A/N: Happy Holidays, everyone! Hope everyone's enjoying themselves.
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The player smirked, opening the files of the game.
-Character_Models Field
*Jp_001
*Ak_001
*Sh_001
*Kn_001
*Ko_001
"Best girls take priority."
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"Everyone split up." Said Minato. "We'll cover more ground."
"On it."
"Gotcha."
"As you wish."
Minato ran down several corridors, opening up briefcases containing items and slaying weak shadows. He then encountered three shadows of a new breed.
"Careful, Minato." Fuuka warned. "These ones are strong..."
"Right." He pulled out his evoker. "Thanatos!" He summoned the Grecian god of death from his psyche to his side. "Cast Mudo."
The persona did as commanded, casting the dark spell. However, the shadow he aimed for dodged at the last moment and retaliated with a strong agi spell, blasting the young wildcard back.
"Minato!"
"Shit…" Minato quickly got back up. He could use the death spell, or swap out to Trismegistus, but both options would end with the whole room blowing up, so that was out. "Fuuka, I need some backup. Who's the closest one near me?"
"I can lead Junpei over to you."
"Do it." Minato dodged another attack. He then remembered his initial persona, Orpheus Telos. He dismissed Thanatos and focused on him. "Come forth!"
Rather than the immediate blue mist most personas emerge from, Orpheus Telos appeared in a warm, relaxing light. Seeing the radiant persona made Minato feel a bit more at ease for whatever reason.
"We gotta kill them." Minato ordered. "Try anything that won't wreck the place."
In response, the golden harp on the persona's back began to glow. Orpheus Telos gripped it tightly and swung out a wave of magic at the shadows, hitting all three.
"Was that…Gale Slash?"
"Yo, Minato!" Junpei yelled.
"Finally, some backup." Minato thought, until his jaw and heart simultaneously dropped upon seeing who walked up to him.
"Miss me?" Yuko Nishiwaki asked with a grin.
Minato paled. How is she here? WHY is she here?! What happened to Junpei? What is she gonna do?
She pulled out an evoker. "Persona!" She summoned Junpei's Oberon, confusing Minato even further.
"Dude, let's line up our attacks!"
"Uh, sure." Minato summoned Orpheus Telos to his side gain. "Why is she talking like Junpei…?" he thought.
Minato's persona strummed his harp, casting Tarukaja. Oberon's sword crackled with power as it let loose another deathbound, slamming critical hits on all three shadows, killing them.
"Hell yeah!" Yuko pumped her fist in the air. "I'm da man!"
"What the fuck is going on…?"
Yuko turned to him and winked. "You're welcome, by the way."
"Uhh…." Minato struggled to find the words he wanted to say to Yuko as millions of questions flooded his mind. Minato has become tired.
"Dude, you don't look so good…" Yuko noted. "Think we should call it a day?"
"Yeah…"
After issuing the order to head back, they reached the teleporter and headed back to the entrance floor. There, what Minato had hoped was a stress-induced hallucination, became the seed of his inevitable nightmares tonight.
Chihiro Fushimi walked over to his side. "A-are you okay, Minato…?"
Wait. WHAT?!
"Oh my…"
Elizabeth, whom he wasn't even sure could even leave the velvet room before now, walked towards him as well, taking his hand. "You don't look well. Perhaps we should head back now."
The young wildcard broke out in a sweat. Where are the guys?! Hell, the kid was annoying as all sin, but the fact that even HE up and vanished made the situation all the more unsettling for Minato.
Minato has become sick.
The next day at school, Minato decided to go straight to Yuko and Chihiro to ask about yesterday. Both girls were confused by his questions regarding shadows and Tartarus. The two, unsurprisingly, had no idea what the young man was talking about. Minato walked away with a groan.
"This shit's really starting to get old…" He thought. "And where the hell is Junpei?"
Just then, he felt it. That murderous aura that carried death and damnation with it wherever it goes.
Fuuka was near.
Minato immediately grabbed his backpack and ran. He knew he wasn't safe. No shadow compares to the fear of death his unwanted suitors placed within him, especially Yamagishi. Her persona revealed her true self. Beneath that innocent face, lays the soul of she-demon. And she's got her sights on the poor bastard. Minato didn't even realize he ran up to the roof until he stopped at the safety rail.
He looked back at the door, then back to the rail.
She's coming. He knows it.
He grips the rail tightly, taking a deep breath.
The door opens. A hand grips Young Arisato's arm before he could fling himself off the edge. He swallowed hard before turning his head. To his surprise, it wasn't Fuuka. Hell, it wasn't Yukari, Mitsuru, or…anyone else annoying. It was the blonde girl with the headphones.
"O-oh…Hey." "THANK GOD!" He thought. "Good to see you…"
She nodded, giving a soft smile.
"U-uh sorry. I wasn't really…gonna…" He looks back at the railing, realizing the scarring scene he almost forced this random girl to witness.
She gave another nod. This girl gave Minato a sense of ease, similar to when Orpheus Telos is by his side during the dark hour. He couldn't help but smile.
"Hey, do you…wanna hang out sometimes? My dormmates are kinda…driving me crazy.."
The blonde smiled again, nodding, with her blue eyes looking into his.
"I should…head back down now."
She let go of his arm in response. She gave him a quick hug before leaving.
In that instant, a sense of familiarity washed over Minato from that short embrace. He felt as if he were forgetting something extremely important.
That feeling nearly brought him to tears…and he didn't know why…
Stats:
• Minato Arisato: Standard one-handed sword
Persona(s) equipped: Orpheus Telos, Thanatos, Trismegistus
Orpheus Telos skills: Gale slash
Thanatos skills: Mudo, Death, infinite endure
Trismegistus skills: Megidolaon(Eliz. vari )
• Yukari Takeba: Standard bow
Persona equipped: Angel
Angel skills: Media, Night Queen
• (Yuko Nishiwaki) Junpei Iori: standard katana
Persona equipped: Oberon
Oberon skills: Life Drain, Spirit Drain, Deathbound
• (Chihiro Fushimi) Akihiko Sanada: Boxing Gloves
Persona equipped: Black Frost
Black Frost skills: Rebellion, Primal Force, Prophecy of ruin
• Fuuka Yamagishi: Navigator
Persona equipped: Lucifer
Lucifer skills: Full analysis
• Mitsuru Kirijo: Standard Rapier
Persona equipped: Lilim
Lilim skills: Healing wave, Dreamfest, Blade of fury, Die for me!
• (Elizabeth)Ken Amada: Standard Spear
A/N: A short chapter, I know, but I wanted to dedicate the next chapter to something special. Something I think everyone will get a laugh out of. That, and I'm setting the scene for something further down the road with one of Minato's sweethearts. As always, I'm open to reviews. If I should improve or focus on something in particular, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Happy holidays and Happy New Year!