LABYRINTH

[animusmods]

Characters: Participants in the Labyrinth event
Setting: The Labyrinth
Format: Any; party style
Summary: Characters are told to fight to the death over eight days.
Warnings: violence/gore/horror; this is a free-for-all fight to the death after all

Labyrinth starting positions, events, ring colors, and other information.

SUBTHREADS:
Please specify your location in your header, and if the thread is open or closed.
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Day Eight

Comments

[fracta_anima]

"Stop it," Minami cried. This wasn't Shinjiro. This wasn't him at all. Was this what she'd been like, when Death had taken over? No. No. This was worse, far worse than that sense of utter peace had been. Shinjiro wasn't like this, didn't want this and Ken, he--

"Stop it!" she tries again, turning away from Jin as Nemesis was actually thrown. This was more brutal than she'd thought a persona fight could get. normally they only stayed out for a few seconds, but this?

Minami put herself in front of Shinjiro. It was stupid. So utterly stupid she could almost hear Yukari berating her for it, but she didn't care. This had to stop. Shinjiro would never forgive himself if he killed someone like this.

She couldn't.... even if he wasn't her own, she couldn't let him die like this.

"Shinjiro. Stop! Do you honestly think she would want you to be like this?!" she shouts at him. So what if he's speaking like that? So what if Ken and Jin have every reason to kill her? It should snap him out of it if she's in danger, hopefully. Minami might have hated Shinjiro's protective streak but she had to hope it would work for her this time around.

[busstopsign]

It was an excellent strategy, no matter how dangerous it was. Her voice reaches deep inside him, and the glow of Shinji's eyes dim. He coughs, once, twice. Minak---no it's Minami. Minako is dead. He was angry. He wanted someone dead.

"I..."

Everything is happening like a dream. He looks up, wiping away the blood and apart from Minami towering over him, he notices Ken running towards Castor.

"...No!"

No! No, no, no, no he never wanted this to happen. Just Jin he...he....He looks over at the other Strega member, with the wound, still fresh, but thankfully not bleeding as much as before. No. No his anger is different now that he's more lucid. While he wanted him dead before, he now realizes what is happening and hates himself for it.

It's happening again.

Just like that night.

Shinji doesn't want it to happen again, but it's already too late. The motions had been set in place, and now that Castor has a mouth, the words become clearer, its voice loud enough for those running close by to hear him. One hand grabs Ken as he runs towards him, the other throwing away his lance as Castor dangles him, upside down.

"I remember you, little one. That night when that small girl was killed and my other self wanted nothing more for me to destroy every shadow present. I relished in their deaths...and so did he, even if he would deny it. Your mother...was nothing more than collateral damage. He hated himself for what I had done, became nothing more than a phantom that clung to life waiting for you to grow and kill him for his crimes...he could not handle my true power, and thus tried to suppress me. But no more! I am finally free!"

"LET HIM GO!" Shinjiro manages to stand up, leaning unto Minami for support and yells at him, a hand on his head. Castor stops, and slowly turns around, chuckling as he dangles the poor boy like an insignificant chew-toy.

"And you think yourself able to stop me now, my other self? You never had true control over me. Do you not remember Sanada's own words to you when you joined SEES for the first time? You care too much for others. You try to act cool, but that is nothing more than a mask for you hide behind, unable to face your emotional instability. He feared for your health and for you. You just wanted to be a hero and save the lives of others. Because you cared. You were a battle genius. You thought you could save them all. Instead you doomed yourself and repeat this cycle of death." It pointed to where Minako's corpse lay. "You can't even save those you love."

Shinji stood silent at the Persona's verbal beatdown. He wants to tell him to shut up. But he knows. He knows deep inside that this is all true and he can't deny it. And he hates his own Persona for speaking the truth.

"Shall I rip this boy in two in front of you?"

"NO!" He moves back in front of Minami and stands facing of his own Persona, looking at him in the eyes. "I WON'T LET YOU HARM ANYONE ELSE!"

"A pointless boast, my other self. You cannot stop me."

Without thinking, Shinji yanks takes Minami's weapon from her hand, and points it at his heart.

"I'll end my own life if I have to!" Castor brushes him away, laughing.

"Pointless. Pointless! You understand nothing. Your death would change nothing. Go ahead and end your life, you fool. Then I shall be completely free.

Castor throws Ken away into a wall and leans closer so much that Shinji cool feel its breath, as the green blood splattered on him.

"After all...I am a Shadow...the True Self!"

[pitiedthefool]

He'd been wandering, axe still stained in blood as he walked onward, feeling the wild energy before hearing the shouts. It wasn't anything new to him, but after resting a friend's body against a wall as well-

Couldn't save... I couldn't save...

-he started running. Not from, but towards. There was a sinking feeling in his heart, and while he didn't have Teddie and Rise with him, there was no way in the nine paths of Yomi that he couldn't recognize the chill running down his spine that both caused a thrill and twinge of fear. As he ran, he could hear it- the sounds of a Shadow becoming manifest and the cries from the original. ...Was it because of this he was brought here, to act as the representative of a goddess and pull others from despair again? How could he though, when he couldn't even keep his own spirits up?

That's when he rounded the corner, seeing Castor stare down Shinjiro, sees Jin's somewhat-patched up abdominal injury, Minami trying act as a shield before being pushed away, Ken being thrown like a rag doll... and a dead Minako nearby. Yes, that would certainly do it.

"Aragaki-san!" Yu rushes over, feeling a sudden rush of power as he does so. 'The time hast come.'

"If you want to harm them further, you'll have to go through me." Comes the cold threat, of one who had seen this scenario eight too many times as he holds his axe in a defensive manner. This wasn't the kind of weapon he was used to, but he didn't need it for anything other than blocking now. He doesn't blink, doesn't flinch for a good moment until a wicked smile crosses his lips, seeing the card fall before him and glowing blank until just before it could fall in his grasp.

It's about time, me.

"Izanagi-no-Okami!" He crushes the card in his hand, the scream echoing as his True Persona came forth from the blue light surrounding him. Izanagi-no-Okami wastes no time in answering his call, spinning his white and gold naginata and casting Agidyne. He would deal with his own demons later. Right now, he had to help them all survive or everyone was going to lose it.

Also, that might have been Izanagi's fist aimed at Castor. Oops.

[keepscalm]

He'd become accustomed to the strange summoning powers that the rest of his party seemed to possess. Though the creatures they brought forth never ceased to be anything less than utterly fascinating whenever they were unleashed, England had grown used to their presences; after a point, his gratitude for his teammates' respective abilities went without saying. He'd probably not have gotten off his nasty encounters as well as he had without them around.

So, of course, when Minako had gotten separated from them and Shinjiro had gone to find her, England had done everything in his power to help Minami keep the way clear of enemies so that Shinjiro could give chase without being pursued. And, when Minami made a break for it too, he still trailed behind, so that she'd have minimal disruptions.

Of course, he was only human (for the time being anyways-- ha ha, wasn't that a laugh?) and with his body in the state that it was, he couldn't last for too long with no aid. Soon, England was forced onto the scene as well.

You couldn't have asked him to describe what he found upon turning the corner. The nation hadn't jumped in right away, choosing to linger in the shadows to give himself time to assess the situation (as it was, it was hard even to tell who was on what side). As soon as the silver-haired boy broke into the fight, England decided it was about time to make himself known and do his best to help diffuse the situation, however out of place he may have been in it.

He held his crossbow at the ready as he approached Shinjiro, aiming it squarely at Castor in case his words drew the Persona's attention. "Shinjiro," he began, his voice level. "I wouldn't advise that. There's still someone very important that you have to fight for. Killing yourself to fight the monster within shall do little to halt it if the monster has already been freed."

[busstopsign]

[OOC: We are going to split the thread into two parts. One where Strega comes in, grabs their dudes and get out / fight Castor a bit if you want, and one where the others calm Shinji down 8Ub]

"..." England's words seem to have hit him as well, and Shinjiro stays quiet as Agidyne hits Castor, and Shinji's own body bursts into flames, as he stands protectively over both him and Minami. He falls to the ground, unconscious. He needs aid, and quick. Only he can stop the rampaging demon.

But for now, Castor was finally, truly free. With a victorious laugh, it continues to morph and change, as the horse and its rider fuse together, forming additional legs and becoming a demonic terror that mirrors Shinji's own inner feelings along with the Shadow's desire to be free. To be alive.

It stops Izanagi's fist with one hand. Shinjiro's strength is his, and physical attacks are now completely useless, even for a persona as powerful as him.

"Is this all you have to offer me? Pathetic weakling. Castor's own confidence would be its own downfall. But it would obviously not give up without a fight. He took his own lance and attempted to plunge it into the Izanagi's chest.

1 - Strega Members Regroup Here and Head Out

[busstopsign]

most inopportune time to be on hiatus tbh but uh HI /enters fray???

[fractus_animus]

He had been held up by all the monsters and bullshit and gotten taken back by them and now he was pissed as to why--he sees the commotion, felt it before he got here and it's pure pandemonium, he can hear it from around the corner, all that's gone on.

With everything else, Minato knows the only thing left is to let Thanatos and his full power out, then hope for the best. He was the only thing that could be a match for such an out of control Persona as Castor (he could feel it), and a man so far gone as Shinjiro. He only heard snippets of the conversations going on, the screams, the spells and brutality, but he didn't need to fully know what had happened to realize he had to do something.

(Thanatos, and he whispers in his head, running toward the screams and noises as quickly as he can, I need your strength, save them, help me, anything, please--)

And when he rounds the corner his eyes widen but he wastes no time because HE HAS NONE, Ken throwing himself on Castor, their Personas being used against one another, apparently Shinji had gone nuts, fuck fuck fuck Evoker to his head and he's breathing heavily--hesitating, just frozen by the sight of all the brutality that has happened before his eyes, and it isn't until now that he snaps out of it, managing to finally gain control of himself.

"STOP HIM!" Is the only cry given, emotional and worried and after three days he's starting to lose his grip but it's contained enough that the fragment of Death LISTENS for once to that willpower, revealing itself and launching its huge body at Castor, like the force of a freight train, in an attempt to distract it. Shinji wasn't the only one with a far too overpowered Persona and Minato would have hell to pay for this later, but he didn't care. He sectioned off his mind and wondered if it would be possible to call forth Samael, too, as he rushes over to Ken and worries about Jin as well, checking on them both.

"...Chidori was right behind me, we got split up... hang on--I'll--you'll be fine." It's like he's assuring himself, really.

For the first time in his life, he's afraid of losing people. He'd come to accept that people he cared for would die or he'd go before them. He'd seen death, after all, but seeing Jin in THIS state, Ken having been slammed against a wall, he just... it hit him hard, and right now he looked like nothing more than some kid afraid for his friends.

"No, we have to win, if we don't, there's bound to be consequences--" His breath hitches and he's just... picking Ken up gingerly because he needs to get them out of here and he moves toward Jin not daring to guess, but praying Chidori is right behind him.

[miseris_socios]

Ken remains shocked into silence by Castor as he's grabbed and held like he was nothing at all. But then he's flung and he hits the wall and his entire world explodes into pain. Other people are talking and he can't understand them, but he doesn't even have the strength to summon Nemesis right now, even as he holds onto his Evoker.

Then he hears Minato, and makes a motion to look up, but he can't. There's too much pain and it's enough to make his head fizz. His vision is blurry from shock and he can't think. He feels Minato pick him up and he doesn't even protest, just hangs there limply. He's scraped up but most of his wounds are probably going to be more evident later through deep bruises. It doesn't seem like he's broken anything - or at least nothing serious.

"G... good thing I drink a lot of milk, huh?" His voice is shaky and pained, and he just closes his eyes tightly, trying to block all of this out.

[floreatnoctem]

She's a liability to all of them.

Too slow, too weak, can't even keep up with the little one, can you?

That's the first thought that runs through her mind as she rounds the corner after Minato, scanning the entire group in one quick sweep. She catches a glimpse of Moros as it retreats, injured beyond anything she's ever seen done to a Persona, Jin laying all but broken beneath, and Ken not too too far, thrown away even as Minato makes his way to the younger boy's side. It's pandemonium, chaos- blood and fire and power arcing every which way and she can't-

-Darkness overwhelming another small body on the edge of her vision and she can't move, can't run, too afraid even as blood hits the side of her face and the darkness moves to converge upon her-

-She can't heal them all fast enough. She can't save them all. She can't, she can't-

Hasn't he had enough of destroying families, I wonder? This place may be the death of you all, but should it really be at his hands?

-she can't give up.

"NO!"

For the first time, pure desperation is all she needs to call Medea forth, a healing spell spilling forth without her even having to think about it. For the first time in her life, Chidori does not begrudge Medea that she emits life rather than simply sense it- it may be the only thing that will help her keep them alive. Even as Medea's form creeps forth, seemingly carried by flames and smoke, Chidori moves, places herself between Strega and the rest. She's far from intimidating, thin slip of a thing that she is, but there is fire in her eyes and an undeniable threat in the way she holds her evoker to her head without so much as a tremble of her hand. She had never cared much one way or another about Shinjiro, even with Ken's hatred for him.

Now, she's not certain she won't be joining the youngest of Strega in his vengeance. Medea is healing, alternating between him and Ken with surprising willingness... but she's not sure it will be enough.

"Jin," her voice trembles, if only because she's not certain he can hear her, not certain he'll be able to do even as little as she has to ask of him. "Jin, can you get up?"

[morituramfides]

Minato was here-- Chidori too? Right they were back-- here. Was Ken OK?

Jin's thoughts were still cloudy, but all he knew was one minute he was grasping his torso in pain, and the next, he didn't have to; a glance down and the wound was gone. The blood was still there-- in fact, his green jacket was soaked in it (though his mind didn't think to process the differences between the red and green that had been splashed oh him). But the wound was gone, and so was the pain and the pressure on his abdomen. A few Diaramas and he actually felt-- better?

Physically at least; there wasn't much the weird healing could do for his mental state. The damage to Moros was making it hard to process what was going on when usually he could work perfectly fine under pressure. What did bring him to attention was Chidori's voice-- trembling. Why?

Jin stared blankly at her for a moment, still dizzy and confused over the lack of pain and the baffled by how large the situation escalated. Eventually though, his bearings were back. Ken was hurt and Minato was freaking out. There was no way they could fight their way out of it, and given the appearance of a group of other people willing to help Shinjiro, he didn't see a reason why they had to.

"Shit--!" Yeah, he fucked up. Bad. He realized that-- he'll make it up to them later. In one swift motion he got to his feet, adjusted the backpack on his back and grabbed Chidori's wrist, both to steady himself and pull her out of harm's way once he could make a run for it.

"Screw this guy-- it ain't our battle to deal with Aragaki's demons," He started, looking at Minato. "Let them deal with it. We got more important things to deal with." Namely making sure Ken was OK.

[fractus_animus]

"... Yeah." To Ken, this is said, and he bites his lip quietly, trying not to tremble from worry. If Ken died, here, because of HIM he wasn't sure he could--

Breathe. Be calm.

Minato is trying.

He is trying so, so very hard right now, to keep calm, as he gently carries Ken once more, getting up himself, to make sure they just... get out of there. He is relieved to see he was right, that Chidori was behind them. God, why couldn't he ever do more--

He wants to leave now but Minami is his sister and also estranged family; he is worried, and he watches as she's beating on Shinjiro and it occurs to him that it was HER who kept them all alive during this fiasco, likely her that held them until Chidori and Medea had arrived. He wants to speak to her, talk to her, anything, but he knows better. Now isn't the time.

He swallows the words he wants to scream and nods mutely, turning to the others.

"... He's right. We--" Really shouldn't be IN here oh god they were all going to be slowly tortured weren't they? "--should leave. Now. I'm worried about Ken."

The words are forced, and so is his calm. It takes pretty much all of the years of control and keeping his face straight that he's learned to appear like he's got this under control, that he's thinking clearly. He gets up to move, knowing their Personas can cover for them. Thanatos should do fine, and the Persona reels back to cover them as they leave.

"... Let's go now while we have the chance."

And he's carrying Ken and moving as fast as he can. Damage assessment should be done in a safer place than this.

2 - Yu, Minami and England try to stop rampaging Shadows

[busstopsign]

...welp. does anyone have a Persona that knows Recarm/have a revival bead?

[pitiedthefool]

Yu grimaces, bracing himself. Izanagi's his best hope for this right now, the only one who could withstand and keep his mind calm and analytical when he's so close to breaking as well when he sees the flames over both of them. Their shadows are acting different than theirs, but then... this was a rejected Persona, wasn't it. It was the only reason he could think of for what just happened.

Shit.

He saw the lance coming, saw it but took the hit anyway. Izanagi-no-Okami's red eyes narrow behind the mask, deflecting the lance with his naginata. However, his reaction time is lowered due to his user's emotions and the action merely sends it into it's left shoulder instead. Yu gasps in pain, holding his shoulder as though he felt the impact himself while dropping the axe. The Persona, however, takes hold of the offending weapon and attempts to pull it out himself.

"Thou knows naught... of weakness... fragment," the standalone form hisses almost silently, pulling himself away as static slowly forms up and down its arm and chest.

"C-change-!"

Izanagi-no-Okami vanishes in the light and snowy static, Isis taking his place as she lifts her arms, casting Tetrakarn on herself and Yu. That... had hurt almost as much as Adachi's continual stabbings and gunshots. Maybe even the Thousand Curses... Yes, he was weak alone... but he knew a few of his friends were here as well, some waiting for him to come back alive.

Someone, for the love of the gods, wake up Shinjiro.

[fracta_anima]

One second, she's between the boys and their persona, trying to act as a human shield.

The next she's shoved behind Shinjiro and he has her staff in hand and oh god his persona is going to rip Ken apart and is talking about being the true self. She knew Shinjiro had problems, that he had a lot of guilt on his plate. Minami had never thought he was perfect or anything like that and he made no claims that he was.

It was what she'd liked about the guy in all honesty.

And--Yu is here. And Arthur. And Yu is summoning his persona and--and Shinjiro is threatening to kill himself and then there's Agidyne and oh god.

Instantly, she summons Titania, has her cast Mediarama on everyone--Jin, Ken, Shinjiro, Yu, England, herself. Tries to get them into shape. Once the fire is out she whacks Shinjiro upside the head much as he had done to Junpei on occasion. She had liked that staff!

"Stupid! What's the point in killing yourself?" she shouts at him, "There's a kid who needs help and you're the only one that can save him and all killing yourself will do is make it worse! You say you need to die to make up for what you did? Take the easy way out? There's no point in it." No use bringing up Ken's feelings. She's knows better than that.

"Castor says he's you so stop and think for a second here. Do you want to die? Do you want it to kill Ken? If Castor really is a part of you, if he's the 'True Self' like he claims then you know the answer to that! You just have to let yourself believe it!"

To be fair, for all she knew she did want him to die, but this was the only thing she had to gamble on at the moment. There was more at stake here than Ken's life. Most likely, she tried to reassure herself, the people killed here would be fine once all is said and done.

No, what was at stake here was Shinjiro's sanity. And that was much more precious at the moment. If she could save Shinjiro--she could see in her mind's eye, his body laying in the pool of blood, Minato and a very pale Ken disappearing into the night--if she could save Shinjiro somehow that would make up for it.

"Because I know you're not a murderer. You're a big bully who cooks really great, and gets annoyed easily, and is scared to admit he cares about anyone but Akihiko--" she doesn't even know which Shinjiro she was talking about at the moment "--and always pretended it was a chore to make lunch but always looked happiest when he was cooking even if he wasn't smiling. Who actually admitted once he liked getting extra cash as a short order chef! And who would look out for his friends even if he didn't want anyone to think he was.

You just.... you made a mistake. And that's for you and Ken to work out with each other. Please, Shinjiro. You have to realize: if you want to repent at all, if that's what you truly want, then you'll realize the last thing you want is Ken dead, too."

Here's hoping it worked.

[busstopsign]

Stupid. What's the point of killing yourself? The words echo in his mind and hit deep inside his soul, stirring the flame of life inside him.

"I don't...want to die?" he whispers from her words, coughing. Images flashed in his head. Cooking for the entire team. Listening to Minako talk for hours about herself.

Wanting to be normal.

If Castor really is a part of you, if he's the 'True Self' like he claims then you know the answer to that!

The months he spent in the hospital, dreaming of a girl who he couldn't remember the name of, when he finally woke up, the name on his lips. The last hug when she died in his arms. Being invited inside the velvet room and searching for her...

You just have to let yourself believe it!

The promise he made himself to live.

To live...

A big bully. Tch. Aki called him like that once too. He moves one of his arm tentatively. The healing wave has made it moveable again, and he feels his strength returning to him as he extends his fingers and slams them to the ground.

I don't want anyone else to die...

He wakes up from Minami's words, coughing and his head pounding. His entire body was aching. Shit, had she hit him? It didn't really matter anymore as Castor was a monster by this point and preparing itself to chase after the members of Strega that had escape. Could he really do anything? Did he want to?

...if you want to repent at all, if that's what you truly want...

...he could try. Pulling himself up on Minami, giving her a small smile as an attempt of thanking her before he can stand on his own two feet. He raises an arm into the sky as Castor continues to fight off against Yu's changing Persona by aiming its spear at Isis. He then takes another step towards him, trying not to trip from the dizzy feeling. His voice is clearer than before, and fuel but what England also told him...

Killing yourself to fight the monster within shall do little to halt it if the monster has already been freed.

And gods, what a monster its turned into. He touches his head and realizes that his hat fell off when he lost consciousness the first time. Now he can feel the horse's fiery breath in his hair and face. But he doesn't back down, narrowing his eyes.

"HEY ASSHOLE! That's enough. You gonna stop embarrassing me in public?!"

The large creature turns towards him and begins laughing. It is an insane laughter, of a beast that knows it was much more powerful than the puny mortal standing before him, before it turns away from his prey...and directly at Shinjiro, the lance aimed at his heart.

"If that is your wish...let me end your life!" There is no time to think. He holds up his hands, trying to protect Minami from getting hit herself...

But the spear doesn't miss.

Suddenly everything is quiet.

Shit. That was an idiotic thing to do--

Wait.

He's still alive. As Shinjiro realizes what happens, he looks down, eyes widening at the torn fabric revealing that the spear is dented where it attempted to pierce him.

Castor's immunities...are also his.

"You're a real bastard, you know that?" He takes the spear and throws it into a wall with a loud scream not caring if it also carried along the Persona still attacked to it. The walls groan and shake as a cloud of dust rises into the air. Shinji puts one hand above his eyes as he tries to peer inside. He knows that even something as powerful at that throw won't have hurt Castor much, but now..thanks to them....thanks to all three of them...he knows he can do this.

Yet nothing could have prepared for what came next as it was not Castor stepping out of the smoke...but himself.

"So you're finally getting it, aren't you?" It breaks into a run and grabs his neck. Castor begins to strangle him as it continues to taunt. "And what will you do now? Once I kill you, I will be the only one left..." Shinji trues to push him away, struggling to breathe.

"...just...this...."

He forms his right hand into a fist and without warning, sends an uppercut right into his Persona's face. It was a punch even Aki would have been proud of, and he feels the Shadow's fingers slip from his neck as he's sent directly to the ground.

For the first time, he can feel his Persona being afraid. Before it can get up, he takes Minami's weapon and aims it directly at his throat.

"Just even think about moving, and I let 'em pelt you with Agidyne."

"Tch...threaten all you want. You still can't let it go, can you? You're afraid of me, no matter what. You'll never get rid of me. I'm the monster inside you, pacing in a cage back and forth. You just have to slip again, Shinjiro. Shinji. Just once. You may try to stop me now, but I'll just come back later..."

[pitiedthefool]

The attack doesn't connect. Rather, it bounces off Isis' Tetrakarn spell before she disappears in the blue light, another card appearing as Yu tries to call forth Yoshitsune because he was the one he had that was immune to physical attacks of all sorts. That's what he needed right now- just to minimalize the damage caused. However, Yoshitsune doesn't come as the card hovers before him. Nothing does as Shinji speaks up. About time.

Strega was fleeing- a good call with how many of their own were injured - and Shinji was back on his feet for now, Minami and England's words had reached him. He was glad that someone close to him was there, at least. Then the inane laughter that scratches at his nerves. He almost screamed out, before the voice in his head grew louder still.

Thy comrade shall be fine.

Yu's eyes widen considerably before he nods to the otherwise unheard voice. They share immunities, much like he shared an immunity to electricity and darkness with Izanagi's initial form. He almost calls forth Izanagi-no-okami once again. In fact does just to get him out of his head before a headache splits his head open instead of a spear - almost asks Izanagi to attack again when Castor begins to try and physically choke the life out of his new acquaintance. That is, until the uppercut. Ow, that had to sting a little.

The boy is silent for a brief spell, until the threats begin anew. At that point, he can't help himself anymore.

"So what if he is afraid of you?" Yu's eyes narrow at Castor, voice nearly echoing Izanagi's cold, analytical and determined tone. "We all have a fragment like you inside of us, something we want to remain hidden even from ourselves. He doesn't need to be rid of you."

He looks to the other two, looking for confirmation because he barely knows any of them- doesn't know England at all. "And if Aragaki-san does slip up again, he has people to help him face himself however many times he needs to."

Right?

[keepscalm]

England's grateful for Minami's healing spell, and even notes the faerie-like appearance of her Persona, but he's focused on Shinjiro for the time being, poised to fire his weapon if it appears that Shinjiro is going to hesitate in his confrontation with this...shadow. He's unsure as to how one's own personal demons can manifest, but, then again, they do summon those strange things from their own heads...

"I think you underestimate the necessity of balance in this world," he eventually comments dryly to the Shadow, as if a child had just asked him a particularly stupid question. He stares down the length of his bow and the arrow loaded in it-- thinks of his own mistakes, his own shames, things he'd rather sweep under the bed where the monsters dwell so that he can pretend they don't exist too. "Your presence is not a threat. It is a simple fact of life. It is what the true self chooses to do with that fact that matters."

England's thumb absently traces circles on the wood of the crossbow, a subtle note of distaste in his expression as he arches one eyebrow. "And doesn't that scare you? Knowing that your existence and freedom both hinge on a choice that was never yours to make? Because you certainly should be scared, if you're not. It's frightening not being the one in control of a situation." He speaks from experience. It's the worst feeling in the world knowing that you're not the master of your own fate.

Hundreds of years of demons. One choice not to let them be the end of him. That was all it had taken to set his own healing into motion. Shinjiro can do it too -- he doesn't even truly need to forgive himself. He just needs to accept his past for what it is. No good or evil, no demonising himself, his actions, or anyone else. Just accepting his past as a part of what makes him who he is.

[fracta_anima]

Minami almost shouted at Shinjiro when he managed to stop her from taking the hit for him by holding his arms out. Then there's the throwing and another Shinjiro and the uppercut--

It's moving fast and Minami can barely keep up at the moment. She manages to sidestep, pulls on the shadow's arms as it tries to strangle Shinjiro and shouting at it to shut up already, but it's only focused on it's primary target. Minami is not very physically strong, she's like a bug to the thing while Shinjiro and it argue with one another.

Then Shinjiro gives the shadow a violent uppercut and points a blade at its throat. Holy crap, her heart actually fluttered for a bit and once she gets over her shock, she puts her hands on her hips, stands beside Shinjiro as Yu and Arthur speak.

She ignores the shadow and puts all her attention on Shinjiro.

"And what do you want to do, Shinjiro?" is all she has to say at that point. The choice is totally up to him.