Minato Arisato was listening to music. While it was true that the Dark Hour disabled all electronics, not being able to use his MP3 Player wasn't that big of a deal--he'd memorized his track list years ago anyway.
He couldn't quite remember the exact date (he was lucky enough to know it was early June), but this was his second or third outing to Tartarus with Yamagishi as support. His party had split up and were killing Shadows on his orders--they needed the experience, and he needed some time to himself. The singing only got on Akihiko-senpai and Mitsuru-senpai's nerves, and even Junpei was tired of hearing twenty to thirty year old music.
He had just finished the ever appropriate "Paint it Black" when Fuuka's voice came over the transciever.
"Watch out! I sense Death!"
At the same instant, Minato felt it. Power, and hatred, hopelessness and terror. The same feelings from months ago when the Persona Thanatos had exploded from the sea of his soul through Orpheus. The same emotions he remembered from years ago on the Moonlit Bridge.
Death...
Ahead of him were his friends. They had found the stairs some time ago. There was still time to make an escape.
He ran.
"Junpei! Mistsuru! Akihiko! To the stairs, quick! Follow me!" he yelled. To their credit, his distant friends were at his side momentarily.
He could hear chains rattling now, and laughter, from deep inside himself. He turned a corner, and saw the stairs. He ran into the chamber and stopped, his allies passing him. He turned, his friends behind him vanishing up the stairs. In front of him was a grinning spectre, covered in chains and holding two massive guns, one in each hand.
The creature did not advance. The two stood there, neither looking away. Finally, Arisato unslung the bow from his shoulder, fitted an arrow to the string and fired.
The suction cup hit the Reaper's skull with a satisfying pop.
Screaming in outrage, the Shadow lunged forward while simultaneously raising it's massive shotgun. Arisato turned and ran up the stairs and was lost momentarily in the dimension between the tower's labrinthine floors. The stairs on the floor behind him exploded into dust.
Exhausted, Minato pitched forward into what was obviously a female chest. Even as he was violently pushed away, he could still see the relieved expression on Mitsuru's face, and from his new position on the ground he could see similar expressions on Junpei and Akihiko's.
"Hey dude, I can see the access point from here," said Junpei, holding out his hand. "Let's get out of here, alright?"
Minato shook his head. "Nah, let's go on. I want to get to the next guardian by the end of the night."
Ignoring Junpei's yelp of surprise, and Mitsuru and Akihiko's pointed looks, Minato walked forward, huming. He grinned. "Don't Fear the Reaper" was next.
How appropriate.
