Zeph : Don't worry this whole chapter is about the magician fight.
Stardust : Nah we all like that my jaw dropped when I saw that scene for the first time in P3.
Brutal Wolf : Same here I love the pairing I wish Atlus would have putten Minato as an NPC in Femc's route replacing Yukari as the lovers arcana social link.
Cipher : Thanks for the review and yes Ekoda will say something and end up getting another verbal smackdown.
Guest : Glad you liked the fic thanks for the review
'I'll rip you to pieces!' Minato yelled mentally, eyeing the monstrosity with complete and utter hate. His hand was still clutching the silver gun, the cold metal pressed onto his temple. Even though Minato most certainly was pointing a gun of all things towards his head, he felt calm… The usual pain and anxiety he experienced before summoning Death wasn't there. It was like there was a completely different presence.
"Master… Summon me…!" A demonic and distorted voice echoed within Minato's psyche. Hamuko and Yukari were only just standing there, looking shocked at the scene in front of their eyes. The next words that came through Minato's lips were just like an old reflex, as if he had been saying something like it all the time, even though he knew that couldn't be true.
"Per…"
"So…"
"Na…"
A painful gunshot rang out in the air of the rooftop however instead of the blood that one would normally expect from shooting themselves in the head, blue glass and mist exploded from the other side of Minato's temple. He stood surely, his eyes blazing with absolute hate and anger with a maniacal grin creasing his face. The crystals that had been blown out earlier collected just behind him, merging into one horrible creature.
It was one large being, and although still not as big as that huge creature that was slowly advancing towards Minato it was still larger than Minato. It had a jet black mechanical body that was covered in bloodstains and stitches as if the parts were sewn together messily in an attempt to put it back together. The presence had a speaker for a stomach, although it did possess a number of dents that made it look incredibly misshapen. Its pitch black face which seemed to be the only organic thing on it resembled Minato's own, even though it was covered with bruises and its right eye was missing and its hair was white, even if it was covered in bloodstains. Its remaining eye was an eerie red. Lastly, but not least, it carried a harp which was broken from either sides of the instrument and had several broken strings.
"Thou art I…" The voice of the figure was demonic… tainted, sending shivers down Yukari and Hamuko's spines, "And I am thou…" Minato wasn't fazed, keeping that grin on his face.
"From the sea of thy soul I cometh…" The creature spoke, "I am Orpheus Discord… the fallen musician."
Strangely enough for Minato, he felt no stress on his body whatsoever. Not like he did with Death. "Minato-kun?" Hamuko stammered, looking at Minato who still had that crazed expression on his face.
"Orpheus, attack!" Minato commanded, the creature flying towards the black monster which was becoming dangerously close to him. Orpheus took the massive harp in his hands, swinging it at the beast's numerous arms and smacking some of the swords that were in said hands off to the side.
"Break it!" Minato shouted with that sickening smile still on his face. This time the musician swung the harp, slamming it into the inky black body of the creature. It let out a scream, digging one of its blades into Orpheus' chest in its craze and ripping through the mechanical body. He roared a painful cry into the sky with Minato who felt the pain as well.
Orpheus disappeared shortly after that to which Minato cursed, "Son of a bitch…" The miscreation flung his many swords towards Minato who quickly dodged to the right, avoiding being led to a stab-filled death.
"Fuck," Minato muttered as he jumped from another set of swords, "How the hell can I attack when it has a bajillion swords?" Another one came towards him but Minato used the sword that Yukari gave him earlier to block it. Another sailed to his position more precisely this time, only giving Minato a moment to react before his cheek was sliced. He winced as the small droplets of blood trickled down his face, the slight moment of weakness allowing the Shadow of slash his chest and tear his blazer and shirt apart.
Yukari dropped to her knees, cursing herself for not being able to do anything as Minato's blood slipped to the ground, anguished yells coming forth.
"I… can't do it…" Yukari muttered.
Hamuko panicked, "But we have to help him!" She watched in horror as the multi armed abomination grabbed Minato by his arms and slammed him into the ground with a sickening thud. Another huge sword came intending to slash through Minato's chest, but he quickly rolled out of the way of the strike even through the intense pain that he was feeling. As he stopped he shot the silver gun once more, summoning Orpheus Discord who proceeded to smash his harp into the creature's mask obviously injuring it as it shrieked in pain. The swords directed to Orpheus ripped through the Persona, eliciting a loud howl as he felt like his very soul and essence was being torn apart.
'Dammit… I guess I have to sum-'His thoughts were cut short by someone shouting, "Get away from him!" Minato glanced around for the source, finding Hamuko standing with her own silver gun pointed towards her temple. Before Minato could stop her another gunshot resounded through the area.
Behind Hamuko stood a Persona similar to Minato's own but instead of looking so terrifying it looked beautiful. Its face was just like Hamuko's with flowing auburn hair, a golden mechanical body, intact speaker and metallic joints. Lastly, its harp was undamaged, being heart shaped.
Without a word the angelic Persona charged at the Shadow, who still had its sword plunged in Orpheus Discord's body.
"Dammit…" Minato cursed, "Get the fu-" he shouted as the Shadow drove the blade deeper into his Persona's form. The female Orpheus grabbed its lyre, trying to hit the Shadow but was swiftly blocked by those swords of its. The swords withdrew from Discord's frame, letting it fall to the ground. Hamuko was beginning to feel her legs falter in her stance… but she had to stay strong. She had to save Minato!
"Agi!" Hamuko commanded and the female Orpheus launching bursts of fire at the Shadow as she played her lyre. However the Shadow took it head on without even flinching, the little amount of damage inflicted by Minato earlier gone.
"Crap, it absorbs fire…!" Hamuko muttered. Her musings were broken as the Shadow grabbed her Persona and pounded Orpheus onto the still grounded Discord Orpheus. Minato felt the burn of the attack as he clutched his stomach. Before he could recompose himself, Minato yelled as the Shadow dug its swords into both Personae, ripping them to shreds before they finally disappeared in blue mist. Minato had been fighting for almost all of his life but he had never before endured pain of such intense magnitude… With that he collapsed to his knees, still feeling that burn.
Hamuko was trying to hold back her tears, knowing that they could die. Seeing Minato one the ground, the Shadow redirected its focus to Hamuko who froze as the unnerving blue mask gazed into her eyes with the lifeless holes in the cyan. She was rooted to the spot, and couldn't move a muscle. Not when she was under that gaze. With that, the Shadow ran towards her on its many arms.
Minato managed to see it even through his pain, his heart becoming wrenched painfully as he saw Hamuko trembling and just waiting for death to arrive. As the Shadow came closer, Hamuko dropped down to her knees.
"Hamuko!" Yukari yelled, trying to step forward only to be stopped in her tracks by a column of fire which threw her to the ground. The Shadow continued advancing towards the fear stricken Hamuko who squeezed her eyes shut, just waiting…
An image of a bloodied and dead Hamuko flashed Minato's mind, his heart pounding painfully not only in his chest but in his mind… She couldn't die here! Ignoring the crippling injuries and pain that was shooting through his body he ran towards her just as the Shadow came near her, standing in front of Hamuko and shielding her from the multiple swords… He took the hit instead.
Hamuko could feel a warm and iron-like liquid being thrown on her and she could recognize that smell all too easily. It was blood. What was strange to her was that she felt no pain whatsoever. Moments later an anguished scream rang out, causing her eyes to be shocked open. She soon wished that she didn't do that, because the scene in front of her shook her to the core.
Minato was standing in front of her, trembling in pain. In left arm was impaled by a sword, buried deep in. His right leg was dug into with another, and his abdomen was gashed deep, only an inch away from taking his life.
"Minato-kun!" Yukari screamed as the world in front of her at that moment was imprinted deep into her memory.
"No…" Was all that Hamuko could get out.
"We lost him!" Akihiko yelled, slamming on the control board of the monitor in front of him.
"Arisato…" Mitsuru whispered. A student's life from her own school, under her responsibility, just died in front of her eyes…
"No… look." Ikutsuki said, looking too and annoyingly calm. The two teens looked through the monitor again. Minato was still breathing although only barely enough for them to notice it. Blood was dripping down from his form, and his clothes were stained red. The Shadow didn't stop there though. It raised the sword which was still lodged in Minato's limb and lifted him off of his feet.
"No, please!" Hamuko begged as the Shadow formed a huge fireball, blasting Minato at point blank range. His entire body was seared, and burned as he yelled in complete utter agony and the multiple painful wounds only becoming more and more aggravated as they too were scorched. He was thrown back by the attack, and slammed into a wall. Slowly, his form slid down to the ground. He was sure most of his bones were broken.
"M-Minato…" Hamuko sobbed, losing the will to stand again and collapsing on her knees as she waited for the Shadow to end it all right then and there.
"I-I… have to…" Minato mumbled as he somehow got up, using the wall behind him as support. There was only one thing that he knew could save them all now… Death. The Shadow turned its mask towards the standing Minato, Hamuko and Yukari. They both looked at Minato's pained expression, which only melted into a sickeningly sweet smile.
"Die you son of a bitch!" Minato demanded, raising his right arm up. Black mist surrounded him, the whole dorm quaking, as if it too was trembling in fear from the display of power.
"What the…?" Yukari managed to say as Mianto gave off a terrifying aura. One that seemed to increase the push of gravity around them ten-fold, creating an oppressive atmosphere. One that reeked of Death.
"Come forth Death!" Minato shouted to the sky, and as if something, somewhere was replying back to him with a huge bellow. Behind Minato, a huge creature manifested. It was twice the size of the multi-armed Shadow, carrying a colossal sword double Minato's height. It was clothed in black, with equally dark coffin lids in a cape-like formation chained together and to its back. There was no face on it; only the hollow stare of a dinosaur-like mask. It roared menacingly, the people scattered around the dorm having to cover their ears from the horrifyingly eerie sound.
"What the hell is that…?" Akihiko asked.
"A second Persona?" asked an awe-struck Ikustuki.
The new Persona charged at the Shadow, letting out a primal scream. Minato fell to his knees, a huge mental and physical strain being pulled on him that only became worse because of the injuries he was already sporting. Coughing, Minato watched as the Persona sliced the Shadow in half using its sword and using its bare hands crushed the limbs of the Shadow, almost shouting with glee as it was able to destroy and tear something to pieces.
Yukari was shaking in fear, but Hamuko stood strong. She knew this feeling… it somehow resonated with the locked up part inside her, but that didn't stop her from crying as she looked at the coughing Minato on his knees, struggling to keep his eyes open. As Death completed its job and the Shadow was gone. Growling it looked at Minato for a moment before glancing to the unfazed Hamuko. One last cry and it disappeared.
"And we part…" A voice rang inside Minato's head, making him stand up straight to try and find out where the hell the sound came from. He looked around but there was no-one. The entire world starting spiralling out of the control of his vision, and the pain he was feeling was soul-shattering. Shutting his eyes closed, Minato was about to meet head first with the cold ground…
Hamuko quickly dashed towards him, catching him in her arms. Quickly laying his head on her lap, Hmauko begged Mianto to wake up.
"Minato-kun… please get up… please…" She sobbed as her hands trailed over Minato's broken and bloodied body. Minato gave a small whimper as her hands touched the gash in his side, but he quickly slipped away into unconsciousness. Yukari was crying as well, as a pool of blood formed under Minato's fainted form.
The door slammed opened and in came Mitsuru, Akihiko and Ikustuki.
"Are you ok?" Mitsuru asked cautiously.
Hamuko snapped her head towards her, "What the fuck took you so long!?" Mitsuru froze as her icy tone and looked at Ikutsuki with a glare that signaled that it was his fault. Not that Ikustuki cared. He glanced towards the fallen Minato with excitement hidden under his facade, 'He'll be perfect for my plans…' He thought.
"Minato please…" Hamuko pleaded once more as she tried to shake him awake, however it was all for naught as he didn't move a muscle. She enveloped him in a hug, not caring that her clothes were probably becoming stained red with the blood on his body and whispered, "I'm pathetic…"
Hoshi AN: Woohoo, this was fun to write! It wasn't as long a wait as the other chapters huh? Welp, hope you like it and I'm out. Catch ya later.
Plz review and no flames!
Nights: Well that's done so you all saw the brutal beating Minato took for those who read my other fic this Minato is no way near the one from Death and Chaos, Minato can't summon weapons he will not get the World Arcana and has none of the p2 personas just the normal ones in p3. I hope you enjoyed the chapter even tho it was graphic. For those of you wondering Orphy is Minato's initial persona, Thanatos is the death sealed inside him which he can summon but it takes a toll.