Disclaimer: I do not own Persona 3—or any version of the Persona series, really. I just own this rather shameless piece of work.
Other Notes: So, in this chapter we get to some battles (and I suck at writing battles so don't expect much, haha). When I think of Persona battles occurring in real-time, I imagine them going something like how they're portrayed in the Persona 4 animation. They remain summoned and battle alongside their human users rather than only appearing for skills. If they/their user sustain enough damage, they'll be dismissed. Otherwise, they can stay out unless their user dismisses them or falls unconscious. I'm also of the belief that Personas do have their own personalities (if their "dialogue" after being fused in the Velvet Room is any indication), though they mainly only speak to their user. Like a physical representation of a conscience.
Symbiosis
Chapter Eight
Minato didn't remember the door actually opening or even stepping into the room, but the next thing he knew he was there, seated across a table from Igor and Elizabeth.
"I've been waiting for you," was Igor's greeting. "It appears that the time has come for you to wield your power."
Officially, Minato added, rubbing his suddenly sweaty palms against the fabric of his pants.
"The tower you are about to venture into…" Igor began, mildly startling Minato even as his voice tapered off. Though he knew that the old man was keeping track of his progress from his earlier visits, he had not known how precisely he was watching. It was a little disturbing, to be honest.
If Igor had any inclination of what he was thinking, he didn't show it. "How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist?" He waved a hand almost dismissively. "Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions…" Wide, bloodshot eyes sought his, and his ever-present smile widened. "You have a source for such answers, certainly, and yet you do not request them of her. How very curious… and pleasing, if I may say so."
It was similar to the praise that Tamamo had given him before, but Minato felt a distinctly different air about Igor's. It worried him.
"Of course, I cannot stop you from asking and acquiring the answers from her if you wished—I will respect your decision no matter the route you choose, so long as you abide by the contract." Or, in plain speech, be prepared for any consequences the additional knowledge could bring, as Minato feared. "However, I do believe it is an important lesson that you are undergoing… To know when to stop simply asking and when to start seeking the answers out on your own."
Igor settled back in his seat, gaze never wavering from Minato's. "And in order to seek these answers, utilizing your power will be instrumental. For even beyond your companions, your power is unique. You see, it is like the number zero… empty, yet at the same time it holds infinite possibilities."
And thus he continued, informing Minato of something he had suspected since that full moon night—that he could summon multiple Personas. The conversation also told Minato that being able to do this was something only he possessed, while the others could rely on only one Persona.
The thought struck him as unfair. If they all had the potential, what was it about him that allowed this? Was it just the contract? It seemed like so much more, though…
"My spare time will soon be scarce, but please come again of your own accord," Igor requested. "As your partner will surely tell you should you inquire, I will be able to assume my true role then… and the manner in which I can best assist you." He bowed his head. "Until then… Farewell."
"Hey, Arisato!" Akihiko's voice rang out from behind him. "You ready?"
Minato blinked, then shook his head to rid it of the odd fogginess that accompanied exiting the room. He was still standing before the door, but the key was gone and it was closed. His hands were tucked in his pockets, looking for all the world like he had just been standing there the entire time.
"To them, that's essentially how it is," Tamamo provided. "As Igor said a while ago, other people—those who have not signed a contract—can't access the Velvet Room. So they don't see the door."
Wait, so what happens when I go inside?
Tamamo shrugged. "As far as I can tell, the Velvet Room lies outside reality, so it's like when you dive into your head. Your body stays here while your mind is elsewhere."
…so this whole time I've just been standing here looking like I'm staring into space? he asked, incredulous.
"…pretty much."
He just barely limited his amusement at the idea to a snort, turning to join Yukari and Junpei where they were standing by Akihiko at the foot of the stairs. "Sorry. I… needed a moment to think."
They seemed to accept this easily and, after making sure they were sufficiently prepared, Akihiko started up the stairs with the trio following him. Once at the top, he didn't look back again before slipping through the passage. The three juniors looked at one another, wondering which order to go in.
"Uh… Ladies first, Yuka-tan," Junpei offered, gesturing awkwardly.
The brunette huffed, but obliged. Junpei sent an indecipherable look back at Minato and went in after her. Minato, wondering if he'd missed something, followed suit.
Once through, Minato noticed that the atmosphere seemed to immediately change. There was a certain restlessness in the air, and it was far too quiet to be natural. Just stepping into the hall, hearing their footsteps bounce along the walls, sounded disconcertingly loud in comparison.
"All right," Akihiko began once they were through. "Like Mitsuru said, we'll only be doing a run through of the first floor." He brought a hand up to where his transceiver was pinned. "Mitsuru, do you read?"
"Of course," Mitsuru's voice rang out through their communicators.
Junpei jumped. "Whoa… cool!"
"Her Persona's power helps her communicate with us like this even from the first floor," Akihiko explained.
"Indeed," Mitsuru's voice added, "If it were possible, I would join you as well. However, the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day, so outside support is imperative." There was a brief pause on the transceiver, though the sound of static told them that she was not through speaking. Eventually, she continued, "Now, based on your current location, you can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. I will inform you if I sense one nearby, but proceed with caution." A beat. "Akihiko—"
Akihiko sighed. "I know, Mitsuru. Backup only." There was a click. He turned to the three waiting for commands. "Now, we'll take this slow." He glanced between the three before gesturing to Minato. "Arisato, you take point for now. We'll see if we can find any Shadows and take things from there."
Minato blinked, but obliged, tightening his grip on the hilt of the sword he was given. As he passed the upperclassman and started their group forward, he couldn't help but think, Why me?
Tamamo hummed. "Well, Yukari still seems to be shaky about Personas and Shadows in general, so she might freeze when confronted. Junpei likely hasn't even seen a Shadow before, so there's no telling if he'll react in time either. At the moment, you're the best bet since you've technically summoned your Persona to confront a Shadow."
Not with… that, Minato thought with a grimace, looking down at the Evoker at his hip.
"True," Tamamo agreed. "But it's not like you need to summon your Persona right away. That's actually a bad idea normally, as prolonged usage will drain your stamina and spiritual energy. The lower floors aren't all that large, but later on you'll really need to pace yourself as you make your way up the tower."
Minato readjusted his grip on his sword. In that case, he would have to really work on fencing skills or even kendo or something…
Slowly, he led the group forward, a tense silence blanketing them as they moved. Even he felt tempted to say something to break it before either he or the other two could snap from the stress.
Fidgeting, he looked to Akihiko, who was walking somewhat behind them, looking enviably at ease despite their surroundings. "Sanada-senpai, if this is your first time in Tartarus, too, what do you normally do during the Dark Hour?"
"Me? Well, usually I go on patrols," Akihiko replied, looking surprised he'd even asked. "Shadows mostly stick around Tartarus, but there are a few that take to the streets. Mitsuru and I try to contain and eliminate the ones that do so they don't do any damage that'll end up on the news later."
Junpei whistled. "W—Wow, Senpai. That's pretty cool."
The senior shrugged. "It's something to do. It was just the… two of us before so we didn't have the manpower necessary to check out Tartarus. The chairman can be conscious during the Dark Hour, but he can't summon a Persona so we couldn't ask him to help. Besides, going after stray Shadows is good training when I can find some."
Minato nodded, trying to think of what else to say to keep the conversation going when he stopped short of turning the corner. There was something—
Not a moment later, Mitsuru's voice cut in from the transceiver, "Watch out. I detect a Shadow in front of you. Try to move in and strike before it can attack you!"
The others behind him readied their weapons. Akihiko pulled out his Evoker and nodded when Minato looked back to them.
Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Minato waited, listening as the Shadow moved. It was a strange, almost squishy sound, dragging its bulk this way and that while using its arms to pull itself. He waited until it sounded like it was moving away before stepping around the corner and dashing towards it.
The Shadow made a strange, gurgling sound as he swung his sword up, bringing it down on the Shadow's body. When the blade made contact, it sank in… but then the Shadow's skin seemed to inflate before bursting and forcing him back a few steps.
"Iori! Yukari!" he heard Akihiko call from somewhere behind. "The Shadows are forming; make sure to surround 'em! You can't let even one have a shot at your back!"
"Right!" Junpei agreed.
Yukari's voice was much less firm. "G—Got it!"
The Shadow split into two. The form didn't change much—they were both still pretty much blobs with arms—but these ones had masks.
Minato would bet anything that those masks were a weak point.
"Only one way to find out!" Tamamo said, voice cheery. He felt his hands steady, anxiety lessening, and knew, somehow, that she was helping clear his mind. "Don't worry, Minato. I've got your back—well, relatively speaking anyway."
In spite of the situation, he smiled. I know. Thanks.
And then he ran forward, bracing his sword for another strike. These Shadows seemed slow, but he didn't want to give them a chance to attack anyway.
The less injuries they took, in his opinion, the greater the success of this little expedition.
Regardless of his somewhat distant and uncaring exterior, Minato was a bit of an optimist, Tamamo found. Had she not lived in his head for sixteen years, she would have found it strange. She supposed she had been used to the idea of this boy being as aloof as his appearance indicated, but watching him grow made all the difference.
He cared, in his own way. He didn't display it often, usually because he never had the chance to, but he did.
From within his mind, Tamamo watched as the fight drew on. As Minato suspected, the Shadows' masks were a vulnerable point—hitting it multiple times was enough to stun the Shadow temporarily. He was quick to relay this to his teammates as he struck the Shadow a final time, moving back to avoid the dark mist it turned into as it faded.
"Good, Arisato!" Akihiko's voice called as he provided his discovery. "Iori, Yukari, take the other enemy out!"
"Got it!"
Minato turned, allowing Tamamo to see that Junpei was keeping the Shadow focused on him while Yukari danced back, trying to keep at a sufficient distance for her arrows to stay effective.
Junpei slashed downwards, his first hit missing the mask but still striking the main body. With a small curse, he tried again and let out a whoop of triumph when it connected.
In the back, Yukari aimed and loosed an arrow. It lodged itself in the mask, piercing straight through, and the Shadow dispersed.
"Aw, no All-Out Attack," Tamamo mused.
What's that? Minato asked.
She shook her head even though he couldn't see it. "It's nothing. But you should do your best to try stunning your enemies by striking their weak points. It's like when you hit their masks. It leaves them vulnerable and open to more attacks, which you can use to your advantage."
There was a slight hum from Minato as he and the others regrouped around Akihiko. Wouldn't it take too long to try to find their weaknesses, though?
"If you do it the long way by testing every skill type," Tamamo agreed. "You might be able to ask Mitsuru if she can scan the target. It'll take a bit and she can't always analyze everything, but it could give you something to work with."
Now that she thought about it, this was the point where players went through a tutorial of how to fight in the game, wasn't it? But this was real life now. The battles weren't turn-based and no enemy, much less a Shadow, would wait patiently as Mitsuru or even Akihiko explained what to do step by step. As Mitsuru stated earlier, this was a test run, to wet their feet and get them accustomed to summoning their Personas in as stable an environment as they could get them.
It was still life-or-death combat should anything go wrong, but there was a measure of control set in place. Even if Akihiko somehow couldn't contain a situation, they were only on the first floor so Mitsuru could feasibly rush in to help them as well without endangering them for lack of outside help.
Sighing, Tamamo did her best to recall what she could of the game's battle interface. Over years, the memories had steadily degraded. But if there was a chance that remembering something could help Minato and the rest of SEES succeed just that much more, it would be worth it to slog through it all and piece them back together.
"Well, for a first battle, that wasn't too bad," Akihiko praised. "Especially since you guys didn't use your Personas."
There was a pointedness to that statement that made the three of them look rather sheepishly at one another.
Akihiko gave them a sort of half-smile. "I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but there will come a time that you guys will need your Personas' strength."
"Akihiko's correct," spoke Mitsuru. "There are many different types of Shadows, all with their own vulnerabilities and resistances. While the mask seems to be a universal weakness, there are some that can protect it even from basic attacks by nullifying physical strikes, which would mean a Persona's elemental skills will need to be utilized."
"Damn…" Junpei muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Know we'll have to use 'em sooner or later, but…"
"I know what you mean," Yukari murmured. She looked rather bitter.
An awkward silence fell over the team then. Akihiko crossed his arms, looking as though he wanted to say something, but stopping just before it could make its way out. Minato didn't blame him. What could he say? How could you possibly tell someone that it was all right to use something that looked so much like a gun on themselves when everything about it seemed to spell their imminent demise?
They all knew it wouldn't harm them, but just the psychological hurdle of pressing the barrel against their heads was…
I don't want to die, Minato thought, just imagining the cool metal against his skin. He straightened. "Senpai."
Akihiko turned to him. "Hm?"
I don't want to die. But… He swallowed. "May I… May I try to lead again?"
A thin eyebrow rose. "That's fine with me," Akihiko said. He looked to the others. "What about you two?"
Yukari only nodded.
Junpei looked curious. "You got a plan?"
Minato hesitated, but nodded shortly. "Something like that." That was a lie. It was more like he was going to rush in and try it out, relying on his Other to catch him if he fell. Heart racing, he pulled out his Evoker, testing its weight in his free hand. He still gripped his sword in the other. When he was reasonably certain he wouldn't drop either, he looked up and affirmed he was ready.
When they nodded in turn, he set down the path again. Tamamo.
"Yes?"
He smiled wryly. You've got my back, right?
A familiar feeling of warmth, like morning sunlight, bloomed at the back of his mind. "Always."
A strange sense told him that a Shadow was lurking in the dimly lit space ahead seconds before the transceiver beeped again. "There's another Shadow ahead of you. Remember to avoid letting the enemy get the first hit in. Strike first!"
Refusing to let himself hesitate, Minato ran forward. This Shadow was larger, and he could see small, glowing eyes on top of the mound of its body. He tightened his grip on his Evoker, not slowing even as the Shadow heard their footsteps and maneuvered its body around to meet them.
His heart pounded, blood rushing through his ears. I don't want to die.
The Shadow swiped at him as he passed. Pull the trigger.
He whirled around, placing the Shadow between himself and the others. I don't want to die.
An arrow whizzed by and clattered off in the distance; Junpei's sword struck the Shadow's side, making it burst into three. Pull the trigger.
Minato closed his eyes. Lifted the Evoker to his temple—and hesitated. I don't want to die!
A gasp.
"Arisato!"
"Dude, look out!"
Eyes snapping open, Minato found a Shadow flying towards him. Just pull it!
He pulled the trigger. His head jerked to the side, but rather than pain his head felt… lighter.
"You're up, buddy!" Tamamo's voice rang out, sounding louder than usual, as Minato was bathed in the silver-blue light of the summoning.
Orpheus formed, drawing his lyre and blocking the Shadow's attack. With little effort, the Persona shoved the Shadow away, flying after it and bringing his lyre down forcefully on the Shadow's head. It survived, but drooped as it recovered.
Minato let out a breath as Orpheus returned to him, feeling a little winded. He looked up in wonder, meeting his Persona's mask-like face. This is the power of a Persona, huh…?
"Yep. Your thoughts and emotions, given form," Tamamo confirmed. She sounded proud. "You're capable of more, but he is the one that answered your call first."
You mean your call, Minato reminded her.
"Nuance."
Minato huffed out a laugh as the Shadow neared again, straightening and feeling Orpheus draw itself taller beside him. Feeling somewhat awkward—how did one address the personification of their psyche?—he nodded to the taller figure. "Let's go… Orpheus."
To his shock, Orpheus nodded. "We shall."
"…Oh, wow," said Tamamo.
Minato would have replied, but he was forced to move away, evading a swipe of what looked like the Shadow's trailing veil. Orpheus evaded the other way, using the momentum to position himself behind the Shadow. When Minato slashed down, the Shadow evaded and he stumbled forward, but it landed in Orpheus's strike range, who finished it off with a brutal thwack of his lyre.
"One enemy remains," Mitsuru's voice reported. "Don't get careless!"
Minato, feeling breathless, looked to where the others were and found Junpei backing away as another of the floating Shadows swerved towards him. He yelped as it struck out at him. "Iori!"
"Hang in there, Junpei!" Yukari called, notching an arrow and shooting. It missed by scant inches. "Shoot! No!"
"Dammit!" Junpei bodily shoved the Shadow away. "Fine! Let's do this…!"
He withdrew his Evoker and pushed it forcefully to his head. Clenching his eyes shut, he pulled the trigger and a helmeted black and gold figure appeared, posture widening and the wing-like attachments on its arms flaring. It drew back, then swooped forward, slicing through the Shadow and splitting it in half.
Akihiko stepped forward as the dark mist dissipated, hand still clenched around his Evoker. "All clear, Mitsuru?"
A sigh made the transceiver crackle. "Affirmative."
They regathered, silent. Orpheus and Junpei's Persona ("Hermes," Tamamo supplied helpfully) dismissed themselves in a flash of light.
"Well," Yukari huffed. "That happened."
"It's good that you managed to summon your Personas, at least," Akihiko stated. "That could've gone a lot worse."
"That's not comforting in the least," Yukari muttered.
"Damn…" Junpei panted. He looked at Minato, who felt similarly out of breath. "That's one hell of a power, huh?"
"…Yeah," Minato said. His heart was still pounding, adrenaline yet to fade. "It's…"
…kind of terrifying.
That power was born from him? His mind and soul?
All he had was a glimpse, but even just the small look he got into Orpheus's abilities was already inhuman. The power that had ebbed from Orpheus's body when he formed was… otherworldly. It didn't feel human, and yet it supposedly was, powered by his mind and soul, drawing from his own energy.
"Let's keep going, guys," Akihiko called as the two other boys regained their breath. When they looked up, he gestured around the corner, where a staircase sat, leading to the next floor. "The next time you guys come here, you'll be heading up, but for now we're just going to finish exploring this floor before heading back."
There was a murmur of acknowledgment before they moved on, slower this time. Minato wondered at the ache that developed in his muscles already—they didn't seem to do much despite the battles, but he was already feeling tired. Was that normal? Or was it from using his Persona? After all, the last time, he had been out for an entire week.
"It's a combination of the Dark Hour side-effects and Persona usage," Tamamo explained. "When the Dark Hour starts, it's sort of like a different world from what I've seen. Though it supposedly only lasts for an hour, time and space are… distorted during it, stretching it beyond how long an hour is supposed to last. I think this space-time distortion has a negative effect on the human body, tiring it out more easily. Even more if you call upon your Persona, since it uses your own energy to fight as well."
A different world… Minato mused. That's a pretty good description of it. Especially here in Tartarus.
"Hey, Senpai," Junpei was saying as Minato returned his attention to the real world, "how do you… y'know, get over it? Using the Evoker and all? Don't you think it's kinda freaky since it looks like a gun?"
"…They were made to look that way for a reason," Akihiko answered carefully. "Although, Mitsuru could explain it a lot better than I can. Mitsuru?"
The transceiver crackled. "According to research done in the past, the best stimulus for activating and later summoning a Persona is fear. The Kirijo Group manufactured multiple types of Evokers in different forms, but the shape that appeared to get the most responses was the gun shape they take now." She paused. "I believe the official note was that Personas manifested in an act of self-preservation… By appearing to shoot yourself in the head, a person's innate will to live would effectively draw their Persona out in an effort to combat the threat on their life."
"That's hardcore," Junpei mumbled.
"That's insane," Yukari corrected.
"Whatever it is, it's messed up," was Tamamo's dry input.
Minato could only wonder what sort of tests were run to discover all of that.
"As for how I 'get over it'," Akihiko said, talking over their interjections and Minato's internal musings, "I want to get stronger. Using the Evoker can be… disturbing, but in the end it's almost trivial compared to my goal."
Minato kept his head down, scuffing his foot as they walked. "In other words… we have to find our own reasons to fight. Something important enough that it makes pulling the trigger easier."
Something important enough to bet their lives on.
Junpei gave a low whistle. "That's deep…" But despite his almost joking words, a quick look at his classmate told Minato that he was thinking.
Yukari's side was suspiciously silent. When Minato glanced back, he saw a pensive look on her face, prompting him to turn forward again. She seemed to be taking their words to heart as well, and it wasn't any of his business to pry.
The remainder of their time in Tartarus passed by quickly and efficiently. Deciding to simply continue on as they have, Akihiko had Minato lead the rest of the way through the floor. Two Shadow fights ensued, during which Minato and Junpei utilized their Personas to handily defeat the enemies that spawned. Minato was also introduced to the spell "Agi", after spontaneously summoning Orpheus while wondering what other skills the Persona had than bashing enemies on their heads.
Fire, he thought blandly at the ensuing burst of flames. That's almost ironic.
Unlike the other two, however, Yukari struggled to summon her own Persona, Io (as Tamamo provided). And it showed.
"Yukari, just—dammit!" Akihiko cursed as a Shadow moved dangerously close to the archer, effectively cornering her away from her teammates and making her long-range weapon useless.
The brunette in question was trembling, pale, and sweating. Her Evoker was pressed to her forehead, but her hands were too shaky to keep the device steady much less pull the trigger. Akihiko brought up his own Evoker and barely flinched as he shot himself, already commanding his Persona forward as it formed.
A flash of lightning—Zio—stopped the Shadow in its tracks long enough for the large Persona to close the distance and punch it away. Akihiko followed Polydeuces, standing behind it and in front of Yukari, wincing slightly as the sudden exertion aggravated his ribs.
"Pull yourself together, Yukari!" he ordered before shouting, "Hey! You two! A little help over here!"
"A little busy," Minato murmured as he dismissed Orpheus in favor of calling forth a new Persona—Apsaras. The blue, celestial dancer appeared with an elegant twirl, and with a gesture she sent a block of ice crashing upon their enemies' heads.
Junpei, on the other hand, was already moving. "On it, Senpai!" Hermes flew beside him, surging upwards and down, wings cleaving through the Cowardly Maya.
As Mitsuru's voice confirmed the area clear of enemies, the three teenaged boys gathered around Yukari, who hung her head in shame.
"I'm sorry," she bit out, clutching her bow. "I can do this. I swear. I just…"
She trailed off with a frustrated sigh and Minato furrowed his brow. After a moment of thought, he withdrew his Evoker and aimed.
Junpei choked. "The hell are you—"
"Takeba," Minato called, voice steady.
The brunette looked up and came face to face with the gleaming barrel of the gun-like device. Her breath hitched. Even in the poor lighting Minato saw the dilation of her pupils just before he pulled the trigger. Her head jerked back and she collapsed to her knees as she was surrounded in pale blue fog.
He lowered the Evoker, watching as a slim figure seated atop what looked to be a cow's head appeared behind her.
"What the hell was that for, you jerk!?" Yukari snapped, regaining her fiery temper even from her place on the ground. When his lip curled up, she scowled. "That's so not funny!"
"No, it isn't," he agreed. He nodded to her Persona. "But look."
Yukari seemed reluctant to turn her back on him, but she peered around only to still when her Persona came into view. "This is…"
"She's you," Minato provided as he relaxed his stance. He placed his Evoker back in its holster and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I can't pull the trigger easily on myself. Every time I lift it, I think, 'I don't want to die.' But I do want to survive… That helps me, at least."
Io faded and Yukari picked herself back up, still staring at the spot her Persona had occupied. When she looked back at the others, she took a deep breath. "You're still a jerk."
Minato shrugged. He'd been called worse.