"Atom smasher!"

Minato kept his stare on the two red orbs since that was the only thing glowing right now.

"Megido!" Minato called, blocking the first slash with his forearm. "Ugh, now!"

Samael's eyes began to glow as he began charging up the almighty attack between his jaws. The serpent coiled around Minato again, saving him from the second slash.

Minato clutched his gut. The attack managed to hurt him as well.

Samael finally unleashed the almighty attack which lit the entire place up, revealing Minazuki with his persona behind him.

That was all that Minato needed. The blue haired teen chucked his blade right for the redhead, aiming for his head.

Minazuki managed to save his head but the blade sliced through his shoulder, eliciting a harsh yell of pain. Tsukiyomi disappeared in a puff of blue mist as his master struggled to fight back the pain.

The darkness dissipated and Minato shot ahead for Sho, projecting another sword.

Minazuki blocked Minato's sword using his damaged arm and fell to his knees.

Minato raised his blade to end his life but Minazuki slashed him on the chest, making Minato pull back momentarily.

Sho took control again and snarled at the blue haired teen. "You prick…"

"Haah," Minato panted, running his hand down the fresh wound. It hurt like hell. "I'm gonna get you for this."

"Just give up,"

"Never," Minato hissed, gripping his blade again. "I admit though…"

"…"

"If we fought the first time we met, you would have beaten me,"

Sho growled again, not liking where this was going.

"Yeah, that's right," Minato sneered. "Deal with it."

"So I can't beat you now?"

"Not a chance," Minato shook his head. "I have this fire inside me and you can't compete with that."

"Bastard…"

"Hahahah!" Minato laughed. "I used to say the same thing when people harped about bonds."

"…" Sho kept quiet as Minato kept mocking him.

"Bonds are for the weak," Sho spat.

"Yeah, I agree," Minato nodded. "I was weak as fuck before but look at me, I've only gotten stronger."

"Listen to yourself; are you really doing this just for the sake of those weaklings that you loathe?" Sho asked.

"I hope a few of them die here, actually," Minato said truthfully. "I don't give a single shit about them. If Hamuko didn't exist…" Minato bit his lip. "I would have ripped their heads off during the first night."

"Why her!?"

"There is something between us," Minato blew his fringe up. "Something special, this is the first time in a decade that I've taken a liking to someone and none of you bitches are going to ruin it."

"…"

"Let's keep doing this shit," Minato dared. "Beat me to prove bonds are weak."

"Gladly," Sho rushed again, aiming several slashes and thrusts for Minato's vital parts but the blue haired teen managed to block and parry all of them.

Minato kicked him in the gut but Sho shrugged it off, cutting Minato on the chest again. Minato retaliated with a slash on Sho's already mangled shoulder, making the redhead howl with pain.

Minato socked him on the face and stalked forward as Sho tried to regain his senses. Minato kept jeering him to attack and Sho did so but Minato managed to dodge and block every strike/slash.

Another clash of swords sent the two skidding backwards, panting hard. Minato reminded himself that he had to conserve his energy; he still had to save Junpei.

Sho stood up again and Minato did the same. They locked eyes and clenched their blades again.

"Hold it!" Minato let out a deep breath, relief and warmth flooding into his chest. That voice belonged to Hamuko no doubt. Minato looked ahead to see Hamuko standing at the doorway, a little out of breath and bruised but she was okay.

Sho was a little distracted and Minato took advantage of that, cracking him on the jaw with a hard right.

Sho stumbled back and glared down the redhead who returned it.

"That must have hurt more than usual, eh?" Minato smirked.

Sho widened his eyes, that punch indeed hurt him more than the previous shots.

"Come on," Minato mocked him again. "Prove me wrong."

"Prove us wrong," Hamuko added, pulling out her weapon.

"Grrr," Sho growled, he had sustained a good amount of damage in his battle against Minato and there was no way he could handle the two of them in his current state. "I'll get you…" another vortex of darkness surged beneath his feet.

"Your daddy is waiting on the rooftop," Minato insulted and oddly enough, Sho yelled out in utmost anger.

"Shut the fuck up!" Minato arched a brow. That was a regular insult, why did Sho get so pissed?

"Thank you for reminding me," Sho growled.

"What, fool?" Minato spat but the redheaded male disappeared, leaving the two carriers of Death alone in the room.

Hamuko rotated her arm and sighed. "He managed to hit me a bunch of times but I'm alive!"

Minato sighed. "I'm never letting you do that shit again."

"Heey!" Hamuko narrowed her eyes. "I'm getting the hang of this, Minato! I didn't shed a single tear this time. My muscle memory is returning hella fast!"

"Why was it gone in the first place?" Minato asked.

"Reasons," Hamuko smiled, getting closer. "Listen Minato, no matter what happens, please remember that I think nothing but best of you…"

"…" where was she going with this? "What do you-"

"And thank you," Hamuko bowed.

"What now?"

"Reasons," Hamuko smirked again.

An explosion alerted Hamuko while Minato stood there, not giving a shit. "Hope someone died up there…"

"Minato!"

"That robo-bitch would have been my first wish,"

"Ugh," Hamuko grabbed his wrist and ran off. "They need us. I saw a couple of explosions on the roof."

"Wusses," Minato spat.

Hamuko ignored his words and the two raced up the steps.

Aigis stood up and closed her eyes. Water was dripping down her frame and that wasn't good for her system. The mechanical maiden fired dozens of more bullets but Tsukio merely giggled form the darkness.

Aigis took a stance and activated Orgia-Mode once again. The shine and glow coming from within her lit up her surroundings, the light was rather dim but it allowed Aigis to locate Tsukio who was inches away from her.

Aigis hammered the weaker female into the ground and mounted her, pointing her guns on Tsukio's forehead.

"Ugh," Tsukio lodged up a knife in Aigis' body but the android shook her head and fired.

Tsukio tilted her head to the side to avoid the bullets and cringed, the explosion managed to rattle her brain and cut her cheek open. She struggled to break free but Aigis was inhumanely strong and she was ready to open fire once again.

"Aquadyne!" shadows covered the room again and Aigis deactivated Orgia-Mode. She had to be careful with the use, overheating meant death in the current situation.

Aigis backed away but was still blasted by a burst of ice cold water that seeped into her system again. "Ugh," she suffered a minor shock and dropped to her knees.

"Say, goodbye!" Tsukio's voice came from the darkness.

"Hello!" another voice interjected. "Only I get to kill Robo-bitch!"

Tsukio whipped around and the place lit up again. Minato had summoned two spheres of flames into his palms, while Hamuko stood in front of him, evoker pressed to her temple.

"Aigis, get away," the redhead ordered, summoning Hades.

"Shit!" the shadows finally dissipated and Tsukio came out in plain sight, scowling and cursing the two Fools.

Hamuko called off her persona.

"Run," Minato sneered. "Run to that weakling that you called a leader."

"You have no idea," Tsukio said, backing away. "I can't wait to see Takaya rip your guts out for what you did to us."

"Yeah, killed him and burned the damn thing down," Minato laughed. "You should have learned by now, do not cross me."

"Tch," Tsukio ran off, heading for the rooftop.

"Aigis, are you okay!?" Hamuko ran over to the mechanical maiden who smiled slightly.

"Yes, Hamuko-san, do you require healing?" Aigis said, standing up.

"I'll be fine," Hamuko assured.

Minato watched the two and let out a sigh, as much as he loathed Aigis, he was sure that Hamuko would be alright as long as Aigis remained with her.

"We better get going," Hamuko bit her lip. "I don't have a good feeling about this…." Tsukio's words about Takaya 'ripping Minato's guts out' furthered made her paranoid.

…

Junpei stood up once again and glared down Takaya, how the hell did he get such a massive power up? Minato handled him fairy easily the last time and yet, the four of them weren't able to put a dent on him.

"Come on," Takaya taunted, releasing more buffeting winds that cut up the members of SEES.

"Ugh," Junpei was smashed against the ground, wind being his weakness. Takaya aimed another gust of wind for the downed teen but Akihiko tackled Junpei away, saving him from serious injury.

Shinjiro lost his patience and hurled the heavy axe straight for Takaya's head.

Takaya caught it easily in his grip and twirled it around.

Pain crossed his face as Takaya switched to Surt and enveloped the weapon with hell fire.

The beanie clad teenager widened his eyes, looking at Mitsuru. "Get away!"

Takaya slammed the heavy axe on the floor, occasioning pillars of flames to rise up and spread over the floor, burning the members of SEES.

"This is all too easy," Jin snorted, SEES wasn't even a challenge for Takaya.

Chidori was busy watching over Junpei, he was safe for the time being.

"This is madness," Mitsuru wiped the blood on her cheek. "There is way he could have gotten this strong in such a short amount of time."

Akihiko clutched his burned arm and stood up again, wincing due to all the wounds. He had punched Takaya right on the chin but that didn't faze him at all.

The four stood up and groaned, they really needed Minato or/and Hamuko right now.

"Run, bitch!" and they got what they wanted. That psychotic, cruel voice belonged to Minato. Seemed like he was jeering someone, like usual…

The door was smashed open and Tsukio stepped outside, looking straight at Takaya. "They're coming!"

Takaya's smile dissolved into a hated glare.

Jin pulled out his grenades.

Minato stepped onto the ground along with the other two members of SEES. First thing he did was blow a raspberry. "God, I knew you al sucked but this bad?"

"Guys!" Hamuko cringed, all of them were burned and bruised badly.

"Die!" Jin shouted and hurled the grenade for the three.

"Move!" Minato shoved Hamuko away and caught the grenade in his hand before throwing it up in the air. The grenade exploded sky high and Minato stared down Takaya.

The members of Strega got together, minus Chidori who was still standing at the side, gaze fixed on Junpei.

Minato grabbed a hold of Akihiko's collar and lifted him up, helping him to his feet.

Hamuko helped Shinjiro and Mitsuru stand up. "Are you okay, senpai?"

"No," Shinjiro hissed. "Be careful, Takaya is different."

"So glad you could make it here," Takaya shouted. "Come, Minato, I won't sleep after getting my revenge."

Minato held out his arms, edging him to come forward. "Come on you weakling."

Takaya lost his cool and shouted in pain as he tried summoning another persona. The older male fell to his knees, vomiting out blood as dark mist swirled around his frame.

"What the hell?" Minato gritted his teeth. "Hamuko, stay behind me!" he ordered.

"Skadi!" Takaya summoned a different persona yet again. The temperature plummeted rapidly due to the appearance of the ice giantess.

Minato ignored the chilly breeze. "What the hell!?" he yelled in surprise, his persona wasn't Skadi, it was the God of Sleep, Hypnos.

Takaya got back to his feet and grinned through a mouthful of blood.

Minato snorted. "Impressive but nah…."

"Minato, be careful," Hamuko warned.

Takaya ran ahead and Minato met his charge head on.

"Death!" Minato yelled when he inches away from Takaya. Thanatos rose from the sea of his soul and instantly ripped Skadi's head off, making Takaya howl with pain again. Minato cringed himself and made a mental note to avoid summoning Death again.

"Pathetic!" Minato spat, aiming a right for Takaya's ugly mug.

Surprisingly, Takaya caught the punch and hit Minato on the face with his own strike.

"…" Minato had to admit, he punched a lot harder than before. The blue haired psycho grabbed a fistful of platinum blonde hair and started hammering Takaya with blows.

Takaya shook the younger persona off and punched Minato on the face again.

"Grr," Minato's next punch was blocked and so he kicked Takaya in the gut. Takaya grunted in pain and pulled on Minato's bangs, enraging the blunet.

"Prick!" Minato punched him hard across the face, sending him skidding backwards.

Jin chucked another grenade for Minato.

"Roll away!" Hamuko ordered and Minato did so as Aigis fired bullets upon the grenade, making it explode in mid-air again.

"Ugh," Minato shielded him eyes from the dust and debris.

"Surt!"

Minato jumped out of the way of incoming flames. "Another persona?"

"Odin!" Takaya yelled in hate, unleashing a bolt of lightning right down Minato's head.

Minato rolled away and immediately stood up. He could see why the rest had trouble with Takaya. Minato gazed at Junpei from the corner of his eye. "I'm going to beat the shit outta you for putting me in situation."

Junpei stood up with another wince. "I'll set this right…"

Minato blew a raspberry, giving Strega the middle finger. "Come on you sacks of shits. Come at me right now."

"Attack," Takaya ordered.

Jin and Tsukio rushed over to the blue haired teen who took his stance.

Minato ducked underneath Tsukio's knives and smashed Jin hard on the face. Tsukio rebounded from her failure and came back to stab Minato's back.

"NO!" Hamuko kicked her away before she could do so.

Takaya hurled a sphere of flames towards Hamuko.

Minato came in front and switched to a fire resistant persona, taking no damage from the attack.

"Explode!" Jin chucked another grenade and this time, it exploded point blank at the two persona users.

"D-Damn you!" Minato growled, grabbing Jin roughly by the face and cracking his head against the floor. Minato took another Agidyne and lost his temper. He stomped on Jin's face and ran ahead for Takaya.

Takaya waited for Minato with a scowl.

Minato caught Takaya's feeble kick and dropped him with a right hand to the temple. Minato pulled out a switchblade from his back pocket and jumped on Takaya, trying to drill the knife right between his eyes.

Takaya rolled away and blasted Minato with a rigid explosion of ice that sent him reeling.

Junpei came up behind Takaya and cracked him on the head with his evoker, making him stumble. Minato saw the chance and cut open Takaya's hood, along with his flesh.

Junpei pushed Takaya forward and Minato punched him right in the middle of his face, dropping the older male to his knees.

"He's winning," Akihiko smirked.

Hamuko nodded. "Yeah…" she ran ahead and stood in front of Tsukio.

"Get away, bitch," the raven haired girl demanded.

Hamuko scowled. "No cursing."

Tsukio tried to close the distance but Hamuko summoned her prime persona again, making Tsukio take a step back. The redhead looked at Chidori from the corner of her eyes, she wasn't doing anything, and rather, she looked a little worried…

"Whoops," Hamuko dodged and ducked the knife thrusts and called off her persona again. She wasn't really looking to attack using her persona again because the fatigue was really catching up to her.

Hamuko smashes the blunt end of her naginata into Tsukio's gut and then on her face, dropping her to a knee.

Darkness began to expand.

"Bufudyne!" Tsukio was sent crashing to the far end of the roof, courtesy of an ice spell by the older redhead.

"We're winning!" Hamuko cheered. Power up or not, Takaya was losing against Minato again.

Minato had to admit, Junpei was actually damaging Takaya. He was trying to put the situation right and Minato respected his efforts.

"Ugh," Jin stood up but the two seniors smashed him into the ground again.

"Come on, finish this, Minato," Shinjiro sighed. They were so close. Mitsuru and Hamuo were handling Tsukio, him and Akihiko had a hold around Jin and Chidori wasn't even fighting.

"Strength in numbers!" Minato socked Takaya on the face again.

"Bitch!" Junpei cracked him on the back of his head.

The two 'team mates' began to pummel the dazed persona users, opening several old wounds that Minato inflicted on him.

Hamuko flipped Tsukio over her shoulder and dumped her to the ground.

Mitsuru pointed her rapier to Tsukio's neck. "Don't move…." She warned.

"Damn it!" Tsukio growled, she didn't have the strength.

Aigis did the same with Jin, holding her fingertips against his skull. "Do not move…"

Minato dragged Takaya by his hair and kept hammering him. "You lied to me about Hamuko…" that was the only thing that made Minato fight. He didn't give a crap about the rest of the team or what Takaya did to him.

Minato went low and kept butchering Takaya's body with brutal shots. Takaya was spent at this point. "Once a weakling, always a weakling!"

Takaya looked Minato right in the eye. "This isn't over…"

Minato punched him on the gut again, dropping the older male to his knees. "It is…"

Before Minato could knock him out, Takaya vomited blood and his right arm caught fire, burning away the hoodie sleeve.

"Hynpos!" Takaya finally summoned his original persona. The brother of Death hovered above Takaya and Minato, conjuring up a purple ball of energy.

"Oh shit," Minato looked at Junpei. "Cross your arms, idiot!"

Junpei didn't have much time to thin upon the fact that Minato was slightly concerned for him. The capped teen hurriedly did as Minato ordered.

The purple sphere of almighty energy exploded, giving off a brutal wave of energy that hit both Minato and Junpei, sending them backwards and finally giving Takaya some space.

Minato groaned and stood up, glaring daggers at Takaya. The pain wasn't serious and it only pissed Minato off.

"You son of a bitch-" the effect of the pill finally ended and Minato's body failed him. "…." the blue haired dropped to a knee as the nerve-wrecking pain began to ravage his insides again.

Takaya smirked, he knew what had happened.

"Minato, move!" Hamuko yelled at him and Minato tried to do so but his body wasn't listening.

"Ugh," something was attacking his heart; it was like his aorta was blocked with something nasty. He couldn't breathe at all.

"Minato, move!" Junpei groaned, the attack managed to hurt him more than Minato.

Takaya pulled out his revolver, Minato was going to die.

Hamuko let go off Tsukio and made a mad dash for Minato.

"Burn in hell," Takaya whispered, unloading three bullets for Minato who was still on his knees, unable to move. All Minato could do was clutch his chest and try not to vomit on the spot. His heart was beating painfully fast.

Minato smelt the gunpowder and shut his eyes, this was possibly the end. He was going to die sooner than expected.

"May this world rot in hell," he cursed out everyone as his death came closer and closer.

"Hamuko!" someone yelled the redhead's name and it followed by a harsh yell of pain that made Minato's brain rattle. That bloodcurdling scream sent Minato to the near edge of insanity once again. He recognized the scream all too well.

"…" the pain never came for Minato. He did feel a drop of bloods on him body but there was no pain.

Hamuko took the bullets in her back and collapsed onto Minato, shaking and convulsing violently.

"SHIT!" Akihiko let go off Jin and rant towards the two.

Hamuko was still shaking, clawing and clutching Minato's shirt.

"…" Minato's eyes went wide. Everything around her stopped for a second. Hamuko was dying right next to his eyes. She was inches away from Death right next to him, right in his embrace.

"M-M-Minato," Hamuko coughed out blood and started shaking again.

Minato started shaking as well, the pain in his heart only increased as Hamuko kept coughing out blood, shaking and convulsing like she on the edge of death.

"Hamuko…" was all that Minato to get out, the rest of the words dissolved inside his throat. The insanity, dread, pain and fear were creeping inside his skull.

"NONONONONO!" Minato yelled out loud, not minding the hellish amount of pain in his throat.

Takaya seemed pleased with himself. "Not the target that I wanted but this will do…" Minato bit his lip and looked up at Takaya with a murderous glint in his eyes.

Hamuko was near death's doors and it was all Takaya's fault. He shot Hamuko. That son of a bitch shot Hamuko.

"Takaya…." Minato hissed in unimaginable anger. "You fucking bitch…"

Takaya responded with a cruel smile. "We'll finish this. This was just a peak of my powers…"

"I'll eat your damn heart," Minato clasped his mouth shut to block out the leaking blood. "I won't rest until I've bathed in your filthy blood."

Takaya smiled again, the smile was cruel and cold. He had no pity for what he did.

Minato leaked out a few tears. "I swear on Hamuko's life!"

Jin and Tsukio gathered up with Takaya and the hacker threw a smoke ball, finally allowing Strega to make their escape.

"Ugh," Minato tried desperately to heal Hamuko who was still shuddering in his embrace. "D-Dammit…"

"Are you okay?" Akihiko came closer and Minato shoved him away.

"A-Attend to Hamu-" Minato finally couldn't it any longer, his heart was seconds away from exploding. Minato snapped his back to the side and vomited a massive amount of blood onto the floor, dropping to the floor while holding his chest.

"Dude," Junpei tried to help him but Minato pushed him away.

"S-Save Hamuko," Minato said through clenched teeth, literally punching himself in the chest to somewhat ease the pains somehow.

"Hamuko-san!" Aigis cried, carefully flipping her over. Hamuko had taken all three bullets and one managed to damage a bunch of her blood vessels.

"Save her," Minato yelled at the team.

Aigis lifted up the nearly dead redhead. Hamuko was still leaking out gallons of bloods from the massive wound on her back.

"The Dark Hour is almost over," Mitsuru panted. "Aigis run for the nearest hospital. She won't last much longer."

Minato's chest started to pain again upon hearing those words.

"Minato, get up," Shinjiro tried to help like the other two but the Fool snarled.

"You morons, can't you see!?" he yelled, despite the pain. "I'm already dead! I don't have much longer to live…"

"WHAT!?" Akihiko gasped in shock.

"I gave my life away long ago," Minato coughed out blood and collapsed to the ground again.

"…" Junpei remained silent, so Sho was telling the truth?

Minato gave Aigis a really hated glare. "Fuck off already. If anything happens to Hamuko…"

Aigis ran off with Mitsuru behind her. Hamuko's blood was dripping down and for the first time ever, Minato felt nauseous due to the blood. He felt sick to his stomach.

"Dammit," Minato smashed his fist against the ground, a few more tears leaking out of his eyes. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"…" Junpei looked back at Chidori who was silent and stoic. Strega left her behind for some reason. He looked back at Minato who was struggling to get up.

"I'm going to get him…" Minato collapsed again. "I will…"

"Dammit,"

"Hamuko…." Minato shut his eyes and bit his lip. Hamuko took the bullets instead of him; he was never going to forget this one. Her scream, her shuddering, her blood, everything was burned into his psyche permanently.

The night was downright horrific for him…

"Takaya..." this was all his fault.

Well, here it is. As always, huge thanks to my co-author who helped me tons. The hate seeds are planted and this was just a peak of Takaya's power. Things are only going to get dark and brutal here. Most of the build up is done and just the execution is left.

And please, do try to review, kinda unfair if we're the only ones writing here. Take a few minutes and do send us your thoughts, I really don't want my motivation to wash away and leave his fic dead like it was before.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this. Bye.