Chapter 19; Get use on the ability

...05/08/2009 Wednesday; Dark Hour...

The air was heavy and stifling in Tartarus as the group prepared for another ascent.

Each member adjusted their weapons, checking their equipment with precision.

The sound of blades being sharpened and holsters being fastened echoed off the walls.

Hiro crouched, tightening the holster on his leg, his shirt sticking to his body due to the unbearable heat.

He had left his coat aside, unable to bear the oppressive warmth.

Junpei removed his cap and began fanning himself desperately. "Man, this heat is insane."

Yukari, seated on a nearby staircase, sighed, feeling sweat trickling down her forehead. "August is always the hottest month of the year. But this... this is too much."

Mitsuru finished drinking a sip of water from Hiro’s canteen before handing it back to him. "We need to test the Theurgy cartridge. President Shuji asked us to try it out using a stimulant he developed."

Hiro took the coat from Aigis's hands and reluctantly put it on before grabbing the canteen from Mitsuru. "How exactly do we activate this cartridge without using the stimulant?"

Fuuka, who was examining a manual she had pulled from her belt, began reading aloud while removing her armband. "Well, it’s hard to read his handwriting. But it says here that the armband contains a chemical reagent that detects your emotional and hormonal levels."

Junpei frowned, trying to process the information. "What does that even mean? Like some kind of rage mode?"

Minato wiped the sweat from his forehead, leaning over to glance at the manual Fuuka held. "Something like that. It seems it’ll activate when we’re under extreme stress or when our determination reaches its peak. Once that happens, just press the Gekkoukan emblem on the armband, and the cartridge will eject."

Akihiko examined his own armband and curiously pressed the emblem. A small compartment opened, and the cartridge emerged, emitting a faint red glow.

"And then you just load it into the Evoker?" Akihiko asked, studying the cartridge.

Fuuka folded the paper and nodded. "Exactly."

Mitsuru turned to Aigis. "Aigis, did you bring the stimulant?"

Aigis opened a compartment in her arm, revealing a syringe filled with a yellow liquid. "Yes, the president requested that someone inject it into their shoulder."

Hiro eyed the syringe with suspicion. "And this is safe?"

Junpei lightly punched Hiro's shoulder, laughing nervously. "I was wondering the same thing. That doesn’t look very healthy."

Mitsuru took the stimulant, sighing with concern. "It isn’t. Only one dose is safe. More than that, and the individual could suffer a heart attack."

Akihiko let out a sarcastic chuckle. "From fighters to lab rats. Wonderful."

Mitsuru’s sharp glare was enough to make Akihiko step back. "Take that back," her eyes seemed to demand.

Raising his hands in surrender, Akihiko tried to diffuse the tension. "Alright, alright. I was just joking."

Mitsuru glanced at the syringe again, her hand trembling slightly with worry. "So, who’s volunteering? If no one steps up, I’ll do it myself."

The group exchanged glances, the silence heavy as they considered who would take the risk.

Yukari, her expression resolute, approached Mitsuru and took the syringe from her hands.

"I’ll do it... everyone needs to know how it works," Yukari said, her voice firm despite the tension.

Minato stepped forward, placing a hand on Yukari’s shoulder. "Are you sure? If you want, I can take your place."

Yukari shook her head, determined. "Yes."

Mitsuru closed her eyes briefly, signaling her consent. "Very well..."

She gestured to Fuuka, who began adjusting the teleporter.

"Arisato." Mitsuru addressed Minato, who stood beside Hiro and Aigis. "Take Hiro and Aigis with you. Protect Takeba. She’ll likely pass out once the stimulant wears off."

Minato rubbed his shoulder, mentally preparing himself. "Alright. Let’s go."

Minato, Yukari, Hiro, and Aigis stepped onto the teleporter as Fuuka activated the device.

A white light enveloped the four, and in the blink of an eye, they were transported to another level of Tartarus.

The intense glow surrounding Hiro and Aigis began to fade, revealing a new environment, but Yukari and Minato were nowhere to be seen. Hiro looked around, surprised.

"What the...?" Hiro murmured, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of Tartarus.

Aigis, ever vigilant, immediately activated her built-in machine guns. "The teleportation was disrupted again. Minato-san and Yukari-san were separated from us."

Suddenly, Fuuka’s voice echoed in Hiro’s mind through telepathy, filled with worry. "Guys, can you hear me?"

Hiro instinctively looked up. "Yeah, what happened?"

"The teleporter malfunctioned!" Fuuka replied, the tension evident in her voice. "I don’t know how..."

Before Fuuka could continue, Mitsuru joined the conversation. "Hiro, Aigis, what’s your status?"

Aigis quickly responded. "Hiro-san and I are in the second area of Tartarus. We’ll likely reach the third area on the next floor."

Fuuka’s urgency intensified. "I found them! Oh no... they’re fighting a strong Shadow. Hurry to the next floor, now!"

Hiro and Aigis exchanged glances, determination reflecting in their eyes.

Without hesitation, they began running toward the staircase, their footsteps echoing through the shadowy corridor.

In the third area of Tartarus, which resembled a distorted reality dominated by black, illuminated only by vibrant, colorful lights, Yukari ran toward the familiar sound of Minato's Evoker being activated repeatedly.

Turning a corner, she caught sight of Minato engaged in battle with two Shadows.

He had just finished off one, which dissolved into a black mist, leaving only one Shadow remaining.

It was a massive white hand, adorned with a silver ring on its ring finger. At the wrist of the hand was the creature’s head, wearing a blue mask.

Without hesitation, Yukari pulled her bow from her back and shot a precise arrow at the mask's eye, causing the creature to recoil with an irritated screech.

Minato didn’t miss a beat. Pulling the Evoker from its holster, he spun it deftly, selecting his next Persona. "Orpheus!"

He pressed the Evoker to his temple and pulled the trigger.

A blue flash flared beside him as Orpheus appeared, towering behind him.

With a graceful motion, Orpheus took the harp from his back and strummed it, unleashing Agi, a fire spell, directly at the Shadow.

The attack struck its mark, exploiting the creature's weakness.

The Shadow staggered, giving Minato an opening to dash forward and, with a swift slash of his sword, cleave the creature’s mask in two.

The Shadow retreated, starting to dissolve into black mist.

Yukari ran over to Minato, concern evident in her eyes. "Minato, are you okay?"

Minato holstered his Evoker and nodded. "Yeah, I’m fine. Have you seen Hiro or Aigis?"

Yukari slung her bow over her shoulder, still catching her breath. "No, but I managed to talk to Fuuka. She said Hiro and Aigis are on their way. But why—"

Before she could finish her sentence, a dark figure emerged from the shadows, partially obscured by the colorful lights.

Minato acted fast, grabbing Yukari and diving to the side with her, narrowly avoiding a barrage of luminous spikes that pierced the spot where she had been standing.

The two hit the ground with a dull thud, Minato shielding Yukari in a tight embrace.

His eyes locked onto the new Shadow that had appeared.

"Damn," Minato muttered. "This one’s a strong one."

Yukari, her cheeks flushed from the sudden closeness, stammered, "Mi... Minato..."

Realizing the situation, Minato quickly let go of Yukari and stood up, drawing his sword. "Yukari, are you okay? There’s a Shadow here!"

Yukari shook her head, regaining focus, and got to her feet, drawing her bow once more.

The Shadow roared, and a lamp on its torso began to spin, unleashing a beam of light directly at Minato and Yukari.

Yukari managed to leap to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack that targeted her weakness, but Minato wasn’t as fortunate.

The beam struck him directly, sending him staggering backward.

The Shadow lunged at Minato, delivering two spinning kicks to his stomach before its lamp began to spin again, firing another barrage of light spikes. This time, Minato barely managed to dodge them.

Despite his injuries, Minato threw himself to the side, drawing his Evoker and pressing it to his head. "Persona!"

Orpheus reappeared, harp in hand, and with a swift motion struck the Shadow’s head, pushing it back and cracking its mask.

But the Shadow retaliated instantly, firing an electrical blast directly at Orpheus, exploiting its weakness.

Minato let out a cry of pain, staggering as he fought to stay upright.

The Shadow seized the opportunity, launching itself into the air and delivering a flying kick to Minato’s head, slamming him against the wall with brutal force.

Yukari watched in shock, memories flashing before her eyes.

She remembered the first time Minato had saved her—facing the initial Shadow Arcana alone—and how he’d stepped in front of an attack to shield her and Junpei.

"No... I can’t be weak anymore," Yukari whispered to herself, her gaze locking onto Minato, now collapsed on the ground. "I have to save him... I have to save someone for once in my life."

Renewed determination surged through her as Yukari stood up and grabbed the stimulant syringe and her Evoker.

She removed the needle's cap and, without hesitation, injected the stimulant into her shoulder.

Instantly, a fiery heat coursed through her body, her thoughts consumed by the desire to protect her friends—to protect Minato.

The Gekkoukan emblem on her armband began to glow intensely, pulsing with a vivid red light as the Theurgy cartridge automatically ejected.

"Stay away from him!" Yukari shouted, throwing the syringe to the ground and grabbing the cartridge.

She opened her Evoker, inserting the cartridge into its new compartment. With the modified Evoker in hand, she aimed it at her own head.

"Io!" Yukari cried, pulling the trigger.

The resulting flash glowed a deep crimson, and Io materialized behind her, surrounded by an intense red aura as though in a frenzied state.

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