Chapter 13; The new user

...29/07/2009 Wednesday; Dark Hour...

The creature, struck in its weakness, was overcome by violent spasms. It staggered backward, collapsing to its knees, its strength drained by the relentless attacks.

Seizing the opportunity, Mitsuru shouted, "Akihiko, Hiro. Finish it off!"

Hiro and Akihiko advanced in unison, their silhouettes slicing through the eerie glow of the battlefield as they charged toward the Shadow.

Hiro led the assault with a flurry of scimitar strikes, each movement a deadly combination of speed and precision.

At the same time, Akihiko pummeled the creature with his gauntlets, delivering thunderous blows that resonated with every hit against its dark, corrupted flesh.

As Akihiko rubbed his neck after a particularly powerful strike, he cast a teasing glance at Hiro, a faint smirk on his face. "Don’t mess this up, Hiro."

Without breaking stride, Hiro twirled his scimitar, preparing for another slash. "Says the guy who never shuts up."

Their synergy was undeniable. Moving as if they were extensions of the same force, they unleashed a simultaneous kick to the Shadow's chest.

The impact was catastrophic.

Using the momentum, Akihiko leapt over Hiro and delivered a crushing uppercut to the Shadow’s head. The blow was so powerful it sent one of the creature’s grotesque eyes flying from its mutilated face.

Hiro stepped forward, his scimitar gleaming as he raised it for the finishing strike. He was ready to sever the Shadow’s head in one decisive motion.

But the Shadow, in a final act of desperation, raised its moon-shaped weapon.

Before anyone could react, a phantom blade slashed through the air, heading straight for Hiro and Akihiko.

Hiro managed to block with his scimitar, though the force of the attack left a shallow cut on his leg.

Akihiko wasn’t as lucky. The blade struck him squarely in the chest, sending blood spraying into the air. His face twisted in pain as he stumbled backward, clutching the wound.

Despite his injuries, Koromaru began to growl ferociously, his crimson eyes burning with defiance. The small dog, trembling from exhaustion and pain, tried to rise, his sheer determination pushing him beyond his physical limits.

"Koromaru, you can’t stand!" Fuuka cried, her voice laced with concern. "You’ll make your wound worse!"

Suddenly, something extraordinary happened.

Koromaru lifted his head to the sky and howled, his voice echoing through the battlefield. A brilliant light flared from his eyes, enveloping him in a radiant glow.

When the light faded, a Persona emerged beside him—a towering figure that commanded both awe and fear.

Fuuka’s eyes widened in shock. "A... Persona?"

Aigis, ever analytical, identified the figure immediately. "Cerberus, the three-headed hound of Greek mythology."

The massive Cerberus howled, a deep and resonant sound that reverberated through the sanctuary.

Koromaru, despite his weakened state, joined in the howl, and together, the two charged at the Shadow.

Cerberus attacked with ferocity, its three heads tearing into the creature’s body and slamming it against the ground.

Hiro, his eyes wide in disbelief, shouted, "The dog summoned a Persona?!"

Cerberus gave no respite. Its three heads relentlessly ripped the Shadow apart, demonstrating the destructive power of the Persona.

The Shadow, now in tatters, let out a piercing shriek.

But Cerberus’s central head quickly silenced it, sinking its fangs into the creature’s head and tearing it off in one savage motion.

As the Shadow dissolved into black mist, Cerberus let out a triumphant howl.

Koromaru, however, exhausted and injured, began trembling violently before collapsing onto the ground.

Hiro, still in shock at what he had witnessed, murmured, "What the fuck..."

Akihiko, clutching his wounded chest, shook his head, trying to process what had just happened. "I didn’t know animals could have Personas."

Mitsuru and Yukari ran toward Hiro and Akihiko, their expressions filled with concern.

"Are you both okay?" Mitsuru asked, her voice authoritative yet tinged with worry.

Hiro, sheathing his scimitar while catching his breath, replied, "I think so. Akihiko here… not so much."

Without hesitation, Yukari pulled a white crystal from her belt and shattered it on Akihiko’s shoulder.

The crystal, a Media Crystal—an extremely rare item from Tartarus capable of healing injuries—glowed softly as its restorative magic spread through him.

"Feeling better?" Yukari asked, relief evident in her voice.

Akihiko nodded, feeling the pain subside. "I’ll live."

Minato approached Mitsuru, his tone calm but reflective. "That Shadow was strong... and it wasn’t even an Arcana Shadow."

Mitsuru frowned as she gazed at the spot where the Shadow had disappeared, her brows furrowed in thought.

Before she could respond, Cerberus, no longer radiating its menacing aura with the Shadow gone, approached the group.

The Persona’s three heads observed each member of the team, as if deliberating something.

Suddenly, one of Cerberus’s heads licked Hiro’s face, leaving him both startled and slightly uncomfortable.

The other heads rubbed against Minato, displaying an unexpected affection.

Then, just as abruptly as it had appeared, Cerberus vanished.

Wiping the saliva from his face, Hiro grumbled, "Jeez… that breath."

Minato gave a faint smile, his gaze lingering on the spot where the Persona had disappeared. "Looks like Cerberus took a liking to us."

Mitsuru turned to the group, resuming her leaderly demeanor. "Let’s take Koromaru back to the dorm. I’ll contact my family’s company to send some veterinarians to care for him."

Fuuka, kneeling beside Koromaru and gently stroking his fur, murmured softly, "Koro-chan gave everything he had to save Akihiko-senpai and Hiro-san..."

...30/07/2009 Thursday; Morning ...

At the dormitory, the atmosphere was tense, yet there was a shared sense of relief at being away from immediate danger.

Hiro, Akihiko, and Minato sat on the living room couches, their bodies wrapped in bandages that bore the aftermath of the previous day's intense battle. Every movement, every heavy breath, carried the weight of their injuries.

Mitsuru descended the stairs, holding a phone close to her ear, her expression stern.

After ending the call, she slipped the phone back into her blazer pocket and turned her attention to the others.

"Koromaru is being treated," Mitsuru announced, her voice firm yet laced with concern. "President Shuji has analyzed Koromaru, and it’s confirmed—he does have a Persona."

Akihiko, still feeling the ache in his chest, rubbed the sore area as he tried to process the news. "Man... A dog with a Persona..."

Hiro, intrigued, shifted his gaze to Minato, who was sitting slightly apart from the group, his headphones hanging around his neck. "Speaking of Personas... Minato, since when can you switch Personas? The rest of us only have our own. But yesterday, you switched Personas like it was the most natural thing in the world."

Minato let out a deep sigh, pausing the music on his headphones and removing them completely.

"I don’t know," he began, his tone uncertain. "Ever since I awakened my Persona, I’ve been able to switch. Orpheus is my main Persona, like yours are. But somehow, I can alternate between others."

Mitsuru sat down beside Hiro, her expression contemplative. "I’ve wondered about that since the beginning," she admitted. "He’s the only one who can do that. Not even the command room’s computer can figure out how it’s possible."

Akihiko stretched out with difficulty to grab a water bottle from the coffee table, groaning as he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

"That’s why Minato... ugh, my chest..." He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "That’s why he always leads the Tartarus incursions. Since he can switch Personas, Mitsuru puts him in front. He can use multiple elemental attacks, unlike us."

Mitsuru nodded, clarifying, "I’m immune to ice attacks, but fire attacks take me down. Akihiko is immune to lightning but weak against ice."

Hiro looked down at his own hand, reflecting on his vulnerabilities. "And I... I’m immune to fire and darkness but weak against light."

Suddenly, the sound of the dormitory’s front door opening drew everyone’s attention. They turned to see who was entering.

Akihiko, recognizing the figure stepping through the doorway, widened his eyes in disbelief. "Shin... Shinjiro?"

Shinjiro walked into the dorm, his presence commanding despite his silence.

He scanned the room before fixing his gaze directly on Akihiko.

"Yo," Shinjiro greeted, his hands buried in the pockets of his overcoat. "Looks like you guys got your asses kicked."

Mitsuru, startled, stood abruptly. "What are you doing here? I thought you had—"

"It’s not what you think," Shinjiro interrupted, his deep voice steady and firm. "I’m here to talk to him."

He pointed in Hiro’s direction, catching everyone off guard.

Akihiko, confused, asked, "What? You two know each other?"

Shinjiro, still calm, shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "Since yesterday. Hiro, come with me."

Hiro stood up, still perplexed by the situation but sensing the urgency in Shinjiro’s tone. "Alright... I guess. Let me just grab my stuff from upstairs."

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