04 - A vacancy for a meatshield is open~

[drakenguard]

Who: Yamato and YOU
Where: Taurus Ward
Summary: Yamato feels like he is The Only Sane Man and he is so sick of scorpions. So sick of them.
Warnings: Er, fight scenes, maybe some cussing.

Somehow in the span of a few days the entire population of Hinoto-Ri had gone insane

It left Yamato feeling a bit wrong-footed really, because everything was devolving as quickly as it had back home. Although there was no void devouring the entirety of world, or aliens invading, there was still the raw panic of people mindlessly reacting to a dangerous situation. Some were screaming in hysterics, some were downright psychotic and violent - and now, on top of all that, strange scorpion like creatures had morphed out of nothingness, vicious and deadly with snapping claws and poisonous stings.

Also Yamato's demon, Arioch, was being difficult with him, enough so that he simply didn't bother summoning him any more. It was just him and Remiel now.

Perhaps it had been a mistake to go out when all of this chaos was unfolding, but Yamato was no the kind to cower or hide when shit went down. So he had strolled out into this insanity, determined to get to the bottom of it...

And somehow ended up getting in skirmishes, retreating and fighting, all the way to the Taurus Ward. Hiding back in his room was sounding more and more appealing with each passing second, especially as he and Remiel were both low on energy - both physical and spiritual. Remiel could only use their physical energy to replenish their spiritual for so long before it began to be more of a liability than anything of use.

So now, to put this tl;dr log to an end, have a somewhat exhausted Yamato and Remiel resting under a protruding eave of what could be a strip club for all he cared. The entrance was closed, and the interior quiet - it was still the middle of the day, after all, despite the nightmarish insanity going on.

Comments

[greatseal]

Minako followed alongside them, naginata in a ready position even as she glanced sideways at Yamato and Remiel.

"That's a demon you summoned, right?" Or well, an angel, but same difference. Its presence is different from that of a Persona. Unlike some of the demons she had encountered so far, though, she didn't recognize the appearance as a Persona she'd been able to fuse.

[drakenguard]

"Yes," Yamato replied shortly, glancing at Minako from the corner of his eye. "He is Remiel. You can use only Persona, correct?"

[greatseal]

She nodded. "I've met a few demon users here, though... Do you know Daichi-kun or Atsuro-kun?" Although Yamato wasn't carrying around a game system like Atsuro had. ...Actually, that was a cell phone, wasn't it?

[drakenguard]

"Shijima comes from my world," Yamato smiled a little at that, letting out a low chuckle. "You've met him, have you? A bit of a strange one, isn't he? But yes, I know Kihara as well."

[greatseal]

"He reminds me a little bit of a friend..." Although Ryoji had far more self-confidence... at least before he remembered things. But Daichi had the scarf and the tendency towards ridiculous. "It must be convenient being able to summon demons here as well, though."

[drakenguard]

"Of course. The Persona has its advantages in not being dependent on a summoning medium, however you can only possess one. Usually this system can support the summoning of two demons, with an unlimited stock to draw from should one die."

Yamato frowned suddenly. "However, my other demon is acting peculiar..."

[greatseal]

"Peculiar how?" It would be an advantage to have two allies in battle, but Minako decided she still preferred a Persona. It was at least an ally she could depend on, and not another being with a mind and goals of its own.

[drakenguard]

"Arioch is being difficult. I assume it has something to do with the current situation," Yamato said. "It would be a shame to trash him if it continues afterwards though. He is a good physical orientated ally to have."

[greatseal]

She didn't recognize Arioch as a Persona, though she thought maybe she recognized the name from researching the history of others. Judeo-Christian lore, probably, but she didn't recall details. But regardless... "If whatever's happening can affect people, maybe it can affect demons as well?"

Hopefully Yamato could keep his team under control.

[drakenguard]

"Possibly..." Yamato looked troubled. "To think it effects demons as well... it just means we have to get to the bottom of this quickly. I'm growing tired of these scorpions and possessed citizens..."

[greatseal]

"Same here. The question is -"

Whatever that was ended up cut off by the scorpions finally reappearing. A small group scuttled into view from a side street, spreading out and moving towards the humans as soon as they noticed their presence. Minako raised the naginata. "We'll have to deal with these first!"

[drakenguard]

Yamato let out a low grumble of irritation, flipping open his phone as Remiel flanked him. The angel only had one attack move, Holy Dance, but whatever remainining spiritual energy it had was to be reserved for emergency healing. Angel Stigma can only be used so often before it became a liability.

As the horde charged towards them, Yamato quickly pressed a button on his phone. The sky split open with a sudden scream, a burst of light smashing down into the group. The scorpions let out alien sounding shrieks, the light of Judgement greatly injuring them.

[greatseal]

Judgement may not have finished the enemies off, but it was enough. The lead scorpion shrugged off the attack and leapt at Minako, only to meet the blade of her naginata. It flopped sideways with a heavy gash to the head, lifeless.

The others were still a few yards away so she drew her Evoker and fired, summoning Quetzalcoatl. The serpent beat his wings and a blast of wind split the battlefield, sending the rest of the enemies spinning and slamming into abandoned parked cars, dead or close enough that they couldn't attack again.

"Let's go!" The vanguard may have been defeated, but they couldn't stop to celebrate. More were sure to follow.

[drakenguard]

Yamato nodded curtly and off they went, passing the still twitching scorpion corpses and further down the street. They reached the outskirts of the Taurus ward without any more obstacles, although Yamato knew it couldn't last.

And lo, he was proven right when they turned a street corner, almost running right into a group of the crazed infected. It was only Yamato's sharp instincts that saved his life when he automatically jumped back a step, almost knocking Minako over in the process, as a shard of ice pierced the space where he had been only a second before.

Ah. Of course. Trust them to run into Persona users.

[greatseal]

Minako stumbled as Yamato knocked into her, but managed both to keep herself from falling and not to stick him accidentally with the naginata. This was not a good situation. Crazed or not, those were people, and she couldn't hurt them directly.

Lakshemi blocked ice attacks... but she also had nothing but ice to attack with in return, which would not end up being useful. She decided to switch to Orpheus instead, targeting the ice-user's Persona with Agidyne. With luck, that would be their weakness.

[drakenguard]

As the powerful fire spell slammed into one of the crazed Persona users, Yamato hurriedly summoned his Persona, Kali, and knocked back another advancing man with Skull Cleave. He still wasn't quite used to using his Persona - he always ended up using his own magic and demons - but he had no time to be picky right now.

The air smelled of ozone suddenly, and Yamato barely had time to react before a bolt of lightning crashed down towards him. Remiel hurriedly shielded him, the angel able to resist lightning attacks, but being already exhausted and strained - that last powerful bolt made the angel evaporate into scattering magnetite with an echoing cry.

Yamato's phone beeped. Remiel's dead. Crap.

[greatseal]

That brought their total party down to two. Minako barely gives it a reaction, though. Instead she summons Quetzalcoatl. It was time to use the skill he'd recently learned. A golden glyph appeared beneath the feet of the closest Persona-user. Before he could react, it seared him with light, and he crumpled to the ground, instantly knocked out.

Hama and Mudo skills were annoying when the enemy had them, but they had their uses. She used the opening to call to Yamato, not taking her eyes off the other foes. "Are you all right?"

[drakenguard]

"Fine!" Yamato called back, rapidly summoning Kali again to follow Minako's lead - he did not have a Hama skill, but he did have Mamudo. Although the percentage of it working was pretty low, there was still a chance one of the remaining four would take the hit.

Dark energy swarmed around the remaining four, and with a cry one collapsed onto the ground - the other three were unaffected.

That was fine. Three against two was more even.

[greatseal]

Her thoughts were along the same lines. "Let's finish them off!"

Lakshmi appeared again, this time throwing ice at all three remaining foes. Minako stayed a bit ahead of Yamato; he obviously had fighting skills but he was also more used to directing demons than Personas. Also, he honestly just gave off the feel of being a glass cannon.

[drakenguard]

Indeed, the most glassiest of cannons. Yamato never let it bother him though, and simply utilised Minako's consideration to the best of his abilities. Minako shielded him, and he prepared another Judgement spell, sending it down upon the remaining three just as his comrade attacked with an Ice spell.

In the bright flash that followed, it wasn't certain which attack hit first, or what happened, but when Yamato blinked the dancing dark spots from his vision, only one last opponent was standing.

Minako would deal with that without his assistance. She had proven herself capable thus far.

[greatseal]

Indeed, she could. Forgoing her Persona this time, she darted in close. The afflicted man growled and swung the pipe he was carrying, but she ducked beneath the swing and jabbed him in the gut with the butt of her naginata. He grunted, and crumpled half to his knees, winded.

She followed up with a wide swing. The flat of the blade connected with the side of his head and he slumped to join his comrades.

Minako quickly checked the pulse of each of the fallen Scorpios just to make certain they were alive and not in danger of bleeding to death. She did not want to have anyone's death on her conscience, especially someone who was unable to control their own actions.

[drakenguard]

Yamato tapped through his phone as Minako went to check on the fallen enemies, frowning intensely at Arioch's data. The demon was alive, and very capable as a physical fighter and defender - but it had been very unruly since this event started. To summon or not to summon...

Well, Minako was proving herself in being his meatshield, so perhaps in an emergency.

Yamato flipped his phone shut and slipped it into his pocket, striding over to where Minako was crouched on the floor, checking a man's pulse. "Come. We must hurry on."

He didn't really care what happened to them. They fought them, they lost, and they could bleed to death on the floor for all that mattered. They were the enemy, crazed or not.

[greatseal]

Sheesh, Yamato, have some human compassion! But Minako nodded and stood up to follow him.

"I don't really know this part of the city well... Which way should we go?"

[drakenguard]

Yamato has no compassion to spare, sadly.

"I am somewhat unfamiliar with this district as well. Perhaps we should return to one of the apartment complexes. Those who are crazed have probably moved on from there by now, and if not, then we will simply deal with them."

[greatseal]

"That's probably safest. It's better not to confront them if we don't have to." After all, if everyone else unaffected headed inside, there would be fewer people around to be attacked as well.