asgardeventide | ♔ THE EMPEROR (002) [Video]

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♔ THE EMPEROR (002) [Video]

[As big and wondrous as Asgard is, Akihiko won’t turn down the chance to explore a new place – maybe even find some additional challenges along the way.

Besides, in all honesty, it will be nice to get away for a while, and try to take his mind off of all the heavy stones weighing down on him.

Akihiko greets the network with a friendly grin, determined to show optimism and encouragement toward others, as usual.] Showcase our talents, huh? So they wanna see if we can win this war without our original powers.

[He lifts a clenched fist just then, in a display of strength and resolve.] Fine with me. Come on, guys! We can take this challenge! Let’s throw out some ideas. What’ve you all got in mind to show ‘em? And this Vanaheim place – have any of you ever been there before?

[He lowers his fist after a moment as his expression softens a bit.] Oh, and for people that wanna stay here, help us take care of things till we get back, okay? [There’s at least one person in mind that he isn’t sure about, as to whether or not he will want to go.] But don’t worry, we’ll convince ‘em for sure!

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I get it though. It's right that he'd be skeptical.

[It was probably so weird that Minato had addressed both Akihiko and Shinjiro by name, but they had no idea who he was. Anyone would be suspicious. Minato though had a bit of the upperhand since he knew both Akihiko and Shinjiro, or some version of them.]

Maybe Ryoji can tell him himself if Shinjiro-senpai wants to know. We shouldn't keep it from him if he asks.

[It was true that they shouldn't have Shinjiro worry, but they couldn't withhold the truth either.]

[He is glad that Minato understands their reasons for being doubtful. Akihiko, as friendly as he comes off being, isn't that gullible. He used to be more trusting, before betrayal wracked SEES and took so much away from them. Once bitten, twice shy.]

He... probably won't. [Shinji didn't seem to want to know how things went up to the endgame either, but had patiently sat through all of it. Morbid curiosity, maybe?] I wouldn't keep any of that a secret from him, anyway. But only if he wants to know.

It's his prerogative.

[No matter what they told him about the future, Shinjiro couldn't do much about it. It was the same for Minato. No matter what else Akihiko could've told him about the future after March 5, Minato couldn't do anything about it.]

Did you get here around the same time as him, or before or after?

Around the same time. We both showed up in the castle when the giants attacked the city. Unfortunately, we couldn't get out till the ice melted.

[Or he would've jumped right into the fight to help out!]

I'll definitely get in on the fight next time. Hell, I've been training for it.

[Ice is not good for Akihiko either.]

I need to know more about these giants. When do you think we'll have to fight them again?

[Minato would've gone out fighting too with all of his Personas. Although he only had his sword-fighting skills and healing now to rely on, he would do the same and fight as well.]

[Ice... D: But at least it won't knock him on his ass anymore?

He shakes his head.] Not sure. It doesn't seem like there's a pattern to their attacks. Or if there is one, they haven't figured it out yet.

[It took SEES a couple of months before Akihiko was able to point out the full moon pattern with the Arcana Shadows...]

From what people have told me, there's a witch named Thiazi. I think... she controlled the ice monsters. Someone else controls fire creatures.

[True. Too bad Minato couldn't Niflheim the heck out of Akihiko if he was going to go off and do something dangerous?]

How can we find out more about who controls the monsters? If there's no pattern, then we'll always have to be on guard too.

[Not that Minato had any qualms against that. It was almost like the same old, same old then.]

[OH GOD DON’T DO THAT!! DDDDDD8 CAESAR WOULD HATE YOU!]

Surt… that’s the other giant. [He read the tomes in the library a while ago, but hasn’t retained all of the information yet. It feels like being back in school.]

Listen to what other people have to say. They’ve got the battle background. The library doesn’t have a whole lotta info on the giants. Mostly about the history of this world.

[Then don't go off and do dumb things! XD

Minato had heard of that name before. His Persona of the same name possessed the most powerful fire spell in his repertoire. It did make some sense.]

All right. I'll see what else I can find out. What about speaking to the gods directly?

[But Minato, that’s asking for the impossible! ;.;

…Man, Akihiko seriously needs to start memorizing all the Personas that Minato and Minako had. There was just… too many, so he could never recall all of them. Maybe Mitsuru had them recorded somewhere…]

You can call ‘em with this. [Akihiko taps his bracelet, making the image briefly shake.] Some of them are more helpful than others. [A beat.] I hope.

[Minato knows all about the impossible, Akihiko. XD

Minato looked at his bracelet, and considered contacting them if he had to.]

Will they always respond? Our patron god or goddess should respond?

[brb running off to do something stupid again]

Honestly, I haven’t tried calling ‘em yet. They show up on the network at least once a month, I think. I’ve talked to Loki and Freyr before.

They should respond, but again, it depends on which one you try to contact. Just make sure you know exactly what you’re gonna ask.

[Letting you go ahead and do that!]

Mn, I wouldn't want to waste their time. I'll think about it.

[Because after they're done here, being in Asgard, where would they go? Back home? And then what?]

There are people who do go home before all of this is over?

Let me know if they tell you anything useful.

[...Most likely. And therein lies Akihiko's hesitation, because once he leaves Asgard, it means he'll never see Shinji again. Aside from going to his grave...

He nods.] Yes. Some people have gone home and come back too. They... might've even remembered this city. So if we could bring some useful info home...

[Not that there's anything he can change, at this point. Still, it's something important to note.]

I wonder why we're unable to use our Personas here.

[Wouldn't those be useful in this war they were supposedly assigned to participate in?]

Have you met anyone who's gone home and come back?

Because we'll explode. [Just... going to state that bluntly.] It's not just the gods that're claiming it - other people said the same thing. They claimed our powers don't... work in this world. Something about the spiritual energy not matching, when they brought our souls in...

[It doesn't make a lot of sense, to be perfectly honest.]

Yes - a girl I was talking to. She said she remembered Asgard when she went back home, but then returned here the next morning. So she couldn't really... do anything there.

Not that... we could really change anything either, if we went home with additional info. Everything's already taken care of, with the Shadows.

[Minato still wasn't sure just how much that was actually true. He didn't really know if he should be doubting the gods though especially now that he was alive, and thankfully so. He liked his soul as it was before.

But it was true, things really have been taken care of. He could take comfort in that.]

I wonder then too if people want to come back.

You mean… come back here? To Asgard?

[…He could think of a few reasons. Considering all of the… uh, dead people surrounding him. Why would they want to remain at home, when they could have a chance to live again?]

Well… what about you? Would you wanna come back, or stay in Iwatodai?

[Minato thought about it too. He gave it some consideration.]

If I could, I would go back.

[But under different circumstances.]

...I don't blame you, man. Though, shouldn't the gods be able to do something about that? Because after the war's over...

[Would they just all go back home? And the ones that died... would return to their graves too. That doesn't seem fair.]

[Minato had considered that too. After all of this was over, or even if this wasn't all over and he had gone home beforehand, what would that really mean? It would just mean going back to where he last was.]

They shouldn't have to interfere any more than they have already with our home worlds.

[Besides, he had to consider it a privilege that he was alive at all now, and he had those gods to thank.]

But they already have, by bringing you here. And everyone else too.

[And it isn't like the dead are the only ones affected. People that care about them... are just going to lose them again, in the end. It feels like a cruel, cruel trick.]

......

[He shakes his head after a moment, clearing those dark thoughts away.]

Well... I guess we shouldn't focus on that right now. The endgame isn't here yet. We've got other things to prepare for, first.

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♔ THE EMPEROR (002) [Video]

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