Chapter 81; It's now or never Pt:1

...10/09/2009 Thursday; Dark Hour...

The industrial district of Tatsumi Port Island lay submerged in the silence of the Dark Hour.

The eerie green light permeating the distorted time reflected off the metallic warehouses, twisting them into deformed shadows. The main street was empty, devoid of any sign of life.

Only the stillness remained.

Then, the ground trembled.

A deep impact reverberated through the cracked asphalt. And for a brief moment, everything fell silent again.

Another tremor. Then, silence.

The pattern repeated—a macabre rhythm of heavy footsteps, each one followed by a menacing pause. Something colossal was moving in the darkness.

And then, it appeared.

From behind one of the warehouses, a monstrous Shadow emerged, grotesque and imposing. Its massive body, the size of an entire house, exuded a suffocating presence.

Its slimy, greenish skin blended with the spectral hue of the Dark Hour, while a gaping maw, spanning the entire front of its body, revealed rows of jagged, ravenous teeth. Above it, two yellow eyes twitched restlessly, scanning the area for prey.

It crawled across the ground—a hungry predator searching for flesh.

Suddenly, it stopped. The air grew heavy.

A deafening roar erupted, making the steel structures of the warehouses tremble while nearby buildings shook under the destructive shockwave.

And then, something cut through the silence—a cry from above.

The Shadow looked up. And what it saw was a dark figure plummeting from the sky, blade in hand.

Hiro.

The kukri gleamed under the greenish glow as he descended in a precise strike. In a brutal instant, the blade sank into one of the creature's eyes.

The Shadow's scream echoed like a distorted thunderclap, and a jet of black liquid burst from the wound, filling the air with its putrid stench. The creature thrashed in agony, its massive body convulsing violently in an attempt to rid itself of the attacker.

Hiro gritted his teeth, struggling to hold on. But the creature's surface was treacherous—slippery and uneven. Even with its thick skin, there was something slimy that made it difficult to keep his grip.

"Damn it… I can't hold on for long…"

His hands fought to maintain balance, but the Shadow wasn't going to give him any respite.

A few minutes earlier…

The group had gathered in a narrow alley between the warehouses, all of them panting. After running through the entire city, fleeing from the colossal Shadow, their bodies demanded rest.

Hiro rested his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Sweat dripped down the side of his face.

"Fuck… I've never run this much…" he muttered between gasps.

Sitting on the ground, leaning against a warehouse wall, Yukari simply nodded between heavy breaths.

"Yeah… my legs can't take it anymore…"

Shinjiro wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm, his gaze fixed on the group, assessing the situation.

"Anyone got a plan? Rushing that thing head-on is suicide."

Minato peeked around the corner of the warehouse, observing the surroundings. The greenish glow of the Dark Hour cast strange shadows across the empty streets.

He narrowed his eyes upon noticing that the Shadow was further ahead, still searching for them.

Then, an idea formed in his mind.

He turned to the group, his eyes gleaming with silent determination.

"Can your Personas throw someone into the air?" he asked, a slight hint of doubt in his voice.

Mitsuru frowned, confused.

"What do you mean?"

Minato pointed at Hiro.

"We can launch Hiro onto the Shadow to distract it."

Silence hung in the air for a moment.

Hiro blinked, trying to process what he had just heard. Then, he shook his head, as if that idea was some sort of exhaustion-induced hallucination.

"WHAT?!"

Back to the present.

The S.E.E.S. members emerged from behind the warehouse, stepping out of their hiding spot. Their eyes were fixed on Hiro, still clinging desperately to the kukri embedded in the creature's eye.

Junpei's eyes widened, his mouth falling open in shock upon realizing that Minato's insane plan had actually worked.

"Holy shit… It actually worked?"

Mitsuru, however, did not share the same surprise. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed that Hiro wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.

She looked around, searching for anything that could help him. Then, an idea struck her.

Without hesitation, she ran toward the Shadow, pulling out her Evoker and aiming it at her own head.

"Penthesilea!"

The gunshot echoed as she pulled the trigger. A burst of light emerged from the other side of her head, and in an instant, Penthesilea materialized above her.

The Persona spun her swords and lunged at the creature, moving like a silver whirlwind, slicing through the air.

But as she struck the Shadow's misshapen flesh, one of the blades got stuck, lodged in its slimy body. Mitsuru clenched her teeth.

Penthesilea didn't hesitate. She spun the other sword and drove it in with force. A wave of cold surged through the air as Bufudyne was cast.

The temperature plummeted in an instant. A freezing explosion engulfed the Shadow, and countless ice spikes formed in the air, descending like deadly spears onto its side.

The creature roared in fury, its body beginning to freeze. Its movements slowed, and then, in a desperate impulse, it reared onto its hind legs.

And crashed down with force.

The ground shook as if an earthquake had erupted from the impact.

Hiro felt his body being thrown forward.

The inertia sent him flying. His body spun uncontrollably through the air, everything around him turning into a blur.

The world twisted in a vertiginous whirl, the wind cutting against his face.

"HIRO!"

Akihiko's voice echoed the moment Hiro hit the ground.

His body bounced off the asphalt and tumbled uncontrollably, slamming into a building with brutal force.

The wall offered no resistance—he crashed through it as if it were made of paper, vanishing into a cloud of debris and dust.

Silence settled for a moment.

Minato glanced to the side, his expression serious, but his voice carried a note of concern as he spoke:

"Aigis, go check on Hiro."

Aigis nodded and sprinted toward the building where Hiro had disappeared. Her steps were firm, driven by the concern swelling in her chest. 

Yukari watched for a moment before shifting her gaze to the Shadow, still writhing at the center of the industrial zone. Hesitation flickered in her mind—should she stay and fight or run after Hiro? 

The doubt lasted only a second. 

Turning around, she ran after Aigis. 

"Yuka-chan?" Junpei called, confused as he saw her leave. 

She glanced over her shoulder, shouting as she ran, 

"I have to check if Hiro got hurt even worse! Take care of that Shadow!" 

Mitsuru observed the scene, her eyes softening for a brief moment as she saw Yukari go. A small smile formed on her lips, relieved to know Hiro would be in good hands. 

But there was no time for distractions. 

She drew her rapier, and her voice rang out, firm and commanding: 

"Focus! We're not done yet." 

"Understood!" Everyone responded in unison. 

The S.E.E.S. members faced the Shadow, their bodies instinctively shifting into battle stances. 

The creature shook its grotesque form, shattering the ice crystals still clinging to its skin. Its yellow eyes burned with fury before it let out an ear-splitting roar. 

Shinjiro lunged forward without hesitation, his gaze locked onto the area where Penthesilea had frozen the Shadow's side. The ice still clung to part of its grotesque flesh, weakening it. 

But then, a yellow glow flickered inside the Shadow's massive mouth. A sphere of energy crackled there, sparking with small flashes of electricity. 

Akihiko immediately realized what was coming. 

"No way in hell!" 

He yanked his Evoker from its holster and pressed it against his forehead. 

"Polydeuces!" 

The gunshot echoed, and a flash of light erupted as Polydeuces' imposing figure materialized above him. 

In the same instant, the Shadow fired a devastating bolt of lightning toward Shinjiro. 

Polydeuces hurled itself in front of the attack, intercepting the electric surge. The thunderbolt coursed through its metallic body, sparks bursting in every direction—but the Persona didn't waver. 

Shinjiro slid across the ground, passing beneath Polydeuces' protection, and rose immediately after, never losing momentum. 

"Thanks!" he muttered without even looking back, swinging his massive battle axe. 

With a grunt of effort, he struck with all his strength. The axe's blade slammed into the frozen part of the Shadow, shattering the ice and ripping apart the monster's decayed flesh. 

The beast roared in agony. Its body twisted violently as thick black liquid gushed from the wound, spilling across the cracked asphalt. 

The Shadow turned toward Shinjiro, its glowing eyes filled with primal rage. 

With a growl, it slammed its massive claw onto the ground, fracturing the asphalt even further. 

A green light flickered beneath Shinjiro's feet. He noticed it too late. 

"Ah, shit!" 

The air beneath him exploded. A powerful force launched him skyward, his body completely weightless. 

The world spun. The eerie, green-tinged sky of the Dark Hour filled his vision. 

And then, something impossible happened. 

The Shadow—colossal as a building—coiled its grotesque body and leaped. 

Its massive form rose off the ground, defying the laws of physics, lunging straight toward him. 

Shinjiro's eyes widened as the creature appeared beside him—in midair. 

A monstrous claw swung toward him. 

He had no time to react. 

The impact struck his chest with devastating force. Something inside him tore apart. 

The pain was instant and searing, like a scorching blade had pierced through his body. 

A scream ripped from his throat as he was hurled downward, spinning out of control. 

The ground rushed up too fast. 

The impact was brutal. Shinjiro crashed into Junpei, slamming both of them into the ground with a dull, heavy thud. 

The asphalt cracked beneath them, forming a small crater around their bodies. 

The world blurred. Junpei blinked, his body sluggish and heavy. 

A sharp pain throbbed in his ribcage, each breath bringing a burning sensation. 

A metallic taste filled his mouth. 

He coughed, and something warm coated his glove as he brought his hand to his lips. 

Blood. 

"Damn it…" he muttered, struggling to breathe. With effort, he shook Shinjiro, who lay sprawled over him. "Aragaki-san… are you okay?" 

Shinjiro spat blood onto the ground before letting out a rough chuckle. 

"No… How the hell did that thing jump?" 

Meanwhile… 

Inside the destroyed building, Aigis and Yukari stepped through the gaping hole in the wall, their eyes scanning the wreckage. Shattered desks, furniture reduced to rubble. 

Aigis activated her sensors, her internal systems on high alert. "Hiro-san, where are you?" 

Silence answered back. 

They exchanged glances before beginning their search through the debris. 

Every broken piece of furniture, every chunk of concrete could be hiding Hiro's body. 

Until Yukari suddenly froze. Her eyes widened as she spotted something at the far end of the room. 

A figure slumped against the wall, half-buried beneath rubble and wooden beams. 

"There he is!" Yukari dashed forward. "Hiro!"