Author's Note:
Sorry for the lateness of this chapter. To make up for this, though, this chapter is currently the longest one that I have written for this story. I'd like to thank you all for the support that you've shown me. I greatly appreciate it.
Comment responses:
AshCoveredWarrior: I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and I hope that you continue to enjoy it.
OhtaSuzuke: I'm not sure if Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth is going to be canon. It looks like it may just be a spin-off title. The cast of Persona 3 look the same as if from the Persona 3 game with no aging or anything from Persona 4 Arena and Suplex Hold. Anyways, thank you for supporting the story. Also don't worry about this story dying mid-way or anything, I intend to see this story through to the very end.
IarIz: Thank you for the support. As for my comment about the teacher thing and the answers, that was just something I noticed. Nothing more. Anyways, I thank you for reading my story.
Disclaimer: Persona 3 and its characters belong to Atlus. As also with the song and its lyrics.
I now give chapter seven. Enjoy!
Fear's awake
Anger beats loud
Face reality
Never be charity
The enemy you're fighting covers whole society
(Damn right)
Mommy's not here gotta fight
(All night)
Right here shadow
10 o'clock direction
Seize the moment
They destroy the nation
Your rhyme is slow-motion
Give me motivation
Freaked out now
And dead on arrival
Ch. 7
Mass Destruction
Dark Hour
"This is Tartarus-the labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour." Mitsuru simply answered. Akihiko and she were not surprised at all by the rising of Tartarus; they already knew what to expect.
Meanwhile, the junior members of S.E.E.S. looked on it in awe and fear. None of them had ever been witness to such an event. Even Yukari, who had been with S.E.E.S. longer than the other juniors, was shocked by the monstrous transformation. They stared in silence.
The school entrance of Gekkoukan High was now replaced by a huge door. Pillars were located on both sides of the huge door. In addition to the pillars, on the door itself, there were items located on it. The door had etchings of some kind all over it; these etchings looked like crystal and they seemed to stretch upwards. Next, there looked to be a huge clock which the crystalline etches from before appeared to stretch towards.
Minato and Hamuko both thought that the clock resembled the one from the Velvet Room. However, a strange blue glow was coming from it; this blue glow bathed everything in its light.
In the back of the group, alongside Minato, Junpei turned his shocked gaze away from Tartarus and looked at Mitsuru.
"A labyrinth?" He said, confused about everything going on. "What are you talking about?! And just what happened to our school?!"
The rest of the juniors looked at Mitsuru as well, hoping for something to explain this.
"Once the Dark Hour passes, everything returns to normal." She calmly responded.
Junpei scratched his head underneath his ball cap, "Ah…I guess. But still, I never knew that this was the "nest" that you guys were all talking about. I was expecting something…well…different?"
Hamuko then looked over at her senpai and asked, "But, Mitsuru-senpai, why does our school turn into a giant tower? Is there a reason that it's our school?"
Minato lifted an eyebrow. He was also curious about why Tartarus had to be their school. Surely Mitsuru-senpai would know something about this, besides she and Akihiko-senpai knew a lot more about the Shadows and this Tartarus place than them. There was no doubt that they would have an answer. But…
"Unfortunately…we don't know…" She softly said.
A flicker then came across the red-haired senior's eyes before quickly disappearing, but this was noticed by the blue-haired teen. What he had seen for a short moment was a flash of sadness, pain, and guilt.
Senpai…what…? He thought. Minato was then going to ask Mitsuru before-
"I'm sure it's complicated." Yukari suddenly blurted out. "But, who cares anyway? It's not like it would change our minds about fighting."
Hamuko looked at the light-brunette. "I guess so, but…" It was apparent that Hamuko was still curious.
Akihiko turned back and faced the juniors.
"That's why we're here. We may be able find out the reason why," He said, "Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek; so this is our first time exploring here. But, without a doubt there has to be some sort of clue in here about the Dark Hour…Doesn't that sound exciting?"
A smile appeared on the senior's face, along with the blood-thirsty look from before. However, his hopes were dashed when Mitsuru coughed into her hand. Akihiko and the rest looked at her.
"While I respect your boundless enthusiasm, Akihiko, you will not be accompanying us today. Not until that injury of yours is healed." She replied.
Akihiko looked down at his arm and gripped it. "I know. You don't have to keep reminding me." Damn, why did he have to get injured by that Shadow?
"Anyways, we shall now proceed." Mitsuru turned forwards and opened the school gate, where she began to walk forward. Her boots made wet, squelching noises as she walked through the blood underneath. The other S.E.E.S. members proceeded behind.
As they walked, thoughts and questions went through both minds of the Arisatos. But, they shook themselves out of it.
There was no room for thinking when they were just about to go fight and risk their lives. It would only distract them. Besides, when the time came, they'd deal with it. But as of now, they had too much to deal with from the mysterious boy, to Minato and Hamuko's conflicted feelings on S.E.E.S., and now this.
Whatever. All that matters is that I have to keep Hamuko safe. Minato told himself. Keep her safe. He clenched the strap of the black duffel bag as he continued to walk forward.
Meanwhile, Hamuko was having thoughts of her own. She was further ahead than her brother, walking alongside Yukari and Junpei. Her red-brown eyes looked down at the ground before her.
Still…why does our school turn into this place? Did something happen? The auburn-haired girl lifted her face up and looked at Mitsuru's back.
It's surprising that Senpai doesn't know much about this place either, considering that she and Akihiko-senpai have been doing this longer than the rest of us. Her mind then tried to think deeper on the matter; however she shook herself out of it. Mmm…Nah, I don't think so. That can't be it. Besides, Ahkihiko-senpai just said that this was their first time coming into Tartarus too, because they didn't have us around yet. Hamuko looked up at the monstrous tower before her. A combination of fear, awe, and excitement coursed through her as she stared up at Tartarus. However, this glance only lasted a few seconds before she continued to follow the rest of the group. Unaware of what was to lie before her and her brother…
-VII-
The small group walked through the school entrance and found themselves now inside of the tower. They continued to walk until they were in the dead center of the floor. Once there, the teens stopped and looked around them.
If the outside was not something to marvel at, then the inside was something to truly look at and appreciate.
Strange designs covered the hard, tile floor and all around huge, white pillars lifted up the ceiling. And right in front of the group was a large staircase that ascended up into a huge, strange looking clock-inside this contraption there looked to be a dark hallway that lead to somewhere. But what made this place impressive was the light that filtered in through the ceiling and illuminated the whole place.
Minato gently dropped the black duffel bag and stood to admire the scenery along with the others. He looked form side to side, taking in all the aforementioned formations.
So this is it, huh? This is where we're going to risk our lives. Minato thought as he continued to look at everything. However, he his thoughts were quickly disrupted by Junpei.
"Whoa…This place is just as cool on the inside." He breathlessly commented; Junpei was simply just blown away by this place. But, these enthusiastic sentiments were not shared by everyone as Yukari demonstrated.
The pink-clad brunette felt a feeling of nervousness and fear. "Still…this place is creepy." Junpei turned his face and flashed a grin.
"Come on, Yuka-tan. It ain't that bad. Besides, like I said, I got your back." Junpei reassured.
Yukari nervously fidgeted on her feet and looked down. "Oh…right."
In the middle between the two juniors, Hamuko looked at Yukari.
"It's alright, Yukari-chan, besides you've got me and Minato-nii," Hamuko spoke out, hoping to calm the girl, "That shouldn't be too bad, right?"
Yukari looked at her now. "Hm…that's true." She replied, feeling a tiny bit of relief at the thought.
"This is the entrance," Mitsuru explained, bringing on the others' attentions to her, "The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of these stairs."
Akihiko, who was next to her, began his explanation, "First, we'll have you three get a feel for this place. So, why don't you go look around for a bit?"
Yukari's eyes widened in shock, "What?! By ourselves?!"
The red-haired senior gave a small smile, "We're not asking you to go very far, and I'll be feeding you information from here."
Minato, who was now up with everyone, asked, "Senpai, how is that possible? I thought all electronic devices have already shut down by this point?"
Mitsuru looked at the group, "My Persona has the capabilities to provide support without the use of electronic devices. However, I must remain here to do so."
"So, none of you planned to come with us at the start?" Junpei questioned.
"That's right," Akihiko answered, "Which means that we're going to have to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions out on the field."
"For real…? One of us…?" Upon mention of becoming a leader, Junpei instantly perked up. His hand then shot straight up and he began to hop around in anticipation.
"Oh! Oh! Me me mememme! Pick me!"
Akihiko sighed as he saw Junpei dancing around in excitement. The senior's eyes combed through the juniors, before finally settling on the twins. His gray eyes stared at them for a few seconds-assessing them. Finally…
"You two," Akihiko said, "You'll be in charge."
Minato and Hamuko eyes widened at this sudden proclamation.
They'll be the leaders? How? They knew little to nothing of leading a team. And also, how were they even supposed to lead? Fear and uncertainty ran through both of them.
Junpei gasped at the two Arisatos, "W-Wait! These guys?! Why them?! Minato hardly even looks like a leader and Hamuko-chan's a girl."
"And what's wrong with being a girl, Junpei?" Hamuko growled, her red-brown eyes flashed dangerously.
The cap-wearer shield away in terror, realizing just what mistake he just made upon saying that. "N-Nothing! I-I just…I was…" Junpei started to panic as he tried to find a way out of answering. The cogs and wheels in his head went into overdrive as he racked his brain for a solution. "W-Well, what I meant was…Uh…" He turned his gaze back at Minato, his blue-haired friend. "H-Hey, Minato. Dude, buddy, could you help me out here?"
Minato mentally sighed. Seriously? After just doubting him being chosen for as leader, Junpei now wanted him to help? Then again…if Minato left Junpei to his sister, there would be no doubt that she'd want to beat the living daylights out of Junpei for that comment-Minato seriously did not feel like dealing with that right now.
He closed his grey eyes before opening them and looking at his senpais.
"*sigh* While I don't agree with Junpei's later point," Minato flicked a glare at Junpei's direction, "He does bring up a good point. Neither my sister nor I have any leadership skills. So is it really wise to choose us as leaders for the group?"
"But, you two HAVE fought them before…" Yukari interjected. "That has to count for something. On top of that, you both took down that huge Shadow by yourselves and saved me."
Junpei's eyes grew large and he looked at the Arisatos in disbelief. "Seriously? They've fought them before?! " He then focused on Yukari. "And what do you mean by a 'huge Shadow' and 'saving you'?"
Ignoring Junpei's onslaught of questions, Akihiko looked at the juniors. "While all of that is true, Yukari…there is another reason. You two…!"
Without hesitation, Akihiko pulled out his Evoker from its holster and placed it against his forehead.
"Can you summon your Personas without any difficulties like they can?" His hard gaze lingered on the two juniors.
Junpei nervously fidgeted around before straightening up, "Y-Yeah, of course I can!"
Yukari bit at her lower lip, and nodded, "I think so."
Without another word, Akihiko lowered his Evoker and placed it back in the holster. He once more looked at the juniors. "Remember, these are Shadows we're talking about here. Without your Persona, you're screwed."
"I-I'm aware of that!" Yukari huffed, before looking away. She knew that she had to push down her fear and deal with it. Just like Akihiko said, she would be screwed out there if she couldn't summon her Persona without hesitation.
Suddenly, she felt the Evoker feel heavy in its holster. Yukari glanced down for a moment.
Of course, it didn't help that summoning your Persona looked like…like…
"In addition to their prior experience, I believe that it would be beneficial to have two field leaders. If one is not able to act as leader, then the other can act as the active leader. " Mitsuru said, gladly interrupting Yukari's train of thought. The red-haired senior looked at out at the group. "But, as of now, Arisato-san will act as the main field leader with Arisato-chan as second-in command."
"With that said," she looked at Minato and nodded, "Arisato-san, if you may?"
The blue-haired junior looked down at the black duffel bag that he carried all this way. "Okay." He bent down and opened the zipper to the bag; his grey eyes looked up at the rest.
"What are you waiting for? Come over here." Minato said.
The juniors responded to his command and went over to where he was with the bag. Once there they rifled through it, searching for their weapon of choice.
Yukari rummaged through it first. It took a few seconds before she pulled out a bow and a quiver full of arrows. After she got it out, Yukari slipped the quiver onto her back. Next, Hamuko came forward and looked through the bag.
She too rummaged around before coming up with what she wanted. Hamuko grabbed the naginata and lifted it from the bag. Once it was free, Hamuko held it in her right hand. She stood back slightly and admired the weapon.
"I hope that I can get better at fighting with this thing," She replied. "Last time, that was just the adrenaline doing the work for me when I was fighting."
"I'm sure that you'll get better at it, Hamuko-chan." Yukari reassured.
Hamuko turned around to look at her, "Mm…I hope so." It was then that she was able to fully look at her brown-haired friend with her weapon.
"Wow, Yukari-chan. You look nice with the bow and arrow." Hamuko complimented. "I take it the archery practice comes in handy?"
Yukari nodded. "It does. But you know, I've-"
"Whoa! Sweet!"
The two girls turned their heads in the direction of the voice.
They saw Junpei holding a long katana in his hand, while in the other he held its sheath. Junpei's eyes gleamed in excitement and joy. Hamuko turned to the left and saw her brother hold a katana of his own. However, instead of merely being excited over getting such a weapon, Minato was examining the weapon. His grey eyes searched the katana's blade, its square guard, and finally its handle.
"Hmph." Minato swung the blade down. Not bad.
"Hah, hah. Yeah, I feel like a samurai with this." Junpei laughed as he swung the blade around as well.
A chuckle and a snicker could be heard from the back of the young teens.
"Well, it seems that they all seem comfortable with their weapons," Mitsuru commented upon seeing their excitement.
But…will they continue to act this way once they know what they're up against? Will they even know what to do? She thought darkly. However, the red-head pushed these negative thoughts into the back of her mind. There wasn't room for feelings regrets or self-loathing; this had to be done one way or another. Even if she might be hated or cursed later on, that was a risk that she was willing to take.
It seemed her brief moment of silence was not unnoticed and soon she felt someone approach at her side.
"You okay there, Mitsuru?"
She tilted her head slightly in her friend's direction. "Yes, I'm fine." She answered; however a slight waver was detected in her voice that told the grey-haired young man that that was not her true feelings.
He sighed as he focused his eyes back onto the younger members. "They'll be fine, Mitsuru. Have faith in them. Those two…" He flicked his gaze onto the two Arisatos. "I'm sure that they'll do well. They took down that huge Shadow with no prior experience or anything. So, I don't think that this'll be too hard." Akihiko turned his head and looked at Mitsuru again. "Besides, have I ever lied to you?"
Mitsuru folded her arms across her chest and closed her eyes. She gave a smirk. "Well, there were those times when you lied to me about going out somewhere and doing training." Akihiko winced upon hearing that. "However…"
She turned her head slightly. "I believe that you may be right."
Glad to have at least alleviated her fears a bit, Akihiko gave a small smile. Mitsuru then turned her head forward and spoke out to the juniors, "If you're all done getting prepared, I believe that now is time to commence the first operation into Tartarus."
The juniors nodded. They began to move away from the now empty black duffel bag towards Akihiko and Mitsuru. Minato trailed in the back again as he let the others go before him.
But, as he was walking…he heard something to his left. Minato turned his head slightly to see what it was.
His grey eyes widened.
A strange, glowing blue door was standing right there.
The Velvet Room? But, how? I'm not dreaming or anything. Minato thought.
He turned his face forward and called out for Hamuko, who was almost up with everyone else. He had to tell her.
"Hamuko."
"?" The young girl turned around and faced her brother. Her eyes reflected curiosity and concern over what her brother wanted. She went towards him.
"What is it, Big Bro?" Hamuko asked.
She saw her brother wordlessly jerk his head to the left. Hamuko allowed her gaze to follow the direction that he was alluding to. When she did, like Minato, her red-brown eyes widened and she gasped in surprise. Hamuko quickly faced her brother again.
"How-?" She started before Minato interrupted.
"I know. That's what I was wondering." He said. Turning his head down to his right, he placed his hand into his pants pocket. Shortly afterwards, he drew out his hand.
He was holding the Velvet key that was given to him by Igor.
Then he looked back at the blue door, before he glanced over at the others. It appeared that they didn't yet know that the two twins were not there with them. Good.
Minato looked at his sister.
"Let's see what Igor wants with us now." He replied.
Hamuko nodded. "Yeah."
The two stepped into the door's direction and stopped before it. Minato lifted the key and put it into the lock and turned. It clicked. He took the key out and grabbed the door's handle and opened it in.
"Hey, what's the matter?" A voice called out.
The two siblings found themselves unable to answer as a blue light engulfed them…
-VIII-
Familiar piano music played. And the whirring of a clock could be heard from up above.
The Arisatos were back in the Velvet Room once more. And just like before, Igor was sitting behind his desk with his hands folded before him. In the back of him, his two assistants were waiting. Upon seeing the two teens enter, both of the residents bowed.
Igor then looked up and smiled at them, "I've been waiting for you two."
He gestured to the empty seats in front of him. Minato and Hamuko took the cue and sat down.
"The time has come for you to wield your power," Igor explained. "The tower that you are about to venture into…How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist?" He chuckled.
Minato and Hamuko deadpanned. Why was it that they never seemed to get a straight answer? First, that strange boy and now Igor. Did the universe like to give out cryptic messages to them? Did the universe have something against them that it liked to drive them up the wall?
They mentally sighed. Why…?
"Ah, but regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions." Igor sighed, before he continued. "Which is why you must be aware of the nature of your power." Igor then waved his hand.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a blue card appeared. Upon closer inspection, the two were able to make out the same picture that they saw on the card that appeared to them when they joined S.E.E.S. . It had the same person carrying a bag with a dog following behind and underneath was the number 0.
"Your power is unique. It's like the number zero…It's empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities. My children, you are able to possess multiple Personas, and summon them as needed. And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they will be difficult to grasp…But, do not fear. Seize what you have earned. Your power will grow accordingly…Be sure to keep that in mind."
Igor looked up as he continued, "My spare time will soon be scarce. But, please come on your own accord. This Room can only be seen by the two of you and so it is only available to the two of you." He looked back down again at the twins. "When we meet again, I will tell you about my true role…the manner in which I can best assist you. Until then…Farewell."
The familiar sensation of leaving the Velvet Room came upon them and everything faded away to black.
-IX-
Eyes blinked, trying to adjust to the environment. It took a few seconds before the light dimmed and the two Arisatos were able to see again. Once that happened, they found themselves outside of the blue door.
"Hey, are you guys alright?"
Minato and Hamuko turned away from the door and faced a concerned Yukari. Junpei was beside and he looked concerned as well.
"Yeah, what's up? You two looked like zombies for a sec." Junpei said. The two juniors looked at them for an answer.
Minato racked his head for an explanation. He couldn't very well say that they went into a door that suddenly appeared in front of them. Especially since the said door could only be seen by his sister and him. They'd never believe. Fortunately, Hamuko was one step ahead of him.
"Really? Did we seriously look like zombies?" She asked. Hamuko poked at her face. "I feel alive though. Besides, my body is still in one piece."
Junpei gasped in shock, "Seriously? That's what you picked to dwell on! What are you, crazy or something? Don't tell me you guys dozed off! You're just like the coach that decided to fall asleep during the big championship game! C'mon, you're s'posed to be our leaders."
A hint of jealousy could be detected when he mentioned them as leaders. It seemed Junpei was still upset over the issue despite his apparent enthusiasm about Tartarus. Minato and Hamuko hoped that Junpei would let it go though. Besides, it's not like they volunteered for the job; they were just handed it.
Yukari rolled her eyes, "Cut them some slack. I can't blame them for feeling tired, I feel a little tired too." Junpei grunted, before he began to walk off to join the senpais. Yukari looked at the Arisatos. "But, if there's nothing wrong, we should get going."
They nodded.
"Yeah, I doubt Misturu-senpai and Akihiko-senpai appreciates us lingering here." Minato commented as he looked at Junpei walking. "We should head out now."
"Mhm." Yukari agreed.
They walked together as they were heading to join up with Junpei. As they walked, Minato turned his head to his sister.
"Hey." He whispered.
Hamuko looked at him. Minato nodded, indicating that she did a good job at fooling the others. Hamuko nodded back at him while flashing a smile and a wink at him.
The two, along with Yukari, caught up to Junpei and the seniors. Mitsuru folded her arms as she then addressed the two leaders.
"Are you prepared?" She asked.
The four nodded. Mitsuru closed her eyes briefly, before opening them.
"Very well." Mitsuru and Akihiko turned around. "These stairs will take you to the first floor of Tartarus. I wish you all good luck on your mission."
"Alright." Minato replied.
"Hell yeah, this is the real deal! Let's kick some ass!" Junpei yelled.
"Yeah!" Hamuko yelled too.
"Right." Yukari mumbled to herself.
Without another word, Minato first started to climb up the stairs. The rest trailed behind and they then ascended up the stairs. It did not take long to reach the top and they paused at the large clock-like structure that housed the entrance into Tartarus. The blue-haired teen looked at it before looking at the dark entryway that lay before them. Gathering his courage and steeling himself for whatever may come, Minato proceeded forward. The darkness swallowed him and soon the rest of S.E.E.S. as they trudged onwards.
-X-
Thebel
Floor 1
The four were standing in the middle of a hallway. It looked similar to a regular school hallway, but the difference was that puddles of bright, red blood decorated the black and white tiles of the floor. That and the eerie green light of the Dark Hour were present.
Hamuko looked from side to side, observing these new surroundings. "Looks like our school…but, it also looks like something from a horror film." She commented.
Yukari frowned, "I hope I don't get lost…" She clutched the bow tightly in her hand.
Meanwhile, Junpei turned his head excitedly. "So…this is it, huh? Heh, heh, this is awesome."
Minato narrowed his eyes and frowned, "It's too dark in here."
"Wait, where are the stairs from before?!" Hamuko suddenly gasped. The three turned around to look at what Hamuko was shocked over. Sure enough, the stairs that they used to reach the floor had seemingly vanished.
Junpei groaned, "Damn, now we're never gonna get out of here. We're stuck."
"Seriously?!" Yukari yelled.
The group frantically looked around, hoping to see if there was an exit out of Tartarus. Unfortunately, there was none. Before, delving into complete panic over this information, a beeping sound rang out. Yukari yelped in fright.
[Can you all hear me?] It asked.
Junpei blinked, "Whoa! Is that you, Senpai?"
"Yes, we hear you Mitsuru-senpai," Hamuko answered. "What's up?"
[Good.]Mitsuru replied, before explaining. [As I mentioned earlier, this is part of my Persona's skills. Therefore, I'll be providing audio-backup from here on out.]
[Be aware that each time you enter Tartarus, the area will change from day to day. So there is no way for certain that a particular area may remain the same. All the more reason that outside support is imperative.]
"Well, THAT makes me feel a whole lot better…" Yukari sarcastically replied.
Whether Mitsuru was able to detect Yukari's sarcasm or not, she still continued with her explanation.
[Now, based on your current location, you all can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution. Practice makes perfect.]
"Got it!" The teens responded, as they clutched their weapons in hand, ready for battle.
[One last thing before you fight, keep in mind that these are real battles that all four of you will be in. With that said, I would also like you to try and eliminate all Shadows wandering around on this floor.] Another beeping noise sounded, signaling the end of Mitsuru's transmission.
"Geez…why does she have to be like that?" Yukari mumbled.
Minato turned his back to hear her. "What, Yukari?"
"Oh," Yukari straightened up, "Uhm…nothing. It was nothing."
"Ah, okay." Deciding to let it go, he turned his face forward and stared out into the hallway. He could hear his pounding heartbeat in his ears. This was it.
"Let's go."
Minato ran forward. Hamuko followed straight after him, while Yukari and Junpei were in the rear. The group ran through the halls in search of Shadows. It didn't take long as soon Minato heard a snarl from around the corner. Mitsuru's voice rang out and told them to strike first.
As if on cue, four Maya Shadows rounded the corner and made way towards the teens. Minato ran forward and struck the Shadow that was further ahead than the rest. His katana sunk into the Shadow. The Shadow screeched as it took damage from the sword. However, this did not completely destroy the Shadow as it was able slink away to the back of its group. The rest of its brethren surged forward.
Minato stood back and assumed a battle stance.
"Everyone, get ready!" He shouted.
Hamuko, Yukari, and Junpei did as they were told and each assumed a stance around the enemy. The Shadows snarled.
Minato's eyes narrowed, "All right. Everyone, do whatever it takes to take down these Shadows. Physical attacks or using your Persona is fine with me. Just defeat them!" With that said, Minato's hand shot for his holster on his left and grabbed out his Evoker. He placed the Evoker against his head and pulled the trigger.
"ORPHEUS! BASH!"
Orpheus emerged as Minato's consciousness shattered. The Persona went for the Shadow nearest Minato and beat it down with its lyre. The Maya was the one that Minato previously injured, so when the lyre struck, the Maya vanished into nothingness.
One down. Minato noted and he focused his attention to the others.
Hamuko was slashing at one of the Shadows with her naginata, while Yukari and Junpei were working together to bring down one themselves. Looking at the third Shadow, Minato rushed over there to fight it.
-XI-
Sheesh, for such little guys they are pretty tough.
The Maya that she was up against was still standing after two slashes from her naginata. It seemed that slashing attacks alone were not sufficient to bring these things down. She made a note to tell her brother about that after this battle.
Hamuko pulled out her Evoker and placed it against her head.
"EURYDICE! AGI!"
A shot rang out and her Persona materialized above her. The golden Persona's feet burned with fire. Eurydice went for the Shadow and kicked her foot at it, causing the Shadow to burst into flames.
Hamuko smiled, proud of her first victory after that huge Shadow attack from earlier. Her red-brown eyes scanned the others to see their progress.
It looked like everyone had finished taking down the Shadows as there were none left to be seen anymore.
She heard Junpei give out a huge breath before saying, "Man, were those guys tough bastards."
"No kidding." Yukari sighed.
Hamuko breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad that so far her friends had made it out fine. She then turned her gaze towards her brother.
Minato looked fine too, considering that he took on two Shadows on his own. She saw him straighten out from his usual slouching position and then turn to face them all.
"Is everyone okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, we're good."
"Yeah."
He looked at his sister. "Hamuko?"
She nodded, "I'm fine."
Minato gave a small smile at her before his face became serious.
"Well, if everyone's alright now…Then let's keep moving." He said. The three nodded and began to walk with Minato to explore the rest of the place. But-
Hamuko suddenly froze in place. Wha-?
A blue card appeared in front of her with a picture on it. Hamuko squinted at it, trying to see what it was.
She was able to see the picture was of a dancer (?) with blue skin and hair. As soon as the card appeared, it then vanished from Hamuko's sight. However, when it vanished, Hamuko could feel something click in her brain and a boost of power flooded through her.
Huh? Did I just get a new Persona?
Hamuko stumbled forward as soon as she was able to move again, but she balanced herself out. The young girl looked up at her brother and saw that something of the same nature must have happened to him as he also stumbled like she did.
Junpei asked Minato if he was feeling okay. Minato looked at Junpei and said that he was alright, that he only took a misstep. Next he said that they should keep going and they began to walk again.
As they moved through the semi-lit halls, Hamuko recalled that she had something to tell her brother. She then towards the front and called her brother out. Minato looked at her, wondering what she wanted.
"Yeah?"
"I just remembered something," Hamuko began to explain, "During the battle, I noticed that our slashing attacks weren't doing much damage to the Shadows. But, when I used my Persona the Shadow was finished off quickly. So, I think that we should use our Personas rather than just hitting them and wasting our energy."
Shortly afterwards, Mitsuru called out that there was a group Shadows just in front of them.
"Okay, Senpai." Minato answered. He looked to the others. "Alright, instead of focusing heavily on just physical attacks, let's use our Personas. Is that fine with you guys?"
Yukari and Junpei nodded.
Taking their word for it, Minato began to go in the direction of the Shadows that Mitsuru mentioned. Sure enough there was a group of Shadows before them. The Shadows were the same as those from the last battle. Except now there were only three blue-masked Mayas.
Just as the group assembled for battle, a beeping noise was heard.
[I almost forgot to mention this, but there is another way for me to aid you in battle.] Mitsuru said. [It is possible for me to analyze your enemies; I can determine their weaknesses and strengths. Enabling for smoother battles and fewer mistakes.]
"Wow, Senpai." Hamuko said. "That's great. Would you please demonstrate that right now?"
[Certainly. Just give me a few seconds.] Mitsuru replied.
"In the meantime, let's hold them off." Minato said.
As they waited for Mitsuru's analysis, the four began to attack the Shadows. At Hamuko's suggestion, they relied on their Persona to do the job.
"Can't lose," Junpei murmured under his breath as he placed the Evoker against his head. "HERMES!"
Junpei shouted as he fired his Evoker at the side of his head.
Junpei's Persona appeared above him. His Persona's appearance looked like a machine with mechanical golden wings attached to its head, wrists, and ankles. His Persona attacked by diving and cleaving through the enemy. And just as Hamuko said, the Shadow went down quicker through the use of a Persona rather than slashing at it.
With Minato and Hamuko, they were working at defeating one of the Mayas together. The two of them moved in a synchronized pattern-one would strike first and the other would follow. The Maya did not stand a chance at this onslaught. They then summoned their respective Personas and both proceeded to light up the Shadow with their fire-completely destroying the Shadow.
Yukari, unfortunately, was having difficulty in defeating her enemy. Her Persona, Io, currently did not have any physical or elemental attacks. She could only heal, so she had to rely on her skills with the bow to attack. And while the Shadow was taking damage from her arrows, it seemed like forever to kill it.
The Shadow seemed to tire from this abuse as well, so it decided to outright go for her. The Maya rapidly slithered across the floor towards Yukari.
Yukari panicked; there was no way she could kill it in time before it hit her. But, her situation was not completely unnoticed.
After Minato and Hamuko were done with the Shadow, they looked at everyone to see their progress. The two noticed Yukari's struggle and so decided to her aid.
A moment ago, Mitsuru was able to determine that their enemies were weak against Agi attacks. But there was no time to pull out their Evokers and kill the Shadow with it advancing so quickly at Yukari. They had to kill it with their weapons.
Minato was faster than his sister so he was able to reach Yukari in time. He swung his katana downward, slicing through the Shadow like nothing. The Shadow dissipated instantly.
Minato turned around and faced Yukari. "You okay?"
Yukari stood there dazed before realizing that Minato was talking to her.
"Oh," she began, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Mm," the young male responded before asking, "But, you know you could've used your Persona. It would've ended the battle a lot quicker." Minato tilted his head a little to the side.
Yukari looked down. "Sorry about that. I forgot to mention that my Persona only has healing abilities at the moment. So it's not effective in physical attacks." She apologized. However, Minato shook his head.
"Nah, you don't have to apologize," He said. "The blame's on me for not considering about taking note of our Persona's strengths and weaknesses. It was stupid of me not to think of that considering that I'm-Ow!" Out of nowhere, Minato felt a blow to the head.
The naginata remained above his head, looming for another strike. Minato turned towards his sister, while at the same time rubbing his head. Yukari also looked towards Hamuko as well, wondering why she hit her brother.
"Hey, what was that for-?"
He was whacked on the head again.
"Ow! Hamuko, what's your…?!"
"Stop it…" Hamuko softly said. "Don't you dare think that you're a bad leader 'cause you're not. In fact I'd say that you're doing a great job considering this is your…our first time in having such a job. This is why we never thought that Yukari-chan had a healing Persona because we never had to use it so far."
"So stop with that or else I'll use my naginata to whack that thought out of you!"
"Is that even a good idea to keep whacking me in the head when I'm needed right now." Minato started before Hamuko interrupted him.
"You heard Senpai, if you're out of commission I could lead next. So it doesn't matter, but what does matter is that you've got stop acting this way."
"She is right, Minato-kun. You haven't been doing that bad of a job so far. None of us has gotten injured or anything and we are making good progress." Yukari added.
"See, even Yukari-chan agrees." Hamuko insisted. "How 'bout you Junpei?" The young girl turned her head to look at Junpei. However, it looked like Junpei wasn't even listening to what was being said. He was just looking at his Evoker, until he eventually registered that he was being talked to.
Junpei lifted his head and looked at them, "Huh? What?"
The three had to resist the urge to roll their eyes at Junpei's obliviousness. Yet, it was refreshing and surprising that he didn't seem to actively protest against the twins' leadership at the moment. Wanting to keep it this way, Hamuko decided against asking again. She didn't want to incite Junpei's jealousy at the moment.
"Nothing, Junpei," Hamuko replied. She looked back at Minato. "Well, anyways, there you have it. Soooo…what will you not be doing anymore?"
She saw her brother look off to the side.
Hamuko knew what her brother was thinking. She had seen it all through their fighting even though her brother was doing his damndest to hide it and act confident.
But…he was scared.
No doubt in the back of his mind, he's probably worrying over her and the others. That and also about the responsibilities that were given to him as leader. Yet, Hamuko knew that he would never voice these thoughts out loud nor show such emotions to everyone. She sighed.
Why does he have to be so difficult?
Nonetheless, she hoped that Yukari and her encouragement could assuage these fears even if a little.
Minato turned back and looked at the girls.
"Okay, okay. I get it." He answered, before looking up. "Anyways, I think we should get a move on and finish up. Mitsuru-senpai?"
Mitsuru's voice then came back up. [Yes?]
"How many Shadows are there left on this floor? Are there still a lot?" Minato asked.
[No. I believe that there is only one more group of Shadows roaming around the area.] She said.[You all are doing very good so far. Also, there is something that I should mention. After I provide an analysis over a Shadows' weakness, it is possible to hit them one right after the other and then perform an attack that will wipe them all out. Try that with this last group.]
"Thanks, Senpai." Minato said. The transmission ended once again, leaving the juniors alone. The blue-haired teen looked at the others. "Alright, let's finish up with those Shadows, so we can head back."
Everyone nodded and they then followed their leader through the school halls. The group continued to walk around before they spotted the last group among some stairs. The Shadows did not seem to notice the teens as they drew close, which gave an advantage for the S.E.E.S. members.
With the silent stealth of a predator, the group was able to surprise the Shadows before they could react.
The battle did not last long with the knowledge of the Maya's weaknesses. Minato and Hamuko commanded their Personas to use Agi on the three enemies present. The result was instantaneous as the Shadows quickly deflated. With victory in sight, Minato gave the command.
"Let's go All-Out!"
Everyone then rushed at the Shadows and attacked with all their might.
-XII-
"Whew, man that took a lot out of me." Junpei whistled as he slumped against a wall.
"I know. But, I have to say Junpei I didn't think that you'd be much help at the beginning. Looks like you've proven me wrong about that." Yukari grinned as she looked at her friend.
Junpei looked up from the ground and smirked. "Thanks, Yuka-tan. You did awesome too." He then looked at Minato and Hamuko, who were also slumped against a wall opposite of him.
"The same goes for you too, Hamuko-chan." Junpei called out. " You and Minato did a kick-ass job!"
Minato and Hamuko chuckled at Junpei's compliment, nevertheless they both appreciated the sentiment behind it. It felt nice.
"Thanks, Junpei." Hamuko returned in kind. Minato also voiced his thanks as well.
Suddenly, Mitsuru's voice came back on through the transmission. However, she seemed to be talking to herself about something rather than directly addressing the group.
[That's odd…Normally, there would be more Shadows on the prowl…] The senior mumbled.
"Senpai?" Hamuko tentatively asked.
Upon hearing Hamuko's voice, Mitsuru snapped out of her reverie and focused her attention. [Ah, forgive me. I did not mean to ramble. Anyways, it seems that all the Shadows on this floor have been eliminated and the four of you have gained some experience in battle. Let's return to the dorm for today.]
[Though, the next time that you explore Tartarus, keep in mind that the further we advance the Shadows will get progressively stronger. So there will be times where escape from battle will be impossible due to this reason. Be prepared for when those times come.]
"Got it, Mitsuru-senpai." Minato said. "But…" He looked around quickly before saying, "…How exactly do we get out of here? The stairs that lead us here are gone."
[There is an access point on the floor which will enable you all to return to the entrance.] Mitsuru answered. [Since you've already eliminated the enemy, why don't you all split up and look for it? However, use this command wisely as when you split up, you will be susceptible towards getting attacked by the enemy.]
"Understood," Minato nodded. He faced the other three and issued out the order to split up.
"Me and Junpei are going to head off for the left. Hamuko, you and Yukari go to the right. If any of you see anything, tell it to me when we meet up at the access point."
The girls nodded. They then started to go down the hall before they made a turn for the right. Leaving the two boys standing there.
Minato and Junpei looked at each other and nodded. They too went down the hall, but they instead went to the left.
-XIII-
Yukari and Hamuko wandered around the green-lit halls looking for the access point. As the wandered, the two girls made some talk between them and seemed being around each other; this greatly lessened the fear that the two were experiencing as they were left on their own. This relaxed feeling would have lasted longer when Hamuko immediately stopped in her tracks and pressed herself to the wall's edge.
Yukari noticed her friend's (Friend…) behavior and pressed herself against the wall. Turning her head to Hamuko, she then whispered, "What is it?"
In the meantime, Hamuko looked from the wall's corner and out into the hall.
"Shadows," Hamuko whispered, "Three of them."
"Should we go at them?" Yukari asked.
"Yeah…I think we can handle them fine. Besides, I think we have to anyways because it looks like they're guarding the access point."
True to her observation, the three blue-masked Shadows were in front of an orange, glowing device. Hamuko assumed that this device was probably the access point. The young girl gripped the naginata and looked to Yukari.
"Okay, on the count of three we go and rush at the Shadows, ready?" She said. The archer nodded to affirm that she was prepared. Hamuko nodded, before turning her attention back on the Shadows.
She began the countdown.
"One…two…three!"
The girls ran rounded the corner and quickly set about the business on eliminating these last Shadows.
Hamuko repeatedly summoned Eurydice to have her fire Agi blasts to weaken the Shadows. The Mayas deflated like before, leaving them vulnerable to attack, which Yukari and Hamuko were more than happy to oblige in use of this advantage. They used an All-Out attack just like last time to finally defeat the Shadows.
However, it looked like one of them refused to die like the rest as it was able to survive the massacre. Angry, the Shadow went for Hamuko.
Hamuko was about to summon Eurydice for Agi again, but an unknown presence tugged at Hamuko's mind. The tug grew stronger and stronger, prompting Hamuko to then call out to this presence.
"Asparas!"
Instead of Eurydice, the blue-skinned dancer from the card that appeared before her was now floating above her. The dancer then blew ice at the Shadow, freezing the creature. The Persona vanished afterwards.
Watching this spectacle, Yukari couldn't help but feel awestruck. She looked at Hamuko.
She can summon another Persona?! Wait…does that mean that…? The brunette's thinking was halted as she noticed the Shadow still up and about. It screeched in fury before slithering over to strike at Hamuko with claws outstretched. Hamuko didn't have a chance to counterattack as summoning the Persona left her drained.
The Shadow's claw raked at Hamuko's right leg, causing the girl to fall down.
"Ah!" She screamed.
"Hamuko!" Yukari shouted.
The brunette took out and placed her Evoker against her temple. Beads of sweat rolled down her face as she held it. I won't let anyone get hurt trying to protect me again! Not again! Please!
"IO!" She shouted in desperation. Yukari pulled the trigger.
Yukari's Persona manifested above her; its appearance was that of a woman dressed in pink who was chained to a bull's skull. Her Persona raised her arms up and surprisingly fired a blast of air at the Shadow before it finished off Hamuko. The Shadow immediately dissipated as soon as the attack made contact.
When that was over, despite the resulting fatigue, Yukari ran over to her downed friend.
"Hamuko!"
The brunette went to Hamuko's side and crouched down. When she was at Hamuko's level, Yukari was able to see the damage done by the Shadow.
Bright red blood leaked out from in between Hamuko's hands as she clutched at the wound, dripping down her leg. Hamuko hissed in pain.
"Jerk…" She snarled, before looking at Yukari next to her. "Looks like you finally can attack with your Persona, huh, Yukari?"
Yukari nodded. Indeed she did. Now her Persona was able to use Garu skills instead of now solely being healing powers. That was good. But anyways…
She looked at the injured leg, before looking up at Hamuko's pain-filled face.
"Hamuko-chan…let go of your leg. I'm going to use my Persona to heal you, okay?" She said. "It'll heal right up."
The auburn-haired girl merely shook her head in understanding. Next, she released her hold on her leg-fully showing the wound. The wound consisted of four long slashes each dripping with blood. But, Hamuko's hands smudged the blood everywhere making it look messy.
Upon seeing the wound, Yukari then placed her Evoker against her head and called forth Io.
Once more the Persona floated above her head. But, instead of shooting out a blast of wind, the Persona raised its hands and a green light enveloped Hamuko. Then a wondrous sight happened.
As the light flowed, the skin of Hamuko's skin began to mend itself and slide back together. This effect gave off a tingling feeling as the torn flesh melded together. Hamuko couldn't help but giggle at this strange feeling. Then within a few seconds, the wound was completely healed, leaving no scarring behind or any indication that there was ever an injury. It was good as new.
The Persona vanished back as soon as the task was completed.
Hamuko then picked up her fallen weapon and stood up. No pain shot out from her leg.
"Nice." She said. "Thanks, Yukari. I owe you." She then stretched out her left hand towards the pink-clad brunette, who accepted it.
"No problem," she said as she rose up from the floor. "It was the least I could do for the night." Her brown eyes then flicked to the access point at the end of the hall.
"Let's head for the access point," She then mentioned.
"Mmhm." Hamuko said.
The two went down the hallway and stopped before the device. Hamuko pressed a button on it which activated it.
"Okay. Time to tell Mitsuru-senpai so she could tell the guys," Hamuko said. "Senpai?"
[Yes?]
"Could you please tell my brother and Junpei that we've found the access point?" She asked.
[Yes, I will inform them immediately.] Mitsuru responded.
"Thank you." Hamuko said.
When the transmission ended, the two slumped against the walls. Exhaustion seemed to now overtake them. A brief silence passed between them, but it was soon broken as Hamuko asked a request of Yukari.
"Yukari-chan?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you please not say anything to my brother about me getting hurt? I don't want him to worry even more about me. He already has enough to worry about." She muttered.
"But, what about the blood?"
"I'll just say that I accidentally tripped and fell into one of those blood puddles." She explained. "So, please could you?"
Yukari looked up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes. Yukari, as mentioned before, hated to lie. Now she had to do it again.
But, she could understand the reason for it. She knew of Minato's over-protectiveness of Hamuko. Considering how he acted before over his leadership abilities, the news of his sister's injury would only trouble and worry him further.
She sighed.
"Alright." Yukari reluctantly gave in.
"Thanks."
-XIV-
Meanwhile…
"Another dead end." Minato stated.
"'The hell?! What's up with all these dead ends here?" Junpei said.
The two boys, as soon as they left their starting point, kept on running into nothing but dead ends-frustrating the two to no end. Also, they happened to run into a staircase that ascended upwards. Minato contemplated about going up, but Mitsuru's voice warned them that they were only to stay on their floor. So they remained.
Minato sighed. The only good thing that came out of their pointless wandering was that they would come upon sliver cases at the ends of the hallways.
The silver cases were filled with either yen or supplies such as medicine. With the yen, it was split by the two of them. While with items such as medicine, Minato pocketed them himself for future use.
"Hey, dude." Junpei asked as they were moving from the dead end. "Do you think that the girls found it yet?"
"Probably." Minato said. "At the rate we're going, I wouldn't be surprised."
They continued to walk, but suddenly a rustling sound was heard. It was coming from behind. Minato turned and saw a Shadow slithering towards them.
I thought Senpai said that we killed them all on this floor. His grey eyes widened as the Shadow scurried closer. It was going for Junpei.
Minato pulled his katana from the sheath secure on his waist and grabbed his Evoker.
"Junpei! Watch out!"
The cap-wearing junior looked at him, before turning his head back to see the commotion.
"Shit!" He cursed and dodged out of the way just as the Shadow rushed past.
The Maya slithered at full speed. Due to its fast movement, Minato was unable to follow it. This allowed the Shadow to ram him, causing Minato to fall and drop his Evoker.
"Gh!" He picked himself up from the floor, but the Shadow gave him no time to recover and was already on top of him.
"Agi!"
The Shadow instantly caught on fire. It screeched in pain before it dissolved soon after. Minato got up to his feet and looked at where the Shadow had once been before turning his grey eyes up at Junpei.
Junpei panted, his forehead beaded in sweat. The Evoker was still pushed against the side of his head even though the Persona was already summoned. Minato saw a huge grin make its way up on the junior's face.
"Hah, hah!" Junpei started to laugh. "Hah, hah. This is what I'm talking about!" He pulled his Evoker away and let it drop to his side.
Minato was impressed. "Cool, Junpei. Didn't know that you could use Agi too."
"I couldn't." Junpei said. "But, I'm sure glad that I can now. Though you owe me for saving you."
The blue-haired teen chuckled. "We'll see Junpei."
All of a sudden, Minato felt a presence tug at the back of his mind. Wanting to be summoned. Minato looked down at his Evoker.
Hm…
He placed the Evoker to the side of his head once more and pulled the trigger. Junpei became startled at Minato's sudden use of the Evoker.
"Minato, what are you-?" However, he stopped short of finishing as he looked at what was happening.
Instead of Minato's usual Persona, there now appeared something different.
A small figure of a girl was seen. The girl had wings on her back and she was dressed in skimpy-looking clothes. The girl waved her hand and out came a green light which surrounded Minato. She vanished after the light faded away quickly.
Junpei's jaw gaped open as he looked at Minato in disbelief.
Minato looked at him return and shrugged.
"What?"
"Dude, you…and then…why? Your Persona….it…it?" Junpei babbled.
As Junpei continued to babble on, Mitsuru's voice came back on.
[Arisato, your sister and Takeba have found the access point. They are not far from your current location. Just take a double-back and head towards the right.] She relayed, before ending.
"Got it, Senpai." He said as he flashed a thumbs-up. Minato looked at Junpei, who now stopped with his wild babbling.
"Let's go."
Junpei opened his mouth to say something, but thought against it and shut it.
"'Kay." He agreed.
The two then made their way to the access point.
-XV-
The girls remained sitting against the walls as they waited for their companions. Hamuko let out a puff of breath.
"Where are they? Don't tell me that they got lost." She said out loud.
Just as she said that, the two boys rounded the corner and entered the girls' field of sight.
"Speak of the devil." Yukari muttered.
Minato and Junpei went down the hall and joined up with Yukari and Hamuko. The girls got on their feet and faced them. Both of the boys looked fatigued, something that the girls could relate to as they were also feeling tired.
"Sorry, if we took so long," Minato apologized. "It was hard trying to find which right we had to take in order to get here."
"That's fine. For awhile, we thought that you guys were lost." Hamuko said. "Glad that you found us."
"Mhm. We should hurry on back now-" Minato froze before he finished. He noticed the dry, smudged blood on Hamuko's leg. His grey eyes widened.
The girls picked up his expression. Junpei, on the other hand, was confused by the sudden silence.
"Huh? What's the-"
"What happened to your leg?" Minato cut in.
Junpei then looked down at Hamuko's leg and his eyes also widened as well.
Hamuko shuffled nervously on her feet.
"Oh, that. Yeah, I accidentally tripped and fell into one of those blood puddles around here." Hamuko explained.
"Then why is it only on one leg?" Minato lifted an eyebrow.
Yukari came to Hamuko's defense, "Hamuko-chan caught herself before she completely fell into the blood. So she fell on one leg instead. That's why there is also dry blood on her hands when she did that."
Minato stared intently at his sister's leg. It seemed that what the two said seemed to fit. There were no gashes or cuts on the leg, just dry blood. He internally sighed in relief and berated himself for doubting.
He knew he was acting ridiculous about this whole thing, but it was just that he worried for his sister. He didn't want to see her in pain or injured when it can easily be avoided. And as he promised and swore before, he simply wanted her safe.
Yet…I can't smother her either. She's not a little kid anymore. And I know that she'd hate me if I thought of her as such. Minato thought. Maybe, I was too extreme in that I'll let nothing ever happen to her. Alright…
Minato closed his eyes and nodded.
"Okay. That's good that that was just it." He accepted, before turning his head back to the strange device. "So I take it that's the access point?"
Everyone turned to look at the device.
"That's what I think." Hamuko mumbled.
Minato began to walk towards the device and the others followed.
Once they got close to it, a green light surrounded them all.
-XVI-
A bright green light shone through the lobby, temporarily blinding the seniors before subsiding. Once the light was gone, it revealed the four juniors.
"Welcome back," Mitsuru greeted. "It's nice to see you all okay. So, how was it?"
"Not too bad like I thought," Minato answered, before yawning. "Except I feel tired now."
"Same here." Hamuko commented.
Junpei grinned, "Still, I never knew I had that kinda power in me. We kicked some ass!" He then took off his hat and scratched at his head and yawned. "But damn, I feel beat too…"
"I should think so Junpei. You bounced around like a little kid in the beginning." Yukari remarked.
Junpei shot an annoyed glare at her. "Yeah, well…You look pretty tired yourself, Yuka-tan."
"I'm still trying to catch my breath actually…"
Mitsuru crossed her arms, "That's the effect of the Dark Hour; you'll become fatigued more easily. However, you will adapt so don't worry. But…I am surprised. You all did much better than I expected. Especially you two." She looked at Minato and Hamuko.
"I've never heard about someone possessing the ability to have or control multiple Personas, much less knowing that the both of you possess such power at your disposal." The rest of S.E.E.S. looked at the two in shock, while Mitsuru calmly continued. "Nevertheless, don't push yourselves too hard. Tell us if you are experiencing any difficulties. An out of control Persona is not a joke and having more than one could potentially cause harm."
She then looked at Akihiko and smirked, "At this rate, I believe that they'll surpass you in no time, Akihiko."
Akihiko rolled his eyes and snorted, "We'll see about that."
The S.E.E.S. members joked about that for awhile, before Hamuko suddenly called to Mitsuru.
"Hey, Senpai. How come there were still Shadows even though you said that we killed them all?"
The others ceased their laughing and looked to the red-haired woman.
Mitsuru sighed. "I greatly apologize for that. I forgot the extra equipment to help in boosting my Persona's ability to detect enemies. Forgive me."
Hamuko said, "That's fine, Senpai. We were able to finish them off without a hitch."
Mitsuru nodded her appreciation. "Thank you. But, I think we should now head back to the dorm and rest up. There is school tomorrow."
Everyone groaned while Akihiko and Mitsuru chuckled at their simultaneous reaction.
Shortly after, they packed up their equipment and started to walk out. But as Minato and Hamuko started, the same voice from before boomed out that their Fool link had gotten stronger and they became filled with energy like before too. The moment lasted a short while, before time resumed again.
However, this time got Minato to contemplate about the day.
The mission succeeded and everyone made it all right. And from what he knew, Junpei and Yukari were beginning to unlock the full potential of their Persona's powers. While with him and Hamuko, it appeared that they had the ability to have more than one Persona, just as Igor foretold.
Also, it seemed that despite his initial hesitation, Minato did well as field leader. He was able to command his team and defeat the Shadows.
Huh, a team…Never thought I'd actually be a part of one, much less leading one. He mused. While, he still retained some reservations about this whole thing, he had to admit that his reluctance had lessened. Maybe because it was with these people that he seemed to not mind. Odd...He never thought that in such a short amount of time, he would ever think of these people as being close to him. He glanced at his fellow juniors as they walked. Minato felt the same sense of protectiveness that only he used to have for Hamuko, but it was for Yukari and Junpei.
I wonder...
Meanwhile, Hamuko was also thinking to herself.
She noticed how her brother's attitude seemed to change during this mission. Which was a huge surprise considering his strong opposition to assisting in the first place. However, she picked up on how he seemed to be more accepting of the situation; something that Hamuko desperately wanted him to do. Hamuko wanted her brother to slowly open up and again be the person he once was.
While their thoughts differed, one thing was known for sure: the stirrings of hope and joy resounded in both of the twins. For these feelings were something that they haven't felt in such a long time.
And also... for the first time ever…they felt like they belonged…
Round up around
Spit out all over
Rhyme like a rolling stone
Come in the crowd
Watch out the moon
They diss you loud
Guess what this sound
It bombs whole ground
So round up
Don't ease your pace
Cuz enemy is brutal
Moment of truth
There ain't no truce
You're the only one
One world
One love
But the battle goes on
Shadows of mass destruction
A/N:
- I have to say that this chapter was a bit difficult to write as I had to bypass most of the tutorial talk and pick out what bits of information actually contributed to the forwarding of the story. Despite this complaint, I'm satisfied with this chapter's turn-out. With Minato and Hamuko both being in the position of field leader, this aspect will be further fleshed out in later Tartarus chapters. Especially when there will be a Full Moon operation.
- Unfortunately, I don't think that I'll have the time right now to write a full-fledged chapter for this story this month. However, I will focus and post up some drabbles for the drabble collection Memoriae in the meantime.
- Anyways, please review, fave/follow, or give feedback. Very much appreciated and I thank you guys for the support for this story and for reading this chapter.