AN: Sorry for the wait - we're finally at the end of this arc. I'm going to try and get Arc III started soon, but now, please read, review, etc!
Chapter 25: Shining Zero
|Kyutai Playhouse|18:01 pm|
It can't be?! This murdering freak of nature - no, it's purely an abomination. We must destroy it. But it's different this time.
Being near this being sent a shiver down his spine. Dread seemed to overcome Shintaro, as he edged away from both Teruko and her malevolent, heartless host. Whatever it was that had overtaken her will, it had no goodness in it whatsoever.
"Teruko...?" Noburo asked. "Can't you hear me anymore?"
She did not respond. Her head didn't seem to be facing anyone at all, only drooping listlessly, her eyes unblinking. This was even worse than the other possessions Shintaro had seen. In those cases, the victim had been able to fight back somewhat, despite their severe pain. Yet Teruko seemed silent, and fully at the beck and call of her 'Persona'.
She lunged at Noburo with her blade – or rather, the blade flew forward, her body clumsily following. These weren't human movements at all. Had EX-NIHILO completely overtaken the girl?
"Noburo!" Kei cried. Noburo was able to block the attack, but his eyes were full of fear and terror. His girlfriend had become a doll, her will sealed away. Where was the Teruko he knew and loved? Was she anywhere anymore?
"Toki." Shigeru said. "What is this thing...?"
"It's a Shadow called EX-NIHILO that's not like any other we've ever seen. Only Nisa Liat really seems to know what makes it tick, but she ain't too forthcoming with details. We Aeon Admins know as much as you, to be honest." Toki said, in pain, as he sat up. "Sometimes it'll be lurking around, beating up other Shadows. But according to Nisa Liat, it can hide in a Gnosis and drain the energy from its victim. If it appears in the Theio Kosmos, we're supposed to find it and use an app to seal it away in an empty Gnosis, then take it back to the boss..."
"Then someone gave Teruko the EX-NIHILO on purpose?" Novalie asked. "Who would have done that? Why put her through this?!"
"Don't ask me! That thing is evil, even I know that. When Keiya said he was gonna use it, I thought he'd gone crazy. Then he and Asami thought they'd use it as part of their revenge scheme. You know how well that worked out."
Natsumi gulped. It still dwelled heavily on her mind, the previous incarnation of this Shadow. And this time, it was even more of a threat.
Frowning, Shigeru looked at him with contempt. "If I find out you had something to do with this -"
"You'll kill me, right?" Toki said. "I know you don't trust me, but...I didn't. Why would I do that? She's my son's girlfriend..."
I think he means it. He wouldn't go this far. He knows how important Teruko is to Noburo. There's no way Toki could have planned this. Shigeru, please, let's -
"We have to stop this monster. Soon, before -"
As if on Kohaku's cue, hordes of Shadows appeared in the seating area, attracted to the dark energy being radiated by the EX-NIHILO. Shintaro gasped, dismayed. They had just survived one grim battle. Must they immediately be plunged into another?
"Let's switch." Shintaro said, to Kohaku. Kei and Noburo were avoiding Teruko's dark sword, but EX-NIHILO's own blade was even more brutal. Masato and Natsumi waded in, and Kohaku joined them.
"Don't worry, Noburo. We can beat this thing again." Kohaku said. "We'll save Teruko!"
"I had to suffer this damn thing too." Masato said. "If someone like me could win against it, your Teruko can too!"
"We're with you all the way, Noburo. Don't give up! We can win!" Natsumi said.
"Okay." Noburo said, swords ready. "...I didn't want to fight you, Teruko-chan. But if this is the only way I can get that monster out of your body, so be it! I promise I'll save you!"
Teruko's sword briefly missed Kei, yet Aengus' Lion's Blade carved into the EX-NIHILO. There was the sound of a lion's roar as the swords came into contact with the demon's body. Then, there was a sound of screaming – as Kohaku leaped up, and sliced at the being's neck.
"You freak! Die!" She yelled. "I'm sick of having to deal with your mess!"
The monster seemed likewise tired of her, as it wordlessly slashed at her – and fired the mysterious unknown pulse of energy it had become known for. Ex Nihilo didn't seem to have any affinity at all, not even 'Almighty'. While its energy was mysterious, it certainly could cause pain.
"Ah!" Kohaku moaned.
"Kohaku-chan!" Natsumi shouted.
"I'm...fine." Kohaku said. "Airmid. We have to win this battle. Magnara!"
The power of earth itself crashed into the EX-NIHILO from below, causing it to stagger into Masato's path. Not willing to waste this opportunity, he swung his bat as hard as he could – actually sending it flying into Natsumi's direction. Quickly spinning her staff, she rapidly it its face and torso, finishing up with a toasty Brigid branded Agilao.
"Nice work, sis!" Masato said. "Now watch this! I'm going to fry this guy!"
Camulus, with a vicious smile, called down the bolt of Zionga, thoroughly electrocuting the translucent body of the EX-NIHILO. Kei smiled, and prepared to swing her sword – only for Teruko to block her attack. The sight of her fighting like a puppet was unsettling, but Kei managed to counter these swings.
"Teruko, I..." Kei said, sadly. "If there was any other way..."
"Focus on the damn EX-NIHILO!" Noburo called out. "Please, don't hurt Teruko-chan!"
"Can't we stop her any other way?" Kohaku asked.
"It's the damn monster we gotta worry about. Focus your attacks on that!" Masato yelled.
"...Kouga!"
Archangel manifested, and cast down blessed light on the dark being – stunning it momentarily. Teruko stopped in her tracks, too, and stood still, staring into space. Not even Noburo seemed able to snap her out of this possession.
"I wasn't like this, was I?" Natsumi asked.
"No...neither was I." Masato said, confused.
"There must be some way to get her back to normal!" Noburo said. "Come on! Kouha!"
Unfortunately, the light of Aengus didn't seem to be enough. Teruko's heart and soul seemed further and further away, no matter how far Noburo went to find her. Yet they still had to face off against this Shadow.
"Geo Fort!"
Airmid enchanted those around her with a transparent green castle, made of purely defensive magic. When Teruko reached Noburo, her sword was blocked by a sudden green wall of dense stone, and the sword broke in half.
"Huh? I don't know this spell. You just learned this one, Kohaku-chan?" Masato asked.
"Well, I felt confident enough to try it out..." Kohaku said, red in the face. "I don't know how long it lasts, but it should protect us a little."
Noburo smiled, but his expression turned to horror when his Geo Fort flashed in front of him – and developed some nasty cracked. The vehement EX-NIHILO was slashing at it mercilessly, its sword far stronger than the one it had fabricated for Teruko.
"Go to hell!" Noburo yelled. The Shadow didn't seem particularly talkative, however it did react – and quite badly – with Brigid's Steel Wheel carved into it, causing 'blood' to flow onto the hardwood floor.
"...What the fuck are you?!" Natsumi shouted. "Do you even have a will of your own?!"
"Of course not! It's a damn parasite, that's all it is. It doesn't even know how much we hate it. It doesn't even know what hate is!" Masato said. "But it's gonna feel this! Camulus!"
A forceful Iron Impact fell upon the EX-NIHILO's head, and its mask cracked, albeit slightly. Dazed, it ended up staggering in front of Kei.
"...DIE!"
Her flurry of strikes was blinding to watch. Somehow, she was moving faster than humanly possible. Whatever she was learning in her Kendo classes, it was helping her quite a bit in this world. Not finished, she summoned a new Persona, Morax – a demon of the Ars Goetia, much like Forneus and Decarabia. It had a humanlike body, but a bull's head. With it's planet-themed staff, it cast Freila upon the EX-NIHILO, creating a light-blue explosion.
"That's the ugliest Persona I've seen you use, Kei." Natsumi remarked.
"Then let's put him in a tutu." Kei replied. "Huh?!"
Psychic energy emanated from their foe, via a Mapsi. Its strange colours were one thing, but its detriment to the human mind was another. Kei glared at her foe, and clashed her sword with its own, sparks flying. Likewise, Noburo was desperately dodging Teruko's sword. Although it felt more like it was wielding her.
There must be some way to save her. Come on, Kohaku, think! Everyone else is fighting so hard. I've got to keep them all in top condition, until we can get Teruko to safety!
"Media!"
Airmid's benevolent healing power soothed the bodies of those around. Noburo leaped over his troubled lover's head, evading her sword swipes, and gored the beastly EX-NIHILO in the chest with his own. However, its own dread blade struck him painfully, crashing into a wall.
"Bastard...!"
Although in pain, the actor wasn't about to quit this performance. Aengus manifested, staring down the masked demon, and struck with the Beannaithe Lann. Noburo slowly got up, just as a certain somehow ran over to him. Toki still hadn't quite recovered from the earlier ordeal, however, and painfully clutched his side.
"Noburo, are you..."
"I'm not...giving up!" Noburo said fiercely. "If you can't fight, get out of my way! I need to save her, and kill that demon!"
"But..." Toki muttered, as he fell to his knees. "Dammit! If only I could..."
"Hayashi-san." Kei said, respectfully. "You still need time to recover. Please, let us handle Teruko and the EX-NIHILO. I promise, I'll do whatever I can to help Noburo."
"...Alright. Don't let that thing hurt my son." Toki pleaded. She nodded, and held out her sword. The beast was rapidly spinning, hitting the twins with its huge sword.
"Oww!" Natsumi yelled.
"This sucks..." Masato grimaced.
"Damn you to hell!" Kei yelled. With deep concentration, she called upon another Persona, the ?. Seeking to slow down her dreadful foe, she called for a Sukunda – which took effect rapidly.
Now sluggish, the EX-NIHILO's sword was too slow and telegraphed to be a threat – yet this would not last. The twins had realised this at this point, and nodded to each other. This was their best chance to strike, as painfully as they could.
"Burn in hell!" Natsumi cried. "Searing Circle!"
While this had been a fearsome skill, it had never been quite as potent as it had tonight – burning hotter and spinning faster, cycling through the monster's inhuman flesh.
"I'm taking you out!" Masato declared. "Electroball!"
The resulting explosion, charged with more electricity than Kohaku remembered, made her flinch. Everyone's fury for this repugnant menace was starting to scare her. True, she hated this monster just as much as they did. But losing themselves in their rage might lead to even more pain.
"Kohaku, look out!"
Gasping, Kohaku felt a sudden shove, barely gaining her balance. A large explosion had just missed her, but its azure radiation had affected Noburo – and rather painfully, too.
"Noburo-kun..." Kohaku said, stunned. In the corner of her eye, she saw Teruko, and quickly blocked her blade with her naginata. However, her guard was broken, and she was struck brutally. The possessed girl made her move, and stabbed at Noburo wildly, without a sound.
"Dammit!" Noburo said, as he was sent reeling. Teruko didn't even look at him in the eye. Was she trying to resist this oppressive force? Or was she no longer able to? Fear and panic had set in Noburo's heart, and dulled the edge of his strength. "...Teruko-chan, you have to be able to still hear me! We made a promise together!"
"A promise?" Kohaku asked.
"It's a promise the two of us shared...one just between us!" Noburo pleaded. "You haven't forgotten either, right? Come on, be strong. Stop this thing from destroying your soul! You can overcome it! Just like everything else you've been through..."
The EX-NIHILO did not seem to be affected by these words, however. Rather, it swung it's blade down, with vehement vigour – but something stopped it mid-way.
"Huh?!" Kohaku said, in shock.
"How'd he get here?!" Natsumi asked, bewildered.
"Get that damn sword away from my brother!"
Noburo couldn't believe it. The man he had heard plan to leave Shinshuto forever was indeed still on the stage, using his own hands to hold back the grand blade. While he was doing so, Grannus punched it straight in the face, causing it to fall backward and drop the sword.
"Kaii!" Noburo said, ecstatic. "But I thought you were moving away..."
"Sorry I'm late. I got held up by an old wino, and then had to get through all these damn random corridors." Kaii said, looking exhausted. He ruffled the boy's hair, smiling. "I know I said I was gonna leave this city, but...well, I realised I had at least one reason to stay."
"Family, right?" Noburo said, looking over to Toki. He stared in shock, completely surprised.
"Yep. Cliche, but not all cliches are bad." Kaii said. He looked over to Toki, who had finally managed to regain his footing. "Sorry for mouthing off at you. I...I've had some time to think, and..."
"Forget about that...I'm just so glad you're here!" Toki said, his voice wavering with emotion. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, but for once, they seemed to be tears of joy. "I'll be fine. Noburo made me see sense."
"...Good job." Kaii said. "Now we just gotta stop that EX-NIHILO. That freaky Shadow keeps showing up, and we end up having to seal it. Screw that. It's dead!"
"Then let's stop this thing!" Kohaku said. "Ah!" Just barely, she dodged the possessed girl's blade, and swung her naginata, keeping her away. "Please, Teruko, I know you don't like us, but I want to help you! Whatever you and Noburo promised to do together, you can still take it!"
"...This looks worse than the other cases I heard about." Kaii said, looking over to the twins. "Like I said. It's going down. Whether I'm in Bythos or not, I can't just let Shadows like these kill innocent people."
Noburo nodded. With his brother by his side, he seemed less despondent. Hopeful, even. His words didn't seem to be getting through to her, so to rescue Teruko from this dark fate, he knew what he must do. Ever iota of his being would go into killing the demonic EX-NIHILO, the most malignant of all Shadows.
"Atomic Scissors!" Kaii shouted, as the nuclear weapons snipped into EX-NIHILO. Pleased with the result, he lunged forward, and his fists rained into the Shadow's chest. Whatever had delayed him clearly hadn't drained all his fighting spirit.
Kei, however, was more focused on the other enemy in the room. The EX-NIHILO was still alive, and it was still turning Teruko against them. The feisty girl who loved Noburo didn't seem to be there anymore.
"...Shintaro!" Kohaku gasped. While she had been on the stage, Shintaro had been taking out Shadows as fast as he could, but he had become weary. She leaped from the stage onto one of the chairs, and swiftly attacked the Dzerlarhons from behind.
"Kohaku, wait!" Noburo shouted.
"I...I need to do something about all these other Shadows. Shintaro, please hold on..." Kohaku said, tending to his wounds.
"Relax. I'm a healer too." Kaii said. "I'm more talented than Bythos think."
"Hey...I never doubted you..." Toki said. "Even before I knew you were..."
"Let's worry about beating this guy first, before we have some major family talk." Kaii said. "Eat this!" He punched the EX-NIHILO right in the face, just as a flame from Jack O'Lantern ignited beneath it.
"Why can't you just die?!" Kei screamed, tearfully. "This time, for good!"
The Shadow wasn't quite prepared to kill itself, however. Summoning its magic, it inflicted Kei with a nasty Makajama, blocking her own supernatural ability.
"Dammit!" Kei yelled. All she had left was her sword – and in that second, she had to block Teruko's.
"Damn..." Masato yelled. "Kei! Try this!"
With a Tarukaja, Camulus gave strength to Kei's swordsmanship – enough for her to knock Teruko's sword out of her hand, and stab the EX-NIHILO in the stomach. Rage itself seemed to overtake her, as she twisted her sword, creating a red 'crack' like effect.
"Yeah! We're gonna kill this damn freak, right here, right now!"
Noburo had joined in the assault, stabbing at the Shadow as rapidly as he could. It's blood seemed to pour from random parts of its body, even beneath the mask.
"Let's do this, Brigid!" Natsumi yelled. Nodding, the fiery goddess created a burning orange sphere, that encapsulated the heavily wounded Shadow. "Convection Course!"
Suddenly, she picked up the Shadow – or rather, the infernal cage it was currently stuck in – and hurled it towards Natsumi. Adeptly, she swung her staff high at the fireball, sending it into the sky – creating a blast of red-hot flames. She gave her Persona high five. The Shadow, while on fire, fell to the ground with a deafening thud, its bloodied body now scorched.
"How'd you like that, you jerk?!" She jeered. "Now stay there and die!"
"That was pretty good, Natsumi. But I don't think it's going to acquiesce." Kei said.
"Acqui-what?" Kaii said, blinking.
"Watch out!" Kei yelled. Another Nullity Blade came, this time cutting right through the Wild Card. She cried out in pain, but before anyone could come to her aid, the Shadow had fired a volley of miniature red lasers. Not only that, Teruko's own eyes turned red, and fired energy of their own.
"Teruko! What – what are you doing to her?!" Noburo cried.
"Ugh..." Kaii said, taking a hit to the shoulder. Grunting, he rolled towards the Shadow – uppercutting it in the jaw. "Toki! You ever seen anything like this before?"
"No...the Princess keeps the EX-NIHILO to herself. She never told us about anything like this." Toki uttered.
"Are you trying to turn Teruko into another one of you?" Noburo asked. "Is that your plan?! There's no way you'll succeed! Kouha!"
A blast of Aengus' light put a halt to another volley of sword and lasers, and following up with this, the twins cast down an explosive Agilao and an indignant Zionga. This Shadow was putting up more of a fight than had been expected – it was as if something elsewhere was fuelling it. Perhaps the strong emotions attached to this place were the cause.
"Good work, everyone." Kei said, as she stood with Masato and Natsumi to either side. "Come! Tam Lin!"
Compared to Morax, this was a more handsome, gallant figure, a Scottish fairy knight with green armour and a spear. This spear quickly was honed into a Dream Needle, impaling the EX-NIHILO in the forehead. While a violent, skull-cracking impact, it alas did not put the creature to any kind of sleep.
"...We better be careful." Kaii said. "C'mon, Grannus, be a pal!"
Gathering all the healing power it could muster, the Persona sent forth the potent Mediarama to alleviate Noburo and the others.
"Thanks, dude!" Masato said.
"Anytime, my man." Kaii said, smirking. "Go get him, Noburo!"
"Right!" Noburo said. He ran as far as he could, avoiding both Teruko and the EX-NIHILO's blades, and jumped up high – striking the Shadow in the neck with both swords. "Die, damn you! You son of a bitch!"
"We just have to keep this up until Teruko can gain her true Persona." Masato said. "Right? Like what happened with me and Natsumi?"
"Not everybody can use a Persona." Kei said, looking away. "That 'Persona' we saw Teruko using was just this Shadow in disguise."
"Don't give up, Teruko! Fight back!" Noburo pleaded. "You've come so far... Dammit! Aengus! Shimmering Spire!"
Propelled into the air by his Persona, and imbued with divine providence, he had even more confidence than before. He drove his swords through the Shadow, leaving trails of white behind. Even with this, however, it still had plenty of its mysterious energy to spare, hurling the ghastly Ex Nihilo around – hitting Noburo in the chest.
"Damn...!"
They still had come no closer to saving Teruko, whose body remained a puppet, controlled via phantom strings. Masato was weaving out of her way, while Natsumi was evading the EX-NIHILO's mammoth sword.
"Uzume!" Kei beckoned. A mental assault of Psio hit the Shadow, forcing it to cease its assault.
"Nice!" Kaii said, cracking his knuckles. "Now, eat THIS! Flare Fists!"
Grannus, charging up as much power in his fists as he could, rammed into the EX-NIHILO as hard as he could – and the results were staggering to behold. In fact, the creature was hit so hard, it broke through the back wall, revealing the backstage area. And lurking there was a crystal-like altar, rapidly glowing brighter.
"Just like Hanashima..." Natsumi said.
EX-NIHILO laid on the floor, having dropped its sword. Likewise, Teruko had stopped moving as well, and instead seemed to be staring at the incomplete Core of Tarumi. The hordes of Shadows had finally been abated, and thus the rest of the group could rejoin the stage.
"...Noburo. You okay?" Shintaro asked.
"I think so..." Noburo said, although he still looked anxious. Everyone around him seemed exhausted, no doubt from the endless amount of enemies they had to endure. Toki moved closer to his younger son, but stumbled. Kaii, however, quickly ran to his side, and helped him stay steady.
"Everyone seems to be alright." Shigeru said, relieved. "We have much to discuss. Teruko, can you hear us?"
There was silence. Noburo walked closer to her, but she didn't react. She suddenly screamed, holding her head in pain, and fell to her knees.
"What?! What's wrong?!" He ran as fast as he could, but as he did, he was suddenly sent backwards. The Core had flashed red, breaking apart some of the floor. "Teruko!"
"...Why? Why am I here..?! Is this her doing?!"
Noburo gasped. He had stopped calling out to her, after so many failed attempts to reach her soul. Yet now her voice was clear as day, however. Her eyes had expression again, albeit one of pure terror, and she was moving. She stood up, looking around, clearly in distress.
"Can you hear me?!" Noburo asked. "Are you okay? Hang on! We can still save you!"
"Save me?" She asked, incredulous. "You can't save me! Not from her...her and her damn followers! Besides, you hate me as much as...wait a moment. Whose body am I in?!"
"What the -" Noburo said, equally bewildered. "You're Teruko, aren't you? Teruko Yoshikawa! My girlfriend!"
"Teruko...? Huh? Isn't that the girl who...?"
Confusion was fuelling the atmosphere now. Nothing Teruko was saying made any sense. Perhaps the EX-NIHILO had affected her memories. Shintaro, anxious, looked to his comrades.
"Guys. What should we do?" Shintaro asked.
Before anyone could offer an answer, Teruko suddenly screamed again, clutching her head. Noburo tried to reach her, but before his hand could reach hers, she became shrouded in a vivid red aurora, as did EX-NIHILO.
"What is all this?" Shigeru asked. He grabbed Toki by the collar of his shirt, his veins almost popping. "You better not be withholding information from me."
"I don't have a fucking clue!" Toki begged. "I swear..."
"Please. I know what I did was wrong. And it's too late to undo what I've done. Please, let me die..."
What? What is she saying? Who is she talking to? If she's not Teruko, who the hell is she?
"Die?!" Noburo said, stunned. "No! I don't want to lose you, Teruko-chan!
With one almighty scream, she collapsed to her knees. Next, there a tremendous explosion of red energy, spreading all over the area. Much of the grand stage was being wrecked, with every single seat blown to pieces, and an entire balcony seat falling down to the ground, collapsing immediately. The place was shaking, and cracks were starting to form in the domed ceiling. The curtains were torn to shreds, dissolving into threads of blood-red.
"No!" Kaii pleaded, avoiding a collapsing stage light. "Dammit, it's still..."
EX-NIHILO had now recovered, its body taking in the energy of the Core. Arming itself with its sword, it seemed prepared to fight even with its host no longer active.
"Unknown sentience emerged to reside within Host 04. Original sentience's condition unknown. Annihilation of human subjects must still be fulfilled."
"Shut up!" Noburo screamed. "Will you just shut up! Don't call Teruko a 'host' or a 'sentience'. She's a human being. One who's suffering because of you. She's the one that keeps me going when things get rough. I won't let you take her from me!"
"Everyone! We cannot waste any more time. This Shadow must be destroyed, tonight!" Shigeru ordered, his eyes seemingly on fire. "Behold! Wraith Cross!"
Dis Pater's large laser blades protruded from its hands, and slashed the Shadow in a cross formation. It then hurled it onto the ground, leaving it open for the next attack.
"Finally, I can work on dissecting you. Banishing Beam!"
Eunomia, in sync with Reia's heart, held her left palm, and fired a laser of pure white light at the EX-NIHILO. Before it could recover, it was immediately beset by Netuno.
"How about this, you freak? Dynamo Strings!"
Tam Kung played a short melody on its oar-guitar, and yellow guitar strings appeared and surrounded the Shadow constricting it. They then began slowly electrocuting it. Right after this, it was shot at in the chest – via Hiroyuki's rifle.
"Your time is at an end, demon. Maihadare!"
Masamune withdrew his sword, made of pure ice. Like before, it was surrounded by an icy mist. With an expertly strong slash, the EX-NIHILO was cut across the chest, and the sword shattered in a bright white blast of snow.
"Everyone's so powerful...but so am I. I'm much more than a college student. I'll save Shinshuto from falling into ruin, and to do that, I'll ruin you! Baleful Brook!"
Saga emerged, conjured by Novalie, and raised her urn aloft. A lavender aurora surrounded it, and a geyser of water burst out, pouring onto EX-NIHILO with immense pressure.
"We're gonna do it!" Masato said. "We're going to destroy you, and save Teruko! Nothing's going to stop us – wait. What is it, Akari?"
Her face was pale, and she stepped back panicking.
"It's...it's still teeming with energy. The sheer hysteria from Tarumi alone is giving it even more strength!"
EX-NIHILO held out its hands, and summoned a gargantuan amount of energy. This power, seemingly hewn from righteous anger, congealed into a massive black sphere of omnipotent strength, with an ominous red aurora swirling around it. Its mere presence seemed to be distorting the air around it. The ground was shaking, and Shintaro felt almost as if he was being propelled backward.
"I...I can't get near him! My body is..." Kohaku, straining, couldn't seem to move. Nor could anyone else.
"This...this can't be it!" Akari yelled. "Not after all of this! We've fought too hard to die now!"
"Must destroy the weakest target. Bythos agent 'Toki Hayashi' detected. Mentally and physically fatigued. Will eliminate first."
"...Huh?" Toki yelled. He gasped. The monster had a target – and it seemed to be him. "Shit!" He braced himself, shutting his eyes. But when the sphere was launched, it grew in magnitude. It seemingly collided with him, creating a gigantic spherical explosion of dark force.
"NO!" Noburo yelled. "...Huh?"
The dust had settled. Instead of Toki, there was Kaii. He was standing adamantly right in front of him, arms outstretched. But he quickly fell to the ground, letting out a cry of pain. Kaii's quick speed had saved his father, it seemed.
"Kaii?!" Toki yelled, frantic. "What the hell did you just do?!"
"I'm sorry, I..." Kaii said, weary. "I couldn't...let you..." He shut his eyes, with a weak smile on his face.
"Dammit! It should be me doing this for you, kid!" Toki yelled, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"...Dammit!" Noburo yelled, pointing his swords at the EX-NIHILO's neck. "You've turned Teruko into your puppet, and you're trying to kill my dad and my brother too? That's it, I'm ending this right now! Aengus, I beg of you...destroy this monster!"
Aengus stretched out his arms, and the entire area turned to darkness – but with beams of light rapidly flowing in the distance. However, they seemed to be growing nearer, and as they did, voices could be heard singing together in harmony. The beams finally stopped, having accumulated into a gigantic orb of golden radiance. Its harsh light shone over the EX-NIHILO, and it actually started to tremble.
"Song of Wanderers!"
The orb exploded, finally breaking through the darkness and leaving nothing but brilliant golden light, flashing vividly around the demonic Shadow. It could be seen writhing in pain as a silhouette, thrashing wildly, in a feeble attempt to escape. But, it was to no avail. Its body melted away, leaving a mask that was enveloped by the light.
The extreme force of Noburo's attack had destroyed the Gnosis device – he saw it fall to the ground, shattering into pieces. Each fragment became a wisp of darkness, fading forever. Likewise, Teruko let go of her sword, which dissolved into dust as well. She fell down, with her eyes closed.
"Teruko!"
Reacting quickly, Noburo ran towards her, catching her before she fell. He looked up at the monstrous creature, and gasped. It's body was convulsing rapidly, the two swords of Aengus driving even further into its head. Its dark blood began to cascade from its wounds, and its body was sparking with red electricity.
"...It's over." Kei said, eyeing the beast with pure hatred. She put away her katana, and gazed at the once-glorious playhouse. "But..."
The EX-NIHILO was finally gone – leaving its heavy black sword in its place. As the sword 'melted', and disappeared, the crystalline structure, shaped like a diamond, broke apart, and its pieces phased into the ground, creating a giant glyph of blue light. Out of it came a large, seemingly glass red sphere, that seemed to be constantly emitting a mixture of red and blue air. Like the previous orb, this one had strange human-like shapes drifting endlessly within it.
Kei took the core into her hand, and she and her body seemed to glow in sync with it. The Core was absorbed into her Gnosis, and the theatre slowly reverted to its normal colours and trappings, no longer tainted with cursed blood.
"Another Core!" Shintaro said, running up to Kei. "I know you could do it."
"It wasn't just me. We all played a role." Kei said. "But Kaii..."
They looked over to Kaii, who was in a protective Toki's arms, eyes still closed. Akari walked over, however, and placed her hand on his forehead.
"...Don't worry. He'll make it. Epona can tell." Akari said, gently. "But he won't be fighting with his Persona for a little while."
"Kaii..." Toki said. "We better get you to Hanashima. Teruko, too."
"Yeah. Teruko..." Noburo said. "...Huh?"
"What? What is it?" Shigeru, kneeling by his son's side.
"Teruko, she..." Noburo said, the colour draining out of his face. "She's cold...she's not breathing!"
Shintaro felt a lump in his throat. This couldn't be. This hadn't happened before, with the past victims of EX-NIHILO. Yet Teruko didn't seem to be waking up, or even moving. Noburo shook her, desperately, but there was still no signs of consciousness.
"Help!" Noburo cried. "Someone, help -"
"I'm..." Akari said, sobbing. Kohaku put an arm around her, slowly coming to the same realization she had. "I'm sorry! I...I can't sense anything in her. Noburo, she's -"
"No! She can't be!" Noburo wailed, tears flooding down his cheeks. "She...she can't be gone! I saved her...I stopped EX-NIHILO! So why...why is she...please, Teruko! Please wake up!"
The only sounds were of Noburo sobbing, as he stared longingly at his beloved. Shigeru knelt beside him, arm around his shoulder, but even he was overcome. He wiped away a tear from his own eye, and everyone else seemed tearful as well.
|Nakahara Household|10:00 pm|
The rest of that night was a blur. Shintaro kept silent as they returned to the Akartharto Kosmos, and he saw the ambulance take Teruko and Kaii away. Noburo, Shigeru and Toki came with them, without a sound. He didn't know what he should do. All around him was chaos, as rioters were arrested by the police, one after the other. His mind was racing, and he found himself back in Totsuka, alone and shaking.
He returned home in silence, and went straight to his room. His parents called his name, worried, but he couldn't bring himself to talk to them. He just stared out of his window at the dark, cloudy sky. The news would spread shortly, no doubt.
"...Why?!" He said out loud, banging a fist against the window. His eyes welling up with tears, he stood there, limp. Tonight should have been an outstanding victory. It should have been the moment a father and his two sons could finally connect, and the team saved Tarumi from the curse of Bythos.
Yet...the girl who should have been their ally had become a victim.
One that Shintaro would curse himself for not being able to save.
"What the hell is my Persona even good for?!" Shintaro yelled. Just then, he felt his phone vibrate. A message. Out of energy, he fell backwards onto his bed and looked at the message. The sender was still unknown, just like that text back in April. His heart skipped a beat when he read the message.
I got your reply. I didn't actually think it would work. I can't tell you who I am. Not yet. There's still too much I need to do first. Please don't blame yourself for what happened. There was nothing either of us could have done to stop it. One day, we'll get to the bottom of this. Until then, please try to rest.
What?! How do you know what happened? What do you mean either of us? No one I was with would have sent that weird text last month! Why can't you tell me who you are?! How can I sleep, with everything that's happened?!
He shut his eyes, still red and tearful, and waited for sleepiness to overtake him. For tonight, however, he would not fall into slumber. While his room may be silent, the sounds of the playhouse would echo in this mind for a long time. A battle, hard-fought, that ended in the worst possible way. Try as he might, there was only one thought in his mind;
Teruko Yoshikawa was forever lost.
|END OF ARC II|