PERSONA 3 DEVIL'S HERALD

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

Io placed her hand over Yukari's bow, causing its string to glow an intense green. Yukari drew an arrow, which began to shine with the same verdant light.

As she pulled back the string and released, the arrow split into multiple projectiles, striking the Shadow repeatedly, shattering its cloak and destroying the lamp embedded in its torso.

With Io's assistance, Yukari leaped into the air, drawing another arrow and aiming it at the Shadow below.

"You won't hurt anyone else!" Yukari shouted as the arrow glowed with fierce intensity, like a torrent of wind.

She fired, and the arrow, moving with abnormal speed, struck the Shadow, unleashing an explosion of wind that echoed through the labyrinthine corridors of the floor.

Hiro and Aigis heard the rumble reverberate from across the area.

"What was that?" Hiro muttered, unsheathing his scimitar, his eyes scanning the dim surroundings.

Aigis, her internal scanners already on high alert, analyzed the data instantly. "Energy levels detected are from Yukari-san's Persona. She used the Teurgia cartridge."

Without hesitation, both sprinted toward the source of the commotion.

Rounding a corner, they were met with the remnants of the Shadow—its mechanical legs twitching erratically, the lamp's support spinning wildly in its final moments.

Yukari, exhausted, landed on the ground as Io returned to her normal state.

Without missing a beat, she stretched her hands toward Minato and cast Diarahan, healing the wounds covering his body.

Minato, seeing Yukari struggling to stay upright, rushed to her side. "Yukari!"

Despite her evident fatigue, Yukari smiled, her body beginning to give in to exhaustion. "I... I saved you... I did it..."

Yukari released her grip on the bow, her body collapsing. Before she hit the ground, Minato caught her, pulling her close.

"You did it. Thank you," Minato whispered, gently brushing her hair back with his hand.

Suddenly, the Shadow's lamp began spinning again, activating a residual magic. Aigis, ever vigilant, noticed the dangerous movement.

Opening her hands, she activated her internal Evoker.

"Palladion!" Aigis called out with determination.

Her Persona appeared above her, locking onto the Shadow.

In a rapid, explosive movement, Palladion shot forward like a missile, striking the Shadow and finishing it off for good.

The creature dissolved into black mist, vanishing into the air.

Hiro, still fueled by adrenaline, hurried to Minato. "Are you guys okay?"

Minato, holding Yukari firmly, nodded. "Yeah, we're fine. Yukari managed to use the cartridge."

Hiro, sheathing his scimitar and picking up the bow from the ground, let out a relieved smile. "Yeah, I noticed. That was one hell of a blast. Let's head back."

But before they could relax, Aigis detected a disturbing sound—the clanging of chains, growing louder with each passing moment.

Her systems blared in maximum alert mode.

"Hiro-san, Minato-san. Listen!" Aigis urged, her voice laced with urgency as she raised her hand, signaling them to pay attention.

Panic began to rise in Minato's voice. "This is the last thing we needed..."

Hiro, now fully alert, glanced around, his eyes darting upward as he tried to suppress his own anxiety. "Fuuka! Do we have a one-way teleport here?"

"No, why?" Fuuka's voice responded telepathically, already heavy with concern.

"The Reaper's coming. Can you teleport us out?" Hiro's voice grew sharper with tension.

Fuuka's reply trembled with fear. "Oh no... Head to a part of the floor without too many of those flashing lights. Lucia can't reach you in that area!"

Aigis, her sensors on high alert, spotted the ominous figure closing in. "Hiro-san! Behind you!"

Hiro spun around, scimitar in hand, coming face-to-face with the Reaper.

The sinister figure stood, its twin revolvers raised high, the chains around its body clanging incessantly with a bone-chilling metallic echo.

With a deafening screech, the Reaper's hollow eyes locked onto Hiro.

In a voice that sent shivers through the group, the Reaper whispered, "You..."

In a flash, it leveled one of its revolvers at Hiro and fired.

Hiro, acting on sheer reflex, raised his scimitar to block.

Time seemed to slow as the magic-infused bullet, glowing with a radiant white aura, sped toward him.

With a primal shout, Hiro swung his scimitar in an upward diagonal slash, channeling all his strength into the strike.

The blade met the bullet, deflecting it with a resounding clash. The projectile veered off course, detonating against a nearby wall.

"RUN!" Hiro shouted, urgency dripping from his every word.

Without hesitation, the group began to flee, sprinting through the labyrinthine corridors with the Reaper in pursuit.

Minato, carrying Yukari on his back, led the charge.

"Take the left turn! I'm sending Lucia now!" Fuuka's voice echoed in their minds, strained with tension.

The three rounded the corner to the left and finally spotted the comforting glow of Lucia materializing before them.

"Jump!" Minato commanded, his voice steady despite the chaos.

Hiro and Aigis dove toward the light, and with tremendous effort, Minato leapt with Yukari still on his back.

At the entrance to Tartarus, Fuuka waited anxiously.

All eyes were on her until a green rift appeared above the teleportation pad.

Hiro, Aigis, and Minato, carrying Yukari, emerged from the rift, collapsing heavily onto the ground from their desperate escape.

Akihiko rushed toward the group, his expression filled with concern. "Are you all okay?"

Hiro, still catching his breath after the frantic run, let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah… Damn, I deflected a bullet."

Mitsuru, her composure unshaken, approached Minato, her gaze fixed on Yukari's unconscious form. "Arisato, how is she?"

Minato carefully laid Yukari down on the ground. "She's fine, more or less. I think it's just the effects of the stimulant… the same one you mentioned earlier."

Aigis, still in analytical mode, turned to Mitsuru. "Kirijo-senpai, were you able to analyze the cartridge?"

Mitsuru nodded, her sharp eyes reflecting the soft glow of the teleportation pad. "Yes, I managed to get readings from Takeba's Persona. The cartridge provides a significant boost to a Persona's power. Something akin to…"

"A frenzy?" Junpei interjected, still confused but intrigued. "That's what it looked like when Yukari summoned Io."

Mitsuru confirmed with a slight nod. "Exactly. A controlled frenzy."

As the conversation continued, Hiro glanced at his scimitar and noticed a small crack on the blade, likely from deflecting the Reaper's bullet.

He rotated the weapon in his hand, examining the damage, before sliding it back into its sheath.

When he looked up again, something strange caught his eye—Minato was no longer with the group.

Scanning the area, Hiro spotted Minato near a glowing blue door, standing beside a woman in a striking blue outfit.

Perplexed, Hiro watched as Minato spoke with the woman. She nodded, then opened the door, and both of them disappeared into the radiant blue light emanating from the entrance.

"Hey, guys… what's that door over there?" Hiro asked, pointing toward it, his voice tinged with confusion.

Everyone turned their attention to him and then toward the direction he was pointing.

To Hiro's surprise, no one else seemed to see the door.

From their perspective, Minato was merely standing still, staring blankly at the ground as if his mind had wandered far away.

There was no sign of any door.

Junpei scratched his head, looking even more confused. "Uh… Hiro, there's no door there. Is Tartarus messing with your head?"

Mitsuru, now even more concerned, approached Hiro. "Are you alright? No one else is seeing this 'door.'"

Hiro glanced back at the blue door, still vivid and solid in his vision.

But Minato was already gone, having stepped into the blue light.

Choosing not to alarm the others, Hiro forced a smile and feigned nonchalance. "I guess the Reaper gave me a scare. But I'm fine, don't worry."

Mitsuru sighed in relief. "Good. Go ahead and return to the dorm. We'll take care of Yukari."

Hiro nodded in agreement, pretending to head toward the exit.

However, as he glanced back one last time and saw everyone preoccupied with Yukari, he began walking toward the blue door instead.

Standing in front of it, Hiro examined it carefully.

It was a rustic wooden door painted in a deep indigo blue, with an intense light spilling through the cracks around its edges.

"Since when has this door been here?" Hiro murmured, intrigued.

Without hesitation, he placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it.

The moment the door opened, he was violently pulled inside, the blue light swallowing him whole.