"Cut the crap," Minato snarled. Stepping to the room, it was nearly pitch black and he could barely see through the darkness. His Personae were stirring rapidly beneath the surface, reacting to Erebus' presence. He wasn't quite sure what kind of emotion was driving him to become as aggravated as he was, but one way or another this was probably going to be the last time that he was going to get to face Erebus and save Nyx.
"I see where Nyx gets her snark from," Erebus laughed mirthfully, annoying Minato with his nonchalant air. How could he be so damned calm!? He shook his head. This was probably just a ploy to mess with his head. "How are you?" he asked with a smirk.
"I feel like I'm dancing in a meadow full of daisies and then…" Minato began, kicking up dust with his feet as if there was nothing wrong. Of course everything was wrong with this picture to him but he wasn't going to mention that. "Someone came with a flamethrower and burnt the meadow to a crisp and ashes just because he thought he could like a little bastard."
"How eloquently put," Erebus nodded sagely. "I doubt I could put it better myself," he added, watching Minato's eyes narrow further from annoyance. "Indeed, it should be natural that you feel that way, especially when I did just take Nyx from you…"
Minato raised an eyebrow. What was he getting at? "As if she was yours to begin with though. I mean, we were kinda consorts before all this and screwing each other before this happened, however many years ago," Erebus sighed heavily.
He gritted his teeth. "So? People change, don't they?"
"But you were the one that fell in love with her first, remember?" Erebus glanced at Minato's bewildered expression.
"She fell in love with me too," Minato shook his head. "It was a consensual relationship."
"I'm sure it was!" Erebus guffawed with laughter. "It's all well and dandy then. But that isn't why we're here, is it?"
Minato shook his head. That certainly wasn't the reason why they were gathered together. "Yeah. So can we stop talking?"
"Perhaps…" Erebus grinned, bending down to Nyx and pulling back her hair. Minato glared at Erebus and swung his blade down onto him, however the God of Darkness blocked the attack with his own materialised broadsword. "You're quick to anger too, just like her," he laughed, brushing off Minato's sword and standing up to full height.
"Well duh," Minato rolled his eyes. However, there was something about it that made him extremely worried. If there was anything that could be seen from how relaxed Erebus' muscles were, it was that he didn't put that much effort into blocking Minato's attack, however much force that he put into the strike. The thing was, Minato had put almost his full strength into that swing, and Erebus had brushed it off that easily. Shit.
"Surprised?" Erebus laughed. "You obviously haven't faced Nyx in battle in her current form. She's about as powerful as I am…"
"I can still beat you then," Minato declared. "I beat her before."
"But you had something that you don't now and even then you died to get the result," Erebus responded. "You know, that little stunt that you pulled with the seal to guard Nyx from me?" he chuckled, idly holding his sword.
Minato made no visible reaction to Erebus' words, but it was starting to frighten him; the prospect of not being able to defeat him. And there was something telling him that maybe he couldn't. "The Universe Arcana," he mumbled.
"Indeed," Erebus nodded. "Would be nice if you had that, could prevent the Fall and what have you at the expense of your life."
"Tch…" Minato made for a horizontal slice at Erebus, who parried it away and with his free hand shot a Garudyne at him. He wasn't about to admit however, that he didn't know whether he could use that power again or whether he even had it.
Minato quickly switched to a Persona that absorbed Wind to nullify the Garudyne, instead adding the energy to an Agidyne powered fist that burned at an even higher intensity than before, and launched his fist into Erebus' face. Searing pain appeared in Erebus' cheek as his head snapped back from the force behind the blow. "Not bad," Erebus smiled as a black aura began to emanate from him.
Minato clicked his tongue. Whatever that was, it was setting his Thanatos off like crazy. "Hmph… Thanatos." In a flurry of blue mist and glass, the god of Death appeared before Erebus, releasing a primal roar as it stared down the god of darkness. "Brave Blade," he said. Chains clinked as the black form of Thanatos swung savagely at Erebus.
"Interesting," Erebus laughed as he blocked Thanatos' blade. Minato growled at that. This wasn't working, and he was just no-selling every attack that he could throw at him. There was that last punch, but he wasn't sure that something like that would work again.
But… was he that unsure?
Thanatos roared in fury and pushed against Erebus with all of his might, growling and snarling as Erebus held his ground firmly. "Your strength seems to be waning," Erebus chuckled as he pushed Thanatos back and slashed his arm. The god of Death let out a cry; a tearing mix of pain and anger as a deep gash fell its way through his white glove, flickering blue mist appearing around his arm. Minato clutched his wrist tightly as he felt the same pain as his Persona. "Damn… Megidola!" he commanded.
Erebus waited patiently for the attack that formed in Thanatos' maw. The Almighty attack shot down onto him and he countered the spell with one attack of his own. His sword glowed dark blue for a moment, and then he moved to slash not only through the Almighty energy, but sending a large wave of damage at Thanatos; one that he couldn't block or dodge without help. Minato and Thanatos cried out in pain, and finally his Persona dissipated.
"Hm, I thought this would've been harder," Erebus let out a disappointed sigh. "I mean, you did defeat Nyx and her avatar, so I thought you would be more of a challenge. Or am I wrong?" he questioned, his frown upturning into a small smile.
Minato bit his lip. This wasn't going so well…
Erebus chuckled a little at Minato's silence. He didn't look so sure of what was going to happen, and Erebus smiled at the thought of Minato trying to give up. It did quite seem like he would at this point, despite his motivations.
"I can… I have to," Minato mumbled. He switched Personae and cast Sukukaja to raise his speed and accuracy, racing to Erebus' back in a blur. "Tempest Slash!" Erebus turned to meet the slash attack, and tried to block as many of the attacks as he could. Not that he could. With Minato's speed up, he couldn't turn around in time in order to better negate the assault. Erebus got off with some cuts, none particularly deep, nor in so-called vital areas.
"That was a bit better," Erebus commented as Minato Power Charged for his next attack. "Did my words motivate you somehow?"
Minato gazed coolly at him, and threw his next onslaught towards him with increased strength. "Vicious Strike!" Strike damage flew towards Erebus at high speeds, and he tried to block as many of the attacks as he could. Due to the large proximity of the attack, he still got hurt and bruised by it. And he certainly wasn't expecting Minato to be right in his space; especially when he was already Mind Charged.
"Morning Star," Minato muttered. With his body as the nexus of the Almighty attack, a searing white blast slammed and burned into Erebus with the force of a Mind Charge and the passive ability, Magic Skill Up behind it.
Erebus growled painfully as he was hit by the attack, giving steely-eyed looks to the smirking Minato. "You were saying?" he chuckled. He wasn't about to mention the fact that attack did take a lot of energy to pull off.
"I didn't. You didn't really reply to my question, but I'll assume that it did click something into place," Erebus said. "Alright then…" He breathed out, muttering something that Minato couldn't make out or hear. But Minato could tell that Erebus was building up power for something.
It would be bad to leave it alone. Minato rushed towards Erebus, infusing Tempest Slash into his sword. Erebus didn't appear to react too much to Minato's onslaught, although he was taking damage from the attack. Something about it seemed like he was putting his guard down to cast the next attack.
And something told Minato that if he didn't stop it before then, he was thoroughly fucked.
Erebus growled as Minato's sword kept slashing into his flesh. Under his clothes, golden Ichor was starting to seep through his black cloak. Red and black energy was starting to emanate from his form, humming softly but dangerously as it continued to flow. He tried to keep Minato away with a stream of Almighty damage, and it hit hard and fast.
Minato grunted as he was hit by the attack, gathering his breath for a few moments. That hurt… But he couldn't just keep it down. He wasn't looking to get hit by a high powered attack. "Panta Rhei!" he called. A tornado of vicious Wind magic shot towards Erebus in a green flurry. He managed to dodge the brunt of the attack, but remnants of it still gashed his side.
"Niflheim," Minato continued. Freezing winds and icicles sped towards Erebus, and again, he didn't get hit for most of the attack. He was moving that slowly.
"I never thought charging an attack like this could hurt this much," Erebus chuckled a little. "I might lose my concentration at this rate," he mumbled. "But I'm almost done."
Minato called for another attack. He hoped that would break Erebus' concentration, but he couldn't be sure. And if he was able to get that attack off, he felt from the amount of power that was emanating from him, that he was going to be screwed. "Morning Star!"
A white blast of energy shot towards Erebus, but he didn't even try to dodge the attack.
"Primal Darkness," he murmured.
There appeared to only be one word in Minato's vocabulary range when he barely heard that phrase over the surge of Almighty energy from him, and from Erebus.
Black and orange filled his vision, distorting the colours he perceived and creating pandemonium in his eyes as the Almighty attack engulfed him and battered him onto the ground, searing away at his flesh.
"Grr…" Minato immediately tried to pick himself up so that he could see Erebus, but he just couldn't move. "D-Diarah-"
Erebus picked Minato up by the collar before he could say anymore, effectively heaving the air out of his lungs. "You put up a good fight, but I guess it won't be enough."
"E-Erebus… d-dammit…" Minato growled. Erebus just shrugged and threw Minato to a wall. He slid down it as he desperately tried to recover his breath, coughing out blood onto the ground.
Slowly, Erebus made his way to Nyx and lifted her into his arms. By then, Nyx was starting to wake up. Before she could even gain bearings on her surroundings, Erebus kissed her.
Minato's eyes widened. "G-Goddammit…!"
Rumbling started to echo about the skies and ring in the ears of both Nyx and Minato.
AN: Ummm… Cliffhanger? *hides*
Plz box me yo thoughts and imma see ya guys later!
Raidou: Haha, yeah. Glad you liked it.
Yoshikunitsu: Yeah, actually, Kurow isn't going to be let up on. One last thing before it ends.
I wonder… well, it'll be interesting. Minato's desperate as opposed to getting the one up here.
They can't just watch can they? Haha.
I'm pretty sure that it's all of them though… *wracks head from so many characters*
Ash: Oh dude… good luck. Glad though. For whenever you get up here.
Nights (69, 70, 71): Haha, indeed, it is starting to get up there.
Ah, I made it a bit sad? Well, I guess it might have something to do with how I did their characters (What little I did).
Kurow was stuck to his friends enough that he stabbed his significant other to prevent the world from ending. *slow claps*
Yup! Sure will.