Disclaimer: I do not own Persona 3—or any version of the Persona series, really. I just own this rather shameless piece of work.
Symbiosis
Chapter Twenty-Five
The silence that followed her words was full of shock and disbelief. Tamamo could just about feel his thoughts, wondering if he had heard her right. In all honesty, she wasn't even sure if she'd heard herself correctly. The words had just spilled out the moment she realized what was to come.
"I know it sounds bad, but… Minato, you have to understand. They're…" she trailed off, troubled. "It's not that they're pure evil or anything, but it would be very hard to convince them to leave their 'way of life'. The leader, Takaya, especially. At this point in time, he's very set in his views about humanity… and very little, if any, of it is good."
He was basically a misanthrope to the highest degree, if she remembered correctly. He believed in humanity's negative traits more than he even considered their hope and will to live. If she remembered correctly, the idealism that SEES portrayed during their encounters had outright disgusted him.
And the others? Minato asked.
"There are two. Jin and Chidori. The former is devoted to Takaya and his worldview. I think he views him as a savior… It's unlikely that he will leave him for any means. Chidori, on the other hand, she might be able to be redeemed, but only if she's separated from them." And maybe after speaking with Junpei, but with the changes he appeared to be going through, who knew if he would interact with her the same way?
…Actually, no. She took that back. Junpei was changed in regards to some things, but he was definitely still the girl-loving pervert he was portrayed as in the game with an often overlooked gentlemanly side. It was just his dynamic with Minato that really changed. And with SEES, but the SEES she knew all seemed to be subtly different in their own ways.
Minato's doubt swirled around her and she sighed. "I just… If Strega appears like I think they will during the upcoming operation, I think it would be best to shut them down. They'll cause a lot of grief for you and the rest of SEES if they're left roaming freely. And by grief, I mean… tragedy." She turned her face up to stare out of Minato's eyes, seeing the inside of his room. "Minato, Shinjiro's Persona might've killed a woman before when he lost control over it, but these people… Strega uses the Dark Hour to carry out assassinations. They've killed people for little more than simply because someone asked them to."
He flinched at the thought, horrified by the implications. An entire hour when the world went dormant, save for a few individuals and a nest full of Shadows. It was entirely possible for others without a thought for justice and the greater good to turn to darker actions. After all, if there was no one else around to see and pass judgement, the temptation to work around the law could be great, indeed.
But still, he thought, grasping at straws. If we moved now, the rest of SEES won't understand. Wouldn't it be best to lie low and wait? I don't expect Ikutsuki to do anything to help at this point, but once Mitsuru knows and sees them—if they really do show up—then she can decide.
But she wouldn't, Tamamo thought wildly. The entire second half of the game went by, but even after encountering Strega numerous times, the entirety of SEES had not considered shutting them down. It was a classic play of a "villains act, heroes react" scenario. And if they let it go on for too long, more lives would be lost. "But—"
Trust me, Minato insisted. Trust us.
That… That wasn't fair.
She had said she would try to do so, to Orpheus, but he had to realize how very dangerous this situation could become! "Minato, if left unchecked, Strega will be the ones to ultimately kill Shinjiro!" Her voice was raising without her volition. She made a conscious effort to lower it so as not to appear even more hysteric than she felt. "They'll interrupt a confrontation between him and Ken, and it will end in Shinjiro's death. And they are tenacious. Nothing short of death will stop them from trying to interfere with SEES's plans."
Please, she begged, for his sake and the sake of his friends, listen.
The minutes that followed dragged on far longer than she could stand.
…We'll hold back for now, he said eventually, to her despair. Take some time to calm down. If things really start to follow what you remember, then we'll… we'll deal with it.
Shoulders dropping in defeat, she murmured her acceptance.
(Later, when she did as requested and took the time to calm down, she would be horrified by her own words, trying to persuade a teenager to commit murder. It was for his own sake, and the sake of his friends, even for self-defense… but the realization of what she tried to force Minato into would make her ill.)
(It would disturb her more to realize in that same moment that she didn't particularly regret it, either. And she would wonder if the pieces that Death, Pharos, left to her were taking root.)
It was unsettling, Minato thought, to suddenly hear his Other talking about eliminating others. In a permanent way, judging by her last advice on Strega's eventual actions.
But she wasn't entirely in her right mind. Not really. He had felt her panic swirling up, anxiety piercing through the thick walls she normally had around herself and bleeding into him. If he could get her to calm down a bit, to think about the situation more rationally, then maybe her first thoughts wouldn't be to try to drive him into such extreme action. She'd never done it before, and he was certain she could come up with a better solution given time.
Until then, he would pay close attention to any mention of Strega's whereabouts and actions. If they truly did end up going down the same route that Tamamo saw before she could get the thoughts of killing them out of her mind, then… well, he could only hope it wouldn't come down to that.
August 6, 2009.
The day of the fourth Full Moon Operation, though it was the fifth full moon to occur since Minato arrived to Iwatodai and Tatsumi Port Island. The number sounded so small, but already he and the others were acting like it was routine. Even the levels of anxiety that the last operation had sprung were significantly lower this time around. They'd won before and were planning to keep up that streak no matter what.
There was little to prepare beforehand. Minato had been training through the weeks—if only in kendo—and so Tartarus visits had been done sparingly. They still went, of course, to ensure that they were not caught out of practice. But it had been a unanimous decision that they would limit their runs through Tartarus so as not to drive their leader into the ground. At that point, Minato had outright suggested they have a different leader guide them, worried that some oversight they made now would have serious consequences later. It was rejected at first, but eventually Minato had gotten the idea of mimicking their first run and gathered a team, intent on accompanying them while observing how they worked from an outside perspective.
It was a little difficult as they still seemed prepared to follow his lead instead of whomever he chose as a temporary replacement. Even more, he had to force himself to stay his hand as he watched them fight, remaining on the sidelines in order to only step in when absolutely necessary. Tamamo commented that it was in his nature to be a worrier. He never let them get hurt too badly each run, monitoring their health and status after each battle to make sure they were in optimal condition, no matter how many supplies he had to use in order to do it.
Regardless, it had been a learning experience for them all and Minato was glad for it. Even if he had always been in range while they fought as a group, he knew they could coordinate themselves on their own, without his guidance, if necessary. Given that this operation would involve another two Shadows, as per Tamamo's knowledge, and that they would fight them simultaneously, he felt it was good to know in the case that they needed to split the Shadows apart.
Speaking of which, Tamamo had worryingly less information to provide them this time. She vaguely remembered a tank and pulled Fuuka into the conversation to update the navigator about both the Shadows as well as Strega. The teal-haired girl was obviously worried about the latter, but promised she would help look into things. Since she had allegedly helped Yukari find information about the vague incident ten years ago, Minato felt more at ease knowing that the more intensive data gathering was in experienced hands.
In the end, he joined the rest of SEES in the command room of the dorm as usual, gathered around Fuuka and Lucia as they searched for their latest opponent. Ikutsuki stood with the teenagers, waiting calmly.
"Any luck, Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked.
Fuuka nodded. "Yes, I've located it… and this time, it's not just an ordinary one."
"Now that's more like it." Akihiko smirked, folding his arms over his chest.
"It's by the deserted houses in the northern part of Iwatodai," Fuuka announced. Her eyes were open and staring in their direction, but she was clearly focused on something only she could see. "But there is one thing that's strange… It seems like it's underground." She paused, calculating. "Almost ten meters."
Yukari tilted her head. "It must be in some kind of basement…"
Beside the brunette, Aigis kept still, the subtle sound of the lenses that were her eyes focusing whirring in the silence. "According to my records, there is no structure in the area that matches those criteria," she intoned. "However, in the past there was an underground facility that was used by the military."
"The military?" Yukari turned her gaze to the chairman. "Is that true?"
"Well," Ikutsuki began, "the architectural and geographic data for the area were uploaded into her memory bank. Then again, the information hasn't been updated in a decade."
Aigis nodded. "That is correct."
Junpei's face reflected Minato's skepticism on this error. "Uh, wouldn't that be a good idea?"
No one answered him, though not for lack of care. They had more pressing concerns to think about at the moment, after all, though Minato wondered if Ikutsuki deliberately avoided answering.
"So, how should we interpret this?" Akihiko asked, getting back to business.
"There's no way of knowing without actually going there…" Fuuka murmured, though she looked unsure at the idea of leading them out with no concrete information.
Mitsuru hummed. "It seems war's scars may be deeper than we think… The situation is still unclear at this time. Therefore, we will wait until we arrive to determine who should be deployed." She looked at them all. "Is that acceptable?"
The other members of SEES agreed, Fuuka dismissing Lucia as Ikutsuki stepped back to let them take charge. He sent them off with a customary smile and wish for their safety, claiming he would remain at the dorm to await news of the operation's outcome.
As they left, Minato felt some bit of relief that the Dark Hour lasted longer than its name implied—or at least seemed to. It was the Shadows' ability to manipulate space-time that caused it, he knew, but trekking around the city definitely took time, especially with no vehicles running other than what the Kirijo Group invented. At times, Mitsuru could provide them with special transport, but with time stopped in the rest of the city, things like cars were more of a hassle than a boon given the frozen traffic. So they were left with more tedious manners of travel, which generally consisted of walking.
He could only hope that they arrived in the right place. Fuuka had not led them astray yet, but it would be terribly inconvenient if they traveled all that way for nothing.
Thankfully, Minato had nothing to fear.
The underground facility was just where Fuuka had pointed it out to be at Iwatodai's northern harbor, and it was with quick work that the entrance was discerned and opened with a nearby switch to allow them through. With one last check of their supplies, the squad stepped in together. Fuuka was at the front in order to guide them with the faint sensing ability she acquired from Lucia. She paused once she cleared the entrance, head swiveling around. "The target should be around here…"
Hearing this, the others joined her in searching, only to stop short when a voice rang out from behind them. "Well done…"
Alarmed, they immediately turned around and two figures stepped into view just beyond the gate. Aigis held out a hand protectively in front of Minato, though he barely noticed, analyzing the two before them. Takaya and Jin, presumably, just as Tamamo said. He noticed that the girl, Chidori, was absent.
Off to the side, he saw Fuuka take a step behind the others, wisely protecting herself by keeping behind the others more suited for combat.
"This is the first time we've met in person. My name is Takaya," the long-haired man introduced, one pale and dreadfully thin arm lifting to gesture to the darker-haired male beside him. "This is Jin. We are known to some as Strega. We've been keeping an eye on you… From what we hear, you've undertaken a 'righteous' battle to save the world." A smile pulled at his lips, and Minato found himself distantly comparing it to the face of a reptile—cold and calculating. "But we've come here tonight to put an end to that dream. You've gained new allies, yet this land still crawls with sin. Tartarus is towering as beautifully as always…"
The way he spoke was smooth. Collected. There was a certain air about him that made it difficult not to listen. It was compelling, in a dangerous way.
"But why the hell would you wanna stop us!?" Junpei yelled, and not for the first time, Minato praised his ability to break through no matter what the atmosphere read.
The one named Jin snorted. "Simple. If the Shadows and the Dark Hour disappear, then so will our power. And we can't let that happen, now can we?" Unlike his partner, he spoke roughly and sneered openly at them, displaying his disdain without fear of censure. He was also horribly condescending, and Minato had to hold down a twitch at his tone.
"Power…?" Mitsuru repeated. She gasped. "Don't tell me you're Persona-users as well!?"
Takaya appeared unamused. "Why don't you use that pretty little head of yours for a change?" he drawled. "Only a select few wield the power of a Persona… and the Dark Hour is a frontier that is ours alone to explore. Just like the Tower of Demise."
Yukari was incensed. "That's your reason!? Are you crazy!? There's no telling what will happen if we don't do something about the Shadows!"
"What difference does that make?" Takaya inquired in return. "There will always be disasters, whether they are caused by Shadows or arise from human folly. No one can predict the future, anyway. But that is all beside the point… Surely you will acknowledge the sense of significance the Dark Hour has given you."
"You think I like this!?" the archer shrieked.
This earned a raised brow. "Is it not so?" He swept his gaze over the others. "How about the rest of you? Do you also wish to return to your pathetic, ordinary lives?"
Junpei flinched and Minato felt himself straighten.
So it was true… He didn't doubt Tamamo's words on Strega's intentions, but a part of him had not wanted to believe that there could truly be people who wished to see the carnal world of the Dark Hour continue. No one alive, at least. Had it not been bad enough that there had been an entire group of nihilistic people to amass the Shadows for nefarious purposes, which led to the birth of the Dark Hour in the first place?
Apparently not.
From behind them, Fuuka spoke on just about all of their behalf, "I don't enjoy this one single bit."
Across from them, Jin rolled his eyes. "You've each got your own reason for fighting. 'Justice' is only an excuse… and that makes you all hypocrites! So I say, to hell with you!" And then his leg lashed out to the side, hitting the switch that SEES had used in order to get in. As the gate swiftly shut before him and Takaya, he smirked. "Have fun in there."
Akihiko darted forward, but to little use. The gate slammed down and no amount of striking it with his fists got it to open again. "Dammit!"
Surprisingly, it was Aigis who piped up with a word of comfort, "We will be all right. Rather than waste our energy, I suggest we deal with the Shadow first."
Yukari took a deep breath, holding it in before expelling it. "You're right. If we lose our cool, then they win."
As if on cue, Fuuka spun around, prompting them to follow suit, on guard. "The Shadow's moving! I think it's noticed us!"
Tense, Mitsuru nodded. "All right. Let's concentrate on our original goal. We can look for a way out after we've won." And wasn't that a nice thought? In an old military base with Shadows and no way out. "Everyone, prepare for battle. Arisato, you're up."
As if he'd expected any different.
All but resigned to his position, Minato pulled Junpei, Mitsuru, and Yukari to tag along with him. The former two for their different skill focuses and Yukari for her healing ability. Meanwhile, he entrusted Akihiko and Aigis, who, despite her lack of expression, still managed to convey her concern for him, to look after Fuuka. They were trapped in a relatively unknown area, after all, where any number of other Shadows could be waiting to appear just like in the hotel during the last operation.
Once they were ready to go, Minato led his newly formed team down the path, following Fuuka's instructions after the target. Along the way, he observed the tread marks on the floor, noting that Tamamo hadn't been kidding when she mentioned the Shadows this time were dealing with a tank.
"Whoa…" Fuuka's voice exclaimed. "This place seems to be some kind of weapons depot. I've never seen so many weapons before… All designed to kill… But I guess that's the reality of war. It's hard to believe that a time like that actually existed…"
As they continued on down the path, Minato was concerned when it seemed they were only following one Shadow. Tamamo had said there would be two, the Chariot and Justice, but so far Fuuka's sense had only told them of one Shadow.
Eventually, Fuuka informed them that the Shadow stopped moving. "It's waiting in the next area! Be careful!"
Not giving himself time to worry, Minato ran in, the others following and fanning out behind him. What awaited them in the large underground chamber was what looked to be a giant tank, its turret swiveling to face them.
"So it's using the tank as armor…" Fuuka murmured. "And this one's Arcana is… Justice? No, Chariot—oh! That's it! It's two Shadows in one!"
"What?" Yukari yelped.
"Of course it wouldn't be that easy!" Junpei spat.
"Don't worry," Mitsuru interjected coolly. "We've prepared for this. We'll simply work through it like always."
And thus, the battle began, Minato lifting his Evoker to his head, summoning the two-headed Orthrus to his side. The hellhound raced alongside him as they spread out in order to not give the Shadow an easy target.
"Fuuka, any weaknesses we can exploit?" Minato called as he sent Orthrus forward, the monster rushing forward and leaping onto the Shadow, both heads' fangs bared.
"It's just like the Arcana Lovers before, Minato-kun," the navigator replied not a second later. "Hama and Mudo skills definitely won't work, but no other affinities or weaknesses beyond that."
"Figures." Minato scoffed.
Before him, Hermes struck at the main body of the tank before ascending, a Garula spell from Io and Yukari swiftly following. Penthesilea swerved around, thin blades shining as they swiped through the air, the ice of Bufula shooting forward and crashing into the Shadow's other side.
"I'm sorry."
He shook his head, though he wasn't sure she could see it. She could probably sense it, however. "Not your fault these things are difficult. Any readings on their skills?"
It was a technique she had been cultivating since the last operation—one that Tamamo had apparently brought up while they had been running up the stairs in the love hotel. Fuuka admitted that it was more difficult to grasp than the Shadows' basic composition, as it required a more in-depth analysis. But it seemed to get easier over time as she gradually learned what to look for and how to interpret the things that she sensed through Lucia.
"Yes," she confirmed. "The majority of their skills seems to focus on physical damage. However, they have a few spells mixed between them… I wonder if there's a way to get them to separate… It should be easier to tell which Shadow has what skill if they did."
That was a matter that they had to deal with on the field, Minato decided. Which was, like all things, easier said than done. Standing back, Minato winced as Orthrus was hit in its stomach, causing the hound to fly back and land painfully on the floor—which was sent back to Minato's mind and body as a result. He was grateful when Junpei flew in with Hermes to distract the Shadow from picking on his Persona further. From the winged Persona's back, Junpei struck at the turret, causing it to swing around wildly.
"Hey! Minato-kun!" Yukari shouted from her spot beside Io. When he looked over, he saw the archer pointing frantically at the turret. "Did you see that!? It nearly came off! I think that's how it combines!"
"I saw it as well, Arisato," Mitsuru announced as Penthesilea glided in front of her protectively, shielding her from the turret that was aimed near them. "That may be what we were looking for."
"Orthrus," Minato invoked, even though a verbal command was unnecessary. The hound appeared at his side, shaking off its injuries. Eyes locked on the turret, he gestured to it with a tip of his head. "Go fetch."
With a snarl, the Persona lunged.
Seeing Strega for herself had done nothing for Tamamo's nerves. And while the rest of SEES could manage to put the thought of them away in order to confront the Shadow, she had no such luxury. Even as she watched Minato work with the others to take down the literal tank, she found herself thinking back to the encounter and scorning herself for thinking she could have done anything so soon.
It was a brief meeting. Even if she had convinced Minato to let her do something about them somehow, the rest of SEES would not have understood why and would find "his" actions strange. Trapping them with her experimental spell would have likely done no good either. For one thing, Chidori was not present, lurking around and shielding their presences with Medea. And even if SEES had them in custody to bring back to Ikutsuki, the chairman could possibly recognize them and orchestrate their escape somehow. He knew of their existence, after all, being the one to supply them with the suppressants they needed to survive their Personas (and, from bits and pieces she could remember, he had been one of the scientists conducting the experiments that awakened their Personas).
Not to mention, he had seemed to bank on the rivalry between the two groups in order to further manipulate SEES into destroying the Full Moon Shadows.
No, nothing good would have come of anything she could have tried to stop them. It would have either cast a bad light on Minato or ended up going wrong dozens of other ways. She was grateful that he had talked her down from it, though she would certainly keep an eye out for them in the months to come.
Until then, she would have to devote her time and energy in figuring out how to deal with Ken and his planned revenge against Shinjiro. In a way, it was a plan that everything else hinged on. Even before Portable came out, she had always wished to find a way to save the other senior. And now that she had a chance to, she was terrified of it going wrong somehow or the universe conspiring to return to its original course no matter what she did.
Pain flashed through Minato's mindscape, homing straight in on her. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, unwilling to provide any sort of distraction for Minato. Weakly, she checked to make sure her barrier around him and the others was still intact, cursing that it wasn't made for physical skills.
When she looked back to the screen that was Minato's vision, she saw the two Shadows finally separate, the turret flying off to the side as the tank somehow stood on two legs. Junpei's strangled yell of surprise was audible even from outside of Minato's range of sight and, seeing it for herself, she had to agree.
How the hell is that even possible? Minato asked, incredulous, as he stared at the now towering figure of the two-legged(?) tank.
"If you hadn't noticed, Shadows don't care much for physics," Tamamo said.
No kidding.
"That's it!" Fuuka's voice rang throughout the chamber. "The turret's arcana is Justice! It specializes in Pierce category physical skills. It also seems to have a light spell and a revival spell in its arsenal. The tank is the Chariot! It deals with Strike attacks and numerous ailments. Be careful, everyone!"
"Good job, Yamagishi!" Mitsuru praised.
Revival skill, huh? Minato cast his eyes on the turret.
It looked worse for wear than the tank, which Tamamo supposed came from its earlier beating by Junpei and Hermes as well as being literally torn from its counterpart by Orthrus. "Better focus that one down first. Either with Yukari or Junpei, seeing as how it flies."
His mind worked quickly, plans and decisions coming together in a split second that made her mind whirl to watch how quickly his thoughts flitted from one tactic to another. Outside, he called his orders, "Kirijo-senpai, you and Yukari keep the Chariot busy. Attack from a distance. Junpei, we'll take down Justice. Try to get its wings and see if it works like last time."
The others gave their confirmation that they heard and immediately ran about to fulfill them. Tamamo only caught glimpses of the girls catching the Arcana Chariot's attention while he and Junpei set their sights on the Arcana Justice. Together, they moved in, almost synchronized in their attacks as they alternately struck at the Shadow with their swords or sent in their Personas to cover them.
Occasionally, Tamamo felt the tug of danger on one of the Social Links as the flying Shadow cast Hama, and she hurried to channel her energy down it to reinforce their shield to keep them from falling to the spell. More often than not it missed, but she didn't want to take any chances, as reviving a downed ally was a distraction that they couldn't afford with both Shadows separated.
Still, she hadn't expected the two Shadows to use their spells as often as they did. She had to reapply her shield almost as soon as she finished setting it up in order to keep them safe from the bombardment of status ailments from both Shadows. That she had to deal with the pain of any skills that targeted Minato didn't help things either.
The Arcana Justice seemed to jump in the air, casting another spell as if to prove her point. It rushed in at her barrier and broke it, to her dismay. But, just as she lifted a hand to restore it again, a thick black mist rushed in from her blind spot, surprisingly solid, and knocked her down.
"Orthrus! Agilao!" Minato commanded, watching the resulting burst of fire envelop the flying Shadow. Hermes had torn one of its wings and it flew limply in the air, struggling to keep itself afloat and out of reach of their normal weapons. Thankfully, their Personas had no such limitations.
"It's almost down! Keep going, guys!" Fuuka encouraged.
After a quick glance towards where the girls were fighting to assure himself of their continued safety, Minato looked back when he felt twin spikes of spiritual energy gathering as spells were about to be cast. It appeared that both Shadows were casting simultaneously, and he guarded himself against the potential onslaught.
When it was cast, however, he found himself mildly relieved that it was just the Poison Mist again, which was easily dodged He stumbled slightly when he felt another spell strike him, but he had no time to contemplate the lack of pain in the midst of battle. He resumed a combative stance, sending Orthrus forth once more to catch the Shadow with its teeth and claws. Unbidden, he nervously tightened the grip on his sword, an anxious feeling swiftly creeping its way up his back.
He swallowed, trying to force himself to calm down. His heartbeat accelerated, disobeying his silent command.
"Minato-kun?" Fuuka asked worriedly. "Are you all right? There's something…"
Whatever else she might've said was lost as Junpei ran up next to him, Hermes zooming overhead. Minato's head snapped up at his triumphant laugh and resisted the urge to snap at him to cut it out. It felt like something bad was going to happen, and yet the other boy was laughing. "Dude, we totally got this!"
"It's not over until they're dead and gone," Minato warned him, heart pounding as he remembered the last time he had gotten confident at the sight of impending victory. The Arcana Priestess. They had managed to defeat it, sure, but it managed one last attack to knock Minato over the railing. Had it not been for Junpei and Hermes, he would have been paste.
He shuddered, a cold sweat running down the back of his neck at the reminder. He readjusted his grip on his sword, palms sweaty.
Suddenly, a spike of foreboding made him look forward, just seconds before Fuuka cried, "Vile Assault! Junpei-kun, watch out!"
But the turret was already raised. Their Personas were close, but still too far to interfere. Not in time.
A single gunshot, but the sound resonated within the chamber.
Junpei choked. And as he fell, Minato saw red bloom from his friend's chest.