The Shadow Chasers

Chapter 11

"What's the plan?" Akihiko softly asked Mitsuru. "Just take him down now?" he questioned tersely.

Her eyes darted to him for a moment. "It might not be that simple," Mitsuru replied. "Those relics are likely the key. We've got to find them," she added.

"M-Ray Contacts, girls," Sam said, and the three quickly had them out and in place. "We'll be your search team," Sam said as she, Clover, and Alex used their jetpacks to spread out and scan the area with the benefit of seeing through objects.

"We'll cover you!" Aigis called out, hovering via her back thrusters with Labrys at her side.

"So long. Say goodbye to humanity," Kaito muttered in displeasure. With a gesture, all the Shadows surged forth. He dropped into a pool of black liquid shooting off to a chute in the floor just outside the office.

"Artemisia!" Mitsuru shouted, stretching her arm forward in a beckoning gesture. Since the events of Labrys' abduction and later the P1 Climax, the need for Shadow Operatives to use Evokers to summon Personas had ended, perhaps due to entering the TV World. It was preferable, since Evokers were unloaded guns. Previously everyone had to point them at their heads and pull the trigger to cause the mental stress needed to summon a Persona. Now a simple gesture and the verbal command sufficed.

Sam, Clover, and Alex gasped as a huge black and white humanoid female shimmered into existence behind Mitsuru. It wore an elaborate dress, dotted with metal spikes and had a red half mask with a pointed nose. It held a segmented metallic whip at the ready.

"Ice!" called out Mitsuru the next moment, and her Persona lashed its whip at the retreating black shape, causing a stream of ice to shoot forth and freeze it in place.

Junpei had gestured soon after as he yelled, "Trismegistus!" An imposing red knight-like Persona covered with enormous gold blades appeared. It flew into the closest approaching Shadows in an arc, slamming them aside.

"Isis!" Yukari said, seconds later, and a silver and black Persona with a female head and torso popped into reality. It had two pairs of enormous metallic wings, some with red and blue markings, and atop its head it held a red mirror between two long horns.

"Wind!" Yukari shouted, and concentrated green bursts of air battered a nearby multi-armed Shadow.

Almost simultaneously, Akihiko called out "Ceasar!" Suddenly, a towering black and white humanoid Persona dressed similar to its namesake was there. It held a giant sword in one hand and a replica of the earth in its other. Immediately, it swung its sword to protect Akihiko from a brawler Shadow.

Koromaru howled, causing Cerebus to manifest. There stood a massive three-headed black dog with a pair of decorative metallic wings and steel collars around each neck. It struck out at three crow Shadows at once with its powerful jaws.

"Athena!" Aigis exclaimed, and a Persona dressed to resemble its namesake came into view. It held a long lance with an exceedingly large gold blade. A giant blue and gold shield floated before it. It hovered above the floor, tunic billowing as it moved, with no sign of feet. It swung forth suddenly, skewering enemies in its path.

Finally, Labrys shouted "Ariadne!" to cause her Persona to appear. The tall, graceful metallic humanoid female was a blueish-white android. Its head visor and lack of conventional feet resembled Labrys herself. The creature's long aqua-colored hair billowed upwards behind it. With a motion of its hand, large decorative red arrows shot from the floor into a few table Shadows, holding them in place.

Junpei's Persona flew up, then fiercely plunged back down into the table Shadows, eliminating them.  Another table Shadow soon approached, and Junpei dodged and used his bat to block the blades that swung towards him.

Koromaru's Persona darted over to shoot a stream of fire from its mouths into the table Shadow and a few crow Shadows in the area as well, causing them all to dissipate.

Two giant brawler Shadows advanced on Koromaru and Mitsuru, in hopes of an ambush, but Yukari's Persona shot out twin tornadoes, knocking them off-balance. Yukari quickly had let loose two white arrows which struck each in the forehead part of their masks to dispose of them.

Akihiko's Persona had dispatched the brawler Shadow from earlier and now faced three multi-armed Shadows. Caesar raised its sword, and a lightning storm erupted from it into the approaching Shadows, destroying two of them. Akihiko braced for the one that survived, and dodged a series of sword swings from it nimbly. In a flash, he let out a right hook that that brought the metallic plate of his custom fighting glove into the mask of the Shadow, causing its mask to shatter. The creature dissipated, and Akihiko turned to search for the next enemy.

Sam, Clover, and Alex were hovering about searching for the relics via their jetpacks and M-Rays, striking down crow Shadows that neared them. They managed to dodge bursts of flame that any managed to send out of their lanterns. Sam and her friends were taken aback by the strange creatures and the enormity of the chaotic battle at first, but soon adapted. What had previously seemed like an absurd number of allies, was now looking to be very useful in such a large scale battle.

Sam noticed Junpei and his Persona were dealing with a persistent brawler Shadow and a quick crow Shadow. She flew down and struck the back of the brawler's knee, causing it to drop into a kneel and turn in surprise. Junpei's Persona flew up and smashed through the high-altitude crow Shadow. Junpei leaped to the brawler and brought down his anti-Shadow bat in a powerful arc, obliterating the Shadow's mask.

"Hey, thanks!" Junpei called out to Sam and gesture with his bat before looking for the next Shadow. Sam smiled, briefly waved, and then refocused her search for the relics.

Clover swatted down a crow Shadow, then swiveled around to avoid being blindsided by a sneak attack. Nearby, Aigis rocketed with a metallic kick into a crafty crow Shadow, disposing of it.  She glanced towards Clover and noticed another one that had popped up from behind a large machine to aim a sneak attack shot.

Not having a clear shot, Aigis snapped, "Athena!"

The Persona flew into the enemy from the side, impaling the Shadow's mask with its huge lance blade.  Clover, who'd just dispatched another Shadow, turned at the sound of the impact to see Athena, with the Shadow dissipating on its lance.

"Thanks!" she called to Aigis in relief, and quickly scanned the area for enemies or relics.

"My pleasure!" Aigis said loudly to be heard over the din of the battle around them.

Even Koromaru eliminated enemies using his anti-Shadow knife designed to be gripped in his mouth.  With startling precision he jumped to a table Shadow, splitting its mask in half before its hovering blades could hit him. His landed near his Persona, who was covering him from surprise attacks.

Mitsuru used her rapier to skewer the masks of any Shadows that made it past her Persona, and glanced at the frozen ringleader beside her. He knows where those relics are... she thought intently.

A/N: Thanks very much for reading.  Please vote and comment to show your support.  It's been quite a journey writing this.