/clears throat
Life sucked for a while, but I trucked through and finally, finally got this finished. Hopefully, the final chapter will take significantly less time.
Thanks for all your patience. Please enjoy.
The trip back to the twelfth floor was as short as Takeba had promised it would be. After the visit to the Velvet Room, Akira and Souji had wrangled their teams. Lavenza had offered her assistance in replenishing their stamina, and Akira was relieved to note that it had helped his team's energy levels immensely. It was one large, very refreshed group that convened back on the twelfth floor.
"Do you think we'll be fighting Ryoji again?" Akira asked Souji and Takeba, as they gathered their weapons and readied themselves.
"...probably," Takeba said. "It's not likely he'll back off so easily."
"Let's go, then," Akira said. "Souji-san?"
"I'll take Naoto, Yosuke, and Yukari with me. Pick three and go around the other way."
Akira nodded, motioning Sanada, Makoto, and Morgana to follow him. Once they got to the room, Souji's plan was much the same as the previous assault. Once they got to their destination, they would split up and come at Ryoji from two sides. By dividing his attention like that, they would be able to lessen the chance that they'd all be wiped out in one blow. A risky strategy, but it was a risky fight.
"Joker," Morgana said as they ran. "I sense a treasure. My senses have been off for a while now, but I'm sure of it. It's on the next floor."
"Treasure?" Sanada asked.
"So this is a heist after all," Makoto commented.
Sanada frowned. "Wait—you guys told us a bit about your MO. You can't mean to—"
"We'll do whatever we have to," Akira muttered.
"It won't hurt him," Makoto assured.
"No, but it'll change him."
"It'll remove his distorted thoughts. We're helping him," Morgana countered.
"Maybe in your mind..." Sanada said.
The speaker in his ear crackled, then came to life with Souji's voice, "Joker, come here."
Leaving the others to their debate, Akira hurried ahead. "What is it?" he asked, falling into step beside Souji.
"We're just about there. You guys ready? If you need more time, now is your last chance."
Glancing back at his group, Akira nodded once. "We should be."
"Let's go then."
The room was much as they had left it, complete with Ryoji standing in its centre, unmoving. Akira reached for his weapon, but the Shadow made no attempt to attack them, he simply waited in silence. Souji stepped forward. Takeba and Kirijo followed.
"Ryoji."
"Seta." Ryoji's gaze flickered to Akira, then back to Souj. "I see you figured it out."
"We did," Akira said. "Now, are you going to honour your promise?"
"Promise? I don't recall making a promise."
"We all know the implications, Ryoji. You said you would consider stepping aside if we found the truth, and we did," Souji pressed, "so either join us, get out of our way, or—" The threat was clear.
Ryoji strode over, straining slightly to meet Souji's gaze. "Fine. I can't betray him, but...I'll let you pass. Good luck."
It felt...too easy, Akira noted as Ryoji disappeared into the darkness. Turning to Souji, he said as much.
"We got a lucky break. This isn't going to be easy, Joker. Ryoji is nothing on what we might still face."
"Come on!" Morgana yelled, bounding over to them and jumping up. "Let's go get that treasure and put an end to this."
Following Morgana, they made their way quickly to the thirteenth floor. They burst through the door—and paused. Unlike the previous floors, this one had taken them to something resembling the outdoors, like...the top floor of a tall building. It appeared to be a single room, void of any other pathways, aside from the staircase they had emerged from, and any furniture.
Their target stood alone at the edge of the roof, leaning over the edge with elbows resting against the guard rail. He didn't even turn to look at them.
"Joker, look!"
Following Morgana's gesture, Akira nodded briefly in acknowledgement. Resting on the guard next to Arisato's elbow was a glowing form that could only be the Treasure.
"Think you can grab it?" he whispered to Morgana.
The cat laughed smugly. "Who do you think you're talking to, Joker?"
"Go on, then. We'll cover for you."
While Morgana scampered off, Akira followed Souji.
"Minato?" Takeba said softly. "It...is you, isn't it?"
Probably a shadow, Akira noted. The real person was...well, probably elsewhere.
"It's me, Yukari," Arisato finally responded, not turning to face them. "And you can tell your cat to leave that alone."
Akira frowned, gaze flickering to where Morgana had frozen, mid-step. Nodding once, to call Morgana off, he turned to look at Souji.
"Good," Arisato said. "Now you should all just leave."
"Why, Minato?" Souji asked softly. "We're your friends."
"I know, but you can't help—not with this. Just like none of you helped before."
"Like we—the hell is that supposed to mean?" Junpei snapped.
"I think you know," Minato said softly.
"No, I don't think we do. The hell's gotten into you, man? You're actin' all...weird," Junpei muttered.
"What's gotten into me? Take a look at yourselves, coming here with a hero complex, thinking you can save the world—again—when it wasn't even you who saved it in the first place!" Minato replied, voice steadily rising into a shout. "Just take your new friends and...go away. I'll take care of this myself."
"Hero complex?" Ryoji yelled right back. "You're the one with a god complex! The hell makes you so special?"
"Careful," Souji whispered, but Akira didn't need the warning to move, catching Ryoji's arm before his friend could lunge forward.
"Don't. Let's stay out of this for now. There's enough hot blood without us getting involved."
Ryoji wrenched his arm away, then sighed and nodded once. Satisfied, Akira returned the gesture, then glanced back at Souji.
"Joker!" Morgana's voice hissed in his ear.
"I know," he replied to Morgana's warning. Things were clearly getting tenser by the moment. Junpei was all but bristling, Takeba was clearly torn between yelling and placating, and the rest of the group was little better. Only a few cooler heads, like Shirogane and Souji, seemed to have the presence of mind to really analyse the situation.
As he watched, Minato reached towards what was undoubtedly the treasure. The shimmering began to fade.
"Mona."
"Joker?"
"What happens if that isn't a shadow?"
"I...don't know."
"Can a dead man have a shadow?"
"No more than he can come back to life," Morgana countered.
"And the treasure?"
"Probably real too."
Minato's hand closed over the Evoker.
"This is not going to be good," Souji said softly.
Akira was inclined to agree.
Souji and Akira had prepped their battle strategy, with a great deal of help from Fuuka, ahead of time, as well as drilled their teammates on it. At the nod from Souji, everyone jumped into action.
They had broken the group down into five teams, each with their respective leaders. Naoto and Aigis led their teams of Yusuke, Akihiko, and Yukari; and Yukiko, Chie, and Ann, respectively, around behind Minato. Futaba joined them as acting support. Meanwhile, Mitsuru's and Ken's teams of Morgana, Ryuji, and Junpei; and Kanji, Teddie, and Haru, respectively, stayed with Rise at the front.
Lastly was Akira's own unit, containing himself, Souji, Makoto, and Yosuke. They hung back for the moment, waiting on word from the other units. A little ways off, Fuuka had entered her persona, and kept her focus on the battle, where Kujikawa and Futaba were undoubtedly keeping her well-informed.
"Leader," Fuuka's voice crackled over the earpiece, addressing Souji. Akira listened intently anyway, "something doesn't feel right."
Souji's voice came a moment later, sounding in both of Akira's ears; one over the headset, the other because they were standing side-by-side, "How so?"
"He's stronger than this. It's too...easy," she replied.
A quick glance at the battlefield revealed that she was right. Their four teams were handling the battle with a brutal efficiency, working under the guidance of Kujikawa and Futaba. They worked like a smoothly-running machine, with one team jumping onto the offensive, one team focussed on distraction, one team doing preparatory work, and the final team resting. They rotated through, keeping out of one another's way, and protecting each other at the same time.
"Maybe because he's outnumbered sixteen-to-one," Akira countered, jumping into the conversation. That was generous, too, because it ignored his own team and the navigators. Really, it was twenty-three-to-one.
"You don't know him, Joker," Fuuka's voice said quietly.
"Then let me try. Souji-san? Makoto?"
"Hey, man, I don't think that's a good idea!" Yosuke protested, moving towards him. "Partner?"
"Yosuke's right, Joker. Our job is support. We need to stay back until someone needs help," Souji said reasonably.
Hesitating, Akira nodded. They knew more than he did, and if they thought that they should stick to the plan, he agreed. Really, he did. Souji knew his stuff.
"So, what are you worried about?" Akira tried instead, speaking into the headset. Of the five of them, she knew him best.
"He just...he's stronger than this. Or...he used to be."
"He's really outnumbered," Makoto pointed out reasonably. "Joker is strong, but I wouldn't expect him to handle this well, either. It's too much."
And it was. Under the onslaught of sixteen people, Minato was forced to fight a purely defensive battle. He had pulled out the persona Yoshitsune, and was playing defensive game of making it next to impossible to hit him. He kept buffing his own agility, and between that, Ali Dance, and Yoshitsune's numerous immunities, getting a hit off was incredibly difficult. Despite the evasion, however, he had little time to actually counterattack .
"No—it's not—you don't understand! This is nothing! He can—!" she said, voice a touch frantic.
"Shh, calm down," Akira said soothingly. "It's okay. Whatever it is, we're all here to face it together. We can do this." They did, after all, outnumber him by a significant margin.
"Are you sure, Joker? He hasn't..."
"Yes. We haven't failed, yet. We'll win, and we'll save him."
Before they could say more, a flash of light drew their attention back to Minato. He stood at-ease, a large, white persona, one that looked strangely akin to him but wielding a string of coffins, hovering behind him.
"Messiah," Fuuka said with urgency, immediately going into details for Futaba and Kujikawa to relay to their team leaders.
"He's a World Class persona," Souji warned, expression grim. "Looks like the gloves are coming off. Do you have one?"
Akira shook his head. He had only just awakened that confidant, and he'd never seen a persona from it. Until now, anyway.
"Right. Well, they're more powerful than most, but you should be fine. Just give me support. I'm going to go counter that one."
Curious, Akira drew his weapon and followed.
"Hey, Minato!" When the teen's gaze drifted to them, Souji smirked. "You're not the only one who can do that. Izanagi-no-Okami!"
It was another World persona, of that Akira was certain. For an instant, two would-be gods clashed, and then both faded from view.
"Nice try, Souji, but you'll have to try harder than that." Minato twirled his gun, lifted it to his head...and pulled the trigger.
And then everything happened at once.
Minato's head rocked sideways, flopping as though his neck were broken.
Two—not one, but two—hazy figures ripped from Minato.
Fuuka's voice ripped through his ear, screaming an incomprehensible warning of pure panic.
The room lit up like the outer layer of the sun's plasma.
Akira heard a voice, probably his own, shrieking Futaba's name.
Screaming.
The light closed in.
Darkness.
Everything hurt, that as the first thought that came to mind as Akira's brain tried to make sense of what had just happened. On shaking limbs, he clambered back to his feet.
"The fuck was that?" Yosuke exploded, kneeling beside Souji and tugging his friend up.
"Armageddon," Fuuka's voice was shaking—and goodness, but was she actually crying? "My gosh—he—he's actually—he's really trying to kill us!"
Akira rushed over to help Yosuke with Souji, who had been closer to the blast. Taking his other side, he glanced at the older man. "Souji—?"
"Never—uh—ah!—um, seen that—never seen—not befooore! Shit! Fuck. That stings."
"Joker! Good, you're okay. I—I tried." Even Futaba sounded shaky. "I tried to get the barrier up, I thought I did—but damn."
"It's okay, Oracle," he assured, though it felt anything but. "I saw it go up. That...whatever that thing was, it hit right through it, somehow."
"No, it didn't," Fuuka said quietly, her voice still shaky and hoarse. "If it had, we'd all be dead. Your barrier blocked most of it. You saved us, Oracle." Somehow, the reassurance sounded hollow. How strong was he, to hit them that hard, clean through Futaba's barrier?
"Well, that's...reassuring," Makoto muttered. "And if he does that again? He can wipe us all in one move."
"We need to negotiate. Now. Joker, get me Yukari," Souji ordered.
Akira didn't hesitate. Helping Yosuke lower Souji back to the floor, he raced off, already calling into the headset to have Futaba tell Naoto to send her towards them. She agreed, and Takeba met him partway. Together, they hurried back to Souji.
"Yukari! Can you talk to him?" Souji pleaded. Actually pleaded. At least he was back on his feet. "About—I honestly don't care what. Anything. Just distract him."
"R-right. On it."
While she rushed off, Akira exchanged a look with Souji. Regrouping wasn't going to cut it. Never in his life, not even when he had been on trial for a crime he had not committed, had Akira felt so utterly helpless. Judging by the look on Souji's face, he wasn't feeling particularly confident, either.
"I think I might need your help with this palace," Akira joked weakly, trying to lighten the mood. Obviously Souji and his friends were already helping, but the words felt...necessary.
"I think that goes both ways, Joker."
Akira's smile grew a little more honest. "Right. Glad you're back on your feet."
"Good to be back up. Though it's not going to be for long if we don't..."
End this. Win this. Survive this. Akira understood what was going unsaid—and it was all horribly, painfully true.
"Mona!" Akira hollered, waving to his friend.
The cat came at a run, leaping onto Akira's shoulder. "This is bad, Joker. We've never encountered a shadow this strong before."
"And that's not a shadow," Akira muttered.
"No, it's not," Mona agreed. "This is more like fighting Akechi than a shadow. Akechi with a lot more personas.
Akira had to acknowledge that that was true. "So, what now?"
Before anyone could respond, Takeba's shriek cut them off, "Why? Why Minato? Why are you doing this? Do you honestly want to kill us?"
Exchanging a glance, they took off towards the noise. They did not have far to go. Takeba was standing, fists and jaw clenched, and nostrils slightly flared as she glared at Arisato. Several of her friends had also gathered, forming a protective group around her.
"Yukari, I—"
"You what, man?" Iori demanded, taking an aggressive, half step forward. "The hell is your issue? We're your friends, Minato!"
A course of agreement greeted his words, cutting Arisato off before he could get a word in edgewise. When the ruckus finally gave him an opening, Arisato took it, scowling. "I'm doing what I have to do! What I've always had to do! Someone has to do whatever it takes—you can't!"
"Is this some twisted way of trying to protect us?" Sanada demanded. "Because it's pretty shitty if it is!"
"Please, Minato..." Fuuka begged quietly. "Please just explain what you mean. We don't understand."
"Of course not," Arisato cut in bitterly. "None of you can. But I can. I saved the world once, and I came back to do it again."
"Why can't we help?" Kirijo asked, stepping forward. "You haven't explained that."
"You just can't!"
"Not very good reasoning," she retorted.
"We want to help you, Minato," Yukari said softly. "Please, just let us."
"Help me? Like you helped me when I was dying?"
"That's not fair!" Iori snapped. "You're the one deciding not to ask for our fuckinghelp!"
"We want to help, Minato! Please, let us," Ken pleaded.
"Why won't you let us help?" Aigis added.
The entire argument was sounding rather cyclical to Akira, but it was the android's quiet plea that finally, finally, seemed to break Arisato. With a sigh, his shoulders sagged. "I got a second chance. I...I have to do it right this time. I do."
"A second chance?" Takeba asked, brow furrowed.
"Elizabeth," Arisato's voice hitched slightly, almost imperceptibly, on the name, "she took my place. I...I have to," his grip on his evoker tightened, the gun creaking in his grasp, "I can't let her..."
"We were always stronger as a team," Souji said, stepping forward and utterly radiating confidence. Behind him, Orpheus Telos shimmered into view. "You know that. I know that. We all know that. You never have to act by yourself, Minato. Whatever twisted belief you've given yourself—it's fake. We're here, and we've always been here. And we'll always be here. All of us, even Joker's group, now. We're friends."
"Right," Akira said, nodding. "This has always been a team effort. Let all of us be your team."
Arisato remained silent, so Souji spoke up again, "They threatened Igor. Now, I don't know about you, but I take that personally. So I think there's another would-be god who needs its ass whooped."
Minato had been staring at his evoker throughout their speech, but he finally looked up at that. And, blessedly, nodded. "I—we—saved the world once. What's one more time?"
"Twice, technically," Souji said, "but who's counting."
"Let's make it three," Akira said, stepping forward. "We'd appreciate your help."
Slowly, carefully, Minato holstered his evoker and raised a hand for Akira to shake. With his other, he clapped Souji on the shoulder. "Okay. Let's—help me, please."
"You don't even have to ask," Souji said, smirking.
And that was all it took.
WORLD ARCANA RANK UP
RANK MAX
Akira blinked, and he was back in the Velvet Room, this time alone. Over his steepled fingers, Igor—the real Igor—grinned diabolically. "So, you have succeeded."
Meeting his eyes, Akira nodded. "For now. We aren't done yet."
"Perhaps, but I do not think you will have trouble with your next trial." In front of Igor, on the table, rested an overturned card. With a wave of one hand, the card flipped over to reveal a persona Akira had never seen before. "The bonds you have made on your journey will support you.
"Take it. It is yours."
Stepping forward, Akira did as bidden, plucking the card from the table. As the Velvet Room faded from his mind, the persona's name echoed in his mind:
Sataneal.
With the top of Tartarus back in focus, Akira scanned the assembled teams—team, now—with a confidence he had not felt all day. With a confident smirk, he met the eyes of those closest to him, drawing their attention as he said, "So, who's ready to kick some god-ass?"
Everyone was, it seemed.
"Good. Then this'll be too easy."