2009

"Junpei,…why are you taking your evoker to school?" Makoto Yuki asked his friend.

"Heheh, you are still green, Makoto. We never know when shadows gonna attack us, so a true hero has to always prepare!" Junpei said in smug voice with equally smug face.

"Are you stupid, Stupei? Shadows can not attack you on daytime." The girl, Yukari Takeba said with an annoyed sigh.

"Uh, really?" Junpei asked with dumb-founded face.

"It is indeed true, Iori." Mitsuru-senpai added in while drinking tea. "As long as shadows are concerned, there's no case of them attacking on day. They are only active in dark hour."

"Bu-But, this is the only proof of me being a hero." Junpei whined unceremoniously.

"Nobody cares about you being a hero, Junpei." Yukari said while shaking her head.

"Hey, you know that hurt my feelings, Yuka-tan!" Junpei said while holding his chest with hurt expression.

"So, Iori, your worries are misplaced. Leave the evoker at the dorm, you only need to take it when we are doing the operation." Misturu said straight to the point.

"See that, Stupei!"

"Bu-Butt-But Yuka-tan-"

As the two bickered with each other, the blue haired boy listened to them intently.

"Hmmm…"

x-x

Present

'Great advice.'

"Persona! Triple down." Justine use$ her persona and suddenly invisible airborne bullets struck him.

"Nidhoog…" but he changed quickly and took on the bullets head on with his persona and they were all absorbed into his body.

The girl seemed to be annoyed for a moment then smirked coldly.

"Vajra blast!"

The other girl striked him from behind and he was hit in the head again, but this time it hurt.

"Kohryu." He changed his persona again and blocked out the next attack with both hands.

It seemed to work as the attack was halted in the middle.

"Nice try, but don't think that would work again." Minato smugly said. But that proved to be his downfall.

"Triple downs."

'Ahhhhh….'

The airbone bullets closed on him again. He can't change his persona yet so there's no choice but run.

He kicked the girl in front of him away but she didn't even look hurt, but he was not trying to hurt her anyway.

"Huh, run convict! since that's the only thing you can do." Caroline said with as much vigor she could muster.

'That brat.'

He was able to dodge most of the bullets but some still grazed him here and there, 'Guess I'm not coming out of this unscathed.'

Finally the bullets seemed to die down and he could breath again.

"It seems the convict has some resistance against physical skills." Justine said in her monotone voice.

"Huh, so it's time to up the ante." Caroline said with her baton on her shoulder.

'Oh god. Can't I really do nothing without my evoker?'

Both of them smirked at the same time and said, "Persona", "Persona". And two blue cards fall down on them before shattering into pieces.

'Cards?

'Wait,…isn't that_?'

x-x

A long time ago in Tartarus

The whole floor is filled with smoke and dust so much that nothing can be seen clearly.

When the dust started to clear, a girl in blue elevator attendant outfit can be seen sitting on her butt with a clear surprise on her face.

On the opposite of her is a blue haired boy who looked completely exhausted while breathing loudly.

"My, my Makoto-sama. I can't believe you actually beat me."

"Yeah, I *huh* I can't *hehuh* Believe *huuh* Just gonna stop talki-" *Pooof*

The boy cannot hold long and he too fell onto the floor.

"Makoto-sama, looks like you are exhausted." Elizabeth said standing up while dusting herself off.

"What *huh* what was your first clue?" Makoto said with sarcasm dripped in his voice.

"Hm, You are breathing hard and you seem to fall down rather unspectacularly." Looked like it did not work with Elizabeth.

"But, Makoto-sama, the reward will be well worth of your time." Elizabeth said smiling happily.

"I sure hope so." Makoto said back in his usual voice. "…By the way, how do you summon without evoker?"

"Oh, yes indeed. I don't need your 'evoker' thing. Even without it, I can summon just fine. But, Makoto-sama, I don't think that will be needed on your journey." Elizabeth said with fake sad voice.…Maybe she just didn't know how to teach.

"Hm, is that so…All right, then."

Present

'Damn it, Elizabeth. You didn't even give me a pointer.'

"Well, convict. Your time is up" Justine said with her usual deadpan face.

"Ready or not, here I come, Agidyne!" Caroline said crushing a tarot card with her baton.

A flaming pillar suddenly sprouted from beneath him. But he came prepared.

"Surt."

"Ziodyne." Justine said while crushing another card with her hand and that he did not come prepared. Minato jumped away from the spot before the lightning hit him.

"As if I let you, Mabufudyne." Caroline shouted and suddenly the temperature drop and ice spike materialized around him.

Looks like Metatron will be the best choice. "Metatron." Ice spike began to close on him before shattering into pieces.

"Heh, I can do this all day."

That seemed to hit a nerve because Caroline start to shout at him with raised voice. "Die convict! Koguaon!" Yellow spears came trailing at him.

'Just light spells, scared me for a moment.' The spear are little slow, so he just dodged them with ease.

"If you want to hit me, you have to try harder than that" Minato said while smiling slightly.

Now Caroline is fuming with anger.

"Gahh! This guy is A Jerk!"

"If I have to give pointers, I'd say try to not shout too lou-"

"Freidyne."

"Frei-what?" It was not long before something exploded right in front of him.

An bluish explosion occurred right in front of him and he was sent crashing right into nearby building, completely destroying it in the process.

Pieces of woods and glass fell on top of him but he was not hurt by that. 'Ah, It burns. What element is that? Is that not fire?…hmm, this isn't working.' He might really die if he didn't do something.

'…*sigh* , Looks like I have no choice.'

Although lying in the debris of now destroyed building, Minato uttered a single word quietly.

"Universe"

x-x

It looked like the attack word quite splendidly. When he started to nullify all of their attack, she was worried for a minute but looked like that her worries are all for naught.

"Heh, you are all barks and no bite! Convict."

Caroline taunted while flashing her baton.

'Indeed, this was an easy fight. And although Master warned them to be careful, it looks like this was not the case.' Justine thought to herself with a slight smile.

'Um!?' "Caroline, dodge!" As soon as she shouted that Caroline moved aside quickly without question and that seemed to save her as a red beam came out from the place where the convict was crashed into.

"What the hell was that!?" Caroline yelled back in mild surprise before looking back to place where the convict is. She, too look at there when-

…*Growls* , 'what?' *Rarr*

The debris are blown back by that roar, making dusts appeared on the surrounding and when it calmed down, there stood two beings. One is the convict now standing with his clothes in ruin and with a card of the death arcana floating in front of him.

'So, he can summon persona.' But, the persona behind him is one she had never seen before. Based on the look on Caroline face, looks like she too had not seen it either. It wore a jet black coat with coffins floating behind it. It's face looked like a helmet made of bone and with the power it's emitting, It was even scarier than personas from devil arcana.

"Nothing is out of my realm of possibility, huh, what a convenient skill." The convict said something neither she nor her twin can't understand.

"He-heh, I was starting to think you can't summon a persona, convict." Caroline said with a predatory smirk.

"You know what, I was starting to think that too" The convict spoke back with a small smile on his face.

"Heh, no matter, we will wipe the floor with you, convict! Justine, let's do it." Caroline said back to her twin with the same smirk from before.

'Yes, as long as both of us are together, no one can defeat us.', "You don't need to tell me twice, Caroline." Justine said back with a small smile.

The convict smiled looking at them for a bit before his face turned into impassive mask and then he crushed the card in front of him.

"Thanatos." Both the card and the persona shattered into blue pieces before concentrating onto his hand and finally forming a black long katana.

"Whatever trick you pull, convict, they are not gonna save you." Caroline shouted loudly before running straight towards the convict. "Vajira blast." Caroline used her spell as she crushes the card besides her and hit the convict with her baton.

The convict attack with his sword and the two are in a deadlock before convict used another spell.

"Heat riser." A card was crushed besides him and he kicked the Caroline right into the chest which threw her into the air. The convict starts to go after her by jumping into the air with his sword in hand.

"I won't let you, Maziodyne." Justine called upon the power of persona and multiple lightning became to fall, homing the convict. The convict dodged all the lightning easily while sidestepping in the air. But that delayed. his reaction time and that is all Caroline needed.

"Bufudyne." Caroline used the spell while being suspended in the air and a giant block of ice came crashing into the convict. But the convict remained unfazed and cut the ice with his sword.

"What!?" Caroline was surprised by convict's power. Even she, too was surprised. The convict finally reached the Caroline and try to cut her in half with his sword.

"Garudyne!" Justine used a wind spell aim, not at the convict, but at Caroline. It seemed to work as Caroline was blown away from the place where the convict cut down his sword. Then Caroline used another spell now aimed at the convict.

"Psiodyne."

"…Not again."

From the moment he first summoned his persona, the convict had wore an impassive emotionless mask, but now he showed a mild surprise by widening his eyes for a moment before the spell hit him and he started to fall down from the air. And you can bet she will not let this chance go away.

"Ziodyne." The lightning hit him directly and he became to fall now more faster.

"Oof." That was not the convict's voice. It looked like in her moment of triumph, she forgot about Caroline.

"Caroline, are you alright?" Justine asked worriedly.

"It's nothing, just a bruise." Caroline said back but she still healed her just in case.

"Diarahan." The spell worked as intended and all the bruise on Caroline's body started to heal.

"Before, an explosion. And now mind attack. Is there anything new left that you guys can use?" The convict said in an annoyed voice while throwing away his outer shirt. Looks like although It's a direct hit, because he buffed himself, it only damaged his attire.

"Huh, convict, I hope you are not getting tired because the round 2 starts now." Caroline said while flexing her fist.

"Justine!" Caroline said and she nodded back understanding what she's implying.

"Affirmative, Riot gun." Justine used a high level gun skill and hundreds of bullets started to fall down on the convict.

The convict tried to slash the bullets but they were too many and soon he was overwhelmed.

'Um?' "Caroline, up there!" She didn't know how he do it but the convict is now high up in the air.

"Leave it to me, Thunder reign!" Caroline used her strongest lightning spell and crushes the card in front of her.

Then a lightning spear appeared in her arm and she threw it at the convict.

The convict is still unfazed and crushed the card beside him. "Power charge." Then he came head on with his sword towards the lightning spear and after struggling for a second, the spear broke down into sparks.

But the convict did not stop and kept going.

"Maragidyne!" Caroline used a fire spell but the convict just cut all the fire with his sword..

"Caroline with me!" Justine said and Caroline nodded back to her. And they both crushed the cards in front of them. "Maragidyne!", "Mafreidyne." Both the nuclear blast and fire blast fused and brought about a large explosion aimed at the one that's coming towards them.

"…Tch, Garudyne." The convict uses a wind spell and launched himself up. '…Strange, he didn't fight head on like before.' The convict used the moment of surprise to unleash his spell. "…vorpal blade."

"Vorpal blade!" Both the convict and Caroline used the same spells and many slashes met in the middle. But the convict started to overpower Caroline and she was hit by the attack.

"Caroline! Mediarahan." Justine used another healing spell to heal Caroline then "Vacuum wave!", "…Uh oh." the convict does not even have the time to react as the wind blown through him and he was thrown into building again.

"Caroline, are you alright?" Justine said worriedly walking towards her twin.

"I'm fine, be careful, Justine. This guy's tough."

As she said that, the convict walked out the building without a bruise.

'This is not going well, there must be something I can use.' Justine thought to herself with gritted teeth.

"…Are we done here? I rather not get thrown again." The convict said brushing the dust from his hair.

'…Wait, the first time he was hurt was when he got hit by frei spell and he ran away when we combine our fire and nuclear attack.…Is that his weakness?'

Justine smiled slightly and turned towards Caroline, "Hold him for a moment. I have a plan."

"You do? Well, I hope that works." Caroline said back with wide eyes before looking back at the convict.

The convict also readied his next attack, but that's not gonna work anymore, she now knew his weakness.

"Megido." The convict charged up a almighty spell and shot it towards them. They both broke up and surrounded him in circle. The convict then aimed at Justine with his sword and shot his spell again.

"As if that would works, Rangnork!" Caroline used her spell and a fire pillar emerges in front of her and stopped the spell making a large explosion occurred where they met.

The convict then flexed his sword and aimed at Caroline. "Vorpal blade."

"This time I won't lose, Vorpal blade!" The slashes met in the middle again and true to her words, Caroline is pushing him back.

"Ga…Gahhhh!" Although with a little, No. A lot of difficulty.

The convict broke his spell and jumped up.

"Door of Hades…" pale silver light engulfed his sword and he slashed it at Caroline.

"Divine judgement!" A golden hammer appeared and stopped the convict's attack. The convict looked surprise for a moment, looking at the girl with wide eyes and that moment was all she needed.

"…Hm?"

Blue light began to appear around him. He looked in surprise at the light and before he can retaliate, Justine finished her spell.

"This is the end, convict. Cosmic flare!" The blue light around started to spark, and he couldn't do nothing but stared at them in wide eyes, before they all burst into a large explosion.

"Oh…Crap." *BOOM* A bluish explosion occurred in the city of red.

x-x

"Did we get him?" Caroline asked Justine with a worried voice.

"We don't know yet, but we can be sure that it will severely wounded him." Justine answered back her question with confidence in her voice.

The explosion is still going even now.

"Caroline, are you hurt?" Justine asked her for the third time.

"No, he didn't hit me." Caroline face turned into a smirk. "You should have seen the look on his face when I canceled his stupid dark spell."

"…Yes. He seemed surprise at that." Justine said back.

And the explosion finally died down, she waited with her weapon ready in case the convict didn't go down. But when the smoke are cleared, both of them were surprised at what they see.

"What in the?", "Im-impossible."

In the middle, the convict was still standing with his eyes closed without a wound in his body. Even his hair and his clothes are not burned.

"What? That's impossible!" Never in her existence, she hadn't seen Justine this surprise.

The convict finally opened his eyes and said a single word. "Infinity…"

Both her and Justine didn't know what that meant but they are still baffled so they didn't say anything back.

Then, all of a sudden, the convict started clapping.

"Impressive…Very impressive, you two. You guys gave me more troubles than the one I've fought before." The convict said with a soft voice.

'What's he talking about?'

"Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection, huh." His face turned a little sad.

A card floated down in front of him. The Judgement card.

"But, I'm afraid that will not be the case this time."

The convict closed his eyes and snapped his finger and the card shone with yellow light and then it changed into a blank card.

"Messiah"

The card broke into pieces and shone in the bright yellow light. 'Did he summon a persona!?'

….

….

When the light finally died down, no persona is there, but only the convict. But now, his attire has changed. It is now a black suit with an emblem they've never seen before and underneath is the different white shirt. The red lines in his trousers are also gone. But that's not the most surprising thing. The convict, before with a mop of blue hair, has now entirely pure white hair. His silver eyes are changed into bright blue eyes that seem to be shining.

They both stared at the scene in front of him with both surprise and fear when Justine suddenly spoke.

"Is that a persona?" Justine asked in surprise. Indeed, he did not feel like a human no more. If they have to put into word, he is more like a persona than a human.

"Wh-what…What the heck are you!?" Caroline asked with shaking voice.

"I thought I already told you." The convict said back tilting his head.

"'…Messiah?…but isn't that your persona?" Justine asked back in shaking voice like her.

The convict laughed softly and said, "The persona known as Messiah does not exist within me, not anymore. From the moment I made that choice, the persona has became me, and I have became the persona."

'What's the convict talking?'

"I became a god. I became the Messiah."

'A GOD, that's what we were fighting against!?' *Thud* Justine couldn't hold her legs no more and fell down.

The convict laughed softly. "Do you know in the compendium, it's said that King frost can freeze the whole world?"

'How did he know about the compendium?'

"…The real king frost, anyway.…Now do you want to see the power of god's hand, when It's used by a real god?"

She too can't hold her knees and fell down. But he didn't stop. With a flex of his hand and still looking at them with the kindest eyes they have ever seen, he uttered a single word.

"God's hand"

The sky split open and light became to fill her vision. But as soon as it came, the darkness took over her vision.

-x-x-