Chapter 9: Healer of God
"Whoa. This is what Philemon was ramblin' about? Cool." Blaine said, admiring Tlaloc. Every one else stood still, uncertain of what to do next. This new Persona looked strong, and seemed to be a natural one. Amara remembered Stella's reading from earlier that day, about 'the Magician'. This must have been exactly what she was talking about.
"Crap, I wasn't counting on this!" the redhead boy said. "Daryl, what are we going to do?"
"Let's report to Richard! Now get the hell out of here!" 'Daryl' said, and the three of them ran off in a frantic hurry.
Amara stared at them as they fled, bemused. "They're not exactly brave, are they?"
"You have to admit, he is pretty scary. Look at him! Bulging muscles, scary eyes, he'd crush you if you looked at him funny. And his Persona's scary too!" Serena said.
Amara groaned. Still, she sensed much more power from Tlaloc than any of the Personas the Ornatu Legion group possessed. She remembered what she had heard before, about natural and 'fake' Personas. This must have been what Kazuya meant.
"Tch! Fucking pussies. They knew they couldn't take me down! No one can!" Blaine said, proud of himself. The others stared at him, impressed. Now that he had a Persona, he appeared to be at full health, and his confidence had been bolstered tremendously. "So what are you guys doing here - "
Out of nowhere, a Shadow appeared. It resembled a rather evil-looking knight, wielding a black lance. It was riding on a strange metal white horse, also wearing sturdy armour. The dark soldier was also wearing a mask that resembled a crown.
"I'm not tripping, am I?" Blaine asked the others, as he glared at the Knight before him. Amara shook her head. "So this weirdo is real? Well, not for much longer! I'll take him down in two secs."
"No need. Leave him to us." Nathan said, impatiently.
"No way, dude! I'm not a wimp like those kids before. Tlaloc is part of my mind, isn't he? Then he'll do what I tell him to! Like this!" Blaine roared. Sure enough, Tlaloc brought down a bolt of lightning, shocking the Avenger Knight. Judging from its groans, it was not fond of electricity.
Blaine shot Nathan a triumphant look - the latter, however, just nodded curtly.
Enraged, the Knight charged swiftly Blaine with its lance. He screamed, and briefly checked his body for wounds.
"You okay, mister?" Serena asked.
"I don't get it. That should have left a huge fucking hole inside me! But...is this something the Persona does too?"
Pleased with the damage it inflicted, the Knight raised its mighty weapon, and then began to surround itself with red energy.
"What is it doing now?" Amara asked, anxious.
"My guess is that it's preparing for an attack. Be careful!" Nathan shouted. "Garu!" Winds struck the Shadow, but it barely even registered.
So Shadows can resist elements as well as be weak to them?
"...That didn't go quite as expected. No matter. I'll try this instead!"
Setanta tried lunging at the Avenger Knight with his spear, but it merely left a scratch in its heavy plated armour.
"That didn't work either?" Serena asked, worriedly. Nathan grumbled, disappointed in himself.
Blaine, however, smirked and patted Nathan on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, dude. Just sit back and let me wipe the floor with this thing."
When Nathan's angry, his face is even redder than his hair. I didn't know that was possible.
"You can use that move again, right?" Serena asked.
"I sure can, miss! And I will! Zio!" Another bolt of electricity hit the Shadow, causing it to fall down, unable to move.
"Alright, good work! Eat this!" Amara ran up to the Shadow, and slashed a couple of times - but her sword didn't deal much damage. "Darn! Fine, then...Agi!" The Shadow seemed to howl with the flames, but it wasn't nearly as potent as the electricity. Getting back up, the Knight's 'eyes' glowed a bright red, and before either of them could run away, it swung its lance in a violent circle, charged with great dark energy.
"Ow Ow Ow!" Amara yelled, stumbling from the attack. "Damn you Shadows! Go to hell!" She was about to lash out, but she felt someone grab her arm. "Lemme go!"
"Don't be stupid! If you run in like crazy, he'll just gore you to death. You gotta wait for an opening!" Blaine said. For someone who had just awakened his Persona, he seemed to already have an aptitude for battles.
Seemingly satisfied with its prior attack, the Avenger Knight started to float towards Nathan - but before it could reach the noble, Blaine shot the Shadow, halting its movements.
"Now! Get him!"
"Okay, let's do this!" Amara called out. "Group attack again!" Hathor, Setanta and Artemis rose, and began to cast their spells. Just then, Tlaloc appeared beside them, and started to become imbued with great electric power.
Huh? He's joining in too?
"What, you're gonna leave me out cause I'm the new guy? Not likely! We'll bring him down as one!" Blaine said, with a wicked grin.
The four Personas then called upon their elements with great force, and with their combined power, a powerful almighty sphere surrounded the Knight, who desperately tried to break free, but to no avail.
"Tetra Elements!"
The sphere, with one flash, exploded, and the Shadow was instantly vaporised. Amara breathed a sigh of relief, putting aside her sword.
"Hell yeah!" Blaine roared, punching the air mid-leap. "This Persona thing is fucking amazing!"
"Less of the language! And quit acting like a child!" Nathan shouted, irritated. "This is dangerous, and only the three of us -"
"Four of us now, posh guy! You saw me kick that thing's butt, didn't you? Lighten up a little!" Blaine cheered, still exuberant. Nathan just sighed, and crossed his arms. "Anyway, can't I get excited over using magic for the first time? I've gotten into fights before, but nothing like that! And you guys are like me too! So c'mon, what are your names? I'm Blaine, Blaine Spencer!"
"It's Amara Furaha."
"I'm Serena Agnethe! Nice to meet you, sir!"
"...And I'm Nathan Albion. Pleasure, I suppose."
"Cool names. Glad to meetcha all, properly." Blaine said. He shook everyone's hands, although Nathan hesitated. He had issues with people of lower social class than his own, it seemed.
"How did you get stuck in this world, Mr. Spencer?" Serena asked, curious.
"Whoa, no need to be formal. Just call me Blaine. And I'm kinda fuzzy on everything, but after I left the mall, I went for a ride to let off some steam. So I stopped in Farawell, and got a kebab. When I was done, I walked outside, and this guy's standing there by my bike, in this really dumb black cloak. Didn't get a look at his face, but I think he's about to make off with my Black Lightning."
"...Your motorcycle, I assume." Nathan surmised.
"Yeah, of course. I walk over, to ask what the hell he's doing. Before I can get a word out, he flings a card at me, and ran off."
"Did the card read 'Follow Me', by any chance?" Amara asked.
"Yeah. Something inside of me just snapped. I still don't get it. But I chased after him, even after he went inside this abandoned warehouse. Looked like a bomb had hit it. Smelled like it, too. Anyway, I went upstairs, not sure what I was gonna find. Then I found this weird glowing door. Just as I went in front of it, somebody pushed me in. Don't take a genius to figure out who."
"Holy crap! That guy did the exact same thing to us two days ago!" Serena said, astounded. "And he already knew our names. That's what scares me the most."
"I'm quite anxious by it myself..." Nathan admitted. "What happened after that?"
"I looked all over that weird mad scientist place. When I looked down from the roof, I saw you guys! I couldn't believe it, the so-called gamers, fighting with swords and magic! Now I get why you got all tight-lipped yesterday. And why Serena made up that stuff about you guys being massive gamers."
"It wasn't all made up..." Serena said, pouting. "These two don't really play games, but as for me, I - Wait, back up. Did you follow us to Nova Albion?!"
"Yup," Blaine replied. "My head was spinning, and I was trying to figure out what the hell was going on. I kept hoping it was all a dream and I'd wake up. But I didn't. So I just kept walking, trying to figure out why the city looked so empty, and so different."
"We're still getting used to it too. I used to think this would be fun, but...all I can think about is if I screw up, I'm dead." Serena said. "You know, you should have just come up to us earlier!"
"I wanted to, but I was exhausted, and I had this feeling. This weird feeling in my chest that something was gonna come out. It wasn't like heartburn, it was something completely out of this world. Guess I know what that was now." Blaine said, scratching his head.
"Personas are so strange. Still, it feels good to just have them. Listen, we need to fill you on the rest of the details." Amara said. "We only know so much, but..."
Before long, she went into a lengthy discussion on the events thus far, including the Ornatu Legion and the Holy Cross. Blaine listened keenly, particularly intrigued by the battle against Kazuya.
"...And now we've found you." Amara finished. "Any questions?"
"Nope, I got it clear as day. Ornatu Legion, Holy Cross and this Commander are our enemies." Blaine said. "And the four of us are gonna fight to find out the truth about why this city's so screwed up."
"The four of us?" Nathan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, yeah. Do you still wanna leave me out? Come on, you saw me fight. You need someone like me on your team. And what else am I gonna do with that Persona thing? Use him as a giant bottle opener?"
Serena stood nearer Blaine, smiling. "Yeah, exactly! If the Ornatu Legion is as big as they sound, we'll need a bigger party! Plus, neither of us can shock enemies to death. Well, maybe figuratively, but..."
"See? This kid gets it!" Blaine said, happily. "But I guess it's a little rude to force my way in. So I'll let the leader decide." With that, he stared directly at Amara.
"H-huh? Why am I the leader?" She asked.
"You've got the sword, like any good hero, or heroine. Besides, you seem like you've got a good handle on things." Blaine said, with a wide smile. "Call it an instinct. If you're the one in charge, then I think we'll get along just fine."
Amara, blushing from embarrassment, looked away. Then she saw the trusting faces of her new companions. Serena, the high schooler. Nathan, the businessman. Blaine, the biker. And now her, the artist. They were of different worlds, but fate had put them in this one together. And she didn't want either of them to leave her side. Not yet.
"...Alright. Then you're one of us now. Make us proud, Blaine."
"Thanks! Trust me, you won't regret it. Now then, what's the plan?" Blaine asked.
"Plan? So far, we've just been exploring this city and training with our Personas. Let's go back to the Farawell Shadow Development Center. That way, you can train with us."
Blaine nodded. "Then let's go! Tlaloc and I have a lot of catching up to do!"
|Farawell - White Rose Academy|21:20 pm|
After getting back to Farawell without incident, group had stopped outside White Rose Academy for a breather. This school was a rather notable institution, but less for its academics and more for its endless ghost stories. In the early 20th century, many girls were found dead. The cause of death, however, no one could figure out. There were also tales of students and teachers alike having temporary bouts of insanity, later claiming to have been possessed. A somewhat maniacal priest attempted to carry out an exorcism in 1958, yet before anyone could verify of the success, the school closed. The number of stories being told meant very few students wished to attend. For over fifty years after it's closure, the academy was left abandoned, until 2008 where the city government finally decided to tear it down and begin construction of a new school, the Blue Rose Academy - set to open in 2014. Here, however, White Rose was still standing, and in serious disrepair.
"Oh! That's the Ghost School!" Serena cheered, excitedly clenching her fists. "It's even creepier than I remember! And probably even more haunted!"
"...You sound a little too excited by that, Serena..." Amara said, edging away.
"I recall reading up some of the horror stories revolving around this academy. So many students died without explanation. And now it's rotting away. No doubt hordes of Shadows are lurking inside."
Blaine shuddered at the thought. "...Then we better not let Serena tear down the gate and break down the doors."
"Hey!" Serena said, annoyed. "I'm not that desperate! Ghost stories are just awesome. Especially when they get hilarious English dubs. I've watched this one show tons of times, like -"
Blaine, however, wasn't listening. Instead, he was looking up at the sky, and seemed very disconcerted at the sight.
"What's the matter?" asked Serena.
"Don't those clouds look really close?" He said. Amara, staring intently at the clouds, did notice they looked closer up than normal. Almost as if they were on top of a mountain. One with a high altitude, too.
"I feel like the longer we stay in this world, the more confused we get." She said, angry. "What the hell did Aeternus do to this city? And what happened to the rest of the world? This is driving me insane!"
"Lighten up, lady! Getting grumpy will just give you wrinkles!"
Everyone gasped, and quickly turned around. Standing in front of them was a brown-haired young man, wearing a purple and blue coat with a white scarf, and white gloves. Carrying a sharp spear, his genuine smile sharply contrasted with the rest of his attire.
"Who are you - oh yeah, Holy Cross..." Serena said. Somehow, she was already getting used to this world, and the danger it posed. "Let me guess. Kazuya whined about us, so they sent you to track us down?"
"That's right! He was complaining about you guys a lot! I gotta thank you, though, he's been really full of himself lately. I'm glad someone took him down a peg." The man said. When he saw Blaine, he looked surprised. "Huh? Wait, no, it can't be - who are you?!"
"The guy who's going to kick your butt. Blaine's the name." Blaine said, smug. "What's yours?"
"Blaine, huh? Oh god.." The man murmured, almost deathly afraid.
"...Cat got your tongue?" Nathan asked.
"I don't get it - forget it. I'm Richard Eden."
The man from the Holy Cross stared at the others, befuddled by them. They, in turn, were confused by his reaction. Amara couldn't quite understand why Richard was so startled by Blaine's presence. He was tall, yes, at six foot four, but someone in the Holy Cross surely dealt with scarier entities than tall people.
"Anyway, since you thrashed Kazuya, Aeternus really want us to capture you. And fast. Otherwise we're in big trouble..."
"You've shown up in front of us with a spear all alone. Think about that for a second. Isn't that trouble enough?" Nathan said, his staff at the ready.
"Touché..." Richard said, chuckling to himself. "Don't hate me for this, okay? We need more Persona users. Not just so we can all have a picnic and cook meats with Agi spells, but so we can kill Shadows and make people feel safe. You're not willing to go with me, so I'll have to bring you in myself. Here we go, Raphael!"
The entity that emerged from his body was an angel with plain brown hair and wore scarlet red armour, complete with a holy tabard and an angelic sash. Carrying a golden magic staff with a blue orb in the centre of it, it flapped it's pink energy wings that matched the hue of its skin.
"So that's why you guys are the Holy Cross. Your Personas are all angels!" Serena said, amazed.
Richard stood there, briefly silent. "Um, yeah. That wasn't obvious? If I was in the Holy Cross, I wouldn't have Satan or Lucifer."
"Don't think praying's gonna help you survive this! Get over here, Tlaloc! We've got some wings to clip!"
"Huh?" Richard shouted, but his surprised faded when he saw Tlaloc appear. "Even his Persona is... No, I can still do this! Air Brake!"
A bright flashing gale struck Amara, hurting more than a basic Garu spell. Not only that, when she tried to move, she felt sluggish.
"Huh? What happened?" she asked. It was like being hung-over, but she still had a clear mind. Richard seemed pleased by the result.
"Can't you tell? It made you slower!"
Richard struck Amara with his spear, and she was too slow to block. However, Richard was open and got shot by Blaine several times.
"Argh!" He cried. "That's not very fair! I've only got this spear!"
Blaine shrugged, uninterested in this man's complaint. "Get him, and fast!" A bolt of electricity struck Richard, immediately making him scream in pain.
"Amara, are you okay?" Serena asked. "Dia!" A healing pulse of energy entered Amara's body, but she still felt lethargic. Her sword felt so much heavier, making swinging it a chore.
Proud of his debilitating power, Raphael hit Nathan with a wind blast. Yet, with his own Persona's power over air, he shrugged the gale off.
"Uh oh...Kazuya did say there was one guy who liked wind spells. Should have remembered."
"I doubt you'll have trouble remembering this, then!"
Setanta struck Richard with his spear, causing him intense agony. At the sight of this, Amara winced. She kept expecting it to leave a gaping wound in his chest. While he still suffered pain, his vitals hadn't been damaged, at least for now.
"This sucks! I knew I should have asked for backup!"
"Something else for you to remember then. At least you're learning from this, huh?" Blaine said, and Tlaloc raised into the air. Next, he pounded Richard with the incredible strength of his hammer.
"Oh, god!" Richard said, struggling to stand up. "I'm not finished yet! Eat dirt and die, trash!"
Raphael's next attack was an earth spell, Magna, which had Nathan let out a massive yell of agony.
"Alright! I can still do this!" Richard said, rushing towards Nathan. Yet, Amara finally shrugged off the fatigue, and slashed Richard from behind with great fury.
"Playtime's over! Let's finish this!" With each of their Personas, they attacked Richard one last time, until he collapsed, dropping his spear.
"You guys are such jerks!" He lamented. "Let's call that a training session and just ignore it, huh? Pretty please?" he said, with puppy dog eyes.
"Call it whatever you like. Now leave us in peace, and let this be a warning to the Ornatu Legion!" Nathan ordered. "Get out of our sight, immediately!"
With that, Richard grabbed his spear, and fled, whimpering. Amara whistled at Nathan, impressed.
"You sure put the fear of God in him, didn't you? Still, he didn't seem like a bad guy. Just...working for bad people."
"I know. There's still too much we don't understand." Nathan said, frowning. "If only there were more traces of Aeternus left in our world. Unfortunately, we're left scrambling for answers."
"Take it easy. We're just getting started, right?" Blaine said. "If we have to beat up everyone in Aeternus to get answers, what the hell? Let's do that!"
"Sounds like a plan! I think..." Serena said. "I just wonder what the other two Holy Cross members are like. And this 'Commander' they keep talking about."
"Yeah. Kazuya said he was really tough, so we'll have to be careful of him." Amara said. "So can we get going? I don't like being in front of the same school that had someone getting strangled in the gym."
"That brings back memories," Blaine said, with a straight face. As soon as everyone gave him weird looks, he burst out laughing. "I'm kidding! No one's died in Kanaloa's schools. They just get sent to the hospital a lot. Usually, if they tried to mess with me or my buddies."
"How commendable." Nathan retorted, sarcastically.
|Outside the Farawell Shadow Development Centre|10:01 pm|
"Unbelievable! It's ten o'clock!" Nathan said, upon checking his wristwatch. "We shouldn't do this too often. Let's take tomorrow off."
"Great! Then Kyle and I can just spend the whole day on WoW!" Serena said, excited.
"Well, at least she wasn't lying about being a gamer." Blaine said to Amara, quietly. She chuckled quietly, ignoring Nathan's confused stare. "Anyway, I guess I'll just chill out at home. After all this crap, I could use a drink."
"Me too! I might call some of my college friends, and ask them to come to Saragel." Amara said. "One time I was so drunk, I couldn't remember my way home, so I walked into a convenience store and fell asleep. The weird thing was, the guy just let me sleep on the floor."
"Oh please, that's kids stuff. On my nights out, me and the guys get so drunk we can't even remember our names. I guess you'll get there one day!" Blaine said, sniggering. "Well, sounds like you girls have fun weekends planned. Guess Nathan's doing important work for the almighty Albion Inc, so we can't all have fun."
"Actually, I was planning on having a quiet day at home with my girlfriend," Nathan said, rolling his eyes. Amara could tell he did not look forward to fighting alongside Blaine. Serena just laughed, but Nathan's icy look did not soften. Blaine actually looked annoyed at Nathan's comment but didn't respond.
"Alright then! We're off home. Let's forget about the Holy Cross, even if it's just for one day." Yet, the minute the team headed towards the entrance, someone was already in front of them. A young woman, around eighteen, with radiant orange hair like the sunset. The hue of her hair and her face reminded Amara of someone, somehow. Wearing a white and blue coat, gloves and boots, she had a soft, yet strong look to her face.
"Are you in the Holy Cross?" Nathan finally asked the mysterious girl. With a gentle smile, she shook her head.
"No, not at all. I'm on your side, not theirs! Please, come with me."