Chapter 5
Adventures in Mantle.
"You can see me?" Penny V1 asked as she looked to Minato, hope glimmered in vacant eyes that were resigned to a cruel fate.
Instead of answering right away Minato drew upon Pharos's Legendary perk, that way he could have a proper conversation with V1 Penny and not alarm the others or make the others think he's crazy.
For a moment Minato could picture the sealed humanoid form of the 13th Shadow standing beside him with the same encouraging smile he had on the night Minato used an Evoker for the first time, the world dissolved away until there was only Minato and Penny V1. She didn't seem to react to the change in environment, whether it was only him that noticed or if Penny V1 just didn't care he couldn't be sure.
"Yes, I can see you" Minato answered gently, not approaching her and making a conscious effort to make sure his demeanour approachable "I'm Minato"
Slowly, Penny V1 approached Minato with a shaking hand outstretch. Minato didn't move as he let her do what she needed, her hand brushed up against his arm before applying some pressure to the area she was touching.
Vacant eyes glimmered as Penny met Minato's eyes and embraced him in a hug, her grip was weak but even so Minato didn't have the strength to push someone away when they needed a hug "Your, your real"
Minato returned the hug and as he did it broke the dam of emotions inside Penny V1 as her grip tightened further and shook a little, the muffled sound of crying reaching Minato's ears as she buried her face into his shoulder.
He wasn't sure how long they were like that for, but in a place were time was a none issue it didn't really matter so Minato was able to give Penny all the time she needed.
Eventually they broke up the hug, Penny V1's expression just that bit brighter than how it was originally.
"Sorry about that, it's just. It's been a long time since I last touched much less spoke with someone" she regained her composure a little as she straightened her back and squared her shoulders like a soldier how would stand "I'm Penny Polendnia" her renewed cheer faltered as her posture went slack "I mean, I'm the first one. Though I'm guessing you've already met my 'sister'"
"Yeah, the one with the long hair" Minato answered as the darkness around them receded to reveal seats for them, or perhaps the seats were formed from the darkness itself "I imagine there's a story behind all of this"
Penny sat down on one of the seats "That's, a long story. And I'm sure you don't want to hear my whole life story, despite how short it is" Minato would have interjected to mention she could take as long as she liked, but the look in her eyes told him she didn't have the energy for it "So, I suppose an abridged version of the events will have to do"
Penny recounted what happened in her life, how her father created and her early years in Atlus under tight security and secrecy. She couldn't leave the facility where she was born for a long time and she didn't see many people as the staff was kept to a minimal with no rotations for the soldiers until later on, however it was also because of that she got close to several guards that told her stories of what it was like in the outside world.
Penny glossed over her first time exploring in the Kingdom of Atlus and her first battle with the creatures of Grimm, instead she jumped ahead to Vale and the Vytal Festival she was sent both as a test run against Huntsmen in training and having it be her first time leaving her home for an extended period of time.
She recounted her time in Vale with a sort of nostalgic melancholy, making new friends, seeing new places, and went into great detail about her first dance. And then came the time for the Vytal Festival in earnest.
"I gave my dad a long hug as I stepped on a bulkhead in Atlus, and when I came back it was in pieces" Penny said with a trembling voice as she curled into herself "I wasn't sure when I came to like this, I remember my dad calling out to me as he repaired my body as best he could as quickly as he could" her shoulders began to tremble a little, slowly Minato rubbed small circles on her back to offer her what comfort he could "And the worst part, it was working"
Penny raised her head to looked to Minato, tears streaming down her cheeks "I could feel my soul returning to my body, the numbness I felt easing as I was a hair's breath away from being able to move my body again. But at the last possible moment, in what I could only describe as desperation, my dad flooded my old body with his aura and then-"
She stopped as she lowered her head again, the darkness giving way to show the long haired Penny standing beside her father before a tired Ironwood who for a moment was overcome with relief at the sight of her.
"She was born, my sister, my replacement" a slide show of images played out, showing the 'new' Penny interacting with others along with her body being upgraded with parts being replaced until nothing of Penny's body from the Vytal festival remained "All I could do was watch, originally I could attach myself to my dad or my old body so I could go where they went and not be tied down. But eventually I lost my grip on my sister as my body was replaced with a new one, one my dad worked himself near to death to make"
Images of a tired and sickly Doctor Polendnia played out before them, Minato being the only one to see them as Penny couldn't bear to see such images again, a tired man doing all he could to make sure his daughter was safe even as it slowly killed him. Penny V1 begging her father to stop and take a break with her words not being able to reach him, thankfully before it was too late Penny V2 was able to get help for him.
The next images presented was of Doctor Polendnia in an intensive care unit with General Ironwood speaking with the man with Penny V2 at her father's bedside followed by him working on an invention with a smile before he was struck by a coughing fit with the ghost of Penny V1 offering what comfort she could even if it was only in spirit.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Minato asked as the images faded, Penny turned her head towards him but didn't met his eyes "It can be whatever, don't be afraid to ask"
"Can you bring me back to life, give me a new body" Penny asked, an empty smile as she spoke those words.
"...Maybe" Minato answered causing Penny to blink in confusion "I can bring you back to how you were on the day you originally died, but that has a twenty four hour limit that needs to be reapplied daily" he paused for a moment as he consider what else he could do "I might be able to bring you back as a human or something else" Minato making sure to say something else rather than a Demon "Your in a unique situation so I can't give you a certain answer"
Penny looked at Minato in utter disbelief "That's cruel, too cruel to joke about something like" Minato let Messiah's power flow through him so that Penny could get a feel for it, her eyes widened as recognition shined in them "What is, this power? It's almost like the staff-" She shook her head to get her thoughts under control "Your, your not lying"
Minato shook his head "Nope, I'm genuine in my offer. No strings attached, no trade to be made, no deal to be struck or pact forged" as her eyes met Minato's he had only one question "What do you want to do Penny Polendnia, what choice will you make?"
"Save my dad, please" Penny said without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed onto Minato arms with a desperate look in her eyes "If you can bring me back to life, doesn't that mean you can heal him. Right?"
Minato took Penny's hands into his own "I'll see what I can do, honestly I already planned on it once I learnt he wasn't doing well, but what about yourself?
Penny was silent for a long moment as she looked at her and Minato's hands "I, I resigned myself to waiting on this side for my dad. That way he wouldn't be alone in death, unlike me" a bitter smile graced her lips "And even if I did, what happens then? He'll either not believe who I am, or he does and the truth would break his heart" She shook her head "I don't know what I want, other than having him be healthy"
"I understand, just know the option is there if you ever want to take it" Minato smiled as Penny's own smile was no longer bitter "I'll stop by and chat whenever I can, at the very least I can be a conversation partner"
"Thank you" Penny V1 whispered, the dark void around them giving way. The next moment they were back to where they were in the pharmacy Dr Pietro Polendnia was currently working in.
"Ah, you must be the musical martial artists everyone and my daughter is talking about" Approached the group, as he did his mechanical wheel chair but with legs came into view for the others. The unorthodox design earned a raised eyebrow from both Minato and Yuuki, but the two quickly looked away so as to not come off as rude, they shook hands as they got close enough.
"It's an honour to meet you Dr Polendnia, we've heard many things about you" Elizabeth said with a smile as she shook Pietro's hands, she only talked to the man in the other timeline through a video call and second hand information. She was glad to finally meet the man behind the glowing opinions.
They sat down for some tea and chatted for a little while, during which Minato stealthy glanced to the spirit of Penny V1 and made meaningful eye contact to assure her that their conversation did happen.
When the conversation drifted to Hamon Minato took his chance to strike up a particular conversation.
"You don't mind that Ironwood was having recordings made of your Hamon class?" Dr Pietro asked, he assumed that a participator of a secret martial art would take a little offence to having their class bugged.
Minato shrugged "No, I mean I am a bit annoyed he did it in secret but I won't hold it against him. I teach Hamon because I know it can help improve people's lives, even if it's only a little with having better breathing control and giving a punch to the Grimm a little extra something, and if technology can help people understand and advance the art than I'm all for it"
Pietro smiled at those words "Well that's a relief to hear, I actually have some data on hand if you want to look it over?"
Minato nodded "I'd loved to, it'll help me refine my own skill. Or, at least tell me if I need to change some things for my class" Minato frowned as he looked Pietro over "That being said, are you alright Doctor? You look a little tired"
Pietro looked a little surprised at Minato's words but waved him off "Oh, it's nothing out of the ordinary. Just an old man getting older"
"Pretty sure Hamon could help with that" Yuuki joined the conversation "Not with the getting older part, though it can slow it down to a point just like exercising, but having good breathing can help counter tiredness"
"And, on the chance it might be something else, my Semblance can heal others so I would be able to pick up on anything off that could make you sick" Minato offered Dr Polendnia, both Penny V1 and V2 eyes widening with hope at his words with V1 actively begging her father to go through with it.
Pietro Polendnia thought it over, he had seen the people the young man and girl with him healed and was amazed at the degree to which they had all recovered. And with the evidence of how Hamon actually affected Aura, improving the rate of recovery and making it stronger as a whole with the ratings of people's Aura going up one rank at minimal with those with weaker Aura finding their auras growing significantly more powerful to the point they were a little above average.
'I don't it'll solve anything, buy me an extra year or two at best' with that thought Pietro felt two hopeful gazes staring at him, one from his daughter and one from over his shoulder 'guess even my guardian spirit wants me to do this'
"Okay, nothing ventured nothing gained" Dr Polendnia said much to the delight of Penny.
Granting Dr Polendnia Hamon was as simple as the others, jab with a pinky fingers to force air out to start the process, with some upper body exercises to help keep up his Hamon breathing.
However, having Minato to use his 'Semblance' on Dr Polendnia took a little extra work as he needed to show that his powerful healing took time to prepare with the process needing to be slowed down so it wasn't too quick and that Pietro could feel the effects take place.
After a minute of healing Dr Polendnia physically Minato moved onto his soul and what he found was worrying.
It wasn't too bad, it could have easily been in a much worse condition, the damage done was more in line with the skin of the arm being peeled off and left exposed rather than having huge chunks taken out of it. Most of the important bits were still there but it was vulnerable and weak with his soul bleeding out spiritual energy.
Using a healing skill with Messiah repaired all the damage to the soul with Minato using some of his own SP to restored what Dr Polendnia had-
Dr Pietro Polendnia's Flaw "Fleeting Soul" had changed into the Perk "Exalted Soul" due to being given spiritual power many times greater than his own from a being whose power outstrips those of many gods
-lost.
'I may have over did it a little' Minato thought to himself as he took a step back from Dr Polendnia as he looked at himself in wonder with his two daughters beside him.
'You underestimate the size of the gap in power between you and most other humans that now exists' One of Minato's Personas spoke to him, giving him advice and reminding him of the scale of power he held.
"This is, amazing" Dr Polendnia said with a smile "I haven't felt this good in years, hold on" he closed his eyes as he focused on something, his aura shining as it stretched out to form several long arms that were completely under the doctor's control. The sight of them made him let out a short laugh "I can't believe it, it's been years since I've been able to use my Semblance"
The aura arms moved throughout the lab, weaving throughout it to collect tools and compounds before the arms converged into a storm of movement that was hard to track. Once the arms slowed down they revealed a pair of mechanical shoes that instantly began dancing around, almost like they were being wore by an invisible man.
"Well, looks like Atlus's Handyman is back" Dr Pietro Polendnia said as for a moment he reminisced his early years as he made a name for himself, his short stroll from memory lane being cut short by the look of relief on his daughter's face.
As Penny V2 hugged her father Penny V1 looked to Minato with a smile, mouthing a thank you before she joined in on the hug even if she couldn't do it physically.
For a moment, it looked as if Pietro reacted to the spirit of his first child hugging him.
|-][-|
They reconvened back to the throne room in Minato's Personal World so he could go over what he learnt regarding Penny's situation.
"We can't leave her like that" Elizabeth said with a firm conviction in her voice, while she knew Penny for a short amount of time she had quickly grown fond of the android girl both in this timeline and in the other she had visited before.
Yuuki nodded in agreement "I'm confident we're all in agreement, though what can we do to help?" Yuuki asked as she had no experience dealing with ghosts, outside of enemies in video games.
"That depends on what Penny wants for herself" Minato frowned for a moment before adding to his words "The Penny who was at Vale, I mean. And our own abilities"
[At the moment, it is possible to resurrect Vale!Penny as either a Human or a Demon with your current abilities] Burroughs stated as a holographic display of two copies of Penny appeared, one as a human standing beside her father, Ironwood and Winter and the other as a demon surrounded by Demons like Jack Frost, Imp, Ishtar and Asura.
"Is there any other way we can help her, or figure out a means to let her revive as she was before?" Minato asked, wanting to make sure he was able to help Penny regardless of what path she wanted to take.
[Well~ If you want to cover all your bases then have a look at this] F!Tico suddenly appeared as she held two cards in hand, she threw them overhead causing the cards to transform into System Windows [Two new quests that can accomplish what your looking for]
Yuuki looked at the two windows with a raised eyebrow "Two quests, is this some kind of morality system?"
M!Tico appeared beside Yuuki [That is one way to look at things, it seemed there was a pre-prepared quest for this sort of thing but after reading it I and my sister put together a little something different]
Looking over the quests Minato frowned as he saw mention of one thing in the prepared quest "What is this Staff of Creation? Penny mentioned something about a Staff when we talked, could they be related?"
"Staff of Creation, I have not heard of such a thing before. I wonder if there was one such relic in the other timeline I visited or if this item is unique to this one?" Elizabeth asked herself.
[The Staff is a Divine Relic left behind by the local God of Light, it can supposedly create anything the user can imagine and is currently being used to keep the city of Atlus flying in the air] F!Tico said, a stick figure twirling around a staff creating things as they did before inserting it into hole in the ground to keep Atlus flying.
Yuuki tilted her head "Huh, normally people would keep something like that in a shrine. But I can why they'd do it, better than having it gather dust"
"Let's avoid anything that risks destroying both Atlus and Mantle" Minato said, the mental picture of Atlus falling from the sky and crushing Mantle playing out in his mind. He turned his attention tot he quest the Ticos prepared.
Quest: I WILL be the Blue Fairy!
To sure up all routes in how you can help Penny Polendnia, you've decided to ensure the option of returning to her robotic form is open.
Objectives: [0/3]
Max out the Engineer Class: [10 / 50]
Max out Remnant Hunter Class: [11 / 100]
Gain Dr Pietro Polendnia as a Mentor [ Incomplete ]
"This seems a bit more reasonable, any objections?" Minato asked the others wanting to know their opinions on the off chance he over looked or missed anything. Hearing no disagreement Minato accepted the Tico made quest "Well, looks like we have a new solid goal to work towards. Helping around Mantle and Atlus should help things along with the Dungeons, especially the EXP one"
[The EXP Dungeon is still unusable for the foreseeable future, though the others are open for you to use] Burroughs said, letting them know now that special dungeon had yet to be operational once more.
Yuuki put a finger to her chin as a thought entered her mind "What about you go for another one of those Virtue quests" Yuuki suggested, seeing the slight twitch on Minato's expression she moved quickly to clarify herself "Considering what you already got from 'Faith' and 'Chastity' there is a chance something like 'Diligence' could increase the amount of EXP you gain"
"I can't fault her on that logic, she does make a good point" Elizabeth said, backing Yuuki's idea "And, to be honest, I would like to see what the other Virtues and Sins look like"
Minato's eyebrow twitched "Point, and I can't argue against the idea without proof of my own" taking a deep breath Minato stands up "Okay. I'm going to do as many as these as I can in a day and afterwards I will be taking a long bath"
"Would you like me to join you in bed as well, so you won't sleep alone as you recover from the experience?" Elizabeth asked, earning a shocked blushing look from Yuuki.
Minato considered the idea "Please, that sounds like a wonderful idea" he made his way to the site of the Sins and Virtues Quest as Yuuki bombarded Elizabeth with questions.
Meanwhile, Minato stood before the Virtue of Diligence with his back to Sloth. Psyching himself up to face whatever perils awaited him Minato opened the doors and stepped through to find himself in a small apartment, similar to one he spend a few months living in after he was freed from the Great Seal and found himself in another world, looking around it nothing seemed out of place or odd.
In the middle of the room was a table with dozens of books on top of it, getting a closer look Minato was surprised to see they were engineering books. Among the books he saw the topics of Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Chemical Engineering, looking further Minato saw even more fields of engineering were present in the pile of learning materials from agriculture to aerospace.
Opening the book on agricultural engineering Minato glanced over it's contents as he flipped through the pages, old memories of him helping out in the farms of one of his relatives in the country side coming back to him.
"Alright, let's get to studying!"
Turning around Minato spotted another questionably dressed Archangel, a quick use of Observe telling him that she was Sandalphon 'Archangel' of Diligence.
The Persona of Metatron gave the Persona of his brother Sandalphon a pat on the back to offer his support as it was his turn, the Angels braced themselves for what was to come.
"You have a massive test in front of you so you need to start hitting those books and I'll be sure to help you study" Sandalphon said as she raised up her gauntlet left arm into a gist bump, her earnest expression winning Minato over a little. While the odd swimsuit mixed with armour outfit made him a little worried at first those worried melted away, with a node Minato began learning what he could from the studying material before him.
Everything he finished studying a book it would disappear and a test paper would appear for him to complete along with practical tests to put what he learnt to practical use, making steady progress as he went Minato had to take a break every once in a while to help Sandalphon as one of her inventions went haywire with him being able to notice what was the cause of the faults with every other machine.
Still, Sandalphon was a considerable help with helping him study with flash cards and taking regular breaks so he wasn't overwhelmed.
And as he finished the final test, one that required him to use everything he had learnt up to that point Minato felt Sandalphon run up to hug him from behind, her head on his shoulder as everything converged on him like it had twice before.
Quest [Supremacy Over Sin and Virtue] Updated
Diligent Skill Gained.
{Relationship Speed with those who are "Diligent" doubled [Auto Locked by Minato's Will]}
Archangel Sandalphon Companion / Power Gem gained
Agents of Virtue Updated, Unlocked Diligence Units
3 Ranks added to Diligence.
Due to a special lengthy study session, EXP requirements to level up the Engineer Class lowered by 15%
"You know, that wasn't too bad" Minato said as he looked to where the door of Diligence once stood as he looked down to the others besides him "Even if the next one is bad, I feel confident in doing another one"
[Are you sure you wish to continue forward?] Burroughs asked.
Minato nodded, walking forward he stood before Charity with his back to Greed. Sandalphon mentioned that her Metatron was the Archangel of Charity and since it didn't really matter what origin he did these in he decided to see what the other Metatron looked like, as he opened the door Minato could feel the Persona of Metatron bracing himself for what was about to appear.
Finding himself in a hospital was not something any of them were expecting, feeling a slight breeze Minato looked down to see he was now wearing a hospital gown.
"What are you doing out of bed, you still have a check up Mr Messiah"
Off to the side came a nurse pushing a wheel chair, although what she was wearing could barely be called a nurse's uniform. A quick Observe revealed that she was indeed Metatron, the 'Archangel of Charity'.
Minato let Nurse Metatron to bring him to a room for his check up, although it quickly became apparent the supposed Archangel didn't know how to perform any tasks as a nurse. Getting in bed with him to check his pulse was one thing, but attempting to check his blood pressure and yet somehow grinding against his arm was another.
While his knowledge wasn't complete Minato helped Metatron actually perform his check up, thankfully there was nothing too complicated involved with his check up. Until it came to him needing an injection, as soon as Metatron grasped a needle her personality changed.
Thankfully a bop to the head made her put away the ropes, power tools and the car battery.
Once his check up was completed the hospital seemed to start becoming overflowing with newly arriving patients, Minato helped Metatron treat the people that came in acting as Metatron's assistant nurse with him helping with the more basic procedures while she helped keep the people feel calm and at ease.
Working together everyone was seen to and properly treated, looking over the empty waiting room Minato felt Metatron hug him from behind.
As everything began to converge on him like it had happened before Nurse Metatron realized something horrible.
"Oh no! Messiah, I never gave you your sponge bath-" she was cut off as everything converged on Minato.
Quest [Supremacy Over Sin and Virtue] Updated
Charitable Skill Gained.
{Relationship Speed with those who are "Charitable" doubled [Auto Locked by Minato's Will]}
Archangel Metatron Companion / Power Gem gained
Agents of Virtue Updated, Unlocked Charity Units
3 Ranks added to Knowledge.
'I never thought I'd utter these words, I preferred the wannabe ninja counterpart of myself. At least he had depression and a lost of purpose to excuse that' the Persona of Metatron said.
'Truly? I must say 'Nurse Metatron' had the same glint in her eyes when she held that needle as you do when you use Fires of Sinai oh Voice of God' the Persona of the Demon Belial said with a grin that stayed in place even after getting punched repeatedly.
[Would you like to continue?] Burroughs asked Minato.
He looked over the doors before rubbing the back of his head and walked away from the doors "I think that's enough for the day, I'll try going for the remaining three of the main virtues tomorrow and depending on how that goes I may try the extras"
As he returned to the castle Minato looked around to get his bearings before heading off to take a relaxing bath, as he walked he brought up the new skills he got to look them over.
Skill: Diligent
All EXP gained for Classes multiplied by 3.5
Able to perform 'Special Study Sessions' to lower the EXP requirements to level up classes, Special Study can benefit others as well. Special Study Sessions can only be applied to one Class at a time and can only be applied once to a class. Reduce Requirements applied to all levels, including previous levels of Classes.
Quality of your creations is doubled and increased further by the amount of time spent on them.
Gain a percentile boost to stats while performing long tasks, such as guarding something, the longer you keep to this task the stronger you become. Boost is lost once you are no longer doing these tasks.
Skill: Charity
Able to bestow your own base stat points and Skills (given skills start out at level 1) to others, they gain a permanent increase in stats and skills while you will recover what you lost during your next Player level up.
Able to share all Perks and Skills with those in your party.
Area of effect for all support skills massively expanded, able to affect an entire planet 1.5 times the size of Earth with no increase in cost. Area of effect can be increased by paying more for the skill, narrowing the area of effect will increase the power of the skills by how much is condensed and lessening the cost until it's free.
Causes you personally support become massively more successful than if you didn't support them.
"Looks like Yuuki was right" Minato said to himself, wondering what he could do as thanks for the advice on taking Diligence.
[Just to check, you aren't going to summon that Metatron for that sponge bath are you?] F!Tico asked. Causing Minato to stumble at the question being asked.
He gave the grinning bunny girl an unamused look "No, I was not. That aside, does Diligent mean I gain EXP for Classes is multiplied by 9.5?"
F!Tico tilted her head for a moment going wide eyed [Oh, no, it's more than that. The EXP boost of Diligent and Limit form is multiplied together to a grand total of 21 times more EXP]
[It will make levelling up High Level Classes like the Guardian easier, after all it was only after you defeated numerous Gods and Demons before claiming the power of Bel to fully Level it] Burroughs added in, pulling F!Tico's ear over the sponge bath comment.
-=-][-=-
As Minato was enjoying his bath he dozed off and found him experiencing yet another Dive to Heart. He was expecting to experience another one after the Keyblade Wielder Class was soft locked again, though he wondered why this one took longer then the previous one with Minato idle wondering if the intervals between the Class soft locking and the Dive to Heart would grow longer over time.
It didn't take long for another platform to appear like before, Minato looked around to make sure there wasn't anything else before moving to the other platform. However, as soon as he stepped foot on it his surrounds changed completely as he found himself on a beach with his back to the ocean.
Looking around the tropical island Minato quickly spotted simple man made structures that told him the island was inhabited, the lush greenery and crystal clear ocean coupled with a blue sky was a sight to behold. As he looked out into the ocean memories came to the surface of Minato's mind, with a major one being the trip to Yakushima he and SEES took during their summer break.
"Maybe there's something beyond these waters"
A voice, loud and clear spoke up besides Minato. Glancing to the side he saw a young man of tanned complexion with silver hair and grey eyes, he didn't react to Minato as he looked out to the sea with longing as if he wanted to meet someone.
"Maybe, there are _ like the ones I dream off
The young man turned to meet Minato's gaze for a moment before turning to walk closer in land, Minato following after him after a moment.
"One step forward is all it takes"
The young man summoned a Keyblade of his own, it looked similar to Minato's own Starlight but with a more block robust design. Darkness appeared and consumed all around them, before long the tropical islands were gone and instead the two appeared to be in one of many floating island cities in an ocean without end.
"But if you lack the courage and strength, your dreams will remain dreams forever" seeing how the Keyblade wielder raised their weapon overhead Minato summoned his own to defend himself.
The clash between the two was fierce, unlike the previous fight the young man had no glaring weaknesses to exploit but at the same time didn't truly excel at one way of fighting. Parrying away blades of light it quickly became apparent the one he was fighting was some sort of prodigy.
Minato gained the advantage by quickly changing Personas to reflect or absorb the attacks being directed at him before outlasting the mysterious Keyblade wielder, disarming him by knocking his weapon out of his hand and tying him up with chains of light.
"A long road awaits, stretching out over the horizon, I wonder who will we become at the end of it" the boy in black said as a ball of darkness emerged from his chest. The world of cities on the ocean disappeared as Minato was once more back on the originally platform, a glass shard from the most recent platform floated to Minato giving him a chance to grab it.
Holding it up to see if the distant Station of Awakening from before was visible Minato instead saw a purple star appear in the same spot where the other Station of Awakening was, the shard disappeared and as it did the ball of darkness revealed a new Medal.
Boy in Black: Яeverse / Power
Xehanort in the beginning.
He who walked a Dark Road
Attack: +15482
Defense: +13363
Grants use of the skill [Boisterious Ice] when equipped.
With a jolt Minato wakes up, the sound of splashing water putting him on edge for a moment before he remembered where he was. And like before not a moment had passed before a screen appeared before him.
Keyblade Wielder: 20 → 21
Affinity Slots unlocked: Boost the Attack and Defense of medals by placing them in the matching slots, such as placing an Upright Magic Medal in a slot that is also Upright Magic. Different Keyblade Forms have different Affinities layouts. Highest Multiplier use for each Medal per slot.
Unlocked the Student Defender Keyblade Form.
Attack: +3500 [46.282] [With Multipliers: 74.274]
Defence: +3500 [30.190] [With Multipliers: 48.208]
"Burroughs, how long was I sleeping for?"
[Exactly 10 minutes and 30 seconds Master, had you began to submerge beneath the water during your sleep we were prepared aid you at a moments notice]
"Thank you" Minato said as he got up and out of the bath, while relaxing he rather sleep in a bed than in a bath.
-=-][-=-
Seeing as they needed to grind for levels to help with Penny current situation they got to work using their Huntsmen Licenses to take on missions to gain extra experience points, however they were able to gain new quests by eavesdropping on conversations between people.
Namely how one of the outer walls of Mantle got damaged recently due to a Grimm attack, seeing as there was a mission to exterminate Grimm in the surrounding area close to the wall they decided to cheek it out.
Luckily Elizabeth could use her Keyblade to transform it into a bike and take them there, due to the shape changing nature of Keyblades it was a simple matter of extending it to make room for Yuuki to ride along. However, Elizabeth method of driving was still wild and intense to such an extent both Minato and Yuuki didn't a few seconds to regain their bearings.
The Grimm assigned to them to hunt were quickly dealt with, the only thing challenging about it was the little competition they had to see who could take down the most Grimm. The results were debated as Elizabeth used Mahama to wipe out all the Grimm with a single Light skill, that topic kept them busy until they arrived to the damaged wall.
The first thing that came to mind about the wall was the age, looking to be decades old at the very least with numerous repairs and maintenance being performed on it over the years to extend it's life against not only the Grimm but also the harsh weather.
"Well, we're here. What are we going to do now?" Yuuki asked as she looked over the wall, hugging her Shroud of Power closer to her to protect herself better from the wind and cold.
"We're going put this power to good use, see if it can serve something other than oneself. Burroughs, can you have it so The Gamer Ability can repair this wall?" Minato asked the A.I. as he looked over the wall, his recently gained knowledge on engineering pointing out several critical weaknesses in the structure.
[Easily, however since you aren't using a skill to do it we'll have to a work around] Burroughs answered as a quest window popped up.
Quest: [Bulwark from Beasts and the Cold]
As the Gamer Ability repairs the damage walls of Mantle Grimm will be drawn to your area to prevent the restoration, hold out until the time limit and protect the wall.
Objective: Prevent the destruction of the wall for the allotted time.
Reward: Kingdom of Atlus's defenses strengthened, lowering tensions in Mantle and Atlus, decrease Grimm Activity.
Failure: Breach of defenses, heighten tensions. Death.
"Does it really have to attract the Grimm?" Minato muttered as he showed the quest to the others, with them giving the go ahead Minato accepted the quest and nor a moment later the damaged wall began glowing.
[Grimm, incoming]
Sure enough, all manner of Grimm began making their approach towards them.
"Heat Riser" Minato whispered as he buffed the others before going forward to meet the coming monsters. He was the one to summon them, they were his responsibility to deal with.
Yuuki was the first to battle the Grimm, using a single sword swing to cut down a large swat of Grimm. Elizabeth hummed a little tune as she leisurely dispatched any airborne Grimm, staying closest to the wall to ensure someone more experienced with ranged attacks could control the flow of Grimm.
Minato was holding the middle as he drew in Grimm to himself, using his Keyblade as his weapon of choice and the Persona of Kresnik to battle them.
As several Grimm surrounded and jumped Minato he prepared to leap into the air to avoid the attack, but another idea came to him instead.
As the Grimm struck as one they expected to see a dead human before them, but instead only found ice and shadows. Shadows that moved and looked back at them, the Grimm were dragged around by the shadow that moved on the ground as more and more Grimm were captured and found themselves in forced together into a vague ball.
From the living shadow Minato emerged as he locked his eyes on the ball of gathered Grimm, he could almost imagine a targeting reticle at he locked his gaze on them. The Keyblade he wielded transformed from a blade into a bow, pulling back the string formed an arrow that when fired obliterated the Grimm and anything remotely near them.
Looking over the battlefield it seemed like they had everything under control, the wall was almost repaired and the number of Grimm were thinning massively. However, there was still plenty of time for something to go wrong.
However, as soon as Yuuki beheaded a beowolf a message popped up.
Quest: [Bulwark from Beasts and the Cold] Completed
Rewards: Kingdom defenses strengthened, lowered tensions in Mantle and Atlus, Grimm Activity -10%
[Above and Beyond Duty] Perk Activated.
Optional Objective: I am The Wall, don't let the wall get damaged during the repair.
Bonus Reward: All Kingdom defenses strengthen further in all aspects, unlocked Shielder Class. +EXP
Optional Objective: Exterminator, defeat all Grimm before time runs out.
Bonus Reward: Local Grimm population reduced, Grimm receive 10% more damage from humanoids near defenses, and tension among the people lessened greatly. +EXP
Optional Objective: Unaided, complete mission without aid from those outside your party.
Bonus Reward: Large increase in reputation with those who seen you in this fight [which is no one], All who oppose the Grimm receive a minor buff to all stats and EXP gain as well as all checks being lowered. Those who side with Grimm suffer minor debuffs with skill checks being raised. Grimm take double damage when near Atlus or Mantle. +EXP
Optional Objective: Unseen, complete mission without being spotted.
Bonus Reward: Ironwood, Robin and Salem forces remain ignorant of you and yours true abilities. Three Million Remnant Credits. +EXP
Experience Points given to Classes multiplied by 21 due to Diligent and Limit Form [3.5*6 = 21]
Remnant Hunter: 11 → 39
Engineer: 10 → 45 [EXP Requirements lowered due to Special Study Session]
"Wait, that's it?" Minato muttered to himself as he looked around for any sign of trouble, yet no matter where he looked everything seemed to be clear. Wanting to be sure Minato used one of the powers of the Guardian Class to look into the future by up to twenty four hours, to make sure everything was clear.
Yuuki looked around to make sure they were in the clear personally "Well, this was more of instance mission or a side quest than anything big. Not something really big, at least for the time being"
"Well, the walls are repaired so I would say this experiment is a success" Elizabeth said as she gave the wall a hard tap to test it's strength, double checking where they with a map on her scroll she spotted something "Oh~ I've heard about a lovely little family restaurant nearby here. Shall we check it out?"
Yuuki's stomach growling answered back, the three set off to try the place Elizabeth heard about. Meanwhile, a certain disgraced Doctor Watts was finding they systems he was hacking to be putting up a harder resistance than moments before.
-=-][-=-
As they were turning in their completed mission the group was approached by someone they didn't recognize.
"Excuse me, you three wouldn't happen to be the ones from the videos are you?" The man brought up a scroll with two videos opened, one showing their musical performance in Mantle and the other the Hamon class.
They looked to each other for a moment before Yuuki answered "Yes, that's us"
The man smiled as he put away the scroll "My apologizes for the sudden intrusion, I'm here to deliver a message for a client. Seems he wanted to get in contact with you but couldn't through normal means" the man them an envelop "He wrote up a letter along with some contact information, he's hoping to hear word from you soon"
Leaving just as suddenly as he arrived the man left. Opening it up revealed a short letter along with a phone number.
To the musicians and masters of Himon, I came across videos of your work and to see I've become greatly intrigued and wish to help share your work with the world. If your in need of support for anything do not hesitate to get in touch. Enclosed is a private number set up for our meeting.
Sincerely,
Whitley Schnee.
"He misspelled Hamon" Yuuki muttered her comment as it was the first thing that came out to her in the letter.
Looking over the number, Minato debated when would be a good time to call.
Author's Notes:
Codex:
Flaw. Fleeting Soul: A damaged soul that is causing deterioration of life energy, Skill cost doubled and HP / SP Regeneration halved.
Perk. Exalted Soul: A soul risen to heights it couldn't reach normally, skill costs lowered, HP and SP Regeneration tripled. A forgotten spark is almost ready to ignite.
Item. Staff of Creation: One of the Four Divine Relics of Knowledge, Creation, Destruction and Choice. Capable of creating whatever the wielder can imagine with it's power being used to keep Atlus flying, once all four relics are brought together they will summon the Brother Gods of Light and Darkness back to Remnant to either destroy it or return magic to the world.
Class. Shielder. A container used to summon Heroic Spirits, used for heroes known for defending or wielded famous shields.
Mechanics. Limit Form and other EXP boosts: Limit Form's multiplier affects already existing EXP boosts by multiplying them rather than being an add on. Diligent multiples EXP by 3.5 for classes and Limit Form boosts that up to a 21 times multiplier.
Omake: The Trials and Tribulations of the Harem Protagonist's OP Daughter,
aka Daugheru protects Fatheru 3,
aka I blame all you who brought up Peter Grills for this one!
The sounds of wailing sobs echoed throughout the room as Yuuki and tried her best to comfort the betrayed knight beside her, she hadn't know Luvelia Sanctos for long but they got pulled into her life in a way none of them wanted.
Originally they had only planned to stay a day in this world before heading off to the next after Minato found the way they were suppose to go but when they came across a village under siege by what was called a 'Great Worm Goblin' that honestly looked more like a cheap knock off of Cthulhu they went off to deal with it, finding the monster with a captured Luvelia at it's mercy Minato wasted no time in rescuing the captured knight and defeating the monster.
Had Yuuki known then what her father's heroic actions would have caused she would have stepped forward to save Luvelia in his stead, still nothing seemed wrong out of the gate. Luvelia didn't look at Yuuki's father like a blushing maiden who had fallen in love, instead thanking him as a normal person and treating each other with mutual respect.
When Luvelia's backup came they celebrated the defeat of the monster and thanked Minato wholeheartedly for saving one of their precious comrades, especially Luvelia's fiancé who had raced out to help her once he learnt of her circumstances.
The same fiancé, Peter Grill, who was responsible for Luvelia's broken heart.
It began innocently enough, Luvelia had invited them out for breakfast as a means of thank you for the aid. She was getting ready with Alma in their room and Minato in his own while Luvelia went to collect Peter, only to find him in bed with another woman.
The act of infidelity seemed to have broken something inside Luvelia when she found Peter in bed with another woman, she just stood there quiet.
It was only due to Alma picking up the emotional heartbreak the knight was going through that they learnt of what happened so soon, while the drawbacks of her power were dealt with Alma still had a powerful affinity for negative emotions allowing her all manner of abilities such as tracking and learning the cause of the negative emotions.
Luvelia was inconsolable for the length of the trip back to the guild, they couldn't leave her like that so they decided to stay around a while longer to make sure she was going to be okay. Luvelia seemed to grow more attached to them when she learnt one of her fellow guild-mates, someone she considered a friend, knew of Peter unfaithfulness and kept it from her.
They had managed to get her to accept that it was just that one person and not the entire Guild who kept her blind to such a horrible truth.
As Luvelia fell asleep Yuuki snuck out of their shared room and let out a tired sigh before going to her father's room. There she found Minato having prepared drinks and some food for them, sitting down Yuuki took a gulp of the first thing she got her hands on. Chocolate milk.
"How are you holding up?" Minato asked, a worried look on his face.
"Alright, Luvelia is doing better herself. I think the shock of it all is starting to fade, now we just have to help with the pain that will settle end" Yuuki answered.
Minato worried look persisted but nodded at his daughter's words "If you need a break you can have it, me and Alma can tag in if-"
Yuuki shook her head "Dad, I love you, but there's not much you can do here at least not yet. Luvelia may still be sensitive to guys in general right now and even if you feed words to Alma, well-"
"Yeah, I'm in no way suited for this type of situation" Alma Wade answered, idly scanning the emotions of others out of boredom than anything else "Though I can tell you this Peter Grills had been sleeping around still, with more girls besides that elf, his emotions are a jumbled mess that I can't get a read on them"
Minato winced at those words "I'll be honest, I'm not sure if there's much we can do here or if we should intervene"
Yuuki shrugged "We could always take Luvelia with us, just to help her get herself back together, though I think she's on her way to a somewhat full recovery already"
'If nothing else goes wrong, that is'
Later…
Yuuki enter the arena of the coliseum that stood at the heart of the city, looking around she saw spectators had already begun filling the stands with her father standing with Alma, Luvelia and the guildmaster.
Across from her were Yuuki's opponents, two ogres, one elf and one orc. All of them giving her dismissal looks with only the orc seemingly looking at her with anything else, though her eyes seemed more like she was worried about hurting her.
"Look, little girl" The tall ogre said as she looked to Yuuki "Why don't you just walk away now, we don't want to steal your boyfriend away from you for long. We just need to borrow him for a bit"
Yuuki's answer was the unsheathing of her sword and pointing the blade at the monster girls, or 'demi-humans' as they were called in this world.
The elf sigh "Seriously, you're outclass with just me being here. With these three we literal overpower you in every way"
Yuuki narrowed her eyes at the elf, the more it talked the more it was ruining Yuuki's impression of her Fairy mode "I defeated a literal Goddess of Death when she tried to pull the 'Love at first sight' bit with him, you four are nothing compared to her"
"A-A-A Goddess of Death!?" the orc girl cried out.
The smaller ogre sighed "Alright, we tried to reason with you. I'll try and go easy on you"
The smaller ogre rushed to meet Yuuki, however she was sent flying back moments later after Yuuki attacked with such speed none of the fighters in the arena could have followed the attack.
Yuuki readjusted her stance, a smirk on her face when she saw the monster girls were finally looking at her seriously "Likewise, after all I rather not have to deal with the trouble of four deaths"
It couldn't be called a battle what happened next, no matter what might or magic the monster girls used Yuuki beat them all. The ogres thrown like rag dolls, the elf blue screening as Yuuki cut down all her magic spells while the orc stood frozen in place most of the time.
It wasn't long before all four laid beaten on the ground, letting out painful groans.
"So, I take it you four are going to leave Minato alone now?" Yuuki said as she place a hand on her hip, her smirk fading as all four stumbled to their feet "You can't beat me"
The tall ogre scuffed "No way we're giving up, I'm going to get a baby from that guy's stuff if it's the last thing I do"
"I can't very well let myself as an elf be prevented from harvesting his tree sap from" the elf said as the rest got up.
Hearing those words Yuuki hit a breaking point "Will you stop talking about my dad like that you hussies!"
""""Wait, dad?""""
The guildmaster and Luvelia looked to Minato shocked, in response Minato rubbed the back of his head "Yeah, the truth is I'm Yuuki's biological. I know, I look good for my age"
"Oh, we are definitely getting that man meat now" the short ogre said as she licked her lips, the sight sending a shiver up Yuuki's spine "I mean, we went after Peter because he was suppose to be the strongest human warrior. But not only is Minato stronger, after he proved it by beating Peter, we have actual proof his children will be strong too. As you have proven"
Yuuki looked on in shook, instead of deterring the scum from exploiting her dad she only encouraged them with her own power!
In that moment, there was only one path forward that Yuuki could see. To put on a display of such power that all who would attempt to abuse her father's kind nature will have the fear of God put in them.
"If that's the case, I'll have to make you leave him alone by force. I swear by my title of Absolute Sword you scumbags won't go near him ever again!" Closing her eyes for a moment Yuuki drew upon the power of the Universe that laid within her 'Burn, my Cosmos'
The display of sword play and magic witness that day, it was as if a Goddess of Battle had descendant to the Earth to deliver punishment.
"Gaea Rage!"
"Wait, Yuuki don't-!" Minato's warning came too late as the attacked went off, all he could do was create a barrier with Alma to lessen the damage.
-=-]|[-=-
"Yuuki, don't you think you went a little overboard on them?" Luvelia asked as she and Yuuki waited at a table for the others to arrive.
In response, the younger girl pointed her spoon at the knight "You have to be forceful at times with other people, especially people like them" Yuuki looked at Luvelia inquisitive gaze "Besides, don't you want a little payback against them. They did ruin your engagement with Peter after all"
Luvelia sighed "If they didn't do it chances are some other woman would have come by to take his genes" she shook her head as she looked to Yuuki "That being said, were you being truthful when you defeated a Goddess of Death when she tried to-" Luvelia blushed, not sure what to say.
Yuuki nodded "Yeah, I did beat up a Goddess of Death once though I wasn't able to put her down for good" Yuuki thought back to that time when she met Izanami, caught off guard by her purple hair and red eyes just as much as her power "Dad and me stopped by near where this Goddess was, I'm not sure how but she found us and apparently feel in love with my dad at first sight"
Luvelia looked at Yuuki shocked "If I may ask, what exactly did this Goddess of Death do?"
"Well, she tried doing the whole blushing maiden act when she met my dad in person. Blushing madly, stumbling over her words, losing control of the volume of her voice at one point, and apparently going to her sisters and enemies for advice" Yuuki frowned at the obviously disingenuous actions of the so called goddess "Once she found out I was his daughter she tried to butter me up, since we both had red eyes and purple hair at the time she tried to use that to her advantage"
"Red eyes and purple hair?" Luvelia asked confused as Yuuki had neither of those.
"It's, cosmetic magic. Made me feel more confident, until she ruined it for me by trying to act like my step mum and mentioning how we looked like sisters" Yuuki's expression darkened at the memory, seeing Luvelia's expression Yuuki explained herself "I lost my real mum and twin sister not that long ago, so her trying that pushed all the wrong buttons"
Luvelia was shocked at this piece of news "I'm so sorry"
Yuuki shook her head "It's okay. It's just me and Minato now so we need to watch out for each other, it's my job to make sure he isn't taken advantage of regardless of they random nobodies off the streets or an organization he helped saved the world and they had the nerve to ask him to father the next three generation of their group"
"Three generations!?" Luvelia looked at Yuuki bugged eyed.
"It sounds worst than it actually is" Minato said as he arrived with the guildmaster and Alma, who was casually floating, having overheard the conversation "But, it doesn't make what they wanted from me any easier"
The guildmaster hummed as he considered what Minato just said "Sounds like this organization is like those demi-humans that rat Peter Grills fiddled with"
Minato made a so-so gesture with his hand "To be perfectly fair, the Taimanin face horrific enemies so they have to be more pragmatic and somewhat cruel to stop greater evils"
"Doesn't justify them" Yuuki said with a huff "By the way, what took you so long?"
"Several men were planning to pursue you like those Demi-humans pursue your father and Peter Grill" Alma answered, a dark grin tugging at her lips "Minato proceeded to crack their skulls and break their bones. Accidentally killed one of them but brought them back to life with none the wiser"
The guildmaster laughed as he smacked Minato's back "I'd say, this boy is man after my own heart. Your a breath of fresh air in these old lungs Minato my boy"
"I'm glad you seem to get along with him father, because Yuuki offered me place to travel with them for a short while" Luvelia said with a smile, her father stiffening at her words "Not for long, just to clear my head of Peter. Go places where there aren't so many memories of our time together"
The guildmaster was conflicted, his eyes turning a milky white as reason steadily left his body.
"Guildmaster, I swear to you I shall watch over Luvelia as if she was my own child. If, she were to join us" Minato said, dragging the old man back from the cliffs of madness.
Though he didn't wish his daughter would go off so soon, he gave his blessings as Luvelia joined as a guest on a journey across different worlds.
Later on, after they left…
"What the Hell are you two doing here!?" Peter Grill asked as the two ogre sisters were in his room.
"Well, we came for that baby juice you got" the smaller ogre said as she laid out on his bed "I mean, yeah your the second strongest human but after that beating I'm hesitant to try it again with Minato" she said nursing a lingering wound from the battle "That daughter of his was vicious"
"Oh, you two had the same idea" from behind Peter the elf and orc joined them, the orc the less injured as she really do any fighting.
'Damnit, my whole life is ruined! These girls tempted me and that guy showing up was the final nail in the coffin! Now my Luvelia has gone off with him to parts unknown where I can't follow, if I could only get revenge-'
"Oh~ Have you run afoul of the one known of Minato Arisato? If so, you are not alone"
The room melted away as the human and four demi-humans found themselves in a strange white void, they looked around trying to find where they are but to no avail.
"I have been wronged by Minato and his group like many others, and so we have begun coming together for a shared goal. To follow him wherever he may good and settle our businesses with him"
A wave of power washed over them all as a child in an elaborate dress appeared before them.
"I am Lil. Ouroboros, the one who tests mankind. If you wish to go to where Minato and his forces have gone, then take my hand"
The little girl reached out her hand for Peter Grills to take, as she did shadows appeared around them as those who had already joined this alliance waited to see if a new ally would join them.
Peter took the hand as did the others, the alliance with their sights locked onto Minato Arisato growing in number.
Author's Notes:
Alma Wade is a character and main focus of the F.E.A.R. series of horror games. And yes, Yuuki had Saint Seiya Cosmos power.
Yeah, that Alliance following Minato was a little something I felt like adding to spice things up a little. It won't go anywhere except acting as the fourth and final part of the Daughter!Yuuki omakes but that's it. As for who is in this alliance, some notable members are:
Lil. Ouroboros [The Alchemist Code] Founder who began gathering allies for her second confrontation with Minato.
Izanami / Saya + others [Blazblue]
Taimanin Ninjas [Taimanin series]
Shield Princesses + Others [Kuroinu]
Rimuru Tempest [That time I got reincarnated as a Slime], an AU version rather than the canon one.
Disgaea Protagonists: Laharl, Adell, Mao, Valvatorez, Killia, Zed and an assortment of other characters [Nippon Ichi Software verse]
Medici Mafia remnants [Skullgirls]
These are the ones locked in, but if you can think of other characters to join and if the reason for them is good enough [Not necessarily as enemies, could be friendly rivals or past allies who wanted to meet Minato's group again] than I will consider adding them in. Doesn't matter who they are, could be the collector from Marvel's contest of champions, the Ultramarines from Warhammer 40K or Ilia from Monster Girl Quest.
Give their [Name], [Series] and [Reason] for going after Minato into other worlds in either a review or PM me to work out more fine details.