As agreed , Minato took his team and ascended to the second block of Tartarus , leaving his sister with Ken and Koromaru . Ken's new Persona towered over the new enemies , and could withstand many powerful attacks , and could even survive a strike by a light spell , which would've otherwise knocked him out . However , the purpose of this formation wasn't for him to fight , it was to hold back the shadows while Minako was trying to use her Persona . As Minako continued to fail in her summoning , Ken had to repeatedly step forward and eliminate the shadows himself .
" it looks like all the shadows here have been defeated , let's move elsewhere " Ken turned to look Minako , and saw her staring at her evoker " don't worry , I'm sure you'll regain your Personas soon "
" I know ... " Minako nodded hopefully " in fact , this time , I felt like a Persona was about to appear ! I couldn't call it , but I think it's close , maybe next time it'll appear ! "
" That's great ! "
" Minako ! " Fuuka called " I'm sorry , but we're gonna have to stop this training ! I have a feeling that death is near ! "
" death ?! As in the Reaper ?!! " Minako cried
" please return to the entrance immediately ! "
" wait ! Is Minato and the others with you ?! "
" I ... they're ... "
" Fuuka , please answer me ! "
" they're ... they're fighting the Reaper ... "
" what ?! "
At the second block , Minato and his teammates were fighting the shadows fiercely . The shadows had quickly adapted to the physics and mechanics of the second block and could now effortlessly use them to ambush the team and hamper their escape attempts . As they were trying to escape an overwhelming hoard of shadows , they walked through the wall to find themselves face to face with more shadows in front of them , just as the shadows were following them through the wall .
" this is bad ! " Junpei exclaimed
"Arisato ! We need a ...! "
" Mitsuru senpai , Yukari and Koromaru ! " Minato interrupted with a plan before Mitsuru could finish asking him for one " combat the shadows that come from the wall ! Junpei , Akihiko senpai and Aigis , follow my lead to exterminate those at the front ! "
" Roger ! " Junpei pulled hos evoker
" Akihiko senpai , you know what to do ! "
" you can count on me! Caesar ! " Akihiko pulled his evoker , summoning Caesar and weakening all enemies before striking them with lightning
" Mithra ! Metatron ! " Minato quickly set out to obliterate the shadows before him
Following this plan , Minato , Junpei , Akihiko and Aigis defeated the shadows at the front , while Yukari and Mitsuru focused on the shadows that came from the wall . Because of the capacity of the wall , they were coming one or two at a time , making it easier for them to keep up with the shadows . The battle was by no means easy , and the team was exhausted by the time they had finally pulled it off . Those who had their Personas evolved were able to keep up with little effort , but those who hadn't were clearly limited in what they were capable off .
" Minato ... " Yukari reluctantly asked " are we ... am I ... holding you back ? "
" indeed , this conclusion is logical " Mitsuru nodded " our Personas aren't as efficient as yours , and yet I'm impressed at how you're making a good use of them at all "
" senpia , nobody is holding anybody back " Minato shook his head " we all have a role to fulfill in those formation , and I would ne in deep trouble if one of you wasn't around "
" thank ... thank you ... " Yukari let a sigh of relief .
" anyway , since we're all tired , I suppose we should ... "
Minato suddenly felt a chill run down his spine , and he broke into a cold sweat when he heard the sound of chains being dragged on the ground in the distance . Before he could say anything , he heard Fuuka's warnings
" Minato ! I sense death ! You have to get out of here ! "
" we must leave ! NOW ! " Minato yelled at his team " to the teleporter ! "
The team realized the severity of the situation and followed him . However , they were absolutely horrified to see thay none of the teleporters were working . They were trapped in this floor with the Reaper , and as the sound of chains began getting louder , panic began setting in on them .
" if ... if you can make it to the first block , you might be able to use the teleporters there to escape ! Minako just returned with Ken using one of them "
" okay , team ! Let's move ! "
However , the team had little chance to go anywhere , just as they were trying to get there as fast as possible , the Reaper crashed through the wall , letting an ear-piercing scream that shook what little confidence they had left . They were faced with their greatest nightmare in Tartarus . It looked like death is imminent , but Minato wasn't about to go down just like that .
" we need to het out of here ! " Yukari despaired
" how are we going to do that ?! " Junpei said anxiously " the stairs are behind him ! "
" I'll hold him off " Minato pulled his evoker " make it to a wall that you can pass through and circle around him ! "
" but what about ... ?! " Yukari started
" we'll do that ! " Mitsuru nodded
" okay ! " Minato called both Helel and Lucifer " Armageddon !!! "
" but senpai ! " Yukari objected " we're not gonna just leave him ?! "
" We'll only hold him back , hurry ! "
Minato's Armageddon barely held back the Reaper , as it easily countered it with a Magidoloan , which despite being on a lower scale , was powerful enough to block it . Despite Minato's Personas calling a spell more powerful , the Reaper's spell packed more force . Before Minato could counter it , the Reaper pointed his guns at the ceiling , and blasted away . The explosion caused the ceiling to fall on the ground blocking their escape .
" oh no ! " Fuuka wept
" we're ... we're trapped ?! " Yukari was on the verge of tears as well
" damn ! " Akihiko called Caesar to decrease the Reaper's attack " no escape option , leader ! Do you have another plan ! "
" Give me ... ten seconds ... and I'll come up with one ! " Minato was grasping , if even his strongest attack wasn't enough to push the Reaper back , what other choices does he have left ?
" Persona ! " Junpei called his Persona " the plan is simple , if we are going down , we're not doing that without a fight ! "
" Minato ! I read a few files of research on the Reaper ! " Fuuka called him " it chases after the strongest Persona ! If you can manipulate him using that trait , I'm sure you can create at least some advantage for yourself "
The Reaper effortlessly shoved Junpei's Persona , before charging a gigantic fireball at Minato , and Minato immediately knew who the Reaper had on his mind . He countered the spell by calling both King Frost and Black Frost , casting an ice spell that was powerful enough to nullify the flame . He then commanded his team to escape while he held the shadow off , but the Reaper was faster than them all . As if it was reading Minato's mind , he countered with a Magidoloan that knocked everyone on the ground . At that point , Minato found himself face to face with the Reaper , with no escape . The Reaper casted a powerful fire blast at Minato , and because he was still using King Frost at the time , the blast immediately knocked him on the ground . The Reaper was prepared to finish him off , and his other teammates couldn't do anything to stop him . Just then , Aigis stepped forward , calling Paladion to try and push him back .
" Aigis ! " Minato exclaimed as he tried to stand back up " activate Orgia Mode ! "
With Orgia Mode , Paladion was able to push the Reaper back . However , it wasn't being pushed back far enough for an opportunity for escaping to present itself . The strain on both Paladion and Aigis caused her temperature to rise at a faster rate , and she would overheat faster at this rate . Minato commanded Junpei and Akihiko to follow his attacks as he called Mithra and Metatron . Along with Paladion , they just barely had enough to push the Reaper back , as Minato carried Aigis and made his escape with the team . However , as they hurried toward the stairs , The Reaper , while still on the ground , fired a penetrating shot at the roof , causing it to tremble and collapse before them , nearly burying them below it . At that point , they were surrounded again .
" this is insane ! " Yukari cried in dismay " this thing wasn't that smart when we escaped him several months ago "
" we can debate why and how later , for now we need to find a way out of this ! "
Minato placed Aigis on the ground , at that point he was really grasping at the last options available for him . He called Titania and Oberon to try and confuse the Reaper , but that obviously didn't work , and trying to call Jack Frost and Pyro Jack yielded the same results. Nobody asked him what he was planning , at that point they just wanted a miracle to happen to safe them , because it was clear that nothing they did could save them from the Reaper . As Minato tried to call Pixie and Narcissus to charm the Reaper , he was met with a Magidoloan that had him on his knees , just as he thought it wss all over for him , he heard Aigis call Paladion . His eyes darted forward to see her standing between him and the Reaper . However , it was clear that the cooldown sequence had yet to finish , as she was stuttering and shaking to the point where she was barely standing .
" Aigis ! What're you doing ?! "
" don't ... be .... afraid " Aigis stuttered as the Reaper began forcing his guns away from her grip " I will not fail ... to protect you ... this time ... Minato ........ saaaaaaaan ....... "
" hold on ! " Minato was about to call another Persona to help her out
However , Aigis had shut down before she could do anything else , the Reaper easily crushed her Persona before charging toward her .
" AIGIS !!! "
Minato screamed , as he pulled his evoker to call another Persona , but the Reaper called forth a shining fist that emerged from the sky and slammed him on the ground . Was this really the end ? Was there nothing they could do to escape ? If even he and Aigis were powerless to stop the Reaper , who would be strong enough to fend it off ?
" Kala-Nemi ! "
Ken's Persona emerged behind the Reaper , healing the entire team . However , while they were back in full health , they were still helpless against the Reaper .
" Ken ?! What're you doing here ?! " Minato yelled at him
" I got Minako to safety , but she's worried about you , so I promised her I'll save you ! " Ken pulled his evoker and prepared to fight " don't worry ! Fuuka told me how the Reaper works ! All I have to do is convince it that I'm his opponent ! "
Among them , Ken was the only one not trapped , but that still didn't mean he was safe . The Reaper realized that Ken fully healed the team , and now it had him on its mind . While that gave the other members a chance to escape , none of them found it in their hearts to leave Ken behind . Ken , on the other hand , was prepared to look death in the eye to protect his friends , while silently hoping that his mother and Shinjiro were watching over him . Just then , and to everyone's surprise , a naginata was thrown at the Reaper out of nowhere . Among them , Ken was the most surprised , as he had made sure she was in the entrance with Fuuka .
" hey ! Dildo fingers ! " Minako taunted him as she ran toward him " why don't you leave them and get a taste of me ?!! "
Of course , the Reaper paid her no attention , as she couldn't even use a Persona , and instead focused its attention on Ken . Minato tried to hold it off with another Armageddon , but he was still not powerful enough to stop it . Ken called Kala-Nemi to push the Reaper back , but his Persona was easily clobbered by the Reaper , leaving him with nothing but a headache from using it .
" no ! " Minako stood between Ken and the Reaper
" Minako ! " Ken yelled at her " get back ! You can't use a Persona ! "
" Minako !!! "
However , the Reaper wasn't able to strike Minako down , as she was engulfed with a strange light . As she pulled her evoker to her head , a silhouette of Orpheus appaeared above her . Everyone watched in awe as she pointed the evoker to her head .
" heed my call ... come to my aid ... lend me strength ... " Minako fired the evoker " Persona ! "
When she fired the evoker and Orpheus emerged , he looked completely different from when she had summoned on the day she had awakened to her Persona several months abo . His armor was red , and his joints and harp were golden , and his appearance seemed majestic and fascinating .
" thou art I ... and I am thou ... deep within thy soul I was born ... I was given rise by thy strength, as thou hath resurrected the lost faith within thy heart toward the bonds of thyself , and found the courage to forgive the sinners of thy confidants . I shall be the pillar that protects thine bonds , and the force that sustains thee . My name is Orpheus Telos "
Minako was so overjoyed by the appearance of the all new Orpheus Telos that she thought she could fly , she finally did it , she finally summoned a Persona , and in the nick of time, too . However , the surprises were far from over , as Orpheus Telos pulled his harp , and played it , he casted a rain of shining orbs that slam into the Reaper , casting a Rain of Magidoloans at him , something that no one was capable of , not even the Reaper . The impact was so destructive even the Reaper couldn't withstand it , and it was knocked down on the ground .
" that ... is ... AWESOME !!! " Minako cheered , before looking at her shocked team " what're you waiting for ?! Here's our chance for an all out attack !!! "
" that was amazing ! " Yukari cheered
" alright ! I've been waiting for this !!! " Akihiko nodded
The team was overflowing with confidence, that they thoughtlessly charged at the Reaper with an all out attack , as if they actually thought they could defeat it , as if they weren't about to be obliterated a second ago . However , the shrill scream of the Reaper as it stood up brought them back to reality , and made them realized that they were still not powerful enough to defeat it
" oh no you don't ! Orpheus Telos ! " there was no stopping Minako , though , and as she knocked down the Reaper once again , she rejoiced " yes ! Everyone , once again ... ! "
However , at that moment , she felt a strong headache that made her feel as if her skull would split . She wondered if Orpheus Telos was actually too powerful for her to control , and that summoning it would cause her pain as the other Persona used to do to her back then .
" no more all out attacks ! " Minato said as he carried Aigis " we're retreating ! "
" What ?! But I'm on a roll ! " Minako objected , and tried to call Orpheus Telos once again
" I don't care , I'm the leader and I get to call the shots ! Let's hightail it while the Reaper is knocked out !!! " Minato stopped as the other members escaped before him , for the only reason to called Scathach and Parvarti and destroying the roof on the Reaper , buying them more time to escape .
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The members of SEES regrouped at the entrance , and there a crying and frantic Fuuka was waiting for them . Thankfully , Aigis successfully rebooted in the entrance with Fuuka's help , and she herself reassured them that that damage she received can be easily repaired . Once they made sure Aigis was fine , Junpei , Yukari , Ken , Akihiko and Fuuka all circled around Minako . They were feeling both curious and amazed , but they were puzzled to see her crying .
" are you okay ? " Akihiko asked anxiously
" I ... I did it ... " Minako wept , apparently from joy . In fact , she was so joyful she could barely stand in place for one second " I really did it ! I summoned a Persona ... ! "
" summoned a Persona ?! " Junpei clutched her shoulders and yelled enthusiastically " you didn't just summon a Persona , Minatan ! The Persona you summoned was the strongest Persona we've ever seen ! "
" Junpei , you're scaring her ! " Akihiko scolded him
" it's true and you know it , senpai ! If it weren't for her we wouldn't be here ! " Junpei looked around him for someone to agree with him " what do you guys think ?! Minatan saved the day , didn't she ?! "
" she saved the night " Minato said , before sighing " now I sound like the chairman ! "
" but does that mean she has regained her powers ? " Fuuka asked eagerly
" let me try , Titania ! " Minako pulled her evoker and called a Persona , which easily emerged before the team and healed them " guess that means I'm back in the fromt line , right ? "
" I always knew you would get your powers back , Minako " Fuuka said , feeling relieved as she saw Titania fade
" we're glad to have you back , Arisato " Mitsuru nodded with satisfaction
" but she looked amazing ! It was like that scene when Featherwoman Swann emerged at the last second and saved Featherman team from the ... " Ken went own excitedly , before he realized he was talking in front of SEES and embarrassedly said " I ... I mean ... that's what I heard at school ... "
" still , you really couldn't have picked a better time to regain your powers , Minako " Yukari said with a tired laugh
" no kidding , I'd hate to think of what would've happened if I wasn't there in time "
" still , don't use that Persona unless you absolutely have to " Minato said with an intense look on his face
" ooh ! I get it ! " Junpei laughed " someone's jealous that their sibling is getting ahead of them ! "
" that Persona , what was it called again ? Orpheus Telos , right ? " Minato ignored Junpei " I could tell it's straining you to summon it . You looked like you were having a headache , even after Igor allowed us to call powerful Personas , this one was still too powerful "
" so you noticed " Minako nodded admittedly " guess that was the reason you told us to retreat "
" yeah , let's be upfront and honest . That Persona is difficult to control "
" yeah , I think I can summon him twice at most . The first time I'm fine , but the second time it hurts to call him , and I've obviously yet to try calling him three times "
" we'll try not to force you to call him more than twice at most " Minato decided " anyway , we need to return to the dorm for tonight and wait for Aigis's repairs to be finished"
" right ! Next time , I'll be fighting alongside you all ! " Minako chirped , she was really all right this time , and was finally fine and ready to rejoin her team for real"
At last , SEES had fully recovered from the tragedy they had witnessed a few weeks ago . Not only that , but they came out stronger , both in the bonds that tie them , and their strength in battle . At the time , when Minako lost her powers , the team was greatly disturbed by the ordeal , as they thought they had lost another valuable member of their team . Now that they saw Minako awaken to a new Persona , which was so powerful that it could stand head to head with the Reaper of all shadows , and how she came back even stronger than when she had lost her powers , their confidence was reignited , and they were prepared to storm Tartarus again as soon as possible , and for the final battle against the last full moon shadow
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I don't think I have much to say here , other than this part was so fun and exciting to write , especially while listening to " Life Will Change " when Minako awakens to her Persona . Also , when I wrote this part , I pretty much charged through without many details , but as I revised it and added more , it became longer , and I don't think I could just split it now , but I think Minako deserved such a conclusion after what she's been through , hope no one minds .
Anyway , what do you ' Aigis ' commenters think of this part ? They're still pretty crude , but stick around as they become more and more intimate , you won't be disappointed .............. I hope ...
Anyway , that was a lot of tension , who's up for more social links? No ? ... just ... me ? Meh , narrating all these hectic events is tiring , so I'm going for social links now , and we still need Aigis to repair herself .
If you enjoyed reading this part as much as I did writing it , feel free to vote for it , and remember to comment your opinion on Shinjiro's fate , something that I chose not to mention in the last part because I thought the subject was too serious for me to interrupt it . And I know the upcoming parts aren't as heavy with tension as this , but stick around for them because there's more tension behind all that , and I'll see you in the next part . Stay safe .
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I forgot to post the link to the comic that inspired this series of events , I'm so sorry . Well , better late than never . Here is the link
https://m.imgur.com/a/zWVNl