A/N: Sorry for not being able to update sooner. I thought that Christmas might be a splendid time to post the final chapter of this story, which I hope will be to your liking. I thank, with heartfelt gratitude, to those who loyally reviewed from the beginning all the way to the end. I assure you that I have never felt so thankful in my life having such wonderful people reading my story. Truly, writing for you guys had been one of the most wonderful phases of my life, which I will treasure til the end of my days.
Enough of my ranting, eh? Onward with the story, and I apologize if it seems confusing.
I walked alone and stood seven feet away from the two. Hide was smiling as he melded out of his Shadow form. Cato sat boredly in an atrium with a high throne. He perked up when he saw me.
"Minato, allow me to extend our compliments and congratulations!" Hide announced grandly, "You truly earned your name as the Messiah and had beaten the impossible odds... And despite your intolerable defiance and appalling blasphemy in the face of your one true master," Hide said with restrained hatred, "He has saw it fit to recognize your valorous attempts to stop him... Truly, you would make a great general of Hell's Horde, leading it upon the Gates of Heaven and utterly decimating the Heavenly Host." Hide declared.
I bowed my head.
"Despite your endless insults, your knavish, vagrant and unscrupulous insolence, the Master of Earth shall proclaim you forgiven... You fight for your friends? The Lord Cato will keep them alive for you. You fight for the people? We'll make their lives at ease. You fight for your claim as Messiah? You shall be made more powerful than all, save the Lord Cato himself."
I swallowed down the bile rising up my throat.
"...your victory would be absolute, if you get down on your knees and pay homage to the one true lord of the earth." Hide said silkily.
Cato smiled, "I am your Lord King. Together, we shall divide Heaven and Earth amongst ourselves..."
It had been more than four-hundred sixty five days, six hundred sixty minutes and six seconds ago since I had died for the world...
It wasn't fear nor indecision that held me... Just my mind analyzing the situation.
The sea breeze kissing my back and chest, cooling my glistening body. Shadows groaning incessantly, complaining even though there was a feast of dead bodies down below.
My Evoker felt a hundred pounds heavier than usual. I narrowed my lips and unbuckled my Evoker holster. Holding it with my right arm, I dropped it on the floor, making a loud clang. Hide looked at Cato with surprise as Cato twitched his lip.
I unsheathed my sword as Hide tensed up. Cato prevented him from running me through. I unbuckled my shoulder holster and threw it to the side. Cato raised an eyebrow.
"Disarm yourself, Minato." Hide spat in disgust.
I took a deep, mournful breath as I tossed Deus Xiphos behind me. The blade embedded itself on the shale tiled floor.
Hide looked at Cato, who stood up from his throne.
I dropped to my knees, placed my fists on the ground and my head on the floor.
Hide looked very surprised, "He did it... He actually did it."
"Hahaha! And here I thought we'd have to get our hands dirty... We have won!" Cato raised his arms toward Heaven and laughed.
Hide laughed as well, pulling his head back, letting his guard down for a fraction of a second.
"Those who tread the path of Evil..." I mumbled loud enough for them to hear, "Shall eventually face Retribution someday." I finally said to them while I bowed.
Hide dropped his guard lower as he looked at me.
And that was all we needed.
I turned my head and nodded as Minako appeared from the shadows, running very fast, picked up Deus Xiphos and I used both hands to catapult her up as she soared through the air.
"HYAAAAAAH!" She roared a cry as she cut it deep in a stupefied Hide's left tricep, severing his muscled arm from his body.
"ARGH!" Hide bellowed in pain as he reverted into his normal form, "My arm!" He bellowed as Quan hurled a corked beaker at the Shadows, causing an explosion and Junpei brandished his bat wildly before the Shadows.
Minako turned around and winked at me. I smiled in return.
"Where's Yukari?" Minako said suddenly, "Wasn't she just right behind us?"
"Isis is on her perch." Junpei said, pointing a rafter behind us. Yukari was taking aim while waving at me.
Cato, however, was furious, "Pick up your weapons, and attack... Kill them all!"
The Shadows and remaining Cult Members alike roared and charged us. Minako threw Deus Xiphos back as Junpei tossed her lance back at her, then, he and Quan took care of corralling the Cultists and Shadows, while Yukari deftly picked them off with her bow. Minako approached to duel with Guinevere, who had strode forward to meet Minako's lance.
I walked slowly toward Cato, "So, Cato... Mind coming down here so we can settle this, Man to Man?"
Cato seemed to consider it, "That sounds like a great idea, but I have a better one-" he clapped twice as several more Shadows appeared out of nowhere and surrounded us.
"Gee, thanks." I muttered mutely.
Cato gave the signal as the Shadows charged toward me in an desperate charge. I swiftly swung my sword, cutting the first two rows down as the Shadows surrounded me. I unsheathed my knife and glanced warily at the Shadows around me, switching positions and confusing them.
One charged behind me as I did a headstab on the Maya. Another one charged again as I turned around to slash it. By then, most of them were afraid now.
"If any of you dishonor my army, I will kill you myself!" Cato barked at the Shadows, who quailed and charged at me foolishly.
Despite me doing my best and killing many, they were mobbing me. Minako was busy fighting Guinevere and Yukari tried to help by firing arrows their way, but she soon ran out of arrows. She jumped down and ran over, hacking at the Shadows with a long knife she took and was whacking Shadows with her bow like a quarterstaff.
Then, Guinevere wrenched Minako's lance from her hands and ran toward me before skewering my body with it. It pierced my side at least six inches deep.
Guinevere twisted it violently before pushing it deeper. With sadism, she pulled it out with glee, causing my left side, which she pierced, to gush out a jet of blood. Minako, Yukari, Quan and Junpei's cries of horror and anguished were drowned by the pounding of my heart, which resounded up to my ears.
Adding insult to injury, Guinevere kicked me down and stood on my chest with one foot, "It's done!" Guinevere hissed triumphantly, raising the bloody spear, still dripping with my blood.
Cato nodded with a smirk, "Cut his head off."
Guinevere smiled bloodily as she moved to finish me, grabbing a two-handed axe from a Shadow.
"No!" Minako cried as Guinevere raised it slowly. I grabbed Deus Xiphos and slashed her across the cheek in a desperate bid for freedom. Her blood dripped down as she mercilessly stamped on my wrist after snarling. She raised the ax again.
"What's this saying you guys got? Alone I can do nothing, something, something... Very inspiring! But in the end, everyone dies alone." Cato said before giving the signal.
I whispered a short prayer as I closed my eyes, but a flying knife had severed the handle from the ax-head before I could be executed.
Guinevere hissed angrily as she looked at the knife-thrower. It was Lee, very much wounded, and splattered with Shadow-Blood, but smiled. He was accompanied by the rest of the gang. A bolt of lightning from Akihiko forced Guinevere to drop the spear. Mitsuru raised her sword as a gale of icy wind knocked her back further.
"Lee!" I cried, "Akihiko! Mitsuru! Guys!"
"Looks like I came in the nick of time, eh?" Lee smiled, "I brought the whole gang here." He said as the gang greeted us boisterously.
"Yeah, a couple of minutes ago would have been fine too." I chimed in.
Lee shrugged, "What're you gonna do about it?" He said with a smile.
"Let's kick some Shadow ass!" Leah hissed as her bandaged head bobbed back and forth.
"Hell yeah." Rio barked, favoring her healthy arm as she handled a walking axe with both arms. Beside her, was Kenji, who held an Exile battle-axe.
Pink looked somewhat scared, but stuck by Leah and Mitsuru. Koromaru and Akihiko rejoined Quan and Junpei.
Yukari ran toward me, with Minako. Yukari touched my wounds and uttered a few spells, which stopped the blood flow. A second spell made the wound smaller.
"Oh, man... It looks like a lip..." I said mournfully as I got to my feet. I felt torn apart, but Yukari's prodigious skill in healing made me felt better every second until I felt great again.
Cato looked disgusted. "Hideyasu, finish them off. I shall retire to the peak," he turned around.
"M-My Lord?!" Hide cried, "Surely we need not go so far?"
"I'm afraid so." Cato said coldly, "You've known all this time it would come to this. You are very clever." He said, "You've been a good servant and an excellent friend, Hideyasu, and I shall cherish our friendship after my victory to the ends of my days, but I cannot win without the right sacrifices... The Messiah has not been sated yet, and I fear he would not serve me well... And I will do anything to have the Messiah's power."
"Cato... No!" Hide cried.
"I'm so sorry... I truly am." Cato said sadly, "But only I can live forever. What happens here will change the world. There's nothing stopping me from attaining that goal. Not even you."
"Yes... sir..." Hide said weakly as he fashioned a tourniquet for his dismembered limb.
"You're seriously gonna let Hide fight?" Minako cried incredulously.
"Even cruelty and ruthlessness should have its limits!" Mitsuru cried condemningly, "How can you allow him to fight for you when he's too injured to fight?"
"Yeah! Your ass is in better shape than he is!" Rio spat.
Cato looked back briefly and continued up. Hide stood up and laughed slowly, "You see only with your eyes... That is why you're easy to fool." He said as he shuddered violently. Steam curled from his clothes as his eyes glowed yellow and his teeth grew sharper, until his mouth was filled with rows of sharp teeth. His entire body turned inky black as his severed arm regenerated. He increased in size astronomically, growing as tall as 20 feet tall, and half as wide. His look was completed by two slashes on his face that formed a big X as well as a mutilated eye.
He clenched his fists as two long blades emerged from the top of his hands.
Everyone fell back, gazing in awe at Guardian, AKA Hideyasu Omura. He grinned maliciously.
"... Damn." Rio muttered, "Look around!"
We obeyed and saw legions of Shadows coming. Guinevere recovered enough to stand.
"Here's the plan... We'll will take them on. Akihiko, Mitsuru, Pink, Rio and Leah, you guys deal with crowd control. The rest of us will take Guardian and I'll fight Gui-"
Minako shook her head as she picked up her bloodied spear, "No. She's mine."
"You sure?" Yukari asked concernedly.
Minako nodded, "I have a few scores to settle with her. I'll make sure my Longinus harpoons her like a fish." She promised as she raised her spear.
I nodded before Minako used Longinus to deflect a dart thrown by Guinevere. With undying rage and broiling fury, she glared at Guinevere, "NOT MY BOYFRIEND, YOU BITCH!" She shrieked and charged madly toward Guinevere.
"That's our cue," I said as I looked at everyone, "You know what to do. Banzai!"
We broke rank and the boys and I charged at Guardian. Worried about Minako, I looked back to see her holding her own against Guinevere. Whereas some spear users would be overconfident with their reach, others would be too cautious of letting their opponents come closer, Minako didn't have any problem with that. She fought hard and fast, being versatile and flexible.
When I looked in front, I narrowly missed having my head swept off by Guardian's sweeping blades by sliding on my knees. Guardian grabbed a chain from a Shadow and swings it at Yukari, who avoided it several times, until it wrapped itself on a post. With the agility of a cat, Yukari ran up to the chain, stamped on Guardian's head and fired a few arrows into the back of his head before jumping off.
Kenji and Junpei ran to Guardian, who was bellowing in pain, and swung their axes and spiked bats at his shin before scurrying off. As he screamed in pain, Lee appeared from the shadows and stuck a few knives up Guardian's thigh. Quan saved Lee from being stepped on by setting Guardian's loincloth on fire with a mysterious chemical. Guardian swept the two away with a backhand. He was approaching to kill them, when I jumped in, grabbing a javelin and throwing it at him. It embedded itself on his thick skin, causing minor damage, but distracted him.
Junpei and Kenji resumed their hit-and-run attacks, but he caught Junpei and waved him around like a ragdoll and tosses him to the ground. Kenji swung his axe against Guardian's leg, but abandoned it when it stuck there. Lee and I used the opportunity to climb up a ledge from behind and jumped at his back as we punched and kicked him on the head. He tried shaking us off, and managed to grab and throw me away. I fell right on top of Junpei. Lee pulled Guardian's head back as Yukari, with the speed and accuracy of an assassin, fired an arrow at his throat. It went deep straight 130 degrees through under his chin and out the back of his skull. Guardian seemed genuinely surprised, moaned slightly before falling down. Dead.
Minako ended her duel by systematically running Guinevere through with her spear while the latter hissed at Guardian's demise. Guinevere cried out and dropped her sabre. Minako twisted Longinus and pulled it out forcefully. Guinevere convulsed as she fell, a pool of blood forming from her wound.
"Does it hurt?" Minako asked her, "Compared to the pain you've put so many people through, this end is almost merciful."
"I...hope... yew... die... you... blub... blub..." Guinevere tried saying something caustic, but it was incoherent as her mouth gurgled with blood as she tried vainly to speak. Minako unhooded her with her spear and saw Lucy Aketchi's face.
"Revenge." Minako said solemnly as she contemplated on finishing her off, raising her spear, but coldly walks away after deciding to let her suffer before dying.
The Shadows, seeing their two leaders die, fled away as we chased them down and laid waste to their ranks.
After finishing our business, we all celebrated.
"That's it! The enemy is running! We did it... WE DID IT!" Junpei cried triumphantly.
Lee snickered, "Sorry I came a little late... Had to lose those Shadows. You alright? You look weird."
"It's fine." I said, "Actually... There's something that I need to do... I have to go..." I said grimly.
"Go?" Minako said frantically, "Go where?"
I smiled and looked at the top of the Astronomy Tower, "I have to do this. Only I can."
She became angry, "What's wrong with you?! Why does it always have to be you?! Stop talking about saving us all and stop trying to bear this problem on your own!"
I turned my back to her and bowed my head, "You, and everyone else, have always been by my side since the beginning... I will always be grateful for that-"
"So what?!" Minako shouted, "You've already done enough! Let someone else do it this time!"
"No one else can do it!" I snapped back, "Only... Only I can walk this path."
"I don't understand why!" She yelled, "Why does it always, ALWAYS have to be you, you of all people!? Can't it be guys like one of the guys, or even Koromaru?"
"Because... Because I want to save everyone." I said sadly, "Not because I'm destined for it... Because I choseth this path with mine own free will. So that I can die in your place."
"You can't go!" Minako yelled out, tears streaming her face, "I'm... I'm not allowing it!"
"Who's gonna stop me?" I asked grimly, looking at the gang, who avoided my gaze, "No one?"
Minako panted, and grabbed Lee, "Lee, Lee, Minato's gonna leave us! You gotta do something!" Lee bowed his head in shame. That didn't deter Minako. She went to Quan, "Quan, you have to stop Minato! Come on!" Quan shook his head. "Junpei? Junpei, come on man, we have to stop him!" Junpei covered his head with his hands, "Kenji, we have to stop him! Let's go!" Kenji wouldn't budge, no matter how hard she pulled. She implored everyone to help, but no one responded.
"Yukari, please, we need to stop him!" Minako cried.
"Minako, that's enough." Yukari said sternly, "Minato is just doing his job. If you're gonna interfere with it, you're only making it harder for Minato than it already is."
Minako looked ready to cry.
I gave a last look around. The nearby gardens were withered from Cato's work, "I do hope the flowers and the trees will bloom next time around..."
"What are you talking about, you idiot?!" Minako cried and broke down.
"Minako..." I said serenely, "I'm so glad to have you all fight by my side... It's been an honor too... Jesus had his Apostles, Neo had his, and so did every other Messiahs... I had you guys, and no one could ask for better friends... But there comes a point where guys like me have to walk alone." I turned around and ascended the stairs. Minako tried to follow, but the stairs crumbled after I passed them, as if some magic was at work, leaving them inaccessable.
"You can't leave us alone like this! You can't leave me alone!" Minako shouted after me, "Minato, no!" Minako bawled, "Minato! I love you! Don't leave me here!"
I turned around and smiled, "So do I, Minako... I've always wanted to say so. I'm just sad I took this long to say it."
"I don't want to say goodbye!" She cried.
"We all have to. I'm just saying goodbye a little earlier than I planned," I went a few steps further before half-turning, "Oh... Minako... I have one thing to ask you..."
"What?!" Minako yelled out from below.
"When you see the gardens in Autumn... Please... Every so often..." I took a deep breath, "Think of me sometimes, and our Days of Autumn... Loving you has always been the greatest thing that ever happened to me."
Turning around, I climbed up. I ignored Minako's pleas and continued my ascent.
It seemed like an eternity since I met Minako... I'd really miss her, and everything. Why? Because there's a good chance I wouldn't see her again. At that moment, I realized that I was an incompetent fool for not confessing earlier. The utter bliss of being with her for a short time made me wonder what could've been, if we had been together for months. I made the decision to fight as long as I could stand.
Cato stood at the pinnacle of the Tower, looking toward the sea, "I thought you'd never come... Did you think through carefully?"
"Yes... Johei, you asked me to join you. You want me to team up with you to overthrow Heaven. Can it be done? Could it be done? SHOULD it be done?" I asked, "Joh, you and I are one of the most opposed people in this earth. We represent our race in the Order of the Messiahs. Brother, over the last few months, you asked me to join you. Brother, you asked from the heart, I saw it and I felt it. Well, here's my answer for you, from the heart..." I paused dramatically as I looked at Cato's eyes, "Hell no."
Cato's eyes sparked in shock. He gripped the handle of his sword.
"You're going to have to use that sword on me, Cato." I said defiantly, "Because there's no way I'm just standing here, allowing you to have your way. I can't. I got too much to lose. I can't just let you destroy the world I love so much."
"You lived and died... Now, come die." Cato said as he raised his sword.
Thinking fast, I crushed a card in my hands, "Orpheus!"
Blue fog erupted from the card as Orpheus appeared.
Cato smiled, "Orpheus, the Maven of Strings. His music moves the body. His silence shatters the soul."
I willed Orpheus to attack. He strummed his lyre and a blast of waves surfed toward Cato.
He unholstered his Mauser and uttered, "Piper!" He cried as a multicolored, jester-like musician appeared and blew a note from his pipe, which collided into Orpheus' soundwave.
Cato was laughing for some weird reason, and I noticed why when I turned around. The Piper's lute didn't work on me, but it made Minako and the gang dance wildly down below.
"Please... make it stop!" Akihiko begged as he was forced to do a fandango with Lee.
"I... can't... control myself!" Mitsuru grunted as she broke into a Spice Girl dance number with Yukari, Minako, Pink, Leah and Rio.
"Noooo! Ah! Thriller!" Junpei and Kenji cried as they did Thriller
"Yeah! Quan's bringing the Kung-Pao heat into the kitchen, yeah!" Quan cried victoriously as he did a Spanish Salsa dance.
I changed into Surt, as I summoned him, "Surt!" I hissed as the Fire Giant appeared.
"Surt, Jotun-King of Muspell... Ever his flame burns brightly ere his wrath unfolds." He said, "Agni!" He summoned the Vedic God of Fire, who charged at Surt with his flaming serrated scimitar.
Surt countered his blow with his sword, which rang so loud, my head jarred violently. Surt tried slashing horizontally, but Agni jumps and Surt swings it upward to throw him off, but to my amazement, the 600 pound fire lord gracefully somersaulted and smashed his sword down on Surt, who swung upward to defend. The results were a bright explosion of spark and embers, which singed my clothes, and blinded us both.
The two were both exhausted as we summoned others.
"Scathach!" I cried as the Grand Sorceress appeared from the fog.
"Scathach, the Grand Witch. A witch's words strikes fear into the hearts of many, but they should fear the most when she is silent." He said, "Now! Circe!" He bellowed as a beautiful sorceress appeared from the gloom.
Circe laughed softly as she weaved a spell and blasted me with lightning using an oaken staff.
Hastily, Scathach summoned a pillar of ice, which absorbed the blast. Raising her hands up, she caused the floor to be covered with frost. Pointing towards Cato and Circe, spikes of ice snaked their way to Cato and Circe, threatening to impale them if they don't move.
Thinking fast, Circe summoned Minako and Yukari and placed them in front of them.
I willed Scathach to cancel the spell, which she obliged.
"Real smart, Cato..." I snickered, "Now you're surrounded! Give up and we'll let you live."
"No, brother..." Cato smirked, "You surrounded yourselves! Circe, now!"
Circe did a snake charmer's stance and suddenly, the guys jerked straight.
Minako was forced to raise her spear and was dragged like a puppet toward me.
"Get out of the way!" She hissed as I turned sideways to avoid it.
"Sorry about this, Minako!" I cried as I grabbed Longinus and tossed it below. It burnt my hand.
"This feels so wrong!" Yukari cried as she was clumsily forced to load a bow and fire at me. Scathach intervened with a pillar of ice and retaliated by freezing her with Minako.
"Sorry girls!" I apologized.
"It's okay..." Yukari moaned.
Facing Cato, I crushed another card, "Alilat!" I cried as the black stone goddess appeared and cured the two of their trance. Then, she crushed the ice prison.
"Minako, Yukari, get out of here!" I hissed as they nodded and left.
"Alilat, the Black Stone of Mecca. Ever the beacon for countless zealots of her faith." Cato mused, "Come, Gaea!"
The earth rumbled as Gaea appeared from the Sea of his Soul. The Earth Mother slammed on the earth, causing me to fall on my knees. Alilat defended me by freezing Gaea's elbows and knees.
I broke another card, summoning Odin. He smashed the ice with his spear and dissipated her with a stab.
"Odin, King of Asgard, whose swift and absolute judgement is found at the point of his lightning-imbibed lance." He smirked, "Nero!"
The Fallen Emperor appeared, haggard and tattered, and created a wave of madness that caused Odin to drop Gungir and throw his helmet away, and clasp his head in pain. Odin cried for mercy as Nero gave Odin a thumbs up before making a thumbs down. Odin then convulsed violently and dissipated.
Unfazed, I summoned another Persona, "Kohryu!" I cried as Kohryu appeared, just in time, and protected me from another Mind Break Nero threw.
"Kohryu, The Celestial Guardian. Woe betide the day he grows weary of defending our realm."
Kohryu, not even sparing a second, blasted Nero to bits with Dragon Fire.
"Ouch." Cato said mockingly, "Tis a flesh wound. Awaken, Indra!"
The Vedic God appeared from the gloom, "Indra, Crippling Slash!" He cried as Indra roared and used his halberd to cut through Kohryu's sinews, rendering him ineffective. Unfortunately, he wasn't immune to slashing.
"Argh..." I moaned as it damaged my psyche a bit, "C-Cybele..."
Cybele swooped down and healed me quickly. I stood up and urged her to attack with Myriad Arrows.
Indra roared in pain as the arrows pincushioned him. He held out his arm and protected his face. Some of the arrows pierced Cato, but he was nonchalant about it.
"Cybele, Mother Goddess. Whose mere presence uplifts the soul of many... and drives them to the edge of insanity." He said, "Medea!"
Medea appeared and dodged Cybele's arrows. Calmly, she planted a row of dragon teeth, which sprouted into an army of nearly 40. Despite Cybele's efforts into killing them with arrows, they were still a sizable threat, sprouting one after another.
Realizing she was ineffectual, I recalled her and summoned a new Persona, "Thor!" I cried as Thor appeared. He went to work, smiting them with Mjolnir, blasting them with tendrils of lightning and throwing his hammer like a boomerang, killing many as it flew and killing even more as it returned. Soon, he laid waste to the army and laid Medea out with a knock to the head with his hammer.
"Thor, Prince of Asgard. When he fails to beat someone, he outwits them. When he cannot do so, he beats them with his hammer." Cato said, "Rudra! Finish him!"
Rudra, the Vedic Storm, appeared and blew a westerly wind, causing Thor become weakened as he finished him off with a slash of his scimitar.
I was reeling at that moment and needed a cheat to beat Rudra, "Melchizedek!"
"Melchizedek, King of Salem, Paragon of Justice. His righteousness inspires power and devotion to all who are in his presence."
"Decimate him!" I roared, tossing Deus Xiphos at him. Melchizedek nodded and flew toward Rudra. He smashed Rudra with his metallic wings and slashed his skull with Deus Xiphos.
Rudra, bellowing angrily, created a vortex using Panta Rhei and trapped Melchizedek. But he manipulated the whirlwind, instead using it to make a spinning bladestorm, which dissipated Rudra.
"Unmatched." I said.
"So it seems... Hyperion!" He cried as the Lord of Light appeared in a flash. He was armored in a fiery helm, hauberk, spiked pauldrons,chainmail and greaves. At his side was a longsword of pure flame. He gave off a harsh light.
"Heh!" I said with a hollow voice, "Hyperion's light attacks won't do any damage to Melchizedek! He's immune to it!"
"That's where you're wrong." Cato smirked, "Hyperion attacks with Light... And can take it away." He said as Hyperion pointed at Melchizedek. The very light from Melchizedek was sucked into the palm of Hyperion's hand until Melchizedek had dissipated.
Not sparing a second further, I summoned Arahabaki and cast a protective spell around me. And then he fired a blast of frost at Hyperion.
Hyperion staggered back, and in panic, shot a barrage if light and fire attacks, which had no effect. And in desperation, he slashed at Arahabaki, which caused it to reverse on him.
"Arahabaki, the Rebel God. He inspires rebellion and insurgency... The paradigm of Chaos." He smirked, "Daedalus, come!"
The bearded Son of Athena appeared. He wore a blacksmith's apron, greasy work pants, boots and leathern gloves. In his hands was a tempered steel mattock.
"Oh no..." I said beneath my breath.
"Strike him down!" He bellowed.
Before I could change Personas, Daedalus smashed his mattock at Arahabaki, shattering him and causing him to evaporate into blue fog.
"Thanatos!" I cried. Thanatos appeared, ready for battle.
"Thanatos, the Death Bringer. Wether by the sword or the slow decay of time, you will feel his eternal embrace." He said, "Fafnir!"
The blue dragon appeared and fired a blast of flames, but Thanatos wielded his shadow-shield and it defended him from the flame.
"Kill him!" I commanded as Thanatos nodded. He jumped up Fafnir's back and spun his blade.
"I WILL NOT FALTER!" Thanatos swore as Fafnir's blood dripped with every slash. Then, Fafnir was so weakened that Thanatos drove his blade between the exposed scale in Fafnir's body and it killed him.
"Drat." Cato hissed.
"Your fault for using the same dragon that was killed once." I pointed out.
"Here's one you should try on for size," Cato said and used his Evoker. Suddenly, his eyes grew red and his skin paler. Pulsating veins throbbed around his body as he roared in pain. His teeth became fanged as his eyes bled. He bellowed in pain as his cloak ripped, revealing an upside down cross. His look was completed by several Demonic and arcane tattoos around his body.
"Antichrist..." I muttered.
He raised his sword toward me, "Messiah, Redeemer of Man. He willingly chose to sacrifice his life for the sake of the world... A trait you share with him. His Death was his victory. His Resurrection was his reward."
I was confused, since I hadn't summoned a Persona. Before I could think, he charged toward me.
He raised Lucifer's Blade and struck downward. I blocked it with y blade, but was driven to my knees. He had unnatural strength.
He kicked me away and I smashed painfully on a spire. I felt several ribs crack upon impact and felt my left fibula shatter. My right scapula was broken as well. I
He loomed over me with a shadowy smile.
"As I'm about to kill you, I want you to know that this business is nothing personal." He put the edge of his blade to my neck.
"Does it have to be this way?" I grunted.
"Yeah. Because we simply cannot coexist. Either of us must die at the hand of the other, for neither of us can live while the other survives."
"Say what?"
"Never mind." Cato said, "Any last words?"
"I spit at your grave!" I said spitefully.
"Fancy words with my sword at your throat." Cato nimbly jumped down and raised his sword and stabbed me at my left side and twisted the blade.
"Argh!" I screamed in pain.
Blood rushed from the wound as he extracted it. After that, he slashed my body many times with the blade, it's curse seeping on my soul as it corrupted my body.
I fell down on the ground.
"I'm sorry. But only one of us can truly live forever." He said.
"You're... delusional!" I said weakly.
"Am I?" He said, "Classic battle of Good vs. Evil. Only this time, Evil has succeeded."
Then, he picked up Deus Xiphos. He raised it and stabbed me in the heart. I felt like fading.
I looked at Cato-Antichrist with wonder, how he was able to injure me so. As he slowly walked toward me, I reached out for Deus Xiphos and with a lurch, Cato-Antichrist stepped on it with such force, it snapped into two shards.
I felt a part of my soul ripping away as the sword's magic faded away. I tried feebly to slash his finger off, but he parried my blow, causing me to drop the shard, as he drove his blade into my heart.
"Everything must come to pass," Cato-Antichrist said with a Satanic voice, kicking aside the remains of the sword down below, "Minato... For attempting to subvert my grand plans, killing my best men and raising your hand against me, I sentence you to Death. But not a Death you imagine. A quick, painless Death? No. That's too kind for you. I will destroy everyone who follows you, corrupt everything you love and defile all you hold dear. And once you lose everything you care about, I will drive four nails into your hands and feet, and allow you to waste away."
I coughed blood as I began fading away. Noticing a card in my hands, I crushed it.
"The World Arcana, eh?" He said amusedly.
Suddenly, a beautiful bird cry resounded along the sky. Adarna appeared, holding two of the shattered pieces of Deus Xiphos.
"Hahahaha! So, this is what the World Arcana sends the People's Defender... A songbird and a broken sword!"
"As long as there is hope..." I muttered, clinging onto the broken spire for support, "I will fight as long as I stand!"
"You can barely manage to breathe without coughing up blood." Cato-Antichrist laughed.
Adarna dropped the fragments at my feet. I bent over and picked up the fragments, "As long as there are people who have faith in me, I will not give up!"
Suddenly, I grew brighter. My tattered armor was shorn off, leaving my body in display. Bright tattoos adorned my body as my eyes glowed white.
My hair grew longer and fairer as my body grew greyer. I had angelic armor on and a Holy, dangerous and magnificent looking gauntlet encased my sword-hand as I looked into Deus Xiphos, which had fused back together, I realized that I looked exactly like Messiah from the reflection of my blade. It went out of my wound and something happened when it made contact with my blood.
The pommel, which was a spike, opened like a flower in bloom, revealing a cross pommel.
Cato-Antichrist laughed wickedly, perhaps to hide his nervousness, and summoned more shadows.
I raised my hand and it absorbed all the shadows with a blinding light, followed by a whooshing sound.
All the shadows were absorbed by the gauntlet.
My sword arm glowed. As Cato-Antichrist assumed his stance, so did I. We immediately lunged after each other, blades high.
We both collapsed, wounded mortally as we reverted back.
He, however, managed to stand up and grabbed me. His face looked softened, as if it wasn't Cato at all.
"How is it possible...? I have all the arsenal of Evil, while Minato has but a fraction of Light's, and yet I still cannot defeat him... why?!"
"Because... you're not Evil..." I coughed.
Cato send a mist of Shadow to choke me. Cato then looked at his sword. From the pained look in his face, it looked like the sword was speaking to him.
"Johei... That thing turned you into something you're not." I said as he continued to choke me with a shadowy mist, "You... I saved your life. You owe me, Johei."
"Ugh..." Cato muttered while struggling with himself, "You're right... Brother... I am many things. But I'm not this." He winced, and spoke to the sword, "He's right... I am not Cato... I... am... Johei."
The sword glowed and hissed as it became brighter.
"Listen to me." Johei said serenely as the sword suddenly became blazingly bright.
"Listen to me." He said more sternly as the sword's light suddenly became intensifyingly harsher.
"LISTEN TO ME NOW!" Johei bellowed with rage, "You will obey me. You will suffer me."
The sword suddenly became more subdued as its heat and brightness lessened.
"I... I'm sorry, my brother." Johei sobbed with pure remorse, "I failed to realise it... I promised myself never to be corrupted by Lucifer, but ended up being corrupted anyway. I thought you were weak for refusing immense power, but it turns out, I was weak for accepting it..."
"Cato... Jōhei, if you give me the sword now, we can start all over again. As a family." I said.
"After all I've done? No. I'm past redemption. I cannot cleanse the blood stained in these hands." Johei said.
"That's true." I said, "But you can always make up for it. All great men were once sinners."
"I don't know..." Johei said uncertainly, "How can Iever afford to face anyone after all the trouble I caused?"
"Are you truly repentant?" I asked.
He nods, "Yes. And I fear I'll live my life with that shame."
"Please, Jōhei... leave with me now. Give me the sword. We have a second chance to start over again." I said sincerely, "Please. You're all I have in this world."
"Is that right?" Johei said, his eyes gleaming, "Here." He holds out the sword hilt.
With hesitation and suspicion, I took the sword quickly. The same rush of power flooded my senses as soon as my fingertips touched the sword. I felt as if I could conquer the world with the sword alone. But if I succum to it, the sword will use me as much as I use it.
"I'm truly sorry for what I've put you through, brother." Johei said remorsefully, "Everything was just a fool's quest..."
"Don't worry, you have an entire lifetime to make up for it, Jōhei." I said.
"Heh... Jōhei... I almost forgot the sound of that name." He quipped as we walked through the broken halls of the Astronomy Tower.
"Hey... I'm sorry for what I put you through as well." I said, "I wasn't a very good brother." I said.
"That sword set us upon this horrid path. Destiny caused our fates to collide." Johei sighed, "Haha, but we'll look to brighter days now! With the two Arisato Brothers together, nothing can stop us! Mothers, lock up your daughters! The Arisato Boys are rolling through the town!"
"Yeah, Jōhei." I laughed, "This will be an interesting story to tell the kids someday."
Johei smiled and suddenly became quiet, "Kids, huh? I never thought I'd live long enough to actually have children..." He said thoughtfully.
"Hey... Brother, you'll live old enough to see your grandchildren and your grandchildren's grandchildren." I said. Johei smiled fondly.
Suddenly, several droves of Shadows appeared in their seething mass. I instinctively unsheathed Deus Xiphos, but Johei merely laughed, "Brother, let me deal with this rabble-" he holds out an arm, but nothing happens. Alarmed, he tried again, but nothing happened, "What the-"
"You're not a creature of Darkness anymore." I reminded him, "We'll do it the old fashined way." I tossed him Lucifer's Blade.
"Aw yeah."
We fought, back to back, and didn't give any mercy to the Shadows. Turns out, Johei was perfectly fine destroying his old followers, probably due to the fact they were trying to eat him.
"Argh! They're too many!" I panted, "A little help?"
"I'm a little busy here." Johei said as he slashed a Shadow in the face. Suddenly, a shadow with a mace struck Johei and threw him four feet away.
"Jōhei!" I cried as I tried to defend Johei. Then, a Black Cloaked benefactor killed off several before turning to me. It was Guinevere, who was still alive, but barely.
"Guinevere! Stand down! Your Master and I have come to an understanding, but these shadows are trying to attack us!" I said. She nodded and proceeded to Johei as I tried to hold off the swarm of Shadows.
Meanwhile, Johei doubled over and started to glow gold as his golden blood, dripped to the floor like paint from a brush.
"Ugh... Ugh..." He groaned painfully and dropped to his knees while coughing up copious amounts of blood. Then, a woman walked calmly towards the fallen Demon Lord. She knelt beside him and hugged him.
"Master Cato..." She said with a teary voice, "Are you all right?"
"Lucy...ugh... I think... It's just Johei, now." Cato groaned weakly, "I tried to master the four Dark Arts, walked the path of corruption, killed countless people, conspired and eliminated my master, plotted the takeover of Heaven, Hell and Earth and tried to kill the Messiah..." He said sadly, "The power of Time was all I could bear to handle... And my soul couldn't stand the corruption of it all..." He said bitterly, "And now, I shall pay for my foolishness."
"What shall we do now, my Lord?" She asked him shakily.
Johei shook his head, "Now 'we', 'you'... This tower will collapse at any second now... You must make haste and flee with my brother, lest you perish alongside me. Get out of here. Save yourself."
Lucy shook her head, tears streaming down her face, "I won't do that."
Johei looked sternly at her, "Lucy, you are free to go. As Head of the Romano Clan, I release you from your oath! Go live your life the way you see fit..." He said weakly before coughing up blood.
Lucy shook her head again and embrace him even harder, "No, Master, I won't. My first free decision is to stand by your side. I cannot even envision a world without you. I choose to stay. I helped end countless lives in your name. I am just as guilty as you are. I must be punished accordingly."
The tower shuddered violently as the several shadows were killed by a plethora of high powered spells. Johei bowed his head and hugged Lucy and fell down. Lucy laid his head on her lap.
"Urgh... Lucy... My oldest and dearest friend..." Johei said feebly, "Why are you doing this for me?"
"I... I was all alone..." Lucy said reminiscently, "I had no family, friends... Nothing..." Then, she started to smile, "I only had you."
Johei winced and looked directly at her, "I might have been using you as a secretary and as a companion... And I admit, you were useful to the Elder..." He fondly caressed her face.
Lucy shook her head, "It doesn't matter. I don't care." She kissed Johei's forehead, "I chose you because... because you brought me joy, love... and most of all, hope." She closed her eyes, releasing more tears, "I accept my fate, as long as we're together."
Johei closed his eyes as he shed more tears. He then caressed her
face, brushing away the hair that strayed to her face, "But... still... You should go."
"I will not... because... Johei...? Master?" Lucy said weakly, "I love you."
He smiled, "I love you too, Lucy... If I had another lifetime to be with you, I would never have taken on the mantle of 'Elder' and undertake the destruction of the world... Rather, I would have wanted us to be married. You... You are the only one..."
Lucy cried even harder. They stayed like that for a while, "Lucy?" Johei said weakly. After a long while, Lucy opened her eyes and looked into his, "I thank you sincerely for being with me for all these years... I... I will miss our conversations." he closed his eyes.
"Johei-sama..." She sobbed.
Their moment was interrupted when a massive gigas smacked Minato with a mace.
Suddenly, Johei noticed that Minato fell off a crevice and managed to wedge himself by turning Deus Xiphos into a lance, "Ah! AHH!" Minato screamed in fear, "Holy shit! Help! Someone help me! Johei!"
Johei struggled to move in order to save his twin, but Minako suddenly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Minato's hand.
"Minako!" He cried, "What are you DOING!?"
"Saving your sorry ass! Again!" She yelled as she tried to heave him up. After much difficulty, she managed to pull him to safety.
Then, all the shadows noticed and made their way towards the two. Johei panicked as he tried to move, but his ribs were shattered and Guinevere alone couldn't hold the seething horde of Shadows.
That's when he noticed the floors becoming rubbly. And that the Shadows were turning their backs on him. Smiling, he made his move.
He staggered up and stood as tall as he can. He yelled, "Minato! I've got your back, my brother!" He unsheathed Lucifer's Blade, "Like I should have done all these years!", and drove it to the ground. The floor shook as he twisted the blade. Suddenly, the floor the shadows were on collapsed, sending them to their deaths.
The floor Johei and Lucy were on weakened as well. He smiled as he looked directly at her eyes. He smiled as he had a fond flashback of when they first met.
Five demons and demonesses were huddled around something as they jeered, taunted and struck it cruelly.
"Changeling! You don't belong here!" A demon taunted while kicking her.
"Go back to your Mother's realm! Your fool of a father was wrong to have relations with a seraph!" A demoness hissed, "Your father, Sparda, was the most eligible Devil in all of Hell, but he traded it all for that Highborn mother of yours!"
"It-It's not my fault who my parents are..." The voice squeaked meekly, "And it certainly isn't my fault my father favored my mother... Nor is it my fault Heaven forbade me from entering..."
"You dare talk back!" Another demon barked, and slapped her, "That was the child of Baal-Zebul's second son's fourteenth daughter! You WILL beg forgiveness, you halfling!" They began another round of beatings to her.
"You are not fit to be named after our Lord!" A demoness screeched.
Suddenly, "Leave her alone!" A voice rang out through a cavernous dungeon. Nothing but rocks, boulders, stalagmites and stalactites, and a rush and roar of a river of ice below them, which caused confusion.
The five demons and demonesses turned back and saw a young blonde boy standing defiantly in front of them. Although he looked no older than a preteen, he stood there as mature as an adult, with inner strength that would shame any man. His shaggy soft, feathery, ash-blonde hair was flowing with the roaring of the river as he looked somewhat proud, but still held up a subtle smirk. He wielded a lance, with blood encrusted at the spearhead. His left hand, in particular, was bloodied.
"Who is this?" A demoness whispered, "He doesn't seem to be from around here..."
"Bloody tourists..." A demon muttered beneath his breath, "Oi, you, stranger! Get out of here, you don't belong here!"
"I said," the boy repeated dangerously, "Leave. The. Girl. Alone."
"This?" A demon barked, kicking the girl in the ribs, "She's a half-seraph, a mudblood! In here, she's lower than an animal!"
"I won't ask again." The boy said, deathly calm.
"Eh?" The demon raised his eyebrow, "Ah... I sense it now..." He took a deep breath, "A brat of the Order of the Messiah... Great, just what we need... You're to save humans, not this animal!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," the boy said, "But like I said, I won't ask again."
They laughed, the first demon approaching him, "You're deluded, human! Only those with Holy weapons can kill us and-"
Without another word, the boy thrusted his spear directly into the demon's gut. With a roar and hiss, he turned into a pile of smoking, oozing, sulfuric ash.
Another demoness shrieked and charged, but the boy held out his bloodied left hand and shoved it in her face. She melted as the blood touched her. He glared at the remaining demons. With a cry, they flew away in fear.
Grunting, he went to the crying little girl. She had soft, wispy blonde hair, angelic blue eyes, white skin and an innocent face. The only deviation was the fact she had small horns on her head.
"Are you alright?" He asked softly, brushing her tears away with his right hand, "They won't be back."
She sobbed and looked at him, "You're hurt." She said, looking at his hand.
"Oh, this?" He said, looking at his hand as if he just noticed it, "This is just a little boo-boo. Apparently, smearing my blood with any weapon will make it dangerous for them, or something. I call it the 'Longinus Effect'."
She reached out for his hand, to which he tried to retract, but she insisted. With closed eyes, she healed him.
"I guess you aren't all demon." He mused, "Do you know where we are?"
"We're at Cocytus, the freezing river of torment," she explained.
"I see..." He said, "Well, I need to go now. I've got something I want to borrow."
"Wait..." She squeaked, tugging his sleeve, "Please, take me with you."
"It's a little dangerous, little one." He said patiently.
"I can make you invisible. And I know what you seek." She said, "You seek the blade of my master."
He nods, "Yes."
"Then allow me to come."
"Okay," he said, and smiled, "My name is Johei. Yours?"
She shook her head, as if she was afraid to say it, "My name is Luciferiana."
Johei smiled, "From now on, I will call you Lucy. Do you like that name?" He said kindly. The girl seemed overjoyed, nodding furiously. He smiled at her and stroked her cheek, "You remind me of my brother..." He mused, "Lucy? I promise you, to my dying breath, that I will protect you no matter what."
She smiled again, and in her eyes was love, "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'll protect you from anything that seeks you harm." He nods solemnly, "I swear it on the River Styx."
Johei took a deep breath as he suddenly embraced Lucy, "Thank you, Lucy... Thank you so much... for giving meaning to my life," Johei said with a grateful smile as tears streamed down his face, "My soul shall be healed." He said, coughing up blood.
"J-Johei..." Lucy sniffed, crying, "My love."
"I am now convinced..." He smiled, and fondly caressed her face, "That I, too, possess a soul of my own." Johei then kissed her as the floor crumbled and sent them spiraling down the sea.
"JOHEI!" I cried. I took off my shirt and tried to dive, but the guys appeared and restrained me. I cried hard at his loss. He just converted into good and now he was gone. Then, as I realized me grieving would be terrible for those who died for me, I wiped my tears and grabbed Deus Xiphos and Lucifer's Blade and walked along the top of the spire, where Johei sacrificed himself.
I stood on the broken cliff by the Astronomy Tower. It overlooked the ocean as the waves roiled in the sea below us.
"Minato, you died twice today, killed Evil incarnate and retrieved the Blade of Lucifer. Don't push your luck." Akihiko warned.
"Really bro... Off that ledge." Junpei said as I held the sword out.
"The power Cato held died with him..." I said, "It's mine again."
"Well, you got Lucifer's Blade back. It's the treasure of your collection." Akihiko said.
"Yeah, it looks good and expensive, bro! It could buy Asia and everything in it!" Junpei said, "What are we gonna do with it?"
"We?" Quan said in confusion.
"Totally powerful. I'm just saying, that's Lucifer's Blade! The most powerful sword in the world! You can win any fight with that sword now! You'll be unstoppable! You'll be invincible! You finally have your Ultimate Treasure back."
"This thing?" I looked at it with disgust, "This thing nearly caused the destruction of the world... lost me my brother, my family, and almost cost me my true Ultimate treasure... Minako... She's my Ultimate treasure... And I was a damned fool to take this long to realize... that I should have destroyed it when I had the chance." I then broke the blade in half with my knee, causing Junpei to yelp. It hissed and smoked and sounded as if it cried in pain. A loud, resonating voice bellowed from the bowels pf earth. A shadowy skull pillared into the sky like smoke, while I looked to the horizon, "The Blade of Lucifer can take its curse to the bottom of the sea!" I growled as I hurled the shards of what was Lucifer's Blade into the ocean. It bubbled up a great amount of yellow, sulfuric foam and it hissed like fire, but it eventually dissolved in the water. Something ungodly, beastly and an ancient evil bellowed in pain from the bowels of the earth.
The earth rumbled greatly. It felt like a earth-shattering earthquake happening.
Then, my cursed wounds intensified. My vision started to blur as I staggered, dropping Deus Xiphos to the floor and remembered no more. I felt like I was lighter than the clouds...I felt this feeling only once... On a rooftop, with Yukari comforting me before I died.
In that moment, it happened again.
As I opened my eyes, I saw my body, with great injuries and wounds on the shale floor. My friends kneeling beside my lifeless body, trying to revive me, with futile results. Everyone screamed out in agony as Minako, arriving from afar, to where I was and she was frantically begging me to wake up.
I tried to reach out to her, but I was floating away, tethered to my body with an invisible thread.
Minako wept as she gently runs her hand across my face to close my dying eyes.
I feel the tether being cut.
A billowing veil materializes around me as I float away from the scene. An invisible current drags me away from the world, into a void of nothingness, where I hear a myriad of hushed voices, speaking to one another. As they grow close, I accept my fate and close my eyes as the Abyss completely engulfs my body, the coldness and Oblivion threatening to suffocate me mercilessly.
Then, I see light.
(3/7/11)
Wednesday...
Minako woke up from her deep sleep. She had a strange dream of being crucified and kidnapped. Laughing it off, she decides to go over to Minato and relate her crazy dream to them, but she felt her wrists stinging. As she looked, it was bandaged.
She tried getting up, but her feet were too stiff to move, causing her to land on the floor.
Kamina barged in the room, "You shouldn't be up until a few more days!"
"Minato! Where is he?!" Minako demands immediately.
Kamina's face darkened, "Oh... Sis... He's in a bad way..."
"I need to see him." She hissed.
Kamina nodded, "Get ready. We're going to the hospital."
A few minutes later, Minako pulls up at the entrance and walks up the front desk. They lead her through a million turns, a maze that never ends.
They talk about what happened, that he might not make it, but she could barely hear them. She tries to keep a straight face as she walks into the room.
His body was riddled with wounds, scars and burns. Nearly half of his body was injured, more than eight bones either shattered or broken, and burns over 24% of his body, which made Minako cry.
She sits by his bedside, holds his hand too tight, and she talk about the kids they're gonna have...
"We'll name our firstborn Yuki, whether it's a girl or boy... Our second born would be Yurika... Our third would be Mako..." She said as tears leaked from her eyes, "We'll live a good life on our house on the hillside, where we'd would stay...for rich, or for poor, or for better... we'll grow old and die together...forever and always..."
Suddenly, she had a spark of genius. Asking the nurse to call the Chaplain and calling her friends, she proceeded to borrow a pair of rings from a couple next door and even borrowed a white gown as she waited until everyone arrived. The gang wore formal clothes and Yukari even seemed happy.
They entered Minato's room and the Chaplain said a few words. Everyone laughed as the tears fell to the floor.
"Please say your vows now, Minako-chan." The chaplain, a kind old man, said while smiling.
She looked into Minato's eyes, "I want you forever, forever and always... Through the good and the bad and the ugly... We'll grow old together, and always remember whether happy or sad or whatever... we'll still love each other, forever and always... Forever and always... forever and always..." Minako sobbed while Yukari patted her in the back as Minako placed the ring in Minato's finger. As she finished her vows, Minato spoke with a weak voice in his comatose state, "Watashi wa eien ni, tsuneni okonau... I do... Forever... And always..."
Everyone gasped. The nurses checked him, and sure enough, he was still comatose.
The chaplain was unfazed, "Then by the power vested to me by the Church of the Lord and the city of Iwatodai, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife."
Minako bent down to kiss him softly, yet passionately on the lips. As she did, his breath was getting shallower... his heartbeat getting lower... the beeps were getting slower...
Until it flatlined completely.