older Hashioka read the white-masked teen's eyes before responding. "What do you think?"

Akira mirrored her smile then turned to Goro.

"What are you doing?" He asked somewhat defensively. Shuya gave him a soft squeeze that calmed his nerves down.

"I'm helping out a teammate, and a friend. That's what friends do for each other." Coolly answered the black-haired teen. "Now, let me see your ankle. That looks like a pretty nasty bite."

"It's…" With his free hand, he reached for his mask, removing it to expose his sweat, dirt, and blood-covered face. Shadows had formed under his eyes. "I've had worse."

Location Unknown, 1:51 PM…

"What the hell was that?! Explain!"

Kenzaburō blew his last bubble of strawberry gum. "Akechi showing that he's stronger than you thought."

Simultaneously, all occupants in the command center, from the operators behind the computers to the guards stationed by the doors, tensed. Many of them could have sworn their hearts stopped beating then resumed at a frantic pace. Nearly all of them could collectively say they began sweating bullets. Truly, it was the calm before the storm.

Though his loyalties were obvious, Satoru prayed that his boss didn't push things. Not that he didn't have it in him, but theses clashes between leader and scientist ultimately resolved nothing. Not to mention they just helped create an already stressful working environment. One not eve he was exempt from.

Shido gnashed his teeth while a vein appeared atop his forehead. "What did you say? Dr. Kenzaburō, I believe you're starting to forget your place, or rather you're showing you don't deserve it."

"Really? Then do please, inform me of another person who can tap into the powers of the Metaverse, nay, the Collective Unconsciousness in a way that's somewhat cost-efficient and manageable. Take captured Shadows and condense them into Personas usable by the common man and even funnel them into machines that can operate in another dimension that does not follow the laws of physics. Speaking of said dimension, who else can tap that dimension's power and exploit it to one's will?" Swallowing his gum, the former SEBAC employee returned the bald-headed man's death glare with a defiant glare of his own. "Shido-san, I'm afraid my original analysis was right. Goro Akechi is indeed a golden egg, one worth more than the half-breed sparrows and chickens I've been breeding over the last three months."

Seeing him ready to physically lash out, Satoru chose that moment to intervene. "Prep my team! I'll send them in and have them eliminate the Phantom Thieves and recover Akechi!"

"No!" Barked Shido with a voice that nearly shook the entire room. "Instead, send in the Automata unit, now!"

That Kenzaburō hadn't been expecting as evident by his raised eyebrow. "Oh, not trusting human hands, are you?"

"Consider it a field test." Shido grounded out. "Besides, I don't know if you're aware, but we have other threats that are needing to be dealt with."

"Yes, I'm aware." Muttered the bright-eyed researcher before he began to dig into his pocket. "You know, I could always have gone to work for-"

"So help me, if you're leaking information than I swear I shall-"

"Execute me? Seems a bit…imperial don't you think?" He cracked. "Hm, which one should I pick, mint, blueberry, or grape?"

If Shido's vein grew anymore there was a good chance it would burst. Truthfully, there were some in the command center that would have loved to have seen that happen. To them, this job was merely a paycheck and nothing more.

"B-But I thought that the Automata were still in the testing stage." Satoru muttered.

"Not all of them, in fact, the first line has been successfully rolled out and are ready for combat." Clarified the metaphysics researcher. He finally chose grape. "I'll admit, I'm interested to see how well they perform against the Phantom Thieves, they've proven to be quite formidable."

"Or perhaps your little mutts aren't worth the money and time that was spent developing them." Sniped the glasses-wearing politician. "All but one of them were killed by a brat and some no-name, worse, the last one outright ran away!"

"Actually, I'd say the chief unit showed surprisingly efficient tact in withdrawing a from a bad situation. Wouldn't you agree, Satoru?"

The police commissioner felt his blood freeze as he was the one addressed. Most of the eyes in the room swept his way, most of them pitying but some just eager to see how he'd react. Shido's glare told him he'd have hell to pay if he didn't say the right words, in other words, agree with his position.

"Ahem, yo! Mind if I throw my two cents into this conversation?"

Being saved by a man whose guts he hated almost as much as he hated seafood, Satoru would have laughed at the irony if his muscles weren't so teased up.

While he breathed an internal sigh of relief Shido turned to the monitor showing the com line. "Unless you have something useful to report then I don't give a damn."

Terashima chuckled. "Ah, then I guess you don't wanna hear the plan I cooked up for banging our little runaway and his merry band of pipsqueaks."

The attention of the three was caught, Shido's more so than the others. Having read his final, Satoru knew exactly what to expect from the yakuza hitman. Kenzaburō simply looked at him and knew what sort of man he was, dangerous and unhinged, but quite efficient when required. Unfortunately, such traits were at odds with Shido's most desired traits in his henchmen. Much like the good doctor, he'd been able to get away with them by being useful, in times such as now for instance.

Unlike Kenzaburō though, Terashima knew he was working on a short leash. It would end as soon as his prey was caught and turned over.

Shido relented. "Speak."

On the other end, one could practically see and hear Terashima grinning.

Mementos, 2:09 PM…

"They're real, holy cow they're actually real!" Shouted Futaba as she examined the plastic gun and accessories that had been presented to her. "How'd you get a hold of them?! They're not supposed to hit the market for almost another month!"

Shuya shrugged, a thin smile tugging on his lips. "Oh, I know some people who know some people. I do come from a crime family, ya' know."

Akira felt his blood turn to ice as he braced himself for what was surely to follow. "Joker! We have a new mission!"

"I see you've…blessed with looking after one as well, aren't you?" Jō mused as the younger male's face became a crooked smile.

"The shop that you got that toy from, don't suppose you're willing to tell me where it is, or how much money I can expect to blow through, are you?"

While somewhat difficult, they'd tried to put as much distance between themselves and the wreckage as they could. No doubt Shadows were more than likely swarming about the area. As for the remains of the attack dogs, well, neither the Phantom Thieves nor the Hashiokas tried to think too hard about it. Some things were better left unthought of and spoken of.

While the last of Goro's wounds were tended to the leaders of the group had sat down to chart out their next plan of action. In other words, how to deal with the "jammer" that was keeping them from exiting the Metaverse. Over the course of said planning Shuya had chosen to take the time to examine his own items. Namely the "pee-shorter" as Natsuo referred to it. The minute her eyes fell upon the model gun Futaba removed her goggles and grabbed at it. To her surprise, and those of onlookers, Shuya had been faster. Intrigued by their conversation Yusuke had naturally joined in, his eyes gliding over the pieces of plastic and metal as if they were masterfully crafted sculptures.

"I still can't believe you're that big a nerd." Chuckled Ryuji watching the two continue to exchange stories and marvel over the toy. "I mean, you seriously chose to go pick up a toy gun over meeting with us? Dude, that's kinda hurtful."

"I actually think it's kinda cute, it shows your softer side." Giggled Makoto causing Goro's face to continue to darken. "Sis did say even when you were on duty you tended to get distracted by 'kid stuff'."

"Well, everyone needs a hobby." Grumbled the white-clothed Persona-user while Haru continued to giggle beside him. It felt uncomfortable having her so close, but he simply couldn't find it in himself to ask her to move away. "B-B-Besides, I-I owed Shuya that much."

"Or you just wanted to spend more time with him." Ann pressed with a smile. "Who knew you were such a big 'ole softie underneath all that smugness!"

"If you want to talk about soft, just look at Skull. He's the one who refuses to curse at every turn." Retorted the brown-haired teen.

"Gah! It's my mom! I did it once in front her and I just…I haven't broken the habit, alright!"

"Hm, that sounds like another thing you and Goro have in common." Snickered Natsuo. "You're both momma's boys."

Such a well-placed strike, and it hit right home.

"I am not!" Both the white and black clad teens shouted with steam practically coming out of their ears.

"You both just confirmed her statement." Offered Makoto doing her best not to laugh too loudly. "Besides, it's not like that's such a bad thing, you know."

"Plus, it gives you two something to bond over." Added Haru.

Registering her words, the oppositely-colored teens snapped to one another. It finally dawned on them they'd spoken in perfect unison, doing as Makoto said in confirming Natsuo's statement. Their faces immediately screwed up and they looked away, silently grumbling like school children.

"I'd say you've done pretty well for yourself." Jō whispered to Akira.

"Yeah, well, we've still got a ways' to go before we're out of the clear. Oracle, Shuya, are you guys ready?"

"Yeah, we're-" One second, she was looking to him with eyes still brimming with excitement. The next they were ringed with alarm. "EVERYONE, DOWN!" Grabbing Shuya, she summoned Prometheus, the flaming sphere materializing around them while Yusuke grabbed his katana and made ready. Within her Persona, Futaba lightning-typed to bring up a protective barrier around the group.

Seconds later and they learned why it was needed-the literal hailstorm of bullets that slammed into it served to explain her alarm. Cursing alongside Ryuji and Ann, Morgana ran forward, Zorro appearing behind him. With a wide swing came an emerald-green gale that split through the barrier, and the bullets coming their way.

It did little to stop the rockets and missiles coming toward them though.

Hands went to faces, masks vanished and from a torrent of azure flames came various supernatural entities who set upon dispatching the gunfire.

"Great, now what the hell is it we're up against!" Cried Ann readying her whip.

For an answer, they got a series of red eyes staring at them from beyond the darkness.

"They're not human, hell they're not even organic!" Called Futaba. "They're-"

Flames illuminated the darkness, it moved fast. Eyes widened as they caught sight of a giant metal object moving across the ground, its feet skidding across the concrete creating sparks. Guns opened fire but it did little good against the reinforced armor that covered the object's body. Yusuke saw its line of attack coming and moved to intercept, or would have if he didn't feel his sixth sense alerting him to another danger. Twisting to his left, his blade met that of another. Through his mask, the painter stared back into a single red eye, a cybernetic optic that belonged to something that clearly wasn't human.

KLA-ANG!

"AAHHHH!"

Prometheus flew backwards as if it were a football that had just been kicked. So great was the force of the attack that the Persona failed to hold itself together, or rather its summoner couldn't keep it held together. Futaba skidded across the ground, screaming in discomfort as it felt like her entire body had just been hit. Shuya rolled across the ground as well, his toy blaster and sketchpad spread out around him. He too was groaning in discomfort.

"Hiya, squirts! Mind playing with me for a while!"

Goro's heart thundered against his chest as he recognized the voice of his nemesis. Not missing a beat, he ran forward, his repaired laser blade active and cackling with power.

Terashima spotted him coming and jumped from the shoulder of the eight-foot mecha that he'd been riding. His cleaver-sized hummed with red energy before he swung it downward.

Instead of one strike came three, each one over twenty feet in height. They cleaved across the ground as they traveled, forcing some to get out of the way. Not Goro though, he raised his sword and struggled against the attack with all his might, desperate to break through it.

Jō dashed for the formerly imprisoned gangster, every instinct in his body telling him to get to him before he could enact his plan. Unfortunately for him, he was blindsided by a blast of wind that lifted him off the ground and dropped him onto his backside. Disoriented, he had only a second to catch the silver flash of a blade before it came down toward him. Instinctively, he snapped his head to the left, resulting in a blood gash instead of a skewered skull. His left hand reached to his side for his pistol, a moment later and he was unloading it on the metallic humanoid above him.

As the rest of the teens contended with the metallic entities descending upon them, Terashima turned his attention to the downed youngsters. Futaba was still struggling to recover while Shuya was already on his feet. The sword-user grinned upon laying eyes on the boy.

"Hey, kiddo, I was wonder if I could borrow you for a second! Don't worry, I'm not one of those sick bastards who enjoys messing with kids, I just need you for something." He laughed as he began walking toward the fourteen-year-old.

Fear paralyzed the youth's body, and rightfully so.

Miraculously, not Futaba. In such a situation like this she normally would have been shaking in her boots. Instead, she was fighting like hell to rise and move between the green-eyed boy and the approaching gangster. "Get the hell away from him, you, you…you…you asshole!"

Terashima actually stopped, surprised that the navigator had worked up the nerve to speak, much less attempt to oppose him. He was amazed by it, and showed it by pulling out his firearm of choice, a heavy-looking revolver.

Bang!

"GAAAH!" Howled the orange-haired hacker covering her eyes. With her sight obscured all her other senses were thrown into complete disarray leaving her helpless.

And Shuya as well.

"SHUYA!" Screeched Natsuo kicking away the robotic humanoid she had been wrestling with. Her foot hurt from the kick, but the sight of her little brother under threat gave her the strength to power past it. "SHUYA!" She broke into a full-on sprint across the battlefield, her heart thundering in her chest.

Red eyes flashed, the giant mecha turned to face the sprinting teenager, its left arm, a tank-like cannon, taking aim. It didn't detour her, even as the muzzle flashed bright orange.

"Anat! Block it!"

A silvery-white bolt of pulsating nuclear energy against one artillery shell. The resulting blast was like a firebomb being dropped. Natsuo was thrown back off her feet, her entire body aching and blood sipping through her lips once she hit the ground. A second Freidyne shot flew across the air and impacted the mecha, temporarily crippling it.

"Hm, you kids are pretty tough, not bad. Still, you'll have to do better." Noted Terashima as Shuya kicked and struggled against his grip on his throat.

"Then how's about this!" Shouted Ann as she sent both of Hecate's dog-mounted chains at the gangster while she ran in close, her eyes burning with fury at his recent actions.

Again, Terashima grinned as he cocked his rifle. Above him manifested the armor-armed Flamma, who slammed into Hecate with a full-body tackle that sent the Lovers-aligned Persona skidding backwards. As for Terashima himself, his smile turned malicious as he suddenly threw the still-struggling Shuya directly toward Ann, who stumbled mid-stride to open her arms. She managed to catch him, only to stumble backwards in doing so. Still smiling, the leather jacket-wearing hitman dashed forward, going into a sliding kick that knocked the pigtailed blonde off her feet. Within the second pushed himself upward using his hands, one of them grabbing for Shuya once he was upright. Snickering, he raised his right foot then brought it down atop Ann's exposed left side.

"AARGH!" Cried the quarter-white girl feeling the full force of the attack. As with Futaba's cry, it went wide being heard by all the Phantom Thieves. One in particular.

"ANN!" More than seeing Futaba injured or Shuya captured, it was Ann being assaulted that turned something in Ryuji. Red-faced behind his mask, he charged forward, his club raised high and cackling with electricity curtsy of his Persona.

Terashima tucked away his pistol and picked his sword back up. "Ann, huh? Cute name, seems you're a devoted boyfriend, eh, skull-face! Hell Fang!" Red and black energy coated the cleaver-like blade as it was swung forth, meeting the kanabō a clash that caused the ground to crack from the pressure.

As empowering as Ryuji's rage was, his strength still lagged behind Terashima's, who also possessed the tact to still think properly. He'd leveled his weapon causing most of the energy to be diverted upward. From there, the older man twirled behind the enraged teen, still gripping the flailing middle-schooler.

"Skull, behind-"

The warning came too late as Terashima's leg slammed smack into Ryuji's backside. Even with the metal spine-like armor the boy still felt a good chunk of the impact and stumbled forward. Terashima's blade turned from red to light blue before he brought it down, its empowered edge cutting deeply into Ryuji's right shoulder causing him to nearly drop his weapon.

"Skull! Panther!" Yelled Akira seeing his two closest allies go down. With a quick slash he decapitated the mechanical enemy before he and dashed toward the sight of the beat down. Across from him Goro was doing the same, cutting through whatever got in his way.

Their warpath came to a stop as the giant mecha from before stood before them, its left arm scorched from Makoto's earlier attack. Its right hand, a block-like fist slammed into the ground releasing a tremor that knocked both boys off their feet and into their faces. As the pilot in the cockpit began to grin in delight, his alarms blared causing him to jerk hard on the controls. Suddenly, metal was frozen over by whitish-blue ice. A blue and white figure scrambled up the mecha, a silver blade gleaming in its hands. Standing at the top, above hexagon-shaped cockpit stood Yusuke, his eyes blazing with cold fury. Manifesting above him was Kamu Susano-o, equally enraged. Both warriors brought their blades down stabbing deep into the metal. Ice quickly began to spread across the mecha's still frame.

Akira and Goro rose, their attention not on the steel giant that had shown up seemingly from out of nowhere but on the man still holding the struggling Shuya.

"You want the kid back, come and get him!" Terashima shouted as he jumped onto a massive steel bird vaguely resembling a drone. "Akechi, don't keep me waiting!"

They tried to stop him, shouted and firing, but it was no good. Whatever the drone bird was, it was fast, incredibly fast and agile. Further deterring their efforts were the periodic shots from Terashima's revolver, each one sharp as thundercracks.

Sparks fizzled from the downed robots that now littered the area while ice continued to crack and form along the lone mecha that still remained behind.

"What…what just happened?" Cried Futaba as she finally managed to sit upright though dust remained in her eyes. Not helping were her own tears steadily streaming down her cheeks. "Shuya? Where's Shuya?"

Groans of pain answered her. Dashing through the wreckage was Akira, fearful that permanent harm had been done to his adoptive little sister. Likewise, Morgana dashed for Ann, who was clenching her sides in pain; she seemed more concerned for Ryuji, who sat upright cradling his wounded shoulder. Curses rolled off his lips nonstop. He wasn't the only one.

Jō's while body shook with anger, yet he did not move or speak. His eyes swerved to the frozen hunk of metal across from him. He suddenly moved, his fists gripping his machete so tight that his knuckles were turning white.

What flew past him was a mass of black lined with white, so fast and brief that he briefly thought he'd imagined it. But then Jō felt it, the blood-curdling chill that told him something unimaginable dangerous was behind him. The black and white object slammed into the frozen mecha, wrenching the cockpit open then dragging out the shocked pilot. Grabbed by the face, he was raised into the air by the malicious entity, and then brutally slammed onto the ground, backside-first.

He had little time to groan in discomfort, "GAAGGARRRHH!"

There was nothing quite like having two knives driven point-first through one's palms. Their intrusion was sudden, but the pain they brought with them lingered. Brown eyes shot open and blood trickled down his lips. While his legs would have normally kicked up a pair of firm hands stopped them from moving furthering the torment. Wide-eyed, the pilot tried to look around to make sense of the situation. Below him stood two masked teenage girls, their faces quietly brimming with anger. To his left stood a man who made the two girls look like innocent kittens. The pilot immediately began to sweat, he turned his attention elsewhere.

He shouldn't have looked ahead, for what was ahead of him lay a demon. A body coated in crimson flames lined with black and white, with a dark metal beak extending outwards and a pair of eyeholes from which blood-colored eyes glared down at him. Behind the demon rose another, a dark figure whose mouth was lined with ruby-colored canines that twisted into a feral smirk. It was hard to tell which was worse, the little demon whose face simmered with tranquil anger like the other two, or the horned monstrosity whose grin told the pilot that death would be nothing but a sweet release he wasn't going to be getting.

Somehow, it got worse. A rough hand jerked the man's head to the right. He thought the previous beings were fearsome, compared to the fifth, they were nothing. Illuminated by the flames from the bird-demon, the fourth girl's hair seemingly crackled like fire. Flaming strands appeared to levitate right before his eyes. Blood had from the cutes on her forehead had leaked into her eye, turning the sclera crimson. It made for a nice contrast as the emerald pupils of the she-demon were burning with malevolent hatred. Unlike the first three this one wasn't even trying to hold back her ire. It was up front, and ready to completely burn him alive.

A tight hand gripped the man's throat, its strength rivaling that of an industrial crusher. Air became scarier with every second. With a jerk, the pilot was forced to face the she-demon eye-to-eye. He so severely wished he didn't have to.

"Where. Is. My. Brother?" Seethed the flame-haired demoness with a voice lined with venom.

In-between the man's legs, a dark stain began to spread across his loins.

Pretty interesting place to leave things, huh? This chapter obvious shook things up a bit, which was the plan from the start. What wasn't in my plan was for Goro and Jō's battle with the dog-squad to take up almost three-quarters of the chapter. Once I started writing I sorta of just kept on going from there and couldn't stop myself. Still, it was enjoyable writing a man versus beast brawl with both sides drawing blood in their own special way.

On the subject of drawing blood, I'm sure some of you are now probably howling for Terashima's head after what he did to Futaba and likely Ann, and maybe Ryuji. Well, he's a hitman like Jō and Goro, but unlike them, he does what he does because he LIKES IT so what can you expect. During my original planning he was supposed to come crashing through the ceiling, but I decided on something a tad more conventional such as him riding in on a mech, grabbing his target, then bugging out. I'm hoping his little skirmish with the team told you all that you needed to know, he's the real deal when it comes to fighting. See, I've always been a fan of what I call "dirty victories", that is, fights when the heroes GET THE ABSOLUTE CRAP beaten out of them and even if they win, they walk away either bloodied or limping. To me it drives home how much of a struggle they had to go through to achieve whatever win they could.

EVERYONE in this story, even fan-favorites such as Futaba are going to be eating some dirt, figuratively and literally. That includes the villains as well. Yes, that is going to include some characters being maimed and traumatized.

Regarding the mech and robots, I will say this, Persona has devolved into robotic enemies before. Yes, Persona 2 which had the Longinus robots and the X series. In case you haven't noticed by now, a lot of this story is drawing from the first two games which had some interesting plot material. As Shido has full access to some of that material, he's bringing as much of it as he can to deal with the PTs.

Next chapter should be out in a week or two if I'm lucky. Until then, leave your thoughts in the comments!