Persona 4 RP Phase 2

Karin's fist shook violently as she watched Maeko's expression. Is this...how I looked? Is this why Shinta sent me? A weak smile crossed her face as she muttered, "You've gotta be the worst person I know, Shinta." ...Thank you. She ran over to Maeko and hugged her from behind.

"Now then...Shall we?" Toshiyuki said, the blue hue in the room growing brighter. "..Any last objections?" He looked around the room. "Good." First a yellow light appeared around Rodrigo, who howled and shook in his chair.

"G-geeze! Is that gonna happen to us?!" Stefan exclaimed.

"Calm down. It happens in order of us getting the power. You'll live." Toshiyuki dismissed Stefan's concerns.

"Haaaahhh..." The light faded from Rodrigo, a similar light engulfing Amy, who also cringed. Rodrigo took off the oxygen mask, not looking 100% yet.

"H-hey, is that okay for him to do?" Dahni asked.

"Yeah.." Rodrigo said half-heartedly his voice no longer raspy, and color returning to his face.

"Aaahnn." Amy fell over, digging into her pockets, pulling out a bag of chips, ripping it open and devouring the insides.

"S-so that means I'm...GAHH!" Stefan's body tensed as he was engulfed as well. Toshiyuki watched, plain expressed.

"The hell am I watching." Masuyo said confused.

"Dunno......don't care." Yomiko said concerned for Maeko

Shinta looked over at the girls comforting Maeko and smiled slightly before his attention was drawn to the ritual taking place. Now then, let's see what happens, eh?"

"Ow..." Stefan groaned rubbing his head.

"And now...Rgh..." The light engulfed Toshiyuki now, power gathering on the 5th alter.

"A-any signs of shadows coming?" Dahni asked.

"I-it...it wasn't about killing..." Maeko wiped her face and stared blankly at the ground. She sobbed quietly as she lightly pushed Dahni, Nene and Karin off her. She pulled her hat down over her face as tears rolled down it. She stood and moved behind the others, sulking.

"...Yeah," Karin said rising to her feet, I think I know.

"No sign of anything yet," answered Shinta, "then again, I'm no scanner."

"So.......what happens now?" Masuyo said. "Explosions?"

"Haaah.." Toshiyuki stood, the others not nearly as composed he stood and watched the 5th alter as power gathered. "And now...the reaper comes."

"I hope it has an explosion for its entrance." Masuyo said staring at the 5th altar.

"Should we be ready for a fight?" Yomiko asked

"Alright," Karin cracked her knuckles in anticipation, "let's see what this Reaper can do."

Shinta pulled out his knife and readied himself.

"And now..." Toshiyuki clenched his fists. The power welled on the fifth alter. "The reaper..." The power gathered and with a loud 'woosh' it dissipated. "...?!"

"...Is that all?" Dahni asked, still on edge.

"No...something's not right." Amy finally stood.

"Nonsense." Toshiyuki shot her a look. "It'll just be a minute."

"The hell happened?" Masuyo asked confused.

"Is that the ritual failing" nene asked

Karin raised an eyebrow, "That all?"

Shinta sighed and put away his knife, "Well...that was anticlimactic."

"No. There should be more coming." Toshiyuki grit his teeth. "..It might just take a second."

"You just can't take the fact that you may have fucked up, huh?" A distorted voice of Toshiyuki came from behind them.

"..What..?!" Toshiyuki turned to see his shadow. "..I-Impossible..."

"No way," Karin stepped back in shock, "I-is that...?"

"Well now," Shinta cupped his chin, "this may be interesting after all."

"You're kidding." Masuyo said.

"Well that certainly ain't no reaper." Yomiko said raising an eyebrow

"Is that...?" Stefan asked, gaping at the scene.

"Impossible huh? Then how am I even here? Maybe you're not so right about everything after all. Why not try summoning your persona, you little shit?" His shadow called to him.

"Tch. This is a waste of time." Toshiyuki scowled. "This has got to be some kind of trick Mikako pulled."

"Hahahahahaha! Still with the facade, huh? Not trying to let anyone know that deep down, you're downright terrified?" The shadow walked past the group and onto the 5th platform.

"W-what are you doing?!" Toshiyuki snapped.

"Hah. No need to get so excited, just standing where death is supposed to appear. After all, that's what we are, right? The embodiment of death? Tch, some bringer of death you are." The shadow scowled. "You've failed, me."

"What..?"

"What does he mean?" asked Karin shakily.

"...What are you talking about! I haven't-!"

"You haven't failed, huh?! Then where's the reaper, moron?!" The shadow yelled. "Not here, is it? Why should it be? You've become weak. You've gathered too many fools around you and you've forgotten that they're all expendable. You've lost your bite."

"...." Toshiyuki stared at the shadow.

"Haha. Nothing to say now? You didn't kill Banchou when you had the chance, you didn't kill his defenseless daughter, and even now, you stopped just before piercing that fool's heart." The shadow sneered. "..You're weak. You've remembered the fear of death. You can't control the reaper, the embodiment of it, when you can't even kill your enemies."

"..S-shut-up..." His head fell.

"T-Toshi...!" Stefan moved off the platform, and began heading toward him.

"You've started to care about life! About your life, about the lives of others! It's over for you! Your convictions are lost!" The shadow hollered. "YOU. ARE. A WASTE."

"SHUT UP YOU USELESS SHADOW! I HAVE MY CONVICTIONS! I HAVE THE POWER OF DEATH! I WILL USE IT TO BRING-!" A gunshot echoed through the room. Toshiyuki looked down and clutched his gut, blood streaming out of it. "...?"

"Toshi!" Stefan called, stopping where he was.

"N-NOO!" Amy yelled.

"No, you won't." The shadow said, it's arm wrapped in a red cloth, in it's hands a gun. "But I will. We are no longer the same person. I am me. And you..will die." Chains wrapped around the shadow, and it was covered in a cloth of red, a gun appearing it's other hand and it began shooting Toshiyuki over and over, blood splattering across the room. Toshiyuki's body fell to the ground, lifeless. "...." The shadow, now the reaper looked over the room.

"TOSHI!!" Amy ran off her platform toward's the body. The reaper took it's aim at her.

"Amy!" Stefan warned her, but the reaper took it's shot.

"RAAAH!!" Rodrigo, now looking like a completely different person tackled Amy off Toshiyuki, saving her from the bullet, which landed again in Toshiyuki's mangled body. "RUN! NOW!" The muscular Rodrigo lifted Amy over his shoulder, ignoring her squirms and protests.

"Now there's somethin' you don't normally see." said Shinta taking out his knife and closing his eyes. Sukukaja! He opened his eyes, now glowing a green hue, and stared down the Shadow.

"Toshiyuki!" Karin turned to the Shadow with clenched fists, "What the fuck are you doing? He didn't deny you or anything!"

"Are you really trying to argue rules with a Shadow?" asked Shinta with a raised eyebrow.

"Shut up! I'm pissed now."

"If it didn't transform I'd say this was just like with Tsubasa!" Masuyo shouted as he took a defensive stance.

"Who cares about it now!? Focus on what's infront of you!" Yomiko shouted.

"Cover me Tsubasa!" Nene shouted as she took it upon herself to charge in first.

"I am a shadow, the true self. More than that...I am the reaper, bringer of death." The reaper aimed it's guns at the group. "Now. Embrace the eternal sleep." Shadows began to gather in the room.

"Hah!" Stefan hit the guns with his axe, the reaper turning it's attention to him. "S-shit! This is bad..." The reaper aimed it's gun at his head. Stefan winced for what was about to happen.

"We have to go! Now!" Rodrigo yelled to the group.

"Why are you scared, child...?" A slithery man's voice echoed.

"B-because...the monsters will get me..." A boy's voice responded.

"Are you kidding?!" Masuyo shouted to rodrigo. "We leave this thing alive and Mikako will findsome way to use it later!"

"Like I'm gonna let you." Shinta stretched out his hand and a thick sheet of ice covered the hammer of the Reaper's gun, jamming it and preventing it from firing. Shinta smirked, "All yours."

"Yeah!" Karin ran towards the Reaper and called for Valkyrie, which cut down smaller Shadows along the way. "Eat this!" She shouted as she formed a spiked bracer around her knuckles and threw a punch at the Reaper's torso.