For Every Predator, there is an Apex Predator atop the food chain that sees it as mere sustenance.
Yuuki Mishima was not a Predator. He was not a force that made others wary, afraid, hesitant even. However, he had a unique advantage that some juvenile Predators had. All he had to do was call, and an Apex Predator would come to his side. A being that shifted the scope of the food chain around him.
Shunsui 'Scotty Too Hotty' Asakura, son of a Yakuza enforcer. Leader of the Phantom Thieves. Enemy of the Law.
It was a fact that gave Yuuki a sense of peace, a thought that crossed his mind as he played a new video game, humming along to the theatric sounds of the background music while slashing away at some huge monster with carefree abandon.
The two of them, The Apex Predator and his chosen Prey, had been together for months, and no matter what hardships they faced, the two of them made it through. Arguments over their insecurities, trauma from Yuuki's past, even dealing with Shunsui's nefarious parents and eccentric wrestling coach. There was nothing that could separate them. Nothing short of a natural disaster could come in between the Alpha and his Beta.
Yuuki heard a crash.
The noise jolted him out of his trance. He shook his head and sat up straight, ears perked like a zebra that just heard a lion. He was hesitant to move towards the noise due to his lack of physical ability. He was fully aware that he had a Persona, but unlike Scotty who had the distinction of being a 'Wild Card', he was unable to use even a modicum of his Persona's power in the real world. He was also too fragile to traverse Mementos.
The sound of glass breaking reached his ears.
"Either go down there or call the Joker."
Yuuki winced as he looked to Sandalphon, his Persona. The odd creature simply stared and him as it waited for him to act, his hands starting to quiver, his system abandoned and sitting paused on the bed as another thud reached his ears. He crept towards the stairs, worrying if the lack of a door would cause problems.
Scotty wasn't home at the moment, out at one of his many part time jobs, the other male's work ethic superhuman to the computer nerd. He heard some form of a struggle, confused and worried because the only other person in the building should have been Shunsui's uncle, Sojiro.
He heard a voice.
"Where is that worthless piece of shit!?"
Yuuki's entire body seized up, frozen solid and immune to the world at that sound. His body began to move, quivering as his breaths came in and out shallow and hurried.
It was his father's voice.
Yuuki had a horrible relationship with his father. The man hated him for any possible reason. He wasn't good at sports, he wasn't the most masculine, he wasn't a womanizer. The man hated his son for simply not being the same kind of toxic demon he was, and it drove a rift between them.
It was so bad that the man even took Kamoshida's side, saying that the teacher's abuse of his son was his own fault for being weak, even going so far as to kick his son out of the house for being 'a pathetic freeloader', detesting his son's lack of strength.
Yuuki was resolved in his belief that he'd rather be weak if being strong was being an abusive drunk.
He heard pained mumbling, a loud shout before a massive slam of a door, the bells jingling hard enough to fall off and hit the floor. With the coast clear, Yuuki rushed down the steps, somehow forgetting his phone.
When he got downstairs, his breath and heart both caught in his throat. He saw Sojiro battered with shattered glasses laying in a heap of wood, his father enraged enough to put the older man through a table, shattered coffee mugs laying across the man's chest and abdomen. He was breathing awkwardly, that much trauma not something his aging body should be taking.
"Mr. Sojiro!"
The man looked to the boy, who ran over to him with tears in his eyes. He coughed, barely letting out an awful wheeze of a sigh before glancing to the ceiling. He knew the boy would blame himself, something that Shunsui warned him about.
"Your dad's got one hell of a left on him." he said, trying to laugh at his own expense, only managing pained coughs at the pain in his chest. He tried to shift his weight, the broken porcelain of the mugs falling off his chest, letting him see that the fragments had cut his arms in a place or two. He managed another wheezing sigh before coughing again, barely able to think straight.
"The fuck happened to you?"
Both of them turned in the sound of the voice, realizing that they couldn't hear an entrance because the bells were knocked off. Sojiro sighed, looking from the man to the ceiling. "I guess you won't believe me if I said I fell… huh Kuzuha?"
Shunsui's father frowned.
"I'm not a fucking idiot Sojiro. Tell me what the fuck happened before I gotta beat it out of the neighborhood."
Yuuki aided the older man back to his feet, his knees slightly wobbly under his weight. He was used to being the one who needed help standing and moving around.
Sojiro brought his hand up to his face, running a palm down and seeing blood on his fingers before sighing. He wasn't happy either, but telling Kuzuha 'Bloodhound' Asakura something that might incite his anger was not on the agenda.
"Why would I tell you? I'm not going to be responsible for another body in the river." he said, and Kuzuha frowned, Yuuki hesitating at the statement.
Another?
"Someone breaks into where my son and his boy are living and puts you through a table and you think I'm going to let them live?" he asked, and Sojiro frowned, Yuuki helping him back to the bar so he could sit on a stool.
"Which is precisely why I'm not telling you." he groaned out, hissing at the pain in his ribcage as he sat down, the Yakuza shaking his head. "And what do you plan on telling Shunsui? 'This clumsy old man fell.'?"
Sojiro frowned, glancing to Yuuki before looking back to Kuzuha. This was the worst part about being associated with the man. He was so used to killing people as a Yakuza that he didn't consider the moral or legal ramifications, especially not with a wife that was such a successful lawyer. It was horrid for anyone around him that had problems.
"It was my dad."
Sojiro turned back to Yuuki, surprised that he could muster the courage to speak. Kuzuha rose a brow, humming to himself. "My brother in law? Really?"
Yuuki realized what he was doing. He was simply readjusting the food chain in his life. If his father was a Predator, that made himself, Sojiro and his mother especially his Prey. And the only way to deal with a Predator was with a bigger, stronger, smarter, even more vicious Predator.
"I think he wants me back at home. I don't know why, but I don't want to go back there. Not with everything I have here." he said, and Kuzuha nodded, looking to Sojiro. "Go to the hospital and get checked out, and take him with you. If you don't, I'll personally make sure all of your dates stand you up." he said, Sojiro sighing and furrowing his brow.
Kuzuha Asakura was a very, very dangerous man. His epithet of 'Bloodhound' was earned because of his ability to find out everything about his target. However, he understood exactly where Sojiro was coming from. Killing this man would throw off everything, the delicate and precious balance of Shunsui's life. He couldn't kill the man, but he could certainly put his hands on him.
He had already figured out everything he needed to know. Yuuki's father, Terumi Mishima, was not a well liked member of the community. All he had to do was ask around and everyone was more than willing to tell him about the drunken abuser. It was surprising to hear about even to him, but it made him wonder something else.
Before the dog could hunt, the dog needed to eat. It was a ritual he developed during his days in the Yakuza. Before going out to deal with a target, accomplish a mission, make a run or anything, he always had a large meal to remind himself to feed not only himself, but his family.
This time, he decided that he needed to learn while eating, so he invited his son out with him, something that surprised the normally omniscient Joker.
"What did you want to see me for? You normally eat alone before a job." he noted, fully aware of his father's ritual, as before his last job, the family ate together, symbolizing how important it was.
"I just wanted to ask you something man to man, what's wrong with that?" he asked, and the Thief rolled his eyes. His father wasn't the easiest person to read, but when a Yakuza invites you to a ritualistic pre-murder meal, anyone could tell that something was up. He was just curious what.
"About what exactly?" he mused, finding his father's actions rather odd.
"What made you pick that little computer nerd?"
Shunsui blinked. It wasn't often that he was caught off guard, but his father asking him what attracted him to his boyfriend was something that could surprise him.
However, it made him think about it. What was it that attracted him to Yuuki? He'd never really shown much if any interest in other males before in his life. Sure he could acknowledge the good looks of anyone regardless of their gender, but it was surprising to everyone around him that he picked Yuuki over Ann, Yusuke, Mikoto or any of the other females in his life. Even Ryuji seemed taken aback despite being more fervent about saving Yuuki than he was.
The Joker tilted his head. Was Ryuji the most determined? After all, he was the strongest, he awakened his Persona first. He learned the fastest, he gave the orders and so on. Ryuji wanted to save Yuuki, and Ann wanted to save Shiho, another attractive female, but it was Shunsui who made sure it happened. He was the one who struck the final blow and vanquished Kamoshida's Shadow, and he was the one who hesitated when Kamoshida summoned a mockery of his beautiful bluenette.
He looked back to his father, trying to understand what made him care all of a sudden. Regardless, he had to entertain his father's tomfoolery a little longer.
"Because he's perfect. He's very good looking, very easy to be around, and he appreciates what I do. He's also smaller than me, which for some reason is a plus." he mused, and his father chuckled. "These are all things those girls you hang out with can also say for the most part." he said, and Shunsui tilted his head.
"Why exactly do you care so much? Yuuki is mine, and that's all there is to it." he said, and Kuzuha narrowed his eyes slightly. It was very, very rare, but Shunsui did show signs of his Father's diabolical personality here and there.
The Bloodhound understood that his days as the Alpha were coming to an end, and he was fully aware that his son was a force in himself. However, he didn't expect his son to get so pressed about this. He had to press his buttons further to see what would happen, because he needed to warn Sojiro about the odd split in personality the boy had.
"And what would you do if someone were to try and take him from you?" he asked, and Shunsui inhaled deeply, exhaling through his nose without a single blink, only the slow deflation of his chest.
"Do you remember a while back when the police stumbled on a defunct child trafficking ring in a warehouse and most of the men involved were battered? Beaten bloody and left for dead, like the one man strangled to death in the ballroom? The one the Detective Prince Naoto Stunting presided over?"
The Yakuza had heard of it, as it was a bombshell of an event. His old Yakuza contacts had even contacted him asking if he was involved, as child predators were his forte sometimes, the Bloodhound preying on them like they preyed on children.
"You were involved? I heard none of the children were harmed and they all turned up at home or were taken in by Naoto." he said, and Shunsui nodded.
"Shunya Oda was a friend of mine that I played games with at an arcade. That is what I do to people who try and harm my friends. If someone were to try and take My Yuuki, I would leave them in so many pieces, nothing here or in Mementos could ever find them." he said, and Kuzuha looked his son dead in the eyes.
He could see the look in his eyes, a look that he used to have in his own back in his youth. Dead, black pits of despair devoid of humanity and emotion. They were the eyes of a silently enraged natural disaster, a creature that could, would and has taken a life. It was not surprising to see it for Kuzuha, but if his own eyes were the dead eyes of a Predator, Shunsui's were the eyes of the Devil himself.
Kuzuha wondered if the man in the ballroom was the first life that his son had taken, as they were at similar ages when they took their first life. He always expected his son to follow in his footsteps to a degree, but seeing him get like this over his boyfriend was surprising.
"Why are you asking?"
Kuzuha snapped back to his son, inhaling and wondering how he should put this. It was a sensitive situation, and while he had matured and aged to the point that he could let things go, his son certainly had not.
"How well do you know Terumi Mishima?" he asked, and Shunsui's dead gaze and unmoving posture remained. It was hard for even Kuzuha to get a read on him, but he had to try and curb his son's wrath even a little.
"I know that he's a worthless waste of flesh. A subhuman creature that would be better off in a ditch somewhere. I also know that if he ever tried to come anywhere near Yuuki, I would tear him apart and leave nothing but the bones for the dogs in the neighborhood to fight over." he said, and Kuzuha nodded.
He understood the feeling. His wife's previous lover was a man that his superiors wanted him to deal with, a drug dealer that was trying to encroach on their territory, even going far enough as to stab and cut off the fingers of one of their younger members. That man was the only one that he ever took his time with, and he could remember the details vividly.
"You can't kill him. It would look too suspicious and offset the balance of everyone's life." he said, and Shunsui simply continued to stare in silence. Kuzuha could tell from the way the light hit his son's eyes and glasses that he was thinking about it, trying to calm himself down because he knew his father was right.
"So what do I do?" he asked, and Kuzuha sighed. This was also hard to figure out for him as well. "Wait. If he ever comes to LeBlanc, stomp him out and leave him with broken pride. Let me and your mother worry about our sister-in-law." he said, and Shunsui nodded.
Walking home alone, Shunsui had to continue to ponder the situation. Something had to have happened, as his father invited him to a ritualistic meal, asked him what he would do to someone who tried to take Yuuki from him and then asked him about Yuuki's father.
His pace picked up when he considered the possibility that something had happened, as everything happened too quickly for it to be a coincidence.
When Shunsui entered LeBlanc, he noticed that no one was here, his eyes darting around as he noticed broken mugs on the ground and a busted table between the booths. Something had happened, and nobody decided to key him in. He began to clean up the mess, seeing Sojiro's busted glasses as he sifted through the rubble. He continued to frown, the sun beginning to set as he continued to clean everything up.
A part of him knew that he should have went looking for Sojiro, perhaps called his father and asked, but he used the cleaning and organizing as a distraction, trying to keep himself from growing any more upset. He was doing everything he could to not simply find Terumi Mishima and put him in a ditch like he said before.
Once everything was clean, he made his way up the stairs, seeing everything in perfect order save for Yuuki's dejected system and half dead phone, things he made sure to plug into chargers before taking deep breaths to try and remain calm. His phone began to ring, a generic tone that was meant for numbers that he didn't have saved.
He put the device to his ear, staring at the ceiling as he wondered briefly where Morgana was, the feline surprisingly absent from the establishment.
"Shun?"
The fluffy haired thief inhaled, trying to stop himself from yelling and shaking.
"Where are you?"
He heard noises in the background, movement and beeping from machines that were familiar yet hard to place. His boyfriend seemed to speak to someone before coming back to the phone.
"I'm at the hospital with Mr. Sojiro." he said, and Shunsui felt his face twist in a scowl. The broken table and glasses, the older man in the hospital and his father asking him about Terumi? It all made sense to him now, and he knew that he had to do something about it.
"It's your father, isn't it?" he asked, and he heard a sigh on the other line. He didn't want to hang up, but he was really itching to find Yuuki's father. He was furious.
"Yeah… he came to the shop looking for me and attacked Mr. Sojiro when he wouldn't hand me over." he explained, and Shunsui tilted his head. The silence Yuuki heard let him know exactly what he was thinking, something that only he could say he knew.
The Apex Predator just had his territory invaded. Another Predator stepped into his territory and attacked one of his own. It was a declaration of war, a stake at his territory, at what was his.
The kind of Predator his father was would respond with anger and vitriol, goading the usurper into challenging him again, the outcome anyone's guess. Yuuki knew it was different for the Asakuras though.
Shunsui was an Apex Predator at the pinnacle of the food chain. To try and encroach on his territory was suicidal, as he wouldn't be angry and try to goad the usurper into another attack.
He would simply find the usurper and put him down to prove his dominance to everyone around. Yuuki's boyfriend and father were on a crash course, and he honestly didn't want to know what would happen.
When Quavious Stunting, The Wild Card of Inaba, entered his dojo first thing in the morning, he wasn't expecting to see his protege, Shunsui Asakura.
The youth was doing standard drills that he'd taught him, flipping onto his back and jumping from the top turnbuckle of the squared circle that he trained in.
While Shunsui had shown a modicum of interest in professional wrestling, a profession Quavious had a talent for due to his status as a second generation performer, this was something he didn't expect.
"You okay?" he asked, the fluffy haired thief turning to him and frowning. He was covered in bruises and sweat, signs that showed exactly how long he'd been at it. He also didn't have a shirt or his glasses on, something that was rather interesting as well. Quavious could see exactly how lean the younger Wild Card was, belying his superior agility in comparison to Quavious' own power.
"My boyfriend's father just put my uncle through a table yesterday. I'm doing everything I can to not put him in a morgue." he said, and the silver haired warrior sighed, running a finger through his hair. He could understand where the other Persona user was coming from. He too got angry, and he noted that between the both of them that they had incredible tempers.
Quavious had met a few other Wild Cards in his days, interesting individuals with colorful groups of friends and bad tempers much like himself. He wondered if Wild Cards were chosen because of their similarities, or if their similarities were a side effect of being Wild Cards.
The older Wild Card shook his head, realizing that he wasn't focusing on the person in front of him that needed his help. He wondered what kind of advice he could offer Shunsui, whose temper might be worse than his own.
"Do you really want to kill him?" he asked, trying to gauge exactly what mind state the bespectacled thief was in. If he was willing to kill again, than he'd have to step in and do something, because a Wild Card with a habit of taking lives was not something that the delicate balance of the world needed at all.
He watched Shunsui sigh, wiping the sweat from his brow with his discarded shirt, shrugging as he looked to the ceiling, his eyes narrowing and lips turning in a frown. A second sigh escaped his lips as he shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment, obviously deep in thought.
"I do. I want to make it so that Yuuki and his mother never have to deal with that monster again. I want to see the pain on his face when I beat the shit out of him… I want to watch the life fade from his eyes." he said, and Quavious narrowed his eyes at how sad his tone was.
"But… I know I can't do that. As much of a worthless demon as he is, there are people who foolishly hold positive feelings within their hearts for Terumi Mishima. He is beyond redemption to me, and the only way I know how to deal with problems is to get rid of them." he said, and Quavious rose a brow.
"Maybe you should stop thinking like an animal and start thinking like a person." he said, and the son of the yakuza snapped to look at his mentor. The man had raised brows, folded arms and an all around surprised look on his face. What did he mean by that?
Quavious shook his head as he climbed into the ring, his eyes looking about as he realized he'd have to have the ring cleaned before they used it after the dojo opened. For such a small boy, Shunsui could certainly sweat more than him.
"My son is playing this game he got, and I'm sure Yuuki did too if he'd the kind of nerd I think he is. It's a game about you, a hunter, going around slaying giant monsters of all kinds to protect the village you're from and the like. It's interesting." he mused, more to himself.
"Well, you're like one of the monsters. You're some kind of Apex Predator, a creature that makes other large, strong monsters flee or defeats them easily. Instead of thinking like the hunter and using all of your tools and resources, you only want to bite down and lash out at things in your way. When you could solve this easier than I could." he said, and Shunsui blinked at that.
The man was successful, married to a successful woman and the both of them were powerful, experienced Persona users. Exactly what could Shunsui do that he hadn't thought of?
"I can see that your emotions are clouding your thoughts, so I'll let you in on a little secret. Terumi Mishima is a perverted bastard who abuses his stature, status and power to pick on people who have no chance at defeating him and protecting themselves. Does that sound familiar?"
Shunsui blinked when he put it like that, because he was all of those things. However, what he just realized now that he had worn his body down and drained himself emotionally, was that Terumi was the exact same as Kamoshida in these instances. Both of them preyed on the weak, cowardly scavengers that disguised themselves as Predators. And he dealt with Kamoshida in a way that only he could.
"You want me to do what?" Yuuki asked, dumbfounded by Shunsui's request. Sojiro had recovered, coming back to the cafe despite his doctor saying he should stay in bed. Yuuki came with him as expected, and he returned to see Shunsui in a much better mood than anticipated, ready to ask him a rather stupid question.
"I want you to come with me to Mementos. Sandalphon doesn't get a lot of training or exercise in, and I have something that I need to do." he said, and the blue haired boy hesitated, grumbling to himself and fidgeting with his fingers before nodding.
"Fine, but if I get hurt you're gonna be sorry too!" he said, trying to straighten his posture and puff his chest out to seem more intimidating. He couldn't, being shorter and mostly leaner than the other male, who only chuckled happily.
When the duo entered the alternate dimension known as Mementos, Yuuki looked around with awe across his features. His eyes scanned the odd surroundings, the striking colors and odd unnatural structures around them. Shunsui looked about, his eyes scanning for something that Yuuki couldn't identify. He was incredibly out of the loop when it came to this dimension, and he hadn't really ever been here that much.
One thing that he noticed was the way that his boyfriend was dressed. The odd suit was something he thought was incredibly cool, and he was certainly able to see why he was the leader of the group, his long coat and blood red gloves commanding attention as they walked through the odd streets of this dimension.
The Joker of the Children of Cain took note of Yuuki's own outfit, which was rather similar to his own in a sense. His pants were more like slacks, pale in color in contrast to the pink shoes with baby blue laces. His gloves were also baby blue, but the tips were pink, just like the almost translucent coat he wore, pink with baby blue accents and buttons. It reminded him of his Shadow's monstrous form, an odd cotton candy version of his own Persona.
This contrast was something that he noticed was more akin to Quavious than himself. The Children of Cain had Persona named after historical or fictional figures that bared similarities to them. Well… for the most part at least. It wasn't a mythological figure like Yuuki's Persona, named after an incredibly tall angelic titan that was sometimes said to be the twin brother of the Metatron, the singular most powerful angel that represented the voice of God.
"Found it."
Yuuki turned to see Shunsui, or was it Joker in this world? Joker, as he decided to call him with a sense of child like glee, was looking at an odd bunker, something you'd see at a military base or an airport hangar. It was odd to Yuuki, but he decided that he wouldn't argue with it, following the more experienced Persona User into the large building.
"Why this place?" he asked, looking about as they began to creep through a side window. Sneaking into a vent, the duo slithered like snakes through the building, Joker using every opening to peer through, his breath shallow but relaxed.
"This place isn't spectacular, but it's what I was looking for. It's a Palace." he said, and Yuuki hummed quietly in acknowledgment. He knew what 'Palaces' were, Joker had explained it to him a few times. However, what kind of person would have a military bunker as their Palace?
Dropping from the vents, Yuuki could only watch as Joker led him along, creeping through the shadows and along the walls, hopping balconies of the building, which was oddly spacious compared to it's appearance on the outside.
A gloved hand came up, Yuuki halting as he looked to the thief, who gestured to a pair of soldiers, odd masked creatures moving about the halls. They were obviously guards, and Joker inhaled as he looked to Yuuki. "Sit this one out." he said, running a hand over his mask as it's colors changed, something that he took as a sign that he switched the Persona that he had active.
Yuuki only watched as Joker jumped the guards from behind, pulling a knife and a gun and striking them down without removing their masks or summoning a Persona. He jabbed his neck to Yuuki, who began to follow him as he continued on.
Joker was obviously at home here, Yuuki once again watching in awe as he tore through the guards, summoning a red Persona with black wings and wiping enemies out with some kind of unspeakable magick that Yuuki couldn't identify. It felt like they'd spent hours on end in this bunker, always finding a new hall and more guards trying to stop them, only to be struck down without the smaller Persona User doing anything.
"He's not normal." Sandalphon said, and Yuuki glanced to his Persona, who would likely be furrowing it's brow if it had one. He smiled, placing his fists on his hips like he was proud of the fact.
"He's an Apex Predator. Nothing is normal about the strongest of the strong!" he said, and the creature sighed, shaking it's head. "The mask is also something that's odd to me. Why don't you have one?" he asked, and the boy blinked. He assumed he had one that he couldn't see, and Joker had told him that all of the Phantom Thieves had masks of some form.
Why wasn't he one of them? It was odd that he didn't fit in. Could there be another variable that he wasn't aware of?
"I smell a weakling!"
A booming voice cut through the open area they walked into, the two of them glancing about, looking for the source of the words.
Broad doors opened and a lone figure walked out, a military general in a shimmering golden uniform, his badges and accolades worn across his chest in various high quality gemstones and his hat adorned with the finest materials, much like the shimmering mantle he wore, silvery silk that brought out his gold jacket even more.
"I figured that's what you'd look like."
Yuuki looked to Joker, finding it rather odd that he'd know exactly who this creature was, his eyes shifting to the general and squinting, trying to see through all of the glitz and glamour of his glorious form. When he managed to make out the features of the one wearing the million dollar uniform, he blinked, taking a step back.
"That's the kind of cowardice I'd expect from one of you fairies!" he shouted, Joker looking to Yuuki and inhaling.
He hadn't mentioned it to the other male, but this was the reason that he wanted him to come along. Nothing could draw out the leader of a Palace more than the object of their utmost negativity. This was exactly what Joker anticipated.
Terumi Mishima was a man that viewed himself as far more important than he was, someone that commanded an unneeded and nonsensical amount of respect. He assumed that when he stumbled upon his Palace, that he'd be in some heinous form of an overdone bourgeois being with authority. A Golden General was right up that alley.
"W-why is he here?" he asked, and Joker looked to him.
"Because you need to confront your fears. We need to fight him together. Don't worry, I'll back you up." he said, and Yuuki felt his heart catch in his throat.
The Golden General laughed. "Hah! That worthless worm won't be able to lift a finger at my lustrous form!" he shouted, drawing a ceremonial military sword and taking a step forward, his form rigid with the goose step.
Yuuki clenched his fists, Joker taking his spot at the cotton candy colored boy's side.
"Relax. As long as I'm alive, you can't lose." he said, handing the black bladed dagger he used to Yuuki. He spun the gun in his grip, inhaling and smiling as he shifted his mask to one that was a bright blue, the smaller male inhaling as he turned to the Golden General.
Shunsui watched closely, Yuuki charging in blindly and summoning Sandalphon. The mask he switched to was for Trumpeter, a Persona he often used for lower tier battles to play a more supportive role. It was a strategy for when he needed to heal his physical form.
The military sword came down, and Yuuki took a step back, stumbling lightly as Sandalphon acted on his own, throwing a knife edged chop at the man.
The blade spun and came up, crashing against his hand as if it were another blade.
Yuuki regained his footing at the same time that Shunsui summoned Trumpeter, calling for the winged skeleton to use Debilitate, a spell that would weaken their opponent.
To Shunsui, this was a cake walk. He could simply use a stronger Persona and destroy this Shadow, but this wasn't about him being strong.
As a sickly pall overtook the Shadow's features, Yuuki jabbed the knife at him.
It was aggressive, and the blade clattered against his golden uniform as if it were solid gold. Yuuki took another shot, Sandalphon remembering that Yuuki wasn't the most knowledgable or talented Persona user.
Shunsui called for Trumpeter to use Tarukaja, a spell that was designed to increase Yuuki's physical prowess. His beloved would need any support he could offer, the curly haired Wild Card taking ginger steps as he watched the fight.
The general threw the Persona off of him, kicking Yuuki in the chest and sending him sliding back, jabbing the sword and piercing his jacket, a flick of his wrist shredding the cotton candy colored garb and exposing his lean chest.
Laughter erupted from the Shadow of his father, and Yuuki shrunk back, Sandalphon retreating to be by his master's side.
"Look at your pathetic form! No definition, near visible ribs… it's shameful! You're nearly a man, and yet you look just as tiny and frail as a newborn babe!" he shouted, and Yuuki flinched at the sound of his voice.
"Your legs are like noodles! And look at your profile! What kind of man has an hourglass figure!?" he shouted, and Shunsui found this rather… odd.
The things that his father was trying to slander him for were all things he rather loved about the smaller male. His sleek build, hourglass figure. Long, lean legs that fit his hands perfectly, a lean midriff that Shunsui spent too much time of the day thinking about. It was… weird that someone could dislike these things.
He also noted that Yuuki seemed to be taking offense to the slander. His posture was slumped, and he looked deflated. His footsteps shifted, and he walked over to the other Persona user.
A lithe hand was placed on Yuuki's shoulder, and he inhaled.
"Don't listen to him. Remember that he doesn't love you. I do." he said, and Yuuki blinked, a small smile spreading across his face at the words.
"And what is your pathetic 'Love' going to do!? Your high school bromance stands no chance at lasting! It's unnatural!" he shouted, and Shunsui could feel his eye twitch.
This was supposed to be about Yuuki, not him. He couldn't lose his composure.
Yuuki needed to fight this monster, he only needed to offer support.
However, Yuuki's mind was saying something else.
Cleared of his haze by Shunsui's proud declaration of love and adoration, he once again shifted back to the absentminded way of thinking he had while playing his game.
Ah yes, Predators, Apex Predators, Hunters, Prey.
Right now, the 'Hunter' was the 'Prey'. Yuuki was looking to strike down the 'Predator' that was his father, who looked to 'Prey' on him mentally and physically.
However, what Hunters lacked in raw ability and supernatural prowess they made up for with wit and intelligence. So, what exactly was a Hunter like him to do?
He couldn't exactly defeat this 'Predator'. He wasn't experienced enough. He wasn't strong enough. His Persona had abilities that he knew of, but none of them were comparable to the monster in front of him.
It's hide was too tough, temperament too wild, claws too sharp. He didn't have anything on him to make a bomb out of. He couldn't create a trap, and with Sandalphon's abilities, he'd be unable to overwhelm his opponent, whose supernatural affinity was unknown to him.
So, what was a Hunter to do? Well, there was always the most risky, but arguably safest trick that every Hunter had. The good old fashioned bait and switch.
If you cannot defeat a predator, the best thing to do is either escape or draw the predator to something that would take it's attention. In this scenario, he knew that his answer was an even bigger threat, an Apex Predator.
His fingers trailed his chest to touch Shunsui's gloved hand, and he smiled to himself, looking to the Joker and invading his personal space.
The general's teeth grit at the sight, and he opened his mouth to speak.
A bang sounded, Shunsui firing a round from his gun directly into the skull of the general to stun him for a moment.
"Shun~"
The masqueraded warrior looked to Yuuki, eyes laser focused.
"Can you do me a favor?" he asked, that syrupy tone he used before asking for something completely egregious, normally money for his mobile gaming addiction.
However, Shunsui's eyes moved to the general as he started to recover.
"Yes."
He took a step forward, his mask shifting in color as he inhaled.
Yuuki moved and hugged him, wrapping his arms around Shunsui's waist and nuzzling his face into the back of his boyfriend's coat.
"Thanks Shun. I love you."
Three words, three syllables, seven letters, two spaces, three vowels.
Infinite Power.
The Joker erupted, pulsating with energy as he triggered what his mentor called 'Requiem', his coat changing color and his mask fracturing off as the Persona known as Izanagi appeared, just like when he saved Yuuki from his shadow.
"There's one thing that you're right about, Dad!" Yuuki said stepping to the side of the souped up Wild Card.
"I am weak! I cannot defeat you and I am not the son you wanted… but!"
He jabbed a finger at his father.
"I am important! Shunsui and I love each other, and nothing you can do will change that!" he said, Sandalphon chuckling as he glanced to Izanagi, the two Personas sharing a gaze.
"I'm not afraid of you anymore, because as long as Shunsui is alive, I can't lose!"
His declaration was followed by Shunsui erupting forward, blitzing the shadow with a speed and ferocity that it couldn't resist or anticipate. Yuuki charged forward as well, slamming the knife he was given into the gut of the Shadow's cracked armor, his Persona coming down with a knife edged chop that shattered his hat.
The Wild Card cast a series of spells that cost him little to none of his magickal resources. Heat Riser, Rakunda, Tarukaja, Charge and Concentrate.
The general stumbled back, wounded and injured from the attacks, clearing the shattered pieces of his hat from his skull as he looked to the two boys, who held hands as Shunsui passed on all of his spells to Yuuki.
"Let's finish this, Kishi."
The smaller boy nodded, allowing Shunsui to lead the charge.
His Persona came down with it's lance, shredding through the armor of the golden general, who lost his luster with every second.
The Joker leapt up and drove a knee into the shadow's jaw, rolling to the side as Yuuki roared, throwing the most taut, stiff right hook that he possibly could.
He struck the shadow's jaw, hearing satisfying snaps and cracks as Sandalphon came down with shimmering energy covering both of his hands. A pair of knife edged chops struck his collarbone, and an explosion rung out.
Immense force shattered the area around them, the shadow blown to smithereens by the attack. Yuuki was flown back, but Shunsui caught him and began to glance about for the treasure. He noted that he couldn't find one, and without it, the process would be off, possibly even fatal to Terumi.
He certainly did not care.
The duo escaped the Palace as it collapsed upon them, watching the domain and the demonic spirit of Yuuki's father fade away.
With the rubble scattered about, Yuuki had a cathartic gaze on his soft features. It was as if he was enjoying the sight. It had to mean something to him, because the monster that represented his father's hatred had just been stricken down by him and his beloved.
By the Hunter and his Apex Predator.
He chuckled to himself, Shunsui turning to him with a raised brow.
"Laughing? Isn't that a little bit crazy after what just happened?" he asked, and Yuuki shook his head.
"I was laughing about something else. I was thinking about my game." he said, and as he said those words, he gasped and his eyes widened.
"Oh my god! I forgot to turn it off or put it on the charger!" he said, starting to fidget when Shunsui chuckled.
His hands ended up in his pockets, and he winked at the blue haired boy as a smile crossed his face. "Good thing you got me around, huh?" he asked, and Yuuki beamed.
Yeah, he was happy. Not his father, his own paranoia or anyone else could take that from him. He was damn well happy and he sure as fuck deserved it.