I really apologize for the delay. It's getting hard to juggle working both life and schedules for me and Ohta-chan. Hopefully this will be worth the wait. Can't promise if the next chapter will take longer to be done, but we'll do our best.
Enjoy.
Disclaimers in chapter 01
Chapter 27: Clash of Personas – Part 01
Minako
"I'll show you emotional wreck!" The door was the only thing standing between her and freedom. No matter how hard she kicked and punched, it didn't leave a dent, let alone budge. She screeched in frustration.
And somehow managed to unconsciously summon Eurydice at the same time.
The Persona bashed the door with her lyre a few times, venting her wielder's pent up emotions. The door miraculously stood, with only a few small splinters and dings here and there.
Minako stood speechless, mouth open. She didn't think it was possible to call forth her Persona without an Evoker (At least, in SEES' case. They never fully understood how Souji and his team summoned theirs without one.) Once Eurydice returned, Minako found that she wasn't as tired as she thought she would be. "Could it be this fog? Now that I think about it, it feels similar…but a little different than the one in the TV."
She tested summoning again, this time with a different Persona. "Peri!" A woman in Middle Eastern dance attire with dove wings and long, flowing hair manifested. Her face was partially covered by a white veil decorated with a geometric eagle. "Let's burn that door to the ground. Agidyne!"
For a Persona that moved so delicately, Peri surprised her by shooting a violent stream of fire, almost like lava. The door withstood, but took more damage than the previous attack.
"Alright!" Minako cheered. "Just a little more, than I can bust loose in no time!"
"Jeez, you really don't think with your brain, do you? Mom and Dad would be so disappointed," someone drawled behind her.
She recognize that voice anywhere. "Aniki…? How did you get in here?"
"Why I have such a barbarian for a sister, I would never know. You lack Mom's elegance and Dad's talent. Why were you even born again?"
Those words hurt her more than anything she had ever experienced. On par with witnessing her boyfriend and Junpei getting shot in the chest. "Aniki…" Her voice shook. "What...what are you saying?"
Minato rolled his eyes. "You're just as dumb as ever. The sooner I cut you out of my life, the better. You were nothing but a burden to me even before I was born." He took out his sword. "This is where we part ways."
Minako snapped when she heard that word: Burden. Ever since their parents died, Minato always assured her that regardless of anything, they'll always stick together. He never associated her as such, and she tried her best to not be one in return. "Who the hell are you?! You're not my brother!" Peri remained by her side, standing guard.
The usually bluish-grey eyes of Minato turned glowing gold. "Why don't you beat me and find out? If you can, that is."
"Hmph, we'll see about that!" The auburn-haired Wild Card snatched a mic stand that stood conveniently beside the control panel, her guess correct that this must be the PA room. "BRING IT ON!"
Minato
The blue-haired teenager sighed as the screen turned off. Then again, he was completely used to people calling him stuff like 'emo' and 'poker face'. He had to admit though, 'prodigy' was completely new. A small smile tugged the corner of his lips.
"What the hell's so funny?!"
Only one person could sneak up on him without notice and almost give him a heart attack: none other than his own twin sister. "Damn it, Minako! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?!"
"Don't get so full of yourself. Just because someone calls you a genius, doesn't mean that you actually are one." She then went on and on for a few more minutes, and ended with "You and your damn personal space!"
"Yes, I love you too," Minato sighed, hoping to dissuade her from lecturing him in the middle of a crisis.
Unlike her usual reaction of blushing and attempt to hug him to death whenever he uttered those rarely spoken words, Minako remained silent and kept her head bowed down. The atmosphere suddenly turned hostile. "Do you, though?"
"Huh?" This seriously wasn't the reaction he was expecting.
"You only say that, but deep down, you never really love me. Mom and Dad never loved me either. I bet they were surprised when I came out so suddenly after you. An extra mouth to feed. I'm just a sack of weight they tied to you and forced you to take care of."
"Now you're being nonsensical," Minato rolled his eyes. "Where did all of this come from?"
"You're so goddamn pathetic! Always the stoic hero, the guy who keeps his promises, the noble leader. Admit it, the only reason you're taking care of me was to please Mom and Dad, right?! Even after they're dead, I'm only here because you got your pride to uphold!"
"That's not true!"
"Really?" she sneered. "Then why were you called 'prodigy' and I was just 'an emotional wreck'?" Minato had no response for that. "Why is it that I was the only person in the team no one remembered in the beginning? They only remembered after you and Souji-kun did!"
'Is this what Minako truly feels?' Minato thought sadly. 'I always tell her that she is never a burden to me. Why does she think about herself like that?' Unfortunately, his train of thought was cut off when Minako's eyes turned golden yellow.
"This time...it's you who will be forgotten!"
Souji
At the back of Souji's mind, he couldn't say that he didn't see it coming. After the clash between his team members and most recently with the twins, he really shouldn't be surprised.
Fighting Shadow selves wasn't new to him, but fighting his own was a completely different experience.
"What's wrong?" his Shadow sneered. He called out Reverse Izanagi for a Ziodyne spell. "Can't face yourself? I would've thought you had the basics after fighting so many."
Souji swiftly dodged the attack, feinted to the left when he actually went right, giving him an opening to swing his blade. "Firstly, you're not my Shadow." His slash missed, only managing to tear fabric. "Not in the true sense of the word anyway." He parried a blow from the Shadow, summoning Siegfried at the same time to counter Reverse Izanagi's Brave Blade.
Shadow Souji hissed as his Persona took the brunt of the attack. Despite that, he still felt the damage. "Ah...is that so?"
"A person's Shadow and Persona are one and the same. Both can't exist at the same time. Such a paradox is incomprehensible." Souji readied his stance, pointing his katana at his doppelganger. "Which means you're not my True Shadow, but a replica created by the merging of minor Shadows to take up my appearance and imitate my power. That's the real purpose of all this red fog. Am I right?"
Their blades clashed. Shadow Souji's smirk widened. "Clever… very clever. You got it figured it out in such a short amount of time." He redirected his katana blade and swung it at an odd angle, the tip grazing Souji's jacket. "...Or so you think."
Souji's eyes narrowed. He didn't like the sound of that. He deflected another slash. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're a seeker of truth, are you not? Riddle me this...what will happen if you were to find out that everything you thought to be true about yourself, is not what it seems?"
Souji didn't know why, but that question hit a sore spot that he didn't know he had. His head started acting up again: Izanagi was getting restless. "What… are you… talking about?" he groaned, a hand applying pressure to his temple.
"Do you really know about your own past? Your parents? Your so called 'family'?" Shadow Souji asked condescendingly, as if he already knew the answers. "Do you remember how you became the Souji Seta you are today?"
"How…how I became who I am…?" Souji's stance weakened, almost dropping his weapon. For some reason, that question shook him to the very core of his being.
"The truth lies hidden within memories once forgotten. I may not be your True Shadow, but I can at least tell that much."
"My memories…forgotten?" A sharp pain pierced Souji's skull, breaking his focus, forcing him to his knees. "Ughh…GAAAHHHH! I-Izanagi...STOP!"
The Shadow armed his blade again. "If you're not ready to face them, you'll never be able to face yourself!" Without further ado, he lunged at Souji, his yellow eyes glowing with murderous intent.
"Ngh… I can't lose here..." Souji shakily got up to face his incoming nemesis, grey eyes hard yet unreadable as a card formed in his hand. "I WON'T LOSE HERE! Come, IZANAGI!" With all his might, he crushed the card to summon the Original God.
Something unexpected happened. Izanagi, the proud and mighty deity of creation, transformed in appearance, his entire being crimson red as if drenched in blood! Black filth covered his jacket, his movements twitching in an unpredictable manner as if he were a rotten, living corpse. Even his naginata emanated a feel of decay, dented and rusty with what looked like blood and entrails dripping from it.
Shock didn't even describe what Souji was feeling. 'Why…? Why does he look like… like that?!' He got no answer from his Persona, the connection between them severed. "What's happening to you?!" He could only stare wide-eyed as the bloody Izanagi charged at his Shadow and thrusted his blade, slashing and piercing with unbelievable speed and merciless viciousness. There was only a short scream of despair before the Shadow dissolved into a puddle of black goo.
Izanagi did not return to him immediately like he always did after battle. "Calamity… Seed..." the Persona growled as he turned to face his owner. His golden eyes glowed ominously, his hard stare causing Souji's head to hurt again.
The silverette screamed in agony.
"Who calls to me...?" Bloody Izanagi's voice rasped. "One who shines in unimaginable darkness..."
"Why… Why are you doing this?" Souji winced, trying to fight through the pain.
"Will you even draw on your hollow self for strength...?" Izanagi made his way towards Souji, extending a clawed hand. "I am Izanagi. I will determine the path you take…"
Souji clenched his head tightly, almost ripping some of his hair out. "Stop… JUST STOP!" Whether or not he stopped screaming after that, Souji wasn't sure, because Izanagi disappeared in an instant. However, he could feel his Persona growling deep in his psyche. The silverette struggled to get back on his feet, mustering all of his willpower not to give in to the pain and pass out. His heart and head continued to pound, mind trying to process what just happened. "My memories… Izanagi's behavior… Are they connected? Is that what the Shadow meant?"
The barrier and fighting ring dissolved before his eyes.
Not one to waste time, Souji marched on ahead. "Doesn't matter right now, anyways. I gotta find the others, regroup, and get to the bottom of this."
"Leaving so soon?"
Startled, the Wild Card swirled around, brandishing his sword. He sharpened his senses, trying to locate the voice.
A classroom door slid open not far from where Souji stood. A figure drew two swords and stepped into the light, brilliant red hair almost indistinguishable from the strange-coloured fog. "Warm up's done, pansy." Sho grinned like a maniac. "Now it's time for the real battle!"
Yukiko, Chie & Metis
Yukiko and Metis acted as crutches for an exhausted Chie. She limped slightly as they trudged along the twisted corridors. It slowed them down a little, but hey, it could have been worse.
A while ago…
During her heated battle with Shadow Akihiko, the Cyclone Uppercut combo with Ziodyne that he unleashed surprised and ended up paralyzing her. On top of that, he delivered a corkscrew punch to her abdomen that would have killed her if Suzuka Gongen's High Counter didn't activate just mere moments as past memories flashed before her eyes.
Outside the barrier, Yukiko screamed and shed tears of fear for her best friend's life.
In the background, Rise's voice gave the fight commentary. It had an idol daftness to it that was used purposely to grate on everyone's nerves.
"Almost got me there," Shadow Akihiko taunted, sounding a bit impressed despite his panting. "But you're not going anywhere, so might as well accept your fate. Any last words?"
Gaining a small amount of feeling back in her right hand, Chie discreetly summoned her card and hid it under her palm. Words could barely form as her lips were also paralyzed. Crushing her card, she mentally ordered her Persona to unleash a Bufudyne. It didn't occur to her to use magic before since her strengths were mostly physical-based attacks.
And it worked. Another thing Chie forgot was that Akihiko, or rather his Persona, had a weakness to ice. Shadow Akihiko took a huge blow and became immobilized. Suzuka Gongen wasted no time and slashed him with her double-bladed lightsaber. Whatever remained of the Shadow disintegrated into a black puddle.
Back to the Present…
After Chie recovered from the paralysis, she was healed by her friends and they set off. One question remained unanswered though, which Metis decided to ask. "Did you notice the sparkly light right after Chie-san defeated that Shadow? What could it possibly be?"
Both childhood friends had no answer. The next best course of action was to follow said sparkly light, which floated to the top of the tower. They should be able to find their answers there.
Akihiko
The former boxer relished the challenge that Tatsumi's Shadow was giving him. Sweat poured in his eyes as he dodged hit after hit from the bleached blonde powerhouse.
The battle was made more difficult because they shared many similarities in terms of combat style: both were physical fighters, and both use and possess immunity against Zio-based magic. Their differences were so minor that they might as well be facing mirror images of each other.
But Akihiko didn't care. This was a battle of endurance. It was about how much of a beating you could deliver, and how much you could take until your body gives out.
And he preferred to be the last one standing.
Kanji, Rise & Naoto
'Damn, Junpei-san can deliver a lot of damage when he's serious.' That was the thought in Kanji's head as he avoided the Shadow's baseball bat from smashing his skull. Luckily he managed to grab a folding chair and used that as a shield. He had taken a few minor hits, but couldn't land any on his opponent. It didn't help to reign in his temper when the baseball-obsessed freak was skidding all over the place, shooting fire baseballs at his direction to irritate him as much as possible. The Junpei-esque puns and insults only fanned his flaming temper. Once Kanji's feathers were ruffled, it didn't take Shadow Junpei much effort to sidestep his clumsy offense and land a hit.
Rise and Naoto waited anxiously outside the transparent cage, ignoring Fuuka's voice and her annoyingly out-of-character commentary blasting from the speakers.
"This is getting out of hand. Kanji will be running out of steam if this keeps up!" Rise said, desperation in her voice as another one of Kanji's hits missed the Shadow.
"True. As Kanji-kun gets angrier, he tends to become more clumsy and blindsighted." Despite her calm demeanor, Naoto's hands were shaking.
Rise clasped her hands. "He's tough. He's taken worse hits than this. We gotta believe in him!" Despite her encouraging words, it only sounded like she was convincing herself.
"You're right." Naoto exhaled a long breath. "Meanwhile, we need to gather as much intel as we can. What have you got so far?"
"For starters, I detected Chie-senpai in battle with someone. It ended just a little while ago, and now I've lost her signal, but I'm assuming she's with Yukiko-senpai and Metis since they're the closest to each other before her fight. Hang on, let me do another check." She re-summoned Kanzeon, doing her best to drown out external distractions. "Whoa! More people are engaged in combat. Even Labrys."
"I see. It makes sense since she's also a Persona-user. Other than our friends, can you find anything or anyone out of the ordinary?"
"Hmmm...let me see...Oh!" Rise gasped. "Who's that with Souji-senpai? I think they're...fighting? Senpai has his Persona out, but I don't recognize the other one's energy signature, and doesn't seem to be using a Persona...which is odd. I can at least tell it's a guy."
Naoto took out her notebook and pen. "Another male who is capable of functioning during the Dark Hour? Sounds a lot like Sho Minazuki. Judging by the way he's opposing Senpai, it is safe to assume that he's a threat." She jotted down more notes. "What about that Teddie who appeared on TV?"
"No...nothing yet. It's like he's hiding behind a thick wall, his presence diluted among readings of all these Shadows." Rise dismissed her Persona. "How is Kanji doing?"
"A little winded, but he's slowly adapting his fighting style to counter Junpei-san's attack." Naoto tucked her notebook away and crossed her arms as she observed her boyfriend. "Don't rush it, Kanji-kun. He'll make a mistake sooner or later. Just wait for an opening," she whispered, softly encouraging him.
That strategy finally paid off as Shadow Junpei miscalculated his step when trying to hit Kanji on the side. The buff seamster tossed his folding chair just right, hitting his opponent in the knee and ruining their balance, giving enough leeway for Kanji to get a good grip hold. His other hand summoned his card. "This'll hurt!" He slammed the Shadow on the ground, before Rokuten Maoh appeared and shot him with electricity.
Shadow Junpei couldn't move after that, muscles numbed by electricity-induced paralysis.
Kanji lifted him up, not minding the electric current coursing through his arm. "Gotcha!" He slammed the body against the ground again right under him. "Bet ya can't take this!" he shouted, before punching him repeatedly. Once he dealt enough damage, Kanji tossed Shadow Junpei aside.
The two girls outside cheered for him. "This is your chance, Kanji-kun!" Naoto shouted.
Kanji grinned. As Shadow Junpei struggled to get up, he grabbed him by the shirt and prepared to summon his Persona. "Let's finish this!" He gave the Shadow the poetic justice he deserved by throwing him in the air and swatting him higher with the folding chair as if he was a toy. Rokuten Maoh zapped him while he's still airborne. "Here it goes, dammit! Feel the power...of The Man Series: BROFIST!" As soon as he shouted that, Kanji and Rokuten Maoh simultaneously sandwiched Shadow Junpei between their fists, breaking every single bone in his body.
Just like the other copycat Shadows, his body disintegrated in a puddle of ooze and whatever that was left floated away. The barrier and fighting ring disappeared.
Naoto and Rise rushed to Kanji as he slumped to the floor. His girlfriend let him rest his head on her lap. "Damn...I feel so tired…" he groaned.
"I only have a can of soda with me," Rise said, fishing it out of her bag pouch, cracking open the can and handing it to Kanji. "Oh, and the barriers blocking us before are gone. We should get moving soon though, I sense a group of Shadows heading this way."
"Make sure to keep a lock on the shimmering light that escaped from that Shadow's remains," Naoto reminded her. "Wherever it leads...my hunch is that we'll find the culprit behind this mess."
Junpei, Ken & Koromaru
It took a while for Ken and Koromaru to be in sync with each other as Shadow Yosuke moved too fast for them to keep track. Once they were in rhythm, it wasn't too difficult to read their opponent's movements and countered it with their own attacks.
But this version of Yosuke wasn't afraid to fight dirty. He was cunning and opportunistic, often unleashing small bursts of Tentarafoo to cause a temporary feeling of starstruck on his enemies to get an opening before delivering an attack.
The receiving end of this was usually Ken. Although he was proud of his own speed (he's the fastest runner on his school's soccer team, earning him the mid-fielder position) but he could never hope to compete with Koromaru. Also, that starstruck feeling brought him too many flashbacks of seeing Minako in a kimono for the first time during Hatsumōde a few years ago, or Nanako in that cute, pink yukata with her long hair down during the summer festival. In his defense, he was and still is a growing boy. But the sensation left him immobile every single time.
Shadow Yosuke used the opportunity to send a Garudyne at Ken, stopping Koromaru in his tracks by throwing kunais at his feet. The Shiba Inu was halted from coming to Ken's aid as the wind spell dealt damage to the pre-teen.
"What's the matter?" the Shadow asked him mockingly as Ken struggled to get up. "Can't catch your breath?"
"I'm alright Koromaru," Ken mumbled as his faithful companion whimpered by his side. "He hasn't got us beaten yet."
"That's what you think, squirt. I think it's time we finish this, don't you?"
Outside the barrier, Junpei had a bad feeling that Shadow Yosuke was about to reveal something hidden up his sleeve. "Ken, look out!"
A massive tornado began to form around Reverse Susano-O and his wielder, lifting them up from the ground. Ken shielded Koromaru's smaller body from the flying projectiles, thinking hard on how to defeat such an annoying enemy.
A slice across his arm broke his thoughts as many more soared passed him. One nearly cut his ear off. His clothes became tattered and torn more than usual. What terrified him wasn't Shadow Yosuke's maniacal laughter: it was the fact that he's up against a giant cyclone of sharp objects, mainly kunais and knives.
"Koromaru, our normal tactics won't work this time," Ken told his canine companion. Koromaru whined in agreement. "He's too fast, and we can't get near him. Our only option is to trap him in one spot."
The tornado's speed was increasing by the minute.
"Remember what we practiced, boy. This is do or die!" Ken closed his eyes and focused on the core of his mind and soul, where Kala Nemi resided. He could feel Koromaru doing the same with Cerberus, trying to synchronize their spiritual energy, just like Souji and the twins had taught them.
"Fusion Spells can be a little tricky to pull off," Souji had told him during one of their TV World training sessions. "It's helpful to greatly amp an existing spell, and also to create new ones. But the downsides are that it uses a lot of spiritual energy, and need at least two Personas working together. Us Wild Cards can theoretically do it by ourselves, but you and the others…you're going to have to find a compatible partner and think about how you can use each others' strengths to your advantage."
Elemental-wise, Kala Nemi and Koromaru were complete opposites: Light and Dark. High in the Heavens and the Depths of Hell. But those in between were trapped in a constant limbo, and this is what the duo focused on.
"Let's go Koromaru! Baptism of Light and Darkness!" The pre-teen whistled between his fingers to give signal to the Shiba Inu. The dog charged at Shadow Yosuke as a raging fireball. Using the wind to flare his flames and speed to dodge the knives, he successfully tackled the Shadow, disorienting him.
Ken saw this and immediately shot his Evoker to the head, summoning Kala Nemi for a gigantic Hamaon. "With this attack, you're history!" On the opposite side, Koromaru howled and summoned Cerberus for a Mudoon. "Now is not the time...for me to give up!"
"What the…?!" Shadow Yosuke was at a lost for words as a sphere of Light and Dark trapped him in mid-air. "No...IMPOSSIBLE!"
"Now Koromaru! Super Gattai Ultimate Cross!"
Just as the name promised, two simultaneous slashes attacked the Shadow, and he fell. He didn't even make it to the ground as his body disintegrated into ash. Sparkles of light swirled around the fallen remains before flying off.
The invisible barrier dissolved and the fighting ring disappeared. The duo, injured and energy depleted, slumped in the middle of the school entrance.
"Oh my God. Ken! Koro-chan!" Junpei frantically rushed towards them, pulling out some rations he bought earlier from his pocket.
Ken slowly opened his eyes, thanks to Junpei's loud voice. "Ughhh...keep it down, will you?"
"Dude! That's all you gotta say to me?!"
"We'll need to rest a bit, then we're good to go." Ken sniffed the air. "Is that...yakisoba?"
"Yeah. I got some earlier. I just hope the Dark Hour didn't turn it into anything poisonous." Junpei opened the foil and shoved it in under Koromaru's nose. "What do you think, boy? Is it still good?" Koromaru sniffed and wagged his tail. "Thanks, buddy. Come on guys, eat up. You're going to need your strength if we wanna find our friends."
Mitsuru
The first rule of thumb in any battle is to never underestimate your opponent. It's one thing to take pride in one's own skills, but looking down on someone else's will blind you to what they have yet to reveal.
Mitsuru was guilty of the latter. Yukiko Amagi's life circumstances were almost similar to her own: heir to a family business (a successful one at that), an excellent academic track record, and supportive family and friends. Mitsuru thought she had the upper hand by possessing what Yukiko lacked - formal combat training and a proper weapon.
Shadow Yukiko proved her wrong. She turned the tide of battle by not giving the one thing Mitsuru needed to defeat her quickly: close range. By keeping a good distance, Shadow Yukiko could easily avoid getting slashed or pierced, and reciprocated with her fire attacks. Not only that, she almost never missed her target when throwing her ougi and fans, and the red-headed fencer risked getting burned in her attempts to take a step closer. Even when Artemisia tried to even the distance by throwing icicles, Shadow Yukiko easily countered it with her intense flames, melting the ice. The temperature of the room grew higher and higher.
The grace in Shadow Yukiko's movements and elegance of her stance set her apart from anything Mitsuru had ever fought before. It was only for a moment, a fraction of a second really, that she was admiring said traits and got distracted. That was when a blast of fire consumed her. "AHHHHH!" The intensity of the flames, coupled with her Persona's weakness for it, increased her pain.
"It's funny that I'm fighting an opponent who is the embodiment of my name," Shadow Yukiko mused as she lorded over her handiwork. "Transient...worthless...I'll melt you just like the snowflake you are!"
Struggling against the pain and blistering skin, Mitsuru thought fast. She had to do something before this Shadow roasted her alive. 'I've only ever seen the twins do it, but never tried it myself….it's all or nothing.' The red fog made summoning Artemisia easier, and her instinct for survival pushed her through. She didn't bother to heal herself as she needed every ounce of power for a burst of an ice spell that could counter all this heat. "La finale….NIFELHEIM!"
Sleet and icicles began to surround Mitsuru, spider-webbing towards Shadow Yukiko's direction. It moved so fast that she didn't have time to create more heat. The ice finally caught up to her and trapped her in a giant, frozen pillar of water. The temperature of the room drastically dropped to sub-zero.
Mitsuru got up and closed the distance, rapier at ready. "The tables have turned, Shadow. It's time for the execution!" She pierced the thin blade through the ice, the tip finding its target. Artemisia finished it off with more icicle blades.
The last thing Mitsuru saw when she stabbed Shadow Yukiko was her demonic smile and glowing yellow eyes. The ice disintegrated and the Shadow's remains melted into a puddle of ooze. Bright, sparkling matter swirled around the spot before floating elsewhere.
Mitsuru hoped she never had to go through that again. The mental scarring of killing someone (or something) who looked like one of your your friends wasn't going to heal overnight.
For now, she had a new trail to follow.
Yosuke & Shinjiro
Yosuke bit his fingernails as he watched Shinjiro and Shadow Shinjiro beat the crap out of each other. His previous plan of finding an alternative exit failed because of invisible barriers all over the place, so all he could do was reserve his energy and prepare for the worst.
Inside the boxing ring, Shinjiro did his best to dodge the enemy's axe. Since he wasn't carrying anything, it freed him from the burdensome weight of a bludgeon weapon, thus giving him an advantage in speed and reaction time. For some reason, the fog made it easier to summon Pegasus without his Evoker (as he discovered earlier while trying to avoid a strike, thus nullifying the impact) so that weighed in on his favour.
But so far, there wasn't much damage that Shinjiro could dish out. Both of them had the same abilities, strength, and no elemental weaknesses.
This is going to take a while.
Labrys & Teddie
Amidst the hellfire and fog, Labrys and her Shadow clashed axes, trying to out maneuver each other by land and air. It was intense and ferocious.
"Feels familiar, huh?" the Shadow taunted, launching a rocket fist. It narrowly hit Labrys in the face.
"Yeah...I remember all of it. But I'm not that person anymore! Unit #24 and Momma made sure of that!"
The scraping between two impacting metal weapons sent sparks flying.
Teddie remained on the sidelines, trying to balance the temperature with his ice powers so that Labrys wouldn't overheat. If she got injured by her opponent, he also healed her. But even with his support, not much damage could be dished out by the mechanical maiden.
Her Shadow was too strong.
But Labrys refused to give up. 'I can't fall here. If I lose, she'll take over my mind and body, and hurt Momma and my friends!'
"Labby-chan, I don't think your normal attacks will work," Teddie told her. "That Persona of hers uses strong fire magic and has even stronger defense. You're going to have to boost your attacks before you can even think of hurting it!"
"That's easier said than done," Labrys grunted as the pair of them dodged a Maragidyne. "She moves so fast. It's almost impossible to find a time window wide enough for me ta' -" A lightbulb of inspiration suddenly lit. "Maybe...we can create one."
"Scheming something, are we?" Shadow Labrys taunted, interrupting their discussion. "It's futile. No matter what hare-brained scheme you come with, I'll crush it just like I'll do to you two!"
Labrys lowered her voice, poised to attack. "Ted, whatever you do, don't use any magic, not even a healing spell, until I give the signal."
"Huh, what signal? Labby-chan, what are you -"
Labrys summoned Ariadne again and charged forth.
Yukari & Fuuka
"Stay still so I can DESTROY YOU!"
Yukari nimbly evaded the flying kick aimed at her, and simultaneously delivered an airborne flip kick. Once she landed, she didn't waste any time to shoot an arrow at the Shadow.
However, Shadow Chie was relentless. Although her accuracy was somewhat questionable, she more than made up for it with her stamina and tenacity, never once pausing between punching and kicking. Her attacks were fast and furious, making dodging a strenuous task in itself.
Yukari finally arrived at an impasse for an archer in battle: running short on arrows. She only had three more left, and if she wasted them all at once, she could kiss any chances of winning goodbye.
"Give it up," Shadow Chie snickered. "You can't dodge me forever. I haven't even shown you my best moves yet!"
Pissing the Shadow off even more was not the best move, and Yukari knew that. "And I'm sure it's a good one," she in a sweetly voice. "Why don't we sit down over a cup of tea and talk this out?"
"Nah, talking's for sissies. Action speaks louder than words. Besides…" the Shadow's tone turned more sinister. "Torturing my opponents is much more fun before I flatten them."
"Yukari-chan, you have to take her head on. Avoiding her isn't the solution," Fuuka advised through a telepathic connection. "We have to be smart about this."
Yukari dodge-rolled. "She moves so fast I can't aim properly to get a shot. And she's good at dodging my wind attacks. Most probably because she spars a lot with Yosuke-kun…" To her surprise, Fuuka laughed. "What's so funny?!"
"Yukari-chan, you've been worrying about that all this while?" the scanner giggled. "Have some confidence in yourself. You and Yosuke-kun may possess the same element, but how each of you utilize it is entirely different! Use that to your advantage."
'My advantage?' Yukari thought. Self doubt began to creep in her gut, until she remembered her training session with Naoto. The young detective had noticed how she fused her magic with her arrows to improve her aim, and theorized that she could do something similar by compressing the wind magic and shaping it into an arrow for a more focused sniper attack. After all, there was no limit on how to use one's creativity. 'I still haven't tested it out, but it's now or never!'
Shadow Chie summoned her Persona to help close in the distance and land a strike. Yukari quickly summoned Isis and casted Garudyne to fend her off, simultaneously releasing a wind arrow at the Shadow. The aim wasn't perfect, but it did slice open the target's arm. Blood seeped through her green track jumper.
Golden yellow eyes looked up, rage burning in their depths. "YOU ARE SO DEAD!" Reverse Suzuka Gongen charged herself up for an attack, and from the looks of it, it's going to be big.
"No matter who I face, I will prevail!" Yukari commanded Isis to cast Magarudyne to box her opponent in one spot, ensuring that they won't have a chance to escape. The gust also caused some damage and ruined the Shadow's concentration. Meanwhile, Yukari poured all her remaining energy and magic into creating a more concentrated arrow that was sure to penetrate any defense. "Final strike! GO!" she shouted, releasing the attack.
The impact was instantaneous. The Shadow never stood a chance, ashes dissolving in the breeze. The glowing sparkles circled the spot where she disappeared before floating to the top of the tower.
Once the barrier was down, Fuuka rushed to her friend's side. "Yukari-chan! Are you alright?"
Yukari grimaced in pain and fatigue. "Yeah….that fight completely exhausted me. I almost forgot how stubborn of a fighter the real Chie-chan is."
"Well, I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?"
"Give me the good news first. Let me rest a little before hitting me with the bad one."
"I've located Rise-chan and guiding her to our location as we speak. She's not far, but seeing as this is the Dark Hour, it's going to be a longer route than normal."
Yukari frowned. "Alright, alright. Might as well tell me the bad news," she grumbled, letting her curiosity get the better of her.
Fuuka giggled a little before her expression turned serious. "I managed to deconstruct, if you will, a small amount of the component contained in that sparkly light which floated to the top of Tartarus. Yukari-chan, I think that that Shadow was some sort of decoy used to harness energy from Persona-users."
"What?!"
"It's still a theory at the moment. Once Rise-chan and Naoto-chan get here, we'll finally get to piece together some answers."
Aigis
After battling it out with Shadow Naoto guns ablazing, Aigis came out victorious. It helped tremendously that Athena nullified pierce attacks, in which bullets fall under that category.
The only reason Aigis dragged it out longer than should be was that she wanted answers. Even though that Shadow impersonated Naoto, it must at least taken some of the actual person's traits. And Naoto Shirogane at her very core valued factual truth.
But the Shadow remained tight lipped. Before Aigis released the final shot to end her, they exchanged a few last words:
"You have yet to dig out the entire skeleton from the closet. The end is nigh, if even a Fool can't pick a lock."
"What do you mean by that? I will shoot you if don't tell me," Aigis threatened.
"Go ahead. I have nothing more to say."
As she ran through the long and twisted hallways, Aigis couldn't get the cryptic message out of her mind. "I can't make any sense of it. I'll have to report this to the leaders and Mitsuru-san once things calm down."
A few minutes later, she came across a hallway which looked a bit different. Her sensors immediately detected the presence of a strong Shadow, and -
"Minako-san!"
The moment she uttered that, a door imploded a few feet in front of her, smoke and cement dust flying everywhere. She merely brushed the debris off her metallic body before rushing to aid her friend. She only took a few steps before something was thrown from the hole in the wall caused by the explosion.
Minako jumped out and pinned whatever she had thrown out previously into the opposite wall with a mic stand. Her eyes glowed a murderous red.
The dust settled just enough for Aigis to make out what had caused Minako's anger. However, she was quick to make the connection between this occurrence and the Shadow reading she got earlier. She didn't attempt to stop her friend.
"Shiva!" The Hindu deity of destruction appeared behind Minako, expression serene despite the act that his wielder wanted him to perform. "PRALAYA!"
Standing at a safe distance, Aigis braced herself. She was scared and in awe at the same time as she witnessed Minako's wrath, and she knew this wouldn't be the last time.
Once the deed was done, Aigis silently went to Minako's aid, helping her to stand as she rested her weight on the mechanical maiden. Aigis didn't mind acting as a human crutch.
It was too late to wish that Minako didn't destroy the PA room anyway.
Souji & Sho
"Ohohohoho! Looks like we have a last minute contestant!" General Teddie's gleeful, annoying voice echoed from the TV. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome our newest challenger! The Rule-Smashing Pun Machine…. Sho Minazuki!"
The guttural inhuman cheers followed.
"Damn, that guy's really annoying..." Sho sneered under his breath, but never took his eyes off Souji. "Tch, whatever. At least thanks to him, I got what I wanted."
Souji's grip on the hilt of his sword hardened. "Why are you here? How can you function inside this red fog?"
"Questions, questions, questions. Is that all you can do? How boring," Sho drawled, still playing with his swords. "But I guess I can indulge you a bit. This red fog? It's the end of your everyday peace."
"What?!" Souji barely finished his sentence when Sho got right up in his face, blades dangerously close. He barely saw him move! However, he blocked the attack just in time, and parried them away to add more distance between them.
Sho chuckled maniacally. "I'd kill to murder you right now!" His eyes blazed with hatred as he attacked Souji again.
"What the hell is your problem?!" Souji growled, trying to force Sho to back off.
His insane laughter only confused the silverette. "Just joking! C'mon, laugh! You should've seen the look of your face. Priceless!"
"You're just plain strange," Souji said. He readied his stance just in case Sho attacked again. "But you know a lot more than you let on, don't you? What is it that you're not telling me?"
Whatever hilarity that Sho found in the situation suddenly died, and his expression turned serious. "You're sounding just like that old fart..." he hissed lowly. "Always acting like you know people… WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT!"
"Old fart? Who are you - " Souji's sentence was cut off by a flying military knife Sho flung at him, grazing his left cheek and drawing blood. "Nghh!" He immediately closed the wound with his palm.
"Aaaargghh! Shut up shut up SHUT UP!" the mentally unstable teenager shouted. He moved so fast that Souji's eyes could barely keep track. "That old fart was always comparing me with you, training the shit out of me so I could surpass your potential! And how did you use that power of yours?! With all this crappy talk about 'strength of bonds'!"
'He's barely making sense…' Souji thought, taking a more defensive approach to counter Sho's rather unpredictable slashes.
"All that bullshit is just an excuse for weaklings!" Sho began to strike faster and harder. "No way I need anything like that! And I'll show him… I'll show him I'm the best!"
Yosuke & Shinjiro
In all of Yosuke's life (shortened a little by the trauma from last year's camping trip) he rarely experienced something as stressful as Shinjiro's fight. Although his friend emerged as victor, it was only by a hair's breadth that he nearly lost his life to his Shadow. And now Yosuke is helping his classmate heal up despite his protests.
"C'mon man, think of Minako-san. What would she say if she saw you like this?" Yosuke was surprised that Shinjiro relented after that. He had learned from Junpei that argument was the former delinquent's weak spot; he just didn't expect it to work so well.
"Are you done?" Shinjiro growled. "We should get going." He got up and shrugged off his dirty, torn school blazer, tying it around his waist.
"Y-yeah. I was thinking earlier we should go that way and locate the stairs. This place looks like Tartarus, doesn't it? So it makes sense that the only way to go is up."
And up they went. Floor after floor and they have yet to encounter a single Shadow. It wasn't until they reached a floor decorated with spooky objects that things got a little weird.
"Ugh, this is creepy as hell," Yosuke complained loudly. "It's supposed to be cheesy and decorated with fake ass crap, not gory scary! I bet this red fog has something to do with it."
Shinjiro shushed him. "Hey, do you hear growling?" he asked, voice lowered to a whisper.
Both young men strained their ears. Whatever Shinjiro heard had stopped, but another voice broke the silence.
"Koromaru, attack!"
A giant fireball rushed towards Yosuke in the form of a dog, and tackled him to the ground quite some distance away from Shinjiro. Luckily Susano-O had resistance to fire, so the brunette wasn't hurt that badly.
Shinjiro ran to help, but was blocked by an invisible wall. "What the…? Don't tell me…"
A whistle called Koromaru to retreat. Obediently, the Shiba Inu did so, standing guard by his caller's feet.
Shinjiro's eyes widened when he turned to see who it was. "Ken! What the hell are you doing?!"
The pre-teen snorted. "Since when are you the boss of me?" he stated in a snarky tone. "You're too annoying to be left alone. Might as well make you suffer too." He snapped his fingers, and minor Shadows suddenly surrounded Shinjiro. "Have fun dying. Now, where was I?"
Koromaru howled, eyes slowly turning golden yellow. So did Ken's.
Yosuke got up, panting for breath. "Ugh, that bear is so getting a thrashing! Hey Shadow, where is that stupid bear hiding?!" he demanded, too angry at Fake Teddie (and perhaps the real Teddie) and this messed up tournament to register that he's about to become a participant.
A nerve on Shadow Ken's forehead twitched. "I hope you don't mind me tagging with Koromaru. I am still a kid after all, so getting a handicap is only fair."
"You call this fair?!" Yosuke yelled at the ceiling and waving an angry fist, hoping that his voice could reach the Grand Prix organiser. "I demand that you end this farce right now!"
"Hanamura! Beat that annoying brat so we can get out of here and find everyone!" Shinjiro shouted outside the fighting ring, fending off the minor Shadows.
"I'm so ready to end this," Yosuke grumbled, calling forth his Persona once more.
Shadow Ken grinned, charges of electricity jumping off his spear. "We'll see who ends up meeting their end."
Mitsuru
Artemisia lead her wielder throughout the maze of halls and classrooms, targeting a singular reading somewhere nearby. There were a few minor Shadows which attempted to block her path, but she defeated them easily. As she got closer to her target, the warrior queen hummed louder.
Her eyes widened almost twice its size after she opened a crooked door to what she expected was an equally twisted version of a classroom. Instead of a class, she stood on top of the Moonlight Bridge. "What on earth….?" she whispered, unable to hear herself through the whipping winds. "Why is Port Island conjured in the middle of Inaba? Unless…." Her thoughts didn't have a chance to wander when she spotted a human figure lying face down below.
Mitsuru recognized the life signal instantly. "Akihiko!" With Artemisia's help, she carefully made her way down to street level. "Akihiko, are you alright?!" she shouted worriedly.
The former boxer groaned pathetically, trying to roll over in response to his girlfriend's voice. "Mitsuru…."
The redhead took in his appearance: Bruises and cuts adorned his face, arms, legs and his shirtless torso. His left eye was swollen shut and blood dripped out of his nostrils. Judging from the way he held his ribs, she suspected he had broken a few bones in several places. "Goodness, what happened to you?" She caressed his cheek gently as her Persona healed his injuries.
"Tatsumi *pant* happened…"
"Tatsumi? Is that who you fought?"
"Yeah...but it wasn't really him. It was his Shadow. Damn, he really did a number on me…after I beat him, a door appeared and I ended up here."
"What happened to your clothes?"
"Tatsumi's Shadow ripped them off. It really creeped me out that he was so adamant about it." He didn't continue in favour of letting Mitsuru's healing spell do its magic.
"In my case, I encountered Amagi's Shadow. I shouldn't have underestimated her, but...once this is over with, I'd love a chance to spar with the real Amagi."
They continued making small talk until Akihiko was able to stand and walk. They made their way to the end of the bridge where a door awaited them.
Mitsuru studied the Moonlight Bridge one last time. "I get the feeling that the conjuring of this place isn't any of our doing."
Akihiko scratched his chin. "So you're saying someone else did? I wonder who….but then again, it could be any of us because even the Inaba kids have gone there for their school trip."
"The fog in the TV world creates structures that reflects the owner's hidden, inner thoughts associated with strong emotions. The appearance of the suspicious red fog and this bridge causes me to think otherwise. This 'other person'...I suspect he or she have some ties to the Kirijo Group."
Akihiko said nothing as he accompanied her. Perhaps this incident might shed some light on just how deep the rabbit hole her late grandfather had dug for himself goes.
Naoto, Kanji & Rise
It felt like they had walked for miles, and lost count of how many stairways they climbed. The lack of Shadows made the journey very boring. And when Rise gets bored, she gets testy.
"Kanjiiiii~ How much further awaaay?" the teen idol whined.
"How the hell should I know? You're the scanner. Call your Persona out and get scanning, dammit."
"But I'm tiiiiiiirrred~ Can't you carry me?"
Naoto was slightly behind, deep in her thoughts, trying to analyse what they had so far: the red fog appearing in reality, very much like the fog in the TV; Yasogami High turning into Tartarus; this Grand Prix tournament; the appearance of those false Shadow selves and the sparkly light; and the one who is at the centre of it all, Sho Minazuki. "He does seem to be attached to Senpai for some reason. I wonder why?" she mumbled to herself. "Unless we can find a way to obtain more background information, it's impossible to figure out his motive."
"Wait!" Rise commanded, halting Kanji in his tracks. This caused Naoto to bump into his back.
"What is it?" the latter asked.
"Her." Rise pointed to a curvy silhouette at the end of the hallway. "Fuuka-san is not far, but she's blocking our only path."
"Another fight, huh?" Kanji cracked his knuckles. "I don't normally hit chicks, but if it's a Shadow and gettin' in our way, she's going down!"
"No!" Rise protested. "You're still injured from the fight with Junpei-san's Shadow. And you're low on health. I absolutely forbid it!"
"That's right. Tell him. Better yet, show him who's boss." The figure came forward in the form of Mitsuru. "A man should always be under the thumb of a woman. That way, you'll be able to crush his spirit before he breaks yours."
"The hell did you just say?!" Kanji yelled, neck and face getting red from anger.
"Calm down, Kanji-kun. She's most likely another Shadow," Naoto said, stepping in front of him. "And quite timely I might say."
"Let me at her, Naoto! She just insulted our relationship. I respect you too much to let anyone think about you like that!"
"Hey! What about me?!" Rise protested, upset at being left out.
It was Naoto's turn to turn red, only this time out of pride and embarrassment. "S-stand down, Kanji-kun. Rise-san is right about your injuries." She gently touched his arm. "Besides, this is a good opportunity for an interrogation. Even if she is a Shadow, there's a likelihood that she knows something about the current phenomenon we're experiencing." She took out her pistol and spun the barrel. "I'll handle this. Please take care of Rise-san."
As soon as Naoto stepped forward, the barrier and fighting parameters began to rise.
Shadow Mitsuru flexed her rapier. "En guard!"
Naoto summoned Yamato Takeru. "Likewise."
And they clashed.
Minato
"We're almost there…" a dark-haired girl panted, trying not to lean too much of her weight on her new friend.
"Save your strength, Marie-san. I know you're in a hurry, but we can't afford to be hasty," Minato warned, trying to regulate their pace.
"You don't understand. We need to get there fast precisely because I'm losing my strength! If that happens, there's nothing to stop this fog from going beyond Inaba!"
So how did both of them end up in this predicament together, you might ask?
A short while ago…
Just like any sibling relationship, Minato and his sister would occasionally bicker and quarrel over stupid things. Their strong bond and unwillingness to drift apart often helped them reconcile their differences.
Despite knowing that this imposter disguised as his twin was a Shadow, Minato's first instinct was to protect her at all cost. As they battled, he was having a difficult time concentrating because his duty as a SPIES member and his resolve to protect his sister were at war with each other. He was forced to take a more defensive stance since he didn't have a weapon in hand.
And Shadow Minako took full of this. Distracting him with Minako's signature puppy-dog eyes before landing in a hard blow was as easy as they come. Even with his massive arsenal of Personas at his disposal, Minato had a hard time calling forth his anger and will to fight. In previous battles, he was always the calm leader, appearing emotionless and in control. But never, did he ever, duel with his own sibling for her safety and his team's morale.
"What's wrong?" Shadow Minako mocked him. "Can't find it in your heart to hit little ol' me? Such a sweet brother. And that, is what will be your downfall!" She swung her naginata down like an executioner's axe.
Something within Minato snapped, like chains breaking apart due to stress. The real Minako hated seeing him relish in violent behaviour. The real Minako would never let him carry such a burden. This...this thing in front of him, was not his sister! His anger washed him like a flood, giving him the strength fight back.
"Rangda!"
The Balinese witch appeared in a flash, reversing the slash attack back to the Shadow, wounding her right arm. She cackled before disappearing like the old crone she is. Minato was surprised that he could summon her that fast without his Evoker, but quickly dismissed the thought to focus on the fight.
Quickly getting back on her feet, the Shadow countered Minato's defense by kicking his legs to weaken his stance. It didn't work. Unfazed by the pain, the blue-haired teen punched her in the face with all his strength. Those training sessions with Akihiko finally did pay off.
The Shadow's yellow eyes glowed brighter. She wiped the blood from her cut lip. "You…!" The fury in her voice was unmistakable.
"Minako and I have been to hell and back together. She and I share a bond that can never be replaced! If you think you can take me down by disguising as her to break my spirit, then you're sorely mistaken!"
"I'll prove you wrong! Eurydice!"
"Orpheus!"
The muse and the musician clashed lyres.
Minato's will to fight returned, channelling that strength into his Persona. 'That's right...no one can replace Minako. We grew up together, grieved together, fought together...died together. There's no way some copycat can replicate her and call it the same!' He ducked and side-stepped, faster than his opponent could react, and planted his fist in her gut.
Shadow Minako stumbled backwards. "Bastard!" she screeched, coughing up blood.
Minato took out his Evoker and shot his temple. "Come, Osiris!" As the sound of chains unlocking echoed through the fog, the Egyptian god of the Underworld appeared at Minato's summon, the snake ornament on his Pharaoh's crown glaring at the Shadow with glowing eyes. The ankh and scepter he held crackled with electricity.
Shadow Minako stubbornly refused to budge, but the slight tremble of the naginata in her hands gave her away. She knew it was game over when a black seal appeared beneath her feet.
Minaro pointed at her, calm rage in his eyes. "Send it to hell, Osiris. AMENTHIS DUAT!"
The black seal unleashed an otherworldly force of gravity and pulled the Shadow down to her knees, breaking her legs. Osiris lifted his scepter and summoned a thunder attack that was equivalent in power to Thunder Reign.
The Shadow never stood a chance.
The anger within Minato quelled down significantly as the barrier vanished, sparkles from the Shadow's ashes floating away. In that sparse moment of calm, he couldn't help but let his guard down.
Which is why he nearly jumped out of his skin when someone clamped a hand on his shoulder, breathing hard at his back. "Thank you for taking down that barrier. It was blocking my way."
The blunette scrambled away, a scream barely escaping his throat. Without his shoulder to hold on to, the other person lost their balance and fell. This gave Minato some time to take a good look.
It was a dark-haired female, eyes as green as the forest. Her attire was a cross between hipster streetwear and goth with all those accessories. She wore a newsboy cap of a familiar shade of blue. But it was the 'V' gravure that gave her identity away.
"Marie...san?"
Panting heavily, Marie struggled to get back on her feet. "You could have been a little nicer," she grumbled. "I'd have asked you how you knew my name, but I'm in a hurry. If I don't find out what's causing this -" she gestured at the fog, "the whole town will disappear!"
"Then we're in the same boat," Minato said, having regained his calm. His hands went into his pockets. "So we might as well help each other out."
Back to the Present…
As Minato helped prop her up to walk, Marie gave him a long, hard, scrutinising stare. "You're nothing like Ryoji."
He almost dropped her. Almost. "You know Ryoji?! How?"
"I like to wander around town by myself sometimes. Helps me calm my mind after a hard day's work. Ryoji just...sort of…" She paused, pushing away the thought that Minato might think her crazy. "He fell from the sky and almost landed on top of me when the Dark Hour first showed up." She then scowled. "He immediately started hitting on me like that annoying furball Teddie."
Minato sweatdropped. "That's Ryoji alright."
"Anyway, I could immediately tell he was someone like me. His energy signature was powerful, but it felt...incomplete somehow. When I asked him about it, he said he was looking for a missing part of himself."
"And you agreed to help him because you were in a similar situation before you met Souji-kun, correct?"
Marie sighed wistfully. "Yeah. We found Pharos the next morning at the shrine, sleeping beside the offertory box. I didn't know what to do about their situation, so I took them to see Margaret. And they've been living with me ever since."
Minato would love to ask her more questions, but this isn't exactly the right time and place. "Let's buckle up," he said, tilting his head up to the unseen top of Tartarus. "We have a lot of climbing to do."
Chie, Yukiko & Metis
After getting themselves lost in a maze of connected classrooms which didn't make sense, they finally found the next flight of stairs to make their journey to the top of the tower.
It also didn't take long to run into another invisible barrier and a Shadow impersonating one of their friends.
"Well, well. Looks like you're going to have to pass me to move forward," said the imposter disguised as Yukari. Her pretty face twisted into an evil scowl, not even hiding the fact that she's a Shadow by the colour of her eyes. "And I don't intend on losing!"
Yukiko stepped forward. "Metis, please take care of Chie." She pulled out a fan from her belt, glaring at the Shadow. "I accept your challenge."
Metis couldn't even finish her protest when the battle ring enclosed the two contestants.
Yukiko didn't hesitate to take an offensive position. "Come, Amaterasu!" The sun goddess unleashed a flurry if exploding fireballs at Shadow Yukari's direction.
Her opponent dodged it with ease. "Let's see how you like this!" She conjured three magic-based arrows at once, and shot them simultaneously.
Amaterasu appeared in front of her master and shielded her with her fan-like wings. Once the shield was lifted, Yukiko pelted the Shadow with fans, ruining her concentration.
Undeterred, Shadow Yukari continued to shoot more magic arrows, reducing the distance between them.
Yukiko knew she had to keep her distance, but she couldn't dodge and shield herself simultaneously the entire time. That strategy was impossible to keep up with her opponent's speed.
And Yukiko was proven right: with the Shadow's agility, she outwitted the innkeeper's daughter and landed a solid kick on her left thigh. It hurt more than she realized.
Outside the barrier, Chie nervously chewed her fingernails. "This battle is a mistake. I should be the one in there. Yukiko's not cut out for close-range combat."
Luckily, Metis was there to banish such thoughts. "You are underestimating Yukiko-san," she scolded.
"No, I'm not. I'm just being realistic," Chie defended. "Between the two of us, she's always been the brains. I'm the brawn. Our Personas reflect that."
"Then if Yukiko-san is so smart, she'll think her way out of this." Metis clenched her fists to her front, a confident grin on her face. "Let's believe in her!"
The Velvet Room...
Igor shuffled a stack of cards, cutting them into three equal piles. The cards on the top of each pile levitated and arranged themselves in front of the long-nosed man at the flick of a wrist. The rest of the cards disappeared.
Margaret sat beside him, observing her master. Her hands neatly folded on top of the Persona compendium belonging to her charge. "May I ask what you are trying to seek, Master?" she asked politely. "Are you beseeching the Fates to tip their favour for our guests in their ordeal?"
"Hmmm…" Igor closed his eyes. "Not quite, but you are partially correct. The outcome I am seeking is not of the imminent future, but much further than that. It is our duty to prepare our guests accordingly."
"I have sent out Elizabeth and Theodore for reconnaissance should our guests require any emergency assistance."
"Thank you Margaret. Now, what do the cards have to tell us?" The old man pointed his finger to the card on his left and flipped the card upwards, as if using telekinesis.
"The Emperor. How odd," the eldest Velvet sister commented.
The card in the middle flipped open. The Sun.
Igor's frown deepened. He ordered the last card to reveal itself: The Moon.
"What an intriguing combination," Margaret said, eyes narrowing at the cards. "However, it is an odd story to interpret. Do you know what they are trying to tell us, Master?"
Igor took in a deep breath. "Not so much as trying to tell us a story." Exhale. "They are trying to remind us of something, or rather, people who were once involved."
The soulful aria continued to play on stage, but Margaret could feel the heavy weight of the emotions it carried.
A/N: Aaaaannnddd...this Arena/Ultimax arc turned out to be longer than we planned. Everytime we lay out a plot and include fight scenes, the writing seems to have a life of its own. We try to make the fights scenes as authentic to the characters as it is in the games. Don't be expecting an update anytime soon, though. April and May are the busiest time of the year for me, and I don't know where my job will take me after my country's General Election have run its course. But other than that, Sea of Soul and I will still be continuing this story. We won't give up!