?
"Hm, where am I?" Justine groggily said as she looked around. The place was pitch black and nothing can be seen in her vicinity, even herself.
"Did I die?" Justine said to herself but she couldn't hear her talking. "So, the convict killed me." Justine whispered slowly. "I hope Caroline is all right" But, she knew she was just fooling herself. Even though she protected Caroline with her life, there's no telling what he will do after that. She knew that convict is too strong. That attack that killed? her was not even his full power. She knew that Caroline would not survive fighting him alone.
"Master, are you gonna let her go that easily!?"
An angry woman's voice said from behind her. She knew that voice.
She turned herself around and look forward. A sight familiar to her greeted him.
"It's her choice, we do not have any say in this", the speaker was none other than her master and the one who was yelling at him was her sister, Margaret.
"What is this?", Justine asked but it looked like neither her master nor her sister noticed her.
She, then noticed that she was in front of them sitting on what appeared to be a sofa. She looked around and the pitch black was gone. The place looked like an elevator filled entirely with blue. She knew this place…this was the form the velvet room took on their sibling's first guest.
"But, we can't just to do that! I can't let my sister goes a futile wild goose chase.", Margaret angrily said back to their master.
"Please, Margaret clams down.", A boy's meek voice said from beside them. It was her brother, Theodore.
She knows this conversation, of course. It was a day or a moment which they would all remember. Although their first guest finished his journey successfully, he lost his life in the process. He gave up his life to protect the humanity. A noble decision but not without consequences. His bonds through his journey, not able to accept his death brought an dire anomaly to the world. Although he was their guest, their sister, Elizabeth served as his main attendant. And she fell in love with the guest. So, even she too can't accept his loss and made the decision to leave the velvet room in order to find a way to save him. And this was the aftermath of her decision.
"Elizabeth made her choice and decided to save Makoto-sama. We cannot intervene or affects her choice", her master, igor, calmly said closing his eyes.
"But, is that even possible? Isn't saving him would brought the same thing he died trying to prevent?", Margaret said clearly desperate.
"Elizabeth knew this. That's why she left. So she can find a way to save him."
A calm voice said this and Margaret looked back in her direction. 'Whose voice is that?', Justine thought to herself as she looked around. But, found no one.
'Was that me? Did I said that?', Justine tried to remember.
"La-n-a, why didn't you stop her? She was your sister.", Her sister said to her clearly angry. 'Who?'
"Please, sister, L-v-a is just trying to help." Her brother, Theodore said trying to calm down Margaret.
'Who are they talking to?'
"It's just like master said, Elizabeth made this choice herself, we cannot do anything but honors her decision."
'There's this voice again, was it me? Did I really said back to my sister' Justine try desperately to remember but her vision started to blur.
"L-n-,d-t -lk t- -r si-r.", her sister said something back, she can't hear no more. And as her vision started to fade Justine thought to herself.
"I wonder where was Caroline at that time?"
x-x
"Ah!"
The young girl Justine woke up suddenly.
"Where am I again?", Justine said to herself as she looked around.
"Justine, you woke up!"
Caroline said from beside her before she threw herself at her.
"Ahhh, I thought you'd really died."
Caroline said as she hugs her twin sister deeply. But, her sister looked dumbfounded.
"Y-yes,I'm fine.", Justine said staggeringly as she had no idea what's going on. Is this a dream? Did she really survived? Or did both of them died and met in the middle? Justine had many questions but decided to just ask one.
"Caroline, where's convict?", as soon as Justine asked the question, Caroline smacked her lips in annoyance and rolled her eyes back as far as she could.
"If you're looking for him, he's right back there." Caroline pointed behind her without looking back.
Justine still didn't know what's going on but she tilted her head and looked behind Caroline but what she saw there didn't help her one bit.
The convict was flying in the air dodging purple beams while fighting a giant golden living statue that has golden wings with black outlines.
The beams died down and the large statue slashed its equally large sword down at the convict.
But, the convict blocked the slash with his own sword. The convict looked like he was not hurt but his expression is grim.
"Where's all your bravado now, Messiah?", an echoy voice emitted from the statue.
"Yes, bravado, I also wonder where art thou?" The convict said as he broke the attack and charged a spell on his hand.
"Megidoloan". A large explosion occurred on the statue's upper body.
The convict dropped his hand and looked onward. "Did it get him?"
"Rays of control!" Suddenly many large black beams was shot towards the convict.
"I supposed not, Infinity!" A barrier appeared in front of the convict and it blocked the beam but it started to crack as the beams kept coming on.
"What?" Finally the barrier broke and convict was hit by the beams and was blown back.
"Hah, serves you right, convict!" Caroline said jovially.
…?
"Ca-caroline, what's happening?" At her question, Caroline stopped celebrating and thought for a moment.
"Umm, it's complicated but long story short, our master is not our master. That golden god is bad guy who's posing as our master and the convict is complete and utter total JERK!" Caroline said the last part angrily, but that did not clear things up.
"After that guy came back to life, me, an avatar of power, graciously offered my help and do you know what he said?"
"Ah, n-no."
"He was all like-", Caroline made her eyes looks sleepy with only opening a little and said in a low voice. "What a brat like you would do to help me? It's not even funny as an April fools' joke, Can you believe it? the nerve of him." Caroline said imitating the convict but with her face, it just looked like Justine. Convict and her really looked alike, huh. But, that still did not clear things up.
"Caroline, I still don't-"
…*Boom*
A loud explosion occurred and something crashed into the debris beside the twins.
x-x
"Damn it. How does he keeps breaking my infinity." Minato said while holding his head. The god before him was nothing like before. While he was strong before, now he is on completely different level. His powers are way stronger and the dread he's feeling, it's just like he's fighting with Nyx, not as potent as her, but still.
"This is getting nowhere." Minato said as he healed himself. Minato prepared to start attacking again but beside him, the twins were looking at him with wide eyes.
"Oh, you're awake." Minato said to the now awoke girl, Justine.
"Ah-h, Ye-yeah."
"Good."
"Huh!, Convict now you see you cannot win without my help." Caroline said with a smug voice.
"Justine, can you still use your powers?"
"Huhh, I-can."
"Hey, stop ignoring me."
Minato rolled his eyes and sigh loudly.
"I'm not ignoring you. I'm just trying to ignore the fact that you're here."
"What the HELL!"
"Listen, Brats can't do anything here. Just get out of this place and run as far as you can." Minato jumped straight towards the god after saying his part.
"Hey, stop calling us brats!" Caroline said back but Minato can't hear her…or possibly just ignored her. "Hm, he just won't admit he needed my help. Justine, let's go!" Caroline said back to her sister.
"huh, what? We shouldn't help him, Caroline. He's our enemy." Justine said back.
"I already told you, It's not our master who told us to kill him. Honestly, I also don't trust him but if we want to get out of here alive then we should help him."
Justine didn't know what to do. But, she knew she can trust her sister. "Fine, I will help."
"Great, now let's go." Caroline also went towards the god as Justine followed close behind her.
"My questions can wait, I suppose."
x-x
"Why do you still try, Messiah? You know you can't win." Yaldabaoth said to the boy in front of him.
"Well, I also know that I'm dead, so…who knows?" Minato said back in response. "I thought I told you to run." Minato said as the velvet twins reached their destination.
"Hm, why should we listen to you?"
"hmm…" Minato rolled his eyes and signs loudly. "Kids shouldn't interfere in adult's stuff."
"Huhh! Who are you calling kids?"
"Um, you two." Minato said back to Caroline as she smacked her lips. "Damn it, I hate you."
"Ah, Justine you've awoken." Yaldabaoth said to the now recovered girl. But, she did not said anything back and looked at the two gods in front of her while keeping her guard up.
"But, Messiah, you think you can win against me just because of them." Yaldabaoth spoke to the white-haired boy.
"Well, I didn't tell them to come." Minato said as he slashed his sword at the air.
'Now, what should I do? I must save my universe power. And even if I kill him, he will just come back. So, brute force won't work. What choices do I still have?' Minato thought to himself.
"You two should listen to the Messiah." Yaldabaoth voice stopped Minato's line of thought. "There are things I still have to do and you two are vital to them. I wouldn't want to accidentally kill you two."
"Hm, you think we would still work for you! Keep dreaming." Caroline said as she crushed the card in front of her. "Vajira blast."
A shock wave was produced and aimed at the god but the larger god just put his sword in the way and it was repelled.
"It's no use. What can you accomplish while you two are weakened?" Yaldabaoth said.
'Tch, those two are going to kill themselves.'
"We can beat you even while we are weakened, you faker. Justine, with me." Caroline said while Justine nodded her head and opened the book in her hands.
"Vorpal blade/ Riot gun."
Bullets and slashes started to rain down upon the larger god. But, the god looked unperturbed and just blocked all of them with his sword.
Minato watcheed the twins as they fight against the god.
Even when they are at clearly disadvantage, they chose not to run away. They chose to fight against an entity far greater than them. It's just like him in his fight against Nyx.…'Like the fight against Nyx?'
"Wait." As soon as Minato said that time seemed to stop. The battle between the twins and gods seemed to stop as they all stood frozen in their place.
"What?" The whole place just frozen in place. "What happened?"
"S- -i-." A voice. Minato looked around but there just the twins and the god and they all are just fixed in their position.
Then, suddenly the whole place darkened and he couldn't even see his surrounding anymore.
"Is that another of his attack?" Minato said as he charged almighty spell in his hand.
"Seal him."
"Huh?" Minato turned around as he clearly heard the voice. But he still can't see no one.
The voice sounded feminine and kind of familiar.
"Who are you?" Minato shouted but his answer didn't come.
"Seal him at the depths of cognitive."
The voice didn't answer him but it kept telling him to seal the god. 'Looks like I have no choice.'
"Sealing won't work. I can't make a permanent seal and a temporary one won't change a thing." Minato decided to speak in their terms and that seemed to work as they answered him back.
"Guide the trickster."
"What?"
"Guide the trickster. He will show you the way."
"What are you saying?" Minato asked but the darkness around him started to disappear slowly. "Wait, I'm not finish yet. Tell me. What is a trickster?" Minato asked but no voice answered as the darkness disappeared completely and time started to resume.
"What is that?"
"Hey, Convict stop standing around." Caroline's voice broke him out of stupor. Justine didn't say anything but still looked at him with narrow eyes. Yaldabaoth also didn't say anything but he could feel he's looking at him.
"Where did you go, Messiah?" Yaldabaoth asked him and everyone turned to look at him at his odd question.
"What?"
"Answer me, Messiah! Where. Did. You. Go?" Yaldabaoth asked him in angry voice.
'So, he knows something about this.' Minato didn't answer him back but he sighed slightly. 'Yes, the only thing I can do now is listen to that voice.'
"Justine, Caroline!" Minato called the twins and they both turned their heads to him. "I need you two to do as I say."
"huh? Why should I listen to you?" Caroline said back.
"Because we only got one chance and I don't want to waste it. Can I ask that of you?"
"Hey, Looks like yo-" Caroline tried to said but Justine intervened. "Caroline, you are the one who said we should help him if we want to win." Caroline didn't seem to agree for a moment but she finally gave in.
"Tch, fine. Do whatever you want."
Minato smiled and said, "Thanks, Justine."
Justine looked back at him and said, "In exchange, I would like you to answer my question."
"Um, Sure."
Justine nodded. "Is your name Makoto Yuki?" Minato was surprised at her question but he recovered fast.
"It was but not anymore."
Justine only nodded and turned back.
"What was that about?" Caroline asked her sister. But she only answered with a tilt of her head.
"Well then, let's start." Minato said as he stood in front of the twins.
"No matter what you do, you can't win against me, Messiah." Yaldabaoth said the same line again but this time it was different. There is a tinge of fear in his voice.
"We will see about that." Minato breathed in slowly. "Archangels." As soon as he said that his blue eyes starts to glow again and four beings appear around the twins and him.
Both the Justine and Caroline looked at the beings around them.
"Are they personas?" Caroline asked and Justine answered her question. "No, they are not."
Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Gabriel. They were his personas before but now they are not mere personification no more. They are the real archangels.
"Deus xiphos." Minato held up his hand and the sword of the archangel appeared in a bright warm light.
Now with two swords in hand, Minato looked back at Yaldaboath.
"Sword dance." A glass breaking sound was heard and the four archangels broke their formation and surrounded the god. Then with their weapons in hand all of them started to attack the god. Slash after slash, bruises after bruises. The four archangels didn't let up for a moment and continued their assault.
"Stop this folly, Messiah", Yaldabaoth said as he also swung down his sword at one of the archangels but it was futile as if he stopped one of them the other three attacked him mercilessly.
"Wow" Caroline said in surprise as the four archangels continued their dance.
"Save your surprise, now aim your strongest fire spells above his head on my command." Minato gave his orders and went towards Yaldabaoth as he summoned a tarot card.
"King and I." Minato slashed the card in front of him and the snow began to appear around them.
"What?", Yaldabaoth stopped attacking the archangels and looked at the messiah.
"What are you trying to do now?"
And not long after he said that a giant snow man appeared above and started to fall straight at him.
"You imbecile." Yaldabaoth shouted as he ignored the archangels and aimed his gun at the falling snow man. But before he could shoot, Minato gave his order.
"Now." As soon as he said that the four archangels stopped their assault and fell back.
"Blazing hell!" The twins crushed the card in front of them and a large blazing circle appeared between the god and the falling snowman.
"What?" Yaldabaoth said in before he could do anything, the snow man hit the fire and melted into water immediately. A large ball of water dropped on the larger god.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Well, I don't have water spells so I have to improvise now, didn't I? Caroline, thunder reign." Minato said as he kept marching straight towards the god.
"Fine, I know it." Caroline said and shot a lightning javelin at the god.
"No!" Yaldabaoth tried to shield but he's too late as the rod hit him and surges of lightning crackles throughout his whole body.
"Ahhhhh!" The gods shout loudly in agony and the lightning destroyed all his weapon except for his sword. "Stop, you fools!"
"Justine, wind spell at me."
"Affirmative, Garudye."Justine used her spells and launched Minato towards the god.
"Foolish messiah!" Yaldabaoth roared loudly and swings his sword down. "Sword of conviction."
Minato readied his two swords as he was launched towards the god in no time. "Ayamur." Minato swings both his sword at the same time and cut Yaldabaoth sword in two pieces.
"Impossible!" Yaldabaoth shouted in surprise as Minato broke his sword.
Now with all his four weapons gone, Minato also recalled his swords. "Justine, Caroline. Start the assault!"
"You don't have to tell me twice, Convict."
"Vorpal blade/ Riot gun!" Both twins shouted loudly as they used their spells at the god, now without his sword to shield him.
Minato flied higher and higher until he was above the god.
'Finally, I can get close to him.' "Now for the finale, Universe" Minato said as he summoned the blank card again.
Yaldabaoth now fed up with all the attacks roared loudly. "Rebels who dare defy my rule, you shall perish!" Yaldaboath angrily shouted. "Divine apex." Yaldabaoth restored his weapons to their peak condition again.
"What?" Both Minato and the twins exclaimed in astonishment.
"Damn it, he restored his weapon." Minato said as he floats in midair.
"This will be your punishment, Messiah!"
"Ah, He's going to use that rays again. Convict, dodge!" Caroline shouted loudly at him.
'Hmm…If I dodge now, I will never get the chance again but infinity can't withstand it. What should I do?'
"Accept your fate, Messiah! Rays of control."
'I will just have to soldier through.'
"Infinity." The barrier appeared again and shielded the messiah from the beams.
"That barrier can't withstand my power! Perish! Messiah!" Yaldabaoth boasted loudly as cracks appeared around the shield. Finally the barrier broke and the rays started to hit the messiah.
"Uh Oh." Minato cursed but as soon as the rays hit him, they were all repelled to all directions. No matter how many times they hit him, they were all repelled until none left.
"What? It can't be! That power!?" Yaldabaoth said with fear in his voice.
Even Minato was surprised. After all he knew that spell. It was not infinity. The spell that don't act as a barrier but as a armor that repeled every attack to user. As far as he knew, there was only one who can used that power. 'Tch, no use thinking about it now. This is my chance.'
"Scribe!" The angel Metatron appeared behind him. And both of them fell straight towards the god.
"I condemn you, Messiah! Divine A-!" Yaldabaoth tried to charge his attack again but this time the four archangels appeared and held down his hands. "Ahh?"
Now defenseless, Yaldabaoth could only lay in wait as the Messiah used his spell on him.
"Hm, I must warn you .This is gonna hurt." Minato said as he crushes the blank card in front of him. "A lot…Scribe, Enoch!" Both Minato and Metatron held their arm out and a soundless shock wave appeared throughout their surrounding.
"Hm?" Justine and Caroline as nothing happened. "What? Nothing's happe-"
"Ahhhhh" Yaldabaoth suddenly shouted loudly as cracks after cracks appeared on his body. "STOP THIS!" The god shouted and the debris were blown back by that force alone.
"What is happening!?" Caroline asked.
"Caroline, take cover!" Justine shouted from behind and both of them used their spell just not to be blown back. But their worries were for nothing as the Metatron that Minato summoned came down in front of them and act as a shield.
x-x
"Now's my chance." Minato said as he flew away from the god who kept screaming. That attack was used with him, a Messiah and metatron, the voice of god. It was supposed to be a soundless sound attack. But, Yaldabaoth kept screaming so the point just became moot.
'And now for the sealing.' The four archangels are still holding the god's hand down, but he had no choice, he will have to seal all of them at the same time. Now for the cognitive place, the closet thing would be the place crawling with persona. And now that's all clear up, he will have to believe the voice that the trickster can show him the way.
Minato pointed his hands toward the sky and used his spell, "Great seal"
Then the platforms he's standing on broke into columns and surrounded the screaming god in front of him. Then they all started to close in on the god like a box completely covering all his body until only his head and the upper part of his hand can be seen.
Finally the god resisted the pain from the spell before. "What are you doing to me?"
"Well, if you know all about me, you must know that I have a knack for sealing gods. But, don't worry I will come back with a plan to finally kill you. Until then." Minato snapped his finger and chains began to crawl all over the god's body. Then It began to fall towards the place with personas.
"No, you cannot do this. Your world only existed because of me. You will suffer, messiah, You will suffer."
"Yeah, yeah, said that to someone who cares." Minato said as the god sunk into the ground until nothing could be heard anymore.
"Huuh." With all the fighting done. Minato finally relaxed and lied down. "Now all I need to find is that stupid trickster and I can become the seal again. I can't believe I miss being the seal." Minato said while yawning as the blank card beside him was only a little left. Nearly all of it was gone.
-x-x-
Thank you to everyone who favourited and followed.