You've Really Lost Your Mind

[imperialsun]

Characters: Naoya and YOUR BRAVE PARTY OF anyone who wants to help with his Shadow
Setting: Forest Level, 12th of September
Format: Starting with prose, but we can switch it up
Summary: Someone's realizing his so-called twin brother is not really the twin he was looking for.
Warnings: BROTHERRRRRRR

How could he have been this foolish and let it linger on for so long?

Even if he already knew the answer, Naoya's steps felt heavy with each he took, Amon-Ra and Vishnu trying to reassure him that they'd defeat him. He already knew it was his shadow now...so why was it still here?

The forest area, he had said. Old memories if when him and Maki had walked on the journey to meet another shadow a while ago...this was no chance selection of the battleground. And he was right; the place had been completely transformed by the fog and the Shadow's will. The trees took on an 8-bit pixelated look, pink in color.

But even worse, an old model of the MSX machines stood before them; he'd spent countless hours on it, playing games...

After reading it, his hand clenched into a fist.

"He's right. I can't risk any of you in this." After all, the first time it had only been him and Maki.

[OOC- Anyone can join at all if you'd like!]

Comments

[fractus_animus]

"You're really a pain in the ass," comes Minato's reply even as he knows the attack is about to hit him and he can't avoid it. ... He's not about to just give in. Thanatos takes the brunt of that attack for him, thankfully, but he's left with some nasty pain for it, and it still pushes them both backwards just from the force. Sure, it hurts, and he's glad it doesn't hurt WORSE. That probably could've floored him without it. Ice is a no-go, then. If he's physical-heavy, it would be smarter to keep Thanatos equipped as much as possible. At least the Persona is semi-resistant to physical types of attacks and he can actually soak up some of the damage--but damn, does it all hurt anyway. He becomes vaguely aware if that sort of thing keeps happening it's going to chip away at him really, really fast.

Either way, this battle is going to really leave a mark later. If he doesn't, you know, die.

"It's just being pragmatic," Minato says. Damn, he's bleeding now. He'd have to patch that wound up eventually. All the same... he can't tell for sure what's going to happen here. It could be anyone's game. And if he did too much, he'd just tire out regardless... oh, well. He was here for Naoya, not for himself. He'd push himself to death if it meant stopping this.

"I mean, someone has to consider the options nobody wants to hear. They have to be said. Even if you don't do them. That doesn't make you any less of person for being that way, though. Besides--"

This is the very distinctive sound of a Mind Charge being used.

"--Just because someone happens to look at things differently doesn't mean they're not hurting just as much, or that they enjoy those options. But sometimes the needs of the many outweigh the few. And then sometimes you just want to be a selfish bastard and save your friends. Can't have everything in life, though, can you? Thanatos: Megidola."

And the Persona raises it's huge blade as it unleashes the Almighty attack. His smile doesn't even leave; he's not afraid to die like this, after all. In fact, he just considers it paying Naoya back, really. It's amusing.

[imperialeclipse]

"The needs of the many...ha ha ha ha!" It seemed he had struck a cord there. "Oh did you know Naoya said that to Yu this week speaking about me? Oh! That's right. You might not have understood that. How did it take someone like Naoya this for long for him to realize who I was? Quite simple, really. After all, how many other shadows get the chance to play the part of a twin brother?"

The more he laughed, the crazier he sounded.

"You know, you probably would have fitted right into this group of misfits. What with him, and the guy who just wanted to murder his half-brother, the fact no one had used guns before this...Surprised they even followed him at all...but then again my brother is a rather good speaker...it almost worked with you."

HP [██████████░░░]
SP [███████░░░░░░]

Nanjo called for his Persona again, and attempted a Lullaby to put the other user to sleep.

[fractus_animus]

... Oh god that Lullaby is the most annoying thing ever. Especially to someone with insomnia issues. So rude, really. It hits him like a lead weight. He has to shake it off, though--he cannot afford to fall asleep here, he'll get his ass handed to him. Seriously. He just shakes his head, switching to Samael and using Marakukaja to bring his defense up a bit for now. It wouldn't hurt. He has to fight the urge to roll his eyes, though. What was it with Shadows and being inane, over-talkative assholes?

"It's not exactly like he's the next Prime Minister candidate, y'know," is his very stubborn reply. "I'm kind of just a stubborn asshole like that. It has nothing to do with him."

Really, it didn't. He was just being well, himself. Push people away, keep them at an arm's length, then you won't hurt them, you know?

"So in other words you posed entirely as his brother just to be an even bigger pain in the ass? Wonderful. Anything else you'd like to share?" Of course, this is all said as he fires a Ziodyne next, the winged serpent that is his Persona hissing and beating its wings.

[imperialeclipse]

"Just one more reason why you're so alike...besides, that's something Nanjo would want to do anyway. Number one man in all of Japan, that's why he wears that stupid cravat..."

[REFLECT]

Part of it went into Nanjo and he winced in pain again, but the other was reflected right back at Minato.

"Oops! Guess that bond with his old dead butler made him pretty strong eh? You know what, I'm feeling generous, let me tell you what he's strong against instead of just wanting you fail over and over...he reflects fifty percent of any elemental spell, along with force."

And then to add insult to injury, Nanjo's shade cast Diarahan on itself.

HP [████████████░]
SP [██████░░░░░░░]

Back to square one with the health. Without waiting for the other youth to shoot again with his evoker, he used his own advantage to rush in with his sword.

Think fast, Minato.

[fractus_animus]

... It's a damn good thing that Ziodyne's not gonna hurt him too much. Minato only barely has time to dodge the sword stroke and block it with his own sword, though it's weaker and he knows he can't keep doing this, but it gives him enough time to heal himself, use a Tarukaja spell as well, and then regroup.

He backs up and switches to Thanatos now--physical skills might be the key here. Dangerous, but... the only option.

"If you're going to play it this way," he begins, making sure to dodge anymore on-coming attacks even as he summons, "then I guess I'll be getting dangerous. Persona!"

Enjoy that Gigantic Fist, Not-Really-Nanjo.

"You know, you're wrong. They're still his friends. YOUR friends. However you treat them isn't going to change that. And I'm not going to give up until I die or we win." And that's all there is to say on the matter.

1/2

[imperialeclipse]

"Funny...you almost sounded like a true leader for a moment."

[BLOCK]

"Unfortunately? Pointless. This is where I show you how all of your hard work you've put into this wasn't worth shit."

HP [████████████░]
SP [██████░░░░░░░]

The shade's Persona came out and in a horrific display, both of them combined into a strange unholy monster. Four arms grasped the sword and the spear. With one part it cast an magic buff on itself, and with the other, it prepared a Makouha. The holy damaging spell gathered in his hands into a white ball of light, and it threw it at the other youth. The magic spell left a trail of burning pixelated grass.

"At least you're lucky! The spell won't leave you suffering for too long! Too bad you failed, huh?"

2/2

[imperialeclipse]

The final strike to his life never came. A bluish shield formed out of thin air, and the attack flew right back at the monster.

[REFLECT]

Naoya's shadow sounded absolutely furious.

"NO! There's no way that attack could have been blocked, let alone reflected!"

And yet the damage was there. The shade collapsed from the force, its skin on fire and burning, one of the hands having come clean off, and the metallic wings behind it tumbling to the ground before disappearing. It coughed up blackish blood.

HP [████░░░░░░░░░]
SP [████░░░░░░░░░]

"That doesn't change anything. You're still a weakling that's out of his league. Once it gets up it'll destroy you!"

But as he spoke, a voice rang out inside of Minato's head. It was Nanjo's voice, this time not distorted like when the shade had used it, but clear from Naoya's own memories of their time spent together...

"...You spoke of pity? Don't make me laugh. We came here of our own will, because we could sympathize with you...

...Man is an emotional creature, I suppose. We can split hairs all we like...but the ultimate decision is made by one's heart....

...People can't live in isolation. If things are hard, just look around.

We'll be there for you....

Energy reached into Minato's body and completely healed him, before a surge of power to his persona increased its attack power. The shade, shaking off the pain from the reflected attack, raised its two weapons into the air, and jumped directly at Minato again. Only this time its movements and speed were much, much slower than before.

[fractus_animus]

...! What...? The words he hears, the feeling he gets... they're... heh. Maybe... this guy's team wasn't so bad. Somehow, his courage and determination are renewed, and he refuses to give up now more than ever. The slowness in movement is enough time for him to dodge backwards from the strikes--he's always been decently agile, it comes with being a frailer person as a whole. It's close, but the slowing of the speed helps him enough to know what he has to do now.

He has to fight. He HAS to win.

"... I might not be the most sterling example, but Naoya is a Persona user... and I promised I wouldn't let anyone get hurt anymore."

Even now, Thanatos is... almost different. Somewhere inside himself he feels a weird sort of... control, almost. Maybe he's just too stubborn to give up. Maybe Death has its own ideas. After all, it will never let its host die like THIS.

Either way, Minato just wipes his face and the sweat and injuries off and straightens again, ready.

"I won't let you ruin what both of you have worked so hard to recognize," he says, even as he twirls his Evoker and Thanatos makes a roaring sort of noise, raising it's free hand and pointing it's sword straight ahead.

"... You might be part of him, but everyone has problems like this. It's human nature. My friends and I make mistakes all the time... we've done things wrong. Killed people. Done terrible things with no remorse. We've made the decisions no person would ever consider if they had any morality, just to survive, just because someone has to bring those decisions up! Even then... I won't allow you to act like you have any right to decide how his friends did or didn't feel, what worth they were. You don't replace people and you can never, EVER take what they did away! Thanatos, now!"

His Persona rushes in toward the shade, ready to fight it one-on-one and tear it to pieces. He would show this Shadow... he WOULD show it what the Death Arcana could do.